WorldWideScience

Sample records for selective bioparticle retention

  1. Selective Bioparticle Retention and Characterization in a Chip-Integrated Confocal Ultrasonic Cavity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svennebring, J.; Manneberg, O.; Skafte-Pedersen, Peder

    2009-01-01

    We demonstrate selective retention and positioning of cells or other bioparticles by ultrasonic manipulation in a microfluidic expansion chamber during microfluidic perfusion. The chamber is designed as a confocal ultrasonic resonator for maximum confinement of the ultrasonic force field at the c......We demonstrate selective retention and positioning of cells or other bioparticles by ultrasonic manipulation in a microfluidic expansion chamber during microfluidic perfusion. The chamber is designed as a confocal ultrasonic resonator for maximum confinement of the ultrasonic force field...... sample feeding, a set of several manipulation functions performed in series is demonstrated: sample bypass-injection-aggregation and retention-positioning. Finally, we demonstrate transillumination microscopy imaging Of Ultrasonically trapped COS-7 cell aggregates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 323-328....

  2. Selective recovery of micrometer bioparticles using aggregation and air flotation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Hee, P.

    2006-01-01

    Air flotation is a separation technique that makes use of the air-water interface for separation of particles and molecules from mixtures. This thesis discusses its use for separation of bioparticle mixtures. Particulate bioproducts, such as crystals, inclusion bodies, virus-like particles and

  3. Nanolaser spectroscopy and micro-optical resonators for detecting, analyzing, and manipulating bioparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gourley, Paul L

    2012-06-26

    This invention provides a new method for rapidly analyzing single bioparticles to assess their material condition and state of health. The method is enabled by use of a resonant cavity apparatus to measure an optical property related to the bioparticle size and refractive index. Measuring the refractive index is useful for determining material properties of the bioparticle. The material properties depend on the biomolecular composition of the bioparticle. The biomolecular composition is, in turn, dependent on the state of health of the bioparticle. Thus, measured optical properties can be used to differentiate normal (healthy) and abnormal (diseased) states of bioparticles derived from cells or tissues. The method is illustrated with data obtained from a resonator with a gain medium. The invention also provides new methods for making multiple measurements in a single device and detecting, analyzing, and manipulating bioparticles that are much smaller than the wavelength of light.

  4. An experimental study on removal efficiency of bio-particles in an airtight decontamination chamber

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yanju [School of Environment Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin (China); National Biological Protection Engineering Center, Tianjin (China); Hao, Limei; Wang, Shuang; Hou, Lili; Zhang, Jinming; Qi, Jiancheng [National Biological Protection Engineering Center, Tianjin (China)

    2009-11-15

    Many bacteria and viruses lead to global dissemination of respiratory diseases, such as SARS, influenza, tuberculosis, pneumonia and asthma, by clinging to particles and transmission through aerosol. In this paper, an experiment was conducted to investigate the removal efficiency of bio-particles when exposed to ventilation in an airtight decontamination chamber made of stainless steel. After the bio-particles (Serratia marcescens) exposure condition was established in the chamber, the bio-particles removal efficiency was investigated. And a comparison experiment was then conducted with polystyrene latex spheres (PSL) as general particles under the same environmental condition. The comparison results indicate that the removal efficiency of bio-particles is lower than that of PSL during the first 300 s, but both removal efficiencies reached 90% almost at the same time. Furthermore, the differences between bio-particles and PSL, the influence of bio-particle size, environmental velocity, temperature and relative humidity on bio-particle removal efficiency were analyzed and discussed comprehensively. These data could not only underpin future numerical simulations of bio-particles, but also give information to aid in decisions for decreasing the risk of bio-particles pollution in a microbe exposure environment. (author)

  5. Simulation of foulant bioparticle topography based on Gaussian process and its implications for interface behavior research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Leihong; Qu, Xiaolu; Lin, Hongjun; Yu, Genying; Liao, Bao-Qiang

    2018-03-01

    Simulation of randomly rough bioparticle surface is crucial to better understand and control interface behaviors and membrane fouling. Pursuing literature indicated a lack of effective method for simulating random rough bioparticle surface. In this study, a new method which combines Gaussian distribution, Fourier transform, spectrum method and coordinate transformation was proposed to simulate surface topography of foulant bioparticles in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). The natural surface of a foulant bioparticle was found to be irregular and randomly rough. The topography simulated by the new method was quite similar to that of real foulant bioparticles. Moreover, the simulated topography of foulant bioparticles was critically affected by parameters correlation length (l) and root mean square (σ). The new method proposed in this study shows notable superiority over the conventional methods for simulation of randomly rough foulant bioparticles. The ease, facility and fitness of the new method point towards potential applications in interface behaviors and membrane fouling research.

  6. Chamber for Aerosol Deposition of Bioparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kern, Roger; Kirschner, Larry

    2008-01-01

    Laboratory apparatus is depicted that is a chamber for aerosol deposition of bioparticles on surfaces of test coupons. It is designed for primary use in inoculating both flat and three-dimensional objects with approximately reproducible, uniform dispersions of bacterial spores of the genus Bacillus so that the objects could be used as standards for removal of the spores by quantitative surface sampling and/or cleaning processes. The apparatus is also designed for deposition of particles other than bacterial spores, including fungal spores, viruses, bacteriophages, and standard micron-sized beads. The novelty of the apparatus lies in the combination of a controllable nebulization system with a settling chamber large enough to contain a significant number of test coupons. Several companies market other nebulizer systems, but none are known to include chambers for deposition of bioparticles to mimic the natural fallout of bioparticles. The nebulization system is an expanded and improved version of commercially available aerosol generators that include nebulizers and drying columns. In comparison with a typical commercial aerosol generator, this system includes additional, higher-resolution flowmeters and an additional pressure regulator. Also, unlike a typical commercial aerosol generator, it includes stopcocks for separately controlling flows of gases to the nebulizer and drying column. To maximize the degree of uniformity of dispersion of bioaerosol, the chamber is shaped as an axisymmetrical cylinder and the aerosol generator is positioned centrally within the chamber and aimed upward like a fountain. In order to minimize electric charge associated with the aerosol particles, the drying column is made of aluminum, the drying column is in direct contact with an aluminum base plate, and three equally spaced Po-210 antistatic strips are located at the exit end of the drying column. The sides and top of the chamber are made of an acrylic polymer; to prevent

  7. Reverse depletion effects and the determination of ligand density on some spherical bioparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Chunxiang [Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University (China); Liu, Yanhui, E-mail: ionazati@itp.ac.cn; Fan, Yangtao; Liu, Yijun; Li, Qiancheng; Xu, Houqiang, E-mail: houqiangxu@yahoo.com [Guizhou University (China)

    2016-06-15

    In cell environments crowded with macromolecules, the depletion effects act and assist in the assembly of a wide range of cellular structures, from the cytoskeleton to the chromatin loop, which are well accepted. But a recent quantum dot experiment indicated that the dimensions of the receptor–ligand complex have strong effects on the size-dependent exclusion of proteins in cell environments. In this article, a continuum elastic model is constructed to resolve the competition between the dimension of the receptor–ligand complex and depletion effects in the endocytosis of a spherical virus-like bioparticle. Our results show that the depletion effects do not always assist endocytosis of a spherical virus-like bioparticle; while the dimension of the ligand–receptor complex is larger than the size of a small bioparticle in cell environments, the depletion effects do not work and reverse effects appear. The ligand density covered on the virus can be identified quantitatively.

  8. Pragmatic setup for bioparticle responses by dielectrophoresis for resource limited environment application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Mohd Anuar Md; Yeop Majlis, Burhanuddin; Kayani, Aminuddin Ahmad

    2017-12-01

    Various dielectrophoretic responses of bioparticles, including cell-chain, spinning, rotation and clustering, are of high interest in the field due to their benefit into application for biomedical and clinical implementation potential. Numerous attempts using sophisticated equipment setup have been studied to perform those dielectrophoretic responses, however, for development into resource limited environment application, such as portable, sustainable and environmental friendly diagnostic tools, establishment of pragmatic setup using standard, non-sophisticated and low-cost equipment is of important task. Here we show the advantages in the judicious design optimization of tip microelectrode, also with selection of suspending medium and optimization of electric signal configuration in establishing setup that can promote the aforementioned dielectrophoretic responses within standard equipments, i.e. pragmatic setup.

  9. Memory control with selective retention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2012-01-01

    The present invention relates to a memory circuit and a method of controlling data retention in the memory circuit, wherein a supply signal is selectively switched to a respective one of at least two virtual supply lines (24) each shared by a respective one of a plurality of groups (30-1 to 30-n) of

  10. Memory control with selective retention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2010-01-01

    The present invention relates to a memory circuit and a method of controlling data retention in the memory circuit, wherein a supply signal is selectively switched to a respective one of at least two virtual supply lines (24) each shared by a respective one of a plurality of groups (30-1 to 30-n) of

  11. Effect of molecular interactions on retention and selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szepesy, László

    2002-06-25

    The linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) have been applied in the last years for description and prediction of retention and selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography with good results. Widely different stationary phases have been compared and characterized by LSERs. In recent publications the influence of the type of the organic moderator and the composition of the mobile phase have also been described. However, the influence of the molecular properties of the solutes to be separated has never been discussed. According to the LSER model variation in retention factors (log k) with solute structure can be related to their potential for various intermolecular interactions. The retention factor is given as the sum of the terms of the LSER equation representing various types of molecular interactions. For this reason the influence of the structure and molecular properties of the solutes to be separated can also be investigated using the LSER equation. In this study we shall demonstrate how the specific molecular interactions influence chromatographic retention and selectivity. We intend to show that retention and selectivity depend on all participants of the system. In addition to the structure and properties of the stationary phase and the type and composition of the mobile phase the molecular properties of the solutes, characterized by the solvation parameters, will also influence the type and extent of the various molecular interactions governing retention and selectivity.

  12. The Student Role in Faculty Selection, Evaluation And Retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenks, R. Stephen; And Others

    Arguing that it is difficult to discuss the student's role in faculty selection, evaluation and retention outside the broader context of the student's role in decision making (see Jenks, HE 001 251), the author describes the new unicameral system at the University of New Hampshire and some of the processes the institution went through in achieving…

  13. The value of information in conservation planning: Selecting retention trees for lichen conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karin Perhans; Robert G. Haight; Lena Gustafsson

    2014-01-01

    Conservation planning studies at small scales such as forest stands and below are uncommon. However, for retention forestry, developed during the last two decades and with current wide and increasing application in boreal and temperate regions, the need for cost-effective selection of individual trees is evident. In retention forestry certain trees are left at final...

  14. An integrated dataset on organisational retention attributes and commitment of selected ICT and accounting firms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odunayo Salau

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The article presented an integrated data on organisational retention strategies and commitment of selected ICT and Accounting firms in Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative approach with a survey research design to establish the major determinants of employee retention strategies. The population of this study included staff and management of the selected firms. Data was analysed with the use of structural equation modelling and the field data set is made widely accessible to enable critical or a more comprehensive investigation. The findings identified critical attraction factors for the retention of sampled firms. It was recommended that ICT firms will need to adopt consistent range of strategies to attract and retain people with the right ICT skills, in the right place and at the right time. Keywords: Retention, Commitment, Reward, Satisfaction, Performance

  15. Retention behavior of selected alkaloids in Reversed Phase micellar chromatographic systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petruczynik Anna

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS concentrations on retention, separation selectivity, peak shapes and systems efficiency were investigated. Herein, the retention data for 11 alkaloids were determined on an RP18 silica column with mobile phases containing methanol as organic modifier, with acetate buffer at pH 3.5, and, subsequently, with the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS. The results of this study indicate that the retention of alkaloids decreases with the increase of SDS concentration in the mobile phase. The increase of SDS concentration, however, leads to the significantly improvement of peak symmetry and the increase of theoretical plate number in all cases. The best system efficiency for most of the investigated alkaloids was obtained in a mobile phase containing 0.1 M SDS, while most symmetrical peaks were obtained through the addition of 0.3 M of SDS to the mobile phase.

  16. Oculomotor selection underlies feature retention in visual working memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanning, Nina M; Jonikaitis, Donatas; Deubel, Heiner; Szinte, Martin

    2016-02-01

    Oculomotor selection, spatial task relevance, and visual working memory (WM) are described as three processes highly intertwined and sustained by similar cortical structures. However, because task-relevant locations always constitute potential saccade targets, no study so far has been able to distinguish between oculomotor selection and spatial task relevance. We designed an experiment that allowed us to dissociate in humans the contribution of task relevance, oculomotor selection, and oculomotor execution to the retention of feature representations in WM. We report that task relevance and oculomotor selection lead to dissociable effects on feature WM maintenance. In a first task, in which an object's location was encoded as a saccade target, its feature representations were successfully maintained in WM, whereas they declined at nonsaccade target locations. Likewise, we observed a similar WM benefit at the target of saccades that were prepared but never executed. In a second task, when an object's location was marked as task relevant but constituted a nonsaccade target (a location to avoid), feature representations maintained at that location did not benefit. Combined, our results demonstrate that oculomotor selection is consistently associated with WM, whereas task relevance is not. This provides evidence for an overlapping circuitry serving saccade target selection and feature-based WM that can be dissociated from processes encoding task-relevant locations. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  17. A Study Similarities and Differences in Selected Human Resource Practices and Their Relation to Teacher Retention in a Sample of Four School Districts, Two with High and Two with Low Rates of Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phelan, Patrick M.

    2010-01-01

    This is a study of the practices utilized by four school districts, two with high and two with low retention rates of teachers, to examine how similarities and differences in selected human resources practices relate to the successful retention of teachers in these districts. The factors studied that may impact teacher retention included…

  18. A continuous high-throughput bioparticle sorter based on 3D traveling-wave dielectrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, I-Fang; Froude, Victoria E; Zhu, Yingxi; Chang, Hsueh-Chia; Chang, Hsien-Chang

    2009-11-21

    We present a high throughput (maximum flow rate approximately 10 microl/min or linear velocity approximately 3 mm/s) continuous bio-particle sorter based on 3D traveling-wave dielectrophoresis (twDEP) at an optimum AC frequency of 500 kHz. The high throughput sorting is achieved with a sustained twDEP particle force normal to the continuous through-flow, which is applied over the entire chip by a single 3D electrode array. The design allows continuous fractionation of micron-sized particles into different downstream sub-channels based on differences in their twDEP mobility on both sides of the cross-over. Conventional DEP is integrated upstream to focus the particles into a single levitated queue to allow twDEP sorting by mobility difference and to minimize sedimentation and field-induced lysis. The 3D electrode array design minimizes the offsetting effect of nDEP (negative DEP with particle force towards regions with weak fields) on twDEP such that both forces increase monotonically with voltage to further increase the throughput. Effective focusing and separation of red blood cells from debris-filled heterogeneous samples are demonstrated, as well as size-based separation of poly-dispersed liposome suspensions into two distinct bands at 2.3 to 4.6 microm and 1.5 to 2.7 microm, at the highest throughput recorded in hand-held chips of 6 microl/min.

  19. Modeling retention and selectivity as a function of pH and column temperature in liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagliardi, Leonardo G; Castells, Cecilia B; Ràfols, Clara; Rosés, Martí; Bosch, Elisabeth

    2006-08-15

    In reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), the retention of weak acids and bases is a sigmoidal function of the mobile-phase pH. Therefore, pH is a key chromatographic variable to optimize retention and selectivity. Furthermore, at an eluent pH close to the pKa of the solute, the dependence of ionization of the buffer and solute on temperature can be used to improve chromatographic separations involving ionizable solutes by an adequate handling of column temperature. In this paper, we derive a general equation for the prediction of the retentive behavior of ionizable compounds upon simultaneous changes in mobile-phase pH and column temperature. Four experiments, two limiting pH values and two temperatures, provide the input data that allow predictions in the whole range of these two variables, based on the thermodynamic fundamentals of the involved equilibria. Also, the study demonstrates the significant role that the choice of the buffer compound would have on selectivity factors in RPLC at temperatures higher than 25 degrees C.

  20. Retention efficiencies of halogenated and non-halogenated hydrocarbons in selected wetland ecosystem in Lake Victoria Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shadrack Mule

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The determination of retention efficiencies of halogenated and non-halogenated hydrocarbon in selected wetland ecosystems in Lake Victoria basin was carried out. Qualitative and quantitative determination of the presence of residual hydrocarbons in Kigwal/Kimondi, Nyando and Nzoia wetland ecosystems using Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS instrument indicated the presence of residual organochlorines, organophosphorus, carbamates and synthetic pyrethroid hydrocarbons in water, sediment and plant materials. In order to compare the retention efficiencies of the wetlands, the wetland ecosystems were divided into three different sections, namely: inlet, mid and outlet. Calculations of mass balances of residual halogenated and non-halogenated hydrocarbons at the respective sections was done taking into account the partition of the studied compounds in samples of water, sediments and papyrus reed plant materials and analyzed using validated Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS method. From the analysis, several residual hydrocarbons namely: bendiocarb, benzene hexachloride (BHC, carbaryl, cypermethrin, decis, deltamethrin, diazinon, dieldrin, DDT, DDD, DDE, malathion, propoxur, sumithion, 5-phenylrhodanine, 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, 1-(2-phenoxybenzylhydrazine were detected and quantified. The levels of the selected residual hydrocarbons in water samples were used to calculate the retention efficiencies of a specific hydrocarbon and the values recorded. Generally, River Nyando wetland recorded mean percentage retention efficiencies of 76 and 94% for dry and rainy seasons respectively; Kigwal/Kimondi wetland had seasonal mean percentage retention efficiencies of 63 to 78%. River Nzoia also had calculated seasonal mean percentage retention efficiencies of between 56 to 88%. Dry season had lower mean percentages retention efficiencies as compared to rainy season in the three wetlands of interest during the period of study. The study

  1. A research-based child welfare employee selection protocol: strengthening retention of the workforce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellett, Alberta J; Ellett, Chad D; Ellis, Jacquelyn; Lerner, Betsy

    2009-01-01

    This article describes the development and initial implementation of a new employee selection protocol (ESP) for child welfare grounded in the results of recent large-scale employee retention studies and a set of research-based, minimally essential knowledge, skills, abilities, and values. The complete ESP consists of a sequenced set of Web- and site-based assessment processes and procedures for potential applicants. Using the ESP, applicants and employers make informed decisions about the goodness of fit between the applicant and the demands of a career in child welfare. To date, the new ESP has been piloted in three Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) regions and implemented by all nine colleges and universities participating in IV-E child welfare education programs. Evaluation data collected from students and new employees in one DFCS region strongly support the value of the ESP Web-based activities to make a more informed decision about whether to apply for the IV-E stipends and child welfare positions. Feedback from trained ESP assessors supports the value of various ESP activities. A major goal of implementing the ESP is to select more professionally committed and highly qualified applicants to strengthen employee retention and outcomes for children and families.

  2. Regulatory principles, criteria and guidelines for site selection, design, construction and operation of uranium tailings retention systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coady, J.R.; Henry, L.C.

    1978-01-01

    Principles, criteria and guidelines developed by the Atomic Energy Control Board for the management of uranium mill tailings are discussed. The application of these concepts is considered in relation to site selection, design and construction, operation and decommissioning of tailings retention facilities

  3. The Retention of Female Unrestricted Line Officers

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Pecenco, Elena G

    2005-01-01

    This thesis analyzes the retention of female Naval officers, focusing on the relationship between officer selection metrics and retention beyond minimum service obligation and the effect of lateral...

  4. Application of perfluorinated acids as ion-pairing reagents for reversed-phase chromatography and retention-hydrophobicity relationships studies of selected beta-blockers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flieger, J

    2010-01-22

    The addition of the homologous series of perfluorinated acids-trifluoroacetic acid (TFAA), pentafluoropropionic acid (PFPA), heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) to mobile phases for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) of beta-blockers was tested. Acidic modifiers were responsible for acidification of mobile phase (pH 3) ensuring the protonation of the beta-blockers and further ion pairs creation. The effect of the type and concentration of mobile phase additives on retention parameters, the efficiency of the peaks, their symmetry and separation selectivity of the beta-blockers mixture were all studied. It appeared that at increasing acid concentration, the retention factor, for all compounds investigated, increased to varying degrees. It should be stressed that the presence of acids more significantly affected the retention of the most hydrophobic beta-blockers. Differences in hydrophobicity of drugs can be maximized through variation of the hydrophobicity of additives. Thus, the relative increase in the retention depends on either concentration and hydrophobicity of the anionic mobile phase additive or hydrophobicity of analytes. According to QSRR (quantitative structure retention relationship) methodology, chromatographic lipophilicity parameters: isocratic log k and log k(w) values (extrapolated retention to pure water) were correlated with the molecular (log P(o/w)) and apparent (log P(app)) octanol-water partition coefficients obtained experimentally by countercurrent chromatography (CCC) or predicted by Pallas software. The obtained, satisfactory retention-hydrophobicity correlations indicate that, in the case of the basic drugs examined in RP-HPLC systems modified with perfluorinated acids, the retention is mainly governed by their hydrophobicity. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Postgraduation retention of medical students from Otago and Auckland medical programmes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shelker, William; Poole, Phillippa; Bagg, Warwick; Wood, Ian; Glue, Paul

    2014-01-24

    Auckland and Otago medical programmes have different methods for selecting students. This study compared postgraduate retention in New Zealand (NZ) of medical graduates from the two medical programmes, to assess whether different selection methods influenced retention. Other variables assessed included entrance category and age at graduation. Anonymised databases were created of all graduates from the Otago Faculty of Medicine (1999-2011) and the Auckland medical programme (2000-2012). Demographic and entry category data were recorded. Retention was defined as presence on the NZ Medical Register in December 2012. Risk differences (RD) were calculated to compare retention between the two medical programmes using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The influence of medical programme entrance category on retention was also tested. The influence of covariates on retaining graduates on the register was evaluated using a multiple logistic regression model. The postgraduate retention of graduates of the two medical programmes over 13 years was identical (Auckland 74.9%, Otago 73.6%, P=0.48). Retention of graduate and non-graduate entry students from both medical programmes was similar by 6 years after graduation. Age during medical school did not affect retention. University of attendance had no effect on postgraduation retention of students on the NZ Medical Register, suggesting that retention is not influenced by the different student selection methods at each programme. The data presented shows that New Zealand graduates regardless of programme completed show a similar profile in terms of retention.

  6. Combinatorial Auction Theory Applied to the Selection of Surface Warfare Officer Retention Incentives

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Denmond, Constance M; Johnson, Derek N; Lewis, Chavius G; Zegley, Christopher R

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this project is to investigate the potential retention and cost impacts of offering combinations of retention base incentives to members of the Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) community...

  7. Selection, Appraisal, and Retention of Digital Scientific Data: Highlights of an ERPANET/CODATA Workshop

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E Esanu

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available CODATA and ERPANET collaborated to convene an international archiving workshop on the selection, appraisal, and retention of digital scientific data, which was held on 15-17 December 2003 at the Biblioteca Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal. The workshop brought together more than 65 researchers, data and information managers, archivists, and librarians from 13 countries to discuss the issues involved in making critical decisions regarding the long-term preservation of the scientific record. One of the major aims for this workshop was to provide an international forum to exchange information about data archiving policies and practices across different scientific, institutional, and national contexts. Highlights from the workshop discussions are presented.

  8. QSRR modeling for the chromatographic retention behavior of some β-lactam antibiotics using forward and firefly variable selection algorithms coupled with multiple linear regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fouad, Marwa A; Tolba, Enas H; El-Shal, Manal A; El Kerdawy, Ahmed M

    2018-05-11

    The justified continuous emerging of new β-lactam antibiotics provokes the need for developing suitable analytical methods that accelerate and facilitate their analysis. A face central composite experimental design was adopted using different levels of phosphate buffer pH, acetonitrile percentage at zero time and after 15 min in a gradient program to obtain the optimum chromatographic conditions for the elution of 31 β-lactam antibiotics. Retention factors were used as the target property to build two QSRR models utilizing the conventional forward selection and the advanced nature-inspired firefly algorithm for descriptor selection, coupled with multiple linear regression. The obtained models showed high performance in both internal and external validation indicating their robustness and predictive ability. Williams-Hotelling test and student's t-test showed that there is no statistical significant difference between the models' results. Y-randomization validation showed that the obtained models are due to significant correlation between the selected molecular descriptors and the analytes' chromatographic retention. These results indicate that the generated FS-MLR and FFA-MLR models are showing comparable quality on both the training and validation levels. They also gave comparable information about the molecular features that influence the retention behavior of β-lactams under the current chromatographic conditions. We can conclude that in some cases simple conventional feature selection algorithm can be used to generate robust and predictive models comparable to that are generated using advanced ones. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Reading Achievement and In-Grade Retention Rate Differentials for Mexican-American and Black Students in Selected States of the Southwest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casavantes, Edward Joseph

    Two sets of data from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' Mexican American Education Study were selected for analysis in the areas of (1) comparative reading achievement rates of Mexican Americans and black students; and (2) differential in-grade retention rates of Anglo, Mexican American, and black students. Two separate issues were examined.…

  10. Nanofluids and chemical highly retentive hydrogels for controlled and selective removal of overpaintings and undesired graffiti from street art.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giorgi, Rodorico; Baglioni, Michele; Baglioni, Piero

    2017-06-01

    One of the main problems connected to the conservation of street art is the selective removal of overlying undesired graffiti, i.e., drawings and tags. Unfortunately, selective and controlled removal of graffiti and overpaintings from street art is almost unachievable using traditional methodologies. Recently, the use of nanofluids confined in highly retentive pHEMA/PVP semi-interpenetrated polymer networks was proposed. Here, we report on the selective removal of acrylic overpaintings from a layer of acrylic paint on mortar mockups in laboratory tests. The results of the cleaning tests were characterized by visual and photographic observation, optical microscopy, and FT-IR microreflectance investigation. It was shown that this methodology represents a major advancement with respect to the use of nonconfined neat solvents.

  11. Comparison Of Selected Pedotransfer Functions For The Determination Of Soil Water Retention Curves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kupec Michal

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Soil water retention curves were measured using a sandbox and the pressure plate extractor method on undisturbed soil samples from the Borská Lowland. The basic soil properties (e.g. soil texture, dry bulk density of the samples were determined. The soil water retention curve was described using the van Genuchten model (Van Genuchten, 1980. The parameters of the model were obtained using the RETC program (Van Genuchten et al., 1991. For the determination of the soil water retention curve parameters, two pedotransfer functions (PTF were also used that were derived for this area by Skalová (2003 and the Rosetta computer program (Schaap et al., 2001. The performance of the PTFs was characterized using the mean difference and root mean square error.

  12. Implant retention systems for implant-retained overdentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laverty, D P; Green, D; Marrison, D; Addy, L; Thomas, M B M

    2017-03-10

    Implant retained overdentures are being increasingly utilised in both general and specialist practice to rehabilitate patients with missing teeth, particularly those that are edentate. This article aims to inform the reader of a variety of retention systems that are available to retain an implant overdenture and to understand how these systems work, their advantages and disadvantages and to outline some of the clinical and treatment planning considerations involved in selecting the most appropriate retention system for patients.

  13. Soil Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn sorption and retention models using SVM: Variable selection and competitive model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González Costa, J J; Reigosa, M J; Matías, J M; Covelo, E F

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study was to model the sorption and retention of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in soils. To that extent, the sorption and retention of these metals were studied and the soil characterization was performed separately. Multiple stepwise regression was used to produce multivariate models with linear techniques and with support vector machines, all of which included 15 explanatory variables characterizing soils. When the R-squared values are represented, two different groups are noticed. Cr, Cu and Pb sorption and retention show a higher R-squared; the most explanatory variables being humified organic matter, Al oxides and, in some cases, cation-exchange capacity (CEC). The other group of metals (Cd, Ni and Zn) shows a lower R-squared, and clays are the most explanatory variables, including a percentage of vermiculite and slime. In some cases, quartz, plagioclase or hematite percentages also show some explanatory capacity. Support Vector Machine (SVM) regression shows that the different models are not as regular as in multiple regression in terms of number of variables, the regression for nickel adsorption being the one with the highest number of variables in its optimal model. On the other hand, there are cases where the most explanatory variables are the same for two metals, as it happens with Cd and Cr adsorption. A similar adsorption mechanism is thus postulated. These patterns of the introduction of variables in the model allow us to create explainability sequences. Those which are the most similar to the selectivity sequences obtained by Covelo (2005) are Mn oxides in multiple regression and change capacity in SVM. Among all the variables, the only one that is explanatory for all the metals after applying the maximum parsimony principle is the percentage of sand in the retention process. In the competitive model arising from the aforementioned sequences, the most intense competitiveness for the adsorption and retention of different metals appears between

  14. Selective Constraints on Coding Sequences of Nervous System Genes Are a Major Determinant of Duplicate Gene Retention in Vertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roux, Julien; Liu, Jialin; Robinson-Rechavi, Marc

    2017-11-01

    The evolutionary history of vertebrates is marked by three ancient whole-genome duplications: two successive rounds in the ancestor of vertebrates, and a third one specific to teleost fishes. Biased loss of most duplicates enriched the genome for specific genes, such as slow evolving genes, but this selective retention process is not well understood. To understand what drives the long-term preservation of duplicate genes, we characterized duplicated genes in terms of their expression patterns. We used a new method of expression enrichment analysis, TopAnat, applied to in situ hybridization data from thousands of genes from zebrafish and mouse. We showed that the presence of expression in the nervous system is a good predictor of a higher rate of retention of duplicate genes after whole-genome duplication. Further analyses suggest that purifying selection against the toxic effects of misfolded or misinteracting proteins, which is particularly strong in nonrenewing neural tissues, likely constrains the evolution of coding sequences of nervous system genes, leading indirectly to the preservation of duplicate genes after whole-genome duplication. Whole-genome duplications thus greatly contributed to the expansion of the toolkit of genes available for the evolution of profound novelties of the nervous system at the base of the vertebrate radiation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  15. Enhancing retention of partial dentures using elastomeric retention rings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kakkirala Revathi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This report presents an alternative method for the retention of partial dentures that relies on the engagement of tooth undercuts by a lining material. The lab procedures are also presented. A new maxillary and mandibular acrylic partial dentures were fabricated using elastomeric retention technique for a partially dentate patient. A partially dentate man reported difficulty in retaining his upper removable partial denture (RPD. The maxillary RPD was designed utilizing elastomeric retention technique. During follow-up, it was necessary to replace the retention rings due to wear. The replacement of the retention rings, in this case, was done through a chairside reline technique. Elastomeric retention technique provides exceptionally good retention can be indicated to stabilize, cushion, splint periodontally involved teeth, no enough undercut for clasps, eliminate extractions, single or isolated teeth.

  16. Profit-Based Model Selection for Customer Retention Using Individual Customer Lifetime Values.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Óskarsdóttir, María; Baesens, Bart; Vanthienen, Jan

    2018-03-01

    The goal of customer retention campaigns, by design, is to add value and enhance the operational efficiency of businesses. For organizations that strive to retain their customers in saturated, and sometimes fast moving, markets such as the telecommunication and banking industries, implementing customer churn prediction models that perform well and in accordance with the business goals is vital. The expected maximum profit (EMP) measure is tailored toward this problem by taking into account the costs and benefits of a retention campaign and estimating its worth for the organization. Unfortunately, the measure assumes fixed and equal customer lifetime value (CLV) for all customers, which has been shown to not correspond well with reality. In this article, we extend the EMP measure to take into account the variability in the lifetime values of customers, thereby basing it on individual characteristics. We demonstrate how to incorporate the heterogeneity of CLVs when CLVs are known, when their prior distribution is known, and when neither is known. By taking into account individual CLVs, our proposed approach of measuring model performance gives novel insights when deciding on a customer retention campaign. The method is dependent on the characteristics of the customer base as is compliant with modern business analytics and accommodates the data-driven culture that has manifested itself within organizations.

  17. ANALYSIS OF SPATIAL CHANGES IN GROUNDWATER RETENTION FOR THE ODER VALLEY IN THE MALCZYCE REGION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edyta Nowicka

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the analysis of spatial changes of groundwater retention for a part of the Oder valley situated below the barrage in Brzeg Dolny. For the analysis of selected monthly average elevations of the groundwater table of the selected measuring points (32 piezometers located in the area described, and 7 gauges on the Oder river, Średzka Woda, Jeziorka and Nowy Rów. The change of groundwater retention is presented in spatial terms for vegetation periods of years: 2010, 2011 and 2012. The database was made interpolating the groundwater table elevation for the area in question. On this basis, differences between ordinates the groundwater table were calculated. The next step was to obtain the spatial distribution of groundwater retention states and its analysis. The results show significant changes in the states of groundwater retention on the selected portion of the valley in the individual growing seasons. According to formation of changes in status of groundwater retention relative to the distance from the Odra river was analysed.

  18. Academic Career Selection and Retention in Radiation Oncology: The Joint Center for Radiation Therapy Experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balboni, Tracy A.; Chen, M.-H.; Harris, Jay R.; Recht, Abram; Stevenson, Mary Ann; D'Amico, Anthony V.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The United States healthcare system has witnessed declining reimbursement and increasing documentation requirements for longer than 10 years. These have decreased the time available to academic faculty for teaching and mentorship. The impact of these changes on the career choices of residents is unknown. The purpose of this report was to determine whether changes have occurred during the past decade in the proportion of radiation oncology trainees from a single institution entering and staying in academic medicine. Methods and Materials: We performed a review of the resident employment experience of Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy residents graduating during 13 recent consecutive years (n = 48 residents). The outcomes analyzed were the initial selection of an academic vs. nonacademic career and career changes during the first 3 years after graduation. Results: Of the 48 residents, 65% pursued an academic career immediately after graduation, and 44% remained in academics at the last follow-up, after a median of 6 years. A later graduation year was associated with a decrease in the proportion of graduates immediately entering academic medicine (odds ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.94). However, the retention rate at 3 years of those who did immediately enter academics increased with a later graduation year (p = 0.03). Conclusion: During a period marked by notable changes in the academic healthcare environment, the proportion of graduating Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy residents pursuing academic careers has been declining; however, despite this decline, the retention rates in academia have increased

  19. The determination of iodine in cheese by neutron activation combined with separation of iodine by selective retention on Dowex 2-X8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nordbye, P.I.; Augustson, J.H.

    1980-03-01

    Iodine has been determined in Norwegian cheese by combination of neutron activation and subsequent separation of radioiodine ( 128 I) by selective retention on Dowex 2-X8 anion exchange resin. Iodine may be detected down to 5ng in terms of absolute amounts. In terms of concentration the detection limit was 10ppb. Results showed a precision of 5 percent at a concentration level of 1ppm. (Auth.)

  20. Utilization, retention and bio-efficacy studies of PermaNet® in selected villages in Buie and Fentalie districts of Ethiopia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balkew Meshesha

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Malaria remains a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Pyrethroid-treated mosquito nets are one of the major tools available for the prevention and control of malaria transmission. PermaNet® is a long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN recommended by WHO for malaria control. Objective The objective of the study was to assess utilization and retention of PermaNet® nets distributed for malaria control in Buie and Fentalie districts and monitor the bio-efficacy of the nets using the WHO cone bioassay test procedures. Methods A cross sectional study was carried out by interviewing household heads or their representative in Buie and Fentalie districts. The two districts were selected based on a priori knowledge of variations on ethnic background and housing construction. Clusters of houses were chosen within each of the study villages for selection of households. 20 households that had received one or more PermaNet® nets were chosen randomly from the clusters in each village. A total of eight used PermaNet® nets were collected for the bio-efficacy test. The bio-efficacy of PermaNet® nets was monitored according to the standard WHO procedures using a susceptible colony of Anopheles arabiensis to deltamethrin. Results A total of 119 household heads were interviewed during the study. The retention rate of nets that were distributed in 2005 and 2006 season was 72%. A total of 62.2% of the interviewees claimed children under five years of age slept under LLIN, while only 50.7% of the nets were observed to be hanged inside houses when used as a proxy indicator of usage of LLIN. For the bio-efficacy test the mean knock-down was 94% and 100%, while the mean mortality rate observed after 24 hr holding period was 72.2% and 67% for Buie and Fentalie districts respectively. Conclusion The study revealed a moderately high retention of PermaNet® in the study villages and effectiveness of the nets when tested according to the

  1. A narrative literature review regarding job retention strategies for people with chronic illnesses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Lynn C; Rumrill, Phillip D; Conyers, Liza; Wohlford, Sarah

    2013-01-01

    Job retention is a major concern for individuals with chronic illnesses, who represent a rapidly growing vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumer population. The purpose of this article is to examine selected job retention considerations for consumers with chronic illnesses. The authors (a) describe distinguishing characteristics of chronic illnesses in terms of populations affected and psychosocial implications, (b) discuss the vocational implications of chronic illnesses, (c) provide general considerations for the provision of job retention services, and (d) examine job retention strategies aimed at improving employment outcomes for individuals with chronic illnesses.

  2. Automated procedure for candidate compound selection in GCMS metabolomics based on prediction of Kovats retention index

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mihaleva, V.V.; Verhoeven, H.A.; Vos, de C.H.; Hall, R.D.; Ham, van R.C.H.J.

    2009-01-01

    Motivation: Matching both the retention index (RI) and the mass spectrum of an unknown compound against a mass spectral reference library provides strong evidence for a correct identification of that compound. Data on retention indices are, however, available for only a small fraction of the

  3. Coherent oscillatory networks supporting short-term memory retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payne, Lisa; Kounios, John

    2009-01-09

    Accumulating evidence suggests that top-down processes, reflected by frontal-midline theta-band (4-8 Hz) electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillations, strengthen the activation of a memory set during short-term memory (STM) retention. In addition, the amplitude of posterior alpha-band (8-13 Hz) oscillations during STM retention is thought to reflect a mechanism that protects fragile STM activations from interference by gating bottom-up sensory inputs. The present study addressed two important questions about these phenomena. First, why have previous studies not consistently found memory set-size effects on frontal-midline theta? Second, how does posterior alpha participate in STM retention? To answer these questions, large-scale network connectivity during STM retention was examined by computing EEG wavelet coherence during the retention period of a modified Sternberg task using visually-presented letters as stimuli. The results showed (a) increasing theta-band coherence between frontal-midline and left temporal-parietal sites with increasing memory load, and (b) increasing alpha-band coherence between midline parietal and left temporal/parietal sites with increasing memory load. These findings support the view that theta-band coherence, rather than amplitude, is the key factor in selective top-down strengthening of the memory set and demonstrate that posterior alpha-band oscillations associated with sensory gating are involved in STM retention by participating in the STM network.

  4. Fuel retention in JET ITER-Like Wall from post-mortem analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heinola, K., E-mail: kalle.heinola@ccfe.ac.uk [Association EURATOM-TEKES, University of Helsinki, PO Box 64, 00560 Helsinki (Finland); EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Widdowson, A. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Likonen, J. [Association EURATOM-TEKES, VTT, PO Box 1000, 02044 VTT, Espoo (Finland); Alves, E. [Instituto Superior Tecnico, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Baron-Wiechec, A. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Barradas, N. [Instituto Superior Tecnico, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Brezinsek, S. [Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH, EURATOM Association, D-52425 Julich (Germany); Catarino, N. [Instituto Superior Tecnico, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Coad, P. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Koivuranta, S. [Association EURATOM-TEKES, VTT, PO Box 1000, 02044 VTT, Espoo (Finland); Matthews, G.F. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Mayer, M. [Max-Planck Institut fur Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Petersson, P. [Royal Institute of Technology, Association EURATOM-VR, SE-10044 Stockholm (Sweden)

    2015-08-15

    Selected Ion Beam Analysis techniques applicable for detecting deuterium and heavier impurities have been used in the post-mortem analyses of tiles removed after the first JET ITER-Like Wall (JET-ILW) campaign. Over half of the retained fuel was measured in the divertor region. The highest figures for fuel retention were obtained from regions with the thickest deposited layers, i.e. in the inner divertor on top of tile 1 and on the High Field Gap Closure tile, which resides deep in the plasma scrape-off layer. Least retention was found in the main chamber high erosion regions, i.e. in the mid-plane of Inner Wall Guard Limiter. The fuel retention values found typically varied with deposition layer thicknesses. The reported retention values support the observed decrease in fuel retention obtained with gas balance experiments of JET-ILW.

  5. Poor retention does not have to be the rule: retention of volunteer community health workers in Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ludwick, Teralynn; Brenner, Jennifer L; Kyomuhangi, Teddy; Wotton, Kathryn A; Kabakyenga, Jerome Kahuma

    2014-05-01

    Globally, health worker shortages continue to plague developing countries. Community health workers are increasingly being promoted to extend primary health care to underserved populations. Since 2004, Healthy Child Uganda (HCU) has trained volunteer community health workers in child health promotion in rural southwest Uganda. This study analyses the retention and motivation of volunteer community health workers trained by HCU. It presents retention rates over a 5-year period and provides insight into volunteer motivation. The findings are based on a 2010 retrospective review of the community health worker registry and the results of a survey on selection and motivation. The survey was comprised of qualitative and quantitative questions and verbally administered to a convenience sample of project participants. Between February 2004 and July 2009, HCU trained 404 community health workers (69% female) in 175 villages. Volunteers had an average age of 36.7 years, 4.9 children and some primary school education. Ninety-six per cent of volunteer community health workers were retained after 1 year (389/404), 91% after 2 years (386/404) and 86% after 5 years (101/117). Of the 54 'dropouts', main reasons cited for discontinuation included 'too busy' (12), moved (11), business/employment (8), death (6) and separation/divorce (6). Of 58 questionnaire respondents, most (87%) reported having been selected at an inclusive community meeting. Pair-wise ranking was used to assess the importance of seven 'motivational factors' among respondents. Those highest ranked were 'improved child health', 'education/training' and 'being asked for advice/assistance by peers', while the modest 'transport allowance' ranked lowest. Our findings suggest that in our rural, African setting, volunteer community health workers can be retained over the medium term. Community health worker programmes should invest in community involvement in selection, quality training, supportive supervision and

  6. Shuffling cross-validation-bee algorithm as a new descriptor selection method for retention studies of pesticides in biopartitioning micellar chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarei, Kobra; Atabati, Morteza; Ahmadi, Monire

    2017-05-04

    Bee algorithm (BA) is an optimization algorithm inspired by the natural foraging behaviour of honey bees to find the optimal solution which can be proposed to feature selection. In this paper, shuffling cross-validation-BA (CV-BA) was applied to select the best descriptors that could describe the retention factor (log k) in the biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC) of 79 heterogeneous pesticides. Six descriptors were obtained using BA and then the selected descriptors were applied for model development using multiple linear regression (MLR). The descriptor selection was also performed using stepwise, genetic algorithm and simulated annealing methods and MLR was applied to model development and then the results were compared with those obtained from shuffling CV-BA. The results showed that shuffling CV-BA can be applied as a powerful descriptor selection method. Support vector machine (SVM) was also applied for model development using six selected descriptors by BA. The obtained statistical results using SVM were better than those obtained using MLR, as the root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R) for whole data set (training and test), using shuffling CV-BA-MLR, were obtained as 0.1863 and 0.9426, respectively, while these amounts for the shuffling CV-BA-SVM method were obtained as 0.0704 and 0.9922, respectively.

  7. Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students

    OpenAIRE

    Pim A. de Ruijter; Heleen A. Biersteker; Jan Biert; Harry van Goor; Edward C. Tan

    2014-01-01

    Background: Undergraduate medical students follow a compulsory first aid (FA) and basic life support (BLS) course. Retention of BLS seems poor and only little information is provided on the retention of FA skills. This study aims at evaluating 1- and 2-year retention of FA and BLS training in undergraduate medical students.Methods: One hundred and twenty students were randomly selected from first year (n=349) medical students who successfully followed a compulsory FA and BLS course. From thes...

  8. Retention of black and white participants in the selenium and vitamin E cancer prevention trial (SWOG-coordinated intergroup study S0000).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnold, Kathryn B; Hermos, John A; Anderson, Karen B; Minasian, Lori; Tangen, Catherine M; Probstfield, Jeffrey F; Cook, Elise D

    2014-12-01

    Disproportionally low retention of minority populations can adversely affect the generalizability of clinical research trials. We determine the overall retention rates for White and Black participants from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) and explore participant and site characteristics associated with retention failure (study disengagement) for these groups. A secondary analysis of 28,118 White (age ≥55), and 4,322 Black (age ≥ 50) SELECT participants used multivariate Cox regression to estimate overall retention rates and to calculate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Blacks had higher age-adjusted risk of disengagement than Whites (HR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.77-2.08). Among Black participants, those ages 50 to 54 were at three times the risk of disengagement than those ≥65 years of age (HR, 3.61; 95% CI, 2.41-5.41). Blacks age ≥65 had 1.6 times the risk of disengagement than Whites age ≥65 (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.38-1.87). By 6 years after randomization, 84% of Whites and 69% of Blacks remained engaged in the study. Current smoking status was an independent risk factor for study disengagement for both White and Black participants. For both groups, sites whose staffs missed SELECT training sessions or who received SELECT Retention and Adherence grants were associated with increased and decreased disengagement risks, respectively. SELECT retention was disproportionately lower for Blacks than for Whites. The observed difference in retention rates for Blacks and Whites and factors identified by race for study disengagement in SELECT may inform retention efforts for future long-term, cancer prevention trials. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

  9. Molecular descriptor subset selection in theoretical peptide quantitative structure-retention relationship model development using nature-inspired optimization algorithms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Žuvela, Petar; Liu, J Jay; Macur, Katarzyna; Bączek, Tomasz

    2015-10-06

    In this work, performance of five nature-inspired optimization algorithms, genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), artificial bee colony (ABC), firefly algorithm (FA), and flower pollination algorithm (FPA), was compared in molecular descriptor selection for development of quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) models for 83 peptides that originate from eight model proteins. The matrix with 423 descriptors was used as input, and QSRR models based on selected descriptors were built using partial least squares (PLS), whereas root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) was used as a fitness function for their selection. Three performance criteria, prediction accuracy, computational cost, and the number of selected descriptors, were used to evaluate the developed QSRR models. The results show that all five variable selection methods outperform interval PLS (iPLS), sparse PLS (sPLS), and the full PLS model, whereas GA is superior because of its lowest computational cost and higher accuracy (RMSEP of 5.534%) with a smaller number of variables (nine descriptors). The GA-QSRR model was validated initially through Y-randomization. In addition, it was successfully validated with an external testing set out of 102 peptides originating from Bacillus subtilis proteomes (RMSEP of 22.030%). Its applicability domain was defined, from which it was evident that the developed GA-QSRR exhibited strong robustness. All the sources of the model's error were identified, thus allowing for further application of the developed methodology in proteomics.

  10. Retention period after treatment of posterior crossbite with maxillary expansion: a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia Garcia Costa

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the duration of the retention period in growing patients undergoing maxillary expansion and its relation with posterior crossbite stability. METHODS: Search strategies were executed for electronic databases Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus, which were completed on January 15, 2016. The inclusion criteria included randomized, prospective or retrospective controlled trials in growing subjects with posterior crossbite; treated with maxillary expanders; retention phase after expansion; post-retention phase of at least 6 months. The exclusion criteria were anterior crossbite, craniofacial anomalies, surgery or another orthodontic intervention; case reports; author’s opinions articles, thesis, literature reviews and systematic reviews. The risk of bias of selected articles was assessed with Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs and Downs and Black checklist for non-RCTs. RESULTS: A total of 156 titles/abstracts was retrieved, 44 full-texts were examined, and 6 articles were selected and assessed for their methodological quality. The retention period after maxillary expansion ranged between 4 weeks and 16 months. Fixed (acrylic plate, Haas, Hyrax and quad-helix or removable (Hawley and Hawley expander appliances were used for retention. CONCLUSIONS: Six months of retention with either fixed or removable appliances seem to be enough to avoid relapse or to guarantee minimal changes in a short-term follow-up.

  11. Faculty ratings of retention strategies for minority nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Barbara H

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate a) the types of retention strategies used by undergraduate nursing programs for the purpose of retaining minority students, b) the rated effectiveness of the strategies, as identified by faculty in those programs, and c) whether there is a relationship between strategies rated as effective and the type of nursing program, baccalaureate (BSN) or associate (AD) degree. Administrator-selected faculty from randomly sampled BSN and AD nursing programs within a 16-state area of the southeastern United States were asked to respond to an online survey regarding the use and effectiveness of retention strategies selected from the literature. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests for association were used to analyze the data. Of the 14 strategies included in this analysis, faculty availability and timely feedback on tests and clinical performances were used by all undergraduate programs. Organized study groups and peer mentoring were the least used strategies. Faculty from both BSN and AD programs reported using many of the strategies and rated their use as effective overall for minority nursing student retention. The highest rated strategies were those that involved direct interaction of nurse faculty and students.

  12. Retention of radium from thermal waters on sand filters and adsorbents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elejalde, C. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain)]. E-mail: inpelsac@bi.ehu.es; Herranz, M. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Idoeta, R. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Legarda, F. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Romero, F. [Dpto. de Ingenieria Quimica y del Medio Ambiente, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Baeza, A. [Dpto. de Fisica, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Universidad s/n, 10071 Caceres (Spain)

    2007-06-18

    This study was focussed on laboratory experiences of retention of radium from one thermal water on sand filters and adsorbents, trying to find an easy method for the elimination in drinkable waters polluted with this natural radio-nuclide. A thermal water from Cantabria (Spain) was selected for this work. Retention experiences were made with columns of 35 mm of diameter containing 15 cm layers of washed river sand or 4 cm layers of zeolite A3, passing known volumes of thermal water at flows between 4 and 40 ml/min with control of the retained radium by determining the amount in the water after the treatment. The statistical analysis of data suggests that retention depends on the flow and the volume passed through the columns. As additional adsorbents were used kaolin and a clay rich in illite. Jar-test experiences were made agitating known weights of adsorbents with the selected thermal water, with addition of flocculants and determination of radium in filtrated water after the treatment. Data suggest that retention is related to the weight of adsorbent used, but important quantities of radium seem remain in solution for higher amounts of adsorbents, according to the statistical treatment of data. The elution of retained radium from columns or adsorbents, previously used in experiences, should be the aim of a future research.

  13. Retention of radium from thermal waters on sand filters and adsorbents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elejalde, C.; Herranz, M.; Idoeta, R.; Legarda, F.; Romero, F.; Baeza, A.

    2007-01-01

    This study was focussed on laboratory experiences of retention of radium from one thermal water on sand filters and adsorbents, trying to find an easy method for the elimination in drinkable waters polluted with this natural radio-nuclide. A thermal water from Cantabria (Spain) was selected for this work. Retention experiences were made with columns of 35 mm of diameter containing 15 cm layers of washed river sand or 4 cm layers of zeolite A3, passing known volumes of thermal water at flows between 4 and 40 ml/min with control of the retained radium by determining the amount in the water after the treatment. The statistical analysis of data suggests that retention depends on the flow and the volume passed through the columns. As additional adsorbents were used kaolin and a clay rich in illite. Jar-test experiences were made agitating known weights of adsorbents with the selected thermal water, with addition of flocculants and determination of radium in filtrated water after the treatment. Data suggest that retention is related to the weight of adsorbent used, but important quantities of radium seem remain in solution for higher amounts of adsorbents, according to the statistical treatment of data. The elution of retained radium from columns or adsorbents, previously used in experiences, should be the aim of a future research

  14. Brands, bundles and customer retention: The new utility juggling act

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katz, M.G.

    1997-01-01

    As customer choice comes to more and more states, enabling consumers to buy natural gas from marketers other than their gas utility, utilities are wrestling with customer retention: How do they persuade customers to choose to stay utility customers rather than selecting someone else to be their gas supplier? This grappling promises only to become more intense, as soon-to-be-deregulated electric utilities begin dealing with customer choice and customer retention issues of their own. American Gas explores some of the most recent initiatives in the industry

  15. The Role of Some Retention Aids in Water Based Gravure Printing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Sherbiny, S.; Morsy, F.A.; Abdel- Sayed, E.S.

    2005-01-01

    Several commercial retention systems employing either synthetic or natural additives are now able to achieve an acceptable level of filler retention even during high speed paper forming. However, despite their importance, there have been very few reports in the literature regarding the influence of different retention aids on gravure water based ink printability. In the current work, a series of uncoated hand sheets containing the retention aids rosin aids rosin-alum, cationic starch, polyacrylamide and chitosan were prepared under controlled ph conditions. Chitosan is a natural additive only very recently employed in commercial papermaking systems. After printing with two water based ink systems, both printability and print quality were then assessed in terms of print density, gloss and ink transfer. The effect of surfactant addition to gravure water based ink was also studied. The results showed that the amount of ink transferred and the print density both decreased as the percentage of the selected additives increased. The addition of chitosan to the paper furnish led to a substantial decrease in both the amount of ink transferred and the print density compared to the other additives. Conversely, the presence of surfactant in the printing ink enhanced the print density and also increased the amount of ink transferred. In addition, results obtained demonstrated that printing with water based ink greatly decreased the print gloss in comparison to the paper gloss. Increasing the addition level of the selected additives led to an increase of print gloss due to a decrease in the amount of ink transferred. Increasing the ph of the pulp suspension containing 1 % of the selected additives increased the print density in all cases, except when using cationic starch

  16. Potential possibilities of water retention in agricultural loess catchments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zubala Tomasz

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The growing water deficit and the increased demand for water, as well as economic problems and inadequate spatial planning in many regions indicate a necessity of developing more effective rules of programming and realisation of works concerning the water management in small catchments. The paper presents a sample analysis of the possibilities of increasing water retention in the agricultural loess catchments with periodic streams. The scope of the study included the determination of physical parameters of selected sub-catchments (geometry, soil cover, land use, etc. and of the sources of threat to water resources, resulting from construction and geomorphological conditions. Pre-design assumptions of dammings were developed, taking into account anti-erosion protective measures, and treatments increasing the landscape retention of water were proposed. Creating surface retention objects should be an important source of water in simplified agroecosystems, especially in regions, where productivity to a great extent depends on natural weather conditions. Proper management of the fourth-order loess basin of the Ciemięga River (area of about 150 km2, the presence of 50 lateral valleys could give a temporary reservoir retention reaching 500 thousand m3. Farmers should be encouraged to seek “own water sources” (including the accumulation of water within wasteland, using appropriate economic instruments (tax reliefs for the documented volume of retained water, e.g. in small retention reservoirs.

  17. Comparisons of methods for calculating retention and separation of chromatographic peaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pauls, R.E.; Rogers, L.B.

    1976-09-01

    The accuracy and precision of calculating retention times from means and peak maxima have been examined using an exponentially modified Gaussian as a model for tailed chromotographic peaks. At different levels of random noise, retention times could be determined with nearly the same precision using either the mean or maximum. However, the accuracies and precisions of the maxima were affected by the number of points used in the digital smooth and by the number of points recorded per unit of standard deviation. For two peaks of similar shape, consistency in the selection of points should usually permit differences in retention to be determined accurately and with approximately the same precision using maxima, means, or half-heights on the leading side of the peak

  18. Collagen XII myopathy with rectus femoris atrophy and collagen XII retention in fibroblasts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Witting, Nanna; Krag, Thomas; Werlauff, Ulla

    2018-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Mutation in the collagen XII gene (COL12A1) was recently reported to induce Bethlem myopathy. We describe a family affected by collagen XII-related myopathy in 3 generations. METHODS: Systematic interview, clinical examination, skin biopsies, and MRI of muscle were used. RESULTS...... affection and abnormal collagen XII retention in fibroblasts. MRI disclosed a selective wasting of the rectus femoris muscle. DISCUSSION: COL12A1 mutations should be considered in patients with a mild Bethlem phenotype who present with selective wasting of the rectus femoris, absence of the outside......-in phenomenon on MRI, and abnormal collagen XII retention in fibroblasts. Muscle Nerve, 2018....

  19. Improved Customer Churn and Retention Decision Management Using Operations Research Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sulaimon Olanrewaju Adebiyi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The relevance of operations research cannot be overemphasized, as it provides the best possible results in any given circumstance, through analysis of operations and the use of scientific method thus, this paper explore the combination of two operations research models (analytic hierarchy process and Markov chain for solving subscribers’ churn and retention problem peculiar to most service firms. A conceptual model for unraveling the problem customer churn and retention decision management was proposed and tested with data on third level analysis of AHP for determining appropriate strategies for customer churn and retention in the Nigeria telecommunication industries. A survey was conducted with 408 subscribers; the sample for the study was selected through multi-stage sampling. Two analytical tools were proposed for the analysis of data. These include: Expert Choice/Excel Solver (using Microsoft Excel and Windows based Quantitative System for Business (WinQSB. This paper plays important role in understanding various strategies for effective churn and retention management and the ranking of churn and retention drivers in order of importance to stakeholders` decision-making. The study provided a framework for understanding the application of AHP and Markov chain for modeling, analysing and proffering solution to problem of churn and retention. The study recommends organizational strategies (corporate, business and functional that reverse the churn alternatives with high priority and equally strengthen service delivery on high priority retention alternatives in order to ensure firms sustainable competitive advantage.

  20. Comparison of iodine, krypton, and xenon retention efficiencies for various silver loaded adsorption media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huchton, R.L.; Tkachyk, J.W.; Taylor, J.T.; Motes, B.G.

    1985-03-01

    A comparison was made among various silver impregnated adsorption media to determine their iodine, krypton, and xenon retention efficiencies. The program consisted of three components. First, laboratory measurements of the noble gas retention efficiencies of commercially available adsorption media were determined as a function of relative humidity, sample duration, test cartridge geometry, and ambient air purge. Second, a literature survey was performed to evaluate the iodine species retention efficiencies of the selected media. Third, data associated with a media previously proposed for an emergency response air sampler were incorporated to enlarge the data base. 41 refs., 6 figs., 14 tabs

  1. Thermodynamic modeling of iodine and selenium retention in solutions with high salinity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagemann, Sven; Moog, Helge C.; Herbert, Horst-Juergen; Erich, Agathe

    2012-04-01

    The report on iodine and selenium retention in saline solutions includes the following chapters: (1) Introduction and scope of the work. (2) Actual status of knowledge. (3) Experimental and numerical models. (4) Thermodynamic properties of selenite and hydrogen selenite in solutions of oceanic salts. (5) Thermodynamic properties of selenate in solutions of oceanic salts. (6) Thermodynamic properties of iodide in solutions of oceanic salts. (7) Experimental studies on the retention of iodine and selenium in selected sorbents. (8) Summary and conclusions.

  2. Pengaruh Customer Satisfaction terhadap Customer Retention (Survei Pelanggan J.co Donut & Coffee Malang)

    OpenAIRE

    Tanjung, Andhika; Sanawiri, Brillyanes

    2017-01-01

    This research aims to identify influence of Customer Satisfaction, to Customer Retention. The independent varible in this research are Customer Satsisfaction (X), with the dependent variable Customer Retention (Y). The type of research is explanatory research with quantitative approach. The object of research is the customer J.Co Donut & Coffee with minimum purchase at least 2 times. The sampling after selectes by purposive sampling tehcnique is as many as 116 people of respondents. The d...

  3. Retention behavior of resorcinarene-based cavitands on C8 and C18 stationary phases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartó, Endre; Prauda, Ibolya; Kilár, Ferenc; Kiss, Ibolya; Felinger, Attila

    2015-09-01

    The understanding of the retention behavior of large molecules is an area of interest in liquid chromatography. Resorcinarene-based cavitands are cavity-shaped cyclic oligomers that can create host-guest interactions. We have investigated the chromatographic behavior of two types of cyclic tetramers as analytes in high-performance liquid chromatography. The experiments were performed at four different temperatures (15, 25, 35, 45°C) on two types of reversed stationary phases (C8 and C18 ) from two different manufacturers. We have found a huge difference between the retention of resorcinarenes and cavitands. In some cases, the retention factor of cavitands was even a hundred times larger than the retention factor of resorcinarenes. The retention of methylated derivates was two to four times larger compared to that of demethylated compounds on every column. The opposite retention behavior of the resorcinarenes and cavitands on the two types of stationary phases showed well the difference of the selectivity of the XTerra and BDS Hypersil columns. The retention mechanism was studied by the thermodynamic parameters calculated from the van't Hoff equation. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Cooking utensil with improved heat retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potter, T.F.; Benson, D.K.; Burch, S.D.

    1997-07-01

    A cooking utensil with improved heat retention includes an inner pot received within an outer pot and separated in a closely spaced-apart relationship to form a volume or chamber there between. The chamber is evacuated and sealed with foil leaves at the upper edges of the inner and outer pot. The vacuum created between the inner and outer pot, along with the minimum of thermal contact between the inner and outer pot, and the reduced radiative heat transfer due to low emissivity coatings on the inner and outer pot, provide for a highly insulated cooking utensil. Any combination of a plurality of mechanisms for selectively disabling and re-enabling the insulating properties of the pot are provided within the chamber. These mechanisms may include: a hydrogen gas producing and reabsorbing device such as a metal hydride, a plurality of metal contacts which can be adjusted to bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot, and a plurality of bimetallic switches which can selectively bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot. In addition, phase change materials with superior heat retention characteristics may be provided within the cooking utensil. Further, automatic and programmable control of the cooking utensil can be provided through a microprocessor and associated hardware for controlling the vacuum disable/enable mechanisms to automatically cook and save food. 26 figs.

  5. Cooking utensil with improved heat retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potter, Thomas F.; Benson, David K.; Burch, Steven D.

    1997-01-01

    A cooking utensil with improved heat retention includes an inner pot received within an outer pot and separated in a closely spaced-apart relationship to form a volume or chamber therebetween. The chamber is evacuated and sealed with foil leaves at the upper edges of the inner and outer pot. The vacuum created between the inner and outer pot, along with the minimum of thermal contact between the inner and outer pot, and the reduced radiative heat transfer due to low emissivity coatings on the inner and outer pot, provide for a highly insulated cooking utensil. Any combination of a plurality of mechanisms for selectively disabling and re-enabling the insulating properties of the pot are provided within the chamber. These mechanisms may include: a hydrogen gas producing and reabsorbing device such as a metal hydride, a plurality of metal contacts which can be adjusted to bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot, and a plurality of bimetallic switches which can selectively bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot. In addition, phase change materials with superior heat retention characteristics may be provided within the cooking utensil. Further, automatic and programmable control of the cooking utensil can be provided through a microprocessor and associated hardware for controlling the vacuum disable/enable mechanisms to automatically cook and save food.

  6. Urinary retention in women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juma, Saad

    2014-07-01

    This review is a summary of the most pertinent published studies in the literature in the last 18 months that address cause, diagnosis, and management of urinary retention in women. Symptoms, uroflow, and pressure-flow studies have a low predictive value for and do not correlate with elevated postvoid residual urine (PVR). Anterior and posterior colporrhaphy do not cause de-novo bladder outlet obstruction in the majority of patients with elevated PVR, and the cause of elevated PVR may be other factors such as pain or anxiety causing abnormal relaxation of the pelvic floor and contributing to voiding difficulty. The risk of urinary retention in a future pregnancy after mid-urethral sling (MUS) is small. The risk of urinary tract infection and urinary retention after chemodenervation of the bladder with onabotulinumtoxin-A (100 IU) in patients with non-neurogenic urge incontinence is 33 and 5%, respectively. There is a lack of consensus among experts on the timing of sling takedown in the management of acute urinary retention following MUS procedures. There has been a significant progress in the understanding of the causation of urinary retention. Important areas that need further research (basic and clinical) are post-MUS and pelvic organ prolapse repair urinary retention and obstruction, and urinary retention owing to detrusor underactivity.

  7. Retention of gaseous isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yarbro, O.O.; Mailen, J.C.; Stephenson, M.J.

    1977-01-01

    Retention of gaseous fission products during fuel reprocessing has, in the past, been limited to a modest retention of 131 I when processing fuels decayed less than about 180 days. The projected rapid growth of the nuclear power industry along with a desire to minimize environmental effects is leading to the reassessment of requirements for retention of gaseous fission products, including 131 I, 129 I, 85 Kr, 3 H, and 14 C. Starting in the late 1960s, a significant part of the LMFBR reprocessing development program has been devoted to understanding the behavior of gaseous fission products in plant process and effluent streams and the development of advanced systems for their removal. Systems for iodine control include methods for evolving up to 99% of the iodine from dissolver solutions to minimize its introduction and distribution throughout downstream equipment. An aqueous scrubbing system (Iodox) using 20 M HNO 3 as the scrubbing media effectively removes all significant iodine forms from off-gas streams while handling the kilogram quantities of iodine present in head-end and dissolver off-gas streams. Silver zeolite is very effective for removing iodine forms at low concentration from the larger-volume plant off-gas streams. Removal of iodine from plant liquid effluents by solid sorbents either prior to or following final vaporization appears feasible. Krypton is effectively released during dissolution and can be removed from the relatively small volume head-end and dissolver off-gas stream. Two methods appear applicable for removal and concentration of krypton: (1) selective absorption in fluorocarbons, and (2) cryogenic absorption in liquid nitrogen. The fluorocarbon absorption process appears to be rather tolerant of the normal contaminants (H 2 O, CO 2 , NOsub(x), and organics) present in typical reprocessing plant off-gas whereas the cryogenic system requires an extensive feed gas pretreatment system. Retention of tritium in a reprocessing plant is

  8. Chemical composition of the essential oils of Citrus sinensis cv. valencia and a quantitative structure-retention relationship study for the prediction of retention indices by multiple linear regression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larijani Kambiz

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The chemical composition of the volatile fraction obtained by head-space solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME, single drop microextraction (SDME and the essential oil obtained by cold-press from the peels of C. sinensis cv. valencia were analyzed employing gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS. The main components were limonene (61.34 %, 68.27 %, 90.50 %, myrcene (17.55 %, 12.35 %, 2.50 %, sabinene (6.50 %, 7.62 %, 0.5 % and α-pinene (0 %, 6.65 %, 1.4 % respectively obtained by HS-SPME, SDME and cold-press. Then a quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR study for the prediction of retention indices (RI of the compounds was developed by application of structural descriptors and the multiple linear regression (MLR method. Principal components analysis was used to select the training set. A simple model with low standard errors and high correlation coefficients was obtained. The results illustrated that linear techniques such as MLR combined with a successful variable selection procedure are capable of generating an efficient QSRR model for prediction of the retention indices of different compounds. This model, with high statistical significance (R2 train = 0.983, R2 test = 0.970, Q2 LOO = 0.962, Q2 LGO = 0.936, REP(% = 3.00, could be used adequately for the prediction and description of the retention indices of the volatile compounds.

  9. Mixed retention mechanism of proteins in weak anion-exchange chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Peng; Yang, Haiya; Geng, Xindu

    2009-10-30

    Using four commercial weak anion-exchange chromatography (WAX) columns and 11 kinds of different proteins, we experimentally examined the involvement of hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) mechanism in protein retention on the WAX columns. The HIC mechanism was found to operate in all four WAX columns, and each of these columns had a better resolution in the HIC mode than in the corresponding WAX mode. Detailed analysis of the molecular interactions in a chromatographic system indicated that it is impossible to completely eliminate hydrophobic interactions from a WAX column. Based on these results, it may be possible to employ a single WAX column for protein separation by exploiting mixed modes (WAX and HIC) of retention. The stoichiometric displacement theory and two linear plots were used to show that mechanism of the mixed modes of retention in the system was a combination of two kinds of interactions, i.e., nonselective interactions in the HIC mode and selective interactions in the IEC mode. The obtained U-shaped elution curve of proteins could be distinguished into four different ranges of salt concentration, which also represent four retention regions.

  10. Differential retention of metabolic genes following whole-genome duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gout, Jean-François; Duret, Laurent; Kahn, Daniel

    2009-05-01

    Classical studies in Metabolic Control Theory have shown that metabolic fluxes usually exhibit little sensitivity to changes in individual enzyme activity, yet remain sensitive to global changes of all enzymes in a pathway. Therefore, little selective pressure is expected on the dosage or expression of individual metabolic genes, yet entire pathways should still be constrained. However, a direct estimate of this selective pressure had not been evaluated. Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) offer a good opportunity to address this question by analyzing the fates of metabolic genes during the massive gene losses that follow. Here, we take advantage of the successive rounds of WGD that occurred in the Paramecium lineage. We show that metabolic genes exhibit different gene retention patterns than nonmetabolic genes. Contrary to what was expected for individual genes, metabolic genes appeared more retained than other genes after the recent WGD, which was best explained by selection for gene expression operating on entire pathways. Metabolic genes also tend to be less retained when present at high copy number before WGD, contrary to other genes that show a positive correlation between gene retention and preduplication copy number. This is rationalized on the basis of the classical concave relationship relating metabolic fluxes with enzyme expression.

  11. Enhancing knowledge retention in higher education: A case of the University of Zambia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sitali Wamundila

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate how knowledge retention may be enhanced at the University of Zambia (UNZA. A quantitative case study design employing a triangulation of data collection methods was used. Data were collected using interviews and questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to determine participants for the interviews whilst stratified random sampling was employed to select the respondents for the questionnaire. The quantitative and qualitative data that was analysed using SPSS® indicates that UNZA lacked certain knowledge retention practices that might enable it to retain operational relevant knowledge. In view of the findings, the study recommends the adoption of a knowledge retention framework that could be embedded in UNZA’s knowledge management policy.

  12. Factors influencing the retention of midwives in the public sector in Afghanistan: a qualitative assessment of midwives in eight provinces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Molly E; Mansoor, G Farooq; Hashemy, Pashton; Namey, Emily; Gohar, Fatima; Ayoubi, Saadia Fayeq; Todd, Catherine S

    2013-10-01

    to examine factors that affect retention of public sector midwives throughout their career in Afghanistan. qualitative assessment using semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). health clinics in eight provinces in Afghanistan, midwifery education schools in three provinces, and stakeholder organisations in Kabul. purposively sampled midwifery profession stakeholders in Kabul (n=14 IDIs); purposively selected community midwifery students in Kabul (n=3 FGDs), Parwan (n=1 FGD) and Wardak (n=1 FGD) provinces (six participants per FGD); public sector midwives, health facility managers, and community health workers from randomly selected clinics in eight provinces (n=48 IDIs); midwives who had left the public sector midwifery service (n=5 IDIs). several factors affect a midwife throughout her career in the public sector, including her selection as a trainee, the training itself, deployment to her pre-assigned post, and working in clinics. Overall, appropriate selection is the key to ensuring deployment and retention later on in a midwife's career. Other factors that affect retention of midwives include civil security concerns in rural areas, support of family and community, salary levels, professional development opportunities and workplace support, and inefficient human resources planning in the public sector. Factors affecting midwife retention are linked to problems within the community midwifery education (CME) programme and those reflecting the wider Afghan context. Civil insecurity and traditional attitudes towards women were major factors identified that negatively affect midwifery retention. Factors such as civil insecurity and traditional attitudes towards women require a multisectoral response and innovative strategies to reduce their impact. However, factors inherent to midwife career development also impact retention and may be more readily modified. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Self-curing concrete types; water retention and durability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magda I. Mousa

    2015-09-01

    This study was carried out to compare among concretes without or with silica fume (SF along with chemical type of shrinkage reducing admixture, polyethylene-glycol (Ch, and leca as self-curing agents for water retention even at elevated temperature (50 °C and their durability. The cement content of 400 kg/m3, silica fume of 15% by weight of cement, polyethylene-glycol of 2% by weight of cement, pre-saturated lightweight aggregate (leca 15% by volume of sand and water with Ch/binder ratio of 0.4 were selected in this study. Some of the physical and mechanical properties were determined periodically up to 28 days in case of exposure to air curing in temperature of (25 °C and (50 °C while up to 6 months of exposure to 5% of carbon dioxide and wet/dry cycles in 8% of sodium chloride for durability study. The concrete mass loss and the volumetric water absorption were measured, to evaluate the water retention of the investigated concretes. Silica fume concrete either without or with Ch gave the best results under all curing regimes; significant water retention and good durability properties.

  14. A national study of the retention of Irish opiate users in methadone substitution treatment

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Mullen, Louise

    2012-07-02

    Background: Retention in treatment is a key indicator of methadone treatment success. The study aims to identify factors that are associated with retention. Objectives: To determine retention in treatment at 12 months for Irish opiate users in methadone substitution treatment and to indicate factors that increase the likelihood of retention. Methods: National cohort study of randomly selected opiate users commencing methadone treatment in 1999, 2001, and 2003 (n = 1269). Results: Sixty-one percent of patients attending methadone treatment remained in continuous treatment for more than 1 year. Retention in treatment at 12 months was associated with age, gender, facility type, and methadone dose. Age and gender were no longer significant when adjusted for other variables in the model. Those who attended a specialist site were twice as likely to leave methadone treatment within 12 months compared with those who attended a primary care physician. The most important predictor of retention in treatment was methadone dose. Those who received <60 mg of methadone were three times more likely to leave treatment. Conclusion: Retention in methadone treatment is high in Ireland in a variety of settings. The main factors influencing retention in methadone treatment was an adequate methadone dose and access to a range of treatment settings including from primary care physicians. Scientific Significance: Providing an adequate dose of methadone during treatment will increase the likelihood of treatment retention. Methadone treatment by the primary care physician is a successful method of retaining opioid users in treatment.

  15. Simplified tools for measuring retention in care in antiretroviral treatment program in Ethiopia: cohort and current retention in care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assefa, Yibeltal; Worku, Alemayehu; Wouters, Edwin; Koole, Olivier; Haile Mariam, Damen; Van Damme, Wim

    2012-01-01

    Patient retention in care is a critical challenge for antiretroviral treatment programs. This is mainly because retention in care is related to adherence to treatment and patient survival. It is therefore imperative that health facilities and programs measure patient retention in care. However, the currently available tools, such as Kaplan Meier, for measuring retention in care have a lot of practical limitations. The objective of this study was to develop simplified tools for measuring retention in care. Retrospective cohort data were collected from patient registers in nine health facilities in Ethiopia. Retention in care was the primary outcome for the study. Tools were developed to measure "current retention" in care during a specific period of time for a specific "ART-age group" and "cohort retention" in care among patients who were followed for the last "Y" number of years on ART. "Probability of retention" based on the tool for "cohort retention" in care was compared with "probability of retention" based on Kaplan Meier. We found that the new tools enable to measure "current retention" and "cohort retention" in care. We also found that the tools were easy to use and did not require advanced statistical skills. Both "current retention" and "cohort retention" are lower among patients in the first two "ART-age groups" and "ART-age cohorts" than in subsequent "ART-age groups" and "ART-age cohorts". The "probability of retention" based on the new tools were found to be similar to the "probability of retention" based on Kaplan Meier. The simplified tools for "current retention" and "cohort retention" will enable practitioners and program managers to measure and monitor rates of retention in care easily and appropriately. We therefore recommend that health facilities and programs start to use these tools in their efforts to improve retention in care and patient outcomes.

  16. Simplified tools for measuring retention in care in antiretroviral treatment program in Ethiopia: cohort and current retention in care.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yibeltal Assefa

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Patient retention in care is a critical challenge for antiretroviral treatment programs. This is mainly because retention in care is related to adherence to treatment and patient survival. It is therefore imperative that health facilities and programs measure patient retention in care. However, the currently available tools, such as Kaplan Meier, for measuring retention in care have a lot of practical limitations. The objective of this study was to develop simplified tools for measuring retention in care. METHODS: Retrospective cohort data were collected from patient registers in nine health facilities in Ethiopia. Retention in care was the primary outcome for the study. Tools were developed to measure "current retention" in care during a specific period of time for a specific "ART-age group" and "cohort retention" in care among patients who were followed for the last "Y" number of years on ART. "Probability of retention" based on the tool for "cohort retention" in care was compared with "probability of retention" based on Kaplan Meier. RESULTS: We found that the new tools enable to measure "current retention" and "cohort retention" in care. We also found that the tools were easy to use and did not require advanced statistical skills. Both "current retention" and "cohort retention" are lower among patients in the first two "ART-age groups" and "ART-age cohorts" than in subsequent "ART-age groups" and "ART-age cohorts". The "probability of retention" based on the new tools were found to be similar to the "probability of retention" based on Kaplan Meier. CONCLUSION: The simplified tools for "current retention" and "cohort retention" will enable practitioners and program managers to measure and monitor rates of retention in care easily and appropriately. We therefore recommend that health facilities and programs start to use these tools in their efforts to improve retention in care and patient outcomes.

  17. Causal modeling of self-concept, job satisfaction, and retention of nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowin, Leanne S; Johnson, Maree; Craven, Rhonda G; Marsh, Herbert W

    2008-10-01

    The critical shortage of nurses experienced throughout the western world has prompted researchers to examine one major component of this complex problem - the impact of nurses' professional identity and job satisfaction on retention. A descriptive correlational design with a longitudinal element was used to examine a causal model of nurses' self-concept, job satisfaction, and retention plans in 2002. A random sample of 2000 registered nurses was selected from the state registering authority listing. A postal survey assessing multiple dimensions of nurses' self-concept (measured by the nurse self-concept questionnaire), job satisfaction (measured by the index of work satisfaction) was undertaken at Time 1 (n=528) and 8 months later at Time 2 (n=332) (including retention plans (measured by the Nurse Retention Index). Using confirmatory factor analysis, correlation matrices and path analysis, measurement and structural models were examined on matching pairs of data from T1 and T2 (total sample N=332). Nurses' self-concept was found to have a stronger association with nurses' retention plans (B=.45) than job satisfaction (B=.28). Aspects of pay and task were not significantly related to retention plans, however, professional status (r=.51), and to a lesser extent, organizational policies (r=.27) were significant factors. Nurses' general self-concept was strongly related (r=.57) to retention plans. Strategies or interventions requiring implementation and evaluation include: counseling to improve nurse general self-concept, education programs and competencies in health communication between health professionals, reporting of nurse-initiated programs with substantial patient benefit, nurse-friendly organizational policies, common health team learning opportunities, and autonomous practice models.

  18. Seed Implant Retention Score Predicts the Risk of Prolonged Urinary Retention After Prostate Brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hoon K.; Adams, Marc T.; Shi, Qiuhu; Basillote, Jay; LaMonica, Joanne; Miranda, Luis; Motta, Joseph

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To risk-stratify patients for urinary retention after prostate brachytherapy according to a novel seed implant retention score (SIRS). Patients and Methods: A total of 835 patients underwent transperineal prostate seed implant from March 1993 to January 2007; 197 patients had 125 I and 638 patients had 103 Pd brachytherapy. Four hundred ninety-four patients had supplemental external-beam radiation. The final downsized prostate volume was used for the 424 patients who had neoadjuvant hormone therapy. Retention was defined as reinsertion of a Foley catheter after the implant. Results: Retention developed in 7.4% of patients, with an average duration of 6.7 weeks. On univariate analysis, implant without supplemental external-beam radiation (10% vs. 5.6%; p = 0.02), neoadjuvant hormone therapy (9.4% vs. 5.4%; p = 0.02), baseline α-blocker use (12.5% vs. 6.3%; p = 0.008), and increased prostate volume (13.4% vs. 6.9% vs. 2.9%, >45 cm 3 , 25-45 cm 3 , 3 ; p = 0.0008) were significantly correlated with increased rates of retention. On multivariate analysis, implant without supplemental external-beam radiation, neoadjuvant hormone therapy, baseline α-blocker use, and increased prostate volume were correlated with retention. A novel SIRS was modeled as the combined score of these factors, ranging from 0 to 5. There was a significant correlation between the SIRS and retention (p < 0.0001). The rates of retention were 0, 4%, 5.6%, 9%, 20.9%, and 36.4% for SIRS of 0 to 5, respectively. Conclusions: The SIRS may identify patients who are at high risk for prolonged retention after prostate brachytherapy. A prospective validation study of the SIRS is planned.

  19. Unlearning the Past: New Foundations for Online Student Retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roy Sutton, Ph.D

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Many factors affect students selecting a university to attend and almost as many factors that can present challenges once they enroll and begin attending classes. Once they start taking courses, the next challenge is completing them, and this can be particularly taxing for online students. In the case of online universities, quality assessment criteria of the online courses and faculty may vary. Thus, it is important not only to get feedback from students, but also to look at course completion rates. The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learned regarding factors that significantly increased student online course completion rates at one online for-profit university. This study looked at a researcher's search for strategic factors that considerably increase course completion rates and identified assessment strategies to improve those course completion rates. The researcher’s collaboration with researchers from another university led to findings that revealed best practices and assessments factors successfully applied in online courses. Administrative changes at the researcher’s university led to retention efforts that have positively affected student retention. One major factor observed by the researcher included analytical writing assessments and their predictive value for doctoral student retention. Results of the implementation of the changes at the researcher’s university included a 39% increase in retention of first year doctoral candidates, from a low of 39% in 2011 to 75% in 2012.

  20. 5 CFR 330.207 - Selection from RPL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... employees enrolled on the RPL. (b) Retention standing order. For each vacancy to be filled, the agency shall.... Within a subgroup, an agency may select an individual without regard to order of retention standing. A... be filled, the agency rates qualified individuals according to their job experience and education. To...

  1. Factors affecting the retention of methyl iodide by iodide-impregnated carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hyder, M.L.; Malstrom, R.A.

    1991-01-01

    This paper comprises two sets of studies of methyl iodide retention by iodide-impregnated carbon. In the first of these, the retention of the methyl iodide on the carbon surface and its subsequent evolution were observed directly by a technique of combustion and phosphorescence. In the second, the methyl iodide retention in a standard test was compared with surface area measurements and the concentration of unreacted iodine. A correlation among these parameters was identified and characterized. Carbon quality was varied through the selection of used material with differing service histories. Air from the Savannah River Site reactor buildings is vented through carbon beds for control of radioiodine before release to the atmosphere. The carbon used is North American Carbon Co. type GX-176 coconut shell carbon impregnated with 1% triethylenedimaine (TEDA) and 2% potassium iodide by weight. Replacement intervals for the carbon have been as long as thirty months. Analysis of samples withdrawn at much shorter times has shown that the TEDA is lost after a few months, and the performance of the carbon for methyl iodide retention is dependent on the iodide impregnant. Efficient methyl iodide retention is not a requirement for carbon in this service; however, methyl iodide retention as measured by the ASTM Test D3803 (method B) has been found to correlate well with other desirable properties of the carbon such as radiation stability. The studies undertaken here were intended to shed light on the changes taking place in this carbon during long-term service and to provide a basis for simpler measurements of carbon quality

  2. Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pim A. de Ruijter

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Undergraduate medical students follow a compulsory first aid (FA and basic life support (BLS course. Retention of BLS seems poor and only little information is provided on the retention of FA skills. This study aims at evaluating 1- and 2-year retention of FA and BLS training in undergraduate medical students. Methods: One hundred and twenty students were randomly selected from first year (n=349 medical students who successfully followed a compulsory FA and BLS course. From these 120 students, 94 (78% and 69 (58% participated in retention tests of FA and BLS skills after 1 and 2 years, respectively. The assessment consisted of two FA stations and one BLS station. Results: After 1 year, only 2% passed both FA and BLS stations and 68% failed both FA and BLS stations. After 2 years, 5% passed and 50% failed both FA and BLS stations. Despite the high failure rate at the stations, 90% adequately checked vital signs and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation appropriately. Conclusions: The long-term retention of FA and BLS skills after a compulsory course in the first year is poor. Adequate check of vital signs and commencing cardiopulmonary resuscitation retained longer.

  3. Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Ruijter, Pim A; Biersteker, Heleen A; Biert, Jan; van Goor, Harry; Tan, Edward C

    2014-01-01

    Undergraduate medical students follow a compulsory first aid (FA) and basic life support (BLS) course. Retention of BLS seems poor and only little information is provided on the retention of FA skills. This study aims at evaluating 1- and 2-year retention of FA and BLS training in undergraduate medical students. One hundred and twenty students were randomly selected from first year (n=349) medical students who successfully followed a compulsory FA and BLS course. From these 120 students, 94 (78%) and 69 (58%) participated in retention tests of FA and BLS skills after 1 and 2 years, respectively. The assessment consisted of two FA stations and one BLS station. After 1 year, only 2% passed both FA and BLS stations and 68% failed both FA and BLS stations. After 2 years, 5% passed and 50% failed both FA and BLS stations. Despite the high failure rate at the stations, 90% adequately checked vital signs and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation appropriately. The long-term retention of FA and BLS skills after a compulsory course in the first year is poor. Adequate check of vital signs and commencing cardiopulmonary resuscitation retained longer.

  4. Strategy for reduced calibration sets to develop quantitative structure-retention relationships in high-performance liquid chromatography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andries, Jan P.M. [University of Professional Education, Department of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 90116, 4800 RA Breda (Netherlands); Claessens, Henk A. [University of Professional Education, Department of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 90116, 4800 RA Breda (Netherlands); Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry, P.O. Box 513 (Helix, STW 1.35), 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Heyden, Yvan Vander [Department of Analytical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel-VUB, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels (Belgium); Buydens, Lutgarde M.C., E-mail: L.Buydens@science.ru.nl [Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2009-10-12

    In high-performance liquid chromatography, quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRRs) are applied to model the relation between chromatographic retention and quantities derived from molecular structure of analytes. Classically a substantial number of test analytes is used to build QSRR models. This makes their application laborious and time consuming. In this work a strategy is presented to build QSRR models based on selected reduced calibration sets. The analytes in the reduced calibration sets are selected from larger sets of analytes by applying the algorithm of Kennard and Stone on the molecular descriptors used in the QSRR concerned. The strategy was applied on three QSRR models of different complexity, relating logk{sub w} or log k with either: (i) log P, the n-octanol-water partition coefficient, (ii) calculated quantum chemical indices (QCI), or (iii) descriptors from the linear solvation energy relationship (LSER). Models were developed and validated for 76 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography systems. From the results we can conclude that it is possible to develop log P models suitable for the future prediction of retentions with as few as seven analytes. For the QCI and LSER models we derived the rule that three selected analytes per descriptor are sufficient. Both the dependent variable space, formed by the retention values, and the independent variable space, formed by the descriptors, are covered well by the reduced calibration sets. Finally guidelines to construct small calibration sets are formulated.

  5. Evaluation of retentive strength of four luting cements with stainless steel crowns in primary molars: An in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parisay, Iman; Khazaei, Yegane

    2018-01-01

    Stainless steel crown (SSC) is the most reliable restoration for primary teeth with extensive caries. Retention is of great importance for a successful restoration and is provided by various factors such as luting cements. The aim of this study was to evaluate the retentive strength of SSC cemented with four different luting cements. In this in vitro study, A total of 55 extracted primary first molars were selected. Following crown selection and cementation (one with no cement and four groups cemented with resin, glass ionomer, zinc phosphate, and polycarboxylate), all the specimens were incubated and thermocycled in 5°C-55°C. Retentive properties of SSCs were tested with a mechanical test machine. First dislodgement of each specimen and full crown removal were recorded. One-way ANOVA test followed by least significant difference test and Kruskal-Wallis test was used for retentive strength comparison at the level of significance of P cemented with zinc phosphate exhibited higher retentive strength as compared to glass ionomer and polycarboxylate ( P cement showed the most promising results; thus, it can be preferably used for cementation of the teeth with no grossly broken down crowns.

  6. Retention of alkali ions by hydrated low-pH cements: Mechanism and Na+/K+ selectivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bach, T.T.H.; Chabas, E.; Pochard, I.; Cau Dit Coumes, C.; Haas, J.; Frizon, F.; Nonat, A.

    2013-01-01

    Low-pH cements, also referred to as low-alkalinity cements, can be designed by replacing significant amounts of Portland cement by pozzolanic materials. Their pore solution is characterized by a pH near 11, and an alkali concentration much lower than that of Portland cement. This work investigates the retention of sodium and potassium by a hydrated low-pH cement comprising 60% Portland cement and 40% silica fume. It is shown that sorption of potassium is higher than that of sodium and mainly results from counterion charge balancing of the C-S-H negative surface charge. To explain the greater retention of potassium compared to sodium, it is postulated that potassium, unlike sodium, may enter the interlayer of C-S-H to compensate the negative charges in the interlayer, in addition to the external surfaces. This assumption is supported by structural characterization of C-S-H using X-ray diffraction

  7. Bacterial polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers from arid soils improve water retention capacity and humidity uptake in sandy soil

    KAUST Repository

    Raddadi, Noura

    2018-05-31

    Water stress is a critical issue for plant growth in arid sandy soils. Here, we aimed to select bacteria producing polyextremotolerant surface-active compounds capable of improving water retention and humidity uptake in sandy soils.From Tunisian desert and saline systems, we selected eleven isolates able to highly emulsify different organic solvents. The bioemulsifying activities were stable with 30% NaCl, at 4 and 120 °C and in a pH range 4-12. Applications to a sandy soil of the partially purified surface-active compounds improved soil water retention up to 314.3% compared to untreated soil. Similarly, after 36 h of incubation, the humidity uptake rate of treated sandy soil was up to 607.7% higher than untreated controls.Overall, results revealed that polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers of bacteria from arid and desert soils represent potential sources to develop new natural soil-wetting agents for improving water retention in arid soils.

  8. Bacterial polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers from arid soils improve water retention capacity and humidity uptake in sandy soil

    KAUST Repository

    Raddadi, Noura; Giacomucci, Lucia; Marasco, Ramona; Daffonchio, Daniele; Cherif, Ameur; Fava, Fabio

    2018-01-01

    Water stress is a critical issue for plant growth in arid sandy soils. Here, we aimed to select bacteria producing polyextremotolerant surface-active compounds capable of improving water retention and humidity uptake in sandy soils.From Tunisian desert and saline systems, we selected eleven isolates able to highly emulsify different organic solvents. The bioemulsifying activities were stable with 30% NaCl, at 4 and 120 °C and in a pH range 4-12. Applications to a sandy soil of the partially purified surface-active compounds improved soil water retention up to 314.3% compared to untreated soil. Similarly, after 36 h of incubation, the humidity uptake rate of treated sandy soil was up to 607.7% higher than untreated controls.Overall, results revealed that polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers of bacteria from arid and desert soils represent potential sources to develop new natural soil-wetting agents for improving water retention in arid soils.

  9. Bacterial polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers from arid soils improve water retention capacity and humidity uptake in sandy soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raddadi, Noura; Giacomucci, Lucia; Marasco, Ramona; Daffonchio, Daniele; Cherif, Ameur; Fava, Fabio

    2018-05-31

    Water stress is a critical issue for plant growth in arid sandy soils. Here, we aimed to select bacteria producing polyextremotolerant surface-active compounds capable of improving water retention and humidity uptake in sandy soils. From Tunisian desert and saline systems, we selected eleven isolates able to highly emulsify different organic solvents. The bioemulsifying activities were stable with 30% NaCl, at 4 and 120 °C and in a pH range 4-12. Applications to a sandy soil of the partially purified surface-active compounds improved soil water retention up to 314.3% compared to untreated soil. Similarly, after 36 h of incubation, the humidity uptake rate of treated sandy soil was up to 607.7% higher than untreated controls. Overall, results revealed that polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers of bacteria from arid and desert soils represent potential sources to develop new natural soil-wetting agents for improving water retention in arid soils.

  10. Drought-avoiding plants with low water use can achieve high rainfall retention without jeopardising survival on green roofs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szota, Christopher; Farrell, Claire; Williams, Nicholas S G; Arndt, Stefan K; Fletcher, Tim D

    2017-12-15

    Green roofs are increasingly being used among the suite of tools designed to reduce the volume of surface water runoff generated by cities. Plants provide the primary mechanism for restoring the rainfall retention capacity of green roofs, but selecting plants with high water use is likely to increase drought stress. Using empirically-derived plant physiological parameters, we used a water balance model to assess the trade-off between rainfall retention and plant drought stress under a 30-year climate scenario. We compared high and low water users with either drought avoidance or drought tolerance strategies. Green roofs with low water-using, drought-avoiding species achieved high rainfall retention (66-81%) without experiencing significant drought stress. Roofs planted with other strategies showed high retention (72-90%), but they also experienced >50days of drought stress per year. However, not all species with the same strategy behaved similarly, therefore selecting plants based on water use and drought strategy alone does not guarantee survival in shallow substrates where drought stress can develop quickly. Despite this, it is more likely that green roofs will achieve high rainfall retention with minimal supplementary irrigation if planted with low water users with drought avoidance strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Urinary Retention Associated with Stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umemura, Takeru; Ohta, Hirotsugu; Yokota, Akira; Yarimizu, Shiroh; Nishizawa, Shigeru

    Patients often exhibit urinary retention following a stroke. Various neuropathological and animal studies have implicated the medulla oblongata, pons, limbic system, frontal lobe as areas responsible for micturition control, although the exact area responsible for urinary retention after stroke is not clear. The purpose of this study was to identify the stroke area responsible for urinary retention by localizing the areas where strokes occur. We assessed 110 patients with cerebral infarction and 27 patients with cerebral hemorrhage (78 men, 59 women; mean age, 73.0 years) who had been admitted to our hospital between October, 2012 and September, 2013. We used computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the stroke location, and evaluated whether post-stroke urinary retention occurred. Twelve (8.8%) of the 137 patients (7 men, 5 women; mean age, 78.8 years) exhibited urinary retention after a stroke. Stroke occurred in the right/left dominant hemisphere in 7 patients; nondominant hemisphere in 1; cerebellum in 3; and brainstem in 1. Strokes in the dominant hemisphere were associated with urinary retention (P = 0.0314), particularly in the area of the insula (P < 0.01). We concluded that stroke affecting the insula of the dominant hemisphere tends to cause urinary retention.

  12. Accurate prediction of retention in hydrophilic interaction chromatography by back calculation of high pressure liquid chromatography gradient profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Nu; Boswell, Paul G

    2017-10-20

    Gradient retention times are difficult to project from the underlying retention factor (k) vs. solvent composition (φ) relationships. A major reason for this difficulty is that gradients produced by HPLC pumps are imperfect - gradient delay, gradient dispersion, and solvent mis-proportioning are all difficult to account for in calculations. However, we recently showed that a gradient "back-calculation" methodology can measure these imperfections and take them into account. In RPLC, when the back-calculation methodology was used, error in projected gradient retention times is as low as could be expected based on repeatability in the k vs. φ relationships. HILIC, however, presents a new challenge: the selectivity of HILIC columns drift strongly over time. Retention is repeatable in short time, but selectivity frequently drifts over the course of weeks. In this study, we set out to understand if the issue of selectivity drift can be avoid by doing our experiments quickly, and if there any other factors that make it difficult to predict gradient retention times from isocratic k vs. φ relationships when gradient imperfections are taken into account with the back-calculation methodology. While in past reports, the accuracy of retention projections was >5%, the back-calculation methodology brought our error down to ∼1%. This result was 6-43 times more accurate than projections made using ideal gradients and 3-5 times more accurate than the same retention projections made using offset gradients (i.e., gradients that only took gradient delay into account). Still, the error remained higher in our HILIC projections than in RPLC. Based on the shape of the back-calculated gradients, we suspect the higher error is a result of prominent gradient distortion caused by strong, preferential water uptake from the mobile phase into the stationary phase during the gradient - a factor our model did not properly take into account. It appears that, at least with the stationary phase

  13. Does skill retention benefit from retentivity and symbolic rehearsal? - two studies with a simulated process control task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kluge, Annette; Frank, Barbara; Maafi, Sanaz; Kuzmanovska, Aleksandra

    2016-05-01

    Two experiments were designed to compare two symbolic rehearsal refresher interventions (imaginary practice, a hidden introspective process) and investigate the role of retentivity in skill retention. Retentivity is investigated as the ability to memorise and reproduce information and associations that were learned a short time ago. Both experiments comprised initial training (week 1), a symbolic rehearsal for the experimental group (week 2) and a retention assessment (week 3). In the first study, the experimental group received a symbolic rehearsal, while the control group received no rehearsal. In the second study, the experimental group received the same symbolic rehearsal used in study 1, enhanced with rehearsal tasks addressing human-computer interaction. The results showed that both symbolic rehearsal interventions were equally likely to mitigate skill decay. The retentivity showed medium to high correlations with skill retention in both studies, and the results suggest that subjects high in retentivity benefit more from a symbolic rehearsal refresher intervention. Practitioner Summary: Skill decay becomes a problem in situations in which jobs require the correct mastery of non-routine situations. Two experimental studies with simulated process control tasks showed that symbolic rehearsal and retentivity can significantly mitigate skill decay and that subjects higher in retentivity benefit more from refresher interventions.

  14. Impact of distributed virtual reality on engineering knowledge retention and student engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sulbaran, Tulio Alberto

    Engineering Education is facing many problems, one of which is poor knowledge retention among engineering students. This problem affects the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) industry, because students are unprepared for many necessary job skills. This problem of poor knowledge retention is caused by many factors, one of which is the mismatch between student learning preferences and the media used to teach engineering. The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of Distributed Virtual Reality (DVR) as an engineering teaching tool. The implementation of DVR addresses the issue of poor knowledge retention by impacting the mismatch between learning and teaching style in the visual versus verbal spectrum. Using as a point of departure three knowledge domain areas (Learning and Instruction, Distributed Virtual Reality and Crane Selection as Part of Crane Lift Planning), a DVR engineering teaching tool is developed, deployed and assessed in engineering classrooms. The statistical analysis of the data indicates that: (1) most engineering students are visual learners; (2) most students would like more classes using DVR; (3) engineering students find DVR more engaging than traditional learning methods; (4) most students find the responsiveness of the DVR environments to be either good or very good; (5) all students are able to interact with DVR and most of the students found it easy or very easy to navigate (without previous formal training in how to use DVR); (6) students' knowledge regarding the subject (crane selection) is higher after the experiment; and, (7) students' using different instructional media do not demonstrate statistical difference in knowledge retained after the experiment. This inter-disciplinary research offers opportunities for direct and immediate application in education, research, and industry, due to the fact that the instructional module developed (on crane selection as part of construction crane lift planning) can be

  15. Concept of Compound Retention Time for Organic Micro Pollutants in Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor with Nanofiltration

    KAUST Repository

    Pan, Jiangjiang

    2011-12-01

    Organic micropollutants (OMPs) have received more and more attention in recent years due to their potential harmful effects on public health and aquatic ecosystems, and eliminating OMPs in wastewater treatment systems is an important solution to control OMPs wastage. An innovative hybrid process, anaerobic membrane bioreactor with nanofiltration (AnMBR-NF), in which enhanced OMPs removal is possible based on the concept of compound retention time (CRT) through coupling anaerobic biodegradation and NF rejection, is proposed and examined in terms of preliminary feasibility in this study. First, NF membrane screening through sludge water dead-end filtration tests demonstrated that KOCH NF200 (molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) 200 Da, acid/base stable) performed best in organic matter rejection. Then, selected OMPs (ketobrofen and naproxen) in MQ water and a biologically treated wastewater matrix were filtered through NF200 under constant-pressure dead-end mode, with and without stirring, and several methods (contact angle, scanning electronic microscopy, Zeta potential, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy) were used to characterize membranes. Results show selected OMPs in MQ could be rejected (about 40%) by a clean NF200 membrane. The main rejection mechanism was initial absorption by the membrane followed by size exclusion (electric charge interaction plays a less important role). The wastewater matrix could enhance the rejection significantly (up to 90%) because effluent organic matter (EfOM) enhanced size exclusion and electric charge interaction through blocking membrane pores and forming a gel layer as well as binding some OMPs through partitioning followed by retention by NF. Third, an anaerobic bioreactor was set up to evaluate the anaerobic biodegradability of selected OMPs. Results showed selected OMPs could be absorbed by sludge and reached equilibrium within one day, and then were consumed by anaerobic microorganism with a half life 9.4 days for

  16. Military Retention. A Comparative Outlook

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasile Sminchise

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available One of the main goals for human resources management structures and for armed forces leaders is to maintain all necessary personnel, both qualitatively and quantitatively for operational needs or for full required capabilities. The retention of military personnel is essential to keep morale and unit readiness and to reduce the costs for recruiting, training, replacement of manpower. Retention rates depend not only on money or other social measures. The goal for retention is to keep in use the most valuable resource that belongs to an organization: the human beings and their knowledge. The aim pf this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of retention measures in various countries based on Research and Technology Organisation report released in 2007 and, thus, provide more examples of retention measures as far as the Romanian military system is concerned.

  17. Retention of Root Canal Posts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sahafi, A; Benetti, Ana Raquel; Flury, S

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the cement film thickness of a zinc phosphate or a resin cement on retention of untreated and pretreated root canal posts. Prefabricated zirconia posts (CosmoPost: 1.4 mm) and two types of luting cements (a zinc phosphate cement [DeTrey Zinc...... received tribochemical silicate coating according to the manufacturer's instructions. Posts were then luted in the prepared root canals (n=30 per group). Following water storage at 37°C for seven days, retention of the posts was determined by the pull-out method. Irrespective of the luting cement......, pretreatment with tribochemical silicate coating significantly increased retention of the posts. Increased cement film thickness resulted in decreased retention of untreated posts and of pretreated posts luted with zinc phosphate cement. Increased cement film thickness had no influence on retention...

  18. Job embeddedness and nurse retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reitz, O Ed; Anderson, Mary Ann; Hill, Pamela D

    2010-01-01

    Nurse retention is a different way of conceptualizing the employer-employee relationship when compared with turnover. Job embeddedness (JE), a construct based on retention, represents the sum of reasons why employees remain at their jobs. However, JE has not been investigated in relation to locale (urban or rural) or exclusively with a sample of registered nurses (RNs). The purpose of this study was to determine what factors (JE, age, gender, locale, and income) help predict nurse retention. A cross-sectional mailed survey design was used with RNs in different locales (urban or rural). Job embeddedness was measured by the score on the composite, standardized instrument. Nurse retention was measured by self-report items concerning intent to stay. A response rate of 49.3% was obtained. The typical respondent was female (96.1%), white, non-Hispanic (87.4%), and married (74.9%). Age and JE were predictive of nurse retention and accounted for 26% of the explained variance in intent to stay. Although age was a significant predictor of intent to stay, it accounted for only 1.4% of the variance while JE accounted for 24.6% of the variance of nurse retention (as measured by intent to stay). Older, more "embedded" nurses are more likely to remain employed in their current organization. Based on these findings, JE may form the basis for the development of an effective nurse retention program.

  19. Calculation of retention time tolerance windows with absolute confidence from shared liquid chromatographic retention data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boswell, Paul G; Abate-Pella, Daniel; Hewitt, Joshua T

    2015-09-18

    Compound identification by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a tedious process, mainly because authentic standards must be run on a user's system to be able to confidently reject a potential identity from its retention time and mass spectral properties. Instead, it would be preferable to use shared retention time/index data to narrow down the identity, but shared data cannot be used to reject candidates with an absolute level of confidence because the data are strongly affected by differences between HPLC systems and experimental conditions. However, a technique called "retention projection" was recently shown to account for many of the differences. In this manuscript, we discuss an approach to calculate appropriate retention time tolerance windows for projected retention times, potentially making it possible to exclude candidates with an absolute level of confidence, without needing to have authentic standards of each candidate on hand. In a range of multi-segment gradients and flow rates run among seven different labs, the new approach calculated tolerance windows that were significantly more appropriate for each retention projection than global tolerance windows calculated for retention projections or linear retention indices. Though there were still some small differences between the labs that evidently were not taken into account, the calculated tolerance windows only needed to be relaxed by 50% to make them appropriate for all labs. Even then, 42% of the tolerance windows calculated in this study without standards were narrower than those required by WADA for positive identification, where standards must be run contemporaneously. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. The grit effect: predicting retention in the military, the workplace, school and marriage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskreis-Winkler, Lauren; Shulman, Elizabeth P; Beal, Scott A; Duckworth, Angela L

    2014-01-01

    Remaining committed to goals is necessary (albeit not sufficient) to attaining them, but very little is known about domain-general individual differences that contribute to sustained goal commitment. The current investigation examines the association between grit, defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, other individual difference variables, and retention in four different contexts: the military, workplace sales, high school, and marriage. Grit predicted retention over and beyond established context-specific predictors of retention (e.g., intelligence, physical aptitude, Big Five personality traits, job tenure) and demographic variables in each setting. Grittier soldiers were more likely to complete an Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) selection course, grittier sales employees were more likely to keep their jobs, grittier students were more likely to graduate from high school, and grittier men were more likely to stay married. The relative predictive validity of grit compared to other traditional predictors of retention is examined in each of the four studies. These findings suggest that in addition to domain-specific influences, there may be domain-general individual differences which influence commitment to diverse life goals over time.

  1. A facility specialist model for improving retention of nursing home staff: results from a randomized, controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pillemer, Karl; Meador, Rhoda; Henderson, Charles; Robison, Julie; Hegeman, Carol; Graham, Edwin; Schultz, Leslie

    2008-07-01

    This article reports on a randomized, controlled intervention study designed to reduce employee turnover by creating a retention specialist position in nursing homes. We collected data three times over a 1-year period in 30 nursing homes, sampled in stratified random manner from facilities in New York State and Connecticut and randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. Staff outcomes were measured through certified nursing assistant interviews, and turnover rates were measured over the course of the year. In the intervention condition, a staff member was selected to be the facility retention specialist, who would advocate for and implement programs to improve staff retention and commitment throughout the facility. Retention specialists received an intensive 3-day training in retention leadership and in a number of evidence-based retention programs. Ongoing support was provided throughout the project. Treatment facilities experienced significant declines in turnover rates compared to control facilities. As predicted, we found positive effects on certified nursing assistant assessments of the quality of retention efforts and of care provided in the facility; we did not find effects for job satisfaction or stress. The study provides evidence for the effectiveness of the retention specialist model. Findings from a detailed process evaluation suggest modifications of the program that may increase program effects.

  2. Climatic variability and its role in regulating C, N and P retention in the James River Estuary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukaveckas, Paul A.; Beck, Michael; Devore, Dana; Lee, William M.

    2018-05-01

    Transformations and retention of C, N and P inputs to estuaries are subject to external factors such as discharge-driven variation in loading rates, and internal processes regulating biogeochemical cycles. We used an 8-year time series of finely resolved (monthly) mass balances for the tidal freshwater segment of the James River Estuary to assess the influence of discharge and temperature on C, N and P retention. Peak export and retention of organic, likely particulate, fractions occurred in months of highest discharge. With increasing discharge we observed higher mass retention, greater proportional retention (in relation to inputs) and more selective retention (with P retained preferentially over N and C). DIN retention was strongly influenced by water temperature with 10-fold high retention occurring at high (>20 °C) vs. low (estuaries is in dissolved inorganic form, and therefore subject to temperature dependent rates of biological assimilation and denitrification. By contrast, the bulk of the P load was in particulate form, which is retained via sediment trapping, and not appreciably affected by water temperature. The tidal freshwater estuary was an important site for nutrient removal where the accumulation of N- and P- rich materials may delay recovery in response to nutrient load reductions.

  3. Influence of the mechanical properties of resilient denture liners on the retention of overdenture attachments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubo, Keitaro; Koike, Takashi; Ueda, Takayuki; Sakurai, Kaoru

    2018-03-15

    Information is lacking about the selection criteria for silicone resilient denture liners applied as a matrix material for attachments on overdentures. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the mechanical properties of silicone resilient denture liners and their influence on the initial retention force of overdenture attachments and the reduction in retention force over time. Nine types of silicone resilient denture liner were injected and fixed to the matrix section of an experimental denture base. They were then fitted to an epoxy resin model that simulated the residual ridge with a patrix ball attachment (n=10). The retention force of the denture was measured with a digital force gauge, and the maximum force of traction (N) was regarded as the initial retention force. The retention force reduction (N) after repeated insertion and removal (n=5) was calculated by subtracting the retention force after 3348 cycles (3-year simulated insertion and removal) from the initial retention force. The intaglio of the matrix was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) before and after the 3348 cycles. Four mechanical properties (hardness, strain-in-compression, tensile strength, and arithmetic mean roughness) of the resilient denture liners were measured. One-way ANOVA of the initial retention force of each lining material was performed, followed by the Scheffe test (α=.05). Pearson correlation analysis was used (α=.05) to analyze correlations of the initial retention force with the retention force reduction after insertion and removal and the mechanical properties of each material. Multiple regression analysis with the stepwise method extracted the initial retention force and the retention force reduction as dependent variables, and the resilient denture liner mechanical properties as explanatory variables (α=.05). The initial retention force of the resilient denture liners was 1.3 to 5.4 N. Multiple comparisons showed significant differences in

  4. Codend selectivity in a commercial Danish anchor seine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noack, Thomas; Frandsen, Rikke; Krag, Ludvig Ahm

    2017-01-01

    Danish seining (or anchor seining) is a fishing technique that is gaining increasing attention because itis considered to be a fuel-efficient fishing method with low environmental impact. However, scientificdocumentation of the selectivity characteristics of Danish seines is lacking, and the gear....... The estimatedselectivity curve of dab indicated, contrary to cod and plaice, low retention of individuals below MLS.Confidence limits for larger length classes of cod and red gurnard were relatively wide. For plaice, theestimated selection factor, which is the length with 50% retention divided by mesh size...

  5. Emergence, Retention and Selection: A Trilogy of Origination for Functional De Novo Proteins from Ancestral LncRNAs in Primates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jia-Yu Chen

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available While some human-specific protein-coding genes have been proposed to originate from ancestral lncRNAs, the transition process remains poorly understood. Here we identified 64 hominoid-specific de novo genes and report a mechanism for the origination of functional de novo proteins from ancestral lncRNAs with precise splicing structures and specific tissue expression profiles. Whole-genome sequencing of dozens of rhesus macaque animals revealed that these lncRNAs are generally not more selectively constrained than other lncRNA loci. The existence of these newly-originated de novo proteins is also not beyond anticipation under neutral expectation, as they generally have longer theoretical lifespan than their current age, due to their GC-rich sequence property enabling stable ORFs with lower chance of non-sense mutations. Interestingly, although the emergence and retention of these de novo genes are likely driven by neutral forces, population genetics study in 67 human individuals and 82 macaque animals revealed signatures of purifying selection on these genes specifically in human population, indicating a proportion of these newly-originated proteins are already functional in human. We thus propose a mechanism for creation of functional de novo proteins from ancestral lncRNAs during the primate evolution, which may contribute to human-specific genetic novelties by taking advantage of existed genomic contexts.

  6. Forage fiber effects on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in heifers fed highly digestible grass/clover silages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulze, Anne-Katrine Skovsted; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Storm, Adam Christian

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NDF content in highly digestible grass/clover silage on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in dairy heifers. The reduction in particle size from feed to feces was evaluated and related to feed intake...... measured. Intake of NDF increased linearly from 2.3 to 2.8 kg/d with greater NDF content of forages (P = 0.01), but silages were exposed to similar eating time (P = 0.55) and rumination time per kg NDF (P = 0.35). No linear effect of NDF content was found on proportion of LP in ingested feed boluses (P = 0.......31), medial rumen digesta (P = 0.95), ventral rumen digesta (P = 0.84), and feces (P = 0.09). Greater proportions of DM (P ruminal digesta compared with ventral rumen, and differences in DM proportion increased with greater NDF content (P = 0...

  7. Urinary retention in women

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Urinary retention in women. Urinary retention in women is often transient and of no known cause. ... stones, constipation, urethral cancer, uterine fibroids ... present with abnormal bladder function secondary to ... (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or myelography ... full blood count, urea, electrolytes and creatinine can ...

  8. Selectivity differences of water-soluble vitamins separated on hydrophilic interaction stationary phases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yuanzhong; Boysen, Reinhard I; Hearn, Milton T W

    2013-06-01

    In this study, the retention behavior and selectivity differences of water-soluble vitamins were evaluated with three types of polar stationary phases (i.e. an underivatized silica phase, an amide phase, and an amino phase) operated in the hydrophilic interaction chromatographic mode with ESI mass spectrometric detection. The effects of mobile phase composition, including buffer pH and concentration, on the retention and selectivity of the vitamins were investigated. In all stationary phases, the neutral or weakly charged vitamins exhibited very weak retention under each of the pH conditions, while the acidic and more basic vitamins showed diverse retention behaviors. With the underivatized silica phase, increasing the salt concentration of the mobile phase resulted in enhanced retention of the acidic vitamins, but decreased retention of the basic vitamins. These observations thus signify the involvement of secondary mechanisms, such as electrostatic interaction in the retention of these analytes. Under optimized conditions, a baseline separation of all vitamins was achieved with excellent peak efficiency. In addition, the effects of water content in the sample on retention and peak efficiency were examined, with sample stacking effects observed when the injected sample contained a high amount of water. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Understanding data sources to measure patient retention in HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clouse, Kate; Phillips, Tamsin; Myer, Landon

    2017-07-01

    Antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in sub-Saharan Africa are moving towards universal treatment, yet the success of these programs is threatened by gaps within the continuum of HIV care. In this commentary, we seek to draw attention to the advantages and limitations of different data sources currently used for measuring retention in HIV care. Within the context of a piecemeal combination of imperfect data sources, selecting a gold standard of collecting retention data is difficult. Currently, our data systems for measuring retention provide an incomplete picture of the health of our national ART systems and, thus, the health of our patients. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Retention of HIV-Positive Adolescents in Care: A Quality Improvement Intervention in Mid-Western Uganda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Izudi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Low retention of HIV-positive adolescents in care is a major problem across HIV programs. Approximately 70% of adolescents were nonretained in care at Katooke Health Center, Mid-Western Uganda. Consequently, a quality improvement (QI project was started to increase retention from 29.3% in May 2016 to 90% in May 2017. Methods. In May 2016, we analyzed data for retention, prioritized gaps with theme-matrix selection, analyzed root causes with fishbone diagram, developed site-specific improvement changes and prioritized with countermeasures matrix, and implemented improvement changes with Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA. Identified root causes were missing follow-up strategy, stigma and discrimination, difficult health facility access, and missing scheduled appointments. Interventions tested included generating list of adolescents who missed scheduled appointments, use of mobile phone technology, and linkage of adolescents to nearest health facilities (PDSA 1, Adolescent Only Clinic (PDSA 2, and monthly meetings to address care and treatment challenges (PDSA 3. Results. Retention increased from 17 (29.3% in May 2016 to 60 (96.7% in August 2016 and was maintained above 90% until May 2017 (with exception of February and May 2017 recording 100% retention levels. Conclusion. Context specific, integrated, adolescent-centered interventions implemented using QI significantly improved retention in Mid-Western Uganda.

  11. Application-Based Crossword Puzzles: Players’ Perception and Vocabulary Retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dzulfikri Dzulfikri

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the perceptions of students towards Application-Based Crossword Puzzles and how playing this game can affect the development of vocabulary amongst students. Drawing on Vygostky’s Socio-Cultural Theory which states that the human mind is mediated by cultural artifacts, the nature of this game poses challenges and builds curiosity, allowing players to pay more attention to the words to fill in the boxes which subsequently enhances their retention of vocabulary. This game has very good potential to build positive perceptions and to develop cognition in the linguistic domain of players, i.e. the amount of their vocabulary. In this study, the researcher conducted interviews with eligible or selected student players to find out their perceptions toward this game and administered a vocabulary test to find out how this game had added to the retention in memory of new words acquired by the players from the game. The study findings showed that the participants perceive this game positively and it affects the players’ vocabulary retention positively as indicated by their test results. It is recommended that English teachers consider using Application-Based Crossword Puzzles to help students build their vocabularies especially as part of extracurricular activities.

  12. 76 FR 24089 - Credit Risk Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-29

    ... 17 CFR Part 246 Department of Housing and Urban Development 24 CFR Part 267 Credit Risk Retention... 2501-AD53 Credit Risk Retention AGENCIES: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury (OCC..., Commission, FHFA, and HUD (the Agencies) are proposing rules to implement the credit risk retention...

  13. Posttreatment and retention outcomes with and without periodontally accelerated osteogenic orthodontics assessed using ABO objective grading system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donald J Ferguson

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The posttreatment and retention outcomes following nonextraction orthodontic therapy, with and without corticotomy, were assessed using the American Board of Orthodontists objective grading system (OGS. Purpose: The purpose was to determine if the course of retention was any different following alveolar decortication and augmentation bone grafting, i.e., periodontally accelerated osteogenic orthodontics (PAOO. Materials and Methods: Study casts and panoramic radiographs of patients with and without PAOO (28 subjects each were selected on the basis of the following: (1 comprehensive nonextraction orthodontic treatment using straight wire edgewise appliances for Class I crowding, (2 availability of immediate posttreatment records and retention records at least 1 year post de-bracketing, and (3 use of Hawley removable retainers with similar wearing instructions. Results: Independent and paired t-test statistical testing revealed the following: (1 Posttreatment orthodontic outcomes were the same, with or without corticotomy. (2 During retention, 5 of 8 ABO grading criteria improved for the sample without corticotomy, and 6 of 8 ABO grading criteria improved for the group with corticotomy. (3 Retention outcome scores were lower (better for alignment and marginal ridges in the corticotomy-facilitated group. (4 The total score was significantly lower (better for the corticotomy group at retention and the increment of total score change decreased (improved significantly more during retention following corticotomy. Conclusions: The retention phase was more favorable following corticotomy because the amount of OGS total score change demonstrated a significantly improved retention outcome following PAOO therapy.

  14. Retention capacity of correlated surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schrenk, K J; Araújo, N A M; Ziff, R M; Herrmann, H J

    2014-06-01

    We extend the water retention model [C. L. Knecht et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 045703 (2012)] to correlated random surfaces. We find that the retention capacity of discrete random landscapes is strongly affected by spatial correlations among the heights. This phenomenon is related to the emergence of power-law scaling in the lake volume distribution. We also solve the uncorrelated case exactly for a small lattice and present bounds on the retention of uncorrelated landscapes.

  15. Retention capacity of correlated surfaces

    OpenAIRE

    Schrenk, K. J.; Araújo, N. A. M.; Ziff, R. M.; Herrmann, H. J.

    2014-01-01

    We extend the water retention model [C. L. Knecht et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 045703 (2012)] to correlated random surfaces. We find that the retention capacity of discrete random landscapes is strongly affected by spatial correlations among the heights. This phenomenon is related to the emergence of power-law scaling in the lake volume distribution. We also solve the uncorrelated case exactly for a small lattice and present bounds on the retention of uncorrelated landscapes.

  16. Forage fiber effects on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in heifers fed highly digestible grass/clover silages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulze, A K S; Weisbjerg, M R; Storm, A C; Nørgaard, P

    2014-06-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NDF content in highly digestible grass/clover silage on particle size reduction, ruminal stratification, and selective retention in dairy heifers. The reduction in particle size from feed to feces was evaluated and related to feed intake, chewing activity, and apparent digestibility. Four grass/clover harvests (Mixtures of Lolium perenne, Trifolium pratense, and Trifolium repens) were performed from early May to late August at different maturities, at different regrowth stages, and with different clover proportions, resulting in silages with NDF contents of 312, 360, 371, and 446 g/kg DM, respectively, and decreasing NDF digestibility with greater NDF content. Four rumen-fistulated dairy heifers were fed silage at 90% of ad libitum level as the only feed source in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Silage, ingested feed boluses, medial and ventral ruminal digesta, and feces samples were washed with neutral detergent in nylon bags of 10-μm pore size, freeze dried, and divided into small (1 mm) particles by dry-sieving. Chewing activity, rumen pool size, and apparent digestibility were measured. Intake of NDF increased linearly from 2.3 to 2.8 kg/d with greater NDF content of forages (P = 0.01), but silages were exposed to similar eating time (P = 0.55) and rumination time per kg NDF (P = 0.35). No linear effect of NDF content was found on proportion of LP in ingested feed boluses (P = 0.31), medial rumen digesta (P = 0.95), ventral rumen digesta (P = 0.84), and feces (P = 0.09). Greater proportions of DM (P ruminal digesta compared with ventral rumen, and differences in DM proportion increased with greater NDF content (P = 0.02). Particle size distributions were similar for digesta from the medial and ventral rumen regardless of NDF content of the silages (P > 0.13). The LP proportion was >30% of particles in the ventral and medial rumen, whereas in the feces, the LP proportion was content of the silages

  17. Influence of twin-screw hot extrusion on linolenic acid retention in flaxseed meal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imran, M.

    2014-01-01

    flaxseed (linum usitatissimum l.) provides multiple nutritional benefits including high quality protein, dietary fiber and is the most abundant source of alpha-linolenic acid (c18:3). This study focuses on the effect of twin-screw hot extrusion on alpha-linolenic acid retention in full-fat flaxseed meal. the ranges of processing variables selected using box-behnken design were barrel exit temperature (bet) of 120-140 degree c; screw speed (ss) of 200-400 rpm; feed rate (fr) of 1-2 kg/h and feed moisture (fm) of 20-30%. The amount of alpha-linolenic acid retention in extruded samples ranged from 89.2% to 99.3%. Optimal operating conditions were stablished; bet (121degree c), ss (388 rpm), fr (1 kg/h) and fm (22.2%) for maximum (99.9%) retention of degree-linolenic acid. This effect was mainly dependent on bet and fm (p degree 0.01), whereas ss and fr imparted a lesser effect (p=0.05). The results of this study demonstrated that the twin-screw hot extrusion can be successfully explored to produce fatty meals with significant fatty acids retention for commercially food or feed purposes. (author)

  18. The grit effect: predicting retention in the military, the workplace, school and marriage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lauren eEskreis-Winkler

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Remaining committed to goals is necessary (albeit not sufficient to attaining them, but very little is known about domain-general individual differences that contribute to sustained goal commitment. The current investigation examines the association between grit, defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, other individual difference variables, and retention in four different contexts: the military, workplace sales, high school, and marriage. Grit predicted retention over and beyond established context-specific predictors of retention (e.g. intelligence, physical aptitude, Big Five personality traits, job tenure and demographic variables in each setting. Grittier soldiers were more likely to complete an Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF selection course, grittier sales employees were more likely to keep their jobs, grittier students were more likely to graduate from high school, and grittier men were more likely to stay married. The relative predictive validity of grit compared to other traditional predictors of retention is examined in each of the four studies. These findings suggest that in addition to domain-specific influences, there may be domain-general individual differences which influence commitment to diverse life goals over time.

  19. Prediction of gas chromatography/electron capture detector retention times of chlorinated pesticides, herbicides, and organohalides by multivariate chemometrics methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghasemi, Jahanbakhsh; Asadpour, Saeid; Abdolmaleki, Azizeh

    2007-01-01

    A quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) study, has been carried out on the gas chromatograph/electron capture detector (GC/ECD) system retention times (t R s) of 38 diverse chlorinated pesticides, herbicides, and organohalides by using molecular structural descriptors. Modeling of retention times of these compounds as a function of the theoretically derived descriptors was established by multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares (PLS) regression. The stepwise regression using SPSS was used for the selection of the variables that resulted in the best-fitted models. Appropriate models with low standard errors and high correlation coefficients were obtained. Three types of molecular descriptors including electronic, steric and thermodynamic were used to develop a quantitative relationship between the retention times and structural properties. MLR and PLS analysis has been carried out to derive the best QSRR models. After variables selection, MLR and PLS methods used with leave-one-out cross validation for building the regression models. The predictive quality of the QSRR models were tested for an external prediction set of 12 compounds randomly chosen from 38 compounds. The PLS regression method was used to model the structure-retention relationships, more accurately. However, the results surprisingly showed more or less the same quality for MLR and PLS modeling according to squared regression coefficients R 2 which were 0.951 and 0.948 for MLR and PLS, respectively

  20. A Qualitative Exploration of College Student Retention: Personal Experiences of Millennial Freshmen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, Kristen

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to discover personal reasons Millennial college freshmen, between the ages of 18-20, stated as obstacles to college retention. Fourteen students from a private college in the Midwest were selected to participate in an interview process. These students were asked a series of open-ended questions…

  1. Why Do They Stay? Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Job Satisfaction and Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrachione, Beverly A.; Rosser, Vicki J.; Petersen, George J.

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify intrinsic and extrinsic variables that influence teacher job satisfaction and retention. A survey was sent to 300 randomly selected Missouri public elementary school teachers in grades K-5 having 5 or more years of teaching experience. The results from 201 respondents suggest that three intrinsic…

  2. Uncovering client retention antecedents in service organizations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mari Jansen van Rensburg

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper develops a multi-dimensional model of retention to provide a more complete and integrated view of client retention and its determinants in service contexts. To uncover the antecedents of client retention, social and economic exchanges were reviewed under the fundamental ideas of the Social Exchange Theory. Findings from a survey of senior South African advertising executives suggest that client retention is the result of evaluative as well as relational factors that can influence client responses. Despite contractual obligations, advertisers are willing to pay the costs and make the sacrifices of switching should their expectations be unmet. An important contribution of this study is the use of multi-item scales to measure retention. The model developed provides valuable insight to agencies on client retention management and the optimal allocation of resources for maximum customer equity. This model may also be applied to other service organisations to provide insight to client retention.

  3. Carbon deposition and hydrogen retention in tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanabe, Tetsuo

    2006-01-01

    The results of measurements on co-deposition of hydrogen isotopes and wall materials, hydrogen retention, redeposition of carbon and deposition of hydrogen on PMI of JT-60U are described. From above results, selection of plasma facing material and ability of carbon wall is discussed. Selection of plasma facing materials in fusion reactor, characteristics of carbon materials as the plasma facing materials, erosion, transport and deposition of carbon impurity, deposition of tritium in JET, results of PMI in JT-60, application of carbon materials to PFM of ITER, and future problems are stated. Tritium co-deposition in ITER, erosion and transport of carbon in tokamak, distribution of tritium deposition on graphite tile used as bumper limiter of TFTR, and measurement results of deposition of tritium on the Mark-IIA divertor tile and comparison between them are described. (S.Y.)

  4. Predicting the chromatographic retention of polymers: application of the polymer model to poly(styrene/ethylacrylate)copolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bashir, Mubasher A; Radke, Wolfgang

    2012-02-17

    The retention behavior of a range of statistical poly(styrene/ethylacrylate) copolymers is investigated, in order to determine the possibility to predict retention volumes of these copolymers based on a suitable chromatographic retention model. It was found that the composition of elution in gradient chromatography of the copolymers is closely related to the eluent composition at which, in isocratic chromatography, the transition from elution in adsorption to exclusion mode occurs. For homopolymers this transition takes place at a critical eluent composition at which the molar mass dependence of elution volume vanishes. Thus, similar critical eluent compositions can be defined for statistical copolymers. The existence of a critical eluent composition is further supported by the narrower peak width, indicating that the broad molar mass distribution of the samples does not contribute to the retention volume. It is shown that the existing retention model for homopolymers allows for correct quantitative predictions of retention volumes based on only three appropriate initial experiments. The selection of these initial experiments involves a gradient run and two isocratic experiments, one at the composition of elution calculated from first gradient run and second at a slightly higher eluent strength. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Nutrient retention values and cooking yield factors for three South African lamb and mutton cuts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Heerden, Salomina M; Strydom, Phillip E

    2017-11-01

    Nutrient content of raw and cooked foods is important for formulation of healthy diets. The retention of nutrients during cooking can be influenced by various factors, including animal age, carcass characteristics and cooking method, and these factors are often unique to specific countries. Here the effects of animal age (lamb and mutton) and carcass cut (shoulder, loin and leg) combined with cooking method (moist heat and dry heat) on yield and nutrient retention of selected nutrients of South African sheep carcasses were studied. Cooking yields and moisture retention were lower for lamb loin but higher for lamb leg. Energy and fat retention were higher for all cuts of mutton compared with lamb, while higher retention values for cholesterol were recorded for lamb. Mutton retained more iron (P = 0.10) and zinc and also more vitamin B 2 , B 6 and B 12 than lamb. Shoulder cooked according to moist heat cooking method retained more magnesium, potassium and sodium. Incorporating these retention and yield values into the South African Medical Research Council's Food Composition Tables provides a reliable reference to all concerned with nutrient content of food. It will also guide practitioners and primary industry to adjust animal production aimed at optimum nutrient content to specific diets. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  6. Retention of Emergency Care Knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burckes, Mardie E.; Shao, Kung Ping Pam

    1984-01-01

    Data on the emergency care knowledge of college students were measured by a pretest, posttest, and retention test. A high relationship was found between students' posttest scores and retention test scores. Findings are discussed. (Author/DF)

  7. Variance in exposed perturbations impairs retention of visuomotor adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canaveral, Cesar Augusto; Danion, Frédéric; Berrigan, Félix; Bernier, Pierre-Michel

    2017-11-01

    Sensorimotor control requires an accurate estimate of the state of the body. The brain optimizes state estimation by combining sensory signals with predictions of the sensory consequences of motor commands using a forward model. Given that both sensory signals and predictions are uncertain (i.e., noisy), the brain optimally weights the relative reliance on each source of information during adaptation. In support, it is known that uncertainty in the sensory predictions influences the rate and generalization of visuomotor adaptation. We investigated whether uncertainty in the sensory predictions affects the retention of a new visuomotor relationship. This was done by exposing three separate groups to a visuomotor rotation whose mean was common at 15° counterclockwise but whose variance around the mean differed (i.e., SD of 0°, 3.2°, or 4.5°). Retention was assessed by measuring the persistence of the adapted behavior in a no-vision phase. Results revealed that mean reach direction late in adaptation was similar across groups, suggesting it depended mainly on the mean of exposed rotations and was robust to differences in variance. However, retention differed across groups, with higher levels of variance being associated with a more rapid reversion toward nonadapted behavior. A control experiment ruled out the possibility that differences in retention were accounted for by differences in success rates. Exposure to variable rotations may have increased the uncertainty in sensory predictions, making the adapted forward model more labile and susceptible to change or decay. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The brain predicts the sensory consequences of motor commands through a forward model. These predictions are subject to uncertainty. We use visuomotor adaptation and modulate uncertainty in the sensory predictions by manipulating the variance in exposed rotations. Results reveal that variance does not influence the final extent of adaptation but selectively impairs the retention of

  8. Effect of polymers on the retention and aging of enzyme on bioactive papers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Mohidus Samad; Haniffa, Sharon B M; Slater, Alison; Garnier, Gil

    2010-08-01

    The effect of polymer on the retention and the thermal stability of bioactive enzymatic papers was measured using a colorimetric technique quantifying the intensity of the enzyme-substrate product complex. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was used as model enzyme. Three water soluble polymers: a cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM), an anionic polyacrylic acid (PAA) and a neutral polyethylene oxide (PEO) were selected as retention aids. The model polymers increased the enzyme adsorption on paper by around 50% and prevented enzyme desorption upon rewetting of the papers. The thermal deactivation of ALP retained on paper with polymers follows two sequential first order reactions. This was also observed for ALP simply physisorbed on paper. The retention aid polymers instigated a rapid initial deactivation which significantly decreased the longevity of the enzymatic papers. This suggests some enzyme-polymer interaction probably affecting the enzyme tertiary structure. A deactivation mathematical model predicting the enzymatic paper half-life was developed. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Factors affecting retention in science-based curriculums at HBCUs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pelham, J.

    1991-01-01

    A systematic and comprehensive study of the retention of minority students enrolled in college-level engineering was conducted. The majority of prior work in this area focused on institutional retention factors for students in non-specified majors and considered students dropouts'' whenever there was a break in enrollment. This study looked only at students whose beginning major was engineering, enrolled primarily at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including a comparison sample from a predominantly white institution (PWI). Science persisters were defined as those students who continuously enrolled in post-secondary institutions full- and part-time -- whether or not they transferred between institutions. The critical factor was their continued enrollment in engineering. Study participants provided four types of information: (1) a measure of academic motivation, (2) an objective measure of science interest, (3) a measure of nine aspects of normal personality functioning, and (4) an assessment of selected demographic variables. 64 refs.

  10. Factors affecting retention in science-based curriculums at HBCUs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pelham, J.

    1991-12-31

    A systematic and comprehensive study of the retention of minority students enrolled in college-level engineering was conducted. The majority of prior work in this area focused on institutional retention factors for students in non-specified majors and considered students ``dropouts`` whenever there was a break in enrollment. This study looked only at students whose beginning major was engineering, enrolled primarily at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including a comparison sample from a predominantly white institution (PWI). Science persisters were defined as those students who continuously enrolled in post-secondary institutions full- and part-time -- whether or not they transferred between institutions. The critical factor was their continued enrollment in engineering. Study participants provided four types of information: (1) a measure of academic motivation, (2) an objective measure of science interest, (3) a measure of nine aspects of normal personality functioning, and (4) an assessment of selected demographic variables. 64 refs.

  11. A quantitative structure- property relationship of gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric retention data of 85 volatile organic compounds as air pollutant materials by multivariate methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarkhosh Maryam

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR study is suggested for the prediction of retention times of volatile organic compounds. Various kinds of molecular descriptors were calculated to represent the molecular structure of compounds. Modeling of retention times of these compounds as a function of the theoretically derived descriptors was established by multiple linear regression (MLR and artificial neural network (ANN. The stepwise regression was used for the selection of the variables which gives the best-fitted models. After variable selection ANN, MLR methods were used with leave-one-out cross validation for building the regression models. The prediction results are in very good agreement with the experimental values. MLR as the linear regression method shows good ability in the prediction of the retention times of the prediction set. This provided a new and effective method for predicting the chromatography retention index for the volatile organic compounds.

  12. Prediction of the retention of s-triazines in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography under linear gradient-elution conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Archivio, Angelo Antonio; Maggi, Maria Anna; Ruggieri, Fabrizio

    2014-08-01

    In this paper, a multilayer artificial neural network is used to model simultaneously the effect of solute structure and eluent concentration profile on the retention of s-triazines in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography under linear gradient elution. The retention data of 24 triazines, including common herbicides and their metabolites, are collected under 13 different elution modes, covering the following experimental domain: starting acetonitrile volume fraction ranging between 40 and 60% and gradient slope ranging between 0 and 1% acetonitrile/min. The gradient parameters together with five selected molecular descriptors, identified by quantitative structure-retention relationship modelling applied to individual separation conditions, are the network inputs. Predictive performance of this model is evaluated on six external triazines and four unseen separation conditions. For comparison, retention of triazines is modelled by both quantitative structure-retention relationships and response surface methodology, which describe separately the effect of molecular structure and gradient parameters on the retention. Although applied to a wider variable domain, the network provides a performance comparable to that of the above "local" models and retention times of triazines are modelled with accuracy generally better than 7%. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Parametric soil water retention models: a critical evaluation of expressions for the full moisture range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madi, Raneem; Huibert de Rooij, Gerrit; Mielenz, Henrike; Mai, Juliane

    2018-02-01

    Few parametric expressions for the soil water retention curve are suitable for dry conditions. Furthermore, expressions for the soil hydraulic conductivity curves associated with parametric retention functions can behave unrealistically near saturation. We developed a general criterion for water retention parameterizations that ensures physically plausible conductivity curves. Only 3 of the 18 tested parameterizations met this criterion without restrictions on the parameters of a popular conductivity curve parameterization. A fourth required one parameter to be fixed. We estimated parameters by shuffled complex evolution (SCE) with the objective function tailored to various observation methods used to obtain retention curve data. We fitted the four parameterizations with physically plausible conductivities as well as the most widely used parameterization. The performance of the resulting 12 combinations of retention and conductivity curves was assessed in a numerical study with 751 days of semiarid atmospheric forcing applied to unvegetated, uniform, 1 m freely draining columns for four textures. Choosing different parameterizations had a minor effect on evaporation, but cumulative bottom fluxes varied by up to an order of magnitude between them. This highlights the need for a careful selection of the soil hydraulic parameterization that ideally does not only rely on goodness of fit to static soil water retention data but also on hydraulic conductivity measurements. Parameter fits for 21 soils showed that extrapolations into the dry range of the retention curve often became physically more realistic when the parameterization had a logarithmic dry branch, particularly in fine-textured soils where high residual water contents would otherwise be fitted.

  14. Influence of cement film thickness on the retention of implant-retained crowns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehl, Christian; Harder, Sönke; Steiner, Martin; Vollrath, Oliver; Kern, Matthias

    2013-12-01

    The main goal of this study was to establish a new, high precision procedure to evaluate the influence of cement film thickness on the retention of cemented implant-retained crowns. Ninety-six tapered titanium abutments (6° taper, 4.3 mm diameter, Camlog) were shortened to 4 mm. Computer-aided design was used to design the crowns, and selective laser sintering, using a cobalt-chromium alloy, was used to produce the crowns. This method used a focused high-energy laser beam to fuse a localized region of metal powder to build up the crowns gradually. Before cementing, preset cement film thicknesses of 15, 50, 80, or 110 μm were established. Glass ionomer, polycarboxylate, or resin cements were used for cementation. After 3 days storage in demineralized water, the retention of the crowns was measured in tension using a universal testing machine. The cement film thicknesses could be achieved with a high level of precision. Interactions between the factors cement and cement film thickness could be found (p ≤ 0.001). For all cements, crown retention decreased significantly between a cement film thickness of 15 and 50 μm (p ≤ 0.001). At 15 μm cement film thickness, the resin cement was the most retentive cement, followed by the polycarboxylate and then the glass ionomer cement (p ≤ 0.05). The results suggest that cement film thickness has an influence on the retentive strength of cemented implant-retained crowns. © 2013 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

  15. An Exploration of How Elementary School Principals Approach the Student Retention Decision Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Hicks, Laura M.

    2012-01-01

    This is a constructivist grounded theory study investigating how elementary principals approach the student retention decision process in their schools. Twenty-two elementary principals participated in the study using a selective or snowball sampling method. Principals worked in one of three districts in a mid-Atlantic state and had experience as…

  16. On the optimal design of risk retention in securitisation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Metin Kaptan

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the optimal design of retention in securitisation, in order to maximize welfare of screening per unit of retention, assuming that screening is costly and that the bank intends to securitise its loans. In contrast to the focus of previous literature on tranche retention, we deviate from the constitutional mechanisms of tranche retention to present a pareto-optimal method of tranche retention. Unlike the current ad-hoc-regulations, we derive the optimal design of retention from a utility maximization problem. We show that the level of retention per tranche should be dependent on the rate of credit default, i.e. the higher the rate of default, the higher the optimal rate of retention required to provide an incentive to screen carefully. From this approach, it follows that the rate of retention per tranche should be higher, the higher the position within the ranking order of subordination. Accordingly, the efficiency of tranche retention can be enhanced, reducing the level of retention required to maintain a given level of screening-effort. This retention design entails a recovery of the bank’s equity capital, thereby increasing liquidity and lending capacities.

  17. Breastfeeding reduces postpartum weight retention

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baker, Jennifer Lyn; Gamborg, Michael; Heitmann, Berit L

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Weight gained during pregnancy and not lost postpartum may contribute to obesity in women of childbearing age. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether breastfeeding reduces postpartum weight retention (PPWR) in a population among which full breastfeeding is common and breastfeeding...... duration is long. DESIGN: We selected women from the Danish National Birth Cohort who ever breastfed (>98%), and we conducted the interviews at 6 (n = 36 030) and 18 (n = 26 846) mo postpartum. We used regression analyses to investigate whether breastfeeding (scored to account for duration and intensity......) reduced PPWR at 6 and 18 mo after adjustment for maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG). RESULTS: GWG was positively (P postpartum. Breastfeeding was negatively associated with PPWR in all women but those...

  18. Data Retention and Anonymity Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berthold, Stefan; Böhme, Rainer; Köpsell, Stefan

    The recently introduced legislation on data retention to aid prosecuting cyber-related crime in Europe also affects the achievable security of systems for anonymous communication on the Internet. We argue that data retention requires a review of existing security evaluations against a new class of realistic adversary models. In particular, we present theoretical results and first empirical evidence for intersection attacks by law enforcement authorities. The reference architecture for our study is the anonymity service AN.ON, from which we also collect empirical data. Our adversary model reflects an interpretation of the current implementation of the EC Directive on Data Retention in Germany.

  19. Enhancement of oxygen transfer and nitrogen removal in a membrane separation bioreactor for domestic wastewater treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiemchaisri, C; Yamamoto, K

    2005-01-01

    Biological nitrogen removal in a membrane separation bioreactor developed for on-site domestic wastewater treatment was investigated. The bioreactor employed hollow fiber membrane modules for solid-liquid separation so that the biomass could be completely retained within the system. Intermittent aeration was supplied with 90 minutes on and off cycle to achieve nitrification and denitrification reaction for nitrogen removal. High COD and nitrogen removal of more than 90% were achieved under a moderate temperature of 25 degrees C. As the temperature was stepwise decreased from 25 to 5 degrees C, COD removal in the system could be constantly maintained while nitrogen removal was deteriorated. Nevertheless, increasing aeration supply could enhance nitrification at low temperature with benefit from complete retention of nitrifying bacteria within the system by membrane separation. At low operating temperature range of 5 degrees C, nitrogen removal could be recovered to more than 85%. A mathematical model considering diffusion resistance of limiting substrate into the bio-particle is applied to describe nitrogen removal in a membrane separation bioreactor. The simulation suggested that limitation of the oxygen supply was the major cause of inhibition of nitrification during temperature decrease. Nevertheless, increasing aeration could promote oxygen diffusion into the bio-particle. Sufficient oxygen was supplied to the nitrifying bacteria and the nitrification could proceed. In the membrane separation bioreactor, biomass concentration under low temperature operation was allowed to increase by 2-3 times of that of moderate temperature to compensate for the loss of bacterial activities so that the temperature effect was masked.

  20. Best practices in doctoral retention: Mentoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Judie L. Brill

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available  The aim of this critical literature review is to outline best practices in doctoral retention and the successful approach of one university to improve graduation success by providing effective mentorship for faculty and students alike. The focus of this literature review is on distance learning relationships between faculty and doctoral students, regarding retention, persistence, and mentoring models. Key phrases and words used in the search and focusing on mentoring resulted in over 20,000 sources. The search was narrowed to include only doctoral study and mentoring. Research questions of interest were: Why do high attrition rates exist for doctoral students? What are the barriers to retention? What are the benefits of doctoral mentoring? What programs do institutions have in place to reduce attrition? The researchers found a key factor influencing doctoral student retention and success is effective faculty mentorship. In particular, the design of a mentoring and faculty training program to increase retention and provide for success after graduation is important. This research represents a key area of interest in the retention literature, as institutions continue to search for ways to better support students during their doctoral programs and post-graduation. DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v4i2.186

  1. A selective cannabinoid CB2 agonist attenuates damage and improves memory retention following stroke in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronca, Richard D; Myers, Alyssa M; Ganea, Doina; Tuma, Ronald F; Walker, Ellen A; Ward, Sara Jane

    2015-10-01

    We have recently demonstrated that treatment with a cannabinoid CB2 agonist was protective in a mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. The present study aimed to determine whether these protective effects of CB2 agonism would extend to a mouse photoinjury model of permanent ischemia and determine associated alterations in cognition and infarct size. Mice received three injections of the CB2 selective agonist O-1966 or vehicle 1h prior to and 2 and 5days following induction of stroke. Infarct size was assessed at 1, 3, or 7days post-injury and learning and memory effects of injury and O-1966 treatment were assessed on days 6 and 7 using a novel object recognition task and an operant acquisition and retention procedure. O-1966 treated mice had significantly smaller infarct volumes compared with vehicle treated mice. Photoinjury was also associated with a significant memory impairment on day 7 post-injury, and this deficit was reversed with O-1966 treatment. Surprisingly, sham-operated mice receiving O-1966 treatment showed a significant learning deficit in both the recognition and operant tasks compared with vehicle treated sham mice. We conclude that CB2 activation is protective against cognitive deficits and tissue damage following permanent ischemia, but may dysregulate glial or neuronal function of learning and memory circuits in the absence of injury and/or inflammation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Controlling retention, selectivity and magnitude of EOF by segmented monolithic columns consisting of octadecyl and naphthyl monolithic segments--applications to RP-CEC of both neutral and charged solutes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karenga, Samuel; El Rassi, Ziad

    2011-04-01

    Monolithic capillaries made of two adjoining segments each filled with a different monolith were introduced for the control and manipulation of the electroosmotic flow (EOF), retention and selectivity in reversed phase-capillary electrochromatography (RP-CEC). These columns were called segmented monolithic columns (SMCs) where one segment was filled with a naphthyl methacrylate monolith (NMM) to provide hydrophobic and π-interactions, while the other segment was filled with an octadecyl acrylate monolith (ODM) to provide solely hydrophobic interaction. The ODM segment not only provided hydrophobic interactions but also functioned as the EOF accelerator segment. The average EOF of the SMC increased linearly with increasing the fractional length of the ODM segment. The neutral SMC provided a convenient way for tuning EOF, selectivity and retention in the absence of annoying electrostatic interactions and irreversible solute adsorption. The SMCs allowed the separation of a wide range of neutral solutes including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are difficult to separate using conventional alkyl-bonded stationary phases. In all cases, the k' of a given solute was a linear function of the fractional length of the ODM or NMM segment in the SMCs, thus facilitating the tailoring of a given SMC to solve a given separation problem. At some ODM fractional length, the fabricated SMC allowed the separation of charged solutes such as peptides and proteins that could not otherwise be achieved on a monolithic column made from NMM as an isotropic stationary phase due to the lower EOF exhibited by this monolith. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. [Selectivity tuning in multi-binary eluents for reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lü, M; Zou, H; Liang, X; Lu, P

    1999-01-01

    In this article, the retention equation and the relationship between retention parameters and the parameters of molecular structure deduced from statistical thermodynamics in RPLC have been used to explain the difference of selectivity towards a particular species of compounds polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Methanol/water, acetonitrile/water and isopropanol/acetonitrile have been provided in advance, then the retention behaviors of sixteen PAHs under three binary solvent systems have been investigated. It is found that each pair of binary solvents of methanol/water, acetonitrile/water and isopropanol/acetonitrile has its own unique selectivity. The best selectivity obtained for acenaphthene and fluorene is methanol/water system for fluoranthene and pyrene is acetonitrile/water, and for benzo[g,h,i]perylene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene is isopropanol/acetonitrile. So a three-stepwise gradient elution of multi-binary mobile phase can be chosen for separation of 16 PAHs.

  4. A Study on Employee Retention Techniques

    OpenAIRE

    Savarimuthu, Dr. A; Hemalatha, N.

    2013-01-01

    The objective of perusing this study is to assess the level of satisfaction of employee retention techniques at GB Engineering Enterprises PVT Limited., Trichy.This study gains significance because of employee retention techniques can be approached from various angles. It is desirable state of existence involving retention strategies generally fall in to one of four categories salary, working conditions, job enrichment and education. These four elements together constitute. The structure of e...

  5. Fission-product retention in HTGR fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Homan, F.J.; Kania, M.J.; Tiegs, T.N.

    1982-01-01

    Retention data for gaseous and metallic fission products are presented for both Triso-coated and Biso-coated HTGR fuel particles. Performance trends are established that relate fission product retention to operating parameters, such as temperature, burnup, and neutron exposure. It is concluded that Biso-coated particles are not adequately retentive of fission gas or metallic cesium, and Triso-coated particles which retain cesium still lose silver. Design implications related to these performance trends are identified and discussed

  6. Mobile Learning and Student Retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bharat Inder Fozdar

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Student retention in open and distance learning (ODL is comparatively poor to traditional education and, in some contexts, embarrassingly low. Literature on the subject of student retention in ODL indicates that even when interventions are designed and undertaken to improve student retention, they tend to fall short. Moreover, this area has not been well researched. The main aim of our research, therefore, is to better understand and measure students’ attitudes and perceptions towards the effectiveness of mobile learning. Our hope is to determine how this technology can be optimally used to improve student retention at Bachelor of Science programmes at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU in India. For our research, we used a survey. Results of this survey clearly indicate that offering mobile learning could be one method improving retention of BSc students, by enhancing their teaching/ learning and improving the efficacy of IGNOU’s existing student support system. The biggest advantage of this technology is that it can be used anywhere, anytime. Moreover, as mobile phone usage in India explodes, it offers IGNOU easy access to a larger number of learners. This study is intended to help inform those who are seeking to adopt mobile learning systems with the aim of improving communication and enriching students’ learning experiences in their ODL institutions.

  7. Superfund record of decision (EPA Region 4): Savannah River Site (USDOE), F-Area Retention Basin (281-3F), Aiken, SC, September 4, 1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-05-01

    The F-Area Retention Basin (FRB) Operable Unit (OU) includes the retention basin (basin soils), the former process sewer line (pipeline sediment, and pipeline associated soils), and the groundwater associated with the unit. This decision document presents the selected remedial alternatives for the FRB OU located at the SRS south of Aiken, South Carolina

  8. HPLC retention thermodynamics of grape and wine tannins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barak, Jennifer A; Kennedy, James A

    2013-05-08

    The effect of grape and wine tannin structure on retention thermodynamics under reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography conditions on a polystyrene divinylbenzene column was investigated. On the basis of retention response to temperature, an alternative retention factor was developed to approximate the combined temperature response of the complex, unresolvable tannin mixture. This alternative retention factor was based upon relative tannin peak areas separated by an abrupt change in solvent gradient. Using this alternative retention factor, retention thermodynamics were calculated. Van't Hoff relationships of the natural log of the alternative retention factor against temperature followed Kirchoff's relationship. An inverse quadratic equation was fit to the data, and from this the thermodynamic parameters for tannin retention were calculated. All tannin fractions exhibited exothermic, spontaneous interaction, with enthalpy-entropy compensation observed. Normalizing for tannin size, distinct tannin compositional effects on thermodynamic parameters were observed. The results of this study indicate that HPLC can be valuable for measuring the thermodynamics of tannin interaction with a hydrophobic surface and provides a potentially valuable alternative to calorimetry. Furthermore, the information gathered may provide insight into understanding red wine astringency quality.

  9. Soil Water Retention Curve

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, L. E.; Kim, J.; Cifelli, R.; Chandra, C. V.

    2016-12-01

    Potential water retention, S, is one of parameters commonly used in hydrologic modeling for soil moisture accounting. Physically, S indicates total amount of water which can be stored in soil and is expressed in units of depth. S can be represented as a change of soil moisture content and in this context is commonly used to estimate direct runoff, especially in the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number (CN) method. Generally, the lumped and the distributed hydrologic models can easily use the SCS-CN method to estimate direct runoff. Changes in potential water retention have been used in previous SCS-CN studies; however, these studies have focused on long-term hydrologic simulations where S is allowed to vary at the daily time scale. While useful for hydrologic events that span multiple days, the resolution is too coarse for short-term applications such as flash flood events where S may not recover its full potential. In this study, a new method for estimating a time-variable potential water retention at hourly time-scales is presented. The methodology is applied for the Napa River basin, California. The streamflow gage at St Helena, located in the upper reaches of the basin, is used as the control gage site to evaluate the model performance as it is has minimal influences by reservoirs and diversions. Rainfall events from 2011 to 2012 are used for estimating the event-based SCS CN to transfer to S. As a result, we have derived the potential water retention curve and it is classified into three sections depending on the relative change in S. The first is a negative slope section arising from the difference in the rate of moving water through the soil column, the second is a zero change section representing the initial recovery the potential water retention, and the third is a positive change section representing the full recovery of the potential water retention. Also, we found that the soil water moving has traffic jam within 24 hours after finished first

  10. 28 CFR 345.67 - Retention of benefits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... INDUSTRIES (FPI) INMATE WORK PROGRAMS Inmate Pay and Benefits § 345.67 Retention of benefits. (a) Job retention. Ordinarily, when an inmate is absent from the job for a significant period of time, the SOI will... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Retention of benefits. 345.67 Section 345...

  11. Novel word retention in bilingual and monolingual speakers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pui Fong eKan

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this research was to examine word retention in bilinguals and monolinguals. Long-term word retention is an essential part of vocabulary learning. Previous studies have documented that bilinguals outperform monolinguals in terms of retrieving newly-exposed words. Yet, little is known about whether or to what extent bilinguals are different from monolinguals in word retention. Participants were 30 English-speaking monolingual adults and 30 bilingual adults who speak Spanish as a home language and learned English as a second language during childhood. In a previous study (Kan, Sadagopan, Janich, & Andrade, 2014, the participants were exposed to the target novel words in English, Spanish, and Cantonese. In this current study, word retention was measured a week after the fast mapping task. No exposures were given during the one-week interval. Results showed that bilinguals and monolinguals retain a similar number of words. However, participants produced more words in English than in either Spanish or Cantonese. Correlation analyses revealed that language knowledge plays a role in the relationships between fast mapping and word retention. Specifically, within- and across-language relationships between bilinguals’ fast mapping and word retention were found in Spanish and English, by contrast, within-language relationships between monolinguals’ fast mapping and word retention were found in English and across-language relationships between their fast mapping and word retention performance in English and Cantonese. Similarly, bilinguals differed from monolinguals in the relationships among the word retention scores in three languages. Significant correlations were found among bilinguals’ retention scores. However, no such correlations were found among monolinguals’ retention scores. The overall findings suggest that bilinguals’ language experience and language knowledge most likely contribute to how they learn and retain new words.

  12. Novel word retention in bilingual and monolingual speakers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kan, Pui Fong; Sadagopan, Neeraja

    2014-01-01

    The goal of this research was to examine word retention in bilinguals and monolinguals. Long-term word retention is an essential part of vocabulary learning. Previous studies have documented that bilinguals outperform monolinguals in terms of retrieving newly-exposed words. Yet, little is known about whether or to what extent bilinguals are different from monolinguals in word retention. Participants were 30 English-speaking monolingual adults and 30 bilingual adults who speak Spanish as a home language and learned English as a second language during childhood. In a previous study (Kan et al., 2014), the participants were exposed to the target novel words in English, Spanish, and Cantonese. In this current study, word retention was measured a week after the fast mapping task. No exposures were given during the one-week interval. Results showed that bilinguals and monolinguals retain a similar number of words. However, participants produced more words in English than in either Spanish or Cantonese. Correlation analyses revealed that language knowledge plays a role in the relationships between fast mapping and word retention. Specifically, within- and across-language relationships between bilinguals' fast mapping and word retention were found in Spanish and English, by contrast, within-language relationships between monolinguals' fast mapping and word retention were found in English and across-language relationships between their fast mapping and word retention performance in English and Cantonese. Similarly, bilinguals differed from monolinguals in the relationships among the word retention scores in three languages. Significant correlations were found among bilinguals' retention scores. However, no such correlations were found among monolinguals' retention scores. The overall findings suggest that bilinguals' language experience and language knowledge most likely contribute to how they learn and retain new words.

  13. QSPR study of the retention/release property of odorant molecules in pectin gels using statistical methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Assia Belhassan

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The ACD/ChemSketch, MarvinSketch, and ChemOffice programmes were used to calculate several molecular descriptors of 51 odorant molecules (15 alcohols, 11 aldehydes, 9 ketones and 16 esters. The best descriptors were selected to establish the Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship (QSPR of the retention/release property of odorant molecules in pectin gels using Principal Components Analysis (PCA, Multiple Linear Regression (MLR, Multiple Non-linear Regression (MNLR and Artificial Neural Network (ANN methods We propose a quantitative model based on these analyses. PCA has been used to select descriptors that exhibit high correlation with the retention/release property. The MLR method yielded correlation coefficients of 0.960 and 0.958 for PG-0.4 (pectin concentration: 0.4% w/w and PG-0.8 (pectin concentration: 0.8% w/w media, respectively. Internal and external validations were used to determine the statistical quality of the QSPR of the two MLR models. The MNLR method, considering the relevant descriptors obtained from the MLR, yielded correlation coefficients of 0.978 and 0.975 for PG-0.4 and PG-0.8 media, respectively. The applicability domain of MLR models was investigated using simple and leverage approaches to detect outliers and outside compounds. The effects of different descriptors on the retention/release property are described, and these descriptors were used to study and design new compounds with higher and lower values of the property than the existing ones. Keywords: Odorant Molecules, Retention/Release, Pectin Gels, Quantitative Structure Property Relationship, Multiple Linear Regression, Artificial Neural Network

  14. International perspectives on retention and persistence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gary Burkholder

    2014-06-01

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

  15. Strategies for improving employee retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verlander, Edward G; Evans, Martin R

    2007-03-28

    This article proposes a solution to the perennial problem of talent retention in the clinical laboratory. It includes the presentation of 12 strategies that may be used to significantly improve institutional identity formation and establishment of the psychological contract that employees form with laboratory management. Identity formation and psychological contracting are deemed as essential in helping reduce employee turnover and increase retention. The 12 conversational strategies may be used as a set of best practices for all employees, but most importantly for new employees, and should be implemented at the critical moment when employees first join the laboratory. This time is referred to as "retention on-boarding"--the period of induction and laboratory orientation. Retention on-boarding involves a dialogue between employees and management that is focused on the psychological, practical, cultural, and political dimensions of the laboratory. It is placed in the context of the modern clinical laboratory, which is faced with employing and managing Generation X knowledge workers. Specific topics and broad content areas of those conversations are outlined.

  16. ARTIST: An International Project Investigating Aerosol Retention in a Ruptured Steam Generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guentay, S.; Dehbi, A.; Suckow, D.; Birchley, J.

    2002-01-01

    conditions, 5) Aerosol retention in the bundle section under wet conditions, 6) Droplet retention in separator and dryer sections and 7) Integral tests to examine overall retention in the SG unit. The project will investigate phenomena at the separate effect and integral levels, and will also address selected accident management (AM) issues. The kick-off experiments are scheduled for the first half of 2002, and some early results will be summarized at the meeting. (authors)

  17. Strategies to improve retention in randomised trials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brueton, Valerie C; Tierney, Jayne; Stenning, Sally; Harding, Seeromanie; Meredith, Sarah; Nazareth, Irwin; Rait, Greta

    2013-01-01

    Background Loss to follow-up from randomised trials can introduce bias and reduce study power, affecting the generalisability, validity and reliability of results. Many strategies are used to reduce loss to follow-up and improve retention but few have been formally evaluated. Objectives To quantify the effect of strategies to improve retention on the proportion of participants retained in randomised trials and to investigate if the effect varied by trial strategy and trial setting. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, PreMEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, DARE, CINAHL, Campbell Collaboration's Social, Psychological, Educational and Criminological Trials Register, and ERIC. We handsearched conference proceedings and publication reference lists for eligible retention trials. We also surveyed all UK Clinical Trials Units to identify further studies. Selection criteria We included eligible retention trials of randomised or quasi-randomised evaluations of strategies to increase retention that were embedded in 'host' randomised trials from all disease areas and healthcare settings. We excluded studies aiming to increase treatment compliance. Data collection and analysis We contacted authors to supplement or confirm data that we had extracted. For retention trials, we recorded data on the method of randomisation, type of strategy evaluated, comparator, primary outcome, planned sample size, numbers randomised and numbers retained. We used risk ratios (RR) to evaluate the effectiveness of the addition of strategies to improve retention. We assessed heterogeneity between trials using the Chi2 and I2 statistics. For main trials that hosted retention trials, we extracted data on disease area, intervention, population, healthcare setting, sequence generation and allocation concealment. Main results We identified 38 eligible retention trials. Included trials evaluated six broad types of strategies to improve retention. These

  18. phosphorus retention data and metadata

    Science.gov (United States)

    phosphorus retention in wetlands data and metadataThis dataset is associated with the following publication:Lane , C., and B. Autrey. Phosphorus retention of forested and emergent marsh depressional wetlands in differing land uses in Florida, USA. Wetlands Ecology and Management. Springer Science and Business Media B.V;Formerly Kluwer Academic Publishers B.V., GERMANY, 24(1): 45-60, (2016).

  19. Retention of 32P activity interfering with the neutron activation analysis of trace elements in biosamples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sziklai-Laszlo, I.; Ordogh, M.

    1978-06-01

    Experiments were performed to eliminate the disturbing effect of 32 P when neutron activation analysis is used for the trace element analysis of biological materials. For this reason amorphous zirconium phosphate was selected and prepared by the authors. Retention factors better than 10 2 were obtained using conventional batch techniques. The retention of Cr, Sb, Sc, Zn, Rb, Co and Fe were investigated in nitric acid media, and it was found to be less than 5%. Bowen's kale, dry potato powder and animal bone were analyzed. Some numerical results are given and gamma spectra are shown. (T.G.)

  20. Employee retention: a customer service approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerson, Richard F

    2002-01-01

    Employee retention is a huge problem. There are staff shortages in radiology because not enough people are entering the profession; too many people are leaving the profession for retirement, higher-paying jobs or jobs with less stress; and there are not enough opportunities for career advancement. Staff shortages are exacerbated by difficulty in retaining people who enter the profession. While much work has been focused on recruitment and getting more people "in the front door," I suggest that the bulk of future efforts be focused on employee retention and "closing the back door." Employee retention must be an ongoing process, not a program. Approaches to employee retention that focus on external things, i.e., things that the company can do to or for the employee, generally are not successful. The truth is that employee retention processes must focus on what the employee gets out of the job. The process must be a benefits-based approach that helps employees answer the question, "What's in it for me?" The retention processes must be ongoing and integrated into the daily culture of the company. The best way to keep your employees is to treat them like customers. Customer service works for external customers. We treat them nicely. We work to satisfy them. We help them achieve their goals. Why not do the same for our employees? If positive customer service policies and practices can satisfy and keep external customers, why not adapt these policies and practices for employees? And, there is a service/satisfaction link between employee retention and higher levels of customer satisfaction. Customers prefer dealing with the same employees over and over again. Employee turnover destroys a customer's confidence in the company. Just like a customer does not want to have to "train and educate" a new provider, they do not want to do the same for your "revolving door" employees. So, the key is to keep employees so they in turn will help you keep your customers. Because the

  1. Deuterium retention in molten salt electrodeposition tungsten coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Hai-Shan; Xu, Yu-Ping; Sun, Ning-Bo; Zhang, Ying-Chun; Oya, Yasuhisa; Zhao, Ming-Zhong; Mao, Hong-Min; Ding, Fang; Liu, Feng; Luo, Guang-Nan

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • We investigate D retention in electrodeposition W coatings. • W coatings are exposed to D plasmas in the EAST tokamak. • A cathodic current density dependence on D retention is found. • Electrodeposition W exhibits lower D retention than VPS-W. - Abstract: Molten salt electrodeposition is a promising technology to manufacture the first wall of a fusion reactor. Deuterium (D) retention behavior in molten salt electrodeposition tungsten (W) coatings has been investigated by D-plasma exposure in the EAST tokamak and D-ion implantation in an ion beam facility. Tokamak exposure experiments demonstrate that coatings prepared with lower current density exhibit less D retention and milder surface damage. Deuterium-ion implantation experiments indicate the D retention in the molten salt electrodeposition W is less than that in vacuum plasma spraying W and polycrystalline W.

  2. Deuterium retention in molten salt electrodeposition tungsten coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Hai-Shan [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei (China); Xu, Yu-Ping [Science Island Branch of Graduate School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China); Sun, Ning-Bo; Zhang, Ying-Chun [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing (China); Oya, Yasuhisa [Radioscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka (Japan); Zhao, Ming-Zhong [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei (China); Mao, Hong-Min [Science Island Branch of Graduate School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China); Ding, Fang; Liu, Feng [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei (China); Luo, Guang-Nan, E-mail: gnluo@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei (China); Science Island Branch of Graduate School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China); Hefei Center for Physical Science and Technology, Hefei (China); Hefei Science Center of Chinese Academy of Science, Hefei (China)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • We investigate D retention in electrodeposition W coatings. • W coatings are exposed to D plasmas in the EAST tokamak. • A cathodic current density dependence on D retention is found. • Electrodeposition W exhibits lower D retention than VPS-W. - Abstract: Molten salt electrodeposition is a promising technology to manufacture the first wall of a fusion reactor. Deuterium (D) retention behavior in molten salt electrodeposition tungsten (W) coatings has been investigated by D-plasma exposure in the EAST tokamak and D-ion implantation in an ion beam facility. Tokamak exposure experiments demonstrate that coatings prepared with lower current density exhibit less D retention and milder surface damage. Deuterium-ion implantation experiments indicate the D retention in the molten salt electrodeposition W is less than that in vacuum plasma spraying W and polycrystalline W.

  3. Retention of a resin-based sealant and a glass ionomer used as a fissure sealant: A comparative clinical study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subramaniam P

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Sealing occlusal pits and fissures with resin-based sealants is a proven method of preventing occlusal caries. Retention of the sealant is very essential for its efficiency. This study evaluated the retention of glass ionomer used as a fissure sealant when compared to a self-cure resin-based sealant. One hundred and seven children between the ages of 6-9 years, with all four newly erupted permanent first molars were selected. Two permanent first molars on one side of the mouth were sealed with Delton, a resin-based sealant, and the contralateral two permanent first molars were sealed with Fuji VII glass ionomer cement. Evaluation of sealant retention was performed at regular intervals over 12 months, using Simonsen′s criteria. At the end of the study period, the retention of the resin sealant was seen to be superior to that of the glass ionomer sealant.

  4. Novel word retention in sequential bilingual children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kan, Pui Fong

    2014-03-01

    Children's ability to learn and retain new words is fundamental to their vocabulary development. This study examined word retention in children learning a home language (L1) from birth and a second language (L2) in preschool settings. Participants were presented with sixteen novel words in L1 and in L2 and were tested for retention after either a 2-month or a 4-month delay. Results showed that children retained more words in L1 than in L2 for both of the retention interval conditions. In addition, children's word retention was associated with their existing language knowledge and their fast-mapping performance within and across language. The patterns of association, however, were different between L1 and L2. These findings suggest that children's word retention might be related to the interactions of various components that are operating within a dynamic system.

  5. A Cost Benefit Analysis Between the Current Naval Officer Retention Bonus Plan and the Enlisted Retention Bonus Plan

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    that personnel targeted for retention had a direct ability to affect the success of the transaction and company. High potential, job function, job level...and job title rounded out the top five reasons personnel were targeted for retention . In brief, this study found that slightly more than half of...lower income may value the job security provided by service in the military, thus making retention in the military a more attractive option. 4

  6. Promoting Special Educator Teacher Retention

    OpenAIRE

    Jeremy E. Vittek

    2015-01-01

    This article is a critical review of the literature on special education teacher attrition and retention. The research focused on journal articles from 2004 to present. The results of the study helped define special educator attrition and retention. The major themes present in the findings were job satisfaction, administrative support, induction programs, and mentoring. The literature shows a clear need for comprehensi...

  7. Flocculation of retention pond water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, B.T.; McGregor, R.J.

    1982-05-01

    An integral part of the water management strategy proposed by Ranger Uranium Mining Pty. Ltd. involves the collection of runoff water in a series of retention ponds. This water will subsequently be used in the uranium milling plant or released to Magela Creek. Runoff water collected during the wet season caused a section of Magela Creek to become turbid when it was released. The eroded material causing the turbidity was very highly dispersed and showed little tendency to sediment out in the retention ponds. Results of a preliminary study to determine the feasibility of clarifying retention pond water by flocculation with alum are presented. A concentration of 30 Mg/L alum reduced turbidity from an initial 340 NTU to less than 30 NTU in four hours

  8. Nitrogen Saturation in Highly Retentive Watersheds?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daley, M. L.; McDowell, W. H.

    2009-12-01

    Watershed managers are often concerned with minimizing the amount of N delivered to N-limited estuaries and coastal zones. A major concern is that watersheds might reach N saturation, in which N delivered to coastal zones increases due to declines in the efficiency of N retention despite constant or even reduced N inputs. We have quantified long-term changes in N inputs (atmospheric deposition, imported food and agricultural fertilizers), outputs (N concentration and export) and retention in the urbanizing Lamprey River watershed in coastal NH. Overall, the Lamprey watershed is 70% forested, receives about 13.5 kg N/ha/yr and has a high rate of annual N retention (85%). Atmospheric deposition (8.7 kg/ha/yr) is the largest N input to the watershed. Of the 2.2 kg N/ha/yr exported in the Lamprey River, dissolved organic N (DON) is the dominant form (50% of total) and it varies spatially throughout the watershed with wetland cover. Nitrate accounts for 30% of the N exported, shows a statistically significant increase from 1999 to 2009, and its spatial variability in both concentration and export is related to human population density. In sub-basins throughout the Lamprey, inorganic N retention is high (85-99%), but the efficiency of N retention declines sharply with increased human population density and associated anthropogenic N inputs. N assimilation in the vegetation, denitrification to the atmosphere and storage in the groundwater pool could all be important contributors to the current high rates of N retention. The temporal and spatial patterns that we have observed in nitrate concentration and export are driven by increases in N inputs and impervious surfaces over time, but the declining efficiency of N retention suggests that the watershed may also be reaching N saturation. The downstream receiving estuary, Great Bay, already suffers from low dissolved oxygen levels and eelgrass loss in part due to N loading from the Lamprey watershed. Targeting and reducing

  9. A strategic approach to employee retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gering, John; Conner, John

    2002-11-01

    A sound retention strategy should incorporate a business plan, a value proposition, progress measures, and management influences. The business plan will indicate whether a healthcare organization will achieve a return on investment for its effort. A value proposition will showcase an organization's strengths and differentiate it from its competitors. Measuring progress toward meeting retention goals at regular intervals will help keep an organization on track. The best managers require accountability, rewarding employees for their successes and taking corrective action as necessary. Retention rate targets must be at a level that will achieve a competitive advantage in the served market.

  10. Corporate Social-Environmental Responsibility as an Attraction and Retention Factor for Young Professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Cohen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This research investigates if company social-environmental responsibility (SER is an attraction and retention factor for young professionals in two studies. The first study, an experiment, investigates whether such practices influence the attraction exerted by the company as a prospect employer among undergraduate students, considering different wage and professional development conditions. The second study, a survey, investigates the impact of company SER on voluntary turnover among trainees, controlling for individual differences and satisfaction with income, growth and interests. The results suggest that SER is an important element in the attractiveness exercised by companies as they recruit young professionals, and in the retention of trainees, since it is statistically associated with the likelihood of them leaving their companies after disputed selection processes and expensive training programs.

  11. A zero discharge green roof system and species selection to optimize evapotranspiration and water retention

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Compton, J.S.; Whitlow, T.H. [Cornell, Univ., Urban Horticulture Inst., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Horticulture

    2006-07-01

    Economic benefits must outweigh costs, with or without governmental subsidies or enforcement in order for green roofs to become commonplace in American cities. Municipal advantages to green roofs include stormwater management, environmental quality and an expansion of the native plant palette. These benefits are difficult to quantify monetarily for the owner of the roof, yet greater water evaporation from storm water attenuation has the ability to increase cooling of the building, an economic benefit to the owner. Current green roof design and testing methods fail to explore systems that maximize stormwater retention and evaporative cooling benefits that are often associated with green roofs. This paper presented the results of a study that investigated an alternate approach that optimizes water loss through evapotranspiration using a zero discharge target and plants that tolerate both medium drought and saturation. Species selection emphasizes native species and salt tolerance, which allows the possibility of grey water irrigation. Species studied include spartina alternafiora and solidago canadensis. Plants were studied over a growing season to examine the rates of ET as they relate to weather conditions, growing media composition and saturation levels, and plant species. The study was conducted on top of a four storey school building located in the South Bronx, New York City. In June 2005, a 3,500 square foot extensive green roof was installed. The conference described the site and study in detail followed by a discussion of the results. This includes a discussion of the planting containers, planting mediums, plant materials, data collection, and irrigation trials. It was concluded that further research is needed to test this concept, and to examine the possibility of supplemental irrigation via off-season rainwater catchment or grey water irrigation. 17 refs., 4 figs.

  12. "To be or not to be Retained … That's the Question!" Retention, Self-esteem, Self-concept, Achievement Goals, and Grades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peixoto, Francisco; Monteiro, Vera; Mata, Lourdes; Sanches, Cristina; Pipa, Joana; Almeida, Leandro S

    2016-01-01

    Keeping students back in the same grade - retention - has always been a controversial issue in Education, with some defending it as a beneficial remedial practice and others arguing against its detrimental effects. This paper undertakes an analysis of this issue, focusing on the differences in student motivation and self-related variables according to their retention related status, and the interrelationship between retention and these variables. The participants were 695 students selected from two cohorts (5th and 7th graders) of a larger group of students followed over a 3-year project. The students were assigned to four groups according to their retention-related status over time: (1) students with past and recent retention; (2) students with past but no recent retention; (3) students with no past but recent retention; (4) students with no past or recent retention. Measures of achievement goal orientations, self-concept, self-esteem, importance given to school subjects and Grade Point Average (GPA) were collected for all students. Repeated measures MANCOVA analyses were carried out showing group differences in self-esteem, academic self-concept, importance attributed to academic competencies, task and avoidance orientation and academic achievement. To attain a deeper understanding of these results and to identify profiles across variables, a cluster analysis based on achievement goals was conducted and four clusters were identified. Students who were retained at the end of the school year are mainly represented in clusters with less adaptive motivational profiles and almost absent from clusters exhibiting more adaptive ones. Findings highlight that retention leaves a significant mark that remains even when students recover academic achievement and retention is in the distant past. This is reflected in the low academic self-concept as well as in the devaluation of academic competencies and in the avoidance orientation which, taken together, can undermine students

  13. 12 CFR 609.945 - Records retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Records retention. 609.945 Section 609.945 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ELECTRONIC COMMERCE Standards for Boards and Management § 609.945 Records retention. Records stored electronically must be accurate, accessible...

  14. Employee Retention Strategies And Organizational Performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Implication of the results for practice is that any organization that fails to put in place adequate employee retention strategies is not likely to retain competent and motivated workforce in its employment and hence experience frequent labour turnover and poor organizational performance. Keywords: Employees, Retention ...

  15. African Retentions in Blues and Jazz.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meadows, Eddie S.

    1979-01-01

    The perseverance of African musical characteristics among American Blacks is an historic reality. African retentions have been recorded in Black music of the antebellum period. Various African scales and rhythms permeate Black American music today as evidenced in the retentions found in blues and jazz. (RLV)

  16. Emotional Intelligence and Nursing Student Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Victoria Jane

    2013-01-01

    The study examined the constructs of a Multi-Intelligence Model of Retention with four constructs: cognitive and emotional-social intelligence, student characteristics, and environmental factors. Data were obtained from sophomore students entering two diploma, nine associate, and five baccalaureate nursing programs. One year later, retention and…

  17. Urinary Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... 2011. [4] Mevcha A, Drake MJ. Etiology and management of urinary retention in women. Indian Journal of Urology. 2010;26(2):230–235. August ... 30 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time, M-F Follow Us NIH… Turning Discovery Into ... Disease Urologic Diseases Endocrine Diseases Diet & Nutrition ...

  18. Retention of airborne particles in granular bed filters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stroem, L.

    1981-01-01

    A literature survey was made on theoretical models for the prediction of particle retention in sand beds. Also data on observed retention was collected from the literature. Based on this information, a semi-empirical model was compiled. Comparison of the model with published retention data shows a general agreement. (Auth.)

  19. Black Student Retention in Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Marvel, Ed.; Ford, Clinita A., Ed.

    This collection focuses on problems in the recruitment, enrollment and retention of Blacks in higher education in America. The following chapters are provided: "The Black Student Retention Problem in Higher Education: Some Introductory Perspectives" (Marvel Lang); "Early Acceptance and Institutional Linkages in a Model Program of Recruitment,…

  20. Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kearney-Gissendaner, Janet E.

    2010-01-01

    The tools and resources in this book help school leaders seamlessly incorporate minority teacher recruitment and retention programs into current human-resources activities. With details about exemplary minority teacher recruitment and retention programs, this book also showcases strategies for how to replicate such programs in your own school or…

  1. US Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Programmes : Links to Readiness and Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Programmes : Links to Readiness and Retention Authors/ Auteurs Joanne Marshall-Mies is President & Director...exchange theory (Blau, 1964) and the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960). Actions on the part of the organization such as support services, and actions on...A Theory of Performance”, in N. Schmitt & W.C. Borman (eds.), Personnel Selection in Organizations, San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass, 1993

  2. Reform-Based-Instructional Method and Learning Styles on Students' Achievement and Retention in Mathematics: Administrative Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modebelu, M. N.; Ogbonna, C. C.

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed at determining the effect of reform-based-instructional method learning styles on students' achievement and retention in mathematics. A sample size of 119 students was randomly selected. The quasiexperimental design comprising pre-test, post-test, and randomized control group were employed. The Collin Rose learning styles…

  3. Exploring Student Characteristics of Retention That Lead to Graduation in Higher Education Using Data Mining Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raju, Dheeraj; Schumacker, Randall

    2015-01-01

    The study used earliest available student data from a flagship university in the southeast United States to build data mining models like logistic regression with different variable selection methods, decision trees, and neural networks to explore important student characteristics associated with retention leading to graduation. The decision tree…

  4. 76 FR 34010 - Credit Risk Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-10

    ... 2501-AD53 Credit Risk Retention AGENCIES: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury (OCC... credit risk retention requirements of section 15G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as added by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Credit Risk NPR'' or ``proposed rule...

  5. Affairs of State and Student Retention: An Exploratory Study of the Factors that Impact Student Retention in a Politically Turbulent Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Tsur, Dalia

    2007-01-01

    This study examines the impact of a country's security unrest on student retention. It draws on the key factors that influence retention worldwide, adopts Bourdieu's notion of cultural capital and also brings in concepts related to terrorism and security unrest traditionally absent from theories on student retention. Based on a case study carried…

  6. Impact Of Customer Relationship Management On Customer Retention A Case Of Private Banks Of Sialkot Punjab

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nayab Bashir

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Customer relationship management is good for banking sector to increase in any economic condition and for customers to receive quality services This research check the impact of customer relationship management activities on banks customer retention in Sialkot Punjab. For the purpose of study a sampling analysis was conducted among 330 customers of selected private banks that is Habib Bank limited United Bank limited Faysal Bank limited with the help of a structured questionnaire. 316 questionnaires were usable. Statistical answers give support on the high positive relationship between customer relationship management CRM and customer satisfaction. This study exposed that there is a important positive relationship among the variables. This study exposes that the suitable execution of CRM will increases the number of customer satisfaction or make long term healthy relations with the current or potential customers through managing information or improve the performance of services that assist customer retention. Acronyms CRM Customer relationship management CS Customer satisfaction CR Customer retention Abbreviations Customer relationship management

  7. Selectivity of calixarene-bonded silica phases in HPLC: Description of special characteristics with a multiple term linear equation at different methanol concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Christian; Jira, Thomas

    2010-10-01

    Retention and selectivity characteristics of different calixarene-, resorcinarene- and alkyl-bonded stationary phases are examined by analyzing a set of test solutes covering the main interactions (hydrophobic, steric, ionic, polar) that apply in HPLC. Therefore Dolan and Snyder's multiple term linear equation has been adapted to fit the properties of calixarene-bonded columns. The obtained parameters are used to describe retention and selectivity of the novel Caltrex(®) phases and to elucidate underlying mechanisms of retention. Here, differences of stationary phase characteristics at different methanol concentrations in the mobile phases are examined. Both selectivity and retention were found to depend on the methanol content. Differences of these dependencies were found for different stationary phases and interactions. The differences between common alkyl-bonded and novel calixarene-bonded phases increase with increasing methanol content.

  8. Focusing of sub-micrometer particles and bacteria enabled by two-dimensional acoustophoresis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Antfolk, M.; Muller, Peter Barkholt; Augustsson, P.

    2014-01-01

    Handling of sub-micrometer bioparticles such as bacteria are becoming increasingly important in the biomedical field and in environmental and food analysis. As a result, there is an increased need for less labor-intensive and time-consuming handling methods. Here, an acoustophoresis-based microfl......Handling of sub-micrometer bioparticles such as bacteria are becoming increasingly important in the biomedical field and in environmental and food analysis. As a result, there is an increased need for less labor-intensive and time-consuming handling methods. Here, an acoustophoresis......-based microfluidic chip that uses ultrasound to focus sub-micrometer particles and bacteria, is presented. The ability to focus sub-micrometer bioparticles in a standing one-dimensional acoustic wave is generally limited by the acoustic-streaming-induced drag force, which becomes increasingly significant the smaller...... particles as small as 0.5 μm in diameter in microchannels of square or rectangular cross sections, is demonstrated. Numerical analysis was used to determine generic transverse particle trajectories in the channels, which revealed spiral-shaped trajectories of the sub-micrometer particles towards the center...

  9. Charge retention test experiences on Hubble Space Telescope nickel-hydrogen battery cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nawrocki, Dave E.; Driscoll, J. R.; Armantrout, J. D.; Baker, R. C.; Wajsgras, H.

    1993-01-01

    The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) nickel-hydrogen battery module was designed by Lockheed Missile & Space Co (LMSC) and manufactured by Eagle-Picher Ind. (EPI) for the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) for the nickel-cadmium batteries originally selected for this low earth orbit mission. The design features of the HST nickel hydrogen battery are described and the results of an extended charge retention test are summarized.

  10. A Model for Freshman Engineering Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veenstra, Cindy P.; Dey, Eric L.; Herrin, Gary D.

    2009-01-01

    With the current concern over the growing need for more engineers, there is an immediate need to improve freshman engineering retention. A working model for freshman engineering retention is needed. This paper proposes such a model based on Tinto's Interactionalist Theory. Emphasis in this model is placed on pre-college characteristics as…

  11. Retention of Content Utilizing a Flipped Classroom Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shatto, Bobbi; LʼEcuyer, Kristine; Quinn, Jerod

    The flipped classroom experience promotes retention and accountability for learning. The authors report their evaluation of a flipped classroom for accelerated second-degree nursing students during their primary medical-surgical nursing course. Standardized HESI® scores were compared between a group of students who experienced the flipped classroom and a previous group who had traditional teaching methods. Short- and long-term retention was measured using standardized exams 3 months and 12 months following the course. Results indicated that short-term retention was greater and long- term retention was significantly great in the students who were taught using flipped classroom methodology.

  12. Prebiotics enhance survival and prolong the retention period of specific probiotic inocula in an in vivo murine model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, P; Henriksson, A; Mitchell, H

    2007-12-01

    To identify novel prebiotics that could be used to maintain persistence of three representative probiotic strains in vivo. Test mice were treated with prebiotics soybean oligosaccharide (SOS), fructooligosaccharide (FOS) or inulin, followed by probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus LAFTI L10 (L10), Bifidobacterium lactis LAFTI B94 (B94) or Lactobacillus casei L26 LAFTI (L26). Faecal samples were then collected and analysed using selective medium and PCR analysis to determine the presence of the probiotic strains. In contrast to the control groups, in mice fed prebiotics, the survival and retention time of the test probiotics was increased extensively. SOS and FOS prolonged the retention period of L10 from 24 to 30 h. Of the three prebiotics, FOS gave the best result with B94, prolonging the retention period from 3 to > or =10 days. Of the three prebiotics, inulin gave the best result for L26, prolonging the retention period from 2 to > or =6 days. The prebiotics SOS, FOS and inulin significantly enhance survival and prolong the retention period of L10, B94 and L26 in vivo. Our results demonstrate the potential use of FOS, inulin and SOS as prebiotics in conjunction with the probiotic strains L10, B94 and L26 for new synbiotic products.

  13. Mucous retention cyst of the maxillary sinus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruprecht, A; Batniji, S; el-Neweihi, E

    1986-12-01

    The mucous retention cyst is not a rare phenomenon. The incidence of dental patients was determined. Of 1685 patient radiographs reviewed, 44 (2.6%) had one or more mucous retention cysts in the maxillary sinuses.

  14. [Study on retention and stability of linear occlusal complete dentures].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ping; Xu, Jun

    2003-01-01

    To learn retention and stability of linear occlusal complete dentures by investigating the subjective feelings of patient and the value of retention force. Static retention forces of maxillary and mandibular dentures were measured for 25 patients wearing linear occlusal dentures by using Hz-1 retention dynamometer. The subjective feelings of patients in functional state were gained simultaneously through questionnaire. Linear occlusal dentures demonstrate good retention in static and dynamic state. Among patients with severe resorption of residual ridge (RRR), mandibular linear occlusal dentures (shown good retentive subjective feelings) demonstrate significantly smaller retention force than those with slight or medium degree of RRR. There is no correlation between the subjective feelings and the values of retention forces of mandibular dentures. The subjective feelings of patients wearing new linear occlusal dentures are much better than that of old anatomic occlusal dentures. Linear occlusal dentures improve the performances of dentures by enhancing their stability during mastication movement.

  15. Analysis of multiple instructional techniques on the understanding and retention of select mechanical topics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetsco, Sara Elizabeth

    There are several topics that introductory physics students typically have difficulty understanding. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if multiple instructional techniques will help students to better understand and retain the material. The three units analyzed in this study are graphing motion, projectile motion, and conservation of momentum. For each unit students were taught using new or altered instructional methods including online laboratory simulations, inquiry labs, and interactive demonstrations. Additionally, traditional instructional methods such as lecture and problem sets were retained. Effectiveness was measured through pre- and post-tests and student opinion surveys. Results suggest that incorporating multiple instructional techniques into teaching will improve student understanding and retention. Students stated that they learned well from all of the instructional methods used except the online simulations.

  16. Student retention in athletic training education programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodge, Thomas M; Mitchell, Murray F; Mensch, James M

    2009-01-01

    The success of any academic program, including athletic training, depends upon attracting and keeping quality students. The nature of persistent students versus students who prematurely leave the athletic training major is not known. Understanding the profiles of athletic training students who persist or leave is important. To (1) explore the relationships among the following variables: anticipatory factors, academic integration, clinical integration, social integration, and motivation; (2) determine which of the aforementioned variables discriminate between senior athletic training students and major changers; and (3) identify which variable is the strongest predictor of persistence in athletic training education programs. Descriptive study using a qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods approach. Thirteen athletic training education programs located in District 3 of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Ninety-four senior-level athletic training students and 31 college students who changed majors from athletic training to another degree option. Data were collected with the Athletic Training Education Program Student Retention Questionnaire (ATEPSRQ). Data from the ATEPSRQ were analyzed via Pearson correlations, multivariate analysis of variance, univariate analysis of variance, and a stepwise discriminant analysis. Open-ended questions were transcribed and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. Member checks and peer debriefing techniques ensured trustworthiness of the study. Pearson correlations identified moderate relationships among motivation and clinical integration (r = 0.515, P accounting for 37.2% of the variance between groups. The theoretic model accurately classified 95.7% of the seniors and 53.8% of the major changers. A common theme emerging from the qualitative data was the presence of a strong peer-support group that surrounded many of the senior-level students. Understanding student retention in athletic training is

  17. Measuring rural allied health workforce turnover and retention: what are the patterns, determinants and costs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chisholm, Marita; Russell, Deborah; Humphreys, John

    2011-04-01

    To measure variations in patterns of turnover and retention, determinants of turnover, and costs of recruitment of allied health professionals in rural areas. Data were collected on health service characteristics, recruitment costs and de-identified individual-level employment entry and exit data for dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, psychologists, social workers and speech pathologists employed between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2009. Health services providing allied health services within Western Victoria were stratified by geographical location and town size. Eighteen health services were sampled, 11 participated. Annual turnover rates, stability rates, median length of stay in current position, survival probabilities, turnover hazards and median costs of recruitment were calculated. Analysis of commencement and exit data from 901 allied health professionals indicated that differences in crude workforce patterns according to geographical location emerge 12 to 24 months after commencement of employment, although the results were not statistically significant. Proportional hazards modelling indicated profession and employee age and grade upon commencement were significant determinants of turnover risk. Costs of replacing allied health workers are high. An opportunity for implementing comprehensive retention strategies exists in the first year of employment in rural and remote settings. Benchmarks to guide workforce retention strategies should take account of differences in patterns of allied health turnover and retention according to geographical location. Monitoring allied health workforce turnover and retention through analysis of routinely collected data to calculate selected indicators provides a stronger evidence base to underpin workforce planning by health services and regional authorities. © 2011 The Authors. Australian Journal of Rural Health © National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  18. Wind Effects on Retention Time in Highway Ponds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentzen, Thomas Ruby; Larsen, Torben; Rasmussen, Michael R.

    2007-01-01

    is to evaluate the quality of long term simulations based on historical rain series of the pollutant discharges from roads and highways. The idea of this paper is to evaluate the effects of wind on the retention time and compare the retention time for the situation of a spatial uniform wind shear stress...... with the situation of a "real" spatial non-uniform shear stress distribution on the surface of the pond. The result of this paper shows that wind plays a dominant role for the retention time and flow pattern. Furthermore, the results shows that the differences in retention time between the use of uniform and non...

  19. Wind Effects on Retention Time in Highway Ponds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentzen, Thomas Ruby; Larsen, Torben; Rasmussen, Michael R.

    2008-01-01

    is to evaluate the quality of long term simulations based on historical rain series of the pollutant discharges from roads and highways. The idea of this paper is to evaluate the effects of wind on the retention time and compare the retention time for the situation of a spatial uniform wind shear stress...... with the situation of a "real" spatial non-uniform shear stress distribution on the surface of the pond. The result of this paper shows that wind plays a dominant role for the retention time and flow pattern. Furthermore, the results shows that the differences in retention time between the use of uniform and non...

  20. Factors influencing the recruitment and retention of literacy learners in Oman

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Barwani, Thuwayba; Kelly, Edward F.

    1985-12-01

    The study investigates factors influencing the recruitment and retention of learners in the national adult literacy programme in Oman. Personal interviews were conducted in the interior and Capital regions of Oman (N=102). Respondents included 46 randomly selected enrolled learners, 26 randomly selected dropouts and 30 unenrolled adults. Results of the interviews were content-analyzed and frequencies, cross tabulations and Chi-square were calculated. Findings indicated regional differences in the adults' motivation for enrolling, but the spiritual motive was over all the most significant. Men and women reported different patterns of conflict and obstacles in completing their literacy studies: Men indicated work demands as their biggest obstacle while women complained about family responsibilities. Programme attrition was mainly attributed to structural characteristics of the programme.

  1. Retention and failure morphology of prefabricated posts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sahafi, Alireza; Peutzfeldt, Anne; Asmussen, Erik

    2004-01-01

    PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effect of cement, post material, surface treatment, and shape (1) on the retention of posts luted in the root canals of extracted human teeth and (2) on the failure morphology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Posts of titanium alloy (ParaPost XH), glass fiber (Para...... at 37 degrees C for 7 days, retention was determined by extraction of the posts. Failure morphology of extracted posts was analyzed and quantified stereomicroscopically. RESULTS: Type of luting cement, post material, and shape of post influenced the retention and failure morphology of the posts. Because...

  2. Urinary retention associated with herpes zoster infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, L M; Fowler, J F; Owen, L G; Callen, J P

    1993-01-01

    Herpes zoster infection particularly involving the sacral dermatomes has been associated with bladder and bowel dysfunction, most commonly urinary retention. We report two patients who developed acute urinary retention, one of whom also had constipation, within days of herpes zoster skin lesions of the S2-S4 dermatomes. Herpes zoster is a reversible cause of neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction and should be considered in a patient that presents with acute urinary retention and/or constipation. Sensory abnormalities and flaccid detrusor paralysis are most likely involved in the pathogenesis.

  3. Drug Retention Times

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Center for Human Reliability Studies

    2007-05-01

    The purpose of this monograph is to provide information on drug retention times in the human body. The information provided is based on plausible illegal drug use activities that might be engaged in by a recreational drug user.

  4. Promoting Special Educator Teacher Retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy E. Vittek

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This article is a critical review of the literature on special education teacher attrition and retention. The research focused on journal articles from 2004 to present. The results of the study helped define special educator attrition and retention. The major themes present in the findings were job satisfaction, administrative support, induction programs, and mentoring. The literature shows a clear need for comprehensive administrative support to improve job satisfaction and the likelihood a special educator will remain in their job.

  5. Factors That Influence Enrolment and Retention in Ghana’ National Health Insurance Scheme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millicent Kotoh, Agnes; Aryeetey, Genevieve Cecilia; der Geest, Sjaak Van

    2018-01-01

    Background: The government of Ghana introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2004 with the goal of achieving universal coverage within 5 years. Evidence, however, shows that expanding NHIS coverage and especially retaining members have remained a challenge. A multilevel perspective was employed as a conceptual framework and methodological tool to examine why enrolment and retention in the NHIS remains low. Methods: A household survey was conducted after 20 months educational and promotional activities aimed at improving enrolment and retention rates in 15 communities in the Central and Eastern Regions (ERs) of Ghana. Observation, indepth interviews and informal conversations were used to collect qualitative data. Forty key informants (community members, health providers and district health insurance schemes’ [DHISs] staff) purposely selected from two casestudy communities in the Central Region (CR) were interviewed. Several community members, health providers and DHISs’ staff were also engaged in informal conversations in the other five communities in the region. Also, four staff of the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ghana Health Service (GHS) and National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) were engaged in in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse quantitative data. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: The results show that factors that influence enrolment and retention in the NHIS are multi-dimensional and cut across all stakeholders. People enrolled and renewed their membership because of NHIS’ benefits and health providers’ positive behaviour. Barriers to enrolment and retention included: poverty, traditional risk-sharing arrangements influence people to enrol or renew their membership only when they need healthcare, dissatisfaction about health providers’ behaviour and service delivery challenges. Conclusion: Given the multi-dimensional nature of barriers to enrolment and retention

  6. Influence of selected washing treatments and drying temperatures ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Influence of selected washing treatments and drying temperatures on ... with regard to the optimal retention of the crude protein and fat levels of the dried dagaa. ... are accessible to most of the households involved in dried fish processing.

  7. Retention performance of green roofs in three different climate regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sims, Andrew W.; Robinson, Clare E.; Smart, Charles C.; Voogt, James A.; Hay, Geoffrey J.; Lundholm, Jeremey T.; Powers, Brandon; O'Carroll, Denis M.

    2016-11-01

    Green roofs are becoming increasingly popular for moderating stormwater runoff in urban areas. This study investigated the impact different climates have on the retention performance of identical green roofs installed in London Ontario (humid continental), Calgary Alberta (semi-arid, continental), and Halifax Nova Scotia (humid, maritime). Drier climates were found to have greater percent cumulative stormwater retention with Calgary (67%) having significantly better percent retention than both London (48%) and Halifax (34%). However, over the same study period the green roof in London retained the greatest depth of stormwater (598 mm), followed by the green roof in Halifax (471 mm) and then Calgary (411 mm). The impact of climate was largest for medium sized storms where the antecedent moisture condition (AMC) at the beginning of a rainfall event governs retention performance. Importantly AMC was a very good predictor of stormwater retention, with similar retention at all three sites for a given AMC, emphasizing that AMC is a relevant indicator of retention performance in any climate. For large rainfall events (i.e., >45 mm) green roof average retention ranged between 16% and 29% in all cities. Overall, drier climates have superior retention due to lower AMC in the media. However, moderate and wet climates still provide substantial total volume reduction benefits.

  8. Herpes zoster-induced acute urinary retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Addison, Ben; Harvey, Martyn

    2013-06-01

    Urinary retention is a common acute presentation for men in their later decades. Potential contributing pathologies are numerous. We report an unusual case of acute urinary retention requiring catheterisation secondary to sacral herpes zoster reactivation (S2-4) in an 88-year-old man with minimal preceding obstructive symptoms. © 2013 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

  9. Selectivity of some basic solutes on a poly(methyltetradecylsiloxane)-silica stationary phase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borges, Endler M; Collins, Carol H

    2011-11-01

    Complex analyses of polar compounds, especially basic ones, require more selective stationary phases. The present paper describes a stationary phase prepared by thermal immobilization of poly(methyltetradecylsiloxane) onto chromatographic silica (PMTDS-SiO(2)). This stationary phase presents hydrophobic and ion-exchange interactions that confer both high retention and unique selectivities for basic solutes. The influence of ion-exchange interactions is confirmed by the increase in retention factors of basic solutes when the mobile-phase pH changes from acidic to neutral and by the decrease in retention factors when the mobile-phase pH changes from neutral to alkaline. The ion-exchange properties of the stationary phase are enriched in neutral mobile phase (pH 7-7.5) using soft Lewis bases such as tricine and tris as buffers but are suppressed in both acidic (pH 2.5-6) and highly alkaline mobile phases (pH≤10). Increasing both temperature and flow rate permits more rapid separations while maintaining the selectivity. The stability of the stationary phase is evaluated with acid, neutral and alkaline mobile phases. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Employee retention within the Information Technology Division of a South African Bank

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joy Mohlala

    2012-05-01

    Research purpose: To understand the challenges faced by the bank’s information technology leadership team to retain employees. Motivation for the study: To understand the challenges faced in attracting and retaining information technology professionals, and how this can serve as input for reducing skills shortages in Information Technology Divisions. Research design, approach and method: An interpretive approach employing a case study strategy and qualitative methods was employed. Semi structured interviews were conducted with thirteen senior managers and four directors of the bank’s Information Technology Division, who were selected on a purposive basis. Data were subjected to Creswell’s four stage data analysis process. Main findings: Findings indicate that employee turnover is the main contributor of skills shortages within the studied division. The lack of a retention strategy is making it difficult for leadership to identify crucial skills that must be retained. Practical/managerial implications: Evidence suggests that this bank, although they would like to retain information technology professionals, is not creating an environment conducive to do this, as little attention is paid to the unique demands of this group of employees. Contribution/value-add: This study investigates a specific group of employees for which a unique retention strategy does not exist. In understanding the challenges that impact on attracting and retaining information technology professionals, this study can contribute to the development of a retention strategy for these employees.

  11. Nuclear reactor melt-retention structure to mitigate direct containment heating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tutu, Narinder K.; Ginsberg, Theodore; Klages, John R.

    1991-01-01

    A light water nuclear reactor melt-retention structure to mitigate the extent of direct containment heating of the reactor containment building. The structure includes a retention chamber for retaining molten core material away from the upper regions of the reactor containment building when a severe accident causes the bottom of the pressure vessel of the reactor to fail and discharge such molten material under high pressure through the reactor cavity into the retention chamber. In combination with the melt-retention chamber there is provided a passageway that includes molten core droplet deflector vanes and has gas vent means in its upper surface, which means are operable to deflect molten core droplets into the retention chamber while allowing high pressure steam and gases to be vented into the upper regions of the containment building. A plurality of platforms are mounted within the passageway and the melt-retention structure to direct the flow of molten core material and help retain it within the melt-retention chamber. In addition, ribs are mounted at spaced positions on the floor of the melt-retention chamber, and grid means are positioned at the entrance side of the retention chamber. The grid means develop gas back pressure that helps separate the molten core droplets from discharged high pressure steam and gases, thereby forcing the steam and gases to vent into the upper regions of the reactor containment building.

  12. effect of differentiated instructional strategies on students' retention

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    PROF EKWUEME

    show that retention ability was significantly higher in the experimental group ... Differentiated instruction, Lecture , Cognitive Achievement ,Retention ability, Geometry. ... thinking. Based on this knowledge, differentiated instruction applies an ...

  13. The Causal Effects of Grade Retention on Behavioral Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martorell, Paco; Mariano, Louis T.

    2018-01-01

    This study examines the impact of grade retention on behavioral outcomes under a comprehensive assessment-based student promotion policy in New York City. To isolate the causal effect of grade retention, we implement a fuzzy regression discontinuity (RD) design that exploits the fact that grade retention is largely determined by whether a student…

  14. Relationship between potassium intake and radiocesium retention in the reindeer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holleman, D.F.; Luick, J.R.

    1975-01-01

    The effect of dietary potassium on radiocesium retention was studied in reindeer fed winter diets of lichens. Potassium added to the diet markedly decreased radiocesium retention; this suggests that seasonal changes in cesium retention observed earlier in reindeer might be caused largely by nutritional factors. Data indicate that a 20-fold increase in dietary potassium results in a 2-fold decrease in radiocesium retention

  15. Record Retention Practices among the Nation's “Most Wired” Hospitals

    OpenAIRE

    Rinehart-Thompson, Laurie A.

    2008-01-01

    This exploratory study examined health record retention practices among health information management professionals in acute care general hospitals in the United States. A descriptive research design was used, and data were collected using a self-reporting survey. Respondents answered questions about record retention policies, the responsibility of health information professionals in policy administration, record retention periods, factors that determine retention periods, and other informati...

  16. Studies on nitrogen retention in growing pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorbek, G; Henckel, S; Chwalibog, André

    1987-01-01

    Nitrogen retention (RN) was measured in 60 barrows of Danish Landrace and a total of 470 balance periods was carried out during the growth period from 20 to 85 kg live weight. In the first serie (Expt A) six different feed compounds of high biological value (HBV) were fed to 48 barrows, while...... in the second serie (Expt B) 12 barrows were measured on feed compounds of HBV or low biological value (LBV). Three different levels of gross energy were used in Expt B. Individual differences of 10-20% in the pigs capability for nitrogen retention were observed. Nitrogen retention increased from 12 to 21 g N....../d on the HBV-compounds and was not influenced by increasing nitrogen or energy intake. Nitrogen retention was curvilinear in relation to metabolic live weight (kg0.75) in both series. A parabolic function on kg0.75 gave the best fit to the data with the following regression equations: Expt A + B: RN, g/d = 1...

  17. The Association Between Health Program Participation and Employee Retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Rebecca J; Ozminkowski, Ronald J; Hartley, Stephen K

    2016-09-01

    Using health plan membership as a proxy for employee retention, the objective of this study was to examine whether use of health promotion programs was associated with employee retention. Propensity score weighted generalized linear regression models were used to estimate the association between telephonic programs or health risk surveys and retention. Analyses were conducted with six study samples based on type of program participation. Retention rates were highest for employees with either telephonic program activity or health risk surveys and lowest for employees who did not participate in any interventions. Participants ranged from 71% more likely to 5% less likely to remain with their employers compared with nonparticipants, depending on the sample used in analyses. Using health promotion programs in combination with health risk surveys may lead to improvements in employee retention.

  18. Gatherings as a retention strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stokes, Lillian Gatlin

    2003-01-01

    Retention has long been an issue for minority students enrolled in nursing programs. Indiana University put into place an initiative to enhance retention. The initiative is "Gatherings" which provide a means for maintaining contact and direct communication with minority/international students. Gatherings allow students at varied levels in the program to interact with each other and to share issues and concerns. Over a five-year period, the benefits of this initiative have been voiced by students. These students have strongly encouraged continuation of "gatherings". Plans are underway to start similar sessions for all students.

  19. Mentoring--a staff retention tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanaskie, Mary Louise

    2006-01-01

    Staff retention presents a common challenge for hospitals nationwide. Mentorship programs have been explored as one method of creating environments that promote staff retention. Successful achievement of nurse competencies identified in the Synergy Model for Patient Care can best be achieved in an environment that encourages and facilitates mentoring. Mentoring relationships in critical care provide the ongoing interactions, coaching, teaching, and role modeling to facilitate nurses' progression along this continuum. Mentoring relationships offer support and professional development for nurses at all levels within an organization as well as an optimistic outlook for the nursing profession.

  20. Mechanistic failure mode investigation and resolution of parvovirus retentive filters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaCasse, Daniel; Lute, Scott; Fiadeiro, Marcus; Basha, Jonida; Stork, Matthew; Brorson, Kurt; Godavarti, Ranga; Gallo, Chris

    2016-07-08

    Virus retentive filters are a key product safety measure for biopharmaceuticals. A simplistic perception is that they function solely based on a size-based particle removal mechanism of mechanical sieving and retention of particles based on their hydrodynamic size. Recent observations have revealed a more nuanced picture, indicating that changes in viral particle retention can result from process pressure and/or flow interruptions. In this study, a mechanistic investigation was performed to help identify a potential mechanism leading to the reported reduced particle retention in small virus filters. Permeate flow rate or permeate driving force were varied and analyzed for their impact on particle retention in three commercially available small virus retentive filters. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:959-970, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  1. Neutral particle retention in the JET MK I divertor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehrenberg, J.K.; Campbell, D.J.; Harbour, P.J.; Horton, L.D.; Loarte, A.; McCormick, G.K.; Monk, R.D.; Saibene, G.R.; Simonini, R.; Taroni, A.; Stamp, M.F.

    1997-01-01

    Retention of neutral deuterium and nitrogen in the JET MK I divertor has been investigated. Results show that ohmic plasma detachment reduces deuterium retention, that the magnetic divertor configuration has some influence on the achievable deuterium retention, and that nitrogen in nitrogen-seeded steady state detached H-mode discharges accumulates in the divertor. (orig.)

  2. Compensation packages: a strategic tool for employees’ performance and retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omotayo Adewale OSIBANJO

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The rate at which employees in private universities in Nigeria jump from one university to the other is becoming more disturbing and this could be as a result of compensation packages of different universities to attract competent employees. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of compensation packages on employees’ job performance and retention in a selected private University in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria. A model was developed and tested using one hundred and eleven valid questionnaires which were completed by academics and non-academic staff of the university. The collected data were carefully analyzed using simple percentage supported by structural equation modelling to test the hypotheses and relationships that may exist among the variables under consideration. The results showed strong relationship between compensation packages and employees’ performance and retention. The summary of the findings indicates that there is strong correlation between the tested dependent and independent variables (salary, bonus, incentives, allowances, and fringe benefits. However, management and decision makers should endeavour to review compensation packages at various levels in order to earn employees’ satisfaction and prevention of high labour turnover among the members of staff.

  3. Retention of anatomy knowledge by student radiographers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hall, A. Susanne; Durward, Brian R.

    2009-01-01

    Introduction: Anatomy has long been regarded as an integral part of the core curriculum. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that long-term retention of anatomy knowledge may be deficient. This study aims to evidence whether student radiographers demonstrate the same level of knowledge of anatomy after a period of time has elapsed and to correlate to approaches to learning and studying. Methodology: A repeated measures design was utilised to measure retention of anatomy knowledge for both MCQs and short-response answers to a Practical Radiographic Anatomy Examination; alpha value p < 0.05. Fifty-one students from levels 2 and 3 were retested after a time lapse of 10 and 22 months respectively. The students were not aware that their knowledge was being retested. Approaches to learning and studying were measured using the ASSIST inventory. Results: Statistical analysis found no difference in performance on MCQ assessment, in either the combined sample or levels 2 and 3 separately, from baseline to retention occasions; average retention rate being 99%. However, a statistical difference in performance on PRAE assessment was found, with level 2 experiencing a larger reduction in scores; retention rate of 67% compared to level 3 at 77%. The students perceived themselves to be principally strategic in their approach to learning and studying but no strong relationships were found when correlated to test scores. Conclusion: The student radiographers in this study demonstrated varied anatomy retention rates dependent on assessment method employed and time interval that had elapsed. It is recommended that diverse teaching and assessment strategies are adopted to encourage a deeper approach to learning and studying.

  4. Radiodiagnosis of filled retention bronchial cysts and lung tuberculomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gudz', A.E.

    1987-01-01

    Radiological semiotics of filled retention bronchial cysts in 23 patients and of lung tuberculomes in 52 is studied on the basis of the data on roentgenography, tomography and bronchography. Characteristic radiological signs of retention bronchial cysts and tuberculomes are determined. Significance of each radiological sign for differential diagnosis of filled retention bronchial cysts and lung tuberculomes is estimated

  5. Formation and retention of methane in coal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hucka, V.J.; Bodily, D.M.; Huang, H.

    1992-05-15

    The formation and retention of methane in coalbeds was studied for ten Utah coal samples, one Colorado coal sample and eight coal samples from the Argonne Premium Coal Sample Bank.Methane gas content of the Utah and Colorado coals varied from zero to 9 cm{sup 3}/g. The Utah coals were all high volatile bituminous coals. The Colorado coal was a gassy medium volatile bituminous coal. The Argonne coals cover a range or rank from lignite to low volatile bituminous coal and were used to determine the effect of rank in laboratory studies. The methane content of six selected Utah coal seams and the Colorado coal seam was measured in situ using a special sample collection device and a bubble desorbometer. Coal samples were collected at each measurement site for laboratory analysis. The cleat and joint system was evaluated for the coal and surrounding rocks and geological conditions were noted. Permeability measurements were performed on selected samples and all samples were analyzed for proximate and ultimate analysis, petrographic analysis, {sup 13}C NMR dipolar-dephasing spectroscopy, and density analysis. The observed methane adsorption behavior was correlated with the chemical structure and physical properties of the coals.

  6. Modeling of retention of some fission products and actinides by ion-exchange chromatography with a complexing agent. Application to the determination of selectivity coefficients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gurdale-Tack, K.; Aubert, M.; Chartier, F.

    2000-01-01

    For an accurate determination of the isotopic and elemental composition of americium (Am), curium (Cm), neodymium (Nd) and cesium (Cs) in spent nuclear fuels, performed by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), it is necessary to separate these elements before analysis. This separation is mandatory because of isobaric interferences between americium and curium, neodymium and samarium (Sm) and between cesium and barium (Ba). This is the reason why Ba and Sm are analyzed with the other four elements. Separation is carried out by cation-exchange chromatography on a silica-based stationary phase in the presence of a complexing eluent. The complexing agent is 2-hydroxy-2-methyl butanoic acid (HMB), a monoprotic acid (HL) with a pK a of 3.6. Cations (M n+ ) interact with it to form ML y (n-y)+ complexes. Optimization of chromatographic separation conditions requires monitoring of the pH and eluent composition. The influence of each parameter on metal ion retention and on selectivity was investigated. The first studies on standard solutions with Sm(III), Nd(III), Cs(I) and Ba(II) showed that four conditions allow efficient separation. However, only one allows good separation with a real solution of spent nuclear fuels. This condition is a chelating agent concentration of 0.1 mol.l -1 and a pH of 4.2. With the other conditions, co-elution is observed for Cs(I) and Am(III). The overall results were used to study the retention mechanisms. The aim of this modeling is a closer knowledge of the form in which (M n+ and/or ML y (n-y)+ ...) each cationic element is extracted into the stationary phase. In fact, while cations can exist in the eluent in various forms depending on the analytical conditions, their forms may be different in the stationary phase. (authors)

  7. Linking local retention, self-recruitment, and persistence in marine metapopulations

    KAUST Repository

    Lett, Christophe; Nguyen-Huu, Tri; Cuif, Marion; Saenz Agudelo, Pablo; Kaplan, David M.

    2015-01-01

    Three indices of larval retention have been used in the literature to assess the tendency for self-maintenance of local marine populations: local retention (LR), self-recruitment (SR), and relative local retention (RLR). Only one of these, LR

  8. Evaluation of 131I retention in several adsorbers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Catanoso, Marcela F.; Osso Junior, Joao Alberto

    2011-01-01

    Several iodine radioisotopes are used in nuclear medicine for treatment and diagnostic purposes. The radioisotope 131 I is used both in diagnosis and therapy due to its physical characteristics of decay by β - and its γ-ray emissions suitable for diagnosis. It is routinely produced at IPEN through the irradiation of TeO 2 targets in the IEA-R1m nuclear reactor. After the irradiation, the 131 I is separated by dry distillation, where the targets are put in an oven, heated at 760 deg C for 2 hours and the 131 I, volatile, is carried by an O 2 gas stream. The aim of this work was to evaluate the retention and elution of 131 I samples produced at IPEN in several adsorbers as part of a project aiming the purification of these radioisotopes, allowing the labeling of biomolecules. Samples of 131 I were used for retention and elution studies with the following adsorbers: commercial cartridges, anionic resin columns and cationic resin column. The results showed that Ag cartridges and anionic resins Dowex 1X8, Dowex 3 and IRA 400 had a great iodine retention but no elution after using specific eluents. The QMA light, acid alumina, neutral alumina and cationic resin Dowex 50WX4 showed high retention and elution and QMA plus and cationic resin Dowex 50WX8 and Dowex 50WX12 had a good retention but lower elution. Regarding to the better retention and elution, Ag cartridges and resins showed a higher percentage of iodine retention but lower elution yield and QMA light, acid and neutral alumina cartridges showed better results. (author)

  9. Effects of the radiation gamma on the activity and selectivity of the Al2 O3 in the retention of uranium and fission products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duran B, J.M.

    1996-01-01

    The study that here comes constitute a contribution for the treatment of based on waste the properties of retention of the inorganic oxides. The effect induced of the radiation has been determined gamma of the 60 Co in the Al 2 O 3 and their influence in their capacity of retention of uranium and products of fission of watery solutions strongly alkaline. In order to obtain useful information it made the superficial characterizations, structural, crystalline and of retention by means of the techniques of superficial adsorption, spectroscopy infrared, rays-X diffraction, liquid twinkling and γ- spectrometry. The obtained results show that the treatment of the Al 2 O 3 this associated with slight changes in their structural characteristics and superficialities concluding that the molecular water present in the crystalline net of the oxide was not displaced radiolytic for effect, but rather, this spread in the volume of the oxide, blocking the change in the contribution to crystalline of the oxide. (Author)

  10. Plunger with simple retention valve

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fekete, A.V.

    1987-01-01

    This patent describes a positive displacement retention valve apparatus in which the actual flow equals the theoretical maximum flow through the retention valve. The apparatus includes, in combination, a confined fluid flow conduit, a piston adapted for reciprocal movement within the fluid flow conduit between upstream and downstream limit positions, piston reciprocating means, and pressure responsive check valve means located upstream with respect to the piston in the fluid flow conduit. The pressure responsive check valve means operable to permit fluid flow therethrough in a downstream direction toward the piston, and to preclude fluid flow therethrough in an opposite direction. The piston is composed of parts which are relatively movable with respect to one another. The piston includes a simple retention valve consisting of a plug means, a cylinder having a minimum and a maximum internal cross section flow area therein and being reciprocal within the confined fluid flow conduit, and a seat on the cylinder for the plug means. The piston reciprocating means are operatively connected to the plug means

  11. How Well Does the SAT and GPA Predict the Retention of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Business Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohr, Samuel L.

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between various admissions selection criteria utilized by a small, Liberal Arts College in Indiana. More specifically, the study examined if a higher college preparatory GPA and a higher aggregate score on the SAT helped predict the retention of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business…

  12. U.S. Marine Corps Enlisted Retention: An Analysis of Stakeholder Incentives for the Retention of Tier 1 First-Term Marines

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-03-01

    ERTF Enlisted Retention Task Force FFM fast filling military occupational specialty FTAP first-term alignment plan FY fiscal year GT general...Planning military ( FFM ) occupational specialties that are processed through boards to ensure the retention of highly qualified Marines. Fast-filling

  13. Aerosol retention in the flooded steam generator bundle during SGTR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lind, Terttaliisa; Dehbi, Abdel; Guentay, Salih

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → High retention of aerosol particles in a steam generator bundle flooded with water. → Increasing particle inertia, i.e., particle size and velocity, increases retention. → Much higher retention of aerosol particles in the steam generator bundle flooded with water than in a dry bundle. → Much higher retention of aerosol particles in the steam generator bundle than in a bare pool. → Bare pool models have to be adapted to be applicable for flooded bundles. - Abstract: A steam generator tube rupture in a pressurized water reactor may cause accidental release of radioactive particles into the environment. Its specific significance is in its potential to bypass the containment thereby providing a direct pathway of the radioactivity from the primary circuit to the environment. Under certain severe accident scenarios, the steam generator bundle may be flooded with water. In addition, some severe accident management procedures are designed to minimize the release of radioactivity into the environment by flooding the defective steam generator secondary side with water when the steam generator has dried out. To extend our understanding of the particle retention phenomena in the flooded steam generator bundle, tests were conducted in the ARTIST and ARTIST II programs to determine the effect of different parameters on particle retention. The effects of particle type (spherical or agglomerate), particle size, gas mass flow rate, and the break submergence on particle retention were investigated. Results can be summarized as follows: increasing particle inertia was found to increase retention in the flooded bundle. Particle shape, i.e., agglomerate or spherical structure, did not affect retention significantly. Even with a very low submergence, 0.3 m above the tube break, significant aerosol retention took place underlining the importance of the jet-bundle interactions close to the tube break. Droplets were entrained from the water surface with

  14. Liquid Effluent Retention Facility

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (LERF) is located in the central part of the Hanford Site. LERF is permitted by the State of Washington and has three liquid...

  15. Complete plastid genome sequences suggest strong selection for retention of photosynthetic genes in the parasitic plant genus Cuscuta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeal, Joel R; Kuehl, Jennifer V; Boore, Jeffrey L; de Pamphilis, Claude W

    2007-10-24

    Plastid genome content and protein sequence are highly conserved across land plants and their closest algal relatives. Parasitic plants, which obtain some or all of their nutrition through an attachment to a host plant, are often a striking exception. Heterotrophy can lead to relaxed constraint on some plastid genes or even total gene loss. We sequenced plastid genomes of two species in the parasitic genus Cuscuta along with a non-parasitic relative, Ipomoea purpurea, to investigate changes in the plastid genome that may result from transition to the parasitic lifestyle. Aside from loss of all ndh genes, Cuscuta exaltata retains photosynthetic and photorespiratory genes that evolve under strong selective constraint. Cuscuta obtusiflora has incurred substantially more change to its plastid genome, including loss of all genes for the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase. Despite extensive change in gene content and greatly increased rate of overall nucleotide substitution, C. obtusiflora also retains all photosynthetic and photorespiratory genes with only one minor exception. Although Epifagus virginiana, the only other parasitic plant with its plastid genome sequenced to date, has lost a largely overlapping set of transfer-RNA and ribosomal genes as Cuscuta, it has lost all genes related to photosynthesis and maintains a set of genes which are among the most divergent in Cuscuta. Analyses demonstrate photosynthetic genes are under the highest constraint of any genes within the plastid genomes of Cuscuta, indicating a function involving RuBisCo and electron transport through photosystems is still the primary reason for retention of the plastid genome in these species.

  16. Complete plastid genome sequences suggest strong selection for retention of photosynthetic genes in the parasitic plant genus Cuscuta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuehl Jennifer V

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Plastid genome content and protein sequence are highly conserved across land plants and their closest algal relatives. Parasitic plants, which obtain some or all of their nutrition through an attachment to a host plant, are often a striking exception. Heterotrophy can lead to relaxed constraint on some plastid genes or even total gene loss. We sequenced plastid genomes of two species in the parasitic genus Cuscuta along with a non-parasitic relative, Ipomoea purpurea, to investigate changes in the plastid genome that may result from transition to the parasitic lifestyle. Results Aside from loss of all ndh genes, Cuscuta exaltata retains photosynthetic and photorespiratory genes that evolve under strong selective constraint. Cuscuta obtusiflora has incurred substantially more change to its plastid genome, including loss of all genes for the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase. Despite extensive change in gene content and greatly increased rate of overall nucleotide substitution, C. obtusiflora also retains all photosynthetic and photorespiratory genes with only one minor exception. Conclusion Although Epifagus virginiana, the only other parasitic plant with its plastid genome sequenced to date, has lost a largely overlapping set of transfer-RNA and ribosomal genes as Cuscuta, it has lost all genes related to photosynthesis and maintains a set of genes which are among the most divergent in Cuscuta. Analyses demonstrate photosynthetic genes are under the highest constraint of any genes within the plastid genomes of Cuscuta, indicating a function involving RuBisCo and electron transport through photosystems is still the primary reason for retention of the plastid genome in these species.

  17. Faculty Personality: A Factor of Student Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Cassandra S.; Wu, Xiaodong; Irwin, Kathleen C.; Patrizi, L. A. Chad

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between student retention and faculty personality as it was hypothesized that faculty personality has an effect on student retention. The methodology adopted for this study was quantitative and in two parts 1) using linear regression models to examine the impact or causality of faculty…

  18. Assessment of patency capsule retention using MR diffusion-weighted imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klang, Eyal; Rozendorn, Noa; Amitai, Michal Marianne [Sheba Medical Center, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Ramat Gan (Israel); Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv (Israel); Kopylov, Uri; Ben-Horin, Shomron; Lahat, Adi; Yablecovitch, Doron; Eliakim, Rami [Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv (Israel); Sheba Medical Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Ramat Gan (Israel)

    2017-12-15

    Evaluate the ability of MR diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to predict patency capsule retention in Crohn's disease (CD). Clinical and imaging data were prospectively reviewed for 80 CD patients following patency capsule administration and MR-DWI under institutional review board (IRB) approval with informed consent. Two radiologists separately assessed the presence/absence of restricted diffusion in the distal ileum. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) from three regions of interest on the ileal wall were averaged. The association between restricted diffusion and retention, and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Ability of ADC to predict retention was assessed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Restricted diffusion in the distal ileum was associated with capsule retention (p = 0.001, p < 0.0001). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of restricted diffusion for capsule retention were 100.0%, 46.2%, 30.0%, 100% and 100.0%, 56.9%, 34.9%, 100%, respectively, for two radiologists. Accuracy of ADC to predict retention was high (area under the curve = 0.851, p < 0.0001). An ADC of 1.47 mm{sup 2}/s showed 90.0% sensitivity and 50.0% specificity for retention. Sensitivity and NPV of restricted diffusion for patency capsule retention were 100%, suggesting that DWI may predict gastrointestinal tract capability to pass video camera endoscopy. (orig.)

  19. Assessment of patency capsule retention using MR diffusion-weighted imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klang, Eyal; Rozendorn, Noa; Amitai, Michal Marianne; Kopylov, Uri; Ben-Horin, Shomron; Lahat, Adi; Yablecovitch, Doron; Eliakim, Rami

    2017-01-01

    Evaluate the ability of MR diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to predict patency capsule retention in Crohn's disease (CD). Clinical and imaging data were prospectively reviewed for 80 CD patients following patency capsule administration and MR-DWI under institutional review board (IRB) approval with informed consent. Two radiologists separately assessed the presence/absence of restricted diffusion in the distal ileum. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) from three regions of interest on the ileal wall were averaged. The association between restricted diffusion and retention, and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Ability of ADC to predict retention was assessed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Restricted diffusion in the distal ileum was associated with capsule retention (p = 0.001, p < 0.0001). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of restricted diffusion for capsule retention were 100.0%, 46.2%, 30.0%, 100% and 100.0%, 56.9%, 34.9%, 100%, respectively, for two radiologists. Accuracy of ADC to predict retention was high (area under the curve = 0.851, p < 0.0001). An ADC of 1.47 mm 2 /s showed 90.0% sensitivity and 50.0% specificity for retention. Sensitivity and NPV of restricted diffusion for patency capsule retention were 100%, suggesting that DWI may predict gastrointestinal tract capability to pass video camera endoscopy. (orig.)

  20. Retention of Millennial Employees in the Army Acquisition Workforce

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-04-07

    the job market affects the retention of all generations of employees, not only Millennials (Sorenson & Garman, 2013, p. 3). If the employees’ needs...having more at stake rather than having a specific fundamental difference in how they approach staying in a job . Millennial Retention Factors...that personal characteristics, plus preferred job characteristics, plus quality of work experience, equals high employee retention , as depicted in

  1. Career satisfaction and retention risk among Wisconsin internists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giriyappa, Pradeep; Sullivan, Kandis K

    2009-09-01

    Physician career satisfaction has been studied extensively, but career satisfaction as it relates to retention is less well studied. The objective was to assess the relationship between career satisfaction and retention in primary care internal medicine physicians in Wisconsin. In this descriptive quantitative study, survey data was assessed for correlations between career satisfaction, risk to retention, and demographics. The survey included 1231 primary care internal medicine physicians in the Wisconsin Medical Directory (2007). Responses were measured by career satisfaction variables, and demographics and retention variables for the purpose of correlations and regression analysis. Survey responses included 573 physicians. An additional 85 physicians were disqualified. The final survey group included 1146 physicians for a response rate of 50%. A total of 116 physicians (20.2%) reported anticipating leaving their current position, 84 (14.7%) physicians reported anticipating leaving the career of medicine. Identified at risk for retention were 144 (25.1%) physicians. The lowest career satisfaction scores were reported in the areas of compensation (3.19) and practice (3.42) on a scale of 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). The highest correlations to retention were associated with practice, followed by compensation satisfaction. The level of significance for this study was identified as 0.05, and the P-value was 0.000. The study findings reveal a significant risk to the stability of continuity of care for patients, and may cost Wisconsin health care organizations more than $35 million in recruitment costs to replace departing physicians.

  2. Assessing Potential Additional PFAS Retention Processes in the Subsurface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brusseau, M. L.

    2017-12-01

    Understanding the transport and fate of per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in the subsurface is critical for accurate risk assessments and design of effective remedial actions. Current conceptual and mathematical models are based on an assumption that solid-phase adsorption is the sole source of retention for PFASs. However, additional retention processes may be relevant for PFAS compounds in vadose-zone systems and in source zones that contain trapped immiscible organic liquids. These include adsorption at the air-water interface, partitioning to the soil atmosphere, adsorption at the NAPL-water interface, and absorption by NAPL. A multi-process retention model is proposed to account for these potential additional sources of PFAS retardation. An initial assessment of the relative magnitudes and significance of these retention processes was conducted for three representative PFASs, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH). Data collected from the literature were used to determine measured or estimated values for the relevant distribution coefficients, which were in turn used to calculate retardation factors for a representative porous medium. Adsorption at the air-water interface was shown to be a primary source of retention for PFOA and PFOS, contributing approximately 80% of total retardation. Adsorption to NAPL-water interfaces and absorption by bulk NAPL were also shown to be significant sources of retention for PFOS and PFOA. The latter process was the predominant source of retention for 8:2 FTOH, contributing 98% of total retardation. These results indicate that we may anticipate significant retention of PFASs by these additional processes. In such cases, retardation of PFASs in source areas may be significantly greater than what is typically estimated based on the standard assumption of solid-phase adsorption as the sole retention mechanism. This has significant ramifications for

  3. Towards a chromatographic similarity index to establish localised quantitative structure-retention relationships for retention prediction. II Use of Tanimoto similarity index in ion chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Soo Hyun; Talebi, Mohammad; Amos, Ruth I J; Tyteca, Eva; Haddad, Paul R; Szucs, Roman; Pohl, Christopher A; Dolan, John W

    2017-11-10

    Quantitative Structure-Retention Relationships (QSRR) are used to predict retention times of compounds based only on their chemical structures encoded by molecular descriptors. The main concern in QSRR modelling is to build models with high predictive power, allowing reliable retention prediction for the unknown compounds across the chromatographic space. With the aim of enhancing the prediction power of the models, in this work, our previously proposed QSRR modelling approach called "federation of local models" is extended in ion chromatography to predict retention times of unknown ions, where a local model for each target ion (unknown) is created using only structurally similar ions from the dataset. A Tanimoto similarity (TS) score was utilised as a measure of structural similarity and training sets were developed by including ions that were similar to the target ion, as defined by a threshold value. The prediction of retention parameters (a- and b-values) in the linear solvent strength (LSS) model in ion chromatography, log k=a - blog[eluent], allows the prediction of retention times under all eluent concentrations. The QSRR models for a- and b-values were developed by a genetic algorithm-partial least squares method using the retention data of inorganic and small organic anions and larger organic cations (molecular mass up to 507) on four Thermo Fisher Scientific columns (AS20, AS19, AS11HC and CS17). The corresponding predicted retention times were calculated by fitting the predicted a- and b-values of the models into the LSS model equation. The predicted retention times were also plotted against the experimental values to evaluate the goodness of fit and the predictive power of the models. The application of a TS threshold of 0.6 was found to successfully produce predictive and reliable QSRR models (Q ext(F2) 2 >0.8 and Mean Absolute Error<0.1), and hence accurate retention time predictions with an average Mean Absolute Error of 0.2min. Crown Copyright

  4. Process-based modelling of phosphorus transformations and retention in global rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilmin, Lauriane; Mogollon, Jose; Beusen, Arthur; Bouwman, Lex

    2016-04-01

    Phosphorus (P) plays a major role in the biogeochemical functioning of aquatic systems. It typically acts as the limiting nutrient for primary productivity in freshwater bodies, and thus the increase in anthropogenic P loads during the XXth century has fuelled the eutrophication of these systems. Total P retention in global rivers has also escalated over this timeframe as demonstrated via a global model that implements the spiralling method at a spatial resolution of 0.5° (IMAGE-GNM, Beusen et al., 2015). Here, we refine this coupled hydrological - nutrient model by including mechanistic biogeochemical interactions that govern the P cycle. Special attention is paid to the representation of particle processes (i.e. particle loading, sedimentation and erosion), which play a major role in P transport and accumulation in aquatic systems. Our preliminary results are compared to measurements of suspended sediments, total P and orthophosphates in selected river basins. Initial model results show that P concentrations are particularly sensitive to particulate load distribution in the river network within a grid cell. This novel modelling approach will eventually allow a better assessment of the amounts of different forms of P (organic P, soluble reactive P, and particulate inorganic P), of P transformation rates and retention in inland waters. References Beusen, A.H.W., Van Beek, L.P.H., Bouwman, A.F., Mogollón, J.M., Middelburg, J.J. 2015. Coupling global models for hydrology and nutrient loading to simulate nitrogen and phosphorus retention in surface water - description of the IMAGE-GNM and analysis of performance. Geosci. Model Dev. 8, 4045-4067

  5. Assessment of retention parameters of the fission products in the soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endo, Laura Sakiko

    1978-01-01

    In many countries the discharge of radioactive liquid wastes into the ground is a common practice. The retention capacity presented by soils allows the discharge of bulky amounts of wastes in low and intermediate concentrations, within safety conditions. In addition, operations of ground disposal have advantages in economy and simplicity. However, the possibility of contamination of water resources is important in the site selection for such purpose. In this work, the I.E.A. soil behavior related to the retention capacity of cesium and strontium was studied. Distribution coefficients (Kd) were determined for both elements in function of its concentrations, p H and the presence of K + and Na + in the waste solutions. Soil analysis by X-ray diffraction showed the predominance Kaolinite argyle in this region. Soil parameters were also determined in laboratory conditions, such as permeability, porosity and density. The observed retention capacity for both elements was between 0,7 and 2,0 meg/100 of soil. Evaluation of ground water velocity and ions migration rates were carried out through the results obtained in laboratory measurements. It was also evaluated the amounts of 137 Cs and 90 Sr that if discharged into the ground would produce in the critical group a dose equal to the dose limit fixed by the norms. It was concluded that the maximum discharge amounts is limited by heat dissipation capacity of ground water table, and through a very conservative evaluation the total beta-gamma activity for long-lives radioisotopes presented a value of 3,6 X 10 6 Ci/y. (author)

  6. Biofilm roughness determines Cryptosporidium parvum retention in environmental biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiCesare, E A Wolyniak; Hargreaves, B R; Jellison, K L

    2012-06-01

    The genus Cryptosporidium is a group of waterborne protozoan parasites that have been implicated in significant outbreaks of gastrointestinal infections throughout the world. Biofilms trap these pathogens and can contaminate water supplies through subsequent release. Biofilm microbial assemblages were collected seasonally from three streams in eastern Pennsylvania and used to grow biofilms in laboratory microcosms. Daily oocyst counts in the influx and efflux flow allowed the calculation of daily oocyst retention in the biofilm. Following the removal of oocysts from the influx water, oocyst attachment to the biofilm declined to an equilibrium state within 5 days that was sustained for at least 25 days. Varying the oocyst loading rate for the system showed that biofilm retention could be saturated, suggesting that discrete binding sites determined the maximum number of oocysts retained. Oocyst retention varied seasonally but was consistent across all three sites; however, seasonal oocyst retention was not consistent across years at the same site. No correlation between oocyst attachment and any measured water quality parameter was found. However, oocyst retention was strongly correlated with biofilm surface roughness and roughness varied among seasons and across years. We hypothesize that biofilm roughness and oocyst retention are dependent on environmentally driven changes in the biofilm community rather than directly on water quality conditions. It is important to understand oocyst transport dynamics to reduce risks of human infection. Better understanding of factors controlling biofilm retention of oocysts should improve our understanding of oocyst transport at different scales.

  7. Safeguards Workforce Repatriation, Retention and Utilization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gallucci, Nicholas [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Poe, Sarah [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

    2015-10-01

    Brookhaven National Laboratory was tasked by NA-241 to assess the transition of former IAEA employees back to the United States, investigating the rate of retention and overall smoothness of the repatriation process among returning safeguards professionals. Upon conducting several phone interviews, study authors found that the repatriation process went smoothly for the vast majority and that workforce retention was high. However, several respondents expressed irritation over the minimal extent to which their safeguards expertise had been leveraged in their current positions. This sentiment was pervasive enough to prompt a follow-on study focusing on questions relating to the utilization rather than the retention of safeguards professionals. A second, web-based survey was conducted, soliciting responses from a larger sample pool. Results suggest that the safeguards workforce may be oversaturated, and that young professionals returning to the United States from Agency positions may soon encounter difficulties finding jobs in the field.

  8. Experimental designs for modeling retention patterns and separation efficiency in analysis of fatty acid methyl esters by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skartland, Liv Kjersti; Mjøs, Svein A; Grung, Bjørn

    2011-09-23

    The retention behavior of components analyzed by chromatography varies with instrumental settings. Being able to predict how changes in these settings alter the elution pattern is useful, both with regards to component identification, as well as with regards to optimization of the chromatographic system. In this work, it is shown how experimental designs can be used for this purpose. Different experimental designs for response surface modeling of the separation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) as function of chromatographic conditions in GC have been evaluated. Full factorial, central composite, Doehlert and Box-Behnken designs were applied. A mixture of 38 FAMEs was separated on a polar cyanopropyl substituted polysilphenylene-siloxane phase capillary column. The temperature gradient, the start temperature of the gradient, and the carrier gas velocity were varied in the experiments. The modeled responses, as functions of chromatographic conditions, were retention time, retention indices, peak widths, separation efficiency and resolution between selected peak pairs. The designs that allowed inclusion of quadratic terms among the predictors performed significantly better than factorial design. Box-Behnken design provided the best results for prediction of retention, but the differences between the central composite, Doehlert and Box-Behnken designs were small. Retention indices could be modeled with much better accuracy than retention times. However, because the errors of predicted tR of closely eluting peaks were highly correlated, models of resolution (Rs) that were based on retention time had errors in the same range as corresponding models based on ECL. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. “To be or not to be retained … That’s the question!”Retention,self - esteem,self - concept,achievement goalsand grades

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Peixoto

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Keeping students back in the same grade – retention – has always been a controversial issue in Education, with some defending it as a beneficial remedial practice and others arguing against its detrimental effects. This paper undertakes an analysis of this issue, focusing on the differences in student motivation and self-related variables according to their retention related status, and the interrelationship between retention and these variables. The participants were 695 students selected from two cohorts (5th and 7th graders of a larger group of students followed over a three-year project. The students were assigned to four groups according to their retention-related status over time: 1 students with past and recent retention; 2 students with past but no recent retention; 3 students with no past but recent retention; 4 students with no past or recent retention. Measures of achievement goal orientations, self-concept, self-esteem, importance given to school subjects and Grade Point Average (GPA were collected for all students.Repeated measures MANCOVA analyses were carried out showing group differences in self-esteem, academic self-concept, importance attributed to academic competencies, task and avoidance orientation and academic achievement. To attain a deeper understanding of these results and to identify profiles across variables, a cluster analysis based on achievement goals was conducted and four clusters were identified. Students who were retained at the end of the school year are mainly represented in clusters with less adaptive motivational profiles and almost absent from clusters exhibiting more adaptive ones.Findings highlight that retention leaves a significant mark that remains even when students recover academic achievement and retention is in the distant past. This is reflected in the low academic self-concept as well as in the devaluation of academic competencies and in the avoidance orientation which, taken together, can

  10. The comparative impact of lexical translation and lexical inferencing on EFL learners’ vocabulary retention

    OpenAIRE

    Nasim Shangarfam; Neda Ghorbani; Ehsan Safarpoor; Mahshid Maha

    2013-01-01

    The present study is an attempt to investigate the comparative effects of lexical translation and lexical inferencing techniques on Female intermediate EFL learners’ vocabulary retention. For this purpose, 90 female learners attending the Jahad Daneshgahi Center in Qom took a piloted sample KET test, 60 of whom were selected as homogenous learners. They were randomly divided into two experimental groups-one learning new vocabulary items through lexical translation technique and the other with...

  11. Relationship between management styles and nurses' retention at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Conclusion: Management style and nurses' retention were significantly interrelated in terms of exploitative/authoritative management style. Recommendation, the researcher recommended that hospital leaders should plan and implement effective strategies to promote nurse retention. This can be done through creating a ...

  12. 16 CFR 1203.16 - Dynamic strength of retention system test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Dynamic strength of retention system test.... (2) The retention system strength test equipment shall consist of a dynamic impact apparatus that... stirrup. (2) Mark the pre-test position of the retention system, with the entire dynamic test apparatus...

  13. Factors That Influence Enrolment and Retention in Ghana' National Health Insurance Scheme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotoh, Agnes Millicent; Aryeetey, Genevieve Cecilia; Van der Geest, Sjaak

    2017-10-17

    The government of Ghana introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2004 with the goal of achieving universal coverage within 5 years. Evidence, however, shows that expanding NHIS coverage and especially retaining members have remained a challenge. A multilevel perspective was employed as a conceptual framework and methodological tool to examine why enrolment and retention in the NHIS remains low. A household survey was conducted after 20 months educational and promotional activities aimed at improving enrolment and retention rates in 15 communities in the Central and Eastern Regions (ERs) of Ghana. Observation, indepth interviews and informal conversations were used to collect qualitative data. Forty key informants (community members, health providers and district health insurance schemes' [DHISs] staff) purposely selected from two casestudy communities in the Central Region (CR) were interviewed. Several community members, health providers and DHISs' staff were also engaged in informal conversations in the other five communities in the region. Also, four staff of the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ghana Health Service (GHS) and National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) were engaged in in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse quantitative data. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The results show that factors that influence enrolment and retention in the NHIS are multi-dimensional and cut across all stakeholders. People enrolled and renewed their membership because of NHIS' benefits and health providers' positive behaviour. Barriers to enrolment and retention included: poverty, traditional risk-sharing arrangements influence people to enrol or renew their membership only when they need healthcare, dissatisfaction about health providers' behaviour and service delivery challenges. Given the multi-dimensional nature of barriers to enrolment and retention, we suggest that the NHIA should engage DHISs, health

  14. Studies of the retention mechanism of the brain perfusion imaging agent 99m Tc-bicisate (99m Tc-ECD)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walovitch, R.C.; Cheesman, E.H.; Maheu, L.J.; Hall, K.M.

    1994-01-01

    The structure-activity relationship in a series of analogues of 99m T c -bicisate ( 99m T c -N,N'-1,2-ethylene-diylbis-L-cysteine diethyl ester dihydrochloride, RP-217) is described using in vivo studies in rodent and primate brain tissue. All analogues investigated were 99m T c -diamine dithiol diesters, which were neutral and lipophilic and had modified brain uptake indexes (≥40) suggesting adequate first-pass extraction. All analogues were poorly retained by the rodent brain. In contrast, the stereochemistry and structure of the 99m T c -complexes affected their brain retention in primates. All compounds that demonstrated selective primate brain retention were L-diesters that were metabolized in primate brain tissue to nonlypophilic complexes resulted from ester hydrolysis. Unretained complexes were not metabolized in primate brain tissue. More extensive studies were performed with 99m T c -bicisate, which demonstrated poor brain retention in several nonprimate species (i.e., dogs, ferrets, pigs, and rodents). In rodent and nonhuman primate tissue, 99m T c -bicisate was rapidly metabolized to a monoacid ester ( 99m T c -N,N'-1,2-ethylenediylbis-L-cysteine monoethyl ester). Therefore, brain metabolism of 99m T c -bicisate results in the formation of an acid product(s) that is selectively trapped in primate brain. 20 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs

  15. A modelling study of long term green roof retention performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stovin, Virginia; Poë, Simon; Berretta, Christian

    2013-12-15

    This paper outlines the development of a conceptual hydrological flux model for the long term continuous simulation of runoff and drought risk for green roof systems. A green roof's retention capacity depends upon its physical configuration, but it is also strongly influenced by local climatic controls, including the rainfall characteristics and the restoration of retention capacity associated with evapotranspiration during dry weather periods. The model includes a function that links evapotranspiration rates to substrate moisture content, and is validated against observed runoff data. The model's application to typical extensive green roof configurations is demonstrated with reference to four UK locations characterised by contrasting climatic regimes, using 30-year rainfall time-series inputs at hourly simulation time steps. It is shown that retention performance is dependent upon local climatic conditions. Volumetric retention ranges from 0.19 (cool, wet climate) to 0.59 (warm, dry climate). Per event retention is also considered, and it is demonstrated that retention performance decreases significantly when high return period events are considered in isolation. For example, in Sheffield the median per-event retention is 1.00 (many small events), but the median retention for events exceeding a 1 in 1 yr return period threshold is only 0.10. The simulation tool also provides useful information about the likelihood of drought periods, for which irrigation may be required. A sensitivity study suggests that green roofs with reduced moisture-holding capacity and/or low evapotranspiration rates will tend to offer reduced levels of retention, whilst high moisture-holding capacity and low evapotranspiration rates offer the strongest drought resistance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. A theoretical model of job retention for home health care nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenbecker, Carol Hall

    2004-08-01

    Predicted severe nursing shortages and an increasing demand for home health care services have made the retention of experienced, qualified nursing staff a priority for health care organizations. The purpose of this paper is to describe a theoretical model of job retention for home health care nurses. The theoretical model is an integration of the findings of empirical research related to intent to stay and retention, components of Neal's theory of home health care nursing practice and findings from earlier work to develop an instrument to measure home health care nurses' job satisfaction. The theoretical model identifies antecedents to job satisfaction of home health care nurses. The antecedents are intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics. The model also proposes that job satisfaction is directly related to retention and indirectly related to retention though intent to stay. Individual nurse characteristics are indirectly related to retention through intent to stay. The individual characteristic of tenure is indirectly related to retention through autonomy, as an intrinsic characteristic of job satisfaction, and intent to stay. The proposed model can be used to guide research that explores gaps in knowledge about intent to stay and retention among home health care nurses.

  17. Registered nurse retention strategies in nursing homes: a two-factor perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, Selina R; Probst, Janice C; Haddock, Kathlyn S; Moran, Robert; Baker, Samuel L; Anderson, Ruth A; Corazzini, Kirsten

    2012-01-01

    As the American population ages and the proportion of individuals over the age of 65 expands, the demand for high-quality nursing home care will increase. However, nursing workforce instability threatens care quality and sustainability in this sector. Despite increasing attention to nursing home staff turnover, far less is known about registered nurse (RN) retention. In this study, the relationships between retention strategies, employee benefits, features of the practice environment, and RN retention were explored. Further, the utility of Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation as a framework for nursing home retention studies was evaluated. This study was a secondary analysis of the nationally representative 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. The final sample of 1,174 participating nursing homes were either certified by Medicare or Medicaid or licensed by state agencies. We used a weighted multinomial logistic regression using an incremental approach to model the relationships. Although most nursing homes offered some combination of retention programs, the majority of strategies did not have a significant association with the level of RN retention reported by facilities. Director of nursing tenure and other extrinsic factors had the strongest association with RN retention in adjusted analyses. To improve RN retention, organizations may benefit greatly from stabilizing nursing home leadership, especially the director of nursing position. Second, managers of facilities with poor retention may consider adding career ladders for advancement, awarding attendance, and improving employee benefits. As a behavioral outcome of motivation and satisfaction, retention was not explained as expected using Herzberg's two-factor theory.

  18. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry study of the retention behavior of arsenic species on various solid phase extraction cartridges and its application in arsenic speciation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu Chunhai; Cai Qiantao E-mail: qtcai@cawt.sui.com.sg; Guo Zhongxian; Yang Zhaoguang; Khoo, Soo Beng

    2003-07-18

    Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to investigate the retention behavior of arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), arsenobetaine (AsB), arsenocholine (AsC), trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO) and tetramethylarsonium ion (TMAI) on various silica-based solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges. A method for arsenic speciation is then developed on the basis of selective SPE separation of arsenic species and highly sensitive ICP-MS detection. Factors affecting the retention and elution of arsenic species were examined. Results showed that the retention of arsenic species depended on the chemical characteristics of arsenic species and the types of sorbent materials. Change of pH in the range of 2.0-9.0 did not show significant effects on the retention of DMA, AsB, AsC, TMAI and TMAO on an ethylbenzene sulfonic acid-based strong cation exchange (SCX-3) cartridge. pH also did not influence the retention of AsB, AsC, TMAI and TMAO on a mixed-mode (M-M) cartridge containing non-polar, strong cation exchange and strong anion exchange (SAX) functional groups. However, the retentions of As(V) and MMA on the SAX and the M-M cartridge changed with pH. As(V) and MMA were completely retained on the SAX cartridge and sequentially selectively eluted with 1.0 mol l{sup -1} acetic acid (for MMA). DMA, AsB, AsC, TMAI and TMAO were completely retained on the SCX-3 cartridge and sequentially selectively eluted with 1.0 mol l{sup -1} HNO{sub 3} (for DMA). As(V), MMA, AsB, AsC, TMAI and TMAO were completely retained on the M-M cartridge. As(III) was not retained on either cartridge and remained in solution. Arsenic species in solution and those eluted from the cartridges were subsequently determined by ICP-MS. A detection limit of 8 ng l{sup -1} arsenic in water sample was obtained. This method was successfully applied to arsenic speciation in various sources of water samples (drinking water, waste water, raw water, etc.) and US

  19. Optimization of the Use of Selected Non-Phosphate Water Retention Additives in Minced Beef Using Response Surface Methodology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Xiaolan; Qiao, Jie; Liu, Yujie

    2017-12-01

    This study looked to determine what the optimum cooking loss for minced beef was when three different non-phosphate water retention additives (L-Arginine, sodium carbonate, and sodium citrate) were combined; the optimum value was determined using a Box-Behnken response surface design method. The optimum value was found to be 8.26%, and it was obtained when 0.29% L-Arginine, 0.45% sodium carbonate, and 0.24% sodium citrate were added to the beef.

  20. Thermal effect on water retention curve of bentonite: experiment and thermodynamic modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qin Bing; Chen Zhenghai; Sun Faxin; Liu Yuemiao; Wang Ju

    2012-01-01

    The thermal effects on water retention curve of GMZ bentonite were investigated experimentally and theoretically. Water retention tests were conducted on GMZ bentonite at five temperatures ranging from 20℃ to 100℃. Test results showed that the water retention capacity and the hysteresis of the water retention curve decreased with increasing temperature, and that the water retention curves at different temperatures were almost parallel to each other. Based on the thermodynamics of sorption, a model was established to describe the temperature influence on the water retention curve. The model was validated by comparing the model predictions and the test results. (authors)

  1. Retention of Esperanto Is Affected by Delay-Interval Task and Item Closure: A Partial Resolution of the Delay-Retention Effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brosvic, Gary M.; Epstein, Michael L.; Dihoff, Roberta E.; Cook, Michael L.

    2006-01-01

    The present studies were undertaken to examine the effects of manipulating delay-interval task (Study 1) and timing of feedback (Study 2) on acquisition and retention. Participants completed a 100-item cumulative final examination, which included 50 items from each laboratory examination, plus 50 entirely new items. Acquisition and retention were…

  2. 44 CFR 321.5 - Retention of industrial facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Retention of industrial facilities. 321.5 Section 321.5 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY..., DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION) § 321.5 Retention of industrial facilities. (a) Industrial...

  3. Effects of fire ash on soil water retention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stoof, C.R.; Wesseling, J.G.; Ritsema, C.J.

    2010-01-01

    Despite the pronounced effect of fire on soil hydrological systems, information on the direct effect of fire on soil water retention characteristics is limited and contradictory. To increase understanding in this area, the effect of fire on soil water retention was evaluated using laboratory burning

  4. 40 CFR 94.406 - Reports filing: record retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reports filing: record retention. 94.406 Section 94.406 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... Requirements, Voluntary Emission Recall Program § 94.406 Reports filing: record retention. (a) The reports...

  5. 21 CFR 320.38 - Retention of bioavailability samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Retention of bioavailability samples. 320.38... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE BIOAVAILABILITY AND BIOEQUIVALENCE REQUIREMENTS Procedures for Determining the Bioavailability or Bioequivalence of Drug Products § 320.38 Retention of bioavailability samples...

  6. 5 CFR 2411.14 - Record retention and preservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Record retention and preservation. 2411.14 Section 2411.14 Administrative Personnel FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY, GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE... OFFICIAL INFORMATION § 2411.14 Record retention and preservation. The Authority, the General Counsel, the...

  7. 48 CFR 2152.215-70 - Contractor records retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Contractor records... PRECONTRACT PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Text of Provisions and Clauses 2152.215-70 Contractor records retention. As prescribed in 2115.071, insert the following clause: Contractor Records Retention (OCT 2005...

  8. 48 CFR 1652.204-70 - Contractor records retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Contractor records... of FEHBP Clauses 1652.204-70 Contractor records retention. As prescribed in 1604.705 the following clause will be inserted in all FEHB Program contracts. Contractor Records Retention (JUL 2005...

  9. Work force retention: Role of work environment, organization commitment, supervisor support and training & development in ceramic sanitary ware industries in India

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Umamaheswari S, Jayasree Krishnan

    2016-07-01

    Although retention of employees has become hot topic in this career turbulent era, practically no empirical research is carried out in the fast growing ceramic sector till now and this research fills the gap in the literature. The literatures surveys reported that organization commitment is an important determinant of retention and work environment, supervisor support and training and development are the most relevant antecedents increasing commitment towards organization. This paper examines the impact of the above factors over organization commitment and explores the effects of organization commitment on retention, and verifies the mediating effect of organization commitment on the relationship between proposed factors and retention. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was completed by 416 employees working in five ceramic sanitary ware factories located at different places in India. Questionnaire consisting of items adopted from previous researches were used to collect data. The selection of respondents was based on the simple random sampling. Findings: Findings reveals that organization commitment influences retention and all the above factors enhances it. Moreover organization commitment partially mediates the relationship between proposed factors and retention. However multiple regression analysis indicated that training and development did not have any notable influence on retention. Limitations: This study was conducted in a particular country and also in a particular sector of manufacturing industry, which limits generalization .Possibility of bias towards their organization and assumption that respondents know about their organization are other limitations. Implications: This paper offers recommendations to HR(Human resource) managers that they should extend their support to work environment, supervisor support and training and development in order to generate better relationship with employees and to reduce their likelihood of leaving the company

  10. Psychological determinants of job retention in multiple sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, Helen L; Wicks, Charlotte R; Stroud, Amanda; Tennant, Alan

    2018-01-01

    Maintaining paid work is a key issue for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Different factors, including psychological attributes, can influence job retention. Understanding their role should inform potential interventions to help PwMS retain employment. The aim of this study was to identify the key factors which improve job retention in an employed cohort of PwMS. This three-year longitudinal study used validated self-completed measures of physical and psychological factors at four time points over 28 months. Of 208 employed PwMS, just over 1 in 10 was no longer working at the end of the study. Three variables were predictive of continuing employment; low 'work instability' at baseline increased the odds of job retention by a factor of 12.76; high levels of self-efficacy by a factor of 4.66 and being less than 50 years of age increased the odds of job retention by a factor of 3.90. Path analysis demonstrated the mediating role of self-efficacy between the physical impact of MS and the level of work instability at exit. Screening for work instability and self-efficacy in a clinical setting followed by appropriate interventions to increase self-efficacy and reduce work instability could aid job retention in MS.

  11. Selective uptake of boronophenylalanine by glioma stem/progenitor cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Ting; Zhou, Youxin; Xie, Xueshun; Chen, Guilin; Li, Bin; Wei, Yongxin; Chen, Jinming; Huang, Qiang; Du, Ziwei

    2012-01-01

    The success of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) depends on the amount of boron in cells and the tumor/blood and tumor/(normal tissue) boron concentration ratios. For the first time, measurements of boron uptake in both stem/progenitor and differentiated glioma cells were performed along with measurements of boron biodistribution in suitable animal models. In glioma stem/progenitor cells, the selective accumulation of boronophenylalanine (BPA) was lower, and retention of boron after BPA removal was longer than in differentiated glioma cells in vitro. However, boron biodistribution was not statistically significantly different in mice with xenografts. - Highlights: ► Uptake of BPA was analyzed in stem/progenitor and differentiated glioma cells. ► Selective accumulation of BPA was lower in glioma stem/progenitor cells. ► Retention of boron after BPA removal was longer in glioma stem/progenitor cells. ► Boron biodistribution was not statistically different in mice with xenografts.

  12. Plastic debris retention and exportation by a mangrove forest patch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivar do Sul, Juliana A.; Costa, Monica F.; Silva-Cavalcanti, Jacqueline S.; Araújo, Maria Christina B.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Estuaries and mangrove forests are rarely studied for marine plastic debris loads. • Types of plastic items and mangrove forest habitats determine the potential of debris retention. • Mangrove habitats are temporary sinks of plastic debris from river and marine origins. • Plastics rapidly accumulate in mangrove forest, but are exported slowly. • Fauna and fishers using mangrove forest habitats are at risk of interaction with plastic debris. -- Abstract: An experiment observed the behavior of selected tagged plastic items deliberately released in different habitats of a tropical mangrove forest in NE Brazil in late rainy (September) and late dry (March) seasons. Significant differences were not reported among seasons. However, marine debris retention varied among habitats, according to characteristics such as hydrodynamic (i.e., flow rates and volume transported) and relative vegetation (Rhizophora mangle) height and density. The highest grounds retained significantly more items when compared to the borders of the river and the tidal creek. Among the used tagged items, PET bottles were more observed and margarine tubs were less observed, being easily transported to adjacent habitats. Plastic bags were the items most retained near the releasing site. The balance between items retained and items lost was positive, demonstrating that mangrove forests tend to retain plastic marine debris for long periods (months-years)

  13. Acute Retention of Urine Following Intraocular Surgery | Nwosu ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Hyperosmolar agents and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are used to lower the intraocular pressure and thus minimize the chances of vitreous loss during intraocular surgery. However, these agents could precipitate urinary retention. This is a report on two elderly men who had perioperative acute urinary retention following ...

  14. Effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Students' Academic Achievement and Retention in Chemistry at Secondary Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Ishtiaq; Suleman, Qaiser; ud Din, M. Naseer; Shafique, Farhan

    2017-01-01

    The current paper investigated the effects of information and communication technology on the students' academic achievement and retention in chemistry. Fifty students of 9th grade were selected randomly from Kohsar Public School and College Latamber Karak. The students were grouped into equivalent groups based on pretest score. In order to…

  15. “To be or not to be Retained … That’s the Question!” Retention, Self-esteem, Self-concept, Achievement Goals, and Grades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peixoto, Francisco; Monteiro, Vera; Mata, Lourdes; Sanches, Cristina; Pipa, Joana; Almeida, Leandro S.

    2016-01-01

    Keeping students back in the same grade – retention – has always been a controversial issue in Education, with some defending it as a beneficial remedial practice and others arguing against its detrimental effects. This paper undertakes an analysis of this issue, focusing on the differences in student motivation and self-related variables according to their retention related status, and the interrelationship between retention and these variables. The participants were 695 students selected from two cohorts (5th and 7th graders) of a larger group of students followed over a 3-year project. The students were assigned to four groups according to their retention-related status over time: (1) students with past and recent retention; (2) students with past but no recent retention; (3) students with no past but recent retention; (4) students with no past or recent retention. Measures of achievement goal orientations, self-concept, self-esteem, importance given to school subjects and Grade Point Average (GPA) were collected for all students. Repeated measures MANCOVA analyses were carried out showing group differences in self-esteem, academic self-concept, importance attributed to academic competencies, task and avoidance orientation and academic achievement. To attain a deeper understanding of these results and to identify profiles across variables, a cluster analysis based on achievement goals was conducted and four clusters were identified. Students who were retained at the end of the school year are mainly represented in clusters with less adaptive motivational profiles and almost absent from clusters exhibiting more adaptive ones. Findings highlight that retention leaves a significant mark that remains even when students recover academic achievement and retention is in the distant past. This is reflected in the low academic self-concept as well as in the devaluation of academic competencies and in the avoidance orientation which, taken together, can undermine

  16. Emotional intelligence, performance, and retention in clinical staff nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Codier, Estelle; Kamikawa, Cindy; Kooker, Barbara M; Shoultz, Jan

    2009-01-01

    Emotional intelligence has been correlated with performance, retention, and organizational commitment in professions other than nursing. A 2006 pilot study provided the first evidence of a correlation between emotional intelligence and performance in clinical staff nurses. A follow-up study was completed, the purpose of which was to explore emotional intelligence, performance level, organizational commitment, and retention. A convenience sample of 350 nurses in a large medical center in urban Hawaii participated in this study. This article reports the findings pertaining to the subset of 193 clinical staff nurses who responded. The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test instrument was used to measure emotional intelligence abilities. Performance was defined as ranking on a clinical ladder. Commitment was scored on a Likert scale. The following variables measured retention: total years in nursing, years in current job, total years anticipated in current job, and total anticipated career length. Emotional intelligence scores in clinical staff nurses correlated positively with both performance level and retention variables. Clinical staff nurses with higher emotional intelligence scores demonstrated higher performance, had longer careers, and greater job retention.

  17. Cross-Linked Fluorescent Supramolecular Nanoparticles as Finite Tattoo Pigments with Controllable Intradermal Retention Times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jin-Sil; Zhu, Yazhen; Li, Hongsheng; Peyda, Parham; Nguyen, Thuy Tien; Shen, Mo Yuan; Yang, Yang Michael; Zhu, Jingyi; Liu, Mei; Lee, Mandy M; Sun, Shih-Sheng; Yang, Yang; Yu, Hsiao-Hua; Chen, Kai; Chuang, Gary S; Tseng, Hsian-Rong

    2017-01-24

    Tattooing has been utilized by the medical community for precisely demarcating anatomic landmarks. This practice is especially important for identifying biopsy sites of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) due to the long interval (i.e., up to 3 months) between the initial diagnostic biopsy and surgical treatment. Commercially available tattoo pigments possess several issues, which include causing poor cosmesis, being mistaken for a melanocytic lesion, requiring additional removal procedures when no longer desired, and potentially inducing inflammatory responses. The ideal tattoo pigment for labeling of skin biopsy sites for NMSC requires (i) invisibility under ambient light, (ii) fluorescence under a selective light source, (iii) a finite intradermal retention time (ca. 3 months), and (iv) biocompatibility. Herein, we introduce cross-linked fluorescent supramolecular nanoparticles (c-FSNPs) as a "finite tattoo" pigment, with optimized photophysical properties and intradermal retention time to achieve successful in vivo finite tattooing. Fluorescent supramolecular nanoparticles encapsulate a fluorescent conjugated polymer, poly[5-methoxy-2-(3-sulfopropoxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MPS-PPV), into a core via a supramolecular synthetic approach. FSNPs which possess fluorescent properties superior to those of the free MPS-PPV are obtained through a combinatorial screening process. Covalent cross-linking of FSNPs results in micrometer-sized c-FSNPs, which exhibit a size-dependent intradermal retention. The 1456 nm sized c-FSNPs display an ideal intradermal retention time (ca. 3 months) for NMSC lesion labeling, as observed in an in vivo tattoo study. In addition, the c-FSNPs induce undetectable inflammatory responses after tattooing. We believe that the c-FSNPs can serve as a "finite tattoo" pigment to label potential malignant NMSC lesions.

  18. Relevant Drivers for Customers` Churn and Retention Decision in the Nigerian Mobile Telecommunication Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sulaimon Olanrewaju Adebiyi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The need for better support marketing decision on customers who are likely to leave a service provider for a competitor is very essential to the survival of most telecommunication firms. The application of logistic regression to the study of customer churn and retention decision in the Nigerian telecommunication industry falls into proactive methods, which helps in a better understanding of the needs of subscribers, to be able to predict their churn and retention decision in the industry and enhance better marketing strategies with a research driven policy guide for the operators in the industry. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the relevant drivers of customers` churn and retention in the growing Nigerian mobile telecommunication industry. Considering this issue, the logistic regression models have been used as the evaluating method. Four hundred and eight questionnaires have been used in this study. The population of this questionnaire consists of subscribers of mobile telecommunication in the six selected campuses of higher institution of learning in Lagos-state, Nigeria. The data collected was analysed by STATA 12 software. The results showed that the coefficients of mobile number portability (MNP services and dubious promotions are positive and significant. Furthermore, low coverage and unwanted calls and SMS are positive and significant. This implies that the better the availability of MNP services, the greater the likelihood of customers’ churn. More so, an increase in quality of calls provided by mobile telecom firms will increase the likelihood of customers’ loyalty by retention. The study recommends strong institutional measures for the overhaul of mobile services provision towards an improved service delivery in Nigeria.

  19. Academic staff recruitment and retention challenges at the University ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Academic staff recruitment and retention challenges at the University of Botswana medical school. ... To document the medical school's staff recruitment and retention trends and challenges, and to propose ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  20. The pattern of protein retention in pigs from 2 to 120 kg live weight

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chwalibog, André; Jakobsen, K; Thorbek, G

    1996-01-01

    of metabolizable energy and oxidation of nutrients and a total of 152 measurements in the live weight (LW) range from 2 to 120 kg complied with the criterions. 3. The selected material were used in a quadratic function of RP on metabolic weight (kg0.75) to describe the curve for maximum RP. 4. The function...... obtained was: RP, g/d = 11.55 x kg0.75 - 0.185 x kg1.50 with a maximum of 180 g/d at 98 kg LW. 5. The RP-values were compared with data from the literature with other races and the function seems well established to describe maximum protein retention in non-hormone treated or specific selected pigs....

  1. Actual drawing of histological images improves knowledge retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balemans, Monique C M; Kooloos, Jan G M; Donders, A Rogier T; Van der Zee, Catharina E E M

    2016-01-01

    Medical students have to process a large amount of information during the first years of their study, which has to be retained over long periods of nonuse. Therefore, it would be beneficial when knowledge is gained in a way that promotes long-term retention. Paper-and-pencil drawings for the uptake of form-function relationships of basic tissues has been a teaching tool for a long time, but now seems to be redundant with virtual microscopy on computer-screens and printers everywhere. Several studies claimed that, apart from learning from pictures, actual drawing of images significantly improved knowledge retention. However, these studies applied only immediate post-tests. We investigated the effects of actual drawing of histological images, using randomized cross-over design and different retention periods. The first part of the study concerned esophageal and tracheal epithelium, with 384 medical and biomedical sciences students randomly assigned to either the drawing or the nondrawing group. For the second part of the study, concerning heart muscle cells, students from the previous drawing group were now assigned to the nondrawing group and vice versa. One, four, and six weeks after the experimental intervention, the students were given a free recall test and a questionnaire or drawing exercise, to determine the amount of knowledge retention. The data from this study showed that knowledge retention was significantly improved in the drawing groups compared with the nondrawing groups, even after four or six weeks. This suggests that actual drawing of histological images can be used as a tool to improve long-term knowledge retention. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

  2. Evaluation of {sup 131}I retention in several adsorbers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Catanoso, Marcela F.; Osso Junior, Joao Alberto, E-mail: marcela.forli@gmail.co, E-mail: jaosso@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Diretoria de Radiofarmacia

    2011-07-01

    Several iodine radioisotopes are used in nuclear medicine for treatment and diagnostic purposes. The radioisotope {sup 131}I is used both in diagnosis and therapy due to its physical characteristics of decay by {beta}{sup -} and its {gamma}-ray emissions suitable for diagnosis. It is routinely produced at IPEN through the irradiation of TeO{sub 2} targets in the IEA-R1m nuclear reactor. After the irradiation, the {sup 131}I is separated by dry distillation, where the targets are put in an oven, heated at 760 deg C for 2 hours and the {sup 131}I, volatile, is carried by an O{sub 2} gas stream. The aim of this work was to evaluate the retention and elution of {sup 131}I samples produced at IPEN in several adsorbers as part of a project aiming the purification of these radioisotopes, allowing the labeling of biomolecules. Samples of {sup 131}I were used for retention and elution studies with the following adsorbers: commercial cartridges, anionic resin columns and cationic resin column. The results showed that Ag cartridges and anionic resins Dowex 1X8, Dowex 3 and IRA 400 had a great iodine retention but no elution after using specific eluents. The QMA light, acid alumina, neutral alumina and cationic resin Dowex 50WX4 showed high retention and elution and QMA plus and cationic resin Dowex 50WX8 and Dowex 50WX12 had a good retention but lower elution. Regarding to the better retention and elution, Ag cartridges and resins showed a higher percentage of iodine retention but lower elution yield and QMA light, acid and neutral alumina cartridges showed better results. (author)

  3. Manager impact on retention of hospital staff: Part 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taunton, R L; Krampitz, S D; Woods, C Q

    1989-04-01

    This is the second article in a two-part series based on a study of the impact of middle managers on retention of 71 hospital professionals. Research design, methods, and descriptive results were presented in Part 1 (March 1989). In Part 2, the impact of managers' motivation to manage, power, influence, and leadership style on retention is detailed. Recommendations for improving retention include interventions to increase employee job satisfaction and intent to stay, and to improve managers' performance and leadership.

  4. The importance of localisation within 131J-retention measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greifeneder, G.; Aiginger, H.; Steger, F.; Flores, J.

    1996-01-01

    A widely used method to investigate thyroid gland carcinomas, but also disorders of the thyroid gland is the measurement of the 131 J-retention behaviour using a high-sensitivity whole-body counter (HWBC). Normally just the retention of oral administered Radioiodine is controlled. However, it is possible to visualize the distribution of 131 J (using a modified profilescantechnique) beside the retention in the human body and this provides much better information on human metabolism as will be demonstrated in the following

  5. Urinary retention and post-void residual urine in men: separating truth from tradition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Steven A; Wein, Alan J; Staskin, David R; Roehrborn, Claus G; Steers, William D

    2008-07-01

    The definitions of acute and chronic urinary retention remain empirical and subject to wide interpretation. Standardized criteria have not been established and many questions remain unanswered. Moreover, the definition of significant post-void residual urine is unclear. We reviewed several aspects of urinary retention that require clarification with the objective of stimulating discussion among urologists to establish an accurate and coherent definition of urinary retention and significant post-void residual urine, and clarify risk factors. A MEDLINE search for articles written in English and published before April 2007 was done using a list of terms related to urinary retention. Articles not directly relevant to urinary retention or post-void residual urine were excluded. The term urinary retention lacks precise clinical or urodynamic meaning. Use of this term to describe a symptom, a sign, and a condition further complicates the issue. Many factors can contribute to the development of retention, including bladder outlet obstruction, detrusor underactivity, and neurogenic bladder conditions. Community based studies and clinical trials in patients with benign prostatic enlargement and/or lower urinary tract symptoms yield different estimates of the incidence of retention and only provide information on the epidemiology of acute urinary retention. However, age, previous retention episodes, lower urinary tract symptoms, chronic inflammation, serum prostate specific antigen level, prostate size, and urodynamic variables appear to be predictors of acute urinary retention. Alpha-receptor antagonists and 5alpha-reductase inhibitors may be useful in preventing urinary retention episodes and progressive benign prostatic enlargement. Clinical trials on the short-term use of antimuscarinics have not provided evidence that these agents increase the risk of retention; data on longer term administration are needed. Clinicians are adopting less invasive approaches (eg

  6. Krypton retention on solid adsorbents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monson, P.R. Jr.

    1982-01-01

    An experimental laboratory program was conducted to develop economical solid adsorbents for the retention of krypton from a dissolver off-gas stream. The study indicates that a solid adsorbent system is feasible and competitive with other developing systems which utilize fluorocarbon absorption nd cryogenic distillation. This technology may have potential applications not only in nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, but also in nuclear reactors and in environmental monitoring. Of the 13 prospective adsorbents evaluated with respect to adsorption capacity and cost, the commercially available hydrogen mordenite was the most cost-effective material at subambient temperatures (-40 0 to -80 0 C). Silver mordenite has a higher capacity for krypton retention, but is 50 times more expensive than hydrogen mordenite

  7. The role of glucocorticoids in sodium retention in cirrhotic patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Martin Højmark; Kristensen, Steffen Skott; Schaffalitzky de Muckadell, Ove B

    2012-01-01

    sodium retention evident in cirrhosis. The aim was to elucidate the role of glucocorticoids in sodium retention in decompensated cirrhotic patients. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study was performed in nine patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. A washout....... Conclusion. These results indicate that endogenous glucocorticoids contribute to the sodium retention in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver....

  8. Employee Engagement as a Predictor of Seafarer Retention: A Study among Indian Officers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yogendra Bhattacharya

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper is part of a study of employee engagement and its relationship with seafarer safety, performance and retention. This section focuses on the impact of seafarer turnover, identifies and understands drivers of retention and their relevance in shipping, and explores the relationship of engagement with retention. It determines the correlation between retention and engagement and analyses drivers of retention from the seafarer's perspective. It also identifies aspects of shipboard life that can contribute towards higher retention. The study confirms that engagement was significantly and positively related with retention levels, while factor analysis isolated six contributory factors. The study also reveals that retention levels of officers employed directly by ship owners and by managers did not differ significantly, nor did they significantly differ between senior and junior officers.

  9. RETENTION TIME EFFECT ON METAL REMOVAL BY PEAT COLUMNS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nelson, E

    2007-02-28

    The potential use of a peat bed to treat the H-12 Outfall discharge to bring it to new compliance limits was previously investigated and reported utilizing a 7 hour retention time. The influence of retention time (contact time) of water with peat moss on the removal of copper from the water was investigated under laboratory conditions using vertical flow peat moss columns. Reduction of the necessary retention time has a large influence on the design sizing of any peat bed that would be constructed to treat the H-12 discharge on a full scale basis. Retention times of 5 hours, 3 hours and 1 hour were tested to determine the copper removal by the peat columns using vertical flow. Water samples were collected after 4, 8, 12, and 16 water volumes had passed through the columns and analyzed for a suite of metals, with quantitative emphasis on copper. Laboratory results indicated that copper removal was very high at each of the 3 retention times tested, ranging from 99.6 % removal at 5 and 3 hours to 98.8% removal at 1 hour. All these values are much lower that the new compliance limit for the outfall. The results also indicated that most divalent metals were removed to their normal reporting detection limit for the analytical methods used, including zinc. Lead levels in the H-12 discharge used in this study were below PQL in all samples analyzed. While each of the retention times studied removed copper very well, there were indications that 1 hour is probably too short for an operational, long-term facility. At that retention time, there was about 6% compaction of the peat in the column due to the water velocity, and this may affect long term hydraulic conductivity of the peat bed. At that retention time, copper concentration in the effluent was higher than the other times tested, although still very low. Because of the potential compacting and somewhat reduced removal efficiency at a 1 hour retention time, it would be prudent to design to at least a 3 hour retention

  10. Proteinuric diseases with sodium retention: Is plasmin the link?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svenningsen, Per; Skøtt, Ole; Jensen, Boye L

    2012-01-01

    1. Sodium retention in disease states characterized by proteinuria, such as nephrotic syndrome, preeclampsia, and diabetic nephropathy, occurs through poorly understood mechanism(s). 2. In the nephrotic syndrome, data from experimental and clinical studies indicate that the sodium retention...... originates in the renal cortical collecting duct and involves hyper-activity of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). 3. The stimulus for the increased ENaC activity does not appear to involve any of the classical sodium retaining mechanisms, such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, arginine...... and diabetic nephropathy, which are also characterized by proteinuria and sodium retention. 7. In this review, we will examine the evidence for a role of urinary serine protease activity in the development of sodium and water retention in diseases characterised by proteinuria with a focus on the nephrotic...

  11. An in vitro investigation into retention strength and fatigue resistance of various designs of tooth/implant supported overdentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatalla, Abdalbseet A; Song, Ke; Du, Tianfeng; Cao, Yingguang

    2012-02-01

    Previously, the choice of prosthetic implant-retained overdentures has depended on data from previous studies about the retention-fatigue strength of the attachment system selected. Little or no data have been available on the correlation between the attachment system selected and the overdenture support configuration. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the retention force and fatigue resistance of three attachment systems and four support designs of overdenture prosthesis. Four lower edentulous acrylic models were prepared and eight combinations of attachments groups were investigated in the study. These included: O-Rings with mini-dental implants (MDIs), Dalbo elliptic with Dalbo Rotex and fabricated flexible acrylic attachments with both MDI and Dalbo Rotex. The study was divided into four test groups: groups A and B, controls, and groups C and D, experimental groups. Control group A contained three overdenture supports: two free standing MDIs in the canine region and at the midline, and one simulated tooth root with Dalbo Rotex screwed in. Control group B contained four overdenture support foundations: two free standing MDIs in the right canine region and the first premolar region, and two simulated tooth roots with Dalbo Rotex screwed in at the same MDI position, but on the left side of the model. Experimental group C contained three overdenture support foundations: two free standing MDIs in the canine region and at the midline, and one simulated tooth root with MDI screwed in. Experimental group D contained four overdenture support foundations: two free standing MDIs in the right canine region and the first premolar region, and two simulated tooth roots with MDIs screwed in at the same MDI position, but on the left side of the model. Each group was further divided into two subgroups according to attachment type used. Five samples were prepared for each group. Retention force (N) values were recorded initially (0 cycles) and after 360, 720, 1440

  12. [Mucoceles of the minor salivary glands. Extravasation mucoceles (mucus granulomas) and retention mucoceles (mucus retention cysts) (author's transl)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seifert, G; Donath, K; von Gumberz, C

    1981-06-01

    360 cases of salivary glands cysts (= 6%) were collected in the Salivary Glands Register (Institute of Pathology, University of Hamburg) from 1965 until 1979 among a total of 5739 register cases. 273 cases of the cystic lesions (= 76%) were mucoceles of the minor salivary glands. The analysis of these 273 cases revealed the following results: 1. Two types of mucoceles can be morphologically distinguished: extravasation mucoceles and retention mucoceles. 2. The extravasation mucocele is in our material (240 cases = 88.7%) the most frequent type of mucocele. The term "extravasation mucocele" of the anglo-american literature is identical with the term "mucus granuloma" ("Schleimgranulom") introduced by Hamperl (1932). 3. The main signs of the mucus granulomas are: predominant location (79%) at the lower lip, age peak in the 2nd decade and more frequent occurrence (in 60%) in the male sex. 4. Three stages of development can be distinguished in the pathogenesis of the mucus granulomas: an initial stage (interstitial mucus lakes), a resorption stage (mucus granulomas with macrophages, foam cells and foreign bodies giant cells) and a terminal stage with the development of a pseudocyst (capsule of collagen tissue, no epithelial demarcation). 5. The retention mucocele (synonym: mucus retention cyst) is a rare type of mucocele (33 cases = 11.3%). The main signs are: nearly equal occurrence in all oral regions, age peak in the 8th decade, moderate predominance of the female sex. 6. The retention mucoceles contain viscous mucous material, possess always an epithelial demarcation of the cysts differentiated analogous to the different segments of the salivary duct system and show as a rule no inflammatory reaction compared with the extravasation mucoceles. 7. Microtraumas and mucus congestions play the important role in the development of the extravasation mucocele. The final formation depends on the amount of the overflowed mucus and the intensity of the mucus phagocytosis. 8

  13. Effects of variable attachment shapes and aligner material on aligner retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dasy, Hiltrud; Dasy, Andreas; Asatrian, Greg; Rózsa, Noémi; Lee, Hao-Fu; Kwak, Jin Hee

    2015-11-01

    To evaluate the retention of four types of aligners on a dental arch with various attachments. For this study, three casts were manufactured, two of which contained attachments (ellipsoid and beveled), and one without any attachments to serve as a control. Four types of aligners were thermoformed: Clear-Aligner (CA)-soft, CA-medium, and CA-hard, with various thicknesses, and Essix ACE. Measurements of vertical displacement force during aligner removal were performed with the Gabo Qualimeter Eplexor. Means and standard deviations were next compared between different aligner thicknesses and attachment shapes. CA-soft, CA-medium, and CA-hard did not present a significant increase in retention, except when used in the presence of attachments. Additionally, CA-medium and CA-hard required significantly more force for removal. Essix ACE demonstrated a significant decrease in retention when used with ellipsoid attachments. The force value for Essix ACE removal from the cast with beveled attachments was comparable to that of CA-medium. Forces for aligner removal from the model without attachments showed a linear trend. Essix ACE did not show a continuous increase in retention for each model. Overall, ellipsoid attachments did not present a significant change in retention. In contrast, beveled attachments improved retention. Ellipsoid attachments had no significant influence on the force required for aligner removal and hence on aligner retention. Essix ACE showed significantly less retention than CA-hard on the models with attachments. Furthermore, beveled attachments were observed to increase retention significantly, compared with ellipsoid attachments and when using no attachments.

  14. Study of the retention of radionuclides by ion-exchange resins contained in the circuits of a Pressurized Water Reactor; Etude de la retention des radionucleides dans les resines echangeuses d'ions des circuits d'une centrale nucleaire a eau sous pression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gressier, F.

    2008-11-15

    Physico-chemical quality of fluids in nuclear power plant circuits must be maintained in order to limit contamination and dose rate especially when the shutdown takes place. Nevertheless, an optimum between diminishing liquid waste and limiting solid waste production has to be reached, but at affordable costs. Ion-exchange resins of purification circuits are used to fulfill this goal. In this work, different resin types have been characterized (exchange capacity, water and electrolyte sorption) and their selectivity towards Co{sup 2+}, Ni{sup 2+}, Cs{sup +} and Li{sup +} cations have been studied. We have shown that the two cation-exchange resins selectivity varies according to the nature and concentrations of their counter-ions. Moreover, flow rate (and thus hydro-kinetics) impact on species retention in a column has been characterized: the more the flow rate, the more the ionic leakage (output concentration divided by input concentration) is fast and the more the output concentration front is spread. A literature revue has enabled to put in light advantages and drawbacks of the models of interest to simulate operations of ion-exchange resins. Thus, the pure end-members mixing model associated to a non-ideality description of the resin phase based on the regular solutions model has been retained for modelling ion-exchange equilibrium. Ion-exchange kinetics has been described by mass transfer coefficients. Using the experimental results to determine model parameters, these last ones have been implemented in a speciation code CHESS, coupled with a hydrodynamic code in HYTEC. On the one hand, equilibrium experiments of ion retention have been simulated and, on the other hand, column retention tests have been modelled. Finally, selectivity variations and hydro-kinetics impacts have been simulated on some test cases so as to demonstrate the importance of taking these into account when simulating ion-exchange resins operations. (author)

  15. Learning and retention of quantum concepts with different teaching methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deslauriers, Louis; Wieman, Carl

    2011-06-01

    We measured mastery and retention of conceptual understanding of quantum mechanics in a modern physics course. This was studied for two equivalent cohorts of students taught with different pedagogical approaches using the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey. We measured the impact of pedagogical approach both on the original conceptual learning and on long-term retention. The cohort of students who had a very highly rated traditional lecturer scored 19% lower than the equivalent cohort that was taught using interactive engagement methods. However, the amount of retention was very high for both cohorts, showing only a few percent decrease in scores when retested 6 and 18 months after completion of the course and with no exposure to the material in the interim period. This high level of retention is in striking contrast to the retention measured for more factual learning from university courses and argues for the value of emphasizing conceptual learning.

  16. Secrets of Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poliniak, Susan

    2012-01-01

    Recruiting students is one thing, but keeping them in a chorus, orchestra, or band is another. Although a music director has no control over some variables, there is much that can be done to help students to stay. Several experts share their advice on retention. One expert said a teacher's own attitude and classroom strategies may be two of the…

  17. [S1 Herpes zoster localization: acute urinary retention in woman].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vella, Marco; Mastrocinque, Giuseppe; Romeo, Salvatore; Giammanco, Giovanni; Melloni, Darwin

    2011-01-01

    Acute urinary retention in women is rare. The varicella-zoster virus causes inflammatory lesions of the sensory-root ganglions, meninges and, less frequently, spinal cord. Herpes zoster has been reported to affect, although rarely, lower urinary tract innervations, and acute urinary retention can be thought to occur in the presence of sacral dermatome involvement. Usually it is located in S2-4 dermatome and the prognosis for acute urinary retention is benign resolving in about 20 days. We present a case in which the S1 dermatome was involved and acute urinary retention developed. After 10 days of specific therapy and self-catheterization the problem resolved.

  18. Quantitative structure-retention relationships of pesticides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography based on WHIM and GETAWAY molecular descriptors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Archivio, Angelo Antonio [Dipartimento di Chimica, Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Universita degli Studi di L' Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito, L' Aquila (Italy)], E-mail: darchivi@univaq.it; Maggi, Maria Anna; Mazzeo, Pietro; Ruggieri, Fabrizio [Dipartimento di Chimica, Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Universita degli Studi di L' Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito, L' Aquila (Italy)

    2008-11-03

    The ability of the Weighted Holistic Invariant Molecular (WHIM) and GEometry, Topology, and Atom-Weights AssemblY (GETAWAY) descriptors to represent the effect of molecular structure on the retention of pesticides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) is investigated. To this end, two retention data sets previously collected in water-acetonitrile mobile phase are re-examined. The first data set (data-set-1) consists of retention data of 26 neutral compounds belonging to widely used pesticide classes, collected within the mobile phase composition range 40-65% (v/v) acetonitrile. The second data set (data-set-2) describes retention of phenoxy acid herbicides and structurally related compounds (benzoic acid and phenylacetic acid derivatives), as a whole covering the pK{sub a} range 2.3-4.3, as a function of mobile phase composition, ranging between 30 and 70% (v/v) acetonitrile, and pH, ranging between 2 and 5. For each data set, the mobile phase attributes are combined with WHIM or GETAWAY descriptors into 'mixed' predictive models in order to attempt retention modelling within the whole mobile phase composition range of analytical interest. Six- or seven-dimensional multilinear models, preliminarily selected using a genetic algorithm, were improved using a multi-layer artificial neural network (ANN) learned by back propagation. ANN performance was tested on three molecules not used in the learning stage and by leave-more-out cross validation. The results reveal that while WHIM descriptors seem not adequate to model retention of solutes of data-set-1, GETAWAY descriptors provide a satisfactory retention model. On the other hand WHIM and GETAWAY descriptors applied to data-set-2 provide a similar performance, even if slightly worse as compared with the above case. Accuracy of retention modelling in these cases is comparable or slightly poorer as compared with the results previously obtained by combining quantum chemical

  19. Quantitative structure-retention relationships of pesticides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography based on WHIM and GETAWAY molecular descriptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Archivio, Angelo Antonio; Maggi, Maria Anna; Mazzeo, Pietro; Ruggieri, Fabrizio

    2008-01-01

    The ability of the Weighted Holistic Invariant Molecular (WHIM) and GEometry, Topology, and Atom-Weights AssemblY (GETAWAY) descriptors to represent the effect of molecular structure on the retention of pesticides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) is investigated. To this end, two retention data sets previously collected in water-acetonitrile mobile phase are re-examined. The first data set (data-set-1) consists of retention data of 26 neutral compounds belonging to widely used pesticide classes, collected within the mobile phase composition range 40-65% (v/v) acetonitrile. The second data set (data-set-2) describes retention of phenoxy acid herbicides and structurally related compounds (benzoic acid and phenylacetic acid derivatives), as a whole covering the pK a range 2.3-4.3, as a function of mobile phase composition, ranging between 30 and 70% (v/v) acetonitrile, and pH, ranging between 2 and 5. For each data set, the mobile phase attributes are combined with WHIM or GETAWAY descriptors into 'mixed' predictive models in order to attempt retention modelling within the whole mobile phase composition range of analytical interest. Six- or seven-dimensional multilinear models, preliminarily selected using a genetic algorithm, were improved using a multi-layer artificial neural network (ANN) learned by back propagation. ANN performance was tested on three molecules not used in the learning stage and by leave-more-out cross validation. The results reveal that while WHIM descriptors seem not adequate to model retention of solutes of data-set-1, GETAWAY descriptors provide a satisfactory retention model. On the other hand WHIM and GETAWAY descriptors applied to data-set-2 provide a similar performance, even if slightly worse as compared with the above case. Accuracy of retention modelling in these cases is comparable or slightly poorer as compared with the results previously obtained by combining quantum chemical descriptors or usual

  20. Measuring in-stream retention of copper by means of constant-rate additions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serra, A; Guasch, H; Martí, E; Geiszinger, A

    2009-06-01

    Human practices entail inputs of nutrients and toxicants such as heavy metals to the fluvial ecosystems. While nutrient dynamics in fluvial ecosystems have been widely studied for over three decades, dynamics of toxicants still remain unclear. In this investigation, the nutrient spiraling concept and associated methodologies to quantify nutrient retention in streams were applied to study copper (Cu) dynamics in streams. The present study aimed to quantify total dissolved Cu retention using a simplified system of indoor channels colonized with fluvial biofilms. Cu retention was studied at sub-toxic concentrations to avoid negative/lethal effects on biota. In addition, Cu retention was compared with retention estimates of a macronutrient, phosphate (PO(4)(3-)), which has been widely studied within the context of the nutrient spiraling concept. The methodology used allowed a successful quantification of Cu and PO(4)(3-) retention. The results showed higher retention efficiency for PO(4)(3-) than for Cu. The biofilm played a key role in retaining both solutes. Although retention efficiency for both solutes was higher in the experiments with colonized substrata compared to uncolonized substrata, we found a positive relationship between uptake rate and chlorophyll-a only for PO(4)(3-). Finally, retention efficiency for both solutes was influenced by water discharge, showing lower retention efficiencies under higher flow conditions. These results suggest that the fate and toxic effects of copper on stream biota may be strongly influenced by the prevailing environmental conditions. Our results indicate that the experimental approach considered can provide new insights into the investigation of retention of toxic compounds in fluvial systems and their controlling mechanisms.

  1. Genetic programming based quantitative structure-retention relationships for the prediction of Kovats retention indices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goel, Purva; Bapat, Sanket; Vyas, Renu; Tambe, Amruta; Tambe, Sanjeev S

    2015-11-13

    The development of quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRR) aims at constructing an appropriate linear/nonlinear model for the prediction of the retention behavior (such as Kovats retention index) of a solute on a chromatographic column. Commonly, multi-linear regression and artificial neural networks are used in the QSRR development in the gas chromatography (GC). In this study, an artificial intelligence based data-driven modeling formalism, namely genetic programming (GP), has been introduced for the development of quantitative structure based models predicting Kovats retention indices (KRI). The novelty of the GP formalism is that given an example dataset, it searches and optimizes both the form (structure) and the parameters of an appropriate linear/nonlinear data-fitting model. Thus, it is not necessary to pre-specify the form of the data-fitting model in the GP-based modeling. These models are also less complex, simple to understand, and easy to deploy. The effectiveness of GP in constructing QSRRs has been demonstrated by developing models predicting KRIs of light hydrocarbons (case study-I) and adamantane derivatives (case study-II). In each case study, two-, three- and four-descriptor models have been developed using the KRI data available in the literature. The results of these studies clearly indicate that the GP-based models possess an excellent KRI prediction accuracy and generalization capability. Specifically, the best performing four-descriptor models in both the case studies have yielded high (>0.9) values of the coefficient of determination (R(2)) and low values of root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute percent error (MAPE) for training, test and validation set data. The characteristic feature of this study is that it introduces a practical and an effective GP-based method for developing QSRRs in gas chromatography that can be gainfully utilized for developing other types of data-driven models in chromatography science

  2. Mate retention tactics in Spain: personality, sex differences, and relationship status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Miguel, Adelia; Buss, David M

    2011-06-01

    Mate retention is an important problem in romantic relationships because of mate poachers, infidelity, and the risk of outright defection. The current study (N=892) represents the first study of mate retention tactics conducted in Spain. We tested hypotheses about the effects of gender, relationship commitment status, and personality on mate retention tactics. Women and men differed in the use of resource display, appearance enhancement, intrasexual violence, and submission/self-abasement as mate retention tactics. Those in more committed relationships reported higher levels of resource display, appearance enhancement, love, and verbal signals of possession. Those in less committed relationships more often reported intentionally evoking jealousy in their partner as a mate retention tactic. Personality characteristics, particularly Neuroticism and Agreeableness, correlated in coherent ways with mate retention tactics, supporting two evolution-based hypotheses. Discussion focuses on the implications, future research directions, and interdisciplinary syntheses emerging between personality and social psychology and evolutionary psychology. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Personality © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Factors for lifelong job retention among Swiss radiographers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lehmann, P.; Meystre, N. Richli; Mamboury, N.

    2015-01-01

    In Switzerland, a shortage of radiographers in the three radiology domains, radio-diagnostic, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine, is supposed to increase in the upcoming years. As job satisfaction has been shown to contribute to workplace retention, one purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between workplace retention and duration in the profession with job satisfaction. The study was based on two surveys. The institutional survey was addressed to all chiefs of radiology units in hospitals and ambulatory institutes (340, response rate 48%). All radiographers were asked to complete the individual survey (3000, response rate 25%). Two thirds of radiographers had been employed for five or more years in the same workplace, and nearly half intended to stay for 10 more years. The professional lifespan of radiographers is estimated to be approximately 27 years. 75% expressed their satisfaction with key aspects of professional activity, including the content of the work, autonomy, technology and their relationships with professionals and patients. These factors were not linked to a particular workplace, but to the profession itself. The radiographers build their own propitious work environment, even if salary and recognition by physicians are contributing to their dissatisfaction. The retention in the profession, consolidated by a high level of satisfaction, is an essential feature for a workforce policy. However, active measures for reinforcing retention are still necessary when considering that a lifelong career needs challenges and rewards. Additionally, the retention rate does not provide a guarantee adequacy for the future projected needs in the profession. - Highlights: • Retention in the profession, with a high level of satisfaction, is a major point for a workforce policy. • Job satisfaction of radiographers is not linked to a particular workplace, but to the profession itself. • The professional lifespan of radiographers in Switzerland is

  4. Lymphatic involvement in the histopathogenesis of mucous retention cyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kundu, Sukalyan; Cheng, Jun; Maruyama, Satoshi; Suzuki, Makoto; Kawashima, Hiroyuki; Saku, Takashi

    2007-01-01

    Mucous retention cyst results from extravasation of saliva. Our intent was to study the role of lymphatics in its pathogenesis. Twenty-three surgical specimens of mucous retention cyst of the lip were examined for involvement of lymphatic vessels by a comparative immunohistochemical demonstration of lymphatic and blood vascular endothelial cells, as well as lymphatic and salivary contents. Mucous retention cysts were histopathologically classified into three stages: early, intermediate, and advanced. In the early stage, there was diffuse extravasation of mucous material in the interstitium of the lamina propria or the submucosal layer of the oral mucosa. In the intermediate stage, lymphatics, which were clearly revealed and immunohistochemically distinguished from blood vessels by monoclonal antibody D2-40, were dilated and finally ruptured, leaving fragments of lymphatic walls in the periphery of mucous pools. In the advanced stage, thick cyst walls of granulation tissue were formed around mucous retention. Lymphatics were no longer involved in the granulation tissue wall, which was actively driven by blood vessel formation. The results suggest that the lymphatic rupture seems to contribute to the enlargement in the pathogenesis of mucous retention cyst.

  5. Retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills after hands-only training versus conventional training in novices: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young Joon; Cho, Youngsuk; Cho, Gyu Chong; Ji, Hyun Kyung; Han, Song Yi; Lee, Jin Hyuck

    2017-06-01

    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training can improve performance during simulated cardiac arrest; however, retention of skills after training remains uncertain. Recently, hands-only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR. The purpose of this study is to compare the retention rate of CPR skills in laypersons after hands-only or conventional CPR training. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 CPR training methods: 80 minutes of hands-only CPR training or 180 minutes of conventional CPR training. Each participant's CPR skills were evaluated at the end of training and 3 months thereafter using the Resusci Anne manikin with a skill-reporting software. In total, 252 participants completed training; there were 125 in the hands-only CPR group and 127 in the conventional CPR group. After 3 months, 118 participants were randomly selected to complete a post-training test. The hands-only CPR group showed a significant decrease in average compression rate (P=0.015), average compression depth (P=0.031), and proportion of adequate compression depth (P=0.011). In contrast, there was no difference in the skills of the conventional CPR group after 3 months. Conventional CPR training appears to be more effective for the retention of chest compression skills than hands-only CPR training; however, the retention of artificial ventilation skills after conventional CPR training is poor.

  6. 13 CFR 120.861 - Job creation or retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Job creation or retention. 120.861... Company Loan Program (504) Project Economic Development Goals § 120.861 Job creation or retention. A Project must create or retain one Job Opportunity per an amount of 504 loan funding that will be specified...

  7. Acute urinary retention attributable to sacral herpes zoster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acheson, J; Mudd, D

    2004-11-01

    Acute urinary retention in women is uncommon. A 63 year old woman presented with suprapubic pain, a palpable bladder, and multiple grouped vesicles on the right buttock. Catheterisation showed a residual of 2000 ml. A case is reported of acute urinary retention secondary to herpes zoster infection of the sacral nerves (S2-4).

  8. Retention of zinc and calcium from the human colon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandstroem, B.C.; Cederblad, A.; Kivistoe, B.S.; Stenquist, B.; Andersson, H.

    1986-01-01

    Colonic retention of zinc and calcium was studied after installation during colonoscopy of 30 mumol of zinc and 6.4 mmol of calcium labeled with 65 Zn and 47 Ca, and measurement of the whole-body retention of the radionuclides. After cecal installation in nine patients, retention (day 13) of zinc was 3.5 +/- 2.1% (mean +/- SD) and of calcium 3.5 +/- 2.7%. The calculated mean absorption was 4.1% for zinc and 14.1% for calcium. Application at the hepatic flexure in four patients resulted in a mean retention (day 13) of 1.2% for zinc and 0.6% for calcium. Under prevailing conditions, colonic absorption of zinc is relatively small, compared to the uptake after oral administration. Colonic absorption of calcium could, however, account for a substantial part of the total calcium uptake

  9. Patient retention at dental school clinics: a marketing perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarem, Suzanne C; Coe, Julie M

    2014-11-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to examine the drivers of patient retention at dental school clinics from a services marketing perspective. An analysis of patient characteristics at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, screened between August 2010 and July 2011 (N=3604), was performed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, and a binary logistic regression. The main findings were that 42 percent of patients in the study were retained and that no response to communication efforts (36 percent) and financial problems (28 percent) constituted the most common reasons for non-retention. Older age, having insurance, and living within a sixty-mile radius were significant drivers of retention (pskills to better service them, and consequently increasing retention. This will lead to providing a continuum of care and student education and to ensuring the sustainability and quality of the school's educational programs.

  10. [Systematic evaluation of retention behavior of carbohydrates in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Qing; Wang, Jun; Liang, Tu; Xu, Xiaoyong; Jin, Yu

    2013-11-01

    A systematic evaluation of retention behavior of carbohydrates in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) was performed. The influences of mobile phase, stationary phase and buffer salt on the retention of carbohydrates were investigated. According to the results, the retention time of carbohydrates decreased as the proportion of acetonitrile in mobile phase decreased. Increased time of carbohydrates was observed as the concentration of buffer salt in mobile phase increased. The retention behavior of carbohydrates was also affected by organic solvent and HILIC stationary phase. Furthermore, an appropriate retention equation was used in HILIC mode. The retention equation lnk = a + blnC(B) + cC(B) could quantitatively describe the retention factors of carbohydrates of plant origin with good accuracy: the relative error of the predicted time to actual time was less than 0.3%. The evaluation results could provide guidance for carbohydrates to optimize the experimental conditions in HILIC method development especially for carbohydrate separation

  11. Specialized moisture retention eyewear for evaporative dry eye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waduthantri, Samanthila; Tan, Chien Hua; Fong, Yee Wei; Tong, Louis

    2015-05-01

    To evaluate the suitablity of commercially available moisture retention eyewear for treating evaporative dry eye. Eleven patients with evaporative dry eyes were prescibed moisture retention eyewear for 3 months in addition to regular lubricant eye drops. Frequency and severity of dry eye symptoms, corneal fluorescein staining and tear break up time (TBUT) were evaluated at baseline and 3-month post-treatment. Main outcome measure was global symptom score (based on severity and frequency of dry eye symptoms on a visual analog scale) and secondary outcomes were changes in sectoral corneal fluorescein staining and tear break up time (TBUT) from pre-treatment level. There was a significant improvement in dry eye symptoms after using moisture retention eyewear for 3 months (p eyes improved significantly (p dry eye symptoms in windy, air-conditioned environments or when doing vision-related daily tasks. This study shows that moisture retention eyewear might be a valuable adjunct in management of evaporative dry eye and this new design of commercially available eyewear could have a good acceptability rate.

  12. Artisan retention in an organisation in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lariska van Rooyen

    2010-11-01

    Research purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that are important for artisan retention at a South African organisation. Motivation for the study: Organisations that employ artisans need to understand what the main reasons are for keeping or losing artisans from the perspective of the artisans themselves. This information can be used to plan and implement interventions to deal with artisan retention in organisations. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative design was used and a purposive sample was taken (n = 14. A biographical questionnaire was administered and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data from artisans. Main findings: Remuneration had the highest rank of all the factors for the retention of artisans, closely followed by development opportunities. Other factors that were perceived as important for artisan retention included equality, recognition, management and the working environment, and working relationships. Practical implications: Organisations that employ artisans should especially attend to their remuneration and development opportunities. Contribution: The results of this study add to the knowledge of why artisans remain with a specific organisation.

  13. Study of the retention of radionuclides by ion-exchange resins contained in the circuits of a Pressurized Water Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gressier, F.

    2008-11-01

    Physico-chemical quality of fluids in nuclear power plant circuits must be maintained in order to limit contamination and dose rate especially when the shutdown takes place. Nevertheless, an optimum between diminishing liquid waste and limiting solid waste production has to be reached, but at affordable costs. Ion-exchange resins of purification circuits are used to fulfill this goal. In this work, different resin types have been characterized (exchange capacity, water and electrolyte sorption) and their selectivity towards Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cs + and Li + cations have been studied. We have shown that the two cation-exchange resins selectivity varies according to the nature and concentrations of their counter-ions. Moreover, flow rate (and thus hydro-kinetics) impact on species retention in a column has been characterized: the more the flow rate, the more the ionic leakage (output concentration divided by input concentration) is fast and the more the output concentration front is spread. A literature revue has enabled to put in light advantages and drawbacks of the models of interest to simulate operations of ion-exchange resins. Thus, the pure end-members mixing model associated to a non-ideality description of the resin phase based on the regular solutions model has been retained for modelling ion-exchange equilibrium. Ion-exchange kinetics has been described by mass transfer coefficients. Using the experimental results to determine model parameters, these last ones have been implemented in a speciation code CHESS, coupled with a hydrodynamic code in HYTEC. On the one hand, equilibrium experiments of ion retention have been simulated and, on the other hand, column retention tests have been modelled. Finally, selectivity variations and hydro-kinetics impacts have been simulated on some test cases so as to demonstrate the importance of taking these into account when simulating ion-exchange resins operations. (author)

  14. [Academic stress, desertion, and retention strategies for students in higher education].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suárez-Montes, Nancy; Díaz-Subieta, Luz B

    2015-04-01

    A systematic review was performed to specify the characteristics of academic stress that affect the mental health of the university population. To do this, recent publications regarding academic stress, student desertion, and retention strategies were examined. Throughout this text, we present the results of the review in terms of the definitions of academic stress, student desertion, and retention strategies. In the same way, we examine the interpretative models with regard to student desertion and approach retention strategies in higher education. We also review retention experiences of several other countries. In terms of Colombia, we present aspects related to student desertion and retention programs from the point of view of the National Ministry of Education and from the experience of some universities with consolidated programs.

  15. Employee satisfaction and employee retention: catalysts to patient satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Kevin S; Collins, Sandra K; McKinnies, Richard; Jensen, Steven

    2008-01-01

    Over the last few years, most health care facilities have become intensely aware of the need to increase patient satisfaction. However, with today's more consumer-driven market, this can be a daunting task for even the most experienced health care manager. Recent studies indicate that focusing on employee satisfaction and subsequent employee retention may be strong catalysts to patient satisfaction. This study offers a review of how employee satisfaction and retention correlate with patient satisfaction and also examines the current ways health care organizations are focusing on employee satisfaction and retention.

  16. Recycling retention functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skrable, K.W.; Chabot, G.E.; Johnson, M.H.

    1981-01-01

    Beginning with the concept of any number of physiologically meaningful compartments that recycle material with a central extracellular fluid compartment and considering various excretion pathways, we solve the differential equations describing the kinetics by the method of Laplace to obtain concise algebraic expressions for the retentions. These expressions contain both fundamental and eigenvalue rate constants; the eigenvalue rate constants are obtained from the solution of a polynomial incorporating the fundamental rate constants. Mathematically exact expressions that predict the biodistribution resulting from continuous uptakes are used to obtain very simple mathematically exact steady state expressions as well as approximate expressions applicable to any time. These steady state and approximate expressions contain only the fundamental rate constants; also, they include a recycling factor that describes the increase in the biodistributions because of recycling. To obtain the values of the fundamental rate constants, short term kinetics studies along with data on the long term distributions are suggested. Retention functions obtained in this way predict both the short term and long term distributions; they therefore are useful in the interpretation of bioassay data and in the estimation of internal doses

  17. Retention of minority participants in clinical research studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Colleen S; Gonzales, Adelita; Fleuriet, K Jill

    2005-04-01

    Recruitment of minority participants for clinical research studies has been the topic of several analytical works. Yet retention of participants, most notably minority and underserved populations, is less reported and understood, even though these populations have elevated health risks. This article describes two related, intervention-based formative research projects in which researchers used treatment theory to address issues of recruitment and retention of minority women participants in an exercise program to reduce obesity. Treatment theory incorporates a model of health promotion that allows investigators to identify and control sources of extraneous variables. The authors' research demonstrates that treatment theory can improve retention of minority women participants by considering critical inputs, mediating processes, and substantive participant characteristics in intervention design.

  18. Associative learning versus fear habituation as predictors of long-term extinction retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Lily A; LeBeau, Richard T; Chat, Ka Yi; Craske, Michelle G

    2017-06-01

    Violation of unconditioned stimulus (US) expectancy during extinction training may enhance associative learning and result in improved long-term extinction retention compared to within-session habituation. This experiment examines variation in US expectancy (i.e., expectancy violation) as a predictor of long-term extinction retention. It also examines within-session habituation of fear-potentiated startle (electromyography, EMG) and fear of conditioned stimuli (CS) throughout extinction training as predictors of extinction retention. Participants (n = 63) underwent fear conditioning, extinction and retention and provided continuous ratings of US expectancy and EMG, as well as CS fear ratings before and after each phase. Variation in US expectancy throughout extinction and habituation of EMG and fear was entered into a regression as predictors of retention and reinstatement of levels of expectancy and fear. Greater variation in US expectancy throughout extinction training was significantly predictive of enhanced extinction performance measured at retention test, although not after reinstatement test. Slope of EMG and CS fear during extinction did not predict retention of extinction. Within-session habituation of EMG and self-reported fear is not sufficient for long-term retention of extinction learning, and models emphasizing expectation violation may result in enhanced outcomes.

  19. Patient-centered recruitment and retention for a randomized controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chhatre, Sumedha; Jefferson, Ashlie; Cook, Ratna; Meeker, Caitlin R; Kim, Ji Hyun; Hartz, Kayla Marie; Wong, Yu-Ning; Caruso, Adele; Newman, Diane K; Morales, Knashawn H; Jayadevappa, Ravishankar

    2018-03-27

    Recruitment and retention strategies for patient-centered outcomes research are evolving and research on the subject is limited. In this work, we present a conceptual model of patient-centered recruitment and retention, and describe the recruitment and retention activities and related challenges in a patient-centered comparative effectiveness trial. This is a multicenter, longitudinal randomized controlled trial in localized prostate cancer patients. We recruited 743 participants from three sites over 15 months period (January 2014 to March 2015), and followed them for 24 months. At site 1, of the 773 eligible participants, 551 (72%) were enrolled. At site 2, 34 participants were eligible and 23 (68%) enrolled. Of the 434 eligible participants at site 3, 169 (39%) enrolled. We observed that strategies related to the concepts of trust (e.g., physician involvement, ensuring protection of information), communication (e.g., brochures and pamphlets in physicians' offices, continued contact during regular clinic visits and calling/emailing assessment), attitude (e.g., emphasizing the altruistic value of research, positive attitude of providers and research staff), and expectations (e.g., full disclosure of study requirements and time commitment, update letters) facilitated successful patient recruitment and retention. A stakeholders' advisory board provided important input for the recruitment and retention activities. Active engagement, reminders at the offices, and personalized update letters helped retention during follow-up. Usefulness of telephone recruitment was site specific and, at one site, the time requirement for telephone recruitment was a challenge. We have presented multilevel strategies for successful recruitment and retention in a clinical trial using a patient-centered approach. Our strategies were flexible to accommodate site-level requirements. These strategies as well as the challenges can aid recruitment and retention efforts of future large

  20. Post-operative urinary retention in a general surgical population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dreijer, Bjørn; Møller, Morten H; Bartholdy, Jens

    2011-01-01

    Post-operative urine retention is a frequent and serious complication. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of post-operative urinary retention in a general surgical population and to identify the perioperative risk factors for developing this condition....

  1. The Effect of Supplemental Instruction on Retention: A Bivariate Probit Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowles, Tyler J.; Jones, Jason

    2004-01-01

    Single equation regression models have been used to test the effect of Supplemental Instruction (SI) on student retention. These models, however, fail to account for the two salient features of SI attendance and retention: (1) both SI attendance and retention are categorical variables, and (2) are jointly determined endogenous variables. Adopting…

  2. Prediction of retention indices for frequently reported compounds of plant essential oils using multiple linear regression, partial least squares, and support vector machine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Jun; Huang, Jian-Hua; He, Min; Lu, Hong-Bing; Yang, Rui; Kong, Bo; Xu, Qing-Song; Liang, Yi-Zeng

    2013-08-01

    Retention indices for frequently reported compounds of plant essential oils on three different stationary phases were investigated. Multivariate linear regression, partial least squares, and support vector machine combined with a new variable selection approach called random-frog recently proposed by our group, were employed to model quantitative structure-retention relationships. Internal and external validations were performed to ensure the stability and predictive ability. All the three methods could obtain an acceptable model, and the optimal results by support vector machine based on a small number of informative descriptors with the square of correlation coefficient for cross validation, values of 0.9726, 0.9759, and 0.9331 on the dimethylsilicone stationary phase, the dimethylsilicone phase with 5% phenyl groups, and the PEG stationary phase, respectively. The performances of two variable selection approaches, random-frog and genetic algorithm, are compared. The importance of the variables was found to be consistent when estimated from correlation coefficients in multivariate linear regression equations and selection probability in model spaces. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. The effect of retentive groove, sandblasting and cement type on the retentive strength of stainless steel crowns in primary second molars--an in vitro comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veerabadhran, M M; Reddy, V; Nayak, U A; Rao, A P; Sundaram, M A

    2012-01-01

    This in vitro study was conducted to find out the effect of retentive groove, sand blasting and cement type on the retentive strength of stainless steel crowns in primary second molars. Thirty-two extracted intact human maxillary and mandibular primary second molars were embedded in aluminum blocks utilizing autopolymerising acrylic resin. After tooth preparation, the 3M stainless steel crown was adjusted to the prepared tooth. Then weldable buccal tubes were welded on the buccal and lingual surfaces of each crown as an attachment for the testing machine. A full factorial design matrix for four factors (retentive groove placement on the tooth, cement type, sandblasting and primary second molar) at two levels each was developed and the study was conducted as dictated by the matrix. The lower and upper limits for each factor were without and with retentive groove placement on the tooth, GIC and RMGIC, without and with sandblasting of crown, maxillary and mandibular second primary molar. For those teeth for which the design matrix dictated groove placement, the retentive groove was placed on the middle third of the buccal surface of the tooth horizontally and for those crowns for which sandblasting of the crowns are to be done, sandblasting was done with aluminium oxide with a particle size of 250 mm. The crowns were luted with either GIC or RMGIC, as dictated by the design matrix. Then the retentive strength of each sample was evaluated by means of an universal testing machine. The obtained data was analyzed using ANOVA for statistical analysis of the data and 't'- tests for pairwise comparison. The mean retentive strength in kg/cm 2 stainless steel crowns luted with RMGIC was 19.361 and the mean retentive strength of stainless steel crowns luted with GIC was 15.964 kg/cm 2 with a mean difference of 3.397 kg/cm 2 and was statistically significant. The mean retentive strength in kg/cm 2 of stainless steel crowns, which was not sandblasted, was 18.880 and which was

  4. Retention-Oriented Curricular Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milanovic, Ivana; Eppes, Tom A.; Girouard, Janice; Townsend, Lee

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a retention-oriented approach to the educational value stream within the STEM undergraduate area. Faced with several strategic challenges and opportunities, a Flex Advantage Plan was developed to enhance the undergraduate engineering technology programs and better utilize the curricular flexibilities inherent in the current…

  5. Measuring faculty retention and success in academic medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ries, Andrew; Wingard, Deborah; Gamst, Anthony; Larsen, Catherine; Farrell, Elizabeth; Reznik, Vivian

    2012-08-01

    To develop and demonstrate the usefulness of quantitative methods for assessing retention and academic success of junior faculty in academic medicine. The authors created matched sets of participants and nonparticipants in a junior faculty development program based on hire date and academic series for newly hired assistant professors at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine between 1988 and 2005. They used Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards survival analyses to characterize the influence of covariates, including gender, ethnicity, and program participation, on retention. They also developed a new method for quantifying academic success based on several measures including (1) leadership and professional activities, (2) honors and awards, (3) research grants, (4) teaching and mentoring/advising activities, and (5) publications. The authors then used these measures to compare matched pairs of participating and nonparticipating faculty who were subsequently promoted and remained at UCSD. Compared with matched nonparticipants, the retention of junior faculty who participated in the faculty development program was significantly higher. Among those who were promoted and remained at UCSD, the academic success of faculty development participants was consistently greater than that of matched nonparticipants. This difference reached statistical significance for leadership and professional activities. Using better quantitative methods for evaluating retention and academic success will improve understanding and research in these areas. In this study, use of such methods indicated that organized junior faculty development programs have positive effects on faculty retention and may facilitate success in academic medicine.

  6. Assessing knowledge retention in construction organisations: Cases from the UAE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Arif

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present different issues facing the problem of knowledge retention by construction sector companies in the UAE. Methodology: Existing framework in the area of knowledge retention has been used to assess three large construction consultancies in the UAE. The case study methodology used in this paper highlights some key issues in the area of knowledge retention in the UAE. Findings: Based on the analysis of the knowledge retention system the major drivers for its successful implementation are prevalence of a culture of sharing knowledge, reward and recognition for sharing knowledge, a technology platform that can accommodate multi formats of files, awareness of knowledge retention system and its benefits among its employees, and top management support. Research Limitations: The paper presents three case studies and draws conclusions about the UAE construction sector. Although the three companies are large companies, there are several Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME operating in the construction sector in the UAE. Future researchers need to look at these SMEs. Originality / Value: Through the three case studies, several issues related to the implementation of robust knowledge retention practices have been identified and highlighted for the UAE construction sector.

  7. Particle retention during long discharges in Tore Supra and JET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loarer, T.; Tsitrone, E.; Brosset, C.; Bucalossi, J.; Gunn, J.; Joffrin, E.; Monier-Garbet, P.; Pegourie, B.; Thomas, P.; Lomas, P.; Ongena, J.

    2003-01-01

    The particle balances and the associated particle retentions for the long discharge experiments performed in Tore-Supra and for the L and H mode discharges carried out in JET are reported in this paper. From the reported experiments, the same particle retention behaviors are observed in Tore-Supra and JET in spite of the differences between the plasma geometry and the confinement mode (respectively limiter L-mode and divertor H-mode). A particle retention up to 70-80% of Γ(puff) for the larger gas injection has been obtained in JET. The particle retention behavior observed with the gas puff appears to be strongly dominant in the particle retention process. Indeed, no influence has been noticed from the active pumping, the saturation of the recycling area (0.4 D/C), the precedent discharges history (in terms of total 'particles retained' in the vessel) and even from the disruptions (conditioning). Also, the outgassing between discharges becomes negligible in terms of particle recovering when Γ(puff) and/or the discharge duration are increased. Finally, neither the edge localized modes (ELMs type-I or III) nor the disruptions modify the reported behaviour. For ITER, the particle retention is strictly limited and from the presented results it seems that strong gas injection should be avoided. (A.C.)

  8. Mate Value Discrepancy and Mate Retention Behaviors of Self and Partner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sela, Yael; Mogilski, Justin K; Shackelford, Todd K; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Fink, Bernhard

    2017-10-01

    This study investigated the relationship between perceived mate value discrepancy (i.e., the difference between an individual's mate value and their partner's mate value) and perceived frequency of mate retention performed by an individual relative to his or her partner. In two studies, participants in long-term, exclusive, sexual, heterosexual relationships reported their own, and their partner's, mate value and mate retention. Samples included 899 community members (Study 1) and 941 students and community members (Study 2). In Study 1, we documented that individuals with higher self-perceived short-term mate value, and who perceive their partner to have lower (vs. higher) short-term mate value, perform less frequent Benefit-Provisioning mate retention, controlling for the partner's Benefit-Provisioning mate retention. In Study 2, we documented that individuals who perceive that they could less easily replace their partner, and who perceive their partner could more (vs. less) easily replace them, perform more frequent mate retention (Benefit-Provisioning and Cost-Inflicting), controlling for the partner's mate retention. These results highlight the importance of assessing perceived discrepancies in mate value (notably, regarding the replaceability of self and partner with another long-term mate) and perceived mate retention behaviors of self, relative to partner, between men and women in long-term relationships. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Total body retention of orally administered 47Ca in primary hyperparathyroidism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallette, L.E.; Sode, J.E.; Marx, S.J.; Georges, L.P.; Aurbach, G.D.

    1975-01-01

    Using a whole-body radiation detector, the total-body retention of 47 Ca 7 days after oral administration of the isotope to patients with various disorders of calcium metabolism was measured. The percent retention of 47 Ca given with 90 mg of unlabeled (carrier) calcium varied with the calcium metabolic status as follows: normals (n = 14), 33--43 percent (mean 38); primary hyperparathyroidism (n = 28), 32--74 percent (mean 52); idiopathic hypercalciuria (n = 9), 34--49 percent (mean 42); and hypercalcemia of other etiology (n = 3), 23--26 percent (mean 25). Almost half (13/28) of those with hyperparathyroidism showed a retention above 55 percent, distinguishing them from subjects with idiopathic hypercalciuria. Retention of 47 Ca correlated poorly with clinical measures of severity of hyperparathyroidism. When isotope was diluted with a smaller amount of carrier calcium (20 mg), retention was increased in normals (n = 5) to 46--54 percent (mean 50) and in hyperparathyroidism (n = 5) to 64--87 percent (mean 73). After surgical cure of hyperparathyroidism retention of isotope returned toward normal in 5 of 7 subjects. Whole-body retention of orally administered 47 Ca may prove useful in detecting hyperparathyroidism in subjects with mild hypercalcemia or hypercalciuria. (U.S.)

  10. Retention of alkaline earth elements in man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newton, D.

    1990-06-01

    The data on human metabolism and long-term retention of alkaline earth elements ( 133 Ba injected into six healthy male volunteers at age 25-81 y and 45 Ca and 85 Sr received by one healthy male volunteer) are presented. Excreta were collected for 2-3 weeks after injection of the tracer into an antecubital vein. Activity in urine, ashed faeces and early samples of blood plasma was determined by gamma-ray scintillation spectrometry. Whole body retention has been assessed through serial measurements of body radioactivity. The injected 133 Ba apparently became mainly skeletal within several days, much earlier than predicted by the ICRP model. The whole-body retention at 32 d ranged from 5 to 14%, the rate of loss correlating with the excretory plasma clearance rate. No age-related trends were identified in the metabolism of Ca and Sr. 2 refs, 2 figs

  11. The Impact of Gloss Types on Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Gain and Vocabulary Retention: A Comparative Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atefeh Elekaei

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The significance and impact of vocabulary learning in reading comprehension and L2 language learning are apparent to teachers, researchers and language learners. Moreover, glosses are found as one of the most effective strategies regarding vocabulary retention. Therefore, the present study attempted to investigate the effect of different types of glosses on reading comprehension, vocabulary gain and vocabulary retention. To this end, 140 Iranian EFL learners learning English were selected and were divided into four groups (footnote gloss group, interlinear gloss group, marginal gloss group, and glossary group. They were required to read a text and answer four reading comprehension questions. In addition, one immediate vocabulary post-test and one delayed vocabulary post-test were taken in order to investigate learners' vocabulary gain and vocabulary retention. In order to analyze the data, one one-way ANOVA and one MANOVA were run. The results of one-way ANOVA revealed that participants who received interlinear glosses significantly outperformed the other groups regarding comprehending the text. Moreover, the immediate vocabulary post-test was conducted immediately after reading test and the delayed post-test was administered after four weeks. The results of MANOVA indicated that the group which received interlinear glosses outperformed the other groups in both vocabulary gain and vocabulary retention. The present study has implications for teachers and learners. Teachers can find better methods to teach new reading passages as well as vocabulary items. Also, glosses help learners to have a better comprehension of difficult passages and they facilitate learning. Moreover, learners can enhance their vocabulary knowledge with the help of glosses.

  12. Increasing Army Retention Through Incentives

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Beerman, Kevin

    2006-01-01

    .... If the Army fails to address the enlisted retention issue in the near future departures of experienced NCOs will have a detrimental impact our military's ability to provide for our nation's security...

  13. QSPR Study of the Retention/release Property of Odorant Molecules in Water Using Statistical Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Assia Belhassan

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available An integrated approach physicochemistry and structures property relationships has been carried out to study the odorant molecules retention/release phenomenon in the water. This study aimed to identify the molecular properties (molecular descriptors that govern this phenomenon assuming that modifying the structure leads automatically to a change in the retention/release property of odorant molecules. ACD/ChemSketch, MarvinSketch, and ChemOffice programs were used to calculate several molecular descriptors of 51 odorant molecules (15 alcohols, 11 aldehydes, 9 ketones and 16 esters. A total of 37 molecules (2/3 of the data set were placed in the training set to build the QSPR models, whereas the remaining, 14 molecules (1/3 of the data set constitute the test set. The best descriptors were selected to establish the quantitative structure property relationship (QSPR of the retention/release property of odorant molecules in water using multiple linear regression (MLR, multiple non-linear regression (MNLR and an artificial neural network (ANN methods. We propose a quantitative model according to these analyses. The models were used to predict the retention/release property of the test set compounds, and agreement between the experimental and predicted values was verified. The descriptors showed by QSPR study are used for study and designing of new compounds. The statistical results indicate that the predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental results. To validate the predictive power of the resulting models, external validation multiple correlation coefficient was calculated and has both in addition to a performant prediction power, a favorable estimation of stability. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v9i4.978 

  14. Sexual dimorphism in stature (SDS), jealousy and mate retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, Gayle; Riley, Charlene

    2010-10-02

    Previous research has investigated the manner in which absolute height impacts on jealousy and mate retention. Although relative height is also important, little information exists about the potential influence of sexual dimorphism in stature (SDS) within established relationships. The current study investigated the relationship between SDS and the satisfaction, jealousy and mate retention behaviors reported by men and women. Heterosexual men (n = 98) and women (n = 102) completed a questionnaire. Men in high SDS relationships reported the lowest levels of cognitive and behavioral jealousy, although the impact of SDS on relationship satisfaction was less clear. SDS was not associated with the overall use of mate retention strategies; SDS did however affect the use of three specific strategies (vigilance, monopolization of time, love and care). SDS did not affect women's relationship satisfaction, jealousy (cognitive, behavioral, or emotional) or the use of mate retention strategies (with the exception of resource display).

  15. POSTOPERATIVE URINARY RETENTION AND EARLY REPOSITION OF TENSION-FREE VAGINAL TAPE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marijan Lužnik

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available Background. The purpose of this article is to show a possible method of treatment of postoperative urinary retention after an initial tension-free vaginal tape.Methods. From December 1999 to May 2003 we performed one hundred TVT procedures at our department, among them five women had postoperative urinary retention evaluated with catheterization. Revision and reposition of tension-free vaginal tape were performed if retention of urine was over 100 ml.Results. Urinary retention after an initial tension-free vaginal tape was successfully treated by early reposition of tension-free vaginal tape. This resulted in immediate residualfree voiding and continence, which remained unchanged at 6 week and 3 month follow-up.Conclusions. Postoperative urinary retention may be treated by reposition instead of dissection or elongation of the tension-free vaginal tape.

  16. 50 CFR 635.24 - Commercial retention limits for sharks and swordfish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Commercial retention limits for sharks and... Management Measures § 635.24 Commercial retention limits for sharks and swordfish. The retention limits in this section are subject to the quotas and closure provisions in §§ 635.27 and 635.28. (a) Sharks. (1...

  17. Online Mate-Retention Tactics on Facebook Are Associated With Relationship Aggression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brem, Meagan J; Spiller, Laura C; Vandehey, Michael A

    2015-10-01

    A measure of Facebook-related mate-retention tactics was developed to investigate the relationship between online behaviors and intimate partner aggression. One hundred and seventy-seven young adults (65 men, 112 women) completed questionnaires that included measures of online and offline mate-retention tactics, Facebook jealousy, Facebook surveillance, and intimate partner violence. A factor analysis yielded four subscales for the Facebook Mate-Retention Tactic Inventory (FMRTI): Care and Affection, Jealousy and Surveillance, Possession Signals, and Punishment of Infidelity Threat. The FMRTI total scores were positively correlated with Facebook jealousy, Facebook surveillance, and use of offline mate-retention tactics. The Jealousy and Surveillance subscale uniquely predicted intimate partner psychological and physical aggression over and above existing measures. Facebook mate-retention tactics fully mediated the relation between Facebook jealousy and both intimate partner psychological and physical aggression. The current study provides preliminary evidence for conceptualizing Facebook as an environment for the use of mate-retention tactics that have real-life implications for intimate partner violence. © The Author(s) 2014.

  18. Retention of key employees in the oil field service sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S.

    1999-01-01

    Before 1994, Core Laboratories Canada Ltd. adopted local country benefit plans as stipulated by the government of the day. This approach meant that the company had many different benefit plans in place or in some situations no benefit plans at all, if the law of the land allowed such an approach. The company at this time viewed the lack of or minimal benefit plans as a cost saving venture. The parent company did not take onto account the effect on morale, employee retention and loyalty that these limited plans provided. A change in ownership in 1994 presented the opportunity for Core to re-assess its benefits package and introduce an incentive plan for its worldwide employees. The introduction of a pension with profits plan proved to be satisfying to employees, and the manager's incentive plan enabled the company to retain, with the exception of people who retired from the business, its entire management staff over a four year period. The stock option plan led to the retention of essential employees and reduced the turnover in this area. Discretionary bonuses succeeded in promoting recognition amongst employees as well as providing monetary reward, and the combination of benefits, incentive and stock option plans enabled the company to retain the vast majority of key employees and to entice selected individuals to the company from other organizations. 3 refs

  19. Guide-Plane Retention in Designing Removable Partial Dentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mothopi-Peri, Matshediso; Owen, C Peter

    To compare the influence of abutment teeth guide planes and guiding surfaces on retention of a removable partial denture (RPD). Extracted teeth embedded into a maxillary cast in the first premolar and second molar positions simulated two bounded saddles. Acrylic resin RPDs were made with no guide planes, then with guide planes, then with guiding surfaces added to directly contact the guide planes. The maximum loads on removal from the cast were recorded. There was a significant increase in retention force of 1.6 times when only guide planes were present and of 10.2 times when guiding surfaces intimately contacted the guide planes. The retention of acrylic resin RPDs can be substantially increased by making their guiding surfaces intimately contact the guide planes of the teeth.

  20. Adaptive memory: young children show enhanced retention of fitness-related information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslan, Alp; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

    2012-01-01

    Evolutionary psychologists propose that human cognition evolved through natural selection to solve adaptive problems related to survival and reproduction, with its ultimate function being the enhancement of reproductive fitness. Following this proposal and the evolutionary-developmental view that ancestral selection pressures operated not only on reproductive adults, but also on pre-reproductive children, the present study examined whether young children show superior memory for information that is processed in terms of its survival value. In two experiments, we found such survival processing to enhance retention in 4- to 10-year-old children, relative to various control conditions that also required deep, meaningful processing but were not related to survival. These results suggest that, already in very young children, survival processing is a special and extraordinarily effective form of memory encoding. The results support the functional-evolutionary proposal that young children's memory is "tuned" to process and retain fitness-related information. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Work force retention: Role of work environment, organization commitment, supervisor support and training & development in ceramic sanitary ware industries in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umamaheswari S

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Although retention of employees has become hot topic in this career turbulent era, practically no empirical research is carried out in the fast growing ceramic sector till now and this research fills the gap in the literature. The literatures surveys reported that organization commitment is an important determinant of retention and work environment, supervisor support and training and development are the most relevant antecedents increasing commitment towards organization. This paper examines the impact of the above factors over organization commitment and explores the effects of organization commitment on retention, and verifies the mediating effect of organization commitment on the relationship between proposed factors and retention. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was completed by 416 employees working in five ceramic sanitary ware factories located at different places in India. Questionnaire consisting of items adopted from previous researches were used to collect data. The selection of respondents was based on the simple random sampling. Findings: Findings reveals that organization commitment influences retention and all the above factors enhances it. Moreover organization commitment partially mediates the relationship between proposed factors and retention. However multiple regression analysis indicated that training and development did not have any notable   influence on retention. Limitations: This study was conducted in a particular country and also in a particular sector of manufacturing industry, which limits generalization .Possibility of bias towards their organization and assumption that respondents know about their organization are other limitations. Implications: This paper offers recommendations to HR(Human resource managers that they should extend their support to work environment, supervisor support and training and development in order to generate better relationship with employees and to reduce their

  2. Urinary Retention Associated with Atomoxetine Use: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilfer Sahin

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Atomoxetine is a well-studied non-stimulant treatment agent, and is also the first-choice non-stimulant drug for the conventional treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder owing to its effectiveness and tolerability. Urinary retention is a type of urological emergency that is associated with the inability to urinate despite the bladder being full and a strong urge to urinate. It is known that urinary retention can also develop due to the use of anticholinergic drugs. In this manuscript, we present a 12-year-old male case who developed acute urinary retention in the period following atomoxetine treatment.

  3. Impact Of Customer Relationship Management On Customer Retention A Case Of Private Banks Of Sialkot Punjab

    OpenAIRE

    Nayab Bashir

    2017-01-01

    Customer relationship management is good for banking sector to increase in any economic condition and for customers to receive quality services This research check the impact of customer relationship management activities on banks customer retention in Sialkot Punjab. For the purpose of study a sampling analysis was conducted among 330 customers of selected private banks that is Habib Bank limited United Bank limited Faysal Bank limited with the help of a structured questionnaire. 316 questio...

  4. Deuterium retention in liquid lithium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baldwin, M.J.; Doerner, R.P.; Luckhardt, S.C.; Conn, R.W.

    2002-01-01

    Measurements of deuterium retention in samples of lithium exposed in the liquid state to deuterium plasma are reported. Retention was measured as a function of plasma ion dose in the range 6x10 19 -4x10 22 D atoms and exposure temperature between 523 and 673 K using thermal desorption spectrometry. The results are consistent with the full uptake of all deuterium ions incident on the liquid metal surface and are found to be independent of the temperature of the liquid lithium over the range explored. Full uptake, consistent with very low recycling, continues until the sample is volumetrically converted to lithium deuteride. This occurs for exposure temperatures where the gas pressure during exposure was both below and slightly above the corresponding decomposition pressure for LiD in Li. (author)

  5. Leadership training to improve nurse retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallis, Allan; Kennedy, Kathy I

    2013-05-01

    This paper discusses findings from an evaluation of a training programme designed to promote collaborative, team-based approaches to improve nurse retention within health care organizations. A year-long leadership training programme was designed and implemented to develop effective teams that could address retention challenges in a diverse set of organizations in Colorado ranging from public, private to non-profit. An evaluation, based on a combination of participant observation, group interviews, and the use of standardized tests measuring individual emotional intelligence and team dynamics was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the training programme. What role do the emotional intelligence of individual members and organizational culture play in team effectiveness? Out of five teams participating in the training programme, two performed exceptionally well, one experienced moderate success and two encountered significant problems. Team dynamics were significantly affected by the emotional intelligence of key members holding supervisory positions and by the existing culture and structure of the participating organizations. Team approaches to retention hold promise but require careful development and are most likely to work where organizations have a collaborative problem-solving environment. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  6. Height, Relationship Satisfaction, Jealousy, and Mate Retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gayle Brewer

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Male height is associated with high mate value. In particular, tall men are perceived as more attractive, dominant and of a higher status than shorter rivals, resulting in a greater lifetime reproductive success. Female infidelity and relationship dissolution may therefore present a greater risk to short men. It was predicted that tall men would report greater relationship satisfaction and lower jealousy and mate retention behavior than short men. Ninety eight heterosexual men in a current romantic relationship completed a questionnaire. Both linear and quadratic relationships were found between male height and relationship satisfaction, cognitive and behavioral jealousy. Tall men reported greater relationship satisfaction and lower levels of cognitive or behavioral jealousy than short men. In addition, linear and quadratic relationships were found between male height and a number of mate retention behaviors. Tall and short men engaged in different mate retention behaviors. These findings are consistent with previous research conducted in this area detailing the greater attractiveness of tall men.

  7. Characterization of retentivity of reversed phase liquid chromatography columns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ying, P T; Dorsey, J G

    1991-03-01

    There are dozens of commercially available reversed phase columns, most marketed as C-8 or C-18 materials, but with no useful way of classifying their retentivity. A useful way of ranking these columns in terms of column "strength" or retentivity is presented. The method utilizes a value for ln k'(w), the estimated retention of a solute from a mobile phase of 100% water, and the slope of the plot of ln k' vsE(T)(30), the solvent polarity. The method is validated with 26 solutes varying in ln k'(w) from about 2 to over 20, on 14 different reversed phase columns. In agreement with previous work, it is found that the phase volume ratio of the column is the most important parameter in determining retentivity. It is strongly suggested that manufacturers adopt a uniform method of calculating this value and that it be made available in advertising, rather than the uninterpretable "% carbon".

  8. Transportation and retention in outpatient drug abuse treatment programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedmann, P D; Lemon, S C; Stein, M D

    2001-09-01

    To determine whether certain types of transportation assistance improve outpatient treatment retention beyond thresholds shown to have therapeutic benefits, we analyzed data from 1,144 clients in 22 outpatient methadone maintenance (OMM) programs and 2,031 clients in 22 outpatient drug-free (ODF) programs in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcomes Study (DATOS), a national, 12-month, longitudinal study of drug abuse treatment programs. Directors' surveys provided information about provision of car, van, or contracted transportation services or individual vouchers/payment for public transportation. Chart-abstracted treatment retention was dichotomized at 365 days for OMM and 90 days for ODF. Separate multivariate hierarchical linear models revealed that provision of car, van, or contracted transportation services improved treatment retention beyond these thresholds for both OMM and ODF, but individual vouchers or payment for public transportation did not. Future research should validate whether car, van, or contracted transportation services improve retention and other treatment outcomes in outpatient drug abuse treatment.

  9. Acute urinary retention due to benign inflammatory nervous diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakakibara, Ryuji; Yamanishi, Tomonori; Uchiyama, Tomoyuki; Hattori, Takamichi

    2006-08-01

    Both neurologists and urologists might encounter patients with acute urinary retention due to benign inflammatory nervous diseases. Based on the mechanism of urinary retention, these disorders can be divided into two subgroups: disorders of the peripheral nervous system (e.g., sacral herpes) or the central nervous system (e.g., meningitis-retention syndrome [MRS]). Laboratory abnormalities include increased herpes virus titers in sacral herpes, and increased myelin basic protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in some cases with MRS. Urodynamic abnormality in both conditions is detrusor areflexia; the putative mechanism of it is direct involvement of the pelvic nerves in sacral herpes; and acute spinal shock in MRS. There are few cases with CSF abnormality alone. Although these cases have a benign course, management of the acute urinary retention is necessary to avoid bladder injury due to overdistension. Clinical features of sacral herpes or MRS differ markedly from those of the original "Elsberg syndrome" cases.

  10. Is Enlisted Retention too High?

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hansen, M

    2003-01-01

    .... The consensus appears to be that higher retention is better for the Navy; more experienced Sailors improve readiness and allow the Navy to devote fewer resources to the recruiting, training, and acculturation of new accessions...

  11. Effect of damage on water retention and gas transport properties geo-materials: Application to geological storage of radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    M'Jahad, S.

    2012-01-01

    In the context of geological disposal of radioactive waste, this work contributes to the characterization of the effect of diffuse damage on the water retention and gas transfer properties of concrete (CEM I and CEM V) selected by Andra, Callovo-Oxfordian argillite (host rock) and argillite / concrete interfaces. This study provides information on the concrete microstructure from Mercury porosimetry intrusion and water retention curves: each concrete has a distinct microstructure, CEM I concrete is characterized by a significant proportion of capillary pores while CEM V concrete has a large proportion of C-S-H pores. Several protocols have been developed in order to damage concrete. The damage reduces water retention capacity of CEM I concrete and increases its gas permeability. Indeed, gas breakthrough pressure decreases significantly for damaged concrete, and this regardless of the type of concrete. For argillite, the sample mass increases gradually at RH = 100%, which creates and increases damage in the material. This reduces its ability to retain water. Otherwise, water retention and gas transport properties of argillite are highly dependent of its initial water saturation, which is linked to its damage. Finally, we observed a clogging phenomenon at the argillite/concrete interfaces, which is first mechanical and then hydraulic (and probably chemical) after water injection. This reduces the gas breakthrough pressure interfaces. (author)

  12. Retention among North American HIV-infected persons in clinical care, 2000-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebeiro, Peter; Althoff, Keri N; Buchacz, Kate; Gill, John; Horberg, Michael; Krentz, Hartmut; Moore, Richard; Sterling, Timothy R; Brooks, John T; Gebo, Kelly A; Hogg, Robert; Klein, Marina; Martin, Jeffrey; Mugavero, Michael; Rourke, Sean; Silverberg, Michael J; Thorne, Jennifer; Gange, Stephen J

    2013-03-01

    Retention in care is key to improving HIV outcomes. The goal of this study was to describe 'churn' in patterns of entry, exit, and retention in HIV care in the United States and Canada. Adults contributing ≥1 CD4 count or HIV-1 RNA (HIV-lab) from 2000 to 2008 in North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design clinical cohorts were included. Incomplete retention was defined as lack of 2 HIV-laboratories (≥90 days apart) within 12 months, summarized by calendar year. Beta-binomial regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of factors associated with incomplete retention. Among 61,438 participants, 15,360 (25%) with incomplete retention significantly differed in univariate analyses (P churn. In addition to the programmatic and policy implications, the findings of this study identify patient groups who may benefit from focused retention efforts.

  13. Supporting nurse practitioner education: Preceptorship recruitment and retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric Staples

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Clinical experience is an essential component of nurse practitioner (NP education that relies heavily on preceptors. Recruitment and retention of preceptors is challenging due to many variables that can affect NP education and practice. We surveyed Canadian NP programs to understand their preceptorship structures, how they support preceptorship, and to identify gaps and challenges to recruitment and retention of preceptors. Methods: An 18-item survey, developed by the NP Education Interest Group, was distributed to 24 universities across 10 Canadian provinces. Construct validity and reliability was assessed by experienced NPs and NP faculty. Data were analyzed using relative frequency statistics and thematic analysis. Participants consisted of administrative staff and/or faculty designated as responsible for recruitment and retention of NP preceptors. Results: Seventeen returned surveys were analyzed and demonstrated more similarities than differences across Canada's NP programs, particularly related to barriers affecting recruitment and retention of preceptors. The findings identified NP programs have too many students for the number of available clinical sites/preceptors, resulting in overutilization, burnout, or refusal to take students. Competition with other health disciplines for clinical placements was identified as a challenge to placements. Respondents commented they lack time to recruit, provide follow-up, offer support, or seek preceptors' feedback due to competing work demands. They identified the need for standardized funding for preceptor remuneration and recognition across the country. Conclusion: The findings suggest the need for exploring a wider intraprofessional collaboration among graduate NP programs/faculty, clinical placement sites, and NPs to facilitate the recruitment and retention of preceptors.

  14. Home healthcare nurse retention and patient outcome model: discussion and model development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenbecker, Carol Hall; Cushman, Margaret

    2012-08-01

    This paper discusses additions to an empirically tested model of home healthcare nurse retention. An argument is made that the variables of shared decision-making and organizational commitment be added to the model based on the authors' previous research and additional evidence from the literature. Previous research testing the home healthcare nurse retention model established empirical relationships between nurse, agency, and area characteristics to nurse job satisfaction, intent to stay, and retention. Unexplained model variance prompted a new literature search to augment understanding of nurse retention and patient and agency outcomes. Data come from the authors' previous research, and a literature search from 1990 to 2011 on the topics organizational commitment, shared decision-making, nurse retention, patient outcomes and agency performance. The literature provides a rationale for the additional variables of shared decision-making and affective and continuous organizational commitment, linking these variables to nurse job satisfaction, nurse intent to stay, nurse retention and patient outcomes and agency performance. Implications for nursing.  The new variables in the model suggest that all agencies, even those not struggling to retain nurses, should develop interventions to enhance nurse job satisfaction to assure quality patient outcomes. The new nurse retention and patient outcome model increases our understanding of nurse retention. An understanding of the relationship among these variables will guide future research and the development of interventions to create and maintain nursing work environments that contribute to nurse affective agency commitment, nurse retention and quality of patient outcomes. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. Transit ridership, reliability, and retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-10-01

    This project explores two major components that affect transit ridership: travel time reliability and rider : retention. It has been recognized that transit travel time reliability may have a significant impact on : attractiveness of transit to many ...

  16. Retention of autobiographical memories: an Internet-based diary study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kristo, G.; Janssen, S.M.J.; Murre, J.M.J.

    2009-01-01

    In this online study we examined the retention of recent personal events using an Internet-based diary technique. Each participant (N=878) recorded on a website one recent personal event and was contacted after a retention interval that ranged between 2 and 46 days. We investigated how well the

  17. A pin-assisted retention technique for resin-bonded restorations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miara, P; Touati, B

    1992-09-01

    The value of pins for auxiliary retention has been demonstrated many times. The use of pins with resin-bonded restorations allows for improved aesthetics and less tooth reduction while increasing resistance to dislodging forces. Clinical and technical procedures for resin-bonded bridges with pin-assisted retention are presented.

  18. Clinical trials: the challenge of recruitment and retention of participants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gul, Raisa B; Ali, Parveen A

    2010-01-01

    This article, based on the available literature, attempts to discuss the importance of recruitment and retention of research participants, the associated barriers and challenges, and various strategies to overcome these barriers. The inability to recruit and retain the required participants in a research project poses serious threats to both the internal and the external validity of a research study. Despite serious implications, the issues of recruitment and retention do not receive due attention in research and publications. Literature suggests a lack of coordinated efforts to collect information on the outcomes of recruitment experiences in clinical trials and population studies. Studies often mention the number of participants who refuse to participate; however, the majority of the studies often fail to mention the specific reasons insufficient recruitment or retention of the participants. A methodological paper. Various participant-, context-, environment- and research-related factors are examined that affect the phenomenon of recruitment and retention of the participants in a study. Delayed or inefficient recruitment also has financial and ethical implications. Although there are many pieces of information scattered throughout academic journals on recruitment and retention of participants in research, few authors have dealt with the issue holistically. It is imperative for researchers to understand the importance of recruitment and retention of research participants, the associated barriers and challenges, and various strategies to overcome these barriers. Appropriate recording and reporting of the problems faced while recruiting and retaining the participants in research studies can help not only in understating the challenge, but will also help in devising the strategies to overcome this problem. This article was an attempt to synthesise and review the available literature on recruitment and retention issues, which demand extensive theoretical and

  19. Competing retention pathways of uranium upon reaction with Fe(II)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massey, Michael S.; Lezama-Pacheco, Juan S.; Jones, Morris E.; Ilton, Eugene S.; Cerrato, José M.; Bargar, John R.; Fendorf, Scott

    2014-10-01

    Biogeochemical retention processes, including adsorption, reductive precipitation, and incorporation into host minerals, are important in contaminant transport, remediation, and geologic deposition of uranium. Recent work has shown that U can become incorporated into iron (hydr)oxide minerals, with a key pathway arising from Fe(II)-induced transformation of ferrihydrite, (Fe(OH)3·nH2O) to goethite (α-FeO(OH)); this is a possible U retention mechanism in soils and sediments. Several key questions, however, remain unanswered regarding U incorporation into iron (hydr)oxides and this pathway's contribution to U retention, including: (i) the competitiveness of U incorporation versus reduction to U(IV) and subsequent precipitation of UO2; (ii) the oxidation state of incorporated U; (iii) the effects of uranyl aqueous speciation on U incorporation; and, (iv) the mechanism of U incorporation. Here we use a series of batch reactions conducted at pH ∼7, [U(VI)] from 1 to 170 μM, [Fe(II)] from 0 to 3 mM, and [Ca] at 0 or 4 mM coupled with spectroscopic examination of reaction products of Fe(II)-induced ferrihydrite transformation to address these outstanding questions. Uranium retention pathways were identified and quantified using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Analysis of EXAFS spectra showed that 14-89% of total U was incorporated into goethite, upon reaction with Fe(II) and ferrihydrite. Uranium incorporation was a particularly dominant retention pathway at U concentrations ⩽50 μM when either uranyl-carbonato or calcium-uranyl-carbonato complexes were dominant, accounting for 64-89% of total U. With increasing U(VI) and Fe(II) concentrations, U(VI) reduction to U(IV) became more prevalent, but U incorporation remained a functioning retention pathway. These findings highlight the potential importance of U(V) incorporation within iron

  20. Cigarette smoke retention and bronchodilation in patients with COPD. A controlled randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dijk, Wouter D; Heijdra, Yvonne; Lenders, Jacques W M; Klerx, Walther; Akkermans, Reinier; van der Pouw, Anouschka; van Weel, Chris; Scheepers, Paul T J; Schermer, Tjard R J

    2013-01-01

    Bronchodilators are the cornerstone for symptomatic treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Many patients use these agents while persisting in their habit of cigarette smoking. We hypothesized that bronchodilators increase pulmonary retention of cigarette smoke and hence the risk of smoking-related (cardiovascular) disease. Our aim was to investigate if bronchodilation causes increased pulmonary retention of cigarette smoke in patients with COPD. A double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover trial, in which COPD patients smoked cigarettes during undilated conditions at one session and maximal bronchodilated conditions at the other session. Co-primary outcomes were pulmonary tar and nicotine retention. We performed a secondary analysis that excludes errors due to possible contamination. Secondary outcomes included the biomarkers C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, and smoke inhalation patterns. Of 39 randomized patients, 35 patients completed the experiment and were included in the final analysis. Bronchodilation did not significantly increase tar retention (-4.5%, p = 0.20) or nicotine retention (-2.6%, p = 0.11). Secondary analysis revealed a potential reduction of retention due to bronchodilation: tar retention (-3.8%, p = 0.13), and nicotine retention (-3.4%, p = 0.01). Bronchodilation did not modify our secondary outcomes. Our results do not support the hypothesis that cigarette tar and nicotine retention in COPD patients is increased by bronchodilation, whereas we observed a possibility towards less retention. www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00981851. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Formation and retention of methane in coal. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hucka, V.J.; Bodily, D.M.; Huang, H.

    1992-05-15

    The formation and retention of methane in coalbeds was studied for ten Utah coal samples, one Colorado coal sample and eight coal samples from the Argonne Premium Coal Sample Bank.Methane gas content of the Utah and Colorado coals varied from zero to 9 cm{sup 3}/g. The Utah coals were all high volatile bituminous coals. The Colorado coal was a gassy medium volatile bituminous coal. The Argonne coals cover a range or rank from lignite to low volatile bituminous coal and were used to determine the effect of rank in laboratory studies. The methane content of six selected Utah coal seams and the Colorado coal seam was measured in situ using a special sample collection device and a bubble desorbometer. Coal samples were collected at each measurement site for laboratory analysis. The cleat and joint system was evaluated for the coal and surrounding rocks and geological conditions were noted. Permeability measurements were performed on selected samples and all samples were analyzed for proximate and ultimate analysis, petrographic analysis, {sup 13}C NMR dipolar-dephasing spectroscopy, and density analysis. The observed methane adsorption behavior was correlated with the chemical structure and physical properties of the coals.

  2. Methods to improve patient recruitment and retention in stroke trials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berge, Eivind; Stapf, Christian; Al-Shahi Salman, Rustam

    2016-01-01

    Background: The success of randomized-controlled stroke trials is dependent on the recruitment and retention of a sufficient number of patients, but fewer than half of all trials meet their target number of patients. Methods: We performed a search and review of the literature, and conducted...... a survey and workshop among 56 European stroke trialists, to identify barriers, suggest methods to improve recruitment and retention, and make a priority list of interventions that merit further evaluation. Results: The survey and workshop identified a number of barriers to patient recruitment...... and retention, from patients’ incapacity to consent, to handicaps that prevent patients from participation in trial-specific follow-up. Methods to improve recruitment and retention may include simple interventions with individual participants, funding of research networks, and reimbursement of new treatments...

  3. Retention and effective diffusion of model metabolites on porous graphitic carbon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lunn, Daniel B; Yun, Young J; Jorgenson, James W

    2017-12-29

    The study of metabolites in biological samples is of high interest for a wide range of biological and pharmaceutical applications. Reversed phase liquid chromatography is a common technique used for the separation of metabolites, but it provides little retention for polar metabolites. An alternative to C18 bonded phases, porous graphitic carbon has the ability to provide significant retention for both non-polar and polar analytes. The goal of this work is to study the retention and effective diffusion properties of porous graphitic carbon, to see if it is suitable for the wide injection bands and long run times associated with long, packed capillary-scale separations. The retention of a set of standard metabolites was studied for both stationary phases over a wide range of mobile phase conditions. This data showed that porous graphitic carbon benefits from significantly increased retention (often >100 fold) under initial gradient conditions for these metabolites, suggesting much improved ability to focus a wide injection band at the column inlet. The effective diffusion properties of these columns were studied using peak-parking experiments with the standard metabolites under a wide range of retention conditions. Under the high retention conditions, which can be associated with retention after injection loading for gradient separations, D eff /D m ∼0.1 for both the C18-bonded and porous graphitic carbon columns. As C18 bonded particles are widely, and successfully utilized for long gradient separations without issue of increasing peak width from longitudinal diffusion, this suggests that porous graphitic carbon should be amenable for long runtime gradient separations as well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The contributions of encoding, retention, and recall to the Hebb effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberauer, Klaus; Meyer, Nadine

    2009-10-01

    The article reports an experiment testing whether the Hebb repetition effect-the gradual improvement of immediate serial recall when the same list is repeated several times-depends on overt recall of the repeated lists. Previous reports which suggest that recall is critical confound the recall manipulation with retention interval. The present experiment orthogonally varies retention interval (0 or 9 s) and whether the list is to be recalled after the retention interval. Hebb repetition learning is assessed in a final test phase. A repetition effect was obtained in all four experimental conditions; it was larger for recalled than non-recalled lists, whereas retention interval had no effect. The results show that encoding is sufficient to generate cumulative long-term learning, which is strengthened by recall. Rehearsal, if it takes place in the retention interval at all, does not have the same effect on long-term learning as overt recall.

  5. 11 CFR 9039.1 - Retention of books and records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Retention of books and records. 9039.1 Section... PRIMARY MATCHING FUND REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION AUTHORITY § 9039.1 Retention of books and records. The candidate and his or her authorized committee(s) shall keep all books, records and other information...

  6. Grade-Level Retention in Texas Public Schools, 2015-16

    Science.gov (United States)

    Texas Education Agency, 2017

    2017-01-01

    This annual report provides information for the 2015-16 school year on grade-level retention in the Texas public school system. Data on retention are provided by student characteristics, including grade level; race/ethnicity; gender; degree of English proficiency; and economic, at-risk, immigrant, migrant, and overage statuses. Data also are…

  7. Programmatic Factors Associated with Undergraduate Athletic Training Student Retention and Attrition Decisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowman, Thomas G.; Hertel, Jay; Wathington, Heather D.

    2015-01-01

    Context: Athletic training programs (ATPs) are charged with meeting an increased demand for athletic trainers with adequate graduates. Currently, the retention rate of athletic training students in ATPs nationwide and the programmatic factors associated with these retention rates remain unknown. Objective: Determine the retention rate for athletic…

  8. Column selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography I. A general quantitative relationship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, N S; Nelson, M D; Dolan, J W; Snyder, L R; Wolcott, R G; Carr, P W

    2002-07-05

    Retention factors k have been measured for 67 neutral, acidic and basic solutes of highly diverse molecular structure (size, shape, polarity, hydrogen bonding, pKa, etc.) on 10 different C18 columns (other conditions constant). These data have been combined with k values from a previous study (86 solutes, five different C8 and C18 columns) to develop a six-term equation for the correlation of retention as a function of solute and column. Values of k can be correlated with an accuracy of +/- 1-2% (1 standard deviation). This suggests that all significant contributions to column selectivity have been identified (and can be measured) for individual alkyl-silica columns which do not have an embedded polar group. That is, columns of the latter kind can be quantitatively characterized in terms of selectivity for use in the separation of any sample.

  9. Contributions to reversed-phase column selectivity: III. Column hydrogen-bond basicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, P W; Dolan, J W; Dorsey, J G; Snyder, L R; Kirkland, J J

    2015-05-22

    Column selectivity in reversed-phase chromatography (RPC) can be described in terms of the hydrophobic-subtraction model, which recognizes five solute-column interactions that together determine solute retention and column selectivity: hydrophobic, steric, hydrogen bonding of an acceptor solute (i.e., a hydrogen-bond base) by a stationary-phase donor group (i.e., a silanol), hydrogen bonding of a donor solute (e.g., a carboxylic acid) by a stationary-phase acceptor group, and ionic. Of these five interactions, hydrogen bonding between donor solutes (acids) and stationary-phase acceptor groups is the least well understood; the present study aims at resolving this uncertainty, so far as possible. Previous work suggests that there are three distinct stationary-phase sites for hydrogen-bond interaction with carboxylic acids, which we will refer to as column basicity I, II, and III. All RPC columns exhibit a selective retention of carboxylic acids (column basicity I) in varying degree. This now appears to involve an interaction of the solute with a pair of vicinal silanols in the stationary phase. For some type-A columns, an additional basic site (column basicity II) is similar to that for column basicity I in primarily affecting the retention of carboxylic acids. The latter site appears to be associated with metal contamination of the silica. Finally, for embedded-polar-group (EPG) columns, the polar group can serve as a proton acceptor (column basicity III) for acids, phenols, and other donor solutes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. IDEA. VOCES: A Mnemonic Device to Cue Mood Selection after Impersonal Expressions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandler, Paul Michael

    1996-01-01

    Providing language learners with mnemonic devices assists retention and recall of vocabulary and structural items. This idea provides one such memory device to assist beginning and intermediate students who struggle with mood selection after impersonal expressions. (five references) (Author)

  11. Bubble retention in synthetic sludge: Testing of alternative gas retention apparatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rassat, S.D.; Gauglitz, P.A.

    1995-07-01

    Several of the underground storage tanks currently used to store waste at Hanford have been placed on the Flammable Gas Watch List, because the waste is either known or suspected to generate, store, and episodically release flammable gases. The objective of this experimental study is to develop a method to measure gas bubble retention in simulated tank waste and in diluted simulant. The method and apparatus should (1) allow for reasonably rapid experiments, (2) minimize sample disturbance, and (3) provide realistic bubble nucleation and growth. The scope of this experimental study is to build an apparatus for measuring gas retention in simulated waste and to design the apparatus to be compatible with future testing on actual waste. The approach employed for creating bubbles in sludge involves dissolving a soluble gas into the supernatant liquid at an elevated pressure, recirculating the liquid containing the dissolved gas through the sludge, then reducing the pressure to allow bubbles to nucleate and grow. Results have been obtained for ammonia as the soluble gas and SY1-SIM-91A, a chemically representative simulated tank waste. In addition, proof-of-principle experiments were conducted with both ammonia and CO 2 as soluble gases and sludge composed of 90-micron glass beads. Results are described

  12. Evaluation of gingival fiber retention technique on the treatment of patients with chronic periodontitis: A comparative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pooja Palwankar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The destructive action of the chronic periodontitis on the periodontal tissues has provided a continuous challenge to the dental profession to develop better methods to achieve repair of the recession regions and even regeneration of post periodontal tissues. Aims: To assess the effect of periodontal muco-periostal flap surgery with gingival fiber retention technique on minimizing the post surgical recession. Materials and Methods: The sample for the study comprised of 20 patients. The criteria for selection included patients with moderate periodontitis, with minimum recession in the anterior teeth, with adequate width of the attached gingiva, and with no traumatic occlusion. Periodontal muco-periosteal flap surgery with gingival fiber retention technique was done in the experimental site with internal bevel incision, and in control site, muco periosteal flap surgery with crevicular incision was done. Thereafter, observation period was of one week, four weeks, and eight weeks were done for both the sites. Statistical Analysis Used: The results were subjected to statistical analysis using student′s t`-test. Results: The result of this study suggests that the periodontal flap surgery with gingival fiber retention technique has a beneficial effect on the anterior teeth, as it maintains the esthetics, recontours the gingiva with minimal recession. The area of recession was more on the control site as compared to experimental site at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks. Conclusions: Gingival fiber retention technique showed less post-surgical recession and also there was fall in values of plaque index, gingival index, and periodontal index scores, throughout the study.

  13. Grade Retention at Primary School: What the Teachers in Zimbabwe Say

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muchemwa Stella

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Primary education is the base of all advanced education levels, developments and innovations; it should therefore be meticulously done so as not to disadvantage the learners. In a bid to do it well, those involved in primary education have tried and are still trying strategies that can give the learners maximum advantage, for instance, grade retention and grade promotion. This research aimed at assessing the Zimbabwean primary school teachers’ stance on grade retention. The researcher took the advantage of Block-Release students at Solusi University in April 2016 (these are teachers from all over Zimbabwe and other countries in Africa who come for their degree studies at Solusi University during the holidays to collect data through interviews from a purposive sample of these teachers. Collected data was coded and analyzed descriptively. Findings showed that: 56% of the respondents indicated that retention is taking place at the primary schools where they are teaching but usually on a minimal scale since it is usually done upon parents’ request; 67% of the respondents said that retention is necessary and helpful; retention can be most suitably done at infant grades (1-3; however, the effect of retention on pupils’ performance is not clear due to other factors that affect performance. Findings also showed that the Zimbabwean Government is neither for retention nor grade promotion but for ERI (Early Reading Initiative and PLAP (Performance Lag Address Programme which have been recently introduced.

  14. Retention behaviour of some estradiol derivatives on alumina in normal phase chromatography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARIJANA M. ACANSKI

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available The retention constants of variously substituted estradiol derivatives were measured as a function of the composition of various binary mobile phases in order to study the relationship between chemical structure and retention behaviour in TLC on alumina. The slopes and intercepts of the linear relationships between the retention constant RM and the logarithm of the volume fraction of the polar mobile phase component were calculated and are discussed in relation to the characteristics of the solute and mobile phase. The RFvalues and relative retention DRM of the compounds depend largely on the retention behaviour of their substituents. The results obtained in this investigation are compared with the results of the same derivatives obtained in previous investigations on silica gel.

  15. Generation of accurate peptide retention data for targeted and data independent quantitative LC-MS analysis: Chromatographic lessons in proteomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krokhin, Oleg V; Spicer, Vic

    2016-12-01

    The emergence of data-independent quantitative LC-MS/MS analysis protocols further highlights the importance of high-quality reproducible chromatographic procedures. Knowing, controlling and being able to predict the effect of multiple factors that alter peptide RP-HPLC separation selectivity is critical for successful data collection for the construction of ion libraries. Proteomic researchers have often regarded RP-HPLC as a "black box", while vast amount of research on peptide separation is readily available. In addition to obvious parameters, such as the type of ion-pairing modifier, stationary phase and column temperature, we describe the "mysterious" effects of gradient slope, column size and flow rate on peptide separation selectivity. Retention time variations due to these parameters are governed by the linear solvent strength (LSS) theory on a peptide level by the value of its slope S in the basic LSS equation-a parameter that can be accurately predicted. Thus, the application of shallower gradients, higher flow rates, or smaller columns will each increases the relative retention of peptides with higher S-values (long species with multiple positively charged groups). Simultaneous changes to these parameters that each drive shifts in separation selectivity in the same direction should be avoided. The unification of terminology represents another pressing issue in this field of applied proteomics that should be addressed to facilitate further progress. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Retention of high-potential employees in a development finance company

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lishani Letchmiah

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: The loss of high-potential employees was a concern to leaders at a South African development finance company. The research question that guided the study was: How can high-potential employees be retained in the company? Research purpose: The objective of the study was to identify factors that positively impact the retention of high-potential employees in a development finance company. Motivation for the study: The organisation that comprised the unit of study had prioritised employee development to retain high-potential employees, thereby aiming to build a strong talent pipeline and a sustainable knowledge base. A prevalent concern was that there were no formal retention programmes for high-potential employees. Accordingly, organisational leaders could benefit from understanding those retention factors that may serve to retain such employees. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative methodology promoted a deeper understanding of a social problem through a case study. Eleven purposefully chosen highpotential employees provided insights into factors they considered to be important in their retention. A content analysis of the data resulted in clusters of themes that addressed the research objective. Main findings: The following factors appeared to influence the retention of high-potential employees: leadership and organisational culture, organisational purpose, developmental opportunities, meaningful work and collegiality. Practical and managerial implications: Leaders in the company should consider factors that could influence the retention of high-potential employees. Such factors should be built into formal retention strategies based on the intrinsic needs of employees; the strengths that the organisational culture provides could be leveraged in this regard. Contribution: The practical value of the study was the highlighting of the factors that can be leveraged to retain high-potential employees in a development finance

  17. Process for retention of iodine and aerosols during containment venting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckardt, B.; Betz, R.; Greger, G.U.; Werner, K.D.

    1990-05-01

    A process for retention of the majority of aerosols and iodine during containment venting was optimized. For this purpose, sections of a two-stage process comprising a venturi scrubber and a metal-fiber filter demister were tested under containment venting conditions assumed to prevail during a hypothetical core - melt accident and optimized with a view to achieving high decontamination factors and loading capacity while minimizing the size of the process. The loading and retention tests performed in a scrubber operating pressure range between 1 and 10 bar, at temperatures from 50 to 200degC (also boiling pools) and in air and steam atmospheres. Under these unfavorable conditions for aerosol retention, the retention efficiencies were determined at various flow rates with soluble and non-soluble aerosols as well as gaseous iodine. The retention efficiencies for BaSO 4 , uranine and SnO 2 aerosols were determined to be 99.95% to 99.99% for venturi scrubbers with metal-fiber filter demister. The retention efficiency for elemental iodine was determined to be ≥99% including revolatization effects over a 24-hour operating period. The high loading capacity of the venturi scrubber unit was verified after process modifications with various aerosols. The use of full-scale process section together with the best possible simulation of containment venting conditions by the test parameters ensured that the results can be transferred to real venting equipment. The aim of ensuring the retention of the majority of the aerosol-borne activity and of elemental iodine activity and minimizing the process size was clearly achieved and verified by means of this optimized venting equipment under an extremely wide range of hypothetical core-melt accident conditions. (orig.) With 17 refs., 3 tabs., 35 annexes [de

  18. KTP laser selective vaporization of the prostate in the management of urinary retention due to BPH

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleeman, M. W.; Nseyo, Unyime O.

    2003-06-01

    High-powered photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) is a relatively new addition in the armamentarium against bladder outlet obstruction due to BPH. With BPH, the prostate undergoes stromal and epithelial hyperplasia, particularly in the transitional zone, mediated by dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This periurethral enlargement can compress the prostatic urethra leading to bladder outlet obstruction and eventually urinary retention. Treatment of uncomplicated symptomatic BPH has evolved from the standard transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) to multiple medical therapies and the putative minimally invasive surgical procedures. These include microwave ablation, needle ablation, balloon dilation, stents, as well as fluid based thermo-therapy, ultrasound therapy and cryotherapy. Different forms of lasers have been applied to treat BPH with variable short and long term benefits of urinary symptoms. However, the controversy remains about each laser regarding its technical applicability and efficacy.

  19. Retention of aroma compounds: an interlaboratory study on the effect of the composition of food matrices on thermodynamic parameters in comparison with water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopjar, Mirela; Andriot, Isabelle; Saint-Eve, Anne; Souchon, Isabelle; Guichard, Elisabeth

    2010-06-01

    Partition coefficients give an indication of the retention of aroma compounds by the food matrix. Data in the literature are obtained by various methods, under various conditions and expressed in various units, and it is thus difficult to compare the results. The aim of the present study was first to obtain gas/water and gas/matrix partition coefficients of selected aroma compounds, at different temperatures, in order to calculate thermodynamic parameters and second to compare the retention of these aroma compounds in different food matrices. Yogurts containing lipids and proteins induced a higher retention of aroma compounds than model gel matrices. The observed effects strongly depend on hydrophobicity of aroma compounds showing a retention for ethyl hexanoate and a salting out effect for ethyl acetate. A small but noticeable decrease in enthalpy of affinity is observed for ethyl butyrate and ethyl hexanoate between water and food matrices, suggesting that the energy needed for the volatilization is lower in matrices than in water. The composition and complexity of a food matrix influence gas/matrix partition coefficients or aroma compounds in function of their hydrophobicity and to a lower extent enthalpy of vaporization. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. Comparison of multiple linear regression, partial least squares and artificial neural networks for prediction of gas chromatographic relative retention times of trimethylsilylated anabolic androgenic steroids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fragkaki, A G; Farmaki, E; Thomaidis, N; Tsantili-Kakoulidou, A; Angelis, Y S; Koupparis, M; Georgakopoulos, C

    2012-09-21

    The comparison among different modelling techniques, such as multiple linear regression, partial least squares and artificial neural networks, has been performed in order to construct and evaluate models for prediction of gas chromatographic relative retention times of trimethylsilylated anabolic androgenic steroids. The performance of the quantitative structure-retention relationship study, using the multiple linear regression and partial least squares techniques, has been previously conducted. In the present study, artificial neural networks models were constructed and used for the prediction of relative retention times of anabolic androgenic steroids, while their efficiency is compared with that of the models derived from the multiple linear regression and partial least squares techniques. For overall ranking of the models, a novel procedure [Trends Anal. Chem. 29 (2010) 101-109] based on sum of ranking differences was applied, which permits the best model to be selected. The suggested models are considered useful for the estimation of relative retention times of designer steroids for which no analytical data are available. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. A liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry method to measure a selected panel of uremic retention solutes derived from endogenous and colonic microbial metabolism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loor, Henriette de; Poesen, Ruben [KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Nephrology, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium); De Leger, Wout; Dehaen, Wim [KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular Design and Synthesis, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium); Augustijns, Patrick [KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Drug Delivery and Disposition, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium); Evenepoel, Pieter [KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Nephrology, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium); University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium); Meijers, Björn, E-mail: bjorn.meijers@uzleuven.be [KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Nephrology, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium); University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium)

    2016-09-14

    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an increased risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease, which is, at least partly, mediated by the accumulation of so-called uremic retention solutes. Although there has been an increasing interest in the behavior of these solutes, derived from both the endogenous and colonic microbial metabolism, methods to simultaneously and accurately measure a broad panel of relevant uremic retention solutes remain scarce. We developed a highly sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. A high throughput sample preparation was used with extraction of analytes from 50 μl serum using Ostro plate technology. For most solutes, stable isotopes labelled metabolites were used as internal standards. Chromatography was achieved using an Acquity UPLC CSH Fluoro Phenyl column. The total run time was 8 min, the mobile phase was a gradient of 0.1% formic acid in Milli-Q water and pure methanol at a flow rate of 0.5 ml min{sup −1}. Detection was performed using a tandem mass spectrometer with alternated positive and negative electrospray ionization. Calibration curves were linear for all solutes. Precision was assessed according to the NCCLS EP5-T guideline, being below 15% for all metabolites. Mean recoveries were between 83 and 104% for all metabolites. The validated method was successfully applied in a cohort of 488 patients with CKD. We developed and validated a sensitive and robust UPLC-MS/MS method for quantification of 15 uremic retention solutes derived from endogenous and colonic microbial metabolism. This method allows for studying the behavior and relevance of these solutes in patients with CKD. - Highlights: • Simultaneous quantification of fifteen relevant uremic retention solutes. • Comprehensive validation, highly sensitive and high through-put LC-MSMS method. • Comparison of different blood tubes. • Freeze-thaw stability. • Successful implementation in a

  2. Retention of children under 18 months testing HIV positive in care in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Retention of children under 18 months testing HIV positive in care in Swaziland: a retrospective study. ... children within the first two months of life and linking them into care. However, as time progresses the retention of children in care declines. Innovative strategies need to be developed to enhance patient retention.

  3. Historical and Future Trends in Studying the Development of Long-Term Retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howe, Mark L.

    2000-01-01

    Considers the relative lack of research attention to retention in developmental psychology and recent findings on age differences in retention. Highlights unresolved issues and how Bauer and colleagues' work may help set the research agenda and contribute to a shift in how early childhood retention is studied. Discusses memory strength,…

  4. Preparation of diclofenac-imprinted polymer beads for selective molecular separation in water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Tongchang; Kamra, Tripta; Ye, Lei

    2018-03-01

    Molecular imprinting technique is an attractive strategy to prepare materials for target recognition and rapid separation. In this work, a new type of diclofenac (DFC)-imprinted polymer beads was synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization using 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate as the functional monomer. The selectivity and capacity of the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were investigated in aqueous solution. Equilibrium binding results show that the MIPs have a high selectivity to bind DFC in a wide range of pH values. Moreover, in liquid chromatography experiment, the imprinted polymer beads were packed into column to investigate the binding selectivity under nonequilibrium conditions. The retention time of DFC on the MIP column is significantly longer than its structural analogues. Also, retention of DFC on the MIP column was significantly longer than on the nonimprinted polymer column under aqueous condition. As the new MIP beads can be used to achieve direct separation of DFC from water, the synthetic method and the affinity beads developed in this work opened new possibilities for removing toxic chemicals from environmental and drinking water. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Extensive Management Promotes Plant and Microbial Nitrogen Retention in Temperate Grassland

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vries, Franciska T.; Bloem, Jaap; Quirk, Helen; Stevens, Carly J.; Bol, Roland; Bardgett, Richard D.

    2012-01-01

    Leaching losses of nitrogen (N) from soil and atmospheric N deposition have led to widespread changes in plant community and microbial community composition, but our knowledge of the factors that determine ecosystem N retention is limited. A common feature of extensively managed, species-rich grasslands is that they have fungal-dominated microbial communities, which might reduce soil N losses and increase ecosystem N retention, which is pivotal for pollution mitigation and sustainable food production. However, the mechanisms that underpin improved N retention in extensively managed, species-rich grasslands are unclear. We combined a landscape-scale field study and glasshouse experiment to test how grassland management affects plant and soil N retention. Specifically, we hypothesised that extensively managed, species-rich grasslands of high conservation value would have lower N loss and greater N retention than intensively managed, species-poor grasslands, and that this would be due to a greater immobilisation of N by a more fungal-dominated microbial community. In the field study, we found that extensively managed, species-rich grasslands had lower N leaching losses. Soil inorganic N availability decreased with increasing abundance of fungi relative to bacteria, although the best predictor of soil N leaching was the C/N ratio of aboveground plant biomass. In the associated glasshouse experiment we found that retention of added 15N was greater in extensively than in intensively managed grasslands, which was attributed to a combination of greater root uptake and microbial immobilisation of 15N in the former, and that microbial immobilisation increased with increasing biomass and abundance of fungi. These findings show that grassland management affects mechanisms of N retention in soil through changes in root and microbial uptake of N. Moreover, they support the notion that microbial communities might be the key to improved N retention through tightening linkages

  6. A case report of mucoid retention cyst in maxillary sinus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Han Pyoung [College of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1973-11-15

    The author have observed mucoid retention cyst in the right maxillary sinus of the patient, 41 year old woman, complained discharging of purulent exudate on the right maxillary molar area, and obtained the following conclusions; 1. The mucoid retention cyst in maxillary sinus casts a faint dome shaped shadow into the radiolucent image of maxillary sinus. 2. The mucoid retention cyst in maxillary sinus may occurred without the history of trauma. 3. Intraoral standard films are also valuable for the interpretation of the lesions in maxillary sinus but only extraoral roentgenograms.

  7. Body retention and tissue distribution of 59Fe and 54Mn in newborn rats fed iron-supplemented cow's milk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gruden, Nevenka

    1980-01-01

    The effect of iron-fortified cow's milk on body 59 Fe and 54 Mn retention and selective tissue distribution has been studied in newborn rats. Six-day old rats, divided into three groups were artificially fed for 7 hrs 0,45 ml of cow's milk or cow's milk enriched with either 52 or 103 μg of Fe /ml and marked with 59 Fe and 54 Mn. After 4 days there was no significant difference in whole body or carcass activity between the groups. Iron added to milk in large amounts did not influence body 59 Fe or 54 Mn retention in newborn rats, whereas it enhanced 59 Fe deposition in the liver and the intestinal wall and, to a lesser extent, 54 Mn deposition in the liver

  8. Approaching the Challenge of Student Retention through the Lens of Quality Control: A Conceptual Model of University Business Student Retention Utilizing Six Sigma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenicke, Lawrence O.; Holmes, Monica C.; Pisani, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    Student retention in higher education is a major issue as academic institutions compete for fewer students and face declining enrollments. A conceptual model of applying the quality improvement methodology of Six Sigma to the problem of undergraduate student retention in a college of business is presented. Improvement techniques such as cause and…

  9. The two faces of selective memory retrieval: Earlier decline of the beneficial than the detrimental effect with older age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslan, Alp; Schlichting, Andreas; John, Thomas; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

    2015-12-01

    Recent work with young adults has shown that, depending on study context access, selective memory retrieval can both impair and improve recall of other memories (Bäuml & Samenieh, 2010). Here, we investigated the 2 opposing effects of selective retrieval in older age. In Experiment 1, we examined 64 younger (20-35 years) and 64 older participants (above 60 years), and manipulated study context access using list-method directed forgetting. Whereas both age groups showed a detrimental effect of selective retrieval on to-be-remembered items, only younger but not older adults showed a beneficial effect on to-be-forgotten items. In Experiment 2, we examined 112 participants from a relatively wide age range (40-85 years), and manipulated study context access by varying the retention interval between study and test. Overall, a detrimental effect of selective retrieval arose when the retention interval was relatively short, but a beneficial effect when the retention interval was prolonged. Critically, the size of the beneficial but not the detrimental effect of retrieval decreased with age and this age-related decline was mediated by individuals' working memory capacity, as measured by the complex operation span task. Together, the results suggest an age-related dissociation in retrieval dynamics, indicating an earlier decline of the beneficial than the detrimental effect of selective retrieval with older age. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Towards diffractive imaging with single pulses of FEL radiation. Dynamics within irradiatied samples and their influence on the analysis of imaging data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Fenglin

    2010-08-15

    3D single particle coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) of bioparticles (such as proteins, macromolecules and viruses) is one of the main possible applications of the new generation of light sources: free-electron lasers (FELs), which are now available at FLASH (Hamburg, Germany) and LCLS (Stanford, U.S.A.). The extremely bright and ultrashort FEL pulses potentially enable CDI to achieve high resolution down to subnanometer length scale. However, intense FEL pulses cause serious radiation damage in bioparticles, even during single shots, which may set the resolution limits for CDI with FELs. Currently, since the signal-to-noise ratio is very low for small biological particles, direct experimental study of radiation damage in the single particle imaging is fairly difficult. Single atomic (noble gas) clusters become good objects to reveal effects of radiation damage processes on CDI with FEL radiation. This thesis studies three aspects of the radiation damage problem, which are treated in three independent chapters: (1) Molecular Dynamics simulations to quantitively describe radiation damage processes within irradiated atomic clusters during single pulses; (2) reconstruction analysis of single-shot CDI diffraction patterns of atomic clusters, which may potentially help to understand the radiation damage occurring in biological samples; and (3) testing the effects of coating water layers in CDI, which is supposed to minimize the radiation damage in irradiated bioparticles. (orig.)

  11. Rescue of cAMP response element-binding protein signaling reversed spatial memory retention impairments induced by subanesthetic dose of propofol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hao; Zhang, Shao-Bo; Zhang, Qing-Qing; Liu, Meng; He, Xing-Ying; Zou, Zui; Sun, Hai-Jing; You, Zhen-Dong; Shi, Xue-Yin

    2013-07-01

    The intravenous anesthetic propofol caused episodic memory impairments in human. We hypothesized propofol caused episodic-like spatial memory retention but not acquisition impairments in rats and rescuing cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling using selective type IV phosphodiesterase (PDEIV) inhibitor rolipram reversed these effects. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups: control; propofol (25 mg/kg, intraperitoneal); rolipram; and rolipram + propofol (pretreatment of rolipram 25 min before propofol, 0.3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal). Sedation and motor coordination were evaluated 5, 15, and 25 min after propofol injection. Invisible Morris water maze (MWM) acquisition and probe test (memory retention) were performed 5 min and 24 h after propofol injection. Visible MWM training was simultaneously performed to resist nonspatial effects. Hippocampal CREB signaling was detected 5 min, 50 min, and 24 h after propofol administration. Rolipram did not change propofol-induced anesthetic/sedative states or impair motor skills. No difference was found on the latency to the platform during the visible MWM. Propofol impaired spatial memory retention but not acquisition. Rolipram reversed propofol-induced spatial memory impairments and suppression on cAMP levels, CaMKIIα and CREB phosphorylation, brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and Arc protein expression. Propofol caused spatial memory retention impairments but not acquisition inability possibly by inhibiting CREB signaling. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Charge retention in scaled SONOS nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices—Modeling and characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yin; White, Marvin H.

    1993-10-01

    A new analytical model is developed to investigate the influence of the charge loss processes in the retention mode of the SONOS NVSM device. The model considers charge loss by the following processes: (1) electron back-tunneling from the nitride traps to the Si conduction band, (2) electron back-tunneling from the nitride traps to the Si/SiO 2 interface traps and (3) hole injection from the Si valence band to the nitride traps. An amphoteric trap charge distribution is used in this model. The new charge retention model predicts that process (1) determines the short term retention, while processes (2) and (3) determine the long term retention. Good agreement has been reached between the results of analytical calculations and the experimental retention data on both surface channel and buried channel SONOS devices.

  13. RAINWATER RETENTION ON THE HEAVILY INDUSTRIALIZED AREAS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bartosz Kaźmierczak

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the dimensioning of retention reservoirs indicator method regarding to the German DWA-A 117 guideline, recommended for small rainfall catchments (with an area of 200 ha. A comparative calculation of the retention reservoirs overflow useful volume were conducted for 4 variants of catchment development (degree sealing surface varied from 60% to 90%, under the assumed sewage outflow from the tank at the level of the urban basin natural runoff. At given conditions required unit volume of retention reservoirs, from 145.4 m3 to 206.7 m3 for each 1 ha of catchment area were determined. The obtained results confirmed the fact that useful volume of the tanks were decreased, when Blaszczyk’s pattern reliable rainwater streams were used for calculations. Because the DWA-A 117 guideline method should be applied to a small rainfall catchments, it is recommended to verify the hydraulic capacity of dimensioned channels and objects using hydrodynamic simulations at different load of rainfall catchment scenarios, variable in time and space.

  14. Urinary retention due to herpes virus infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamanishi, T; Yasuda, K; Sakakibara, R; Hattori, T; Uchiyama, T; Minamide, M; Ito, H

    1998-01-01

    Urinary retention is uncommon in patients with herpes zoster and anogenital herpes simplex. Seven patients (four men, three women) with a mean age of 68.1 years (range, 35-84) with urinary retention due to herpes zoster (n = 6) or anogenital herpes simplex (n = 1) were studied. Six patients had unilateral skin eruption in the saddle area (S2-4 dermatome) and one patient with herpes zoster had a skin lesion in the L4-5 dermatome. All patients had detrusor areflexia without bladder sensation, and two of them had inactive external sphincter on electromyography at presentation. Clean intermittent catheterization was performed, and voiding function was recovered in 4-6 weeks (average, 5.4) in all patients. Urodynamic study was repeated after recovery of micturition in three patients, and they returned to normal on cystometrography and external sphincter electromyography. Acute urinary retention associated with anogenital herpes infection has been thought to occur when the meninges or sacral spinal ganglia were involved, and, in conclusion, this condition may be considered to be reversible.

  15. Exploring Psychological and Aesthetic Approaches of Bio-Retention Facilities in the Urban Open Space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suyeon Kim

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Over the last decades, a number of bio-retention facilities have been installed in urban areas for flood control and green amenity purposes. As urban amenity facilities for citizens, bio-retentions have a lot potential; however, the literature on bio-retentions focused mostly on physiochemical aspects like water quality and runoffs. Hence, this paper aims to explore psychological aspects of bio-retentions such as perceptions and landscape aesthetic value for visitors. In order to achieve this purpose, the study employed on-site interviews and questionnaires in the chosen three case studies as research methodology. For the 3 different locations of bio-retention facilities, interviews and questionnaires were carried out. The surveys of 100 bio-retention users were conducted, investigating their general perceptions and landscape aesthetics of the bio-retention facilities. The paper found that only 34% of the interviewees recognised bio-detention facilities, illustrating that most visitors were not aware of such facilities and were unable to distinguish the differences between bio-retention and conventional gardens. On the other hand, the majority of interviewees strongly supported the concept and function of bio-retentions, especially those who recognised the differences in planting species with conventional urban open spaces. Such main findings also encourage further studies of seeking quantitative values by conducting a correlation analysis between the functions and aesthetics of bio-retention facilities.

  16. Understanding Teacher Attraction and Retention Drivers: Addressing Teacher Shortages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashiedu, Jennifer A.; Scott-Ladd, Brenda D.

    2012-01-01

    The attraction and retention of teachers is a problem faced by schools worldwide and possibly more so in the public sector. One possible solution to this problem is likely to be better targeting of attraction and retention drivers of value to teachers. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study conducted in Australia. The study used…

  17. Effect of Retention Time on Biogas Production from Poultry ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A study was carried out on different retention times in the anaerobic fermentation of slurry from poultry droppings and cassava peels. The system adopted in this work was batch-type. Daily gas production fell slightly from 130 to 32 litres as retention time was increased from 10 to 40 days for poultry droppings. For cassava ...

  18. Previous Attempts to Debunk the Mythical Retention Chart and Corrupted Dale's Cone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subramony, Deepak Prem; Molenda, Michael; Betrus, Anthony K.; Thalheimer, Will

    2014-01-01

    Critics have been attempting to debunk the mythical retention chart at least since 1971. The earliest critics, David Curl and Frank Dwyer, were addressing just the retention data. Beginning around 2002, a new generation of critics has taken on the illegitimate combination of the retention chart and Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience--the corrupted…

  19. [Gastroduodenal intussusception causing gastric retention.

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alamili, M.; Berg, J.O.; Lindstrom, C.

    2008-01-01

    A case of gastroduodenal intussusception caused by a duodenal lipoma is presented. The condition was characterized by severe upper gastrointestinal retention, epigastric pain and weight loss. The mass was diagnosed by CT scan. The diagnosis was confirmed by operation. The patient was treated...

  20. Retention/Diffusivity Studies in Free-Surface Flowing Liquid Lithium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    R.A. Stubbers; G.H. Miley; M. Nieto; W. Olczak; D.N. Ruzic; A. Hassanein

    2004-01-01

    FLIRE was designed to measure the hydrogen and helium retention and diffusivity in a flowing stream of liquid lithium, and it has accomplished these goals. Retention coefficients for helium in the flowing liquid stream were 0.1-2% for flow speeds of 44 cm/s and implantation energies between 500 and 2000 eV. The energy dependence of retention is linear for the energy range considered, as expected, and the dependence of retention on flow velocity fits the expected square-root of flow speed dependence. Estimates of the helium diffusion coefficient in the flowing lithium stream were ∼ 4 x 10 -7 cm 2 /s, and are independent of implantation energy. This value is much lower than expected, which could be due to several factors, such as mixing, bubble formation or surface film formation. In the case of hydrogen, long term retention and release mechanisms are of greatest importance, since this relates to tritium inventory in flowing lithium PFCs for fusion applications. The amount of hydride formation was measured for flowing lithium exposed to neutral deuterium gas. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) measurements indicate that the hydride concentration was between 0.1 and 0.2% over a wide range of pressures (6.5 x 10 -5 to 1 Torr). This result implies that the deuterium absorption rate is limited by the surface dissociation rate, since deuterium (hydrogen/tritium) is absorbed in its atomic form, not its molecular form

  1. Retention/Diffusivity Studies in Free-Surface Flowing Liquid Lithium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    R.A. Stubbers; G.H. Miley; M. Nieto; W. Olczak; D.N. Ruzic; A. Hassanein

    2004-12-14

    FLIRE was designed to measure the hydrogen and helium retention and diffusivity in a flowing stream of liquid lithium, and it has accomplished these goals. Retention coefficients for helium in the flowing liquid stream were 0.1-2% for flow speeds of 44 cm/s and implantation energies between 500 and 2000 eV. The energy dependence of retention is linear for the energy range considered, as expected, and the dependence of retention on flow velocity fits the expected square-root of flow speed dependence. Estimates of the helium diffusion coefficient in the flowing lithium stream were {approx} 4 x 10{sup -7} cm{sup 2}/s, and are independent of implantation energy. This value is much lower than expected, which could be due to several factors, such as mixing, bubble formation or surface film formation. In the case of hydrogen, long term retention and release mechanisms are of greatest importance, since this relates to tritium inventory in flowing lithium PFCs for fusion applications. The amount of hydride formation was measured for flowing lithium exposed to neutral deuterium gas. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) measurements indicate that the hydride concentration was between 0.1 and 0.2% over a wide range of pressures (6.5 x 10{sup -5} to 1 Torr). This result implies that the deuterium absorption rate is limited by the surface dissociation rate, since deuterium (hydrogen/tritium) is absorbed in its atomic form, not its molecular form.

  2. Recruitment and retention of low-income minority women in a behavioral intervention to reduce smoking, depression, and intimate partner violence during pregnancy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murray Kennan B

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Researchers have frequently encountered difficulties in the recruitment and retention of minorities resulting in their under-representation in clinical trials. This report describes the successful strategies of recruitment and retention of African Americans and Latinos in a randomized clinical trial to reduce smoking, depression and intimate partner violence during pregnancy. Socio-demographic characteristics and risk profiles of retained vs. non-retained women and lost to follow-up vs. dropped-out women are presented. In addition, subgroups of pregnant women who are less (more likely to be retained are identified. Methods Pregnant African American women and Latinas who were Washington, DC residents, aged 18 years or more, and of 28 weeks gestational age or less were recruited at six prenatal care clinics. Potentially eligible women were screened for socio-demographic eligibility and the presence of the selected behavioral and psychological risks using an Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview. Eligible women who consented to participate completed a baseline telephone evaluation after which they were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to either the intervention or the usual care group. Results Of the 1,398 eligible women, 1,191 (85% agreed to participate in the study. Of the 1,191 women agreeing to participate, 1,070 completed the baseline evaluation and were enrolled in the study and randomized, for a recruitment rate of 90%. Of those enrolled, 1,044 were African American women. A total of 849 women completed the study, for a retention rate of 79%. Five percent dropped out and 12% were lost-to-follow up. Women retained in the study and those not retained were not statistically different with regard to socio-demographic characteristics and the targeted risks. Retention strategies included financial and other incentives, regular updates of contact information which was tracked and monitored by a computerized data

  3. Factors affecting nurse retention at an academic Magnet® hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buffington, Annsley; Zwink, Jennifer; Fink, Regina; Devine, Deborah; Sanders, Carolyn

    2012-05-01

    : The aim of this study was to examine the factors affecting the retention of registered nurses (RNs) and validate the revised Casey-Fink Nurse Retention Survey (2009). : Creating an organizational culture of retention may reduce nurse turnover. Focusing on why nurses leave and identifying factors why nurses stay are essential. : A descriptive survey design gathered data from RNs with 1 or more years of experience providing direct patient care and employed in inpatient/ambulatory settings in an acute care, academic, Magnet hospital. : There were no statistically significant relationships between nurse respondents' perceptions of work environment/support/encouragement and age or years of experience. However, there were significant differences between inpatient and ambulatory nurse responses in several key areas including job satisfaction, mentorship, and educational support. Overall, nurses reported feeling a lack of support and recognition from managers. Results provide evidence to support improved strategies to foster nurse retention.

  4. Retention of U(VI) onto silica in presence of model organic molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pham, T.T.H.; Mercier-Bion, F.; Drot, R.; Lagarde, G.; Simoni, E.; Lambert, J.

    2008-01-01

    It is well-known that the organic matter influences the retention of ions onto mineral surfaces. However, the major part of concerned studies implies humic substances and complex solids. Another approach for identifying the sorption mechanisms is possible by studying simpler solids than those present in natural medium. So, silica is chosen as mineral surface because of its abundance in soils and of the presence of Si-O groups in clayey minerals. Uranium (VI) is selected as cation. Simple organic molecules like acetic (one carboxylic group) and oxalic (two carboxylic functions) acids are considered as models of the natural organic matter for understanding their role in the retention of U(VI) onto powders and slides of silica. Binary (organics/silica, U(VI)/silica) and ternary systems (organics/silica/U(VI)) are studied by complementary approaches. Sorption edges as function of pH are obtained by liquid scintillation methods and capillary electrophoresis. Different spectroscopic techniques are used to deduce the interactions between the organic matter and U(VI) sorbed onto the silica whose: Time-Resolved Laser induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TRLFS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Nuclear Microprobe Analysis (NMA). The results of the effect of these model organic molecules onto the U(VI) retention showed a good agreement between the different techniques. Concerning the acetic acid, there are not differences in the sorption percentages of uranyl (see the figure). All these results indicate that the uranyl-acetate complexes stay in the aqueous solution rather than sorbing onto the silica. On the contrary, oxalic acid influences the sorption of U(VI) onto the silica surface. The sorption percentage of U(VI) in the ternary system (oxalic acid/silica/U(VI)) is lower than the binary system (U(VI)/silica) (see the figure). So, the presence of oxalic acid decreases the sorption of U(VI) onto the silica surface. (authors)

  5. Job sharing: a retention strategy for nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, D

    1999-01-01

    Job sharing is a part-time employment alternative which offers advantages for employers interested in retaining experienced staff and nurses who are seeking a more equitable balance between work life and home life responsibilities. This quasi experimental, ex post facto research study was designed to determine if there are differences in job satisfaction, burnout, and desire to leave their position, in nurses who are employed in full-time, part-time, or job sharing positions. The sample (N = 269) was drawn from a large Canadian teaching and referral hospital. Three sample groups were developed, consisting of job sharing, full-time, and part-time nurses, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to identify characteristics of the selected population. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences between the three employment groups on the outcome measures of job satisfaction, burnout, and desire to leave their position. The results of this study significantly support the belief that job sharing has a positive impact on job satisfaction and job retention. Implications for nursing administrators as well as individual nurses will be discussed.

  6. Divided attention: an undesirable difficulty in memory retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaspelin, Nicholas; Ruthruff, Eric; Pashler, Harold

    2013-10-01

    How can we improve memory retention? A large body of research has suggested that difficulty encountered during learning, such as when practice sessions are distributed rather than massed, can enhance later memory performance (see R. A. Bjork & E. L. Bjork, 1992). Here, we investigated whether divided attention during retrieval practice can also constitute a desirable difficulty. Following two initial study phases and one test phase with Swahili-English word pairs (e.g., vuvi-snake), we manipulated whether items were tested again under full or divided attention. Two days later, participants were brought back for a final cued-recall test (e.g., vuvi-?). Across three experiments (combined N = 122), we found no evidence that dividing attention while practicing retrieval enhances memory retention. This finding raises the question of why many types of difficulty during practice do improve long-term retention, but dividing attention does not.

  7. Influence of impurities on the fuel retention in fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reinhart, Michael

    2015-01-01

    The topic of this thesis is the influence of plasma impurities on the hydrogen retention in metals, in the scope of plasma-wall-interaction research for fusion reactors. This is addressed experimentally and by modelling. The mechanisms of the hydrogen retention are influenced by various parameters like the wall temperature, ion energy, flux and fluence as well as the plasma composition. The plasma composition is a relevant factor for hydrogen retention in fusion reactors, as their plasma will also contain impurities like helium or seeded impurities like argon. The experiments treated in this thesis were performed in the linear plasma generator PSI-2 at Forschungszentrum Juelich, and are divided in 3 parts: The first experiments cover the plasma diagnostics, most importantly the measurement of the impurity ion concentration in the plasma by optical emission spectroscopy. This is a requirement for the later experiments with mixed plasmas. Diagnostics like Langmuir probe measurements are not applicable for this task because they do not distinguish different ionic species. The results also show that the impurity ion concentrations cannot be simply concluded from the neutral gas input to the plasma source, because the relation between the neutral gas concentration and impurity ion concentration is not linear. The second and main part of the experiments covers the exposure of tungsten samples to deuterium plasmas. In the experiments, the impurity ion type and concentration is variated, to verify the general influence of helium and argon on the deuterium retention in tungsten samples exposed at low temperatures. It shows that helium impurities reduce the amount of retained deuterium by a factor of 3, while argon impurities slightly increase the total retention, compared to exposures to a pure deuterium plasma. Cross-sections of the exposed tungsten surfaces via TEM-imaging reveal a 12-15 nm deep helium nanobubble layer at the surface of the sample, while for the cases of

  8. Influence of impurities on the fuel retention in fusion reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reinhart, Michael

    2015-07-01

    The topic of this thesis is the influence of plasma impurities on the hydrogen retention in metals, in the scope of plasma-wall-interaction research for fusion reactors. This is addressed experimentally and by modelling. The mechanisms of the hydrogen retention are influenced by various parameters like the wall temperature, ion energy, flux and fluence as well as the plasma composition. The plasma composition is a relevant factor for hydrogen retention in fusion reactors, as their plasma will also contain impurities like helium or seeded impurities like argon. The experiments treated in this thesis were performed in the linear plasma generator PSI-2 at Forschungszentrum Juelich, and are divided in 3 parts: The first experiments cover the plasma diagnostics, most importantly the measurement of the impurity ion concentration in the plasma by optical emission spectroscopy. This is a requirement for the later experiments with mixed plasmas. Diagnostics like Langmuir probe measurements are not applicable for this task because they do not distinguish different ionic species. The results also show that the impurity ion concentrations cannot be simply concluded from the neutral gas input to the plasma source, because the relation between the neutral gas concentration and impurity ion concentration is not linear. The second and main part of the experiments covers the exposure of tungsten samples to deuterium plasmas. In the experiments, the impurity ion type and concentration is variated, to verify the general influence of helium and argon on the deuterium retention in tungsten samples exposed at low temperatures. It shows that helium impurities reduce the amount of retained deuterium by a factor of 3, while argon impurities slightly increase the total retention, compared to exposures to a pure deuterium plasma. Cross-sections of the exposed tungsten surfaces via TEM-imaging reveal a 12-15 nm deep helium nanobubble layer at the surface of the sample, while for the cases of

  9. Retention of Knowledge following training of students in Basic Trauma Life Support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, K G; Lum, S K; Burud, I A S

    2016-12-01

    In the course of their undergraduate training at the International Medical University, students receive a Basic Trauma Life Support course. We wanted to test the long-term retention of knowledge (after 16 months) of third year medical students who had received training in Basic Trauma Life Support Method: To assess the retention of knowledge one cohort of students who received the training course were tested again 16 months later using the same 30 question One Best Answer quiz. Seventy-three students who underwent the course sat for the Retention test. The number of students who passed the Retention test was not significantly different from the test taken immediately after the course. The mean scores, 62.5% and 59.5% respectively, were however significantly different. Our study involves a relatively long interval between the course and retention of knowledge test shows encouraging results.

  10. An Interactionalist Analysis of Soldier Retention across Career Stages and Time

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Chen, Gilad; Ployhart, Robert E

    2006-01-01

    ...., work characteristics and social support), job attitudes, motivation, and retention. In general, it is proposed that job attitudes and motivation mediate the impact of ability and situational variables on retention outcomes...

  11. [Gastroduodenal intussusception causing gastric retention.

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alamili, M.; Berg, J.O.; Lindstrom, C.

    2008-01-01

    A case of gastroduodenal intussusception caused by a duodenal lipoma is presented. The condition was characterized by severe upper gastrointestinal retention, epigastric pain and weight loss. The mass was diagnosed by CT scan. The diagnosis was confirmed by operation. The patient was treated succ...

  12. Selected nutrient contents, fatty acid composition, including conjugated linoleic acid, and retention values in separable lean from lamb rib loins as affected by external fat and cooking method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badiani, Anna; Montellato, Lara; Bochicchio, Davide; Anfossi, Paola; Zanardi, Emanuela; Maranesi, Magda

    2004-08-11

    Proximate composition and fatty acid profile, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers included, were determined in separable lean of raw and cooked lamb rib loins. The cooking methods compared, which were also investigated for cooking yields and true nutrient retention values, were dry heating of fat-on cuts and moist heating of fat-off cuts; the latter method was tested as a sort of dietetic approach against the more traditional former type. With significantly (P cooking losses, dry heating of fat-on rib-loins produced slightly (although only rarely significantly) higher retention values for all of the nutrients considered, including CLA isomers. On the basis of the retention values obtained, both techniques led to a minimum migration of lipids into the separable lean, which was higher (P cooking of the class of CLA isomers (including that of the nutritionally most important isomer cis-9,trans-11) was more similar to that of the monounsaturated than the polyunsaturated fatty acids.

  13. Retention Among North American HIV–infected Persons in Clinical Care, 2000–2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebeiro, Peter; Althoff, Keri N.; Buchacz, Kate; Gill, M. John; Horberg, Michael; Krentz, Hartmut; Moore, Richard; Sterling, Timothy R.; Brooks, John T.; Gebo, Kelly A.; Hogg, Robert; Klein, Marina; Martin, Jeffrey; Mugavero, Michael; Rourke, Sean; Silverberg, Michael J.; Thorne, Jennifer; Gange, Stephen J.

    2013-01-01

    Background Retention in care is key to improving HIV outcomes. Our goal was to describe “churn” in patterns of entry, exit, and retention in HIV care in the US and Canada. Methods Adults contributing ≥1 CD4 count or HIV-1 RNA (HIV-lab) from 2000–2008 in North American Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD) clinical cohorts were included. Incomplete retention was defined as lack of 2 HIV-labs (≥90 days apart) within 12 months, summarized by calendar year. We used beta-binomial regression models to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of factors associated with incomplete retention. Results Among 61,438 participants, 15,360 (25%) with incomplete retention significantly differed in univariate analyses (pchurn. In addition to the programmatic and policy implications, our findings identify patient groups who may benefit from focused retention efforts. PMID:23242158

  14. Treatment eligibility and retention in clinical HIV care: A regression discontinuity study in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bor, Jacob; Fox, Matthew P; Rosen, Sydney; Venkataramani, Atheendar; Tanser, Frank; Pillay, Deenan; Bärnighausen, Till

    2017-11-01

    Loss to follow-up is high among HIV patients not yet receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Clinical trials have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of early ART; however, these trials may miss an important real-world consequence of providing ART at diagnosis: its impact on retention in care. We examined the effect of immediate (versus deferred) ART on retention in care using a regression discontinuity design. The analysis included all patients (N = 11,306) entering clinical HIV care with a first CD4 count between 12 August 2011 and 31 December 2012 in a public-sector HIV care and treatment program in rural South Africa. Patients were assigned to immediate versus deferred ART eligibility, as determined by a CD4 count linear regression models with a data-driven bandwidth and with the algorithm for selecting the bandwidth chosen ex ante. Among patients with CD4 counts close to the 350-cells/μl threshold, having an ART-eligible CD4 count (<350 cells/μl) was associated with higher 12-month retention than not having an ART-eligible CD4 count (50% versus 32%), an intention-to-treat risk difference of 18 percentage points (95% CI 11 to 23; p < 0.001). The decision to start ART was determined by CD4 count for one in four patients (25%) presenting close to the eligibility threshold (95% CI 20% to 31%; p < 0.001). In this subpopulation, having an ART-eligible CD4 count was associated with higher 12-month retention than not having an ART-eligible CD4 count (91% versus 21%), a complier causal risk difference of 70 percentage points (95% CI 42 to 98; p < 0.001). The major limitations of the study are the potential for limited generalizability, the potential for outcome misclassification, and the absence of data on longer-term health outcomes. Patients who were eligible for immediate ART had dramatically higher retention in HIV care than patients who just missed the CD4-count eligibility cutoff. The clinical and population health benefits of offering immediate ART regardless

  15. Treatment eligibility and retention in clinical HIV care: A regression discontinuity study in South Africa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacob Bor

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Loss to follow-up is high among HIV patients not yet receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART. Clinical trials have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of early ART; however, these trials may miss an important real-world consequence of providing ART at diagnosis: its impact on retention in care.We examined the effect of immediate (versus deferred ART on retention in care using a regression discontinuity design. The analysis included all patients (N = 11,306 entering clinical HIV care with a first CD4 count between 12 August 2011 and 31 December 2012 in a public-sector HIV care and treatment program in rural South Africa. Patients were assigned to immediate versus deferred ART eligibility, as determined by a CD4 count < 350 cells/μl, per South African national guidelines. Patients referred to pre-ART care were instructed to return every 6 months for CD4 monitoring. Patients initiated on ART were instructed to return at 6 and 12 months post-initiation and annually thereafter for CD4 and viral load monitoring. We assessed retention in HIV care at 12 months, as measured by the presence of a clinic visit, lab test, or ART initiation 6 to 18 months after initial CD4 test. Differences in retention between patients presenting with CD4 counts just above versus just below the 350-cells/μl threshold were estimated using local linear regression models with a data-driven bandwidth and with the algorithm for selecting the bandwidth chosen ex ante. Among patients with CD4 counts close to the 350-cells/μl threshold, having an ART-eligible CD4 count (<350 cells/μl was associated with higher 12-month retention than not having an ART-eligible CD4 count (50% versus 32%, an intention-to-treat risk difference of 18 percentage points (95% CI 11 to 23; p < 0.001. The decision to start ART was determined by CD4 count for one in four patients (25% presenting close to the eligibility threshold (95% CI 20% to 31%; p < 0.001. In this subpopulation, having an ART-eligible CD

  16. Effects of Hydrocarbon-Based Grease on Rapid Prototype Material Used for Grease Retention Shrouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakrajsek, Andrew J.; Valco, Daniel J.; Street, Kenneth W., Jr.

    2010-01-01

    Effects of hydrocarbon-based greases on specific rapid prototype (RP) materials used to fabricate grease retention shrouds (GRS) were explored in this study. Grease retention shrouds are being considered as a way to maintain adequate grease lubrication at the gear mesh in a prototype research transmission system. Due to their design and manufacturing flexibility, rapid prototype materials were chosen for the grease retention shrouds. In order to gain a better understanding of the short and long term effects grease pose on RP materials, research was conducted on the interaction of hydrocarbon-based grease with RP materials. The materials used in this study were durable polyamide (nylon), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and WaterClear 10120. Testing was conducted using Mobilgrease 28 and Syn-Tech 3913G grease (gear coupling grease). These greases were selected due to their regular use with mechanical components. To investigate the effect that grease has on RP materials, the following methods were used to obtain qualitative and quantitative data: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), interference profilometer measurements, digital camera imaging, physical shape measurement, and visual observations. To record the changes in the RP materials due to contact with the grease, data was taken before and after the grease application. Results showed that the WaterClear 10120 RP material provided the best resistance to grease penetration as compared to nylon and ABS RP materials. The manufacturing process, and thus resulting surface conditions of the RP material, played a key role in the grease penetration properties and resilience of these materials.

  17. A Low Leakage Autonomous Data Retention Flip-Flop with Power Gating Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaohui Fan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available With the scaling of technology process, leakage power becomes an increasing portion of total power. Power gating technology is an effective method to suppress the leakage power in VLSI design. When the power gating technique is applied in sequential circuits, such as flip-flops and latches, the data retention is necessary to store the circuit states. A low leakage autonomous data retention flip-flop (ADR-FF is proposed in this paper. Two high-Vth transistors are utilized to reduce the leakage power consumption in the sleep mode. The data retention cell is composed of a pair of always powered cross-coupled inverters in the slave latch. No extra control signals and complex operations are needed for controlling the data retention and restoration. The data retention flip-flops are simulated with NCSU 45 nm technology. The postlayout simulation results show that the leakage power of the ADR-FF reduces 51.39% compared with the Mutoh-FF. The active power of the ADR-FF is almost equal to other data retention flip-flops. The average state mode transition time of ADR-FF decreases 55.98%, 51.35%, and 21.07% as compared with Mutoh-FF, Balloon-FF, and Memory-TG-FF, respectively. Furthermore, the area overhead of ADR-FF is smaller than other data retention flip-flops.

  18. Modelling of long term nitrogen retention in surface waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halbfaß, S.; Gebel, M.; Bürger, S.

    2010-12-01

    In order to derive measures to reduce nutrient loadings into waters in Saxony, we calculated nitrogen inputs with the model STOFFBILANZ on the regional scale. Thereby we have to compare our modelling results to measured loadings at the river basin outlets, considering long term nutrient retention in surface waters. The most important mechanism of nitrogen retention is the denitrification in the contact zone of water and sediment, being controlled by hydraulic and micro-biological processes. Retention capacity is derived on the basis of the nutrient spiralling concept, using water residence time (hydraulic aspect) and time-specific N-uptake by microorganisms (biological aspect). Short time related processes of mobilization and immobilization are neglected, because they are of minor importance for the derivation of measures on the regional scale.

  19. Pressure drop effects on selectivity and resolution in packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lou, X.W.; Janssen, J.G.M.; Snijders, H.M.J.; Cramers, C.A.M.G.

    1996-01-01

    The influence of pressure drop on retention, selectivity, plate height and resolution was investigated systematically in packed supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) using pure carbon dioxide as the mobile phase. Numerical methods developed previously which enabled the prediction of pressure

  20. The Effect of Pricing and Advertising on Customer Retention in a Liberalizing Market

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Polo, Yolanda; Javier Sese, F.; Verhoef, Peter C.

    2011-01-01

    This study investigates the drivers of customer retention in a liberalizing market. The authors address key, retention issues that allow them to contribute to existing retention research in several critical ways. They (1) examine the effects of pricing and mass advertising, (2) account for (new

  1. The Effect of Pricing and Advertising on Customer Retention in a Liberalizing Market

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Polo, Yolanda; Javier Sese, F.; Verhoef, Peter C.

    This study investigates the drivers of customer retention in a liberalizing market. The authors address key, retention issues that allow them to contribute to existing retention research in several critical ways. They (1) examine the effects of pricing and mass advertising, (2) account for (new

  2. Catholic School Principal Job Satisfaction: Keys to Retention and Recruitment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraser, Jennifer; Brock, Barbara L.

    2006-01-01

    This article presents a study on principal retention in New South Wales, Australia. Factors in job retention included economic security, role enjoyment, and the opportunity to contribute. Disincentives to the principalship included lack of support from the employing authority, inadequate pay, isolation, growing responsibilities, difficult parents,…

  3. Iterative Dipole Moment Method for the Dielectrophoretic Particle-Particle Interaction in a DC Electric Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Zhang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Electric force is the most popular technique for bioparticle transportation and manipulation in microfluidic systems. In this paper, the iterative dipole moment (IDM method was used to calculate the dielectrophoretic (DEP forces of particle-particle interactions in a two-dimensional DC electric field, and the Lagrangian method was used to solve the transportation of particles. It was found that the DEP properties and whether the connection line between initial positions of particles perpendicular or parallel to the electric field greatly affect the chain patterns. In addition, the dependence of the DEP particle interaction upon the particle diameters, initial particle positions, and the DEP properties have been studied in detail. The conclusions are advantageous in elelctrokinetic microfluidic systems where it may be desirable to control, manipulate, and assemble bioparticles.

  4. The PSI Artist Project: Aerosol Retention and Accident Management Issues Following a Steam Generator Tube Rupture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guntay, Salih; Dehbi, Abdel; Suckow, Detlef; Birchley, Jon

    2002-01-01

    ) the near field close to break under dry conditions, 3) the bundle far-field under dry conditions, 4) the separator and dryer under dry conditions, 5) the bundle section under wet conditions, 6) droplet retention in the separator and dryer sections and 7) the overall SG (integral tests). Prototypical test parameters are selected to cover the range of conditions expected in severe accident as well as DBA scenarios. This paper summarizes the relevant issues and introduces the ARTIST facility and the provisional test program which will run between 2003 and 2007. (authors)

  5. Retention of gaseous fission products by pure and modified activated carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilhelmova, L.; Cejnar, F.

    1975-01-01

    The results are reported of research into Czechoslovak-made activated carbon Desorex DB-2 and Supersorbon HS-1 and their retention properties. Krypton, xenon and helium of spectral purity were used in the investigation. The effect of surface impregnation was also studied on the retention efficiency of the activated carbon. It was found that the impregnation with alkali metal fluorides, such as RbF and CsF favourably affected the retention properties of the activated carbon as concerns gaseous fission products. (L.O.)

  6. Solving the nurse faculty shortage: exploring retention issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berent, Georgine R; Anderko, Laura

    2011-01-01

    Researchers have explored reasons why nurse faculty leave academia, but few have focused on factors that encourage them to stay. Using Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory, an online cross-sectional survey was completed by 1,171 tenured nurse faculty nationwide. Factor analysis revealed that the most significant factor influencing retention was professional satisfaction with faculty identity, including the ability to shape nursing practice. Academia may benefit by considering these factors to promote nurse faculty retention. Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

  7. Maslow's Hierarchy and Student Retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brookman, David M.

    1989-01-01

    Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs offers perspective on student motivation and a rationale for college retention programing. Student affairs and faculty interventions addressing student safety needs and engaging students' sense of purpose reinforce persistence. A mentor program is a possible cooperative effort between student personnel and…

  8. A Study of Retention Trends of International Students at a Southwestern Public University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong Davis, Kristina Marie

    2012-01-01

    Literature on factors contributing to the retention of international students remained limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors related to retention of international undergraduate degree seeking students through conducting pairwise correlational analysis to test the relationship between retention and age, gender, country of…

  9. Odor-context effects in free recall after a short retention interval: a new methodology for controlling adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isarida, Takeo; Sakai, Tetsuya; Kubota, Takayuki; Koga, Miho; Katayama, Yu; Isarida, Toshiko K

    2014-04-01

    The present study investigated context effects of incidental odors in free recall after a short retention interval (5 min). With a short retention interval, the results are not confounded by extraneous odors or encounters with the experimental odor and possible rehearsal during a long retention interval. A short study time condition (4 s per item), predicted not to be affected by adaptation to the odor, and a long study time condition (8 s per item) were used. Additionally, we introduced a new method for recovery from adaptation, where a dissimilar odor was briefly presented at the beginning of the retention interval, and we demonstrated the effectiveness of this technique. An incidental learning paradigm was used to prevent overshadowing from confounding the results. In three experiments, undergraduates (N = 200) incidentally studied words presented one-by-one and received a free recall test. Two pairs of odors and a third odor having different semantic-differential characteristics were selected from 14 familiar odors. One of the odors was presented during encoding, and during the test, the same odor (same-context condition) or the other odor within the pair (different-context condition) was presented. Without using a recovery-from-adaptation method, a significant odor-context effect appeared in the 4-s/item condition, but not in the 8-s/item condition. Using the recovery-from-adaptation method, context effects were found for both the 8- and the 4-s/item conditions. The size of the recovered odor-context effect did not change with study time. There were no serial position effects. Implications of the present findings are discussed.

  10. Football and Freshmen Retention: Examining the Impact of College Football on Institutional Retention Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Willis A.

    2010-01-01

    Student retention has been one of the more researched topics in the study of American higher education over the past 20 years (Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Very little of this research, however, has attempted to examine the impact of college athletics on an institution's ability to retain students.…

  11. 49 CFR 172.201 - Preparation and retention of shipping papers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Preparation and retention of shipping papers. 172..., TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, AND SECURITY PLANS Shipping Papers § 172.201 Preparation and retention of shipping papers. (a) Contents. When a description of hazardous material is required to be included on a shipping...

  12. A first aid training course for primary health care providers in Nagorno Karabagh: assessing knowledge retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Michael E; Harutyunyan, Tsovinar L; Dorian, Alina H

    2012-12-01

    Conflict in the South Caucasus' Nagorno Karabagh region has damaged health facilities and disrupted the delivery of services and supplies as well as led to depletion of human and fixed capital and weakened the de facto government's ability to provide training for health care providers. In response to documented medical training deficits, the American University of Armenia organized a first aid training course (FATC) for primary health care providers within the scope of the USAID-funded Humanitarian Assistance Project in Nagorno Karabagh. This paper reports the follow-up assessments conducted to inform policy makers regarding FATC knowledge and skill retention and the potential need for periodic refresher training. Follow-up assessments were conducted six months and 18 months following the FATC to assess the retention of knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices. Eighty-four providers participated in the first follow-up and 210 in the second. The assessment tool contained items addressing the use and quality of the first aid skills, trainee's evaluation of the course, and randomly selected test questions to assess knowledge retention. At both follow-up points, the participants' assessment of the course was positive. More than 85% of the trainees self-assessed their skills as "excellent" or "good" and noted that skills were frequently practiced. Scores of approximately 58% on knowledge tests at both the first and second follow-ups indicated no knowledge decay between the first and second survey waves, but substantial decline from the immediate post-test assessment in the classroom. The trainees assessed the FATC as effective, and the skills covered as important and well utilized. Knowledge retention was modest, but stable. Refresher courses are necessary to reverse the decay of technical knowledge and to ensure proper application in the field.

  13. Mentoring: the retention factor in the acute care setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funderburk, Amy E

    2008-01-01

    The most difficult time to retain staff nurses can be the first year after hire. Because of the high costs of recruitment and orientation, retention of these new employees is essential. Mentoring is a viable retention tool for the new employee and for existing experienced nurses. Mentoring also provides professional growth benefits that appeal to existing employees and increase their job enjoyment and satisfaction.

  14. Psychogenic Urinary Retention in Children: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kong-Sang Wan

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Psychogenic urinary retention occurs relatively infrequently in children and is less common than in adults. The influence of psychogenic factors on voiding generally results in an irritative syndrome, but rarely in urinary retention. A definitive diagnosis is established by excluding other pathological conditions. Evaluation includes urine culture, renal echography, spine magnetic resonance imaging, voiding cysto-urethrography, intravenous pyelography, and uroflowmetry. Here, we report on a 6-year-old girl with a 1-month history of voiding difficulty. Urology studies, including urine culture, revealed Escherichia coli, which was not present in preadmission urine cultures. Renal ultrasound and radiological images showed no gross abnormalities or vesicoureteral reflux, but uroflowmetry showed a low flow rate with residual urine. The results of imaging studies and pediatric psychiatric consultation led to a diagnosis of psychogenic urinary retention combined with urinary tract infection. Urinary rehabilitation included intermittent catheterization, bladder training, and supportive psychotherapy, after which the patient recovered and was discharged.

  15. Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ruijter, P.A. de; Biersteker, H.A.; Biert, J.; Goor, H. van; Tan, E.C.T.H.

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Undergraduate medical students follow a compulsory first aid (FA) and basic life support (BLS) course. Retention of BLS seems poor and only little information is provided on the retention of FA skills. This study aims at evaluating 1- and 2-year retention of FA and BLS training in

  16. A review of microfabrication techniques and dielectrophoretic microdevices for particle manipulation and separation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, M; Li, W H; Zhang, J; Alici, G; Wen, W

    2014-01-01

    The development of lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices over the past decade has attracted growing interest. LOC devices aim to achieve the miniaturization, integration, automation and parallelization of biological and chemical assays. One of the applications, the ability to effectively and accurately manipulate and separate micro- and nano-scale particles in an aqueous solution, is particularly appealing in biological, chemical and medical fields. Among the technologies that have been developed and implemented in microfluidic microsystems for particle manipulation and separation (such as mechanical, inertial, hydrodynamic, acoustic, optical, magnetic and electrical methodologies), dielectrophoresis (DEP) may prove to be the most popular because of its label-free nature, ability to manipulate neutral bioparticles, analyse with high selectivity and sensitivity, compatibility with LOC devices, and easy and direct interface with electronics. The required spatial electric non-uniformities for the DEP effect can be generated by patterning microelectrode arrays within microchannels, or placing insulating obstacles within a microchannel and curving the microchannels. A wide variety of electrode- and insulator-based DEP microdevices have been developed, fabricated, and successfully employed to manipulate and separate bioparticles (i.e. DNA, proteins, bacteria, viruses, mammalian and yeast cells). This review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art of microfabrication techniques and of the structures of dielectrophoretic microdevices aimed towards different applications. The techniques used for particle manipulation and separation based on microfluidics are provided in this paper. In addition, we also present the theoretical background of DEP. (topical review)

  17. Glucocorticoid receptors and extinction retention deficits in the single prolonged stress model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knox, D; Nault, T; Henderson, C; Liberzon, I

    2012-10-25

    Single prolonged stress (SPS) is a rodent model of post traumatic stress disorder that is comprised of serial application of restraint (r), forced swim (fs), and ether (eth) followed by a 7-day quiescent period. SPS induces extinction retention deficits and it is believed that these deficits are caused by the combined stressful effect of serial exposure to r, fs, and eth. However, this hypothesis remains untested. Neurobiological mechanisms by which SPS induces extinction retention deficits are unknown, but SPS enhances glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in the hippocampus, which is critical for contextual modulation of extinction retrieval. Upregulation of GRs in extinction circuits may be a mechanism by which SPS induces extinction retention deficits, but this hypothesis has not been examined. In this study, we systematically altered the stressors that constitute SPS (i.e. r, fs, eth), generating a number of partial SPS (p-SPS) groups, and observed the effects SPS and p-SPSs had on extinction retention and GR levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC). PFC GRs were assayed, because regions of the PFC are critical for maintaining extinction. We predicted that only exposure to full SPS would result in extinction retention deficits and enhance hippocampal and PFC GR levels. Only exposure to full SPS induced extinction retention deficits. Hippocampal and PFC GR expression was enhanced by SPS and most p-SPSs, however hippocampal GR expression was significantly larger following the full SPS exposure than all other conditions. Our findings suggest that the combined stressful effect of serial exposure to r, fs, and eth results in extinction retention deficits. The results also suggest that simple enhancements in GR expression in the hippocampus and PFC are insufficient to result in extinction retention deficits, but raise the possibility that a threshold-enhancement in hippocampal GR expression contributes to SPS-induced extinction retention deficits

  18. Assessment of in-vessel corium retention in CPR1000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Xing; Zhang Shishun; Lin Jiming

    2011-01-01

    The In-Vessel corium Retention (IVR) strategy of Chinese 1000 MW class commercial pressurized water reactor (CPR1000) is assessed by Risk-Oriented Accident Analysis Methodology (ROAAM). Four representative severe accident scenarios are selected for the IVR assessment in this paper. According to four representative severe accident scenarios consequence calculated by the deterministic code combined with engineering judgment, the input probability distribution of the assessment is determined. Success probability of IVR from the viewpoint of thermal failure is then predicted using MOPOL code. MOPOL is a code developed basing on the well known ROAAM frame and heat transfer model of corium. It is demonstrated that the success probability of IVR by Reactor Cavity Flooding in CPR1000 is potentially higher than 99%. Application of IVR strategy in CPR1000 is envisioned probable if a further more comprehensive risk-benefit evaluation conclusion is positive. (authors)

  19. Herpes zoster infection: a rare cause of acute urinary retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Jonathan E; Kapoor, Anil

    2003-06-01

    Herpes zoster (HZ) infection has been reported as a rare cause of acute urinary retention. HZ infection involving sacral, thoracolumbar, and rarely high thoracic dermatomes is believed to occasionally cause motor and sensory neuropathy of the bladder. This is specifically achieved by the interruption of the detrusor reflex causing subsequent bladder atonia. As the course and management of this entity is quite benign, HZ should remain a diagnostic consideration in the management of urinary retention. We report a case of acute urinary retention of approximately 2.5 liters associated with HZ infection and review the proposed pathogenesis and therapeutic considerations in the management of this entity.

  20. Relative Effectiveness of Computer-Supported Jigsaw II, STAD and TAI Cooperative Learning Strategies on Performance, Attitude, and Retention of Secondary School Students in Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambari, Amosa Isiaka; Yusuf, Mudasiru Olalere

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the relative effectiveness of computer-supported cooperative learning strategies on the performance, attitudes, and retention of secondary school students in physics. A purposive sampling technique was used to select four senior secondary schools from Minna, Nigeria. The students were allocated to one of four groups:…

  1. Recruitment and retention of women in fishing communities in HIV ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... complete all study visits. Conclusion: Women had better retention rates than men at 18 months. Strategies for recruiting and retaining younger women and those who have stayed for less than 5 years need to be developed for improved retention of women in fishing communities in HIV prevention and research Programs.

  2. A Tool for Estimating Variability in Wood Preservative Treatment Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patricia K. Lebow; Adam M. Taylor; Timothy M. Young

    2015-01-01

    Composite sampling is standard practice for evaluation of preservative retention levels in preservative-treated wood. Current protocols provide an average retention value but no estimate of uncertainty. Here we describe a statistical method for calculating uncertainty estimates using the standard sampling regime with minimal additional chemical analysis. This tool can...

  3. Retention of autobiographical memories: an Internet-based diary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristo, Gert; Janssen, Steve M J; Murre, Jaap M J

    2009-11-01

    In this online study we examined the retention of recent personal events using an Internet-based diary technique. Each participant (N=878) recorded on a website one recent personal event and was contacted after a retention interval that ranged between 2 and 46 days. We investigated how well the participants could recall the content, time, and details of their recorded event. We found a classic retention function. Details of the events were forgotten more rapidly than the content and the time of the events. There were no differences between the forgetting rates of the "who", "what" and "where" elements of the content component. Reminiscing, social sharing, pleasantness, and frequency of occurrence aided recall, but surprisingly importance and emotionality did not. They were, however, strongly associated with reminiscing and social sharing.

  4. Retention of Mastoidectomy Skills After Virtual Reality Simulation Training

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Steven Arild Wuyts; Konge, Lars; Cayé-Thomasen, Per

    2016-01-01

    IMPORTANCE: The ultimate goal of surgical training is consolidated skills with a consistently high performance. However, surgical skills are heterogeneously retained and depend on a variety of factors, including the task, cognitive demands, and organization of practice. Virtual reality (VR......) simulation is increasingly being used in surgical skills training, including temporal bone surgery, but there is a gap in knowledge on the retention of mastoidectomy skills after VR simulation training. OBJECTIVES: To determine the retention of mastoidectomy skills after VR simulation training...... with distributed and massed practice and to investigate participants' cognitive load during retention procedures. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective 3-month follow-up study of a VR simulation trial was conducted from February 6 to September 19, 2014, at an academic teaching hospital among 36 medical...

  5. Skill retention and control room operator competency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stammers, R.B.

    1981-12-01

    The problem of skill retention in relation to the competency of control room operators is addressed. Although there are a number of related reviews of the literature, this particular topic has not been examined in detail before. The findings of these reviews are summarised and their implications for the area discussed. The limited research on skill retention in connection with process control is also reviewed. Some topics from cognitive and instructional psychology are also raised. In particular overlearning is tackled and the potential value of learning strategies is assessed. In conclusion the important topic of measurement of performance is introduced and a number of potentially valuable training approaches are outlined. (author)

  6. Uranium retention in aqueous hydroxyapatite suspensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leyva, Ana G.; Marrero, Julieta G.; Perez Arisnabarreta, Sebastian A.; Di Nanno, Maria P.; Smichowski, Patricia N.

    2000-01-01

    Batch equilibration were performed to study the ability of synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAP)[Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 ] to immobilize uranium. Different parameters affecting U uptake were evaluated. These studies showed that U was quantitatively retained in a wide range of pHs in the first 15 minutes. These experiments were performed at different U concentrations, between 1 to 100 μg/g and in all cases U uptake did not depend on U concentration. The high retention of U in HAP could be explained by the high specific surface area of the synthesized starting material. The solid phase was characterised by energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis before and after U retention. Effluents were treated using the proposed method and recovery studies were in all cases better than 90%. (author)

  7. The (un)certainty of selectivity in liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berendsen, B.J.A.; Stolker, A.A.M.; Nielen, M.W.F.

    2013-01-01

    We developed a procedure to determine the "identification power" of an LC-MS/MS method operated in the MRM acquisition mode, which is related to its selectivity. The probability of any compound showing the same precursor ion, product ions, and retention time as the compound of interest is used as a

  8. Collaborative-group testing improves learning and knowledge retention of human physiology topics in second-year medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vázquez-García, Mario

    2018-06-01

    The present study examined the relationship between second-year medical students' group performance and individual performance in a collaborative-learning environment. In recent decades, university professors in the scientific and humanistic disciplines have successfully put into practice different modalities of collaborative approaches to teaching. Essentially, collaborative approach refers to a variety of techniques that involves the joint intellectual effort of a small group of students, which encourages interaction and discussion among students and professors. The present results show the efficacy of collaborative learning, which, furthermore, allowed students to participate actively in the physiology class. Average student's grades were significantly higher when they engaged in single-best-response, multiple-choice tests as a student team, compared with taking the same examinations individually. The method improved notably knowledge retention, as learning is more effective when performed in the context of collaborative partnership. A selected subset of questions answered wrongly in an initial test, both individually and collectively, was used on a second test to examine student retention of studied material. Grade averages were significantly improved, both individually and groupwise, when students responded to the subset of questions a second time, 1, 2, or 3 wk after the first attempt. These results suggest that the collaborative approach to teaching allowed a more effective understanding of course content, which meant an improved capacity for retention of human physiology knowledge.

  9. Retention in HIV care depends on patients' perceptions of the clinic experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wessinger, Matthew H; Hennink, Monique M; Kaiser, Bonnie N; Mangal, Jed P; Gokhale, Runa H; Ruchin, Lauren; Moanna, Abeer; Rimland, David; Farber, Eugene W; Marconi, Vincent C

    2017-10-01

    Institutional barriers in HIV primary care settings can contribute substantially to disparities in retention in HIV treatment and HIV-related outcomes. This qualitative study compared the perceptions of clinic experiences of persons living with HIV (PLWH) in a Veterans Affairs HIV primary care clinic setting who were retained in care with the experiences of those who were not retained in care. Qualitative data from 25 in-depth interviews were analyzed to identify facilitators and barriers to retention in HIV care. Results showed that participants not retained in care experienced barriers to retention involving dissatisfaction with clinic wait times, low confidence in clinicians, and customer service concerns. For participants retained in care, patience with procedural issues, confidence in clinicians, and interpersonal connections were factors that enhanced retention despite the fact that these participants recognized the same barriers as those who were not retained in care. These findings can inform interventions aimed at improving retention in HIV care.

  10. Illustrations in Text: A Retentional Role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duchastel, Philippe C.

    1981-01-01

    Describes the results of a study of the retentional role of illustrations in a text and their effect on enhancing long-term memory with 15-year-old secondary school students. Seven references are listed. (CHC)

  11. Retention of copper originating from different fungicides in contrasting soil types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komárek, Michael; Vanek, Ales; Chrastný, Vladislav; Száková, Jirina; Kubová, Karolina; Drahota, Petr; Balík, Jirí

    2009-07-30

    This work described the retention of Cu from two different commonly used pesticides, the Bordeaux mixture (CuSO(4)+Ca(OH)(2)) and Cu-oxychloride (3Cu(OH)(2).CuCl(2)), and from Cu(NO(3))(2) in contrasting soil types (Leptosol, Chernozem, Cambisol). Thermodynamic modeling showed that Cu speciation was similar in all fungicide solutions. However, the retention of Cu differed with the fungicide used (maximum retention from the Bordeaux mixture) which indicates that different retention processes occurred in the studied soils. The suggested mechanisms include: specific and non-specific adsorption (especially on soil organic matter), precipitation of newly formed phases, such as CuO, Cu(OH)(2), Cu(2)(OH)(3)NO(3), CuCO(3)/Cu(2)(OH)(2)CO(3) and in the case of the Bordeaux mixture, precipitation of various Cu-hydroxysulfates. These phases were identified by the speciation model. The retention of fungicide-derived Cu in the studied soil types followed well the Freundlich isotherm and was directly controlled by the chemical form of Cu. This fact should be taken into account for both environmental and practical applications.

  12. Retention of copper originating from different fungicides in contrasting soil types

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Komarek, Michael, E-mail: komarek@af.czu.cz [Department of Agro-Environmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Vanek, Ales [Department of Soil Science and Soil Protection, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Chrastny, Vladislav [Department of Applied Chemistry, University of South Bohemia, Studentska 13, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic); Szakova, Jirina; Kubova, Karolina [Department of Agro-Environmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Drahota, Petr [Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Charles University Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague 2 (Czech Republic); Balik, Jiri [Department of Agro-Environmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

    2009-07-30

    This work described the retention of Cu from two different commonly used pesticides, the Bordeaux mixture (CuSO{sub 4} + Ca(OH){sub 2}) and Cu-oxychloride (3Cu(OH){sub 2}.CuCl{sub 2}), and from Cu(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} in contrasting soil types (Leptosol, Chernozem, Cambisol). Thermodynamic modeling showed that Cu speciation was similar in all fungicide solutions. However, the retention of Cu differed with the fungicide used (maximum retention from the Bordeaux mixture) which indicates that different retention processes occurred in the studied soils. The suggested mechanisms include: specific and non-specific adsorption (especially on soil organic matter), precipitation of newly formed phases, such as CuO, Cu(OH){sub 2}, Cu{sub 2}(OH){sub 3}NO{sub 3}, CuCO{sub 3}/Cu{sub 2}(OH){sub 2}CO{sub 3} and in the case of the Bordeaux mixture, precipitation of various Cu-hydroxysulfates. These phases were identified by the speciation model. The retention of fungicide-derived Cu in the studied soil types followed well the Freundlich isotherm and was directly controlled by the chemical form of Cu. This fact should be taken into account for both environmental and practical applications.

  13. Retention of copper originating from different fungicides in contrasting soil types

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komarek, Michael; Vanek, Ales; Chrastny, Vladislav; Szakova, Jirina; Kubova, Karolina; Drahota, Petr; Balik, Jiri

    2009-01-01

    This work described the retention of Cu from two different commonly used pesticides, the Bordeaux mixture (CuSO 4 + Ca(OH) 2 ) and Cu-oxychloride (3Cu(OH) 2 .CuCl 2 ), and from Cu(NO 3 ) 2 in contrasting soil types (Leptosol, Chernozem, Cambisol). Thermodynamic modeling showed that Cu speciation was similar in all fungicide solutions. However, the retention of Cu differed with the fungicide used (maximum retention from the Bordeaux mixture) which indicates that different retention processes occurred in the studied soils. The suggested mechanisms include: specific and non-specific adsorption (especially on soil organic matter), precipitation of newly formed phases, such as CuO, Cu(OH) 2 , Cu 2 (OH) 3 NO 3 , CuCO 3 /Cu 2 (OH) 2 CO 3 and in the case of the Bordeaux mixture, precipitation of various Cu-hydroxysulfates. These phases were identified by the speciation model. The retention of fungicide-derived Cu in the studied soil types followed well the Freundlich isotherm and was directly controlled by the chemical form of Cu. This fact should be taken into account for both environmental and practical applications.

  14. Electrophysiological correlates of the retention of tones differing in timbre in auditory short-term memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolden, Sophie; Bermudez, Patrick; Alunni-Menichini, Kristelle; Lefebvre, Christine; Grimault, Stephan; Jolicoeur, Pierre

    2013-11-01

    We examined the electrophysiological correlates of retention in auditory short-term memory (ASTM) for sequences of one, two, or three tones differing in timbre but having the same pitch. We focused on event-related potentials (ERPs) during the retention interval and revealed a sustained fronto-central ERP component (most likely a sustained anterior negativity; SAN) that became more negative as memory load increased. Our results are consistent with recent ERP studies on the retention of pitch and suggest that the SAN reflects brain activity mediating the low-level retention of basic acoustic features in ASTM. The present work shows that the retention of timbre shares common features with the retention of pitch, hence supporting the notion that the retention of basic sensory features is an active process that recruits modality-specific brain areas. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Sodalite as a vehicle to increase Re retention in waste glass simulant during vitrification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luksic, Steven A., E-mail: steven.luksic@pnnl.gov; Riley, Brian J.; Parker, Kent E.; Hrma, Pavel

    2016-10-15

    Technetium (Tc) retention during Hanford waste vitrification can be increased if the volatility can be controlled. Incorporating Tc into a thermally stable mineral phase, such as sodalite, is one way to achieve increased retention. Here, rhenium (Re)-bearing sodalite was tested as a vehicle to transport perrhenate (ReO{sub 4}{sup −}), a nonradioactive surrogate for pertechnetate (TcO{sub 4}{sup −}), into high-level (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW) glass simulants. After melting HLW and LAW simulant feeds, the retention of Re in the glass was measured and compared with the Re retention in glass prepared from a feed containing Re{sub 2}O{sub 7}. Phase analysis of sodalite in both these glasses across a profile of temperatures describes the durability of Re-sodalite during the feed-to-glass transition. The use of Re sodalite improved the Re retention by 21% for HLW glass and 85% for LAW glass, demonstrating the potential improvement in Tc-retention if TcO{sub 4}{sup −} were to be encapsulated in a Tc-sodalite prior to vitrification. - Highlights: • Re retention is improved by incorporation into sodalite structure. • LAW-type glass shows lower retention but larger improvement with Re-sodalite. • Sodalite is stable to higher temperatures in high-alumina glass melts.

  16. Management of postoperative urinary retention: a randomized trial of in-out versus overnight catheterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Hung; Lam, Becky

    2004-08-01

    There has been no consensus on the best catheterization strategy for the management of postoperative urinary retention. A prospective randomized trial was undertaken to establish the best practice guidelines for the management of postoperative urinary retention. The authors also evaluated the contemporary incidence of urinary retention following different categories of general surgery and examined risk factors associated with its occurrence. All patients who underwent elective inpatient surgery between January 2002 and June 2003 were recruited into the study. Patients who developed postoperative urinary retention were randomized to either having in-out catheterization or placement of an indwelling catheter for 24 h after surgery. A total of 1448 patients was recruited. The overall incidence of urinary retention was 4.1% (n = 60). Significant risk factors associated with postoperative urinary retention included old age, anorectal procedures and use of spinal anaesthesia. Comparison of re-catheterization and urinary tract infection rates between patients who were treated with in-out versus overnight catheterization found no significant differences. Postoperative urinary retention should be managed by in-out catheterization. Indwelling catheterization for 24 h appeared to bestow no additional benefits. The incidence of urinary retention increases with age, anorectal procedures and the use of spinal anaesthesia.

  17. Sequence-Specific Model for Peptide Retention Time Prediction in Strong Cation Exchange Chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gussakovsky, Daniel; Neustaeter, Haley; Spicer, Victor; Krokhin, Oleg V

    2017-11-07

    The development of a peptide retention prediction model for strong cation exchange (SCX) separation on a Polysulfoethyl A column is reported. Off-line 2D LC-MS/MS analysis (SCX-RPLC) of S. cerevisiae whole cell lysate was used to generate a retention dataset of ∼30 000 peptides, sufficient for identifying the major sequence-specific features of peptide retention mechanisms in SCX. In contrast to RPLC/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) separation modes, where retention is driven by hydrophobic/hydrophilic contributions of all individual residues, SCX interactions depend mainly on peptide charge (number of basic residues at acidic pH) and size. An additive model (incorporating the contributions of all 20 residues into the peptide retention) combined with a peptide length correction produces a 0.976 R 2 value prediction accuracy, significantly higher than the additive models for either HILIC or RPLC. Position-dependent effects on peptide retention for different residues were driven by the spatial orientation of tryptic peptides upon interaction with the negatively charged surface functional groups. The positively charged N-termini serve as a primary point of interaction. For example, basic residues (Arg, His, Lys) increase peptide retention when located closer to the N-terminus. We also found that hydrophobic interactions, which could lead to a mixed-mode separation mechanism, are largely suppressed at 20-30% of acetonitrile in the eluent. The accuracy of the final Sequence-Specific Retention Calculator (SSRCalc) SCX model (∼0.99 R 2 value) exceeds all previously reported predictors for peptide LC separations. This also provides a solid platform for method development in 2D LC-MS protocols in proteomics and peptide retention prediction filtering of false positive identifications.

  18. The Wages of Failure: New Evidence on School Retention and Long-Run Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babcock, Philip; Bedard, Kelly

    2011-01-01

    By estimating differences in long-run education and labor market outcomes for cohorts of students exposed to differing state-level primary school retention rates, this article estimates the effects of retention on all students in a cohort, retained and promoted. We find that a 1 standard deviation increase in early grade retention is associated…

  19. Retentiveness of implant-supported metal copings using different luting agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farahnaz Nejatidanesh

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: With regard to potential retrievability of cement-retained implant restorations, the retentive strength of the luting agents is critical. The aim of this study was to evaluate the retention values of implant-supported metal copings using different luting agents. Materials and Methods: Twenty ITI implant analogs and solid abutments of 5.5-mm height were embedded vertically in autopolymerizing acrylic resin blocks. Metal copings with a loop on the occlusal surface were fabricated using base metal alloy (Rexillium III. The copings were luted using eight cements with different retention mechanisms (Panavia F2.0, Fuji Plus, Fleck′s, Poly F, Fuji I, Temp Bond, GC-free eugenol, and TempSpan under static load of 5 kg (n=10. All specimens were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours, conditioned in artificial saliva for 7 days and thermocycled for 5000 cycles (5-55°C. The dislodging force was measured using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 5 mm/min. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis (α=0.05 and Mann-Whitney tests with Bonferroni correction (α=0.001. Results: Fuji Plus and TempSpan had the highest and the least mean retentive strength, respectively (320.97±161.47, 3.39±2.33. There was no significant difference between Fuji Plus, Fleck′s, Ploy F, and Panavia F2.0. These cements were superior to provisional cements and Fuji I (P<0.001 which showed statistically same retentive strength. Conclusion: Within the conditions of this study, the resin modified glass ionomer, zinc phosphate, zinc polycarboxylate, and Panavia F2.0 had statistically the same retentive quality and are recommended for definitive cementation of single implant-supported restorations. The provisional cements and glass ionomer may allow retrievability of these restorations.

  20. Study of physical properties, gas generation and gas retention in simulated Hanford waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bryan, S.A.; Pederson, L.R.; Scheele, R.D.

    1993-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to establish the chemical and physical processes responsible for the generation and retention of gases within high-level waste from Tank 101-SY on the Hanford Site. This research, conducted using simulated waste on a laboratory scale, supports the development of mitigation/remediation strategies for Tank 101-SY. Simulated waste formulations are based on actual waste compositions. Selected physical properties of the simulated waste are compared to properties of actual Tank 101-SY waste samples. Laboratory studies using aged simulated waste show that significant gas generation occurs thermally at current tank temperatures (∼60 degrees C). Gas compositions include the same gases produced in actual tank waste, primarily N 2 , N 2 O, and H 2 . Gas stoichiometries have been shown to be greatly influenced by several organic and inorganic constituents within the simulated waste. Retention of gases in the simulated waste is in the form of bubble attachment to solid particles. This attachment phenomenon is related to the presence of organic constituents (HEDTA, EDTA, and citrate) of the simulated waste. A mechanism is discussed that relates the gas bubble/particle interactions to the partially hydrophobic surface produced on the solids by the organic constituents

  1. Transmutation effects on long-term Cs retention in phyllosilicate minerals from first principles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sassi, Michel; Okumura, Masahiko; Machida, Masahiko; Rosso, Kevin M

    2017-10-11

    The accidental release and incorporation of radiocesium into soil minerals represents a massive environmental, technical and social challenge. Accurately forecasting the evolving distribution and fate of long- and medium-lived isotopes such as 137 Cs and 134 Cs over decadal time scales is essential. The cesium cation has long been modeled as a strongly and selectively sorbed species into clay mineral interlayers; however, because of the time scales involved by the radioisotopes half-lives, the effects of radioactive decay on Cs retention have been unknown. We report density functional theory (DFT) simulations of transmutation effects of radiocesium on long-term Cs retention in phlogopite. The calculations show that the progressive appearance of daughter product Ba 2+ is accompanied by a proportional increase in thermodynamic driving force to preferentially discharge remaining Cs, both radioactive and stable, back into aqueous solution. Based on thermodynamic analysis, the findings indicate that radiocesium transmutation provides a mean to weaken the binding of Cs in phyllosilicate minerals, therefore potentially involving a premature re-release of Cs back into the environment. In the case where radiogenic Ba 2+ ions accumulate in the mineral, collateral effects would ultimately be an increase in the overall interlayer binding energy and a lower resorption capacity.

  2. Background or Experience? Using Logistic Regression to Predict College Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Synco, Tracee M.

    2012-01-01

    Tinto, Astin and countless others have researched the retention and attrition of students from college for more than thirty years. However, the six year graduation rate for all first-time full-time freshmen for the 2002 cohort was 57%. This study sought to determine the retention variables that predicted continued enrollment of entering freshmen…

  3. Data retention in Europe - the Tele2 case and beyond

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Søren Sandfeld; Udsen, Henrik; Pedersen, Anja Møller

    2018-01-01

    Analyses the Court of Justice of the European Union's judgment in the "Tele2 case" and evaluates the impact of the judgment on national data retention regimes.......Analyses the Court of Justice of the European Union's judgment in the "Tele2 case" and evaluates the impact of the judgment on national data retention regimes....

  4. 31 CFR 103.38 - Nature of records and retention period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Nature of records and retention... § 103.38 Nature of records and retention period. (a) Wherever it is required that there be retained... reasonable period of time, taking into consideration the nature of the record, and the amount of time expired...

  5. A modified technique for retention of orbital prosthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sameera R Shaikh

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available An orbital defect (congenital or acquired causes severe facial asymmetry and disfigurement, which results in psychological and social disturbances to the patient. It becomes a challenging task for a maxillofacial prosthodontist to fabricate a prosthesis that replicates the healthy side of the face. Success of the prosthesis depends primarily on satisfactory retention of the same. This clinical report illustrates rehabilitation of a patient with an orbital defect by fabricating a hollow orbital prosthesis, utilizing anatomical undercuts for retention using an acrylic resin template relined by a resilient denture liner.

  6. Phosphorus retention in riparian buffers: review of their efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Carl Christian; Kjaergaard, Charlotte; Uusi-Kämppä, Jaana; Hansen, Hans Christian Bruun; Kronvang, Brian

    2009-01-01

    Ground water and surface water interactions are of fundamental importance for the biogeochemical processes governing phosphorus (P) dynamics in riparian buffers. The four most important conceptual hydrological pathways for P losses from and P retention in riparian buffers are reviewed in this paper: (i) The diffuse flow path with ground water flow through the riparian aquifer, (ii) the overland flow path across the riparian buffer with water coming from adjacent agricultural fields, (iii) irrigation of the riparian buffer with tile drainage water from agricultural fields where disconnected tile drains irrigate the riparian buffer, and (iv) inundation of the riparian buffer (floodplain) with river water during short or longer periods. We have examined how the different flow paths in the riparian buffer influence P retention mechanisms theoretically and from empirical evidence. The different hydrological flow paths determine where and how water-borne P compounds meet and interact with iron and aluminum oxides or other minerals in the geochemical cycling of P in the complex and dynamic environment that constitutes a riparian buffer. The main physical process in the riparian buffer-sedimentation-is active along several flow paths and may account for P retention rates of up to 128 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1), while plant uptake may temporarily immobilize up to 15 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1). Retention of dissolved P in riparian buffers is not as pronounced as retention of particulate P and is often below 0.5 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1). Several studies show significant release of dissolved P (i.e., up to 8 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1)).

  7. 78 FR 49359 - Pay Under the General Schedule and Recruitment, Relocation, and Retention Incentives

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-14

    .... Agencies may, in their agency retention incentive plans, require documentation of private-sector job offers... Schedule and Recruitment, Relocation, and Retention Incentives AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management... to improve oversight of recruitment and retention incentive determinations; add succession planning...

  8. Emotional intelligence and clinical performance/retention of nursing students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marvos, Chelsea; Hale, Frankie B.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: This exploratory, quantitative, descriptive study was undertaken to explore the relationship between clinical performance and anticipated retention in nursing students. Methods: After approval by the university's Human Subjects Committee, a sample of 104 nursing students were recruited for this study, which involved testing with a valid and reliable emotional intelligence (EI) instrument and a self-report survey of clinical competencies. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that although the group average for total EI score and the 6 score subsets were in the average range, approximately 30% of the individual total EI scores and 30% of two branch scores, identifying emotions correctly and understanding emotions, fell in the less than average range. This data, as well as the analysis of correlation with clinical self-report scores, suggest recommendations applicable to educators of clinical nursing students. Conclusions: Registered nurses make-up the largest segment of the ever-growing healthcare workforce. Yet, retention of new graduates has historically been a challenge for the profession. Given the projected employment growth in nursing, it is important to identify factors which correlate with high levels of performance and job retention among nurses. There is preliminary evidence that EI a nontraditional intelligence measure relates positively not only with retention of clinical staff nurses, but with overall clinical performance as well. PMID:27981096

  9. Predictors of retention in a multicomponent treatment for smokers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Moreno-Coutiño

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: There is a lack of knowledge about factors that promote or hinder retention of smokers in treatment. Objective: The aim of this study was the identification of variables that predict retention of smokers who received a multicomponent treatment against smoking. Method: Participants (n = 79 simultaneously received pharmacological and psychological treatment, including an intervention phase prior to the date of smoking cessation. They were evaluated periodically in their abstinence, depressive and anxious symptoms, and were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions (nicotine patch, bupropion or nicotine patch + bupropion. Eighteen variables were grouped into four categories (demographic, consumption pattern, mood and treatment. Data were analyzed using student's t test and X2, for inclusion into a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: Results indicate that age of onset of regular tobacco consumption, secondary education and bupropion pharmacological treatment are significant in relation to the retention of smokers to smoking treatment. Discussion: The reported “age of onset” correlates with treatment retention (OR = 1.545, 95 % CI = 1.175-2.032. This variable has not previously been reported in the literature, and taking it into account in the design of prevention and treatment for smoking could increase their success.

  10. Thorough investigation of the retention mechanisms and retention behavior of amides and sulfonamides on amino column in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jovanović, Marko; Stojanović, Biljana Jančić

    2013-08-02

    In this paper detailed analysis of a mixture of four amides (tropicamide, nicotinamide, tiracetam, and piracetam) and six sulfonamides (sulfanilamide, sulfacetamide, sulfamethoxazole, sulfafurazole, furosemide, and bumetanide) on aminopropyl column in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) was carried out. Since, there are no papers on the topic of the assessment of the contribution of ion-exchange retention mechanism involved in the separation of the acidic compounds on aminopropyl column in HILIC mode, the authors utilized the retention data of the acidic sulfonamides for this purpose. Next, broad range of the aqueous buffer concentrations in the mobile phase was examined providing the separation under either HILIC or RP conditions. Turning points between these two mechanisms were determined and then the fitting of the experimental data in the localized and non-localized adsorption models in both RP and HILIC regions was assessed. Since not many papers in the literature were dealing with the estimation of factor influence on the retention behavior of neutral and acidic compounds on aminopropyl column in HILIC, Box-Behnken design and Response Surface Methodology were applied. On the basis of the obtained data, ten quadratic models were proposed and their adequacy was confirmed using ANOVA test. Furthermore, retention data was graphically evaluated by the construction of 3D response surface plots. Finally, good predictive ability of the suggested models was proved with five additional verification experiments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. A simple, fast, and accurate thermodynamic-based approach for transfer and prediction of gas chromatography retention times between columns and instruments Part III: Retention time prediction on target column.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Siyuan; Stevenson, Keisean A J M; Harynuk, James J

    2018-03-27

    This is the third part of a three-part series of papers. In Part I, we presented a method for determining the actual effective geometry of a reference column as well as the thermodynamic-based parameters of a set of probe compounds in an in-house mixture. Part II introduced an approach for estimating the actual effective geometry of a target column by collecting retention data of the same mixture of probe compounds on the target column and using their thermodynamic parameters, acquired on the reference column, as a bridge between both systems. Part III, presented here, demonstrates the retention time transfer and prediction from the reference column to the target column using experimental data for a separate mixture of compounds. To predict the retention time of a new compound, we first estimate its thermodynamic-based parameters on the reference column (using geometric parameters determined previously). The compound's retention time on a second column (of previously determined geometry) is then predicted. The models and the associated optimization algorithms were tested using simulated and experimental data. The accuracy of predicted retention times shows that the proposed approach is simple, fast, and accurate for retention time transfer and prediction between gas chromatography columns. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Teacher Retention: An Appreciative Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesavento-Conway, Jennifer Jean

    2010-01-01

    Nationally, the problem of teacher retention compounds the unstable nature of the educational situation, especially in urban, high-needs schools. Much of the instability of urban schools is due to teacher movement, the migration of teachers from school to another school within or between school districts, particularly from high-needs schools.…

  13. POSSIBLE RECESSION CURVE APPLICATIONS FOR RETENTION EVALUATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Liberacki

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the article was to present possible applications of recession flow curve in a small lowland watershed retention discharge size evaluation. The examined woodland micro catchment area of 0.52 sq km is located in Puszcza Zielonka in central Wielkopolska. The Hutka catchment is typically woody with high retention abilities. The catchment of the Hutka watercourse is forested in 89%, the other 11% is covered by swamps and wasteland. The predominant sites are fresh mixed coniferous forest (BMśw, fresh coniferous forest (Bśw and alder carr forest (Ol. Landscape in catchment is characterized by a large number of interior depressions, filled partly with rainwater or peatbogs, with poorly developed natural drainage. The watercourses do not exceed 1 km in length, the mean width is approx. 0.5 m, while mean depth ranges from 0.2 to 0.3 m. During hydrological research conducted in 1997/1998–1999/2000, 35 major (characteristic raised water stages were observed in Hutka after substantial precipitation. The recession curve dating from 18–24 September 2000 has the α and n rates nearest to average. Comparing the model curve and the curve created by observing watercourse flow, one can notice their resemblance and that they have similar ordinate values as well as shape. In the case of other recession curves, the maximum differences of ordinate values are also about 0.1–0.2 l/s/km2. The measuured α and n rates do not reveal any regularities. There are no significant statistical Horton model parameter (for recession flow curves dependencies between α and n and e.g. initial flows (Qo or the whole period of high water waves (Qp. Consequently, calculated relation between these parameters is only an approximation for the general evaluation of the retention discharge in the catchment area towards retention with flow function.

  14. Cost analysis of debridement and retention for management of prosthetic joint infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peel, T N; Dowsey, M M; Buising, K L; Liew, D; Choong, P F M

    2013-02-01

    Prosthetic joint infection remains one of the most devastating complications of arthroplasty. Debridement and retention of the prosthesis is an attractive management option in carefully selected patients. Despite this, there are no data investigating the cost of this management modality for prosthetic joint infections. The aim of this case-control study was to calculate the cost associated with debridement and retention for management of prosthetic joint infection compared with primary joint replacement surgery without prosthetic joint infection. From 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2010, there were 21 prosthetic joint infections matched to 42 control patients. Controls were matched to cases according to the arthroplasty site, age and sex. Cases had a greater number of unplanned readmissions (100% vs. 7.1%; p prosthetic joint infection the total cost, including index operation and costs of management of the prosthetic joint infection, was 3.1 times the cost of primary arthoplasty; the mean cost for cases was Australian dollars (AUD) $69,414 (±29,869) compared with $22,085 (±8147) (p prosthetic joint infections will also increase, placing significant burden on the health system. Our study adds significantly to the growing body of evidence highlighting the substantial costs associated with prosthetic joint infection. © 2011 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2011 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

  15. Retention of movement technique : Implications for primary prevention of ACL injuries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Welling, Wouter; Benjaminse, Anne; Gokeler, Alli; Otten, Bert

    2017-01-01

    Background: Retention of movement technique is crucial in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention programs. It is unknown if specific instructions or video instructions result in changes in kinematic and kinetic measures during a relatively short training session, and in a retention test

  16. 40 CFR 80.1348 - What gasoline sample retention requirements apply to refiners and importers?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What gasoline sample retention... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Gasoline Benzene Sampling, Testing and Retention Requirements § 80.1348 What gasoline sample retention requirements...

  17. Customer Retention & Customer Relationship Marketing: Strategi Pemasaran Yang Potensial

    OpenAIRE

    Aprilia, Ariesya

    2004-01-01

    The traditional marketing approach advocates the marketing mix principles and the quest for market share dominance through mass marketing techniques and a focus on new customer acquisition. This approach has guided managers for decades in planning in implementing their marketing strategies. But nowadays, traditional approach has been changed by customer retention. Customer retention, in the traditional marketing approach, is however seen as the 'end' rather than the means to delivering long-t...

  18. Unfired clay bricks – retention curves and liquid diffusivities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard; Peuhkuri, Ruut Hannele; Kristensen, A.

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents retention curves and liquid diffusivities of two different types of unfired clay bricks, both produced in Denmark on commercial basis. The retention curves are determined by use of pressure plate and pressure membrane apparatuses. The liquid diffusivity is calculated on the ba...... on the basis of capillary rise of water measured by use of X-ray equipment. The data from the capillary rise of water is transformed by the Boltzmann transformation....

  19. Motivational Factors of Employee Retention and Engagement in Organizations

    OpenAIRE

    Benjamin Balbuena Aguenza; Ahmad Puad Mat Som

    2012-01-01

    Retention is the process of physically keeping employee members in an organization as it is one of the key fundamentals that are necessary for organizational success. In a globalized environment, retention and engagement of high prospective employees are a huge challenge to organizations especially in times of high turnover rates. In many cases, even engaged employees are sometimes dissatisfied with the outcomes of organizational performance which may lead them to look elsewhere. ...

  20. Magnetomicrofluidics Circuits for Organizing Bioparticle Arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abedini-Nassab, Roozbeh

    Single-cell analysis (SCA) tools have important applications in the analysis of phenotypic heterogeneity, which is difficult or impossible to analyze in bulk cell culture or patient samples. SCA tools thus have a myriad of applications ranging from better credentialing of drug therapies to the analysis of rare latent cells harboring HIV infection or in Cancer. However, existing SCA systems usually lack the required combination of programmability, flexibility, and scalability necessary to enable the study of cell behaviors and cell-cell interactions at the scales sufficient to analyze extremely rare events. To advance the field, I have developed a novel, programmable, and massively-parallel SCA tool which is based on the principles of computer circuits. By integrating these magnetic circuits with microfluidics channels, I developed a platform that can organize a large number of single particles into an array in a controlled manner. My magnetophoretic circuits use passive elements constructed in patterned magnetic thin films to move cells along programmed tracks with an external rotating magnetic field. Cell motion along these tracks is analogous to the motion of charges in an electrical conductor, following a rule similar to Ohm's law. I have also developed asymmetric conductors, similar to electrical diodes, and storage sites for cells that behave similarly to electrical capacitors. I have also developed magnetophoretic circuits which use an overlaid pattern of microwires to switch single cells between different tracks. This switching mechanism, analogous to the operation of electronic transistors, is achieved by establishing a semiconducting gap in the magnetic pattern which can be changed from an insulating state to a conducting state by application of electrical current to an overlaid electrode. I performed an extensive study on the operation of transistors to optimize their geometry and minimize the required gate currents. By combining these elements into integrated circuits, I have built devices which are capable of organizing a precise number of cells into individually addressable array sites, similar to how a random access memory (RAM) stores electronic data. My programmable magnetic circuits allow for the organization of both cells and single-cell pairs into large arrays. Single cells can also potentially be retrieved for downstream high-throughput genomic analysis. In order to enhance the efficiency of the tool and to increase the delivery speed of the particles, I have also developed microfluidics systems that are combined with the magnetophoretic circuits. This hybrid system, called magnetomicrofluidics, is capable of rapidly organizing an array of particles and cells with the high precision and control. I have also shown that cells can be grown inside these chips for multiple days, enabling the long-term phenotypic analysis of rare cellular events. These types of studies can reveal important insights about the intercellular signaling networks and answer crucial questions in biology and immunology.

  1. Retention and Deformation of Cobalt-Chromium and High-Impact Polyamide Clasps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Övül Kümbüloğlu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The use of metal clasps especially in anterior region may cause aesthetic problems. Polyamide resin has been suggested as an alternative aesthetic denture clasp material. This study compared the retentive force and deformation of cobalt-chromium and polyamide clasps after 36 months of simulated clinical use. Materials and Methods: The retentive force for clasp removal was measured in distilled water using a custom-made apparatus with intervals corresponding to 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months of simulated clinical use. The distance (mm between the retentive and reciprocal clasp tips was measured using a microscope before and after the insertion-removal procedures. Results: Significant difference was observed in distance between clasp tips for metal clasps between baseline and 36 months for molars and premolars (p0.05. Conclusion: Polyamide clasps could be alternative to metal clasps particularly on premolars with reliable retention and deformation.

  2. Employee retention and integrated disability management practices as demand side factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habeck, Rochelle; Hunt, Allan; Rachel, Colleen Head; Kregel, John; Chan, Fong

    2010-12-01

    Demand-side employment research on company policies and practices related to retention and absence and disability management (ADM) can contribute to our understanding of employment issues related to people with disabilities from the employers' perspective. To examine company ADM and retention practices and their effectiveness, as well as how these company policies and practices might influence hiring of people with disabilities. Disability Management Employer Coalition employer members (N = 650) were surveyed by internet and the survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression. Ninety-five participants responded to the survey resulting in a response rate of 14%. Retention practice was found to be associated with retention effectiveness (r = .39, P ideas and involvement of employees, and assuring they know how their work and performance support the mission. ADM practice was related to improving health and managing health conditions (r = .26, P companies.

  3. Can intra-radicular cleaning protocols increase the retention of fiberglass posts? A systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilian Vieira OLIVEIRA

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The presence of residues within the root canal after post-space preparation can influence the bond strength between resin cement and root dentin when using fiberglass posts (FGPs. Currently, there is no consensus in the literature regarding what is the best solution for the removal of debris after post-space preparation. This systematic review involved “in vitro” studies to investigate if cleaning methods of the root canal after post-space preparation can increase the retention of FGPs evaluated by the push-out test. Searches were carried out in PubMed (MEDLINE and Scopus databases up to July2017. English language studies published from 2007 to July 2017 were selected. 475 studies were found, and 9 were included in this review. Information from the 9 studies were collected regarding the number of samples, storage method after extraction, root canal preparation, method of post-space preparation, endodontic sealer, resin cement, cleaning methods after post-space and presence of irrigant activation. Five studies presented the best results for the association of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl and ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA, while in the other 4 studies, the solutions that showed improved retention of FGPs were photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS, Qmix, Sikko and EDTA. The results showed heterogeneity in all comparisons due to a high variety of information about cleaning methods, different concentrations, application time, type of adhesive system and resin cements used. In conclusion, this review suggests that the use of NaOCl/EDTA results in the retention of FGPs and may thus be recommended as a post-space cleaning method influencing the luting procedure.

  4. Retention of 137Cs in three humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soegaard-Hansen, J.; Lauridsen, B.

    1992-01-01

    In two experiments the retention of 137 Cs after a single intake have been measured with whole-body counting. In the first experiment, two persons ingested a prepared liquid solution of 137 CsCl. In the second experiment these two persons together with a third person ingested 137 Cs naturally incorporated in a piece of meat. The obtained data have been fitted to a retention function with a small compartment having a fast excretion rate and a large compartment having a slow excretion rate, as given by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The effective biological half-lives were in both experiments significantly different from the value given by ICRP. (au)

  5. Retention and Stability of Implant-Retained Mandibular Overdentures Using Different Types of Resilient Attachments: An In Vitro Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    ELsyad, Moustafa Abdou; Agha, Nora Nory; Habib, Ahmed Ali

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the retention and stability of mandibular implant overdentures using different types of resilient attachments. Two implant analogs were inserted in the canine areas of an acrylic edentulous mandibular model. A metal-reinforced experimental overdenture was constructed and connected to the implant analogs (on two occasions) using either resilient telescopic or Locator attachments. Locators were divided into three subgroups according to the degree of retention of the male nylon insert: Locator extra-light retention (blue insert), Locator light retention (pink insert), and Locator medium retention (transparent insert). Vertical and oblique (anterior, posterior, and lateral) dislodging forces were measured at the beginning of the study (initial retention) and after 540 cycles of denture insertion and removal (final retention). For all dislodging forces, Locator medium recorded the highest initial and final retention. Telescopic attachments recorded the lowest retention during vertical and anterior dislodging, and Locator extra-light recorded the lowest retention during lateral and posterior dislodging. For all types of Locator attachments, anterior dislodging recorded the highest initial and final retention, and lateral dislodging recorded the lowest retention. For the telescopic attachment, posterior dislodgment recorded the highest initial and final retention, and anterior dislodging recorded the lowest retention. After repeated denture insertions and removals, the highest retention and stability were recorded with Locator medium followed by Locator light. The lowest retention was recorded with resilient telescopic attachment, and the lowest stability was recorded with Locator extra-light.

  6. A new skeletal retention system for retaining anterior open bites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bodore Albaker

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Relapse of anterior open bite after treatment poses a challenge to orthodontists and warrants finding new methods. We aimed to compare the effect of a skeletal retention (SR system to the conventional retention (CR commonly used. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients participated in this study. SR group ten patients (five females and five males with mean age of 16.2 years, CR group ten patients (five females and five males with mean age of 17.1 years in pretreatment stage. The SR system is comprised of four self-drilling miniscrews and vacuum retainers with interarch elastics where the CR group is comprised of removable or fixed retainers. Pretreatment (T1, posttreatment (T2, and 1-year follow up (T3 lateral cephalograms were taken and analyzed to compare the stability of both retention modalities. Results: The overbite in the CR group showed more relapse in the form of significant reduction when compared to the SR group (P < 0.001. The overbite was reduced only by 0.1 mm (±0.3 in the SR group compared to 1.4 mm (±0.9 in the CR group. In the CR group, the upper incisors and first molar showed a more significant relapse compared to the SR group (P < 0.05. Conclusion: Skeletal retention using miniscrews and vertical elastic is an effective method for retention of anterior open bite cases.

  7. Addressing the crisis of GP recruitment and retention: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchand, Catherine; Peckham, Stephen

    2017-04-01

    The numbers of GPs and training places in general practice are declining, and retaining GPs in their practices is an increasing problem. To identify evidence on different approaches to retention and recruitment of GPs, such as intrinsic versus extrinsic motivational determinants. Synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research using seven electronic databases from 1990 onwards (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Health Management Information Consortium [HMIC], Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (Cinahl), PsycINFO, and the Turning Research Into Practice [TRIP] database). A qualitative approach to reviewing the literature on recruitment and retention of GPs was used. The studies included were English-language studies from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. The titles and abstracts of 138 articles were reviewed and analysed by the research team. Some of the most important determinants to increase recruitment in primary care were early exposure to primary care practice, the fit between skills and attributes, and a significant experience in a primary care setting. Factors that seemed to influence retention were subspecialisation and portfolio careers, and job satisfaction. The most important determinants of recruitment and retention were intrinsic and idiosyncratic factors, such as recognition, rather than extrinsic factors, such as income. Although the published evidence relating to GP recruitment and retention is limited, and most focused on attracting GPs to rural areas, the authors found that there are clear overlaps between strategies to increase recruitment and retention. Indeed, the most influential factors are idiosyncratic and intrinsic to the individuals. © British Journal of General Practice 2017.

  8. Adenoid cystic carcinoma associated with mucous retention cyst of the parotid gland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hebbale, Manjula Advisha; Halli, Rajshekhar C; Kini, Yogesh K; Kharkar, Viraj R; Metgud, Rashmi

    2011-09-01

    Mucous retention cysts of the parotid gland are rare, and a coexistent adenoid cystic carcinoma is even an unusual occurrence. Such coexistent adenoid cystic carcinomas with mucous retention cyst of the parotid gland are difficult to diagnose clinically and, at times, stage difficulty in their management. We report a rare case of adenoid cystic carcinoma associated with mucous retention cyst of the parotid gland with its diagnostic and management dilemma in a 14-year-old adolescent girl.

  9. Retention and Healing Outcomes after Intentional Replantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Sin-Yeon; Lee, Yoon; Shin, Su-Jung; Kim, Euiseong; Jung, Il-Young; Friedman, Shimon; Lee, Seung-Jong

    2016-06-01

    Intentional replantation is an alternative to tooth extraction and prosthetic replacement when conventional endodontic treatment modalities are unfeasible or contraindicated. This study assessed tooth retention and healing after intentional replantation and explored predictors of these outcomes. Data of intentional replantation procedures performed between March 2000 and December 2010 were collected prospectively, excluding teeth with preoperative periodontal and root defects. A cohort of 159 teeth was followed up for 0.5-12 years. Retention and healed status without complications (periapical radiolucency, external root resorption, ankylosis, signs/symptoms, probing ≥6 mm) was recorded and analyzed with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression model (P regression identified extraoral time ≤15 minutes as predictor of complication-free healing (P < .04; hazard ratio, 2.767; 95% confidence interval, 1.053-7.272). This prospective cohort study of contemporary intentional replantation suggested a cumulative 12-year retention rate of 93% and healed rate of 77% after 3 years. Healing occurred 1.7 times more frequently in teeth replanted within 15 minutes. Although most complications occurred within 1 year after replantation, follow-up should extend for at least 3 years to capture late complications. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Determinants of feedback retention in soccer players

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Januário Nuno

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzed soccer players’ retention of coaches’ feedback during training sessions. We intended to determine if the retention of information was influenced by the athletes’ personal characteristic (age, gender and the sports level, the quantity of information included in coach’s feedback (the number of ideas and redundancy, athletes’ perception of the relevance of the feedback information and athletes’ motivation as well as the attention level. The study that was conducted over the course of 18 sessions of soccer practice, involved 12 coaches (8 males, 4 females and 342 athletes (246 males, 96 females, aged between 10 and 18 years old. All coach and athlete interventions were transposed to a written protocol and submitted to content analysis. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were calculated. The results showed that a substantial part of the information was not retained by the athletes; in 65.5% of cases, athletes experienced difficulty in completely reproducing the ideas of the coaches and, on average, the value of feedback retention was 57.0%. Six variables with a statistically significant value were found: gender, the athletes’ sports level, redundancy, the number of transmitted ideas, athletes’ perception of the relevance of the feedback information and the athletes’ motivation level.

  11. Improved motor sequence retention by motionless listening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahav, Amir; Katz, Tal; Chess, Roxanne; Saltzman, Elliot

    2013-05-01

    This study examined the effect of listening to a newly learned musical piece on subsequent motor retention of the piece. Thirty-six non-musicians were trained to play an unfamiliar melody on a piano keyboard. Next, they were randomly assigned to participate in three follow-up listening sessions over 1 week. Subjects who, during their listening sessions, listened to the same initial piece showed significant improvements in motor memory and retention of the piece despite the absence of physical practice. These improvements included increased pitch accuracy, time accuracy, and dynamic intensity of key pressing. Similar improvements, though to a lesser degree, were observed in subjects who, during their listening sessions, were distracted by another task. Control subjects, who after learning the piece had listened to nonmusical sounds, showed impaired motoric retention of the piece at 1 week from the initial acquisition day. These results imply that motor sequences can be established in motor memory without direct access to motor-related information. In addition, the study revealed that the listening-induced improvements did not generalize to the learning of a new musical piece composed of the same notes as the initial piece learned, limiting the effects to musical motor sequences that are already part of the individual's motor repertoire.

  12. Radionuclide Retention in Concrete Wasteforms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wellman, Dawn M.; Jansik, Danielle P.; Golovich, Elizabeth C.; Cordova, Elsa A.

    2012-09-24

    Assessing long-term performance of Category 3 waste cement grouts for radionuclide encasement requires knowledge of the radionuclide-cement interactions and mechanisms of retention (i.e., sorption or precipitation); the mechanism of contaminant release; the significance of contaminant release pathways; how wasteform performance is affected by the full range of environmental conditions within the disposal facility; the process of wasteform aging under conditions that are representative of processes occurring in response to changing environmental conditions within the disposal facility; the effect of wasteform aging on chemical, physical, and radiological properties; and the associated impact on contaminant release. This knowledge will enable accurate prediction of radionuclide fate when the wasteforms come in contact with groundwater. Data collected throughout the course of this work will be used to quantify the efficacy of concrete wasteforms, similar to those used in the disposal of LLW and MLLW, for the immobilization of key radionuclides (i.e., uranium, technetium, and iodine). Data collected will also be used to quantify the physical and chemical properties of the concrete affecting radionuclide retention.

  13. Surface-bubble-modulated liquid chromatography: a new approach for manipulation of chromatographic retention and investigation of solute distribution at water/hydrophobic interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Keisuke; Nakamura, Hiroki; Saito, Shingo; Shibukawa, Masami

    2015-01-20

    In this paper, we present a new chromatographic method termed surface-bubble-modulated liquid chromatography (SBMLC), that has a hybrid separation medium incorporated with surface nanobubbles. Nanobubbles or nanoscale gas phases can be fixed at the interface between water and a hydrophobic material by delivering water into a dry column packed with a nanoporous material. The incorporation of a gas phase at the hydrophobic surface leads to the formation of the hybrid separation system consisting of the gas phase, hydrophobic moieties, and the water/hydrophobic interface or the interfacial water. One can change the volume of the gas phase by pressure applied to the column, which in turn alters the area of water/hydrophobic interface or the volume of the interfacial water, while the amount of the hydrophobic moiety remains constant. Therefore, this strategy provides a novel technique not only for manipulating the separation selectivity by pressure but also for elucidating the mechanism of accumulation or retention of solute compounds in aqueous solutions by a hydrophobic material. We evaluate the contributions of the interfacial water at the surface of an octadecyl bonded silica and the bonded layer itself to the retention of various solute compounds in aqueous solutions on the column packed with the material by SBMLC. The results show that the interfacial water formed at the hydrophobic surface has a key role in retention even though its volume is rather small. The manipulation of the separation selectivity of SBMLC for some organic compounds by pressure is demonstrated.

  14. Retention of metal-ceramic crowns with contemporary dental cements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Glen H; Lepe, Xavier; Zhang, Hai; Wataha, John C

    2009-09-01

    adequately on ideal preparations because the corresponding removal stresses are comparable with or higher than those associated with zinc phosphate. Powder-liquid resin-modified glass ionomer cement, selected self-adhesive modified-resin cements and conventional resin cements provide additional retention when desired.

  15. Isoelectric point is an inadequate descriptor of MS2, Phi X 174 and PRD1 phages adhesion on abiotic surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dika, Christelle; Duval, Jérôme F L; Francius, Gregory; Perrin, Aline; Gantzer, Christophe

    2015-05-15

    MS2, Phi X 174 and PRD1 bacteriophages are commonly used as surrogates to evaluate pathogenic virus behavior in natural aquatic media. The interfacial properties of these model soft bioparticles are herein discussed in connection with their propensities to adhere onto abiotic surfaces that differ in terms of surface charges and hydrophobicities. The phages considered in this work exhibit distinct multilayered surface structures and their electrostatic charges are evaluated from the dependence of their electrophoretic mobilities on electrolyte concentration at neutral pH on the basis of electrokinetic theory for soft (bio)particles. The charges of the viruses probed by electrokinetics vary according to the sequence Phi X 174⩽PRD1≪MS2, where 'Phi X 174≪MS2Phi X 174 and PRD1 bacteriophages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. In vitro retention force measurement for three different attachment systems for implant-retained overdenture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kareem Mohammed Reda

    2016-01-01

    Conclusion: Regardless of the initial retention level of overdenture attachment, gradual loss of retention values is inevitable. However, the rate of retention loss in overdenture attachments is higher in types which comprised plastic parts within their components, rather than those totally made up of noble metals.

  17. Strategies to enhance participant recruitment and retention in research involving a community-based population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCullagh, Marjorie C; Sanon, Marie-Anne; Cohen, Michael A

    2014-11-01

    Challenges associated with recruiting and retaining community-based populations in research studies have been recognized yet remain of major concern for researchers. There is a need for exchange of recruitment and retention techniques that inform recruitment and retention strategies. Here, the authors discuss a variety of methods that were successful in exceeding target recruitment and retention goals in a randomized clinical trial of hearing protector use among farm operators. Recruitment and retention strategies were 1) based on a philosophy of mutually beneficial engagement in the research process, 2) culturally appropriate, 3) tailored to the unique needs of partnering agencies, and 4) developed and refined in a cyclical and iterative process. Sponsoring organizations are interested in cost-effective recruitment and retention strategies, particularly relating to culturally and ethnically diverse groups. These approaches may result in enhanced subject recruitment and retention, concomitant containment of study costs, and timely accomplishment of study aims. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Facilitating student retention in online graduate nursing education programs: a review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazza, Elizabeth A; Hunker, Diane F

    2014-07-01

    Online education, a form of distance education, provides students with opportunities to engage in lifelong learning without the restrictions of time and space. However, while this approach meets the needs of employed nursing professionals, it poses some challenges for educators. Student retention is one such challenge. Student retention rates serve as measures of program quality and are reported to accrediting bodies. Therefore, it is imperative that administrators and program faculty implement comprehensive programs to ensure student retention. This review of the literature was designed to identify strategies to improve student retention in online graduate nursing education programs. The review includes 23 articles that address models, research, and best practices supported in nursing and higher education. The findings indicate that student retention in online programs is a multidimensional problem requiring a multifaceted approach. Recommendations for facilitating retention in online nursing programs include ensuring social presence and program and course quality, and attentiveness to individual student characteristics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Retention and Graduation Rates: Insights from an Extended Longitudinal View

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boden, Gary T.

    2012-01-01

    This study examines a 118-year continuous record of retention and graduation rates at a public university for long-term trends not observable in shorter studies. While the first year retention rates stayed level over much of this period, second year rates increased steadily by 1.2% per decade. In contrast, graduation rates at 4 years compared to 6…

  20. Very long-term retention of basic science knowledge in doctors after graduation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Custers, Eugène J F M; Ten Cate, Olle T J

    2011-04-01

    Despite frequent complaints that biomedical knowledge is quickly forgotten after it has been learned, few investigations of actual long-term retention of basic science knowledge have been conducted in the medical domain. Our aim was to illuminate the long-term retention of basic science knowledge, particularly of unrehearsed knowledge. Using a cross-sectional study design, medical students and doctors in the Netherlands were tested for retention of basic science knowledge. Relationships between retention interval and proportion of correct answers on a knowledge test were investigated. The popular notion that most of basic science knowledge is forgotten shortly after graduation is not supported by our findings. With respect to the full test scores, which reflect a composite of unrehearsed and rehearsed knowledge, performance decreased from approximately 40% correct answers for students still in medical school, to 25-30% correct answers for doctors after many years of practice. When rehearsal during the retention interval is controlled for, it appears that little knowledge is lost for 1.5-2 years after it was last used; from then on, retention is best described by a negatively accelerated (logarithmic) forgetting curve. After ≥ 25 years, retention levels were in the range of 15-20%. Conclusions about the forgetting of unrehearsed knowledge in this study are in line with findings reported in other domains: it proceeds in accordance with the Ebbinghaus curve for meaningful material, except that in our findings the 'downward' part appears to start later than in most other studies. The limitations of the study are discussed and possible ramifications for medical education are proposed. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.