Absence of penicillin-binding protein 4 from an apparently normal strain of Bacillus subtilis.

OpenAIRE

Buchanan, C E

1987-01-01

The phenotype of a Bacillus subtilis 168 strain with no detectable penicillin-binding protein 4 was examined. Despite the fact that penicillin-binding protein 4 is one of the most penicillin-sensitive proteins in the species, its apparent loss had no obvious effect on the organism or its susceptibility to various beta-lactam antibiotics.

Hypertension 6 weeks post partum in apparently normal women. A reappraisal and challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Piver, M S; Corson, S L; Bolognese, R J

1967-08-01

Hypertensive blood pressure readings were recorded in 282 women from a group of 1025 consecutive patients returning for their sixth-week postpartum visit. Of the 282 women, 120 were classified as toxemic; however, 162 (58%) had had no elevation of blood pressure antepartum, intrapartum, or during the immediate postpartum period. In addition, 100 women with normal sixth-week postpartum blood pressures were randomly selected as controls. A retrospective analysis of their records showed sixth-week postpartum hypertension to occur much less frequently (13%) in nulliparous women, as compared to the preeclamptic nulliparous patients (31%). With the exception of proteinuria, all of the other data studied failed to reveal any significant abnormalities in the late postpartum hypertensive group of patients.

Corrections to the apparent value of the cosmological constant due to local inhomogeneities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romano, Antonio Enea; Chen, Pisin

2011-01-01

Supernovae observations strongly support the presence of a cosmological constant, but its value, which we will call apparent, is normally determined assuming that the Universe can be accurately described by a homogeneous model. Even in the presence of a cosmological constant we cannot exclude nevertheless the presence of a small local inhomogeneity which could affect the apparent value of the cosmological constant. Neglecting the presence of the inhomogeneity can in fact introduce a systematic misinterpretation of cosmological data, leading to the distinction between an apparent and true value of the cosmological constant. We establish the theoretical framework to calculate the corrections to the apparent value of the cosmological constant by modeling the local inhomogeneity with a ΛLTB solution. Our assumption to be at the center of a spherically symmetric inhomogeneous matter distribution correspond to effectively calculate the monopole contribution of the large scale inhomogeneities surrounding us, which we expect to be the dominant one, because of other observations supporting a high level of isotropy of the Universe around us. By performing a local Taylor expansion we analyze the number of independent degrees of freedom which determine the local shape of the inhomogeneity, and consider the issue of central smoothness, showing how the same correction can correspond to different inhomogeneity profiles. Contrary to previous attempts to fit data using large void models our approach is quite general. The correction to the apparent value of the cosmological constant is in fact present for local inhomogeneities of any size, and should always be taken appropriately into account both theoretically and observationally

Diffusion weighted imaging of the normal breast: reproducibility of apparent diffusion coefficient measurements and variation with menstrual cycle and menopausal status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Flynn, Elizabeth A.M.; Morgan, Veronica A.; Giles, Sharon L. [Cancer Research UK and ESPSRC Cancer Imaging Centre, Clinical Magnetic Resonance Group, Surrey (United Kingdom); deSouza, Nandita M. [Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Clinical Magnetic Resonance Group, Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey (United Kingdom)

2012-07-15

To establish the reproducibility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements in normal fibroglandular breast tissue and to assess variation in ADC values with phase of the menstrual cycle and menopausal status. Thirty-one volunteers (13 premenopausal, 18 postmenopausal) underwent magnetic resonance twice (interval 11-22 days) using diffusion-weighted MRI. ADC{sub total} and a perfusion-insensitive ADC{sub high} (omitting b = 0) were calculated. Reproducibility and inter-observer variability of mean ADC values were assessed. The difference in mean ADC values between the two phases of the menstrual cycle and the postmenopausal breast were evaluated. ADC{sub total} and ADC{sub high} showed good reproducibility (r% = 17.6, 22.4). ADC{sub high} showed very good inter-observer agreement (kappa = 0.83). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were 0.93 and 0.91. Mean ADC values were significantly lower in the postmenopausal breast (ADC{sub total} 1.46 {+-} 0.3 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s, ADC{sub high} 1.33 {+-} 0.3 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s) compared with the premenopausal breast (ADC{sub total} 1.84 {+-} 0.26 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s, ADC{sub high} 1.77 {+-} 0.26 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s; both P < 0.001). No significant difference was seen in ADC values in relation to menstrual cycle (ADC{sub total} P = 0.2, ADC{sub high} P = 0.24) or between postmenopausal women taking or not taking oestrogen supplements (ADC{sub total} P = 0.6, ADC{sub high} P = 0.46). ADC values in fibroglandular breast tissue are reproducible. Lower ADC values within the postmenopausal breast may reduce diffusion-weighted contrast and have implications for accurately detecting tumours. (orig.)

Application of the extreme value approaches to the apparent magnitude distribution of the earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Tinti, S.; Mulargia, F.

1985-03-01

The apparent magnitude of an earthquake y is defined as the observed magnitude value and differs from the true magnitude m because of the experimental noise n. If f(m) is the density distribution of the magnitude m, and if g(n) is the density distribution of the error n, then the density distribution of y is simply computed by convolving f and g, i.e. h(y)=f*g. If the distinction between y and m is not realized, any statistical analysis based on the frequency-magnitude relation of the earthquake is bound to produce questionable results. In this paper we investigate the impact of the apparent magnitude idea on the statistical methods that study the earthquake distribution by taking into account only the largest (or extremal) earthquakes. We use two approaches: the Gumbel method based on Gumbel theory ( Gumbel, 1958), and the Poisson method introduced by Epstein and Lomnitz (1966). Both methods are concerned with the asymptotic properties of the magnitude distributions. Therefore, we study and compare the asymptotic behaviour of the distributions h(y) and f(m) under suitable hypotheses on the nature of the experimental noise. We investigate in detail two dinstinct cases: first, the two-side limited symmetrical noise, i.e. the noise that is bound to assume values inside a limited region, and second, the normal noise, i.e. the noise that is distributed according to a normal symmetric distribution. We further show that disregarding the noise generally leads to biased results and that, in the framework of the apparent magnitude, the Poisson approach preserves its usefulness, while the Gumbel method gives rise to a curious paradox.

Apparent Coefficient of Friction of Wheat on Denim.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, Charles V

2017-07-31

Calculation of the extraction force for a grain entrapment victim requires a coefficient of friction between the grain and the surface of the victim. Because denim is a common fabric for the work clothes that cover entrapment victims, the coefficient of friction between grain and denim becomes necessary. The purpose of this research was to calculate the apparent coefficient of friction of wheat on denim fabric using a proven procedure. The expectation is to improve the current understanding of conditions that influence extraction forces for victims buried in wheat. The apparent coefficient of friction of wheat on denim fabric was calculated to be 0.167 with a standard deviation of ±0.013. The wheat had a moisture content of 10.7% (w.b.) and bulk density of 778.5 kg m-3. The apparent coefficient of friction of wheat on denim was not significantly affected by pull speeds of 0.004, 0.008, and 0.021 mm s-1 nor normal grain pressures of 3.2, 4.8, 6.3, 7.9, and 11.1 kPa. This is a beginning of understanding the conditions that influence the extraction forces for grain entrapment victims. Copyright© by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

Nonsuppressing normal thymus on chemical-shift MR imaging and anterior mediastinal lymphoma. Differentiation with diffusion-weighted MR imaging by using the apparent diffusion coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Priola, Adriano Massimiliano; Priola, Sandro Massimo; Gned, Dario; Veltri, Andrea; Giraudo, Maria Teresa

2018-01-01

To prospectively evaluate usefulness of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating anterior mediastinal lymphoma from nonsuppressing normal thymus on chemical-shift MR, and to look at the relationship between patient age and ADC. Seventy-three young subjects (25 men, 48 women; age range, 9-29 years), who underwent chemical-shift MR and diffusion-weighted MR were divided into a normal thymus group (group A, 40 subjects), and a lymphoma group (group B, 33 patients). For group A, all subjects had normal thymus with no suppression on opposed-phase chemical-shift MR. Two readers measured the signal intensity index (SII) and ADC. Differences in SII and ADC between groups were tested using t-test. ADC was correlated with age using Pearson correlation coefficient. Mean SII±standard deviation was 2.7±1.8% for group A and 2.2±2.4% for group B, with no significant difference between groups (P=.270). Mean ADC was 2.48±0.38 x 10 -3 mm 2 /s for group A and 1.24±0.23 x 10 -3 mm 2 /s for group B. A significant difference between groups was found (P<.001), with no overlap in range. Lastly, significant correlation was found between age and ADC (r=0.935, P<.001) in group A. ADC of diffusion-weighted MR is a noninvasive and accurate parameter for differentiating lymphoma from nonsuppressing thymus on chemical-shift MR in young subjects. (orig.)

Apparently abnormal Wechsler Memory Scale index score patterns in the normal population.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrasco, Roman Marcus; Grups, Josefine; Evans, Brittney; Simco, Edward; Mittenberg, Wiley

2015-01-01

Interpretation of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition may involve examination of multiple memory index score contrasts and similar comparisons with Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition ability indexes. Standardization sample data suggest that 15-point differences between any specific pair of index scores are relatively uncommon in normal individuals, but these base rates refer to a comparison between a single pair of indexes rather than multiple simultaneous comparisons among indexes. This study provides normative data for the occurrence of multiple index score differences calculated by using Monte Carlo simulations and validated against standardization data. Differences of 15 points between any two memory indexes or between memory and ability indexes occurred in 60% and 48% of the normative sample, respectively. Wechsler index score discrepancies are normally common and therefore not clinically meaningful when numerous such comparisons are made. Explicit prior interpretive hypotheses are necessary to reduce the number of index comparisons and associated false-positive conclusions. Monte Carlo simulation accurately predicts these false-positive rates.

Interpatient variation in normal peripheral zone apparent diffusion coefficient: effect on the prediction of prostate cancer aggressiveness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Litjens, G.J.S.; Hambrock, T.; Hulsbergen-van de Kaa, C.A.; Barentsz, J.O.; Huisman, H.J.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To determine the interpatient variability of prostate peripheral zone (PZ) apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and its effect on the assessment of prostate cancer aggressiveness. Materials and Methods: The requirement for institutional review board approval was waived. Intra- and

Observations of apparent superslow wave propagation in solar prominences

Science.gov (United States)

Raes, J. O.; Van Doorsselaere, T.; Baes, M.; Wright, A. N.

2017-06-01

Context. Phase mixing of standing continuum Alfvén waves and/or continuum slow waves in atmospheric magnetic structures such as coronal arcades can create the apparent effect of a wave propagating across the magnetic field. Aims: We observe a prominence with SDO/AIA on 2015 March 15 and find the presence of oscillatory motion. We aim to demonstrate that interpreting this motion as a magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) wave is faulty. We also connect the decrease of the apparent velocity over time with the phase mixing process, which depends on the curvature of the magnetic field lines. Methods: By measuring the displacement of the prominence at different heights to calculate the apparent velocity, we show that the propagation slows down over time, in accordance with the theoretical work of Kaneko et al. We also show that this propagation speed drops below what is to be expected for even slow MHD waves for those circumstances. We use a modified Kippenhahn-Schlüter prominence model to calculate the curvature of the magnetic field and fit our observations accordingly. Results: Measuring three of the apparent waves, we get apparent velocities of 14, 8, and 4 km s-1. Fitting a simple model for the magnetic field configuration, we obtain that the filament is located 103 Mm below the magnetic centre. We also obtain that the scale of the magnetic field strength in the vertical direction plays no role in the concept of apparent superslow waves and that the moment of excitation of the waves happened roughly one oscillation period before the end of the eruption that excited the oscillation. Conclusions: Some of the observed phase velocities are lower than expected for slow modes for the circumstances, showing that they rather fit with the concept of apparent superslow propagation. A fit with our magnetic field model allows for inferring the magnetic geometry of the prominence. The movie attached to Fig. 1 is available at http://www.aanda.org

Case report of a young stroke patient showing interim normalization of the MRI diffusion-weighted imaging lesion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostwaldt, Ann-Christin; Usnich, Tatiana; Nolte, Christian H.; Villringer, Kersten; Fiebach, Jochen B.

2015-01-01

In acute ischemic stroke, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) shows hyperintensities and is considered to indicate irreversibly damaged tissue. We present the case of a young stroke patient with unusual variability in the development of signal intensities within the same vessel territory. A 35-year-old patient presented with symptoms of global aphasia and hypesthesia of the left hand. MRI demonstrated a scattered lesion in the MCA territory. After rtPA therapy the patient received further MRI examination, three times on day 1, and once on day 2, 3, 5 and 43. The posterior part of the lesion showed the usual pattern with increasing DWI hyperintensity and decreased ADC, as well as delayed FLAIR positivity. However, the anterior part of the lesion, which was clearly visible in the first examination completely normalized on the first day and only reappeared on day 2. This was accompanied by a normalization of the ADC as well as an even further delayed FLAIR positivity. We showed that interim normalization of DWI and ADC in the acute phase can not only be found in rodent models of stroke, but also in humans. We propose that DWI lesion development might be more variable during the first 24 h after stroke than previously assumed

Glutamate Cysteine Ligase—Modulatory Subunit Knockout Mouse Shows Normal Insulin Sensitivity but Reduced Liver Glycogen Storage

KAUST Repository

Lavoie, Suzie

2016-04-21

Glutathione (GSH) deficits have been observed in several mental or degenerative illness, and so has the metabolic syndrome. The impact of a decreased glucose metabolism on the GSH system is well-known, but the effect of decreased GSH levels on the energy metabolism is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the sensitivity to insulin in the mouse knockout (KO) for the modulatory subunit of the glutamate cysteine ligase (GCLM), the rate-limiting enzyme of GSH synthesis. Compared to wildtype (WT) mice, GCLM-KO mice presented with reduced basal plasma glucose and insulin levels. During an insulin tolerance test, GCLM-KO mice showed a normal fall in glycemia, indicating normal insulin secretion. However, during the recovery phase, plasma glucose levels remained lower for longer in KO mice despite normal plasma glucagon levels. This is consistent with a normal counterregulatory hormonal response but impaired mobilization of glucose from endogenous stores. Following a resident-intruder stress, during which stress hormones mobilize glucose from hepatic glycogen stores, KO mice showed a lower hyperglycemic level despite higher plasma cortisol levels when compared to WT mice. The lower hepatic glycogen levels observed in GCLM-KO mice could explain the impaired glycogen mobilization following induced hypoglycemia. Altogether, our results indicate that reduced liver glycogen availability, as observed in GCLM-KO mice, could be at the origin of their lower basal and challenged glycemia. Further studies will be necessary to understand how a GSH deficit, typically observed in GCLM-KO mice, leads to a deficit in liver glycogen storage.

Glutamate Cysteine Ligase—Modulatory Subunit Knockout Mouse Shows Normal Insulin Sensitivity but Reduced Liver Glycogen Storage

KAUST Repository

Lavoie, Suzie; Steullet, Pascal; Kulak, Anita; Preitner, Frederic; Do, Kim Q.; Magistretti, Pierre J.

2016-01-01

Glutathione (GSH) deficits have been observed in several mental or degenerative illness, and so has the metabolic syndrome. The impact of a decreased glucose metabolism on the GSH system is well-known, but the effect of decreased GSH levels on the energy metabolism is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the sensitivity to insulin in the mouse knockout (KO) for the modulatory subunit of the glutamate cysteine ligase (GCLM), the rate-limiting enzyme of GSH synthesis. Compared to wildtype (WT) mice, GCLM-KO mice presented with reduced basal plasma glucose and insulin levels. During an insulin tolerance test, GCLM-KO mice showed a normal fall in glycemia, indicating normal insulin secretion. However, during the recovery phase, plasma glucose levels remained lower for longer in KO mice despite normal plasma glucagon levels. This is consistent with a normal counterregulatory hormonal response but impaired mobilization of glucose from endogenous stores. Following a resident-intruder stress, during which stress hormones mobilize glucose from hepatic glycogen stores, KO mice showed a lower hyperglycemic level despite higher plasma cortisol levels when compared to WT mice. The lower hepatic glycogen levels observed in GCLM-KO mice could explain the impaired glycogen mobilization following induced hypoglycemia. Altogether, our results indicate that reduced liver glycogen availability, as observed in GCLM-KO mice, could be at the origin of their lower basal and challenged glycemia. Further studies will be necessary to understand how a GSH deficit, typically observed in GCLM-KO mice, leads to a deficit in liver glycogen storage.

Regional apparent diffusion coefficient values in 3rd trimester fetal brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffmann, Chen; Weisz, Boaz; Lipitz, Shlomo; Katorza, Eldad; Yaniv, Gal; Bergman, Dafi; Biegon, Anat

2014-01-01

Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in the developing fetus can be used in the diagnosis and prognosis of prenatal brain pathologies. To this end, we measured regional ADC in a relatively large cohort of normal fetal brains in utero. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed in 48 non-sedated 3rd trimester fetuses with normal structural MR imaging results. ADC was measured in white matter (frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes), basal ganglia, thalamus, pons, and cerebellum. Regional ADC values were compared by one-way ANOVA with gestational age as covariate. Regression analysis was used to examine gestational age-related changes in regional ADC. Four other cases of CMV infection were also examined. Median gestational age was 32 weeks (range, 26-33 weeks). There was a highly significant effect of region on ADC, whereby ADC values were highest in white matter, with significantly lower values in basal ganglia and cerebellum and the lowest values in thalamus and pons. ADC did not significantly change with gestational age in any of the regions tested. In the four cases with fetal CMV infection, ADC value was associated with a global decrease. ADC values in normal fetal brain are relatively stable during the third trimester, show consistent regional variation, and can make an important contribution to the early diagnosis and possibly prognosis of fetal brain pathologies. (orig.)

Regional apparent diffusion coefficient values in 3rd trimester fetal brain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffmann, Chen [Tel Aviv University, Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer (affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine), Tel Aviv (Israel); Sheba Medical Center, Diagnostic Imaging, 52621, Tel Hashomer (Israel); Weisz, Boaz; Lipitz, Shlomo; Katorza, Eldad [Tel Aviv University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer (affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine), Tel Aviv (Israel); Yaniv, Gal; Bergman, Dafi [Tel Aviv University, Department of Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer (affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine), Tel Aviv (Israel); Biegon, Anat [Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Stony Brook, NY (United States)

2014-07-15

Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in the developing fetus can be used in the diagnosis and prognosis of prenatal brain pathologies. To this end, we measured regional ADC in a relatively large cohort of normal fetal brains in utero. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed in 48 non-sedated 3rd trimester fetuses with normal structural MR imaging results. ADC was measured in white matter (frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes), basal ganglia, thalamus, pons, and cerebellum. Regional ADC values were compared by one-way ANOVA with gestational age as covariate. Regression analysis was used to examine gestational age-related changes in regional ADC. Four other cases of CMV infection were also examined. Median gestational age was 32 weeks (range, 26-33 weeks). There was a highly significant effect of region on ADC, whereby ADC values were highest in white matter, with significantly lower values in basal ganglia and cerebellum and the lowest values in thalamus and pons. ADC did not significantly change with gestational age in any of the regions tested. In the four cases with fetal CMV infection, ADC value was associated with a global decrease. ADC values in normal fetal brain are relatively stable during the third trimester, show consistent regional variation, and can make an important contribution to the early diagnosis and possibly prognosis of fetal brain pathologies. (orig.)

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome: report of one family with three affected children.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Harbi, Taiba; Al-Shaikh, Adnan

2012-01-01

The syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hypertension, hypokalemia, low renin, and hypoaldosteronism. It is caused by deficiency of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which results in a defect of the peripheral metabolism of cortisol to cortisone. As a consequence, the serum cortisol half-life (T½) is prolonged, ACTH is suppressed, and serum cortisol concentration is normal. The hormonal diagnosis of the disorder is made by the increased ratio of urine-free cortisol to cortisone. In patients with AME, this ratio is 5-18, while in normal individuals it is syndrome of AME. We report three siblings - two female and one male - with the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess who presented with hypertension, hypokalemia, low renin, and low aldosterone levels. The finding of abnormally high ratios of 24-h urine-free cortisol to cortisone in our three patients (case 1, 8.4; case 2, 25; and case 3, 7.5) confirmed the diagnosis of apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome in these children. They were treated with oral potassium supplements. The addition of spironolactone resulted in a decrease in blood pressure, rise in serum potassium and a gradual increase in plasma renin activity in all three. In this study, the genetic testing of those three siblings with the typical clinical features of AME has detected missense mutation c.662C>T (p.Arg208Cys) in exon 3 of the HSD11B2 gene in the homozygous state.

Sub-cellular force microscopy in single normal and cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babahosseini, H. [VT MEMS Laboratory, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States); Carmichael, B. [Nonlinear Intelligent Structures Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0276 (United States); Strobl, J.S. [VT MEMS Laboratory, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States); Mahmoodi, S.N., E-mail: nmahmoodi@eng.ua.edu [Nonlinear Intelligent Structures Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0276 (United States); Agah, M., E-mail: agah@vt.edu [VT MEMS Laboratory, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States)

2015-08-07

This work investigates the biomechanical properties of sub-cellular structures of breast cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure where the Generalized Maxwell model is applied to experimental data from AFM stress-relaxation tests to extract the elastic modulus, the apparent viscosity, and the relaxation time of sub-cellular structures. The triple-layered modeling results allow for determination and comparison of the biomechanical properties of the three major sub-cellular structures between normal and cancerous cells: the up plasma membrane/actin cortex, the mid cytoplasm/nucleus, and the low nuclear/integrin sub-domains. The results reveal that the sub-domains become stiffer and significantly more viscous with depth, regardless of cell type. In addition, there is a decreasing trend in the average elastic modulus and apparent viscosity of the all corresponding sub-cellular structures from normal to cancerous cells, which becomes most remarkable in the deeper sub-domain. The presented modeling in this work constitutes a unique AFM-based experimental framework to study the biomechanics of sub-cellular structures. - Highlights: • The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure using Generalized Maxwell model. • The sub-domains include membrane/cortex, cytoplasm/nucleus, and nuclear/integrin. • Biomechanics of corresponding sub-domains are compared among normal and cancer cells. • Viscoelasticity of sub-domains show a decreasing trend from normal to cancer cells. • The decreasing trend becomes most significant in the deeper sub-domain.

Sub-cellular force microscopy in single normal and cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babahosseini, H.; Carmichael, B.; Strobl, J.S.; Mahmoodi, S.N.; Agah, M.

2015-01-01

This work investigates the biomechanical properties of sub-cellular structures of breast cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure where the Generalized Maxwell model is applied to experimental data from AFM stress-relaxation tests to extract the elastic modulus, the apparent viscosity, and the relaxation time of sub-cellular structures. The triple-layered modeling results allow for determination and comparison of the biomechanical properties of the three major sub-cellular structures between normal and cancerous cells: the up plasma membrane/actin cortex, the mid cytoplasm/nucleus, and the low nuclear/integrin sub-domains. The results reveal that the sub-domains become stiffer and significantly more viscous with depth, regardless of cell type. In addition, there is a decreasing trend in the average elastic modulus and apparent viscosity of the all corresponding sub-cellular structures from normal to cancerous cells, which becomes most remarkable in the deeper sub-domain. The presented modeling in this work constitutes a unique AFM-based experimental framework to study the biomechanics of sub-cellular structures. - Highlights: • The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure using Generalized Maxwell model. • The sub-domains include membrane/cortex, cytoplasm/nucleus, and nuclear/integrin. • Biomechanics of corresponding sub-domains are compared among normal and cancer cells. • Viscoelasticity of sub-domains show a decreasing trend from normal to cancer cells. • The decreasing trend becomes most significant in the deeper sub-domain

Tracheal sound parameters of respiratory cycle phases show differences between flow-limited and normal breathing during sleep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulkas, A; Huupponen, E; Virkkala, J; Saastamoinen, A; Rauhala, E; Tenhunen, M; Himanen, S-L

2010-01-01

The objective of the present work was to develop new computational parameters to examine the characteristics of respiratory cycle phases from the tracheal breathing sound signal during sleep. Tracheal sound data from 14 patients (10 males and 4 females) were examined. From each patient, a 10 min long section of normal and a 10 min section of flow-limited breathing during sleep were analysed. The computationally determined proportional durations of the respiratory phases were first investigated. Moreover, the phase durations and breathing sound amplitude levels were used to calculate the area under the breathing sound envelope signal during inspiration and expiration phases. An inspiratory sound index was then developed to provide the percentage of this type of area during the inspiratory phase with respect to the combined area of inspiratory and expiratory phases. The proportional duration of the inspiratory phase showed statistically significantly higher values during flow-limited breathing than during normal breathing and inspiratory pause displayed an opposite difference. The inspiratory sound index showed statistically significantly higher values during flow-limited breathing than during normal breathing. The presented novel computational parameters could contribute to the examination of sleep-disordered breathing or as a screening tool

The apparent and effective chloride migration coefficients obtained in migration tests

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spiesz, P.R.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

2013-01-01

The apparent (Dapp) and effective (Deff) migration coefficients obtained in chloride migration tests are investigated in this study. The presented Dapp profiles in concrete show that the apparent migration coefficient is strongly concentration-dependent. As demonstrated, the binding of chlorides is

Mechanics of apparent horizons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, W.

1992-01-01

An equation for the variation in the surface area of an apparent horizon is derived which has the same form as the thermodynamic relation TdS=dQ. For a stationary vacuum black hole, the expression corresponding to a temperature equals the temperature of the event horizon. Also, if the black hole is perturbed infinitesimally by weak matter and gravitational fields, the area variation of the apparent horizon asymptotically approaches the Hartle-Hawking result for the event horizon. These results support the idea that a local version of black-hole thermodynamics in nonstationary systems can be constructed for apparent horizons

Isolation and Antibiogram of Aerobic Nasal Bacterial Flora of Apparently Healthy West African Dwarf Goats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. O. Emikpe

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Goats are important in the livestock economy by their adaptability to adverse environmental conditions as they are good sources of protein and income for the rural poor. Studies conducted on the bacterial flora of the respiratory tract in goats focused on the pneumonic lungs, with fewer studies on the apparently normal nasal passage and antibiogram of isolated organisms. This study was carried out on 60 apparently healthy West African Dwarf goats. The nasal swab from each goat was analyzed using standard methods. The disc diffusion technique was used for the antibiotic sensitivity test. Three hundred and twenty-eight isolates were obtained. The most frequently isolated species was Streptococcus spp., while Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the second dominant bacteria. Other species were isolated at relatively lower rates. The isolation of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida from the nasal cavity of apparently healthy goats in this study reflects their possible role in most common respiratory diseases encountered in small ruminants. Most of the bacteria were found to be susceptible to streptomycin, quinolones (perfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin and gentamicin, while they were resistant to tetracycline, augmentin and erythromycin. This study shows the relationship between misuse or unrestricted use of antibiotics and drug resistance. Therefore, there is a need for practitioners and researchers to be informed of the appropriate antibiotics to be used in respiratory infections and during control programs.

Usefulness of Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging for Breast Lesions: Comparing the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) Values and the Pathologic Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Hye Shin; Chang, Yun Woo; Choi, Kyung Hee; Kim, Hyun Joo; Hong, Seong Suk; Hwang, Jung Hwa; Kwon, Kui Hyang; Kim, Yong Bae

2011-01-01

We wanted to evaluate the ability of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values to differentiate between benign and malignant breast lesions and the normal breast parenchyma. We used breast MRI, including DWI, to obtain images of 167 breast lesions (18 benign lesions and 149 malignant lesions) of 152 women (mean age: 48.6 years, range: 24-80 years). The mean ADC values of the malignant lesions were compared to those of the benign lesions and the normal parenchyma. We compared the ADC values of IDC, DCIS and other types of breast cancer and we also compared the ADC values with the nuclear grade of IDC. The mean ADC values of the malignant lesions were lower than those of the benign lesions and the normal parenchyma (p -3 mm 2 /s for discriminating between malignant and benign lesion showed a specificity of 53% and a sensitivity of 100%, and the ADC threshold value of 1.33 X 10 -3 mm 2 /s showed a specificity of 93% and a sensitivity of 94% for discriminating between malignant and benign lesion.

Radiosensitivity of normal human epidermal cells in culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dover, R.; Potten, C.S.

1983-01-01

Using an in vitro culture system the authors have derived #betta#-radiation survival curves over a dose range 0-8 Gy for the clonogenic cells of normal human epidermis. The culture system used allows the epidermal cells to stratify and form a multi-layered sheet of keratinizing cells. The cultures appear to be a very good model for epidermis in vivo. The survival curves show a population which is apparently more sensitive than murine epidermis in vivo. It remains unclear whether this is an intrinsic difference between the species or is a consequence of the in vitro cultivation of the human cells. (author)

Hawking radiation of an apparent horizon in a FRW universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Ronggen; Cao Liming; Hu Yapeng

2009-01-01

Hawking radiation is an important quantum phenomenon of a black hole, which is closely related to the existence of an event horizon of a black hole. The cosmological event horizon of de Sitter space is also of Hawking radiation with a thermal spectrum. By use of the tunneling approach, we show that there is indeed a Hawking radiation with temperature, T=1/(2πr-tilde A , for a locally defined apparent horizon of a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe with any spatial curvature, where r-tilde A is the apparent horizon radius. Thus we fill in the gap existing in the literature investigating the relation between the first law of thermodynamics and Friedmann equations; there the apparent horizon is assumed to have such a temperature without any proof. In addition, we stress the implication of the Hawking temperature associated with the apparent horizon.

Diffusion-weighted imaging in normal fetal brain maturation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, J.F. [University Children' s Hospital UKBB, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Basel (Switzerland); Confort-Gouny, S.; Le Fur, Y.; Viout, P.; Cozzone, P. [UMR-CNRS 6612, Faculte de Medecine, Universite de la Mediterranee, Centre de Resonance Magnetique Biologique et Medicale, Marseille (France); Bennathan, M.; Chapon, F.; Fogliarini, C.; Girard, N. [Universite de la Mediterranee, Department of Neuroradiology AP-HM Timone, Marseille (France)

2007-09-15

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) provides information about tissue maturation not seen on conventional magnetic resonance imaging. The aim of this study is to analyze the evolution over time of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of normal fetal brain in utero. DWI was performed on 78 fetuses, ranging from 23 to 37 gestational weeks (GW). All children showed at follow-up a normal neurological evaluation. ADC values were obtained in the deep white matter (DWM) of the centrum semiovale, the frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobe, in the cerebellar hemisphere, the brainstem, the basal ganglia (BG) and the thalamus. Mean ADC values in supratentorial DWM areas (1.68 {+-} 0.05 mm{sup 2}/s) were higher compared with the cerebellar hemisphere (1.25 {+-} 0.06 mm{sup 2}/s) and lowest in the pons (1.11 {+-} 0.05 mm{sup 2}/s). Thalamus and BG showed intermediate values (1.25 {+-} 0.04 mm{sup 2}/s). Brainstem, cerebellar hemisphere and thalamus showed a linear negative correlation with gestational age. Supratentorial areas revealed an increase in ADC values, followed by a decrease after the 30th GW. This study provides a normative data set that allows insights in the normal fetal brain maturation in utero, which has not yet been observed in previous studies on premature babies. (orig.)

Effect of volume loading with water, normal saline, palm wine and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative study of the diuretic effect of water, normal saline, palm wine and Lipton tea was carried out on forty (40) randomly selected, apparently normal undergraduate students of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Uyo, Nigeria. One and a half (1.5) litres of water, normal saline, palm wine and Lipton tea were ...

Apparent diffusion coefficient measurements in progressive supranuclear palsy

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Ohshita, T.; Oka, M.; Imon, Y.; Yamaguchi, S.; Mimori, Y.; Nakamura, S. [Hiroshima Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

2000-09-01

We measured the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI in the cerebral white matter of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and age-matched normal subjects. In PSP, ADC in the prefrontal and precentral white matter was significantly higher than in controls. There was no significant difference in signal intensity on T2-weighted images. The ADC did correlate with signal intensity. The distribution of the elevation of ADC may be the consequence of underlying pathological changes, such as neurofibrillary tangles or glial fibrillary tangles in the cortex. Our findings suggest that ADC measurement might be useful for demonstrating subtle neuropathological changes. (orig.)

Paediatric renal length measurements from ultrasound and DMSA scans: does clinical practice reflect theoretical normal values?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Que, L.; Rutland, M.D.; Hassan, I.M.

1999-01-01

Full text: Renal length measurement is a routine part of ultrasound examination in children and those results are plotted on a normogram style graph, so that each child's results are compared to a normal range (mean ± 2 S.D.). Renal length measurements from the posterior oblique views of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scans in our department have not always correlated well with the ultrasound measurements on the same patients. Renal lengths from the DMSA scans of 120 patients with apparently normal kidneys were recorded and used to generate a normogram of renal length at different ages (0.5-7 years). This DMSA normogram was compared to the ultrasound (US) normogram used in the Paediatric Radiology Department, and it showed slight differences in renal lengths (3-8 mm), but that the US normogram had smaller coefficients of variation (US = 6.6%, NM 8.3%), implying a 'tighter' normal range. 39 of these patients had DMSA and ultrasound measurements of renal length within 3 months, and these were studied first by calculating the mean and CV values for different age groups, and then by plotting individual renal lengths on the appropriate normograms. The measured data produced much greater variability in the ultrasound measurements than the DTPA measurements, and the individual points produced 4/78 (5.1%) abnormal results for DMSA, but 21/78 (26.9%) abnormal results for ultrasound. Thus, in routine clinical use, using patients with apparently normal kidneys, ultrasound was unable to match the 'normal range' set by their current normogram, but the nuclear medicine showed 5.1% of values outside the normal (DMSA) range, which was completely appropriate for a range of ± 2 standard deviations

Local Backbone Flexibility as a Determinant of the Apparent pKa Values of Buried Ionizable Groups in Proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Peck, Meredith T; Ortega, Gabriel; De Luca-Johnson, Javier N; Schlessman, Jamie L; Robinson, Aaron C; García-Moreno E, Bertrand

2017-10-10

Ionizable groups buried in the hydrophobic interior of proteins are essential for energy transduction. These groups can have highly anomalous pK a values that reflect the incompatibility between charges and dehydrated environments. A systematic study of pK a values of buried ionizable groups in staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) suggests that these pK a values are determined in part by conformational reorganization of the protein. Lys-66 is one of the most deeply buried residues in SNase. We show that its apparent pK a of 5.7 reflects the average of the pK a values of Lys-66 in different conformational states of the protein. In the fully folded state, Lys-66 is deeply buried in the hydrophobic core of SNase and must titrate with a pK a of ≪5.7. In other states, the side chain of Lys-66 is fully solvent-exposed and has a normal pK a of ≈10.4. We show that the pK a of Lys-66 can be shifted from 5.7 toward a more normal value of 7.1 via the insertion of flanking Gly residues at positions 64 and 67 to promote an "open" conformation of SNase. Crystal structures and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy show that in these Gly-containing variants Lys-66 can access bulk water as a consequence of overwinding of the C-terminal end of helix 1. These data illustrate that the apparent pK a values of buried groups in proteins are governed in part by the difference in free energy between different conformational states of the protein and by differences in the pK a values of the buried groups in the different conformations.

Impaired class switch recombination (CSR) in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) despite apparently normal CSR machinery.

Science.gov (United States)

Kriangkum, Jitra; Taylor, Brian J; Strachan, Erin; Mant, Michael J; Reiman, Tony; Belch, Andrew R; Pilarski, Linda M

2006-04-01

Analysis of clonotypic isotype class switching (CSR) in Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) and IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) reveals a normal initial phase of B-cell activation as determined by constitutive and inducible expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Switch mu (Smu) analysis shows that large deletions are not common in WM or IgM MGUS. In CD40L/IL-4-stimulated WM cultures from 2 patients, we observed clonotypic IgG exhibiting intraclonal homogeneity associated with multiple hybrid Smu/Sgamma junctions. This suggests CSR had occurred within WM cells. Nevertheless, the estimated IgG/IgM-cell frequency was relatively low (1/1600 cells). Thus, for the majority of WM B cells, CSR does not occur even when stimulated in vitro, suggesting that the WM cell is constitutively unable to or being prevented from carrying out CSR. In contrast to WM, the majority of IgM MGUS clones exhibit intraclonal heterogeneity of IgH VDJ. Furthermore, most IgM MGUS accumulate more mutations in the upstream Smu region than do WM, making them unlikely WM progenitors. These observations suggest that switch sequence analysis may identify the subset of patients with IgM MGUS who are at risk of progression to WM.

Assessing the intersection/remagnetization puzzle with synthetic apparent polar wander paths

Science.gov (United States)

Pivarunas, Anthony F.; Meert, Joseph G.; Miller, Scott R.

2018-05-01

Paleomagnetic data are of variable quality. To assist in a systematic assessment of data, a set of seven quality criteria (VQ1 - VQ7) were introduced by Van der Voo (1990). The last of those criteria `VQ7' concerns the possibility of remagnetization when a particular paleomagnetic pole resembles a younger paleopole from the same stable region. While remagnetizations are often the culprit, the mere resemblance of an older pole to a younger pole does not a priori require that the rocks under investigation are remagnetized. Given that the Earth has a finite surface area; that apparent polar wander paths are represented as wide swathes rather than points, and that continental motion has taken place over several billion years, we ask the question `How likely is it for an apparent polar wander path to loop back on itself?' To answer this question, we constructed synthetic apparent polar wander paths (APWPs) in an effort to evaluate the likelihood of self-intersection. We find that given 500 Myr of apparent polar wander, ˜60 per cent of the synthetic APWPs show self-intersection. Given 1000 Myr of apparent polar wander, ˜95 per cent of the synthetic APWPs show self-intersection. These results show that resemblance to younger paleopoles, over the long term, may be governed by simple probability rather than only remagnetization. We recognize that remagnetization does occur, sometimes pervasively, and must be reckoned with in the assessment of paleomagnetic data. Perhaps VQ7 should be amended to the first sentence in the original discussion (Van der Voo, 1990), and focus on satisfying `No suspicion of remagnetization' via other means rather than solely a resemblance to younger poles.

Hyperphagia, mild developmental delay but apparently no structural brain anomalies in a boy without SOX3 expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Helle, Johan Robert; Barøy, Tuva; Misceo, Doriana; Braaten, Øivind; Fannemel, Madeleine; Frengen, Eirik

2013-05-01

The transcription factor SOX3 is widely expressed in early vertebrate brain development. In humans, duplication of SOX3 and polyalanine expansions at its C-terminus may cause intellectual disability and hypopituitarism. Sox3 knock-out mice show a variable phenotype including structural and functional anomalies affecting the branchial arches and midline cerebral structures such as the optic chiasm and the hypothalamo-pituitary axis. SOX3 is claimed to be required in normal brain development and function in mice and humans, as well as in pituitary and craniofacial development. We report on an 8-year-old boy with a 2.1 Mb deletion in Xq27.1q27.2, which was found to be inherited from his healthy mother. To our knowledge, this is the smallest deletion including the entire SOX3 gene in a male reported to date. He is mildly intellectually disabled with language delay, dysarthria, behavior problems, minor facial anomalies, and hyperphagia. Hormone levels including growth, adrenocorticotropic and thyroid stimulating hormones are normal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at age 6 years showed no obvious brain anomalies. Genetic redundancy between the three members of the B1 subfamily of SOX proteins during early human brain development likely explains the apparently normal development of brain structures in our patient who is nullisomic for SOX3. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess: time of manifestation and complications despite treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Knops, Noël B B; Monnens, Leo A; Lenders, Jacques W; Levtchenko, Elena N

2011-06-01

Here we describe the case of a patient followed from birth because of a positive family history for apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) in an older brother. The patient, a girl, had normal serum electrolyte and blood pressure measurements in the first months after birth. Not until the age of 11 months did she develop anorexia and failure to thrive in combination with hypertension, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis, which are consistent with the diagnosis of AME. This diagnosis was confirmed by mutation analysis of the HSD11B2 gene (C1228T). Treatment with amiloride and furosemide electrolyte disturbances normalized her blood pressure. At the age of 19 years she unexpectedly suffered a stroke. Additional investigations revealed no accepted risk factor for stroke. We discuss the possible underlying mechanisms for the delayed manifestation of hypertension and electrolyte disturbances in AME, propose an additional explanation for the stroke in this patient, and advise treatment with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist to reduce stroke risk in patients with AME.

Combined Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Apparent Transverse Relaxation Rate Differentiate Parkinson Disease and Atypical Parkinsonism.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, G; Lewis, M M; Kanekar, S; Sterling, N W; He, L; Kong, L; Li, R; Huang, X

2017-05-01

Both diffusion tensor imaging and the apparent transverse relaxation rate have shown promise in differentiating Parkinson disease from atypical parkinsonism (particularly multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy). The objective of the study was to assess the ability of DTI, the apparent transverse relaxation rate, and their combination for differentiating Parkinson disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, and controls. A total of 106 subjects (36 controls, 35 patients with Parkinson disease, 16 with multiple system atrophy, and 19 with progressive supranuclear palsy) were included. DTI and the apparent transverse relaxation rate measures from the striatal, midbrain, limbic, and cerebellar regions were obtained and compared among groups. The discrimination performance of DTI and the apparent transverse relaxation rate among groups was assessed by using Elastic-Net machine learning and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Compared with controls, patients with Parkinson disease showed significant apparent transverse relaxation rate differences in the red nucleus. Compared to those with Parkinson disease, patients with both multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy showed more widespread changes, extending from the midbrain to striatal and cerebellar structures. The pattern of changes, however, was different between the 2 groups. For instance, patients with multiple system atrophy showed decreased fractional anisotropy and an increased apparent transverse relaxation rate in the subthalamic nucleus, whereas patients with progressive supranuclear palsy showed an increased mean diffusivity in the hippocampus. Combined, DTI and the apparent transverse relaxation rate were significantly better than DTI or the apparent transverse relaxation rate alone in separating controls from those with Parkinson disease/multiple system atrophy/progressive supranuclear palsy; controls from those with Parkinson

APPARENT CROSS-FIELD SUPERSLOW PROPAGATION OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC WAVES IN SOLAR PLASMAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaneko, T.; Yokoyama, T. [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 (Japan); Goossens, M.; Doorsselaere, T. Van [Centre for Mathematical Plasma Astrophysics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, Bus 2400, B-3001 Herverlee (Belgium); Soler, R.; Terradas, J. [Departament de Física, Universitat de les Illes Balears, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Wright, A. N., E-mail: kaneko@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS (United Kingdom)

2015-10-20

In this paper we show that the phase-mixing of continuum Alfvén waves and/or continuum slow waves in the magnetic structures of the solar atmosphere as, e.g., coronal arcades, can create the illusion of wave propagation across the magnetic field. This phenomenon could be erroneously interpreted as fast magnetosonic waves. The cross-field propagation due to the phase-mixing of continuum waves is apparent because there is no real propagation of energy across the magnetic surfaces. We investigate the continuous Alfvén and slow spectra in two-dimensional (2D) Cartesian equilibrium models with a purely poloidal magnetic field. We show that apparent superslow propagation across the magnetic surfaces in solar coronal structures is a consequence of the existence of continuum Alfvén waves and continuum slow waves that naturally live on those structures and phase-mix as time evolves. The apparent cross-field phase velocity is related to the spatial variation of the local Alfvén/slow frequency across the magnetic surfaces and is slower than the Alfvén/sound velocities for typical coronal conditions. Understanding the nature of the apparent cross-field propagation is important for the correct analysis of numerical simulations and the correct interpretation of observations.

[A five-year-old girl with epilepsy showing forced normalization due to zonisamide].

Science.gov (United States)

Hirose, Mieko; Yokoyama, Hiroyuki; Haginoya, Kazuhiro; Iinuma, Kazuie

2003-05-01

A case of forced normalization in childhood is presented. When zonisamide was administered to a five-year-old girl with intractable epilepsy, disappearance of seizures was accompanied by severe psychotic episodes such as communication disturbance, personal relationship failure, and stereotyped behavior, which continued after the withdrawal of zonisamide. These symptoms gradually improved by administration of fluvoxamine, however epileptic attacks reappeared. Although most patients with forced normalization are adult and teenager, attention should be paid to this phenomenon as adverse psychotic effects of zonisamide even in young children. Fluvoxamine may be effective for the symptoms.

Spatial interpolation of soil organic carbon using apparent electrical conductivity as secondary information

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, G.; Vanderlinden, K.; Ordóñez, R.; Muriel, J. L.

2009-04-01

Soil organic carbon (SOC) spatial characterization is necessary to evaluate under what circumstances soil acts as a source or sink of carbon dioxide. However, at the field or catchment scale it is hard to accurately characterize its spatial distribution since large numbers of soil samples are necessary. As an alternative, near-surface geophysical sensor-based information can improve the spatial estimation of soil properties at these scales. Electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors provide non-invasive and non-destructive measurements of the soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), which depends under non-saline conditions on clay content, water content or SOC, among other properties that determine the electromagnetic behavior of the soil. This study deals with the possible use of ECa-derived maps to improve SOC spatial estimation by Simple Kriging with varying local means (SKlm). Field work was carried out in a vertisol in SW Spain. The field is part of a long-term tillage experiment set up in 1982 with three replicates of conventional tillage (CT) and Direct Drilling (DD) plots with unitary dimensions of 15x65m. Shallow and deep (up to 0.8m depth) apparent electrical conductivity (ECas and ECad, respectively) was measured using the EM38-DD EMI sensor. Soil samples were taken from the upper horizont and analyzed for their SOC content. Correlation coefficients of ECas and ECad with SOC were low (0.331 and 0.175) due to the small range of SOC values and possibly also to the different support of the ECa and SOC data. Especially the ECas values were higher in the DD plots. The normalized ECa difference (ΔECa), calculated as the difference between the normalized ECas and ECad values, distinguished clearly the CT and DD plots, with the DD plots showing positive ΔECa values and CT plots ΔECa negative values. The field was stratified using fuzzy k-means (FKM) classification of ΔECa (FKM1), and ECas and ECad (FKM2). The FKM1 map mainly showed the difference between

Application of mixture experimental design to simvastatin apparent solubility predictions in the microemulsifion formed by self-microemulsifying.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Jian; Zheng, Liangyuan

2007-09-01

Self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) are useful to improve the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs by increasing their apparent solubility through solubilization. However, very few studies, to date, have systematically examined the level of drug apparent solubility in o/w microemulsion formed by self-microemulsifying. In this study, a mixture experimental design was used to simulate the influence of the compositions on simvastatin apparent solubility quantitatively through an empirical model. The reduced cubic polynomial equation successfully modeled the evolution of simvastatin apparent solubility. The results were presented using an analysis of response surface showing a scale of possible simvastatin apparent solubility between 0.0024 ~ 29.0 mg/mL. Moreover, this technique showed that simvastatin apparent solubility was mainly influenced by microemulsion concentration and, suggested that the drug would precipitate in the gastrointestinal tract due to dilution by gastrointestinal fluids. Furthermore, the model would help us design the formulation to maximize the drug apparent solubility and avoid precipitation of the drug.

Factors influencing zinc status of apparently healthy indians.

Science.gov (United States)

Agte, Vaishali V; Chiplonkar, Shashi A; Tarwadi, Kirtan V

2005-10-01

To identify dietary, environmental and socio-economic factors associated with mild zinc deficiency, three zinc status indices; erythrocyte membrane zinc (RBCMZn), plasma zinc and super oxide dismutase (SOD) were assessed in free living and apparently healthy Indian population. Dietary patterns of 232 men and 223 women (20-65 yr) from rural, industrial and urban regions of Western India were evaluated by food frequency questionnaire. RBCMZn was estimated using atomic absorption spectrometry, hemoglobin and serum ceruloplasmin by spectrophotometer. On a sub sample (48 men and 51 women) plasma zinc and SOD were also assessed. Mean RBCMZn was 0.5 +/- 0.1 micromols/g protein with 46% individuals showing zinc deficiency. Mean plasma zinc was 0.98 +/- 0.12 microg/mL with 25% men and 2.5% women having values below normal range. Mean SOD was 0.97 +/- 0.1 (u/mL cells). A significant positive correlation was observed between intakes of green leafy vegetables, other vegetables and milk products with RBCMZn status (p plasma zinc (p > 0.2). Cereal and legume intakes were negatively correlated with RBCMZn (p plasma zinc (p 0.2). Fruit and other vegetable intake were positively correlated with SOD (p Plasma zinc indicated positive association with zinc, thiamin and riboflavin intakes (p plasma zinc and SOD. Prominent determinants of zinc status were intakes of beta-carotene and zinc along with environmental conditions and family size.

Apparent competition with an invasive plant hastens the extinction of an endangered lupine.

Science.gov (United States)

Dangremond, Emily M; Pardini, Eleanor A; Knight, Tiffany M

2010-08-01

Invasive plants may compete with native plants by increasing the pressure of native consumers, a mechanism known as "apparent competition." Apparent competition can be as strong as or stronger than direct competition, but the role of apparent competition has rarely been examined in biological invasions. We used four years of demographic data and seed-removal experiments to determine if introduced grasses caused elevated levels of seed consumption on native plant species in a coastal dune system in California, USA. We show that the endangered, coastal dune plant Lupinus tidestromii experiences high levels of pre-dispersal seed consumption by the native rodent Peromyscus maniculatus due to its proximity to the invasive grass, Ammophila arenaria. We use stage-structured, stochastic population models to project that two of three study populations will decline toward extinction under ambient levels of consumption. For one of these declining populations, a relatively small decrease in consumption pressure should allow for persistence. We show that apparent competition with an invasive species significantly decreases the population growth rate and persistence of a native species. We expect that apparent competition is an important mechanism in other ecosystems because invasive plants often change habitat structure and plant-consumer interactions. Possible implications of the apparent-competition mechanism include selective extinction of species preferred by seed consumers in the presence of an invasive species and biological homogenization of communities toward non-preferred native plant species.

PHARMACOKINETIC VARIATIONS OF OFLOXACIN IN NORMAL AND FEBRILE RABBITS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. AHMAD, H. RAZA, G. MURTAZA AND N. AKHTAR

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The influence of experimentally Escherichia coli-induced fever (EEIF on the pharmacokinetics of ofloxacin was evaluated. Ofloxacin was administered @ 20 mg.kg-1 body weight intravenously to a group of eight healthy rabbits and compared these results to values in same eight rabbits with EEIF. Pharmacokinetic parameters of ofloxacin in normal and febrile rabbits were determined by using two compartment open kinetic model. Peak plasma level (Cmax and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-α in normal and febrile rabbits did not differ (P>0.05. However, area under first moment of plasma concentration-time curve (AUMC0-α in febrile rabbits was significantly (P<0.05 higher than that in normal rabbits. Mean values for elimination rate constant (Ke, elimination half life (t1/2β and apparent volume of distribution (Vd were significantly (P<0.05 lower in febrile rabbits compared to normal rabbits, while mean residence time (MRT and total body clearance (Cl of ofloxacin did not show any significant difference in the normal and febrile rabbits. Clinical significance of the above results can be related to the changes in the volume of distribution and elimination half life that illustrates an altered steady state in febrile condition; hence, the need for an adjustment of dosage regimen in EEIF is required.

Primary visual cortex activity along the apparent-motion trace reflects illusory perception.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Muckli

2005-08-01

Full Text Available The illusion of apparent motion can be induced when visual stimuli are successively presented at different locations. It has been shown in previous studies that motion-sensitive regions in extrastriate cortex are relevant for the processing of apparent motion, but it is unclear whether primary visual cortex (V1 is also involved in the representation of the illusory motion path. We investigated, in human subjects, apparent-motion-related activity in patches of V1 representing locations along the path of illusory stimulus motion using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Here we show that apparent motion caused a blood-oxygenation-level-dependent response along the V1 representations of the apparent-motion path, including regions that were not directly activated by the apparent-motion-inducing stimuli. This response was unaltered when participants had to perform an attention-demanding task that diverted their attention away from the stimulus. With a bistable motion quartet, we confirmed that the activity was related to the conscious perception of movement. Our data suggest that V1 is part of the network that represents the illusory path of apparent motion. The activation in V1 can be explained either by lateral interactions within V1 or by feedback mechanisms from higher visual areas, especially the motion-sensitive human MT/V5 complex.

Increased association of coronary artery calcification in apparently healthy Korean adults with hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype: The Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Byung Sub; Park, Hye-Jeong; Lee, Min-Kyung; Jeon, Won Seon; Park, Se Eun; Park, Cheol-Young; Lee, Won-Yong; Oh, Ki-Won; Park, Sung-Woo; Rhee, Eun-Jung

2015-09-01

Hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype is a simple screening parameter to identify people at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. We evaluated whether hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype increases the risk for coronary artery calcification (CAC) in apparently healthy Korean adults. A total of 32,186 participants (mean age 41.3, 80.2% men) in a health screening program, in whom the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was measured, were analyzed. Subjects were divided into four groups: 1) normal waist circumference (WC)-normal triglyceride (TG) (NWNT), 2) normal WC-high TG (NWHT), 3) enlarged WC-normal TG (EWNT), and 4) enlarged WC-high TG (EWHT). Enlarged WC was defined as WC ≥ 90 cm for men and ≥ 85 cm for women; high serum TG was defined as TG ≥ 150 mg/dL. The presence of CAC was defined by CACS >0, and CACS was analyzed in a logarithmized form of CACS plus 1 {ln(CACS+1)}. A total of 14.9% of the participants had CAC. The EWHT group showed the highest mean value for ln(CACS+1) among the four groups. The EWHT group showed the highest odds ratio for CAC, with NWHT group the second, and with EWNT group the third compared with the NWNT group after adjusting for confounding variables (1.579, 1.302, and 1.266 vs. NWNT). The EWHT group showed the highest association for CAC, suggesting this HTGW phenotype as a useful marker for the detection of subjects with high cardiometabolic risk in healthy Korean adults. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naganawa, Shinji; Ishigaki, Takeo [Department of Radiology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Shouwa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo [Department of Radiology, First Kamiida General Hospital (Japan)

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean{+-}standard deviation 2.3{+-}1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. (orig.)

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naganawa, Shinji; Ishigaki, Takeo; Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean±standard deviation 2.3±1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. (orig.)

Estimation of apparent kinetic parameters of polymer pyrolysis with complex thermal degradation behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srimachai, Taranee; Anantawaraskul, Siripon

2010-01-01

Full text: Thermal degradation behavior during polymer pyrolysis can typically be described using three apparent kinetic parameters (i.e., pre-exponential factor, activation energy, and reaction order). Several efficient techniques have been developed to estimate these apparent kinetic parameters for simple thermal degradation behavior (i.e., single apparent pyrolysis reaction). Unfortunately, these techniques cannot be directly extended to the case of polymer pyrolysis with complex thermal degradation behavior (i.e., multiple concurrent reactions forming single or multiple DTG peaks). In this work, we proposed a deconvolution method to determine the number of apparent reactions and estimate three apparent kinetic parameters and contribution of each reaction for polymer pyrolysis with complex thermal degradation behavior. The proposed technique was validated with the model and experimental pyrolysis data of several polymer blends with known compositions. The results showed that (1) the number of reaction and (2) three apparent kinetic parameters and contribution of each reaction can be estimated reasonably. The simulated DTG curves with estimated parameters also agree well with experimental DTG curves. (author)

Remembering apparent behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wagoner, Brady

2011-01-01

The present experiment systematically investigates the role of narrative templates (Wertsch, 2002) in remembering. To stimulate the construction of a diversity of narratives I used Heider and Simmel’s (1944) celebrated “apparent behavior” film, in which geometric shapes moving around a screen...

Analysis of normal tongue by dynamic enhanced MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ariyoshi, Yasunori; Shimahara, Masashi

2003-01-01

We qualitatively evaluated dynamic enhanced MR images of normal tongues of 26 patients without oral malignancy, inflammatory diseases or systemic diseases. The selected slices were not affected by apparent artifacts including motion and susceptibility, and the tongue shape was delineated as symmetrical on coronal images, which were obtained using a T1 weighted spin echo pulse sequence (repetition time/echo time (TR/TE)=200/20). Slices at the incisor and molar levels were evaluated. Structures that could be identified on each pre-contrast image could also be identified on the post-contrast dynamic enhanced image. However, identification of the intrinsic tongue musculature was impossible on the images that were composed of symmetrical, relatively high signal areas surrounded by a low signal area. Both areas were gradually but apparently enhanced. The sublingual space was easily identified at the molar level, as it was rapidly enhanced and symmetrically delineated on each image, however, it was difficult to determine at the incisor level. Further, the lingual septum could also be identified in almost all images at the molar level, and showed no enhancement pattern, whereas, the mucosal surface of the dorsum tongue was rapidly enhanced, and identified on each image. (author)

Apparent Contact Angle and Contact Angle Hysteresis on Liquid Infused Surfaces

OpenAIRE

Semprebon, Ciro; McHale, Glen; Kusumaatmaja, Halim

2016-01-01

We theoretically investigate the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of a droplet placed on a liquid infused surface. We show that the apparent contact angle is not uniquely defined by material parameters, but also has a strong dependence on the relative size between the droplet and its surrounding wetting ridge formed by the infusing liquid. We derive a closed form expression for the contact angle in the limit of vanishing wetting ridge, and compute the correction for small b...

Magnetic resonance imaging in children with sickle cell disease - detecting alterations in the apparent diffusion coefficient in hips with avascular necrosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacKenzie, John D.; Hernandez, Andrea; Pena, Andres; Khrichenko, Dmitry; Gonzalez, Leonardo; Jaramillo, Diego; Ruppert, Kai; Jawad, Abbas F.; Wells, Lawrence; Smith-Whitley, Kim

2012-01-01

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a common morbidity in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) that leads to pain and joint immobility. However, the diagnosis is often uncertain or delayed. To examine the ability of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements on diffusion-weighted imaging to detect AVN in children with SCD. ADC values were calculated at the hips of normal children (n = 19) and children with SCD who were either asymptomatic with no known previous hip disease (n = 13) or presented for the first time with clinical symptoms of hip pathology (n = 12). ADC values were compared for differences among groups with and without AVN using non-parametric statistical methods. The ADC values were elevated in the hips of children with AVN (median ADC = 1.57 x 10 -3 mm 2 /s [95% confidence interval = 0.86-2.10]) and differed significantly in pairwise comparisons (all P < 0.05) from normal children (0.74 [0.46-0.98]), asymptomatic children with SCD (0.55 [0.25-0.85]), and SCD children who had symptoms referable to their hips but did not show findings of hip AVN on conventional MRI or radiographs (0.46 [0.18-0.72]). Children with sickle cell disease have elevated apparent diffusion coefficient values in their affected hips on initial diagnosis of avascular necrosis. (orig.)

Magnetic resonance imaging in children with sickle cell disease - detecting alterations in the apparent diffusion coefficient in hips with avascular necrosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacKenzie, John D. [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, CA (United States); Hernandez, Andrea; Pena, Andres; Khrichenko, Dmitry; Gonzalez, Leonardo; Jaramillo, Diego [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Ruppert, Kai [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); University of Virginia, Department of Radiology, Charlottesville, VA (United States); Jawad, Abbas F. [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatrics, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Wells, Lawrence [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Orthopedics, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Smith-Whitley, Kim [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Hematology, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2012-06-15

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a common morbidity in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) that leads to pain and joint immobility. However, the diagnosis is often uncertain or delayed. To examine the ability of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements on diffusion-weighted imaging to detect AVN in children with SCD. ADC values were calculated at the hips of normal children (n = 19) and children with SCD who were either asymptomatic with no known previous hip disease (n = 13) or presented for the first time with clinical symptoms of hip pathology (n = 12). ADC values were compared for differences among groups with and without AVN using non-parametric statistical methods. The ADC values were elevated in the hips of children with AVN (median ADC = 1.57 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s [95% confidence interval = 0.86-2.10]) and differed significantly in pairwise comparisons (all P < 0.05) from normal children (0.74 [0.46-0.98]), asymptomatic children with SCD (0.55 [0.25-0.85]), and SCD children who had symptoms referable to their hips but did not show findings of hip AVN on conventional MRI or radiographs (0.46 [0.18-0.72]). Children with sickle cell disease have elevated apparent diffusion coefficient values in their affected hips on initial diagnosis of avascular necrosis. (orig.)

Snoring, inflammatory markers, adipokines and metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy Chinese.

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Liang Sun

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Chronic low-grade inflammation and adipokines dysregulation are linked to mechanisms underscoring the pathogenesis of obesity-related metabolic disorders. Little is known about roles of these cytokines on the association between snoring and metabolic syndrome (MetS. We aimed to investigate whether a cluster of cytokines are related to snoring frequency and its association with MetS in apparently healthy Chinese. METHODS: Current analyses used a population-based sample including 1059 Shanghai residents aged 35-54 years. Self-reported snoring frequency was classified as never, occasionally and regularly. Fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, insulin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, interleukin-18, lipopolysaccharide binding protein, high-molecular-weight adiponectin and leptin were measured. MetS was defined by the updated National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian-Americans. RESULTS: Overweight/obese subjects had significantly higher prevalence of regular snorers than their normal-weight counterparts (34.8% vs. 11.5%, P<0.001. Regular snoring was associated with unfavorable profile of inflammatory markers and adipokines. However, those associations were abolished after adjustment for body mass index (BMI or waist circumference. The MetS risk (multivariate-adjusted odds ratio 5.41, 95% confidence interval 3.72-7.88 was substantially higher in regular snorers compared with non-snorers. Controlling for BMI remarkably attenuated the association (2.03, 1.26-3.26, while adjusting for inflammatory markers and adipokines showed little effects. CONCLUSION: Frequent snoring was associated with an elevated MetS risk independent of lifestyle factors, adiposity, inflammatory markers and adipokines in apparently healthy Chinese. Whether snoring pattern is an economic and no-invasive indicator for screening high-risk persons needs to be addressed prospectively.

A Marker of Endotoxemia Is Associated With Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders in Apparently Healthy Chinese

OpenAIRE

Sun, Liang; Yu, Zhijie; Ye, Xingwang; Zou, Shurong; Li, Huaixing; Yu, Danxia; Wu, Hongyu; Chen, Yan; Dore, Joel; Clément, Karine; Hu, Frank B.; Lin, Xu

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE Elevated lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), a marker of subclinical endotoxemia, may be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic risk. We aimed to investigate the association between plasma LBP and metabolic disorders in apparently healthy Chinese. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A population-based study including 559 overweight/obese (BMI ≥24.0 kg/m2) and 500 normal-weight (18.0 ≤ BMI

Initial Experience of 3-Tesla Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values in Characterizing Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Head and Neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, A.; Dvorak, R.; Rohrer, S.; Mukherji, S.K.

2008-01-01

Background: With the increased clinical use of 3-Tesla (3T) magnets, it becomes important to identify the potential applications of advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging in head and neck pathologies. Purpose: To establish the 3T apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for normal neck structures, and to examine the utility of ADC values in distinguishing head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) from normal neck anatomy. Material and Methods: 3T diffusion-weighted imaging was performed on 10 normal volunteers and 10 patients with known HNSCC. In the volunteers, mean ADC was calculated in the parotid gland, submandibular gland, base of the tongue, pterygoid muscle, masseter muscle, paraspinal muscles, true vocal cord, thyroid gland, thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, and lymph nodes. The mean tumor ADC value was calculated from the 10 patients with HNSCC and compared with the normal ADC values from various neck structures. Results: The mean ADC value measured in the HNSCC was 1.101 (±0.214)x10 -3 mm 2 /s. This was significantly lower than ADC values of paraspinal muscles, pterygoid muscle, masseter muscle, thyroid gland, and base of the tongue (P=0.0006, 0.0002, 0.0001, 0.001, and 0.002, respectively). The tumor ADC values were not significantly different from ADC values of parotid and submandibular glands (P=0.057 and 0.14, respectively). Conclusion: 3T ADC values show potential for distinguishing HNSCC from normal extracranial head and neck structures

Initial Experience of 3-Tesla Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values in Characterizing Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Head and Neck

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Srinivasan, A.; Dvorak, R.; Rohrer, S.; Mukherji, S.K. (Dept. of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, Univ. of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI (United States))

2008-11-15

Background: With the increased clinical use of 3-Tesla (3T) magnets, it becomes important to identify the potential applications of advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging in head and neck pathologies. Purpose: To establish the 3T apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for normal neck structures, and to examine the utility of ADC values in distinguishing head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) from normal neck anatomy. Material and Methods: 3T diffusion-weighted imaging was performed on 10 normal volunteers and 10 patients with known HNSCC. In the volunteers, mean ADC was calculated in the parotid gland, submandibular gland, base of the tongue, pterygoid muscle, masseter muscle, paraspinal muscles, true vocal cord, thyroid gland, thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, and lymph nodes. The mean tumor ADC value was calculated from the 10 patients with HNSCC and compared with the normal ADC values from various neck structures. Results: The mean ADC value measured in the HNSCC was 1.101 (+-0.214)x10-3mm2/s. This was significantly lower than ADC values of paraspinal muscles, pterygoid muscle, masseter muscle, thyroid gland, and base of the tongue (P=0.0006, 0.0002, 0.0001, 0.001, and 0.002, respectively). The tumor ADC values were not significantly different from ADC values of parotid and submandibular glands (P=0.057 and 0.14, respectively). Conclusion: 3T ADC values show potential for distinguishing HNSCC from normal extracranial head and neck structures

Apparent resistivity for transient electromagnetic induction logging and its correction in radial layer identification

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Qingxin; Hu, Xiangyun; Pan, Heping; Xi, Yufei

2018-04-01

We propose an algorithm for calculating all-time apparent resistivity from transient electromagnetic induction logging. The algorithm is based on the whole-space transient electric field expression of the uniform model and Halley's optimisation. In trial calculations for uniform models, the all-time algorithm is shown to have high accuracy. We use the finite-difference time-domain method to simulate the transient electromagnetic field in radial two-layer models without wall rock and convert the simulation results to apparent resistivity using the all-time algorithm. The time-varying apparent resistivity reflects the radially layered geoelectrical structure of the models and the apparent resistivity of the earliest time channel follows the true resistivity of the inner layer; however, the apparent resistivity at larger times reflects the comprehensive electrical characteristics of the inner and outer layers. To accurately identify the outer layer resistivity based on the series relationship model of the layered resistance, the apparent resistivity and diffusion depth of the different time channels are approximately replaced by related model parameters; that is, we propose an apparent resistivity correction algorithm. By correcting the time-varying apparent resistivity of radial two-layer models, we show that the correction results reflect the radially layered electrical structure and the corrected resistivities of the larger time channels follow the outer layer resistivity. The transient electromagnetic fields of radially layered models with wall rock are simulated to obtain the 2D time-varying profiles of the apparent resistivity and corrections. The results suggest that the time-varying apparent resistivity and correction results reflect the vertical and radial geoelectrical structures. For models with small wall-rock effect, the correction removes the effect of the low-resistance inner layer on the apparent resistivity of the larger time channels.

INTAKE AND APPARENT DIGESTIBILITY OF Andropogon gayanus HAY AT THREE DIFFERENT AGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Cayô Cavalcanti

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the voluntary intake and apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, fiber fractions, energy, and the nitrogen balance of Andropogon gayanus hay at three different stages (56, 84 and 112 days. The statistical design was completely randomized, with three treatments and six replicates. Dry matter, fiber fractions, and energy apparent digestibility were higher (P<0.05 for hay harvested at 56 and 84 days. Crude protein intake and apparent digestibility of A. gayanus hay harvested at 56 days of growth were greater (P<0.05 than the hay harvested at 84 and 112 days. The A. gayanus hay showed the best voluntary intake and digestibility at 56 and 84 days of age. Keywords: forage; nutritive value; sheep.

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality.

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Naganawa, Shinji; Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo; Ishigaki, Takeo

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean+/-standard deviation 2.3+/-1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (pright frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (pbrain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference.

Detection of visual events along the apparent motion trace in patients with paranoid schizophrenia.

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Sanders, Lia Lira Olivier; Muckli, Lars; de Millas, Walter; Lautenschlager, Marion; Heinz, Andreas; Kathmann, Norbert; Sterzer, Philipp

2012-07-30

Dysfunctional prediction in sensory processing has been suggested as a possible causal mechanism in the development of delusions in patients with schizophrenia. Previous studies in healthy subjects have shown that while the perception of apparent motion can mask visual events along the illusory motion trace, such motion masking is reduced when events are spatio-temporally compatible with the illusion, and, therefore, predictable. Here we tested the hypothesis that this specific detection advantage for predictable target stimuli on the apparent motion trace is reduced in patients with paranoid schizophrenia. Our data show that, although target detection along the illusory motion trace is generally impaired, both patients and healthy control participants detect predictable targets more often than unpredictable targets. Patients had a stronger motion masking effect when compared to controls. However, patients showed the same advantage in the detection of predictable targets as healthy control subjects. Our findings reveal stronger motion masking but intact prediction of visual events along the apparent motion trace in patients with paranoid schizophrenia and suggest that the sensory prediction mechanism underlying apparent motion is not impaired in paranoid schizophrenia. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Attention and apparent motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, T; Treisman, A

1994-01-01

Two dissociations between short- and long-range motion in visual search are reported. Previous research has shown parallel processing for short-range motion and apparently serial processing for long-range motion. This finding has been replicated and it has also been found that search for short-range targets can be impaired both by using bicontrast stimuli, and by prior adaptation to the target direction of motion. Neither factor impaired search in long-range motion displays. Adaptation actually facilitated search with long-range displays, which is attributed to response-level effects. A feature-integration account of apparent motion is proposed. In this theory, short-range motion depends on specialized motion feature detectors operating in parallel across the display, but subject to selective adaptation, whereas attention is needed to link successive elements when they appear at greater separations, or across opposite contrasts.

Apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis on liquid infused surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Semprebon, Ciro; McHale, Glen; Kusumaatmaja, Halim

2016-12-21

We theoretically investigate the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of a droplet placed on a liquid infused surface. We show that the apparent contact angle is not uniquely defined by material parameters, but also has a dependence on the relative size between the droplet and its surrounding wetting ridge formed by the infusing liquid. We derive a closed form expression for the contact angle in the limit of vanishing wetting ridge, and compute the correction for small but finite ridge, which corresponds to an effective line tension term. We also predict contact angle hysteresis on liquid infused surfaces generated by the pinning of the contact lines by the surface corrugations. Our analytical expressions for both the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis can be interpreted as 'weighted sums' between the contact angles of the infusing liquid relative to the droplet and surrounding gas phases, where the weighting coefficients are given by ratios of the fluid surface tensions.

Sertoli cell-specific ablation of miR-17-92 cluster significantly alters whole testis transcriptome without apparent phenotypic effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurtado, Alicia; Real, Francisca M; Palomino, Rogelio; Carmona, Francisco David; Burgos, Miguel; Jiménez, Rafael; Barrionuevo, Francisco J

2018-01-01

MicroRNAs are frequently organized into polycistronic clusters whose transcription is controlled by a single promoter. The miR-17-92 cluster is expressed in most embryonic and postnatal organs. It is a potent oncogene associated to several types of cancer and it is involved in several important developmental processes. In the testis, expression of the miR-17-92 cluster in the germ cells is necessary to maintain normal spermatogenesis. This cluster is also expressed in Sertoli cells (the somatic cells of the seminiferous tubules), which require miRNAs for correct cell development and survival. To study the possible role of miR-17-92 in Sertoli cell development and function and, in order to overcome the postnatal lethality of miR-17-92-/ mice, we conditionally deleted it in embryonic Sertoli cells shortly after the sex determination stage using an Amh-Cre allele. Mutant mice developed apparently normal testes and were fertile, but their testis transcriptomes contained hundreds of moderately deregulated genes, indicating that testis homeostasis is tightly controlled in mammals and that miR-17-92 expression in Sertoli cells contribute to maintain normal gene expression levels, but is unnecessary for testis development and function. Our results show that significant deregulation of hundreds of genes might have no functional consequences.

The triglycerides and glucose index is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in normal-weight children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Simental-Mendía, Luis E; Hernández-Ronquillo, Gabriela; Gómez-Díaz, Rita; Rodríguez-Morán, Martha; Guerrero-Romero, Fernando

2017-12-01

BackgroundGiven the usefulness of the product of triglycerides and glucose (TyG) to recognize individuals at high risk for developing cardiovascular events, the aim of this study was to determine whether the TyG index is associated with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in apparently healthy normal-weight children and adolescents.MethodsApparently healthy children and adolescents with normal weight, aged 6-15 years, were enrolled in a population-based cross-sectional study. The children were allocated into groups with and without cardiovascular risk factors. Cardiovascular risk factors were considered as the occurrence of at least one of the following: elevated blood pressure, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), or hyperglycemia.ResultsA total of 2,117 children and adolescents were enrolled in the study; of them, 1,078 (50.9%) participants exhibited cardiovascular risk. The adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that elevated TyG index was significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia (odds ratio (OR)=96.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 48.44-192.04), low HDL-C (OR=2.07, 95% CI: 1.46-2.92), and hyperglycemia (OR=3.11, 95% CI: 2.05-4.72), but not with elevated blood pressure (OR=1.39, 95% CI: 0.89-2.16).ConclusionThe elevated TyG index is associated with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in healthy normal-weight children and adolescents.

Spinal cord normalization in multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Jiwon; Seigo, Michaela; Saidha, Shiv; Sotirchos, Elias; Zackowski, Kathy; Chen, Min; Prince, Jerry; Diener-West, Marie; Calabresi, Peter A; Reich, Daniel S

2014-01-01

Spinal cord (SC) pathology is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), and measures of SC-atrophy are increasingly utilized. Normalization reduces biological variation of structural measurements unrelated to disease, but optimal parameters for SC volume (SCV)-normalization remain unclear. Using a variety of normalization factors and clinical measures, we assessed the effect of SCV normalization on detecting group differences and clarifying clinical-radiological correlations in MS. 3T cervical SC-MRI was performed in 133 MS cases and 11 healthy controls (HC). Clinical assessment included expanded disability status scale (EDSS), MS functional composite (MSFC), quantitative hip-flexion strength ("strength"), and vibration sensation threshold ("vibration"). SCV between C3 and C4 was measured and normalized individually by subject height, SC-length, and intracranial volume (ICV). There were group differences in raw-SCV and after normalization by height and length (MS vs. HC; progressive vs. relapsing MS-subtypes, P normalization by length (EDSS:r = -.43; MSFC:r = .33; strength:r = .38; vibration:r = -.40), and height (EDSS:r = -.26; MSFC:r = .28; strength:r = .22; vibration:r = -.29), but diminished with normalization by ICV (EDSS:r = -.23; MSFC:r = -.10; strength:r = .23; vibration:r = -.35). In relapsing MS, normalization by length allowed statistical detection of correlations that were not apparent with raw-SCV. SCV-normalization by length improves the ability to detect group differences, strengthens clinical-radiological correlations, and is particularly relevant in settings of subtle disease-related SC-atrophy in MS. SCV-normalization by length may enhance the clinical utility of measures of SC-atrophy. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the normal pancreas: reproducibility and variations of apparent diffusion coefficient measurement at 1.5- and 3.0-Tesla.

Science.gov (United States)

Barral, M; Soyer, P; Ben Hassen, W; Gayat, E; Aout, M; Chiaradia, M; Rahmouni, A; Luciani, A

2013-04-01

To evaluate reproducibility and variations in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement in normal pancreatic parenchyma at 1.5- and 3.0-Tesla and determine if differences may exist between the four pancreatic segments. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the pancreas was performed at 1.5-Tesla in 20 patients and at 3.0-Tesla in other 20 patients strictly matched for gender and age using the same b values (0, 400 and 800s/mm(2)). Two independent observers placed regions of interest within the four pancreatic segments to measure ADC at both fields. Intra- and inter-observer agreement in ADC measurement was assessed using Bland-Altman analysis and comparison between ADC values obtained at both fields using non-parametrical tests. There were no significant differences in ADC between repeated measurements and between ADC obtained at 1.5-Tesla and those at 3.0-Tesla. The 95% limits of intra-observer agreement between ADC were 2.3%-22.7% at 1.5-Tesla and 1%-24.2% at 3.0-Tesla and those for inter-observer agreement between 1.9%-14% at 1.5-Tesla and 8%-25% at 3.0-Tesla. ADC values were similar in all pancreatic segments at 3.0-T whereas the tail had lower ADC at 1.5-Tesla. ADC measurement conveys high degrees of intra- and inter-observer reproducibility. ADC have homogeneous distribution among the four pancreatic segments at 3.0-Tesla. Copyright © 2012 Éditions françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Whole-Lesion Histogram Analysis of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient for the Assessment of Cervical Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Yue; Shi, Hua; Chen, Ying; Liu, Song; Li, Weifeng; Jiang, Zhuoran; Wang, Huanhuan; He, Jian; Zhou, Zhengyang; Ge, Yun

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the application of whole-lesion histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of cervical cancer. A total of 54 women (mean age, 53 years) with cervical cancers underwent 3-T diffusion-weighted imaging with b values of 0 and 800 s/mm prospectively. Whole-lesion histogram analysis of ADC values was performed. Paired sample t test was used to compare differences in ADC histogram parameters between cervical cancers and normal cervical tissues. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to identify the optimal threshold of each parameter. All histogram parameters in this study including ADCmean, ADCmin, ADC10%-ADC90%, mode, skewness, and kurtosis of cervical cancers were significantly lower than those of normal cervical tissues (all P histogram analysis of ADC maps is useful in the assessment of cervical cancer.

Non-postural serial changes in renal function during the third trimester of normal human pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezimokhai, M; Davison, J M; Philips, P R; Dunlop, W

1981-05-01

Seventeen healthy women were investigated near the beginning and again near the end of the third trimester of their normal pregnancies. Infusion studies were performed in the left lateral position. There was a highly significant decrease in effective renal plasma flow but not in glomerular filtration rate, measured as inulin clearance. Plasma creatinine concentration increased significantly, but the renal handling of creatinine was unchanged; simultaneous 24-hour creatinine clearance showed a tendency to decrease. Serum urate concentration also increased significantly, apparently due to an increase in net tubular reabsorption of urate.

Formation times of RbHe exciplexes on the surface of superfluid versus normal fluid helium nanodroplets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Droppelmann, G.; Buenermann, O.; Stienkemeier, F.; Schulz, C.P.

2004-01-01

Nanodroplets of either superfluid He 4 or normal fluid He 3 are doped with Rb atoms that are bound to the surface of the droplets. The formation of RbHe exciplexes upon 5P 3/2 excitation is monitored in real time by femtosecond pump-probe techniques. We find formation times of 8.5 and 11.6 ps for Rb He 4 and Rb He 3 , respectively. A comparison to calculations based on a tunneling model introduced for these systems by Reho et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 113, 9694 (2000)] shows that the proposed mechanism cannot account for our findings. Apparently, a different relaxation dynamics of the superfluid opposed to the normal fluid surface is responsible for the observed formation times

On the normalization of the minimum free energy of RNAs by sequence length.

Science.gov (United States)

Trotta, Edoardo

2014-01-01

The minimum free energy (MFE) of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) increases at an apparent linear rate with sequence length. Simple indices, obtained by dividing the MFE by the number of nucleotides, have been used for a direct comparison of the folding stability of RNAs of various sizes. Although this normalization procedure has been used in several studies, the relationship between normalized MFE and length has not yet been investigated in detail. Here, we demonstrate that the variation of MFE with sequence length is not linear and is significantly biased by the mathematical formula used for the normalization procedure. For this reason, the normalized MFEs strongly decrease as hyperbolic functions of length and produce unreliable results when applied for the comparison of sequences with different sizes. We also propose a simple modification of the normalization formula that corrects the bias enabling the use of the normalized MFE for RNAs longer than 40 nt. Using the new corrected normalized index, we analyzed the folding free energies of different human RNA families showing that most of them present an average MFE density more negative than expected for a typical genomic sequence. Furthermore, we found that a well-defined and restricted range of MFE density characterizes each RNA family, suggesting the use of our corrected normalized index to improve RNA prediction algorithms. Finally, in coding and functional human RNAs the MFE density appears scarcely correlated with sequence length, consistent with a negligible role of thermodynamic stability demands in determining RNA size.

Investigation of normal pressure hydrocephalus by sup 123 I-IMP SPECT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamiya, Ken; Yamashita, Nobuko; Nagai, Hajime [Nagoya City Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine; Mizawa, Ikuo

1991-08-01

We evaluated N-isopropyl-p-({sup 123}I) iodoamphetamine ({sup 123}I-IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as a method for identifying normal pressure hydrocephalic (NPH) patients eligible for shunting procedures. {sup 123}I-IMP SPECT scans were taken before and after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) taps in NPH cases. Post-subarachnoid hemorrhagic (SAH) patients showed apparent frontal blood flow reduction but non-SAH cases did not. The frontal blood flow increased in comparison with the temporal flow after CSF tapping in SAH cases who benefited most from shunting. Cerebral blood flow study before and after CSF removal is a potential method for classifying NPH patients likely to benefit from the shunting operation. (author).

Apparent stress-strain relationships in experimental equipment where magnetorheological fluids operate under compression mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazlan, S A; Ekreem, N B; Olabi, A G

2008-01-01

This paper presents an experimental investigation of two different magnetorheological (MR) fluids, namely, water-based and hydrocarbon-based MR fluids in compression mode under various applied currents. Finite element method magnetics was used to predict the magnetic field distribution inside the MR fluids generated by a coil. A test rig was constructed where the MR fluid was sandwiched between two flat surfaces. During the compression, the upper surface was moved towards the lower surface in a vertical direction. Stress-strain relationships were obtained for arrangements of equipment where each type of fluid was involved, using compression test equipment. The apparent compressive stress was found to be increased with the increase in magnetic field strength. In addition, the apparent compressive stress of the water-based MR fluid showed a response to the compressive strain of greater magnitude. However, during the compression process, the hydrocarbon-based MR fluid appeared to show a unique behaviour where an abrupt pressure drop was discovered in a region where the apparent compressive stress would be expected to increase steadily. The conclusion is drawn that the apparent compressive stress of MR fluids is influenced strongly by the nature of the carrier fluid and by the magnitude of the applied current

Reaffirming normal: the high risk of pathologizing healthy adults when interpreting the MMPI-2-RF.

Science.gov (United States)

Odland, Anthony P; Lammy, Andrew B; Perle, Jonathan G; Martin, Phillip K; Grote, Christopher L

2015-01-01

Monte Carlo simulations were utilized to determine the proportion of the normal population expected to have scale elevations on the MMPI-2-RF when multiple scores are interpreted. Results showed that when all 40 MMPI-2-RF scales are simultaneously considered, approximately 70% of normal adults are likely to have at least one scale elevation at or above 65 T, and as many as 20% will have five or more elevated scales. When the Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales are under consideration, 34% of normal adults have at least one elevated score. Interpretation of the Specific Problem Scales and Personality Psychopathology Five Scales--Revised also yielded higher than expected rates of significant scores, with as many as one in four normal adults possibly being miscategorized as having features of a personality disorder by the latter scales. These findings are consistent with the growing literature on rates of apparently abnormal scores in the normal population due to multiple score interpretation. Findings are discussed in relation to clinical assessment, as well as in response to recent work suggesting that the MMPI-2-RF's multiscale composition does not contribute to high rates of elevated scores.

Fermions tunneling from apparent horizon of FRW universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ran; Ren Jirong; Shi Dunfu

2009-01-01

In the paper [R.-G. Cai, L.-M. Cao, Y.-P. Hu, (arXiv: 0809.1554)], the scalar particles' Hawking radiation from the apparent horizon of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe was investigated by using the tunneling formalism. They obtained the Hawking temperature associated with the apparent horizon, which was extensively applied in investigating the relationship between the first law of thermodynamics and Friedmann equations. In this Letter, we calculate fermions' Hawking radiation from the apparent horizon of FRW universe via tunneling formalism. Applying WKB approximation to the general covariant Dirac equation in FRW spacetime background, the radiation spectrum and Hawking temperature of apparent horizon are correctly recovered, which supports the arguments presented in the paper [R.-G. Cai, L.-M. Cao, Y.-P. Hu, (arXiv: 0809.1554)

Figure-ground segregation modulates apparent motion.

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Ramachandran, V S; Anstis, S

1986-01-01

We explored the relationship between figure-ground segmentation and apparent motion. Results suggest that: static elements in the surround can eliminate apparent motion of a cluster of dots in the centre, but only if the cluster and surround have similar "grain" or texture; outlines that define occluding surfaces are taken into account by the motion mechanism; the brain uses a hierarchy of precedence rules in attributing motion to different segments of the visual scene. Being designated as "figure" confers a high rank in this scheme of priorities.

Glucocorticoid treatment of brain tumor patients: changes of apparent diffusion coefficient values measured by MR diffusion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minamikawa, Sosuke; Kono, Kinuko; Nakayama, Keiko; Yokote, Hiroyuki; Tashiro, Takahiko; Inoue, Yuichi; Nishio, Akimasa; Hara, Mitsuhiro

2004-01-01

Glucocorticoids (GCC) generally are administered to patients with brain tumors to relieve neurological symptoms by decreasing the water content in a peritumoral zone of edema. We hypothesized that diffusion imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values could detect subtle changes of water content in brain tumors and in peritumoral edema after GCC therapy. The study consisted of 13 patients with intra-axial brain tumor, and ADC was measured in the tumor, within peritumoral edema, and in normal white matter remote from the tumor before and after GCC therapy. ADC also was measured in normal white matter in four control patients with no intracranial disease who were treated with GCC for other indications. Conventional MR images showed no visually evident interval change in tumor size or the extent of peritumoral edema in any subject after GCC therapy, which nonetheless resulted in a decrease in mean ADC of 7.0% in tumors (P 0.05, not significant) and 5.8% in normal white matter (P<0.05). In patients with no intracranial disease, GCC therapy decreased mean ADC in white matter by 5.4% (P<0.05). ADC measurement can demonstrate subtle changes in the brain after GCC therapy that cannot be observed by conventional MR imaging. Measurement of ADC proved to be a sensitive means of assessing the effect of GCC therapy, even in the absence of visually discernible changes in conventional MR images. (orig.)

Apparent thermal inertia and the surface heterogeneity of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Putzig, Nathaniel E.; Mellon, Michael T.

2007-11-01

Thermal inertia derivation techniques generally assume that surface properties are uniform at horizontal scales below the footprint of the observing instrument and to depths of several decimeters. Consequently, surfaces with horizontal or vertical heterogeneity may yield apparent thermal inertia which varies with time of day and season. To investigate these temporal variations, we processed three Mars years of Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer observations and produced global nightside and dayside seasonal maps of apparent thermal inertia. These maps show broad regions with diurnal and seasonal differences up to 200 J m -2 K -1s -1/2 at mid-latitudes (60° S to 60° N) and 600 J m -2 K -1s -1/2 or greater in the polar regions. We compared the seasonal mapping results with modeled apparent thermal inertia and created new maps of surface heterogeneity at 5° resolution, delineating regions that have thermal characteristics consistent with horizontal mixtures or layers of two materials. The thermal behavior of most regions on Mars appears to be dominated by layering, with upper layers of higher thermal inertia (e.g., duricrusts or desert pavements over fines) prevailing in mid-latitudes and upper layers of lower thermal inertia (e.g., dust-covered rock, soils with an ice table at shallow depths) prevailing in polar regions. Less common are regions dominated by horizontal mixtures, such as those containing differing proportions of rocks, sand, dust, and duricrust or surfaces with divergent local slopes. Other regions show thermal behavior that is more complex and not well-represented by two-component surface models. These results have important implications for Mars surface geology, climate modeling, landing-site selection, and other endeavors that employ thermal inertia as a tool for characterizing surface properties.

Normal myogenic cells from newborn mice restore normal histology to degenerating muscles of the mdx mouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, J.E.; Hoffman, E.P.; Partridge, T.A.

1990-01-01

Dystrophin deficiency in skeletal muscle of the x-linked dystrophic (mdx) mouse can be partially remedied by implantation of normal muscle precursor cells (mpc). However, it is difficult to determine whether this biochemical rescue results in any improvement in the structure or function of the treated muscle, because the vigorous regeneration of mdx muscle more than compensates for the degeneration. By using x-ray irradiation to prevent mpc proliferation, it is possible to study loss of mdx muscle fibers without the complicating effect of simultaneous fiber regeneration. Thus, improvements in fiber survival resulting from any potential therapy can be detected easily. Here, we have implanted normal mpc, obtained from newborn mice, into such preirradiated mdx muscles, finding that it is far more extensively permeated and replaced by implanted mpc than is nonirradiated mdx muscle; this is evident both from analysis of glucose-6-phosphate isomerase isoenzyme markers and from immunoblots and immunostaining of dystrophin in the treated muscles. Incorporation of normal mpc markedly reduces the loss of muscle fibers and the deterioration of muscle structure which otherwise occurs in irradiated mdx muscles. Surprisingly, the regenerated fibers are largely peripherally nucleated, whereas regenerated mouse skeletal muscle fibers are normally centrally nucleated. We attribute this regeneration of apparently normal muscle to the tendency of newborn mouse mpc to recapitulate their neonatal ontogeny, even when grafted into 3-wk-old degenerating muscle

Alteration of proliferation and apoptotic markers in normal and premalignant tissue associated with prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ananthanarayanan, Vijayalakshmi; Deaton, Ryan J; Yang, Ximing J; Pins, Michael R; Gann, Peter H

2006-01-01

Molecular markers identifying alterations in proliferation and apoptotic pathways could be particularly important in characterizing high-risk normal or pre-neoplastic tissue. We evaluated the following markers: Ki67, Minichromosome Maintenance Protein-2 (Mcm-2), activated caspase-3 (a-casp3) and Bcl-2 to determine if they showed differential expression across progressive degrees of intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer in the prostate. To identify field effects, we also evaluated whether high-risk expression patterns in normal tissue were more common in prostates containing cancer compared to those without cancer (supernormal), and in histologically normal glands adjacent to a cancer focus as opposed to equivalent glands that were more distant. The aforementioned markers were studied in 13 radical prostatectomy (RP) and 6 cystoprostatectomy (CP) specimens. Tissue compartments representing normal, low grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (LGPIN), high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), as well as different grades of cancer were mapped on H&E slides and adjacent sections were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Normal glands within 1 mm distance of a tumor focus and glands beyond 5 mm were considered 'near' and 'far', respectively. Randomly selected nuclei and 40 × fields were scored by a single observer; basal and luminal epithelial layers were scored separately. Both Ki-67 and Mcm-2 showed an upward trend from normal tissue through HGPIN and cancer with a shift in proliferation from basal to luminal compartment. Activated caspase-3 showed a significant decrease in HGPIN and cancer compartments. Supernormal glands had significantly lower proliferation indices and higher a-casp3 expression compared to normal glands. 'Near' normal glands had higher Mcm-2 indices compared to 'far' glands; however, they also had higher a-casp3 expression. Bcl-2, which varied minimally in normal tissue, did not show any trend

Apparent directional selection by biased pleiotropic mutation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Yoshinari

2010-07-01

Pleiotropic effects of deleterious mutations are considered to be among the factors responsible for genetic constraints on evolution by long-term directional selection acting on a quantitative trait. If pleiotropic phenotypic effects are biased in a particular direction, mutations generate apparent directional selection, which refers to the covariance between fitness and the trait owing to a linear association between the number of mutations possessed by individuals and the genotypic values of the trait. The present analysis has shown how the equilibrium mean value of the trait is determined by a balance between directional selection and biased pleiotropic mutations. Assuming that genes act additively both on the trait and on fitness, the total variance-standardized directional selection gradient was decomposed into apparent and true components. Experimental data on mutation bias from the bristle traits of Drosophila and life history traits of Daphnia suggest that apparent selection explains a small but significant fraction of directional selection pressure that is observed in nature; the data suggest that changes induced in a trait by biased pleiotropic mutation (i.e., by apparent directional selection) are easily compensated for by (true) directional selection.

Standard Test Method for Water Absorption, Bulk Density, Apparent Porosity, and Apparent Specific Gravity of Fired Whiteware Products

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2006-01-01

1.1 This test method covers procedures for determining water absorption, bulk density, apparent porosity, and apparent specific gravity of fired unglazed whiteware products. 1.2 This standard may involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

On the normalization of the minimum free energy of RNAs by sequence length.

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Edoardo Trotta

Full Text Available The minimum free energy (MFE of ribonucleic acids (RNAs increases at an apparent linear rate with sequence length. Simple indices, obtained by dividing the MFE by the number of nucleotides, have been used for a direct comparison of the folding stability of RNAs of various sizes. Although this normalization procedure has been used in several studies, the relationship between normalized MFE and length has not yet been investigated in detail. Here, we demonstrate that the variation of MFE with sequence length is not linear and is significantly biased by the mathematical formula used for the normalization procedure. For this reason, the normalized MFEs strongly decrease as hyperbolic functions of length and produce unreliable results when applied for the comparison of sequences with different sizes. We also propose a simple modification of the normalization formula that corrects the bias enabling the use of the normalized MFE for RNAs longer than 40 nt. Using the new corrected normalized index, we analyzed the folding free energies of different human RNA families showing that most of them present an average MFE density more negative than expected for a typical genomic sequence. Furthermore, we found that a well-defined and restricted range of MFE density characterizes each RNA family, suggesting the use of our corrected normalized index to improve RNA prediction algorithms. Finally, in coding and functional human RNAs the MFE density appears scarcely correlated with sequence length, consistent with a negligible role of thermodynamic stability demands in determining RNA size.

Multiple Weather Factors Affect Apparent Survival of European Passerine Birds

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Salewski, Volker; Hochachka, Wesley M.; Fiedler, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

Weather affects the demography of animals and thus climate change will cause local changes in demographic rates. In birds numerous studies have correlated demographic factors with weather but few of those examined variation in the impacts of weather in different seasons and, in the case of migrants, in different regions. Using capture-recapture models we correlated weather with apparent survival of seven passerine bird species with different migration strategies to assess the importance of selected facets of weather throughout the year on apparent survival. Contrary to our expectations weather experienced during the breeding season did not affect apparent survival of the target species. However, measures for winter severity were associated with apparent survival of a resident species, two short-distance/partial migrants and a long-distance migrant. Apparent survival of two short distance migrants as well as two long-distance migrants was further correlated with conditions experienced during the non-breeding season in Spain. Conditions in Africa had statistically significant but relatively minor effects on the apparent survival of the two long-distance migrants but also of a presumably short-distance migrant and a short-distance/partial migrant. In general several weather effects independently explained similar amounts of variation in apparent survival for the majority of species and single factors explained only relatively low amounts of temporal variation of apparent survival. Although the directions of the effects on apparent survival mostly met our expectations and there are clear predictions for effects of future climate we caution against simple extrapolations of present conditions to predict future population dynamics. Not only did weather explains limited amounts of variation in apparent survival, but future demographics will likely be affected by changing interspecific interactions, opposing effects of weather in different seasons, and the potential for

Obesity and exercise-induced ectopic ventricular arrhythmias in apparently healthy middle aged adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabbag, Avi; Sidi, Yechezkel; Kivity, Shaye; Beinart, Roy; Glikson, Michael; Segev, Shlomo; Goldenberg, Ilan; Maor, Elad

2016-03-01

Obesity and overweight are strongly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, there are limited data on the association between excess weight and the risk of ectopic ventricular activity. We investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and the risk for ectopic ventricular activity (defined as multiple ventricular premature beats (≥3), ventricular bigeminy, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia or sustained ventricular tachycardia) during exercise stress testing among 22,516 apparently healthy men and women who attended periodic health screening examinations between the years 2000 and 2014. All subjects had completed maximal exercise stress testing annually according to the Bruce protocol. Subjects were divided at baseline into three groups: normal weight (BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m(2) andexercise-induced ectopic ventricular activity arrhythmias was highest among obese subjects, intermediate among overweight subjects and lowest among subjects with normal weight (3.4%, 2.7% and 2.2% respectively; p exercise compared with subjects with normal weight (p = 0.005), and that each 1 kg/m(2) increase in BMI was associated with a significant 4% (p = 0.002) increased adjusted risk for exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias. Obesity is independently associated with increased likelihood of ectopic ventricular arrhythmia during exercise. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

Normal cranial bone marrow MR imaging pattern with age-related ADC value distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Qi; Pan Shinong; Yin Yuming; Li Wei; Chen Zhian; Liu Yunhui; Wu Zhenhua; Guo Qiyong

2011-01-01

Objective: To determine MRI appearances of normal age-related cranial bone marrow and the relationship between MRI patterns and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. Methods: Five hundred subjects were divided into seven groups based on ages. Cranial bone marrow MRI patterns were performed based on different thickness of the diploe and signal intensity distribution characteristics. ADC values of the frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal bones on DWI were measured and calculated. Correlations between ages and ADC values, between patterns and ADC values, as well as the distribution of ADC values were analyzed. Results: Normal cranial bone marrow was divided into four types and six subtypes, Type I, II, III and IV, which had positive correlation with age increasing (χ 2 = 266.36, P 0.05). In addition, there was significant negative correlation between the ADC values and MRI patterns in the normal parietal and occipital bones (r = -0.691 and -0.750, P < 0.01). Conclusion: The combination of MRI features and ADC values changes in different cranial bones showed significant correlation with age increasing. Familiar with the MRI appearance of the normal bone marrow conversion pattern in different age group and their ADC value will aid the diagnosis and differential of the cranial bone pathology.

Apparent Solar Tornado-Like Prominences

Science.gov (United States)

Panasenco, Olga; Martin, Sara F.; Velli, Marco

2014-02-01

Recent high-resolution observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) have reawakened interest in the old and fascinating phenomenon of solar tornado-like prominences. This class of prominences was first introduced by Pettit ( Astrophys. J. 76, 9, 1932), who studied them over many years. Observations of tornado prominences similar to the ones seen by SDO had already been documented by Secchi ( Le Soleil, 1877). High-resolution and high-cadence multiwavelength data obtained by SDO reveal that the tornado-like appearance of these prominences is mainly an illusion due to projection effects. We discuss two different cases where prominences on the limb might appear to have a tornado-like behavior. One case of apparent vortical motions in prominence spines and barbs arises from the (mostly) 2D counterstreaming plasma motion along the prominence spine and barbs together with oscillations along individual threads. The other case of apparent rotational motion is observed in a prominence cavity and results from the 3D plasma motion along the writhed magnetic fields inside and along the prominence cavity as seen projected on the limb. Thus, the "tornado" impression results either from counterstreaming and oscillations or from the projection on the plane of the sky of plasma motion along magnetic-field lines, rather than from a true vortical motion around an (apparent) vertical or horizontal axis. We discuss the link between tornado-like prominences, filament barbs, and photospheric vortices at their base.

A Network Flow-based Analysis of Cognitive Reserve in Normal Ageing and Alzheimer's Disease.

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Wook Yoo, Sang; Han, Cheol E; Shin, Joseph S; Won Seo, Sang; Na, Duk L; Kaiser, Marcus; Jeong, Yong; Seong, Joon-Kyung

2015-05-20

Cognitive reserve is the ability to sustain cognitive function even with a certain amount of brain damages. Here we investigate the neural compensation mechanism of cognitive reserve from the perspective of structural brain connectivity. Our goal was to show that normal people with high education levels (i.e., cognitive reserve) maintain abundant pathways connecting any two brain regions, providing better compensation or resilience after brain damage. Accordingly, patients with high education levels show more deterioration in structural brain connectivity than those with low education levels before symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) become apparent. To test this hypothesis, we use network flow measuring the number of alternative paths between two brain regions in the brain network. The experimental results show that for normal aging, education strengthens network reliability, as measured through flow values, in a subnetwork centered at the supramarginal gyrus. For AD, a subnetwork centered at the left middle frontal gyrus shows a negative correlation between flow and education, which implies more collapse in structural brain connectivity for highly educated patients. We conclude that cognitive reserve may come from the ability of network reorganization to secure the information flow within the brain network, therefore making it more resistant to disease progress.

Human fibroblast strain with normal survival but abnormal postreplication repair after ultraviolet light irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doniger, J.; Barrett, S.F.; Robbins, J.H.

1980-01-01

Postreplication repair has been studied in ultraviolet light (UV-irradiated) fibroblast strains derived from eight apparently normal control donors and seven xeroderma pigmentosum patients. One control donor strain had an intermediate defect in postreplication repair similar to that in excision-deficient xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts. However, unlike the xeroderma pigmentosum strains, this control donor strain had normal UV-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis and normal survival after irradiation with UV. This unique fibroblast strain should be useful in studies designed to elucidate the possible role of postreplication repair in UV-induced carcinogenesis and mutagenesis

Contrast configuration influences grouping in apparent motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma-Wyatt, Anna; Clifford, Colin W G; Wenderoth, Peter

2005-01-01

We investigated whether the same principles that influence grouping in static displays also influence grouping in apparent motion. Using the Ternus display, we found that the proportion of group motion reports was influenced by changes in contrast configuration. Subjects made judgments of completion of these same configurations in a static display. Generally, contrast configurations that induced a high proportion of group motion responses were judged as more 'complete' in static displays. Using a stereo display, we then tested whether stereo information and T-junction information were critical for this increase in group motion. Perceived grouping was consistently higher for same contrast polarity configurations than for opposite contrast polarity configurations, regardless of the presence of stereo information or explicit T-junctions. Thus, while grouping in static and moving displays showed a similar dependence on contrast configuration, motion grouping showed little dependence on stereo or T-junction information.

Kidney Function Decline and Apparent Treatment-Resistant Hypertension in the Elderly.

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Jean Kaboré

Full Text Available Cross-sectional studies show a strong association between chronic kidney disease and apparent treatment-resistant hypertension, but the longitudinal association of the rate of kidney function decline with the risk of resistant hypertension is unknown.The population-based Three-City included 8,695 participants older than 65 years, 4265 of them treated for hypertension. We estimated the odds ratios (OR of new-onset apparent treatment-resistant hypertension, defined as blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg despite use of 3 antihypertensive drug classes or ≥ 4 classes regardless of blood pressure, associated with the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR level and its rate of decline over 4 years, compared with both controlled hypertension and uncontrolled nonresistant hypertension with ≤ 2 drugs. GFR was estimated with three different equations.Baseline prevalence of apparent treatment-resistant hypertension and of controlled and uncontrolled nonresistant hypertension, were 6.5%, 62.3% and 31.2%, respectively. During follow-up, 162 participants developed apparent treatment-resistant hypertension. Mean eGFR decline with the MDRD equation was 1.5±2.9 mL/min/1.73 m² per year: 27.7% of the participants had an eGFR ≥3 and 10.1% ≥ 5 mL/min/1.73 m² per year. After adjusting for age, sex, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular history, the ORs for new-onset apparent treatment-resistant hypertension associated with a mean eGFR level, per 15 mL/min/1.73 m² drop, were 1.23 [95% confidence interval 0.91-1.64] compared to controlled hypertension and 1.10 [0.83-1.45] compared to uncontrolled nonresistant hypertension; ORs associated with a decline rate ≥ 3 mL/min/1.73 m² per year were 1.89 [1.09-3.29] and 1.99 [1.19-3.35], respectively. Similar results were obtained when we estimated GFR with the CKDEPI and the BIS1 equations. ORs tended to be higher for an eGFR decline rate ≥ 5 mL/min/1.73 m² per year.The speed of kidney function decline is

Sub-cellular force microscopy in single normal and cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Babahosseini, H; Carmichael, B; Strobl, J S; Mahmoodi, S N; Agah, M

2015-08-07

This work investigates the biomechanical properties of sub-cellular structures of breast cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure where the Generalized Maxwell model is applied to experimental data from AFM stress-relaxation tests to extract the elastic modulus, the apparent viscosity, and the relaxation time of sub-cellular structures. The triple-layered modeling results allow for determination and comparison of the biomechanical properties of the three major sub-cellular structures between normal and cancerous cells: the up plasma membrane/actin cortex, the mid cytoplasm/nucleus, and the low nuclear/integrin sub-domains. The results reveal that the sub-domains become stiffer and significantly more viscous with depth, regardless of cell type. In addition, there is a decreasing trend in the average elastic modulus and apparent viscosity of the all corresponding sub-cellular structures from normal to cancerous cells, which becomes most remarkable in the deeper sub-domain. The presented modeling in this work constitutes a unique AFM-based experimental framework to study the biomechanics of sub-cellular structures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Apparent diffusion coefficient histogram analysis of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cauley, Keith A.; Filippi, Christopher G.

2014-01-01

Diffusion-weighted imaging is a valuable tool in the assessment of the neonatal brain, and changes in diffusion are seen in normal development as well as in pathological states such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Various methods of quantitative assessment of diffusion values have been reported. Global ischemic injury occurring during the time of rapid developmental changes in brain myelination can complicate the imaging diagnosis of neonatal HIE. To compare a quantitative method of histographic analysis of brain apparent coefficient (ADC) maps to the qualitative interpretation of routine brain MR imaging studies. We correlate changes in diffusion values with gestational age in radiographically normal neonates, and we investigate the sensitivity of the method as a quantitative measure of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. We reviewed all brain MRI studies from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at our university medical center over a 4-year period to identify cases that were radiographically normal (23 cases) and those with diffuse, global hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (12 cases). We histographically displayed ADC values of a single brain slice at the level of the basal ganglia and correlated peak (s-sD av ) and lowest histogram values (s-sD lowest ) with gestational age. Normative s-sD av values correlated significantly with gestational age and declined linearly through the neonatal period (r 2 = 0.477, P av and s-sD lowest ADC values than were reflected in the normative distribution; several cases of HIE fell within a 95% confidence interval for normative studies, and one case demonstrated higher-than-normal s-sD av . Single-slice histographic display of ADC values is a rapid and clinically feasible method of quantitative analysis of diffusion. In this study normative values derived from consecutive neonates without radiographic evidence of ischemic injury are correlated with gestational age, declining linearly throughout the perinatal period. This

Differentiating between Glioblastoma and Primary CNS Lymphoma Using Combined Whole-tumor Histogram Analysis of the Normalized Cerebral Blood Volume and the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Shixing; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Takahashi, Hiroto; Tanaka, Hisashi; Arisawa, Atsuko; Matsuo, Chisato; Wu, Rongli; Fujimoto, Yasunori; Tomiyama, Noriyuki

2018-05-31

This study aimed to determine whether whole-tumor histogram analysis of normalized cerebral blood volume (nCBV) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for contrast-enhancing lesions can be used to differentiate between glioblastoma (GBM) and primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). From 20 patients, 9 with PCNSL and 11 with GBM without any hemorrhagic lesions, underwent MRI, including diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging before surgery. Histogram analysis of nCBV and ADC from whole-tumor voxels in contrast-enhancing lesions was performed. An unpaired t-test was used to compare the mean values for each type of tumor. A multivariate logistic regression model (LRM) was performed to classify GBM and PCNSL using the best parameters of ADC and nCBV. All nCBV histogram parameters of GBMs were larger than those of PCNSLs, but only average nCBV was statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. Meanwhile, ADC histogram parameters were also larger in GBM compared to those in PCNSL, but these differences were not statistically significant. According to receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the nCBV average and ADC 25th percentile demonstrated the largest area under the curve with values of 0.869 and 0.838, respectively. The LRM combining these two parameters differentiated between GBM and PCNSL with a higher area under the curve value (Logit (P) = -21.12 + 10.00 × ADC 25th percentile (10 -3 mm 2 /s) + 5.420 × nCBV mean, P histogram analysis of nCBV and ADC combined can be a valuable objective diagnostic method for differentiating between GBM and PCNSL.

Apparent Barrier Height in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Revisited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, L.; Brandbyge, Mads; Sørensen, Mads Reinholdt

1996-01-01

The apparent barrier height phi(ap), that is, the rate of change of the logarithm of the conductance with tip-sample separation in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), has been measured for Ni, Pt, and Au single crystal surfaces. The results show that phi(ap) is constant until point contact...... is reached rather than decreasing at small tunneling gap distances, as previously reported. The findings for phi(ap) can be accounted for theoretically by including the relaxations of the tip-surface junction in an STM due to the strong adhesive forces at close proximity. These relaxation effects are shown...

Apparent digestibility of nutrients, energy, and amino acid of nontoxic and detoxified physic nut cakes for Nile tilapia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamilton Hisano

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract:The objective of this work was to evaluate the apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients, energy, and amino acids of nontoxic and detoxified physic nut cakes treated with solvent plus posterior extrusion, for Nile tilapia. The apparent digestibility coefficients of crude protein and gross energy were higher for detoxified than for nontoxic physic nut cake. However, the apparent digestibility coefficient of ether extract of the nontoxic physic nut cake was higher than that of the detoxified one. The apparent digestibility coefficient of amino acids of both feed ingredients was superior to 80%, except for glycine, for the nontoxic psychic nut cake, and for threonine, for the detoxified one. Nontoxic and detoxified physic nut cakes show apparent digestibility coefficient values equivalent to those of the other evaluated oilseeds and potential for inclusion in Nile tilapia diets.

Thermodynamics of interacting holographic dark energy with the apparent horizon as an IR cutoff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheykhi, Ahmad

2010-01-01

As soon as an interaction between holographic dark energy and dark matter is taken into account, the identification of an IR cutoff with the Hubble radius H -1 , in a flat universe, can simultaneously drive accelerated expansion and solve the coincidence problem. Based on this, we demonstrate that in a non-flat universe the natural choice for the IR cutoff could be the apparent horizon radius, r-tilde A =1/√(H 2 +k/a 2 ). We show that any interaction of dark matter with holographic dark energy, whose infrared cutoff is set by the apparent horizon radius, implies an accelerated expansion and a constant ratio of the energy densities of both components thus solving the coincidence problem. We also verify that for a universe filled with dark energy and dark matter, the Friedmann equation can be written in the form of the modified first law of thermodynamics, dE = T h dS h + WdV, at the apparent horizon. In addition, the generalized second law of thermodynamics is fulfilled in a region enclosed by the apparent horizon. These results hold regardless of the specific form of dark energy and interaction term. Our study might reveal that in an accelerating universe with spatial curvature, the apparent horizon is a physical boundary from the thermodynamical point of view.

Faecal calprotectin concentrations in apparently healthy children aged 0-12 years in urban Kampala, Uganda: a community-based survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grahnquist Lena

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Calprotectin is a calcium and zinc binding protein, abundant in neutrophils and is extremely stable in faeces. Faecal calprotectin is used as a non-specific marker for gastrointestinal inflammation. It has a good diagnostic precision to distinguish between irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Studies have established normal concentrations in healthy children; all these studies have been performed in high-income countries. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of faecal calprotectin in apparently healthy children aged 0-12 years in urban Kampala, Uganda. Method We tested 302 apparently healthy children aged, age 0-12 years (162 female, 140 male in urban Kampala, Uganda. The children were recruited consecutively by door-to-door visits. Faecal calprotectin was analyzed using a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Faeces were also tested for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori antigen, for growth of enteropathogens and microscopy was performed to assess protozoa and helminths. A short standardized interview with socio-demographic information and medical history was obtained to assess health status of the children. Results In the different age groups the median faecal calprotectin concentrations were 249 mg/kg in 0 H. pylori or having other pathogens in the stool. Conclusion Concentrations of faecal calprotectin among healthy children, living in urban Ugandan, a low-income country, are comparable to those in healthy children living in high-income countries. In children older than 4 years, the faecal calprotectin concentration is low. In healthy infants faecal calprotectin is high. The suggested cut-off concentrations in the literature can be used in apparently healthy Ugandan children. This finding also shows that healthy children living under poor circumstances do not have a constant inflammation in the gut. We see an opportunity to use this relatively inexpensive test for

Simulation of variation of apparent resistivity in resistivity surveys using finite difference modelling with Monte Carlo analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Aguirre, E. E.; Karchewski, B.

2017-12-01

DC resistivity surveying is a geophysical method that quantifies the electrical properties of the subsurface of the earth by applying a source current between two electrodes and measuring potential differences between electrodes at known distances from the source. Analytical solutions for a homogeneous half-space and simple subsurface models are well known, as the former is used to define the concept of apparent resistivity. However, in situ properties are heterogeneous meaning that simple analytical models are only an approximation, and ignoring such heterogeneity can lead to misinterpretation of survey results costing time and money. The present study examines the extent to which random variations in electrical properties (i.e. electrical conductivity) affect potential difference readings and therefore apparent resistivities, relative to an assumed homogeneous subsurface model. We simulate the DC resistivity survey using a Finite Difference (FD) approximation of an appropriate simplification of Maxwell's equations implemented in Matlab. Electrical resistivity values at each node in the simulation were defined as random variables with a given mean and variance, and are assumed to follow a log-normal distribution. The Monte Carlo analysis for a given variance of electrical resistivity was performed until the mean and variance in potential difference measured at the surface converged. Finally, we used the simulation results to examine the relationship between variance in resistivity and variation in surface potential difference (or apparent resistivity) relative to a homogeneous half-space model. For relatively low values of standard deviation in the material properties (<10% of mean), we observed a linear correlation between variance of resistivity and variance in apparent resistivity.

Apparent competition in canopy trees determined by pathogen transmission rather than susceptibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Richard Cobb; Ross Meentemeyer; David Rizzo

2010-01-01

Epidemiological theory predicts that asymmetric transmission, susceptibility, and mortality within a community will drive pathogen and disease dynamics. These epidemiological asymmetries can result in apparent competition, where a highly infectious host reduces the abundance of less infectious or more susceptible members in a community via a shared pathogen. We show...

Correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient value on diffusion-weighted MR imaging and Gleason score in prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, X; Reinikainen, P; Vanhanen, A; Kapanen, M; Vierikko, T; Ryymin, P; Hyödynmaa, S; Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, P-L

2017-01-01

To investigate whether diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) correlates with prostate cancer aggressiveness and further to compare the diagnostic performance of ADC and normalized ADC (nADC: normalized to non-tumor tissue). Thirty pre-treatment patients (mean age, 69years; range: 59-78years) with prostate cancer underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination, including DWI with three b values: 50, 400, and 800s/mm 2 . Both ADC and nADC were correlated with the Gleason score obtained through transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy. The tumor minimum ADC (ADC min : the lowest ADC value within tumor) had an inverse correlation with the Gleason score (r=-0.43, Pcorrelated with the Gleason score (r=-0.52 and r=-0.55, P<0.01; respectively), and they were lower in patients with Gleason score 3+4 than those with Gleason score 3+3 (P<0.01; respectively). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve was 0.765, 0.818, or 0.833 for the ADC min , nADC min , or nADC mean ; respectively, in differentiating between Gleason score 3+4 and 3+3 tumors. Tumor ADC min , nADC min , and nADC mean are useful markers to predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. Copyright © 2016 Éditions françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Marrow pattern in the proximal femoral metaphysis of patients with osteonecrosis of femoral head and normal subjects: comparison on MR images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chun, Ho Jong; Park, Jeong Mi; Kim, Jee Young; Lim, Gye Yeon; Yang, Po Song; Kim, Euy Neyong; Kim, Choon Yul; Shinn, Kyung Sub

1996-01-01

To predict early risk of osteonecrosis of the femoral head by comparison of the bone marrow pattern of the proximal femoral metaphysis(PFM) in normal subjects and patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head on T1-weighted magnetic resonance(MR) images. The authors retrospectively reviewed T1(TR 525/TE 25 msec) weighted coronal MR images of 67 hips with osteonecrosis and 65 normal hips in 39 patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head and in 27 normal subjects. On the basis of bright signal intensity of fat, the proportion of remaining hematopoietic marrow in PFM was subdivided into 4 grades (0 to 3) by two radiologists. No evidence of remaining hematopoietic marrow was assigned grade 0, and grades 1, 2 and 3 represented scanty, moderate, and prominent hematopoietic marrow, respectively. Grades 0 and 1 were collectively defined as 'predominantly fatty', grades 2 and 3 as 'predominantly hematopoietic'. The frequency of the predominantly fatty marrow in PFM was analyzed in relation to three age groups (<25, 25-50, 50<) and both sexes. The overall frequency of predominantly fatty marrow in PFM was higher in hips with osteonecrosis than in normal hips (p<0.001). Especially in the male population under the age of 50, the frequency was apparently higher in hips with osteonecrosis, compared with normal hips (p<0.0001). However, the male population aged over 50 or female population showed no statistically significant difference in our series. In proximal femoral metaphysis with osteonecrosis of the femoral head, fatty marrow conversion occurs apparently earlier than in normal subject. T1-weighted MR imaging could therefore be useful in predicting early risk of osteonecrosis of the femoral head because of early fatty marrow conversion of the proximal femoral metaphysis

Apparent molar volumes and compressibilities of selected electrolytes in dimethylsulfoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warminska, Dorota; Grzybkowski, Waclaw

2010-01-01

Densities at T = (293.15, 298.15, 303.15, 313.15, 323.15, and 333.15) K and sound velocities at T = 298.15 K of tetraphenylphosphonium bromide, sodium tetraphenylborate, sodium bromide, and sodium perchlorate in dimethylsulfoxide have been measured over the composition range from (0 to 0.3) mol . kg -1 . From these data, apparent molar volumes and apparent molar isentropic compressibilities at infinite dilution as well as the expansibilities have been evaluated. The results have been discussed in terms of employing tetraphenylphosphonium tetraphenylborate as a reference electrolyte in splitting the limiting apparent molar volumes and apparent molar isentropic compressibilities into ionic contributions.

Unified first law and the thermodynamics of the apparent horizon in the FRW universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Ronggen; Cao Liming

2007-01-01

In this paper we revisit the relation between the Friedmann equations and the first law of thermodynamics. We find that the unified first law first proposed by Hayward to treat the outertrapping horizon of a dynamical black hole can be used to the apparent horizon (a kind of inner trapping horizon in the context of the FRW cosmology) of the FRW universe. We discuss three kinds of gravity theorties: Einstein theory, Lovelock thoery, and scalar-tensor theory. In Einstein theory, the first law of thermodynamics is always satisfied on the apparent horizon. In Lovelock theory, treating the higher derivative terms as an effective energy-momentum tensor, we find that this method can give the same entropy formula for the apparent horizon as that of black hole horizon. This implies that the Clausius relation holds for the Lovelock theory. In scalar-tensor gravity, we find, by using the same procedure, the Clausius relation no longer holds. This indicates that the apparent horizon of the FRW universe in the scalar-tensor gravity corresponds to a system of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. We show this point by using the method developed recently by Eling et al. for dealing with the f(R) gravity

A New Species of Neotropical Carpenter Ant in the Genus Camponotus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Apparently without Major Workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Mackay

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We describe a new species of carpenter ants from Ecuador, which apparently has an obligatory relationship with the ant plants Cecropia membranacea Trécul, C. herthae Diels and C. marginalis Cuatrec. The workers are relatively small and hairy, and based on a number of collections, it does not appear to have major workers. We compare the new species to Camponotus balzani, to which it appears to be similar and which has normal major workers, and also lives in Cecropia spp.

The Apparent Solubility Of Aluminum(III) In Hanford High-Level Waste Tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, J.G.

2012-01-01

The solubility of aluminum in Hanford nuclear waste impacts on the process ability of the waste by a number of proposed treatment options. For many years, Hanford staff has anecdotally noted that aluminum appears to be considerably more soluble in Hanford waste than the simpler electrolyte solutions used as analogues. There has been minimal scientific study to confirm these anecdotal observations, however. The present study determines the apparent solubility product for gibbsite in 50 tank samples. The ratio of hydroxide to aluminum in the liquid phase for the samples is calculated and plotted as a function of total sodium molarity. Total sodium molarity is used as a surrogate for ionic strength, because the relative ratios of mono, di and trivalent anions are not available for all of the samples. These results were compared to the simple NaOH-NaAl(OH 4 )H 2 O system, and the NaOH-NaAl(OH 4 )NaCl-H 2 O system data retrieved from the literature. The results show that gibbsite is apparently more soluble in the samples than in the simple systems whenever the sodium molarity is greater than two. This apparent enhanced solubility cannot be explained solely by differences in ionic strength. The change in solubility with ionic strength in simple systems is small compared to the difference between aluminum solubility in Hanford waste and the simple systems. The reason for the apparent enhanced solubility is unknown, but could include. kinetic or thermodynamic factors that are not present in the simple electrolyte systems. Any kinetic explanation would have to explain why the samples are always supersaturated whenever the sodium molarity is above two. Real waste characterization data should not be used to validate thermodynamic solubility models until it can be confirmed that the apparent enhanced gibbsite solubility is a thermodynamic effect and not a kinetic effect.

Measurement and evaluation of EDM bearing currents by the normalized Joule integral

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidmar, Gregor; Miljavec, Damijan; Agrež, Dušan

2014-01-01

Apparent current density is the most common criterion used in literature to estimate bearing endangerment due to bearing currents. In the paper, a new criterion called the normalized Joule integral is proposed as a more reliable and accurate one. This approach is more general and gives good correlation between current in the bypass bridge and bearing current. Furthermore, it considers the whole current that causes bearing damage, not just its peak value. The choice of the normalized Joule integral is theoretically explained and supported by measurements and simulations. The levels of bearing endangerment related to the normalized Joule integral of bearing currents are estimated. (paper)

Associative (prosop)agnosia without (apparent) perceptual deficits: a case-study.

Science.gov (United States)

Anaki, David; Kaufman, Yakir; Freedman, Morris; Moscovitch, Morris

2007-04-09

In associative agnosia early perceptual processing of faces or objects are considered to be intact, while the ability to access stored semantic information about the individual face or object is impaired. Recent claims, however, have asserted that associative agnosia is also characterized by deficits at the perceptual level, which are too subtle to be detected by current neuropsychological tests. Thus, the impaired identification of famous faces or common objects in associative agnosia stems from difficulties in extracting the minute perceptual details required to identify a face or an object. In the present study, we report the case of a patient DBO with a left occipital infarct, who shows impaired object and famous face recognition. Despite his disability, he exhibits a face inversion effect, and is able to select a famous face from among non-famous distractors. In addition, his performance is normal in an immediate and delayed recognition memory for faces, whose external features were deleted. His deficits in face recognition are apparent only when he is required to name a famous face, or select two faces from among a triad of famous figures based on their semantic relationships (a task which does not require access to names). The nature of his deficits in object perception and recognition are similar to his impairments in the face domain. This pattern of behavior supports the notion that apperceptive and associative agnosia reflect distinct and dissociated deficits, which result from damage to different stages of the face and object recognition process.

Comparison of gamma glutamyltransferase in normal and in type 2 diabetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, A.

2010-01-01

Objective: Comparison of gamma glutamyltransferase in normal and type 2 diabetics. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 100 apparently normal healthy subjects and, 47 type 2 diabetic subjects were selected from either sex with ages between 18-65 years. Subjects were measured for waist/hip ratio, BMI and serum levels of ALT, AST, Alk Phosphatase and Glutamyl Transferase (GGT). The study excluded by screening for Anti HCV, HBsAg and patients with aspartate amino transferase (SGOT), alanine amino transferase (SGPT), GGT levels more than three times the normal and subject with a total leukocyte count more than 10,000/ mu l. Results: The levels of GGT levels were found to be most significant among all the liver enzymes (P = 0.001). The levels of GGT compared with type 2 diabetics was found to be significantly increased when compared with BMI, waist/circumference, cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low density Lipoprotein (LDL), fasting blood sugar level and blood pressure (P = 0.001). The pearson regression analysis showed a positive relation with systolic, diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood sugar. Conclusion: These results indicate that levels of GGT were raised with increased waist girth, BMI, blood pressure TG and low HDL, all of these are the features of metabolic syndrome according to ATP III criteria. Hence, serum GGT may be an important investigation for diabetes and metabolic syndrome. (author)

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess and the long term treatment of genetic hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Razzaghy-Azar, Maryam; Yau, Mabel; Khattab, Ahmed; New, Maria I

2017-01-01

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) is a genetic disorder causing severe hypertension, hypokalemia, and hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism owing to deficient 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type-2 (11βHSD2) enzyme activity. The 11βHSD2 enzyme confers mineralocorticoid receptor specificity for aldosterone by converting cortisol to its inactive metabolite, cortisone and inactivating the cortisol-mineralocorticoid receptor complex. The 20year follow-up of a consanguineous Iranian family with three sibs affected with AME shows the successes and pitfalls of medical therapy with spironolactone. The three sibs, (female, male, female) were diagnosed at the ages of 14, 11, and 4 years, respectively. At diagnosis, hypertensive retinopathy and left ventricular hypertrophy were present in the eldest female and retinopathy was noted in the male sib. Spironolactone treatment resulted in decreased blood pressure and rise in serum potassium levels. The older female, age 36, developed reduced left ventricular function with mitral and tricuspid regurgitation and renal failure after her second pregnancy. She was treated with renal transplantation resulting in cure of AME with decreased blood pressure and weaning from antihypertensives. Her younger sibs, age 34 and 26, do not have end organ damage. Early and vigilant treatment improves morbidity in patients with AME. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists normalize blood pressure, correct hypokalemia and reduce hypertensive end-organ damage in patients with AME. Low dose dexamethasone can be considered, though the response may be variable. Future directions of therapy include selective mineralocorticoid antagonists. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fertility and apparent genetic anticipation in Lynch syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Stupart, Douglas; Win, Aung Ko; Jenkins, Mark; Winship, Ingrid M; Goldberg, Paul; Ramesar, Rajkumar

2014-09-01

Genetic anticipation is the phenomenon in which age of onset of an inherited disorder decreases in successive generations. Inconsistent evidence suggests that this occurs in Lynch syndrome. A possible cause for apparent anticipation is fecundity bias, which occurs if the disease adversely affects fertility. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of age of diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) on lifetime fertility in Lynch syndrome, and whether this can falsely create the appearance of genetic anticipation. A computer model simulated age of diagnosis of CRC in hypothetical Lynch syndrome carriers and their offspring. The model assumed similar age distribution of CRC across generations (i.e. that there was no true anticipation). Age distribution of CRC diagnosis, and lifetime fertility rates (grouped by age of diagnosis of CRC) were determined from the Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Registry (ACCFR). Apparent anticipation was calculated by comparing ages of diagnosis of CRC in affected parent-child pairs. A total of 1,088 patients with CRC were identified from the ACCFR. Total lifetime (cohort) fertility was related to age of diagnosis of CRC (correlation coefficient 0.13, P = 0.0001). In the simulation, apparent anticipation was 1.8 ± 0.54 years (P = 0.0044). Observed apparent anticipation in the ACCFR cohort was 4.8 ± 1.73 years (P = 0.0064). There was no difference in apparent anticipation between the simulate d and observed parent-child pairs (P = 0.89). The appearance of genetic anticipation in Lynch syndrome can be falsely created due to changes in fertility.

Gene expression profiling in the Cynomolgus macaque Macaca fascicularis shows variation within the normal birth range

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vickers Mark H

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although an adverse early-life environment has been linked to an increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, the molecular mechanisms underlying altered disease susceptibility as well as their relevance to humans are largely unknown. Importantly, emerging evidence suggests that these effects operate within the normal range of birth weights and involve mechanisms of developmental palsticity rather than pathology. Method To explore this further, we utilised a non-human primate model Macaca fascicularis (Cynomolgus macaque which shares with humans the same progressive history of the metabolic syndrome. Using microarray we compared tissues from neonates in the average birth weight (50-75th centile to those of lower birth weight (5-25th centile and studied the effect of different growth trajectories within the normal range on gene expression levels in the umbilical cord, neonatal liver and skeletal muscle. Results We identified 1973 genes which were differentially expressed in the three tissue types between average and low birth weight animals (P Conclusion These differences in gene expression levels between animals in the upper and lower percentiles of the normal birth weight range may point towards early life metabolic adaptations that in later life result in differences in disease risk.

Fibrinogen Vicenza and Genova II: two new cases of congenital dysfibrinogenemia with isolated defect of fibrin monomer polymerization and inhibitory activity on normal coagulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodeghiero, F; Castaman, G C; Dal Belin Peruffo, A; Dini, E; Galletti, A; Barone, E; Gastaldi, G

1987-06-03

Two new cases of congenital dysfibrinogenemia are presented in which defective fibrin monomer polymerization and inhibitory activity on normal coagulation were observed. They have been tentatively called fibrinogen Vicenza and Genova II. The first was discovered in a family with mild bleeding diathesis, the second in an asymptomatic family. In almost all reported cases of fibrinogens with defective fibrin monomer polymerization, additional functional or structural defects have been detected. In our cases, on the contrary, detailed investigations failed to show any other abnormality. Fibrinogen Genova II is apparently identical to fibrinogen Baltimore IV, whereas fibrinogen Vicenza is similar to fibrinogen Troyes and Genova I, but also exerts an evident inhibitory activity on normal coagulation and differs from fibrinogen Genova II and Baltimore IV showing a different kinetic pattern of fibrin monomer polymerization.

Shape reconstruction from apparent contours theory and algorithms

CERN Document Server

Bellettini, Giovanni; Paolini, Maurizio

2015-01-01

Motivated by a variational model concerning the depth of the objects in a picture and the problem of hidden and illusory contours, this book investigates one of the central problems of computer vision: the topological and algorithmic reconstruction of a smooth three dimensional scene starting from the visible part of an apparent contour. The authors focus their attention on the manipulation of apparent contours using a finite set of elementary moves, which correspond to diffeomorphic deformations of three dimensional scenes. A large part of the book is devoted to the algorithmic part, with implementations, experiments, and computed examples. The book is intended also as a user's guide to the software code appcontour, written for the manipulation of apparent contours and their invariants. This book is addressed to theoretical and applied scientists working in the field of mathematical models of image segmentation.

Modeling apparent color for visual evaluation of camouflage fabrics

Science.gov (United States)

Ramsey, S.; Mayo, T.; Shabaev, A.; Lambrakos, S. G.

2017-08-01

As the U.S. Navy, Army, and Special Operations Forces progress towards fielding more advanced uniforms with multi-colored and highly detailed camouflage patterning, additional test methodologies are necessary in evaluating color in these types of camouflage textiles. The apparent color is the combination of all visible wavelengths (380-760 nm) of light reflected from large (>=1m2 ) fabric sample sizes for a given standoff distance (10-25ft). Camouflage patterns lose resolution with increasing standoff distance, and eventually all colors within the pattern appear monotone (the "apparent color" of the pattern). This paper presents an apparent color prediction model that can be used for evaluation of camouflage fabrics.

Gravitational pressure, apparent horizon and thermodynamics of FLRW universe in the teleparallel gravity

Science.gov (United States)

da Rocha-Neto, J. F.; Morais, B. R.

2018-04-01

In the context of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity the concept of gravitational pressure and gravitational energy-momentum arisen in a natural way. In the case of a Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker space FLRW we obtain the total energy contained inside the apparent horizon and the radial pressure over the apparent horizon area. We use these definitions to written a thermodynamics relation TAdSA = dEA+PAdVA at the apparent horizon, where EA is the total energy inside the apparent horizon, VA is the areal volume of the apparent horizon, PA is the radial pressure over the apparent horizon area, SA is the entropy which can be assumed as one quarter of the apparent horizon area only for a non stationary apparent horizon. We identify TA as the temperature at the surface of the apparent horizon. We shown that for all expanding accelerated FLRW model of universe the radial pressure is positive.

Identifying apparent local stable isotope equilibrium in a complex non-equilibrium system.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yuyang; Cao, Xiaobin; Wang, Jianwei; Bao, Huiming

2018-02-28

Although being out of equilibrium, biomolecules in organisms have the potential to approach isotope equilibrium locally because enzymatic reactions are intrinsically reversible. A rigorous approach that can describe isotope distribution among biomolecules and their apparent deviation from equilibrium state is lacking, however. Applying the concept of distance matrix in graph theory, we propose that apparent local isotope equilibrium among a subset of biomolecules can be assessed using an apparent fractionation difference (|Δα|) matrix, in which the differences between the observed isotope composition (δ') and the calculated equilibrium fractionation factor (1000lnβ) can be more rigorously evaluated than by using a previous approach for multiple biomolecules. We tested our |Δα| matrix approach by re-analyzing published data of different amino acids (AAs) in potato and in green alga. Our re-analysis shows that biosynthesis pathways could be the reason for an apparently close-to-equilibrium relationship inside AA families in potato leaves. Different biosynthesis/degradation pathways in tubers may have led to the observed isotope distribution difference between potato leaves and tubers. The analysis of data from green algae does not support the conclusion that AAs are further from equilibrium in glucose-cultured green algae than in the autotrophic ones. Application of the |Δα| matrix can help us to locate potential reversible reactions or reaction networks in a complex system such as a metabolic system. The same approach can be broadly applied to all complex systems that have multiple components, e.g. geochemical or atmospheric systems of early Earth or other planets. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Differentiating inflamed and normal lungs by the apparent reaction rate constants of lactate dehydrogenase probed by hyperpolarized (13)C labeled pyruvate.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, He N; Kadlececk, Stephen; Shaghaghi, Hoora; Zhao, Huaqing; Profka, Harilla; Pourfathi, Mehrdad; Rizi, Rahim; Li, Lin Z

2016-02-01

Clinically translatable hyperpolarized (HP) (13)C-NMR can probe in vivo enzymatic reactions, e.g., lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-catalyzed reaction by injecting HP (13)C-pyruvate into the subject, which is converted to (13)C labeled lactate by the enzyme. Parameters such as (13)C-lactate signals and lactate-to-pyruvate signal ratio are commonly used for analyzing the HP (13)C-NMR data. However, the biochemical/biological meaning of these parameters remains either unclear or dependent on experimental settings. It is preferable to quantify the reaction rate constants with a clearer physical meaning. Here we report the extraction of the kinetic parameters of the LDH reaction from HP (13)C-NMR data and investigate if they can be potential predictors of lung inflammation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (12 controls, 14 treated) were used. One dose of bleomycin (2.5 U/kg) was administered intratracheally to the treatment group. The lungs were removed, perfused, and observed by the HP-NMR technique, where a HyperSense dynamic nuclear polarization system was used to generate the HP (13)C-pyruvate for injecting into the lungs. A 20 mm (1)H/(13)C dual-tuned coil in a 9.4-T Varian vertical bore NMR spectrometer was employed to acquire the (13)C spectral data every 1 s over a time period of 300 s using a non-selective, 15-degree radiofrequency pulse. The apparent rate constants of the LDH reaction and their ratio were quantified by applying ratiometric fitting analysis to the time series data of (13)C labeled pyruvate and lactate. The apparent forward rate constant kp =(3.67±3.31)×10(-4) s(-1), reverse rate constant kl =(4.95±2.90)×10(-2) s(-1), rate constant ratio kp /kl =(7.53±5.75)×10(-3) for the control lungs; kp =(11.71±4.35)×10(-4) s(-1), kl =(9.89±3.89)×10(-2) s(-1), and kp /kl =(12.39±4.18)×10(-3) for the inflamed lungs at the 7(th) day post treatment. Wilcoxon rank-sum test showed that the medians of these kinetic parameters of the 7-day cohort were significantly

Prevalence of dyslipidaemia amongst apparently healthy staff of a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study is to determine the serum lipid profile of apparently healthy staff of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City. Consenting staff of UBTH who were apparently healthy were recruited for the study. Data extracted included the patient's age, sex, body mass index, weight, height, waist ...

Thermodynamics of the Apparent Horizon in FRW Universe with Massive Gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hui; Zhang Yi

2013-01-01

Applying Clausius relation with energy-supply defined by the unified first law of thermodynamics formalism to the apparent horizon of a massive gravity model in cosmology proposed lately, the corrected entropic formula of the apparent horizon is obtained with the help of the modified Friedmann equations. This entropy-area relation, together with the identified Misner-Sharp internal energy, verifies the first law of thermodynamics for the apparent horizon with a volume change term for consistency. On the other hand, by means of the corrected entropy-area formula and the Clausius relation δQ = T d S, where the heat Bow δQ is the energy-supply of pure matter projecting on the vector ξ tangent to the apparent horizon and should be looked on as the amount of energy crossing the apparent horizon during the time interval dt and the temperature of the apparent horizon for energy crossing during the same interval is 1/(2πr A ), the modified Friedmann equations governing the dynamical evolution of the universe are reproduced with the known energy density and pressure of massive graviton. The integration constant is found to correspond to a cosmological term which could be absorbed into the energy density of matter. Having established the correspondence of massive cosmology with the unified first law of thermodynamics on the apparent horizon, the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics is also discussed by assuming the thermal equilibrium between the apparent horizon and the matter field bounded by the apparent horizon. It is found that, in the limit H c → 0, which recovers the Minkowski reference metric solution in the fiat case, the generalized second law of thermodynamics holds if α 3 + 4α 4 3 = α 4 = 0, the generalized second law of thermodynamics could be violated. (general)

Acid Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Apparent Life-Threatening Events: Simultaneous pH-metry and Cardiorespiratory Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Macchini, Francesco; Morandi, Anna; Cognizzoli, Paola; Farris, Giorgio; Gentilino, Valerio; Zanini, Andrea; Leva, Ernesto

2017-02-01

To investigate the prevalence and the characteristics of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants with apparent life threatening events (ALTE). Infants with at least one episode of ALTE in absence of predisposing factors were included. All infants underwent a cardiorespiratory recording with simultaneous 24-hour pH-monitoring. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the severity of GERD: A. Reflux Index (RI) 7%. Monthly evaluations were performed and the anti-reflux therapy was maintained till normalization of monitoring and clinic. 41 infants were enrolled. GERD was found in 80% of patients (moderate in 54%, severe in 27%). A normalization of the cardiorespiratory tracks was recorded on average after 1 month for group A, 7 months for the group B and 9.5 months for group C. A significant difference was registered between group A and both group B and C (P < 0.0001), as well as between the group B and C (P < 0.05). GERD influences significantly the time of normalization of the cardiorespiratory monitoring in infants with ALTE. GERD diagnosis and treatment are mandatory in these patients. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Correlation of human papillomavirus status with apparent diffusion coefficient of diffusion-weighted MRI in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Driessen, Juliette P; van Bemmel, Alexander J M; van Kempen, Pauline M W; Janssen, Luuk M; Terhaard, Chris H J; Pameijer, Frank A; Willems, Stefan M; Stegeman, Inge; Grolman, Wilko; Philippens, Marielle E P

2016-04-01

Identification of prognostic patient characteristics in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is of great importance. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive HNSCCs have favorable response to (chemo)radiotherapy. Apparent diffusion coefficient, derived from diffusion-weighted MRI, has also shown to predict treatment response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between HPV status and apparent diffusion coefficient. Seventy-three patients with histologically proven HNSCC were retrospectively analyzed. Mean pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficient was calculated by delineation of total tumor volume on diffusion-weighted MRI. HPV status was analyzed and correlated to apparent diffusion coefficient. Six HNSCCs were HPV-positive. HPV-positive HNSCC showed significantly lower apparent diffusion coefficient compared to HPV-negative. This correlation was independent of other patient characteristics. In HNSCC, positive HPV status correlates with low mean apparent diffusion coefficient. The favorable prognostic value of low pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficient might be partially attributed to patients with a positive HPV status. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E613-E618, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A novel generalized normal distribution for human longevity and other negatively skewed data.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Henry T; Allison, David B

2012-01-01

Negatively skewed data arise occasionally in statistical practice; perhaps the most familiar example is the distribution of human longevity. Although other generalizations of the normal distribution exist, we demonstrate a new alternative that apparently fits human longevity data better. We propose an alternative approach of a normal distribution whose scale parameter is conditioned on attained age. This approach is consistent with previous findings that longevity conditioned on survival to the modal age behaves like a normal distribution. We derive such a distribution and demonstrate its accuracy in modeling human longevity data from life tables. The new distribution is characterized by 1. An intuitively straightforward genesis; 2. Closed forms for the pdf, cdf, mode, quantile, and hazard functions; and 3. Accessibility to non-statisticians, based on its close relationship to the normal distribution.

{Delta}I = 2 energy staggering in normal deformed dysprosium nuclei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riley, M.A.; Brown, T.B.; Archer, D.E. [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States)] [and others

1996-12-31

Very high spin states (I{ge}50{Dirac_h}) have been observed in {sup 155,156,157}Dy. The long regular band sequences, free from sharp backbending effects, observed in these dysprosium nuclei offer the possibility of investigating the occurence of any {Delta}I = 2 staggering in normal deformed nuclei. Employing the same analysis techniques as used in superdeformed nuclei, certain bands do indeed demonstrate an apparent staggering and this is discussed.

Inhibition of apparent photosynthesis by nitrogen oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hill, A C; Bennett, J H

1970-01-01

The nitrogen oxides (NO/sub 2/ and NO) inhibited apparent photosynthesis of oats and alfalfa at concentrations below those required to cause visible injury. There appeared to be a threshold concentration of about 0.6 ppm for each pollutant. An additive effect in depressing apparent photosynthesis occurred when the plants were exposed to a mixture of NO and NO/sub 2/. Although NO produced a more rapid effect on the plants, lower concentrations of NO/sub 2/ were required to cause a given inhibition after 2 hour of exposure. Inhibition by nitric oxide was more closely related to its partial pressure than was inhibition by NO/sub 2/.

A feasibility study in adapting Shamos Bickel and Hodges Lehman estimator into T-Method for normalization

Science.gov (United States)

Harudin, N.; Jamaludin, K. R.; Muhtazaruddin, M. Nabil; Ramlie, F.; Muhamad, Wan Zuki Azman Wan

2018-03-01

T-Method is one of the techniques governed under Mahalanobis Taguchi System that developed specifically for multivariate data predictions. Prediction using T-Method is always possible even with very limited sample size. The user of T-Method required to clearly understanding the population data trend since this method is not considering the effect of outliers within it. Outliers may cause apparent non-normality and the entire classical methods breakdown. There exist robust parameter estimate that provide satisfactory results when the data contain outliers, as well as when the data are free of them. The robust parameter estimates of location and scale measure called Shamos Bickel (SB) and Hodges Lehman (HL) which are used as a comparable method to calculate the mean and standard deviation of classical statistic is part of it. Embedding these into T-Method normalize stage feasibly help in enhancing the accuracy of the T-Method as well as analysing the robustness of T-method itself. However, the result of higher sample size case study shows that T-method is having lowest average error percentages (3.09%) on data with extreme outliers. HL and SB is having lowest error percentages (4.67%) for data without extreme outliers with minimum error differences compared to T-Method. The error percentages prediction trend is vice versa for lower sample size case study. The result shows that with minimum sample size, which outliers always be at low risk, T-Method is much better on that, while higher sample size with extreme outliers, T-Method as well show better prediction compared to others. For the case studies conducted in this research, it shows that normalization of T-Method is showing satisfactory results and it is not feasible to adapt HL and SB or normal mean and standard deviation into it since it’s only provide minimum effect of percentages errors. Normalization using T-method is still considered having lower risk towards outlier’s effect.

Apparent diffusion coefficient histogram analysis of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cauley, Keith A. [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States); New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Filippi, Christopher G. [New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States)

2014-06-15

Diffusion-weighted imaging is a valuable tool in the assessment of the neonatal brain, and changes in diffusion are seen in normal development as well as in pathological states such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Various methods of quantitative assessment of diffusion values have been reported. Global ischemic injury occurring during the time of rapid developmental changes in brain myelination can complicate the imaging diagnosis of neonatal HIE. To compare a quantitative method of histographic analysis of brain apparent coefficient (ADC) maps to the qualitative interpretation of routine brain MR imaging studies. We correlate changes in diffusion values with gestational age in radiographically normal neonates, and we investigate the sensitivity of the method as a quantitative measure of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. We reviewed all brain MRI studies from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at our university medical center over a 4-year period to identify cases that were radiographically normal (23 cases) and those with diffuse, global hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (12 cases). We histographically displayed ADC values of a single brain slice at the level of the basal ganglia and correlated peak (s-sD{sub av}) and lowest histogram values (s-sD{sub lowest}) with gestational age. Normative s-sD{sub av} values correlated significantly with gestational age and declined linearly through the neonatal period (r {sup 2} = 0.477, P < 0.01). Six of 12 cases of known HIE demonstrated significantly lower s-sD{sub av} and s-sD{sub lowest} ADC values than were reflected in the normative distribution; several cases of HIE fell within a 95% confidence interval for normative studies, and one case demonstrated higher-than-normal s-sD{sub av}. Single-slice histographic display of ADC values is a rapid and clinically feasible method of quantitative analysis of diffusion. In this study normative values derived from consecutive neonates without radiographic evidence of

An apparently normal gamma-ray burst with an unusually low luminosity.

Science.gov (United States)

Sazonov, S Yu; Lutovinov, A A; Sunyaev, R A

2004-08-05

Much of the progress in understanding gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has come from studies of distant events (redshift z approximately 1). In the brightest GRBs, the gamma-rays are so highly collimated that the events can be seen across the Universe. It has long been suspected that the nearest and most common events have been missed because they are not as collimated or they are under-energetic (or both). Here we report soft gamma-ray observations of GRB 031203, the nearest event to date (z = 0.106; ref. 2). It had a duration of 40 s and peak energy of >190 keV, and therefore appears to be a typical long-duration GRB. The isotropic gamma-ray energy of < or =10(50) erg, however, is about three orders of magnitude smaller than that of the cosmological population. This event--as well as the other nearby but somewhat controversial GRB 980425--is a clear outlier from the isotropic-energy/peak-energy relation and luminosity/spectral-lag relations that describe the majority of GRBs. Radio calorimetry shows that both of these events are under-energetic explosions. We conclude that there does indeed exist a large population of under-energetic events.

Apparently balanced t(1;7)(q21.3;q34) in an infant with Coffin-Siris syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

McPherson, E W; Laneri, G; Clemens, M M; Kochmar, S J; Surti, U

1997-09-05

Coffin-Siris syndrome is a multiple anomaly/mental retardation syndrome characterized by "coarse" facial appearance, hypoplastic or absent nails on the fifth digits, generalized hirsutism with sparse scalp hair, hypotonia, and developmental delay. Due to several reports of affected sibs with or without a mildly affected parent, both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant inheritance have been suggested. All previous patients with well-documented Coffin-Siris syndrome are chromosomally normal, and the gene has not been mapped. We report on an infant with typical findings of Coffin-Siris syndrome who also has a de novo apparently balanced translocation of chromosomes 1 and 7, karyotype 46,XY,t(1;7)(q21.3;q34). The parental chromosomes are normal and none of the relatives have signs of Coffin-Siris syndrome. The breakpoints 1q21.3 and 7q34 are suggested as possible locations for a Coffin-Siris gene.

Normalization and gene p-value estimation: issues in microarray data processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Fundel, Katrin; Küffner, Robert; Aigner, Thomas; Zimmer, Ralf

2008-05-28

Numerous methods exist for basic processing, e.g. normalization, of microarray gene expression data. These methods have an important effect on the final analysis outcome. Therefore, it is crucial to select methods appropriate for a given dataset in order to assure the validity and reliability of expression data analysis. Furthermore, biological interpretation requires expression values for genes, which are often represented by several spots or probe sets on a microarray. How to best integrate spot/probe set values into gene values has so far been a somewhat neglected problem. We present a case study comparing different between-array normalization methods with respect to the identification of differentially expressed genes. Our results show that it is feasible and necessary to use prior knowledge on gene expression measurements to select an adequate normalization method for the given data. Furthermore, we provide evidence that combining spot/probe set p-values into gene p-values for detecting differentially expressed genes has advantages compared to combining expression values for spots/probe sets into gene expression values. The comparison of different methods suggests to use Stouffer's method for this purpose. The study has been conducted on gene expression experiments investigating human joint cartilage samples of osteoarthritis related groups: a cDNA microarray (83 samples, four groups) and an Affymetrix (26 samples, two groups) data set. The apparently straight forward steps of gene expression data analysis, e.g. between-array normalization and detection of differentially regulated genes, can be accomplished by numerous different methods. We analyzed multiple methods and the possible effects and thereby demonstrate the importance of the single decisions taken during data processing. We give guidelines for evaluating normalization outcomes. An overview of these effects via appropriate measures and plots compared to prior knowledge is essential for the biological

PG 0832 + 676 - An apparently normal B1 V star 18 kiloparsecs above the galactic plane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, P.J.F.; Dufton, P.L.; Keenan, F.P.; Boksenberg, A.; King, D.L.

1989-01-01

Stellar equivalent widths and line profiles, measured from optical spectra obtained with the 5 m Hale telescope and the 2.5 m Isaac Newton telescope, are used in conjunction with model atmosphere calculations to determine the atmospheric parameters and chemical composition of the faint, blue, high-galactic latitude star PG 0832 + 676. The effective temperature (Teff = 25,000 K), surface gravity (log g = 3.9), and abundances of He, C, N, O, Mg, Al, and Si are similar to those of Population I OB-type stars, from which it is concluded that PG 0832 + 676 is a normal star at a distance from the galactic plane of about 18 kpc. The star's kinematics and evolutionary age suggest that it formed in the halo, possibly from galactic fountain material. 51 refs

Functional Apparent Moduli (FAMs) as Predictors of Oral Implant Osseointegration Dynamics

OpenAIRE

Chang, Po-Chun; Seol, Yang-Jo; Kikuchi, Noboru; Goldstein, Steven A.; Giannobile, William V.

2010-01-01

At present, limited functional data exists regarding the application and use of biomechanical and imaging technologies for oral implant osseointegration assessment. The objective of this investigation was to determine the functional apparent moduli (FAMs) that could predict the dynamics of oral implant osseointegration. Using an in vivo dental implant osseous healing model, two FAMs, functional bone apparent modulus (FBAM) and composite tissue apparent modulus (FCAM), of the selected peri-imp...

Nearly extremal apparent horizons in simulations of merging black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Lovelace, Geoffrey; Scheel, Mark; Owen, Robert; Giesler, Matthew; Katebi, Reza; Szilagyi, Bela; Chu, Tony; Demos, Nicholas; Hemberger, Daniel; Kidder, Lawrence; Pfeiffer, Harald; Afshari, Nousha; SXS Collaboration

2015-04-01

The spin S of a Kerr black hole is bounded by the surface area A of its apparent horizon: 8 πS A and e0 > 1 , but these surfaces are always surrounded by apparent horizons with 8 πS < A and e0 < 1 .

Age-related changes of diffusional anisotropy in the cerebral white matter in normal subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanyu, Haruo; Asano, Tetsuichi; Ogawa, Kimikazu; Takasaki, Masaru; Shindo, Hiroaki; Kakizaki, Dai; Abe, Kimihiko

1997-01-01

To investigate age-related changes of diffusional anisotropy in the cerebral white matter, we performed diffusion-weighted MRI studies in 21 normal subjects aged 25 to 96 years. The anisotropic rations (ARs), defined as the apparent diffusion coefficients perpendicular to the nerve fibers to those parallel to the nerve fibers, were significantly higher in elderly than in young subjects in the anterior and posterior white matter surrounding the lateral ventricle. Moreover, significant correlation between age and AR was found in the anterior white matter. The ventricular index (VI) measured on MRI, as a quantitative indicator of brain atrophy, was significantly higher in elderly than younger subjects, and significantly correlated with AR in the anterior white matter. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the VI showed the highest correlation for AR. On the other hand, there was no significant correlations between ARs in the corpus callosum and age. These results suggest that morphological changes in the myelin and axon in the white matter occur in elderly normal subjects, probably due to neuronal loss with aging. (author)

Energy flow in a bound electromagnetic field: resolution of apparent paradoxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kholmetskii, A L; Yarman, T

2008-01-01

In this paper, we present a resolution of apparent paradoxes formulated in (Kholmetskii A L 2006 Apparent paradoxes in classical electrodynamics: the energy-momentum conservation law for a bound electromagnetic field Eur. J. Phys. 27 825-38; Kholmetskii A L and Yarman T 2008 Apparent paradoxes in classical electrodynamics: a fluid medium in an electromagnetic field Eur. J. Phys. 29 1127) and dealing with the energy flux in a bound electromagnetic field

Normalized modes at selected points without normalization

Science.gov (United States)

Kausel, Eduardo

2018-04-01

As every textbook on linear algebra demonstrates, the eigenvectors for the general eigenvalue problem | K - λM | = 0 involving two real, symmetric, positive definite matrices K , M satisfy some well-defined orthogonality conditions. Equally well-known is the fact that those eigenvectors can be normalized so that their modal mass μ =ϕT Mϕ is unity: it suffices to divide each unscaled mode by the square root of the modal mass. Thus, the normalization is the result of an explicit calculation applied to the modes after they were obtained by some means. However, we show herein that the normalized modes are not merely convenient forms of scaling, but that they are actually intrinsic properties of the pair of matrices K , M, that is, the matrices already "know" about normalization even before the modes have been obtained. This means that we can obtain individual components of the normalized modes directly from the eigenvalue problem, and without needing to obtain either all of the modes or for that matter, any one complete mode. These results are achieved by means of the residue theorem of operational calculus, a finding that is rather remarkable inasmuch as the residues themselves do not make use of any orthogonality conditions or normalization in the first place. It appears that this obscure property connecting the general eigenvalue problem of modal analysis with the residue theorem of operational calculus may have been overlooked up until now, but which has in turn interesting theoretical implications.Á

Gas Phase Pressure Effects on the Apparent Thermal Conductivity of JSC-1A Lunar Regolith Simulant

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Zeng-Guang; Kleinhenz, Julie E.

2011-01-01

Gas phase pressure effects on the apparent thermal conductivity of a JSC-1A/air mixture have been experimentally investigated under steady state thermal conditions from 10 kPa to 100 kPa. The result showed that apparent thermal conductivity of the JSC-1A/air mixture decreased when pressure was lowered to 80 kPa. At 10 kPa, the conductivity decreased to 0.145 W/m/degree C, which is significantly lower than 0.196 W/m/degree C at 100 kPa. This finding is consistent with the results of previous researchers. The reduction of the apparent thermal conductivity at low pressures is ascribed to the Knudsen effect. Since the characteristic length of the void space in bulk JSC-1A varies over a wide range, both the Knudsen regime and continuum regime can coexist in the pore space. The volume ratio of the two regimes varies with pressure. Thus, as gas pressure decreases, the gas volume controlled by Knudsen regime increases. Under Knudsen regime the resistance to the heat flow is higher than that in the continuum regime, resulting in the observed pressure dependency of the apparent thermal conductivity.

Effects of liquid morphology and distribution on the apparent properties of porous media made of stacked particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingzhi Yu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available To understand the effects of liquid morphology on the apparent transfer properties of porous media formed by stacked particles, the authors investigate the particles’ aggregation state, apparent volume, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity of wet stacked glass beads. It shows that the liquid mainly exists as liquid bridges when the liquid content is low and connects each other when high. The transformation of liquid morphology and distribution influences the liquid effects on particles, thus changing the aggregation state of the particles and the apparent properties of the porous media in turn. A model is developed for predicting the critical liquid content at which the liquid morphology shifts from the state of liquid bridges into the state of interconnectedness. The prediction from the model is in good agreement with the experiment.

Apparent amitosis in the binucleate dinoflagellate Peridinium balticum.

Science.gov (United States)

Tippit, D H; Pickett-Heaps, J D

1976-07-01

Mitosis and cytokinesis in the free-living binucleate dinoflagellate Peridinium balticum are described, P. balticum contains 2 nuclei; one is a typical dinoflagellate nucleus and the other resembles the interphase nuclei of some eucaryotic cells and is here named the supernumerary nucleus (formerly called the eucaryotic nucleus). The dinoflagellate nucleus divides in the characteristic manner already described for certain other dinoflagellates. The supernumerary nucleus does not undergo normal mitosis; its chromatin does not condense, a spindle is not differentiated for its division, nor are any microtubules present inside the nucleus during any stage of its division. Instead the supernumerary nucleus divides by simple cleavage, which is concurrent with cytoplasmic cleavage. The nucleus cleaves first on its side facing the wall, but later it cleaves circumferentially as the cytoplasmic cleavage furrow draws closer. Invariably at late cytokinesis, a portion of the dividing nucleus passes through the only remaining uncleaved area of the cell. The final separation of the supernumerary nucleus is probably accomplished by the ingrowing furrow pinching the nucleus in two. There is no apparent precise segregation of genetic material during division, nor are there any structural changes inside the dividing nucleus which distinguish it from the interphase nucleus. Certain aspects of amitosis, and previously postulated theories concerning the endosymbiont origin of the second nucleus, are discussed.

Mixing effects on apparent reaction rates and isotope fractionation during denitrification in a heterogeneous aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Christopher T.; Böhlke, John Karl; Bekins, Barbara A.; Phillips, Steven P.

2010-01-01

Gradients in contaminant concentrations and isotopic compositions commonly are used to derive reaction parameters for natural attenuation in aquifers. Differences between field‐scale (apparent) estimated reaction rates and isotopic fractionations and local‐scale (intrinsic) effects are poorly understood for complex natural systems. For a heterogeneous alluvial fan aquifer, numerical models and field observations were used to study the effects of physical heterogeneity on reaction parameter estimates. Field measurements included major ions, age tracers, stable isotopes, and dissolved gases. Parameters were estimated for the O2 reduction rate, denitrification rate, O2 threshold for denitrification, and stable N isotope fractionation during denitrification. For multiple geostatistical realizations of the aquifer, inverse modeling was used to establish reactive transport simulations that were consistent with field observations and served as a basis for numerical experiments to compare sample‐based estimates of “apparent” parameters with “true“ (intrinsic) values. For this aquifer, non‐Gaussian dispersion reduced the magnitudes of apparent reaction rates and isotope fractionations to a greater extent than Gaussian mixing alone. Apparent and true rate constants and fractionation parameters can differ by an order of magnitude or more, especially for samples subject to slow transport, long travel times, or rapid reactions. The effect of mixing on apparent N isotope fractionation potentially explains differences between previous laboratory and field estimates. Similarly, predicted effects on apparent O2threshold values for denitrification are consistent with previous reports of higher values in aquifers than in the laboratory. These results show that hydrogeological complexity substantially influences the interpretation and prediction of reactive transport.

Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with dyspeptic symptoms having normal endoscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malik, M.F.; Hussain, T.; Khan, M.N.; Mirza, S.A.

2010-01-01

To find out the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection in the local population presenting with dyspeptic symptoms but having normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings. Hundred cases of dyspepsia having normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were taken as study population. Although the gold standard for presence or absence of Helicobacter pylori infection is culture but in this study the diagnostic method used was histopathology of gastric antrum. The male and female ratio was 2:1. Majority of the patients were either 40 years of age or less, mean age being 40.52 (sd+-13.22). The chief symptoms were pain epigastrium (46%) and upper abdominal discomfort (27%). Helicobacter pylori gastritis was found in 51% of cases. We conclude that Helicobacter pylori infection is quite common in dyspeptic patients apparently having normal endoscopic gastric mucosal findings. Eradication therapy should be instituted in positive cases to avoid its long-term complications. (author)

Apparent target strength in long-rod penetration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Godwin, R.P.; Chapyak, E.J. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Applied Theoretical and Computational Physics Div.

1996-03-01

The authors investigate the apparent enhancement of target strength in the steady-state Tate model of long-rod penetration. They show that computing the effective area over which the target behaves as a fluid provides an explanation of the effective 1-D target strength measured empirically. Expressing the effective target strength as R{sub t} = a {times} Y{sub t}, they postulate that a = A{sub e}/A{sub p}, where Y{sub t} is the nominal strength; A{sub e} is the effective target fluid cross-sectional area and A{sub p} the projectile cross-sectional area. For the case of a rod and projectile of the same material, they use the Tate model together with the jet model of Birkhoff et al. to show a {approx} 4 is likely. Simultaneously satisfying Newton`s Second Law and the Tate model yields a very general derivation of a = 4. By explicitly including strength terms in both the Tate equation and Newton`s Second Law, an even more general a = f(v,{rho}{sub p},{rho}{sub t},Y{sub p},Y{sub t}) can be derived.

The generalized second law of gravitational thermodynamics on the apparent and event horizons in FRW cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karami, K; Ghaffari, S; Soltanzadeh, M M

2010-01-01

We investigate the validity of the generalized second law (GSL) of gravitational thermodynamics on the apparent and event horizons in a non-flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe containing dark energy interacting with dark matter. We show that for the dynamical apparent horizon, the GSL is always satisfied throughout the history of the universe for any spatial curvature and it is independent of the equation of state parameter of the interacting dark energy model. On the other hand, for the cosmological event horizon, the validity of the GSL depends on the equation of state parameter of the model.

The generalized second law of gravitational thermodynamics on the apparent and event horizons in FRW cosmology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karami, K; Ghaffari, S; Soltanzadeh, M M, E-mail: KKarami@uok.ac.i [Department of Physics, University of Kurdistan, Pasdaran St, Sanandaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2010-10-21

We investigate the validity of the generalized second law (GSL) of gravitational thermodynamics on the apparent and event horizons in a non-flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe containing dark energy interacting with dark matter. We show that for the dynamical apparent horizon, the GSL is always satisfied throughout the history of the universe for any spatial curvature and it is independent of the equation of state parameter of the interacting dark energy model. On the other hand, for the cosmological event horizon, the validity of the GSL depends on the equation of state parameter of the model.

Mars Surface Heterogeneity From Variations in Apparent Thermal Inertia

Science.gov (United States)

Putzig, N. E.; Mellon, M. T.

2005-12-01

Current techniques used in the calculation of thermal inertia from observed brightness temperatures typically assume that planetary surface properties are uniform on the scale of the instrument's observational footprint. Mixed or layered surfaces may yield different apparent thermal inertia values at different seasons or times of day due to the nonlinear relationship between temperature and thermal inertia. To obtain sufficient data coverage for investigating temporal changes, we processed three Mars years of observations from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer and produced seasonal nightside and dayside maps of apparent thermal inertia. These maps show broad regions with seasonal and diurnal differences as large as 200 J m-2 K-1 s-½ at mid-latitudes (60°S to 60°N) and ranging up to 600 J m-2 K-1 s-½ or greater in the polar regions. Comparison of the maps with preliminary results from forward-modeling of heterogeneous surfaces indicates that much of the martian surface may be dominated by (1) horizontally mixed surfaces, such as those containing differing proportions of rocks, sand, dust, duricrust, and localized frosts; (2) higher thermal inertia layers over lower thermal inertia substrates, such as duricrust or desert pavements; and (3) lower thermal inertia layers over higher thermal inertia substrates, such as dust over sand or rocks and soils with an ice table at depth.

Optical spectroscopy of radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy responses in normal rat skin shows vascular breakdown products

Science.gov (United States)

Teles de Andrade, Cintia; Nogueira, Marcelo S.; Kanick, Stephen C.; Marra, Kayla; Gunn, Jason; Andreozzi, Jacqueline; Samkoe, Kimberley S.; Kurachi, Cristina; Pogue, Brian W.

2016-03-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and radiotherapy are non-systemic cancer treatment options with different mechanisms of damage. So combining these techniques has been shown to have some synergy, and can mitigate their limitations such as low PDT light penetration or radiotherapy side effects. The present study monitored the induced tissue changes after PDT, radiotherapy, and a combination protocol in normal rat skin, using an optical spectroscopy system to track the observed biophysical changes. The Wistar rats were treated with one of the protocols: PDT followed by radiotherapy, PDT, radiotherapy and radiotherapy followed by PDT. Reflectance spectra were collected in order to observe the effects of these combined therapies, especially targeting vascular response. From the reflectance, information about oxygen saturation, met-hemoglobin and bilirubin concentration, blood volume fraction (BVF) and vessel radius were extracted from model fitting of the spectra. The rats were monitored for 24 hours after treatment. Results showed that there was no significant variation in the vessel size or BVF after the treatments. However, the PDT caused a significant increase in the met-hemoglobin and bilirubin concentrations, indicating an important blood breakdown. These results may provide an important clue on how the damage establishment takes place, helping to understand the effect of the combination of those techniques in order to verify the existence of a known synergistic effect.

The Riddle of the Apparently Hollow Himalaya

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Riddle of the Apparently Hollow Himalaya. Ramesh .... It was as if the Himalayas were hollow inside. ... block would be consistent with the ground elevation in such a ... Alternative models and possible preference: Many refinements of.

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the normal fetal lung

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balassy, Csilla; Kasprian, Gregor; Weber, Michael; Hoermann, Marcus; Bankier, Alexander; Herold, Christian J.; Prayer, Daniela; Brugger, Peter C.; Csapo, Bence; Bammer, Roland

2008-01-01

To quantify apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes in fetuses with normal lungs and to determine whether ADC can be used in the assessment of fetal lung development. In 53 pregnancies (20-37th weeks of gestation), we measured ADC on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the apical, middle, and basal thirds of the right lung. ADCs were correlated with gestational age. Differences between the ADCs were assessed. Fetal lung volumes were measured on T2-weighted sequences and correlated with ADCs and with age. ADCs were 2.13 ± 0.44 μm 2 /ms (mean ± SD) in the apex, 1.99 ± 0.42 μm 2 /ms (mean ± SD) in the middle third, and 1.91 ± 0.41 μm 2 /ms (mean ± SD) in the lung base. Neither the individual ADC values nor average ADC values showed a significant correlation with gestational age or with lung volumes. Average ADCs decreased significantly from the lung apex toward the base. Individual ADCs showed little absolute change and heterogeneity. Lung volumes increased significantly during gestation. We have not been able to identify a pattern of changes in the ADC values that correlate with lung maturation. Furthermore, the individual, gravity-related ADC changes are subject to substantial variability and show nonuniform behavior. ADC can therefore not be used as an indicator of lung maturity. (orig.)

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the normal fetal lung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balassy, Csilla; Kasprian, Gregor; Weber, Michael; Hoermann, Marcus; Bankier, Alexander; Herold, Christian J.; Prayer, Daniela [Medical University of Vienna, Department of Radiology, Vienna (Austria); Brugger, Peter C. [Medical University of Vienna, Center of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Vienna (Austria); Csapo, Bence [Medical University of Vienna, Department of Obstetrics and Gyneocology, Vienna (Austria); Bammer, Roland [University of Stanford, Department of Radiology, Stanford, CA (United States)

2008-04-15

To quantify apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes in fetuses with normal lungs and to determine whether ADC can be used in the assessment of fetal lung development. In 53 pregnancies (20-37th weeks of gestation), we measured ADC on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the apical, middle, and basal thirds of the right lung. ADCs were correlated with gestational age. Differences between the ADCs were assessed. Fetal lung volumes were measured on T2-weighted sequences and correlated with ADCs and with age. ADCs were 2.13 {+-} 0.44 {mu}m{sup 2}/ms (mean {+-} SD) in the apex, 1.99 {+-} 0.42 {mu}m{sup 2}/ms (mean {+-} SD) in the middle third, and 1.91 {+-} 0.41 {mu}m{sup 2}/ms (mean {+-} SD) in the lung base. Neither the individual ADC values nor average ADC values showed a significant correlation with gestational age or with lung volumes. Average ADCs decreased significantly from the lung apex toward the base. Individual ADCs showed little absolute change and heterogeneity. Lung volumes increased significantly during gestation. We have not been able to identify a pattern of changes in the ADC values that correlate with lung maturation. Furthermore, the individual, gravity-related ADC changes are subject to substantial variability and show nonuniform behavior. ADC can therefore not be used as an indicator of lung maturity. (orig.)

Oxygen delivery in irradiated normal tissue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiani, M.F.; Ansari, R. [Univ. of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN (United States). School of Biomedical Engineering; Gaber, M.W. [St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (United States)

2003-03-01

Ionizing radiation exposure significantly alters the structure and function of microvascular networks, which regulate delivery of oxygen to tissue. In this study we use a hamster cremaster muscle model to study changes in microvascular network parameters and use a mathematical model to study the effects of these observed structural and microhemodynamic changes in microvascular networks on oxygen delivery to the tissue. Our experimental observations indicate that in microvascular networks while some parameters are significantly affected by irradiation (e.g. red blood cell (RBC) transit time), others remain at the control level (e.g. RBC path length) up to 180 days post-irradiation. The results from our mathematical model indicate that tissue oxygenation patterns are significantly different in irradiated normal tissue as compared to age-matched controls and the differences are apparent as early as 3 days post irradiation. However, oxygen delivery to irradiated tissue was not found to be significantly different from age matched controls at any time between 7 days to 6 months post-irradiation. These findings indicate that microvascular late effects in irradiated normal tissue may be due to factors other than compromised tissue oxygenation. (author)

Calculated apparent yields of rare gas fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delucchi, A.A.

1975-01-01

The apparent fission yield of the rare gas fission products from four mass chains is calculated as a function of separation time for six different fissioning systems. A plot of the calculated fission yield along with a one standard deviation error band is given for each rare gas fission product and for each fissioning system. Those parameters in the calculation that were major contributors to the calculated standard deviation at each separation time were identified and the results presented on a separate plot. To extend the usefulness of these calculations as new and better values for the input parameters become available, a third plot was generated for each system which shows how sensitive the derived fission yield is to a change in any given parameter used in the calculation. (U.S.)

Thermal conductivity as influenced by the temperature and apparent viscosity of dairy products.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, B J; Pereira, C G; Lago, A M T; Gonçalves, C S; Giarola, T M O; Abreu, L R; Resende, J V

2017-05-01

This study aimed to evaluate the rheological behavior and thermal conductivity of dairy products, composed of the same chemical components but with different formulations, as a function of temperature. Subsequently, thermal conductivity was related to the apparent viscosity of yogurt, fermented dairy beverage, and fermented milk. Thermal conductivity measures and rheological tests were performed at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C using linear probe heating and an oscillatory rheometer with concentric cylinder geometry, respectively. The results were compared with those calculated using the parallel, series, and Maxwell-Eucken models as a function of temperature, and the discrepancies in the results are discussed. Linear equations were fitted to evaluate the influence of temperature on the thermal conductivity of the dairy products. The rheological behavior, specifically apparent viscosity versus shear rate, was influenced by temperature. Herschel-Bulkley, power law, and Newton's law models were used to fit the experimental data. The Herschel-Bulkley model best described the adjustments for yogurt, the power law model did so for fermented dairy beverages, and Newton's law model did so for fermented milk and was then used to determine the rheological parameters. Fermented milk showed a Newtonian trend, whereas yogurt and fermented dairy beverage were shear thinning. Apparent viscosity was correlated with temperature by the Arrhenius equation. The formulation influenced the effective thermal conductivity. The relationship between the 2 properties was established by fixing the temperature and expressing conductivity as a function of apparent viscosity. Thermal conductivity increased with viscosity and decreased with increasing temperature. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation of methodological factors potentially underlying the apparently paradoxical findings on body mass index and all-cause mortality.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grace Joshy

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Findings regarding the association between overweight and all-cause mortality range from significantly lower to higher risk, compared with body-mass-index (BMI within the "normal" range. METHODS: We examined empirically potential methodological explanations for these apparently conflicting results using questionnaire and linked mortality data from 246,314 individuals aged ≥45 years in the Australian 45 and Up Study (11,127 deaths; median follow-up 3.9 years. Hazard ratios (HR for all-cause mortality associated with BMI were modelled according to different methods of accounting for illness at baseline, finer versus broader gradations of BMI and choice of reference group, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: In analyses using the broad World Health Organization (WHO categories, the all-cause mortality HR was significantly lower in the overweight category (25.0-29.99 kg/m², than the normal weight (18.5-24.99 kg/m² category. However, in analyses accounting for baseline illness, which excluded those with pre-existing illness at baseline, ever-smokers and the first 2 years of follow up, absolute age-standardised mortality rates varied up to two-fold between finer BMI categories within the WHO normal weight category; rates were lowest at 22.5-24.99 kg/m² and mortality HRs increased steadily for BMI above (p(trend<0.02 and below (p(trend<0.003 this reference category. Hence, the breadth of the BMI categories used and whether or not baseline illness is accounted for explain the apparent discrepancies between reported BMI-mortality associations. CONCLUSION: Using fine BMI categories and the category with the lowest absolute rates as the reference group and accounting for the potential confounding effects of baseline illness is likely to yield the most reliable risk estimates for establishing the independent relationship of BMI to all-cause mortality. These results and those of other studies indicate that a BMI of 22.5-24.99 kg

Solving the apparent diversity-accuracy dilemma of recommender systems.

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Zhou, Tao; Kuscsik, Zoltán; Liu, Jian-Guo; Medo, Matús; Wakeling, Joseph Rushton; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2010-03-09

Recommender systems use data on past user preferences to predict possible future likes and interests. A key challenge is that while the most useful individual recommendations are to be found among diverse niche objects, the most reliably accurate results are obtained by methods that recommend objects based on user or object similarity. In this paper we introduce a new algorithm specifically to address the challenge of diversity and show how it can be used to resolve this apparent dilemma when combined in an elegant hybrid with an accuracy-focused algorithm. By tuning the hybrid appropriately we are able to obtain, without relying on any semantic or context-specific information, simultaneous gains in both accuracy and diversity of recommendations.

CT measurement of normal pericardial thickness in adults on computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Young Woo; Park, Chan Sup; Jeon, Yong Sun; Bae, In Young; Choi, Sung Gyu; Koo, Jin Hoe; Chung, Won Kyun

1998-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish, using computed tomography, the normal thickness of the pericardium in adults. Materials and Methods: CT scans of 50 patients, including sections through the level of the heart, were reviewed. Patients were excluded if there were any suspicions of pericardial abnormality such as infectious or neoplastic diseases. Twenty-four of the 50 were men and 26 were women; their mean age was 47.0(range,18-76) years. We measured pericardial thickness at the level of the right ventricle, interventricular septum and left ventricle, and also compared pericardial thickness in terms of age and sex. Results: In all patients, the pericardium was observed in the right ventricular region; in 41 (82%) at the interventricular septum; and in 41 (82%) along the left ventricle. The mean thickness of normal pericardium at the level of the right ventricle, interventricular septum, and left ventricle was 1.8 mm ± 0.5 mm, 1.8 mm ± 0.4 mm, and 1.7 mm ± 0.5 mm, respectively. No statistically significant correlation was apparent between pericardial thickness and age group (p > 0.63, ANOVA test). Mean pericardial thickness was 1.9 mm ± 0.6 mm in males and 1.7 mm ± 0.4 mm in females; thus, no statistically significant correlation was apparent between pericardial thickness and sex (p >0.29, Student's t-test). Conclusion: The pericardium was best visualized in sections through the right ventricle.The mean thickness of normal pericardium was 1.8 mm ± 0.5 mm and pericardial thickness did not differ according to age or sex

Apparent diffusion coefficient measurements of bilateral kidneys at 3 T MRI: Effects of age, gender, and laterality in healthy adults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suo, S.-T.; Cao, M.-Q.; Ding, Y.-Z.; Yao, Q.-Y.; Wu, G.-Y.; Xu, J.-R.

2014-01-01

Aim: To investigate the effects of age and gender on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements of bilateral kidneys at 3 T MRI, and compare the ADC values of left and right kidneys. Materials and methods: In all, 137 healthy participants (mean age 42.8 ± 14.7 years; age range 16–75 years) comprising 68 male and 69 female participants were enrolled. Three Tesla echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of bilateral kidneys was performed and ADC values were measured in the cortex, medulla, and whole parenchyma. Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression were performed to determine the associations between the ADC values in each region and age. Effects of age and gender on ADC values were analysed using two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA). The paired-samples t-test was established to compare the ADC values between left and right kidneys. Results: ADC values were significantly higher in the young group (≤50 years) than in the old group (>50 years), and correlated inversely with the age in all regions. Male participants had higher ADC values than female participants in all regions except left medulla. Two-factor ANOVA of age × gender showed no significant interactions between the variables age and gender were found. No significant differences in ADC values between left and right kidneys were observed. Conclusion: Renal ADC values are age- and gender-dependent, and show no significant difference between left and right kidneys. Age- and gender-related effects should be taken into consideration in future renal DWI studies when using normal ADC values from health controls. - Highlights: • Renal apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values decrease with ageing. • Men tend to have higher renal ADC values than women. • Bilateral kidneys seem to have no significantly different ADC values

An echocardiographic study of healthy Border Collies with normal reference ranges for the breed.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Jake H; Boon, June A; Bright, Janice M

2013-06-01

The objectives of this study were to obtain standard echocardiographic measurements from healthy Border Collies and to compare these measurements to those previously reported for a general population of dogs. Standard echocardiographic data were obtained from twenty apparently healthy Border Collie dogs. These data (n = 20) were compared to data obtained from a general population of healthy dogs (n = 69). Border Collies were deemed healthy based on normal history, physical examination, complete blood count, serum biochemical profile, electrocardiogram, and blood pressure, with no evidence of congenital or acquired heart disease on echocardiographic examination. Standard two dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiographic measurements were obtained and normal ranges determined. The data were compared to data previously obtained at our hospital from a general population of normal dogs. Two dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler reference ranges for healthy Border Collies are presented in tabular form. Comparison of the weight adjusted M-mode echocardiographic means from Border Collies to those from the general population of dogs showed Border Collies to have larger left ventricular systolic and diastolic dimensions, smaller interventricular septal thickness, and lower fractional shortening. There are differences in some echocardiographic parameters between healthy Border Collies and the general dog population, and the echocardiographic reference ranges provided in this study should be used as breed specific reference values for Border Collies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Apparent mineral retention is similar in control and hyperinsulinemic men after consumption of high amylose cornstarch.

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Behall, Kay M; Howe, Juliette C; Anderson, Richard A

2002-07-01

The effects on apparent mineral retention after long-term consumption of a high amylose diet containing 30 g resistant starch (RS) were investigated in 10 control and 14 hyperinsulinemic men. Subjects consumed products (bread, muffins, cookies, corn flakes and cheese puffs) made with standard (70% amylopectin, 30% amylose; AP) or high amylose (70% amylose, 30% amylopectin; AM) cornstarch for two 14-wk periods in a crossover pattern. Starch products replaced usual starches in the habitual diet for 10 wk followed by 4 wk of consuming the controlled diets. During wk 12, all urine, feces and duplicate foods were collected for 7 d. Urinary chromium losses after a glucose tolerance test or 24-h collections of the hyperinsulinemic and control subjects did not differ and were not altered by diet. Except for zinc, the two subject types did not differ significantly in apparent mineral balance. Apparent retentions of calcium and magnesium were not significantly affected by diet (AM vs. AP) or type-by-diet interaction. Apparent iron retention tended to be greater after AM than AP consumption (P copper retention was greater after consuming AP than after AM (P < 0.02), whereas apparent zinc retention was greater after consuming AM than after AP (P < 0.018). Zinc also showed a significant type-by-diet interaction (P < 0.034) with control subjects retaining less zinc after consuming AP than after AM. In summary, a high amylose cornstarch diet containing 30 g RS could be consumed long term without markedly affecting, and possibly enhancing, retention of some minerals.

The Prevalence of Antithyroid Autoantibodies in Normal Korean Population*

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Lee, Myung Shik; Lee, Dong Soo; Han, Jin Suk; Cho, Bo Youn; Koh, Chang Soon; Lee, Munho

1986-01-01

The prevalence of antithyroid autoantibodies and the relationship between the presence of autoantibodies and thyroid functions were studied in 848 apparently normal Korean adults with tanned red cell agglutination technique. Results are summarized as follows: 1) The prevalence of antimicrosimal antibody (MCHA) and antithyroglobulin antibody (TGHA) were 4.4% and 1.9% in 458 males, and 12.4% and 5.0% in 390 females, respectively. Both autoantibodies were more prevalent in female (pantithyroid autoantibody of high titer (⩾1:1002) was related to alteration of thyroid functions suggesting the existence of “subclinical autoimmune thyroiditis” state. PMID:15759373

Heterogeneous 40Ar/39Ar laser probe apparent ages in low-grade mylonitic rocks: Constraining a meaningful geological age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arancibia, G

2001-01-01

Obtaining meaningful geological ages from mylonitic rocks has been a major problem for structural geologist, because apparent ages have usually no geologic significance. Over the last years, in situ high spatial resolutions 40 Ar/ 39 Ar studies (e.g. Ruffet et al., 1991; Reddy et al., 1996; Pickles et al., 1997), permit obtain apparent ages of mineral and link them directly with textural, microstructural and chemical patterns that can previously be obtained by optical and scanning electron (SEM) microscopes and electron microprobe. In this work, heterogeneous 40 Ar/ 39 Ar laser probe ages from low-grade volcanic mylonites show complex argon distributions patterns. Inverse isochron analysis suggests that most obtained apparent ages contain argon excess and only younger ages have a meaningful geologically interpretation (au)

Aromatic Side Chain Water-to-Lipid Transfer Free Energies Show a Depth Dependence across the Membrane Normal.

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McDonald, Sarah K; Fleming, Karen G

2016-06-29

Quantitating and understanding the physical forces responsible for the interactions of biomolecules are fundamental to the biological sciences. This is especially challenging for membrane proteins because they are embedded within cellular bilayers that provide a unique medium in which hydrophobic sequences must fold. Knowledge of the energetics of protein-lipid interactions is thus vital to understand cellular processes involving membrane proteins. Here we used a host-guest mutational strategy to calculate the Gibbs free energy changes of water-to-lipid transfer for the aromatic side chains Trp, Tyr, and Phe as a function of depth in the membrane. This work reveals an energetic gradient in the transfer free energies for Trp and Tyr, where transfer was most favorable to the membrane interfacial region and comparatively less favorable into the bilayer center. The transfer energetics follows the concentration gradient of polar atoms across the bilayer normal that naturally occurs in biological membranes. Additional measurements revealed nearest-neighbor coupling in the data set are influenced by a network of aromatic side chains in the host protein. Taken together, these results show that aromatic side chains contribute significantly to membrane protein stability through either aromatic-aromatic interactions or placement at the membrane interface.

Evidence that a Highway Reduces Apparent Survival Rates of Squirrel Gliders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah C. McCall

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Roads and traffic are prominent components of most landscapes throughout the world, and their negative effects on the natural environment can extend for hundreds or thousands of meters beyond the road. These effects include mortality of wildlife due to collisions with vehicles, pollution of soil and air, modification of wildlife behavior in response to noise, creation of barriers to wildlife movement, and establishment of dispersal conduits for some plant and animal species. In southeast Australia, much of the remaining habitat for the squirrel glider, Petaurus norfolcensis, is located in narrow strips of Eucalyptus woodland that is adjacent to roads and streams, as well as in small patches of woodland vegetation that is farther from roads. We evaluated the effect of traffic volume on squirrel gliders by estimating apparent annual survival rates of adults along the Hume Freeway and nearby low-traffic-volume roads. We surveyed populations of squirrel gliders by trapping them over 2.5 years, and combined these data with prior information on apparent survival rates in populations located away from freeways to model the ratio of apparent annual survival rates in both site types. The apparent annual survival rate of adult squirrel gliders living along the Hume Freeway was estimated to be approximately 60% lower than for squirrel gliders living near local roads. The cause of the reduced apparent survival rate may be due to higher rates of mortality and/or higher emigration rates adjacent to the Hume Freeway compared with populations near smaller country roads. Management options for population persistence will be influenced by which of these factors is the primary cause of a reduced apparent survival rate.

Apparent nutrient digestibility and performance of Heterobranchus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of nutrients is a useful tool for fish diet formulation, which gives the right estimation of growth, thereby reducing waste products. The ADCs of crude protein, energy and dry matter of processed earthworm, Libyodrilus violaceus meal by Heterobranchus longifilis fingerlings ...

Blood pressure and pulse rate of apparently healthy adults on land ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Blood pressure and pulse rate of apparently healthy adults on land and in water: A comparative study. AI Bello, BOA Adegoke, OA Abass, O Addo. Abstract. Objective: The study compared cardiovascular parameters of apparently healthy adults in erect standing posture on land and whilst immersed in water at rest. Methods: ...

Apparent partition coefficient in octanol-water and binding percentage to BSA of 153Sm(113,117Snm) complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yuqing; Luo Shunzhong; Wang Guanquan; He Jiaheng; Bing Wenzeng; Pu Manfei; Wei Hongyuan; Wang Wenjin

2004-01-01

Apparent partition coefficient in octanol-water and binding percentage to BSA of 153 Sm-NTMP, 153 Sm-HEDTMP, 153 Sm-DCTMP, 153 Sm-EDTMP, 153 Sm-DTPMP, 113,117 Sn m -EDTMP, 113,117 Sn m -HEDTMP, 113,117 Sn m -DTPMP are measured. The results show that there is a linear relationship between the relative magnitude of the apparent partition coefficient in octanol-water and the relative magnitude of the binding percentage to BSA of these 153 Sm( 113,117 Sn m ) complexes. This linear relationship provides a new method for determination of the apparent partition coefficient in octanol-water of 153 Sm( 113,117 Sn m ) complexes of this kind. This linear relationship also implicates that hydrophobic force plays an important role in the binding of 153 Sm( 113,117 Sn m ) complexes to BSA

Apparent rates of production and loss of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in a southern reservoir lake (Tennessee, USA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hong; Dill, Christopher

2008-01-01

Apparent rates of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) concentration changes in a southern reservoir lake (Cane Creek Lake, Cookeville, Tennessee) were investigated using the DGM data collected in a 12-month study from June 2003 to May 2004. The monthly mean apparent DGM production rates rose from January (3.2 pg L -1 /h), peaked in the summer months (June-August: 8.9, 8.0, 8.6 pg L -1 /h), and fell to the lowest in December (1.6 pg L -1 /h); this trend followed the monthly insolation march for both global solar radiation and UVA radiation. The monthly apparent DGM loss rates failed to show the similar trend with no consistent pattern recognizable. The spring and summer had higher seasonal mean apparent DGM production rates than the fall and winter (6.8, 9.0, 3.9, 5.0 pg L -1 /h, respectively), and the seasonal trend also appeared to closely follow the solar radiation variation. The seasonal apparent DGM loss featured similar rate values for the four seasons (5.5, 4.3, 3.3, and 3.9 pg L -1 /h for spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively). Correlation was found of the seasonal mean apparent DGM production rate with the seasonal mean morning solar radiation (r = 0.9084, p < 0.01) and with the seasonal mean morning UVA radiation (r = 0.9582, p < 0.01). No significant correlation was found between the seasonal apparent DGM loss rate and the corresponding afternoon solar radiation (r = 0.5686 for global radiation and 0.6098 for UVA radiation). These results suggest that DGM production in the lake engaged certain photochemical processes, either primary or secondary, but the DGM loss was probably driven by some dark processes

Climate control of decadal-scale increases in apparent ages of eogenetic karst spring water

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Martin, Jonathan B.; Kurz, Marie J.; Khadka, Mitra B.

2016-09-01

Water quantity and quality in karst aquifers may depend on decadal-scale variations in recharge or withdrawal, which we hypothesize could be assessed through time-series measurements of apparent ages of spring water. We tested this hypothesis with analyses of various age tracers (3H/3He, SF6, CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113) and selected solute concentrations [dissolved oxygen (DO), NO3, Mg, and SO4] from 6 springs in a single spring complex (Ichetucknee springs) in northern Florida over a 16-yr period. These springs fall into two groups that reflect shallow short (Group 1) and deep long (Group 2) flow paths. Some tracer concentrations are altered, with CFC-12 and CFC-113 concentrations yielding the most robust apparent ages. These tracers show a 10-20-yr monotonic increase in apparent age from 1997 to 2013, including the flood recession that followed Tropical Storm Debby in mid-2012. This increase in age indicates most water discharged during the study period recharged the aquifer within a few years of 1973 for Group 2 springs and 1980 for Group 1 springs. Inverse correlations between apparent age and DO and NO3 concentrations reflect reduced redox state in older water. Positive correlations between apparent age and Mg and SO4 concentrations reflect increased water-rock reactions. Concentrated recharge in the decade around 1975 resulted from nearly 2 m of rain in excess of the monthly average that fell between 1960 and 2014, followed by a nearly 4 m deficit to 2014. This excess rain coincided with two major El Niño events during the maximum cool phase in the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Although regional water withdrawal increased nearly 5-fold between 1980 and 2005, withdrawals represent only 2-5% of Ichetucknee River flow and are less important than decadal-long variations in precipitation. These results suggest that groundwater management should consider climate cycles as predictive tools for future water resources.

Parallel search for conjunctions with stimuli in apparent motion.

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Casco, C; Ganis, G

1999-01-01

A series of experiments was conducted to determine whether apparent motion tends to follow the similarity rule (i.e. is attribute-specific) and to investigate the underlying mechanism. Stimulus duration thresholds were measured during a two-alternative forced-choice task in which observers detected either the location or the motion direction of target groups defined by the conjunction of size and orientation. Target element positions were randomly chosen within a nominally defined rectangular subregion of the display (target region). The target region was presented either statically (followed by a 250 ms duration mask) or dynamically, displaced by a small distance (18 min of arc) from frame to frame. In the motion display, the position of both target and background elements was changed randomly from frame to frame within the respective areas to abolish spatial correspondence over time. Stimulus duration thresholds were lower in the motion than in the static task, indicating that target detection in the dynamic condition does not rely on the explicit identification of target elements in each static frame. Increasing the distractor-to-target ratio was found to reduce detectability in the static, but not in the motion task. This indicates that the perceptual segregation of the target is effortless and parallel with motion but not with static displays. The pattern of results holds regardless of the task or search paradigm employed. The detectability in the motion condition can be improved by increasing the number of frames and/or by reducing the width of the target area. Furthermore, parallel search in the dynamic condition can be conducted with both short-range and long-range motion stimuli. Finally, apparent motion of conjunctions is insufficient on its own to support location decision and is disrupted by random visual noise. Overall, these findings show that (i) the mechanism underlying apparent motion is attribute-specific; (ii) the motion system mediates temporal

Tractography of the corticospinal tracts in infants with focal perinatal injury: comparison with normal controls and to motor development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roze, Elise; Harris, Polly A.; Ball, Gareth; Braga, Rodrigo M.; Allsop, Joanna M.; Counsell, Serena J.; Elorza, Leire Zubiaurre; Merchant, Nazakat; Arichi, Tomoki; Edwards, A.D.; Cowan, Frances M.; Porter, Emma; Rutherford, Mary A.

2012-01-01

Our aims were to (1) assess the corticospinal tracts (CSTs) in infants with focal injury and healthy term controls using probabilistic tractography and (2) to correlate the conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tractography findings in infants with focal injury with their later motor function. We studied 20 infants with focal lesions and 23 controls using MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. Tract volume, fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity (RD) of the CSTs were determined. Asymmetry indices (AIs) were calculated by comparing ipsilateral to contralateral CSTs. Motor outcome was assessed using a standardized neurological examination. Conventional MRI was able to predict normal motor development (n = 9) or hemiplegia (n = 6). In children who developed a mild motor asymmetry (n = 5), conventional MRI predicted a hemiplegia in two and normal motor development in three infants. The AIs for tract volume, FA, ADC and RD showed a significant difference between controls and infants who developed a hemiplegia, and RD also showed a significant difference in AI between controls and infants who developed a mild asymmetry. Conventional MRI was able to predict subsequent normal motor development or hemiplegia following focal injury in newborn infants. Measures of RD obtained from diffusion tractography may offer additional information for predicting a subsequent asymmetry in motor function. (orig.)

Quantitative thallium-201 myocardial exercise scintigraphy in normal subjects and patients with normal coronary arteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemeyer, M.G.; St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein; Laarman, G.J.; Lelbach, S.; Cramer, M.J.; Ascoop, C.A.P.L.; Verzijlbergen, J.F.; Wall, E.E. van der; Zwinderman, A.H.; Pauwels, E.K.J.

1990-01-01

Quantitative thallium-201 myocardial exercise scintigraphy was tested in two patient populations representing alternative standards for cardiac normality: group I comprised 18 male uncatherized patients with a low likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD); group II contained 41 patients with normal coronary arteriograms. Group I patients were younger, they achieved a higher rate-pressure product than group II patients; all had normal findings by phisical examination and electrocardiography at rest and exercise. Group II patients comprised 21 females, 11 patients showed abnormal electrocardiography at rest, and five patients showed ischemic ST depression during exercise. Twelve patients had sign of minimal CAD. Twelve patients revealed abnormal visual and quantitative thallium findings, three of these patients had minimal CAD. Profiles of uptake and washout of thallium-201 were derived from both patient groups, and compared with normal limits developed by Maddahi et al. Furthermore, low likelihood and angiographically normal patients may differ substantially, and both sets of normal patients should be considered when establishing criteria of abnormality in exercise thallium imaging. When commercial software containing normal limits for quantitative analysis of exercise thallium-201 imaging is used in clinical practice, it is mandatory to compare these with normal limits of uptake and washout of thallium-201, derived from the less heterogeneous group of low-likelihood subjects, which should be used in selecting a normal population to define normality. (author). 37 refs.; 3 figs; 1 tab

True progression versus pseudoprogression in the treatment of glioblastomas: a comparison study of normalized cerebral blood volume and apparent diffusion coefficient by histogram analysis.

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Song, Yong Sub; Choi, Seung Hong; Park, Chul-Kee; Yi, Kyung Sik; Lee, Woong Jae; Yun, Tae Jin; Kim, Tae Min; Lee, Se-Hoon; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Sohn, Chul-Ho; Park, Sung-Hye; Kim, Il Han; Jahng, Geon-Ho; Chang, Kee-Hyun

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to differentiate true progression from pseudoprogression of glioblastomas treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with temozolomide (TMZ) by using histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and normalized cerebral blood volume (nCBV) maps. Twenty patients with histopathologically proven glioblastoma who had received CCRT with TMZ underwent perfusion-weighted imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging (b = 0, 1000 sec/mm(2)). The corresponding nCBV and ADC maps for the newly visible, entirely enhancing lesions were calculated after the completion of CCRT with TMZ. Two observers independently measured the histogram parameters of the nCBV and ADC maps. The histogram parameters between the true progression group (n = 10) and the pseudoprogression group (n = 10) were compared by use of an unpaired Student's t test and subsequent multivariable stepwise logistic regression analysis to determine the best predictors for the differential diagnosis between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was employed to determine the best cutoff values for the histogram parameters that proved to be significant predictors for differentiating true progression from pseudoprogression. Intraclass correlation coefficient was used to determine the level of inter-observer reliability for the histogram parameters. The 5th percentile value (C5) of the cumulative ADC histograms was a significant predictor for the differential diagnosis between true progression and pseudoprogression (p = 0.044 for observer 1; p = 0.011 for observer 2). Optimal cutoff values of 892 × 10(-6) mm(2)/sec for observer 1 and 907 × 10(-6) mm(2)/sec for observer 2 could help differentiate between the two groups with a sensitivity of 90% and 80%, respectively, a specificity of 90% and 80%, respectively, and an area under the curve of 0.880 and 0.840, respectively. There was no other significant differentiating parameter on the nCBV histograms. Inter

Phase-contrast MRI and CFD modeling of apparent 3He gas flow in rat pulmonary airways

Science.gov (United States)

Minard, Kevin R.; Kuprat, Andrew P.; Kabilan, Senthil; Jacob, Richard E.; Einstein, Daniel R.; Carson, James P.; Corley, Richard A.

2012-08-01

Phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with hyperpolarized 3He is potentially useful for developing and testing patient-specific models of pulmonary airflow. One challenge, however, is that PC-MRI provides apparent values of local 3He velocity that not only depend on actual airflow but also on gas diffusion. This not only blurs laminar flow patterns in narrow airways but also introduces anomalous airflow structure that reflects gas-wall interactions. Here, both effects are predicted in a live rat using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and for the first time, simulated patterns of apparent 3He gas velocity are compared with in vivo PC-MRI. Results show (1) that correlations (R2) between measured and simulated airflow patterns increase from 0.23 to 0.79 simply by accounting for apparent 3He transport, and (2) that remaining differences are mainly due to uncertain airway segmentation and partial volume effects stemming from relatively coarse MRI resolution. Higher-fidelity testing of pulmonary airflow predictions should therefore be possible with future imaging improvements.

Oral temperature and cardiovascular responses of apparently ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Oral temperature and cardiovascular responses of apparently healthy subjects to passive and active warm-up. BOA Adegoke, OO Ogwumike, FA Maruf. Abstract. This study investigated and compared the effects of active and passive warm-up on oral temperature and cardiovascular parameters of forty (20 males and 20 ...

Apparent molar volumes and compressibilities of electrolytes and ions in γ-butyrolactone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krakowiak, Joanna; Wawer, Jarosław; Farmas, Aleksander

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Density and speed of sound for salts solutions in γ-butyrolactone were measured. ► The apparent molar volumes and compressibilities have been determined. ► The limiting molar quantities are split into independent ionic contributions. ► These data are used to describe ion–solvent interactions. - Abstract: The densities of tetraphenylphosphonium bromide, sodium tetraphenylborate, lithium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate and lithium bromide in γ-butyrolactone at (288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15, 308.15 and 313.15) K and speed of sound at 298.15 K have been measured. From these data apparent molar volumes V Φ at (288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15, 308.15 and 313.15) K and the apparent molar isentropic compressibility K S,Φ , at T = 298.15 K of the salts have been determined. The apparent molar volumes and the apparent molar isentropic compressibilities were fitted to the Redlich, Rosenfeld and Mayer equation as well as to the Pitzer and Masson equations yielding infinite dilution data. The obtained limiting values have been used to estimate the ionic data of the standard partial molar volume and the standard partial isentropic compressibility in γ-butyrolactone solutions.

Apparent increase in the thickness of superconducting particles at low temperatures measured by electron holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirsch, J.E.

2013-01-01

We predict that superconducting particles will show an apparent increase in thickness at low temperatures when measured by electron holography. This will result not from a real thickness increase, rather from an increase in the mean inner potential sensed by the electron wave traveling through the particle, originating in expansion of the electronic wavefunction of the superconducting electrons and resulting negative charge expulsion from the interior to the surface of the superconductor, giving rise to an increase in the phase shift of the electron wavefront going through the sample relative to the wavefront going through vacuum. The temperature dependence of the observed phase shifts will yield valuable new information on the physics of the superconducting state of metals. - Highlights: • A new property of superconducting particles is predicted. • Electron holography will show an apparent increase in thickness at low temperatures. • This will result from a predicted increase in the mean inner potential. • This will originate in expulsion of electrons from the interior to the surface. • This is not predicted by the conventional BCS theory of superconductivity

Multi-epoch VLBA Imaging of 20 New TeV Blazars: Apparent Jet Speeds

Science.gov (United States)

Piner, B. Glenn; Edwards, Philip G.

2018-01-01

We present 88 multi-epoch Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) images (most at an observing frequency of 8 GHz) of 20 TeV blazars, all of the high-frequency-peaked BL Lac (HBL) class, that have not been previously studied at multiple epochs on the parsec scale. From these 20 sources, we analyze the apparent speeds of 43 jet components that are all detected at four or more epochs. As has been found for other TeV HBLs, the apparent speeds of these components are relatively slow. About two-thirds of the components have an apparent speed that is consistent (within 2σ) with no motion, and some of these components may be stationary patterns whose apparent speed does not relate to the underlying bulk flow speed. In addition, a superluminal tail to the apparent speed distribution of the TeV HBLs is detected for the first time, with eight components in seven sources having a 2σ lower limit on the apparent speed exceeding 1c. We combine the data from these 20 sources with an additional 18 sources from the literature to analyze the complete apparent speed distribution of all 38 TeV HBLs that have been studied with very long baseline interferometry at multiple epochs. The highest 2σ apparent speed lower limit considering all sources is 3.6c. This suggests that bulk Lorentz factors of up to about 4, but probably not much higher, exist in the parsec-scale radio-emitting regions of these sources, consistent with estimates obtained in the radio by other means such as brightness temperatures. This can be reconciled with the high Lorentz factors estimated from the high-energy data if the jet has velocity structures consisting of different emission regions with different Lorentz factors. In particular, we analyze the current apparent speed data for the TeV HBLs in the context of a model with a fast central spine and a slower outer layer.

Acid dissociation constant and apparent nucleophilicity of lysine-501 of the alpha-polypeptide of sodium and potassium ion activated adenosinetriphosphatase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, K.Y.

1989-01-01

A combination of competitive labeling with [ 3 H]acetic anhydride and immunoaffinity chromatography is described that permits the assignment of the acid dissociation constant and the absolute nucleophilicity of individual lysines in a native enzyme. The acid dissociation constant of lysine-501 of the alpha-polypeptide in native (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was determined. This lysine had a normal pKa of 10.4. The rate constant for the reaction of the free base of lysine-501 with acetic anhydride at 10 degrees C is 400 M-1 s-1. This value is only 30% that for a fully accessible lysine in a protein. The lower than normal apparent nucleophilicity suggests that lysine-501 is hindered from reacting with its intrinsic nucleophilicity by the tertiary structure of the enzyme and is consistent with its location within a pocket that forms the active site upon the surface of the native protein

Different gene expression of Normal lymphobloastoid cells which exposure to different dose of 60Co γ-ray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Yao; Yang Jian; Gao Xian; Qin Yanghua; Sun Ding; Hai Ling

2008-01-01

Objective: To study on the gene expression of normal lymphoblastoid cells(AHH-1) which exposure to difference dose of 60 Co γ-ray, analyses the essential different biological effect.. Methods Human AHH-1 normal line was irradiated by 60 Co γ-rays. Used human cDNA microarray to develop the transcriptional levels of the genes by hybridizing the mRNA of cells 8 h after exposured in different dose and the control cells. Cluster analysis, discrimination and bolting were used to filter the effective genes of differential expression. Results The results of data analysis showed 23 genes of differential expression closely related to biological effect of 2.0 Gy radiation, 5 genes express changed only by 0.5 Gy radiation, 5 genes express apparently both in 2.0 Gy and 0.5 Gy radiation. Conclusion: The different dose γ-rays radiation-induced significant changes in gene expression, such as PAPLN, TP53INP1, PTENP1, FOS and TPR seem to be some important components of cellular radioresponse. (authors)

Apparently normal accumulation in the patellae on bone scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Katsuhiko; Ikeda, Mitsuru; Tadokoro, Masanori; Yoshida, Kiyo; Kobayashi, Hidetoshi; Ishigaki, Takeo

1997-01-01

In the present study, we examined the influences of gender and ages on accumulation in the patellae on scintigram. The subjects were 828 patients who underwent bone scintigraphy during the past one and half years at the Department of Radiology, Nagoya University Hospital. Patients younger than 20 years old and those with abnormality of the patellae were excluded. The degree of accumulation in the patellae was evaluated using the A-P whole body scintigraphy in comparison with accumulation at the diaphysis of the femur and classified to two categories, ''Positive'' (higher accumulation than that of the diaphysis of the femur) and ''Negative'' (equal or lower than that of the diaphysis of the femur). In general, the degree of accumulation was higher in females than in males. In both males and females, the degree of accumulation increased with age. A difference between the two sides in the degree of accumulation in the patellae was observed in 32% of subjects. The results of this study may serve as basic data for the interpretation of bone scintigrams. (author)

Quantum transport in graphene normal-metal superconductor- normal-metal structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Mohammadpour

2008-06-01

Full Text Available  We study the transport of electrons in a graphene NSN structure in which two normal regions are connected by a superconducting strip of thickness d. Within Dirac-Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations we describe the transmission through the contact in terms of different scattering processes consisting of quasiparticle cotunneling, local and crossed Andreev reflections. Compared to a fully normal structure we show that the angular dependence of the transmission probability is significantly modified by the presence of superconducting correlations. This modifation can be explained in terms of the interplay between Andreev reflection and Klein tunneling of chiral quasiparticles. We further analyze the energy dependence of the resulting differential conductance of the structure. The subgap differential conductance shows features of Andreev reflection and cotunelling processes, which tends to the values of an NS structure for large ds. Above the gap, the differential conductance shows an oscillatory behavior with energy even at very large ds.

On conductivity, permittivity, apparent diffusion coefficient, and their usefulness as cancer markers at MRI frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hancu, Ileana; Roberts, Jeannette Christine; Bulumulla, Selaka; Lee, Seung-Kyun

2015-05-01

To investigate the permittivity and conductivity of cancerous and normal tissues, their correlation to the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and the specificity that they could add to cancer detection. Breast and prostate carcinomas were induced in rats. Conductivity and permittivity measurements were performed in the anesthetized animals using a dielectric probe and an impedance analyzer between 50 and 270 MHz. The correlations between ADCs (measured at 128 MHz) and conductivity values were investigated. Frequency-dependent discriminant functions were computed to assess the value that each parameter adds to cancer detection. Tumors exhibited higher permittivity than muscle tissue by 27%/12%/5% at 64/128/270MHz. Frequency independent, 15-20% higher conductivity was also noted in tumors compared to muscle tissue over the same frequency range. Strong negative correlation was observed between tissue conductivity and ADC. Whereas permittivity had the strongest discriminatory power at 64 MHz, it became comparable to ADC at 128 MHz and less important than ADC at 270 MHz. Conductivity measurements offered limited advantages in separating cancer from normal tissue beyond what ADC already provided; conversely, permittivity added separation power when added to the discriminant function. The moderately high cancerous tissue permittivity and conductivity impose strong constraints on the capability of MRI-based tissue electrical property measurements. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influence of surface conductivity on the apparent zeta potential of calcite.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuai; Leroy, Philippe; Heberling, Frank; Devau, Nicolas; Jougnot, Damien; Chiaberge, Christophe

2016-04-15

Zeta potential is a physicochemical parameter of particular importance in describing the surface electrical properties of charged porous media. However, the zeta potential of calcite is still poorly known because of the difficulty to interpret streaming potential experiments. The Helmholtz-Smoluchowski (HS) equation is widely used to estimate the apparent zeta potential from these experiments. However, this equation neglects the influence of surface conductivity on streaming potential. We present streaming potential and electrical conductivity measurements on a calcite powder in contact with an aqueous NaCl electrolyte. Our streaming potential model corrects the apparent zeta potential of calcite by accounting for the influence of surface conductivity and flow regime. We show that the HS equation seriously underestimates the zeta potential of calcite, particularly when the electrolyte is diluted (ionic strength ⩽ 0.01 M) because of calcite surface conductivity. The basic Stern model successfully predicted the corrected zeta potential by assuming that the zeta potential is located at the outer Helmholtz plane, i.e. without considering a stagnant diffuse layer at the calcite-water interface. The surface conductivity of calcite crystals was inferred from electrical conductivity measurements and computed using our basic Stern model. Surface conductivity was also successfully predicted by our surface complexation model. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Inverse Relationship Links Temperature and Substrate Apparent Affinity in the Ion-Coupled Cotransporters rGAT1 and KAAT1

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Antonio Peres

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The effects of temperature on the operation of two ion-coupled cotransporters of the SLC6A family, namely rat GAT1 (SLC6A1 and KAAT1 (SLC6A19 from Manduca sexta, have been studied by electrophysiological means in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing these proteins. The maximal transport-associated current (Imax and the apparent substrate affinity (K05 were measured. In addition to the expected increase in transport rate (Q10 = 3–6, both transporters showed greater K05 values (i.e., a decrease in apparent affinity at higher temperatures. The transport efficiency, estimated as Imax/K05, increased at negative potentials in both transporters, but did not show statistically significant differences with temperature. The observation that the apparent substrate affinity is inversely related to the transport rate suggests a kinetic regulation of this parameter. Furthermore, the present results indicate that the affinities estimated at room temperature for mammalian cotransporters may not be simply extrapolated to their physiological operating conditions.

Clinical chemistry reference values for 75-year-old apparently healthy persons.

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Klaus Roland; Mostafaie, Nazanin; Stangl, Gerhard; Worofka, Brigitte; Kittl, Eva; Hofmann, Jörg; Hejtman, Milos; Michael, Rainer; Weissgram, Silvia; Leitha, Thomas; Jungwirth, Susanne; Fischer, Peter; Tragl, Karl-Heinz; Bauer, Kurt

2006-01-01

Clinical chemistry reference values for elderly persons are sparse and mostly intermixed with those for younger subjects. To understand the links between metabolism and aging, it is paramount to differentiate between "normal" physiological processes in apparently healthy elderly subjects and metabolic changes due to long-lasting diseases. The Vienna Transdanube Aging (VITA) study, which began in 2000 and is continuing, will allow us to do just that, because more than 600 male and female volunteers aged exactly 75 years (to exclude any influence of the "aging" factor in this cohort) are participating in this study. Extensive clinical, neurological, biochemical, psychological, genetic, and radiological analyses, with a special emphasis on consumption of medication and abuse of drugs, were performed on each of the probands. The multitude of data and questionnaires obtained made possible an a posteriori approach to select individuals fulfilling criteria for a reference sample group of apparently healthy 75-year-old subjects for our study. Specific analytes were quantified on automated clinical analyzers, while manual methods were used for hormonal analytes. All clinical chemistry analytes were evaluated using in-depth statistical analyses with SPSS for Windows. In all, reference intervals for 45 analytes could be established. These include routine parameters for the assessment of organ functions, as well as hormone concentrations and hematological appraisals. Because all patients were reevaluated after exactly 30 months in the course of this study, we had the opportunity to reassess their health status at the age of 77.5 years. This was very useful for validation of the first round data set. Data of the second round evaluation corroborate the reference limits of the baseline analysis and further confirm our inclusion and exclusion criteria. In summary, we have established a reliable set of reference data for hormonal, hematological, and clinical chemistry analytes for

The effect of particle structure on apparent density of electrolytic copper powder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. I. POPOV

2001-12-01

Full Text Available The quantitative microstructural analysis and the sieve analysis of copper powder as well as the scanning electron microscopy analysis of the copper powders particles were performed. It was found that the structure of the copper powder particles determines the apparent density of copper powder. The powder particles from the same fractions of different powders occupy approximately the same volume, but the structure of metallic copper is very different. This causes the difference in apparent densities of copper powder obtained under different conditions. The more dendritic is the structure of powder particles the smaller is the apparent density of copper powder.

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging may show abnormalities in the normal-appearing cervical spinal cord from patients with multiple sclerosis

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Fernanda Miraldi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective This study aims to evaluate “in vivo” the integrity of the normal-appearing spinal cord (NASC in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS compared to controls, using diffusion tensor MR imaging. Methods We studied 32 patients with MS and 17 without any neurologic disorder. Fractional anisotropy (FA, axial diffusivity (AD, radial diffusivity (RD and mean diffusivity (MD were calculated within regions of interest at C2 and C7 levels in the four columns of the spinal cord. Results At C2, FA value was decreased in MS patients. Besides, RD value was higher in MS than in controls. At C7, MD values were increased in MS. Conclusion The NASC in the right column of the cervical spinal cord showed abnormal FA, RD and MD values, which is possibly related to demyelination, since the FA abnormality was related to the RD and not to the AD.

Serum killing of Ureaplasma parvum shows serovar-determined susceptibility for normal individuals and common variable immuno-deficiency patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Beeton, Michael L; Daha, Mohamed R; El-Shanawany, Tariq; Jolles, Stephen R; Kotecha, Sailesh; Spiller, O Brad

2012-02-01

Many Gram-negative bacteria, unlike Gram-positive, are directly lysed by complement. Ureaplasma can cause septic arthritis and meningitis in immunocompromised individuals and induce premature birth. Ureaplasma has no cell wall, cannot be Gram-stain classified and its serum susceptibility is unknown. Survival of Ureaplasma serovars (SV) 1, 3, 6 and 14 (collectively Ureaplasma parvum) were measured following incubation with normal or immunoglobulin-deficient patient serum (relative to heat-inactivated controls). Blocking monoclonal anti-C1q antibody and depletion of calcium, immunoglobulins, or lectins were used to determine the complement pathway responsible for killing. Eighty-three percent of normal sera killed SV1, 67% killed SV6 and 25% killed SV14; greater killing correlating to strong immunoblot identification of anti-Ureaplasma antibodies; killing was abrogated following ProteinA removal of IgG1. All normal sera killed SV3 in a C1q-dependent fashion, irrespective of immunoblot identification of anti-Ureaplasma antibodies; SV3 killing was unaffected by total IgG removal by ProteinG, where complement activity was retained. Only one of four common variable immunodeficient (CVID) patient sera failed to kill SV3, despite profound IgM and IgG deficiency for all; however, killing of SV3 and SV1 was restored with therapeutic intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Only the classical complement pathway mediated Ureaplasma-cidal activity, sometimes in the absence of observable immunoblot reactive bands. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Tertiary work-up of apparent treatment-resistant hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Heimark, Sondre; Eskås, Per Anders; Mariampillai, Julian Eek; Larstorp, Anne Cecilie K; Høieggen, Aud; Fadl Elmula, Fadl Elmula M

2016-10-01

Treatment-resistant hypertension (TRH) has regained attention with development of new methods for treatment. However, the prevalence of TRH varies considerably from primary to secondary and tertiary care. We aimed to assess the prevalence of true TRH in a population of patients with apparent TRH in a university hospital setting of tertiary work-up and also investigate reasons for poor BP control and evaluate how work-up can be performed in general practice and secondary care. In this cohort study, we characterize a study population from Oslo Renal Denervation (RDN) Study. Patients (n = 83) were referred for RDN from secondary care. All patients underwent thorough medical investigation and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurements (24ABPM) after directly observed therapy (DOT). We then assessed reasons for lack of BP control. Fifty-three of 83 patients did not have true TRH. Main reasons for non-TRH were poor drug adherence (32%), secondary hypertension (30%) and white coat hypertension (15%). Forty-seven percent achieved blood pressure control after DOT with subsequent 24ABPM. There were otherwise no statistically significant differences in patient characteristics between the true TRH and the non-TRH group. Despite being a highly selected cohort referred for tertiary work-up of apparent TRH, BP control was achieved or secondary causes were identified in almost two thirds of the patients. Thorough investigation according to guidelines and DOT with subsequent 24ABPM is needed in work-up of apparent TRH.

The effect of probe choice and solution conditions on the apparent photoreactivity of dissolved organic matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Maizel, Andrew C; Remucal, Christina K

2017-08-16

Excited triplet states of dissolved organic matter ( 3 DOM) are quantified directly with the species-specific probes trans,trans-hexadienoic acid (HDA) and 2,4,6-trimethylphenol (TMP), and indirectly with the singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) probe furfuryl alcohol (FFA). Although previous work suggests that these probe compounds may be sensitive to solution conditions, including dissolved organic carbon concentration ([DOC]) and pH, and may quantify different 3 DOM subpopulations, the probes have not been systematically compared. Therefore, we quantify the apparent photoreactivity of diverse environmental waters using HDA, TMP, and FFA. By conducting experiments under ambient [DOC] and pH, with standardized [DOC] and pH, and with solid phase extraction isolates, we demonstrate that much of the apparent dissimilarity in photochemical measurements is attributable to solution conditions, rather than intrinsic differences in 3 DOM production. In general, apparent quantum yields (Φ 1 O 2 ≥ Φ 3 DOM,TMP ≫ Φ 3 DOM,HDA ) and pseudo-steady state concentrations ([ 1 O 2 ] ss > [ 3 DOM] ss,TMP > [ 3 DOM] ss,HDA ) show consistent relationships in all waters under standardized conditions. However, intrinsic differences in 3 DOM photoreactivity are apparent between DOM from diverse sources, as seen in the higher Φ 1 O 2 and lower Φ 3 DOM,TMP of wastewater effluents compared with oligotrophic lakes. Additionally, while conflicting trends in photoreactivity are observed under ambient conditions, all probes observe quantum yields increasing from surface wetlands to terrestrially influenced waters to oligotrophic lakes under standardized conditions. This work elucidates how probe selection and solution conditions influence the apparent photoreactivity of environmental waters and confirms that 3 DOM or 1 O 2 probes cannot be used interchangeably in waters that vary in [DOC], pH, or DOM source.

Apparent exchange rate for breast cancer characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lasič, Samo; Oredsson, Stina; Partridge, Savannah C; Saal, Lao H; Topgaard, Daniel; Nilsson, Markus; Bryskhe, Karin

2016-05-01

Although diffusion MRI has shown promise for the characterization of breast cancer, it has low specificity to malignant subtypes. Higher specificity might be achieved if the effects of cell morphology and molecular exchange across cell membranes could be disentangled. The quantification of exchange might thus allow the differentiation of different types of breast cancer cells. Based on differences in diffusion rates between the intra- and extracellular compartments, filter exchange spectroscopy/imaging (FEXSY/FEXI) provides non-invasive quantification of the apparent exchange rate (AXR) of water between the two compartments. To test the feasibility of FEXSY for the differentiation of different breast cancer cells, we performed experiments on several breast epithelial cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, we performed the first in vivo FEXI measurement of water exchange in human breast. In cell suspensions, pulsed gradient spin-echo experiments with large b values and variable pulse duration allow the characterization of the intracellular compartment, whereas FEXSY provides a quantification of AXR. These experiments are very sensitive to the physiological state of cells and can be used to establish reliable protocols for the culture and harvesting of cells. Our results suggest that different breast cancer subtypes can be distinguished on the basis of their AXR values in cell suspensions. Time-resolved measurements allow the monitoring of the physiological state of cells in suspensions over the time-scale of hours, and reveal an abrupt disintegration of the intracellular compartment. In vivo, exchange can be detected in a tumor, whereas, in normal tissue, the exchange rate is outside the range experimentally accessible for FEXI. At present, low signal-to-noise ratio and limited scan time allows the quantification of AXR only in a region of interest of relatively large tumors. © 2016 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

ERP C250 shows the elderly (cognitively normal, Alzheimer's disease) store more stimuli in short-term memory than Young Adults do.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Robert M; Gardner, Margaret N; Mapstone, Mark; Klorman, Rafael; Porsteinsson, Anton P; Dupree, Haley M; Antonsdottir, Inga M; Kamalyan, Lily

2016-06-01

To determine how aging and dementia affect the brain's initial storing of task-relevant and irrelevant information in short-term memory. We used brain Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) to measure short-term memory storage (ERP component C250) in 36 Young Adults, 36 Normal Elderly, and 36 early-stage AD subjects. Participants performed the Number-Letter task, a cognitive paradigm requiring memory storage of a first relevant stimulus to compare it with a second stimulus. In Young Adults, C250 was more positive for the first task-relevant stimulus compared to all other stimuli. C250 in Normal Elderly and AD subjects was roughly the same to relevant and irrelevant stimuli in Intratrial Parts 1-3 but not 4. The AD group had lower C250 to relevant stimuli in part 1. Both normal aging and dementia cause less differentiation of relevant from irrelevant information in initial storage. There was a large aging effect involving differences in the pattern of C250 responses of the Young Adult versus the Normal Elderly/AD groups. Also, a potential dementia effect was obtained. C250 is a candidate tool for measuring short-term memory performance on a biological level, as well as a potential marker for memory changes due to normal aging and dementia. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Event and Apparent Horizon Finders for 3 + 1 Numerical Relativity.

Science.gov (United States)

Thornburg, Jonathan

2007-01-01

Event and apparent horizons are key diagnostics for the presence and properties of black holes. In this article I review numerical algorithms and codes for finding event and apparent horizons in numerically-computed spacetimes, focusing on calculations done using the 3 + 1 ADM formalism. The event horizon of an asymptotically-flat spacetime is the boundary between those events from which a future-pointing null geodesic can reach future null infinity and those events from which no such geodesic exists. The event horizon is a (continuous) null surface in spacetime. The event horizon is defined nonlocally in time : it is a global property of the entire spacetime and must be found in a separate post-processing phase after all (or at least the nonstationary part) of spacetime has been numerically computed. There are three basic algorithms for finding event horizons, based on integrating null geodesics forwards in time, integrating null geodesics backwards in time, and integrating null surfaces backwards in time. The last of these is generally the most efficient and accurate. In contrast to an event horizon, an apparent horizon is defined locally in time in a spacelike slice and depends only on data in that slice, so it can be (and usually is) found during the numerical computation of a spacetime. A marginally outer trapped surface (MOTS) in a slice is a smooth closed 2-surface whose future-pointing outgoing null geodesics have zero expansion Θ. An apparent horizon is then defined as a MOTS not contained in any other MOTS. The MOTS condition is a nonlinear elliptic partial differential equation (PDE) for the surface shape, containing the ADM 3-metric, its spatial derivatives, and the extrinsic curvature as coefficients. Most "apparent horizon" finders actually find MOTSs. There are a large number of apparent horizon finding algorithms, with differing trade-offs between speed, robustness, accuracy, and ease of programming. In axisymmetry, shooting algorithms work well

A Non-Mainstream Viewpoint on Apparent Superluminal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The group velocity of light in material around the AGN jet is acquiescently one (c as a unit), but this is only a hypothesis. Here, we re-derive apparent superluminal and Doppler formulas for the general case (it is assumed that the group velocity of light in the uniform and isotropic medium around a jet (a beaming ...

UV Photography Shows Hidden Sun Damage

Science.gov (United States)

... mcat1=de12", ]; for (var c = 0; c UV photography shows hidden sun damage A UV photograph gives ... developing skin cancer and prematurely aged skin. Normal photography UV photography 18 months of age: This boy's ...

Human uracil DNA N-glycosidase: studies in normal and repair defective cultured fibroblasts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhnlein, U; Lee, B; Linn, S

1978-01-01

Uracil DNA N-glycosidase, an enzyme which participates in the excision of uracil from DNA, was measured in extracts from fibroblast lines cultured from normal subjects, from several subjects with the genetic disease xeroderma pigmentosum, and from a subject with ataxia telangiectasia. The cell lines representative of complementation groups A and D of xeroderma pigmentosum and of ataxia telangiectasia had roughly the same level of activity as did the normal cells. On the other hand, cells from two xeroderma pigmentosum variants (XP4BE and XP13BE) had roughly half the normal level of activity, and cells from the heterozygous mother of XP4BE had an intermediate level of activity. In spite of these quantitative differences, no systematic alterations in reaction characteristics, apparent K/sub m/ for substrate, or purification characteristics were noted for enzyme from any of the lines. Thus a causal relationship, if any, between levels of activity and the disease symptoms is equivocal.

Apparent heat capacity measurements and thermodynamic functions of D(−)-fructose by standard and temperature-modulated calorimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magoń, A.; Pyda, M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Experimental, apparent heat capacity of fructose was investigated by advanced thermal analysis. ► Equilibrium melting parameters of fructose were determined. ► Decomposition, superheating of crystalline fructose during melting process were presented. ► TGA, DSC, and TMDSC are useful tools for characterisation of fructose. - Abstract: The qualitative and quantitative thermal analyses of crystalline and amorphous D(−)-fructose were studied utilising methods of standard differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), quasi-isothermal temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (quasi-isothermal TMDSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Advanced thermal analysis of fructose was performed based on heat capacity. The apparent total and apparent reversing heat capacities, as well as phase transition parameters were examined on heating and cooling. The melting temperature, T m , of crystalline D(−)-fructose shows a heating rate dependency, which increases with raising the heating rate and leads to superheating. The equilibrium melting temperatures: T m ∘ (onset) = 370 K and T m ∘ (peak) = 372 K, and the equilibrium enthalpy of fusion Δ fus H ° = 30.30 kJ · mol −1 , of crystalline D(−)-fructose were estimated on heating for the results at zero heating rate. Anomalies in the heat capacity in the liquid state of D(−)-fructose, assigned as possible tautomerisation equilibrium, were analysed by DSC and quasi-isothermal TMDSC, both on heating and cooling. Thermal stability of crystals in the region of the melting temperature was examined by TGA and quasi-isothermal TMDSC. Melting, mutarotation, and degradation processes occur simultaneously and there are differences in values of the liquid heat capacity of D(−)-fructose with varied thermal history, measured by quasi-isothermal TMDSC. Annealing of amorphous D(−)-fructose between the glass transition temperature, T g , and the melting temperature, T m , also leads to

Hearts of dystonia musculorum mice display normal morphological and histological features but show signs of cardiac stress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justin G Boyer

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Dystonin is a giant cytoskeletal protein belonging to the plakin protein family and is believed to crosslink the major filament systems in contractile cells. Previous work has demonstrated skeletal muscle defects in dystonin-deficient dystonia musculorum (dt mice. In this study, we show that the dystonin muscle isoform is localized at the Z-disc, the H zone, the sarcolemma and intercalated discs in cardiac tissue. Based on this localization pattern, we tested whether dystonin-deficiency leads to structural defects in cardiac muscle. Desmin intermediate filament, microfilament, and microtubule subcellular organization appeared normal in dt hearts. Nevertheless, increased transcript levels of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF, 66% beta-myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC, 95% and decreased levels of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump isoform 2A (SERCA2a, 26%, all signs of cardiac muscle stress, were noted in dt hearts. Hearts from two-week old dt mice were assessed for the presence of morphological and histological alterations. Heart to body weight ratios as well as left ventricular wall thickness and left chamber volume measurements were similar between dt and wild-type control mice. Hearts from dt mice also displayed no signs of fibrosis or calcification. Taken together, our data provide new insights into the intricate structure of the sarcomere by situating dystonin in cardiac muscle fibers and suggest that dystonin does not significantly influence the structural organization of cardiac muscle fibers during early postnatal development.

High Normal Uric Acid Levels Are Associated with an Increased Risk of Diabetes in Lean, Normoglycemic Healthy Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Shani, Michal; Vinker, Shlomo; Dinour, Dganit; Leiba, Merav; Twig, Gilad; Holtzman, Eliezer J; Leiba, Adi

2016-10-01

The risk associated with serum uric acid (SUA) levels within the normal range is unknown, especially among lean and apparently healthy adults. Evaluating whether high-normal SUA levels, 6.8 mg/dL and below, are associated with an increased diabetes risk, compared with low-normal SUA. This was a cohort study with 10 years of followup involving all clinics of the largest nationally distributed Health Maintenance Organization in Israel. Participants included 469,947 examinees, 40-70 years old at baseline, who had their SUA measured during 2002. We excluded examinees who had hyperuricemia (SUA > 6.8 mg/dL), impaired fasting glucose, overweight or obesity and chronic cardiovascular or renal disorders. The final cohort was composed of 30 302 participants. Participants were followed up to a new diagnosis of diabetes during the study period. Odds ratio of developing diabetes among participants with high-normal baseline SUA were compared with low-normal (2 ≤ uric acid lean women when compared with those with low-normal values.

Hjertestop associeret med syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meldgaard-Nielsen, Anne; Laugesen, Esben; Poulsen, Per Løgstrup

2014-01-01

Ventricular fibrillation is an unknown complication to the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (SAME). This case report describes a young woman admitted with hypo-kalaemia and hypertension. Concentrations of both P-renin and P-aldosterone were low and urinary steroid metabolites revealed...

Genetic overlap between apparently sporadic motor neuron diseases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Blitterswijk, Marka; Vlam, Lotte; van Es, Michael A.; van der Pol, W.-Ludo; Hennekam, Eric A. M.; Dooijes, Dennis; Schelhaas, Helenius J.; van der Kooi, Anneke J.; de Visser, Marianne; Veldink, Jan H.; van den Berg, Leonard H.

2012-01-01

Progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are devastating motor neuron diseases (MNDs), which result in muscle weakness and/or spasticity. We compared mutation frequencies in genes known to be associated with MNDs between patients with apparently sporadic PMA and

Evaluation of normalization methods for cDNA microarray data by k-NN classification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Wei; Xing, Eric P; Myers, Connie; Mian, Saira; Bissell, Mina J

2004-12-17

Non-biological factors give rise to unwanted variations in cDNA microarray data. There are many normalization methods designed to remove such variations. However, to date there have been few published systematic evaluations of these techniques for removing variations arising from dye biases in the context of downstream, higher-order analytical tasks such as classification. Ten location normalization methods that adjust spatial- and/or intensity-dependent dye biases, and three scale methods that adjust scale differences were applied, individually and in combination, to five distinct, published, cancer biology-related cDNA microarray data sets. Leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) classification error was employed as the quantitative end-point for assessing the effectiveness of a normalization method. In particular, a known classifier, k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), was estimated from data normalized using a given technique, and the LOOCV error rate of the ensuing model was computed. We found that k-NN classifiers are sensitive to dye biases in the data. Using NONRM and GMEDIAN as baseline methods, our results show that single-bias-removal techniques which remove either spatial-dependent dye bias (referred later as spatial effect) or intensity-dependent dye bias (referred later as intensity effect) moderately reduce LOOCV classification errors; whereas double-bias-removal techniques which remove both spatial- and intensity effect reduce LOOCV classification errors even further. Of the 41 different strategies examined, three two-step processes, IGLOESS-SLFILTERW7, ISTSPLINE-SLLOESS and IGLOESS-SLLOESS, all of which removed intensity effect globally and spatial effect locally, appear to reduce LOOCV classification errors most consistently and effectively across all data sets. We also found that the investigated scale normalization methods do not reduce LOOCV classification error. Using LOOCV error of k-NNs as the evaluation criterion, three double

Apparent exchange rate imaging in anisotropic systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sønderby, Casper Kaae; Lundell, Henrik M; Søgaard, Lise V

2014-01-01

Double-wave diffusion experiments offer the possibility of probing correlation between molecular diffusion at multiple time points. It has recently been shown that this technique is capable of measuring the exchange of water across cellular membranes. The aim of this study was to investigate...... the effect of macroscopic tissue anisotropy on the measurement of the apparent exchange rate (AXR) in multicompartment systems....

Is this the right normalization? A diagnostic tool for ChIP-seq normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelini, Claudia; Heller, Ruth; Volkinshtein, Rita; Yekutieli, Daniel

2015-05-09

Chip-seq experiments are becoming a standard approach for genome-wide profiling protein-DNA interactions, such as detecting transcription factor binding sites, histone modification marks and RNA Polymerase II occupancy. However, when comparing a ChIP sample versus a control sample, such as Input DNA, normalization procedures have to be applied in order to remove experimental source of biases. Despite the substantial impact that the choice of the normalization method can have on the results of a ChIP-seq data analysis, their assessment is not fully explored in the literature. In particular, there are no diagnostic tools that show whether the applied normalization is indeed appropriate for the data being analyzed. In this work we propose a novel diagnostic tool to examine the appropriateness of the estimated normalization procedure. By plotting the empirical densities of log relative risks in bins of equal read count, along with the estimated normalization constant, after logarithmic transformation, the researcher is able to assess the appropriateness of the estimated normalization constant. We use the diagnostic plot to evaluate the appropriateness of the estimates obtained by CisGenome, NCIS and CCAT on several real data examples. Moreover, we show the impact that the choice of the normalization constant can have on standard tools for peak calling such as MACS or SICER. Finally, we propose a novel procedure for controlling the FDR using sample swapping. This procedure makes use of the estimated normalization constant in order to gain power over the naive choice of constant (used in MACS and SICER), which is the ratio of the total number of reads in the ChIP and Input samples. Linear normalization approaches aim to estimate a scale factor, r, to adjust for different sequencing depths when comparing ChIP versus Input samples. The estimated scaling factor can easily be incorporated in many peak caller algorithms to improve the accuracy of the peak identification. The

Denotational Aspects of Untyped Normalization by Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filinski, Andrzej; Rohde, Henning Korsholm

2005-01-01

of soundness (the output term, if any, is in normal form and ß-equivalent to the input term); identification (ß-equivalent terms are mapped to the same result); and completeness (the function is defined for all terms that do have normal forms). We also show how the semantic construction enables a simple yet...... formal correctness proof for the normalization algorithm, expressed as a functional program in an ML-like, call-by-value language. Finally, we generalize the construction to produce an infinitary variant of normal forms, namely Böhm trees. We show that the three-part characterization of correctness...

Localization of cells containing sedimented amyloplasts in the shoots of normal and lazy rice seedlings.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, K; Takahashi, H; Suge, H

1994-12-01

We have examined the localization of the cells containing sedimented amyloplasts (putative statocytes) and its relation to the graviresponding sites in the shoots of normal and lazy rice seedlings. All graviresponsive organs of the shoots of normal rice seedlings, the mesocotyl, the coleoptile and the leaf-sheath base, were found to possess the statocytes. This is the first indication that mesocotyl senses gravity by its own cells in inducing gravitropic bending in rice seedlings. In lazy-Kamenoo, although the shoots lost their gravitropic response with the advance of age, sedimentation of amyloplasts itself might not be attributable to the agravitropic growth of the shoots, because, including those of the leaf-sheath bases that had lost their response to gravity, sedimented amyloplasts appeared to be identical to those of normal Kamenoo and of younger seedlings of lazy-Kamenoo whose gravitropism is still apparent.

A note on totally normal spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zougdani, H.K.

1990-10-01

In this note we give the necessary and sufficient condition for a topological space X such that the product space X x Y is totally normal for any (non discrete) metric space Y, and we show that a totally normal p-space need not be a perfectly normal in general, which makes Theorem 2 doubtful. (author). 6 refs

Event and Apparent Horizon Finders for 3+1 Numerical Relativity

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Thornburg Jonathan

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Event and apparent horizons are key diagnostics for the presence and properties of black holes. In this article I review numerical algorithms and codes for finding event and apparent horizons in numerically-computed spacetimes, focusing on calculations done using the 3+1 ADM formalism. The event horizon of an asymptotically-flat spacetime is the boundary between those events from which a future-pointing null geodesic can reach future null infinity and those events from which no such geodesic exists. The event horizon is a (continuous null surface in spacetime. The event horizon is defined nonlocally in time: it is a global property of the entire spacetime and must be found in a separate post-processing phase after all (or at least the nonstationary part of spacetime has been numerically computed.There are three basic algorithms for finding event horizons, based on integrating null geodesics forwards in time, integrating null geodesics backwards in time, and integrating null surfaces backwards in time. The last of these is generally the most efficient and accurate.In contrast to an event horizon, an apparent horizon is defined locally in time in a spacelike slice and depends only on data in that slice, so it can be (and usually is found during the numerical computation of a spacetime. A marginally outer trapped surface (MOTS in a slice is a smooth closed 2-surface whose future-pointing outgoing null geodesics have zero expansion Theta. An apparent horizon is then defined as a MOTS not contained in any other MOTS. The MOTS condition is a nonlinear elliptic partial differential equation (PDE for the surface shape, containing the ADM 3-metric, its spatial derivatives, and the extrinsic curvature as coefficients. Most “apparent horizon” finders actually find MOTSs.There are a large number of apparent horizon finding algorithms, with differing trade-offs between speed, robustness, accuracy, and ease of programming. In axisymmetry, shooting

Prevalence of Mantoux test positivity among apparently healthy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prevalence of Mantoux test positivity among apparently healthy children in Maiduguri, Nigeria. MG Mustapha, AM Garba, AI Rabasa, MS Gimba. Abstract. Background. The impact of tuberculosis (TB) is highest in the developing countries of Asia and Africa, especially among children, in whom the diagnosis is challenging.

Discovery of an Apparent Nova in M81

Science.gov (United States)

Hornoch, K.; Alfaro, M. Diaz; Ordonez-Etxeberria, I.; Vaduvescu, O.

2015-01-01

We report the discovery of an apparent nova in M81 on a co-added 1600-s narrow-band H-alpha CCD image taken with the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) + WFC at La Palma under ~2.4" seeing on 2015 Jan. 15.126 UT.

Parser Adaptation for Social Media by Integrating Normalization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Goot, Rob; van Noord, Gerardus

This work explores normalization for parser adaptation. Traditionally, normalization is used as separate pre-processing step. We show that integrating the normalization model into the parsing algorithm is beneficial. This way, multiple normalization candidates can be leveraged, which improves

Effective Treatment of an Apparent Meniscal Injury Using the Mulligan Concept

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex J. Rhinehart

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: Present a clinic case demonstrating the effectiveness of the Mulligan Concept (MC in treating an apparent meniscal injury. The utilization of the MC in the evaluation and treatment of a 20-year-old soccer player with an apparent acute meniscal injury is presented. Background: Meniscal injuries are common knee injuries. The MC is a therapeutic intervention strategy applied as both a treatment-based evaluation and therapeutic intervention. Treatment: The patient was successfully treated in four treatment sessions using the MC. The patient experienced minimal clinically-important differences on a variety of global and regional patient-rated outcomes. Uniqueness: To the author’s knowledge, there are currently no published case reports of using the MC in clinical practice to treat an apparent meniscal pathology. Conclusion: The MC can be utilized as an evaluation and treatment technique in patients suspected of having meniscal pathology in the knee.

The Relationship of Body Composition and Coronary Artery Calcification in Apparently Healthy Korean Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jung-Hee Yu

2013-03-01

Full Text Available BackgroundWe investigated the association of coronary artery calcium score (CACS with body composition and insulin resistance in apparently healthy Korean adults.MethodsNine hundred forty-five participants (mean age, 48.9 years; 628 men in a medical check-up program were selected for analysis. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA. Insulin resistance was evaluated using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR. The CACS was assessed by multidetector computed tomography.ResultsOne hundred forty-six subjects (15.4% showed coronary artery calcification and 148 subjects (15.7% had metabolic syndrome. CACS showed a significant positive correlation with age, fasting glucose level, waist circumference (WC, blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, HOMA-IR, and waist-hip ratio (WHR assessed by BIA. CACS had a negative correlation with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C. Subjects with high CACS showed significantly higher mean WHRs and lower mean values for lean body mass compared with subjects without coronary artery calcification. In logistic regression analyses with coronary artery calcification as the dependent variable, the highest quartile of WHR showed a 3.125-fold increased odds ratio for coronary artery calcification compared with the lowest quartile after adjustment for confounding variables. When receiver operating characteristics analyses were performed with coronary artery calcification as the result variable, WHR showed the largest area under the curve (AUC value among other variables except for age and WC in women (AUC=0.696 for WHR, 0.790 for age, and 0.719 for WC in women.ConclusionIn our study population of apparently healthy Korean adults, WHR was the most significant predictor for coronary artery calcification among other confounding factors, suggesting that it may have implication as a marker for early atherosclerosis.

Gender-related differences in the apparent timing of skeletal density bands in the reef-building coral Siderastrea siderea

Science.gov (United States)

Carricart-Ganivet, J. P.; Vásquez-Bedoya, L. F.; Cabanillas-Terán, N.; Blanchon, P.

2013-09-01

Density banding in skeletons of reef-building corals is a valuable source of proxy environmental data. However, skeletal growth strategy has a significant impact on the apparent timing of density-band formation. Some corals employ a strategy where the tissue occupies previously formed skeleton during as the new band forms, which leads to differences between the actual and apparent band timing. To investigate this effect, we collected cores from female and male colonies of Siderastrea siderea and report tissue thicknesses and density-related growth parameters over a 17-yr interval. Correlating these results with monthly sea surface temperature (SST) shows that maximum skeletal density in the female coincides with low winter SSTs, whereas in the male, it coincides with high summer SSTs. Furthermore, maximum skeletal densities in the female coincide with peak Sr/Ca values, whereas in the male, they coincide with low Sr/Ca values. Both results indicate a 6-month difference in the apparent timing of density-band formation between genders. Examination of skeletal extension rates also show that the male has thicker tissue and extends faster, whereas the female has thinner tissue and a denser skeleton—but both calcify at the same rate. The correlation between extension and calcification, combined with the fact that density banding arises from thickening of the skeleton throughout the depth reached by the tissue layer, implies that S. siderea has the same growth strategy as massive Porites, investing its calcification resources into linear extension. In addition, differences in tissue thicknesses suggest that females offset the greater energy requirements of gamete production by generating less tissue, resulting in differences in the apparent timing of density-band formation. Such gender-related offsets may be common in other corals and require that environmental reconstructions be made from sexed colonies and that, in fossil corals where sex cannot be determined

Spatio-temporal evolution of apparent resistivity during coal-seam hydraulic flushing

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dexing; Wang, Enyuan; Song, Dazhao; Qiu, Liming; Kong, Xiangguo

2018-06-01

Hydraulic flushing in gas predrainage is widely used, but the hydraulic-flushing effect is evaluated in a traditional way, by determining the desorption volume, moisture content, gas drainage rate and other conventional indices. To verify the rationality and feasibility of the multielectrode resistivity method in the evaluation of coal-seam hydraulic flushing and to research the spatio-temporal evolution of apparent resistivity during hydraulic flushing, a field test was conducted in 17# coal seam at Nuodong Mine, Guizhou. During hydraulic flushing, four stages were defined according to the variation in coal rock resistivity with time, namely, the preparation stage, the sharply decreasing stage, the rapidly increasing stage and the steady stage. The apparent resistivity of the coal rock mass is affected mainly by its own degree of fragmentation and flushing volume. A more serious rupture and a greater flushing volume yield a smaller apparent resistivity during the sharply decreasing stage and a higher resistivity during the stable stage. After three months of gas predrainage, the residual gas content and the gas pressure at different points in the expected affected area decrease below the critical value. Changes in the residual gas content and gas pressure at these points are consistent with the apparent resistivity, which validates the rationality and feasibility of the multielectrode resistivity method in evaluating coal-seam hydraulic flushing.

Two apparent glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase variants in normal XY males: G6PD Alabama.

Science.gov (United States)

Prchal, J T; Hall, K; Csepreghy, M; Lilly, M; Berkow, R; Scott, C W

1988-03-01

A six-year-old black boy who had transient hemolysis after a viral infection was found to have mildly decreased red cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity (1.25 IU/g hemoglobin). Two G6PD bands, both slightly faster than normal G6PD B, were seen on electrophoresis in both the propositus as well as in his maternal grandfather. This is an unexpected finding, since the G6PD gene is located on the long arm of the X chromosome that is subject to X-chromosome inactivation, and available evidence indicates that it is present as a single functional copy in the human genome. The obvious possibility of duplication of the X chromosome was eliminated by cytogenetic analysis with G-banding. G6PD duplication is unlikely, since peripheral blood granulocytes, platelets, and lymphocytes; cultured skin and bone marrow fibroblasts; and Epstein-Barr virus-stimulated lymphocytes yielded only a single electrophoretic band with mobility identical to the slower band seen in crude red blood cell hemolysate. Study of partially purified red blood cell hemolysate G6PD also yielded a single band with identical mobility. Kinetic studies of the enzyme in the propositus and in three generations of his family identified a unique, previously unpublished G6PD mutant that is herein designated G6PD Alabama. Red blood cells were separated by density gradient into a reticulocyte-enriched, an intermediate, and a dense, older portion. Two distinct enzyme bands were identified on electrophoresis of hemolysate from the reticulocyte-enriched portion, but not from the other two portions. It is postulated that two transcriptional products of the mutant G6PD gene exist; one with a short half-life and detectable only in young red blood cells, and another with a longer half-life present in all cells. The existence of two distinct mutant genes in the genome or a unique post-translational form of the mutant G6PD detected only in reticulocytes cannot be excluded.

Spatial Attention and Audiovisual Interactions in Apparent Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Sanabria, Daniel; Soto-Faraco, Salvador; Spence, Charles

2007-01-01

In this study, the authors combined the cross-modal dynamic capture task (involving the horizontal apparent movement of visual and auditory stimuli) with spatial cuing in the vertical dimension to investigate the role of spatial attention in cross-modal interactions during motion perception. Spatial attention was manipulated endogenously, either…

Motor-evoked potential amplitudes elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation do not differentiate between patients and normal controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Grunhaus, Leon; Polak, Dana; Amiaz, Revital; Dannon, Pinhas N

2003-12-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied over the motor cortex depolarizes neurons and leads to motor-evoked potentials (MEP). To assess cortico-spinal excitability we compared the motor threshold (MT) and the averaged MEP amplitude generated by TMS in patients with major depression (MD) and matched controls. Nineteen patients, who where participants in a protocol comparing the antidepressant effects of rTMS with those of ECT, and thirteen age- and gender-matched normal controls were studied. MT was similar between patients and normal controls. The MEP amplitude response was significantly increased by rTMS, however, the magnitude of the response was similar in patients and normal controls. Correlations between the averaged MEP amplitude and age revealed that older subjects demonstrated significantly lower responses at all time-points. We conclude that cortico-spinal excitability is increased following rTMS, however, differences between patients and normal controls were not apparent with the paradigm used.

Apparent CBF decrease with normal aging due to partial volume effects: MR-based partial volume correction on CBF SPECT.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Kentaro; Ito, Hiroshi; Goto, Ryoi; Nakagawa, Manabu; Kinomura, Shigeo; Sato, Tachio; Sato, Kazunori; Fukuda, Hiroshi

2005-06-01

Several studies using single photon emission tomography (SPECT) have shown changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) with age, which were associated with partial volume effects by some authors. Some studies have also demonstrated gender-related differences in CBF. The present study aimed to examine age and gender effects on CBF SPECT images obtained using the 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer and a SPECT scanner, before and after partial volume correction (PVC) using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Forty-four healthy subjects (29 males and 15 females; age range, 27-64 y; mean age, 50.0 +/- 9.8 y) participated. Each MR image was segmented to yield grey and white matter images and coregistered to a corresponding SPECT image, followed by convolution to approximate the SPECT spatial resolution. PVC-SPECT images were produced using the convoluted grey matter MR (GM-MR) and white matter MR images. The age and gender effects were assessed using SPM99. Decreases with age were detected in the anterolateral prefrontal cortex and in areas along the lateral sulcus and the lateral ventricle, bilaterally, in the GM-MR images and the SPECT images. In the PVC-SPECT images, decreases in CBF in the lateral prefrontal cortex lost their statistical significance. Decreases in CBF with age found along the lateral sulcus and the lateral ventricle, on the other hand, remained statistically significant, but observation of the spatially normalized MR images suggests that these findings are associated with the dilatation of the lateral sulcus and lateral ventricle, which was not completely compensated for by the spatial normalization procedure. Our present study demonstrated that age effects on CBF in healthy subjects could reflect morphological differences with age in grey matter.

Apparent diffusion coefficient ratio correlates significantly with prostate cancer gleason score at final pathology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boesen, Lars; Chabanova, Elizaveta; Løgager, Vibeke

2015-01-01

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient measurements (ADCtumor and ADCratio ) and the Gleason score from radical prostatectomy specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one patients with clinically localized prostate cancer scheduled for radical prostatectomy...... correlated with the Gleason score from the prostatectomy specimens. RESULTS: The association between ADC measurements and Gleason score showed a significant negative correlation (P ... ) and 0.90 (ADCratio ) when discriminating Gleason score ≤7(3+4) from Gleason score ≥7(4+3). CONCLUSION: ADC measurements showed a significant correlation with tumor Gleason score at final pathology. The ADCratio demonstrated the best correlation compared to the ADCtumor value and radically improved...

Apparently noninvariant terms of nonlinear sigma models in lattice perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harada, Koji; Hattori, Nozomu; Kubo, Hirofumi; Yamamoto, Yuki

2009-01-01

Apparently noninvariant terms (ANTs) that appear in loop diagrams for nonlinear sigma models are revisited in lattice perturbation theory. The calculations have been done mostly with dimensional regularization so far. In order to establish that the existence of ANTs is independent of the regularization scheme, and of the potential ambiguities in the definition of the Jacobian of the change of integration variables from group elements to 'pion' fields, we employ lattice regularization, in which everything (including the Jacobian) is well defined. We show explicitly that lattice perturbation theory produces ANTs in the four-point functions of the pion fields at one-loop and the Jacobian does not play an important role in generating ANTs.

Apparent and true resistant hypertension: definition, prevalence and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Judd, E; Calhoun, D A

2014-08-01

Resistant hypertension, defined as blood pressure (BP) remaining above goal despite the use of > or =3 antihypertensive medications at maximally tolerated doses (one ideally being a diuretic) or BP that requires > or =4 agents to achieve control, has received more attention with increased efforts to improve BP control rates and the emergence of device-based therapies for hypertension. This classically defined resistant group consists of patients with true resistant hypertension, controlled resistant hypertension and pseudo-resistant hypertension. In studies where pseudo-resistant hypertension cannot be excluded (for example, 24-h ambulatory BP not obtained), the term apparent resistant hypertension has been used to identify 'apparent' lack of control on > or =3 medications. Large, well-designed studies have recently reported the prevalence of resistant hypertension. Pooling prevalence data from these studies and others within North America and Europe with a combined sample size of >600,000 hypertensive participants, the prevalence of resistant hypertension is 14.8% of treated hypertensive patients and 12.5% of all hypertensives. However, the prevalence of true resistant hypertension, defined as uncontrolled both by office and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring with confirmed medication adherence, may be more meaningful in terms of identifying risk and estimating benefit from newer therapies like renal denervation. Rates of cardiovascular events and mortality follow mean 24-h ambulatory BPs in patients with resistant hypertension, and true resistant hypertension represents the highest risk. The prevalence of true resistant hypertension has not been directly measured in large trials; however, combined data from smaller studies suggest that true resistant hypertension is present in half of the patients with resistant hypertension who are uncontrolled in the office. Our pooled analysis shows prevalence rates of 10.1% and 7.9% for uncontrolled resistant hypertension among

Budesonide/formoterol and formoterol provide similar rapid relief in patients with acute asthma showing refractoriness to salbutamol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lombardi DM

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To compare the efficacy and safety of budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort® with formoterol (Oxis® in the treatment of patients with acute asthma who showed evidence of refractoriness to short-acting β2-agonist therapy. Methods In a 3 hour, randomized, double-blind study, a total of 115 patients with acute asthma (mean FEV1 40% of predicted normal and a refractory response to salbutamol (mean reversibility 2% of predicted normal after inhalation of 400 μg, were randomized to receive either budesonide/formoterol (320/9 μg, 2 inhalations at t = -5 minutes and 2 inhalations at 0 minutes [total dose 1280/36 μg] or formoterol (9 μg, 2 inhalations at t = -5 minutes and 2 inhalations at 0 minutes [total dose 36 μg]. The primary efficacy variable was the average FEV1 from the first intake of study medication to the measurement at 90 minutes. Secondary endpoints included changes in FEV1 at other timepoints and change in respiratory rate at 180 minutes. Treatment success, treatment failure and patient assessment of the effectiveness of the study medication were also measured. Results FEV1 increased after administration of the study medication in both treatment groups. No statistically significant difference between the treatment groups was apparent for the primary outcome variable, or for any of the other efficacy endpoints. There were no statistically significant between-group differences for treatment success, treatment failure or patient assessment of medication effectiveness. Both treatments were well tolerated. Conclusion Budesonide/formoterol and formoterol provided similarly rapid relief of acute bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma who showed evidence of refractoriness to a short-acting β2-agonist.

Normal form theory and spectral sequences

OpenAIRE

Sanders, Jan A.

2003-01-01

The concept of unique normal form is formulated in terms of a spectral sequence. As an illustration of this technique some results of Baider and Churchill concerning the normal form of the anharmonic oscillator are reproduced. The aim of this paper is to show that spectral sequences give us a natural framework in which to formulate normal form theory. © 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Optimal Parameters to Determine the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Diffusion Weighted Imaging via Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Perera, Dimuthu

Diffusion weighted (DW) Imaging is a non-invasive MR technique that provides information about the tissue microstructure using the diffusion of water molecules. The diffusion is generally characterized by the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parametric map. The purpose of this study is to investigate in silico how the calculation of ADC is affected by image SNR, b-values, and the true tissue ADC. Also, to provide optimal parameter combination depending on the percentage accuracy and precision for prostate peripheral region cancer application. Moreover, to suggest parameter choices for any type of tissue, while providing the expected accuracy and precision. In this research DW images were generated assuming a mono-exponential signal model at two different b-values and for known true ADC values. Rician noise of different levels was added to the DWI images to adjust the image SNR. Using the two DWI images, ADC was calculated using a mono-exponential model for each set of b-values, SNR, and true ADC. 40,000 ADC data were collected for each parameter setting to determine the mean and the standard-deviation of the calculated ADC, as well as the percentage accuracy and precision with respect to the true ADC. The accuracy was calculated using the difference between known and calculated ADC. The precision was calculated using the standard-deviation of calculated ADC. The optimal parameters for a specific study was determined when both the percentage accuracy and precision were minimized. In our study, we simulated two true ADCs (ADC 0.00102 for tumor and 0.00180 mm2/s for normal prostate peripheral region tissue). Image SNR was varied from 2 to 100 and b-values were varied from 0 to 2000s/mm2. The results show that the percentage accuracy and percentage precision were minimized with image SNR. To increase SNR, 10 signal-averagings (NEX) were used considering the limitation in total scan time. The optimal NEX combination for tumor and normal tissue for prostate

45 CFR 73.735-904 - Resolution of apparent or actual conflicts of interest.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Resolution of apparent or actual conflicts of... ADMINISTRATION STANDARDS OF CONDUCT Reporting Financial Interests § 73.735-904 Resolution of apparent or actual conflicts of interest. (a) Disqualification from participating in a particular matter or category of matters...

The Determination of "Apparent" pKa's. Part II: An Experiment Using Very Weak Acids (pKa's > 11.4).

Science.gov (United States)

Cawley, John J.

1995-01-01

Presents an experiment designed to show students that the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation will fail when they use this particular one-half titration technique for acids with large pKa's. Involves determining the apparent pKa for such acids and using that to calculate the true pKa. (JRH)

The apparent diffusion coefficient of water in gray and white matter of the infant brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toft, P B; Leth, H; Peitersen, Birgit

1996-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose was to obtain normal values of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the infant brain and to compare ADC maps with T1- and T2-weighted images. METHOD: Diffusion was measured in nine infants with an ECG-gated SE sequence compensated for first-order motion. One axial slice...... it appeared on T1- or T2-weighted images. In gray and white matter, the mean ADC ranged from 0.95 x 10(-9) to 1.76 x 10(-9) m2/s. In the frontal and occipital white matter, in the genu corporis callosi, and in the lentiform nucleus, the ADC decreased with increasing age. The cortex/white matter ratio...... of the ADC increased with age and approached 1 at the age of 30 weeks. CONCLUSION: ADC maps add information to the T1 and T2 images about the size and course of unmyelinated as well as myelinated tracts in the immature brain....

True versus apparent shapes of bow shocks

Science.gov (United States)

Tarango-Yong, Jorge A.; Henney, William J.

2018-06-01

Astrophysical bow shocks are a common result of the interaction between two supersonic plasma flows, such as winds or jets from stars or active galaxies, or streams due to the relative motion between a star and the interstellar medium. For cylindrically symmetric bow shocks, we develop a general theory for the effects of inclination angle on the apparent shape. We propose a new two-dimensional classification scheme for bow shapes, which is based on dimensionless geometric ratios that can be estimated from observational images. The two ratios are related to the flatness of the bow's apex, which we term planitude, and the openness of its wings, which we term alatude. We calculate the expected distribution in the planitude-alatude plane for a variety of simple geometrical and physical models: quadrics of revolution, wilkinoids, cantoids, and ancantoids. We further test our methods against numerical magnetohydrodynamical simulations of stellar bow shocks and find that the apparent planitude and alatude measured from infrared dust continuum maps serve as accurate diagnostics of the shape of the contact discontinuity, which can be used to discriminate between different physical models. We present an algorithm that can determine the planitude and alatude from observed bow shock emission maps with a precision of 10 to 20 per cent.

"Ser diferente é normal?"/"Being different: is it normal?"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viviane Veras

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A pergunta título deste trabalho retoma o slogan “Ser diferente é normal”, que é parte da campanha criada para uma organização não-governamental que atende portadores de Síndrome de Down. O objetivo é a inclusão social da pessoa com deficiência e o primeiro passo foi propor a inclusão de um grupo de diferentes no grupo dito normal. No vídeo de lançamento da campanha, o diferente, identificado como normal, é mostrado por meio de exemplos – um negro com cabelo black-power, um skin-head, um corpo tatuado, um corpo feminino halterofílico, uma família hippie, uma garota com síndrome de Down. A visão da adolescente dançando reduz, de certo modo, o efeito imaginário que vai além da síndrome, uma vez que apenas o corpo com seus olhinhos puxados se destacam, e não se interrogam questões cognitivas. Minha proposta é refletir sobre o estatuto paradoxal do exemplo, tal como é trabalhado nesse vídeo: se, por definição, um exemplo mostra de fato seu pertencimento a uma classe, pode-se concluir que é exatamente por ser exemplar que ele se encontra fora dela, no exato momento em que a exibe e define. The question in the title of this paper refers to the slogan "ser diferente é normal" ("It´s normal to be different", which is part of a campaign created for a NGO that supports people with Down syndrome. The objective of the campaign is to promote the social inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome, and the first step was to propose the inclusion of a group of "differents" in the so-called normal group. The film launching the campaign shows the different identified as normal by means of examples: a black man exhibiting blackpower haircut, a skin-head, a tattooed body, an over-athletic female body, a hippie family and a girl with Down syndrome. The vision of the dancing teenager lessens the imaginary effect that surpasses the syndrome, since only her body and her little oriental eyes stand out and no cognitive issues are

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the normal endometrium: temporal and spatial variations of the apparent diffusion coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fornasa, Francesca; Montemezzi, Stefania

2012-01-01

Background: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) is increasingly used in the diagnosis of endometrial disease. No complete knowledge, however, exists yet of the influence of physiology on the endometrial apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values on which DWI is based. Purpose: To establish whether the ADC values measured with DWI in the endometrium of healthy reproductive-aged women significantly vary from the early proliferative to the periovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle and between the fundus and the isthmus of the uterus. Material and Methods: In 17 women the endometrial ADC values measured on the fifth menstrual day, both at the fundus and at the isthmus of the uterus, were compared to the values obtained on the 14th day before the subsequent cycle. In 81 women (menstrual day: fifth through 21st) the endometrial ADC values measured at the fundus were compared to the values obtained at the isthmus of the uterus. All examinations were performed with a 1.5 T magnet (b values: 0 and 800 mm/s 2 ). The results were analyzed by means of Student's t-test per paired data. Results: The endometrial ADC values measured on the fifth day of the menstrual cycle were lower than those obtained in the periovulatory phase both at the fundus (mean 0.923 vs. 1.256 x 10 - 3 mm 2 /s) and at the isthmus (mean 1.297 vs. 1.529 x 10 - 3 mm 2 /s) of the uterus. The endometrial ADC values measured at the fundus of the uterus were lower than those obtained at the isthmus (mean 1.132 vs. 1.420 x 10 - 3 mm 2 /s) through the menstrual cycle. All these differences were highly significant (P < 0.001) at statistical analysis. Conclusion: Physiological variations occurring in endometrial ADC values of healthy women should be considered by the radiologists when interpreting DWI examinations in patients with endometrial disease

Radiation inactivation analysis of enzymes. Effect of free radical scavengers on apparent target sizes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eichler, D.C.; Solomonson, L.P.; Barber, M.J.; McCreery, M.J.; Ness, G.C.

1987-01-01

In most cases the apparent target size obtained by radiation inactivation analysis corresponds to the subunit size or to the size of a multimeric complex. In this report, we examined whether the larger than expected target sizes of some enzymes could be due to secondary effects of free radicals. To test this proposal we carried out radiation inactivation analysis on Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I, Torula yeast glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, Chlorella vulgaris nitrate reductase, and chicken liver sulfite oxidase in the presence and absence of free radical scavengers (benzoic acid and mannitol). In the presence of free radical scavengers, inactivation curves are shifted toward higher radiation doses. Plots of scavenger concentration versus enzyme activity showed that the protective effect of benzoic acid reached a maximum at 25 mM then declined. Mannitol alone had little effect, but appeared to broaden the maximum protective range of benzoic acid relative to concentration. The apparent target size of the polymerase activity of DNA polymerase I in the presence of free radical scavengers was about 40% of that observed in the absence of these agents. This is considerably less than the minimum polypeptide size and may reflect the actual size of the polymerase functional domain. Similar effects, but of lesser magnitude, were observed for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, nitrate reductase, and sulfite oxidase. These results suggest that secondary damage due to free radicals generated in the local environment as a result of ionizing radiation can influence the apparent target size obtained by this method

Estimating true instead of apparent survival using spatial Cormack-Jolly-Seber models

Science.gov (United States)

Schaub, Michael; Royle, J. Andrew

2014-01-01

Survival is often estimated from capture–recapture data using Cormack–Jolly–Seber (CJS) models, where mortality and emigration cannot be distinguished, and the estimated apparent survival probability is the product of the probabilities of true survival and of study area fidelity. Consequently, apparent survival is lower than true survival unless study area fidelity equals one. Underestimation of true survival from capture–recapture data is a main limitation of the method.

The frequency-domain approach for apparent density mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, T.; Guo, L.

2017-12-01

Apparent density mapping is a technique to estimate density distribution in the subsurface layer from the observed gravity data. It has been widely applied for geologic mapping, tectonic study and mineral exploration for decades. Apparent density mapping usually models the density layer as a collection of vertical, juxtaposed prisms in both horizontal directions, whose top and bottom surfaces are assumed to be horizontal or variable-depth, and then inverts or deconvolves the gravity anomalies to determine the density of each prism. Conventionally, the frequency-domain approach, which assumes that both top and bottom surfaces of the layer are horizontal, is usually utilized for fast density mapping. However, such assumption is not always valid in the real world, since either the top surface or the bottom surface may be variable-depth. Here, we presented a frequency-domain approach for apparent density mapping, which permits both the top and bottom surfaces of the layer to be variable-depth. We first derived the formula for forward calculation of gravity anomalies caused by the density layer, whose top and bottom surfaces are variable-depth, and the formula for inversion of gravity anomalies for the density distribution. Then we proposed the procedure for density mapping based on both the formulas of inversion and forward calculation. We tested the approach on the synthetic data, which verified its effectiveness. We also tested the approach on the real Bouguer gravity anomalies data from the central South China. The top surface was assumed to be flat and was on the sea level, and the bottom surface was considered as the Moho surface. The result presented the crustal density distribution, which was coinciding well with the basic tectonic features in the study area.

On the observational characteristics of lithium-enhanced giant stars in comparison with normal red giants†

Science.gov (United States)

Takeda, Yoichi; Tajitsu, Akito

2017-08-01

While lithium is generally deficient in the atmosphere of evolved giant stars because of the efficient mixing-induced dilution, a small fraction of red giants show unusually strong Li lines indicative of conspicuous abundance excess. With the aim of shedding light on the origin of these peculiar stars, we carried out a spectroscopic study on the observational characteristics of 20 selected bright giants already known to be Li-rich from past studies, in comparison with the reference sample of a large number of normal late G-early K giants. Special attention was paid to clarifying any difference between the two samples from a comprehensive point of view (i.e., with respect to stellar parameters, rotation, activity, kinematic properties, 6Li/7Li ratio, and the abundances of Li, Be, C, O, Na, S, and Zn). Our sample stars are roughly divided into a “bump/clump group” and a “luminous group” according to their positions on the HR diagram. Regarding the former group [1.5 ≲ log (L/L⊙) ≲ 2 and M ∼ 1.5-3 M⊙], Li-enriched giants and normal giants appear practically similar in almost all respects except for Li, suggesting that surface Li enhancement in this group may be a transient episode which normal giants undergo at certain evolutionary stages in their lifetime. Meanwhile, those Li-rich giants belonging to the latter group [log (L/L⊙) ∼ 3 and M ∼ 3-5 M⊙] appear more anomalous in the sense that they tend to show higher rotation as well as higher activity, and that their elemental abundances (especially those derived from high-excitation lines) are apt to show apparent overabundances, though this might be due to a spurious effect reflecting the difficulty of abundance derivation in stars of higher rotation and activity. Our analysis confirmed considerable Be deficiency as well as absence of 6Li as the general characteristics of Li-rich giants under study, which implies that engulfment of planets is rather unlikely for the origin of Li-enrichment.

Iron deficiency anaemia among apparently healthy pre-school ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ing working hours of 8:00 am till 4:00 pm and caters ... Consecutive apparently healthy children whose parents ... Children on long-term transfusion therapy b. ... Social class was determined from occupation and ed- .... gression model was used to assess the effects of the .... iron stores in 6–24-month-old New Zealanders.

CCD photometry of apparent dwarf galaxies in Fornax

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillipps, S.; Grimley, P.L.; Disney, M.J.; Cawson, M.G.M.; Kibblewhite, E.J.

1986-01-01

Blue and red CCD surface photometry of two apparent dwarf galaxies in the Fornax cluster region is presented. Luminosity profiles are derived and their form discussed. The fainter galaxy resembles an archetypal diffuse dwarf elliptical but the brighter of the pair is either an unusual red dwarf or a background galaxy in chance juxtaposition. (author)

Role of magnetic resonance diffusion imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient values in the evaluation of spinal tuberculosis in Indian patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palle, Lalitha; Reddy, MCH Balaji; Reddy, K Jagannath

2010-01-01

To define a range of apparent diffusion coefficient values in spinal tuberculosis and to evaluate the sensitivity of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and apparent diffusion coefficient values in patients of spinal tuberculosis. This study was conducted over a period of 20 months and included 110 patients with a total of 230 vertebral bodies. The study was performed in two parts. The first part included all patients of known tuberculosis and patients with classical features of tuberculosis. The second part included patients with spinal pathology of indeterminate etiology. All the patients underwent a routine MRI examination along with diffusion sequences. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated from all the involved vertebral bodies. The mean ADC value of affected vertebrae in first part of the study was found to be 1.4 ± 0.20 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s. This ADC value was then applied to patients in the second part of study in order to determine its ability in predicting tuberculosis. This range of ADC values was significantly different from the mean ADC values of normal vertebrae and those with metastatic involvement. However, there was an overlap of ADC values in a few tuberculous vertebrae with the ADC values in metastatic vertebrae. We found that DW-MRI and ADC values may help in the differentiation of spinal tuberculosis from other lesions of similar appearance. However, an overlap of ADC values was noted with those of metastatic vertebrae. Therefore diffusion imaging and ADC values must always be interpreted in association with clinical history and routine MRI findings and not in isolation

Apparent-contact-angle model at partial wetting and evaporation: impact of surface forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Janeček, V; Nikolayev, V S

2013-01-01

This theoretical and numerical study deals with evaporation of a fluid wedge in contact with its pure vapor. The model describes a regime where the continuous wetting film is absent and the actual line of the triple gas-liquid-solid contact appears. A constant temperature higher than the saturation temperature is imposed at the solid substrate. The fluid flow is solved in the lubrication approximation. The introduction of the surface forces in the case of the partial wetting is discussed. The apparent contact angle (the gas-liquid interface slope far from the contact line) is studied numerically as a function of the substrate superheating, contact line velocity, and parameters related to the solid-fluid interaction (Young and microscopic contact angles, Hamaker constant, etc.). The dependence of the apparent contact angle on the substrate temperature is in agreement with existing approaches. For water, the apparent contact angle may be 20° larger than the Young contact angle for 1 K superheating. The effect of the surface forces on the apparent contact angle is found to be weak.

Apparent splitting of S waves propagating through an isotropic lowermost mantle

KAUST Repository

Parisi, Laura

2018-03-24

Observations of shear‐wave anisotropy are key for understanding the mineralogical structure and flow in the mantle. Several researchers have reported the presence of seismic anisotropy in the lowermost 150–250 km of the mantle (i.e., D” layer), based on differences in the arrival times of vertically (SV) and horizontally (SH) polarized shear waves. By computing waveforms at period > 6 s for a wide range of 1‐D and 3‐D Earth structures we illustrate that a time shift (i.e., apparent splitting) between SV and SH may appear in purely isotropic simulations. This may be misinterpreted as shear wave anisotropy. For near‐surface earthquakes, apparent shear wave splitting can result from the interference of S with the surface reflection sS. For deep earthquakes, apparent splitting can be due to the S‐wave triplication in D”, reflections off discontinuities in the upper mantle and 3‐D heterogeneity. The wave effects due to anomalous isotropic structure may not be easily distinguished from purely anisotropic effects if the analysis does not involve full waveform simulations.

Apparent splitting of S waves propagating through an isotropic lowermost mantle

KAUST Repository

Parisi, Laura; Ferreira, Ana M. G.; Ritsema, Jeroen

2018-01-01

Observations of shear‐wave anisotropy are key for understanding the mineralogical structure and flow in the mantle. Several researchers have reported the presence of seismic anisotropy in the lowermost 150–250 km of the mantle (i.e., D” layer), based on differences in the arrival times of vertically (SV) and horizontally (SH) polarized shear waves. By computing waveforms at period > 6 s for a wide range of 1‐D and 3‐D Earth structures we illustrate that a time shift (i.e., apparent splitting) between SV and SH may appear in purely isotropic simulations. This may be misinterpreted as shear wave anisotropy. For near‐surface earthquakes, apparent shear wave splitting can result from the interference of S with the surface reflection sS. For deep earthquakes, apparent splitting can be due to the S‐wave triplication in D”, reflections off discontinuities in the upper mantle and 3‐D heterogeneity. The wave effects due to anomalous isotropic structure may not be easily distinguished from purely anisotropic effects if the analysis does not involve full waveform simulations.

The claudin gene family: expression in normal and neoplastic tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hewitt, Kyle J; Agarwal, Rachana; Morin, Patrice J

2006-01-01

The claudin (CLDN) genes encode a family of proteins important in tight junction formation and function. Recently, it has become apparent that CLDN gene expression is frequently altered in several human cancers. However, the exact patterns of CLDN expression in various cancers is unknown, as only a limited number of CLDN genes have been investigated in a few tumors. We identified all the human CLDN genes from Genbank and we used the large public SAGE database to ascertain the gene expression of all 21 CLDN in 266 normal and neoplastic tissues. Using real-time RT-PCR, we also surveyed a subset of 13 CLDN genes in 24 normal and 24 neoplastic tissues. We show that claudins represent a family of highly related proteins, with claudin-16, and -23 being the most different from the others. From in silico analysis and RT-PCR data, we find that most claudin genes appear decreased in cancer, while CLDN3, CLDN4, and CLDN7 are elevated in several malignancies such as those originating from the pancreas, bladder, thyroid, fallopian tubes, ovary, stomach, colon, breast, uterus, and the prostate. Interestingly, CLDN5 is highly expressed in vascular endothelial cells, providing a possible target for antiangiogenic therapy. CLDN18 might represent a biomarker for gastric cancer. Our study confirms previously known CLDN gene expression patterns and identifies new ones, which may have applications in the detection, prognosis and therapy of several human cancers. In particular we identify several malignancies that express CLDN3 and CLDN4. These cancers may represent ideal candidates for a novel therapy being developed based on CPE, a toxin that specifically binds claudin-3 and claudin-4

Normal accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrow, C.

1989-01-01

The author has chosen numerous concrete examples to illustrate the hazardousness inherent in high-risk technologies. Starting with the TMI reactor accident in 1979, he shows that it is not only the nuclear energy sector that bears the risk of 'normal accidents', but also quite a number of other technologies and industrial sectors, or research fields. The author refers to the petrochemical industry, shipping, air traffic, large dams, mining activities, and genetic engineering, showing that due to the complexity of the systems and their manifold, rapidly interacting processes, accidents happen that cannot be thoroughly calculated, and hence are unavoidable. (orig./HP) [de

Repair replication in cultured normal and transformed human fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, C.A.; Hanawalt, P.C.

1976-01-01

Repair replication in response to ultraviolet irradiation has been studied in normal human diploid fibroblast cultures, W138, and an SV40 transformant, VA13. Quantitative comparisons have been made using the combined isotopic and density labelling method for assaying repair replication. No significant difference was found in the amount of repair replication performed, its dose response, or the time course between growing and confluent W138 cells, early passage and senescent cells, or normal W138 cells and the transformed VA13 cells. When [ 3 H]dThd was employed as the isotopic label in the presence of a 30-200 fold excess of unlabelled BrdUrd apparent differences in repair replication were seen between W138 cells shortly after subcultivation and cells which had been allowed to reach confluence. These differences were the same over a wide dose range and regardless of the passage number of the cells, but could be influenced by using different serum lots. The differences were not seen, however, when [ 3 H]BrdUrd provided the isotopic label; thus they reflect either impurities in the [ 3 H]dThd or a slight discrimination by some cellular process

The changes of 18F-FDG uptake and ADC value of the normal endometrium during the menstrual cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seko, Ayumi; Kanasaki, Shuzou; Kitahara, Sawako; Murata, Kiyoshi; Tatsumi, Mitsuaki; Hayashida, Kohei; Sakashita, Yoko; Hamanaka, Yasuyo

2007-01-01

We evaluated the normal endometrium of reproductive age using positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and Diffusion-weighted MR imaging. 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value were classified according to the menstrual cycle. On PET/CT, FDG uptake was significant high at the menstrual and ovulatory phase. On diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), ADC value was significant low at the menstrual phase. (author)

Quantifiable biomarkers of normal aging in the Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lingling Ding

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Small laboratory fish share many anatomical and histological characteristics with other vertebrates, yet can be maintained in large numbers at low cost for lifetime studies. Here we characterize biomarkers associated with normal aging in the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes, a species that has been widely used in toxicology studies and has potential utility as a model organism for experimental aging research.The median lifespan of medaka was approximately 22 months under laboratory conditions. We performed quantitative histological analysis of tissues from age-grouped individuals representing young adults (6 months old, mature adults (16 months old, and adults that had survived beyond the median lifespan (24 months. Livers of 24-month old individuals showed extensive morphologic changes, including spongiosis hepatis, steatosis, ballooning degeneration, inflammation, and nuclear pyknosis. There were also phagolysosomes, vacuoles, and residual bodies in parenchymal cells and congestion of sinusoidal vessels. Livers of aged individuals were characterized by increases in lipofuscin deposits and in the number of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells. Some of these degenerative characteristics were seen, to a lesser extent, in the livers of 16-month old individuals, but not in 6-month old individuals. The basal layer of the dermis showed an age-dependent decline in the number of dividing cells and an increase in senescence-associated β-galactosidase. The hearts of aged individuals were characterized by fibrosis and lipofuscin deposition. There was also a loss of pigmented cells from the retinal epithelium. By contrast, age-associated changes were not apparent in skeletal muscle, the ocular lens, or the brain.The results provide a set of markers that can be used to trace the process of normal tissue aging in medaka and to evaluate the effect of environmental stressors.

A New Perspective on the Apparent Solubility of Dissolved Black Carbon

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Sasha Wagner

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Black carbon (BC, pyrogenic organic matter generated from the incomplete combustion of biomass, is ubiquitous in the environment. The molecular structures which comprise the BC pool of compounds are defined by their condensed aromatic core structures polysubstituted with O-containing functionalities (e.g., carboxyl groups. Despite the apparent hydrophobicity of BC molecules, a considerable portion of BC is translocated from terrestrial to aquatic systems in the form of dissolved BC (DBC. However, the specific biogeochemical mechanisms which control the transfer of BC from the land to the water remain elusive. In the current study, the apparent solubility of DBC was inferred from octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow modeled for proposed DBC structures with varying degrees of polycondensation and polar functionality. Modeled Kow values indicated that DBC molecules with small aromatic ring systems and high degrees of hydrophilic functionality may be truly solubilized in the aqueous phase. However, large and highly condensed DBC structures yielded high Kow values, which suggested that a considerable portion of the DBC pool which has been quantified in aquatic environments is not truly dissolved. We hypothesized that other DOM components may act as mediators in the solubilization of condensed aromatic molecules and serve to increase the solubility of DBC via hydrophobic, intermolecular associations. This hypothesis was tested through controlled leaching experiments to determine whether the mobilization of DBC from particulate soils and chars became enhanced in the presence of DOM. However, we observed that characteristics inherent to each sample type had a greater influence than added DOM on the apparent solubility of DBC. In addition, the direct comparison of molecular marker (benzenepolycarboxylic acids and ultrahigh resolution mass spectral data (FT-ICR/MS on leachates obtained from the same set of soils and char did not show a clear overlap

A new perspective on the apparent solubility of dissolved black carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Sasha; Ding, Yan; Jaffé, Rudolf

2017-09-01

Black carbon (BC), pyrogenic organic matter generated from the incomplete combustion of biomass, is ubiquitous in the environment. The molecular structures which comprise the BC pool of compounds are defined by their condensed aromatic core structures polysubstituted with O-containing functionalities (e.g., carboxyl groups). Despite the apparent hydrophobicity of BC molecules, a considerable portion of BC is translocated from terrestrial to aquatic systems in the form of dissolved BC (DBC). However, the specific biogeochemical mechanisms which control the transfer of BC from the land to the water remain elusive. In the current study, the apparent solubility of DBC was inferred from octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) modeled for proposed DBC structures with varying degrees of polycondensation and polar functionality. Modeled Kow values indicated that DBC molecules with small aromatic ring systems and high degrees of hydrophilic functionality may be truly solubilized in the aqueous phase. However, large and highly condensed DBC structures yielded high Kow values, which suggested that a considerable portion of the DBC pool which has been quantified in aquatic environments is not truly dissolved. We hypothesized that other DOM components may act as mediators in the solubilization of condensed aromatic molecules and serve to increase the solubility of DBC via hydrophobic, intermolecular associations. This hypothesis was tested through controlled leaching experiments to determine whether the mobilization of DBC from particulate soils and chars became enhanced in the presence of DOM. However, we observed that characteristics inherent to each sample type had a greater influence than added DOM on the apparent solubility of DBC. In addition, the direct comparison of molecular marker (benzenepolycarboxylic acids) and ultrahigh resolution mass spectral data (FT-ICR/MS) on leachates obtained from the same set of soils and char did not show a clear overlap in DBC

CNN-based ranking for biomedical entity normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Haodi; Chen, Qingcai; Tang, Buzhou; Wang, Xiaolong; Xu, Hua; Wang, Baohua; Huang, Dong

2017-10-03

Most state-of-the-art biomedical entity normalization systems, such as rule-based systems, merely rely on morphological information of entity mentions, but rarely consider their semantic information. In this paper, we introduce a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture that regards biomedical entity normalization as a ranking problem and benefits from semantic information of biomedical entities. The CNN-based ranking method first generates candidates using handcrafted rules, and then ranks the candidates according to their semantic information modeled by CNN as well as their morphological information. Experiments on two benchmark datasets for biomedical entity normalization show that our proposed CNN-based ranking method outperforms traditional rule-based method with state-of-the-art performance. We propose a CNN architecture that regards biomedical entity normalization as a ranking problem. Comparison results show that semantic information is beneficial to biomedical entity normalization and can be well combined with morphological information in our CNN architecture for further improvement.

Value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in evaluating response ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective. To determine whether the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value obtained by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) can be used as a reliable detector of response of carcinoma of the cervix treated with chemoradiotherapy, compared with conventional. T2-weighted MRI. Design.

Can oscillating physics explain an apparently periodic universe?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, C.T.; Steinhardt, P.J.; Turner, M.S.; Chicago Univ., IL; Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL

1990-01-01

Recently, Broadhurst et al. have reported an apparent periodicity in a north-south pencil-beam red-shift survey of galaxies. We consider whether the periodicity may be an illusion caused by the oscillations of physical constants. Should the periodicity be disproven by subsequent observations, the same analysis can be used to derive new, stringent limits on the variations of physical constants. (orig.)

Survival of human diploid skin fibroblasts from normal individuals after X-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, J.B.; Nove, J.; Strong, L.C.; Nichols, W.W.

1988-01-01

The cytotoxic effect of X-rays was measured by a colony formation assay in multiple experiments with fibroblast cell strains derived from 24 presumably normal individuals, received as 65 different coded and blinded samples. Each strain was received on two or more occasions at different times and bearing different codes. The means and standard deviations of the survival curve parameters for the 24 strains were: D 0 = 123 +- 23; D 10 = 273 +- 42 cGy. The D 0 ranged from 89 to 175 and the D 10 from 196 to 372 cGy. The degree of interexperimental variation, though generally minimal, differed considerably among cell strains. There was no systematic effect of passage level, cloning efficiency, serum lot, age or sex of the donor on X-ray survival. These results confirm that the intrinsic radiosensitivity varies significantly among skin fibroblasts isolated from clinically normal individuals, apparently owing to as yet unidentified genetic factors. (Author)

Brain Tumor Therapy-Induced Changes in Normal-Appearing Brainstem Measured With Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hua Chiaho; Merchant, Thomas E.; Gajjar, Amar; Broniscer, Alberto; Zhang, Yong; Li Yimei; Glenn, George R.; Kun, Larry E.; Ogg, Robert J.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To characterize therapy-induced changes in normal-appearing brainstems of childhood brain tumor patients by serial diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods and Materials: We analyzed 109 DTI studies from 20 brain tumor patients, aged 4 to 23 years, with normal-appearing brainstems included in the treatment fields. Those with medulloblastomas, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors, and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (n = 10) received postoperative craniospinal irradiation (23.4–39.6 Gy) and a cumulative dose of 55.8 Gy to the primary site, followed by four cycles of high-dose chemotherapy. Patients with high-grade gliomas (n = 10) received erlotinib during and after irradiation (54–59.4 Gy). Parametric maps of fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were computed and spatially registered to three-dimensional radiation dose data. Volumes of interest included corticospinal tracts, medial lemnisci, and the pons. Serving as an age-related benchmark for comparison, 37 DTI studies from 20 healthy volunteers, aged 6 to 25 years, were included in the analysis. Results: The median DTI follow-up time was 3.5 years (range, 1.6–5.0 years). The median mean dose to the pons was 56 Gy (range, 7–59 Gy). Three patterns were seen in longitudinal FA and apparent diffusion coefficient changes: (1) a stable or normal developing time trend, (2) initial deviation from normal with subsequent recovery, and (3) progressive deviation without evidence of complete recovery. The maximal decline in FA often occurred 1.5 to 3.5 years after the start of radiation therapy. A full recovery time trend could be observed within 4 years. Patients with incomplete recovery often had a larger decline in FA within the first year. Radiation dose alone did not predict long-term recovery patterns. Conclusions: Variations existed among individual patients after therapy in longitudinal evolution of brainstem white matter injury and recovery. Early response

Influence of apparent wave velocity on seismic performance of a super-long-span triple-tower suspension bridge

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Hao Wang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available As one of the main characteristics of seismic waves, apparent wave velocity has great influence on seismic responses of long-span suspension bridges. Understanding these influences is important for seismic design. In this article, the critical issues concerning the traveling wave effect analysis are first reviewed. Taizhou Bridge, the longest triple-tower suspension bridge in the world, is then taken as an example for this investigation. A three-dimensional finite element model of the bridge is established in ABAQUS, and the LANCZOS eigenvalue solver is employed to calculate the structural dynamic characteristics. Traveling wave effect on seismic responses of these long-span triple-tower suspension bridges is investigated. Envelopes of seismic shear force and moment in the longitudinal direction along the three towers, relative displacements between the towers and the girder, and reaction forces at the bottoms of the three towers under different apparent wave velocities are calculated and presented in detail. The results show that the effect of apparent wave velocity on the seismic responses of triple-tower suspension bridge fluctuates when the velocity is lower than 2000 m/s, and the effects turn stable when the velocity becomes larger. In addition, the effects of traveling wave are closely related to spectral characteristics and propagation direction of the seismic wave, and seismic responses of components closer to the source are relatively larger. Therefore, reliable estimation of the seismic input and apparent wave velocity according to the characteristics of the bridge site are significant for accurate prediction of seismic responses. This study provides critical reference for seismic analysis and design of long-span triple-tower suspension bridges.

Intake and total apparent digestibility in lambs fed six maize varieties in the Brazilian Semiarid

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Rafael Dantas dos Santos

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the daily intake and total apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, gross energy, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, total and non-fibrous carbohydrates, total digestible nutrients, energy intake and nitrogen balance of silages of six maize varieties with early or super early cycles recommended to Northeast Brazil. Twenty-four male castrated lambs were lodged in metabolic cages. A completely randomized design with six treatments and four replications was used, with means compared by Tukey test at 5%. There were no differences among varieties for any of the evaluated variables regarding intake and apparent digestibility. Concerning the intake of digestible energy, metabolizable energy and the ratio content of digestible and metabolizable energy, significant differences were observed between varieties and BRS Assum Preto showed highest values of metabolizable energy (2.650,8 kcal/day. All of the treatments presented positive nitrogen balance and did not differ among themselves. The varieties asessed can be an additional option to the semiarid regions in Brazil.

Radiographic and manometric correlation in achalasia with apparent lower esophageal sphincter relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, D.J.; Richter, J.E.; Chen, Y.M.; Wu, W.C.; Gelfand, D.W.; Castell, D.O.

1987-01-01

The authors compared the clinical, radiographic, and manometric findings in ten patients with atypical achalasia showing complete but short-duration lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation with findings in 39 patients with classic achalasia. Patients with atypical achalasia were younger, had dysphagia and weight loss of shorter duration, and had less esophageal dilation than patients with classic achalesia. LES pressure and esophagogastric junction caliber, however, were similar in the two groups. The majority of patients in both groups responded well to pneumatic dilation. They conclude that achalasia with apparent LES relaxation may represent an early form of this motor disorder and that the radiographic findings remain characteristic except for less dilation of the esophagus

Volumetric and viscometric studies of cefepime hydrochloride in water and normal saline from (278.15 to 313.15) K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yu; Li, Yan-hong; Wang, Fu-an; Ren, Bao-zeng

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: The limiting partial molar volume V ϕ 0 of cefepime hydrochloride in water are positive and increase with increasing temperature. The positive values of V ϕ 0 indicate that the solute–solvent interaction decreases as temperature increases. Highlights: • Density and viscosity of cefepime hydrochloride in water and normal saline has been obtained. • The results show that the model agrees well with the experimental data. • The nature of solute–solute and solute–solvent interactions has been probed. -- Abstract: Density (ρ) and viscosity (η) measurements were carried out for cefepime hydrochloride in water and 0.9 mass % normal saline from (278.15 to 313.15) K. The dependence of density and viscosity on temperature and concentration has been correlated. Apparent molar volumes, standard partial molar volumes, and the viscosity B-coefficient of cefepime hydrochloride were calculated from the experimental measurements. The results are used to establish the nature of solute–solute. Solute–solvent interactions and structure breaking effect of cefepime hydrochloride have been discussed using the Helper equation and the Jones–Dole equation. The relationship between relative changes in viscosity and solute-mixed solvent interaction has been probed

Winter fidelity and apparent survival of lesser snow goose populations in the Pacific flyway

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, C.K.; Samuel, M.D.; Baranyuk, Vasily V.; Cooch, E.G.; Kraege, Donald K.

2008-01-01

The Beringia region of the Arctic contains 2 colonies of lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) breeding on Wrangel Island, Russia, and Banks Island, Canada, and wintering in North America. The Wrangel Island population is composed of 2 subpopulations from a sympatric breeding colony but separate wintering areas, whereas the Banks Island population shares a sympatric wintering area in California, USA, with one of the Wrangel Island subpopulations. The Wrangel Island colony represents the last major snow goose population in Russia and has fluctuated considerably since 1970, whereas the Banks Island population has more than doubled. The reasons for these changes are unclear, but hypotheses include independent population demographics (survival and recruitment) and immigration and emigration among breeding or wintering populations. These demographic and movement patterns have important ecological and management implications for understanding goose population structure, harvest of admixed populations, and gene flow among populations with separate breeding or wintering areas. From 1993 to 1996, we neckbanded molting birds at their breeding colonies and resighted birds on the wintering grounds. We used multistate mark-recapture models to evaluate apparent survival rates, resighting rates, winter fidelity, and potential exchange among these populations. We also compared the utility of face stain in Wrangel Island breeding geese as a predictor of their wintering area. Our results showed similar apparent survival rates between subpopulations of Wrangel Island snow geese and lower apparent survival, but higher emigration, for the Banks Island birds. Males had lower apparent survival than females, most likely due to differences in neckband loss. Transition between wintering areas was low (exchange between the Banks and northern Wrangel Island populations. Face staining was an unreliable indicator of wintering area. Our findings suggest that northern and southern

'Thermal ghosts': apparent decay of fixed surfaces caused by heat diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livadiotis, George

2007-01-01

The behaviour concerning classical heat diffusion on fixed thermal surfaces, studied by observations, still holds surprises. As soon as convective and radiative processes are negligible within the medium, this is considered to be free from energy sources and sinks. Then, the heat diffusion equation is conveniently solved using standard Fourier methods. Some considerations about the contrast effect suggest that the surface boundary would rather be observed to follow specific area decay dynamics than remaining fixed and static. Here it is shown that the apparent boundary lies on a specific isothermal spatiotemporal curve, which depends on the observing device. This is characterized by a slight, though determinative, difference between its radiance and that of the ambient background. Thereafter, the heat diffusion yields apparent boundary shrinkage with the passing of time. This phenomenon is particularly notable for two reasons: its lifetime and final decay rate depend only on the medium thermal properties, while being independent of the apparent boundary spatiotemporal curve. Thus, the former provides a suitable method for measuring the medium thermal properties via the observational data. The latter strongly reveal a kind of universality of some characteristic properties of the phenomenon, common to all observers

Erratum An Apparent Phenomenal Descriptive Method for Judging ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Li Lin-sen. (J. Astrophys. Astr., (2004) Vol. 25, Nos. 3 & 4, pp. 203–211). Table 1. The calculated results for synchronous parameters of twenty components in ten eclipsing binary systems by using the apparent descriptive method of formula (4). Sp. (V1,2 sin i)M. Name type. P(d) i(deg) R1,2(R⊙). (km/s). Qe,e. PR ≷ P Synch.

Particle reacceleration and apparent radio source structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eilek, J.A.

1982-01-01

The radio galaxy model which uses magnetohydrodynamic turbulence generated by surface instabilities to reaccelerate the radiating electrons has striking consequences for apparent source structure. Strong wave damping in the plasma results in a narrow turbulent edge. Particles accelerated in this edge must diffuse across field lines into the radio source; this predicts strong limb brightening in some cases. The structure of this edge and diffusion into the source are described. The relevance of this model to jets, radio tails, and standard double sources is discussed

Effects of Coated Compound Proteases on Apparent Total Tract Digestibility of Nutrients and Apparent Ileal Digestibility of Amino Acids for Pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, L; Zhao, P F; Yang, Z Y; Long, S F; Wang, H L; Tian, Q Y; Xu, Y T; Xu, X; Zhang, Z H; Piao, X S

2016-12-01

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of coated compound proteases (CC protease) on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nitrogen (N) and energy, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of amino acids (AA) and nutrients in diets for pigs. In Exp. 1, 12 crossbred barrows (initial body weight: 20.14±1.71 kg) were housed in individual metabolism crates and allotted into 2 treatments with 6 piglets per treatment according to weight in a randomized complete block design. The 2 diets were corn-soybean meal basal diets with (0.2 g/kg) or without CC protease supplementation. The CC protease supplementation increased (pdigestible and metabolizable N and energy values and the digestibility and retention rate of N in the diet. The ATTD of energy and nutrients had been improved (pdigestibility of nutrients was unaffected. Overall, the CC protease improved the ATTD of N and energy and AID of some indispensible AA and nutrients in the corn-soybean meal diet for pigs. Therefore, the CC protease supplement could improve the utilization of protein in the corn-soybean meal diet and thus contribute to lower N excretion to the environment.

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) by normalizing NLRP3 inflammasome showed potential neuroprotective effects in Amyloid-β induced toxicity and high-fat diet fed rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzaei, Fatemeh; Khazaei, Mozafar; Komaki, Alireza; Amiri, Iraj; Jalili, Cyrus

2018-05-02

Both dyslipidemia and Alzheimer disease (AD) are associated with aging. In this study, the effects of virgin coconut oil (VCO) on inflammasome and oxidative stress in Alzheimer's model (receiving Amyloid-β (Aβ)) and high-fat diet (HFD) model were determined. A total of 120 male Wistar rats, were divided into 12 groups (n = 10), including; healthy control, sham surgery, sham surgery receiving normal saline, HFD, HFD + 8% VCO, HFD + 10% VCO, Aβ received rats, Aβ + 8%VCO, Aβ + 10%VCO, HFD + Aβ, HFD + Aβ+8%VCO, and HFD + Aβ + 10%VCO. Following memory and learning tests, blood sample prepared from the heart and hippocampus of rats in each group was kept at -70 °C for genes expression, oxidative stress, and biochemical tests. Aβ and HFD significantly impaired memory and learning by activating of both NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and oxidative stress (p<0.05), while treatment with both 8 and 10% VCO normalized inflammasome genes expression and oxidative stress (p<0.05). The Congo Red, Cresyl Violet staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) test revealed that VCO improved hippocampus histological changes, reduced Aβ plaques and phosphorylated Tau. High-fat diet has exacerbated the effects of Aβ, while VCO showed potential neuroprotective effect. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery on stroke apparent diffusion coefficient measurements and its clinical application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ni Jianming [Medical Imaging Department, Wuxi Second Hospital Affiliated Nanjing Medical University, 68 Zhong Shan Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214002 (China); Radiology Department, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai 200040 (China); Nuclear Medicine Department, Renji Hospital, Medical School of Jiaotong University, Dongfang Road 1630, Shanghai 200127 (China); Mogensen, Monique A. [Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Chen Zengai [Radiology Department, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai 200040 (China); Nuclear Medicine Department, Renji Hospital, Medical School of Jiaotong University, Dongfang Road 1630, Shanghai 200127 (China); Shuang Chen; Shen Tianzhen [Radiology Department, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai 200040 (China); Huang Gang, E-mail: huang2802@163.co [Nuclear Medicine Department, Renji Hospital, Medical School of Jiaotong University, Dongfang Road 1630, Shanghai 200127 (China)

2010-08-15

Background and purpose: The application of a fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery pulse with a conventional diffusion-weighted MRI sequence (FLAIR DWI) decreases the partial volume effects from cerebrospinal fluid on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements. For this reason, FLAIR DWI may be more useful in the evaluation of ischemic stroke, but few studies have looked at the effect of FLAIR on ADC measurements in this setting. This study quantitatively compares FLAIR DWI and conventional DWI in ischemic stroke of varying ages to assess the potential advantages of this technique. Methods: We respectively analyzed 139 DWI studies in patients with ischemic stroke with and without FLAIR at varying time points ranging from hyperacute to chronic. ADC values were measured in each lesion, as well as in the contralateral normal side. Comparisons were made between the ADC values obtained from the DWI sequences with and without FLAIR for both the lesion and the normal contralateral side. Results: The ADC measurements within the ischemic lesion were very similar on FLAIR DWI and conventional DWI for lesions less than 14 days old (p > 0.05), but were significantly decreased on FLAIR DWI for lesions between 15 and 30 days old and in lesions >31 days old (chronic stage) (p < 0.01). The contralateral ADC values were all significantly decreased on the FLAIR DWI sequence compared with conventional DWI (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The application of an inversion pulse does not significantly affect the ADC values for early stage ischemic stroke (less than 14 days from symptom onset), but results in a more accurate relative ADC measurement by reducing the cerebrospinal fluid partial volume effects of the normal contralateral side. In addition, combined with the conventional DWI, FLAIR DWI may be helpful in determining the age of ischemic lesions.

Impact of Probiotic SYNBIO(®) Administered by Vaginal Suppositories in Promoting Vaginal Health of Apparently Healthy Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Verdenelli, Maria Cristina; Cecchini, Cinzia; Coman, Maria Magdalena; Silvi, Stefania; Orpianesi, Carla; Coata, Giuliana; Cresci, Alberto; Di Renzo, Gian Carlo

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether vaginal administration of probiotic Lactobacillus results in their colonization and persistence in the vagina and whether it promotes normalization and maintenance of pH and Nugent score. A single-arm, open-label controlled towards the baseline (pre-post) study including 35 apparently healthy women was conducted. Each woman was examined three times during the study. Women were instructed to receive daily for 7 days, the probiotic suppositories SYNBIO(®) gin (Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501(®) and Lactobacillus paracasei IMC 502(®)). Vaginal swabs were collected during visit 1, 2, and 3 to determine the total lactobacilli count, the presence of the two administered bacteria, the measure of the pH, and the estimation of Nugent score. Evaluation of treatment tolerability was based on analysis of the type and occurrence of adverse events. The probiotic vaginal suppository was well tolerated and no side effects were reported. Intermediate Nugent score was registered in 40 % of women at visit 1 and these intermediate scores reverted to normal at day 7 (end of treatment) in 20 % of subjects. Administration of SYNBIO(®) gin contributed to a significant increase in the lactobacilli level at visit 2. Molecular typing revealed the presence of the two strains originating from SYNBIO(®) gin in 100 % of women at visit 2 and 34 % at visit 3. No significant changes were registered for pH between visits. The SYNBIO(®) gin product is safe for daily use in healthy women and it could be useful to restore and maintain a normal vaginal microbiota.

Variation in the Apparent Biosynthetic Fractionation for N-alkane δD Among Terrestrial Plants: Patterns, Mechanisms, and Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, J. E.; Tipple, B. J.; Betancourt, J. L.; Ehleringer, J. R.; Leavitt, S. W.; Monson, R. K.

2016-12-01

Long-chain normal alkanes (n-alkanes) are a component of the leaf cuticle of all terrestrial plants. Since the hydrogen in the n-alkanes is derived from the hydrogen in plants' water sources and is non-exchangeable, the stable hydrogen isotopic composition (δD) of the n-alkanes provides information about the δD of environmental waters. While this relationship creates opportunities for using n-alkane δD for process-based reconstructions of δD of environmental waters, progress in this direction is currently constrained by the observation that terrestrial plants exhibit a startlingly wide range of apparent biosynthetic fractionations. To understand the mechanisms responsible for variation in the apparent biosynthetic fractionations, we compared measurements and models of δD for n-C29 in a water-limited ecosystem where the timing of primary and secondary cuticle deposition is closely coupled to water availability (Tumamoc Hill, Tucson, Arizona, USA). During the 2014-2015 hydrologic year, the most widespread and abundant plant species at this site exhibited δD for n-C29 varying over a total range of 102‰. Discrete samples of leaf water collected at the same time as the n-C29 samples exhibited δD varying over a total range of only 53‰, but a continuous model of leaf water through the annual cycle predicted δD varying over a total range of 190‰. These results indicate that the observed variation in the apparent biosynthetic fractionation for n-C29 δD could be primarily attributable to leaf water dynamics that are temporally uncoupled from primary and secondary cuticle deposition. If a single biosynthetic fractionation does describe the relationship between the δD of n-alkanes and leaf water during intervals of cuticle deposition, it will facilitate process-based interpretations of n-alkane δD values in ecological, hydrological, and climatological studies of modern and ancient terrestrial environments.

Ambiguity in Tactile Apparent Motion Perception.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuela Liaci

Full Text Available In von Schiller's Stroboscopic Alternative Motion (SAM stimulus two visually presented diagonal dot pairs, located on the corners of an imaginary rectangle, alternate with each other and induce either horizontal, vertical or, rarely, rotational motion percepts. SAM motion perception can be described by a psychometric function of the dot aspect ratio ("AR", i.e. the relation between vertical and horizontal dot distances. Further, with equal horizontal and vertical dot distances (AR = 1 perception is biased towards vertical motion. In a series of five experiments, we presented tactile SAM versions and studied the role of AR and of different reference frames for the perception of tactile apparent motion.We presented tactile SAM stimuli and varied the ARs, while participants reported the perceived motion directions. Pairs of vibration stimulators were attached to the participants' forearms and stimulator distances were varied within and between forearms. We compared straight and rotated forearm conditions with each other in order to disentangle the roles of exogenous and endogenous reference frames.Increasing the tactile SAM's AR biased perception towards vertical motion, but the effect was weak compared to the visual modality. We found no horizontal disambiguation, even for very small tactile ARs. A forearm rotation by 90° kept the vertical bias, even though it was now coupled with small ARs. A 45° rotation condition with crossed forearms, however, evoked a strong horizontal motion bias.Existing approaches to explain the visual SAM bias fail to explain the current tactile results. Particularly puzzling is the strong horizontal bias in the crossed-forearm conditions. In the case of tactile apparent motion, there seem to be no fixed priority rule for perceptual disambiguation. Rather the weighting of available evidence seems to depend on the degree of stimulus ambiguity, the current situation and on the perceptual strategy of the individual

Plasma incorporation, apparent retroconversion and β-oxidation of 13C-docosahexaenoic acid in the elderly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brenna J Thomas

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Higher fish or higher docosahexaenoic acid (DHA intake normally correlates positively with higher plasma DHA level, but recent evidence suggests that the positive relationship between intake and plasma levels of DHA is less clear in the elderly. Methods We compared the metabolism of 13C-DHA in six healthy elderly (mean - 77 y old and six young adults (mean - 27 y old. All participants were given a single oral dose of 50 mg of uniformly labelled 13C-DHA. Tracer incorporation into fatty acids of plasma triglycerides, free fatty acids, cholesteryl esters and phospholipids, as well as apparent retroconversion and β-oxidation of 13C-DHA were evaluated 4 h, 24 h, 7d and 28d later. Results Plasma incorporation and β-oxidation of 13C-DHA reached a maximum within 4 h in both groups, but 13C-DHA was transiently higher in all plasma lipids of the elderly 4 h to 28d later. At 4 h post-dose, 13C-DHA β-oxidation was 1.9 times higher in the elderly, but over 7d, cumulative β-oxidation of 13C-DHA was not different in the two groups (35% in the elderly and 38% in the young. Apparent retroconversion of 13C-DHA was well below 10% of 13C-DHA recovered in plasma at all time points, and was 2.1 times higher in the elderly 24 h and 7d after tracer intake. Conclusions We conclude that 13C-DHA metabolism changes significantly during healthy aging. Since DHA is a potentially important molecule in neuro-protection, these changes may be relevant to the higher vulnerability of the elderly to cognitive decline.

Correlation of histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient with uterine cervical pathologic finding.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yuning; Li, Hui; Chen, Ziqian; Ni, Ping; Zhong, Qun; Huang, Huijuan; Sandrasegaran, Kumar

2015-05-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in characterizing pathologic features of cervical cancer and benign cervical lesions. This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained. Seventy-three patients with cervical cancer (33-69 years old; 35 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB cervical cancer) and 38 patients (38-61 years old) with normal cervix or cervical benign lesions (control group) were enrolled. All patients underwent 3-T diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with b values of 0 and 800 s/mm(2). ADC values of the entire tumor in the patient group and the whole cervix volume in the control group were assessed. Mean ADC, median ADC, 25th and 75th percentiles of ADC, skewness, and kurtosis were calculated. Histogram parameters were compared between different pathologic features, as well as between stage IB cervical cancer and control groups. Mean ADC, median ADC, and 25th percentile of ADC were significantly higher for adenocarcinoma (p = 0.021, 0.006, and 0.004, respectively), and skewness was significantly higher for squamous cell carcinoma (p = 0.011). Median ADC was statistically significantly higher for well or moderately differentiated tumors (p = 0.044), and skewness was statistically significantly higher for poorly differentiated tumors (p = 0.004). No statistically significant difference of ADC histogram was observed between lymphovascular space invasion subgroups. All histogram parameters differed significantly between stage IB cervical cancer and control groups (p histogram analysis may help to distinguish early-stage cervical cancer from normal cervix or cervical benign lesions and may be useful for evaluating the different pathologic features of cervical cancer.

Common pediatric cerebellar tumors: correlation between cell densities and apparent diffusion coefficient metrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Koral, Korgün; Mathis, Derek; Gimi, Barjor; Gargan, Lynn; Weprin, Bradley; Bowers, Daniel C; Margraf, Linda

2013-08-01

To test whether there is correlation between cell densities and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) metrics of common pediatric cerebellar tumors. This study was reviewed for issues of patient safety and confidentiality and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and was compliant with HIPAA. The need for informed consent was waived. Ninety-five patients who had preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and surgical pathologic findings available between January 2003 and June 2011 were included. There were 37 pilocytic astrocytomas, 34 medulloblastomas (23 classic, eight desmoplastic-nodular, two large cell, one anaplastic), 17 ependymomas (13 World Health Organization [WHO] grade II, four WHO grade III), and seven atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors. ADCs of solid tumor components and normal cerebellum were measured. Tumor-to-normal brain ADC ratios (hereafter, ADC ratio) were calculated. The medulloblastomas and ependymomas were subcategorized according to the latest WHO classification, and tumor cellularity was calculated. Correlation was sought between cell densities and mean tumor ADCs, minimum tumor ADCs, and ADC ratio. When all tumors were considered together, negative correlation was found between cellularity and mean tumor ADCs (ρ = -0.737, P correlation between cellularity and ADC ratio. Negative correlation was found between cellularity and minimum tumor ADC in atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ρ = -0.786, P correlation was found between cellularity and mean tumor ADC and ADC ratio. There was no correlation between the ADC metrics and cellularity of the pilocytic astrocytomas, medulloblastomas, and ependymomas. Negative correlation was found between cellularity and ADC metrics of common pediatric cerebellar tumors. Although ADC metrics are useful in the preoperative diagnosis of common pediatric cerebellar tumors and this utility is generally attributed to differences in cellularity of tumors

Xenon contrast CT-CBF scanning of the brain differentiates normal age-related changes from multi-infarct dementia and senile dementia of Alzheimer type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tachibana, H.; Meyer, J.S.; Okayasu, H.; Shaw, T.G.; Kandula, P.; Rogers, R.L.

1984-01-01

Local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and partition coefficients (L lambda) were measured during inhalation of stable xenon gas with serial CT scanning among normal volunteers (N . 15), individuals with multi-infarct dementia (MID, N . 10), and persons with senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT, N . 8). Mean gray matter flow values were reduced in both MID and SDAT. Age-related declines in LCBF values in normals were marked in frontal cortex and basal ganglia. LCBF values were decreased beyond normals in frontal and temporal cortices and thalamus in MID and SDAT, in basal ganglia only in MID. Unlike SDAT and age-matched normals, L lambda values were reduced in fronto-temporal cortex and thalamus in MID. Multifocal nature of lesions in MID was apparent. Coefficients of variation for LCBFs were greater in MID compared with SDAT and/or age-matched normals

Diurnal productivity and apparent 14C-calcification in the staghorn coral, Acropora acuminata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, D.J.; Crossland, C.J.

1978-01-01

The rate of 14 C-fixation by Acropora acuminata tissues showed a marked increase after dawn. However, maximum 14 C-fixation was not achieved until early afternoon. The apparent 14 C-incorporation rate into the skeleton of whole branches reached a peak around noon. However, the major period of 14 C-deposition occurred from noon to mid-afternoon. The broad peak of 14 C-incorporation into skeleton of whole branches reflects two rate maxima; a late-morning maximum of zooxanthellae-free terminal calices, probably related to translocation of fixed carbon from basal tissues; and an early afternoon maximum for the zooxanthellae-containing basal areas of branches. (author)

A Longitudinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values in Corpus Callosum during the First Year after Traumatic Brain Injury

Science.gov (United States)

Håberg, Asta Kristine; Skandsen, Toril; Finnanger, Torun Gangaune; Vik, Anne

2014-01-01

Abstract The objective of this study was to explore the evolution of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in normal-appearing tissue of the corpus callosum during the 1st year after traumatic brain injury (TBI), and relate findings to outcome. Fifty-seven patients (mean age 34 [range 11–63] years) with moderate to severe TBI were examined with diffusion weighted MRI at three time points (median 7 days, 3 and 12 months), and a sex- and age-matched control group of 47 healthy individuals, were examined once. The corpus callosum was subdivided and the mean ADC values computed blinded in 10 regions of interests without any visible lesions in the ADC map. Outcome measures were Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) and neuropsychological domain scores at 12 months. We found a gradual increase of the mean ADC values during the 12 month follow-up, most evident in the posterior truncus (r=0.19, pGOSE score ≤6) showed evidence of increased mean ADC values in the genu and posterior truncus at 12 months. Mean ADC values in posterior parts of the corpus callosum at 3 months predicted the sensory-motor function domain score (p=0.010–0.028). During the 1st year after moderate and severe TBI, we demonstrated a slowly evolving disruption of the microstructure in normal appearing corpus callosum in the ADC map, most evident in the posterior truncus. The mean ADC values were associated with both outcome and ability to perform speeded, complex sensory-motor action. PMID:23837731

Gene interference regulates aquaporin-4 expression in swollen tissue of rats with cerebral ischemic edema: Correlation with variation in apparent diffusion coefficient.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Hui; Lu, Hong; He, Zhanping; Han, Xiangjun; Chen, Jing; Tu, Rong

2012-07-25

To investigate the effects of mRNA interference on aquaporin-4 expression in swollen tissue of rats with ischemic cerebral edema, and diagnose the significance of diffusion-weighted MRI, we injected 5 μL shRNA- aquaporin-4 (control group) or siRNA- aquaporin-4 solution (1:800) (RNA interference group) into the rat right basal ganglia immediately before occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. At 0.25 hours after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, diffusion-weighted MRI displayed a high signal; within 2 hours, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient decreased markedly, aquaporin-4 expression increased rapidly, and intracellular edema was obviously aggravated; at 4 and 6 hours, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient slowly returned to control levels, aquaporin-4 expression slightly increased, and angioedema was observed. In the RNA interference group, during 0.25-6 hours after injection of siRNA- aquaporin-4 solution, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient slightly fluctuated and aquaporin-4 expression was upregulated; during 0.5-4 hours, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient was significantly higher, while aquaporin-4 expression was significantly lower when compared with the control group, and intracellular edema was markedly reduced; at 0.25 and 6 hours, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient and aquaporin-4 expression were similar when compared with the control group; obvious angioedema remained at 6 hours. Pearson's correlation test results showed that aquaporin-4 expression was negatively correlated with the apparent diffusion coefficient (r = -0.806, P coefficient. Aquaporin-4 gene interference can effectively inhibit the upregulation of aquaporin-4 expression during the stage of intracellular edema with time-effectiveness. Moreover, diffusion-weighted MRI can accurately detect intracellular edema.

Apparent Power, Expanded Definitions, Transient Operating Conditions, Network Reactions, Compensation, Papers Presented at ETG Conference (Energy Technology Society), 1979

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

The Proceedings of the Conference comprises 12 papers dealing with the following themes: the history of apparent power; active and apparent power of periodical currents in single-phase and multiphase systems with periodical voltages of any shape of curve; power values in unsteady state processes; power and harmonic relations in mains-controlled direct frequency converters; power electronic devices for apparent power compensation; electric arc effects on power system: characteristics, measurement methods, compensation; harmonic compensation by means of impedance wave trap filters in rectifiers; compensation of apparent power by filter circuits; apparent power effects on ac railroad power systems; effects of apparent power in low-voltage networks of public power supply.

Reproducibility of corticospinal diffusion tensor tractography in normal subjects and hemiparetic stroke patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chao-Chun; Tsai, Miao-Yu; Lo, Yu-Chien; Liu, Yi-Jui; Tsai, Po-Pang; Wu, Chiao-Ying; Lin, Chia-Wei; Shen, Wu-Chung; Chung, Hsiao-Wen

2013-01-01

Purpose: The reproducibility of corticospinal diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) for a guideline is important before longitudinal monitoring of the therapy effects in stroke patients. This study aimed to establish the reproducibility of corticospinal DTT indices in healthy subjects and chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. Materials and methods: Written informed consents were obtained from 10 healthy subjects (mean age 25.8 ± 6.8 years), who underwent two scans in one session plus the third scan one week later, and from 15 patients (mean age 47.5 ± 9.1 years, 6–60 months after the onset of stroke, NIHSS scores between 9 and 20) who were scanned thrice on separate days within one month. Diffusion-tensor imaging was performed at 3 T with 25 diffusion directions. Corticospinal tracts were reconstructed using fiber assignment by continuous tracking without and with motion/eddy-current corrections. Intra- and inter-rater as well as intra- and inter-session variations of the DTT derived indices (fiber number, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and fractional anisotropy (FA)) were assessed. Results: Intra-session and inter-session coefficients of variations (CVs) are small for FA (1.13–2.09%) and ADC (0.45–1.64%), but much larger for fiber number (8.05–22.4%). Inter-session CVs in the stroke side of patients (22.4%) are higher than those in the normal sides (18.0%) and in the normal subjects (14.7%). Motion/eddy-current correction improved inter-session reproducibility only for the fiber number of the infarcted corticospinal tract (CV reduced from 22.4% to 14.1%). Conclusion: The fiber number derived from corticospinal DTT shows substantially lower precision than ADC and FA, with infarcted tracts showing lower reproducibility than the healthy tissues

Extended maximum likelihood analysis of apparent flattenings of S0 and spiral galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamura, Sadanori; Takase, Bunshiro; Hamabe, Masaru; Nakada, Yoshikazu; Kodaira, Keiichi.

1981-01-01

Apparent flattenings of S0 and spiral galaxies compiled by Sandage et al. (1970) and van den Bergh (1977), and those listed in the Second Reference Catalogue (RC2) are analyzed by means of the extended maximum likelihood method which was recently developed in the information theory for statistical model identification. Emphasis is put on the possible difference in the distribution of intrinsic flattenings between S0's and spirals as a group, and on the apparent disagreements present in the previous results. The present analysis shows that (1) One cannot conclude on the basis of the data in the Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies (RCBG) that the distribution of intrinsic flattenings of spirals is almost identical to that of S0's; spirals have wider dispersion than S0's, and there are more round systems in spirals than in S0's. (2) The distribution of intrinsic flattenings of S0's and spirals derived from the data in RC2 again indicates a significant difference from each other. (3) The distribution of intrinsic flattenings of S0's exhibits different characteristics depending upon the surface-brightness level; the distribution with one component is obtained from the data at RCBG level (--23.5 mag arcsec -2 ) and that with two components at RC2 level (25 mag arcsec -2 ). (author)

Current correlations in superconductor - normal metal mesoscopic structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bignon, Guillaume

2005-01-01

Thanks to the experimental progress in miniaturization and cryogenics over the last twenty years, it is now possible to build sufficiently small electric circuits where the wave like nature of electron becomes significant. In such electric circuit transport properties like current and noise are modified. It corresponds to the mesoscopic scale. Moreover, connecting a mesoscopic circuit to a superconductor enhances the effects due to interference between electrons since a superconductor is a macroscopic source of coherent electrons pairs: the Cooper pairs. In this thesis, we study current correlations in mesoscopic normal metal - superconductor structures. First, the energy dependence of current noise in a normal metal - superconductor tunnel junction is analysed taking into account weak disorder and interactions. We show that if the normal metal is out of equilibrium, current and noise become independent. Next, we consider the case of a superconductor connected to two normal metals by tunnel junctions. We show that it is possible to change the sign of current crossed correlation by tuning the voltages and that it can be used to probe the size of the Cooper pairs. Lastly, using Usadel's quasi-classic theory, we study the energy dependence of noise in a normal metal - normal metal - superconductor double junction. We show that barrier's transparencies modifies significantly both current and noise. (author) [fr

Normal-superfluid interface for polarized fermion gases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Schaeybroeck, B.; Lazarides, A.

2009-01-01

Recent experiments on imbalanced fermion gases have proved the existence of a sharp interface between a superfluid and a normal phase. We show that, at the lowest experimental temperatures, a temperature difference between normal N and superfluid SF phases can appear as a consequence of the blocking

Mathematical Models for the Apparent Mass of the Seated Human Body Exposed to Vertical Vibration

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, L.; Griffin, M. J.

1998-05-01

Alternative mathematical models of the vertical apparent mass of the seated human body are developed. The optimum parameters of four models (two single-degree-of-freedom models and two two-degree-of-freedom models) are derived from the mean measured apparent masses of 60 subjects (24 men, 24 women, 12 children) previously reported. The best fits were obtained by fitting the phase data with single-degree-of-freedom and two-degree-of-freedom models having rigid support structures. For these two models, curve fitting was performed on each of the 60 subjects (so as to obtain optimum model parameters for each subject), for the averages of each of the three groups of subjects, and for the entire group of subjects. The values obtained are tabulated. Use of a two-degree-of-freedom model provided a better fit to the phase of the apparent mass at frequencies greater than about 8 Hz and an improved fit to the modulus of the apparent mass at frequencies around 5 Hz. It is concluded that the two-degree-of-freedom model provides an apparent mass similar to that of the human body, but this does not imply that the body moves in the same manner as the masses in this optimized two-degree-of-freedom model.

Effect of autoclave processing and gamma irradiation on apparent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of autoclaving and different doses of gamma irradiation on the apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids of cottonseed meal in male broiler breeders. Samples were irradiated in a gamma cell at total doses of 15, 30 and 45 kGy. One package (control) was left at room ...

LONG-TERM STARVATION-INDUCED LOSS OF APPARENT ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN CELLS CONTAINING THE PLASMID PSA

Science.gov (United States)

Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and a Pseudomonas sp. strain 133B containing the pSa plasmid were starved in well water for up to 523 days. There were two patterns of apparent antibiotic resistance loss observed. In Pseudomonas sp. strain 133B, there was no apparent lo...

75 FR 51869 - CAFTA-DR Consultation Request Regarding Guatemala's Apparent Failure to Effectively Enforce its...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-23

... Request Regarding Guatemala's Apparent Failure to Effectively Enforce its Labor Laws AGENCY: Office of the... (CAFTA-DR), the United States requested consultations with the Government of Guatemala to discuss Guatemala's apparent failure to meet its obligation under Article 16.2.1(a) to effectively enforce its labor...

The Effect of the Operating Conditions on the Apparent Viscosity of Crude Palm Oil During Oil Clarification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sulaiman Al-Zuhair, Mirghani I. Ahmed and Yousif A. Abakr

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the apparent viscosity of crude palm oil, using rotary viscometer, under different boundary conditions. It was experimentally shown that the apparent viscosity of palm oil drops with increasing of the shear rate and the temperature.  However, the effect of temperature on the viscosity tends to fade at temperatures beyond 80 oC.  A correlation between the apparent viscosity of crude palm oil and the operating conditions was developed. This correlation can be used in design of crude palm oil settlers and in determining the optimum operating conditions.Key Words:  Crude palm oil, apparent viscosity, shear rate, modelling, separation 

Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of aqueous lead nitrate at temperatures from 278.15 K to 393.15 K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, B.R.; Niederhauser, T.L.; Merkley, E.D.; Woolley, E.M.

2004-01-01

Apparent molar volumes V phi and apparent molar heat capacities C p,phi were determined for aqueous solutions of lead nitrate [Pb(NO 3 ) 2 ] at m=(0.02 to 0.5) mol · kg -1 , at T=(278.15 to 393.15) K, and at the pressure 0.35 MPa. Our V phi values were calculated from densities obtained using a vibrating-tube densimeter, and our C p,phi values were obtained using a twin fixed-cell, power-compensation, differential-output, temperature-scanning calorimeter. Our results were fitted to functions of m and T and compared with results from the literature

Evaluation of coupling terms between intra- and intermolecular vibrations in coarse-grained normal-mode analysis: Does a stronger acid make a stiffer hydrogen bond?

Science.gov (United States)

Houjou, Hirohiko

2011-10-01

Using theory of harmonic normal-mode vibration analysis, we developed a procedure for evaluating the anisotropic stiffness of intermolecular forces. Our scheme for coarse-graining of molecular motions is modified so as to account for intramolecular vibrations in addition to relative translational/rotational displacement. We applied this new analytical scheme to four carboxylic acid dimers, for which coupling between intra- and intermolecular vibrations is crucial for determining the apparent stiffness of the intermolecular double hydrogen bond. The apparent stiffness constant was analyzed on the basis of a conjunct spring model, which defines contributions from true intermolecular stiffness and molecular internal stiffness. Consequently, the true intermolecular stiffness was in the range of 43-48 N m-1 for all carboxylic acids studied, regardless of the molecules' acidity. We concluded that the difference in the apparent stiffness can be attributed to differences in the internal stiffness of the respective molecules.

Diffusion-weighted MRI in prostatic lesions: Diagnostic performance of normalized ADC using normal peripheral prostatic zone as a reference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamer F. Taha Ali

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: Evaluate the potential value of the normal peripheral zone as a reference organ to normalize prostatic lesion apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC to improve its evaluation of prostatic lesions. Patients and methods: This prospective study included 38 patients with clinical suspicion of cancer prostate (increased PSA levels (>4 ng/ml, hard prostate in digital rectal examination and who are scheduled to undergo a TRUS-guided biopsy. Conventional and DW-MRI was done and ADC was calculated. The normalized ADC value was calculated by dividing the ADC of lesion by ADC of reference site (healthy peripheral zone. DWI-MRI results were compared to the results of biopsy. Comparison of ADCs and nADCs of benign and malignant lesions was done. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC curve analysis was done. Results: The patients were classified by histopathology into non-malignant group (16 patients and malignant group (22 patients. Significant negative correlation between ADC and normalized ADC (nADC and malignancy was detected. There was no significant difference between the mean ADC of peripheral health prostatic zones (PZ between benign and malignant cases (2.221 ± 0.356 versus 1.99 ± 0.538x10−3 mm2/sec, p = 0.144.There was significant difference between the mean ADC and mean nADC in benign and malignant lesions (1.049 ± 0.217 versus 0.659 ± 0.221x10−3 mm2/sec, p < 0.001 and (0.475 ± 0.055 versus 0.328 ± 0.044, p < 0.001 respectively.There was significant higher diagnostic performance of nADC than ADC with ADC Cut-off value 0.75 × 10−3 mm2/sec and nADC cut-off value 0.39 could significantly differentiate between benign and malignant lesion with sensitivity, specificity, PPV,NPV of 86.36,75,82.61 and 80% respectively, p < 0.0001 for ADC and 95.45, 93.75, 95.45 and 93.75%, p < 0.0001 for nADC. Conclusion: diagnostic performance of nADC using normal peripheral zone is higher than

Subducted bathymetric features linked to variations in earthquake apparent stress along the northern Japan Trench

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, P. A.; Bilek, S. L.; Phillips, W. S.

2010-12-01

Ocean floor bathymetric features such as seamounts and ridges are thought to influence the earthquake rupture process when they enter the subduction zone by causing changes in frictional conditions along the megathrust contact between the subducting and overriding plates. Once subducted, these features have been described as localized areas of heterogeneous plate coupling, with some controversy over whether these features cause an increase or decrease in interplate coupling. Along the northern Japan Trench, a number of bathymetric features, such as horst and graben structures and seamounts, enter the subduction zone where they may vary earthquake behavior. Using seismic coda waves, scattered energy following the direct wave arrivals, we compute apparent stress (a measure of stress drop proportional to radiated seismic energy that has been tied to the strength of the fault interface contact) for 329 intermediate magnitude (3.2 earthquake spectra for path and site effects and compute apparent stress using the seismic moment and corner frequency determined from the spectra. Preliminary results indicate apparent stress values between 0.3 - 22.6 MPa for events over a depth range of 2 - 55 km, similar to those found in other studies of the region although within a different depth range, with variations both along-strike and downdip. Off the Sanriku Coast, horst and graben structures enter the Japan Trench in an area where a large number of earthquakes occur at shallow (< 30 km) depth. These shallow events have a mean apparent stress of 1.2 MPa (range 0.3 - 3.8 MPa) which is approximately 2 times lower then the mean apparent stress for other events along the northern portion of this margin in the same shallow depth range. The relatively low apparent stress for events related to subducting horst and graben structures suggests weak interplate coupling between the subducting and overriding plates due to small, irregular contact zones with these features at depth. This is in

Determination of Apparent Amylose Content in Rice by Using Paper-Based Microfluidic Chips.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xianqiao; Lu, Lin; Fang, Changyun; Duan, Binwu; Zhu, Zhiwei

2015-11-11

Determination of apparent amylose content in rice is a key function for rice research and the rice industry. In this paper, a novel approach with paper-based microfluidic chip is reported to determine apparent amylose content in rice. The conventional color reaction between amylose and iodine was employed. Blue color of amylose-iodine complex generated on-chip was converted to gray and measured with Photoshop after the colored chip was scanned. The method for preparation of the paper chip is described. In situ generation of iodine for on-chip color reaction was designed, and factors influencing color reaction were investigated in detail. Elimination of yellow color interference of excess iodine by exploiting color removal function of Photoshop was presented. Under the optimized conditions, apparent amylose content in rice ranging from 1.5 to 26.4% can be determined, and precision was 6.3%. The analytical results obtained with the developed approach were in good agreement with those with the continuous flow analyzer method.

Comparison of cerebral metabolism of glucose in normal human and cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Si, M.

2007-01-01

)) (p<0.01), with especially apparent in the prefrontal cortex (BA9) and sensory-motor cortex (BA5, 7)(p<0.001), while characteristic hypometabolism in anterior cingulate (BA24, BA30,BA32) and bilateral cerebellum are only seen in 'cancer group'. 2. Compared to the same interval of 'normal subgroup', each 'cancer subgroup' shows remarkable/significant hypometabolism in anterior cingulate (BA24, BA30, BA32) (p<0.001), as well as bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, basal ganglia (lentiform nucleus, thalamus) and bilateral cerebellum (p<0.01) Conclusions:Regional cerebral metabolism of glucose shows a descent tendency with aging, especially in the prefrontal cortex (BA9) and sensory-motor cortex (BA5, 7) in both normal samples and cancer patients. In spite of the cerebral atrophy of aging, these relative hypometabolic brain areas are considered to be correlated with structural and functional cerebral deficit in the process of normal brain aging thus the influence of aging can be omitted. Relative hypometabolism in limbic system such as cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus and basal ganglia (lentiform nucleus and thalamus) as well as bilateral cerebellum are only found among cancer patients, and we consider that these abnormalities in regional brain metabolism are correlated with the existence of the cancer, especially correlated with patients' negative mood, such as anxiety and depression. (author)

Analysis of the diffusion tensor imaging parameters of a normal cervical spinal cord in a healthy population.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Liang-Feng; Wang, Shou-Sen; Zheng, Zhao-Cong; Tian, Jun; Xue, Liang

2017-05-01

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) shows great advantage in the diagnosis of brain diseases, including cervical spinal cord (CSC) disease. This study aims to obtain the normal values of the DTI parameters for a healthy population and to establish a baseline for CSC disease diagnosis using DTI. A total of 36 healthy adults were subjected to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the entire CSC using the Siemens 3.0 T MR System. Sagittal DTI acquisition was carried out with a single-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence along 12 non-collinear directions. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were determined at different cervical levels using a region of interest (ROI) method, following which they were correlated with parameters, like age and sex. Further, diffusion tensor tracking (DTT) was carried out to reconstruct the white matter fiber bundles of the CSC. The full and complete fiber bundle structure of a normal CSC was confirmed in both the T2-weighted and DTI images. The FA and ADC values were significantly negatively correlated with each other and showed strongly negative and positive correlations with age, respectively, but not with sex. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the FA and the ADC values at different cervical levels. The DTI technique can act as an important supplement to the conventional MRI technique for CSC observation. Moreover, the FA and ADC values can be used as sensitive parameters in the DTI study on the CSC by taking the effects of age into consideration.

Comprehensive non-dimensional normalization of gait data.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinzone, Ornella; Schwartz, Michael H; Baker, Richard

2016-02-01

Normalizing clinical gait analysis data is required to remove variability due to physical characteristics such as leg length and weight. This is particularly important for children where both are associated with age. In most clinical centres conventional normalization (by mass only) is used whereas there is a stronger biomechanical argument for non-dimensional normalization. This study used data from 82 typically developing children to compare how the two schemes performed over a wide range of temporal-spatial and kinetic parameters by calculating the coefficients of determination with leg length, weight and height. 81% of the conventionally normalized parameters had a coefficient of determination above the threshold for a statistical association (pnormalized non-dimensionally. All the conventionally normalized parameters exceeding this threshold showed a reduced association with non-dimensional normalization. In conclusion, non-dimensional normalization is more effective that conventional normalization in reducing the effects of height, weight and age in a comprehensive range of temporal-spatial and kinetic parameters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Apparent Descriptive Method for Judging the Synchronization of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

So this method brings certain difficulty for judgement. Hence the author further explores how one can use a great deal of the observational data such as a1,2 sin i, m1,2 sin3 i, K1,2 and f (m) in tables of binary stars to judge synchronization of rotation of binary stars by using apparent phenomenal descriptive methods. These.

Evaluation of apparent viscosity of Para rubber latex by diffuse reflection near-infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirisomboon, Panmanas; Chowbankrang, Rawiphan; Williams, Phil

2012-05-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy in diffuse reflection mode was used to evaluate the apparent viscosity of Para rubber field latex and concentrated latex over the wavelength range of 1100 to 2500 nm, using partial least square regression (PLSR). The model with ten principal components (PCs) developed using the raw spectra accurately predicted the apparent viscosity with correlation coefficient (r), standard error of prediction (SEP), and bias of 0.974, 8.6 cP, and -0.4 cP, respectively. The ratio of the SEP to the standard deviation (RPD) and the ratio of the SEP to the range (RER) for the prediction were 4.4 and 16.7, respectively. Therefore, the model can be used for measurement of the apparent viscosity of field latex and concentrated latex in quality assurance and process control in the factory.

Nonepileptic seizures under levetiracetam therapy: a case report of forced normalization process

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Anzellotti F

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Francesca Anzellotti, Raffaella Franciotti, Holta Zhuzhuni, Aurelio D'Amico, Astrid Thomas, Marco Onofrj Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, Aging Research Centre, Gabriele d'Annunzio University Foundation, Gabriele d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy Abstract: Nonepileptic seizures (NES apparently look like epileptic seizures, but are not associated with ictal electrical discharges in the brain. NES constitute one of the most important differential diagnoses of epilepsy. They have been recognized as a distinctive clinical phenomenon for centuries, and video/electroencephalogram monitoring has allowed clinicians to make near-certain diagnoses. NES are supposedly unrelated to organic brain lesions, and despite the preponderance of a psychiatric/psychological context, they may have an iatrogenic origin. We report a patient with NES precipitated by levetiracetam therapy; in this case, NES was observed during the disappearance of epileptiform discharges from the routine video/electroencephalogram. We discuss the possible mechanisms underlying NES with regard to alternative psychoses associated with the phenomenon of the forced normalization process. Keywords: nonepileptic seizures, forced normalization, levetiracetam, behavioral side effects

Transvaginal ultrasound appearances of the ovary in normal women and hirsute women with oligomenorrhoea.

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Fox, R

1999-02-01

The transvaginal ultrasound appearances of the ovary were determined in women with clinical and endocrine features of polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and apparently normal women. At scan the number of small follicles were counted and ovarian volume was calculated. The maximum width of the ovarian cortex was also measured. Blood was sent for measurement of LH, FSH and testosterone. The women with oligomenorrhoea were scanned at random and the normal women were seen within the first 5 days of the start of menstruation. There were significant differences between median values for the 2 groups in terms of number of small follicles, ovarian volume and stromal width; the ovaries of the hirsute women had more follicles, were of larger volume, and had greater stromal width. The 2 ranges for number of follicles did overlap, however. Four hirsute oligomenorrhoeic women had a normal number of follicles; all 4 had the several clinical and endocrine features indicative of PCOD. These data suggest that the classical ultrasound features of PCOD are not consistently present and that the absence of increased follicularity at scan should not necessarily deter clinicians from making the functional diagnosis of PCOD.

Nonlinear spectral imaging of human normal skin, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma based on two-photon excited fluorescence and second-harmonic generation

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, S. Y.; Yang, J. G.; Zhuang, J.

2011-10-01

In this work, we use nonlinear spectral imaging based on two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) for analyzing the morphology of collagen and elastin and their biochemical variations in basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and normal skin tissue. It was found in this work that there existed apparent differences among BCC, SCC and normal skin in terms of their thickness of the keratin and epithelial layers, their size of elastic fibers, as well as their distribution and spectral characteristics of collagen. These differences can potentially be used to distinguish BCC and SCC from normal skin, and to discriminate between BCC and SCC, as well as to evaluate treatment responses.

Blood parameters and apparent digestibility of concentrate with rice oil for horses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helio Alberto Cumani Garcia

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Apparent digestibility coefficients and serum parameters were measured to evaluate the effect of supplementing feed concentrates with rice bran oil in horses. Twelve horses (6 males and 6 females with a mean age of 18 ± 4 months old and mean live weight of 306 ± 22.6 kg were used. Treatments consisted of increasing rice bran oil concentrate levels of 0, 3.5, 7.0, 10.5, 14.0 and 17.5%, considering a daily intake of 2.25% live weight on a dry matter basis. A dietary effect of supplementation on the apparent digestibility of gross energy (y = 64.55 - 0.58x was observed (P0.05. Supplementation did not affect serum glucose levels (P>0.05, but cholesterol was affected (P0.05. A dietary effect on the triglyceride (y = 15.73 - 0.96x + 0.0524x² and HDL (high-density lipoprotein (y = 45.24 + 1.0499x parameters was observed (P<0.01. While the use of rice bran oil does affect blood parameters associated with lipid metabolism, rice bran oil levels up to 17.5% concentrate do not negatively affect the apparent digestibility of dietary nutrients.

Repair of chromosome damage induced by X-irradiation during G2 phase in a line of normal human fibroblasts and its malignant derivative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parshad, R.; Gantt, R.; Sanford, K.K.; Jones, G.M.; Tarone, R.E.

1982-01-01

A line of normal human skin fibroblasts (KD) differed from its malignant derivative (HUT-14) in the extent of cytogenetic damage induced by X-irradiation during G2 phase. Malignant cells had significantly more chromatid breaks and gaps after exposure to 25, 50, or 100 rad. The gaps may represent single-strand breaks. Results from alkaline elution of cellular DNA immediately after irradiation showed that the normal and malignant cells in asynchronous population were equally sensitive to DNA single-strand breakage by X-irradiation. Caffeine or beta-cytosine arabinoside (ara-C), inhibitors of DNA repair, when added directly following G2 phase exposure, significantly increased the incidence of radiation-induced chromatid damage in the normal cells. In contrast, similar treatment of the malignant cells had little influence. Ara-C differed from caffeine in its effects; whereas both agents increased the frequency of chromatid breaks and gaps, only ara-C increased the frequency of gaps to the level observed in the irradiated malignant cells. Addition of catalase, a scavenger of the derivative free hydroxyl radical (.OH), to the cultures of malignant cells before, during, and following irradiation significantly reduced the chromatid damage; and catalase prevented formation of chromatid gaps. The DNA damage induced by X-ray during G2 phase in the normal KD cells was apparently repaired by a caffeine- and ara-C-sensitive mechanism(s) that was deficient or absent in their malignant derivatives

Repair of chromosome damage induced by X-irradiation during G2 phase in a line of normal human fibroblasts and its malignant derivative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parshad, R.; Gantt, R.; Sanford, K.K.; Jones, G.M.; Tarone, R.E.

1982-01-01

A line of normal human skin fibroblasts (KD) differed from its malignant derivative (HUT-14) in the extent of cytogenetic damage induced by X-irradiation during G 2 phase. Malignant cells had significantly more chromatid breaks and gaps after exposure to 25, 50, or 100 rad. Results from alkaline elution of cellular DNA immediately after irradiation showed that the normal and malignant cells in asynchronous population were equally sensitive to DNA single-strand breakage by X-irradiation. Caffeine or #betta#-cytosine arabinoside (ara-C), inhibitors of DNA repair, when added directly following G 2 phase exposure, significantly increased the incidence of radiation-induced chromatid damage in the normal cells. In contrast, similar treatment of the malignant cells had little influence. Ara-C differed from caffeine in its effects; whereas both agents increased the frequency of chromatid breaks and gaps, only ara-C increased the frequency of gaps to the level observed in the irradiated malignant cells. Addition of catalase, which destroys H 2 O 2 , or mannitol, a scavenger of the derivative free hydroxyl radical (.OH), to the cultures of malignant cells before, during, and following irradiation significantly reduced the chromatid damage; and catalase prevented formation of chromatid gaps. The DNA damage induced by X-ray during G 2 phase in the normal KD cells was apparently repaired by a caffeine- and ara-C-sensitive mechanism(s) that was deficient or absent in their malignant derivatives

The cosmological model with a wormhole and Hawking temperature near apparent horizon

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sung-Won

2018-05-01

In this paper, a cosmological model with an isotropic form of the Morris-Thorne type wormhole was derived in a similar way to the McVittie solution to the black hole in the expanding universe. By solving Einstein's field equation with plausible matter distribution, we found the exact solution of the wormhole embedded in Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker universe. We also found the apparent cosmological horizons from the redefined metric and analyzed the geometric natures, including causal and dynamic structures. The Hawking temperature for thermal radiation was obtained by the WKB approximation using the Hamilton-Jacobi equation and Hamilton's equation, near the apparent cosmological horizon.

Definition of apparent activation energy on DTG curves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. K. Serikbayeva

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The article gives the results of sulphidation oxidized copper ores and tailings with sulfur. Defined by the apparent activation energy in the conditions of heating the mixture of substances interacting with a constant speed by differential thermogravimetry (DTG. It was established that the sulfiding may occur in a kinetic mode , since the interaction is charged, in the presence of liquid and gaseous sulfur , i.e. transport of sulfur to the surface of the mineral is not a limiting process.

Apparent embrittlement saturation and radiation mechanisms of reactor pressure vessel steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pachur, D.

1981-01-01

The irradiation and annealing results of three different reactor pressure vessel steels are reported. Steel A, a basic material according to ASTM A-533 B having 0.15 percent vanadium; and Steel C contained 3.2 percent nickel. The steels were irradiated at 150, 300, and 400 degree C with neutron fluxes of 6 multiplied by 10 11 and 3 multiplied by 10 13 neutrons (n)/cm 2 /s. An apparent saturation-in-irradiation effect was found within certain neutron fluence ranges. During the annealing, various recovery processes occur in different temperature ranges. These are characterized by various activation energies. The individual processes were determined by the different time dependencies at various temperatures. Two causes for the apparent saturation were discovered from the behavior of the annealing curves

Normal or abnormal? 'Normative uncertainty' in psychiatric practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassett, Andrew M; Baker, Charley

2015-06-01

The 'multicultural clinical interaction' presents itself as a dilemma for the mental health practitioner. Literature describes two problematic areas where this issues emerges--how to make an adequate distinction between religious rituals and the rituals that may be symptomatic of 'obsessive compulsive disorder' (OCD), and how to differentiate 'normative' religious or spiritual beliefs, behaviours, and experiences from 'psychotic' illnesses. When it comes to understanding service user's 'idioms of distress', beliefs about how culture influences behaviour can create considerable confusion and 'normative uncertainty' for mental health practitioners. In the absence of clear diagnostic and assessment criteria on distinguishing between 'culture' and 'psychopathology', practitioners have had to rely on their own intuition and seek out possible 'strategies' or 'procedures' from a contradictory and cross-disciplinary evidence base. Decontextualisation of service users' experiences may result in the pathologisation of culturally 'normative' phenomenon, 'category fallacy' errors, and poor health care experiences and outcomes for service users.This paper situates this dilemma within a wider debate that has concerned both the biomedical and social sciences, namely, the unresolved question of 'normality' or 'abnormality'. Indeed, issues that arise from dilemmas surrounding the question of 'culture' or 'psychopathology' are intimately tied to wider cultural ideas about what is considered 'normal'. The disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, and medical anthropology have struggled to establish workable criteria against which to judge behaviour as 'normal', 'abnormal', or 'pathological'. Three models for understanding mental 'abnormality' are evident in 'transcultural psychiatry' (what is now commonly known as 'cultural psychiatry'), and these models have corresponded closely to the interpretive models used by anthropologists attempting to make sense of the apparent diversity of

Optical redox imaging indices discriminate human breast cancer from normal tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, He N.; Tchou, Julia; Feng, Min; Zhao, Huaqing; Li, Lin Z.

2016-01-01

Abstract. Our long-term goal was to investigate the potential of incorporating redox imaging technique as a breast cancer (BC) diagnosis component to increase the positive predictive value of suspicious imaging finding and to reduce unnecessary biopsies and overdiagnosis. We previously found that precancer and cancer tissues in animal models displayed abnormal mitochondrial redox state. We also revealed abnormal mitochondrial redox state in cancerous specimens from three BC patients. Here, we extend our study to include biopsies of 16 patients. Tissue aliquots were collected from both apparently normal and cancerous tissues from the affected cancer-bearing breasts shortly after surgical resection. All specimens were snap-frozen and scanned with the Chance redox scanner, i.e., the three-dimensional cryogenic NADH/Fp (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/oxidized flavoproteins) fluorescence imager. We found both Fp and NADH in the cancerous tissues roughly tripled that in the normal tissues (predox ratio Fp/(NADH + Fp) was ∼27% higher in the cancerous tissues (predox ratio alone could predict cancer with reasonable sensitivity and specificity. Our findings suggest that the optical redox imaging technique can provide parameters independent of clinical factors for discriminating cancer from noncancer breast tissues in human patients. PMID:27896360

Experimental studies on interactions of radiation and cancer chemotherapeutic drugs in normal tissues and a solid tumour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maase, H. van der

1986-01-01

The interactions of radiation and seven cancer chemotherapeutic drugs have been investigated in four normal tissues and in a solid C 3 H mouse mammary carcinoma in vivo. The investigated drugs were adriamycin (ADM), bleomycin (BLM), cyclophosphamide (CTX), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), methotrexate (MTX), mitomycin C (MM-C) and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP). The drugs enhanced the radiation response in most cases. However, signs of radioprotection was observed for CTX in skin and for MTX in haemopoietic tissue. The interval and the sequence of the two treatment modalities were of utmost importance for the normal tissue reactions. In general, the most serious interactions occurred when drugs were administered simultaneously with or a few hours before radiation. The radiation-modifying effect of the drugs deviated from this pattern in the haemopoietic tissue as the radiation response was most enhanced on drug administration 1-3 days after radiation. Enhancement of the radiation response was generally less pronounced in the tumour model than in the normal tissues. The combined drug-radiation effect was apparently less time-dependent in the tumour than in the normal tissues. (Auth.)

Nonischemic changes in right ventricular function on exercise. Do normal volunteers differ from patients with normal coronary arteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caplin, J.L.; Maltz, M.B.; Flatman, W.D.; Dymond, D.S.

1988-01-01

Factors other than ischemia may alter right ventricular function both at rest and on exercise. Normal volunteers differ from cardiac patients with normal coronary arteries with regard to their left ventricular response to exercise. This study examined changes in right ventricular function on exercise in 21 normal volunteers and 13 patients with normal coronary arteries, using first-pass radionuclide angiography. There were large ranges of right ventricular ejection fraction in the two groups, both at rest and on exercise. Resting right ventricular ejection fraction was 40.2 +/- 10.6% (mean +/- SD) in the volunteers and 38.6 +/- 9.7% in the patients, p = not significant, and on exercise rose significantly in both groups to 46.1 +/- 9.9% and 45.8 +/- 9.7%, respectively. The difference between the groups was not significant. In both groups some subjects with high resting values showed large decreases in ejection fraction on exercise, and there were significant negative correlations between resting ejection fraction and the change on exercise, r = -0.59 (p less than 0.01) in volunteers, and r = -0.66 (p less than 0.05) in patients. Older volunteers tended to have lower rest and exercise ejection fractions, but there was no difference between normotensive and hypertensive patients in their rest or exercise values. In conclusion, changes in right ventricular function on exercise are similar in normal volunteers and in patients with normal coronary arteries. Some subjects show decreases in right ventricular ejection fraction on exercise which do not appear to be related to ischemia

Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) does not correlate with different serological parameters in myositis and myopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Hans-Jonas; Ziemann, Oliver; Kornhuber, Malte; Emmer, Alexander; Quäschling, Ulf; Schob, Stefan; Surov, Alexey

2018-06-01

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in several muscle disorders. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is an imaging modality, which can reflect microstructural tissue composition. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is used to quantify the random motion of water molecules in tissue. Purpose To investigate ADC values in patients with myositis and non-inflammatory myopathy and to analyze possible associations between ADC and laboratory parameters in these patients. Material and Methods Overall, 17 patients with several myositis entities, eight patients with non-inflammatory myopathies, and nine patients without muscle disorder as a control group were included in the study (mean age = 55.3 ± 14.3 years). The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology in every case. DWI was obtained in a 1.5-T scanner using two b-values: 0 and 1000 s/mm 2 . In all patients, the blood sample was acquired within three days to the MRI. The following serological parameters were estimated: C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and myoglobine. Results The estimated mean ADC value for the myositis group was 1.89 ± 0.37 × 10 -3  mm 2 /s and for the non-inflammatory myopathy group was 1.79 ± 0.33 × 10 -3  mm 2 /s, respectively. The mean ADC values (1.15 ± 0.37 × 10 -3  mm 2 /s) were significantly higher to unaffected muscles (vs. myositis P = 0.0002 and vs. myopathy P = 0.0021). There were no significant correlations between serological parameters and ADC values. Conclusion Affected muscles showed statistically significantly higher ADC values than normal muscles. No linear correlations between ADC and serological parameters were identified.

Sequential Apparent Diffusion Coefficient for Assessment of Tumor Progression in Patients with Low-Grade Glioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, I E; Swinburne, N; Tsankova, N M; Hefti, M M; Aggarwal, A; Doshi, A H; Hormigo, A; Delman, B N; Nael, K

2018-04-19

Early and accurate identification of tumor progression in patients with low-grade gliomas is challenging. We aimed to assess the role of quantitative ADC analysis in the sequential follow-up of patients with low-grade gliomas as a potential imaging marker of tumor stability or progression. In this retrospective study, patients with a diagnosis of low-grade glioma with at least 12 months of imaging follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed sequential MR imaging in each patient to determine tumor progression using the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria. Normalized mean ADC (ADC mean ) and 10th percentile ADC (ADC 10 ) values from FLAIR hyperintense tumor volume were calculated for each MR image and compared between patients with stable disease versus tumor progression using univariate analysis. The interval change of ADC values between sequential scans was used to differentiate stable disease from progression using the Fisher exact test. Twenty-eight of 69 patients who were evaluated met our inclusion criteria. Fifteen patients were classified as stable versus 13 patients as having progression based on consensus reads of MRIs and the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria. The interval change of ADC values showed greater concordance with ultimate lesion disposition than quantitative ADC values at a single time point. The interval change in ADC 10 matched the expected pattern in 12/13 patients with tumor progression (overall diagnostic accuracy of 86%, P average, the ADC 10 interval change predicted progression 8 months before conventional MR imaging. The interval change of ADC 10 values can be used to identify progression versus stability of low-grade gliomas with a diagnostic accuracy of 86% and before apparent radiologic progression on conventional MR imaging. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

The Effect of the Operating Conditions on the Apparent Viscosity of Crude Palm Oil During Oil Clarification

OpenAIRE

Sulaiman Al-Zuhair, Mirghani I. Ahmed and Yousif A. Abakr

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the apparent viscosity of crude palm oil, using rotary viscometer, under different boundary conditions. It was experimentally shown that the apparent viscosity of palm oil drops with increasing of the shear rate and the temperature.  However, the effect of temperature on the viscosity tends to fade at temperatures beyond 80 oC.  A correlation between the apparent viscosity of crude palm oil and the operating conditions was developed. This correlation can be used...

The influence of sex on the haematological values of apparently ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Blood samples were collected from fifty apparently healthy adult Sahel goats, twenty five each of male and female in Maiduguri to assess the influence of sex on their haematology. The red blood cell (RBC) counts, white blood cell (WBC) counts, haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, packed cell volume (PCV), platelet counts, ...

Flipping about the Sun and Its Pattern of Apparent Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Betts, Crystal M.; Pattee, Allison

2016-01-01

Arts integration has shown to enhance student comprehension, retention, and engagement, while connecting to rich science content. The integration of the Next Generation Science Standards and the National Arts Standards into a first grade lesson illustrated how the arts enhanced the students' understandings of the sun's apparent motion during the…

The Role of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Quantification in Differentiating Benign and Malignant Renal Masses by 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Göya, Cemil; Hamidi, Cihad; Bozkurt, Yaşar; Yavuz, Alpaslan; Kuday, Suzan; Gümüş, Hatice; Türkçü, Gül; Hattapoğlu, Salih; Bilici, Aslan

2015-07-01

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) is a widely-accepted diagnostic modality whose efficacy has been investigated by numerous past studies in the differentiation of malignant lesions from benign entities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the characterization of renal lesions. Diagnostic accuracy study. A total of 137 patients with renal lesions were included in this study. The median apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values as well as the b 800 and b 1600 signal intensities of normal kidneys, solid components of mixed renal masses, and total cystic lesions were evaluated. There were significant differences between the ADC values of lesions and normal renal parenchyma, and between the ADC values of benign and malignant renal lesions on DWIs at b values of 800 and 1600 s/mm(2) (pbenign and malignant renal lesions. A cutoff value of 1.623 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s for the ADC with a b value of 1600 s/mm(2) provided 79% sensitivity and 96% specificity (pbenign and malignant renal lesions. Accurate assessment of renal masses is important for determining the necessity for surgical intervention. DWI provides additional value by differentiating benign from malignant renal tumors and can be added to routine kidney MRI protocols.

Osmotic and apparent molar properties of binary mixtures alcohol + 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ionic liquid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González, Emilio J.; Calvar, Noelia; Domínguez, Ángeles; Macedo, Eugénia A.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Osmotic and physical properties of binary mixtures {alcohol + [BMim][TfO]} were measured. ► From experimental data, apparent molar properties and osmotic coefficients were calculated. ► The apparent properties were fitted using a Redlich–Meyer type equation. ► The osmotic coefficients were correlated using the Extended Pitzer model. -- Abstract: In this work, physical properties (densities and speeds of sound) for the binary systems {1-propanol, or 2-propanol, or 1-butanol, or 2-butanol, or 1-pentanol + 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate} were experimentally measured from T = (293.15 to 323.15) K and at atmospheric pressure. These data were used to calculate the apparent molar volume and apparent molar isentropic compression which were fitted to a Redlich–Meyer type equation. This fit was used to obtain the corresponding apparent molar properties at infinite dilution. On the other hand, the osmotic and activity coefficients and vapor pressures of these binary mixtures were also determined at T = 323.15 K using the vapor pressure osmometry technique. The Extended Pitzer model of Archer was employed to correlate the experimental osmotic coefficients. From the parameters obtained in the correlation, the mean molal activity coefficients and the excess Gibbs free energy for the studied mixtures were calculated

PV System Performance Evaluation by Clustering Production Data to Normal and Non-Normal Operation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tsafarakis, O.; Sinapis, K.; van Sark, W.G.J.H.M.

2018-01-01

The most common method for assessment of a photovoltaic (PV) system performance is by comparing its energy production to reference data (irradiance or neighboring PV system). Ideally, at normal operation, the compared sets of data tend to show a linear relationship. Deviations from this linearity

Trivial trauma and delayed rupture of a normal spleen: a case report

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Sowers Nicholas

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Although a majority of splenic ruptures present acutely with a known mechanism of injury, a minority of patients present days to weeks following trauma with a delayed rupture. Also uncommon is the atraumatic rupture, the vast majority of which occur in patients with underlying splenic pathology. A handful of cases of apparently spontaneous rupture of a normal spleen are reported; however, there is debate about whether these actually represent delayed ruptures following a history of trauma that is not elicited. Although a few cases of delayed rupture of the spleen following trivial trauma have been reported, the majority of these present evidence of an underlying disease process. We found only two such cases that documented a normal spleen and three cases where underlying splenic pathology was not reported. We review the literature and discuss the phenomenon of delayed rupture of the normal spleen following trivial trauma. Case presentation A 27-year-old Caucasian man with no underlying splenic pathology presented with splenic rupture one week after playfully wrestling with his partner. The patient did not present at the time of the injury and only recalled it upon repeated questioning after computed tomography diagnosis. Conclusions This case lends support to the theory that the normal spleen can rupture some time after trivial trauma, which seems like a more plausible explanation than rupture without cause. However, given the dearth of similar reports in the literature, the possibility remains that the association we have observed is not causational.

Hawking Radiation as Tunneling and the Unified First Law of Thermodynamics at the Apparent Horizon of the FRW Universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ke-Xia, Jiang; Dan-Tao, Peng; Jun, Feng; San-Min, Ke

2009-01-01

Relations between the tunneling rate and the unified first law of thermodynamics at the apparent horizon of the FRW universe are investigated. The tunneling rate arises as a consequence of the unified first law of thermodynamics in such a dynamical system. Analysis shows how the tunneling is intimately connected with the unified first law of thermodynamics through the principle of conservation of energy. (general)

Apparent losses due to domestic water meter under-registration in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

By combining these results with the average age of meters in South Africa, estimated from the National Water Demand Archive, it was possible to estimate the average meter under-registration due to meter aging. The study concluded that apparent losses due to water meter under-registration are around 5% of consumption ...

The Risk of Heart Failure and Cardiometabolic Complications in Obesity May Be Masked by an Apparent Healthy Status of Normal Blood Glucose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuchita Tiwari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Although many obese individuals are normoglycemic and asymptomatic of cardiometabolic complications, this apparent healthy state may be a misnomer. Since heart failure is a major cause of mortality in obesity, we investigated the effects of heme-oxygenase (HO on heart failure and cardiometabolic complications in obese normoglycemic Zucker-fatty rats (ZFs. Treatment with the HO-inducer, hemin, reduced markers of heart failure, such as osteopontin and osteoprotegerin, abated left-ventricular (LV hypertrophy/fibrosis, extracellular matrix/profibrotic proteins including collagen IV, fibronectin, TGF-β1, and reduced cardiac lesions. Furthermore, hemin suppressed inflammation by abating macrophage chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 alpha, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β but enhanced adiponectin, atrial-natriuretic peptide (ANP, HO activity, insulin sensitivity, and glucose metabolism. Correspondingly, hemin improved several hemodynamic/echocardiographic parameters including LV-diastolic wall thickness, LV-systolic wall thickness, mean-arterial pressure, arterial-systolic pressure, arterial-diastolic pressure, LV-developed pressure, +dP/dt, and cardiac output. Contrarily, the HO-inhibitor, stannous mesoporphyrin nullified the hemin effect, exacerbating inflammatory/oxidative insults and aggravated insulin resistance (HOMA-index. We conclude that perturbations in insulin signaling and cardiac function may be forerunners to overt hyperglycemia and heart failure in obesity. Importantly, hemin improves cardiac function by suppressing markers of heart failure, LV hypertrophy, cardiac lesions, extracellular matrix/profibrotic proteins, and inflammatory/oxidative mediators, while concomitantly enhancing the HO-adiponectin-ANP axis.

Quantum arrival times and operator normalization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegerfeldt, Gerhard C.; Seidel, Dirk; Gonzalo Muga, J.

2003-01-01

A recent approach to arrival times used the fluorescence of an atom entering a laser illuminated region, and the resulting arrival-time distribution was close to the axiomatic distribution of Kijowski, but not exactly equal, neither in limiting cases nor after compensation of reflection losses by normalization on the level of expectation values. In this paper we employ a normalization on the level of operators, recently proposed in a slightly different context. We show that in this case the axiomatic arrival-time distribution of Kijowski is recovered as a limiting case. In addition, it is shown that Allcock's complex potential model is also a limit of the physically motivated fluorescence approach and connected to Kijowski's distribution through operator normalization

Does apparent size capture attention in visual search? Evidence from the Muller-Lyer illusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Proulx, Michael J; Green, Monique

2011-11-23

Is perceived size a crucial factor for the bottom-up guidance of attention? Here, a visual search experiment was used to examine whether an irrelevantly longer object can capture attention when participants were to detect a vertical target item. The longer object was created by an apparent size manipulation, the Müller-Lyer illusion; however, all objects contained the same number of pixels. The vertical target was detected more efficiently when it was also perceived as the longer item that was defined by apparent size. Further analysis revealed that the longer Müller-Lyer object received a greater degree of attentional priority than published results for other features such as retinal size, luminance contrast, and the abrupt onset of a new object. The present experiment has demonstrated for the first time that apparent size can capture attention and, thus, provide bottom-up guidance on the basis of perceived salience.

Normal renal development investigated with fetal MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witzani, Linde [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: linde.witzani@aon.at; Brugger, Peter Christian [Center of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Integrative Morphology Group, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstrasse 13, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Hoermann, Marcus [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Kasprian, Gregor [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Csapone-Balassy, Csilla [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Prayer, Daniela [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

2006-02-15

Objective: To evaluate age-dependent changes in fetal kidney measurements with MRI. Patients and methods: Fetal MRI examinations were used to study the kidney length (218 fetuses), signal intensities of renal tissue, renal pelvis, and liver tissue on T2-weighted images (223 fetuses), and the whole-kidney apparent diffusion coefficient (107 fetuses). A 1.5 T superconducting unit with a phased array coil was used in patients from 16 to 39 weeks' gestation. The imaging protocol included T2-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo, T2-weighted balanced angiography and diffusion-weighted sequences. Slice thickness ranged from 3 to 5 mm. Results: Fetal kidney length as a function of gestational age was expressed by the linear regression: kidney length (mm) = 0.190 x gestational age (d) - 8.034 (R {sup 2} 0.883, p < 0.001). Paired t-test analysis showed a highly statistically significant difference between the ratio of renal tissue signal intensity to renal pelvis signal intensity and the ratio of liver signal intensity to renal pelvis signal intensity on T2-weighted images (t = -50.963, d.f. = 162, p < 0.001), with renal tissue hyperintense to liver tissue. The apparent diffusion coefficient in relation to gestational age was described by the equation: ADC ({mu}m{sup 2}/s) = 0.0302 x square (gestational age (d)) - 14.202 x gestational age (d) + 2728.6 (R {sup 2} = 0.225, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The length, signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and apparent diffusion coefficient of the fetal kidney change significantly with gestational age. The presented data may help in the prenatal diagnosis of renal anomalies.

The clinical significance of normal mammograms and normal sonograms in patients with palpable abnormalities of the breast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jin Hwa; Yoon, Seong Kuk; Choi, Sun Seob; Nam, Kyung Jin; Cho, Se Heon; Kim, Dae Cheol; Kim, Jung Il; Kim, Eun Kyung

2006-01-01

We wanted to evaluate the clinical significance of normal mammograms and normal sonograms in patients with palpable abnormalities of the breast. From Apr 2003 to Feb 2005, 107 patients with 113 palpable abnormalities who had combined normal sonographic and normal mammographic findings were retrospectively studied. The evaluated parameters included age of the patients, the clinical referrals, the distribution of the locations of the palpable abnormalities, whether there was a past surgical history, the mammographic densities and the sonographic echo patterns (purely hyperechoic fibrous tissue, mixed fibroglandular breast tissue, predominantly isoechoic glandular tissue and isoechoic subcutaneous fat tissue) at the sites of clinical concern, whether there was a change in imaging and/or the physical examination results at follow-up, and whether there were biopsy results. This study period was chosen to allow a follow-up period of at least 12 months. The patients' ages ranged from 22 to 66 years (mean age: 48.8 years) and 62 (58%) of the 107 patients were between 41 and 50 years old (58%). The most common location of the palpable abnormalities was the upper outer portion of the breast (45%) and most of the mammographic densities were dense patterns (BI-RADS Type 3 or 4: 91%). Our cases showed similar distribution for all the types of sonographic echo patterns. 23 patients underwent biopsy; all the biopsy specimens were benign. For the 84 patients with 90 palpable abnormalities who were followed, there was no interval development of breast cancer in the areas of clinical concern. Our results suggest that we can follow up and prevent unnecessary biopsies in women with palpable abnormalities when both the mammography and ultrasonography show normal tissue, but this study was limited by its small sample size. Therefore, a larger study will be needed to better define the negative predictive value of combined normal sonographic and mammographic findings

The effect of interaural-time-difference fluctuations on apparent source width

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Käsbach, Johannes; May, Tobias; Oskarsdottir, Gudrun

2014-01-01

For the perception of spaciousness, the temporal fluctuations of the interaural time differences (ITDs) and interaural level differences (ILDs) provide important binaural cues. One major characteristic of spatial perception is apparent source width (ASW), which describes the perceived width of a ...

A Denotational Account of Untyped Normalization by Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filinski, Andrzej; Rohde, Henning Korsholm

2004-01-01

Abstract. We show that the standard normalization-by-evaluation construction for the simply-typed λβη-calculus has a natural counterpart for the untyped λβ-calculus, with the central type-indexed logical relation replaced by a “recursively defined” invariant relation, in the style of Pitts. In fact......, the construction can be seen as generalizing a computational adequacy argument for an untyped, call-by-name language to normalization instead of evaluation. In the untyped setting, not all terms have normal forms, so the normalization function is necessarily partial. We establish its correctness in the senses...

Evaluation of the apparent losses caused by water meter under-registration in intermittent water supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Criminisi, A; Fontanazza, C M; Freni, G; Loggia, G La

2009-01-01

Apparent losses are usually caused by water theft, billing errors, or revenue meter under-registration. While the first two causes are directly related to water utility management and may be reduced by improving company procedures, water meter inaccuracies are considered to be the most significant and hardest to quantify. Water meter errors are amplified in networks subjected to water scarcity, where users adopt private storage tanks to cope with the intermittent water supply. The aim of this paper is to analyse the role of two variables influencing the apparent losses: water meter age and the private storage tank effect on meter performance. The study was carried out in Palermo (Italy). The impact of water meter ageing was evaluated in laboratory by testing 180 revenue meters, ranging from 0 to 45 years in age. The effects of the private water tanks were determined via field monitoring of real users and a mathematical model. This study demonstrates that the impact on apparent losses from the meter starting flow rapidly increases with meter age. Private water tanks, usually fed by a float valve, overstate meter under-registration, producing additional apparent losses between 15% and 40% for the users analysed in this study.

Relating normalization to neuronal populations across cortical areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruff, Douglas A; Alberts, Joshua J; Cohen, Marlene R

2016-09-01

Normalization, which divisively scales neuronal responses to multiple stimuli, is thought to underlie many sensory, motor, and cognitive processes. In every study where it has been investigated, neurons measured in the same brain area under identical conditions exhibit a range of normalization, ranging from suppression by nonpreferred stimuli (strong normalization) to additive responses to combinations of stimuli (no normalization). Normalization has been hypothesized to arise from interactions between neuronal populations, either in the same or different brain areas, but current models of normalization are not mechanistic and focus on trial-averaged responses. To gain insight into the mechanisms underlying normalization, we examined interactions between neurons that exhibit different degrees of normalization. We recorded from multiple neurons in three cortical areas while rhesus monkeys viewed superimposed drifting gratings. We found that neurons showing strong normalization shared less trial-to-trial variability with other neurons in the same cortical area and more variability with neurons in other cortical areas than did units with weak normalization. Furthermore, the cortical organization of normalization was not random: neurons recorded on nearby electrodes tended to exhibit similar amounts of normalization. Together, our results suggest that normalization reflects a neuron's role in its local network and that modulatory factors like normalization share the topographic organization typical of sensory tuning properties. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Transforming Normal Programs by Replacement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bossi, Annalisa; Pettorossi, A.; Cocco, Nicoletta; Etalle, Sandro

1992-01-01

The replacement transformation operation, already defined in [28], is studied wrt normal programs. We give applicability conditions able to ensure the correctness of the operation wrt Fitting's and Kunen's semantics. We show how replacement can mimic other transformation operations such as thinning,

An Integrated Approach for RNA-seq Data Normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shengping; Mercante, Donald E; Zhang, Kun; Fang, Zhide

2016-01-01

DNA copy number alteration is common in many cancers. Studies have shown that insertion or deletion of DNA sequences can directly alter gene expression, and significant correlation exists between DNA copy number and gene expression. Data normalization is a critical step in the analysis of gene expression generated by RNA-seq technology. Successful normalization reduces/removes unwanted nonbiological variations in the data, while keeping meaningful information intact. However, as far as we know, no attempt has been made to adjust for the variation due to DNA copy number changes in RNA-seq data normalization. In this article, we propose an integrated approach for RNA-seq data normalization. Comparisons show that the proposed normalization can improve power for downstream differentially expressed gene detection and generate more biologically meaningful results in gene profiling. In addition, our findings show that due to the effects of copy number changes, some housekeeping genes are not always suitable internal controls for studying gene expression. Using information from DNA copy number, integrated approach is successful in reducing noises due to both biological and nonbiological causes in RNA-seq data, thus increasing the accuracy of gene profiling.

Apparent and quantitative loss of fatty acids and triacylglycerols at frying temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berdeaux, O.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Olive and sunflower oils were heated at 180 °C for 5, 10 and 15 hours with the aim of defining the changes in the contents of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME and triacylglycerols (TAG under frying conditions. Differences between apparent and real loss of FAME or TAG are defined for an adequate interpretation of the changes taking place at high temperature. Such differences depend on the expression of the results and frequently result in erroneous conclusions. Results showed that from the normalized composition it could be deduced that only the most unsaturated FAME (C18:2 or TAG containing it was significantly altered. However, quantitative data indicated that all the unsaturated FAME were degraded in samples of olive oil and sunflower oil whose levels of alteration ranged from 14.6 to 35.4% polar compounds. With regard to TAG, their loss depended on both the number of double bonds and the concentration of the linoleyl group, which is the most unsaturated fatty acyl group in both oils.

Aceites de oliva y girasol se calentaron a 180 °C durante 5, 10 y 15 horas con el objetivo de definir los cambios en la concentración de ácidos grasos y especies de triglicéridos en condiciones de fritura. Se definen las diferencias entre la pérdida aparente y cuantitativa de ácidos grasos y triglicéridos que dependen de la forma de expresión de los resultados dando lugar en muchas ocasiones a interpretaciones erróneas. Así, a partir de la composición normalizada, podría deducirse que sólo el ácido graso más insaturado en los aceites (C18:2 se altera. Sin embargo, los datos cuantitativos muestran claramente que en muestras con niveles de compuestos polares entre 14.6 y 35.4%, todos los ácidos grasos insaturados sufren degradación significativa en ambos aceites. Con respecto a los cambios en los distintos triglicéridos, su pérdida cuantitativa dependió no sólo de su número de dobles enlaces sino también del contenido del ácido m

Nonepileptic seizures under levetiracetam therapy: a case report of forced normalization process.

Science.gov (United States)

Anzellotti, Francesca; Franciotti, Raffaella; Zhuzhuni, Holta; D'Amico, Aurelio; Thomas, Astrid; Onofrj, Marco

2014-01-01

Nonepileptic seizures (NES) apparently look like epileptic seizures, but are not associated with ictal electrical discharges in the brain. NES constitute one of the most important differential diagnoses of epilepsy. They have been recognized as a distinctive clinical phenomenon for centuries, and video/electroencephalogram monitoring has allowed clinicians to make near-certain diagnoses. NES are supposedly unrelated to organic brain lesions, and despite the preponderance of a psychiatric/psychological context, they may have an iatrogenic origin. We report a patient with NES precipitated by levetiracetam therapy; in this case, NES was observed during the disappearance of epileptiform discharges from the routine video/electroencephalogram. We discuss the possible mechanisms underlying NES with regard to alternative psychoses associated with the phenomenon of the forced normalization process.

Tunnelling of Massive/Massless Bosons from the Apparent Horizon of FRW Universe

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Kimet Jusufi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate the Hawking radiation of vector particles from the apparent horizon of a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW universe in the framework of quantum tunnelling method. Furthermore we use Proca equation, a relativistic wave equation for a massive/massless spin-1 particle (massless γ photons, weak massive W± and Z0 bosons, strong massless gluons, and ρ and ω mesons together with a Painlevé space-time metric for the FRW universe. We solve the Proca equation via Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ equation and the WKB approximation method. We recover the same result for the Hawking temperature associated with vector particles as in the case of scalar and Dirac particles tunnelled from outside to the inside of the apparent horizon in a FRW universe.

Inter-individual, inter-vendor comparison of diffusion-weighted MR imaging of upper abdominal organs at 3.0 tesla with an emphasis on the value of normalization with the spleen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Ji Soo; Hwang, Seung Bae; Chung, Gyung Ho; Jin, Gong Yong [Dept. of Radiology, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-15

To compare the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of upper abdominal organs with 2 different 3.0 tesla MR systems and to investigate the usefulness of normalization using the spleen. Forty-one patients were enrolled in this prospective study, of which, 35 patients (M:F, 27:8; mean age ± standard deviation, 62.3 ± 12.3 years) were finally analyzed. In addition to the routine liver MR protocol, single-shot spin-echo echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging using b values of 0, 50, 400, and 800 s/mm{sup 2} in 2 different MR systems was performed. ADC values of the liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney and liver lesion (if present) were measured and analyzed. ADC values of the spleen were used for normalization. The Pearson correlation, Spearman correlation, paired sample t test, Wilcoxon signed rank test and Bland-Altman method were used for statistical analysis. For all anatomical regions and liver lesions, both non-normalized and normalized ADC values from 2 different MR systems showed significant correlations (r = 0.5196-0.8488). Non-normalized ADC values of both MR systems differed significantly in all anatomical regions and liver lesions (p < 0.001). However, the normalized ADC of all anatomical regions and liver lesions did not differ significantly (p = 0.065-0.661), with significantly lower coefficient of variance than that of non-normalized ADC (p < 0.009). Normalization of the abdominal ADC values using the spleen as a reference organ reduces differences between different MR systems, and could facilitate consistent use of ADC as an imaging biomarker for multi-center or longitudinal studies.

APPARENT DIGESTIBILTY EXPERIMENT WITH NILE TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS FED DIETS CONTAINING CITRULLUS LANATUS SEEDMEAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wasiu Adeyemi JIMOH

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients in Citrullus lanatus based diets were determined for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus using AIA as marker or indicator. 150 tilapia fingerlings of average weight 6.12±0.05g were acclimatized for a week, weighed and allotted into five dietary treatments; CTR, DT2, DT3, DT4 and DT5 containing 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60% Citrullus lanatus respectively. The diets were isonitrogenous, isocaloric and isolipidic. Each treatment was replicated three times with ten fish per replicate. Fish were fed 5% body weight on two equal proportions per day. The results from the study indicated that there was no significant variation (p>0.05 in the apparent organic matter and gross energy digestibility coefficients of the diets; that there was significant (p0.05 in the apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients (protein, energy, lipid and carbohydrates between the diets up to 30% replacement levels for tilapia.

Cosmological and black hole apparent horizons

CERN Document Server

Faraoni, Valerio

2015-01-01

This book overviews the extensive literature on apparent cosmological and black hole horizons. In theoretical gravity, dynamical situations such as gravitational collapse, black hole evaporation, and black holes interacting with non-trivial environments, as well as the attempts to model gravitational waves occurring in highly dynamical astrophysical processes, require that the concept of event horizon be generalized. Inequivalent notions of horizon abound in the technical literature and are discussed in this manuscript. The book begins with a quick review of basic material in the first one and a half chapters, establishing a unified notation. Chapter 2 reminds the reader of the basic tools used in the analysis of horizons and reviews the various definitions of horizons appearing in the literature. Cosmological horizons are the playground in which one should take baby steps in understanding horizon physics. Chapter 3 analyzes cosmological horizons, their proposed thermodynamics, and several coordinate systems....

Visual attention and flexible normalization pools

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Odelia; Coen-Cagli, Ruben

2013-01-01

Attention to a spatial location or feature in a visual scene can modulate the responses of cortical neurons and affect perceptual biases in illusions. We add attention to a cortical model of spatial context based on a well-founded account of natural scene statistics. The cortical model amounts to a generalized form of divisive normalization, in which the surround is in the normalization pool of the center target only if they are considered statistically dependent. Here we propose that attention influences this computation by accentuating the neural unit activations at the attended location, and that the amount of attentional influence of the surround on the center thus depends on whether center and surround are deemed in the same normalization pool. The resulting form of model extends a recent divisive normalization model of attention (Reynolds & Heeger, 2009). We simulate cortical surround orientation experiments with attention and show that the flexible model is suitable for capturing additional data and makes nontrivial testable predictions. PMID:23345413

Fenobody: A Ferritin-Displayed Nanobody with High Apparent Affinity and Half-Life Extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Kelong; Jiang, Bing; Guan, Zhe; He, Jiuyang; Yang, Dongling; Xie, Ni; Nie, Guohui; Xie, Can; Yan, Xiyun

2018-04-10

Nanobodies consist of a single domain variable fragment of a camelid heavy-chain antibody. Nanobodies have potential applications in biomedical fields because of their simple production procedures and low cost. Occasionally, nanobody clones of interest exhibit low affinities for their target antigens, which, together with their short half-life limit bioanalytical or therapeutic applications. Here, we developed a novel platform we named fenobody, in which a nanobody developed against H5N1 virus is displayed on the surface of ferritin in the form of a 24mer. We constructed a fenobody by substituting the fifth helix of ferritin with the nanobody. TEM analysis showed that nanobodies were displayed on the surface of ferritin in the form of 6 × 4 bundles, and that these clustered nanobodies are flexible for antigen binding in spatial structure. Comparing fenobodies with conventional nanobodies currently used revealed that the antigen binding apparent affinity of anti-H5N1 fenobody was dramatically increased (∼360-fold). Crucially, their half-life extension in a murine model was 10-fold longer than anti-H5N1 nanobody. In addition, we found that our fenobodies are highly expressed in Escherichia coli, and are both soluble and thermo-stable nanocages that self-assemble as 24-polymers. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that fenobodies have unique advantages over currently available systems for apparent affinity enhancement and half-life extension of nanobodies. Our fenobody system presents a suitable platform for various large-scale biotechnological processes and should greatly facilitate the application of nanobody technology in these areas.

Clarifying Normalization

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Donald A.

2008-01-01

Confusion exists among database textbooks as to the goal of normalization as well as to which normal form a designer should aspire. This article discusses such discrepancies with the intention of simplifying normalization for both teacher and student. This author's industry and classroom experiences indicate such simplification yields quicker…

Irreversible thermodynamics of dark energy on the entropy-corrected apparent horizon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karami, K; Sahraei, N [Department of Physics, University of Kurdistan, Pasdaran Street, Sanandaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jamil, M, E-mail: KKarami@uok.ac.i, E-mail: mjamil@camp.nust.edu.p [Center for Advanced Mathematics and Physics (CAMP), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad (Pakistan)

2010-10-15

We study the irreversible (non-equilibrium) thermodynamics of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe containing only dark energy. Using the modified entropy-area relation that is motivated by loop quantum gravity, we calculate the entropy-corrected form of the apparent horizon of the FRW universe.

Normalization of ADC does not improve correlation with overall survival in patients with high-grade glioma (HGG).

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Lei; Li, Angie; Qu, Jinrong; Reinshagen, Katherine; Li, Xiang; Cheng, Su-Chun; Bryant, Annie; Young, Geoffrey S

2018-04-01

Mixed reports leave uncertainty about whether normalization of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) to a within-subject white matter reference is necessary for assessment of tumor cellularity. We tested whether normalization improves the previously reported correlation of resection margin ADC with 15-month overall survival (OS) in HGG patients. Spin-echo echo-planar DWI was retrieved from 3 T MRI acquired between maximal resection and radiation in 37 adults with new-onset HGG (25 glioblastoma; 12 anaplastic astrocytoma). ADC maps were produced with the FSL DTIFIT tool (Oxford Centre for Functional MRI). 3 neuroradiologists manually selected regions of interest (ROI) in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and in non-enhancing tumor (NT) Normalized ADC (nADC) was computed as the ratio of absolute NT ADC to NAWM ADC. Reproducibility of nADC and absolute ADC among the readers' ROI was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and within-subject coefficient of variation (wCV). Correlations of ADC and nADC with OS were compared using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. A p value 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Both mean ADC and nADC differed significantly between patients subgrouped by 15-month OS (p = 0.0014 and 0.0073 respectively). wCV and ICC among the readers were similar for absolute and normalized ADC. In ROC analysis of correlation with OS, nADC did not perform significantly better than absolute ADC. Normalization does not significantly improve the correlation of absolute ADC with OS in HGG, suggesting that normalization is not necessary for clinical or research ADC analysis in HGG patients.

Natural selection underlies apparent stress-induced mutagenesis in a bacteriophage infection model.

Science.gov (United States)

Yosef, Ido; Edgar, Rotem; Levy, Asaf; Amitai, Gil; Sorek, Rotem; Munitz, Ariel; Qimron, Udi

2016-04-18

The emergence of mutations following growth-limiting conditions underlies bacterial drug resistance, viral escape from the immune system and fundamental evolution-driven events. Intriguingly, whether mutations are induced by growth limitation conditions or are randomly generated during growth and then selected by growth limitation conditions remains an open question(1). Here, we show that bacteriophage T7 undergoes apparent stress-induced mutagenesis when selected for improved recognition of its host's receptor. In our unique experimental set-up, the growth limitation condition is physically and temporally separated from mutagenesis: growth limitation occurs while phage DNA is outside the host, and spontaneous mutations occur during phage DNA replication inside the host. We show that the selected beneficial mutations are not pre-existing and that the initial slow phage growth is enabled by the phage particle's low-efficiency DNA injection into the host. Thus, the phage particle allows phage populations to initially extend their host range without mutagenesis by virtue of residual recognition of the host receptor. Mutations appear during non-selective intracellular replication, and the frequency of mutant phages increases by natural selection acting on free phages, which are not capable of mutagenesis.

Magnetic measurements on human erythrocytes: Normal, beta thalassemia major, and sickle

Science.gov (United States)

Sakhnini, Lama

2003-05-01

In this article magnetic measurements were made on human erythrocytes at different hemoglobin states (normal and reduced hemoglobin). Different blood samples: normal, beta thalassemia major, and sickle were studied. Beta thalassemia major and sickle samples were taken from patients receiving lifelong blood transfusion treatment. All samples examined exhibited diamagnetic behavior. Beta thalassemia major and sickle samples showed higher diamagnetic susceptibilities than that for the normal, which was attributed to the increase of membrane to hemoglobin volume ratio of the abnormal cells. Magnetic measurements showed that the erythrocytes in the reduced state showed less diamagnetic response in comparison with erythrocytes in the normal state. Analysis of the paramagnetic component of magnetization curves gave an effective magnetic moment of μeff=7.6 μB per reduced hemoglobin molecule. The same procedure was applied to sickle and beta thalassemia major samples and values for μeff were found to be comparable to that of the normal erythrocytes.

Effect of dietary carbohydrate sources on apparent nutrient digestibility of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus feed

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Md Mostafizur Rahman

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs of dry matter, crude protein, crude lipid, nitrogen-free extract, and energy in selected carbohydrate sources including wheat flour (WF, α-potato starch (PS, α-corn starch (CS, Na alginate (AL, dextrin (DEX, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC were determined for olive flounder. The olive flounder averaging 150 ± 8.0 g were held in 300-L tanks at a density of 30 fish per tank. Chromic oxide was used as the inert marker. Feces were collected from the flounder by a fecal collector attached to a fish rearing tank. Apparent dry matter and energy digestibilities of flounder fed WF, PS, CS, and DEX diets were significantly higher than those of fish fed AL and CMC diets. Apparent crude protein digestibility coefficients of flounder fed PS and CS diets were significantly higher than those of fish fed AL, DEX, and CMC diets. Apparent crude lipid and nitrogen-free extract digestibility coefficients of flounder fed PS and DEX diets were significantly higher than those of fish fed WF, CS, AL, and CMC diets. The present findings indicate that PS and DEX could be effectively used as dietary carbohydrate energy compared to WF, CS, AL, and CMC for olive flounder.

The apparent motion of the Sun revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Probst, Oliver

2002-05-01

The knowledge of the apparent motion of the Sun - due to the combined effects of the rotation of the Earth around its proper axis and the translation around the Sun - is important both in natural and man-made systems. In particular, a proper explanation of the seasons requires an understanding of this solar geometry. In this paper we present a simple derivation of the relevant formulae based on vector algebra. The possible trajectories are discussed in detail. An approximate explicit formula for the seasonal variations of solar radiation is derived and discussed. The calculations give useful insights into the geometry of the problem and are thought to be helpful for the undergraduate teaching of solar energy engineering, classical mechanics and astronomy.

Apparently Ipsilateral Parkinsonism in a Patient with Chronic Subdural Hematoma

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Tae Hwan Roh

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Symptomatic parkinsonism secondary to ipsilateral lesion is rarely reported. Although the contribution of the contralateral lesions was assumed in some cases, the pathomechanism remains undetermined. Herein we report a patient with a subdural hematoma, who developed parkinsonism in the ipsilateral hemibody. Structural and functional imaging suggests the contralateral dopaminergic dysfunction as the major culprit of apparently ipsilateral parkinsonism.

Imaging malignant and apparent malignant transformation of benign gynaecological disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, A.Y.; Poder, L.; Qayyum, A.; Wang, Z.J.; Yeh, B.M. [Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (United States); Coakley, F.V., E-mail: Fergus.Coakley@radiology.ucsf.ed [Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (United States)

2010-12-15

Common benign gynaecological diseases, such as leiomyoma, adenomyosis, endometriosis, and mature teratoma, rarely undergo malignant transformation. Benign transformations that may mimic malignancy include benign metastasizing leiomyoma, massive ovarian oedema, decidualization of endometrioma, and rupture of mature teratoma. The aim of this review is to provide a contemporary overview of imaging findings in malignant and apparent malignant transformation of benign gynaecological disease.

Bacterial flora in the Urinary bladder of apparently healthy cattle in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fifty apparently healthy adult cattle presented for slaughter at the Maiduguri Metropolitan Abattoir were examined to determine the bacterial flora in the urinary bladder. Isolation and identification of the isolates in the aseptic urine samples from the urinary bladder were done according to standard bacteriological techniques.

Correlated random sampling for multivariate normal and log-normal distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Žerovnik, Gašper; Trkov, Andrej; Kodeli, Ivan A.

2012-01-01

A method for correlated random sampling is presented. Representative samples for multivariate normal or log-normal distribution can be produced. Furthermore, any combination of normally and log-normally distributed correlated variables may be sampled to any requested accuracy. Possible applications of the method include sampling of resonance parameters which are used for reactor calculations.

The Impact of Simultaneously Applying Normal Stress and Vibrotactile Stimulation for Feedback of Exteroceptive Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Reza Motamedi, M; Otis, Martin; Duchaine, Vincent

2017-06-01

Commercially available prosthetic hands do not convey any tactile information, forcing amputees to rely solely on visual attention. A promising solution to this problem is haptics, which could lead to new prostheses in which tactile information is conveyed between the amputee and the artificial limb. However, the haptic feedback must be optimized so that amputees can use it effectively; and although several studies have examined how specific haptic feedback systems can transmit certain types of tactile information, there has not yet been much research on the effects of superposing two or more types of feedback at the same location, which might prove to be more effective than using a single type of feedback alone. This paper investigates how the simultaneous application of two different types of haptic feedback-vibration and normal stress-impacts the human sensory perception of each separate feedback type. These stimuli were applied to glabrous skin on the forearms of 14 participants. Our experiments tested whether participants experienced more accurate sensory perception, compared to vibration or normal stress alone, when vibration was applied at the same time as the normal stress, at either the same location, or at a different location 6 cm away. Results indicate that although participants' perception of the normal stress diminished when vibration was applied at the same location, the same combination improved their perception of the vibration. Apparently, vibration has a negative impact upon the ability to perceive normal stress, whether applied at the same or a different location; whereas the opposite is true for the effect of normal stress upon the perception of vibration.

Apparent molar volumes and compressibilities of alkaline earth metal ions in methanol and dimethylsulfoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warminska, Dorota; Wawer, Jaroslaw; Grzybkowski, Waclaw

2010-01-01

Temperature dependencies of density of magnesium (II), calcium (II), strontium (II), barium (II) perchlorates as well as beryllium (II), and sodium trifluoromethanesulfonates in methanol and dimethylsulfoxide have been determined over the composition range studied. From density data the apparent molar volumes and partial molar volumes of the salts at infinite dilution as well as the expansibilities have been evaluated. The apparent molar isentropic compressibilities of alkaline earth metal perchlorates and beryllium (II) and sodium triflates in methanol and DMSO have been calculated from sound speed data obtained at T = 298.15 K.

A velhice, entre o normal e o patológico Old age, normality versus pathology

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Daniel Groisman

2002-04-01

Full Text Available Com a ascensão do envelhecimento da população brasileira ao posto de 'problema social', assistimos a um crescimento cada vez maior do número de especialistas dedicados a este 'grupo etário': os geriatras e gerontólogos, que ocupam papel de destaque na formulação das novas formas de gestão da velhice. No entanto, a gerontologia parece ter problemas internos na sua formulação como campo de saber, que parecem comprometer sua consolidação como profissão e seu reconhecimento como disciplina científica. No presente artigo, procuramos chamar atenção para as dificuldades que a gerontologia encontra para delimitar seu campo e definir seu objeto. Sustentamos que tais dificuldades parecem derivar de uma questão central, que é a impossibilidade de serem delimitadas as fronteiras entre o normal e o patológico, na velhice. Por fim, analisamos a questão sob um ponto de vista histórico, à luz do processo de constituição do saber médico sobre o envelhecimento.Since life expectancy of Brazilian population increased and aging was considered a "social problem", there has been a boom of specialists in old age. Gerontologists and geriatricians are now playing a relevant role in setting new trends to the management of issues related to old age. However, gerontology as a field of knowledge seems to have internal questions that apparently hinder its professional consolidation and its scientific recognition. In this article, the author focus the difficulties gerontology has in order to delimitate its field of action and to define the object of its studies. The author argues that such difficulties derive from a central point: the impossibility to delimitate the frontiers between what is normal and what is pathological in old age. He also analyzes the constitution of medical knowledge on aging in a historical perspective.

Avian influenza virus infection in apparently healthy domestic birds in Sokoto, Nigeria

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Innocent Okwundu Nwankwo

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted among apparently healthy birds brought from different local government areas, neighbouring states and across international boundaries to the Sokoto central live bird market between October 2008 and March 2009. Tracheal and cloacal swabs were collected from 221 apparently healthy birds comprising 182 chickens, 3 turkeys, 11 guineafowl, 17 ducks and 8 pigeons. These samples were analysed using nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR to check for the presence of avian influenza virus. An overall prevalence of 1.4% (3 positive cases was detected with two cases observed in chickens and one in a pigeon. The findings indicate the circulation of avian influenza in the study area. This raises concern for human and animal health due to zoonotic and economic implications of this virus.

[14C]sucrose uptake and labeling of starch in developing grains of normal segl barley

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felker, F.C.; Peterson, D.M.; Nelson, O.E.

1984-01-01

Previous work showed that the segl mutant of barley (Hordeum vulgare o Betzes) did not differ from normal Betzes in plant growth, photosynthesis, or fertility, but it produced only shrunken seeds regardless of pollen source. To determine whether defects in sucrose uptake or starch synthesis resulted in the shrunken condition, developing grains of Betzes and segl were cultured in [ 14 C]sucrose solutions after slicing transversely to expose the endosperm cavity and free space. In both young grains (before genotypes differed in dry weight) and older grains (17 days after anthesis, when segl grains were smaller than Betzes), sucrose uptake and starch synthesis were similar in both genotypes on a dry weight basis. To determine if sucrose was hydrolyzed during uptake, spikes of Betzes and segl were allowed to take up [fructose-U- 14 C]sucrose 14 days after anthesis and the radioactivity of endosperm sugars was examined during 3 hours of incubation. Whereas less total radioactivity entered the endosperm and the endosperm cavity (free space) of segl, in both genotypes over 96% of the label of endosperm sugars was in sucrose, and there was no apparent initial or progressive randomization of label among hexose moieties of sucrose as compared to the free space sampled after 1 hour of incubation. The authors conclude that segl endosperms are capable of normal sucrose uptake and starch synthesis and that hydrolysis of sucrose is not required for uptake in either genotype. Evidence suggests abnormal development of grain tissue of maternal origin during growth of segl grains

Measurement of normal auditory ossicles by high-resolusion CT with application of normal criteria to disease cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hara, Jyoko

1988-01-01

The purposes of this study were to define criteria for the normal position of ossicles and to apply them in patients with rhinolaryngologically or pathologically confirmed diseases. Ossicles were measured on high-resolution CT images of 300 middle ears, including 241 normal ears and 59 diseased ears, in a total of 203 subjects. Angles A, B, and C to the baseline between the most lateral margins of bilateral internal auditory canals, and distance ratio b/a were defined as measurement items. Normal angles A, B, and C and distance ratio b/a ranged from 19 deg to 59 deg, 101 deg to 145 deg, 51 deg to 89 deg, and 0.49 to 0.51, respectively. Based on these criteria, all of these items were within the normal range in 30/34 (88.2 %) ears for otitis media and mastoiditis. One or more items showed far abnormal values (standard deviation; more than 3) in 5/7 (71.4 %) ears for cholesteatoma and 4/4 (100 %) ears for external ear anomaly. These normal measurements may aid in evaluating the position of auditory ossicles especially in the case of cholesteatoma and auditory ossicle abnormality. (Namekawa, K.)

Measurement of normal auditory ossicles by high-resolusion CT with application of normal criteria to disease cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hara, Jyoko

1988-09-01

The purposes of this study were to define criteria for the normal position of ossicles and to apply them in patients with rhinolaryngologically or pathologically confirmed diseases. Ossicles were measured on high-resolution CT images of 300 middle ears, including 241 normal ears and 59 diseased ears, in a total of 203 subjects. Angles A, B, and C to the baseline between the most lateral margins of bilateral internal auditory canals, and distance ratio b/a were defined as measurement items. Normal angles A, B, and C and distance ratio b/a ranged from 19 deg to 59 deg, 101 deg to 145 deg, 51 deg to 89 deg, and 0.49 to 0.51, respectively. Based on these criteria, all of these items were within the normal range in 30/34 (88.2 %) ears for otitis media and mastoiditis. One or more items showed far abnormal values (standard deviation; more than 3) in 5/7 (71.4 %) ears for cholesteatoma and 4/4 (100 %) ears for external ear anomaly. These normal measurements may aid in evaluating the position of auditory ossicles especially in the case of cholesteatoma and auditory ossicle abnormality. (Namekawa, K.).

Systematic review on vitamin D level in apparently healthy Indian population and analysis of its associated factors

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Sandhiya Selvarajan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Vitamin D which is involved in the maintenance of bone mineral homeostasis has been found to portray various pleiotropic effects. Although it has been widely accepted that serum 25-hydroxy Vitamin D level above 30 ng/ml is considered optimal for the biological actions of Vitamin D, there is a need to explore the levels of Vitamin D reported among Indians from various regions of the country. Hence, this systematic review aims to appraise the status of Vitamin D levels reported from apparently healthy Indians across various parts of India. Methodology: A comprehensive literature search was carried out to identify the range of Vitamin D levels among apparently healthy individuals from various parts of India, with the search term “Vitamin D and India” in the search portals of PubMed, Google Scholar, Indmed, and ScienceDirect. A total of 2998 articles were retrieved by the above search strategy, of which only forty studies fulfilled the criteria to be included in the systematic review. Studies done in various states were compiled under the respective zones based on the classification of Indian zones as specified in Zonal maps of India. Results: The level of Vitamin D from all the forty included studies ranged from 3.15 ± 1.4 to 52.9 ± 33.7 ng/ml. The effect size of Vitamin D level was higher in the South Zone compared to other zones. Conclusion: The present study shows that Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among apparently healthy Indians living in different regions of India, irrespective of their exposure to sunlight.

Apparent carbohydrate and lipid digestibility of feeds for whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Decapoda: Penaeidae, cultivated at different salinities

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Milena Gucic

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei is one of the most commercially farmed species worldwide because of its fast growth, good survival rate at high farming densities, and osmoregulatory capacity, which makes it an excellent candidate for cultures at different salinities. The knowledge of shrimp nutritional requirements is critical in the formulation of diets to allow optimal growth at different environmental conditions and development stages. The effect of salinity on apparent digestibility of shrimp feed is not well known, and this information is required in shrimp diet formulation. For this purpose, the apparent digestibility coefficients of carbohydrates (ACD and lipids (ALD were determined for juvenile whiteleg shrimps under controlled culture conditions. We evaluated the apparent digestibility of six commercial (D1:37CP, D2:38CP, D3:39CP, D4:34CP, D5:35CP, and D6:37CP and two experimental (E1:33CP and E2:33CP diets for juvenile whiteleg shrimp cultivated at three salinities (5, 35 and 50psu in 60L aquariums. ACD and ALD were determined in vivo using chromic oxide as an inert marker. Our results showed that ALD in most cases was over 80%, independent of salinity, except the E1:33CPdiet which had 74.0% at 50psu. Diet D3:39CP showed the highest ALD coefficient (90.1 and 90.6% at 5 and 35psu, respectively. For ACD, differences were detected between commercial and experimental diets at every salinity level, although salinity effect on ACD was not significant. Diet D4:34CP had the highest coefficient (92.4% at 5psu, and E2:33CP at 35 and 50psu (97.3 and 94.7%. This study demonstrated that there is no significant effect of saline variations on carbohydrate and lipid digestibility by juvenile whiteleg shrimp, under the experimental conditions. Rev. Biol. Trop. 61 (3: 1201-1213. Epub 2013 September 01.

Strength of Gamma Rhythm Depends on Normalization

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Supratim; Ni, Amy M.; Maunsell, John H. R.

2013-01-01

Neuronal assemblies often exhibit stimulus-induced rhythmic activity in the gamma range (30–80 Hz), whose magnitude depends on the attentional load. This has led to the suggestion that gamma rhythms form dynamic communication channels across cortical areas processing the features of behaviorally relevant stimuli. Recently, attention has been linked to a normalization mechanism, in which the response of a neuron is suppressed (normalized) by the overall activity of a large pool of neighboring neurons. In this model, attention increases the excitatory drive received by the neuron, which in turn also increases the strength of normalization, thereby changing the balance of excitation and inhibition. Recent studies have shown that gamma power also depends on such excitatory–inhibitory interactions. Could modulation in gamma power during an attention task be a reflection of the changes in the underlying excitation–inhibition interactions? By manipulating the normalization strength independent of attentional load in macaque monkeys, we show that gamma power increases with increasing normalization, even when the attentional load is fixed. Further, manipulations of attention that increase normalization increase gamma power, even when they decrease the firing rate. Thus, gamma rhythms could be a reflection of changes in the relative strengths of excitation and normalization rather than playing a functional role in communication or control. PMID:23393427

The Problems of Proving Actual or Apparent Bias: An Analysis of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article takes a critical look at the divergent approaches of courts in constructing the meaning of actual and apparent bias in adjudicative contexts. ... which has seemingly emerged is that which weighs the allegations of bias against the presumption of impartiality and the requirements of the double reasonableness test.

A comparison of vowel normalization procedures for language variation research

Science.gov (United States)

Adank, Patti; Smits, Roel; van Hout, Roeland

2004-11-01

An evaluation of vowel normalization procedures for the purpose of studying language variation is presented. The procedures were compared on how effectively they (a) preserve phonemic information, (b) preserve information about the talker's regional background (or sociolinguistic information), and (c) minimize anatomical/physiological variation in acoustic representations of vowels. Recordings were made for 80 female talkers and 80 male talkers of Dutch. These talkers were stratified according to their gender and regional background. The normalization procedures were applied to measurements of the fundamental frequency and the first three formant frequencies for a large set of vowel tokens. The normalization procedures were evaluated through statistical pattern analysis. The results show that normalization procedures that use information across multiple vowels (``vowel-extrinsic'' information) to normalize a single vowel token performed better than those that include only information contained in the vowel token itself (``vowel-intrinsic'' information). Furthermore, the results show that normalization procedures that operate on individual formants performed better than those that use information across multiple formants (e.g., ``formant-extrinsic'' F2-F1). .

CoBOP: Microbial Biofilms: A Parameter Altering the Apparent Optical Properties of Sediments, Seagrasses and Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

2002-09-30

CoBOP: Microbial Biofilms: A Parameter Altering the Apparent Optical Properties of Sediments, Seagrasses and Surfaces Alan W. Decho Department...TITLE AND SUBTITLE CoBOP: Microbial Biofilms: A Parameter Altering the Apparent Optical Properties of Sediments, Seagrasses and Surfaces 5a. CONTRACT...structures produced by bacteria. Their growth appears to depend on biofilm processes and light distributions ( photosynthesis ). Therefore, the data acquired

Sex-related differences in the normal cardiac response to upright exercise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higginbotham, M.B.; Morris, K.G.; Coleman, R.E.; Cobb, F.R.

1984-01-01

In previous studies from this laboratory, it was found that approximately 30% of women with chest pain and normal coronary arteries demonstrated either a decrease in or a failure to increase radionuclide ejection fraction during exercise. To examine the hypothesis that this apparent abnormality in left ventricular function represents a physiologic difference between men and women, a prospective study was made of central and peripheral cardiovascular responses to exercise in 31 age-matched healthy volunteers (16 women and 15 men). A combination of quantitative radionuclide (technetium) angiography and expired-gas analysis was used to measure ejection fraction and relative changes in end-diastolic counts, stroke counts, count output, and arteriovenous oxygen difference during symptom-limited upright bicycle exercise. Normal male and female volunteers demonstrated comparable baseline left ventricular function and similar aerobic capacity, as determined by weight-adjusted peak oxygen consumption. However, their cardiac responses to exercise were significantly different. The ejection fraction increased by 5 points or more in 14 of 15 men, but in only seven of the 16 women. End-diastolic counts increased by 30% in women, but was unchanged in men. Because decreases in ejection fraction were matched by increases in end-diastolic counts, relative increases in stroke counts and count output were the same for men and women. These data demonstrate a basic difference between men and women with respect to the mechanism by which they achieve a normal response of stroke volume to exercise; these differences must be taken into account when measurements of cardiac function during exercise stress are used for diagnostic purposes

Comparison between apparent viscosity related to irradiation dose for corn starch and black pepper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casandroiu, T.; Oprita, N.; Ferdes, O.S.

1999-01-01

Dose-effect relationship was studied in the rheoviscometric behaviour of geliffied suspensions of irradiated corn starch and black pepper, as the variation of the apparent viscosity and the shear stress related to the dose. Irradiation has been performed up to 16 kGy. Black pepper was ground and sieved to three particle sizes to analyse also the influence of particle size on the apparent viscosity variation by dose. The rheoviscometric measurements have been carried out by a rotationary viscometer on geliffied suspensions of starch and black pepper, into equivalent starch concentration and alkalinised suspensions for pepper. For starch, shear stress variation by dose is exponential, where the coefficients depend on the shear rate. For black pepper, the curves of apparent viscosity relation to dose also fit an exponential equation and the influence of particle size is discussed, too. Viscometric behaviour similar to irradiation of both corn starch and black pepper could be attributed to starch degradation at relatively high doses and should be used to develop an identification and control method for the ionizing treatment of starch-based food materials. (author)

The use of MRI apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC in monitoring the development of brain infarction

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Yuan Jian-Jun

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To study the rules that apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC changes with time and space in cerebral infarction, and to provide the evidence in defining the infarction stages. Methods 117 work-ups in 98 patients with cerebral infarction (12 hyperacute, 43 acute, 29 subacute, 10 steady, and 23 chronic infarctions were imaged with both conventional MRI and diffusion weighted imaging. The average ADC values, the relative ADC (rADC values, and the ADC values or rADC values from the center to the periphery of the lesion were calculated. Results The average ADC values and the rADC values of hyperacute and acute infarction lesion depressed obviously. rADC values in hyperacute and acute stage was minimized, and increased progressively as time passed and appeared as "pseudonormal" values in approximately 8 to 14 days. Thereafter, rADC values became greater than normal in chronic stage. There was positive correlation between rADC values and time (P Conclusion The ADC values of infarction lesions have evolution rules with time and space. The evolution rules with time and those in space can be helpful to decide the clinical stage, and to provide the evidence in guiding the treatment or judging the prognosis in infarction.

An Estimation of the Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Apparent Optical Brightness Distribution Function

Science.gov (United States)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Swan, Heather F.

2007-12-01

By using recent publicly available observational data obtained in conjunction with the NASA Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) mission and a novel data analysis technique, we have been able to make some rough estimates of the GRB afterglow apparent optical brightness distribution function. The results suggest that 71% of all burst afterglows have optical magnitudes with mRa strong indication that the apparent optical magnitude distribution function peaks at mR~19.5. Such estimates may prove useful in guiding future plans to improve GRB counterpart observation programs. The employed numerical techniques might find application in a variety of other data analysis problems in which the intrinsic distributions must be inferred from a heterogeneous sample.

Prevalence and type of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in an apparently healthy Nigerian population: a cross sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Onwah, A Lawretta; Adeyemo, Titilope A; Adediran, Adewumi; Ajibola, Sarah O; Akanmu, Alani S

2012-06-28

The prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a premalignant plasma-cell disorder has not been determined in our geographic area Nigeria. A cross sectional survey was carried on apparently healthy Nigerians selected by multistage sampling technique from the cosmopolitan city of Lagos, Nigeria. Subjects enrolled into the study had 2-step screening for the presence, type and concentration of monoclonal band. Agarose-gel electrophoresis was performed on all serum samples, and any serum sample with a discrete band of monoclonal protein or thought to have a localized band was subjected to Immunofixation. Subjects were also evaluated for Bence jones proteinuria, haematological and biochemical parameters. Four hundred and ten subjects with a mean age of 45.68 ± 10.3 years, a median of 45.00 years and a range of 20 to 80 years were enrolled into the study. MGUS was identified in only one (0.24 percent) of the 410 study subject. This subject was demonstrated to have a double monoclonal gammopathy; IgGλ at 16.9 g/L and IgAκ at 8.5 g/L. None of them including the sole subject with MGUS had a monoclonal urinary light chain. Among residents of Lagos, Nigeria, MGUS was found in only 0.24% percent of apparently normal persons with a median age of 45 years. This suggests that MGUS which represents the earliest stage of monoclonal plasma/lymphoid cell proliferation is not a common finding in the relatively young population of Nigeria. Future epidemiologic studies dealing with plasma cell disorders in older people are required to carefully examine the relationship between environmental factors and prevalence of MGUS and its ultimate progression to MM.

Comparison of the prognosis and recurrence of apparent early-stage ovarian tumors treated with laparoscopy and laparotomy: a meta-analysis of clinical studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Ying; Fan, Shuying; Xiang, Yang; Duan, Hua; Sun, Li

2015-01-01

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prognosis and recurrence of apparent early-stage ovarian tumors treated with laparoscopy compared with laparotomy. Clinical studies published in English were retrieved from the computerized databases Medline and Embase. A meta-analysis was performed to investigate the differences in the efficacy and safety of laparoscopy versus laparotomy in terms of postoperative complications, lengths of hospital stay, recurrence rates, and disease-free survival times using the random effects model. The studies were independently reviewed by two investigators. Data from the eligible studies were extracted, and the meta-analysis was performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis program, version 2 (CMA-2; Biostat, Englewood, NJ, USA). A total of 8 studies were included in the analysis. The results showed that laparoscopic surgery was significantly associated with lower rates of complications (OR = 0.433, P = 0.019) and shorter postoperative hospital stays (weighted mean difference [WMD] = −0.974, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the rates of recurrence (OR = 0.707, P = 0.521) between patients with apparent early-stage ovarian tumors who were treated using laparoscopy and those who underwent laparotomy. No publication bias was detected. Laparoscopic surgery shows favorable prognostic outcomes in terms of postoperative complication rates and postoperative hospital stay durations. Further studies with longer follow-up periods are required to confirm recurrence and survival outcomes after laparoscopic surgery in patients with apparent early-stage ovarian tumors

Best in show but not best shape: a photographic assessment of show dog body condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Such, Z R; German, A J

2015-08-01

Previous studies suggest that owners often wrongly perceive overweight dogs to be in normal condition. The body shape of dogs attending shows might influence owners' perceptions, with online images of overweight show winners having a negative effect. This was an observational in silico study of canine body condition. 14 obese-prone breeds and 14 matched non-obese-probe breeds were first selected, and one operator then used an online search engine to identify 40 images, per breed, of dogs that had appeared at a major national UK show (Crufts). After images were anonymised and coded, a second observer subjectively assessed body condition, in a single sitting, using a previously validated method. Of 1120 photographs initially identified, 960 were suitable for assessing body condition, with all unsuitable images being from longhaired breeds. None of the dogs (0 per cent) were underweight, 708 (74 per cent) were in ideal condition and 252 (26 per cent) were overweight. Pugs, basset hounds and Labrador retrievers were most likely to be overweight, while standard poodles, Rhodesian ridgebacks, Hungarian vizslas and Dobermanns were least likely to be overweight. Given the proportion of show dogs from some breeds that are overweight, breed standards should be redefined to be consistent with a dog in optimal body condition. British Veterinary Association.

Evaluation of Patients with an Apparent False Positive Stool DNA Test: The Role of Repeat Stool DNA Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Gregory S; Markowitz, Sanford D; Chen, Zhengyi; Tuck, Missy; Willis, Joseph E; Berger, Barry M; Brenner, Dean E; Li, Li

2018-03-07

There is uncertainty as to the appropriate follow-up of patients who test positive on multimarker stool DNA (sDNA) testing and have a colonoscopy without neoplasia. To determine the prevalence of missed colonic or occult upper gastrointestinal neoplasia in patients with an apparent false positive sDNA. We prospectively identified 30 patients who tested positive with a commercially available sDNA followed by colonoscopy without neoplastic lesions. Patients were invited to undergo repeat sDNA at 11-29 months after the initial test followed by repeat colonoscopy and upper endoscopy. We determined the presence of neoplastic lesions on repeat evaluation stratified by results of repeat sDNA. Twelve patients were restudied. Seven patients had a negative second sDNA test and a normal second colonoscopy and upper endoscopy. In contrast, 5 of 12 subjects had a persistently positive second sDNA test, and 3 had positive findings, including a 3-cm sessile transverse colon adenoma with high-grade dysplasia, a 2-cm right colon sessile serrated adenoma with dysplasia, and a nonadvanced colon adenoma (p = 0.045). These corresponded to a positive predictive value of 0.60 (95% CI 0.17-1.00) and a negative predictive value of 1.00 (95% CI 1.00-1.00) for the second sDNA test. In addition, the medical records of all 30 subjects with apparent false positive testing were reviewed and no documented cases of malignant tumors were recorded. Repeat positive sDNA testing may identify a subset of patients with missed or occult colorectal neoplasia after negative colonoscopy for an initially positive sDNA. High-quality colonoscopy with careful attention to the right colon in patients with positive sDNA is critically important and may avoid false negative colonoscopy.

Hemoglobin A1c Is Positively Correlated with Framingham Risk Score in Older, Apparently Healthy Nondiabetic Korean Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji Hye Shin

2013-06-01

Full Text Available BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested that elevated levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD in nondiabetic individuals. However, it is unclear whether HbA1c levels can serve as a simple screening marker for increased CVD risk in nondiabetic individuals. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between HbA1c levels and CVD risk using the Framingham risk score (FRS in older, apparently healthy nondiabetic Korean adults.MethodsWe retrospectively studied 2,879 Korean adults between the ages of 40 and 79 who underwent voluntary health check-ups at the Health Promotion Center of our hospital from July 2009 to June 2011. Subjects were subdivided based on their HbA1c levels into four groups: tertiles within the HbA1c normal tolerance range and a group for subjects with an increased risk for diabetes (IRD.ResultsThe mean FRS for the upper tertile (9.6±3.8 group was significantly higher than that of the middle tertile (8.4±4.0 and lower tertile (7.6±3.8 groups. In addition, FRS was highest in the IRD group (10.5±3.7. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that HbA1c levels exhibited a significant positive correlation with FRS when adjusted for confounding variables in all subjects (β±standard error [SE], 0.018±0.002; R2, 0.131, women (β±SE, 0.023±0.003; R2, 0.170, and men (β±SE, 0.016±0.004; R2, 0.109.ConclusionHbA1c levels were positively correlated with FRS in older, apparently healthy nondiabetic Korean adults. We propose that HbA1c levels may reflect CVD risk in nondiabetic individuals.

Temporal ventriloquism along the path of apparent motion: speed perception under different spatial grouping principles.

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Ogulmus, Cansu; Karacaoglu, Merve; Kafaligonul, Hulusi

2018-03-01

The coordination of intramodal perceptual grouping and crossmodal interactions plays a critical role in constructing coherent multisensory percepts. However, the basic principles underlying such coordinating mechanisms still remain unclear. By taking advantage of an illusion called temporal ventriloquism and its influences on perceived speed, we investigated how audiovisual interactions in time are modulated by the spatial grouping principles of vision. In our experiments, we manipulated the spatial grouping principles of proximity, uniform connectedness, and similarity/common fate in apparent motion displays. Observers compared the speed of apparent motions across different sound timing conditions. Our results revealed that the effects of sound timing (i.e., temporal ventriloquism effects) on perceived speed also existed in visual displays containing more than one object and were modulated by different spatial grouping principles. In particular, uniform connectedness was found to modulate these audiovisual interactions in time. The effect of sound timing on perceived speed was smaller when horizontal connecting bars were introduced along the path of apparent motion. When the objects in each apparent motion frame were not connected or connected with vertical bars, the sound timing was more influential compared to the horizontal bar conditions. Overall, our findings here suggest that the effects of sound timing on perceived speed exist in different spatial configurations and can be modulated by certain intramodal spatial grouping principles such as uniform connectedness.

Effect of nifedipine on gastric emptying in normal subjects

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Traube, M.; Lange, R.C.; McAllister, R.G.; McCallum, R.W.

1985-05-01

Nifedipine (N) inhibits calcium entry into smooth muscle cells and relaxes esophageal smooth muscle. The authors studied N's effect on gastric emptying of liquids and solids. Ten normal subjects underwent radionuclide (In-111-DTPA in water and Tc-99m-sulfur colloid tagged to chicken liver) emptying tests with and without 30 mg N given orally 20 min prior to meal ingestion. Peak plasma N levels were either 30 or 60 min after drug dosing and showed a 3-fold variation (low 145 ng/ml, high 434 ng/ml). Both mean N levels and integral concentration time values were twice as high as those obtained after 30 mg sublingual dosing in normals previously studied in our lab. The authors conclude that plasma N levels which are associated with significant esophageal motility effects do not change gastric emptying in normal subjects. The data also show that N levels are greater after oral than sublingual dosing of 30 mg in normal subjects.

Effect of nifedipine on gastric emptying in normal subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traube, M.; Lange, R.C.; McAllister, R.G.; McCallum, R.W.

1985-01-01

Nifedipine (N) inhibits calcium entry into smooth muscle cells and relaxes esophageal smooth muscle. The authors studied N's effect on gastric emptying of liquids and solids. Ten normal subjects underwent radionuclide (In-111-DTPA in water and Tc-99m-sulfur colloid tagged to chicken liver) emptying tests with and without 30 mg N given orally 20 min prior to meal ingestion. Peak plasma N levels were either 30 or 60 min after drug dosing and showed a 3-fold variation (low 145 ng/ml, high 434 ng/ml). Both mean N levels and integral concentration time values were twice as high as those obtained after 30 mg sublingual dosing in normals previously studied in our lab. The authors conclude that plasma N levels which are associated with significant esophageal motility effects do not change gastric emptying in normal subjects. The data also show that N levels are greater after oral than sublingual dosing of 30 mg in normal subjects

Normal zone soliton in large composite superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupferman, R.; Mints, R.G.; Ben-Jacob, E.

1992-01-01

The study of normal zone of finite size (normal domains) in superconductors, has been continuously a subject of interest in the field of applied superconductivity. It was shown that in homogeneous superconductors normal domains are always unstable, so that if a normal domain nucleates, it will either expand or shrink. While testing the stability of large cryostable composite superconductors, a new phenomena was found, the existence of stable propagating normal solitons. The formation of these propagating domains was shown to be a result of the high Joule power generated in the superconductor during the relatively long process of current redistribution between the superconductor and the stabilizer. Theoretical studies were performed in investigate the propagation of normal domains in large composite super conductors in the cryostable regime. Huang and Eyssa performed numerical calculations simulating the diffusion of heat and current redistribution in the conductor, and showed the existence of stable propagating normal domains. They compared the velocity of normal domain propagation with the experimental data, obtaining a reasonable agreement. Dresner presented an analytical method to solve this problem if the time dependence of the Joule power is given. He performed explicit calculations of normal domain velocity assuming that the Joule power decays exponentially during the process of current redistribution. In this paper, the authors propose a system of two one-dimensional diffusion equations describing the dynamics of the temperature and the current density distributions along the conductor. Numerical simulations of the equations reconfirm the existence of propagating domains in the cryostable regime, while an analytical investigation supplies an explicit formula for the velocity of the normal domain

A preliminary DTI study showing no brain structural change associated with adolescent cannabis use

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Brown Kyle

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Analyses were performed on brain MRI scans from individuals who were frequent cannabis users (N = 10; 9 males, 1 female, mean age 21.1 ± 2.9, range: 18–27 in adolescence and similar age and sex matched young adults who never used cannabis (N = 10; 9 males, 1 female, mean age of 23.0 ± 4.4, range: 17–30. Cerebral atrophy and white matter integrity were determined using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI to quantify the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC and the fractional anisotropy (FA. Whole brain volumes, lateral ventricular volumes, and gray matter volumes of the amygdala-hippocampal complex, superior temporal gyrus, and entire temporal lobes (excluding the amygdala-hippocampal complex were also measured. While differences existed between groups, no pattern consistent with evidence of cerebral atrophy or loss of white matter integrity was detected. It is concluded that frequent cannabis use is unlikely to be neurotoxic to the normal developing adolescent brain.

Neural responses to silent lipreading in normal hearing male and female subjects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruytjens, Liesbet; Albers, Frans; van Dijk, Pim; Wit, Hero; Willemsen, Antoon

In the past, researchers investigated silent lipreading in normal hearing subjects with functional neuroimaging tools and showed how the brain processes visual stimuli that are normally accompanied by an auditory counterpart. Previously, we showed activation differences between males and females in

Evaluation of normalization methods in mammalian microRNA-Seq data

Science.gov (United States)

Garmire, Lana Xia; Subramaniam, Shankar

2012-01-01

Simple total tag count normalization is inadequate for microRNA sequencing data generated from the next generation sequencing technology. However, so far systematic evaluation of normalization methods on microRNA sequencing data is lacking. We comprehensively evaluate seven commonly used normalization methods including global normalization, Lowess normalization, Trimmed Mean Method (TMM), quantile normalization, scaling normalization, variance stabilization, and invariant method. We assess these methods on two individual experimental data sets with the empirical statistical metrics of mean square error (MSE) and Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) statistic. Additionally, we evaluate the methods with results from quantitative PCR validation. Our results consistently show that Lowess normalization and quantile normalization perform the best, whereas TMM, a method applied to the RNA-Sequencing normalization, performs the worst. The poor performance of TMM normalization is further evidenced by abnormal results from the test of differential expression (DE) of microRNA-Seq data. Comparing with the models used for DE, the choice of normalization method is the primary factor that affects the results of DE. In summary, Lowess normalization and quantile normalization are recommended for normalizing microRNA-Seq data, whereas the TMM method should be used with caution. PMID:22532701

Helicon normal modes in Proto-MPEX

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Piotrowicz, P. A.; Caneses, J. F.; Green, D. L.; Goulding, R. H.; Lau, C.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Rapp, J.; Ruzic, D. N.

2018-05-01

The Proto-MPEX helicon source has been operating in a high electron density ‘helicon-mode’. Establishing plasma densities and magnetic field strengths under the antenna that allow for the formation of normal modes of the fast-wave are believed to be responsible for the ‘helicon-mode’. A 2D finite-element full-wave model of the helicon antenna on Proto-MPEX is used to identify the fast-wave normal modes responsible for the steady-state electron density profile produced by the source. We also show through the simulation that in the regions of operation in which core power deposition is maximum the slow-wave does not deposit significant power besides directly under the antenna. In the case of a simulation where a normal mode is not excited significant edge power is deposited in the mirror region. ).

IRAS far-infrared colours of normal stars

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Waters, L. B. F. M.; Cote, J.; Aumann, H. H.

1987-01-01

The analysis of IRAS observations at 12, 25, 60 and 100 microns of bright stars of spectral type O to M is presented. The objective is to identify the 'normal' stellar population and to characterize it in terms of the relationships between (B-V) and (V-/12/), between (R-I) and (V-/12/), and as a function of spectral type and luminosity class. A well-defined relation is found between the color of normal stars in the visual (B-V), (R-I) and in the IR, which does not depend on luminosity class. Using the (B-V), (V-/12/) relation for normal stars, it is found that B and M type stars show a large fraction of deviating stars, mostly with IR excess that is probably caused by circumstellar material. A comparison of IRAS colors with the Johnson colors as a function of spectral type shows good agreement except for the K0 to M5 type stars. The results will be useful in identifying the deviating stars detected with IRAS.

Apparent relationship between thermal regime in Antarctic waters and Indian summer monsoon

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Menon, H.B.; RameshBabu, V.; Sastry, J.S.

) charts for the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean during 2 contrasting years (1977 and 1979) of summer monsoon over India. The results suggest an apparent relationship between the thermal regimes in the Antarctic waters of the Indian Ocean sector...

Predicting postnatal renal function of prenatally detected posterior urethral valves using fetal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient determination.

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Faure, Alice; Panait, Nicoleta; Panuel, Michel; Alessandrini, Pierre; D'Ercole, Claude; Chaumoitre, Kathia; Merrot, Thierry

2017-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of fetal diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) determination to predict postnatal renal function (nadir creatinine at 1 year and eGFR) of men with posterior urethral valves (PUV). Between 2003 and 2014, 11 MRI were performed on fetuses (between 28 and 32 weeks) in whom second trimester sonography suggested severe bilateral urinary tract anomalies, suspected of PUV. The ADC of the 11 fetuses ranged from 1.3 to 2.86 mm 2  s -1 (median = 1.79 mm 2  s -1 , normal range for fetal kidney: 1.1-1.8). Two pregnancies with ADC > 2.6 mm 2  s -1 were interrupted; the autopsy confirmed PUV and Potter syndrome. For the remaining nine babies, the follow-up was 5.4 years (0.8-10). Four children with abnormal ADC (1.8-2.3) had chronic kidney disease. The remaining five cases with normal nadir creatinine and eGFR had normal ADC. One case with unilateral elevated ADC had a poor ipsilateral renal function on dimercaptosuccinic acid scan. Here, it seems that diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with ADC determination could be useful in accurately evaluating fetal kidneys in PUV and predicting renal function. It may be an additional, non-invasive method when biologic and sonographic findings are inconclusive, especially in the case of oligohydramnios. Further studies are needed to confirm our data. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of Red Blood Cell Aggregation on the Apparent Viscosity of Blood Flow in Tubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hitt, Darren L.; Lowe, Mary L.

1996-11-01

In arterioles and venules (20-200μ diameter), the low shear rates enable red blood cells to form aggregate structures of varying sizes and morphology. The size and distribution of the aggregates affect the flow impedance within a microvascular network; this effect may be characterized by an "apparent viscosity". In this study, we measure the apparent viscosity of blood flow in 50μ glass tubes as a function of shear rate and red blood cell volume fraction (hematocrit); for a fixed tube geometry and an imposed flow rate, the viscosity is determined by measuring the pressure drop across the tube. To correlate the apparent viscosity with the size and spatial distribution of the aggregates in the flow, video images of the flow are recorded and analyzed using power spectral techniques. Pig blood and sheep blood are used as the models for aggregating and non-aggregating blood, respectively. Supported by NSF PFF Award CTS-9253633

Apparent competition and native consumers exacerbate the strong competitive effect of an exotic plant species.

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Orrock, John L; Dutra, Humberto P; Marquis, Robert J; Barber, Nicholas

2015-04-01

Direct and indirect effects can play a key role in invasions, but experiments evaluating both are rare. We examined the roles of direct competition and apparent competition by exotic Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) by manipulating (1) L. maackii vegetation, (2) presence of L. maackii fruits, and (3) access to plants by small mammals and deer. Direct competition with L. maackii reduced the abundance and richness of native and exotic species, and native consumers significantly reduced the abundance and richness of native species. Although effects of direct competition and consumption were more pervasive, richness of native plants was also reduced through apparent competition, as small-mammal consumers reduced richness only when L. maackii fruits were present. Our experiment reveals the multiple, interactive pathways that affect the success and impact of an invasive exotic plant: exotic plants may directly benefit from reduced attack by native consumers, may directly exert strong competitive effects on native plants, and may also benefit from apparent competition.

Is NAA reduction in normal contralateral cerebral tissue in stroke patients dependent on underlying risk factors?

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Walker, P M; Ben Salem, D; Giroud, M; Brunotte, F

2006-05-01

This retrospective study investigated the dependence of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) ratios on risk factors for cerebral vasculopathy such as sex, age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, carotid stenosis, and dyslipidaemia, which may have affected brain vessels and induced metabolic brain abnormalities prior to stroke. We hypothesise that in stroke patients metabolic alterations in the apparently normal contralateral brain are dependent on the presence or not of such risk factors. Fifty nine patients (31 male, 28 female: 58.8+/-16.1 years old) with cortical middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory infarction were included. Long echo time chemical shift imaging spectroscopy was carried out on a Siemens 1.5 T Magnetom Vision scanner using a multi-voxel PRESS technique. Metabolite ratios (NAA/choline, NAA/creatine, lactate/choline, etc) were studied using uni- and multivariate analyses with respect to common risk factors. The influence of age, stroke lesion size, and time since stroke was studied using a linear regression approach. Age, sex, and hypertension all appeared to individually influence metabolite ratios, although only hypertension was significant after multivariate analysis. In both basal ganglia and periventricular white matter regions in apparently normal contralateral brain, the NAA/choline ratio was significantly lower in hypertensive (1.37+/-0.16 and 1.50+/-0.19, respectively) than in normotensive patients (1.72+/-0.19 and 1.85+/-0.15, respectively). Regarding MCA infarction, contralateral tissue remote from the lesion behaves abnormally in the presence of hypertension, the NAA ratios in hypertensive patients being significantly lower. These data suggest that hypertension may compromise the use of contralateral tissue data as a reference for comparison with ischaemic tissue.

Study of cerebral metabolism of glucose in normal human brain correlated with age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Si, M.

2007-01-01

Full text: The objective was to determine whether cerebral metabolism in various regions of the brain differs with advancing age by using 18F-FDG PET instrument and SPM software. Materials and Methods We reviewed clinical information of 295 healthy normal samples who were examined by a whole body GE Discovery LS PET-CT instrument in our center from Aug. 2004 to Dec. 2005.They (with the age ranging from 21 to 88; mean age+/-SD: 49.77+/-13.51) were selected with: (i)absence of clear focal brain lesions (epilepsy.cerebrovascular diseases etc);(ii) absence of metabolic diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and diabetes;(iii) absence of psychiatric disorders and abuse of drugs and alcohol. They were sub grouped into six groups with the interval of 10 years old starting from 21, and the gender, educational background and serum glucose were matched. All subgroups were compared to the control group of 31-40 years old (84 samples; mean age+/-SD: 37.15+/-2.63). All samples were injected with 18F-FDG (5.55MBq/kg), 45-60 minutes later, their brains were scanned for 10min. Pixel-by-pixel t-statistic analysis was applied to all brain images using the Statistical parametric mapping (SPM2) .The hypometabolic areas (p < 0. 01 or p<0.001, uncorrected) were identified in the Stereotaxic coordinate human brain atlas and three-dimensional localized by MNI Space utility (MSU) software. Results:Relative hypometabolic brain areas detected are mainly in the cortical structures such as bilateral prefrontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus(BA22), parietal cortex (inferior parietal lobule and precuneus(BA40, insula(BA13)), parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala (p<0.01).It is especially apparent in the prefrontal cortex (BA9)and sensory-motor cortex(BA5, 7) (p<0.001), while basal ganglia and cerebellum remained metabolically unchanged with advancing age. Conclusions Regional cerebral metabolism of glucose shows a descent tendency with aging, especially in the prefrontal cortex (BA9)and

Apparent quasar disc sizes in the "bird's nest" paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Abolmasov, P.

2017-04-01

Context. Quasar microlensing effects make it possible to measure the accretion disc sizes around distant supermassive black holes that are still well beyond the spatial resolution of contemporary instrumentation. The sizes measured with this technique appear inconsistent with the standard accretion disc model. Not only are the measured accretion disc sizes larger, but their dependence on wavelength is in most cases completely different from the predictions of the standard model. Aims: We suggest that these discrepancies may arise not from non-standard accretion disc structure or systematic errors, as it was proposed before, but rather from scattering and reprocession of the radiation of the disc. In particular, the matter falling from the gaseous torus and presumably feeding the accretion disc may at certain distances become ionized and produce an extended halo that is free from colour gradients. Methods: A simple analytical model is proposed assuming that a geometrically thick translucent inflow acts as a scattering mirror changing the apparent spatial properties of the disc. This inflow may be also identified with the broad line region or its inner parts. Results: Such a model is able to explain the basic properties of the apparent disc sizes, primarily their large values and their shallow dependence on wavelength. The only condition required is to scatter a significant portion of the luminosity of the disc. This can easily be fulfilled if the scattering inflow has a large geometrical thickness and clumpy structure.

"Differently normal" and "normally different": negotiations of female embodiment in women's accounts of 'atypical' sex development.

Science.gov (United States)

Guntram, Lisa

2013-12-01

During recent decades numerous feminist scholars have scrutinized the two-sex model and questioned its status in Western societies and medicine. Along the same line, increased attention has been paid to individuals' experiences of atypical sex development, also known as intersex or 'disorders of sex development' (DSD). Yet research on individuals' experiences of finding out about their atypical sex development in adolescence has been scarce. Against this backdrop, the present article analyses 23 in-depth interviews with women who in their teens found out about their atypical sex development. The interviews were conducted during 2009-2012 and the interviewees were all Swedish. Drawing on feminist research on female embodiment and social scientific studies on diagnosis, I examine how the women make sense of their bodies and situations. First, I aim to explore how the women construe normality as they negotiate female embodiment. Second, I aim to investigate how the divergent manners in which these negotiations are expressed can be further understood via the women's different access to a diagnosis. Through a thematic and interpretative analysis, I outline two negotiation strategies: the "differently normal" and the "normally different" strategy. In the former, the women present themselves as just slightly different from 'normal' women. In the latter, they stress that everyone is different in some manner and thereby claim normalcy. The analysis shows that access to diagnosis corresponds to the ways in which the women present themselves as "differently normal" and "normally different", thus shedding light on the complex role of diagnosis in their negotiations of female embodiment. It also reveals that the women make use of what they do have and how alignments with and work on norms interplay as normality is construed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A general approach to double-moment normalization of drop size distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, G. W.; Sempere-Torres, D.; Uijlenhoet, R.; Zawadzki, I.

2003-04-01

Normalization of drop size distributions (DSDs) is re-examined here. First, we present an extension of scaling normalization using one moment of the DSD as a parameter (as introduced by Sempere-Torres et al, 1994) to a scaling normalization using two moments as parameters of the normalization. It is shown that the normalization of Testud et al. (2001) is a particular case of the two-moment scaling normalization. Thus, a unified vision of the question of DSDs normalization and a good model representation of DSDs is given. Data analysis shows that from the point of view of moment estimation least square regression is slightly more effective than moment estimation from the normalized average DSD.

Apparent temperature and cause-specific emergency hospital admissions in Greater Copenhagen, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wichmann, Janine; Andersen, Zorana; Ketzel, Matthias

2011-01-01

One of the key climate change factors, temperature, has potentially grave implications for human health. We report the first attempt to investigate the association between the daily 3-hour maximum apparent temperature (Tapp(max)) and respiratory (RD), cardiovascular (CVD), and cerebrovascular (CBD...

Concurrent temporal stability of the apparent electrical conductivity and soil water content

Science.gov (United States)

Knowledge of spatio-temporal soil water content (SWC) variability within agricultural fields is useful to improve crop management. Spatial patterns of soil water contents can be characterized using the temporal stability analysis, however high density sampling is required. Soil apparent electrical c...

Apparent diffusion coefficient mapping in medulloblastoma predicts non-infiltrative surgical planes.

Science.gov (United States)

Marupudi, Neena I; Altinok, Deniz; Goncalves, Luis; Ham, Steven D; Sood, Sandeep

2016-11-01

An appropriate surgical approach for posterior fossa lesions is to start tumor removal from areas with a defined plane to where tumor is infiltrating the brainstem or peduncles. This surgical approach minimizes risk of damage to eloquent areas. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the current standard preoperative imaging obtained for diagnosis and surgical planning of pediatric posterior fossa tumors, it offers limited information on the infiltrative planes between tumor and normal structures in patients with medulloblastomas. Because medulloblastomas demonstrate diffusion restriction on apparent diffusion coefficient map (ADC map) sequences, we investigated the role of ADC map in predicting infiltrative and non-infiltrative planes along the brain stem and/or cerebellar peduncles by medulloblastomas prior to surgery. Thirty-four pediatric patients with pathologically confirmed medulloblastomas underwent surgical resection at our facility from 2004 to 2012. An experienced pediatric neuroradiologist reviewed the brain MRIs/ADC map, assessing the planes between the tumor and cerebellar peduncles/brain stem. An independent evaluator documented surgical findings from operative reports for comparison to the radiographic findings. The radiographic findings were statistically compared to the documented intraoperative findings to determine predictive value of the test in identifying tumor infiltration of the brain stem cerebellar peduncles. Twenty-six patients had preoperative ADC mapping completed and thereby, met inclusion criteria. Mean age at time of surgery was 8.3 ± 4.6 years. Positive predictive value of ADC maps to predict tumor invasion of the brain stem and cerebellar peduncles ranged from 69 to 88 %; negative predictive values ranged from 70 to 89 %. Sensitivity approached 93 % while specificity approached 78 %. ADC maps are valuable in predicting the infiltrative and non-infiltrative planes along the tumor and brain stem interface in

Stiffness of sphere–plate contacts at MHz frequencies: dependence on normal load, oscillation amplitude, and ambient medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Vlachová

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The stiffness of micron-sized sphere–plate contacts was studied by employing high frequency, tangential excitation of variable amplitude (0–20 nm. The contacts were established between glass spheres and the surface of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM, where the resonator surface had been coated with either sputtered SiO2 or a spin-cast layer of poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA. The results from experiments undertaken in the dry state and in water are compared. Building on the shifts in the resonance frequency and resonance bandwidth, the instrument determines the real and the imaginary part of the contact stiffness, where the imaginary part quantifies dissipative processes. The method is closely analogous to related procedures in AFM-based metrology. The real part of the contact stiffness as a function of normal load can be fitted with the Johnson–Kendall–Roberts (JKR model. The contact stiffness was found to increase in the presence of liquid water. This finding is tentatively explained by the rocking motion of the spheres, which couples to a squeeze flow of the water close to the contact. The loss tangent of the contact stiffness is on the order of 0.1, where the energy losses are associated with interfacial processes. At high amplitudes partial slip was found to occur. The apparent contact stiffness at large amplitude depends linearly on the amplitude, as predicted by the Cattaneo–Mindlin model. This finding is remarkable insofar, as the Cattaneo–Mindlin model assumes Coulomb friction inside the sliding region. Coulomb friction is typically viewed as a macroscopic concept, related to surface roughness. An alternative model (formulated by Savkoor, which assumes a constant frictional stress in the sliding zone independent of the normal pressure, is inconsistent with the experimental data. The apparent friction coefficients slightly increase with normal force, which can be explained by nanoroughness. In other words, contact splitting

Measurement of Apparent Thermal Conductivity of JSC-1A Under Ambient Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Zeng-Guang; Kleinhenz, Julie E.

2011-01-01

The apparent thermal conductivity of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant was measured experimentally using a cylindrical apparatus. Eleven thermocouples were embedded in the simulant bed to obtain the steady state temperature distribution at various radial, axial, and azimuthal locations. The high aspect ratio of a cylindrical geometry was proven to provide a one-dimensional, axisymmetric temperature field. A test series was performed at atmospheric pressure with varying heat fluxes. The radial temperature distribution in each test fit a logarithmic function, indicating a constant thermal conductivity throughout the soil bed. However, thermal conductivity was not constant between tests at different heat fluxes. This variation is attributed to stresses created by thermal expansion of the simulant particles against the rigid chamber wall. Under stress-free conditions (20 deg C), the data suggest a temperature independent apparent conductivity of 0.1961 +/- 0.0070 W/m/ deg C

A Case of Apparent Contact Dermatitis Caused by Toxocara Infection

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Rosanna Qualizza

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Infection from Toxocara species may give rise to a large array of clinical symptoms, including apparent manifestations of allergy such as asthma, urticaria/angioedema, and dermatitis. We report a case, thus far not described, of contact dermatitis attributed to nickel allergy but caused by Toxocara infection. The patient was a 53-year-old woman presenting from 10 years a dermatitis affecting head, neck, and thorax. Patch tests initially performed gave a positive result to nickel, but avoidance of contact with nickel did not result in recovery. The patient referred to our Allergy Service in 2010 because of dermatitis to feet. Patch testing confirmed the positive result for nickel, but expanding the investigation a positive result for IgG antibodies to Toxocara was detected by Western blotting and ELISA. Treatment with mebendazole achieved immediate efficacy on feet dermatitis. Then, two courses of treatment with albendazole resulted in complete regression of dermatitis accompanied by development of negative ELISA and Western blotting for Toxocara antibodies. This report adds another misleading presentation of Toxocara infection as apparent contact dermatitis caused by nickel and suggests bearing in mind, in cases of contact dermatitis not responding to avoidance of the responsible hapten and to medical treatment, the possible causative role of Toxocara.

Prevalence of upper airway obstruction in patients with apparently asymptomatic euthyroid multi nodular goitre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunil K Menon

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: To study the prevalence of upper airway obstruction (UAO in "apparently asymptomatic" patients with euthyroid multinodular goitre (MNG and find correlation between clinical features, UAO on pulmonary function test (PFT and tracheal narrowing on computerised tomography (CT. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with apparently asymptomatic euthyroid MNG attending thyroid clinic in a tertiary centre underwent clinical examination to elicit features of UAO, PFT, and CT of neck and chest. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was done with SPSS version 11.5 using paired t-test, Chi square test, and Fisher′s exact test. P value of <0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: Fifty-six patients (52 females and four males were studied. The prevalence of UAO (PFT and significant tracheal narrowing (CT was 14.3%. and 9.3%, respectively. Clinical features failed to predict UAO or significant tracheal narrowing. Tracheal narrowing (CT did not correlate with UAO (PFT. Volume of goitre significantly correlated with degree of tracheal narrowing. Conclusions: Clinical features do not predict UAO on PFT or tracheal narrowing on CT in apparently asymptomatic patients with euthyroid MNG.

Prevalence of upper airway obstruction in patients with apparently asymptomatic euthyroid multi nodular goitre

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Sunil K.; Jagtap, Varsha S.; Sarathi, Vijaya; Lila, Anurag R.; Bandgar, Tushar R.; Menon, Padmavathy S; Shah, Nalini S.

2011-01-01

Aims: To study the prevalence of upper airway obstruction (UAO) in “apparently asymptomatic” patients with euthyroid multinodular goitre (MNG) and find correlation between clinical features, UAO on pulmonary function test (PFT) and tracheal narrowing on computerised tomography (CT). Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with apparently asymptomatic euthyroid MNG attending thyroid clinic in a tertiary centre underwent clinical examination to elicit features of UAO, PFT, and CT of neck and chest. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was done with SPSS version 11.5 using paired t-test, Chi square test, and Fisher's exact test. P value of <0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: Fifty-six patients (52 females and four males) were studied. The prevalence of UAO (PFT) and significant tracheal narrowing (CT) was 14.3%. and 9.3%, respectively. Clinical features failed to predict UAO or significant tracheal narrowing. Tracheal narrowing (CT) did not correlate with UAO (PFT). Volume of goitre significantly correlated with degree of tracheal narrowing. Conclusions: Clinical features do not predict UAO on PFT or tracheal narrowing on CT in apparently asymptomatic patients with euthyroid MNG. PMID:21966649

Normalizations of High Taylor Reynolds Number Power Spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Puga, Alejandro; Koster, Timothy; Larue, John C.

2014-11-01

The velocity power spectrum provides insight in how the turbulent kinetic energy is transferred from larger to smaller scales. Wind tunnel experiments are conducted where high intensity turbulence is generated by means of an active turbulence grid modeled after Makita's 1991 design (Makita, 1991) as implemented by Mydlarski and Warhaft (M&W, 1998). The goal of this study is to document the evolution of the scaling region and assess the relative collapse of several proposed normalizations over a range of Rλ from 185 to 997. As predicted by Kolmogorov (1963), an asymptotic approach of the slope (n) of the inertial subrange to - 5 / 3 with increasing Rλ is observed. There are three velocity power spectrum normalizations as presented by Kolmogorov (1963), Von Karman and Howarth (1938) and George (1992). Results show that the Von Karman and Howarth normalization does not collapse the velocity power spectrum as well as the Kolmogorov and George normalizations. The Kolmogorov normalization does a good job of collapsing the velocity power spectrum in the normalized high wavenumber range of 0 . 0002 University of California, Irvine Research Fund.

Normal female puberty in a developmental perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bourguignon, Jean-Pierre; Juul, Anders

2012-01-01

Puberty is unique in the sense that its onset shows an extraordinary individual variability of about 5 years, the basis of which being still elusive despite research efforts to understand the reason why. Continuing changes in environmental influences and interaction with genetic determinants...... with less obvious changes in menarcheal age. Conceptually, puberty and subsequent reproduction appear now to be influenced by conditions not only at the time when they occur, but also during fetal and perinatal life. In addition, these influences can be apparently opposing since early maturation follows...... fetal malnourishment and postnatal overfeeding. In this review, the semiology and pathophysiology of puberty are discussed in a lifelong developmental perspective....

The Influence of Normalization Weight in Population Pharmacokinetic Covariate Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Goulooze, Sebastiaan C; Völler, Swantje; Välitalo, Pyry A J; Calvier, Elisa A M; Aarons, Leon; Krekels, Elke H J; Knibbe, Catherijne A J

2018-03-23

In covariate (sub)models of population pharmacokinetic models, most covariates are normalized to the median value; however, for body weight, normalization to 70 kg or 1 kg is often applied. In this article, we illustrate the impact of normalization weight on the precision of population clearance (CL pop ) parameter estimates. The influence of normalization weight (70, 1 kg or median weight) on the precision of the CL pop estimate, expressed as relative standard error (RSE), was illustrated using data from a pharmacokinetic study in neonates with a median weight of 2.7 kg. In addition, a simulation study was performed to show the impact of normalization to 70 kg in pharmacokinetic studies with paediatric or obese patients. The RSE of the CL pop parameter estimate in the neonatal dataset was lowest with normalization to median weight (8.1%), compared with normalization to 1 kg (10.5%) or 70 kg (48.8%). Typical clearance (CL) predictions were independent of the normalization weight used. Simulations showed that the increase in RSE of the CL pop estimate with 70 kg normalization was highest in studies with a narrow weight range and a geometric mean weight away from 70 kg. When, instead of normalizing with median weight, a weight outside the observed range is used, the RSE of the CL pop estimate will be inflated, and should therefore not be used for model selection. Instead, established mathematical principles can be used to calculate the RSE of the typical CL (CL TV ) at a relevant weight to evaluate the precision of CL predictions.

Nature of mutants induced by ionizing radiation in cultured hamster cells. III. Molecular characterization of HPRT-deficient mutants induced by. gamma. -rays or. cap alpha. -particles showing that the majority have deletions of all or part of the hprt gene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thacker, J

1986-05-01

DNA from 58 independent HPRT-deficient mutants of V79 hamster cells induced by ionizing radiation was analysed by Southern blot hybridization to a full-length hamster hprt cDNA. About half of the ..gamma..-ray-induced mutants (20/43) were apparently total gene deletions, because they lacked all functional hprt gene sequences hybridizing to the cDNA probe. Another 10 mutants showed various partial deletions and/or rearrangements of the hprt gene. The remaining 13 mutants showed no detectable change in comparison to the structure of the normal gene, which correlated well with previous characterization of these mutants indicating that most carry point mutations in the hprt gene. Thus, 70% or more of radiation-induced HPRT-deficient mutants arise through large genetic changes, especially deletions of all or part of the hprt gene. 16 references, 4 figures, 1 table.

KERNEL MAD ALGORITHM FOR RELATIVE RADIOMETRIC NORMALIZATION

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Y. Bai

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The multivariate alteration detection (MAD algorithm is commonly used in relative radiometric normalization. This algorithm is based on linear canonical correlation analysis (CCA which can analyze only linear relationships among bands. Therefore, we first introduce a new version of MAD in this study based on the established method known as kernel canonical correlation analysis (KCCA. The proposed method effectively extracts the non-linear and complex relationships among variables. We then conduct relative radiometric normalization experiments on both the linear CCA and KCCA version of the MAD algorithm with the use of Landsat-8 data of Beijing, China, and Gaofen-1(GF-1 data derived from South China. Finally, we analyze the difference between the two methods. Results show that the KCCA-based MAD can be satisfactorily applied to relative radiometric normalization, this algorithm can well describe the nonlinear relationship between multi-temporal images. This work is the first attempt to apply a KCCA-based MAD algorithm to relative radiometric normalization.

Compressed normalized block difference for object tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yun; Zhang, Dengzhuo; Cai, Donglan; Zhou, Hao; Lan, Ge

2018-04-01

Feature extraction is very important for robust and real-time tracking. Compressive sensing provided a technical support for real-time feature extraction. However, all existing compressive tracking were based on compressed Haar-like feature, and how to compress many more excellent high-dimensional features is worth researching. In this paper, a novel compressed normalized block difference feature (CNBD) was proposed. For resisting noise effectively in a highdimensional normalized pixel difference feature (NPD), a normalized block difference feature extends two pixels in the original formula of NPD to two blocks. A CNBD feature can be obtained by compressing a normalized block difference feature based on compressive sensing theory, with the sparse random Gaussian matrix as the measurement matrix. The comparative experiments of 7 trackers on 20 challenging sequences showed that the tracker based on CNBD feature can perform better than other trackers, especially than FCT tracker based on compressed Haar-like feature, in terms of AUC, SR and Precision.

Is Middle-Upper Arm Circumference "normally" distributed? Secondary data analysis of 852 nutrition surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Frison, Severine; Checchi, Francesco; Kerac, Marko; Nicholas, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Wasting is a major public health issue throughout the developing world. Out of the 6.9 million estimated deaths among children under five annually, over 800,000 deaths (11.6 %) are attributed to wasting. Wasting is quantified as low Weight-For-Height (WFH) and/or low Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) (since 2005). Many statistical procedures are based on the assumption that the data used are normally distributed. Analyses have been conducted on the distribution of WFH but there are no equivalent studies on the distribution of MUAC. This secondary data analysis assesses the normality of the MUAC distributions of 852 nutrition cross-sectional survey datasets of children from 6 to 59 months old and examines different approaches to normalise "non-normal" distributions. The distribution of MUAC showed no departure from a normal distribution in 319 (37.7 %) distributions using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Out of the 533 surveys showing departure from a normal distribution, 183 (34.3 %) were skewed (D'Agostino test) and 196 (36.8 %) had a kurtosis different to the one observed in the normal distribution (Anscombe-Glynn test). Testing for normality can be sensitive to data quality, design effect and sample size. Out of the 533 surveys showing departure from a normal distribution, 294 (55.2 %) showed high digit preference, 164 (30.8 %) had a large design effect, and 204 (38.3 %) a large sample size. Spline and LOESS smoothing techniques were explored and both techniques work well. After Spline smoothing, 56.7 % of the MUAC distributions showing departure from normality were "normalised" and 59.7 % after LOESS. Box-Cox power transformation had similar results on distributions showing departure from normality with 57 % of distributions approximating "normal" after transformation. Applying Box-Cox transformation after Spline or Loess smoothing techniques increased that proportion to 82.4 and 82.7 % respectively. This suggests that statistical approaches relying on the

Apparent molar volumes for dilute solutions of NaClO4 and [Co(en) 3](ClO4)3 in D2O and H2O at 278-318 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bottomley, G.A.; Glossop, L.G.

1981-01-01

Apparent molar volumes for dilute solutions of NaClO 4 and [Co(en) 3 ](ClO 4 ) 3 in D 2 O and H 2 O were measured by using a dilatometry technique at 278, 298 and 318K. Comparison of limiting slopes with the Debye-Huckel predictions from the dielectric constant and compressibility of H 2 O and D 2 O is complicated by ion pairing. The apparent molar volumes for NaClO 4 were less in D 2 O than in H 2 O. The complex [Co(en) 3 ](ClO 4 ) 3 when studied in D 2 O had its amine protons exchanged by deuterium; this did not allow a direct comparison of the apparent molar volumes of the protonated complex in each solvent system, but revealed a large isotope effect. The apparent molar volumes of the [Co(en) 3 ](ClO 4 ) 3 showed a much larger temperature dependence than that of NaClO 4

Normalization: A Preprocessing Stage

OpenAIRE

Patro, S. Gopal Krishna; Sahu, Kishore Kumar

2015-01-01

As we know that the normalization is a pre-processing stage of any type problem statement. Especially normalization takes important role in the field of soft computing, cloud computing etc. for manipulation of data like scale down or scale up the range of data before it becomes used for further stage. There are so many normalization techniques are there namely Min-Max normalization, Z-score normalization and Decimal scaling normalization. So by referring these normalization techniques we are ...

Apparent CFC and 3H/ 3He age differences in water from Floridan Aquifer springs

Science.gov (United States)

Happell, James D.; Opsahl, Stephen; Top, Zafer; Chanton, Jeffrey P.

2006-03-01

The apparent CFC-11, -12 and -113 ages of Upper Floridan Aquifer water discharged from 31 springs located in Florida and Georgia ranged from 11 to 44 years when samples were collected in 2002 and 2003. Apparent 3H/ 3He ages in these springs ranged from 12 to 66 years. Some of the springs sampled did not yield valid CFC ages because one or more of the CFCs were contaminated by non-atmospheric sources. Of the 31 springs sampled, six were contaminated with all three CFCs and nine were contaminated with one or two CFCs. Of the remaining 16 springs, the CFC distributions of four could be modeled assuming a single source of water, and 11 were best modeled by assuming two sources of water, with one of the water sources >60 years old. The CFC and 3H/ 3He apparent ages and the simple mixing models applied to these ages suggest that past impacts to the water quality of water recharging the sampled springs may take anywhere from 0 to ˜60 years or more to appear in the discharging spring water. In 27 springs where both 3H/ 3He ages and CFC ages were available, five springs gave similar results between the two techniques, while in the other 22 cases the 3H/ 3He apparent ages were 8-40 years greater than the CFC ages. Large excesses of 4He were observed in many of the springs, consistent with a source of older water. This older water may also carry an additional and unaccounted for source of 3He, which may be responsible for the greater 3H/ 3He ages relative to the CFC ages. We believe that the large excess 3He and 4He values and apparent age differences are related to regional climate variations because our samples were obtained at the end of a 4-year drought.

Des apparences fantasmées dans les fabliaux érotiques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophie Poitral

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Résumé : Composés de la fin du XIIe siècle au XIVe siècle, les fabliaux érotiques posent la question du corps et de son langage. Ses composantes - vêtement, physionomie, allure et gestuelle - participent à la duperie qui caractérise bien souvent l’univers des fabliaux. L’analyse des emplois de l’apparence dans quelques fabliaux érotiques français, aux auteurs anonymes ou connus, permet de définir le rôle central des apparences dans les stratagèmes mis en œuvre et montre la richesse des enjeux du paraître dans l’érotisme occidental du Moyen Âge : le travestissement sexuel est traité de manières différentes selon les sexes. L’apparence féminine de l’homme leurre le mari et permet à la femme rusée de commettre l’adultère, tandis que la femme travestie en homme soulève la question du pouvoir et du sexe dans la relation conjugale et dans la société. D’autre part, le déguisement parodique masque l’identité de celui qui trompe par ses faux-semblants et accumule les situations carnavalesques qui tournent à l’avantage de l’imposteur. Le mirage érotique met quant à lui en question le regard du voyeur, victime d’une illusion d’optique, et enfin le langage métamorphose l’apparence des organes sexuels, aux dépens des jeunes filles innocentes.Abstract : Analysing fantasised appearances in erotic fabliaux Erotic fabliaux, poems composed from the late 12th to the 14th century, bring into focus the question of the body and its language. Its various constituents - clothes, physionomy, bearing and body movements - all contribute to producing the deceit which is so characteristic of the world of fabliaux. Analysing how looks are exploited in a couple of French fabliaux both by unknown or renowned writers enables us better to define the key function of looks in the various strategies thus developed and to see just how complex and fundamental questions of aspect are in medieval western eroticism

Local stem cell depletion model for normal tissue damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaes, R.J.; Keland, A.

1987-01-01

The hypothesis that radiation causes normal tissue damage by completely depleting local regions of tissue of viable stem cells leads to a simple mathematical model for such damage. In organs like skin and spinal cord where destruction of a small volume of tissue leads to a clinically apparent complication, the complication probability is expressed as a function of dose, volume and stem cell number by a simple triple negative exponential function analogous to the double exponential function of Munro and Gilbert for tumor control. The steep dose response curves for radiation myelitis that are obtained with our model are compared with the experimental data for radiation myelitis in laboratory rats. The model can be generalized to include other types or organs, high LET radiation, fractionated courses of radiation, and cases where an organ with a heterogeneous stem cell population receives an inhomogeneous dose of radiation. In principle it would thus be possible to determine the probability of tumor control and of damage to any organ within the radiation field if the dose distribution in three dimensional space within a patient is known

Schema Design and Normalization Algorithm for XML Databases Model

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Samir Abou El-Seoud

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper we study the problem of schema design and normalization in XML databases model. We show that, like relational databases, XML documents may contain redundant information, and this redundancy may cause update anomalies. Furthermore, such problems are caused by certain functional dependencies among paths in the document. Based on our research works, in which we presented the functional dependencies and normal forms of XML Schema, we present the decomposition algorithm for converting any XML Schema into normalized one, that satisfies X-BCNF.

Apparent molar volumes and compressibilities of lanthanum, gadolinium and lutetium trifluoromethanesulfonates in dimethylsulfoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warmińska, Dorota; Wawer, Jarosław

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Sequence of volumes and compressibilities of Ln 3+ ions in DMSO is: La 3+ > Gd 3+ 3+ . ► Sequence of the partial molar volumes do not change with temperature. ► These results are the consequence of nature of the ion–solvent bonding. - Abstract: Temperature dependencies of the densities of dimethylsulfoxide solutions of lanthanum, gadolinium and lutetium trifluoromethanesulfonates have been determined over a wide range of concentrations. The apparent molar volumes and partial molar volumes of the salts at infinite dilution, as well as the expansibilities of the salts, have been calculated from density data. Additionally, the apparent molar isentropic compressibilities of lanthanum, gadolinium and lutetium trifluoromethanesulfonates have been calculated from sound velocity data at 298.15 K. The data obtained have been interpreted in terms of ion−solvent interactions.

Modeling and simulation of normal and hemiparetic gait

Science.gov (United States)

Luengas, Lely A.; Camargo, Esperanza; Sanchez, Giovanni

2015-09-01

Gait is the collective term for the two types of bipedal locomotion, walking and running. This paper is focused on walking. The analysis of human gait is of interest to many different disciplines, including biomechanics, human-movement science, rehabilitation and medicine in general. Here we present a new model that is capable of reproducing the properties of walking, normal and pathological. The aim of this paper is to establish the biomechanical principles that underlie human walking by using Lagrange method. The constraint forces of Rayleigh dissipation function, through which to consider the effect on the tissues in the gait, are included. Depending on the value of the factor present in the Rayleigh dissipation function, both normal and pathological gait can be simulated. First of all, we apply it in the normal gait and then in the permanent hemiparetic gait. Anthropometric data of adult person are used by simulation, and it is possible to use anthropometric data for children but is necessary to consider existing table of anthropometric data. Validation of these models includes simulations of passive dynamic gait that walk on level ground. The dynamic walking approach provides a new perspective of gait analysis, focusing on the kinematics and kinetics of gait. There have been studies and simulations to show normal human gait, but few of them have focused on abnormal, especially hemiparetic gait. Quantitative comparisons of the model predictions with gait measurements show that the model can reproduce the significant characteristics of normal gait.

Mitogen-stimulated phospholipid synthesis in normal and immune-deficient human B cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chien, M.M.; Yokoyama, W.M.; Ashman, R.F.

1986-01-01

Eight patients with common variable panhypogammaglobulinemia were shown in the in vitro Ig biosynthesis assay to have defective B cell responses to pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Phospholipid synthesis was assessed in the B cell plus monocyte fraction (MB) and irradiated T cells (T*) of patients and paired normal controls. Cell populations were studied separately and in the four possible combinations (1:1), with and without PWM, to reveal the effect of cell interactions. At 16 to 20 hr the mean stimulation index (SI) +/- standard error for MB cells alone was 1.01 +/- 0.02 for eight patients and 0.99 +/- 0.02 for the paired normals; the T* cell SI was 1.25 +/- 0.04 for patients and 1.28 +/- 0.05 for normals. Combinations of normal MB cells with normal T* cells showed significantly higher SI when compared with the combinations of normal MB cells with patient T* cells (p less than 0.005). However, the combination of patient MB cells with patient T* cells and the combination of patient MB cells with normal T* cells were not significantly different in SI (0.05 less than p less than 0.1). Isolation of patient and normal B cells, T* cells, and monocytes after the choline pulse showed that patient B cells gave a higher SI with normal T* help than with patient T* help. Of greatest interest is the finding that patient B cells that were defective in PWM-stimulated Ig production nevertheless showed a phospholipid synthesis response to PWM in the normal range, suggesting that the maturation defect in these B cells occurs later than the phospholipid synthesis acceleration step, or on a different pathway

Computerized tomography and head growth curve infantile macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eda, Isematsu; Kitahara, Tadashi; Takashima, Sachio; Takeshita, Kenzo

1982-01-01

Macrocephaly was defined as a head measuring larger than 98th percentile. We have evaluated CT findings and head growth curves in 25 infants with large heads. Ten (40%) of 25 infants with large heads were normal developmentally and neurologically. Five (20%) of those were mentally retarded. The other 10 infants (40%) included hydrocephalus (4 cases), malformation syndrome (3 cases), brain tumor (1 case), metabolic disorder (1 case) and degenerative disorder (1 case). Their head growth curves were typed as (I), (II) and (III): Type (I) (excessive head growth curve to 2 SDs above normal); Type (II) (head growth curve gradually approached to 2 SDs above normal); Type (III) (head growth curve parallel to 2 SDs above normal). Ten of macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development were studied clinically and radiologically in details. They were all male. CT pictures of those showed normal or various abnormal findings: ventricular dilatations, wide frontal and temporal subdural spaces, wide interhemispheric fissures, wide cerebral sulci, and large sylvian fissures. CT findings in 2 of those, which because normal after repeated CT examinations, resembled benign subdural collection. CT findings in one of those were external hydrocephalus. Head growth curves were obtained from 8 of those. Six cases revealed type (II) and two cases did type (III). The remaining 2 cases could not be followed up. We consider that CT findings of infants showed macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development reveals normal or various abnormal (ventricular dilatations, benign subdural collection, external hydrocephalus) and their head growth curves are not at least excessive. Infants with mental retardation showed similar CT findings and head growth curves as those with normal psychomotor development. It was difficult to distinguish normal from mentally retarded infants by either CT findings or head growth curves. (author)

Prevalence and type of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in an apparently healthy Nigerian population: a cross sectional study

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Onwah A

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS, a premalignant plasma-cell disorder has not been determined in our geographic area Nigeria. Methods A cross sectional survey was carried on apparently healthy Nigerians selected by multistage sampling technique from the cosmopolitan city of Lagos, Nigeria. Subjects enrolled into the study had 2-step screening for the presence, type and concentration of monoclonal band. Agarose-gel electrophoresis was performed on all serum samples, and any serum sample with a discrete band of monoclonal protein or thought to have a localized band was subjected to Immunofixation. Subjects were also evaluated for Bence jones proteinuria, haematological and biochemical parameters. Results Four hundred and ten subjects with a mean age of 45.68 ± 10.3 years, a median of 45.00 years and a range of 20 to 80 years were enrolled into the study. MGUS was identified in only one (0.24 percent of the 410 study subject. This subject was demonstrated to have a double monoclonal gammopathy; IgGλ at 16.9 g/L and IgAκ at 8.5 g/L. None of them including the sole subject with MGUS had a monoclonal urinary light chain. Conclusion Among residents of Lagos, Nigeria, MGUS was found in only 0.24% percent of apparently normal persons with a median age of 45 years. This suggests that MGUS which represents the earliest stage of monoclonal plasma/lymphoid cell proliferation is not a common finding in the relatively young population of Nigeria. Future epidemiologic studies dealing with plasma cell disorders in older people are required to carefully examine the relationship between environmental factors and prevalence of MGUS and its ultimate progression to MM.

"Home of Younger Skin" (HOYS) program: Defining the change in apparent skin age after facial treatment with botulinum toxin and dermal fillers.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Greg J; Roberts, Stefania

2012-01-01

Objective and subjective scales estimating improvement in both clinical studies and clinical practice are becoming more mainstream. However, the use of a system to analyze improvement in aging with a multiplicity of treatments would be useful. The purpose of this study was to use a recently developed educative and patient self-assessment program ("Home of Younger Skin", HOYS) for assessment of the effect of facial treatment with neurotoxins and filling agents in terms of decreasing apparent age. Four patients underwent facial treatments with neurotoxins and dermal fillers by an experienced blinded physician and were assessed twice utilizing an age analysis program (HOYS), once before and then 6 weeks after completion of treatment. The four patients showed an average reduction in apparent facial age of 7.5 years. The individual "regions" differed in their reductions. The upper face showed a decline of 13.5 years, the periorbital region 9.25 years, the mid face 4.5 years, and the lower face 12.25 years. Use of this previously validated self-assessment program may prove to be a useful measure of patient-reported improvement with treatment.

Evolution of the Contact Area with Normal Load for Rough Surfaces: from Atomic to Macroscopic Scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shiping

2017-11-13

The evolution of the contact area with normal load for rough surfaces has great fundamental and practical importance, ranging from earthquake dynamics to machine wear. This work bridges the gap between the atomic scale and the macroscopic scale for normal contact behavior. The real contact area, which is formed by a large ensemble of discrete contacts (clusters), is proven to be much smaller than the apparent surface area. The distribution of the discrete contact clusters and the interaction between them are key to revealing the mechanism of the contacting solids. To this end, Green's function molecular dynamics (GFMD) is used to study both how the contact cluster evolves from the atomic scale to the macroscopic scale and the interaction between clusters. It is found that the interaction between clusters has a strong effect on their formation. The formation and distribution of the contact clusters is far more complicated than that predicted by the asperity model. Ignorance of the interaction between them leads to overestimating the contacting force. In real contact, contacting clusters are smaller and more discrete due to the interaction between the asperities. Understanding the exact nature of the contact area with the normal load is essential to the following research on friction.

Making nuclear 'normal'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haehlen, Peter; Elmiger, Bruno

2000-01-01

The mechanics of the Swiss NPPs' 'come and see' programme 1995-1999 were illustrated in our contributions to all PIME workshops since 1996. Now, after four annual 'waves', all the country has been covered by the NPPs' invitation to dialogue. This makes PIME 2000 the right time to shed some light on one particular objective of this initiative: making nuclear 'normal'. The principal aim of the 'come and see' programme, namely to give the Swiss NPPs 'a voice of their own' by the end of the nuclear moratorium 1990-2000, has clearly been attained and was commented on during earlier PIMEs. It is, however, equally important that Swiss nuclear energy not only made progress in terms of public 'presence', but also in terms of being perceived as a normal part of industry, as a normal branch of the economy. The message that Swiss nuclear energy is nothing but a normal business involving normal people, was stressed by several components of the multi-prong campaign: - The speakers in the TV ads were real - 'normal' - visitors' guides and not actors; - The testimonials in the print ads were all real NPP visitors - 'normal' people - and not models; - The mailings inviting a very large number of associations to 'come and see' activated a typical channel of 'normal' Swiss social life; - Spending money on ads (a new activity for Swiss NPPs) appears to have resulted in being perceived by the media as a normal branch of the economy. Today we feel that the 'normality' message has well been received by the media. In the controversy dealing with antinuclear arguments brought forward by environmental organisations journalists nowadays as a rule give nuclear energy a voice - a normal right to be heard. As in a 'normal' controversy, the media again actively ask themselves questions about specific antinuclear claims, much more than before 1990 when the moratorium started. The result is that in many cases such arguments are discarded by journalists, because they are, e.g., found to be

Diagonalization and Jordan Normal Form--Motivation through "Maple"[R

Science.gov (United States)

Glaister, P.

2009-01-01

Following an introduction to the diagonalization of matrices, one of the more difficult topics for students to grasp in linear algebra is the concept of Jordan normal form. In this note, we show how the important notions of diagonalization and Jordan normal form can be introduced and developed through the use of the computer algebra package…

Apparent increase in the thickness of superconducting particles at low temperatures measured by electron holography.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsch, J E

2013-10-01

We predict that superconducting particles will show an apparent increase in thickness at low temperatures when measured by electron holography. This will result not from a real thickness increase, rather from an increase in the mean inner potential sensed by the electron wave traveling through the particle, originating in expansion of the electronic wavefunction of the superconducting electrons and resulting negative charge expulsion from the interior to the surface of the superconductor, giving rise to an increase in the phase shift of the electron wavefront going through the sample relative to the wavefront going through vacuum. The temperature dependence of the observed phase shifts will yield valuable new information on the physics of the superconducting state of metals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interactions between masculinity--femininity and apparent health in face preferences

OpenAIRE

Finlay G. Smith; Benedict C. Jones; Lisa M. DeBruine; Anthony C. Little

2009-01-01

Consistent with Getty's (2002. Signaling health versus parasites. Am Nat. 159:363--371.) proposal that cues to long-term health and cues to current condition are at least partly independent, recent research on human face preferences has found divergent effects of masculinity--femininity, a cue to long-term health, and apparent health, a cue to current condition. In light of this, we tested for interactions between these 2 cues. Participants viewed composite images of opposite-sex faces that h...

Unagreement is an Illusion: Apparent person mismatches and nominal structure

OpenAIRE

Höhn, Georg F.K.

2015-01-01

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11049-015-9311-y This paper proposes an analysis of unagreement, a phenomenon involving an apparent mismatch between a definite third person plural subject and first or second person plural subject agreement observed in various null subject languages (e.g. Spanish, Modern Greek and Bulgarian), but notoriously absent in others (e.g. Italian, European Portuguese). A cross-lingu...

Modeling a space-variant cortical representation for apparent motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Wurbs, Jeremy; Mingolla, Ennio; Yazdanbakhsh, Arash

2013-08-06

Receptive field sizes of neurons in early primate visual areas increase with eccentricity, as does temporal processing speed. The fovea is evidently specialized for slow, fine movements while the periphery is suited for fast, coarse movements. In either the fovea or periphery discrete flashes can produce motion percepts. Grossberg and Rudd (1989) used traveling Gaussian activity profiles to model long-range apparent motion percepts. We propose a neural model constrained by physiological data to explain how signals from retinal ganglion cells to V1 affect the perception of motion as a function of eccentricity. Our model incorporates cortical magnification, receptive field overlap and scatter, and spatial and temporal response characteristics of retinal ganglion cells for cortical processing of motion. Consistent with the finding of Baker and Braddick (1985), in our model the maximum flash distance that is perceived as an apparent motion (Dmax) increases linearly as a function of eccentricity. Baker and Braddick (1985) made qualitative predictions about the functional significance of both stimulus and visual system parameters that constrain motion perception, such as an increase in the range of detectable motions as a function of eccentricity and the likely role of higher visual processes in determining Dmax. We generate corresponding quantitative predictions for those functional dependencies for individual aspects of motion processing. Simulation results indicate that the early visual pathway can explain the qualitative linear increase of Dmax data without reliance on extrastriate areas, but that those higher visual areas may serve as a modulatory influence on the exact Dmax increase.

Apparent soil electrical conductivity in two different soil types

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilker Nunes Medeiros

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Mapping the apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa has become important for the characterization of the soil variability in precision agriculture systems. Could the ECa be used to locate the soil sampling points for mapping the chemical and physical soil attributes? The objective of this work was to examine the relations between ECa and soil attributes in two fields presenting different soil textures. In each field, 50 sampling points were chosen using a path that presented a high variability of ECa obtained from a preliminary ECa map. At each sampling point, the ECa was measured in soil depths of 0-20, 0-40 and 0-60 cm. In addition, at each point, soil samples were collected for the determination of physical and chemical attributes in the laboratory. The ECa data obtained for different soil depths was very similar. A large number of significant correlations between ECa and the soil attributes were found. In the sandy clay loam texture field there was no correlation between ECa and organic matter or between ECa and soil clay and sand content. However, a significant positive correlation was shown for the remaining phosphorus. In the sandy loam texture field the ECa had a significant positive correlation with clay content and a significant negative correlation with sand content. The results suggest that the mapping of apparent soil electrical conductivity does not replace traditional soil sampling, however, it can be used as information to delimit regions in a field that have similar soil attributes.

A chromogranin A ELISA absent of an apparent high-dose hook effect observed in other chromogranin A ELISAs.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, J Alan; Grenache, David G

2016-01-15

Routine testing for chromogranin A (CgA) using an established commercial ELISA revealed an apparent high-dose hook effect in approximately 15% of specimens. Investigations found the same effect in two additional ELISAs. We hypothesized that a CgA derived peptide(s) at high concentrations was responsible but experiments were inconclusive. Here we describe the analytical performance characteristics of the Chromoa™ CgA ELISA that did not display the apparent high-dose hook effect. Performance characteristics of the Chromoa ELISA were assessed. The reference interval was established utilizing healthy volunteers. Specimens producing the apparent high-dose hook effect in other assays were evaluated using the Chromoa ELISA. The limit of detection was 8ng/ml. Linearity was acceptable (slope=1.04, intercept=18.1 and r(2)=0.997). CVs were ≤4.6 and ≤9.3% for repeatability and within-laboratory imprecision, respectively. CgA was stable at ambient and refrigerated temperatures for a minimum of two and 14days, respectively. An upper reference interval limit of 95ng/ml was established. Specimens demonstrating the apparent high-dose hook effect in other ELISAs did not exhibit the phenomenon using the Chromoa ELISA. The Chromoa ELISA demonstrates acceptable performance for quantifying serum CgA. The apparent high-dose hook effect exhibited in other ELISAs was absent using the Chromoa assay. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Apparent CPT violation in neutrino oscillation experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelhardt, Netta; Nelson, Ann E.; Walsh, Jonathan R.

2010-01-01

We consider searching for light sterile fermions and new forces by using long baseline oscillations of neutrinos and antineutrinos. A new light sterile state and/or a new force can lead to apparent CPT violation in muon neutrino and antineutrino oscillations. As an example, we present an economical model of neutrino masses containing a sterile neutrino. The potential from the standard model weak neutral current gives rise to a difference between the disappearance probabilities of neutrinos and antineutrinos, when mixing with a light sterile neutrino is considered. The addition of a B-L interaction adds coherently to the neutrino current potential and increases the difference between neutrino and antineutrino disappearance. We find that this model can improve the fit to the results of MINOS for both neutrinos and antineutrinos, without any CPT violation, and that the regions of parameter space which improve the fit are within experimental constraints.

Normal form and synchronization of strict-feedback chaotic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Feng; Chen, Shihua; Yu Minghai; Wang Changping

2004-01-01

This study concerns the normal form and synchronization of strict-feedback chaotic systems. We prove that, any strict-feedback chaotic system can be rendered into a normal form with a invertible transform and then a design procedure to synchronize the normal form of a non-autonomous strict-feedback chaotic system is presented. This approach needs only a scalar driving signal to realize synchronization no matter how many dimensions the chaotic system contains. Furthermore, the Roessler chaotic system is taken as a concrete example to illustrate the procedure of designing without transforming a strict-feedback chaotic system into its normal form. Numerical simulations are also provided to show the effectiveness and feasibility of the developed methods

Ultrasonic off-normal imaging techniques for under sodium viewing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michaels, T.E.; Horn, J.E.

1979-01-01

Advanced imaging methods have been evaluated for the purpose of constructing images of objects from ultrasonic data. Feasibility of imaging surfaces which are off-normal to the sound beam has been established. Laboratory results are presented which show a complete image of a typical core component. Using the previous system developed for under sodium viewing (USV), only normal surfaces of this object could be imaged. Using advanced methods, surfaces up to 60 degrees off-normal have been imaged. Details of equipment and procedures used for this image construction are described. Additional work on high temperature transducers, electronics, and signal analysis is required in order to adapt the off-normal viewing process described here to an eventual USV application

Role of Rhinovirus C in Apparently Life-Threatening Events in Infants, Spain

Science.gov (United States)

García, M. Luz; Pozo, Francisco; Reyes, Noelia; Pérez-Breña, Pilar; Casas, Inmaculada

2009-01-01

To assess whether infants hospitalized after an apparently life-threatening event had an associated respiratory virus infection, we analyzed nasopharyngeal aspirates from 16 patients. Nine of 11 infants with positive virus results were infected by rhinoviruses. We detected the new genogroup of rhinovirus C in 6 aspirates. PMID:19788827

Cross Correlation versus Normalized Mutual Information on Image Registration

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Bin; Tilton, James C.; Lin, Guoqing

2016-01-01

This is the first study to quantitatively assess and compare cross correlation and normalized mutual information methods used to register images in subpixel scale. The study shows that the normalized mutual information method is less sensitive to unaligned edges due to the spectral response differences than is cross correlation. This characteristic makes the normalized image resolution a better candidate for band to band registration. Improved band-to-band registration in the data from satellite-borne instruments will result in improved retrievals of key science measurements such as cloud properties, vegetation, snow and fire.

Mechanical Components from Highly Recoverable, Low Apparent Modulus Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Padula, Santo, II (Inventor); Noebe, Ronald D. (Inventor); Stanford, Malcolm K. (Inventor); DellaCorte, Christopher (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A material for use as a mechanical component is formed of a superelastic intermetallic material having a low apparent modulus and a high hardness. The superelastic intermetallic material is conditioned to be dimensionally stable, devoid of any shape memory effect and have a stable superelastic response without irrecoverable deformation while exhibiting strains of at least 3%. The method of conditioning the superelastic intermetallic material is described. Another embodiment relates to lightweight materials known as ordered intermetallics that perform well in sliding wear applications using conventional liquid lubricants and are therefore suitable for resilient, high performance mechanical components such as gears and bearings.

Apparent clusters of childhood lymphoid malignancy in Northern England

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craft, A.W.; Openshaw, S.; Birch, J.

1984-01-01

The authors have reanalysed their previous data on the incidence of childhood malignancy in the North of England by very small geographical areas. Seascale, which ranks first by Poisson probability for all lymphoid malignancies is the village closest to the Sellafield plant. However, it is not unique in the region; nor are wards of apparent excess confined to coastal areas of Cumbria. The highest rate of lymphoid malignancies is in Whittingham, a village in north Northumberland. For other varieties of childhood cancer, there is a similar spread of 'Highly ranked', but different, wards throughout the region. (U.K.)

Metastases but not cardiovascular mortality reduces life expectancy following surgical resection of apparently benign pheochromocytoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Timmers, H J L M; Brouwers, F M; Hermus, A R M M; Sweep, F C G J; Verhofstad, A A J; Verbeek, A L M; Pacak, K; Lenders, J W M

2008-12-01

The treatment of choice for non-metastatic pheochromocytoma is surgical resection. Its goals are to abolish catecholamine hypersecretion, normalize blood pressure, and prevent further tumor growth or progression to metastatic disease. Data on long-term mortality and morbidity after pheochromocytoma surgery are limited. We here report a retrospective study on the long-term outcome after surgery for apparently benign pheochromocytoma at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre. Data on clinical presentation, treatment, post-surgical blood pressure and recurrence, metastasis and death were collected of 69 consecutive patients (January 1966-December 2000; follow-up: until death or January 2006). Survival was compared with survival of a matched reference population. Two patients died of surgical complications. All ten patients with metastatic disease (including three diagnosed at first surgery) died. At follow-up, 40 patients were alive and recurrence free and three patients were lost to follow up. Two patients experienced a benign recurrence. Mean+/-s.d. follow-up was 10.2+/-7.5 (median 9, range 1-38) years. Kaplan-Meier estimates for 5- and 10-year survival since surgery were 85.8% (95% CI: 77.2-94.4%) and 74.2% (95% CI: 62.0-86.4%) for patients versus 95.5 and 89.4% in the reference population (Prisk of developing metastatic disease. Only one-third becomes normotensive without antihypertensive medication. Therefore, lifelong follow-up is warranted.

Use of apparent thickness for preprocessing of low-frequency electromagnetic data in inversion-based multibarrier evaluation workflow

Science.gov (United States)

Omar, Saad; Omeragic, Dzevat

2018-04-01

The concept of apparent thicknesses is introduced for the inversion-based, multicasing evaluation interpretation workflow using multifrequency and multispacing electromagnetic measurements. A thickness value is assigned to each measurement, enabling the development of two new preprocessing algorithms to remove casing collar artifacts. First, long-spacing apparent thicknesses are used to remove, from the pipe sections, artifacts ("ghosts") caused by the transmitter crossing a casing collar or corrosion. Second, a collar identification, localization, and assignment algorithm is developed to enable robust inversion in collar sections. Last, casing eccentering can also be identified on the basis of opposite deviation of short-spacing phase and magnitude apparent thicknesses from the nominal value. The proposed workflow can handle an arbitrary number of nested casings and has been validated on synthetic and field data.

Détection précoce du cancer de la prostate chez des apparentés de ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

B. Fall

de consentement éclairé leur a été remis et le dépistage effectué. Les apparentés qui n'avaient pas respecté le rendez-vous étaient recon- tactés par téléphone pour fixer un autre rendez-vous. Si après 3 tentatives l'apparenté ne se présentait pas au rendez-vous nous arrê- tions de l'appeler. Sur les 145 cas de cancer de ...

Osmotic and apparent molar properties of binary mixtures alcohol+1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ionic liquid

OpenAIRE

Emilio Gomez; Noelia Simón; Ángeles Domínguez; Maria Eugénia Macedo

2013-01-01

In this work, physical properties (densities and speeds of sound) for the binary systems {1-propanol, or 2-propanol, or 1-butanol, or 2-butanol, or 1-pentanol + 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate} were experimentally measured from T = (293.15 to 323.15) K and at atmospheric pressure. These data were used to calculate the apparent molar volume and apparent molar isentropic compression which were fitted to a Redlich-Meyer type equation. This fit was used to obtain the corresp...

Birkhoff normalization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broer, H.; Hoveijn, I.; Lunter, G.; Vegter, G.

2003-01-01

The Birkhoff normal form procedure is a widely used tool for approximating a Hamiltonian systems by a simpler one. This chapter starts out with an introduction to Hamiltonian mechanics, followed by an explanation of the Birkhoff normal form procedure. Finally we discuss several algorithms for

Apparent survival rates of forest birds in eastern Ecuador revisited: improvement in precision but no change in estimates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John G Blake

Full Text Available Knowledge of survival rates of Neotropical landbirds remains limited, with estimates of apparent survival available from relatively few sites and species. Previously, capture-mark-recapture models were used to estimate apparent survival of 31 species (30 passerines, 1 Trochilidae from eastern Ecuador based on data collected from 2001 to 2006. Here, estimates are updated with data from 2001-2012 to determine how additional years of data affect estimates; estimates for six additional species are provided. Models assuming constant survival had highest support for 19 of 31 species when based on 12 years of data compared to 27 when based on six; models incorporating effects of transients had the highest support for 12 of 31 species compared to four when based on 12 and six years, respectively. Average apparent survival based on the most highly-supported model (based on model averaging, when appropriate was 0.59 (± 0.02 SE across 30 species of passerines when based on 12 years and 0.57 (± 0.02 when based on six. Standard errors of survival estimates based on 12 years were approximately half those based on six years. Of 31 species in both data sets, estimates of apparent survival were somewhat lower for 13, somewhat higher for 17, and remained unchanged for one; confidence intervals for estimates based on six and 12 years of data overlapped for all species. Results indicate that estimates of apparent survival are comparable but more precise when based on longer-term data sets; standard error of the estimates was negatively correlated with numbers of captures (rs  = -0.72 and recaptures (rs  = -0.93, P<0.001 in both cases. Thus, reasonable estimates of apparent survival may be obtained with relatively few years of data if sample sizes are sufficient.

Apparent quality-of-life in nations : how long and happy people live

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Veenhoven (Ruut)

2005-01-01

textabstractQuality-of-life in nations can be measured by how long and happy people live. This is assessed by combining data on life expectancy drawn from civil registration with survey data on subjective enjoyment of life as a whole. This measure of 'apparent' quality-of-life is a good alternative

The use of n-alkane markers to estimate the intake and apparent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

However, the effect of the higher recovery of the dosed marker needs further investigation. The estimates of apparent dry matter digestibility corresponded well with measured values, provided the factor for the incomplete faecal recovery of the internal alkanes was included in the calculation. It was concluded that the alkane ...

Presence of European bat lyssavirus RNas in apparently healthy Rousettus aegyptiacus bats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wellenberg, G.J.; Audry, L.; Ronsholt, L.; Poel, van der W.H.M.; Bruschke, C.J.M.; Bourhy, H.

2002-01-01

Apparently healthy Rousettus aegyptiacus bats were randomly chosen from a Dutch colony naturally infected with European bat lyssavirus subgenotype 1a (EBL1a). These bats were euthanised three months after the first evidence of an EBL1a infection in the colony. EBL1a genomic and antigenomic RNAs of

Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of Pr(NO3)3(aq), Gd(NO3)3(aq), Ho(NO3)3(aq), and Y(NO3)3(aq) at T (288.15, 298.15, 313.15, and 328.15) K and p = 0.1 MPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakin, Andrew W.; Liu Jinlian; Erickson, Kristy; Munoz, Julie-Vanessa; Rard, Joseph A.

2005-01-01

Relative densities and relative massic heat capacities have been measured for acidified solutions of Y(NO 3 ) 3 (aq), Pr(NO 3 ) 3 (aq), and Gd(NO 3 ) 3 (aq) at T = (288.15, 298.15, 313.15, and 328.15) K and p = 0.1 MPa. In addition, relative densities and massic heat capacities have been measured at the same temperatures and pressure for Y(NO 3 ) 3 (aq) and Ho(NO 3 ) 3 (aq) solutions without excess acid (n.b. measurements at T = 328.15 K for Ho(NO 3 ) 3 (aq) were not performed due to the limited volume of solution available). Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities for the aqueous salt solutions have been calculated from the experimental apparent molar properties of the acidified solutions using Young's rule, whereas the apparent molar properties of the solutions without excess acid were calculated directly from the measured densities and massic heat capacities. The two sets of data for the Y(NO 3 ) 3 (aq) systems provide a check of the internal consistency of the Young's rule approach we have utilised. The concentration dependences of the apparent molar volumes and heat capacities of the aqueous salt solutions have been modelled at each investigated temperature using the Pitzer ion interaction equations to yield apparent molar properties at infinite dilution. Complex formation within the aqueous rare earth nitrate systems is discussed qualitatively by probing the concentration dependence of apparent molar volumes and heat capacities. In spite of the complex formation in the aqueous rare earth nitrate systems, there is a high degree of self-consistency between the apparent molar volumes and heat capacities at infinite dilution reported in this manuscript and those previously reported for aqueous rare earth perchlorates

Apparent molar heat capacities and apparent molar volumes of Pr(ClO4)3(aq), Gd(ClO4)3(aq), Ho(ClO4)3(aq), and Tm(ClO4)3(aq) at T=(288.15, 298.15, 313.15, and 328.15) K and p=0.1 MPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakin, Andrew W.; Lian Liu, Jin; Erickson, Kristy; Munoz, Julie-Vanessa

2004-01-01

Acidified aqueous solutions of Pr(ClO 4 ) 3 (aq), Gd(ClO 4 ) 3 (aq), Ho(ClO 4 ) 3 (aq), and Tm(ClO 4 ) 3 (aq) were prepared from the corresponding oxides by dissolution in dilute perchloric acid. Once characterized with respect to trivalent metal cation and acid content, the relative densities of the solutions were measured at T=(288.15, 298.15, 313.15, and 328.15) K and p=0.1 MPa using a Sodev O2D vibrating tube densimeter. The relative massic heat capacities of the aqueous systems were also determined, under the same temperature and pressure conditions, using a Picker Flow Microcalorimeter. All measurements were made on solutions containing rare earth salt in the concentration range 0.01 ≤ m/(mol · kg -1 ) ≤ 0.2. Relative densities and relative massic heat capacities were used to calculate the apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of the acidified salt solutions from which the apparent molar properties of the aqueous salt solutions were extracted by the application of Young's Rule. The concentration dependences of the isothermal apparent molar volumes and heat capacities of each aqueous salt solution were modelled using Pitzer ion-interaction equations. These models produced estimates of apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities at infinite dilution for each set of isothermal V phi,2 and C pphi,2 values. In addition, the temperature and concentration dependences of the apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of the aqueous rare earth perchlorate salt solutions were modelled using modified Pitzer ion-interaction equations. The latter equations utilized the Helgeson, Kirkham, and Flowers equations of state to model the temperature dependences (at p=0.1 MPa) of apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities at infinite dilution. The results of the latter models were compared to those previously published in the literature. Apparent molar volumes and apparent heat capacities at infinite dilution

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)

Science.gov (United States)

... local chapter Join our online community Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a brain disorder ... Symptoms Diagnosis Causes & risks Treatments About Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Normal pressure hydrocephalus occurs when excess cerebrospinal fluid ...

Improving the scaling normalization for high-density oligonucleotide GeneChip expression microarrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Chao

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Normalization is an important step for microarray data analysis to minimize biological and technical variations. Choosing a suitable approach can be critical. The default method in GeneChip expression microarray uses a constant factor, the scaling factor (SF, for every gene on an array. The SF is obtained from a trimmed average signal of the array after excluding the 2% of the probe sets with the highest and the lowest values. Results Among the 76 U34A GeneChip experiments, the total signals on each array showed 25.8% variations in terms of the coefficient of variation, although all microarrays were hybridized with the same amount of biotin-labeled cRNA. The 2% of the probe sets with the highest signals that were normally excluded from SF calculation accounted for 34% to 54% of the total signals (40.7% ± 4.4%, mean ± sd. In comparison with normalization factors obtained from the median signal or from the mean of the log transformed signal, SF showed the greatest variation. The normalization factors obtained from log transformed signals showed least variation. Conclusions Eliminating 40% of the signal data during SF calculation failed to show any benefit. Normalization factors obtained with log transformed signals performed the best. Thus, it is suggested to use the mean of the logarithm transformed data for normalization, rather than the arithmetic mean of signals in GeneChip gene expression microarrays.

Physical self-concept of normal-weight and overweight adolescents: Gender specificities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lazarević Dušanka

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Previous researchers have described the relation between physical self-concept and body mass in adolescents, but those relationships have not been clearly specified by gender. The purpose of this study is to explore physical self-concepts of normal-weight and over-weight Serbian adolescents with respect to gender. The sample consisted of 417 primary school students (229 boys and 188 girls with the average age 13.6 (SD=0.73 years who were divided into normal-weight and overweight groups according to body mass index. To assess the multidimensional physical self-concept, Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ was administered. Results showed that overweight adolescents had significantly lower scores than normal-weight on all PSDQ scales except Health and Strength. Differences were greater among girls than boys. Discriminant analysis showed that the scales Body Fat, Endurance and Sports Competence best differentiated normal-weight boys from other students. Also, discriminant analysis showed that, besides the scale Body Fat, scales Flexibility, Self-Esteem, and Coordination best differentiated normal-weight girls from other students. Results indicate that for better understanding of the relationship between adolescent’s physical self-concept and body mass one must take gender into account. Results are potentially valuable for preventing overweight through physical education.

Superconducting proximity effect in mesoscopic superconductor/normal-metal junctions

CERN Document Server

Takayanagi, H; Toyoda, E

1999-01-01

The superconducting proximity effect is discussed in mesoscopic superconductor/normal-metal junctions. The newly-developed theory shows long-range phase-coherent effect which explaines early experimental results of giant magnetoresistance oscillations in an Andreev interferometer. The theory also shows that the proximity correction to the conductance (PCC) has a reentrant behavior as a function of energy. The reentrant behavior is systematically studied in a gated superconductor-semiconductor junction. A negative PCC is observed in the case of a weak coupling between the normal metal and the external reservoir. Phase coherent ac effect is also observed when rf is irradiated to the junction.

The Apparent Critical Decay Index at the Onset of Solar Prominence Eruptions

Science.gov (United States)

Zuccarello, F. P.; Aulanier, G.; Gilchrist, S. A.

2016-04-01

A magnetic flux rope (MFR) embedded in a line-tied external magnetic field that decreases with height as {z}-n is unstable to perturbations if the decay index of the field n is larger than a critical value. The onset of this instability, called torus instability, is one of the main mechanisms that can initiate coronal mass ejections. Since flux ropes often possess magnetic dips that can support prominence plasma, this is also a valuable mechanism to trigger prominence eruptions. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the formation and/or emergence of MFRs suggest a critical value for the onset of the instability in the range [1.4-2]. However, detailed observations of prominences suggest a value in the range [0.9-1.1]. In this Letter, by using a set of MHD simulations, we show why the large discrepancy between models and observations is only apparent. Our simulations indeed show that the critical decay index at the onset of the eruption is n=1.4+/- 0.1 when computed at the apex of the flux rope axis, while it is n=1.1+/- 0.1 when it is computed at the altitude of the topmost part of the distribution of magnetic dips. The discrepancy only arises because weakly twisted curved flux ropes do not have dips up to the altitude of their axis.

Apparent temperature and cause-specific mortality in copenhagen, denmark: a case-crossover analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wichmann, Janine; Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic; Ketzel, Matthias

2011-01-01

Temperature, a key climate change indicator, is expected to increase substantially in the Northern Hemisphere, with potentially grave implications for human health. This study is the first to investigate the association between the daily 3-hour maximum apparent temperature (Tapp...

The variability problem of normal human walking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Erik B; Alkjær, Tine

2012-01-01

Previous investigations have suggested considerable inter-individual variability in the time course pattern of net joint moments during normal human walking, although the limited sample sizes precluded statistical analyses. The purpose of the present study was to obtain joint moment patterns from...... a group of normal subjects and to test whether or not the expected differences would prove to be statistically significant. Fifteen healthy male subjects were recorded on video while they walked across two force platforms. Ten kinematic and kinetic parameters were selected and input to a statistical...... cluster analysis to determine whether or not the 15 subjects could be divided into different 'families' (clusters) of walking strategy. The net joint moments showed a variability corroborating earlier reports. The cluster analysis showed that the 15 subjects could be grouped into two clusters of 5 and 10...

Apparent diffusion coefficient value of gastric cancer by diffusion-weighted imaging: Correlations with the histological differentiation and Lauren classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Song; Guan, Wenxian; Wang, Hao; Pan, Liang; Zhou, Zhuping; Yu, Haiping; Liu, Tian; Yang, Xiaofeng; He, Jian; Zhou, Zhengyang

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Gastric cancers’ ADC values were significantly lower than normal gastric wall. • Gastric adenocarcinomas with different differentiation had different ADC values. • Gastric adenocarcinomas’ ADC values correlated with histologic differentiations. • Gastric cancers’ ADC values correlated with Lauren classifications. • Mean ADC value was better than min ADC value in characterizing gastric cancers. - Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlations between histological differentiation and Lauren classification of gastric cancer and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). Materials and methods: Sixty-nine patients with gastric cancer lesions underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (3.0T) and surgical resection. DWI was obtained with a single-shot, echo-planar imaging sequence in the axial plane (b values: 0 and 1000 s/mm 2 ). Mean and minimum ADC values were obtained for each gastric cancer and normal gastric walls by two radiologists, who were blinded to the histological findings. Histological type, degree of differentiation and Lauren classification of each resected specimen were determined by one pathologist. Mean and minimum ADC values of gastric cancers with different histological types, degrees of differentiation and Lauren classifications were compared. Correlations between ADC values and histological differentiation and Lauren classification were analyzed. Results: The mean and minimum ADC values of gastric cancers, as a whole and separately, were significantly lower than those of normal gastric walls (all p values <0.001). There were significant differences in the mean and minimum ADC values among gastric cancers with different histological types, degrees of differentiation and Lauren classifications (p < 0.05). Mean and minimum ADC values correlated significantly (all p < 0.001) with histological differentiation (r = 0.564, 0.578) and Lauren

Waist Circumference as a Marker of Obesity Is More Predictive of Coronary Artery Calcification than Body Mass Index in Apparently Healthy Korean Adults: The Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jongsin; Lee, Eun Seo; Lee, Da Young; Kim, Jihyun; Park, Se Eun; Park, Cheol Young; Lee, Won Young; Oh, Ki Won; Park, Sung Woo; Rhee, Eun Jung

2016-12-01

We aimed to assess the risk for coronary artery calcification (CAC) according to groups subdivided by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in apparently healthy Korean adults. Thirty-three thousand four hundred and thirty-two participants (mean age, 42 years) in a health screening program were divided into three groups according to BMI: 25 kg/m² (obese). In addition, the participants were divided into two groups according to WC. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was measured with multi-detector computed tomography in all participants. Presence of CAC was defined as CACS >0. When logistic regression analysis was performed with the presence of CAC as the dependent variable, the risk for CAC increased as BMI increased after adjusting for confounding variables (1.102 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.000 to 1.216]; 1.284 [95% CI, 1.169 to 1.410]; in the overweight and obese groups vs. the normal weight group). When the participants were divided into six groups according to BMI and WC, the subjects with BMI and WC in the obese range showed the highest risk for CAC (1.321 [95% CI, 1.194 to 1.461]) and those with BMI in the overweight range and WC in the obese range showed the second highest risk for CAC (1.235 [95% CI, 1.194 to 1.461]). Participants with obesity defined by both BMI and WC showed the highest risk for CAC. Those with BMIs in the overweight range but with WC in the obese range showed the second highest risk for CAC, suggesting that WC as a marker of obesity is more predictive of CAC than BMI.

Bisphosphonate treatment affects trabecular bone apparent modulus through micro-architecture rather than matrix properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ding, Ming

2004-01-01

and trabecular architecture independently. Conventional histomorphometry and microdamage data were obtained from the second and third lumbar vertebrae of the same dogs [Bone 28 (2001) 524]. Bisphosphonate treatment resulted in an increased apparent Young's modulus, decreased bone turnover, increased calcified...... matrix density, and increased microdamage. We could not detect any change in the effective Young's modulus of the calcified matrix in the bisphosphonate treated groups. The observed increase in apparent Young's modulus was due to increased bone mass and altered trabecular architecture rather than changes...... in the calcified matrix modulus. We hypothesize that the expected increase in the Young's modulus of the calcified matrix due to the increased calcified matrix density was counteracted by the accumulation of microdamage. Udgivelsesdato: 2004 May...

What Causes the High Apparent Speeds in Chromospheric and Transition Region Spicules on the Sun?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Pontieu, Bart; Martínez-Sykora, Juan; Chintzoglou, Georgios, E-mail: bdp@lmsal.com [Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA 94304 (United States)

2017-11-01

Spicules are the most ubuiquitous type of jets in the solar atmosphere. The advent of high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) and ground-based observatories has revealed the presence of very high apparent motions of order 100–300 km s{sup −1} in spicules, as measured in the plane of the sky. However, line of sight measurements of such high speeds have been difficult to obtain, with values deduced from Doppler shifts in spectral lines typically of order 30–70 km s{sup −1}. In this work, we resolve this long-standing discrepancy using recent 2.5D radiative MHD simulations. This simulation has revealed a novel driving mechanism for spicules in which ambipolar diffusion resulting from ion-neutral interactions plays a key role. In our simulation, we often see that the upward propagation of magnetic waves and electrical currents from the low chromosphere into already existing spicules can lead to rapid heating when the currents are rapidly dissipated by ambipolar diffusion. The combination of rapid heating and the propagation of these currents at Alfvénic speeds in excess of 100 km s{sup −1} leads to the very rapid apparent motions, and often wholesale appearance, of spicules at chromospheric and transition region temperatures. In our simulation, the observed fast apparent motions in such jets are actually a signature of a heating front, and much higher than the mass flows, which are of order 30–70 km s{sup −1}. Our results can explain the behavior of transition region “network jets” and the very high apparent speeds reported for some chromospheric spicules.

Tumor vessel normalization after aerobic exercise enhances chemotherapeutic efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schadler, Keri L; Thomas, Nicholas J; Galie, Peter A; Bhang, Dong Ha; Roby, Kerry C; Addai, Prince; Till, Jacob E; Sturgeon, Kathleen; Zaslavsky, Alexander; Chen, Christopher S; Ryeom, Sandra

2016-10-04

Targeted therapies aimed at tumor vasculature are utilized in combination with chemotherapy to improve drug delivery and efficacy after tumor vascular normalization. Tumor vessels are highly disorganized with disrupted blood flow impeding drug delivery to cancer cells. Although pharmacologic anti-angiogenic therapy can remodel and normalize tumor vessels, there is a limited window of efficacy and these drugs are associated with severe side effects necessitating alternatives for vascular normalization. Recently, moderate aerobic exercise has been shown to induce vascular normalization in mouse models. Here, we provide a mechanistic explanation for the tumor vascular normalization induced by exercise. Shear stress, the mechanical stimuli exerted on endothelial cells by blood flow, modulates vascular integrity. Increasing vascular shear stress through aerobic exercise can alter and remodel blood vessels in normal tissues. Our data in mouse models indicate that activation of calcineurin-NFAT-TSP1 signaling in endothelial cells plays a critical role in exercise-induced shear stress mediated tumor vessel remodeling. We show that moderate aerobic exercise with chemotherapy caused a significantly greater decrease in tumor growth than chemotherapy alone through improved chemotherapy delivery after tumor vascular normalization. Our work suggests that the vascular normalizing effects of aerobic exercise can be an effective chemotherapy adjuvant.

Molecular characterization and in vitro digestibility of normal maize starch hydrolyzed by maltotriohydrolase.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chunsen; Zhou, Xing; Wei, Benxi; Li, Hongyan; Tian, Yaoqi; Ali, Barkat; Xu, Xueming; Jin, Zhengyu

2015-03-01

Normal maize starch was hydrolyzed by the glucan 1,4-alpha-maltotriohydrolase (AMTS), and the changes in molecular characteristics and digestibility of starch were evaluated. Upon hydrolysis, maltotriose purity could be modified via controlled AMTS action. The transglycosylation of AMTS possibly happened during the extensive hydrolysis of starch. No single linear association between the z-average radius of gyration (Rz), conformation exponent (ν), apparent molecular density (ρ) and weight average molar mass (Mw) of the starch molecules could be established in the entire process of AMTS hydrolysis. Under mild hydrolysis (≤240 min), Rz and ρ displayed linear relationships with Mw. However, transitions of ν, Rz and ρ appeared after extensive hydrolysis (>240 min), due to the increase in the amount of short chains [degree of polymerization (DP)≤5]. The spherical starch molecule tends toward less compact and a structure between sphere and random coil after extensive hydrolysis. And the increase in the amount of DP≤12 chains and reduction of molecular dimension after AMTS hydrolysis restrict the digestibility of starch. The results of this study suggest that normal maize starch can be modulated by AMTS to produce the desired maltotriose syrup, starch molecular characteristics, and starch digestibility. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The determination of bulk (apparent) density of plant fibres by density method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharifah Hanisah Syed Abd Aziz; Raja Jamal Raja hedar; Zahid Abdullah

2004-01-01

The absolute density of plant fibres excludes all pores and lumen and therefore is a measure of the solid matter of the fibres. On the other hand the bulk density, which is being discussed here, includes all the solid matter and the pores of the fibres. In this work, the apparent density of the fibre was measured by using the Archimedes principle, which involves the immersion of a known weight of fibre into a solvent of lower density than the fibre. Toluene with a density of about 860 kg/m3 was chosen as a solvent. A tuft of fibre was weighed and recorded as W fa . The fibre was then immersed in toluene, which wetted the fibre, and made to rest on the weighing pan submerged in the solvent and the weight of the immersed fibre was recorded as W fs . The apparent density was then calculated using the equation. All the measurements were taken at room temperature. The fibre samples were not oven dried prior to measurement. (Author)

Quantification of pulmonary thallium-201 activity after upright exercise in normal persons: importance of peak heart rate and propranolol usage in defining normal values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, K.A.; Boucher, C.A.; Okada, R.D.; Strauss, H.W.; Pohost, G.M.

1984-01-01

Fifty-nine normal patients (34 angiographically normal and 25 clinically normal by Bayesian analysis) underwent thallium-201 imaging after maximal upright exercise. Lung activity was quantitated relative to myocardial activity and a lung/myocardial activity ratio was determined for each patient. Stepwise regression analysis was then used to examine the influence of patient clinical characteristics and exercise variables on the lung/myocardium ratio. Peak heart rate during exercise and propranolol usage both showed significant negative regression coefficients (p less than 0.001). No other patient data showed a significant relation. Using the regression equation and the estimated variance, a 95% confidence level upper limit of normal could be determined for a give peak heart rate and propranolol status. Sixty-one other patients were studied to validate the predicted upper limits of normal based on this model. None of the 27 patients without coronary artery disease had an elevated lung/myocardial ratio, compared with 1 of 8 with 1-vessel disease (difference not significant), 6 of 14 with 2-vessel disease (p less than 0.005), and 6 of 12 with 3-vessel disease (p less than 0.0001). Thus, lung activity on upright exercise thallium-201 studies can be quantitated relative to myocardial activity, and is inversely related to peak heart rate and propranolol use. Use of a regression analysis allows determination of a 95% confidence upper limit of normal to be anticipated in an individual patient

Comparison of SUVs normalized by lean body mass determined by CT with those normalized by lean body mass estimated by predictive equations in normal tissues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Woo Hyoung; Kim, Chang Guhn; Kim, Dae Weung [Wonkwang Univ. School of Medicine, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-09-15

Standardized uptake values (SUVs)normalized by lean body mass (LBM)determined by CT were compared with those normalized by LBM estimated using predictive equations (PEs)in normal liver, spleen, and aorta using {sup 18}F FDG PET/CT. Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F FDG)positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)was conducted on 453 patients. LBM determined by CT was defined in 3 ways (LBM{sup CT1}-3). Five PEs were used for comparison (LBM{sup PE1}-5). Tissue SUV normalized by LBM (SUL) was calculated using LBM from each method (SUL{sup CT1}-3, SUL{sup PE1}-5). Agreement between methods was assessed by Bland Altman analysis. Percentage difference and percentage error were also calculated. For all liver SUL{sup CTS} vs. liver SUL{sup PES} except liver SUL{sup PE3}, the range of biases, SDs of percentage difference and percentage errors were -0.17-0.24 SUL, 6.15-10.17%, and 25.07-38.91%, respectively. For liver SUL{sup CTs} vs. liver SUL{sup PE3}, the corresponding figures were 0.47-0.69 SUL, 10.90-11.25%, and 50.85-51.55%, respectively, showing the largest percentage errors and positive biases. Irrespective of magnitudes of the biases, large percentage errors of 25.07-51.55% were observed between liver SUL{sup CT1}-3 and liver SUL{sup PE1}-5. The results of spleen and aorta SUL{sup CTs} and SUL{sup PEs} comparison were almost identical to those for liver. The present study demonstrated substantial errors in individual SUL{sup PEs} compared with SUL{sup CTs} as a reference value. Normalization of SUV by LBM determined by CT rather than PEs may be a useful approach to reduce errors in individual SUL{sup PEs}.

Comparison of SUVs normalized by lean body mass determined by CT with those normalized by lean body mass estimated by predictive equations in normal tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Woo Hyoung; Kim, Chang Guhn; Kim, Dae Weung

2012-01-01

Standardized uptake values (SUVs)normalized by lean body mass (LBM)determined by CT were compared with those normalized by LBM estimated using predictive equations (PEs)in normal liver, spleen, and aorta using 18 F FDG PET/CT. Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F FDG)positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)was conducted on 453 patients. LBM determined by CT was defined in 3 ways (LBM CT1 -3). Five PEs were used for comparison (LBM PE1 -5). Tissue SUV normalized by LBM (SUL) was calculated using LBM from each method (SUL CT1 -3, SUL PE1 -5). Agreement between methods was assessed by Bland Altman analysis. Percentage difference and percentage error were also calculated. For all liver SUL CTS vs. liver SUL PES except liver SUL PE3 , the range of biases, SDs of percentage difference and percentage errors were -0.17-0.24 SUL, 6.15-10.17%, and 25.07-38.91%, respectively. For liver SUL CTs vs. liver SUL PE3 , the corresponding figures were 0.47-0.69 SUL, 10.90-11.25%, and 50.85-51.55%, respectively, showing the largest percentage errors and positive biases. Irrespective of magnitudes of the biases, large percentage errors of 25.07-51.55% were observed between liver SUL CT1 -3 and liver SUL PE1 -5. The results of spleen and aorta SUL CTs and SUL PEs comparison were almost identical to those for liver. The present study demonstrated substantial errors in individual SUL PEs compared with SUL CTs as a reference value. Normalization of SUV by LBM determined by CT rather than PEs may be a useful approach to reduce errors in individual SUL PEs

Comparative analysis of the essential oils from normal and hairy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The essential oils were extracted with steam distillation from normal and hairy roots of Panax japonicus C.A. Meyer. The constituents of essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that 40 and 46 kinds of compounds were identified from the essential oils of normal ...

Device for measuring active, reactive and apparent power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartosinski, E.; Wieland, J.

1982-09-30

The plan consists of a traditional electrodynamic mechanism for measuring power (IM) supplemented by three switches, two rectifiers, resistor, included in parallel, and phaseshifting throttle included in series with the voltage coil of the IM. This makes it possible by selection to perform three types of measurements: active power of alternating current or power of direct current, only the voltage coils and the IM current are engaged; reactive power, the resistor and the throttle are additionally engaged by the aforementioned method; complete (apparent) power--the current and the voltage are supplied directly to the IM coils, but in contrast to the first case, through rectifiers. The influence of the highest harmonic components of voltage and current which are not significant for industrial measurements can be eliminated in necessary cases using filtering devices.

A Denotational Account of Untyped Normalization by Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filinski, Andrzej; Rohde, Henning Korsholm

2004-01-01

We show that the standard normalization-by-evaluation construction for the simply-typed λβγ-calculus has a natural counterpart for the untyped λβ-calculus, with the central type-indexed logical relation replaced by a recursively defined invariant relation, in the style of Pitts. In fact, the cons...... proof for the normalization algorithm, expressed as a functional program in an ML-like call-by-value language. A version of this article with detailed proofs is available as a technical report [5]....

Univariate normalization of bispectrum using Hölder's inequality.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahbazi, Forooz; Ewald, Arne; Nolte, Guido

2014-08-15

Considering that many biological systems including the brain are complex non-linear systems, suitable methods capable of detecting these non-linearities are required to study the dynamical properties of these systems. One of these tools is the third order cummulant or cross-bispectrum, which is a measure of interfrequency interactions between three signals. For convenient interpretation, interaction measures are most commonly normalized to be independent of constant scales of the signals such that its absolute values are bounded by one, with this limit reflecting perfect coupling. Although many different normalization factors for cross-bispectra were suggested in the literature these either do not lead to bounded measures or are themselves dependent on the coupling and not only on the scale of the signals. In this paper we suggest a normalization factor which is univariate, i.e., dependent only on the amplitude of each signal and not on the interactions between signals. Using a generalization of Hölder's inequality it is proven that the absolute value of this univariate bicoherence is bounded by zero and one. We compared three widely used normalizations to the univariate normalization concerning the significance of bicoherence values gained from resampling tests. Bicoherence values are calculated from real EEG data recorded in an eyes closed experiment from 10 subjects. The results show slightly more significant values for the univariate normalization but in general, the differences are very small or even vanishing in some subjects. Therefore, we conclude that the normalization factor does not play an important role in the bicoherence values with regard to statistical power, although a univariate normalization is the only normalization factor which fulfills all the required conditions of a proper normalization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Apparent digestibility coefficient of chickpea, maize, high-quality protein maize, and beans diets in juvenile and adult Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magnolia Montoya-Mejía

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of our study was to assess the apparent digestibility of plant ingredients in diets for juvenile (50 g and adult (220 g Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus. Dietary dry matter and protein apparent digestibility coefficients of four plant-derived feedstuffs (chickpea, maize, high-quality maize protein, and beans were tested. The beans diet had the lowest apparent digestibility coefficient of dry matter (ADCDM (69.41%, while no significant differences were detected in ADCDM among the other diets; ADCDM was significantly higher in adults compared with juveniles (77.02 vs. 73.76%. Apparent dry matter digestibility coefficient of ingredients (ADCI was significantly higher in the chickpea (70.48% and high-quality protein maize (71.09% ingredients, and lower in the beans (52.79% ingredient. Apparent dry matter digestibility coefficient of ingredients was significantly higher in juveniles compared with adults (72.56 vs. 56.80%. The protein digestibility of diet (ADCCP was significantly higher in the reference diet (93.68%, while the lowest corresponded to the maize (87.86% and beans (87.29% diets. Significantly lower apparent digestibility coefficient of protein (ADCICP was obtained with the high-quality maize protein (59.11% and maize (49.48% ingredients, while higher ADCICP was obtained with the chickpea and beans ingredients (71.31 and 63.89%, respectively. The apparent digestibility coefficient of ingredient crude protein ADCICP was significantly higher in juveniles compared with adults (67.35 vs. 53.46. Digestibility is generally higher in juveniles, and we recommend using chickpea as an ingredient in diets for Nile tilapia.

Normal Movement Selectivity in Autism

OpenAIRE

Dinstein, Ilan; Thomas, Cibu; Humphreys, Kate; Minshew, Nancy; Behrmann, Marlene; Heeger, David J.

2010-01-01

It has been proposed that individuals with autism have difficulties understanding the goals and intentions of others because of a fundamental dysfunction in the mirror neuron system. Here, however, we show that individuals with autism exhibited not only normal fMRI responses in mirror system areas during observation and execution of hand movements, but also exhibited typical movement-selective adaptation (repetition suppression) when observing or executing the same movement repeatedly. Moveme...

Significance of apparent discrepanices in water ages derived from atmospheric radionuclides at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, B.; Fabryka-Martin, J.; Wolfsberg, A.; Robinson, B.; Sharma, P.

1995-01-01

Cosmogenic 36 Cl and 14 C produced in the atmosphere are being used to estimate water residence times in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain. Results thus far show a systematic discordance in that 14 C-based ages are generally one to two orders of magnitude younger than 36 Cl-based ages. This lack of concordance probably arises from one or more of the following reasons: (1) different transport mechanisms, e.g., vapor transport for 14 C; (2) different magnitudes and timing of bomb-pulse signals; (3) mixing of waters from different flow paths; and (4) possibly inadequate methods for correcting for the effect of sample contamination by carbon or chlorine from sources other than the infiltrating water. Preliminary numerical simulation results using the FEHMN code suggest that spatial variation in infiltration rates can enhance lateral flow and mixing that leads to discordance in apparent ages depending on the dating technique. Examples are presented to show that disparate radiometric ages are inevitable and to be expected where mixing of waters of markedly different ages occurs

The generalized second law in irreversible thermodynamics for the interacting dark energy in a non-flat FRW universe enclosed by the apparent horizon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karami, K., E-mail: KKarami@uok.ac.i [Department of Physics, University of Kurdistan, Pasdaran St., Sanandaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Research Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics of Maragha (RIAAM), Maragha (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghaffari, S. [Department of Physics, University of Kurdistan, Pasdaran St., Sanandaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2010-03-01

We investigate the validity of the generalized second law in irreversible thermodynamics in a non-flat FRW universe containing the interacting dark energy with cold dark matter. The boundary of the universe is assumed to be enclosed by the dynamical apparent horizon. We show that for the present time, the generalized second law in nonequilibrium thermodynamics is satisfied for the special range of the energy transfer constants.

The generalized second law in irreversible thermodynamics for the interacting dark energy in a non-flat FRW universe enclosed by the apparent horizon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karami, K.; Ghaffari, S.

2010-01-01

We investigate the validity of the generalized second law in irreversible thermodynamics in a non-flat FRW universe containing the interacting dark energy with cold dark matter. The boundary of the universe is assumed to be enclosed by the dynamical apparent horizon. We show that for the present time, the generalized second law in nonequilibrium thermodynamics is satisfied for the special range of the energy transfer constants.

Histogram Analysis of Apparent Diffusion Coefficients for Occult Tonsil Cancer in Patients with Cervical Nodal Metastasis from an Unknown Primary Site at Presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Young Jun; Lee, Jeong Hyun; Kim, Hye Ok; Kim, Dae Yoon; Yoon, Ra Gyoung; Cho, So Hyun; Koh, Myeong Ju; Kim, Namkug; Kim, Sang Yoon; Baek, Jung Hwan

2016-01-01

To explore the added value of histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values over magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and fluorine 18 ((18)F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for the detection of occult palatine tonsil squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients with cervical nodal metastasis from a cancer of an unknown primary site. The institutional review board approved this retrospective study, and the requirement for informed consent was waived. Differences in the bimodal histogram parameters of the ADC values were assessed among occult palatine tonsil SCC (n = 19), overt palatine tonsil SCC (n = 20), and normal palatine tonsils (n = 20). One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze differences among the three groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the best differentiating parameters. The increased sensitivity of histogram analysis over MR imaging and (18)F-FDG PET/CT for the detection of occult palatine tonsil SCC was evaluated as added value. Histogram analysis showed statistically significant differences in the mean, standard deviation, and 50th and 90th percentile ADC values among the three groups (P histogram analysis was 52.6% over MR imaging alone and 15.8% over combined conventional MR imaging and (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Adding ADC histogram analysis to conventional MR imaging can improve the detection sensitivity for occult palatine tonsil SCC in patients with a cervical nodal metastasis originating from a cancer of an unknown primary site. © RSNA, 2015.

Apparent diffusion coefficient correlation with oesophageal tumour stroma and angiogenesis