MHD PbLi experiments in MaPLE loop at UCLA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Courtessole, C., E-mail: cyril@fusion.ucla.edu; Smolentsev, S.; Sketchley, T.; Abdou, M.

2016-11-01

Highlights: • The paper overviews the MaPLE facility at UCLA: one-of-a-few PbLi MHD loop in the world. • We present the progress achieved in development and testing of high-temperature PbLi flow diagnostics. • The most important MHD experiments carried out since the first loop operation in 2011 are summarized. - Abstract: Experiments on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows are critical to understanding complex flow phenomena in ducts of liquid metal blankets, in particular those that utilize eutectic alloy lead–lithium as breeder/coolant, such as self-cooled, dual-coolant and helium-cooled lead–lithium blanket concepts. The primary goal of MHD experiments at UCLA using the liquid metal flow facility called MaPLE (Magnetohydrodynamic PbLi Experiment) is to address important MHD effects, heat transfer and flow materials interactions in blanket-relevant conditions. The paper overviews the one-of-a-kind MaPLE loop at UCLA and presents recent experimental activities, including the development and testing of high-temperature PbLi flow diagnostics and experiments that have been performed since the first loop operation in 2011. We also discuss MaPLE upgrades, which need to be done to substantially expand the experimental capabilities towards a new class of MHD flow phenomena that includes buoyancy effects.

Program for Energy Research and Technologies 1977--1980. Annual report 1977 on efficient uses of energy fossil sources of primary energy new sources of energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-01-01

The main objectives within the policy of the Federal Government Program for Energy Research and Technologies 1977--1980 can be summarized as follows: guaranteeing the continuity of energy supply in the medium to long term in the Federal Republic at economically favourable costs considering the requirements necessary for the protection of the environment and population. The financial support is effected under the general headings of Development of Energy Resources, Energy Conservation and Efficient Use of Energy. An additional aspect of the support policy is the development of technologies which are of importance for other countries, specifically for the developing countries. Support of a project is effected through a research and development grant from the Federal Government and this can range from less than 50% to 100%. For this the Government receives an irrevocable, free of charge and non-exclusive right to make use of research and development results. In special cases full repayment is agreed subject to commercial success. Based on agreements signed by the Federal Minister of Research and Technology and the Federal Minister of Economic Affairs on the one hand and the Juelich Nuclear Research Establishment (KFA) on the other, the Project Management for Energy Research (PLE) in KFA Juelich is acting on behalf of these Ministries. The Project Management's activities in non-nuclear energy research in general (for the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology) and development and innovation in coal mining and preparation (for the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs) have the following general objectives: to improve the efficiency of Government support; to ensure that projects are efficiently handled; and to reduce the workload of the Ministries. The individual projects are listed and described briefly.

Selective Activation of N,N'-Diacyl Rhodamine Pro-fluorophores Paired with Releasing Enzyme, Porcine Liver Esterase (PLE).

Science.gov (United States)

Abney, Kristopher K; Ramos-Hunter, Susan J; Romaine, Ian M; Godwin, J Shawn; Sulikowski, Gary A; Weaver, Charles David

2018-04-21

This study reports the synthesis and testing of a family of rhodamine pro-fluorophores and an enzyme capable of converting pro-fluorophores to Rhodamine 110. We prepared a library of simple N,N'-diacyl rhodamines and investigated Porcine Liver Esterase (PLE) as an enzyme to activate rhodamine-based pro-fluorophores. A PLE-expressing cell line generated an increase in fluorescence rapidly upon pro-fluorophore addition demonstrating the rhodamine pro-fluorophores are readily taken up and fluorescent upon PLE-mediated release. Rhodamine pro-fluorophore amides trifluoroacetamide (TFAm) and proponamide (PAm) appeared to be the best substrates using a cell-based assay using PLE expressing HEK293. Our pro-fluorophore series showed diffusion into live cells and resisted endogenous hydrolysis. The use of our engineered cell line containing the exogenous enzyme PLE demonstrated the rigorousness of amide masking when compared to cells not containing PLE. This simple and selective pro-fluorophore rhodamine pair with PLE offers the potential to be used in vitro and in vivo fluorescence based assays. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Main research activities at the Institute of Energy Process Engineering Research Centre Juelich Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achenbach, E.

1995-06-01

This report summarizes four lectures been held during the author's seven-week stay at the Department of High Temperature Engineering in the period from February 2nd to March 23rd in 1995 under the JAERI foreign researcher inviting program. Though the Institute of Energy Process Engineering(IEV) in the Research Centre Juelich(KFA), has recently changed the subject of research from nuclear technology of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors(HTGRs) to fuel cell technology, there are many common items of research. In particular, the following topics presented in the lectures are of mutual interest: 1)Methane-steam reforming used at JAERI as HTGR heat utilization system and applied at KFA to internal reforming in the high temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell(SOFC), 2)Technology and modeling of high temperature electrolysis at JAERI as the inverse process of the SOFC developed at KFA, 3)Flow simulation of branched systems treated at JAERI for the development of high temperature heat exchangers and performed at KFA with respect to the SOFC manifold system, 4)Fundamental aspects of heat and mass transfer. The report should help to create a basis of discussing the above mentioned problems and to stimulate the research work at JAERI. (author)

The KFA TierPET: Performance characteristics and measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, S.; Herzog, H.; Mueller-Gaertner, H.W.

1996-01-01

We will present first results of the KFA Tier-PET, a positron emission tomograph with flexible geometry dedicated to in vivo studies of small animals. The flexible geometry allows us to change between measurements with high spatial resolution and measurements with increased sensitivity at the cost of resolution. The detectors consist of yttrium aluminum perovskit scintillator arrays which are glued together from 20 x 20 optically isolated crystals, coupled to position sensitive photomultiplier tubes. The fundamental design features concerning crystal dimensions and detector arrangement have been simulated. Based on this data, the definite dimensional outline of the crystals was determined. The YAP:Ce matrix in combination with a position sensitive photomultiplier leads to a detector block with a high spatial resolution. In first measurements a system sensitivity of 1.8 kcps/μCi/ml has been evaluated for a detector-to-detector distance of 16 cm

PLE CATALYZED HYDROLYZES OF ALPHA-SUBSTITUTED ALPHA-HYDROXY ESTERS - THE INFLUENCE OF THE SUBSTITUENTS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

MOORLAG, H; KELLOGG, RM

1991-01-01

The enzymatic hydrolyses of a variety of alpha-substituted mandelic and lactic esters using pig liver esterase (PLE) have been investigated. High to moderate enantioselectivity was found for various alpha-substituted mandelic esters, whereas PLE showed low to no enantioselectivity for

E-PLE: an Algorithm for Image Inpainting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Qing Wang

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Gaussian mixture is a powerful tool for modeling the patch prior. In this work, a probabilisticview of an existing algorithm piecewise linear estimation (PLE for image inpainting is presentedwhich leads to several theoretical and numerical improvements based on an effective use ofGaussian mixture.

Personalised Peer-Supported Learning: The Peer-to-Peer Learning Environment (P2PLE)

Science.gov (United States)

Corneli, Joseph; Mikroyannidis, Alexander

2011-01-01

The Peer-to-Peer Learning Environment (P2PLE) is a proposed approach to helping learners co-construct their learning environment using recommendations about people, content, and tools. The work draws on current research on PLEs, and participant observation at the Peer-to-Peer University (P2PU). We are particularly interested in ways of eliciting…

Graphic Design in Jože Plečnik’s Fairytales Makalonca

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klementina Možina

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on a small fairytale book Makalonca, which was completelydesigned by Jože Plečnik.The Slovenian architecture by Jože Plečnik (1872–1957 is well known in Europe,while his work in the area of graphic design and typography is less known. Duringthe Second World War, he made all the decorations, vignettes and initial letters forthe fairytales, and elaborated graphic design for the book published in two differentbindings – hardcover and paperback. Two paperback reprints were subsequentlypublished as well. In both reprints it was stressed that the graphic design remainedthe same as done by Plečnik. Instead, both reprints are actually deformations of theoriginal. As a consequence, the Slovenian cultural heritage has lost a great deal.

Systeme im Einsatz. Lernmanagement, Kompetenzmanagement und PLE

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalz, Marco; Schön, Sandra; Lindner, Martin; Roth, Detlev; Baumgartner, Peter

2011-01-01

Kalz, M., Schön, S., Lindner, M., Roth, D., & Baumgartner, P. (2011). Systeme im Einsatz. Lernmanagement, Kompetenzmanagement und PLE. In M. Ebner, & S. Schön (Eds.), L3T - Lerhbuch für Lernen und Lehren mit Technologie (pp. 111-118). Graz, Austria: Uni Graz. Available at

Juelich Research Center. Annual report 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-10-01

The Research Centre Juelich (KFA) as one of the thirteen national research centres in the Federal Republic of Germany is probably unique in that it concentrates equally on four essentials for mankind - energy, health and environment, materials and matter as well as information. These basic requirements are reflected by the four priority programmes characterizing research at the KFA in the nineties. The research priorities are: Properties of Matter and Material Research; Basic Research on Information Technology; Health, Environment, Biotechnology; Energy Research and Technology; Nuclear Fusion; Basic Nuclear Research; Interdisciplinary Analyses and Methods. (orig./HSCH) [de

Twenty-fifth anniversary of the Juelich Nuclear Research Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haefele, W.

1982-01-01

On December 10, 1981, KFA Juelich celebrated its 25th year of existence; on December 11, 1956, the land parliament of North Rhine Westphalia had decided in favour of the erection of a joint nuclear research facility of the land of North Rhine Westphalia. In contrast to other nuclear research centers, the Juelich centre was to develop and operate large-scale research equipment and infrastructure for joint use by the universities of the land. This cooperation has remained an important characteristic in spite of the independent scientific work of KFA institutes, Federal government majorities, and changes in research fields and tasks. KFA does fundamental research in nuclear and plasma physics, solid state research, medicine, life sciences, and environmental research; other activities are R + D tasks for the HTR reactor and its specific applications as well as energy research in general. (orig.) [de

Can the Integration of a PLE in an E-Portfolio Platform Improve Generic Competences?

Science.gov (United States)

Galván-Fernández, Cristina; Rubio-Hurtado, María José; Martínez-Olmo, Francesc; Rodríguez-Illera, José Luis

2017-01-01

The study analyzes the improvement in generic competences through e-portfolio/PLE platform and didactic planning. The new version of the platform, Digital Folder, contains utilities for students and teachers and some PLE components that help the learning process through e-portfolios. Didactic planning is compared for students from the University…

Measuring Black Men’s Police-Based Discrimination Experiences: Development and Validation of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) Scale

Science.gov (United States)

English, Devin; Bowleg, Lisa; del Río-González, Ana Maria; Tschann, Jeanne M.; Agans, Robert; Malebranche, David J

2017-01-01

Objectives Although social science research has examined police and law enforcement-perpetrated discrimination against Black men using policing statistics and implicit bias studies, there is little quantitative evidence detailing this phenomenon from the perspective of Black men. Consequently, there is a dearth of research detailing how Black men’s perspectives on police and law enforcement-related stress predict negative physiological and psychological health outcomes. This study addresses these gaps with the qualitative development and quantitative test of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) scale. Methods In Study 1, we employed thematic analysis on transcripts of individual qualitative interviews with 90 Black men to assess key themes and concepts and develop quantitative items. In Study 2, we used 2 focus groups comprised of 5 Black men each (n=10), intensive cognitive interviewing with a separate sample of Black men (n=15), and piloting with another sample of Black men (n=13) to assess the ecological validity of the quantitative items. For study 3, we analyzed data from a sample of 633 Black men between the ages of 18 and 65 to test the factor structure of the PLE, as we all as its concurrent validity and convergent/discriminant validity. Results Qualitative analyses and confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a 5-item, 1-factor measure appropriately represented respondents’ experiences of police/law enforcement discrimination. As hypothesized, the PLE was positively associated with measures of racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. Conclusions Preliminary evidence suggests that the PLE is a reliable and valid measure of Black men’s experiences of discrimination with police/law enforcement. PMID:28080104

Measuring Black men's police-based discrimination experiences: Development and validation of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

English, Devin; Bowleg, Lisa; Del Río-González, Ana Maria; Tschann, Jeanne M; Agans, Robert P; Malebranche, David J

2017-04-01

Although social science research has examined police and law enforcement-perpetrated discrimination against Black men using policing statistics and implicit bias studies, there is little quantitative evidence detailing this phenomenon from the perspective of Black men. Consequently, there is a dearth of research detailing how Black men's perspectives on police and law enforcement-related stress predict negative physiological and psychological health outcomes. This study addresses these gaps with the qualitative development and quantitative test of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) Scale. In Study 1, we used thematic analysis on transcripts of individual qualitative interviews with 90 Black men to assess key themes and concepts and develop quantitative items. In Study 2, we used 2 focus groups comprised of 5 Black men each (n = 10), intensive cognitive interviewing with a separate sample of Black men (n = 15), and piloting with another sample of Black men (n = 13) to assess the ecological validity of the quantitative items. For Study 3, we analyzed data from a sample of 633 Black men between the ages of 18 and 65 to test the factor structure of the PLE, as we all as its concurrent validity and convergent/discriminant validity. Qualitative analyses and confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a 5-item, 1-factor measure appropriately represented respondents' experiences of police/law enforcement discrimination. As hypothesized, the PLE was positively associated with measures of racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. Preliminary evidence suggests that the PLE is a reliable and valid measure of Black men's experiences of discrimination with police/law enforcement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Polymorphous light eruption (PLE) and a new potent antioxidant and UVA-protective formulation as prophylaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadshiew, I M; Treder-Conrad, C; v Bülow, R; Klette, E; Mann, T; Stäb, F; Moll, I; Rippke, F

2004-08-01

Polymorphous light eruption (PLE) is the most common photodermatosis. While its etiology still remains elusive, pathogenesis seems to involve UVA-induced oxidative stress and subsequent deregulation of antioxidative immune responses. Only few and often ineffective prophylactic and therapeutic measures exist to date. In our randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, we compared the efficacy of a new topical formulation, consisting of 0.25%alpha-glucosylrutin (AGR) (a natural, modified flavonoid), 1% tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E) and a broad-spectrum, highly UVA-protective sunscreen (SPF 15) in a hydrodispersion gel vehicle, to a sunscreen-only gel and vehicle. Thirty patients with a history of PLE were pretreated with either the above formulation, a similar preparation (with the same concentration for vitamin E and AGR, but a different UV filter system), placebo or a SPF 15 sunscreen-only gel, 30 min prior to daily photoprovocation with UVA irradiations of 60-100 J/cm(2) to 5 x 5 cm(2) areas on the upper arms. After 4 days, results revealed a statistically highly significant difference (PPLE. While only one patient developed clinical signs of PLE with accompanying itch in the area treated with the new antioxidant UV-protective gel formulation, 62.1% of the placebo-treated areas and 41.3% of the sunscreen-only treated areas showed mild to moderate signs of PLE. Combining a potent antioxidant with a broad-spectrum, highly UVA-protective sunscreen is far more effective in preventing PLE than sunscreen alone or placebo and should thus be employed as the prophylaxis of choice for PLE.

Personal Learning Environments (PLE in the Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education at the University of Granada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Chaves-Barboza

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the devices that university students in teacher education incorporate into their personal learning environments (PLE. It also examines the time that students dedicate to activities related to ICT, the factors that encourage or frustrate the incorporation of tools to students’ PLE, and the characteristics that this population desires for a PLE. For this, a questionnaire has been applied using Likert scales in a sample of 668 students divided into 15 groups, enrolled in the Elementary Education Bachelor’s degree program, at the University of Granada, Spain. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (with 95% confidence interval. Also, correlation tests (Kendall coefficient τ and analysis of variance (test of Kruskal-Wallis H were employed. The results showed that laptops and smartphones are the most accessible devices for students. The findings also showed that students spend little time to visiting university platforms, they prefer PLE tools to be productive and to allow them to connect with others, and they want PLE to be interactive, customizable and useful.

Pig Liver Esterase (PLE) as Biocatalyst in Organic Synthesis: From Nature to Cloning and to Practical Applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dominguez de Maria, Pablo; Garcia-Burgos, Carlos A.; Bargeman, Gerrald; van Gemert, Robert W.

2007-01-01

Pig liver esterase (PLE, EC 3.1.1.1) has been employed extensively for research purposes during the last three decades, especially in kinetic resolutions, in desymmetrizations of prochiral substrates, and in the synthesis of nucleosides. Its practical use, however, has been traditionally hampered

Reprints of Jože Plečnik’s Fairytales Makalonca

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klementina Možina

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on a small fairytale book entitled Makalonca, completely designed by Jože Plečnik, and its two reprints, which were unfortunately found inferior to the original design.The Slovenian architecture by Jože Plečnik (1872–1957 is well known in Europe, while his work in the area of graphic design and typography is less known. During the Second World War he made all the decorations, vignettes and initial letters for fairytales and elaborated graphic design for the book. Two paperback reprints were subsequently published as well; one a year after the architect’s death in 1958 and another in 1988, commemorating the centenary of the fairytales.In both reprints it was stressed that the graphic design remained the same as done by Plečnik. However, both reprints are deformations of the original. Not only are they different in book and layout size, typefaces, one even in the type style and type size of the body text, but there are also many other differences to be found within the rest of the text. In consequence, the Slovenian cultural heritage has lost a great deal.

PLE-wu, a new member of piggyBac transposon family from insect, is active in mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chunxiao; Wang, Shu

2014-10-01

piggyBac, a highly active transposon in insect and mammalian cells, is a very useful tool in genome manipulation. A new piggyBac-like element (PLE), named PLE-wu, was identified from a mutant baculovirus cultured in sf9 insect cells. This new transposon is 2931 bp in length and encodes two active forms of transposase, a 708-amino acid-long transposase and a short 576-residue-long transposase translated from a downstream in-frame initiation codon. PLE-wu has asymmetric terminal structures, containing 6-bp inverted terminal repeats, 32-bp imperfect inverted and direct sub-terminal repeats. Similar to piggyBac, PLE-wu exhibits traceless excision activity in both insect and mammalian cells, restoring the original TTAA target sequence upon excision. It also retains the insertion activity in mammalian cells with a plasmid to chromosome transposition rate about 10-fold higher than random integration. Plasmid rescue assays revealed that the TTAA target sequence was duplicated at the junctions of the insertion site. Deletion of the terminal sequences including the sub-terminal repeats decreased the transposition activity of the 708-residue-long transposase, while the transposition activity of the short form of transposase was not affected. With its low sequence similarity to piggyBac, PLE-wu will contribute to the understanding the mechanism of PLE transposition, as well as design of new transposon systems with higher activity. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth of TiC films by Pulsed Laser Evaporation (PLE) and characterization by XPS and AES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rist, O.; Murray, P.T.

1991-01-01

Thin films of TiC with a thickness of some 100 nm have been grown on Si(100) substrates by Pulsed Laser Evaporation (PLE). Advantages of PLE in comparison with more conventional growth methods e.g. PVD or CVD are reported. The feasibility of growing stoichiometric thin films of TiC by PLE was investigated. These films produced have been analysed in situ by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). XPS results and Auger sputter depht profiles indicate that the films grown between RT and 500degC are stoichiometric TiC. Film/substrate interdiffusion is observed at 600degC substrate temperature and higher. (orig.)

Plečnik’s concept of planning the rehabilitation of Ljubljana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreja Jan

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Most of Plečnik’s work was achieved in the strict urban core, mainly on the edge joining the historical medieval core with the new city. Plečnik gradually created a composition of places surrounding the old city that became important connecting elements between the medieval and modern city, at that time in its first development surge. From his work it is clear that he achieved his imaginary city gradually and methodically, with architectural emphasis and based on ties between particular key places in the city. He recognised these key spaces in the city, tied them together with axes and merged them into the present urban tissue.

The plant microtubule-associated protein AtMAP65-3/PLE is essential for cytokinetic phragmoplast function.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Sabine; Smertenko, Andrei; Wagner, Vera; Heinrich, Maria; Hussey, Patrick J; Hauser, Marie-Theres

2004-03-09

Directional cell expansion in interphase and nuclear and cell division in M-phase are mediated by four microtubule arrays, three of which are unique to plants: the interphase array, the preprophase band, and the phragmoplast. The plant microtubule-associated protein MAP65 has been identified as a key structural component in these arrays. The Arabidopsis genome has nine MAP65 genes, and here we show that one, AtMAP65-3/PLE, locates only to the mitotic arrays and is essential for cytokinesis. The Arabidopsis pleiade (ple) alleles are single recessive mutations, and we show that these mutations are in the AtMAP65-3 gene. Moreover, these mutations cause C-terminal truncations that abolish microtubule binding. In the ple mutants the anaphase spindle is normal, and the cytokinetic phragmoplast can form but is distorted; not only is it wider, but the midline, the region where oppositely oriented microtubules overlap, is unusually expanded. Here we present data that demonstrate an essential role for AtMAP65-3/PLE in cytokinesis in plant cells.

Technology transfer within the KFA/NUCLEBRAS Cooperative Program 'Thorium utilization in PWRs'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maly, V.; Pinheiro, R.B.

1986-03-01

The results of the cooperative R and D program 'Th-Utilization in PWRs' performed by KFA and NUCLEBRAS under participation of KWU and NUKEM are presented. The results show that (Th,U)O 2 and (Th,Pu)O 2 fuel can be inserted in unchanged fuel assemblies in a standard PWR in both 3 and 4 years cycle. The advanced fuel fabrication process based on pellets pressing provides (Th,U)O 2 fuel satisfying PWR specifications. This fuel, under irradiation testing since 1983, shows good irradiation performance in a good agreement with the model predictions. In the field of reprocessing the results on laboratory scale show that PWR thorium fuel can be reprocessed using the known flow sheets. (Author) [pt

FIV diversity: FIV Ple subtype composition may influence disease outcome in African lions.

Science.gov (United States)

Troyer, Jennifer L; Roelke, Melody E; Jespersen, Jillian M; Baggett, Natalie; Buckley-Beason, Valerie; MacNulty, Dan; Craft, Meggan; Packer, Craig; Pecon-Slattery, Jill; O'Brien, Stephen J

2011-10-15

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infects domestic cats and at least 20 additional species of non-domestic felids throughout the world. Strains specific to domestic cat (FIV(Fca)) produce AIDS-like disease progression, sequelae and pathology providing an informative model for HIV infection in humans. Less is known about the immunological and pathological influence of FIV in other felid species although multiple distinct strains of FIV circulate in natural populations. As in HIV-1 and HIV-2, multiple diverse cross-species infections may have occurred. In the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, three divergent subtypes of lion FIV (FIV(Ple)) are endemic, whereby 100% of adult lions are infected with one or more of these strains. Herein, the relative distribution of these subtypes in the population are surveyed and, combined with observed differences in lion mortality due to secondary infections based on FIV(Ple) subtypes, the data suggest that FIV(Ple) subtypes may have different patterns of pathogenicity and transmissibility among wild lion populations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New beam-based and direct magnetic waveform measurements of the BTx.KFA10(20) vertical recombination kickers and induced emittance blow-up simulations at 1.4 and 2 GeV

CERN Document Server

Forte, Vincenzo; Borburgh, Jan; Sermeus, Luc; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2018-01-01

In the framework of the LHC Injectors Upgrade (LIU) project [1], this document summarises a new reconstruction methodology for the measurement of the magnetic waveforms of the vertical re-combination kickers BT1.KFA10, BT4.KFA10 and BT2.KFA20, from data collected during several Machine Development (MD) sessions. The reconstruction has been performed in order to verify the LIU specification of the recombination kickers, which is required for a clean transfer of the longer bunches coming from the PSB after the upgrade. A beam-based methodology was developed to measure the transient magnetics dynamics of the kicker where the bunch length is comparable to the rise and/or fall times. These measurements represent a valuable way to reconstruct the mag-netic waveform of the kickers where removing them to make direct probe measurements is time consuming. A benchmarking of the beam-based measurements with field probe measurements is presented, together with realistic simulations of the vertical emittance blow-up at 1...

Analysis of HITREX 1 using the reactor physics methods of the DRAGON project/KFA and the CEGB (BNL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, U.; Neef, H.J.; Waterson, R.H.

1976-09-01

An analysis of the HIRTEX 1 reactor experiment at Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories has been jointly performed by the DRAGON project/KFA and the CEGB, Berkeley, using the methods and codes currently in use within these organisations. This report describes the different methods and compares the results of the analyses with each other and with experiment. An investigation into the various observed discrepancies has been made in order to identify the reasons for them. (orig.) [de

User services in the central library of Juelich Research Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapp, E.

1993-01-01

The central library is a sci/tech special library providing information for the KFA researchers and staff. The library has a large collection of sci/tech materials to meet the information demands of the KFA employees and over 3.000 external users. Among the outside users are students fromthe universities and polytechnics of the region Aachen, Cologne, Duesseldorf, and industry. The library acquires about 8.000 volumes per year and subscribes to 2000 journals. (orig.)

Conceptual design of a rapid-cycling synchrotron for the KFA-Juelich spallation neutron source: working papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

An accelerator group was established at ANL by the request of KFA-Juelich to carry out a conceptual design study and cost estimate for a rapid-cycling synchrotron as a possible first stage program on spallation neutron sources at KFA-Juelich. This set of notes is the individual notes which form the basis of the final report under this proposal prepared in January 1983. The topics covered include: SNQ Synchrotron Lattice-I; injection and extraction orbit; extraction from SNQ-SRA; SRA injection; capture and acceleration considerations in the SNQ-SRA; longitudinal coupling impedance; power supplies for SNQ synchrotron proposals; space charge limits in the SNQ-SRA; error analysis; SNQ-SRA ring magnets preliminary designs and cost; summary of CERN booster 4-ring arrangement; V-lattices for SNQ-SRA and extraction from the V-lattices; rf parameters for capture, acceleration and extraction; some parameters of the SNQ-SRA injector system; Keil-Schnell criterion; risetime of longitudinal resistive wall instability; beam scrapers; a design of the vacuum system; some aspects of vacuum consideration for SNQ-SRA; choice working points; ring magnet power supplies for shaped extaction of 1.1 GeV SNQ; ring magnet design and costs; tune shift due to the fringing field of the quadrupoles; coherent instability due to ions in the residual gas; transverse stabilization of bunched beams; rf acceleration system; injection into the SRA; Landau damping to get transverse stability; chromaticity and amplitude dependent tune controls in the SNQ-SRA; conversion of the SNQ-SRA to a compressor ring; comments on beam loss; summary of longitudinal stability study and transverse stability study for the SNQ-SRA; and the beam stay clear regions of the SNQ-SRA

Gastric pull-up reconstruction combined with free jejunal transfer (FJT) following total pharyngolaryngo-oesophagectomy (PLE).

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Song; Zhu, Yiming; Li, Dezhi; Li, Zhengjiang; Wu, Yuehuang; Xu, Zhengang; Liu, Shaoyan

2015-06-01

Reconstruction following total pharyngolaryngo-oesophagectomy (PLE) still challenges surgeons because of the extreme length of removed tissue. Gastric pull-up reconstruction, one of the most common reconstructive methods after PLE, has many complications such as anastomotic fistula and gastric necrosis caused by the high anastomotic tension. However, modifications of gastric pull-up reconstruction aiming to reducing the high anastomotic tension have been less reported compared with other aspects with this technique. Here we report a modified gastric pull-up reconstruction combined with free jejunal transfer (FTJ) to reduce the anastomosis tension, and thus to reduce the risk of complications after PLE. Patients underwent a standard surgical procedure including total pharyngolaryngo-oesophagectomy and bilateral internal jugular lymph nodal clearance. A free jejunal graft about 10 cm was harvested and placed in the appropriate position between mobilized stomach and oropharynx. The anastomosis between the free jejunal graft and the gastric tube was created through a stapler. Vascular anastomosis was made between the jejunal artery and the transverse cervical artery, and between the jejunal vein and the internal jugular vein. Hand suturing technique was used in the anastomosis between jejunum and pharynx. None of the patients suffered from any complications such as anastomotic fistula. Both patients resumed early postoperative oral intake. So far, they remain free of tumor recurrence and are in good health for 46 and 18 months, respectively. Considering the tumor status and the patient condition, the gastric pull-up reconstruction combined with FJT after PLE could be a reliable choice. Copyright © 2015 IJS Publishing Group Limited. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Roadmap to PLE - A Research Route to Empower the Use of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Chiara Pettenati

2010-10-01

Full Text Available In this position paper we argue that in order to design, deploy and evaluate institutional Personal Learning Environments, a system-level Roadmap should be developed accounting for the progressive expansion towards the following evolutions directions: from closed (VLE to Open Learning Environments (OLE; from the individual-group, to individual-network and individual-collective relations; from using structured learning resources to using any type of content; from being instructor/institution-led by being self-regulated and self-managed; from being aimed at learning in the university system to supporting work-based learning; from being centered around web 2.0 to being empowered by web 3.0 tools and technologies. In order to accompany the development of such a Roadmap, an operational definition and hexagonal model of the PLE is presented in this paper together with its three-steps evolutionary process.

Analysis of HITREX-1 using the reactor physics methods of the Dragon Project/KFA and the CEGB(BNL) - a joint evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, U.; Neef, H. J.; Waterson, R. H.

1976-06-15

An analysis of the HITREX 1 reactor experiment has been jointly performed by the DRAGON project/KFA and the CEGB, Berkeley, applying methods and codes currently in use within these organisations. The different methods are described and the results of the analyses are compared with each other and with experiment. Although in general the various methods give comparable results, there are two areas of significant discrepancy. First, the thermalisation data in the DRAGON codes is shown to be inadequate, so that the Pu/U fission ratio is over-estimated by some 3%, and secondly, there are differences of about 2 or 3% in the /sup 238/U absorption rates. From existing analyses, it is not possible to conclude which method gives the best overall representation of the resonance events. Concerning thermal reaction rate distribution, it is concluded that for an accuracy of about +- 1% it is necessary to perform a reactor spectrum calculation in many groups before condensation. The 32-group WIMS model achieves this, but the XSDRN/CITATION 10-group model does not. The DRAGON/KFA power reactor method predicts reaction rates in the core to within a few per cent. All methods grossly under-estimate the gradient of fast neutron flux at the core/reflector interface.

Analysis of HITREX-1 using the reactor physics methods of the Dragon Project/KFA and the CEGB(BNL) - a joint evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, U.; Neef, H.J.; Waterson, R.H.

1976-06-01

An analysis of the HITREX 1 reactor experiment has been jointly performed by the DRAGON project/KFA and the CEGB, Berkeley, applying methods and codes currently in use within these organisations. The different methods are described and the results of the analyses are compared with each other and with experiment. Although in general the various methods give comparable results, there are two areas of significant discrepancy. First, the thermalisation data in the DRAGON codes is shown to be inadequate, so that the Pu/U fission ratio is over-estimated by some 3%, and secondly, there are differences of about 2 or 3% in the 238 U absorption rates. From existing analyses, it is not possible to conclude which method gives the best overall representation of the resonance events. Concerning thermal reaction rate distribution, it is concluded that for an accuracy of about +- 1% it is necessary to perform a reactor spectrum calculation in many groups before condensation. The 32-group WIMS model achieves this, but the XSDRN/CITATION 10-group model does not. The DRAGON/KFA power reactor method predicts reaction rates in the core to within a few per cent. All methods grossly under-estimate the gradient of fast neutron flux at the core/reflector interface. (author)

El PLE de investigación-docencia: el aprendizaje como enseñanza.

OpenAIRE

Peña, Ismael

2013-01-01

Para citar: Peña, I. (2013). El PLE de investigación-docencia: el aprendizaje como enseñanza. En L. Castañeda y J. Adell (Eds.), Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje: Claves para el ecosistema educativo en red (pp. 93-110). Alcoy: Marfil.

On the problems of Ba, Pb, Zn Ple{e ore deposit (Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Mlakar

2003-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present the years ago collected unpublished data on the Ple{e ore deposit which we completed also with some recent ones. They all speak against the offered interpretation of the geologic structure (Dozet, 1999, and especially against the Skythianage of this Ba, Pb and Zn deposit.We showed that the two large concordant barite bodies of syngenegtic origin are associated with an exactly determined horizon within the Carboniferous beds, that they were formed almost certainly in relation with the Asturian orogenic phase, and that theyoccur by chance in the hanging wall contact with the Skythian dolomite along a thrust plane. During Tertiary the epigenetic remobilization brought the ore substance from Paleozoic rocks into the mentioned dolomite. In one of the carefully investigated geochemictraverses the remobilization distance for Pb and Hg is 70 meters, and for Ba greater than 100 meters.For the existence of the PleŠe barite-bearing formation as conceived by Dozet (1999 there are no infallible proofs.

Can the integration of a PLE in an e-portfolio platform improve generic competences?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Galván-Fernández

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The study analyzes the improvement in generic competences through e-portfolio/PLE platform and didactic planning. The new version of the platform, Digital Folder, contains utilities for students and teachers and some PLE components that help the learning process through e-portfolios. Didactic planning is compared for students from the University of Vic and the University of Barcelona, with a total of 61 participants. A questionnaire has been applied for measuring the use of functions and how much these functions aid in the improvement of the generic competences (reflection, planning and selection of information. The results confirm that the most helpful functions for students are: the Schedule, the Academic tasks, the Teacher’s portfolio and Dialogue with the teacher. However, the implication of these functions in the improvement of the competences depends on didactic planning overall for reflection on learning.

A safeguards concept for the AVR fuel element storage areas at the KFA-Juelich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canty, M.J.; Buttler, R.

1980-11-01

The storage of spent AVR fuel in the KFA-Juelich has been discussed in relation to the obligations of the FRG under NPT. The present system of material accountancy and the associated procedures for physical inventory taking, while adequate from the operational standpoint, fall short of providing sufficient safequards for the fissile material involved. It is essential to complement existing controls by providing the safeguards authorities with the means of verifying the nuclear materials accountancy data of the storage facility operators. Due to the difficulties associated with the assay of irradiated fuel, the verification measurements must be carried out with the close cooperation of the operators. It was demonstrated that, given appropriate measuring devices, a high assurance for the non-diversion of a significant quantity can be obtained with an acceptable manpower effort. In this regard, the highly diluted form of the fissile material plays a favourable role. (orig.) [de

99TCM-dextran scintigraphy in protein losing enteropathy (PLE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibson, M.; Larden, D.W.; Angelides, S.; Roman, M.R.

2003-01-01

Full text: Protein losing enteropathy (PLE) is an uncommon complication following right heart bypass operations (Fontan procedure-FP) caused by chronically raised systemic venous pressure with perhaps concomitant immunological or inflammatory factors. Medical, transcatheter, and surgical therapies aimed at reducing systemic venous pressure are often unsuccessful. Conversely, where intestinal protein loss is circumscribed to a relatively small region, surgical resection has been reported as beneficial. However, confirmation of localised disease is difficult. Nuclear scintigraphy can potentially determine extent of disease. A 14-year-old girl with a background history of tricuspid atresia, right ventricular hypoplasia and ventricular- and atrial-septal defects developed PLE post-FP, resulting in cardiac failure, chronic pleural effusions and worsening ascites. Her condition gradually deteriorated and became refractory to therapy. A 99Tcm-Dextran study was performed for further evaluation. 99Tcm-Dextran 77 000 (260 MBq) was produced aseptically from a previously prepared sterile 'cold kit'. Radiochemical purity was found to be > 95%. Anterior and posterior planar scans of the lower chest, abdomen and pelvis were acquired continuously over the initial 2 h post-intravenous injection of radiotracer using a dual-head gamma-camera. There was focal abnormal accumulation of tracer in the left flank demonstrated, consistent with localised disease, which was confirmed on subsequent small bowel biopsies. The patient is awaiting a limited small bowel resection. Thus, 99Tcm-Dextran scintigraphy was useful in determining extent of disease and further management. Copyright (2003) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

1989 annual work report of the KFA Department for Safety and Radiation Protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hille, R.; Frenkler, K.L.

1990-03-01

The Department for Safety and Radiation Protection continues to be responsible for coordinating radiation protection, safety and protection at the KFA. It supports the other institutes and departments in performing the safety tasks allotted to them. The principal tasks of the Department are in administrative and technical assistance to these organization units and in safeguards. Administrative assistance involves, for example, regulation of the radiation protection organization in the institutes, including the appointment of radiation protection officers (Strahlenschutzbeauftrage). Furthermore, this includes the central handling of the registration system with the authorities and dealing with outside firms thus considerably relieving the institutes of their administrative tasks. Handling licensing procedures and the central accountancy of radioactive materials is also to be mentioned in this context. Technical assistance largely consists of developing, maintaining and repairing radiation measuring instruments and in the monitoring of personnel by evaluating personnel dosimeters and incorporation controls for radioactive sources. The safeguards tasks of the Department concern the very staff-intensive physical protection, as well as environmental protection and industrial safety. (orig.) [de

Magnetic Waveform Measurements of the PS Injection Kicker KFA45 and Future Emittance Growth Estimates

CERN Document Server

Forte, Vincenzo; Ferrero Colomo, Alvaro; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2018-01-01

In the framework of the LHC Injectors Upgrade (LIU) project [1], this document summarises the beam-based measurement of the magnetic waveform of the PS injection kicker KFA45 [2], from data collected during several Machine Development (MD) sessions in 2016 and 2017. In the first part of the document, the measurement methodology is introduced and the results presented and compared with the specification required for a clean transfer of the bunches coming from the PSB after the upgrade. These measurements represent, to date, the only way to reconstruct the magnetic waveform. In the second part, kicker magnetic waveform PSpice®[3] simulations are compared and tuned to the measurements. Finally the simulated (validated through measurements) waveforms are used to estimate the future expected emittance growth for the different PS injection schemes, both for (LIU target) LHC and fixed target beams.

Interoperability Issues for Formal Authoring Processes, Community Efforts, and the Creation of Mashup PLE

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klemke, Roland; Schmitz, Birgit

2009-01-01

Klemke, R., & Schmitz, B. (2009). Interoperability Issues for Formal Authoring Processes, Community Efforts, and the Creation of Mashup PLE. In F. Wild, M. Kalz, M. Palmér & D. Müller (Eds.), Proceedings of 2nd Workshop Mash-Up Personal Learning Environments (MUPPLE'09). Workshop in conjunction with

Aprendizaje autorregulado y PLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María del Carmen Llorente Cejudo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Mediante los medios sociales de comunicación los estudiantes amplían su horizonte informativo y formativo. Los esfuerzos de los profesores y estudiantes universitarios que incorporan conceptos y metodologías bajo denominaciones como e-learning 2.0, pedagogía 2.0, estudiante 2.0, profesor 2.0 o clase 2.0, bajo el sufijo “2.0”, se caracteriza por ser una Web social que engloba, entre otras, algunos de los siguientes términos: apertura, personalización, colaboración, redes sociales, presencial social, contenido generado por el usuario, etc. Las situaciones cambiantes de la sociedad en la que el alumnado se encuentra deben ayudar a los estudiantes a desarrollar la capacidad para una toma de decisiones inteligente y la habilidad de tomar el control y la responsabilidad de sus estudios. Como docentes, debe perseguirse que los estudiantes adquieran los conocimientos y habilidades precisas para hacer frente a sus proyectos de aprendizaje de manera intencional, de ahí el concepto de autorregulación del aprendizaje. En el presente artículo establecemos el marco pedagógico desde el cual estructurar la relación entre el aprendizaje autorregulado de los estudiantes a través de Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (PLE, ofreciendo una experiencia propia basada en el Proyecto de Investigación bajo la denominación “Dipro 2.0”.

T his article is m ainly about using sim ple trigonom etric identities ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

T his article is m ainly about using sim ple trigonom etric identities and basic calculus to deduce som e new and interesting series. In particular, I use basic aspects of. G am m a and B eta integrations to deduce these series. T hese lead to interesting series for ¼ or functions of ¼ . O ne form ofbeta integration w hich is often ...

The loss of essential oil components induced by the Purge Time in the Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) procedure of Cupressus sempervirens.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawidowicz, Andrzej L; Czapczyńska, Natalia B; Wianowska, Dorota

2012-05-30

The influence of different Purge Times on the effectiveness of Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) of volatile oil components from cypress plant matrix (Cupressus sempervirens) was investigated, applying solvents of diverse extraction efficiencies. The obtained results show the decrease of the mass yields of essential oil components as a result of increased Purge Time. The loss of extracted components depends on the extrahent type - the greatest mass yield loss occurred in the case of non-polar solvents, whereas the smallest was found in polar extracts. Comparisons of the PLE method with Sea Sand Disruption Method (SSDM), Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion Method (MSPD) and Steam Distillation (SD) were performed to assess the method's accuracy. Independent of the solvent and Purge Time applied in the PLE process, the total mass yield was lower than the one obtained for simple, short and relatively cheap low-temperature matrix disruption procedures - MSPD and SSDM. Thus, in the case of volatile oils analysis, the application of these methods is advisable. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aprendizaje en comunidades virtuales que emergen de los entornos personales de aprendizaje (ple)

OpenAIRE

Jara Roa, Dunia Inés

2015-01-01

El objetivo de la presente investigación es analizar los niveles de aprendizaje de los(as) estudiantes de una institución privada de educación superior, en cinco Comunidades Virtuales de Aprendizaje (CVA) que se integran de las redes sociales utilizadas en los PLE, lo que permitirá identificar qué potencialidades didácticas han sido utilizadas para la construcción del conocimiento.

The DivJ, CbrA and PleC system controls DivK phosphorylation and symbiosis in Sinorhizobium meliloti

Science.gov (United States)

Pini, Francesco; Frage, Benjamin; Ferri, Lorenzo; De Nisco, Nicole J.; Mohapatra, Saswat S.; Taddei, Lucilla; Fioravanti, Antonella; Dewitte, Frederique; Galardini, Marco; Brilli, Matteo; Villeret, Vincent; Bazzicalupo, Marco; Mengoni, Alessio; Walker, Graham C.; Becker, Anke; Biondi, Emanuele G.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Sinorhizobium meliloti is a soil bacterium that invades the root nodules it induces on Medicago sativa, whereupon it undergoes an alteration of its cell cycle and differentiates into nitrogen-fixing, elongated and polyploid bacteroid with higher membrane permeability. In Caulobacter crescentus, a related alphaproteobacterium, the principal cell cycle regulator, CtrA, is inhibited by the phosphorylated response regulator DivK. The phosphorylation of DivK depends on the histidine kinase DivJ, while PleC is the principal phosphatase for DivK. Despite the importance of the DivJ in C. crescentus, the mechanistic role of this kinase has never been elucidated in other Alphaproteobacteria. We show here that the histidine kinases DivJ together with CbrA and PleC participate in a complex phosphorylation system of the essential response regulator DivK in S. meliloti. In particular, DivJ and CbrA are involved in DivK phosphorylation and in turn CtrA inactivation, thereby controlling correct cell cycle progression and the integrity of the cell envelope. In contrast, the essential PleC presumably acts as a phosphatase of DivK. Interestingly, we found that a DivJ mutant is able to elicit nodules and enter plant cells, but fails to establish an effective symbiosis suggesting that proper envelope and/or low CtrA levels are required for symbiosis. PMID:23909720

[Protein losing enteropathy (PLE) detected by Tc99m-labelled human serum albumin abdominal scintigraphy--case report].

Science.gov (United States)

Hubalewska-Hoła, Alicja; Sowa-Staszczak, Anna; Szczerbiński, Tomasz; Lis, Grzegorz; Huszno, Bohdan; Szybiński, Zbigniew

2003-01-01

Protein losing enteropathy (PLE) is a gastrointestinal disorder that is associated with excessive loss of plasma protein into the gut resulting from abnormal mucosal permeability. The disease is usually caused by inflammation. The loss of protein in PLE is a nonselective process affecting albumin, globulin and transferrin. Abdominal scintigraphy with human serum albumin marked by Tc99m seems to be an easy and sensitive method for diagnosing PLE. An 4-year-old girl was presented to an outside Pediatric Department due to hypoproteinemia and recurrent pneumonia which had caused several prior hospitalizations. The laboratory tests revealed hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, low level of IgG, sideropenia, and a decreased level of T lymphocytes. The loss of protein into the gut was confirmed by fecal clearance of alfa-1 antitrypsin. Only nonspecific inflammation was detected by biopsy of the small intestine. These clinical and laboratory findings, quickly decreasing IgG and albumin levels in spite of i.v. supplementation and the lack of proteinuria permitted PLE diagnosis. The abdominal scintigraphy was planned to assess and localise protein losing through GIT and for strategy of possible surgical treatment. Abdominal dynamic scintigraphy was performed immediately after the injection of 300 MBq Tc99m human albumin. 90 images were taken within 180 minutes. Delayed abdominal images were obtained 6 and 24 hours after the tracer injection. Anterior abdominal scintigraphy showed pathological activity of Tc99m-albumin in small bowel in the upper left segment of the abdomen in the 40th minute after injection. Extensive accumulation of albumin was seen in the 160th minute. Delayed images, after 3 and 6 hours, revealed translocation of the tracer into the lower right abdominal segment. The further passage and tracer concentration was detected in ascendant and transverse colon. Based on the laboratory tests and scintigraphic images the girl was suspected to have segmental

Factors Affecting the Design and Development of a Personal Learning Environment: Research on Super-Users

Science.gov (United States)

Fournier, Helene; Kop, Rita

2011-01-01

After speculation in literature about the nature of Personal Learning Environments, research in the design and development of PLEs is now in progress. This paper reports on the first phase of the authors' research on PLE, the identification process of what potential users would consider important components, applications, and tools in a PLE. The…

Drop of egg production in chickens by experimental infection with an avian metapneumovirus strain PLE8T1 derived from swollen head syndrome and the application to evaluate vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiyama, Miki; Koimaru, Hiroyuki; Shiba, Masahiro; Ono, Eriko; Nagata, Tadashi; Ito, Toshihiro

2006-08-01

Decreases in egg production and increased incidence of abnormal eggs due to malformation of egg shells were observed in specific pathogen free (SPF) 173-day-old laying hens inoculated intravenously with an avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) strain PLE8T1. This strain was derived from an isolate from broiler birds exhibiting swollen head syndrome (SHS). Some SPF birds inoculated with the virus showed, slight diarrhea without any respiratory symptoms. Thus, the PLE8T1 strain was used as a challenge virus to evaluate efficacy of aMPV vaccines. SPF chickens which received a live attenuated aMPV vaccine (NEMOVAC; Merial) at 7 or 77 days old and an inactivated aMPV vaccine (OVO-4; Merial) at 105 days old were protected against poor egg production caused by the challenge with the PLE8T1 strain. Thus, aMPV, the PLE8T1 strain passaged 22 times after isolation, from birds exhibiting SHS, could induce a drop in egg production in laying hens accompanied by malformation of egg shells. It was suggested that this challenge system could be applied to evaluate the efficacy of aMPV vaccine.

Application of PLE for the determination of essential oil components from Thymus vulgaris L.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawidowicz, Andrzej L; Rado, Ewelina; Wianowska, Dorota; Mardarowicz, Marek; Gawdzik, Jan

2008-08-15

Essential plants, due to their long presence in human history, their status in culinary arts, their use in medicine and perfume manufacture, belong to frequently examined stock materials in scientific and industrial laboratories. Because of a large number of freshly cut, dried or frozen plant samples requiring the determination of essential oil amount and composition, a fast, safe, simple, efficient and highly automatic sample preparation method is needed. Five sample preparation methods (steam distillation, extraction in the Soxhlet apparatus, supercritical fluid extraction, solid phase microextraction and pressurized liquid extraction) used for the isolation of aroma-active components from Thymus vulgaris L. are compared in the paper. The methods are mainly discussed with regard to the recovery of components which typically exist in essential oil isolated by steam distillation. According to the obtained data, PLE is the most efficient sample preparation method in determining the essential oil from the thyme herb. Although co-extraction of non-volatile ingredients is the main drawback of this method, it is characterized by the highest yield of essential oil components and the shortest extraction time required. Moreover, the relative peak amounts of essential components revealed by PLE are comparable with those obtained by steam distillation, which is recognized as standard sample preparation method for the analysis of essential oils in aromatic plants.

Large-scale research in the Federal Republic of Germany. Pt. 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mock, W.

1986-01-01

The name is misleading: in the biggest of 13 large-scale research institutions, the KFA Nuclear Research Centre Juelich, nuclear research is now only one sphere of activities among many, besides other areas of research such as computer science, materials, and environmental research. This change in the areas of main emphasis constitutes the successful attempt - or so it seems up to now - of a 'research dinosaur' to answer to the necessities of an altered 'research landscape'. (orig.) [de

O processo de transferência linguística no ambiente multilíngue de aprendizagem de PLE: uma abordagem pragmático-cognitiva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana de Fátima do Nascimento

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Este artigo analisa pragmático-cognitivamente, sob a perspectiva da Teoria da Relevância (SPERBER; WILSON, 1986/1995, o papel do esforço de processamento cognitivo nas instâncias de transferência linguística identificadas em um contexto multilíngue de aprendizagem de português como língua estrangeira (PLE. As análises foram realizadas a partir de dados de rastreamento ocular e de registro de teclado e mouse, triangulados (ALVES, 2003 com protocolos retrospectivos e com dados do questionário prospectivo. Foi realizado um experimento com participantes estrangeiros, aprendizes de PLE, para investigar as possíveis relações do esforço cognitivo despendido durante o processo de execução de três tarefas em língua portuguesa com transferências linguísticas ocorridas na produção de PLE. Os resultados mostraram que, durante a execução das três tarefas, o processo de transferências linguísticas ocorridas nesse ambiente de interação multilíngue pode estar relacionado ao esforço cognitivo despendido na produção textual em língua portuguesa.

Self-Reported Learning Effects of a Tagging Activity Carried out in a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) by Secondary-School Pupils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verpoorten, Dominique; Glahn, Christian; Chatti, Amine; Westera, Wim; Specht, Marcus

2011-01-01

Verpoorten, D., Glahn, C., Chatti, A., Westera, W., & Specht, M. (2011). Self-Reported Learning Effects of a Tagging Activity Carried out in a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) by Secondary-School Pupils. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education, 2(1), 276-284.

The PLE(2)NO self-management and exercise program for knee osteoarthritis: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Marconcin, Priscila; Espanha, Margarida; Yázigi, Flávia; Campos, Pedro

2016-06-07

International recommendations suggest exercise and self-management programs, including non-pharmacological treatments, for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) because they can benefit pain relief and improve function and exercise adherence. The implementation of a combined self-management and exercise program termed PLE(2)NO may be a good method for controlling KOA symptoms because it encourages the development of self-efficacy to manage the pathology. This study will assess the effects of a self-management and exercise program in comparison to an educational intervention (control program) on symptoms, physical fitness, health-related quality of life, self-management behaviors, self-efficacy, physical activity level and coping strategies. This PLE(2)NO study is a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial of elderly (aged above 60 yrs old) patients with clinical and radiographic KOA. The patients will be allocated into either an educational group (control) or a self-management and exercise group (experimental). All participants will receive a supplement of chondroitin and glucosamine sulfates. This paper describes the protocol that will be used in the PLE(2)NO program. This program has several strengths. First, it involves a combination of self-management and exercise approaches, is available in close proximity to the patients and occurs over a short period of time. The latter two characteristics are crucial for maintaining participant adherence. Exercise components will be implemented using low-cost resources that permit their widespread application. Moreover, the program will provide guidance regarding the effectiveness of using a self-management and exercise program to control KOA symptoms and improve self-efficacy and health-related quality of life. NCT02562833 (09/23/2015).

Radiological objectives and severe accident mitigation strategy for the generation II PWRs in France in the framework of PLE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cenerino, G.; Dubreuil, M.; Raimond, E.; Pichereau, F.

2012-01-01

In France, EDF is involved in the construction of a first generation III (Gen III) reactor (European Pressurized Reactor - EPR) on Flamanville site next to two PWRs. Plant Life Extension (PLE) of reactors will consequently lead to simultaneous operation of Gen III and Gen II reactors during a long period of time. As a consequence, EDF was requested by the French Nuclear Safety Authority to prepare a PWR life management program including, in addition to an ageing management of Systems, Structures and Components, a consequent reactor safety enhancement program. The objective was stated to EDF by the French Nuclear Safety Authority: 'the safety objectives of the Gen III reactors should be used as a reference for all studies undertaken in the frame of PLE'. One part of the EDF program deals with additional arrangements able to reduce more drastically the consequences of any accident. The relevance, according to IRSN, of the EDF radiological objectives for Design Basis Accidents, of the new EDF objectives for Severe Accidents (SA) and of the EDF potential modifications for SA mitigation are presented. (author)

The development of divertor and first wall armour parts at JAERI, Sandia N.L. and KFA Juelich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiba, M.; Bolt, H.; Watson, R.; Kneringer, G.; Linke, J.

1991-01-01

The development of new armour materials, and fabrication and testings of the divertor and first wall mock-ups have worldwidely been carried out during the Conceptual Design Activites (CDA) of ITER. This paper is a review of the activities on the divertor and first wall armour components which has been performed by JAERI, Sandia National Laboratory, and KFA Juelich. The design requirements have instantly been reflected in material development. For instance, carbon fiber composites (CFCs) have already been developed to have a thermal conductivity as high as copper at room temperature. Further modification of CFC's has been made. Based on the extensive progress in armour materials, the fabrication and testings of mock-ups have been started. Divertor mock-ups which are able to endure a stationary heat flux of 8 to 15 MW/m 2 have already been developed. Some new high heat flux test facilities have been constructed and are able to simulate a heat load of plasma disruption. Extensive understanding on disruption erosion of the armour materials has been obtained by experiments with these facilities. Some mock-up tests and disruption simulating tests have been performed under international collaboration. (orig.)

Procedures for the accounting and control of nuclear materials in large research centres, as related to the needs of international safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotte, U.; Bueker, H.; Stein, G.

1976-07-01

In signatory states of the Non-Proliferation Treaty nuclear material is subject to the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA safeguards concept intended for nuclear material has, so far, been predominantly applied to nuclear facilities of the nuclear fuel cycle. It is the aim of this report to consider the applicability of these control measures to a nuclear research centre. The report refers to the concrete example of the Juelich Nuclear Research Centre (KFA). The particular features of a nuclear research centre and the handling of nuclear material in the KFA are described. A review is given of the various licence areas and permitted handling quantities as well as of the inventories and flow of nuclear material. The concept of a control system for a nuclear research centre satisfying the operator's requirements, national requirement and international obligations at the same time is developed along these lines. The essential characteristic of the concept is a far-reaching clarity of the distribution of nuclear material items within the Nuclear Research Centre. The clarity desired will be achieved by means of an integrated accountancy system processing all necessary data with the aid of a central computer and remote terminals. The availability of information is based on differentiated material acountancy in conjunction with adequate measurement of nuclear material data. In the case of the KFA two groups are formed by research reactors and critical assemblies. Research institutes and central departments the permitted handling quantities of which do not exceed 5 eff.kg constitute a further group. Two further groups are formed for cases where the permitted handling quantities are above or below 1 eff.kg. The report shows the safeguards measures that can be applied in certain circumstances and conditions in a nuclear research centre

Optimisation of pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) for rapid and efficient extraction of superficial and total mineral oil contamination from dry foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Moret, Sabrina; Scolaro, Marianna; Barp, Laura; Purcaro, Giorgia; Sander, Maren; Conte, Lanfranco S

2014-08-15

Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) represents a powerful technique which can be conveniently used for rapid extraction of mineral oil saturated (MOSH) and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) from dry foods with a low fat content, such as semolina pasta, rice, and other cereals. Two different PLE methods, one for rapid determination of superficial contamination mainly from the packaging, the other for efficient extraction of total contamination from different sources, have been developed and optimised. The two methods presented good performance characteristics in terms of repeatability (relative standard deviation lower than 5%) and recoveries (higher than 95%). To show their potentiality, the two methods have been applied in combination on semolina pasta and rice packaged in direct contact with recycled cardboard. In the case of semolina pasta it was possible to discriminate between superficial contamination coming from the packaging, and pre-existing contamination (firmly enclosed into the matrix). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analytical method for the determination of trace levels of steroid hormones and corticosteroids in soil, based on PLE/SPE/LC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Gineys, N; Giroud, B; Vulliet, E

2010-07-01

The aim of this study was to develop an efficient, sensitive and reliable analytical method for the determination of traces of steroid hormones (including oestrogen, androgens and progestagens) and corticosteroids in soil. A method of sample preparation involving pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) was developed for the determination of six steroids and five corticosteroids in soils, followed by analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The conditions employed for PLE involved acetone/methanol (50:50) as the extracting solvent, a temperature of 80 degrees C, two cycles and a static time of 5 min. The extraction was followed by a SPE clean-up based on a polymeric phase. With use of protocol, a residual matrix effect was, however, highlighted. The limit of detection in soil was 0.08-0.89 ng/g for steroids and 0.09-2.84 ng/g for corticosteroids.

Evaluation of the dynamics of change of shore cliff located in the vicinity of Pleśna village in the period 2006-2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Czesław Suchocki

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Climate changes on our planet contribute to the rise in the average level of the seas, oceans, and a greater number of storms. It causes an increasing process of the sea abrasion on the cliffs. The paper presents the research, which determines the rate of retreat of the cliff shore fragment located in the vicinity of Pleśna village. The cliff displacements, which are the effect of erosive factors, were analysed on the basis of observations made in the years 2006-2015. Terrestrial laser scanning technology was applied to periodic measurements of the cliff. In the studies, the methodology of cliff shores monitoring was used, which was the result of five-year research performed by the staff of the Department of Geodesy Technical University of Koszalin. Keywords: abrasion, cliff, terrestrial laser scanner

Investigations to the suitability of a computer-aided design system for mechanical construction in the ZAT of KFA Juelich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoerner, M.; Koch, R.; Cordewiner, H.J.; Bachner, E.

1983-06-01

There is an extensive range of CAD systems in the marketplace which have been developed by various institutions for different types of applications and for different products, in some cases linked to specific hardware. Apart from such obvious features like prices, rates of sale and computer performance, other criteria such as documentation, ease of adaption and expansion, which are, as a rule, difficult to judge and quantify, play a decisive role. As an optimal CAD system does not exist in respect of every type of application the intended usage must be taken seriously into consideration when selecting a CAD system. On the basis of fundamental investigations of the suitability of CAD for the department for mechanical construction of ZAT at the KFA Juelich, the requirements and special needs of the construction process in the ZAT have been examined. In a short survey of the available CAD-systems a pre choice on the basis of some definitive musts has been made. The performance profile of the remaining systems has been thouroughly investigated and compared with the requirements of the ZAT. Thus the necessary decisions can be made on the basis of documented assessments. (orig.) [de

Simultaneous analysis of organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from marine samples using automated pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and Power Prep™ clean-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Helaleh, Murad I H; Al-Rashdan, Amal; Ibtisam, A

2012-05-30

An automated pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method followed by Power Prep™ clean-up was developed for organochlorinated pesticide (OCP) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) analysis in environmental marine samples of fish, squid, bivalves, shells, octopus and shrimp. OCPs and PCBs were simultaneously determined in a single chromatographic run using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-negative chemical ionization (GC-MS-NCI). About 5 g of each biological marine sample was mixed with anhydrous sodium sulphate and placed in the extraction cell of the PLE system. PLE is controlled by means of a PC using DMS 6000 software. Purification of the extract was accomplished using automated Power Prep™ clean-up with a pre-packed disposable silica column (6 g) supplied by Fluid Management Systems (FMS). All OCPs and PCBs were eluted from the silica column using two types of solvent: 80 mL of hexane and a 50 mL mixture of hexane and dichloromethane (1:1). A wide variety of fish and shellfish were collected from the fish market and analyzed using this method. The total PCB concentrations were 2.53, 0.25, 0.24, 0.24, 0.17 and 1.38 ng g(-1) (w/w) for fish, squid, bivalves, shells, octopus and shrimp, respectively, and the corresponding total OCP concentrations were 30.47, 2.86, 0.92, 10.72, 5.13 and 18.39 ng g(-1) (w/w). Lipids were removed using an SX-3 Bio-Beads gel permeation chromatography (GPC) column. Analytical criteria such as recovery, reproducibility and repeatability were evaluated through a range of biological matrices. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Raising the four downcomers in the reactor aluminium tank of the FRJ-2 research reactor as an example of the execution of complicated work in the region of high radiation levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nickel, M.; Schmitz, J.; Wolters, J.

1975-02-01

As a result of the planned power increase from 15 MW to 25 MW, a new emergency cooling system had to be installed in the research reactor FRJ-2 of the KFA Juelich, which called for an extension of the four standpipes in the reactor tank by 57 mm. Due to the high radiation level in the reactor tank, new techniques had to be found allowing aluminium rings of corresponding height to be welded onto the top part of the standpipes by remotecontrolled welding; moreover, the welded parts were then to be protected by a bandage made of high-quality steel. The development work was carried out in the KFA and this report gives an account of the technique applied and the results obtained. (author)

A high-throughput method for the simultaneous determination of multiple mycotoxins in human and laboratory animal biological fluids and tissues by PLE and HPLC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaoqin; Wu, Shuangchan; Yue, Yuan; Wang, Shi; Wang, Yuting; Tao, Li; Tian, Hui; Xie, Jianmei; Ding, Hong

2013-12-30

A high-throughput method for the determination of 28 mycotoxins involving pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has been optimised and validated for determination in various biological fluids and tissues of human and laboratory animals. High-throughput analysis was achieved using PLE pre-treatment and without the need for any cleanup. The extraction solvent was acetonitrile/water/acetic acid (80/19/1, v/v/v). The static extraction time was 5min. The extraction pressure and temperature were 1500psi and 140°C, respectively. The flush volume was 60%. The limits of detection, which were defined as CCα, varied from 0.01μg/kg (μg/L) to 0.69μg/kg (μg/L). The recoveries of spiked samples from 0.20μg/kg (μg/L) to 2μg/kg (μg/L) ranged from 71% to 100.5% with relative standard deviations of less than 17.5%, except FB1 and FB2 recoveries, which were lower than 60%. The method was successfully applied in real samples, and the data indicate that this technique is a useful analytical method for the determination of mycotoxins from humans and animals. To the best of our knowledge, this method is the first for the large-scale testing of multi-class mycotoxins in all types of biological fluids and tissues that uses PLE and HPLC-MS/MS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Essential oils (EOs), pressurized liquid extracts (PLE) and carbon dioxide supercritical fluid extracts (SFE-CO2) from Algerian Thymus munbyanus as valuable sources of antioxidants to be used on an industrial level.

Science.gov (United States)

Bendif, Hamdi; Adouni, Khaoula; Miara, Mohamed Djamel; Baranauskienė, Renata; Kraujalis, Paulius; Venskutonis, Petras Rimantas; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad; Maggi, Filippo

2018-09-15

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential of extracts from Algerian Thymus munbyanus as a valuable source of antioxidants for use on an industrial level. To this end, a study was conducted on the composition and antioxidant activities of essential oils (EOs), pressurized liquid extracts (PLE) and supercritical fluid extracts (SFE-CO 2 ) obtained from Thymus munbyanus subsp. coloratus (TMC) and subsp. munbyanus (TMM). EOs and SFE-CO 2 extracts were analysed by GC-FID and GC×GC-TOFMS revealing significant differences. A successive extraction of the solid SFE-CO 2 residue by PLE extraction with solvents of increasing polarity such as acetone, ethanol and water, was carried out. The extracts were evaluated for total phenolic content by Folin-Ciocalteu assay, while the antioxidant power was assessed by DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC assays. SFE-CO 2 extracts were also analysed for their tocopherol content. The antioxidant activity of PLE extracts was found to be higher than that of SFE-CO 2 extracts, and this increased with solvent polarity (water > ethanol > acetone). Overall, these results support the use of T. munbyanus as a valuable source of substances to be used on an industrial level as preservative agents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AWESOME: A widget-based dashboard for awareness-support in Research Networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinhardt, Wolfgang; Mletzko, Christian; Drachsler, Hendrik; Sloep, Peter

2011-01-01

Reinhardt, W., Mletzko, C., Drachsler, H., & Sloep, P. B. (2011). AWESOME: A widget-based dashboard for awareness-support in Research Networks. In Proceedings of The PLE Conference 2011. July, 11-13, 2011, Southampton, UK.

The photoluminescence/excitation (PL/E) spectroscopy of Eu-implanted GaN

KAUST Repository

O'Donnell, Kevin Peter

2011-05-01

Several distinct luminescent centres form in GaN samples doped with Eu. One centre, Eu2, recently identified as the isolated, substitutional Eu impurity, EuGa, is dominant in ion-implanted samples annealed under very high pressures (1 GPa) of N2. According to structural determinations, such samples exhibit an essentially complete removal of lattice damage caused by the implantation process. A second centre, Eu1, probably comprising EuGa in association with an intrinsic lattice defect, produces a more complex emission spectrum. In addition there are several unidentified features in the 5D0 to 7F2 spectral region near 620 nm. We can readily distinguish Eu1 and Eu2 by their excitation spectra, in particular through their different sensitivities to above-gap and below-gap excitation. The present study extends recent work on photoluminescence/ excitation (PL/E) spectroscopy of Eu1 and Eu2 to arrive at an understanding of these mechanisms in terms of residual optically active defect concentrations. We also report further on the \\'host-independent\\' excitation mechanism that is active in the case of a prominent minority centre. The relevance of this work to the operation of the red GaN:Eu light-emitting diode is discussed. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The photoluminescence/excitation (PL/E) spectroscopy of Eu-implanted GaN

KAUST Repository

O'Donnell, Kevin Peter; Roqan, Iman S.; Wang, Ke; Lorenz, Katharina; Alves, Eduardo Jorge; Boćkowski, Michał X.

2011-01-01

Several distinct luminescent centres form in GaN samples doped with Eu. One centre, Eu2, recently identified as the isolated, substitutional Eu impurity, EuGa, is dominant in ion-implanted samples annealed under very high pressures (1 GPa) of N2. According to structural determinations, such samples exhibit an essentially complete removal of lattice damage caused by the implantation process. A second centre, Eu1, probably comprising EuGa in association with an intrinsic lattice defect, produces a more complex emission spectrum. In addition there are several unidentified features in the 5D0 to 7F2 spectral region near 620 nm. We can readily distinguish Eu1 and Eu2 by their excitation spectra, in particular through their different sensitivities to above-gap and below-gap excitation. The present study extends recent work on photoluminescence/ excitation (PL/E) spectroscopy of Eu1 and Eu2 to arrive at an understanding of these mechanisms in terms of residual optically active defect concentrations. We also report further on the 'host-independent' excitation mechanism that is active in the case of a prominent minority centre. The relevance of this work to the operation of the red GaN:Eu light-emitting diode is discussed. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiation protection monitoring for #betta#-radiation at the Juelich Nuclear Research Centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keller, M.; Heinzelmann, M.

1983-01-01

A complete system for radiation protection monitoring also includes #betta#-radiation monitoring. This requires suitable dose rate meters, personal dosemeters and last but not least detailed information about possible radiation exposure due to #betta#-radiation. Since there are at present no suitable #betta#-dosemeters available on the market yet, a large nuclear research centre such as the KFA Juelich, where radioactive substances are being handled by more than 1600 persons, has the task of developing and deploying suitable dosemeters. The centre's accomplishments in this area are described

A novel method of sensing temperatures of magnet coils of SINP-MaPLE plasma device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pal, A M; Bhattacharya, S; Biswas, S; Basu, S; Pal, R

2014-01-01

A set of 36 magnet coils is used to produce a continuous, uniform magnetic field of about 0.35 Tesla inside the vacuum chamber of the MaPLE Device, a linear laboratory plasma device (3 m long and 0.30 m in diameter) built for studying basic magnetized plasma physics phenomena. To protect the water cooled-coils from serious damage due to overheating temperatures of all the coils are monitored electronically using low cost temperature sensor IC chips, a technique first being used in similar magnet system. Utilizing the Parallel Port of a Personal Computer a novel scheme is used to avoid deploying microprocessor that is associated with involved circuitry and low level programming to address and control the large number of sensors. The simple circuits and a program code to implement the idea are developed, tested and presently in operation. The whole arrangement comes out to be not only attractive, but also simple, economical and easy to install elsewhere

Variations on a theme in fruit development: the PLE lineage of MADS-box genes in tomato (TAGL1) and other species.

Science.gov (United States)

Garceau, Danielle C; Batson, Megan K; Pan, Irvin L

2017-08-01

This article focuses on the role of TOMATO AGAMOUS-LIKE 1 (TAGL1) on a wide range of ripening functions in tomato. We also examine orthologs of this gene in related species that produce different fruit types and discuss some evolutionary implications. TOMATO AGAMOUS-LIKE 1 (TAGL1) is a MADS-box transcription factor gene that belongs to the PLENA (PLE) lineage within the AGAMOUS (AG) clade. The most well-studied genes in this lineage are the SHATTERPROOF (SHP) genes in Arabidopsis, known to be involved in dehiscence zone formation during silique development. In tomato, TAGL1 has been shown to control several aspects of tomato fruit ripening. Most notably, carotenoid synthesis seems to be controlled by TAGL1, likely via the ethylene synthesis and signaling pathway and in combination with RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN). In addition, TAGL1 regulates genes involved in cell cycle regulation, flavonoid and lignin biosynthesis, and cuticle development. We discuss many of the genes in these different pathways that are likely controlled by TAGL1, directly or indirectly. We also examine the relationship of TAGL1 with known and putative interaction partners. PLE lineage genes have also been examined in other species such as Antirrhinum, Petunia, and Nicotiana and provide an interesting example of conservation and diversification of function in species that produce very different types of fleshy and dry fruits. The control of lignification may be a common mechanism for this group of genes. Lastly, we discuss future work needed to elucidate the TAGL1 regulatory pathway in tomato and to help better understand the functional diversification of genes in this lineage in related species.

Los entornos personales de aprendizaje (PLE en la enseñanza basada en la resolución de problemas: El uso del e-portafolio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivanovnna M. Cruz Pichardo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available En el trabajo se busca analizar las posibilidades que nos brindan los Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (Personal Learning Enviroment, como estrategia educativa con un gran auge en los últimos tiempos. Tras analizar su definición, buscamos la forma de relacionar el PLE con la enseñanza de las matemáticas y en especial con la resolución de problemas y el uso del E – portafolio por ser considerada una herramienta ideal para trabajar en estos entornos personales.

Radioactivity monitoring by the official monitoring stations in North-Rhine Westphalia and the Juelich Nuclear Research Centre after the Chernobyl reactor accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

This official report presents a governmental declaration of the prime minister of NRW, Mr. Rau, concerning the reactor accident at Chernobyl, and a joint declaration of ministers of NRW, concerning the impact of the accident on the Land NRW. These statements are completed by six official reports on radioactivity measurements carried out by the official monitoring stations of the Land and by the KFA Juelich. These reports inform about methods, scope, and results of the measuring campaigns accomplished by the Zentralstelle fuer Sicherheitstechnik (ZFS), the public materials testing office (MPA), the Chemisches Untersuchungsamt, the Landesamt fuer Wasser und Abfall, and the KFA Juelich. (DG) [de

La formación desde la perspectiva de los entornos personales de aprendizaje (PLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Barroso Osuna

2012-04-01

Full Text Available En este artículo analizamos las posibilidades educativas de los entornos personales de aprendizaje (personal learning environment como una de las estrategias tecnológicas que más auge está teniendo en los últimos tiempos. Tras una definición de lo que entendemos por dichos entornos, señalamos sus ventajas y limitaciones y, de forma específica, las posibilidades que nos ofrecen para la formación virtual, y las diferencias que establecen con los tradicionales entornos de teleformación. Al mismo tiempo, presentamos el proyecto I+D+i denominado "Diseño, producción y evaluación de un entorno de aprendizaje 2.0 para la capacitación del profesorado universitario en la utilización educativa de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación" (Dipro 2.0-EDU2009-08893, financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación del Gobierno de España. DIPRO 2.0 es un entorno que permite que el alumno pueda configurar su PLE a partir del empleo de diversas herramientas consideradas significativas para la formación personal y social. Este proyecto se encuentra en fase de desarrollo.

Entornos y redes personales de aprendizaje (PLE-PLN para el aprendizaje colaborativo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria Marín Juarros

2014-01-01

Full Text Available El aprendizaje colaborativo se puede afrontar desde diferentes estrategias. En este artículo contemplamos la creación y mantenimiento de entornos y redes personales de aprendizaje (PLEs y PLNs y su integración en entornos virtuales institucionales de aprendizaje (EVEA como estrategias que facilitan y promueven el aprendizaje colaborativo, siempre desde una visión educativa en la que el alumno es autónomo en su propio aprendizaje y trabaja para el logro de metas comunes mediante la realización de actividades de forma conjunta en grupos, existiendo interdependencias positivas. Los objetivos de este trabajo son experimentar con metodologías didácticas de integración del EVEA y los PLEs, y analizar la construcción del PLE por parte de los alumnos universitarios, haciendo especial énfasis en la construcción de la red personal de aprendizaje. Para ello se empleó una metodología de diseño y desarrollo, en una asignatura universitaria de los estudios de maestro de Primaria. Los resultados de la experiencia apuntan a que los alumnos construyen sus PLEs y PLNs en base a sus nuevos conocimientos adquiridos y se produce una adecuada integración metodológica entre esos entornos y el EVEA para el aprendizaje integrado. Como conclusión proponemos un modelo de organización metodológica de integración para el aprendizaje colaborativo a modo de buena práctica.

Investigación educativa sobre autogestión en los Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (PLE: Una revisión de literatura

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Chaves Barboza

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Se estudia la autogestión del aprendizaje desde las investigaciones educativas empíricas sobre entornos personales de aprendizaje (PLE. Las investigaciones analizadas fueron obtenidas de importantes fuentes documentales (artículos en revistas indexadas, actas de congresos, libros e informes. El análisis de contenido de los trabajos permitió la generación de tres categorías: la autogestión del aprendizaje de los docentes y sus competencias en TIC; la relación entre la competencias digitales e informacionales y la autogestión de los aprendizajes; y el papel de la autogestión de los aprendizajes en el “aprender a aprender”. Son interesantes campos de trabajo emergentes en la actualidad e indudablemente tendencias para futuras investigaciones.

Optimization of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) of dioxin-furans and dioxin-like PCBs from environmental samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Antunes, Pedro; Viana, Paula; Vinhas, Tereza; Capelo, J L; Rivera, J; Gaspar, Elvira M S M

2008-05-30

Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) applying three extraction cycles, temperature and pressure, improved the efficiency of solvent extraction when compared with the classical Soxhlet extraction. Polychlorinated-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like PCBs (coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs)) in two Certified Reference Materials [DX-1 (sediment) and BCR 529 (soil)] and in two contaminated environmental samples (sediment and soil) were extracted by ASE and Soxhlet methods. Unlike data previously reported by other authors, results demonstrated that ASE using n-hexane as solvent and three extraction cycles, 12.4 MPa (1800 psi) and 150 degrees C achieves similar recovery results than the classical Soxhlet extraction for PCDFs and Co-PCBs, and better recovery results for PCDDs. ASE extraction, performed in less time and with less solvent proved to be, under optimized conditions, an excellent extraction technique for the simultaneous analysis of PCDD/PCDFs and Co-PCBs from environmental samples. Such fast analytical methodology, having the best cost-efficiency ratio, will improve the control and will provide more information about the occurrence of dioxins and the levels of toxicity and thereby will contribute to increase human health.

Beneficial phosphate recovery from reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate of an integrated membrane system using polymeric ligand exchanger (PLE).

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Manish; Badruzzaman, Mohammad; Adham, Samer; Oppenheimer, Joan

2007-05-01

Phosphorus (P) discharge to surface water is a major environmental problem. Wastewater treatment is targeted towards removal of this nutrient to prevent degradation of surface water. Integrated membrane systems (IMS) are increasingly being considered for wastewater reclamation, and provide excellent removal of P compounds. However, reverse osmosis (RO), which forms an integral part of these IMSs, concentrates most dissolved substances including P-species such as phosphates in the RO waste stream. In this study, removal of phosphate from this stream using polymeric ligand exchange (PLE) resins was investigated. Further, the possibility of phosphate recovery through struvite (MgNH(4)PO(4).6H(2)O) precipitation was tested. Struvite has been promoted as a slow release fertilizer in recent years. This study demonstrates that PLEs can be successfully used to remove phosphate from RO-concentrate, and to recover more than 85% of the adsorbed phosphorus from the exhausted media and precipitated as a beneficial product (struvite). The approach, presented in this study, suggests advantages of providing economic benefit from a waste product (RO) while avoiding phosphorus discharge to the environment.

Attentional control underlies the perceptual load effect: Evidence from voxel-wise degree centrality and resting-state functional connectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Shouhang; Liu, Lu; Tan, Jinfeng; Ding, Cody; Yao, Dezhong; Chen, Antao

2017-10-24

The fact that interference from peripheral distracting information can be reduced in high perceptual load tasks has been widely demonstrated in previous research. The modulation from the perceptual load is known as perceptual load effect (PLE). Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on perceptual load have reported the brain areas implicated in attentional control. To date, the contribution of attentional control to PLE and the relationship between the organization of functional connectivity and PLE are still poorly understood. In the present study, we used resting-state fMRI to explore the association between the voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) and PLE in an individual differences design and further investigated the potential resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) contributing to individual's PLE. DC-PLE correlation analysis revealed that PLE was positively associated with the right middle temporal visual area (MT)-one of dorsal attention network (DAN) nodes. Furthermore, the right MT functionally connected to the conventional DAN and the RSFCs between right MT and DAN nodes were also positively associated with individual difference in PLE. The results suggest an important role of attentional control in perceptual load tasks and provide novel insights into the understanding of the neural correlates underlying PLE. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protein kinase A is involved in the control of morphology and branching during aerobic growth of Mucor circinelloides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lübbehüsen, Tina Louise; Polo, V.G.; Rossi, S.

2004-01-01

and colony morphology suggested a role for PKAR in the control of morphology and branching. Here strain KFA121, which overexpresses the M. circinelloides pkaR gene, was used to quantify growth and branching under different aerobic growth conditions in a flow-through cell by computerized image analysis....... An inverse relationship between the pkaR expression level in KFA121 and the hyphal growth unit length was observed in KFA121, suggesting a central role for PKAR in branching. A biochemical analysis of PKAR using antibodies and enzyme assay demonstrated that the level of PKAR is higher in KFA121 under...... indicate that cAMP-dependent PKA in M. circinelloides might be down-regulated during hyphal-tube emergence and that an increase in PKAR levels results in increased branching....

Implementación de los PLE, ¿necesidad perentoria en la semipresencialidad, para promover la construcción colectiva del conocimiento?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elba Rosa Gómez Barajas

2015-12-01

Full Text Available El presente artículo es una descripción teórica en el contexto del Centro Universitario de los Valles de la Universidad de Guadalajara. En esta investigación que aún no tienen resultados contundentes, se describen algunas de las problemáticas actuales que del uso de la Plataforma Moodle se detectaron en el alumnado en la Modalidad Educativa Semipresencial del CUValles. Se encuentra bastante interesante sumergirse en el mundo de los PLE (Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje, como una manera de promover la heterogeneidad de herramientas disponibles en el Internet, para que el alumno elija entre la gran diversidad de dispositivos, contenidos, almacenajes, modos de interacción y trabajo colectivo, de acuerdo a su manera propia de aprender. Se describen algunas de las competencias que mediante la utilización de los Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (PLE, pueden adquirir los estudiantes, basados en los preceptos de las Tecnologías Emergentes. En un estudio diagnóstico previo, realizado en 2014 por tres investigadores del Laboratorio de Innovación y Calidad Educativa, se encontró que los alumnos no utilizan muchas de las herramientas propias de la Moodle. Ésta es utilizada para el envío de tareas (repositorio, más que para actividades de co-construcción del conocimiento e intercambio de información. No es utilizada para la interacción on-line y off-line entre profesores y alumnos, alumnos-alumnos, etc. Es pues una forma de trabajar de manera más individualizada y poco lúdica, y con una casi nula posibilidad de promover el aprendizaje significativo, la autogestión y los proyectos por medio de la Inteligencia Colectiva. En el Centro Universitario de los Valles se utiliza la plataforma Moodle de manera institucionalizada, es decir que es la oficialmente reconocida para que alumnos y profesores interaccionen y complementen las actividades que se realizan en el cara a cara, y por tanto el resto de los días convergen en este LMS

Integración de un curso MOOC y de un PLN-PLE en un curso presencial sobre fundamentos de la programación

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joel Ricardo Jiménez Cruz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se describen las experiencias educativas en un curso sobre Fundamentos d e Programación e n computadoras para alumnos de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades que integra clases presenciales con elementos de la educación virtual como la participación en un curso masivo y abierto en línea (MOOC y la elaboración de entornos y redes personales de aprend izaje (PLE - PLN. Esta hibridación de componentes presenciales y virtuales requiere de una integración y sincronización adecuada. En este sentido se ha tomado al curso MOOC como un “a yudante” en la impartición de l a parte práctica del curso presencial y en el salón de clases se revisa la parte teórica y se llevan a cabo ejercicios y comentarios que tratan de integrar a las dos modalidades educativas. Esta integración se ve reforzada por el PLN - PLE que cada uno de los estudiantes va desarrollando conforme al avance en clase y en el curso masivo. Los PLNs - PLEs en su conjunto se pueden considerar como ciber - espacios de intercambio de información y construcción del conocimiento. La coordinación central de las actividades de ambas modalidades educativas se realiza por medio de un entorno virtual de enseñanza aprendizaje (EVEA implementado en Moodle. El diseño instruccional que se ha seguido en clases está sustentado por la metodología del aprendizaje basado en proyectos que le permite al profesor y a los alumnos t ener una visión y un objetivo bien planteados desde el principio del ciclo escolar. El marco pedagógico que soporta a los elementos presenciales y virtuales se da dentro de un contexto de aprendizaje conectivista que pretende alcanzar diferentes niveles de interacción e involucramiento cognitivo entre los participantes.

Autogestión del aprendizaje en la investigación educativa sobre Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (PLE: Una revisión de literatura

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Chaves Barboza

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Se estudia la autogestión del aprendizaje desde las investigaciones educativas empíricas sobre entornos personales de aprendizaje (PLE. Las investigaciones analizadas fueron obtenidas de importantes fuentes documentales (artículos en revistas indexadas, actas de congresos, libros e informes. El análisis de contenido de los trabajos permitió la generación de tres categorías: la autogestión del aprendizaje de los docentes y sus competencias en TIC; la relación entre la competencias digitales e informacionales y la autogestión de los aprendizajes; y el papel de la autogestión de los aprendizajes en el “aprender a aprender”. Son interesantes campos de trabajo emergentes en la actualidad e indudablemente tendencias para futuras investigaciones.

Research on thermal insulation for hot gas ducts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broeckerhoff, P.

1984-01-01

The inner surfaces of prestressed reactor vessels and hot gas ducts of Gas Cooled High Temperature Reactors need internal thermal insulation to protect the pressure bearing walls from high temperatures. The design parameters of the insulation depend on the reactor type. In a PNP-plant temperature and pressure of the cooling medium helium are proposed to be 950 deg. C and 40 bars, respectively. The experimental work was started at KFA in 1971 for the HHT-project using three test facilities. At first metallic foil insulation and stuffed fibre insulating systems, the hot gas ducting shrouds of which were made of metal, have been tested. Because of the elevated helium temperature in case of PNP and the resulting lower strength of the metallic parts the interest was directed to rigid ceramic materials for the spacers and the inner shrouds. This led to modified structures designed by the INTERATOM company. Tests were performed at KFA. The main object of the investigations was to study the influence of temperature, pressure and axial pressure gradients on the thermal efficiency of the structures. Moreover, the temperatures within the insulation, at the pressure tube, and at the elements which bear the inner shrouds were measured. Thermal fluxes and effective thermal conductivities in axial and circumferential direction of the pressure tube are given, mainly for the INTERATOM-design with spherical spacers. (author)

Determination of tributyltin (TBT) in marine sediment using pressurised liquid extraction-gas chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (PLE-GC-IDMS) with a hexane-tropolone mixture.

Science.gov (United States)

Konieczka, Piotr; Sejerøe-Olsen, Berit; Linsinger, Thomas P J; Schimmel, Heinz

2007-06-01

Extraction conditions for the determination of tributyltin (TBT) in sediment samples have been developed further. The analytical procedure is based on spiking with isotopically labelled analyte, pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) with a hexane/tropolone mixture, Grignard derivatization and quantification by GC-MS. It was applied to two unknown sediment samples as part of an intercomparison exercise of the Comité Consultatif pour la Quantité de Matière (CCQM). The detection limit was approximately 1.5 ng/g TBT as Sn, while the repeatability and intermediate precision (as the coefficient of variation) were 1.9% and 3.2%, respectively. The expanded uncertainty was 6.2% (coverage factor k = 2), and the accuracy was confirmed by measurement of a certified reference material.

Polymorphic light eruption and IL-1 family members: any difference with allergic contact dermatitis?

Science.gov (United States)

Lembo, S; Caiazzo, G; Balato, N; Monfrecola, G; Patra, V; Wolf, P; Balato, A

2017-09-13

Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is described as a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DTHR) toward a de novo light-induced antigen, yet to be identified. In effect, the inflammatory pathways of PLE and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) share common patterns in terms of the mediators involved from the innate and adaptive immune system participating in the DTHR. As we have previously highlighted the role of interleukin (IL)-1 family members in ACD, we hypothesised that the same mediators could have similar functions in PLE. Our research aimed to assess the expression of certain IL-1family members in PLE patients vs. controls, and to compare it with ACD. The study population comprised 17 patients with PLE, 5 affected by ACD and 10 healthy controls in the same age range. Lesional and healthy skin samples were collected respectively from patients and donors. IL-36α, IL-36β, IL-36γ, IL-36 receptor antagonist (Ra), IL-1β, IL-33 gene and protein expressions were evaluated through RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Circulating proteins in the PLE patients were analysed by using western blot. The IL-36γ gene expression was significantly increased in PLE lesions compared to that in healthy controls and ACD lesions (***p PLE lesions compared to those of the healthy samples (***p PLE patients vs. controls (*p PLE with distinct differences from those in ACD, in particular with regard to IL-36γ mRNA regulation. Their role as activators of the local, and perhaps systemic, immune response, or as inhibitors of the immune tolerance machinery, needs further investigation.

The metabolic network of Clostridium acetobutylicum: Comparison of the approximate Bayesian computation via sequential Monte Carlo (ABC-SMC) and profile likelihood estimation (PLE) methods for determinability analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorn, Graeme J; King, John R

2016-01-01

The Gram-positive bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum is an anaerobic endospore-forming species which produces acetone, butanol and ethanol via the acetone-butanol (AB) fermentation process, leading to biofuels including butanol. In previous work we looked to estimate the parameters in an ordinary differential equation model of the glucose metabolism network using data from pH-controlled continuous culture experiments. Here we combine two approaches, namely the approximate Bayesian computation via an existing sequential Monte Carlo (ABC-SMC) method (to compute credible intervals for the parameters), and the profile likelihood estimation (PLE) (to improve the calculation of confidence intervals for the same parameters), the parameters in both cases being derived from experimental data from forward shift experiments. We also apply the ABC-SMC method to investigate which of the models introduced previously (one non-sporulation and four sporulation models) have the greatest strength of evidence. We find that the joint approximate posterior distribution of the parameters determines the same parameters as previously, including all of the basal and increased enzyme production rates and enzyme reaction activity parameters, as well as the Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters for glucose ingestion, while other parameters are not as well-determined, particularly those connected with the internal metabolites acetyl-CoA, acetoacetyl-CoA and butyryl-CoA. We also find that the approximate posterior is strongly non-Gaussian, indicating that our previous assumption of elliptical contours of the distribution is not valid, which has the effect of reducing the numbers of pairs of parameters that are (linearly) correlated with each other. Calculations of confidence intervals using the PLE method back this up. Finally, we find that all five of our models are equally likely, given the data available at present. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electronic band structure in porous silicon studied by photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ki-Won; Kim, Young-You

2004-01-01

In this research, we used photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) to visualize the electronic band structure in porous silicon (PS). From the combined results of the PLE measurements at various PL emission energies and the PL measurements under excitation at various PLE absorption energies, we infer that three different electronic band structures, originating from different luminescent origins, give rise to the PL spectrum. Through either thermal activation or diffusive transfer, excited carriers are moved to each of the electronic band structures.

A fluidez do lugar do professor de Português Língua Estrangeira: uma análise discursiva de dizeres de professores brasileiros em sua relação com o ensino de PLE

OpenAIRE

Ingrid Isis Del Grego Herrmann

2012-01-01

O ensino de Português como Língua Estrangeira (PLE), em nosso país, é, atualmente, uma atividade de natureza acidental, com esparsas oportunidades de formação específica e, em geral, realizada por professores de outras línguas estrangeiras, nativos de português. Propomo-nos, neste estudo, observar essa conjuntura, tomando como hipótese o fato de que o professor ensinar outras línguas e ser nativo não se constitui como uma garantia de conforto para o ensino de português para estrangeiros. A pa...

Proceedings of the spring meeting of the Study Group for Electronic Instrumentation on April 3-5, 1995 in Juelich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

The 17 papers presented at the meeting give a survey of recent progress in the field of electronic instrumentation of scientific and technical measuring instruments, achieved at the research centers of KFA Juelich, TU Graz, HMI Berlin, Karlsruhe FZ, and Rossendorf FZ. (DG) [de

The influence of the N-terminal region of antimicrobial peptide pleurocidin on fungal apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyemin; Lee, Dong Gun

2013-10-28

In our previous study, the 25-mer antimicrobial peptide pleurocidin (Ple) had been thought to induce apoptosis in Candida albicans. This study demonstrated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was a major cause of Ple-induced apoptosis. Four truncated analogs were synthesized to understand the functional roles in the N- and C-terminal regions of Ple on the apoptosis. Ple, Ple (4-25), Ple (1-22), and Ple (1-19) produced ROS, including hydroxyl radicals, on the order of [Ple > Ple (1-22) > Ple (4-25) > Ple (1-19)], whereas Ple (7-25) did not induce any ROS production. The results suggested that the N-terminal deletion affected the ROS-inducing activities much more than that of the C-terminal deletion, and net hydrophobicity [Ple > Ple (1-22) > Ple (4-25) > Ple (1-19) > Ple (7-25)] was related to ROS generation rather than other primary factors like net charge. Hence, we focused on the N-terminal-truncated peptides, Ple (4-25) and Ple (7-25), and examined other apoptotic features, including mitochondrial membrane depolarization, caspase activation, phosphatidylserine externalization, and DNA and nuclear fragmentation. The results also confirmed the disappearance of apoptotic activity of Ple (7-25) by the truncation of the N-terminal region (1-6) and the specific activity patterns between Ple and analogs. In conclusion, the N-terminal region of Ple played an important role in apoptosis.

Present status of research and development for HTR in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dazhong, Wang; Daxin, Zhong; Yuanhul, Xu [Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

1990-07-01

The HTR R and D Project is being carried out in the relevant institutions in China. Some topics are covered such as, fuel element technology, graphite development, fuel element handling system, helium technology, fuel reprocessing technology as well as HTR design study. Some results of HTR research work are described. In addition, to provide a test facility for investigation of HTR Module reactor safety and process heat application of HTR, a joint project on building a 10 MW test HTR with Siemens-Interatom, KFA Juelich and INET is going on. The conceptual design of 10 MW test HTR has been completed by the joint group. In parallel the application study of HTR Module is being carried out for the oil industry, petrochemical industry as well as power generation. Some preliminary results of the application study, for example, for heavy oil recovery on Shengli oil field and process heat application in Yan shan petroleum company, are described. (author)

The Intricate Relationship between Psychotic-Like Experiences and Associated Subclinical Symptoms in Healthy Individuals

Science.gov (United States)

Unterrassner, Lui; Wyss, Thomas A.; Wotruba, Diana; Haker, Helene; Rössler, Wulf

2017-01-01

The interplay between subclinical psychotic, negative, and affective symptoms has gained increased attention regarding the etiology of psychosis spectrum and other mental disorders. Importantly, research has tended to not differentiate between different subtypes of psychotic-like experiences (PLE) although they may not have the same significance for mental health. In order to gain information on the subclinical interplay between specific PLE and other symptoms as well as the significance of PLE for mental health, we investigated their specific associations in 206 healthy individuals (20–60 years, 73 females) using correlational and linear regression analyses. PLE were assessed with the Magical Ideation Questionnaire, the revised Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire, and subscales of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). The revised Symptom Checklist 90, the SPQ, and the Physical Anhedonia Scale were used to measure subclinical negative symptoms, affective symptoms, and other symptoms such as, emotional instability. As hypothesized, we found that (1) most affective symptoms and all other subclinical symptoms correlated positively with all PLE, whereas we found only partial associations between negative symptoms and PLE. Notably, (2) magical ideation and paranormal beliefs correlated negatively with physical anhedonia. In the regression analyses we found (3) similar patterns of specific positive associations between PLE and other subclinical symptoms: Suspiciousness was a specific predictor of negative-like symptoms, whereas ideas of reference, unusual perceptual experiences, and dissociative anomalous perceptions specifically predicted anxiety symptoms. Interestingly, (4) ideas of reference negatively predicted physical anhedonia. Similarly, paranormal beliefs were negatively associated with constricted affect. Moreover, odd beliefs were a negative predictor of depression, emotional instability, and unspecific symptoms. Our findings indicated that

The Intricate Relationship between Psychotic-Like Experiences and Associated Subclinical Symptoms in Healthy Individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lui Unterrassner

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The interplay between subclinical psychotic, negative, and affective symptoms has gained increased attention regarding the etiology of psychosis spectrum and other mental disorders. Importantly, research has tended to not differentiate between different subtypes of psychotic-like experiences (PLE although they may not have the same significance for mental health. In order to gain information on the subclinical interplay between specific PLE and other symptoms as well as the significance of PLE for mental health, we investigated their specific associations in 206 healthy individuals (20–60 years, 73 females using correlational and linear regression analyses. PLE were assessed with the Magical Ideation Questionnaire, the revised Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire, and subscales of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ. The revised Symptom Checklist 90, the SPQ, and the Physical Anhedonia Scale were used to measure subclinical negative symptoms, affective symptoms, and other symptoms such as, emotional instability. As hypothesized, we found that (1 most affective symptoms and all other subclinical symptoms correlated positively with all PLE, whereas we found only partial associations between negative symptoms and PLE. Notably, (2 magical ideation and paranormal beliefs correlated negatively with physical anhedonia. In the regression analyses we found (3 similar patterns of specific positive associations between PLE and other subclinical symptoms: Suspiciousness was a specific predictor of negative-like symptoms, whereas ideas of reference, unusual perceptual experiences, and dissociative anomalous perceptions specifically predicted anxiety symptoms. Interestingly, (4 ideas of reference negatively predicted physical anhedonia. Similarly, paranormal beliefs were negatively associated with constricted affect. Moreover, odd beliefs were a negative predictor of depression, emotional instability, and unspecific symptoms. Our findings

The Development of a Personal Learning Environment in Second Life

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Sandra Sutton; Stokrocki, Mary; Jannasch-Pennell, Angel; DiGangi, Samuel A.

2010-01-01

In this qualitative pilot study, the authors report on curriculum field trials within a personal learning environment (PLE) designed by a collaboration of academic researchers and nonprofit volunteers working together in the virtual world of Second Life. The purpose of the PLE is to provide learners less likely to have access to educational…

The effect of ultraviolet irradiation on the photothermal, photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectra of Mn-doped ZnS nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briones Cruz, Almira; Shen Qing; Toyoda, Taro

2006-01-01

Research involving Mn doped nanocrystalline ZnS (ZnS:Mn) has grown in recent years, partly due to the high quantum luminescence efficiencies that have been reported. We measured the photoacoustic (PA), the photoluminescence (PL) and the photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of surface-passivated and unpassivated ZnS:Mn. The effects of UV irradiation on the PL and PLE spectra were also studied. A decrease in the PA intensity after UV exposure was observed for the ZnS:Mn, indicating a decrease in the nonradiative relaxation probability. The observed increase in PL intensity indicates a corresponding increase in the radiative transition probability. For the PLE spectra, possible aggregation of the primary particles could have resulted in the lower measured energy of the PLE peak compared to the value predicted by the effective mass approximation theory

On the operating experience of the Doppler Sodar system at the Forschungszentrum Juelich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adiga, B.B.; Zeuner, G.

1990-04-01

In this report the description and the operating principles of the Doppler Sodar at the KFA are briefly described and outputs from the routine operation of the Sodar are compared with the concurrently measured data on the 120 m high KFA meteorological tower. Three sets of data, varying from periods of ten days to 18 days, are used for the comparison. (orig.)

KFA Institute of Nuclear Physics. Annual report 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-03-01

This annual report contains extended abstracts about the work performed in the named research center together with a list of talks and publications. The work concerns experimental studies on nuclear reactions and scattering processes, nuclear spectroscopy, and intermediate-energy physics, theoretical studies on nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, and intermediate- and high-energy physics, developments of the isochronous cyclotron, the ISIS ion source, the magnetic spectrometer BIG KARL, and the cooler synchrotron COSY, as well as technical developments on spectrometers and detectors, computer systems, and radiation protection. (orig.)

KFA Institute of Nuclear Physics. Annual report 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-04-01

This annual report contains extended abstracts about the work performed in the named research center together with a list of talks and publications. The work concerns experimental studies on nuclear reactions and scattering processes, nuclear spectroscopy, and intermediate-energy physics, theoretical studies on nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, and intermediate- and high-energy physics, developments of the isochronous cyclotron, the ISIS ion source, the magnetic spectrometer BIG KARL, and the cooler synchrotron COSY, as well as technical developments on spectrometers and detectors, computer systems, and radiation protection. (HSI)

Los entornos personales de aprendizaje (PLE. Del cómo enseñar al cómo aprender

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Almudena Martínez Gimeno

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Si algo caracteriza el contexto social actual, es el profundo desarrollo de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. Nunca antes se ha contado con tal variedad de recursos cuyo uso didáctico nos ayuda no sólo a enseñar, sino también y primordialmente, a aprender en cualquier momento de la vida. Frente a la necesidad de atender la demanda de un alumnado que cada vez tiene a su alcance un mayor número de recursos y fuentes de información, hemos encontrado en los PLE (Personal Learning Environment un aporte elemental para la construcción de aprendizajes significativos. Pero tal y como exponemos a lo largo de este artículo, el profesorado tiene la responsabilidad de ajustar, a nuevas formas de aprender, nuevas formas de enseñar. Ya no es suficiente con incorporar elementos al aula, debemos adaptar la metodología a contextos de aprendizaje que no se encuentran bajo la supervisión del docente. Con esta visión se plantea la siguiente reflexión, cuyo objeto es aportar ideas que faciliten la integración de aspectos tecnológicos y pedagógicos en un entorno flexible de colaboración e intercambio, desde una acción regulada ya no por el profesorado, sino por el propio estudiante.

Demolition of the FRJ-1 research reactor (MERLIN)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stahn, B.; Matela, K.; Zehbe, C.; Poeppinghaus, J.; Cremer, J.

2003-01-01

FRJ-2 (MERLIN), the swimming pool reactor cooled and moderated by light water, was built at the then Juelich Nuclear Research Establishment (KFA) between 1958 and 1962. In the period between 1964 and 1985, it was used for. The reactor was decommissioned in 1985. Since 1996, most of the demolition work has been carried out under the leadership of a project team. The complete secondary cooling system was removed by late 1998. After the cooling loops and experimental installations had been taken out, the reactor vessel internals were removed in 2000 after the water had been drained from the reactor vessel. After the competent authority had granted a license, demolition of the reactor block, the central part of the research reactor, was begun in October 2001. In a first step, the reactor operating floor and the reactor attachment structures were removed by the GNS/SNT consortium charged with overall planning and execution of the job. This phase gave rise to approx. The reactor block proper is dismantled in a number of steps. A variety of proven cutting techniques are used for this purpose. Demolition of the reactor block is to be completed in the first half of 2003. (orig.) [de

Third-Generation Sequencing and Analysis of Four Complete Pig Liver Esterase Gene Sequences in Clones Identified by Screening BAC Library.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Qiongqiong; Sun, Wenjuan; Liu, Xiyan; Wang, Xiliang; Xiao, Yuncai; Bi, Dingren; Yin, Jingdong; Shi, Deshi

2016-01-01

Pig liver carboxylesterase (PLE) gene sequences in GenBank are incomplete, which has led to difficulties in studying the genetic structure and regulation mechanisms of gene expression of PLE family genes. The aim of this study was to obtain and analysis of complete gene sequences of PLE family by screening from a Rongchang pig BAC library and third-generation PacBio gene sequencing. After a number of existing incomplete PLE isoform gene sequences were analysed, primers were designed based on conserved regions in PLE exons, and the whole pig genome used as a template for Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Specific primers were then selected based on the PCR amplification results. A three-step PCR screening method was used to identify PLE-positive clones by screening a Rongchang pig BAC library and PacBio third-generation sequencing was performed. BLAST comparisons and other bioinformatics methods were applied for sequence analysis. Five PLE-positive BAC clones, designated BAC-10, BAC-70, BAC-75, BAC-119 and BAC-206, were identified. Sequence analysis yielded the complete sequences of four PLE genes, PLE1, PLE-B9, PLE-C4, and PLE-G2. Complete PLE gene sequences were defined as those containing regulatory sequences, exons, and introns. It was found that, not only did the PLE exon sequences of the four genes show a high degree of homology, but also that the intron sequences were highly similar. Additionally, the regulatory region of the genes contained two 720bps reverse complement sequences that may have an important function in the regulation of PLE gene expression. This is the first report to confirm the complete sequences of four PLE genes. In addition, the study demonstrates that each PLE isoform is encoded by a single gene and that the various genes exhibit a high degree of sequence homology, suggesting that the PLE family evolved from a single ancestral gene. Obtaining the complete sequences of these PLE genes provides the necessary foundation for

Bilateral cooperation between Germany and Brazil on fuel irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, J.W.

1977-01-01

Within the framework of the Government Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and Brazil, the Brazilian National Atomic Commission and the Juelich Nuclear Research Center (KFA) signed on 23rd April, 1971 an Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Nuclear Research and Reactor Technology. Projects have been elaborated in fields of mutual interest to share activities between the partner institutes in both countries. A typical project is the fuel irradiation programme jointly prepared by NUCLEBRAS and KFA-Juelich. Brazil is planning to use elements of its own production in nuclear power plants to be erected within the German-Brazilian Industrial Agreement. As no material test reactor is available in Brazil it is expedient to irradiate samples of Brazilian production in Germany. Brazilian collaborators will participate in the preparation, execution and post-irradiation examination. In this way an optimum transfer of all information and results is assured. In the first phase, sample rods manufactured in Brazil are irradiated in the FRJ-2 test reactor in Juelich. These rods are assembled under clean conditions in the NUCLEBRAS research centres. The first Brazilian test rods showed excellent in-pile behaviour even under very high fuel rod capacity. In the second phase, fuel rods of original length manufactured and assembled in Brazil will be irradiated in German power plants, and, at the same time, additional irradiations of small samples will be carried out in test reactors. In the third phase, rod clusters and complete fuel elements will be manufactured in Brazil and irradiated in German power plants until target burn-up. All the necessary prerequisites have been fulfilled to meet the above requirements, i.e. mutual interest, good infrastructure maintained by both partners, qualified personnel and last but not least unbureaucratic and effective help by the coordinating offices of NUCLEBRAS and KFA

Research of the Effect Caused by Terrestrial Power Sources on the Near-Earth Space above China based on DEMETER Satellite Data

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C.; Wu, J.; Ma, Q.

2017-12-01

The environmental effect on the ionosphere caused by man-made power line emission (PLE) and power line harmonic radiation (PLHR) has become an increasing concern. Based on the observed data of 6.5 operating years of DEMETER satellite, by scanning the electric field power density time-frequency spectrograms, 133 PLHR events with central frequencies from 500 Hz to 4.5 kHz are detected in the near-Earth space above China. Among the 133 events, 129 events have PLE events at the base power system frequency (50 Hz in China). The duration time of every PLE event covers that of the corresponding PLHR event totally. As the same with PLHR, PLE is also propagating in whistler mode in the ionosphere. In two events that are detected in the conjugate region of Australian NWC VLF transmitter, radiations with line structure in the vicinity of 19.8 kHz are detected. There are 5 lines distributed from about 19.7 kHz to 19.9 kHz, which are in accordance with the frequency range of NWC transmitted signals. The frequency spacing of the 5 lines is exactly 50 Hz and the bandwidth of each line is about 10 Hz. The electric field power density of the line structure radiation is at the same level with the corresponding PLE, much higher than that of PLHR. The line structure radiations suggest possible modulation of VLF signals by PLE. At last, the variation of ionospheric parameters measured by DEMETER in relation with PLHR is analyzed statistically. As the revisiting orbits of DEMETER pass over the same area with nearly no deviation and at the same time of day, for each PLHR event, we check and average the parameters of 3 revisiting orbits before and after the event respectively. Combined with the event orbit, the variations of these parameters can be obtained. There are totally 5 tendencies: no variation, ascending, descending, crest and trough. Only a few events show no variation. Though there are differences in other 4 tendencies, none of the parameters show extremely preferences on one

Semiconductors detectors: basics principals, fabrication and repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza Coelho, L.F. de.

1982-05-01

The fabrication and repairing techniques of semiconductor detectors, are described. These methods are shown in the way they are applied by the semiconductor detector laboratory of the KFA-Julich, where they have been developed during the last 15 years. The history of the semiconductor detectors is presented here, being also described the detector fabrication experiences inside Brazil. The key problems of manufacturing are raised. In order to understand the fabrication and repairing techniques the working principles of these detectors, are described. The cases in which worked during the stay in the KFA-Julich, particularly the fabrication of a plane Ge (Li) detector, with side entry, and the repair of a coaxial Ge (Li) is described. The vanguard problems being researched in Julich are also described. Finally it is discussed a timetable for the semiconductor detector laboratory of the UFRJ, which laboratory is in the mounting stage now. (Author) [pt

Progress report on nuclear data research in the Federal Republic of Germany for the period April 1, 1992 to March 31, 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qaim, S.M.

1993-07-01

This report has been prepared to promote the exchange of nuclear data research information between the Federal Republic of Germany and other member states of OECD/NEA and IAEA. It covers progress reports from KfK Karlsruhe, KFA Juelich, the universities of Dresden, Hannover, Koeln, Mainz, Marburg as well as from PTB Braunschweig and FIZ Karlsruhe. The emphasis in the work reported here is on measurement, compilation and evaluation of nuclear data for pure and applied science programmes, such as those relevant to fission- and fusion-reactor technology, radioactive waste management, accelerator shielding and development, astrophysics research, cosmogenic and meteoritic investigations, production of medically important radioisotopes, etc. Each contribution is presented under the laboratory heading from where the work is reported. The names of other participating laboratories are also mentioned. When the work is relevant to the World Request List for Nuclear Data, WRENDA 87/88 (INDC(SEC)-095/URSF), the corresponding identification numbers are given. (orig.)

Fontan-associated protein-losing enteropathy and heart transplant: A Pediatric Heart Transplant Study analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Kurt R; Gossett, Jeffrey; Guleserian, Kristine; Naftel, David C; Pruitt, Elizabeth; Dodd, Debra; Carboni, Michael; Lamour, Jacqueline; Pophal, Stephen; Zamberlan, Mary; Gajarski, Robert J

2015-09-01

Post-Fontan protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although heart transplantation (HTx) can be curative, PLE may increase the risk of morbidity before and after HTx. This study analyzed the influence of PLE influence on waiting list and post-HTx outcomes in a pediatric cohort. Fontan patients listed for HTx and enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study from 1999 to 2012 were stratified by a diagnosis of PLE, and the association of PLE with waiting list and post-HTx mortality, rejection, and infection was analyzed. Compared with non-PLE Fontan patients (n = 260), PLE patients listed for HTx (n = 96) were older (11.9 years vs 7.6 years; p = 0.003), had a larger body surface area (1.1 m(2) vs 0.9 m(2); p = 0.0001), had lower serum bilirubin (0.5 vs 0.9 mg/dl; p = 0.01), lower B-type natriuretic peptide (59 vs 227 pg/ml; p = 0.006), and were less likely to be on a ventilator (3% vs 13%; p = 0.006). PLE patients had lower waiting list mortality than non-PLE Fontan patients (p PLE was not independently associated with increased post-HTx mortality at any time point. In this multicenter cohort, the diagnosis of PLE alone was not associated with increased waiting list mortality or post-HTx morbidity or mortality. Given the limitations of our data, this analysis suggests that PLE patients in the pediatric age group have outcomes similar to their non-PLE counterparts. Additional multicenter studies of PLE patients with targeted collection of PLE-specific information will be necessary to fully delineate the risks conferred by PLE for HTx. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

8 novembre 2016 - Ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire V. Zellweger, Représentant permanent de la Confédération suisse auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies et des autres organisations internationales à Genève signe le livre d'or en présence de J. Wenninger, C. Warakaulle, F. Gianotti et M. Steinacher.

CERN Multimedia

Brice, Maximilien

2016-01-01

Son Excellence Monsieur Valentin Zellweger Ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire Représentant permanent de la Confédération Suisse auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies et des autres organisations internationales à Genève Mardi 8 novembre 2016

Web 2.0 collaboration tool to support student research in hydrology - an opinion

Science.gov (United States)

Pathirana, A.; Gersonius, B.; Radhakrishnan, M.

2012-08-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that it is unwise to make the a-priori assumption that university students are ready and eager to embrace modern online technologies employed to enhance the educational experience. We present our opinion on employing Wiki, a popular Web 2.0 technology, in small student groups, based on a case-study of using it customized to work as a personal learning environment (PLE1) (Fiedler and Väljataga, 2011) for supporting thesis research in hydrology. Since inception in 2006, the system presented has proven to facilitate knowledge construction and peer-communication within and across groups of students of different academic years and to stimulate learning. Being an open ended and egalitarian system, it was a minimal burden to maintain, as all students became content authors and shared responsibility. A number of unintended uses of the system were also observed, like using it as a backup medium and mobile storage. We attribute the success and sustainability of the proposed Web 2.0-based approach to the fact that the efforts were not limited to the application of the technology, but comprised the creation of a supporting environment with educational activities organized around it. We propose that Wiki-based PLEs are much more suitable than traditional learning management systems for supporting non-classroom education activities like thesis research in hydrology. 1Here we use the term PLE to refer to the conceptual framework to make the process of knowledge construction a personalized experience - rather than to refer to the technology (in this case Wiki) used to attempt implementing such a system.

Contractility-afterload mismatch in patients with protein-losing enteropathy after the Fontan operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozawa, Hideto; Ueno, Takayoshi; Iwai, Shigemitsu; Kawata, Hiroaki; Nishigaki, Kyouichi; Kishimoto, Hidefumi; Sawa, Yoshiki

2014-10-01

This study aimed to clarify the relationship between onset of protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) and Fontan circulation, with special reference to the development of contractility-afterload mismatch. The PLE group comprised 9 patients who experienced PLE after undergoing the Fontan operation, and the control group consisted of 32 patients had did not experienced PLE more than 10 years after the Fontan operation. The study compared the pre- and postoperative values of arterial elastance (Ea), end-systolic elastance (Ees), and contractility-afterload mismatch (Ea/Ees). Furthermore, the variations in the values were examined during the preoperative, postoperative, and midterm postoperative periods in seven PLE patients who underwent cardiac catheterization at the onset of PLE and during the pre- and postintervention periods in three PLE patients who underwent surgical intervention to improve the Fontan circulation after the onset of PLE. Comparison of the values obtained before and after Fontan operations showed that the Ea values increased significantly in the PLE group. However, the pre- and postoperative Ees values did not differ in the two groups. During the postoperative period, Ea/Ees increased significantly, and the Ea and Ea/Ees values increased continuously until the onset of PLE in the PLE group. In the patients who underwent surgical intervention to improve the Fontan circulation after the onset of PLE, the Ea/Ees decreased significantly, and the serum albumin levels improved after the intervention. Contractility-afterload mismatch, mainly caused by the increase in the afterload of the systemic ventricle, may have an important role in the development of PLE after the Fontan operation.

Protein losing enteropathy: comprehensive review of the mechanistic association with clinical and subclinical disease states

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Levitt DG

2017-07-01

Full Text Available David G Levitt,1,* Michael D Levitt,2,* 1Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, 2Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Protein losing enteropathy (PLE has been associated with more than 60 different conditions, including nearly all gastrointestinal diseases (Crohn’s disease, celiac, Whipple’s, intestinal infections, and so on and a large number of non-gut conditions (cardiac and liver disease, lupus, sarcoidosis, and so on. This review presents the first attempt to quantitatively understand the magnitude of the PLE in relation to the associated pathology for three different disease categories: 1 increased lymphatic pressure (e.g., lymphangiectasis; 2 diseases with mucosal erosions (e.g., Crohn’s disease; and 3 diseases without mucosal erosions (e.g., celiac disease. The PLE with lymphangiectasis results from rupture of the mucosal lymphatics, with retrograde drainage of systemic lymph into the intestinal lumen with the resultant loss of CD4 T cells, which is diagnostic. Mucosal erosion PLE results from macroscopic breakdown of the mucosal barrier, with the epithelial capillaries becoming the rate-limiting factor in albumin loss. The equation derived to describe the relationship between the reduction in serum albumin (CP and PLE indicates that gastrointestinal albumin clearance must increase by at least 17 times normal to reduce the CP by half. The strengths and limitations of the two quantitative measures of PLE (51Cr-albumin or α1-antitrypsin [αAT] clearance are reviewed. αAT provides a simple quantitative diagnostic test that is probably underused clinically. The strong, unexplained correlation between minor decreases in CP and subsequent mortality in seemingly healthy individuals raises the question of whether subclinical PLE could account for the decreased CP and, if so, could the mechanism responsible for

Web 2.0 collaboration tool to support student research in hydrology – an opinion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Radhakrishnan

2012-08-01

Full Text Available A growing body of evidence suggests that it is unwise to make the a-priori assumption that university students are ready and eager to embrace modern online technologies employed to enhance the educational experience. We present our opinion on employing Wiki, a popular Web 2.0 technology, in small student groups, based on a case-study of using it customized to work as a personal learning environment (PLE1 (Fiedler and Väljataga, 2011 for supporting thesis research in hydrology. Since inception in 2006, the system presented has proven to facilitate knowledge construction and peer-communication within and across groups of students of different academic years and to stimulate learning. Being an open ended and egalitarian system, it was a minimal burden to maintain, as all students became content authors and shared responsibility. A number of unintended uses of the system were also observed, like using it as a backup medium and mobile storage. We attribute the success and sustainability of the proposed Web 2.0-based approach to the fact that the efforts were not limited to the application of the technology, but comprised the creation of a supporting environment with educational activities organized around it. We propose that Wiki-based PLEs are much more suitable than traditional learning management systems for supporting non-classroom education activities like thesis research in hydrology. 1Here we use the term PLE to refer to the conceptual framework to make the process of knowledge construction a personalized experience – rather than to refer to the technology (in this case Wiki used to attempt implementing such a system.

A challenge in future transportation research and planning: paper presented at the Conference "Energy Technologies for a Sustainable Future", Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, 24.11.2000

OpenAIRE

Keller, Peter

2000-01-01

To understand the future challenge for transportation research and planning, we must make a clear distinction between “mobility” and “transportation”. Mobility is understood to be the ca- pability or possibility of changing position within a specific system (space, society, economy, etc.). On the other hand “transportation” is “spatial mobility”, that is the capability or possibility of changing position within a spatial system (change of location, overcoming of space by peo- ple, goods, ener...

Optimization of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) for rapid determination of mineral oil saturated (MOSH) and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) in cardboard and paper intended for food contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Moret, Sabrina; Sander, Maren; Purcaro, Giorgia; Scolaro, Marianna; Barp, Laura; Conte, Lanfranco S

2013-10-15

Packaging can represent a primary source of food contamination with mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH), especially when recycled cardboard or mineral oil based printing inks are used. A pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method, followed by on-line LC-GC analysis, has been optimized for rapid mineral oil determination in cardboard and paper samples. The proposed method involves extraction with hexane (2 cycles) at 60°C for 5 min, and allows for the processing of up to 6 samples in parallel with minimal sample manipulation and solvent consumption. It gave good repeatability (coefficient of variation lower than 5%) and practically quantitative extraction yield (less than 2% of the total contamination found in a third separate cycle). The method was applied to different cardboards and paper materials intended for food contact. Results obtained were similar to those obtained by applying classical solvent extraction with hexane/ethanol 1:1 (v/v) as described by Lorenzini et al. [20]. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using Software Product Line to improve ERP Engineering: Literature Review and Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raúl Mazo

2014-10-01

Full Text Available On the one hand, getting advantages of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP systems largely depends on their capacity to be configured and adapted to fit the customer and domain requirements. On the other hand, product line engineering (PLE is a promising approach for configuring and adapting products by means of configuration and derivation processes. While the literature and industrial experiences show the benefits of PLE methods, techniques and tools, there is still a lack of interest in addressing ERP engineering issues with the product line strategy. Objective: The aim of this paper is to identify and analyze the different ways presented in the literature to improve ERP engineering issues with the methods, techniques and tools provided by PLE. Method: To achieve that objective, we reviewed the literature and analyzed available publications. Results: This literature review analyzes six research papers at the intersection between ERP and PLE. It shows that the product line strategy can indeed be applied for ERP configuration and customization. It further shows the evolving interest on this topic and discusses existing contributions.

Experimental facilities for plate-out investigations and future work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muenchow, K.; Dederichs, H.; Iniotakis, N.; Sackmann, B.

1981-01-01

The safety of HTR under normal operation and accident conditions, the possibility of inspection, maintenance and repair or decontamination of single primary components as well as the safety of maintenance personnel are essentially determined by the transport- and deposition behaviour of the non gaseous fission - and activation products in the primary loop of the reactor. A comprehensive program has been started in 1969 in KFA in collaboration with various industrial firms and foreign institutions to investigate these problems. The program includes in-pile and out-pile experiments, simulating reactor conditions and also different laboratory experiments and extensive theoretical investigations. The aim of these efforts is to test experimentally the models and computercodes, which are used for prediction of transport and deposition behaviour of fission products for HTR's as well under normal as under accident conditions. Further more a verified dataset is to be established. In this paper a survey is given of the experimental facilities carried out by KFA or in cooperation with KFA

Determination of ten steroid hormones in animal waste manure and agricultural soil using inverse and integrated clean-up pressurized liquid extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Martin; Krogh, Kristine Andersen; Halling-Sørensen, Bent

2011-01-01

... Martin Hansen , Kristine A. Krogh , Bent Halling ... in a 22 mL PLE cell : firstly by flushing the sample with heptane to remove unwanted matrix components (inverse- PLE , i- PLE ) and secondly, performing internal clean-up (ic- PLE ) and eluting the steroid hormones by attaching an ...

Evaluation of serum biochemical marker concentrations and survival time in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Equilino, Mirjam; Théodoloz, Vincent; Gorgas, Daniela; Doherr, Marcus G; Heilmann, Romy M; Suchodolski, Jan S; Steiner, Jörg M; Burgener Dvm, Iwan A

2015-01-01

To evaluate serum concentrations of biochemical markers and survival time in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). Prospective study. 29 dogs with PLE and 18 dogs with food-responsive diarrhea (FRD). Data regarding serum concentrations of various biochemical markers at the initial evaluation were available for 18 of the 29 dogs with PLE and compared with findings for dogs with FRD. Correlations between biochemical marker concentrations and survival time (interval between time of initial evaluation and death or euthanasia) for dogs with PLE were evaluated. Serum C-reactive protein concentration was high in 13 of 18 dogs with PLE and in 2 of 18 dogs with FRD. Serum concentration of canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity was high in 3 dogs with PLE but within the reference interval in all dogs with FRD. Serum α1-proteinase inhibitor concentration was less than the lower reference limit in 9 dogs with PLE and 1 dog with FRD. Compared with findings in dogs with FRD, values of those 3 variables in dogs with PLE were significantly different. Serum calprotectin (measured by radioimmunoassay and ELISA) and S100A12 concentrations were high but did not differ significantly between groups. Seventeen of the 29 dogs with PLE were euthanized owing to this disease; median survival time was 67 days (range, 2 to 2,551 days). Serum C-reactive protein, canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, and α1-proteinase inhibitor concentrations differed significantly between dogs with PLE and FRD. Most initial biomarker concentrations were not predictive of survival time in dogs with PLE.

Enhanced biological activities of gamma-irradiated persimmon leaf extract.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Byoung-Ok; Nchang Che, Denis; Yin, Hong-Hua; Jang, Seon-Il

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of gamma-irradiated persimmon leaf extract (GPLE) with those of non-irradiated persimmon leaf extract (PLE). Ethanolic extract of persimmon leaf was exposed to gamma irradiation at a dose of 10 kGy. After gamma irradiation, the color of the extract changed from dark brown to light brown. The anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of GPLE and PLE were assessed from: total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents; 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay; 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assay, and levels of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The total polyphenol contents of GPLE and PLE were determined to be 224.44 ± 1.54 and 197.33 ± 5.81 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g, respectively, and the total flavonoid contents of GPLE and PLE were 206.27 ± 1.15 and 167.60 ± 2.00 mg quercetin equivalents (QUE)/g, respectively. The anti-oxidant activities of GPLE and PLE as measured by DPPH assays were 338.33 ± 30.19 μg/ml (IC50) and 388.68 ± 8.45 μg/ml (IC50), respectively, and those measured by ABTS assays were 510.49 ± 15.12 μg/ml (IC50) and 731.30 ± 10.63 μg/ml (IC50), respectively. IC50 is the inhibitor concentration that reduces the response by 50%. GPLE strongly inhibited the production of NO, PGE2 and IL-6 compared with PLE in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, GPLE significantly inhibited the production of TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines compared with PLE in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus A23187-stimulated HMC-1 human mast cells. These results indicate that gamma irradiation of PLE can enhance its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities through elevation of the phenolic contents. Therefore, gamma-irradiated PLE has potential for use in the food and cosmetic

Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (PLE: Valoración Educativa a través de Expertos / Personal environments of learning (PEL: educational valuation through experts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Cabero Almenara

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Los Entornos personales de aprendizaje (PLE se están configurando como una de las estrategias más novedosas para incorporar las tecnologías de la información a los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Desde la investigación denominada “Diseño, producción y evaluación de un entorno de aprendizaje 2.0 para la capacitación del profesorado universitario en la utilización de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC”, y a través del presente estudio damos respuesta al objetivo fundamental que hace referencia a los resultados obtenidos mediante la evaluación de los entornos producidos, siguiendo para ello la estrategia de valoración por los expertos de las diferentes dimensiones que componían el diseño de los entornos formativos, tales como: aspectos técnicos y estéticos, facilidad de navegación, o calidad didáctica de los elementos que los configuran, obteniendo resultados muy significativos por parte de los expertos, como por ejemplo, la adecuación de herramientas que los componen, entre otros.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) contents in house and car dust of Portugal by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha, S C; Kalachova, K; Pulkrabova, J; Fernandes, J O; Oliveira, M B P P; Alves, A; Hajslova, J

2010-03-01

Dust is the repository of various compounds including flame retardants. In this study an analytical method based on PLE extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was selected for the analysis of 16 PBDEs congeners in house and car dust samples collected in Portugal. The analytical performance of the method was validated using standard reference material (SRM); values from 90% to 109% and from 2% to 11% were obtained for recovery and precision, respectively. The PBDE congeners distribution in whole and sieved fractions of the dust samples, as well as influence of the source on the levels of these contaminants, were obtained. The wide range of PBDEs contents found in the dust samples indicates heterogeneous levels of contamination in these matrices. The clearest feature of the results obtained was that Deca-BDE was the main PBDE in both house and car dust samples. The total PBDEs measured in house dust (ranging from 34 to 1928 ng g(-1)) was lower than those found in car dust (ranging from 193 to 22955 ng g(-1)). However, house dust provides a major contribution to human exposure due to the time spent there, much higher than in cars. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social media methods for studying rare diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Kurt R; Stringer, Kathleen A; Donohue, Janet E; Yu, Sunkyung; Shaver, Ashley; Caruthers, Regine L; Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J; Fifer, Carlen; Goldberg, Caren; Russell, Mark W

2014-05-01

For pediatric rare diseases, the number of patients available to support traditional research methods is often inadequate. However, patients who have similar diseases cluster "virtually" online via social media. This study aimed to (1) determine whether patients who have the rare diseases Fontan-associated protein losing enteropathy (PLE) and plastic bronchitis (PB) would participate in online research, and (2) explore response patterns to examine social media's role in participation compared with other referral modalities. A novel, internet-based survey querying details of potential pathogenesis, course, and treatment of PLE and PB was created. The study was available online via web and Facebook portals for 1 year. Apart from 2 study-initiated posts on patient-run Facebook pages at the study initiation, all recruitment was driven by study respondents only. Response patterns and referral sources were tracked. A total of 671 respondents with a Fontan palliation completed a valid survey, including 76 who had PLE and 46 who had PB. Responses over time demonstrated periodic, marked increases as new online populations of Fontan patients were reached. Of the responses, 574 (86%) were from the United States and 97 (14%) were international. The leading referral sources were Facebook, internet forums, and traditional websites. Overall, social media outlets referred 84% of all responses, making it the dominant modality for recruiting the largest reported contemporary cohort of Fontan patients and patients who have PLE and PB. The methodology and response patterns from this study can be used to design research applications for other rare diseases. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Pleurocidin Peptide Enhances Grouper Anti-Vibrio harveyi Immunity Elicited by Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-Encapsulated Recombinant Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Shu-Chun; Huang, Wan-Ling; Kau, Sau-Wei; Yang, Yun-Pei; Yang, Chung-Da

2014-05-14

Outer membrane proteins, such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), are considered immunodominant antigens for eliciting protective immunity against Vibrio harveyi, the main etiological agent of vibriosis in fish. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as pleurocidin (PLE), play important roles in activating and recruiting immune cells, thereby contributing to subsequent innate and adaptive immune responses. In the present study, we aimed to use PLE peptide as a potent adjuvant to improve the immunogenicity of V. harveyi recombinant GAPDH (rGAPDH). In order to prepare a controlled-release vaccine, PLE peptide and rGAPDH protein were simultaneously encapsulated into polymeric microparticles made from the biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) polymer. The resulting PLG-encapsulated PLE plus rGAPDH (PLG-PLE/rGAPDH) microparticles, 3.21-6.27 μm in diameter, showed 72%-83% entrapment efficiency and durably released both PLE and rGAPDH for a long 30-day period. Following peritoneal immunization in grouper (Epinephelus coioides), PLG-PLE/rGAPDH microparticles resulted in significantly higher (p PLE/rGAPDH microparticles conferred a high survival rate (85%), which was significantly higher (p PLE peptide exhibits an efficacious adjuvant effect to elicit not only improved immunity, but also enhanced protection against V. harveyi in grouper induced by rGAPDH protein encapsulated in PLG microparticles.

Protein-losing enteropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus: 12 years experience from a Chinese academic center.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhen; Li, Meng-Tao; Xu, Dong; Yang, Hong; Li, Jing; Zhao, Jiu-Liang; Zhang, Heng-Hui; Han, Shao-Mei; Xu, Tao; Zeng, Xiao-Feng

2014-01-01

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a complication in some systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients that is often misdiagnosed. With this study, we provide insight into clinical characteristics, laboratory characteristics, diagnostic tests, risk factors, treatment, and prognosis of the disease. A retrospective, case-control study was performed in 44 patients with SLE-related PLE (PLE group) and 88 patients with active SLE (control group) admitted to our care from January 2000-January 2012. Risk factors for SLE-related PLE were examined, and we analyzed the accuracy of single and combined laboratory characteristics in discriminating SLE-related PLE from active SLE. Serum albumin and C3 levels were measured as outcome during and after treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents. The PLE group had lower mean serum albumin and 24-hour urine protein levels, higher mean total plasma cholesterol levels, and greater frequencies of anti-SSA and SSB seropositivity compared with the control group. Anti-SSA seropositivity, hypoalbuminemia, and hypercholesterolemia were independent risk factors for SLE-related PLE. The simultaneous presence of serum albumin (PLE. SLE-related PLE should be considered when an SLE patient presents with generalized edema, anti-SSA antibody seropositivity, hypercholesterolemia, severe hypoalbuminemia, and low 24-hour urine protein levels. Aggressive treatment for lupus might improve prognosis.

Spontaneous Improvement of Compensatory Knee Flexion After Surgical Correction of Mismatch Between Pelvic Incidence and Lumbar Lordosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xiaofei; Zhang, Feng; Wu, Jigong; Zhu, Zhenan; Dai, Kerong; Zhao, Jie

2016-08-15

A retrospective study. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between pelvic incidence (PI) and lumbar lordosis (LL) mismatch and knee flexion during standing in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases and to examine the effects of surgical correction of the PI-LL mismatch on knee flexion. Only several studies focused on knee flexion as a compensatory mechanism of the PI-LL mismatch. Little information is currently available on the effects of lumbar correction on knee flexion in patients with the PI-LL mismatch. A group of patients with lumbar degenerative diseases were divided into PI-LL match group (PI-LL ≤ 10°) and PI-LL mismatch group (PI-LL > 10°). A series of radiographic parameters and knee flexion angle (KFA) were compared between the two groups. The PI-LL mismatch group was further subdivided into operative and nonoperative group. The changes in KFA with PI-LL were examined. The PI-LL mismatch group exhibited significantly greater sagittal vertical axis (SVA), pelvic tilt (PT) and KFA, and smaller LL, thoracic kyphosis (TK), and sacral slope than the PI-LL match group. PI-LL, LL, PI, SVA, and PT were significantly correlated with KFA in the PI-LL mismatch group. From baseline to 6-month follow-up, all variables were significantly different in the operative group with the exception of PI, although there was no significant difference in any variable in the nonoperative group. The magnitude of surgical correction in the PI-LL mismatch was significantly correlated with the degree of spontaneous changes in KFA, PT, and TK. The PI-LL mismatch would contribute to compensatory knee flexion during standing in patients with lumbar degenerative disease. Surgical correction of the PI-LL mismatch could lead to a spontaneous improvement of compensatory knee flexion. The degree of improvement in knee flexion depends in part on the amount of correction in the PI-LL mismatch. 3.

Protective effect of polysaccharides of lentinus edodes on damage in mice induced by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Xiuling; Wang Hongfang; Qi Yanfei; Wang Xuerui; Chen Tian; Wang Quan; Li Juan; Li Jing

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the protective effect of polysaccharides of lentinus edodes (PLE) on immune and anti-oxidative and hematopoietic function of ionizing irradiated mice, and provide theoretical basis for its clinical application. Methods: Fifty ICR mice were randomly divided into normal control group (NC), irradiating control group (IC), low dose of PLE irradiating group (800 mg · kg -1 ), middle dose of PLE irradiating group (1600 mg · kg -1 ), and high dose of PLE irradiating group (2400 mg · kg -1 ) (n=10). The mice in PLE groups were gaster-poured by PLE for 7 d, the mice in NC group and IC group were gaster-poured by 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The mice in all groups except NC group were irradiated with 2 Gy X-ray on the eighth day. The spleen index, thymus index, the activity of SOD and content of MDA, the number of WBC, the micronucleus rate of bone marrow polychromalic erythrocytes (PCE)were detected at the 24th hour after radiation. Results: Compared with IC group,the spleen index, thymus index and activity of SOD in high dose of PLE irradiating group were increased markedly (P<0.05); the contents of MDA in middle and high dose of PLE irradiating groups were increased significantly (P<0.05). The number of WBC in PLE groups was increased significantly (P<0.05); the micronucleus rates of bone marrow PCE in middle and high dose of PLE irradiating groups were decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion: PLE has an obvious protective effect on damage in X-ray irradiated mice. (authors)

Recovery of anthocyanins from residues of Rubus fruticosus, Vaccinium myrtillus and Eugenia brasiliensis by ultrasound assisted extraction, pressurized liquid extraction and their combination.

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Ana Paula Da Fonseca; Pereira, Ana Luiza Duarte; Barbero, Gerardo Fernández; Martínez, Julian

2017-09-15

This work investigated the extraction efficiency of polyphenols (anthocyanins) from blackberry, blueberry and grumixama residues using combined ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) (UAE+PLE). The performance of UAE+PLE was compared to those achieved by the isolated PLE and UAE methods and conventional Soxhlet extraction. The effects of the extraction methods and solvents (acidified water pH 2.0, ethanol+water 50% v/v and ethanol+water 70% ethanol v/v) on total phenolics content, anthocyanin composition and antioxidant capacity of extracts were investigated by a full factorial design. The extraction efficiency for total phenolics and antioxidant capacity in decreasing order was: UAE+PLE>PLE≈Soxhlet>UAE, and for anthocyanins it was: Soxhlet≈UAE>UAE+PLE>PLE, using hydroethanolic mixtures as solvents. Extractions with acidified water and ultrasound were not effective to recover phenolics. Two, four and fourteen anthocyanins were identified in the extracts from grumixama, blackberry and blueberry, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low-energy charge transfer excitations in NiO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokolov, V I; Yermakov, A Ye; Uimin, M A; Gruzdev, N B; Pustovarov, V A; Churmanov, V N; Ivanov, V Yu; Sokolov, P S; Baranov, A N; Moskvin, A S

2012-01-01

Comparative analysis of photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of NiO poly- and nanocrystals in the spectral range 2-5.5 eV reveals two PLE bands peaked near 3.7 and 4.6 eV with a dramatic rise in the low-temperature PLE spectral weight of the 3.7 eV PLE band in the nanocrystalline NiO as compared with its polycrystalline counterpart. In frames of a cluster model approach we assign the 3.7 eV PLE band to the low-energy bulk-forbidden p-d (t 1g (π)-e g ) charge transfer (CT) transition which becomes the allowed one in the nanocrystalline state while the 4.6 eV PLE band is related to a bulk allowed d-d (e g -e g ) CT transition scarcely susceptible to the nanocrystallization. The PLE spectroscopy of the nanocrystalline materials appears to be a novel informative technique for inspection of different CT transitions.

Prevalence of photodermatosis in four regions at different altitudes in Yunnan province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Danqi; Hang, Yuntao; Chen, Hao; Li, Hanying

2006-08-01

Idiopathic photodermatoses are common diseases in dermatology clinics that are associated with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The group includes a few dermatoses such as polymorphous light eruption (PLE) and chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD). The prevalence of PLE and CAD in China has not been previously reported. To investigate the population-based prevalence of polymorphous light eruption (PLE) and chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) in six minority groups living in four regions with significantly different altitudes in the Yunnan province, a questionnaire survey was administered to 4899 residents of random villages in Yuanjiang county (Dai and Hani minorities), Kunming city (Han people and Yi minority), Lijiang county (Naxi minority), and Shangri-La county (Zang minority). The altitudes of these counties are 380 m, 1870 m, 2410 m and 3280 m a.s.l., respectively. The results showed that, first, there were 2400 males (49.0%) and 2499 females (51.0%). The prevalence of PLE was 0.65% (32/4899), and the prevalence of CAD was 0.18% (9/4899). PLE was higher among females than males (3.8 vs 1, P 0.05). Second, the prevalence of PLE was increased in higher elevations regions compared to lower elevations (P 0.05). Third, the mean times of sun exposure for PLE and CAD were 6.0 and 6.5 h/day, respectively. The mean durations of PLE and CAD were 5.8 years, and 6.6 years, respectively. The study demonstrated that the prevalence of PLE is higher than that of CAD in Yunnan, and that the prevalence of PLE is correlated with altitude.

Relative Efficacy of Uptake and Presentation of Mycobacterium bovis BCG Antigens by Type I Mouse Lung Epithelial Cells and Peritoneal Macrophages ▿

Science.gov (United States)

Kumari, Mandavi; Saxena, Rajiv K.

2011-01-01

Flow cytometric studies indicated that both peritoneal macrophages (PMs) and primary lung epithelial (PLE) cells isolated from mouse lungs could take up fluorescence-tagged Mycobacterium bovis BCG. BCG uptake in both cases was significantly inhibited by cytochalasin D, indicating active internalization of BCG by these cells. Confocal microscopy data further confirmed that BCG was internalized by PLE cells. BCG sonicate antigen (sBCG) had marked toxicity toward PMs but was relatively nontoxic to PLE cells. Accordingly, BCG sonicate antigen induced a significantly higher apoptotic and necrotic response in PMs compared to that in PLE cells. Both PMs and PLE cells exposed to BCG antigens and fixed thereafter could efficiently present antigens to purified BCG-sensitized T helper cells, as assessed by the release of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ). If, however, PLE cells were fixed before exposure to BCG, antigen presentation was abrogated, indicating that the PLE cells may in some way process the BCG antigen. A comparison of efficacies of BCG-pulsed PLE cells and PMs to present antigen at various antigen-presenting cell (APC)/T cell ratios indicated that PMs had only marginally greater APC function than that of PLE cells. Staining with specific monoclonal antibodies indicated that the cultured PLE cells used for antigen presentation essentially comprised type I epithelial cells. Our results suggest that type I lung epithelial cells may present BCG antigens to sensitized T helper cells and that their performance as APCs is comparable with that of PMs. PMID:21646448

Immune Abnormalities in Fontan Protein-Losing Enteropathy: A Case-Control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Magdo, H Sonali; Stillwell, Terri L; Greenhawt, Matthew J; Stringer, Kathleen A; Yu, Sunkyung; Fifer, Carlen G; Russell, Mark W; Schumacher, Kurt R

2015-08-01

To comprehensively characterize the immunologic characteristics of patients with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) post-Fontan and compare them with patients without PLE post-Fontan. Patients with PLE post-Fontan and age-matched controls post-Fontan were prospectively studied with laboratory markers of immune function. Infectious history was obtained by interview and chart review. The groups' demographics, cardiac history, immune characteristics, and infection history were compared using appropriate 2-group statistics. A total of 16 patients enrolled (8 patients with PLE and 8 controls). All patients with PLE had lymphopenia compared with 25% of controls (P = .01). All patients with PLE had markedly depressed CD4 T cell counts (median 58 cells/μL) compared with controls (median 450 cells/μL, P = .0002); CD4% was also low in the PLE group (12.3%) and normal in control (36.9%, P = .004). Both groups had mildly depressed CD8 T cells and normal to slightly elevated natural killer and B-cell subsets. A majority of patients with PLE (62.5%) had negative titers to measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination, compared with no control Fontan with a negative titer (P = .03). Despite profoundly low CD4 counts, the frequency of infection was not different between groups with no reported opportunistic infections. Patients with Fontan-associated PLE have extensive quantitative immune abnormalities, particularly CD4 deficiency. These immune abnormalities are similar to those found in non-Fontan patients with PLE caused by intestinal lymphangiectasia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled intra-individual trial on topical treatment with a 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ analogue in polymorphic light eruption.

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Gruber-Wackernagel, A; Bambach, I; Legat, F J; Hofer, A; Byrne, S N; Quehenberger, F; Wolf, P

2011-07-01

Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is a very frequent photodermatosis whose pathogenesis may involve resistance to ultraviolet (UV)-induced immune suppression. Similar to UV radiation, calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃) and its analogues such as calcipotriol have been shown to exhibit immunosuppressive properties. We performed a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled intraindividual half-body trial (NCT00871052) to investigate the preventive effect of a calcipotriol-containing cream in PLE. Thirteen patients with PLE (10 women, three men; mean age 37 years) pretreated their skin on two symmetrically located test fields with calcipotriol or placebo cream twice daily for 7 days before the start of photoprovocation testing with solar-simulated UV radiation. We established a specific PLE test score [AA + SI + 0·4 P (range 0-12), where AA is affected area score (range 0-4), SI is skin infiltration score (range 0-4) and P is pruritus score on a visual analogue scale (range 0-10)] to quantify PLE severity. Photoprovocation led to PLE lesions in 12/13 (92%) patients. As shown by the PLE test score, compared with placebo calcipotrial pretreatment significantly reduced PLE symptoms in average by 32% (95% confidence interval 21-44%; P = 0·0022, exact Wilcoxon signed-rank test) throughout the observation period starting at 48 h until 144 h after the first photoprovocation exposure. At 48, 72 and 144 h calcipotriol pretreatment resulted in a lower PLE test score in 7 (58%), 9 (75%) and 10 (83%) of the 12 cases, respectively. Considering all time points together, calcipotriol diminished the PLE test score in all 12 photoprovocable patients (P = 0·0005; Wilcoxon signed-rank test). These results suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of topical 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ analogues as prophylactic treatment in patients with PLE. © 2011 The Authors. BJD © 2011 British Association of Dermatologists 2011.

Successful diuretics treatment of protein-losing enteropathy in Noonan syndrome.

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Mizuochi, Tatsuki; Suda, Kenji; Seki, Yoshitaka; Yanagi, Tadahiro; Yoshimoto, Hironaga; Kudo, Yoshiyuki; Iemura, Motofumi; Tanikawa, Ken; Matsuishi, Toyojiro

2015-04-01

There are few reports on successful high-dose spironolactone treatment of refractory protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) caused by Fontan procedure. We report successful diuretics treatment with spironolactone and furosemide at standard dose, of refractory PLE in a patient with Noonan syndrome and repaired congenital heart disease. This is the first successful application of diuretics treatment in a patient with refractory PLE without Fontan procedure. This case illustrates that diuretics treatment can be the first-line treatment of PLE regardless of the causative physiology, and can be effective in refractory PLE with Noonan syndrome. © 2015 Japan Pediatric Society.

Factors related to outcomes in lupus-related protein-losing enteropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Doo-Ho; Kim, Yong-Gil; Bae, Seung-Hyeon; Ahn, Soomin; Hong, Seokchan; Lee, Chang-Keun; Yoo, Bin

2015-11-01

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), characterized by severe hypoalbuminemia and peripheral edema, is a rare manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. This present study aimed to identify the distinctive features of lupus-related PLE and evaluate the factors related to the treatment response. From March 1998 to March 2014, the clinical data of 14 patients with lupus PLE and seven patients with idiopathic PLE from a tertiary center were reviewed. PLE was defined as a demonstration of protein leakage from the gastrointestinal tract by either technetium 99m-labelled human albumin scanning or fecal α1-antitrypsin clearance. A positive steroid response was defined as a return of serum albumin to ≥ 3.0 g/dL within 4 weeks after initial steroid monotherapy, and remission as maintenance of serum albumin ≥ 3.0 g/dL for at least 3 months. A high serum total cholesterol level was defined as a level of ≥ 240 mg/dL. The mean age of the lupus-related PLE patients was 37.0 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 55.8 months. Significantly higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum total cholesterol levels were found for lupus PLE than for idiopathic PLE. Among the 14 patients with lupus PLE, eight experienced a positive steroid response, and the serum total cholesterol level was significantly higher in the positive steroid response group. A positive steroid response was associated with an initial high serum total cholesterol level and achievement of remission within 6 months. In lupus-related PLE, a high serum total cholesterol level could be a predictive factor for the initial steroid response, indicating a good response to steroid therapy alone.

In vivo confocal microscopy and tear cytokine analysis in post-LASIK ectasia.

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Pahuja, Natasha Kishore; Shetty, Rohit; Deshmukh, Rashmi; Sharma, Anupam; Nuijts, Rudy M M A; Jhanji, Vishal; Sethu, Swaminathan; Ghosh, Arkasubhra

2017-12-01

Corneal keratectasia is one of the complications associated with laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) that results in vision impairment. The pathogenesis of post-LASIK ectasia (PLE) remains underexplored. We report the tear cytokine profile and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) findings in eyes with PLE. This retrospective study included age-matched 7 (14 eyes) post-LASIK controls (PLCs) and 6 (12 eyes) PLE subjects. Corneal topography was used to categorise the subjects into PLC and PLE groups. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores obtained were based on standard questionnaire and IVCM images were used to determine corneal dendritic cells density (DCD) and sub-basal nerve plexus morphology. Inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in the tears were quantified using flow cytometry based cytometric bead array. Pentacam-based scores, OSDI scores and corneal DCD were significantly (pPLE compared with PLC. Discomfort-related subscale of OSDI score exhibited a positive correlation with total corneal DCD in the PLE cohort. The fold difference of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand/monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (CCL2/MCP1) (3.4±0.6) was found to be significantly (pPLE cohorts and a positive correlation between CCL2/MCP1 levels and total corneal DCD was also observed in the PLE cohort. The current study found a significant difference in the tear film cytokine profile between normal and PLE eyes. Presence of increased corneal dendritic cells and altered tear cytokines suggests an ongoing inflammatory response in PLE. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Cutaneous infiltration of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and T regulatory cells in skin lesions of polymorphic light eruption.

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Rossi, M T; Arisi, M; Lonardi, S; Lorenzi, L; Ungari, M; Serana, F; Fusano, M; Moggio, E; Calzavara-Pinton, P G; Venturini, M

2018-02-11

Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is the most common autoimmune photodermatosis. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) are important mediators of innate antimicrobial immunity involved in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory skin diseases. In addition to PDCs, regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in controlling inflammation and adaptive immunity in skin by their immunosuppressive capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of PDCs and Tregs in photoexposed skin from PLE compared to healthy skin. Patients with PLE diagnosis and healthy controls were recruited and underwent a photoprovocative test. A 4-mm punch biopsy was taken from the site of positive photoprovocation test reaction, and immunohistochemistry for BDCA2 as marker for PDCs, CD4 and FOXP3 as markers for Tregs was performed. Double immunostain for FOXP3 and CD4 was performed as well. Absolute counts for CD4, BDCA2 and FOXP3 were performed in at least 5 High Power Fields (HPF). Percentage of CD4-, BDCA2- and CD4FOXP3-positive cells over the total inflammatory infiltrate was assessed for each case. We enrolled 23 patients and controls. BDCA2+ cells were present in 91.3% of PLE skin samples and 100% of healthy volunteer. Both in PLE patients and healthy controls, PDCs distribution was mainly dermic (P PLE patients (P PLE patients and healthy controls, Tregs distribution was mainly dermic (P PLE patients compared to controls (P PLE, and dermal distribution of PDCs in PLE skin biopsies seems to confirm a possible overlap with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). © 2018 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Focused ultrasound of the pleural cavities and the pericardium by nurses after cardiac surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Graven, Torbjørn; Wahba, Alexander; Hammer, Anne Marie; Sagen, Ove; Olsen, Øystein; Skjetne, Kyrre; Kleinau, Jens Olaf; Dalen, Havard

2015-02-01

We aimed to study the feasibility and reliability of focused ultrasound (US) examinations to quantify pericardial (PE)- and pleural effusion (PLE) by a pocket-size imaging device (PSID) performed by nurses in patients early after cardiac surgery. After a 3-month training period, with cardiologists as supervisors, two nurses examined 59 patients (20 women) with US using a PSID at a median of 5 days after cardiac surgery. The amount of PE and PLE was classified in four categories by US (both) and chest x-ray (PLE only). Echocardiography, including US of the pleural cavities, by experienced cardiologists was used as reference. Focused US by the nurses was more sensitive than x-ray to detect PLE. The correlations of the quantification of PE and PLE by the nurses and reference was r (95% confidence interval) 0.76 (0.46-0.89) and 0.81 (0.73-0.89), both p PLE were drained in one and six (eight cavities) patients, all classified as large amount by the nurses. Cardiac nurses were able to obtain reliable measurements and quantification of both PE and PLE bedside by focused US and outperform the commonly used chest x-ray regarding PLE after cardiac surgery.

A Design Framework for Personal Learning Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rahimi, E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of our research was to develop a PLE (personal learning environment) design framework for workplace settings. By doing such, the research has answered this research question, how should a technology-based personal learning environment be designed, aiming at supporting learners to gain

Material analyses of foam-based SiC FCI after dynamic testing in PbLi in MaPLE loop at UCLA

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Gonzalez, Maria, E-mail: maria.gonzalez@ciemat.es [LNF-CIEMAT, Avda Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Rapisarda, David; Ibarra, Angel [LNF-CIEMAT, Avda Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Courtessole, Cyril; Smolentsev, Sergey; Abdou, Mohamed [Fusion Science and Technology Center, UCLA (United States)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • Samples from foam-based SiC FCI were analyzed by looking at their SEM microstructure and elemental composition. • After finishing dynamic experiments in the flowing hot PbLi, the liquid metal ingress has been confirmed due to infiltration through local defects in the protective inner CVD layer. • No direct evidences of corrosion/erosion were observed; these defects could be related to the manufacturing process. - Abstract: Foam-based SiC flow channel inserts (FCIs) developed and manufactured by Ultramet, USA are currently under testing in the flowing hot lead-lithium (PbLi) alloy in the MaPLE loop at UCLA to address chemical/physical compatibility and to access the MHD pressure drop reduction. UCLA has finished the first experimental series, where a single uninterrupted long-term (∼6500 h) test was performed on a 30-cm FCI segment in a magnetic field up to 1.8 T at the temperature of 300 °C and maximum flow velocities of ∼ 15 cm/s. After finishing the experiments, the FCI sample was extracted from the host stainless steel duct and cut into slices. Few of them have been analyzed at CIEMAT as a part of the joint collaborative effort on the development of the DCLL blanket concept in the EU and the US. The initial inspection of the slices using optical microscopic analysis at UCLA showed significant PbLi ingress into the bulk FCI material that resulted in degradation of insulating properties of the FCI. Current material analyses at CIEMAT are based on advanced techniques, including characterization of FCI samples by FESEM to study PbLi ingress, imaging of cross sections, composition analysis by EDX and crack inspection. These analyses suggest that the ingress was caused by local defects in the protective inner CVD layer that might be originally present in the FCI or occurred during testing.

Leakage in the Juelich research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1978-01-01

On August 17, 1978, a leakage occurred in the DIDO research reactor. Early in the afternoon of this day, the valves of the coolant loop had been checked with the reactor shut off. When the mechanics wanted to oil a tight valve and drilled a hole in the valve cover for this, heavy water started to leak (leakage in the valve membrane). The mechanics left the shielded valve space at once; directly after having a shower, they underwent a radiation protection examination. It was found that none of the mechanics had been exposed to an excessive dose. When other mechanics in protective suits had closed the leak in the valve, a total of 150 liters had leaked into the sump pump at the valve entrance. They were pumped back into the cooling system. About 5 liters of water were evaporated and, via the stack, escaped into the environment. The activity released was about 40 curie; this is less than the permissible amount of 60 curie per week during normal operation. Neither the KFA personnel nor the inhabitants of Juelich and its surroundings were in danger at any moment. Calculations so far yield a maximum radiation exposure below 1mrem at the point of maximum exposure. The cooling circuit could be entered again only one day after the incident. The present shut-off phase of the reactor is not unduly prolonged by this accident. (orig./HP) [de

An Early Glenn Operation May be Associated with the Later Occurrence of Protein-Losing Enteropathy in Fontan Patients : Association of Early Glenn and Failing Fontan.

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Unseld, Bettina; Stiller, Brigitte; Borth-Bruhns, Thomas; du Bois, Florian; Kroll, Johannes; Grohmann, Jochen; Fleck, Thilo

2017-08-01

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) and plastic bronchitis (PB) are major causes of long-term mortality after Fontan operation. The objective of this study was to determine early clinical risk factors before the onset of PLE and PB. In a cohort study, 106 Fontan patients between 2005 and 2013 were examined. A median of 5.3 (1.5-8.5) years later, follow-up questionnaires were used to group the patients in a PLE or PB group (n = 14) and a non-PLE/PB group (n = 92). Prevalence of PLE was 9.4% (n = 10) and of PB 3.8% (n = 4). At follow-up, five patients (4.7%) died of PLE or PB. Median age at death was 6.2 years (IQR 10.5, 95% CI 5.3-23.4). We observed no significant group differences in gender distribution (p = 0.73), ventricular morphology (p = 0.87), surgical technique (p = 0.64), conduit fenestration (p = 0.34), age at Fontan operation (p = 0.54), and need for diuretics (p = 0.56). Hypoplastic left heart syndrome was more frequent in the PLE/PB group 50 vs. 22.8% (p = 0.03) OR 3.4 (95% CI 1.1-10.8). The modified Glenn procedure was performed at a median age of 4 months (IQR 4.0) in the PLE/PB group versus 8 months (IQR 8.0) in the non-PLE/PB group (p = 0.01). The early Glenn procedure and hypoplastic left heart syndrome may be associated with the development of PLE and PB.

Hypoglycemic effects of aqueous persimmon leaf extract in a murine model of diabetes.

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Bae, Ui-Jin; Park, Soo-Hyun; Jung, Su-Young; Park, Byung-Hyun; Chae, Soo-Wan

2015-08-01

Previously, powdered persimmon leaves have been reported to have glucose- and lipid-lowering effects in diabetic (db/db) mice. As persimmon leaf is commonly consumed as tea, an aqueous extract of persimmon leaves (PLE) was prepared and its anti-diabetic efficacy was investigated. In the present study, PLE was tested for its inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase in vitro. An oral maltose tolerance test was performed in diabetic mice. Next, the acute effect of PLE was examined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Last, the long-term effect of PLE supplementation was assessed in db/db after eight weeks. An oral glucose tolerance test, biochemical parameters, as well as histological analyses of liver and pancreas were evaluated at the end of the study. PLE inhibited α-glucosidase activity and increased antioxidant capacity. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice pre-treated with PLE displayed hypoglycemic activity. Daily oral supplementation with PLE for eight weeks reduced body weight gain without affecting food intake, enhanced the glucose tolerance during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), improved blood lipid parameters, suppressed fat accumulation in the liver and maintained islet structure in db/db mice. Further mechanistic study showed that PLE protected pancreatic islets from glucotoxicity. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that PLE exhibits considerable anti-diabetic effects through α-glucosidase inhibition and through the maintenance of functional β-cells. These results provided a rationale for the use of persimmon leaf tea for the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.

The Use of Fecal Calprotectin Levels in the Fontan population.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Carlos; Taqatqa, Anas; Chapa-Rodriguez, Adrian; Holton, Jacob P; Awad, Sawsan M

2018-03-01

The Fontan procedure was first performed in the seventies as a palliation for patients with single ventricle physiology. A feared complication after a Fontan procedure is the development of protein losing enteropathy (PLE). Systemic inflammation has a negative effect on the intestinal barrier integrity, which has supported the use of steroids in this setting. To the best of our knowledge there are no studies linking intestinal inflammation in patients with PLE after Fontan. The objective of this study was to identify the presence of intestinal inflammation measured by FC in patients with PLE after a Fontan procedure. A cross-sectional analysis was performed examining 23 stool samples from 23 Fontan patients for both Fecal alpha-1-antitrypsin (FA1AT) and FC with and without PLE. The median FC was 21 mcg/gm of stool (IQR: 15.7-241 mcg/gm of stool), and the median FA1AT was 40 mg/dL (IQR: 30-220 mg/dL). The median FC and FA1AT were significantly higher in the PLE group than in the Non-PLE group (p = 0.002 and p PLE, which correlated with the elevated levels of FA1AT. Inversely, levels of FC in Fontan patients without suspected PLE were within the normal range. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate intestinal inflammation using FC in the setting of PLE within this cohort, and may prove to be useful as a diagnostic tool in its treatment.

Protein-losing enteropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus: 12 years experience from a Chinese academic center.

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Zhen Chen

Full Text Available Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE is a complication in some systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE patients that is often misdiagnosed. With this study, we provide insight into clinical characteristics, laboratory characteristics, diagnostic tests, risk factors, treatment, and prognosis of the disease.A retrospective, case-control study was performed in 44 patients with SLE-related PLE (PLE group and 88 patients with active SLE (control group admitted to our care from January 2000-January 2012. Risk factors for SLE-related PLE were examined, and we analyzed the accuracy of single and combined laboratory characteristics in discriminating SLE-related PLE from active SLE. Serum albumin and C3 levels were measured as outcome during and after treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents.The PLE group had lower mean serum albumin and 24-hour urine protein levels, higher mean total plasma cholesterol levels, and greater frequencies of anti-SSA and SSB seropositivity compared with the control group. Anti-SSA seropositivity, hypoalbuminemia, and hypercholesterolemia were independent risk factors for SLE-related PLE. The simultaneous presence of serum albumin (<22 g/l and 24-hour urine protein (<0.8 g/24 h had high specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and positive likelihood ratio, a low negative likelihood ratio and no significant reduction in sensitivity. High dosage of glucocorticosteroid combined with cyclophosphomide were mostly prescribed for SLE-related PLE.SLE-related PLE should be considered when an SLE patient presents with generalized edema, anti-SSA antibody seropositivity, hypercholesterolemia, severe hypoalbuminemia, and low 24-hour urine protein levels. Aggressive treatment for lupus might improve prognosis.

Directional maximum likelihood self-estimation of the path-loss exponent

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hu, Y.; Leus, G.J.T.; Dong, Min; Zheng, Thomas Fang

2016-01-01

The path-loss exponent (PLE) is a key parameter in wireless propagation channels. Therefore, obtaining the knowledge of the PLE is rather significant for assisting wireless communications and networking to achieve a better performance. Most existing methods for estimating the PLE not only require

Sodium alginate microsphere combined with pingyangmycin lipiodol emulsion for clinical treatment of cavernous hemangioma of the liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Miao; Zhang Jinshan; Deng Liping

2010-01-01

Objective: To further reduce the adverse reactions of vascular embolization therapy for cavernous hemangioma of the liver (CHL) in order to find better embolizing agents. Methods: Sixty CHL patients were randomly and evenly divided into three groups: embolization therapy with sodium alginate microsphere(SAM) + pingyangmycin lipiodol emulsion (PLE) (group SAM + PLE), PLE (group PLE) and SAM (group SAM). The routine postoperative symptomatic treatments were conducted, including odynolysis, liver-protection and antiinflammatory therapy. The liver function and the intraoperative or postoperative discomfort symptoms before and 7 days after operation, and the changes in tumors were examined with CT scan. Clinical symptoms 3 months after operation were respectively compared. Results: The greatest impact on liver function was seen in group PLE among the three groups. The maximum intraoperative or postoperative discomfort symptoms were seen in group SAM, but the therapeutic effectiveness of the three groups had no significant difference. Conclusion: SAM + PLE is a safe and effective embolizing agent, being user-friendly, minor in the effect on liver function and light in the intraoperative and postoperative reaction. It is recommended that SAM + PLE be widely used for cavernous hemangioma of the liver. (authors)

Moodle platform as na effective tool in preparing a basic portuguese as a foreign language course

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Eduardo Rodrigues Goes

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The research, currently in development, proposes to analyze the platform Moodle-Unesp in an online course of Portuguese as a foreign language (PLE. The Moodle platform is a Virtual Learning Environment (AVA that allows, among many actions, the creation and management of courses, feasibility of didactic material and student evaluations. The interaction in the virtual environment can be created by activities proposed by the teacher (administrator using the tools available in the "Activities" and "Resources" fields, available in the platform. Likewise, the association of tools of the "Activities" and "Resources" fields with digital didactic materials and adequate procedures for the teaching of Portuguese as a foreign language (PLE are presented. The results show that the Moodle-Unesp modules allow the insertion of a wide variety of tasks and content in different formats for the development of speech, writing, listening, reading and culture skills, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of the platform in teaching PLE.

Effects of black hoof medicinal mushroom, phellinus linteus (Agaricomycetes), polysaccharide extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yamaç, Mustafa; Zeytinoğlu, Melih; Şentürk, Hakan; Kartkaya, Kazim; Kanbak, Göngör; Bayramoğlu, Gökhan; Oğlakci, Ayşegül; Griensven, van Leo J.L.D.

2016-01-01

In this article we report the healing effects of a Phellinus linteus fruiting body hot water extract (PLE) in streptozotocin (STZ)–induced diabetic rats. PLE was given before and after STZ. The preprotective, protective, and postprotective effects of PLE on STZ-induced oxidative stress were

The puzzle of polymorphous light eruption : Patients and pathogenesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schornagel, I.J.

2007-01-01

Polymorphous light eruption (PLE) is a photosensitivity disorder of which the pathogenesis is not fully understood. Patient history in PLE is important since lesions are transient and often not present at time of consultation. Phototesting is done to reproduce the PLE skin lesions and to obtain

Tensor-Dictionary Learning with Deep Kruskal-Factor Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevens, Andrew J.; Pu, Yunchen; Sun, Yannan; Spell, Gregory; Carin, Lawrence

2017-04-20

We introduce new dictionary learning methods for tensor-variate data of any order. We represent each data item as a sum of Kruskal decomposed dictionary atoms within the framework of beta-process factor analysis (BPFA). Our model is nonparametric and can infer the tensor-rank of each dictionary atom. This Kruskal-Factor Analysis (KFA) is a natural generalization of BPFA. We also extend KFA to a deep convolutional setting and develop online learning methods. We test our approach on image processing and classification tasks achieving state of the art results for 2D & 3D inpainting and Caltech 101. The experiments also show that atom-rank impacts both overcompleteness and sparsity.

Genetically divergent strains of feline immunodeficiency virus from the domestic cat (Felis catus) and the African lion (Panthera leo) share usage of CD134 and CXCR4 as entry receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

McEwan, William A; McMonagle, Elizabeth L; Logan, Nicola; Serra, Rodrigo C; Kat, Pieter; Vandewoude, Sue; Hosie, Margaret J; Willett, Brian J

2008-11-01

The env open reading frames of African lion (Panthera leo) lentivirus (feline immunodeficiency virus [FIV(Ple)]) subtypes B and E from geographically distinct regions of Africa suggest two distinct ancestries, with FIV(Ple)-E sharing a common ancestor with the domestic cat (Felis catus) lentivirus (FIV(Fca)). Here we demonstrate that FIV(Ple)-E and FIV(Fca) share the use of CD134 (OX40) and CXCR4 as a primary receptor and coreceptor, respectively, and that both lion CD134 and CXCR4 are functional receptors for FIV(Ple)-E. The shared usage of CD134 and CXCR4 by FIV(Fca) and FIV(Ple)-E may have implications for in vivo cell tropism and the pathogenicity of the E subtype among free-ranging lion populations.

Pleurocidin Peptide Enhances Grouper Anti-Vibrio harveyi Immunity Elicited by Poly(lactide-co-glycolide-Encapsulated Recombinant Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shu-Chun Chuang

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Outer membrane proteins, such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, are considered immunodominant antigens for eliciting protective immunity against Vibrio harveyi, the main etiological agent of vibriosis in fish. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs, such as pleurocidin (PLE, play important roles in activating and recruiting immune cells, thereby contributing to subsequent innate and adaptive immune responses. In the present study, we aimed to use PLE peptide as a potent adjuvant to improve the immunogenicity of V. harveyi recombinant GAPDH (rGAPDH. In order to prepare a controlled-release vaccine, PLE peptide and rGAPDH protein were simultaneously encapsulated into polymeric microparticles made from the biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide (PLG polymer. The resulting PLG-encapsulated PLE plus rGAPDH (PLG-PLE/rGAPDH microparticles, 3.21–6.27 μm in diameter, showed 72%–83% entrapment efficiency and durably released both PLE and rGAPDH for a long 30-day period. Following peritoneal immunization in grouper (Epinephelus coioides, PLG-PLE/rGAPDH microparticles resulted in significantly higher (p < 0.05, nested design long-lasting GAPDH-specific immunity (serum titers and lymphocyte proliferation than PLG-encapsulated rGAPDH (PLG-rGAPDH microparticles. After an experimental challenge of V. harveyi, PLG-PLE/rGAPDH microparticles conferred a high survival rate (85%, which was significantly higher (p < 0.05, chi-square test than that induced by PLG-rGAPDH microparticles (67%. In conclusion, PLE peptide exhibits an efficacious adjuvant effect to elicit not only improved immunity, but also enhanced protection against V. harveyi in grouper induced by rGAPDH protein encapsulated in PLG microparticles.

Echocardiographic characteristics in Fontan patients before the onset of protein-losing enteropathy or plastic bronchitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Du Bois, Florian; Stiller, Brigitte; Borth-Bruhns, Thomas; Unseld, Bettina; Kubicki, Rouven; Hoehn, René; Reineker, Katja; Grohmann, Jochen; Fleck, Thilo

2018-01-01

It was this study's objective to evaluate the echocardiographic characteristics and flow patterns in abdominal arteries of Fontan patients before the onset of protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) or plastic bronchitis (PB). In this retrospective cohort investigation, we examined 170 Fontan patients from 32 different centers who had undergone echocardiographic and Doppler ultrasound examinations between June 2006 and May 2013. Follow-up questionnaires were completed by 105 patients a median of 5.3 (1.5-8.5) years later to evaluate whether one of the complications had occurred since the examinations. A total of 91 patients never developed PLE or PB ("non-PLE/PB"); they were compared to 14 affected patients. Eight of the 14 patients had already been diagnosed with "present PLE/PB" when examined. Six "future PLE/PB" patients developed those complications later on and were identified on follow-up. The "future PLE/PB" patients presented significantly slower diastolic flow velocities in the celiac artery (0.1 (0.1-0.5) m/s vs 0.3 (0.1-1.0) m/s (P = .04) and in the superior mesenteric artery (0.0 (0.0-0.2) m/s vs 0.2 (0.0-0.6) m/s, P = .02) than the "non-PLE/PB" group. Median resistance indices in the celiac artery were significantly higher (0.9 (0.8-0.9) m/s vs 0.8 (0.6-0.9) m/s, (P = .01)) even before the onset of PLE or PB. An elevated flow resistance in the celiac artery may prevail in Fontan patients before the clinical manifestation of PLE or PB. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Annual report 1978. From the Research Institute of Physics, Stockholm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, A.

1978-01-01

This report covers the activities in 1978 at the Research Institute of Physics, Stockholm, Sweden. During this year the construction work on the caves for nuclear physics research in the new experimental hall has been completed. The cyclotron has been started up again after a shut-down of about 15 months. A new mini-computer system has been bought and installed at the institute which will be used for on-line data aquisition as well as for off-line computations and analysis. The experimental nuclear physics program has naturally been hampered by the shut-down of the cyclotron. During the main part of the year, experiments with participation of nuclear physicists from the institute have been carried out at laboratories in Uppsala, Aabo, Risoe, Darmstadt and Orsay. The collaboration with the CERN group studying exotic atoms has continued. The activities of the group working in the field of atomic physics at the 400kV accelerator show a clear trend towards the studies of reaction phenomena occuring in collisions of ions with solids and gases. The construction of the new high-power electron accelerator for research in time-resolved precision spectroscopy of atoms and molecules has been completed. The fusion-related experimental program of the surface physics group has continued with an emphasis on the work done in collaboration with the Institut fur Plasmaphysik, KFA, Julich. In order to be able to perform in situ sputtering and thin film migration studies, a new ultra-high-vacuum chamber is being connected simultaneously to the new 100V-10kV low-energy accelerator and the 2MV Van de Graaff accelerator. (E.R.)

Publisher's Note: ''The MaPLE device of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics: Construction and its plasma aspects'' [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 073507 (2010)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pal, Rabindranath; Biswas, Subir; Basu, Subhasis; Chattopadhyay, Monobir; Basu, Debjyoti; Chaudhuri, Manis

2010-01-01

The Magnetized Plasma Linear Experimental (MaPLE) device is a low cost laboratory plasma device at Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics fabricated in-house with the primary aim of studying basic plasma physics phenomena such as plasma instabilities, wave propagation, and their nonlinear behavior in magnetized plasma regime in a controlled manner. The machine is specially designed to be a versatile laboratory device that can provide a number of magnetic and electric scenario to facilitate such studies. A total of 36 number of 20-turn magnet coils, designed such as to allow easy handling, is capable of producing a uniform, dc magnetic field of about 0.35 T inside the plasma chamber of diameter 0.30 m. Support structure of the coils is planned in an innovative way facilitating straightforward fabrication and easy positioning of the coils. Further special feature lies in the arrangement of the spacers between the coils that can be maneuvered rather easily to create different magnetic configurations. Various methods of plasma production can be suitably utilized according to the experimental needs at either end of the vacuum vessel. In the present paper, characteristics of a steady state plasma generated by electron cyclotron resonance method using 2.45 GHz microwave power are presented. Scans using simple probe drives revealed that a uniform and long plasma column having electron density ∼ 3–5×1010 cm−3 and temperature ∼ 7–10 eV, is formed in the center of the plasma chamber which is suitable for wave launching experiments.

Mutations in plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein cause severe syndromic protein-losing enteropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Broekaert, Ilse Julia; Becker, Kerstin; Gottschalk, Ingo; Körber, Friederike; Dötsch, Jörg; Thiele, Holger; Altmüller, Janine; Nürnberg, Peter; Hünseler, Christoph; Cirak, Sebahattin

2018-04-16

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is characterised by gastrointestinal protein leakage due to loss of mucosal integrity or lymphatic abnormalities. PLE can manifest as congenital diarrhoea and should be differentiated from other congenital diarrhoeal disorders. Primary PLEs are genetically heterogeneous and the underlying genetic defects are currently emerging. We report an infant with fatal PLE for whom we aimed to uncover the underlying pathogenic mutation. We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) for the index patient. Variants were classified based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. WES results and our detailed clinical description of the patient were compared with the literature. We discovered a novel homozygous stop mutation (c.988C>T, p.Q330*) in the Plasmalemma Vesicle-Associated Protein ( PLVAP ) gene in a newborn with fatal PLE, facial dysmorphism, and renal, ocular and cardiac anomalies. The Q330* mutation is predicted to result in complete loss of PLVAP protein expression leading to deletion of the diaphragms of endothelial fenestrae, resulting in plasma protein extravasation and PLE. Recently, another single homozygous stop mutation in PLVAP causing lethal PLE in an infant was reported. Our findings validate PLVAP mutations as a cause of syndromic PLE. Prenatal anomalies, severe PLE and syndromic features may guide the diagnosis of this rare disease. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Alterations in serum amino acid concentrations in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kathrani, Aarti; Allenspach, Karin; Fascetti, Andrea J; Larsen, Jennifer A; Hall, Edward J

2018-03-31

Certain amino acids are decreased in humans with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and supplementation with the same amino acids has shown beneficial effects in animal models of IBD. Currently, the amino acid status of dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is unknown. To determine if serum amino acid concentrations are abnormal in dogs with PLE and correlated with clinical and laboratory variables and outcome. Thirty client-owned dogs diagnosed with PLE and 12 apparently healthy dogs seen at Bristol Veterinary School. Retrospective study using stored residual serum from fasted dogs with PLE, collected at the time of diagnostic investigation and from apparently healthy dogs. Serum was analyzed for 30 amino acids using an automated high-performance liquid chromatography amino acid analyzer. Serum tryptophan concentrations were significantly decreased in dogs with PLE (median, 22 nmol/mL; range, 1-80 nmol/mL) compared with apparently healthy control dogs (median, 77.5 nmol/mL; range, 42-135 nmol/mL, P PLE and apparently healthy. Serum tryptophan concentrations were also significantly correlated with serum albumin concentrations in dogs with PLE (P = .001, R 2 = 0.506). Decreased serum tryptophan concentration might play a role in the pathogenesis of canine PLE or be a consequence of the disease. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

rheumatoid arthritis health outcome

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2004-12-04

Dec 4, 2004 ... socio-demographic factors and psychological factors .... ple regression analysis was used to test the health-sustaining function of ..... Bless C, Higson-Smith C. Fundamentals of Social Research Methods. An African.

Pressurized liquid extraction of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) with bioethanol:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Jiajin; Guo, Zheng; Glasius, Marianne

2011-01-01

To develop an efficient green extraction approach for recovery of bioactive compounds from natural plants, we examined the potential of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) with bioethanol/water as solvents. The advantages of PLE over other extraction...... approaches, in addition to reduced time/solvent cost, the extract of PLE showed a distinct constituent profile from that of Soxhlet extraction, with significantly improved recovery of diarylheptanoids, etc. Among the pure solvents tested for PLE, bioethanol yield the highest efficiency for recovering most...... constituents of gingerol-related compounds; while for a broad concentration spectrum of ethanol aqueous solutions, 70% ethanol gave the best performance in terms of yield of total extract, complete constituent profile and recovery of most gingerol-related components. PLE with 70% bioethanol operated at 1500...

T regulatory cells and related immunoregulatory factors in polymorphic light eruption following ultraviolet A1 challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Gambichler, T; Terras, S; Kampilafkos, P; Kreuter, A; Skrygan, M

2013-12-01

Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is considered to be an autoimmune-mediated skin condition in which the normal ultraviolet (UV)-induced local immunosuppression appears to be absent, leading to recognition of photoinduced autoantigens and subsequent inflammation. To investigate T regulatory cells (Tregs) and related immunoregulatory factors in PLE lesions and controls. Skin biopsies were performed in 13 patients with UVA1-challenged PLE, 12 female patients with chronic discoid lupus erythematosus (CDLE) and 11 healthy controls who had exposure to UVA1. Immunohistochemistry and four-colour immunofluorescence studies were performed. Patients with CDLE and UVA1-exposed controls showed significantly decreased epidermal immunoreactivity for CD1a compared with patients with PLE (P = 0·0001). Four-colour immunofluorescence revealed a median percentage of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Tregs of 7·6% (range 3·7-13·6%) in PLE, a median of 11·7% (range 9·5-13·9%) in CDLE and a median of 3·4% (range 0-6·8%) in controls. Compared with UVA1-exposed controls, PLE and CDLE lesions showed significantly decreased transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 immunoreactivity in the epidermis (P = 0·0003). In PLE lesions, we observed significantly decreased interleukin (IL)-10 expression compared with CDLE (P = 0·022). In the dermis, receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) expression was increased in UVA1-exposed controls compared with PLE and CDLE (P = 0·018). Similar to CDLE lesions, UVA1-challenged PLE lesions display an altered immunoregulatory network, as indicated by decreased epidermal or dermal expression of TGF-β1, IL-10 and RANKL, and a relatively low number of Tregs, particularly when compared with other inflammatory skin conditions reported in the literature. © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.

Maw and spent HTR Fuel Element Test storage in Boreholes in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnert, E.; Brucher, P.H.; Kroth, K.; Merz, E.; Niephaus, D.

1986-01-01

The Budesminister fur Forschung und Technolgie (BMFT, Federal Ministry for Research and Technology) is sponsoring a project at the Kernforschungsanlage Julich (KFA, Juelich Nuclear Research Centre) entitled ''MAW and HTR Fuel Element Test disposal in Boreholes.'' The aim of this project is to develop a technique for the final disposal of (1) dissolver sludge, (2) cladding hulls/structural components and (3) spent HTR fuels elements in salt, and to test this technique in the abandoned Asse salt mine, including safety calculations and safety engineering demonstrations. The project is divided into the sub-projects I ''Disposal/sealing technique'' and II ''Retrievable disposal test.''

Successful Short Desensitization Treatment Protocol with Narrowband UVB Phototherapy (TL-01) in Polymorphic Light Eruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Combalia, A; Fernández-Sartorio, C; Fustà, X; Morgado-Carrasco, D; Podlipnik, S; Aguilera, P

2017-10-01

Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is a common idiopathic photodermatosis that typically presents with pruritic papular or papulovesicular lesions on sun-exposed skin between spring and autumn. In many subjects PLE is mild, and can usually be prevented by the use of broad-spectrum topical sunscreens and a gradual increase in sunlight exposure. However, in some individuals, sunlight exposure results in florid PLE and they often benefit from prophylactic desensitization treatment using phototherapy in early spring, an artificial method that induces a "hardening" phenomenon. To describe and evaluate the efficacy of a short desensitization protocol, based on a one-month-treatment, administered twice a week with narrow band UVB in subjects with severe polymorphic light eruption (PLE). A retrospective, open planned and non-randomized study to assess the efficacy of UVB phototherapy in prevention of polymorphic light eruption. Fifteen subjects diagnosed with severe PLE were treated with the standard protocol in our Photobiology Unit between 2014 and 2015. The effect of hardening was sustained during follow up in 87.5% of desensitization treatments. A statistically significant association (pPLE and the response to treatment was found. The effect of hardening was maintained in the vast majority of subjects, obtaining a good benefit with no PLE episodes during all the summer. We demonstrate that our standard protocol is effective, and produces a successful outcome for the majority of PLE subjects. Our protocol is shorter than those currently applied, being favourable both for the patient and the physician. Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

(Fuel, fission product, and graphite technology)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stansfield, O.M.

1990-07-25

Travel to the Forschungszentrum (KFA) -- Juelich described in this report was for the purpose of participating in the annual meeting of subprogram managers for the US/DOE Umbrella Agreement for Fuel, Fission Product, and Graphite Technology. At this meeting the highlights of the cooperative exchange were reviewed for the time period June 1989 through June 1990. The program continues to contribute technology in an effective way for both countries. Revision 15 of the Subprogram Plan will be issued as a result of the meeting. There was interest expressed by KFA management in the level of support received from the NPR program and in potential participation in the COMEDIE loop experiment being conducted at the CEA.

Development of ion diagnostic system based on electrostatic probe in the boundary plasma of the JFT-2M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uehara, Kazuya; Kawakami, Tomohide; Amemiya, Hiroshi; Hoethker, K.; Cosler, A.; Bieger, W.

1995-06-01

An ion diagnostic system using electrostatic probes for measurements in the JFT-2M tokamak boundary plasma has been developed under the collaboration program between KFA and JAERI. The rotating double probe system, on which the Hoethker double probe and Amemiya asymmetric probe can mounted, are manufactured at KFA workshop while the linear driver to support the rotating double probe, the ion toothbrush probe, the Katsumata probe and the cubic Mach probe are developed at JAERI. This report describes the hardware of this probe system for ion diagnostics in the boundary plasma and preliminary data obtained by means of this system. Furthermore, results on the transport are estimated on the basis of these probe data. (author)

Somatic PTPN11 Mutation in a Child With Neuroblastoma and Protein Losing Enteropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Obasaju, Patience; Brondon, Jennifer; Mir, Sabina; Fordham, Lynn A; Lee, Sang; Blatt, Julie

2018-05-01

Neuroblastoma and protein losing enteropathy (PLE) are diagnoses commonly seen by oncologists and gastroenterologists, respectively. The concurrence of these 2 entities is rare, and not well explained. We describe the sixth case of PLE in a child with neuroblastoma, and the first for which genetic information is available. Tumor DNA had a mutation in the PTPN11 gene, which has been described in neuroblastoma, and in Noonan syndrome-a diagnosis in which neuroblastoma and PLE independently have been reported. Constitutional DNA was normal. Genetic studies in future patients will be needed to support the link between neuroblastoma and PLE.

Punica granatum (pomegranate) leaves extract induces apoptosis through mitochondrial intrinsic pathway and inhibits migration and invasion in non-small cell lung cancer in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yali; Yang, Fangfang; Zheng, Weidong; Hu, Mingxing; Wang, Juanxiu; Ma, Sisi; Deng, Yuanle; Luo, Yi; Ye, Tinghong; Yin, Wenya

2016-05-01

Most conventional treatments on non-small cell lung carcinoma always accompany with awful side effects, and the incidence and mortality rates of this cancer are increasing rapidly worldwide. The objective of this study was to examine the anticancer effects of extract of Punica granatum (pomegranate) leaves extract (PLE) on the non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line A549, H1299 and mouse Lewis lung carcinoma cell line LL/2 in vitro, and explore its mechanisms of action. Our results have shown that PLE inhibited cell proliferation in non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry (FCM) assay showed that PLE affected H1299 cell survival by arresting cell cycle progression in G2/M phase in a dose-dependent manner and inducing apoptosis. Moreover, PLE could also decrease the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔYm), indicating that PLE may induce apoptosis via mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, PLE blocked H1299 cell migration and invasion, and the reduction of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression were also observed in vitro. These results suggested that PLE could be an effective and safe chemotherapeutic agent in non-small cell lung carcinoma treatment by inhibiting proliferation, inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and impairing cell migration and invasion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Hereditary polymorphic light eruption of American Indians: occurrence in non-Indians with polymorphic light eruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Fusaro, R M; Johnson, J A

1996-04-01

Hereditary polymorphic light eruption (HPLE) occurs unique ly in the American Indian and Inuit and exhibits autosomal dominant transmission. Because the cutaneous expression of HPLE resembles that of polymorphic light eruption (PLE) and because many non-Indians in the United States have American Indian heritage, some instances of PLE may actually be HPLE. Our purpose was to determine whether non-Indian patients with PLE have characteristics suggestive of HPLE. We surveyed in Nebraska 25 European-Caucasian and 36 African-American patients with PLE for American Indian heritage and photosensitive relatives. Nonphotosensitive subjects (52 Caucasians and 40 African Americans) were surveyed for American Indian heritage. American Indian heritage occurred in 11 Caucasian patients (44%); of those, seven (64%) had photosensitive relatives. Likewise, 29 African Americans (81%) had American Indian heritage; 19 (66%) of those had photosensitive relatives. American Indian heritage occurred in 10 Caucasian control subjects (19%) and in 34 African-American control subjects (85%). If American Indian heritage and a family history of photosensitivity are definitive for HPLE, seven (28%) of our Caucasian patients and 19 (53%) of our African-American patients have HPLE rather than PLE. We urge physicians who suspect PLE in non-Indians to ask about American Indian heritage and photosensitive relatives and to screen their present patients with PLE for such characteristics.

Demolition of the FRJ-1 research reactor (MERLIN); Abbau des Reaktorblocks des Forschungsreaktors FRJ-1 (MERLIN)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stahn, B.; Matela, K.; Zehbe, C. [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Poeppinghaus, J. [Gesellschaft fuer Nuklearservice, Essen (Germany); Cremer, J. [SNT Siempelkamp Nukleartechnik, Heidelberg (Germany)

2003-06-01

FRJ-2 (MERLIN), the swimming pool reactor cooled and moderated by light water, was built at the then Juelich Nuclear Research Establishment (KFA) between 1958 and 1962. In the period between 1964 and 1985, it was used for. The reactor was decommissioned in 1985. Since 1996, most of the demolition work has been carried out under the leadership of a project team. The complete secondary cooling system was removed by late 1998. After the cooling loops and experimental installations had been taken out, the reactor vessel internals were removed in 2000 after the water had been drained from the reactor vessel. After the competent authority had granted a license, demolition of the reactor block, the central part of the research reactor, was begun in October 2001. In a first step, the reactor operating floor and the reactor attachment structures were removed by the GNS/SNT consortium charged with overall planning and execution of the job. This phase gave rise to approx. The reactor block proper is dismantled in a number of steps. A variety of proven cutting techniques are used for this purpose. Demolition of the reactor block is to be completed in the first half of 2003. (orig.) [German] Der mit Leichtwasser gekuehlte und moderierte Schwimmbad-Forschungsreaktor FRJ-2 (MERLIN) wurde von 1958 bis 1962 fuer die damalige Kernforschungsanlage Juelich (KFA) errichtet. Von 1964 bis 1985 wurde er fuer Experimente mit zunaechst 5 MW und spaeter 10 MW thermischer Leistung bei einem maximalen thermischen Neutronenfluss von 1,1.10{sup 14} n/cm{sup 2}s genutzt. Im Jahr 1985 stellte der Reaktor seinen Betrieb ein. Die Brennelemente wurden aus der Anlage entfernt und in die USA und nach Grossbritannien verbracht. Seit 1996 erfolgen die wesentlichen Abbautaetigkeiten unter Leitung eines verantwortlichen Projektteams. Bis Ende 1998 wurde das komplette Sekundaerkuehlsystem entfernt. Dem Abbau der Kuehlkreislaeufe und Experimentiereinrichtungen folgte im Jahr 2000 der Ausbau der

The conversion of the DIDO-type reactor FRJ-2. Studies and conclusions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stroemich, A.; Siebertz, Ch.; Wickert, M.

1985-01-01

For the FRJ-2 (23 MW) of the KFA-Juelich the conversion from HEU- to LEU-fuel was investigated. Before starting the conversion calculations our methods were qualified for the application to heavy water moderated research reactors. A combination of LEU-elements with two different U-235 loadings of 180 g and 225 g was found as suitable for conversion. With these LEU-elements a working core and a transition phase was calculated. The change of the mechanical fuel element design was taken into account. (author)

Effect of plagiochin E, an antifungal macrocyclic bis(bibenzyl), on cell wall chitin synthesis in Candida albicans

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xiu-zhen WU; Ai-xia CHENG; Ling-mei SUN; Hong-xiang LOU

2008-01-01

Aim: To investigate the effect of plagiochin E (PLE), an antifungal macrocyclic bis(bibenzyl) isolated from liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L, on cell wall chitin synthesis in Candida albicans. Methods: The effect of PLE on chitin synthesis in Candida albicans was investigated at the cellular and molecular lev-els. First, the ultrastructural changes were observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Second, the effects of PLE on chitin synthetase (Chs) activi-ties in vitro were assayed using 6-O-dansyl-N-acetylglucosamine as a fluorescent substrate, and its effect on chitin synthesis in situ was assayed by spheroplast regeneration. Finally, real-time RT-PCR was performed to assay its effect on the expression of Chs genes (CHS). Results: Observation under TEM showed that the structure of the cell wall in Candida albicans was seriously damaged, which suggested that the antifungal activity of PLE was associated with its effect on the cell wail. Enzymatic assays and spheroplast regeneration showed that PLE inhibited chitin synthesis in vitro and in situ. The results of the PCR showed that PLE significantly downregulated the expression of CHS1, and upregulated the expression of CHS2 and CHS3. Because different Chs is regulated at different stages of transcription and post-translation, the downregulation of CHS1 would decrease the level of Chs 1 and inhibit its activity, and the inhibitory effects of PLE on Chs2 and Chs3 would be at the post-translational level or by the inhibi-tion on the enzyme-active center. Conclusion: These results indicate that the antifungal activity of PLE would be attributed to its inhibitory effect on cell wall chitin synthesis in Candida albicans.

Cannabis use and psychotic-like experiences trajectories during early adolescence: the coevolution and potential mediators.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourque, Josiane; Afzali, Mohammad H; O'Leary-Barrett, Maeve; Conrod, Patricia

2017-12-01

The authors sought to model the different trajectories of psychotic-like experiences (PLE) during adolescence and to examine whether the longitudinal relationship between cannabis use and PLE is mediated by changes in cognitive development and/or change in anxiety or depression symptoms. A total of 2,566 youths were assessed every year for 4-years (from 13- to 16-years of age) on clinical, substance use and cognitive development outcomes. Latent class growth models identified three trajectories of PLE: low decreasing (83.9%), high decreasing (7.9%), and moderate increasing class (8.2%). We conducted logistic regressions to investigate whether baseline levels and growth in cannabis use were associated with PLE trajectory membership. Then, we examined the effects of potential mediators (growth in cognition and anxiety/depression) on the relationship between growth in cannabis use and PLE trajectory. A steeper growth in cannabis use from 13- to 16-years was associated with a higher likelihood of being assigned to the moderate increasing trajectory of PLE [odds ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11-6.03], when controlling for cumulative cigarette use. Growth in depression symptoms, not anxiety or change in cognitive functioning, mediated the relationship between growth in cannabis use and the PLE moderate increasing group (indirect effect: 0.07; 95% CI, 0.03-0.11). Depression symptoms partially mediated the longitudinal link between cannabis use and PLE in adolescents, suggesting that there may be a preventative effect to be gained from targeting depression symptoms, in addition to attempting to prevent cannabis use in youth presenting increasing psychotic experiences. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Defining progressive stages in the commitment process leading to embryonic lens formation

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hong; Fisher, Marilyn; Grainger, Robert M.

2013-01-01

Summary The commitment of regions of the embryo to form particular tissues or organs is a central concept in development, but the mechanisms controlling this process remain elusive. The well-studied model of lens induction is ideal for dissecting key phases of the commitment process. We find in Xenopus tropicalis, at the time of specification of the lens, i.e. when presumptive lens ectoderm (PLE) can be isolated, cultured and will differentiate into a lens, that the PLE is not yet irreversibly committed, or determined, to form a lens. When transplanted into the posterior of a host embryo lens development is prevented at this stage, while approximately 3 hr later, using the same assay, determination is complete. Interestingly, we find that specified lens ectoderm, when cultured, acquires the ability to become determined without further tissue interactions. Further, we show that specified PLE has a different gene expression pattern than determined PLE, and that determined PLE can maintain expression of essential regulatory genes (e.g. foxe3, mafB) in an ectopic environment while specified PLE cannot. These observations set the stage for a detailed mechanistic study of the genes and signals controlling tissue commitment. PMID:22566346

The prevalence of antinuclear antibodies in patients with apparent polymorphic light eruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, G M; Hawk, J L

1991-11-01

Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is a very common photosensitive disorder, the most important differential diagnosis of which is lupus erythematosus (LE). One-hundred and forty-two patients with PLE were screened for circulating antinuclear (ANA), Ro and La antibodies over a 2-year period. Results were negative in 66 patients. Sixty-two patients had low-titre ANA of various patterns, ranging from trace to 1/80 without evidence of LE although one later developed subacute cutaneous LE. Fourteen had more significant findings, six with ANA ranging from 1/160 to 1/1280 but no anti-Ro antibodies, four with ANA ranging from 1/160 to 1/1280 and also with anti-Ro antibodies and four patients with anti-Ro antibodies but low-titre ANA, one of whom later developed discoid LE. Three of these 14 patients fulfilled the American Rheumatism Association criteria for the diagnosis of systemic LE, but it was not certain in any of the patients whether the PLE-like rash represented cutaneous LE or coincidental PLE. However the overall 10% incidence of definite or possible LE in patients with suspected PLE suggests that all PLE patients should be screened for LE.

Innovative Leadership: Insights from a Learning Technologist

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Bruce

2012-01-01

Professor Ricardo Torres Kompen is a leading proponent for, and researcher in, personal learning environments (PLEs). During his interview, Torres Kompen clarified his research on PLEs, particularly the digital toolbox within PLEs. He elaborated on experiences with implementing PLE initiatives, personal insights on using social media and Web 2.0…

Loss of Proliferation and Antigen Presentation Activity following Internalization of Polydispersed Carbon Nanotubes by Primary Lung Epithelial Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kumari, Mandavi; Sachar, Sumedha; Saxena, Rajiv K.

2012-01-01

Interactions between poly-dispersed acid functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes (AF-SWCNTs) and primary lung epithelial (PLE) cells were studied. Peritoneal macrophages (PMs, known phagocytic cells) were used as positive controls in this study. Recovery of live cells from cultures of PLE cells and PMs was significantly reduced in the presence of AF-SWCNTs, in a time and dose dependent manner. Both PLE cells as well as PMs could take up fluorescence tagged AF-SWCNTs in a time dependent manner and this uptake was significantly blocked by cytochalasin D, an agent that blocks the activity of acto-myosin fibers and therefore the phagocytic activity of cells. Confocal microscopic studies confirmed that AF-SWCNTs were internalized by both PLE cells and PMs. Intra-trachially instilled AF-SWCNTs could also be taken up by lung epithelial cells as well as alveolar macrophages. Freshly isolated PLE cells had significant cell division activity and cell cycling studies indicated that treatment with AF-SWCNTs resulted in a marked reduction in S-phase of the cell cycle. In a previously standardized system to study BCG antigen presentation by PLE cells and PMs to sensitized T helper cells, AF-SWCNTs could significantly lower the antigen presentation ability of both cell types. These results show that mouse primary lung epithelial cells can efficiently internalize AF-SWCNTs and the uptake of nanotubes interfered with biological functions of PLE cells including their ability to present BCG antigens to sensitized T helper cells. PMID:22384094

Polymorphous light eruption. Experimental reproduction of skin lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoelzle, E.; Plewig, G.; Hofmann, C.; Roser-Maass, E.

1982-01-01

The clinical features of polymorphous light eruption (PLE) are reviewed from the literature with special emphasis on the experimental reproduction of skin lesions. Our clinical experience with 180 patients is reported. In forty-three patients a newly developed UVA provocation test was performed. UVA, free of sunburn radiation (50-100 J/cm2), was administered, sometimes repeatedly up to four times, to large sites of previously involved skin. With this technic the reproduction of PLE lesions under laboratory conditions was possible in 90% of this group of forty-three patients. The diagnosis was substantiated by microscopic examination of genuine and experimentally induced lesions. Characteristic histologic features of PLE are described. Phototesting with large doses of UVA aids in confirming the diagnosis of PLE. Hitherto, this diagnosis depended often on exclusion of other dermatoses. Eusolex 8021, a UVA-effective sunscreen, blocked eruptions of PLE lesions under laboratory conditions. An effective means of treatment is offered by PUVA therapy

Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium Using Sorbaria sorbifolia Aqueous Leaf Extract

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shashi Prabha Dubey

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Aqueous plant leaves extract (PLE of an abundant shrub, Sorbaria sorbifolia, was explored for the reduction of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI, to trivalent chromium, Cr(III. The effect of contact time, pH, PLE quantity, ionic strength, hardness, temperature and effective initial Cr(VI ion concentration were tested; Cr(VI reduction followed the pseudo-first order rate kinetics and maximum reduction was observed at pH 2. Significantly, Cr(VI reduction efficacies varied from 97 to 66% over the pH range of 2 to 10, which bodes well for PLE to be used for the reduction of Cr(VI also at a higher pH. PLE-mediated Cr(VI reduction displays considerable efficiency at various ionic strengths; however, hardness strongly affects the reduction ability. Higher temperature significantly enhances the Cr(VI reduction. This study reveals the potential use of PLE as a green reducing agent in aqueous extract for the efficient reduction of Cr(VI to Cr(III.

Fontan-associated protein-losing enteropathy and plastic bronchitis: characterizing current-era risk factors, course, and progression

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Kurt R.; Stringer, Kathleen A.; Donohue, Janet E.; Yu, Sunkyung; Shaver, Ashley; Caruthers, Regine L.; Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J.; Fifer, Carlen; Goldberg, Caren; Russell, Mark W.

2015-01-01

Objective Characterize the medical history, disease progression, and treatment of current-era patients with the rare diseases Fontan-associated protein losing enteropathy (PLE) and plastic bronchitis (PB). Study Design A novel survey that queried demographics, medical details, and treatment information was piloted and placed online via a Facebook portal allowing social media to power the study. Participation regardless of PLE or PB diagnosis was allowed. Case control analyses compared patients with PLE and PB to uncomplicated control Fontan patients. Results The survey was completed by 671 subjects including 76 with PLE, 46 with PB, and 7 with both. Median PLE diagnosis was 2.5 years post-Fontan. Hospitalization for PLE occurred in 71% with 41% hospitalized ≥ 3 times. Therapy varied significantly. PLE patients more commonly had hypoplastic left ventricle (62% vs 44% control; OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.4–5.5), chylothorax (66% vs 41%; OR 3.0, CI 1.6–5.3), and cardiothoracic surgery in addition to staged palliation (17% vs 5%; OR 4.3, CI 1.6, 11.2). Median PB diagnosis was 2 years post-Fontan. Hospitalization for PB occurred in 91% with 61% hospitalized ≥3 times. Therapy was very diverse. PB patients more commonly had chylothorax at any surgery (72% vs 51%; OR 2.5, CI 1.2–5.1) and seasonal allergies (52% vs 36%; OR 2.0, CI 1.0–3.9). Conclusions Patient-specific factors are associated with diagnoses of PLE or PB. Treatment strategies are diverse without clear patterns. These results provide a foundation upon which to design future therapeutic studies and identify a clear need for forming consensus approaches to treatment. PMID:25661406

Fontan-associated protein-losing enteropathy and plastic bronchitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Kurt R; Stringer, Kathleen A; Donohue, Janet E; Yu, Sunkyung; Shaver, Ashley; Caruthers, Regine L; Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J; Fifer, Carlen; Goldberg, Caren; Russell, Mark W

2015-04-01

To characterize the medical history, disease progression, and treatment of current-era patients with the rare diseases Fontan-associated protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) and plastic bronchitis. A novel survey that queried demographics, medical details, and treatment information was piloted and placed online via a Facebook portal, allowing social media to power the study. Participation regardless of PLE or plastic bronchitis diagnosis was allowed. Case control analyses compared patients with PLE and plastic bronchitis with uncomplicated control patients receiving the Fontan procedure. The survey was completed by 671 subjects, including 76 with PLE, 46 with plastic bronchitis, and 7 with both. Median PLE diagnosis was 2.5 years post-Fontan. Hospitalization for PLE occurred in 71% with 41% hospitalized ≥ 3 times. Therapy varied significantly. Patients with PLE more commonly had hypoplastic left ventricle (62% vs 44% control; OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.43-5.53), chylothorax (66% vs 41%; OR 2.96, CI 1.65-5.31), and cardiothoracic surgery in addition to staged palliation (17% vs 5%; OR 4.27, CI 1.63-11.20). Median plastic bronchitis diagnosis was 2 years post-Fontan. Hospitalization for plastic bronchitis occurred in 91% with 61% hospitalized ≥ 3 times. Therapy was very diverse. Patients with plastic bronchitis more commonly had chylothorax at any surgery (72% vs 51%; OR 2.47, CI 1.20-5.08) and seasonal allergies (52% vs 36%; OR 1.98, CI 1.01-3.89). Patient-specific factors are associated with diagnoses of PLE or plastic bronchitis. Treatment strategies are diverse without clear patterns. These results provide a foundation upon which to design future therapeutic studies and identify a clear need for forming consensus approaches to treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Marginal Zone Lymphoma Complicated by Protein Losing Enteropathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadine Stanek

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Protein losing enteropathy (PLE refers to excessive intestinal protein loss, resulting in hypoalbuminemia. Underlying pathologies include conditions leading to either reduced intestinal barrier or lymphatic congestion. We describe the case of a patient with long-lasting diffuse abdominal problems and PLE. Repetitive endoscopies were normal with only minimal lymphangiectasia in biopsies. Further evaluations revealed an indolent marginal zone lymphoma with minor bone marrow infiltration. Monotherapy with rituximab decreased bone marrow infiltration of the lymphoma but did not relieve PLE. Additional treatments with steroids, octreotide, a diet devoid of long-chain fatty-acids, and parenteral nutrition did not prevent further clinical deterioration with marked weight loss (23 kg, further reduction in albumin concentrations (nadir 8 g/L, and a pronounced drop in performance status. Finally, immunochemotherapy with rituximab and bendamustine resulted in hematological remission and remarkable clinical improvement. 18 months after therapy the patient remains free of gastrointestinal complaints and has regained his body weight with normal albumin levels. We demonstrate a case of PLE secondary to indolent marginal zone lymphoma. No intestinal pathologies were detected, contrasting a severe and almost lethal clinical course. Immunochemotherapy relieved lymphoma and PLE, suggesting that a high suspicion of lymphoma is warranted in otherwise unexplained cases of PLE.

Collapsed state of polyglutamic acid results in amyloid spherulite formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stehli, Daniel; Mulaj, Mentor; Miti, Tatiana; Traina, Joshua; Foley, Joseph; Muschol, Martin

2015-01-01

Self-assembly of proteins and peptides into amyloid fibrils involves multiple distinct intermediates and late-stage fibrillar polymorphs. Understanding the conditions and mechanisms that promote the formation of one type of intermediate and polymorph over the other represents a fundamental challenge. Answers to this question are also of immediate biomedical relevance since different amyloid aggregate species have been shown to have distinct pathogenic potencies. One amyloid polymorph that has received comparatively little attention are amyloid spherulites. Here we report that self-assembly of the intrinsically disordered polymer poly(L-glutamic) acid (PLE) can generate amyloid spherulites. We characterize spherulite growth kinetics, as well as the morphological, optical and tinctorial features of this amyloid polymorph previously unreported for PLE. We find that PLE spherulites share both tinctorial and structural characteristics with their amyloid fibril counterparts. Differences in PLE's molecular weight, polydispersity or chemistry could not explain the selective propensity toward either fibril or spherulite formation. Instead, we provide evidence that PLE polymers can exist in either a collapsed globule or an extended random coil conformation. The collapsed globule consistently produces spherulites while the extended coil assembles into disordered fibril bundles. This results suggests that these 2 PLE conformers directly affect the morphology of the resulting macroscopic amyloid assembly.

Collapsed state of polyglutamic acid results in amyloid spherulite formation

Science.gov (United States)

Stehli, Daniel; Mulaj, Mentor; Miti, Tatiana; Traina, Joshua; Foley, Joseph; Muschol, Martin

2015-01-01

Self-assembly of proteins and peptides into amyloid fibrils involves multiple distinct intermediates and late-stage fibrillar polymorphs. Understanding the conditions and mechanisms that promote the formation of one type of intermediate and polymorph over the other represents a fundamental challenge. Answers to this question are also of immediate biomedical relevance since different amyloid aggregate species have been shown to have distinct pathogenic potencies. One amyloid polymorph that has received comparatively little attention are amyloid spherulites. Here we report that self-assembly of the intrinsically disordered polymer poly(L-glutamic) acid (PLE) can generate amyloid spherulites. We characterize spherulite growth kinetics, as well as the morphological, optical and tinctorial features of this amyloid polymorph previously unreported for PLE. We find that PLE spherulites share both tinctorial and structural characteristics with their amyloid fibril counterparts. Differences in PLE's molecular weight, polydispersity or chemistry could not explain the selective propensity toward either fibril or spherulite formation. Instead, we provide evidence that PLE polymers can exist in either a collapsed globule or an extended random coil conformation. The collapsed globule consistently produces spherulites while the extended coil assembles into disordered fibril bundles. This results suggests that these 2 PLE conformers directly affect the morphology of the resulting macroscopic amyloid assembly. PMID:28232889

Development and test evaluation of duplex steam reformer tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, D.C.; Meyer, D.J.; Pflasterer, G.R.

1980-01-01

For HTR applications involving a steam reformer (SR), it is uncertain whether an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) is required. There are several system configurations that could be developed for the application of nuclear heat using the steam reformer reaction. The considerations (advantages vs. disadvantages) for each of the system configurations are summarized. The approach that technically and economically appears to be the most attractive, in studies conducted by General Electric, combines the SR process heat exchanger and the IHX in a single component using a duplex tube. A central question concerning the duplex tube concept is whether the design would provide adequate leak monitoring capability and significant reduction in tritium and hydrogen diffusion, while introducing only a small increase in overall temperature difference from the helium to the process gas. A cooperative GE-KFA effort was undertaken to develop, fabricate, test, and evaluate a duplex steam reformer tube. GE was responsible for the development and fabrication of the tube, and KFA was responsible for testing the tube in the EVA I facility at Juelich. Both GE and KFA are evaluating the thermochemical and metallurgical test data. Actual fabrication of the tube was performed by Foster-Wheeler in accordance with the GE design. This paper reviews the highlights of the fabrication development and preliminary evaluation of the test data

Fluid loading and norepinephrine infusion mask the left ventricular preload decrease induced by pleural effusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wemmelund, Kristian Borup; Ringgård, Viktor Kromann; Vistisen, Simon Tilma

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Pleural effusion (PLE) may lead to low blood pressure and reduced cardiac output. Low blood pressure and reduced cardiac output are often treated with fluid loading and vasopressors. This study aimed to determine the impact of fluid loading and norepinephrine infusion on physiologic d...... global haemodynamic parameters. Inferior vena cava distensibility remained unchanged. The haemodynamic significance of PLE may be underestimated during fluid or norepinephrine administration, potentially masking the presence of PLE....

Optical Characterization of Rare Earth-doped Wide Band Gap Semiconductors

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hommerich, Uwe

1999-01-01

...+) PL intensity under below gap excitation. Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) studies revealed that oxygen/carbon introduces a broad below gap PLE band, which provides an efficient pathway for E(3+) excitation...

Recurrent protein-losing enteropathy and tricuspid valve insufficiency in a transplanted heart: a causal relationship?

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Sanjeev; Delius, Ralph E; Walters, Henry L; L'Ecuyer, Thomas J

2012-01-01

This case report describes a toddler who developed a protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) 4 years after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). He was born with a hypoplastic left heart syndrome for which he underwent a successful Norwood procedure, a Hemi-Fontan palliation, and a Fontan palliation at 18 months of age. Fifteen months following the Fontan operation, he developed a PLE and Fontan failure requiring OHT. Four years after OHT, he developed a severe tricuspid regurgitation and a PLE. His PLE improved after tricuspid valve replacement. It is now 2 years since his tricuspid valve replacement and he remains clinically free of ascites and peripheral edema with a normal serum albumin level. His prosthetic tricuspid valve is functioning normally. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of pressurized liquids on extraction of antioxidants from Chlorella vulgaris.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Kwang Hyun; Kang, Suk Woo; Kim, Chul Young; Um, Byung Hun; Na, Ye Rim; Pan, Cheol-Ho

2010-04-28

Chlorella vulgaris is a green microalga that contains various antioxidants, such as carotenoids and chlorophylls. In this study, antioxidants from C. vulgaris were extracted using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), which has been recently used for bioactive compound extraction. The antioxidant capacity of individual compounds in chlorella was determined by online HPLC ABTS(*+) analysis. According to the antioxidant analysis of total extracts, the extraction yield, radical scavenging activity, and phenolic compounds using PLE were relatively high compared to those obtained using maceration or ultrasound-assisted extraction. On the basis of online HPLC ABTS(*+) analysis, the 15 major antioxidants from chlorella extracts were identified as hydrophilic compounds, lutein and its isomers, chlorophylls, and chlorophyll derivatives. Using PLE at high temperature (85-160 degrees C) significantly increased antioxidant extraction from chlorella, improving the formation of hydrophilic compounds and yielding more antioxidative chlorophyll derivatives. Online HPLC ABTS(*+) analysis was a useful tool for the separation of main antioxidants from PLE extracts and allowed the simultaneous measurement of their antioxidant capacity, which clearly showed that PLE is an excellent method for extracting antioxidants from C. vulgaris.

Concepts for the interim storage of spent fuel elements from research reactors in the Federal Republic of Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niephaus, D.; Bensch, D.; Quaassdorff, P.; Plaetzer, S.

1997-01-01

Research reactors have been operated in the Federal Republic of Germany since the late fifties. These are Material Test Reactors (MTR) and training, Research and Isotope Facilities of General Atomic (TRIGA). A total of seven research reactors, i.e. three TRIGA and four MTR facilities were still in operation at the beginning of 1996. Provisions to apply to the back-end of the fuel cycle are required for their continued operation and for already decommissioned plants. This was ensured until the end of the eighties by the reprocessing of spent fuel elements abroad. In view of impeding uncertainties in connection with waste management through reprocessing abroad, the development of a national back-end fuel cycle concept was commissioned by the Federal Minister of Education, Science, Research and Technology in early 1990. Development work was oriented along the lines of the disposal concept for irradiated light-water reactor fuel elements from nuclear power plants. Analogously, the fuel elements from research reactors are to be interim-stored on a long-term basis in adequately designed transport and storage casks and then be directly finally disposed without reprocessing after up to forty years of interim storage. As a first step in the development of a concept for interim storage, several sites with nuclear infrastructure were examined and assessed with respect to their suitability for interim storage. A reasonably feasible reference concept for storing the research reactor fuel elements in CASTOR MTR 2 transport and storage casks at the Ahaus interim storage facility (BZA) was evaluated and the hot cell facility and AVR store of Forschungszentrum Juelich (KFA) were proposed as an optional contingency concept for casks that cannot be repaired at Ahaus. Development work was continued with detailed studies on these two conceptual variants and the results are presented in this paper. (author)

The use of non-destructive testing in COSY, an ultrahigh vacuum research plant of KFA, Juelich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, G.; Pauly, F.; Stechemesser, H.

1993-01-01

This report shows that the development, the construction and the later successful operation of ultra-high vacuum (UHV) plants in the pressure range of ≤ 10 -10 mbar is not possible without the use of highly sensitive non-destructive testing. Using the example of the large scale precision plant COSY, it is shown that only by observing basic UHV manufacturing conditions and the thorough use of the helium leak-finding technique and mass-spectrometric residual gas analysis can the required leakage rates ( -10 mbar. 1 . s -1 ) and surface cleanliness be achieved. (orig.) [de

Evaluation of Analgesic Activity of Papaver libanoticum Extract in Mice: Involvement of Opioids Receptors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamad Ali Hijazi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Papaver libanoticum is an endemic plant to Lebanese region (family Papaveraceae that has not been investigated before. The present study aimed to explore the analgesic activity of dried ethanolic extract of Papaver libanoticum (PLE using tail flick, hot plate, and acetic acid induced writhing models in mice. The involvement of opioid receptors in the analgesic mechanism was investigated using naloxone antagonism. Results demonstrated that PLE exhibited a potent dose dependent analgesic activity in all tested models for analgesia. The analgesic effect involved activation of opioid receptors in the central nervous system, where both spinal and supraspinal components might be involved. The time course for analgesia revealed maximum activity after three hours in both tail flick and hot plate methods, which was prolonged to 24 hours. Metabolites of PLE could be responsible for activation of opioid receptors. The EC50 of PLE was 79 and 50 mg/kg in tail flick and hot plate tests, respectively. The total coverage of analgesia by PLE was double that of morphine in both tests. In conclusion, PLE proved to have opioid agonistic activity with a novel feature of slow and prolonged effect. The present study could add a potential tool in the armaments of opioid drugs as a natural potent analgesic and for treatment of opioid withdrawal syndrome.

78 FR 64597 - Youngstown & Southeastern Railway Company-Operation Exemption-Mule Sidetracks, L.L.C.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-29

... November 10, 1993, and easements retained by PLE in deeds dated June 3, 1992, and November 10, 1993, from PLE to Allied (Allied Easements), which Allied Easements were conveyed by Youngstown and Southern...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor improves proliferation of endometrial epithelial cells by inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress during early pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Whasun; Bae, Hyocheol; Bazer, Fuller W; Song, Gwonhwa

2017-12-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family binds to two transmembrane receptors; neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (NTRK2) with high affinity and p75 with low affinity. Although BDNF-NTRK2 signaling in the central nervous system is known, signaling in the female reproductive system is unknown. Therefore, we determined effects of BDNF on porcine endometrial luminal epithelial (pLE) cells isolated from Day 12 of pregnancy, as well as expression of BDNF and NTRK2 in endometria of cyclic and pregnant pigs. BDNF-NTRK2 genes were expressed in uterine glandular (GE) and luminal (LE) epithelia during early pregnancy. In addition, their expression in uterine GE and LE decreased with increasing parity of sows. Recombinant BDNF increased proliferation in pLE cells in a dose-dependent, as well as expression of PCNA and Cyclin D1 in nuclei of pLE cells. BDNF also activated phosphorylation of AKT, P70S6K, S6, ERK1/2, JNK, P38 proteins in pLE cells. In addition, cell death resulting from tunicamycin-induced ER stress was prevented when pLE cells were treated with the combination of tunicamycin and BDNF which also decreased cells in the Sub-G 1 phase of the cell cycle. Furthermore, tunicamycin-induced unfolded protein response genes were mostly down-regulated to the basal levels as compared to non-treated pLE cells. Our finding suggests that BDNF acts via NTRK2 to induce development of pLE cells for maintenance of implantation and pregnancy by activating cell signaling via the PI3K and MAPK pathways and by inhibiting ER stress. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Photoluminescence excitation measurements using pressure-tuned laser diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Bercha, Artem; Ivonyak, Yurii; Medryk, Radosław; Trzeciakowski, Witold A.; Dybała, Filip; Piechal, Bernard

2015-06-01

Pressure-tuned laser diodes in external cavity were used as tunable sources for photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy. The method was demonstrated in the 720 nm-1070 nm spectral range using a few commercial laser diodes. The samples for PLE measurements were quantum-well structures grown on GaAs and on InP. The method is superior to standard PLE measurements using titanium sapphire laser because it can be extended to any spectral range where anti-reflection coated laser diodes are available.

Photoluminescence excitation measurements using pressure-tuned laser diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bercha, Artem; Ivonyak, Yurii; Mędryk, Radosław; Trzeciakowski, Witold A.; Dybała, Filip; Piechal, Bernard

2015-01-01

Pressure-tuned laser diodes in external cavity were used as tunable sources for photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy. The method was demonstrated in the 720 nm-1070 nm spectral range using a few commercial laser diodes. The samples for PLE measurements were quantum-well structures grown on GaAs and on InP. The method is superior to standard PLE measurements using titanium sapphire laser because it can be extended to any spectral range where anti-reflection coated laser diodes are available

Fluid loading and norepinephrine infusion mask the left ventricular preload decrease induced by pleural effusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Wemmelund, Kristian Borup; Ringgård, Viktor Kromann; Vistisen, Simon Tilma; Hyldebrandt, Janus Adler; Sloth, Erik; Juhl-Olsen, Peter

2017-09-11

Pleural effusion (PLE) may lead to low blood pressure and reduced cardiac output. Low blood pressure and reduced cardiac output are often treated with fluid loading and vasopressors. This study aimed to determine the impact of fluid loading and norepinephrine infusion on physiologic determinants of cardiac function obtained by ultrasonography during PLE. In this randomised, blinded, controlled laboratory study, 30 piglets (21.9 ± 1.3 kg) had bilateral PLE (75 mL/kg) induced. Subsequently, the piglets were randomised to intervention as follows: fluid loading (80 mL/kg/h for 1.5 h, n = 12), norepinephrine infusion (0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 μg/kg/min (15 min each, n = 12)) or control (n = 6). Main outcome was left ventricular preload measured as left ventricular end-diastolic area. Secondary endpoints included contractility and afterload as well as global measures of circulation. All endpoints were assessed with echocardiography and invasive pressure-flow measurements. PLE decreased left ventricular end-diastolic area, mean arterial pressure and cardiac output (p values  0.05) to baseline. Left ventricular contractility increased with norepinephrine infusion (p = 0.002), but was not affected by fluid loading (p = 0.903). Afterload increased in both active groups (p values > 0.001). Overall, inferior vena cava distensibility remained unchanged during intervention (p values ≥ 0.085). Evacuation of PLE caused numerical increases in left ventricular end-diastolic area, but only significantly so in controls (p = 0.006). PLE significantly reduced left ventricular preload. Both fluid and norepinephrine treatment reverted this effect and normalised global haemodynamic parameters. Inferior vena cava distensibility remained unchanged. The haemodynamic significance of PLE may be underestimated during fluid or norepinephrine administration, potentially masking the presence of PLE.

Língua, fronteira e o ensino de português como língua estrangeira

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Tereza Nunes Marchesan

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho apresenta uma discussão sobre a questão sociolinguística da fronteira Brasil-Uruguai como base para reflexões sobre a necessidade de uma abordagem específica de ensino de PLE para alunos uruguaios adultos oriundos dessa região. Considerando que as abordagens de ensino de português nas comunidades bilíngues diferem da abordagem do ensino de PLE e que as abordagens de ensino de PLE para não falantes de português tampouco coincidem com as peculiaridades de um ensino de PLE para falantes de DPU, argumentamos que as características sociolinguísticas da região fronteiriça Brasil-Uruguai devem ser consideradas no desenvolvimento de cursos específicos.

Starnberg express

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1989-05-01

Probably the most spectacular display at BERGBBAU '89 will be 35 m of track with a 20 m train running on it. The Integrated Transport System, ITS, is a new system for the combined transport of goods, material, equipment and people using magnetic levitation and linear propulsion technology. It has been developed jointly in West Germany since the end of 1982 by Ruhrkohle AG (RAG) and the Starnberg based AEG company Magnetbahn GmbH for underground use in coal mines. The project is sponsored by the BMFT (Federal Ministry for Research and Technology) and monitored by KFA, Julich (Nuclear Research Centre). Maglev for coal, electric trucks for hard rock - could be the start of an electric revolution. 3 figs.

The muscarinic stimulation of phospholipid labeling in hippocampus is independent of its cholinergic input

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, S.K.; Boast, C.A.; Agranoff, B.W.

1980-01-01

The authors have examined the role of cholinergic innervation on the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced 'phospholipid labeling effect' (PLE) in synaptosomes derived from the hippocampus. The hippocampus supports a robust PLE and its sole cholinergic input from the septal nuclei can be readily disrupted by the placement of lesions in the fornix. The lesion is expected to cause degeneration of cholinergic presynaptic fibers, but should have little effect on the integrity of postsynaptic structures, and thus provide a means of further localizing the synaptosomal PLE. (Auth.)

Terminology in South Africa*

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper was presented at the Third International Conference of the African ... Various aspects relating to principles and methods of terminology and .... Standardization. Research and Development. Marketing. Communications ..... Exam- ple 8). This is an attempt at conveying to the user the meaning attached to the tenn.

Linking social and spatial networks to viral community phylogenetics reveals subtype-specific transmission dynamics in African lions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fountain-Jones, Nicholas M; Packer, Craig; Troyer, Jennifer L; VanderWaal, Kimberly; Robinson, Stacie; Jacquot, Maude; Craft, Meggan E

2017-10-01

Heterogeneity within pathogen species can have important consequences for how pathogens transmit across landscapes; however, discerning different transmission routes is challenging. Here, we apply both phylodynamic and phylogenetic community ecology techniques to examine the consequences of pathogen heterogeneity on transmission by assessing subtype-specific transmission pathways in a social carnivore. We use comprehensive social and spatial network data to examine transmission pathways for three subtypes of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV Ple ) in African lions (Panthera leo) at multiple scales in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. We used FIV Ple molecular data to examine the role of social organization and lion density in shaping transmission pathways and tested to what extent vertical (i.e., father- and/or mother-offspring relationships) or horizontal (between unrelated individuals) transmission underpinned these patterns for each subtype. Using the same data, we constructed subtype-specific FIV Ple co-occurrence networks and assessed what combination of social networks, spatial networks or co-infection best structured the FIV Ple network. While social organization (i.e., pride) was an important component of FIV Ple transmission pathways at all scales, we find that FIV Ple subtypes exhibited different transmission pathways at within- and between-pride scales. A combination of social and spatial networks, coupled with consideration of subtype co-infection, was likely to be important for FIV Ple transmission for the two major subtypes, but the relative contribution of each factor was strongly subtype-specific. Our study provides evidence that pathogen heterogeneity is important in understanding pathogen transmission, which could have consequences for how endemic pathogens are managed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that community phylogenetic ecology coupled with phylodynamic techniques can reveal insights into the differential evolutionary pressures acting

Investigation of the Influence of Protein-Losing Enteropathy on Monoclonal Antibody Pharmacokinetics in Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yujie; Li, Tommy R; Balthasar, Joseph P

2017-11-01

Protein losing enteropathy (PLE), which is characterized by substantial loss of plasma proteins into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is a complication of a variety of GI diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease. Clinical studies have found that the clearance of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) is often increased in subjects with diseases known to cause PLE; however, direct relationships between PLE and mAb pharmacokinetics have not been demonstrated. This study employed a murine model of colitis to examine the influence of PLE on mAb pharmacokinetics. Mice were given dextran sodium sulfate (DSS, 2% w/v) supplemented tap water as drinking source for 6 days to induce colitis and PLE. Mice were then intravenously injected with 8C2, a murine IgG1 mAb. 8C2 plasma concentrations were measured up to 14 days post injection. Fecal alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) clearance was measured as biomarker for PLE. DSS-treated mice developed PLE of clinically relevant severity. They also showed a transient increase in 8C2 plasma clearance and a decrease in 8C2 plasma exposure. The area under the 8C2 plasma concentration-time curve for the length of the study (AUC 0-14d ) reduced from 1368 ± 255 to 594 ± 224 day μg/ml following DSS treatment (p = 0.001). A quantitative relationship between A1AT clearance and 8C2 clearance was obtained via population pharmacokinetic modeling. DSS treatment substantially increased 8C2 clearance and reduced 8C2 exposure. Increased mAb plasma clearance was highly correlated with A1AT fecal clearance, suggesting the possible utility of A1AT fecal clearance as a mechanistic biomarker to predict the pharmacokinetics of therapeutic antibodies.

Two Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Syndromes: Limbic Encephalitis and Palmar Fasciitis in a Patient with Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazarev, Irina; Shelef, Ilan; Refaely, Yael; Ariad, Samuel; Ifergane, Gal

2015-09-07

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by a relatively high rate of autoimmune phenomena. Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) is an autoimmune syndrome in which a non-neural tumor containing an antigen normally present in the nervous system precipitates an antibody attack on neural tissues. Patients with PLE usually present with rapidly progressive short-term memory deficits, confusion or even dementia. Palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome (PFPAS) is another autoimmune syndrome characterized by rheumatologic manifestations, especially involving the palms of the hands. We report a case of a 59-year old woman who presented with worsening neurological symptoms of two-week duration, and later coma. The combined clinical, serological, and imaging studies suggested a diagnosis of PLE. A chest computed tomographic scan showed a 1.2 cm-diameter mass in the upper lobe of the left lung that was surgically removed and showed SCLC. Following surgery, neurological symptoms rapidly improved, allowing the patient to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. While in remission for both SCLC and PLE, the patient developed pain, soft-tissue swelling, and stiffness in both palms, suggesting the diagnosis of PFPAS. Five months following the diagnosis of palmar fasciitis, SCLC relapsed with mediastinal and cervical lymphadenopathy. This case report underlines the continuous interaction of SCLC with the immune system, expressed by coexistence of two rare paraneoplastic diseases, PLE, and PFPAS, in a patient with SCLC. While symptoms related to PLE preceded the initial diagnosis of SCLC, other symptoms related to PFPAS preceded relapse.

Two paraneoplastic autoimmune syndromes: limbic encephalitis and palmar fasciitis in a patient with small cell lung cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Lazarev

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Small cell lung cancer (SCLC is characterized by a relatively high rate of autoimmune phenomena. Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE is an autoimmune syndrome in which a non-neural tumor containing an antigen normally present in the nervous system precipitates an antibody attack on neural tissues. Patients with PLE usually present with rapidly progressive short-term memory deficits, confusion or even dementia. Palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome (PFPAS is another autoimmune syndrome characterized by rheumatologic manifestations, especially involving the palms of the hands. We report a case of a 59-year old woman who presented with worsening neurological symptoms of two-week duration, and later coma. The combined clinical, serological, and imaging studies suggested a diagnosis of PLE. A chest computed tomographic scan showed a 1.2 cm-diameter mass in the upper lobe of the left lung that was surgically removed and showed SCLC. Following surgery, neurological symptoms rapidly improved, allowing the patient to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. While in remission for both SCLC and PLE, the patient developed pain, soft-tissue swelling, and stiffness in both palms, suggesting the diagnosis of PFPAS. Five months following the diagnosis of palmar fasciitis, SCLC relapsed with mediastinal and cervical lymphadenopathy. This case report underlines the continuous interaction of SCLC with the immune system, expressed by coexistence of two rare paraneoplastic diseases, PLE, and PFPAS, in a patient with SCLC. While symptoms related to PLE preceded the initial diagnosis of SCLC, other symptoms related to PFPAS preceded relapse.

Pressurized liquid extraction of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) with bioethanol: an efficient and sustainable approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jiajin; Guo, Zheng; Glasius, Marianne; Kristensen, Kasper; Xiao, Langtao; Xu, Xuebing

2011-08-26

To develop an efficient green extraction approach for recovery of bioactive compounds from natural plants, we examined the potential of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) with bioethanol/water as solvents. The advantages of PLE over other extraction approaches, in addition to reduced time/solvent cost, the extract of PLE showed a distinct constituent profile from that of Soxhlet extraction, with significantly improved recovery of diarylheptanoids, etc. Among the pure solvents tested for PLE, bioethanol yield the highest efficiency for recovering most constituents of gingerol-related compounds; while for a broad concentration spectrum of ethanol aqueous solutions, 70% ethanol gave the best performance in terms of yield of total extract, complete constituent profile and recovery of most gingerol-related components. PLE with 70% bioethanol operated at 1500 psi and 100 °C for 20 min (static extraction time: 5 min) is recommended as optimized extraction conditions, achieving 106.8%, 109.3% and 108.0% yield of [6]-, [8]- and [10]-gingerol relative to the yield of corresponding constituent obtained by 8h Soxhlet extraction (absolute ethanol as extraction solvent). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pervasive Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hundebøl, Jesper; Helms, Niels Henrik

2006-01-01

The potentials of pervasive communication in learning within industry and education are right now being explored through different R&D projects. This paper outlines the background for and the possible learning potentials in what we describe as pervasive learning environments (PLE). PLE?s differ...... from virtual learning environments (VLE) primarily because in PLE?s the learning content is very much related to the actual context in which the learner finds himself. Two local (Denmark) cases illustrate various aspects of pervasive learning. One is the eBag, a pervasive digital portfolio used...

Quantification of four ionophores in soil, sediment and manure using pressurised liquid extraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Søren Alex; Hansen, Martin; Pedersen, Kenneth Munk

2013-01-01

A multi-residue pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) methodology has been established for the determination of the four ionophores: lasalocid, monensin, salinomycin and narasin in solid environmental matrices. The PLE methodology is combined with solid phase extraction as clean-up using liquid...

Reasons of an experimental effort for pebble bed reactors. A program of measurements in the CESAR reactor at Cadarache

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scherer, W; Bock, H J; Krings, F; Neef, R D; Langlet, G; Dixmier, M; Laponche, B; Morier, F

1972-06-15

An extended experimental program on neutron physics of HTR fuel balls is being performed in the graphite moderated critical faclity CESAR at CEN Cadarache (France). The experiments are done in the frame of a cooperation between KFA Juelich and CEA Cadarache.

Levels and function of regulatory T cells in patients with polymorphic light eruption: relation to photohardening.

Science.gov (United States)

Schweintzger, N; Gruber-Wackernagel, A; Reginato, E; Bambach, I; Quehenberger, F; Byrne, S N; Wolf, P

2015-08-01

We hypothesized that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in the immunological abnormalities seen in patients with polymorphic light eruption (PLE). To investigate the number and suppressive function of peripheral Tregs in patients with PLE compared with healthy controls. Blood sampling was done in 30 patients with PLE [seeking or not seeking 311-nm ultraviolet (UV)B photohardening] as well as 19 healthy controls at two time points: TP1, March to June (before phototherapy); and TP2, May to August (after phototherapy). We compared the number of CD4(+) CD25(high) CD127(-) FoxP3(+) Tregs by flow cytometry and their function by assessing FoxP3 mRNA levels and effector T cell/Treg suppression assays. Tregs isolated from healthy controls significantly suppressed the proliferation of effector T cells at TP1 by 68% (P = 0·0156). In contrast, Tregs from patients with PLE entirely lacked the capacity to suppress effector T-cell proliferation at that time point. The medical photohardening seen in 23 patients with PLE resulted in a significant increase in the median percentage of circulating Tregs [both as a proportion of all lymphocytes; 65 6% increase (P = 0·0049), and as a proportion of CD4(+) T cells; 32.5% increase (P = 0·0049)]. This was accompanied by an increase in the expression of FoxP3 mRNA (P = 0·0083) and relative immunosuppressive function of Tregs (P = 0·083) comparing the two time points in representative subsets of patients with healthy controls tested. Seven patients with PLE not receiving 311-nm UVB also exhibited an increase in the number of Tregs but this was not statistically significant. No significant differences in Treg numbers were observed in healthy subjects between the two time points. An impaired Treg function is likely to play a role in PLE pathogenesis. A UV-induced increase in the number of Tregs (either naturally or therapeutically) may be a compensatory mechanism by which the immune system counteracts the susceptibility to

Experiences and Challenges in the Compilation of a Shona-English

African Journals Online (AJOL)

R.B. Ruthven

The headword selection process was preceded by field research. Four peo- ple in the nursing .... normal circumstances quickly create matching terms in their own languages. .... agreed that there should be a bias towards the Shona terminology. .... This was a huge task considering that a total of 497 of these variants and.

Personal Learning Environments, Social Media, and Self-Regulated Learning: A Natural Formula for Connecting Formal and Informal Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Dabbagh, Nada; Kitsantas, Anastasia

2012-01-01

A Personal Learning Environment or PLE is a potentially promising pedagogical approach for both integrating formal and informal learning using social media and supporting student self-regulated learning in higher education contexts. The purpose of this paper is to (a) review research that support this claim, (b) conceptualize the connection…

Sequential high pressure extractions applied to recover piceatannol and scirpusin B from passion fruit bagasse.

Science.gov (United States)

Viganó, Juliane; Aguiar, Ana C; Moraes, Damila R; Jara, José L P; Eberlin, Marcos N; Cazarin, Cinthia B B; Maróstica, Mário R; Martínez, Julian

2016-07-01

Passion fruit seeds are currently discarded on the pulp processing but are known for their high piceatannol and scirpusin B contents. Using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), these highly valuable phenolic compounds were efficiently extracted from defatted passion fruit bagasse (DPFB). PLE was performed using mixtures of ethanol and water (50 to 100% ethanol, w/w) as solvent, temperatures from 50 to 70°C and pressure at 10MPa. The extraction methods were compared in terms of the global yield, total phenolic content (TPC), piceatannol content and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts. The DPFB extracts were also compared with those from non-defatted passion fruit bagasse (nDPFB). Identification and quantification of piceatannol were performed using UHPLC-MS/MS. The results showed that high TPC and piceatannol content were achieved for the extracts obtained from DPFB through PLE at 70°C and using 50 and 75% ethanol as the solvent. The best PLE conditions for TPC (70°C, 75% ethanol) resulted in 55.237mgGAE/g dried and defatted bagasse, whereas PLE at 70°C and 50% ethanol achieved 18.590mg of piceatannol/g dried and defatted bagasse, and such yields were significantly higher than those obtained using conventional extraction techniques. The antioxidant capacity assays showed high correlation with the TPC (r>0.886) and piceatannol (r>0.772). The passion fruit bagasse has therefore proved to be a rich source of piceatannol and PLE showed high efficiency to recover phenolic compounds from defatted passion fruit bagasse. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the impact of feline immunodeficiency virus and bovine tuberculosis co-infection in African lions.

Science.gov (United States)

Maas, M; Keet, D F; Rutten, V P M G; Heesterbeek, J A P; Nielen, M

2012-10-22

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is a disease that was introduced relatively recently into the Kruger National Park (KNP) lion population. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV(ple)) is thought to have been endemic in lions for a much longer time. In humans, co-infection between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus increases disease burden. If BTB were to reach high levels of prevalence in lions, and if similar worsening effects would exist between FIV(ple) and BTB as for their human equivalents, this could pose a lion conservation problem. We collected data on lions in KNP from 1993 to 2008 for spatio-temporal analysis of both FIV(ple) and BTB, and to assess whether a similar relationship between the two diseases exists in lions. We found that BTB prevalence in the south was higher than in the north (72 versus 19% over the total study period) and increased over time in the northern part of the KNP (0-41%). No significant spatio-temporal differences were seen for FIV(ple) in the study period, in agreement with the presumed endemic state of the infection. Both infections affected haematology and blood chemistry values, FIV(ple) in a more pronounced way than BTB. The effect of co-infection on these values, however, was always less than additive. Though a large proportion (31%) of the lions was co-infected with FIV(ple) and M. bovis, there was no evidence for a synergistic relation as in their human counterparts. Whether this results from different immunopathogeneses remains to be determined.

Clinical Analysis of Pulmonary Lipiodol Embolism in Patients with Hepatic Carcinoma after Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-jin JIANG

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations, therapeutic methods and preventive measures of pulmonary lipiodol embolism (PLE induced by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE so as to improve the cognition and management of PLE. Methods:A total of 2 613 patients with hepatic cancer without history of pulmonary disease who were treated with TACE in our hospital from Sept., 2004 to Mar., 2013 were selected. The clinical manifestations, therapeutic methods and preventing measures of the 9 patients who were accompanied with PLE were observed to analyze the pre-operative hepatic computed tomography (CT and chest X-ray, intra-operative contrast examination, dosage of lipiodol and chemotherapeutic drugs, clinical manifestation and therapeutic progression as well as the postoperative follow-up.Results: Nine patients accompanied by PLE had different-severity cough, hemoptysis and progressive dyspnea, and chest X-ray and/or CT showed flaky high-density radiography. After treated with oxygen inhalation, bronchus expansion and inflammation alleviation, 8 patients were improved but 1 died. Of the 8 patients, 2 were given ventilator to assist breath, and the clinical symptoms of 8 patients disappeared within 3-15 d. The re-examined chest X-ray showed normal after 20-60 d follow-up observation. Additionally, 6 patients were with nidus diameter ≥10 cm, 6 with hepatic artery-vein fistula and 7 with lipiodol dosage ≥20 mL.Conclusion: PLE often occurs in patients with giant hepatic carcinoma accompanied by hepatic artery-vein fistula, whose lipiodol dosage is ≥20 mL. Accurate and correct management during operation can effectively reduce the development of PLE.

El Personal Learning Environment en el proceso de aprendizaje de estudiantes de nivelación: un caso en la Universidad de Guayaquil/Ecuador

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oswaldo Aráuz Arroyo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introducción: El objetivo de la presente investigación es identificar las ventajas pedagógicas, comunicativas y de aprendizaje en la implementación de un modelo de formación innovador en los estudiantes de nivelación de la Universidad de Guayaquil, o sea, la creación y desarrollo de un personal learning environment (PLE como proyecto de aula. Método: Para el presente caso de estudio se consideró una estrategia metodológica mixta y se realizó en cuatro etapas: (a Socialización del concepto del PLE, (b Desarrollo del PLE por parte del alumnado y retroalimentación entre pares en un blog creado para este fin, (c Evaluación del PLE desarrollado por los estudiantes y (d Encuesta para medir el nivel de satisfacción y motivación obtenido por los educandos. Resultados: Los resultados obtenidos permiten percibir el alto grado de satisfacción, compromiso e interés que los estudiantes desarrollaron al implementar el PLE como proyecto de aula, llegando a considerar esta estrategia educativa como una práctica innovadora y que les permitió descubrir nuevas habilidades y elevar sus niveles de interacción y colaboración entre pares. Conclusiones: Se concluye que el desarrollo del PLE como proyecto de aula derivó en una experiencia motivante y satisfactoria para los estudiantes, logrando enriquecer sus conocimientos sobre las TIC, desarrollar su creatividad y contribuir de forma importante en su proceso de aprendizaje.

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Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

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tions on the sym bols ofthe initialtext,a sim ple exam ple being to replace each letter ... French Mathematical ... In a visionary paper on the m ilitary cryptography pub- lished in ..... m any years, or decades later, in a com pletely unpre- dictable w ...

Clinical practice - Protein-losing enteropathy in children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braamskamp, M.J.A.M.; Dolman, K.M.; Tabbers, M.M.

2010-01-01

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a rare complication of a variety of intestinal disorders characterized by an excessive loss of proteins into the gastrointestinal tract due to impaired integrity of the mucosa. The clinical presentation of patients with PLE is highly variable, depending upon the

Clinical practice. Protein-losing enteropathy in children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braamskamp, Marjet J. A. M.; Dolman, Koert M.; Tabbers, Merit M.

2010-01-01

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a rare complication of a variety of intestinal disorders characterized by an excessive loss of proteins into the gastrointestinal tract due to impaired integrity of the mucosa. The clinical presentation of patients with PLE is highly variable, depending upon the

Powerful Learning Environments: The Critical Link between School and Classroom Cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Finnan, Christine; Schnepel, Katherine C.; Anderson, Lorin W.

2003-01-01

Evaluated classrooms within four Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) schools, operationalizing the ASP principles, values, and concepts of a "powerful learning environment" (PLE), examining how similarly PLE was implemented in different classrooms and schools, and analyzing the relation between degree of implementation and differences in…

US/FRG umbrella agreement for cooperation in GCR Development. Fuel, fission products, and graphite subprogram. Quarterly status report, July 1, 1982-September 30, 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, R.F.

1982-10-01

This report describes the status of the cooperative work being performed in the Fuel, Fission Product, and Graphite Subprogram under the HTR-Implementing Agreement of the United States/Federal Republic of Germany Umbrella Agreement for Cooperation in GCR Development. The status is described relative to the commitments in the Subprogram Plan for Fuel, Fission Products, and Graphite, Revision 5, April 1982. The work described was performed during the period July 1, 1982 through September 30, 1982 in the HTGR Base Technology Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the HTGR Fuel and Plant Technology Programs at General Atomic Company (GA), and the Project HTR-Brennstoffkreislauf of the Entwicklungsgemeinschaft HTR at KFA Julich, HRB Mannheim, HOBEG Hanau, and SIGRI Meitingen. The requirement for and format of this quarterly status report are specified in the HTR Implementing Agreement procedures for cooperation. Responsibility for preparation of the quarterly report alternates between GA and KFA

User's manual for ASTERIX-2: A two-dimensional modular code system for the steady state and xenon transient analysis of a pebble bed high temperature reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, T.; Cowan, C.L.; Lauer, A.; Schwiegk, H.J.

1982-03-01

The ASTERIX modular code package was developed at KFA Laboratory-Juelich for the steady state and xenon transient analysis of a pebble bed high temperature reactor. The code package was implemented on the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Computer in August, 1980, and a user's manual for the current version of the code, identified as ASTERIX-2, was prepared as a cooperative effort by KFA Laboratory and GE-ARSD. The material in the manual includes the requirements for accessing the program, a description of the major subroutines, a listing of the input options, and a listing of the input data for a sample problem. The material is provided in sufficient detail for the user to carry out a wide range of analysis from steady state operations to the xenon induced power transients in which the local xenon, temperature, buckling and control feedback effects have been incorporated in the problem solution. (orig.)

User's manual for ASTERIX-2: a two-dimensional modular-code system for the steady-state and xenon-transient analysis of a pebble-bed high-temperature reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauer, A.; Schwiegk, H.J.; Wu, T.; Cowan, C.L.

1982-03-01

The ASTERIX modular code package was developed at KFA Laboratory-Juelich for the steady state and xenon transient analysis of a pebble bed high temperature reactor. The code package was implemented on the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Computer in August, 1980, and a user's manual for the current version of the code, identified as ASTERIX-2, was prepared as a cooperative effort by KFA Laboratory and GE-ARSD. The material in the manual includes the requirements for accessing the program, a description of the major subroutines, a listing of the input options, and a listing of the input data for a sample problem. The material is provided in sufficient detail for the user to carry out a wide range of analyses from steady state operations to the xenon induced power transients in which the local xenon, temperature, buckling and control feedback effects have been incorporated in the problem solution

Intra-arterial embolization with pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion for the treatment of hepatic cavernous hemangioma: an analysis of factors affecting therapeutic results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng Qingle; Chen Yong; Zhao Jianbo; Zhang Kewei; Li Yanhao

2009-01-01

Objective: To analyze the factors that might affect the therapeutic results of pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion intra-arterial sclerosing embolization (PLE-IASE) in treating symptomatic cavernous hemangioma of liver (SCHL). Methods: PLE-IASE was performed in 89 patients with SCHL (32 males and 57 females). Before treatment the mean diameter of the hemangioma was (8.3±3.8) cm. Of 89 patients, 53 experienced anxiety, 35 suffered from right upper abdominal pain and the remaining one developed Kasabach-Merrit syndrome. Before PLE-IASE, the arteriographic classification was conducted based on hepatic arteriographic findings. Then pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion (PLE) was injected through the feeding artery. The dosage of pingyangmycin (PYM) was (9.8 ± 4.4) mg and the dosage of lipiodol (LP) was (5.9 ± 2.9) ml. The lipiodol deposition status was judged by the follow-up spot film taken immediately after PLE-IASE. The observations of the occurrence of complications, the relief of symptoms and the minification of SCHL were followed for 6-72 months after PLE-IASE. The linear regression analysis statistics was conducted by taking the minification as dependent variable and taking the arteriographic classification, lipiodol deposition status, the dosage of PYM, the dosage of lipiodol and the preoperative SCHL diameter as independent variable. Results: Of all 89 cases of SCHL, hypervascular type was seen in 51, hypovascular type in 26 and arteriovenous shunt (AVS) type in 12. Good lipiodol deposition status was found in 64 patients and poor deposition in 25 patients after PLE-IASE. After PLE-IASE, the symptom of anxiety in 53 patients was relieved and the right upper abdominal pain was reduced in 33 cases although intermittent pain still remained in 2 patients. The blood platelet count of the patient with Kasabach-Merrit syndrome returned to normal after the treatment. The symptomatic relieve rate was 98.7%. No serious complications occurred in the follow-up period. The linear

Web 2.0 collaboration tools to support student research in hydrology - an opinion

Science.gov (United States)

Pathirana, A.; Gersonius, B.; Radhakrishnan, M.

2012-02-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that it is unwise to make the a-priori assumption that university students are ready and eager to embrace modern online technologies employed to enhance the educational experience. We present an opinion on employing Wiki, a popular Web 2.0 technology, in small student groups, based on a case-study of using it customized as a personal learning environment (PLE) for supporting thesis research in hydrology. Since inception in 2006 the system presented has proven to facilitate knowledge construction and peer-communication within and across groups of students of different academic years and to stimulate learning. Being an open ended and egalitarian system, it was a minimal burden to maintain, as all students became content authors and shared responsibility. A number of unintended uses of the system were also observed, like using it as a backup medium and mobile storage. We attribute the success and sustainability of the proposed web 2.0-based approach to the fact that the efforts were not limited to the application of the technology, but comprised the creation of a supporting environment with educational activities organized around it. We propose that Wiki-based PLEs are much more suitable than traditional learning management systems for supporting non-classroom education activities like thesis research in hydrology.

Optical properties of InN nanocolumns: Electron accumulation at InN non-polar surfaces and dependence on the growth conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segura-Ruiz, J.; Cantarero, A. [Materials Science Institute, University of Valencia (Spain); Garro, N. [Materials Science Institute, University of Valencia (Spain); Fundacio General de la Universitat de Valencia, Valencia (Spain); Iikawa, F. [Instituto de Fisica ' ' Gleb Wataghin' ' , UNICAMP, Campinas-SP (Brazil); Denker, C.; Malindretos, J.; Rizzi, A. [IV. Physikalisches Institut, Georg-August Universitaet Goettingen (Germany)

2009-06-15

InN nanocolumns grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy have been studied by photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE). The PL peak energy was red-shifted with respect to the PLE onset and both energies were higher than the low temperature band-gap reported for InN. PL and PLE experiments for different excitation and detection energies indicated that the PL peaks were homogeneously broadened. This overall phenomenology has been attributed to the effects of an electron accumulation layer present at the non-polar surfaces of the InN nanocolumns. Variations in the growth conditions modify the edge of the PLE spectra and the PL peak energies evidencing that the density of free electrons can be somehow controlled by the growth parameters. It was observed that In-BEP and substrate temperature leading to shorter In diffusion lengths diminished the effects of the electron accumulation layer on the optical properties. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Optical properties of InN nanocolumns: Electron accumulation at InN non-polar surfaces and dependence on the growth conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segura-Ruiz, J.; Cantarero, A.; Garro, N.; Iikawa, F.; Denker, C.; Malindretos, J.; Rizzi, A.

2009-01-01

InN nanocolumns grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy have been studied by photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE). The PL peak energy was red-shifted with respect to the PLE onset and both energies were higher than the low temperature band-gap reported for InN. PL and PLE experiments for different excitation and detection energies indicated that the PL peaks were homogeneously broadened. This overall phenomenology has been attributed to the effects of an electron accumulation layer present at the non-polar surfaces of the InN nanocolumns. Variations in the growth conditions modify the edge of the PLE spectra and the PL peak energies evidencing that the density of free electrons can be somehow controlled by the growth parameters. It was observed that In-BEP and substrate temperature leading to shorter In diffusion lengths diminished the effects of the electron accumulation layer on the optical properties. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Los entornos personales de aprendizaje en el marco de la educación permanente

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elvira E. Navas

2013-01-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se presenta un estudio documental sobre el surgimiento, evolución y estado actual de la utilización y desarrollo de los Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (Personal Learning Environment, PLE en el marco de la Educación Permanente o Aprendizaje para Toda la vida (Lifelong Learning. En primer lugar, se hace una revisión del concepto de Educación Permanente desde la literatura de inicios de siglo XX. A continuación, se procede a estudiar el término PLE, desde sus orígenes hasta la interpretación actual. Se presentan experiencias tanto nacionales como internacionales donde se ejemplifica de forma práctica la utilización de PLE en la educación universitaria. Finalmente, se hace una reflexión de cierre sobre las proyecciones de futuro del uso de los PLE en el marco de la educación permanente.

Electric field of the power terrestrial sources observed by microsatellite Chibis-M in the Earth's ionosphere in frequency range 1-60 Hz

Science.gov (United States)

Dudkin, Fedir; Korepanov, Valery; Dudkin, Denis; Pilipenko, Vyacheslav; Pronenko, Vira; Klimov, Stanislav

2015-07-01

The power line emission (PLE) 50/60 Hz and the Schumann resonance (SR) harmonics were detected by the use of a compact electrical field sensor of length 0.42 m during microsatellite Chibis-M mission in years 2012-2014. The initial orbit of Chibis-M has altitude 500 km and inclination 52°. We present the space distribution of PLE and its connections with the possible overhead power lines. PLE has been recorded both in the shade and sunlit parts of the orbits as opposed to SR which have been recorded only in the nightside of the Earth. The cases of an extra long distance of PLE propagation in the Earth's ionosphere and increased value of SR Q factor have been also observed. These results should stimulate the ionosphere model refinement for ultralow frequency and extremely low frequency electromagnetic wave propagation as well as a study on new possibility of the ionosphere diagnostics.

Pressurized liquid extraction-assisted mussel cytosol preparation for the determination of metals bound to metallothionein-like proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santiago-Rivas, Sandra; Moreda-Pineiro, Antonio; Bermejo-Barrera, Pilar; Moreda-Pineiro, Jorge; Alonso-Rodriguez, Elia; Muniategui-Lorenzo, Soledad; Lopez-Mahia, Purificacion; Prada-Rodriguez, Dario

2007-01-01

The possibilities of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) have been novelty tested to assist the cytosol preparation from wet mussel soft tissue before the determination of metals bound to metallothionein-like proteins (MLPs). Results obtained after PLE were compared with those obtained after a classical blending procedure for mussel cytosolic preparation. Isoforms MLP-1 (retention time of 4.1 min) and MLP-2 (retention time of 7.4 min) were separated by anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the concentrations of Ba, Cu, Mn, Sr and Zn bound to MLP isoforms were directly measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) as a multi-element detector. The optimized PLE-assisted mussel cytosol preparation has consisted of one extraction cycle at room temperature and 1500 psi for 2 min. Since separation between the solid mussel residue and the extract (cytosol) is performed by the PLE system, the cytosol preparation method is faster than conventional cytosol preparation methods by cutting/blending using Ultraturrax or Stomacher devices

Enhancement Process of Didactic Strategies in a Degree Course for Pre-Service Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Garcias, Adolfina Pérez; Marín, Victoria I.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a study on the enhancement of didactic strategies based on the idea of personal learning environments (PLE). It was conducted through three iterative cycles during three consecutive academic years according to the phases of design-based research applied to teaching in a university course for pre-service teachers in the…

Effect of Availability and Utilization of Physics Laboratory Equipment on Students' Academic Achievement in Senior Secondary School Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Olufunke, Bello Theodora

2012-01-01

The study determined the available Physics Laboratory Equipment (PLE) for the teaching and learning of physics in senior secondary schools in Nigeria as well as the extent of utilizing the available equipment. The research design adopted for the study was descriptive survey. The sample consisted of nine hundred students who were randomly chosen…

Highly Efficient Defect Emission from ZnO:Zn and ZnO:S Powders

Science.gov (United States)

Everitt, Henry

2013-03-01

Bulk Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconductor with an ultraviolet direct band gap energy of 3.4 eV and a broad, defect-related visible wavelength emission band centered near 2 eV. We have shown that the external quantum efficiency can exceed 50% for this nearly white emission band that closely matches the human dark-adapted visual response. To explore the potential of ZnO as a rare earth-free white light phosphor, we investigated the mechanism of efficient defect emission in three types of ZnO powders: unannealed, annealed, and sulfur-doped. Annealing and sulfur-doping of ZnO greatly increase the strength of defect emission while suppressing the UV band edge emission. Continuous wave and ultrafast one- and two-photon excitation spectroscopy are used to examine the defect emission mechanism. Low temperature photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation (PLE) spectra were measured for all three compounds, and it was found that bound excitons mediate the defect emission. Temperature-dependent PLE spectra for the defect and band edge emission were measured to estimate trapping and activation energies of the bound excitons and clarify the role they play in the defect emission. Time-resolved techniques were used to ascertain the role of exciton diffusion, the effects of reabsorption, and the spatial distributions of radiative and non-radiative traps. In unannealed ZnO we find that defect emission is suppressed and UV band edge emission is inefficient (reduced, and a high density of defects responsible for the broad visible emission are created near the surface. Interestingly, nearly identical PLE spectra are found for both the band edge and the defect emission, one of many indications that the defect emission is deeply connected to bound excitons. Quantum efficiency, also measured as a function of excitation wavelength, closely mirrors the PLE spectra for both emission bands. Sulfur-doped ZnO exhibits additional PLE and X-ray features indicative of a ZnS-rich surface

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Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

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Harmonic oscillator, anharmoni- city, damping, measurement errors, curve fitting. T heoreticalanalysisofthe `sim ple'pendulum be- yond the sm all-angle approxim ation teaches us about anharm onic oscillators and approxim ate. (perturbative) solutions. E xperim ents w ith a sim ple-to-set-up pendulum teach us about errors.

Anti-Ma-associated encephalitis due to dysgerminoma in a woman with Swyer syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Thubaiti, Ibtisam; Al-Hayek, Kefah; Binfalah, Mohammed

2013-04-09

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE)/diencephalitis associated with anti-Ma2 antibodies was linked to testicular cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer (non-SCLC).(1,2) We report a case of anti-Ma-associated PLE/diencephalitis due to dysgerminoma in a woman with gonadal dysgenesis, or Swyer syndrome.

Anti-snake venom activities of ethanolic extract of fruits of Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) against Russell's viper venom: characterization of piperine as active principle.

Science.gov (United States)

Shenoy, P A; Nipate, S S; Sonpetkar, J M; Salvi, N C; Waghmare, A B; Chaudhari, P D

2013-05-20

Piper longum L. fruits have been traditionally used against snakebites in north-eastern and southern region of India. To examine the ability of ethanolic extract of fruits of Piper longum L., Piperaceae (PLE) and piperine, one of the main active principles of Piper longum, to inhibit the Russell's viper (Doboia russelii, Viperidae) snake venom activities. Anti-snake venom activities of ethanolic extract of fruits of Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) and piperine against Russell's viper venom was studied in embryonated fertile chicken eggs, mice and rats by using various models as follows: inhibition of venom lethal action, inhibition of venom haemorrhagic action (in vitro), inhibition of venom haemorrhagic action (in vivo), inhibition of venom necrotizing action, inhibition of venom defibrinogenating action, inhibition of venom induced paw edema, inhibition of venom induced mast cell degranulation, creatine kinase assay and assay for catalase activity. PLE was found to inhibit the venom induced haemorrhage in embryonated fertile chicken eggs. Administration of PLE and piperine significantly (p<0.01) inhibited venom induced lethality, haemorrhage, necrosis, defibrinogenation and inflammatory paw edema in mice in a dose dependent manner. PLE and piperine also significantly (p<0.01) reduced venom induced mast cell degranulation in rats. Venom induced decrease in catalase enzyme levels in mice kidney tissue and increase in creatine kinase enzyme levels in mice serum were significantly (p<0.01) reversed by administration of both PLE and piperine. PLE possesses good anti-snake venom properties and piperine is one of the compounds responsible for the effective venom neutralizing ability of the plant. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ways of transition to clean energy use: two methodological approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyaev, L.S.; Kaganovich, B.M.; Krutov, A.N.; Filippov, S.P.; Martinsen, D.; Mueller, M.; Wagner, H.J.; Walbeck, M.

1987-01-01

Studies of the Siberian Energy Institute, Irkutsk, and the Nuclear Research Center, Juelich, carried out with the aid of complex computer models, demonstrate the opportunities of novel integrated energy systems in a future, clean energy supply. As conditions differ widely in different regions and different countries, there will of course be a wide structural variety in the realization of integrated energy systems. The studies of SEI and KFA, based on the cooperation with the International Institute of Applied System Analysis (IIASA), emphasize the common viewpoint that the idea of integrated energy systems constitutes an essential basis for future studies on 'energy in a finite environment'. (Author)

Protein-losing Enteropathy Caused by Intestinal or Colonic Lymphangiectasia Complicated by Sporadic Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: A Report of Two Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishino, Koichi; Yoshimi, Kaku; Shibuya, Tomoyoshi; Hayashi, Takuo; Mitani, Keiko; Kobayashi, Etsuko; Ichikawa, Masako; Asao, Tetsuhiko; Suzuki, Yohei; Sato, Tadashi; Shiota, Satomi; Kodama, Yuzo; Takahashi, Kazuhisa; Seyama, Kuniaki

2017-01-01

This report describes two patients with sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis complicated by protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). Imaging studies indicated retroperitoneal lymphangioleiomyomas and abnormalities of the adjacent digestive tract. Endoscopic mucosal biopsy revealed colonic lymphangiectasia in one patient; whereas the site in the other patient was intestinal. Treatment with sirolimus led to the complete resolution of PLE within several months; additionally, marked shrinkage was observed in the lymphangioleiomyomas of both cases. These findings suggest that colonic or intestinal lymphatic congestion due to neighboring lymphangioleiomyomas was the mechanism for the development of PLE. At the time of writing this report, the beneficial effect of sirolimus has lasted for more than 3 years.

Activation and polar sequestration of PopA, a c-di-GMP effector protein involved in Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ozaki, Shogo; Schalch-Moser, Annina; Zumthor, Ludwig

2014-01-01

that PopA originated through gene duplication from its paralogue response regulator PleD and subsequent co-option as c-di-GMP effector protein. While the C-terminal catalytic domain (GGDEF) of PleD is activated by phosphorylation of the N-terminal receiver domain, functional adaptation has reversed signal......A to the cell pole in response to c-di-GMP binding. In agreement with the divergent activation and targeting mechanisms, distinct markers sequester PleD and PopA to the old cell pole upon S-phase entry. Together these data indicate that PopA adopted a novel role as topology specificity factor to help recruit...

Kinetics of Solute Partitioning During Intercritical Annealing of a Medium-Mn Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Kamoutsi, H.; Gioti, E.; Haidemenopoulos, Gregory N.; Cai, Z.; Ding, H.

2015-11-01

The evolution of austenite fraction and solute partitioning (Mn, Al, and C) during intercritical annealing was calculated for a medium-Mn steel containing 11 pct Mn. Austenite growth takes place in three stages. The first stage is growth under non-partitioning local equilibrium (NPLE) controlled by carbon diffusion in ferrite. The second stage is growth under partitioning local equilibrium (PLE) controlled by diffusion of Mn in ferrite. The third stage is shrinkage of austenite under PLE controlled by diffusion of Mn in austenite. During PLE growth, the austenite is progressively enriched in Mn. Compositional spikes evolve early during NPLE growth and broaden with annealing temperature and time.

Transnodal lymphangiography and post-CT for protein-losing enteropathy in Noonan syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Tomohiro; Kudo, Takahiro; Endo, Jun; Hashida, Kazunobu; Tachibana, Nao; Murakoshi, Takatsugu; Hasebe, Terumitsu

2015-01-01

Noonan syndrome, which is a multiple congenital disorder, may be associated with lymphatic abnormalities. Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) developing in Noonan syndrome is rare. We performed transnodal lymphangiography by directly accessing bilateral inguinal nodes under ultrasound guidance in a 17-year-old female with PLE developing in Noonan syndrome to assess detailed anatomical findings regarding lymphatic vessels. There have been no reports on transnodal lymphangiography for Noonan syndrome. Post-lymphangiographic CT images revealed multiple lymphatic abnormalities and lipiodol extravasation into the duodenum and the proximal jejunum. Transnodal lymphangiography was easy and safe for PLE developing in Noonan syndrome, and post-lymphangiographic CT provided invaluable information.

Constant Change: The Ever-Evolving Personal Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Torres Kompen, Ricardo; Monguet, Josep Ma.; Brigos, Miguel

2015-01-01

There are several definitions for the term "personal learning environment" (PLE); in this article, PLE refers to a group of web technologies, with various degrees of integration and interaction, that helps users and learners manage the flow of information that relates to the learning process, the creation of knowledge, and the…

Personal Learning Environments: A proposal to develop digital competences and information in university teaching of Law in Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos CABEZAS GONZÁLEZ

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Personal Learning Enviroment (PLE is one of the most interesting concepts that has aroused among teachers and software engineers in the last time and that will have an impact on the next years among all the levels and modalities of education. ple is a product of various factors including a social web that is shown by tools and free access services based in an open code technology. But a PLE is not a kind of software or platform; it is a new view about how to use the technologies for the learning process both in the initial formation and the lifelong learning. This article has teaching in Law Schools in Colombia and the inexistence of juridical practice proposals that may develop the professional competencies linked to the non-formal and everyday learning and linked to personal learning environments. The target that we try to acquire is to create a PLE proposal supported by 2.0 technologies and orientated to encourage a lifelong learning that may develop the digital and informative competences in Law practice. We strongly believe that a PLE model will help the student acquire the knowledge, abilities and experiences that may allow them a personal and professional development in the frame of a lifelong learning program that will contribute to approach goals and opportunities in the information and communication society that is in constant evolution.

Optimizing pressurized liquid extraction of microbial lipids using the response surface method.

Science.gov (United States)

Cescut, J; Severac, E; Molina-Jouve, C; Uribelarrea, J-L

2011-01-21

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the determination of optimum extraction parameters to reach maximum lipid extraction yield with yeast. Total lipids were extracted from oleaginous yeast (Rhodotorula glutinis) using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). The effects of extraction parameters on lipid extraction yield were studied by employing a second-order central composite design. The optimal condition was obtained as three cycles of 15 min at 100°C with a ratio of 144 g of hydromatrix per 100 g of dry cell weight. Different analysis methods were used to compare the optimized PLE method with two conventional methods (Soxhlet and modification of Bligh and Dyer methods) under efficiency, selectivity and reproducibility criteria thanks to gravimetric analysis, GC with flame ionization detector, High Performance Liquid Chromatography linked to Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (HPLC-ELSD) and thin-layer chromatographic analysis. For each sample, the lipid extraction yield with optimized PLE was higher than those obtained with referenced methods (Soxhlet and Bligh and Dyer methods with, respectively, a recovery of 78% and 85% compared to PLE method). Moreover, the use of PLE led to major advantages such as an analysis time reduction by a factor of 10 and solvent quantity reduction by 70%, compared with traditional extraction methods. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of pressurized liquid extraction by response surface methodology of Goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) phenolic bioactive compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripodo, Giusy; Ibáñez, Elena; Cifuentes, Alejandro; Gilbert-López, Bienvenida; Fanali, Chiara

2018-01-03

Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) has been used for the first time in this work to extract phenolic compounds from Goji berries according to a multilevel factorial design using response surface methodology. The global yield (% w/dw, weight/dry-weight), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid (TF) and antioxidant activity (determined via ABTS assay, expressed as TEAC value) were used as response variables to study the effects of temperature (50-180°C) and green solvent composition (mixtures of ethanol/water). Phenolic compounds characterization was performed by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS). The optimum PLE conditions predicted by the model were as follows: 180°C and 86% ethanol in water with a good desirability value of 0.815. The predicted conditions were confirmed experimentally and once the experimental design was validated for commercial fruit samples, the PLE extraction of phenolic compounds from three different varieties of fruit samples (Selvatico mongolo, Bigol, and Polonia) was performed. Nine phenolic compounds were tentatively identified in these extracts, including phenolic acids and their derivatives, and flavonols. The optimized PLE conditions were compared to a conventional solid-liquid extraction, demonstrating that PLE is a useful alternative to extract phenolic compounds from Goji berry. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluation of serum biochemical marker concentrations and survival time in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Equilino, Mirjam; Théodoloz, Vincent; Gorgas, Daniela; Doherr, Marcus G.; Heilmann, Romy M.; Suchodolski, Jan S.; Steiner, JöRg M.; Burgener, Iwan A.

2015-01-01

Results—Serum C-reactive protein concentration was high in 13 of 18 dogs with PLE and in 2 of 18 dogs with FRD. Serum concentration of canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity was high in 3 dogs with PLE but within the reference interval in all dogs with FRD. Serum a1-proteinase inhibitor

Post-irradiation examination of HTR-fuel at the Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf Ltd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reitsamer, G.; Proksch, E.; Stolba, G.; Strigl, A.; Falta, G.; Zeger, J.

1985-01-01

Austrian R and D activities in the HTR-field reach back almost to the beginning of this advanced reactor line. For more than 20 years post-irradiation examination (PIE) of HTR-fuel has been performed at the laboratories of the Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf Ltd. (OEFZS) (formerly OESGAE) and a high degree of qualification has been achieved in the course of that time. Most of the PIE-work has been carried out by international cooperation on contract basis with the OECD-DRAGON-project and with KFA-Juelich (FRG). There has also been some collaboration with GA (USA), Belgonucleaire and others in the past. HTR-fuel elements contain the fissile and fertile materials in form of coated particles (CPs) which are embedded in a graphite matrix. Because of this special design it has been necessary from the very beginning of the PIE work up to now to develop new methods (i.e. fuel element disintegration methods, chlorine gas leach, single particle examination techniques...) as well as to adapt and improve already existing methods (i.e. gamma spectrometry, mass-spectrometry, optical methods...). The main interests on PIE-work at Seibersdorf are concentrated on particle performance, fission product distribution and the 'free' Uranium content (contamination and broken particles) of the fuel elements (fuel spheres or cylindrical compacts). A short compilation of the applied methods and of available instrumental facilities is given as follows: deconsolidation of fuel elements; equipment for electrochemical deconsolidation; examinations and measurements of graphite and electrolyte samples; examination of coated particles; single particle examinations

Post-irradiation examination of HTR-fuel at the Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf Ltd

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reitsamer, G; Proksch, E; Stolba, G; Strigl, A; Falta, G; Zeger, J [Department of Chemistry, Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf Ltd., Seibersdorf (Austria)

1985-07-01

Austrian R and D activities in the HTR-field reach back almost to the beginning of this advanced reactor line. For more than 20 years post-irradiation examination (PIE) of HTR-fuel has been performed at the laboratories of the Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf Ltd. (OEFZS) (formerly OESGAE) and a high degree of qualification has been achieved in the course of that time. Most of the PIE-work has been carried out by international cooperation on contract basis with the OECD-DRAGON-project and with KFA-Juelich (FRG). There has also been some collaboration with GA (USA), Belgonucleaire and others in the past. HTR-fuel elements contain the fissile and fertile materials in form of coated particles (CPs) which are embedded in a graphite matrix. Because of this special design it has been necessary from the very beginning of the PIE work up to now to develop new methods (i.e., fuel element disintegration methods, chlorine gas leach, single particle examination techniques...) as well as to adapt and improve already existing methods (i.e. gamma spectrometry, mass-spectrometry, optical methods...). The main interests on PIE-work at Seibersdorf are concentrated on particle performance, fission product distribution and the 'free' Uranium content (contamination and broken particles) of the fuel elements (fuel spheres or cylindrical compacts). A short compilation of the applied methods and of available instrumental facilities is given as follows: deconsolidation of fuel elements; equipment for electrochemical deconsolidation; examinations and measurements of graphite and electrolyte samples; examination of coated particles; single particle examinations.

A lion lentivirus related to feline immunodeficiency virus: epidemiologic and phylogenetic aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, E W; Yuhki, N; Packer, C; O'Brien, S J

1994-09-01

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a novel lentivirus that is genetically homologous and functionally analogous to the human AIDS viruses, human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2. FIV causes immunosuppression in domestic cats by destroying the CD4 T-lymphocyte subsets in infected hosts. A serological survey of over 400 free-ranging African and Asian lions (Panthera leo) for antibodies to FIV revealed endemic lentivirus prevalence with an incidence of seropositivity as high as 90%. A lion lentivirus (FIV-Ple) was isolated by infection of lion lymphocytes in vitro. Seroconversion was documented in two Serengeti lions, and discordance of mother-cub serological status argues against maternal transmission (in favor of horizontal spread) as a major route of infection among lions. A phylogenetic analysis of cloned FIV-Ple pol gene sequences from 27 lions from four African populations (from the Serengeti reserve, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Kruger Park) revealed remarkably high intra- and interindividual genetic diversity at the sequence level. Three FIV-Ple phylogenetic clusters or clades were resolved with phenetic, parsimony, and likelihood analytical procedures. The three clades, which occurred not only together in the same population but throughout Africa, were as divergent from each other as were homologous pol sequences of lentivirus isolated from distinct feline species, i.e., puma and domestic cat. The FIV-Ple clades, however, were more closely related to each other than to other feline lentiviruses (monophyletic for lion species), suggesting that the ancestors of FIV-Ple evolved in allopatric (geographically isolated) lion populations that converged recently. To date, there is no clear evidence of FIV-Ple-associated pathology, raising the possibility of a historic genetic accommodation of the lion lentivirus and its host leading to a coevolved host-parasite symbiosis (or commensalism) in the population similar to that hypothesized for endemic

A protocol for pressurized liquid extraction and processing methods to isolate modern and ancient bone cholesterol for compound-specific stable isotope analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Laffey, Ann O; Krigbaum, John; Zimmerman, Andrew R

2017-02-15

Bone lipid compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) and bone collagen and apatite stable isotope ratio analysis are important sources of ecological and paleodietary information. Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) is quicker and utilizes less solvent than traditional methods of lipid extraction such as soxhlet and ultrasonication. This study facilitates dietary analysis by optimizing and testing a standardized methodology for PLE of bone cholesterol. Modern and archaeological bones were extracted by PLE using varied temperatures, solvent solutions, and sample weights. The efficiency of PLE was assessed via quantification of cholesterol yields. Stable isotopic ratio integrity was evaluated by comparing isotopic signatures (δ 13 C and δ 18 O values) of cholesterol derived from whole bone, bone collagen and bone apatite. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) were conducted on purified collagen and lipid extracts to assess isotopic responses to PLE. Lipid yield was optimized at two PLE extraction cycles of 75 °C using dichloromethane/methanol (2:1 v/v) as a solvent with 0.25-0.75 g bone sample. Following lipid extraction, saponification combined with the derivatization of the neutral fraction using trimethylsilylation yielded nearly twice the cholesterol of non-saponified or non-derivatized samples. It was also found that lipids extracted from purified bone collagen and apatite could be used for cholesterol CSIA. There was no difference in the bulk δ 13 C values of collagen extracted from bone with or without lipid. However, there was a significant depletion in 18 O of bone apatite due to lipid presence or processing. These results should assist sample selection and provide an effective, alternative extraction method for bone cholesterol that may be used for isotopic and paleodietary analysis. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Psychotic-like experiences and happiness in the English general population.

Science.gov (United States)

Koyanagi, Ai

2017-11-01

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) have been associated with a variety of adverse outcomes but how they affect happiness in individuals with PLE is unknown. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess the association between PLEs and happiness, and the factors that may influence this association. Nationally representative data from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey including adults aged ≥ 16 years was analyzed. The Psychosis Screening Questionnaire was used to assess past 12-month PLE. Individuals who endorsed at least one of the following were considered to have any PLE: thought control, paranoia, strange experiences, auditory hallucinations. Happiness (3-point scale) was assessed with a validated question with higher scores indicating lower levels of happiness. The association between PLE and happiness was assessed by multivariable ordinal logistic regression. Mediation analysis was also performed. Among the 7363 individuals included in the analysis, the prevalence of any PLE increased with decreasing levels of happiness [very happy (2.3%), fairly happy (5.4%), not too happy (14.9%)]. This was also shown in the multivariable analysis adjusted for sociodemographic factors and stressful life events (from very happy to not too happy: OR = 2.41; 95%CI = 1.86-3.12). Mediation analysis showed that anxiety disorders explained the largest proportion of the association (38.8%) followed by depressive episode (28.5%), insomnia (21.9%), disability (16.5%), pain (12.5%), social support (10.0%), and physical health conditions (6.0%). The cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Interventions to identify and address conditions that may have a negative impact on happiness in individuals with PLE may be important to improve their well-being. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Children Affected by War and Armed Conflict: Parental Protective Factors and Resistance to Mental Health Symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Slone, Michelle; Shoshani, Anat

2017-01-01

This study examined the role of parenting styles and parental warmth in moderating relations between exposure to political life events and mental health symptoms among 277 Israeli adolescents aged 12-14 and their parents, who had been exposed to protracted periods of war, missile bombardments, and terrorism. Adolescents completed the Political Life Events (PLE) scale, Brief Symptom Inventory and questionnaires regarding parenting style and parental warmth. The primary caregiver completed the Child Behavior Checklist for assessment of the child's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results confirmed that severity of PLE exposure was positively correlated with psychological distress and with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Maternal authoritativeness and warmth functioned as protective factors and had moderating effects on the relation between PLE exposure and mental health symptoms. In contrast, maternal authoritarianism exacerbated the relation between PLE exposure and children's externalizing symptoms. Fathers' parenting style and warmth had no significant relationship with children's mental health outcomes. These findings have important clinical and practical implications for parental guidance and support during periods of war and armed conflict.

Optical spectroscopy and imaging of the higher energy excitons and bandgap of monolayer MoS2

Science.gov (United States)

Borys, Nicholas; Bao, Wei; Barnard, Edward; Ko, Changhyun; Tongay, Sefaatin; Wu, Junqiao; Yang, Li; Schuck, P. James

Monolayer MoS2 (ML-MoS2) exhibits a rich manifold of excitons that dictate optoelectronic performance and functionality. Disentangling these states, which include the quasi-particle bandgap, is critical for developing 2D optoelectronic devices that operate beyond the optical bandgap. Whereas photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy only probes the lowest-energy radiative state and absorption spectroscopy fails to discriminate energetically degenerate states, photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy selectively probes only the excited states that thermalize to the emissive ground state exciton. Using PLE spectroscopy of ML-MoS2, we identify the Rydberg series of the exciton A and exciton B states as well as signatures of the quasi-particle bandgap and coupling between the indirect C exciton and the lowest-energy A exciton, which have eluded previous PLE studies. The assignment of these states is confirmed with density functional theory. Mapping the PLE spectrum reveals spatial variations of the higher-energy exciton manifold and quasi-particle bandgap which mirror the heterogeneity in the PL but also indicate variations in local exciton thermalization processes and chemical potentials.

Children Affected by War and Armed Conflict: Parental Protective Factors and Resistance to Mental Health Symptoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Slone

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This study examined the role of parenting styles and parental warmth in moderating relations between exposure to political life events and mental health symptoms among 277 Israeli adolescents aged 12–14 and their parents, who had been exposed to protracted periods of war, missile bombardments, and terrorism. Adolescents completed the Political Life Events (PLE scale, Brief Symptom Inventory and questionnaires regarding parenting style and parental warmth. The primary caregiver completed the Child Behavior Checklist for assessment of the child’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results confirmed that severity of PLE exposure was positively correlated with psychological distress and with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Maternal authoritativeness and warmth functioned as protective factors and had moderating effects on the relation between PLE exposure and mental health symptoms. In contrast, maternal authoritarianism exacerbated the relation between PLE exposure and children’s externalizing symptoms. Fathers’ parenting style and warmth had no significant relationship with children’s mental health outcomes. These findings have important clinical and practical implications for parental guidance and support during periods of war and armed conflict.

Femoral head retroposition as a potential compensatory mechanism in patients with a severe mismatch between pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xiaofei; Zhang, Kai; Sun, Xiaojiang; Zhao, Changqing; Li, Hua; Zhao, Jie

2017-12-01

Severe mismatch between pelvic incidence (PI) and lumbar lordosis (LL) leads to extra anterior displacement of the gravity line. The objective of this study is to investigate whether femoral head retroposition is a separate compensatory mechanism responsible for the extra anterior displacement. Based on the values of PI and LL, 94 patients were divided into the PI-LL match group (PI-LL ≤ 0°), the mild PI-LL mismatch group (20°> PI-LL >0°), and the severe PI-LL mismatch group (PI-LL ≥ 20°). A series of parameters including PI, LL, PI-LL, thoracic kyphosis (TK), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), knee flexion angle (KFA), tibial obliquity angle (TOA), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), S1 overhang, femoral head shift (FHS), and pelvic shift (PS) were measured and compared among the three groups. The severe PI-LL mismatch group exhibited significantly greater PI, PI-LL, PT, KFA, SVA, PS, and FHS, and less LL and TK, compared with the control and mild PI-LL mismatch group. The mild PI-LL mismatch group had significantly greater PI-LL, PT, KFA, TOA, and S1 overhang, and less LL and SS than the control group. SS, TOA, and S1 overhang in the severe PI-LL mismatch group differed significantly from that in the control group, but did not differ significantly from that in the mild PI-LL mismatch group. Femoral head retroposition is an entirely separate compensatory mechanism and, in this study, participated in the compensation for the anterior displacement of the gravity line induced by extra-sagittal spinal malalignment in patients with severe PI-LL mismatch.

Inhomogeneous free-electron distribution in InN nanowires: Photoluminescence excitation experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Segura-Ruiz, J.; Molina-Sánchez, A.; Garro, N.; García-Cristóbal, A.; Cantarero, A.; Iikawa, F.; Denker, C.; Malindretos, J.; Rizzi, A.

2010-09-01

Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra have been measured for a set of self-assembled InN nanowires (NWs) and a high-crystalline quality InN layer grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The PLE experimental lineshapes have been reproduced by a self-consistent calculation of the absorption in a cylindrical InN NW. The differences in the PLE spectra can be accounted for the inhomogeneous electron distribution within the NWs caused by a bulk donor concentration (ND+) and a two-dimensional density of ionized surface states (Nss+) . For NW radii larger than 30 nm, ND+ and Nss+ modify the absorption edge and the lineshape, respectively, and can be determined from the comparison with the experimental data.

Probing the exciton density of states in semiconductor nanocrystals using integrated photoluminescence spectroscopy

CERN Document Server

Filonovich, S A; Vasilevskiy, M I; Rolo, A G; Gomes, M J M; Artemiev, M V; Talapin, D V; Rogach, A L

2002-01-01

We present the results of a comparative analysis of the absorption and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra vs. integrated photoluminescence (IPL) measured as a function of the excitation wavelength for a number of samples containing II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) produced by different techniques. The structure of the absorption and PL spectra due to excitons confined in NCs and difficulties with the correct interpretation of the transmittance and PLE results are discussed. It is shown that, compared to the conventional PLE, the IPL intensity plotted against the excitation wavelength (IPLE spectra) reproduce better the structure of the absorption spectra. Therefore, IPLE spectroscopy can be successfully used for probing the quantized electron-hole (e-h) transitions in semiconductor nanocrystals. (author)

Decay heat removal and heat transfer under normal and accident conditions in gas cooled reactors. Proceedings of a specialists meeting held in Juelich, Germany, 6-8 July 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-08-15

The meeting was convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the recommendation of the IAEA`s International Working Group on Gas Cooled Reactors. It was attended by participants from China, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. K. Kugeler and Prof. Dr. E. Hicken, Directors of the Institute for Safety Research Technology of the KFA Research Center, and covered the following: Design and licensing requirements for gas cooled reactors; concepts for decay heat removal in modern gas cooled reactors; analytical methods for predictions of thermal response, accuracy of predictions; experimental data for validation of predictive methods - operational experience from gas cooled reactors and experimental data from test facilities. Refs, figs and tabs.

Decay heat removal and heat transfer under normal and accident conditions in gas cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-08-01

The meeting was convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the recommendation of the IAEA's International Working Group on Gas Cooled Reactors. It was attended by participants from China, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. K. Kugeler and Prof. Dr. E. Hicken, Directors of the Institute for Safety Research Technology of the KFA Research Center, and covered the following: Design and licensing requirements for gas cooled reactors; concepts for decay heat removal in modern gas cooled reactors; analytical methods for predictions of thermal response, accuracy of predictions; experimental data for validation of predictive methods - operational experience from gas cooled reactors and experimental data from test facilities. Refs, figs and tabs

Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Polypodium Leucotomos Extract in the Treatment of Melasma in Asian Skin: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Goh, Chee-Leok; Chuah, Sai Yee; Tien, Steven; Thng, Guan; Vitale, María Alejandra; Delgado-Rubin, Arancha

2018-03-01

Introduction: Melasma is a common pigmentary disorder with a multifactorial etiology that can hinder its management. The aqueous extract of the fern Polypodium leucotomos (PLE), Fernblock ® (IFC, Madrid, Spain), has demonstrated antioxidant and photoprotective activities and has been used for the treatment of several pigmentary disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral PLE in the treatment of melasma in Asian patients. Methods: Forty healthy adult patients with clinical diagnoses of melasma who were receiving treatment with topical 4% hydroquinone cream and sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50+ were recruited for inclusion in this study from the National Skin Centre in Singapore. They were randomized to receive either oral PLE supplementation or placebo for 12 weeks. Patients were assessed at baseline, Day 28, Day 56, and Day 84 using the modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (mMASI); melanin and erythema indexes; VISIA ® photography (Canfield Scientific, Parsippany, New Jersey, USA); and the Melasma Quality of Life (MelasQoL) questionnaire. Adverse events were recorded. Results: Following four, eight, and 12 weeks of treatment, there were statistically significant differences between the mMASI scores of both groups as compared with the baseline scores ( p ≤0.01). mMASI scores of the PLE group at eight and 12 weeks were also significantly lower than those of the placebo group ( p ≤0.05). At the end of the study, a significant improvement was reached in both groups (both p ≤0.01), with no significant differences between them. The scores of the melanin and erythema indices displayed a slight improvement in both groups, without significant differences among them. MelasQoL score showed an improvement in the PLE group versus the placebo group. Our results demonstrate that the PLE aqueous extract product significantly improves and accelerates the outcome reached with hydroquinone and sunscreen almost from

Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Polypodium Leucotomos Extract in the Treatment of Melasma in Asian Skin

Science.gov (United States)

Chuah, Sai Yee; Tien, Steven; Thng, Guan; Vitale, María Alejandra; Delgado-Rubin, Arancha

2018-01-01

Introduction: Melasma is a common pigmentary disorder with a multifactorial etiology that can hinder its management. The aqueous extract of the fern Polypodium leucotomos (PLE), Fernblock® (IFC, Madrid, Spain), has demonstrated antioxidant and photoprotective activities and has been used for the treatment of several pigmentary disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral PLE in the treatment of melasma in Asian patients. Methods: Forty healthy adult patients with clinical diagnoses of melasma who were receiving treatment with topical 4% hydroquinone cream and sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50+ were recruited for inclusion in this study from the National Skin Centre in Singapore. They were randomized to receive either oral PLE supplementation or placebo for 12 weeks. Patients were assessed at baseline, Day 28, Day 56, and Day 84 using the modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (mMASI); melanin and erythema indexes; VISIA® photography (Canfield Scientific, Parsippany, New Jersey, USA); and the Melasma Quality of Life (MelasQoL) questionnaire. Adverse events were recorded. Results: Following four, eight, and 12 weeks of treatment, there were statistically significant differences between the mMASI scores of both groups as compared with the baseline scores (p≤0.01). mMASI scores of the PLE group at eight and 12 weeks were also significantly lower than those of the placebo group (p≤0.05). At the end of the study, a significant improvement was reached in both groups (both p≤0.01), with no significant differences between them. The scores of the melanin and erythema indices displayed a slight improvement in both groups, without significant differences among them. MelasQoL score showed an improvement in the PLE group versus the placebo group. Our results demonstrate that the PLE aqueous extract product significantly improves and accelerates the outcome reached with hydroquinone and sunscreen almost from the first

AGF activieties in the field of systems analysis and technology assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

Activities of the following West German organisation in the field of systems analysis are reviewed: Kernforschungsanlage Juelich (KFA), Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (KfK), Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DFVLR), Gesellschaft fuer Strahlen- und Umweltforschung (GSF), Gesellschaft fuer Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung (GMD), Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik (IPP). (UA) [de

The temporal structure of resting-state brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex predicts self-consciousness.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zirui; Obara, Natsuho; Davis, Henry Hap; Pokorny, Johanna; Northoff, Georg

2016-02-01

Recent studies have demonstrated an overlap between the neural substrate of resting-state activity and self-related processing in the cortical midline structures (CMS). However, the neural and psychological mechanisms mediating this so-called "rest-self overlap" remain unclear. To investigate the neural mechanisms, we estimated the temporal structure of spontaneous/resting-state activity, e.g. its long-range temporal correlations or self-affinity across time as indexed by the power-law exponent (PLE). The PLE was obtained in resting-state activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in 47 healthy subjects by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We performed correlation analyses of the PLE and Revised Self-Consciousness Scale (SCSR) scores, which enabled us to access different dimensions of self-consciousness and specified rest-self overlap in a psychological regard. The PLE in the MPFC's resting-state activity correlated with private self-consciousness scores from the SCSR. Conversely, we found no correlation between the PLE and the other subscales of the SCSR (public, social) or between other resting-state measures, including functional connectivity, and the SCSR subscales. This is the first evidence for the association between the scale-free dynamics of resting-state activity in the CMS and the private dimension of self-consciousness. This finding implies the relationship of especially the private dimension of self with the temporal structure of resting-state activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Near-Band-Edge Optical Responses of CH3NH3PbCl3 Single Crystals: Photon Recycling of Excitonic Luminescence

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Takumi; Aharen, Tomoko; Kanemitsu, Yoshihiko

2018-02-01

The determination of the band gap and exciton energies of lead halide perovskites is very important from the viewpoint of fundamental physics and photonic device applications. By using photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra, we reveal the optical properties of CH3NH3PbCl3 single crystals in the near-band-edge energy regime. The one-photon PLE spectrum exhibits the 1 s exciton peak at 3.11 eV. On the contrary, the two-photon PLE spectrum exhibits no peak structure. This indicates photon recycling of excitonic luminescence. By analyzing the spatial distribution of the excitons and photon recycling, we obtain 3.15 eV for the band gap energy and 41 meV for the exciton binding energy.

An accountancy system for nuclear materials control in research centres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buttler, R.; Bueker, H.; Vallee, J.

1979-01-01

The Nuclear Accountancy and Control System (NACS) was developed at KFA Juelich in accordance with the requirements of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The main features are (1) recording of nuclear material in inventory items. These are combined to form batches wherever suitable; (2) extrapolation of accounting data as a replacement for detailed measurement of inventory items data. Recording and control of nuclear material are carried out on two levels with access to a common data bank. The lower level deals with nuclear materials handling plus internal management while on the upper level there is a central control point which is responsible for nuclear safeguarding within the entire research centre. By keeping the organizational and technical infrastructure it was possible to develop a system which is both economical and operator-oriented. In this system the emphasis of nuclear safeguarding is placed on the acquisition of the nuclear material inventory. As much consideration has been given to the interests of the various operational levels and organizational units as to internal and national regulations. Since it is part of the safeguarding and control system, access to the NACS must be restricted to a limited number of users only. Furthermore, it must include facilities for manual control in the form of records. Authorization for access must correspond with the various tasks of different user groups. All necessary data are acquired decentrally in the organizational units and entered via a terminal. It is available to the user groups on both levels through a central data bank. To meet all requirements, the NACS has been designed as an integrated, computer-assisted information system for the automated processing of extensive and multi-level nuclear materials data. As part of the preventive measures entailed with nuclear safeguarding, the accountancy system enables the operator of a nuclear plant to furnish proof of non-diversion of nuclear material. (author)

Luminescence property and emission enhancement of YbAlO3:Mn4+ red phosphor by Mg2+ or Li+ ions

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Renping; Luo, Wenjie; Xu, Haidong; Luo, Zhiyang; Hu, Qianglin; Fu, Ting; Peng, Dedong

2016-03-01

YbAlO3:Mn4+, YbAlO3:Mn4+, Li+, and YbAlO3:Mn4+, Mg2+ phosphors are synthesized by high temperature solid-state reaction method in air. Their crystal structures and luminescence properties are investigated. Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectrum monitored at 677 nm contains broad PLE band with three PLE peaks located at ∼318, 395, and 470 nm within the range 220-600 nm. Emission spectra with excitation 318 and 470 nm exhibit three emission band peaks located at ∼645, 677, and 700 nm in the range of 610-800 nm and their corresponding chromaticity coordinates are about (x = 0.6942, y = 0.3057). The possible luminous mechanism of Mn4+ ion is analyzed by the simple energy level diagram of Mn4+ ion. The optimum Mn4+-doped concentration in YbAlO3:Mn4+ phosphor is about 0.4 mol% and the luminescence lifetime of YbAlO3:0.4%Mn4+ phosphor is ∼0.59 ms. Emission intensity of YbAlO3:0.4%Mn4+ phosphor can be enhanced ∼6 times after Mg2+ ion is co-doped and it is ∼2 times when Li+ ion is co-doped. The content in the paper is useful to research new Mn4+-doped luminescence materials and improve luminescence property of other Mn4+-doped phosphors.

Optical properties of alumina membranes prepared by anodic oxidation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhaojian; Huang Kelong

2007-01-01

The luminescence property of anodic alumina membranes (AAMs) with ordered nanopore arrays prepared by electrochemically anodizing aluminum in oxalic acid solutions have been investigated. Photoluminescence emission (PL) measurement shows that a blue PL band occurs in the wavelength ranges of 300-600 nm. The PL intensity and peak position of AAMs depend markedly on the excitation wavelength. A new peak located at 518 nm can be observed under a monitoring wavelength at 429 nm in the photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra. Convincing evidences have been presented that the PLE would be associated with the residual aluminum ions in the membrane. The PLE and PL of AAMs, as a function of anodizing times, have been discussed. It is found that the oxalic impurities incorporated in the AAMs would have important influences on the optical properties of AAMs in the initial stage of anodization. The PL and PLE spectra obtained show that there are three optical centers, of which the first is originated from the F + centers in AAMs, the second is correlated with the oxalic impurities incorporated in the AAMs, and the third is associated with the excess aluminum ions in the membrane

Optical properties of alumina membranes prepared by anodic oxidation process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Zhaojian [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China)], E-mail: lizhaojian_lzj@hotmail.com; Huang Kelong [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China)], E-mail: klhuang@mail.csu.edu.cn

2007-12-15

The luminescence property of anodic alumina membranes (AAMs) with ordered nanopore arrays prepared by electrochemically anodizing aluminum in oxalic acid solutions have been investigated. Photoluminescence emission (PL) measurement shows that a blue PL band occurs in the wavelength ranges of 300-600 nm. The PL intensity and peak position of AAMs depend markedly on the excitation wavelength. A new peak located at 518 nm can be observed under a monitoring wavelength at 429 nm in the photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra. Convincing evidences have been presented that the PLE would be associated with the residual aluminum ions in the membrane. The PLE and PL of AAMs, as a function of anodizing times, have been discussed. It is found that the oxalic impurities incorporated in the AAMs would have important influences on the optical properties of AAMs in the initial stage of anodization. The PL and PLE spectra obtained show that there are three optical centers, of which the first is originated from the F{sup +} centers in AAMs, the second is correlated with the oxalic impurities incorporated in the AAMs, and the third is associated with the excess aluminum ions in the membrane.

Addressing the electronic properties of III–V nanowires by photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Luca, M

2017-01-01

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) have been attracting an increasing interest in the scientific community. This is due to their peculiar filamentary shape and nanoscale diameter, which renders them versatile and cost-effective components of novel technological devices and also makes them an ideal platform for the investigation of a variety of fascinating physical effects. Absorption spectroscopy is a powerful and non-destructive technique able to provide information on the physical properties of the NWs. However, standard absorption spectroscopy is hard to perform in NWs, because of their small volume and the presence of opaque substrates. Here, we demonstrate that absorption can be successfully replaced by photoluminescence excitation (PLE). First, the use of polarization-resolved PLE to address the complex and highly-debated electronic band structure of wurtzite GaAs and InP NWs is shown. Then, PLE is used as a statistically-relevant method to localize the presence of separate wurtzite and zincblende NWs in the same InP sample. Finally, a variety of resonant exotic effects in the density of states of In x Ga 1−x As/GaAs core/shell NWs are highlighted by high-resolution PLE. (paper)

Modelling of void formation in the subcooled boiling regime in the ATHLET code to simulate flow instability for research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hainoun, A.

1996-01-01

The ATHLET thermohydraulic code was developed at the Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS, Society for Plant and Reactor Safety) to analyse leaks and transients for power reactors. In order to extend the code's range of application to the safety analysis of research reactors, a model was implemented permitting a description of the thermodynamic non-equilibrium effects in the subcooled boiling regime. The aim of the extension is, on one hand, to cover the thermohydraulic instability which is particularly characteristic of research reactors owing to their high power densities and low system pressures and, on the other hand, to provide a consideration of the influence of the steam formed in this boiling regime on the neutron balance. The model developed takes into consideration the competing evaporation and condensation effects in the subcooled boiling regime. It describes the bubble production rate at the superheated heating surfaces as well as the subsequent condensation of the bubbles in the subcooled core flow. The installed model is validated by the recalculation of two extensive series of experiments. In the first series the McMaster experiments on axial void distribution in the subcooled boiling regime are recalculated. The recalculation shows that the extended programme is capable of calculating the axial void distribution in the subcooled boiling regime with good agreement with the data. The second series deals with KFA experiments on thermohydraulic instability (flow excursion) in the subcooled boiling regime, comprising a broad parameter range of heat flow density, inlet temperature and channel width. Recalculation of this experimental series shows that the programme extension ensures simulation of thermohydraulic instability. (orig.)

Exciton Binding Energy of Monolayer WS2

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Bairen; Chen, Xi; Cui, Xiaodong

2015-03-01

The optical properties of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) feature prominent excitonic natures. Here we report an experimental approach to measuring the exciton binding energy of monolayer WS2 with linear differential transmission spectroscopy and two-photon photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (TP-PLE). TP-PLE measurements show the exciton binding energy of 0.71 +/- 0.01 eV around K valley in the Brillouin zone.

Antinuclear antibody levels in Polymorphic Light Eruption and their relation to the severity of disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iffat Hassan

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: PLE is an idiopathic photodermatosis characterised by a polymorphic eruption ranging from papulo-vesicular lesions to large plaques, located predominantly in a photoexposed distribution. It is an acquired disease and is the most common idiopathic photodermatosis. It is characterised by recurrent abnormal delayed reaction to sunlight. PLE is the most common idiopathic photodermatosis, the prevalence of which has been estimated to be around 10-20% in USA, England and Ireland. Previous studies have shown elevated levels of ANA in 2.9-19% of patients with PLE. Aim: The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of ANA positivity in a cohort of patients of ethnic kashmiri origin with Polymorphic light eruption and to examine whether there is any relation of their levels with the severity of disease.Methods: Patients with Polymorphic light eruption clinically who attended the Outpatient Deptt. of Dermatology GMC Srinagar were referred to the Deptt. of Biochemistry GMC Srinagar where patients blood samples were analysed for ANA index by ELISA method (BRIO SEAC ITALY.Results: Our study consisted of 36 patients (with 23 males and 13 females with age group ranging between 15-65 years presenting with typical clinical features of PLE without associated autoimmune connected tissue diseases like discoid lupus erythematosus or systemic lupus erythematosus and 20 healthy age and sex matched controls. Two patients (1 male and 1female showed positive results and 1 patient (female showed equivocal results. Among the control group one patient showed ANA positivity. Thus total frequency of ANA positivity of of 5.55% was observed among the cases and 5% among the controls with frequency of 4.34% in males and 7.69% in females.Conclusion: ANA levels were found in 5.55% of patients with PLE, however there is no relation between the levels of ANA in PLE and with the severity of disease (p value >0.05.

Short Personality and Life Event scale for detection of suicide attempters.

Science.gov (United States)

Artieda-Urrutia, Paula; Delgado-Gómez, David; Ruiz-Hernández, Diego; García-Vega, Juan Manuel; Berenguer, Nuria; Oquendo, Maria A; Blasco-Fontecilla, Hilario

2015-01-01

To develop a brief and reliable psychometric scale to identify individuals at risk for suicidal behaviour. Case-control study. 182 individuals (61 suicide attempters, 57 psychiatric controls, and 64 psychiatrically healthy controls) aged 18 or older, admitted to the Emergency Department at Puerta de Hierro University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. All participants completed a form including their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and the Personality and Life Events scale (27 items). To assess Axis I diagnoses, all psychiatric patients (including suicide attempters) were administered the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Descriptive statistics were computed for the socio-demographic factors. Additionally, χ(2) independence tests were applied to evaluate differences in socio-demographic and clinical variables, and the Personality and Life Events scale between groups. A stepwise linear regression with backward variable selection was conducted to build the Short Personality Life Event (S-PLE) scale. In order to evaluate the accuracy, a ROC analysis was conducted. The internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α, and the external reliability was evaluated using a test-retest procedure. The S-PLE scale, composed of just 6 items, showed good performance in discriminating between medical controls, psychiatric controls and suicide attempters in an independent sample. For instance, the S-PLE scale discriminated between past suicide and past non-suicide attempters with sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 75%. The area under the ROC curve was 88%. A factor analysis extracted only one factor, revealing a single dimension of the S-PLE scale. Furthermore, the S-PLE scale provides values of internal and external reliability between poor (test-retest: 0.55) and acceptable (Cronbach's α: 0.65) ranges. Administration time is about one minute. The S-PLE scale is a useful and accurate instrument for estimating the risk of suicidal behaviour in

Pervasive Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helms, Niels Henrik; Hundebøl, Jesper

2006-01-01

The potentials of pervasive communication in learning within industry and education are right know being explored through different R&D projects. This paper outlines the background for and the possible learning potentials in what we describe as pervasive learning environments (PLE). PLE's differ...... from virtual learning environments (VLE) primarily because in PLE's the learning content is very much related to the actual context in which the learner finds himself. Two local (Denmark) cases illustrate various aspects of pervasive learning. One is the eBag, a pervasive digital portfolio used...... in schools. The other is moreover related to work based learning in that it foresees a community of practitioners accessing, sharing and adding to knowledge and learning objects held within a pervasive business intelligence system. Limitations and needed developments of these and other systems are discussed...

Putting the PLE into PLD: Virtual Professional Learning and Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazel Owen

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The range of affordances that a virtual environment offers can provide opportunities for more formal Professional Learning and Development (PLD that has flexibility of choice, time and approach for educators. It was this potential that inspired the design of the Virtual Professional Learning and Development (VPLD program that was instigated in October 2009 by the NZ Ministry of Education, who also funded the project. The findings from the pilot of the VPLD program in 2010 indicated that when professional learning was situated within the practitioner's context, and with complementary, easily-accessible opportunities for sharing of practice within an online Community of Practice, participants demonstrated high levels of engagement as well as changes in their own teaching practice. The VPLD Programme was facilitated and researched again during 2011, building on findings from 2010. Findings to date suggest that the educators developed a sense of self-efficacy that motivated them to trial alternative approaches, and to initiate iterative cycles of trial, error, and improvement.

Nuclear Research Centre Juelich. 1986 annual work report of the Department for Safety and Radiation Protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hille, R.; Frenkler, K.L.

1986-02-01

The Department for Safety and Radiation Protection continues to be responsible for coordinating radiation protection, safety and protection at the KFA. It supports the other institutes and departments in performing the safety tasks allotted to them. The principal tasks of the Department are in administrative and technical assistance to these organization units and in safeguards. Administrative assistance involves, for example, regulation of the radiation protection organization in the institutes, including the appointment of radiation protection officers (Strahlenschutzbeauftragte). Furthermore, this includes the central handling of the registration system with the authorities and dealing with outside firms thus considerably relieving the institutes of their administrative tasks. Handling licensing procedures and the central accountancy of radioactive materials is also to be mentioned in this context. Technical assistance largely consists of developing, maintaining and repairing radiation measuring instruments and in the monitoring of personnel by evaluating personnel dosimeters and incorporation controls for radioactive sources. The safeguards tasks of the Department concern the very staff-intensive physical protection, as well as environmental protection and industrial safety. (orig./HP) [de

Nuclear Research Centre Juelich. 1987 annual work report of the Department for Safety and Radiation Protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hille, R.

1988-03-01

The Department for Safety and Radiation Protection continues to be responsible for coordinating radiation protection, safety and protection at the KFA. It supports the other institutes and departments in performing the safety tasks allotted to them. The principal tasks of the Department are in administrative and technical assistance to these organization units and in safeguards. Administrative assistance involves, for example, regulation of the radiation protection organization in the institutes, including the appointment of radiation protection officers (Strahlenschutzbeauftragte). Furthermore, this includes the central handling of the registration system with the authorities and dealing with outside firms thus considerably relieving the institutes of their administrative tasks. Handling licensing procedures and the central accountancy of radioactive materials is also to be mentioned in this context. Technical assistance largely consists of developing, maintaining and repairing radiation measuring instruments and in the monitoring of personnel by evaluating personnel dosimeters and incorporation controls for radioactive sources. The safeguards tasks of the Department concern the very staff-intensive physical protection, as well as environmental protection and industrial safety. (orig./HP) [de

Contributions for the seventeenth biennial conference on carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delle, W.

1985-06-01

This report is the compilation of the papers prepared by KFA Juelich GmbH for the 17th Biennial Conference on Carbon. In the contributions, results are presented which were obtained from the application of carbon in the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor and for the Spallation Neutron Source planned in the Federal Republic of Germany. (orig.) [de

Measurements in CESAR on the cold pebble bed experiments. Interpretation of fine structure and absorber rod measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scherer, W; Hecker, R; Kirch, N; Krings, F; Neef, R D; Langlet, G

1973-10-15

In the framework of a cooperation between KFA-Juelich and CEA France in 1972 a critical HTR-experiment with spherical fuel elements has been performed in the critical facility CESAR at CEN Cadarache. The experiments were done in order to test the validity of several computer codes in the field of nuclear design of HTR power plants.

KfA Institute of Nuclear Physics. Annual report 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruemmer, F.; Kilian, K.; Schult, O.; Seyfarth, H.; Speth, J.; Turek, P.

1988-04-01

This annual report contains extended abstracts about the work performed at the named institute together with a list of publications and speeches. The work concerns nuclear reactions, nuclear spectroscopy, intermediate-energy physics, nuclear structure, developments of the isochronous cyclotron and the ISIS ion source, construction of spectrometers, detectors, and targets, computer development, counting electronics, and radiation protection. (HSI)

Home-made online hyphenation of pressurized liquid extraction, turbulent flow chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography, Cistanche deserticola as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qingqing; Li, Jun; Liu, Xiao; Zhang, Yuan; Guo, Liping; Jiang, Yong; Song, Yuelin; Tu, Pengfei

2016-03-18

Incompatibility between the conventional pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) devices and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) extensively hinders direct and green chemical analysis of herbal materials. Herein, a facile PLE module was configured, and then it was online hyphenated with HPLC via a turbulent flow chromatography (TFC) column. Regarding PLE module, a long PEEK tube (0.13 × 1000 mm) was employed to generate desired pressure (approximately 13.0 MPa) when warm acidic water (70 °C) was delivered as extraction solvent at a high flow rate (2.5 mL/min), and a hollow guard column (3.0 × 4.0 mm) was implemented to hold crude materials. Effluent was collected from the outlet of PEEK tube, concentrated, and subjected onto HPLC coupled with hybrid ion trap-time of flight mass spectrometer to assess the extraction efficiency and also to profile the chemical composition of Cistanche deserticola (CD) that is honored as "Ginseng of the desert". Afterwards, a TFC column was introduced to accomplish online transmission of low molecule weight components from PLE module to HPLC coupled with diode array detection, and two electronic 6-port/2-channel valves were in charge of alternating the whole system between extraction (0-3.0 min) and elution (3.0-35.0 min) phases. Quantitative method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of eight primary phenylethanoid glycosides in CD using online PLE-TFC-HPLC. All findings demonstrated that the home-made platform is advantageous at direct chemical analysis, as well as time-, solvent-, and material-savings, suggesting a robust tool for chemical fingerprinting of herbs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oral budesonide treatment for protein-losing enteropathy in Fontan-palliated patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Kurt R; Cools, Michael; Goldstein, Bryan H; Ioffe-Dahan, Viktoriya; King, Karen; Gaffney, Diane; Russell, Mark W

2011-10-01

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a rare complication of Fontan palliation associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is characterized by the loss of serum proteins into the intestinal lumen, and its pathophysiology likely involves enteral inflammation. Budesonide, an oral steroid, is an attractive treatment option because of its potent enteral activity and minimal systemic side effects. A single-center, retrospective review of Fontan-palliated PLE patients treated with oral budesonide for 6 months or longer was performed. The patient characteristics reviewed were demographics, anatomic diagnosis, budesonide treatment (dose and duration), other medications and therapeutic interventions, hospitalizations, serum albumin levels, medical complications, and patient status at the time of follow-up assessment. The study enrolled 10 patients representing 228 patient-months of on-therapy follow-up evaluation. Serum albumin levels increased after initiation of budesonide for 90% of the patients, and clinical evidence of fluid overload improved for 60% of them. Symptomatic improvement was reported in 80% of the cases. During the treatment period, 50% of the patients met the primary end point of death or cardiac transplantation. In this series of PLE patients, oral budesonide therapy was associated with significant symptomatic improvement and sustained increases in serum albumin. However, budesonide therapy may not alter the long-term outcome for patients with advanced PLE.

On the origin of fine structure in the photoluminescence spectra of the β-sialon:Eu2+ green phosphor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kohsei Takahashi, Ken-ichi Yoshimura, Masamichi Harada, Yoshitaka Tomomura, Takashi Takeda, Rong-Jun Xie and Naoto Hirosaki

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The photoluminescence (PL and PL excitation (PLE spectra of Si6−zAlzOzN8−z (β-sialon:Eu2+ phosphors with small z values (z=0.025–0.24 were studied at room temperature and 6 K. The PL and PLE spectra exhibit fine structure with the PL lines being as sharp as 45–55 nm even at room temperature; this fine structure was enhanced by decreasing the z value. These results can be used for expanding the color gamut of liquid crystal displays, particularly in the blue–green region. From low-temperature measurements, the fine PLE structure was ascribed to discrete energy levels of 7FJ states. The 4f65d excited states of Eu2+ are considered to be localized near the 4f orbital. This is because the bonding of Eu2+ with surrounding atoms is ionic rather than covalent. Lattice phonon absorptions were also observed in the PLE spectrum, revealing that the optically active Eu2+ ions are located in the β-sialon crystal. The PL spectrum of the sample with the smallest z value (0.025 consists of a sharp zero-phonon line and lattice phonon replicas, which results in a sharp and asymmetric spectral shape.

Hot exciton relaxation in multiple layers CdSe/ZnSe self-assembled quantum dots separated by thick ZnSe barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eremenko, M; Budkin, G; Reznitsky, A

2015-01-01

We have studied PL and PLE spectra of two samples (A and B) of MBE grown CdSe/ZnSe asymmetric double quantum wells with different amount of deposited CdSe layers separated by 14 nm ZnSe barrier. It has been found that PLE spectra of the states forming short wavelength side of the PL spectra of both deep and shallow QWs of the sample A as well as that of deep QW of the sample B demonstrate oscillating structure in the spectral ranges corresponding to exciton states of self-assembled quantum dots only. Meanwhile PLE spectra of the short wavelength states of shallow QW the sample B revealed pronounced oscillating structure with energy period of ZnSe LO phonon under excitation with photons in a wide energy range both in the regions of quantum-dot states and in that of free states in the ZnSe barrier. In these spectra creating of excitons with kinetic energies more than 0.3 eV was observed which considerably exceed the exciton binding energy as well as LO phonon energy (both appr. 0.03 eV). It has been concluded that oscillating structure of the PLE spectra arises due to cascade relaxation of hot excitons. We discuss the model which explains these experimental findings. (paper)

Hot exciton relaxation in multiple layers CdSe/ZnSe self-assembled quantum dots separated by thick ZnSe barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Eremenko, M.; Budkin, G.; Reznitsky, A.

2015-11-01

We have studied PL and PLE spectra of two samples (A and B) of MBE grown CdSe/ZnSe asymmetric double quantum wells with different amount of deposited CdSe layers separated by 14 nm ZnSe barrier. It has been found that PLE spectra of the states forming short wavelength side of the PL spectra of both deep and shallow QWs of the sample A as well as that of deep QW of the sample B demonstrate oscillating structure in the spectral ranges corresponding to exciton states of self-assembled quantum dots only. Meanwhile PLE spectra of the short wavelength states of shallow QW the sample B revealed pronounced oscillating structure with energy period of ZnSe LO phonon under excitation with photons in a wide energy range both in the regions of quantum-dot states and in that of free states in the ZnSe barrier. In these spectra creating of excitons with kinetic energies more than 0.3 eV was observed which considerably exceed the exciton binding energy as well as LO phonon energy (both appr. 0.03 eV). It has been concluded that oscillating structure of the PLE spectra arises due to cascade relaxation of hot excitons. We discuss the model which explains these experimental findings.

Extraction of functional ingredients from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) using liquid solvent and supercritical CO₂ extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaime, Laura; Vázquez, Erika; Fornari, Tiziana; López-Hazas, María del Carmen; García-Risco, Mónica R; Santoyo, Susana; Reglero, Guillermo

2015-03-15

In this work three different techniques were applied to extract dry leaves of spinach (Spinacia oleracea): solid-liquid extraction (SLE), pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) to investigate the influence of extraction solvent and technique on extracts composition and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the influence of carotenoids and phenolic compounds on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of spinach extracts was also studied. The higher concentrations of carotenoids and the lower content of phenolic compounds were observed in the supercritical CO₂ extracts; whereas water and/or ethanol PLE extracts presented low amounts of carotenoids and the higher concentrations of phenolic compounds. PLE extract with the highest content of phenolic compounds showed the highest antioxidant activity, although SFE carotenoid rich extract also showed a high antioxidant activity. Moreover, both extracts presented an important anti-inflammatory activity. PLE seems to be a good technique for the extraction of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds from spinach leaves. Moreover, spinach phenolic compounds and carotenoids present a high antioxidant activity, whereas spinach carotenoids seem to show a higher anti-inflammatory activity than phenolic compounds. It is worth noting that of our knowledge this is the first time the anti-inflammatory activity of lipophilic extracts from spinach leaves is reported. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pervasive Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hundebøl, Jesper; Helms, Niels Henrik

in schools. The other is moreover related to work based learning in that it foresees a community of practitioners accessing, sharing and adding to knowledge and learning objects held within a pervasive business intelligence system. Limitations and needed developments of these and other systems are discussed......Abstract: The potentials of pervasive communication in learning within industry and education are right know being explored through different R&D projects. This paper outlines the background for and the possible learning potentials in what we describe as pervasive learning environments (PLE). PLE......'s differ from virtual learning environments (VLE) primarily because in PLE's the learning content is very much related to the actual context in which the learner finds himself. Two local (Denmark) cases illustrate various aspects of pervasive learning. One is the eBag, a pervasive digital portfolio used...

Optimization of Pressurized Liquid Extraction of Three Major Acetophenones from Cynanchum bungei Using a Box-Behnken Design

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Zhao, Li-Chun; Sun, Yin-Shi; Lei, Feng-Jie; Wang, Zi; Gui, Xiong-Bin; Wang, Hui

2012-01-01

In this work, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) of three acetophenones (4-hydroxyacetophenone, baishouwubenzophenone, and 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone) from Cynanchum bungei (ACB) were investigated. The optimal conditions for extraction of ACB were obtained using a Box-Behnken design, consisting of 17 experimental points, as follows: Ethanol (100%) as the extraction solvent at a temperature of 120 °C and an extraction pressure of 1500 psi, using one extraction cycle with a static extraction time of 17 min. The extracted samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography using an UV detector. Under this optimal condition, the experimental values agreed with the predicted values by analysis of variance. The ACB extraction yield with optimal PLE was higher than that obtained by soxhlet extraction and heat-reflux extraction methods. The results suggest that the PLE method provides a good alternative for acetophenone extraction. PMID:23203079

Optimization of Pressurized Liquid Extraction of Three Major Acetophenones from Cynanchum bungei Using a Box-Behnken Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Wang

2012-11-01

Full Text Available In this work, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE of three acetophenones (4-hydroxyacetophenone, baishouwubenzophenone, and 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone from Cynanchum bungei (ACB were investigated. The optimal conditions for extraction of ACB were obtained using a Box-Behnken design, consisting of 17 experimental points, as follows: Ethanol (100% as the extraction solvent at a temperature of 120 °C and an extraction pressure of 1500 psi, using one extraction cycle with a static extraction time of 17 min. The extracted samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography using an UV detector. Under this optimal condition, the experimental values agreed with the predicted values by analysis of variance. The ACB extraction yield with optimal PLE was higher than that obtained by soxhlet extraction and heat-reflux extraction methods. The results suggest that the PLE method provides a good alternative for acetophenone extraction.

Pulsed laser deposition of high Tc superconducting thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, R.K.; Narayan, J.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on the pulsed laser evaporation (PLE) technique for deposition of thin films characterized by a number of unique properties. Based on the experimental characteristics, a theoretical model is developed which considers the formation and anisotropic three dimensional expansion of the laser generated plasma. This model explains most of the experimental features observed in PLE. We have also employed the PLE technique for in-situ fabrication of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 superconducting thin films on different substrates in the temperature range of 500--650 degrees C. At temperatures below 600 degrees C, a biased interposing ring between the substrate and the target was found to significantly improve the superconducting properties. The minimum ion channeling yields were between 3--3.5% for films deposited on (100) SrTiO 3 and (100) LaAlO 3 substrates

Effects of crossed states on photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of InAs quantum dots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Chien-Hung

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this report, the influence of the intrinsic transitions between bound-to-delocalized states (crossed states or quasicontinuous density of electron-hole states on photoluminescence excitation (PLE spectra of InAs quantum dots (QDs was investigated. The InAs QDs were different in size, shape, and number of bound states. Results from the PLE spectroscopy at low temperature and under a high magnetic field (up to 14 T were compared. Our findings show that the profile of the PLE resonances associated with the bound transitions disintegrated and broadened. This was attributed to the coupling of the localized QD excited states to the crossed states and scattering of longitudinal acoustical (LA phonons. The degree of spectral linewidth broadening was larger for the excited state in smaller QDs because of the higher crossed joint density of states and scattering rate.

Theoretical studies of multistep processes, isospin effects in nuclear scattering, and meson and baryon interactions in nuclear physics: [Annual] progress report, May 1, 1986 to April 30, 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madsen, V.A.; Landau, R.H.

1987-01-01

A progress report on a grant from the DOE supporting theoretical studies in nuclear physics at Oregon State University in 1986, 1987 is presented. The research was led by Professors Landau and Madsen and carried out in collaboration with graduate students in Corvallis and scientists at LLNL-Livermore, KFA-Juelich, Purdue University, Florida State University and TRIUMF. The studies included meson exchange current effects deduced from spin observables in p- 3 He scattering, coupled bound and continuum eigenstates in momentum space for kaons and antiprotons, and charge symmetry violation in π scattering from trinucleons. Additional studies included microscopic optical potential calculations, multiple step processes, and differences in neutron and proton multipole matrix elements and transition densities in low lying collective states and in giant resonances

Report on the interpretation of critical experiments in the Siemens-Argonaut-Reactor Graz to study water ingress into spherical elements. Ergebnisbericht zur Auslegung kritischer Experimente am Siemens-Argonaut-Reaktor Graz zum Studium des Wassereinbruches im Kugelhaufen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuerrer, F [Technische Univ., Graz (Austria). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik und Reaktorphysik; Neef, R D [Kernforschungsanlage Juelich G.m.b.H. (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Reaktorentwicklung

1979-04-15

The experiments described are of interest in the study of water contamination in HTR fuel elements. The Siemens Argonaut Reactor (SAR) has been considered as a research tool for a simulation experiment. Following a brief description of the SAR, planned programs are discussed in 'dry' and 'wet' cores. Detector foil types and locations are noted. A theoretical model is developed and nuclide concentrations estimated in the various spectral zones. Reactivity calculations have been made and are summarised for various H{sub 2}O percentage concentrations. The discussion is supported by simplified core layout diagrams and graphs of core flux distributions. Neutron diffusion and spectra calculations are referenced to computer programs used by KFA-Juelich, published elsewhere, and include GAM, THERMOS, MUPO and EXTERMINATOR-2. (G.C.)

Benefits and hazards of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnert, H.; Borsch, P.; Feldmann, A.; Merz, E.; Muench, E.; Oesterwind, D.; Voss, A.; Wolters, J.

1979-09-01

Compilation of a seminar at the KFA Juelich on topical problems of nuclear power. Subjects: Energy demand, its expected development and possibilities of coverage; physical fundamentals and technical realisation of power generation by nuclear fission; fuel cycle problems and solutions; effects of radioactive radiation; safety of nuclear power plants and the nuclear hazard as compared with other hazards. (orig./RW) [de

First turn simulations in the cooler synchrotron COSY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinev, D.

1991-07-01

This paper is devoted to the first turn correction and related problems in particle accelerators of synchrotron type. The paper consists of two parts. The first part is a survey of the existing methods for first turn steering. The second part is entirely devoted to the first turn in the cooler synchrotron COSY which is under assembling in KFA-Julich, Germany. (orig.)

The EDDA experiment: proton-proton elastic scattering excitation functions at intermediate energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinterberher, F.

1996-01-01

The EDDA experiment is designed to provide a high precision measurement of proton-proton elastic scattering excitation functions ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 GeV of (lab) incident kinetic energy. It is an internal target experiment utilizing the proton beam of the cooler synchrotron COSY operated by KFA Juelich. The excitation functions are measured during the acceleration ramp of COSY. (author)

Results of Cesar II critical facility with low enriched fuel balls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Langlet, G; Guerange, J; Laponche, B; Morier, F; Neef, R D; Bock, H J; Kring, F J; Scherer, W

1972-06-15

The Cesar facility has been transformed to load in its center a pebble bed fuel. This new Cesar assembly is called Cesar II. The program for the measurements with HTR type fuel balls is managed under a cooperation between physicists of CEA/CADARACHE and KFA/JUELICH. A description of the measuring zones of Cesar II and of the experimental results is given.

Stick-Slip of Lightly Loaded Rock. Part 1. Dilatancy and Shearing Behavior of Assemblages of Rods. Part 2

Science.gov (United States)

1975-02-04

particularly at light normal stresses. Such self-induced vibrations were recog- nized in the nineteenth century as the source of music from violin ...of slip zones developing during a test may be calculated from the number of possible combinations. For exam - ple, let us assume that due to end...combinations. For exam - ple, let us assume that due to end restraint only the four central planes in the array of one inch rods art, eligil)le for slip

Statistical and physical evolution of QSO's

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caditz, D.; Petrosian, V.

1989-09-01

The relationship between the physical evolution of discrete extragalactic sources, the statistical evolution of the observed population of sources, and the cosmological model is discussed. Three simple forms of statistical evolution: pure luminosity evolution (PLE), pure density evolution (PDE), and generalized luminosity evolution (GLE), are considered in detail together with what these forms imply about the physical evolution of individual sources. Two methods are used to analyze the statistical evolution of the observed distribution of QSO's (quasars) from combined flux limited samples. It is shown that both PLE and PDE are inconsistent with the data over the redshift range 0 less than z less than 2.2, and that a more complicated form of evolution such as GLE is required, independent of the cosmological model. This result is important for physical models of AGN, and in particular, for the accretion disk model which recent results show may be inconsistent with PLE

The impact of coastal urbanization on the structure of phytobenthic communities in southern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Cintia D L; Arantes, Noele; Faveri, Caroline; Batista, Manuela B; Oliveira, Eurico C; Pagliosa, Paulo R; Fonseca, Alessandra L; Nunes, José Marcos C; Chow, Fungyi; Pereira, Sonia B; Horta, Paulo A

2012-04-01

The anthropogenic pressures on coastal areas represent important factors affecting local, regional, and even global patterns of distribution and abundance of benthic organisms. This report undertakes a comparative analysis of the community structure of rocky shore intertidal phytobenthos in both pristine like environments (PLE) and urbanized environments (UBE) in southern Brazil, characterizing variations on different spatial scales. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the PLE is characterized by a larger number of taxa and an increased occurrence of Rhodophyta species in relation to UBE. In contrast, UBE were dominated by opportunistic algae, such as Cladophora and Ulva spp. Significance tests further indicated higher species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity on the PLE in relation to UBE. Here we provide data showing the magnitude of seaweed biodiversity loss and discuss direct and indirect consequences of unplanned urbanization on these communities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inhibitory activities of Perilla frutescens britton leaf extract against the growth, migration, and adhesion of human cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Youngeun

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Perilla frutescens Britton leaves are a commonly consumed vegetable in different Asian countries including Korea. Cancer is a major cause of human death worldwide. The aim of the current study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of ethanol extract of perilla leaf (PLE) against important characteristics of cancer cells, including unrestricted growth, resisted apoptosis, and activated metastasis, using human cancer cells. MATERIALS/METHODS Two human cancer cell lines were used in this study, HCT116 colorectal carcinoma cells and H1299 non-small cell lung carcinoma cells. Assays using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide were performed for measurement of cell growth. Soft agar and wound healing assays were performed to determine colony formation and cell migration, respectively. Nuclear staining and cell cycle analysis were performed for assessment of apoptosis. Fibronectin-coated plates were used to determine cell adhesion. RESULTS Treatment of HCT116 and H1299 cells with PLE resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of growth by 52-92% (at the concentrations of 87.5, 175, and 350 µg/ml) and completely abolished the colony formation in soft agar (at the concentration of 350 µg/ml). Treatment with PLE at the 350 µg/ml concentration resulted in change of the nucleus morphology and significantly increased sub-G1 cell population in both cells, indicating its apoptosis-inducing activity. PLE at the concentration range of 87.5 to 350 µg/ml was also effective in inhibiting the migration of H1299 cells (by 52-58%) and adhesion of both HCT116 and H1299 cells (by 25-46%). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that PLE exerts anti-cancer activities against colon and lung cancers in vitro. Further studies are needed in order to determine whether similar effects are reproduced in vivo. PMID:25671062

Psychotic-Like Experiences at the Healthy End of the Psychosis Continuum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lui Unterrassner

2017-05-01

Full Text Available There is increasing evidence pointing toward a continuous distribution of psychotic symptoms and accompanying factors between subclinical and clinical populations. However, for the construction of continuum models, a more detailed knowledge of different types of psychotic-like experiences (PLE and their associations with distress, functional impairment, and demographic variables is needed. We investigated PLE in a sample of healthy adults (N = 206 incorporating the recently developed revised Exceptional Experiences Questionnaire (PAGE-R. For the first time, the PAGE-R was cross validated with PLE, disorganized-, and negative-like symptoms [Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ, Physical Anhedonia Scale (PAS]. We subjected the PAGE-R to exploratory factor analyses and examined the resulting subtypes of EE for specific associations with contextual factors, valence ratings, socio-demographic variables, and general psychological burden (Revised Symptom-Checklist-90. Correlational cross-validation suggested that the PAGE-R measures facets of PLE. Importantly, we (1 identified three types of exceptional experiences (EE: Odd beliefs, dissociative anomalous perceptions, and hallucinatory anomalous perceptions. Further, the results suggested that even in healthy individuals (2 PLE and EE are indicative of reduced functioning, as reflected by increased psychological burden and lower educational achievement. Moreover, (3 similar sex-differences might exist as in psychotic patients with women reporting more positive-like symptoms and EE but less disorganized-like symptoms than men. Importantly, (4 EE might be differentially implicated in psychological functioning. We suggest that the PAGE-R holds the potential to complement the current assessment of sub-clinical psychosis. However, whereas our results might point toward a continuity of psychotic symptoms with EE and normal experiences, they require replication in larger samples as well as equivalence

Skin hardening effect in patients with polymorphic light eruption: comparison of UVB hardening in hospital with a novel home UV-hardening device.

Science.gov (United States)

Franken, S M; Genders, R E; de Gruijl, F R; Rustemeyer, T; Pavel, S

2013-01-01

An effective prophylactic treatment of patients with polymorphic light eruption (PLE) consists of repeated low, gradually increasing exposures to UVB radiation. This so-called UV(B) hardening induces better tolerance of the skin to sunlight. SunshowerMedical company (Amsterdam) has developed an UV (B) source that can be used during taking shower. The low UV fluence of this apparatus makes it an interesting device for UV hardening. In a group of PLE patients, we compared the effectiveness of the irradiation with SunshowerMedical at home with that of the UVB treatment in the hospital. The PLE patients were randomized for one of the treatments. The hospital treatment consisted of irradiations with broad-band UVB (Waldmann 85/UV21 lamps) twice a week during 6 weeks. The home UV-device was used each day with the maximal irradiation time of 6 min. The outcome assessment was based on the information obtained from patients' dermatological quality of life (DLQI) questionnaires, the ability of both phototherapies to reduce the provocation reaction and from the patients' evaluation of the long-term benefits of their phototherapies. Sixteen patients completed treatment with SunshowerMedical and thirteen completed treatment in hospital. Both types of phototherapy were effective. There was a highly significant improvement in DLQI with either treatment. In most cases, the hardening reduced or even completely suppressed clinical UV provocation of PLE. The patients using SunshowerMedical at home were, however, much more content with the treatment procedure than the patients visiting the dermatological units. Both treatments were equally effective in the induction of skin tolerance to sunlight in PLE patients. However, the home treatment was much better accepted than the treatment in the hospital. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2011 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Critical connections: personal learning environments and information literacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alison Hicks

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Personal learning environments (PLEs and critical information literacies (CILs are two concepts that have been presented as responses to the challenges of the rich and complex information landscape. While both approaches support learners’ critical engagement with new information environments, each was developed within a different field. This paper connects and contrasts PLEs and CILs in order to explore the design of pedagogical responses to the information environment. Through a careful examination of PLE and CIL literature, the paper demonstrates that information literacy education intersects with the concepts and goals of PLEs. As such, the authors suggest that PLE scholarship informed by CIL scholarship, and vice versa, will yield a deeper understanding of modern learning contexts as well as a more holistic and responsive learner framework. The example of the research assignment will be used to demonstrate the viability of this approach. With these propositions, the authors invite educators, librarians and information technologists to engage in a dialogue about these concepts and the potential for pedagogical change.

Exploring the Nature of Exciton Localization in Quasi One-Dimensional GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Well Tube Nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Howard; Badada, Bekele; Shi, Teng; Smith, Leigh; Zheng, Changlin; Etheridge, Joanne; Jiang, Nian; Tan, Hoe; Jagadish, Channupati

We explore the nature of exciton localization in single GaAs/AlGaAs nanowire quantum well tube (QWT) devices using photocurrent (PC) spectroscopy combined with simultaneous photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) measurements. Excitons confined to GaAs quantum well tubes of 8 and 4 nm widths embedded into an AlGaAs barrier are seen to ionize at high bias. Spectroscopic signatures of the ground and excited states confined to the QWT seen in PL, PLE and PC data are consistent with simple numerical calculations. The demonstration of good electrical contact with the QWTs enables the study of Stark effect shifts in the sharp emission lines of excitons localized to quantum dot-like states within the QWT. Atomic resolution cross-sectional TEM measurements, an analysis of the temperature dependence of PL and time-resolved PL as well as the quantum confined Stark effect of these dots provide insights into the nature of the exciton localization in these nanostructures. We acknowledge the financial support of NSF DMR 1507844, DMR 151373 and ECCS 1509706 and the Australian Research Council.

LEU-plate irradiation at FRJ-2 (DIDO) under the German AF-programme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groos, E; Krug, W; Seferiadis, J; Thamm, G

1985-07-01

10 LEU fuel plates (8 with uranium silicides max. U-density 6.1 g/cm{sup 3}) have been irradiated at FRJ-2 (DIDO) of KFA-Juelich till end of October 1984 during 321 full power days up to max. burnup of 2.41x10{sup 27} fissions/m{sup 3} without major interruptions and troubles. PIE began recently in KFA hot cells. Visual inspections revealed no damage or greater deformation for the majority of the plates, but red/brown coloured layers (partially peeled off) on the cladding over the fuel. Aluminium (oxide) is the chief constituent of the layer with smaller portions of Ni and Fe the latter causing the red/brown colour. The major part of the layer ({approx}50 {mu}m) most probably has been formed during 20 h immediately after experiment start-up under abnormal conditions of the coolant water. Gamma scanning has been completed. Dimensional measurements are under way confirming first observations of severe swelling (pillowing) of 1 plate. Density and blister testing as well as metallography and burnup analysis remain to be accomplished end of 1985/beginning of 1986. (author)

Selective extraction of high-value phenolic compounds from distillation wastewater of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) by pressurized liquid extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Pagano, Imma; Sánchez-Camargo, Andrea Del Pilar; Mendiola, Jose Antonio; Campone, Luca; Cifuentes, Alejandro; Rastrelli, Luca; Ibañez, Elena

2018-01-31

During the essential oil steam distillation from aromatic herbs, huge amounts of distillation wastewaters (DWWs) are generated. These by-products represent an exceptionally rich source of phenolic compounds such as rosmarinic acid (RA) and caffeic acid (CA). Herein, the alternative use of dried basil DWWs (dDWWs) to perform a selective extraction of RA and CA by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) employing bio-based solvent was studied. To select the most suitable solvent for PLE, the theoretical modelling of Hansen solubility parameters (HSP) was carried out. This approach allows reducing the list of candidate to two solvents: ethanol and ethyl lactate. Due to the composition of the sample, mixtures of water with those solvents were also tested. An enriched PLE extract in RA (23.90 ± 2.06 mg/g extract) with an extraction efficiency of 75.89 ± 16.03% employing a water-ethanol mixture 25:75 (% v/v) at 50°C was obtained. In the case of CA, a PLE extract with 2.42 ± 0.04 mg/g extract, having an extraction efficiency of 13.86 ± 4.96% using ethanol absolute at 50°C was achieved. DWWs are proposed as new promising sources of natural additives and/or functional ingredients for cosmetic, nutraceutical, and food applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An Assessment of Health Literacy Rates in a Sample of Active-Duty Military Personnel at a Major Medical Center

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

behaviors, for exam- ple, adherence to medical regiments, proper exercise, and diet. Social cognitive theory was developed by Albert Bandura and...and Health Education: Theory, Research and Practtce.3rd ed. San Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass; 2002:214-245. 19. Bandura A. Social cognitive theory: an...SoclaLCognitlve_Theory_Overview. htm. Accessed April 2006. 21. Bandura A. Health promotion by social cogni- tive means. Health Educ Bebav. 2004;31(2):143- 164. 318

Context-aware Cloud Computing for Personal Learning Environment

OpenAIRE

Chen, Feng; Al-Bayatti, Ali Hilal; Siewe, Francois

2016-01-01

Virtual learning means to learn from social interactions in a virtual platform that enables people to study anywhere and at any time. Current Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are a range of integrated web based applications to support and enhance the education. Normally, VLEs are institution centric; are owned by the institutions and are designed to support formal learning, which do not support lifelong learning. These limitations led to the research of Personal Learning Environments (PLE...

(p,3He) reactions on 1p shell nuclei at 41 and 45 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rapp, V.

1982-01-01

In the present thesis the (p, 3 He) reactions on target nuclei of the 1p shell were studied. The measurements were performed at the isochronous cyclotron of the KFA Juelich. Angular distribution at 41 and 45 MeV to residual nuclear states in 7 Li, 8 Be, 9 Be, 10 B, 11 B, 12 C, 13 C, and 14 N. were evaluated. (orig.) [de

Gamma-ray emission cross section from proton-incident spallation reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iga, Kiminori; Ishibashi, Kenji; Shigyo, Nobuhiro

1996-01-01

Gamma-ray emission double differential cross sections from proton-incident spallation reaction have been measured at incident energies of 0.8, 1.5 and 3.0 GeV with Al, Fe, In and Pb targets. The experimental results have been compared with calculate values of HETC-KFA2. The measured cross sections disagree with the calculated results in the gamma ray energies above 10 MeV. (author)

Targets for neutron beam spallation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, G.S.

1980-01-01

The meeting on Targets for Neutron Beam Spallation Sources held at the Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung at KFA Juelich on June 11 and 12, 1979 was planned as an informal get-together for scientists involved in the planning, design and future use of spallation neutron sources in Europe. These proceedings contain the papers contributed to this meeting. For further information see hints under relevant topics. (orig./FKS)

Calculations for nuclear data evaluation for Nb, Zr and W in the high energy region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kitsuki, Hirohiko; Maruyama, Shin-ichi; Ishibashi, Kenji [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan)

1998-03-01

Neutron total cross sections on Nb, Zr and W were calculated in the high energy region. In this calculation, we used the neutron optical-model potentials derived from those for proton incidence with introducing the symmetry term. Proton-induced activation yields for Nb and Zr was calculated by means of HETC/KFA2 and QMD plus SDM at incident energies up to 5 GeV. (author)

Radiation resistant and decontaminable coatings for shipping, interim storage and repository storage casks containing radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunze, S.

1995-02-01

All the Corrobesch-DF-Nukelar coatings - black, yellow, blue, red and white - have been excellently decontaminable without and after radiation exposure with 3x10 5 Gy, despite the slightly higher absorbed dose rate applied at KFA Juelich (DIN 55 991 requires ≤1.0 KGy/h). After a further increase to 3x10 6 Gy in the absorbed dose, with an absorbed dose rate up to 1.0 KGy/h conforming to the standard, the coatings black, yellow, blue were still excellent in their decontamination behavior. After exposure to 10 7 Gy all coatings irradiated at Gammaster in their irradiation room (150 m 3 ) with permanent air changes and at absorbed dose rates of 0.9-1.0 KGy/h have been well decontaminable, and the coatings irradiated at KFA Juelich in the 10 l vessel with discontinuous air changes and variable absorbed dose rate (0.22-2.7 KGy/h) have still been fairly well decontaminable only. To be able to evaluate possible changes occurring upon 10 7 Gy radiation exposure, the test specimens were exposed to the action of chemicals according to DIN 55 991 as well as to decontamination cleansing solutions. Different discolorations, very small reductions in brilliancy, and sometimes minor deteriorations in surface hardness occurred. Detrimental visible changes, e.g. bubble and crack formation, swelling, detachment from the base, etc., have not been found for any of the coatings. These results for the test specimens irradiated at Gammaster are identical with the results for the test specimens irradiated at KFA Juelich, except minor deviations. Contrary to expectations, Corrobesch-DF-Nuklear has proved to be a coating material, which, although it consists of organic base material, nevertheless tolerates radiation exposures without visible damage, i.e. conditions under which only electrodeposited nickel coatings have appeared appropriate until now. This means that application of Corrobesch-Nuklear-DF allows the costs of coating of fuel element shipping and storage casks to be reduced

Technetium-99m dextran: a promising new protein-losing enteropathy imaging agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatnagar, A.; Singh, A.K.; Lahoti, D.; Singh, T.; Khanna, C.M.

1996-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate technetium-99m dextran ( 99m Tc-Dx; molecular weight 81000) as a prospective protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) imaging agent. Twenty-two patients iwth diseases commonly associated with PLE and 12 healthy control subjects underwent intravenous 99m Tc-Dx scintigraphy. All of the 22 test patients showed significant radiotracer accumulation in the intestines within 3-4 h post injection. The focal, regional or generalised nature of the enteropathy and involvement of the large or small intestine could be identified in most cases. Four of the 12 apparently healthy subjects also showed minimal accumulation in the abdominal area occurring late in the study period. This could have been physiological, related to food habits or due to unsuspected intestinal worms. We attribute the high sensitivity of 99m Tc-Dx to its relatively fast blood (background) clearance. The radiotracer may have several other advantages over 99m Tc-labelled human serum albumin in imaging PLE. (orig.)

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis associated with mixed olfactory neuroblastoma and craniopharyngioma: A case report and literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagafuji, Hiroshi; Yokoi, Hidenori; Fujiwara, Masachika; Sato, Dai; Saito, Koichiro

2018-06-01

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) is a rare disorder of the nervous system associated with malignant disease. It has a subacute onset with the following symptoms: cognitive dysfunction, seizures, irritability, hallucinations, and short-term memory loss. Herein, we report the case of a 35-year-old man with PLE, an olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) admixed with craniopharyngioma, and serum anti-Hu antibodies. The patient presented with generalized seizures, short-term memory loss, and a polypoid mass located high in the nasal cavity. He underwent surgical resection of the tumor and postoperative chemoradiotherapy with concurrent intra-arterial cisplatin administration. Pathological examination indicated an ONB admixed with craniopharyngioma. The patient's neurological symptoms gradually diminished after surgery. No evidence of recurrence was observed during a 4-year follow-up. We reported a histologically unusual heterogeneous tumor that comprised ONB and craniopharyngioma. This is the first reported case of PLE with anti-Hu antibodies possibly associated with ONB admixed with craniopharyngioma.

Uterine artery embolization with Pingyangmycin lipiodol emulsion for treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yanhao; Liu Biao; Zeng Qingle; Jiang Zhongpu; Chen Yong; Huang Weilang; Shen Qi; Zhao Zhongqing

2000-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and side effects of uterine arterial embolization with Pingyangmycin(a homogenous bleomycin) lipiodol emulsion(PLE) for symptomatic uterine fibroids. Methods: Uterine arterial embolization with PLE was performed in 25 patients. The improvement of symptoms and uterine size changes were followed up in 3-18 months(mean 6 months) after the procedure. Results: All but 2 cases were successfully treated bilaterally. Super-selective angiography showed enlargement of uterine artery, accompanied by tortuous branches. The uterine size was increased. The uterus itself was significantly stained and emptied slowly. Coagulation necrosis was found in resected fibroids after embolization in 3 patients. One month after the procedure, a mean 40% reduction of uterine volume was obtained in 18 followed-up cases. The clinical symptoms were relieved significantly. The main side effects were hypogastric pain(13/25),which was intense in 6 cases. Conclusion: Uterine arterial embolization with PLE is a good non-surgical therapy in symptomatic uterine fibroids with mild side effects

The optimization of extraction of antioxidants from apple pomace by pressurized liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Wijngaard, Hilde; Brunton, Nigel

2009-11-25

Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) is a green extraction technique that can enhance extraction rates of bioactive compounds. PLE was used to extract antioxidants and polyphenols from industrially generated apple pomace at two different temperature ranges: 160 to 193 degrees C and 75 to 125 degrees C. Antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging test), total phenol content and three individual polyphenol groups were determined. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the five response values. Maximum antioxidant activity was obtained at a temperature of 200 degrees C, but unwanted compounds such as hydroxymethylfurfural were formed. Therefore a lower temperature range between 75 and 125 degrees C is recommended. Using this temperature range, a maximum antioxidant activity was determined at 60% ethanol and 102 degrees C. By using PLE the antioxidant activity was increased 2.4 times in comparison to traditional solid-liquid extraction, and the technique may be a promising alternative to conventional techniques for extracting antioxidants.

High Pressure Extraction of Antioxidants from Solanum stenotomun Peel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrique J. Martínez de la Ossa

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In the work described here, two techniques for the recovery of anthocyanins from potato peel were studied and compared. One of the techniques employed was supercritical fluid extraction (SFE with pure CO2 or with CO2 and ethanol as cosolvent and the other technique was pressurized liquid extraction (PLE, where the solvent used was ethanol in water acidified to pH 2.6. The effects of pressure and temperature were studied and the anthocyanin contents obtained were statistically analyzed. In SFE the use of low pressure (100 bar and high temperature (65 °C was desirable for the anthocyanin extraction. With PLE the anthocyanin contents are increased considerably, and the best yields were obtained at 100 bar and 80 °C. This result is in correspondence with antioxidant activity index values (1.66 obtained in a DPPH antioxidant activity assay. In the extracts obtained with PLE the phenolic compounds were also determined, but the main compounds presented in the extract are anthocyanins.

Theoretical studies of multistep processes, isospin effects in nuclear scattering, and meson and baryon interactions in nuclear physics. Final technical report, 1 September 1979-30 April 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madsen, V.A.; Landau, R.H.

1986-01-01

Final technical report on a contract supporting theoretical studies in nuclear physics at Oregon State University is presented. The research was led by Professors Landau and Madsen and carried out in collaboration with graduate students in Corvallis and scientists at LLNL-Livermore, KFA-Julich, Purdue University-West Lafayette, University of Oregon-Eugene, Florida State University-Talahasie, and TRIUMF-Vancouver. The studies included meson exchange current effects, quark effects,and relativistic/Dirac effects deduced from spin observables in p- 3 He scattering, coupled bound and continuum eigenstates in momentum space for kaons and antiprotons, and charge symmetry violation in π scattering from trinucleons. Additional studies included microscopic optical potential calculations, multiple step processes, and differences in neutron and proton multipole matrix elements in low lying collective states and in giant resonances. 45 refs

Theoretical studies of multistep processes, isospin effects in nuclear scattering, and meson and baryon interactions in nuclear physics: Annual progess report, 1 May 1988--30 April 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landau, R.H.; Madsen, V.A.

1988-01-01

A progress report is presented for DOE grant FG06-86ER40283 supporting theoretical studies in nuclear and particle physics at Oregon State University. The research was led by Professors Landau and Madsen, and carried out in collaboration with graduate students in Corvallis, and scientists at LLNL-Livermore, TRIUMF, KFA-Juelich, Purdue University, and Florida State University. The studies include meson-exchange-current effects, quark effects, and relativistic (Dirac) effects deduced from spin observables in p- 3 He scattering, atomic and nuclear Gamow states in momentum space of kaons and antiprotons, and charge-symmetry violation in pion scattering. Additional studies include microscopic optical potential calculations, multiple step processes, and differences in neutron and proton multipole matrix elements and transition densities in low lying collective states and in giant resonances. 13 refs

Quantification of four ionophores in soil, sediment and manure using pressurised liquid extraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Søren Alex; Hansen, Martin; Pedersen, Kenneth Munk

2013-01-01

A multi-residue pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) methodology has been established for the determination of the four ionophores: lasalocid, monensin, salinomycin and narasin in solid environmental matrices. The PLE methodology is combined with solid phase extraction as clean-up using liquid...... chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry applying electrospray ionisation for detection. The samples were freeze-dried prior to extraction. The absolute recoveries for soil and sediment ranged from 71 to 123% (relative standard deviation (RSDs) below 16%) and in the range 94-133% (RSDs 9...

High-temperature materials and structural ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This report gives a survey of research work in the area of high-temperature materials and structural ceramics of the KFA (Juelich Nuclear Research Center). The following topics are treated: (1) For energy facilities: ODS materials for gas turbine blades and heat exchangers; assessment of the remaining life of main steam pipes, material characterization and material stress limits for First-Wall components; metallic and graphitic materials for high-temperature reactors. (2) For process engineering plants: composites for reformer tubes and cracking tubes; ceramic/ceramic joints and metal/ceramic and metal/metal joints; Composites and alloys for rolling bearing and sliding systems up to application temperatures of 1000deg C; high-temperature corrosion of metal and ceramic material; porous ceramic high-temperature filters and moulding coat-mix techniques; electrically conducting ceramic material (superconductors, fuel cells, solid electrolytes); high-temperature light sources (high-temperature chemistry); oil vapor engines with caramic components; ODS materials for components in diesel engines and vehicle gas turbines. (MM) [de

Activation analysis opportunities using cold neutron beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindstrom, R M; Zeisler, R; Rossbach, M

1987-05-01

Guided beams of cold neutrons being installed at a number of research reactors may become increasingly available for analytical research. A guided cold beam will provide higher neutron fluence rates and lower background interferences than in present facilities. In an optimized facility, fluence rates of 10/sup 9/ nxcm/sup -2/xs/sup -1/ are obtainable. Focusing a large area beam onto a small target will further increase the neutron intensity. In addition, the shift to lower neutron energy increases the effective cross sections. The absence of fast neutrons and gamma rays permits detectors to be placed near the sample without intolerable background, and thus the efficiency for counting prompt gamma rays can be much higher than in present systems. Measurements made at the hydrogen cold source of the FRJ-2 (DIDO) reactor at the KFA provide a numerical evaluation of the improvements in PGAA with respect to signal-to-background ratios of important elements and matrices. (author) 15 refs.

COSY, proposal for a cooler synchrotron at the KFA Julich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, G.P.A.; Gaul, G.; Hacker, H.

1986-01-01

The Cooler Synchrotron COSY is being planned in cooperation between scientists of the Kernforschungsanlage Julich, nuclear physicists of the neighbouring universities and other interested scientists. COSY is designed to provide beams of very light ions with energies ranging from 40 MeV to a maximum of 2.5 GeV for protons. This energy range allows a variety of studies in the so called energy window between 150 and 500 MeV, and it permits different kinds of investigations in the medium-energy region including the KΛ-threshold. Both electron cooling and stochastic cooling are foreseen in order to obtain very high phase-space density. The existing isochronous cyclotron JULIC will serve as injector. COSY will contain two bending sections, each consisting of three unit cells, and two long straight sections between the bends. Large flexibility is guaranteed by the ion-optical design. Experiments are being planned that make use either of the high quality external beam prepared by slow extraction or of the very high luminosity that is effective in the recirculator mode of operation

Achieving Real-Time Tracking Mobile Wireless Sensors Using SE-KFA

Science.gov (United States)

Kadhim Hoomod, Haider, Dr.; Al-Chalabi, Sadeem Marouf M.

2018-05-01

Nowadays, Real-Time Achievement is very important in different fields, like: Auto transport control, some medical applications, celestial body tracking, controlling agent movements, detections and monitoring, etc. This can be tested by different kinds of detection devices, which named "sensors" as such as: infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensor, radars in general, laser light sensor, and so like. Ultrasonic Sensor is the most fundamental one and it has great impact and challenges comparing with others especially when navigating (as an agent). In this paper, concerning to the ultrasonic sensor, sensor(s) detecting and delimitation by themselves then navigate inside a limited area to estimating Real-Time using Speed Equation with Kalman Filter Algorithm as an intelligent estimation algorithm. Then trying to calculate the error comparing to the factual rate of tracking. This paper used Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 with Arduino-UNO as Microcontroller.

Production of high titre antibody response against Russell's viper venom in mice immunized with ethanolic extract of fruits of Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) and piperine.

Science.gov (United States)

Shenoy, P A; Nipate, S S; Sonpetkar, J M; Salvi, N C; Waghmare, A B; Chaudhari, P D

2014-01-15

Piper longum L. fruits have been traditionally used against snakebites in north-eastern and southern region of India. The aim of the study was to assess the production of antibody response against Russell's viper venom in mice after prophylactic immunization with ethanolic extract of fruits of Piper longum L. and piperine. The mice sera were tested for the presence of antibodies against Russell's viper venom by in vitro lethality neutralization assay and in vivo lethality neutralization assay. Polyvalent anti-snake venom serum (antivenom) manufactured by Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd. was used as standard. Further confirmation of presence of antibodies against the venom in sera of mice immunized with PLE and piperine was done using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and double immunodiffusion test. Treatment with PLE-treated mice serum and piperine-treated mice serum was found to inhibit the lethal action of venom both in the in vitro lethality neutralization assay and in vivo lethality neutralization assay. ELISA testing indicated that there were significantly high (pPiper longum and piperine produced a high titre antibody response against Russell's viper venom in mice. The antibodies against PLE and piperine could be useful in antivenom therapy of Russell's viper bites. PLE and piperine may also have a potential interest in view of the development of antivenom formulations used as antidote against snake bites. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Comparative Study of Green Sub- and Supercritical Processes to Obtain Carnosic Acid and Carnosol-Enriched Rosemary Extracts with in Vitro Anti-Proliferative Activity on Colon Cancer Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea del Pilar Sánchez-Camargo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In the present work, four green processes have been compared to evaluate their potential to obtain rosemary extracts with in vitro anti-proliferative activity against two colon cancer cell lines (HT-29 and HCT116. The processes, carried out under optimal conditions, were: (1 pressurized liquid extraction (PLE, using an hydroalcoholic mixture as solvent at lab-scale; (2 Single-step supercritical fluid extraction (SFE at pilot scale; (3 Intensified two-step sequential SFE at pilot scale; (4 Integrated PLE plus supercritical antisolvent fractionation (SAF at pilot scale. Although higher extraction yields were achieved by using PLE (38.46% dry weight, this extract provided the lowest anti-proliferative activity with no observed cytotoxic effects at the assayed concentrations. On the other hand, extracts obtained using the PLE + SAF process provided the most active rosemary extracts against both colon cancer cell lines, with LC50 ranging from 11.2 to 12.4 µg/mL and from 21.8 to 31.9 µg/mL for HCT116 and HT-29, respectively. In general, active rosemary extracts were characterized by containing carnosic acid (CA and carnosol (CS at concentrations above 263.7 and 33.9 mg/g extract, respectively. Some distinct compounds have been identified in the SAF extracts (rosmaridiphenol and safficinolide, suggesting their possible role as additional contributors to the observed strong anti-proliferative activity of CA and CS in SAF extracts.

Physical and chemical characterization of the (Th, U)O2 mixed oxide fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, A.M.M. dos; Avelar, M.M.; Palmieri, H.E.L.; Lameiras, F.S.; Ferreira, R.A.N.

1986-01-01

The NUCLEBRAS R and D Center (Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear - CDTN) has been performing, together with german institutions (Kernforschungsanlage Julich GmbH - KFA, Krafwerk Union A.G. - KWU and NUKEM GmbH), a program for utilization of thorium in pressurized water reactors. In this paper are presented the physical and chemical characterizations necessary to quality the (Th, U)O 2 fuel and the respective methods. (Author) [pt

Manufacturing of Protected Lithium Electrodes for Advanced Lithium-Air, Lithium-Water & Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Visco, Steven J

2015-11-30

The global demand for rechargeable batteries is large and growing rapidly. Assuming the adoption of electric vehicles continues to increase, the need for smaller, lighter, and less expensive batteries will become even more pressing. In this vein, PolyPlus Battery Company has developed ultra-light high performance batteries based on its proprietary protected lithium electrode (PLE) technology. The Company’s Lithium-Air and Lithium-Seawater batteries have already demonstrated world record performance (verified by third party testing), and we are developing advanced lithium-sulfur batteries which have the potential deliver high performance at low cost. In this program PolyPlus Battery Company teamed with Corning Incorporated to transition the PLE technology from bench top fabrication using manual tooling to a pre- commercial semi-automated pilot line. At the inception of this program PolyPlus worked with a Tier 1 battery manufacturing engineering firm to design and build the first-of-its-kind pilot line for PLE production. The pilot line was shipped and installed in Berkeley, California several months after the start of the program. PolyPlus spent the next two years working with and optimizing the pilot line and now produces all of its PLEs on this line. The optimization process successfully increased the yield, throughput, and quality of PLEs produced on the pilot line. The Corning team focused on fabrication and scale-up of the ceramic membranes that are key to the PLE technology. PolyPlus next demonstrated that it could take Corning membranes through the pilot line process to produce state-of-the-art protected lithium electrodes. In the latter part of the program the Corning team developed alternative membranes targeted for the large rechargeable battery market. PolyPlus is now in discussions with several potential customers for its advanced PLE-enabled batteries, and is building relationships and infrastructure for the transition into manufacturing. It is likely

Research on engineering-oriented constraints conflict detection in collaborative design of wire harness technology

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIU Xiaoping; HE Honglin; XU Benzhu

2012-01-01

Engineering-oriented constraint of harness technology has much information and project information presents progressive changes along with the design. Therefore, how to handle conflict resolution quickly is a problem to be solved. Process model of con- flict detection is put forward according to characteristics of harness technology design engineering-oriented constraint, and then two problems of how to conduct conflict positioning and judgment of constraint rules are introduced in this paper. Afterwards in this pa- per, constraint information directed acyclic graph is established by classified project constraint information to solve the conflict posi- tioning problem; solution of constraint satisfaction problem is applied to realize judgment problem of constraint rules. Finally, exam- ple is used to analyze the method in this paper to further verify the correctness and effectiveness of this method.

Examination of the suitability of noise thermometry for precise in situ calibration of thermocouples in technical processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fechner, H.

1988-12-01

The aim was to determine the achievable accuracy of the noise thermometer developed at the KFA in the range from 0 to 1000 0 C under laboratory conditions. Precision noise temperature measurements at fixed temperature points (triple point of water, freezing point of zinc and silver) were carried out. The fixed point technique and the conventional precision resistance thermometry, which is required to operate the fixed points, were established in accordance with the requirements of accurate (and thus longer lasting) noise temperature measurements. The analysis of all possible sources of error ensured that all systematic or random errors were in the range of a few 10 -5 . The further developed KFA noise thermometers, which can be used under industrial conditions, achieve under laboratory conditions a measuring error of about ±2.5 10 -4 - relative to the thermodynamic temperature scale - in the temperature range from 273.16 K (0.01 0 C) to 1234.894 K (961.744 0 C). Assuming that the individual measured values display a normal distribution, the noise measurements at the zinc and silver point are combined to a mean value, it becomes apparent that the average noise temperatures only deviate by +2 10 -5 (zinc) or +4 10 -5 (silver) from the respective thermodynamic temperature. (orig./HP) [de

Influence of depressive symptoms on distress related to positive psychotic-like experiences in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Brañas, Antía; Barrigón, María Luisa; Lahera, Guillermo; Canal-Rivero, Manuel; Ruiz-Veguilla, Miguel

2017-12-01

The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) is an effective instrument for detection of the presence of psychotic symptoms and associated distress in the general population. However, little research has studied distress associated with positive psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). Our aim is to study PLE-related distress using the CAPE. In this study we analysed factors associated with differences in PLE-related distress in a sample of 200 non-clinical participants recruited by snowball sampling. Presence of PLEs and related psychological distress was measured using the CAPE questionnaire. The influence of age, gender, educational level and drug use was studied. In univariate analysis we found that gender and CAPE positive, depressive and negative scores, were associated with CAPE positive distress. Using multiple linear regression, we found that only the effect of gender, and the interaction between frequency of depression and gender, remained statistically significant. In our sample interaction between gender and depressive symptoms is a determining factor in distress associated with positive PLEs. The results of this study may be useful for the implementation of prevention programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Formation of MgZnO alloy under thermodynamic conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markevich, I.V.; Stara, T.R., E-mail: stara_t@ukr.net; Kuchuk, A.V.; Polishchuk, Yu.O.; Kladko, V.P.

2014-11-15

Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O ceramics with x=0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25 and 0.30 were sintered at T{sub s}=700–1250 °C. Photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation (PLE) spectra as well as X-ray diffraction patterns were measured at 293 K. Bandgap width was evaluated from the position of PLE peak. Non-monotonous dependence of PLE peak position on T{sub s} was observed for all used x. This effect was concluded to be caused by the formation of cubic phase side by side with hexagonal one and the enhancement of this process with increasing T{sub s}, which resulted in the decrease of Mg content in the hexagonal phase at T{sub s}>1000 °C. Temperature range of 1000–1050 °C was found to be the optimum one for the formation of hexagonal MgZnO alloy at used x. It was shown that x=0.20 was the solubility limit of MgO in hexagonal Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O ceramics.

Chemical composition of mate tea leaves (Ilex paraguariensis): a study of extraction methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Assis Jacques, Rosângela; dos Santos Freitas, Lisiane; Flores Peres, Valéria; Dariva, Cláudio; de Oliveira, José Vladimir; Bastos Caramão, Elina

2006-12-01

The objective of this work was to investigate the extraction of Ilex paraguariensis leaves by means of three extraction techniques: pressurized liquid extraction (PLE, also called accelerated solvent extraction--ASE), maceration, and sonication. Samples of mate tea leaves were collected from an experiment conducted under agronomic control at Indfistria e Comércio de Erva-Mate Barão LTDA, Brazil. Six solvents with increasing polarities (n-hexane, toluene, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol) were used in this investigation. Chemical analysis of the extracts was performed by GC coupled with a mass spectrometer detector. The identification and quantification were accomplished by coinjections of certified standards. The results showed that no significant differences in the qualities of the extracts were noticed regarding the extraction methods. On the other hand, the PLE technique was found to be more effective for the extractions of caffeine, phytol, palmitic, and stearic acid. The use of PLE led to a significant decrease in the total extraction time, amount of solvent consumption, and manipulation of samples compared to maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods.

Chlorophyll content of Plešné Lake phytoplankton cells studied with image analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Nedoma, Jiří; Nedbalová, Linda

2006-01-01

Roč. 61, Suppl. 20 (2006), S491-S498 ISSN 0006-3088 Grant - others:MSMT(CZ) 0021620828 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60170517; CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : cellular chlorophyll content * image analysis * vertical profile Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 0.213, year: 2006

Topography-Guided PRK and Crosslinking in Eyes with Keratoconus and Post-LASIK Ectasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, T M; Lange, A P

2017-04-01

Topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy (TG-PRK) combined with corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) has been shown to potentially improve vision and stabilize progression in patients with keratoconus (KC). We attempted to reproduce the previously published results using a different laser platform (AMARIS 500E) in patients with KC and post-LASIK ectasia (PLE). All of the 9 included eyes showed improved topography (Kmax, Kmean, RMS HOA, vertical coma, cylinder; p PRK and CXL may be a promising option to regularize and stabilize corneas with KC and PLE and improve visual acuity. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Phototesting In The Idiopathic Photodermatoses Among Indians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bejoy P

1998-01-01

Full Text Available 50 patients with idiopathic photodermatoses were phototested using the solar simulator, with broad spectrum wavebands of the whole spectrum (WS and the whole spectrum â€" ultraviolet B (WS- UVB to determine the minimal erythema dose. Cases diagnosed as solar urticaria were further tested with visible light. Among the photodermatoses seen in this part of the country polymorphic light eruption (PLE was the commonest followed by chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD and solar urticaria. The UVB wavelengths appeared to be more responsible than UVA in PLE and CAD while the UVA and visible wavelengths were responsible for solar urticaria.

Results from X-ray measurements on the Wendelstein W7-AS stellarator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weller, A; Brakel, R; Burhenn, R; Hacker, H; Lazaros, A [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Garching (Germany, F.R.)

1990-01-01

X-ray imaging measurements have contributed to studies of the plasma equilibrium, plasma fluctuations, impurity radiation and impurity transport effects in the advanced stellarator Wendelstein W7-AS (R=2 m, a=17 cm). In addition, time resolved electron temperature profiles are deduced from X-ray intensity ratios according to the two absorber foil method. The plasma is generated and heated by fundamental and 2{sup nd} harmonic ECRH (P{le}800 kW at 70 GHz). Neutral beam injection heating (P{le}1.5 MW) was applied also, assisted by D{sub 2} pellet injection. (author) 8 refs., 7 figs.

Treatment of VGKC complex antibody-associated limbic encephalitis: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Radja, Guirindhra Koumar; Cavanna, Andrea Eugenio

2013-01-01

Limbic encephalitis is an autoimmune neuropsychiatric condition characterized by subacute cognitive symptoms, seizures, and affective changes. Although limbic encephalitis is usually caused by an immune reaction secondary to neoplasms, different types of potentially treatable non-paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (nPLE) have recently been described. In particular, published studies have reported variable responses to immunosuppressive therapy in Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel (VGKC) complex antibody-associated nPLE. This systematic literature review found that the most significant improvements were reported by patients presenting with affective symptoms and consistent neuroradiological changes. In these patients, improved clinical outcomes correlated with the largest decreases in antibody titers.

Design Trajectories: Four Experiments in PLE Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

van Harmelen, M.

2008-01-01

Increasingly, there is a shared understanding that the educational approach driving the development of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) is one of learner empowerment and facilitation of the efforts of self-directed learners. This approach fits well with concepts of social constructivism, constructionism, and the development and execution of…

Pathfinder irradiation of advanced fuel (Th/U mixed oxide) in a power reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brant Pinheiro, R.

1993-01-01

Within the joint Brazilian-German cooperative R and D Program on Thorium Utilization in Pressurized Water Reactors carried out from 1979 to 1988 by Nuclebras/CDTN, KFA-Juelich, Siemens/KWU and NUKEM, a pathfinder irradiation of Th/U mixed oxide fuel in the Angra 1 nuclear power reactor was planned. The objectives of this irradiation testing, the irradiation strategy, the work performed and the status achieved at the end of the joint Program are presented. (author)

Using a simple HPLC approach to identify the enzymatic products of UTL-5g, a small molecule TNF-α inhibitor, from porcine esterase and from rabbit esterase.

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, Kenneth; Zhang, Yiguan; Valeriote, Frederick; Chen, Ben; Shaw, Jiajiu

2013-12-01

UTL-5g is a novel small-molecule chemoprotector that lowers hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and myelotoxicity induced by cisplatin through TNF-α inhibition among other factors. As a prelude to investigating the metabolites of UTL-5g, we set out to identify the enzymatic products of UTL-5g under the treatment of both porcine liver esterase (PLE) and rabbit liver esterase (RLE). First, a number of mixtures made by UTL-5g and PLE were incubated at 25°C. At predetermined time points, individual samples were quenched by acetonitrile, vortexed, and centrifuged. The supernatants were then analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC (using a C18 column). The retention times and UV/vis spectra of individual peaks were compared to those of UTL-5g and its two postulated enzymatic products; thus the enzymatic products of UTL-5g were tentatively identified. Secondly, a different HPLC method (providing different retentions times) was used to cross-check and to confirm the identities of the two enzymatic products. Based on the observations, it was concluded that under the treatment of PLE, the major enzymatic products of UTL-5g were 5-methyliosxazole-3-carboxylic acid (ISOX) and 2,4-dichloroaniline (DCA). Treatment of UTL-5g by RLE also provided the same enzymatic products of UTL-5g from esterase. These results indicate that the peptide bond in UTL-5g was cleaved by PLE/RLE. Michaelis-Menten kinetics showed that the Km values of UTL-5g were 2.07mM with PLE and 0.37mM with RLE indicating that UTL-5g had a higher affinity with RLE. In summary, by a simple HPLC approach, we have concluded that the peptide bond in UTL-5g was cleaved by esterase from either porcine liver or rabbit liver in vitro and afforded DCA (at a mole ratio of 1:1) and ISOX. However, further studies are needed in order to determine whether UTL-5g is metabolized by microsomal enzymes to produce ISOX and DCA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morbidity and Functional Outcomes following Free Jejunal Flap Reconstruction for Head and Neck Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Song; Zhu, Yiming; Qu, Dong; Wang, Jian; Li, Dezhi; Zhang, Bin; Xu, Zhengang; Liu, Shaoyan

2017-01-01

To evaluate the morbidity and fundamental functional outcomes (swallow and speech) after free jejunal flap (FJF) reconstruction following total pharyngolaryngo-esophagectomy (PLE) in China. 18 patients with FJF reconstruction after total PLE were retrospectively reviewed. Scheduled barium swallow test was performed 7-10 days postoperatively. Rehabilitation of swallowing and speech for patients was assessed by the Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck Cancer Patients. 8 patients died of tumor recurrence and 2 patients died of other reasons (cerebrovascular disease and respiratory disease, respectively). The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 70.5, 49.4, and 33.8%, respectively. 83.3% of all patients could tolerate soft chewable foods, such as cooked vegetables, fish, hamburger, and small pieces of meat. 2 patients with early stenosis at upper anastomotic sites were with good swallowing function; while 2 patients with early stenosis at lower anastomotic sites were found to have difficulty in oral diet. 2 (11.1%) patients with larynx-preserving pharyngo-esophagectomy showed no compromise in speech. Only 2 (11.1%) patients underwent primary tracheoesophageal puncture for inserting an indwelling voice prosthesis for speech, and both patients achieved functional tracheoesophageal speech. The remaining 14 (77.8%) patients with total PLE did not resume functional speech. Postoperative barium swallow examination is helpful to predict long-term anastomotic stenosis. Good functional swallow rehabilitation is achieved following FJF reconstruction after total PLE or a larynx-preserving procedure. However, the speech outcomes are not satisfactory. It raises the demand of enhancement of functional recovery so that quality of life can be improved for these patients in China. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Influence of Disease Severity and Exercise Limitation on Exercise Training Intensity and Load and Health Benefits From Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with COPD: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY.

Science.gov (United States)

Huynh, Virginia C; Fuhr, Desi P; Byers, Bradley W; Selzler, Anne-Marie; Moore, Linn E; Stickland, Michael K

2018-04-11

Some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) fail to achieve health benefits with pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Exercise intensity and load represent stimulus for adaptation but it is unclear whether inappropriate exercise intensity and/or load are affected by severity of COPD, which may affect health benefits. The purpose was to determine whether COPD severity and/or the severity of pulmonary limitation to exercise (PLE) impacted exercising intensity or load and whether resultant intensity/load affected health outcomes derived from PR. Patients with COPD (n = 58, age = 67 ± 7 y, forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration [FEV1] % predicted = 52 ± 21%) were recruited upon referral to PR. Primary health outcomes evaluated were 6-min walk distance and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Patients were stratified for disease severity using Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) staging and PLE severity by change in inspiratory capacity during exercise. Exercise intensity and load were calculated from daily exercise records. Participants achieved comparable training duration and load regardless of GOLD severity. Patients with more severe PLE achieved greater training duration (more severe: 546 ± 143 min., less severe: 451 ± 109 min., P = .036), and relative training load (more severe: 2200.8 ± 595.3 kcal, less severe: 1648.3 ± 597.8 kcal, P = .007). Greater overall training load was associated with greater improvements in 6-min walk distance (r = 0.24, P = .035). No significant relationships were observed between PLE, GOLD severity, training parameters, and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire response. Improvements in exercise tolerance can be explained by achieving greater training loads, demonstrating the importance of appropriate training load to maximize health outcomes in PR.

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome: the angiographic manifestations and endovascular treatment with pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong Weidong; Li Yanhao; He Xiaofeng; Chen Yong; Zeng Qingle; Zhao Jianbo

2004-01-01

Objective: To observe the angiographic manifestations of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) and to treat it by intra-arterial injection of pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion (PLE). Methods: Seven young patients (age range 12-19 years, mean 15.2 years) with KTS in the single low limb were examined by arteriography. Then, PLE (mixed with pingyangmycin 6-12 mg, lipiodol 4-8 ml) was injected by transcatheter into the femoral artery. The effects, side-effects, and complications of the therapy were observed. Results: The arteriography revealed a few distended small arteries with staining of venous sinus of different size in the soft tissue (5/7), as well as drainage vein enlargement (4/7) and superficial varicose vein (5/7). PLE deposited visibly in the abnormal sinus except one case. During 13-30 months' follow-up, 6 cases had good effects on limb hypertrophy after the treatment, and the limbs with lesions were obviously shrank and the thigh circumference became near to the normal limb. Another case had no obvious change. One had mild recurring around the knee one year later. The major side-effects included medium to extreme swelling of the limbs (7/7), serum transaminase elevation (2/7), and numbness of the distal end of the limb (1/7). The complications included a small piece of skin necrosis (1/7) and the first toe-drop (1/7). Conclusion: The arteriography in KTS can demonstrate a part of vascular malformations. Transcatheter intra-arterial PLE injection was effective in treating the hypertrophy of the limb caused by KTS. Because the therapy could result in some serious side-effects and complications, it should be used carefully

Effects of material growth technique and Mg doping on Er3+ photoluminescence in Er-implanted GaN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S.; Henry, R. L.; Wickenden, A. E.; Koleske, D. D.; Rhee, S. J.; White, J. O.; Myoung, J. M.; Kim, K.; Li, X.; Coleman, J. J.

2001-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopies have been carried out at 6 K on the ∼1540 nm 4 I 13/2 - 4 I 15/2 emissions of Er 3+ in Er-implanted and annealed GaN. These studies revealed the existence of multiple Er 3+ centers and associated PL spectra in Er-implanted GaN films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, hydride vapor phase epitaxy, and molecular beam epitaxy. The results demonstrate that the multiple Er 3+ PL centers and below-gap defect-related absorption bands by which they are selectively excited are universal features of Er-implanted GaN grown by different techniques. It is suggested that implantation-induced defects common to all the GaN samples are responsible for the Er site distortions that give rise to the distinctive, selectively excited Er 3+ PL spectra. The investigations of selectively excited Er 3+ PL and PLE spectra have also been extended to Er-implanted samples of Mg-doped GaN grown by various techniques. In each of these samples, the so-called violet-pumped Er 3+ PL band and its associated broad violet PLE band are significantly enhanced relative to the PL and PLE of the other selectively excited Er 3+ PL centers. More importantly, the violet-pumped Er 3+ PL spectrum dominates the above-gap excited Er 3+ PL spectrum of Er-implanted Mg-doped GaN, whereas it was unobservable under above-gap excitation in Er-implanted undoped GaN. These results confirm the hypothesis that appropriate codopants can increase the efficiency of trap-mediated above-gap excitation of Er 3+ emission in Er-implanted GaN. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

Power law analysis of the human microbiome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Zhanshan Sam

2015-11-01

Taylor's (1961, Nature, 189:732) power law, a power function (V = am(b) ) describing the scaling relationship between the mean and variance of population abundances of organisms, has been found to govern the population abundance distributions of single species in both space and time in macroecology. It is regarded as one of few generalities in ecology, and its parameter b has been widely applied to characterize spatial aggregation (i.e. heterogeneity) and temporal stability of single-species populations. Here, we test its applicability to bacterial populations in the human microbiome using extensive data sets generated by the US-NIH Human Microbiome Project (HMP). We further propose extending Taylor's power law from the population to the community level, and accordingly introduce four types of power-law extensions (PLEs): type I PLE for community spatial aggregation (heterogeneity), type II PLE for community temporal aggregation (stability), type III PLE for mixed-species population spatial aggregation (heterogeneity) and type IV PLE for mixed-species population temporal aggregation (stability). Our results show that fittings to the four PLEs with HMP data were statistically extremely significant and their parameters are ecologically sound, hence confirming the validity of the power law at both the population and community levels. These findings not only provide a powerful tool to characterize the aggregations of population and community in both time and space, offering important insights into community heterogeneity in space and/or stability in time, but also underscore the three general properties of power laws (scale invariance, no average and universality) and their specific manifestations in our four PLEs. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Antinuclear antibodies in patients with polymorphic light eruption: a long-term follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tzaneva, S; Volc-Platzer, B; Kittler, H; Hönigsmann, H; Tanew, A

2008-05-01

Previous studies have shown elevated titres of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in 2.9-19% of patients with polymorphic light eruption (PLE). A diagnosis of lupus erythematosus (LE) was finally established in some of these ANA-positive patients. To investigate whether the presence of ANA in patients with PLE merely represents an epiphenomenon or is associated with an increased risk of eventual progression to LE. We identified 472 patients with PLE who had received prophylactic photo(chemo)therapy between 1986 and 2003 and were routinely tested for the presence of ANA. All ANA-positive (ANA titre of>or=1:80) patients were asked to attend for a follow-up examination comprising a medical history, complete skin inspection and a detailed laboratory analysis including ANA and antibodies against extractable nuclear antigens. Of all the patients, 55 (11.7%) were found to be ANA positive on one or several occasions, and three (0.6%) also had antibodies to SS-A/Ro. Thirty-nine (71%) of all ANA-positive patients including all Ro+ subjects were available for follow-up after a median follow-up period of 8 years (interquartile range 5-11.5). Twenty-five patients showed persistence of ANA positivity with a median titre of 1:160 (range 1:80-1:640), whereas in 14 patients ANA titres had returned to normal levels. None of the patients revealed additional clinical, histopathological or laboratory abnormalities suggestive of LE. After a median follow-up period of 8 years none of the ANA-positive patients developed LE. Our findings indicate that PLE is a benign disease without tendency to progress to LE.

How psychotic-like are paranormal beliefs?

Science.gov (United States)

Cella, Matteo; Vellante, Marcello; Preti, Antonio

2012-09-01

Paranormal beliefs and Psychotic-like Experiences (PLE) are phenotypically similar and can occur in individuals with psychosis but also in the general population; however the relationship of these experiences for psychosis risk is largely unclear. This study investigates the association of PLE and paranormal beliefs with psychological distress. Five hundred and three young adults completed measures of paranormal beliefs (Beliefs in the Paranormal Scale), psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire), delusion (Peters et al. Delusions Inventory), and hallucination (Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale) proneness. The frequency and intensity of PLE was higher in believers in the paranormal compared to non-believers, however psychological distress levels were comparable. Regression findings confirmed that paranormal beliefs were predicted by delusion and hallucination-proneness but not psychological distress. The use of a cross-sectional design in a specific young adult population makes the findings exploratory and in need of replication with longitudinal studies. The predictive value of paranormal beliefs and experiences for psychosis may be limited; appraisal or the belief emotional salience rather than the belief per se may be more relevant risk factors to predict psychotic risk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pulmonary emphysema classification based on an improved texton learning model by sparse representation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Min; Zhou, Xiangrong; Goshima, Satoshi; Chen, Huayue; Muramatsu, Chisako; Hara, Takeshi; Yokoyama, Ryujiro; Kanematsu, Masayuki; Fujita, Hiroshi

2013-03-01

In this paper, we present a texture classification method based on texton learned via sparse representation (SR) with new feature histogram maps in the classification of emphysema. First, an overcomplete dictionary of textons is learned via KSVD learning on every class image patches in the training dataset. In this stage, high-pass filter is introduced to exclude patches in smooth area to speed up the dictionary learning process. Second, 3D joint-SR coefficients and intensity histograms of the test images are used for characterizing regions of interest (ROIs) instead of conventional feature histograms constructed from SR coefficients of the test images over the dictionary. Classification is then performed using a classifier with distance as a histogram dissimilarity measure. Four hundreds and seventy annotated ROIs extracted from 14 test subjects, including 6 paraseptal emphysema (PSE) subjects, 5 centrilobular emphysema (CLE) subjects and 3 panlobular emphysema (PLE) subjects, are used to evaluate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. The proposed method is tested on 167 PSE, 240 CLE and 63 PLE ROIs consisting of mild, moderate and severe pulmonary emphysema. The accuracy of the proposed system is around 74%, 88% and 89% for PSE, CLE and PLE, respectively.

Imaging diagnosis of protein-losing enteropathy by 99mTc-labeled serum albumin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashiwagi, Toru; Fukui, Hiroyuki; Jyokou, Takeshi

1990-01-01

Abdominal scintigraphy with intravenous injection of 99m Tc-labeled serum albumin was performed in 6 patients with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) and 3 patients with nongastrointestinal tract disorders. In 3 out of 6 patients with PLE, abnormal radioactivity was observed in the ileum region 3 hours after injection, and thereafter clear colon image was obtained. In the remaining 3 patients, the colon was visualized 24 hours after injection. On the other hand, in all patients with nongastrointestinal tract disorders, no abnormal radioactivity was observed in the abdomen until 24 hours after injection. These results indicate that gastrointestinal protein loss could be demonstrated by scintigraphy with intravenously administered 99m Tc-labeled serum albumin. In one healthy subject, 99m Tc-labeled serum albumin was administered orally and abdominal scintigraphy was performed. Gastrointestinal tract image was only observed and no other image was demonstrated until 24 hours after oral administration. This result suggests that 99m Tc excreted into the gastrointestinal tract is not reabsorbed. Therefore, abdominal scintigraphy with 99m Tc-labeled serum albumin appears to be a simple and useful method for diagnosis of PLE. (author)

Status of the fuel stress and failure rate calculations at KFA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bongartz, K.

1980-11-01

In this report a new model for calculating stresses in the SiC layer of TRISO coated particles is presented. The gain in computer time with respect to the Walther model used up to now is a factor of 100. The restrictions of this model are - application is only possible to TRISO particles and not BISO which can be handled with the Walther model as well, the SiC layer is regarded as rigid: in fact, its Young's modulus is higher by a factor of 10 as compared to that of the Pyrocarbon layers. (orig.) [de

Protein losing enteropathy secondary to a pulmonary artery stent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narayanswami Sreeram

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A 2-year-old patient with hypoplastic left heart syndrome presented 6 months following Fontan completion with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE. He had undergone stent implantation in the left pulmonary artery after the Norwood procedure, followed by redilation of the stent prior to Fontan completion. Combined bronchoscopic and catheterization studies during spontaneous breathing confirmed left bronchial stenosis behind the stent, and diastolic systemic ventricular pressure during expiration of 25 mm Hg. We postulate that the stent acts as a valve, against which the patient generates high expiratory pressures, which are reflected in the ventricular diastolic pressure. This may be the cause of PLE.

Competition of the self-activated and Mn-related luminescence in ZnS single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Bacherikov, Yu. Yu.; Vorona, I. P.; Markevich, I. V.; Korsunska, N. O.; Kurichka, R. V.

2018-06-01

The photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of ZnS single crystals thermally doped from ZnS/MnS mixture were studied at 300 and 77 K. PL spectra exhibit bands caused by Mn-related centers and centers of self-activated (SA) emission. Besides intrinsic maximum, a number of narrow peaks corresponded to Mn-related absorption are found in the PLE spectra of both SA and Mn-related emission. A redistribution of SA and Mn-related emission intensities is observed with temperature change. The mechanism of this phenomenon involving free hole trapping by MnZn and the possible position of a ground energy level of substitutional Mn are discussed.

Changes in bolti fish lipids as affected by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rady, A.H.

1992-01-01

Bolti fish was transported live in special tank, then prepared and packed in international ken field pouches. Half of the pouches were sealed under vacuum and the other were left unsealed. All pouches were gamma irradiated at 0.2.4.6 and 8 KGH. Fish lipids were extracted and analyzed for hydroxy fatty acids (HFA), keto-fatty acids (KFA), total sterols and fatty alcohols, total carotenoids and individual un esterified fatty acids (UFA). The results indicated that HFA gradually decreased in air and vacuum packed samples upon exposure to 2 and 4 KGY, then increased with increasing irradiation. KFA showed the opposite trend of HFA by gamma irradiation. Total carotenoids were unchanged at 2 KGY in air packed samples, then increased with increasing dosage and peaked at 6 KGY (216% increase) while all doses caused a remarkable increase in total carotenoids of vacuum packed samples and the percentage increase reached 294 at 8 KGY. Total sterols and fatty alcohols followed the same pattern observed in total carotenoids when air and vacuum packed samples irradiated with gamma rays. Moreover, the individual UFA were unaffected at 2 KGY in vacuum packed samples, then showed a gradual increase with increasing irradiation. The individual UFA gradually increased upon exposure of the air packed fish samples to ascending doses of gamma radiation

Development of alternative fuel for pressurized water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardoso, P.E.; Ferreira, R.A.N.; Ferraz, W.B.; Lameiras, F.S.; Santos, A.; Assis, G. de; Doerr, W.O.; Wehner, E.L.

1984-01-01

The utilization of alternative fuel cycles in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) such as Th/U and Th/Pu cycles can permit a better utilization of uranium reserves without the necessity of developing new power reactor concepts. The development of the technology of alternative fuels for PWR is one of the objectives of the 'Program on Thorium Utilization in Pressurized Water Reactors' carried out jointly by Empresas Nucleares Brasileiras S.A. (NUCLEBRAS), through its Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN) and by German institutions, the Julich Nuclear Research Center (KFA), the Kraftwerk Union A.G. (KWU) and NUKEM GmbH. This paper summarizes the results so far obtained in the fuel technology. The development of a fabrication process for PWR fuel pellets from gel-microspheres is reported as well as the design, the specification, and the fabrication of prototype fuel rods for irradiation tests. (Author) [pt

Methyl mercury in terrestrial compartments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoeppler, M.; Burow, M.; Padberg, S.; May, K.

1993-09-01

On the basis of the analytical methodology available at present the state of the art for the determination of total mercury and of various organometallic compounds of mercury in air, precipitation, limnic systems, soils, plants and biota is reviewed. This is followed by the presentation and discussion of examples for the data obtained hitherto for trace and ultratrace levels of total mercury and mainly methyl mercury in terrestrial and limnic environments as well as in biota. The data discussed stem predominantly from the past decade in which, due to significant methodological progress, many new aspects were elucidated. They include the most important results in this area achieved by the Research Centre (KFA) Juelich within the project 'Origin and Fate of Methyl Mercury' (contracts EV4V-0138-D and STEP-CT90-0057) supported by the Commission of the European Communities, Brussels. (orig.) [de

HTGR programme in the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fox, J.E.

1991-01-01

The HTGR is being developed by the US Department of Energy within the Division of HTGRs is reported. Fuel design, development and demonstration activities are being conducted by General Atomics and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. During FY-1990 the US continued work in cooperative projects with the KFA-Forschungszentrum Juelich and the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute on post irradiation examination of fuel capsules and continued the Fission Product Transport Test Program with the French Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique in the COMEDIE in-pile loop at the SILOE reactor at Grenoble. Other activities included installation of the high temperature core-conduction-cooldown test furnace at ORNL which will be used for testing of irradiated fuel compacts under accident conditions. Finally, the US fuel performance experts participated in the MHTGR Cost Reduction Study which is a major effort within the US commercial MHTGR program. 1 tab

QQDDQ magnet spectrometer 'BIG KARL'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, S A; Hardt, A; Meissburger, J; Berg, G P.A.; Hacker, U; Huerlimann, W; Roemer, J G.M.; Sagefka, T; Retz, A; Schult, O W.B.

1983-09-01

A magnet spectrometer consisting of two quadrupoles, two dipole magnets and another larger quadrupole in front of the detector was designed and installed at the nuclear research institute of the KFA Juelich. It has been used for charged-particle spectroscopy at the isochronous cyclotron since early 1979. Special features of the spectrometer are variable and high dispersion, coils for higher order field corrections in the dipole magnets and a focal plane perpendicular to the optical axis. A large mass-energy product of mE/q/sup 2/ < 540 u x MeV, an angular acceptance of d..cap omega..<12.5 msr, a high resolving power of p/..delta..p up to 3 x 10/sup 4/ and the possibility of kinematical corrections up to K=0.8 make the instrument a very versatile tool for many experiments in the fields of nuclear and atomic physics. 51 references.

High-temperature reactor developments in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schram, R.P.C.; Cordfunke, E.H.P.; Heek, A.I. van.

1996-01-01

The high-temperature reactor development in the Netherland is embedded in the WHITE reactor program, in which several Dutch research institutes and engineering companies participate. The activities within the WHITE program are focused on the development of a small scale HTS for combined heat and power generation. In 1995, design choices for a pebble bed reactor were made at ECN. The first concept HTR will gave a closed cycle helium turbine and a power level of 40 MWth. It is intended to make the market introduction of a commercially competitive HTR feasible. The design will be an optimization of the Peu-a-Peu (PAP) concept of KFA Juelich. Computer codes necessary for the evaluation of reactor physics aspects of this reactor are developed in cooperation with international partners. An evaluation of a 20 MWth PAP concept showed that the maximum fuel termmperature after depressurization does not exceed 1300 C. (orig.)

Theoretical studies in nuclear physics. Three year progress report and final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landau, R.H.; Madsen, V.A.

1996-01-01

In 1995 the DOE grant in Nuclear theory with Professors Rubin H. Landau and Victor A. Madsen as co-principal investigators ended. Their research was carried out in collaboration with graduate students in Corvallis, and with scientists at LLNL-Livermore, Los Alamos, TRIUMF, KFA-Julich, Hamburg University, Melbourne University, The Thinking Machine Corporation and IBM Research. Activities in nuclear and particle physics at Oregon State University (OSU) were diverse and active. Madsen's work concentrated on the relation of reactions to the nuclear structure, and Landau's work concentrated on intermediate energy physics, few-body problems, and computational physics. The Landau group had a weekly meeting of students and visitors. There was a weekly nuclear seminar with experimental and theoretical colleagues, and a weekly departmental colloquium. The DOE support had permitted the group to run Unix workstations networked to other computers in the Physics Department and the University. Since 1990 OSU has been using IBM RISC System 6000/model 530 with console and four X-stations. The equipment was purchased and is maintained with yearly DOE funding of the group

Rapid data acquisition from the safety system of the FRJ-2 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inhoven, H.

1980-06-01

The central department for research reactors (ZFR) of the Juelich Nuclear Research Centre (KFA) is operating the reactors FRJ-1 (MERLIN) and FRJ-2 (DIDO) since 1962. In 1976, a Siemens 330 computer has been put into operation especially for the processing of data from the DIDO reactor, followed by another computer of the same type for the purpose of processing data from the ZFR department in general. The present report is a result of the work investigating 'Data acquisition and data processing in the FRJ-2' and primarily discusses the complex of 'fast analog and binary signals'. The activities in this field of work have been and still are mainly concerned with general problems encountered in adapting a currently 14-year-old reactor system to a digital computer, namely problems such as data decoupling in the safety system of the reactor, data acquisition using the CAMAC system, data transfer via an 'extended branch', data acquisition software as core-resident programs, temporary storage as common data, interpreting software as peripheral - storage - resident programs. (orig./WB) [de

Total milk fat extraction and quantification of polar and neutral lipids of cow, goat, and ewe milk by using a pressurized liquid system and chromatographic techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-Gómez, M P; Rodriguez-Alcalá, L M; Calvo, M V; Romero, J; Mendiola, J A; Ibañez, E; Fontecha, J

2014-11-01

Although milk polar lipids such as phospholipids and sphingolipids located in the milk fat globule membrane constitute 0.1 to 1% of the total milk fat, those lipid fractions are gaining increasing interest because of their potential beneficial effects on human health and technological properties. In this context, the accurate quantification of the milk polar lipids is crucial for comparison of different milk species, products, or dairy treatments. Although the official International Organization for Standardization-International Dairy Federation method for milk lipid extraction gives satisfactory results for neutral lipids, it has important disadvantages in terms of polar lipid losses. Other methods using mixtures of solvents such as chloroform:methanol are highly efficient for extracting polar lipids but are also associated with low sample throughput, long time, and large solvent consumption. As an alternative, we have optimized the milk fat extraction yield by using a pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method at different temperatures and times in comparison with those traditional lipid extraction procedures using 2:1 chloroform:methanol as a mixture of solvents. Comparison of classical extraction methods with the developed PLE procedure were carried out using raw whole milk from different species (cows, ewes, and goats) and considering fat yield, fatty acid methyl ester composition, triacylglyceride species, cholesterol content, and lipid class compositions, with special attention to polar lipids such as phospholipids and sphingolipids. The developed PLE procedure was validated for milk fat extraction and the results show that this method performs a complete or close to complete extraction of all lipid classes and in less time than the official and Folch methods. In conclusion, the PLE method optimized in this study could be an alternative to carry out milk fat extraction as a routine method. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by

Retention time generates short-term phytoplankton blooms in a shallow microtidal subtropical estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Odebrecht, Clarisse; Abreu, Paulo C.; Carstensen, Jacob

2015-09-01

In this study it was hypothesised that increasing water retention time promotes phytoplankton blooms in the shallow microtidal Patos Lagoon estuary (PLE). This hypothesis was tested using salinity variation as a proxy of water retention time and chlorophyll a for phytoplankton biomass. Submersible sensors fixed at 5 m depth near the mouth of PLE continuously measured water temperature, salinity and pigments fluorescence (calibrated to chlorophyll a) between March 2010 and 12th of December 2011, with some gaps. Salinity variations were used to separate alternating patterns of outflow of lagoon water (salinity 24; 35% of the time). The two transition phases represented a rapid change from lagoon water outflow to marine water inflow and a more gradually declining salinity between the dominating inflow and outflow conditions. During the latter of these, a significant chlorophyll a increase relative to that expected from a linear mixing relationship was observed at intermediate salinities (10-20). The increase in chlorophyll a was positively related to the duration of the prior coastal water inflow in the PLE. Moreover, chlorophyll a increase was significantly higher during austral spring-summer than autumn-winter, probably due to higher light and nutrient availability in the former. Moreover, the retention time process operating on time scales of days influences the long-term phytoplankton variability in this ecosystem. Comparing these results with monthly data from a nearby long-term water quality monitoring station (1993-2011) support the hypothesis that chlorophyll a accumulations occur after marine inflow events, whereas phytoplankton does not accumulate during high water outflow, when the water residence time is short. These results suggest that changing hydrological pattern is the most important mechanism underlying phytoplankton blooms in the PLE.

Potential impact of Paracentrotus lividus extract on diabetic rat models induced by high fat diet/streptozotocin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amel M. Soliman

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Antioxidant therapy has been thought to be effectual for the prevention and treatment of various diseases including diabetes. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the potency of Paracentrotus lividus extract (PLE for alleviating the complications that resulted after induction of the diabetic rat models (T1DM and T2DM using high fat diet (HFD/streptozotocin (STZ. Thirty six male Wistar albino rats were assigned into normal control, T1DM and T2DM untreated, and PLE treated diabetic rat groups. Induction of T1DM was performed by streptozotocin injection (60 mg/kg of dissolved in sodium citrate buffer, 0.1 mol/L, i.p. T2DM induction through 4 weeks of high fat diet (HFD intervention was followed by a single low dosage of STZ (30 mg/kg dissolved in 0.1 mol/L citrate buffer at pH 4.5, i.p. Both diabetic rat models showed a significant increase in serum; levels of fasting glucose, total protein, bilirubin, activities of arginase, transaminases (AST and ALT, alkaline phosphatase (ALP, γ glutamyl transferase (GGT, lipid profile parameters, and liver malondialdehyde (MDA. However, T1DM and T2DM rats have decreased levels of serum insulin, and liver glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD, glutathione reduced (GSH, nitric oxide (NO, and antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, the present study showed the hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant potency of the PLE as confirmed by its ability for ameliorating most of the alterations caused in the studied parameters of diabetic rats. In conclusion, PLE may be useful as therapy against oxidative stress and liver damage in both types of diabetes mellitus and is therefore recommended for further studies.

Comparison of simultaneous and sequential administration of fentanyl-propofol for surgical abortion: a randomized single-blinded controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Wei; Sha, Baoyong; Zhao, Yuan; Fan, Zhe; Liu, Lin; Shen, Xin

2017-08-01

Propofol lipid emulsion (PLE) is a nanosized sedative, and it is used with a combination of salted antalgic prodrug, fentanyl citrate (FC). To illustrate the synergistic effect of mixing, we compared the sedation/analgesia resulting from simultaneous and sequential administration in surgically induced abortion (No. ChiCTR-IPC-15006153). Simultaneous group showed lower bispectral index, blood pressure, and heart rate, when cannula was inserted into the uterus. It also showed less frequency of hypertension, sinus tachycardia, movement, pain at the injection site, and additional FC. Therefore, premixing of PLE and FC enhanced the sedation and analgesia; stabilized the hemodynamics; lessened the incidence of movement and injection pain; and reduced the requirement of drugs.

Recovery of Steroidal Alkaloids from Potato Peels Using Pressurized Liquid Extraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad B. Hossain

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A higher yield of glycoalkaloids was recovered from potato peels using pressurized liquid extraction (1.92 mg/g dried potato peels compared to conventional solid–liquid extraction (0.981 mg/g dried potato peels. Response surface methodology deduced the optimal temperature and extracting solvent (methanol for the pressurized liquid extraction (PLE of glycoalkaloids as 80 °C in 89% methanol. Using these two optimum PLE conditions, levels of individual steroidal alkaloids obtained were of 597, 873, 374 and 75 µg/g dried potato peel for α-solanine, α-chaconine, solanidine and demissidine respectively. Corresponding values for solid liquid extraction were 59%, 46%, 40% and 52% lower for α-solanine, α-chaconine, solanidine and demissidine respectively.

Magnetophonon resonance in photoluminescence excitation spectra of magnetoexcitons in GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As superlattice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dickmann, S.; Tartakovskii, A. I.; Timofeev, V. B.

2000-01-01

A strong increase in the intensity of the peaks of excited magnetoexciton (ME) states in the photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra recorded for the ground heavy-hole magnetoexcitons (of the 1sHH type) has been found in a GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As superlattice in strong magnetic field B applied normal...... to the sample layers. While varying B, the intensities of the PLE peaks have been measured as functions of energy separation Delta E between excited ME peaks and the ground state of the system. The resonance profiles have been found to have maxima at Delta E-max close to the energy of the GaAs LO phonon...

Power line emission 50/60 Hz and Schumann resonances observed by microsatellite Chibis-M in the Earth's ionosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Dudkin, Denys; Pilipenko, Vyacheslav; Dudkin, Fedir; Pronenko, Vira; Klimov, Stanislav

2015-04-01

October 2014. The Chibis-M electric sensor has a small 0.42 m tip-to-tip base and was developed in Lviv Centre of Institute for Space Research, Ukraine. The sensor provides the measurement of one electric field component, which is perpendicular to the orbital plane, in the frequency range of 0.1-40,000 Hz with the noise spectral density 0.8-0.04 (μV/m)/Hz0.5 (in the band 1-100 Hz the noise is 0.2-0.04 (μV/m)/Hz0.5). We present the space distribution of the observed PLE and SR harmonics in the latitude range ±52o and connection of the PLE sources with the high-voltage overhead power lines. The electric field data have been analyzed for all Chibis-M operating time (~ 2.5 years). The fact of PLE and SR detection by LEO satellites C/NOFS and Chibis-M suggests that the model of the transionospheric ELF EM field propagation should be refined.

Octreotide in Hennekam syndrome-associated intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Sinani, Siham; Rawahi, Yusria Al; Abdoon, Hamed

2012-11-21

A number of disorders have been described to cause protein losing enteropathy (PLE) in children. Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL) is one mechanism leading to PLE. Few syndromes are associated with PIL; Hennekam syndrome (HS) is one of them. The principal treatment for PIL is a high protein, low fat diet with medium chain triglycerides supplementation. Supportive therapy includes albumin infusion. Few publications have supported the use of octreotide to diminish protein loss and minimize hypoalbuminemia seen in PIL. There are no publications on the treatment of PIL with octreotide in patients with HS. We report two children with HS and PLE in which we used octreotide to decrease intestinal protein loss. In one patient, octreotide increased serum albumin to an acceptable level without further need for albumin infusions. The other patient responded more dramatically with near normal serum albumin levels and cessation of albumin infusions. In achieving a good response to octreotide in both patients, we add to the publications supporting the use of octreotide in PIL and suggest that octreotide should be tried in patients with PIL secondary to HS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report on the use of octreotide in HS-associated PIL.

Implication for photosensitive patients of ultraviolet A exposure in vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, P J; Farr, P M; Diffey, B L; Lloyd, J J

2004-10-01

Photosensitive patients sometimes report disease flares during journeys by car. Window glass blocks all UVB but not all UVA. All car windscreens are made from laminated glass. Side and rear windows are usually made of nonlaminated glass. To determine which types of glass provide most protection from UVA with particular reference to the implications for patients with polymorphic light eruption (PLE). The percentage transmission of UVA was determined for a selection of glass, both laminated and nonlaminated, and with differing colour tints. Laminated glass transmits less UVA than nonlaminated glass. Tinted glass transmits less UVA than clear glass. Nonlaminated clear glass transmitted the highest percentage of UVA (62.8%) and grey laminated glass the lowest (0.9%). A dose of 5 J cm(-2) UVA, enough to trigger PLE in some patients, could be transmitted through clear nonlaminated glass in 30 min but would take 50 h through grey laminated glass. Patients with severe UVA-induced PLE and other photosensitivity disorders may have disease flares from solar UVA transmission through side-window glass. Protective measures such as wearing long-sleeved clothing, keeping the arm beneath the bottom of the window aperture, or choosing tinted and laminated car windows may be helpful.

Some aspects of hydrogen plasma treatment of anti-modulation doped near surface GaAs/AlGaAs single quantum well structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bumai, Yu.A.; Gobsch, G.; Goldhahn, R.; Stein, N.; Golombek, A.; Nakov, V.; Cheng, T.S.

1999-01-01

The MBE grown anti-modulation doped GaAs/AlGaAs structures with near surface single quantum wells were exposed to a DC hydrogen plasma (∼400 eV) and investigated using PL, PLE and PR spectroscopy at 5 K. Strong acceptor related free to bound transition (FB) dominates for quantum well related PL but excitonic features are still observed in PLE spectra. After hydrogen plasma treatment the PL intensity of FB transition from quantum well was strongly increased for above AlGaAs band gap excitation and was unchanged for below AlGaAs one. These results are consistent with atomic hydrogen passivation of deep defects in AlGaAs barriers. At the same time radiative excitonic recombination was quenched by hydrogenation. PLE and PR spectra indicate on a strong increase of electric field in subsurface region of the structure after hydrogenation. The increase of electric field in anti-modulation doped structure after hydrogen plasma treatment is supposed to be due to passivation by atomic hydrogen of surface states that leads to unpinning of Fermi level from mid gap to carbon acceptor level position in GaAs cap layer. It causes the further band bending and surface electric field increase that strongly suppress excitonic recombination in near surface quantum wells

Developing a prelicensure exam for Canada: an international collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbins, Bonnie; Bradley, Pat

2013-01-01

Nine previously conducted studies indicate that Elsevier's HESI Exit Exam (E(2)) is 96.36%-99.16% accurate in predicting success on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. No similar standardized exam is available in Canada to predict Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) success. Like the E(2), such an exam could be used to evaluate Canadian nursing students' preparedness for the CRNE, and scores on the numerous subject matter categories could be used to guide students' remediation efforts so that, ultimately, they are successful on their first attempt at taking the CRNE. The international collaboration between a HESI test construction expert and a nursing faculty member from Canada, who served as the content expert, resulted in the development of a 180-item, multiple-choice/single-answer prelicensure exam (PLE) that was pilot tested with Canadian nursing students (N = 175). Item analysis data obtained from this pilot testing were used to develop a 160-item PLE, which includes an additional 20 pilot test items. The estimated reliability of this exam is 0.91, and it exhibits congruent validity with the CRNE because the PLE test blueprint mimics the CRNE test blueprint. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gigantic Cavernous Hemangioma of the Liver Treated by Intra-Arterial Embolization with Pingyangmycin-Lipiodol Emulsion: A Multi-Center Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng Qingle; Li Yanhao; Chen Yong; Ouyang Yong; He Xiang; Zhang Heping

2004-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion (PLE) intra-arterial embolization for treating gigantic cavernous hemangioma of the liver (CHL).Methods: Three hospitals (Nanfang Hospital, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's Hospital and Huai He Hospital) participated in the study during 1997-2001. A total of 98 patients with CHL were embolized with PLE via the hepatic artery. The therapeutic effects including changes in tumor diameter, symptomatic improvement and occurrence of complications were evaluated for a period of 12 months after the procedure.Results: The tumor diameters decreased significantly from 9.7 ± 2.3 cm to 5.6 ± 1.6 cm 6 months after the treatment (P < 0.01), and then to 3.0 ± 1.2 cm at 12 months (P < 0.01). Transient impairment of liver function was found in 77 cases after embolization, 69 cases of which returned to normal in 2 weeks, and the other eight cases of which recovered 1 month later. The clinical symptoms were significantly relieved in all 53 symptomatic patients. Persistent pain in the hepatic region was found in two cases, and these two patients resorted to surgery eventually.Conclusion: Intra-arterial PLE embolization proves to be effective and safe in treating patients with CHL

Neutron and gamma-ray emission double differential cross sections for the nuclear reaction by 1.5 GeV {pi}{sup +} incidence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iga, Kiminori; Ishibashi, Kenji; Shigyo, Nobuhiro [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan)] [and others

1998-03-01

Neutron and gamma-ray production double differential cross sections were measured for iron by the use of 1.5 GeV {pi}{sup +} mesons. The measured cross sections were compared with the calculated values by HETC-KFA2. For the neutrons, the calculated results deviate from the experimental data in the neutron energy region below 30 MeV. The calculated values of gamma-ray production agree with the experimental data at gamma-ray energies from 1 to 7 MeV within a factor of three. (author)

Pop / Erkki Luuk

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Luuk, Erkki, 1971-

2003-01-01

Heliplaatidest: Column One "The Audience Is Sleeping", Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban "Mambo Sinuendo", Mr. Scruff "Trouser Jazz", Forgotten Sunrise "Ple:se Disconnect Me", Jan Jelinek "La Nouvelle Pauvrete"

Texture analysis with neutron bending on geological/mineralogical multi-phase samples using a locally resolving detector and profile analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merz, P.L.

1991-02-01

In the context of this work, the NANCY four circuit diffractometer of the University of Bonn at the RRJ2 research reactor at KFA Juelich was equipped with a linear locally resolving scintillation detector JULIOS. To evaluate the diffractogram occurring at a pole figure measurement, user-friendly profile analysis and other evaluation programs were developed on the PC. The course of evaluation was largely automated, so that only a few interactive steps are required. The measuring period of a sample is usually two to three days. Up to 35 pole figures are produced, depending on the phase conditions of the examined sample. The evaluation of up to 900 diffractograms with the aid of the automatically running profile analysis program takes between 30 and 100 minutes on a 20 MHz PC 386. Pole figure datafiles are produced from the intensity data obtained in this way by a conversion program. The texture analyses of copper pyrites ores introduced here are connected with geological questions. (orig.) [de

Hydrogen from methanol for fuel cells in mobile systems: development of a compact reformer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoehlein, B [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Boe, M [H. Topsoee A/S, Lyngby (Denmark); Boegild-Hansen, J [H. Topsoee A/S, Lyngby (Denmark); Broeckerhoff, P [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Colsman, G [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Emonts, B [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Menzer, R [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Riedel, E

1996-07-01

On-board generation of hydrogen from methanol with a reformer in connection with the use of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an attractive option for a passenger car drive. Special considerations are required to obtain low weight and volume. Furthermore, the PEMFC of today cannot tolerate more than 10 ppm of carbon monoxide in the fuel. Therefore a gas conditioning step is needed after the methanol reformer. Our main research activities focus on the conceptual design of a drive system for a passenger car with methanol reformer and PEMFC: Engineering studies with regard to different aspects of this design including reformer, catalytic burner, gas conditioning, balances of the fuel cycles and basic design of a compact methanol reformer. The work described here was carried out within the framework of a JOULE II project of the European Union (1993-1995). Extensive experimental studies have been carried out at the Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (KFA) in Germany and at Haldor Topsoee A/S in Denmark. (orig.)

706-IJBCS-Article-Rose Danielle Aboua

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR GATSING

Notopteridae. Papyrocranus afer. Paf. +. +. +. Clupeidae. Pellonula leonensis1. Ple. +. +. +. +. +. Marcusenius furcidens. Mfu. +. Marcusenius senegalensis Mse. +. +. +. +. +. Marcusenius ussheri. Mus. +. +. +. +. +. Marcusenius sp. Msp. +. Mormyrops anguilloides. Man. +. +. +. +. Mormyrus rume. Mru. +. +. +. Pollimyrus isidori.

Fission product retention in TRISO coated UO2 particle fuels subjected to HTR simulated core heating tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldwin, C.A.; Kania, M.J.

1991-01-01

Results of the examination and analysis of 25,730 individual microspheres from spherical fuel elements HFR-K3/1 and HFR-K3/3 are reported. The parent spheres were irradiated in excess of end-of-life exposure and subsequently subjected to simulated core heating tests in a special high-temperature furnace at Forschungszentrum, Juelich, GmbH (KFA). Following the heating tests, the spheres were electrolytically deconsolidated to obtain unbounded fuel particles for Irradiated Microsphere Gamma Analyzer (IMGA) analysis. For sphere HFR-K3/1, which was heated for 500 h at 1600 deg. C, only four particles were identified as having released fission products. The remaining particles from the sphere showed no statistical evidence of fission product release. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) examination showed that three of the defect particles had large sections of the TRISO coating missing, while the fourth appeared normal. For sphere HFR-K3/3, which was heated for 100 h at 1800 deg. C, the IMGA data revealed that fission product release (cesium) from individual particles was significant and that there was large particle-to-particle variation in retention capabilities. Individual particle release (cesium) averaged ten times the KFA-measured integral spherical fuel element release value. In addition, the bimodal distribution of the individual particle data indicated that two distinct modes of failure at fuel temperatures of 1800 deg. C and above may exist. (author). 6 refs, 6 figs, 4 tabs

Fission product retention in TRISCO coated UO2 particle fuels subjected to HTR simulated core heating tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldwin, C.A.; Kania, M.J.

1990-11-01

Results of the examination and analysis of 25,730 individual microspheres from spherical fuel elements HFR-K3/1 and HFR-K3/3 are reported. The parent spheres were irradiated in excess of end-of-life exposure and subsequently subjected to simulated core heating tests in a special high-temperature furnace at Forschungszentrum, Juelich, GmbH (KFA). Following the heating tests, the spheres were electrolytically deconsolidated to obtain unbonded fuel particles for Irradiated Microsphere Gamma Analyzer (IMGA) analysis. For sphere HFR-K3/1, which was heated for 500 h at 1600 degree C, only four particles were identified as having released fission products. The remaining particles from the sphere showed no statistical evidence of fission product release. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) examination showed that three of the defect particles had large sections of the TRISO coating missing, while the fourth appeared normal. For sphere HFR-K3/3, which was heated for 100 h at 1800 degree C, the IMGA data revealed that fission product release (cesium) from individual particles was significant and that there was large particle-to-particle variation in retention capabilities. Individual particle release (cesium) averaged ten times the KFA-measured integral spherical fuel element release value. In addition, the bimodal distribution of the individual particle data indicated that two distinct modes of failure at fuel temperatures of 1800 degree C and above may exist. 6 refs., 6 figs., 4 tabs

Environmental model for a capital city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Eugenia Toca Torres

2013-06-01

Full Text Available From a review of the various options for modeling a sustainable development in its environmental dimension, this research proposes a model of environmental impact for Bogota, using the Vensim PLE software to model the pollution, the pollution load and soil contamination. The model includes a limited number of endogenous variables, as well as a greater number of exogenous variables. This modeling allows us to anticipate the environmental situation in the capital, in order to support public policies for addressing issues such as economic sanctions and moral regulations on emissions, discharges and waste, environmental measures and environmentally friendly practices

Polytypism and band alignment in ZnSe nanowires revealed by photoluminescence spectroscopy of embedded (Zn,Cd)Se quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Bieker, S.; Pfeuffer, R.; Kiessling, T.; Tarakina, N.; Schumacher, C.; Ossau, W.; Molenkamp, L. W.; Karczewski, G.

2015-03-01

We report on the optical characterization of single (Zn,Cd)Se quantum dots (QDs) embedded in vapor-liquid-solid-grown ZnSe nanowires (NWs). The temperature dependent quenching of the QD luminescence demonstrates that their electronic structure is comparable to that of self-assembled (Zn,Cd)Se QDs in ZnSe matrices. The photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectrum of single nanowire QDs reveals the presence of both zinc blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) crystal modifications of ZnSe in the NW shafts. PLE provides, therefore, a complementary technique to transmission electron microscopy imaging to reveal polytypism in ZnSe NWs. A transient quenching of the PL emission suggests a type II staggered band alignment at the ZB/WZ interface in our ZnSe NWs.

Prompt gamma cold neutron activation analysis applied to biological materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossbach, M.; Hiep, N.T.

1992-01-01

Cold neutrons at the external neutron guide laboratory (ELLA) of the KFA Juelich are used to demonstrate their profitable application for multielement characterization of biological materials. The set-up and experimental conditions of the Prompt Gamma Cold Neutron Activation Analysis (PGCNAA) device is described in detail. Results for C, H, N, S, K, B, and Cd using synthetic standards and the 'ratio' technique for calculation are reported for several reference materials and prove the method to be reliable and complementary with respect to the elements being determined by INAA. (orig.)

Contributions for the chemistry, physics and technology of the elementary carbon in various states for the Carbon '76

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delle, W.W.

1976-07-01

This report is the compilation of a number of papers prepared by KFA Juelich for the 2nd International Carbon Conference CARBON '76 at Baden-Baden, June 28th - July 2nd, 1976. The presentations deal with objectives of chemistry, physics and technology of the elementary carbon in various states including irradiation induced effects on graphite and pyrolytic carbon. The work was partly sponsored by the Bundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as by the Government of North-Rhine-Westfalia. (orig.) [de

Non-destructive examinations of D247.01 SiC-ball. Gamma scan wires 1 and 2 and SiC-ball 1 through 7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dassel, G.; Buurveld, H.A.; Plakman, J.C.

1996-07-01

In the frame of the KFA programme on Innovative Nuclear Technology SiC-coated graphite spheres have been irradiated in the HFR Petten. With this irradiation two stainless steel gamma scan wires have been irradiated to be able to reconstruct the neutron flux profile during the irradiation and to calculate the absorption of neutrons in the spheres. This report presents the results from the gamma scanning of the two gamma scan wires. Appended are the results from dose rate measurements and weighing of the spheres and gamma spectrometric results from balls 5 and 6. (orig.).

Non-destructive examinations of D247.01 SiC-ball. Gamma scan wires 1 and 2 and SiC-ball 1 through 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dassel, G.; Buurveld, H.A.; Plakman, J.C.

1996-07-01

In the frame of the KFA programme on Innovative Nuclear Technology SiC-coated graphite spheres have been irradiated in the HFR Petten. With this irradiation two stainless steel gamma scan wires have been irradiated to be able to reconstruct the neutron flux profile during the irradiation and to calculate the absorption of neutrons in the spheres. This report presents the results from the gamma scanning of the two gamma scan wires. Appended are the results from dose rate measurements and weighing of the spheres and gamma spectrometric results from balls 5 and 6. (orig.)

Development and test of the ZELT-3D computer code for unfolding power distributions using side reflector instrumentation signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knob, P.J.

1983-01-01

The impossibility of using internal instrumentation in high temperature reactor with spherical fuel, lead to the development of an instrumentation system that will be able to monitorate power perturbations only using detectors located in the reflectors. This instrumentation is divided in three parts: one for each reflector, higher, lower and lateral. The development of a system located in the lateral reflector is shown. The system was tested for Kahter from IRE-KFA of very low dimensions and for the PNP-300 power reactor of very large dimensions. Good results were obtained. (E.G.) [pt

Contributions for the international conference on carbon and graphite CARBON '88

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delle, W.

1988-08-01

This report is the compilation of three papers prepared by the Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH (KFA) in collaboration with other partners for the International Conference CARBON '88. The topics were as follows: 1.) Fracture toughness of fast neutron irradiated graphite (W. Delle, H. Derz, G. Kleist, H. Nickel, W. Thiele); 2.) The irradiation creep characteristics of graphite to high fluences (C.R. Kennedy, M. Cundy, G. Kleist); and 3.) New silicon carbide materials starting with the Coat-Mix procedure (H.K. Luhleich, K. Bach, F.J. Dias, M. Kampel, F. Koch, H. Nickel). (orig./MM)

Measurement of Exciton Binding Energy of Monolayer WS2

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Zhu, Bairen; Cui, Xiaodong

Excitonic effects are prominent in monolayer crystal of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) because of spatial confinement and reduced Coulomb screening. Here we use linear differential transmission spectroscopy and two-photon photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (TP-PLE) to measure the exciton binding energy of monolayer WS2. Peaks for excitonic absorptions of the direct gap located at K valley of the Brillouin zone and transitions from multiple points near Γ point of the Brillouin zone, as well as trion side band are shown in the linear absorption spectra of WS2. But there is no gap between distinct excitons and the continuum of the interband transitions. Strong electron-phonon scattering, overlap of excitons around Γ point and the transfer of the oscillator strength from interband continuum to exciton states make it difficult to resolve the electronic interband transition edge even down to 10K. The gap between excited states of the band-edge exciton and the single-particle band is probed by TP-PLE measurements. And the energy difference between 1s exciton and the single-particle gap gives the exciton binding energy of monolayer WS2 to be about 0.71eV. The work is supported by Area of excellency (AoE/P-04/08), CRF of Hong Kong Research Grant Council (HKU9/CRF/13G) and SRT on New Materials of The University of Hong Kong.

CLOSED-LOOP STRIPPING ANALYSIS (CLSA) OF ...

Science.gov (United States)

Synthetic musk compounds have been found in surface water, fish tissues, and human breast milk. Current techniques for separating these compounds from fish tissues require tedious sample clean-upprocedures A simple method for the deterrnination of these compounds in fish tissues has been developed. Closed-loop stripping of saponified fish tissues in a I -L Wheaton purge-and-trap vessel is used to strip compounds with high vapor pressures such as synthetic musks from the matrix onto a solid sorbent (Abselut Nexus). This technique is useful for screening biological tissues that contain lipids for musk compounds. Analytes are desorbed from the sorbent trap sequentially with polar and nonpolar solvents, concentrated, and directly analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer operating in the selected ion monitoring mode. In this paper, we analyzed two homogenized samples of whole fish tissues with spiked synthetic musk compounds using closed-loop stripping analysis (CLSA) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). The analytes were not recovered quantitatively but the extraction yield was sufficiently reproducible for at least semi-quantitative purposes (screening). The method was less expensive to implement and required significantly less sample preparation than the PLE technique. The research focused on in the subtasks is the development and application of state-of the-art technologies to meet the needs of the public, Office of Water,

Removal of phosphate using copper-loaded polymeric ligand exchanger prepared by radiation grafting of polypropylene/polyethylene (PP/PE) nonwoven fabric

Science.gov (United States)

Barsbay, Murat; Kavaklı, Pınar Akkaş; Güven, Olgun

2010-03-01

A novel polymeric ligand exchanger (PLE) was prepared for the removal of phosphate ions from water. 2,2'-dipyridylamine (DPA), a bidentate ligand forming compound with high coordination capacity with a variety of metal ions was bound to glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) grafted polypropylene/polyethylene (PP/PE) nonwoven fabric synthesized by radiation-induced grafting technique. DPA attachment on epoxy ring of GMA units was tested in different solvents, i.e. methanol, ethanol, dioxane and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The highest amount of modification was achieved in dioxane. In order to prepare the corresponding PLE for the removal of phosphate, DPA-immobilized fabric was loaded with Cu(II) ions. Phosphate adsorption experiments were performed in batch mode at different pH (5-9) and phosphate concentrations. The fabric was found to be effective for the removal of phosphate ions. At every stage of preparation and use, the nonwoven fabric was characterized by thermal (i.e. DSC and TGA) and spectroscopic (FTIR) methods. Competitive adsorption experiments were also carried out using two solutions with different concentration levels at pH 7 to see the effect of competing ions. Phosphate adsorption was found to be effective and selective from solutions having trace amounts of competitive anions. It is expected that the novel PLE synthesized can be used for the removal of phosphate ions in low concentrations over a large range of pH.

Mutations in Plasmalemma Vesicle Associated Protein Result in Sieving Protein-Losing Enteropathy Characterized by Hypoproteinemia, Hypoalbuminemia, and HypertriglyceridemiaSummary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Elkadri

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background & Aims: Severe intestinal diseases observed in very young children are often the result of monogenic defects. We used whole-exome sequencing (WES to examine genetics in a patient with a distinct severe form of protein-losing enteropathy (PLE characterized by hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. Methods: WES was performed at the Centre for Applied Genomics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, and exome library preparation was performed with the Ion Torrent AmpliSeq RDY Exome Kit. Functional studies were based on the identified mutation. Results: Using WES we identified a homozygous nonsense mutation (1072C>T; p.Arg358* in the PLVAP (plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein gene in an infant from consanguineous parents who died at 5 months of age of severe PLE. Functional studies determined that the mutated PLVAP mRNA and protein were not expressed in the patient biopsy tissues, presumably secondary to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Pathological analysis showed that the loss of PLVAP resulted in disruption of endothelial fenestrated diaphragms. Conclusions: The PLVAP p.Arg358* mutation resulted in the loss of PLVAP expression with subsequent deletion of the diaphragms of endothelial fenestrae, which led to plasma protein extravasation, PLE, and ultimately death. Keywords: Endothelium, Fenestrae, Hypertriglyceridemia, Hypoalbuminemia, Hypoproteinemia, Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Monogenic Diseases, Protein-Losing Enteropathy, Whole-Exome Sequencing

Fusion programme 1976-1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bock, R.; Wollenberger, H.; Kaufmann, M.; Wolf, G.H.; Heinz, W.

1981-01-01

In 1980, the Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt, the fifth large-scale research institution to join the agreement for co-operation in the fusion-centered plasmaphysics and fusion reactor technology made between the HMI, the IPP, the KFA and the KfK in 1974. Under the project responsibility of the GSI the BMFT have investigated whether the inertial confinement with heavy ion beams can be used as an alternative pathway to the fusion reactor in the Federal Republic of Germany. As in the past years, the co-operation with universities has been maintained, where especially basic research in plasma physics has been promoted in projects financed by the centers on the one hand, and by means of the main point 'fusion-centered plasma physics' set up by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft on the other hand. The topics of these activities are listed. The summary given in this brief report singles out only a few important results of the work on magnetic plasma confinement, fusion technology and inertial confinement. This information is to be completed and depend by studying the scientific reports or individual publications of the centers. The addresses where to request these reports are listed. (orig.) [de

Existing and projected neutron sources and low-temperature irradiation facilities in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boening, K.

1984-01-01

In this paper, a contribution given at the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute to the temporal meeting on the design of the facilities for high flux, low temperature irradiation is summarized. The following five subjects were discussed. The project of modernizing the swimming pool type research reactor FRM with 4 MW power at Munich is to achieve relatively high thermal neutron flux, and an extremely compact core is designed. The existing low temperature irradiation facility (LTIF) of the FRM is the most powerful in the world, and has been successfully operated more than 20 years. The fast and thermal neutron fluxes are 2.9 x 10 13 and 3.5 x 10 13 /cm 2 sec, respectively. The experimental techniques in the LTIF of the FRM, such as a measuring cryostat, the mounting of irradiated samples and so on, are described. The installation of new LTIFs in connection with the projects of advanced neutron sources in Germany is likely to be made in the modernized FRM at Garching, in the spallation neutron source SNQ at KFA Juelich and so on. The interesting problems in fundamental and applied researches with LTIFs, and the unusual application of LTIFs are shown. (Kako, I.)

Strategy approach for eLearning 2.0 deployment in Universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oskar Casquero

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The institutionally powered Personal Learning Environment (iPLE constitutes our vision of how Web 2.0 technologies, people arrangement and data sharing could be applied for delivering open, flexible, distributed and learner-centred learning environments to university members. Based on the iPLE, this paper explores a strategy approach that universities could follow in order to deploy eLearning 2.0 tools and services. With that aim in mind, we review the patterns that Web 2.0 has successfully applied, and have been proved to encourage people to interact and to share information. Then, we present an eLearning 2.0 provisioning strategy based on iPLEs. Finally, we explain how this strategy can help translating Web 2.0 patterns to learning, and positioning universities as eLearning 2.0 providers.

Path length entropy analysis of diastolic heart sounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffel, Benjamin; Zia, Mohammad K; Fridman, Vladamir; Saponieri, Cesare; Semmlow, John L

2013-09-01

Early detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) using the acoustic approach, a noninvasive and cost-effective method, would greatly improve the outcome of CAD patients. To detect CAD, we analyze diastolic sounds for possible CAD murmurs. We observed diastolic sounds to exhibit 1/f structure and developed a new method, path length entropy (PLE) and a scaled version (SPLE), to characterize this structure to improve CAD detection. We compare SPLE results to Hurst exponent, Sample entropy and Multiscale entropy for distinguishing between normal and CAD patients. SPLE achieved a sensitivity-specificity of 80%-81%, the best of the tested methods. However, PLE and SPLE are not sufficient to prove nonlinearity, and evaluation using surrogate data suggests that our cardiovascular sound recordings do not contain significant nonlinear properties. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressurised liquid extraction of flavonoids in onions. Method development and validation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søltoft, Malene; Christensen, J.H.; Nielsen, J.

2009-01-01

A rapid and reliable analytical method for quantification of flavonoids in onions was developed and validated. Five extraction methods were tested on freeze-dried onions and subsequently high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection was used for quantification of seven flavonoids...... extraction methods. However. PLE was the preferred extraction method because the method can be highly automated, use only small amounts of solvents, provide the cleanest extracts, and allow the extraction of light and oxygen-sensitive flavonoids to be carried out in an inert atmosphere protected from light......-step PLE method showed good selectivity, precision (RSDs = 3.1-11%) and recovery of the extractable flavonoids (98-99%). The method also appeared to be a multi-method, i.e. generally applicable to, e.g. phenolic acids in potatoes and carrots....

Does self-complexity moderate the effects of exposure to political violence for adolescents?

Science.gov (United States)

Slone, Michelle; Roziner, Ilan

2013-01-01

This study examined the moderating role of self-complexity (SC) on well-being (WB) and psychopathology among Israeli adolescents exposed to the Second Lebanon War (2006). Adolescents (N=584, mean age 16.41) completed a SC measure, Political and Negative Life Events (NLE) scales, Brief Symptom Inventory and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The theoretical model analyzed the function of SC as a moderator of exposure effects to political life events (PLE), while controlling for general NLE. Results corroborated the model with SC moderating the effects of the war-related PLE. Adolescents with low SC are at risk for damaged WB and psychiatric consequences from political violence exposure. This opens a diagnostic avenue for identification of at-risk adolescents in this socio-political context toward whom clinical programs should be directed.

Candidate genes for drought tolerance and improved productivity in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Madhu

Improving drought tolerance and productivity is one of the most difficult tasks for ... Keywords. Candidate gene; mapping population; polymerase chain reaction; single marker analysis. .... ple and the mean value computed. 2.4 Isolation of DNA.

knowledge about obstetric danger signs among preg

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

about knowledge level of pregnant women on obstetric danger signs. The objective of this .... ple size formula for estimating a single population proportion with the ..... subjects mentioned vaginal bleeding as danger sign during pregnancy ...

Download this PDF file

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NESG PUBLICATIONS

core principles encompassing integ- rity, confidentiality, privacy ... For exam- ple, no investor will put money in an unsafe environment. Safety promotes .... a major challenge. “Paper policies” – ... marketing and promotion; investors and key ...

Polymorphous light eruption - some interesting aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corrales-Padilla, H.; Dominguez-Soto, L.; Hojyo-Tomoka, M.T.; Londono, F.; Vargas-Ocampo, F.

1979-01-01

A study of polymorphous light eruption (PLE) is Latin America is reported. The clinical lesions, the course, histopathology, differential diagnosis, pathogenesis, treatment and systemic photoprotection are discussed. Treatment with ultraviolet radiation is included. (C.F.)

Analysis of compensatory mechanisms in the pelvis and lower extremities in patients with pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis mismatch.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xiaofei; Zhang, Kai; Sun, Xiaojiang; Zhao, Changqing; Li, Hua; Zhao, Jie

2017-07-01

The objective was to analyze the compensatory effect of the pelvis and lower extremities on sagittal spinal malalignment in patients with pelvic incidence (PI) and lumbar lordosis (LL) mismatch. A series of parameters including PI, LL, PI-LL, thoracic kyphosis (TK), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), knee flexion angle (KFA), tibial obliquity angle (TOA), femoral obliquity angle (FOA), femur pelvis angle (FPA) and pelvic shift (PS) were measured. Patients with PI-LL mismatch were divided into pelvic retroversion group and pelvic retroposition group based on their PT and PS, and then the parameters were compared within the two groups and with the control group. All variables were significantly different when comparing the pelvic retroversion and retroposition group with the control group except for PI, FOA and PS in the pelvic retroversion group. The pelvic retroposition group had significantly greater value of PI-LL, PI, PT, KFA, FOA and PS and contribution ratio of FOA and PS, and smaller value of LL, TK and FPA and contribution ratio of PT, TOA and FPA compared with the pelvic retroversion group. Patients with lesser PI-LL mismatch rely more on hip extension to increase pelvic retroversion while those with greater PI-LL mismatch tend to add extra femoral obliquity. When compensating for larger PI-LL mismatch, the importance of hip extension is decreased and the effect of the knee and ankle joint becomes more important by providing greater femoral incline and relatively lesser ankle dorsiflexion respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

'Best buys' for surgery in South Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ple challenges in the universal health coverage environment is discovering ... public health interventions, is being challenged by new emerg ..... Kenyon CR, Boulle A, Ford N. When best practice is bad medicine: A new approach to rationing.

Risk-taking behaviour of Cape Peninsula high-school students

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Risk-taking behaviour of Cape Peninsula high-school students ... Cluster sampling techniques produced a sam- ple of 7 340 ... Over the past 30 or 40 years increasing percent- ages of ..... many adolescents, caution should be exercised when.

Interwell and intrawell magnetoexcitons in GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Timofeev, V. B.; Filin, A. I.; Tartakovskii, A. I.

1997-01-01

The formation of spatially indirect (interwell) excitons in superlattices (SLs) with different barrier widths (different tunneling coupling) is experimentally investigated in a strong enough magnetic field with the use of photoluminescence (PL), photoluminescence excitation (PLE), reflectance spec...

An easy protocol for the domino synthesis of diversely functionalized ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ple starting materials which fulfils both economic and environmental aspects .... was defined as the lowest extract concentration, show- ing no visible fungal ... tration of the compound inhibiting visual growth of the test cultures on the agar plate.

Distinguishing crystallite size effects from those of structural disorder ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

Both crystallite size effects and structural disorder contribute to the broadening of lines in .... ple contributions to the peak profiles. ... the fit is then corrected by accounting for sample ... Authors thank the Department of Science and Tech-.

Abbreviations used in scientific and technical reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Chang.

1986-04-01

Reports contain a large number of abbreviations which have not yet been included in the current specialized dictionaries or lists of abbreviations. It is therefore often time-consuming or even fruitless to search for such abbreviations. The present alphabetical list of more than 4,000 abbreviations gathered from the report inventory of the Central Library of the KFA Juelich in the period from 1982-1986, taking into consideration all the scientific and technical disciplines, is intended to remedy a deficiency and to offer assistance which will undoubtedly be welcomed by scientists and engineers. (orig./HP) [de

A medium energy neutron deep penetration experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amian, W.; Cloth, P.; Druecke, V.; Filges, D.; Paul, N.; Schaal, H.

1986-11-01

A deep penetration experiment conducted at the Los Alamos WNR facility's Spallation Neutron Target is compared with calculations using intra-nuclear-cascade and S N -transport codes installed at KFA-IRE. In the experiment medium energy reactions induced by neutrons between 15 MeV and about 150 MeV inside a quasi infinite slab of iron have been measured using copper foil monitors. Details of the experimental procedure and the theoretical methods are described. A comparison of absolute reaction rates for both experimentally and theoretically derived reactions is given. The present knowledge of the corresponding monitor reaction cross sections is discussed. (orig.)

Operations report 1985 of the Department of Safety and Radiation Protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hille, R.; Frenkler, K.L.

1986-04-01

Under the heading 'Licensing' the report deals with licensing procedures and the handling of nuclear-fuels and radioactive materials. Operational radiation protection is concerned with operational and personnel monitoring, mathematical methods and safety analyses. Environmental protection deals with emission control, immission monitoring and meteorological measurements, and safety technology with α/β-analysis, dosimetry, equipment servicing and mechanics, nuclear material safeguards. Other subdepartments take care of industrial safety, physical protection, emergency protection and training. Subjects dealt with, too, are dispersion pollutants in atmosphere and environment, further development of radiation protection methods, and the bibliography of radiation protection in KFA. (HK) [de

Review on characterization methods applied to HTR-fuel element components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koizlik, K.

1976-02-01

One of the difficulties which on the whole are of no special scientific interest, but which bear a lot of technical problems for the development and production of HTR fuel elements is the proper characterization of the element and its components. Consequently a lot of work has been done during the past years to develop characterization procedures for the fuel, the fuel kernel, the pyrocarbon for the coatings, the matrix and graphite and their components binder and filler. This paper tries to give a status report on characterization procedures which are applied to HTR fuel in KFA and cooperating institutions. (orig.) [de

Gastrointestinal system involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Z; Xu, D; Wang, Z; Wang, Y; Zhang, S; Li, M; Zeng, X

2017-10-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem disorder which can affect the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Although GI symptoms can manifest in 50% of patients with SLE, these have barely been reviewed due to difficulty in identifying different causes. This study aims to clarify clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of the four major SLE-related GI system complications: protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO), hepatic involvement and pancreatitis. It is a systematic review using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and the major search terms were SLE, PLE, IPO, hepatitis and pancreatitis. A total of 125 articles were chosen for our study. SLE-related PLE was characterized by edema and hypoalbuminemia, with Technetium 99m labeled human albumin scintigraphy ( 99m Tc HAS) and alpha-1-antitrypsin fecal clearance test commonly used as diagnostic test. The most common site of protein leakage was the small intestine and the least common site was the stomach. More than half of SLE-related IPO patients had ureterohydronephrosis, and sometimes they manifested as interstitial cystitis and hepatobiliary dilatation. Lupus hepatitis and SLE accompanied by autoimmune hepatitis (SLE-AIH overlap) shared similar clinical manifestations but had different autoantibodies and histopathological features, and positive anti-ribosome P antibody highly indicated the diagnosis of lupus hepatitis. Lupus pancreatitis was usually accompanied by high SLE activity with a relatively high mortality rate. Early diagnosis and timely intervention were crucial, and administration of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants was effective for most of the patients.

Food hypersensitivity reactions in Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers with protein-losing enteropathy or protein-losing nephropathy or both: gastroscopic food sensitivity testing, dietary provocation, and fecal immunoglobulin E.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaden, S L; Hammerberg, B; Davenport, D J; Orton, S M; Trogdon, M M; Melgarejo, L T; VanCamp, S D; Williams, D A

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers (SCWTs) affected with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) or protein-losing nephropathy (PLN) or both for allergy to food. We performed gastroscopic food-sensitivity testing, a provocative dietary trial, and measurement of fecal immunoglobulin E (IgE) in 6 SCWTs affected with PLE or PLN or both. Positive gastroscopic food-sensitivity test reactions were noted in 5 of 6 dogs. Positive reactions were found to milk in 4 dogs, to lamb in 2 dogs, and to wheat and chicken each in 1 dog. Adverse reactions to food (diarrhea, vomiting, or pruritus) were detected in all 6 dogs during the provocative dietary trial. Adverse reactions were found to corn in 5 dogs, to tofu in 3 dogs, to cottage cheese in 2 dogs, to milk in 2 dogs, to farina cream of wheat in 2 dogs, and to lamb in 2 dogs. Serum albumin concentrations significantly decreased and fecal alpha1-protease inhibitor concentration significantly increased 4 days after the provocative trial when compared with baseline values. Antigen-specific fecal IgE varied throughout the provocative trial, with peak levels following ingestion of test meals. We conclude that food hypersensitivities are present in SCWTs affected with the syndrome of PLE/PLN. Mild inflammatory bowel disease was already established in the 6 SCWTs of this report at the time of study, making it impossible to determine if food allergies were the cause or result of the enteric disease.

Determination of pharmaceuticals in environmental and biological matrices using pressurised liquid extraction--are we developing sound extraction methods?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Runnqvist, Hannah; Bak, Søren Alex; Hansen, Martin

2010-01-01

Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) is now a well established and extensively applied extraction technique in environmental analysis for pollutants such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). During the past decade, an emerging group of environmentally interesting analytes are pharmaceuticals...

Effects of body-size variation on flight-related traits in latitudinal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2014-04-21

Apr 21, 2014 ... quantitative traits (Endler 1977; Coyne and Beecham 1987;. Imasheva et al ... Journal of Genetics, Vol. 93, No. 1, April ... ple regression analysis as a function of average tempera- ture(Tave) and ...... Financial assistance (F 41-.

POSITIVE SOLUTIONS TO TWO TYPES OF NEUTRAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH DISTRIBUTED DELAY

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2012-01-01

In this paper, we study two types of neutral functional differential equations with finite or unbounded distributed deviating arguments. By Banach contraction princi-ple, we obtain some sufficient conditions for the existence of positive solutions to such equations.

Development and Application of Immunoaffinity Chromatography for Coplanar PCBs in Soil and Sediment

Science.gov (United States)

An immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) column was developed as a simple cleanup procedure for preparing environmental samples for analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Soil and sediment samples were prepared using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), followed by the IAC c...

Pressurized liquid extraction of anthocyanins and biflavonoids from Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi: A multivariate optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Feuereisen, Michelle M; Gamero Barraza, Mariana; Zimmermann, Benno F; Schieber, Andreas; Schulze-Kaysers, Nadine

2017-01-01

Response surface methodology was employed to investigate the effects of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) parameters on the recovery of phenolic compounds (anthocyanins, biflavonoids) from Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) fruits. The effects of temperature, static time, and ethanol as well as acid concentration on the polyphenol yield were described well by quadratic models (p75°C), an artifact occurred and was tentatively identified as a diastereomer of I3',II8-binaringenin. Multivariate optimization led to high yields of phenolic compounds from the exocarp/drupes at 100/75°C, 10/10min, 54.5/54.2% ethanol, and 5/0.03% acetic acid. This study demonstrates that PLE is well suited for the extraction of phenolic compounds from S. terebinthifolius and can efficiently be optimized by response surface methodology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multiway study of hybridization in nanoscale semiconductor labeled DNA based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gholami, Somayeh; Kompany Zare, Mohsen

2013-01-01

donor-QD acceptor) upon hybridization with a label free target was monitored by two-dimensional photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (2D-PLE). Detection of a target oligonucleotide strand, using sandwiched nanoassembly in a separation-free format, was performed with the appearance of a new feature...... and model based analysis of 2D-PLE data was implemented by means of PAR-AFAC and hard trilinear decomposition (HTD), allowing to fit a proper model for FRET-based sandwich DNA hybridization systems. This study is the first successful application of a multiway chemometric technique to consider FRET based DNA...... hybridization in sandwiched nanoassemblies. A multi-equilibria model was properly fitted to the data and confirmed there is a competition between ternary and binary complex formation. Equilibrium constants of DNA hybridization in sandwiched nanoassemblies were estimated for the first time. Equilibrium constants...

Tellurium quantum dots: Preparation and optical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chaoyu; Li, Xueming; Tang, Libin; Lai, Sin Ki; Rogée, Lukas; Teng, Kar Seng; Qian, Fuli; Zhou, Liangliang; Lau, Shu Ping

2017-08-01

Herein, we report an effective and simple method for producing Tellurium Quantum dots (TeQDs), zero-dimensional nanomaterials with great prospects for biomedical applications. Their preparation is based on the ultrasonic exfoliation of Te powder dispersed in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Sonication causes the van der Waals forces between the structural hexagons of Te to break so that the relatively coarse powder breaks down into nanoscale particles. The TeQDs have an average size of about 4 nm. UV-Vis absorption spectra of the TeQDs showed an absorption peak at 288 nm. Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and photoluminescence (PL) are used to study the optical properties of TeQDs. Both the PLE and PL peaks revealed a linear relationship against the emission and excitation energies, respectively. TeQDs have important potential applications in biological imaging and catalysis as well as optoelectronics.

PLE in formal education: challenges for openness and control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalz, Marco

2015-01-01

This short comment reflects on a critical account of educational tech- nology and makes reference to the chapter by Vieritz et al. about the use of widget bundles for formal learning in higher education.

Modeling Physical Systems Using Vensim PLE Systems Dynamics Software

Science.gov (United States)

Widmark, Stephen

2012-01-01

Many physical systems are described by time-dependent differential equations or systems of such equations. This makes it difficult for students in an introductory physics class to solve many real-world problems since these students typically have little or no experience with this kind of mathematics. In my high school physics classes, I address…

Analytical travelling wave solutions and parameter analysis for the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

done in the past few decades to improve this equation. Especially, in ... For exam- ple, the solutions of DS equation could describe the interaction between a ... In this paper, we consider the following (2+1)-dimensional Davey–Stewartson-type.

Influence of substrate and Ca substitution on multiferroic BiMnO3 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The VSM results exhibit that all the films possess room temperature ferromagnetism and the BCMO film ... ple, one can control magnetic moment by applying electric field and electric ... for a four-state memory concept,6 but high pressure and.

The electronic sealing system, VACOSS, as a control measure for international safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennepohl, K.; Maeckelburg, D.; Stein, G.

1979-01-01

The electronic sealing system VACOSS (Variable Coding Sealing System) was developed at KFA Juelich within the framework of an IAEA research contract. The seal is equipped with a light guide which acts as a lock. Statistical infra-red wavelength light pulses are transmitted via this light guide. The electronic components of the seal can store the opening and closing events of the light guide. In addition, the quasi-statistic treatment of code data fed into the seal by means of an adapter box guarantees an extremely high protection against unauthorized access. The portable seal is easy to handle, can be operated with a battery and can be re-used immediately after replacement of this battery. To make the seal operational code data are fed in, and the information stored in the seal can be read via the adapter box. Two versions of VACOSS were developed. VACOSS I permits the state of the seal in the facility to be checked on site only. VACOSS II can be monitored remotely by an operator passing on coded information. (author)

Neutron irradiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel steel 20 MnMoNi55 weld

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghoneim, M.M.

1987-05-01

The effect of neutron irradiation on the mechanical and fracture properties of an 'improved' 20 MnMoNi 55 Pressure Vessel Steel (PVS) weld was investigated. In addition to very low residual element content, especially Cu (0.035 wt.%), and relatively higher Ni content (0.9 wt.%), this steel has higher strength (30% more) than the steels used currently in nuclear reactor pressure vessels. The material was irradiated to 3.5x10 19 and 7x10 19 n/cm 2 (E > 1 Mev) at 290 0 C and 2.5x10 19 n/cm 2 (E > 1 MeV) at 160 0 C in FRJ-1 and FRJ-2 research reactors at KFA, Juelich, F.R.G. Test methods used in the evaluation included instrumented impact testing of standard and precracked Charpy specimens, tensile, and fracture toughness testing. Instrumented impact testing provided load and energy vs. time (deflection) data in addition to energy absorption data. The results indicated that the investigated high strength improved steel is more resistant to irradiation induced embrittlement than conventional PVSs. (orig./IHOE)

Contributions for the third international carbon conference CARBON '80

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delle, W.

1980-05-01

This report is a compilation of 8 papers prepared by KFA Juelich GmbH for the International Carbon Conference carbon 80 in Baden-Baden. The contributions deal mainly with materials problems which arise from the application of graphite and silicon carbide in High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors, HTR. Most of the results described were obtained in the framework of the HTR Projects ''Hochtemperaturreaktor-Brennstoffkreislauf'' (High Temperature Reactor Fuel Cycle), HBK, that includes the partners Gesellschaft fuer Hochtemperaturreaktor-Technik mbH, Hochtemperaturreaktor-Brennelement GmbH, Hochtemperatur-Reaktorbau GmbH, Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH, NUKEM GmbH and Sigri Elektrographit GmbH/Ringsdorff-Werke GmbH and ''Prototyp Nukleare Prozesswaerme'' (Prototype Nuclear Heat), PNP, for the development of procedures for the conversion of solid fossil raw materials by means of heat from High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors, that includes the partners Bergbau-Forschung GmbH, Gesellschaft fuer Hochtemperaturreaktor-Technik mbH, Hochtemperatur-Reaktorbau GmbH, Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH and Rheinische Braunkohlenwerke AG. Both projects are financed by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. (orig./IHOE) [de

Who wants to conserve remaining forest fragments in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

For exam- ple, a small forest that is surrounded by agricultural fields and that is still partly .... 75. 43. 21. Forest fragments [% of forest in village territory]. 5. 20. 100. 100. Market proximity ..... Cas de Manompana – Nord-Est de. Madagascar.

Extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from smoked fish using pressurized liquid extraction with integrated fat removal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Mette; Duedahl-Olesen, Lene; Christensen, Jan H.

2009-01-01

Quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked fish products often requires multiple clean-up steps to remove fat and other compounds that may interfere with the chemical analysis. We present a novel pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method that integrates exhaustive...

Use of the Judicial Section 9 Certification in the Free State

African Journals Online (AJOL)

accused be: (i) detained in a psychiatric hospital or a prison pend- ... on condition that the accused be admitted for treatment in terms of section 9 of the ... ple request for information into a bureaucratic nightmare. It also .... Police Services.

Trans-nationalizing the African Public Sphere: What Role for Trans ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

seriane.camara

2011-03-09

Mar 9, 2011 ... At a time when the notion of 'trans-national public spheres' is gaining .... ple refer specifically to the language and its speakers in Senegal and Mauri- .... of the Pulaar language and the improvement of the social and economic.

Metrics for vector quantization-based parametric speech enhancement and separation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Mads Græsbøll

2013-01-01

Speech enhancement and separation algorithms sometimes employ a two-stage processing scheme, wherein the signal is first mapped to an intermediate low-dimensional parametric description after which the parameters are mapped to vectors in codebooks trained on, for exam- ple, individual noise...

The Shock and Vibration Digest. Volume 15. Number 2

Science.gov (United States)

1983-02-01

publications on impact- induced delamination are also of interest. For exam - ple, Takeda, Sierakowski, and Malvern have published extensively on...Key Words: Plates, Sound generation. Box-type structures. Strings, Violins The peper enalyzes the problem of statics and dynamics of the sound box

African Journal of Drug & Alcohol Studies, 13(2), 2014 Copyright ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

killed over 5 million people and by 2030, its death toll will .... For exam- ple, the use of some of these substances such as alcohol and cigarettes may not be unconnected with the ... risk, relapsed-provoking situations or cas- es. Outcome ...

Fabrication and physical characteristics of new glasses from wastes ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

sent a pollution source of some radioactive elements such as uranium and ... can be used as a soil conditioner to neutralize acidic soils, a solid base for many roads, ... density of each sample was measured by Archimedes' princi- ple by using ...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in Danish barbecued meat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duedahl-Olesen, Lene; Aaslyng, Margit Dall; Meinert, Lene

2015-01-01

Barbecuing is known to result in the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A validated method that employed pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) followed by solid phase extraction (SPE) on Silica and analytical determination by GC-MS was applied...

T C The inf Cepha fluence lcia ta infes e of so nnouri sting th oil prop ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

sunny

complex lif .... the effect ple years was mentioned y Bible and i. References to y. 2 d s o .... measured by back titration with 0.5 N sodium hydroxide (NaOH) ...... Australia. PhD Thesis, James Cook University, Townsville. Tanno K (1970).

Miniaturised pressurised liquid extraction aromatic hydrocarbons from soil and sediment with subsequent large-volume injection-gas chromatography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramos, L.; Vreuls, J.J.; Brinkman, U.A.T.

2000-01-01

Analyte extraction is the main limitation when developing at-line, or on-line, procedures for the preparation of (semi)solid environmental samples. Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) is an analyte- and matrix-independent technique which provides cleaner extracts than the time-consuming classical

Synthesis of 7-arylethyl-5-arylpyrazolo pyrimidines through an aza ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ZHENG LI

2017-10-09

Oct 9, 2017 ... During the past decade, the synthesis of pyrazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidine derivatives ... importance due to pharmaceutical reasons.1,2 For exam- ple, the hypnotic ... In this paper, we report an efficient method for the syn- thesis of ...

Reduced IL-1Ra/IL-1 ratio in ultraviolet B-exposed skin of patients with polymorphic light eruption

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssens, A. S.; Pavel, S.; Tensen, C. P.; Teunissen, M. B. M.; Out-Luiting, J. J.; Willemze, R.; de Gruijl, F. R.

2009-01-01

Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is a putative delayed-type allergic reaction to (solar) ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Inadequate immune suppression after UVB-induced sunburn appears to be associated with reduced trafficking of Langerhans cells (LCs) out of and neutrophils into the epidermis of

Procedures and results of the probabilistic safety study of the HTR-1160 plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroeger, W.; Bongartz, R.

1981-01-01

A research team of the Institute for Nuclear Safety Research of the Juelich Nuclear Research Center (KFA) and staff members of the Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit, sponsored by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, carried out a safety and risk analysis of high temperature reactors. The studies, which included the transfer to German conditions and the modification in some points of methodology of the American AIPA Study, were performed on the German concept of an 1160 MWe HTR with block-type fuel elements. They referred to accidents and possible impacts on the environment, residual risks and measures to reduce them. The study covered a total of approx. 15 groups of initiating events, including potential external impacts. The dominating initiating events are transients in a pressurized reactor. Differences relative to the light water reactor concept arise with respect to releases as a result of accidents and, above all, release times; they are due to different physical characteristics. HTR'S are characterized by thermal inertia and resistance to temperatures. If the results of the study are extended to the HTR line with a pebble bed core currently in the planning phase, the power densities alone, which are considerably lower in some designs, are indicative of an even more effective fission product retention than is already found in the HTR-1160 plant analyzed here. (orig.) [de

Modification of erbium photoluminescence excitation spectra for the emission wavelength 1.54 μm in mesoscopic structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaponenko, N.V.; Unuchak, D.M.; Mudryi, A.V.; Malyarevich, G.K.; Gusev, O.B.; Stepikhova, M.V.; Krasilnikova, L.V.; Stupak, A.P.; Kleshcheva, S.M.; Samoilovich, M.I.; Tsvetkov, M.Yu.

2006-01-01

Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra for the emission wavelength 1.54 μm were studied for erbium-doped xerogels embedded in artificial opals and porous anodic alumina films. Opals were chosen with photonic stop-band in green spectral range, where excitation of 1.54 μm occurs most efficiently. In comparison to the structure erbium-doped titania xerogel/porous anodic alumina/silicon the photoluminescence excitation spectra for 1.54 μm emission wavelength significantly changes for the same xerogels embedded in artificial opals. Enhancement of erbium-related 1.54 μm emission was observed from the structure Fe 2 O 3 xerogel/porous anodic alumina fabricated on silicon, having some incompletely anodized aluminium, under excitation with either the lasing source at 532 nm or xenon lamp. Evident difference in PLE spectra for erbium doped TiO 2 and Fe 2 O 3 xerogels in porous anodic alumina is observed

Addendum 1, to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation R Report for IRP Sites Number’s 17, 18, 19 and 21. Volume 2. Appendices A-L. 148th Fighter Group, Minnesota Air National Guard Duluth Air National Guard Base, Duluth, Minnesota.

Science.gov (United States)

1996-03-01

1224 1-3:8 AMLSSa IS j 57D .J.q IN1TE~RNAL rEriP 31 OL’LL’Tr, RNGS 2.1- 2.3 us PH0P HOTOU9n POOUl ST’lF3. -ý ED= rAwiAE SEr T .2Er.t SAM’PLE LISR !ARr...I JUL 23 133,2 12:22 IN TERNA5L Tr • ? 𔃽 OULU T , ir1Q4G G I g (M L LIRRYIImrPLE LIBRARY I JUL 22 1.1-, 12,12 ARNILE LISR /RT 2 JUL 221 2-3. 1211.3...0 =UP ACI i-ITrEN 1 31212. 2 rI𔃼 aS,~~ -102.5 100.2 rro SAMLE LISR PRY I JUL 23 ISlt 19252 PNL SIs a 2 1 J BYRD, JR. 1r•T RNAL TEIP 235 PULUTM RriGs

Antioxidant White Grape Seed Phenolics: Pressurized Liquid Extracts from Different Varieties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Garcia-Jares

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Grape seeds represent a high percentage (20% to 26% of the grape marc obtained as a byproduct from white winemaking and keep a vast proportion of grape polyphenols. In this study, seeds obtained from 11 monovarietal white grape marcs cultivated in Northwestern Spain have been analyzed in order to characterize their polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity. Seeds of native (Albariño, Caiño, Godello, Loureiro, Torrontés, and Treixadura and non-native (Chardonnay, Gewurtzträminer, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, and Riesling grape varieties have been considered. Low weight phenolics have been extracted by means of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE and further analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The results showed that PLE extracts, whatever the grape variety of origin, contained large amounts of polyphenols and high antioxidant activity. Differences in the varietal polyphenolic profiles were found, so a selective exploitation of seeds might be possible.

Antioxidant White Grape Seed Phenolics: Pressurized Liquid Extracts from Different Varieties

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Jares, Carmen; Vazquez, Alberto; Lamas, Juan P.; Pajaro, Marta; Alvarez-Casas, Marta; Lores, Marta

2015-01-01

Grape seeds represent a high percentage (20% to 26%) of the grape marc obtained as a byproduct from white winemaking and keep a vast proportion of grape polyphenols. In this study, seeds obtained from 11 monovarietal white grape marcs cultivated in Northwestern Spain have been analyzed in order to characterize their polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity. Seeds of native (Albariño, Caiño, Godello, Loureiro, Torrontés, and Treixadura) and non-native (Chardonnay, Gewurtzträminer, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, and Riesling) grape varieties have been considered. Low weight phenolics have been extracted by means of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and further analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The results showed that PLE extracts, whatever the grape variety of origin, contained large amounts of polyphenols and high antioxidant activity. Differences in the varietal polyphenolic profiles were found, so a selective exploitation of seeds might be possible. PMID:26783956

The evolutionary dynamics of the lion Panthera leo revealed by host and viral population genomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Antunes, Agostinho; Troyer, Jennifer L; Roelke, Melody E; Pecon-Slattery, Jill; Packer, Craig; Winterbach, Christiaan; Winterbach, Hanlie; Hemson, Graham; Frank, Laurence; Stander, Philip; Siefert, Ludwig; Driciru, Margaret; Funston, Paul J; Alexander, Kathy A; Prager, Katherine C; Mills, Gus; Wildt, David; Bush, Mitch; O'Brien, Stephen J; Johnson, Warren E

2008-11-01

The lion Panthera leo is one of the world's most charismatic carnivores and is one of Africa's key predators. Here, we used a large dataset from 357 lions comprehending 1.13 megabases of sequence data and genotypes from 22 microsatellite loci to characterize its recent evolutionary history. Patterns of molecular genetic variation in multiple maternal (mtDNA), paternal (Y-chromosome), and biparental nuclear (nDNA) genetic markers were compared with patterns of sequence and subtype variation of the lion feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV(Ple)), a lentivirus analogous to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In spite of the ability of lions to disperse long distances, patterns of lion genetic diversity suggest substantial population subdivision (mtDNA Phi(ST) = 0.92; nDNA F(ST) = 0.18), and reduced gene flow, which, along with large differences in sero-prevalence of six distinct FIV(Ple) subtypes among lion populations, refute the hypothesis that African lions consist of a single panmictic population. Our results suggest that extant lion populations derive from several Pleistocene refugia in East and Southern Africa ( approximately 324,000-169,000 years ago), which expanded during the Late Pleistocene ( approximately 100,000 years ago) into Central and North Africa and into Asia. During the Pleistocene/Holocene transition ( approximately 14,000-7,000 years), another expansion occurred from southern refugia northwards towards East Africa, causing population interbreeding. In particular, lion and FIV(Ple) variation affirms that the large, well-studied lion population occupying the greater Serengeti Ecosystem is derived from three distinct populations that admixed recently.

The evolutionary dynamics of the lion Panthera leo revealed by host and viral population genomics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agostinho Antunes

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The lion Panthera leo is one of the world's most charismatic carnivores and is one of Africa's key predators. Here, we used a large dataset from 357 lions comprehending 1.13 megabases of sequence data and genotypes from 22 microsatellite loci to characterize its recent evolutionary history. Patterns of molecular genetic variation in multiple maternal (mtDNA, paternal (Y-chromosome, and biparental nuclear (nDNA genetic markers were compared with patterns of sequence and subtype variation of the lion feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV(Ple, a lentivirus analogous to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV. In spite of the ability of lions to disperse long distances, patterns of lion genetic diversity suggest substantial population subdivision (mtDNA Phi(ST = 0.92; nDNA F(ST = 0.18, and reduced gene flow, which, along with large differences in sero-prevalence of six distinct FIV(Ple subtypes among lion populations, refute the hypothesis that African lions consist of a single panmictic population. Our results suggest that extant lion populations derive from several Pleistocene refugia in East and Southern Africa ( approximately 324,000-169,000 years ago, which expanded during the Late Pleistocene ( approximately 100,000 years ago into Central and North Africa and into Asia. During the Pleistocene/Holocene transition ( approximately 14,000-7,000 years, another expansion occurred from southern refugia northwards towards East Africa, causing population interbreeding. In particular, lion and FIV(Ple variation affirms that the large, well-studied lion population occupying the greater Serengeti Ecosystem is derived from three distinct populations that admixed recently.

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction and pressurized liquid extraction of phenolic compounds from Moringa oleifera leaves by multiresponse surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Pérez, Celia; Gilbert-López, Bienvenida; Mendiola, Jose Antonio; Quirantes-Piné, Rosa; Segura-Carretero, Antonio; Ibáñez, Elena

2016-07-01

This work aims at studying the optimization of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) by multi-response surface methodology (RSM) to test their efficiency towards the extraction of phenolic compounds from Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) leaves. The extraction yield, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TF), DPPH scavenging method and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay were considered as response variables while effects of extraction time, percentage of ethanol, and temperature were studied. Extraction time of 20 min, 42% ethanol and 158°C were the MAE optimum conditions for achieving extraction yield of 26 ± 2%, EC50 15 ± 2 μg/mL, 16 ± 1 Eq Trolox/100 g dry leaf, 5.2 ± 0.5 mg Eq quercetin/g dry leaf, and 86 ± 4 mg GAE/g dry leaf. Regarding PLE, the optimum conditions that allowed extraction yield of 56 ± 2%, EC50 21 ± 3 μg/mL, 12 ± 2 mmol Eq Trolox/100 g dry leaf, 6.5 ± 0.2 mg Eq quercetin/g dry leaf, and 59 ± 6 mg GAE/g dry leaf were 128°C, 35% of ethanol, and 20 min. PLE enabled the extraction of phenolic compounds with a higher number of hydroxyl-type substituents such as kaempferol diglycoside and its acetyl derivatives and those that are sensitive to high temperatures (glucosinolates or amino acids) while MAE allowed better recoveries of kaempferol, quercetin, and their glucosides derivatives. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluation of long-term effect of hepatic arterial embolization with pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion in patients with hepatic cavernous hemangiomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xuejun; Ouyang Yong; Ma Heping; Chao Lumeng; Zhen Yanli; Gu Subin; Zhou Qunhui; Liu Pengzhi; Wang Hong

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effect of hepatic arterial embolization with pingyanmycin-lipiodol emulsion (PLE) in patients with cavernous hemangiomas of the liver (CHL) and its influence factors. Methods: One hundred and fifty-six hemangiomas that were diagnosed by imaging examinations or confirmed pathologically by surgery in 105 patients with integral follow-up data were analyzed retrospectively in this paper. All hemangiomas were divided into 4 groups according to their size (the largest size of hemangioma) by the authors as follows: A group (≤3 cm, n=25); B group (>3 cm and 2 test respectively. And the influence factors, included of the variant size of hemangiomas, abundant or sparse of abnormal sinusoids and the number of treatment procedures, were also analyzed respectively. Results: The total effective rate of the 156 hemangiomas in 105 patients was 92.95% (145/156). After single procedure of hepatic arterial embolization with PLE, the total effective rate of A and B groups were 100% (57/57), that of C and D groups were 85.86% (85/99), and the difference reach significant (X 2 =8.8553, P 2 =5.2642, P<0.05) than those of group with single procedure (72.73%, 8/11). Conclusions: A best long-term curative effect (complete cure) is usually obtained in the small hemangiomas with abundant abnormal sinusoids, and a satisfactory long-term curative effect can also be achieved in the larger or multiple hemangiomas, particularly in those hemangiomas with abundant abnormal sinusoids by using the repeat procedures of hepatic arterial embolization with PLE. (authors)

Green luminescence from Cu-diffused LiGaO2 crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holston, M.S.; Ferguson, I.P.; Giles, N.C.; McClory, J.W.; Winarski, D.J.; Ji, Jianfeng; Selim, F.A.; Halliburton, L.E.

2016-01-01

An intense green luminescence is observed from single crystals of LiGaO 2 doped with copper. Czochralski-grown undoped crystals are wrapped in thin copper foil and then held at 900 °C for 1 h in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere. Large concentrations of Cu + ions enter the crystals during this process and occupy Li + sites. These copper-diffused crystals are characterized with optical absorption, photoluminescence (PL), photoluminescence excitation (PLE), thermoluminescence (TL), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). An optical absorption band peaking near 350 nm is assigned to the Cu + ions at Li + sites and represents an excitation from a 3d 10 ground state to a 3d 9 4s 1 excited state. A broad PL emission from these excited Cu + ions has a peak near 523 nm and the related PLE band has a peak near 356 nm (this PLE band links the emission to the optical absorption band). Illuminating a Cu-diffused crystal at room temperature with 325 nm laser light converts a portion of the Cu + ions to Cu 2+ ions. EPR spectra from these 3d 9 ions are easily seen at low temperatures and their angular dependence is used to determine the g matrix and the 63 Cu hyperfine matrix. Subsequent heating produces a TL peak near 122 °C with a maximum in its spectral dependence near 535 nm. Correlated EPR measurements show that this TL peak occurs when trapped electrons are thermally released from unintentionally present transition-metal ions (most likely Fe) and recombine with holes at the Cu 2+ ions.

Long-term changes of the phytoplankton community and biomass in the subtropical shallow Patos Lagoon Estuary, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Haraguchi, Lumi; Carstensen, Jacob; Abreu, Paulo Cesar; Odebrecht, Clarisse

2015-09-01

Seasonal and interannual changes (1993-2012) of water temperature and transparency, river discharge, salinity, water quality properties, chlorophyll a (chl-a) and the carbon biomass of the main taxonomical phytoplankton groups were evaluated at a shallow station (∼2 m) in the subtropical Patos Lagoon Estuary (PLE), Brazil. Large variations in salinity (0-35), due to a complex balance between Patos Lagoon outflow and oceanic inflows, affected significantly other water quality variables and phytoplankton dynamics, masking seasonal and interannual variability. Therefore, salinity effect was filtered out by means of a Generalized Additive Model (GAM). River discharge and salinity had a significant negative relation, with river discharge being highest and salinity lowest during July to October. Diatoms comprised the dominant phytoplankton group, contributing substantially to the seasonal cycle of chl-a showing higher values in austral spring/summer (September to April) and lowest in autumn/winter (May to August). PLE is a nutrient-rich estuary and the phytoplankton seasonal cycle was largely driven by light availability, with few exceptions in winter. Most variables exhibited large interannual variability. When varying salinity effect was accounted for, chl-a concentration and diatom biomass showed less irregularity over time, and significant increasing trends emerged for dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. Long-term changes in phytoplankton and water quality were strongly related to variations in salinity, largely driven by freshwater discharge influenced by climatic variability, most pronounced for ENSO events. However, the significant increasing trend of the N:P ratio indicates that important environmental changes related to anthropogenic effects are undergoing, in addition to the hydrology in the PLE.

Extending pure luminosity evolution models into the mid-infrared, far-infrared and submillimetre

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Michael D.; Shanks, Tom

2011-07-01

Simple pure luminosity evolution (PLE) models, in which galaxies brighten at high redshift due to increased star formation rates (SFRs), are known to provide a good fit to the colours and number counts of galaxies throughout the optical and near-infrared. We show that optically defined PLE models, where dust reradiates absorbed optical light into infrared spectra composed of local galaxy templates, fit galaxy counts and colours out to 8 μm and to at least z≈ 2.5. At 24-70 μm, the model is able to reproduce the observed source counts with reasonable success if 16 per cent of spiral galaxies show an excess in mid-IR flux due to a warmer dust component and a higher SFR, in line with observations of local starburst galaxies. There remains an underprediction of the number of faint-flux, high-z sources at 24 μm, so we explore how the evolution may be altered to correct this. At 160 μm and longer wavelengths, the model fails, with our model of normal galaxies accounting for only a few percent of sources in these bands. However, we show that a PLE model of obscured AGN, which we have previously shown to give a good fit to observations at 850 μm, also provides a reasonable fit to the Herschel/BLAST number counts and redshift distributions at 250-500 μm. In the context of a ΛCDM cosmology, an AGN contribution at 250-870 μm would remove the need to invoke a top-heavy IMF for high-redshift starburst galaxies.

The upper Rhine waste heat project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schikarski, W.

1977-03-01

The tasks and targets of the project are: 1) Determination of the parameters relevant for an assessment of consequences, e.g.: General influences on weather and climate, anthropogenic influences on weather and climate, effects, affected systems, boundary conditions, anthropogenic changes in boundary conditions. 2) Developing a method of evaluation. 3) Establishing a sensitivity model and carrying out analyses. 4) Determining interface parameters which relate this project to other projects. 5) Summary of the findings and preparation of the main study. The cooperating institutions are: UBA, GfK, KFA, Deutscher Wetterdienst, University Bonn (Inst. f. Meteorology), Bonnenberg + Drescher GmbH, ISI (FhG Karlsruhe). (orig./HP) [de

14. Annual meeting of the European Society of Radiobiology and the symposium of the European Late Effects Project Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charles, M.W.

1979-03-01

In October 1978 the Fourteenth Annual Meeting of the European Society of Radiation Biology (ESRB) and a symposium of the European Late Effects Project Group (EULEP) were held consecutively at the Kernforchungsanlage (KFA), Julich, FDR. The EULEP meeting was convened to specifically discuss the biological basis of the recommendations of publication 26 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The programme of the ESRB Meeting also reflected the present interest in radiological protection. A short summary of these meetings is presented. Details of the two meetings are given in appendices which should form an introduction to, and resume of, recent developments in this field. (author)

A first wall material probe manipulator for the 'TEXTOR' tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marmy, P.; Stiefel, U.

1984-04-01

Textor is a technology oriented tokamak of Euratom at the Kernforschungsanlage Juelich (KFA). Switzerland participates in its experimental program within the framework of the IEA agreement on Plasma Wall Interaction. A major task of EIR consists in the layout, construction and fabrication of a manipulator for the remote handling of up to 240 specimen candidate first wall materials. This operation has to be done without breaking the ultra high vacuum (UHV) and with wall temperatures up to 300 0 C. A great number of preexperiments involving different materials had to be carried out; the understanding of the tribology in ultra high vacuum could be improved. (Auth.)

Late recurrent adrenocortical carcinoma presenting radiologically as ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A. Beltagy

2016-07-01

Jul 1, 2016 ... malignancy with an estimated incidence of 1–2 per million peo- ple [2]. There are 3 .... scopic features of a tumour composed of solid sheets of eosinophilic cells with vesicular .... World J Surg 2001;25:891–7. [14] Hermsen GC ...

Highly active antiretroviral therapy and employment status in Accra ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Demographic charac-teristics were tested as predictors of immunological response while on HAART using hierarchical linear models. Setting: Fevers Unit, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana Participants: Subjects comprised a convenience sam-ple of adult HAART patients receiving therapy for at least 9 months.

COMPARISONS OF SOXHLET EXTRACTION, PRESSURIZED LIQUID EXTRACTION, SUPERCRITICAL FLUID EXTRACTION, AND SUBCRITICAL WATER EXTRACTION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SOLIDS: RECOVERY, SELECTIVITY, AND EFFECTS ON SAMPLE MATRIX. (R825394)

Science.gov (United States)

Extractions of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil from a former manufactured gas plant site were performed with a Soxhlet apparatus (18 h), by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) (50 min at 100°C), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) (1 h at 150°...

CONSERVATISM IN A POAST-SOCIALIST COUNTRY: THE INTELLECTUAL ELITE AND THE EXTREME RIGHT IN ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentin Quintus NICOLESCU

2016-06-01

Full Text Available My paper focuses on the sensitive point of intersection between the far-right orthodox autochthonous conservative school of thought and the pluralist, European center-right Popular ideology in the case of the contemporary Romanian conservative intellectual elite. How this tension does shape the conservative discourse in contemporary Romania? This issue becomes especially relevant within the particular post-socialist political and ideological context of Romania. In the years following the 1989 Revolution, the Romanian the dominant discourse of the anticommunist intellectuals turned towards the right. Major figures, like Andrei Pleşu and Gabriel Liiceanu inspired an ideological turn towards an autochthonous conservative school of thought that originated in the 19th century and which reached a peak during the interwar period with the nationalist ideological strand that, amongst other things, inspired the far-right Legionar Movement. During that period a particular name comes to attention, that of Constantin Noica. Persecuted by the communist authorities, he managed to organize a small group of philosophers that will later be known as “the Păltiniş School”. Amongst the young people recruited were the above mentioned Pleşu and Liiceanu. After 1989 they embarked in a series of various projects that encouraged the emergence of a strong group of young right-wing orthodox conservative intellectuals currently associated with the Christian-democrat strand within the Romanian Popular movement. In order to reach my research goal, I will analyze the contemporary Romanian conservative discourse, mainly relying on published texts, interviews and opinion pieces of the most representative intellectuals of this ideological strand.

Phase diagram of a two-dimensional liquid in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs biased double quantum wells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Timofeev, V. B.; Larionov, A. V.; Alessi, M. G.

2000-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation (PLE) measurements have been performed in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs biased double quantum well heterostructures. The recombination of electrons, e, with holes, h, located in the same or in two adjacent wells, has been investigated for different exciting power...

Subjective sleepiness and sleep quality in adolescents are related to objective and subjective measures of school performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boschloo, Annemarie; Krabbendam, Lydia; Dekker, Sanne; Lee, Nikki; De Groot, Renate; Jolles, Jelle

2018-01-01

This study investigated the relation between sleep and school performance in a large sam- ple of 561 adolescents aged 11–18 years. Three subjective measures of sleep were used: sleepiness, sleep quality, and sleep duration. They were compared to three measures of school performance: objective school

Vida extraterrestre

OpenAIRE

Guerrero, Ricardo, 1943-; Berlanga Herranz, Mercedes

2012-01-01

L'univers és ple de núvols de gas, pols i matèria orgànica. Els radiotelescopis han detectat la presència d"aigua i gran varietat de molècules orgàniques, peces essencials per al meccano de la vida.

Eta-Sub-Earth Projection from Kepler Data

Science.gov (United States)

Traub, Wesley A.

2012-01-01

Outline of talk: (1) The Kepler database (2) Biases (3) The radius distribution (4) The period distribution (5) Projecting from the sam ple to the population (6) Extrapolating the period distribution (7) The Habitable Zone (8) Calculating the number of terrestrial, HZ plan ets (10) Conclusions

Characterization, dielectric and electrical behaviour of BaTiO3 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

of λ = 0⋅1542 nm, for crystal structure determination. Scherrer's equation and ... ion, releasing one molecule of propanol and one molecule of triethanolamine in .... The OH, CO2 and CO3 peaks were reduced in the sam- ple of BaTiO3 when ...

Josiah Willard Gibbs and his Ensembles

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

statistical physics, Monte. Carlo methods, molecular dynamics, radiation .... w ith elastic theories and show ed unam biguously that the em piricalphenom ena in .... the probability of H eads b e p and of T ails b e q = 1 ¡ p. T he sam ple space ...

Synthesis and characterization of thermally oxidized ZnO films

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

Synthesis and characterization of thermally oxidized ZnO films. A P RAMBU1,* and N IFTIMIE2 .... R. −. Δ. = = (1) where Ra is the sensor resistance in the air and Rg is the .... ple, Aida and coworkers (2006) reported that the total oxidation is ...

Nonlinear optical spectra having characteristics of Fano interferences in coherently coupled lowest exciton biexciton states in semiconductor quantum dots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hideki Gotoh

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Optical nonlinear effects are examined using a two-color micro-photoluminescence (micro-PL method in a coherently coupled exciton-biexciton system in a single quantum dot (QD. PL and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (PLE are employed to measure the absorption spectra of the exciton and biexciton states. PLE for Stokes and anti-Stokes PL enables us to clarify the nonlinear optical absorption properties in the lowest exciton and biexciton states. The nonlinear absorption spectra for excitons exhibit asymmetric shapes with peak and dip structures, and provide a distinct contrast to the symmetric dip structures of conventional nonlinear spectra. Theoretical analyses with a density matrix method indicate that the nonlinear spectra are caused not by a simple coherent interaction between the exciton and biexciton states but by coupling effects among exciton, biexciton and continuum states. These results indicate that Fano quantum interference effects appear in exciton-biexciton systems at QDs and offer important insights into their physics.

Pressurized liquid extracts from Spirulina platensis microalga. Determination of their antioxidant activity and preliminary analysis by micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero, Miguel; Ibáñez, Elena; Cifuentes, Alejandro; Señoráns, Javier

2004-08-27

In this work, different extracts from the microalga Spirulina platensis are obtained using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and four different solvents (hexane, light petroleum, ethanol and water). Different extraction temperatures (115 and 170 degrees C) were tested using extraction times ranging from 9 to 15 min. The antioxidant activity of the different extracts is determined by means of an in vitro assay using a free radical method. Moreover, a new and fast method is developed using micellar electrokinetic chromatography with diode array detection (MEKC-DAD) to provide a preliminary analysis on the composition of the extracts. This combined application (i.e., in vitro assays plus MEKC-DAD) allowed the fast characterization of the extracts based on their antioxidant activity and the UV-vis spectra of the different compounds found in the extracts. To our knowledge, this work shows for the first time the great possibilities of the combined use of PLE-in vitro assay-MEKC-DAD to investigate natural sources of antioxidants.

Effects of Delta-Shaped Obstacles on the Thermal Performance of Solar Air Heater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adisu Bekele

2011-01-01

Full Text Available An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the effect of delta-shaped obstacles mounted on the absorber surface of an air heater duct with an aspect ratio 6 : 1 resembling the conditions close to solar air heaters. This study encompassed the Reynolds number (Re ranging from 3400 to 27600, longitudinal pitch of the obstacle (Pl/e varied from 3/2 to 11/2, and relative obstacle height (e/H varied from 0.25 to 0.75. The relative obstacle transverse pitch (Pt/b=7/3 and the angle of attack of flow on obstacle = 90° are kept constant during the whole experimentation. By comparing the heat transfer data obtained from the obstacle-mounted duct with that of smooth duct under similar geometrical and flow conditions, the obstacle-mounted duct enhances the heat transfer by 3.6-times at Re = 7276.82, Pl/e=3/2, and e/H=0.75.

Synthesis and photoluminescence spectroscopy of BaGeF6:Mn4+ red phosphor

Science.gov (United States)

Sekiguchi, Daisuke; Adachi, Sadao

2015-04-01

We synthesized Mn4+-activated BaGeF6 red phosphor by the chemical reaction method from HF, H2SiF6, BaF2, KMnO4, and GeO2 powder. The structural and optical properties of BaGeF6:Mn4+ were investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis, secondary electron microscopy observation, electron spin resonance measurement, photoluminescence (PL), PL excitation (PLE) and Raman scattering spectroscopies, and luminescence decay time measurement. Temperature dependence of the PL intensity was measured from T = 20 to 500 K and analyzed by taking into consideration the Bose-Einstein phonon occupation number. The PLE spectra measured at T = 20 and 300 K and luminescence decay time at T = 20-460 K were also analyzed based on the Franck-Condon and conventional thermal quenching models, respectively. Comprehensive discussion was given on the Mn4+-related PL properties and Raman scattering behaviors in a family of the barium hexafluorometallate phosphors.

El portafolio electrónico como facilitador de una competencia informacional diversificada y reflexiva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barberà, Elena

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Objectiu: identificació i anàlisi de les categories sobre el coneixement implicades en l'adquisició de la competència informacional potenciades per l'ús d'un portfolio digital/PLE (e-Portfolio/PLE en un àmbit d'educació formal, especialment amb relació al desenvolupament de processos estratègics o condicionals. -- Metodologia: anàlisi qualitativa mitjançant entrevista semiestructurada i atribució de categories amb codificació interjutges i organització dels codis per representar-los quantitativament. L'entrevista es va fer a estudiants de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad Católica de Temuco, Xile, i les competències i la categorització de base utilitzada és la proposada per l'IFLA, amb alguns complements. -- Resultats: en l'educació superior es manifesta una focalització en l'ensenyament i l'aprenentatge de continguts declaratius i procedimentals lligats estretament a la matèria d'estudi, i s'obliden competències més transversals d'alt nivell cognitiu. L'ús de portfolios digitals afavoreix el desenvolupament de competències relacionades amb l'autonomia de l'estudiant. Per això s'ha analitzat la naturalesa i el volum del contingut implicat en el tractament de les competències informacionals per mitjà de l'ús de portfolios digitals/PLE i el lloc que ocupen els processos de caràcter estratègic en l'adquisició del coneixement disciplinari transversal. Ha emergit la necessitat d'ampliar el sistema de categorització de l'IFLA per tal de donar cabuda a processos de reflexió i planificació relacionats amb aquest coneixement estratègic.Objetivo: identificación y análisis de las categorías sobre el conocimiento implicadas en la adquisición de la competencia informacional potenciadas por el uso de un portafolio electrónico o PLE en un ámbito de educación formal, en especial, en relación con el desarrollo de procesos estratégicos o condicionales. -- Metodología: análisis cualitativo mediante

El portfolio digital com a facilitador d'una competència informacional diversificada i reflexiva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barberà, Elena

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Objectiu: identificació i anàlisi de les categories sobre el coneixement implicades en l'adquisició de la competència informacional potenciades per l'ús d'un portfolio digital/PLE (e-Portfolio/PLE en un àmbit d'educació formal, especialment amb relació al desenvolupament de processos estratègics o condicionals. -- Metodologia: anàlisi qualitativa mitjançant entrevista semiestructurada i atribució de categories amb codificació interjutges i organització dels codis per representar-los quantitativament. L'entrevista es va fer a estudiants de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad Católica de Temuco, Xile, i les competències i la categorització de base utilitzada és la proposada per l'IFLA, amb alguns complements. -- Resultats: en l'educació superior es manifesta una focalització en l'ensenyament i l'aprenentatge de continguts declaratius i procedimentals lligats estretament a la matèria d'estudi, i s'obliden competències més transversals d'alt nivell cognitiu. L'ús de portfolios digitals afavoreix el desenvolupament de competències relacionades amb l'autonomia de l'estudiant. Per això s'ha analitzat la naturalesa i el volum del contingut implicat en el tractament de les competències informacionals per mitjà de l'ús de portfolios digitals/PLE i el lloc que ocupen els processos de caràcter estratègic en l'adquisició del coneixement disciplinari transversal. Ha emergit la necessitat d'ampliar el sistema de categorització de l'IFLA per tal de donar cabuda a processos de reflexió i planificació relacionats amb aquest coneixement estratègic.Objetivo: identificación y análisis de las categorías sobre el conocimiento implicadas en la adquisición de la competencia informacional potenciadas por el uso de un portafolio electrónico o PLE en un ámbito de educación formal, en especial, en relación con el desarrollo de procesos estratégicos o condicionales. -- Metodología: análisis cualitativo mediante

Effect of Feedback Corrective Exercise on Knee Valgus and Electromyographic Activity of Lower Limb Muscles in Single Leg Squat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Negar Koorosh-fard

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was assessing the effect of feedback correcting exercise in front of mirror during running on frontal plane knee and pelvic kinematic and electromyography activity of some lower extremity muscles in single leg squat (SLS. Materials & Methods: This study was quasi experimental. 23 active female subjects participated in two experimental and control groups with mean age (21.86± 2.43 years .experimental group contains subjects with knee valgus and pelvic drop angle more than a mean plus one standard deviation of the population in functional SLS. Muscular activity (RMS of gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris and semitendinosus, angle of knee valgus and pelvic drop were register in end of SLS Pre and post of 8 training sessions. Comparing Variable has done with independent t statistical test between 2 groups and pair sample t test within each groups with significant level of 0.05. Results: Statistical analysis Before training showed no significant differences in pelvic drop between two groups (P&ge0.05, but knee valgus angle was significantly more than control group (P&le0.05. In spit that most muscle activities (% MVC except biceps femoris (P&le0.05, were greater in experimental group, no significant difference (P&ge0.05 has seen in two groups. Comparing pre and post test has showed no significant difference in knee valgus of experimental group, however it decreased around 2 degrees and although %MVC decreased in all muscles, just rectuse femoris has shown significant difference (P&le0.05. No significant difference has seen in control group in all variables (P&ge0.05. Conclusion: Findings showed poor neuromuscular control in experimental group which improved to some extent after training because lower muscle activity and energy consumption in specific movement with similar kinematic indicate improvement of motor control or cause learning. It seems that

Development of an analytical methodology for the determination of the antiparasitic drug toltrazuril and its two metabolites in surface water, soil and animal manure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Jesper; Björklund, Erland; Krogh, Kristine A

2012-01-01

... with an EC 50 of 3.16 mg L ‚àí1 for toltrazuril [9]. Due to toltrazurils frequent usage ... a LC-MS/MS methodology to determine toltrazuril , toltrazuril sulfoxide and toltrazuril sulfone in ... SPE), and in agricultural soil, animal manure and sediment using pressurized liquid extraction ( PLE ). ...

Radiation: The Key to Understanding the Universe

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

cas.sdss.org/dr7/en/proj/basic/ .... tation curve is shown in Figure 5 which also shows the .... away quasar at the redshift of, say, 5 would have left the ... constants like the fine structure constant. For exam- ple, the wavelengths of the lines of Fe II ...

Effects of data resolution and stream delineation threshold area on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-01-24

Jan 24, 2014 ... 1 and 2 (Figs. 4 and 5). For example, at the threshold area of. 0.25%, the difference for streams of order 1 and 2 is equal to. 12.1% and ..... For exam- ple in the ..... and Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment. CAS and.

Polyoxometalate based soft chemical route for preparation of Pt ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

2005-01-17

Jan 17, 2005 ... ple, one could control these parameters by adopting vari- ous synthetic strategies and in recent years, several approaches have been considered. Typical ones include using channels in macroporous membranes (Martin et al. 1999), mesoporous materials (Han et al 2000), carbon nanotubes (Ugarte et al ...

Introducing a Personal Learning Environment in Higher Education. An Analysis of Connectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Saz, Alexandra; Engel, Anna; Coll, César

2016-01-01

Universities have a key role to play in the progress and development of the Knowledge Society. They should lead the way in the design of teaching strategies that promote knowledge building. Personal learning environments (PLE) represent a groundbreaking new development in educational practices through the incorporation of Information and…

Manual for Courts-Martial United States 1998 Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

1998-01-01

although incapa- ble of committing the intended offense. For exam- ple, a bedridden conspirator may knowingly furnish the car to be used in a robbery...EVIDENCE App. 22, M.R.E. to the following witnesses, among others: children, persons with mental or physical disabilities, the extremely elderly , hostile