WorldWideScience

Sample records for priest rapids site

  1. Assessing fish predation on migrating juvenile steelhead and a retrospective comparison to steelhead survival through the Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project, Columbia River, Washington, 2009-11

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardiman, Jill M.; Counihan, Timothy D.; Burgess, Dave S.; Simmons, Katrina E.; Holmberg, Glen S.; Rogala, Josh; Polacek, Rochelle

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have been working with the Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, Washington (Grant PUD), to increase their understanding of predator-prey interactions in the Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project (PRP), Columbia River, Washington. For this study, the PRP is defined as the area approximately 6 kilometers upstream of Wanapum Dam to the Priest Rapids Dam tailrace, 397.1 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River. Past year’s low survival numbers of juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) through Wanapum and Priest Rapids Dams has prompted Grant PUD, on behalf of the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee, to focus research efforts on steelhead migration and potential causal mechanisms for low survival. Steelhead passage survival in 2009 was estimated at 0.944 through the Wanapum Development (dam and reservoir) and 0.881 through the Priest Rapids Development and for 2010, steelhead survival was 0.855 for Wanapum Development and 0.904 for Priest Rapids Development. The USGS and WDFW implemented field collection efforts in 2011 for northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and walleye (Sander vitreus, formerly Stizostedion vitreum) and their diets in the PRP. For predator indexing, we collected 948 northern pikeminnow, 237 smallmouth bass, 18 walleye, and two largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The intent of this study was to provide standardized predation indices within individual reaches of the PRP to discern spatial variability in predation patterns. Furthermore, the results of the 2011 study were compared to results of a concurrent steelhead survival study. Our results do not indicate excessively high predation of Oncorhynchus spp. occurring by northern pikeminnow or smallmouth bass in any particular reach throughout the study area. Although we found Oncorhynchus spp. in the predator diets, the relative

  2. Dwelling among the gods : a late pre-contact priest's house in Kahikinui, Maui, Hawaiian Islands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirch, P.V.; Millerstrom, S.; Jones, S.; McCoy, M.D.

    2010-01-01

    We report on the excavation of an upland habitation site in Kahikinui, Maui, interpreted as the residence of a priest (kahuna) in the traditional Hawaiian religious system. The site, consisting of a large stone terrace and walled house foundation, lies within a ceremonial precinct incorporating several temple (heiau) structures. Six radiocarbon dates bracket the period of occupation between AD 1650 and 1820, although the duration of use was probably shorter. Lithic analysis indicates that the house occupants worked both local and imported basalt; retouching of fine-grained basalt adzes within the house suggests wood-working activities. Some of the fine-grained basalt has an off-island origin traced to O'ahu Island. A cache of black and white pebbles may be either gaming pieces or stones used by a priest in divination and disease diagnosis. The faunal assemblage reveals access to a wide variety of status foods, including the prized black-foot limpet, a variety of fishes, wild birds, and domestic pigs, dogs, and chickens. Some of the birds may have been taken for their black or yellow feathers, these colours being associated with Hawaiian deities. In total, the cultural assemblage from site KIP-117 provides a window into the daily life of a Hawaiian priestly household. (author). 45 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs.

  3. On a List of Priests

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Isager, Signe

    2014-01-01

    The article concerns the fate of an often cited list of priests for Poseidon, which at some point was established and cut into a stele in ancient Halikarnassos. The list could be considered the genealogical table of Halikarnassos: The cult of Poseidon was founded by colonists from Troizen...... and the first priest on the list was a son of the god Poseidon himself. This could be read from the inscription on a new stele to which it was decided to transfer all the names on the first stele in the Late Hellenistic Period. The article presents two new documents for future discussions on when, why...

  4. Sexual and intimacy health of Roman Catholic priests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDevitt, Patrick J

    2012-01-01

    This study explores the sexual experiences and sexual health of Roman Catholic priests. The qualitative research design looked at priests' responses to the question, "Please share one or more sexual experiences in your lifetime." The qualitative responses were analyzed and categorized into seven groupings: (a) Childhood and adolescent homosexual experiences; (b) Childhood and adolescent heterosexual experiences; (c) Both homosexual and heterosexual childhood and adolescent experiences; (d) Adult sexual experiences before ordination to the priesthood; (e) Adult sexual experiences since ordination to the priesthood; (f) Masturbation; and (g) Other sexual experiences. The data were analyzed by frequency of responses and percentages within each of the seven categories. The results indicate the need for early intervention and education during seminary, ongoing education after ordination, and psychotherapy support for priests.

  5. How Religious Beliefs and Practices Influence the Psychological Health of Catholic Priests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isacco, Anthony; Sahker, Ethan; Krinock, Elizabeth; Sim, Wonjin; Hamilton, Deanna

    2016-07-01

    Roman Catholic diocesan priests are a subgroup of men with unique religious and spiritual roles, beliefs, and practices. This qualitative study of 15 priests from the mid-Atlantic area of the United States focused on how priests' relationship with God and promises of celibacy and obedience influenced their psychological health. Using a consensual qualitative research (CQR) design, the analysis revealed that participants described their relationship with God as central to their health and contributing to positive outcomes (e.g., sense of connection and support). The influence of their promises of celibacy and obedience were linked to both positive outcomes (e.g., decreased stress, improved relationships) and negative outcomes (e.g., internal conflict, depression/loneliness). This study highlighted the central role that priests' relationship with God has on positive psychological health. Future research is necessary to understand how to maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative effects of priests' promises of celibacy and obedience, which would benefit programs aimed at supporting priests' psychological health. © The Author(s) 2015.

  6. Mental health among Norwegian priests: associations with effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Bjørn

    2018-01-01

    The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms among Norwegian priests and to examine their associations with effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and overcommitment. Eight hundred four priests in the Norwegian Church completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI-Q), and the Intrinsic Effort Scale, measuring overcommitment. A significant proportion of the priests (23.4%) had HADS scores indicating a possible anxiety problem. Somewhat fewer had depression problems (9.3%). Both anxiety and depression difficulties were associated with an imbalance between effort given and rewards received at work. Priests characterized by a combination of this imbalance and high scores on overcommitment had more anxiety and depression symptoms. There is a higher occurrence of mental health challenges among priests than among the regular population. This applies in particular to anxiety symptoms measured by the HADS. These findings also indicate that it may be fruitful to explore mental health conditions among priests who report different combinations of effort-reward and overcommitment.

  7. Caries and periodontal experience among 998 priests and novices in Bangkok.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaisupamongkollarp, Somchai; Jaturanon, Saeng; Subhakorn, Sermsiri; Ploysangngam, Prapatsorn

    2008-01-01

    The present study was cross-sectional survey aiming to describe oral health status in terms of caries and periodontal experience and oral health behavior of 998 priests in Bangkok. The 998 priests, aged 12-92, from 28 temples in Bangkok were clinically examined at Priest Hospital using WHO methodology. Information on oral health behavior was obtained via questionnaires. The prevalence and level of caries increased with ages. Overall, 89.5% had evidences of caries experience; 71.5% were related to untreated caries. The average DMFT score was 7.4 (DT=2.9, MT=3.2, FT= 1.2). About 72.9% needed 1-surface filling and 45.6% needed extraction. Similarly, gingivitis was highly prevalent for all age groups, with 73.4% having calculus. About 12.7% had periodontal pockets. However, the highest prevalence of periodontitis belonged to the 55-64-year-old priest at 41.4%. Tooth loss was dramatically prevalent among the elderly over 65. Even though most participatting priests had high evidences of caries and periodontal problems, only 57.7% perceived their own problems. The first and second common problems were calculus and food retention, at 48.9 and 44.1, respectively. With respect to level of education, priests who completed their education from primary school or lower had significantly higher number of DT MT and DMFT and lower number of FT than the group with higher education (p implementation of community based oral health promotion and prevention, emphasizing related risks which needed to improved oral healthcare of the priests to limit oral health burdens in the future.

  8. Jesus the interceding High Priest: A fresh look at Hebrews 7:25 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    According to the book of Hebrews, the locus of Jesus' intercession is found in his role as a high priest. Yet neither the Levitical high priest nor Melchizedek, the prototype after which Jesus' priestly function is modelled, interceded in a strict sense of the word. In a context where prayer is seen as an activity that pertains to the ...

  9. Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) Report; Priest River Project, Technical Report 2005.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Entz, Ray

    2005-05-01

    On July 6, 2004, the Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) was used to determine baseline habitat suitability on the Priest River property, an acquisition completed by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians in 2001. Evaluation species and appropriate models include bald eagle, black-capped chickadee, Canada goose, mallard, yellow warbler, and white-tailed deer. Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) values were visually estimated and agreed upon by all HEP team members. The Priest River Project provides a total of 140.73 Habitat Units (HUs) for the species evaluated. Conifer forest habitat provides 60.05 HUs for bald eagle, black-capped chickadee, and white-tailed deer. Grassland meadow habitat provides 7.39 HUs for Canada goose and mallard. Scrub-shrub vegetation provides 71.13 HUs for mallard, yellow warbler, and white-tailed deer. Open water habitat provides 2.16 HUs for Canada goose and mallard. The objective of using HEP at the Priest River Project and other protected properties is to document the quality and quantity of available habitat for selected wildlife species. In this way, HEP provides information on the relative value of the same area at future points in time so that the effect of management activities on wildlife habitat can be quantified. When combined with other tools, the baseline HEP will be used to determine the most effective on-site management, restoration, and enhancement actions to increase habitat suitability for targeted species. The same process will be replicated every five years to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of management strategies in improving and maintaining habitat conditions while providing additional crediting to BPA for enhanced habitat values.

  10. Judas, the disciple who was known to the high priest: A ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    After his arrest, Jesus is taken to the high priest. According to John 18:15 he is accompanied by 'another disciple'. In this article, I discuss the possibility that this other disciple was Judas. He is the one who was known to the high priest. The arguments to put him in this position are derived from a narrative analysis of the ...

  11. Reaching a Decision to Change Vocation: A Qualitative Study of Former Priests' Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pietkiewicz, Igor J.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore experiences of Roman Catholic clergy who relinquish the priesthood. Ten former priests participated in semi-structured interviews that were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Overall, the study found that priests experienced needs and aspirations conflicting with their social role and the…

  12. Gay priests and other bogeymen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Stephen J

    2006-01-01

    The sexual abuse of boys by priests was at the center of the 2002 scandal in the Roman Catholic Church. This scandal has resurrected the misconception that a link exists between having a homosexual orientation and being at increased risk for being a pedophile or child molester. This paper reviews and debunks the arguments in support of this misconception. Central to these arguments is what might be called the "proportionality argument": that the ratio of homosexuals to heterosexuals among child molesters is higher than the ratio of homosexuals to heterosexuals in the general population. The flaws in the proportionality argument and several other misconceptions are discussed.

  13. University physics Arfken Griffing Kelly Priest

    CERN Document Server

    Houk, T William; Snider, John W

    1984-01-01

    University Physics: Arfken Griffing Kelly Priest covers the concepts upon which the quantitative nature of physics as a science depends; the types of quantities with which physics deals are defined as well as their nature; and the concepts of units and dimensions. The book describes the concepts of scalars and vectors; the rules for performing mathematical operations on vector quantities; the concepts of force, torque, center of gravity, and types of equilibrium. The text also describes the concepts and quantities required to describe motion; the linear kinematical relationships to describe m

  14. Happiness matters : exploring the linkages between personality, personal happiness, and work-related psychological health among priests and sisters in Italy

    OpenAIRE

    Francis, Leslie J.; Crea, Giuseppe

    2017-01-01

    This study responds to the challenge posed by Rossetti’s work to explore the antecedents and consequences of individual differences in happiness among priests and religious sisters. The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was completed together with measures of personality and work-related psychological health by 95 priests and 61 religious sisters. Overall the data demonstrated high levels of personal happiness among priests and religious sisters, but also significant signs of vulnerability. Pers...

  15. Quartz-molybdenite veins in the Priestly Lake granodiorite, north-central Maine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayuso, Robert A.; Shank, Stephen G.

    1983-01-01

    Quartz-molybdenite veins up to 15 cm in width occur in fine to medium-grained porphyritic biotite-hornblende granodiorite at Priestly Lake north-central Maine. An area of about 150 m x 150 m contains quartz-molybdenite veins; a larger area is characterized by barren quartz veins. Quartz-molybdenite veins are concentrated within the most felsic variants of the intrusion as suggested by lower mafic mineral contents. The pluton has a narrow range in SiO2 (67-70 wt.%), major oxides, and in trace-element compositions. Molybdenite occurs as coarse grained clusters in pockets within the quartz veins, and fills fractures in the quartz veins and host rocks. Disseminated molybdenite in the granodiorite is relatively rare and occurs only in the area characterized by a high density of quartz veins (up to 50 veins per square meter). Alteration envelopes along the quartz veins are very thin or absent, although in some areas the granodiorite appears to be selectively and pervasively altered. Sericite, chlorite, epidote, calcite, pyrite, and quartz are concentrated near the quartz-molybdenite veins. Many of the field and geochemical characteristics of the Priestly Lake pluton are unlike those of major molybdenum-producing areas (Climax, Henderson, Urad). For example, the area of alteration seems to be of limited extent, the host rock is not intensely altered hydrothermally at the surface, the density of fractures is rather low in the mineralized area, and the amount of disseminated molybdenite appears to be small. However, the Priestly Lake pluton may be a small fraction of a concealed batholith as suggested by geophysical data. It is conceivable that the type of mineralization at the surface might be the expression of more extensive molybdenite mineralization at depth. The quartz-molybdenite veins in the Priestly Lake pluton are significant because they indicate that potential molybdenum sources for producing mineralized granites were available at depth. Future studies should be

  16. Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) Report : Priest River, 2004-2005 Technical Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Entz, Ray

    2005-02-01

    On July 6, 2004, the Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) was used to determine baseline habitat suitability on the Priest River property, an acquisition completed by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians in 2001. Evaluation species and appropriate models include bald eagle, black-capped chickadee, Canada goose, mallard, yellow warbler, and white-tailed deer. Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) values were visually estimated and agreed upon by all HEP team members. The Priest River Project provides a total of 105.41 Habitat Units (HUs) for the species evaluated. Conifer forest habitat provides 26.95 HUs for bald eagle, black-capped chickadee, and white-tailed deer. Grassland habitat provides 23.78 HUs for Canada goose and mallard. Scmb-shrub vegetation provides 54.68 HUs for mallard, yellow warbler, and white-tailed deer.

  17. ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself’ (Mt 27:4: Making atonement and the Matthean portrait of the Jewish chief priests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorothy Jean Weaver

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available To read the Gospel of Matthew within its 1st century religious context is to read an intensely Jewish narrative. Central to the world of this Gospel are the Jerusalem temple, its administrators, the chief priests, and the sacrificial system which they are charged by Jewish law to officiate. This article assesses the Matthean portrait of the Jewish chief priests of Jesus’ day against the scriptural backdrop which lays out their prominent role within Jewish religious life, namely ‘making atonement’ before God for the ‘sins’ of the people. In section one I sketch out the Matthean portrait of the scripturally assigned role of the priests, connecting this portrait to its biblical antecedents. In section two I assess the overall performance of the Matthean chief priests against the backdrop of their assigned role. In section three I address the question of atonement. Crucial here is 27:3–10, the account of Judas Iscariot, who returns his 30 silver coins to the chief priests and says (27:4a; emphasis mine, ‘I have sinned, because I have handed over innocent blood’. Here I highlight Matthew’s ironic modus operandi as he portrays the chief priests’ non-priestly response to Judas. Additionally, I contrast Matthew’s portrait of the Jewish chief priests with a brief portrait of Jesus’ own ministry within the Jewish community, a ministry which fulfils the priestly role abandoned by the chief priests. I conclude my article in section four with brief reflections on the rhetorical impact of Matthew’s portrait of the Jewish chief priests within his overall narrative.

  18. Georges Lemaître: The Priest Who Invented the Big Bang

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert, Dominique

    This contribution gives a concise survey of Georges Lemaître works and life, shedding some light on less-known aspects. Lemaître is a Belgian catholic priest who gave for the first time in 1927 the explanation of the Hubble law and who proposed in 1931 the "Primeval Atom Hypothesis", considered as the first step towards the Big Bang cosmology. But the scientific work of Lemaître goes far beyond Physical Cosmology. Indeed, he contributed also to the theory of Cosmis Rays, to the Spinor theory, to Analytical mechanics (regularization of 3- Bodies problem), to Numerical Analysis (Fast Fourier Transform), to Computer Science (he introduced and programmed the first computer of Louvain),… Lemaître took part to the "Science and Faith" debate. He defended a position that has some analogy with the NOMA principle, making a sharp distinction between what he called the "two paths to Truth" (a scientific one and a theological one). In particular, he never made a confusion between the theological concept of "creation" and the scientific notion of "natural beginning" (initial singularity). Lemaître was deeply rooted in his faith and sacerdotal vocation. Remaining a secular priest, he belonged to a community of priests called "The Friends of Jesus", characterized by a deep spirituality and special vows (for example the vow of poverty). He had also an apostolic activity amongst Chinese students.

  19. Focal Cortical Thickness Correlates of Exceptional Memory Training in Vedic Priests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giridhar Padmanabhan Kalamangalam

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The capacity for semantic memory – the ability to acquire and store knowledge of the world - is highly developed in the human brain. In particular, semantic memory assimilated through an auditory route may be a uniquely human capacity. One method of obtaining neurobiological insight into auditory semantic memory mechanisms is through the study of experts. In this work, we study a group of Hindu Vedic priests, whose religious training requires the memorization of vast tracts of scriptural texts through an oral tradition, recalled spontaneously during a lifetime of subsequent spiritual practice. We demonstrate focal increases of cortical thickness in the dominant prefrontal lobe and non-dominant temporal lobe in Vedic priests, in comparison to a group of matched controls. The findings are relevant to current hypotheses regarding cognitive processes underlying storage and recall of long-term declarative memory.

  20. A contemporary priest: profession or divine service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. M. Morosov

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article analyses the Russian Orthodox Church strategy with regard to forming core competence of modern Orthodox clergy for educative and social work. The question about the Church demand for a new generation of clergymen able to combine spiritual life with continuous intellectual and cultural development is raised. It is settled on the basis of combining professional competence and the idea of service. The moving trends of spiritual education reform directed at training a well-qualified priest capable of solving conventional spiritual and new tasks of vicarial service are considered.

  1. Leadership Development Experiences of Exemplary Roman Catholic Parish Priests: An Exploratory Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ong, Rosemarie A.

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative, phenomenological study addressed the research question: How do exemplary Roman Catholic parish priests perceive and describe their leadership development experience? The study explored experiences considered important in developing leadership, including how they occurred, the meaning provided, the definition of exemplary…

  2. Understanding Child Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests from a Situational Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terry, Karen J.; Freilich, Joshua D.

    2012-01-01

    Most sexual offense research focuses on offender motivation and individual risk factors rather than the criminal events themselves. This article provides an analysis of data from two studies on child sexual abuse by Catholic priests to help understand the opportunities clergy had or created to abuse youth. Findings show that situational factors…

  3. The office of the college’s priests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Szymon Fedorowicz

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available King Kazimierz Jagiellończyk and his wife Elizabeth founded a priest college in 1473. Its task was to spread the cult of Lord’s Passion. The college was attached to the Świętokrzyska Chapel at the Wawel Cathedral and his members were obliged to sing daily office of the Holy Cross, and to say a votive mass of the Holy Cross as well. The Chapter Archive of the Cathedral possesses the XVth century manuscript containing the Divine office prayer of the Holy Cross alone which then belonged to the college. In the text we quote the content of the office which was especially drew up for the college’s needs.

  4. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest: new feast for Poland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominik Ostrowski

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In 2013, the feast of Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest was introduced into the liturgical calendar of the Church in Poland. In studying the history and liturgical texts for the new feast, the authors undertook the first attempt of a comprehensive liturgical analysis of its liturgy, presenting its historical background and theology. Starting from describing the circumstances of its introduction, and ending on the presentation of its summary in the „Martyrologium”, the authors paid a special attention to the form of the Mass and, also, tried to take the theological lecture of Mass readings. Then, also the theological conclusions of analytical reading of texts of the Liturgy of the Hours have been presented. The study is the first Polish comprehensive presentation of euchology for the new feast, sometimes it only opens threads for further discussion. However, it clearly shows the fundamental traces of the new feast’s theology. Its central theme is the priesthood of Christ as superior to the priesthood of the Old Testament. The only true priesthood of Christ involves especially, in sacramental way, the ordained ministers. The ministerial priesthood, in fact, becomes the second subject of the feast, as the prayer for priests was the main motivation for introduction of this feast into liturgical calendars of local Churches.

  5. Romanian Orthodox Priests on the World War I Fronts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudiu Cotan

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Unlike the World War II which brought a series of ideologies, such as Nazism and communism as reasons of outbreak, the World War I used religious themes in its propagandistic message, namely the idea to defend the homeland and faith. Religion was present in the propaganda promoted on the fronts of the Great War, and the military clergy – Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox – supported it. The military clergy have morally supported the soldiers in the trenches, most of them coming from the peasantry and labor still attached to the Christian values. This study is trying to present the efforts of the Romanian military priests enrolled in the Austro-Hungarian and Romanian armies for spiritually helping the Romanian militaries.

  6. The Liability of Churches for the Historical Sexual Assault of Children by Priests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karin Calitz

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Could a church be held liable for the sexual assault of children by priests when the victims claim as adults only many years after the event? Complainants can claim damages on the basis that the church is either directly or vicariously liable for the alleged acts. If the victims rely on vicarious liability, they will have to prove that the wrongdoer was an employee of the defendant and will further have to prove that the assaults were committed within the course and scope of the wrongdoer's employment. The requirement that a priest must be an employee has in the past created a hurdle for victims, since courts in different countries have traditionally held that priests are not employees of the church as they are servants of God, subject to ecclesiastic law and not civil law. However, in John Doe v Bennet in Canada and JGE v Diocese of Portsmouth in the UK the courts have recently held that even a relationship akin to employment is sufficient to be a basis for vicarious liability. In Bazley v Curry the Canadian Supreme Court moreover extended the traditional meaning of the "course and scope of employment" by developing the "close connection" test. The court found that the acts of a warden of a children's home were so closely connected with his duties that it was fair that his employer (a charitable organisation should be held liable for his conduct. The close connection test was followed by the House of Lords in the United Kingdom and by the South African Constitutional Court in K v Minister of Safety and Security, although in another context. Adult complainants in cases such as these will further have to prove that their claim has not expired as a result of prescription. In Canada, the UK and South Africa courts have in different ways acknowledged the fact that victims of child sexual abuse are often not able to process their claims timeously, because of psychological factors. The victims are allowed to bring their claims often decades after

  7. Religion y politics. Manuel Sabino Crespo, a Parish Priest from Southern Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Carolina Ibarra

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Through the figure of Manuel Sabino Crespo, who collaborated with the government Morelos set up in Oaxaca and later joined the insurgent cause; this paper seeks to understand the life of a parish  priest in Southern Mexico and the scope of his intellectual training. Thanks to information obtained  from local and private ecclesiastical libraries, and especially from the reports of Crespo's participation found in the proceedings of the cathedral chapter, we can know the sources and arguments with which the rebels defended their ideas regarding ecclesiastical matters.

  8. Religion and priests in the Real Academia de Ciencias Morales y Políticas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pablo Ramírez Jerez

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, founded in Madrid in 1857, is a multidisciplinary institution where theological and religious studies have been widely dealt about, for more than twenty of its members have been priests or members of the Church hierarchy, so both their incorporation speeches and their academic interventions deal with religion. This article aims to analyze their academic figure as well as their bibliographical production within the Academy.

  9. The open letters of priest Feodor Vasilevsky to the all-Russia Church local Council of 1917–1918: about the sacrament of baptism and the destiny of the orthodoxy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kail' Maksim

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The open letters of Smolensk priest Feodor Vasilevsky to the All-Russia Church Local Council werefound out in the Fund № 834 of the Holy Synod’s manuscripts atthe Russian state historical archive (RGIA. The letters not only display of intra-church discussions during the revolutionary time, but also represent the various typicalreflections which werecharacteristic for thefaith of provincial priests.

  10. Survey of Potential Hanford Site Contaminants in the Upper Sediment for the Reservoirs at McNary, John Day, The Dalles, and Bonneville Dams, 2003

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patton, Gregory W.; Priddy, M; Yokel, Jerel W.; Delistraty, Damon A.; Stoops, Thomas M.

    2005-02-01

    This report presents the results from a multi-agency cooperative environmental surveillance study. of the study looked at sediment from the pools upstream from dams on the Columbia River that are downstream from Hanford Site operations. The radiological and chemical conditions existing in the upper-level sediment found in the pools upstream from McNary Dam, John Day Dam, The Dalles Lock and Dam, and Bonneville Dam were evaluated. This study also evaluated beach sediment where available. Water samples were collected at McNary Dam to further evaluate potential Hanford contaminants in the lower Columbia River. Samples were analyzed for radionuclides, chemicals, and physical parameters. Results from this study were compared to background values from sediment and water samples collect from the pool upstream of Priest Rapids Dam (upstream of the Hanford Site) by the Hanford Site Surface Environmental Surveillance Project.

  11. A vegetarian diet does not protect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): A cross-sectional study between Buddhist priests and the general population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Sung Hun; Oh, Dong Jun; Kwon, Ki Hwan; Lee, Jun Kyu; Koh, Moon Soo; Lee, Jin Ho; Kang, Hyoun Woo

    2015-07-01

    There is limited data that supports a role for a vegetarian diet in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between vegetarian diets and NAFLD, considering metabolic syndrome and obesity. This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study comparing the prevalence of NAFLD of 615 Buddhist priests and age-, sex-, Body mass index (BMI)-and presence/absence of metabolic syndrome-matched controls who underwent routine health checkups in a health promotion center. Diagnosis and severity of NAFLD was determined based on ultrasonographic findings. The prevalence of NAFLD was not statistically significantly different between the Buddhist priests and the general population (29.9% vs. 25.05%, p=0.055). The Buddhist priest group had higher serum albumin, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and serum triglyceride levels and lower serum total bilirubin, serum fasting glucose, and serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels than the general population group. In univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, NAFLD was associated with old age, male gender, increased BMI, increased waist circumference, metabolic syndrome, high albumin, high glucose, high AST, high ALT, high gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), high triglycerides, low HDL, high low density lipoprotein (LDL), and high total cholesterol. The vegetarian diet does not protect against NAFLD.

  12. Evaluation of the OnSite malaria rapid test performance in Miandrivazo, Madagascar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravaoarisoa, E; Andriamiandranoro, T; Raherinjafy, R; Jahevitra, M; Razanatsiorimalala, S; Andrianaranjaka, V; Randrianarivelojosia, M

    2017-10-01

    The performance of the malaria rapid diagnostic test OnSite-for detecting pan specific pLDH and Plasmodium falciparum specific HRP2 - was assessed during the malaria transmission peak period in Miandrivazo, in the southwestern part of Madagascar from April 20 to May 6, 2010. At the laboratory, the quality control OnSite Malaria Rapid Test according to the WHO/TDR/FIND method demonstrated that the test had good sensitivity. Of the 218 OnSite tests performed at the Miandrivazo Primary Health Center on patients with fever or a recent history of fever, four (1.8%, 95% CI: 0.6-4.9%) were invalid. Ninety four (43,1%) cases of malaria were confirmed by microscopy, of which 90 were P. falciparum malaria and 4 Plasmodium vivax malaria. With a Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.94, the agreement between microscopy and OnSite is excellent. Compared with the rapid test CareStart™ commonly used within the public health structures in Madagascar, the sensitivity and specificity of the OnSite test were 97.9% and 96.8%.

  13. Evaluation of ground water nutrient loading to Priest Lake, Bonner County, Idaho

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freeman, K.M.; Ralston, D.R.

    1994-01-01

    The quality of water of Idaho lakes is of increasing concern, particularly when related to waste disposal and land use practices within the watersheds. This study investigates the Kalispell Bay and Granite Creek areas. Conclusions are as follows: Both areas demonstrate direction of ground water towards Priest Lake. The Kalispell Bay area displays horizontal ground water flow throughout the entire area with an upward hydraulic gradient over a portion of the area. The Granite Creek Area displays strictly horizontal flow; both study areas contain particular sub-areas which display nutrient enrichment, particulary nitrogen, of ground water; the granite Creek study area contains a sub-area displaying both elevated nitrogen concentrations and positive tests for E. coli bacteria. 2 figs., 2 tabs

  14. A rapid stability assessment of China's IGS sites after the Ms7. 0 Lushan earthquake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Jie

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available A rapid and accurate assessment of the stability of surveying and mapping reference points is important for post – disaster rescue, disaster relief and reconstruction activities. Using Precise Point Positioning (PPP technology, a rapid assessment of the stability of the IGS sites in China was performed after the Ms 7. 0 Lushan earthquake using rapid precise ephemeris and rapid precise satellite clock products. The results show that the earthquake had a very small impact and did not cause significant permanent deformation at the IGS sites. Most of the sites were unaffected and remained stable after the earthquake.

  15. The Bacas and the Priests: How Old Adversaries Came Together to Revive and Reinterpret Tradition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sendyka Pawel

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In the Polish pastoralist tradition there have always been two seminal community events which bracketed the winter season. There was the autumn event of “Redyk Jesienny” when the sheep brought back from the summer alpine pastures were given back to their owners and there was also a spring “Redyk” also called “Mieszanie Owiec” which literally means the Mixing of Sheep. Historically, it was an important event in which the head shepherd, or the baca had to use his magical knowledge to ensure that the big herd made up of sheep from the individual owners would keep together as one and produce enough milk to make this summer venture profitable. To do that he used magic spells and performed rituals learned from his predecessors. The bacas' magical knowledge was frequently in opposition to the powers of the priests who viewed them with suspicion. Today, this spring event of “Mieszanie Owiec” is much changed. It is no longer a private affair of the baca and the sheep owners. Frequently, it is a public event, a tourist attraction, with the priests often taking centre stage. There is even a new, “invented” tradition of region wide “Mieszanie” at the sanctuary of Ludźmierz. There, a small herd of around 200 sheep is symbolically used to bless all the herds going up the mountain pastures for the season. The paper examines how these traditions changed from old ethnographic descriptions and how they are evolving in a modern economic and social reality.

  16. Priests, technicians and traders: actors, interests and discursive politics in Brazil’s agricultural development cooperation programmes with Mozambique

    OpenAIRE

    Cabral, Lídia Vilela

    2016-01-01

    This research is about Brazil’s international development cooperation in agriculture. I take two cooperation programmes carried out by the Brazilian government in Mozambique – ProSAVANA and More Food International (MFI) – to analyse the processes whereby cooperation policy is formed and transformed. I ask how Brazil’s domestic politics interact with international affairs to shape agricultural cooperation with Mozambique. I consider the ‘priests, technicians and traders’ of Brazilian cooperati...

  17. Laboratory and On-Site Tests for Rapid Runway Repair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federico Leonelli

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The attention to rapid pavement repair has grown fast in recent decades: this topic is strategic for the airport management process for civil purposes and peacekeeping missions. This work presents the results of laboratory and on-site tests for rapid runway repair, in order to analyse and compare technical and mechanical performances of 12 different materials currently used in airport. The study focuses on site repairs, a technique adopted most frequently than repairs with modular elements. After describing mechanical and physical properties of the examined materials (2 bituminous emulsions, 5 cement mortars, 4 cold bituminous mixtures and 1 expanding resin, the study presents the results of carried out mechanical tests. The results demonstrate that the best performing material is a one-component fast setting and hardening cement mortar with graded aggregates. This material allows the runway reopening 6 h after the work. A cold bituminous mixture (bicomponent premixed cold asphalt with water as catalyst and the ordinary cement concrete allow the reopening to traffic after 18 h, but both ensure a lower service life (1000 coverages than the cement mortar (10,000 coverages. The obtained results include important information both laboratory level and field, and they could be used by airport management bodies and road agencies when scheduling and evaluating pavement repairs.

  18. Subjective well-being among Episcopal priests: predictors and comparisons to non-clinical norms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart-Sicking, Joseph A

    2012-01-01

    Few studies of the clergy have examined emotional well-being using normed measures. This study examined subjective well-being among 1,581 non-retired Episcopal priests. Subjective well-being was measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). Predictors of subjective well-being were measured with the Dispositional Hope Scale (Snyder et al., 1991) and scales of personal practices, social support, congregational dynamics, fit, and economic satisfaction. Participants reported more positive affect (Hedges's g = 1.19), more negative affect (Hedges's g = 0.61) and more satisfaction with life (Hedges's g = 0.73) than nonclinical norms. Hope agency was the strongest predictor for positive affect and satisfaction with life; stress was the strongest predictor for negative affect and partially mediated the effect of congregational dynamics and fit on this outcome. Results suggest that prevention programs must focus on all aspects of subjective well-being and consider the direct effects of different levels of the ecosystem to be effective.

  19. Rapid on-site evaluation of axillary fine-needle aspiration cytology in breast cancer.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Leary, D P

    2012-06-01

    Axillary ultrasonography (AUS) and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can establish axillary lymph node status before surgery, although this technique is hampered by poor adequacy rates. To achieve consistently high rates of FNAC adequacy, rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) of FNAC samples was introduced.

  20. Rapid Visual Site Analysis for Post-disaster Landscape Planning: Expanding the Range of Choice in a Tsunami-affected Town in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Wescoat

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Problem statement In post-disaster situations, it is often necessary to undertake rapid visual site reconnaissance to characterise patterns of damage and identify reconstruction opportunities and constraints. Rapid visual site analysis can occur over a period of hours to days rather than weeks to months. The time constraint is often necessary to assess the viability of initial reconstruction scenarios and help broaden the range of choice among site planning options. Rapid assessment can also minimise the use of scarce local post-disaster resources during the initial reconnaissance phases of planning. Because it involves visual methods rather than equipment-intensive survey techniques, it serves as an initial scoping of alternatives. It may follow emergency shelter response planning methods (for example, Sphere Project, 2011, ch 4 and be followed by more comprehensive site mapping and screening. This action–research project reviews the literature on post-disaster site analysis with an emphasis on the tsunami-affected area of north-eastern Japan. Because research on rapid visual site analysis in post-disaster contexts is limited, we combined field-based site analysis methods, adapted for post-disaster planning, with visual methods for assessing seismic and tsunami hazards.

  1. Procaine rapidly inactivates acetylcholine receptors from Torpedo and competes with agonist for inhibition sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forman, S.A.; Miller, K.W.

    1989-01-01

    The relationship between the high-affinity procaine channel inhibition site and the agonist self-inhibition site on acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) from Torpedo electroplaque was investigated by using rapid 86 Rb + quenched-flux assays at 4 degree C in native AChR-rich vesicles on which 50-60% of ACh activation sites were blocked with α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX). In the presence of channel-activating acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations alone, AChR undergoes one phase of inactivation in under a second. Addition of procaine produces two-phase inactivation similar to that seen with self-inhibiting ACh concentrations rapid inactivation complete in 30-75 ms is followed by fast desensitization at the same k d observed without procaine. The dependence of k r on [procaine] is consistent with a bimolecular association between procaine and its AChR site. Inhibition of AChR function by mixtures of procaine plus self-inhibiting concentrations of ACh or suberyldicholine was studied by reducing the level of α-BTX block in vesicles. The data support a mechanism where procaine binds preferentially to the open-channel AChR state, since no procaine-induced inactivation is observed without agonist and k r 's dependence on [ACh] in channel-activating range closely parallels that of 86 Rb + flux response to ACh

  2. On the Rapid Rise of Social Networking Sites: New Findings and Policy Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livingstone, Sonia; Brake, David R

    2010-01-01

    Social networking sites have been rapidly adopted by children and, especially, teenagers and young people worldwide, enabling new opportunities for the presentation of the self, learning, construction of a wide circle of relationships, and the management of privacy and intimacy. On the other hand, there are also concerns that social networking…

  3. Rapid onset of squamous cell carcinoma in a thin skin graft donor site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herard, C; Arnaud, D; Goga, D; Rousseau, P; Potier, B

    2016-01-01

    Squamous cell carcinomas are malignant tumours of epithelial origin that can appear on sites subjected to chronic inflammation after a period of several years. The rapid development of squamous cell carcinoma at the donor site for a thin skin graft is a rare and poorly understood situation. We report the case of a patient undergoing thin skin grafting to cover the area of removal of a vertex squamous cell carcinoma and in whom squamous cell carcinoma appeared at the donor site within 9 weeks. In our case, we ruled out intraoperative contamination because two sets of surgical instruments were used. Given the number of cases reported in the literature, a chance event seems unlikely. The hypothesis of an acute inflammatory process caused by scarring of the thin skin graft site appears to us the most convincing. Development of cancer at the graft donor site may thus be added to the list of complications of thin skin grafting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Surgical site infections due to rapidly growing mycobacteria in puducherry, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kannaiyan, Kavitha; Ragunathan, Latha; Sakthivel, Sulochana; Sasidar, A R; Muralidaran; Venkatachalam, G K

    2015-03-01

    Rapidly growing Mycobacteria are increasingly recognized, nowadays as an important pathogen that can cause wide range of clinical syndromes in humans. We herein describe unrelated cases of surgical site infection caused by Rapidly growing Mycobacteria (RGM), seen during a period of 12 months. Nineteen patients underwent operations by different surgical teams located in diverse sections of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka, India. All patients presented with painful, draining subcutaneous nodules at the infection sites. Purulent material specimens were sent to the microbiology laboratory. Gram stain and Ziehl-Neelsen staining methods were used for direct examination. Culture media included blood agar, chocolate agar, MacConkey agar, Sabourauds agar and Lowenstein-Jensen medium for Mycobacteria. Isolated microorganisms were identified and further tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by standard microbiologic procedures. Mycobacterium fortuitum and M.chelonae were isolated from the purulent drainage obtained from wounds by routine microbiological techniques from all the specimens. All isolates analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibility pattern were sensitive to clarithromycin, linezolid and amikacin but were variable to ciprofloxacin, rifampicin and tobramycin. Our case series highlights that a high level of clinical suspicion should be maintained for patients presenting with protracted soft tissue lesions with a history of trauma or surgery as these infections not only cause physical but also emotional distress that affects both the patients and the surgeon.

  5. White sturgeon mitigation and restoration in the Columbia and Snake rivers upstream from Bonneville Dam, Annual Progress Report April 2006 - March 2007. Report C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsley, M.J.; Kofoot, P.

    2008-01-01

    Describe reproduction and early life history characteristics of white sturgeon populations in the Columbia River between Bonneville and Priest Rapids dams. Define habitat requirements for spawning and rearing white sturgeon and quantify the extent of habitat available in the Columbia River between Bonneville and Priest Rapids dams. Progress updates on young-of-the-year recruitment in Bonneville Reservoir and indices of white sturgeon spawning habitat for 2006 for McNary, John Day, The Dalles, and Bonneville dam tailrace spawning areas.

  6. Rapid on-site monitoring of Legionella pneumophila in cooling tower water using a portable microfluidic system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, Nobuyasu; Tokunaga, Yusuke; Goto, Satoko; Fujii, Yudai; Banno, Fumiya; Edagawa, Akiko

    2017-06-08

    Legionnaires' disease, predominantly caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, has increased in prevalence worldwide. The most common mode of transmission of Legionella is inhalation of contaminated aerosols, such as those generated by cooling towers. Simple, rapid and accurate methods to enumerate L. pneumophila are required to prevent the spread of this organism. Here, we applied a microfluidic device for on-chip fluorescent staining and semi-automated counting of L. pneumophila in cooling tower water. We also constructed a portable system for rapid on-site monitoring and used it to enumerate target bacterial cells rapidly flowing in the microchannel. A fluorescently-labelled polyclonal antibody was used for the selective detection of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 in the samples. The counts of L. pneumophila in cooling tower water obtained using the system and fluorescence microscopy were similar. The detection limit of the system was 10 4  cells/ml, but lower numbers of L. pneumophila cells (10 1 to 10 3  cells/ml) could be detected following concentration of 0.5-3 L of the water sample by filtration. Our technique is rapid to perform (1.5 h), semi-automated (on-chip staining and counting), and portable for on-site measurement, and it may therefore be effective in the initial screening of Legionella contamination in freshwater.

  7. A novel bench-scale column assay to investigate site-specific nitrification biokinetics in biological rapid sand filters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tatari, Karolina; Smets, Barth F.; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen

    2013-01-01

    A bench-scale assay was developed to obtain site-specific nitrification biokinetic information from biological rapid sand filters employed in groundwater treatment. The experimental set-up uses granular material subsampled from a full-scale filter, packed in a column, and operated with controlled...

  8. The relationship between survival of Columbia River fall chinook salmon and in-river environmental factors -- Analysis of historic data for juvenile and adult salmonid production: Phase 2. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skalski, J.R.; Townsend, R.L.; Donnelly, R.F.; Hilborn, R.W.

    1996-12-01

    This project analyzes in greater detail the coded-wire-tag (CWT) returns of Priest Rapids Hatchery fall chinook for the years 1976--1989 initially begun by Hilborn et al. (1993a). These additional analyses were prompted by suggestions made by peer reviews of the initial draft report. The initial draft and the peer review comments are included in this final report (Appendices A and B). The statistical analyses paired Priest Rapids stock with potential downriver reference stocks to isolate in-river survival rates. Thirty-three potential reference stocks were initially examined for similar ocean recovery rates; the five stocks with the most similar recovery patterns (i.e., Bonneville Brights, Cowlitz, Gray's River, Tanner Creek, and Washougal) to the Priest Rapids stock were used in the subsequent analysis of in-river survival. Three alternate forms of multiple regression models were used to investigate the relationship between predicted in-river survival and ambient conditions. Analyses were conducted with and without attempts to adjust for smolt transportation at McNary Dam. Independent variables examined in the analysis included river flows, temperature, turbidity, and spill along with the total biomass of hatchery releases in the Columbia-Snake River Basin

  9. A method for the rapid on-site assessment of handleability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, D.W.; Atkin, B.P. [University of Nottingham, Nottingham (United Kingdom). School of Chemical, Environmental and Mining Engineering

    2000-07-01

    The handleability monitor has been specifically designed to provide a simple, rapid and on-site assessment of the whole or part consignment of a coal blend in its 'as-prepared' or 'as-received' condition. Evaluation has been carried out at a number of user's coal-handling plants, on both metallurgical and power station coals from a variety of sources world-wide (Australia, South Africa, United Kingdom and USA). The results are used to predict which coals could routinely pass through handling plant at line capacity, without causing blockage or decay, and have also been correlated with the operator's perception of the coal's handling characteristics and problems caused (blockages in chutes, hoppers, etc.) on the coal handling plant. Monitors were located at a coal fired power station and at a coal handling plant at an iron and steel works. 16 refs., 9 figs.

  10. THE OLIGARCH AND THE PAINTBRUSHES: A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ANDREU GARCIA, PRIEST = EL OLIGARCA Y LOS PINCELES: BREVE SEMBLANZA DEL PRESBÍTERO ANDREU GARCÍA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Encarna Montero Tortajada

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The documents regarding the Valencian priest Andreu Garcia († November 1452 show a quite interesting character. Garcia’s family belonged to local oligarchy. Moreover, he had a substantial income related with the Cathedral. He had contact, too, with Carthusians, Observant Friars and probably with Beghards (the books of his library suggest this last idea. Garcia took part, as an intermediary or as a sponsor, in many artistic orders that involved the best workers and the best customers of the city. Besides, he had a strong relationship with painters like Simó Llobregat, Jaume Mateu, Gonçal Sarrià and Joan Reixac. The priest could also have practiced painting, judging by the belongings that were found in his house after his death.La documentación referida al presbítero valenciano Andreu Garcia, muerto en noviembre de 1452, dibuja un perfil bien particular. Garcia fue miembro desde su nacimiento de la oligarquía ciudadana. Presbítero beneficiado en la Catedral, se relacionó también con la orden cartujana, con los franciscanos observantes y probablemente con los beguinos (los títulos de su biblioteca apuntan también a una espiritualidad afín a estos grupos. Además, participó como mediador o como promotor en muchos encargos que implicaron a lo más granado de la menestralía artística local, y a los clientes más notables de la ciudad. Más allá de esto, mantuvo fuertes vínculos personales con varios artistas (sobre todo con Simó Llobregat, Jaume Mateu, Gonçal Sarrià y Joan Reixac, y parece ser que practicó él mismo la pintura, a juzgar por los enseres que se encontraron en su domicilio tras su muerte.

  11. Rapid on-site detection of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli by gold-labeled DNA strip sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wenjun; Lu, Jie; Ma, Wenwei; Xu, Chuanlai; Kuang, Hua; Zhu, Shuifang

    2011-06-15

    Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli (AAC) is one of the most harmful diseases in cucurbit production. A rapid and sensitive DNA strip sensor was constructed based on gold nanoparticle-labeled oligonucleotide probes for the detection of AAC. Both the qualitative and semi-quantitative detections of target DNA were successfully achieved using the developed DNA strip sensor. The qualitative limit of detection (LOD) of the strip sensor was determined as 4 nM. The LOD for the semi-quantitative detection was calculated to be 0.48 nM in the range of 0-10 nM. The genomic DNA was detected directly using the DNA strip sensor without any further treatment. This DNA strip sensor is a potentially useful tool for rapid on-site DNA screening. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Testing the applicability of rapid on-site enzymatic activity detection for surface water monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stadler, Philipp; Vogl, Wolfgang; Juri, Koschelnik; Markus, Epp; Maximilian, Lackner; Markus, Oismüller; Monika, Kumpan; Peter, Strauss; Regina, Sommer; Gabriela, Ryzinska-Paier; Farnleitner Andreas, H.; Matthias, Zessner

    2015-04-01

    On-site detection of enzymatic activities has been suggested as a rapid surrogate for microbiological pollution monitoring of water resources (e.g. using glucuronidases, galactosidases, esterases). Due to the possible short measuring intervals enzymatic methods have high potential as near-real time water quality monitoring tools. This presentation describes results from a long termed field test. For twelve months, two ColiMinder devices (Vienna Water Monitoring, Austria) for on-site determination of enzymatic activity were tested for stream water monitoring at the experimental catchment HOAL (Hydrological Open Air Laboratory, Center for Water Resource Systems, Vienna University of Technology). The devices were overall able to follow and reflect the diverse hydrological and microbiological conditions of the monitored stream during the test period. Continuous data in high temporal resolution captured the course of enzymatic activity in stream water during diverse rainfall events. The method also proofed sensitive enough to determine diurnal fluctuations of enzymatic activity in stream water during dry periods. The method was able to capture a seasonal trend of enzymatic activity in stream water that matches the results gained from Colilert18 analysis for E. coli and coliform bacteria of monthly grab samples. Furthermore the comparison of ColiMinder data with measurements gained at the same test site with devices using the same method but having different construction design (BACTcontrol, microLAN) showed consistent measuring results. Comparative analysis showed significant differences between measured enzymatic activity (modified fishman units and pmol/min/100ml) and cultivation based analyses (most probable number, colony forming unit). Methods of enzymatic activity measures are capable to detect ideally the enzymatic activity caused by all active target bacteria members, including VBNC (viable but nonculturable) while cultivation based methods cannot detect VBNC

  13. Expedited Site Characterization: A rapid, cost-effective process for preremedial site characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burton, J.C.; Walker, J.L.; Jennings, T.V.; Aggarwal, P.K.; Hastings, B.; Meyer, W.T.; Rose, C.M.; Rosignolo, C.L.

    1993-01-01

    Argonne National Laboratory has developed a unique, cost- and time-effective, technically innovative process for preremedial site characterization, referred to as Expedited Site Characterization (ESC). The cost of the ESC field sampling process ranges from 1/10 to 1/5 of the cost of traditional site characterization. The time required for this ESC field activity is approximately 1/30 of that for current methods. Argonne's preremedial site investigations based on this approach have been accepted by the appropriate regulatory agencies. The ESC process is flexible and neither site nor contaminant dependent. The process has been successfully tested and applied in site investigations of multiple contaminated landfills in New Mexico (for the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management [BLM]) and at former grain storage facilities in Nebraska and Kansas, contaminated with carbon tetrachloride (for the Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation [CCC/USDA]). A working demonstration of this process was sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Development as a model of the methodology needed to accelerate site characterizations at DOE facilities. This report describes the application of the process in New Mexico, Nebraska and Kansas

  14. Rapid on-site sensing aflatoxin B1 in food and feed via a chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaowei Zhang

    Full Text Available Aflatoxin B1 poses grave threats to food and feed safety due to its strong carcinogenesis and toxicity, thus requiring ultrasensitive rapid on-site determination. Herein, a portable immunosensor based on chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay was developed for sensitive and on-site determination of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed samples. Chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay offered a magnified positive signal and low signal-to-noise ratio in time-resolved mode due to the absence of noise interference caused by excitation light sources. Compared with the immunosensing performance in previous studies, this platform demonstrated a wider dynamic range of 0.2-60 μg/kg, lower limit of detection from 0.06 to 0.12 µg/kg, and considerable recovery from 80.5% to 116.7% for different food and feed sample matrices. It was found to be little cross-reactivity with other aflatoxins (B2, G1, G2, and M1. In the case of determination of aflatoxin B1 in peanuts, corn, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and mouse feed, excellent agreement was found when compared with aflatoxin B1 determination via the conversational high-performance liquid chromatography method. The chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay affords a powerful alternative for rapid on-site determination of aflatoxin B1 and holds a promise for food safety in consideration of practical food safety and environmental monitoring.

  15. Rapid on-site sensing aflatoxin B1 in food and feed via a chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhaowei; Tang, Xiaoqian; Wang, Du; Zhang, Qi; Li, Peiwu; Ding, Xiaoxia

    2015-01-01

    Aflatoxin B1 poses grave threats to food and feed safety due to its strong carcinogenesis and toxicity, thus requiring ultrasensitive rapid on-site determination. Herein, a portable immunosensor based on chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay was developed for sensitive and on-site determination of aflatoxin B1 in food and feed samples. Chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay offered a magnified positive signal and low signal-to-noise ratio in time-resolved mode due to the absence of noise interference caused by excitation light sources. Compared with the immunosensing performance in previous studies, this platform demonstrated a wider dynamic range of 0.2-60 μg/kg, lower limit of detection from 0.06 to 0.12 µg/kg, and considerable recovery from 80.5% to 116.7% for different food and feed sample matrices. It was found to be little cross-reactivity with other aflatoxins (B2, G1, G2, and M1). In the case of determination of aflatoxin B1 in peanuts, corn, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and mouse feed, excellent agreement was found when compared with aflatoxin B1 determination via the conversational high-performance liquid chromatography method. The chromatographic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay affords a powerful alternative for rapid on-site determination of aflatoxin B1 and holds a promise for food safety in consideration of practical food safety and environmental monitoring.

  16. Rapid Bioassessment Methods for Assessing Stream Macroinvertebrate Community on the Savannah River Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Specht, W.L.

    1999-01-01

    Macroinvertebrate sampling was performed at 16 locations in the Savannah River Site (SRS) streams using Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers and EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBP). Some of the sampling locations were unimpacted, while other locations had been subject to various forms of perturbation by SRS activities. In general, the data from the Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers were more sensitive at detecting impacts than were the RBP data. We developed a Biotic Index for the Hester-Dendy data which incorporated eight community structure, function, and balance parameters. when tested using a data set that was unrelated to the data set that was used in developing the Biotic Index, the index was very successful at detecting impact

  17. Rapid Bioassessment Methods for Assessing Stream Macroinvertebrate Community on the Savannah River Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Specht, W.L.

    1999-11-22

    Macroinvertebrate sampling was performed at 16 locations in the Savannah River Site (SRS) streams using Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers and EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBP). Some of the sampling locations were unimpacted, while other locations had been subject to various forms of perturbation by SRS activities. In general, the data from the Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers were more sensitive at detecting impacts than were the RBP data. We developed a Biotic Index for the Hester-Dendy data which incorporated eight community structure, function, and balance parameters. when tested using a data set that was unrelated to the data set that was used in developing the Biotic Index, the index was very successful at detecting impact.

  18. Ecosytem Services: A Rapid Assessment Method Tested at 35 Sites of the LTER-Europe Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dick Jan

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The identification of parameters to monitor the ecosystem services delivered at a site is fundamental to the concept’s adoption as a useful policy instrument at local, national and international scales. In this paper we (i describe the process of developing a rapid comprehensive ecosystem service assessment methodology and (ii test the applicability of the protocol at 35 long-term research (LTER sites across 14 countries in the LTER-Europe network (www.lter-europe.net including marine, urban, agricultural, forest, desert and conservation sites. An assessment of probability of occurrence with estimated confidence score using 83 ecosystem service parameters was tested. The parameters were either specific services like food production or proxies such as human activities which were considered surrogates for cultural diversity and economic activity. This initial test of the ecosystem service parameter list revealed that the parameters tested were relatively easy to score by site managers with a high level of certainty (92% scored as either occurring or not occurring at the site with certainty of over 90%. Based on this assessment, we concluded that (i this approach to operationalise the concept of ecosystem services is practical and applicable by many sectors of civil society as a first screen of the ecosystem services present at a site, (ii this study has direct relevance to land management and policy decision makers as a transparent vehicle to focus testing scenarios and target data gathering, but (iii further work beyond the scale investigated here is required to ensure global applicability.

  19. Rapid movement of wastewater from on-site disposal systems into surface waters in the lower Florida Keys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, John H.; McLaughlin, Molly R.; Griffin, Dale W.; Lipp, Erin K.; Stokes, Rodger; Rose, Joan B.

    2000-01-01

    Viral tracer studies have been used previously to study the potential for wastewater contamination of surface marine waters in the Upper and Middle Florida Keys. Two bacteriophages, the marine bacteriophage φHSIC and the Salmonella phage PRD1, were used as tracers in injection well and septic tank studies in Saddlebunch Keys of the Lower Florida Keys and in septic tank studies in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, of the Middle Keys. In Boot Key Harbor, both phages were detected in a canal adjacent to the seeded septic tank within 3 h 15 min of the end of the seed period. The tracer was then detected at all sampling sites in Boot Key Harbor, including one on the opposite side of U. S. Highway 1 in Florida Bay, and at an Atlantic Ocean beach outside Boot Key Harbor. Rates of migration based on first appearance of the phage ranged from 1.7 to 57.5 m h-1. In Saddlebunch Keys, φHSIC and PRD1 were used to seed a residential septic tank and a commercial injection well. The septic tank tracer was not found in any surface water samples. The injection well tracer was first detected at a site most distant from the seed site, a channel that connected Sugarloaf Sound with the Atlantic Ocean. The rate of tracer migration from the injection well to this channel ranged from 66.8 to 141 m h-1. Both tracer studies showed a rapid movement of wastewater from on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems in a southeasterly direction toward the reef tract and Atlantic Ocean, with preferential movement through tidal channels. These studies indicate that wastewater disposal systems currently in widespread use in the Florida Keys can rapidly contaminate the marine environment.

  20. Algal and water-quality data for Rapid Creek and Canyon Lake near Rapid City, South Dakota, 2007

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoogestraat, Galen K.; Putnam, Larry D.; Graham, Jennifer L.

    2008-01-01

    This report summarizes the results of algae and water-quality sampling on Rapid Creek and Canyon Lake during May and September 2007. The overall purpose of the study was to determine the algal community composition of Rapid Creek and Canyon Lake in relation to organisms that are known producers of unwanted tastes and odors in drinking-water supplies. Algal assemblage structure (phytoplankton and periphyton) was examined at 16 sites on Rapid Creek and Canyon Lake during May and September 2007, and actinomycetes bacteria were sampled at the Rapid City water treatment plant intake in May 2007, to determine if taste-and-odor producing organisms were present. During the May 2007 sampling, 3 Rapid Creek sites and 4 Canyon Lake sites were quantitatively sampled for phytoplankton in the water column, 7 Rapid Creek sites were quantitatively sampled for attached periphyton, and 4 lake and retention pond sites were qualitatively sampled for periphyton. Five Rapid Creek sites were sampled for geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, two common taste-and-odor causing compounds known to affect water supplies. During the September 2007 sampling, 4 Rapid Creek sites were quantitatively sampled for attached periphyton, and 3 Canyon Lake sites were qualitatively sampled for periphyton. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance were measured during each sampling event. Methods of collection and sample analysis are presented for the various types of biological and chemical constituent samples. Diatoms comprised 91-100 percent of the total algal biovolume in periphyton samples collected during May and September. Cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae) were detected in 7 of the 11 quantitative periphyton samples and ranged from 0.01 to 2.0 percent of the total biovolume. Cyanobacteria were present in 3 of the 7 phytoplankton samples collected in May, but the relative biovolumes were small (0.01-0.2 percent). Six of seven qualitative samples collected from Canyon Lake

  1. Rapid Mapping and Deformation Analysis over Cultural Heritage and Rural Sites Based on Persistent Scatterer Interferometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Tapete

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose an easy-to-use procedure of “PSI-based rapid mapping and deformation analysis,” to effectively exploit Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI for multispatial/temporal hazard assessment of cultural heritage and rural sites, update the condition report at the scale of entire site and single building, and address the conservation strategies. Advantages and drawbacks of the methodology are critically discussed based on feasibility tests performed over Pitigliano and Bivigliano, respectively, located in Southern and Northern Tuscany, Italy, and representative of hilltop historic towns and countryside settlements chronically affected by natural hazards. We radar-interpreted ERS-1/2 (1992–2000 and ENVISAT (2003–2010 datasets, already processed, respectively with the Permanent Scatterers (PSs and Persistent Scatterers Pairs (PSPs techniques, and assigned the levels of conservation criticality for both the sites. The PSI analysis allowed the zoning of the most unstable sectors of Pitigliano and showed a good agreement with the most updated hazard assessment of the cliff. The reconstruction of past/recent deformation patterns over Bivigliano confirmed the criticality for the Church of San Romolo, supporting the hypothesis of a correlation with local landslide phenomena, as also perceived from the annual motions observed over the entire site, where several landslide bodies are mapped.

  2. Potential of cross-priming amplification and DNA-based lateral-flow strip biosensor for rapid on-site GMO screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xin; Zhai, Congcong; You, Qimin; Chen, Hongjun

    2014-07-01

    The requirement to monitor the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in a variety of marked products has generated an increasing demand for reliable, rapid, and time and cost-effective analytical methods. Here we report an on-site method for rapid detection of cauliflower mosaic virus promoter (CaMV 35S), a common element present in most GMO, using cross-priming amplification (CPA) technology. Detection was achieved using a DNA-based contamination-proof strip biosensor. The limit of detection was 30 copies for the pBI121 plasmid containing the CaMV 35S gene. The certified reference sample of GM maize line MON810 was detectable even at the low relative mass concentration of 0.05%. The developed CPA method had high specificity for the CaMV 35S gene, as compared with other GM lines not containing this gene and non-GM products. The method was further validated using nine real-world samples, and the results were confirmed by real-time PCR analysis. Because of its simplicity, rapidity, and high sensitivity, this method of detecting the CaMV 35S gene has great commercial prospects for rapid GMO screening of high-consumption food and agriculture products.

  3. Large-volume constant-concentration sampling technique coupling with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for rapid on-site gas analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhuomin; Zhan, Yisen; Huang, Yichun; Li, Gongke

    2017-08-01

    In this work, a portable large-volume constant-concentration (LVCC) sampling technique coupling with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was developed for the rapid on-site gas analysis based on suitable derivatization methods. LVCC sampling technique mainly consisted of a specially designed sampling cell including the rigid sample container and flexible sampling bag, and an absorption-derivatization module with a portable pump and a gas flowmeter. LVCC sampling technique allowed large, alterable and well-controlled sampling volume, which kept the concentration of gas target in headspace phase constant during the entire sampling process and made the sampling result more representative. Moreover, absorption and derivatization of gas target during LVCC sampling process were efficiently merged in one step using bromine-thiourea and OPA-NH4+ strategy for ethylene and SO2 respectively, which made LVCC sampling technique conveniently adapted to consequent SERS analysis. Finally, a new LVCC sampling-SERS method was developed and successfully applied for rapid analysis of trace ethylene and SO2 from fruits. It was satisfied that trace ethylene and SO2 from real fruit samples could be actually and accurately quantified by this method. The minor concentration fluctuations of ethylene and SO2 during the entire LVCC sampling process were proved to be samples were achieved in range of 95.0-101% and 97.0-104% respectively. It is expected that portable LVCC sampling technique would pave the way for rapid on-site analysis of accurate concentrations of trace gas targets from real samples by SERS.

  4. The Theology of Priesthood and the Priest Office in the First Century Christianity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dariusz Kasprzak

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Neither the Apostles nor any Christian minister is admitted to use the priest’s title in the text of the New Testament. Nevertheless, in the New Testament we can perceive the development of the doctrine of the priest ministry in the early Church. Albert Vanhoye maintains that the lack of the term “priest” in the New Testament suggests the way of understanding of the Christian ministry, different from this in the Old Testament. It can’t be considered as a continuation of Jewish priesthood, which was concentrated mainly on ritual action and ceremonies. In the first century the Church developed the Christology of priesthood (Hbr and ecclesiology of priesthood (1 P. Early Christians focused first on the redemptive event of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and Jesus as the mediator of a new covenant. Only then the religious communities adopted the priest’s title for their ministry. In the early years of the Church, all the ministries were regarded as a charismatic service among the Christian communities. In their services the early Christians followed Jesus Christ sent by God to serve. The Holy Spirit sent by God in the name of Jesus bestowed the spiritual gifts upon the Church (1 Kor 12–13. Consequently the disciples of Jesus and their successors could continue his mission. The Twelve Apostles’ ministry was the very first and most important Christian ministry. It was closely connected to the service of Jesus Christ himself. The Apostles were sent by the authority of Jesus Christ to continue his mission upon earth and they preached the Good News of the risen Christ. The Apostolicity was the fundamental base for every Church ministry established in different Christian communities. Successive ministries were established in order to transmit the teaching of Jesus Christ and to lead the community. For the early Christians the priesthood was not an individual privilege. It had rather the community character.

  5. Spiritual Dryness as a Measure of a Specific Spiritual Crisis in Catholic Priests: Associations with Symptoms of Burnout and Distress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arndt Büssing

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Spirituality/religiosity is recognized as a resource to cope with burdening life events and chronic illness. However, less is known about the consequences of the lack of positive spiritual feelings. Spiritual dryness in clergy has been described as spiritual lethargy, a lack of vibrant spiritual encounter with God, and an absence of spiritual resources, such as spiritual renewal practices. To operationalize experiences of “spiritual dryness” in terms of a specific spiritual crisis, we have developed the “spiritual dryness scale” (SDS. Here, we describe the validation of the instrument which was applied among other standardized questionnaires in a sample of 425 Catholic priests who professionally care for the spiritual sake of others. Feelings of “spiritual dryness” were experienced occasionally by up to 40%, often or even regularly by up to 13%. These experiences can explain 44% of variance in daily spiritual experiences, 30% in depressive symptoms, 22% in perceived stress, 20% in emotional exhaustion, 19% in work engagement, and 21% of variance of ascribed importance of religious activity. The SDS-5 can be used as a specific measure of spiritual crisis with good reliability and validity in further studies.

  6. Rapid identification of fluorochrome modification sites in proteins by LC ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manikwar, Prakash; Zimmerman, Tahl; Blanco, Francisco J; Williams, Todd D; Siahaan, Teruna J

    2011-07-20

    Conjugation of either a fluorescent dye or a drug molecule to the ε-amino groups of lysine residues of proteins has many applications in biology and medicine. However, this type of conjugation produces a heterogeneous population of protein conjugates. Because conjugation of fluorochrome or drug molecule to a protein may have deleterious effects on protein function, the identification of conjugation sites is necessary. Unfortunately, the identification process can be time-consuming and laborious; therefore, there is a need to develop a rapid and reliable way to determine the conjugation sites of the fluorescent label or drug molecule. In this study, the sites of conjugation of fluorescein-5'-isothiocyanate and rhodamine-B-isothiocyanate to free amino groups on the insert-domain (I-domain) protein derived from the α-subunit of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) were determined by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-Q-TOF MS) along with peptide mapping using trypsin digestion. A reporter fragment of the fluorochrome moiety that is generated in the collision cell of the Q-TOF without explicit MS/MS precursor selection was used to identify the conjugation site. Selected ion plots of the reporter ion readily mark modified peptides in chromatograms of the complex digest. Interrogation of theses spectra reveals a neutral loss/precursor pair that identifies the modified peptide. The results show that one to seven fluorescein molecules or one to four rhodamine molecules were attached to the lysine residue(s) of the I-domain protein. No modifications were found in the metal ion-dependent adhesion site (MIDAS), which is an important binding region of the I-domain.

  7. Mastication: A fuel reduction and site preparation alternative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeff Halbrook; Han-Sup Han; Russell T. Graham; Theresa B. Jain; Robert Denner

    2006-01-01

    During the fall of 2005, a study was conducted at Priest River Experimental Forest (PREF) in northern Idaho to investigate the economics of mastication used to treat activity and standing live fuels. In this study, a rotary head masticator was used to crush and chop activity fuels within harvest units on 37.07 acres. Production averaged 0.57 acres/hour (range 0.21-0.89...

  8. A C. elegans-based foam for rapid on-site detection of residual live virus.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Negrete, Oscar A.; Branda, Catherine; Hardesty, Jasper O. E. (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Tucker, Mark David (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Kaiser, Julia N. (Global Product Management, Hilden, Germany); Kozina, Carol L.; Chirica, Gabriela S.

    2012-02-01

    In the response to and recovery from a critical homeland security event involving deliberate or accidental release of biological agents, initial decontamination efforts are necessarily followed by tests for the presence of residual live virus or bacteria. Such 'clearance sampling' should be rapid and accurate, to inform decision makers as they take appropriate action to ensure the safety of the public and of operational personnel. However, the current protocol for clearance sampling is extremely time-intensive and costly, and requires significant amounts of laboratory space and capacity. Detection of residual live virus is particularly problematic and time-consuming, as it requires evaluation of replication potential within a eukaryotic host such as chicken embryos. The intention of this project was to develop a new method for clearance sampling, by leveraging Sandia's expertise in the biological and material sciences in order to create a C. elegans-based foam that could be applied directly to the entire contaminated area for quick and accurate detection of any and all residual live virus by means of a fluorescent signal. Such a novel technology for rapid, on-site detection of live virus would greatly interest the DHS, DoD, and EPA, and hold broad commercial potential, especially with regard to the transportation industry.

  9. Rapid Benefit Indicator (RBI) Checklist Tool - Quick Start ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Rapid Benefits Indicators (RBI) approach consists of five steps and is outlined in Assessing the Benefits of Wetland Restoration – A Rapid Benefits Indicators Approach for Decision Makers. This checklist tool is intended to be used to record information as you answer the questions in that guide. When performing a Rapid Benefits Indicator (RBI) assessment on wetlands restoration site(s) results can be recorded and reviewed using this VBA enabled MS Excel Checklist Tool.

  10. Rapid Geophysical Surveyor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roybal, L.G.; Carpenter, G.S.; Josten, N.E.

    1993-01-01

    The Rapid Geophysical Surveyor (RGS) is a system designed to rapidly and economically collect closely-spaced geophysical data used for characterization of US Department of Energy waste sites. Geophysical surveys of waste sites are an important first step in the remediation and closure of these sites; especially older sites where historical records are inaccurate and survey benchmarks have changed because of refinements in coordinate controls and datum changes. Closely-spaced data are required to adequately differentiate pits, trenches, and soil vault rows whose edges may be only a few feet from each other. A prototype vehicle designed to collect magnetic field data was built at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) during the summer of 1992. The RGS was funded by the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration program. This vehicle was demonstrated at the Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA) within the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the INEL in September 1992. Magnetic data were collected over two areas in the SDA, with a total survey area of about 1.7 acres. Data were collected at a nominal density of 2 1/2 in. along survey lines spaced 1-ft apart. Over 350,000 data points were collected over a 6 day period corresponding to about 185 worker-days using conventional ground survey techniques

  11. Rapid agonist-induced loss of sup 125 I-. beta. -endorphin opioid receptor sites in NG108-15, but not SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cone, R.I.; Lameh, J.; Sadee, W. (Univ. of California, San Francisco (United States))

    1991-01-01

    The authors have measured {mu} and {delta} opioid receptor sites on intact SK-N-SH and NG108-15 neuroblastoma cells, respectively, in culture. Use of {sup 125}I-{beta}-endorphin ({beta}E) as a tracer, together with {beta}E(6-31) to block high-affinity non-opioid binding in both cell lines, permitted the measurement of cell surface {mu} and {delta} opioid receptor sites. Labeling was at {delta} sites in NG108-15 cells and predominantly at {mu} sites in SK-N-SH cells. Pretreatment with the {mu} and {delta} agonist, DADLE, caused a rapid loss of cell surface {delta} receptor sites in NG108-15 cells, but failed to reduce significantly {mu} receptor density in SK-N-SH cells.

  12. Passages from the book Itinerary for Parish Priests of Indians, by Peña Montenegro (1668, contained in a 17th Century Jesuit manual of penitence from the Amazon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitor Manoel Marques da Fonseca

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The proposal of the article is to transcribe and analyse the final passage of an anonymous manuscript manual of penitence in circulation in missions of Pará in 1751. The manual was written in Tupi, but the conclusion is in Portuguese. The missionary addresses himself to other confessors recounting the difficulties encountered in confessing Indians and suggesting solutions for the clergy to save their consciences. The author of the manual of penitence was influenced intellectually by the book Itinerary for Parish Priests of Indians, by Alonso de la Peña Montenegro, archbishop of Quito, published in 1668. The manuscript is to be found in the National Library of Rio de Janeiro. The transcription is annotated with references to the book by the archbishop of Quito.

  13. Species for the screening assessment. Columbia River Comprehensive Impact Assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, J.M.; Brandt, C.A.; Dauble, D.D.; Maughan, A.D.; O'Neil, T.K.

    1996-03-01

    Because of past nuclear production operations along the Columbia River, there is intense public and tribal interest in assessing any residual Hanford Site related contamination along the river from the Hanford Reach to the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia River Comprehensive Impact Assessment was proposed to address these concerns. The assessment of the Columbia River is being conducted in phases. The initial phase is a screening assessment of the risk, which addresses current environmental conditions for a range of potential uses. One component of the screening assessment estimates the risk from contaminants in the Columbia River to the environment. The objective of the ecological risk assessment is to determine whether contaminants from the Columbia River pose a significant threat to selected receptor species that exist in the river and riparian communities of the study area. This report (1) identifies the receptor species selected for the screening assessment of ecological risk and (2) describes the selection process. The species selection process consisted of two tiers. In Tier 1, a master species list was developed that included many plant and animal species known to occur in the aquatic and riparian systems of the Columbia River between Priest Rapids Dam and the Columbia River estuary. This master list was reduced to 368 species that occur in the study area (Priest Rapids Dam to McNary Dam). In Tier 2, the 181 Tier 1 species were qualitatively ranked based on a scoring of their potential exposure and sensitivity to contaminants using a conceptual exposure model for the study area

  14. Species for the screening assessment. Columbia River Comprehensive Impact Assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Becker, J.M.; Brandt, C.A.; Dauble, D.D.; Maughan, A.D.; O`Neil, T.K.

    1996-03-01

    Because of past nuclear production operations along the Columbia River, there is intense public and tribal interest in assessing any residual Hanford Site related contamination along the river from the Hanford Reach to the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia River Comprehensive Impact Assessment was proposed to address these concerns. The assessment of the Columbia River is being conducted in phases. The initial phase is a screening assessment of the risk, which addresses current environmental conditions for a range of potential uses. One component of the screening assessment estimates the risk from contaminants in the Columbia River to the environment. The objective of the ecological risk assessment is to determine whether contaminants from the Columbia River pose a significant threat to selected receptor species that exist in the river and riparian communities of the study area. This report (1) identifies the receptor species selected for the screening assessment of ecological risk and (2) describes the selection process. The species selection process consisted of two tiers. In Tier 1, a master species list was developed that included many plant and animal species known to occur in the aquatic and riparian systems of the Columbia River between Priest Rapids Dam and the Columbia River estuary. This master list was reduced to 368 species that occur in the study area (Priest Rapids Dam to McNary Dam). In Tier 2, the 181 Tier 1 species were qualitatively ranked based on a scoring of their potential exposure and sensitivity to contaminants using a conceptual exposure model for the study area.

  15. Rapid broad area search and detection of Chinese surface-to-air missile sites using deep convolutional neural networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcum, Richard A.; Davis, Curt H.; Scott, Grant J.; Nivin, Tyler W.

    2017-10-01

    We evaluated how deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) could assist in the labor-intensive process of human visual searches for objects of interest in high-resolution imagery over large areas of the Earth's surface. Various DCNN were trained and tested using fewer than 100 positive training examples (China only) from a worldwide surface-to-air-missile (SAM) site dataset. A ResNet-101 DCNN achieved a 98.2% average accuracy for the China SAM site data. The ResNet-101 DCNN was used to process ˜19.6 M image chips over a large study area in southeastern China. DCNN chip detections (˜9300) were postprocessed with a spatial clustering algorithm to produce a ranked list of ˜2100 candidate SAM site locations. The combination of DCNN processing and spatial clustering effectively reduced the search area by ˜660X (0.15% of the DCNN-processed land area). An efficient web interface was used to facilitate a rapid serial human review of the candidate SAM sites in the China study area. Four novice imagery analysts with no prior imagery analysis experience were able to complete a DCNN-assisted SAM site search in an average time of ˜42 min. This search was ˜81X faster than a traditional visual search over an equivalent land area of ˜88,640 km2 while achieving nearly identical statistical accuracy (˜90% F1).

  16. Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen-dependent Rapid Recruitment of Cdt1 and CRL4Cdt2 at DNA-damaged Sites after UV Irradiation in HeLa Cells*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishii, Takashi; Shiomi, Yasushi; Takami, Toshihiro; Murakami, Yusuke; Ohnishi, Naho; Nishitani, Hideo

    2010-01-01

    The licensing factor Cdt1 is degraded by CRL4Cdt2 ubiquitin ligase dependent on proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) during S phase and when DNA damage is induced in G1 phase. Association of both Cdt2 and PCNA with chromatin was observed in S phase and after UV irradiation. Here we used a micropore UV irradiation assay to examine Cdt2 accumulation at cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer-containing DNA-damaged sites in the process of Cdt1 degradation in HeLa cells. Cdt2, present in the nucleus throughout the cell cycle, accumulated rapidly at damaged DNA sites during G1 phase. The recruitment of Cdt2 is dependent on prior PCNA chromatin binding because Cdt2 association was prevented when PCNA was silenced. Cdt1 was also recruited to damaged sites soon after UV irradiation through its PIP-box. As Cdt1 was degraded, the Cdt2 signal at damaged sites was reduced, but PCNA, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, and XPA (xeroderma pigmentosum, complementation group A) signals remained at the same levels. These findings suggest that Cdt1 degradation following UV irradiation occurs rapidly at damaged sites due to PCNA chromatin loading and the recruitment of Cdt1 and CRL4Cdt2, before DNA damage repair is completed. PMID:20929861

  17. A Ilustração portuguesa e a Missão dos Padres Matemáticos na América * The portuguese Illustration and Mission of Mathematicians Priests in America

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SEZINANDO LUIZ MENEZES

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Resumo: Este trabalho tem o objetivo de analisar a relação entre a Missão dos Padres Matemáticos, expedição organizada pela Coroa portuguesa na primeira metade do século XVIII para realizar estudos sobre os territórios portugueses na América, e o desenvolvimento de uma cultura ilustrada em Portugal, pois, segundo nosso entendimento, a “missão” se relaciona às transformações culturais vividas em Portugal naquele período. Nesta análise partimos do pressuposto teórico de que as ações humanas, apesar de expressarem uma individualidade, correspondem a um determinado contexto social, político, econômico e cultural. Isso significa que o pensamento e comportamento humano associam-se a uma “configuração” – conceito aplicado por Norbert Elias, na obra A sociedade de corte (2001, para estudar a sociedade da corte francesa entre os séculos XVII e XVIII.Palavras-chave: Ilustração – Fronteiras Americanas – Mineração – Padres Matemáticos. Abstract: This paper is intended to analyze the relationship between the Mission of the Mathematicians Priest expedition organized by the Portuguese crown in the first half of the eighteenth century to conduct studies on the Portuguese territories in America, and the development of an illustrated culture in Portugal. According to our understanding, the "mission" is connected to cultural transformations in Portugal at that time. In this analysis we set of theory premise that human actions, although expressing individuality, correspond to a particular, political, economic and cultural context. This means that human thought and behavior associated to a "configuration" - concept applied by Norbert Elias, The society in the work of cutting (2001, to study the society of the French court between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.Keywords: Illustration – American Borders – Mining – Mathematical Priests.

  18. Studies of Columbia River water quality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onishi, Y.; Johanson, P.A.; Baca, R.G.; Hilty, E.L.

    1976-01-01

    The program to study the water quality of the Columbia River consists of two separate segments: sediment and radionuclide transport and temperature analysis. Quasi-two dimensional (longitudinal and vertical directions) mathematical simulation models were developed for determining radionuclide inventories, their variations with time, and movements of sediments and individual radionuclides in the freshwater region of the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam. These codes are presently being applied to the river reach between Priest Rapids and McNary Dams for the initial sensitivity analysis. In addition, true two-dimensional (longitudinal and lateral directions) models were formulated and are presently being programmed to provide more detailed information on sediment and radionuclide behavior in the river. For the temperature analysis program, river water temperature data supplied by the U. S. Geological Survey for six ERDA-sponsored temperature recording stations have been analyzed and cataloged on storage devices associated with ERDA's CDC 6600 located at Richland, Washington

  19. Portable Microplate Analyzer with a Thermostatic Chamber Based on a Smartphone for On-site Rapid Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Zijian; Zhong, Longjie; Pan, Yuxiang; Li, Hongbo; Zou, Quchao; Su, Kaiqi; Wang, Ping

    2017-01-01

    A microplate method provides an efficient way to use modern detection technology. However, there are some difficulties concerning on-site detection, such as being non-portable and time-consuming. In this work, a novel portable microplate analyzer with a thermostatic chamber based on a smartphone was designed for rapid on-site detection. An analyzer with a wide-angle lens and an optical filter provides a proper environment for the microplate. A smartphone app-iPlate Monitor was used for RGB analyze of image. After a consistency experiment with a microtiter plate reader (MTPR), the normalized calibration curves were y = 0.7276x + 0.0243 (R 2 = 0.9906) and y = 0.3207x + 0.0094 (R 2 = 0.9917) with a BCA protein kit as well as y = 0.182x + 0.0134 (R 2 = 0.994) and y = 0.0674x + 0.0003 (R 2 = 0.9988) with a glucose kit. The times for obtaining the detection requirement were 15 and 10 min for the BCA protein kit and the glucose kit at 37°C; in contrast, it required more than 30 and 20 min at ambient temperature. Meanwhile, it also showed good repeatability for detections.

  20. Tacit consent: the Church and birth control in northern Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalla-Zuanna, Gianpiero

    2011-01-01

    This article employs novel documentation to examine ways in which the Church's moral rules on contraception were (or were not) communicated to parishioners in a predominantly Catholic context in a period of rapid fertility decline: the diocese of Padua, in the northeastern Italian region of Veneto, during the first half of the twentieth century. The account is based on documents that have until now been overlooked: the moral cases discussed during the periodic meetings among Padua priests in the years 1916–58, and the written answers provided by priests in response to a question asked of them concerning their efforts to combat the limiting of births. This documentation reveals the limited effect on the reproductive behavior of the position of the Catholic Church against birth control.

  1. Download this PDF file

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    hp

    of God who look on priests as models for healthy interpersonal relationship. ... Let priests remember that in carrying out their task they are never alone but are. 2 .... conflicts between parish priests and the vicars and priests-in-residence, ...

  2. Rapid on-site TLC-SERS detection of four antidiabetes drugs used as adulterants in botanical dietary supplements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Qingxia; Cao, Yongbing; Cao, Yingying; Chai, Yifeng; Lu, Feng

    2014-03-01

    A novel facile method has been established for rapid on-site detection of antidiabetes chemicals used to adulterate botanical dietary supplements (BDS) for diabetes. Analytes and components of pharmaceutical matrices were separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) then surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used for qualitative identification of trace substances on the HPTLC plate. Optimization and standardization of the experimental conditions, for example the method used for preparation of silver colloids, the mobile phase, and the concentration of colloidal silver, resulted in a very robust and highly sensitive method which enabled successful detection when the amount of adulteration was as low as 0.001 % (w/w). The method was also highly selective, enabling successful identification of some chemicals in extremely complex herbal matrices. The established TLC-SERS method was used for analysis of real BDS used to treat diabetes, and the results obtained were verified by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). The study showed that TLC-SERS could be used for effective separation and detection of four chemicals used to adulterate BDS, and would have good prospects for on-site qualitative screening of BDS for adulterants.

  3. Columbia River pathway report: phase I of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-07-01

    This report summarizes the river-pathway portion of the first phase of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project. The HEDR Project is estimating radiation doses that could have been received by the public from the Department of Energy's Hanford Site, in southeastern Washington State. Phase 1 of the river-pathway dose reconstruction effort sought to determine whether dose estimates could be calculated for populations in the area from above the Hanford Site at Priest Rapids Dam to below the site at McNary Dam from January 1964 to December 1966. Of the potential sources of radionuclides from the river, fish consumption was the most important. Doses from drinking water were lower at Pasco than at Richland and lower at Kennewick than at Pasco. The median values of preliminary dose estimates calculated by HEDR are similar to independent, previously published estimates of average doses to Richland residents. Later phases of the HEDR Project will address dose estimates for periods other than 1964--1966 and for populations downstream of McNary Dam. 17 refs., 19 figs., 1 tab.

  4. Columbia River pathway report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-07-01

    This report summarizes the river-pathway portion of the first phase of the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project. The HEDR Project is estimating radiation doses that could have been received by the public from the Department of Energy's Hanford Site, in southeastern Washington State. Phase 1 of the river-pathway dose reconstruction effort sought to determine whether dose estimates could be calculated for populations in the area from above the Hanford Site at Priest Rapids Dam to below the site at McNary Dam from January 1964 to December 1966. Of the potential sources of radionuclides from the river, fish consumption was the most important. Doses from drinking water were lower at Pasco than at Richland and lower at Kennewick than at Pasco. The median values of preliminary dose estimates calculated by HEDR are similar to independent, previously published estimates of average doses to Richland residents. Later phases of the HEDR Project will address dose estimates for periods other than 1964--1966 and for populations downstream of McNary Dam. 17 refs., 19 figs., 1 tab

  5. Clinical utility of RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Infusino, Erminia

    2015-01-01

    RapidArc™ is a radiation technique that delivers highly conformal dose distributions through the complete rotation (360°) and speed variation of the linear accelerator gantry. This technique, called volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), compared with conventional radiotherapy techniques, can achieve high-target volume coverage and sparing damage to normal tissues. RapidArc delivers precise dose distribution and conformity similar to or greater than intensity-modulated radiation therapy in a short time, generally a few minutes, to which image-guided radiation therapy is added. RapidArc has become a currently used technology in many centers, which use RapidArc technology to treat a large number of patients. Large and small hospitals use it to treat the most challenging cases, but more and more frequently for the most common cancers. The clinical use of RapidArc and VMAT technology is constantly growing. At present, a limited number of clinical data are published, mostly concerning planning and feasibility studies. Clinical outcome data are increasing for a few tumor sites, even if only a little. The purpose of this work is to discuss the current status of VMAT techniques in clinical use through a review of the published data of planning systems and clinical outcomes in several tumor sites. The study consisted of a systematic review based on analysis of manuscripts retrieved from the PubMed, BioMed Central, and Scopus databases by searching for the keywords “RapidArc”, “Volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy”, and “Intensity-modulated radiotherapy”

  6. Rapid geophysical surveyor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roybal, L.G.; Carpenter, G.S.; Josten, N.E.

    1993-01-01

    The Rapid Geophysical Surveyor (RGS) is a system designed to rapidly and economically collect closely-spaced geophysical data used for characterization of Department of Energy (DOE) waste sites. Geophysical surveys of waste sites are an important first step in the remediation and closure of these sites; especially older sties where historical records are inaccurate and survey benchmarks have changed due to refinements in coordinate controls and datum changes. Closely-spaced data are required to adequately differentiate pits, trenches, and soil vault rows whose edges may be only a few feet from each other. A prototype vehicle designed to collect magnetic field data was built at the Idaho national Engineering Laboratory (INEL) during the summer of 1992. The RGS was one of several projects funded by the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) program. This vehicle was demonstrated at the Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA) within the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) on the INEL in September of 1992. Magnetic data were collected over two areas in the SDA, with a total survey area of about 1.7 acres. Data were collected at a nominal density of 2 1/2 inches along survey lines spaced 1 foot apart. Over 350,000 data points were collected over a 6 day period corresponding to about 185 man-days using conventional ground survey techniques. This report documents the design and demonstration of the RGS concept including the presentation of magnetic data collected at the SDA. The surveys were able to show pit and trench boundaries and determine details of their spatial orientation never before achieved

  7. Rapid Automated Mission Planning System, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed innovation is an automated UAS mission planning system that will rapidly identify emergency (contingency) landing sites, manage contingency routing, and...

  8. The long-term fate of permafrost peatlands under rapid climate warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swindles, Graeme T.; Morris, Paul J.; Mullan, Donal; Watson, Elizabeth J.; Turner, T. Edward; Roland, Thomas P.; Amesbury, Matthew J.; Kokfelt, Ulla; Schoning, Kristian; Pratte, Steve; Gallego-Sala, Angela; Charman, Dan J.; Sanderson, Nicole; Garneau, Michelle; Carrivick, Jonathan L.; Woulds, Clare; Holden, Joseph; Parry, Lauren; Galloway, Jennifer M.

    2015-01-01

    Permafrost peatlands contain globally important amounts of soil organic carbon, owing to cold conditions which suppress anaerobic decomposition. However, climate warming and permafrost thaw threaten the stability of this carbon store. The ultimate fate of permafrost peatlands and their carbon stores is unclear because of complex feedbacks between peat accumulation, hydrology and vegetation. Field monitoring campaigns only span the last few decades and therefore provide an incomplete picture of permafrost peatland response to recent rapid warming. Here we use a high-resolution palaeoecological approach to understand the longer-term response of peatlands in contrasting states of permafrost degradation to recent rapid warming. At all sites we identify a drying trend until the late-twentieth century; however, two sites subsequently experienced a rapid shift to wetter conditions as permafrost thawed in response to climatic warming, culminating in collapse of the peat domes. Commonalities between study sites lead us to propose a five-phase model for permafrost peatland response to climatic warming. This model suggests a shared ecohydrological trajectory towards a common end point: inundated Arctic fen. Although carbon accumulation is rapid in such sites, saturated soil conditions are likely to cause elevated methane emissions that have implications for climate-feedback mechanisms. PMID:26647837

  9. Development of Rapid and Low Cost Archaeological Site Mapping Using Photogrammetric Technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azhar, N A Mohd; Ahmad, Anuar

    2014-01-01

    In digital photogrammetry, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform is a new technology that can be used to capture digital images for large scale mapping with accuracy down to centimeter level from various waypoints for archaeological site documentation. UAV is one of the great alternatives to replace piloted aircraft and with combination of non -metric camera, thus it can be applied for small area such as cultural heritage building/ archeological site area. With the recent technology of non-metric cameras, this camera is capable of producing high resolution digital images. This study investigates the application of UAV images for documentation and mapping of a simulated archaeological sites. An archaeological site simulation modelwith dimension of 2.4 m × 3.5 m is used in this study. The accuracy for mapping the archeological sites based on the UAV system is evaluated and analyzed by performing the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) derived from the differences of coordinates between reference value and the coordinates observed from photogrammetric output such as digital terrain model and orthophoto. In this application, a simulation model was used to simulate the archaeological site excavation. The results clearly demonstrate the potential and the capability of UAV and non-metric camera in providing the accuracy of centimetre level for this application. From this study, it can be concluded that the UAV and the photogrammetric technique procedure satisfied the needs of archaeological sites survey and documentation

  10. Large-volume constant-concentration sampling technique coupling with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for rapid on-site gas analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhuomin; Zhan, Yisen; Huang, Yichun; Li, Gongke

    2017-08-05

    In this work, a portable large-volume constant-concentration (LVCC) sampling technique coupling with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was developed for the rapid on-site gas analysis based on suitable derivatization methods. LVCC sampling technique mainly consisted of a specially designed sampling cell including the rigid sample container and flexible sampling bag, and an absorption-derivatization module with a portable pump and a gas flowmeter. LVCC sampling technique allowed large, alterable and well-controlled sampling volume, which kept the concentration of gas target in headspace phase constant during the entire sampling process and made the sampling result more representative. Moreover, absorption and derivatization of gas target during LVCC sampling process were efficiently merged in one step using bromine-thiourea and OPA-NH 4 + strategy for ethylene and SO 2 respectively, which made LVCC sampling technique conveniently adapted to consequent SERS analysis. Finally, a new LVCC sampling-SERS method was developed and successfully applied for rapid analysis of trace ethylene and SO 2 from fruits. It was satisfied that trace ethylene and SO 2 from real fruit samples could be actually and accurately quantified by this method. The minor concentration fluctuations of ethylene and SO 2 during the entire LVCC sampling process were proved to be gas targets from real samples by SERS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Preliminary geology of eastern Umtanum Ridge, South-Central Washington

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goff, F.E.

    1981-01-01

    The basalt stratigraphy and geologic structures of eastern Umtanum Ridge have been mapped and studied in detail to help assess the feasibility of nuclear waste terminal storage on the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. Eastern Umtanum Ridge is an asymmetric east-west-trending anticline of Columbia River basalt that plunges 5 degrees eastward into the Pasco Basin. Geologic mapping and determination of natural remanent magnetic polarity and chemical composition reveal that flows of the Pomona and Umatilla Members (Saddle Mountains Basalt), Priest Rapids and Frenchman Springs Members (Wanapum Basalt), and Grande Ronde Basalt were erupted as fairly uniform sheets. The Wahluke and Huntzinger flows (Saddle Mountains Basalt) fill a paleovalley cut into Wanapum Basalt. No evidence was found to indicate Quaternary-age movement on any structures in the map area. The basalt strata on the south limb of the Umtanum anticline display relatively little tectonic deformation since Miocene-Pliocene time. Thus, the buried south flank of Umtanum Ridge may provide an excellent location for a nuclear waste repository beneath the Hanford Site.

  12. Preliminary geology of eastern Umtanum Ridge, South-Central Washington

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goff, F.E.

    1981-01-01

    The basalt stratigraphy and geologic structures of eastern Umtanum Ridge have been mapped and studied in detail to help assess the feasibility of nuclear waste terminal storage on the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. Eastern Umtanum Ridge is an asymmetric east-west-trending anticline of Columbia River basalt that plunges 5 degrees eastward into the Pasco Basin. Geologic mapping and determination of natural remanent magnetic polarity and chemical composition reveal that flows of the Pomona and Umatilla Members (Saddle Mountains Basalt), Priest Rapids and Frenchman Springs Members (Wanapum Basalt), and Grande Ronde Basalt were erupted as fairly uniform sheets. The Wahluke and Huntzinger flows (Saddle Mountains Basalt) fill a paleovalley cut into Wanapum Basalt. No evidence was found to indicate Quaternary-age movement on any structures in the map area. The basalt strata on the south limb of the Umtanum anticline display relatively little tectonic deformation since Miocene-Pliocene time. Thus, the buried south flank of Umtanum Ridge may provide an excellent location for a nuclear waste repository beneath the Hanford Site

  13. Nanobodies: site-specific labeling for super-resolution imaging, rapid epitope-mapping and native protein complex isolation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pleiner, Tino; Bates, Mark; Trakhanov, Sergei; Lee, Chung-Tien; Schliep, Jan Erik; Chug, Hema; Böhning, Marc; Stark, Holger; Urlaub, Henning; Görlich, Dirk

    2015-01-01

    Nanobodies are single-domain antibodies of camelid origin. We generated nanobodies against the vertebrate nuclear pore complex (NPC) and used them in STORM imaging to locate individual NPC proteins with nanobody sequence and labeled the resulting proteins with fluorophore-maleimides. As nanobodies are normally stabilized by disulfide-bonded cysteines, this appears counterintuitive. Yet, our analysis showed that this caused no folding problems. Compared to traditional NHS ester-labeling of lysines, the cysteine-maleimide strategy resulted in far less background in fluorescence imaging, it better preserved epitope recognition and it is site-specific. We also devised a rapid epitope-mapping strategy, which relies on crosslinking mass spectrometry and the introduced ectopic cysteines. Finally, we used different anti-nucleoporin nanobodies to purify the major NPC building blocks – each in a single step, with native elution and, as demonstrated, in excellent quality for structural analysis by electron microscopy. The presented strategies are applicable to any nanobody and nanobody-target. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11349.001 PMID:26633879

  14. Opportune Landing Site Program: Opportune Landing Site Southeastern Indiana Field Data Collection and Assessment

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Barna, Lynette A; Ryerson, Charles C; Affleck, Rosa T

    2008-01-01

    .... The opportune landing site (OLS) program utilized existing technologies to rapidly accelerate the process of selecting OLSs using remote sensing technology and state-of-the-ground forecast tools...

  15. Rapid development of stable transgene CHO cell lines by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated site-specific integration into C12orf35.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Menglin; Wang, Jiaxian; Luo, Manyu; Luo, Han; Zhao, Meiqi; Han, Lei; Zhang, Mengxiao; Yang, Hui; Xie, Yueqing; Jiang, Hua; Feng, Lei; Lu, Huili; Zhu, Jianwei

    2018-07-01

    Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most widely used mammalian hosts for recombinant protein production. However, by conventional random integration strategy, development of a high-expressing and stable recombinant CHO cell line has always been a difficult task due to the heterogenic insertion and its caused requirement of multiple rounds of selection. Site-specific integration of transgenes into CHO hot spots is an ideal strategy to overcome these challenges since it can generate isogenic cell lines with consistent productivity and stability. In this study, we investigated three sites with potential high transcriptional activities: C12orf35, HPRT, and GRIK1, to determine the possible transcriptional hot spots in CHO cells, and further construct a reliable site-specific integration strategy to develop recombinant cell lines efficiently. Genes encoding representative proteins mCherry and anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody were targeted into these three loci respectively through CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Stable cell lines were generated successfully after a single round of selection. In comparison with a random integration control, all the targeted integration cell lines showed higher productivity, among which C12orf35 locus was the most advantageous in both productivity and cell line stability. Binding affinity and N-glycan analysis of the antibody revealed that all batches of product were of similar quality independent on integrated sites. Deep sequencing demonstrated that there was low level of off-target mutations caused by CRISPR/Cas9, but none of them contributed to the development process of transgene cell lines. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of C12orf35 as the target site for exogenous gene integration, and strongly suggested that C12orf35 targeted integration mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 is a reliable strategy for the rapid development of recombinant CHO cell lines.

  16. Rapid release of 42K or 86Rb from two distinct transport sites on the Na,K-pump in the presence of Pi or vanadate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forbush, B. III

    1987-01-01

    The rate of 86Rb or 42 K release from an occluded form of the phosphorylated Na+ pump has been studied using a rapid filtration apparatus described previously. The rate constant of release is 5-15 s-1, and 42 K and 86Rb dissociate at approximately the same rate. Mg2+ is required for deocclusion in the presence of Pi at a site which has the same affinity as the site involved in stabilization of E2(K) with ATP; we propose that Na,K-ATPase has only one site for Mg2+, that the affinity of this site for Mg2+ is increased by Pi binding and decreased by ATP binding, and that Mg2+ is bound and released in the normal transport cycle. In the presence of K+, Cs+, Rb+, or Tl+, the release of two distinct 86Rb ions can be observed, the slow release from one site (''s'' site) being blocked by occupancy of the site vacated by the other (''f'', fast site). By a sequence of incubations, labeled 86Rb can be placed at either site, and the rate of dissociation monitored individually; in the absence of K+, dissociation from the s site proceeds after a lag in which the f site is vacated. The results are consistent with a ''flickering-gate'' model of deocclusion to the extracellular pump face, in which the site is exposed to the medium only long enough for a single ion to be released. When deocclusion to the intracellular face is promoted with ATP, ions are released from both sites at the same rate, presumably because the E2----E1 conformational change is rate-limiting. Unlabeled ions co-occluded with 86Rb increase the ATP-stimulated rate of release in the order Rb+ less than Tl+ less than Cs+ less than K+; since the same rank order is observed when dissociation from the s site is monitored in the presence of these ions and MgPi we propose that the latter process proceeds toward the intracellular pump face

  17. Cascadia Onshore-Offshore Site Response, Submarine Sediment Mobilization, and Earthquake Recurrence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomberg, J.

    2018-02-01

    Local geologic structure and topography may modify arriving seismic waves. This inherent variation in shaking, or "site response," may affect the distribution of slope failures and redistribution of submarine sediments. I used seafloor seismic data from the 2011 to 2015 Cascadia Initiative and permanent onshore seismic networks to derive estimates of site response, denoted Sn, in low- and high-frequency (0.02-1 and 1-10 Hz) passbands. For three shaking metrics (peak velocity and acceleration and energy density) Sn varies similarly throughout Cascadia and changes primarily in the direction of convergence, roughly east-west. In the two passbands, Sn patterns offshore are nearly opposite and range over an order of magnitude or more across Cascadia. Sn patterns broadly may be attributed to sediment resonance and attenuation. This and an abrupt step in the east-west trend of Sn suggest that changes in topography and structure at the edge of the continental margin significantly impact shaking. These patterns also correlate with gravity lows diagnostic of marginal basins and methane plumes channeled within shelf-bounding faults. Offshore Sn exceeds that onshore in both passbands, and the steepest slopes and shelf coincide with the relatively greatest and smallest Sn estimates at low and high frequencies, respectively; these results should be considered in submarine shaking-triggered slope stability failure studies. Significant north-south Sn variations are not apparent, but sparse sampling does not permit rejection of the hypothesis that the southerly decrease in intervals between shaking-triggered turbidites and great earthquakes inferred by Goldfinger et al. (2012, 2013, 2016) and Priest et al. (2017) is due to inherently stronger shaking southward.

  18. Stochastic, goal-oriented rapid impact modeling of uncertainty and environmental impacts in poorly-sampled sites using ex-situ priors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaojun; Li, Yandong; Chang, Ching-Fu; Tan, Benjamin; Chen, Ziyang; Sege, Jon; Wang, Changhong; Rubin, Yoram

    2018-01-01

    Modeling of uncertainty associated with subsurface dynamics has long been a major research topic. Its significance is widely recognized for real-life applications. Despite the huge effort invested in the area, major obstacles still remain on the way from theory and applications. Particularly problematic here is the confusion between modeling uncertainty and modeling spatial variability, which translates into a (mis)conception, in fact an inconsistency, in that it suggests that modeling of uncertainty and modeling of spatial variability are equivalent, and as such, requiring a lot of data. This paper investigates this challenge against the backdrop of a 7 km, deep underground tunnel in China, where environmental impacts are of major concern. We approach the data challenge by pursuing a new concept for Rapid Impact Modeling (RIM), which bypasses altogether the need to estimate posterior distributions of model parameters, focusing instead on detailed stochastic modeling of impacts, conditional to all information available, including prior, ex-situ information and in-situ measurements as well. A foundational element of RIM is the construction of informative priors for target parameters using ex-situ data, relying on ensembles of well-documented sites, pre-screened for geological and hydrological similarity to the target site. The ensembles are built around two sets of similarity criteria: a physically-based set of criteria and an additional set covering epistemic criteria. In another variation to common Bayesian practice, we update the priors to obtain conditional distributions of the target (environmental impact) dependent variables and not the hydrological variables. This recognizes that goal-oriented site characterization is in many cases more useful in applications compared to parameter-oriented characterization.

  19. A highly selective and sensitive fluorescent chemosensor and its application for rapid on-site detection of Al3 +

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Xiao-li; Wang, Zhao-qing; Li, Chao-rui; Yang, Zheng-yin

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, a simple naphthalene-based derivative (HL) has been designed and synthesized as a Al3 +-selective fluorescent chemosensor based on the PET mechanism. HL exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity towards Al3 + over other commonly coexisting metal ions in ethanol with a detection limit of 2.72 nM. The 1:1 binding stoichiometry of the complex (HL-Al3 +) was determined from the Job's plot based on fluorescence titrations and the ESI-MS spectrum data. Moreover, the binding site of HL with Al3 + was assured by the 1H NMR titration experiment. The binding constant (Ka) of the complex (HL-Al3 +) was calculated to be 5.06 × 104 M- 1 according to the Benesi-Hildebrand equation. In addition, the recognizing process of HL towards Al3 + was chemically reversible by adding Na2EDTA. Importantly, HL could directly and rapidly detect aluminum ion through the filter paper without resorting to additional instrumental analysis.

  20. The long-term fate of permafrost peatlands under rapid climate warming

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Swindles, Graeme T.; Morris, Paul J.; Mullan, Donal

    2015-01-01

    Permafrost peatlands contain globally important amounts of soil organic carbon, owing to cold conditions which suppress anaerobic decomposition. However, climate warming and permafrost thaw threaten the stability of this carbon store. The ultimate fate of permafrost peatlands and their carbon...... stores is unclear because of complex feedbacks between peat accumulation, hydrology and vegetation. Field monitoring campaigns only span the last few decades and therefore provide an incomplete picture of permafrost peatland response to recent rapid warming. Here we use a high-resolution palaeoecological...... approach to understand the longer-term response of peatlands in contrasting states of permafrost degradation to recent rapid warming. At all sites we identify a drying trend until the late-twentieth century; however, two sites subsequently experienced a rapid shift to wetter conditions as permafrost thawed...

  1. Catalytic site identification—a web server to identify catalytic site structural matches throughout PDB

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirshner, Daniel A.; Nilmeier, Jerome P.; Lightstone, Felice C.

    2013-01-01

    The catalytic site identification web server provides the innovative capability to find structural matches to a user-specified catalytic site among all Protein Data Bank proteins rapidly (in less than a minute). The server also can examine a user-specified protein structure or model to identify structural matches to a library of catalytic sites. Finally, the server provides a database of pre-calculated matches between all Protein Data Bank proteins and the library of catalytic sites. The database has been used to derive a set of hypothesized novel enzymatic function annotations. In all cases, matches and putative binding sites (protein structure and surfaces) can be visualized interactively online. The website can be accessed at http://catsid.llnl.gov. PMID:23680785

  2. Improved laboratory resource utilization and patient care with the use of rapid on-site evaluation for endobronchial ultrasound fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Brian T; Chen, Alexander C; Wang, Jeff F; Bernadt, Cory T; Sanati, Souzan

    2013-10-01

    Endobronchial ultrasound guided (EBUS) fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy has become widely used to evaluate patients with thoracic abnormalities. Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) can provide the bronchoscopist with immediate evaluation findings during the procedure. This study examines EBUS FNA biopsy procedures with and without ROSE, and investigates the impact of ROSE service on the EBUS procedure and laboratory resource utilization. The cytopathology database at Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri, was searched for EBUS FNA biopsy cases before and after introduction of ROSE service, and a matched cohort was collected. Reports were reviewed and pertinent data was collected, such as sites biopsied, ROSE performance, slide smears, cell blocks, and diagnostic categories. Statistical analysis of the results was performed. A matched case-controlled EBUS FNA cohort of 340 patients (680 total) for each category of non-ROSE and ROSE service were identified. There was a 33% reduction in the number of sites biopsied with ROSE. A total of 68% of patients with ROSE had just one biopsy site compared to only 36% of non-ROSE patients. There was a 30% decrease in total slides (mean, 5.27 slides) after the introduction of ROSE. All of these improvements were statistically significant. EBUS FNA biopsy ROSE service benefits patients by contributing to significantly fewer biopsies and improved utilization of health care resources. ROSE service results in substantially fewer total slides, which has a significant impact on the cytopathology laboratory work effort. The use of ROSE for EBUS FNA biopsy provides significant improvements in patient care and laboratory resource utilization. © 2013 American Cancer Society.

  3. Rapid orthodontic treatment after the ridge-splitting technique--a combined surgical-orthodontic approach for implant site development: case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amato, Francesco; Mirabella, A Davide; Borlizzi, Diego

    2012-08-01

    This article presents a clinical case of bilateral partial edentulism in the posterior mandible with severe horizontal and moderate vertical bone atrophy. A new technique using rapid orthodontics after ridge splitting is presented. The split-crest technique was carried out using piezosurgical instruments in the first molar and second premolar areas to widen the bone crest and open a channel for tooth movement. Immediately after, orthodontic appliances were used to move the first premolars distally and the second molars mesially into the surgical site. The rationale was to facilitate and accelerate orthodontic movement of the teeth, which is otherwise difficult in a cortical knife-edged ridge. The bone defect was filled with the alveolar bone of the adjacent teeth that were moved into the surgically opened path. Adequate bone volume for implant placement was generated in the first premolar area. Implants were then inserted, and the patient was rehabilitated.

  4. Intraperitoneal Glucose Sensing is Sometimes Surprisingly Rapid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anders Lyngvi Fougner

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Rapid, accurate and robust glucose measurements are needed to make a safe artificial pancreas for the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2. The present gold standard of continuous glucose sensing, subcutaneous (SC glucose sensing, has been claimed to have slow response and poor robustness towards local tissue changes such as mechanical pressure, temperature changes, etc. The present study aimed at quantifying glucose dynamics from central circulation to intraperitoneal (IP sensor sites, as an alternative to the SC location. Intraarterial (IA and IP sensors were tested in three anaesthetized non-diabetic pigs during experiments with intravenous infusion of glucose boluses, enforcing rapid glucose level excursions in the range 70--360 mg/dL (approximately 3.8--20 mmol/L. Optical interferometric sensors were used for IA and IP measurements. A first-order dynamic model with time delay was fitted to the data after compensating for sensor dynamics. Additionally, off-the-shelf Medtronic Enlite sensors were used for illustration of SC glucose sensing. The time delay in glucose excursions from central circulation (IA to IP sensor location was found to be in the range 0--26 s (median: 8.5 s, mean: 9.7 s, SD 9.5 s, and the time constant was found to be 0.5--10.2 min (median: 4.8 min, mean: 4.7 min, SD 2.9 min. IP glucose sensing sites have a substantially faster and more distinctive response than SC sites when sensor dynamics is ignored, and the peritoneal fluid reacts even faster to changes in intravascular glucose levels than reported in previous animal studies. This study may provide a benchmark for future, rapid IP glucose sensors.

  5. Geology of the Waste Treatment Plant Seismic Boreholes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnett, D. Brent; Fecht, Karl R.; Reidel, Stephen P.; Bjornstad, Bruce N.; Lanigan, David C.; Rust, Colleen F.

    2007-05-11

    In 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy initiated the Seismic Boreholes Project (SBP) to emplace boreholes at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) site in order to obtain direct shear wave velocity (Vs) measurements and other physical property measurements in Columbia River basalt and interbedded sediments of the Ellensburg Formation. The goal was to reduce the uncertainty in the response spectra and seismic design basis, and potentially recover design margin for the WTP. The characterization effort within the deep boreholes included 1) downhole measurements of the velocity properties of the suprabasalt, basalt, and sedimentary interbed sequences, 2) downhole measurements of the density of the subsurface basalt and sediments, and 3) geologic studies to confirm the geometry of the contact between the various basalt and interbedded sediments through examination of retrieved core from the core hole and data collected through geophysical logging of each borehole. This report describes the results of the geologic studies from three mud-rotary boreholes and one cored borehole at the WTP. All four boreholes penetrated the entire Saddle Mountains Basalt and the upper part of the Wanapum Basalt where thick sedimentary interbeds occur between the lava flows. The basalt flows penetrated in Saddle Mountains Basalt included the Umatilla Member, Esquatzel Member, Pomona Member, and the Elephant Mountain Member. The underlying Priest Rapids Member of the Wanapum Basalt also was penetrated. The Ellensburg Formation sediments consist of the Mabton Interbed, the Cold Creek Interbed, the Selah Interbed, and the Rattlesnake Ridge Interbed; the Byron Interbed occurs between two flows of the Priest Rapids Member. The Mabton Interbed marks the contact between the Wanapum and Saddle Mountains Basalts. The thicknesses of the basalts and interbedded sediments were within expected limits. However, a small reverse fault was found in the Pomona Member flow top. This fault has three periods of

  6. Geology of the Waste Treatment Plant Seismic Boreholes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnett, D. BRENT; Bjornstad, Bruce N.; Fecht, Karl R.; Lanigan, David C.; Reidel, Steve; Rust, Colleen F.

    2007-02-28

    In 2006, DOE-ORP initiated the Seismic Boreholes Project (SBP) to emplace boreholes at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) site in order to obtain direct Vs measurements and other physical property measurements in Columbia River basalt and interbedded sediments of the Ellensburg Formation. The goal was to reduce the uncertainty in the response spectra and seismic design basis, and potentially recover design margin for the WTP. The characterization effort within the deep boreholes included 1) downhole measurements of the velocity properties of the suprabasalt, basalt, and sedimentary interbed sequences, 2) downhole measurements of the density of the subsurface basalt and sediments, and 3) confirmation of the geometry of the contact between the various basalt and interbedded sediments through examination of retrieved core from the corehole and data collected through geophysical logging of each borehole. This report describes the results of the geologic studies from three mud-rotary boreholes and one cored borehole at the WTP. All four boreholes penetrated the entire Saddle Mountains Basalt and the upper part of the Wanapum Basalt where thick sedimentary interbeds occur between the lava flows. The basalt flows penetrated in Saddle Mountains Basalt included the Umatilla Member, Esquatzel Member, Pomona Member and the Elephant Mountain Member. The underlying Priest Rapids Member of the Wanapum Basalt was also penetrated. The Ellensburg Formation sediments consist of the Mabton Interbed, the Cold Creek Interbed, the Selah Interbed and the Rattlesnake Ridge Interbed; the Byron Interbed occurs between two flows of the Priest Rapids Member. The Mabton Interbed marks the contact between the Wanapum and Saddle Mountains Basalts. The thicknesses of the basalts and interbedded sediments were within expected limits. However, a small reverse fault was found in the Pomona Member flow top. This fault has three periods of movement and less than 15 feet of repeated section. Most of the

  7. Un Dinosaurio en la Sacristía. Las federaciones de sacerdotes casados, la pedofilia y la homosexualidad entre el clero de la Iglesia Católica Romana. Problemas institucionales de graves consecuencias

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel Silva Gotay

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available This article examines the question of celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church in light of the challage of the existece of the various national and international federations of married priests in the world, which comprises about 150,000 married catholic priests; the question of the movement of women theologians within the Church demanding the ordenation of women; the gigantic problem of sexual childe abuse by catholic priests in USA and other parts of the world; and the growing population of homosexuals among trhe catholic priests and seminarians. The article includes an esencial annoted bibliography, following the years of development of these questions, for those interested in further research.

  8. Centrifuge-less dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction base on the solidification of switchable solvent for rapid on-site extraction of four pyrethroid insecticides in water samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Lu; Wang, Huazi; Qian, Heng; Liu, Chaoran; Lu, Runhua; Zhang, Sanbing; Zhou, Wenfeng; Gao, Haixiang; Xu, Donghui

    2016-11-11

    An on-site dispersive liquid liquid microextraction base on the solidification of switchable solvent has been developed as a simple, rapid and eco-friendly sample extraction method for the fast determination of pyrethroid insecticides in aqueous samples using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. In this extraction method, medium-chain saturated fatty acids (n≥10), which can rapidly solidify at low temperatures (centrifugation. The microextraction process was performed in a 10mL syringe and the pretreatment process could thus be finished in 5min. No external energy resources were required in this method, which makes it a potential method for on-site extraction. The optimal experimental parameters were as follows: 350μL of decanoic acid (1mol/L) was used as the extraction solvent, 150μL of sulfuric acid (2mol/L) was used to decrease the pH of the samples, no salt was added, and the temperature of the samples was in the range of 20-40°C. Finally, the sample was cooled in an ice bath for three minutes. Under these optimal conditions, good responses for four pyrethroid insecticides were obtained in the concentration ranges of 1-500μg/L, with coefficients of determination greater than 0.9993. The recoveries of the four pyrethroid insecticides ranged from 84.7 to 95.3%, with relative standard deviations ranging from 1.6 to 4.6%. The limits of detection based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were in the range of 0.24-0.68μg/L, and the enrichment factors were in the range of 121-136. The results demonstrate that this method was successfully applied to determine pyrethroid insecticides in real water samples. No centrifugation or any special apparatus are required, make this a promising method for rapid field-sampling procedures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Rapid and efficient introduction of a foreign gene into bacterial artificial chromosome-cloned varicella vaccine by Tn7-mediated site-specific transposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Somboonthum, Pranee; Koshizuka, Tetsuo; Okamoto, Shigefumi; Matsuura, Masaaki; Gomi, Yasuyuki; Takahashi, Michiaki; Yamanishi, Koichi; Mori, Yasuko

    2010-01-01

    Using a rapid and reliable system based on Tn7-mediated site-specific transposition, we have successfully constructed a recombinant Oka varicella vaccine (vOka) expressing the mumps virus (MuV) fusion protein (F). The backbone of the vector was our previously reported vOka-BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) genome. We inserted the transposon Tn7 attachment sequence, LacZα-mini-attTn7, into the region between ORF12 and ORF13 to generate a vOka-BAC-Tn genome. The MuV-F expressing cassette was transposed into the vOka-BAC genome at the mini-attTn7 transposition site. MuV-F protein was expressed in recombinant virus, rvOka-F infected cells. In addition, the MuV-F protein was cleaved in the rvOka-F infected cells as in MuV-infected cells. The growth of rvOka-F was similar to that of the original recombinant vOka without the F gene. Thus, we show that Tn7-mediated transposition is an efficient method for introducing a foreign gene expression cassette into the vOka-BAC genome as a live virus vector.

  10. Rapid Recovery of an Urban Remnant Reptile Community following Summer Wildfire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Robert A; Doherty, Tim S

    2015-01-01

    Reptiles in urban remnants are threatened with extinction by increased fire frequency, habitat fragmentation caused by urban development, and competition and predation from exotic species. Understanding how urban reptiles respond to and recover from such disturbances is key to their conservation. We monitored the recovery of an urban reptile community for five years following a summer wildfire at Kings Park in Perth, Western Australia, using pitfall trapping at five burnt and five unburnt sites. The reptile community recovered rapidly following the fire. Unburnt sites initially had higher species richness and total abundance, but burnt sites rapidly converged, recording a similar total abundance to unburnt areas within two years, and a similar richness within three years. The leaf-litter inhabiting skink Hemiergis quadrilineata was strongly associated with longer unburnt sites and may be responding to the loss of leaf litter following the fire. Six rarely-captured species were also strongly associated with unburnt areas and were rarely or never recorded at burnt sites, whereas two other rarely-captured species were associated with burnt sites. We also found that one lizard species, Ctenotus fallens, had a smaller average body length in burnt sites compared to unburnt sites for four out of the five years of monitoring. Our study indicates that fire management that homogenises large areas of habitat through frequent burning may threaten some species due to their preference for longer unburnt habitat. Careful management of fire may be needed to maximise habitat suitability within the urban landscape.

  11. Honokiol promotes non-rapid eye movement sleep via the benzodiazepine site of the GABA(A) receptor in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Wei-Min; Yue, Xiao-Fang; Sun, Yu; Fan, Kun; Chen, Chang-Rui; Hou, Yi-Ping; Urade, Yoshihiro; Huang, Zhi-Li

    2012-10-01

    Decoctions of the Chinese herb houpu contain honokiol and are used to treat a variety of mental disorders, including depression. Depression commonly presents alongside sleep disorders and sleep disturbances, which appear to be a major risk factor for depression. Here, we have evaluated the somnogenic effect of honokiol and the mechanisms involved. Honokiol was administered i.p. at 20:00 h in mice. Flumazenil, an antagonist at the benzodiazepine site of the GABA(A) receptor, was administered i.p. 15 min before honokiol. The effects of honokiol were measured by EEG and electromyogram (EMG), c-Fos expression and in vitro electrophysiology. Honokiol (10 and 20 mg·kg⁻¹) significantly shortened the sleep latency to non-rapid eye movement (non-REM, NREM) sleep and increased the amount of NREM sleep. Honokiol increased the number of state transitions from wakefulness to NREM sleep and, subsequently, from NREM sleep to wakefulness. However, honokiol had no effect on either the amount of REM sleep or EEG power density of both NREM and REM sleep. Honokiol increased c-Fos expression in ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) neurons, as examined by immunostaining, and excited sleep-promoting neurons in the VLPO by whole-cell patch clamping in the brain slice. Pretreatment with flumazenil abolished the somnogenic effects and activation of the VLPO neurons by honokiol. Honokiol promoted NREM sleep by modulating the benzodiazepine site of the GABA(A) receptor, suggesting potential applications in the treatment of insomnia, especially for patients who experience difficulty in falling and staying asleep. © 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society.

  12. Rapid Fishery Assessment by Market Survey (RFAMS--an improved rapid-assessment approach to characterising fish landings in developing countries.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William T White

    Full Text Available The complex multi-gear, multi-species tropical fisheries in developing countries are poorly understood and characterising the landings from these fisheries is often impossible using conventional approaches. A rapid assessment method for characterising landings at fish markets, using an index of abundance and estimated weight within taxonomic groups, is described. This approach was developed for contexts where there are no detailed data collection protocols, and where consistent data collection across a wide range of fisheries types and geographic areas is required, regardless of the size of the site and scale of the landings. This methodology, which was demonstrated at seven fish landing sites/fish markets in southern Indonesia between July 2008 and January 2011, provides a rapid assessment of the abundance and diversity in the wild catch over a wide variety of taxonomic groups. The approach has wider application for species-rich fisheries in developing countries where there is an urgent need for better data collection protocols, monitoring future changes in market demographics, and evaluating health of fisheries.

  13. Rapid radiochemical procedures for a process support laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beals, D.M.

    1998-01-01

    An on-site mobile laboratory has been installed near a groundwater treatment facility, and rapid analytical procedures have been deployed for determining sample activity in the process support laboratory. The required analyses to support the remediation project include gross alpha/, gross nonvolatile beta, 90 Sr, 99 Tc, 137 Cs and total Ra (226 + 228). The present mission of the Savannah River Site (SRS), a US Department of Energy nuclear production facility, is one of nuclear waste stabilization and of environmental restoration and remediation. Because of previous practices of disposing low-level radioactive waste to seepage basins, some of the groundwater under the SRS has become contaminated with radioactive species. A water treatment facility has been installed to remediate the groundwater below the old F and H areas' seepage basins. Groundwater is pumped from the contaminated aquifer through a series of filtration, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis steps and when cleaned is reinjected back into the aquifer. Samples are pulled from various points in the treatment facility to ensure that the process is working as designed. In order to minimize turnaround time for these analyses, a process control station (i.e., a mobile on-site laboratory) has been installed at the F area water treatment unit, and rapid radioanalytical procedures have been deployed

  14. The office of prophets as an emergency measure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph J. de Bruyn

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Initially there was not supposed to be a prophetic office in Israel. ‘Prophetism’ was considered to be part of work that the priests performed. Thus, the priests were seen to be acting as prophets. Generally speaking, the prophets of the Old Testament are described as people who preached the Word of God. In the same way, priests are generally described as people who fulfilled functions at the temple and whose task it was to sacrifice on behalf of the Israelites. This article, however, argues that Yahweh intended much more through the establishment and ministry of the priests than merely administer sacrifices. It is the contention that Yahweh ordained the office of priests to preach the Word of God or to give advice in accordance with the will of Yahweh as it is documented in the Torah. The article’s contribution to the subject of prophetism in Israel will begin by studying the chronological history of Israel as it is described in the Hebrew Bible. The terms prophet, prophecyand prophetismwill also be examined as they are used in the Hebrew Bible. By doing so, the article will show that it was only when the priests failed in their prophetic calling or when Yahweh wanted to change the cult or political establishment that He called people from outside of the established cult to fulfil the role of prophet. Yahweh used the prophetic office in times of need. One may call it an emergency measure – in times when the priests failed in their calling.

  15. Environmental effects of the Big Rapids dam remnant removal, Big Rapids, Michigan, 2000-02

    Science.gov (United States)

    Healy, Denis F.; Rheaume, Stephen J.; Simpson, J. Alan

    2003-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the city of Big Rapids, investigated the environmental effects of removal of a dam-foundation remnant and downstream cofferdam from the Muskegon River in Big Rapids, Mich. The USGS applied a multidiscipline approach, which determined the water quality, sediment character, and stream habitat before and after dam removal. Continuous water-quality data and discrete water-quality samples were collected, the movement of suspended and bed sediment were measured, changes in stream habitat were assessed, and streambed elevations were surveyed. Analyses of water upstream and downstream from the dam showed that the dam-foundation remnant did not affect water quality. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations downstream from the dam remnant were depressed for a short period (days) during the beginning of the dam removal, in part because of that removal effort. Sediment transport from July 2000 through March 2002 was 13,800 cubic yards more at the downstream site than the upstream site. This increase in sediment represents the remobilized sediment upstream from the dam, bank erosion when the impoundment was lowered, and contributions from small tributaries between the sites. Five habitat reaches were monitored before and after dam-remnant removal. The reaches consisted of a reference reach (A), upstream from the effects of the impoundment; the impoundment (B); and three sites below the impoundment where habitat changes were expected (C, D, and E, in downstream order). Stream-habitat assessment reaches varied in their responses to the dam-remnant removal. Reference reach A was not affected. In impoundment reach B, Great Lakes and Environmental Assessment Section (GLEAS) Procedure 51 ratings went from fair to excellent. For the three downstream reaches, reach C underwent slight habitat degradation, but ratings remained good; reach D underwent slight habitat degradation with ratings changing from excellent to good; and, in an area

  16. Rapid Recovery of an Urban Remnant Reptile Community following Summer Wildfire.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert A Davis

    Full Text Available Reptiles in urban remnants are threatened with extinction by increased fire frequency, habitat fragmentation caused by urban development, and competition and predation from exotic species. Understanding how urban reptiles respond to and recover from such disturbances is key to their conservation. We monitored the recovery of an urban reptile community for five years following a summer wildfire at Kings Park in Perth, Western Australia, using pitfall trapping at five burnt and five unburnt sites. The reptile community recovered rapidly following the fire. Unburnt sites initially had higher species richness and total abundance, but burnt sites rapidly converged, recording a similar total abundance to unburnt areas within two years, and a similar richness within three years. The leaf-litter inhabiting skink Hemiergis quadrilineata was strongly associated with longer unburnt sites and may be responding to the loss of leaf litter following the fire. Six rarely-captured species were also strongly associated with unburnt areas and were rarely or never recorded at burnt sites, whereas two other rarely-captured species were associated with burnt sites. We also found that one lizard species, Ctenotus fallens, had a smaller average body length in burnt sites compared to unburnt sites for four out of the five years of monitoring. Our study indicates that fire management that homogenises large areas of habitat through frequent burning may threaten some species due to their preference for longer unburnt habitat. Careful management of fire may be needed to maximise habitat suitability within the urban landscape.

  17. Rapid transcriptional pulsing dynamics of high expressing retroviral transgenes in embryonic stem cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mandy Y M Lo

    Full Text Available Single cell imaging studies suggest that transcription is not continuous and occurs as discrete pulses of gene activity. To study mechanisms by which retroviral transgenes can transcribe to high levels, we used the MS2 system to visualize transcriptional dynamics of high expressing proviral integration sites in embryonic stem (ES cells. We established two ES cell lines each bearing a single copy, self-inactivating retroviral vector with a strong ubiquitous human EF1α gene promoter directing expression of mRFP fused to an MS2-stem-loop array. Transfection of MS2-EGFP generated EGFP focal dots bound to the mRFP-MS2 stem loop mRNA. These transcription foci colocalized with the transgene integration site detected by immunoFISH. Live tracking of single cells for 20 minutes detected EGFP focal dots that displayed frequent and rapid fluctuations in transcription over periods as short as 25 seconds. Similarly rapid fluctuations were detected from focal doublet signals that colocalized with replicated proviral integration sites by immunoFISH, consistent with transcriptional pulses from sister chromatids. We concluded that retroviral transgenes experience rapid transcriptional pulses in clonal ES cell lines that exhibit high level expression. These events are directed by a constitutive housekeeping gene promoter and may provide precedence for rapid transcriptional pulsing at endogenous genes in mammalian stem cells.

  18. A Rapid, Accurate, and Efficient Method to Map Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils of Abandoned Mine Sites Using Converted Portable XRF Data and GIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jangwon Suh

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The use of portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES increases the rapidity and accuracy of soil contamination mapping, respectively. In practice, it is often necessary to repeat the soil contamination assessment and mapping procedure several times during soil management within a limited budget. In this study, we have developed a rapid, inexpensive, and accurate soil contamination mapping method using a PXRF data and geostatistical spatial interpolation. To obtain a large quantity of high quality data for interpolation, in situ PXRF data analyzed at 40 points were transformed to converted PXRF data using the correlation between PXRF and ICP-AES data. The method was applied to an abandoned mine site in Korea to generate a soil contamination map for copper and was validated for investigation speed and prediction accuracy. As a result, regions that required soil remediation were identified. Our method significantly shortened the time required for mapping compared to the conventional mapping method and provided copper concentration estimates with high accuracy similar to those measured by ICP-AES. Therefore, our method is an effective way of mapping soil contamination if we consistently construct a database based on the correlation between PXRF and ICP-AES data.

  19. A study on the different roles’ leadership and school culture within the Catholic middle schools in Taiwan

    OpenAIRE

    Wei-Ling Tchong

    2016-01-01

    In Taiwan, Catholic schools are now facing a crisis of leadership as the available number of priests and nuns who are able to lead these schools is declining rapidly. The question is now being asked as to whether the ministry of the Catholic school’s mission can be sustained as more and more lay principals are needed and appointed to replace principals affiliated with religious orders. This basic question led to an exploration of three research questions. First, what differences, if any, are ...

  20. Rapid on-site detection of Acidovorax citrulli by cross-priming amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jing; Tian, Qian; Zhu, Shui-fang; Zhao, Wen-jun; Liu, Feng-quan

    2012-08-01

    Cross-priming amplification (CPA) for Acidovorax citrulli detection was evaluated in this study. The sensitivity of CPA assay for pure bacterial culture was 3.7 × 10(3) CFU/ml. Bacteria on naturally infected watermelon seeds were detected using CPA assay, suggesting this method is suitable for A. citrulli on-site detection from watermelon seeds. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Regional Advection Perturbations in an Irrigated Desert (RAPID) Experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Debruin, H.A.R.; Hartogensis, O.K.; Allen, R.G.; Kramer, J.W.J.L.

    2005-01-01

    The RAPID field experiment took place in August - September 1999 at a site 25km south of Twin Falls, Idaho, USA. The experiment concerned micrometeorological observations over extensive, well-irrigated fields covered with the fast-growing crop alfalfa. During daytime, on a number of days the

  2. Social Networking Sites as Virtual Communities of Practice: A Mixed Method Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Lorretta J.

    2010-01-01

    Membership in social networking sites is increasing rapidly. Social networking sites serve many purposes including networking, communication, recruitment, and sharing knowledge. Social networking sites, public or private, may be hosted on applications such as Facebook and LinkedIn. As individuals begin to follow and participate in social…

  3. Post-marketing surveillance of OraQuick whole blood and oral fluid rapid HIV testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wesolowski, Laura G; MacKellar, Duncan A; Facente, Shelley N; Dowling, Teri; Ethridge, Steven F; Zhu, Julia H; Sullivan, Patrick S

    2006-08-01

    Post-marketing surveillance was conducted to monitor the performance of the OraQuick Advance rapid HIV-1/2 antibody test (OraQuick) on whole blood and oral fluid. Surveillance of routinely collected data on clients tested with OraQuick in 368 testing sites affiliated with 17 state and city health departments between 11 August 2004 and 30 June 2005. For whole blood and oral fluid, we report the median (range) health department OraQuick specificity and positive predictive value (PPV), and the number of clients with discordant results (e.g. who had a reactive rapid test not confirmed positive by Western blot or indirect immunofluorescence). At one site with lower than expected oral-fluid specificity, we evaluated whether device expiration, manufacturing lot, operator practices, or device-storage or testing-area temperatures were associated with false-positive tests. During the surveillance period, 135 724 whole blood and 26 066 oral fluid rapid tests were conducted. The median health department whole blood OraQuick specificity was 99.98% (range: 99.73-100%) and PPV was 99.24% (range: 66.67-100%); the median oral fluid specificity was 99.89% (range: 99.44-100%) and PPV was 90.00% (range: 50.00-100%). A total of 124 discordant results were reported from 68 (0.05%) whole blood and 56 (0.22%) oral fluid rapid tests. The oral fluid specificity at the site with excess oral fluid false-positive tests was 98.7% (95% confidence interval: 98.18-99.11%). The increase in false-positive tests at that site was not associated with any specific device characteristic, operator procedure or temperature condition. The specificity of OraQuick performed on whole blood and oral fluid during post-marketing surveillance was compatible with the manufacturer's claim within the package insert. However, one site experienced lower than expected oral fluid specificity. Sites that observe that the specificity of OraQuick is lower than the range indicated in the package insert should notify the

  4. [Religious and pharmacie in France after the french révolution].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnemain, Bruno

    2004-01-01

    The Germinal an XI law is supposed to close a period of time where several people were allowed to prepare and deliver drugs. Concerning clergy, this law will not be totally applied. Several priests and religious, during the XIXe century, will create and distribute pharmaceutical products. Oudin, Cottance and Chaupitre, all priests, are a few of key examples. L'abbé Perdrigeon was a priest that discover his calling to cure by treating Napoleon III's soldiers during 1870 war. It remains form it the so-called "Contrecoups de l' Abbé Perdrigeon ", product still commercialized. The present publication describes the legal and cultural feature in which illegal exercise of Pharmacy and Medicine took place by clergy, and the reasons why priests and nuns wanted to pursue this usage until the 1941 law.

  5. Rapid on-site evaluation of the development of resistance to quinone outside inhibitors in Botrytis cinerea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, X R; Dai, D J; Wang, H D; Zhang, C Q

    2017-10-24

    Botrytis cinerea, a typical "high-risk" pathogenic fungus that rapidly develops resistance to fungicides, affects more than 1,000 species of 586 plant genera native to most continents and causes great economic losses. Therefore, a rapid and sensitive assay of fungicide resistance development in B. cinerea populations is crucial for scientific management. In this study, we established a Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) system for the monitoring and evaluation of the risk of development of B. cinerea resistance to QoI fungicides; the method uses two LAMP assays. The first assay detects G143A mutants of B. cinerea, which are highly resistance to QoI fungicides. BCbi143/144 introns in B. cinerea are then detected by the second assay. HNB acts as a visual LAMP reaction indicator. The optimum reaction conditions of the LAMP assays were 61 °C for 50 min, and the detection limit of the LAMP assays was 100 × 10 -4  ng/μl. We directly pre-treated the field samples by using All-DNA-Fast-Out to extract DNA within ten minutes, then performed the LAMP assay to achieve one-step rapid detection. In conclusion, we established a rapid and sensitive LAMP assay system for resistance risk assessment and for monitoring QoI-resistance of B. cinerea in the field.

  6. Basalt aquifer identification, correlation and sampling activities. History of Wells DB-8, DB-9, DB-10 and DB-11

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webster, C.T.

    1979-07-01

    Research core wells have been completed to assist in the characterization of the groundwater regime of the upper confined aquifers found within the basalts of the Hanford Site. These wells were drilled on the Hanford Site for the Long-Term Transuranic Defense Waste Program. They were constructed to assure the Department of Energy that waste management operations will not provide an avenue for offsite migration of radionuclides. This second report details results of confined aquifer drilling activities. The purpose of this report is to document the drilling history of the wells by presenting as-built well construction diagrams and tables listing hole history data, coring records and bit records. Four wells were cored to a maximum depth of 1100 feet and water samples were taken from selected confined aquifers. Full depth was reached on all wells and core recovery was 94% of all formations drilled. Well DB-8 was abandoned after a well screen was destroyed while setting it in the well. Two wells, DB-9 and DB-10 were screened in the Mabton interbed and water was produced from this interval in both wells. Well DB-11 was used to explore for artesian water from the Priest Rapids flow unit on the western edge of the Hanford Site. The water was found at a depth of 1045 feet and now produces makeup water for all Hanford drilling

  7. Counseling Regarding Sexual and Reproductive Behavior: Principles and Practices of Catholic Priests Orientaciones sobre el comportamiento sexual y reproductivo: principios y prácticas de los sacerdotes católicos Orientações sobre o comportamento sexual e reprodutivo: princípios e práticas dos sacerdotes católicos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiza Akiko Komura Hoga

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Considering and respecting religious beliefs and values is vital for delivering integral health care. This study describes the religious principles and guidance provided by Catholic priests on sexuality and reproduction. The oral history method was used. Interviews were carried out between August 2007 and May 2008 and were analyzed in an inductive and interpretive manner to acquire a deep focus on the theme. Thirteen Catholic priests from the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil were interviewed. Counseling provided by the priests has a traditional and conservative character and is based on principles of Catholic doctrine. Health education and promotion activities involving aspects related to sexuality and reproduction should be relevant and permeated with ethical considerations from the perspective of health care services’ users, including religious perspectives.La consideración y el respeto por las creencias y valores religiosos son vitales para la integralidad de la asistencia a la salud. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir los principios religiosos y las orientaciones en el ámbito de la sexualidad y reproducción ofrecidas por los sacerdotes católicos. El método de la historia oral fue desarrollado, las entrevistas ocurrieron entre agosto de 2007 y mayo de 2008, fueron analizadas de forma inductiva e interpretativa con un enfoque profundo en el tema. Los entrevistados fueron 13 sacerdotes de la Iglesia Católica de la Ciudad de Sao Paulo. Las orientaciones ofrecidas por los sacerdotes presentan carácter tradicional y conservador y son basadas en principios de la doctrina Católica. Las actividades de educación y promoción de la salud envolviendo aspectos relacionados a la sexualidad y reproducción deben estar impregnadas por la ética, siendo significativas, según la perspectiva de los usuarios de los servicios de salud.A consideração e o respeito às crenças e valores religiosos são vitais para a integralidade da assist

  8. Universal Access in Heritage Sites: A Case Study on Historic Sites in Jaipur, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vardia, Shweta; Khare, Rachna; Khare, Ajay

    2016-01-01

    A nation is recognized by a range of its significant historical, cultural and natural properties. These properties are generally preserved and maintained either by national administration or by private owners and charitable trusts due to higher value of their cultural inheritance and termed globally as heritage or historic sites. Heritage sites are a significant asset, a unique and irreplaceable resource which reflects a rich and diverse expression of past societies and forms an integral part of local, regional and national cultural identity. Today, heritage sites also play an important role in communication and knowledge exchange. Thus the rapidly increasing heritage tourism industry faces several challenges too. One of the challenges is that there is a segment of society who is not yet able to equally enjoy the visit to historic structures/sites and attractions, facilities and services. This paper aims to study the experience and develop understanding regarding the heritage structures/sites approached and interacted by diverse users. This study is an outcome of a hands on workshop conducted with diverse users at various historic sites in the city of Jaipur viz. at The City Palace Complex, Jaipur, Jaigarh Fort and the Haveli at Kanota near to Jaipur India.

  9. Rapid Spontaneously Resolving Acute Subdural Hematoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, Qi; Zhao, Hexiang; Zhang, Hanmei; You, Chao

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: This study reports a rare patient of a rapid spontaneously resolving acute subdural hematoma. In addition, an analysis of potential clues for the phenomenon is presented with a review of the literature. Patient Presentation: A 1-year-and-2-month-old boy fell from a height of approximately 2 m. The patient was in a superficial coma with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 8 when he was transferred to the authors’ hospital. Computed tomography revealed the presence of an acute subdural hematoma with a midline shift beyond 1 cm. His guardians refused invasive interventions and chose conservative treatment. Repeat imaging after 15 hours showed the evident resolution of the hematoma and midline reversion. Progressive magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the complete resolution of the hematoma, without redistribution to a remote site. Conclusions: Even though this phenomenon has a low incidence, the probability of a rapid spontaneously resolving acute subdural hematoma should be considered when patients present with the following characteristics: children or elderly individuals suffering from mild to moderate head trauma; stable or rapidly recovered consciousness; and simple acute subdural hematoma with a moderate thickness and a particularly low-density band in computed tomography scans. PMID:28468224

  10. A historical analysis of missionary activities in the era of Shah Abbas I`s successors (1629-1722

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Aghili

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The presence of Christian missionaries in Iran is one of the significant issues in Safavid studies. From Shah Abbas I on, European priests` activities with political and religious purposes to pursue evangelism increased. Iran`s favorable domestic position, including Iranians hospitality and patience while facing new religions, provided a perfect opportunity for the presence of European priests in Iran. Among various Christian sects, five sects conducted promotional activities and major political missions in Iran, from Safavid to Qajar. These five sects included Carmelism, Dominican, Jesuit, Kapus and Augustine. The attempt to promote Christianity caused the priests to achieve their goals. They came to Iran as political representatives of Pope and European kings to link their evangelical issues to their colonial purposes. During Shah Abbas First, Safavid kings decreased battling Ottomans and as a result the priests failed to attract the Moslems` attention to Christianity. Interestingly, the priests in Safavid era were not actually successful in recruiting minorities, including Christian Armenians, Georgians, Jews and so on. The present article aims at analyzing what Christian missionaries did during Shah Abbas I era, relying on historical documents and sources.

  11. Malaysian Users’ Perception towards Facebook as a Social Networking Site

    OpenAIRE

    Ahasanul Haque; Abdullah Sarwar; Farzana Yasmin

    2013-01-01

    Social network sites constitute a rapidly growing phenomenon. Thus, understanding users perception toward social network sites become essential. Realizing this present needs, this study strives to determine the user’s perception towards Facebook in Malaysia. This paper commences by examining the relevance of the privacy, features, sharing social information, and accessibility provided by the social network sites. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted. A convenience sampling m...

  12. URBAN RAIN GAUGE SITING SELECTION BASED ON GIS-MULTICRITERIA ANALYSIS

    OpenAIRE

    Y. Fu; C. Jing; M. Du

    2016-01-01

    With the increasingly rapid growth of urbanization and climate change, urban rainfall monitoring as well as urban waterlogging has widely been paid attention. In the light of conventional siting selection methods do not take into consideration of geographic surroundings and spatial-temporal scale for the urban rain gauge site selection, this paper primarily aims at finding the appropriate siting selection rules and methods for rain gauge in urban area. Additionally, for optimization gauge loc...

  13. An approach for evaluating the repeatability of rapid wetland assessment methods: The effects of training and experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    We sampled 92 wetlands from four different basins in the United States to quantify observer repeatability in rapid wetland condition assessment using the Delaware Rapid Assessment Protocol (DERAP). In the Inland Bays basin of Delaware, 58 wetland sites were sampled by multiple ob...

  14. Apprehension of Youth towards Social Networking Sites: Two Sides of a Coin

    OpenAIRE

    Yukti Gulati; Shilpi Sharma

    2014-01-01

    Social networking sites are wide area of research. Rapid growth in Technology and Human Resources provides us new platform to build social networks. Today it has become highest point of concern to be aware of social networking sites and built networks. Since few years Social networking site has become very popular. There are different social networking sites for different purpose fulfillment. Orkut fails in the race of Social Networking Sites as compare to facebook. Although Fa...

  15. Hydrodynamic Simulation of the Columbia River, Hanford Reach, 1940--2004

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waichler, Scott R.; Perkins, William A.; Richmond, Marshall C.

    2005-06-15

    Many hydrological and biological problems in the Columbia River corridor through the Hanford Site require estimates of river stage (water surface elevation) or river flow and velocity. Systematic collection of river stage data at locations in the Hanford Reach began in 1991, but many environmental projects need river stage information at unmeasured locations or over longer time periods. The Modular Aquatic Simulation System 1D (MASS1), a one-dimensional, unsteady hydrodynamic and water quality model, was used to simulate the Columbia River from Priest Rapids Dam to McNary Dam from 1940 to 2004, providing estimates of water surface elevation, volumetric flow rate, and flow velocity at 161 locations on the Hanford Reach. The primary input data were bathymetric/topographic cross sections of the Columbia River channel, flow rates at Priest Rapids Dam, and stage at McNary Dam. Other inputs included Yakima River and Snake River inflows. Available flow data at a gaging station just below Priest Rapids Dam was mean daily flow from 1940 to 1986 and hourly thereafter. McNary dam was completed in 1957, and hourly stage data are available beginning in 1975. MASS1 was run at an hourly timestep and calibrated and tested using 1991--2004 river stage data from six Hanford Reach locations (areas 100B, 100N, 100D, 100H, 100F, and 300). Manning's roughness coefficient in the Reach above each river recorder location was adjusted using an automated genetic algorithm and gradient search technique in three separate calibrations, corresponding to different data subsets, with minimization of mean absolute error as the objective. The primary calibration was based on 1999, a representative year, and included all locations. The first alternative calibration also used all locations but was limited in time to a high-flow period during spring and early summer of 1997. The second alternative calibration was based on 1999 and included only 300 Area stage data. Model goodness-of-fit for all

  16. Rapid Modulation of Aromatase Activity in the Vertebrate Brain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thierry D. Charlier

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Numerous steroid hormones, including 17β-estradiol (E2, activate rapid and transient cellular, physiological, and behavioral changes in addition to their well-described genomic effects. Aromatase is the key-limiting enzyme in the production of estrogens, and the rapid modulation of this enzymatic activity could produce rapid changes in local E2 concentrations. The mechanisms that might mediate such rapid enzymatic changes are not fully understood but are currently under intense scrutiny. Recent studies in our laboratory indicate that brain aromatase activity is rapidly inhibited by an increase in intracellular calcium concentration resulting from potassium-induced depolarization or from the activation of glutamatergic receptors. Phosphorylating conditions also reduce aromatase activity within minutes, and this inhibition is blocked by the addition of multiple protein kinase inhibitors. This rapid modulation of aromatase activity by phosphorylating conditions is a general mechanism observed in different cell types and tissues derived from a variety of species, including human aromatase expressed in various cell lines. Phosphorylation processes affect aromatase itself and do not involve changes in aromatase protein concentration. The control of aromatase activity by multiple kinases suggests that several amino acids must be concomitantly phosphorylated to modify enzymatic activity but site-directed mutagenesis of several amino acids alone or in combination has not to date revealed the identity of the targeted residue(s. Altogether, the phosphorylation processes affecting aromatase activity provide a new general mechanism by which the concentration of estrogens can be rapidly altered in the brain.

  17. Rapid separation method for {sup 237}Np and Pu isotopes in large soil samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maxwell, Sherrod L., E-mail: sherrod.maxwell@srs.go [Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC, Building 735-B, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States); Culligan, Brian K.; Noyes, Gary W. [Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC, Building 735-B, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States)

    2011-07-15

    A new rapid method for the determination of {sup 237}Np and Pu isotopes in soil and sediment samples has been developed at the Savannah River Site Environmental Lab (Aiken, SC, USA) that can be used for large soil samples. The new soil method utilizes an acid leaching method, iron/titanium hydroxide precipitation, a lanthanum fluoride soil matrix removal step, and a rapid column separation process with TEVA Resin. The large soil matrix is removed easily and rapidly using these two simple precipitations with high chemical recoveries and effective removal of interferences. Vacuum box technology and rapid flow rates are used to reduce analytical time.

  18. Evaluation of Juvenile Fall Chinook Salmon Stranding on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, 2000 Annual Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nugent, John; Nugent, Michael; Brock, Wendy (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA)

    2002-05-29

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has been contracted through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD) to perform an evaluation of juvenile fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stranding on the Hanford Reach. The evaluation, in the fourth year of a multi-year study, has been developed to assess the impacts of water fluctuations from Priest Rapids Dam on rearing juvenile fall chinook salmon, other fishes, and benthic macroinvertebrates of the Hanford Reach. This document provides the results of the 2000 field season.

  19. Evaluation of Juvenile Fall Chinook Salmon Stranding on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, 1999 Annual Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nugent, John

    2002-01-24

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has been contracted through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD) to perform an evaluation of juvenile fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stranding on the Hanford Reach. The evaluation, in the third year of a multi-year study, has been developed to assess the impacts of water fluctuations from Priest Rapids Dam on rearing juvenile fall chinook salmon, other fishes, and benthic macroinvertebrates of the Hanford Reach. This document provides the results of the 1999 field season.

  20. Evaluation of Juvenile Fall Chinook Salmon Stranding on the Hanford Reach in the Columbia River, 1998 Interim Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nugent, John; Newsome, Todd; Nugent, Michael (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA)

    2001-07-27

    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has been contracted through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD) to perform an evaluation of juvenile fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stranding on the Hanford Reach. The evaluation, in the second year of a multi-year study, has been developed to assess the impacts of water fluctuations from Priest Rapids Dam on rearing juvenile fall chinook salmon, other fish species, and benthic macroinvertebrates of the Hanford Reach. This document provides the results of the 1998 field season.

  1. Elastic uplift in southeast Greenland due to rapid ice mass loss

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khan, Shfaqat Abbas; Van dam, Tonie; Hamilton, Gordon S.

    2007-01-01

    The rapid unloading of ice from the southeastern sector of the Greenland ice sheet between 2001 and 2006 caused an elastic uplift of 35 mm at a GPS site in Kulusuk. Most of the uplift results from ice dynamic-induced volume losses on two nearby outlet glaciers. Volume loss from Helheim Glacier...... between 62N and 66N. Citation: Khan, S. A., J. Wahr, L. A. Stearns, G. S. Hamilton, T. van Dam, K. M. Larson, and O. Francis (2007), Elastic uplift in southeast Greenland due to rapid ice mass loss....

  2. Half-of-the-sites reactivity of outer-membrane phospholipase A against an active-site-directed inhibitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ubarretxena-Belandia, I; Cox, R C; Dijkman, R; Egmond, M R; Verheij, H M; Dekker, N

    1999-03-01

    The reaction of a novel active-site-directed phospholipase A1 inhibitor with the outer-membrane phospholipase A (OMPLA) was investigated. The inhibitor 1-p-nitrophenyl-octylphosphonate-2-tridecylcarbamoyl-3-et hanesulfonyl -amino-3-deoxy-sn-glycerol irreversibly inactivated OMPLA. The inhibition reaction did not require the cofactor calcium or an unprotonated active-site His142. The inhibition of the enzyme solubilized in hexadecylphosphocholine micelles was characterized by a rapid (t1/2 = 20 min) and complete loss of enzymatic activity, concurrent with the covalent modification of 50% of the active-site serines, as judged from the amount of p-nitrophenolate (PNP) released. Modification of the remaining 50% occurred at a much lower rate, indicative of half-of-the-sites reactivity against the inhibitor of this dimeric enzyme. Inhibition of monomeric OMPLA solubilized in hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-1-ammonio-3-propanesulfonate resulted in an equimolar monophasic release of PNP, concurrent with the loss of enzymatic activity (t1/2 = 14 min). The half-of-the-sites reactivity is discussed in view of the dimeric nature of this enzyme.

  3. Nanoscale microstructure effects on hydrogen behavior in rapidly solidified aluminum alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tashlykova-Bushkevich, Iya I. [Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, Minsk (Belarus)

    2015-12-31

    The present work summarizes recent progress in the investigation of nanoscale microstructure effects on hydrogen behavior in rapidly solidified aluminum alloys foils produced at exceptionally high cooling rates. We focus here on the potential of modification of hydrogen desorption kinetics in respect to weak and strong trapping sites that could serve as hydrogen sinks in Al materials. It is shown that it is important to elucidate the surface microstructure of the Al alloy foils at the submicrometer scale because rapidly solidified microstructural features affect hydrogen trapping at nanostructured defects. We discuss the profound influence of solute atoms on hydrogen−lattice defect interactions in the alloys. with emphasis on role of vacancies in hydrogen evolution; both rapidly solidified pure Al and conventionally processed aluminum samples are considered.

  4. A rapid screening-level method to optimize location of infiltration ponds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fennemore, G G; Davis, A; Goss, L; Warrick, A W

    2001-01-01

    A rapid-screening technique was developed to identify lithologies that best disperse artificial recharge via surface infiltration and minimize effects on ground water chemistry. The technique prospectively evaluates basin infiltration rates and water chemistry influences by integrating geotechnical, hydraulic, and water quality data with column test data and numerical modeling. The technique was validated using field data collected from surface infiltration basins designed to recharge ground water pumped from the Pipeline pit gold mine in Nevada. Observed recharge rates at these infiltration sites correlated most significantly with depth to groundwater, with basins in coarse-grained lithologies performing better (0.45 to 0.85 m/day) than those with fine-grained layers ( 2000 mg/L) than coarse-grained soils (infiltration basins for a variety of lithologies. Sites for infiltration basins can be rapidly screened to include areas with greatest depth to groundwater and in coarsest alluvial sediments, and impact to ground water chemistry can be reliably predicted using computer modeling and column test results.

  5. Spatial distribution of chlordanes and PCB congeners in soil in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, Andres; Erdman, Nicholas R.; Rodenburg, Zachary L.; Eastling, Paul M.; Hornbuckle, Keri C.

    2012-01-01

    Residential soils from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA were collected and analyzed for chlordanes and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This study is one of the very few urban soil investigations in the USA. The chlordanes concentrations ranged from 0 to 7500 ng g −1 dry weight (d.w.), with a mean and standard deviation of 130 ± 920 ng g −1 d.w., which is about 1000 times larger than background levels. ΣPCB concentrations ranged from 3 to 1200 ng g −1 d.w., with a mean and standard deviation of 56 ± 160 ng g −1 d.w. and are about 10 times higher than world-wide background levels. Both groups exhibit considerable variability in chemical patterns and site-to-site concentrations. Although no measurements of dioxins were carried out, the potential toxicity due to the 12 dioxin-like PCBs found in the soil is in the same order of magnitude of the provisional threshold recommended by USEPA to perform soil remediation. - Graphical Abstract: Spatial location and measured concentrations of ΣPCB (left, 64 sites) and chlordanes (right, 66 sites) (ng g −1 d.w.) in soil from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Samples were collected in August 2008. Estimated flood area was obtained from the Linn County Auditor's Office. Highlights: ► Chlordanes and PCBs congeners were measured in surficial soil from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. ► Measured values for both chemical groups are similar to other urban/industrial site around the world. ► This is one of the few urban soil studies in the USA. ► TEQs values are in the same order of magnitude of the provisional threshold recommended by USEPA to perform soil remediation. - Chlordane compounds (trans-, cis- and trans-nonachlor) and PCBs (164 peaks for 209 congeners) were measured in the soils of a small medium-sized American city.

  6. DC-Analyzer-facilitated combinatorial strategy for rapid directed evolution of functional enzymes with multiple mutagenesis sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiong; Zheng, Kai; Zheng, Huayu; Nie, Hongli; Yang, Zujun; Tang, Lixia

    2014-12-20

    Iterative saturation mutagenesis (ISM) has been shown to be a powerful method for directed evolution. In this study, the approach was modified (termed M-ISM) by combining the single-site saturation mutagenesis method with a DC-Analyzer-facilitated combinatorial strategy, aiming to evolve novel biocatalysts efficiently in the case where multiple sites are targeted simultaneously. Initially, all target sites were explored individually by constructing single-site saturation mutagenesis libraries. Next, the top two to four variants in each library were selected and combined using the DC-Analyzer-facilitated combinatorial strategy. In addition to site-saturation mutagenesis, iterative saturation mutagenesis also needed to be performed. The advantages of M-ISM over ISM were that the screening effort is greatly reduced, and the entire M-ISM procedure was less time-consuming. The M-ISM strategy was successfully applied to the randomization of halohydrin dehalogenase from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1 (HheC) when five interesting sites were targeted simultaneously. After screening 900 clones in total, six positive mutants were obtained. These mutants exhibited 4.0- to 9.3-fold higher k(cat) values than did the wild-type HheC toward 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol. However, with the ISM strategy, the best hit showed a 5.9-fold higher k(cat) value toward 1,3-DCP than the wild-type HheC, which was obtained after screening 4000 clones from four rounds of mutagenesis. Therefore, M-ISM could serve as a simple and efficient version of ISM for the randomization of target genes with multiple positions of interest.

  7. Applicability of rapid and on-site measured enzyme activity for surface water quality monitoring in an agricultural catchment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stadler, Philipp; Farnleitner, Andreas H.; Sommer, Regina; Kumpan, Monika; Zessner, Matthias

    2014-05-01

    For the near real time and on-site detection of microbiological fecal pollution of water, the measurement of beta-D- Glucuronidase (GLUC) enzymatic activity has been suggested as a surrogate parameter and has been already successfully operated for water quality monitoring of ground water resources (Ryzinska-Paier et al. 2014). Due to possible short measure intervals of three hours, this method has high potential as a water quality monitoring tool. While cultivation based standard determination takes more than one working day (Cabral 2010) the potential advantage of detecting the GLUC activity is the high temporal measuring resolution. Yet, there is still a big gap of knowledge on the fecal indication capacity of GLUC (specificity, sensitivity, persistence, etc.) in relation to potential pollution sources and catchment conditions (Cabral 2010, Ryzinska-Paier et al. 2014). Furthermore surface waters are a big challenge for automated detection devices in a technical point of view due to the high sediment load during event conditions. This presentation shows results gained form two years of monitoring in an experimental catchment (HOAL) dominated by agricultural land use. Two enzymatic measurement devices are operated parallel at the catchment outlet to test the reproducibility and precision of the method. Data from continuous GLUC monitoring under both base flow and event conditions is compared with reference samples analyzed by standardized laboratory methods for fecal pollution detection (e.g. ISO 16649-1, Colilert18). It is shown that rapid enzymatic on-site GLUC determination can successfully be operated from a technical point of view for surface water quality monitoring under the observed catchment conditions. The comparison of enzyme activity with microbiological standard analytics reveals distinct differences in the dynamic of the signals during event conditions. Cabral J. P. S. (2010) "Water Microbiology. Bacterial Pathogens and Water" International Journal of

  8. Parotid gland as an initial site of metastasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borg, Martin F.

    2004-01-01

    The parotid gland is an uncommon site of metastasis from carcinomas arising outside the head and neck region. Involvement of the parotid gland as an initial site of metastasis or presentation is rare. The present case report is the first, to our knowledge, to describe the management and outcome of an elderly man whose first presentation of an asymptomatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lung was that of a rapidly growing fungating left parotid mass Copyright (2004) Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

  9. DATA MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK OF DRONE-BASED 3D MODEL RECONSTRUCTION OF DISASTER SITE

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, C.; Moon, H.; Lee, W.

    2016-01-01

    To rescue peoples in the disaster site in time, information acquisition of current feature of collapsed buildings and terrain is quite important for disaster site rescue manager. Based on information about disaster site, they can accurately plan the rescue process and remove collapsed buildings or other facilities. However, due to the harsh condition of disaster areas, rapid and accurate acquisition of disaster site information is not an easy task. There are possibilities of further ...

  10. Gedagtes oor die arbeidsregtelike posisie van predikante, pastore en priesters as werknemers van die kerk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fanie van Jaarsveld

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Thoughts on the labor law position of pastors and priests as employees of the church. The issue of labour-law relationships between pastors or priests and their employers (churches is controversial because they (pastors or priests are often regarded as employees and often not. These issues are discussed on the basis of problems in the South-African positive law and English law. In discussing the question about the nature of this labour-law relationship, a two-stage approach is suggested, especially when bearing in mind that the employment contract forms the basis of the labour-law relationship between the two parties.

  11. A mobile radiological laboratory for rapid response to off-site radiation emergencies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katoch, D. S.; Sharma, R. C.; Mehta, D. J.; Raj, V. Venkat [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

    2002-07-01

    A mobile radiological laboratory (MRL) has been designed and developed primarily for providing a rapid response to radiation emergencies arising as a consequence of nuclear and/or radiological accidents. It is equipped specifically to monitor the environment and provide quick assessment of radiological hazards to the population living within a radius of 30 km around a nuclear facility. In this paper, various design features of an Indian MRL together with the details of installed equipment are presented. The MRL has been designed for a continuous outdoor operation of about two weeks. It is built on a 10.70 m long air suspension Bus Chassis and has four sections : Driver's Cabin, Main Counting Laboratory, Whole Body Monitor and Rear section housing general utilities. The electric power is provided by two diesel generators during field operation and by 230 V AC mains supply at headquarters and wherever possible. The equipment installed in the MRL includes : Alpha, beta and gamma counting systems and low and high volume air samplers for the assessment of radioactive contents in the samples of air, water, soil and vegetation; environment dose rate meters and a variety of survey meters for evaluating any potential increase in radiation levels; personal dosimeters to control external radiation exposure; personal protective equipment for avoiding skin and clothing contamination; a chair type of whole body monitor for the assessment of internal radioactive contamination of the human body, in particular, thyroidal uptake of radioiodine; an automatic weather station for recording continuously the meteorological parameters and a satellite based global positioning system to continuously track and display the geographical location of the MRL. The calibrations of the installed equipment are presently in progress. Preliminary results obtained for the methods needed for rapid detection of gamma emitters in the environment and human body, namely, in situ gamma spectrometry and

  12. Site-Specific Infrared Probes of Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Jianqiang; Pazos, Ileana M.; Zhang, Wenkai; Culik, Robert M.; Gai, Feng

    2015-01-01

    Infrared spectroscopy has played an instrumental role in studying a wide variety of biological questions. However, in many cases it is impossible or difficult to rely on the intrinsic vibrational modes of biological molecules of interest, such as proteins, to reveal structural and/or environmental information in a site-specific manner. To overcome this limitation, many recent efforts have been dedicated to the development and application of various extrinsic vibrational probes that can be incorporated into biological molecules and used to site-specifically interrogate their structural and/or environmental properties. In this Review, we highlight some recent advancements of this rapidly growing research area. PMID:25580624

  13. 76 FR 30154 - Maritime Communications/Land Mobile, LLC, Licensee of Various Authorizations in the Wireless...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-24

    ... Warren C. Havens, Intelligent Transportation & Monitoring Wireless, LLC, AMTS Consortium, LLC, Telesaurus... pass from Donald DePriest and MCT Investors, LP to the shareholders of MariTEL as a group. Mr. DePriest... MCT Investors, LP.'' See MariTEL, Inc. Exhibit to FCC Form 603, Transfer of Control Application, filed...

  14. CTBT on-site inspections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zucca, J. J.

    2014-05-01

    On-site inspection (OSI) is a critical part of the verification regime for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The OSI verification regime provides for international inspectors to make a suite of measurements and observations on site at the location of an event of interest. The other critical component of the verification regime is the International Monitoring System (IMS), which is a globally distributed network of monitoring stations. The IMS along with technical monitoring data from CTBT member countries, as appropriate, will be used to trigger an OSI. After the decision is made to carry out an OSI, it is important for the inspectors to deploy to the field site rapidly to be able to detect short-lived phenomena such as the aftershocks that may be observable after an underground nuclear explosion. The inspectors will be on site from weeks to months and will be working with many tens of tons of equipment. Parts of the OSI regime will be tested in a field exercise in the country of Jordan late in 2014. The build-up of the OSI regime has been proceeding steadily since the CTBT was signed in 1996 and is on track to becoming a deterrent to someone considering conducting a nuclear explosion in violation of the Treaty.

  15. Threshold Assessment: Definition of Acceptable Sites as Part of Site Selection for the Japanese HLW Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKenna, S.A.; Wakasugi, Keiichiro; Webb, E.K.; Makino, Hitoshi; Ishihara, Yoshinao; Ijiri, Yuji; Sawada, Atsushi; Baba, Tomoko; Ishiguro, Katsuhiko; Umeki, Hiroyuki

    2000-01-01

    For the last ten years, the Japanese High-Level Nuclear Waste (HLW) repository program has focused on assessing the feasibility of a basic repository concept, which resulted in the recently published H12 Report. As Japan enters the implementation phase, a new organization must identify, screen and choose potential repository sites. Thus, a rapid mechanism for determining the likelihood of site suitability is critical. The threshold approach, described here, is a simple mechanism for defining the likelihood that a site is suitable given estimates of several critical parameters. We rely on the results of a companion paper, which described a probabilistic performance assessment simulation of the HLW reference case in the H12 report. The most critical two or three input parameters are plotted against each other and treated as spatial variables. Geostatistics is used to interpret the spatial correlation, which in turn is used to simulate multiple realizations of the parameter value maps. By combining an array of realizations, we can look at the probability that a given site, as represented by estimates of this combination of parameters, would be good host for a repository site

  16. Site-specific immunosuppression using a new formulation of topical cyclosporine A with polyethylene glycol-8 glyceryl caprylate/caprate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, H S; Malli, D; Chrzanowski, F A; Puc, M M; Matthews, M S; Hewitt, C W

    1999-05-15

    Dermal application of immunosuppressants can be an effective means of achieving site-specific immunosuppression (SITE) on skin allografts in burn wound management and in the treatment of various immune skin disorders. We have previously reported success with topical cyclosporine A (tCsA) in the treatment of skin allograft rejection in rats. Using a new tCsA formulation with a penetration enhancer (PE), polyethylene glycol-8 (PEG-8) glyceryl caprylate/caprate (Labrasol, Gattefossé, St. Priest, France), in a trinary drug delivery system, we hypothesized that we would induce SITE and significantly delay rejection of dual skin allografts in rats. Dual rat skin allografts from Lewis x Brown-Norway (LBN) donors were grafted to Lewis (Lew) recipients. Experimental animals (EXP, n = 7) received a 10-day course of systemic cyclosporine (sCsA, 8 mg/kg/day) followed by topical application. One of the two allografts on each experimental animal received tCsA/PE application (5 mg/kg/day) until sacrifice (tCsA/PE-treated). The other allograft received vehicle only (vehicle-treated). Allogeneic controls (ALLO-CON, n = 9) received no sCsA or tCsA. First signs of rejection were determined based on the initial observation of erythema, hair loss, flakiness, and/or scabs. The mean time to rejection for ALLO-CON allografts was 6.3 +/- 0.7 days (t test, P = 0.0013); for vehicle-treated allografts, 12.3 +/- 3.8 days (paired t test, P = 0.0146); and for tCsA/PE-treated allografts, 25.6 +/- 5.4 days. The disparity of days to rejection between dual allografts in the ALLO-CON group was 0.0 +/- 0.0 day and that between the tCsA/PE- and vehicle-treated dual allografts was 13.3 +/- 3.9 days (t test, P = 0.0016). A new formulation of tCsA in a trinary drug delivery system is successful at delaying the onset of rejection in dual skin allografts in rats by SITE, and PEG-8 glyceryl caprylate/caprate may represent a potentially effective transdermal penetration enhancer. Copyright 1999 Academic

  17. Female Aspirants to the Roman Catholic Priesthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celmer, Virginia; Winer, Jane L.

    1990-01-01

    Investigated Holland vocational-personality types, job satisfaction, and psychological dysfunction among 85 parish priests, 55 nonparish priests, and 235 women who aspire to, but are barred from, ordination in the Roman Catholic Church. Found women's Holland-type code was most similar to code of clergy member as assigned by Dictionary of Holland…

  18. Final work plan: Expedited Site Characterization of the IES Industries, Inc., Site at Marshalltown, Iowa. Ames Expedited Site Characterization Project, Version 1.0

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-04-04

    The overall goal of the Ames Laboratory Expedited Site Characterization (ESC) project is to evaluate and promote both innovative and state-of-the-practice site characterization and/or monitoring technologies. This will be accomplished by fielding both types of technologies together in the context of an expedited site characterization. The first site will be at a former manufactured gas plant (FMGP) in Marshalltown, Iowa. The project will field three areas of technology: geophysical, analytical, and data fusion. Geophysical technologies are designed to understand the subsurface geology to help predict fate and transport of the target contaminants. Analytical technologies/methods are designed to detect and quantify the target contaminants. Data fusion technology consists of software systems designed to rapidly integrate or fuse all site information into a conceptual site model that then becomes the decision making tool for the site team to plan subsequent sampling activity. Not all of the contaminants present can be located at the action level. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the signature organics associated with the coal tar activities that took place at the site. As a result, PAHs were selected as the target compounds. Screening analytical instruments and nonintrusive geophysical techniques will be fielded to qualitatively map the spatial contaminant distribution. Soil gas surveys, immunoassay testing (IMA), innovative optical techniques, and passive organic sorbent sensors will be deployed along with the geophysical methods. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) instruments and a cone penetrometer system equipped with a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) probe will quantitatively map the action level edges of the PAH plume(s). Samples will be taken both by the cone penetrometer test system (CPT) and the Geoprobe {reg_sign} sampler system.

  19. Rapid Radiochemical Methods for Asphalt Paving Material ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Technical Brief Validated rapid radiochemical methods for alpha and beta emitters in solid matrices that are commonly encountered in urban environments were previously unavailable for public use by responding laboratories. A lack of tested rapid methods would delay the quick determination of contamination levels and the assessment of acceptable site-specific exposure levels. Of special concern are matrices with rough and porous surfaces, which allow the movement of radioactive material deep into the building material making it difficult to detect. This research focuses on methods that address preparation, radiochemical separation, and analysis of asphalt paving materials and asphalt roofing shingles. These matrices, common to outdoor environments, challenge the capability and capacity of very experienced radiochemistry laboratories. Generally, routine sample preparation and dissolution techniques produce liquid samples (representative of the original sample material) that can be processed using available radiochemical methods. The asphalt materials are especially difficult because they do not readily lend themselves to these routine sample preparation and dissolution techniques. The HSRP and ORIA coordinate radiological reference laboratory priorities and activities in conjunction with HSRP’s Partner Process. As part of the collaboration, the HSRP worked with ORIA to publish rapid radioanalytical methods for selected radionuclides in building material matrice

  20. Rapid synthesis of acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscular junctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsay, D A; Drachman, D B; Pestronk, A

    1988-10-11

    The rate of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) degradation in mature, innervated mammalian neuromuscular junctions has recently been shown to be biphasic; up to 20% are rapidly turned over (RTOs; half life less than 1 day) whereas the remainder are lost more slowly ('stable' AChRs; half life 10-12 days). In order to maintain normal junctional receptor density, synthesis and insertion of AChRs should presumably be sufficiently rapid to replace both the RTOs and the stable receptors. We have tested this prediction by blocking pre-existing AChRs in the mouse sternomastoid muscle with alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BuTx), and monitoring the subsequent appearance of 'new' junctional AChRs at intervals of 3 h to 20 days by labeling them with 125I-alpha-BuTx. The results show that new receptors were initially inserted rapidly (16% at 24 h and 28% at 48 h). The rate of increase of 'new' 125I-alpha-BuTx binding sites gradually slowed down during the remainder of the time period studied. Control observations excluded possible artifacts of the experimental procedure including incomplete blockade of AChRs, dissociation of toxin-receptor complexes, or experimentally induced alteration of receptor synthesis. The present demonstration of rapid synthesis and incorporation of AChRs at innervated neuromuscular junctions provides support for the concept of a subpopulation of rapidly turned over AChRs. The RTOs may serve as precursors for the larger population of stable receptors and have an important role in the metabolism of the neuromuscular synapse.

  1. Modeling Site Heterogeneity with Posterior Mean Site Frequency Profiles Accelerates Accurate Phylogenomic Estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Huai-Chun; Minh, Bui Quang; Susko, Edward; Roger, Andrew J

    2018-03-01

    Proteins have distinct structural and functional constraints at different sites that lead to site-specific preferences for particular amino acid residues as the sequences evolve. Heterogeneity in the amino acid substitution process between sites is not modeled by commonly used empirical amino acid exchange matrices. Such model misspecification can lead to artefacts in phylogenetic estimation such as long-branch attraction. Although sophisticated site-heterogeneous mixture models have been developed to address this problem in both Bayesian and maximum likelihood (ML) frameworks, their formidable computational time and memory usage severely limits their use in large phylogenomic analyses. Here we propose a posterior mean site frequency (PMSF) method as a rapid and efficient approximation to full empirical profile mixture models for ML analysis. The PMSF approach assigns a conditional mean amino acid frequency profile to each site calculated based on a mixture model fitted to the data using a preliminary guide tree. These PMSF profiles can then be used for in-depth tree-searching in place of the full mixture model. Compared with widely used empirical mixture models with $k$ classes, our implementation of PMSF in IQ-TREE (http://www.iqtree.org) speeds up the computation by approximately $k$/1.5-fold and requires a small fraction of the RAM. Furthermore, this speedup allows, for the first time, full nonparametric bootstrap analyses to be conducted under complex site-heterogeneous models on large concatenated data matrices. Our simulations and empirical data analyses demonstrate that PMSF can effectively ameliorate long-branch attraction artefacts. In some empirical and simulation settings PMSF provided more accurate estimates of phylogenies than the mixture models from which they derive.

  2. On-site identification of meat species in processed foods by a rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furutani, Shunsuke; Hagihara, Yoshihisa; Nagai, Hidenori

    2017-09-01

    Correct labeling of foods is critical for consumers who wish to avoid a specific meat species for religious or cultural reasons. Therefore, gene-based point-of-care food analysis by real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is expected to contribute to the quality control in the food industry. In this study, we perform rapid identification of meat species by our portable rapid real-time PCR system, following a very simple DNA extraction method. Applying these techniques, we correctly identified beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, horse, and mutton in processed foods in 20min. Our system was sensitive enough to detect the interfusion of about 0.1% chicken egg-derived DNA in a processed food sample. Our rapid real-time PCR system is expected to contribute to the quality control in food industries because it can be applied for the identification of meat species, and future applications can expand its functionality to the detection of genetically modified organisms or mutations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Status report: Fernald site remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Craig, J.R. Jr.; Saric, J.A.; Schneider, T.; Yates, M.K.

    1995-01-01

    The Fernald site is rapidly transitioning from a Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study (RI/FS) site to one where design and construction of the remedies dominates. Fernald is one of the first sites in the Department of Energy (DOE) complex to accomplish this task and real physical progress is being made in moving the five operable units through the CERCLA process. Two of the required Records of Decision (ROD) are in hand and all five operable units will have received their RODs (IROD for OU3) by the end of 1995. Pre-design investigations, design work or construction are now in progress on the operable units. The lessons learned from the work done to date include implementing innovations in the RI and FS process as well as effective use of Removal Actions to begin the actual site remediation. Also, forging close working relationships with the Federal and State Regulators, citizens action groups and the Fernald Citizens Task Force has helped move the program forward. The Fernald successes have been achieved by close coordination and cooperation among all groups working on the projects and by application of innovative technologies within the decision making process

  4. Of Monks and Men: Sacred and Secular Education in the Middle Ages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pollak, Susan

    The medieval school came into existence after the fifth century to satisfy ecclesiastical demands for a minimum amount of literacy and scientific knowledge whereby young priests could learn to carry out priestly functions in the Church. During the course of the Middle Ages, the medieval school gradually changed its structure and function until the…

  5. [The social marketing models and policy advices for HIV rapid testing initiated by non-govermental organization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, H; Cai, L P; Xue, H; Zhao, Y; Wu, D; Zhang, D P; Yin, W Y; Sun, J P

    2016-10-06

    Currently, a growing number of community-based organizations are providing rapid HIV testing service in various forms, some people with specific needs also purchase HIV rapid test papers through online sales channels, those imply that the demand of HIV self-test is in increasing year by year.In this paper, aims to understand the current situation of HIV rapid test led by CBOs and the approach, strategies and results of social marketing by means of expert interviews and site visits. Hope to illustrate the current situation, and make recommendations for future work.

  6. Contaminant migration at two low-level radioactive waste sites in arid western United States - a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilshire, H.G.; Friedman, I.

    1999-01-01

    Contamination of the unsaturated zone and ground water at the Beatty, Nevada and Richland, Washington low-level radioactive waste sites shows that pathways exist for rapid lateral and vertical migration of contaminants through unconsolidated clastic sediments that comprise the 100 m-thick unsaturated zones of those arid disposal sites. Disposal of liquid wastes at the Beatty site until 1975 may have contributed to rapid migration of contaminants, but negligible amounts of liquid wastes reportedly were disposed at the Richland LLRW site and similar problems of contaminant migration exist. Pathways for vertical migration in the unsaturated zone include fractures and, at Richland, clastic dikes; lateral migration pathways likely are facies-controlled. Disturbance of the disposal sites contributed to increased infiltration of the unlined waste trenches after closure; simulations that used Beatty sample data show dramatic increases in recharge with disturbances necessary to develop the site. Because neither and arid climate nor presence of a thick unsaturated zone offer effective barriers to ground-water contamination, reliance on those factors at proposed sites such as Ward Valley, California and elsewhere is unwarranted. (orig.)

  7. On-site and off-site forensic analysis capabilities for proliferation and terrorism prevention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whipple, R.E.; Nunes, P.J.; Reynolds, J.G.; Alcaraz, A.; Hart, B.R.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: We will present current on-site technologies that can be utilized for the screening of explosives, chemical agents, and environmental contaminants. These techniques must have the capability to detect various hazardous materials at very low levels, since they pose a major challenge for first responders. Specifically, the technology must detect concealed explosives or chemical agents on-site rapidly. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is currently developing several different high explosive screening and detection technologies for field use. Two technologies that have demonstrated an ability to screen for explosives at low levels are colorimetric spot tests and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Another technology that has demonstrated usefulness for the on-site analysis of unknowns is portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) sampling. Several examples utilizing these technologies and their usefulness will be presented. In addition to developing on-site screening methods, LLNL is an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) designated laboratory and is certified to accept CW suspect samples. Currently, LLNL is expanding its ISO-17025 certification to include nuclear forensics and explosives. These off-site forensic analysis capabilities and certified procedures will support the needs for homeland security. We will highlight some of the ISO-17025 requirements to accredit procedures, handle samples, and reports. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract W-7405-ENG-48

  8. On-site and off-site forensic analysis capabilities for proliferation and terrorism prevention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, B.R.; Whipple, R.E.; Nunes, P.J.; Reynolds, J.G.; Alcaraz, A.

    2004-01-01

    We present current on-site technologies that can be utilized for the screening of explosives, chemical agents, and environmental contaminants. These techniques must have the capability to detect various hazardous materials at very low levels, since they pose a major challenge for first responders. Specifically, the technology must detect concealed explosives or chemical agents on-site rapidly. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is currently developing several different high explosive screening and detection technologies for field use. Two technologies that have demonstrated an ability to screen for explosives at low levels are colorimetric spot tests and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Another technology that has demonstrated usefulness for the on-site analysis of unknowns is portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) sampling. Several examples utilizing these technologies and their usefulness will be presented. In addition to developing on-site screening methods, LLNL is an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) designated laboratory and is certified to accept CW suspect samples. Currently, LLNL is expanding its ISO-17025 certification to include nuclear forensics and explosives. These off-site forensic analysis capabilities and certified procedures will support the needs for homeland security. We will highlight some of the ISO-17025 requirements to accredit procedures, handle samples, and reports. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract W-7405-ENG-48. (author)

  9. Predicting stem borer density in maize using RapidEye data and generalized linear models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel-Rahman, Elfatih M.; Landmann, Tobias; Kyalo, Richard; Ong'amo, George; Mwalusepo, Sizah; Sulieman, Saad; Ru, Bruno Le

    2017-05-01

    Average maize yield in eastern Africa is 2.03 t ha-1 as compared to global average of 6.06 t ha-1 due to biotic and abiotic constraints. Amongst the biotic production constraints in Africa, stem borers are the most injurious. In eastern Africa, maize yield losses due to stem borers are currently estimated between 12% and 21% of the total production. The objective of the present study was to explore the possibility of RapidEye spectral data to assess stem borer larva densities in maize fields in two study sites in Kenya. RapidEye images were acquired for the Bomet (western Kenya) test site on the 9th of December 2014 and on 27th of January 2015, and for Machakos (eastern Kenya) a RapidEye image was acquired on the 3rd of January 2015. Five RapidEye spectral bands as well as 30 spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) were utilized to predict per field maize stem borer larva densities using generalized linear models (GLMs), assuming Poisson ('Po') and negative binomial ('NB') distributions. Root mean square error (RMSE) and ratio prediction to deviation (RPD) statistics were used to assess the models performance using a leave-one-out cross-validation approach. The Zero-inflated NB ('ZINB') models outperformed the 'NB' models and stem borer larva densities could only be predicted during the mid growing season in December and early January in both study sites, respectively (RMSE = 0.69-1.06 and RPD = 8.25-19.57). Overall, all models performed similar when all the 30 SVIs (non-nested) and only the significant (nested) SVIs were used. The models developed could improve decision making regarding controlling maize stem borers within integrated pest management (IPM) interventions.

  10. A User-centered Model for Web Site Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinzie, Mable B.; Cohn, Wendy F.; Julian, Marti F.; Knaus, William A.

    2002-01-01

    As the Internet continues to grow as a delivery medium for health information, the design of effective Web sites becomes increasingly important. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of one effective model for Web site design, a user-centered process that includes techniques for needs assessment, goal/task analysis, user interface design, and rapid prototyping. They detail how this approach was employed to design a family health history Web site, Health Heritage . This Web site helps patients record and maintain their family health histories in a secure, confidential manner. It also supports primary care physicians through analysis of health histories, identification of potential risks, and provision of health care recommendations. Visual examples of the design process are provided to show how the use of this model resulted in an easy-to-use Web site that is likely to meet user needs. The model is effective across diverse content arenas and is appropriate for applications in varied media. PMID:12087113

  11. Laser ablation ICP-mass spectrometry determination of Th230 in soils at the Gunnison, Colorado UMTRA site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, M.S.; Braymen, S.; McIntosh, R.

    1994-01-01

    This report describes an innovative technology, laser ablation-inductively couple plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), operated in a mobile laboratory, to rapidly detect thorium 230 activity levels in soil samples. This technology was demonstrated on-site during November 1993 at the Gunnison, Colorado, UMTRA project site in support of their remediation effort. The LA-ICP-MS sampling and analysis technique was chosen because of the capability for rapid analysis, approximately three samples per hour, with minimal sample preparation

  12. Rapid surface sampling and archival record system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barren, E.; Penney, C.M.; Sheldon, R.B. [GE Corporate Research and Development Center, Schenectady, NY (United States)] [and others

    1995-10-01

    A number of contamination sites exist in this country where the area and volume of material to be remediated is very large, approaching or exceeding 10{sup 6} m{sup 2} and 10{sup 6} m{sup 3}. Typically, only a small fraction of this material is actually contaminated. In such cases there is a strong economic motivation to test the material with a sufficient density of measurements to identify which portions are uncontaminated, so extensively they be left in place or be disposed of as uncontaminated waste. Unfortunately, since contamination often varies rapidly from position to position, this procedure can involve upwards of one million measurements per site. The situation is complicated further in many cases by the difficulties of sampling porous surfaces, such as concrete. This report describes a method for sampling concretes in which an immediate distinction can be made between contaminated and uncontaminated surfaces. Sample acquisition and analysis will be automated.

  13. SU-F-T-531: Determination of Site-Specific Dynamic-Jaw Versus Static-Jaw RapidArc Delivery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tien, C [Community Hospital, Munster, IN (United States); Brewer, M [Franciscan St Margaret Health, Hammond, IN (United States); Studenski, M [University of Miami, Miami, FL (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Dynamic-jaw tracking maximizes the area blocked by both jaw and MLC in RapidArc. We developed a method to quantify jaw tracking. Methods: An Eclipse Scripting API (ESAPI) was used to export beam parameters for each arc’s control points. The specific beam parameters extracted were: gantry angle, control point number, meterset, x-jaw positions, y-jaw positions, MLC bank-number, MLC leaf-number, and MLC leaf-position. Each arc contained 178 control points with 120 MLC positions. MATLAB routines were written to process these parameters in order to calculate both the beam aperture (unblocked) size for each control point. An average aperture size was weighted by meterset. Jaw factor was defined as the ratio between dynamic-jaw to static-jaw aperture size. Jaw factor was determined for forty retrospectively replanned patients treated with static-jaw delivery sites including lung, brain, prostate, H&N, rectum, and bladder. Results: Most patients had multiple arcs and reduced-field boosts, resulting in 151 fields. Of these, the lowest (0.4722) and highest (0.9622) jaw factor was observed in prostate and rectal cases, respectively. The median jaw factor was 0.7917 meaning there is the potential unincreased blocking by 20%. Clinically, the dynamic-jaw tracking represents an area surrounding the target which would receive MLC-only leakage transmission of 1.68% versus 0.1% with jaws. Jaw-tracking was more pronounced at areas farther from the target. In prostate patients, the rectum and bladder had 5.5% and 6.3% lower mean dose, respectively; the structures closer to the prostate such as the rectum and bladder both had 1.4% lower mean dose. Conclusion: A custom ESAPI script was coupled with a MATLAB routine in order to extract beam parameters from static-jaw plans and their replanned dynamic-jaw deliveries. The effects were quantified using jaw factor which is the ratio between the meterset weighted aperture size for dynamic-jaw fields versus static-jaw fields.

  14. Rapid Response Fault Drilling Past, Present, and Future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Demian M. Saffer

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available New information about large earthquakes can be acquired by drilling into the fault zone quickly following a large seismic event. Specifically, we can learn about the levels of friction and strength of the fault which determine the dynamic rupture, monitor the healing process of the fault, record the stress changes that trigger aftershocks and capture important physical and chemical properties of the fault that control the rupture process. These scientific and associated technical issues were the focus of a three-day workshop on Rapid Response Fault Drilling: Past, Present, and Future, sponsored by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP and the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC. The meeting drewtogether forty-four scientists representing ten countries in Tokyo, Japan during November 2008. The group discussed the scientific problems and how they could be addressed through rapid response drilling. Focused talks presented previous work on drilling after large earthquakes and in fault zones in general, as well as the state of the art of experimental techniques and measurement strategies. Detailed discussion weighed the tradeoffs between rapid drilling andthe ability to satisfy a diverse range of scientific objectives. Plausible drilling sites and scenarios were evaluated. This is a shortened summary of the workshop report that discusses key scientific questions, measurement strategies, and recommendations. This report can provide a starting point for quickly mobilizing a drilling program following future large earthquakes. The full report can be seen at http://www.pmc.ucsc.edu/~rapid/.

  15. Renewable Energy Zones for Balancing Siting Trade-offs in India

    OpenAIRE

    Deshmukh, R; Wu, G; Phadke, A

    2017-01-01

    India’s targets of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, and 40% generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 will require a rapid and dramatic increase in solar and wind capacity deployment and overcoming its associated economic, siting, and power system challenges. The objective of this study was to spatially identify the amount and quality of wind and utility-scale solar resource potential in India, and the possible siting-related constraints and opportunities for develo...

  16. Feedback-regulated poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation by PARP-1 is required for rapid response to DNA damage in living cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortusewicz, Oliver; Amé, Jean-Christophe; Leonhardt, Heinrich

    2007-01-01

    Genome integrity is constantly threatened by DNA lesions arising from numerous exogenous and endogenous sources. Survival depends on immediate recognition of these lesions and rapid recruitment of repair factors. Using laser microirradiation and live cell microscopy we found that the DNA-damage dependent poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) PARP-1 and PARP-2 are recruited to DNA damage sites, however, with different kinetics and roles. With specific PARP inhibitors and mutations, we could show that the initial recruitment of PARP-1 is mediated by the DNA-binding domain. PARP-1 activation and localized poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis then generates binding sites for a second wave of PARP-1 recruitment and for the rapid accumulation of the loading platform XRCC1 at repair sites. Further PARP-1 poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation eventually initiates the release of PARP-1. We conclude that feedback regulated recruitment of PARP-1 and concomitant local poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation at DNA lesions amplifies a signal for rapid recruitment of repair factors enabling efficient restoration of genome integrity. PMID:17982172

  17. A method for site-dependent planning and its application to the preselection of sites for thermal power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friedrich, R.

    1979-01-01

    In the first part of the paper a computer-aided method for dealing with the problems of site-dependent planning is described. By means of the modular program system COPLAN complex conjunction between locally varying data can be performed rapidly and accurately with respect to spatial orientation. The system consists of data input, numerous ways of processing, and graphical representation of the results. The second part shows the application of the system to preselection of sites for thermal power plants. By means of a method analyzing its usefulness, the suitability of each point in (the German Federal State of) Baden-Wuerttemberg as a power plant site is determined. Compared with the currently used methods of preliminary site selection the present method is distinguished by area-covering calculation, the possibility of balancing up advantages and disadvantages, as well as transparency and suitability for being checked up. The paper establishes and considers criteria from the fields of operational economy, safety, ecology, and district planning. The computations are performed for different orders of preference. It is shown that there are regions of sites which are acceptable with respect to a large spectrum of object systems. (orig.) [de

  18. The structure of turbulence in a rapid tidal flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milne, I A; Sharma, R N; Flay, R G J

    2017-08-01

    The structure of turbulence in a rapid tidal flow is characterized through new observations of fundamental statistical properties at a site in the UK which has a simple geometry and sedate surface wave action. The mean flow at the Sound of Islay exceeded 2.5 m s -1 and the turbulent boundary layer occupied the majority of the water column, with an approximately logarithmic mean velocity profile identifiable close to the seabed. The anisotropic ratios, spectral scales and higher-order statistics of the turbulence generally agree well with values reported for two-dimensional open channels in the laboratory and other tidal channels, therefore providing further support for the application of universal models. The results of the study can assist in developing numerical models of turbulence in rapid tidal flows such as those proposed for tidal energy generation.

  19. [Was Claude Bernard an atheist?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donnet, V

    1998-01-01

    During his stay at Villefranche-sur-Saône College, Claude Bernard became acquainted with Ferdinand Donnet, appointed a short while ago, priest of the Parish. This priest became Cardinal and carried out his apostolate at Bordeaux for 47 years. 40 years after their meeting at Villefranche, Cardinal Donnet and Claude Bernard found again each other as "Sénateurs d'Empire" in Paris. In his writings, Claude Bernard never mentioned Religion: he rather gave impression, in many ways, of being anticlerical! Paul Bert and his colleagues looked upon Claude Bernard as a great priest of atheism. Shortly after his death, Cardinal Donnet wrote a letter where he entirely proved that Claude Bernard has been, on the contrary, a fervent catholic.

  20. Non-Thermal Treatment of Hanford Site Low-Level Mixed Waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-09-01

    DOE proposes to transport contact-handled LLMW from the Hanford Site to the Allied Technology Group (ATG) Mixed Waste Facility (MWF) in Richland, Washington, for non-thermal treatment and to return the treated waste to the Hanford Site for eventual land disposal. Over a 3-year period the waste would be staged to the ATG MWF, and treated waste would be returned to the Hanford Site. The ATG MWF would be located on an 18 hectare (ha) (45 acre [at]) ATG Site adjacent to ATG's licensed low-level waste processing facility at 2025 Battelle Boulevard. The ATG MWF is located approximately 0.8 kilometers (km) (0.5 miles [mi]) south of Horn Rapids Road and 1.6 km (1 mi) west of Stevens Drive. The property is located within the Horn Rapids triangle in northern Richland (Figure 2.1). The ATG MWF is to be located on the existing ATG Site, near the DOE Hanford Site, in an industrial area in the City of Richland. The effects of siting, construction, and overall operation of the MWF have been evaluated in a separate State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) EIS (City of Richland 1998). The proposed action includes transporting the LLMW from the Hanford Site to the ATG Facility, non-thermal treatment of the LLMW at the ATG MWF, and transporting the waste from ATG back to the Hanford Site. Impacts fi-om waste treatment operations would be bounded by the ATG SEPA EIS, which included an evaluation of the impacts associated with operating the non-thermal portion of the MWF at maximum design capacity (8,500 metric tons per year) (City of Richland 1998). Up to 50 employees would be required for non-thermal treatment portion of the MWF. This includes 40 employees that would perform waste treatment operations and 10 support staff. Similar numbers were projected for the thermal treatment portion of the MWF (City of Richland 1998).

  1. Mycobacterium fortuitum causing surgical site wound infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaleem, F.; Usman, J.; Omair, M.; Din, R.U.; Hassan, A.

    2010-01-01

    Mycobacterium fortuitum, a rapidly growing mycobacterium, is ubiquitous in nature. The organism was considered to be a harmless saprophyte but now there have been several reports from different parts of the world wherein it has been incriminated in a variety of human infections. We report a culture positive case of surgical site infection caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum, who responded well to the treatment. (author)

  2. Adaptive evolution of transcription factor binding sites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Berg Johannes

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The regulation of a gene depends on the binding of transcription factors to specific sites located in the regulatory region of the gene. The generation of these binding sites and of cooperativity between them are essential building blocks in the evolution of complex regulatory networks. We study a theoretical model for the sequence evolution of binding sites by point mutations. The approach is based on biophysical models for the binding of transcription factors to DNA. Hence we derive empirically grounded fitness landscapes, which enter a population genetics model including mutations, genetic drift, and selection. Results We show that the selection for factor binding generically leads to specific correlations between nucleotide frequencies at different positions of a binding site. We demonstrate the possibility of rapid adaptive evolution generating a new binding site for a given transcription factor by point mutations. The evolutionary time required is estimated in terms of the neutral (background mutation rate, the selection coefficient, and the effective population size. Conclusions The efficiency of binding site formation is seen to depend on two joint conditions: the binding site motif must be short enough and the promoter region must be long enough. These constraints on promoter architecture are indeed seen in eukaryotic systems. Furthermore, we analyse the adaptive evolution of genetic switches and of signal integration through binding cooperativity between different sites. Experimental tests of this picture involving the statistics of polymorphisms and phylogenies of sites are discussed.

  3. Luciferase-Zinc-Finger System for the Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chu; Xu, Qing; Ge, Yue; Jiang, Ling; Huang, He

    2017-08-09

    Rapid and reliable detection of pathogenic bacteria is crucial for food safety control. Here, we present a novel luciferase-zinc finger system for the detection of pathogens that offers rapid and specific profiling. The system, which uses a zinc-finger protein domain to probe zinc finger recognition sites, was designed to bind the amplified conserved regions of 16S rDNA, and the obtained products were detected using a modified luciferase. The luciferase-zinc finger system not only maintained luciferase activity but also allowed the specific detection of different bacterial species, with a sensitivity as low as 10 copies and a linear range from 10 to 10 4 copies per microliter of the specific PCR product. Moreover, the system is robust and rapid, enabling the simultaneous detection of 6 species of bacteria in artificially contaminated samples with excellent accuracy. Thus, we envision that our luciferase-zinc finger system will have far-reaching applications.

  4. Predictive mutagenesis of ligation-independent cloning (LIC) vectors for protein expression and site-specific chemical conjugation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vernet, Erik; Sauer, Jørgen; Andersen, Peter Andreas

    2011-01-01

    Ligation-independent cloning (LIC) allows for cloning of DNA constructs independent of insert restriction sites and ligases. However, any required mutations are typically introduced by additional, time-consuming steps. We present a rapid, inexpensive method for mutagenesis in the 5' LIC site...

  5. Rapid shallow breathing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tachypnea; Breathing - rapid and shallow; Fast shallow breathing; Respiratory rate - rapid and shallow ... Shallow, rapid breathing has many possible medical causes, including: Asthma Blood clot in an artery in the ...

  6. Site-Specific PEGylation of Therapeutic Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan K. Dozier

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The use of proteins as therapeutics has a long history and is becoming ever more common in modern medicine. While the number of protein-based drugs is growing every year, significant problems still remain with their use. Among these problems are rapid degradation and excretion from patients, thus requiring frequent dosing, which in turn increases the chances for an immunological response as well as increasing the cost of therapy. One of the main strategies to alleviate these problems is to link a polyethylene glycol (PEG group to the protein of interest. This process, called PEGylation, has grown dramatically in recent years resulting in several approved drugs. Installing a single PEG chain at a defined site in a protein is challenging. Recently, there is has been considerable research into various methods for the site-specific PEGylation of proteins. This review seeks to summarize that work and provide background and context for how site-specific PEGylation is performed. After introducing the topic of site-specific PEGylation, recent developments using chemical methods are described. That is followed by a more extensive discussion of bioorthogonal reactions and enzymatic labeling.

  7. Rapid improvement teams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alemi, F; Moore, S; Headrick, L; Neuhauser, D; Hekelman, F; Kizys, N

    1998-03-01

    Suggestions, most of which are supported by empirical studies, are provided on how total quality management (TQM) teams can be used to bring about faster organizationwide improvements. Ideas are offered on how to identify the right problem, have rapid meetings, plan rapidly, collect data rapidly, and make rapid whole-system changes. Suggestions for identifying the right problem include (1) postpone benchmarking when problems are obvious, (2) define the problem in terms of customer experience so as not to blame employees nor embed a solution in the problem statement, (3) communicate with the rest of the organization from the start, (4) state the problem from different perspectives, and (5) break large problems into smaller units. Suggestions for having rapid meetings include (1) choose a nonparticipating facilitator to expedite meetings, (2) meet with each team member before the team meeting, (3) postpone evaluation of ideas, and (4) rethink conclusions of a meeting before acting on them. Suggestions for rapid planning include reducing time spent on flowcharting by focusing on the future, not the present. Suggestions for rapid data collection include (1) sample patients for surveys, (2) rely on numerical estimates by process owners, and (3) plan for rapid data collection. Suggestions for rapid organizationwide implementation include (1) change membership on cross-functional teams, (2) get outside perspectives, (3) use unfolding storyboards, and (4) go beyond self-interest to motivate lasting change in the organization. Additional empirical investigations of time saved as a consequence of the strategies provided are needed. If organizations solve their problems rapidly, fewer unresolved problems may remain.

  8. Rapid on-site detection of ephedrine and its analogues used as adulterants in slimming dietary supplements by TLC-SERS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Diya; Cao, Yan; Lou, Ziyang; Li, Shujin; Chen, Xiaofei; Chai, Yifeng; Lu, Feng

    2015-02-01

    Ephedrine and its analogues are in the list of prohibited substance in adulteration to botanical dietary supplements (BDS) for their uncontrollable stimulating side effects. However, they were always adulterated illegally in BDS to promote losing weight. In order to avoid detection, various kinds of ephedrine analogues were added rather than ephedrine itself. This has brought about great difficulties in authentication of BDS. In this study, we put forward for the first time a method which combined thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to directly identify trace adulterant. Ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methylephedrine, and norephedrine were mixed and used in this method to develop an analytical model. As a result, the four analogues were separated efficiently in TLC analysis, and trace-components and low-background SERS detection was realized. The limit of detection (LOD) of the four analogues was 0.01 mg/mL. Eight common Raman peaks (△υ = 620, 1003, 1030, 1159, 1181, 1205, 1454, 1603 cm(-1)) were extracted experimentally and statistically to characterize the common feature of ephedrine analogues. A TLC-SERS method coupled with common-peak model was adopted to examine nine practical samples, two of which were found to be adulterated with ephedrine analogues. Identification results were then confirmed by UPLC-QTOF/MS analysis. The proposed method was simple, rapid, and accurate and can also be employed to trace adulterant identification even when there are no available reference derivatives on-site or unknown types of ephedrine analogues are adulterated.

  9. Cuba: Clearing Perilous Waters?

    Science.gov (United States)

    1996-01-01

    since the eighteenth century, when African slaves openly began to practice them. The three major cults— Santeria , Palo Monte, and the Abakua secret...According to Andres Oppenheimer, this was especially true of the Santeria religion, be- cause, unlike with the Catholic Church, Babalao priests...34 Christianity Today, April 25, 1994, p. 19. 7 "The Santeria priests offered quick relief without moralizing sermons. Unlike those of their

  10. Defense or Diplomacy Geographic Combatant Commands

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    originally ruled by 1 Priest, Dana , The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace with America’s Military...events. US Central Command. Dana Priest describes General Zinni‟s experience as a GCC commander, wherein General Zinni found that in many ways...ignored altogether. Dr. James Forsyth and Lt Col Chance Saltzman make this argument in their Air and Space Power Journal article “Stay Out —Why

  11. Sensory coding of nest-site value in honeybee swarms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seeley, Thomas D; Visscher, P Kirk

    2008-12-01

    This study investigates the first stage of the decision-making process of a honeybee swarm as it chooses a nest site: how a scout bee codes the value of a potential nest site in the waggle dances she produces to represent this site. We presented honeybee swarms with a two-alternative choice between a high-value site and a medium-value site and recorded the behavior of individually identifiable scout bees as they reported on these two alternatives. We found that bees performed equally lengthy inspections at the two sites, but that, on the swarm cluster, they performed more dance circuits per bee for the high-value site. We also found that there was much individual-level noise in the coding of site value, but that there were clear population-level differences in total dance circuits produced for the two sites. The first bee to find a site had a high probability of reporting the site with a waggle dance, regardless of its value. This discoverer-should-dance phenomenon may help ensure that a swarm gives attention to all discovered sites. There was rapid decay in the dance response; the number of dance circuits produced by a bee after visiting a site decreased linearly over sequential visits, and eventually each bee ceased visiting her site. This decay, or ;leakage', in the accumulation of bees at a site improves a swarm's decision-making ability by helping a swarm avoid making fast-decision errors.

  12. Site characterization techniques used in environmental remediation activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kostelnik, K.M.

    2000-01-01

    As a result of decades of nuclear energy research, weapons production, as well as ongoing operations, a significant amount of radioactive contamination has occurred throughout the United States Department of Energy (DOE) complex. DOE facility are in the process of assessing and potentially remediating various sites according to the regulations imposed by a Federal Facility Agreement and Consent order (FFA/CO) between DOE, the state in which the facility is located, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In support of these active site remediation efforts, the DOE has devoted considerable resources towards the development of innovative site characterization techniques that support environmental restoration activities. These resources and efforts have focused on various aspects of this complex problem. Research and technology development conducted at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has resulted in the ability and state-of-the-art equipment required to obtain real-time, densely spaced, in situ characterization data (i.e. detection, speciation, and location) of various radionuclides and contaminants. The Remedial Action Monitoring System (RAMS), developed by the INEEL, consists of enhanced sensor technology, measurement modeling and interpretation techniques, and a suite of deployment platforms which can be interchanged to directly support remedial cleanup and site verification operations. In situ characterization techniques have advanced to the point where they are being actively deployed in support of remedial operations. The INEEL has deployed its system at various DOE and international sites. The deployment of in situ characterization systems during environmental restoration operations has shown that this approach results in several significant benefits versus conventional sampling techniques. A flexible characterization system permits rapid modification to satisfy physical site conditions, available site resources

  13. High-throughput verification of transcriptional starting sites by Deep-RACE

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olivarius, Signe; Plessy, Charles; Carninci, Piero

    2009-01-01

    We present a high-throughput method for investigating the transcriptional starting sites of genes of interest, which we named Deep-RACE (Deep–rapid amplification of cDNA ends). Taking advantage of the latest sequencing technology, it allows the parallel analysis of multiple genes and is free...

  14. On-site screening for maternal syphilis in an antenatal clinic

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abstract Study objective. To determine the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test as performed on site in an antenatal clinic to facilitate immediate diagnosis and treatment of maternal syphilis. Design. Open, descriptive study. Setting. Antenatal ...

  15. On-site screening for maternal syphilis in an antenatal clinic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Study objective. To determine the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test as performed on site in an antenatal clinic to facilitate immediate diagnosis and treatment of maternal syphilis. Design. Open, descriptive study. Setting. Antenatal clinic ...

  16. Pacific Islands Coral Reef Ecosystems Division (CRED) Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) algae species lists (NODC Accession 0010352)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Quadrats were sampled along consecutively placed transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at sites in American Pacific Islands: CRED REA...

  17. Environmental Field Surveys, EMF Rapid Program, Engineering Project No.3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Enertech Consultants

    1996-04-01

    The EMF Research and Public Information Dissemination Program (RAPID) includes several engineering research in the area of exposure assessment and source characterization. RAPID engineering project No. 3: ''Environmental Field Surveys'' was performed to obtain information on the levels and characteristics of different environments, for which only limited data were available, especially in comparison to magnetic field data for the residential environment and for electric utility facilities, such as power lines and substations. This project was also to provide information on the contribution of various field sources in the surveyed environments. Magnetic field surveys were performed at four sites for each of five environments: schools, hospitals, office buildings, machine shops, and grocery stores. Of the twenty sites surveyed, 11 were located in the San Francisco Bay Area and 9 in Massachusetts. The surveys used a protocol based on magnetic field measurements and observation of activity patterns, designed to provide estimates of magnetic field exposure by type of people and by type of sources. The magnetic field surveys conducted by this project produced a large amount of data which will form a part of the EMF measurement database Field and exposure data were obtained separately for ''area exposure'' and ''at exposure points''. An exposure point is a location where persons engage in fixed, site specific activities near a local source that creates a significant increase in the area field. The area field is produced by ''area sources'', whose location and field distribution is in general not related to the location of the people in the area.

  18. Isotopic evidence of a rapid cooling and continuous sedimentation across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary of Wagapadhar and Waior, Kutch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarangi, S.; Sarkar, A.; Bhattacharya, S.K.; Ray, A.K.

    1998-01-01

    High resolution oxygen isotope analysis of samples from two different Eocene Oligocene Boundary (EOB) sections of Wagapadhar and Waior of Kutch area and their correlation with DSDP sites indicate continuity of sedimentation at these sites. A rapid cooling of ∼ 6 degC across the EOB, synchronous with extinction of Eocene larger benthic foraminifera is also observed. (author)

  19. Rapid Detection of Food Allergens by Microfluidics ELISA-Based Optical Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuan Weng

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The risks associated with the presence of hidden allergens in food have increased the need for rapid, sensitive, and reliable methods for tracing food allergens in commodities. Conventional enzyme immunosorbent assay (ELISA has usually been performed in a centralized lab, requiring considerable time and sample/reagent consumption and expensive detection instruments. In this study, a microfluidic ELISA platform combined with a custom-designed optical sensor was developed for the quantitative analysis of the proteins wheat gluten and Ara h 1. The developed microfluidic ELISA biosensor reduced the total assay time from hours (up to 3.5 h to 15–20 min and decreased sample/reagent consumption to 5–10 μL, compared to a few hundred microliters in commercial ELISA kits, with superior sensitivity. The quantitative capability of the presented biosensor is a distinctive advantage over the commercially available rapid methods such as lateral flow devices (LFD and dipstick tests. The developed microfluidic biosensor demonstrates the potential for sensitive and less-expensive on-site determination for rapidly detecting food allergens in a complex sample system.

  20. Application of neural networks to waste site screening

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dabiri, A.E.; Kraft, T.; Hilton, J.M. [Science Applications International Corp., San Diego, CA (United States)

    1993-03-01

    Waste site screening requires knowledge of the actual concentrations of hazardous materials and rates of flow around and below the site with time. The present approach to site screening consists primarily of drilling, boreholes near contaminated site and chemically analyzing the extracted physical samples and processing the data. In addition, hydraulic and geochemical soil properties are obtained so that numerical simulation models can be used to interpret and extrapolate the field data. The objective of this work is to investigate the feasibility of using neural network techniques to reduce the cost of waste site screening. A successful technique may lead to an ability to reduce the number of boreholes and the number of samples analyzed from each borehole to properly screen the waste site. The analytic tool development described here is inexpensive because it makes use of neural network techniques that can interpolate rapidly and which can learn how to analyze data rather than having to be explicitly programmed. In the following sections, data collection and data analyses will be described, followed by a section on different neural network techniques used. The results will be presented and compared with mathematical model. Finally, the last section will summarize the research work performed and make several recommendations for future work.

  1. Event-based soil loss models for construction sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trenouth, William R.; Gharabaghi, Bahram

    2015-05-01

    The elevated rates of soil erosion stemming from land clearing and grading activities during urban development, can result in excessive amounts of eroded sediments entering waterways and causing harm to the biota living therein. However, construction site event-based soil loss simulations - required for reliable design of erosion and sediment controls - are one of the most uncertain types of hydrologic models. This study presents models with improved degree of accuracy to advance the design of erosion and sediment controls for construction sites. The new models are developed using multiple linear regression (MLR) on event-based permutations of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and artificial neural networks (ANN). These models were developed using surface runoff monitoring datasets obtained from three sites - Greensborough, Cookstown, and Alcona - in Ontario and datasets mined from the literature for three additional sites - Treynor, Iowa, Coshocton, Ohio and Cordoba, Spain. The predictive MLR and ANN models can serve as both diagnostic and design tools for the effective sizing of erosion and sediment controls on active construction sites, and can be used for dynamic scenario forecasting when considering rapidly changing land use conditions during various phases of construction.

  2. Competence of Litter Ants for Rapid Biodiversity Assessments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. H. Saumya E. Silva

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Rapid Biodiversity Assessment approaches associated with focusing taxa have overcome many of the problems related to large scale surveys. This study examined the suitability of litter ants as a focusing taxon by checking whether diversity and species assemblages of litter ants reflect the overall picture of arthropod diversity and assemblages in leaf litter in two vegetation types: secondary forest and pine plantation in Upper Hanthana forest reserve, Sri Lanka. In each vegetation type, arthropods were sampled using three sampling methods (Winkler extraction, hand collection, and pitfall traps along three 100 m line transects. From the two sites, 1887 litter ants (34 species and 3488 litter arthropods (52 species were collected. Species assemblages composition of both ants and other arthropods differed significantly between the two sites (ANOSIM, p=0.001 with both groups generating distinct clusters for the two sites (SIMPROF, p=0.001. But there was no significant correlation (p>0.05 between abundance and richness of litter ants and those of other arthropods in both vegetation types. The overall finding suggests that the litter ants do not reflect the holistic picture of arthropod diversity and assemblages in leaf litter, but the quality of the habitat for the survival of all litter arthropods.

  3. La cinéphilie chrétienne : Amédée Ayfre (1922-1964, sulpicien et critique de cinéma The Christian cinema enthusiasm: Amédée Ayfre (1922-1964, priest of the Society of saint Sulpice and film critic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philippe Rocher

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Prêtre français de saint Sulpice et chrétien cinéphile, Amédée Ayfre a défendu l’esthétique et le réalisme cinématographiques contre le cinéma religieux du « Cinéma catholique ». Le « réalisme cinématographique » est un instrument de révélation chrétienne du Prochain. Brusquement décédé, Amédée Ayfre n’a pas eu la possibilité de dépasser ses premiers « Jalons pour une théologie de l’image ».In the middle Twentieth century, Amédée Ayfre, French priest of the Society of saint Sulpice and Christian cinema enthusiast, defended esthetic and realism cinema against the religious cinema of « Catholic cinema ». For him, realist Cinema is the Christian revelation instrument of fellow man. Brusquely to die, he can’t proposed any more his first “Jalons pour une théologie de l’image”.

  4. On-site screening for syphilis at an antenatal clinic | Delport | South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective. To determine the validity, predictive value and accuracy of the rapid plasma reagin card test performed on site to diagnose active syphilis in pregnant women so that immediate treatment can be offered to prevent congenital syphilis. Design. Open, descriptive study. Setting. Antenatal clinic, Mamelodi Hospital, ...

  5. In-situ and on-site technologies; An overview

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freestone, F J [Technical Support Branch, ORD, RREL, U.S. EPA, Edison, New Jersey (US)

    1990-01-01

    A broad analysis of and perspective on the characteristics and measured performance of in-situ and on-site treatment technologies available for remediation of contaminated soils, groundwater and associated debris at hazardous waste sites. Included in the analysis is information from U.S. and European sources. Available data are appended from nine recently completed field demonstrations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program. The most frequently applied technology areas appear to be on-site thermal treatment for organics, on-site and in-situ solidification/stabilization technologies for most inorganics and metals, traditional on-site water treatment techniques, and soil vapor extraction for volatile organic compounds. Rapidly developing areas include bioremediation technologies, and concentration technologies. Two of the weakest areas include materials handling for such situations as excavating buried drums and soils with volatiles safely, and performing physical and chemical site characterization using technology-sensitive parameters. An area worthy of international cooperatin is that of performing benchscale screening and treatability studies, including the specification of key parameters needing measurement, techniques for such measurement and for interpretation, storage and retrieval of resulting data. We are in the process of evaluating existing treatability study data on soils and debris, and will be installing that data onto an on-line information system available to the public world-wide. (AB) 10 refs.

  6. Implementing solutions to barriers to on-site HIV testing in substance abuse treatment: a tale of three facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hood, Kristina B; Robertson, Angela A; Baird-Thomas, Connie

    2015-04-01

    Due to the scarcity of resources for implementing rapid on-site HIV testing, many substance abuse treatment programs do not offer these services. This study sought to determine whether addressing previously identified implementation barriers to integrating on-site rapid HIV testing into the treatment admissions process would increase offer and acceptance rates. Results indicate that it is feasible to integrate rapid HIV testing into existing treatment programs for substance abusers when resources are provided. Addressing barriers such as providing start-up costs for HIV testing, staff training, addressing staffing needs to reduce competing job responsibilities, and helping treatment staff members overcome their concerns about clients' reactions to positive test results is paramount for the integration and maintenance of such programs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Marine Search, Rescue and Emergency Preparedness Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1975-09-01

    most points made by these men is that from the Manager of J. Percy Priest Reservoir, William Redmon, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of...Alamo Lake: COE - Lowell C. Flannery Curacanti: National Park Svc. - J. C. Riggs, Chief Park RangerI Jackson : Mancos Water Conservance District...Safety ! J. Percy Priest Reservoir: COE - William G. Redmon, Reservoir Mgr. John Sevier Steam Plant: TA - Walter C. Vance, Lt. Public Safety Kentucky Lake

  8. Glyphosate resistance in Ambrosia trifida: Part 1. Novel rapid cell death response to glyphosate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Horn, Christopher R; Moretti, Marcelo L; Robertson, Renae R; Segobye, Kabelo; Weller, Stephen C; Young, Bryan G; Johnson, William G; Schulz, Burkhard; Green, Amanda C; Jeffery, Taylor; Lespérance, Mackenzie A; Tardif, François J; Sikkema, Peter H; Hall, J Christopher; McLean, Michael D; Lawton, Mark B; Sammons, R Douglas; Wang, Dafu; Westra, Philip; Gaines, Todd A

    2018-05-01

    Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Ambrosia trifida is now present in the midwestern United States and in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Two distinct GR phenotypes are known, including a rapid response (GR RR) phenotype, which exhibits cell death within hours after treatment, and a non-rapid response (GR NRR) phenotype. The mechanisms of resistance in both GR RR and GR NRR remain unknown. Here, we present a description of the RR phenotype and an investigation of target-site mechanisms on multiple A. trifida accessions. Glyphosate resistance was confirmed in several accessions, and whole-plant levels of resistance ranged from 2.3- to 7.5-fold compared with glyphosate-susceptible (GS) accessions. The two GR phenotypes displayed similar levels of resistance, despite having dramatically different phenotypic responses to glyphosate. Glyphosate resistance was not associated with mutations in EPSPS sequence, increased EPSPS copy number, EPSPS quantity, or EPSPS activity. These encompassing results suggest that resistance to glyphosate in these GR RR A. trifida accessions is not conferred by a target-site resistance mechanism. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. URBAN RAIN GAUGE SITING SELECTION BASED ON GIS-MULTICRITERIA ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Fu

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available With the increasingly rapid growth of urbanization and climate change, urban rainfall monitoring as well as urban waterlogging has widely been paid attention. In the light of conventional siting selection methods do not take into consideration of geographic surroundings and spatial-temporal scale for the urban rain gauge site selection, this paper primarily aims at finding the appropriate siting selection rules and methods for rain gauge in urban area. Additionally, for optimization gauge location, a spatial decision support system (DSS aided by geographical information system (GIS has been developed. In terms of a series of criteria, the rain gauge optimal site-search problem can be addressed by a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA. A series of spatial analytical techniques are required for MCDA to identify the prospective sites. With the platform of GIS, using spatial kernel density analysis can reflect the population density; GIS buffer analysis is used to optimize the location with the rain gauge signal transmission character. Experiment results show that the rules and the proposed method are proper for the rain gauge site selection in urban areas, which is significant for the siting selection of urban hydrological facilities and infrastructure, such as water gauge.

  10. Improved measurement of aluminum in irradiated fuel reprocessed at the Savannah River Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maxwell, S.L. III.

    1991-01-01

    At the Savannah River Site (SRS), irradiated fuel from research reactor operators or their contract fuel service companies is reprocessed in the H-Canyon Separations Facility. Final processing costs are based on analytical measurements of the amount of total metal dissolved. Shipper estimates for uranium and uranium-235 and measured values at SRS have historically agreed very well. There have occasionally been significant differences between shipper estimates for aluminum and the aluminum content determined at SRS. To minimize analytical error that might contribute to poor shipper-receiver agreement for the reprocessing of off-site fuel, a new analytical method to measure aluminum was developed by SRS Analytical Laboratories at the Central Laboratory Facilities. An EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) titration method, subject to dissolver matrix interferences, was previously used at SRS to measure aluminum in H-Canyon dissolver during the reprocessing of offsite fuel. The new method combines rapid ion exchange technology with direct current argon plasma spectrometry to enhance the reliability of aluminum measurements for off-site fuel. The technique rapidly removes spectral interferences such as uranium and significantly lowers gamma levels due to fission products. Aluminium is separated quantitatively by using an anion exchange technique that employs oxalate complexing, small particle size resin and rapid flow rates. The new method, which has eliminated matrix interference problems with these analyses and improved the quality of aluminum measurements, has improved the overall agreement between shipper-receiver values for offsite fuel processed SRS

  11. The Evolution of E-Recruiting: A Content Analysis of Fortune 100 Career Web Sites

    OpenAIRE

    In Lee

    2005-01-01

    Given hyper-competition and rapid environmental changes, one of the most critical sources of competitive advantage is attracting and retaining talented workers. E-recruiting is one of the most rapidly growing areas of e-business. To promote an understanding of the use of e-recruiting technologies and management practices utilized by leading business organizations, this study investigates the evolution of e-recruiting systems and analyzes the corporate career Web sites of Fortune 100 companies...

  12. Renewable energy potential on brownfield sites: A case study of Michigan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adelaja, Soji; Shaw, Judy; Beyea, Wayne; Charles McKeown, J.D.

    2010-01-01

    Federal priorities are increasingly favoring the replacement of conventional sources of energy with renewable energy. With the potential for a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) legislation, many states are seeking to intensify their renewable energy generation. The demand for wind, solar, geothermal and bio-fuels-based energy is likely to be rapidly expressed on the landscape. However, local zoning and NIMBYism constraints slow down the placement of renewable energy projects. One area where land constraints may be lower is brownfields; whose development is currently constrained by diminished housing, commercial, and industrial property demand. Brownfield sites have the potential for rapid renewable energy deployment if state and national interests in this area materialize. This study investigates the application of renewable energy production on brownfield sites using Michigan as a case study. Wind and solar resource maps of Michigan were overlaid with the brownfield locations based on estimates of brownfield land capacity. The total estimated energy potential available on Michigan's brownfield sites is 4320 megawatts (MW) of plate capacity for wind and 1535for solar, equating to 43% of Michigan's residential electricity consumption (using 30% capacity factor). Estimated economic impacts include over $15 billion in investments and 17,500 in construction and long-term jobs.

  13. Rapid response systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, Patrick G; Edelson, Dana P; Churpek, Matthew M

    2018-07-01

    Rapid response systems are commonly employed by hospitals to identify and respond to deteriorating patients outside of the intensive care unit. Controversy exists about the benefits of rapid response systems. We aimed to review the current state of the rapid response literature, including evolving aspects of afferent (risk detection) and efferent (intervention) arms, outcome measurement, process improvement, and implementation. Articles written in English and published in PubMed. Rapid response systems are heterogeneous, with important differences among afferent and efferent arms. Clinically meaningful outcomes may include unexpected mortality, in-hospital cardiac arrest, length of stay, cost, and processes of care at end of life. Both positive and negative interventional studies have been published, although the two largest randomized trials involving rapid response systems - the Medical Early Response and Intervention Trial (MERIT) and the Effect of a Pediatric Early Warning System on All-Cause Mortality in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients (EPOCH) trial - did not find a mortality benefit with these systems, albeit with important limitations. Advances in monitoring technologies, risk assessment strategies, and behavioral ergonomics may offer opportunities for improvement. Rapid responses may improve some meaningful outcomes, although these findings remain controversial. These systems may also improve care for patients at the end of life. Rapid response systems are expected to continue evolving with novel developments in monitoring technologies, risk prediction informatics, and work in human factors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. The rapid-onset dystonia parkinsonism mutation D923N of the Na+, K+-ATPase alpha3 isoform disrupts Na+ interaction at the third Na+ site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einholm, Anja Pernille; Toustrup-Jensen, Mads S; Holm, Rikke; Andersen, Jens Peter; Vilsen, Bente

    2010-08-20

    Rapid-onset dystonia parkinsonism (RDP), a rare neurological disorder, is caused by mutation of the neuron-specific alpha3-isoform of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase. Here, we present the functional consequences of RDP mutation D923N. Relative to the wild type, the mutant exhibits a remarkable approximately 200-fold reduction of Na(+) affinity for activation of phosphorylation from ATP, reflecting a defective interaction of the E(1) form with intracellular Na(+). This is the largest effect on Na(+) affinity reported so far for any Na(+), K(+)-ATPase mutant. D923N also affects the interaction with extracellular Na(+) normally driving the E(1)P to E(2)P conformational transition backward. However, no impairment of K(+) binding was observed for D923N, leading to the conclusion that Asp(923) is specifically associated with the third Na(+) site that is selective toward Na(+). The crystal structure of the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase in E(2) form shows that Asp(923) is located in the cytoplasmic half of transmembrane helix M8 inside a putative transport channel, which is lined by residues from the transmembrane helices M5, M7, M8, and M10 and capped by the C terminus, recently found involved in recognition of the third Na(+) ion. Structural modeling of the E(1) form of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase based on the Ca(2+)-ATPase crystal structure is consistent with the hypothesis that Asp(923) contributes to a site binding the third Na(+) ion. These results in conjunction with our previous findings with other RDP mutants suggest that a selective defect in the handling of Na(+) may be a general feature of the RDP disorder.

  15. Degeneration of rapid eye movement sleep circuitry underlies rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Dillon; Peever, John

    2017-05-01

    During healthy rapid eye movement sleep, skeletal muscles are actively forced into a state of motor paralysis. However, in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder-a relatively common neurological disorder-this natural process is lost. A lack of motor paralysis (atonia) in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder allows individuals to actively move, which at times can be excessive and violent. At first glance this may sound harmless, but it is not because rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder patients frequently injure themselves or the person they sleep with. It is hypothesized that the degeneration or dysfunction of the brain stem circuits that control rapid eye movement sleep paralysis is an underlying cause of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. The link between brain stem degeneration and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder stems from the fact that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder precedes, in the majority (∼80%) of cases, the development of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, which are known to initially cause degeneration in the caudal brain stem structures where rapid eye movement sleep circuits are located. Furthermore, basic science and clinical evidence demonstrate that lesions within the rapid eye movement sleep circuits can induce rapid eye movement sleep-specific motor deficits that are virtually identical to those observed in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. This review examines the evidence that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is caused by synucleinopathic neurodegeneration of the core brain stem circuits that control healthy rapid eye movement sleep and concludes that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is not a separate clinical entity from synucleinopathies but, rather, it is the earliest symptom of these disorders. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and

  16. Characteristics of products generated by selective sintering and stereolithography rapid prototyping processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cariapa, Vikram

    1993-01-01

    The trend in the modern global economy towards free market policies has motivated companies to use rapid prototyping technologies to not only reduce product development cycle time but also to maintain their competitive edge. A rapid prototyping technology is one which combines computer aided design with computer controlled tracking of focussed high energy source (eg. lasers, heat) on modern ceramic powders, metallic powders, plastics or photosensitive liquid resins in order to produce prototypes or models. At present, except for the process of shape melting, most rapid prototyping processes generate products that are only dimensionally similar to those of the desired end product. There is an urgent need, therefore, to enhance the understanding of the characteristics of these processes in order to realize their potential for production. Currently, the commercial market is dominated by four rapid prototyping processes, namely selective laser sintering, stereolithography, fused deposition modelling and laminated object manufacturing. This phase of the research has focussed on the selective laser sintering and stereolithography rapid prototyping processes. A theoretical model for these processes is under development. Different rapid prototyping sites supplied test specimens (based on ASTM 638-84, Type I) that have been measured and tested to provide a data base on surface finish, dimensional variation and ultimate tensile strength. Further plans call for developing and verifying the theoretical models by carefully designed experiments. This will be a joint effort between NASA and other prototyping centers to generate a larger database, thus encouraging more widespread usage by product designers.

  17. Study on the operational guides of the off-site emergency management center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Won Jong; Han, S. J.; Oh, K. H.

    2005-01-01

    The emergency response organizational groups and roles of Off-site Emergency Management Center was proposed to respond in case of radiological emergency. Development of implementing procedures of Off-site Emergency Management Center in case of radiological emergency to improve effective co-operation and rapid response in radiological emergency. Establishment of 'The Ordinance of Operation of residence radiological emergency office of the Minister of Science and Technology' and announced by the Minister of Science and Technology. The Implementing procedures of Off-site Emergency Management Center and 'The Ordinance of Operation of residence radiological emergency office of the Minister of Science and Technology' can be provide guidelines in case of emergency

  18. Pratiques sacrificielles et funéraires au site Moche de la Huaca de La Luna, côte nord du Pérou

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    1998-01-01

    of individuals were sacrificed during spells of torrential rains (phenomenon of El Niño in a plaza dedicated to these practices. In an associated structure, a series of four high status burials was found. Some of the data suggests that two of these tombs were the resting places of two sacrificial priests. This exceptional site provides new insights into the nature of the ideology and religious system of the Moche.

  19. From rapid place learning to behavioral performance: a key role for the intermediate hippocampus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tobias Bast

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Rapid place encoding by hippocampal neurons, as reflected by place-related firing, has been intensely studied, whereas the substrates that translate hippocampal place codes into behavior have received little attention. A key point relevant to this translation is that hippocampal organization is characterized by functional-anatomical gradients along the septotemporal axis: Whereas the ability of hippocampal neurons to encode accurate place information declines from the septal to temporal end, hippocampal connectivity to prefrontal and subcortical sites that might relate such place information to behavioral-control processes shows an opposite gradient. We examined in rats the impact of selective lesions to relevant parts of the hippocampus on behavioral tests requiring place learning (watermaze procedures and on in vivo electrophysiological models of hippocampal encoding (long-term potentiation [LTP], place cells. We found that the intermediate hippocampus is necessary and largely sufficient for behavioral performance based on rapid place learning. In contrast, a residual septal pole of the hippocampus, although displaying intact electrophysiological indices of rapid information encoding (LTP, precise place-related firing, and rapid remapping, failed to sustain watermaze performance based on rapid place learning. These data highlight the important distinction between hippocampal encoding and the behavioral performance based on such encoding, and suggest that the intermediate hippocampus, where substrates of rapid accurate place encoding converge with links to behavioral control, is critical to translate rapid (one-trial place learning into navigational performance.

  20. Geology of the Saddle Mountains between Sentinel Gap and 119030' longitude

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reidel, S.P.

    1978-09-01

    Members and flows of the Grande Ronde, Wanapum, and Saddle Mountains basalts of the Columbia River Basalt Group were mapped in the Saddle Mountains between Sentinel Gap and the eastern edge of Smyrna Bench. The Grande Ronde Basalt consists of the Schwana (low-MgO) and Sentinel Bluffs (high-MgO) members (informal names). The Wanapum Basalt consists of the aphyric and phyric units of the Frenchman Springs Member, the Roza-Like Member, and the Priest Rapids Member. The Saddle Mountains Basalt consists of the Wahluke, Huntzinger, Pomona, Mattawa, and Elephant Mountain basalts. The Wanapum and Saddle Mountains basalts are unevenly distributed across the Saddle Mountains. The Wanapum Basalt thins from south to north and across a northwest-southeast-trending axis at the west end of Smyrna Bench. The Priest Rapids, Roza-Like, and aphyric Frenchman Springs units are locally missing across this zone. The Saddle Mountains basalt has a more irregular distribution and, within an area between Sentinel Gap and Smyrna Bench, is devoid of the basalt. The Wahluke, Huntzinger, and Mattawa flows are locally present, but the Pomona is restricted to the southern flank west of Smyrna Bench, and the Elephant Mountain Basalt only occurs on the flanks and in three structurally controlled basins on the northwest side. The structure of the Saddle Mountains is dominated by an east-west trend and, to a lesser degree, controlled by a northwest-southeast and northeast-southwest trend. The geomorphological expression of the Saddle Mountains results from the east-west fold set and the Saddle Mountains fault along the north side. The oldest structures follow the northwest-southeast trend. The distribution of the flows, combined with the structural features, indicates a complex geologic history for the Saddel Mountains

  1. Astrophysical site(s of r-process elements in galactic chemodynamical evolution model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hirai Yutaka

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Astrophysical site(s of rapid neutron-capture process (r-process is (are not identified yet. Although core-collapse supernovae have been regarded as one of the possible candidates of the astrophysical site of r-process, nucleosynthesis studies suggest that serious difficulties in core-collapse supernovae to produce heavy elements with mass number of ≳110. Recent studies show that neutron star mergers (NSMs can synthesize these elements due to their neutron rich environment. Some chemical evolution studies of the Milky Way halo, however, hardly reproduce the observed star-to-star scatters of the abundance ratios of r-process elements (e.g., Eu in extremely metal-poor stars. This is because of their low rate (∼ 10−4 yr−1 for a Milky Way size galaxy and long merger time (≳ 100 Myr. This problem might be solved if the stars in the Galactic halo are consisted of the stars formed in dwarf galaxies where the star formation efficiencies were very low. In this study, we carry out numerical simulations of galactic chemo-dynamical evolution using an N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics code. We construct detailed chemo-dynamical evolution model for the Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs assuming that the NSMs are the major source of r-process elements. Our models successfully reproduce the observed dispersion in [Eu/Fe] as a function of [Fe/H] if we set merger time of NSMs, ≲ 300 Myr with the Galactic NSM rate of ∼ 10−4 yr−1. In addition, our results are consistent with the observed metallicity distribution of dSphs. In the early phase (≲1 Gyr of galaxy evolution is constant due to low star formation efficiency of dSphs. This study supports the idea that NSMs are the major site of r-process nucleosynthesis.

  2. 75 FR 9573 - Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc: Bemidji-Grand Rapids 230kV Transmission Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-03

    ... Rapids 230kV Transmission Project AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of Availability... copy of the Draft EIS may be viewed online at the following Web sites: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water..., Longville, MN 56655; Walker Public Library, 207 4th St., Walker, MN 56484; Bovey Public Library--Village...

  3. OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT OF P-CARES: PROBABILISTIC COMPUTER ANALYSIS FOR RAPID EVALUATION OF STRUCTURES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    NIE, J.; XU, J.; COSTANTINO, C.; THOMAS, V.

    2007-01-01

    Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) undertook an effort to revise the CARES (Computer Analysis for Rapid Evaluation of Structures) program under the auspices of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The CARES program provided the NRC staff a capability to quickly check the validity and/or accuracy of the soil-structure interaction (SSI) models and associated data received from various applicants. The aim of the current revision was to implement various probabilistic simulation algorithms in CARES (referred hereinafter as P-CARES [1]) for performing the probabilistic site response and soil-structure interaction (SSI) analyses. This paper provides an overview of the development process of P-CARES, including the various probabilistic simulation techniques used to incorporate the effect of site soil uncertainties into the seismic site response and SSI analyses and an improved graphical user interface (GUI)

  4. Search for rapid variability of 53 Cam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zverko, J.

    1982-01-01

    Photoelectric observations of magnetic Ap star 53 Cam made at the Skalnate Pleso Observatory in 1978 and 1979 are analyzed from the point of view of rapid variability. The observations were made with an intermediate passband filter, effective wavelength 526 nm. Besides the differences msub(53Cam)-msub(Comp), the behaviour was also investigated of the deflections for the comparison star during the observation runs. A strong correlation between the behaviour of the comparison and variable star light curve was found and the appearance differs from night to night depending on atmospheric conditions. Each observation run is analyzed in detail and it was concluded that all observed variations are only apparent and due to the variability of atmospheric extinction above the observation site. (author)

  5. Plasmodium sporozoites trickle out of the injection site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamauchi, Lucy Megumi; Coppi, Alida; Snounou, Georges; Sinnis, Photini

    2007-05-01

    Plasmodium sporozoites make a remarkable journey from the skin, where they are deposited by an infected Anopheline mosquito, to the liver, where they invade hepatocytes and develop into exoerythrocytic stages. Although much work has been done to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which sporozoites invade hepatocytes, little is known about the interactions between host and parasite before the sporozoite enters the blood circulation. It has always been assumed that sporozoites rapidly exit the injection site, making their interactions with the host at this site, brief and difficult to study. Using quantitative PCR, we determined the kinetics with which sporozoites leave the injection site and arrive in the liver and found that the majority of infective sporozoites remain in the skin for hours. We then performed sub-inoculation experiments which confirmed these findings and showed that the pattern of sporozoite exit from the injection site resembles a slow trickle. Last, we found that drainage of approximately 20% of the sporozoite inoculum to the lymphatics is associated with a significant enlargement of the draining lymph node, a response not observed after intravenous inoculation. These findings indicate that there is ample time for host and parasite to interact at the inoculation site and are of relevance to the pre-erythrocytic stage malaria vaccine effort.

  6. Integrative systems and synthetic biology of cell-matrix adhesion sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamir, Eli

    2016-09-02

    The complexity of cell-matrix adhesion convolves its roles in the development and functioning of multicellular organisms and their evolutionary tinkering. Cell-matrix adhesion is mediated by sites along the plasma membrane that anchor the actin cytoskeleton to the matrix via a large number of proteins, collectively called the integrin adhesome. Fundamental challenges for understanding how cell-matrix adhesion sites assemble and function arise from their multi-functionality, rapid dynamics, large number of components and molecular diversity. Systems biology faces these challenges in its strive to understand how the integrin adhesome gives rise to functional adhesion sites. Synthetic biology enables engineering intracellular modules and circuits with properties of interest. In this review I discuss some of the fundamental questions in systems biology of cell-matrix adhesion and how synthetic biology can help addressing them.

  7. Adding Impacts and Mitigation Measures to OpenEI's RAPID Toolkit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vogel, Erin

    2017-05-01

    The Open Energy Information platform hosts the Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit to provide renewable energy permitting information on federal and state regulatory processes. One of the RAPID Toolkit's functions is to help streamline the geothermal permitting processes outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This is particularly important in the geothermal energy sector since each development phase requires separate land analysis to acquire exploration, well field drilling, and power plant construction permits. Using the Environmental Assessment documents included in RAPID's NEPA Database, the RAPID team identified 37 resource categories that a geothermal project may impact. Examples include impacts to geology and minerals, nearby endangered species, or water quality standards. To provide federal regulators, project developers, consultants, and the public with typical impacts and mitigation measures for geothermal projects, the RAPID team has provided overview webpages of each of these 37 resource categories with a sidebar query to reference related NEPA documents in the NEPA Database. This project is an expansion of a previous project that analyzed the time to complete NEPA environmental review for various geothermal activities. The NEPA review not only focused on geothermal projects within the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service managed lands, but also projects funded by the Department of Energy. Timeline barriers found were: extensive public comments and involvement; content overlap in NEPA documents, and discovery of impacted resources such as endangered species or cultural sites.

  8. The Restoration Rapid Assessment Tool: An Access/Visual Basic application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiebert, Ron; Larson, D.L.; Thomas, K.; Tancreto, N.; Haines, D.; Richey, A.; Dow, T.; Drees, L.

    2009-01-01

    Managers of parks and natural areas are increasingly faced with difficult decisions concerning restoration of disturbed lands. Financial and workforce resources often limit these restoration efforts, and rarely can a manager afford to address all concerns within the region of interest. With limited resources, managers and scientists have to decide which areas will be targeted for restoration and the restoration treatments to use in these areas. A broad range of approaches are used to make such decisions, from well-researched expert opinions (Cipollini et al. 2005) to gut feeling, with variable degrees of input from site visits, data collection, and data analysis used to support the decision. A standardized approach including an analytical assessment of site characteristics based on the best information available, with a written or electronic record of all the steps taken along the way, would make comparisons among a group of sites easier and lend credibility through use of common, documented criteria at all sites. In response to these concerns, we have developed the Restoration Rapid Assessment Tool (RRAT). RRAT is based on field observations of key indicators of site degradation, stressors influencing the site, value of the site with respect to larger management objectives, likelihood of achieving the management goals, and logistical constraints to restoration. The purpose of RRAT is not to make restoration decisions or prescribe methods, but rather to ensure that a basic set of pertinent issues are considered for each site and to facilitate comparisons among sites. Several concepts have been central to the development of RRAT. First, the management goal (also known as desired future condition) of any site under evaluation should be defined before the field evaluation begins. Second, the evaluation should be based upon readily observable indicators so as to avoid cumbersome field methods. Third, the ease with which site stressors can be ameliorated must be

  9. Siting considerations for radioactivity in reactor effluents during normal operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graf, J.M.; Strom, P.O.

    1975-01-01

    In selecting a proper site for a nuclear power station, the consideration of radioactivity released in effluents can be handled in a straightforward manner using the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission's proposed Appendix I to 10 CFR 50, which gives numerical guidelines for design objectives for meeting the criterion ''as low as practicable'' for radioactive material in light-water-cooled nuclear power reactor effluents. By relating the release of radioactive material, the site meteorological conditions, and site boundary distance through appropriate dose models, the suitability of a given site can be determined. ''Rules of thumb'' for comparing anticipated releases to design objectives can be constructed for rapid assessment using the maximum permissible concentration values of 10 CFR 20 as dose factors. These rules of thumb tend to underpredict the allowed releases except in the case of radiocesium in liquids. For gaseous releases, these rules of thumb can be made up in convenient nomogram form for a quick assessment of allowed releases based on local site meteorological conditions. (U.S.)

  10. Visualization of specific binding sites of benzodiazepine in human brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinotoh, H.; Yamasaki, T.; Inoue, O.; Itoh, T.; Suzuki, K.; Hashimoto, K.; Tateno, Y.; Ikehira, H.

    1986-01-01

    Using 11C-labeled Ro15-1788 and positron emission tomography, studies of benzodiazepine binding sites in the human brain were performed on four normal volunteers. Rapid and high accumulation of 11C activity was observed in the brain after i.v. injection of [11C]Ro15-1788, the maximum of which was within 12 min. Initial distribution of 11C activity in the brain was similar to the distribution of the normal cerebral blood flow. Ten minutes after injection, however, a high uptake of 11C activity was observed in the cerebral cortex and moderate uptake was seen in the cerebellar cortex, the basal ganglia, and the thalamus. The accumulation of 11C activity was low in the brain stem. This distribution of 11C activity was approximately parallel to the known distribution of benzodiazepine receptors. Saturation experiments were performed on four volunteers with oral administration of 0.3-1.8 mg/kg of cold Ro15-1788 prior to injection. Initial distribution of 11C activity following injection peaked within 2 min and then the accumulation of 11C activity decreased rapidly and remarkably throughout the brain. The results indicated that [11C] Ro15-1788 associates and dissociates to specific and nonspecific binding sites rapidly and has a high ratio of specific receptor binding to nonspecific binding in vivo. Carbon-11 Ro15-1788 is a suitable radioligand for the study of benzodiazepine receptors in vivo in humans

  11. Proposal of a simple screening method for a rapid preliminary evaluation of ''heavy metals'' mobility in soils of contaminated sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pinto, Valentina; Chiusolo, Francesca; Cremisini, Carlo [ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment, Rome (Italy). Section PROTCHIM

    2010-09-15

    Risks associated to ''heavy metals'' (HM) soil contamination depend not only on their total content but, mostly, on their mobility. Many extraction procedures have been developed to evaluate HM mobility in contaminated soils, but they are generally time consuming (especially the sequential extraction procedures (SEPs)) and consequently applicable on a limited number of samples. For this reason, a simple screening method, applicable even ''in field'', has been proposed in order to obtain a rapid evaluation of HM mobility in polluted soils, mainly focused on the fraction associated to Fe and Mn oxide/hydroxides. A buffer solution of trisodium citrate and hydroxylamine hydrochloride was used as extractant for a single-step leaching test. The choice of this buffered solution was strictly related to the possibility of directly determining, via titration with dithizone (DZ), the content of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd, which are among the most representative contaminants in highly mineralised soils. Moreover, the extraction solution is similar, aside from for the pH value, which is the one used in the BCR SEP second step. The analysis of bivalents ions through DZ titration was exploited in order to further simplify and quicken the whole procedure. The proposed method generically measures, in few minutes, the concentration of total extractable ''heavy metals'' expressed as molL{sup -1} without distinguishing between elements. The proposed screening method has been developed and applied on soil samples collected from rural, urban and mining areas, representing different situation of soil contamination. Results were compared with data obtained from the BCR procedure. The screening method demonstrated to be a reliable tool for a rapid evaluation of metals mobility. Therefore, it could be very useful, even ''in field'', both to guide the sampling activity on site and to monitor the efficacy of the subsequent

  12. Developing and Validating a Rapid Small-Scale Column Test Procedure for GAC Selection using Reconstituted Lyophilized NOM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cost effective design and operation of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) facilities requires the selection of GAC that is optimal for a specific site. Rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) are widely used for GAC assessment due to several advantages, including the ability to simu...

  13. A method for the automated detection phishing websites through both site characteristics and image analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Joshua S.; Matthews, Jeanna N.; Stacy, John L.

    2012-06-01

    Phishing website analysis is largely still a time-consuming manual process of discovering potential phishing sites, verifying if suspicious sites truly are malicious spoofs and if so, distributing their URLs to the appropriate blacklisting services. Attackers increasingly use sophisticated systems for bringing phishing sites up and down rapidly at new locations, making automated response essential. In this paper, we present a method for rapid, automated detection and analysis of phishing websites. Our method relies on near real-time gathering and analysis of URLs posted on social media sites. We fetch the pages pointed to by each URL and characterize each page with a set of easily computed values such as number of images and links. We also capture a screen-shot of the rendered page image, compute a hash of the image and use the Hamming distance between these image hashes as a form of visual comparison. We provide initial results demonstrate the feasibility of our techniques by comparing legitimate sites to known fraudulent versions from Phishtank.com, by actively introducing a series of minor changes to a phishing toolkit captured in a local honeypot and by performing some initial analysis on a set of over 2.8 million URLs posted to Twitter over a 4 days in August 2011. We discuss the issues encountered during our testing such as resolvability and legitimacy of URL's posted on Twitter, the data sets used, the characteristics of the phishing sites we discovered, and our plans for future work.

  14. Soil sorting, new approach to site remediation management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bramlitt, E.T.; Woods, J.A.; Dillon, M.J.

    1996-01-01

    Soil sorting is the technology which conveys soil beneath contaminant detectors and, based on contaminant signal, automatically toggles a gate at the conveyor end to send soil with contamination above a guideline to a separate location from soil which meets the guideline. The technology was perfected for remediation of sites having soils with radioactive contamination, but it is applicable to other contaminants when instrumental methods exist for rapid contaminant detection at levels of concern. This paper examines the three methods for quantifying contamination in soil in support of site remediation management. Examples are discussed where the primary contaminant is plutonium, a radioactive substance and source of nuclear energy which can be hazardous to health when in the environment without controls. Field survey instruments are very sensitive to plutonium and can detect it in soil at levels below a part per billion, and there are a variety of soils which have been contaminated by plutonium and thoroughly investigated. The lessons learned with plutonium are applicable to other types of contaminants and site remediations. The paper concludes that soil sorting can be the most cost effective approach to site remediation, and it leads to the best overall cleanup

  15. How Rapid is Rapid Prototyping? Analysis of ESPADON Programme Results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ian D. Alston

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available New methodologies, engineering processes, and support environments are beginning to emerge for embedded signal processing systems. The main objectives are to enable defence industry to field state-of-the-art products in less time and with lower costs, including retrofits and upgrades, based predominately on commercial off the shelf (COTS components and the model-year concept. One of the cornerstones of the new methodologies is the concept of rapid prototyping. This is the ability to rapidly and seamlessly move from functional design to the architectural design to the implementation, through automatic code generation tools, onto real-time COTS test beds. In this paper, we try to quantify the term “rapid” and provide results, the metrics, from two independent benchmarks, a radar and sonar beamforming application subset. The metrics show that the rapid prototyping process may be sixteen times faster than a conventional process.

  16. Multi-method Near-surface Geophysical Surveys for Site Response and Earthquake Damage Assessments at School Sites in Washington, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cakir, R.; Walsh, T. J.; Norman, D. K.

    2017-12-01

    We, Washington Geological Survey (WGS), have been performing multi-method near surface geophysical surveys to help assess potential earthquake damage at public schools in Washington. We have been conducting active and passive seismic surveys, and estimating Shear-wave velocity (Vs) profiles, then determining the NEHRP soil classifications based on Vs30m values at school sites in Washington. The survey methods we have used: 1D and 2D MASW and MAM, P- and S-wave refraction, horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (H/V), and 2ST-SPAC to measure Vs and Vp at shallow (0-70m) and greater depths at the sites. We have also run Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys at the sites to check possible horizontal subsurface variations along and between the seismic survey lines and the actual locations of the school buildings. The seismic survey results were then used to calculate Vs30m for determining the NEHRP soil classifications at school sites, thus soil amplification effects on the ground motions. Resulting shear-wave velocity profiles generated from these studies can also be used for site response and liquefaction potential studies, as well as for improvement efforts of the national Vs30m database, essential information for ShakeMap and ground motion modeling efforts in Washington and Pacific Northwest. To estimate casualties, nonstructural, and structural losses caused by the potential earthquakes in the region, we used these seismic site characterization results associated with structural engineering evaluations based on ASCE41 or FEMA 154 (Rapid Visual Screening) as inputs in FEMA Hazus-Advanced Engineering Building Module (AEBM) analysis. Compelling example surveys will be presented for the school sites in western and eastern Washington.

  17. Off-site response for radiological emergencies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eldridge, J.S.; Oakes, T.W.; Hubbard, H.M.; Hibbitts, H.W.

    1982-01-01

    Environmental radiological surveillance under emergency conditions at off-site locations is one of the advisory functions provided by DOE within the ORO jurisdiction. The Department of Environmental Management of ORNL has been requested to provide sampling and analytical assistance at such emergency response activities. We have assembled and identified specific individuals and equipment to provide a rapid response force to perform field measurements for environmental radioactivity releases as a consequence of nuclear accidents. Survey teams for sample collection and field measurements are provided along with analytical assistance to operate the radioactivity measuring equipment in the DOE emergency van

  18. Prediction of functional sites in proteins using conserved functional group analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Innis, C Axel; Anand, A Prem; Sowdhamini, R

    2004-04-02

    A detailed knowledge of a protein's functional site is an absolute prerequisite for understanding its mode of action at the molecular level. However, the rapid pace at which sequence and structural information is being accumulated for proteins greatly exceeds our ability to determine their biochemical roles experimentally. As a result, computational methods are required which allow for the efficient processing of the evolutionary information contained in this wealth of data, in particular that related to the nature and location of functionally important sites and residues. The method presented here, referred to as conserved functional group (CFG) analysis, relies on a simplified representation of the chemical groups found in amino acid side-chains to identify functional sites from a single protein structure and a number of its sequence homologues. We show that CFG analysis can fully or partially predict the location of functional sites in approximately 96% of the 470 cases tested and that, unlike other methods available, it is able to tolerate wide variations in sequence identity. In addition, we discuss its potential in a structural genomics context, where automation, scalability and efficiency are critical, and an increasing number of protein structures are determined with no prior knowledge of function. This is exemplified by our analysis of the hypothetical protein Ydde_Ecoli, whose structure was recently solved by members of the North East Structural Genomics consortium. Although the proposed active site for this protein needs to be validated experimentally, this example illustrates the scope of CFG analysis as a general tool for the identification of residues likely to play an important role in a protein's biochemical function. Thus, our method offers a convenient solution to rapidly and automatically process the vast amounts of data that are beginning to emerge from structural genomics projects.

  19. Comparison of tree coring and soil gas sampling for screening of contaminated sites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Mette Algreen; Stalder, Marcel; Riis, Charlotte

    and then identify high risk areas. The uptake of BTEX into trees varies to a greater extent with the tree species and the site conditions than chlorinated solvents, which lead to greater uncertainty. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Hence, the methods supplement each other. Based on results......Site characterization is often time consuming and a financial burden for the site owners, which raises a demand for rapid and inexpensive (pre)screening methods. Phytoscreening by tree coring has shown to be a useful tool to detect subsurface contamination, especially of chlorinated solvents...... suitable as initial screening methods for site characterization. The aim of this study is to compare tree coring and soil gas sampling to evaluate to which extent tree coring may supplement or substitute soil gas sampling as a site contaminant screening tool. And where both methods are feasible, evaluate...

  20. Rapid urban malaria appraisal (RUMA in sub-Saharan Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akogbeto Martin

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The rapid urban malaria appraisal (RUMA methodology aims to provide a cost-effective tool to conduct rapid assessments of the malaria situation in urban sub-Saharan Africa and to improve the understanding of urban malaria epidemiology. Methods This work was done in Yopougon municipality (Abidjan, Cotonou, Dar es Salaam and Ouagadougou. The study design consists of six components: 1 a literature review, 2 the collection of available health statistics, 3 a risk mapping, 4 school parasitaemia surveys, 5 health facility-based surveys and 6 a brief description of the health care system. These formed the basis of a multi-country evaluation of RUMA's feasibility, consistency and usefulness. Results A substantial amount of literature (including unpublished theses and statistics was found at each site, providing a good overview of the malaria situation. School and health facility-based surveys provided an overview of local endemicity and the overall malaria burden in different city areas. This helped to identify important problems for in-depth assessment, especially the extent to which malaria is over-diagnosed in health facilities. Mapping health facilities and breeding sites allowed the visualization of the complex interplay between population characteristics, health services and malaria risk. However, the latter task was very time-consuming and required special expertise. RUMA is inexpensive, costing around 8,500–13,000 USD for a six to ten-week period. Conclusion RUMA was successfully implemented in four urban areas with different endemicity and proved to be a cost-effective first approach to study the features of urban malaria and provide an evidence basis for planning control measures.

  1. Quantifying Vegetation Structure with Lightweight, Rapid-Scanning Terrestrial Lidar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paynter, I.; Genest, D.; Saenz, E. J.; Strahler, A. H.; Li, Z.; Peri, F.; Schaaf, C.

    2016-12-01

    Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) is proving a competent technology for observing vegetation structure. Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) are ground-based instruments which utilize hundreds of thousands to millions of lidar observations to provide detailed structural and reflective information of their surroundings. TLS has enjoyed initial success as a validation tool for satellite and airborne estimates of vegetation structure, and are producing independent estimates with increasing accuracy. Reconstruction techniques for TLS observations of vegetation have also improved rapidly, especially for trees. However, uncertainties and challenges still remain in TLS modelling of vegetation structure, especially in geometrically complex ecosystems such as tropical forests (where observation extent and density is hampered by occlusion) and highly temporally dynamic coastal ecosystems (such as saltmarshes and mangroves), where observations may be restricted to narrow microstates. Some of these uncertainties can be mitigated, and challenges met, through the use of lidar instruments optimized for favorable deployment logistics through low weight, rapid scanning, and improved durability. We have conducted studies of vegetation structure in temperate and tropical forests, saltmarshes and mangroves, utilizing a highly portable TLS with considerable deployment flexibility, the Compact Biomass Lidar (CBL). We show results from studies in the temperate Long Term Ecological Research site of Harvard Forest (MA, USA); the tropical forested long-term Carbono sites of La Selva Biological Station (Sarapiqui, Costa Rica); and the saltmarsh LTER of Plum Island (MA, USA). These results demonstrate the improvements to observations in these ecosystems which are facilitated by the specifications of the CBL (and similar TLS) which are optimized for favorable deployment logistics and flexibility. We show the benefits of increased numbers of scanning positions, and specialized deployment

  2. El hábito no hace al monje. Reflexiones histórico-semióticas sobre la ética sacerdotal tradicionalista

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jhon Janer Vega Rincón

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article reflects on the priestly ethos implementing a semiotic analysis of discourse and exploring in depth the Actas y Decretos del primer Concilio Provincial Neogranadino 1868, in its provisions concerning the life and honesty of the clergy, particularly as regards the external appearance the priest. It focuses on aspects such as the ecclesiastical tonsure and habit, examining the relationship between the sensible forms and their ideological content. To understand its historical sense analytical findings, interpretations proposes a line-length, in dialogue with the early days of Christianity, the provisions of the Council of Trent and suffered break the regime of visibility to the realization of Vatican II in the twentieth century. It raises thus the proposed traditionalist Catholicism, founded a clerical regime visual rhetoric in which the expressive elements are placed as symbols of transcendent values, thus expressing certain ethical model for the priest, where the external appearance plays a fundamental role.

  3. Accuracy in HIV Rapid Testing among Laboratory and Non-laboratory Personnel in Zambia: Observations from the National HIV Proficiency Testing System.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheila Mwangala

    Full Text Available Despite rapid task-shifting and scale-up of HIV testing services in high HIV prevalence countries, studies evaluating accuracy remain limited. This study aimed to assess overall accuracy level and factors associated with accuracy in HIV rapid testing in Zambia.Accuracy was investigated among rural and urban HIV testing sites participating in two annual national HIV proficiency testing (PT exercises conducted in 2009 (n = 282 sites and 2010 (n = 488 sites. Testers included lay counselors, nurses, laboratory personnel and others. PT panels of five dry tube specimens (DTS were issued to testing sites by the national reference laboratory (NRL. Site accuracy level was assessed by comparison of reported results to the expected results. Non-parametric rank tests and multiple linear regression models were used to assess variation in accuracy between PT cycles and between tester groups, and to examine factors associated with accuracy respectively.Overall accuracy level was 93.1% (95% CI: 91.2-94.9 in 2009 and 96.9% (95% CI: 96.1-97.8 in 2010. Differences in accuracy were seen between the tester groups in 2009 with laboratory personnel being more accurate than non-laboratory personnel, while in 2010 no differences were seen. In both PT exercises, lay counselors and nurses had more difficulties interpreting results, with more occurrences of false-negative, false-positive and indeterminate results. Having received the standard HIV rapid testing training and adherence to the national HIV testing algorithm were positively associated with accuracy.The study showed an improvement in tester group and overall accuracy from the first PT exercise to the next. Average number of incorrect test results per 1000 tests performed was reduced from 69 to 31. Further improvement is needed, however, and the national HIV proficiency testing system seems to be an important tool in this regard, which should be continued and needs to be urgently strengthened.

  4. Rapid penetration into granular media visualizing the fundamental physics of rapid earth penetration

    CERN Document Server

    Iskander, Magued

    2015-01-01

    Rapid Penetration into Granular Media: Visualizing the Fundamental Physics of Rapid Earth Penetration introduces readers to the variety of methods and techniques used to visualize, observe, and model the rapid penetration of natural and man-made projectiles into earth materials. It provides seasoned practitioners with a standard reference that showcases the topic's most recent developments in research and application. The text compiles the findings of new research developments on the subject, outlines the fundamental physics of rapid penetration into granular media, and assembles a com

  5. Development of a high efficiency integration system and promoter library for rapid modification of Pseudomonas putida KT2440

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elmore, Joshua R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division; Furches, Anna [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division; Wolff, Gara N. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division; Gorday, Kent [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division; Guss, Adam M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division

    2017-04-15

    Pseudomonas putida strains are highly robust bacteria known for their ability to efficiently utilize a variety of carbon sources, including aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Recently, P. putida has been engineered to valorize the lignin stream of a lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment process. Nonetheless, when compared to platform organisms such as Escherichia coli, the toolkit for engineering P. putida is underdeveloped. Heterologous gene expression in particular is problematic. Plasmid instability and copy number variance provide challenges for replicative plasmids, while use of homologous recombination for insertion of DNA into the chromosome is slow and laborious. Furthermore, heterologous expression efforts to date typically rely on overexpression of exogenous pathways using a handful of poorly characterized promoters. In order to improve the P. putida toolkit, we developed a rapid genome integration system using the site-specific recombinase from bacteriophage Bxb1 to enable rapid, high efficiency integration of DNA into the P. putida chromosome. We also developed a library of synthetic promoters with various UP elements, -35 sequences, and -10 sequences, as well as different ribosomal binding sites. We tested these promoters using a fluorescent reporter gene, mNeonGreen, to characterize the strength of each promoter, and identified UP-element-promoter-ribosomal binding sites combinations capable of driving a ~150-fold range of protein expression levels. One additional integrating vector was developed that confers more robust kanamycin resistance when integrated at single copy into the chromosome. This genome integration and reporter systems are extensible for testing other genetic parts, such as examining terminator strength, and will allow rapid integration of heterologous pathways for metabolic engineering.

  6. Landfill Site Selection by Weighted Overlay Technique: Case Study of Al-Kufa, Iraq

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad A. Al-Anbari

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Landfill siting is a hard and complex process. For this reason, it is considered as one of the major problems in waste management. This is due to the fact that a number of factors are involved within the process such as such as inhabitants’ growth, rapid economic growth, living standards improvements, etc. In Iraq, landfill siting does not follow environmental regulations. Al-Kufa city located is located south-western part of Iraq (area of 550 km2 and inhabitants 372,760. Existing landfills are not selected according to the environmental standards. Landfill site that is required was achieved using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA and spatial overlay analysis using a geographic information system (GIS. Many factors were considered in the siting process; including geology, water supplies resources, urban centers, sensitive sites, and wells. AHP (analytic hierarchy process method was used in weighting the criteria used. The result showed that there are six sites most suitable covering an area about (113 km2.

  7. mRNA-engineered mesenchymal stem cells for targeted delivery of interleukin-10 to sites of inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy, Oren; Zhao, Weian; Mortensen, Luke J; Leblanc, Sarah; Tsang, Kyle; Fu, Moyu; Phillips, Joseph A; Sagar, Vinay; Anandakumaran, Priya; Ngai, Jessica; Cui, Cheryl H; Eimon, Peter; Angel, Matthew; Lin, Charles P; Yanik, Mehmet Fatih; Karp, Jeffrey M

    2013-10-03

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for cell-based therapy to treat several diseases and are compelling to consider as vehicles for delivery of biological agents. However, MSCs appear to act through a seemingly limited "hit-and-run" mode to quickly exert their therapeutic impact, mediated by several mechanisms, including a potent immunomodulatory secretome. Furthermore, MSC immunomodulatory properties are highly variable and the secretome composition following infusion is uncertain. To determine whether a transiently controlled antiinflammatory MSC secretome could be achieved at target sites of inflammation, we harnessed mRNA transfection to generate MSCs that simultaneously express functional rolling machinery (P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 [PSGL-1] and Sialyl-Lewis(x) [SLeX]) to rapidly target inflamed tissues and that express the potent immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10), which is not inherently produced by MSCs. Indeed, triple-transfected PSGL-1/SLeX/IL-10 MSCs transiently increased levels of IL-10 in the inflamed ear and showed a superior antiinflammatory effect in vivo, significantly reducing local inflammation following systemic administration. This was dependent on rapid localization of MSCs to the inflamed site. Overall, this study demonstrates that despite the rapid clearance of MSCs in vivo, engineered MSCs can be harnessed via a "hit-and-run" action for the targeted delivery of potent immunomodulatory factors to treat distant sites of inflammation.

  8. Rapid earthquake hazard and loss assessment for Euro-Mediterranean region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdik, Mustafa; Sesetyan, Karin; Demircioglu, Mine; Hancilar, Ufuk; Zulfikar, Can; Cakti, Eser; Kamer, Yaver; Yenidogan, Cem; Tuzun, Cuneyt; Cagnan, Zehra; Harmandar, Ebru

    2010-10-01

    The almost-real time estimation of ground shaking and losses after a major earthquake in the Euro-Mediterranean region was performed in the framework of the Joint Research Activity 3 (JRA-3) component of the EU FP6 Project entitled "Network of Research Infra-structures for European Seismology, NERIES". This project consists of finding the most likely location of the earthquake source by estimating the fault rupture parameters on the basis of rapid inversion of data from on-line regional broadband stations. It also includes an estimation of the spatial distribution of selected site-specific ground motion parameters at engineering bedrock through region-specific ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) or physical simulation of ground motion. By using the Earthquake Loss Estimation Routine (ELER) software, the multi-level methodology developed for real time estimation of losses is capable of incorporating regional variability and sources of uncertainty stemming from GMPEs, fault finiteness, site modifications, inventory of physical and social elements subjected to earthquake hazard and the associated vulnerability relationships.

  9. Are rapid population estimates accurate? A field trial of two different assessment methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grais, Rebecca F; Coulombier, Denis; Ampuero, Julia; Lucas, Marcelino E S; Barretto, Avertino T; Jacquier, Guy; Diaz, Francisco; Balandine, Serge; Mahoudeau, Claude; Brown, Vincent

    2006-09-01

    Emergencies resulting in large-scale displacement often lead to populations resettling in areas where basic health services and sanitation are unavailable. To plan relief-related activities quickly, rapid population size estimates are needed. The currently recommended Quadrat method estimates total population by extrapolating the average population size living in square blocks of known area to the total site surface. An alternative approach, the T-Square, provides a population estimate based on analysis of the spatial distribution of housing units taken throughout a site. We field tested both methods and validated the results against a census in Esturro Bairro, Beira, Mozambique. Compared to the census (population: 9,479), the T-Square yielded a better population estimate (9,523) than the Quadrat method (7,681; 95% confidence interval: 6,160-9,201), but was more difficult for field survey teams to implement. Although applicable only to similar sites, several general conclusions can be drawn for emergency planning.

  10. A new form of rapid binocular plasticity in adult with amblyopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jiawei; Thompson, Benjamin; Hess, Robert F

    2013-01-01

    Amblyopia is a neurological disorder of binocular vision affecting up to 3% of the population resulting from a disrupted period of early visual development. Recently, it has been shown that vision can be partially restored by intensive monocular or dichoptic training (4-6 weeks). This can occur even in adults owing to a residual degree of brain plasticity initiated by repetitive and successive sensory stimulation. Here we show that the binocular imbalance that characterizes amblyopia can be reduced by occluding the amblyopic eye with a translucent patch for as little as 2.5 hours, suggesting a degree of rapid binocular plasticity in adults resulting from a lack of sensory stimulation. The integrated binocular benefit is larger in our amblyopic group than in our normal control group. We propose that this rapid improvement in function, as a result of reduced sensory stimulation, represents a new form of plasticity operating at a binocular site.

  11. Remote sensing to monitor uranium tailing sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-02-01

    This report concerns the feasibility of using remotely-sensed data for long-term monitoring of uranium tailings. Decommissioning of uranium mine tailings sites may require long-term monitoring to confirm that no unanticipated release of contaminants occurs. Traditional ground-based monitoring of specific criteria of concern would be a significant expense depending on the nature and frequency of the monitoring. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether available remote-sensing data and techniques were applicable to the long-term monitoring of tailings sites. This objective was met by evaluating to what extent the data and techniques could be used to identify and discriminate information useful for monitoring tailings sites. The cost associated with obtaining and interpreting this information was also evaluated. Satellite and aircraft remote-sensing-based activities were evaluated. A monitoring programme based on annual coverage of Landsat Thematic Mapper data is recommended. Immediately prior to and for several years after decommissioning of the tailings sites, airborne multispectral and thermal infrared surveys combined with field verification data are required in order to establish a baseline for the long-term satellite-based monitoring programme. More frequent airborne surveys may be required if rapidly changing phenomena require monitoring. The use of a geographic information system is recommended for the effective storage and manipulation of data accumulated over a number of years

  12. Program Director as Webmaster? Analysis of 131 Anesthesiology Department Web Sites and Program Director Web Site Involvement and Opinion Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daneshpayeh, Negin; Lee, Howard; Berger, Jeffrey

    2013-01-01

    The last formal review of academic anesthesiology department Web sites (ADWs) for content was conducted in 2009. ADWs have been rated as very important by medical students in researching residency training programs; however, the rapid evolution of sites require that descriptive statistics must be more current to be considered reliable. We set out to provide an updated overview of ADW content and to better understand residency program directors' (PD) role and comfort with ADWs. Two independent reviewers (ND and HL) analyzed all 131 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited ADWs. A binary system (Yes/No) was used to determine which features were present. Reviewer reliability was confirmed with inter-rater reliability and percentage agreement calculation. Additionally, a blinded electronic survey (Survey Monkey, Portland, OR) was sent to anesthesiology residency PDs via electronic mail investigating the audiences for ADWs, the frequency of updates and the degree of PD involvement. 13% of anesthesiology departments still lack a Web site with a homepage with links to the residency program and educational offerings (18% in 2009). Only half (55%) of Web sites contain information for medical students, including clerkship information. Furthermore, programs rarely contain up-to-date calendars (13%), accreditation cycle lengths (11%), accreditation dates (7%) or board pass rates (6%). The PD survey, completed by 42 of 131 PDs, noted a correlation (r = 0.36) between the number of years as PD and the frequency of Web site updates - less experienced PDs appear to update their sites more frequently (p = 0.03). Although 86% of PDs regarded a Web site as "very" important in recruitment, only 9% felt "very" comfortable with the skills required to advertise and market a Web site. Despite the overall increase in ADW content since 2009, privacy concerns, limited resources and time constraints may prevent PDs from providing the most up-to-date Web sites for

  13. Hydrogeology of a hazardous-waste disposal site near Brentwood, Williamson County, Tennessee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucci, Patrick; Hanchar, D.W.; Lee, R.W.

    1990-01-01

    Approximately 44,000 gal of industrial solvent wastes were disposed in pits on a farm near Brentwood, Tennessee, in 1978, and contaminants were reported in the soil and shallow groundwater on the site in 1985. In order for the State to evaluate possible remedial-action alternatives, an 18-month study was conducted to define the hydrogeologic setting of the site and surrounding area. The area is underlain by four hydrogeologic units: (1) an upper aquifer consisting of saturated regolith, Bigby-Cannon Limestone, and weathered Hermitage Formation; (2) the Hermitage confining unit; (3) a lower aquifer consisting of the Carters Limestone; and (4) the Lebanon confining unit. Wells generally are low yielding less than 1 gal/min ), although locally the aquifers may yield as much as 80 gal/minute. This lower aquifer is anisotropic, and transmissivity of this aquifer is greatest in a northwest-southeast direction. Recharge to the groundwater system is primarily from precipitation, and estimates of average annual recharge rates range from 6 to 15 inches/year. Discharge from the groundwater system is primarily to the Little Harpeth River and its tributaries. Groundwater flow at the disposal site is mainly to a small topographic depression that drains the site. Geochemical data indicate four distinct water types. These types represent (1) shallow, rapidly circulating groundwater; (2) deeper (> than 100 ft), rapidly circulating groundwater; (3) shallow, slow moving groundwater; and (4) deeper, slow moving groundwater. Results of the numerical model indicate that most flow is in the upper aquifer. (USGS)

  14. Rapid urease test (RUT) for evaluation of urease activity in oral bacteria in vitro and in supragingival dental plaque ex vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahlén, Gunnar; Hassan, Haidar; Blomqvist, Susanne; Carlén, Anette

    2018-05-18

    Urease is an enzyme produced by plaque bacteria hydrolysing urea from saliva and gingival exudate into ammonia in order to regulate the pH in the dental biofilm. The aim of this study was to assess the urease activity among oral bacterial species by using the rapid urease test (RUT) in a micro-plate format and to examine whether this test could be used for measuring the urease activity in site-specific supragingival dental plaque samples ex vivo. The RUT test is based on 2% urea in peptone broth solution and with phenol red at pH 6.0. Oral bacterial species were tested for their urease activity using 100 μl of RUT test solution in the well of a micro-plate to which a 1 μl amount of cells collected after growth on blood agar plates or in broth, were added. The color change was determined after 15, 30 min, and 1 and 2 h. The reaction was graded in a 4-graded scale (none, weak, medium, strong). Ex vivo evaluation of dental plaque urease activity was tested in supragingival 1 μl plaque samples collected from 4 interproximal sites of front teeth and molars in 18 adult volunteers. The color reaction was read after 1 h in room temperature and scored as in the in vitro test. The strongest activity was registered for Staphylococcus epidermidis, Helicobacter pylori, Campylobacter ureolyticus and some strains of Haemophilus parainfluenzae, while known ureolytic species such as Streptococcus salivarius and Actinomyces naeslundii showed a weaker, variable and strain-dependent activity. Temperature had minor influence on the RUT reaction. The interproximal supragingival dental plaque between the lower central incisors (site 31/41) showed significantly higher scores compared to between the upper central incisors (site 11/21), between the upper left first molar and second premolar (site 26/25) and between the lower right second premolar and molar (site 45/46). The rapid urease test (RUT) in a micro-plate format can be used as a simple and rapid method to test urease

  15. Rapid high-throughput analysis of DNaseI hypersensitive sites using a modified Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sinclair Andrew H

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mapping DNaseI hypersensitive sites is commonly used to identify regulatory regions in the genome. However, currently available methods are either time consuming and laborious, expensive or require large numbers of cells. We aimed to develop a quick and straightforward method for the analysis of DNaseI hypersensitive sites that overcomes these problems. Results We have developed a modified Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA approach for the identification and analysis of genomic regulatory regions. The utility of this approach was demonstrated by simultaneously analysing 20 loci from the ENCODE project for DNaseI hypersensitivity in a range of different cell lines. We were able to obtain reproducible results with as little as 5 × 104 cells per DNaseI treatment. Our results broadly matched those previously reported by the ENCODE project, and both technical and biological replicates showed high correlations, indicating the sensitivity and reproducibility of this method. Conclusion This new method will considerably facilitate the identification and analysis of DNaseI hypersensitive sites. Due to the multiplexing potential of MLPA (up to 50 loci can be examined it is possible to analyse dozens of DNaseI hypersensitive sites in a single reaction. Furthermore, the high sensitivity of MLPA means that fewer than 105 cells per DNaseI treatment can be used, allowing the discovery and analysis of tissue specific regulatory regions without the need for pooling. This method is quick and easy and results can be obtained within 48 hours after harvesting of cells or tissues. As no special equipment is required, this method can be applied by any laboratory interested in the analysis of DNaseI hypersensitive regions.

  16. Fuelwood production potential of six Prosopis species on an alkaline soil site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goel, V.L.; Behl, H.M. [National Botanical Research Inst., Lucknow (India). Biomass Research Center

    1995-07-01

    The biomass potential of six species Prosopis was evaluated on highly alkaline soil site. Prosopis alba I was found to have the fastest growth rate and highest above-ground biomass production. P. juliflora ranked next. P. cineraria showed high plant establishment but relatively slow growth. The performance of P. glandulosa was poor on such sites. The high fuelwood value index and rapid growth rate of P. juliflora and P. alba makes them suitable for short-rotation fuelwood forestry programmes on waste-lands. Selection of promising genotypes is suggested as a means of improvement in yields. (author)

  17. Atomic site occupancies and magnetic properties of Ni-doped FeAl intermetallic compounds

    CERN Document Server

    Ko, K Y; Yoon, S

    1999-01-01

    Neutron and X-ray powder diffraction revealed FeAl sub 1 sub - sub x Ni sub x alloys to have the B2(CsCl) structure with a virtually constant lattice parameter of 2.91 A and with the Ni atoms preferring the Fe sites. The annealed specimens showed paramagnetism for x 0.25 whereas the rapidly solidified specimens showed superparamagnetism for x = 0.25. The magnetization increased as the Ni concentration (x) increased. The rapidly solidified specimens, in general, showed stronger magnetic properties than the annealed ones. The magnetic properties were explained in terms of the local environmental model for magnetic atoms.

  18. 'Test n Treat (TnT)': a cluster-randomised feasibility trial of frequent, rapid-testing and same-day, on-site treatment to reduce rates of chlamydia in high-risk further education college students: statistical analysis plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Rachel; Oakeshott, Pippa; Kerry-Barnard, Sarah; Reid, Fiona

    2018-06-05

    There are high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in ethnically diverse, sexually active students aged 16-24 years attending London further education (FE) colleges. However, uptake of chlamydia screening remains low. The TnT study aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a future trial in FE colleges to investigate if frequent, rapid, on-site testing and treatment (TnT) reduces chlamydia rates. This article presents the statistical analysis plan for the main study publication as approved and signed off by the Trial Management Group prior to the first data extraction for the final report. TnT is a cluster-randomised feasibility trial conducted over 7 months with parallel qualitative and economic assessments. Colleges will be randomly allocated into the intervention (TnT) or the control group (no TnT). Six FE colleges in London will be included. At each college for 2 days, 80 consecutive sexually active students aged 16-24 years (total 480 students across all six colleges) will be recruited from public areas and asked to provide baseline samples. One and 4 months after recruitment intervention colleges will be visited on two consecutive days by the TnT team where participating students will be texted and invited to come for same-day, on-site, rapid chlamydia testing and, if positive, treatment. Participants in the control colleges will receive 'thank you' texts 1 and 4 months after recruitment. Seven months after recruitment, participants from both groups will be invited to complete questionnaires and provide samples for TnT. All samples will be tested, and same-day treatment offered to participants with positive results. Key feasibility outcomes include: recruitment rates, testing and treatment uptake rates (at 1 and 4 months) and follow-up rates (at 7 months). ISRCTN 58038795 . Registered on 31 August 2016.

  19. Ecological baseline study of the Yakima Firing Center proposed land acquisition: A status report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rogers, L.E.; Beedlow, P.A.; Eberhardt, L.E.; Dauble, D.D.; Fitzner, R.E.

    1989-01-01

    This report provides baseline environmental information for the property identified for possible expansion of the Yakima Firing Center. Results from this work provide general descriptions of the animals and major plant communities present. A vegetation map derived from a combination of on-site surveillance and remotely sensed imagery is provided as part of this report. Twenty-seven wildlife species of special interest (protected, sensitive, furbearer, game animal, etc.), and waterfowl, were observed on the proposed expansion area. Bird censuses revealed 13 raptorial species (including four of special interest: bald eagle, golden eagle, osprey, and prairie falcon); five upland game bird species (sage grouse, California quail, chukar, gray partridge, and ring-necked pheasant); common loons (a species proposed for state listing as threatened); and five other species of special interest (sage thrasher, loggerhead shrike, mourning dove, sage sparrow, and long-billed curlew). Estimates of waterfowl abundance are included for the Priest Rapids Pool of the Columbia River. Six small mammal species were captured during this study; one, the sagebrush vole, is a species of special interest. Two large animal species, mule deer and elk, were noted on the site. Five species of furbearing animals were observed (coyote, beaver, raccoon, mink, and striped skunk). Four species of reptiles and one amphibian were noted. Fisheries surveys were conducted to document the presence of gamefish, and sensitive-classified fish and aquatic invertebrates. Rainbow trout were the only fish collected within the boundaries of the proposed northern expansion area. 22 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs.

  20. Site characterisation and monitoring for environmental remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adsley, Ian; Davies, Michael; Murley, Robert; Pearman, Ian; Harman, Nicholas; Proctor, Lorna; Armitage, Jack; Beddow, Helen

    2007-01-01

    Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: Radioactive contamination of nuclear and mineral processing sites can be very varied. Early work in the extraction of uranium and thorium led to the disposal of large amounts of waste containing a variety of daughter radioisotopes. Later, the development of nuclear weapon programs led to large scale processing of uranium and thorium ores, physical separation of isotopes, and the initiation of nuclear fission with the resulting production of fission product radionuclides and activated metals. Weapons testing and reprocessing of reactor fuel again led to the release of fission and activation products, together with radioelements from the chemistry of fuel extraction. Finally the recovery of oil and gas reserves have once again led to renewed interest in NORM (naturally occurring radioactive materials) in the form of Pb-210/Po-210 scales in gas pipelines and Ra-226/Ra-228 in oil pipelines. Methods of monitoring for the contamination generated from all of these processes are considered together with recommended monitoring options for contamination products using gamma, beta and alpha measuring techniques. Specific examples of several site characterisation and monitoring projects are given - covering site investigation through to in-situ and on-site monitoring during the actual remediation. Many of the projects described are of a large scale, typically involving many thousands of tons of waste material. The rapid identification and sentencing into the relevant waste categories is essential in support of on-site civil engineering processes. Consideration of tailoring the monitoring process to achieve such high throughput rates is given. (authors)

  1. Maize Cropping Systems Mapping Using RapidEye Observations in Agro-Ecological Landscapes in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richard, Kyalo; Abdel-Rahman, Elfatih M; Subramanian, Sevgan; Nyasani, Johnson O; Thiel, Michael; Jozani, Hosein; Borgemeister, Christian; Landmann, Tobias

    2017-11-03

    Cropping systems information on explicit scales is an important but rarely available variable in many crops modeling routines and of utmost importance for understanding pests and disease propagation mechanisms in agro-ecological landscapes. In this study, high spatial and temporal resolution RapidEye bio-temporal data were utilized within a novel 2-step hierarchical random forest (RF) classification approach to map areas of mono- and mixed maize cropping systems. A small-scale maize farming site in Machakos County, Kenya was used as a study site. Within the study site, field data was collected during the satellite acquisition period on general land use/land cover (LULC) and the two cropping systems. Firstly, non-cropland areas were masked out from other land use/land cover using the LULC mapping result. Subsequently an optimized RF model was applied to the cropland layer to map the two cropping systems (2nd classification step). An overall accuracy of 93% was attained for the LULC classification, while the class accuracies (PA: producer's accuracy and UA: user's accuracy) for the two cropping systems were consistently above 85%. We concluded that explicit mapping of different cropping systems is feasible in complex and highly fragmented agro-ecological landscapes if high resolution and multi-temporal satellite data such as 5 m RapidEye data is employed. Further research is needed on the feasibility of using freely available 10-20 m Sentinel-2 data for wide-area assessment of cropping systems as an important variable in numerous crop productivity models.

  2. Maize Cropping Systems Mapping Using RapidEye Observations in Agro-Ecological Landscapes in Kenya

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyalo Richard

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Cropping systems information on explicit scales is an important but rarely available variable in many crops modeling routines and of utmost importance for understanding pests and disease propagation mechanisms in agro-ecological landscapes. In this study, high spatial and temporal resolution RapidEye bio-temporal data were utilized within a novel 2-step hierarchical random forest (RF classification approach to map areas of mono- and mixed maize cropping systems. A small-scale maize farming site in Machakos County, Kenya was used as a study site. Within the study site, field data was collected during the satellite acquisition period on general land use/land cover (LULC and the two cropping systems. Firstly, non-cropland areas were masked out from other land use/land cover using the LULC mapping result. Subsequently an optimized RF model was applied to the cropland layer to map the two cropping systems (2nd classification step. An overall accuracy of 93% was attained for the LULC classification, while the class accuracies (PA: producer’s accuracy and UA: user’s accuracy for the two cropping systems were consistently above 85%. We concluded that explicit mapping of different cropping systems is feasible in complex and highly fragmented agro-ecological landscapes if high resolution and multi-temporal satellite data such as 5 m RapidEye data is employed. Further research is needed on the feasibility of using freely available 10–20 m Sentinel-2 data for wide-area assessment of cropping systems as an important variable in numerous crop productivity models.

  3. Electronic Cigarette Marketing Online: a Multi-Site, Multi-Product Comparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Kar-Hai; Sidhu, Anupreet K; Valente, Thomas W

    2015-01-01

    Electronic cigarette awareness and use has been increasing rapidly. E-cigarette brands have utilized social networking sites to promote their products, as the growth of the e-cigarette industry has paralleled that of Web 2.0. These online platforms are cost-effective and have unique technological features and user demographics that can be attractive for selective marketing. The popularity of multiple sites also poses a risk of exposure to social networks where e-cigarette brands might not have a presence. To examine the marketing strategies of leading e-cigarette brands on multiple social networking sites, and to identify how affordances of the digital media are used to their advantage. Secondary analyses include determining if any brands are benefitting from site demographics, and exploring cross-site diffusion of marketing content through multi-site users. We collected data from two e-cigarette brands from four social networking sites over approximately 2.5 years. Content analysis is used to search for themes, population targeting, marketing strategies, and cross-site spread of messages. Twitter appeared to be the most frequently used social networking site for interacting directly with product users. Facebook supported informational broadcasts, such as announcements regarding political legislation. E-cigarette brands also differed in their approaches to their users, from informal conversations to direct product marketing. E-cigarette makers use different strategies to market their product and engage their users. There was no evidence of direct targeting of vulnerable populations, but the affordances of the different sites are exploited to best broadcast context-specific messages. We developed a viable method to study cross-site diffusion, although additional refinement is needed to account for how different types of digital media are used.

  4. RRTM: A rapid radiative transfer model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mlawer, E.J.; Taubman, S.J.; Clough, S.A. [Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)

    1996-04-01

    A rapid radiative transfer model (RRTM) for the calculation of longwave clear-sky fluxes and cooling rates has been developed. The model, which uses the correlated-k method, is both accurate and computationally fast. The foundation for RRTM is the line-by-line radiative transfer model (LBLRTM) from which the relevant k-distributions are obtained. LBLRTM, which has been extensively validated against spectral observations e.g., the high-resolution sounder and the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer, is used to validate the flux and cooling rate results from RRTM. Validations of RRTM`s results have been performed for the tropical, midlatitude summer, and midlatitude winter atmospheres, as well as for the four Intercomparison of Radiation Codes in Climate Models (ICRCCM) cases from the Spectral Radiance Experiment (SPECTRE). Details of some of these validations are presented below. RRTM has the identical atmospheric input module as LBLRTM, facilitating intercomparisons with LBLRTM and application of the model at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Cloud and Radiation Testbed sites.

  5. A rapid method for establishment of a reverse genetics system for canine parvovirus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yongle; Su, Jun; Wang, Jigui; Xi, Ji; Mao, Yaping; Hou, Qiang; Zhang, Xiaomei; Liu, Weiquan

    2017-12-01

    Canine parvovirus (CPV) is an important and highly prevalent pathogen of dogs that causes acute hemorrhagic enteritis disease. Here, we describe a rapid method for the construction and characterization of a full-length infectious clone (rCPV) of CPV. Feline kidney (F81) cells were transfected with rCPV incorporating an engineered EcoR I site that served as a genetic marker. The rescued virus was indistinguishable from that of wild-type virus in its biological properties.

  6. Usi alternativi della transe: il caso del candomblé keto - Alternative use of trance: the case of the candomblé keto

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luisa Faldini

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper intends to present and discuss some uses of possession trance. Starting by Lewis assertion (1972 about trance’s use, we outline some field cases relating to instrumental use of trance in Brazilian Candomblé by both followers and priests. It is obvious that the state of trance is used in a conscious way to get approvals or to break the rules and that the rationalization of these actions passes through religious explanation. The way in which the religious trance is exploited by followers and priests comes out clearly.

  7. Application of a visual soil examination and evaluation technique at site and farm level

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sonneveld, M.P.W.; Heuvelink, G.B.M.; Moolenaar, S.W.

    2014-01-01

    Visual soil examination and evaluation (VSEE) techniques are semi-quantitative methods that provide rapid and cost-effective information on soil quality. These are mostly applied at site or field level, but there is an increased need for soil quality indicators at farm level to allow integration

  8. Monitoring of persistent organic pollutants in seawater of the Pearl River Estuary with rapid on-site active SPME sampling technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Siming; He, Shuming; Xu, Hao; Wu, Peiyan; Jiang, Ruifen; Zhu, Fang; Luan, Tiangang; Ouyang, Gangfeng

    2015-01-01

    An on-site active solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sampling technique coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for sampling and monitoring 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 8 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in seawater was developed. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that the sampling-rate calibration method was practical and could be used for the quantification of on-site sampling. The proposed method was employed for field tests which covered large amounts of water samples in the Pearl River Estuary in rainy and dry seasons. The on-site SPME sampling method can avoid the contamination of sample, the losses of analytes during sample transportation, as well as the usage of solvent and time-consuming sample preparation process. Results indicated that the technique with the designed device can address the requirement of modern environment water analysis. In addition, the sources, bioaccumulation and potential risk to human of the PAHs and OCPs in seawater of the Pearl River Estuary were discussed. - Highlights: • SPME on-site active sampling technique was developed and validated. • The technique was employed for field tests in the Pearl River Estuary. • 16 PAHs and 8 OCPs in the seawater of Pearl River Estuary were monitored. • The potential risk of the PAHs and OCPs in Pearl River Estuary were discussed. - An on-site active SPME sampling technique was developed and successfully applied for sampling and monitoring 16 PAHs and 8 OCPs in the Pearl River Estuary

  9. Growing risk avoidance in Asian oncology site selection: how trends in site selection are limiting growth of the Asia cancer trial landscape

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Horsburgh D

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available David Horsburgh,1 Yi-Chen Josey Lee,2 Elvira Zenaida Lansang,1 Ken J Lee,3 Malcolm Ogg,4 Karen Wai1 1Feasibility and Site Identification Asia, Quintiles East Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore; 2Feasibility and Site Identification Asia, Quintiles East Asia Pte Ltd, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Site Services Asia, Quintiles East Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore; 4Global Integrated Site Services, Quintiles, Green Park, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom Background: Asia-Pacific represents the fastest-growing region for clinical trials, with growth in oncology studies being a strong contributor. Such demand has seen a rapid change in Asia's total site pool and the number of experienced and inexperienced, or naïve, sites being activated. Given the perceived risks involved with naïve sites, this study aims to investigate changes in the rate of naïve site selection and how this risk management may influence future growth within the region. Methods: Rates of total naïve and experienced sites initiated per year, per protocol, and the relative contribution of each to the yearly site total were analyzed. Data was collected from Quintiles internal metrics as well as from the publicly available ClinicalTrials.gov database and was filtered to include oncology studies involving at least one Asian country, between the years 2000 and 2012. Results and discussion: Despite a general increase in the number of sites activated overall, the contribution of naïve sites to the yearly total fell to 20% in 2012. Experienced sites were heavily favored, with reliance on the existing site network preferred to expansion through naïve sites. This is likely a result of the perceived challenges with using inexperienced sites and the industry desire to avoid this risk. However, fluctuations in naïve sites activation suggest that the limited level of growth in the site pool may not be enough to sustain demand, with sudden outreaches to naïve sites necessary as current site pool capacity is occasionally

  10. Test plan for demonstration of Rapid Transuranic Monitoring Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McIsaac, C.V.; Sill, C.W.; Gehrke, R.J.; Killian, E.W.; Watts, K.D.

    1993-06-01

    This plan describes tests to demonstrate the capability of the Rapid Transuranic Monitoring Laboratory (RTML) to monitor airborne alpha-emitting radionuclides and analyze soil, smear, and filter samples for alpha- and gamma-emitting radionuclides under field conditions. The RTML will be tested during June 1993 at a site adjacent to the Cold Test Pit at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Measurement systems installed in the RTML that will be demonstrated include two large-area ionization chamber alpha spectrometers, an x-ray/gamma-ray spectrometer, and four alpha continuous air monitors. Test objectives, requirements for data quality, experimental apparatus and procedures, and safety and logistics issues are described

  11. Offal dumping sites influence the relative abundance and roosting site selection of Black Kites (Milvus migrans govinda) in urban landscape: a study from Kolkata metropolis, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazumdar, Subhendu; Ghose, Dipankar; Saha, Goutam Kumar

    2017-12-14

    Although Black Kites (Milvus migrans govinda) serve as major scavenging raptor in most of the urban areas, scientific studies on this important ecosystem service provider are almost non-existent in Indian context. The present study was carried out in a metropolis in eastern India to find out the factors influencing relative abundance and roosting site selection of Black Kites. Separate generalized linear models (GLMs) were performed considering encounter rate and roosting Black Kite abundance as response variables. The study conclusively indicated that encounter rates of Black Kites were significantly influenced by the presence of garbage dumps in its vicinity. Numbers of Black Kites were also higher in the roosting sites situated closer to garbage dumps and open spaces. In addition, expected counts of Black Kites significantly increased in roosting sites situated away from buildings and water bodies. However, built-up area and tree cover around the roosting sites had no influence on the abundance of Black Kites therein. With rapid urbanization and changing offal disposal patterns, our findings would be useful to ensure continued availability of food and roosting sites of Black Kites in urban areas.

  12. Rapid geomagnetic field intensity variations in the Near East during the 6th millennium BC: New archeointensity data from Halafian site Yarim Tepe II (Northern Iraq)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yutsis-Akimova, Stanislava; Gallet, Yves; Amirov, Shahmardan

    2018-01-01

    We present new archeointensity results from a series of groups of pottery fragments that were collected from the multi-layered archeological site Yarim Tepe II in Northern Iraq (Northern Mesopotamia) dated to the 6th millennium BC. This site comprises a 7-m-thick sequence of archeological deposits encompassing the Middle Halaf, Late Halaf and the Halaf-Ubaid Transitional (HUT), between ∼5750 and ∼5000 BC according to the chronology currently considered for the Halafian archeological period. Three new radiocarbon dates obtained from bone fragments confirm that Yarim Tepe II was likely not occupied before the Middle Halaf, as was independently established from archeological constraints. Archeointensity determinations were carried out using the protocol developed for the Triaxe magnetometer. This procedure takes into account thermoremanent magnetization anisotropy and cooling rate effects. 114 fragments fulfilled our set of archeointensity selection criteria, with intensity data obtained from at least two but most often three specimens per fragment. Mean archeointensity values were estimated for 23 groups of fragments well distributed across the entire stratigraphic sequence from the averaging of the data obtained from a minimum of three fragments per group. These values were dated using a bootstrap procedure relying on the stratigraphic position of the different groups of fragments and on the different age constraints available inside the Yarim Tepe II sequence. The new data show a significant decrease in geomagnetic field intensity by ∼12 μT between the Middle Halaf and the Late Halaf-HUT time interval. This decrease was accompanied by a short intensity peak, which may have lasted only a few decades, around the Middle Halaf-Late Halaf boundary, at ∼5500 BC. This evolution is quite similar to that observed from Syrian and Bulgarian archeointensity data, even though the precise duration of the intensity peak is presently questionable. The Bulgarian data set

  13. Rapid sequence divergence rates in the 5 prime regulatory regions of young Drosophila melanogaster duplicate gene pairs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael H. Kohn

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available While it remains a matter of some debate, rapid sequence evolution of the coding sequences of duplicate genes is characteristic for early phases past duplication, but long established duplicates generally evolve under constraint, much like the rest of the coding genome. As for coding sequences, it may be possible to infer evolutionary rate, selection, and constraint via contrasts between duplicate gene divergence in the 5 prime regions and in the corresponding synonymous site divergence in the coding regions. Finding elevated rates for the 5 prime regions of duplicated genes, in addition to the coding regions, would enable statements regarding the early processes of duplicate gene evolution. Here, 1 kb of each of the 5 prime regulatory regions of Drosophila melanogaster duplicate gene pairs were mapped onto one another to isolate shared sequence blocks. Genetic distances within shared sequence blocks (d5’ were found to increase as a function of synonymous (dS, and to a lesser extend, amino-acid (dA site divergence between duplicates. The rate d5’/dS was found to rapidly decay from values > 1 in young duplicate pairs (dS 0.8. Such rapid rates of 5 prime evolution exceeding 1 (~neutral predominantly were found to occur in duplicate pairs with low amino-acid site divergence and that tended to be co-regulated when assayed on microarrays. Conceivably, functional redundancy and relaxation of selective constraint facilitates subsequent positive selection on the 5 prime regions of young duplicate genes. This might promote the evolution of new functions (neofunctionalization or division of labor among duplicate genes (subfunctionalization. In contrast, similar to the vast portion of the non-coding genome, the 5 prime regions of long-established gene duplicates appear to evolve under selective constraint, indicating that these long-established gene duplicates have assumed critical functions.

  14. Characterization of Hepatitis C Virus genotype 3a Hypervariable region 1 in patients achieved rapid virological response to alpha interferon and Ribavirin Combination therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Badar Sadaf

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hepatitis C virus roots a chronic liver disease. Currently approved treatment strategy includes administration of alpha interferon and ribavirin combined therapy for 24-48 weeks. One of the predictor of sustained virological response is an early virological response to treatment characterized as rapid response. Hyper variable region 1 (HVR1 of E2 protein is responsible for viral entry and acts as a target for neutralizing antibodies. Any mutation in this region would effect virus interaction with target cell and viral persistence. Methods Thirty one clones of six pre-treatment samples subjected to combination therapy were investigated. Three of the patients were rapid responders (R1, R2 and R3 and two were breakthrough responders (BT1 and BT2. Envelope 2 gene was amplified, cloned and sequenced. Amino acid substitution, frequency, composition and antigenic properties of HVR 1 of E2 protein were studied. Results In both rapid responders (R.R (14 amino acid sites and breakthrough responders (BT.R (13 amino acid sites half of the amino acid sites were either conserved or resistant to any physiochemical change due to amino acid substitution. It also indicated that average composition of hydrophilic and basic amino acids were comparatively lower in rapid responders than other samples affecting probable interaction of virus with target cells. A central non antigenic region was constant among the breakthrough responders but differed in length significantly among rapid responders reflecting the adaptive nature of HVR1 to the immune response. Conclusions We observed that although HVR1is quite variable region in HCV 3a patients responding differently to treatment it still maintains its physiochemical properties for its proper functioning and viability.

  15. Rapid Assessment of Ecosystem Service Co-Benefits of Biodiversity Priority Areas in Madagascar.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel A Neugarten

    Full Text Available The importance of ecosystems for supporting human well-being is increasingly recognized by both the conservation and development sectors. Our ability to conserve ecosystems that people rely on is often limited by a lack of spatially explicit data on the location and distribution of ecosystem services (ES, the benefits provided by nature to people. Thus there is a need to map ES to guide conservation investments, to ensure these co-benefits are maintained. To target conservation investments most effectively, ES assessments must be rigorous enough to support conservation planning, rapid enough to respond to decision-making timelines, and often must rely on existing data. We developed a framework for rapid spatial assessment of ES that relies on expert and stakeholder consultation, available data, and spatial analyses in order to rapidly identify sites providing multiple benefits. We applied the framework in Madagascar, a country with globally significant biodiversity and a high level of human dependence on ecosystems. Our objective was to identify the ES co-benefits of biodiversity priority areas in order to guide the investment strategy of a global conservation fund. We assessed key provisioning (fisheries, hunting and non-timber forest products, and water for domestic use, agriculture, and hydropower, regulating (climate mitigation, flood risk reduction and coastal protection, and cultural (nature tourism ES. We also conducted multi-criteria analyses to identify sites providing multiple benefits. While our approach has limitations, including the reliance on proximity-based indicators for several ES, the results were useful for targeting conservation investments by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF. Because our approach relies on available data, standardized methods for linking ES provision to ES use, and expert validation, it has the potential to quickly guide conservation planning and investment decisions in other data-poor regions.

  16. Rapid Assessment of Ecosystem Service Co-Benefits of Biodiversity Priority Areas in Madagascar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andriamaro, Luciano; Cano, Carlos Andres; Grantham, Hedley S.; Hole, David; Juhn, Daniel; McKinnon, Madeleine; Rasolohery, Andriambolantsoa; Steininger, Marc; Wright, Timothy Max

    2016-01-01

    The importance of ecosystems for supporting human well-being is increasingly recognized by both the conservation and development sectors. Our ability to conserve ecosystems that people rely on is often limited by a lack of spatially explicit data on the location and distribution of ecosystem services (ES), the benefits provided by nature to people. Thus there is a need to map ES to guide conservation investments, to ensure these co-benefits are maintained. To target conservation investments most effectively, ES assessments must be rigorous enough to support conservation planning, rapid enough to respond to decision-making timelines, and often must rely on existing data. We developed a framework for rapid spatial assessment of ES that relies on expert and stakeholder consultation, available data, and spatial analyses in order to rapidly identify sites providing multiple benefits. We applied the framework in Madagascar, a country with globally significant biodiversity and a high level of human dependence on ecosystems. Our objective was to identify the ES co-benefits of biodiversity priority areas in order to guide the investment strategy of a global conservation fund. We assessed key provisioning (fisheries, hunting and non-timber forest products, and water for domestic use, agriculture, and hydropower), regulating (climate mitigation, flood risk reduction and coastal protection), and cultural (nature tourism) ES. We also conducted multi-criteria analyses to identify sites providing multiple benefits. While our approach has limitations, including the reliance on proximity-based indicators for several ES, the results were useful for targeting conservation investments by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF). Because our approach relies on available data, standardized methods for linking ES provision to ES use, and expert validation, it has the potential to quickly guide conservation planning and investment decisions in other data-poor regions. PMID:28006005

  17. Rapid and ultrasensitive colorimetric detection of mercury(II) by chemically initiated aggregation of gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Yinji; Chen, Wei; Yao, Li; Deng, Yi; Pan, Daodong; Cao, Jinxuan; Ogabiela, Edward; Adeloju, Samuel B.

    2015-01-01

    The article describes a method for rapid and visual determination of Hg(II) ion using unmodified gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs). It involves the addition of Au-NPs to a solution containing Hg(II) ions which, however, does not induce a color change. Next, a solution of lysine is added which induces the aggregation of the Au-NPs and causes the color of the solution to change from wine-red to purple. The whole on-site detection process can be executed in less than 15 min. Other amines (ethylenediamine, arginine, and melamine) were also investigated with respect to their capability to induce aggregation. Notably, only amines containing more than one amino group were found to be effective, but a 0.4 μM and pH 8 solution of lysine was found to give the best results. The detection limits for Hg (II) are 8.4 pM (for instrumental read-out) and 10 pM (for visual read-out). To the best of our knowledge, this LOD is better than those reported for any other existing rapid screening methods. The assay is not interfered by the presence of other common metal ions even if present in 1000-fold excess over Hg(II) concentration. It was successfully applied to the determination of Hg(II) in spiked tap water samples. We perceive that this method provides an excellent tool for rapid and ultrasensitive on-site determination of Hg(II) ions at low cost, with relative ease and minimal operation. (author)

  18. The accumulation of a platelet protein, thrombospondin, at the site of arterial thrombus formation: Preliminary report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perlman, S.B.; Hammes, R.J.; Besozzi, M.C.; Folts, J.D.; Mosher, D.F.

    1987-01-01

    There are many methods available for the detection of thrombosis, none of which are noninvasive, rapid and accurate. Thrombosponding is a platelet protein that is present in the developing thrombus and may be an effective substance to use for imaging thrombosis. Vascular stenosis and thrombosis were produced in coronary, carotid and femoral arteries in eleven adult mongrel dogs. 131 I labeled thrombosponding was administered to each animal to determine whether the radiotracer accumulated at the site of thrombus formation. The radioactivity per gram of vessels with thrombi was significantly different from the control vessels or whole blood (p=0.0037 and p=0.015, respectively, paired t-test). This preliminary work suggests that iodinated thrombosponding accumulates at the site of thrombus formation. Labeled thrombosponding may be a rapid, safe and accurate method of detecting arterial thrombosis. (orig.)

  19. Development of a rapid "fingerprinting" system for wine authenticity by mid-infrared spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bevin, Christopher J; Fergusson, Allison J; Perry, Wade B; Janik, Leslie J; Cozzolino, Daniel

    2006-12-27

    This paper reports on the development of a rapid and simple method for red wine authenticity confirmation during transport and processing; namely, a wine "fingerprinting" system. When wine is transported between two sites, a sample is taken and a mid-infrared (MIR) spectrum is obtained. One hundred sixty-one (n = 161) samples of three main red wine varieties grown in Australia, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, were collected from six commercial wineries across Australia and scanned in transmission on two MIR spectrophotometers located at The Hardy Wine Company's main site at Reynella, South Australia (Foss WineScan FT 120) (926-5012 cm-1). A similarity index (SI) method was used as a tool to classify wine samples on the basis of their spectral data. The results showed that high rates of classification were obtained when wine samples scanned in different instruments were analyzed. The SI has been proven to provide an acceptable measurement for authentication of red wine integrity during transportation. In five of the six winery data sets, the SI correctly classified 98% of the wines. It was also observed that less than 1% of wines were misclassified between the different wineries investigated. Further studies are needed in order to test the applicability of the SI in a commercial situation and to evaluate its potential as a rapid quality control tool for routine use to authenticate wine samples during transport.

  20. A rapid assessment survey of invasive species of macrobenthic invertebrates in Korean waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Chul; Kim, Sung-Tae; Hong, Jae-Sang; Choi, Keun-Hyung

    2017-09-01

    Introduced species are a growing and imminent threat to living marine resources in parts of the world's oceans. The present study is a rapid assessment survey of invasive macrobenthic invertebrate species in Korean ports. We surveyed over 40 ports around Korea during the period of May 2010 March 2013. Among the sampling sites were concrete walls, docks and associated floats, bumpers, tires, and ropes which might harbor non-native species. We found 15 invasive species as follows: one Sponge, two Bryozoans, three Mollusks, one Polychaete, four Cirripedes, and four Ascidians. Three morphologically similar species, namely X. atrata, M. galloprovincialis, and X. securis were further examined for distinctions in their morphology. Although they could be reasonably distinguished based on shell shapes, significant overlap was noted so that additional analysis may be required to correctly distinguish them. Although many of the introduced species have already spread to all three coastal areas, newly arrived invasive species showed a relatively restricted range, with a serpulid polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus and a mytilid bivalve Xenostrobus securis found only at a few sites on the East Coast. An exception is for Balanus perforatus, which has rapidly colonized the East coast of Korea following its introduction into the region. Successful management of invasive macrobenthic invertebrates should be established in order to contain the spread of these newly arrived species.

  1. Probing binding hot spots at protein-RNA recognition sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barik, Amita; Nithin, Chandran; Karampudi, Naga Bhushana Rao; Mukherjee, Sunandan; Bahadur, Ranjit Prasad

    2016-01-29

    We use evolutionary conservation derived from structure alignment of polypeptide sequences along with structural and physicochemical attributes of protein-RNA interfaces to probe the binding hot spots at protein-RNA recognition sites. We find that the degree of conservation varies across the RNA binding proteins; some evolve rapidly compared to others. Additionally, irrespective of the structural class of the complexes, residues at the RNA binding sites are evolutionary better conserved than those at the solvent exposed surfaces. For recognitions involving duplex RNA, residues interacting with the major groove are better conserved than those interacting with the minor groove. We identify multi-interface residues participating simultaneously in protein-protein and protein-RNA interfaces in complexes where more than one polypeptide is involved in RNA recognition, and show that they are better conserved compared to any other RNA binding residues. We find that the residues at water preservation site are better conserved than those at hydrated or at dehydrated sites. Finally, we develop a Random Forests model using structural and physicochemical attributes for predicting binding hot spots. The model accurately predicts 80% of the instances of experimental ΔΔG values in a particular class, and provides a stepping-stone towards the engineering of protein-RNA recognition sites with desired affinity. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  2. Down-regulation of endothelin binding sites in rat vascular smooth muscle cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roubert, P.; Gillard, V.; Plas, P.; Chabrier, P.E.; Braquet, P.

    1990-01-01

    In cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells, [ 125 I]endothelin (ET-1) bound to an apparent single class of high affinity recognition sites with a dissociation constant of 1.84 +/- 0.29 nmol/L and a maximum binding of 62 +/- 10.5 fmol/10(6) cells. The binding was not affected by calcium antagonists or vasoactive substances, including angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, atrial natriuretic factor and bradykinin. Exposure of the cells to ET-1 (0.01 nmol/L to 10 nmol/L) resulted in an apparent dose-dependent reduction of the number of endothelin binding sites with no significant modification of its binding affinity. The time course of the down-regulation of ET-1 binding sites showed that this effect was present after 30 min incubation and persisted after 18 h. This indicates that down-regulation of ET-1 binding sites can modulate the activity of ET-1 and suggests a rapid internalization of ET-1 in vascular cells

  3. Effect of Unshaven Hair with Absorbable Sutures and Early Postoperative Shampoo on Cranial Surgery Site Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Won-Oak; Yeom, Insun; Kim, Dong-Seok; Park, Eun-Kyung; Shim, Kyu-Won

    2018-01-01

    Cranial surgical site infection is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitals. Preoperative hair shaving for cranial neurosurgical procedures is performed traditionally in an attempt to protect patients against complications from infections at cranial surgical sites. However, preoperative shaving of surgical incision sites using traditional surgical blades without properly washing the head after surgery can cause infections at surgical sites. Therefore, a rapid protocol in which the scalp remains unshaven and absorbable sutures are used for scalp closure with early postoperative shampooing is examined in this study. A retrospective comparative study was conducted from January 2008 to December 2012. A total of 2,641 patients who underwent unshaven cranial surgery with absorbable sutures for scalp closure were enrolled in this study. Data of 1,882 patients who underwent surgery with the traditional protocol from January 2005 to December 2007 were also analyzed for comparison. Of 2,641 patients who underwent cranial surgery with the rapid protocol, all but 2 (0.07%) patients experienced satisfactory wound healing. Of 1,882 patients who underwent cranial surgery with the traditional protocol, 3 patients (0.15%) had infections. Each infection occurred at the superficial incisional surgical site. Unshaven cranial surgery using absorbable sutures for scalp closure with early postoperative shampooing is safe and effective in the cranial neurosurgery setting. This protocol has a positive psychological effect. It can help patients accept neurosurgical procedures and improve their self-image after the operation. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. GIS-based rapid-assessment of bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (Richardson, 1845) suitability in reservoirs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, James M.; Liang, Yu; Shoup, Daniel E.; Dzialowski, Andrew R.; Bidwell, Joseph R.

    2014-01-01

    Broad-scale niche models are good for examining the potential for invasive species occurrences, but can fall short in providing managers with site-specific locations for monitoring. Using Oklahoma as an example, where invasive bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) are established in certain reservoirs, but predicted to be widely distributed based on broad-scale niche models, we cast bighead carp reproductive ecology in a site-specific geospatial framework to determine their potential establishment in additional reservoirs. Because bighead carp require large, long free-flowing rivers with suitable hydrology for reproduction but can persist in reservoirs, we considered reservoir tributaries with mean annual daily discharge ≥8.5 cubic meters per second (m3 /s) and quantified the length of their unimpeded portions. In contrast to published broad-scale niche models that identified nearly the entire state as susceptible to invasion, our site-specific models showed that few reservoirs in Oklahoma (N = 9) were suitable for bighead carp establishment. Moreover, this method was rapid and identified sites that could be prioritized for increased study or scrutiny. Our results highlight the importance of considering the environmental characteristics of individual sites, which is often the level at which management efforts are implemented when assessing susceptibility to invasion.

  5. Multiple gingival pregnancy tumors with rapid growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Lian Sun

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Pregnancy gingivitis is an acute form of gingivitis that affects pregnant women, with a prevalence of 30%, possibly ranging up to 100%. Sometimes, pregnancy gingivitis shows a tendency toward a localized hyperplasia called gingival pyogenic granuloma. Pregnancy tumor is a benign gingival hyperplasia with the gingiva as the most commonly involved site, but rarely it involves almost the entire gingiva. A 22-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with a chief complaint of gingival swelling that had lasted for 2 days. The lesions progressed rapidly and extensively, and almost all the gingiva was involved a week later. Generalized erythema, edema, hyperplasia, a hemorrhagic tendency, and several typical hemangiomatous masses were noted. Pregnancy was denied by the patient at the first and second visits, but was confirmed 2 weeks after the primary visit. The patient was given oral hygiene instructions. She recovered well, and the mass gradually regressed and had disappeared completely at the end of 12 weeks of pregnancy, without recurrence. The gingival lesions were finally diagnosed as multiple gingival pregnancy tumors. The patient delivered a healthy infant. An extensive and rapid growth of gingival pregnancy tumors during the early first month of pregnancy is a rare occurrence that is not familiar to dentists, gynecologists, and obstetricians. Those practitioners engaged in oral medicine and periodontology, primary care obstetrics, and gynecology should be aware of such gingival lesions to avoid misdiagnosis and overtreatment.

  6. Evaluation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for rapid on-site detection of horse meat

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aartse, Aafke; Scholtens-Toma, Ingrid; A, van der Hans J.G.; Boersma-Greve, Monique M.; Prins, Theo W.; Ginkel, van Leen A.; Kok, Esther J.; Bovee, Toine F.H.

    2017-01-01

    Detection of horse DNA by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) seems one of the most promising methods to meet the criteria of fast, robust, cost efficient, specific, and sensitive on-site detection. In the present study an assessment of the specificity and sensitivity of the LAMP horse

  7. Remote experimental site concept for diagnostic collaborations in fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casper, T.A.

    1991-08-01

    The next generation of tokamaks, ITER or BPX, will be characterized by an even greater emphasis on joint operation and experimentation. With anticipation of an increased number and diversity of collaborations, especially in the area of diagnostics, we are preparing for such shared facilities by developing a systematic approach to remote, joint physics operation involving experimental teams at several locations. The local area network of computers used for control and data acquisition on present and future experiments can be extended over a wide area network to provide a mechanism for remote operation of subsystems (e.g. diagnostics) required for physics experiments. The technology required for high bandwidth (≥45Mbps) connections between multiple sites either exists or will be available over the next few years. With the rapid development of high performance workstations, network interfaces, distributed computing, and video conferencing, we can proceed with the development of a system of control and analysis sites to provide for consistent, efficient, and continuing collaborations. Early establishment of such sites could also enhance existing joint design and development efforts

  8. Evaluation of the diagnostic performance and operational characteristics of four rapid immunochromatographic syphilis tests in Burkina Faso.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bocoum, Fadima Yaya; Ouédraogo, Henri; Tarnagda, Grissoum; Kiba, Alice; Tiendrebeogo, Simon; Bationo, Fabrice; Liestman, Benjamin; Diagbouga, Serge; Zarowsky, Christina; Traoré, Ramata Ouédraogo; Kouanda, Séni

    2015-06-01

    Little information is available on the rapid diagnostic testing for syphilis in Burkina Faso. The objectives of the study were (i) to assess the sensitivity and specificity of four on site rapid tests in comparison with Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) as a gold standard and (ii) to evaluate the operational characteristics of those tests among health workers in a maternity unit. Four rapid syphilis tests commercially available in Burkina Faso were evaluated using archived serum samples and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) as the gold standard. Blood samples were collected between November 2011 and June 2012 from blood donors at the Regional Blood Transfusion Center of Ouagadougou. The sensitivity and specificity of the tests were calculated. Evaluation of operational characteristics such as clarity of pamphlet, complexity of technique, duration, was conducted in a first-level healthcare center with health workers in maternity unit. Alere DetermineTM Syphilis was the most sensitive of the four rapid syphilis tests evaluated. It was followed by SD Bioline Syphilis 3.0, Cypress Diagnostics Syphilis Quick test and Accu-Tell ® Rapid Anti-TP, which was the least sensitive. The four tests demonstrated a good diagnostic specificity for syphilis (95-98%), and healthcare workers found them easy to use. The study allowed confirming the good performance of three of four rapid syphilis tests in Burkina Faso. More research will be conducted to assess the feasibility of introducing selected rapid tests for syphilis in antenatal care services.

  9. Detection of reverse transcriptase termination sites using cDNA ligation and massive parallel sequencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kielpinski, Lukasz J; Boyd, Mette; Sandelin, Albin

    2013-01-01

    Detection of reverse transcriptase termination sites is important in many different applications, such as structural probing of RNAs, rapid amplification of cDNA 5' ends (5' RACE), cap analysis of gene expression, and detection of RNA modifications and protein-RNA cross-links. The throughput...... of these methods can be increased by applying massive parallel sequencing technologies.Here, we describe a versatile method for detection of reverse transcriptase termination sites based on ligation of an adapter to the 3' end of cDNA with bacteriophage TS2126 RNA ligase (CircLigase™). In the following PCR...

  10. The office of prophets as an emergency measure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph J. de Bruyn

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Initially there was not supposed to be a prophetic office in Israel. ‘Prophetism’ was considered to be part of work that the priests performed. Thus, the priests were seen to be acting as prophets. Generally speaking, the prophets of the Old Testament are described as people who preached the Word of God. In the same way, priests are generally described as people who fulfilled functions at the temple and whose task it was to sacrifice on behalf of the Israelites. This article, however, argues that Yahweh intended much more through the establishment and ministry of the priests than merely administer sacrifices. It is the contention that Yahweh ordained the office of priests to preach the Word of God or to give advice in accordance with the will of Yahweh as it is documented in the Torah. The article’s contribution to the subject of prophetism in Israel will begin by studying the chronological history of Israel as it is described in the Hebrew Bible. The terms prophet, prophecy and prophetism will also be examined as they are used in the Hebrew Bible. By doing so, the article will show that it was only when the priests failed in their prophetic calling or when Yahweh wanted to change the cult or political establishment that He called people from outside of the established cult to fulfil the role of prophet. Yahweh used the prophetic office in times of need. One may call it an emergency measure – in times when the priests failed in their calling. Die bedoeling was aanvanklik nie dat daar ’n profetiese amp in Israel moes wees nie. ‘Profetisme’ was veronderstel om deel van die priesterlike amp te wees. Die priesters het dus as profete opgetree. Oor die algemeen word die Ou-Testamentiese profete as persone beskryf wat die Woord van God verkondig het. Op ’n soortgelyke algemene wyse word priesters as persone beskryf wat hulle werk by die tempel verrig het en wie se taak dit was om namens die Israeliete te offer. Hierdie artikel

  11. Continuous feed, on-site composting of kitchen garbage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Eung-Ju; Shin, Hang-Sik; Tay, Joo-Hwa

    2002-04-01

    Kitchen garbage generated at a school cafeteria was treated and stabilised in a controlled on-site composting unit for volume reduction and on-site utilisation of processed garbage. The on-site composter was fed with the garbage on a daily basis during the two-months experimental period. Compost was not removed from the unit but was entirely reused as a bulking agent in order to minimise the need for additional bulking agent and compost handling. Performance of the composter tinder this condition was investigated. Most of the easily degradable organic matter (EDM) in the garbage was biodegraded rapidly, and the final product had a low content of EDM. Lipids, total sugar, and hemi-cellulose were degraded 96%, 81%, and 66% respectively. Free air space (FAS) was higher than 0.5 all the time, so accumulation of dry matter in the unit was not significant in reducing reaction efficiency. Other reaction parameters such as pH and MC were kept within a suitable range; however, it was advisable to maintain MC at over 46%. As a result, this method of operation was able to stabilise the garbage with low sawdust demand and little compost production.

  12. The knowledge-based off-site emergency response system for a nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ho, L.W.; Loa, W.W.; Wang, C.L.

    1987-01-01

    A knowledge-based expert system for a nuclear power plant off-site emergency response system is described. The system incorporates the knowledge about the nuclear power plant behaviours, site environment and site geographic factors, etc. The system is developed using Chinshan nuclear power station of Taipower Company, Taiwan, ROC as a representative model. The objectives of developing this system are to provide an automated intelligent system with functions of accident simulation, prediction and with learning capabilities to supplement the actions of the emergency planners and accident managers in order to protect the plant personnel and the surrounding population, and prevent or mitigate property damages resulting from the plant accident. The system is capable of providing local and national authorities with rapid retrieval data from the site characteristics and accident progression. The system can also provide the framework for allocation of available resources and can handle the uncertainties in data and models

  13. CanWEA regional issues and wind energy project siting : mountainous areas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Entremont, M. [Jacques Whitford Ltd., Vancouver, BC (Canada)]|[Axys Environmental Consulting Ltd., Vancouver, BC (Canada)

    2008-07-01

    Planning and permitting considerations for wind energy project siting in mountainous areas were discussed. Mountainous regions have a specific set of environmental and socio-economic concerns. Potential disruptions to wildlife, noise, and visual impacts are a primary concern in the assessment of potential wind farm projects. Alpine habitats are unique and often contain fragile and endangered species. Reclamation techniques for mountainous habitats have not been extensively tested, and the sites are not as resilient as sites located in other ecosystems. In addition, alpine habitats are often migratory corridors and breeding grounds for threatened or endangered birds. In the winter months, alpine habitats are used by caribou, grizzly bears, and wolverine dens. Bats are also present at high elevations. It is often difficult to conduct baseline and monitoring studies in mountainous areas since alpine habitat is subject to rapid weather changes, and has a very short construction period. tabs., figs.

  14. Applications of high transition temperature superconductors at the Savannah River Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Payne, J.E.; Payne, L.L.

    1993-04-01

    The first year of the research program involved evaluating the applications of high transition temperature superconducting devices at the Savannah River Site and initiating the development of high T c circuit elements that might be of use in programs at the site. Although during the course of this year there were major changes in the direction of and areas of interest at the Savannah River Site, it has been possible to accomplish the first year goals. The technology required to produce a useful nitrogen temperature SQUID for applications such as those that might be encountered at the site has developed more rapidly than was anticipated. This has made it possible to begin the initial studies with a high T c device as opposed to starting with the helium temperature SQUID. This will have an important impact on the outcome of the project by allowing for a more complete evaluation of a device that can be used in an industrial situation. The goals of the first year of the project are listed and will be addressed in this report

  15. Uranium characterization at the St. Louis Airport Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schilk, A.J.; Hubbard, C.W.; Bowyer, T.W.; Reiman, R.T.

    1995-05-01

    In support of the Department of Energy/Office of Technology Development's Expedited Site Characterization (ESC) project (coordinated by Ames Laboratory), the Pacific Northwest Laboratory demonstrated two complementary technologies at the St. Louis Airport (SLAP) site that have been designed and optimized for the rapid, in situ quantification of radionuclide contamination in surface soils. The sensors are optimized for the detection of high-energy beta particles or gamma rays emitted from the decay of specific radionuclides of interest. These technologies were demonstrated by measuring the beta and gamma fluxes at several locations within the SLAP site. Measurements were converted to average contamination levels, using detector calibrations performed with spiked samples (beta) or sealed sources (gamma). Additionally, subsurface activity levels were derived from discrete soil samples (provided by the ESC field crew) via gamma-ray spectrometry in a controlled laboratory setting. Since the beta and gamma sensor technologies are intrinsically sensitive to different types of radiation and activity distributions (i.e., surface and shallow subsurface, respectively), the data obtained from the two detectors provide complementary information about the distribution of the contamination. The results reported here suggest that a number of locations within the SLAP site have elevated levels of 211 U, and the differences between the beta and gamma activities indicate that the contamination is largely located near the surface of the soil

  16. José Bento Leite Ferreira de Melo, padre e político o Liberalismo moderado no extremo sul de Minas Gerais José Bento Leite Ferreira de Melo, priest and politic moderated Liberalism in the Minas southern

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isaías Pascoal

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo procura explicitar a trajetória política do Pe. José Bento Leite Ferreira de Mello. Após atuar em várias legislaturas como deputado, foi escolhido senador em 1834 pela Regência. José Bento foi, por mais de 20 anos, um dos mais importantes representantes políticos do sul de Minas. Sua ação foi ampla. Padre, vereador, jornalista, criador de Partido Liberal em várias vilas do sul de Minas, criador da Sociedade Defensora da Independência e Liberdade Nacional, deputado e, finalmente, senador. Tornou-se o mais expressivo articulador político dos interesses da elite sul-mineira na Corte, ao mesmo tempo em que a engajava nos desafios da luta pela constituição do Estado Nacional brasileiro na versão desejada pelos liberais moderados.This article intent to show the politic trajectory of Pe. José Bento Leite Ferreira de Mello. After acting in various legislatures as deputy, he was chosen senator in 1834 by the Regency. José Bento was, for over 20 years, one of the most important politic representative of the south of Minas. His action was wide. Priest, counselor, journalist, creator of Liberal Party in different villages of the south of Minas, creator of the Protector Society of Independency and National Freedom, deputy and, finally, senator. He became the most expressive politic articulator of the south-miner elite in the Corte, at the same time that he was engaging it in the challenges of the fight for the constitution of the Brazilian National State in the version desired by the moderated liberals.

  17. Developing rapid methods for analyzing upland riparian functions and values.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hruby, Thomas

    2009-06-01

    Regulators protecting riparian areas need to understand the integrity, health, beneficial uses, functions, and values of this resource. Up to now most methods providing information about riparian areas are based on analyzing condition or integrity. These methods, however, provide little information about functions and values. Different methods are needed that specifically address this aspect of riparian areas. In addition to information on functions and values, regulators have very specific needs that include: an analysis at the site scale, low cost, usability, and inclusion of policy interpretations. To meet these needs a rapid method has been developed that uses a multi-criteria decision matrix to categorize riparian areas in Washington State, USA. Indicators are used to identify the potential of the site to provide a function, the potential of the landscape to support the function, and the value the function provides to society. To meet legal needs fixed boundaries for assessment units are established based on geomorphology, the distance from "Ordinary High Water Mark" and different categories of land uses. Assessment units are first classified based on ecoregions, geomorphic characteristics, and land uses. This simplifies the data that need to be collected at a site, but it requires developing and calibrating a separate model for each "class." The approach to developing methods is adaptable to other locations as its basic structure is not dependent on local conditions.

  18. Geohydrologic problems at low-level radioactive waste disposal sites in the United States of America

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, J.N.; Robertson, J.B.

    1984-01-01

    Several commercial and US Department of Energy low-level radioactive waste disposal sites in the USA have not adequately contained the waste products. Studies of these sites indicate a number of causes for the problems, including water accumulation in filled trenches, breaches of trench cap integrity, erosion, high water table, hydrogeological complexity, flooding, complex leachate chemistry, and rapid radionuclide migration in groundwater. These problems can be avoided through the application of practical, comprehensive, and common sense earth-science guidelines discussed in this paper. (author)

  19. On-site investigations of hydrocarbon contaminated soil by the Pollut-Eval methodology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benoit, Y.; Prigent, S.; Haeseler, F.

    2005-01-01

    The Pollut-Eval method is based on the Rock-Eval pyrolysis method, founded on an IFP patent that has been used for decades for oil prospecting in sedimentary basins all over the world. This equipment provides data on the quantity and the quality of organic matter in sedimentary rocks. With the increasing demand for cost effective and rapid contaminated site diagnosis, it became obvious that the field of application of the Rock-Eval technology should be enlarged to environmental problematic. The Pollut-Eval methodology was developed since 1996 and firstly qualified through the design of a laboratory version. Compared to the previous apparatus dedicated to the geochemistry, innovations allow acquisition of data for accurate quantification of complex organic pollutants and mineral carbon distribution. New methods were developed especially for the characterisation of hydrocarbon pollutants in soil. Compared to kerogen analysis, the characterisation of light petroleum cuts entrapped in soil as pollutants was available by the design of an adapted refrigerated auto-sampler. The prevention of the loss of the high vapour tension pollutants couldn't be avoided for the new environmental field of applications. Site after site, the various experiments involving the 'laboratory' version of the Pollut-Eval analyser extended the application field of the methodology. The efficiency of the thermal extraction applied directly on the soil showed useful advantages compared to conventional solvent extraction techniques, especially for pollutants originating from former gas plants. The method was especially suitable for the determination of the complete carbon mass balance in the case of non-extractable organic pollutant such as coal tar or for heavy petroleum cut such as heavy fuel, vacuum distillation residue and bitumen. By the way, the Pollut-Eval method became rapidly complementary to more conventional GC quantification dedicated to complex organic pollution characterisation. By the

  20. Impurity and Purification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aktor, Mikael

    2018-01-01

    for the clients, and an internal social control mechanism. The chapter discusses the historical origins of this theme in the dharmaśāstra literature and gives an overview and examples of the fine-tuned vocabulary and systematic typology of these rules. To observe them demanded all-round control of the mental......Ritual purity was the self-proclaimed foundation of the authority of the Brahmin authors of dharmaśāstra (Hindu Law Literature) and the priestly class in general. Observance of purity rules was at the same time a social display of Brahmin exclusivity, a guarantee of meritorious priestly services...

  1. Multivalent peptidic linker enables identification of preferred sites of conjugation for a potent thialanstatin antibody drug conjugate.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujiet Puthenveetil

    Full Text Available Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs are no longer an unknown entity in the field of cancer therapy with the success of marketed ADCs like ADCETRIS and KADCYLA and numerous others advancing through clinical trials. The pursuit of novel cytotoxic payloads beyond the mictotubule inhibitors and DNA damaging agents has led us to the recent discovery of an mRNA splicing inhibitor, thailanstatin, as a potent ADC payload. In our previous work, we observed that the potency of this payload was uniquely tied to the method of conjugation, with lysine conjugates showing much superior potency as compared to cysteine conjugates. However, the ADC field is rapidly shifting towards site-specific ADCs due to their advantages in manufacturability, characterization and safety. In this work we report the identification of a highly efficacious site-specific thailanstatin ADC. The site of conjugation played a critical role on both the in vitro and in vivo potency of these ADCs. During the course of this study, we developed a novel methodology of loading a single site with multiple payloads using an in situ generated multi-drug carrying peptidic linker that allowed us to rapidly screen for optimal conjugation sites. Using this methodology, we were able to identify a double-cysteine mutant ADC delivering four-loaded thailanstatin that was very efficacious in a gastric cancer xenograft model at 3mg/kg and was also shown to be efficacious against T-DM1 resistant and MDR1 overexpressing tumor cell lines.

  2. Multivalent peptidic linker enables identification of preferred sites of conjugation for a potent thialanstatin antibody drug conjugate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puthenveetil, Sujiet; He, Haiyin; Loganzo, Frank; Musto, Sylvia; Teske, Jesse; Green, Michael; Tan, Xingzhi; Hosselet, Christine; Lucas, Judy; Tumey, L Nathan; Sapra, Puja; Subramanyam, Chakrapani; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Graziani, Edmund I

    2017-01-01

    Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are no longer an unknown entity in the field of cancer therapy with the success of marketed ADCs like ADCETRIS and KADCYLA and numerous others advancing through clinical trials. The pursuit of novel cytotoxic payloads beyond the mictotubule inhibitors and DNA damaging agents has led us to the recent discovery of an mRNA splicing inhibitor, thailanstatin, as a potent ADC payload. In our previous work, we observed that the potency of this payload was uniquely tied to the method of conjugation, with lysine conjugates showing much superior potency as compared to cysteine conjugates. However, the ADC field is rapidly shifting towards site-specific ADCs due to their advantages in manufacturability, characterization and safety. In this work we report the identification of a highly efficacious site-specific thailanstatin ADC. The site of conjugation played a critical role on both the in vitro and in vivo potency of these ADCs. During the course of this study, we developed a novel methodology of loading a single site with multiple payloads using an in situ generated multi-drug carrying peptidic linker that allowed us to rapidly screen for optimal conjugation sites. Using this methodology, we were able to identify a double-cysteine mutant ADC delivering four-loaded thailanstatin that was very efficacious in a gastric cancer xenograft model at 3mg/kg and was also shown to be efficacious against T-DM1 resistant and MDR1 overexpressing tumor cell lines.

  3. Engineering a horseradish peroxidase C stable to radical attacks by mutating multiple radical coupling sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Su Jin; Joo, Jeong Chan; Song, Bong Keun; Yoo, Young Je; Kim, Yong Hwan

    2015-04-01

    Peroxidases have great potential as industrial biocatalysts. In particular, the oxidative polymerization of phenolic compounds catalyzed by peroxidases has been extensively examined because of the advantage of this method over other conventional chemical methods. However, the industrial application of peroxidases is often limited because of their rapid inactivation by phenoxyl radicals during oxidative polymerization. In this work, we report a novel protein engineering approach to improve the radical stability of horseradish peroxidase isozyme C (HRPC). Phenylalanine residues that are vulnerable to modification by the phenoxyl radicals were identified using mass spectrometry analysis. UV-Vis and CD spectra showed that radical coupling did not change the secondary structure or the active site of HRPC. Four phenylalanine (Phe) residues (F68, F142, F143, and F179) were each mutated to alanine residues to generate single mutants to examine the role of these sites in radical coupling. Despite marginal improvement of radical stability, each single mutant still exhibited rapid radical inactivation. To further reduce inactivation by radical coupling, the four substitution mutations were combined in F68A/F142A/F143A/F179A. This mutant demonstrated dramatic enhancement of radical stability by retaining 41% of its initial activity compared to the wild-type, which was completely inactivated. Structure and sequence alignment revealed that radical-vulnerable Phe residues of HPRC are conserved in homologous peroxidases, which showed the same rapid inactivation tendency as HRPC. Based on our site-directed mutagenesis and biochemical characterization, we have shown that engineering radical-vulnerable residues to eliminate multiple radical coupling can be a good strategy to improve the stability of peroxidases against radical attack. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. An On-Site Presentation of Invisible Prehistoric Landscapes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiri Unger

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The rapid development of information technology has enabled the creation of entirely new presentation frameworks and this article will attempt to explore the subject of on-site presentation of archaeological sites. The most frequently used environment currently has been in the form of a variety of virtual museums that are accessible on the Internet; in essence these keep their visitors stuck in front of a PC monitor. One option that allows leaving the monitor and stepping directly out-of-doors into a virtual open-air museum is by means of applications for mobile phones. Terms such as 'virtual' or 'augmented reality' no longer represent a million light-years away science-fiction concepts, but rather a new tool for public archaeology and for the preservation of the archaeological heritage. This article presents several projects that have been implemented by the Archaeological Institute in Prague, who, by using mobile applications, built virtual open-air museums directly in the locations of archaeological excavations.

  5. Rapid Aminoglycoside NP Test for Rapid Detection of Multiple Aminoglycoside Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordmann, Patrice; Jayol, Aurélie; Dobias, Jan; Poirel, Laurent

    2017-04-01

    The rapid aminoglycoside NP (Nordmann/Poirel) test was developed to rapidly identify multiple aminoglycoside (AG) resistance in Enterobacteriaceae It is based on the detection of the glucose metabolism related to enterobacterial growth in the presence of a defined concentration of amikacin plus gentamicin. Formation of acid metabolites was evidenced by a color change (orange to yellow) of the red phenol pH indicator. The rapid aminoglycoside NP test was evaluated by using bacterial colonies of 18 AG-resistant isolates producing 16S rRNA methylases, 20 AG-resistant isolates expressing AG-modifying enzymes (acetyl-, adenyl-, and phosphotransferases), and 10 isolates susceptible to AG. Its sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 97%, respectively, compared to the broth dilution method, which was taken as the gold standard for determining aminoglycoside resistance. The test is inexpensive, rapid (<2 h), and implementable worldwide. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  6. Rapid Growth of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli during Human Urinary Tract Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valerie S. Forsyth

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC strains cause most uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs. These strains are a subgroup of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC strains that infect extraintestinal sites, including urinary tract, meninges, bloodstream, lungs, and surgical sites. Here, we hypothesize that UPEC isolates adapt to and grow more rapidly within the urinary tract than other E. coli isolates and survive in that niche. To date, there has not been a reliable method available to measure their growth rate in vivo. Here we used two methods: segregation of nonreplicating plasmid pGTR902, and peak-to-trough ratio (PTR, a sequencing-based method that enumerates bacterial chromosomal replication forks present during cell division. In the murine model of UTI, UPEC strain growth was robust in vivo, matching or exceeding in vitro growth rates and only slowing after reaching high CFU counts at 24 and 30 h postinoculation (hpi. In contrast, asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU strains tended to maintain high growth rates in vivo at 6, 24, and 30 hpi, and population densities did not increase, suggesting that host responses or elimination limited population growth. Fecal strains displayed moderate growth rates at 6 hpi but did not survive to later times. By PTR, E. coli in urine of human patients with UTIs displayed extraordinarily rapid growth during active infection, with a mean doubling time of 22.4 min. Thus, in addition to traditional virulence determinants, including adhesins, toxins, iron acquisition, and motility, very high growth rates in vivo and resistance to the innate immune response appear to be critical phenotypes of UPEC strains.

  7. Review on CNC-Rapid Prototyping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    M Nafis O Z; Nafrizuan M Y; Munira M A; Kartina J

    2012-01-01

    This article reviewed developments of Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) technology in rapid prototyping process. Rapid prototyping (RP) can be classified into three major groups; subtractive, additive and virtual. CNC rapid prototyping is grouped under the subtractive category which involves material removal from the workpiece that is larger than the final part. Richard Wysk established the use of CNC machines for rapid prototyping using sets of 2½-D tool paths from various orientations about a rotary axis to machine parts without refixturing. Since then, there are few developments on this process mainly aimed to optimized the operation and increase the process capabilities to stand equal with common additive type of RP. These developments include the integration between machining and deposition process (hybrid RP), adoption of RP to the conventional machine and optimization of the CNC rapid prototyping process based on controlled parameters. The article ended by concluding that the CNC rapid prototyping research area has a vast space for improvement as in the conventional machining processes. Further developments and findings will enhance the usage of this method and minimize the limitation of current approach in building a prototype.

  8. Dilepton distributions at backward rapidities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Betemps, M. A.; Ducati, M. B. Gay; Oliveira, E. G. de

    2006-01-01

    The dilepton production at backward rapidities in pAu and pp collisions at RHIC and LHC energies is investigated in the dipole approach. The results are shown through the nuclear modification ratio R pA considering transverse momentum and rapidity spectra. The dilepton modification ratio presents interesting behavior at the backward rapidities when compared with the already known forward ones, since it is related with the large x kinematical region that is being probed. The rapidity dependence of the nuclear modification ratio in the dilepton production is strongly dependent on the Bjorken x behavior of the nuclear structure function ratio R F 2 =F 2 A /F 2 p . The R pA transverse momentum dependence at backward rapidities is modified due to the large x nuclear effects: at RHIC energies, for instance, the ratio R pA is reduced as p T increases, presenting an opposite behavior when compared with the forward one. It implies that the dilepton production at backward rapidities should carry information of the nuclear effects at large Bjorken x, as well as that it is useful to investigate the p T dependence of the observables in this kinematical regime

  9. Site specific information in site selection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aeikaes, T.; Hautojaervi, A.

    1998-01-01

    The programme for the siting of a deep repository for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel was started already in 1983 and is carried out today by Posiva Oy which continues the work started by Teollisuuden Voima Oy. The programme aims at site selection by the end of the year 2000. The programme has progressed in successive interim stages with defined goals. After an early phase for site identification, five sites were selected in 1987 for preliminary site characterisation. Three of these were selected and judged to be best suited for the more detailed characterisation in 1992. An additional new site was included into the programme based on a separate feasibility study in the beginning of 1997. Since the year 1983 several safety assessments together with technical plans of the facility have been completed. When approaching the site selection the needs for more detailed consideration of the site specific properties in the safety assessment have been increased. The Finnish regulator STUK has published a proposal for general safety requirements for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. This set of requirements has been projected to be used in conjunction of the decision making by the end 2000. Based on the site evaluation all sites can provide a stable environment and there is evidence that the requirements for the longevity of the canister can be fulfilled at each site. In this manner the four candidate sites do not differ too much from each other. The main difference between the sites is in the salinity of the deep groundwater. The significance of differences in the salinity for the long-term safety cannot be defined yet. The differences may contribute to the discussion of the longevity of the bentonite buffer and also to the modelling of the groundwater flow and transport. The use of the geosphere as a transport barrier is basically culminated on the questions about sparse but fast flow routes and 'how bad channeling can be'. To answer these questions

  10. Rapid assessment of ecosystem services provided by two mineral extraction sites restored for nature conservation in an agricultural landscape in eastern England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blaen, Phillip J; Jia, Li; Peh, Kelvin S-H; Field, Rob H; Balmford, Andrew; MacDonald, Michael A; Bradbury, Richard B

    2015-01-01

    Despite growing recognition that mineral sites restored for nature conservation can enhance local biodiversity, the wider societal benefits provided by this type of restoration relative to alternative options are not well understood. This study addresses this research gap by quantifying differences in ecosystem services provision under two common mineral site after-uses: nature conservation and agriculture. Using a combination of site-specific primary field data, benefits transfer and modelling, we show that for our sites restoration for nature conservation provides a more diverse array of ecosystem services than would be delivered under an agricultural restoration scenario. We also explore the effects of addressing different conservation targets, which we find alter the provision of ecosystem services on a service-specific basis. Highly species-focused intervention areas are associated with increased carbon storage and livestock grazing provision, whereas non-intervention areas are important for carbon sequestration, fishing, recreation and flood risk mitigation. The results of this study highlight the wider societal importance of restored mineral sites and may help conservation managers and planners to develop future restoration strategies that provide benefits for both biodiversity and human well-being.

  11. An improved out-cell to in-cell rapid transfer system at the HFEF-south

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bacca, J.P.; Sherman, E.K.

    1990-01-01

    The Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Hot Fuel Examination Facility-South (HFEF-S), located at the ANL-West site of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment and modifications in preparation for its use, beginning in 1991, in demonstrating remote recycling of fast reactor, metal-alloy fuel as part of the US Department of Energy liquid-metal reactor, Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) program. Included in these improvements to HFEF-S is a new, small-item, rapid transfer system (RTS). When installed, this system will enable the rapid transfer of small items from the hot-cell exterior into the argon cell (argon-gas atmosphere) of the facility without necessitating the use of time-consuming and laborious procedures. The new RTS will also provide another important function associated with HFEF-S hot-cell operation in the IFR Fuel Recycle Program; namely, the rapid insertion of clean, radioactive contamination-measuring smear paper specimens into the hot cells for area surveys, and the expedited removal of these contaminated (including alpha as well as beta/gamma contamination) smears from the argon cell for transfer to an adjacent health physics field laboratory in the facility for nuclear contamination/radiation counting

  12. Kinetics of two-site immunoradiometric ('sandwich') assays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodbard, D.; Feldman, Y.; Jaffe, M.L.; Miles, L.E.M.

    1978-01-01

    The mathematical model of the ideal two-site IRMA developed in the accompanying report, which assumes that both the first (solid phase) and second (labeled) antisera are 'homogeneous', fails to provide an explanation for the frequent occurrence of a paradoxical fall in the dose-response curve in the high-dose region ('high-dose hook effect'). Accordingly, the model has been extended in an attempt to provide a theoretical basis for these phenomena. Two mechanisms were considered: (A) heterogeneity of the first antiserum (which is bound to the solid phase), i.e. presence of two or more classes of sites with moderately to widely differing affinity constants; and (B) incomplete washing of the solid phase after the first reaction. This leads to an expanded system of five differential equations, five equations for conservation of mass, and fourteen rate constants. In the presence of a heterogeneous first antiserum, a high dose 'hook effect' will occur. Rapid dissociation of the ligand from the low affinity class of sites during the second 'wash' procedure will accentuate this effect. Thus, heterogeneity of binding sites is a sufficient explanation for the high-dose hook effect and is a likely mechanism in practice, since the antisera which are coupled to the solid phase have usually not been fractionated. The present studies also show that, even if dealing with homogeneous first antibody, one may still observe a high-dose hook effect if washing is incomplete after the first incubation with the antigen. Using computer simulation studies, factors affecting the magnitude of the 'high-dose hook effect' have been explored. (author)

  13. Characteristics and diurnal variations of NMHCs at urban, suburban, and rural sites in the Pearl River Delta and a remote site in South China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, J. H.; Chan, L. Y.; Chan, C. Y.; Li, Y. S.; Chang, C. C.; Liu, S. C.; Wu, D.; Li, Y. D.

    The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is one of the most industrialized and urbanized regions in China. With rapid growth of the economy, it is suffering from deteriorating air quality. Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were investigated at urban and suburban sites in Guangzhou (GZ), a rural site in PRD and a clean remote site in South China, in April 2005. Additional roadside samples in GZ and Qingxi (QX, a small industrial town in PRD), ambient air samples at the rooftop of a printing factory in QX and exhaust samples from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)—fueled taxis in GZ were collected to help identify the source signatures of NMHCs. A large fraction of propane (47%) was found in exhaust samples from LPG-fueled taxis in GZ and extremely high levels of toluene (2.0-3.1 ppmv) were found at the rooftop of the printing factory in QX. Vehicular and industrial emissions were the main sources of NMHCs. The effect of vehicular emission on the ambient air varied among the three PRD sites. The impact of industrial emissions was widespread and they contributed greatly to the high levels of aromatic hydrocarbons, especially toluene, at the three PRD sites investigated. Leakage from vehicles fueled by LPG contributed mainly to the high levels of propane and n-butane at the urban GZ site. Ethane and ethyne from long-range transport and isoprene from local biogenic emission were the main contributors to the total hydrocarbons at the remote site. Diurnal variations of NMHCs showed that the contribution from vehicular emissions varied with traffic conditions and were more influenced by fresh emissions at the urban site and by aged air at the suburban and rural sites. Isoprene from biogenic emission contributed largely to the ozone formation potential (OFP) at the remote site. Ethene, toluene and m/ p-xylene were the main contributors to the OFP at the three PRD sites.

  14. TERRAIN, Priest Lake, Bonner County, Idaho USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. To Find a Priest and His Priesthood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wright, Erin J.

    2009-01-01

    of eternal struggle within New Testament scholarship. In order to uncover a more historical understanding of this problematic figure, the Gospel of Thomas presents itself as a source for Caiaphas which is both removed from the Jewish-Christian conflict of the first centuries of this era, but still sharing...... in the Jesus tradition of the New Testament. Using a historical-textual approach, the sayings of Thomas are 'canvassed for Caiaphas' by applying historically-based search parameters. From this search a distinct anti-Pharisaical polemic, likely preserved from an earlier tradition, is detectable in Thomas....... As a text which is theologically indifferent to the death of Jesus, Thomas' unique contribution to the study of Caiaphas gestures towards an early tradition of negatively portaying Jewish authorities, which may be independent of the canonical Gospels....

  16. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia as an Unusual Cause of Rapid Airway Compromise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrian R. Bersabe

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL is the most prevalent form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL in Western countries predominantly affecting adults over the age of 65. CLL is commonly indolent in nature but can present locally and aggressively at extranodal sites. Although CLL may commonly present with cervical lymphadenopathy, manifestation in nonlymphoid regions of the head and neck is not well described. CLL causing upper airway obstruction is even more uncommon. We describe a case of a patient with known history of CLL and stable lymphocytosis that developed an enlarging lymphoid base of tongue (BOT mass resulting in rapid airway compromise.

  17. Archaeoastronomy of Easter Island

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Edmundo

    Astronomer priests or "skywatchers" on Easter Island lived in stone towers that were used as observatories and built stone markers in the periphery that indicated the heliacal rising of certain stars that served to indicate the arrival of marine birds, turtles, the offshore fishing season, and times for planting and harvest. Petroglyphs related to such sites depict outriggers, fishhooks, pelagic fish, and turtles and supposedly represented a star map. In this chapter, we analyze a set of such skywatchers dwellings, and stone markers located upon the North coast of Easter Island that have astronomic orientations, its related petroglyphs, and the relations between these directions with their yearly activities and their ritual calendar.

  18. Rapid charging of nickel-cadmium accumulators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruck, F

    1972-01-01

    Four types of charging of gas-tight Ni-Cd accumulators (a) normal; (b) accelerated; (c) rapid; and (d) ultra-rapid are described. For rapid charging, a built-in temperature sensor cuts off charging current at a prescribed point. In ultra-rapid charging, 50% charge can be attained in 3.5 min. and 25% charge within 50 sec. In the second phase of ultra-rapid charging, a surplus of oxygen is released at the positive electrode and a safety valve is provided for pressure reduction. Characteristic curves are given for various rates of charging and some data on discharge rates is also given.

  19. Identification of a trypsin-like site associated with acetylcholinesterase by affinity labelling with (/sup 3/H)diisopropyl fluorophosphate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Small, D.H.; Chubb, I.W.

    1988-07-01

    In addition to its ability to hydrolyze acetylcholine, purified eel acetylcholinesterase possesses a trypsin-like endopeptidase activity. The tryptic activity is associated with a serine residue at a site that is distinct from the esteratic site. To label both the esteratic and tryptic sites, the enzyme was incubated with the serine hydrolase inhibitor (/sup 3/H)diisopropyl fluorophosphate. This compound labelled the protein in a biphasic manner, with both slow and rapid labelling kinetics. The time course of the rapid phase was similar to the time course of inactivation of the esteratic activity. The time course of the slow phase was similar to the time course of inactivation of the tryptic activity. Labelling of the nonesteratic site was inhibited by the trypsin inhibitor N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone. The total number of sites labelled by (/sup 3/H)diisopropyl fluorophosphate on eel acetylcholinesterase was 2.6 mol/280,000 g protein, whereas the number of tryptic sites was less (0.52 mol/280,000 g). The results suggest that a subpopulation of acetylcholinesterase molecules may possess tryptic activity. Extensive chromatography of the purified enzyme by ion-exchange and gel filtration failed to separate the labelled tryptic component from acetylcholinesterase. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, the labelled tryptic component comigrated with a polypeptide of 50,000 molecular weight, which is a major proteolytic digestion product derived from the intact acetylcholinesterase monomer. Because of its localization in many noncholinergic peptide-containing cells, acetylcholinesterase could act as a neuropeptide processing enzyme in these cells.

  20. Site organization and site arrangement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boissonnet, B.; Macqueron, J.F.

    1976-01-01

    The present paper deals with criteria for the choice of a production unit or power plant site, the organization and development of a site in terms of its particular characteristics and takes into account personnel considerations in site organizations as well as the problem of integrating the architecture into the environment. (RW) [de

  1. Usability Evaluation of Public Web Mapping Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, C.

    2014-04-01

    Web mapping sites are interactive maps that are accessed via Webpages. With the rapid development of Internet and Geographic Information System (GIS) field, public web mapping sites are not foreign to people. Nowadays, people use these web mapping sites for various reasons, in that increasing maps and related map services of web mapping sites are freely available for end users. Thus, increased users of web mapping sites led to more usability studies. Usability Engineering (UE), for instance, is an approach for analyzing and improving the usability of websites through examining and evaluating an interface. In this research, UE method was employed to explore usability problems of four public web mapping sites, analyze the problems quantitatively and provide guidelines for future design based on the test results. Firstly, the development progress for usability studies were described, and simultaneously several usability evaluation methods such as Usability Engineering (UE), User-Centered Design (UCD) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) were generally introduced. Then the method and procedure of experiments for the usability test were presented in detail. In this usability evaluation experiment, four public web mapping sites (Google Maps, Bing maps, Mapquest, Yahoo Maps) were chosen as the testing websites. And 42 people, who having different GIS skills (test users or experts), gender (male or female), age and nationality, participated in this test to complete the several test tasks in different teams. The test comprised three parts: a pretest background information questionnaire, several test tasks for quantitative statistics and progress analysis, and a posttest questionnaire. The pretest and posttest questionnaires focused on gaining the verbal explanation of their actions qualitatively. And the design for test tasks targeted at gathering quantitative data for the errors and problems of the websites. Then, the results mainly from the test part were analyzed. The

  2. Characterization of reaction conditions providing rapid and specific cysteine alkylation for peptide-based mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulech, Jana; Solis, Nestor; Cordwell, Stuart J

    2013-01-01

    Alkylation converts Cys thiols to thioethers and prevents unwanted side reactions, thus facilitating mass spectrometric identification of Cys-containing peptides. Alkylation occurs preferentially at Cys due to its high nucleophilicity, however reactions at other such sites are possible. N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) shows rapid reaction kinetics with Cys and careful definition of reaction conditions results in little reactivity at other sites. Analysis of a protein standard alkylated under differing reaction conditions (pH, NEM concentrations and reaction times) was performed using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) of NEM-modified and unmodified peptide pairs. Mis-alkylation sites at primary and secondary amines were identified and limited to one equivalent of NEM. No evidence for hydroxyl or thioether alkylation was observed. Improved specificity was achieved by restricting the pH below neutral, NEM concentration below 10mM and/or reaction time to below 5min. Maximal removal of Cys activity was observed in tissue homogenates at 40mM NEM within 1min, dependent upon efficient protein denaturation. SRM assays identified peptide-specific levels of mis-alkylation, indicating that NEM-modified to unmodified ratios did not exceed 10%, with the exception of Cys alkylation that proceeded to 100%, and some Lys residues that resulted in tryptic missed cleavages. High reactivity was observed for His residues considering their relatively low abundance. These data indicate that rapid and specific Cys alkylation is possible with NEM under relatively mild conditions, with more abrasive conditions leading to increased non-specific alkylation without appreciable benefit for MS-based proteomics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Rapid and accurate prediction and scoring of water molecules in protein binding sites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory A Ross

    Full Text Available Water plays a critical role in ligand-protein interactions. However, it is still challenging to predict accurately not only where water molecules prefer to bind, but also which of those water molecules might be displaceable. The latter is often seen as a route to optimizing affinity of potential drug candidates. Using a protocol we call WaterDock, we show that the freely available AutoDock Vina tool can be used to predict accurately the binding sites of water molecules. WaterDock was validated using data from X-ray crystallography, neutron diffraction and molecular dynamics simulations and correctly predicted 97% of the water molecules in the test set. In addition, we combined data-mining, heuristic and machine learning techniques to develop probabilistic water molecule classifiers. When applied to WaterDock predictions in the Astex Diverse Set of protein ligand complexes, we could identify whether a water molecule was conserved or displaced to an accuracy of 75%. A second model predicted whether water molecules were displaced by polar groups or by non-polar groups to an accuracy of 80%. These results should prove useful for anyone wishing to undertake rational design of new compounds where the displacement of water molecules is being considered as a route to improved affinity.

  4. Health Risk-Based Assessment and Management of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Soil Sites in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zueng-Sang Chen

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Risk-based assessment is a way to evaluate the potential hazards of contaminated sites and is based on considering linkages between pollution sources, pathways, and receptors. These linkages can be broken by source reduction, pathway management, and modifying exposure of the receptors. In Taiwan, the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (SGWPR Act uses one target regulation to evaluate the contamination status of soil and groundwater pollution. More than 600 sites contaminated with heavy metals (HMs have been remediated and the costs of this process are always high. Besides using soil remediation techniques to remove contaminants from these sites, the selection of possible remediation methods to obtain rapid risk reduction is permissible and of increasing interest. This paper discusses previous soil remediation techniques applied to different sites in Taiwan and also clarified the differences of risk assessment before and after soil remediation obtained by applying different risk assessment models. This paper also includes many case studies on: (1 food safety risk assessment for brown rice growing in a HMs-contaminated site; (2 a tiered approach to health risk assessment for a contaminated site; (3 risk assessment for phytoremediation techniques applied in HMs-contaminated sites; and (4 soil remediation cost analysis for contaminated sites in Taiwan.

  5. Health Risk-Based Assessment and Management of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Soil Sites in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Hung-Yu; Hseu, Zeng-Yei; Chen, Ting-Chien; Chen, Bo-Ching; Guo, Horng-Yuh; Chen, Zueng-Sang

    2010-01-01

    Risk-based assessment is a way to evaluate the potential hazards of contaminated sites and is based on considering linkages between pollution sources, pathways, and receptors. These linkages can be broken by source reduction, pathway management, and modifying exposure of the receptors. In Taiwan, the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (SGWPR Act) uses one target regulation to evaluate the contamination status of soil and groundwater pollution. More than 600 sites contaminated with heavy metals (HMs) have been remediated and the costs of this process are always high. Besides using soil remediation techniques to remove contaminants from these sites, the selection of possible remediation methods to obtain rapid risk reduction is permissible and of increasing interest. This paper discusses previous soil remediation techniques applied to different sites in Taiwan and also clarified the differences of risk assessment before and after soil remediation obtained by applying different risk assessment models. This paper also includes many case studies on: (1) food safety risk assessment for brown rice growing in a HMs-contaminated site; (2) a tiered approach to health risk assessment for a contaminated site; (3) risk assessment for phytoremediation techniques applied in HMs-contaminated sites; and (4) soil remediation cost analysis for contaminated sites in Taiwan. PMID:21139851

  6. Simulating the Surface Relief of Nanoaerosols Obtained via the Rapid Cooling of Droplets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tovbin, Yu. K.; Zaitseva, E. S.; Rabinovich, A. B.

    2018-03-01

    An approach is formulated that theoretically describes the structure of a rough surface of small aerosol particles obtained from a liquid droplet upon its rapid cooling. The problem consists of two stages. In the first stage, a concentration profile of the droplet-vapor transition region is calculated. In the second stage, local fractions of vacant sites and their pairs are found on the basis of this profile, and the rough structure of a frozen droplet surface transitioning to the solid state is calculated. Model parameters are the temperature of the initial droplet and those of the lateral interaction between droplet atoms. Information on vacant sites inside the region of transition allows us to identify adsorption centers and estimate the monolayer capacity, compared to that of the total space of the region of transition. The approach is oriented toward calculating adsorption isotherms on real surfaces.

  7. Dissolved oxygen mapping: A powerful tool for site assessments and ground water monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newman, W.A.; Kimball, G.

    1992-01-01

    Dissolved oxygen concentration profiles often provide an excellent indication of the natural biological activity of microorganisms in ground water. The analysis of dissolved oxygen in ground water also provides a rapid, inexpensive method for determining the areal extent of contaminant plumes containing aerobically degraded compounds such as petroleum hydrocarbons. Indigenous hydrocarbon degrading organisms are present at most petroleum product spills giving this technique an almost universal application for dissolved hydrocarbons in ground water. Data from several sites will be presented to demonstrate the relationship between oxygen and dissolved contaminant concentrations. The inverse relationship between oxygen concentrations and dissolved contaminants can be used in many ways. During the initial site assessment, rapid on-site testing of ground water can provide real time data to direct drilling by identification of potentially contaminated locations. Several analytical techniques are available that allow field analysis to be performed in less than five minutes. Dissolved oxygen testing also provides an inexpensive way to monitor hydrocarbon migration without expensive gas chromatography. Often a plume of oxygen depleted ground water extends farther downgradient than the dissolved hydrocarbon plume. The depletion of oxygen in a well can provide an early warning system that detects upgradient contamination before the well is impacted by detectable levels of contaminants. Another application is the measurement of the natural degradation potential for aerobic remediation. If an aerobic in-situ remediation is used, dissolved oxygen monitoring provides an inexpensive method to monitor the progress of the remediation

  8. SIMAC - A phosphoproteomic strategy for the rapid separation of mono-phosphorylated from multiply phosphorylated peptides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thingholm, Tine E; Jensen, Ole N; Robinson, Phillip J

    2008-01-01

    spectrometric analysis, such as immobilized metal affinity chromatography or titanium dioxide the coverage of the phosphoproteome of a given sample is limited. Here we report a simple and rapid strategy - SIMAC - for sequential separation of mono-phosphorylated peptides and multiply phosphorylated peptides from...... and an optimized titanium dioxide chromatographic method. More than double the total number of identified phosphorylation sites was obtained with SIMAC, primarily from a three-fold increase in recovery of multiply phosphorylated peptides....

  9. Rapid separation of bacteria from blood - Chemical aspects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alizadeh, Mahsa; Wood, Ryan L; Buchanan, Clara M; Bledsoe, Colin G; Wood, Madison E; McClellan, Daniel S; Blanco, Rae; Ravsten, Tanner V; Husseini, Ghaleb A; Hickey, Caroline L; Robison, Richard A; Pitt, William G

    2017-06-01

    To rapidly diagnose infectious organisms causing blood sepsis, bacteria must be rapidly separated from blood, a very difficult process considering that concentrations of bacteria are many orders of magnitude lower than concentrations of blood cells. We have successfully separated bacteria from red and white blood cells using a sedimentation process in which the separation is driven by differences in density and size. Seven mL of whole human blood spiked with bacteria is placed in a 12-cm hollow disk and spun at 3000rpm for 1min. The red and white cells sediment more than 30-fold faster than bacteria, leaving much of the bacteria in the plasma. When the disk is slowly decelerated, the plasma flows to a collection site and the red and white cells are trapped in the disk. Analysis of the recovered plasma shows that about 36% of the bacteria is recovered in the plasma. The plasma is not perfectly clear of red blood cells, but about 94% have been removed. This paper describes the effects of various chemical aspects of this process, including the influence of anticoagulant chemistry on the separation efficiency and the use of wetting agents and platelet aggregators that may influence the bacterial recovery. In a clinical scenario, the recovered bacteria can be subsequently analyzed to determine their species and resistance to various antibiotics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Detecting Malaria Hotspots: A Comparison of Rapid Diagnostic Test, Microscopy, and Polymerase Chain Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mogeni, Polycarp; Williams, Thomas N; Omedo, Irene; Kimani, Domtila; Ngoi, Joyce M; Mwacharo, Jedida; Morter, Richard; Nyundo, Christopher; Wambua, Juliana; Nyangweso, George; Kapulu, Melissa; Fegan, Gregory; Bejon, Philip

    2017-11-27

    Malaria control strategies need to respond to geographical hotspots of transmission. Detection of hotspots depends on the sensitivity of the diagnostic tool used. We conducted cross-sectional surveys in 3 sites within Kilifi County, Kenya, that had variable transmission intensities. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT), microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to detect asymptomatic parasitemia, and hotspots were detected using the spatial scan statistic. Eight thousand five hundred eighty-one study participants were surveyed in 3 sites. There were statistically significant malaria hotspots by RDT, microscopy, and PCR for all sites except by microscopy in 1 low transmission site. Pooled data analysis of hotspots by PCR overlapped with hotspots by microscopy at a moderate setting but not at 2 lower transmission settings. However, variations in degree of overlap were noted when data were analyzed by year. Hotspots by RDT were predictive of PCR/microscopy at the moderate setting, but not at the 2 low transmission settings. We observed long-term stability of hotspots by PCR and microscopy but not RDT. Malaria control programs may consider PCR testing to guide asymptomatic malaria hotspot detection once the prevalence of infection falls. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

  11. Test plan for preparing the Rapid Transuranic Monitoring Laboratory for field deployment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McIsaac, C.V.; Sill, C.W.; Gehrke, R.J.; Killian, E.W.; Watts, K.D.

    1994-04-01

    This plan describes experimental work that will be performed during fiscal year 1994 to prepare the Rapid Transuranic Monitoring Laboratory (RTML) for routine field use by US Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management programs. The RTML is a mobile, field-deployable laboratory developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) that provides a rapid, cost-effective means of characterizing and monitoring radioactive waste remediation sites for low-level radioactive contaminants. Analytical instruments currently installed in the RTML include an extended-range, germanium photon analysis spectrometer with an automatic sample changer; two, large-area, ionization chamber alpha spectrometers; and four alpha continuous air monitors. The RTML was field tested at the INEL during June 1993 in conjunction with the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration's remote retrieval demonstration. The major tasks described in this test plan are to (a) evaluate the beta detectors for use in screening soil samples for 90 Sr, (b) upgrade the alpha spectral analysis software programs, and (c) upgrade the photon spectral analysis software programs

  12. Rapid Tooling via Stereolithography

    OpenAIRE

    Montgomery, Eva

    2006-01-01

    Approximately three years ago, composite stereolithography (SL) resins were introduced to the marketplace, offering performance features beyond what traditional SL resins could offer. In particular, the high heat deflection temperatures and high stiffness of these highly filled resins have opened the door to several new rapid prototyping (RP) applications, including wind tunnel test modelling and, more recently, rapid tooling.

  13. Monitoring plan for characterization of the Building 3019 leak site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-06-01

    The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has established a Remedial Action Program to provide comprehensive management of areas where past research, development, and waste management activities have resulted in residual contamination of facilities or the environment. In the winter of 1985, elevated levels of strontium-90 were detected in White Oak Creek and the ORNL sewage treatment plant. A leak was subsequently identified in a low-level waste transfer line north of Building 3019. The period of leakage and the exact chemical composition of the effluent are unknown. Two dye tests conducted at the leak site have identified several possible pathways for contaminant migration. The discovery of a solution cavity in the Chickamauga bedrock underlying the leak site and the rapid appearance of dye in the sump at Building 3042 indicate the extension of the cavity system along strike to the east. This report outlines the available published and unpublished background information pertaining to the site and proposes a monitoring plan consisting of soil sample collection and monitor well installation to provide a preliminary assessment of the types and extent of contamination at the leak site. The plan is also designed to provide additional geologic and hydrologic data for evaluating possible contaminant migration pathways. 6 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab

  14. Rapid bioassessment methods for assessing the toxicity of terrestrial waste sites at the Savannah River Site using the earthworm, Eisenia foetida

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Specht, W.L.

    1995-08-01

    Studies were conducted to assess the feasibility of using the earthworm, Eisenia foetida, to evaluate the toxicity of contaminated soils at the Savannah River Site. Survival was assessed in several uncontaminated soils, including sandy loams and clayey loams, as well as in soils contaminated with coal fines, ash, diesel fuel, and heavy metals. In addition, behavior responses, changes in biomass, and bioaccumulation of heavy metals were assessed as sublethal indicators of toxicity. The results indicate excellent survival of Eisenia foetida in uncontaminated sandy and clayey soils. No amendment of these uncontaminated soils or addition of food was necessary to sustain the worms for the 14-day test period. In contaminated soils, no significant mortality was observed, except in soils which have very low pH (< 3). However, sublethal responses were observed in earthworms exposed to several of the contaminated soils. These responses included worms clumping on the surface of the soil, worms clumping between the sides of the test container and the soil, increased burrowing times, reductions in biomass, and elevated concentrations of heavy metals in worm tissue

  15. Rapid deployment intrusion detection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graham, R.H.

    1997-01-01

    A rapidly deployable security system is one that provides intrusion detection, assessment, communications, and annunciation capabilities; is easy to install and configure; can be rapidly deployed, and is reusable. A rapidly deployable intrusion detection system (RADIDS) has many potential applications within the DOE Complex: back-up protection for failed zones in a perimeter intrusion detection and assessment system, intrusion detection and assessment capabilities in temporary locations, protection of assets during Complex reconfiguration, and protection in hazardous locations, protection of assets during Complex reconfiguration, and protection in hazardous locations. Many DOE user-need documents have indicated an interest in a rapidly deployable intrusion detection system. The purpose of the RADIDS project is to design, develop, and implement such a system. 2 figs

  16. Field Testing of Rapid Electrokinetic Nanoparticle Treatment for Corrosion Control of Steel in Concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardenas, Henry E.; Alexander, Joshua B.; Kupwade-Patil,Kunal; Calle, Luz Marina

    2009-01-01

    This work field tested the use of electrokinetics for delivery of concrete sealing nanoparticles concurrent with the extraction of chlorides. Several cylinders of concrete were batched and placed in immersion at the Kennedy Space Center Beach Corrosion Test Site. The specimens were batched with steel reinforcement and a 4.5 wt.% (weight percent) content of sodium chloride. Upon arrival at Kennedy Space Center, the specimens were placed in the saltwater immersion pool at the Beach Corrosion Test Site. Following 30 days of saltwater exposure, the specimens were subjected to rapid chloride extraction concurrent with electrokinetic nanoparticle treatment. The treatments were operated at up to eight times the typical current density in order to complete the treatment in 7 days. The findings indicated that the short-term corrosion resistance of the concrete specimens was significantly enhanced as was the strength of the concrete.

  17. Rapid capacitive detection of femtomolar levels of bisphenol A using an aptamer-modified disposable microelectrode array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, Haochen; Wu, Jayne; Eda, Shigetoshi; Chen, Jiangang; Chen, Wei; Zheng, Lei

    2015-01-01

    A label-free and single-step method is reported for rapid and highly sensitive detection of bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous samples. It utilizes an aptamer acting as a probe molecule immobilized on a commercially available array of interdigitated aluminum microelectrodes. BPA was quantified by measuring the interfacial capacitance change rate caused by the specific binding between bisphenol A and the immobilized aptamer. The AC signal also induces an AC electrokinetic effect to generate microfluidic motion for enhanced binding. The capacitive aptasensor achieves a limit of detection as low as 10 fM(2.8 fg ⋅ mL −1 ) with a 20 s response time. The method is inexpensive, highly sensitive, rapid and therefore provides a promising technology for on-site detection of BPA in food and water samples. (author)

  18. Prophesying Women and Ruling Men: Women’s Religious Authority in North American Pentecostalism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa P. Stephenson

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available The issue of religious authority is one of the main reasons why women have been allowed to participate in Pentecostal churches, and why they have been limited. Women are granted access to ministering authority, but not governing authority. Charles Barfoot and Gerald Sheppard have noted the presence of these two types of authority to be operative within Pentecostalism and have associated them with Max Weber’s typology of prophet and priest. However, in their attempt to describe the history of Pentecostal women in ministry with these categories, Barfoot and Sheppard present the paradigm as one of displacement rather than coexistence. The result is a problematic and misleading account of Pentecostal women in ministry. However, the issue is not Weber’s categories, but how they employ them. The purpose of this article is to utilize the distinction between prophet and priest to differentiate between two types of ecclesial functions and their concomitant religious authority, rather than to differentiate between two periods of Pentecostalism. A brief history of Pentecostal women in ministry is presented, wherein examples are offered of how women in the Church of God, the Church of God in Christ, the Assemblies of God, and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel operated in the prophetic realms with a ministering authority, but were largely prohibited from the priestly realms and its ruling authority. As these examples demonstrate, the history of Pentecostal women in ministry is told best when the simultaneous existence of the prophetic and priestly functions are recognized, and ministering authority and ruling authority are connected to these two functions.

  19. Rapid localized spread and immunologic containment define Herpes simplex virus-2 reactivation in the human genital tract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiffer, Joshua T; Swan, David; Al Sallaq, Ramzi; Magaret, Amalia; Johnston, Christine; Mark, Karen E; Selke, Stacy; Ocbamichael, Negusse; Kuntz, Steve; Zhu, Jia; Robinson, Barry; Huang, Meei-Li; Jerome, Keith R; Wald, Anna; Corey, Lawrence

    2013-04-16

    Herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) is shed episodically, leading to occasional genital ulcers and efficient transmission. The biology explaining highly variable shedding patterns, in an infected person over time, is poorly understood. We sampled the genital tract for HSV DNA at several time intervals and concurrently at multiple sites, and derived a spatial mathematical model to characterize dynamics of HSV-2 reactivation. The model reproduced heterogeneity in shedding episode duration and viral production, and predicted rapid early viral expansion, rapid late decay, and wide spatial dispersion of HSV replication during episodes. In simulations, HSV-2 spread locally within single ulcers to thousands of epithelial cells in genital epithelium. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00288.001.

  20. Twelve-month results of the rapid renal sympathetic denervation for resistant hypertension using the OneShotTM ablation system (RAPID) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verheye, Stefan; Ormiston, John; Bergmann, Martin W; Sievert, Horst; Schwindt, Arne; Werner, Nikos; Vogel, Britta; Colombo, Antonio

    2015-02-01

    Renal denervation has emerged as a treatment option for patients with drug-resistant hypertension. This study was designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of the OneShotª Renal Denervation System. RAPID is a prospective, multicentre, single-arm study which enrolled 50 patients at 11 clinical sites in Europe and New Zealand. Eligible patients had an office systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥160 mmHg and were on a stable regimen of ≥3 antihypertensive medications including a diuretic. The primary safety endpoints were acute procedural safety at discharge and chronic procedural safety at six months. The primary effectiveness endpoint was the rate of office SBP reduction ≥10 mmHg at six months compared to baseline. While not a predefined endpoint, change in 24-hour ambulatory BP was evaluated. The mean baseline office SBP and diastolic BP measurements were 181.6±20.8 and 95.5±15.5 mmHg, respectively. Patients were on a mean of 5.1 antihypertensive medications at baseline. The mean office BP decreased by -20/-8 mmHg (prenal artery injury or SAE/adverse device effects at six months. The results of the RAPID study demonstrate safe delivery of RF energy by the OneShot Renal Denervation System for renal sympathetic denervation and sustained efficacy, as evidenced by a significant reduction in office and 24-hour ABPM for six months, which was sustained up to 12 months. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01520506.

  1. Cognitive mediational deficits and the role of coping styles in pedophile and ephebophile Roman Catholic clergy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Gregory P; Baerwald, Jeffrey P; McGlone, Gerard

    2008-01-01

    This study was designed to examine hypothesized differences between sex offending and nonoffending Roman Catholic clergy on cognitive mediation abilities as measured by the Rorschach Inkblot Test (H. Rorschach, 1921/1942). This study compared 78 priest pedophiles and 77 priest ephebophiles with 80 nonoffending priest controls on the Inkblot test using J. E. Exner's (2003) Comprehensive System. The three groups were compared on seven variables that constitute Exner's Cognitive Mediation cluster. Additionally, the groups' coping styles were compared to examine the interaction of coping style and cognitive mediational abilities. We found interactions between coping style and offending status across most of the cognitive variables indicating impairment in the mild to pathological ranges. Moreover, significantly higher unusual thinking styles (Xu%) and significantly lower conventional thinking styles (X+%) in offenders compared to nonoffenders. Those with an Extratensive style (n=31) showed significantly higher distorted thinking when compared to the Introversive (n=81), Ambitent (n=73), and Avoidant (n=50) coping styles. This study suggests that offenders display significantly higher distorted thinking styles than do nonoffenders. Possible reasons for these discrepancies and the role of coping styles in abusive behaviors were discussed. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. [Studies on the development of the medical occupational image in Egypt's early times].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelmann, Heinz; Hallof, Jochen

    2004-01-01

    Shamanism in pre-dynastic Egypt, practise by Sem-priests, combines social, psycho-hygienic and para-medical elements of both Near-Eastern and African provenance. These activities, which included health care and medical prophylaxes, were organised by highly qualified advisors of the Pharaoh with the establishment of Egyptian state religion. Their aim was to protect the rulers against his "enemies". These enemies included illnesses of all kinds, as well as injuries to health caused by impure food. The importance of this task is emphasised by the fact that it was usually the eldest son of the Pharoah who was responsible for the correct performance of the royal rituals, which included these medical aspects. Changes in religious concepts made these special advisors and priests superfluous. They took over other tasks in the funeral service of the Pharaoh or were included in the professional group of physicians, known from the time of the pyramids as "Sahkmet-priests", i.e. medical specialists. They were particularly responsible for precautionary measures against epidemics and for curing snake and scorpion bites. They created the first medical papyri and established the legal foundation for the medical care of the inhabitants of Egypt by royal order.

  3. Rapid and Sensitive Lateral Flow Immunoassay Method for Procalcitonin (PCT Based on Time-Resolved Immunochromatography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang-Yang Shao

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Procalcitonin (PCT is a current, frequently-used marker for severe bacterial infection. The aim of this study was to develop a cost-effective detection kit for rapid quantitative and on-site detection of PCT. To develop the new PCT quantitative detecting kit, a double-antibody sandwich immunofluorescent assay was employed based on time-resolved immunofluorescent assay (TRFIA combined with lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA. The performance of the new developed kit was evaluated in the aspects of linearity, precision, accuracy, and specificity. Two-hundred thirty-four serum samples were enrolled to carry out the comparison test. The new PCT quantitative detecting kit exhibited a higher sensitivity (0.08 ng/mL. The inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV and the intra-assay CV were 5.4%–7.7% and 5.7%–13.4%, respectively. The recovery rates ranged from 93% to 105%. Furthermore, a high correlation (n = 234, r = 0.977, p < 0.0001 and consistency (Kappa = 0.875 were obtained when compared with the PCT kit from Roche Elecsys BRAHMS. Thus, the new quantitative method for detecting PCT has been successfully established. The results indicated that the newly-developed system based on TRFIA combined with LFIA was suitable for rapid and on-site detection for PCT, which might be a useful platform for other biomarkers in point-of-care tests.

  4. Leucocyte esterase in the rapid diagnosis of paediatric septic arthritis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Kelly, E G

    2013-02-01

    Septic arthritis may affect any age group but is more common in the paediatric population. Infection is generally bacterial in nature. Prompt diagnosis is crucial, as delayed treatment is associated with lifelong joint dysfunction. A clinical history and application of Kocher\\'s criteria may indicate that there is a septic arthritis. However, definitive diagnosis is made on culture of septic synovial fluid. The culture process can take over 24h for the initial culture to yield bacterial colonies. Leucocyte esterase is released by leucocytes at the site of an infection. We hypothesise that leucocyte esterase can be utilized in the rapid diagnosis of septic arthritis and shorten the time to decisive treatment whilst simultaneously decreasing unnecessary treatment of non-septic joints.

  5. Preliminary results from EMERSITO, a rapid response network for site-effect studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paola Bordoni

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available On May 20, 2012, at 02:03 UTC, a Ml 5.9 reverse-fault earthquake occurred in the Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy, at a hypocentral depth of 6.3 km (http://iside.rm.ingv.it/, close to the cities of Modena and Ferrara in the plain of the Po River. The epicenter was near the village of Finale Emilia where macroseismic intensity was assessed at 7 EMS98 [Tertulliani et al. 2012, this issue], while the closest accelerometric station, MRN, located less than 20 km west-ward at Mirandola (Figure 1 recorded peaks of ground accelerations of about 300 cm/s2 (www.protezionecivile.gov.it/resources/cms/documents/Report_DPC_1_Emilia_EQSd.pdf. The mainshock triggered liquefaction phenomena a few kilometers eastwards of the epicenter, around the village of San Carlo. On the same day, two other shocks of Ml 5.1 followed (02:07, 13:18 GMT; http://iside.rm.ingv.it/. On May 29, 2012, at 07:00 UTC another Ml 5.8 earthquake hit the region (http://iside.rm.ingv.it/, with the epicenter close to the village of Mirandola (Figure 1. Three other strong aftershocks occurred afterwards, of Ml 5.3 (May 29, at 10:55, Ml 5.2 (May 29, at 11:00 and Ml 5.1 (June 3, at 19:20. For a detailed description of the seismic sequence, see Moretti et al. [2012], Scognamiglio et al. [2012], and Massa et al. [2012], in this issue. The Emilia seismic sequence resulted in 25 casualties, several of whom were among the workers in the many factories that collapsed during working hours, and there was extensive damage to monuments, public buildings, industrial sites, and private homes. […

  6. A Monte Carlo evaluation of RapidArc dose calculations for oropharynx radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gagne, I M; Ansbacher, W; Zavgorodni, S; Popescu, C; Beckham, W A

    2008-01-01

    RapidArc(TM), recently released by Varian Medical Systems, is a novel extension of IMRT in which an optimized 3D dose distribution may be delivered in a single gantry rotation of 360 deg. or less. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of the analytical anisotropic algorithm (AAA), the sole algorithm for photon dose calculations of RapidArc(TM) treatment plans. The clinical site chosen was oropharynx and the associated nodes involved. The VIMC-Arc system, which utilizes BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc for particle transport through the linac head and patient CT phantom, was used as a benchmarking tool. As part of this study, the dose for a single static aperture, typical for RapidArc(TM) delivery, was calculated by the AAA, MC and compared with the film. This film measurement confirmed MC modeling of the beam aperture in water. It also demonstrated that the AAA dosimetric error can be as high as 12% near isolated leaf edges and up to 5% at the leaf end. The composite effect of these errors in a full RapidArc(TM) calculation in water involving a C-shaped target and the associated organ at risk produced a 1.5% overprediction of the mean target dose. In our cohort of six patients, the AAA was found, on average, to overestimate the PTV60 coverage at the 95% level in the presence of air cavities by 1.0% (SD = 1.1%). Removing the air cavities from the target volumes reduced these differences by about a factor of 2. The dose to critical structures was also overestimated by the AAA. The mean dose to the spinal cord was higher by 1.8% (SD = 0.8%), while the effective maximum dose (D 2% ) was only 0.2% higher (SD = 0.6%). The mean dose to the parotid glands was overestimated by ∼9%. This study has shown that the accuracy of the AAA for RapidArc(TM) dose calculations, performed at a resolution of 2.5 mm or better, is adequate for clinical use.

  7. Positive selection and propeptide repeats promote rapid interspecific divergence of a gastropod sperm protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hellberg, M E; Moy, G W; Vacquier, V D

    2000-03-01

    Male-specific proteins have increasingly been reported as targets of positive selection and are of special interest because of the role they may play in the evolution of reproductive isolation. We report the rapid interspecific divergence of cDNA encoding a major acrosomal protein of unknown function (TMAP) of sperm from five species of teguline gastropods. A mitochondrial DNA clock (calibrated by congeneric species divided by the Isthmus of Panama) estimates that these five species diverged 2-10 MYA. Inferred amino acid sequences reveal a propeptide that has diverged rapidly between species. The mature protein has diverged faster still due to high nonsynonymous substitution rates (> 25 nonsynonymous substitutions per site per 10(9) years). cDNA encoding the mature protein (89-100 residues) shows evidence of positive selection (Dn/Ds > 1) for 4 of 10 pairwise species comparisons. cDNA and predicted secondary-structure comparisons suggest that TMAP is neither orthologous nor paralogous to abalone lysin, and thus marks a second, phylogenetically independent, protein subject to strong positive selection in free-spawning marine gastropods. In addition, an internal repeat in one species (Tegula aureotincta) produces a duplicated cleavage site which results in two alternatively processed mature proteins differing by nine amino acid residues. Such alternative processing may provide a mechanism for introducing novel amino acid sequence variation at the amino-termini of proteins. Highly divergent TMAP N-termini from two other tegulines (Tegula regina and Norrisia norrisii) may have originated by such a mechanism.

  8. Rapid Refresh (RAP) [13 km

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Rapid Refresh (RAP) numerical weather model took the place of the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) on May 1, 2012. Run by the National Centers for Environmental...

  9. Rapid Refresh (RAP) [20 km

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Rapid Refresh (RAP) numerical weather model took the place of the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) on May 1, 2012. Run by the National Centers for Environmental...

  10. Rapid world modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Little, Charles; Jensen, Ken

    2002-01-01

    Sandia National Laboratories has designed and developed systems capable of large-scale, three-dimensional mapping of unstructured environments in near real time. This mapping technique is called rapid world modeling and has proven invaluable when used by prototype systems consisting of sensory detection devices mounted on mobile platforms. These systems can be deployed into previously unmapped environments and transmit real-time 3-D visual images to operators located remotely. This paper covers a brief history of the rapid world modeling system, its implementation on mobile platforms, and the current state of the technology. Applications to the nuclear power industry are discussed. (author)

  11. JINR rapid communications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The present collection of rapid communications from JINR, Dubna, contains seven separate records on relativistic multiparticle processes in the central rapidity region at asymptotically high energies, a new experimental study of charged K→3π decays, pre-Cherenkov radiation as a phenomenon of 'light barrier', stable S=-2 H dibaryon found in Dubna, calculation of Green functions and gluon top in some unambiguous gauges, a method of a fast selection of inelastic nucleus-nucleus collisions for the CMS experiment and the manifestation of jet quenching in differential distributions of the total transverse energy in nucleus-nucleus collisions

  12. JINR rapid communications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The present collection of rapid communications from JINR, Dubna, contains seven separate records on invisible Z-boson width and restrictions on next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model, cosmic test of honeycomb drift chambers, fission of 209 Bi, 232 Th, 235 U, 238 U and 237 Np in a spallation neutron field, rapid screening of spontaneous and radiation-induced structural changes at the vestigial gene of Drosophila melanogaster by polymerase chain reaction, gamma-ray multiplicities in sub-barrier fission of 226 Th and the decay constants of the scalar and pseudoscalar mesons in the quark models with quasilocal interaction

  13. In their own words: why teenagers don't use social networking sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Rosland K; White, Katherine M

    2011-06-01

    We explored common reasons for non-use of the rapidly growing popularity of social networking sites among a sample of Australian adolescents (N = 69). Transcripts were coded by grouping responses along similar themes for non-use that had been commonly stated by participants. The primary reasons offered by adolescents were: lack of motivation, poor use of time, preference for other forms of communication, preference for engaging in other activities, cybersafety concerns, and a dislike of self-presentation online. The identification of these themes allows for a greater understanding of teenagers' decisions not to engage in the popular medium of communication and points to possible strategies that could be utilised by Web site developers in efforts to appeal to a wider teenage audience.

  14. Genome Sequencing and Mapping Reveal Loss of Heterozygosity as a Mechanism for Rapid Adaptation in the Vegetable Pathogen Phytophthora capsici

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lamour, Kurt H.; Mudge, Joann; Gobena, Daniel; Hurtado-Gonzales, Oscar P.; Schmutz, Jeremy; Kuo, Alan; Miller, Neil A.; Rice, Brandon J.; Raffaele, Sylvain; Cano, Liliana M.; Bharti, Arvind K.; Donahoo, Ryan S.; Finely, Sabra; Huitema, Edgar; Hulvey, Jon; Platt, Darren; Salamov, Asaf; Savidor, Alon; Sharma, Rahul; Stam, Remco; Sotrey, Dylan; Thines, Marco; Win, Joe; Haas, Brian J.; Dinwiddie, Darrell L.; Jenkins, Jerry; Knight, James R.; Affourtit, Jason P.; Han, Cliff S.; Chertkov, Olga; Lindquist, Erika A.; Detter, Chris; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Kamoun, Sophien; Kingsmore, Stephen F.

    2012-02-07

    The oomycete vegetable pathogen Phytophthora capsici has shown remarkable adaptation to fungicides and new hosts. Like other members of this destructive genus, P. capsici has an explosive epidemiology, rapidly producing massive numbers of asexual spores on infected hosts. In addition, P. capsici can remain dormant for years as sexually recombined oospores, making it difficult to produce crops at infested sites, and allowing outcrossing populations to maintain significant genetic variation. Genome sequencing, development of a high-density genetic map, and integrative genomic or genetic characterization of P. capsici field isolates and intercross progeny revealed significant mitotic loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in diverse isolates. LOH was detected in clonally propagated field isolates and sexual progeny, cumulatively affecting >30percent of the genome. LOH altered genotypes for more than 11,000 single-nucleotide variant sites and showed a strong association with changes in mating type and pathogenicity. Overall, it appears that LOH may provide a rapid mechanism for fixing alleles and may be an important component of adaptability for P. capsici.

  15. Rapid-scan EPR imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eaton, Sandra S; Shi, Yilin; Woodcock, Lukas; Buchanan, Laura A; McPeak, Joseph; Quine, Richard W; Rinard, George A; Epel, Boris; Halpern, Howard J; Eaton, Gareth R

    2017-07-01

    In rapid-scan EPR the magnetic field or frequency is repeatedly scanned through the spectrum at rates that are much faster than in conventional continuous wave EPR. The signal is directly-detected with a mixer at the source frequency. Rapid-scan EPR is particularly advantageous when the scan rate through resonance is fast relative to electron spin relaxation rates. In such scans, there may be oscillations on the trailing edge of the spectrum. These oscillations can be removed by mathematical deconvolution to recover the slow-scan absorption spectrum. In cases of inhomogeneous broadening, the oscillations may interfere destructively to the extent that they are not visible. The deconvolution can be used even when it is not required, so spectra can be obtained in which some portions of the spectrum are in the rapid-scan regime and some are not. The technology developed for rapid-scan EPR can be applied generally so long as spectra are obtained in the linear response region. The detection of the full spectrum in each scan, the ability to use higher microwave power without saturation, and the noise filtering inherent in coherent averaging results in substantial improvement in signal-to-noise relative to conventional continuous wave spectroscopy, which is particularly advantageous for low-frequency EPR imaging. This overview describes the principles of rapid-scan EPR and the hardware used to generate the spectra. Examples are provided of its application to imaging of nitroxide radicals, diradicals, and spin-trapped radicals at a Larmor frequency of ca. 250MHz. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Rapid tracking of metals and other minerals in solid contaminated environments matters (soil, waste) thanks to non-destructive and rapid on-site methods with x-fluorescence. Extended abstract

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouzonville, A.; Colin, A.; Durin, L.; Gruffat, V.; Chassagnac, T.

    2008-05-01

    Rapid tracking of metals and other minerals in solid contaminated environments matters greatly to the various firms working in waste disposal. In order to facilitate decision-making that rely on non-destructive and rapid onsite methods of analysis, a review of such methods has been carried out though Scientific publications and Technical reports. Only X-fluorescence is presented as suitable, albeit with some limitations. In order to check the collected bibliographical data and to test both the limits and the limitations imposed by the use of portable XRF instruments, several series of experiments were conducted using two types of portable instruments: a gun-like instrument and a portable-class instrument. With the help of such instruments, the experiments were mainly oriented towards applications that are neglected in field research with regards to waste materials such as: - bulky curbside refuse, - contaminated land, - sludge from the dredging of ports and rivers, - steelwork slurries and dust particles. As these instruments make it possible to obtain samples before analysis, more in-depth evaluation of this aspect is relevant. Thus the number of samples to be analyzed, the kind of conditioning (grinding, sifting), the moisture, are parameters that require evaluation for each individual case and each different type of waste matter. Such aspect can be especially iffy when heterogeneous waste matter like recycling refuse is handled. In fact, the precision of the instruments usually do not cover the regulation thresholds or the techniques that are require by users. It is therefore necessary for the users of these instruments to be aware of the utilization limits and to develop protocols that are suitable for each situation, in order to get readings that are representative and can be interpreted. (authors)

  17. The role of social networking web sites in influencing residency decisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schweitzer, Justin; Hannan, Alexander; Coren, Joshua

    2012-10-01

    Social networking Web sites such as Facebook have grown rapidly in popularity. It is unknown how such sites affect the ways in which medical trainees investigate and interact with graduate medical education (GME) programs. To evaluate the use of social networking Web sites as a means for osteopathic medical students, interns, residents, and fellows to interact with GME programs and report the degree to which that interaction impacts a medical trainee's choice of GME program. An anonymous, 10-item electronic survey on social networking Web sites was e-mailed to osteopathic medical student, intern, resident, and fellow members of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. The weighted least squares test and the Fisher exact test were used for data analysis. A total of 9606 surveys were distributed, and 992 (10%) were completed. Nine hundred twenty-eight (93%) of the respondents used social networking Web sites, with the most popular services being Facebook (891 [90%]; P=.03), the Student Doctor Network (278 [28%]), and LinkedIn (89 [9%]; P=.03). Three hundred fifty-three respondents (36%; P=.52) were connected with a professional organization and 673 (68%; P=.73) used social networking Web sites for job searching related to GME programs or postresidency employment. Within the population of 497 third-, fourth-, and fifth-year osteopathic medical students, 136 (27%) reported gleaning information about programs through social networking Web sites (P=.01). Within the total population, 100 of 992 (10%) reported that this information influenced their decisions (P=.07). Of note, 144 (14%) of the total 992 respondents reported that the programs they applied to did not have any presence on social networking Web sites (P=.05). Our results indicate that social networking Web sites have a present and growing influence on how osteopathic medical students, interns, residents, and fellows learn about and select a GME program.

  18. Prediction of allosteric sites on protein surfaces with an elastic-network-model-based thermodynamic method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Ji Guo; Qi, Li Sheng; Li, Chun Hua; Zhu, Yan Ying; Du, Hui Jing; Hou, Yan Xue; Hao, Rui; Wang, Ji Hua

    2014-08-01

    Allostery is a rapid and efficient way in many biological processes to regulate protein functions, where binding of an effector at the allosteric site alters the activity and function at a distant active site. Allosteric regulation of protein biological functions provides a promising strategy for novel drug design. However, how to effectively identify the allosteric sites remains one of the major challenges for allosteric drug design. In the present work, a thermodynamic method based on the elastic network model was proposed to predict the allosteric sites on the protein surface. In our method, the thermodynamic coupling between the allosteric and active sites was considered, and then the allosteric sites were identified as those where the binding of an effector molecule induces a large change in the binding free energy of the protein with its ligand. Using the proposed method, two proteins, i.e., the 70 kD heat shock protein (Hsp70) and GluA2 alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor, were studied and the allosteric sites on the protein surface were successfully identified. The predicted results are consistent with the available experimental data, which indicates that our method is a simple yet effective approach for the identification of allosteric sites on proteins.

  19. Robotic right colectomy using the Da Vinci Single-Site® platform: case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morelli, Luca; Guadagni, Simone; Caprili, Giovanni; Di Candio, Giulio; Boggi, Ugo; Mosca, Franco

    2013-09-01

    While single-port laparoscopy for abdominal surgery is technically challenging, the Da Vinci Single-Site® robotic surgery platform may help to overcome some of the difficulties of this rapidly evolving technique. The authors of this article present a case of single-incision, robotic right colectomy using this device. A 74-year-old female with malignant polyp of caecum was operated on with a single-site approach using the Da Vinci Single-Site® robotic surgery device. Resection and anastomosis were performed extra-corporeally after undocking the robot. The procedure was successfully completed in 200 min. No surgical complications occurred during the intervention and the post-operative stay and no conversion to laparotomy or additional trocars were required. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of right colectomy using the Da Vinci Single-Site® robotic surgery platform to be reported. The procedure is feasible and safe and its main advantages are restoration of triangulation and reduced instrument clashes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Assessing health systems for type 1 diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa: developing a 'Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access'

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beran, David; Yudkin, John S; de Courten, Maximilian

    2006-01-01

    In order to improve the health of people with Type 1 diabetes in developing countries, a clear analysis of the constraints to insulin access and diabetes care is needed. We developed a Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access, comprising a series of questionnaires as well as a protocol...... for the gathering of other data through site visits, discussions, and document reviews....

  1. Rapid prototyping: een veelbelovende methode

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haverman, T.M.; Karagozoglu, K.H.; Prins, H.; Schulten, E.A.J.M.; Forouzanfar, T.

    2013-01-01

    Rapid prototyping is a method which makes it possible to produce a three-dimensional model based on two-dimensional imaging. Various rapid prototyping methods are available for modelling, such as stereolithography, selective laser sintering, direct laser metal sintering, two-photon polymerization,

  2. Site-Specific Antibody Functionalization Using Tetrazine-Styrene Cycloaddition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umlauf, Benjamin J; Mix, Kalie A; Grosskopf, Vanessa A; Raines, Ronald T; Shusta, Eric V

    2018-05-03

    Biologics, such as antibody-drug conjugates, are becoming mainstream therapeutics. Consequently, methods to functionalize biologics without disrupting their native properties are essential for identifying, characterizing, and translating candidate biologics from the bench to clinical practice. Here, we present a method for site-specific, carboxy-terminal modification of single-chain antibody fragments (scFvs). ScFvs displayed on the surface of yeast were isolated and functionalized by combining intein-mediated expressed protein ligation (EPL) with inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) cycloaddition using a styrene-tetrazine pair. The high thiol concentration required to trigger EPL can hinder the subsequent chemoselective ligation reactions; therefore, the EPL reaction was used to append styrene to the scFv, limiting tetrazine exposure to damaging thiols. Subsequently, the styrene-functionalized scFv was reacted with tetrazine-conjugated compounds in an IEDDA cycloaddition to generate functionalized scFvs that retain their native binding activity. Rapid functionalization of yeast surface-derived scFv in a site-directed manner could find utility in many downstream laboratory and preclinical applications.

  3. A novel GMO biosensor for rapid ultrasensitive and simultaneous detection of multiple DNA components in GMO products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Lin; Zheng, Lei; Chen, Yinji; Xue, Feng; Cheng, Lin; Adeloju, Samuel B; Chen, Wei

    2015-04-15

    Since the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), there has been on-going and continuous concern and debates on the commercialization of products derived from GMOs. There is an urgent need for development of highly efficient analytical methods for rapid and high throughput screening of GMOs components, as required for appropriate labeling of GMO-derived foods, as well as for on-site inspection and import/export quarantine. In this study, we describe, for the first time, a multi-labeling based electrochemical biosensor for simultaneous detection of multiple DNA components of GMO products on the same sensing interface. Two-round signal amplification was applied by using both an exonuclease enzyme catalytic reaction and gold nanoparticle-based bio-barcode related strategies, respectively. Simultaneous multiple detections of different DNA components of GMOs were successfully achieved with satisfied sensitivity using this electrochemical biosensor. Furthermore, the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed approach was successfully demonstrated by application to various GMO products, including locally obtained and confirmed commercial GMO seeds and transgenetic plants. The proposed electrochemical biosensor demonstrated unique merits that promise to gain more interest in its use for rapid and on-site simultaneous multiple screening of different components of GMO products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Bioremediation techniques?classification based on site of application: principles, advantages, limitations and prospects

    OpenAIRE

    Azubuike, Christopher Chibueze; Chikere, Chioma Blaise; Okpokwasili, Gideon Chijioke

    2016-01-01

    Environmental pollution has been on the rise in the past few decades owing to increased human activities on energy reservoirs, unsafe agricultural practices and rapid industrialization. Amongst the pollutants that are of environmental and public health concerns due to their toxicities are: heavy metals, nuclear wastes, pesticides, green house gases, and hydrocarbons. Remediation of polluted sites using microbial process (bioremediation) has proven effective and reliable due to its eco-friendl...

  5. Renewable Energy Zones for Balancing Siting Trade-offs in India: Multi-Criteria Analysis for Planning Renewable Energy (MapRE)

    OpenAIRE

    Deshmukh, Ranjit; Wu, Grace C.; Phadke, Amol

    2017-01-01

    India’s targets of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, and 40% generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 will require a rapid and dramatic increase in solar and wind capacity deployment and overcoming its associated economic, siting, and power system challenges. The objective of this study was to spatially identify the amount and quality of wind and utility-scale solar resource potential in India, and the possible siting-related constraints and opportunities for devel...

  6. Prediction of protein binding sites using physical and chemical descriptors and the support vector machine regression method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Zhong-Hua; Jiang Fan

    2010-01-01

    In this paper a new continuous variable called core-ratio is defined to describe the probability for a residue to be in a binding site, thereby replacing the previous binary description of the interface residue using 0 and 1. So we can use the support vector machine regression method to fit the core-ratio value and predict the protein binding sites. We also design a new group of physical and chemical descriptors to characterize the binding sites. The new descriptors are more effective, with an averaging procedure used. Our test shows that much better prediction results can be obtained by the support vector regression (SVR) method than by the support vector classification method. (rapid communication)

  7. Time-Resolved Fluorescent Immunochromatography of Aflatoxin B1 in Soybean Sauce: A Rapid and Sensitive Quantitative Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Du; Zhang, Zhaowei; Li, Peiwu; Zhang, Qi; Zhang, Wen

    2016-07-14

    Rapid and quantitative sensing of aflatoxin B1 with high sensitivity and specificity has drawn increased attention of studies investigating soybean sauce. A sensitive and rapid quantitative immunochromatographic sensing method was developed for the detection of aflatoxin B1 based on time-resolved fluorescence. It combines the advantages of time-resolved fluorescent sensing and immunochromatography. The dynamic range of a competitive and portable immunoassay was 0.3-10.0 µg·kg(-1), with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 µg·kg(-1) and recoveries of 87.2%-114.3%, within 10 min. The results showed good correlation (R² > 0.99) between time-resolved fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Soybean sauce samples analyzed using time-resolved fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test revealed that 64.2% of samples contained aflatoxin B1 at levels ranging from 0.31 to 12.5 µg·kg(-1). The strip test is a rapid, sensitive, quantitative, and cost-effective on-site screening technique in food safety analysis.

  8. Egy tanúságtevő hitvalló, szolgáló, tudományos és papi pálya lezárult: Petrasevics Nikefor József eperjesi görög katolikus kanonok és tudományos kutató emlékére (1915–2013 - Passed a Wittness of the Faith, Scientist, a Servant of The Lord, True Priest: Nicefor Petrashevich (1915–2013, canon of the Preshov Greek Catholic Eparchy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FÖLDVÁRI, Sándor

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Decease of the witness of the Faith, a servant of the Lord and a famous researcher of the religious folklore: Nicefor Joseph Petrashevich (1915–2013 distinguished member of the Capitol of Preshov Greek Catholic Eparchy Born in Čukalovce, East-Slovakia (then Csukalóc, Upper-Hungary in 1915 as the sixth of the eleven children in the family of a Greek Catholic bishop, he was inspired by his father and elder brother who served the Lord. He studied in the high school (gymnasium of the Cistercian Order in Eger (Northern Hungary which provided its pupils with knowledge and deep faith. He became a choir-minister of the Uzghorod Bishopric Basilica where he turned to the examination of folklore traditions reflected in the liturgical chants. Apparently, it was his calling and his findings on the Byzantine chants contributed significantly to the understanding of religious folklore. He was known as a gifted composer and singer too. The Greek Catholic Church was banned in the Soviet Union which obtained Subcarpathia after the World War II, and this church was oppressed in Slovakia as well, so he faced a dilemma: to convert to the Ortodox (Pravoslav Christianity and live free, or to remain faithful to the Catholic Church and be persecuted. Moreover, he was a coelebs, a priest who did not have a wife (despite the fact that Greek Catholic priests are allowed to have families. Consequently, he could have been elected as bishop, as the higher ranks in the Byzantine Churches are open for monks. The communist authorities offered Pope Nicefor the episcopate of the Slovak Ortodox Church, if he converted to the Ortodoxy. He refused it: “my head does not accept the mithra (bishops’ crone by leaving my Catholic faith” –he said. As a result, he was imprisoned for more than two years in Slovakia. Later he came to Hungary where could not serve as a parochial priest, but worked as cantor or helping pope in various places and in centres of pilgrimage where

  9. Early Site Permit Demonstration Program: Siting Guide, Site selection and evaluation criteria for an early site permit application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    In August 1991, the Joint Contractors came to agreement with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the Department of Energy (DOE) on a workscope for the cost-shared Early Site Permit Demonstration Program. One task within the scope was the development of a guide for site selection criteria and procedures. A generic Siting Guide his been prepared that is a roadmap and tool for applicants to use developing detailed siting plans for their specific region of the country. The guide presents three fundamental principles that, if used, ensure a high degree of success for an ESP applicant. First, the site selection process should take into consideration environmentally diverse site locations within a given region of interest. Second, the process should contain appropriate opportunities for input from the public. Third, the process should be applied so that it is clearly reasonable to an impartial observer, based on appropriately selected criteria, including criteria which demonstrate that the site can host an advanced light water reactor (ALWR). The Siting Guide provides for a systematic, comprehensive site selection process in which three basic types of criteria (exclusionary, avoidance, and suitability) are presented via a four-step procedure. It provides a check list of the criteria for each one of these steps. Criteria are applied qualitatively, as well as presented numerically, within the guide. The applicant should use the generic guide as an exhaustive checklist, customizing the guide to his individual situation

  10. Rapid training of a community job skill to nonvocal adults with autism: an extension of intensive teaching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lattimore, L Perry; Parsons, Marsha B; Reid, Dennis H

    2009-01-01

    We evaluated an intensive program in a simulated format for rapidly teaching a job skill to nonvocal adults with autism. Following baseline probes with a new work task of assembling mailing boxes at a publishing company, 3 supported workers individually received repeated teaching sessions at a simulated work site. All workers met criterion with 1 day of simulation teaching, with subsequent criterion level performance upon returning to the job (1 worker required booster trials). Intensive teaching did not occasion problem behavior nor unhappiness indices. Improved work performance also occurred with two generalization tasks involving different materials. Implications for practitioners focus on improving worker performance without interfering with work completion that often accompanies on-the-job training. Potential applications of intensive programs for rapidly teaching other skills are discussed.

  11. RAPID-N: Assessing and mapping the risk of natural-hazard impact at industrial installations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girgin, Serkan; Krausmann, Elisabeth

    2015-04-01

    Natural hazard-triggered technological accidents (so-called Natech accidents) at hazardous installations can have major consequences due to the potential for release of hazardous materials, fires and explosions. Effective Natech risk reduction requires the identification of areas where this risk is high. However, recent studies have shown that there are hardly any methodologies and tools that would allow authorities to identify these areas. To work towards closing this gap, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre has developed the rapid Natech risk assessment and mapping framework RAPID-N. The tool, which is implemented in an online web-based environment, is unique in that it contains all functionalities required for running a full Natech risk analysis simulation (natural hazards severity estimation, equipment damage probability and severity calculation, modeling of the consequences of loss of containment scenarios) and for visualizing its results. The output of RAPID-N are risk summary reports and interactive risk maps which can be used for decision making. Currently, the tool focuses on Natech risk due to earthquakes at industrial installations. However, it will be extended to also analyse and map Natech risk due to floods in the near future. RAPID-N is available at http://rapidn.jrc.ec.europa.eu. This presentation will discuss the results of case-study calculations performed for selected flammable and toxic substances to test the capabilities of RAPID-N both for single- and multi-site earthquake Natech risk assessment. For this purpose, an Istanbul earthquake scenario provided by the Turkish government was used. The results of the exercise show that RAPID-N is a valuable decision-support tool that assesses the Natech risk and maps the consequence end-point distances. These end-point distances are currently defined by 7 kPa overpressure for Vapour Cloud Explosions, 2nd degree burns for pool fire (which is equivalent to a heat radiation of 5 kW/m2 for 40s

  12. Numerical Modelling of Rayleigh Wave Propagation in Course of Rapid Impulse Compaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbut, Aneta; Rybak, Jarosław

    2017-10-01

    As the soil improvement technologies are the area of a rapid development, they require designing and implementing novel methods of control and calibration in order to ensure the safety of geotechnical works. At Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (Poland), these new methods are continually developed with the aim to provide the appropriate tools for the preliminary design of work process, as well as for the further ongoing on-site control of geotechnical works (steel sheet piling, pile driving or soil improvement technologies). The studies include preliminary numerical simulations and field tests concerning measurements and continuous histogram recording of shocks and vibrations and its ground-born dynamic impact on engineering structures. The impact of vibrations on reinforced concrete and masonry structures in the close proximity of the construction site may be destroying in both architectural and structural meaning. Those limits are juxtaposed in codes of practice, but always need an individual judgment. The results and observations make it possible to delineate specific modifications to the parameters of technology applied (e.g. hammer drop height). On the basis of numerous case studies of practical applications, already summarized and published, we were able to formulate the guidelines for work on the aforementioned sites. This work presents specific aspects of the active design (calibration of building site numerical model) by means of technology calibration, using the investigation of the impact of vibrations that occur during the Impulse Compaction on adjacent structures. A case study entails the impact of construction works on Rayleigh wave propagation in the zone of 100 m (radius) around the Compactor.

  13. The apolipoprotein L family of programmed cell death and immunity genes rapidly evolved in primates at discrete sites of host-pathogen interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Eric E; Malik, Harmit S

    2009-05-01

    Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) is a human protein that confers immunity to Trypanosoma brucei infections but can be countered by a trypanosome-encoded antagonist SRA. APOL1 belongs to a family of programmed cell death genes whose proteins can initiate host apoptosis or autophagic death. We report here that all six members of the APOL gene family (APOL1-6) present in humans have rapidly evolved in simian primates. APOL6, furthermore, shows evidence of an adaptive sweep during recent human evolution. In each APOL gene tested, we found rapidly evolving codons in or adjacent to the SRA-interacting protein domain (SID), which is the domain of APOL1 that interacts with SRA. In APOL6, we also found a rapidly changing 13-amino-acid cluster in the membrane-addressing domain (MAD), which putatively functions as a pH sensor and regulator of cell death. We predict that APOL genes are antagonized by pathogens by at least two distinct mechanisms: SID antagonists, which include SRA, that interact with the SID of various APOL proteins, and MAD antagonists that interact with the MAD hinge base of APOL6. These antagonists either block or prematurely cause APOL-mediated programmed cell death of host cells to benefit the infecting pathogen. These putative interactions must occur inside host cells, in contrast to secreted APOL1 that trafficks to the trypanosome lysosome. Hence, the dynamic APOL gene family appears to be an important link between programmed cell death of host cells and immunity to pathogens.

  14. Site Closure Strategy Model for Creosote Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coll, F.R.; Gray, D.R.

    2009-01-01

    In conjunction with RCRA site corrective action at an active wood preserving facility, a risk-based site closure strategy was developed and incorporated the performance of a dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source recovery remedy, a monitored natural attenuation (MNA) remedy for dissolved phase groundwater, and institutional controls. Innovative creosote DNAPL source recovery has been undertaken at the Site since 1998. Pooled creosote DNAPL is present 90 feet below ground within a transmissive sand and gravel aquifer with a saturated thickness of approximately 80 feet. The creosote DNAPL source is situated on the property boundary of the site and has generated a 1/2 mile off-site dissolved phase plume, creating significant NAPL management and remedial technology verification issues. To date, over 120,000 gallons of creosote DNAPL have been recovered from the subsurface utilizing a modified circulation well technology. A mass discharge flux protocol was developed to serve as a major performance metrics for the continuation of source removal efforts and to support the application of monitored natural attenuation as an associated remedial technology for groundwater. The mass removal success has supported the MNA remedy for dissolved phase groundwater and the associated development of institutional controls. The enacted site management strategy outlines the current and future risk management activities for the Site and represents an appropriate site closure strategy for the Site. (authors)

  15. 2[125I]Iodomelatonin binding sites in spleens of guinea pigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poon, A.M.S.; Pang, S.F.

    1992-01-01

    2-[ 125 I]Iodomelatonin was found to bind specifically to the membrane preparations of the spleens of guinea pigs with high affinity. The binding was rapid, stable, saturable and reversible. Scatchard analysis of the binding assays revealed an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of 49.8±4.12 pmol/l and binding site density (Bmax) of 0.69±0.082 fmol/mg protein at mid-light. There was no significant change in the Kd or the Bmax at mid-dark. Kinetic analysis showed a Kd of 23.13±4.81 pmol/l, in agreement to that derived from the saturation studies. The 2-[ 125 I]iodomelatonin binding sites have the following order of potency: 2-iodomelatonin > melatonin > 6-chloromelatonin much-gt N-acetylserotonin, 6-hydroxymelatonin > 5-methoxytryptamine, 5-methoxytryptophol > serotonin, 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid > 5-hydroxytryptophol, 3-acetylindole, 1-acetylindole-3-carboxyaldehyde, L-tryptophan > tryptamine, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid. Differential centrifugation studies showed that the binding sites are localized mainly in the nuclear fraction, the rest are distributed in the microsomal fraction, mitochondrial fraction and cytosolic fraction. The demonstration of 2-[ 125 I]iodomelatonin binding sites in the spleen suggests the presence of melatonin receptors and a direct mechanism of action of melatonin on the immune system

  16. Numerology on pion and proton rapidity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gugelot, P.C.

    1987-01-01

    The pseudo-rapidity of pion jets which were measured for 50 GeV and 150 GeV incident pions and protons on carbon, copper and lead targets is analysed. The shape of the rapidity distribution for a ''fireball'' which emits particles isotropically in its center of mass is a cosh -2 y distribution. It is possible to unfold all measured distributions into three groups which correspond to a low rapidity originating from the target fragmentation, a middle group which is a function of the center of mass of the projectile and target rapidity and a fast group which is due to the projectile. 11 refs., 8 figs. (author)

  17. Comparison of rapid-cycling and non-rapid-cycling bipolar disorder based on prospective mood ratings in 539 outpatients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kupka, RW; Luckenbaugh, DA; Post, RM; Suppes, T; Altshuler, LL; Keck, PE; Frye, MA; Denicoff, KD; Grunze, H; Leverich, GS; McElroy, SL; Walden, J; Nolen, WA

    Objective: To detect risk factors for rapid cycling in bipolar disorder, the authors compared characteristics of rapid-cycling and non-rapid-cycling patients both from a categorical and a dimensional perspective. Method: Outpatients with bipolar I disorder (N = 419), bipolar II disorder (N = 104),

  18. A scoping review of rapid review methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tricco, Andrea C; Antony, Jesmin; Zarin, Wasifa; Strifler, Lisa; Ghassemi, Marco; Ivory, John; Perrier, Laure; Hutton, Brian; Moher, David; Straus, Sharon E

    2015-09-16

    Rapid reviews are a form of knowledge synthesis in which components of the systematic review process are simplified or omitted to produce information in a timely manner. Although numerous centers are conducting rapid reviews internationally, few studies have examined the methodological characteristics of rapid reviews. We aimed to examine articles, books, and reports that evaluated, compared, used or described rapid reviews or methods through a scoping review. MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, internet websites of rapid review producers, and reference lists were searched to identify articles for inclusion. Two reviewers independently screened literature search results and abstracted data from included studies. Descriptive analysis was conducted. We included 100 articles plus one companion report that were published between 1997 and 2013. The studies were categorized as 84 application papers, seven development papers, six impact papers, and four comparison papers (one was included in two categories). The rapid reviews were conducted between 1 and 12 months, predominantly in Europe (58 %) and North America (20 %). The included studies failed to report 6 % to 73 % of the specific systematic review steps examined. Fifty unique rapid review methods were identified; 16 methods occurred more than once. Streamlined methods that were used in the 82 rapid reviews included limiting the literature search to published literature (24 %) or one database (2 %), limiting inclusion criteria by date (68 %) or language (49 %), having one person screen and another verify or screen excluded studies (6 %), having one person abstract data and another verify (23 %), not conducting risk of bias/quality appraisal (7 %) or having only one reviewer conduct the quality appraisal (7 %), and presenting results as a narrative summary (78 %). Four case studies were identified that compared the results of rapid reviews to systematic reviews. Three studies found that the conclusions between

  19. A QUICK KEY TO THE SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA OF ANTS OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, D

    2007-09-04

    This taxonomic key was devised to support development of a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol using ants at the Savannah River Site. The emphasis is on 'rapid' and, because the available keys contained a very large number of genera not known to occur at the Savannah River Site, we found that the available keys were unwieldy. Because these keys contained many more genera than we would ever encounter and because this larger number of genera required more couplets in the key and often required examination of characters that are difficult to assess without higher magnifications (60X or higher), more time was required to process samples. In developing this set of keys I emphasized character states that are easier for nonspecialists to recognize. I recognize that the character sets used may lead to some errors but I believe that the error rate will be small and, for the purpose of rapid bioassessment, this error rate will be acceptable provided that overall sample sizes are adequate. Oliver and Beattie (1996a, 1996b) found that for rapid assessment of biodiversity the same results were found when identifications were done to morphospecies by people with minimal expertise as when the same data sets were identified by subject matter experts. Basset et al. (2004) concluded that it was not as important to correctly identify all species as it was to be sure that the study included as many functional groups as possible. If your study requires high levels of accuracy, it is highly recommended that, when you key out a specimen and have any doubts concerning the identification, you should refer to keys in Bolton (1994) or to the other keys used to develop this area specific taxonomic key.

  20. Virtual rapid response: the next evolution of tele-ICU.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkins, Carrie L

    2012-01-01

    The first of its kind in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system, the Denver VA Medical Center's tele-intensive care unit (ICU) program is unique because it is entirely nurse driven. A nontraditional tele-ICU model, the program was tailored to meet the needs of rural veterans by using critical care nursing expertise in Denver, Colorado. An experienced CCRN-certified nurse manages the system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from Eastern Colorado Health Care System. The virtual ICU provides rapid response interventions through virtual technology. This tele-ICU technology allows for a "virtual handshake" by nursing staff at the start of the shift and a report on potential patient issues. Clinical relationships have been strengthened between all 5 VA facilities in the Rocky Mountain Region, increasing the likelihood of early consultation at the onset of clinical decline of a patient. In addition, the tele-ICU nurse is available for immediate nursing consultation and support, coordinates point-to-point virtual consultation between physicians at the rural sites and specialists in Denver, and assists in expediting critical care transfers. The primary objectives for the tele-ICU program include improving quality and access of care to critical care services in rural sites, reducing community fee basis costs and frequency of transfers, and increasing collaboration and collegiality among nursing and medical staff in all Region 19's medical centers.

  1. A cross-sectional survey of attitudes to HIV risk and rapid HIV testing among clients of sex workers in Switzerland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darling, Katharine E A; Diserens, Esther-Amélie; N'garambe, Chantal; Ansermet-Pagot, Anne; Masserey, Eric; Cavassini, Matthias; Bodenmann, Patrick

    2012-10-01

    To assess attitudes to HIV risk and acceptability of rapid HIV testing among clients of street-based female sex workers (FSW) in Lausanne, Switzerland, where HIV prevalence in the general population is 0.4%. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study in the red light district of Lausanne for five nights in September of 2008, 2009 and 2010. Clients of FSW were invited to complete a questionnaire in the street assessing demographic characteristics, attitudes to HIV risk and HIV testing history. All clients interviewed were then offered anonymous finger stick rapid HIV testing in a van parked on-site. The authors interviewed 112, 127 and 79 clients in 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively. All were men, average age 32-37 years old; 40-60% were in a stable relationship. History of unprotected sex was higher with non-commercial partners (33-50%) than with FSW (6-11%); 29-46% of clients had never undergone an HIV test. Anonymous rapid HIV testing was accepted by 45-50% of clients. Out of 109 HIV tests conducted during the three study periods, none was reactive. On-site HIV counselling and testing is acceptable among clients of FSW in this urban setting. These individuals represent an unquantified population, a proportion of which has an incomplete understanding of HIV risk in the face of high-risk behaviour, with implications for potential onward transmission to non-commercial sexual partners.

  2. Investigation of novel bioactive rapidly resorbable bone substitute materials and their influence on osteoblastic cell differentiation in vivo

    OpenAIRE

    Jonscher, Sebastian

    2010-01-01

    Among the various techniques to reconstruct or enlarge a deficient alveolar ridge, the concept of guided bone regeneration (GBR) has become a predictable and well-documented surgical approach. At present, autogenous bone grafts are preferably combined with barrier membranes. Using synthetic biodegradable bone substitute materials, however, is advantageous, since it avoids second-site surgery for autograft harvesting. A bone substitute for alveolar ridge augmentation must be rapidly resorbable...

  3. Chemical dechlorination of pesticides at a superfund site in Region II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pendergrass, S.; Prince, J.

    1991-01-01

    Selecting technologies for cleaning up hazardous waste sites is a complex task, due in part to the rapidly changing nature of the state-of-the-art in technology. There is strong support for use of innovative technologies as specified in Section 121(b) of CERCLA. However, use of an innovative technology requires overcoming a variety of challenges. These challenges include: Screening potentially appropriate technologies, including innovative technologies, and selecting one or more potential innovative technologies for which preliminary results are promising; however, site-specific data are needed prior to technology evaluation. Evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed technology for the site through the use of treatability studies. Gaining acceptance for the innovative technology, which may employ new or unfamiliar concepts. Determining optimal design and operating parameters for full-scale remediation. This paper discusses the technology evaluation process and how that process supported the selection of an innovative technology for the Myers Property site, a Superfund site in Region II. A case study is presented showing how technology screening and laboratory treatability studies were used to evaluate an innovative technology (chemical dechlorination), which was selected as the technology for remediation of soils and sediments contaminated with pesticides at this environmentally sensitive site in New Jersey. The remedy selected by the U.S. EPA for this site designates chemical dechlorination as the selected technology, but does not specify any particular vendor or process. Rather, the remedy sets forth technology performance standards and recommends certain design tasks which may be used to select a particular chemical process. This paper discusses he of these design tasks as they might apply to innovative technologies, using chemical dechlorination as a model

  4. Comet assay for rapid detection of base damage in foods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Zubaidi, I. A.; Abdullah, T. S.; Qasim, S. R.

    2012-12-01

    Single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) or comet assay technique a sensitive, reliable and rapid method for DNA double and single strand break, alkali- labile site and delayed repair site detection in individual cells. In recent years, this method has been widely used for studies of DNA repair, genetic toxicology, and environmental biomontoring, however, this technique serves as an important tool for detection of DNA damage in living organism and is increasing being used in genetic testing of industrial chemicals, environmental agent's contaminations. This research paper helps to evaluate the oxidant agent's effects of exposure to organic pollutants by using comet assay techniques. This study used five samples of each food sample (Meat, Chicken, Rice, Fruits, Vegetables and Tea) to evaluate the genotoxic effects of exposure, to environmental agent's pollutants. The experimental data suggest that the DNA damage parameters ( Tail length, Tail width 1 ) were found higher value in exposed population when compared with the ratio of the length to width that cells exhibiting no migration having a ratio of 1. The percentage and distribution of cells in exposed population of cells also increases with the increase in values. This study demonstrates that, using sensitive techniques, it is possible to detect environmental agent's risks at an early stage. (Author)

  5. Rapid response learning of brand logo priming: Evidence that brand priming is not dominated by rapid response learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boehm, Stephan G; Smith, Ciaran; Muench, Niklas; Noble, Kirsty; Atherton, Catherine

    2017-08-31

    Repetition priming increases the accuracy and speed of responses to repeatedly processed stimuli. Repetition priming can result from two complementary sources: rapid response learning and facilitation within perceptual and conceptual networks. In conceptual classification tasks, rapid response learning dominates priming of object recognition, but it does not dominate priming of person recognition. This suggests that the relative engagement of network facilitation and rapid response learning depends on the stimulus domain. Here, we addressed the importance of the stimulus domain for rapid response learning by investigating priming in another domain, brands. In three experiments, participants performed conceptual decisions for brand logos. Strong priming was present, but it was not dominated by rapid response learning. These findings add further support to the importance of the stimulus domain for the relative importance of network facilitation and rapid response learning, and they indicate that brand priming is more similar to person recognition priming than object recognition priming, perhaps because priming of both brands and persons requires individuation.

  6. SeqAnt: A web service to rapidly identify and annotate DNA sequence variations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patel Viren

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The enormous throughput and low cost of second-generation sequencing platforms now allow research and clinical geneticists to routinely perform single experiments that identify tens of thousands to millions of variant sites. Existing methods to annotate variant sites using information from publicly available databases via web browsers are too slow to be useful for the large sequencing datasets being routinely generated by geneticists. Because sequence annotation of variant sites is required before functional characterization can proceed, the lack of a high-throughput pipeline to efficiently annotate variant sites can act as a significant bottleneck in genetics research. Results SeqAnt (Sequence Annotator is an open source web service and software package that rapidly annotates DNA sequence variants and identifies recessive or compound heterozygous loci in human, mouse, fly, and worm genome sequencing experiments. Variants are characterized with respect to their functional type, frequency, and evolutionary conservation. Annotated variants can be viewed on a web browser, downloaded in a tab-delimited text file, or directly uploaded in a BED format to the UCSC genome browser. To demonstrate the speed of SeqAnt, we annotated a series of publicly available datasets that ranged in size from 37 to 3,439,107 variant sites. The total time to completely annotate these data completely ranged from 0.17 seconds to 28 minutes 49.8 seconds. Conclusion SeqAnt is an open source web service and software package that overcomes a critical bottleneck facing research and clinical geneticists using second-generation sequencing platforms. SeqAnt will prove especially useful for those investigators who lack dedicated bioinformatics personnel or infrastructure in their laboratories.

  7. Microstructural Development in Al-Si Powder During Rapid Solidification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Genau, Amber Lynn [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2004-01-01

    Powder metallurgy has become an increasingly important form of metal processing because of its ability to produce materials with superior mechanical properties. These properties are due in part to the unique and often desirable microstructures which arise as a result of the extreme levels of undercooling achieved, especially in the finest size powder, and the subsequent rapid solidification which occurs. A better understanding of the fundamental processes of nucleation and growth is required to further exploit the potential of rapid solidification processing. Aluminum-silicon, an alloy of significant industrial importance, was chosen as a model for simple eutectic systems displaying an unfaceted/faceted interface and skewed coupled eutectic growth zone, Al-Si powder produced by high pressure gas atomization was studied to determine the relationship between microstructure and alloy composition as a function of powder size and atomization gas. Critical experimental measurements of hypereutectic (Si-rich) compositions were used to determine undercooling and interface velocity, based on the theoretical models which are available. Solidification conditions were analyzed as a function of particle diameter and distance from nucleation site. A revised microstructural map is proposed which allows the prediction of particle morphology based on temperature and composition. It is hoped that this work, by providing enhanced understanding of the processes which govern the development of the solidification morphology of gas atomized powder, will eventually allow for better control of processing conditions so that particle microstructures can be optimized for specific applications.

  8. Study of site layout in the Rokkasho site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Kazuyoshi; Tamura, Kousaku; Yagenji, Akira; Sekiya, Shigeki; Takahashi, Hideo; Neyatani, Yuzuru; Uehara, Masaharu; Motohashi, Keiichi; Hashimoto, Masayoshi; Ogino, Shunji; Nagamatsu, Nobuhide

    2006-03-01

    The Final Design Report (FDR) of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) was published on July 2001 as a summary of the Engineering Design Activity (EDA). After the EDA, site dependent design has been investigated for the invitation of ITER toward Rokkasho Site (Iyasakadai area) in Aomori prefecture. This report describes the results of site layout of major buildings and structures of ITER in the Rokkasho-Site. The data of the ground near the site and the results of site dependent design in Japan were applied to this study. Through this study, the most appropriate site layout has been constructed with satisfaction of following conditions. (1) Bedrock level at the tokamak complex building is relatively high and it can be reduced the cost of excavation and foundation work. (2) Total amount of excavation soil for site preparation is minimized and the flexibility of the layout is ensured with flat ground level. (3) Accessibility of human and equipments, reduction of noise and vibration to the environment can be obtained. Total length of ducts and piping between buildings in site is minimized. (author)

  9. Rapid Response in Psychological Treatments for Binge-Eating Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilbert, Anja; Hildebrandt, Thomas; Agras, W. Stewart; Wilfley, Denise E.; Wilson, G. Terence

    2015-01-01

    Objective Analysis of short- and long-term effects of rapid response across three different treatments for binge-eating disorder (BED). Method In a randomized clinical study comparing interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), cognitive-behavioral guided self-help (CBTgsh), and behavioral weight loss (BWL) treatment in 205 adults meeting DSM-IV criteria for BED, the predictive value of rapid response, defined as ≥ 70% reduction in binge-eating by week four, was determined for remission from binge-eating and global eating disorder psychopathology at posttreatment, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-up. Results Rapid responders in CBTgsh, but not in IPT or BWL, showed significantly greater rates of remission from binge-eating than non-rapid responders, which was sustained over the long term. Rapid and non-rapid responders in IPT and rapid responders in CBTgsh showed a greater remission from binge-eating than non-rapid responders in CBTgsh and BWL. Rapid responders in CBTgsh showed greater remission from binge-eating than rapid responders in BWL. Although rapid responders in all treatments had lower global eating disorder psychopathology than non-rapid responders in the short term, rapid responders in CBTgsh and IPT were more improved than those in BWL and non-rapid responders in each treatment. Rapid responders in BWL did not differ from non-rapid responders in CBTgsh and IPT. Conclusions Rapid response is a treatment-specific positive prognostic indicator of sustained remission from binge-eating in CBTgsh. Regarding an evidence-based stepped care model, IPT, equally efficacious for rapid and non-rapid responders, could be investigated as a second-line treatment in case of non-rapid response to first-line CBTgsh. PMID:25867446

  10. Rapid DNA haplotyping using a multiplex heteroduplex approach: Application to Duchenne muscula dystrophy carrier detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prior, T.W.; Wenger, G.D.; Moore, J. [Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)] [and others

    1994-09-01

    A new strategy has been developed for rapid haplotype analysis. It is based on an initial multiplex amplification of several polymorphic sites, followed by heteroduplex detection. Heteroduplexes formed between two different alleles are detected because they migrate differently than the corresponding homoduplexes in Hydrolink-MDE gel. The method is simple, rapid, does not depend on specific sequences such as restriction enzyme sites or CA boxes and does not require the use of isotope. This approach has been tested using 12 commonly occurring polymorphisms spanning the dystrophin gene as a model. We describe the use of the method to assign the carrier status of females in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) pedigrees. As a result of expanding the number of detectable polymorphisms throughout the dystrophin gene, we show how the method can easily be combined with dinucleotide analysis to improve the accuracy of carrier detection in the nondeletion cases. The technique is also shown to be used as an effective screen for improving carrier detection in several families with deletions. The finding of heterozygosity within the deletion identifies the at-risk female as a noncarrier. Using this method, we have identified and incorporated 3 new dystrophin polymorphisms (one of which in exon 16 is unique to African Americans). The method may be used other genetic diseases when mutations are unknown, or there are few dinucleotide markers in the gene proximity, or for the identification of haplotype backgrounds of mutant alleles.

  11. RapidIO as a multi-purpose interconnect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baymani, Simaolhoda; Alexopoulos, Konstantinos; Valat, Sébastien

    2017-10-01

    RapidIO (http://rapidio.org/) technology is a packet-switched high-performance fabric, which has been under active development since 1997. Originally meant to be a front side bus, it developed into a system level interconnect which is today used in all 4G/LTE base stations world wide. RapidIO is often used in embedded systems that require high reliability, low latency and scalability in a heterogeneous environment - features that are highly interesting for several use cases, such as data analytics and data acquisition (DAQ) networks. We will present the results of evaluating RapidIO in a data analytics environment, from setup to benchmark. Specifically, we will share the experience of running ROOT and Hadoop on top of RapidIO. To demonstrate the multi-purpose characteristics of RapidIO, we will also present the results of investigating RapidIO as a technology for high-speed DAQ networks using a generic multi-protocol event-building emulation tool. In addition we will present lessons learned from implementing native ports of CERN applications to RapidIO.

  12. Rapid radioimmunoassay of human apolipoproteins C-II and C-III

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gustafson, S; Oestlund-Lindqvist, A M; Vessby, B [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden)

    1984-06-01

    Apolipoprotein (apo) C-II is an activator of lipoprotein lipase, while apo C-III has the ability to inhibit apo C-II activated lipolysis. In order to study further the relationship between lipoprotein lipase mediated hydrolysis and the serum concentrations of apo C-II and apo C-III radioimmunoassays for these apolipoproteins have been developed. Formalin-treated Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I was used for immunoprecipitation and were shown to give rapid uptake of immune complexes that could easily be harvested by centrifugation. The assays were shown to be sensitive (10 ..mu..g/1), specific, precise (inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation below 10%), rapid (completed in less than 6 h) and simple to perform. Delipidation of serum and lipoproteins had no effect on the results, indicating that the immunologically active sites of apo C-II and apo C-III are exposed to the aqueous environment under assay conditions. Serum apo C-II and apo C-III levels of normolipidaemic subjects were approximately 25 mg/1 and 110 mg/1, respectively. Highly significant positive correlations were found between VLDL apo C-II and VLDL apo C-III, respectively, and VLDL triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol and total serum TG. There was also a highly significant correlation between the HDL cholesterol concentration and the HDL apo C-III concentration.

  13. RapidEye constellation relative radiometric accuracy measurement using lunar images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steyn, Joe; Tyc, George; Beckett, Keith; Hashida, Yoshi

    2009-09-01

    The RapidEye constellation includes five identical satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Each satellite has a 5-band (blue, green, red, red-edge and near infrared (NIR)) multispectral imager at 6.5m GSD. A three-axes attitude control system allows pointing the imager of each satellite at the Moon during lunations. It is therefore possible to image the Moon from near identical viewing geometry within a span of 80 minutes with each one of the imagers. Comparing the radiometrically corrected images obtained from each band and each satellite allows a near instantaneous relative radiometric accuracy measurement and determination of relative gain changes between the five imagers. A more traditional terrestrial vicarious radiometric calibration program has also been completed by MDA on RapidEye. The two components of this program provide for spatial radiometric calibration ensuring that detector-to-detector response remains flat, while a temporal radiometric calibration approach has accumulated images of specific dry dessert calibration sites. These images are used to measure the constellation relative radiometric response and make on-ground gain and offset adjustments in order to maintain the relative accuracy of the constellation within +/-2.5%. A quantitative comparison between the gain changes measured by the lunar method and the terrestrial temporal radiometric calibration method is performed and will be presented.

  14. Rapid treatment reduces hospitalization for pediatric patients with odontogenic-based cellulitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thikkurissy, Sarat; Rawlins, Joseph T; Kumar, Ashok; Evans, Erik; Casamassimo, Paul S

    2010-07-01

    The study aimed to assess characteristics of facial cellulitis admissions and their relationship to cost of hospitalization (COH) and length of stay (LOS) in children ages 0 to 20 years at an urban hospital and to compare outcomes of rapid management to published and national statistics for LOS and COH. A retrospective review of 376 charts of facial cellulitis admissions between 2000 and 2006 revealed 63 of confirmed odontogenic cases from which cellulitis characteristics, COH, and LOS were gleaned. Variables were correlated to LOS and COH. Data on LOS and cost of admission were compared to published studies and 506 entries from the 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). Of 63 charts included, children included were 8.3 years (SD, +/-3.8 years) and equal in sex distribution. Treatment rendered and site of infection had no significant relationship to COH. Overall mean hospital LOS was 2.08 days and significantly less as compared to 3.97 days for published studies and 3.4 days for KID (P KID. In the management of pediatric facial cellulitis of odontogenic origin, rapid treatment had a significant positive impact on length of stay and total cost of treatment compared to published studies and nationally reflective data. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Ecological connectivity networks in rapidly expanding cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nor, Amal Najihah M; Corstanje, Ron; Harris, Jim A; Grafius, Darren R; Siriwardena, Gavin M

    2017-06-01

    Urban expansion increases fragmentation of the landscape. In effect, fragmentation decreases connectivity, causes green space loss and impacts upon the ecology and function of green space. Restoration of the functionality of green space often requires restoring the ecological connectivity of this green space within the city matrix. However, identifying ecological corridors that integrate different structural and functional connectivity of green space remains vague. Assessing connectivity for developing an ecological network by using efficient models is essential to improve these networks under rapid urban expansion. This paper presents a novel methodological approach to assess and model connectivity for the Eurasian tree sparrow ( Passer montanus ) and Yellow-vented bulbul ( Pycnonotus goiavier ) in three cities (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia and Metro Manila, Philippines). The approach identifies potential priority corridors for ecological connectivity networks. The study combined circuit models, connectivity analysis and least-cost models to identify potential corridors by integrating structure and function of green space patches to provide reliable ecological connectivity network models in the cities. Relevant parameters such as landscape resistance and green space structure (vegetation density, patch size and patch distance) were derived from an expert and literature-based approach based on the preference of bird behaviour. The integrated models allowed the assessment of connectivity for both species using different measures of green space structure revealing the potential corridors and least-cost pathways for both bird species at the patch sites. The implementation of improvements to the identified corridors could increase the connectivity of green space. This study provides examples of how combining models can contribute to the improvement of ecological networks in rapidly expanding cities and demonstrates the usefulness of such models for

  16. Ecological connectivity networks in rapidly expanding cities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amal Najihah M. Nor

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Urban expansion increases fragmentation of the landscape. In effect, fragmentation decreases connectivity, causes green space loss and impacts upon the ecology and function of green space. Restoration of the functionality of green space often requires restoring the ecological connectivity of this green space within the city matrix. However, identifying ecological corridors that integrate different structural and functional connectivity of green space remains vague. Assessing connectivity for developing an ecological network by using efficient models is essential to improve these networks under rapid urban expansion. This paper presents a novel methodological approach to assess and model connectivity for the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus and Yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier in three cities (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia and Metro Manila, Philippines. The approach identifies potential priority corridors for ecological connectivity networks. The study combined circuit models, connectivity analysis and least-cost models to identify potential corridors by integrating structure and function of green space patches to provide reliable ecological connectivity network models in the cities. Relevant parameters such as landscape resistance and green space structure (vegetation density, patch size and patch distance were derived from an expert and literature-based approach based on the preference of bird behaviour. The integrated models allowed the assessment of connectivity for both species using different measures of green space structure revealing the potential corridors and least-cost pathways for both bird species at the patch sites. The implementation of improvements to the identified corridors could increase the connectivity of green space. This study provides examples of how combining models can contribute to the improvement of ecological networks in rapidly expanding cities and demonstrates the usefulness of such

  17. Theory for site-site pair distribution functions of molecular fluids. II. Approximations for the Percus--Yevick site-site direct correlation functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, E.

    1977-01-01

    A theory for site-site pair distribution functions of molecular fluids is derived from the Ornstein-Zernike equation. Atom-atom pair distribution functions of this theory which were obtained by using different approximations for the Percus-Yevick site-site direct correlation functions are compared

  18. Rapid Prototyping Laboratory

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The ARDEC Rapid Prototyping (RP) Laboratory was established in December 1992 to provide low cost RP capabilities to the ARDEC engineering community. The Stratasys,...

  19. Identification of the srtC1 Transcription Start Site and Catalytically Essential Residues Required for Actinomyces oris T14V SrtC1 Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-27

    report the identification of the tran scription starting site of the srtC1 determined by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method and several...When needed, kanamycin and trimethoprim were included in growth media at concentra tions of 50 and 100mg mL1, respectively. RNA isolation and...tation, resuspended in a small volume of RNase free water and stored at 80 1C. To determine the transcription start site(s) of A. oris srtC1, 50RACE PCR

  20. Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay to Rapidly Detect Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus in Quarantined Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siwon Lee

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available We developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP method to rapidly diagnose Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV during quarantine inspections of imported wheat, corn, oats, and millet. The LAMP method was developed as a plant quarantine inspection method for the first time, and its simplicity, quickness, specificity and sensitivity were verified compared to current reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and nested PCR quarantine methods. We were able to quickly screen for WSMV at quarantine sites with many test samples; thus, this method is expected to contribute to plant quarantine inspections.

  1. SitesIdentify: a protein functional site prediction tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doig Andrew J

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The rate of protein structures being deposited in the Protein Data Bank surpasses the capacity to experimentally characterise them and therefore computational methods to analyse these structures have become increasingly important. Identifying the region of the protein most likely to be involved in function is useful in order to gain information about its potential role. There are many available approaches to predict functional site, but many are not made available via a publicly-accessible application. Results Here we present a functional site prediction tool (SitesIdentify, based on combining sequence conservation information with geometry-based cleft identification, that is freely available via a web-server. We have shown that SitesIdentify compares favourably to other functional site prediction tools in a comparison of seven methods on a non-redundant set of 237 enzymes with annotated active sites. Conclusion SitesIdentify is able to produce comparable accuracy in predicting functional sites to its closest available counterpart, but in addition achieves improved accuracy for proteins with few characterised homologues. SitesIdentify is available via a webserver at http://www.manchester.ac.uk/bioinformatics/sitesidentify/

  2. USING REMOTELY SENSED DATA FOR DOCUMENTATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN NORTHEASTERN MESOPOTAMIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Matoušková

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper introduces two archaeological sites documented during the MULINEM (The Medieval Urban Landscape in Northeastern Mesopotamia project. This project investigates the Late Sasanian and Islamic urban network in the land of Erbil, a historic province of Hidyab (Adiabene that is located in northern Iraq. The investigated sites are the two deserted cities of Makhmúr al-Quadíma and Al-Hadítha. It is assumed that these two sites used to form large cities with high business and cultural importance in the medieval period. The archaeological locations are endangered by various threats.The Al-Hadítha site seems to be under the control of the „Islamic state“ at the moment and Makhmúr al-Quadíma is located just next to the town of new Makhmúr that expands rapidly and without complex urban plans. Documentation of the archaeological sites has been done by using remotely sensed methods together with in-situ measurements (where available. FORMOSAT-2 data that has been gained through a research announcement: Free FORMOSAT-2 satellite imagery and when combined with other sources (recent and historical data it provides a powerful documentation tool. In-situ RPAS measurements and a DTM creation furnish a new source of highly valuable information. Influence of the political and security situation in Al-Hadítha will be analysed.

  3. Using Remotely Sensed Data for Documentation of Archaeological Sites in Northeastern Mesopotamia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matoušková, E.; Starková, L.; Pavelka, K.; Nováček, K.; Šedina, J.; Faltýnová, M.; Housarová, E.

    2016-06-01

    This paper introduces two archaeological sites documented during the MULINEM (The Medieval Urban Landscape in Northeastern Mesopotamia) project. This project investigates the Late Sasanian and Islamic urban network in the land of Erbil, a historic province of Hidyab (Adiabene) that is located in northern Iraq. The investigated sites are the two deserted cities of Makhmúr al-Quadíma and Al-Hadítha. It is assumed that these two sites used to form large cities with high business and cultural importance in the medieval period. The archaeological locations are endangered by various threats.The Al-Hadítha site seems to be under the control of the „Islamic state" at the moment and Makhmúr al-Quadíma is located just next to the town of new Makhmúr that expands rapidly and without complex urban plans. Documentation of the archaeological sites has been done by using remotely sensed methods together with in-situ measurements (where available). FORMOSAT-2 data that has been gained through a research announcement: Free FORMOSAT-2 satellite imagery and when combined with other sources (recent and historical data) it provides a powerful documentation tool. In-situ RPAS measurements and a DTM creation furnish a new source of highly valuable information. Influence of the political and security situation in Al-Hadítha will be analysed.

  4. The Origin of our Universe: From Quantum to Cosmos

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hertog, Thomas

    2016-03-01

    The discovery in the late 1920s that our universe expands fundamentally changed the discussion about its origin. I first review the scientific, historical and philosophical background behind this discovery. A key player in this was Georges Lemaitre who was also a Catholic priest. Respecting meticulously the differences in methodology and language between science and religion he was first to conceive of a physical origin of our universe, based on quantum theory. Today Lemaitre's vision is realised concretely in inflationary cosmology where a phase of rapid expansion generates the seeds for a complex universe starting from a simple natural beginning. A fuzzy quantum origin however gives rise to a multiverse of possible universes. I discuss some of the challenges associated with the development of a truly predictive multiverse cosmology that is falsifiable to observers within one of its histories.

  5. Tiber Personal Rapid Transit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego Carlo D'agostino

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available The project “Tiber Personal Rapid Transit” have been presented by the author at the Rome City Vision Competition1 2010, an ideas competition, which challenges architects, engineers, designers, students and creatives individuals to develop visionary urban proposals with the intention of stimulating and supporting the contemporary city, in this case Rome. The Tiber PRT proposal tries to answer the competition questions with the definition of a provocative idea: a Personal Rapid transit System on the Tiber river banks. The project is located in the central section of the Tiber river and aims at the renewal of the river banks with the insertion of a Personal Rapid Transit infrastructure. The project area include the riverbank of Tiber from Rome Transtevere RFI station to Piazza del Popolo, an area where main touristic and leisure attractions are located. The intervention area is actually no used by the city users and residents and constitute itself a strong barrier in the heart of the historic city.

  6. RAPID TRANSFER ALIGNMENT USING FEDERATED KALMAN FILTER

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    GUDong-qing; QINYong-yuan; PENGRong; LIXin

    2005-01-01

    The dimension number of the centralized Kalman filter (CKF) for the rapid transfer alignment (TA) is as high as 21 if the aircraft wing flexure motion is considered in the rapid TA. The 21-dimensional CKF brings the calculation burden on the computer and the difficulty to meet a high filtering updating rate desired by rapid TA. The federated Kalman filter (FKF) for the rapid TA is proposed to solve the dilemma. The structure and the algorithm of the FKF, which can perform parallel computation and has less calculation burden, are designed.The wing flexure motion is modeled, and then the 12-order velocity matching local filter and the 15-order attitud ematching local filter are devised. Simulation results show that the proposed EKE for the rapid TA almost has the same performance as the CKF. Thus the calculation burden of the proposed FKF for the rapid TA is markedly decreased.

  7. Rapid and Quantitative Detection of Vibrio parahemolyticus by the Mixed-Dye-Based Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay on a Self-Priming Compartmentalization Microfluidic Chip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, Bo; Ding, Xiong; Wang, Guoping; Zhao, Chao; Xu, Yanan; Fu, Kaiyue; Sun, Jingjing; Song, Xiuling; Wu, Wenshuai; Liu, Yushen; Song, Qi; Hu, Jiumei; Li, Juan; Mu, Ying

    2017-12-27

    Vibrio parahemolyticus (VP) mostly isolated from aquatic products is one of the major causes of bacterial food-poisoning events worldwide, which could be reduced using a promising on-site detection method. Herein, a rapid and quantitative method for VP detection was developed by applying a mixed-dye-loaded loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay on a self-priming compartmentalization (SPC) microfluidic chip, termed on-chip mixed-dye-based LAMP (CMD-LAMP). In comparison to conventional approaches, CMD-LAMP was advantageous on the limit of detection, which reached down to 1 × 10 3 CFU/mL in food-contaminated samples without the pre-enrichment of bacteria. Additionally, as a result of the use of a mixed dye and SPC chip, the quantitative result could be easily acquired, avoiding the requirement of sophisticated instruments and tedious operation. Also, CMD-LAMP was rapid and cost-effective. Conclusively, CMD-LAMP has great potential in realizing the on-site quantitative analysis of VP for food safety.

  8. Roles of Historical Photography in Waste Site Characterization, Closure, and Remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mackey, H.

    1998-07-01

    Over 40,000 frames of vertical historical photography from 1938 to 1996 and over 10,000 frames of oblique photography from 1981 to 1991 of the 777-square kilometer Savannah River Site in south central South Carolina were reviewed, cataloged, and referenced utilizing ARCView and associated ArcInfo tools. This allows environmental reviews of over 400 potential waste units on the SRS to be conducted in a rapid fashion to support preparation of work plans, characterization, risk assessments, and closure of the waste units in a more cost effective manner

  9. Hard diffraction and rapidity gaps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brandt, A.

    1995-09-01

    The field of hard diffraction, which studies events with a rapidity gap and a hard scattering, has expanded dramatically recently. A review of new results from CDF, D OE, H1 and ZEUS will be given. These results include diffractive jet production, deep-inelastic scattering in large rapidity gap events, rapidity gaps between high transverse energy jets, and a search for diffractive W-boson production. The combination of these results gives new insight into the exchanged object, believed to be the pomeron. The results axe consistent with factorization and with a hard pomeron that contains both quarks and gluons. There is also evidence for the exchange of a strongly interacting color singlet in high momentum transfer (36 2 ) events

  10. A QUICK KEY TO THE SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA OF ANTS OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE, AIKEN, SC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, D

    2006-10-04

    This taxonomic key was devised to support development of a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol using ants at the Savannah River Site. The emphasis is on ''rapid'' and, because the available keys contained a large number of genera not known to occur at the Savannah River Site, we found that the available keys were unwieldy. Because these keys contained more genera than we would likely encounter and because this larger number of genera required both more couplets in the key and often required examination of characters that are difficult to assess without higher magnifications (60X or higher) more time was required to process samples. In developing this set of keys I recognize that the character sets used may lead to some errors but I believe that the error rate will be small and, for the purpose of rapid bioassessment, this error rate will be acceptable provided that overall sample sizes are adequate. Oliver and Beattie (1996a, 1996b) found that for rapid assessment of biodiversity the same results were found when identifications were done to morphospecies by people with minimal expertise as when the same data sets were identified by subject matter experts. Basset et al. (2004) concluded that it was not as important to correctly identify all species as it was to be sure that the study included as many functional groups as possible. If your study requires high levels of accuracy, it is highly recommended that when you key out a specimen and have any doubts concerning the identification, you should refer to keys in Bolton (1994) or to the other keys used to develop this area specific taxonomic key.

  11. Remote Experimental Site: A command and analysis center for ''Big Physics'' experimentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casper, T.A.; Lennon, W.J.

    1991-09-01

    The next generation of tokamaks, ITER or BPX, will be characterized by an even greater emphasis on joint operation and experimentation. With anticipation of an increased number and diversity of collaborations, we are preparing for such shared facilities by developing a systematic approach to remote, joint physics operation involving experimental teams at several locations. The local area network of computers used for control and data acquisition on present and future experiments can be extended over a wide area network to provide a mechanism for remote operation of subsystems required for physics experiments. The technology required for high bandwidth (≥45Mbps) connections between multiple sites either exists or will be available over the next few years. With the rapid development of high performance workstations, network interfaces, distributed computing, and video conferencing, we can proceed with the development of a system of control and analysis sites to provide for consistent, efficient, and continuing collaborations. Early establishment of such sites could also enhance existing joint design and development efforts. 2 refs., 3 figs

  12. Impact of Site Selection and Study Conduct on Outcomes in Global Clinical Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarwar, Chaudhry M S; Vaduganathan, Muthiah; Butler, Javed

    2017-08-01

    There are over 25 million patients living with heart failure globally. Overall, and especially post-discharge, clinical outcomes have remained poor in heart failure despite multiple trials, with both successes and failures over the last two decades. Matching therapies to the right patient population, identifying high-quality sites, and ensuring optimal trial design and execution represent important considerations in the development of novel therapeutics in this space. While clinical trials have undergone rapid globalization, this has come with regional variation in comorbidities, clinical parameters, and even clinical outcomes and treatment effects across international sites. These issues have now highlighted knowledge gaps about the conduct of trials, selection of study sites, and an unmet need to develop and identify "ideal" sites. There is a need for all stakeholders, including academia, investigators, healthcare organizations, patient advocacy groups, industry sponsors, research organizations, and regulatory authorities, to work as a multidisciplinary group to address these problems and develop practical solutions to improve trial conduct, efficiency, and execution. We review these trial-level issues using examples from contemporary studies to inform and optimize the design of future global clinical trials in heart failure.

  13. Properties of the particles emitted at mid-rapidity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lefort, T.; Cussol, D; Peter, J.; Bocage, F.; Bougault, R.; Brou, R.; Colin, J; Durand, D.; Genouin-Duhamel, E.; Gulminelli, F.; Lecolley, J.F.; Le Neindre, N.; Lopez, O.; Louvel, M.; Nguyen, A.D.; Steckmeyer, J. C.; Tamain, B.; Vient, E.

    1997-01-01

    Mid-rapidity emission studies allow the access at the very first instances of collision between two nuclei. Its study as a function of the energy of incident projectile permits to follow the evolution of the phenomena in the entrance channel from the lowest energies where these phenomena are essentially collective up to high energies where they are essentially governed by nucleon-nucleon collisions. The first method called the 'method E' consists in evaluating first the contribution of the quasi-projectile to the rapidity distribution and then to subtract it from the total spectrum to obtain the contribution from the mid-rapidity particles. For light particles the mid-rapidity emissions have a spectrum extended up to rapidities close to that of the quasi-projectile. This method under-estimates the contribution due to mid-rapidity. The second method called the 'method M' consists in determining directly the contribution from the mid-rapidity particles supposing that their rapidity spectrum is homothetic to the triton spectrum. This method over-estimates the contribution of mid-rapidity particles to the measure where the rapidity spectrum of the evaporated particles may extend up to Y nn , the rapidity of the nucleon-nucleon frame. The relative proportion of the particles coming from mid-rapidity emissions as a function of the experimental impact parameter and incident energy for the system Ar+Ni is shown. Also, results concerning the energy spectrum of light particles emitted at mid-rapidity as a function of the excitation energy of quasi-projectile are shown for the same system. Conclusions concerning the mid-rapidity emission are the following: the amount of particles depends essentially on the geometric overlap between the projectile and the target; these particles are issued out of a zone richer in neutrons than the total system; the energy per nucleon stored in this zone is independent of the violence of collision what indicates a production process essentially

  14. Spin-Label CW Microwave Power Saturation and Rapid Passage with Triangular Non-Adiabatic Rapid Sweep (NARS) and Adiabatic Rapid Passage (ARP) EPR Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kittell, Aaron W.; Hyde, James S.

    2015-01-01

    Non-adiabatic rapid passage (NARS) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was introduced by Kittell, A.W., Camenisch, T.G., Ratke, J.J. Sidabras, J.W., Hyde, J.S., 2011 as a general purpose technique to collect the pure absorption response. The technique has been used to improve sensitivity relative to sinusoidal magnetic field modulation, increase the range of inter-spin distances that can be measured under near physiological conditions, and enhance spectral resolution in copper (II) spectra. In the present work, the method is extended to CW microwave power saturation of spin-labeled T4 Lysozyme (T4L). As in the cited papers, rapid triangular sweep of the polarizing magnetic field was superimposed on slow sweep across the spectrum. Adiabatic rapid passage (ARP) effects were encountered in samples undergoing very slow rotational diffusion as the triangular magnetic field sweep rate was increased. The paper reports results of variation of experimental parameters at the interface of adiabatic and non-adiabatic rapid sweep conditions. Comparison of the forward (up) and reverse (down) triangular sweeps is shown to be a good indicator of the presence of rapid passage effects. Spectral turning points can be distinguished from spectral regions between turning points in two ways: differential microwave power saturation and differential passage effects. Oxygen accessibility data are shown under NARS conditions that appear similar to conventional field modulation data. However, the sensitivity is much higher, permitting, in principle, experiments at substantially lower protein concentrations. Spectral displays were obtained that appear sensitive to rotational diffusion in the range of rotational correlation times of 10−3 to 10−7 s in a manner that is analogous to saturation transfer spectroscopy. PMID:25917132

  15. Quantitative chemoproteomics for site-specific analysis of protein alkylation by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jing; Tallman, Keri A; Porter, Ned A; Liebler, Daniel C

    2015-03-03

    Protein alkylation by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), an endogenous lipid derived electrophile, contributes to stress signaling and cellular toxicity. Although previous work has identified protein targets for HNE alkylation, the sequence specificity of alkylation and dynamics in a cellular context remain largely unexplored. We developed a new quantitative chemoproteomic platform, which uses isotopically tagged, photocleavable azido-biotin reagents to selectively capture and quantify the cellular targets labeled by the alkynyl analogue of HNE (aHNE). Our analyses site-specifically identified and quantified 398 aHNE protein alkylation events (386 cysteine sites and 12 histidine sites) in intact cells. This data set expands by at least an order of magnitude the number of such modification sites previously reported. Although adducts formed by Michael addition are thought to be largely irreversible, we found that most aHNE modifications are lost rapidly in situ. Moreover, aHNE adduct turnover occurs only in intact cells and loss rates are site-selective. This quantitative chemoproteomics platform provides a versatile general approach to map bioorthogonal-chemically engineered post-translational modifications and their cellular dynamics in a site-specific and unbiased manner.

  16. Assessing potential impacts of a wastewater rapid infiltration basin system on groundwater quality: a delaware case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andres, A S; Sims, J Thomas

    2013-01-01

    Rapid infiltration basin systems (RIBS) are receiving increased interest for domestic wastewater disposal in rural areas. They rely on natural treatment processes to filter pollutants and use extremely high effluent loading rates, much greater than natural precipitation, applied to a small geographic area instead of disposal to surface water. Concerns exist today that adopting RIBS in areas with shallow groundwater and sandy soils may increase ground and surface water pollution. We conducted a field study of RIBS effects on N and P concentrations in soils and groundwater at Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware, where a RIBS designed and operated following USEPA guidance has been used for >25 yr. Site and wastewater characteristics (water table of 8 m, Fe- and Al-oxide coatings on soils, organic-rich effluent) were favorable for denitrification and P sorption; however, we found high P saturation, reduced soil P sorption capacity, and significant total P accumulation at depths >1.5 m, factors that could lead to dissolved P leaching. Very low soil inorganic N levels suggest that wastewater N was converted rapidly to NO-N and leached from the RIBS. Extensive groundwater monitoring supported these concerns and showed rapid offsite transport of N and P at concentrations similar to the effluent. Results suggest that high hydraulic loads and preferential flow led to flow velocities that were too large, and contact times between effluent and soils that were too short, for effective N and P attenuation processes. These findings indicate the need for better site characterization and facility designs to reduce and monitor contaminant loss from RIBS in similar settings. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  17. Rapid magnetic hardening by rapid thermal annealing in NdFeB-based nanocomposites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chu, K.-T.; Jin, Z Q; Chakka, Vamsi M; Liu, J P [Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019 (United States)

    2005-11-21

    A systematic study of heat treatments and magnetic hardening of NdFeB-based melt-spun nanocomposite ribbons have been carried out. Comparison was made between samples treated by rapid thermal annealing and by conventional furnace annealing. Heating rates up to 200 K s{sup -1} were adopted in the rapid thermal processing. It was observed that magnetic hardening can be realized in an annealing time as short as 1 s. Coercivity of 10.2 kOe in the nanocomposites has been obtained by rapid thermal annealing for 1 s, and prolonged annealing did not give any increase in coercivity. Detailed results on the effects of annealing time, temperature and heating rate have been obtained. The dependence of magnetic properties on the annealing parameters has been investigated. Structural characterization revealed that there is a close correlation between magnetic hardening and nanostructured morphology. The coercivity mechanism was also studied by analysing the magnetization minor loops.

  18. Allosteric ligands and their binding sites define γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptor subtypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Richard W

    2015-01-01

    GABAA receptors (GABA(A)Rs) mediate rapid inhibitory transmission in the brain. GABA(A)Rs are ligand-gated chloride ion channel proteins and exist in about a dozen or more heteropentameric subtypes exhibiting variable age and brain regional localization and thus participation in differing brain functions and diseases. GABA(A)Rs are also subject to modulation by several chemotypes of allosteric ligands that help define structure and function, including subtype definition. The channel blocker picrotoxin identified a noncompetitive channel blocker site in GABA(A)Rs. This ligand site is located in the transmembrane channel pore, whereas the GABA agonist site is in the extracellular domain at subunit interfaces, a site useful for low energy coupled conformational changes of the functional channel domain. Two classes of pharmacologically important allosteric modulatory ligand binding sites reside in the extracellular domain at modified agonist sites at other subunit interfaces: the benzodiazepine site and the high-affinity, relevant to intoxication, ethanol site. The benzodiazepine site is specific for certain GABA(A)R subtypes, mainly synaptic, while the ethanol site is found at a modified benzodiazepine site on different, extrasynaptic, subtypes. In the transmembrane domain are allosteric modulatory ligand sites for diverse chemotypes of general anesthetics: the volatile and intravenous agents, barbiturates, etomidate, propofol, long-chain alcohols, and neurosteroids. The last are endogenous positive allosteric modulators. X-ray crystal structures of prokaryotic and invertebrate pentameric ligand-gated ion channels, and the mammalian GABA(A)R protein, allow homology modeling of GABA(A)R subtypes with the various ligand sites located to suggest the structure and function of these proteins and their pharmacological modulation. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Electronic patient-reported data capture as a foundation of rapid learning cancer care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abernethy, Amy P; Ahmad, Asif; Zafar, S Yousuf; Wheeler, Jane L; Reese, Jennifer Barsky; Lyerly, H Kim

    2010-06-01

    "Rapid learning healthcare" presents a new infrastructure to support comparative effectiveness research. By leveraging heterogeneous datasets (eg, clinical, administrative, genomic, registry, and research), health information technology, and sophisticated iterative analyses, rapid learning healthcare provides a real-time framework in which clinical studies can evaluate the relative impact of therapeutic approaches on a diverse array of measures. This article describes an effort, at 1 academic medical center, to demonstrate what rapid learning healthcare might look like in operation. The article describes the process of developing and testing the components of this new model of integrated clinical/research function, with the pilot site being an academic oncology clinic and with electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) being the foundational dataset. Steps included: feasibility study of the ePRO system; validation study of ePRO collection across 3 cancers; linking ePRO and other datasets; implementation; stakeholder alignment and buy in, and; demonstration through use cases. Two use cases are presented; participants were metastatic breast cancer (n = 65) and gastrointestinal cancer (n = 113) patients at 2 academic medical centers. (1) Patient-reported symptom data were collected with tablet computers; patients with breast and gastrointestinal cancer indicated high levels of sexual distress, which prompted multidisciplinary response, design of an intervention, and successful application for funding to study the intervention's impact. (2) The system evaluated the longitudinal impact of a psychosocial care program provided to patients with breast cancer. Participants used tablet computers to complete PRO surveys; data indicated significant impact on psychosocial outcomes, notably distress and despair, despite advanced disease. Results return to the clinic, allowing iterative update and evaluation. An ePRO-based rapid learning cancer clinic is feasible, providing

  20. The phospho-occupancy of an atypical SLIMB-binding site on PERIOD that is phosphorylated by DOUBLETIME controls the pace of the clock.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Joanna C; Vanselow, Jens T; Kramer, Achim; Edery, Isaac

    2008-07-01

    A common feature of animal circadian clocks is the progressive phosphorylation of PERIOD (PER) proteins, which is highly dependent on casein kinase Idelta/epsilon (CKIdelta/epsilon; termed DOUBLETIME [DBT] in Drosophila) and ultimately leads to the rapid degradation of hyperphosphorylated isoforms via a mechanism involving the F-box protein, beta-TrCP (SLIMB in Drosophila). Here we use the Drosophila melanogaster model system, and show that a key step in controlling the speed of the clock is phosphorylation of an N-terminal Ser (S47) by DBT, which collaborates with other nearby phosphorylated residues to generate a high-affinity atypical SLIMB-binding site on PER. DBT-dependent increases in the phospho-occupancy of S47 are temporally gated, dependent on the centrally located DBT docking site on PER and partially counterbalanced by protein phosphatase activity. We propose that the gradual DBT-mediated phosphorylation of a nonconsensus SLIMB-binding site establishes a temporal threshold for when in a daily cycle the majority of PER proteins are tagged for rapid degradation. Surprisingly, most of the hyperphosphorylation is unrelated to direct effects on PER stability. We also use mass spectrometry to map phosphorylation sites on PER, leading to the identification of a number of "phospho-clusters" that explain several of the classic per mutants.

  1. Active-Site Hydration and Water Diffusion in Cytochrome P450cam: A Highly Dynamic Process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miao, Yinglong [ORNL; Baudry, Jerome Y [ORNL

    2011-01-01

    Long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations (300 ns) are performed on both the apo- (i.e., camphor-free) and camphor-bound cytochrome P450cam (CYP101). Water diffusion into and out of the protein active site is observed without biased sampling methods. During the course of the molecular dynamics simulation, an average of 6.4 water molecules is observed in the camphor-binding site of the apo form, compared to zero water molecules in the binding site of the substrate-bound form, in agreement with the number of water molecules observed in crystal structures of the same species. However, as many as 12 water molecules can be present at a given time in the camphor-binding region of the active site in the case of apo-P450cam, revealing a highly dynamic process for hydration of the protein active site, with water molecules exchanging rapidly with the bulk solvent. Water molecules are also found to exchange locations frequently inside the active site, preferentially clustering in regions surrounding the water molecules observed in the crystal structure. Potential-of-mean-force calculations identify thermodynamically favored trans-protein pathways for the diffusion of water molecules between the protein active site and the bulk solvent. Binding of camphor in the active site modifies the free-energy landscape of P450cam channels toward favoring the diffusion of water molecules out of the protein active site.

  2. Deployment of IPv6-only CPU resources at WLCG sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babik, M.; Chudoba, J.; Dewhurst, A.; Finnern, T.; Froy, T.; Grigoras, C.; Hafeez, K.; Hoeft, B.; Idiculla, T.; Kelsey, D. P.; López Muñoz, F.; Martelli, E.; Nandakumar, R.; Ohrenberg, K.; Prelz, F.; Rand, D.; Sciabà, A.; Tigerstedt, U.; Traynor, D.

    2017-10-01

    The fraction of Internet traffic carried over IPv6 continues to grow rapidly. IPv6 support from network hardware vendors and carriers is pervasive and becoming mature. A network infrastructure upgrade often offers sites an excellent window of opportunity to configure and enable IPv6. There is a significant overhead when setting up and maintaining dual-stack machines, so where possible sites would like to upgrade their services directly to IPv6 only. In doing so, they are also expediting the transition process towards its desired completion. While the LHC experiments accept there is a need to move to IPv6, it is currently not directly affecting their work. Sites are unwilling to upgrade if they will be unable to run LHC experiment workflows. This has resulted in a very slow uptake of IPv6 from WLCG sites. For several years the HEPiX IPv6 Working Group has been testing a range of WLCG services to ensure they are IPv6 compliant. Several sites are now running many of their services as dual-stack. The working group, driven by the requirements of the LHC VOs to be able to use IPv6-only opportunistic resources, continues to encourage wider deployment of dual-stack services to make the use of such IPv6-only clients viable. This paper presents the working group’s plan and progress so far to allow sites to deploy IPv6-only CPU resources. This includes making experiment central services dual-stack as well as a number of storage services. The monitoring, accounting and information services that are used by jobs also need to be upgraded. Finally the VO testing that has taken place on hosts connected via IPv6-only is reported.

  3. Rapid-Sequence Serial Sexual Homicides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlesinger, Louis B; Ramirez, Stephanie; Tusa, Brittany; Jarvis, John P; Erdberg, Philip

    2017-03-01

    Serial sexual murderers have been described as committing homicides in a methodical manner, taking substantial time between offenses to elude the authorities. The results of our study of the temporal patterns (i.e., the length of time between homicides) of a nonrandom national sample of 44 serial sexual murderers and their 201 victims indicate that this representation may not always be accurate. Although 25 offenders (56.8%) killed with longer than a 14-day period between homicides, a sizeable subgroup was identified: 19 offenders (43.2%) who committed homicides in rapid-sequence fashion, with fewer than 14 days between all or some of the murders. Six offenders (13.6%) killed all their victims in one rapid-sequence, spree-like episode, with homicides just days apart or sometimes two murders in the same day. Thirteen offenders (29.5%) killed in one or two rapid-sequence clusters (i.e., more than one murder within a 14-day period, as well as additional homicides with greater than 14 days between each). The purpose of our study was to describe this subgroup of rapid-sequence offenders who have not been identified until now. These findings argue for accelerated forensic assessments of dangerousness and public safety when a sexual murder is detected. Psychiatric disorders with rapidly occurring symptom patterns, or even atypical mania or mood dysregulation, may serve as exemplars for understanding this extraordinary group of offenders. © 2017 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

  4. Rapid Prototyping in Instructional Design: Creating Competencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulton, Carolyn D.

    2010-01-01

    Instructional designers working in rapid prototyping environments currently do not have a list of competencies that help to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) required in these workplaces. This qualitative case study used multiple cases in an attempt to identify rapid prototyping competencies required in a rapid prototyping…

  5. Dynamic Monitoring of Yin Xu Site by Remote Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ruixia; Peng, Yanyan

    2014-03-01

    Yin Xu, dates back more than 3,300 years, is the first relic of the capital of the Shang Dynasty literally recorded and confirmed by oracle bone scripts and the archaeological excavation in China. Located in Anyang City of Henan Province(northwestern suburbs of Huanhe banks) it covers an area of around 36 km2. According to the characteristics of Yin Xu, remote sensing has shown its great capabilities to solve many issues in different fields, e.g. visual interpretations of aerial photo were used to identify the feature of Yin Xu site in 1972, 1984, 1998, 2005 and 2010. Using the classification validated by field investigations,the change information such as the monitoring index of settlements, riverway, main roads, factory and green area can be extracted in heritage site. According to the monitoring results of land cover and the surrounding environment, we conclude that the protection planning system is effective, and the rapid expansion of neighboring building area has playing a negative role in Yin Xu protection.

  6. Portable Infrared Laser Spectroscopy for On-site Mycotoxin Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sieger, Markus; Kos, Gregor; Sulyok, Michael; Godejohann, Matthias; Krska, Rudolf; Mizaikoff, Boris

    2017-03-01

    Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi that spoil food, and severely impact human health (e.g., causing cancer). Therefore, the rapid determination of mycotoxin contamination including deoxynivalenol and aflatoxin B1 in food and feed samples is of prime interest for commodity importers and processors. While chromatography-based techniques are well established in laboratory environments, only very few (i.e., mostly immunochemical) techniques exist enabling direct on-site analysis for traders and manufacturers. In this study, we present MYCOSPEC - an innovative approach for spectroscopic mycotoxin contamination analysis at EU regulatory limits for the first time utilizing mid-infrared tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) spectroscopy. This analysis technique facilitates on-site mycotoxin analysis by combining QCL technology with GaAs/AlGaAs thin-film waveguides. Multivariate data mining strategies (i.e., principal component analysis) enabled the classification of deoxynivalenol-contaminated maize and wheat samples, and of aflatoxin B1 affected peanuts at EU regulatory limits of 1250 μg kg-1 and 8 μg kg-1, respectively.

  7. Dynamic Monitoring of Yin Xu Site by Remote Sensing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Ruixia; Peng, Yanyan

    2014-01-01

    Yin Xu, dates back more than 3,300 years, is the first relic of the capital of the Shang Dynasty literally recorded and confirmed by oracle bone scripts and the archaeological excavation in China. Located in Anyang City of Henan Province(northwestern suburbs of Huanhe banks) it covers an area of around 36 km 2 . According to the characteristics of Yin Xu, remote sensing has shown its great capabilities to solve many issues in different fields, e.g. visual interpretations of aerial photo were used to identify the feature of Yin Xu site in 1972, 1984, 1998, 2005 and 2010. Using the classification validated by field investigations,the change information such as the monitoring index of settlements, riverway, main roads, factory and green area can be extracted in heritage site. According to the monitoring results of land cover and the surrounding environment, we conclude that the protection planning system is effective, and the rapid expansion of neighboring building area has playing a negative role in Yin Xu protection

  8. Early Site Permit Demonstration Program: Siting Guide, Site selection and evaluation criteria for an early site permit application. Revision 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-03-24

    In August 1991, the Joint Contractors came to agreement with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the Department of Energy (DOE) on a workscope for the cost-shared Early Site Permit Demonstration Program. One task within the scope was the development of a guide for site selection criteria and procedures. A generic Siting Guide his been prepared that is a roadmap and tool for applicants to use developing detailed siting plans for their specific region of the country. The guide presents three fundamental principles that, if used, ensure a high degree of success for an ESP applicant. First, the site selection process should take into consideration environmentally diverse site locations within a given region of interest. Second, the process should contain appropriate opportunities for input from the public. Third, the process should be applied so that it is clearly reasonable to an impartial observer, based on appropriately selected criteria, including criteria which demonstrate that the site can host an advanced light water reactor (ALWR). The Siting Guide provides for a systematic, comprehensive site selection process in which three basic types of criteria (exclusionary, avoidance, and suitability) are presented via a four-step procedure. It provides a check list of the criteria for each one of these steps. Criteria are applied qualitatively, as well as presented numerically, within the guide. The applicant should use the generic guide as an exhaustive checklist, customizing the guide to his individual situation.

  9. The Beishan underground research laboratory for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in China: Planning, site selection, site characterization and in situ tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ju Wang

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available With the rapid development of nuclear power in China, the disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW has become an important issue for nuclear safety and environmental protection. Deep geological disposal is internationally accepted as a feasible and safe way to dispose of HLW, and underground research laboratories (URLs play an important and multi-faceted role in the development of HLW repositories. This paper introduces the overall planning and the latest progress for China's URL. On the basis of the proposed strategy to build an area-specific URL in combination with a comprehensive evaluation of the site selection results obtained during the last 33 years, the Xinchang site in the Beishan area, located in Gansu Province of northwestern China, has been selected as the final site for China's first URL built in granite. In the process of characterizing the Xinchang URL site, a series of investigations, including borehole drilling, geological mapping, geophysical surveying, hydraulic testing and in situ stress measurements, has been conducted. The investigation results indicate that the geological, hydrogeological, engineering geological and geochemical conditions of the Xinchang site are very suitable for URL construction. Meanwhile, to validate and develop construction technologies for the Beishan URL, the Beishan exploration tunnel (BET, which is a 50-m-deep facility in the Jiujing sub-area, has been constructed and several in situ tests, such as drill-and-blast tests, characterization of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ, and long-term deformation monitoring of surrounding rocks, have been performed in the BET. The methodologies and technologies established in the BET will serve for URL construction. According to the achievements of the characterization of the URL site, a preliminary design of the URL with a maximum depth of 560 m is proposed and necessary in situ tests in the URL are planned. Keywords: Beishan, Xinchang site, Granite

  10. A software tool for rapid flood inundation mapping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verdin, James; Verdin, Kristine; Mathis, Melissa L.; Magadzire, Tamuka; Kabuchanga, Eric; Woodbury, Mark; Gadain, Hussein

    2016-06-02

    The GIS Flood Tool (GFT) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance to provide a means for production of reconnaissance-level flood inundation mapping for data-sparse and resource-limited areas of the world. The GFT has also attracted interest as a tool for rapid assessment flood inundation mapping for the Flood Inundation Mapping Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. The GFT can fill an important gap for communities that lack flood inundation mapping by providing a first-estimate of inundation zones, pending availability of resources to complete an engineering study. The tool can also help identify priority areas for application of scarce flood inundation mapping resources. The technical basis of the GFT is an application of the Manning equation for steady flow in an open channel, operating on specially processed digital elevation data. The GFT is implemented as a software extension in ArcGIS. Output maps from the GFT were validated at 11 sites with inundation maps produced previously by the Flood Inundation Mapping Program using standard one-dimensional hydraulic modeling techniques. In 80 percent of the cases, the GFT inundation patterns matched 75 percent or more of the one-dimensional hydraulic model inundation patterns. Lower rates of pattern agreement were seen at sites with low relief and subtle surface water divides. Although the GFT is simple to use, it should be applied with the oversight or review of a qualified hydraulic engineer who understands the simplifying assumptions of the approach.

  11. Preliminary siting characterization Salt Disposition Facility - Site B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wyatt, D.

    2000-01-01

    A siting and reconnaissance geotechnical program has been completed in S-Area at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. This program investigated the subsurface conditions for the area known as ''Salt Disposition Facility (SDF), Site B'' located northeast of H-Area and within the S-Area. Data acquired from the Site B investigation includes both field exploration and laboratory test data

  12. Rapid microbiology - raising awareness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailie, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    A 'high-level overview' of some of the emerging rapid microbiology technologies designed to help healthcare engineering and infection control teams working in hospitals and other healthcare facilities more rapidly identify potentially hazardous levels of waterborne microorganisms in their water systems, enabling them to take prompt remedial action, and a look at the some of the 'pros and cons' of such testing techniques, was given by Nalco technical director, Howard Barnes, the vice-chair of the Legionella Control Association (LCA), at a recent LCA open day. HEJ editor, Jonathan Bailie, reports.

  13. Rapid MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edelman, R.R.; Buxton, R.B.; Brady, T.J.

    1988-01-01

    Conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging methods typically require several minutes to produce an image, but the periods of respiration, cardiac motion and peristalsis are on the order of seconds or less. The need to reduce motion artifact, as well as the need to reduce imaging time for patient comfort and efficiency, have provided a strong impetus for the development of rapid imaging methods. For abdominal imaging, motion artifacts due to respiration can be significantly reduced by collecting the entire image during one breath hold. For other applications, such as following the kinetics of administered contrast agents, rapid imaging is essential to achieve adequate time resolution. A shorter imaging time entails a cost in image signal/noise (S/N), but improvements in recent years in magnet homogeneity, gradient and radiofrequency coil design have led to steady improvements in S/N and consequently in image quality. For many chemical applications the available S/N is greater than needed, and a trade-off of lower S/N for a shorter imaging time is acceptable. In this chapter, the authors consider the underlying principles of rapid imaging as well as clinical applications of these methods. The bulk of this review concentrates on short TR imaging, but methods that provide for a more modest decrease in imaging time as well as or those that dramatically shorten the imaging time to tens of milliseconds are also discussed

  14. Automatic web site authoring with SiteGuide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, V.; Hollink, V.; van Someren, M.W.; Kłopotek, M.A.; Przepiórkowski, A.; Wierzchoń, S.T.; Trojanowski, K.

    2009-01-01

    An important step in the design process for a web site is to determine which information is to be included and how the information should be organized on the web site’s pages. In this paper we describe ’SiteGuide’, a tool that automatically produces an information architecture for a web site that a

  15. Process Modelling of Rapid Manufacturing Based Mass Customisation System for Fabrication of Custom Foot Orthoses: Review Paper

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saleh Jumani

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The need for custom-made devices, rehabilitation aids and treatments is explicit in the medical sector. Applications of rapid manufacturing techniques based on additive fabrication processes combined with medical digitising technologies can generate high quality solutions in situations where the need for custom-made devices and rehabilitation aids and low-lead times are very important factors. Foot orthoses are medical devices applied in the treatment of biomechanical foot disorders, foot injuries and foot diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. The significant challenge in the treatment of foot related diseases is progressing pathological deterioration in the affected sites of the foot which requires quick provision of the orthoses. A process model is developed using the IDEF0 modelling technique in which a rapid manufacturing approach is integrated in the design and fabrication process of custom foot orthoses. The process model will be used in the development of rapid manufacturing based design and fabrication system for mass customisation of foot orthoses. The developed system is aimed at mass scale production of custom foot orthoses with the advantages of reduced cost, reduced lead-time and improved product in terms of increased fit, consistency and accuracy in the final product.

  16. A process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, 2002–05

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, David W.; Moreo, Michael T.; Garcia, C. Amanda; Halford, Keith J.; Fenelon, Joseph M.

    2017-08-29

    This report documents a process used to estimate net infiltration from precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil data acquired at two sites on Rainier Mesa. Rainier Mesa is a groundwater recharge area within the Nevada National Security Site where recharged water flows through bedrock fractures to a deep (450 meters) water table. The U.S. Geological Survey operated two ET stations on Rainier Mesa from 2002 to 2005 at sites characterized by pinyon-juniper and scrub-brush vegetative cover. Precipitation and ET data were corrected to remove measurement biases and gap-filled to develop continuous datasets. Net infiltration (percolation below the root zone) and changes in root-zone water storage were estimated using a monthly water-balance model.Site-scale water-budget results indicate that the heavily-fractured welded-tuff bedrock underlying thin (water source for vegetation during dry periods. Annual precipitation during the study period ranged from fourth lowest (182 millimeters [mm]) to second highest (708 mm) on record (record = 55 years). Annual ET exceeded precipitation during dry years, indicating that the fractured-bedrock reservoir capacity is sufficient to meet atmospheric-evaporative demands and to sustain vegetation through extended dry periods. Net infiltration (82 mm) was simulated during the wet year after the reservoir was rapidly filled to capacity. These results support previous conclusions that preferential fracture flow was induced, resulting in an episodic recharge pulse that was detected in nearby monitoring wells. The occurrence of net infiltration only during the wet year is consistent with detections of water-level rises in nearby monitoring wells that occur only following wet years.

  17. Gardening in the desert: a spatial optimization approach to locating gardens in rapidly expanding urban environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mack, Elizabeth A; Tong, Daoqin; Credit, Kevin

    2017-10-16

    Food access is a global issue, and for this reason, a wealth of studies are dedicated to understanding the location of food deserts and the benefits of urban gardens. However, few studies have linked these two strands of research together to analyze whether urban gardening activity may be a step forward in addressing issues of access for food desert residents. The Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area is used as a case to demonstrate the utility of spatial optimization models for siting urban gardens near food deserts and on vacant land. The locations of urban gardens are derived from a list obtained from the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension office at the University of Arizona which were geo located and aggregated to Census tracts. Census tracts were then assigned to one of three categories: tracts that contain a garden, tracts that are immediately adjacent to a tract with a garden, and all other non-garden/non-adjacent census tracts. Analysis of variance is first used to ascertain whether there are statistical differences in the demographic, socio-economic, and land use profiles of these three categories of tracts. A maximal covering spatial optimization model is then used to identify potential locations for future gardening activities. A constraint of these models is that gardens be located on vacant land, which is a growing problem in rapidly urbanizing environments worldwide. The spatial analysis of garden locations reveals that they are centrally located in tracts with good food access. Thus, the current distribution of gardens does not provide an alternative food source to occupants of food deserts. The maximal covering spatial optimization model reveals that gardens could be sited in alternative locations to better serve food desert residents. In fact, 53 gardens may be located to cover 96.4% of all food deserts. This is an improvement over the current distribution of gardens where 68 active garden sites provide coverage to a scant 8.4% of food desert

  18. Site-specific programming of the host epithelial transcriptome by the gut microbiota

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sommer, Felix; Nookaew, Intawat; Sommer, Nina

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The intestinal epithelium separates us from the microbiota but also interacts with it and thus affects host immune status and physiology. Previous studies investigated microbiota-induced responses in the gut using intact tissues or unfractionated epithelial cells, thereby limiting....... The microbial impact on host gene expression was highly site specific, as epithelial responses to the microbiota differed between cell fractions. Specific transcriptional regulators were enriched in each fraction. In general, the gut microbiota induced a more rapid response in the colon than in the ileum...

  19. Differential vulnerability of 3 rapidly conducting somatosensory pathways in the dog with vitamin B6 neuropathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaeppi, U; Krinke, G

    1985-09-01

    In anesthetized dogs with chronically implanted cortical electrodes somatic sensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) were produced by electrical stimulation at neural, muscular or cutaneous sites of the contralateral hind leg. Stimulation of the tibial nerve at the calcaneus or of the short flexor muscles of the hind paw caused SEPs having characteristics following activation of rapidly conducting afferents from muscle spindles. Stimulation of the glabrous skin of the central pad resulted in SEPs arriving after a more protracted latency evidently related to activation of afferents from Merkel cells, Krause and Pacinian corpuscles known to be located at these sites. Stimulation of the hairy skin from the dorsal surface of the hindpaw produced a further type of SEP presumably resulting from activation of afferents from receptors of tylotrich hair follicles. Vitamin B6-induced neuropathy involves the selective degeneration of the largest neurons in the spinal ganglia and of associated long peripheral and central neurites performing rapid impulse transmission. In the course of vitamin B6 neuropathy the relatively slow impulse transmission following stimulation of the central pad was more severely impaired than the faster one after activation of afferents from muscle spindles or receptors from hair follicles. This allows us to conclude that in the dog afferents from the glabrous skin of the central pad conduct centrally via the dorsal columns, susceptible to vitamin B6 intoxication, while muscle and hair receptor afferents ascend in the dorsal spinocerebellar and spinocervical tract, respectively, which are vitamin B6 resistant.

  20. Physiological and ecological consequences of sleeping-site selection by the Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus pallidus)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christian, K.A.; Tracy, C.R.

    1984-01-01

    Field observations and biophysical models were combined to analyze sleeping-site selection by Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus pallidus). Iguanas slept in different kinds of sleeping sites during different seasons. In the coolest season (garua), adult land iguanas were found in sleeping sites that were warmer than the coolest sites available. This may be because the garua season (cool, overcast, and foggy) is a time when environmental conditions mitigate against rapid warm-up in the mornings, so lizards may regulate nighttime body temperatures so that it is easier to warm up to preferred daytime body temperatures. In the warmest season, adult iguanas were found in the coolest sleeping sites available. This observation is consistent with hypotheses of voluntary hypothermia, which can be advantageous in energy conservation and in avoiding detrimental effects associated with maintenance of constant body temperatures throughout the day and night. Juvenile iguanas were found sleeping in rock crevices regardless of the ambient thermal environments. Such sites are likely to be important as refugia for this life stage, which, unlike the adult stage, is vulnerable to predation. It was concluded that selection of sleeping sites is a process that may help in avoidance of predation, optimization of body temperature at the end of the sleeping period, and reduction of metabolic costs during sleeping. The importance of some of these factors may change with the thermal milieu (e.g., season).

  1. The Conceptual Idea of Online Social Media Site (SMS) User Account Penetration Testing System

    OpenAIRE

    Chockalingam, Sabarathinam; Lallie, Harjinder Singh

    2014-01-01

    Social Media Site (SMS) usage has grown rapidly in the last few years. This sudden increase in SMS usage creates an opportunity for data leakage which could compromise personal and/or professional life. In this work, we have reviewed traditional penetration testing process and discussed the failures of traditional penetration testing process to test the 'People' layer of Simple Enterprise Security Architecture (SESA) model. In order to overcome these failures, we have developed the conceptual...

  2. Rapid plant evolution in the presence of an introduced species alters community composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, David Solance; Lau, Matthew K; Jacobs, Ryan; Monroy, Jenna A; Shuster, Stephen M; Whitham, Thomas G

    2015-10-01

    Because introduced species may strongly interact with native species and thus affect their fitness, it is important to examine how these interactions can cascade to have ecological and evolutionary consequences for whole communities. Here, we examine the interactions among introduced Rocky Mountain elk, Cervus canadensis nelsoni, a common native plant, Solidago velutina, and the diverse plant-associated community of arthropods. While introduced species are recognized as one of the biggest threats to native ecosystems, relatively few studies have investigated an evolutionary mechanism by which introduced species alter native communities. Here, we use a common garden design that addresses and supports two hypotheses. First, native S. velutina has rapidly evolved in the presence of introduced elk. We found that plants originating from sites with introduced elk flowered nearly 3 weeks before plants originating from sites without elk. Second, evolution of S. velutina results in a change to the plant-associated arthropod community. We found that plants originating from sites with introduced elk supported an arthropod community that had ~35 % fewer total individuals and a different species composition. Our results show that the impacts of introduced species can have both ecological and evolutionary consequences for strongly interacting species that subsequently cascade to affect a much larger community. Such evolutionary consequences are likely to be long-term and difficult to remediate.

  3. The Arctic Report Card: Communicating the State of the Rapidly Changing Arctic to a Diverse Audience via the Worldwide Web

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffries, M. O.; Richter-Menge, J.; Overland, J. E.; Soreide, N. N.

    2013-12-01

    Rapid change is occurring throughout the Arctic environmental system. The goal of the Arctic Report Card is to communicate the nature of the many changes to a diverse audience via the Worldwide Web. First published in 2006, the Arctic Report Card is a peer-reviewed publication containing clear, reliable and concise scientific information on the current state of the Arctic environment relative to observational records. Available only online, it is intended to be an authoritative source for scientists, teachers, students, decision-makers, policy-makers and the general public interested in the Arctic environment and science. The Arctic Report Card is organized into five sections: Atmosphere; Sea Ice & Ocean; Marine Ecosystem; Terrestrial Ecosystem; Terrestrial Cryosphere. Arctic Report Card 2012, the sixth annual update, comprised 20 essays on physical and biological topics prepared by an international team of 141 scientists from 15 different countries. For those who want a quick summary, the Arctic Report Card home page provides highlights of key events and findings, and a short video that is also available on YouTube. The release of the Report Card each autumn is preceded by a NOAA press release followed by a press conference, when the Web site is made public. The release of Arctic Report Card 2012 at an AGU Fall Meeting press conference on 5 December 2012 was subsequently reported by leading media organizations. The NOAA Arctic Web site, of which the Report Card is a part, is consistently at the top of Google search results for the keyword 'arctic', and the Arctic Report Card Web site tops search results for keyword "arctic report" - pragmatic indications of a Web site's importance and popularity. As another indication of the Web site's impact, in December 2012, the month when the 2012 update was released, the Arctic Report Card Web site was accessed by 19,851 unique sites in 105 countries, and 4765 Web site URLs referred to the Arctic Report Card. The 2012 Arctic

  4. Analysis of Properties of Reflectance Reference Targets for Permanent Radiometric Test Sites of High Resolution Airborne Imaging Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eero Ahokas

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Reliable and optimal exploitation of rapidly developing airborne imaging methods requires geometric and radiometric quality assurance of production systems in operational conditions. Permanent test sites are the most promising approach for cost-efficient performance assessment. Optimal construction of permanent radiometric test sites for high resolution airborne imaging systems is an unresolved issue. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of commercially available gravels and painted and unpainted concrete targets for permanent, open-air radiometric test sites under sub-optimal climate conditions in Southern Finland. The reflectance spectrum and reflectance anisotropy and their stability were characterized during the summer of 2009. The management of reflectance anisotropy and stability were shown to be the key issues for better than 5% reflectance accuracy.

  5. 'Of peasants, peacocks and priests; a Portuguese village'

    OpenAIRE

    Iturra, Raul

    2009-01-01

    Made on very early equipment, silent 8mm film and tape recorder. Narration by Sarah Harrison. An early product of the Rivers Video Project. A film about a north Portuguese village in 1985, based on the fieldwork of Raul Iturra

  6. Colour reconnections and rapidity gaps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loennblad, Leif

    1996-01-01

    I argue that the success of recently proposed models describing events with large rapidity gaps in DIS at HERA in terms of non-perturbative colour exchange is heavily reliant on suppression of perturbative gluon emission in the proton direction. There is little or no physical motivation for such suppression and I show that a model without this suppression cannot describe the rapidity gap events at HERA. (author)

  7. PocketMatch: A new algorithm to compare binding sites in protein structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chandra Nagasuma

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recognizing similarities and deriving relationships among protein molecules is a fundamental requirement in present-day biology. Similarities can be present at various levels which can be detected through comparison of protein sequences or their structural folds. In some cases similarities obscure at these levels could be present merely in the substructures at their binding sites. Inferring functional similarities between protein molecules by comparing their binding sites is still largely exploratory and not as yet a routine protocol. One of the main reasons for this is the limitation in the choice of appropriate analytical tools that can compare binding sites with high sensitivity. To benefit from the enormous amount of structural data that is being rapidly accumulated, it is essential to have high throughput tools that enable large scale binding site comparison. Results Here we present a new algorithm PocketMatch for comparison of binding sites in a frame invariant manner. Each binding site is represented by 90 lists of sorted distances capturing shape and chemical nature of the site. The sorted arrays are then aligned using an incremental alignment method and scored to obtain PMScores for pairs of sites. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis and an extensive validation of the algorithm have been carried out. A comparison with other site matching algorithms is also presented. Perturbation studies where the geometry of a given site was retained but the residue types were changed randomly, indicated that chance similarities were virtually non-existent. Our analysis also demonstrates that shape information alone is insufficient to discriminate between diverse binding sites, unless combined with chemical nature of amino acids. Conclusion A new algorithm has been developed to compare binding sites in accurate, efficient and high-throughput manner. Though the representation used is conceptually simplistic, we demonstrate that

  8. Rapid host immune response and viral dynamics in herpes simplex virus-2 infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiffer, Joshua T; Corey, Lawrence

    2014-01-01

    Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) is episodically shed throughout the human genital tract. While high viral load correlates with development of genital ulcers, shedding also commonly occurs even when ulcers are not present, allowing for silent transmission during coitus and contributing to high seroprevalence of HSV-2 worldwide. Frequent viral reactivation occurs despite diverse and complementary host and viral mechanisms within ganglionic tissue that predispose towards latency, suggesting that viral replication may be constantly occurring in a small minority of neurons within the ganglia. Within genital mucosa, the in vivo expansion and clearance rates of HSV-2 are extremely rapid. Resident dendritic cells and memory HSV-specific T cells persist at prior sites of genital tract reactivation, and in conjunction with prompt innate recognition of infected cells, lead to rapid containment of infected cells. Shedding episodes vary greatly in duration and severity within a single person over time: this heterogeneity appears best explained by variation in the densities of host immunity across the genital tract. The fact that immune responses usually control viral replication in genital skin prior to development of lesions provides optimism that enhancing such responses could lead to effective vaccines and immunotherapies. PMID:23467247

  9. Site description of Forsmark at completion of the site investigation phase. SDM-Site Forsmark

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2008-12-15

    The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., SKB, has undertaken site characterisation in two different areas, Forsmark and Laxemar-Simpevarp, in order to identify a suitable location for a geological repository of spent nuclear fuel according to the KBS-3 method. The site investigations have been conducted in campaigns, punctuated by data freezes. After each data freeze, the site data have been analysed and modelling has been carried out with the overall purpose to develop a site descriptive model (SDM). The site descriptive model is used by repository engineering to design the underground facility and to develop a repository layout adapted to the site. It is also essential for safety assessment, since the model is the only source for site-specific input. Another important use of the site descriptive model is in the environmental impact assessment. An SDM is an integrated model for geology, thermal properties, rock mechanics, hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, bedrock transport properties and a description of the surface system. The site descriptive model compiled in the current report, SDM-Site, presents an integrated understanding of the Forsmark area at the completion of the surface-based investigations, which were conducted at Forsmark during the period 2002 to 2007. It also provides a summary of the abundant underlying data and the discipline-specific models that support the site understanding. The description relies heavily on background reports that address, in particular, details in data analyses and modelling in the different disciplines. The Forsmark area is located in northern Uppland within the municipality of Oesthammar, about 120 km north of Stockholm. The candidate area for site investigation is located along the shoreline of Oeregrundsgrepen, within the north-western part of a major tectonic lens that formed between 1.87 and 1.85 billion years ago during the Svecokarelian orogeny. The candidate area is approximately 6 km long and 2 km wide. The

  10. Site description of Laxemar at completion of the site investigation phase. SDM-Site Laxemar

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2009-12-15

    The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken site characterisation in two different areas, Forsmark and Laxemar-Simpevarp, in order to identify a suitable location for a geological repository of spent nuclear fuel according to the KBS-3 method. The site investigations have been conducted in campaigns, punctuated by data freezes. After each data freeze, the site data have been analysed and modelling has been carried out with the overall purpose to develop a site descriptive model (SDM). The site descriptive model is used by repository engineering to design the underground facility and to develop a repository layout adapted to the site. It is also essential for safety assessment, since the SDM is the only source for site-specific input. Another important use of the site descriptive model is in the environmental impact assessment. An SDM is an integrated model of geology, thermal properties, rock mechanics, hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, bedrock transport properties and a description of the surface system. The site descriptive model compiled in the current report, SDM-Site Laxemar, presents an integrated understanding of the Laxemar-Simpevarp area (with special emphasis on the Laxemar subarea) at the completion of the surface-based investigations, which were conducted during the period 2002 to 2007. A summary is also provided of the abundant underlying data and the discipline specific models that support the site understanding. The description relies heavily on background reports that address, in particular, details of the data analyses and modelling of the different disciplines. The Laxemar-Simpevarp area is located in the province of Smaaland within the municipality of Oskarshamn, about 230 km south of Stockholm. The candidate area for site investigation is located along the shoreline of the strait of Kalmarsund, within a 1.8 billion year old suite of well preserved bedrock belonging to the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt formed during

  11. Site description of Laxemar at completion of the site investigation phase. SDM-Site Laxemar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-12-01

    The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken site characterisation in two different areas, Forsmark and Laxemar-Simpevarp, in order to identify a suitable location for a geological repository of spent nuclear fuel according to the KBS-3 method. The site investigations have been conducted in campaigns, punctuated by data freezes. After each data freeze, the site data have been analysed and modelling has been carried out with the overall purpose to develop a site descriptive model (SDM). The site descriptive model is used by repository engineering to design the underground facility and to develop a repository layout adapted to the site. It is also essential for safety assessment, since the SDM is the only source for site-specific input. Another important use of the site descriptive model is in the environmental impact assessment. An SDM is an integrated model of geology, thermal properties, rock mechanics, hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, bedrock transport properties and a description of the surface system. The site descriptive model compiled in the current report, SDM-Site Laxemar, presents an integrated understanding of the Laxemar-Simpevarp area (with special emphasis on the Laxemar subarea) at the completion of the surface-based investigations, which were conducted during the period 2002 to 2007. A summary is also provided of the abundant underlying data and the discipline specific models that support the site understanding. The description relies heavily on background reports that address, in particular, details of the data analyses and modelling of the different disciplines. The Laxemar-Simpevarp area is located in the province of Smaaland within the municipality of Oskarshamn, about 230 km south of Stockholm. The candidate area for site investigation is located along the shoreline of the strait of Kalmarsund, within a 1.8 billion year old suite of well preserved bedrock belonging to the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt formed during

  12. Site description of Forsmark at completion of the site investigation phase. SDM-Site Forsmark

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-12-01

    The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., SKB, has undertaken site characterisation in two different areas, Forsmark and Laxemar-Simpevarp, in order to identify a suitable location for a geological repository of spent nuclear fuel according to the KBS-3 method. The site investigations have been conducted in campaigns, punctuated by data freezes. After each data freeze, the site data have been analysed and modelling has been carried out with the overall purpose to develop a site descriptive model (SDM). The site descriptive model is used by repository engineering to design the underground facility and to develop a repository layout adapted to the site. It is also essential for safety assessment, since the model is the only source for site-specific input. Another important use of the site descriptive model is in the environmental impact assessment. An SDM is an integrated model for geology, thermal properties, rock mechanics, hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, bedrock transport properties and a description of the surface system. The site descriptive model compiled in the current report, SDM-Site, presents an integrated understanding of the Forsmark area at the completion of the surface-based investigations, which were conducted at Forsmark during the period 2002 to 2007. It also provides a summary of the abundant underlying data and the discipline-specific models that support the site understanding. The description relies heavily on background reports that address, in particular, details in data analyses and modelling in the different disciplines. The Forsmark area is located in northern Uppland within the municipality of Oesthammar, about 120 km north of Stockholm. The candidate area for site investigation is located along the shoreline of Oeregrundsgrepen, within the north-western part of a major tectonic lens that formed between 1.87 and 1.85 billion years ago during the Svecokarelian orogeny. The candidate area is approximately 6 km long and 2 km wide. The

  13. Computerized method for rapid optimization of immunoassays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rousseau, F.; Forest, J.C.

    1990-01-01

    The authors have developed an one step quantitative method for radioimmunoassay optimization. The method is rapid and necessitates only to perform a series of saturation curves with different titres of the antiserum. After calculating the saturation point at several antiserum titres using the Scatchard plot, the authors have produced a table that predicts the main characteristics of the standard curve (Bo/T, Bo and T) that will prevail for any combination of antiserum titre and percentage of sites saturation. The authors have developed a microcomputer program able to interpolate all the data needed to produce such a table from the results of the saturation curves. This computer program permits also to predict the sensitivity of the assay at any experimental conditions if the antibody does not discriminate between the labeled and the non labeled antigen. The authors have tested the accuracy of this optimization table with two in house RIA systems: 17-β-estradiol, and hLH. The results obtained experimentally, including sensitivity determinations, were concordant with those predicted from the optimization table. This method accerelates and improves greatly the process of optimization of radioimmunoassays [fr

  14. Site characterization and validation. Stage 2 - Preliminary predictions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olsson, O.; Black, J.H.; Gale, J.E.; Holmes, D.C.

    1989-05-01

    The Site Characterization and Validation (SCV) project is designed to assess how well we can characterize a volume of rock prior to using it as a repository. The programme of work focuses on the validation of the techniques used in site characterization. The SCV project contains 5 stages of work arranged in two 'cycles' of data-gathering, prediction, and validation. The first stage of work has included drilling of 6 boreholes (N2, N3, N4, W1, W2 and V3) and measurements of geology, fracture characteristics, stess, single borehole geophysical logging, radar, seismics and hydrogeology. The rock at the SCV site is granite with small lithological variations. Based essentially on radar and seismic results 5 'fracture zones' have been identified, named GA, GB, GC, GH and GI. They all extend acroos the entire SCV site. They aer basically in in two groups (GA, GB, GC and GH, GI). The first group are aligned N40 degree E with a dip of 35 degree to the south. The second group are aligned approximately N10 degree W dipping 60 degree E. From the stochastic analysis of the joint data it was possible to identify three main fracture orientation clusters. The orientation of two of these clusters agree roughly with orientation of the main features. Cluster B has roughly the same orientation as GH and GI, while features GA, GB and GC have an orientation similar to the more loosely defined cluster C. The orientation of the third cluster (A) is northwest with a dip to northeast. It is found that 94% of all measured hydraulic transmissivity is accounted for by 4% of the tested rock, not all of this 'concentrated' transmissivity is with the major features defined by geophysics. When the hydraulic connections across the site are examied they show that there are several welldefined zones which permit rapid transmission of hydraulic signals. These are essentially from the northeast to the southwest. (66 figs., 21 tabs., 33 refs.)

  15. On-site and off-site activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, H.D.

    1986-01-01

    Design principles for NPP training programs. Effects of NPP contracts. Effects of domestic industrial activities. The role of international bodies. Requirements for on-site training. Training abroad, technical, financial and social aspects. Training center on-site, an evaluation. (orig.)

  16. Region 9 NPL Sites (Superfund Sites 2013)

    Science.gov (United States)

    NPL site POINT locations for the US EPA Region 9. NPL (National Priorities List) sites are hazardous waste sites that are eligible for extensive long-term cleanup under the Superfund program. Eligibility is determined by a scoring method called Hazard Ranking System. Sites with high scores are listed on the NPL. The majority of the locations are derived from polygon centroids of digitized site boundaries. The remaining locations were generated from address geocoding and digitizing. Area covered by this data set include Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Marianas and Trust Territories. Attributes include NPL status codes, NPL industry type codes and environmental indicators. Related table, NPL_Contaminants contains information about contaminated media types and chemicals. This is a one-to-many relate and can be related to the feature class using the relationship classes under the Feature Data Set ENVIRO_CONTAMINANT.

  17. Rapid sewage pollution assessment by means of the coverage of epilithic taxa in a coastal area in the SW Atlantic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becherucci, M E; Jaubet, M L; Saracho Bottero, M A; Llanos, E N; Elías, R; Garaffo, G V

    2018-07-01

    The sewage pollution impact over coastal environment represents one of the main reasons explaining the deterioration of marine coastal ecosystems around the globe. This paper aims to detect promptly a putative sewage pollution impact in a Southwestern Atlantic coastal area of Argentina as well as to identify a straightforward way for monitoring, based on the relative abundance coverage of the intertidal epilithic taxa. Four sampling sites were distributed at increased distances from the sewage outfall where the cover of individual epilithic species was visually estimated. The surrounded outfall area (i.e. outfall site) resulted polluted with high percentages of organic matter in sediment and Enterococcus concentration in seawater. The structure of the community showed a remarkable difference between the polluted site (outfall site) and the unpolluted sites. The polychaete Boccardia proboscidea dominated the outfall site with variable abundances of the green algae Ulva sp. during the period of study, decreasing the diversity of the community, while the mussel Brachidontes rodriguezii and variable abundances of several algae species dominated the unpolluted sites. The monitoring of the benthic community represents an effective, non-destructive, relative inexpensive and rapid method to assess the health of the coastal environment in the study area. The large abundance of B. proboscidea along with the absence of B. rodriguezii individuals at coastal ecosystem with certain gradient of pollution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Photograph-based ergonomic evaluations using the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liebregts, J; Sonne, M; Potvin, J R

    2016-01-01

    The Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) was developed to assess musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk factors for computer workstations. This study examined the validity and reliability of remotely conducted, photo-based assessments using ROSA. Twenty-three office workstations were assessed on-site by an ergonomist, and 5 photos were obtained. Photo-based assessments were conducted by three ergonomists. The sensitivity and specificity of the photo-based assessors' ability to correctly classify workstations was 79% and 55%, respectively. The moderate specificity associated with false positive errors committed by the assessors could lead to unnecessary costs to the employer. Error between on-site and photo-based final scores was a considerable ∼2 points on the 10-point ROSA scale (RMSE = 2.3), with a moderate relationship (ρ = 0.33). Interrater reliability ranged from fairly good to excellent (ICC = 0.667-0.856) and was comparable to previous results. Sources of error include the parallax effect, poor estimations of small joint (e.g. hand/wrist) angles, and boundary errors in postural binning. While this method demonstrated potential validity, further improvements should be made with respect to photo-collection and other protocols for remotely-based ROSA assessments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  19. A probabilistic analysis of rapid boron dilution scenarios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohut, P.; Diamond, D.J.

    1993-01-01

    A probabilistic and deterministic analysis of a rapid boron dilution scenario related to reactor restart was performed. The event is initiated by a loss of off-site power during the startup dilution process. The automatic restart of the charging pump in such cases may lead to the accumulation of a diluted slug of water in the lower plenum. The restart of the reactor coolant pumps may send the diluted slug through the core, adding sufficient reactivity to overcome the shutdown margin and cause a power excursion. The concern is that the power excursion is sufficient in certain circumstances to cause fuel damage. The estimated core damage frequency based on the scoping analysis is 1.0--3.0E-05/yr for the plants analyzed. These are relatively significant values when compared to desirable goals. The analysis contained assumptions related to plant specific design characteristics which may lead to non-conservative estimates. The most important conservative assumptions were that mixing of the injected diluted water is insignificant and that fuel damage occurs when the slug passes through the core

  20. Rapid versus standard intravenous rehydration in paediatric gastroenteritis: pragmatic blinded randomised clinical trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkin, Patricia C; Willan, Andrew R; Schuh, Suzanne

    2011-01-01

    Objective To determine if rapid rather than standard intravenous rehydration results in improved hydration and clinical outcomes when administered to children with gastroenteritis. Design Single centre, two arm, parallel randomised pragmatic controlled trial. Blocked randomisation stratified by site. Participants, caregivers, outcome assessors, investigators, and statisticians were blinded to the treatment assignment. Setting Paediatric emergency department in a tertiary care centre in Toronto, Canada. Participants 226 children aged 3 months to 11 years; complete follow-up was obtained on 223 (99%). Eligible children were aged over 90 days, had a diagnosis of dehydration secondary to gastroenteritis, had not responded to oral rehydration, and had been prescribed intravenous rehydration. Children were excluded if they weighed less than 5 kg or more than 33 kg, required fluid restriction, had a suspected surgical condition, or had an insurmountable language barrier. Children were also excluded if they had a history of a chronic systemic disease, abdominal surgery, bilious or bloody vomit, hypotension, or hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia. Interventions Rapid (60 mL/kg) or standard (20 mL/kg) rehydration with 0.9% saline over an hour; subsequent fluids administered according to protocol. Main outcome measures Primary outcome: clinical rehydration, assessed with a validated scale, two hours after the start of treatment. Secondary outcomes: prolonged treatment, mean clinical dehydration scores over the four hour study period, time to discharge, repeat visits to emergency department, adequate oral intake, and physician’s comfort with discharge. Data from all randomised patients were included in an intention to treat analysis. Results 114 patients were randomised to rapid rehydration and 112 to standard. One child was withdrawn because of severe hyponatraemia at baseline. There was no evidence of a difference between the rapid and standard rehydration groups in the

  1. Risks and Benefits of Rapid Clozapine Titration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lochhead, Jeannie D; Nelson, Michele A; Schneider, Alan L

    2016-05-18

    Clozapine is often considered the gold standard for the treatment of schizophrenia. Clinical guidelines suggest a gradual titration over 2 weeks to reduce the risks of adverse events such as seizures, hypotension, agranulocytosis, and myocarditis. The slow titration often delays time to therapeutic response. This raises the question of whether, in some patients, it may be safe to use a more rapid clozapine titration. The following case illustrates the potential risks associated with the use of multiple antipsychotics and rapid clozapine titration. We present the case of a young man with schizophrenia who developed life threatening neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) during rapid clozapine titration and treatment with multiple antipsychotics. We were unable to find another case in the literature of NMS associated with rapid clozapine titration. This case is meant to urge clinicians to carefully evaluate the risks and benefits of rapid clozapine titration, and to encourage researchers to further evaluate the safety of rapid clozapine titration. Rapid clozapine titration has implications for decreasing health care costs associated with prolonged hospitalizations, and decreasing the emotional suffering associated with uncontrolled symptoms of psychosis. Clozapine is considered the most effective antipsychotic available thus efforts should focus on developing strategies that would allow for safest and most efficient use of clozapine to encourage its utilization for treatment resistance schizophrenia.

  2. Risks and benefits of rapid clozapine titration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeannie D. Lochhead

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Clozapine is often considered the gold standard for the treatment of schizophrenia. Clinical guidelines suggest a gradual titration over 2 weeks to reduce the risks of adverse events such as seizures, hypotension, agranulocytosis, and myocarditis. The slow titration often delays time to therapeutic response. This raises the question of whether, in some patients, it may be safe to use a more rapid clozapine titration. The following case illustrates the potential risks associated with the use of multiple antipsychotics and rapid clozapine titration. We present the case of a young man with schizophrenia who developed life threatening neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS during rapid clozapine titration and treatment with multiple antipsychotics. We were unable to find another case in the literature of NMS associated with rapid clozapine titration. This case is meant to urge clinicians to carefully evaluate the risks and benefits of rapid clozapine titration, and to encourage researchers to further evaluate the safety of rapid clozapine titration. Rapid clozapine titration has implications for decreasing health care costs associated with prolonged hospitalizations, and decreasing the emotional suffering associated with uncontrolled symptoms of psychosis. Clozapine is considered the most effective antipsychotic available thus efforts should focus on developing strategies that would allow for safest and most efficient use of clozapine to encourage its utilization for treatment resistance schizophrenia.

  3. Rapid Sediment Accumulation Results in High Methane Effluxes from Coastal Sediments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Egger

    Full Text Available Globally, the methane (CH4 efflux from the ocean to the atmosphere is small, despite high rates of CH4 production in continental shelf and slope environments. This low efflux results from the biological removal of CH4 through anaerobic oxidation with sulfate in marine sediments. In some settings, however, pore water CH4 is found throughout the sulfate-bearing zone, indicating an apparently inefficient oxidation barrier for CH4. Here we demonstrate that rapid sediment accumulation can explain this limited capacity for CH4 removal in coastal sediments. In a saline coastal reservoir (Lake Grevelingen, The Netherlands, we observed high diffusive CH4 effluxes from the sediment into the overlying water column (0.2-0.8 mol m-2 yr-1 during multiple years. Linear pore water CH4 profiles and the absence of an isotopic enrichment commonly associated with CH4 oxidation in a zone with high rates of sulfate reduction (50-170 nmol cm-3 d-1 both suggest that CH4 is bypassing the zone of sulfate reduction. We propose that the rapid sediment accumulation at this site (~ 13 cm yr-1 reduces the residence time of the CH4 oxidizing microorganisms in the sulfate/methane transition zone (< 5 years, thus making it difficult for these slow growing methanotrophic communities to build-up sufficient biomass to efficiently remove pore water CH4. In addition, our results indicate that the high input of organic matter (~ 91 mol C m-2 yr-1 allows for the co-occurrence of different dissimilatory respiration processes, such as (acetotrophic methanogenesis and sulfate reduction in the surface sediments by providing abundant substrate. We conclude that anthropogenic eutrophication and rapid sediment accumulation likely increase the release of CH4 from coastal sediments.

  4. On-Site or Off-Site Renewable Energy Supply Options?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marszal, Anna Joanna; Heiselberg, Per; Jensen, Rasmus Lund

    2012-01-01

    The concept of a Net Zero Energy Building (Net ZEB) encompasses two options of supplying renewable energy, which can offset energy use of a building, in particular on-site or off-site renewable energy supply. Currently, the on-site options are much more popular than the off-site; however, taking...... into consideration the limited area of roof and/or façade, primarily in the dense city areas, the Danish weather conditions, the growing interest and number of wind turbine co-ops, the off-site renewable energy supply options could become a meaningful solution for reaching ‘zero’ energy goal in the Danish context...... five technologies, i.e., two on-site options: (1) photovoltaic, (2) micro combined heat and power, and three off-site options: (1) off-site windmill, (2) share of a windmill farm and (3) purchase of green energy from the 100% renewable utility grid. The results indicate that in case of the on...

  5. Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schenck, C H; Montplaisir, J Y; Frauscher, B

    2013-01-01

    We aimed to provide a consensus statement by the International Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Study Group (IRBD-SG) on devising controlled active treatment studies in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and devising studies of neuroprotection against Parkinson disease (PD...

  6. CULTURAL MEDIATIONS BEYOND THE SEA: Father Mamiani and the uses of the kiriri language in the bellows of the backlands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ane Luíse Silva Mecenas Santos

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Since the early years of the conversion process the priests of the Society of Jesus systematized texts that would enable communication with the Gentiles. While catechesis was being held with people who did not speak the language generally new instruments were produced. So in the late seventeenth century grammar and catechism were published Kiriri. These two documents provide the evidence and traces of cultural mediation process occurred in the backwoods of Portuguese America. Amid the normalization of oral language by Latin grammaticalization filter is also possible to realize the indigenous world. The habits that caused the strangeness priests during his observation period. That were, this article seeks to analyze these documents identifying the methods of standardization of the language Kiriri.

  7. The North American opinion climate for nanotechnology and its products: Opportunities and challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Priest, Susanna

    2006-01-01

    A January 2005 telephone survey of 1200 people in the U.S. and 2000 Canadians provides a snapshot of current North American opinion regarding nanotechnology at this crucial early point in its emergence from the laboratory to the arena of public discourse and public understanding. Using a typology of 'publics' developed through analysis of a previous comparative survey (Priest, S., 2006) and subsequently tested against these newer data (Priest, S., 2005) this article describes the opinion climate for nanotechnology across North America. The comparison of key results from the two countries helps illustrate how social and cultural differences contribute to reactions to new technologies, including nanotech. The article also discusses implications for nanotechnology-related public outreach and risk communication efforts

  8. Using RapidEye and MODIS Data Fusion to Monitor Vegetation Dynamics in Semi-Arid Rangelands in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Tewes

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Image time series of high temporal and spatial resolution capture land surface dynamics of heterogeneous landscapes. We applied the ESTARFM (Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model algorithm to multi-spectral images covering two semi-arid heterogeneous rangeland study sites located in South Africa. MODIS 250 m resolution and RapidEye 5 m resolution images were fused to produce synthetic RapidEye images, from June 2011 to July 2012. We evaluated the performance of the algorithm by comparing predicted surface reflectance values to real RapidEye images. Our results show that ESTARFM predictions are accurate, with a coefficient of determination for the red band 0.80 < R2 < 0.92, and for the near-infrared band 0.83 < R2 < 0.93, a mean relative bias between 6% and 12% for the red band and 4% to 9% in the near-infrared band. Heterogeneous vegetation at sub-MODIS resolution is captured adequately: A comparison of NDVI time series derived from RapidEye and ESTARFM data shows that the characteristic phenological dynamics of different vegetation types are reproduced well. We conclude that the ESTARFM algorithm allows us to produce synthetic remote sensing images at high spatial combined with high temporal resolution and so provides valuable information on vegetation dynamics in semi-arid, heterogeneous rangeland landscapes.

  9. Exploring data with RapidMiner

    CERN Document Server

    Chisholm, Andrew

    2013-01-01

    A step-by-step tutorial style using examples so that users of different levels will benefit from the facilities offered by RapidMiner.If you are a computer scientist or an engineer who has real data from which you want to extract value, this book is ideal for you. You will need to have at least a basic awareness of data mining techniques and some exposure to RapidMiner.

  10. Strategies for ensuring quality data from Indian investigational sites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antal K Hajos

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The topic of ensuring quality and compliance is and must be a top priority in the conduct of clinical trials, as warranted by regulatory guidelines as well as the inherent responsibility of the professionals conducting such research. Fast-growing emerging clinical geographies such as India demand special attention due to rapid growth and associated factors that may put study quality at risk. In this paper, we used the basic principle of PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, and Adjust to structure the processes of a clinical trial from protocol to final analysis in order to highlight the interactive nature of involved people and processes required to ensure quality of data and site functioning.

  11. Hydrothermal vents in Lake Tanganyika harbor spore-forming thermophiles with extremely rapid growth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elsgaard, Lars; Prieur, Daniel

    2010-01-01

    A thermophilic anaerobic bacterium was isolated from a sublacustrine hydrothermal vent site in Lake Tanganyika (East Africa) with recorded fluid temperatures of 66–103 °C and pH values of 7.7–8.9. The bacterium (strain TR10) was rod-shaped, about 1 by 5 μm in size, and readily formed distal...... and peptone. The optimum temperature for growth was 60 °C, while minimum and maximum temperatures were 40 and 75 °C. The pH response was alkalitolerant with optimum pH at 7.4 and 8.5 depending on the growth medium. The distinct feature of rapid proliferation and endospore formation may allow the novel...

  12. Rapid monitoring of large groups of internally contaminated people following a radiation accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-05-01

    In the management of an emergency, it is necessary to assess the radiation exposures of people in the affected areas. An essential component in the programme is the monitoring of internal contamination. Existing fixed installations for the assessment of incorporated radionuclides may be of limited value in these circumstances because they may be inconveniently sited, oversensitive for the purpose, or inadequately equipped and staffed to cope with the large numbers referred to them. The IAEA considered it important to produce guidance on rapid monitoring of large groups of internally contaminated people. The purpose of this document is to provide Member States with an overview on techniques that can be applied during abnormal or accidental situations. Refs and figs

  13. Preferential transport of isoproturon at a plot scale and a field scale tile-drained site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zehe, Erwin; Flühler, Hannes

    2001-06-01

    Irrigation experiments using the tracers Brilliant Blue (BB) and Bromide (Br) were conducted on three plots of 1.4×1.4 m 2 (plot scale) and a field scale subsurface drained test site (900 m 2) to clarify mechanisms causing rapid transport of surface applied Isoproturon (IPU) during preferential flow events. One of the small plots (site 10) and the field scale test site are located on the same field. One day after irrigation of the plot scale sites the Br and IPU concentration in two vertical soil profiles as well as the macroporousity on separate profiles and hydraulic properties of single macropores were determined. During irrigation of the field scale test site discharge, soil moisture as well as the concentration of IPU and Br in the drainage outlet were measured. Preferential flow in deep penetrating earthworm burrows caused a fast breakthrough of IPU and Br into the tile drain (1.2 m depth) at the field scale site as well as leaching of IPU into the subsoil (>0.8 m) at site 10. The results suggest a hierarchy of preconditions for the occurrence of preferential flow events of which a sufficient number of deep penetrating macropores interconnected to the soil surface seems to be the most important one. Moreover there is evidence that facilitated transport of IPU attached to mobile soil particles occurred during the preferential flow events at the field scale site and site 10. The susceptibility for preferential flow as well as the susceptibility for facilitated transport appear to be intrinsic properties of the investigated soil.

  14. UV-POSIT: Web-Based Tools for Rapid and Facile Structural Interpretation of Ultraviolet Photodissociation (UVPD) Mass Spectra

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Jake; Parker, W. Ryan; Cammarata, Michael B.; Brodbelt, Jennifer S.

    2018-04-01

    UV-POSIT (Ultraviolet Photodissociation Online Structure Interrogation Tools) is a suite of web-based tools designed to facilitate the rapid interpretation of data from native mass spectrometry experiments making use of 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD). The suite includes four separate utilities which assist in the calculation of fragment ion abundances as a function of backbone cleavage sites and sequence position; the localization of charge sites in intact proteins; the calculation of hydrogen elimination propensity for a-type fragment ions; and mass-offset searching of UVPD spectra to identify unknown modifications and assess false positive fragment identifications. UV-POSIT is implemented as a Python/Flask web application hosted at http://uv-posit.cm.utexas.edu. UV-POSIT is available under the MIT license, and the source code is available at https://github.com/jarosenb/UV_POSIT. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  15. UV-POSIT: Web-Based Tools for Rapid and Facile Structural Interpretation of Ultraviolet Photodissociation (UVPD) Mass Spectra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Jake; Parker, W Ryan; Cammarata, Michael B; Brodbelt, Jennifer S

    2018-04-06

    UV-POSIT (Ultraviolet Photodissociation Online Structure Interrogation Tools) is a suite of web-based tools designed to facilitate the rapid interpretation of data from native mass spectrometry experiments making use of 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD). The suite includes four separate utilities which assist in the calculation of fragment ion abundances as a function of backbone cleavage sites and sequence position; the localization of charge sites in intact proteins; the calculation of hydrogen elimination propensity for a-type fragment ions; and mass-offset searching of UVPD spectra to identify unknown modifications and assess false positive fragment identifications. UV-POSIT is implemented as a Python/Flask web application hosted at http://uv-posit.cm.utexas.edu . UV-POSIT is available under the MIT license, and the source code is available at https://github.com/jarosenb/UV_POSIT . Graphical Abstract.

  16. Immunoassay of blood spot TSH; development of a rapid two-site immunoradiometric assay and comparison with radioimmunoassay as a screening method for neonatal hypothyroidism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sutherland, R.M.; Ratcliffe, J.G.; Chapman, R.S.

    1982-01-01

    The development of a two-site immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) for thyrotropin (TSH) eluted from dried blood filter paper discs is described and compared with a conventional TSH radioimmunoassay (RIA) as a screening procedure for neonatal hypothyroidism. The two-site IRMA involves a primary incubation of excess labelled TSH antibody and the blood disc for 16-18 h at pH 8 and a secondary 3 h incubation under agitation, with solid phase TSH antibody. Bound and free fractions are separated by a semi-automated washing procedure. It is concluded that the two-site TSH IRMA has advantages over conventional RIA in speed, sensitivity, precision and ruggedness and can be recommended as an efficient screening procedure for neonatal hypothyroidism. (Auth.)

  17. Economic analyses of rapid population growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birdsall, N

    1989-01-01

    "Discussion of the macroeconomic consequences of rapid population growth is organized into three schools: pessimists, optimists, and the recent revisionists. For the revisionists, differing views are presented about the pervasiveness and relevance of market failures, such as the negative externalities of childbearing, and about the ability of families and institutions to adjust rapidly to changes brought on by rapid population growth. A welfare economics approach is used to review the merits of various public policies to reduce fertility, including public financing of family planning services and taxes and incentives associated with childbearing." The focus is on developing countries. excerpt

  18. [Rapid prototyping: a very promising method].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haverman, T M; Karagozoglu, K H; Prins, H-J; Schulten, E A J M; Forouzanfar, T

    2013-03-01

    Rapid prototyping is a method which makes it possible to produce a three-dimensional model based on two-dimensional imaging. Various rapid prototyping methods are available for modelling, such as stereolithography, selective laser sintering, direct laser metal sintering, two-photon polymerization, laminated object manufacturing, three-dimensional printing, three-dimensional plotting, polyjet inkjet technology,fused deposition modelling, vacuum casting and milling. The various methods currently being used in the biomedical sector differ in production, materials and properties of the three-dimensional model which is produced. Rapid prototyping is mainly usedforpreoperative planning, simulation, education, and research into and development of bioengineering possibilities.

  19. Portable Diagnostics and Rapid Germination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dunn, Zachary Spencer [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2016-12-01

    In the Bioenergy and Defense Department of Sandia National Laboratories, characterization of the BaDx (Bacillus anthracis diagnostic cartridge) was performed and rapid germination chemistry was investigated. BaDx was tested with complex sample matrixes inoculated with Bacillus anthracis, and the trials proved that BaDx will detect Bacillus anthracis in a variety of the medium, such as dirt, serum, blood, milk, and horse fluids. The dimensions of the device were altered to accommodate an E. coli or Listeria lateral flow immunoassay, and using a laser printer, BaDx devices were manufactured to identify E. coli and Listeria. Initial testing with E. coli versions of BaDx indicate that the device will be viable as a portable diagnostic cartridge. The device would be more effective with faster bacteria germination; hence studies were performed the use of rapid germination chemistry. Trials with calcium dipicolinic acid displayed increased cell germination, as shown by control studies using a microplate reader. Upon lyophilization the rapid germination chemistry failed to change growth patterns, indicating that the calcium dipicolinic acid was not solubilized under the conditions tested. Although incompatible with the portable diagnostic device, the experiments proved that the rapid germination chemistry was effective in increasing cell germination.

  20. Comparative analysis of on site bioremediation: Alternatives for petroleum contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, P.E.; Tremaine, S.C.

    1994-01-01

    Environmental Protection Systems, Inc. has developed a low maintenance, highly effective method to remediate petroleum and hazardous waste contamination of soils. This method combines the use of a slow release chemical oxygen source, along with nutrient amendments for the degradation of contaminants that require oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor. This method has been used successfully in bench and field experiments on creosote. The authors have performed laboratory experiments on diesel fuel. This paper describes rapid (site closure in 2.5 months in cold weather) field degradation of relatively freshly spilled diesel fuel using native bacteria and tailored nutrient amendments

  1. Two-site sandwich radioimmunoassay of human gamma interferon with monoclonal antibodies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, E; Imai, M; Usuda, S; Tachibana, K; Okamoto, H; Ohike, Y; Nakamura, T; Miyakawa, Y; Mayumi, M [Jichi Medical School, Minamikawachi, Tochigi (Japan)

    1985-03-18

    Two monoclonal antibodies were raised against human gamma interferon (IFN-..gamma..) derived from E. coli harboring the recombinant cDNA for IFN-..gamma.., and one against a synthetic peptide representing its C-terminus amino acid sequence of 20 residues. The monoclonal antibody against the synthetic peptide reacted either with IFN-..gamma.. or the synthetic peptide. One monoclonal anti-IFN-..gamma.. did not react with the synthetic peptide, while the other showed a weak binding with the peptide. A 2-site '1-step' radioimmunoassay was developed. The assay was rapid with a sensitivity capable of detecting a few ng/ml of IFN-..gamma...

  2. Nuclear power plant site evaluation using site population-meterology factor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rho, B.H.; Kang, C.H.

    1982-01-01

    In this paper, as a site evaluation technique, SPNF(Site Population Neteorology Factor) which is modified from SPF(Site Population Factor) of the USNRC model, is defined from site population and meteorology data in order to consider the radiological impacts to the population at large from the atmospheric dispersion of the radioactive effluents released during routine plant operation as well as accidental conditions. The SPMF model proved its propriety from the comparison of SPMF and SPF for Kori site. The relative suitability of Korean sites to the U.S. sites have been also examined using SPF. (Author)

  3. A new method for rapid Canine retraction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    "Khavari A

    2001-06-01

    Full Text Available Distraction osteogenesis method (Do in bone lengthening and rapid midpalatal expansion have shown the great ability of osteognic tissues for rapid bone formation under distraction force and special protocol with optimum rate of one millimeter per day. Periodontal membrane of teeth (PDM is the extension of periostium in the alveolar socked. Orthodontic force distracts PDM fibers in the tension side and then bone formation will begin.Objects: Rapid retraction of canine tooth into extraction space of first premolar by DO protocol in order to show the ability of the PDM in rapid bone formation. The other objective was reducing total orthodontic treatment time of extraction cases.Patients and Methods: Tweleve maxillary canines in six patients were retracted rapidly in three weeks by a custom-made tooth-born appliance. Radiographic records were taken to evaluate the effects of heavy applied force on canine and anchorage teeth.Results: Average retraction was 7.05 mm in three weeks (2.35 mm/week. Canines rotated distal- in by mean 3.5 degrees.Anchorage loss was from 0 to 0.8 mm with average of 0.3 mm.Root resorption of canines was negligible, and was not significant clinically. Periodontium was normal after rapid retraction. No hazard for pulp vitality was observed.Discussion: PDM responded well to heavy distraction force by Do protocol. Rapid canine retraction seems to be a safe method and can considerabely reduce orthodontic time.

  4. Rapid methods for detection of bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Corfitzen, Charlotte B.; Andersen, B.Ø.; Miller, M.

    2006-01-01

    Traditional methods for detection of bacteria in drinking water e.g. Heterotrophic Plate Counts (HPC) or Most Probable Number (MNP) take 48-72 hours to give the result. New rapid methods for detection of bacteria are needed to protect the consumers against contaminations. Two rapid methods...

  5. Rapid molecular evolution across amniotes of the IIS/TOR network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGaugh, Suzanne E; Bronikowski, Anne M; Kuo, Chih-Horng; Reding, Dawn M; Addis, Elizabeth A; Flagel, Lex E; Janzen, Fredric J; Schwartz, Tonia S

    2015-06-02

    The insulin/insulin-like signaling and target of rapamycin (IIS/TOR) network regulates lifespan and reproduction, as well as metabolic diseases, cancer, and aging. Despite its vital role in health, comparative analyses of IIS/TOR have been limited to invertebrates and mammals. We conducted an extensive evolutionary analysis of the IIS/TOR network across 66 amniotes with 18 newly generated transcriptomes from nonavian reptiles and additional available genomes/transcriptomes. We uncovered rapid and extensive molecular evolution between reptiles (including birds) and mammals: (i) the IIS/TOR network, including the critical nodes insulin receptor substrate (IRS) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), exhibit divergent evolutionary rates between reptiles and mammals; (ii) compared with a proxy for the rest of the genome, genes of the IIS/TOR extracellular network exhibit exceptionally fast evolutionary rates; and (iii) signatures of positive selection and coevolution of the extracellular network suggest reptile- and mammal-specific interactions between members of the network. In reptiles, positively selected sites cluster on the binding surfaces of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), IGF1 receptor (IGF1R), and insulin receptor (INSR); whereas in mammals, positively selected sites clustered on the IGF2 binding surface, suggesting that these hormone-receptor binding affinities are targets of positive selection. Further, contrary to reports that IGF2R binds IGF2 only in marsupial and placental mammals, we found positively selected sites clustered on the hormone binding surface of reptile IGF2R that suggest that IGF2R binds to IGF hormones in diverse taxa and may have evolved in reptiles. These data suggest that key IIS/TOR paralogs have sub- or neofunctionalized between mammals and reptiles and that this network may underlie fundamental life history and physiological differences between these amniote sister clades.

  6. The use of desk studies, remote sensing and surface geological and geophysical techniques in site investigations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mather, J.D.

    1984-02-01

    The geoscientific investigations required to characterise a site for the underground disposal of radioactive wastes involve a wide range of techniques and expertise. Individual national investigations need to be planned with the specific geological environment and waste form in mind. However, in any investigation there should be a planned sequence of operations leading through desk studies and surface investigations to the more expensive and sophisticated sub-surface investigations involving borehole drilling and the construction of in situ test facilities. Desk studies are an important and largely underestimated component of site investigations. Most developed countries have archives of topographical, geological and environmental data within government agencies, universities, research institutes and learned societies. Industry is another valuable source but here confidentiality can be a problem. However, in developing countries and in some regions of developed countries the amount of basic data, which needs to be collected over many decades, will not be as extensive. In such regions remote sensing offers a rapid method of examining large areas regardless of land access, vegetation or geological setting, rapidly and at relatively low cost. It can also be used to examine features, such as discontinuity patterns, over relatively small areas in support of intensive ground investigations. Examples will be given of how remote sensing has materially contributed to site characterisation in a number of countries, particularly those such as Sweden, Canada and the United Kingdom where the major effort has concentrated on crystalline rocks. The main role of desk studies and surface investigations is to provide basic data for the planning and execution of more detailed subsurface investigations. However, such studies act as a valuable screening mechanism and if they are carried out correctly can enable adverse characteristics of a site to be identified at an early stage before

  7. Dynamic domains of amyloid fibrils can be site-specifically assigned with proton detected 3D NMR spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Falk, Alexander S.; Siemer, Ansgar B., E-mail: asiemer@usc.edu [Keck School of Medicine of USC, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute (United States)

    2016-11-15

    Several amyloid fibrils have cores framed by highly dynamic, intrinsically disordered, domains that can play important roles for function and toxicity. To study these domains in detail using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, site-specific resonance assignments are required. Although the rapid dynamics of these domains lead to considerable averaging of orientation-dependent NMR interactions and thereby line-narrowing, the proton linewidths observed in these samples is far larger than what is regularly observed in solution. Here, we show that it is nevertheless possible to record 3D HNCO, HNCA, and HNcoCA spectra on these intrinsically disordered domains and to obtain site-specific assignments.

  8. Dynamic domains of amyloid fibrils can be site-specifically assigned with proton detected 3D NMR spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falk, Alexander S.; Siemer, Ansgar B.

    2016-01-01

    Several amyloid fibrils have cores framed by highly dynamic, intrinsically disordered, domains that can play important roles for function and toxicity. To study these domains in detail using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, site-specific resonance assignments are required. Although the rapid dynamics of these domains lead to considerable averaging of orientation-dependent NMR interactions and thereby line-narrowing, the proton linewidths observed in these samples is far larger than what is regularly observed in solution. Here, we show that it is nevertheless possible to record 3D HNCO, HNCA, and HNcoCA spectra on these intrinsically disordered domains and to obtain site-specific assignments.

  9. Rapidity resummation for B-meson wave functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shen Yue-Long

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Transverse-momentum dependent (TMD hadronic wave functions develop light-cone divergences under QCD corrections, which are commonly regularized by the rapidity ζ of gauge vector defining the non-light-like Wilson lines. The yielding rapidity logarithms from infrared enhancement need to be resummed for both hadronic wave functions and short-distance functions, to achieve scheme-independent calculations of physical quantities. We briefly review the recent progress on the rapidity resummation for B-meson wave functions which are the key ingredients of TMD factorization formulae for radiative-leptonic, semi-leptonic and non-leptonic B-meson decays. The crucial observation is that rapidity resummation induces a strong suppression of B-meson wave functions at small light-quark momentum, strengthening the applicability of TMD factorization in exclusive B-meson decays. The phenomenological consequence of rapidity-resummation improved B-meson wave functions is further discussed in the context of B → π transition form factors at large hadronic recoil.

  10. Ultra-modified rapid sequence induction with transnasal humidified rapid insufflation ventilatory exchange: Challenging convention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ketan Sakharam Kulkarni

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available During positive pressure ventilation, gastric inflation and subsequent pulmonary aspiration can occur. Rapid sequence induction (RSI technique is an age-old formula to prevent this. We adopted a novel approach of RSI for patients with high risk of aspiration and evaluated it further in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgeries. We believe that, in patients with risk of gastric insufflation and pulmonary aspiration, transnasal humidified rapid-insufflation ventilatory exchange can be useful in facilitating pre- and apnoeic oxygenation till tracheal isolation is achieved.

  11. Superfund and Toxic Release Inventory Sites - MDC_ContaminatedSite

    Data.gov (United States)

    NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — A point feature class of open DERM Contaminated sites - see phase code for status of site. Contaminated sites identifies properties where environmental contamination...

  12. Physical Processes Affecting the Distribution of Diydymosphenia Geminata Biomass Bloom in Rapid Creek, South Dakota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abessa, M. B.; Sundareshwar, P. V.; Updhayay, S.

    2010-12-01

    Didymosphenia geminata is a freshwater diatom that has invaded and colonized many of the world’s oligotrophic streams and rivers, including Rapid Creek in Western South Dakota - a perennial oligotrophic stream that emerges from the Black Hills and is fed by cold water release from the Pactola Reservoir. Since 2002, D. geminata blooms have been observed in certain stretches of the Rapid Creek. These massive blooms are localized to certain segments of the Creek where the flow is mainly slow, stable and shallow dominated by boulder type bed material and submerged large woody debris. Water chemistry data from this Creek showed the variability of major nutrients such as phosphate, nitrates/nitrites and ammonium are insignificant across our study sites while the nature of the stream flow is quite irregular. We measured flow rates, depth, temperature, stream bed characteristics, water chemistry, and D. geminata biomass in regions with and without blooms. The presentation will discuss how changes in physical parameters along the various reaches of the Creek impact the biomass distribution of this invasive alga.

  13. Siting and environment: towards an effective nuclear siting policy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muntzing, L M

    1976-03-01

    The author looks at pending U.S. legislation which aims to streamline planning and regulatory procedures while at the same time preserving the existing social and environmental safeguards. The origins of the environmental factors of regulatory concern in the United States are largely rooted in the social phenomenon of environmental awareness of the late 1960s. This public awareness was given expression in the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). How this Act has affected the U.S. regulatory processes, other environmental programs, and the nuclear power industry is reviewed briefly. NEPA directed the Federal Government to improve and coordinate Federal plans and programs to protect the environment and to develop methods and procedures that would balance environmental values with economic and technical considerations. The changes effected by this legislation have been dramatic. It has resulted in the rapid infusion into the governmental decision-making process of the full range of environmental considerations. The lessons of the Calvert Cliffs decision are summarized, and the siting of fuel-cycle facilities in the U.S. is reviewed. A recent study by Chase Econometrics Associates indicates that United States Federal pollution control requirements will have only a very small impact on economic growth, employment, and prices between now and 1982. For example, the Chase Study concludes that by 1982 the real GNP should be virtually the same as it would have been in the absence of pollution controls. (MCW)

  14. The Rapid Perceptual Impact of Emotional Distractors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Briana L Kennedy

    Full Text Available The brief presentation of an emotional distractor can temporarily impair perception of a subsequent, rapidly presented target, an effect known as emotion-induced blindness (EIB. How rapidly does this impairment unfold? To probe this question, we examined EIB for targets that immediately succeeded ("lag-1" emotional distractors in a rapid stream of items relative to EIB for targets at later serial positions. Experiments 1 and 2 suggested that emotional distractors interfere with items presented very soon after them, with impaired target perception emerging as early as lag-1. Experiment 3 included an exploratory examination of individual differences, which suggested that EIB onsets more rapidly among participants scoring high in measures linked to negative affect.

  15. Recruitment of RNA polymerase II cofactor PC4 to DNA damage sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortusewicz, Oliver; Roth, Wera; Li, Na; Cardoso, M. Cristina; Meisterernst, Michael; Leonhardt, Heinrich

    2008-01-01

    The multifunctional nuclear protein positive cofactor 4 (PC4) is involved in various cellular processes including transcription, replication, and chromatin organization. Recently, PC4 has been identified as a suppressor of oxidative mutagenesis in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To investigate a potential role of PC4 in mammalian DNA repair, we used a combination of live cell microscopy, microirradiation, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis. We found a clear accumulation of endogenous PC4 at DNA damage sites introduced by either chemical agents or laser microirradiation. Using fluorescent fusion proteins and specific mutants, we demonstrated that the rapid recruitment of PC4 to laser-induced DNA damage sites is independent of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and γH2AX but depends on its single strand binding capacity. Furthermore, PC4 showed a high turnover at DNA damages sites compared with the repair factors replication protein A and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. We propose that PC4 plays a role in the early response to DNA damage by recognizing single-stranded DNA and may thus initiate or facilitate the subsequent steps of DNA repair. PMID:19047459

  16. On-Site Molecular Detection of Soil-Borne Phytopathogens Using a Portable Real-Time PCR System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeShields, Joseph B; Bomberger, Rachel A; Woodhall, James W; Wheeler, David L; Moroz, Natalia; Johnson, Dennis A; Tanaka, Kiwamu

    2018-02-23

    On-site diagnosis of plant diseases can be a useful tool for growers for timely decisions enabling the earlier implementation of disease management strategies that reduce the impact of the disease. Presently in many diagnostic laboratories, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), particularly real-time PCR, is considered the most sensitive and accurate method for plant pathogen detection. However, laboratory-based PCRs typically require expensive laboratory equipment and skilled personnel. In this study, soil-borne pathogens of potato are used to demonstrate the potential for on-site molecular detection. This was achieved using a rapid and simple protocol comprising of magnetic bead-based nucleic acid extraction, portable real-time PCR (fluorogenic probe-based assay). The portable real-time PCR approach compared favorably with a laboratory-based system, detecting as few as 100 copies of DNA from Spongospora subterranea. The portable real-time PCR method developed here can serve as an alternative to laboratory-based approaches and a useful on-site tool for pathogen diagnosis.

  17. Stereospecific recognition sites for [3H]inositol(1,4,5)-triphosphate in particulate preparations of rat cerebellum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willcocks, A.L.; Cooke, A.M.; Potter, B.V.; Nahorski, S.R.

    1987-01-01

    A very high density of stereospecific binding sites for inositol-(1,4,5)P3 have been identified in rat cerebellar membranes using [ 3 H]inositol-(1,4,5)P3 and a rapid centrifugation step to separate free and bound ligand. Binding was shown to be rapid and reversible and of relatively high affinity (KD 23 nM). Incubations were carried out at 4 degrees and under these conditions HPLC analysis demonstrated that there was no significant metabolism of [ 3 H]-(1,4,5)P3 in the presence or absence of ATP over 15 min. The specificity of the site has been carefully evaluated using both natural and novel synthetic inositol phosphates. The stereospecificity is very marked with the D-, DL- and L-isomers of Ins(1,4,5)P3 showing a 1:4:2000 ratio of affinity for the binding site. D-Ins(2,4,5)P3 was the only other phosphate to show relatively high affinity (KD 1500 nM). HPLC-pure Ins(1,3,4)P3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 were substantially weaker and Ins(1,4)P2, Ins-2-P1, Ins-1-P1, Ins(1,2)-cyclic P1 and inositol were totally inactive at concentrations less than 50 microM. These data are discussed in relation to a putative receptor on the endoplasmic reticulum by which Ins(1,4,5)P3 can initiate the release of bound Ca 2+

  18. Protein folding kinetics by combined use of rapid mixing techniques and NMR observation of individual amide protons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roder, H.; Wuethrich, K.

    1986-01-01

    A method to be used for experimental studies of protein folding introduced by Schmid and Baldwin, which is based on the competition between amide hydrogen exchange and protein refolding, was extended by using rapid mixing techniques and 1 H NMR to provide site-resolved kinetic information on the early phases of protein structure acquisition. In this method, a protonated solution of the unfolded protein is rapidly mixed with a deuterated buffer solution at conditions assuring protein refolding in the mixture. This simultaneously initiates the exchange of unprotected amide protons with solvent deuterium and the refolding of protein segments which can protect amide groups from further exchange. After variable reaction times the amide proton exchange is quenched while folding to the native form continues to completion. By using 1 H NMR, the extent of exchange at individual amide sites is then measured in the refolded protein. Competition experiments at variable reaction times or variable pH indicate the time at which each amide group is protected in the refolding process. This technique was applied to the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, for which sequence-specific assignments of the amide proton NMR lines had previously been obtained. For eight individual amide protons located in the beta-sheet and the C-terminal alpha-helix of this protein, apparent refolding rates in the range from 15 s-1 to 60 s-1 were observed. These rates are on the time scale of the fast folding phase observed with optical probes

  19. An integrated CRISPR Bombyx mori genome editing system with improved efficiency and expanded target sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Sanyuan; Liu, Yue; Liu, Yuanyuan; Chang, Jiasong; Zhang, Tong; Wang, Xiaogang; Shi, Run; Lu, Wei; Xia, Xiaojuan; Zhao, Ping; Xia, Qingyou

    2017-04-01

    Genome editing enabled unprecedented new opportunities for targeted genomic engineering of a wide variety of organisms ranging from microbes, plants, animals and even human embryos. The serial establishing and rapid applications of genome editing tools significantly accelerated Bombyx mori (B. mori) research during the past years. However, the only CRISPR system in B. mori was the commonly used SpCas9, which only recognize target sites containing NGG PAM sequence. In the present study, we first improve the efficiency of our previous established SpCas9 system by 3.5 folds. The improved high efficiency was also observed at several loci in both BmNs cells and B. mori embryos. Then to expand the target sites, we showed that two newly discovered CRISPR system, SaCas9 and AsCpf1, could also induce highly efficient site-specific genome editing in BmNs cells, and constructed an integrated CRISPR system. Genome-wide analysis of targetable sites was further conducted and showed that the integrated system cover 69,144,399 sites in B. mori genome, and one site could be found in every 6.5 bp. The efficiency and resolution of this CRISPR platform will probably accelerate both fundamental researches and applicable studies in B. mori, and perhaps other insects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Umatilla Satellite and Release Sites Project : Final Siting Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Montgomery, James M.

    1992-04-01

    This report presents the results of site analysis for the Umatilla Satellite and Release Sites Project. The purpose of this project is to provide engineering services for the siting and conceptual design of satellite and release facilities for the Umatilla Basin hatchery program. The Umatilla Basin hatchery program consists of artificial production facilities for salmon and steelhead to enhance production in the Umatilla River as defined in the Umatilla master plan approved in 1989 by the Northwest Power Planning Council. Facilities identified in the master plan include adult salmon broodstock holding and spawning facilities, facilities for recovery, acclimation, and/or extended rearing of salmon juveniles, and development of river sites for release of hatchery salmon and steelhead. The historic and current distribution of fall chinook, summer chinook, and coho salmon and steelhead trout was summarized for the Umatilla River basin. Current and future production and release objectives were reviewed. Twenty seven sites were evaluated for the potential and development of facilities. Engineering and environmental attributes of the sites were evaluated and compared to facility requirements for water and space. Site screening was conducted to identify the sites with the most potential for facility development. Alternative sites were selected for conceptual design of each facility type. A proposed program for adult holding facilities, final rearing/acclimation, and direct release facilities was developed.