[Study protocol of a prevention of recurrent suicidal behaviour program based on case management (PSyMAC)].

Science.gov (United States)

Sáiz, Pilar A; Rodríguez-Revuelta, Julia; González-Blanco, Leticia; Burón, Patricia; Al-Halabí, Susana; Garrido, Marlen; García-Alvarez, Leticia; García-Portilla, Paz; Bobes, Julio

2014-01-01

Prevention of suicidal behaviour is a public health priority in the European Union. A previous suicide attempt is the best risk predictor for future attempts, as well as completed suicides. The primary aim of this article is to describe a controlled study protocol designed for prevention of recurrent suicidal behaviour that proposes case management, and includes a psychoeducation program, as compared with the standard intervention (PSyMAC). Patients admitted from January 2011 to June 2013 to the emergency room of the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias were evaluated using a protocol including sociodemographic, psychiatric, and psychosocial assessment. Patients were randomly assigned to either a group receiving continuous case management including participation in a psychoeducation program (experimental group), or a control group receiving standard care. The primary objective is to examine whether or not the period of time until recurrent suicidal behaviour in the experimental group is significantly different from that of the control group. PSyMAC proposes low cost and easily adaptable interventions to the usual clinical setting that can help to compensate the shortcoming of specific action protocols and suicidal behaviour prevention programs in our country. The evaluation of PSyMAC results will determine their real effectivity as a case-magament program to reduce suicidal risk. Copyright © 2013 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Suicide Risk Protocols: Addressing the Needs of High Risk Youths Identified through Suicide Prevention Efforts and in Clinical Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Heilbron, Nicole; Goldston, David; Walrath, Christine; Rodi, Michael; McKeon, Richard

2013-01-01

Several agencies have emphasized the importance of establishing clear protocols or procedures to address the needs of youths who are identified as suicidal through suicide prevention programs or in emergency department settings. What constitutes optimal guidelines for developing and implementing such protocols, however, is unclear. At the request…

Incidence of intraoperative hypothermia: adopting protocol for its prevention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Qahtani, Ali S.; Messahel, Farouk M.

2003-01-01

To determine the incidence of hypothermia during surgical procedures when adequate methods of preserving normothermia are applied .For this was a study in which patients ASA I-IV presented for surgery at the Armed Forces Hospital, Wadi Al- Dawasir, kingdom of Saudi Arabia ,during the period from July 2000 to February 2003 in whom body core temprature was between 35-37C ,were included. Ambient temperature of the operating room was thermostatically adjusted to record 26C and 24C if patents were < 10 year-old or above .Depending on type of surgery ;the patients were provided with space blankents and were lying on warm mattresses. Fluid or blood warmers and forced-air surface were used when needed for this. = Aggressive measures must be adopted to preserve normothermia as prevention of intraoperative hypothermia improves patients outcome .All patients shoud have their body temprature monitored during surgery .However application of available methods of keeping normothermia reduces the the incidence of intraoperative hypothermia but does not abolish it completely . Hypothermia patients should be closely moniterd during gradual rewarming preferably in the intensive care setting. A protocol for prevention of intraoperative hypothermia must be adopted by all operating theatres. (author)

Stress Prevention@Work: a study protocol for the evaluation of a multifaceted integral stress prevention strategy to prevent employee stress in a healthcare organization: a cluster controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoek, Rianne J A; Havermans, Bo M; Houtman, Irene L D; Brouwers, Evelien P M; Heerkens, Yvonne F; Zijlstra-Vlasveld, Moniek C; Anema, Johannes R; van der Beek, Allard J; Boot, Cécile R L

2017-07-17

Adequate implementation of work-related stress management interventions can reduce or prevent work-related stress and sick leave in organizations. We developed a multifaceted integral stress-prevention strategy for organizations from several sectors that includes a digital platform and collaborative learning network. The digital platform contains a stepwise protocol to implement work-related stress-management interventions. It includes stress screeners, interventions and intervention providers to facilitate access to and the selection of matching work-related stress-management interventions. The collaborative learning network, including stakeholders from various organizations, plans meetings focussing on an exchange of experiences and good practices among organizations for the implementation of stress prevention measures. This paper describes the design of an integral stress-prevention strategy, Stress Prevention@Work, and the protocol for the evaluation of: 1) the effects of the strategy on perceived stress and work-related outcomes, and 2) the barriers and facilitators for implementation of the strategy. The effectiveness of Stress Prevention@Work will be evaluated in a cluster controlled trial, in a large healthcare organization in the Netherlands, at six and 12 months. An independent researcher will match teams on working conditions and size and allocate the teams to the intervention or control group. Teams in the intervention group will be offered Stress Prevention@Work. For each intervention team, one employee is responsible for applying the strategy within his/her team using the digital platform and visiting the collaborative learning network. Using a waiting list design, the control group will be given access to the strategy after 12 months. The primary outcome is the employees' perceived stress measured by the stress subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Secondary outcome measures are job demands, job resources and the number

School-based intervention to prevent overweight and disordered eating in secondary school Malaysian adolescents: a study protocol

OpenAIRE

Sharif Ishak, Sharifah Intan Zainun; Chin, Yit Siew; Mohd. Taib, Mohd. Nasir; Mohd. Shariff, Zalilah

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Obesity, eating disorders and unhealthy weight-loss practices have been associated with diminished growth in adolescents worldwide. Interventions that address relevant behavioural dimensions have been lacking in Malaysia. This paper describes the protocol of an integrated health education intervention namely ‘Eat Right, Be Positive About Your Body and Live Actively’ (EPaL), a primary prevention which aimed to promote healthy lifestyle in preventing overweight and disordere...

LEACH-A: An Adaptive Method for Improving LEACH Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianli ZHAO

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Energy has become one of the most important constraints on wireless sensor networks. Hence, many researchers in this field focus on how to design a routing protocol to prolong the lifetime of the network. The classical hierarchical protocols such as LEACH and LEACH-C have better performance in saving the energy consumption. However, the choosing strategy only based on the largest residue energy or shortest distance will still consume more energy. In this paper an adaptive routing protocol named “LEACH-A” which has an energy threshold E0 is proposed. If there are cluster nodes whose residual energy are greater than E0, the node of largest residual energy is selected to communicated with the base station; When all the cluster nodes energy are less than E0, the node nearest to the base station is select to communication with the base station. Simulations show that our improved protocol LEACH-A performs better than the LEACH and the LEACH-C.

'Be active, eat right', evaluation of an overweight prevention protocol among 5-year-old children: design of a cluster randomised controlled trial

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Veldhuis Lydian

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has at least doubled in the past 25 years with a major impact on health. In 2005 a prevention protocol was developed applicable within Youth Health Care. This study aims to assess the effects of this protocol on prevalence of overweight and health behaviour among children. Methods and design A cluster randomised controlled trial is conducted among 5-year-old children included by 44 Youth Health Care teams randomised within 9 Municipal Health Services. The teams are randomly allocated to the intervention or control group. The teams measure the weight and height of all children. When a child in the intervention group is detected with overweight according to the international age and gender specific cut-off points of BMI, the prevention protocol is applied. According to this protocol parents of overweight children are invited for up to three counselling sessions during which they receive personal advice about a healthy lifestyle, and are motivated for and assisted in behavioural change. The primary outcome measures are Body Mass Index and waist circumference of the children. Parents will complete questionnaires to assess secondary outcome measures: levels of overweight inducing/reducing behaviours (i.e. being physically active, having breakfast, drinking sweet beverages and watching television/playing computer games, parenting styles, parenting practices, and attitudes of parents regarding these behaviours, health-related quality of life of the children, and possible negative side effects of the prevention protocol. Data will be collected at baseline (when the children are aged 5 years, and after 12 and 24 months of follow-up. Additionally, a process and a cost-effectiveness evaluation will be conducted. Discussion In this study called 'Be active, eat right' we evaluate an overweight prevention protocol for use in the setting of Youth Health Care. It is hypothesized that the

'Be active, eat right', evaluation of an overweight prevention protocol among 5-year-old children: design of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Veldhuis, Lydian; Struijk, Mirjam K; Kroeze, Willemieke; Oenema, Anke; Renders, Carry M; Bulk-Bunschoten, Anneke Mw; Hirasing, Remy A; Raat, Hein

2009-06-08

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has at least doubled in the past 25 years with a major impact on health. In 2005 a prevention protocol was developed applicable within Youth Health Care. This study aims to assess the effects of this protocol on prevalence of overweight and health behaviour among children. A cluster randomised controlled trial is conducted among 5-year-old children included by 44 Youth Health Care teams randomised within 9 Municipal Health Services. The teams are randomly allocated to the intervention or control group. The teams measure the weight and height of all children. When a child in the intervention group is detected with overweight according to the international age and gender specific cut-off points of BMI, the prevention protocol is applied. According to this protocol parents of overweight children are invited for up to three counselling sessions during which they receive personal advice about a healthy lifestyle, and are motivated for and assisted in behavioural change.The primary outcome measures are Body Mass Index and waist circumference of the children. Parents will complete questionnaires to assess secondary outcome measures: levels of overweight inducing/reducing behaviours (i.e. being physically active, having breakfast, drinking sweet beverages and watching television/playing computer games), parenting styles, parenting practices, and attitudes of parents regarding these behaviours, health-related quality of life of the children, and possible negative side effects of the prevention protocol. Data will be collected at baseline (when the children are aged 5 years), and after 12 and 24 months of follow-up. Additionally, a process and a cost-effectiveness evaluation will be conducted. In this study called 'Be active, eat right' we evaluate an overweight prevention protocol for use in the setting of Youth Health Care. It is hypothesized that the use of this protocol will result in a healthier lifestyle of the

Analysis of Pre-participation Screening Protocols for Football Players in Europe, USA, and Libya: Possible Implications for Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death

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Salaheddin Sharif

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in sport participants and may result from undiagnosed cardiac diseases. It has been universally agreed upon that pre-participation screening can identify those athletes at risk of sudden cardiac death, and yet, there is no commonly accepted protocol to screen athletes. Although the European Society of Cardiology (ESC and the American Heart Association (AHA recommend the routine screening of athletes to prevent sudden death, there is significant disagreement regarding the guidelines of the protocols. The American Heart Association protocol includes a detailed medical history and a physical examination, whereas the European Society of Cardiology protocol includes 12-lead electrocardiography with a detailed medical history and a physical examination. The cost benefit of using electrocardiography is debatable, particularly if the screening is used to prevent sudden death associated with uncommon diseases. The Libyan Football Federation established a new seasonal pre-competition medical assessment protocol for Libyan football athletes during the 2013-2014 season, which includes a medical history, physical examination, 12 lead electrocardiography, echocardiography, and blood test. Regardless of cost and differences in protocol, there is a significant value in pre-participation screening for athletes in order to decrease the incidence of sudden cardiac death, and this report examines some of these different protocols as well as their potential for identifying athletes at risk for sudden cardiac death.

Stress Prevention@Work: a study protocol for the evaluation of a multifaceted integral stress prevention strategy to prevent employee stress in a healthcare organization: a cluster controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rianne J. A. Hoek

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Adequate implementation of work-related stress management interventions can reduce or prevent work-related stress and sick leave in organizations. We developed a multifaceted integral stress-prevention strategy for organizations from several sectors that includes a digital platform and collaborative learning network. The digital platform contains a stepwise protocol to implement work-related stress-management interventions. It includes stress screeners, interventions and intervention providers to facilitate access to and the selection of matching work-related stress-management interventions. The collaborative learning network, including stakeholders from various organizations, plans meetings focussing on an exchange of experiences and good practices among organizations for the implementation of stress prevention measures. This paper describes the design of an integral stress-prevention strategy, Stress Prevention@Work, and the protocol for the evaluation of: 1 the effects of the strategy on perceived stress and work-related outcomes, and 2 the barriers and facilitators for implementation of the strategy. Methods The effectiveness of Stress Prevention@Work will be evaluated in a cluster controlled trial, in a large healthcare organization in the Netherlands, at six and 12 months. An independent researcher will match teams on working conditions and size and allocate the teams to the intervention or control group. Teams in the intervention group will be offered Stress Prevention@Work. For each intervention team, one employee is responsible for applying the strategy within his/her team using the digital platform and visiting the collaborative learning network. Using a waiting list design, the control group will be given access to the strategy after 12 months. The primary outcome is the employees’ perceived stress measured by the stress subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21. Secondary outcome measures

An entanglement concentration protocol for cluster states using ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Permanent link: http://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/pram/086/05/0973-0983 ... The purpose of this paper is a proposal on entanglement concentration protocol forcluster states. The protocol ... We also make a comparative numerical study of the residual entanglement left out after the execution of each step of the protocol.

Use of protocol and evaluation of postoperative residual curarization incidence in the absence of intraoperative acceleromyography - Randomized clinical trial

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Filipe Nadir Caparica Santos

Full Text Available Abstract Objective Evaluate the incidence of postoperative residual curarization (PORC in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU after the use of protocol and absence of intraoperative acceleromyography (AMG. Methods Randomized clinical trial with 122 patients allocated into two groups (protocol and control. Protocol group received initial and additional doses of rocuronium (0.6 mg·kg-1 and 10 mg, respectively; the use of rocuronium was avoided in the final 45 min; blockade reversal with neostigmine (50 µg·kg-1; time ≥15 min between reversion and extubation. Control: initial and additional doses of rocuronium, blockade reversal, neostigmine dose, and extubation time, all at the discretion of the anesthesiologist. AMG was used in the PACU and PORC considered at T4/T1 ratio <1.0. Results The incidence of PORC was lower in protocol group than in control group (25% vs. 45.2%, p = 0.02. In control group, total dose of rocuronium was higher in patients with PORC than without PORC (0.43 vs. 0.35 mg·kg-1·h-1, p = 0.03 and the time interval between the last administration of rocuronium and neostigmine was lower (75.0 vs. 101.0 min, p < 0.01. In protocol group, there was no difference regarding the analyzed parameters (with PORC vs. without PORC. Considering the entire study population and the presence or absence of PORC, total dose of rocuronium was higher in patients with PORC (0.42 vs. 0.31 mg·kg-1·h-1, p = 0.01, while the time interval between the last administration of rocuronium and neostigmine was lower (72.5 vs. 99.0 min, p ≤ 0.01. Conclusion The proposed systematization reduced PORC incidence in PACU in the absence of intraoperative AMG.

Effectiveness of muscle strengthening and description of protocols for preventing falls in the elderly: a systematic review

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Erika Y. Ishigaki

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Falls are a geriatric syndrome that is considered a significant public health problem in terms of morbidity and mortality because they lead to a decline in functional capacity and an impaired quality of life in the elderly. Lower limb muscle strengthening seems to be an effective intervention for preventing falls; however, there is no consensus regarding the best method for increasing lower limb muscle strength. Objectives: To analyze the effectiveness of lower limb muscle strengthening and to investigate and describe the protocols used for preventing falls in elderly subjects. Method: We performed a systematic review of randomized and controlled clinical trials published between 2002 and 2012 in the databases PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and PEDro that cited some type of lower limb muscle strengthening protocol and that evaluated the incidence of falls as the primary outcome exclusively in elderly subjects. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Qualitative analysis was performed by independent reviewers applying the PEDro scale. Results: The data obtained from the selected studies showed lower fall rates in the intervention groups compared to controls. Six studies described the lower limb muscle strengthening protocol in detail. High methodological quality was found in 6 studies (PEDro score ≥7/10 points. Conclusions: The methodological quality of the studies in this area appears to leave little doubt regarding the effectiveness of lower limb strengthening exercises for preventing falls in elderly subjects, however the interventions in these studies were poorly reported.

Caries risk assessment tool and prevention protocol for public health nurses in mother and child health centers, Israel.

Science.gov (United States)

Natapov, Lena; Dekel-Markovich, Dan; Granit-Palmon, Hadas; Aflalo, Efrat; Zusman, Shlomo Paul

2018-01-01

Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic disease in children. Caries risk assessment tools enable the dentists, physicians, and nondental health care providers to assess the individual's risk. Intervention by nurses in primary care settings can contribute to the establishment of oral health habits and prevention of dental disease. In Israel, Mother and Child Health Centers provide free preventive services for pregnant women and children by public health nurses. A caries prevention program in health centers started in 2015. Nurses underwent special training regarding caries prevention. A customized Caries Risk Assessment tool and Prevention Protocol for nurses, based on the AAPD tool, was introduced. A two-step evaluation was conducted which included a questionnaire and in-depth phone interviews. Twenty-eight (out of 46) health centers returned a completed questionnaire. Most nurses believed that oral health preventive services should be incorporated into their daily work. In the in-depth phone interviews, nurses stated that the integration of the program into their busy daily schedule was realistic and appropriate. The lack of specific dental module for computer program was mentioned as an implementation difficulty. The wide use of our tool by nurses supports its simplicity and feasibility which enables quick calculation and informed decision making. The nurses readily embraced the tool and it became an integral part of their toolkit. We provide public health nurses with a caries risk assessment tool and prevention protocol thus integrating oral health into general health of infants and toddlers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

'Be active, eat right', evaluation of an overweight prevention protocol among 5-year-old children: design of a cluster randomised controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veldhuis, L.; Struijk, M.K.; Kroeze, W.; Oenema, A.; Renders, C.M.; Bunschoten, A.M.W.; Hira Sing, R.A.; Raat, H.

2009-01-01

Background. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has at least doubled in the past 25 years with a major impact on health. In 2005 a prevention protocol was developed applicable within Youth Health Care. This study aims to assess the effects of this protocol on prevalence of

'Be active, eat right', evaluation of an overweight prevention protocol among 5-year-old children : Design of a cluster randomised controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L. Veldhuis (Lydian); M.K. Struijk (Mirjam); W. Kroeze (Willemieke); A. Oenema (Anke); C.M. Renders (Carry); A.M.W. Bulk-Bunschoten (Anneke); R.A. Hirasing (Remy); H. Raat (Hein)

2009-01-01

textabstractBACKGROUND: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has at least doubled in the past 25 years with a major impact on health. In 2005 a prevention protocol was developed applicable within Youth Health Care. This study aims to assess the effects of this protocol on prevalence

77 FR 24671 - Compliance Guide for Residue Prevention and Agency Testing Policy for Residues

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-25

... Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) inspection system, another important component of the NRP is to provide verification of residue control in HACCP systems. As part of the HACCP regulation... guide, and FSIS finds violative residues, the establishment's HACCP system may be inadequate under 9 CFR...

The Achilles’ heel of prevention to mother-to-child transmission of HIV: Protocol implementation, uptake, and sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Violeta J.; LaCabe, Richard P.; Privette, C. Kyle; Douglass, K. Marie; Peltzer, Karl; Matseke, Gladys; Mathebula, Audrey; Ramlagan, Shandir; Sifunda, Sibusiso; Prado, Guillermo “Willy”; Horigian, Viviana; Weiss, Stephen M.; Jones, Deborah L.

2017-01-01

Abstract The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS proposed to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV from ∼72,200 to ∼8300 newly infected children by 2015 in South Africa (SA). However, cultural, infrastructural, and socio-economic barriers hinder the implementation of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) protocol, and research on potential solutions to address these barriers in rural areas is particularly limited. This study sought to identify challenges and solutions to the implementation, uptake, and sustainability of the PMTCT protocol in rural SA. Forty-eight qualitative interviews, 12 focus groups discussions (n = 75), and one two-day workshop (n = 32 participants) were conducted with district directors, clinic leaders, staff, and patients from 12 rural clinics. The delivery and uptake of the PMTCT protocol was evaluated using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR); 15 themes associated with challenges and solutions emerged. Intervention characteristics themes included PMTCT training and HIV serostatus disclosure. Outer-setting themes included facility space, health record management, and staff shortage; inner-setting themes included supply use and availability, staff–patient relationship, and transportation and scheduling. Themes related to characteristics of individuals included staff relationships, initial antenatal care visit, adherence, and culture and stigma. Implementation process themes included patient education, test results delivery, and male involvement. Significant gaps in care were identified in rural areas. Information obtained from participants using the CFIR framework provided valuable insights into solutions to barriers to PMTCT implementation. Continuously assessing and correcting PMTCT protocol implementation, uptake and sustainability appear merited to maximize HIV prevention. PMID:28922974

The Achilles' heel of prevention to mother-to-child transmission of HIV: Protocol implementation, uptake, and sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Violeta J; LaCabe, Richard P; Privette, C Kyle; Douglass, K Marie; Peltzer, Karl; Matseke, Gladys; Mathebula, Audrey; Ramlagan, Shandir; Sifunda, Sibusiso; Prado, Guillermo Willy; Horigian, Viviana; Weiss, Stephen M; Jones, Deborah L

2017-12-01

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS proposed to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV from ∼72,200 to ∼8300 newly infected children by 2015 in South Africa (SA). However, cultural, infrastructural, and socio-economic barriers hinder the implementation of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) protocol, and research on potential solutions to address these barriers in rural areas is particularly limited. This study sought to identify challenges and solutions to the implementation, uptake, and sustainability of the PMTCT protocol in rural SA. Forty-eight qualitative interviews, 12 focus groups discussions (n = 75), and one two-day workshop (n = 32 participants) were conducted with district directors, clinic leaders, staff, and patients from 12 rural clinics. The delivery and uptake of the PMTCT protocol was evaluated using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR); 15 themes associated with challenges and solutions emerged. Intervention characteristics themes included PMTCT training and HIV serostatus disclosure. Outer-setting themes included facility space, health record management, and staff shortage; inner-setting themes included supply use and availability, staff-patient relationship, and transportation and scheduling. Themes related to characteristics of individuals included staff relationships, initial antenatal care visit, adherence, and culture and stigma. Implementation process themes included patient education, test results delivery, and male involvement. Significant gaps in care were identified in rural areas. Information obtained from participants using the CFIR framework provided valuable insights into solutions to barriers to PMTCT implementation. Continuously assessing and correcting PMTCT protocol implementation, uptake and sustainability appear merited to maximize HIV prevention.

Distribution of Estimated 10-Year Risk of Recurrent Vascular Events and Residual Risk in a Secondary Prevention Population

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaasenbrood, Lotte; Boekholdt, S. Matthijs; van der Graaf, Yolanda; Ray, Kausik K.; Peters, Ron J. G.; Kastelein, John J. P.; Amarenco, Pierre; LaRosa, John C.; Cramer, Maarten J. M.; Westerink, Jan; Kappelle, L. Jaap; de Borst, Gert J.; Visseren, Frank L. J.

2016-01-01

Among patients with clinically manifest vascular disease, the risk of recurrent vascular events is likely to vary. We assessed the distribution of estimated 10-year risk of recurrent vascular events in a secondary prevention population. We also estimated the potential risk reduction and residual

Background of the implementation of the Protocol the Convention against Torture: Monitoring places of detention and prevention of torture in Uruguay

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Álvaro Garcé García y Santos

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The ratification of the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture had for our country, the significance of an ethical and juridical commitment of giving priority to the prevention of abuses for all the people deprived from liberty who are in jails or in other places of detention, as a consequence of a judicial decision or by virtue of an administrative mandate. Among the obligations established by the said Protocol it is found the one of setting up a National Mechanism of Prevention, technically and economically independent, in charge of the systematic monitoring of the detention centers. The creation of the National Institution of Human Rights, together with the legal mandate the same bears to coordinate its duties with the pre-existing Parliamentary Commissioner, finally brings the certain possibility of fulfilling with the obligations arising from the Protocol. At the same time, the original national solution, unparalleled in the region, implies a series of juridical complexities approached in this work. The cooperation between the two State Institutions involved in the matter, so as to avoid a useless overlapping of duties, brings up a promising future in relation to the prevention of torture in Uruguay.

Financial incentive policies at workplace cafeterias for preventing obesity--a systematic review and meta-analysis (Protocol).

Science.gov (United States)

Sawada, Kimi; Ota, Erika; Shahrook, Sadequa; Mori, Rintaro

2014-10-28

Various studies are currently investigating ways to prevent lifestyle-related diseases and obesity among workers through interventions using incentive strategies, including price discounts for low-fat snacks and sugar-free beverages at workplace cafeterias or vending machines, and the provision of a free salad bar in cafeterias. Rather than assessing individual or group interventions, we will focus on the effectiveness of nutrition education programs at the population level, which primarily incorporate financial incentive strategies to prevent obesity. This paper describes the protocol of a systematic review that will examine the effectiveness of financial incentive programs at company cafeterias in improving dietary habits, nutrient intake, and obesity prevention. We will conduct searches in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO. Interventions will be assessed using data from randomized control trials (RCTs) and cluster RCTs. However, if few such trials exist, we will include quasi-RCTs. We will exclude controlled before-and-after studies and crossover RCTs. We will assess food-based interventions that include financial incentive strategies (discount strategies or social marketing) for workplace cafeterias, vending machines, and kiosks. Two authors will independently review studies for inclusion and will resolve differences by discussion and, if required, through consultation with a third author. We will assess the risk of bias of included studies according to the Cochrane Collaboration's "risk of bias" tool. The purpose of this paper is to outline the study protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis that will investigate the effectiveness of population-level, incentive-focused interventions at the workplace cafeteria that aim to promote and prevent obesity. This review will give an important overview of the available evidence about the effectiveness of incentive-based environmental interventions to

Evaluation of image-guidance protocols in the treatment of head and neck cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeidan, Omar A.; Langen, Katja M.; Meeks, Sanford L.; Manon, Rafael R.; Wagner, Thomas H.; Willoughby, Twyla R.; Jenkins, D. Wayne; Kupelian, Patrick A.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the residual setup error of different image-guidance (IG) protocols in the alignment of patients with head and neck cancer. The protocols differ in the percentage of treatment fractions that are associated with image guidance. Using data from patients who were treated with daily IG, the residual setup errors for several different protocols are retrospectively calculated. Methods and Materials: Alignment data from 24 patients (802 fractions) treated with daily IG on a helical tomotherapy unit were analyzed. The difference between the daily setup correction and the setup correction that would have been made according to a specific protocol was used to calculate the residual setup errors for each protocol. Results: The different protocols are generally effective in reducing systematic setup errors. Random setup errors are generally not reduced for fractions that are not image guided. As a consequence, if every other treatment is image guided, still about 11% of all treatments (IG and not IG) are subject to three-dimensional setup errors of at least 5 mm. This frequency increases to about 29% if setup errors >3 mm are scored. For various protocols that require 15% to 31% of the treatments to be image guided, from 50% to 60% and from 26% to 31% of all fractions are subject to setup errors >3 mm and >5 mm, respectively. Conclusion: Residual setup errors reduce with increasing frequency of IG during the course of external-beam radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer patients. The inability to reduce random setup errors for fractions that are not image guided results in notable residual setup errors

Behavioral counseling to prevent childhood obesity – study protocol of a pragmatic trial in maternity and child health care

OpenAIRE

Mustila, Taina; Keskinen, Päivi; Luoto, Riitta

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Prevention is considered effective in combating the obesity epidemic. Prenatal environment may increase offspring's risk for obesity. A child starts to adopt food preferences and other behavioral habits affecting weight gain during preschool years. We report the study protocol of a pragmatic lifestyle intervention aiming at primary prevention of childhood obesity. Methods/Design A non-randomized controlled pragmatic trial in maternity and child health care clinics. The con...

An Energy Balanced and Lifetime Extended Routing Protocol for Underwater Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Wang, Shilian; Zhang, Eryang; Lu, Luxi

2018-05-17

Energy limitation is an adverse problem in designing routing protocols for underwater sensor networks (UWSNs). To prolong the network lifetime with limited battery power, an energy balanced and efficient routing protocol, called energy balanced and lifetime extended routing protocol (EBLE), is proposed in this paper. The proposed EBLE not only balances traffic loads according to the residual energy, but also optimizes data transmissions by selecting low-cost paths. Two phases are operated in the EBLE data transmission process: (1) candidate forwarding set selection phase and (2) data transmission phase. In candidate forwarding set selection phase, nodes update candidate forwarding nodes by broadcasting the position and residual energy level information. The cost value of available nodes is calculated and stored in each sensor node. Then in data transmission phase, high residual energy and relatively low-cost paths are selected based on the cost function and residual energy level information. We also introduce detailed analysis of optimal energy consumption in UWSNs. Numerical simulation results on a variety of node distributions and data load distributions prove that EBLE outperforms other routing protocols (BTM, BEAR and direct transmission) in terms of network lifetime and energy efficiency.

Improving Neuromuscular Monitoring and Reducing Residual Neuromuscular Blockade With E-Learning: Protocol for the Multicenter Interrupted Time Series INVERT Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomsen, Jakob Louis Demant; Mathiesen, Ole; Hägi-Pedersen, Daniel; Skovgaard, Lene Theil; Østergaard, Doris; Engbaek, Jens; Gätke, Mona Ring

2017-10-06

Muscle relaxants facilitate endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia and improve surgical conditions. Residual neuromuscular blockade occurs when the patient is still partially paralyzed when awakened after surgery. The condition is associated with subjective discomfort and an increased risk of respiratory complications. Use of an objective neuromuscular monitoring device may prevent residual block. Despite this, many anesthetists refrain from using the device. Efforts to increase the use of objective monitoring are time consuming and require the presence of expert personnel. A neuromuscular monitoring e-learning module might support consistent use of neuromuscular monitoring devices. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of a neuromuscular monitoring e-learning module on anesthesia staff's use of objective neuromuscular monitoring and the incidence of residual neuromuscular blockade in surgical patients at 6 Danish teaching hospitals. In this interrupted time series study, we are collecting data repeatedly, in consecutive 3-week periods, before and after the intervention, and we will analyze the effect using segmented regression analysis. Anesthesia departments in the Zealand Region of Denmark are included, and data from all patients receiving a muscle relaxant are collected from the anesthesia information management system MetaVision. We will assess the effect of the module on all levels of potential effect: staff's knowledge and skills, patient care practice, and patient outcomes. The primary outcome is use of neuromuscular monitoring in patients according to the type of muscle relaxant received. Secondary outcomes include last recorded train-of-four value, administration of reversal agents, and time to discharge from the postanesthesia care unit as well as a multiple-choice test to assess knowledge. The e-learning module was developed based on a needs assessment process, including focus group interviews, surveys, and expert opinions. The e

Surgical treatment for residual or recurrent strabismus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Wang

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Although the surgical treatment is a relatively effective and predictable method for correcting residual or recurrent strabismus, such as posterior fixation sutures, medial rectus marginal myotomy, unilateral or bilateral rectus re-recession and resection, unilateral lateral rectus recession and adjustable suture, no standard protocol is established for the surgical style. Different surgical approaches have been recommended for correcting residual or recurrent strabismus. The choice of the surgical procedure depends on the former operation pattern and the surgical dosages applied on the patients, residual or recurrent angle of deviation and the operator''s preference and experience. This review attempts to outline recent publications and current opinion in the management of residual or recurrent esotropia and exotropia.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of advice, exercise or multifactorial assessment to prevent falls and fractures in community-dwelling older adults: protocol for the prevention of falls injury trial (PreFIT).

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, Julie; Lall, Ranjit; Withers, Emma J; Finnegan, Susanne; Underwood, Martin; Hulme, Claire; Sheridan, Ray; Skelton, Dawn A; Martin, Finbarr; Lamb, Sarah E

2016-01-18

Falls are the leading cause of accident-related mortality in older adults. Injurious falls are associated with functional decline, disability, healthcare utilisation and significant National Health Service (NHS)-related costs. The evidence base for multifactorial or exercise interventions reducing fractures in the general population is weak. This protocol describes a large-scale UK trial investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of alternative falls prevention interventions targeted at community dwelling older adults. A three-arm, pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial, conducted within primary care in England, UK. Sixty-three general practices will be randomised to deliver one of three falls prevention interventions: (1) advice only; (2) advice with exercise; or (3) advice with multifactorial falls prevention (MFFP). We aim to recruit over 9000 community-dwelling adults aged 70 and above. Practices randomised to deliver advice will mail out advice booklets. Practices randomised to deliver 'active' interventions, either exercise or MFFP, send all trial participants the advice booklet and a screening survey to identify participants with a history of falling or balance problems. Onward referral to 'active' intervention will be based on falls risk determined from balance screen. The primary outcome is peripheral fracture; secondary outcomes include number with at least one fracture, falls, mortality, quality of life and health service resource use at 18 months, captured using self-report and routine healthcare activity data. The study protocol has approval from the National Research Ethics Service (REC reference 10/H0401/36; Protocol V.3.1, 21/May/2013). User groups and patient representatives were consulted to inform trial design. Results will be reported at conferences and in peer-reviewed publications. A patient-friendly summary of trial findings will be published on the prevention of falls injury trial (PreFIT) website. This protocol adheres to the

Minimal intervention dentistry: part 3. Paediatric dental care--prevention and management protocols using caries risk assessment for infants and young children.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos-Gomez, F J; Crystal, Y O; Domejean, S; Featherstone, J D B

2012-11-01

Recent increases in caries prevalence in young children throughout the world highlight the need for a simple but effective infant oral care programme. This programme needs to include a medical disease prevention management model with an early establishment of a dental home and a treatment approach based on individual patient risk. This article presents an updated approach with practical forms and tools based on the principles of caries management by risk assessment, CAMBRA. This method will aid the general practitioner to develop and maintain a comprehensive protocol adequate for infant and young children oral care visits. Perinatal oral health is vitally important in preventing early childhood caries (ECC) in young children. Providing dental treatment to expectant mothers and their young children in a 'dual parallel track' is an effective innovative strategy and an efficient practice builder. It promotes prevention rather than intervention, and this may be the best way to achieve long-lasting oral health for young patients. General dental practice can adopt easy protocols that will promote early preventive visits and anticipatory guidance/counselling rather than waiting for the need for restorative treatment.

J-UNIO protocol used for NMR structure determination of the 206-residue protein NP-346487.1 from Streptococcus pneumoniae TIGR4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaudzems, Kristaps [Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (Latvia); Pedrini, Bill [Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), SwissFEL Project (Switzerland); Geralt, Michael; Serrano, Pedro; Wüthrich, Kurt, E-mail: wuthrich@scripps.edu [The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology (United States)

2015-01-15

The NMR structure of the 206-residue protein NP-346487.1 was determined with the J-UNIO protocol, which includes extensive automation of the structure determination. With input from three APSY-NMR experiments, UNIO-MATCH automatically yielded 77 % of the backbone assignments, which were interactively validated and extended to 97 %. With an input of the near-complete backbone assignments and three 3D heteronuclear-resolved [{sup 1}H,{sup 1}H]-NOESY spectra, automated side chain assignment with UNIO-ATNOS/ASCAN resulted in 77 % of the expected assignments, which was extended interactively to about 90 %. Automated NOE assignment and structure calculation with UNIO-ATNOS/CANDID in combination with CYANA was used for the structure determination of this two-domain protein. The individual domains in the NMR structure coincide closely with the crystal structure, and the NMR studies further imply that the two domains undergo restricted hinge motions relative to each other in solution. NP-346487.1 is so far the largest polypeptide chain to which the J-UNIO structure determination protocol has successfully been applied.

Establishing treatment protocols for clinical mastitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberson, Jerry R

2003-03-01

Each farm has a unique mix of mastitis pathogens and management procedures that have evolved over time. The herd veterinarian should work with the manager/owner to systematically develop treatment protocols that meet the needs and management of the farm. To establish a mastitis treatment protocol, it is necessary to develop a system to routinely identify clinical mastitis cases, develop a herd-specific severity level assessment system, manage the clinical mastitis cases based on severity level and culture result (when available), avoid antibiotic residues, and monitor the success of the system and alter the protocol as necessary.

Study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a comprehensive pressure ulcer prevention programme for private for-profit nursing homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwong, Enid Wai-yung; Lee, Paul Hong; Yeung, Kwan-mo

2016-01-18

Because the demand for government-subsidized nursing homes in Hong Kong outstrips the supply, the number of for-profit private nursing homes has been increasing rapidly. However, the standard of care in such homes is always criticized. Pressure ulcers are a major long-term care issue that is closely associated with the quality of care delivered in nursing home settings. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a pressure ulcer prevention programme for residents in private for-profit nursing homes. This is a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial with an estimated sample size of 1088 residents and 74 care staff from eight for-profit private nursing homes. Eligible nursing homes will be those classified as category A2 homes in the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme (EBPS), having a capacity of around 130-150 beds, and no structured PU prevention protocol and/or programmes in place. Care staff will be health workers, personal care workers, and nurses who are front-line staff providing direct care to residents. Eight nursing homes will be randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group will be provided with an intensive training programme and will be involved in the implementation of a 16-week pressure ulcer prevention protocol, while the control group will deliver the usual pressure ulcer prevention care. The study outcomes are the pressure ulcer prevention knowledge and skills of the care staff and the prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers. Data on the knowledge and skills of care staff, and prevalence of pressure ulcer will be collected at the base line, and then at the 8(th) week and at completion of the implementation of the protocol. The assessment of the incidence of pressures will start from before the commencement of the intensive training course to the end of the implementation of the protocol. In view of the negative impact of pressure ulcers, it is important to have an effective and evidence

Project of law authorizing the adhesion to the protocol of 1997 modifying the international convention of 1973 for the prevention of the pollution by ships, such as modified by the related protocol of 1978; Projet de loi autorisant l'adhesion au protocole de 1997 modifiant la convention internationale de 1973 pour la prevention de la pollution par les navires, telle que modifiee par le protocole de 1978 y relatif

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-04-01

The first international agreement of May 12, 1954, for the protection of the marine and coastal environments against pollution was replaced on November 2, 1973 by a more detailed convention for the prevention of the pollution by ships. The 25 rules defined in the appendix 1 of this last document were modified and completed by the protocol of February 17, 1978. To make this system even more constraining for the atmospheric pollution, a diplomatic conference took place in September 1997 at the head office of the international maritime organization in London (UK). This conference has adopted a protocol which introduced a new appendix no. 6 in the text of the 1973 convention for the abatement of the emissions of sulfur compounds and other polluting combustion products in case of oil-tank burning. This document is a project of law authorizing the adhesion of France to the protocol of 1997. It summarizes the main content of the articles of this protocol, and in particular the rules introduced in the new appendix. The full text of the protocol and of its appendixes are also attached. (J.S.)

Effect of Fatigue Protocols on Lower Limb Neuromuscular Function and Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention Training: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Barber-Westin, Sue D; Noyes, Frank R

2017-12-01

Approximately two-thirds of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are sustained during noncontact situations when an athlete is cutting, pivoting, decelerating, or landing from a jump. Some investigators have postulated that fatigue may result in deleterious alterations in lower limb biomechanics during these activities that could increase the risk of noncontact ACL injuries. However, prior studies have noted a wide variation in fatigue protocols, athletic tasks studied, and effects of fatigue on lower limb kinetics and kinematics. First, to determine if fatigue uniformly alters lower limb biomechanics during athletic tasks that are associated with noncontact ACL injuries. Second, to determine if changes should be made in ACL injury prevention training programs to alter the deleterious effects of fatigue on lower limb kinetics and kinematics. Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. A systematic review of the literature using MEDLINE was performed. Key terms were fatigue, neuromuscular, exercise, hop test, and single-legged function tests. Inclusion criteria were original research studies involving healthy participants, use of a fatigue protocol, study of at least 1 lower limb task that involved landing from a hop or jump or cutting, and analysis of at least 1 biomechanical variable. Thirty-seven studies involving 806 athletes (485 female, 321 male; mean age, 22.7 years) met the inclusion criteria. General fatigue protocols were used in 20 investigations, peripheral protocols were used in 17 studies, and 21 different athletic tasks were studied (13 single-legged, 8 double-legged). There was no consistency among investigations regarding the effects of fatigue on hip, knee, or ankle joint angles and moments or surface electromyography muscle activation patterns. The fatigue protocols typically did not produce statistically significant changes in ground-reaction forces. Published fatigue protocols did not uniformly produce alterations in lower limb neuromuscular

Compliance with the national palestinian infection prevention and control protocol at governmental paediatric hospitals in gaza governorates.

Science.gov (United States)

Eljedi, Ashraf; Dalo, Shareef

2014-08-01

Nosocomial infections are a significant burden for both patients and the healthcare system. For this reason, infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are extremely important. The Palestinian Ministry of Health adopted the national IPC Protocol in 2004. This study aimed to assess the compliance of healthcare providers (HCPs) with the Protocol in three governmental paediatric hospitals in Gaza governorates. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to November 2010. Data were collected from a sample of doctors, nurses and physiotherapists (N = 334) using a self-administered questionnaire and observation checklists to record HCP practices and assess the hospital environment. The response rate was 92%. The most important reasons for non-compliance with the IPC Protocol were the absence of an education programme (61.5%), lack of knowledge (52.4%) and the scarcity of required supplies (46.9%). Only 2.3% of respondents had a copy of the IPC Protocol, while 65.8% did not know of its existence. Only 16.9% had participated in training sessions regarding general IPC practices. The observation checklist regarding HCP practices revealed low levels of compliance in hand washing (45.9%), wearing gloves (40.7%) and using antiseptics/disinfectants (49.16%). The health facilities checklist indicated that there was a lack of certain essential equipment and materials, such as covered waste containers and heavy-duty gloves. Due to the lack of HPC knowledge, the authors recommend that the IPC Protocol be made available in all hospitals. In addition, a qualified team should implement intensive IPC education and training programmes and facilities should provide the required equipment and materials.

Policies and protocols for preventing transmission of HIV infection in oral health care in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogunbodede, E O; Rudolph, M J

2002-12-01

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection constitutes an unparalleled public health challenge. The unique nature of most oral health procedures, instrumentation and patient-care settings requires specific strategies and protocols aimed at preventing the transmission of HIV/AIDS between oral health care providers and patients, as well as between patients themselves. The present study investigated the level of information and training about protocols and policies for preventing the transmission of HIV/AIDS in oral health care settings in South Africa. The data collection techniques utilised available information, in-depth interviews and an open-ended questionnaire. The respondents were 20 purposively selected key informants who were senior officers for HIV/AIDS programmes and/or oral health organisations. Sixteen (80%) of the respondents reported that there were no existing oral health policies on HIV/AIDS in their health care institutions or organisations. None of the interviewees knew of any specific protocols on HIV/AIDS in the oral health care setting that emanated from South Africa. In addition, none of the dental professional associations had established an infection control committee or a support system for members who might become infected with HIV and develop AIDS. Territorial boundaries existed between sectors within the medical disciplines, as well as between the medical and oral health disciplines. Numerous general impediments were identified, such as prejudice, denial and fear, inadequate training and/or information about the infection, lack of representation and resources for policy planning, a lack of interest from the business sector, and approaching HIV/AIDS in the workplace as a 'one-time issue' Other obstacles identified included unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, disempowerment of women and inadequate communication of policies to service providers. Additional issues raised included the migrant labour systeM, complexities of language and culture

Exploring facilitating factors and barriers to the nationwide dissemination of a Dutch school-based obesity prevention program "DOiT": a study protocol

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Nassau, F.; Singh, A.S.; van Mechelen, W.; Paulussen, T.G.; Brug, J.; Chinapaw, M.J.

2013-01-01

Background: The evidence-based Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT) program is a school-based obesity prevention program for 12 to 14-year olds attending the first two years of prevocational education. This paper describes the study protocol applied to evaluate (a) the nationwide

Nonblocking and orphan free message logging protocols

Science.gov (United States)

Alvisi, Lorenzo; Hoppe, Bruce; Marzullo, Keith

1992-12-01

Currently existing message logging protocols demonstrate a classic pessimistic vs. optimistic tradeoff. We show that the optimistic-pessimistic tradeoff is not inherent to the problem of message logging. We construct a message-logging protocol that has the positive features of both optimistic and pessimistic protocol: our protocol prevents orphans and allows simple failure recovery; however, it requires no blocking in failure-free runs. Furthermore, this protocol does not introduce any additional message overhead as compared to one implemented for a system in which messages may be lost but processes do not crash.

[Multicenter survey on ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention in intensive care].

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, M-O; Garreau, N; Jarno, P; Villers, D; Dufour Trivini, M; Gérard, J-L; Fellahi, J-L; Hanouz, J-L; Parienti, J-J

2013-12-01

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common hospital-acquired infection in intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of the study was to evaluate the follow-up of the guidelines for VAP prevention. Retrospective, observational and multicenter study. During one year, all patients with mechanical ventilation over 48 hours were included in the CCLIN-Ouest Network. The demographic characteristics of the patients, the use of specific protocol for VAP prevention and the density of incidence of VAP were recorded. The use of a protocol for preventing VAP (absence, incomplete, complete and care bundle (i.e. complete prevention of VAP with weaning mechanical protocol and sedation protocol)) was collected. 26 ICU with 5742 patients were included. Ten ICU (38%; 2595 patients) had no protocol for VAP prevention, eight ICU (31%; 1821 patients) had an incomplete protocol, five ICU (19%; 561 patients) had a complete protocol and three ICU (12%; 765 patients) had a care bundle. The density of incidence of VAP was 14.8‰ (Interquartile range [IQR]: 10.2-0.1) for no protocol group, 15.6‰ [IQR: 12.6-6.2] for incomplete protocol group, 11.0‰ [IQR: 9.1-14.0] for complete protocol group and 12.9‰ [5-7,7-9,9-12] for care bundle group (P=0.742). The compliance to prevention of VAP was poor. Proposals for improving practice are discussed. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Welding residual stress improvement in internal components by water jet peening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enomoto, K.; Hirano, K.; Hayashi, M.; Hayashi, E.

1996-01-01

Cavitations are generated when highly pressurized water is jetted in water. Surface residual stress is improved remarkably due to the peening effect of extremely high pressure caused by the collapse of cavitation bubbles. This technique is called water jet peening (WJP). WJP is expected to be an effective maintenance technique for the prevention of stress corrosion cracking caused by residual stress in various components of power generating plants. Various kinds of specimens were water jet peened to evaluate the fundamental characteristics of WJP and to select the most appropriate conditions for the residual stress improvement. Test results showed that WJP markedly improved the tensile residual stress caused by welding and grinding to the high compressive residual stress and seems to prevent the stress corrosion cracking

Intelligent Cooperative MAC Protocol for Balancing Energy Consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, S.; Liu, K.; Huang, B.; Liu, F.

To extend the lifetime of wireless sensor networks, we proposed an intelligent balanced energy consumption cooperative MAC protocol (IBEC-CMAC) based on the multi-node cooperative transmission model. The protocol has priority to access high-quality channels for reducing energy consumption of each transmission. It can also balance the energy consumption among cooperative nodes by using high residual energy nodes instead of excessively consuming some node's energy. Simulation results show that IBEC-CMAC can obtain longer network lifetime and higher energy utilization than direct transmission.

Detecting organic gunpowder residues from handgun use

Science.gov (United States)

MacCrehan, William A.; Ricketts, K. Michelle; Baltzersen, Richard A.; Rowe, Walter F.

1999-02-01

The gunpowder residues that remain after the use of handguns or improvised explosive devices pose a challenge for the forensic investigator. Can these residues be reliably linked to a specific gunpowder or ammunition? We investigated the possibility by recovering and measuring the composition of organic additives in smokeless powder and its post-firing residues. By determining gunpowder additives such as nitroglycerin, dinitrotoluene, ethyl- and methylcentralite, and diphenylamine, we hope to identify the type of gunpowder in the residues and perhaps to provide evidence of a match to a sample of unfired powder. The gunpowder additives were extracted using an automated technique, pressurized fluid extraction (PFE). The conditions for the quantitative extraction of the additives using neat and solvent-modified supercritical carbon dioxide were investigated. All of the major gunpowder additives can be determined with baseline resolution using capillary electrophoresis (CE) with a micellar agent and UV absorbance detection. A study of candidate internal standards for use in the CE method is also presented. The PFE/CE technique is used to evaluate a new residue sampling protocol--asking shooters to blow their noses. In addition, an initial investigation of the compositional differences among unfired and post-fired .22 handgun residues is presented.

Mobile Health Technology Interventions for Suicide Prevention: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Melia, Ruth; Francis, Kady; Duggan, Jim; Bogue, John; O'Sullivan, Mary; Chambers, Derek; Young, Karen

2018-01-26

Previous research has reported that two of the major barriers to help-seeking for individuals at risk of suicide are stigma and geographical isolation. Mobile technology offers a potential means of delivering evidence-based interventions with greater specificity to the individual, and at the time that it is needed. Despite documented motivation by at-risk individuals to use mobile technology to track mental health and to support psychological interventions, there is a shortfall of outcomes data on the efficacy of mobile health (mHealth) technology on suicide-specific outcomes. The objective of this study is to develop a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile technology-based interventions for suicide prevention. The search includes the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL: The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CRESP and relevant sources of gray literature. Studies that have evaluated psychological or nonpsychological interventions delivered via mobile computing and communication technology, and have suicidality as an outcome measure will be included. Two authors will independently extract data and assess the study suitability in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool. Studies will be included if they measure at least one suicide outcome variable (ie, suicidal ideation, suicidal intent, nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior, suicidal behavior). Secondary outcomes will be measures of symptoms of depression. Where studies are sufficiently homogenous and reported outcomes are amenable for pooled synthesis, meta-analysis will be performed. A narrative synthesis will be conducted if the data is unsuitable for a meta-analysis. The review is in progress, with findings expected by summer 2018. To date, evaluations of mobile technology-based interventions in suicide prevention have focused on evaluating content as opposed to efficacy. Indeed, previous research has

An iPTH based protocol for the prevention and treatment of symptomatic hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Yvette; Chen, Herbert; Sippel, Rebecca S.

2013-01-01

Background Symptomatic hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy is a barrier to same day surgery, and the cause of ER visits. A standard protocol of calcium and vitamin D supplementation, dependent on intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels, can address this issue. How effective is it? When does it fail? Methods We performed a retrospective review of the prospective Thyroid Database from January 2006 to December 2010. 620 patients underwent completion (CT) or total thyroidectomy (TT), and followed our post-operative protocol of calcium carbonate administration for iPTH levels ≥10pg/ml and calcium carbonate and 0.25μg calcitriol BID for iPTH hypocalcemia. The symptomatic (SX) and asymptomatic (ASX) groups were similar with regard to gender, cancer diagnosis, and pre-operative calcium and iPTH. The symptomatic group was significantly younger (39.6 ± 2.8 vs. 49 ± 0.6 years, p=0.01), with lower post-operative iPTH levels. 33% (n=8) of SX patients had an iPTH ≤5 pg/ml vs. only 6% (n=37) of ASX patients. While the majority of patients with a PTH hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy. An iPTH ≤ 5pg/ml may warrant higher initial doses of calcitriol in order to prevent symptoms. PMID:24144426

A Power-Optimized Cooperative MAC Protocol for Lifetime Extension in Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kai; Wu, Shan; Huang, Bo; Liu, Feng; Xu, Zhen

2016-10-01

In wireless sensor networks, in order to satisfy the requirement of long working time of energy-limited nodes, we need to design an energy-efficient and lifetime-extended medium access control (MAC) protocol. In this paper, a node cooperation mechanism that one or multiple nodes with higher channel gain and sufficient residual energy help a sender relay its data packets to its recipient is employed to achieve this objective. We first propose a transmission power optimization algorithm to prolong network lifetime by optimizing the transmission powers of the sender and its cooperative nodes to maximize their minimum residual energy after their data packet transmissions. Based on it, we propose a corresponding power-optimized cooperative MAC protocol. A cooperative node contention mechanism is designed to ensure that the sender can effectively select a group of cooperative nodes with the lowest energy consumption and the best channel quality for cooperative transmissions, thus further improving the energy efficiency. Simulation results show that compared to typical MAC protocol with direct transmissions and energy-efficient cooperative MAC protocol, the proposed cooperative MAC protocol can efficiently improve the energy efficiency and extend the network lifetime.

Clinical Trials Management | Division of Cancer Prevention

Science.gov (United States)

Information for researchers about developing, reporting, and managing NCI-funded cancer prevention clinical trials. Protocol Information Office The central clearinghouse for clinical trials management within the Division of Cancer Prevention.Read more about the Protocol Information Office. | Information for researchers about developing, reporting, and managing NCI-funded

WHY DO YOU NEED TO USE A CARIES RISK ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL TO PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE CARIES PREVENTIVE REGIME?

Science.gov (United States)

Afuakwah, Charles; Welbury, Richard

2015-11-01

Clinical guidelines recommend an individual is given a caries risk status based on analysis of defined clinical and social criteria before implementing a tailored preventive plan. Improve documentation of caries risk assessment (CRA) in a general dental practice setting, using a systems-based approach to quality improvement methods. Investigate the impact of quality improvement efforts on subsequent design and delivery of preventive care. Identify barriers to delivery of CRA and provision of preventive care. Data for patients aged 0-16 years was collected over two cycles using standard audit methodology. The first cycle was a retrospective analysis (n = 400) using random sampling. The second cycle a prospective analysis (n = 513) using consecutive sampling over a 15-week period. Five staff meetings with feedback occurred between cycles. In cycle one, no specific CRA system was identified. CRA status was not stated widely, risk factors were not analysed and there was variation with respect to the prescription and delivery of preventive strategies. These discrepancies were demonstrable for all four participating dentists and at all ages. In cycle two, 100% recorded CRA. All risk factors were analysed and individual caries risk was correctly annotated. There was 100% compliance with the protocol for preventive plans. The use of CRA improved documentation of caries risk status. This has improved subsequent prescription of age specific evidence-based preventive care appropriate to the risk status of that individual. Barriers were identified to the delivery of CRA and the provision of comprehensive preventive care by the dentists and other healthcare professionals.

Marine Pollution Prevention Act

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Marine Pollution Prevention Act of 2008 implements the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, including related Protocols (MARPOL)...

Vaccines for preventing hepatitis B in healthcare workers (an updated protocol)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borch, Anders; Kolster, Chastine; Gluud, Christian

2017-01-01

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of hepatitis B vaccines in healthcare workers.......This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of hepatitis B vaccines in healthcare workers....

Using cotton plant residue to produce briquettes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coates, W. [University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States). Bioresources Research Facility

2000-07-01

In Arizona, cotton (Gossypium) plant residue left in the field following harvest must be buried to prevent it from serving as an overwintering site for insects such as the pink bollworm. Most tillage operations employed to incorporate the residue into the soil are energy intensive and often degrade soil structure. Trials showed that cotton plant residue could be incorporated with pecan shells to produce commercially acceptable briquettes. Pecan shell briquettes containing cotton residue rather than waste paper were slightly less durable, when made using equivalent weight mixtures and moisture contents. Proximate and ultimate analyses showed the only difference among briquette samples to be a higher ash content in those made using cotton plant residue. Briquettes made with paper demonstrated longer flame out time, and lower ash percentage, compared to those made with cotton plant residue. (author)

A web-based computer-tailored smoking prevention programme for primary school children: intervention design and study protocol

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Although the number of smokers has declined in the last decade, smoking is still a major health problem among youngsters and adolescents. For this reason, there is a need for effective smoking prevention programmes targeting primary school children. A web-based computer-tailored feedback programme may be an effective intervention to stimulate youngsters not to start smoking, and increase their knowledge about the adverse effects of smoking and their attitudes and self-efficacy regarding non-smoking. Methods & design This paper describes the development and evaluation protocol of a web-based out-of-school smoking prevention programme for primary school children (age 10-13 years) entitled ‘Fun without Smokes’. It is a transformation of a postal mailed intervention to a web-based intervention. Besides this transformation the effects of prompts will be examined. This web-based intervention will be evaluated in a 2-year cluster randomised controlled trial (c-RCT) with three study arms. An intervention and intervention + prompt condition will be evaluated for effects on smoking behaviour, compared with a no information control condition. Information about pupils’ smoking status and other factors related to smoking will be obtained using a web-based questionnaire. After completing the questionnaire pupils in both intervention conditions will receive three computer-tailored feedback letters in their personal e-mail box. Attitudes, social influences and self-efficacy expectations will be the content of these personalised feedback letters. Pupils in the intervention + prompt condition will - in addition to the personalised feedback letters - receive e-mail and SMS messages prompting them to revisit the ‘Fun without Smokes’ website. The main outcome measures will be ever smoking and the utilisation of the ‘Fun without Smokes’ website. Measurements will be carried out at baseline, 12 months and 24 months of follow-up. Discussion The present study

A web-based computer-tailored smoking prevention programme for primary school children: intervention design and study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cremers Henricus-Paul

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although the number of smokers has declined in the last decade, smoking is still a major health problem among youngsters and adolescents. For this reason, there is a need for effective smoking prevention programmes targeting primary school children. A web-based computer-tailored feedback programme may be an effective intervention to stimulate youngsters not to start smoking, and increase their knowledge about the adverse effects of smoking and their attitudes and self-efficacy regarding non-smoking. Methods & design This paper describes the development and evaluation protocol of a web-based out-of-school smoking prevention programme for primary school children (age 10-13 years entitled ‘Fun without Smokes’. It is a transformation of a postal mailed intervention to a web-based intervention. Besides this transformation the effects of prompts will be examined. This web-based intervention will be evaluated in a 2-year cluster randomised controlled trial (c-RCT with three study arms. An intervention and intervention + prompt condition will be evaluated for effects on smoking behaviour, compared with a no information control condition. Information about pupils’ smoking status and other factors related to smoking will be obtained using a web-based questionnaire. After completing the questionnaire pupils in both intervention conditions will receive three computer-tailored feedback letters in their personal e-mail box. Attitudes, social influences and self-efficacy expectations will be the content of these personalised feedback letters. Pupils in the intervention + prompt condition will - in addition to the personalised feedback letters - receive e-mail and SMS messages prompting them to revisit the ‘Fun without Smokes’ website. The main outcome measures will be ever smoking and the utilisation of the ‘Fun without Smokes’ website. Measurements will be carried out at baseline, 12 months and 24 months of follow

Single-cell qPCR on dispersed primary pituitary cells -an optimized protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haug Trude M

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The incidence of false positives is a potential problem in single-cell PCR experiments. This paper describes an optimized protocol for single-cell qPCR measurements in primary pituitary cell cultures following patch-clamp recordings. Two different cell harvesting methods were assessed using both the GH4 prolactin producing cell line from rat, and primary cell culture from fish pituitaries. Results Harvesting whole cells followed by cell lysis and qPCR performed satisfactory on the GH4 cell line. However, harvesting of whole cells from primary pituitary cultures regularly produced false positives, probably due to RNA leakage from cells ruptured during the dispersion of the pituitary cells. To reduce RNA contamination affecting the results, we optimized the conditions by harvesting only the cytosol through a patch pipette, subsequent to electrophysiological experiments. Two important factors proved crucial for reliable harvesting. First, silanizing the patch pipette glass prevented foreign extracellular RNA from attaching to charged residues on the glass surface. Second, substituting the commonly used perforating antibiotic amphotericin B with β-escin allowed efficient cytosol harvest without loosing the giga seal. Importantly, the two harvesting protocols revealed no difference in RNA isolation efficiency. Conclusion Depending on the cell type and preparation, validation of the harvesting technique is extremely important as contaminations may give false positives. Here we present an optimized protocol allowing secure harvesting of RNA from single cells in primary pituitary cell culture following perforated whole cell patch clamp experiments.

Formative research to develop theory-based messages for a Western Australian child drowning prevention television campaign: study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Denehy, Mel; Crawford, Gemma; Leavy, Justine; Nimmo, Lauren; Jancey, Jonine

2016-05-20

Worldwide, children under the age of 5 years are at particular risk of drowning. Responding to this need requires the development of evidence-informed drowning prevention strategies. Historically, drowning prevention strategies have included denying access, learning survival skills and providing supervision, as well as education and information which includes the use of mass media. Interventions underpinned by behavioural theory and formative evaluation tend to be more effective, yet few practical examples exist in the drowning and/or injury prevention literature. The Health Belief Model and Social Cognitive Theory will be used to explore participants' perspectives regarding proposed mass media messaging. This paper describes a qualitative protocol to undertake formative research to develop theory-based messages for a child drowning prevention campaign. The primary data source will be focus group interviews with parents and caregivers of children under 5 years of age in metropolitan and regional Western Australia. Qualitative content analysis will be used to analyse the data. This study will contribute to the drowning prevention literature to inform the development of future child drowning prevention mass media campaigns. Findings from the study will be disseminated to practitioners, policymakers and researchers via international conferences, peer and non-peer-reviewed journals and evidence summaries. The study was submitted and approved by the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Alcohol handrubbing and chlorhexidine handwashing protocols for routine hospital practice: A randomized clinical trial of protocol efficacy and time effectiveness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chow, Angela; Arah, Onyebuchi A.; Chan, Siew-Pang; Poh, Bee-Fong; Krishnan, Prabha; Ng, Woei-Kian; Choudhury, Saugata; Chan, Joey; Ang, Brenda

2012-01-01

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the use of alcohol handrubs to prevent health care-associated infections. However, the efficacy and time effectiveness of different alcohol handrubbing protocols have yet to be

Implementation of a protocol for the prevention and management of extravasation injuries in the neonatal intensive care patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, Diane

2011-06-01

This project sought to determine nurses' understanding and management of infants with intravenous (IV) therapy. There were three specific aims: • To improve identification and management of extravasation injuries in neonates • To ensure management of extravasation injuries in neonates is classified according to IV extravasation staging guidelines • To develop a protocol that outlined actions required to manage extravasation injuries. This project utilised a pre- and post-implementation audit strategy using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Getting Research into Practice (GRIP) program. This method has been used to improve clinical practice by utilising an audit, feedback and re-audit sequence. The project was implemented in four stages over a 7-month period from 21 October 2009 to 30 May 2010. Initially, there was poor compliance with all four criteria, ranging from zero to 63%. The GRIP phase of the project identified five barriers which were addressed throughout this project. These related to education of staff and the development of a protocol for the prevention and management of extravasation injuries in the neonatal population. Following implementation of best practice, the second audit showed a marked improvement in all four criteria, ranging from 70 to 100% compliance. Overall, this project has led to improvements in clinical practice in line with current evidence. This has resulted in enhanced awareness of the risks associated with IV therapy and of measures to prevent an injury occurring within this clinical setting. © 2011 The Author. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare © 2011 The Joanna Briggs Institute.

Mothers After Gestational Diabetes in Australia Diabetes Prevention Program (MAGDA-DPP) post-natal intervention: an update to the study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Sophy T F; Davis-Lameloise, Nathalie; Janus, Edward D; Wildey, Carol; Versace, Vincent L; Hagger, Virginia; Asproloupos, Dino; O'Reilly, Sharleen L; Phillips, Paddy A; Ackland, Michael; Skinner, Timothy; Oats, Jeremy; Carter, Rob; Best, James D; Dunbar, James A

2014-06-30

The Mothers After Gestational Diabetes in Australia Diabetes Prevention Program (MAGDA-DPP) is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that aims to assess the effectiveness of a structured diabetes prevention intervention for women who had gestational diabetes. The original protocol was published in Trials (http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/14/1/339). This update reports on an additional exclusion criterion and change in first eligibility screening to provide greater clarity. The new exclusion criterion "surgical or medical intervention to treat obesity" has been added to the original protocol. The risks of developing diabetes will be affected by any medical or surgical intervention as its impact on obesity will alter the outcomes being assessed by MAGDA-DPP. The screening procedures have also been updated to reflect the current recruitment operation. The first eligibility screening is now taking place either during or after pregnancy, depending on recruitment strategy. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ANZCTRN 12610000338066.

Residual stress measurement in 304 stainless steel weld overlay pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yen, H.J.; Lin, M.C.C.; Chen, L.J.

1996-01-01

Welding overlay repair (WOR) is commonly employed to rebuild piping systems suffering from intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). To understand the effects of this repair, it is necessary to investigate the distribution of residual stresses in the welding pipe. The overlay welding technique must induce compressive residual stress at the inner surface of the welded pipe to prevent IGSCC. To understand the bulk residual stress distribution, the stress profile as a function of location within wall is examined. In this study the full destructive residual stress measurement technique -- a cutting and sectioning method -- is used to determine the residual stress distribution. The sample is type 304 stainless steel weld overlay pipe with an outside diameter of 267 mm. A pipe segment is cut from the circular pipe; then a thin layer is removed axially from the inner to the outer surfaces until further sectioning is impractical. The total residual stress is calculated by adding the stress relieved by cutting the section away to the stress relieved by axially sectioning. The axial and hoop residual stresses are compressive at the inner surface of the weld overlay pipe. Compressive stress exists not only at the surface but is also distributed over most of the pipe's cross section. On the one hand, the maximum compressive hoop residual stress appears at the pipe's inner surface. The thermal-mechanical induced crack closure from significant compressive residual stress is discussed. This crack closure can thus prevent IGSCC very effectively

Security of the arbitrated quantum signature protocols revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kejia, Zhang; Dan, Li; Qi, Su

2014-01-01

Recently, much attention has been paid to the study of arbitrated quantum signature (AQS). Among these studies, the cryptanalysis of some AQS protocols and a series of improved ideas have been proposed. Compared with the previous analysis, we present a security criterion, which can judge whether an AQS protocol is able to prevent the receiver (i.e. one participant in the signature protocol) from forging a legal signature. According to our results, it can be seen that most AQS protocols which are based on the Zeng and Keitel (ZK) model are susceptible to a forgery attack. Furthermore, we present an improved idea of the ZK protocol. Finally, some supplement discussions and several interesting topics are provided. (paper)

Effectiveness of the universal prevention program 'Healthy School and Drugs': Study protocol of a randomized clustered trial

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Malmberg Monique

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Substance use is highly prevalent among Dutch adolescents. The Healthy School and Drugs program is a nationally implemented school-based prevention program aimed at reducing early and excessive substance use among adolescents. Although the program's effectiveness was tested in a quasi-experimental design before, many program changes were made afterwards. The present study, therefore, aims to test the effects of this widely used, renewed universal prevention program. Methods/Design A randomized clustered trial will be conducted among 3,784 adolescents of 23 secondary schools in The Netherlands. The trial has three conditions; two intervention conditions (i.e., e-learning and integral and a control condition. The e-learning condition consists of three digital learning modules (i.e., about alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana that are sequentially offered over the course of three school years (i.e., grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3. The integral condition consists of parental participation in a parental meeting on substance use, regulation of substance use, and monitoring and counseling of students' substance use at school, over and above the three digital modules. The control condition is characterized as business as usual. Participating schools were randomly assigned to either an intervention or control condition. Participants filled out a digital questionnaire at baseline and will fill out the same questionnaire three more times at follow-up measurements (8, 20, and 32 months after baseline. Outcome variables included in the questionnaire are the percentage of binge drinking (more than five drinks per occasion, the average weekly number of drinks, and the percentage of adolescents who ever drunk a glass of alcohol and the percentage of adolescents who ever smoked a cigarette or a joint respectively for tobacco and marijuana. Discussion This study protocol describes the design of a randomized clustered trial that evaluates the

Wireless Power Transfer Protocols in Sensor Networks: Experiments and Simulations

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Sotiris Nikoletseas

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Rapid technological advances in the domain of Wireless Power Transfer pave the way for novel methods for power management in systems of wireless devices, and recent research works have already started considering algorithmic solutions for tackling emerging problems. In this paper, we investigate the problem of efficient and balanced Wireless Power Transfer in Wireless Sensor Networks. We employ wireless chargers that replenish the energy of network nodes. We propose two protocols that configure the activity of the chargers. One protocol performs wireless charging focused on the charging efficiency, while the other aims at proper balance of the chargers’ residual energy. We conduct detailed experiments using real devices and we validate the experimental results via larger scale simulations. We observe that, in both the experimental evaluation and the evaluation through detailed simulations, both protocols achieve their main goals. The Charging Oriented protocol achieves good charging efficiency throughout the experiment, while the Energy Balancing protocol achieves a uniform distribution of energy within the chargers.

FODA: a novel efficient multiple access protocol for highly dynamic self-organizing networks

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hantao; Liu, Kai; Zhang, Jun

2005-11-01

Based on the concept of contention reservation for polling transmission and collision prevention strategy for collision resolution, a fair on-demand access (FODA) protocol for supporting node mobility and multihop architecture in highly dynamic self-organizing networks is proposed. In the protocol, a distributed clustering network architecture formed by self-organizing algorithm and a main idea of reserving channel resources to get polling service are adopted, so that the hidden terminal (HT) and exposed terminal (ET) problems existed in traffic transmission due to multihop architecture and wireless transmission can be eliminated completely. In addition, an improved collision prevention scheme based on binary countdown algorithm (BCA), called fair collision prevention (FCP) algorithm, is proposed to greatly eliminate unfair phenomena existed in contention access of newly active ordinary nodes and completely resolve access collisions. Finally, the performance comparison of the FODA protocol with carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) and polling protocols by OPNET simulation are presented. Simulation results show that the FODA protocol can overcome the disadvantages of CSMA/CA and polling protocols, and achieve higher throughput, lower average message delay and less average message dropping rate.

A Lightweight Buyer-Seller Watermarking Protocol

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Yongdong Wu

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The buyer-seller watermarking protocol enables a seller to successfully identify a traitor from a pirated copy, while preventing the seller from framing an innocent buyer. Based on finite field theory and the homomorphic property of public key cryptosystems such as RSA, several buyer-seller watermarking protocols (N. Memon and P. W. Wong (2001 and C.-L. Lei et al. (2004 have been proposed previously. However, those protocols require not only large computational power but also substantial network bandwidth. In this paper, we introduce a new buyer-seller protocol that overcomes those weaknesses by managing the watermarks. Compared with the earlier protocols, ours is n times faster in terms of computation, where n is the number of watermark elements, while incurring only O(1/lN times communication overhead given the finite field parameter lN. In addition, the quality of the watermarked image generated with our method is better, using the same watermark strength.

Manual of Standard Operating Procedures for Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Laboratories are crucial to national veterinary drug residue monitoring programmes. However, one of the main challenges laboratories encounter is obtaining access to relevant methods of analysis. Thus, in addition to training, providing technical advice and transferring technology, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has resolved to develop clear and practical manuals to support Member State laboratories. The Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Development of Radiometric and Allied Analytical Methods to Strengthen Residue Control Programs for Antibiotic and Anthelmintic Veterinary Drug Residues has developed a number of analytical methods as standard operating procedures (SOPs), which are now compiled here. This publication contains SOPs on chromatographic and spectrometric techniques, as well as radioimmunoassay and associated screening techniques, for various anthelmintic and antimicrobial veterinary drug residue analysis. Some analytical method validation protocols are also included. The publication is primarily aimed at food and environmental safety laboratories involved in testing veterinary drug residues, including under organized national residue monitoring programmes. It is expected to enhance laboratory capacity building and competence through the use of radiometric and complementary tools and techniques. The publication is also relevant for applied research on residues of veterinary drugs in food and environmental samples

Effects of two aerobic exercise training protocols on parameters of oxidative stress in the blood and liver of obese rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Delwing-de Lima, Daniela; Ulbricht, Ariene Sampaio Souza Farias; Werlang-Coelho, Carla; Delwing-Dal Magro, Débora; Joaquim, Victor Hugo Antonio; Salamaia, Eloise Mariani; de Quevedo, Silvana Rodrigues; Desordi, Larissa

2017-12-08

We evaluated the effects of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols on the alterations in oxidative stress parameters caused by a high-fat diet (HFD), in the blood and liver of rats. The HFD enhanced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBA-RS) and protein carbonyl content, while reducing total sulfhydryl content and catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in the blood. Both training protocols prevented an increase in TBA-RS and protein carbonyl content, and prevented a reduction in CAT. HIIT protocol enhanced SOD activity. In the liver, HFD didn't alter TBA-RS, total sulfhydryl content or SOD, but increased protein carbonyl content and CAT and decreased GSH-Px. The exercise protocols prevented the increase in protein carbonyl content and the MICT protocol prevented an alteration in CAT. In conclusion, HFD elicits oxidative stress in the blood and liver and both protocols prevented most of the alterations in the oxidative stress parameters.

Management of municipal solid waste incineration residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabbas, T.; Polettini, A.; Pomi, R.; Astrup, T.; Hjelmar, O.; Mostbauer, P.; Cappai, G.; Magel, G.; Salhofer, S.; Speiser, C.; Heuss-Assbichler, S.; Klein, R.; Lechner, P.

2003-01-01

The management of residues from thermal waste treatment is an integral part of waste management systems. The primary goal of managing incineration residues is to prevent any impact on our health or environment caused by unacceptable particulate, gaseous and/or solute emissions. This paper provides insight into the most important measures for putting this requirement into practice. It also offers an overview of the factors and processes affecting these mitigating measures as well as the short- and long-term behavior of residues from thermal waste treatment under different scenarios. General conditions affecting the emission rate of salts and metals are shown as well as factors relevant to mitigating measures or sources of gaseous emissions

The CAP study, evaluation of integrated universal and selective prevention strategies for youth alcohol misuse: study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial

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Newton Nicola C

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Alcohol misuse amongst young people is a serious concern. The need for effective prevention is clear, yet there appear to be few evidenced-based programs that prevent alcohol misuse and none that target both high and low-risk youth. The CAP study addresses this gap by evaluating the efficacy of an integrated approach to alcohol misuse prevention, which combines the effective universal internet-based Climate Schools program with the effective selective personality-targeted Preventure program. This article describes the development and protocol of the CAP study which aims to prevent alcohol misuse and related harms in Australian adolescents. Methods/Design A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT is being conducted with Year 8 students aged 13 to 14-years-old from 27 secondary schools in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Blocked randomisation was used to assign schools to one of four groups; Climate Schools only, Preventure only, CAP (Climate Schools and Preventure, or Control (alcohol, drug and health education as usual. The primary outcomes of the trial will be the uptake and harmful use of alcohol and alcohol related harms. Secondary outcomes will include alcohol and cannabis related knowledge, cannabis related harms, intentions to use, and mental health symptomatology. All participants will complete assessments on five occasions; baseline; immediately post intervention, and at 12, 24 and 36 months post baseline. Discussion This study protocol presents the design and current implementation of a cluster RCT to evaluate the efficacy of the CAP study; an integrated universal and selective approach to prevent alcohol use and related harms among adolescents. Compared to students who receive the stand-alone universal Climate Schools program or alcohol and drug education as usual (Controls, we expect the students who receive the CAP intervention to have significantly less uptake of alcohol use, a reduction in average

Impact-disrupted gunshot residue: A sub-micron analysis using a novel collection protocol

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V. Spathis

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The analysis of gunshot residue (GSR has played an integral role within the legal system in relation to shooting cases. With a characteristic elemental composition of lead, antimony, barium, and a typically discriminative spheroidal morphology, the presence and distribution of GSR can aid in firearm investigations. In this experiment, three shots of low velocity rim-fire ammunition were fired over polished silicon collection substrates placed at six intervals over a 100 cm range. The samples were analysed using a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG-SEM in conjunction with an X-flash Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX detector, allowing for GSR particle analyses of composition and structure at the sub-micron level. The results of this experiment indicate that although classic spheroidal particles are present consistently throughout the entire range of samples their sizes vary significantly, and at certain distances from the firearm particles with an irregular morphology were discerned, forming “impact-disrupted” GSR particles, henceforth colloquially referred to as “splats”. Upon further analysis, trends with regards to the formation of these splat particles were distinguished. An increase in splat frequency was observed starting at 10 cm from the firearm, with 147 mm−2 splat density, reaching a maximal flux at 40 cm (451 mm−2, followed by a gradual decrease to the maximum range sampled. Moreover, the structural morphology of the splats changes throughout the sampling range. At the distances closest to the firearm, molten-looking particles were formed, demonstrating the metallic residues were in a liquid state when their flight path was disrupted. However, at increased distances-primarily where the discharge plume was at maximum dispersion and moving away from the firearm, the residues have had time to cool in-fight resulting in semi-congealed and solid particles that subsequently disrupted upon impact, forming more

Using the intervention mapping protocol to develop a maintenance programme for the SLIMMER diabetes prevention intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Elsman, Ellen B M; Leerlooijer, Joanne N; Ter Beek, Josien; Duijzer, Geerke; Jansen, Sophia C; Hiddink, Gerrit J; Feskens, Edith J M; Haveman-Nies, Annemien

2014-10-27

Although lifestyle interventions have shown to be effective in reducing the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, maintenance of achieved results is difficult, as participants often experience relapse after the intervention has ended. This paper describes the systematic development of a maintenance programme for the extensive SLIMMER intervention, an existing diabetes prevention intervention for high-risk individuals, implemented in a real-life setting in the Netherlands. The maintenance programme was developed using the Intervention Mapping protocol. Programme development was informed by a literature study supplemented by various focus group discussions and feedback from implementers of the extensive SLIMMER intervention. The maintenance programme was designed to sustain a healthy diet and physical activity pattern by targeting knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control of the SLIMMER participants. Practical applications were clustered into nine programme components, including sports clinics at local sports clubs, a concluding meeting with the physiotherapist and dietician, and a return session with the physiotherapist, dietician and physical activity group. Manuals were developed for the implementers and included a detailed time table and step-by-step instructions on how to implement the maintenance programme. The Intervention Mapping protocol provided a useful framework to systematically plan a maintenance programme for the extensive SLIMMER intervention. The study showed that planning a maintenance programme can build on existing implementation structures of the extensive programme. Future research is needed to determine to what extent the maintenance programme contributes to sustained effects in participants of lifestyle interventions.

Compressive residual stresses as a preventive measure against stress corrosion cracking on turbine components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, C.; Ewald, J.; Fischer, K.; Gruendler, O.; Potthast, E.; Stuecker, E.; Winzen, G.

1987-01-01

Disk type low pressure turbine rotors have been designed for a large variety of power plant applications. Developing disk type rotors required a concerted effort to design a shaft/disk shrink fit with a minimum of tensile stress concentrations in order to aim for the lowest possible susceptibility to corrosive attack, i.e. stress corrosion cracking. As a result of stresses, the regions of greatest concern are the shrink fit boundaries and the keyways of turbine disks. These stresses are caused by service loading, i.e. centrifugal and shrinkage stresses and by manufacturing procedure, i.e. residual stresses. The compressive residual stresses partly compensate the tensile service stresses so that an increase of compressive residual stresses decreases the whole stress state of the component. Special manufacturing procedures, e.g. accelerated cooling after tempering can induce compressive residual stresses up to about 400 MPa in the hub bore region of turbine disk

Sponge-Like: A New Protocol for Preparing Bacterial Ghosts

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Amro A. Amara

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Bacterial Ghosts (BGs received an increasing interest in the recent years for their promising medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. In this study, for the first time we introduce a new protocol for BGs production. E. coli BL21 (DE3 pLysS (Promega was used as a model to establish a general protocol for BGs preparation. The protocol is based on using active chemical compounds in concentrations less than the Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC. Those chemical compounds are SDS, NaOH, and H2O2. Plackett-Burman experimental design was used to map the best conditions for BGs production. Normal and electronic microscopes were used to evaluate the BGs quality (BGQ. Spectrophotometer was used to evaluate the amount of the released protein and DNA. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to determine the existence of any residue of DNA after each BGs preparation. Viable cells, which existed after running this protocol, were subjected to lysis by inducing the lysozyme gene carried on pLysS plasmid. This protocol is able to produce BGs that can be used in different biotechnological applications.

Preventing falls in older multifocal glasses wearers by providing single-lens distance glasses: the protocol for the VISIBLE randomised controlled trial

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Lee Bonsan B

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent research has shown that wearing multifocal glasses increases the risk of trips and falls in older people. The aim of this study is to determine whether the provision of single-lens distance glasses to older multifocal glasses wearers, with recommendations for wearing them for walking and outdoor activities, can prevent falls. We will also measure the effect of the intervention on health status, lifestyle activities and fear of falling, as well as the extent of adherence to the program. Methods/Design Approximately 580 older people who are regular wearers of multifocal glasses people will be recruited. Participants will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group (provision of single lens glasses, with counselling and advice about appropriate use or a control group (usual care. The primary outcome measure will be falls (measured with 13 monthly calendars. Secondary measures will be quality of life, falls efficacy, physical activity levels and adverse events. Discussions The study will determine the impact of providing single-lens glasses, with advice about appropriate use, on preventing falls in older regular wearers of multifocal glasses. This pragmatic intervention, if found to be effective, will guide practitioners with regard to recommending appropriate glasses for minimising the risk of falls in older people. Trial Registration The protocol for this study was registered with the Clinical Trials.gov Protocol Registration System on June 7th 2006 (#350855.

Intervention development for the indicated prevention of depression in later life: The “DIL” protocol in Goa, India

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Amit Dias, MD

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Because depression is a major source of the global burden of illness-related disability, developing effective strategies for reducing its incidence is an important public health priority, especially in low-income countries, where resources for treating depression are scarce. We describe in this report an intervention development project, funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health, to address “indicated” prevention of depression in older adults attending rural and urban primary care clinics in Goa, India. Specifically, participants in the “DIL” (“Depression in Later Life” trial were older adults living with mild, subsyndromal symptoms of depression and anxiety and thus at substantial risk for transitioning to fully syndromal major depression and anxiety disorders. Building upon the MANAS treatment trial (“Promoting Mental Health” led by Patel et al. in the same locale, we present here lessons learned in the development and implementation of a protocol utilizing lay health counsellors (LHCs who deliver a multi-component depression prevention intervention organized conceptually around Problem Solving Therapy for Primary Care (PST, with additional components addressing brief behavioural treatment of sleep disturbances such as insomnia, meeting basic social casework needs, and education in self-management of prevalent comorbid chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. To our knowledge, DIL is the first randomized clinical trial addressing the prevention of depressive disorders ever conducted in a low- or middle-income country.

Technologies, Methodologies and Challenges in Network Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems

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Nicoleta STANCIU

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an overview of the technologies and the methodologies used in Network Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (NIDPS. Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS technologies are differentiated by types of events that IDPSs can recognize, by types of devices that IDPSs monitor and by activity. NIDPSs monitor and analyze the streams of network packets in order to detect security incidents. The main methodology used by NIDPSs is protocol analysis. Protocol analysis requires good knowledge of the theory of the main protocols, their definition, how each protocol works.

Depression and anxiety, an Indicated Prevention (DIP protocol in homes for the elderly: feasibility and (cost effectiveness of a stepped care programme

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Beekman Aartjan TF

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Depressive and anxiety disorders are a very common, serious and underdetected problem in homes for the elderly. Elderly persons in residential homes are at high risk for developing major depressive and anxiety disorders, and, therefore, deserve attention with regard to prevention. Methods/Design This protocol describes a randomised trial on the feasibility and (cost effectiveness of a stepped-care programme for prevention of depressive and anxiety disorders in homes for the elderly. The main outcome measure is the incidence of depressive and anxiety disorder in one year with a two years follow up. Secondary outcomes are symptoms of depression and anxiety, quality of life, direct health care costs and satisfaction with treatment. Discussion The number of studies examining the effects of preventive interventions on the incidence of mental disorders in the elderly population is very small. However, indicated prevention by means of a stepped-care programme seems to be an important option for decreasing the burden of illness for residents and their caregivers. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in this field. Positive effects may contribute to further use and development of tailored, (cost- effective and easy to use interventions in a preventive stepped-care programme. Trial Registration The Dutch Cochrane Centre, ISRCTN27540731

Tailoring International Pressure Ulcer Prevention Guidelines for Nigeria: A Knowledge Translation Study Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Ilesanmi, Rose Ekama; Gillespie, Brigid M; Adejumo, Prisca Olabisi; Chaboyer, Wendy

2015-07-28

The 2014 International Pressure Ulcer Prevention (PUP) Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) provides the most current evidence based strategies to prevent Pressure Ulcer (PU). The evidence upon which these guidelines have been developed has predominantly been generated from research conducted in developed countries. Some of these guidelines may not be feasible in developing countries due to structural and resource issues; therefore there is a need to adapt these guidelines to the context thus making it culturally acceptable. To present a protocol detailing the tailoring of international PUPCPG into a care bundle for the Nigerian context. Guided by the Knowledge to Action (KTA) framework, a two phased study will be undertaken. In Phase 1, the Delphi technique with stakeholder leaders will be used to review the current PUPCPG, identifying core strategies that are feasible to be adopted in Nigeria. These core strategies will become components of a PUP care bundle. In Phase 2, key stakeholder interviews will be used to identify the barriers, facilitators and potential implementation strategies to promote uptake of the PUP care bundle. A PUP care bundle, with three to eight components is expected to be developed from Phase 1. Implementation strategies to promote adoption of the PUP care bundle into clinical practice in selected Nigerian hospitals, is expected to result from Phase 2. Engagement of key stakeholders and consumers in the project should promote successful implementation and translate into better patient care. Using KTA, a knowledge translation framework, to guide the implementation of PUPCPG will enhance the likelihood of successful adoption in clinical practice. In implementing a PUP care bundle, developing countries face a number of challenges such as the feasibility of its components and the required resources.

Tailoring International Pressure Ulcer Prevention Guidelines for Nigeria: A Knowledge Translation Study Protocol

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Rose Ekama Ilesanmi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The 2014 International Pressure Ulcer Prevention (PUP Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG provides the most current evidence based strategies to prevent Pressure Ulcer (PU. The evidence upon which these guidelines have been developed has predominantly been generated from research conducted in developed countries. Some of these guidelines may not be feasible in developing countries due to structural and resource issues; therefore there is a need to adapt these guidelines to the context thus making it culturally acceptable. Aim: To present a protocol detailing the tailoring of international PUPCPG into a care bundle for the Nigerian context. Methods: Guided by the Knowledge to Action (KTA framework, a two phased study will be undertaken. In Phase 1, the Delphi technique with stakeholder leaders will be used to review the current PUPCPG, identifying core strategies that are feasible to be adopted in Nigeria. These core strategies will become components of a PUP care bundle. In Phase 2, key stakeholder interviews will be used to identify the barriers, facilitators and potential implementation strategies to promote uptake of the PUP care bundle. Results: A PUP care bundle, with three to eight components is expected to be developed from Phase 1. Implementation strategies to promote adoption of the PUP care bundle into clinical practice in selected Nigerian hospitals, is expected to result from Phase 2. Engagement of key stakeholders and consumers in the project should promote successful implementation and translate into better patient care. Conclusion: Using KTA, a knowledge translation framework, to guide the implementation of PUPCPG will enhance the likelihood of successful adoption in clinical practice. In implementing a PUP care bundle, developing countries face a number of challenges such as the feasibility of its components and the required resources.

Effect of applied stress on the compressive residual stress introduced by laser peening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumiya, Rie; Tazawa, Toshiyuki; Narazaki, Chihiro; Saito, Toshiyuki; Kishimoto, Kikuo

2016-01-01

Peening is the process which is able to be generated compressive residual stress and is known to be effective for preventing SCC initiation and improvement of fatigue strength. Laser peening is used for the nuclear power plant components in order to prevent SCC initiation. Although it is reported that the compressive residual stress decreases due to applied stresses under general operating condition, the change of residual stress might be large under excessive loading such as an earthquake. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the relaxation behavior of the compressive residual stress due to laser peening and to confirm the surface residual stress after loading. Therefore laser peened round bar test specimens of SUS316L which is used for the reactor internals of nuclear power plant were loaded at room temperature and elevated temperature and then surface residual stresses were measured by X-ray diffraction method. In the results of this test, it was confirmed that the compressive residual stress remained after applying uniform stress larger than 0.2% proof stress, and the effect of cyclic loading on the residual stress was small. The effect of applying compressive stress on the residual stress relaxation was confirmed to be less than that of applying tensile stress. Plastic deformation through a whole cross section causes the change in the residual stress distribution. As a result, the surface compressive residual stress is released. It was shown that the effect of specimen size on residual stress relaxation and the residual stress relaxation behavior in the stress concentration region can be explained by assumed stress relaxation mechanism. (author)

Performance analysis and implementation of proposed mechanism for detection and prevention of security attacks in routing protocols of vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET

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Parul Tyagi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Next-generation communication networks have become widely popular as ad-hoc networks, broadly categorized as the mobile nodes based on mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET and the vehicular nodes based vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANET. VANET is aimed at maintaining safety to vehicle drivers by begin autonomous communication with the nearby vehicles. Each vehicle in the ad-hoc network performs as an intelligent mobile node characterized by high mobility and formation of dynamic networks. The ad-hoc networks are decentralized dynamic networks that need efficient and secure communication requirements due to the vehicles being persistently in motion. These networks are more susceptible to various attacks like Warm Hole attacks, denial of service attacks and Black Hole Attacks. The paper is a novel attempt to examine and investigate the security features of the routing protocols in VANET, applicability of AODV (Ad hoc On Demand protocol to detect and tackle a particular category of network attacks, known as the Black Hole Attacks. A new algorithm is proposed to enhance the security mechanism of AODV protocol and to introduce a mechanism to detect Black Hole Attacks and to prevent the network from such attacks in which source node stores all route replies in a look up table. This table stores the sequences of all route reply, arranged in ascending order using PUSH and POP operations. The priority is calculated based on sequence number and discard the RREP having presumably very high destination sequence number. The result show that proposed algorithm for detection and prevention of Black Hole Attack increases security in Intelligent Transportation System (ITS and reduces the effect of malicious node in the VANET. NCTUNs simulator is used in this research work.

Assistance protocol for venous ulcers patients: validation of contents

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Daniele Vieira Dantas

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Venous ulcers require complex treatment and are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality rates. This study aims at identifying aspects validated by the jury for the preparation of an assistance protocol for venous ulcer sufferers. It is a descriptive and quantitative research, with 39 professionals (30 nurses, 7 doctors and two physiotherapists, held at the Onofre Lopes University Hospital, between April and July/2010. Data collection began through a questionnaire checklist. Analysis was performed through Statistical Package for Social Science 15.0, assessing compliance with guidelines. Results were the compositional aspects of the protocol: assessment of patient and lesion history/documentation, wound care/perilesional skin, dressing suggestion, use of antibiotics and pain treatment, surgical treatment/medication, improving venous return and relapse prevention, patient referral, professional training and referral/counter-referral. It was concluded that to compose the protocol, aspects related to diagnosis, treatment and injury prevention must be considered.

A Fully Automated Diabetes Prevention Program, Alive-PD: Program Design and Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

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Block, Gladys; Azar, Kristen Mj; Block, Torin J; Romanelli, Robert J; Carpenter, Heather; Hopkins, Donald; Palaniappan, Latha; Block, Clifford H

2015-01-21

In the United States, 86 million adults have pre-diabetes. Evidence-based interventions that are both cost effective and widely scalable are needed to prevent diabetes. Our goal was to develop a fully automated diabetes prevention program and determine its effectiveness in a randomized controlled trial. Subjects with verified pre-diabetes were recruited to participate in a trial of the effectiveness of Alive-PD, a newly developed, 1-year, fully automated behavior change program delivered by email and Web. The program involves weekly tailored goal-setting, team-based and individual challenges, gamification, and other opportunities for interaction. An accompanying mobile phone app supports goal-setting and activity planning. For the trial, participants were randomized by computer algorithm to start the program immediately or after a 6-month delay. The primary outcome measures are change in HbA1c and fasting glucose from baseline to 6 months. The secondary outcome measures are change in HbA1c, glucose, lipids, body mass index (BMI), weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Randomization and delivery of the intervention are independent of clinic staff, who are blinded to treatment assignment. Outcomes will be evaluated for the intention-to-treat and per-protocol populations. A total of 340 subjects with pre-diabetes were randomized to the intervention (n=164) or delayed-entry control group (n=176). Baseline characteristics were as follows: mean age 55 (SD 8.9); mean BMI 31.1 (SD 4.3); male 68.5%; mean fasting glucose 109.9 (SD 8.4) mg/dL; and mean HbA1c 5.6 (SD 0.3)%. Data collection and analysis are in progress. We hypothesize that participants in the intervention group will achieve statistically significant reductions in fasting glucose and HbA1c as compared to the control group at 6 months post baseline. The randomized trial will provide rigorous evidence regarding the efficacy of this Web- and Internet-based program in reducing or

PAAPPAS community trial protocol: a randomized study of obesity prevention for adolescents combining school with household intervention

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Michele R. Sgambato

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing at a high rate in Brazil, making prevention a health priority. Schools are the central focus of interventions aiming the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, however, randomized trials and cohort studies have not yet provided clear evidence of strategies to reduce prevalence of obesity. The aim of this study is to present a protocol to evaluate the efficacy of combining school and household level interventions to reduce excessive weight gain among students. Methods The intervention target fifth and sixth graders from 18 public schools (9 interventions and 9 controls in the municipality of Duque de Caxias, metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A sample size of 2500 students will be evaluated at school for their weight status and those from the intervention group who are overweight or obese will be followed monthly at home by community health agents. Demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, eating behavior and food consumption data will be collected at school using a standardized questionnaire programmed in personal digital assistant. At school, all students from the intervention group will be encouraged to change eating habits and food consumption and to increase physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior. Discussion This study will provide evidence whether integration of school with primary health care can prevent excessive weight gain among adolescents. Positive results will inform a sustainable strategy to be disseminated in the health care system in Brazil. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02711488 . Date of registration: March 11, 2016.

Manual of Standard Operating Procedures for Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis (Spanish Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

Laboratories are crucial to national veterinary drug residue monitoring programmes. However, one of the main challenges laboratories encounter is obtaining access to relevant methods of analysis. Thus, in addition to training, providing technical advice and transferring technology, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has resolved to develop clear and practical manuals to support Member State laboratories. The Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Development of Radiometric and Allied Analytical Methods to Strengthen Residue Control Programs for Antibiotic and Anthelmintic Veterinary Drug Residues has developed a number of analytical methods as standard operating procedures (SOPs), which are now compiled here. This publication contains SOPs on chromatographic and spectrometric techniques, as well as radioimmunoassay and associated screening techniques, for various anthelmintic and antimicrobial veterinary drug residue analysis. Some analytical method validation protocols are also included. The publication is primarily aimed at food and environmental safety laboratories involved in testing veterinary drug residues, including under organized national residue monitoring programmes. It is expected to enhance laboratory capacity building and competence through the use of radiometric and complementary tools and techniques. The publication is also relevant for applied research on residues of veterinary drugs in food and environmental samples

Manual of Standard Operating Procedures for Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis (French Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

Laboratories are crucial to national veterinary drug residue monitoring programmes. However, one of the main challenges laboratories encounter is obtaining access to relevant methods of analysis. Thus, in addition to training, providing technical advice and transferring technology, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has resolved to develop clear and practical manuals to support Member State laboratories. The Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Development of Radiometric and Allied Analytical Methods to Strengthen Residue Control Programs for Antibiotic and Anthelmintic Veterinary Drug Residues has developed a number of analytical methods as standard operating procedures (SOPs), which are now compiled here. This publication contains SOPs on chromatographic and spectrometric techniques, as well as radioimmunoassay and associated screening techniques, for various anthelmintic and antimicrobial veterinary drug residue analysis. Some analytical method validation protocols are also included. The publication is primarily aimed at food and environmental safety laboratories involved in testing veterinary drug residues, including under organized national residue monitoring programmes. It is expected to enhance laboratory capacity building and competence through the use of radiometric and complementary tools and techniques. The publication is also relevant for applied research on residues of veterinary drugs in food and environmental samples

A Randomized Trial Comparing Two Tongue-Pressure Resistance Training Protocols for Post-Stroke Dysphagia.

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Steele, Catriona M; Bayley, Mark T; Peladeau-Pigeon, Melanie; Nagy, Ahmed; Namasivayam, Ashwini M; Stokely, Shauna L; Wolkin, Talia

2016-06-01

The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of two tongue resistance training protocols. One protocol ("tongue-pressure profile training") emphasized the pressure-timing patterns that are typically seen in healthy swallows by focusing on gradual pressure release and saliva swallowing tasks. The second protocol ("tongue-pressure strength and accuracy training") emphasized strength and accuracy in tongue-palate pressure generation and did not include swallowing tasks. A prospective, randomized, parallel allocation trial was conducted. Of 26 participants who were screened for eligibility, 14 received up to 24 sessions of treatment. Outcome measures of posterior tongue strength, oral bolus control, penetration-aspiration and vallecular residue were made based on videofluoroscopy analysis by blinded raters. Complete data were available for 11 participants. Significant improvements were seen in tongue strength and post-swallow vallecular residue with thin liquids, regardless of treatment condition. Stage transition duration (a measure of the duration of the bolus presence in the pharynx prior to swallow initiation, which had been chosen to capture impairments in oral bolus control) showed no significant differences. Similarly, significant improvements were not seen in median scores on the penetration-aspiration scale. This trial suggests that tongue strength can be improved with resistance training for individuals with tongue weakness following stroke. We conclude that improved penetration-aspiration does not necessarily accompany improvements in tongue strength; however, tongue-pressure resistance training does appear to be effective for reducing thin liquid vallecular residue.

A randomized efficacy trial of a cognitive-behavioral group intervention to prevent Internet Use Disorder onset in adolescents: The PROTECT study protocol.

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Lindenberg, Katajun; Halasy, Katharina; Schoenmaekers, Sophie

2017-06-01

The reduction of prevalence rates of Internet Use Disorder (IUD) and its effective treatment are at high priority in both public health and educational policies. School-based preventive interventions facilitate a low-threshold approach for individuals with IUD, who are typically characterized by high therapy avoidance. Moreover, indicated approaches which target adolescents at high-risk show larger effects than universal prevention programs. Simultaneously, they reduce unnecessary burden for the majority of high-school students that is not at-risk. The PROTECT group intervention for indicated prevention of IUD in school settings was developed based on these preventive strategies. Three-hundred and forty adolescents, aged 12-18 years, from 40 secondary schools in Germany, screened for high-risk of IUD onset, are randomly assigned to a) PROTECT preventive intervention group or b) assessment only control group. The tested intervention consists of a cognitive-behavioral 4-session brief-protocol. Follow-up assessments are at 1, 4 and 12 months after admission. Primary outcome is the 12-months incidence rate of IUD. Secondary outcomes are the reduction of IUD and comorbid symptoms as well as the promotion of problem solving, cognitive restructuring and emotion regulation skills. The indicated preventive intervention PROTECT follows the APA-guidelines for psychological prevention, i.e., it is theory- and evidence-based and addresses both risk-reduction and strength-promotion, it considers current research and epidemiology and ethical standards such as professional secrecy and is designed as a systemic intervention at the school-level. It is expected that the intervention decreases risk of IUD onset (incidence rate). ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02907658.

Performances of different protocols for exocellular polysaccharides extraction from milk acid gels: Application to yogurt.

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Nguyen, An Thi-Binh; Nigen, Michaël; Jimenez, Luciana; Ait-Abderrahim, Hassina; Marchesseau, Sylvie; Picart-Palmade, Laetitia

2018-01-15

Dextran or xanthan were used as model exocellular polysaccharides (EPS) to compare the extraction efficiency of EPS from skim milk acid gels using three different protocols. Extraction yields, residual protein concentrations and the macromolecular properties of extracted EPS were determined. For both model EPS, the highest extraction yield (∼80%) was obtained when samples were heated in acidic conditions at the first step of extraction (Protocol 1). Protocols that contained steps of acid/ethanol precipitation without heating (Protocols 2 and 3) show lower extraction yields (∼55%) but allow a better preservation of the EPS macromolecular properties. Changing the pH of acid gels up to 7 before extraction (Protocol 3) improved the extraction yield of anionic EPS without effect on the macromolecular properties of EPS. Protocol 1 was then applied for the quantification of EPS produced during the yogurt fermentation, while Protocol 3 was dedicated to their macromolecular characterization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioral counseling to prevent childhood obesity – study protocol of a pragmatic trial in maternity and child health care

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Mustila Taina

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Prevention is considered effective in combating the obesity epidemic. Prenatal environment may increase offspring's risk for obesity. A child starts to adopt food preferences and other behavioral habits affecting weight gain during preschool years. We report the study protocol of a pragmatic lifestyle intervention aiming at primary prevention of childhood obesity. Methods/Design A non-randomized controlled pragmatic trial in maternity and child health care clinics. The control group was recruited among families who visited the same clinics one year earlier. Eligibility criteria was mother at risk for gestational diabetes: body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2, macrosomic newborn in any previous pregnancy, immediate family history of diabetes and/or age ≥ 40 years. All maternity clinics in town involved in recruitment. The gestational intervention consisted of individual counseling on diet and physical activity by a public health nurse, and of two group counseling sessions. Intervention continues until offspring’s age of five years. An option to participate a group counseling at child’s age 1 to 2 years was offered. The intervention includes advice on healthy diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleeping pattern. The main outcome measure is offspring BMI z-score and its changes by the age of six years. Discussion Early childhood is a critical time period for prevention of obesity. Pragmatic trials targeting this period are necessary in order to find effective obesity prevention programs feasible in normal health care practice. Trial registration Clinical Trials gov NCT00970710

Impact of Corn Residue Removal on Crop and Soil Productivity

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Johnson, J. M.; Wilhelm, W. W.; Hatfield, J. L.; Voorhees, W. B.; Linden, D.

2003-12-01

Over-reliance on imported fuels, increasing atmospheric levels of greenhouses and sustaining food production for a growing population are three of the most important problems facing society in the mid-term. The US Department of Energy and private enterprise are developing technology necessary to use high cellulose feedstock, such as crop residues, for ethanol production. Based on production levels, corn (Zea mays L.) residue has potential as a biofuel feedstock. Crop residues are a renewable and domestic fuel source, which can reduce the rate of fossil fuel use (both imported and domestic) and provide an additional farm commodity. Crop residues protect the soil from wind and water erosion, provide inputs to form soil organic matter (a critical component determining soil quality) and play a role in nutrient cycling. Crop residues impact radiation balance and energy fluxes and reduce evaporation. Therefore, the benefits of using crop residues as fuel, which removes crop residues from the field, must be balanced against negative environmental impacts (e.g. soil erosion), maintaining soil organic matter levels, and preserving or enhancing productivity. All ramifications of new management practices and crop uses must be explored and evaluated fully before an industry is established. There are limited numbers of long-term studies with soil and crop responses to residue removal that range from negative to negligible. The range of crop and soil responses to crop residue removal was attributed to interactions with climate, management and soil type. Within limits, corn residue can be harvested for ethanol production to provide a renewable, domestic source of energy feedstock that reduces greenhouse gases. Removal rates must vary based on regional yield, climatic conditions and cultural practices. Agronomists are challenged to develop a protocol (tool) for recommending maximum permissible removal rates that ensure sustained soil productivity.

DCE: A Distributed Energy-Efficient Clustering Protocol for Wireless Sensor Network Based on Double-Phase Cluster-Head Election.

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Han, Ruisong; Yang, Wei; Wang, Yipeng; You, Kaiming

2017-05-01

Clustering is an effective technique used to reduce energy consumption and extend the lifetime of wireless sensor network (WSN). The characteristic of energy heterogeneity of WSNs should be considered when designing clustering protocols. We propose and evaluate a novel distributed energy-efficient clustering protocol called DCE for heterogeneous wireless sensor networks, based on a Double-phase Cluster-head Election scheme. In DCE, the procedure of cluster head election is divided into two phases. In the first phase, tentative cluster heads are elected with the probabilities which are decided by the relative levels of initial and residual energy. Then, in the second phase, the tentative cluster heads are replaced by their cluster members to form the final set of cluster heads if any member in their cluster has more residual energy. Employing two phases for cluster-head election ensures that the nodes with more energy have a higher chance to be cluster heads. Energy consumption is well-distributed in the proposed protocol, and the simulation results show that DCE achieves longer stability periods than other typical clustering protocols in heterogeneous scenarios.

Effects of falls prevention interventions on falls outcomes for hospitalised adults: protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis.

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Slade, Susan C; Carey, David L; Hill, Anne-Marie; Morris, Meg E

2017-11-12

Falls are a major global public health problem and leading cause of accidental or unintentional injury and hospitalisation. Falls in hospital are associated with longer length of stay, readmissions and poor outcomes. Falls prevention is informed by knowledge of reversible falls risk factors and accurate risk identification. The extent to which hospital falls are prevented by evidence-based practice, patient self-management initiatives, environmental modifications and optimisation of falls prevention systems awaits confirmation. Published reviews have mainly evaluated community settings and residential care facilities. A better understanding of hospital falls and the most effective strategies to prevent them is vital to keeping people safe. To evaluate the effectiveness of falls prevention interventions on reducing falls in hospitalised adults (acute and subacute wards, rehabilitation, mental health, operating theatre and emergency departments). We also summarise components of effective falls prevention interventions. This protocol has been registered. The systematic review will be informed by Cochrane guidelines and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis statement. randomised controlled trials, quasi-randomised trials or controlled clinical trials that evaluate falls prevention interventions for use by hospitalised adults or employees. Electronic databases will be searched using key terms including falls, accidental falls, prevention, hospital, rehabilitation, emergency, mental health, acute and subacute. Pairs of independent reviewers will conduct all review steps. Included studies will be evaluated for risk of bias. Data for variables such as age, participant characteristics, settings and interventions will be extracted and analysed with descriptive statistics and meta-analysis where possible. The results will be presented textually, with flow charts, summary tables, statistical analysis (and meta

Catheter for Cleaning Surgical Optics During Surgical Procedures: A Possible Solution for Residue Buildup and Fogging in Video Surgery.

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de Abreu, Igor Renato Louro Bruno; Abrão, Fernando Conrado; Silva, Alessandra Rodrigues; Corrêa, Larissa Teresa Cirera; Younes, Riad Nain

2015-05-01

Currently, there is a tendency to perform surgical procedures via laparoscopic or thoracoscopic access. However, even with the impressive technological advancement in surgical materials, such as improvement in quality of monitors, light sources, and optical fibers, surgeons have to face simple problems that can greatly hinder surgery by video. One is the formation of "fog" or residue buildup on the lens, causing decreased visibility. Intracavitary techniques for cleaning surgical optics and preventing fog formation have been described; however, some of these techniques employ the use of expensive and complex devices designed solely for this purpose. Moreover, these techniques allow the cleaning of surgical optics when they becomes dirty, which does not prevent the accumulation of residue in the optics. To solve this problem we have designed a device that allows cleaning the optics with no surgical stops and prevents the fogging and residue accumulation. The objective of this study is to evaluate through experimental testing the effectiveness of a simple device that prevents the accumulation of residue and fogging of optics used in surgical procedures performed through thoracoscopic or laparoscopic access. Ex-vivo experiments were performed simulating the conditions of residue presence in surgical optics during a video surgery. The experiment consists in immersing the optics and catheter set connected to the IV line with crystalloid solution in three types of materials: blood, blood plus fat solution, and 200 mL of distilled water and 1 vial of methylene blue. The optics coupled to the device were immersed in 200 mL of each type of residue, repeating each immersion 10 times for each distinct residue for both thirty and zero degrees optics, totaling 420 experiments. A success rate of 98.1% was observed after the experiments, in these cases the device was able to clean and prevent the residue accumulation in the optics.

A Novel Smart Routing Protocol for Remote Health Monitoring in Medical Wireless Networks

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T. V. P. Sundararajan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In a Medical Wireless Network (MWN, sensors constantly monitor patient's physiological condition and movement. Inter-MWN communications are set up between the Patient Server and one or more Centralized Coordinators. However, MWNs require protocols with little energy consumption and the self-organizing attribute perceived in ad-hoc networks. The proposed Smart Routing Protocol (SRP selects only the nodes with a higher residual energy and lower traffic density for routing. This approach enhances cooperation among the nodes of a Mobile Ad Hoc Network. Consequently, SRP produces better results than the existing protocols, namely Conditional Min-Max Battery Cost Routing, Min-Max Battery Cost Routing and AdHoc On-demand Distance Vector in terms of network parameters. The performance of the erstwhile schemes for routing protocols is evaluated using the network simulator Qualnet v 4.5.

Radiotracer studies of fungicide residues in food plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-04-01

Agricultural fungicides are chemicals used on seeds, crops and in soils throughout the growing season. Fungicide treatments may lead to various levels of chemical residues in food commodities. Primary emphasis has been placed on ethylenebisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs), an important group of agrofungicides used in preparations for spraying or dusting major crops such as apples, pears, broccoli, cabbages, egg plants, cauliflower, grapes, lettuce, peppers, celery, cucumbers and tomatoes. Treatments with EBDCs result in terminal residues containing ethylenthiourea (ETU). This is a toxicologically significant decomposition product which has attracted considerable attention in recent years due to indications of its potential goitrogenic and carcinogenic properties. In recognition of the need for a coordinated examination of ETU levels in food, particularly under tropical conditions, the program of radiotracer techniques as a tool for studying fungicide residue problems on food was initiated in 1984. In current studies, three EBDCs, maneb, zineb and mancozeb from different manufacturers in different countries were analysed. This report describes the model protocols (Annexes I, II and III) as they were set up for determination of residues in commodities and soil, using radiotracer and conventional chromatographic techniques . In the 16 papers presented in this report C 14 -labelled EBDCs are determined in plants, vegetables, and soils, before and after cooking, as a function of time and of other agricultural parameters. Refs, figs and tabs

Preventing transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease: state of the art

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Fast LD

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Loren D Fast Division of Hematology/Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA Abstract: The transfer of pathogens and the induction of immune responses are deleterious consequences that can result from the transfusion of blood products. Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD, the most severe immune consequence, occurs when recipient immune responses are incapable of effectively eliminating donor leukocytes, permitting unabated responses of the donor T lymphocytes. Currently, prevention of TA-GVHD is routinely accomplished by exposing blood products to γ-irradiation in order to prevent donor T cell proliferation. Alternative protocols are being developed to meet the challenges associated with the use of γ-irradiation. Use of pathogen reduction protocols, which interfere with nucleic acid replication by modifying nucleic acids, are increasing. Comparison of pathogen reduction protocols with γ-irradiation have found that both protocols are equally effective in preventing T lymphocyte proliferation and GVHD responses when testing in both in vitro and in vivo models. The potential use of pathogen reduction protocols to treat whole blood prior to separation into its components could provide a cost-effective method for preventing TA-GVHD in the future. Keywords: blood transfusion, GVHD, pathogen reduction, irradiation

Preventive Biomechanics: A Paradigm Shift With a Translational Approach to Injury Prevention.

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Hewett, Timothy E; Bates, Nathaniel A

2017-09-01

Preventive medicine techniques have alleviated billions of dollars' worth of the economic burden in the medical care system through the implementation of vaccinations and screenings before the onset of disease symptoms. Knowledge of biomechanical tendencies has progressed rapidly over the past 20 years such that clinicians can identify, in healthy athletes, the underlying mechanisms that lead to catastrophic injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures. As such, preventive medicine concepts can be applied to noncontact musculoskeletal injuries to reduce the economic burden of sports medicine treatments and enhance the long-term health of athletes. To illustrate the practical medical benefits that could be gained from preventive biomechanics applied to the ACL as well as the need and feasibility for the broad implementation of these principles. Literature review. The recent literature pertinent to the screening and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries was reviewed and compiled into a clinical commentary on the current state and applicability of preventive biomechanics. Investigators have identified neuromuscular training protocols that screen for and correct the underlying biomechanical deficits that lead to ACL injuries. The literature shows that when athletes comply with these prescribed training protocols, the incidence of injuries is significantly reduced within that population. Such preventive biomechanics practices employ basic training methods that would be familiar to athletic coaches and have the potential to save billions of dollars in cost in sports medicine. The widespread implementation of preventive biomechanics concepts could profoundly affect the field of sports medicine with a minimum of initial investment.

A Study on the Residual Stress Improvement of PWSCC(Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking) in DMW(Dissimilar Metal Weld)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Sung Sik; Kim, Seok Hun; Lee, Seung Gun; Park, Heung Bae

2010-01-01

Since 2000s, most of the cracks are found in welds, especially in (DMW) dissimilar metal welds such as pressurizer safety relief nozzle, reactor head penetration, reactor bottom mounted instrumentation (BMI), and reactor nozzles. Even the cracks are revealed as a primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC), it is difficult to find the cracks by current non destructive examination. The PWSCC is occurred by three incident factors, such as susceptible material, environmental corrosive condition, and welding residual stress. If one of the three factors can be erased or decreased, the PWSCC could be prevented. In this study, we performed residual stress analysis for DMW and several residual stress improvement methods. As the preventive methods of PWSCC, we used laser peening(IP) method, inlay weld(IW) method, and induction heating stress improvement(IHSI) method. The effect of residual stress improvement for preventive methods was compared and discussed by finite element modeling and residual stress of repaired DMW

Development and Pilot Implementation of a Search Protocol to Improve Patient Safety on a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit.

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Abela-Dimech, Frances; Johnston, Kim; Strudwick, Gillian

A mental health organization in Ontario, Canada, noted an increase in unsafe items entering locked inpatient units. The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a search protocol to improve patient, staff, and visitor safety by preventing unsafe items from entering a locked inpatient unit. Under the guidance of a clinical nurse specialist, an interprofessional team used the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis framework to identify what items were considered unsafe, how these unsafe items were entering the unit, and what strategies could be used to prevent these items from entering the unit. A standardized search protocol was identified as a strategy to prevent items from entering the unit. The standardized search protocol was developed and piloted on 1 unit. To support the search protocol, an interprofessional team created a poster using a mnemonic aid to educate patients, staff, and visitors about which items could not be brought onto the unit. Educational sessions on the search protocol were provided for staff. The difference between the number of incidents before and after the implementation of the search protocol was statistically significant. Safety on an inpatient unit was increased as incidents of unsafe items entering the unit decreased.

Evaluating Protocol Lifecycle Time Intervals in HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials

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Schouten, Jeffrey T.; Dixon, Dennis; Varghese, Suresh; Cope, Marie T.; Marci, Joe; Kagan, Jonathan M.

2014-01-01

Background Identifying efficacious interventions for the prevention and treatment of human diseases depends on the efficient development and implementation of controlled clinical trials. Essential to reducing the time and burden of completing the clinical trial lifecycle is determining which aspects take the longest, delay other stages, and may lead to better resource utilization without diminishing scientific quality, safety, or the protection of human subjects. Purpose In this study we modeled time-to-event data to explore relationships between clinical trial protocol development and implementation times, as well as identify potential correlates of prolonged development and implementation. Methods We obtained time interval and participant accrual data from 111 interventional clinical trials initiated between 2006 and 2011 by NIH’s HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Networks. We determined the time (in days) required to complete defined phases of clinical trial protocol development and implementation. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to assess the rates at which protocols reached specified terminal events, stratified by study purpose (therapeutic, prevention) and phase group (pilot/phase I, phase II, and phase III/ IV). We also examined several potential correlates to prolonged development and implementation intervals. Results Even though phase grouping did not determine development or implementation times of either therapeutic or prevention studies, overall we observed wide variation in protocol development times. Moreover, we detected a trend toward phase III/IV therapeutic protocols exhibiting longer developmental (median 2 ½ years) and implementation times (>3years). We also found that protocols exceeding the median number of days for completing the development interval had significantly longer implementation. Limitations The use of a relatively small set of protocols may have limited our ability to detect differences across phase groupings. Some timing effects

School-based intervention to prevent overweight and disordered eating in secondary school Malaysian adolescents: a study protocol.

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Sharif Ishak, Sharifah Intan Zainun; Chin, Yit Siew; Mohd Taib, Mohd Nasir; Mohd Shariff, Zalilah

2016-10-20

Obesity, eating disorders and unhealthy weight-loss practices have been associated with diminished growth in adolescents worldwide. Interventions that address relevant behavioural dimensions have been lacking in Malaysia. This paper describes the protocol of an integrated health education intervention namely 'Eat Right, Be Positive About Your Body and Live Actively' (EPaL), a primary prevention which aimed to promote healthy lifestyle in preventing overweight and disordered eating among secondary school adolescents aged 13-14 years old. Following quasi-experimental design, the intervention is conducted in two secondary schools located in the district of Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. Adolescents aged 13-14 years will be included in the study. A peer-education strategy is adopted to convey knowledge and teach skills relevant to achieving a healthy lifestyle. The intervention mainly promoted: healthy eating, positive body image and active lifestyle. The following parameters will be assessed: body weight, disordered eating status, stages of change (for healthy diet, breakfast, food portion size, screen viewing and physical activity), body image, health-related quality of life, self-esteem, eating and physical activity behaviours; and knowledge, attitude and practice towards a healthy lifestyle. Assessment will be conducted at three time points: baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. It is hypothesized that EPaL intervention will contribute in preventing overweight and disordered eating by giving the positive effects on body weight status, healthy lifestyle behaviour, as well as health-related quality of life of peer educators and participants. It may serve as a model for similar future interventions designed for the Malaysian community, specifically adolescents. UMIN Clinical Trial Registration UMIN000024349 (Date of registration: 11th. October 2016, retrospectively registered).

Sibanye Methods for Prevention Packages Program Project Protocol: Pilot Study of HIV Prevention Interventions for Men Who Have Sex With Men in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

McNaghten, Ad; Kearns, Rachel; Siegler, Aaron J; Phaswana-Mafuya, Nancy; Bekker, Linda-Gail; Stephenson, Rob; Baral, Stefan D; Brookmeyer, Ron; Yah, Clarence S; Lambert, Andrew J; Brown, Benjamin; Rosenberg, Eli; Blalock Tharp, Mondie; de Voux, Alex; Beyrer, Chris; Sullivan, Patrick S

2014-10-16

-negative men. Formative qualitative research consisted of 79 in-depth interviews, and six focus group discussions in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Analysis of these data has informed pilot study protocol development and has been documented in peer-reviewed manuscripts. Qualitative work regarding stigma faced by South African MSM resulted in finalized scales for use in the pilot study questionnaire. A total of 37 health care providers completed training designed to facilitate clinically and culturally competent care for MSM in the Eastern Cape. The design of a future, larger study of the HIV prevention package will be conducted at the end of the pilot study, powered to detect efficacy of the prevention package. Data from the updated mathematical model, results of the pilot study, acceptability data, and advancements in HIV prevention sciences will be considered in developing the final proposed package and study design. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02043015; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02043015 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6THvp7rAj).

Residual nilpotence and residual solubility of groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikhailov, R V

2005-01-01

The properties of the residual nilpotence and the residual solubility of groups are studied. The main objects under investigation are the class of residually nilpotent groups such that each central extension of these groups is also residually nilpotent and the class of residually soluble groups such that each Abelian extension of these groups is residually soluble. Various examples of groups not belonging to these classes are constructed by homological methods and methods of the theory of modules over group rings. Several applications of the theory under consideration are presented and problems concerning the residual nilpotence of one-relator groups are considered.

Retrospective analysis of prostate cancer patients with implanted gold markers using off-line and adaptive therapy protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litzenberg, Dale W.; Balter, James M.; Lam, Kwok L.; Sandler, Howard M.; Ten Haken, Randall K.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of applying adaptive and off-line setup correction models to bony anatomy and gold fiducial markers implanted in the prostate, relative to daily alignment to skin tattoos and daily on-line corrections of the implanted gold markers. Methods and Materials: Ten prostate cancer patients with implanted gold fiducial markers were treated using a daily on-line setup correction protocol. The patients' positions were aligned to skin tattoos and two orthogonal diagnostic digital radiographs were obtained before treatment each day. These radiographs were compared with digitally reconstructed radiographs to obtain the translational setup errors of the bony anatomy and gold markers. The adaptive, no-action-level and shrinking-action-level off-line protocols were retrospectively applied to the bony anatomy to determine the change in the setup errors of the gold markers. The protocols were also applied to the gold markers directly to determine the residual setup errors. Results: The percentage of remaining fractions that the gold markers fell within the adaptive margins constructed with 1.5σ' (estimated random variation) after 5, 10, and 15 measurement fractions was 74%, 88%, and 93% for the prone patients and 55%, 77%, and 93% for the supine patients, respectively. Using 2σ', the percentage after 5, 10, and 15 measurements was 85%, 95%, and 97% for the prone patients and 68%, 87%, and 99% for the supine patients, respectively. The average initial three-dimensional (3D) setup error of the gold markers was 0.92 cm for the prone patients and 0.70 cm for the supine patients. Application of the no-action-level protocol to bony anatomy with N m = 3 days resulted in significant benefit to 4 of 10 patients, but 3 were significantly worse. The residual average 3D setup error of the gold markers was 1.14 cm and 0.51 cm for the prone and supine patients, respectively. When applied directly to the gold markers with N m = 3 days, 5 patients benefited and

[THE COMPARISON OF RESULTS OF DETECTION OF MINIMAL RESIDUAL DISEASE IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD AND MARROW IN CHILDREN OF THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUCOSIS].

Science.gov (United States)

Tsaur, G A; Riger, T O; Popov, A M; Nasedkina, T V; Kustanovich, A M; Solodovnikov, A G; Streneva, O V; Shorikov, E V; Tsvirenko, S V; Saveliev, L I; Fechina, L G

2015-04-01

The occurrence of minimal residual disease is an important prognostic factor under acute lymphoblastic leucosis in children and adults. In overwhelming majority of research studies bone marrow is used to detect minimal residual disease. The comparative characteristic of detection of minimal residual disease in peripheral blood and bone marrow was carried out. The prognostic role of occurrence of minimal residual disease in peripheral blood and bone marrow under therapy according protocol MLL-Baby was evaluated. The analysis embraced 142 pair samples from 53 patients with acute lymphoblastic leucosis and various displacements of gene MLL younger than 365 days. The minimal residual disease was detected by force of identification of chimeric transcripts using polymerase chain reaction in real-time mode in 7 sequential points of observation established by protocol of therapy. The comparability of results of qualitative detection of minimal residual disease in bone marrow and peripheral blood amounted to 84.5%. At that, in all 22 (15.5%) discordant samples minimal residual disease was detected only in bone marrow. Despite of high level of comparability of results of detection of minimal residual disease in peripheral blood and bone marrow the occurrence of minimal residual disease in peripheral blood at various stages of therapy demonstrated no independent prognostic significance. The established differences had no relationship with sensitivity of method determined by value of absolute expression of gene ABL. Most likely, these differences reflected real distribution of tumor cells. The results of study demonstrated that application of peripheral blood instead of bone marrow for monitoring of minimal residual disease under acute lymphoblastic leucosis in children of first year of life is inappropriate. At the same time, retention of minimal residual disease in TH4 in bone marrow was an independent and prognostic unfavorable factor under therapy of acute lymphoblastic

Multi-Gateway-Based Energy Holes Avoidance Routing Protocol for WSN

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Rohini Sharma

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In wireless sensor networks (WSNs, efficient energy conservation is required to prolong the lifetime of the network. In this work, we have given emphasis on balanced energy consumption and energy holes avoidance. This paper proposes a multi-gateway-based approach to reduce the transmission distance between the sender and the sink node. The area to be monitored is divided into regions and gateway nodes are deployed at optimal positions. We have designed a transmission scheme, in which sensors in the sink region communicate directly to the sink, sensors in the gateway region communicate directly to the gateway, and sensors in the cluster region transmit their data directly to their respective cluster head which transmits data to the gateway in its region. If the distance between a cluster head and the sink is less than the distance between the cluster head and the gateway node, the cluster head transmits data to the sink instead of the gateway node. We have compared the proposed protocol with Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH, Gateway Based Energy Aware Multi-Hop Routing (M-GEAR, and Gateway Based Stable Election Protocol (GSEP protocols. The protocol performs better than other protocols in terms of throughput, stability period, lifetime, residual energy, and the packet transmitted to the sink.

Controlled Delegation Protocol in Mobile RFID Networks

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Yang MingHour

2010-01-01

Full Text Available To achieve off-line delegation for mobile readers, we propose a delegation protocol for mobile RFID allowing its readers access to specific tags through back-end server. That is to say, reader-tag mutual authentication can be performed without readers being connected to back-end server. Readers are also allowed off-line access to tags' data. Compared with other delegation protocols, our scheme uniquely enables back-end server to limit each reader's reading times during delegation. Even in a multireader situation, our protocol can limit reading times and reading time periods for each of them and therefore makes back-end server's delegation more flexible. Besides, our protocol can prevent authorized readers from transferring their authority to the unauthorized, declining invalid access to tags. Our scheme is proved viable and secure with GNY logic; it is against certain security threats, such as replay attacks, denial of service (DoS attacks, Man-in-the-Middle attacks, counterfeit tags, and breaches of location and data privacy. Also, the performance analysis of our protocol proves that current tags can afford the computation load required in this scheme.

Effective Data Acquisition Protocol for Multi-Hop Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks Using Compressive Sensing

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Ahmed M. Khedr

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In designing wireless sensor networks (WSNs, it is important to reduce energy dissipation and prolong network lifetime. Clustering of nodes is one of the most effective approaches for conserving energy in WSNs. Cluster formation protocols generally consider the heterogeneity of sensor nodes in terms of energy difference of nodes but ignore the different transmission ranges of them. In this paper, we propose an effective data acquisition clustered protocol using compressive sensing (EDACP-CS for heterogeneous WSNs that aims to conserve the energy of sensor nodes in the presence of energy and transmission range heterogeneity. In EDACP-CS, cluster heads are selected based on the distance from the base station and sensor residual energy. Simulation results show that our protocol offers a much better performance than the existing protocols in terms of energy consumption, stability, network lifetime, and throughput.

A new approach for applying residual dipolar couplings as restraints in structure elucidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meiler, Jens; Blomberg, Niklas; Nilges, Michael; Griesinger, Christian

2000-01-01

Residual dipolar couplings are useful global structural restraints. The dipolar couplings define the orientation of a vector with respect to the alignment tensor. Although the size of the alignment tensor can be derived from the distribution of the experimental dipolar couplings, its orientation with respect to the coordinate system of the molecule is unknown at the beginning of structure determination. This causes convergence problems in the simulated annealing process. We therefore propose a protocol that translates dipolar couplings into intervector projection angles, which are independent of the orientation of the alignment tensor with respect to the molecule. These restraints can be used during the whole simulated annealing protocol

School-based intervention to prevent overweight and disordered eating in secondary school Malaysian adolescents: a study protocol

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Sharifah Intan Zainun Sharif Ishak

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obesity, eating disorders and unhealthy weight-loss practices have been associated with diminished growth in adolescents worldwide. Interventions that address relevant behavioural dimensions have been lacking in Malaysia. This paper describes the protocol of an integrated health education intervention namely ‘Eat Right, Be Positive About Your Body and Live Actively’ (EPaL, a primary prevention which aimed to promote healthy lifestyle in preventing overweight and disordered eating among secondary school adolescents aged 13–14 years old. Methods/Design Following quasi-experimental design, the intervention is conducted in two secondary schools located in the district of Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. Adolescents aged 13–14 years will be included in the study. A peer-education strategy is adopted to convey knowledge and teach skills relevant to achieving a healthy lifestyle. The intervention mainly promoted: healthy eating, positive body image and active lifestyle. The following parameters will be assessed: body weight, disordered eating status, stages of change (for healthy diet, breakfast, food portion size, screen viewing and physical activity, body image, health-related quality of life, self-esteem, eating and physical activity behaviours; and knowledge, attitude and practice towards a healthy lifestyle. Assessment will be conducted at three time points: baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Discussion It is hypothesized that EPaL intervention will contribute in preventing overweight and disordered eating by giving the positive effects on body weight status, healthy lifestyle behaviour, as well as health-related quality of life of peer educators and participants. It may serve as a model for similar future interventions designed for the Malaysian community, specifically adolescents. Trial registration UMIN Clinical Trial Registration UMIN000024349 (Date of registration: 11th. October 2016

Team Training and Institutional Protocols to Prevent Shoulder Dystocia Complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Samuel

2016-12-01

Shoulder dystocia is an obstetrical emergency that may result in significant neonatal complications. It requires rapid recognition and a coordinated response. Standardization of care, teamwork and communication, and clinical simulation are the key components of patient safety programs in obstetrics. Simulation-based team training and institutional protocols for the management of shoulder dystocia are emerging as integral components of many labor and delivery safety initiatives because of their impact on technical skills and team performance.

Achieving sink node anonymity in tactical wireless sensor networks using a reactive routing protocol

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

node anonymity, base station anonymity, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET), Lightweight Ad hoc On-Demand – Next Generation ... Generation (LOADng) reactive-routing protocol to achieve anonymity. This modified protocol prevents an attacker from identifying the sink node without...within the constraints of WSN communication protocols, specifically IEEE 802.15.4. We use and modify the Lightweight Ad hoc On-Demand – Next Generation

An energy-efficient data gathering protocol in large wireless sensor network

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yamin; Zhang, Ruihua; Tao, Shizhong

2006-11-01

Wireless sensor network consisting of a large number of small sensors with low-power transceiver can be an effective tool for gathering data in a variety of environment. The collected data must be transmitted to the base station for further processing. Since a network consists of sensors with limited battery energy, the method for data gathering and routing must be energy efficient in order to prolong the lifetime of the network. In this paper, we presented an energy-efficient data gathering protocol in wireless sensor network. The new protocol used data fusion technology clusters nodes into groups and builds a chain among the cluster heads according to a hybrid of the residual energy and distance to the base station. Results in stochastic geometry are used to derive the optimum parameter of our algorithm that minimizes the total energy spent in the network. Simulation results show performance superiority of the new protocol.

Nuclear reactor with makeup water assist from residual heat removal system

Science.gov (United States)

Corletti, Michael M.; Schulz, Terry L.

1993-01-01

A pressurized water nuclear reactor uses its residual heat removal system to make up water in the reactor coolant circuit from an in-containment refueling water supply during staged depressurization leading up to passive emergency cooling by gravity feed from the refueling water storage tank, and flooding of the containment building. When depressurization commences due to inadvertence or a manageable leak, the residual heat removal system is activated manually and prevents flooding of the containment when such action is not necessary. Operation of the passive cooling system is not impaired. A high pressure makeup water storage tank is coupled to the reactor coolant circuit, holding makeup coolant at the operational pressure of the reactor. The staged depressurization system vents the coolant circuit to the containment, thus reducing the supply of makeup coolant. The level of makeup coolant can be sensed to trigger opening of successive depressurization conduits. The residual heat removal pumps move water from the refueling water storage tank into the coolant circuit as the coolant circuit is depressurized, preventing reaching the final depressurization stage unless the makeup coolant level continues to drop. The residual heat removal system can also be coupled in a loop with the refueling water supply tank, for an auxiliary heat removal path.

Nuclear reactor with makeup water assist from residual heat removal system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corletti, M.M.; Schulz, T.L.

1993-01-01

A pressurized water nuclear reactor uses its residual heat removal system to make up water in the reactor coolant circuit from an in-containment refueling water supply during staged depressurization leading up to passive emergency cooling by gravity feed from the refueling water storage tank, and flooding of the containment building. When depressurization commences due to inadvertence or a manageable leak, the residual heat removal system is activated manually and prevents flooding of the containment when such action is not necessary. Operation of the passive cooling system is not impaired. A high pressure makeup water storage tank is coupled to the reactor coolant circuit, holding makeup coolant at the operational pressure of the reactor. The staged depressurization system vents the coolant circuit to the containment, thus reducing the supply of makeup coolant. The level of makeup coolant can be sensed to trigger opening of successive depressurization conduits. The residual heat removal pumps move water from the refueling water storage tank into the coolant circuit as the coolant circuit is depressurized, preventing reaching the final depressurization stage unless the makeup coolant level continues to drop. The residual heat removal system can also be coupled in a loop with the refueling water supply tank, for an auxiliary heat removal path. 2 figures

Nuclear reactor with makeup water assist from residual heat removal system

Science.gov (United States)

Corletti, M.M.; Schulz, T.L.

1993-12-07

A pressurized water nuclear reactor uses its residual heat removal system to make up water in the reactor coolant circuit from an in-containment refueling water supply during staged depressurization leading up to passive emergency cooling by gravity feed from the refueling water storage tank, and flooding of the containment building. When depressurization commences due to inadvertence or a manageable leak, the residual heat removal system is activated manually and prevents flooding of the containment when such action is not necessary. Operation of the passive cooling system is not impaired. A high pressure makeup water storage tank is coupled to the reactor coolant circuit, holding makeup coolant at the operational pressure of the reactor. The staged depressurization system vents the coolant circuit to the containment, thus reducing the supply of makeup coolant. The level of makeup coolant can be sensed to trigger opening of successive depressurization conduits. The residual heat removal pumps move water from the refueling water storage tank into the coolant circuit as the coolant circuit is depressurized, preventing reaching the final depressurization stage unless the makeup coolant level continues to drop. The residual heat removal system can also be coupled in a loop with the refueling water supply tank, for an auxiliary heat removal path. 2 figures.

Relapse prevention and residual symptoms: a closer analysis of placebo-controlled continuation studies with escitalopram in major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Bech, Per; Lönn, Sara L; Overø, Kerstin F

2010-02-01

Analyses of data from 4 relapse-prevention studies with escitalopram were conducted in order to compare patients with and without residual symptoms with regard to relapse rates and global illness during double-blind, 24-week continuation periods. Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scores and relapse status in 4 studies published from 2005 to 2007, 1 each in major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), were analyzed using mixed-effects model repeated measures as a function of Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores on items 1, 3, and 7 at randomization. All studies showed a statistically significant (P 0) and without residual symptoms (MADRS score = 0) at the start of continuation treatment were defined by how patients scored on 3 core items of the MADRS: depressed mood (observed), inner or psychic tension, and lassitude. At randomization, patients with a residual symptom were globally more ill than patients without such a symptom. Patients who did not continue active treatment worsened, even if they were initially free of a residual symptom. In contrast, patients who continued receiving escitalopram remained stable or further improved, regardless of residual symptoms or diagnosis. No clear picture emerged regarding whether patients with residual symptoms had a higher relapse rate. The presence of residual symptoms is associated with significantly worse overall illness severity in all 4 diagnostic groups and with a higher (although not significantly) risk of relapse for patients with MDD or OCD. The greatest difference in all of the studies was between patients treated with escitalopram (relapse rates ~ 20%) and placebo (relapse rates of about 50%). Copyright 2010 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Efficacy of long-acting release octreotide for preventing chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea: protocol for a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Chao; Deng, Bo; Jia, Liqun; Tan, Huangying

2017-06-21

Diarrhoea is a common adverse effect induced by chemotherapy that can reduce the dose of chemotherapeutic drugs or interrupt the chemotherapy schedule. The current treatment strategies have various limitations. It has been shown that long-acting release octreotide (octreotide LAR) can decrease the occurrence and severity of diarrhoea, yet the efficacy of octreotide LAR in preventing chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea (CID) remains to be assessed. The main objective of this paper was to draw up a protocol for systematic review to evaluate the protective effects of octreotide LAR on CID. We searched Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data and the VIP Database without language restrictions from inception until 1 September 2016. The references of relevant studies were also manually searched. Two investigators independently accessed the selected studies, extracted data and assessed the reliability of the studies. Any discrepancies were resolved by a third investigator. The effect size of the selected studies was assessed by different measures based on the type of data. The selected studies were descriptively analysed. We then chose a fixed-effect model or a random-effect model based on statistical homogeneity, and pooled data from the studies for meta-analysis, if possible. The primary outcome was the incidence of diarrhoea. The secondary outcomes were the duration of diarrhoea, incidence of diarrhoea-associated symptoms, physical function and quality of life. All statistical analyses were performed by Review Manager V.5.3. This systematic review did not require ethics approval, because it included aggregated published data, and not individual patient data. The review was published in a peer-reviewed journal. This systematic review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD 42016048573). © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights

Panel-reactive antibody levels and renal transplantation rates in sensitized patients after desensitization and human leucocyte antigen amino acid residue matching.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Wenjun; Dong, Laidong; Feng, Guiwen; Wang, Yue; Pang, Xinlu; Li, Jinfeng; Liu, Lei; Zhang, Weihong

2013-08-01

To determine whether a new desensitization protocol (mycophenolate mofetil [MMF], plasmapheresis and antithymocyte globulin [ATG], complemented with human leucocyte antigen [HLA] amino acid residue matching) could reduce panel-reactive antibody (PRA) levels in sensitized patients, to facilitate successful renal transplantation. Patients awaiting transplantation with PRA levels >10% received treatment with MMF; those with PRA levels >30% were also treated with plasmapheresis. Patients whose PRA level was desensitization were eligible for transplantation. When a donor became available, traditional HLA matching and HLA amino acid residue matching were performed. All patients received ATG induction therapy postoperatively. Thirty-two sensitized patients were enrolled. Desensitization produced a significant decrease in PRA levels; 27 patients (84.4%) became eligible for transplantation and 26 (81.2%) subsequently underwent successful transplantation. Residue matching improved the proportion with a mismatch number of 0-1 from 7.7% to 65.4%, compared with traditional HLA matching. Postoperatively, all patients showed immediate graft function. Acute rejection occurred in three patients (11.5%) and infections in seven patients (25.9%); all were treated successfully. The combination of a desensitization protocol (MMF, plasmapheresis and ATG) and residue matching appears to be an effective strategy for sensitized patients awaiting renal transplantation.

Prevention of hypertension in patients with pre-hypertension: protocol for the PREVER-prevention trial

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Neto José

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Blood pressure (BP within pre-hypertensive levels confers higher cardiovascular risk and is an intermediate stage for full hypertension, which develops in an annual rate of 7 out of 100 individuals with 40 to 50 years of age. Non-drug interventions to prevent hypertension have had low effectiveness. In individuals with previous cardiovascular disease or diabetes, the use of BP-lowering agents reduces the incidence of major cardiovascular events. In the absence of higher baseline risk, the use of BP agents reduces the incidence of hypertension. The PREVER-prevention trial aims to investigate the efficacy, safety and feasibility of a population-based intervention to prevent the incidence of hypertension and the development of target-organ damage. Methods This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, with participants aged 30 to 70 years, with pre-hypertension. The trial arms will be chlorthalidone 12.5 mg plus amiloride 2.5 mg or identical placebo. The primary outcomes will be the incidence of hypertension, adverse events and development or worsening of microalbuminuria and of left ventricular hypertrophy in the EKG. The secondary outcomes will be fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events: myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, evidence of new sub-clinical atherosclerosis, and sudden death. The study will last 18 months. The sample size was calculated on the basis of an incidence of hypertension of 14% in the control group, a size effect of 40%, power of 85% and P alpha of 5%, resulting in 625 participants per group. The project was approved by the Ethics committee of each participating institution. Discussion The early use of blood pressure-lowering drugs, particularly diuretics, which act on the main mechanism of blood pressure rising with age, may prevent cardiovascular events and the incidence of hypertension in individuals with hypertension. If this intervention shows to be effective and safe

A police education programme to integrate occupational safety and HIV prevention: protocol for a modified stepped-wedge study design with parallel prospective cohorts to assess behavioural outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Strathdee, Steffanie A; Arredondo, Jaime; Rocha, Teresita; Abramovitz, Daniela; Rolon, Maria Luisa; Patiño Mandujano, Efrain; Rangel, Maria Gudelia; Olivarria, Horcasitas Omar; Gaines, Tommi; Patterson, Thomas L; Beletsky, Leo

2015-01-01

Introduction Policing practices are key drivers of HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID). This paper describes the protocol for the first study to prospectively examine the impact of a police education programme (PEP) to align law enforcement and HIV prevention. PEPs incorporating HIV prevention (including harm reduction programmes like syringe exchange) have been successfully piloted in several countries but were limited to brief pre–post assessments; the impact of PEPs on policing behaviours and occupational safety is unknown. Objectives Proyecto ESCUDO (SHIELD) aims to evaluate the efficacy of the PEP on uptake of occupational safety procedures, as assessed through the incidence of needle stick injuries (NSIs) (primary outcome) and changes in knowledge of transmission, prevention and treatment of HIV and viral hepatitis; attitudes towards PWID, adverse behaviours that interfere with HIV prevention and protective behaviours (secondary outcomes). Methods/analysis ESCUDO is a hybrid type I design that simultaneously tests an intervention and an implementation strategy. Using a modified stepped-wedge design involving all active duty street-level police officers in Tijuana (N=∼1200), we will administer one 3 h PEP course to groups of 20–50 officers until the entire force is trained. NSI incidence and geocoded arrest data will be assessed from department-wide de-identified data. Of the consenting police officers, a subcohort (N=500) will be randomly sampled from each class to undergo pre-PEP and post-PEP surveys with a semiannual follow-up for 2 years to assess self-reported NSIs, attitudes and behaviour changes. The impact on PWIDs will be externally validated through a parallel cohort of Tijuana PWIDs. Ethics/dissemination Research ethics approval was obtained from the USA and Mexico. Findings will be disseminated through open access to protocol materials through the Law Enforcement and HIV Network. Trial registration number NCT02444403. PMID:26260350

Effectiveness of the home-based alcohol prevention program "In control: No alcohol!": study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

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Verdurmen Jacqueline EE

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the Netherlands, children start to drink at an early age; of the Dutch 12-year olds, 40% reports lifetime alcohol use, while 9.7% reports last-month drinking. Starting to drink at an early age puts youth at risk of developing several alcohol-related problems later in life. Recently, a home-based prevention program called "In control: No alcohol!" was developed to delay the age of alcohol onset in children. The main aim of this project is to conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Methods/Design The prevention program will be tested with an RCT among mothers and their 6 grade primary school children (11-12 years old, randomly assigned to the prevention or control condition. The program consists of five printed magazines and an activity book designed to improve parental alcohol-specific socialization. Parent-child dyads in the control group receive a factsheet information brochure, which is the standard alcohol brochure of the Trimbos Institute (the Netherlands Institute for Mental Health and Addiction. Outcome measures are initiation of alcohol use (have been drinking at least one glass of alcohol, alcohol-specific parenting, susceptibility to drinking alcohol, alcohol expectancies, self-efficacy, and frequency and intensity of child alcohol use. Questionnaires will be administered online on secured Internet webpages, with personal login codes for both mothers and children. Mothers and children in both the experimental and control condition will be surveyed at baseline and after 6, 12, and 18 months (follow-ups. Discussion The present study protocol presents the design of an RCT evaluating the effectiveness of the home-based "In control: No alcohol!" program for 6 grade primary school children (11-12 years old. It is hypothesized that children in the prevention condition will be less likely to have their first glass of alcohol, compared to the control condition. When the

Rationale, design, and protocol for the prevention of low back pain in the military (POLM trial (NCT00373009

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Dugan Jessica L

2007-09-01

. Soldiers will receive a monthly email that queries whether any LBP was experienced in the previous calendar month. Soldiers reporting LBP will enter episode-specific data related to pain intensity, pain-related disability, fear-avoidance beliefs, and pain catastrophizing. We are hypothesizing that Soldiers receiving the CSEP and PSEP will report the longest duration to first episode of LBP, the lowest frequency of LBP, and the lowest severity of LBP episodes. Statistical comparisons will be made between each of the randomly assigned prevention programs to test our hypotheses related to determining which of the 4 programs is most effective. Discussion We have presented the design and protocol for the POLM trial. Completion of this trial will provide important information on how to effectively train Soldiers for the prevention of LBP. Trial registration NCT00373009

Prevention and assessment of infectious diseases among children and adult migrants arriving to the European Union/European Economic Association: a protocol for a suite of systematic reviews for public health and health systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Pottie, Kevin; Mayhew, Alain D; Morton, Rachael L; Greenaway, Christina; Akl, Elie A; Rahman, Prinon; Zenner, Dominik; Pareek, Manish; Tugwell, Peter; Welch, Vivian; Meerpohl, Joerg; Alonso-Coello, Pablo; Hui, Charles; Biggs, Beverley-Ann; Requena-Méndez, Ana; Agbata, Eric; Noori, Teymur; Schünemann, Holger J

2017-09-11

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is developing evidence-based guidance for voluntary screening, treatment and vaccine prevention of infectious diseases for newly arriving migrants to the European Union/European Economic Area. The objective of this systematic review protocol is to guide the identification, appraisal and synthesis of the best available evidence on prevention and assessment of the following priority infectious diseases: tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis (polio), Haemophilus influenza disease, strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis. The search strategy will identify evidence from existing systematic reviews and then update the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness evidence using prospective trials, economic evaluations and/or recently published systematic reviews. Interdisciplinary teams have designed logic models to help define study inclusion and exclusion criteria, guiding the search strategy and identifying relevant outcomes. We will assess the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. There are no ethical or safety issues. We anticipate disseminating the findings through open-access publications, conference abstracts and presentations. We plan to publish technical syntheses as GRADEpro evidence summaries and the systematic reviews as part of a special edition open-access publication on refugee health. We are following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols reporting guideline. This protocol is registered in PROSPERO: CRD42016045798. © 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.

Quadratic residues and non-residues selected topics

CERN Document Server

Wright, Steve

2016-01-01

This book offers an account of the classical theory of quadratic residues and non-residues with the goal of using that theory as a lens through which to view the development of some of the fundamental methods employed in modern elementary, algebraic, and analytic number theory. The first three chapters present some basic facts and the history of quadratic residues and non-residues and discuss various proofs of the Law of Quadratic Reciprosity in depth, with an emphasis on the six proofs that Gauss published. The remaining seven chapters explore some interesting applications of the Law of Quadratic Reciprocity, prove some results concerning the distribution and arithmetic structure of quadratic residues and non-residues, provide a detailed proof of Dirichlet’s Class-Number Formula, and discuss the question of whether quadratic residues are randomly distributed. The text is a valuable resource for graduate and advanced undergraduate students as well as for mathematicians interested in number theory.

Review of Agricultural Plastic Mulching and Its Residual Pollution and Prevention Measures In China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YAN Chang-rong

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Agricultural plastic film mulching is one of important technologies, but the plastic film pollution has been a serious issue for agri-cultural sustainable development in China. System analysis of this technique and its residue pollution and control ways have vital practicalsignificance for rational application of agricultural plastil film. In this paper, on the basis of our previous work,agricultural plastic filmmulching, its residue pollution and control technologies were concluded. Some important conclusions were found that, the amount of plasticfilm and mulching area had kept increasing with annual increasing rate about 8% since the 80s of the 20th century. From 1991 to 2011, thedensity of plastic film utilized increased 3-10 times, but it has very sharply different spatial pattern in different province. In general, the northand west China has high value, and the increase rate is also huge in the past 20 years. The crops of utilized mulching plastic film have extendedfrom cash crops to grain crops, and the order of crop area is followed by maize, vegetable, cotton, tobacco and peanut. The main functions ofmulching plastic film are keeping soil moisture and increasing soil temperature, against weeds and insect. At the same time, its side effectsappear with continuous utilization. The main problems are residues left in soil to destroy soil structure, impress soil permeability, impede seedgermination as well as water and nutrients uptaking, and block crop root system development. It has very serious pollution for the field utilizedplastic mulching film for long term. The residual amount in soil is about 71.9-259.1 kg·hm-2, and has sharply spatial difference. The residualamount in soil. In Northwest China, is more serious than that in North China and Southwest China. Because of difference of tillage and appli-canon ways, there are great differences on the area and shape of the plastic film piece left in soil. The main types of shapes are flaky

Analysis of minimal residual disease by Ig/TCR gene rearrangements: guidelines for interpretation of real-time quantitative PCR data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Velden, V. H. J.; Cazzaniga, G.; Schrauder, A.; Hancock, J.; Bader, P.; Panzer-Grumayer, E. R.; Flohr, T.; Sutton, R.; Cave, H.; Madsen, H. O.; Cayuela, J. M.; Trka, J.; Eckert, C.; Foroni, L.; Zur Stadt, U.; Beldjord, K.; Raff, T.; van der Schoot, C. E.; van Dongen, J. J. M.

2007-01-01

Most modern treatment protocols for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) include the analysis of minimal residual disease (MRD). To ensure comparable MRD results between different MRD-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratories, standardization and quality control are essential. The European Study

Dual watermarking scheme for secure buyer-seller watermarking protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Mehra, Neelesh; Shandilya, Madhu

2012-04-01

A buyer-seller watermarking protocol utilize watermarking along with cryptography for copyright and copy protection for the seller and meanwhile it also preserve buyers rights for privacy. It enables a seller to successfully identify a malicious seller from a pirated copy, while preventing the seller from framing an innocent buyer and provide anonymity to buyer. Up to now many buyer-seller watermarking protocols have been proposed which utilize more and more cryptographic scheme to solve many common problems such as customer's rights, unbinding problem, buyer's anonymity problem and buyer's participation in the dispute resolution. But most of them are infeasible since the buyer may not have knowledge of cryptography. Another issue is the number of steps to complete the protocols are large, a buyer needs to interact with different parties many times in these protocols, which is very inconvenient for buyer. To overcome these drawbacks, in this paper we proposed dual watermarking scheme in encrypted domain. Since neither of watermark has been generated by buyer so a general layman buyer can use the protocol.

Reading the Kyoto Protocol. Ethical aspects of the convention on climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vermeersch, E.; Weiler, R.; Petrella, R.; Krause, F.; Sachs, W.; Zwart, H.; Keulartz, J.

2005-01-01

The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by urging the international community to take measures preventing 'dangerous man-made interference with the climate system'. Since its publication in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol has triggered heated debates among scientists and politicians. According to a number of critics, the questions as to whether global warming is caused by human intervention, and whether taking appropriate measures could reduce the trend, has not yet been conclusively answered. In a limited number of countries, this situation has led to a delay in the ratification process. Only when these disputes were settled in February 2005 the Kyoto Protocol became legally binding on all the signatories. If predictions are accurate, measures have to be taken to prevent a global catastrophe. This leads to another, much overlooked, but no less important question, namely how mankind can be motivated to accept the burden attached to the measures proposed by the Kyoto Protocol; in other words, how do we find and formulate an ethical basis for measures forcing us to sacrifice some of our wealth and riches, for a cleaner, more sustainable world?

Antibiotic Residues - A Global Health Hazard

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nisha A.R.

Full Text Available Use of Antibiotic that might result in deposition of residues in meat, milk and eggs must not be permitted in food intended for human consumption. If use of antibiotics is necessary as in prevention and treatment of animal diseases, a withholding period must be observed until the residues are negligible or no longer detected. The use of antibiotics to bring about improved performance in growth and feed efficiency, to synchronize or control of reproductive cycle and breeding performance also often lead to harmful residual effects. Concern over antibiotic residues in food of animal origin occurs in two times; one which produces potential threat to direct toxicity in human, second is whether the low levels of antibiotic exposure would result in alteration of microflora, cause disease and the possible development of resistant strains which cause failure of antibiotic therapy in clinical situations. A withdrawal period is established to safeguard human from exposure of antibiotic added food. The withdrawal time is the time required for the residue of toxicological concern to reach safe concentration as defined by tolerance. It is the interval from the time an animal is removed from medication until permitted time of slaughter. Heavy responsibility is placed on the veterinarian and livestock producer to observe the period for a withdrawal of a drug prior to slaughter to assure that illegal concentration of drug residue in meat, milk and egg do not occur. Use of food additives may improve feed efficiency 17% in beef cattle, 10% in lambs, 15% in poultry and 15% in swine. But their indiscriminate use will produce toxicity in consumers. WHO and FAO establish tolerances for a drug, pesticide or other chemical in the relevant tissues of food producing animals. The tolerance is the tissue concentration below, which a marker residue for the drug or chemical must fall in the target tissue before that animal edible tissues are considered safe for human

Energy Threshold-based Cluster Head Rotation for Routing Protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadi Raheem Ali

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Energy efficiency represents a fundamental issue in WSNs, since the network lifetime period entirely depends on the energy of sensor nodes, which are usually battery-operated. In this article, an unequal clustering-based routing protocol has been suggested, where parameters of energy, distance, and density are involved in the cluster head election. Besides, the sizes of clusters are unequal according to distance, energy, and density. Furthermore, the cluster heads are not changed every round unless the residual energy reaches a specific threshold of energy. The outcomes of the conducted simulation confirmed that the performance of the suggested protocol achieves improvement in energy efficiency.

Advancing environmental toxicology through chemical dosimetry: External exposures versus tissue residues

Science.gov (United States)

McCarty, L.S.; Landrum, P.F.; Luoma, S.N.; Meador, J.P.; Merten, A.A.; Shephard, B.K.; van Wezelzz, A.P.

2011-01-01

The tissue residue dose concept has been used, although in a limited manner, in environmental toxicology for more than 100 y. This review outlines the history of this approach and the technical background for organic chemicals and metals. Although the toxicity of both can be explained in tissue residue terms, the relationship between external exposure concentration, body and/or tissues dose surrogates, and the effective internal dose at the sites of toxic action tends to be more complex for metals. Various issues and current limitations related to research and regulatory applications are also examined. It is clear that the tissue residue approach (TRA) should be an integral component in future efforts to enhance the generation, understanding, and utility of toxicity testing data, both in the laboratory and in the field. To accomplish these goals, several key areas need to be addressed: 1) development of a risk-based interpretive framework linking toxicology and ecology at multiple levels of biological organization and incorporating organism-based dose metrics; 2) a broadly applicable, generally accepted classification scheme for modes/mechanisms of toxic action with explicit consideration of residue information to improve both single chemical and mixture toxicity data interpretation and regulatory risk assessment; 3) toxicity testing protocols updated to ensure collection of adequate residue information, along with toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics information, based on explicitly defined toxicological models accompanied by toxicological model validation; 4) continued development of residueeffect databases is needed ensure their ongoing utility; and 5) regulatory guidance incorporating residue-based testing and interpretation approaches, essential in various jurisdictions. ??:2010 SETAC.

Designing protocols for the human teeth biobank of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lina Constanza Gonzáles-Pita

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Protocols in a Tooth Bank are essential in order to assure smooth operation, reproducibility and standardization that minimize cross contamination, maintain original characteristics and physicochemical properties of teeth, fulll ethical and legal regulations and a proper disposal of residues. Objective: to propose the disinfection, storing and transportation protocols for the UNTB. Methods: A literature search was conducted using the words “teeth, human, tooth bank, disinfection, sterilization, storage, organization, biosecurity, biobank, protocol, prevention” in the Pubmed, Science Direct and Scielo databases. 37 papers ranging from 1988 up to 2014 were selected. International and Colombian ethical and legal regulations for organ donation, handling and investigation were taken into account as well as laboratory observations and chemical basic principles gained through several undergraduate and graduate thesis. All this input was carefully studied, analysed and critically modied for setting the recommended processes for the conversion of donated teeth into organs suitable for research. Results: Collection, transportation, cleaning/disinfection and storing protocols were planned and elaborated. Conclusions: Based on scientic literature, national and international regulations and experimental experience, several protocols for the UNTB were presented.

Tachikawa project for prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder with polyunsaturated fatty acid (TPOP): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuoka, Yutaka; Nishi, Daisuke; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Hamazaki, Kei; Matsumura, Kenta; Noguchi, Hiroko; Hashimoto, Kenji; Hamazaki, Tomohito

2013-01-05

Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids after trauma might reduce subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To date, we have shown in an open trial that PTSD symptoms in critically injured patients can be reduced by taking omega-3 fatty acids, hypothesized to stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis. The primary aim of the present randomized controlled trial is to examine the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in the secondary prevention of PTSD following accidental injury, as compared with placebo. This paper describes the rationale and protocol of this trial. The Tachikawa Project for Prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (TPOP) is a double-blinded, parallel group, randomized controlled trial to assess whether omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can prevent PTSD symptoms among accident-injured patients consecutively admitted to an intensive care unit. We plan to recruit accident-injured patients and follow them prospectively for 12 weeks. Enrolled patients will be randomized to either the omega-3 fatty acid supplement group (1,470 mg docosahexaenoic acid and 147 mg eicosapentaenoic acid daily) or placebo group. Primary outcome is score on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). We will need to randomize 140 injured patients to have 90% power to detect a 10-point difference in mean CAPS scores with omega-3 fatty acid supplementation compared with placebo. Secondary measures are diagnosis of PTSD and major depressive disorder, depressive symptoms, physiologic response in the experiment using script-driven imagery and acoustic stimulation, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor, health-related quality of life, resilience, and aggression. Analyses will be by intent to treat. The trial was initiated on December 13 2008, with 104 subjects randomized by November 30 2012. This study promises to be the first trial to provide a novel prevention strategy for PTSD among

Cynodon dactylon extract as a preventive and curative agent in experimentally induced nephrolithiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Atmani, F; Sadki, C; Aziz, M; Mimouni, M; Hacht, B

2009-04-01

Cynodon dactylon (Poaceae family) decoction was used in the treatment of kidney stones. However, no scientific study was undertaken so far to demonstrate the beneficial effect of the plant. Thus, the aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect of Cynodon aqueous extract as a preventive and curative agent in experimentally induced nephrolithiasis in a rat model. Ethylene glycol (EG) was used in the experiment to induce calcium oxalate (CaOx) deposition into kidneys. In preventive protocol, Cynodon decoction was administered in the same day with EG to evaluate the ability of the extract to prevent crystal deposition. However, in curative protocol, rats were first rendered nephrolithiasic and then the extract was administered to assess the ability of the plant to eliminate the pre-existing crystal deposition. In both protocols, urinary biochemical and other variables were measured during the course of the study. Crystalluria and renal histology were examined as well. The results showed that, in both protocols, all measured variables were similar for both the rat groups. Nevertheless, urinary biochemical analysis was apparently unaffected by the extract except oxalate in preventive protocol, and calcium, sodium, and potassium in curative protocol which were significantly highly excreted in treated rats compared to untreated animals. Crystalluria was characterized mostly by the presence of large quantities of CaOx monohydrate and CaOx dihydrate particles in untreated rats. However, crystalluria was mainly dominated by the presence of CaOx dihydrate particles with reduced size. The most apparent beneficial effect of Cynodon extract was seen in kidney tissues where reduced levels of CaOx deposition have been noticed especially in medullary and papillary sections from treated rats. We concluded that C. dactylon extract has beneficial effect in preventing and eliminating CaOx deposition into kidneys. Such findings provide a scientific explanation for its use in the

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of treatment of asymptomatic candidiasis for the prevention of preterm birth [ACTRN12610000607077

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rickard Kristen R

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Prevention of preterm birth remains one of the most important challenges in maternity care. We propose a randomised trial with: a simple Candida testing protocol that can be easily incorporated into usual antenatal care; a simple, well accepted, treatment intervention; and assessment of outcomes from validated, routinely-collected, computerised databases. Methods/Design Using a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint (PROBE study design, we aim to evaluate whether treating women with asymptomatic vaginal candidiasis early in pregnancy is effective in preventing spontaneous preterm birth. Pregnant women presenting for antenatal care The study protocol draws on the usual antenatal care schedule, has been pilot-tested and the intervention involves only a minor modification of current practice. Women who agree to participate will self-collect a vaginal swab and those who are culture positive for Candida will be randomised (central, telephone to open-label treatment or usual care (screening result is not revealed, no treatment, routine antenatal care. Outcomes will be obtained from population databases. A sample size of 3,208 women with Candida colonisation (1,604 per arm is required to detect a 40% reduction in the spontaneous preterm birth rate among women with asymptomatic candidiasis from 5.0% in the control group to 3.0% in women treated with clotrimazole (significance 0.05, power 0.8. Analyses will be by intention to treat. Discussion For our hypothesis, a placebo-controlled trial had major disadvantages: a placebo arm would not represent current clinical practice; knowledge of vaginal colonisation with Candida may change participants' behaviour; and a placebo with an alcohol preservative may have an independent affect on vaginal flora. These disadvantages can be overcome by the PROBE study design. This trial will provide definitive evidence on whether screening for and treating asymptomatic candidiasis in

Preventing Errors in Laterality

OpenAIRE

Landau, Elliot; Hirschorn, David; Koutras, Iakovos; Malek, Alexander; Demissie, Seleshie

2014-01-01

An error in laterality is the reporting of a finding that is present on the right side as on the left or vice versa. While different medical and surgical specialties have implemented protocols to help prevent such errors, very few studies have been published that describe these errors in radiology reports and ways to prevent them. We devised a system that allows the radiologist to view reports in a separate window, displayed in a simple font and with all terms of laterality highlighted in sep...

Modification of Rat Lung Decellularization Protocol Based on Dynamic Conductometry of Working Solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuevda, E V; Gubareva, E A; Gumenyuk, I S; Sotnichenko, A S; Gilevich, I V; Nakokhov, R Z; Rusinova, T V; Yudina, T G; Red'ko, A N; Alekseenko, S N

2017-03-01

We modified the protocol of obtaining of biological scaffolds of rat lungs based on dynamic recording of specific resistivity of working detergent solution (conductometry) during perfusion decellularization. Termination of sodium deoxycholate exposure after attaining ionic equilibrium plateau did not impair the quality of decellularization and preserved structural matrix components, which was confirmed by morphological analysis and quantitative assay of residual DNA.

The preparation of Drosophila embryos for live-imaging using the hanging drop protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Bruce H; McMillan, Stephanie C; Chaudhary, Roopali

2009-03-13

Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based timelapse live-imaging is a powerful technique for studying the genetic regulation of dynamic processes such as tissue morphogenesis, cell-cell adhesion, or cell death. Drosophila embryos expressing GFP are readily imaged using either stereoscopic or confocal microscopy. A goal of any live-imaging protocol is to minimize detrimental effects such as dehydration and hypoxia. Previous protocols for preparing Drosophila embryos for live-imaging analysis have involved placing dechorionated embryos in halocarbon oil and sandwiching them between a halocarbon gas-permeable membrane and a coverslip. The introduction of compression through mounting embryos in this manner represents an undesirable complication for any biomechanical-based analysis of morphogenesis. Our method, which we call the hanging drop protocol, results in excellent viability of embryos during live imaging and does not require that embryos be compressed. Briefly, the hanging drop protocol involves the placement of embryos in a drop of halocarbon oil that is suspended from a coverslip, which is, in turn, fixed in position over a humid chamber. In addition to providing gas exchange and preventing dehydration, this arrangement takes advantage of the buoyancy of embryos in halocarbon oil to prevent them from drifting out of position during timelapse acquisition. This video describes in detail how to collect and prepare Drosophila embryos for live imaging using the hanging drop protocol. This protocol is suitable for imaging dechorionated embryos using stereomicroscopy or any upright compound fluorescence microscope.

Protocol for systematic review of school-based interventions to prevent and control obesity in African learners.

Science.gov (United States)

Adom, Theodosia; Puoane, Thandi; De Villiers, Anniza; Kengne, André Pascal

2017-03-27

The increasing prevalence of obesity and overweight in childhood in developing countries is a public health concern to many governments. Schools play a significant role in the obesity epidemic as well as provide favourable environments for change in behaviours in childhood which can be carried on into adulthood. There is dearth of information on intervention studies in poor-resource settings. This review will summarise the available evidence on school-based interventions that focused on promoting healthy eating and physical activity among learners aged 6-15 years in Africa and to identify factors that lead to successful interventions or potential barriers to success of these programmes within the African context. This protocol is developed following the guidelines of PRIMSA-P 2015. Relevant search terms and keywords generated from the subject headings and the African search filter will be used to conduct a comprehensive search of MEDLINE (PubMed), MEDLINE (EbscoHost), CINAHL (EbscoHost), Register Academic Search Complete (EbscoHost) and ISI Web of Science (Science Citation Index) for published literature on school-based interventions to prevent and control obesity in learners in Africa. Grey literature will be also be obtained. The searches will cover 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2016. No language limitations will be applied. Full-text articles of eligible studies will be screened. Risk of bias and quality of reporting will be assessed. Data will be extracted, synthesised and presented by country and major regional groupings. Meta-analysis will be conducted for identical variables across studies, where data allow. This protocol is developed following the guidelines of PRISMA-P 2015. No primary data will be collected hence ethics is not a requirement. The findings will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, in conferences and in policy documents for decision-making, where needed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use

78 FR 20640 - Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs); Recycling Plastics from Shredder Residue

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-05

... (PCBs); Recycling Plastics from Shredder Residue AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION....gov or at the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics Docket (OPPT Docket), Environmental Protection... that would produce broad environmental benefits and increase global competitiveness (Ref. 2). ISRI...

Antibiotic prophylaxis in orthopedic surgeries: the results of an implemented protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Queiroz

Full Text Available Though the basic principles of antibiotic prophylaxis have been well established, there is still considerable incorrect usage, including how much is prescribed and especially in the duration of treatment, which is generally superior to what is indicated. The adequate use of these drugs contributes towards decreasing the time of internment of the patient, prevents surgical site infection (SSI, decreasing the development of resistant microorganisms, and towards reduced costs for the hospital pharmacy. A protocol for the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service of the Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo was developed. The objectives of the study were to promote rational antibiotic surgical prophylaxis, through the implantation of a protocol for the use of these drugs in a surgical unit, with the direct contribution of a druggist in collaboration with the Infection Control Committee, to evaluate the adhesion of the health team to the protocol during three distinct periods (daily pre-protocol, early post-protocol and late post-protocol and to define the consumption of antimicrobials used, measured as daily defined dose.

Study Protocol: Early Stereotactic Gamma Knife Radiosurgery to Residual Tumor After Surgery of Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma (Gamma-GBM).

Science.gov (United States)

Brehmer, Stefanie; Grimm, Mario Alexander; Förster, Alex; Seiz-Rosenhagen, Marcel; Welzel, Grit; Stieler, Florian; Wenz, Frederik; Groden, Christoph; Mai, Sabine; Hänggi, Daniel; Giordano, Frank Anton

2018-04-24

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adult patients. Tumor recurrence commonly occurs around the resection cavity, especially after subtotal resection (STR). Consequently, the extent of resection correlates with overall survival (OS), suggesting that depletion of postoperative tumor remnants will improve outcome. To assess safety and efficacy of adding stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to the standard treatment of GBM in patients with postoperative residual tumor. Gamma-GBM is a single center, open-label, prospective, single arm, phase II study that includes patients with newly diagnosed GBM (intraoperative via frozen sections) who underwent STR (residual tumor will be identified by native and contrast enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans). All patients will receive SRS with 15 Gy (prescribed to the 50% isodose enclosing all areas of residual tumor) early (within 24-72 h) after surgery. Thereafter, all patients undergo standard-of-care therapy for GBM (radiochemotherapy with 60 Gy external beam radiotherapy [EBRT] plus concomitant temozolomide and 6 cycles of adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy). The primary outcome is median progression-free survival, secondary outcomes are median OS, occurrence of radiation induced acute (3 mo post-SRS) neurotoxicity and incidence of symptomatic radionecrosis. We expect to detect efficacy and safety signals by the immediate application of SRS to standard-of-care therapy in newly diagnosed GBM. Early postoperative SRS to areas of residual tumor could bridge the therapeutic gap between surgery and adjuvant therapies.

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of an online e health application for the prevention of Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenardy Justin

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder. Effective prevention in young adulthood has the potential to reduce the prevalence of the disorder, to reduce disability and lower the costs of the disorder to the community. The present trial (the WebGAD trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based online prevention website for GAD. Methods/Design The principal clinical question under investigation is the effectiveness of an online GAD intervention (E-couch using a community-based sample. We examine whether the effect of the intervention can be maximised by either human support, in the form of telephone calls, or by automated support through emails. The primary outcome will be a reduction in symptoms on the GAD-7 in the active arms relative to the non active intervention arms. Discussion The WebGAD trial will be the first to evaluate the use of an internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT program contrasted with a credible control condition for the prevention of GAD and the first formal RCT evaluation of a web-based program for GAD using community recruitment. In general, internet-based CBT programs have been shown to be effective for the treatment of other anxiety disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Phobia, Panic Disorder and stress in clinical trials; however there is no evidence for the use of internet CBT in the prevention of GAD. Given the severe shortage of therapists identified in Australia and overseas, and the low rates of treatment seeking in those with a mental illness, the successful implementation of this protocol has important practical outcomes. If found to be effective, WebGAD will provide those experiencing GAD with an easily accessible, free, evidence-based prevention tool which can be promoted and disseminated immediately. Trial Registration Controlled-trials.com: ISRCTN76298775

On the Ground or in the Air? A Methodological Experiment on Crop Residue Cover Measurement in Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kosmowski, Frédéric; Stevenson, James; Campbell, Jeff; Ambel, Alemayehu; Haile Tsegay, Asmelash

2017-10-01

Maintaining permanent coverage of the soil using crop residues is an important and commonly recommended practice in conservation agriculture. Measuring this practice is an essential step in improving knowledge about the adoption and impact of conservation agriculture. Different data collection methods can be implemented to capture the field level crop residue coverage for a given plot, each with its own implication on survey budget, implementation speed and respondent and interviewer burden. In this paper, six alternative methods of crop residue coverage measurement are tested among the same sample of rural households in Ethiopia. The relative accuracy of these methods are compared against a benchmark, the line-transect method. The alternative methods compared against the benchmark include: (i) interviewee (respondent) estimation; (ii) enumerator estimation visiting the field; (iii) interviewee with visual-aid without visiting the field; (iv) enumerator with visual-aid visiting the field; (v) field picture collected with a drone and analyzed with image-processing methods and (vi) satellite picture of the field analyzed with remote sensing methods. Results of the methodological experiment show that survey-based methods tend to underestimate field residue cover. When quantitative data on cover are needed, the best estimates are provided by visual-aid protocols. For categorical analysis (i.e., >30% cover or not), visual-aid protocols and remote sensing methods perform equally well. Among survey-based methods, the strongest correlates of measurement errors are total farm size, field size, distance, and slope. Results deliver a ranking of measurement options that can inform survey practitioners and researchers.

On the Ground or in the Air? A Methodological Experiment on Crop Residue Cover Measurement in Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Kosmowski, Frédéric; Stevenson, James; Campbell, Jeff; Ambel, Alemayehu; Haile Tsegay, Asmelash

2017-10-01

Maintaining permanent coverage of the soil using crop residues is an important and commonly recommended practice in conservation agriculture. Measuring this practice is an essential step in improving knowledge about the adoption and impact of conservation agriculture. Different data collection methods can be implemented to capture the field level crop residue coverage for a given plot, each with its own implication on survey budget, implementation speed and respondent and interviewer burden. In this paper, six alternative methods of crop residue coverage measurement are tested among the same sample of rural households in Ethiopia. The relative accuracy of these methods are compared against a benchmark, the line-transect method. The alternative methods compared against the benchmark include: (i) interviewee (respondent) estimation; (ii) enumerator estimation visiting the field; (iii) interviewee with visual-aid without visiting the field; (iv) enumerator with visual-aid visiting the field; (v) field picture collected with a drone and analyzed with image-processing methods and (vi) satellite picture of the field analyzed with remote sensing methods. Results of the methodological experiment show that survey-based methods tend to underestimate field residue cover. When quantitative data on cover are needed, the best estimates are provided by visual-aid protocols. For categorical analysis (i.e., >30% cover or not), visual-aid protocols and remote sensing methods perform equally well. Among survey-based methods, the strongest correlates of measurement errors are total farm size, field size, distance, and slope. Results deliver a ranking of measurement options that can inform survey practitioners and researchers.

Mobile Health Technology (mDiab) for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Muralidharan, Shruti; Mohan, Viswanathan; Anjana, Ranjit Mohan; Jena, Sidhant; Tandon, Nikhil; Allender, Steven; Ranjani, Harish

2017-12-12

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in epidemic proportions in low- and middle-income countries. There is an urgent need for novel methods to tackle the increasing incidence of diabetes. The ubiquity of mobile phone use and access to Internet makes mobile health (mHealth) technology a viable tool to prevent and manage diabetes. The objective of this randomized controlled trial is to implement and evaluate the feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of a reality television-based lifestyle intervention program. This intervention program is delivered via a mobile phone app (mDiab) to approximately 1500 Android smartphone users who are adults at a high risk for type 2 diabetes from three cities in India, namely, Chennai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi. The mDiab intervention would be delivered via a mobile phone app along with weekly coach calls for 12 weeks. Each participant will go through a maintenance phase of 6 to 8 months post intervention. Overall, there would be 3 testing time points in the study: baseline, post intervention, and the end of follow-up. The app will enable individuals to track their weight, physical activity, and diet alongside weekly video lessons on type 2 diabetes prevention. The study outcomes are weight loss (primary measure of effectiveness); improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors (ie, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and lipids); and improvement in physical activity, quality of life, and dietary habits. Sustainability will be assessed through focus group discussions. If successful, mDiab can be used as a model for translational and implementation research in the use of mHealth technology for diabetes prevention and may be further expanded for the prevention of other noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Clinical Trials Registry of India CTRI/2015/07/006011 http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pdf_generate.php? trialid=11841 (Archived by WebCite at http

Protocol compliance of administering parenteral medication in Dutch hospitals: an evaluation and cost-estimation of the implementation.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schilp, J.; Boot, S.; Blok, C. de; Spreeuwenberg, P.; Wagner, C.

2014-01-01

Objectives: Preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) are closely related to administration processes of parenteral medication. The Dutch Patient Safety Program provided a protocol for administering parenteral medication to reduce the amount of ADEs. The execution of the protocol was evaluated and a

Decomposition of dilute residual active chlorine in sea-water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshinaga, Tetsutaro; Kawano, Kentaro; Yanagase, Kenjiro; Shiga, Akira

1985-01-01

Coastal industries such as power stations require enormous quantities of sea-water for cooling, but the marine organisms in it often result in fouling and/or blockade of the circulating water condenser and pipeworks. To prevent this, chlorine, or hypochlorite by the direct electrolysis of sea-water have been added. Environmental concerns, however, dictate that the residual chlorine concentration at the outlet should be less than the regulated value (0.02 ppm). Methods for decomposing dilute residual chlorine solutions were therefore studied. It was found that: 1) The addition of (raw) sea-water to the sea-water which passed through the condenser lowered the residual chlorine concentration to an greater extent than could be expected by dilution only. 2) Ozonation of the residual chlorine solution led to degradation of OCl - , but in solutions with a residual chlorine concentrations of less than 3 -- 4 ppm, ozonation had no effect. 3) Irradiation with ultra violet light (254 nm) decomposed the residual chlorine. Under the present work conditions (25 0 C: pH 8; depth 10 mm), nearly first order kinetics were to hold [da/dt = ksub((1)) (1-a)sup(n)]. There is a proportional relationship between the kinetic constant (k) and illuminous intensity (L), i.e., ksub((1))[C 0 sup(Cl 2 ): 10 ppm] = 6.56 x 10 -5 L (L = 0 -- 1000 lx). Thus, the use of both sea-water addition and UV irradiation provides a probable method for decomposing a residual chlorine to the expected concentration. (author)

Evaluation of gastrointestinal solubilization of petroleum hydrocarbon residues in soil using an in vitro physiologically based model.

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Hoi-Ying N; Goth-Goldstein, Regine; Aston, David; Yun, Mao; Kengsoontra, Jenny

2002-03-15

Petroleum hydrocarbon residues in weathered soils may pose risks to humans through the ingestion pathway. To understand the factors controlling their gastrointestinal (GI) absorption, a newly developed experimental extraction protocol was used to model the GI solubility of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) residues in highly weathered soils from different sites. The GI solubility of TPH residues was significantly higher for soil contaminated with diesel than with crude oil. Compared to the solubility of TPH residues during fasted state,the solubility of TPH residues during fat digestion was much greater. Diesel solubility increased from an average of 8% during the "gallbladder empty" phase of fasting (and less than 0.2% during the otherfasting phase) to an average of 16% during fat digestion. For crude oil, the solubility increased from an average of 1.2% during the gallbladder empty phase of fasting (and undetectable during the other fasting phase) to an average of 4.5% during fat digestion. Increasing the concentration of bile salts also increased GI solubility. GI solubility was reduced by soil organic carbon but enhanced by the TPH content.

Influence of residual oxygen-15-labeled carbon monoxide radioactivity on cerebral blood flow and oxygen extraction fraction in a dual-tracer autoradiographic method.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanishi, Katsuhiro; Watabe, Hiroshi; Hayashi, Takuya; Miyake, Yoshinori; Minato, Kotaro; Iida, Hidehiro

2009-06-01

Cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO(2)), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral blood volume (CBV) are quantitatively measured with PET with (15)O gases. Kudomi et al. developed a dual tracer autoradiographic (DARG) protocol that enables the duration of a PET study to be shortened by sequentially administrating (15)O(2) and C(15)O(2) gases. In this protocol, before the sequential PET scan with (15)O(2) and C(15)O(2) gases ((15)O(2)-C(15)O(2) PET scan), a PET scan with C(15)O should be preceded to obtain CBV image. C(15)O has a high affinity for red blood cells and a very slow washout rate, and residual radioactivity from C(15)O might exist during a (15)O(2)-C(15)O(2) PET scan. As the current DARG method assumes no residual C(15)O radioactivity before scanning, we performed computer simulations to evaluate the influence of the residual C(15)O radioactivity on the accuracy of measured CBF and OEF values with DARG method and also proposed a subtraction technique to minimize the error due to the residual C(15)O radioactivity. In the simulation, normal and ischemic conditions were considered. The (15)O(2) and C(15)O(2) PET count curves with the residual C(15)O PET counts were generated by the arterial input function with the residual C(15)O radioactivity. The amounts of residual C(15)O radioactivity were varied by changing the interval between the C(15)O PET scan and (15)O(2)-C(15)O(2) PET scan, and the absolute inhaled radioactivity of the C(15)O gas. Using the simulated input functions and the PET counts, the CBF and OEF were computed by the DARG method. Furthermore, we evaluated a subtraction method that subtracts the influence of the C(15)O gas in the input function and PET counts. Our simulations revealed that the CBF and OEF values were underestimated by the residual C(15)O radioactivity. The magnitude of this underestimation depended on the amount of C(15)O radioactivity and the physiological conditions. This underestimation

Prophylactic Residual Aneurysmal Sac Embolization with Expandable Hydrogel Embolic Devices for Endoleak Prevention: Preliminary Study in Dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraki, Takao; Pavcnik, Dusan; Uchida, Barry T.; Timmermans, Hans A.; Yin Qiang; Wu Renghong; Niyyati, Mahtab; Keller, Frederick S.; Roesch, Josef

2005-01-01

Objective. To explore the feasibility and efficacy of residual aneurysmal sac (RAS) embolization with the expandable hydrogel embolic device (EHED) in prevention of endoleaks in a surgically created and endoluminally treated abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Methods. In eight dogs, an AAA was created by means of side-to-side anastomosis between the infrarenal abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava (IVC) with ligation of the IVC above and below the anastomotic end, followed by deployment of an endograft with holes. The RAS was then embolized with the EHED. One animal was killed immediately after RAS embolization and one animal died 12 hr after the procedure. Follow-up aortograms were obtained in six animals after 1 day (1 animal), 2 weeks and 6 months (1 animal), and 8 weeks (4 animals). Results. Four animals had no endoleaks on the follow-up aortograms. The remaining two animals with incomplete RAS embolization had moderate type III endoleaks. Type I or II endoleaks were not seen in any animals. Complications included RAS wall penetration by the devices with platinum wires in two animals (nos. 1 and 2), device migration into an aortic circulation through the endograft holes in two animals (nos. 2 and 3) or through distal interstices between the aortic wall and endograft in one animal (no. 8), aortic occlusion in three animals (nos. 3, 7, and 8), and RAS rupture in one animal (no. 7). Histologic examination showed expanded hydrogels occupying the RAS with associated mature or immature organized thrombus, fibrinous thrombus, or degenerate blood cells. Conclusion. RAS embolization was feasible with the EHED, although additional modifications to the device are required to avoid complications. Angiographic and histologic results suggested that RAS embolization with the EHED may help in the prevention of endoleaks

Neuropeptide Y stimulation as primary target for preventive measures of maladaptative cardiovascular reactions in occupational chronic stress exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciumaşu-Rîmbu, Mălina; Popa, Livia; Vulpoi, Carmen

2012-01-01

Chronic stress may produce a decrease in central NPY expression and subjects exposed to it may prove hypersensitivity to a novel stressor with dysfunctions in the NPY system and cardiovascular maladaptation to stress, even hypertension. Upregulation of NPY expression may contribute to successful behavioral adaptation to stress by reducing cardiovascular tone and suppressing anxious behaviors. Adaptogens, a new class of metabolic regulators stimulate NPY expression and release. The aim of this study is to increase tolerance and adaptation to stress of hypersensitive to novel stressor, occupational chronic stress exposed subjects with cardiovascular maladaptation to mild new stressor using adaptogens as part of prevention protocol. 40 military personnel with known cardiostressor reactional mode and occupational chronic stress exposure were exposed to mild novel stressor: occupational medicine routine evaluation and clinically assessed for maladaptative cardiovascular response prior and before application of 30 day prevention protocol. Employees were randomly split in two groups, one receiving standard prevention protocol (lifestyle counseling) plus adaptogens in multiple dose administration, twice daily and the other receiving only standard prevention protocol. We found significant statistic differences in all cardiovascular parameters in adaptogen group and only in diastolic blood pressure in control group. Adaptogens could be an important factor in successful prevention protocols of chronic occupational stress dysfunctions involving NPY systems.

Avaliação da utilização de protocolos na prevenção de úlceras por pressão Evaluation of the use of protocols in the prevention of pressure ulcers

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Rosilene Alves de Almeida

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Introdução: A úlcera por pressão é um problema de saúde que repercute com elevados custos e consequências biopsicossociais sobre os portadores. Para reduzir sua incidência, protocolos de prevenção são utilizados, sendo importante enfatizar o impacto desta estratégia sobre as práticas de saúde e na qualidade de vida do paciente. Objetivo: Este artigo objetiva revisar o impacto da utilização de protocolos de prevenção de úlcera por pressão sobre sua incidência e na assistência. Materiais e Métodos: O estudo é de revisão sistemática fundamentado em publicações disponíveis em meio eletrônico. Foram selecionados 07 trabalhos, do período de 2002 a 2010, encontrados nas bases de dados Medline, Lilacs, IBECS e Cochrane, utilizando os descritores “úlcera por pressão ou úlcera de pressão ou escara de decúbito e protocolo”. Resultados: Três estudos mostraram redução da incidência de úlcera por pressão de 23 para 5%, 60 para 15%, 43 para 28%, com relato de eficácia do protocolo em 79% dos pacientes. Outros revelaram incidências de 0,2 e 2,77% após aplicação do protocolo. Incidências de 23,5 e 25,8% foram verificadas em unidades intensivas após o uso de protocolos. Ademais, a adoção de protocolos para prevenção de úlcera por pressão é uma decisão estratégica eficaz, que além de diminuir a incidência, otimiza recursos, melhora a qualidade da assistência, fortalece as práticas assistenciais. Conclusão: Os protocolos promovem impactos positivos sobre a prevenção das úlceras por pressão e a qualidade de vida das pessoas, sendo um recurso essencial para um cuidado humanizado pautado nas necessidades de saúde.Introduction: Pressure ulcer is a medical condition that involves high costs and biopsychosocial consequences for the patients. Prevention protocols have been used to reduce pressure ulcers incidence, and it is important to emphasize the impact of this strategy on the health care

Development and implementation of intranasal naloxone opioid overdose response protocol at a homeless health clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlem, Chin Hwa Y; Horstman, Molly J; Williams, Brent C

2016-01-01

To describe the development, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of Opioid Overdose Response Protocol using intranasal (IN) naloxone in a homeless shelter. Opioid Overdose Response Protocol and training curriculum were developed using the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) flow chart, the American Heart Association (AHA) simplified adult basic life support algorithm, and resources through Harms Reduction Coalition. Intranasal naloxone offers a safe and effective method for opioid reversal. To combat the rising incidence of opioid overdose, IN naloxone should be made available at homeless shelters and other facilities with high frequency of opioid overdose, including the training of appropriate staff. This project has demonstrated the effective training and implementation of an Opioid Overdose Response Protocol, based on feedback received from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) trained nonhealthcare staff. Nurse practitioners (NPs), with our focus on patient care, prevention, and education, are well suited to the deployment of this life-saving protocol. NPs are in critical positions to integrate opioid overdose prevention education and provide naloxone rescue kits in clinical practices. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

An Efficient Data-Gathering Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadeem Javaid

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Most applications of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs demand reliable data delivery over a longer period in an efficient and timely manner. However, the harsh and unpredictable underwater environment makes routing more challenging as compared to terrestrial WSNs. Most of the existing schemes deploy mobile sensors or a mobile sink (MS to maximize data gathering. However, the relatively high deployment cost prevents their usage in most applications. Thus, this paper presents an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV-aided efficient data-gathering (AEDG routing protocol for reliable data delivery in UWSNs. To prolong the network lifetime, AEDG employs an AUV for data collection from gateways and uses a shortest path tree (SPT algorithm while associating sensor nodes with the gateways. The AEDG protocol also limits the number of associated nodes with the gateway nodes to minimize the network energy consumption and to prevent the gateways from overloading. Moreover, gateways are rotated with the passage of time to balance the energy consumption of the network. To prevent data loss, AEDG allows dynamic data collection at the AUV depending on the limited number of member nodes that are associated with each gateway. We also develop a sub-optimal elliptical trajectory of AUV by using a connected dominating set (CDS to further facilitate network throughput maximization. The performance of the AEDG is validated via simulations, which demonstrate the effectiveness of AEDG in comparison to two existing UWSN routing protocols in terms of the selected performance metrics.

An Efficient Data-Gathering Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Javaid, Nadeem; Ilyas, Naveed; Ahmad, Ashfaq; Alrajeh, Nabil; Qasim, Umar; Khan, Zahoor Ali; Liaqat, Tayyaba; Khan, Majid Iqbal

2015-11-17

Most applications of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) demand reliable data delivery over a longer period in an efficient and timely manner. However, the harsh and unpredictable underwater environment makes routing more challenging as compared to terrestrial WSNs. Most of the existing schemes deploy mobile sensors or a mobile sink (MS) to maximize data gathering. However, the relatively high deployment cost prevents their usage in most applications. Thus, this paper presents an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)-aided efficient data-gathering (AEDG) routing protocol for reliable data delivery in UWSNs. To prolong the network lifetime, AEDG employs an AUV for data collection from gateways and uses a shortest path tree (SPT) algorithm while associating sensor nodes with the gateways. The AEDG protocol also limits the number of associated nodes with the gateway nodes to minimize the network energy consumption and to prevent the gateways from overloading. Moreover, gateways are rotated with the passage of time to balance the energy consumption of the network. To prevent data loss, AEDG allows dynamic data collection at the AUV depending on the limited number of member nodes that are associated with each gateway. We also develop a sub-optimal elliptical trajectory of AUV by using a connected dominating set (CDS) to further facilitate network throughput maximization. The performance of the AEDG is validated via simulations, which demonstrate the effectiveness of AEDG in comparison to two existing UWSN routing protocols in terms of the selected performance metrics.

Modeling of residual stress mitigation in austenitic stainless steel pipe girth weldment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, M.; Atteridge, D.G.; Anderson, W.E.; West, S.L.

1994-01-01

This study provides numerical procedures to model 40-cm-diameter, schedule 40, Type 304L stainless steel pipe girth welding and a newly proposed post-weld treatment. The treatment can be used to accomplish the goal of imparting compressive residual stresses at the inner surface of a pipe girth weldment to prevent/retard the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of the piping system in nuclear reactors. This new post-weld treatment for mitigating residual stresses is cooling stress improvement (CSI). The concept of CSI is to establish and maintain a certain temperature gradient across the pipe wall thickness to change the final stress state. Thus, this process involves sub-zero low temperature cooling of the inner pipe surface of a completed girth weldment, while simultaneously keeping the outer pipe surface at a slightly elevated temperature with the help of a certain heating method. Analyses to obtain quantitative results on pipe girth welding and CSI by using a thermo-elastic-plastic finite element model are described in this paper. Results demonstrate the potential effectiveness of CSI for introducing compressive residual stresses to prevent/retard IGSCC. Because of the symmetric nature of CSI, it shows great potential for industrial application

A novel six consecutive monthly doses of palivizumab prophylaxis protocol for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infection in high-risk preterm infants in Taiwan.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin Chi

Full Text Available Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV circulates year round in Taiwan. A novel six consecutive monthly doses of palivizumab for RSV prevention protocol has been approved for high risk preterm infants since December 2010. This study aimed to determine the clinical effectiveness and safety of this novel protocol for the prevention of RSV infection.From April 2011 to March 2013, we enrolled infants born at ≤28 weeks gestation and infants born at ≤35 weeks gestation with chronic lung disease (CLD who received palivizumab prophylaxis as study group and followed up for 12 months. Historic control, those who were born and followed up between July 2000 and June 2008, were retrieved for propensity score matching. Primary endpoint was RSV-related hospitalization, and secondary endpoints included the length of hospital stay and intensive care unit (ICU care.We enrolled 127 infants (108 infants born at ≤28 weeks and 19 infants born at 29-35 weeks with CLD. They completed 6-dose palivizumab as scheduled. Among the study group, the RSV-related hospitalizations were 2 (1.6% within 6 months and 5 (3.9% within 12 months after discharge. We matched 127 infants in the control group with 127 infants in the study group by propensity score matching. The reduction of RSV-related hospitalization rates were 86% (10.2% vs 1.6%, p = 0.002 within 6 months after discharge and 78% (15.7% vs 3.9%, p = 0.004 within 12 months after discharge. Compared to the control group, the rate of ICU care significantly decreased from 7.1% to 0.8% (p = 0.024 within 6 months after discharge and from 7.9% to 0.8% (p = 0.014 within 12 months after discharge. Adverse events were recorded in 6.4% injections.Six monthly intramuscular administration of palivizumab is effective for prevention of RSV hospitalization in regions with no single seasonal peak of RSV infection such as Taiwan.

Systems for harvesting and handling cotton plant residue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coates, W. [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

1993-12-31

In the warmer regions of the United States, cotton plant residue must be buried to prevent it from serving as an overwintering site for insect pests such as the pink bollworm. Most of the field operations used to bury the residue are high energy consumers and tend to degrade soil structure, thereby increasing the potential for erosion. The residue is of little value as a soil amendment and consequently is considered a negative value biomass. A commercial system to harvest cotton plant residue would be of both economic and environmental benefit to cotton producers. Research has been underway at the University of Arizona since the spring of 1991 to develop a commercially viable system for harvesting cotton plant residue. Equipment durability, degree of densification, energy required, cleanliness of the harvested material, and ease of product handling and transport are some of the performance variables which have been measured. Two systems have proven superior. In both, the plants are pulled from the ground using an implement developed specifically for the purpose. In one system, the stalks are baled using a large round baler, while in the other the stalks are chopped with a forage harvester, and then made into packages using a cotton module maker. Field capacities, energy requirements, package density and durability, and ease of handling with commercially available equipment have been measured for both systems. Selection of an optimum system for a specific operation depends upon end use of the product, and upon equipment availability.

Increasing fall risk awareness using wearables: A fall risk awareness protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Danielsen, Asbjørn; Olofsen, Hans; Bremdal, Bernt Arild

2016-10-01

Each year about a third of elderly aged 65 or older experience a fall. Many of these falls may have been avoided if fall risk assessment and prevention tools where available in a daily living situation. We identify what kind of information is relevant for doing fall risk assessment and prevention using wearable sensors in a daily living environment by investigating current research, distinguishing between prospective and context-aware fall risk assessment and prevention. Based on our findings, we propose a fall risk awareness protocol as a fall prevention tool integrating both wearables and ambient sensing technology into a single platform. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Performance Analysis of the Mobile IP Protocol (RFC 3344 and Related RFCS)

Science.gov (United States)

2006-12-01

field of 9 identifies the ICMP message as an adverstisement . Code Mobile IP home agents and foreign agents use the value of 16 to prevent any nodes...ANALYSIS OF THE MOBILE IP PROTOCOL (RFC 3344 AND RELATED RFCS) by Chin Chin Ng December 2006 Thesis Co-Advisors: George W. Dinolt J. D...December 2006 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Performance Analysis of the Mobile IP Protocol (RFC 3344 and

Debate - Achievements of the Trafficking Protocol: Perspectives from the former UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons

OpenAIRE

Joy N Ezeilo

2015-01-01

The United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 2000 (Trafficking Protocol), is a watershed in galvanising the global movement against human trafficking. Thanks to the Protocol, international and regional bodies, along with civil society groups, have become involved in researching the issue and supporting anti-trafficking efforts; and states have begun...

A simulation methodology of spacer grid residual spring deflection for predictive and interpretative purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K. T.; Kim, H. K.; Yoon, K. H.

1994-01-01

The in-reactor fuel rod support conditions against the fretting wear-induced damage can be evaluated by spacer grid residual spring deflection. In order to predict the spacer grid residual spring deflection as a function of burnup for various spring designs, a simulation methodology of spacer grid residual spring deflection has been developed and implemented in the GRIDFORCE program. The simulation methodology takes into account cladding creep rate, initial spring deflection, initial spring force, and spring force relaxation rate as the key parameters affecting the residual spring deflection. The simulation methodology developed in this study can be utilized as an effective tool in evaluating the capability of a newly designed spacer grid spring to prevent the fretting wear-induced damage

Residual stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahotra, I.M.

2006-01-01

The principal effect of unloading a material strained into the plastic range is to create a permanent set (plastic deformation), which if restricted somehow, gives rise to a system of self-balancing within the same member or reaction balanced by other members of the structure., known as residual stresses. These stresses stay there as locked-in stresses, in the body or a part of it in the absence of any external loading. Residual stresses are induced during hot-rolling and welding differential cooling, cold-forming and extruding: cold straightening and spot heating, fabrication and forced fitting of components constraining the structure to a particular geometry. The areas which cool more quickly develop residual compressive stresses, while the slower cooling areas develop residual tensile stresses, and a self-balancing or reaction balanced system of residual stresses is formed. The phenomenon of residual stresses is the most challenging in its application in surface modification techniques determining endurance mechanism against fracture and fatigue failures. This paper discusses the mechanism of residual stresses, that how the residual stresses are fanned and what their behavior is under the action of external forces. Such as in the case of a circular bar under limit torque, rectangular beam under limt moment, reclaiming of shafts welds and peening etc. (author)

Antimicrobial residual effects of irrigation regimens with maleic acid in infected root canals

OpenAIRE

Ferrer-Luque, Carmen Mar?a; Gonz?lez-Castillo, Silvia; Ruiz-Linares, Matilde; Arias-Moliz, Mar?a Teresa; Rodr?guez-Archilla, Alberto; Baca, Pilar

2015-01-01

Background The success of endodontic treatment depends largely on the control of microorganisms present in infected root canals. The aim of this study was to determine the residual antimicrobial activity of several final irrigation protocols with 7% maleic acid (MA) alone and combined with chlorhexidine (CHX), cetrimide (CTR) or both, in root canals infected with Enterococcus faecalis. Biofilms of E. faecalis were grown in uniradicular roots for 4 weeks. A total of 72 specimens were divided i...

Network Based Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems in IP-Level Security Protocols

OpenAIRE

R. Kabila

2008-01-01

IPsec has now become a standard information security technology throughout the Internet society. It provides a well-defined architecture that takes into account confidentiality, authentication, integrity, secure key exchange and protection mechanism against replay attack also. For the connectionless security services on packet basis, IETF IPsec Working Group has standardized two extension headers (AH&ESP), key exchange and authentication protocols. It is also working on l...

Two-Layer Hierarchy Optimization Model for Communication Protocol in Railway Wireless Monitoring Networks

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Xiaoping Ma

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The wireless monitoring system is always destroyed by the insufficient energy of the sensors in railway. Hence, how to optimize the communication protocol and extend the system lifetime is crucial to ensure the stability of system. However, the existing studies focused primarily on cluster-based or multihop protocols individually, which are ineffective in coping with the complex communication scenarios in the railway wireless monitoring system (RWMS. This study proposes a hybrid protocol which combines the cluster-based and multihop protocols (CMCP to minimize and balance the energy consumption in different sections of the RWMS. In the first hierarchy, the total energy consumption is minimized by optimizing the cluster quantities in the cluster-based protocol and the number of hops and the corresponding hop distances in the multihop protocol. In the second hierarchy, the energy consumption is balanced through rotating the cluster head (CH in the subnetworks and further optimizing the hops and the corresponding hop distances in the backbone network. On this basis, the system lifetime is maximized with the minimum and balance energy consumption among the sensors. Furthermore, the hybrid particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm (PSO-GA are adopted to optimize the energy consumption from the two-layer hierarchy. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed CMCP is verified in the simulation. The performances of the proposed CMCP in system lifetime, residual energy, and the corresponding variance are all superior to the LEACH protocol widely applied in the previous research. The effective protocol proposed in this study can facilitate the application of the wireless monitoring network in the railway system and enhance safety operation of the railway.

Determining the Residual Lifetime of Qualified Electrical and I and C Equipment in Units 5 and 6 of Kozloduy NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radoslavov, Biser

2012-01-01

The proposed paper clarifies the environmental qualification and residual lifetime of installed equipment and electrical cables in operating WWER 1000 type units 5 and 6 of Kozloduy NPP. The qualification approach is a combination of analyses and tests in consideration of some specific features of WWER equipment. As a result of the study, selected equipment is divided in 26 groups. Qualification groups include similar types of equipment with equal resistance to foreign impacts, analogous critical parts, and same methods of control and estimation of residual lifetime. Qualification protocols were made for each group. (author)

A Security plan for LMOs - concentrated on environmental policy of Biosafety Protocol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Yong Ha [Korea Environment Institute, Seoul (Korea)

1998-12-01

Biotechnology industry in Korea is raised by the national support. Also, Korea imports 70% of entire agricultural products. Considering the present situation in Korea, signing a Biosafety Protocol is necessary to prevent harm by LMOs and to protect associated biotechnological industry. Therefore, the problems on signing Biosafety Protocol were analyzed and the environmental policy to be pursued was proposed. This study result will be a cornerstone to prepare a definite environmental policy by government. 54 refs., 7 figs., 27 tabs.

Pollen analysis of the post-emergence residue of Melipona (Melikerria interrupta Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae bred in the central Amazon region

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Marcos Gonçalves Ferreira

2013-12-01

Full Text Available We applied an "adapted" protocol for collecting and processing pollen grains in the pollen analysis of the post-emergence residue of Melipona (Melikerria interrupta Latreille. The study was conducted at the Sant'Ana honey farm, located on the banks of the Solimões River, in the municipality of Manacapuru, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, where a colony was monitored in October and November 2010. From that colony, 10 samples of post-emergence residue were collected. Unlike in the acetolysis method, there was no need to expose pollen grains to an acidic medium, because pollen loses its content during the larval digestive process. We identified 32 pollen types, from 19 botanical families, plus three undetermined pollen types. The most representative family was Fabaceae (Mimosoideae, with eight pollen types, Mimosa guilandinae being the most common species. Only the pollen of Miconia (Melastomataceae, with 74.10%, was classified as a common pollen. We also found that the pollen of Mimosa pudica (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae retained its content, indicating that not all resources furnished by workers are utilized by the larvae. The protocol applied here, despite omitting the acetolysis process, was efficient, providing full details of pollen contained in post-emergence residue.

Residual stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macherauch, E.

1978-01-01

Residual stresses are stresses which exist in a material without the influence of external powers and moments. They come into existence when the volume of a material constantly changes its form as a consequence of mechanical, thermal, and/or chemical processes and is hindered by neighbouring volumes. Bodies with residual stress are in mechanical balance. These residual stresses can be manifested by means of all mechanical interventions disturbing this balance. Acoustical, optical, radiological, and magnetical methods involving material changes caused by residual stress can also serve for determining residual stress. Residual stresses have an ambivalent character. In technical practice, they are feared and liked at the same time. They cause trouble because they can be the cause for unexpected behaviour of construction elements. They are feared since they can cause failure, in the worst case with catastrophical consequences. They are appreciated, on the other hand, because, in many cases, they can contribute to improvements of the material behaviour under certain circumstances. But they are especially liked for their giving convenient and (this is most important) mostly uncontrollable explanations. For only in very few cases we have enough knowledge and possibilities for the objective evaluation of residual stresses. (orig.) [de

Anaerobia Treatments of the domestic residual waters. Limitations potentialities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giraldo Gomez, Eugenio

1993-01-01

The quick growth of the Latin American cities has prevented that an appropriate covering of public services is achieved for the whole population, One of the undesirable consequences of this situation is the indiscriminate discharge from the domestic and industrial residual waters to the nearest bodies of water with its consequent deterioration and with disastrous consequences about the ecology and the public health. The developed countries have controlled this situation using systems of purification of the residual waters previously to their discharge in the receptor source. The same as the technology of the evacuation of the served waters, they have become numerous efforts for the application of the purification systems used in the countries developed to the socioeconomic, climatic and cultural conditions of our means. One of the results obtained in these efforts is the economic inability of the municipalities to pay the high investment costs and of operation of the traditional systems for the treatment of the residual waters. Contrary to another type of public services, the treatment of the residual waters needs of appropriate technological solutions for the Climatic and socioeconomic means of the developing countries, One of the technological alternatives for the purification of the residual waters that has had a great development in the last decades has been that of the biological treatments in t anaerobia ambient. The objective of this contribution is to present, to author's trial, the limitations and potentialities of this technology type with special emphasis in the case of the domestic residual waters

P-02: Echocardiography Has Low Clinical Efficacy of Libyan Screening Protocol in Athletes

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Salaheddin Sharif

2017-03-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTIONPre-participation screening has been largely accepted as a means to identify those athletes at risk of cardiovascular diseases which are responsible for sudden cardiac death. The objectives of athlete screening are to reduce injuries and prevent sudden. However, there is no single commonly adopted protocol to screen athletes. Although the European Society of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommend the routine screening of athletes to prevent sudden death, there is significant disagreement regarding use 12 lead ECG. FIFA has recommend the inclusion of an Echocardiography (ECHO in screening protocol.PURPOSEExplore the debate regarding differences between European and the USA pre-participation screening protocol for sudden death while also considering pre-competition medical assessment protocol used by the Libyan Football Federation. To provide evidence based recommendations on the best protocol to be used for pre-participation screening, and thus to standardize the screening method.MATERIALS and METHOD1236 male athletic received a medical history, general physical examination, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal examination, 12 lead ECG, blood laboratory test, and echocardiography.FINDINGS1235 athletics were found to be eligible to participate in sport and were given a full medical clearance. One athletic was diagnosed with second degree heart block by ECG while his medical history, physical examination, echocardiograph, and blood test were normal.DISCUSSIONEchocardiography alone do did not identify pathological condition and using echocardiography is still controversial and clinically not effective in young athletesCONCLUSIONThe Screening protocol should include a combination of medical history, physical examination and ECG due to the high sensitivity found, and thus it was able to identify all athletes at risk for the disease.

Falls prevention among older people and care providers: protocol for an integrative review

OpenAIRE

Cuesta Benjumea, Carmen de la; Henriques, Maria Adriana; Abad Corpa, Eva; Roe, Brenda; Orts-Cortés, María Isabel; Lidón-Cerezuela, Beatriz; Avendaño-Céspedes, Almudena; Oliver-Carbonell, José Luis; Sánchez Ardila, Carmen

2017-01-01

Aim. To review the evidence about the role of care providers in fall prevention in older adults aged ≥ 65 years, this includes their views, strategies, and approaches on falls prevention and effectiveness of nursing interventions. Background. Some fall prevention programmes are successfully implemented and led by nurses and it is acknowledged the vital role they play in developing plans for fall prevention. Nevertheless, there has not been a systematic review of the literature that describes ...

Evaluation of residue-residue contact predictions in CASP9

KAUST Repository

Monastyrskyy, Bohdan

2011-01-01

This work presents the results of the assessment of the intramolecular residue-residue contact predictions submitted to CASP9. The methodology for the assessment does not differ from that used in previous CASPs, with two basic evaluation measures being the precision in recognizing contacts and the difference between the distribution of distances in the subset of predicted contact pairs versus all pairs of residues in the structure. The emphasis is placed on the prediction of long-range contacts (i.e., contacts between residues separated by at least 24 residues along sequence) in target proteins that cannot be easily modeled by homology. Although there is considerable activity in the field, the current analysis reports no discernable progress since CASP8.

A Push-pull Protocol to Reduce Colonization of Bird Nest Boxes by Honey Bees.

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Efstathion, Caroline A; Kern, William H

2016-09-04

Introduction of the invasive Africanized honey bee (AHB) into the Neotropics is a serious problem for many cavity nesting birds, specifically parrots. These bees select cavities that are suitable nest sites for birds, resulting in competition. The difficulty of removing bees and their defensive behavior makes a prevention protocol necessary. Here, we describe a push-pull integrated pest management protocol to deter bees from inhabiting bird boxes by applying a bird safe insecticide, permethrin, to repel bees from nest boxes, while simultaneously attracting them to pheromone-baited swarm traps. Shown here is an example experiment using Barn Owl nest boxes. This protocol successfully reduced colonization of Barn Owl nest boxes by Africanized honey bees. This protocol is flexible, allowing adjustments to accommodate a wide range of bird species and habitats. This protocol could benefit conservation efforts where AHB are located.

Energy Reduction Multipath Routing Protocol for MANET Using Recoil Technique

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Rakesh Kumar Sahu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In Mobile Ad-hoc networks (MANET, power conservation and utilization is an acute problem and has received significant attention from academics and industry in recent years. Nodes in MANET function on battery power, which is a rare and limited energy resource. Hence, its conservation and utilization should be done judiciously for the effective functioning of the network. In this paper, a novel protocol namely Energy Reduction Multipath Routing Protocol for MANET using Recoil Technique (AOMDV-ER is proposed, which conserves the energy along with optimal network lifetime, routing overhead, packet delivery ratio and throughput. It performs better than any other AODV based algorithms, as in AOMDV-ER the nodes transmit packets to their destination smartly by using a varying recoil off time technique based on their geographical location. This concept reduces the number of transmissions, which results in the improvement of network lifetime. In addition, the local level route maintenance reduces the additional routing overhead. Lastly, the prediction based link lifetime of each node is estimated which helps in reducing the packet loss in the network. This protocol has three subparts: an optimal route discovery algorithm amalgamation with the residual energy and distance mechanism; a coordinated recoiled nodes algorithm which eliminates the number of transmissions in order to reduces the data redundancy, traffic redundant, routing overhead, end to end delay and enhance the network lifetime; and a last link reckoning and route maintenance algorithm to improve the packet delivery ratio and link stability in the network. The experimental results show that the AOMDV-ER protocol save at least 16% energy consumption, 12% reduction in routing overhead, significant achievement in network lifetime and packet delivery ratio than Ad hoc on demand multipath distance vector routing protocol (AOMDV, Ad hoc on demand multipath distance vector routing protocol life

Protocols development for security and privacy of radio frequency identification systems

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Sabbagha, Fatin

There are benefits to adopting radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, although there are methods of attack that can compromise the system. This research determined how that may happen and what possible solutions can keep that from happening. Protocols were developed to implement better security. In addition, new topologies were developed to handle the problems of the key management. Previously proposed protocols focused on providing mutual authentication and privacy between readers and tags. However, those protocols are still vulnerable to be attacked. These protocols were analyzed and the disadvantages shown for each one. Previous works assumed that the channels between readers and the servers were secure. In the proposed protocols, a compromised reader is considered along with how to prevent tags from being read by that reader. The new protocols provide mutual authentication between readers and tags and, at the same time, remove the compromised reader from the system. Three protocols are proposed. In the first protocol, a mutual authentication is achieved and a compromised reader is not allowed in the network. In the second protocol, the number of times a reader contacts the server is reduced. The third protocol provides authentication and privacy between tags and readers using a trusted third party. The developed topology is implemented using python language and simulates work to check the efficiency regarding the processing time. The three protocols are implemented by writing codes in C language and then compiling them in MSP430. IAR Embedded workbench is used, which is an integrated development environment with the C/C++ compiler to generate a faster code and to debug the microcontroller. In summary, the goal of this research is to find solutions for the problems on previously proposed protocols, handle a compromised reader, and solve key management problems.

Large-scale evaluation of dynamically important residues in proteins predicted by the perturbation analysis of a coarse-grained elastic model

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Tekpinar Mustafa

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Backgrounds It is increasingly recognized that protein functions often require intricate conformational dynamics, which involves a network of key amino acid residues that couple spatially separated functional sites. Tremendous efforts have been made to identify these key residues by experimental and computational means. Results We have performed a large-scale evaluation of the predictions of dynamically important residues by a variety of computational protocols including three based on the perturbation and correlation analysis of a coarse-grained elastic model. This study is performed for two lists of test cases with >500 pairs of protein structures. The dynamically important residues predicted by the perturbation and correlation analysis are found to be strongly or moderately conserved in >67% of test cases. They form a sparse network of residues which are clustered both in 3D space and along protein sequence. Their overall conservation is attributed to their dynamic role rather than ligand binding or high network connectivity. Conclusion By modeling how the protein structural fluctuations respond to residue-position-specific perturbations, our highly efficient perturbation and correlation analysis can be used to dissect the functional conformational changes in various proteins with a residue level of detail. The predictions of dynamically important residues serve as promising targets for mutational and functional studies.

Effectiveness of Various Irrigation Protocols in Removing Calcium Hydroxide from Root Canals

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Hakan Göktürk

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the removal efficiency of calcium hydroxide (CH by CanalBrush, Vibringe, laser-activated irrigation (LAI, conventional syringe irrigation (CSI, XP-endo Finisher, and passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI in the root canal walls. Materials and Methods: Ninety-eight human mandibular premolar teeth were prepared. Root canals were filled with CH. The roots were divided into six experimental groups (n=15/group according to the irrigation protocol used: group 1 (CSI, group 2 (Vibringe, group 3 (CanalBrush, group 4 (XP-endo Finisher, group 5 (PUI, and group 6 (LAI. The amount of residual CH in the canal walls for each canal third was scored. Data were analysed by using Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni-correction Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: None of the investigated protocols renders the root canal walls free of CH remnants. Significant differences were found between tooth regions in terms of CH removal (p<0.05, and all groups except group 6 (LAI showed more residual CH in the apical region. PUI and LAI eliminated significantly more CH than CSI from the middle and apical thirds of the root canal, respectively. Conclusion: The activation of sodium hypochlorite with various devices increased CH removal at the apical and middle part of the canal. LAI and PUI produce better results in the apical and middle thirds, respectively.

Interventions for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases: a protocol for a systematic review of economic evaluations in low-income and middle-income countries.

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Aminde, Leopold Ndemnge; Veerman, Lennert

2016-12-21

Low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are experiencing a growing disease burden due to cardiovascular and other chronic non-communicable diseases. Interventions for the control of these diseases are paramount; however, these countries are faced with competing health and financial needs. There is an urgent need for quality evidence on cost-effective strategies to address these chronic diseases. We aim to synthesise the current literature on economic evaluations of interventions for primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention in LMICs. A systematic review of studies (published and unpublished) in LMICs up to 30 October 2016 will be conducted. The following databases will be searched: PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Web of Science, EconLit, NHS Economic Evaluations Database (NHS EED). Data sources specific to African literature, such as the WHO AFROLIB, Africa Index Medicus and African Journals online (AJOL) as well as grey literature, will also be searched. 2 reviewers shall independently screen potential articles for inclusion and disagreements shall be resolved by consensus. Quality appraisal of studies shall be done using Drummond's checklist for economic evaluation of studies. A descriptive synthesis of the evidence obtained is planned. The primary outcomes will be costs per life years gained or unit of clinical outcome, cost per quality-adjusted life years or disability-adjusted life years. This systematic review protocol has been prepared according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses for Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Ethics approval is not required considering that this is a protocol for a systematic review of published studies. Results from this review will be disseminated via conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal publications. CRD42016043510. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Latency correction of event-related potentials between different experimental protocols

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Iturrate, I.; Chavarriaga, R.; Montesano, L.; Minguez, J.; Millán, JdR

2014-06-01

Objective. A fundamental issue in EEG event-related potentials (ERPs) studies is the amount of data required to have an accurate ERP model. This also impacts the time required to train a classifier for a brain-computer interface (BCI). This issue is mainly due to the poor signal-to-noise ratio and the large fluctuations of the EEG caused by several sources of variability. One of these sources is directly related to the experimental protocol or application designed, and may affect the amplitude or latency of ERPs. This usually prevents BCI classifiers from generalizing among different experimental protocols. In this paper, we analyze the effect of the amplitude and the latency variations among different experimental protocols based on the same type of ERP. Approach. We present a method to analyze and compensate for the latency variations in BCI applications. The algorithm has been tested on two widely used ERPs (P300 and observation error potentials), in three experimental protocols in each case. We report the ERP analysis and single-trial classification. Main results. The results obtained show that the designed experimental protocols significantly affect the latency of the recorded potentials but not the amplitudes. Significance. These results show how the use of latency-corrected data can be used to generalize the BCIs, reducing the calibration time when facing a new experimental protocol.

Improvement of pressure ulcer prevention care in private for-profit residential care homes: an action research study.

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Kwong, Enid Wy; Hung, Maria Sy; Woo, Kevin

2016-11-25

A need exits to develop a protocol for preventing pressure ulcers (PUs) in private for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong, where the incidence of PUs is relatively high and which have high proportion of non-professional care staff. The implementation of such protocol would involve changes in the practice of care, likely evoking feelings of fear and uncertainty that may become a barrier to staff adherence. We thus adopted the Systems Model of Action Research in this study to manage the process of change for improving PU prevention care and to develop a pressure ulcer prevention protocol for private for-profit nursing homes. A total of 474 residents and care staff who were health workers, personal care workers, and/or nurses from four private, for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong participated in this study. Three cyclic stages and steps, namely, unfreezing (planning), changing (action), and refreezing (results) were carried out. During each cycle, focus group interviews, field observations of the care staff's practices and inspections of the skin of the residents for pressure ulcers were conducted to evaluate the implementation of the protocol. Qualitative content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The data and methodological triangulation used in this study increased the credibility and validity of the results. The following nine themes emerged from this study: prevention practices after the occurrence of PUs, the improper use of pressure ulcer prevention materials, non-compliance with several prevention practices, improper prevention practices, the perception that the preventive care was being performed correctly, inadequate readiness to use the risk assessment tool, an undesirable environment, the supplying of unfavorable resources, and various management styles in the homes with or without nurses. At the end of the third cycle, the changes that were identified included improved compliance with the revised risk assessment method, the timely and appropriate

Translational study of obesity management using the Diabetes Prevention Program "Group Lifestyle Balance" in primary care clinics and public hospitals from Mexico: study protocol

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Rolando Giovanni Díaz-Zavala

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Obesity is the main modifiable risk factor for the development of chronic diseases in Mexico. Several randomized controlled trials have shown that intensive lifestyle programs are efficacious for the management of obesity. These programs include frequent sessions (14 or more contacts in the first 6 months focused on diet and physical activity and use a behavior change protocol. However, most Mexican primary care clinics and public hospitals apply traditional treatments for obesity management with limited results on weight loss. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP “Group Lifestyle Balance” for weight loss among adults with overweight and obesity from baseline to 6 months and from baseline to 12 months in primary care clinics and public hospitals from Sonora, Mexico. Material and Methods: This is a translational, multi-center, non-controlled, 6 and 12-month follow-up clinical study with a pre-test and post-test design. Healthcare providers from two primary care clinics, two hospitals and one university clinic will be trained with the DPP protocol to implement on their patients with overweight and obesity. Body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, depression, quality of life and stress scales will be measured in participants receiving the program at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Biochemical parameters will be measured at baseline and 12 months. The primary outcome is the change in body weight at 6 and 12 months. Discussion: This study will provide scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the DPP protocol as a model for obesity management in real world clinical practice among the adult Mexican population.

Desensitization to clopidogrel: a tailor-made protocol.

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Barreira, P; Cadinha, S; Malheiro, D; Moreira da Silva, J P

2014-01-01

Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet drug widely used for treatment and prevention of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. We report a successful desensitization to clopidogrel in a 70-year-old Caucasian man with delayed hypersensitivity (HS) reaction. He developed lip, hand and foot swelling, erythematous papular non-pruritic lesions and arthralgias 2 weeks after starting treatment with clopidogrel 75 mg/d. A 3-hour desensitization protocol was started, achieving a cumulative dose of 154 mg without any reaction, and a daily dose of 75 mg was recommended. On the 4th day, the patient developed skin lesions similar to the previously described. He was treated with topical steroids and oral antihistamines, and the daily dose of clopidogrel was reduced to 20 mg. A new desensitization protocol was established, with a slow dose increment, according to the patient's response. It was only possible to achieve the dose of 75 mg/d after 2 months. Although well tolerated by most patients, HS reactions with clopidogrel may occur and desensitization is rising as a safe alternative in those patients. In delayed reactions with cutaneous lesions, a slower desensitization protocol may be necessary, as in this case.

Development and validation of a remote home safety protocol.

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Romero, Sergio; Lee, Mi Jung; Simic, Ivana; Levy, Charles; Sanford, Jon

2018-02-01

Environmental assessments and subsequent modifications conducted by healthcare professionals can enhance home safety and promote independent living. However, travel time, expense and the availability of qualified professionals can limit the broad application of this intervention. Remote technology has the potential to increase access to home safety evaluations. This study describes the development and validation of a remote home safety protocol that can be used by a caregiver of an elderly person to video-record their home environment for later viewing and evaluation by a trained professional. The protocol was developed based on literature reviews and evaluations from clinical and content experts. Cognitive interviews were conducted with a group of six caregivers to validate the protocol. The final protocol included step-by-step directions to record indoor and outdoor areas of the home. The validation process resulted in modifications related to safety, clarity of the protocol, readability, visual appearance, technical descriptions and usability. Our final protocol includes detailed instructions that a caregiver should be able to follow to record a home environment for subsequent evaluation by a home safety professional. Implications for Rehabilitation The results of this study have several implications for rehabilitation practice The remote home safety evaluation protocol can potentially improve access to rehabilitation services for clients in remote areas and prevent unnecessary delays for needed care. Using our protocol, a patient's caregiver can partner with therapists to quickly and efficiently evaluate a patient's home before they are released from the hospital. Caregiver narration, which reflects a caregiver's own perspective, is critical to evaluating home safety. In-home safety evaluations, currently not available to all who need them due to access barriers, can enhance a patient's independence and provide a safer home environment.

Preventive evidence into practice (PEP study: implementation of guidelines to prevent primary vascular disease in general practice protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

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Harris Mark F

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There are significant gaps in the implementation and uptake of evidence-based guideline recommendations for cardiovascular disease (CVD and diabetes in Australian general practice. This study protocol describes the methodology for a cluster randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a model that aims to improve the implementation of these guidelines in Australian general practice developed by a collaboration between researchers, non-government organisations, and the profession. Methods We hypothesise that the intervention will alter the behaviour of clinicians and patients resulting in improvements of recording of lifestyle and physiological risk factors (by 20% and increased adherence to guideline recommendations for: the management of CVD and diabetes risk factors (by 20%; and lifestyle and physiological risk factors of patients at risk (by 5%. Thirty-two general practices will be randomised in a 1:1 allocation to receive either the intervention or continue with usual care, after stratification by state. The intervention will be delivered through: small group education; audit of patient records to determine preventive care; and practice facilitation visits adapted to the needs of the practices. Outcome data will be extracted from electronic medical records and patient questionnaires, and qualitative evaluation from provider and patient interviews. Discussion We plan to disseminate study findings widely and directly inform implementation strategies by governments, professional bodies, and non-government organisations including the partner organisations.

Energy Efficient Clustering Protocol to Enhance Performance of Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Network: EECPEP-HWSN

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Santosh V. Purkar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Heterogeneous wireless sensor network (HWSN fulfills the requirements of researchers in the design of real life application to resolve the issues of unattended problem. But, the main constraint faced by researchers is the energy source available with sensor nodes. To prolong the life of sensor nodes and thus HWSN, it is necessary to design energy efficient operational schemes. One of the most suitable approaches to enhance energy efficiency is the clustering scheme, which enhances the performance parameters of WSN. A novel solution proposed in this article is to design an energy efficient clustering protocol for HWSN, to enhance performance parameters by EECPEP-HWSN. The proposed protocol is designed with three level nodes namely normal, advanced, and super, respectively. In the clustering process, for selection of cluster head we consider different parameters available with sensor nodes at run time that is, initial energy, hop count, and residual energy. This protocol enhances the energy efficiency of HWSN and hence improves energy remaining in the network, stability, lifetime, and hence throughput. It has been found that the proposed protocol outperforms than existing well-known LEACH, DEEC, and SEP with about 188, 150, and 141 percent respectively.

Smart Traffic Management Protocol Based on VANET architecture

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Amilcare Francesco Santamaria

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays one of the hottest theme in wireless environments research is the application of the newest technologies to road safety problems and traffic management exploiting the (VANET architecture. In this work, a novel protocol that aims to achieve a better traffic management is proposed. The overal system is able to reduce traffic level inside the city exploiting inter-communication among vehicles and support infrastructures also known as (V2V and (V2I communications. We design a network protocol called (STMP that takes advantages of IEEE 802.11p standard. On each road several sensors system are placed and they are responsible of monitoring. Gathered data are spread in the network exploiting ad-hoc protocol messages. The increasing knowledge about environment conditions make possible to take preventive actions. Moreover, having a realtime monitoring of the lanes it is possible to reveal roads and city blocks congestions in a shorter time. An external entity to the (VANET is responsible to manage traffic and rearrange traffic along the lanes of the city avoiding huge traffic levels.

[Effects of rice cleaning and cooking process on the residues of flutolanil, fenobucarb, silafluofen and buprofezin in rice].

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Satoh, Motoaki; Sakaguchi, Masayuki; Kobata, Masakazu; Sakaguchi, Yoko; Tanizawa, Haruna; Miura, Yuri; Sasano, Ryoichi; Nakanishi, Yutaka

2003-02-01

We studied the effect of cleaning and cooking on the residues of flutolanil, fenobucarb, silafluofen and buprofezin in rice. The rice had been sprayed in a paddy field in Wakayama city, with 3 kinds of pesticide application protocols: spraying once at the usual concentration of pesticides, repeated spraying (3 times) with the usual concentration of pesticides and spraying once with 3 times the usual concentration of pesticides. The residue levels of pesticide decreased during the rice cleaning process. Silafluofen, which has a higher log Pow value, remained in the hull of the rice. Fenobucarb, which has a lower log Pow value, penetrated inside the rice. The residue concentration of pesticide in polished rice was higher than that in pre-washed rice processed ready for cooking. During the cooking procedure, the reduction of pesticides in polished rice was higher than that in brown rice.

Improvement of the SEP protocol based on community structure of node degree

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Li, Donglin; Wei, Suyuan

2017-05-01

Analyzing the Stable election protocol (SEP) in wireless sensor networks and aiming at the problem of inhomogeneous cluster-heads distribution and unreasonable cluster-heads selectivity and single hop transmission in the SEP, a SEP Protocol based on community structure of node degree (SEP-CSND) is proposed. In this algorithm, network node deployed by using grid deployment model, and the connection between nodes established by setting up the communication threshold. The community structure constructed by node degree, then cluster head is elected in the community structure. On the basis of SEP, the node's residual energy and node degree is added in cluster-heads election. The information is transmitted with mode of multiple hops between network nodes. The simulation experiments showed that compared to the classical LEACH and SEP, this algorithm balances the energy consumption of the entire network and significantly prolongs network lifetime.

Maintenance optimization and prognostics of residual life - A state of the art report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nystad, Bent

2006-01-15

In many industries a huge part of the daily operational costs are related to maintenance. One key function in cutting costs is in optimization of the maintenance efforts. A major task is to change the work culture and work processes from being repair oriented, with focus on repairing breakdowns, to being proactive and maintain critical parts/systems before failures occur. Estimation of residual life distributions is of great need to obtain an optimum preventive maintenance strategy. In this report two approaches for estimation of residual life are discussed. The first model assumes that the residual life follows a Weibull distribution where the parameters are dependent on expert judgement, inspection data, repair data, and technical health trends. The second model is based on a continuous time Markov chain. In maintenance optimization a quantitative approach like the mean residual life estimation is needed in addition to a qualitative approach like the Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) methodology to give support for e.g. optimization of the maintenance overhaul intervals.The use of residual life knowledge in opportunistic maintenance is also discussed.(auth)

High-Yield HIV Testing, Facilitated Linkage to Care, and Prevention for Female Youth in Kenya (GIRLS Study): Implementation Science Protocol for a Priority Population.

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Inwani, Irene; Chhun, Nok; Agot, Kawango; Cleland, Charles M; Buttolph, Jasmine; Thirumurthy, Harsha; Kurth, Ann E

2017-12-13

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest HIV burden. Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the age range of 15 to 24 years are twice as likely as their male peers to be infected, making females in sub-Saharan Africa the most at-risk group for HIV infection. It is therefore critical to prioritize access to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment for this vulnerable population. Using an implementation science framework, the purpose of this research protocol was to describe the approaches we propose to optimize engagement of AGYW in both the HIV prevention and care continuum and to determine the recruitment and testing strategies that identify the highest proportion of previously undiagnosed HIV infections. We will compare two seek recruitment strategies, three test strategies, and pilot adaptive linkage to care interventions (sequential multiple assignment randomized trial [SMART] design) among AGYW in the age range of 15 to 24 years in Homa Bay County, western Kenya. AGYW will be recruited in the home or community-based setting and offered three testing options: oral fluid HIV self-testing, staff-aided rapid HIV testing, or referral to a health care facility for standard HIV testing services. Newly diagnosed AGYW with HIV will be enrolled in the SMART trial pilot to determine the most effective way to support initial linkage to care after a positive diagnosis. They will be randomized to standard referral (counseling and a referral note) or standard referral plus SMS text message (short message service, SMS); those not linked to care within 2 weeks will be rerandomized to receive an additional SMS text message or a one-time financial incentive (approximately US $4). We will also evaluate a primary prevention messaging intervention to support identified high-risk HIV-negative AGYW to reduce their HIV risk and adhere to HIV retesting recommendations. We will also conduct analyses to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness of the seek, testing and

78 FR 32235 - Availability of Compliance Guide for Residue Prevention and Response to Comments

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2013-05-29

... discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion... residue during the past 12 months, and asked for comment on recent revisions to the list. FSIS also... at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY). To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of...

A Prospective Pilot Study to Validate the Management Protocol for Patients Presenting with Acute Urinary Retention: A Community-Based, Nonhospitalised Protocol

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Shyamala S. Gopi

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Acute urinary retention (AUR in males is managed conventionally by hospital admission, alpha-adrenergic therapy, and trial without catheter. To reduce inpatient bed pressures, we set up a protocol to manage such patients in the community. We review our results in this paper. We performed a prospective study of male patients presenting to our acute admissions ward and Accident and Emergency department over 6 months. Patients with chronic urinary retention, macroscopic haematuria, sepsis, urinary tract infection, and/or serum creatinine >130 mmol/l were excluded from the study. Those enrolled were catheterised, commenced on alfuzosin (10 mg nocte, and discharged to the community. A trial without catheter (TWOC was performed 5—7 days later. QoL/IPSS, peak flow rate, and residual volume assessment were performed following successful TWOC 3 months later.Thirty-one male patients with a median age of 69 years were studied and the median residual volume following catheterisation was 900 ml. The aetiology of AUR was benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH in 29 patients and constipation in the remaining 2 patients. TWOC was successful in 19 patients (61.3% following first TWOC, 26 (83.9% following second trial of voiding. The mean peak flow rate was 6.5 ml/sec and postvoid scan 165 ml, following an immediate TWOC. At 3 months follow-up, mean peak flow rate was 13.2 ml/sec, postvoid scan 26.5 ml, IPSS 4.5, and QoL score was 2. This study has shown that AUR can be managed safely and effectively in the community. Effective communication with the nurse urology specialist, general practitioner, and emergency department are crucial for the successful implementation of the protocol.

Improving the security of a quantum secret sharing protocol between multiparty and multiparty without entanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Lianfang; Liu Yimin; Shi Shouhua; Zhang Zhanjun

2007-01-01

Recently Yan and Gao [F.L. Yan, T. Gao, Phys. Rev. A 72 (2005) 012304] have proposed a quantum secret sharing protocol which allows a secret message to be shared between one group of m parties and another group of n parties. The protocol is claimed to be secure. In this Letter, first we show that any subgroup consisting of evil cooperative parties (or one and only one evil party) can successfully cheat other parties to obtain the secret message without being detected. Then we improve the original Yan-Gao protocol such that the insider's cheats are prevented

Obtaining Low Rank Coal Biotransforming Bacteria from Microhabitats Enriched with Carbonaceous Residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valero Valero, Nelson; Rodriguez Salazar, Luz Nidia; Mancilla Gomez, Sandra; Contreras Bayona, Leydis

2012-01-01

Bacteria capable of low rank coal (LRC) biotransform were isolated from environmental samples altered with coal in the mine The Cerrejon. A protocol was designed to select strains more capable of LRC biotransform, the protocol includes isolation in a selective medium with LRC powder, qualitative and quantitative tests for LRC solubilization in solid and liquid culture medium. Of 75 bacterial strains isolated, 32 showed growth in minimal salts agar with 5 % carbon. The strains that produce higher values of humic substances (HS) have a mechanism of solubilization associated with pH changes in the culture medium, probably related to the production of extracellular alkaline substances by bacteria. The largest number of strains and bacteria with more solubilizing activity on LRC were isolated from sludge with high content of carbon residue and rhizosphere of Typha domingensis and Cenchrus ciliaris grown on sediments mixed with carbon particles, this result suggests that obtaining and solubilization capacity of LRC by bacteria may be related to the microhabitat where the populations originated.

Rapid measurement of residual dipolar couplings for fast fold elucidation of proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rasia, Rodolfo M. [Jean-Pierre Ebel CNRS/CEA/UJF, Institut de Biologie Structurale (France); Lescop, Ewen [CNRS, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles (France); Palatnik, Javier F. [Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular de Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquimicas y Farmaceuticas (Argentina); Boisbouvier, Jerome, E-mail: jerome.boisbouvier@ibs.fr; Brutscher, Bernhard, E-mail: Bernhard.brutscher@ibs.fr [Jean-Pierre Ebel CNRS/CEA/UJF, Institut de Biologie Structurale (France)

2011-11-15

It has been demonstrated that protein folds can be determined using appropriate computational protocols with NMR chemical shifts as the sole source of experimental restraints. While such approaches are very promising they still suffer from low convergence resulting in long computation times to achieve accurate results. Here we present a suite of time- and sensitivity optimized NMR experiments for rapid measurement of up to six RDCs per residue. Including such an RDC data set, measured in less than 24 h on a single aligned protein sample, greatly improves convergence of the Rosetta-NMR protocol, allowing for overnight fold calculation of small proteins. We demonstrate the performance of our fast fold calculation approach for ubiquitin as a test case, and for two RNA-binding domains of the plant protein HYL1. Structure calculations based on simulated RDC data highlight the importance of an accurate and precise set of several complementary RDCs as additional input restraints for high-quality de novo structure determination.

Compliance With Protocols for Prevention of Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Sepsis: Practicalities and Limitations

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Gwendolyn L. Gilbert

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To compare two protocols for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP against neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS sepsis, with respect to staff compliance, in a prospective cohort study in the obstetric units of a community hospital (A and a university teaching hospital (B.

Highly efficient residue-selective labeling with isotope-labeled Ile, Leu, and Val using a new auxotrophic E. coli strain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyanoiri, Yohei; Ishida, Yojiro; Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Inouye, Masayori; Kainosho, Masatsune

2016-01-01

We recently developed a practical protocol for preparing proteins bearing stereo-selectively 13 C-methyl labeled leucines and valines, instead of the commonly used 13 C-methyl labeled precursors for these amino acids, by E. coli cellular expression. Using this protocol, proteins with any combinations of isotope-labeled or unlabeled Leu and Val residues were prepared, including some that could not be prepared by the precursor methods. However, there is still room for improvement in the labeling efficiencies for Val residues, using the methods with labeled precursors or Val itself. This is due to the fact that the biosynthesis of Val could not be sufficiently suppressed, even by the addition of large amounts of Val or its precursors. In this study, we completely solved this problem by using a mutant strain derived from E. coli BL21(DE3), in which the metabolic pathways depending on two enzymes, dihydroxy acid dehydratase and β-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, are completely aborted by deleting the ilvD and leuB genes, which respectively encode these enzymes. The ΔilvD E. coli mutant terminates the conversion from α,β-dihydroxyisovalerate to α-ketoisovalerate, and the conversion from α,β-dihydroxy-α-methylvalerate to α-keto-β-methylvalerate, which produce the preceding precursors for Val and Ile, respectively. By the further deletion of the leuB gene, the conversion from Val to Leu was also fully terminated. Taking advantage of the double-deletion mutant, ΔilvDΔleuB E. coli BL21(DE3), an efficient and residue-selective labeling method with various isotope-labeled Ile, Leu, and Val residues was established.

Highly efficient residue-selective labeling with isotope-labeled Ile, Leu, and Val using a new auxotrophic E. coli strain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyanoiri, Yohei [Nagoya University, Structural Biology Research Center, Graduate School of Science (Japan); Ishida, Yojiro [Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (United States); Takeda, Mitsuhiro [Nagoya University, Structural Biology Research Center, Graduate School of Science (Japan); Terauchi, Tsutomu [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Science and Engineering (Japan); Inouye, Masayori [Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (United States); Kainosho, Masatsune, E-mail: kainosho@tmu.ac.jp [Nagoya University, Structural Biology Research Center, Graduate School of Science (Japan)

2016-06-15

We recently developed a practical protocol for preparing proteins bearing stereo-selectively {sup 13}C-methyl labeled leucines and valines, instead of the commonly used {sup 13}C-methyl labeled precursors for these amino acids, by E. coli cellular expression. Using this protocol, proteins with any combinations of isotope-labeled or unlabeled Leu and Val residues were prepared, including some that could not be prepared by the precursor methods. However, there is still room for improvement in the labeling efficiencies for Val residues, using the methods with labeled precursors or Val itself. This is due to the fact that the biosynthesis of Val could not be sufficiently suppressed, even by the addition of large amounts of Val or its precursors. In this study, we completely solved this problem by using a mutant strain derived from E. coli BL21(DE3), in which the metabolic pathways depending on two enzymes, dihydroxy acid dehydratase and β-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, are completely aborted by deleting the ilvD and leuB genes, which respectively encode these enzymes. The ΔilvD E. coli mutant terminates the conversion from α,β-dihydroxyisovalerate to α-ketoisovalerate, and the conversion from α,β-dihydroxy-α-methylvalerate to α-keto-β-methylvalerate, which produce the preceding precursors for Val and Ile, respectively. By the further deletion of the leuB gene, the conversion from Val to Leu was also fully terminated. Taking advantage of the double-deletion mutant, ΔilvDΔleuB E. coli BL21(DE3), an efficient and residue-selective labeling method with various isotope-labeled Ile, Leu, and Val residues was established.

Curative treatment for central nervous system medulloepithelioma despite residual disease after resection. Report of two cases treated according to the GPHO protocol HIT 2000 and review of the literature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Klaus [Leipzig Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology; Zwiener, Isabella [University Medical Center Univ. Mainz (Germany). Inst. for Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics; Welker, Helmut [Katharinenhospital, Stuttgart (Germany). Dept. of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology; Maass, Eberhard [Klinikum Stuttgart - Olgahospital (DE). Pediatrics 5 (Oncology, Hematology, Immunology); Bongartz, Rudolf [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology; Berthold, Frank [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Pediatric Oncology; Pietsch, Torsten [Bonn Univ. Medical Center (Germany). Dept. of Neuropathology; Warmuth-Metz, Monika [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology; Bueren, Andre von; Rutkowski, Stefan [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Dept. of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

2011-11-15

Medulloepithelioma of the central nervous system (CNS) is an uncommon primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) usually occurring in early childhood. It is characterized by highly malignant behavior with a propensity for progression, recurrence, and dissemination despite intensive therapy. Due to its rarity, the optimal management is still unknown. However, gross total resection (GTR) has been considered crucial to achieve cure. In this article, the authors report on 2 cases of CNS medulloepithelioma in which long-term survival (more than 6 years) could be achieved despite evidence of, or suspected postoperative residual disease with an otherwise dismal prognosis. The patients were treated according to different strata of the protocol for primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) of the German-Austrian multicenter trial of the German Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH) for childhood brain tumors (HIT 2000). Treatment included postoperative hyperfractionated radiotherapy of the craniospinal axis followed by a boost to the tumor site in combination with chemotherapy. A review of the 2 reported and 37 previously published cases confirmed GTR and older age as positive prognostic factors. (orig.)

A network identity authentication protocol of bank account system based on fingerprint identification and mixed encryption

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Lijuan; Liu, Jingao

2013-07-01

This paper describes a network identity authentication protocol of bank account system based on fingerprint identification and mixed encryption. This protocol can provide every bank user a safe and effective way to manage his own bank account, and also can effectively prevent the hacker attacks and bank clerk crime, so that it is absolute to guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of bank users.

Two-Stage Residual Inclusion Estimation in Health Services Research and Health Economics.

Science.gov (United States)

Terza, Joseph V

2018-06-01

Empirical analyses in health services research and health economics often require implementation of nonlinear models whose regressors include one or more endogenous variables-regressors that are correlated with the unobserved random component of the model. In such cases, implementation of conventional regression methods that ignore endogeneity will likely produce results that are biased and not causally interpretable. Terza et al. (2008) discuss a relatively simple estimation method that avoids endogeneity bias and is applicable in a wide variety of nonlinear regression contexts. They call this method two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI). In the present paper, I offer a 2SRI how-to guide for practitioners and a step-by-step protocol that can be implemented with any of the popular statistical or econometric software packages. We introduce the protocol and its Stata implementation in the context of a real data example. Implementation of 2SRI for a very broad class of nonlinear models is then discussed. Additional examples are given. We analyze cigarette smoking as a determinant of infant birthweight using data from Mullahy (1997). It is hoped that the discussion will serve as a practical guide to implementation of the 2SRI protocol for applied researchers. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Protocol Implementation Generator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carvalho Quaresma, Jose Nuno; Probst, Christian W.

2010-01-01

Users expect communication systems to guarantee, amongst others, privacy and integrity of their data. These can be ensured by using well-established protocols; the best protocol, however, is useless if not all parties involved in a communication have a correct implementation of the protocol and a...... Generator framework based on the LySatool and a translator from the LySa language into C or Java....... necessary tools. In this paper, we present the Protocol Implementation Generator (PiG), a framework that can be used to add protocol generation to protocol negotiation, or to easily share and implement new protocols throughout a network. PiG enables the sharing, verification, and translation...

An improved energy aware distributed unequal clustering protocol for heterogeneous wireless sensor networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vrinda Gupta

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an improved version of the energy aware distributed unequal clustering protocol (EADUC is projected. The EADUC protocol is commonly used for solving energy hole problem in multi-hop wireless sensor networks. In the EADUC, location of base station and residual energy are given importance as clustering parameters. Based on these parameters, different competition radii are assigned to nodes. Herein, a new approach has been proposed to improve the working of EADUC, by electing cluster heads considering number of nodes in the neighborhood in addition to the above two parameters. The inclusion of the neighborhood information for computation of the competition radii provides better balancing of energy in comparison with the existing approach. Furthermore, for the selection of next hop node, the relay metric is defined directly in terms of energy expense instead of only the distance information used in the EADUC and the data transmission phase has been extended in every round by performing the data collection number of times through use of major slots and mini-slots. The methodology used is of retaining the same clusters for a few rounds and is effective in reducing the clustering overhead. The performance of the proposed protocol has been evaluated under three different scenarios and compared with existing protocols through simulations. The results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the existing protocols in terms of network lifetime in all the scenarios.

Residue contacts predicted by evolutionary covariance extend the application of ab initio molecular replacement to larger and more challenging protein folds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix Simkovic

2016-07-01

Full Text Available For many protein families, the deluge of new sequence information together with new statistical protocols now allow the accurate prediction of contacting residues from sequence information alone. This offers the possibility of more accurate ab initio (non-homology-based structure prediction. Such models can be used in structure solution by molecular replacement (MR where the target fold is novel or is only distantly related to known structures. Here, AMPLE, an MR pipeline that assembles search-model ensembles from ab initio structure predictions (`decoys', is employed to assess the value of contact-assisted ab initio models to the crystallographer. It is demonstrated that evolutionary covariance-derived residue–residue contact predictions improve the quality of ab initio models and, consequently, the success rate of MR using search models derived from them. For targets containing β-structure, decoy quality and MR performance were further improved by the use of a β-strand contact-filtering protocol. Such contact-guided decoys achieved 14 structure solutions from 21 attempted protein targets, compared with nine for simple Rosetta decoys. Previously encountered limitations were superseded in two key respects. Firstly, much larger targets of up to 221 residues in length were solved, which is far larger than the previously benchmarked threshold of 120 residues. Secondly, contact-guided decoys significantly improved success with β-sheet-rich proteins. Overall, the improved performance of contact-guided decoys suggests that MR is now applicable to a significantly wider range of protein targets than were previously tractable, and points to a direct benefit to structural biology from the recent remarkable advances in sequencing.

The radiological monitoring protocol for metallic products and cleared scrap management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil Lopez, E.

2003-01-01

Event though the use of nuclear and radiological techniques is subject to strict controls in most countries, the presence of radioactive material in batches of metallic scrap has been detected with relative frequency in the last few years. This circumstance has motivated the implementation of a series of national and international initiatives aimed at detecting and preventing this type of events, whether they be intentional or involuntary. The Spanish iron and steel industry is one of the country's most important industrial sectors, and to a great extent it depends on the importation of a very significant amount of metallic scrap that it uses as raw material. Experience has shown that countries that import large amounts of scrap, apart from supporting the mentioned international initiatives, should complement them with other national initiatives to reduce the risks resulting from the presence of radioactive material in scrap. In this context, the Spanish authorities, together with trade unions and entrepreneurial associations in the metal reclamations and smelting sectors and ENRESA, have signed a voluntary Protocol that defines and implements a national radiological monitoring and control system for scrap materials and their byproducts. The Protocol defines the obligations and rights of the signatories, and it describes the monitoring and control system and its legal bases, the operation of both specific and other general-purpose radiological monitoring equipment that existed prior to this initiative, the development of radiological training and dissemination plans for professionals in the metal reclamation and smelting sectors, the establishment of effective systems for the safe management of any radioactive materials detected, and the general improvement of the national response system in the event of radiological emergencies. Since the Protocol took effect in November 1999, more than 100 enterprises from the metallurgical (steel, copper, lead and aluminum

Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy with maintenance anti-depressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse/recurrence: the PREVENT trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hayes Rachel

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Depression is a common and distressing mental health problem that is responsible for significant individual disability and cost to society. Medication and psychological therapies are effective for treating depression and maintenance anti-depressants (m-ADM can prevent relapse. However, individuals with depression often express a wish for psychological help that can help them recover from depression in the long-term. We need to develop psychological therapies that prevent depressive relapse/recurrence. A recently developed treatment, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT, see http://www.mbct.co.uk shows potential as a brief group programme for people with recurring depression. In two studies it has been shown to halve the rates of depression recurring compared to usual care. This trial asks the policy research question, is MBCT superior to m-ADM in terms of: a primary outcome of preventing depressive relapse/recurrence over 24 months; and, secondary outcomes of (a depression free days, (b residual depressive symptoms, (c antidepressant (ADM usage, (d psychiatric and medical co-morbidity, (e quality of life, and (f cost effectiveness? An explanatory research question asks is an increase in mindfulness skills the key mechanism of change? Methods/Design The design is a single blind, parallel RCT examining MBCT vs. m-ADM with an embedded process study. To answer the main policy research question the proposed trial compares MBCT plus ADM-tapering with m-ADM for patients with recurrent depression. Four hundred and twenty patients with recurrent major depressive disorder in full or partial remission will be recruited through primary care. Depressive relapse/recurrence over two years is the primary outcome variable. The explanatory question will be addressed in two mutually informative ways: quantitative measurement of potential mediating variables pre/post-treatment and a qualitative study of service users' views and experiences

Prolonged persistence of PCR-detectable minimal residual disease after diagnosis or first relapse predicts poor outcome in childhood B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenbergen, E. J.; Verhagen, O. J.; van Leeuwen, E. F.; van den Berg, H.; Behrendt, H.; Slater, R. M.; von dem Borne, A. E.; van der Schoot, C. E.

1995-01-01

The follow up of minimal residual disease (MRD) in childhood B-precursor ALL by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be of help for further stratification of treatment protocols, to improve outcome. However, the clinical relevance of this approach has yet to be defined. We report the retrospective

Evaluation of a protocol for the non-operative management of perforated peptic ulcer.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, C; Ramaswamy, P; Bergin, F G; Rosenberg, I L; Leaper, D J

1999-01-01

The non-operative management of perforated peptic ulcer has previously been shown to be both safe and effective although it remains controversial. A protocol for non-operative management was set up in this hospital in 1989. Adherence to the guidelines in the protocol has been audited over a 6-year period with a review of outcome. The case-notes of patients with a diagnosis of perforated peptic ulcer were reviewed. Twelve guidelines from the protocol were selected for evaluation of compliance to the protocol. Forty-nine patients underwent non-operative treatment initially. Eight patients failed to respond and underwent operation. Complications included abscess formation (seven patients), renal failure (one), gastric ileus (one), chest infection (two), and cardiac failure and stroke (one). Four deaths occurred in this group. Adherence to certain protocol guidelines was poor, notably those concerning prevention of thromboembolism, use of antibiotics, use of contrast examination to confirm the diagnosis and referral for follow-up endoscopy. Two gastric cancers were detected on subsequent endoscopy. This experience demonstrates that non-operative treatment can be used successfully in a general hospital. Adherence to protocol guidelines was found to be variable and the protocol has therefore been simplified. This study highlights the need for an accurate diagnosis and the importance of follow-up endoscopy.

Supporting Tablet Configuration, Tracking, and Infection Control Practices in Digital Health Interventions: Study Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Furberg, Robert D; Ortiz, Alexa M; Zulkiewicz, Brittany A; Hudson, Jordan P; Taylor, Olivia M; Lewis, Megan A

2016-06-27

Tablet-based health care interventions have the potential to encourage patient care in a timelier manner, allow physicians convenient access to patient records, and provide an improved method for patient education. However, along with the continued adoption of tablet technologies, there is a concomitant need to develop protocols focusing on the configuration, management, and maintenance of these devices within the health care setting to support the conduct of clinical research. Develop three protocols to support tablet configuration, tablet management, and tablet maintenance. The Configurator software, Tile technology, and current infection control recommendations were employed to develop three distinct protocols for tablet-based digital health interventions. Configurator is a mobile device management software specifically for iPhone operating system (iOS) devices. The capabilities and current applications of Configurator were reviewed and used to develop the protocol to support device configuration. Tile is a tracking tag associated with a free mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. The features associated with Tile were evaluated and used to develop the Tile protocol to support tablet management. Furthermore, current recommendations on preventing health care-related infections were reviewed to develop the infection control protocol to support tablet maintenance. This article provides three protocols: the Configurator protocol, the Tile protocol, and the infection control protocol. These protocols can help to ensure consistent implementation of tablet-based interventions, enhance fidelity when employing tablets for research purposes, and serve as a guide for tablet deployments within clinical settings.

Control of welding residual stress for ensuring integrity against fatigue and stress-corrosion cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mochizuki, Masahito

2007-01-01

The availability of several techniques for residual stress control is discussed in this paper. The effectiveness of these techniques in protecting from fatigue and stress-corrosion cracking is verified by numerical analysis and actual experiment. In-process control during welding for residual stress reduction is easier to apply than using post-weld treatment. As an example, control of the welding pass sequence for multi-pass welding is applied to cruciform joints and butt-joints with an X-shaped groove. However, residual stress improvement is confirmed for post-weld processes. Water jet peening is useful for obtaining a compressive residual stress on the surface, and the tolerance against both fatigue and stress-corrosion cracking is verified. Because cladding with a corrosion-resistant material is also effective for preventing stress-corrosion cracking from a metallurgical perspective, the residual stress at the interface of the base metal is carefully considered. The residual stress of the base metal near the clad edge is confirmed to be within the tolerance of crack generation. Controlling methods both during and after welding processes are found to be effective for ensuring the integrity of welded components

Improvement of pressure ulcer prevention care in private for-profit residential care homes: an action research study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enid WY Kwong

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A need exits to develop a protocol for preventing pressure ulcers (PUs in private for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong, where the incidence of PUs is relatively high and which have high proportion of non-professional care staff. The implementation of such protocol would involve changes in the practice of care, likely evoking feelings of fear and uncertainty that may become a barrier to staff adherence. We thus adopted the Systems Model of Action Research in this study to manage the process of change for improving PU prevention care and to develop a pressure ulcer prevention protocol for private for-profit nursing homes. Methods A total of 474 residents and care staff who were health workers, personal care workers, and/or nurses from four private, for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong participated in this study. Three cyclic stages and steps, namely, unfreezing (planning, changing (action, and refreezing (results were carried out. During each cycle, focus group interviews, field observations of the care staff’s practices and inspections of the skin of the residents for pressure ulcers were conducted to evaluate the implementation of the protocol. Qualitative content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The data and methodological triangulation used in this study increased the credibility and validity of the results. Results The following nine themes emerged from this study: prevention practices after the occurrence of PUs, the improper use of pressure ulcer prevention materials, non-compliance with several prevention practices, improper prevention practices, the perception that the preventive care was being performed correctly, inadequate readiness to use the risk assessment tool, an undesirable environment, the supplying of unfavorable resources, and various management styles in the homes with or without nurses. At the end of the third cycle, the changes that were identified included improved compliance with the

Identification of Soil Properties and Organophosphate Residues From Agricultural Land in Wanasari Sub-District, Brebes, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Joko, Tri; Anggoro, Sutrisno; Sunoko, Henna Rya; Rachmawati, Savitri

2018-02-01

Organophosphates have been used to eradicate pests and prevent losses from harvest failures caused by pest attack. It is undeniable that the organophosphate persist in soil. This study aims to identify the organophosphate residue and soil properties include pH, soil texture, and permeability. The soil samples were taken from cropland in 10 villages, Wanasari sub-district, Brebes, Indonesia. Organophosphate residue determined by gas chromatography using Flame Photometric Detector. Soil texture was determined by soil texture triangle from NRCS USDA, and the permeability value was determined by falling head method. The mean value of chlorpyrifos, profenofos, diazinon were 0.0078; 0.0388; 0.2271 mg/l respectively. The soil texture varies from clay, silt clay, loam, silt loam, and silt clay loam with permeability value at 10-7 with the soil pH value between 6.4 - 8.1. The results showed that organophosphate residues found in the soil and its potential affect the soil fertility decline. We recommend to conduct routine soil quality analysis to prevent soil damage in the agricultural environment.

Vertical Protocol Composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Groß, Thomas; Mödersheim, Sebastian Alexander

2011-01-01

The security of key exchange and secure channel protocols, such as TLS, has been studied intensively. However, only few works have considered what happens when the established keys are actually used—to run some protocol securely over the established “channel”. We call this a vertical protocol.......e., that the combination cannot introduce attacks that the individual protocols in isolation do not have. In this work, we prove a composability result in the symbolic model that allows for arbitrary vertical composition (including self-composition). It holds for protocols from any suite of channel and application...

The European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing synergies: protocol for a prospective observational study to measure the Impact of a community-based program on prevention and mitigation of frailty (ICP – PMF) in community-dwelling older adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liotta, G.; Orfila, F.; Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam Marie Rosé; Roller-Winsberger, R.; Illaria, M.; Musian, D.; Alvino, S.; O'Caoimh, R.; Cano, A.; Molloy, W.; Iaccarino, G.; Marazzi, M.C.; Inzerilli, M.C.; Madaro, O.; Paul, C.; Csonka, P.; Vince, A.C.; Menditto, E.; Maggio, M.; Scarcella, P.; Gilardi, F.; Lucaroni, F.; Abete, P.; Girardi, V.; Barra, R.; Palombi, L.

2016-01-01

Aim of this paper is to describe the protocol of the study “Impact of a Community-based Program on Prevention and Mitigation of Frailty in community-dwelling older adults‿ developed in the framework of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. This proposal has been developed

A Healthy School Start Plus for prevention of childhood overweight and obesity in disadvantaged areas through parental support in the school setting - study protocol for a parallel group cluster randomised trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Elinder, Liselotte Schäfer; Patterson, Emma; Nyberg, Gisela; Norman, Åsa

2018-04-06

Systematic reviews conclude that interventions to prevent overweight and obesity in children obtain stronger effects when parents are involved. Parenting practices and parent-child interactions shape children's health-related behaviours. The Healthy School Start Plus intervention aims to promote healthy dietary habits and physical activity and prevent obesity in children through parental support in disadvantaged areas with increased health needs, delivered by teachers and school nurses. This protocol describes the design, outcome and process evaluation of the study. Effectiveness of the intervention is compared to standard care within school health services. The 6-month programme, based on Social Cognitive Theory, consists of four components: 1) Health information to parents regarding the child; 2) Motivational Interviewing with the parents by the school nurse concerning the child; 3) classroom activities for the children by teachers; and 4) a web-based self-test of type-2 diabetes risk by parents. Effects will be studied in a cluster randomised trial including 17 schools and 352 six-year old children. The primary outcome is dietary intake of indicator foods, and secondary outcomes are physical activity, sedentary behaviour and BMI. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, at 6 months directly after the intervention, and at follow-up 18 months post baseline. Statistical analysis will be by mixed-effect regression analysis according to intention to treat and per protocol. Mediation analysis will be performed with parental self-efficacy and parenting practices. Quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to study implementation in terms of dose, fidelity, feasibility and acceptability. The hypothesis is that the programme will be more effective than standard care and feasible to perform in the school context. The programme is in line with the cumulated evidence regarding the prevention of childhood obesity: That schools should be a focal point of prevention

Application of the Intervention Mapping protocol to develop Keys, a family child care home intervention to prevent early childhood obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Courtney M; Ward, Dianne S; Vaughn, Amber; Benjamin Neelon, Sara E; Long Vidal, Lenita J; Omar, Sakinah; Namenek Brouwer, Rebecca J; Østbye, Truls

2015-12-10

Many families rely on child care outside the home, making these settings important influences on child development. Nearly 1.5 million children in the U.S. spend time in family child care homes (FCCHs), where providers care for children in their own residences. There is some evidence that children in FCCHs are heavier than those cared for in centers. However, few interventions have targeted FCCHs for obesity prevention. This paper will describe the application of the Intervention Mapping (IM) framework to the development of a childhood obesity prevention intervention for FCCHs Following the IM protocol, six steps were completed in the planning and development of an intervention targeting FCCHs: needs assessment, formulation of change objectives matrices, selection of theory-based methods and strategies, creation of intervention components and materials, adoption and implementation planning, and evaluation planning Application of the IM process resulted in the creation of the Keys to Healthy Family Child Care Homes program (Keys), which includes three modules: Healthy You, Healthy Home, and Healthy Business. Delivery of each module includes a workshop, educational binder and tool-kit resources, and four coaching contacts. Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Determination Theory helped guide development of change objective matrices, selection of behavior change strategies, and identification of outcome measures. The Keys program is currently being evaluated through a cluster-randomized controlled trial The IM process, while time-consuming, enabled rigorous and systematic development of intervention components that are directly tied to behavior change theory and may increase the potential for behavior change within the FCCHs.

A survey of residual analysis and a new test of residual trend.

Science.gov (United States)

McDowell, J J; Calvin, Olivia L; Klapes, Bryan

2016-05-01

A survey of residual analysis in behavior-analytic research reveals that existing methods are problematic in one way or another. A new test for residual trends is proposed that avoids the problematic features of the existing methods. It entails fitting cubic polynomials to sets of residuals and comparing their effect sizes to those that would be expected if the sets of residuals were random. To this end, sampling distributions of effect sizes for fits of a cubic polynomial to random data were obtained by generating sets of random standardized residuals of various sizes, n. A cubic polynomial was then fitted to each set of residuals and its effect size was calculated. This yielded a sampling distribution of effect sizes for each n. To test for a residual trend in experimental data, the median effect size of cubic-polynomial fits to sets of experimental residuals can be compared to the median of the corresponding sampling distribution of effect sizes for random residuals using a sign test. An example from the literature, which entailed comparing mathematical and computational models of continuous choice, is used to illustrate the utility of the test. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Occurrence of C-Terminal Residue Exclusion in Peptide Fragmentation by ESI and MALDI Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Dupré, Mathieu; Cantel, Sonia; Martinez, Jean; Enjalbal, Christine

2012-02-01

By screening a data set of 392 synthetic peptides MS/MS spectra, we found that a known C-terminal rearrangement was unexpectedly frequently occurring from monoprotonated molecular ions in both ESI and MALDI tandem mass spectrometry upon low and high energy collision activated dissociations with QqTOF and TOF/TOF mass analyzer configuration, respectively. Any residue localized at the C-terminal carboxylic acid end, even a basic one, was lost, provided that a basic amino acid such arginine and to a lesser extent histidine and lysine was present in the sequence leading to a fragment ion, usually depicted as (bn-1 + H2O) ion, corresponding to a shortened non-scrambled peptide chain. Far from being an epiphenomenon, such a residue exclusion from the peptide chain C-terminal extremity gave a fragment ion that was the base peak of the MS/MS spectrum in certain cases. Within the frame of the mobile proton model, the ionizing proton being sequestered onto the basic amino acid side chain, it is known that the charge directed fragmentation mechanism involved the C-terminal carboxylic acid function forming an anhydride intermediate structure. The same mechanism was also demonstrated from cationized peptides. To confirm such assessment, we have prepared some of the peptides that displayed such C-terminal residue exclusion as a C-terminal backbone amide. As expected in this peptide amide series, the production of truncated chains was completely suppressed. Besides, multiply charged molecular ions of all peptides recorded in ESI mass spectrometry did not undergo such fragmentation validating that any mobile ionizing proton will prevent such a competitive C-terminal backbone rearrangement. Among all well-known nondirect sequence fragment ions issued from non specific loss of neutral molecules (mainly H2O and NH3) and multiple backbone amide ruptures (b-type internal ions), the described C-terminal residue exclusion is highly identifiable giving raise to a single fragment ion in

Advertisement-Based Energy Efficient Medium Access Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Surjya Sarathi

One of the main challenges that prevents the large-scale deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is providing the applications with the required quality of service (QoS) given the sensor nodes' limited energy supplies. WSNs are an important tool in supporting applications ranging from environmental and industrial monitoring, to battlefield surveillance and traffic control, among others. Most of these applications require sensors to function for long periods of time without human intervention and without battery replacement. Therefore, energy conservation is one of the main goals for protocols for WSNs. Energy conservation can be performed in different layers of the protocol stack. In particular, as the medium access control (MAC) layer can access and control the radio directly, large energy savings is possible through intelligent MAC protocol design. To maximize the network lifetime, MAC protocols for WSNs aim to minimize idle listening of the sensor nodes, packet collisions, and overhearing. Several approaches such as duty cycling and low power listening have been proposed at the MAC layer to achieve energy efficiency. In this thesis, I explore the possibility of further energy savings through the advertisement of data packets in the MAC layer. In the first part of my research, I propose Advertisement-MAC or ADV-MAC, a new MAC protocol for WSNs that utilizes the concept of advertising for data contention. This technique lets nodes listen dynamically to any desired transmission and sleep during transmissions not of interest. This minimizes the energy lost in idle listening and overhearing while maintaining an adaptive duty cycle to handle variable loads. Additionally, ADV-MAC enables energy efficient MAC-level multicasting. An analytical model for the packet delivery ratio and the energy consumption of the protocol is also proposed. The analytical model is verified with simulations and is used to choose an optimal value of the advertisement period

Security Enhanced EMV-Based Mobile Payment Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Hour Yang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Near field communication has enabled customers to put their credit cards into a smartphone and use the phone for credit card transaction. But EMV contactless payment allows unauthorized readers to access credit cards. Besides, in offline transaction, a merchant’s reader cannot verify whether a card has been revoked. Therefore, we propose an EMV-compatible payment protocol to mitigate the transaction risk. And our modifications to the EMV standard are transparent to merchants and users. We also encrypt the communications between a card and a reader to prevent eavesdropping on sensitive data. The protocol is able to resist impersonation attacks and to avoid the security threats in EMV. In offline transactions, our scheme requires a user to apply for a temporary offline certificate in advance. With the certificate, banks no longer need to lower customer’s credits for risk control, and users can have online-equivalent credits in offline transactions.

A mixed methods protocol for developing and testing implementation strategies for evidence-based obesity prevention in childcare: a cluster randomized hybrid type III trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Swindle, Taren; Johnson, Susan L; Whiteside-Mansell, Leanne; Curran, Geoffrey M

2017-07-18

Despite the potential to reach at-risk children in childcare, there is a significant gap between current practices and evidence-based obesity prevention in this setting. There are few investigations of the impact of implementation strategies on the uptake of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for obesity prevention and nutrition promotion. This study protocol describes a three-phase approach to developing and testing implementation strategies to support uptake of EBPs for obesity prevention practices in childcare (i.e., key components of the WISE intervention). Informed by the i-PARIHS framework, we will use a stakeholder-driven evidence-based quality improvement (EBQI) process to apply information gathered in qualitative interviews on barriers and facilitators to practice to inform the design of implementation strategies. Then, a Hybrid Type III cluster randomized trial will compare a basic implementation strategy (i.e., intervention as usual) with an enhanced implementation strategy informed by stakeholders. All Head Start centers (N = 12) within one agency in an urban area in a southern state in the USA will be randomized to receive the basic or enhanced implementation with approximately 20 classrooms per group (40 educators, 400 children per group). The educators involved in the study, the data collectors, and the biostastician will be blinded to the study condition. The basic and enhanced implementation strategies will be compared on outcomes specified by the RE-AIM model (e.g., Reach to families, Effectiveness of impact on child diet and health indicators, Adoption commitment of agency, Implementation fidelity and acceptability, and Maintenance after 6 months). Principles of formative evaluation will be used throughout the hybrid trial. This study will test a stakeholder-driven approach to improve implementation, fidelity, and maintenance of EBPs for obesity prevention in childcare. Further, this study provides an example of a systematic process to develop

Developing an optimum protocol for thermoluminescence dosimetry with gr-200 chips using Taguchi method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadeghi, Maryam; Faghihi, Reza; Sina, Sedigheh

2017-01-01

Thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) is a powerful technique with wide applications in personal, environmental and clinical dosimetry. The optimum annealing, storage and reading protocols are very effective in accuracy of TLD response. The purpose of this study is to obtain an optimum protocol for GR-200; LiF: Mg, Cu, P, by optimizing the effective parameters, to increase the reliability of the TLD response using Taguchi method. Taguchi method has been used in this study for optimization of annealing, storage and reading protocols of the TLDs. A number of 108 GR-200 chips were divided into 27 groups, each containing four chips. The TLDs were exposed to three different doses, and stored, annealed and read out by different procedures as suggested by Taguchi Method. By comparing the signal-to-noise ratios the optimum dosimetry procedure was obtained. According to the results, the optimum values for annealing temperature (de.C), Annealing Time (s), Annealing to Exposure time (d), Exposure to Readout time (d), Pre-heat Temperature (de.C), Pre-heat Time (s), Heating Rate (de.C/s), Maximum Temperature of Readout (de.C), readout time (s) and Storage Temperature (de.C) are 240, 90, 1, 2, 50, 0, 15, 240, 13 and -20, respectively. Using the optimum protocol, an efficient glow curve with low residual signals can be achieved. Using optimum protocol obtained by Taguchi method, the dosimetry can be effectively performed with great accuracy. (authors)

Protocol for the CHORD project (community health outreach to reduce diabetes): a cluster-randomized community health worker trial to prevent diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Nadia; Gepts, Thomas; Lief, Isaac; Gore, Radhika; Levy, Natalie; Tanner, Michael; Fang, Yixin; Sherman, Scott E; Schwartz, Mark D

2018-04-19

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) affects 9.4% of US adults and children, while another 33.9% of Americans are at risk of DM. Health care institutions face many barriers to systematically delivering the preventive care needed to decrease DM incidence. Community health workers (CHWs) may, as frontline public health workers bridging clinic and community, help overcome these challenges. This paper presents the protocol for a pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial integrating CHWs into two primary care clinics to support DM prevention for at-risk patients. The trial will randomize 15 care teams, stratified by practice site (Bellevue Hospital and Manhattan VA), totaling 56 primary care physicians. The study cohort will consist of ~ 2000 patients who are 18-75 years of age, actively enrolled in a primary care team, able to speak English or Spanish, and have at least one glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) result in the prediabetic range (5.7-6.4%) since 2012. Those with a current DM diagnosis or DM medication prescription (other than metformin) are ineligible. The intervention consists of four core activities - setting health goals, health education, activation for doctor's appointments, and referrals to DM prevention programs - adjustable according to the patient's needs and readiness. The primary outcome is DM incidence. Secondary outcomes include weight loss, HbA1C, and self-reported health behaviors. Clinical variables and health behaviors will be obtained through electronic medical records and surveys, respectively. Implementation outcomes, namely implementation fidelity and physicians' perspectives about CHW integration into the clinic, will be assessed using interviews and CHW activity logs and analyzed for the influence of moderating organizational factors. This is the first rigorous, pragmatic trial to test the effectiveness of integrating CHWs into primary care for DM prevention reaching a population-based sample. Our study's limitations include language

A protocol of early aggressive acceleration of tube feeding increases ileus without perceptible benefit in severely burned patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesey, Jennifer; Dissanaike, Sharmila

2013-01-01

Optimal nutrition is essential to the recovery of burned patients. The authors evaluated the efficacy of an aggressive nutrition delivery protocol. The following protocol was implemented: initiation of tube feeds within 4 hours, acceleration to goal rate within 8 hours, and tolerance of gastric residual volumes of 400 ml. Patients on the protocol formed the study group whereas patients admitted immediately before implementation served as controls for a study period of 7 days after admission. Outcome variables included ileus, prokinetic medication use, intensive care unit and overall length of stay, ventilator days and mortality. Variables were compared using bivariate analysis. The 42 study subjects and 34 controls were similar at baseline. Time to initiation was similar (6.8 vs 9.4 hours; P = .226), however, goal rate was achieved much sooner in the study group (11.2 vs 20.9 hours; P protocol was successfully implemented and resulted in early achievement of goal tube feed rates. However, this resulted in tube feed intolerance as manifested by more cases of clinical ileus.

Evaluation of residue-residue contact predictions in CASP9

KAUST Repository

Monastyrskyy, Bohdan; Fidelis, Krzysztof; Tramontano, Anna; Kryshtafovych, Andriy

2011-01-01

This work presents the results of the assessment of the intramolecular residue-residue contact predictions submitted to CASP9. The methodology for the assessment does not differ from that used in previous CASPs, with two basic evaluation measures

A comparison of sennosides-based bowel protocols with and without docusate in hospitalized patients with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, Philippa Helen; Byeon, Jai Jun

2008-05-01

Constipation is a common and distressing condition in patients with cancer, especially those taking opioid analgesics. Many institutions prevent and treat constipation with titrated laxatives, which is known as a bowel protocol. An effective and well-tolerated bowel protocol is a very important component of cancer care, and there is little evidence on which to base selection of the most appropriate agents. This study compares a protocol of the stimulant laxative sennosides alone with a protocol of sennosides plus the stool softener docusate, in hospitalized patients at an oncology center. The docusate-containing protocol had an initial docusate-only step for patients not taking opioids, and four to six 100-mg capsules of docusate sodium in addition to the sennosides for the rest of the protocol. Thirty patients received the sennosides-only (S) protocol and 30 the sennosides plus docusate (DS) protocol. The efficacy and adverse effects of the protocols were monitored for 5-12 days. The two protocols were used sequentially, creating two cohorts, one on each protocol. Eighty percent of patients were taking oral opioids and 72% were admitted for symptom control/supportive care. Over a total of 488 days of observation it was found that the S protocol produced more bowel movements than the DS protocol, and in the symptom control/supportive care patients this difference was statistically significant (p sennosides did not reduce bowel cramps, and was less effective in inducing laxation than the sennosides-only protocol. Further research into the appropriate use of docusate and into the details of bowel protocol design are required.

Implementation of the protocol on treatment of outpatients and hospitalized patients with iodine 131r

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mildred De Mendoza, L.

1996-01-01

In Nuclear medicine different working protocols are used which are adequate for the treatment of patients with radioactive materials and which at the same time prevent the contamination of the occupationally exposed workers In Guatemala (the implementation of these protocols aims at keeping a records all the personal and centers that make use of iodine 131, improving the quality of diagnostic information; utilizing the necessary amount of radionuclide activity so as to ensure a good diagnosis and effectively utilizing economic resources

Statistical Considerations of Food Allergy Prevention Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahnson, Henry T; du Toit, George; Lack, Gideon

Clinical studies to prevent the development of food allergy have recently helped reshape public policy recommendations on the early introduction of allergenic foods. These trials are also prompting new research, and it is therefore important to address the unique design and analysis challenges of prevention trials. We highlight statistical concepts and give recommendations that clinical researchers may wish to adopt when designing future study protocols and analysis plans for prevention studies. Topics include selecting a study sample, addressing internal and external validity, improving statistical power, choosing alpha and beta, analysis innovations to address dilution effects, and analysis methods to deal with poor compliance, dropout, and missing data. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antibiotics for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sethi, Naqash J.; Safi, Sanam; Korang, Steven Kwasi

2017-01-01

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of antibiotics for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. As a secondary objective, we plan to assess the effects of individual types of antibiotics...

Detecting and Preventing Beacon Replay Attacks in Receiver-Initiated MAC Protocols for Energy Efficient WSNs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Di Mauro, Alessio; Fafoutis, Xenofon; Mödersheim, Sebastian Alexander

2013-01-01

In receiver-initiated MAC protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), communication is initiated by the receiver of the data through beacons containing the receiver's identity. In this paper, we consider the case of a network intruder that captures and replays such beacons towards legitimate...

[Daily practice using the guidelines for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Effectiveness of exercise for preventing and treating osteoporosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Miyakoshi, Naohisa

2008-08-01

There is increasing evidence that exercise is an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. The randomized controlled trials and their meta-analyses to date, evaluating the effects of exercise on osteoporosis reveal that the exercise is effective in preserving bone mass, preventing fractures and falls, and improving quality of life in patients with osteoporosis. Emphasis is also given to the importance of the specific protocols of exercises needed to achieve positive effects safely, keeping in view the age and general physical condition of the person.

Residue age and tree attractiveness influence efficacy of insecticide treatments against ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Management of ambrosia beetles in ornamental nurseries relies, in part, on treatments of insecticides to prevent beetles from boring into trees emitting stress-induced ethanol. However, data on residual efficacy of commonly used pyrethroid insecticides is warranted to gauge the duration that trees ...

A mindfulness-based stress prevention training for medical students (MediMind): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhlmann, Sophie Merle; Bürger, Arne; Esser, Günter; Hammerle, Florian

2015-02-08

Medical training is very demanding and associated with a high prevalence of psychological distress. Compared to the general population, medical students are at a greater risk of developing a psychological disorder. Various attempts of stress management training in medical school have achieved positive results on minimizing psychological distress; however, there are often limitations. Therefore, the use of a rigorous scientific method is needed. The present study protocol describes a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of a specifically developed mindfulness-based stress prevention training for medical students that includes selected elements of cognitive behavioral strategies (MediMind). This study protocol presents a prospective randomized controlled trial, involving four assessment time points: baseline, post-intervention, one-year follow-up and five-year follow-up. The aims include evaluating the effect on stress, coping, psychological morbidity and personality traits with validated measures. Participants are allocated randomly to one of three conditions: MediMind, Autogenic Training or control group. Eligible participants are medical or dental students in the second or eighth semester of a German university. They form a population of approximately 420 students in each academic term. A final total sample size of 126 (at five-year follow-up) is targeted. The trainings (MediMind and Autogenic Training) comprise five weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes each. MediMind will be offered to participants of the control group once the five-year follow-up is completed. The allotment is randomized with a stratified allocation ratio by course of studies, semester, and gender. After descriptive statistics have been evaluated, inferential statistical analysis will be carried out with a repeated measures ANOVA-design with interactions between time and group. Effect sizes will be calculated using partial η-square values. Potential limitations of this study

An SDN-Based Authentication Mechanism for Securing Neighbor Discovery Protocol in IPv6

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yiqin Lu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP is one of the main protocols in the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6 suite, and it provides many basic functions for the normal operation of IPv6 in a local area network (LAN, such as address autoconfiguration and address resolution. However, it has many vulnerabilities that can be used by malicious nodes to launch attacks, because the NDP messages are easily spoofed without protection. Surrounding this problem, many solutions have been proposed for securing NDP, but these solutions either proposed new protocols that need to be supported by all nodes or built mechanisms that require the cooperation of all nodes, which is inevitable in the traditional distributed networks. Nevertheless, Software-Defined Networking (SDN provides a new perspective to think about protecting NDP. In this paper, we proposed an SDN-based authentication mechanism to verify the identity of NDP packets transmitted in a LAN. Using the centralized control and programmability of SDN, it can effectively prevent the spoofing attacks and other derived attacks based on spoofing. In addition, this mechanism needs no additional protocol supporting or configuration at hosts and routers and does not introduce any dedicated devices.

Failure of antiarrhythmic drugs to prevent experimental reperfusion ventricular fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Naito, M; Michelson, E L; Kmetzo, J J; Kaplinsky, E; Dreifus, L S

1981-01-01

Ninety-nine adult mongrel dogs underwent acute ligation of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. Thirty minutes later, the occlusion was released to evaluate the effectiveness of five antiarrhythmic protocols in eliminating reperfusion ventricular fibrillation. The five protocols included: protocol 1 --i.v. lidocaine, preligation and prerelease (n = 19); protocol 2 -- i.v. lidocaine, prereperfusion only (n = 22); protocol 3 -- chronic, oral, daily amiodarone for 2 weeks preligation (n = 19); protocol 4 -- i.v. procainamide, preligation and prereperfusion (n = 21); and protocol 5 -- i.v. verapamil, prereperfusion (n = 18). Each regimen was evaluated with respect to the incidence of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation in dogs that survived to reperfusion, and the results were compared to 77 control dogs that underwent identical coronary artery occlusion and release procedures without drug therapy. The incidence of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation was as follows: protocol 1 -- seven of 15 dogs (47%); protocol 2 -- six of 18 (33%); protocol 3 -- 11 of 16 dogs (69%); protocol 4 -- eight of 17 dogs (47%); and protocol 5 -- 10 of 17 dogs (59%), compared with 36 of 60 (60%) in control dogs. Using chi-square analysis, protocol 2 was beneficial (p antecedent coronary artery ligation periods, and predictive risk indexes for the occurrence of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation were developed. the Mantel-Haenszel method of statistical analysis revealed that none of these protocols resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation. Thus, use of these predictive indexes plus appropriate statistical methods has revealed, unexpectedly, limitations in the efficacy of a spectrum of antiarrhythmic agents in preventing reperfusion ventricular fibrillation.

An Adaptive Information Quantity-Based Broadcast Protocol for Safety Services in VANET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenjie Wang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vehicle-to-vehicle communication plays a significantly important role in implementing safe and efficient road traffic. When disseminating safety messages in the network, the information quantity on safety packets changes over time and space. However, most of existing protocols view each packet the same to disseminate, preventing vehicles from collecting more recent and precise safety information. Hence, an information quantity-based broadcast protocol is proposed in this paper to ensure the efficiency of safety messages dissemination. In particular, we propose the concept of emergency-degree to evaluate packets’ information quantity. Then we present EDCast, an emergency-degree-based broadcast protocol. EDCast differentiates each packet’s priority for accessing the channel based on its emergency-degree so as to provide vehicles with more safety information timely and accurately. In addition, an adaptive scheme is presented to ensure fast dissemination of messages in different network condition. We compare the performance of EDCast with those of three other representative protocols in a typical highway scenario. Simulation results indicate that EDCast achieves higher broadcast efficiency and less redundancy with less delivery delay. What we found demonstrates that it is feasible and necessary for incorporating information quantity of messages in designing an efficient safety message broadcast protocol.

Rigid Residue Scan Simulations Systematically Reveal Residue Entropic Roles in Protein Allostery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Kalescky

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Intra-protein information is transmitted over distances via allosteric processes. This ubiquitous protein process allows for protein function changes due to ligand binding events. Understanding protein allostery is essential to understanding protein functions. In this study, allostery in the second PDZ domain (PDZ2 in the human PTP1E protein is examined as model system to advance a recently developed rigid residue scan method combining with configurational entropy calculation and principal component analysis. The contributions from individual residues to whole-protein dynamics and allostery were systematically assessed via rigid body simulations of both unbound and ligand-bound states of the protein. The entropic contributions of individual residues to whole-protein dynamics were evaluated based on covariance-based correlation analysis of all simulations. The changes of overall protein entropy when individual residues being held rigid support that the rigidity/flexibility equilibrium in protein structure is governed by the La Châtelier's principle of chemical equilibrium. Key residues of PDZ2 allostery were identified with good agreement with NMR studies of the same protein bound to the same peptide. On the other hand, the change of entropic contribution from each residue upon perturbation revealed intrinsic differences among all the residues. The quasi-harmonic and principal component analyses of simulations without rigid residue perturbation showed a coherent allosteric mode from unbound and bound states, respectively. The projection of simulations with rigid residue perturbation onto coherent allosteric modes demonstrated the intrinsic shifting of ensemble distributions supporting the population-shift theory of protein allostery. Overall, the study presented here provides a robust and systematic approach to estimate the contribution of individual residue internal motion to overall protein dynamics and allostery.

Tranexamic Acid versus Placebo to Prevent Blood Transfusion during Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer (TACT): Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Breau, Rodney H; Lavallée, Luke T; Cnossen, Sonya; Witiuk, Kelsey; Cagiannos, Ilias; Momoli, Franco; Bryson, Gregory; Kanji, Salmaan; Morash, Christopher; Turgeon, Alexis; Zarychanski, Ryan; Mallick, Ranjeeta; Knoll, Greg; Fergusson, Dean A

2018-05-02

Radical cystectomy for bladder cancer is associated with a high risk of needing red blood cell transfusion. Tranexamic acid reduces blood loss during cardiac and orthopedic surgery, but no study has yet evaluated tranexamic acid use during cystectomy. A randomized, double-blind (surgeon-, anesthesiologist-, patient-, data-monitor-blinded), placebo-controlled trial of tranexamic acid during cystectomy was initiated in June 2013. Prior to incision, the intervention arm participants receive a 10 mg/kg loading dose of intravenously administered tranexamic acid, followed by a 5 mg/kg/h maintenance infusion. In the control arm, the patient receives an identical volume of normal saline that is indistinguishable from the intervention. The primary outcome is any blood transfusion from the start of surgery up to 30 days post operative. There are no strict criteria to mandate the transfusion of blood products. The decision to transfuse is entirely at the discretion of the treating physicians who are blinded to patient allocation. Physicians are allowed to utilize all resources to make transfusion decisions, including serum hemoglobin concentration and vital signs. To date, 147 patients of a planned 354 have been randomized to the study. This protocol reviews pertinent data relating to blood transfusion during radical cystectomy, highlighting the need to identify methods for reducing blood loss and preventing transfusion in patients receiving radical cystectomy. It explains the clinical rationale for using tranexamic acid to reduce blood loss during cystectomy, and outlines the study methods of our ongoing randomized controlled trial. Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Protocol: MOP-342559; ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT01869413. Registered on 5 June 2013.

An Efficient and Secure Arbitrary N-Party Quantum Key Agreement Protocol Using Bell States

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wen-Jie; Xu, Yong; Yang, Ching-Nung; Gao, Pei-Pei; Yu, Wen-Bin

2018-01-01

Two quantum key agreement protocols using Bell states and Bell measurement were recently proposed by Shukla et al. (Quantum Inf. Process. 13(11), 2391-2405, 2014). However, Zhu et al. pointed out that there are some security flaws and proposed an improved version (Quantum Inf. Process. 14(11), 4245-4254, 2015). In this study, we will show Zhu et al.'s improvement still exists some security problems, and its efficiency is not high enough. For solving these problems, we utilize four Pauli operations { I, Z, X, Y} to encode two bits instead of the original two operations { I, X} to encode one bit, and then propose an efficient and secure arbitrary N-party quantum key agreement protocol. In the protocol, the channel checking with decoy single photons is introduced to avoid the eavesdropper's flip attack, and a post-measurement mechanism is used to prevent against the collusion attack. The security analysis shows the present protocol can guarantee the correctness, security, privacy and fairness of quantum key agreement.

Biodiesel of distilled hydrogenated fat and biodiesel of distilled residual oil: fuel consumption in agricultural tractor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camara, Felipe Thomaz da; Lopes, Afonso; Silva, Rouverson Pereira da; Oliveira, Melina Cais Jejcic; Furlani, Carlos Eduardo Angeli [Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP (Brazil); Dabdoub, Miguel Joaquim [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto (Brazil)

2008-07-01

Great part of the world-wide oil production is used in fry process; however, after using, such product becomes an undesirable residue, and the usual methods of discarding of these residues, generally contaminate the environment, mainly the rivers. In function of this, using oil and residual fat for manufacturing biodiesel, besides preventing ambient contamination, turning up an undesirable residue in to fuel. The present work had as objective to evaluate the fuel consumption of a Valtra BM100 4x2 TDA tractor functioning with methylic biodiesel from distilled hydrogenated fat and methylic biodiesel from distilled residual oil, in seven blends into diesel. The work was conducted at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, at UNESP - Jaboticabal, in an entirely randomized block statistical design, factorial array of 2 x 7, with three repetitions. The factors combinations were two types of methylic distilled biodiesel (residual oil and hydrogenated fat) and seven blends (B{sub 0}, B{sub 5}, B{sub 1}5, B{sub 2}5, B{sub 5}0, B{sub 7}5 and B{sub 1}00). The results had evidenced that additioning 15% of biodiesel into diesel, the specific consumption was similar, and biodiesel of residual oil provided less consumption than biodiesel from hydrogenated fat. (author)

Attacks on quantum key distribution protocols that employ non-ITS authentication

Science.gov (United States)

Pacher, C.; Abidin, A.; Lorünser, T.; Peev, M.; Ursin, R.; Zeilinger, A.; Larsson, J.-Å.

2016-01-01

We demonstrate how adversaries with large computing resources can break quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols which employ a particular message authentication code suggested previously. This authentication code, featuring low key consumption, is not information-theoretically secure (ITS) since for each message the eavesdropper has intercepted she is able to send a different message from a set of messages that she can calculate by finding collisions of a cryptographic hash function. However, when this authentication code was introduced, it was shown to prevent straightforward man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks against QKD protocols. In this paper, we prove that the set of messages that collide with any given message under this authentication code contains with high probability a message that has small Hamming distance to any other given message. Based on this fact, we present extended MITM attacks against different versions of BB84 QKD protocols using the addressed authentication code; for three protocols, we describe every single action taken by the adversary. For all protocols, the adversary can obtain complete knowledge of the key, and for most protocols her success probability in doing so approaches unity. Since the attacks work against all authentication methods which allow to calculate colliding messages, the underlying building blocks of the presented attacks expose the potential pitfalls arising as a consequence of non-ITS authentication in QKD post-processing. We propose countermeasures, increasing the eavesdroppers demand for computational power, and also prove necessary and sufficient conditions for upgrading the discussed authentication code to the ITS level.

Developing an Optimum Protocol for Thermoluminescence Dosimetry with GR-200 Chips using Taguchi Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadeghi, Maryam; Faghihi, Reza; Sina, Sedigheh

2017-06-15

Thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) is a powerful technique with wide applications in personal, environmental and clinical dosimetry. The optimum annealing, storage and reading protocols are very effective in accuracy of TLD response. The purpose of this study is to obtain an optimum protocol for GR-200; LiF: Mg, Cu, P, by optimizing the effective parameters, to increase the reliability of the TLD response using Taguchi method. Taguchi method has been used in this study for optimization of annealing, storage and reading protocols of the TLDs. A number of 108 GR-200 chips were divided into 27 groups, each containing four chips. The TLDs were exposed to three different doses, and stored, annealed and read out by different procedures as suggested by Taguchi Method. By comparing the signal-to-noise ratios the optimum dosimetry procedure was obtained. According to the results, the optimum values for annealing temperature (°C), Annealing Time (s), Annealing to Exposure time (d), Exposure to Readout time (d), Pre-heat Temperature (°C), Pre-heat Time (s), Heating Rate (°C/s), Maximum Temperature of Readout (°C), readout time (s) and Storage Temperature (°C) are 240, 90, 1, 2, 50, 0, 15, 240, 13 and -20, respectively. Using the optimum protocol, an efficient glow curve with low residual signals can be achieved. Using optimum protocol obtained by Taguchi method, the dosimetry can be effectively performed with great accuracy. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2012-02-01

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

Recovery of biogas as a source of renewable energy from ice-cream production residues and wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Demirel, Burak; Orok, Murat; Hot, Elif; Erkişi, Selin; Albükrek, Metin; Onay, Turgut T

2013-01-01

Proper management of waste streams and residues from agro-industry is very important to prevent environmental pollution. In particular, the anaerobic co-digestion process can be used as an important tool for safe disposal and energy recovery from agro-industry waste streams and residues. The primary objective of this laboratory-scale study was to determine whether it was possible to recover energy (biogas) from ice-cream production residues and wastewater, through a mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion process. A high methane yield of 0.338 L CH4/gCOD(removed) could be achieved from anaerobic digestion of ice-cream wastewater alone, with almost 70% of methane in biogas, while anaerobic digestion of ice-cream production residue alone did not seem feasible. When wastewater and ice-cream production residue were anaerobically co-digested at a ratio of 9:1 by weight, the highest methane yield of 0.131 L CH4/gCOD(removed) was observed. Buffering capacity seemed to be imperative in energy recovery from these substrates in the anaerobic digestion process.

Analyzing the effect of routing protocols on media access control protocols in radio networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrett, C. L. (Christopher L.); Drozda, M. (Martin); Marathe, A. (Achla); Marathe, M. V. (Madhav V.)

2002-01-01

We study the effect of routing protocols on the performance of media access control (MAC) protocols in wireless radio networks. Three well known MAC protocols: 802.11, CSMA, and MACA are considered. Similarly three recently proposed routing protocols: AODV, DSR and LAR scheme 1 are considered. The experimental analysis was carried out using GloMoSim: a tool for simulating wireless networks. The main focus of our experiments was to study how the routing protocols affect the performance of the MAC protocols when the underlying network and traffic parameters are varied. The performance of the protocols was measured w.r.t. five important parameters: (i) number of received packets, (ii) average latency of each packet, (iii) throughput (iv) long term fairness and (v) number of control packets at the MAC layer level. Our results show that combinations of routing and MAC protocols yield varying performance under varying network topology and traffic situations. The result has an important implication; no combination of routing protocol and MAC protocol is the best over all situations. Also, the performance analysis of protocols at a given level in the protocol stack needs to be studied not locally in isolation but as a part of the complete protocol stack. A novel aspect of our work is the use of statistical technique, ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) to characterize the effect of routing protocols on MAC protocols. This technique is of independent interest and can be utilized in several other simulation and empirical studies.

Residual gas analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berecz, I.

1982-01-01

Determination of the residual gas composition in vacuum systems by a special mass spectrometric method was presented. The quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) and its application in thin film technology was discussed. Results, partial pressure versus time curves as well as the line spectra of the residual gases in case of the vaporization of a Ti-Pd-Au alloy were demonstrated together with the possible construction schemes of QMS residual gas analysers. (Sz.J.)

Assessing the Availability of Wood Residues and Residue Markets in Virginia

OpenAIRE

Alderman, Delton R. Jr.

1998-01-01

A statewide mail survey of primary and secondary wood product manufacturers was undertaken to quantify the production and consumption of wood residues in Virginia. Two hundred and sixty-six wood product manufacturers responded to the study and they provided information on the production, consumption, markets, income or disposal costs, and disposal methods of wood residues. Hardwood and pine sawmills produce approximately 66 percent of Virginia's wood residues. Virginia's wood product man...

PRALIMAP: study protocol for a high school-based, factorial cluster randomised interventional trial of three overweight and obesity prevention strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agrinier Nelly

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Given the increase in overweight and obesity prevalence in adolescents in the last decade, effective prevention strategies for these conditions in adolescents are urgently needed. The PRALIMAP (Promotion de l'ALImentation et de l'Activité Physique trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness for these conditions of 3 health promotion strategies -- educational, screening and environmental -- applied singly or in combination in high schools over a 2-year intervention period. Methods PRALIMAP is a stratified 2 × 2 × 2 factorial cluster randomised controlled trial including 24 state high schools in Lorraine, northeastern France, in 2 waves: 8 schools in 2006 (wave 1 and 16 in 2007 (wave 2. Students entering the selected high schools in the 4 academic years from 2006 to 2009 are eligible for data collection. Interventional strategies are organized over 2 academic years. The follow-up consists of 3 visits: at the entry of grade 10 (T0, grade 11 (T1 and grade 12 (T2. At T0, 5,458 (85.7% adolescents participated. The educational strategy consists of nutritional lessons, working groups and a final party. The screening strategy consists in detecting overweight/obesity and eating disorders in adolescents and proposing, if necessary, an adapted care management program of 7 group educational sessions. The environmental strategy consists in improving dietary and physical activity offerings in high schools and facilities, especially catering. The main outcomes are body size evolution over time, nutritional behaviour and knowledge, health and quality of life. An evaluation process documents how each intervention strategy is implemented in the schools and estimates the dose of the intervention, allowing for a per protocol analysis after the main intention-to-treat analysis. Discussion PRALIMAP aims at improving the prevention and management of overweight and obesity in adolescents by translating current evidence into public health practice

Compact wireless control network protocol with fast path switching

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Yasutaka Kawamoto

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Sensor network protocol stacks require the addition or adjustment of functions based on customer requirements. Sensor network protocols that require low delay and low packet error rate (PER, such as wireless control networks, often adopt time division multiple access (TDMA. However, it is difficult to add or adjust functions in protocol stacks that use TDMA methods. Therefore, to add or adjust functions easily, we propose NES-SOURCE, a compact wireless control network protocol with a fast path-switching function. NES-SOURCE is implemented using carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA rather than TDMA. Wireless control networks that use TDMA prevent communication failure by duplicating the communication path. If CSMA/CA networks use duplicate paths, collisions occur frequently, and communication will fail. NES-SOURCE switches paths quickly when communication fails, which reduces the effect of communication failures. Since NES-SOURCE is implemented using CSMA/CA rather than TDMA, the implementation scale is less than one-half that of existing network stacks. Furthermore, since NES-SOURCE’s code complexity is low, functions can be added or adjusted easily and quickly. Communication failures occur owing to changes in the communication environment and collisions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed NES-SOURCE’s path-switching function reduces the amount of communication failures when the communication environment changes owing to human movement and others. Furthermore, we clarify the relationships among the probability of a changing communication environment, the collision occurrence rate, and the PER of NES-SOURCE.

Mutational properties of amino acid residues: implications for evolvability of phosphorylatable residues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Creixell, Pau; Schoof, Erwin M.; Tan, Chris Soon Heng

2012-01-01

in terms of their mutational activity. Moreover, we highlight the importance of the genetic code and physico-chemical properties of the amino acid residues as likely causes of these inequalities and uncover serine as a mutational hot spot. Finally, we explore the consequences that these different......; it is typically assumed that all amino acid residues are equally likely to mutate or to result from a mutation. Here, by reconstructing ancestral sequences and computing mutational probabilities for all the amino acid residues, we refute this assumption and show extensive inequalities between different residues...... mutational properties have on phosphorylation site evolution, showing that a higher degree of evolvability exists for phosphorylated threonine and, to a lesser extent, serine in comparison with tyrosine residues. As exemplified by the suppression of serine's mutational activity in phosphorylation sites, our...

Protocols on prenatal care for pregnant women with Zika infection and children with microcephaly: nutritional approach

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Rachel de Sá Barreto Luna Callou Cruz

Full Text Available Abstract This summary aimed to synthesize the protocol guidelines of Pernambuco, the Ministry of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which deal with health care related to Zika virus infection during pregnancy and the preliminary procedures for surveillance on microcephaly cases including nutritional care. With the increase of number of cases on this event since August, 2015, it was necessary to reorganize the prenatal care which is offered to pregnant women, including the protocols in order to reduce the chances of a possible contamination of the virus, to detect previously suspected cases as well as perform follow up on confirmed cases. The gaps in the knowledge of this morbidity, it should be noted that the information and recommendations are subject to revision due to possible incorporation of new knowledge and other evidence, as well as the need for adequacy of surveillance actions in new epidemiological scenarios. It is known that cases of nutritional deficiencies are capable of producing malformation of the Central Nervous System, including microcephaly. In the analysis of the protocols, there were no changes as to the nutritional recommendations already established for the low-risk pregnant women. The authors presented a hypothesis and conceptually, as a prevention measurement, the inclusion of prenatal care to prevent and control isolated or multiple deficiencies associated to microcephaly, such as protein, vitamin A, iodine, folate, B12, vitamin D, biotin, zinc and selenium.

Detection of antibiotic residues in food by Charm II test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Addali, Mohamed

2014-01-01

Antibiotics are used in food to: -therapy and prophylaxis, -increase the productivity of the food producing animals. The presence of antimicrobial residues: -constitutes a potential human health hazard. has significant impact on international food trade. has implications on technological process in dairy industry. Detection of antibiotic residues is of great interest. It helps protect humans against the effects of such residues, the more it can support the participation of our country in international trade. Charm II test is one of the methods of detection of antimicrobial residues. The tests utilize microbial or antibody receptor assay technology. The sample is incubated with a binding agent (microbial cells with specific receptor sites or with specific antibodies attached) and a tracer (the radio-labeled version of the antibiotic to be detected). The amount of tracer on the binding agent is measured using a scintillation counter and is compared to a pre-determined cut-off or control point. If contaminating antibiotic is present, it will prevent the binding of the tracer by occupying the receptors on the binding agent. The less labeled tracer detected, the more contaminating antibiotic there is present in the sample. This work, carried out at the Radiochemical Laboratory of the National Centre of Nuclear Science and Technology, has two parts: 1/ The first is reserved to a literature review provides an overview on antibiotics and the charm II method. 2/ The second is devoted to the experimental study and presentation of results.

An investigation into the effects of residual water on the glass transition temperature of polylactide microspheres using modulated temperature DSC.

Science.gov (United States)

Passerini, N; Craig, D Q

2001-05-18

The objective of the study was to ascertain residual water levels in polylactide and polylactide-co-glycolide microspheres prepared using the solvent evaporation technique and to investigate the effects of that water on the glass transitional behaviour of the microspheres. Microspheres were prepared from polylactic acid (PLA) and polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) 50:50 and 75:25 using a standard solvent evaporation technique. The glass transition was measured as a function of drying conditions using modulated temperature DSC. The microspheres were found to contain very low levels of dichloromethane, while residual water levels of up to circa 3% w/w were noted after freeze or oven drying, these levels being higher for microspheres containing higher glycolic acid levels. The residual water was found to lower the T(g) following the Gordon-Taylor relationship. The data indicate that the microparticles may retain significant water levels following standard preparation and drying protocols and that this drying may markedly lower the T(g) of the spheres.

Evaluation of Total Nitrite Pattern Visualization as an Improved Method for Gunshot Residue Detection and its Application to Casework Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Jason; Upton, Colin; Springer, Elyah

2018-04-23

Visualization of nitrite residues is essential in gunshot distance determination. Current protocols for the detection of nitrites include, among other tests, the Modified Griess Test (MGT). This method is limited as nitrite residues are unstable in the environment and limited to partially burned gunpowder. Previous research demonstrated the ability of alkaline hydrolysis to convert nitrates to nitrites, allowing visualization of unburned gunpowder particles using the MGT. This is referred to as Total Nitrite Pattern Visualization (TNV). TNV techniques were modified and a study conducted to streamline the procedure outlined in the literature to maximize the efficacy of the TNV in casework, while reducing the required time from 1 h to 5 min, and enhancing effectiveness on blood-soiled samples. The TNV method was found to provide significant improvement in the ability to detect significant nitrite residues, without sacrificing efficiency, that would allow for the determination of the muzzle-to-target distance. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Comparison of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium in critically ill patients: a protocol for a systematic review incorporating network meta-analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Burry, L D; Hutton, B; Guenette, M; Williamson, D; Mehta, S; Egerod, I; Kanji, S; Adhikari, N K; Moher, D; Martin, C M; Rose, L

2016-09-08

Delirium is characterized by acute changes in mental status including inattention, disorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness, and is highly prevalent in critically ill adults. Delirium has adverse consequences for both patients and the healthcare system; however, at this time, no effective treatment exists. The identification of effective prevention strategies is therefore a clinical and research imperative. An important limitation of previous reviews of delirium prevention is that interventions were considered in isolation and only direct evidence was used. Our systematic review will synthesize all existing data using network meta-analysis, a powerful statistical approach that enables synthesis of both direct and indirect evidence. We will search Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science from 1980 to March 2016. We will search the PROSPERO registry for protocols and the Cochrane Library for published systematic reviews. We will examine reference lists of pertinent reviews and search grey literature and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for unpublished studies and ongoing trials. We will include randomized and quasi-randomized trials of critically ill adults evaluating any pharmacological, non-pharmacological, or multi-component intervention for delirium prevention, administered in or prior to (i.e., peri-operatively) transfer to the ICU. Two authors will independently screen search results and extract data from eligible studies. Risk of bias assessments will be completed on all included studies. To inform our network meta-analysis, we will first conduct conventional pair-wise meta-analyses for primary and secondary outcomes using random-effects models. We will generate our network meta-analysis using a Bayesian framework, assuming a common heterogeneity parameter across all comparisons, and accounting for correlations in multi-arm studies. We will perform analyses using WinBUGS software. This systematic review

A Modern Approach to Preventing Prosthetic Joint Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Papas, Paraskevi Vivian; Congiusta, Dominick; Scuderi, Giles R; Cushner, Fred D

2018-02-28

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is recognized as one of the most successful surgical procedures performed today. One of the most common and dreaded complications of TKA is postoperative infection. To prevent infections, it is critical to identify patients at high risk through analyzing their risk factors, and help in addressing them prior to surgery. The effort to prevent infection must be carried through every step of the surgical process, from preoperative counseling to intraoperative measures and postoperative protocols. Hair removal, the application of antiseptics, the utilization of antibiotics, barbed sutures, smart dressings, and antibacterial washes are some of the avenues surgeons may explore to help prevent infection. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The effect of radiation on the function of the residual pancreas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuoka, Yoshisuke; Tsujii, Hirohiko; Kamada, Tadashi; Irie, Goro

1987-01-01

For patients with carcinomas of the bile duct and the pancreas, a pancreatoduodenectomy is generally the first choise of treatment. In our institute, the residual pancreas after surgery is transplanted into the abdominal wall in order to prevent diabetes mellites. We irradiated the residual pancreas postoperatively with a dosage of 15 to 43 Gy in order to inhibit the exocrine function. We then removed the drainage catheter from the residual pancreas. In the treatment, the endocrine function can be preserved. With respect to the radiation effect on the exocrine function, the amount of pancreatic secretion showed a transient increase in the first few days after the start of the irradiation, followed by a mild decrease. The serum amylase decreased immediatelly after the start of irradiation and increased sequentially during long-term observations. The amylase in the pancreatic juice showed a remarkable decrease immediatelly after the start of irradiation, and this decrease was maintained during long-term observations (The minimum level was observed from the dosage of 20 to 30 Gy). In order to analyse the radiation effect on the endocrine function, 50 g OGTTs were performed before and after irradiation in thirteen patients. In two of the thirteen patients, the results of the tests showed a new diabetic pattern after irradiation, which required insulin in one patient. It was concluded from our study that irradiation to the residual pancreas with in the dosage of 15 to 43 Gy the catheters in the residual pancreas could be removed in fourteen of fifteen patients without any unfavorable effect. (author)

On-farm comparisons of different cleaning protocols in broiler houses.

Science.gov (United States)

Luyckx, K Y; Van Weyenberg, S; Dewulf, J; Herman, L; Zoons, J; Vervaet, E; Heyndrickx, M; De Reu, K

2015-08-01

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of 4 cleaning protocols designed to reduce the bacteriological infection pressure on broiler farms and prevent food-borne zoonoses. Additionally, difficult to clean locations and possible sources of infection were identified. Cleaning and disinfection rounds were evaluated in 12 broiler houses on 5 farms through microbiological analyses and adenosine triphosphate hygiene monitoring. Samples were taken at 3 different times: before cleaning, after cleaning, and after disinfection. At each sampling time, swabs were taken from various locations for enumeration of the total aerobic flora and Enterococcus species pluralis ( SPP:). In addition, before cleaning and after disinfection, testing for Escherichia coli and Salmonella was carried out. Finally, adenosine triphosphate swabs and agar contact plates for total aerobic flora counts were taken after cleaning and disinfection, respectively. Total aerobic flora and Enterococcus spp. counts on the swab samples showed that cleaning protocols which were preceded by an overnight soaking with water caused a higher bacterial reduction compared to protocols without a preceding soaking step. Moreover, soaking of broiler houses leads to less water consumption and reduced working time during high pressure cleaning. No differences were found between protocols using cold or warm water during cleaning. Drinking cups, drain holes, and floor cracks were identified as critical locations for cleaning and disinfection in broiler houses. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

An authenticated encrypted routing protocol against attacks in mobile ad-hoc networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.C. Suma

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Mobile Ad hoc Network is stated as a cluster that contains Digital data terminals and they are furnished with the wireless transceivers which are able to communicate with each other with no need of any fixed architecture or concentrated authority. Security is one of the major issues in MANETs because of vast applications such as Military Battlefields, emergency and rescue operations[10]. In order to provide anonymous communications and to identify the malicious nodes in MANETs, many authors have proposed different secure routing protocols but each protocol have their own advantages and disadvantages. In MANTE’s each and every node in the communicating network functions like router and transmits the packets among the networking nodes for the purpose of communication[11]. Sometimes nodes may be attacked by the malicious nodes or the legitimate node will be caught by foemen there by controlling and preventing the nodes to perform the assigned task or nodes may be corrupted due to loss of energy. So, due to these drawbacks securing the network under the presence of adversaries is an important thing. The existing protocols were designed with keeping anonymity and the identification of vicious nodes in the network as the main goal. For providing better security, the anonymity factors such as Unidentifiability and Unlinkability must be fully satisfied[1]. Many anonymous routing schemes that concentrate on achieving anonymity are proposed in the past decade and they provides the security at different levels and also provides the privacy protection that is of different cost. In this paper we consider a protocol called Authenticated Secure Routing Protocol proposed which provides both security & anonymity. Anonymity is achieved in this protocol using Group signature. Over all by using this protocol performance in terms of throughput as well as the packet dropping rate is good compared to the other living protocols.

Preventing DoS attacks in peer-to-peer media streaming systems

Science.gov (United States)

Conner, William; Nahrstedt, Klara; Gupta, Indranil

2006-01-01

This paper presents a framework for preventing both selfishness and denial-of-service attacks in peer-to-peer media streaming systems. Our framework, called Oversight, achieves prevention of these undesirable activities by running a separate peer-to-peer download rate enforcement protocol along with the underlying peer-to-peer media streaming protocol. This separate Oversight protocol enforces download rate limitations on each participating peer. These limitations prevent selfish or malicious nodes from downloading an overwhelming amount of media stream data that could potentially exhaust the entire system. Since Oversight is based on a peer-to-peer architecture, it can accomplish this enforcement functionality in a scalable, efficient, and decentralized way that fits better with peer-to-peer media streaming systems compared to other solutions based on central server architectures. As peer-to-peer media streaming systems continue to grow in popularity, the threat of selfish and malicious peers participating in such large peer-to-peer networks will continue to grow as well. For example, since peer-to-peer media streaming systems allow users to send small request messages that result in the streaming of large media objects, these systems provide an opportunity for malicious users to exhaust resources in the system with little effort expended on their part. However, Oversight addresses these threats associated with selfish or malicious peers who cause such disruptions with excessive download requests. We evaluated our Oversight solution through simulations and our results show that applying Oversight to peer-to-peer media streaming systems can prevent both selfishness and denial-of-service attacks by effectively limiting the download rates of all nodes in the system.

Relation Between Residual and Hoop Stresses and Rolling Bearing Fatigue Life

Science.gov (United States)

Oswald, Fred B.; Zaretsky, Erwin V.; Poplawski, Joseph V.

2015-01-01

Rolling-element bearings operated at high speed or high vibration may require a tight interference fit between the bore of the bearing and shaft to prevent rotation of the bearing bore around the shaft and fretting damage at the interfaces. Previous work showed that the hoop stresses resulting from tight interference fits can reduce bearing lives by as much as 65 percent. Where tight interference fits are required, case-carburized steel such as AISI 9310 or M50 NiL is often used because the compressive residual stresses inhibit subsurface crack formation and the ductile core inhibits inner-ring fracture. The presence of compressive residual stress and its combination with hoop stress also modifies the Hertz stress-life relation. This paper analyzes the beneficial effect of residual stresses on rolling-element bearing fatigue life in the presence of high hoop stresses for three bearing steels. These additional stresses were superimposed on Hertzian principal stresses to calculate the inner-race maximum shearing stress and the resulting fatigue life of the bearing. The load-life exponent p and Hertz stress-life exponent n increase in the presence of compressive residual stress, which yields increased life, particularly at lower stress levels. The Zaretsky life equation is described and is shown to predict longer bearing lives and greater load- and stress-life exponents, which better predicts observed life of bearings made from vacuum-processed steel.

Evaluation of residue-residue contact prediction in CASP10

KAUST Repository

Monastyrskyy, Bohdan

2013-08-31

We present the results of the assessment of the intramolecular residue-residue contact predictions from 26 prediction groups participating in the 10th round of the CASP experiment. The most recently developed direct coupling analysis methods did not take part in the experiment likely because they require a very deep sequence alignment not available for any of the 114 CASP10 targets. The performance of contact prediction methods was evaluated with the measures used in previous CASPs (i.e., prediction accuracy and the difference between the distribution of the predicted contacts and that of all pairs of residues in the target protein), as well as new measures, such as the Matthews correlation coefficient, the area under the precision-recall curve and the ranks of the first correctly and incorrectly predicted contact. We also evaluated the ability to detect interdomain contacts and tested whether the difficulty of predicting contacts depends upon the protein length and the depth of the family sequence alignment. The analyses were carried out on the target domains for which structural homologs did not exist or were difficult to identify. The evaluation was performed for all types of contacts (short, medium, and long-range), with emphasis placed on long-range contacts, i.e. those involving residues separated by at least 24 residues along the sequence. The assessment suggests that the best CASP10 contact prediction methods perform at approximately the same level, and comparably to those participating in CASP9.

Dissipation and Residues of Dichlorprop-P and Bentazone in Wheat-Field Ecosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoxiao Feng

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Dichlorprop-P and bentazone have been widely used in the prevention and control of weeds in wheat field ecosystems. There is a concern that pesticide residues and metabolites remain on or in the wheat. Thus, the study of the determination and monitoring of their residues in wheat has important significance. A rapid, simple and reliable QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe method was modified, developed and validated for the determination of dichlorprop-P, bentazone and its metabolites (6-hydroxy-bentazone and 8-hydroxy-bentazone in wheat (wheat plants, wheat straw and grains of wheat using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS. The average recoveries of this method ranged from 72.9% to 108.7%, and the limits of quantification (LOQs were 2.5–12 μg/kg. The dissipation and final residue of four compounds in three provinces (Shandong, Jiangsu and Heilongjiang in China were studied. The trial results showed that the half-lives of dichlorprop-P and bentazone were 1.9–2.5 days and 0.5–2.4 days in wheat plants, respectively. The terminal residues in grains of wheat and wheat straw at harvest were all much below the maximum residue limit (MRL of 0.2 mg/kg for dichlorprop-P and 0.1 mg/kg for bentazone established by the European Union (EU, Regulation No. 396/2005.

Computational design, construction, and characterization of a set of specificity determining residues in protein-protein interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagao, Chioko; Izako, Nozomi; Soga, Shinji; Khan, Samia Haseeb; Kawabata, Shigeki; Shirai, Hiroki; Mizuguchi, Kenji

2012-10-01

Proteins interact with different partners to perform different functions and it is important to elucidate the determinants of partner specificity in protein complex formation. Although methods for detecting specificity determining positions have been developed previously, direct experimental evidence for these amino acid residues is scarce, and the lack of information has prevented further computational studies. In this article, we constructed a dataset that is likely to exhibit specificity in protein complex formation, based on available crystal structures and several intuitive ideas about interaction profiles and functional subclasses. We then defined a "structure-based specificity determining position (sbSDP)" as a set of equivalent residues in a protein family showing a large variation in their interaction energy with different partners. We investigated sequence and structural features of sbSDPs and demonstrated that their amino acid propensities significantly differed from those of other interacting residues and that the importance of many of these residues for determining specificity had been verified experimentally. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Proceedings of the 7. biennial residue-to-revenue residual wood conference 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raulin, J.

2007-01-01

This conference provided information on the highest and best use of residual wood, which is quickly becoming a valuable commodity. Issues concerning forest residues, sawmill wastes, agricultural residues and urban organic materials were discussed along with trends in Canadian surplus mill waste production. The evolving nature and technologies of the biomass business were highlighted with particular focus on how to generate energy and save money through the use of residual wood. Residual wood energy projects and developments in Canada, North America and Europe were outlined along with biomass development in relation to forest fires and insect disturbances. Cogeneration technologies using wood wastes for thermal heat, steam and electricity were also presented, along with transportation fuel technologies for the production of ethanol. It was noted that with the rising cost of energy, the forest industry is seeking energy solutions based on the use of residual wood. The range of economically practical residual wood solutions continues to grow as energy prices increase. The conference was attended by more than 200 delegates from the forest industry, suppliers and government representatives, to discuss policies and procedures currently in place. Industry investment is being stimulated by the potential for biofuels and biochemicals, as well as the co-operation between the forest and energy sectors. The conference featured 23 presentations, of which 12 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

Preliminary results for the detection method of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs residues in pork

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Shih-kuo Lin

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs residues, which come from environmental pollution, tend to accumulate in the food chain (EFSA, 2008; Guerranti et al., 2013. 17 chemicals of PFASs family were selected for this study. Fresh pork samples were extracted by Waters® WAX SPE (solid phase extraction cartridges. All extracted samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS. The results of calibration curves of each PFAS were good, the R2 values ranging from 0.9901 to 0.9993. The Recoveries were in the range 80%-119%. The protocol of extraction by Waters® WAX SPE cartridge will be applied in future studies.

Unexpected stimulation of soil methane uptake as emergent property of agricultural soils following bio-based residue application

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ho, A.; Reim, A.; Kim, S.Y.; Meima-Franke, M.; Termorshuizen, Aad J; De Boer, W.; Van der Putten, W.H.; Bodelier, P.L.E.

2015-01-01

Intensification of agriculture to meet the global food, feed, and bioenergy demand entail increasing re-investment of carbon compounds (residues) into agro-systems to prevent decline of soil quality and fertility. However, agricultural intensification decreases soil methane uptake, reducing and even

A Multi-Hop Advertising Discovery and Delivering Protocol for Multi Administrative Domain MANET

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Federico Mari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A Mobile Ad-hoc NETwork (MANET is Multi Administrative Domain (MAD if each network node belongs to an independent authority, that is each node owns its resources and there is no central authority owning all network nodes. One of the main obstructions in designing Service Advertising, Discovery and Delivery (SADD protocol for MAD MANETs is the fact that, in an attempt to increase their own visibility, network nodes tend to flood the network with their advertisements. In this paper, we present a SADD protocol for MAD MANET, based on Bloom filters, that effectively prevents advertising floods due to such misbehaving nodes. Our results with the ns-2 simulator show that our SADD protocol is effective in counteracting advertising floods, it keeps low the collision rate as well as the energy consumption while ensuring that each peer receives all messages broadcasted by other peers.

Cloud-assisted mutual authentication and privacy preservation protocol for telecare medical information systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chun-Ta; Shih, Dong-Her; Wang, Chun-Cheng

2018-04-01

 With the rapid development of wireless communication technologies and the growing prevalence of smart devices, telecare medical information system (TMIS) allows patients to receive medical treatments from the doctors via Internet technology without visiting hospitals in person. By adopting mobile device, cloud-assisted platform and wireless body area network, the patients can collect their physiological conditions and upload them to medical cloud via their mobile devices, enabling caregivers or doctors to provide patients with appropriate treatments at anytime and anywhere. In order to protect the medical privacy of the patient and guarantee reliability of the system, before accessing the TMIS, all system participants must be authenticated.  Mohit et al. recently suggested a lightweight authentication protocol for cloud-based health care system. They claimed their protocol ensures resilience of all well-known security attacks and has several important features such as mutual authentication and patient anonymity. In this paper, we demonstrate that Mohit et al.'s authentication protocol has various security flaws and we further introduce an enhanced version of their protocol for cloud-assisted TMIS, which can ensure patient anonymity and patient unlinkability and prevent the security threats of report revelation and report forgery attacks.  The security analysis proves that our enhanced protocol is secure against various known attacks as well as found in Mohit et al.'s protocol. Compared with existing related protocols, our enhanced protocol keeps the merits of all desirable security requirements and also maintains the efficiency in terms of computation costs for cloud-assisted TMIS.  We propose a more secure mutual authentication and privacy preservation protocol for cloud-assisted TMIS, which fixes the mentioned security weaknesses found in Mohit et al.'s protocol. According to our analysis, our authentication protocol satisfies most functionality features

Pre-exposure and postexposure prophylaxes and the combination HIV prevention methods (The Combine! Study): protocol for a pragmatic clinical trial at public healthcare clinics in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Grangeiro, Alexandre; Couto, Márcia Thereza; Peres, Maria Fernanda; Luiz, Olinda; Zucchi, Eliana Miura; de Castilho, Euclides Ayres; Estevam, Denize Lotufo; Alencar, Rosa; Wolffenbüttel, Karina; Escuder, Maria Mercedes; Calazans, Gabriela; Ferraz, Dulce; Arruda, Érico; Corrêa, Maria da Gloria; Amaral, Fabiana Rezende; Santos, Juliane Cardoso Villela; Alvarez, Vivian Salles; Kietzmann, Tiago

2015-08-25

Few results from programmes based on combination prevention methods are available. We propose to analyse the degree of protection provided by postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for consensual sexual activity at healthcare clinics, its compensatory effects on sexual behaviour; and the effectiveness of combination prevention methods and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), compared with exclusively using traditional methods. A total of 3200 individuals aged 16 years or older presenting for PEP at 5 sexually transmitted disease (STD)/HIV clinics in 3 regions of Brazil will be allocated to one of two groups: the PEP group-individuals who come to the clinic within 72 h after a sexual exposure and start PEP; and the non-PEP group-individuals who come after 72 h but within 30 days of exposure and do not start PEP. Clinical follow-up will be conducted initially for 6 months and comprise educational interventions based on information and counselling for using prevention methods, including PrEP. In the second study phase, individuals who remain HIV negative will be regrouped according to the reported use of prevention methods and observed for 18 months: only traditional methods; combined methods; and PrEP. Effectiveness will be analysed according to the incidence of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C and protected sexual behaviour. A structured questionnaire will be administered to participants at baseline and every 6 months thereafter. Qualitative methods will be employed to provide a comprehensive understanding of PEP-seeking behaviour, preventive choices and exposure to HIV. This study will be conducted in accordance with the resolution of the School of Medicine Research Ethics Commission of Universidade de São Paulo (protocol no. 251/14). The databases will be available for specific studies, after management committee approval. Findings will be presented to researchers, health managers and civil society members by means of newspapers, electronic media and scientific journals

Ultrasonic measurements on residual stress in autofrettged thick walled petroleum pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woias, G.; Mizera, J.

2008-01-01

The residual stresses in a component or structure are caused by incompatible permanent deformation and related gradient of plastic/elastic strains. They may be generated or modified at every stage in the components life cycle, from original material production to final disposal. Residual stresses can be measured by non-destructive techniques, including X-ray and neutron diffraction, magnetic and ultrasonic methods. The selection of the optimum measurement technique should take account volumetric resolution, material, geometry and access to the component. For large metallic components neutron diffraction is of prime importance as it provides quantitative information on stresses in relatively large volume of methods disregarding its shape complexity. Residual stresses can play a significant role in explaining or preventing failure of components of industrial installations. One example of residual stresses preventing failure are the ones generated by shot peening, inducing surface compressive stresses that improve the fatigue life. Petroleum refinery piping is generally characterized by large-diameters, operated at elevated temperature and under high pressure. Pipelines of a polyethylene plant working in one of the Polish refineries are subjected to pressures exceeding 300 MPa at temperatures above 200 o C. The pipes considered here were pressurized with pressure of 600 MPa. The wall thickness of the pipes is 27 mm and pipe dimensions are 46 x 100 mm. The material is steel with Re=580 MPa. Due to pressurizing, the components retain compressive stresses at the internal surface. These stresses increase resistance to cracking of the pipes. Over the period of exploitation these stresses diminish due to temperature activated relaxation or creep. The purpose of the project is to verify kinetics of such a relaxation process and calibrate alternative methods of their measurements. To avoid stress relaxation, numerical analysis from Finite Element Modelling (FEM)gave an

Use of a portable time-resolved fluorometer to determine oxytetracycline residue in four fruit crops

Science.gov (United States)

Worldwide, oxytetracycline (OTC) is used in fruit and vegetable crops to prevent and treat bacteria diseases. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency approved its use in apple, pear, peach, and nectarine, and set tolerance at 350 ng/g. OTC residues in 12 varieties of these fruits are determ...

Compliant flooring to prevent fall-related injuries: a scoping review protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Lachance, Chantelle C; Jurkowski, Michal P; Dymarz, Ania C; Mackey, Dawn C

2016-08-16

Fall-related injuries can have serious consequences for older adults, including increased risk of dependence in daily activities and mortality. Compliant flooring is a passive intervention that may reduce the incidence and severity of fall-related injuries in healthcare settings, including acute and long-term care, but few sites have implemented compliant flooring, in part because synthesised evidence about key performance aspects has not been available. We will conduct a scoping review to address the question: what is presented about the biomechanical efficacy, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and workplace safety associated with compliant flooring systems that aim to prevent fall-related injuries? We will conduct a comprehensive and systematic literature search of academic databases (AgeLine, CINAHL, EBM Reviews, MEDLINE (Ovid), SportDiscus and Web of Science) and grey literature (clinical trial registries, theses/dissertations, abstracts/conference proceedings and relevant websites). 2 team members will independently screen records (first titles and abstracts, then full text) and extract data from included records. Numerical and narrative analyses will be presented by theme (biomechanical efficacy, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, workplace safety). This scoping review responds to the information needs of healthcare decision-makers tasked with preventing fall-related injuries. This review will summarise evidence about compliant flooring as a potential intervention for preventing fall-related injuries in older adults and identify gaps in evidence and new avenues for research. Results will be especially useful in long-term care, but also applicable in acute care, assisted living and home care. We will disseminate the review's findings via open-access publications, conference presentations, a webinar, a Stakeholder Symposium and a Knowledge-to-Action Report. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not

Solid residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulder, E.; Duin, P.J. van; Grootenboer, G.J.

1995-01-01

A summary is presented of the many investigations that have been done on solid residues of atmospheric fluid bed combustion (AFBC). These residues are bed ash, cyclone ash and bag filter ash. Physical and chemical properties are discussed and then the various uses of residues (in fillers, bricks, gravel, and for recovery of aluminium) are summarised. Toxicological properties of fly ash and stack ash are discussed as are risks of pneumoconiosis for workers handling fly ash, and contamination of water by ashes. On the basis of present information it is concluded that risks to public health from exposure to emissions of coal fly ash from AFBC appear small or negligible as are health risk to workers in the coal fly ash processing industry. 35 refs., 5 figs., 12 tabs

Amount, availability, and potential use of rice straw (agricultural residue) biomass as an energy resource in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumura, Yukihiko; Minowa, Tomoaki; Yamamoto, Hiromi

2005-01-01

This paper discusses the use of agricultural residue in Japan as an energy resource, based on the amounts produced and availability. The main agricultural residues in Japan are rice straw and rice husk. Based on a scenario wherein these residues are collected as is the rice product, we evaluate the size, cost, and CO 2 emission for power generation. Rice residue has a production potential of 12 Mt-dry year -1 , and 1.7 kt of rice straw is collected for each storage location. As this is too small an amount even for the smallest scale of power plant available, 2-month operation per year is assumed. Assuming a steam boiler and turbine with an efficiency of 7%, power generation from rice straw biomass can supply 3.8 billion(kW)h of electricity per year, or 0.47% of the total electricity demand in Japan. The electricity generated from this source costs as much as 25 JPY (kW h) -1 (0.21 US$ (kW h) -1 , 1 US$=120 JPY), more than double the current price of electricity. With heat recovery at 80% efficiency, the simultaneous heat supplied via cogeneration reaches 10% of that supplied by heavy oil in Japan. Further cost incentives will be required if the rice residue utilization is to be introduced. It will also be important to develop effective technologies to achieve high efficiency even in small-scale processes. If Japanese technologies enable the effective use of agricultural residue abroad as a result of Japanese effort from the years after 2010, the resulting reduction of greenhouse gas emission can be counted under the framework of the Kyoto Protocol

Residual limb fluid volume change and volume accommodation: Relationships to activity and self-report outcomes in people with trans-tibial amputation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Joan E; Youngblood, Robert T; Hafner, Brian J; Ciol, Marcia A; Allyn, Katheryn J; Gardner, David; Cagle, John C; Redd, Christian B; Dietrich, Colin R

2018-02-01

Fluctuations in limb volume degrade prosthesis fit and require users to accommodate changes using management strategies, such as donning and doffing prosthetic socks. To examine how activities and self-report outcomes relate to daily changes in residual limb fluid volume and volume accommodation. Standardized, two-part laboratory protocol with an interim observational period. Participants were classified as "accommodators" or "non-accommodators," based on self-report prosthetic sock use. Participants' residual limb fluid volume change was measured using a custom bioimpedance analyzer and a standardized in-laboratory activity protocol. Self-report health outcomes were assessed with the Socket Comfort Score and Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire. Activity was monitored while participants left the laboratory for at least 3 h. They then returned to repeat the bioimpedance test protocol. Twenty-nine people were enrolled. Morning-to-afternoon percent limb fluid volume change per hour was not strongly correlated to percent time weight-bearing or to self-report outcomes. As a group, non-accommodators ( n = 15) spent more time with their prosthesis doffed and reported better outcomes than accommodators. Factors other than time weight-bearing may contribute to morning-to-afternoon limb fluid volume changes and reported satisfaction with the prosthesis among trans-tibial prosthesis users. Temporary doffing may be a more effective and satisfying accommodation method than sock addition. Clinical relevance Practitioners should be mindful that daily limb fluid volume change and prosthesis satisfaction are not dictated exclusively by activity. Temporarily doffing the prosthesis may slow daily limb fluid volume loss and should be investigated as an alternative strategy to sock addition.

Nuclear reactor with makeup water assist from residual heat removal system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz, T.L.; Corletti, M.M.

1994-01-01

A pressurized water nuclear reactor uses its residual heat removal system to make up water in the reactor coolant circuit by pumping water from an in-containment refueling water storage tank during staged depressurization of the coolant circuit, the final stage including passive emergency cooling by gravity feed from the refueling water storage tank to the coolant circuit and to flood the containment building. When depressurization commences due to inadvertence or a manageable leak, the residual heat removal system is activated manually and avoids the final stage of depressurization with its flooding of the containment when such action is not necessary, but does not prevent the final stage when it is necessary. A high pressure makeup water storage tank coupled to the reactor coolant circuit holds makeup coolant at the operational pressure of the reactor. The staged depressurization system vents the coolant circuit to the containment, thus reducing the supply of makeup coolant. The level of makeup coolant can be sensed to trigger opening of successive depressurization conduits. The residual heat removal system can also be coupled in a loop with the refueling water supply tanks for cooling the tank. (Author)

Residues and dissipation of kresoxim methyl in apple under field condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Malhat, Farag; Kamel, Essam; Saber, Ayman; Hassan, Ehab; Youssef, Ahmed; Almaz, Monir; Hassan, Ayman; Fayz, Abd El-Salam

2013-09-01

The dissipation and residual levels of kresoxim methyl in apple under field condition were determined by using HPLC-DAD with QuEChERS method. At fortification levels of 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg kg(-1) in apple, it was shown that recoveries were ranged from 91.1% to 96.9% with coefficient variation of the method (CV%) for repeatability ranged from 1.27% to 4.77%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method was 0.05 mg kg(-1). The dissipation rates of kresoxim methyl were described by using first-order kinetics and its half-life, as they are ranged from 4.58 to 4.77 days in apple. The terminal residues of kresoxim methyl were below the FAO/WHO maximum residue limit (MRL, 0.2 mg kg(-1)) in apple when measured 14 days after the final application, which suggested that the use of this fungicide was safe for humans. This study would help in providing the basic information for developing regulation to guard a safe use of kresoxim methyl in apple orchard and to prevent health problem from consumers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Comparison Between Inter-Asterisk eXchange Protocol and Jingle Protocol: Session Time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. S. Haj Aliwi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Over the last few years, many multimedia conferencing and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP applications have been developed due to the use of signaling protocols in providing video, audio and text chatting services between at least two participants. This paper compares between two widely common signaling protocols: InterAsterisk eXchange Protocol (IAX and the extension of the eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (Jingle in terms of delay time during call setup, call teardown, and media sessions.

Preventing pollution from plutonium processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pillay, K.K.S.

1993-01-01

The plutonium processing facility at Los Alamos has adopted the strategic goal of becoming a facility that processes plutonium in a way that produces only environmentally benign waste streams. Pollution prevention through source reduction and environmentally sound recycling are being pursued. General approaches to waste reductions are administrative controls, modification of process technologies, and additional waste polishing. Recycling of waste materials, such as spent acids and salts, are technical possibilities and are being pursued to accomplish additional waste reduction. Liquid waste stream polishing to remove final traces of plutonium and hazardous chemical constituents is accomplished through (a) process modifications, (b) use of alternative chemicals and sorbents for residue removal, (c) acid recycling, and (d) judicious use of a variety of waste polishing technologies. Technologies that show promise in waste minimization and pollution prevention are identified. Working toward this goal of pollution prevention is a worthwhile endeavor, not only for Los Alamos, but for the Nuclear Complex of the future

Preventing pollution from plutonium processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pillay, K.K.S.

1995-01-01

The plutonium processing facility at Los Alamos has adopted the strategic goal of becoming a facility that processes plutonium in a way that produces only environmentally benign waste streams. Pollution prevention through source reduction and environmentally sound recycling are being pursued. General approaches to waste reductions are administrative controls, modification of process technologies, and additional waste polishing. Recycling of waste materials, such as spent acids and salts, are technical possibilities and are being pursued to accomplish additional waste reduction. Liquid waste stream polishing to remove final traces of plutonium and hazardous chemical constituents is accomplished through process modifications, use of alternative chemicals and sorbents for residue removal, acid recycling, and judicious use of a variety of waste polishing technologies. Technologies that show promise in waste minimization and pollution prevention are identified. Working toward this goal of pollution prevention is a worthwhile endeavor , not only for Los Alamos, but for the Nuclear Complex of the future. (author) 12 refs.; 2 figs

Evaluation of an advanced pressure ulcer management protocol followed by trained wound, ostomy, and continence nurses: a non-randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaitani T

2015-02-01

the advanced protocol and 19 others as controls. Statistical analysis included a linear mixed-effects model and a logistic regression model. Results: In week 0–1, the advanced protocol was significantly associated with prevention of PU deterioration. Using the linear mixed-effects model, we observed a greater decrease in the DESIGN-R score (healing in the advanced protocol group. There were no reports of excessive bleeding, pain or infection with the advanced protocol. Conclusion: Using the advanced protocol, WOCNs detected PU severity, assessed PUs, and treated PUs safely. This protocol prevented PU deterioration and/or facilitated wound healing. Relevance to clinical practice: With proper training, WOCNs can assess and treat PUs safer and quicker than when a physician's assessment is required, leading to an improvement in wound healing and prevention of PU deterioration. Keywords: pressure ulcers, WOCN, interventions, protocols, deep tissue injury

Evaluation of the toxicity of the weathered crude oil used at the Newfoundland Offshore Burn Experiment (NOBE) and the resultant burn residue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blenkinsopp, S.; Sergy, G.; Doe, K.; Wohlgeschaffen, G.; Li, K.; Fingas, M.

1997-01-01

Toxicity of the weathered crude oil Alberta Sweet Mixed Blend (ASMB) used at the Newfoundland Offshore Burn Experiment (NOBE), and the resultant burn residue was evaluated using the newly developed Environment Canada water-accomodated fraction (WAF) method and exposure protocol. Rainbow trout, three-spine stickleback and gametes of sea urchins were exposed to saltwater WAF prepared from both weathered ASMB and burn residue. Gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry headspace analysis of 28 analytes showed low levels of volatile hydrocarbons after 96 hours of exposure (except for sea urchins, in which case the test was only 20 minutes in duration). All samples were found to be not toxic to all species tested. 10 refs., 2 tabs

First Steps towards Evidence-Based Preventive Home Visits: Experiences Gathered in a Swedish Municipality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charlotte Löfqvist

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of preventive home visits is to promote overall health and wellbeing in old age. The aim of this paper was to describe the process of the development of evidence-based preventive home visits, targeting independent community-living older persons. The evidence base was generated from published studies and practical experiences. The results demonstrate that preventive home visits should be directed to persons 80 years old and older and involve various professional competences. The visits should be personalized, lead to concrete interventions, and be followed up. The health areas assessed should derive from a broad perspective and include social, psychological, and medical aspects. Core components in the protocol developed in this study captured physical, medical, psychosocial, and environmental aspects. Results of a pilot study showed that the protocol validly identified health risks among older people with different levels of ADL dependence.

An optimized single chain TCR scaffold relying on the assembly with the native CD3-complex prevents residual mispairing with endogenous TCRs in human T-cells

Science.gov (United States)

Knies, Diana; Klobuch, Sebastian; Xue, Shao-An; Birtel, Matthias; Echchannaoui, Hakim; Yildiz, Oezlem; Omokoko, Tana; Guillaume, Philippe; Romero, Pedro; Stauss, Hans; Sahin, Ugur; Herr, Wolfgang; Theobald, Matthias; Thomas, Simone; Voss, Ralf-Holger

2016-01-01

Immunotherapy of cancer envisions the adoptive transfer of T-cells genetically engineered with tumor-specific heterodimeric α/β T-cell receptors (TCRα/β). However, potential mispairing of introduced TCRα/β-chains with endogenous β/α-ones may evoke unpredictable autoimmune reactivities. A novel single chain (sc)TCR format relies on the fusion of the Vα-Linker-Vβ-fragment to the TCR Cβ-domain and coexpression of the TCR Cα-domain capable of recruiting the natural CD3-complex for full and hence, native T-cell signaling. Here, we tested whether such a gp100(280-288)- or p53(264-272) tumor antigen-specific scTCR is still prone to mispairing with TCRα. In a human Jurkat-76 T-cell line lacking endogenous TCRs, surface expression and function of a scTCR could be reconstituted by any cointroduced TCRα-chain indicating mispairing to take place on a molecular basis. In contrast, transduction into human TCRα/β-positive T-cells revealed that mispairing is largely reduced. Competition experiments in Jurkat-76 confirmed the preference of dcTCR to selfpair and to spare scTCR. This also allowed for the generation of dc/scTCR-modified cytomegalovirus/tumor antigen-bispecific T-cells to augment T-cell activation in CMV-infected tumor patients. Residual mispairing was prevented by strenghtening the Vα-Li-Vβ-fragment through the design of a novel disulfide bond between a Vα- and a linker-resident residue close to Vβ. Multimer-stainings, and cytotoxicity-, IFNγ-secretion-, and CFSE-proliferation-assays, the latter towards dendritic cells endogenously processing RNA-electroporated gp100 antigen proved the absence of hybrid scTCR/TCRα-formation without impairing avidity of scTCR/Cα in T-cells. Moreover, a fragile cytomegalovirus pp65(495-503)-specific scTCR modified this way acquired enhanced cytotoxicity. Thus, optimized scTCR/Cα inhibits residual TCR mispairing to accomplish safe adoptive immunotherapy for bulk endogenous TCRα/β-positive T-cells. PMID:27028870

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.

Breakthrough reactions of iodinated and gadolinium contrast media after oral steroid premedication protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Jingu, Akiko; Fukuda, Junya; Taketomi-Takahashi, Ayako; Tsushima, Yoshito

2014-10-06

Adverse reactions to iodinated and gadolinium contrast media are an important clinical issue. Although some guidelines have proposed oral steroid premedication protocols to prevent adverse reactions, some patients may have reactions to contrast media in spite of premedication (breakthrough reaction; BTR).The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, type and severity of BTR when following an oral steroid premedication protocol. All iodinated and gadolinium contrast-enhanced radiologic examinations between August 2011 and February 2013 for which the premedication protocol was applied in our institution were assessed for BTRs. The protocol was applied to a total of 252 examinations (153 patients, ages 15-87 years; 63 males, 90 females). Of these, 152 were for prior acute adverse reactions to contrast media, 85 were for a history of bronchial asthma, and 15 were for other reasons. There were 198 contrast enhanced CTs and 54 contrast enhanced MRIs. There were nine BTR (4.5%) for iodinated contrast media, and only one BTR (1.9%) for gadolinium contrast media: eight were mild and one was moderate. No patient who had a mild index reaction (IR) had a severe BTR. Incidence of BTRs when following the premedication protocol was low. This study by no means proves the efficacy of premedication, but provides some support for following a premedication protocol to improve safety of contrast-enhanced examinations when prior adverse reactions are mild, or when there is a history of asthma.

Breakthrough reactions of iodinated and gadolinium contrast media after oral steroid premedication protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jingu, Akiko; Fukuda, Junya; Taketomi-Takahashi, Ayako; Tsushima, Yoshito

2014-01-01

Adverse reactions to iodinated and gadolinium contrast media are an important clinical issue. Although some guidelines have proposed oral steroid premedication protocols to prevent adverse reactions, some patients may have reactions to contrast media in spite of premedication (breakthrough reaction; BTR). The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, type and severity of BTR when following an oral steroid premedication protocol. All iodinated and gadolinium contrast-enhanced radiologic examinations between August 2011 and February 2013 for which the premedication protocol was applied in our institution were assessed for BTRs. The protocol was applied to a total of 252 examinations (153 patients, ages 15–87 years; 63 males, 90 females). Of these, 152 were for prior acute adverse reactions to contrast media, 85 were for a history of bronchial asthma, and 15 were for other reasons. There were 198 contrast enhanced CTs and 54 contrast enhanced MRIs. There were nine BTR (4.5%) for iodinated contrast media, and only one BTR (1.9%) for gadolinium contrast media: eight were mild and one was moderate. No patient who had a mild index reaction (IR) had a severe BTR. Incidence of BTRs when following the premedication protocol was low. This study by no means proves the efficacy of premedication, but provides some support for following a premedication protocol to improve safety of contrast-enhanced examinations when prior adverse reactions are mild, or when there is a history of asthma

Use of a patient hand hygiene protocol to reduce hospital-acquired infections and improve nurses' hand washing.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Cherie; Wavra, Teresa; Drake, Diane Ash; Mulligan, Debbie; Bennett, Yvonne Pacheco; Nelson, Carla; Kirkwood, Peggy; Jones, Louise; Bader, Mary Kay

2015-05-01

Critically ill patients are at marked risk of hospital-acquired infections, which increase patients' morbidity and mortality. Registered nurses are the main health care providers of physical care, including hygiene to reduce and prevent hospital-acquired infections, for hospitalized critically ill patients. To investigate a new patient hand hygiene protocol designed to reduce hospital-acquired infection rates and improve nurses' hand-washing compliance in an intensive care unit. A preexperimental study design was used to compare 12-month rates of 2 common hospital-acquired infections, central catheter-associated bloodstream infection and catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and nurses' hand-washing compliance measured before and during use of the protocol. Reductions in 12-month infection rates were reported for both types of infections, but neither reduction was statistically significant. Mean 12-month nurse hand-washing compliance also improved, but not significantly. A hand hygiene protocol for patients in the intensive care unit was associated with reductions in hospital-acquired infections and improvements in nurses' hand-washing compliance. Prevention of such infections requires continuous quality improvement efforts to monitor lasting effectiveness as well as investigation of strategies to eliminate these infections. ©2015 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Crack formation and prevention in colloidal drops

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jin Young; Cho, Kun; Ryu, Seul-A.; Kim, So Youn; Weon, Byung Mook

2015-08-01

Crack formation is a frequent result of residual stress release from colloidal films made by the evaporation of colloidal droplets containing nanoparticles. Crack prevention is a significant task in industrial applications such as painting and inkjet printing with colloidal nanoparticles. Here, we illustrate how colloidal drops evaporate and how crack generation is dependent on the particle size and initial volume fraction, through direct visualization of the individual colloids with confocal laser microscopy. To prevent crack formation, we suggest use of a versatile method to control the colloid-polymer interactions by mixing a nonadsorbing polymer with the colloidal suspension, which is known to drive gelation of the particles with short-range attraction. Gelation-driven crack prevention is a feasible and simple method to obtain crack-free, uniform coatings through drying-mediated assembly of colloidal nanoparticles.

Cluster randomized trial in the general practice research database: 2. Secondary prevention after first stroke (eCRT study: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dregan Alex

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this research is to develop and evaluate methods for conducting pragmatic cluster randomized trials in a primary care electronic database. The proposal describes one application, in a less frequent chronic condition of public health importance, secondary prevention of stroke. A related protocol in antibiotic prescribing was reported previously. Methods/Design The study aims to implement a cluster randomized trial (CRT using the electronic patient records of the General Practice Research Database (GPRD as a sampling frame and data source. The specific objective of the trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-delivered intervention at enhancing the delivery of stroke secondary prevention in primary care. GPRD family practices will be allocated to the intervention or usual care. The intervention promotes the use of electronic prompts to support adherence with the recommendations of the UK Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party and NICE guidelines for the secondary prevention of stroke in primary care. Primary outcome measure will be the difference in systolic blood pressure between intervention and control trial arms at 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes will be differences in serum cholesterol, prescribing of antihypertensive drugs, statins, and antiplatelet therapy. The intervention will continue for 12 months. Information on the utilization of the decision-support tools will also be analyzed. Discussion The CRT will investigate the effectiveness of using a computer-delivered intervention to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence following a first stroke event. The study will provide methodological guidance on the implementation of CRTs in electronic databases in primary care. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN35701810

The French dosimetry protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutreix, A.

1985-01-01

After a general introduction the protocol is divided in five sections dealing with: determination of the quality of X-ray, γ-ray and electron beams; the measuring instrument; calibration of the reference instrument; determination of the reference absorbed dose in the user's beams; determination of the absorbed dose in water at other points, in other conditions. The French protocol is not essentially different from the Nordic protocol and it is based on the experience gained in using both the American and the Nordic protocols. Therefore, only the main difference with the published protocols are discussed. (Auth.)

Hydration for the prevention of contrast medium-induced nephropathy. An update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinrich, M.; Uder, M.

2006-01-01

Contrast medium-induced nephropathy (CIN) continues to be one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired acute renal failure. Since most of the clinical studies on the prophylactic use of different drugs to prevent CIN produced disappointing results, hydration remains the mainstay of prophylaxis. A number of recent prospective randomized trials provided further evidence of the effectiveness of hydration and relevant information regarding the optimization of hydration protocols. It was shown that a bolus hydration solely during examination is not sufficient to prevent CIN. In addition, isotonic 0.9% saline was superior to the commonly used halfisotonic 0.45% saline in another trial. An outpatient hydration protocol including oral hydration before the examination followed by forced intravenous hydration over 6 hrs. beginning 30 to 60 min. prior to examination seems to be comparable to the usual hydration over 24 hrs. Another hydration protocol, which could also be very attractive especially for outpatients, included the infusion of sodium bicarbonate. In a recent trial, hydration with sodium bicarbonate, given as a bolus for 1 hr. prior to examination followed by an infusion for 6 hrs. after examination, was more effective than hydration with sodium chloride for the prophylaxis of CIN. However, there is still a lack of large-scale, multi-center trials comparing different hydration protocols and investigating their influence on clinically relevant endpoints such as mortality or the need for dialysis. (orig.)

Uncertainty Quantification and Comparison of Weld Residual Stress Measurements and Predictions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, John R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Brooks, Dusty Marie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-10-01

In pressurized water reactors, the prevention, detection, and repair of cracks within dissimilar metal welds is essential to ensure proper plant functionality and safety. Weld residual stresses, which are difficult to model and cannot be directly measured, contribute to the formation and growth of cracks due to primary water stress corrosion cracking. Additionally, the uncertainty in weld residual stress measurements and modeling predictions is not well understood, further complicating the prediction of crack evolution. The purpose of this document is to develop methodology to quantify the uncertainty associated with weld residual stress that can be applied to modeling predictions and experimental measurements. Ultimately, the results can be used to assess the current state of uncertainty and to build confidence in both modeling and experimental procedures. The methodology consists of statistically modeling the variation in the weld residual stress profiles using functional data analysis techniques. Uncertainty is quantified using statistical bounds (e.g. confidence and tolerance bounds) constructed with a semi-parametric bootstrap procedure. Such bounds describe the range in which quantities of interest, such as means, are expected to lie as evidenced by the data. The methodology is extended to provide direct comparisons between experimental measurements and modeling predictions by constructing statistical confidence bounds for the average difference between the two quantities. The statistical bounds on the average difference can be used to assess the level of agreement between measurements and predictions. The methodology is applied to experimental measurements of residual stress obtained using two strain relief measurement methods and predictions from seven finite element models developed by different organizations during a round robin study.

Development of DOE complexwide authorized release protocols for radioactive scrap metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, S. Y.

1998-01-01

Within the next few decades, several hundred thousand tons of metal are expected to be removed from nuclear facilities across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex as a result of decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) activities. These materials, together with large quantities of tools, equipment, and other items that are commonly recovered from site cleanup or D and D activities, constitute non-real properties that warrant consideration for reuse or recycle, as permitted and practiced under the current DOE policy. The provisions for supporting this policy are contained in the Draft Handbook for Controlling Release for Reuse or Recycle of Property Containing Residual Radioactive Material published by DOE in 1997 and distributed to DOE field offices for interim use and implementation. The authorized release of such property is intended to permit its beneficial use across the entire DOE complex. The objective of this study is to develop readily usable computer-based release protocols to facilitate implementation of the Handbook in evaluating the scrap metals for reuse and recycle. The protocols provide DOE with an effective oversight tool for managing release activities

Handling of Solid Residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medina Bermudez, Clara Ines

1999-01-01

The topic of solid residues is specifically of great interest and concern for the authorities, institutions and community that identify in them a true threat against the human health and the atmosphere in the related with the aesthetic deterioration of the urban centers and of the natural landscape; in the proliferation of vectorial transmitters of illnesses and the effect on the biodiversity. Inside the wide spectrum of topics that they keep relationship with the environmental protection, the inadequate handling of solid residues and residues dangerous squatter an important line in the definition of political and practical environmentally sustainable. The industrial development and the population's growth have originated a continuous increase in the production of solid residues; of equal it forms, their composition day after day is more heterogeneous. The base for the good handling includes the appropriate intervention of the different stages of an integral administration of residues, which include the separation in the source, the gathering, the handling, the use, treatment, final disposition and the institutional organization of the administration. The topic of the dangerous residues generates more expectation. These residues understand from those of pathogen type that are generated in the establishments of health that of hospital attention, until those of combustible, inflammable type, explosive, radio-active, volatile, corrosive, reagent or toxic, associated to numerous industrial processes, common in our countries in development

Investigation of patient, tumour and treatment variables affecting residual motion for respiratory-gated radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, R; Ramakrishnan, V; Siebers, J V; Chung, T D; Keall, P J

2006-01-01

Respiratory gating can reduce the apparent respiratory motion during imaging and treatment; however, residual motion within the gating window remains. Respiratory training can improve respiratory reproducibility and, therefore, the efficacy of respiratory-gated radiotherapy. This study was conducted to determine whether residual motion during respiratory gating is affected by patient, tumour or treatment characteristics. The specific aims of this study were to: (1) identify significant characteristics affecting residual motion, (2) investigate time trends of residual motion over a period of days (inter-session) and (3) investigate time trends of residual motion within the same day (intra-session). Twenty-four lung cancer patients were enrolled in an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocol. For approximately five sessions, 331 four-minute, respiratory motion traces were acquired with free breathing, audio instructions and audio-visual biofeedback for each patient. The residual motion was quantified by the standard deviation of the displacement within the gating window. The generalized linear model was used to obtain coefficients for each variable within the model and to evaluate the clinical and statistical significance. The statistical significance was determined by a p-value <0.05, while effect sizes of ≥0.1 cm (one standard deviation) were considered clinically significant. This data analysis was applied to patient, tumour and treatment variables. Inter- and intra-session variations were also investigated. The only variable that was significant for both inhale- and exhale-based gating was disease type. In addition, visual-training displacement, breathing type and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) values were significant for inhale-based gating, and dose-per-fraction was significant for exhale-based gating. Temporal respiratory variations within and between sessions were observed for individual patients. However inter- and intra-session analyses did

Investigation of patient, tumour and treatment variables affecting residual motion for respiratory-gated radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

George, R [Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Ramakrishnan, V [Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Siebers, J V [Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Chung, T D [Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Keall, P J [Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States)

2006-10-21

Respiratory gating can reduce the apparent respiratory motion during imaging and treatment; however, residual motion within the gating window remains. Respiratory training can improve respiratory reproducibility and, therefore, the efficacy of respiratory-gated radiotherapy. This study was conducted to determine whether residual motion during respiratory gating is affected by patient, tumour or treatment characteristics. The specific aims of this study were to: (1) identify significant characteristics affecting residual motion, (2) investigate time trends of residual motion over a period of days (inter-session) and (3) investigate time trends of residual motion within the same day (intra-session). Twenty-four lung cancer patients were enrolled in an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocol. For approximately five sessions, 331 four-minute, respiratory motion traces were acquired with free breathing, audio instructions and audio-visual biofeedback for each patient. The residual motion was quantified by the standard deviation of the displacement within the gating window. The generalized linear model was used to obtain coefficients for each variable within the model and to evaluate the clinical and statistical significance. The statistical significance was determined by a p-value <0.05, while effect sizes of {>=}0.1 cm (one standard deviation) were considered clinically significant. This data analysis was applied to patient, tumour and treatment variables. Inter- and intra-session variations were also investigated. The only variable that was significant for both inhale- and exhale-based gating was disease type. In addition, visual-training displacement, breathing type and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) values were significant for inhale-based gating, and dose-per-fraction was significant for exhale-based gating. Temporal respiratory variations within and between sessions were observed for individual patients. However inter- and intra-session analyses did

[Childhood obesity prevention from a community view].

Science.gov (United States)

Ariza, Carles; Ortega-Rodríguez, Eduard; Sánchez-Martínez, Francesca; Valmayor, Sara; Juárez, Olga; Pasarín, M Isabel

2015-04-01

The percentage of failure and relapse in the treatment of obesity is high. Where possible, the preferred strategy for preventing obesity is to modify eating habits and lifestyles. This article aims to provide a framework for evidence on the most effective interventions for addressing childhood obesity, both from a prevention point of view, as well as reducing it, when it is already established. After a review of the scientific literature, the issues that must be considered both in the universal and selective prevention of childhood obesity are presented. Also, in light of the controversy over the tools for measuring and controlling the problem, some clarification is provided on the criteria. Finally, the approach to the prevention of overweight and obesity with a community perspective is separated, with two short protocols being offered with diagrams of the basic procedure to follow. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Development of Analytical Method and Monitoring of Veterinary Drug Residues in Korean Animal Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jae-Sang; Park, Su-Jeong; Choi, Jung-Yun; Kim, Jin-Sook; Kang, Myung-Hee; Choi, Bo-Kyung; Hur, Sun Jin

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the residual amount of veterinary drugs such as meloxicam, flunixin, and tulathromycin in animal products (beef, pork, horsemeat, and milk). Veterinary drugs have been widely used in the rearing of livestock to prevent and treat diseases. A total of 152 samples were purchased from markets located in major Korean cities (Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan and Jeju), including Jeju. Veterinary drugs were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry according to the Korean Food Standards Code. The resulting data, which are located within 70-120% of recovery range and less than 20% of relative standard deviations, are in compliance with the criteria of CODEX. A total of five veterinary drugs were detected in 152 samples, giving a detection rate of approximately 3.3%; and no food source violated the guideline values. Our result indicated that most of the veterinary drug residues in animal products were below the maximum residue limits specified in Korea.

Development of a Comprehensive Programme to Prevent and Reduce the Negative Impact of Railway Fatalities, Injuries and Close Calls on Railway Employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardon, Cécile; Mishara, Brian L

2015-09-01

This article presents a strategy to prevent trauma, support and care for railway personnel who experience critical incidents (CI) on the job, usually fatalities by accident or suicide. We reviewed all publications on CI management, support and care practices in the railway industry, as well as practices in place in Canada (unpublished protocols). Semi structured interviews were conducted with 40 train engineers and conductors involved in CIs and the content was coded and analysed quantitatively. Employees' satisfaction with the help received after the incident varies according to the behaviour of the local manager, company officers and police, the level of compliance with existing company protocols to help them, the presence of unmet expectations for support and care, their perceived competency of clinicians they consulted and the level of trust toward their employers. On the basis of the interview results, the review of existing railway practices and discussions with railway stakeholders, a model protocol was developed for a comprehensive workplace prevention, support and care protocol to reduce the negative impact of railway critical incidents on employees. This protocol includes preventive actions before traumatic events occur, immediate responses at the site of incident, interventions within the first few days after the incident and longer term support and interventions provided by the company and by outsourced experts.

Rehabilitation protocol for patellar tendinopathy applied among 16- to 19-year old volleyball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Biernat, Ryszard; Trzaskoma, Zbigniew; Trzaskoma, Lukasz; Czaprowski, Dariusz

2014-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of rehabilitation protocol applied during competitive period for the treatment of patellar tendinopathy. A total of 28 male volleyball players were divided into two groups. Fifteen from experimental group (E) and 13 from control group (C) fulfilled the same tests 3 times: before the training program started (first measurement), after 12 weeks (second measurement) and after 24 weeks (third measurement). The above-mentioned protocol included the following: USG imagining with color Doppler function, clinical testing, pain intensity evaluation with VISA-P questionnaire, leg muscle strength and power and jumping ability measurements. The key element of the rehabilitation program was eccentric squat on decline board with additional unstable surface. The essential factor of the protocol was a set of preventive functional exercises, with focus on eccentric exercises of hamstrings. Patellar tendinopathy was observed in 18% of the tested young volleyball players. Implementation of the presented rehabilitation protocol with eccentric squat on decline board applied during sports season lowered the pain level of the young volleyball players. Presented rehabilitation protocol applied without interrupting the competitive period among young volleyball players together with functional exercises could be an effective method for the treatment of patellar tendinopathy.

Stress Prevention@Work : A study protocol for the evaluation of a multifaceted integral stress prevention strategy to prevent employee stress in a healthcare organization: a cluster controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoek, R.J.A.; Havermans, B.M.; Houtman, I.L.D.; Brouwers, E.P.M.; Heerkens, Y.F.; Zijlstra-vlasveld, M.C.; Anema, J.R.; van der Beek, A.J.; Boot, C.R.L.

2018-01-01

Adequate implementation of work-related stress management interventions can reduce or prevent work-related stress and sick leave in organizations. We developed a multifaceted integral stress-prevention strategy for organizations from several sectors that includes a digital platform and collaborative

Stress Prevention@Work: a study protocol for the evaluation of a multifaceted integral stress prevention strategy to prevent employee stress in a healthcare organization: a cluster controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoek, R.J.A.; Havermans, B.M.; Houtman, I.L.D.; Brouwers, E.P.M.; Heerkens, Y.F.; Zijlstra-Vlasveld, M.C.; Anema, J.R.; Beek, A.J. van der; Boot, C.R.L.

2017-01-01

Background. Adequate implementation of work-related stress management interventions can reduce or prevent work-related stress and sick leave in organizations. We developed a multifaceted integral stress-prevention strategy for organizations from several sectors that includes a digital platform and

Residual stress improved by water jet peening using cavitation for small-diameter pipe inner surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasuo, Nakamura; Toshizo, Ohya; Koji, Okimura

2001-01-01

As one of degradation conditions on components used in water, the overlapping effect of environment, material and stress might cause stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Especially, for the tensile residual stress produced by welding, it is particularly effective to reduce the tensile residual stress on the material surface to prevent SCC. In this paper, the residual stress improvement method using cavitation impact generated by a water jet, called Water Jet Peening (WJP), has been developed as the maintenance technology for the inner surfaces of small-diameter Ni-Cr-Fe alloy (Alloy 600) pipes. As the results, by WJP for the inner surface of Alloy 600 pipe (inner diameter; approximately 10-15 mm), we confirmed that the compressive stress generated within the range from the surface to the inner part about 0.5 mm deep and took a maximum value about 350 MPa on the surface. (author)

The HPA photon protocol and proposed electron protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitchford, W.G.

1985-01-01

The Hospital Physicists Association (HPA) photon dosimetry protocol has been produced and was published in 1983. Revised values of some components of Csub(lambda) and refinements introduced into the theory in the last few years have enabled new Csub(lambda) values to be produced. The proposed HPA electron protocol is at present in draft form and will be published shortly. Both protocels are discussed. (Auth.)

A radiographic study on the prevalence of knife-edge residual alveolar ridge at proposed dental implant sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AlFaleh, Wafaa

2009-01-01

Dental implants are widely used in restoration of completely or partially edentulous dental arches. Before placement of endosseous implants in the jaws, both the quantity and quality of the residual ridge must be assessed radiographically. Remodeling activity after tooth extraction is localized primarily at the crestal area of the residual ridges, resulting in reduction of the height of bone and creation of various three-dimensional shapes of the residual ridges. When bone resorption at the lingual and buccal aspects is greater than that at the crestal area, a knife-edge type of residual ridge develops. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the knife-edge morphology of the residual alveolar bone at proposed implant sites in partially or completely edentulous patients. Computed tomography (CT) cross-sectional images of the upper and lower jaws were assessed at the proposed sites before implant placement. Images of 258 proposed implant sites belonging to 30 patients were assessed radiographically. In 120 proposed implant sites out of 258 (46.5%), the residual alveolar ridge had a knife-edge configuration, the majority belonging to completely edentulous patients who lost their teeth more than ten years previously. High prevalence of knife-edge ridge was found, therefore, replacement of missing teeth by immediate implant is recommended to prevent atrophy or knife-edge morphology of the residual ridge. (author)

Rural Indonesian health care workers' constructs of infection prevention and control knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Marjadi, Brahmaputra; McLaws, Mary-Louise

2010-06-01

Understanding the constructs of knowledge behind clinical practices in low-resource rural health care settings with limited laboratory facilities and surveillance programs may help in designing resource-appropriate infection prevention and control education. Multiple qualitative methods of direct observations, individual and group focus discussions, and document analysis were used to examine health care workers' knowledge of infection prevention and control practices in intravenous therapy, antibiotic therapy, instrument reprocessing, and hand hygiene in 10 rural Indonesian health care facilities. Awareness of health care-associated infections was low. Protocols were in the main based on verbal instructions handed down through the ranks of health care workers. The evidence-based knowledge gained across professional training was overridden by empiricism, nonscientific modifications, and organizational and societal cultures when resources were restricted or patients demanded inappropriate therapies. This phenomenon remained undetected by accreditation systems and clinical educators. Rural Indonesian health care workers would benefit from a formal introduction to evidence-based practice that would deconstruct individual protocols that include nonscientific knowledge. To achieve levels of acceptable patient safety, protocols would have to be both evidence-based and resource-appropriate. Copyright 2010 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. All rights reserved.

Satellite Communications Using Commercial Protocols

Science.gov (United States)

Ivancic, William D.; Griner, James H.; Dimond, Robert; Frantz, Brian D.; Kachmar, Brian; Shell, Dan

2000-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center has been working with industry, academia, and other government agencies in assessing commercial communications protocols for satellite and space-based applications. In addition, NASA Glenn has been developing and advocating new satellite-friendly modifications to existing communications protocol standards. This paper summarizes recent research into the applicability of various commercial standard protocols for use over satellite and space- based communications networks as well as expectations for future protocol development. It serves as a reference point from which the detailed work can be readily accessed. Areas that will be addressed include asynchronous-transfer-mode quality of service; completed and ongoing work of the Internet Engineering Task Force; data-link-layer protocol development for unidirectional link routing; and protocols for aeronautical applications, including mobile Internet protocol routing for wireless/mobile hosts and the aeronautical telecommunications network protocol.

Novel Techniques with the Aid of a Staged CBCT Guided Surgical Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evdokia Chasioti

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The case report will present some novel techniques for using a “staged” protocol utilizing strategic periodontally involved teeth as transitional abutments in combination with CBCT guided implant surgery. Staging the case prevented premature loading of the grafted sites during the healing phase. A CBCT following a tenting screw guided bone regeneration procedure ensured adequate bone to place an implant fixture. Proper assessment of the CBCT allowed the surgeon to do an osteotome internal sinus lift in an optimum location. The depth of the bone needed for the osteotome sinus floor elevation was planned. The staged appliance allowed these sinus-augmented sites to heal for an extended period of time compared to implants, which were uncovered and loaded at an earlier time frame. The staged protocol and CBCT analysis enabled the immediate implants to be placed in proper alignment to the adjacent fixture. After teeth were extracted, the osseointegrated implants were converted to abutments for the transitional appliance. Finally, the staged protocol allowed for soft tissue enhancement in the implant and pontic areas prior to final insertion of the prosthesis.

Addressing Viral Hepatitis in People with Substance Use Disorders. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 53

Science.gov (United States)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2011

2011-01-01

Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs) are developed by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Each TIP involves the development of topic-specific best-practice guidelines for the prevention and…

Security Protocols in a Nutshell

OpenAIRE

Toorani, Mohsen

2016-01-01

Security protocols are building blocks in secure communications. They deploy some security mechanisms to provide certain security services. Security protocols are considered abstract when analyzed, but they can have extra vulnerabilities when implemented. This manuscript provides a holistic study on security protocols. It reviews foundations of security protocols, taxonomy of attacks on security protocols and their implementations, and different methods and models for security analysis of pro...

PENETAPAN RESIDU DAN PERKIRAAN PENETAPAN BATAS MAKSIMUM RESIDU (BMR ORGANOKLORIN PADA SIMPLISIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ani Isnawati

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Penggunaaan bahan obat tradisional (simplisia untuk skala industri dan peningkatan produksi tanaman obat dalam skala besar menjadi tidak ekonomis tanpa pestisida. Disatu sisi penggunaan pestisida dapat menguntungkan yaitu menyebabkan toksis pada hama namun disisi lain toksisitas dapat terjadi juga pada manusia, sehingga residu pestisida dalam tanaman obat yang dikonsumsi dalam jangka panjang akan merugikan kesehatan. Batas maksimum Residu (BMR pestisida dalam simplisia baik di Indonesia maupun di negara lain belum ditetapkan. Sehingga untuk itu untuk mengetahui adanya residu pestisida jenis organoklorin yang telah dilarang penggunaannya melalui Permentan No.434.1/kpts/TP.270/7/2001 dan untuk mengetahui batas keamanannya, maka perlu dilakukan penetapan residu organoklorin dalam simplisia dan menetapkan batas keamanan berdasarkan perhitungan secara teoritis. Pengujian residu dilakukan terhadap golongan pestisida organoklorin pada 4 jenis simplisia (daun wungu (Graptophyllum pictum (L Grifl, daun sambiloto Andrographis paniculata Ness, herba pegagan (Centella  asiatica (L Urban, daun tempuyung (Sonchus arvensis (L yang berasal dari 3 lokasi penanaman, yaitu : perkebunan Tanaman Obat Manako (Jawa Barat, Balai Penelitian Tanaman Obat Tawangmangu (BPTO di Jawa Tengah dan Perkebunan Tanaman Obat Purwodadi (Jawa Timur. Pemeriksaan residu pestisida organoklorin menggunakan kromatografi gas dan perhitungan batas keamanan dihitung dengan adanya nilai ADI (Acceptable daily intake yang telah ditetapkan bersama antara JAO dan WHO serta perkiraan banyaknya konsumsi simplisia. Hasil Pengujian residu pestisida organoklorin diperoleh bahwa simplisia daun Wungu (Tawangmangu mengandung residu lindan dengan kadar 0,24 mg/kg, pegagan (Purwodadi, mengandung lindan 0,36 mg/kg dan aldrin 0,31 mg/kg serta pegagan (Manako mengandung heptaklor 0,15 mg/kg dan op-DDE 0,11 mg/kg. Adapun penghitungan BMR heptaklor dan lindan secara teoritis dengan asumsi rata

Adolescent Self-Consent for Biomedical Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Amy Lewis; Knopf, Amelia S; Fortenberry, J Dennis; Hosek, Sybil G; Kapogiannis, Bill G; Zimet, Gregory D

2015-07-01

The Adolescent Medicine Trials Network Protocol 113 (ATN113) is an open-label, multisite demonstration project and Phase II safety study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) preexposure prophylaxis with 15- to 17-year-old young men who have sex with men that requires adolescent consent for participation. The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to the process by which Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and researchers made decisions regarding whether to approve and implement ATN113 so as to inform future biomedical HIV prevention research with high-risk adolescent populations. Participants included 17 researchers at 13 sites in 12 states considering ATN113 implementation. Qualitative descriptive methods were used. Data sources included interviews and documents generated during the initiation process. A common process for initiating ATN113 emerged, and informants described how they identified and addressed practical, ethical, and legal challenges that arose. Informants described the process as responding to the protocol, preparing for IRB submission, abstaining from or proceeding with submission, responding to IRB concerns, and reacting to the outcomes. A complex array of factors impacting approval and implementation were identified, and ATN113 was ultimately implemented in seven of 13 sites. Informants also reflected on lessons learned that may help inform future biomedical HIV prevention research with high-risk adolescent populations. The results illustrate factors for consideration in determining whether to implement such trials, demonstrate that such protocols have the potential to be approved, and highlight a need for clearer standards regarding biomedical HIV prevention research with high-risk adolescent populations. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Sulfur dioxide limit standard and residues in Chinese medicinal materials].

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Chuan-Zhi; Yang, Wan-Zhen; Mo, Ge; Zhou, Li; Jiang, Jing-Yi; Lv, Chao-Geng; Wang, Sheng; Zhou, Tao; Yang, Ye; Guo, Lan-Ping

2018-01-01

The traditional sulfur fumigation processing method has been widely used in the initial processing and storage of traditional Chinese medicinal materials due to its economy, efficiency, convenience, high operability and effect on mold and insect prevention. However, excessive sulfur fumigation of traditional Chinese medicinal materials would lead to the changes in chemical compositions, and even endanger human health. This study showed that traditional Chinese medicinal materials were sulfur fumigated directly after being harvested for quick drying, or fumigated after being weted in the storage process for preventing mold and insects. We found that the sulfur dioxide limits for traditional Chinese medicinal materials were stricter than those for foods. Based on the existing limit standards, we obtained the data of sulfur dioxide residues for 35 types of traditional Chinese medicinal materials in a total of 862 batches. According to the limit standard in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (150， 400 mg·kg⁻¹), the average over-standard rate of sulfur dioxide was as high as 52.43%, but it was reduced to 29.47% if calculated based on the limit for vegetable additive standard (500 mg·kg⁻¹). Sulfur fumigation issue shall be considered correctly: sulfur dioxide is a type of low toxic substance and less dangerous than aflatoxin and other highly toxic substances, and a small amount of residue would not increase the toxicity of traditional Chinese medicinal materials. However, sulfur fumigation might change the content of chemical substances and affect the quality of traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Furthermore, the exposure hazards of toxic substances are comprehensively correlated with exposure cycle, exposure frequency, and application method. In conclusion, it is suggested to strengthen the studies on the limit standard of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, formulate practical and feasible limit standard for sulfur dioxide residues in traditional Chinese

Residual magnetic field in rotary machines; Campo magnetico residual en maquinas rotatorias

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez V, Esteban A; Apanco R, Marcelino [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico)

2007-07-01

The residual magnetism is a phenomenon in which the magnetic dipoles of a substance are oriented in a certain degree. On the other hand, when internal forces exist capable of aligning elementary magnetic dipoles of a material, a permanent magnet is obtained. Just as in a conductor or in a material, in the elements of a rotary electrical machine magnetic fields can be induced that produce a residual magnetism or magnetization. In the rotary electrical machines, the magnetization phenomenon causes serious problems, such as the generation of induced currents that propitiate the mechanical wear in bearings, collars, trunnions and inclusive in the shaft, by effects known as pitting, frosting and spark tracks, as well as erroneous readings in vibration and temperature sensors, that in some cases can cause the shut down of the machine. In this article are presented the general concepts on the residual magnetism in rotary electrical machines, the causes that originate it and the problems that arises, as well as the demagnetization of the components that have residual magnetic field. The results obtained by the area of Electrical Equipment of the Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas are revised, during the execution of activities related to the measurement and elimination of the residual magnetic field in rotary electrical machines. [Spanish] El magnetismo residual es un fenomeno en el que los dipolos magneticos de una sustancia se encuentran orientados en un grado determinado. Por otro lado, cuando existen fuerzas internas capaces de alinear los dipolos magneticos elementales de un material, se tiene un iman permanente. Al igual que en un conductor o un material, en los elementos de una maquina electrica rotatoria se pueden inducir campos magneticos que producen un magnetismo residual o magnetizacion. En las maquinas electricas rotatorias, el fenomeno de magnetizacion causa graves problemas, como la generacion de corrientes inducidas que propician el desgaste mecanico

Minimizing transfusion requirements for children undergoing craniosynostosis repair: the CHoR protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Vega, Rafael A; Lyon, Camila; Kierce, Jeannette F; Tye, Gary W; Ritter, Ann M; Rhodes, Jennifer L

2014-08-01

Children with craniosynostosis may require cranial vault remodeling to prevent or relieve elevated intracranial pressure and to correct the underlying craniofacial abnormalities. The procedure is typically associated with significant blood loss and high transfusion rates. The risks associated with transfusions are well documented and include transmission of infectious agents, bacterial contamination, acute hemolytic reactions, transfusion-related lung injury, and transfusion-related immune modulation. This study presents the Children's Hospital of Richmond (CHoR) protocol, which was developed to reduce the rate of blood transfusion in infants undergoing primary craniosynostosis repair. A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients treated between January 2003 and Febuary 2012 was performed. The CHoR protocol was instituted in November 2008, with the following 3 components; 1) the use of preoperative erythropoietin and iron therapy, 2) the use of an intraoperative blood recycling device, and 3) acceptance of a lower level of hemoglobin as a trigger for transfusion (protocol implementation served as controls. A total of 60 children were included in the study, 32 of whom were treated with the CHoR protocol. The control (C) and protocol (P) groups were comparable with respect to patient age (7 vs 8.4 months, p = 0.145). Recombinant erythropoietin effectively raised the mean preoperative hemoglobin level in the P group (12 vs 9.7 g/dl, p protocol that includes preoperative administration of recombinant erythropoietin, intraoperative autologous blood recycling, and accepting a lower transfusion trigger significantly decreased transfusion utilization (p < 0.001). A decreased length of stay (p < 0.001) was seen, although the authors did not investigate whether composite transfusion complication reductions led to better outcomes.

Components of an Anticancer Diet: Dietary Recommendations, Restrictions and Supplements of the Bill Henderson Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie Heilman Bell

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The use of complementary and alternative medicines including dietary supplements, herbals and special diets to prevent or treat disease continues to be popular. The following paper provides a description of an alternative dietary approach to the self-management and treatment of cancer, the Bill Henderson Protocol (BHP. This diet encourages daily intake of raw foods, a combination of cottage cheese and flaxseed oil and a number of supplements. Some foods and food groups are restricted (e.g., gluten, meat, dairy. Early background theory that contributed to the protocol’s development is presented as is a summary of relevant evidence concerning the anti-cancer fighting properties of the individual components. Supplement intake is considered in relation to daily recommended intakes. Challenges and risks to protocol adherence are discussed. As with many complementary and alternative interventions, clear evidence of this dietary protocol’s safety and efficacy is lacking. Consumers of this protocol may require guidance on the ability of this protocol to meet their individual nutritional needs.

Women's perspectives on falls and fall prevention during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewin, Dorothy; Naninni, Angela

2014-01-01

Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury in women. During pregnancy, even a minor fall can result in adverse consequences. Evidence to inform effective and developmentally appropriate pregnancy fall prevention programs is lacking. Early research on pregnancy fall prevention suggests that exercise may reduce falls. However, acceptability and effectiveness of pregnancy fall prevention programs are untested. To better understand postpartum women's perspective and preferences on fall prevention strategies during pregnancy to formulate an intervention. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 31 postpartum women using descriptive qualitative methodology. Discussion of falls during pregnancy and fall prevention strategies was guided by a focus group protocol and enhanced by 1- to 3-minute videos on proposed interventions. Focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo 10 software. Emerging themes were environmental circumstances and physical changes of pregnancy leading to a fall, prevention strategies, barriers, safety concerns, and marketing a fall prevention program. Wet surfaces and inappropriate footwear commonly contributed to falls. Women preferred direct provider counseling and programs including yoga and Pilates. Fall prevention strategies tailored to pregnant women are needed. Perspectives of postpartum women support fall prevention through provider counseling and individual or supervised exercise programs.

Mapping allostery through computational glycine scanning and correlation analysis of residue-residue contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Quentin R; Lindsay, Richard J; Nellas, Ricky B; Fernandez, Elias J; Shen, Tongye

2015-02-24

Understanding allosteric mechanisms is essential for the physical control of molecular switches and downstream cellular responses. However, it is difficult to decode essential allosteric motions in a high-throughput scheme. A general two-pronged approach to performing automatic data reduction of simulation trajectories is presented here. The first step involves coarse-graining and identifying the most dynamic residue-residue contacts. The second step is performing principal component analysis of these contacts and extracting the large-scale collective motions expressed via these residue-residue contacts. We demonstrated the method using a protein complex of nuclear receptors. Using atomistic modeling and simulation, we examined the protein complex and a set of 18 glycine point mutations of residues that constitute the binding pocket of the ligand effector. The important motions that are responsible for the allostery are reported. In contrast to conventional induced-fit and lock-and-key binding mechanisms, a novel "frustrated-fit" binding mechanism of RXR for allosteric control was revealed.

Effect of final irrigation protocols on microhardness reduction and erosion of root canal dentin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flávia Emi Razera BALDASSO

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effect of final irrigation protocols on microhardness reduction and erosion of root canal dentin. Sixty root canals from mandibular incisors were instrumented and randomly divided into six groups (n = 10 according to the irrigant used: QMiX, 17% EDTA, 10% citric acid (CA, 1% peracetic acid (PA, 2.5% NaOCl (solution control, and distilled water (negative control. The chelating solutions were used to irrigate the canal followed by 2.5% NaOCl as a final flush. After the irrigation protocols, all specimens were rinsed with 10 mL of distilled water to remove any residue of the chemical solutions. Before and after the final irrigation protocols, dentin microhardness was measured with a Knoop indenter. Three indentations were made at 100 µm and 500 µm from the root canal lumen. Afterwards, the specimens were prepared for scanning electron microscopic analysis and the amount of dentin erosion was examined. Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze the results with a significance level set at 5%. At 100 µm, all protocols significantly reduced dentin microhardness (p < .05, while at 500 µm, this effect was detected only in the EDTA and QMiX groups (p < .05. CA was the irrigant that caused more extensive erosion in dentinal tubules, followed by PA and EDTA. QMiX opened dentinal tubules, but did not cause dentin erosion. Results suggest that QMiX and 17% EDTA reduced dentin microhardness at a greater depth. Additionally, QMiX did not cause dentin erosion.

Business protocol in integrated Europe

OpenAIRE

Pavelová, Nina

2009-01-01

The first chapter devotes to definitions of basic terms such as protocol or business protocol, to differences between protocol and etiquette, and between social etiquette and business etiquette. The second chapter focuses on the factors influencing the European business protocol. The third chapter is devoted to the etiquette of business protocol in the European countries. It touches the topics such as punctuality and planning of business appointment, greeting, business cards, dress and appear...

Blockchain protocols in clinical trials: Transparency and traceability of consent

Science.gov (United States)

Benchoufi, Mehdi; Porcher, Raphael; Ravaud, Philippe

2018-01-01

Clinical trial consent for protocols and their revisions should be transparent for patients and traceable for stakeholders. Our goal is to implement a process allowing for collection of patients’ informed consent, which is bound to protocol revisions, storing and tracking the consent in a secure, unfalsifiable and publicly verifiable way, and enabling the sharing of this information in real time. For that, we build a consent workflow using a trending technology called Blockchain. This is a distributed technology that brings a built-in layer of transparency and traceability. From a more general and prospective point of view, we believe Blockchain technology brings a paradigmatical shift to the entire clinical research field. We designed a Proof-of-Concept protocol consisting of time-stamping each step of the patient’s consent collection using Blockchain, thus archiving and historicising the consent through cryptographic validation in a securely unfalsifiable and transparent way. For each protocol revision, consent was sought again.  We obtained a single document, in an open format, that accounted for the whole consent collection process: a time-stamped consent status regarding each version of the protocol. This document cannot be corrupted and can be checked on any dedicated public website. It should be considered a robust proof of data. However, in a live clinical trial, the authentication system should be strengthened to remove the need for third parties, here trial stakeholders, and give participative control to the peer users. In the future, the complex data flow of a clinical trial could be tracked by using Blockchain, which core functionality, named Smart Contract, could help prevent clinical trial events not occurring in the correct chronological order, for example including patients before they consented or analysing case report form data before freezing the database. Globally, Blockchain could help with reliability, security, transparency and could be

Blockchain protocols in clinical trials: Transparency and traceability of consent.

Science.gov (United States)

Benchoufi, Mehdi; Porcher, Raphael; Ravaud, Philippe

2017-01-01

Clinical trial consent for protocols and their revisions should be transparent for patients and traceable for stakeholders. Our goal is to implement a process allowing for collection of patients' informed consent, which is bound to protocol revisions, storing and tracking the consent in a secure, unfalsifiable and publicly verifiable way, and enabling the sharing of this information in real time. For that, we build a consent workflow using a trending technology called Blockchain. This is a distributed technology that brings a built-in layer of transparency and traceability. From a more general and prospective point of view, we believe Blockchain technology brings a paradigmatical shift to the entire clinical research field. We designed a Proof-of-Concept protocol consisting of time-stamping each step of the patient's consent collection using Blockchain, thus archiving and historicising the consent through cryptographic validation in a securely unfalsifiable and transparent way. For each protocol revision, consent was sought again.  We obtained a single document, in an open format, that accounted for the whole consent collection process: a time-stamped consent status regarding each version of the protocol. This document cannot be corrupted and can be checked on any dedicated public website. It should be considered a robust proof of data. However, in a live clinical trial, the authentication system should be strengthened to remove the need for third parties, here trial stakeholders, and give participative control to the peer users. In the future, the complex data flow of a clinical trial could be tracked by using Blockchain, which core functionality, named Smart Contract, could help prevent clinical trial events not occurring in the correct chronological order, for example including patients before they consented or analysing case report form data before freezing the database. Globally, Blockchain could help with reliability, security, transparency and could be a

Characterization Report on Sand, Slag, and Crucible Residues and on Fluoride Residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, A.M.

1999-01-01

This paper reports on the chemical characterization of the sand, slag, and crucible (SS and C) residues and the fluoride residues that may be shipped from the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) to Savannah River Site (SRS)

A robust ECC based mutual authentication protocol with anonymity for session initiation protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehmood, Zahid; Chen, Gongliang; Li, Jianhua; Li, Linsen; Alzahrani, Bander

2017-01-01

Over the past few years, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is found as a substantial application-layer protocol for the multimedia services. It is extensively used for managing, altering, terminating and distributing the multimedia sessions. Authentication plays a pivotal role in SIP environment. Currently, Lu et al. presented an authentication protocol for SIP and profess that newly proposed protocol is protected against all the familiar attacks. However, the detailed analysis describes that the Lu et al.'s protocol is exposed against server masquerading attack and user's masquerading attack. Moreover, it also fails to protect the user's identity as well as it possesses incorrect login and authentication phase. In order to establish a suitable and efficient protocol, having ability to overcome all these discrepancies, a robust ECC-based novel mutual authentication mechanism with anonymity for SIP is presented in this manuscript. The improved protocol contains an explicit parameter for user to cope the issues of security and correctness and is found to be more secure and relatively effective to protect the user's privacy, user's masquerading and server masquerading as it is verified through the comprehensive formal and informal security analysis.

A robust ECC based mutual authentication protocol with anonymity for session initiation protocol.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahid Mehmood

Full Text Available Over the past few years, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP is found as a substantial application-layer protocol for the multimedia services. It is extensively used for managing, altering, terminating and distributing the multimedia sessions. Authentication plays a pivotal role in SIP environment. Currently, Lu et al. presented an authentication protocol for SIP and profess that newly proposed protocol is protected against all the familiar attacks. However, the detailed analysis describes that the Lu et al.'s protocol is exposed against server masquerading attack and user's masquerading attack. Moreover, it also fails to protect the user's identity as well as it possesses incorrect login and authentication phase. In order to establish a suitable and efficient protocol, having ability to overcome all these discrepancies, a robust ECC-based novel mutual authentication mechanism with anonymity for SIP is presented in this manuscript. The improved protocol contains an explicit parameter for user to cope the issues of security and correctness and is found to be more secure and relatively effective to protect the user's privacy, user's masquerading and server masquerading as it is verified through the comprehensive formal and informal security analysis.

Interventions for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission: protocol of an overview of systematic reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Wariki, Windy Mariane Virenia; Ota, Erika; Mori, Rintaro; Wiysonge, Charles S; Horvath, Hacsi; Read, Jennifer S

2017-06-21

Various interventions to prevent mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) of HIV have been investigated and implemented. A number of systematic reviews assessing the efficacy of interventions for the prevention of MTCT of HIV reported antiretroviral prophylaxis, caesarean section before labour and before ruptured membranes, and complete avoidance of breastfeeding were efficacious for preventing MTCT of HIV. Recent WHO guidelines recommend lifelong antiretroviral therapy for all pregnant women for treatment of the woman's own HIV infection and for prevention of MTCT of HIV. Therefore, the objective of this overview is to evaluate the currently available systematic reviews of interventions for preventing MTCT of HIV, and to identify the current best evidence-based interventions for reducing the risk of MTCT of HIV. We will include only peer-reviewed systematic reviews of randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials assessing the effects of interventions for preventing MTCT of HIV that target both HIV-infected women and children aged 2 years and younger born to HIV-infected women. We will search the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE. We will assess review eligibility, the methodological quality of included systematic reviews using A Measurement Tool to Assess The Systematic Reviews and will extract data, comparing our results and resolving discrepancies by consensus. Finally, we will independently assess the certainty of the evidence using Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Ethics approval is not required. We will publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal and present at conferences, which will inform future research and will be useful for healthcare managers, administrators and policymakers to guide resource allocation decisions and optimisation of interventions to prevent the MTCT of HIV. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless

Residual stress by repair welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mochizuki, Masahito; Toyoda, Masao

2003-01-01

Residual stress by repair welds is computed using the thermal elastic-plastic analysis with phase-transformation effect. Coupling phenomena of temperature, microstructure, and stress-strain fields are simulated in the finite-element analysis. Weld bond of a plate butt-welded joint is gouged and then deposited by weld metal in repair process. Heat source is synchronously moved with the deposition of the finite-element as the weld deposition. Microstructure is considered by using CCT diagram and the transformation behavior in the repair weld is also simulated. The effects of initial stress, heat input, and weld length on residual stress distribution are studied from the organic results of numerical analysis. Initial residual stress before repair weld has no influence on the residual stress after repair treatment near weld metal, because the initial stress near weld metal releases due to high temperature of repair weld and then stress by repair weld regenerates. Heat input has an effect for residual stress distribution, for not its magnitude but distribution zone. Weld length should be considered reducing the magnitude of residual stress in the edge of weld bead; short bead induces high tensile residual stress. (author)

Power Saving MAC Protocols for WSNs and Optimization of S-MAC Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simarpreet Kaur

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Low power MAC protocols have received a lot of consideration in the last few years because of their influence on the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. Since, sensors typically operate on batteries, replacement of which is often difficult. A lot of work has been done to minimize the energy expenditure and prolong the sensor lifetime through energy efficient designs, across layers. Meanwhile, the sensor network should be able to maintain a certain throughput in order to fulfill the QoS requirements of the end user, and to ensure the constancy of the network. This paper introduces different types of MAC protocols used for WSNs and proposes S‐MAC, a Medium‐Access Control protocol designed for Wireless Sensor Networks. S‐MAC uses a few innovative techniques to reduce energy consumption and support selfconfiguration. A new protocol is suggested to improve the energy efficiency, latency and throughput of existing MAC protocol for WSNs. A modification of the protocol is then proposed to eliminate the need for some nodes to stay awake longer than the other nodes which improves the energy efficiency, latency and throughput and hence increases the life span of a wireless sensor network.

Coenzyme Q10 plus Multivitamin Treatment Prevents Cisplatin Ototoxicity in Rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Astolfi

Full Text Available Cisplatin (Cpt is known to induce a high level of oxidative stress, resulting in an increase of reactive oxygen species damaging the inner ear and causing hearing loss at high frequencies. Studies on animal models show that antioxidants may lower Cpt-induced ototoxicity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ototoxic effects of two different protocols of Cpt administration in a Sprague-Dawley rat model, and to test in the same model the synergic protective effects of a solution of coenzyme Q10 terclatrate and Acuval 400®, a multivitamin supplement containing antioxidant agents and minerals (Acu-Qter. The Cpt was administered intraperitoneally in a single dose (14 mg/kg or in three daily doses (4.6 mg/kg/day to rats orally treated or untreated with Acu-Qter for 5 days. The auditory function was assessed by measuring auditory brainstem responses from 2 to 32 kHz at day 0 and 5 days after treatment. Similar hearing threshold and body weight alterations were observed in both Cpt administration protocols, but mortality reduced to zero when Cpt was administered in three daily doses. The Acu-Qter treatment was able to prevent and completely neutralize ototoxicity in rats treated with three daily Cpt doses, supporting the synergic protective effects of coenzyme Q terclatrate and Acuval 400® against Cpt-induced oxidative stress. The administration protocol involving three Cpt doses is more similar to common human chemotherapy protocols, therefore it appears more useful for long-term preclinical studies on ototoxicity prevention.

A literature-based cost analysis of tissue plasminogen activator for prevention of biliary stricture in donation after circulatory death liver transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, J M; Bhutiani, N; Wei, D; Goldstein, L; Jones, C M; Cannon, R M

2018-04-17

This study sought to approximate the cost-effectiveness of tPA utilization for prevention of biliary strictures (PTBS) in donation after circulatory death liver transplantation (DCD-LT). Previously-reported PTBS rates in DCD-LT with and without tPA were used to calculate the number needed to treat (NNT) for prevention of one PTBS. The incremental cost of PTBS was then used to determine the cost effectiveness of tPA for prevention of PTBS. The incidence of PTBS in the setting of tPA administration was 20%, while incidence in patients without tPA use was 43% (p PTBS management, use of tPA in DCD-LT protocols was estimated to save $31,528 per PTBS prevented. Utilization of tPA in DCD-LT protocols represents one possible cost-effective strategy for prevention of PTBS in DCD-LT. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Promoting CARE: including parents in youth suicide prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Hooven, Carole; Walsh, Elaine; Pike, Kenneth C; Herting, Jerald R

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of augmenting a youth suicide-preventive intervention with a brief, home-based parent program. A total of 615 high school youth and their parents participated. Three suicide prevention protocols, a youth intervention, a parent intervention, and a combination of youth and parent intervention, were compared with an "intervention as usual" (IAU) group. All groups experienced a decline in risk factors and an increase in protective factors during the intervention period, and sustained these improvements over 15 months. Results reveal that the youth intervention and combined youth and parent intervention produced significantly greater reductions in suicide risk factors and increases in protective factors than IAU comparison group.

A Game Theory-Based Obstacle Avoidance Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shujun Bi

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The obstacle avoidance problem in geographic forwarding is an important issue for location-based routing in wireless sensor networks. The presence of an obstacle leads to several geographic routing problems such as excessive energy consumption and data congestion. Obstacles are hard to avoid in realistic environments. To bypass obstacles, most routing protocols tend to forward packets along the obstacle boundaries. This leads to a situation where the nodes at the boundaries exhaust their energy rapidly and the obstacle area is diffused. In this paper, we introduce a novel routing algorithm to solve the obstacle problem in wireless sensor networks based on a game-theory model. Our algorithm forms a concave region that cannot forward packets to achieve the aim of improving the transmission success rate and decreasing packet transmission delays. We consider the residual energy, out-degree and forwarding angle to determine the forwarding probability and payoff function of forwarding candidates. This achieves the aim of load balance and reduces network energy consumption. Simulation results show that based on the average delivery delay, energy consumption and packet delivery ratio performances our protocol is superior to other traditional schemes.

Cleanup protocols when encountering thorium-230 at U.S. DOE Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, M.L.; Hylko, J.M.; Cornish, R.E.

1995-01-01

The passage of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) of 1978, established the regulatory framework, under which the US EPA charged with developing standards for the cleanup and disposal of tailings at 24 designated inactive uranium processing sites located in 10 states. 40 CFR 192.12 requires that the concentration of Ra-226 in land averaged over any area of 100 square meters shall not exceed the background level by more than 5 pCi/g, averaged over the first 15 cm of soil below the surface, 15 pCi/g, averaged over 15-cm-thick layers of soils more than 15 cm below the surface. However, Th-230 is not specifically addressed by the EPA in 40 CFR 192.12, which naturally decays with a half-life of 77,000 years to form Ra-226. Consequently, the cleanup of the initial Ra-226 contamination according to the standards will not necessarily mitigate against the eventual ingrowth of residual Ra-226 with time, due to the radioactive decay of residual Th-230. Therefore, to direct the excavation of residual Th-230, four generic protocols are being used at Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project sites, as follows: Determining the allowable remaining concentration of Th-230 in surface and subsurface soils; Encountering Th-230 contamination in the unsaturated subsurface soil; Encountering Th-230 contamination in the saturated zone; and Verification sampling. The four generic protocols, developed in conjunction with the supplemental standards provision, ensure protection of the general public by reducing exposures to levels that are As Low As Reasonably Achievable, while considering practical measures necessary to excavate Th-230 under conditions encountered at the UMTRA Project site

Osteoradionecrosis: Causes and prevention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedman, R.B.

1990-01-01

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is one of the most serious complications arising from head and neck radiation therapy. Current research has shown that ORN represents nonhealing, dead bone and is not a state of infection. ORN is the result of functional and structural bony changes that may not be expressed for months or years. ORN may occur spontaneously or in response to wounding. Predisposing factors include absorbed radiation dose, fractionation, delivery modality, and dental status. Timing of dental extractions and other factors have also been shown to affect incidence. ORN may be reduced through early intraoral evaluation, treatment, and adequate healing time prior to beginning RT. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been beneficial in the prevention and treatment of ORN. It is of paramount importance for the medical community to recognize the factors that may reduce ORN incidence, endorse oral care protocols, and acknowledge the value of HBO therapy in the prevention and treatment of this disease. 60 references

Telomerase Repeated Amplification Protocol (TRAP).

Science.gov (United States)

Mender, Ilgen; Shay, Jerry W

2015-11-20

Telomeres are found at the end of eukaryotic linear chromosomes, and proteins that bind to telomeres protect DNA from being recognized as double-strand breaks thus preventing end-to-end fusions (Griffith et al. , 1999). However, due to the end replication problem and other factors such as oxidative damage, the limited life span of cultured cells (Hayflick limit) results in progressive shortening of these protective structures (Hayflick and Moorhead, 1961; Olovnikov, 1973). The ribonucleoprotein enzyme complex telomerase-consisting of a protein catalytic component hTERT and a functional RNA component hTR or hTERC - counteracts telomere shortening by adding telomeric repeats to the end of chromosomes in ~90% of primary human tumors and in some transiently proliferating stem-like cells (Shay and Wright, 1996; Shay and Wright, 2001). This results in continuous proliferation of cells which is a hallmark of cancer. Therefore, telomere biology has a central role in aging, cancer progression/metastasis as well as targeted cancer therapies. There are commonly used methods in telomere biology such as Telomere Restriction Fragment (TRF) (Mender and Shay, 2015b), Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) and Telomere dysfunction Induced Foci (TIF) analysis (Mender and Shay, 2015a). In this detailed protocol we describe Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP). The TRAP assay is a popular method to determine telomerase activity in mammalian cells and tissue samples (Kim et al. , 1994). The TRAP assay includes three steps: extension, amplification, and detection of telomerase products. In the extension step, telomeric repeats are added to the telomerase substrate (which is actually a non telomeric oligonucleotide, TS) by telomerase. In the amplification step, the extension products are amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers (TS upstream primer and ACX downstream primer) and in the detection step, the presence or absence of telomerase is

Reactivity of Athabasca residue and of its SARA fractions during residue hydroconversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verstraete, J.; Danial-Fortain, P.; Gauthier, T.; Merdrignac, I. [IFP-Lyon, Vermaison (France); Budzinski, H. [Bordeaux Univ. (France). ISM-LPTC, UMR CNRS

2009-07-01

Residue conversion processes are becoming increasingly important because of the declining market for residual fuel oil and a greater demand for middle distillates. Ebullated-bed hydroconversion is a commercially proven technology for converting heavy feedstocks with high amounts of impurities. The process enables the conversion of atmospheric or vacuum residues at temperatures up to 440 degrees C, and at liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) conditions in the range of 0.15 to 0.5 per hour. A 540 degrees C conversion of up to 80 weight per cent can be achieved under these conditions. This paper reported on a research study conducted at IFP Lyon in which the residue hydroconversion in a large-scale ebullated bed bench unit was investigated to determine the impact of operating conditions and feed properties on yield and product qualities. Hydrogen was added to the feed in the bench units to keep a high hydrogen partial pressure and favour the catalytic hydroconversion reactions. In a typical test, the reactor was fed with 50 g of feedstock and 0.45 g of crushed equilibrium industrial NiMo catalyst, pressurized hydrogen and quickly heated at the reaction temperature. This paper also discussed the conversion of Athabasca bitumen residue in the large-scale pilot plant and also in the small scale batch reactor. The effect of operating temperature and space velocity was examined. The reactivity of the saturates, aromatics, resins and asphaltenes (SARA) fractions of the bitumen was studied separately in order to better understand the conversion mechanisms and reactivities. The Athabasca bitumen feed and SARA fractions were also analyzed in terms of standard petroleum analysis, SARA fractionation, elemental analysis, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and 13C NMR. Hydroconversion experiments were conducted in the batch unit at different reaction temperatures and reaction times. A comparison of small-scale batch results with those obtained with the continuous large-scale bench

Dissipation and Residues of Pyrethrins in Leaf Lettuce under Greenhouse and Open Field Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Lixiang; Feng, Xiaoxiao; Zhang, Hongyan

2017-07-21

Pyrethrins are nowadays widely used for prevention and control of insects in leaf lettuce. However, there is a concern about the pesticide residue in leaf lettuce. A reliable analytical method for determination of pyrethrins (pyrethrin-and П, cinerin І and П, and jasmolin І and П) in leaf lettuce was developed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Recoveries of pyrethrins in leaf lettuce at three spiking levels were 99.4-104.0% with relative standard deviations of 0.9-3.1% ( n = 5). Evaluation of dissipation and final residues of pyrethrins in leaf lettuce were determined at six different locations, including the open field, as well as under greenhouse conditions. The initial concentration of pyrethrins in greenhouse (0.57 mg/kg) was higher than in open field (0.25 mg/kg) and the half-life for pyrethrins disappearance in field lettuce (0.7 days) was less than that greenhouse lettuce (1.1 days). Factors such as rainfall, solar radiation, wind speed, and crop growth rate are likely to have caused these results. The final residue in leaf lettuce was far below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) (1 mg/kg established by the European Union (EU), Australia, Korea, Japan).

Cross-Layer Protocol as a Better Option in Wireless Mesh Network with Respect to Layered-Protocol

OpenAIRE

Ahmed Abdulwahab Al-Ahdal; Dr. V. P. Pawar; G. N. Shinde

2014-01-01

The Optimal way to improve Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) performance is to use a better network protocol, but whether layered-protocol design or cross-layer design is a better option to optimize protocol performance in WMNs is still an on-going research topic. In this paper, we focus on cross-layer protocol as a better option with respect to layered-protocol. The layered protocol architecture (OSI) model divides networking tasks into layers and defines a pocket of services for each layer to b...

L2-LBMT: A Layered Load Balance Routing Protocol for underwater multimedia data transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Ze; Tang, Ruichun; Tao, Ye; Sun, Xin; Xu, Xiaowei

2017-12-01

Providing highly efficient underwater transmission of mass multimedia data is challenging due to the particularities of the underwater environment. Although there are many schemes proposed to optimize the underwater acoustic network communication protocols, from physical layer, data link layer, network layer to transport layer, the existing routing protocols for underwater wireless sensor network (UWSN) still cannot well deal with the problems in transmitting multimedia data because of the difficulties involved in high energy consumption, low transmission reliability or high transmission delay. It prevents us from applying underwater multimedia data to real-time monitoring of marine environment in practical application, especially in emergency search, rescue operation and military field. Therefore, the inefficient transmission of marine multimedia data has become a serious problem that needs to be solved urgently. In this paper, A Layered Load Balance Routing Protocol (L2-LBMT) is proposed for underwater multimedia data transmission. In L2-LBMT, we use layered and load-balance Ad Hoc Network to transmit data, and adopt segmented data reliable transfer (SDRT) protocol to improve the data transport reliability. And a 3-node variant of tornado (3-VT) code is also combined with the Ad Hoc Network to transmit little emergency data more quickly. The simulation results show that the proposed protocol can balance energy consumption of each node, effectively prolong the network lifetime and reduce transmission delay of marine multimedia data.

Implementation of preventive strength training in residential geriatric care: a multi-centre study protocol with one year of interventions on multiple levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Brach, Michael; Nieder, Frank; Nieder, Ulrike; Mechling, Heinz

2009-11-24

There is scientific evidence that preventive physical exercise is effective even in high age. In contrast, there are few opportunities of preventive exercise for highly aged people endangered by or actually in need of care. For example, they would not be able to easily go to training facilities; standard exercises may be too intensive and therefore be harmful to them; orientation disorders like dementia would exacerbate individuals and groups in following instructions and keeping exercises going. In order to develop appropriate interventions, these and other issues were assigned to different levels: the individual-social level (ISL), the organisational-institutional level (OIL) and the political-cultural level (PCL). Consequently, this conceptional framework was utilised for development, implementation and evaluation of a new strength and balance exercise programme for old people endangered by or actually in need of daily care. The present paper contains the development of this programme labeled "fit for 100", and a study protocol of an interventional single-arm multi-centre trial. The intervention consisted of (a) two group training sessions every week over one year, mainly resistance exercises, accompanied by sensorimotor and communicative group exercises and games (ISL), (b) a sustainable implementation concept, starting new groups by instructors belonging to the project, followed by training and supervision of local staff, who stepwise take over the group (OIL), (c) informing and convincing activities in professional, administrative and governmental contexts, public relation activities, and establishing an advisory council with renowned experts and public figures (PCL). Participating institutions of geriatric care were selected through several steps of quality criteria assessment. Primary outcome measures were continuous documentation of individual participation (ISL), number of groups continued without external financial support (at the end of the project, and

Implementation of preventive strength training in residential geriatric care: a multi-centre study protocol with one year of interventions on multiple levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nieder Ulrike

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is scientific evidence that preventive physical exercise is effective even in high age. In contrast, there are few opportunities of preventive exercise for highly aged people endangered by or actually in need of care. For example, they would not be able to easily go to training facilities; standard exercises may be too intensive and therefore be harmful to them; orientation disorders like dementia would exacerbate individuals and groups in following instructions and keeping exercises going. In order to develop appropriate interventions, these and other issues were assigned to different levels: the individual-social level (ISL, the organisational-institutional level (OIL and the political-cultural level (PCL. Consequently, this conceptional framework was utilised for development, implementation and evaluation of a new strength and balance exercise programme for old people endangered by or actually in need of daily care. The present paper contains the development of this programme labeled "fit for 100", and a study protocol of an interventional single-arm multi-centre trial. Methods The intervention consisted of (a two group training sessions every week over one year, mainly resistance exercises, accompanied by sensorimotor and communicative group exercises and games (ISL, (b a sustainable implementation concept, starting new groups by instructors belonging to the project, followed by training and supervision of local staff, who stepwise take over the group (OIL, (c informing and convincing activities in professional, administrative and governmental contexts, public relation activities, and establishing an advisory council with renowned experts and public figures (PCL. Participating institutions of geriatric care were selected through several steps of quality criteria assessment. Primary outcome measures were continuous documentation of individual participation (ISL, number of groups continued without external financial

The effect of Residual Stress on the Stress Intensity Factor of Nuclear Material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Taek Ho

2008-01-01

As NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) gets aged, the importance of the pressure boundary integrity increases very much to those who are trying to operate their plant beyond its design life. Not long ago, Boric acid crystal was found at the RPV outlet nozzle of V.C. Summer plant during the visual examination in 2000. After this finding, non-destructive examination was taken to find out what's taken place. As a result of this examination, circumferential and axial cracks were found. With Metallurgical structure examination, it was shown that crack had been developed at the mid-point between Inco-alloy buttering and weld metal. It was turned out that high welding residual stress was the main cause of the cracking. Because of the through wall crack, nozzle and welding parts were replaced. Many other nuclear power plants experienced similar pressure boundary stress corrosion cracks (SCCs). KEPRI (Korea Electric Power Research Institute) has carried out research projects for managing and preventing these kinds of cracks in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The titles of these research projects are 'Development of Stress Corrosion Cracking Management Technology and Aging Monitor for NPP Main Components' and 'Development of Analysis Technology for Crack Management of Dissimilar Metal Weld'. Through these projects, residual stress measurement techniques have been exercised at various points in mock-up test specimens to simulate nuclear power plant dissimilar base metal and weldment residual stress. X-ray test and hole drilling method have been reviewed to measure residual stresses of the dissimilar metal welds. This paper shows some point of view in residual stress measurement. Fracture mechanics analysis has been performed to explain the importance of residual stress measurement in association with nuclear power plant safety

National protocol for quality assurance in DXA-bone densitometry

Science.gov (United States)

Slavchev, A.; Avramova-Cholakova, S.; Vassileva, J.

2008-01-01

Osteoporosis becomes largely one of the most important socially significant and costly diseases. Modern techniques (DXA, US) are applied for bone densitometry. The paper presents a protocol for quality assurance especially of DXA-bone densitometers including quality control made in compliance with international standards (ISCD, IOF). The methodology has been tested in practice by measurements on site-functional assessment, entrance dose, radiation protection, calibration, in-vitro precision. It is expected to raise the quality of the diagnostic process in concert with the EU Medical Directive 97/43 particularly for population screening and sensitive groups. The protocol is an essential part of the National Program for constraining osteoporosis which has been elaborated at the Ministry of Health and at present under implementation throughout the country. It aims at reducing the risk, factors spreading, at diminishing the fracture risk the morbidity and the mortality from osteoporosis. An integral multidisciplinary approach to the problem solving is applied as well as training on three levels — doctors, patients, population, which effectively will contribute for obtaining real results in preventing osteoporosis.

An electromagnetic field measurement protocol for monitoring power lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lubritto, C.; Iavazzo, A.; D'Onofrio, A.; Palmieri, A.; Sabbarese, C.; Terrasi, F.

2002-01-01

In the actions aiming to prevent risks related to the exposure to Low Frequencies Non Ionising electromagnetic Radiations (ELF-NIR), always arises the need to perform measurements in order to assess the field level existing in the considered sites. As a matter of fact very often it turns out difficult to predict, on the base of calculations, with sufficient approximation the field levels, due to extended variability of environmental conditions (e.g. coexistence of several sources, ground and building conformation, etc..). The measurement procedures must follow a methodology that could allow to minimise the interferences with the measurement set-up and the systematic and accidental errors. Risks for the operator and damages to the instrument should also be taken into account. One of the goal set for this research program was then the definition of the measurement protocol for electromagnetic field generated by low frequency non ionising radiation sources. In particular sources like power lines will be considered in order to validate the protocol by means of in-field measurements

[Multidisciplinary protocol for computed tomography imaging and angiographic embolization of splenic injury due to trauma: assessment of pre-protocol and post-protocol outcomes].

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, M; Sabaté, A; Magalló, P; García, M A; Domínguez, J; de Lama, M E; López, S

2011-11-01

To assess conservative treatment of splenic injury due to trauma, following a protocol for computed tomography (CT) and angiographic embolization. To quantify the predictive value of CT for detecting bleeding and need for embolization. The care protocol developed by the multidisciplinary team consisted of angiography with embolization of lesions revealed by contrast extravasation under CT as well as embolization of grade III-V injuries observed, or grade I-II injuries causing hemodynamic instability and/or need for blood transfusion. We collected data on demographic variables, injury severity score (ISS), angiographic findings, and injuries revealed by CT. Pre-protocol and post-protocol outcomes were compared. The sensitivity and specificity of CT findings were calculated for all patients who required angiographic embolization. Forty-four and 30 angiographies were performed in the pre- and post-protocol periods, respectively. The mean (SD) ISSs in the two periods were 25 (11) and 26 (12), respectively. A total of 24 (54%) embolizations were performed in the pre-protocol period and 28 (98%) after implementation of the protocol. Two and 7 embolizations involved the spleen in the 2 periods, respectively; abdominal laparotomies numbered 32 and 25, respectively, and 10 (31%) vs 4 (16%) splenectomies were performed. The specificity and sensitivity values for contrast extravasation found on CT and followed by embolization were 77.7% and 79.5%. The implementation of this multidisciplinary protocol using CT imaging and angiographic embolization led to a decrease in the number of splenectomies. The protocol allows us to take a more conservative treatment approach.

Identification of residue pairing in interacting β-strands from a predicted residue contact map.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Wenzhi; Wang, Tong; Zhang, Wenxuan; Gong, Haipeng

2018-04-19

Despite the rapid progress of protein residue contact prediction, predicted residue contact maps frequently contain many errors. However, information of residue pairing in β strands could be extracted from a noisy contact map, due to the presence of characteristic contact patterns in β-β interactions. This information may benefit the tertiary structure prediction of mainly β proteins. In this work, we propose a novel ridge-detection-based β-β contact predictor to identify residue pairing in β strands from any predicted residue contact map. Our algorithm RDb 2 C adopts ridge detection, a well-developed technique in computer image processing, to capture consecutive residue contacts, and then utilizes a novel multi-stage random forest framework to integrate the ridge information and additional features for prediction. Starting from the predicted contact map of CCMpred, RDb 2 C remarkably outperforms all state-of-the-art methods on two conventional test sets of β proteins (BetaSheet916 and BetaSheet1452), and achieves F1-scores of ~ 62% and ~ 76% at the residue level and strand level, respectively. Taking the prediction of the more advanced RaptorX-Contact as input, RDb 2 C achieves impressively higher performance, with F1-scores reaching ~ 76% and ~ 86% at the residue level and strand level, respectively. In a test of structural modeling using the top 1 L predicted contacts as constraints, for 61 mainly β proteins, the average TM-score achieves 0.442 when using the raw RaptorX-Contact prediction, but increases to 0.506 when using the improved prediction by RDb 2 C. Our method can significantly improve the prediction of β-β contacts from any predicted residue contact maps. Prediction results of our algorithm could be directly applied to effectively facilitate the practical structure prediction of mainly β proteins. All source data and codes are available at http://166.111.152.91/Downloads.html or the GitHub address of https://github.com/wzmao/RDb2C .

Hardening Stratum, the Bitcoin Pool Mining Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Recabarren Ruben

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Stratum, the de-facto mining communication protocol used by blockchain based cryptocurrency systems, enables miners to reliably and efficiently fetch jobs from mining pool servers. In this paper we exploit Stratum’s lack of encryption to develop passive and active attacks on Bitcoin’s mining protocol, with important implications on the privacy, security and even safety of mining equipment owners. We introduce StraTap and ISP Log attacks, that infer miner earnings if given access to miner communications, or even their logs. We develop BiteCoin, an active attack that hijacks shares submitted by miners, and their associated payouts. We build BiteCoin on WireGhost, a tool we developed to hijack and surreptitiously maintain Stratum connections. Our attacks reveal that securing Stratum through pervasive encryption is not only undesirable (due to large overheads, but also ineffective: an adversary can predict miner earnings even when given access to only packet timestamps. Instead, we devise Bedrock, a minimalistic Stratum extension that protects the privacy and security of mining participants. We introduce and leverage the mining cookie concept, a secret that each miner shares with the pool and includes in its puzzle computations, and that prevents attackers from reconstructing or hijacking the puzzles.

Follow-up care, surveillance protocol, and secondary prevention measures for survivors of colorectal cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline endorsement.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; Mangu, Pamela B; Flynn, Patrick J; Korde, Larissa; Loprinzi, Charles L; Minsky, Bruce D; Petrelli, Nicholas J; Ryan, Kim; Schrag, Deborah H; Wong, Sandra L; Benson, Al B

2013-12-10

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has a policy and set of procedures for endorsing recent clinical practice guidelines that have been developed by other professional organizations. The Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) Guideline on Follow-up Care, Surveillance Protocol, and Secondary Prevention Measures for Survivors of Colorectal Cancer was reviewed by ASCO for methodologic rigor and considered for endorsement. The ASCO Panel concurred with the CCO recommendations and recommended endorsement, with the addition of several qualifying statements. Surveillance should be guided by presumed risk of recurrence and functional status of the patient (important within the first 2 to 4 years). Medical history, physical examination, and carcinoembryonic antigen testing should be performed every 3 to 6 months for 5 years. Patients at higher risk of recurrence should be considered for testing in the more frequent end of the range. A computed tomography scan (abdominal and chest) is recommended annually for 3 years, in most cases. Positron emission tomography scans should not be used for surveillance outside of a clinical trial. A surveillance colonoscopy should be performed 1 year after the initial surgery and then every 5 years, dictated by the findings of the previous one. If a colonoscopy was not preformed before diagnosis, it should be done after completion of adjuvant therapy (before 1 year). Secondary prevention (maintaining a healthy body weight and active lifestyle) is recommended. If a patient is not a candidate for surgery or systemic therapy because of severe comorbid conditions, surveillance tests should not be performed. A treatment plan from the specialist should have clear directions on appropriate follow-up by a nonspecialist.

Residuals and the Residual-Based Statistic for Testing Goodness of Fit of Structural Equation Models

Science.gov (United States)

Foldnes, Njal; Foss, Tron; Olsson, Ulf Henning

2012-01-01

The residuals obtained from fitting a structural equation model are crucial ingredients in obtaining chi-square goodness-of-fit statistics for the model. The authors present a didactic discussion of the residuals, obtaining a geometrical interpretation by recognizing the residuals as the result of oblique projections. This sheds light on the…

Two-dimensional 1H NMR experiments show that the 23-residue magain in antibiotic peptide is an α-helix in dodecylphosphocholine micelles, sodium dodecylsulfate micelles, and trifluoroethanol/water solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gesell, Jennifer; Zasloff, Michael; Opella, Stanley J.

1997-01-01

Magainin2 is a 23-residue antibiotic peptide that disrupts the ionic gradient across certain cell membranes. Two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the structure of the peptide in three of the membrane environments most commonly employed in biophysical studies. Sequence-specific resonance assignments were determined for the peptide in perdeuterated dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) and sodium dodecylsulfate micelles and confirmed for the peptide in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol solution. The secondary structure is shown to be helical in all of the solvent systems. The NMR data were used as a set of restraints for a simulated annealing protocol that generated a family of three-dimensional structures of the peptide in DPC micelles, which superimposed best between residues 4 and 20. For these residues, the mean pairwise rms difference for the backbone atoms is 0.47 ± 0.10A from the average structure. The calculated peptide structures appear to be curved,with the bend centered at residues Phe12 and Gly13

[Role and integration of technical prevention figures in the management system].

Science.gov (United States)

Bartolucci, G B; Santantonio, P; Casciani, M; Dagazzini, I

2010-01-01

The multifarious issues of health and safety at work require multi-disciplinary skills, both in the risk assessment and in the subsequent definition and management of preventive measures, and this requires a renewed operational protocol that supports integration and co-operation between the technical prevention figures. Thus, between occupational physicians and technical advisers there should be a concrete and fruitful interaction, which should not be episodic or occasional, but a modus operandi systematic and constant. In this contribution is discussed as the technical prevention figures should be included in the Health and Safety Management System and should make a specific contribution in defining corporate policies on prevention. In particular it is outlined the role that the occupational physician may play in the development of prevention and health promotion activities within the strategies of corporate social responsibility.

Plk1 phosphorylation of IRS2 prevents premature mitotic exit via AKT inactivation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Long; Li, Zhiguo; Ahmad, Nihal; Liu, Xiaoqi

2016-01-01

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins play important roles by acting as a platform in transducing signals from transmembrane receptors upon growth factor stimulation. Although tyrosine phosphorylation on IRS proteins plays critical roles in signal transduction, phosphorylation of IRS proteins on serine/threonine residues are believed to play various regulatory roles on IRS protein function. However, studies on serine/threonine phosphorylation of IRS proteins are very limited, especially for insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), one member of the IRS protein family. In this study, we identify Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) as the responsible kinase for phosphorylation of IRS2 on two serine residues, Ser 556 and Ser 1098. Phosphorylation of IRS2 on these two serine residues by Plk1 prevents the activation of the PI3K pathway upon growth factor stimulation by inhibiting the binding between IRS2 and the PI3K pathway components and increasing IRS2 protein degradation. Of significance, we show that IRS2 phosphorylation is cell cycle regulated and that Plk1 phosphorylation of IRS2 prevents premature mitotic exit via AKT inactivation. PMID:25830382

Cryptographic Protocols:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geisler, Martin Joakim Bittel

cryptography was thus concerned with message confidentiality and integrity. Modern cryptography cover a much wider range of subjects including the area of secure multiparty computation, which will be the main topic of this dissertation. Our first contribution is a new protocol for secure comparison, presented...... implemented the comparison protocol in Java and benchmarks show that is it highly competitive and practical. The biggest contribution of this dissertation is a general framework for secure multiparty computation. Instead of making new ad hoc implementations for each protocol, we want a single and extensible...... in Chapter 2. Comparisons play a key role in many systems such as online auctions and benchmarks — it is not unreasonable to say that when parties come together for a multiparty computation, it is because they want to make decisions that depend on private information. Decisions depend on comparisons. We have...

The importance of monitoring minimal residual disease in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolenova, A.; Subova, Z.; Cizmar, A.; Sejnova, D.; Kaiserova, E.; Hikkel, I.; Hikkelova, M.; Bubanska, E.; Oravkinova, I.

2012-01-01

Since the strong correlation between minimal residual disease (MRD) levels and risk of relapse in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, monitoring of MRD provides unique information regarding treatment response. Because the significance of MRD monitoring has been strongly supported by several studies and because it has been implemented in the latest protocols, there has been a significant effort to develop MRD monitoring in the Slovak Republic. Between 1. 10. 2006 and 31. 12. 2009, 50 children with ALL who were treated at three Slovak centers were included in the RQ PCR MRD pilot project. Based on MRD stratification, we identified 26 patients who were stratified into the HRG (high risk group) 3 patients (11,5 %), IRG (intermediate risk group), 14 p. 54 % and SRG (standard risk group), 9 p. (34,5 %). (author)

Machine for compacting solid residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herzog, J.

1981-11-01

Machine for compacting solid residues, particularly bulky radioactive residues, constituted of a horizontally actuated punch and a fixed compression anvil, in which the residues are first compacted horizontally and then vertically. Its salient characteristic is that the punch and the compression anvil have embossments on the compression side and interpenetrating plates in the compression position [fr

Law 16.518 Antarctic Treaty: approve the protocols about Environment protection and annex s

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The treaty Antarctic in their appendix C in its articles is about the elimination of residuals by means of its removal of the area of having Treated Antarctic among them radioactive materials, planning of the wastes, communication treatment and exam of the plans of treatment of wastes, treatment proceeding prevention of sea contamination ,discharge of hydrocarbons petroliferous, discharge of liquid noxious substances [es

The Value of E-Learning for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Labeau, Sonia O; Rello, Jordi; Dimopoulos, George; Lipman, Jeffrey; Sarikaya, Aklime; Oztürk, Candan; Vandijck, Dominique M; Vogelaers, Dirk; Vandewoude, Koenraad; Blot, Stijn I

2016-09-01

BACKGROUND Healthcare workers (HCWs) lack familiarity with evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). There is good evidence that effective educational interventions help to facilitate guideline implementation, so we investigated whether e-learning could enhance HCW knowledge of HAI prevention guidelines. METHODS We developed an electronic course (e-course) and tested its usability and content validity. An international sample of voluntary learners submitted to a pretest (T0) that determined their baseline knowledge of guidelines, and they subsequently studied the e-course. Immediately after studying the course, posttest 1 (T1) assessed the immediate learning effect. After 3 months, during which participants had no access to the course, a second posttest (T2) evaluated the residual learning effect. RESULTS A total of 3,587 HCWs representing 79 nationalities enrolled: 2,590 HCWs (72%) completed T0; 1,410 HCWs (39%) completed T1; and 1,011 HCWs (28%) completed T2. The median study time was 193 minutes (interquartile range [IQR], 96-306 minutes) The median scores were 52% (IQR, 44%-62%) for T0, 80% (IQR, 68%-88%) for T1, and 74% (IQR, 64%-84%) for T2. The immediate learning effect (T0 vs T1) was +24% (IQR, 12%-34%; P300 minutes yielded the greatest residual effect (24%). CONCLUSIONS Moderate time invested in e-learning yielded significant immediate and residual learning effects. Decision makers could consider promoting e-learning as a supporting tool in HAI prevention. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:1052-1059.

An investigation into current protocols and radiographer opinions on contrast extravasation in Irish CT departments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleary, N.; McNulty, J.P.; Foley, S.J.; Kelly, E.

2017-01-01

Background: Iodinated contrast extravasation is a serious complication associated with intravenous administration in radiology. Departmental protocols and the radiographer's approach on both prevention techniques and treatment will affect the prevalence of extravasation, and the eventual outcome for the patient when it does occur. Aims: To examine contrast extravasation protocols in place in Irish CT departments for alignment with European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) Guidelines (2014); to establish radiographer's opinions on contrast extravasation; and to examine radiographer adherence to protocols. Methods: Contrast extravasation protocols from a purposively selected sample of CT departments across Ireland (n = 6) were compared to ESUR guidelines, followed by an online survey of CT radiographers practicing in the participating centres. Results: All participating CT departments (n = 5) had written protocols in place. High risk patients, such as elderly or unconscious, were identified in most protocols, however, children were mentioned in just one protocol and obese patients were not specified in any. The response rate of CT radiographers was 23% (n = 24). 58% (n = 14) of respondents indicated that contrast extravasation was more likely during CTA examinations. While high levels of confidence in managing extravasation were reported, suggested treatment approaches, and confidence in same, was more variable. Clinical workload in CT departments was also identified as a factor impacting on patient care and management. Conclusion: While contrast extravasation protocols were generally in line with ESUR Guidelines, high risk patients may not be getting sufficient attention. More radiographer awareness of patient monitoring needs, particularly in busy departments with a heavy workload may also reduce extravasation risk, and improve management of same. - Highlights: • Irish protocols on contrast extravasation are generally in line with

Comprehensive profiling and marker identification in non-volatile citrus oil residues by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance.

Science.gov (United States)

Marti, Guillaume; Boccard, Julien; Mehl, Florence; Debrus, Benjamin; Marcourt, Laurence; Merle, Philippe; Delort, Estelle; Baroux, Lucie; Sommer, Horst; Rudaz, Serge; Wolfender, Jean-Luc

2014-05-01

The detailed characterization of cold-pressed lemon oils (CPLOs) is of great importance for the flavor and fragrance (F&F) industry. Since a control of authenticity by standard analytical techniques can be bypassed using elaborated adulterated oils to pretend a higher quality, a combination of advanced orthogonal methods has been developed. The present study describes a combined metabolomic approach based on UHPLC-TOF-MS profiling and (1)H NMR fingerprinting to highlight metabolite differences on a set of representative samples used in the F&F industry. A new protocol was set up and adapted to the use of CPLO residues. Multivariate analysis based on both fingerprinting methods showed significant chemical variations between Argentinian and Italian samples. Discriminating markers identified in mixtures belong to furocoumarins, flavonoids, terpenoids and fatty acids. Quantitative NMR revealed low citropten and high bergamottin content in Italian samples. The developed metabolomic approach applied to CPLO residues gives some new perspectives for authenticity assessment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Corrosion Residues Collected from the Aluminum Basket Rails of the High-Burnup Demonstration Cask.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bryan, Charles R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-03-01

On September, 2015, an inspection was performed on the TN-32B cask that will be used for the high-burnup demonstration project. During the survey, wooden cribbing that had been placed within the cask eleven years earlier to prevent shifting of the basket during transport was removed, revealing two areas of residue on the aluminum basket rails, where they had contacted the cribbing. The residue appeared to be a corrosion product, and concerns were raised that similar attack could exist at more difficult-to-inspect locations in the canister. Accordingly, when the canister was reopened, samples of the residue were collected for analysis. This report presents the results of that assessment, which determined that the corrosion was due to the presence of the cribbing. The corrosion was associated with fungal material, and fungal activity likely contributed to an aggressive chemical environment. Once the cask has been cleaned, there will be no risk of further corrosion.

Characterization of Mechanical Properties and Residual Stress in API 5L X80 Steel Welded Joints

Science.gov (United States)

de Sousa Lins, Amilton; de Souza, Luís Felipe Guimarães; Fonseca, Maria Cindra

2018-01-01

The use of high-strength and low-alloy steels, high design factors and increasingly stringent safety requirements have increased the operating pressure levels and, consequently, the need for further studies to avoid and prevent premature pipe failure. To evaluate the possibility of improving productivity in manual arc welding of this type of steel, this work characterizes the mechanical properties and residual stresses in API 5L X80 steel welded joints using the SMAW and FCAW processes. The residual stresses were analyzed using x-ray diffraction with the sin2 ψ method at the top and root of the welded joints in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the weld bead. The mechanical properties of the welded joints by both processes were characterized in terms of tensile strength, impact toughness and Vickers microhardness in the welded and shot peening conditions. A predominantly compressive residual stress was found, and shot peening increased the tensile strength and impact toughness in both welded joints.

The inclusion of weld residual stress in fracture margin assessments of embrittled nuclear reactor pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickson, T.L.; Bass, B.R.; McAfee, W.J.

1998-01-01

Analyses were performed to determine the impact of weld residual stresses in a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) on (1) the generation of pressure temperature (P-T) curves required for maintaining specified fracture prevention margins during nuclear plant startup and shutdown, and (2) the conditional probability of vessel failure due to pressurized thermal shock (PTS) loading. The through wall residual stress distribution in an axially oriented weld was derived using measurements taken from a shell segment of a canceled RPV and finite element thermal stress analyses. The P-T curve derived from the best estimate load analysis and a t / 8 deep flaw, based on K Ic , was less limiting than the one derived from the current methodology prescribed in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. The inclusion of the weld residual stresses increased the conditional probability of cleavage fracture due to PTS loading by a factor ranging from 2 to 4

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in the prevention of postoperative infectious complications and sub-optimal recovery from operation in patients with colorectal cancer and increased preoperative risk (ASA 3 and 4). Protocol of a controlled clinical trial developed by consensus of an international study group. Part three: individual patient, complication algorithm and quality manage.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stinner, B.; Bauhofer, A.; Lorenz, W.; Rothmund, M.; Plaul, U.; Torossian, A.; Celik, I.; Sitter, H.; Koller, M.; Black, A.; Duda, D.; Encke, A.; Greger, B.; Goor, H. van; Hanisch, E.; Hesterberg, R.; Klose, K.J.; Lacaine, F.; Lorijn, R.H.; Margolis, C.; Neugebauer, E.; Nystrom, P.O.; Reemst, P.H.M.; Schein, M.; Solovera, J.

2001-01-01

GENERAL DESIGN: Presentation of a new type of a study protocol for evaluation of the effectiveness of an immune modifier (rhG-CSF, filgrastim): prevention of postoperative infectious complications and of sub-optimal recovery from operation in patients with colorectal cancer and increased

Leaching of APC residues from secondary Pb metallurgy using single extraction tests: the mineralogical and the geochemical approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ettler, Vojtech; Mihaljevic, Martin; Sebek, Ondrej; Strnad, Ladislav

2005-05-20

Two air-pollution-control (APC) residues--one from flue gas cooling with alkaline water and one from deionized water cooling--from secondary lead metallurgy were submitted to two different standardized short-term leaching protocols: US EPA toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and static leaching according to Czech/European norm EN 12457-2. The experimental procedure was coupled with detailed mineralogical investigation of the solid material (SEM, XRPD) and speciation-solubility calculations using the PHREEQC-2 geochemical code. Both types of residues were considered as hazardous materials exhibiting substantial leaching of Pb (up to 7130 mg/l) and other inorganic contaminants. However, the APC residue produced by flue gas cooling with alkaline water (sample B) exhibits more favourable leaching and environmental characteristics than that produced by simple deionised water cooling (sample A). At pH 6, phosgenite (PbCl2.PbCO3) became the dominant secondary phase. The results are consistent with the mineralogical and geochemical studies focused on acidic forest soils highly polluted by smelter emissions, where anglesite, as a unique Pb-bearing phase, has been detected. From the technological point of view, the mixing of APC residue with alkaline water, followed by an increase in the suspension pH and equilibration with atmospheric CO2, may be used to ensure the precipitation of less soluble Pb carbonates, which are more easily recycled in the Pb recovery process in the metallurgical plant.

Multimode Communication Protocols Enabling Reconfigurable Radios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berlemann Lars

2005-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the realization and application of a generic protocol stack for reconfigurable wireless communication systems. This focus extends the field of software-defined radios which usually concentrates on the physical layer. The generic protocol stack comprises common protocol functionality and behavior which are extended through specific parts of the targeted radio access technology. This paper considers parameterizable modules of basic protocol functions residing in the data link layer of the ISO/OSI model. System-specific functionality of the protocol software is realized through adequate parameterization and composition of the generic modules. The generic protocol stack allows an efficient realization of reconfigurable protocol software and enables a completely reconfigurable wireless communication system. It is a first step from side-by-side realized, preinstalled modes in a terminal towards a dynamic reconfigurable anymode terminal. The presented modules of the generic protocol stack can also be regarded as a toolbox for the accelerated and cost-efficient development of future communication protocols.

Priority Setting for Improvement of Cervical Cancer Prevention in Iran

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Majidi, A.; Ghiasvand, R.; Hadji, M.

2016-01-01

, ICC has low incidence in Iran and many other Muslim countries. There is no organized cervical screening in these countries. Therefore, ICC is usually diagnosed in advanced stages with poor prognosis in these countries. We performed a priority setting exercise and suggested priorities for prevention...... of ICC in this setting. Methods: We invited experts and researchers to a workshop and asked them to list important suggestions for ICC prevention in Iran. After merging similar items and removing the duplicates, we asked the experts to rank the list of suggested items. We used a strategy grid and Go......-zone analysis to determine final list of priorities for ICC prevention in Iran. Results: From 26 final items suggested as priorities for prevention of ICC, the most important priorities were developing national guidelines for cervical screening and quality control protocol for patient follow-up and management...

Ancestors protocol for scalable key management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dieter Gollmann

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Group key management is an important functional building block for secure multicast architecture. Thereby, it has been extensively studied in the literature. The main proposed protocol is Adaptive Clustering for Scalable Group Key Management (ASGK. According to ASGK protocol, the multicast group is divided into clusters, where each cluster consists of areas of members. Each cluster uses its own Traffic Encryption Key (TEK. These clusters are updated periodically depending on the dynamism of the members during the secure session. The modified protocol has been proposed based on ASGK with some modifications to balance the number of affected members and the encryption/decryption overhead with any number of the areas when a member joins or leaves the group. This modified protocol is called Ancestors protocol. According to Ancestors protocol, every area receives the dynamism of the members from its parents. The main objective of the modified protocol is to reduce the number of affected members during the leaving and joining members, then 1 affects n overhead would be reduced. A comparative study has been done between ASGK protocol and the modified protocol. According to the comparative results, it found that the modified protocol is always outperforming the ASGK protocol.

SACFIR: SDN-Based Application-Aware Centralized Adaptive Flow Iterative Reconfiguring Routing Protocol for WSNs.

Science.gov (United States)

Aslam, Muhammad; Hu, Xiaopeng; Wang, Fan

2017-12-13

Smart reconfiguration of a dynamic networking environment is offered by the central control of Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Centralized SDN-based management architectures are capable of retrieving global topology intelligence and decoupling the forwarding plane from the control plane. Routing protocols developed for conventional Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) utilize limited iterative reconfiguration methods to optimize environmental reporting. However, the challenging networking scenarios of WSNs involve a performance overhead due to constant periodic iterative reconfigurations. In this paper, we propose the SDN-based Application-aware Centralized adaptive Flow Iterative Reconfiguring (SACFIR) routing protocol with the centralized SDN iterative solver controller to maintain the load-balancing between flow reconfigurations and flow allocation cost. The proposed SACFIR's routing protocol offers a unique iterative path-selection algorithm, which initially computes suitable clustering based on residual resources at the control layer and then implements application-aware threshold-based multi-hop report transmissions on the forwarding plane. The operation of the SACFIR algorithm is centrally supervised by the SDN controller residing at the Base Station (BS). This paper extends SACFIR to SDN-based Application-aware Main-value Centralized adaptive Flow Iterative Reconfiguring (SAMCFIR) to establish both proactive and reactive reporting. The SAMCFIR transmission phase enables sensor nodes to trigger direct transmissions for main-value reports, while in the case of SACFIR, all reports follow computed routes. Our SDN-enabled proposed models adjust the reconfiguration period according to the traffic burden on sensor nodes, which results in heterogeneity awareness, load-balancing and application-specific reconfigurations of WSNs. Extensive experimental simulation-based results show that SACFIR and SAMCFIR yield the maximum scalability, network lifetime and stability

SACFIR: SDN-Based Application-Aware Centralized Adaptive Flow Iterative Reconfiguring Routing Protocol for WSNs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Aslam

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Smart reconfiguration of a dynamic networking environment is offered by the central control of Software-Defined Networking (SDN. Centralized SDN-based management architectures are capable of retrieving global topology intelligence and decoupling the forwarding plane from the control plane. Routing protocols developed for conventional Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs utilize limited iterative reconfiguration methods to optimize environmental reporting. However, the challenging networking scenarios of WSNs involve a performance overhead due to constant periodic iterative reconfigurations. In this paper, we propose the SDN-based Application-aware Centralized adaptive Flow Iterative Reconfiguring (SACFIR routing protocol with the centralized SDN iterative solver controller to maintain the load-balancing between flow reconfigurations and flow allocation cost. The proposed SACFIR’s routing protocol offers a unique iterative path-selection algorithm, which initially computes suitable clustering based on residual resources at the control layer and then implements application-aware threshold-based multi-hop report transmissions on the forwarding plane. The operation of the SACFIR algorithm is centrally supervised by the SDN controller residing at the Base Station (BS. This paper extends SACFIR to SDN-based Application-aware Main-value Centralized adaptive Flow Iterative Reconfiguring (SAMCFIR to establish both proactive and reactive reporting. The SAMCFIR transmission phase enables sensor nodes to trigger direct transmissions for main-value reports, while in the case of SACFIR, all reports follow computed routes. Our SDN-enabled proposed models adjust the reconfiguration period according to the traffic burden on sensor nodes, which results in heterogeneity awareness, load-balancing and application-specific reconfigurations of WSNs. Extensive experimental simulation-based results show that SACFIR and SAMCFIR yield the maximum scalability, network lifetime

Residual stress concerns in containment analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costantini, F.; Kulak, R. F.; Pfeiffer, P. A.

1997-01-01

The manufacturing of steel containment vessels starts with the forming of flat plates into curved plates. A steel containment structure is made by welding individual plates together to form the sections that make up the complex shaped vessels. The metal forming and welding process leaves residual stresses in the vessel walls. Generally, the effect of metal forming residual stresses can be reduced or virtually eliminated by thermally stress relieving the vesseL In large containment vessels this may not be practical and thus the residual stresses due to manufacturing may become important. The residual stresses could possibly tiect the response of the vessel to internal pressurization. When the level of residual stresses is significant it will affect the vessel's response, for instance the yielding pressure and possibly the failure pressure. The paper will address the effect of metal forming residual stresses on the response of a generic pressure vessel to internal pressurization. A scoping analysis investigated the effect of residual forming stresses on the response of an internally pressurized vessel. A simple model was developed to gain understanding of the mechanics of the problem. Residual stresses due to the welding process were not considered in this investigation

A modified error correction protocol for CCITT signalling system no. 7 on satellite links

Science.gov (United States)

Kreuer, Dieter; Quernheim, Ulrich

1991-10-01

Comite Consultatif International des Telegraphe et Telephone (CCITT) Signalling System No. 7 (SS7) provides a level 2 error correction protocol particularly suited for links with propagation delays higher than 15 ms. Not being originally designed for satellite links, however, the so called Preventive Cyclic Retransmission (PCR) Method only performs well on satellite channels when traffic is low. A modified level 2 error control protocol, termed Fix Delay Retransmission (FDR) method is suggested which performs better at high loads, thus providing a more efficient use of the limited carrier capacity. Both the PCR and the FDR methods are investigated by means of simulation and results concerning throughput, queueing delay, and system delay, respectively. The FDR method exhibits higher capacity and shorter delay than the PCR method.

Protocol of study and pursuit of the radioinduced burns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portas, Mercedes; Glustein, Daniel; Pomerane, Armando; Peragallo, Mabel; Guzman, Alejandra; Ciordia, Irma; Genovese, Jorge; Cymberknoh, Manuel; Dubner, Diana; Michelin, Severino; Perez, Maria del Rosario; Trano, Jose Luis Di; Gisone, Pablo

2001-01-01

A study of localized overexposures based on local experience and international criteria is being carried out within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the Buenos Aires Burned Hospital and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority. This protocol was designed considering separately acute and chronic reactions, including the following aspects: patient reception: clinical findings, laboratory tests, photographic recording, and multidisciplinary evaluation; dose reconstruction: evaluation of the dose distribution by biophysical and biological procedures; extension and depth estimation: telethermography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, radioisotopic procedures, capillaroscopy and percutaneous oxymetry; therapeutic strategies: pain treatment, prevention of infections, systemic administration of pentoxiphyllin and alpha-tocopherol, local application of trolamine and antioxidants, prevention and treatment of radioinduced fibrosis. When it is indicated, surgical treatment includes partial or total excision followed by covering by graft or flap. The application of tissue-engineering techniques will be considered. Study of individual radiosensitivity: evaluation of apoptosis in peripheral lymphocytes and clonogenic assays in dermal fibroblasts 'in vitro' irradiated. (author)

Characterization of Hospital Residuals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco Meza, A.; Bonilla Jimenez, S.

1997-01-01

The main objective of this investigation is the characterization of the solid residuals. A description of the handling of the liquid and gassy waste generated in hospitals is also given, identifying the source where they originate. To achieve the proposed objective the work was divided in three stages: The first one was the planning and the coordination with each hospital center, in this way, to determine the schedule of gathering of the waste can be possible. In the second stage a fieldwork was made; it consisted in gathering the quantitative and qualitative information of the general state of the handling of residuals. In the third and last stage, the information previously obtained was organized to express the results as the production rate per day by bed, generation of solid residuals for sampled services, type of solid residuals and density of the same ones. With the obtained results, approaches are settled down to either determine design parameters for final disposition whether for incineration, trituration, sanitary filler or recycling of some materials, and storage politics of the solid residuals that allow to determine the gathering frequency. The study concludes that it is necessary to improve the conditions of the residuals handling in some aspects, to provide the cleaning personnel of the equipment for gathering disposition and of security, minimum to carry out this work efficiently, and to maintain a control of all the dangerous waste, like sharp or polluted materials. In this way, an appreciable reduction is guaranteed in the impact on the atmosphere. (Author) [es

The development of techniques for determining the residual life time prediction on NPP equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonov, Alexander V.; Dagaev, Alexander V.; Volnikov, Ivan S.

1999-01-01

The problem of determining the residual life prediction of NPP equipment is presently highly pressing. NPP residual life resources are 30 years, but for particular equipment it is much less. Thus, residual life resource for equipment of control and protection system of NPP unit is 5-10 years. The NPP equipment is expensive and its replacing requires much expense. Hence an urgent problem is to study residual life resources of equipment on the basis of statistic information obtained during operation. Deterministic approach of determining residual life resources for particular equipment is widely known in the literature. Physical and statistical models are also being developed for determining the residual life, e.g. the model (loading-bearing capability). The present work offers the techniques of the residual life determination reasoning from statistic information of functioning objects in the process of operation. To put the techniques into effect it is necessary to have information about the time of operation of a group of objects of the same type, the number of failures; it is desirable to know failure operating time, order of the object replacement and the reason which caused the replacement (failure or planned preventive maintenance). Metrics is based on studying the parameters for the series of failures resulted from real statistic data. Then we can proceed to distribution density of the failure working time. For this purpose the Voltarra's equation of the second order is solved f(t) = ω(t) + ∫ 0 t f(t - τ)ω(τ)dτ. Since statistics of data sampling related to failure is small due to difficulties in solution of Voltaire's equation, the authors offer moderate method of solution for the above equation. After distribution density of the failure working time is determined the calculation of equipment residual life is made by the following formula: T τ (t) 1/P(τ)∫ 0 ∞ P(t)dt. The proposed techniques are realised as the software. In the course of working

Applications of bauxite residue: A mini-review.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Ajay S; Suri, Narendra M; Kant, Suman

2017-10-01

Bauxite residue is the waste generated during alumina production by Bayer's process. The amount of bauxite residue (40-50 wt%) generated depends on the quality of bauxite ore used for the processing. High alkalinity and high caustic content in bauxite residue causes environmental risk for fertile soil and ground water contamination. The caustic (NaOH) content in bauxite residue leads to human health risks, like dermal problems and irritation to eyes. Moreover, disposal of bauxite residue requires a large area; such problems can only be minimised by utilising bauxite residue effectively. For two decades, bauxite residue has been used as a binder in cement industries and filler/reinforcement for composite materials in the automobile industry. Valuable metals and oxides, like alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) and iron oxide Fe 2 O 3 , were extracted from bauxite residue to reduce waste. Bauxite residue was utilised in construction and structure industries to make geopolymers. It was also used in the making of glass-ceramics and a coating material. Recently bauxite residue has been utilised to extract rare earth elements like scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd) and dysprosium (Dy). In this review article, the mineralogical characteristics of bauxite residue are summarised and current progresses on utilisation of bauxite residue in different fields of science and engineering are presented in detail.

Establishing the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and student experience of a Simulation-based education Training program On the Prevention of Falls (STOP-Falls) among hospitalised inpatients: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Cylie; Bowles, Kelly-Ann; Kiegaldie, Debra; Maloney, Stephen; Nestel, Debra; Kaplonyi, Jessica; Haines, Terry

2016-06-02

Simulation-based education (SBE) is now commonly used across health professional disciplines to teach a range of skills. The evidence base supporting the effectiveness of this approach for improving patient health outcomes is relatively narrow, focused mainly on the development of procedural skills. However, there are other simulation approaches used to support non-procedure specific skills that are in need of further investigation. This cluster, cross-over randomised controlled trial with a concurrent economic evaluation (cost per fall prevented) trial will evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and student experience of health professional students undertaking simulation training for the prevention of falls among hospitalised inpatients. This research will target the students within the established undergraduate student placements of Monash University medicine, nursing and allied health across Peninsula Health acute and subacute inpatient wards. The intervention will train the students in how to provide the Safe Recovery program, the only single intervention approach demonstrated to reduce falls in hospitals. This will involve redevelopment of the Safe Recovery program into a one-to-many participant SBE program, so that groups of students learn the communication skills and falls prevention knowledge necessary for delivery of the program. The primary outcome of this research will be patient falls across participating inpatient wards, with secondary outcomes including student satisfaction with the SBE and knowledge gain, ward-level practice change and cost of acute/rehabilitation care for each patient measured using clinical costing data. The Human Research Ethics Committees of Peninsula Health (LRR/15/PH/11) and Monash University (CF15/3523-2015001384) have approved this research. The participant information and consent forms provide information on privacy, storage of results and dissemination. Registration of this trial has been completed with the

The Emergency Public Relations Protocol: How to Work Effectively on Controversial Projects in an Academic Health Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Rosser, B. R. Simon; Kilian, Gunna; West, William G.

2012-01-01

Certain research topics - including studies of sexual behavior, substance use, and HIV risk -- are more likely to be scrutinized by the media and groups opposed to this area of research. When studying topics that others might deem controversial, it is critical that researchers anticipate potential negative media events prior to their occurrence. By developing an Emergency Public Relations Protocol at the genesis of a study, researchers can identify and plan for events that might result in higher scrutiny. For each identified risk, a good protocol details procedures to enact before, during and after a media event. This manuscript offers recommendations for developing a protocol based on both Situational Crisis Communication Theory and our experience as an HIV prevention research group who recently experienced such an event. The need to have procedures in place to monitor and address social media is highlighted. PMID:23565067

The Emergency Public Relations Protocol: How to Work Effectively on Controversial Projects in an Academic Health Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosser, B R Simon; Kilian, Gunna; West, William G

2013-03-01

Certain research topics - including studies of sexual behavior, substance use, and HIV risk -- are more likely to be scrutinized by the media and groups opposed to this area of research. When studying topics that others might deem controversial, it is critical that researchers anticipate potential negative media events prior to their occurrence. By developing an Emergency Public Relations Protocol at the genesis of a study, researchers can identify and plan for events that might result in higher scrutiny. For each identified risk, a good protocol details procedures to enact before, during and after a media event. This manuscript offers recommendations for developing a protocol based on both Situational Crisis Communication Theory and our experience as an HIV prevention research group who recently experienced such an event. The need to have procedures in place to monitor and address social media is highlighted.

Epistemic Protocols for Distributed Gossiping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krzysztof R. Apt

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Gossip protocols aim at arriving, by means of point-to-point or group communications, at a situation in which all the agents know each other's secrets. We consider distributed gossip protocols which are expressed by means of epistemic logic. We provide an operational semantics of such protocols and set up an appropriate framework to argue about their correctness. Then we analyze specific protocols for complete graphs and for directed rings.

Performance measures for improving the prevention of venous thromboembolism: achievement in clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Kenneth C; Merli, Geno J

2011-10-01

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication during and after hospitalization for acute medical illness or surgery. Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines for VTE prevention, real-world prescribing practices are frequently suboptimal. Specific performance measures relating to VTE prevention and treatment have been developed by US health care organizations to increase adherence with best-practice recommendations and ultimately reduce the number of preventable VTE events. Two measures developed by the Surgical Care Improvement Project have been endorsed by the National Quality Forum (NQF) and focus on VTE prevention. In addition, six measures have been developed recently by The Joint Commission in collaboration with the NQF; three measures relate to VTE prevention and three focus on treatment. To attain widespread achievement of these performance goals, it is essential to raise awareness of their existence and specifications. It is also imperative that hospitals develop and implement effective VTE protocols. The use of multiple, active strategies, such as computer decision support systems with regular audit and feedback, may be particularly valuable approaches to improve current practices within an integrated quality improvement program. During practical implementation of VTE protocols at Norton Healthcare (Kentucky's largest healthcare system), strong leadership, physician engagement, and caregiver accountability were identified as key factors influencing the process. As such, more hospitals may be able to increase adherence with guidelines, improve achievement of quality goals, and help to reduce the substantial burden associated with avoidable VTE.

Management of NORM Residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-06-01

The IAEA attaches great importance to the dissemination of information that can assist Member States in the development, implementation, maintenance and continuous improvement of systems, programmes and activities that support the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear applications, and that address the legacy of past practices and accidents. However, radioactive residues are found not only in nuclear fuel cycle activities, but also in a range of other industrial activities, including: - Mining and milling of metalliferous and non-metallic ores; - Production of non-nuclear fuels, including coal, oil and gas; - Extraction and purification of water (e.g. in the generation of geothermal energy, as drinking and industrial process water; in paper and pulp manufacturing processes); - Production of industrial minerals, including phosphate, clay and building materials; - Use of radionuclides, such as thorium, for properties other than their radioactivity. Naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) may lead to exposures at some stage of these processes and in the use or reuse of products, residues or wastes. Several IAEA publications address NORM issues with a special focus on some of the more relevant industrial operations. This publication attempts to provide guidance on managing residues arising from different NORM type industries, and on pertinent residue management strategies and technologies, to help Member States gain perspectives on the management of NORM residues

Immobilization of acid digestion residue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenhalgh, W.O.; Allen, C.R.

1983-01-01

Acid digestion treatment of nuclear waste is similar to incineration processes and results in the bulk of the waste being reduced in volume and weight to some residual solids termed residue. The residue is composed of various dispersible solid materials and typically contains the resultant radioactivity from the waste. This report describes the immobilization of the residue in portland cement, borosilicate glass, and some other waste forms. Diagrams showing the cement and glass virtification parameters are included in the report as well as process steps and candidate waste product forms. Cement immobilization is simplest and probably least expensive; glass vitrification exhibits the best overall volume reduction ratio

Reduction of residual stresses in internal skin of transient zones of PWR steam generator expanded tubes: tests with a ''rotating brush''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidal, P.

1984-04-01

A process aiming at preventing or suppressing cracks under stress corrosion on the primary side in the expanded zones of PWR steam generator tubes has been studied; it consists in hammering the internal skin of tubes in these zones what reduces the level of residual expanding stresses to lower values around 100-150 MPa without modifying the stress level in external skin. Tests in magnesium chloride to estimate the residual stresses of tubes in low carbon stainless austenitic steel 18% Cr-12% Ni with molybdene [fr

Using semantics for representing experimental protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Giraldo, Olga; García, Alexander; López, Federico; Corcho, Oscar

2017-11-13

An experimental protocol is a sequence of tasks and operations executed to perform experimental research in biological and biomedical areas, e.g. biology, genetics, immunology, neurosciences, virology. Protocols often include references to equipment, reagents, descriptions of critical steps, troubleshooting and tips, as well as any other information that researchers deem important for facilitating the reusability of the protocol. Although experimental protocols are central to reproducibility, the descriptions are often cursory. There is the need for a unified framework with respect to the syntactic structure and the semantics for representing experimental protocols. In this paper we present "SMART Protocols ontology", an ontology for representing experimental protocols. Our ontology represents the protocol as a workflow with domain specific knowledge embedded within a document. We also present the S ample I nstrument R eagent O bjective (SIRO) model, which represents the minimal common information shared across experimental protocols. SIRO was conceived in the same realm as the Patient Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO) model that supports search, retrieval and classification purposes in evidence based medicine. We evaluate our approach against a set of competency questions modeled as SPARQL queries and processed against a set of published and unpublished protocols modeled with the SP Ontology and the SIRO model. Our approach makes it possible to answer queries such as Which protocols use tumor tissue as a sample. Improving reporting structures for experimental protocols requires collective efforts from authors, peer reviewers, editors and funding bodies. The SP Ontology is a contribution towards this goal. We build upon previous experiences and bringing together the view of researchers managing protocols in their laboratory work. Website: https://smartprotocols.github.io/ .

PREvention STudy On preventing or reducing disability from musculoskeletal complaints in music school students (PRESTO): protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Baadjou, Vera A E; Verbunt, Jeanine A M C F; Eijsden-Besseling, Marjon D F van; Samama-Polak, Ans L W; Bie, Rob A D E; Smeets, Rob J E M

2014-12-01

Up to 87% of professional musicians develop work-related complaints of the musculoskeletal system during their careers. Music school students are at specific risk for developing musculoskeletal complaints and disabilities. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a biopsychosocial prevention program to prevent or reduce disabilities from playing-related musculoskeletal disorders. Secondary objectives are evaluation of cost-effectiveness and feasibility. Healthy, first or second year students (n=150) will be asked to participate in a multicentre, single-blinded, parallel-group randomised controlled trial. Students randomised to the intervention group (n=75) will participate in a biopsychosocial prevention program that addresses playing-related health problems and provides postural training according to the Mensendieck or Cesar methods of postural exercise therapy, while incorporating aspects from behavioural change theories. A control group (n=75) will participate in a program that stimulates a healthy physical activity level using a pedometer, which conforms to international recommendations. No long-term effects are expected from this control intervention. Total follow-up duration is two years. The primary outcome measure is disability (Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire). The secondary outcome measures are pain, quality of life and changes in health behaviour. Multilevel mixed-effect logistic or linear regression analyses will be performed to analyse the effects of the program on the aforementioned outcome measurements. Furthermore, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and feasibility will be analysed. It is believed that this is the first comprehensive randomised controlled trial on the effect and rationale of a biopsychosocial prevention program for music students. Copyright © 2014 Australian Physiotherapy Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Type 1 diabetes: New horizons in prediction and prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Razack, Natasha N; Wherrett, Diane K

2005-01-01

Significant advances have been made in our understanding of the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes and our ability to predict risk for the condition. This knowledge is being used to develop new and innovative strategies to prevent type 1 diabetes or to prevent further destruction of beta cells in those who are newly diagnosed. Several multicentre studies are underway investigating the natural history of the disease, the genetics behind the disease and ways to stop the autoimmune reaction against beta cells (Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium and the Trial to Reduce Diabetes in the Genetically at Risk [TRIGR] Study Group). The stage is set to find an agent or strategy to prevent type 1 diabetes or to preserve the residual beta cell mass in new-onset patients.

Residual stress characterization of steel TIG welds by neutron diffraction and by residual magnetic stray field mappings

Science.gov (United States)

Stegemann, Robert; Cabeza, Sandra; Lyamkin, Viktor; Bruno, Giovanni; Pittner, Andreas; Wimpory, Robert; Boin, Mirko; Kreutzbruck, Marc

2017-03-01

The residual stress distribution of tungsten inert gas welded S235JRC+C plates was determined by means of neutron diffraction (ND). Large longitudinal residual stresses with maxima around 600 MPa were found. With these results as reference, the evaluation of residual stress with high spatial resolution GMR (giant magneto resistance) sensors was discussed. The experiments performed indicate a correlation between changes in residual stresses (ND) and the normal component of local residual magnetic stray fields (GMR). Spatial variations in the magnetic field strength perpendicular to the welds are in the order of the magnetic field of the earth.

Radioactive material in residues of health services residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa R, A. Jr.; Recio, J.C.

2006-01-01

The work presents the operational actions developed by the one organ responsible regulator for the control of the material use radioactive in Brazil. Starting from the appearance of coming radioactive material of hospitals and clinical with services of nuclear medicine, material that that is picked up and transported in specific trucks for the gathering of residuals of hospital origin, and guided one it manufactures of treatment of residuals of services of health, where they suffer radiological monitoring before to guide them for final deposition in sanitary embankment, in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The appearance of this radioactive material exposes a possible one violation of the norms that govern the procedures and practices in that sector in the country. (Author)

A tiered analytical protocol for the characterization of heavy oil residues at petroleum-contaminated hazardous waste sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollard, S.J.T.; Kenefick, S.L.; Hrudey, S.E.; Fuhr, B.J.; Holloway, L.R.; Rawluk, M.

1994-01-01

The analysis of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils from abandoned refinery sites in Alberta, Canada is used to illustrate a tiered analytical approach to the characterization of complex hydrocarbon wastes. Soil extracts isolated from heavy oil- and creosote-contaminated sites were characterized by thin layer chromatography with flame ionization detection (TLC-FID), ultraviolet fluorescence, simulated distillation (GC-SIMDIS) and chemical ionization GC-MS analysis. The combined screening and detailed analytical methods provided information essential to remedial technology selection including the extent of contamination, the class composition of soil extracts, the distillation profile of component classes and the distribution of individual class components within various waste fractions. Residual contamination was characteristic of heavy, degraded oils, consistent with documented site operations and length of hydrocarbon exposure at the soil surface

Aerobic exercise acutely prevents the endothelial dysfunction induced by mental stress among subjects with metabolic syndrome: the role of shear rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Sales, Allan R K; Fernandes, Igor A; Rocha, Natália G; Costa, Lucas S; Rocha, Helena N M; Mattos, João D M; Vianna, Lauro C; Silva, Bruno M; Nóbrega, Antonio C L

2014-04-01

Mental stress induces transient endothelial dysfunction, which is an important finding for subjects at cardiometabolic risk. Thus, we tested whether aerobic exercise prevents this dysfunction among subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and whether an increase in shear rate during exercise plays a role in this phenomenon. Subjects with MetS participated in two protocols. In protocol 1 (n = 16), endothelial function was assessed using brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Subjects then underwent a mental stress test followed by either 40 min of leg cycling or rest across two randomized sessions. FMD was assessed again at 30 and 60 min after exercise or rest, with a second mental stress test in between. Mental stress reduced FMD at 30 and 60 min after the rest session (baseline: 7.7 ± 0.4%, 30 min: 5.4 ± 0.5%, and 60 min: 3.9 ± 0.5%, P exercise prevented this reduction (baseline: 7.5 ± 0.4%, 30 min: 7.2 ± 0.7%, and 60 min: 8.7 ± 0.8%, P > 0.05 vs. baseline). Protocol 2 (n = 5) was similar to protocol 1 except that the first period of mental stress was followed by either exercise in which the brachial artery shear rate was attenuated via forearm cuff inflation or exercise without a cuff. Noncuffed exercise prevented the reduction in FMD (baseline: 7.5 ± 0.7%, 30 min: 7.0 ± 0.7%, and 60 min: 8.7 ± 0.8%, P > 0.05 vs. baseline), whereas cuffed exercise failed to prevent this reduction (baseline: 7.5 ± 0.6%, 30 min: 5.4 ± 0.8%, and 60 min: 4.1 ± 0.9%, P exercise prevented mental stress-induced endothelial dysfunction among subjects with MetS, and an increase in shear rate during exercise mediated this effect.

The National Expert Standard Pressure Ulcer Prevention in Nursing and pressure ulcer prevalence in German health care facilities: a multilevel analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilborn, Doris; Grittner, Ulrike; Dassen, Theo; Kottner, Jan

2010-12-01

The objective of this study was to describe the relationship between the German National Expert Standard Pressure Ulcer Prevention and the pressure ulcer prevalence in German nursing homes and hospitals. The patient outcome pressure ulcer does not only depend on individual characteristics of patients, but also on institutional factors. In Germany, National Expert Standards are evidence-based instruments that build the basis of continuing improvement in health care quality. It is expected that after having implemented the National Expert Standard Pressure Ulcer Prevention, the number of pressure ulcers should decrease in health care institutions. The analysed data were obtained from two cross-sectional studies from 2004-2005. A multilevel analysis was performed to show the impact of the National Expert Standard Pressure Ulcer Prevention on pressure ulcer prevalence. A total of 41.5% of hospitals and 38.8% of the nursing homes claimed to use the National Expert Standard in the process of developing their local protocols. The overall pressure ulcer prevalence grade 2-4 was 4.7%. Adjusted for hospital departments, survey year and individual characteristics, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of pressure ulcers between institutions that refer to the National Expert Standard or those referring to other sources in developing their local protocols (OR=1.14, 95% CI=0.90-1.44). There was no empirical evidence demonstrating that local protocols of pressure ulcer prevention based on the National Expert Standard were superior to local protocols which refer other sources of knowledge with regard to the pressure ulcer prevalence. The use of the National Expert Standard Pressure Ulcer Prevention can neither be recommended nor be refused. The recent definition of implementation of Expert Standards should be mandatory for all health care institutions which introduce Expert Standards. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Improved crop residue cover estimates by coupling spectral indices for residue and moisture

Science.gov (United States)

Remote sensing assessment of soil residue cover (fR) and tillage intensity will improve our predictions of the impact of agricultural practices and promote sustainable management. Spectral indices for estimating fR are sensitive to soil and residue water content, therefore, the uncertainty of estima...

Preventable deaths following emergency medical dispatch - an audit study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikkel S; Johnsen, Søren; Hansen, Andreas

2014-01-01

an ambulance with lights and sirens by the Emergency Medical Communication Centre (EMCC).MethodsAn audit was performed by an external panel of experienced prehospital consultant anaesthesiologists. The panel focused exclusively on the role of the EMCC, assessing whether same-day deaths among 112 callers could...... have been prevented if the EMCC had assessed the situations as highly urgent. The panels¿ assessments were based on review of patient charts and voice-log recordings of 112 calls. All patient related material was reviewed by the audit panel and all cases where then scored as preventable, potentially......¿100 years) and 45.4% were female. The audit panel found no definitively preventable deaths; however, 18 (11.8%) of the analysed same-day deaths (0.02% of all non-high-acuity callers) were found to be potentially preventable. In 13 of these 18 cases, the dispatch protocol was either not used or not used...

Single-dose radiation therapy for prevention of heterotopic ossification after total hip arthroplasty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Healy, W.L.; Lo, T.C.; Covall, D.J.; Pfeifer, B.A.; Wasilewski, S.A.

1990-01-01

Single-dose radiation therapy was prospectively evaluated for its efficacy in prevention of heterotopic ossification in patients at high risk after total hip arthroplasty. Thirty-one patients (34 hips) were treated between 1981 and 1988. Risk factors for inclusion in the protocol included prior evidence of heterotopic ossification, ankylosing spondylitis, and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Patients with hypertrophic osteoarthritis or traumatic arthritis with osteophytes were not included. Operations on 34 hips included 19 primary total and 11 revision total hip arthroplasties and 4 excisions of heterotopic ossification. All patients received radiotherapy to the hip after operation with a single dose of 700 centigray. Radiotherapy is recommended on the first postoperative day. After this single-dose radiation treatment, no patient had clinically significant heterotopic ossification. Recurrent disease developed in two hips (6%), as seen on radiography (grades 2 and 3). This series documents a 100% clinical success rate and a 94% radiographic success rate in preventing heterotopic ossification in patients at high risk after total hip arthroplasty. Single-dose radiotherapy is as effective as other radiation protocols in preventing heterotopic ossification after total hip arthroplasty. It is less expensive and easier to administer than multidose radiotherapy

Statistical inference on residual life

CERN Document Server

Jeong, Jong-Hyeon

2014-01-01

This is a monograph on the concept of residual life, which is an alternative summary measure of time-to-event data, or survival data. The mean residual life has been used for many years under the name of life expectancy, so it is a natural concept for summarizing survival or reliability data. It is also more interpretable than the popular hazard function, especially for communications between patients and physicians regarding the efficacy of a new drug in the medical field. This book reviews existing statistical methods to infer the residual life distribution. The review and comparison includes existing inference methods for mean and median, or quantile, residual life analysis through medical data examples. The concept of the residual life is also extended to competing risks analysis. The targeted audience includes biostatisticians, graduate students, and PhD (bio)statisticians. Knowledge in survival analysis at an introductory graduate level is advisable prior to reading this book.

Understanding protocol performance: impact of test performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Robert G

2013-01-01

This is the second of two articles that examine the factors that determine protocol performance. The objective of these articles is to provide a general understanding of protocol performance that can be used to estimate performance, establish limits on performance, decide if a protocol is justified, and ultimately select a protocol. The first article was concerned with protocol criterion and test correlation. It demonstrated the advantages and disadvantages of different criterion when all tests had the same performance. It also examined the impact of increasing test correlation on protocol performance and the characteristics of the different criteria. To examine the impact on protocol performance when individual tests in a protocol have different performance. This is evaluated for different criteria and test correlations. The results of the two articles are combined and summarized. A mathematical model is used to calculate protocol performance for different protocol criteria and test correlations when there are small to large variations in the performance of individual tests in the protocol. The performance of the individual tests that make up a protocol has a significant impact on the performance of the protocol. As expected, the better the performance of the individual tests, the better the performance of the protocol. Many of the characteristics of the different criteria are relatively independent of the variation in the performance of the individual tests. However, increasing test variation degrades some criteria advantages and causes a new disadvantage to appear. This negative impact increases as test variation increases and as more tests are added to the protocol. Best protocol performance is obtained when individual tests are uncorrelated and have the same performance. In general, the greater the variation in the performance of tests in the protocol, the more detrimental this variation is to protocol performance. Since this negative impact is increased as

Assessment of Organophosphate and Carbamate Pesticide Residues in Cigarette Tobacco with a Novel Cell Biosensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spiridon Kintzios

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The conventional analysis of pesticide residues in analytical commodities, such as tobacco and tobacco products is a labor intensive procedure, since it is necessary to cover a wide range of different chemicals, using a single procedure. Standard analysis methods include extensive sample pretreatment (with solvent extraction and partitioning phases and determination by GC and HPLC to achieve the necessary selectivity and sensitivity for the different classes of compounds under detection. As a consequence, current methods of analysis provide a limited sample capacity. In the present study, we report on the development of a novel cell biosensor for detecting organophosphate and carbamate pesticide residues in tobacco. The sensor is based on neuroblastoma N2a cells and the measurement of changes of the cell membrane potential, according to the working principle of the Bioelectric Recognition Assay (BERA. The presence of pesticide residues is detected by the degree of inhibition of acetylcholine esterase (AChE. The sensor instantly responded to both the organophoshate pesticide chlorpyriphos and the carbamate carbaryl in a concentration-dependent pattern, being able to detect one part per billion (1 ppb. Additionally, tobacco leaf samples (in blended dry form were analyzed with both the novel biosensor and conventional methods, according to a double-blind protocol. Pesticide residues in tobacco samples caused a considerable cell membrane hyperpolarization to neuroblastoma cells immobilized in the sensor, as indicated by the increase of the negative sensor potential, which was clearly distinguishable from the sensor’s response against pesticide-free control samples. The observed response was quite reproducible, with an average variation of +5,6%. Fluorescence microscopy observations showed that treatment of the cells with either chlorpyrifos or carbaryl was associated with increased [Ca2+]cyt . The novel biosensor offers fresh

Statistical analysis plan for the Pneumatic CompREssion for PreVENting Venous Thromboembolism (PREVENT) trial: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Arabi, Yaseen; Al-Hameed, Fahad; Burns, Karen E A; Mehta, Sangeeta; Alsolamy, Sami; Almaani, Mohammed; Mandourah, Yasser; Almekhlafi, Ghaleb A; Al Bshabshe, Ali; Finfer, Simon; Alshahrani, Mohammed; Khalid, Imran; Mehta, Yatin; Gaur, Atul; Hawa, Hassan; Buscher, Hergen; Arshad, Zia; Lababidi, Hani; Al Aithan, Abdulsalam; Jose, Jesna; Abdukahil, Sheryl Ann I; Afesh, Lara Y; Dbsawy, Maamoun; Al-Dawood, Abdulaziz

2018-03-15

The Pneumatic CompREssion for Preventing VENous Thromboembolism (PREVENT) trial evaluates the effect of adjunctive intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) with pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis compared to pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis alone on venous thromboembolism (VTE) in critically ill adults. In this multicenter randomized trial, critically ill patients receiving pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis will be randomized to an IPC or a no IPC (control) group. The primary outcome is "incident" proximal lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) within 28 days after randomization. Radiologists interpreting the lower-extremity ultrasonography will be blinded to intervention allocation, whereas the patients and treating team will be unblinded. The trial has 80% power to detect a 3% absolute risk reduction in the rate of proximal DVT from 7% to 4%. Consistent with international guidelines, we have developed a detailed plan to guide the analysis of the PREVENT trial. This plan specifies the statistical methods for the evaluation of primary and secondary outcomes, and defines covariates for adjusted analyses a priori. Application of this statistical analysis plan to the PREVENT trial will facilitate unbiased analyses of clinical data. ClinicalTrials.gov , ID: NCT02040103 . Registered on 3 November 2013; Current controlled trials, ID: ISRCTN44653506 . Registered on 30 October 2013.

A Multipath Routing Protocol Based on Clustering and Ant Colony Optimization for Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Yang

2010-05-01

Full Text Available For monitoring burst events in a kind of reactive wireless sensor networks (WSNs, a multipath routing protocol (MRP based on dynamic clustering and ant colony optimization (ACO is proposed.. Such an approach can maximize the network lifetime and reduce the energy consumption. An important attribute of WSNs is their limited power supply, and therefore some metrics (such as energy consumption of communication among nodes, residual energy, path length were considered as very important criteria while designing routing in the MRP. Firstly, a cluster head (CH is selected among nodes located in the event area according to some parameters, such as residual energy. Secondly, an improved ACO algorithm is applied in the search for multiple paths between the CH and sink node. Finally, the CH dynamically chooses a route to transmit data with a probability that depends on many path metrics, such as energy consumption. The simulation results show that MRP can prolong the network lifetime, as well as balance of energy consumption among nodes and reduce the average energy consumption effectively.

Static Validation of Security Protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bodei, Chiara; Buchholtz, Mikael; Degano, P.

2005-01-01

We methodically expand protocol narrations into terms of a process algebra in order to specify some of the checks that need to be made in a protocol. We then apply static analysis technology to develop an automatic validation procedure for protocols. Finally, we demonstrate that these techniques ...... suffice to identify several authentication flaws in symmetric and asymmetric key protocols such as Needham-Schroeder symmetric key, Otway-Rees, Yahalom, Andrew secure RPC, Needham-Schroeder asymmetric key, and Beller-Chang-Yacobi MSR...

Adaptive Suspicious Prevention for Defending DoS Attacks in SDN-Based Convergent Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Dao, Nhu-Ngoc; Kim, Joongheon; Park, Minho; Cho, Sungrae

2016-01-01

The convergent communication network will play an important role as a single platform to unify heterogeneous networks and integrate emerging technologies and existing legacy networks. Although there have been proposed many feasible solutions, they could not become convergent frameworks since they mainly focused on converting functions between various protocols and interfaces in edge networks, and handling functions for multiple services in core networks, e.g., the Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technique. Software-defined networking (SDN), on the other hand, is expected to be the ideal future for the convergent network since it can provide a controllable, dynamic, and cost-effective network. However, SDN has an original structural vulnerability behind a lot of advantages, which is the centralized control plane. As the brains of the network, a controller manages the whole network, which is attractive to attackers. In this context, we proposes a novel solution called adaptive suspicious prevention (ASP) mechanism to protect the controller from the Denial of Service (DoS) attacks that could incapacitate an SDN. The ASP is integrated with OpenFlow protocol to detect and prevent DoS attacks effectively. Our comprehensive experimental results show that the ASP enhances the resilience of an SDN network against DoS attacks by up to 38%.

The improved flotation of gold from the residues of Orange Free State ores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabassi, P.A.J.; Loveday, B.K.; Wilkinson, M.J.; Radcliffe, P.H.

1983-01-01

The recovery of gold, uranium, and pyrite from accumalated residues at mines in the Orange Free State is adversely affected by the presence of pyrophyllite, which is naturally floatable and must be prevented from floating with the desired constituents by the use of a mica depressant, and of thucholite (uraniferous kerogen), which contains significant quantities of uranium and gold but does not float readily in the presence of a mica depressant. In laboratory tests on these residues, the use of a mixture of MIBC (methyl isobutyl carbinol) and paraffin in addition to the suite of reagents normally used was found to increase the gold recovery substantially, but the sulphur grade was lower. The recovery of thucholite also increased considerably, but the proportion of uranium, associated with this mineral was small. Plant trials, which are continuing, have been encouraging, indicating an increase in the gold recovery of 4,6 per cent

Optimizing a Treadmill Ramp Protocol to Evaluate Aerobic Capacity of Hemiparetic Poststroke Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernardes, Wendell L; Montenegro, Rafael A; Monteiro, Walace D; de Almeida Freire, Raul; Massaferri, Renato; Farinatti, Paulo

2018-03-01

Bernardes, WL, Montenegro, RA, Monteiro, WD, de Almeida Freire, R, Massaferri, R, and Farinatti, P. Optimizing a treadmill ramp protocol to evaluate aerobic capacity of hemiparetic poststroke patients. J Strength Cond Res 32(3): 876-884, 2018-A correct assessment of cardiopulmonary capacity is important for aerobic training within motor rehabilitation of poststroke hemiparetic patients (PSHPs). However, specific cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for these patients are scarce. We proposed adaptations in a protocol originally developed for PSHPs by Ovando et al. (CPET1). We hypothesized that our adapted protocol (CPET2) would improve the original test, by preventing early fatigue and increasing patients' peak performance. Eleven PSHPs (52 ± 14 years, 10 men) performed both protocols. CPET2 integrated changes in final speed (100-120% vs. 140% maximal speed in 10-m walking test), treadmill inclination (final inclination of 5 vs. 10%), and estimated test duration (10 vs. 8 minutes) to smooth the rate of workload increment of CPET1. Peak oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak) (20.3 ± 6.1 vs. 18.6 ± 5.0 ml·kg·min; p = 0.04), V[Combining Dot Above]O2 at gas exchange transition (V[Combining Dot Above]O2-GET) (11.5 ± 2.9 vs. 9.8 ± 2.0 ml·kg·min; p = 0.04), and time to exhaustion (10 ± 3 vs. 6 ± 2 minutes; p higher in CPET2 than in CPET1. Slopes and intercepts of regressions describing relationships between V[Combining Dot Above]O2 vs. workload, heart rate vs. workload, and V[Combining Dot Above]O2 vs. heart rate were similar between CPETs. However, standard errors of estimates obtained for regressions between heart rate vs. workload (3.0 ± 1.3 vs. 3.8 ± 1.0 b·min; p = 0.004) and V[Combining Dot Above]O2 vs. heart rate (6.0 ± 2.1 vs. 4.8 ± 2.4 ml·kg·min; p = 0.05) were lower in CPET2 than in CPET1. In conclusion, the present adaptations in Ovando's CPET protocol increased exercise tolerance of PSHPs, eliciting higher V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak

[Catheter-associated bloodstream infections: implementation of a new consensus protocol].

Science.gov (United States)

Urrea Ayala, M; Rozas Quesada, L

2009-07-01

Catheter-associated bloodstream infection is highly prevalent and often associated with fatal complications. Some studies have shown that applying preventive interventions could help to reduce and control this type of infection. To determine whether a new consensus protocol for the manipulation and maintenance of central venous catheters would decrease catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) in paediatric patients. To evaluate its compliance in intensive care units. Prospective study in the paediatric (PICU) and neonatal (NICU) intensive cares units, haematology, oncology and hospital wards in a Maternal and Paediatric reference Hospital in Barcelona. The study period is divided into two periods: before (first semester) and after the start of the new protocol (second semester) in 2007. The most important changes have been the insertion of the hermetic connection in the proximal and distal site (between the line and the syringe) of the central venous catheter (CVC), the labelling of the medication line and the CVC with the date of placement. A check-list to evaluate compliance was introduced in both intensive care units (paediatrics and neonatal) during the second study period. The rates of bloodstream infection per 1000 catheter-days were assessed. The rate of bloodstream infections per 1000 catheter-days before and after the start of the new protocol was 5.7 and 4.9 in PICU; 24.6 and 18.0 in NICU; 7.6 and 4.6 in haematology-oncology, and 11.9 and 10.3 in hospital wards. As regards compliance to the protocol, we found that proximal sealed connectors were used in more than 95% of the cases and up to 85% of the central venous catheter were labelled with the insertion date in both intensive care units. A consensus protocol for the use and maintenance of central venous catheters and healthcare worker training helped to control the rate of CA-BSIs. We reaffirm the importance of epidemiological surveillance as a measure for controlling nosocomial infections.

The preventing recurrent vascular events and neurological worsening through intensive organized case-management (PREVENTION trial protocol [clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00931788

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsuyuki Ross

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Survivors of transient ischemic attack (TIA or stroke are at high risk for recurrent vascular events and aggressive treatment of vascular risk factors can reduce this risk. However, vascular risk factors, especially hypertension and high cholesterol, are not managed optimally even in those patients seen in specialized clinics. This gap between the evidence for secondary prevention of stroke and the clinical reality leads to suboptimal patient outcomes. In this study, we will be testing a pharmacist case manager for delivery of stroke prevention services. We hypothesize this new structure will improve processes of care which in turn should lead to improved outcomes. Methods We will conduct a prospective, randomized, controlled open-label with blinded ascertainment of outcomes (PROBE trial. Treatment allocation will be concealed from the study personnel, and all outcomes will be collected in an independent and blinded manner by observers who have not been involved in the patient's clinical care or trial participation and who are masked to baseline measurements. Patients will be randomized to control or a pharmacist case manager treating vascular risk factors to guideline-recommended target levels. Eligible patients will include all adult patients seen at stroke prevention clinics in Edmonton, Alberta after an ischemic stroke or TIA who have uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure (BP > 140 mm Hg or dyslipidemia (fasting LDL-cholesterol > 2.00 mmol/L and who are not cognitively impaired or institutionalized. The primary outcome will be the proportion of subjects who attain 'optimal BP and lipid control'(defined as systolic BP Conclusions Nearly one-quarter of those who survive a TIA or minor stroke suffer another vascular event within a year. If our intervention improves the provision of secondary prevention therapies in these patients, the clinical (and financial implications will be enormous.

Evaluation of preventive measures for mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Brazil

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Lígia Mara Dolce de Lemos

2012-12-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The main route of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection in children is from mother to child. The preventive measures established for the Aids Clinical Trial Group protocol 076 (ACTG 076 significantly reduces HIV vertical transmission rates. This study aims to evaluate the implementation of the ACTG 076 protocol in the maternity units of State of Sergipe, Brazilian northeast. METHODS: This is a descriptive, retrospective study with a quantitative approach, with HIV positive women and children exposed, attending a Maternity reference for high-risk pregnancies. Data were obtained from patient records registered in the years 1994 to 2010. RESULTS: Amongst the 110 pregnant women and exposed newborns, the ACTG 076 protocol was fully utilized in only 31.8% of the participants. During the prenatal period, zidovudine (ZDV was taken by 79.1% of the pregnant women. Only 49.1% of HIV seropositive patients used ZDV during delivery. Two (1.8% children were considered infected and 50 (45.5% do not have a conclusive diagnosis to date. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant deficiencies in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, including lack of compliance with the three phases of the ACTG 076 protocol; inadequacies in prenatal care; inappropriate mode of delivery and lack of adequate follow up of exposed children.

A class-chest for deriving transport protocols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strayer, W.T.

1996-10-01

Development of new transport protocols or protocol algorithms suffers from the complexity of the environment in which they are intended to run. Modeling techniques attempt to avoid this by simulating the environment. Another approach to promoting rapid prototyping of protocols and protocol algorithms is to provide a pre-built infrastructure that is common to transport protocols, so that the focus is placed on the protocol-specific aspects. The Meta-Transport Library is a library of C++ base classes that implement or abstract out the mundane functions of a protocol, new protocol implementations are derived from base classes. The result is a fully viable user- level transport protocol implementation, with emphasis on modularity. The collection of base classes form a ``class-chest`` of tools .from which protocols can be developed and studied with as little change to a normal UNIX environment as possible.

Residual Structures in Latent Growth Curve Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Grimm, Kevin J.; Widaman, Keith F.

2010-01-01

Several alternatives are available for specifying the residual structure in latent growth curve modeling. Two specifications involve uncorrelated residuals and represent the most commonly used residual structures. The first, building on repeated measures analysis of variance and common specifications in multilevel models, forces residual variances…

Effective dose comparison between protocols stitched and usual protocols in dental cone beam CT for complete arcade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, M. R.; Maia, A. F.; Batista, W. O. G.; Lara, P. A.

2014-08-01

To visualization a complete dental radiology dental lives together with two separate proposals: [1] protocols diameter encompassing the entire arch (single) or [2] protocol with multiple fields of view (Fov) which together encompass the entire arch (stitched Fov s). The objective of this study is to evaluate effective dose values in examination protocols for all dental arcade available in different outfits with these two options. For this, a female anthropomorphic phantom manufactured by Radiology Support Devices twenty six thermoluminescent dosimeters inserted in relevant bodies and positions was used. Irradiate the simulator in the clinical conditions. The protocols were averaged and compared: [a] 14.0 cm x 8.5 cm and [b] 8.5 cm x 8.5 cm (Gendex Tomography GXCB 500), [c] protocol stitched for jaw combination of three volumes of 5.0 cm x 3.7 cm (Kodak 9000 3D scanner) [d] protocol stitched Fov s 5.0 cm x 8.0 cm (Planmeca Pro Max 3D) and [e] single technical Fov 14 cm x 8 cm (i-CAT Classical). Our results for the effective dose were: a range between 43.1 and 111.1 micro Sv for technical single Fov and 44.5 and 236.2 for technical stitched Fov s. The protocol presented the highest estimated effective dose was [d] and showed that lowest index was registered [a]. These results demonstrate that the protocol stitched Fov generated in Kodak 9000 3D machine applied the upper dental arch has practically equal value effective dose obtained by protocol extended diameter of, [a], which evaluates in a single image upper and lower arcade. It also demonstrates that the protocol [d] gives an estimate of five times higher than the protocol [a]. Thus, we conclude that in practical terms the protocol [c] stitched Fov s, not presents dosimetric advantages over other protocols. (Author)

Effective dose comparison between protocols stitched and usual protocols in dental cone beam CT for complete arcade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soares, M. R.; Maia, A. F. [Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Departamento de Fisica, Cidade Universitaria Prof. Jose Aloisio de Campos, Marechal Rondon s/n, Jardim Rosa Elze, 49-100000 Sao Cristovao, Sergipe (Brazil); Batista, W. O. G. [Instituto Federal da Bahia, Rua Emidio dos Santos s/n, Barbalho, Salvador, 40301015 Bahia (Brazil); Lara, P. A., E-mail: wilsonottobatista@gmail.com [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares / CNEN, Av. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitaria, 05508-000 Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2014-08-15

To visualization a complete dental radiology dental lives together with two separate proposals: [1] protocols diameter encompassing the entire arch (single) or [2] protocol with multiple fields of view (Fov) which together encompass the entire arch (stitched Fov s). The objective of this study is to evaluate effective dose values in examination protocols for all dental arcade available in different outfits with these two options. For this, a female anthropomorphic phantom manufactured by Radiology Support Devices twenty six thermoluminescent dosimeters inserted in relevant bodies and positions was used. Irradiate the simulator in the clinical conditions. The protocols were averaged and compared: [a] 14.0 cm x 8.5 cm and [b] 8.5 cm x 8.5 cm (Gendex Tomography GXCB 500), [c] protocol stitched for jaw combination of three volumes of 5.0 cm x 3.7 cm (Kodak 9000 3D scanner) [d] protocol stitched Fov s 5.0 cm x 8.0 cm (Planmeca Pro Max 3D) and [e] single technical Fov 14 cm x 8 cm (i-CAT Classical). Our results for the effective dose were: a range between 43.1 and 111.1 micro Sv for technical single Fov and 44.5 and 236.2 for technical stitched Fov s. The protocol presented the highest estimated effective dose was [d] and showed that lowest index was registered [a]. These results demonstrate that the protocol stitched Fov generated in Kodak 9000 3D machine applied the upper dental arch has practically equal value effective dose obtained by protocol extended diameter of, [a], which evaluates in a single image upper and lower arcade. It also demonstrates that the protocol [d] gives an estimate of five times higher than the protocol [a]. Thus, we conclude that in practical terms the protocol [c] stitched Fov s, not presents dosimetric advantages over other protocols. (Author)

Automatic Validation of Protocol Narration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bodei, Chiara; Buchholtz, Mikael; Degano, Pierpablo

2003-01-01

We perform a systematic expansion of protocol narrations into terms of a process algebra in order to make precise some of the detailed checks that need to be made in a protocol. We then apply static analysis technology to develop an automatic validation procedure for protocols. Finally, we...

Efficient secure two-party protocols

CERN Document Server

Hazay, Carmit

2010-01-01

The authors present a comprehensive study of efficient protocols and techniques for secure two-party computation -- both general constructions that can be used to securely compute any functionality, and protocols for specific problems of interest. The book focuses on techniques for constructing efficient protocols and proving them secure. In addition, the authors study different definitional paradigms and compare the efficiency of protocols achieved under these different definitions.The book opens with a general introduction to secure computation and then presents definitions of security for a

Using Ovsynch protocol versus Cosynch protocol in dairy cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion Valeriu Caraba

2013-10-01

Full Text Available As a research on the reproductive physiology and endocrinology surrounding the estrous cycle in dairy cattle has been compiled, several estrous synchronization programs have been developed for use with dairy cows. These include several programs that facilitate the mass breeding of all animals at a predetermined time (timed-AI rather than the detection of estrus. We studied on 15 dary cows which were synchronized by Ovsynch and Cosynch programs. The estrus response for cows in Ovsynch protocol was of 63%. Pregnancy per insemination at 60 days was of 25%. Estrus response for cow in Cosynch protocol was of 57%. Pregnancy per insemination at 60 days was of 57%. Synchronization of ovulation using Ovsynch protocols can provide an effective way to manage reproduction in lactating dairy cows by eliminating the need for estrus detection. These are really efficient management programs for TAI of dairy cows that are able to reduce both the labour costs and the extra handling to daily estrus detection and AI.

Computing Decoupled Residuals for Compact Disc Players

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odgaard, Peter Fogh; Stoustrup, Jakob; Andersen, Palle

2006-01-01

a pair of residuals generated by Compact Disc Player. However, these residuals depend on the performance of position servos in the Compact Disc Player. In other publications of the same authors a pair of decoupled residuals is derived. However, the computation of these alternative residuals has been...

Development of Network Protocol for the Integrated Safety System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, S. W.; Baek, J. I.; Lee, S. H.; Park, C. S.; Park, K. H.; Shin, J. M. [Hannam Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-06-15

Communication devices in the safety system of nuclear power plants are distinguished from those developed for commercial purposes in terms of a strict requirement of safety. The concept of safety covers the determinability, the reliability, and the separation/isolation to prevent the undesirable interactions among devices. The safety also requires that these properties be never proof less. Most of the current commercialized communication products rarely have the safety properties. Moreover, they can be neither verified nor validated to satisfy the safety property of implementation process. This research proposes the novel architecture and protocol of a data communication network for the safety system in nuclear power plants.

Development of Network Protocol for the Integrated Safety System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, S. W.; Baek, J. I.; Lee, S. H.; Park, C. S.; Park, K. H.; Shin, J. M.

2007-06-01

Communication devices in the safety system of nuclear power plants are distinguished from those developed for commercial purposes in terms of a strict requirement of safety. The concept of safety covers the determinability, the reliability, and the separation/isolation to prevent the undesirable interactions among devices. The safety also requires that these properties be never proof less. Most of the current commercialized communication products rarely have the safety properties. Moreover, they can be neither verified nor validated to satisfy the safety property of implementation process. This research proposes the novel architecture and protocol of a data communication network for the safety system in nuclear power plants

Characterisation and management of concrete grinding residuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kluge, Matt; Gupta, Nautasha; Watts, Ben; Chadik, Paul A; Ferraro, Christopher; Townsend, Timothy G

2018-02-01

Concrete grinding residue is the waste product resulting from the grinding, cutting, and resurfacing of concrete pavement. Potential beneficial applications for concrete grinding residue include use as a soil amendment and as a construction material, including as an additive to Portland cement concrete. Concrete grinding residue exhibits a high pH, and though not hazardous, it is sufficiently elevated that precautions need to be taken around aquatic ecosystems. Best management practices and state regulations focus on reducing the impact on such aquatic environment. Heavy metals are present in concrete grinding residue, but concentrations are of the same magnitude as typically recycled concrete residuals. The chemical composition of concrete grinding residue makes it a useful product for some soil amendment purposes at appropriate land application rates. The presence of unreacted concrete in concrete grinding residue was examined for potential use as partial replacement of cement in new concrete. Testing of Florida concrete grinding residue revealed no dramatic reactivity or improvement in mortar strength.

Successful heel pressure ulcer prevention program in a long-term care setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyman, Vicky

2009-01-01

Heel pressure ulcers (PUs) are common in long-term healthcare settings. Early identification of risk and the use of preventive measures are central to reducing the morbidity, mortality, and high medical costs associated with heel PUs. A Quality Improvement Process was initated based on a tailored protocol, in-service education program, and a heel protective device was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. The Braden Scale was used to evaluate PU risk in 550 patients in a long-term healthcare facility. Patients with a Braden Scale score of 18 or less and with 1 of 7 high-risk comorbidities were considered at high risk for PUs, and this prompted a more aggressive prevention program that included a protocol for reducing the risk of heel ulceration. The number of hospital-acquired heel PUs during the 6-month preintervention period was 39. Following the intervention, there were 2 occurrences, representing a 95% reduction in heel ulcers between the 2 periods. After the cost of 2 heel protectors for 550 at-risk patients was subtracted from the estimated cost of treating the 37 heel ulcers prevented, the estimated cost savings was calculated to be between $12,400 and $1,048,400.

Practical reconstruction protocol for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT/CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siman, W.; Mikell, J. K.; Kappadath, S. C.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop a practical background compensation (BC) technique to improve quantitative 90 Y-bremsstrahlung single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) using a commercially available imaging system. Methods: All images were acquired using medium-energy collimation in six energy windows (EWs), ranging from 70 to 410 keV. The EWs were determined based on the signal-to-background ratio in planar images of an acrylic phantom of different thicknesses (2–16 cm) positioned below a 90 Y source and set at different distances (15–35 cm) from a gamma camera. The authors adapted the widely used EW-based scatter-correction technique by modeling the BC as scaled images. The BC EW was determined empirically in SPECT/CT studies using an IEC phantom based on the sphere activity recovery and residual activity in the cold lung insert. The scaling factor was calculated from 20 clinical planar 90 Y images. Reconstruction parameters were optimized in the same SPECT images for improved image quantification and contrast. A count-to-activity calibration factor was calculated from 30 clinical 90 Y images. Results: The authors found that the most appropriate imaging EW range was 90–125 keV. BC was modeled as 0.53× images in the EW of 310–410 keV. The background-compensated clinical images had higher image contrast than uncompensated images. The maximum deviation of their SPECT calibration in clinical studies was lowest (<10%) for SPECT with attenuation correction (AC) and SPECT with AC + BC. Using the proposed SPECT-with-AC + BC reconstruction protocol, the authors found that the recovery coefficient of a 37-mm sphere (in a 10-mm volume of interest) increased from 39% to 90% and that the residual activity in the lung insert decreased from 44% to 14% over that of SPECT images with AC alone. Conclusions: The proposed EW-based BC model was developed for 90 Y bremsstrahlung imaging. SPECT with AC + BC gave improved lesion detectability and activity

Residual symptoms and functioning in depression, does the type of residual symptom matter? A post-hoc analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romera Irene

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The degrees to which residual symptoms in major depressive disorder (MDD adversely affect patient functioning is not known. This post-hoc analysis explored the association between different residual symptoms and patient functioning. Methods Patients with MDD who responded (≥50% on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; HAMD-17 after 3 months of treatment (624/930 were included. Residual core mood-symptoms (HAMD-17 core symptom subscale ≥1, residual insomnia-symptoms (HAMD-17 sleep subscale ≥1, residual anxiety-symptoms (HAMD-17-anxiety subscale ≥1, residual somatic-symptoms (HAMD-17 Item 13 ≥1, pain (Visual Analogue Scale ≥30, and functioning were assessed after 3 months treatment. A stepwise logistic regression model with normal functioning (Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale ≥80 as the dependent variable was used. Results After 3 months, 59.5% of patients (371/624 achieved normal functioning and 66.0% (412/624 were in remission. Residual symptom prevalence was: core mood symptoms 72%; insomnia 63%; anxiety 78%; and somatic symptoms 41%. Pain reported in 18%. Factors associated with normal functioning were absence of core mood symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 8.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.6–16.7, absence of insomnia symptoms (OR 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2–2.7, episode length (4–24 weeks vs. ≥24 weeks [OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.6] and better baseline functioning (OR 1.0; 95% CI, 1.0–1.1. A significant interaction between residual anxiety symptoms and pain was found (p = 0.0080. Conclusions Different residual symptoms are associated to different degrees with patient functioning. To achieve normal functioning, specific residual symptoms domains might be targeted for treatment.

Nitrogen availability of biogas residues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Sayed Fouda, Sara

2011-09-07

The objectives of this study were to characterize biogas residues either unseparated or separated into a liquid and a solid phase from the fermentation of different substrates with respect to their N and C content. In addition, short and long term effects of the application of these biogas residues on the N availability and N utilization by ryegrass was investigated. It is concluded that unseparated or liquid separated biogas residues provide N at least corresponding to their ammonium content and that after the first fertilizer application the C{sub org}:N{sub org} ratio of the biogas residues was a crucial factor for the N availability. After long term application, the organic N accumulated in the soil leads to an increased release of N.