The significance of E. coli treatment in perinatal period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ljubić Aleksandar D.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Bacteriuria of pregnancy is a common condition. Case report: Patient, 30-years, pregnant woman. During pregnancy, E. coli infection recurred in 4 times, applied Cephalexin and Ceftriaxone. The delivery was terminated by CS, GW 38; girl infant, AS 9. After the period of lactation: secretory status - the patient was a secretor of A and H blood type substance; ultrasonography and contrast radiography - presence of the third kidney. The therapy was added by vaccine UroVaxom, and there was no E. coli infection during 2 years follow up period. The Child is now 7 years old girl, having brilliant psychomotorical development. Possible child brain damage, lung damage, mental diseases are the reason for necessity E. coli infection treatment during pregnancy. Conclusion: All pregnant women should be screened for bacteriuria. E. coli is most commonly sensitive to group B antibiotics (cephalexin and amoxicillin, safe to be included in pregnancy. Long-term follow up of infants born from mothers having bacterial infection during pregnancy is necessary.

The effect of physical activity on sleep quality, well-being, and affect in academic stress periods.

Science.gov (United States)

Wunsch, Kathrin; Kasten, Nadine; Fuchs, Reinhard

2017-01-01

The stress-buffering hypothesis postulates that physical activity and exercise can buffer the negative effects of (academic) stress on health. It still remains an open question whether students, who regularly engage in physical activity and exercise within their academic examination period, can successfully diminish these negative effects. Sixty-four subjects participated in this study and completed a total of five surveys, with T1 at the end of the semester break (baseline) and T2-T5 being presented every Friday in the last 4 weeks of the semester (examination period). They were asked to answer questions about their activity level, sleep quality, well-being and affect. Hierarchical linear models showed significant dependencies on time for all dependent measures. The expansion of the model for exercise also showed significant main effects of this predictor on well-being and positive affect (PA) and negative affect. Moreover, significant interactions with time for sleep quality and PA were found. Results suggest that physical activity and exercise in the academic examination period may be able to buffer the negative effects of stress on health-related outcomes. Therefore, activity levels should be maintained in times of high stress to prevent negative effects on sleep, well-being and affect in students.

Comment: Distinguishing Cohort Effects from Age*Period Effects on Non-Marital Fertility

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Steve

2009-01-01

In the article "Cohort Effects on Non-marital Fertility," in this issue of "Social Forces," Jean Stockard employs a novel strategy for disentangling cohort, period, and age effects on the non-marital fertility ratio. In a model with fixed-effect controls for age and for time period, the author documents evidence for three cohort-specific factors…

Periodization of Carbohydrate Intake: Short-Term Effect on Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie-Anne Marquet

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: “Sleep-low” consists of a sequential periodization of carbohydrate (CHO availability—low glycogen recovery after “train high” glycogen-depleting interval training, followed by an overnight-fast and light intensity training (“train low” the following day. This strategy leads to an upregulation of several exercise-responsive signaling proteins, but the chronic effect on performance has received less attention. We investigated the effects of short-term exposure to this strategy on endurance performance. Methods: Following training familiarization, 11 trained cyclists were divided into two groups for a one-week intervention—one group implemented three cycles of periodized CHO intake to achieve the sleep-low strategy over six training sessions (SL, CHO intake: 6 g·kg−1·day−1, whereas the control group consumed an even distribution of CHO over the day (CON. Tests were a 2 h submaximal ride and a 20 km time trial. Results: SL improved their performance (mean: +3.2%; p < 0.05 compared to CON. The improvement was associated with a change in pacing strategy with higher power output during the second part of the test. No change in substrate utilization was observed after the training period for either group. Conclusion: Implementing the “sleep-low” strategy for one week improved performance by the same magnitude previously seen in a three-week intervention, without any significant changes in selected markers of metabolism.

Periodization of Carbohydrate Intake: Short-Term Effect on Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Marquet, Laurie-Anne; Hausswirth, Christophe; Molle, Odeline; Hawley, John A.; Burke, Louise M.; Tiollier, Eve; Brisswalter, Jeanick

2016-01-01

Background: “Sleep-low” consists of a sequential periodization of carbohydrate (CHO) availability—low glycogen recovery after “train high” glycogen-depleting interval training, followed by an overnight-fast and light intensity training (“train low”) the following day. This strategy leads to an upregulation of several exercise-responsive signaling proteins, but the chronic effect on performance has received less attention. We investigated the effects of short-term exposure to this strategy on endurance performance. Methods: Following training familiarization, 11 trained cyclists were divided into two groups for a one-week intervention—one group implemented three cycles of periodized CHO intake to achieve the sleep-low strategy over six training sessions (SL, CHO intake: 6 g·kg−1·day−1), whereas the control group consumed an even distribution of CHO over the day (CON). Tests were a 2 h submaximal ride and a 20 km time trial. Results: SL improved their performance (mean: +3.2%; p < 0.05) compared to CON. The improvement was associated with a change in pacing strategy with higher power output during the second part of the test. No change in substrate utilization was observed after the training period for either group. Conclusion: Implementing the “sleep-low” strategy for one week improved performance by the same magnitude previously seen in a three-week intervention, without any significant changes in selected markers of metabolism. PMID:27897989

Formal conditions for the significance-effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thellefsen, Torkild Leo; Sørensen, Bent; Thellefsen, Martin

2006-01-01

The significance-effect is the right effect of meaning caused upon an interpreting mind. The right effect is understood as the right interpretation of an intended meaning caused by a sign communicated by an utterer. In the article, which is inspired by Charles S. Peirce's doctrine of signs, his s...... semeiotics and his theory of communication, we account for the formal conditions that have to be present for the release of the significance-effect....

Significance of insulin resistance and oxidative stress in dairy cattle with subclinical ketosis during the transition period.

Science.gov (United States)

Youssef, Mohamed; El-Ashker, Maged

2017-02-01

Health problems occurring during the transition period in dairy cattle are of utmost importance as they can decrease the animal's reproductive performance and favor the development of various metabolic diseases with resultant significant reproductive disorders. Among the commonly reported metabolic diseases occurring during that time, hyperketonemia is the most prevalent and could provoke a significant economic impact. The failing of a dairy cow to transit optimally between pregnancy and lactation is economically very relevant and should be considered. Until now, the role of insulin resistance (IR) in the etiology of subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy cattle is not clearly understood. This review aims to shed some light on the role of IR and oxidative stress in dairy cows with SCK during the transition period. The data presented in this review demonstrates that dairy cows could be vulnerable to the development of negative energy balance during transition. Moreover, the transitional cows could succumb to both IR and oxidative stress; however, the exact role of IR in cows with SCK needs further investigations. It is imperative to elaborate a suitable nutritional strategy to facilitate an easy transit of cows through this critical period and to minimize health problems and improve productivity during lactation.

[Effect of antecedent dry period on water quality of urban storm runoff pollution].

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Bo

2009-12-01

Identified the main factor influencing urban rainfall-runoff pollution provides a scientific basis for urban rainfall-runoff pollution control and management. Therefore, starting in May 2006, a study was conducted to characterize water quality from representative land uses types in Zhenjiang to analyse the effect of antecedent dry period on stormwater runoff quality. The results show that the beginning of rainfall, with the increase of antecedent dry periods, the percentages of less than 40 microm is increased, the correlation of the water quality parameters (TN, TP, Zn, Pb, Cu, TSS and COD) and antecedent dry period shows a significant positive correlation, dissolved pollutants in the initial period surface runoff is increased. These findings show that facilitating the recognition of antecedent dry periods is the main factor influencing the change in concentration and partitioning of pollutants to provide the scientific basis for non-point source pollution control and management.

THE EFFECTS OF INCOME, GENDER, AGE, EDUCATION, WORKING PERIOD, INSURANCE, TRAINING, AND WORKER STATUS ON OUTSOURCED AND WORKERS PERFORMANCE IN SOUTH SUMATERA IN MANUFACTURING COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ratna Juwita

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This research investigated the effects of income, gender, age, education, working period, insurance, training and workers’ status (outsourcing or permanent on performance. The result showed that gender, education, insurance, training and status had positive and significant effect on performace. Income had significant and negative effect on performance, the increased income would decrease performance. Age had positive but not significant effect, the increased age would decrease performance. Working period had negative but not significsnt effect on performance, the short working period would decrease performance.

Modeling Periodic Impulsive Effects on Online TV Series Diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Peihua; Zhu, Anding; Fang, Qiwen; Wang, Xi

Online broadcasting substantially affects the production, distribution, and profit of TV series. In addition, online word-of-mouth significantly affects the diffusion of TV series. Because on-demand streaming rates are the most important factor that influences the earnings of online video suppliers, streaming statistics and forecasting trends are valuable. In this paper, we investigate the effects of periodic impulsive stimulation and pre-launch promotion on on-demand streaming dynamics. We consider imbalanced audience feverish distribution using an impulsive susceptible-infected-removed(SIR)-like model. In addition, we perform a correlation analysis of online buzz volume based on Baidu Index data. We propose a PI-SIR model to evolve audience dynamics and translate them into on-demand streaming fluctuations, which can be observed and comprehended by online video suppliers. Six South Korean TV series datasets are used to test the model. We develop a coarse-to-fine two-step fitting scheme to estimate the model parameters, first by fitting inter-period accumulation and then by fitting inner-period feverish distribution. We find that audience members display similar viewing habits. That is, they seek new episodes every update day but fade away. This outcome means that impulsive intensity plays a crucial role in on-demand streaming diffusion. In addition, the initial audience size and online buzz are significant factors. On-demand streaming fluctuation is highly correlated with online buzz fluctuation. To stimulate audience attention and interpersonal diffusion, it is worthwhile to invest in promotion near update days. Strong pre-launch promotion is also a good marketing tool to improve overall performance. It is not advisable for online video providers to promote several popular TV series on the same update day. Inter-period accumulation is a feasible forecasting tool to predict the future trend of the on-demand streaming amount. The buzz in public social communities

Modeling Periodic Impulsive Effects on Online TV Series Diffusion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peihua Fu

Full Text Available Online broadcasting substantially affects the production, distribution, and profit of TV series. In addition, online word-of-mouth significantly affects the diffusion of TV series. Because on-demand streaming rates are the most important factor that influences the earnings of online video suppliers, streaming statistics and forecasting trends are valuable. In this paper, we investigate the effects of periodic impulsive stimulation and pre-launch promotion on on-demand streaming dynamics. We consider imbalanced audience feverish distribution using an impulsive susceptible-infected-removed(SIR-like model. In addition, we perform a correlation analysis of online buzz volume based on Baidu Index data.We propose a PI-SIR model to evolve audience dynamics and translate them into on-demand streaming fluctuations, which can be observed and comprehended by online video suppliers. Six South Korean TV series datasets are used to test the model. We develop a coarse-to-fine two-step fitting scheme to estimate the model parameters, first by fitting inter-period accumulation and then by fitting inner-period feverish distribution.We find that audience members display similar viewing habits. That is, they seek new episodes every update day but fade away. This outcome means that impulsive intensity plays a crucial role in on-demand streaming diffusion. In addition, the initial audience size and online buzz are significant factors. On-demand streaming fluctuation is highly correlated with online buzz fluctuation.To stimulate audience attention and interpersonal diffusion, it is worthwhile to invest in promotion near update days. Strong pre-launch promotion is also a good marketing tool to improve overall performance. It is not advisable for online video providers to promote several popular TV series on the same update day. Inter-period accumulation is a feasible forecasting tool to predict the future trend of the on-demand streaming amount. The buzz in public

Modeling Periodic Impulsive Effects on Online TV Series Diffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Qiwen; Wang, Xi

2016-01-01

Background Online broadcasting substantially affects the production, distribution, and profit of TV series. In addition, online word-of-mouth significantly affects the diffusion of TV series. Because on-demand streaming rates are the most important factor that influences the earnings of online video suppliers, streaming statistics and forecasting trends are valuable. In this paper, we investigate the effects of periodic impulsive stimulation and pre-launch promotion on on-demand streaming dynamics. We consider imbalanced audience feverish distribution using an impulsive susceptible-infected-removed(SIR)-like model. In addition, we perform a correlation analysis of online buzz volume based on Baidu Index data. Methods We propose a PI-SIR model to evolve audience dynamics and translate them into on-demand streaming fluctuations, which can be observed and comprehended by online video suppliers. Six South Korean TV series datasets are used to test the model. We develop a coarse-to-fine two-step fitting scheme to estimate the model parameters, first by fitting inter-period accumulation and then by fitting inner-period feverish distribution. Results We find that audience members display similar viewing habits. That is, they seek new episodes every update day but fade away. This outcome means that impulsive intensity plays a crucial role in on-demand streaming diffusion. In addition, the initial audience size and online buzz are significant factors. On-demand streaming fluctuation is highly correlated with online buzz fluctuation. Conclusion To stimulate audience attention and interpersonal diffusion, it is worthwhile to invest in promotion near update days. Strong pre-launch promotion is also a good marketing tool to improve overall performance. It is not advisable for online video providers to promote several popular TV series on the same update day. Inter-period accumulation is a feasible forecasting tool to predict the future trend of the on-demand streaming amount

The effect of physical activity on sleep quality, well-being, and affect in academic stress periods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wunsch K

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Kathrin Wunsch, Nadine Kasten, Reinhard Fuchs Department of Sport Science, Sport Psychology Unit, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Abstract: The stress-buffering hypothesis postulates that physical activity and exercise can buffer the negative effects of (academic stress on health. It still remains an open question whether students, who regularly engage in physical activity and exercise within their academic examination period, can successfully diminish these negative effects. Sixty-four subjects participated in this study and completed a total of five surveys, with T1 at the end of the semester break (baseline and T2–T5 being presented every Friday in the last 4 weeks of the semester (examination period. They were asked to answer questions about their activity level, sleep quality, well-being and affect. Hierarchical linear models showed significant dependencies on time for all dependent measures. The expansion of the model for exercise also showed significant main effects of this predictor on well-being and positive affect (PA and negative affect. Moreover, significant interactions with time for sleep quality and PA were found. Results suggest that physical activity and exercise in the academic examination period may be able to buffer the negative effects of stress on health-related outcomes. Therefore, activity levels should be maintained in times of high stress to prevent negative effects on sleep, well-being and affect in students. Keywords: examination stress, exercise, stress-buffering hypothesis

The significant effects of puberty on the genetic diathesis of binge eating in girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Klump, Kelly L; Culbert, Kristen M; O'Connor, Shannon; Fowler, Natasha; Burt, S Alexandra

2017-08-01

Recent data show significant phenotypic and genetic associations between ovarian hormones and binge eating in adulthood. Theories of hormonal risk focus on puberty and the possibility that hormone activation induces changes in genetic effects that then lead to differential risk for binge eating in postpuberty and adulthood. Although this theory is difficult to test in humans, an indirect test is to examine whether genetic influences on binge eating increase during the pubertal period in girls. Prior work has shown pubertal increases in genetic influences on overall disordered eating symptoms, but no study to date has examined binge eating. The present study was the first to examine these increases for binge eating. Participants included 1,568 female twins (aged 8-25 years) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Binge eating and pubertal development were assessed with self-report questionnaires. Twin moderation models showed significant linear increases in genetic effects from prepuberty (5%) to postpuberty (42%), even after controlling for the effects of age and body mass index. Results provide critical support for increased genetic influences on binge eating during puberty. Additional studies are needed to identify hormonal mechanisms and fully test contemporary models of ovarian hormone risk. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Significant Change Spotting for Periodic Human Motion Segmentation of Cleaning Tasks Using Wearable Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai-Chun Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The proportion of the aging population is rapidly increasing around the world, which will cause stress on society and healthcare systems. In recent years, advances in technology have created new opportunities for automatic activities of daily living (ADL monitoring to improve the quality of life and provide adequate medical service for the elderly. Such automatic ADL monitoring requires reliable ADL information on a fine-grained level, especially for the status of interaction between body gestures and the environment in the real-world. In this work, we propose a significant change spotting mechanism for periodic human motion segmentation during cleaning task performance. A novel approach is proposed based on the search for a significant change of gestures, which can manage critical technical issues in activity recognition, such as continuous data segmentation, individual variance, and category ambiguity. Three typical machine learning classification algorithms are utilized for the identification of the significant change candidate, including a Support Vector Machine (SVM, k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN, and Naive Bayesian (NB algorithm. Overall, the proposed approach achieves 96.41% in the F1-score by using the SVM classifier. The results show that the proposed approach can fulfill the requirement of fine-grained human motion segmentation for automatic ADL monitoring.

The effects of model complexity and calibration period on groundwater recharge simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Moeck, Christian; Van Freyberg, Jana; Schirmer, Mario

2017-04-01

A significant number of groundwater recharge models exist that vary in terms of complexity (i.e., structure and parametrization). Typically, model selection and conceptualization is very subjective and can be a key source of uncertainty in the recharge simulations. Another source of uncertainty is the implicit assumption that model parameters, calibrated over historical periods, are also valid for the simulation period. To the best of our knowledge there is no systematic evaluation of the effect of the model complexity and calibration strategy on the performance of recharge models. To address this gap, we utilized a long-term recharge data set (20 years) from a large weighting lysimeter. We performed a differential split sample test with four groundwater recharge models that vary in terms of complexity. They were calibrated using six calibration periods with climatically contrasting conditions in a constrained Monte Carlo approach. Despite the climatically contrasting conditions, all models performed similarly well during the calibration. However, during validation a clear effect of the model structure on model performance was evident. The more complex, physically-based models predicted recharge best, even when calibration and prediction periods had very different climatic conditions. In contrast, more simplistic soil-water balance and lumped model performed poorly under such conditions. For these models we found a strong dependency on the chosen calibration period. In particular, our analysis showed that this can have relevant implications when using recharge models as decision-making tools in a broad range of applications (e.g. water availability, climate change impact studies, water resource management, etc.).

15 CFR 971.602 - Significant adverse environmental effects.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Environmental Effects § 971.602 Significant adverse environmental effects. (a) Determination of significant adverse environmental effects. The Administrator will determine the potential for or the occurrence of any significant adverse environmental effect or impact (for the purposes of sections 103(a)(2)(D), 105(a)(4), 106...

Effect of dry period length on the effect of an intramammary teat sealant on the risk of mastitis in cattle treated with antibiotics at drying off.

Science.gov (United States)

Laven, R A; Balcomb, C C; Tulley, W T; Lawrence, K E

2014-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate, under farm conditions, the use of a teat sealant in addition to whole herd dry cow antibiotic therapy on the risk of clinical mastitis in dairy cattle at pasture, and to evaluate the impact of dry period length on that risk and the impact of the teat sealant on that risk. Dairy cows in three herds which used routine whole herd antibiotic therapy were randomly assigned to receive either treatment with an internal teat sealant (n=322) or no additional treatment (n=313) at drying-off between March and May 2010. All clinical mastitis cases during the dry period and to the end of the subsequent lactation were recorded by farm staff; factors affecting risk of clinical mastitis were then analysed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Median duration of the dry period was 112 days with >25% of cows having a dry period >130 days. The incidence risk of mastitis during lactation for cows treated with teat sealant was 9.9 (95% CI=6.9-13.7) cases per 100 cows compared with 17.9 (95% CI=13.8-22.6) cases per 100 cows for cows treated with antibiotic alone. The addition of a teat sealant to dry cow antibiotic therapy decreased the risk of clinical mastitis only in the first 33 days after calving (Hazard risk 0.24 (95% CI=0.12-0.48)). Length of dry period did not significantly affect the risk of clinical mastitis, or the effect of adding teat sealant to dry cow antibiotic therapy on the risk of clinical mastitis. In these herds where, based on the mastitis history, whole herd antibiotic therapy had been recommended, the use of a teat sealant significantly reduced the risk of clinical mastitis. This effect was limited to the first 33 days after calving; subsequently there was no significant effect of treatment. There was no effect of dry period length on risk of clinical mastitis, nor any significant interaction with treatment. Combination therapy with teat sealant and antibiotic was effective under New Zealand conditions in herds using whole

Vitamins and administration periods effects on haematological ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Vitamins and administration periods effects on haematological parameters of broiler ... Data obtained on haematological indices were subjected to Analysis of ... été répartis sur base de l'égalisation du poids en neuf (9) groupes de traitement, ...

Effective medium of periodic fluid-solid composites

KAUST Repository

Mei, Jun; Wu, Ying; Liu, Zhengyou

2012-01-01

An analytic solution of the effective mass density and bulk modulus of a periodic fluid-solid composite is obtained by using the multiple-scattering theory in the long-wavelength limit. It is shown that when the concentration of solid inclusions

Lipid spectrum of the newborn rats' blood at the radioactive and chemical effects in the prenatal period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buzan, Kh.

1998-01-01

The radioactive and chemical factors used in complex or separately during the prenatal period in the experiment induce ambiguous effects on the lipid metabolism in blood plasma and erythrocytes of newborn rats. The chemicals cause more significant changes in the blood plasma lipid metabolism than the radioactive irradiation does. Being used combined the radioactive and chemical factors do not increase each other's effect- their effects have opposite directions. The radiochemical exposure induce more significant shifts in the lipid spectrum in erythrocytic membranes than the separate factors

Short-term Periodization Models: Effects on Strength and Speed-strength Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, Hagen; Wirth, Klaus; Keiner, Michael; Mickel, Christoph; Sander, Andre; Szilvas, Elena

2015-10-01

Dividing training objectives into consecutive phases to gain morphological adaptations (hypertrophy phase) and neural adaptations (strength and power phases) is called strength-power periodization (SPP). These phases differ in program variables (volume, intensity, and exercise choice or type) and use stepwise intensity progression and concomitant decreasing volume, converging to peak intensity (peaking phase). Undulating periodization strategies rotate these program variables in a bi-weekly, weekly, or daily fashion. The following review addresses the effects of different short-term periodization models on strength and speed-strength both with subjects of different performance levels and with competitive athletes from different sports who use a particular periodization model during off-season, pre-season, and in-season conditioning. In most periodization studies, it is obvious that the strength endurance sessions are characterized by repetition zones (12-15 repetitions) that induce muscle hypertrophy in persons with a low performance level. Strictly speaking, when examining subjects with a low training level, many periodization studies include mainly hypertrophy sessions interspersed with heavy strength/power sessions. Studies have demonstrated equal or statistically significant higher gains in maximal strength for daily undulating periodization compared with SPP in subjects with a low to moderate performance level. The relatively short intervention period and the lack of concomitant sports conditioning call into question the practical value of these findings for competitive athletes. Possibly owing to differences in mesocycle length, conditioning programs, and program variables, competitive athletes either maintained or improved strength and/or speed-strength performance by integrating daily undulating periodization and SPP during off-season, pre-season and in-season conditioning. In high-performance sports, high-repetition strength training (>15) should be

On some periodicity effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorokin, Sergey V.

2015-01-01

The talk is concerned with the modelling of wave propagation in and vibration of periodic elastic structures. Although analysis of wave-guide properties of infinite periodic structures is a well establish research subject, some issues have not yet been fully addressed in the literature. The aim o...

The Combined Effect of Methyl- and Ethyl-Paraben on Lifespan and Preadult Development Period of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qi; Pan, Chenguang; Li, Yajuan; Zhang, Min; Gu, Wei

2016-01-01

Parabens are widely used as preservative substances in foods, pharmaceuticals, industrial products, and cosmetics. But several studies have cautioned that parabens have estrogenic or endocrine-disrupting properties. Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal model in vivo to detect the toxic effects of chemistry. The study was designed to assess the potential additive toxic effects of methylparaben (MP) and ethylparaben (EP) mixture (MP + EP) on lifespan and preadult development period in D. melanogaster The data revealed that the MP + EP can reduce the longevity of flies compared with the control group, consistent with a significant reduction in malondialdehyde levels and an increase in superoxide dismutase activities. Furthermore, MP + EP may have a greater toxic effect on longevity of flies than separate using with the same concentration. Additionally, parabens had a nonmonotonic dose-response effect on D. melanogaster preadult development period, showing that MP + EP delayed preadult development period compared with control group while individual MP or EP significantly shortened (P melanogaster. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Effects of Rainfall-Induced Topsoil Structure Changes on Root-Zone Moisture Regime during the Dry Period

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feng; Chen, Jiazhou; Lin, Lirong

2018-01-01

Rainfall erosion and subsequent intermittent drought are serious barriers for agricultural production in the subtropical red soil region of China. Although it is widely recognized that rainfall-induced soil structure degradation reduced soil water storage and water-holding capacity, the effects of variation of the rainfall-induced topsoil structure on the subsequent soil water regime during the dry period is still rarely considered. The objective of this study was to ascertain the way of rainfall-induced topsoil structure changes on the subsequent soil water regime during the dry period. In a three-year-long experiment, six practices (CK, only crop; SM, straw mulching; PAM, polyacrylamide surface application; B, contour Bahia-grass strip; SPAM, straw mulching and polyacrylamide surface application; and BPAM, contour Bahia-grass strip and polyacrylamide surface application) were conducted at an 8° farmland with planting summer maize resulting in different topsoil structure and root-zone moisture, to establish and reveal the quantitatively relationship between the factors of topsoil structure and soil drought. Rainfall erosion significantly increased the soil crust coverage, and decreased the WSA 0.25, 0-30 mm soil porosity and mean pore size. There was no significant difference during the raining stage of root-zone water storage between CK and other practices. An index of soil drought intensity ( I) and degree ( D) was established using soil water loss rate and soil drought severity. The larger value of I means a higher rate of water loss. The larger value of D means more severe drought. During the dry period, I and D were significantly higher in CK than in other practices. I and D had significantly positively correlation with the crust size and crust coverage, and negatively with WSA 0.25, 15-30 mm soil porosity and mean pore size. Among of soil structure factors, the soil porosity had the largest effect on I and D. The rainfall-induced topsoil structure changes

Effects of Colored Noise on Periodic Orbits in a One-Dimensional Map

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Feng-Guo; Ai, Bao-Quan

2011-06-01

Noise can induce inverse period-doubling transition and chaos. The effects of the colored noise on periodic orbits, of the different periodic sequences in the logistic map, are investigated. It is found that the dynamical behaviors of the orbits, induced by an exponentially correlated colored noise, are different in the mergence of transition, and the effects of the noise intensity on their dynamical behaviors are different from the effects of the correlation time of noise. Remarkably, the noise can induce new periodic orbits, namely, two new orbits emerge in the period-four sequence at the bifurcation parameter value μ = 3.5, four new orbits in the period-eight sequence at μ = 3.55, and three new orbits in the period-six sequence at μ = 3.846, respectively. Moreover, the dynamical behaviors of the new orbits clearly show the resonancelike response to the colored noise.

Effects of Colored Noise on Periodic Orbits in a One-Dimensional Map

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Fengguo; Ai Baoquan

2011-01-01

Noise can induce inverse period-doubling transition and chaos. The effects of the colored noise on periodic orbits, of the different periodic sequences in the logistic map, are investigated. It is found that the dynamical behaviors of the orbits, induced by an exponentially correlated colored noise, are different in the mergence of transition, and the effects of the noise intensity on their dynamical behaviors are different from the effects of the correlation time of noise. Remarkably, the noise can induce new periodic orbits, namely, two new orbits emerge in the period-four sequence at the bifurcation parameter value μ = 3.5, four new orbits in the period-eight sequence at μ = 3.55, and three new orbits in the period-six sequence at μ = 3.846, respectively. Moreover, the dynamical behaviors of the new orbits clearly show the resonancelike response to the colored noise. (general)

[Effect of polycystic ovary syndrome treated with the periodic therapy of acupuncture].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Danhong; Zhao, Mei; Tan, Jiahong

2017-08-12

To observe the effects differences for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) between periodic therapy of acupuncture and diane-35 and to explore its mechanism. Sixty patients were randomly assigned into an acupuncture group and a western medication group, 30 cases in each one, 29 patients finally included with one case dropping out respectively. In the acupuncture group, periodic therapy was mainly used at bilateral Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Dahe (KI 12), Guilai (ST 29), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3), with different acupoints in the postmenstrual, intermenstrual, premenstrual periods, once every other day, 3 times a week. EA (2 Hz/100 Hz) was used at bilateral Dahe (KI 12) and Guilai (ST 29). If treatment, FSH increased and LH, LH/FSH, T decreased in the two groups (all P medication group were better than those in the acupuncture group (both P medication group, diane-35 was prescribed orally for 21 days as a course, with 7 days at interval, one tablet a day. All the treatment was started on the fifth day of the menstrual circle, for continuously 3 months. The indexes were observed before and after treatment, including the menstrual circle, acne score, body mass index (BMI), serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), LH/FSH and testosterone (T). The effects of the two groups were compared. The total effective rate was 75.9% (22/29) in the acupuncture group, which was not significantly different from 79.3% (23/29) in the western medication group ( P >0.05). The menstrual cycles were shorter after treatment in the two groups (both P 0.05). After treatment,FSH increased and LH,LH/FSH,T decreased in the two groups (all P medication group were better than those in the acupuncture group (both P <0.05). Conclusion Periodic therapy of acupuncture is probably one of the effective methods for PCOS,which can improve patients' clinical symptoms,sex hormone level,and menstrual cycle.

Effect of altered eating habits and periods during Ramadan fasting on intraocular pressure, tear secretion, corneal and anterior chamber parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerimoglu, H; Ozturk, B; Gunduz, K; Bozkurt, B; Kamis, U; Okka, M

2010-01-01

To determine whether altered eating habits and periods, especially the pre-dawn meal, during Ramadan fasting have any significant effect on intraocular pressure (IOP), tear secretion, corneal and anterior chamber parameters. IOP, basal tear secretion (BTS), reflex tear secretion (RTS), and Pentacam measurements of 31 healthy volunteers were performed at 0800 and 1600 hours during Ramadan fasting and 1 month later during non-fasting period. Comparison of measurements between fasting and non-fasting periods at 0800 hours revealed significantly higher values for IOP (P=0.005), RTS (P=0.006), and BTS (P=0.014) during fasting. Conversely at 1600 hours, IOP was significantly lower during fasting (P=0.013) and no statistically significant difference was noted for RTS and BTS. IOP showed a diurnal variation of 2.45 mmHg (P<0.001) and BTS showed a 3.06 mm decrease (P=0.04) during the fasting period. No significant differences could be found in the corneal and anterior chamber parameters during fasting and non-fasting periods. Our results revealed that fluid loading at the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan fasting might increase the IOP and tear secretion in the early morning period and these values decrease remarkably at the end of 12 h of fasting due to dehydration.

Comparative analysis of diagnostic significance of biomarkers’ panels in cardiac recipients in the long term period after transplantation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. P. Shevchenko

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To perform comparative analysis of the diagnostic efficacy of sCD40L, PDGF-BB, VEGF-A and ST2 in recipients with cardiac rejection in different periods after transplantation. Materials and methods. The study included 144 cardiac recipients aged from 12 to 71 (mean age 44 ± 14 years old, among those 112 were men. Venous blood plasma taken on the same day with endomyocardial biopsy was used for the study. The concentrations of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB were measured using xMAP technology. The concentrations of ST2 were measured by ELISA. Results. Men had significantly higher levels of ST2 and VEGF-A compared to women (p = 0.03. No correlation was found between the levels of biomarkers (sCD40L, PDGF-BB, VEGF-A, ST2 and age, diagnosis before transplantation, presence of arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Comparative analysis of the biomarkers’ levels didn’t show significant difference between patients with heart transplant rejection and without it in the first month and in the first year after transplantation. The ST2 level was significantly higher in patients with heart rejection (p = 0.01 in the long term period (1–5 years after transplantation compared to patients without rejection. Relative risk of cardiac transplant rejection was significantly higher in patients with high (>22.8 ng/ml ST2 level (RR = 2.59 ± 0.33; Se – 35%, Sp – 93%. However, its combination with other biomarkers improved their diagnostic value. Relative risk for panel including ST2, VEGF-A and PDGF-BB 3.47 ± 0.55, Se – 57%, Sp – 91%; relative risk for panel including ST2, sCD40L and PDGF-BB was 3.75 ± 0.59, Se – 50%, Sp – 92%. The highest diagnostic efficacy for the heart transplant rejection was reached by a panel of biomarkers that included ST2 and PDGF-BB (RR = 5.0 ± 0.56 [95% CI 1.68–14.92], Se – 63%, Sp – 94%. Conclusion. ST2 had the biggest

The effect of lateral decubitus position on nocturnal intraocular pressure over a habitual 24-hour period in healthy adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Jie; Zhen, Yi; Wang, Hao; Yang, Diya; Wang, Ningli

2014-01-01

To investigate the effect of lateral decubitus position (LDP) on nocturnal intraocular pressure (IOP) and the effect of LDP on 24-hour habitual IOP pattern in healthy subjects. Intraocular pressure was measured every 2-hours using an Accupen Applanation Tonometer (Accutome, USA). During the diurnal period (7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 7:30 pm, and 9:30 pm), IOP was measured in the sitting position under bright light (500-1000 lux) after the subjects had been seated for 5 min. The nocturnal IOP was measured in the supine position, right LDP, and left LDP, with randomized sequences, under dim light (hour habitual IOP patterns were obtained according to the nocturnal position (supine, right LDP and left LDP) for either eye. Phour period, the effect of LDP on habitual IOP pattern was not statistically significant, although the mean nocturnal IOP and the diurnal-nocturnal IOP change for the right and the left eye in the LDP pattern was slightly higher than that in the sitting-supine pattern. Significant nocturnal IOP differences existed between the dependent eye and the supine, but did not occur consistently for all time points. Over a 24-hour period, the effect of LDP on habitual IOP pattern was not statistically significant in healthy subjects.

Periodicity-induced effects and method in vibro-acoustics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorokin, Sergey V.

2014-01-01

of the lecture is to illustrate these issues in simple examples and to discuss possible applications and generalisations. First, the eigenfrequency spectra of finite periodic structures are compared with the location of stop-bands for their infinite counterparts. This is done with the special attention being...... of the lecture is concerned with the numerical implementation of the Floquet theory and the experimental demonstration of periodicity effects. A brief exposition of the Wave Finite Element method and an assessment of its validity range in canonical benchmark problems are presented. The results of experimental...

The effect of lateral decubitus position on nocturnal intraocular pressure over a habitual 24-hour period in healthy adults.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Hao

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of lateral decubitus position (LDP on nocturnal intraocular pressure (IOP and the effect of LDP on 24-hour habitual IOP pattern in healthy subjects. METHODS: Intraocular pressure was measured every 2-hours using an Accupen Applanation Tonometer (Accutome, USA. During the diurnal period (7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 7:30 pm, and 9:30 pm, IOP was measured in the sitting position under bright light (500-1000 lux after the subjects had been seated for 5 min. The nocturnal IOP was measured in the supine position, right LDP, and left LDP, with randomized sequences, under dim light (<10 lux at 11:30 pm, 1:30 am, 3:30 am, and 5:30 am. The subjects were awakened and maintained each position for 5 min before the measurement. The 24-hour habitual IOP patterns were obtained according to the nocturnal position (supine, right LDP and left LDP for either eye. P<0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: Nineteen healthy subjects were included with a mean age of 51.3±5.8 years. During the nocturnal period, a significant IOP difference was found between the dependent eye (the eye on the lower side of LDP and the supine position, but not for all the nocturnal time points. Over a 24-hour period, the effect of LDP on habitual IOP pattern was not statistically significant, although the mean nocturnal IOP and the diurnal-nocturnal IOP change for the right and the left eye in the LDP pattern was slightly higher than that in the sitting-supine pattern. CONCLUSION: Significant nocturnal IOP differences existed between the dependent eye and the supine, but did not occur consistently for all time points. Over a 24-hour period, the effect of LDP on habitual IOP pattern was not statistically significant in healthy subjects.

Dynamic effective properties of heterogeneous geological formations with spherical inclusions under periodic time variations

Science.gov (United States)

Rabinovich, A.; Dagan, G.; Miloh, T.

2013-04-01

In unsteady groundwater flow (or similar processes of heat/electrical conduction), the heterogeneous medium structure is characterized by two random properties, the conductivity K and the specific storativity S. The average head field ⟨H ⟩and the associated effective properties Kef, Sef are determined for a layer with a periodic head drop between boundaries, such that H is periodic in time, and a medium made up of a matrix with a dilute concentration of spherical inclusions. In the common quasi-steady approximation, Kef is equal to the classical steady solution while Sef = SA, the arithmetic mean. We derive expressions for the frequency dependent Kef, Sef, which are generally complex, i.e., dynamic. The main result is the delineation of the ranges of the parameters: dimensionless frequency (ω) and contrasts of conductivity (κ) and storativity (s) between the matrix and the inclusions, for which dynamic effects are significant.

Effect of storage period on the accuracy of elastomeric impressions

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Eduardo Batista Franco

2007-06-01

Full Text Available AIMS: To investigate the effect of the storage period on the accuracy of recently developed elastomeric materials. METHODS: Simultaneous impressions of a steel die were taken using a polyether (I: Impregum Soft Heavy and Light body, 3M ESPE and vinyl polysiloxane (P: Perfectim Blue Velvet and Flexi-Velvet, J.Morita. The trays were loaded with the heavy-bodied impression materials while the light-bodied impression materials were simultaneously spread on the steel die. The impressions were poured after 2 hours, 24 hours, and 7 days. Impressions were stored at approximately 55% relative humidity and room temperature. Ten replicas were produced for each experimental condition (n=60. Accuracy of the stone dies was assessed with a depth-measuring microscope. The difference in height between the surface of the stone die and a standard metallic ring was recorded in micrometers at four demarcated points, by two independent examiners. Data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey test (a = 0.05. RESULTS: Significant differences were found among the groups. Smaller discrepancies were observed when pouring was performed up to 24 hours (I-2h= 65.0 ± 15.68 µm; I-24h= 81.6 ± 11.13 µm for the polyether, and up to 7 days for the vinyl polysiloxane (P-2h= 79.1 ± 13.82 µm; P-24h= 96.8 ± 6.02 µm; P-7d= 81.4 ± 4.3 µm. Significant dimensional discrepancies, however, were observed when polyether was stored for 7 days (I-7d= 295.3 ± 17.4 µm. CONCLUSION: Storage may significantly affect the dimensional accuracy of impressions and, thus, a maximum period and storage condition should be specified for the recently developed materials.

Ventricular Effective Refraction Period and Ventricular Repolarization Analysis in Experimental Tachycardiomyopathy in Swine.

Science.gov (United States)

Noszczyk-Nowak, Agnieszka; Pasławska, Urszula; Gajek, Jacek; Janiszewski, Adrian; Pasławski, Robert; Zyśko, Dorota; Nicpoń, Józef

2016-01-01

Swine are recognized animal models of human cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known on the CHF-associated changes in the electrophysiological ventricular parameters of humans and animals. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in the durations of ventricular effective refraction period (VERP), QT and QTc intervals of pigs with chronic tachycardia-induced tachycardiomyopathy (TIC). The study was comprised of 28 adult pigs (8 females and 20 males) of the Polish Large White breed. A one-chamber pacemaker was implanted in each of the 28 pigs. Electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and electrophysiological studies were carried out prior to the pacemaker implantation and at subsequent 4-week intervals. All electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and short electrophysiological study measurements in all swine were done under general anesthesia (propofol) after premedication with midazolam, medetomidine, and ketamine. No significant changes in the duration of QT interval and corrected QT interval (QTc) were observed during consecutive weeks of the experiment. The duration of the QTc interval of female pigs was shown to be significantly longer than that of the males throughout the whole study period. Beginning from the 12th week of rapid ventricular pacing, a significant increase in duration of VERP was observed in both male and female pigs. Males and females did not differ significantly in terms of VERP duration determined throughout the whole study period. Ventricular pacing, stimulation with 2 and 3 premature impulses at progressively shorter coupling intervals and an imposed rhythm of 130 bpm or 150 bpm induced transient ventricular tachycardia in one female pig and four male pigs. One episode of permanent ventricular tachycardia was observed. The number of induced arrhythmias increased proportionally to the severity of heart failure and duration of the experiment. However, relatively aggressive protocols of stimulation were required in order to induce

Comparing Early Postoperative Period Analgesic Effect of Dexketoprofene Trometamol and Lornoxicam in Mediastinoscopy Cases

Science.gov (United States)

Sagiroglu, Gonul

2011-01-01

Objective: In this study, we aimed comparing early postoperative period analgesic effectiveness and the effects on opioid consumption of intravenous dexketoprofen and lornoxicam that are given preemptively. Materials and Methods: Forty patients, planned elective mediastinoscopy, were included in this prospective randomized study. These patients were classified in two groups, group D for dexketoprofene trometamol and group L for lornoxicam, randomly. 20 minutes before the operation 50 mg dexketoprofene trometamol and 8 mg lornoxicam were injected intravenously for group D and group L respectively. In postoperative intensive care unit, pain scores, mean arterial pressures, heart rates and peripheric O2 saturations of patients were recorded at 0, 10, 20, 60, 90 and 120th minutes. Results: When we evaluate the VAS score of the groups, there was a significant decrease in group D in all measured timesstatistically compairing to group L (p0.05). Conclusion: Since intravenous dexketoprofen, applied preemptively, has more potent analgesic effect and causing less opioid consumption in early postoperative period, is better than intravenous lornoxicam. PMID:25610155

Deformable Hollow Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica Nanocapsules for Significantly Improved Cellular Uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Zhaogang; Wang, Chunyan; Tang, Yuxia; Li, Wei; Bao, Lei; Zhang, Xuehua; Su, Xiaodan; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Junjie; Wang, Shouju; Zhao, Dongyuan; Lu, Guangming

2018-01-31

Mesoporous solids have been widely used in various biomedical areas such as drug delivery and tumor therapy. Although deformability has been recognized as a prime important characteristic influencing cellular uptake, the synthesis of deformable mesoporous solids is still a great challenge. Herein, deformable thioether-, benzene-, and ethane-bridged hollow periodic mesoporous organosilica (HPMO) nanocapsules have successfully been synthesized for the first time by a preferential etching approach. The prepared HPMO nanocapsules possess uniform diameters (240-310 nm), high surface areas (up to 878 m 2 ·g -1 ), well-defined mesopores (2.6-3.2 nm), and large pore volumes (0.33-0.75 m 3 ·g -1 ). Most importantly, the HPMO nanocapsules simultaneously have large hollow cavities (164-270 nm), thin shell thicknesses (20-38 nm), and abundant organic moiety in the shells, which endow a lower Young's modulus (E Y ) of 3.95 MPa than that of solid PMO nanoparticles (251 MPa). The HPMOs with low E Y are intrinsically flexible and deformable in the solution, which has been well-characterized by liquid cell electron microscopy. More interestingly, it is found that the deformable HPMOs can easily enter into human breast cancer MCF-7 cells via a spherical-to-oval morphology change, resulting in a 26-fold enhancement in cellular uptake (43.1% cells internalized with nanocapsules versus 1.65% cells with solid counterparts). The deformable HPMO nanocapsules were further loaded with anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX), which shows high killing effects for MCF-7 cells, demonstrating the promise for biomedical applications.

Effect of Storage Period on Dimensional Stability of Alginplus and Hydrogum 5

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Shima Aalaei

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of storage period on dimensional stability of Alginplus and Hydrogum 5.Materials and Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, 60 impressions were taken of an upper jaw typodont, including 10 impressions for each storage period to be tested (12 minutes, 24 and 120 hours for each type of alginate. Then, the impressions were stored in an incubator with stable temperature and humidity, and poured using a type III dental stone. Subsequently, the mesiodistal dimension, occlusogingival height, and interarch distance were measured using a digital caliper with an accuracy of 0.01mm. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and t-test (P<0.05.Results: Alginplus and Hydrogum 5 impressions were not significantly different from the master model after 12 minutes and 24 hours in terms of dimensions (P>0.05. After 120 hours, all dimensions measured on casts were significantly different from those measured on the master model, except for the mesiodistal dimension of the Hydrogum 5 impressions.Conclusions: At a consistent temperature and humidity, the Alginplus and Hydrogum 5 impressions were dimensionally stable for at least 24 hours.Keywords: Dimensional Measurement Accuracy; Dental Impression Materials; Alginic Acid

Effects of regrowth period, season and harvesting frequency on the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of regrowth period, season and harvesting frequency on the yield and nutritive value of Chloris gayana in the southern highlands of Tanzania. ... In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) declined faster with increasing periods of growth in the early than in the late wet season. ME ranged ...

Effects of combined linear and nonlinear periodic training on physical fitness and competition times in finswimmers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Kyung-Hun; Suk, Min-Hwa; Kang, Shin-Woo; Shin, Yun-A

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of combined linear and nonlinear periodic training on physical fitness and competition times in finswimmers. The linear resistance training model (6 days/week) and nonlinear underwater training (4 days/week) were applied to 12 finswimmers (age, 16.08± 1.44 yr; career, 3.78± 1.90 yr) for 12 weeks. Body composition measures included weight, body mass index (BMI), percent fat, and fat-free mass. Physical fitness measures included trunk flexion forward, trunk extension backward, sargent jump, 1-repetition-maximum (1 RM) squat, 1 RM dead lift, knee extension, knee flexion, trunk extension, trunk flexion, and competition times. Body composition and physical fitness were improved after the 12-week periodic training program. Weight, BMI, and percent fat were significantly decreased, and trunk flexion forward, trunk extension backward, sargent jump, 1 RM squat, 1 RM dead lift, and knee extension (right) were significantly increased. The 50- and 100-m times significantly decreased in all 12 athletes. After 12 weeks of training, all finswimmers who participated in this study improved their times in a public competition. These data indicate that combined linear and nonlinear periodic training enhanced the physical fitness and competition times in finswimmers.

Significance of Timing on Effect of Metaphylactic Toltrazuril Treatment against Eimeriosis in Calves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enemark, Heidi; Dahl, Jan; Enemark, Jörg Matthias Dehn

2015-01-01

of Eimeria bovis and Eimeria zuernii. Three commercial herds and a total of 71 calves, aged 48 – 135 days, were included. Treatment with a single oral dose of toltrazuril (15 mg/kg) was given after relocation to common pens and one week before expected outbreak of eimeriosis. The effect of treatment...... was followed by weekly faecal sampling and weighing initially and at the end of a study period of 8 weeks. In Herd 2 and 3 toltrazuril treated calves gained on average 7.95 kg more than placebo treated calves (p = 0.007), and both oocyst excretion and prevalence of Eimeria spp. were significantly reduced...

Lack of diurnal effects on periodic exercise during prolonged cold water immersion.

Science.gov (United States)

Doubt, T J; Smith, D J

1990-03-01

Diurnal effects on periodic exercise were examined in 8 male divers wearing passive thermal protection during whole body immersions in 5 degrees C water for periods of up to 6 h. Studies were done during the course of 5-day air saturation dives at a depth of 1.61 ATA, with immersions beginning at 1000 h (AM) and 2200 h (PM). During each hour of immersion, leg exercise was done for 3 min each at workloads of 50, 70, and 90 W. Heart rate (HR) at each workload increased uniformly with immersion time, without a change in slope of HR vs. workload. No AM or PM differences occurred. AM resting VO2 increased linearly, and to the same extent as PM, with exposure time. VO2 at 50 W also increased at the same rate as resting values. VO2 at 70 and 90 W were similar for AM and PM and did not vary significantly during the 6-h immersions. Temporal increases in exercise HR may reflect cardiac compensation of diminished plasma volume. Workloads greater than or equal to 70 W generate enough metabolic heat in this specific condition to meet the thermogenic requirement. Lack of diurnal effects on exercise variables may be due to environmental conditions suppressing circadian rhythms.

The effect of control of diabetes mellitus on plasma T4, T3, rT3 levels and half muscle relaxation period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, A.A.; Hafiez, A.A.; Sayed, S.N.; Abbas, E.Z.; Halawa, F.A.; Youssef, M.M.

1984-01-01

25 diabetics of the maturity onset type who showed no clinical evidence of either peripheral neruropathy or diabetic amyotrophy were selected for this study. All patients were subjected to the following investigations: estimation of half muscle relaxation period of the quadriceps muscle knee-jerk, measurement of plasma levels of thyroxine (T 4 ), triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and reverse triiodothronine (rT 3 ), determination of fasting and two hours postprandial blood sugar levels. The quadriceps muscle relaxation period in uncontrolled diabetics was significantly longer than in normals. Control of diabetes by glibenclamide or gliclazide did not cause a significant change in muscle relaxation period. There was also no significant difference between the effects of the two drugs. (author)

Determining the effect of periodic training on the basic psychomotor skills of nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Öztürk, Deniz; Çalışkan, Nurcan; Baykara, Zehra Gocmen; Karadağ, Ayise; Karabulut, Hatice

2015-02-01

Basic psychomotor skill training starts in the first year in nursing education. The psychomotor skills taught in the first year of nursing training constitute a foundation for all professional practices. Conducting periodic training for skills with which students are deficient can support mastery learning. The study was conducted as an interventional study for determining the effect of periodic training on the basic psychomotor skills learned in the Fundamentals of Nursing course. The sample consisted of 70 students attending the Fundamentals of Nursing course at nursing students in a university in Ankara, over 4 years between 2010 and 2013. The study was conducted as an interventional study for a period of 4 years. The data were collected through a questionnaire that was applied 4 times at the end of each academic year. According to the results of the forms evaluated at the end of each year, 4 additional laboratory activities were conducted addressing the deficient psychomotor skills of students at the beginning of the new academic semester in the 2nd and 3rd years. In the 4th-year clinic practice, courses were arranged to practice still deficient psychomotor skills. It was determined that students practiced nearly all of the basic psychomotor skills during clinical practice and that the practices with which they felt themselves to be inadequate gradually decreased following periodic training; this decrease was significant (ppsychomotor skills of nursing students was effective. We recommend that students' psychomotor skills be evaluated periodically and repetitive training based on the results of this evaluation be provided throughout the undergraduate nursing education process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Periodic oscillation of higher-order bidirectional associative memory neural networks with periodic coefficients and delays

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Fengli; Cao, Jinde

2007-03-01

In this paper, several sufficient conditions are obtained ensuring existence, global attractivity and global asymptotic stability of the periodic solution for the higher-order bidirectional associative memory neural networks with periodic coefficients and delays by using the continuation theorem of Mawhin's coincidence degree theory, the Lyapunov functional and the non-singular M-matrix. Two examples are exploited to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed criteria. These results are more effective than the ones in the literature for some neural networks, and can be applied to the design of globally attractive or globally asymptotically stable networks and thus have important significance in both theory and applications.

Effect of radiation on gestation periods in dams of Segment III beagles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angleton, G.M.; Lee, A.C.

1981-01-01

The lengths of the gestation periods for bitches whose offspring were potentially assignable to Segment III of the Long-Term Study were not affected by radiation exposure (P = .998). Other factors were found to significantly correlate with the duration of the gestation periods, including the length of the first gestation period (P < .001), size of first litter (P = .175), the average environmental temperature during pregnancy (P = .055) and the size of the second litter

The Effects of Reducing the Entitlement Period to Unemployment Insurance Benefits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Groot, N.; van der Klaauw, B.

This paper exploits a substantial reform of the Dutch UI law to study the effect of the entitlement period on job finding and subsequent labor market outcomes. Using detailed administrative data covering the full population we find that reducing the entitlement period increases the job finding rate,

THE EFFECT OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL AND ISLAMICITY PERFORMANCE INDEX TO THE PERFORMANCE OF ISLAMIC BANK IN INDONESIA 2010-2014 PERIODS

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Pandu Dewanata

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to know the influence of intellectual capital and islamicity performance index by proxy is profit-sharing ratio, zakat performance ratio, and equitable distribution ratio on performance of Islamic bank in Indonesia in the period 2010-2014. The data used in this research is financial statement of 11 Islamic bank in Indonesia 2010-2014 periods. Regression model using panel data with Fixed Effect Model. The result of this research is intellectual capital and zakat performance ratio has significant and positif impact on ROA, while equitable distribution ratio has not significant impact on ROA, and profit sharing ratio has significant and positif impact on ROA.

THE EFFECTS OF INCOME, GENDER, AGE, EDUCATION, WORKING PERIOD, INSURANCE, TRAINING, AND WORKER STATUS ON OUTSOURCED AND WORKERS PERFORMANCE IN SOUTH SUMATERA IN MANUFACTURING COMPANIES

OpenAIRE

Ratna Juwita; Nurlina Tarmizi; Didik Susetyo; Bambang Bemby Soebyakto

2017-01-01

This research investigated the effects of income, gender, age, education, working period, insurance, training and workers’ status (outsourcing or permanent) on performance. The result showed that gender, education, insurance, training and status had positive and significant effect on performace. Income had significant and negative effect on performance, the increased income would decrease performance. Age had positive but not significant effect, the increased age would decrease...

The substitutive effect of biofuels on fossil fuels in the lower and higher crude oil price periods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Ting-Huan [Energy and Environment Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu County 310 (China); Department of Banking and Finance, Tamkang University, No.151, Ying-Chuan Road, Taipei County 251 (China); Su, Hsin-Mei [Department of Banking and Finance, Tamkang University, No.151, Ying-Chuan Road, Taipei County 251 (China)

2010-07-15

Various biofuels, including bioethanol and biodiesel are technologically being considered replacements for fossil fuels, such as the conventional gasoline and diesel. This paper aims to measure whether economic substitutability can be generated during periods of higher and/or lower prices of crude oil. The empirical results of the bivariate EGARCH model prove that this substitutive effect was occurred during the higher crude oil price period due to the significant price spillover effects from crude oil futures to corn and soybean futures, indicating that the increase in food prices can be attributed to more consumption of biofuels. We suggest more extensive research in the search for fuel alternatives from inedible feedstock such as pongamia, jojoba, jatropha, especially the 2nd generation biofuel technologies such as algae-based biofuels. (author)

The substitutive effect of biofuels on fossil fuels in the lower and higher crude oil price periods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Ting-Huan; Su, Hsin-Mei

2010-01-01

Various biofuels, including bioethanol and biodiesel are technologically being considered replacements for fossil fuels, such as the conventional gasoline and diesel. This paper aims to measure whether economic substitutability can be generated during periods of higher and/or lower prices of crude oil. The empirical results of the bivariate EGARCH model prove that this substitutive effect was occurred during the higher crude oil price period due to the significant price spillover effects from crude oil futures to corn and soybean futures, indicating that the increase in food prices can be attributed to more consumption of biofuels. We suggest more extensive research in the search for fuel alternatives from inedible feedstock such as pongamia, jojoba, jatropha, especially the 2nd generation biofuel technologies such as algae-based biofuels. (author)

Effect of lifestyle on asthma control in Japanese patients: importance of periodical exercise and raw vegetable diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Iikura, Motoyasu; Yi, Siyan; Ichimura, Yasunori; Hori, Ai; Izumi, Shinyu; Sugiyama, Haruhito; Kudo, Koichiro; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Kobayashi, Nobuyuki

2013-01-01

The avoidance of inhaled allergens or tobacco smoke has been known to have favorable effects on asthma control. However, it remains unclear whether other lifestyle-related factors are also related to asthma control. Therefore, a comprehensive study to examine the associations between various lifestyle factors and asthma control was conducted in Japanese asthmatic patients. The study subjects included 437 stable asthmatic patients recruited from our outpatient clinic over a one-year period. A written, informed consent was obtained from each participant. Asthma control was assessed using the asthma control test (ACT), and a structured questionnaire was administered to obtain information regarding lifestyle factors, including tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, physical exercise, and diet. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. The proportions of total control (ACT = 25), well controlled (ACT = 20-24), and poorly controlled (ACT smoking status and alcohol drinking were not associated with asthma control. On the other hand, younger age (smoking, periodical exercise (> 3 metabolic equivalents-h/week), and raw vegetable intake (> 5 units/week) were significantly associated with good asthma control by bivariate analysis. Younger age, periodical exercise, and raw vegetable intake were significantly associated with good asthma control by multiple linear regression analysis. Periodical exercise and raw vegetable intake are associated with good asthma control in Japanese patients.

Effect of holding period prior to storage on the chemical attributes of Starking Delicious apples during refrigerated storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aynur Batkan

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In this research, the effects of three different holding periods (6, 12 and 24 hours prior to storage on the quality attributes of Starking Delicious apples were investigated during storage of 8 months at 0.5 ± 1.0 ºC. Changes in weight loss, flesh firmness, pH values, soluble dry matter amount, titratable acidity values, ascorbic acid contents, and total and reducing sugar content were determined. According to the results, the holding period showed statistically significant changes in the quality attributes of the apples (p < 0.05.

EFFECTS OF STORAGE PERIODS AND METHODS OF OVERCOMING DORMANCY IN SEEDS OF PASSIFLORA

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Telma Miranda dos Santos

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of storage period and treatement with hot water at 50ºC or scarification on dormancy break down on Passiflora mucronata seeds. The storage periods were 0, 1, 4 and 12 months. The seeds were sown onto Germitest paper roll and incubated in a germination chamber under 20ºC/8h-30ºC/16h alternate temperature, at 16-h photoperiod (fluorescent light at 32 mol m-2 s-1 irradiance. The percent germination was evaluated, and the seeds germinated on moistened Germitest paper rolls in distilled water at a ratio of two and a half times the paper weight. The seeds were transferred to a germination chamber with alternating temperatures of 20-30º C and photoperiod of 16 h until the end of the experiment at 31 days. The experiment was analyzed as completely randomized designed with four replications, in which each plot was constituted by 50 seeds. The storage periods had significant effect on the variable studied, where the higher germination was obtained at freshly harvested seeds. At the first month of evaluation the germination decreased. After 4 and 12 months of storage, no germination was detected. The treatment with hot water at 50º or scarification favored the germination of the Passiflora seeds stored by one and four months, however even with the stimulus of the treatments, the values of final germination were low. The treatments were not efficient to stimulate the seed germination stored by 12 months.

THE EFFECT OF TAPERING PERIOD ON PLASMA PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE LEVELS AND PERFORMANCE IN ELITE MALE CYCLISTS

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Peter M. Tiidus

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two different tapering period lengths on the concentration of plasma interleukin- 6 (IL-6, interleukin (IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-α and performance in elite male cyclists. To this end, after completing 8 weeks progressive endurance exercise, twenty four high-level endurance cyclists were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a control group of cyclists (n = 12 continued performing progressive weekly training volume for 3 weeks while a taper group of cyclists (n = 12 proceeded with a 50% reduction in weekly training volume relative to the control group. A simulated 40 min time trial (40TT performance ride was used as the criterion index of performance before and after the tapering period to evaluate the physiological and performance effects of each protocol. Blood samples were collected immediately post-40TT from all participants at the beginning of week 1, and the end of weeks 4, 8, 9 and 11. IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα were assayed using a standard commercial ELISA kits (Quantikine; R & D Systems, Minneapolis, MN. The mean time to complete the 40TT in the taper group decreased significantly (p < 0.01 after both 1 and 3 weeks with reduced training volume relative to the control group. There were significant reductions in (p < 0.001 IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα concentrations in the taper group relative to the control group at the end of the 3 week tapering period, but not at the end of the 1 week tapering period. These results demonstrate that both a 1 and a 3 week taper period will result in improved physical performance in trained cyclists but only a 3 week taper period will result in attenuation of post-exercise pro- inflammatory cytokines when compared to those continuing a more intense training regimen

Economic and Managerial Analysis of Effective Managerial Strategies on Prevention from Ketosis in Transition Period in Shahroud Commercial Dairy Farms

Science.gov (United States)

Kashfi, H.; Yazdani, A. R.; Latifi, M.; Shirani Bidabadi, F.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research is to study any effects of managerial strategies on prevention of ketosis metabolic disorder in transition period in Shahroud commercial dairy farms. For this purpose, a questionnaire was prepared in order to obtain required information about the performance of these managerial strategies, performance costs, involvement situation with disorders relying upon clinical signs and treatment and health records, producing and economic situation, and fertility rate and its costs. The considered managerial guidelines include body condition score management or type evaluation in transition period, increase in dry matter intake close to parturition, using propylene glycol, using niacin, and high-quality feeding (the importance of feed quality) in transition period. Finally and upon arrangement of data, it was possible to study any effects of mentioned managerial strategies on related variants through multiple linear regressions. Furthermore, in order to study any relation among variables, we considered Pearson correlation coefficients as well. Finally, it was revealed that any application of managerial strategies for prevention from Ketosis in transition period has a significant effect in betterment of managerial and economic parameters. PMID:23738102

Recent hip fracture trends in Sweden and Denmark with age-period-cohort effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosengren, B E; Björk, J; Cooper, C

2017-01-01

This study used nationwide hip fracture data from Denmark and Sweden during 1987-2010 to examine effects of (birth) cohort and period. We found that time trends, cohort, and period effects were different in the two countries. Results also indicated that hip fracture rates may increase in the not ...

Probing the (empirical quantum structure embedded in the periodic table with an effective Bohr model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wellington Nardin Favaro

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The atomic shell structure can be observed by inspecting the experimental periodic properties of the Periodic Table. The (quantum shell structure emerges from these properties and in this way quantum mechanics can be explicitly shown considering the (semi-quantitative periodic properties. These periodic properties can be obtained with a simple effective Bohr model. An effective Bohr model with an effective quantum defect (u was considered as a probe in order to show the quantum structure embedded in the Periodic Table. u(Z shows a quasi-smoothed dependence of Z, i.e., u(Z ≈ Z2/5 - 1.

Flow cytometric examination of apoptotic effect on brain tissue in postnatal period created by intrauterine oxcarbazepine and gabapentin exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Erisgin, Z; Tekelioglu, Y

For epileptics, pregnancy contains the balance between no seizure period and antiepileptic use having the least teratogenicity risk. The purpose is to analyse with flow cytometry the apoptotic effects on postnatal brain tissue caused by prenatal use of second generation antiepileptics oxcarbazepine (OXC) and gabapentin (GBP) having different effect mechanisms. 30 (n = 5 each group) Wistar albino male rats (45-days-old) are used. First 3 groups are exposed to OXC (100 mg/kg/day), GBP (50 mg/kg/day), and saline, respectively on the 1st-5th prenatal days (preimplantation-implantation period) while the second 3 groups are exposed to the same substances on the 6th-15th prenatal days (organogenesis), respectively. After sacrifice, brain tissue samples were made into suspension with mechanic and enzymatic digestion and examined with flow cytometry. While apoptosis rate appeared high in rats exposed to OXC on the 1st-5th (p effect in three treatment groups, while difference was not significant for PSS and GBP groups (p = 0.847 and p = 0.934), apoptosis rate was significantly high for OXC on the 6th-15th days compared to the 1st-5th days (p < 0.001). It is observed that the use of OXC causes neurotoxicity during preimplantation, implantation and, especially, organogenesis period (neurogenesis) whereas GBP does not (Fig. 3, Ref. 32).

Effects of melatonin implantation during the slow period of cashmere ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of melatonin implantation during the slow period of cashmere growth on fibre production in Inner Mongolian cashmere goats. It was found that melatonin implantation had no effect on the growth rate of cashmere, except from February to March when the rate of treated goats ...

Effects of Two Different Training Periodization Models on Physical and Physiological Aspects of Elite Female Team Handball Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Manchado, Carmen; Cortell-Tormo, Juan M; Tortosa-Martínez, Juan

2018-01-01

Manchado, C, Cortell-Tormo, JM, and Tortosa-Martínez, J. Effects of two different training periodization models on physical and physiological aspects of elite female team handball players. J Strength Cond Res 32(1): 280-287, 2018-The aim of this study was to compare training-induced changes in selected physiological and physical team handball performance factors after 2 training periodization models: traditional periodization (TP) vs. block periodization (BP). Eleven female team handball players who played over 2 consecutive seasons for a Spanish first league team were assessed twice per season during a training cycle. On each occasion, participants completed anthropometric, maximal strength, and lower-body power assessments. In addition, incremental tests to determine maximum oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2max), sprint- and sport-specific throwing velocity tests were performed. Block periodization group experienced significantly greater improvements than TP on squat jump (5.97%; p handball performance factors in high level female handball players.

Effective diffusion in time-periodic linear planar flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Indeikina, A.; Chang, H.

1993-01-01

It is shown that when a point source of solute is inserted into a time-periodic, unbounded linear planar flow, the large-time, time-average transport of the solute can be described by classical anisotropic diffusion with constant effective diffusion tensors. For a given vorticity and forcing period, elongational flow is shown to be the most dispersive followed by simple shear and rotational flow. Large-time diffusivity along the major axis of the time-average concentration ellipse, whose alignment is predicted from the theory, is shown to increase with vorticity for all flows and decrease with increasing forcing frequency for elongational flow and simple shear. For the interesting case of rotational flow, there exist discrete resonant frequencies where the time-average major diffusivity reaches local maxima equal to the time-average steady flow case with zero forcing frequency

Effect of altered eating habits and periods during Ramadan fasting on intraocular pressure, tear secretion, corneal and anterior chamber parameters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerimoglu, H.; Ozturk, B.; Gunduz, K.; Bozkurt, B.; Kamis, U.; Okka, M.

Purpose To determine whether altered eating habits and periods, especially the pre-dawn meal, during Ramadan fasting have any significant effect on intraocular pressure (IOP), tear secretion, corneal and anterior chamber parameters. Methods IOP, basal tear secretion (BTS), reflex tear secretion

Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. Effects of an atherogenic diet during the neonatal and juvenile period

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobson, M S; Ambudkar, I S; Young, E P; Naseem, S M; Heald, F P; Shamoo, A E [Maryland Univ., College Park (USA). School of Medicine

1985-04-01

The effect on the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum of an atherogenic (1% cholesterol) diet fed during the neonatal vs the juvenile period of life was studied in Yorkshire swine. Male piglets were randomly assigned at birth to 1 of 4 groups: group I (control), group II (lactation feeding), group III (juvenile period feeding) and group IV (lactation and juvenile feeding). All animals were killed at 55 weeks of age and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) isolated for assay of calcium uptake, Ca/sup 2 +/-Mg/sup 2 +/ ATPase activity, and lipid analysis by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography. The amount of cholesterol/mg SR protein and the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio were higher in the animals fed during lactation (groups II and IV) and lower in those fed only during the juvenile period (group III). Phospholipid fatty acid patterns as measured by gas chromatography were unaltered in any group. Calcium uptake was markedly diminished in all experimental conditions: group II 47%, group III 65% and group IV 96%. Compared to the observed changes in calcium transport, the ATP hydrolytic activity was relatively less affected. Only in group IV a significant decrease (41%) was seen. Groups II and III show no change in ATP hydrolytic activity. The decrease in calcium uptake and altered cholesterol/phospholipid ratio without effect on ATP hydrolytic activity is consistent with an uncoupling of calcium transport related to the atherogenic diet in early life.

Multi-Periodic Photonic Hyper-Crystals: Volume Plasmon Polaritons and the Purcell Effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Babicheva, Viktoriia; Iorsh, I. V.; Orlov, A. A.

2014-01-01

We theoretically demonstrate superior degree of control over volume plasmon polariton propagation and the Purcell effect in multi-period (4-layer unit cell) plasmonic multilayers, which can be viewed as multiscale hyperbolic metamaterials or multi-periodic photonic hyper-crystals. © 2014 OSA....

Effects of weak nonlinearity on dispersion relations and frequency band-gaps of periodic structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorokin, Vladislav; Thomsen, Jon Juel

2015-01-01

of these for nonlinear problems is impossible or cumbersome, since Floquet theory is applicable for linear systems only. Thus the nonlinear effects for periodic structures are not yet fully uncovered, while at the same time applica-tions may demand effects of nonlinearity on structural response to be accounted for....... The present work deals with analytically predicting dynamic responses for nonlinear continuous elastic periodic structures. Specifically, the effects of weak nonlinearity on the dispersion re-lation and frequency band-gaps of a periodic Bernoulli-Euler beam performing bending os-cillations are analyzed......The analysis of the behaviour of linear periodic structures can be traced back over 300 years, to Sir Isaac Newton, and still attracts much attention. An essential feature of periodic struc-tures is the presence of frequency band-gaps, i.e. frequency ranges in which waves cannot propagate...

The effect of a positive reappraisal coping intervention and problem-solving skills training on coping strategies during waiting period of IUI treatment: An RCT

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi, Marzieh; Kordi, Masoumeh; Asgharipour, Negar; Esmaeili, Habibollah; Amirian, Maliheh

2017-01-01

Background: Waiting period of fertility treatment is stressful, therefore it is necessary to use effective coping strategies to cope with waiting period of intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment. Objective: The aim of this study was comparing the effect of the positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI) with the problem-solving skills training (PSS) on the coping strategies of IUI waiting period, in infertile women referred to Milad Infertility Center in Mashhad. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 108 women were evaluated into three groups. The control group received the routine care, but in PRCI group, two training sessions were held and they were asked to review the coping thoughts cards and fill out the daily monitoring forms during the waiting period, and in PSS group problem-solving skill were taught during 3 sessions. The coping strategies were compared between three groups on the 10th day of IUI waiting period. Results: Results showed that the mean score for problem-focused were significantly different between the control (28.54±9.70), PSS (33.71±9.31), and PRCI (30.74±10.96) (p=0.025) groups. There were significant differences between the PSS group and others groups, and mean emotion-focused were significantly different between the control (32.09±11.65), PSS (29.20±9.88), and PRCI (28.74±7.96) (p=0.036) groups. There were significant differences between the PRCI and the control group (p=0.047). Conclusion: PSS was more effective to increase problem-focused coping strategies than PRCI, therefore it is recommended that this intervention should be used in infertility treatment centers. PMID:29404530

The effect of a positive reappraisal coping intervention and problem-solving skills training on coping strategies during waiting period of IUI treatment: An RCT.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi, Marzieh; Kordi, Masoumeh; Asgharipour, Negar; Esmaeili, Habibollah; Amirian, Maliheh

2017-11-01

Waiting period of fertility treatment is stressful, therefore it is necessary to use effective coping strategies to cope with waiting period of intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment. The aim of this study was comparing the effect of the positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI) with the problem-solving skills training (PSS) on the coping strategies of IUI waiting period, in infertile women referred to Milad Infertility Center in Mashhad. In this randomized clinical trial, 108 women were evaluated into three groups. The control group received the routine care, but in PRCI group, two training sessions were held and they were asked to review the coping thoughts cards and fill out the daily monitoring forms during the waiting period, and in PSS group problem-solving skill were taught during 3 sessions. The coping strategies were compared between three groups on the 10 th day of IUI waiting period. Results showed that the mean score for problem-focused were significantly different between the control (28.54±9.70), PSS (33.71±9.31), and PRCI (30.74±10.96) (p=0.025) groups. There were significant differences between the PSS group and others groups, and mean emotion-focused were significantly different between the control (32.09±11.65), PSS (29.20±9.88), and PRCI (28.74±7.96) (p=0.036) groups. There were significant differences between the PRCI and the control group (p=0.047). PSS was more effective to increase problem-focused coping strategies than PRCI, therefore it is recommended that this intervention should be used in infertility treatment centers.

The effect of a positive reappraisal coping intervention and problem-solving skills training on coping strategies during waiting period of IUI treatment: An RCT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marzieh Ghasemi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Waiting period of fertility treatment is stressful, therefore it is necessary to use effective coping strategies to cope with waiting period of intrauterine insemination (IUI treatment. Objective: The aim of this study was comparing the effect of the positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI with the problem-solving skills training (PSS on the coping strategies of IUI waiting period, in infertile women referred to Milad Infertility Center in Mashhad. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 108 women were evaluated into three groups. The control group received the routine care, but in PRCI group, two training sessions were held and they were asked to review the coping thoughts cards and fill out the daily monitoring forms during the waiting period, and in PSS group problem-solving skill were taught during 3 sessions. The coping strategies were compared between three groups on the 10th day of IUI waiting period. Results: Results showed that the mean score for problem-focused were significantly different between the control (28.54±9.70, PSS (33.71±9.31, and PRCI (30.74±10.96 (p=0.025 groups. There were significant differences between the PSS group and others groups, and mean emotion-focused were significantly different between the control (32.09±11.65, PSS (29.20±9.88, and PRCI (28.74±7.96 (p=0.036 groups. There were significant differences between the PRCI and the control group (p=0.047. Conclusion: PSS was more effective to increase problem-focused coping strategies than PRCI, therefore it is recommended that this intervention should be used in infertility treatment centers.

Milk progesterone profiles and the effect of the buck during the anoestrous period in goats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Dazhi; Liu Xianyi; Chen Faju; Song Xuehua; Wang Kairong; Liu Xiangmo; Xu Gongyi

1991-01-01

Milk progesterone profiles in Chengdu Mah (CM), Saanen (S) and crossbred (CM x S, F1) goats were determined using radioimmunoassay throughout the period from kidding to the beginning of the next breeding season. Different patterns of progesterone profiles were recorded in these does. When milk progesterone concentrations were elevated above 6 ng/mL for at least 6 days they were regarded as signs of ovarian activity. The frequencies of such rises during anoestrus were 4.0, 1.8 and 2.5 per animal in CM, S and F1 goats respectively. The frequencies of progesterone rise were higher than that of behavioural oestrus in the does. After exposing the does to the buck three times during the anoestrus period, no significant 'male effect' was observed on the milk progesterone level or behavioural oestrus during the first six months after kidding. The male effect on behavioural oestrus became apparent only in the seventh month after kidding, while milk progesterone levels did not change markedly compared with those of the control does. (author). 9 refs, 4 figs

Effects of Accretionary Prisms on 3-D Long-Period Ground Motion Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Y.; Koketsu, K.; Miyake, H.

2014-12-01

The accretionary prism along the subduction zones such as the Middle America trench or the Nankai trough is considered as an important factor affecting the generation and propagation of long-period ground motions. In Japan, the great earthquake along the Nankai subduction zone which is expected to occur in the near future can generate large long-period ground motions in the metropolitan areas such as Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. To investigate the effect of accretionary prism on long-period ground motions, we performed simulations of long-period ground motions for the event (Mw 7.1) that occurred off the Kii peninsula, Japan, at 10:07 on 5 September 2004 (UTC). Our simulation model ranged from the Kinki region to the Kanto region, and included the Osaka, Nobi and Kanto basin. We calculated long-period ground motions for four types of 3-D velocity structure models: (a) model with the accretionary prism (reference model), (b) model where accretionary prism has different 3-D geometry from the reference model, (c) model with the accretionary prism whose velocity, density and Q-value are shifted, (d) model without the accretionary prism. We compared the waveforms calculated for these models and concluded that the accretionary prism along the Nankai subduction zone plays roles in reducing the amplitude of direct waves and extending the duration of coda waves. This is attributed to the trap effect of accretionary prism. Our simulation also suggested that, the edge geometry along the landward side of accretionary prism has major effects on the processes of generation and propagation of long-period ground motions.

Effect of lifestyle on asthma control in Japanese patients: importance of periodical exercise and raw vegetable diet.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Motoyasu Iikura

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The avoidance of inhaled allergens or tobacco smoke has been known to have favorable effects on asthma control. However, it remains unclear whether other lifestyle-related factors are also related to asthma control. Therefore, a comprehensive study to examine the associations between various lifestyle factors and asthma control was conducted in Japanese asthmatic patients. METHODS: The study subjects included 437 stable asthmatic patients recruited from our outpatient clinic over a one-year period. A written, informed consent was obtained from each participant. Asthma control was assessed using the asthma control test (ACT, and a structured questionnaire was administered to obtain information regarding lifestyle factors, including tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, physical exercise, and diet. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The proportions of total control (ACT = 25, well controlled (ACT = 20-24, and poorly controlled (ACT 3 metabolic equivalents-h/week, and raw vegetable intake (> 5 units/week were significantly associated with good asthma control by bivariate analysis. Younger age, periodical exercise, and raw vegetable intake were significantly associated with good asthma control by multiple linear regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Periodical exercise and raw vegetable intake are associated with good asthma control in Japanese patients.

Effect of varying incubation periods on cytotoxicity and virucidal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Backgrounds: Justicia gendarussa Burm.f. has an anti-HIV activity. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of incubation periods on the cytotoxicity and virucidal activities of the J. gendarussa leaves extract on MOLT-4 cells. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity assay was evaluated by using the WST-1 test with ...

Effect of dry period length on milk production in subsequent lactation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, J.T.; Enevoldsen, Carsten

1991-01-01

, two treatments were compared within herd. Compared with a 7-wk planned dry period, a 3-wk decrease lowered the level of milk production by 2.8 kg of 4% FCM/d in the first 84 d of the subsequent lactation, whereas a 3-wk increase raised the level of milk production by .5 kg/d. In the first 168 d......The effect of planned dry period lengths of 4, 7, and 10 wk on subsequent lactational yield was estimated with 366 cows in an experiment in which dry period was manipulated independently of milk yield prior to drying off. In two herds, all three treatments were compared within herd; in six herds...... of the subsequent lactation, the difference between 4-wk and 7-wk planned dry periods was 2.7 kg/d, and the difference between 7- and 10-wk periods was .4 kg/d. There was no indication of interaction among planned dry period length and lactation number, days open in previous lactation, previous milk yield, breed...

The Effect of Active versus Passive Recovery Periods during High Intensity Intermittent Exercise on Local Tissue Oxygenation in 18 - 30 Year Old Sedentary Men.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuri Kriel

Full Text Available High intensity interval training (HIIT has been proposed as a time-efficient format of exercise to reduce the chronic disease burden associated with sedentary behaviour. Changes in oxygen utilisation at the local tissue level during an acute session of HIIT could be the primary stimulus for the health benefits associated with this format of exercise. The recovery periods of HIIT effect the physiological responses that occur during the session. It was hypothesised that in sedentary individuals, local and systemic oxygen utilisation would be higher during HIIT interspersed with active recovery periods, when compared to passive recovery periods.Twelve sedentary males (mean ± SD; age 23 ± 3 yr completed three conditions on a cycle ergometer: 1 HIIT with passive recovery periods between four bouts (HIITPASS 2 HIIT with active recovery periods between four bouts (HIITACT 3 HIITACT with four HIIT bouts replaced with passive periods (REC. Deoxygenated haemoglobin (HHb in the vastus lateralis (VL and gastrocnemius (GN muscles and the pre-frontal cortex (FH, oxygen consumption (VO2, power output and heart rate (HR were measured continuously during the three conditions.There was a significant increase in HHb at VL during bouts 2 (p = 0.017, 3 (p = 0.035 and 4 (p = 0.035 in HIITACT, compared to HIITPASS. Mean power output was significantly lower in HIITACT, compared to HIITPASS (p < 0.001. There was a significant main effect for site in both HIITPASS (p = 0.029 and HIITACT (p = 0.005. There were no significant differences in VO2 and HR between HIITPASS and HIITACT.The increase in HHb at VL and the lower mean power output during HIITACT could indicate that a higher level of deoxygenation contributes to decreased mechanical power in sedentary participants. The significant differences in HHb between sites indicates the specificity of oxygen utilisation.

Sibling Competition & Growth Tradeoffs. Biological vs. Statistical Significance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Karen L; Veile, Amanda; Otárola-Castillo, Erik

2016-01-01

Early childhood growth has many downstream effects on future health and reproduction and is an important measure of offspring quality. While a tradeoff between family size and child growth outcomes is theoretically predicted in high-fertility societies, empirical evidence is mixed. This is often attributed to phenotypic variation in parental condition. However, inconsistent study results may also arise because family size confounds the potentially differential effects that older and younger siblings can have on young children's growth. Additionally, inconsistent results might reflect that the biological significance associated with different growth trajectories is poorly understood. This paper addresses these concerns by tracking children's monthly gains in height and weight from weaning to age five in a high fertility Maya community. We predict that: 1) as an aggregate measure family size will not have a major impact on child growth during the post weaning period; 2) competition from young siblings will negatively impact child growth during the post weaning period; 3) however because of their economic value, older siblings will have a negligible effect on young children's growth. Accounting for parental condition, we use linear mixed models to evaluate the effects that family size, younger and older siblings have on children's growth. Congruent with our expectations, it is younger siblings who have the most detrimental effect on children's growth. While we find statistical evidence of a quantity/quality tradeoff effect, the biological significance of these results is negligible in early childhood. Our findings help to resolve why quantity/quality studies have had inconsistent results by showing that sibling competition varies with sibling age composition, not just family size, and that biological significance is distinct from statistical significance.

Sibling Competition & Growth Tradeoffs. Biological vs. Statistical Significance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen L Kramer

Full Text Available Early childhood growth has many downstream effects on future health and reproduction and is an important measure of offspring quality. While a tradeoff between family size and child growth outcomes is theoretically predicted in high-fertility societies, empirical evidence is mixed. This is often attributed to phenotypic variation in parental condition. However, inconsistent study results may also arise because family size confounds the potentially differential effects that older and younger siblings can have on young children's growth. Additionally, inconsistent results might reflect that the biological significance associated with different growth trajectories is poorly understood. This paper addresses these concerns by tracking children's monthly gains in height and weight from weaning to age five in a high fertility Maya community. We predict that: 1 as an aggregate measure family size will not have a major impact on child growth during the post weaning period; 2 competition from young siblings will negatively impact child growth during the post weaning period; 3 however because of their economic value, older siblings will have a negligible effect on young children's growth. Accounting for parental condition, we use linear mixed models to evaluate the effects that family size, younger and older siblings have on children's growth. Congruent with our expectations, it is younger siblings who have the most detrimental effect on children's growth. While we find statistical evidence of a quantity/quality tradeoff effect, the biological significance of these results is negligible in early childhood. Our findings help to resolve why quantity/quality studies have had inconsistent results by showing that sibling competition varies with sibling age composition, not just family size, and that biological significance is distinct from statistical significance.

Age, period and cohort effects on adult physical activity levels from 1991 to 2011 in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zang, Jiajie; Ng, Shu Wen

2016-04-20

To date no work has differentiated the effects of age, period, and cohort on physical activity (PA) among Chinese adults, while also considering biological, behavioral, economic, and environmental factors over time. We used data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) between 1991 and 2011 (20 years). The outcomes of interest are metabolic equivalent of task (MET) hours per week from work and domestic activities. Age, individual characteristics, household size, asset ownership, urbanization were included as covariates. Analyses for adult (≥20y) males (n = 29,343) and females (n = 31,094) was conducted to explicitly assess differences in PA due to age vs period effects, and implicitly assess differences by cohorts due to the period-specific experiences across individuals of varying ages. The mean age of the sample rose from 41.31 to 50.8 years and PA decreased from 427.75 ± 264.35 MET hours per week (MET-hr/wk) in 1991 to 245.99 ± 206.65 MET-hr/wk in 2011, with much steeper declines for women compared to men. For both genders, we found non-linear decreases in PA with age over time. Controlling for age effects, negative period effects on PA were observed in each survey year, and were substantial from 1993 to 2000 for males and from 1993 to 2011 for females. The interaction between survey year and age (P < 0.05) were observed from 2004 to 2011. Higher community urbanicity, vehicle ownership, TV and computer ownership, overweight and obese, higher education served as negative predictors. Bicycle ownership, bigger household size, non-professional jobs, being married and having more children (for women) were positive predictors of PA (P < 0.05). Furthermore, at any given age, individuals who were younger at baseline had higher mean PA compared with individuals older at baseline. This study followed a large cohort of adults over a significant portion of their lives. Strong age and secular trends were observed, resulting in an

The Effect of Seasonal and Long-Period Geopotential Variations on the GPS Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Melachroinos, Stavros A.; Lemoine, Frank G.; Chinn, Douglas S.; Zelensky, Nikita P.; Nicholas, Joseph B.; Beckley, Brian D.

2013-01-01

We examine the impact of using seasonal and long-period time-variable gravity field (TVG) models on GPS orbit determination, through simulations from 1994 to 2012. The models of time-variable gravity that we test include the GRGS release RL02 GRACE-derived 10-day gravity field models up to degree and order 20 (grgs20x20), a 4 x 4 series of weekly coefficients using GGM03S as a base derived from SLR and DORIS tracking to 11 satellites (tvg4x4), and a harmonic fit to the above 4 x 4 SLR-DORIS time series (goco2s_fit2). These detailed models are compared to GPS orbit simulations using a reference model (stdtvg) based on the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) and International GNSS Service (IGS) repro1 standards. We find that the new TVG modeling produces significant along, cross-track orbit differences as well as annual, semi-annual, draconitic and long-period effects in the Helmert translation parameters (Tx, Ty, Tz) of the GPS orbits with magnitudes of several mm. We show that the simplistic TVG modeling approach used by all of the IGS Analysis Centers, which is based on the models provided by the IERS standards, becomes progressively less adequate following 2006 when compared to the seasonal and long-period TVG models.

Weakly nonlinear dispersion and stop-band effects for periodic structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorokin, Vladislav; Thomsen, Jon Juel

of frequency band-gaps, i.e. frequency ranges in which elastic waves cannot propagate. Most existing analytical methods in the field are based on Floquet theory [1]; e.g. this holds for the classical Hill’s method of infinite determinants [1,2], and themethod of space-harmonics [3]. However, application...... of these methods for studying nonlinear problems isimpossible or cumbersome, since Floquet theory is applicable only for linear systems. Thus the nonlinear effects for periodic structures are not yet fully uncovered, while at the same time applications may demand effects of nonlinearity on structural response...... to be accounted for.The paper deals with analytically predicting dynamic response for nonlinear elastic structures with a continuous periodic variation in structural properties. Specifically, for a Bernoulli-Euler beam with aspatially continuous modulation of structural properties in the axial direction...

Effect Of Gamma Irradiation On The Chemical Properties Of Olive And Linseed Oils During The Storage Period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farag, M.D.H.; Eweida, M.H.T.; Ali, H.E.; Refai, K.M.

2013-01-01

The quality of edible oil is usually determined in term of its quality constants and the change in these constants would affect the quality of the oil. Evaluation of gamma irradiation and storage period effects on olive and linseed oils was studied. The studied changes in the chemical properties for these oils were free fatty acid, peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid, iodine value and saponification value. The applied irradiation doses were 4, 6 and 8 kGy while the dose rate was 3.529 kGy/h at the time of experimentation. The non-irradiated oil samples were used as controls. The irradiated oil samples showed that free fatty acid, peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid were increased and the iodine value was decreased with increasing the doses of radiation and storage period while the saponification value did not change by changing the applied radiation doses. The statistical analysis of the data exhibited that there were non-significant effects in irradiated oils during the storage period. However, the values of chemical properties of non-irradiated and irradiated oil samples were still within the normal limits of edible oils recommended by the Egyptian Standard Specifications (2005 a, b)

Effects of Long Period Ocean Tides on the Earth's Rotation

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Richard S.; Chao, Ben F.; Desai, Shailen D.

1996-01-01

The spectra of polar motion excitation functions exhibit enhanced power in the fortnightly tidal band. This enhanced power is attributed to ocean tidal excitation. Ocean tide models predict polar motion excitation effects that differ with each other, and with observations, by factors as large as 2-3. There is a need for inproved models for the effect of long-period ocean tides on Earth's rotation.

Effect of periodic environmental fluctuations on the Pearl-Verhulst model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogovchenko, Svitlana P.; Rogovchenko, Yuri V.

2009-01-01

We address the effect of periodic environmental fluctuations on the Pearl-Verhulst model in population dynamics and clarify several important issues very actively discussed in the recent papers by Lakshmi [Lakshmi BS. Oscillating population models. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2003;16:183-6; Lakshmi BS. Population models with time dependent parameters. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2005;26:719-21], Leach and Andriopoulos [Leach PGL, Andriopoulos K. An oscillatory population model. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2004;22:1183-8], Swart and Murrell [Swart JH, Murrell HC. An oscillatory model revisited. Chaos Solitons and Fractals 2007;32:1325-7]. Firstly, we review general results regarding existence and properties of periodic solutions and examine existence of a unique positive asymptotically stable periodic solution of a non-autonomous logistic differential equation when r(t)>0. Proceeding to the case where r(t) is allowed to take on negative values, we consider a modified Pearl-Verhulst equation because, as emphasized by Hallam and Clark [Hallam TG, Clark CE. Non-autonomous logistic equations as models of populations in deteriorating environment. J Theor Biol 1981;93:303-11], use of the classic one leads to paradoxical biological conclusions. For a modified logistic equation with ω-periodic coefficients, we establish existence of a unique asymptotically stable positive periodic solution with the same period. Special attention is paid to important cases where time average of the intrinsic growth rate is non-positive. Results of computer simulation demonstrating advantages of a modified equation for modeling periodic environmental fluctuations are presented.

Effect of Melatonin on Sleep in the Perioperative Period after Breast Cancer Surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Michael Tvilling; Voigt Hansen, Melissa; Andersen, Lærke Toftegård

2016-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether administration of an oral dose of 6 mg melatonin before bedtime perioperatively in breast cancer surgery could change sleep outcomes measured by actigraphy. METHODS: This paper reports secondary outcomes from a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized...... clinical trial where patients received 6 mg melatonin (n = 27) or placebo (n = 21) approximately 60 minutes before bedtime 3 nights preoperatively until at least one week postoperatively. Participants were monitored in the entire period with actigraphy, and were instructed to complete visual analogue scale...... significantly changed sleep efficiency and wake after sleep onset after surgery, but had no effects on other objective sleep outcomes or on subjective sleep quality (VAS and KSS)....

Effects of storage conditions and storage period on nutritional and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this work, the effects of storage conditions and storage period on the nutritional and other qualities of stored yam tubers were investigated. ... environment, signs of deterioration of the tuber such as sprouting, weight loss and rotting and some ...

Long-Term Exercise and Bone Mineral Density Changes in Postmenopausal Women--Are There Periods of Reduced Effectiveness?

Science.gov (United States)

Kemmler, Wolfgang; Engelke, Klaus; von Stengel, Simon

2016-01-01

There is increasing evidence that physical exercise can prevent fractures in postmenopausal women. However, even with careful adaptation of the exercise program to subjects' changing bone, health, and fitness status, effectivity may still decrease over the time. This could be specifically the case where the limitations of higher age collide with the specification of the exercise program. Thus, the aim of this study was to monitor bone mineral density (BMD) changes over a 16-year period of supervised exercise. Our hypothesis was that BMD differences at lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) between exercisers (EG) and nontraining controls (CG) increased throughout the intervention with significant differences for each of the four 4-year observation periods. Sixty-seven (EG, n = 39 versus CG, n = 28) initially early-postmenopausal osteopenic women of the Erlangen Fitness and Osteoporosis Prevention Study (EFOPS) with complete BMD data sets for baseline (1998) and 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16-year follow-up were included in the analysis. The exercise protocol initially focused on a high-intensity strategy that addressed bone but increasingly shifted to a more comprehensive intervention. LS-BMD differences between the EG and CG continuously increased (year 4: 2.4% (95%- Confidence Interval 1.0% to 3.8%), year 8: 3.1% (1.6% to 4.7%), year 12: 3.9% (1.9% to 5.8), year 16: 4.5% (2.5% to 6.6%). Correspondingly, rising differences for FN-BMD (0.9% (-0.2% to 2.1%) versus 1.9% (0.4% to 3.3%) versus 2.0% (0.5% to 3.8%) versus 3.0% (1.0% to 5.0%)) were observed. However, in contrast to our hypothesis, group differences within the four 4-year periods were not consistently significant (LS, p = 0.001 to 0.097; FN, p = 0.026 to 0.673); further, BMD kinetics among the groups varied between LS and FN. Of particular importance, significant differences (p ≤ 0.030) for both regions were still found in the final period. We conclude that exercise-even when adapted for subjects' decreasing bone

Effects of dry period length on clinical mastitis and other major clinical health disorders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enevoldsen, Carsten; Sørensen, J.T.

1992-01-01

Four, 7-, and 10-wk dry periods were randomly assigned to 366 dairy cows in eight herds. A multiple polytomous logistic regression analysis was conducted with the objective to reveal possible important effects of the dry period on the risk of contracting major clinical health disorders. Several...... complex statistical interactions were revealed. Complications around and after drying off occurred least frequently at 7-wk dry periods. There was little evidence of an effect of the dry period on the risk of clinical mastitis and other severe clinical disorders around and after calving. With short...... like milk yield at drying off and previous mastitis are much more important predisposing factors....

Effects of noise exposure on neonatal auditory brainstem response thresholds in pregnant guinea pigs at different gestational periods.

Science.gov (United States)

Morimoto, Chihiro; Nario, Kazuhiko; Nishimura, Tadashi; Shimokura, Ryota; Hosoi, Hiroshi; Kitahara, Tadashi

2017-01-01

Noise exposure during pregnancy has been reported to cause fetal hearing impairment. However, little is known about the effects of noise exposure during various gestational stages on postnatal hearing. In the present study, we investigated the effects of noise exposure on auditory brainstem response (ABR) at the early, mid-, and late gestational periods in newborn guinea pigs. Pregnant guinea pigs were exposed to 4-kHz pure tone at a 120-dB sound pressure level for 4 h. We divided the animals into four groups as follows: the control, early gestational exposure, mid-gestational exposure, and late gestational exposure groups. ABR thresholds and latencies in newborns were recorded using 1-, 2-, and 4-kHz tone burst on postnatal days 1, 7, 14, and 28. Changes in ABR thresholds and latencies were measured between the 4 × 4 and 4 × 3 factorial groups mentioned above (gestational periods × postnatal days, gestational periods × frequencies). The thresholds were low in the order of control group guinea pigs. This is the first study to show that noise exposure during the early, mid-, and late gestational periods significantly elevated ABR thresholds in neonatal guinea pigs. © 2016 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Absence of a Metallicity Effect for Ultra-short-period Planets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winn, Joshua N.; Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto; Isaacson, Howard; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Rogers, Leslie; Petigura, Erik A.; Howard, Andrew W.; Schlaufman, Kevin C.; Cargile, Phillip; Hebb, Leslie

2017-01-01

Ultra-short-period (USP) planets are a newly recognized class of planets with periods shorter than one day and radii smaller than about 2  R ⊕ . It has been proposed that USP planets are the solid cores of hot Jupiters that have lost their gaseous envelopes due to photo-evaporation or Roche lobe overflow. We test this hypothesis by asking whether USP planets are associated with metal-rich stars, as has long been observed for hot Jupiters. We find the metallicity distributions of USP-planet and hot-Jupiter hosts to be significantly different ( p = 3 × 10 −4 ) based on Keck spectroscopy of Kepler stars. Evidently, the sample of USP planets is not dominated by the evaporated cores of hot Jupiters. The metallicity distribution of stars with USP planets is indistinguishable from that of stars with short-period planets with sizes between 2 and 4  R ⊕ . Thus, it remains possible that the USP planets are the solid cores of formerly gaseous planets that are smaller than Neptune.

Absence of a Metallicity Effect for Ultra-short-period Planets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winn, Joshua N. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto; Isaacson, Howard; Marcy, Geoffrey W. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Rogers, Leslie [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Petigura, Erik A.; Howard, Andrew W. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Schlaufman, Kevin C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Cargile, Phillip [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Hebb, Leslie [Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY 14456 (United States)

2017-08-01

Ultra-short-period (USP) planets are a newly recognized class of planets with periods shorter than one day and radii smaller than about 2  R {sub ⊕}. It has been proposed that USP planets are the solid cores of hot Jupiters that have lost their gaseous envelopes due to photo-evaporation or Roche lobe overflow. We test this hypothesis by asking whether USP planets are associated with metal-rich stars, as has long been observed for hot Jupiters. We find the metallicity distributions of USP-planet and hot-Jupiter hosts to be significantly different ( p = 3 × 10{sup −4}) based on Keck spectroscopy of Kepler stars. Evidently, the sample of USP planets is not dominated by the evaporated cores of hot Jupiters. The metallicity distribution of stars with USP planets is indistinguishable from that of stars with short-period planets with sizes between 2 and 4  R {sub ⊕}. Thus, it remains possible that the USP planets are the solid cores of formerly gaseous planets that are smaller than Neptune.

Effects of brief daily periods of unrestricted vision during early monocular form deprivation on development of visual area 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bin; Tao, Xiaofeng; Wensveen, Janice M; Harwerth, Ronald S; Smith, Earl L; Chino, Yuzo M

2011-09-14

Providing brief daily periods of unrestricted vision during early monocular form deprivation reduces the depth of amblyopia. To gain insights into the neural basis of the beneficial effects of this treatment, the binocular and monocular response properties of neurons were quantitatively analyzed in visual area 2 (V2) of form-deprived macaque monkeys. Beginning at 3 weeks of age, infant monkeys were deprived of clear vision in one eye for 12 hours every day until 21 weeks of age. They received daily periods of unrestricted vision for 0, 1, 2, or 4 hours during the form-deprivation period. After behavioral testing to measure the depth of the resulting amblyopia, microelectrode-recording experiments were conducted in V2. The ocular dominance imbalance away from the affected eye was reduced in the experimental monkeys and was generally proportional to the reduction in the depth of amblyopia in individual monkeys. There were no interocular differences in the spatial properties of V2 neurons in any subject group. However, the binocular disparity sensitivity of V2 neurons was significantly higher and binocular suppression was lower in monkeys that had unrestricted vision. The decrease in ocular dominance imbalance in V2 was the neuronal change most closely associated with the observed reduction in the depth of amblyopia. The results suggest that the degree to which extrastriate neurons can maintain functional connections with the deprived eye (i.e., reducing undersampling for the affected eye) is the most significant factor associated with the beneficial effects of brief periods of unrestricted vision.

[The significance of drawing on experience of experimental study on Chinese materia medica during the Republican period].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nan; Wan, Fang

2015-05-01

During the period of the Republic of China, researches of experiments on Chinese materia medica developed extensively with the scientific process of Chinese medicine. Although the technology standard was relatively low and the reference value, limited. The experiences, positive or negative, obtained at that time still has reference significance to today's Chinese medicine scientific research. The notion that traditional Chinese medical and scientific research be conducted under the guidance of TCM theory; valuable experience contained in the ancient literature of traditional Chinese medicine be collected; and the transformation capacity of scientific research be elevated, has been accepted by modern TCM professionals. If you go back to the history, it can be seen that this notion was summarized through repeated practice during the critical moment of traditional Chinese medicine, which should be emphasized and its understanding deepened at any time.

Effects of carbohydrate, branched-chain amino acids, and arginine in recovery period on the subsequent performance in wrestlers

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Jang Tsong-Rong

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Many athletes need to participate in multiple events in a single day. The efficient post-exercise glycogen recovery may be critical for the performance in subsequent exercise. This study examined whether post-exercise carbohydrate supplementation could restore the performance in the subsequent simulated wrestling match. The effect of branched-chain amino acids and arginine on glucose disposal and performance was also investigated. Nine well-trained male wrestlers participated in 3 trials in a random order. Each trial contained 3 matches with a 1-hr rest between match 1 and 2, and a 2-hr rest between match 2 and 3. Each match contained 3 exercise periods interspersed with 1-min rests. The subjects alternated 10-s all-out sprints and 20-s rests in each exercise period. At the end of match 2, 3 different supplementations were consumed: 1.2 g/kg glucose (CHO trial, 1 g/kg glucose + 0.1 g/kg Arg + 0.1 g/kg BCAA (CHO+AA trial, or water (placebo trial. The peak and average power in the 3 matches was similar in the 3 trials. After the supplementation, CHO and CHO+AA trial showed significantly higher glucose and insulin, and lower glycerol and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations than the placebo trial. There was no significant difference in these biochemical parameters between the CHO and CHO+AA trials. Supplementation of carbohydrate with or without BCAA and arginine during the post-match period had no effect on the performance in the following simulated match in wrestlers. In addition, BCAA and arginine did not provide additional insulinemic effect.

Coupling of reciprocal vectors and corresponding degeneracy effect in a dual-periodic optical superlattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Yiqiang

2006-01-01

A dual-periodic structure for quasi-phase matching cascaded optical parametric interactions is proposed. Due to the coupling of reciprocal vectors between the original and imposed periodic sequence, the reciprocal vectors and the corresponding effective nonlinear coefficients is no longer the simple combination of two periodic structures. The new analytical expression of the effective nonlinear coefficients is deduced and given. The degeneracy phenomena and the novel extinction rule resulting from the coupling of reciprocal vectors are found and investigated. The corresponding physical nature is also discussed

Effects of Ethanol Exposure during Distinct Periods of Brain Development on Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity

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Brian R. Christie

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders occur when a mother drinks during pregnancy and can greatly influence synaptic plasticity and cognition in the offspring. In this study we determined whether there are periods during brain development that are more susceptible to the effects of ethanol exposure on hippocampal synaptic plasticity. In particular, we evaluated how the ability to elicit long-term potentiation (LTP in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG was affected in young adult rats that were exposed to ethanol during either the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd trimester equivalent. As expected, the effects of ethanol on young adult DG LTP were less severe when exposure was limited to a particular trimester equivalent when compared to exposure throughout gestation. In males, ethanol exposure during the 1st, 2nd or 3rd trimester equivalent did not significantly reduce LTP in the DG. In females, ethanol exposure during either the 1st or 2nd trimester equivalents did not impact LTP in early adulthood, but following exposure during the 3rd trimester equivalent alone, LTP was significantly increased in the female DG. These results further exemplify the disparate effects between the ability to elicit LTP in the male and female brain following perinatal ethanol exposure (PNEE.

Does recall period have an effect on cancer patients' ratings of the severity of multiple symptoms?

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Qiuling; Trask, Peter C; Wang, Xin Shelley; Mendoza, Tito R; Apraku, Winifred A; Malekifar, Maggie; Cleeland, Charles S

2010-08-01

Choosing an appropriate recall period for symptom assessment in a clinical trial is dependent on the design and purpose of the trial. To examine the effects of recall on symptom severity ratings by comparing ratings made using 24-hour and seven-day recall periods of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI). Forty-two patients in their third to eighth week of chemoradiation rated their symptoms using the MDASI on two separate occasions (T1 and T2), one week apart. At T1, patients were randomly assigned to rate symptoms using either a 24-hour or a seven-day recall. At T2, patients rated symptoms using the recall period not used at their first visit. Comparing the 24-hour and seven-day recall periods, the correlation coefficient for total symptom severity was 0.888. All correlation coefficients for symptom severity items were >0.7 except for distress (r=0.67). The percentages of moderate to severe symptoms (rated >or=5) were consistent for both recall periods, with no significant difference between recall periods in the prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms. Cronbach alpha coefficients for both 24-hour and seven-day recalls were >0.8. Symptoms from both recall periods were more severe for patients with poorer performance status. Twenty patients were cognitively debriefed; 70% thought that the seven-day recall was "more appropriate" for the MDASI, but 85% did not think that recall period would influence their answers. This study demonstrated that the MDASI in a seven-day recall format has psychometric properties consistent with the 24-hour recall version, which may promote its use in future cancer clinical trials and may inform the choice of recall period when symptoms are outcome measures. Copyright (c) 2010 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Molasses and Storage Period on the Chemical, Microbial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was conducted to determine the effects of molasses and storage periods on the chemical composition, microbial and fermentation characteristics of silage produced from guinea grass and cassava leaves mixture. Guinea grass was harvested at 2 months regrowth from an established pasture and cassava tops ...

The Effects of the Training in the Preparation Period on the Repetitive Strength Transformation with Cadet Level Football Players

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Jovan Gardašević

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The main aim of the research was to identify a level of quantitative changes of the repetitive strength with fifteen years old football players under the influence of the programmed football training of a six weeks preparation period. The training programme covered forty-four training units. The research was made on a sample of 120 cadet level football players. To estimate the repetitive strength three tests have been used: Lying-sed for 30 seconds, Push-ups and Lifting upper body while lying on stomach. In the area of comparative statistics, we used discriminant parametric procedure t-test for big paired samples. It can be concluded that there are statistically significant differences in all three variables to estimate the repetitive strength. This confirmed the hypothesis that the expected significant positive quantitative changes of basic-motor abilities influenced by the proposed model of training in preparation period with fifteen years old football players. The authors were guided by the fact that this kind of training program in preparation period is very effective in terms of raising the repetitive strength level with fifteen years old. The obtained results can be directed towards innovation plans and programs in the preparation period, and the adaptation of the same needs of the respective population.

Peculiarities in mice embriogenesis under serotonin effect in pre- and post-irradiation period in prenervous period of development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konstantinova, M.M.; Panaeva, S.V.; Podmareva, O.N.; Turpaev, T.M.

1995-01-01

Effect of serotonin and X-ray irradiation on mice embriogenesis in prenervous period of development is studied. The above factors were applied separately and in combination (in various doses, with change of sequence). It is shown that development of embriotoxic effect of serotonin is determined by embryos age. Six-day embryos are most sensitive. Eight-day embryos are characterized by absence of toxic effect of serotonin doses applied. The eighth day embryos are most radiosensitive, whereas the six-day ones are less radiosensitive. Serotonin administered to mice females before and after irradiation on the eight day of pregnancy produced radioprotective and therapeutic effect, and on the sixth-seventh days intensified negative radiation consequences. 15 refs.; 2 tabs

ANALYSIS OF EFFECT OF PROFITABILITY, ASSETS STRUCTURE, SIZE OF COMPANIES, AND LIQUIDITY TO CAPITAL STRUCTURES IN MINING COMPANIES LISTED IN INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE PERIOD 2012 - 2015

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Gatot Nazir Ahmad

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of profitability, structure assets, firm size and liquidity to the capital structure of mining companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2012-2015. Sampling technique using purpose sampling. Data analysis technique used in this research is panel data regression. The results showed that partially profitability had negative and significant effect to capital structure, asset structure had positive and significant effect to capital structure, firm size had positive and significant effect to capital structure, and liquidity had negative and significant effect to capital structure. Simultaneously profitability, asset structure, firm size and liquidity have a significant effect on capital structure.

Effects of periods of nonuse and fluctuating ammonia concentration on biofilter performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying-Xu; Yin, Jun; Wang, Kai-Xiong; Fang, Shi

2004-01-01

A systematic study on the transient behavior of odor treatment using biofilters is described. The biofilters were exposed to variations in contaminant loading and periods of nonuse. Two bench-scale biofilters with different filter media were used. Mixtures of compost/perlite (5:1) and dry sludge/granular active carbon (5:1) were used as filter media. Ammonia (NH3), one of the main malodorous gases, was used as the target compound. The response of each biofilter to variations in contaminant mass loading, periodic nonuse, water content, and inlet concentration pulse was studied. The nonuse period comprised of two stages: the "idle phase" when no air was passing through the biofilters, and the "no-contaminant-loading phase" when only humidified air was passing through the biofilters. Concentration spike was applied to study the effects of shock loading on the biofilter performance. Biofilters responded effectively to NH3 concentration variations and shock loading by rapidly recovering to the original removal rates within 6-12h. The results indicated re-acclimation times ranged from several hours to longer than a day. Longer idle phase produced longer re-acclimation periods than periods of no contaminant loading. When the media was dried during the biofiltration process, elimination capacity dropped accordingly for both biofilters. After 24 h of drying, the biofilter experiment could be restarted and run for a few days for recovering.

The effects of incubation period and temperature on the Hydrogen ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of incubation period and temperature on the Hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) technique for detection of faecal contamination in water. ... African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. Journal Home ... A total of 171 water samples from 3 sources were analyzed for the presence of faecal contamination by

Significant achievements in '10th five-year plan' period and primary guidance in '11th five-year plan' period on uranium exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jindai; Li Youliang; Jian Xiaofei; Peng Xinjian; Jiang Deying

2007-01-01

During the '10th five-year-plane' period, uranium resource had attracted high attention and concentration from related organization of the CCPC and the central government because of the state's manifestation on the development goal for nuclear power, efforts on uranium research and exploration were intensified accordingly. In that five years, both uranium exploration, regional assessment and prognostication for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic basin in North China and research on uranium metallogeny theory and prospecting method had made fairly great progress and reached important fruits. Due to the improvement of prospecting theory and technology for ISL amenable sandstone hosted U-deposits, uranium exploration efficiency was great enhanced and had prompted the sustainable development for China's uranium exploration. This paper have briefly expounded the general deploy for the uranium geology research and exploration in the '11th five-year plan' period. (authors)

Effect of the first night shift period on sleep in young nurse students.

Science.gov (United States)

Fietze, Ingo; Knoop, Karsten; Glos, Martin; Holzhausen, Martin; Peter, Jan Giso; Penzel, Thomas

2009-12-01

In young hospital nurses being exposed to a night shift work schedule for the first time in their occupational life, sleep quality is investigated quantitatively. A main sleep period and supplementary sleep periods were defined and analyzed to investigate sleep behavior and quality. A total of 30 young nurses (26 women, 4 men), mean age 20.2 +/- 2.1 years participated. A 3 week nursing school period was followed by a 3 week work period with a 3-5 night shift sub-period and recovery days. Sleep-wake behavior was assessed with an actigraph, sleep diaries, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and quality of life was assessed with a standard questionnaire (SF-36). Comparing the school period with the work shift period when excluding recovery days after night shift period significant increase of total sleep time within 24 h was found during the work days (ANOVA P night shift sub-period, there was just a small decline of the main sleep period at day (n.s.) which was not compensated by supplementary sleep episodes. The supplementary sleep during work day varied between 11 min (school period) and 18 min after recovery days from night shift (n.s.). Young healthy nurses tolerate the first night shift exposure very well, according to objective and subjective parameters related to quality of sleep. An increased sleep need during work days lead to longer total sleep time, but do not lead to longer supplementary sleep episodes. Young nurses tolerate the first rotating shift period and the first night shift period very well.

The effect of short recovery period investment on least-cost generation system expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yiqun He; David, A.K.; Fernando, P.N.

1995-01-01

The effect of the short recovery period of private investment on least-cost generation system expansion is analysed, and a trade-off method for generation system expansion, which gives consideration to both the least-cost strategy and the short recovery period of private investment, is presented. First, the optimal mix of generation units under a standard recovery period for all units is established, and then the surcharge, due to the difference between the short recovery period and the standard recovery period, is calculated and shared between all units. The former is an optimization to make best use of natural resources, and the latter is a trade-off method to spread the surcharge throughout the system. (Author)

Effect of Maternal Depression on Child Behavior: A Sensitive Period?

Science.gov (United States)

Bagner, Daniel M.; Pettit, Jeremy W.; Lewinsohn, Peter M.; Seeley, John R.

2010-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of maternal depression during the child's first year of life (i.e., sensitive period) on subsequent behavior problems. Method: Participants were 175 mothers participating in the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project (OADP) who met lifetime diagnostic criteria for major depressive…

Periodically poled silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Hon, Nick K.; Tsia, Kevin K.; Solli, Daniel R.; Khurgin, Jacob B.; Jalali, Bahram

2010-02-01

Bulk centrosymmetric silicon lacks second-order optical nonlinearity χ(2) - a foundational component of nonlinear optics. Here, we propose a new class of photonic device which enables χ(2) as well as quasi-phase matching based on periodic stress fields in silicon - periodically-poled silicon (PePSi). This concept adds the periodic poling capability to silicon photonics, and allows the excellent crystal quality and advanced manufacturing capabilities of silicon to be harnessed for devices based on χ(2)) effects. The concept can also be simply achieved by having periodic arrangement of stressed thin films along a silicon waveguide. As an example of the utility, we present simulations showing that mid-wave infrared radiation can be efficiently generated through difference frequency generation from near-infrared with a conversion efficiency of 50% based on χ(2) values measurements for strained silicon reported in the literature [Jacobson et al. Nature 441, 199 (2006)]. The use of PePSi for frequency conversion can also be extended to terahertz generation. With integrated piezoelectric material, dynamically control of χ(2)nonlinearity in PePSi waveguide may also be achieved. The successful realization of PePSi based devices depends on the strength of the stress induced χ(2) in silicon. Presently, there exists a significant discrepancy in the literature between the theoretical and experimentally measured values. We present a simple theoretical model that produces result consistent with prior theoretical works and use this model to identify possible reasons for this discrepancy.

Forward Period Analysis Method of the Periodic Hamiltonian System.

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Pengfei Wang

Full Text Available Using the forward period analysis (FPA, we obtain the period of a Morse oscillator and mathematical pendulum system, with the accuracy of 100 significant digits. From these results, the long-term [0, 1060] (time unit solutions, ranging from the Planck time to the age of the universe, are computed reliably and quickly with a parallel multiple-precision Taylor series (PMT scheme. The application of FPA to periodic systems can greatly reduce the computation time of long-term reliable simulations. This scheme provides an efficient way to generate reference solutions, against which long-term simulations using other schemes can be tested.

The Effects of Acoustic White Noise on the Rat Central Auditory System During the Fetal and Critical Neonatal Periods: A Stereological Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Salehi, Mohammad Saied; Namavar, Mohammad Reza; Tamadon, Amin; Bahmani, Raziyeh; Jafarzadeh Shirazi, Mohammad Reza; Khazali, Homayoun; Dargahi, Leila; Pandamooz, Sareh; Mohammad-Rezazadeh, Farzad; Rashidi, Fatemeh Sadat

2017-01-01

To evaluate the effects of long-term, moderate level noise exposure during crucial periods of rat infants on stereological parameters of medial geniculate body (MGB) and auditory cortex. Twenty-four male offspring of 12 pregnant rats were divided into four groups: fetal-to-critical period group, which were exposed to noise from the last 10 days of fetal life till postnatal day (PND) 29; fetal period group that exposed to noise during the last 10 days of fetal life; critical period group, exposed to noise from PND 15 till PND 29, and control group. White noise at 90 dB for 2 h per day was used. Variance for variables was performed using Proc GLM followed by mean comparison by Duncan's multiple range test. Numerical density of neurons in MGB of fetal-to-critical period group was lower than control group. Similar results were seen in numerical density of neurons in layers IV and VI of auditory cortex. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the volume of auditory cortex among groups, and only MGB volume in fetal-to-critical period group was higher than other groups. Estimated total number of neurons in MGB was not significantly different among groups. It seems necessary to prevent long-term moderate level noise exposure during fetal-to-critical neonatal period.

Econometric analysis of the changing effects in wind strength and significant wave height on the probability of casualty in shipping.

Science.gov (United States)

Knapp, Sabine; Kumar, Shashi; Sakurada, Yuri; Shen, Jiajun

2011-05-01

This study uses econometric models to measure the effect of significant wave height and wind strength on the probability of casualty and tests whether these effects changed. While both effects are in particular relevant for stability and strength calculations of vessels, it is also helpful for the development of ship construction standards in general to counteract increased risk resulting from changing oceanographic conditions. The authors analyzed a unique dataset of 3.2 million observations from 20,729 individual vessels in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions gathered during the period 1979-2007. The results show that although there is a seasonal pattern in the probability of casualty especially during the winter months, the effect of wind strength and significant wave height do not follow the same seasonal pattern. Additionally, over time, significant wave height shows an increasing effect in January, March, May and October while wind strength shows a decreasing effect, especially in January, March and May. The models can be used to simulate relationships and help understand the relationships. This is of particular interest to naval architects and ship designers as well as multilateral agencies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that establish global standards in ship design and construction. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Myostatin SNP on muscle fiber properties in male Thoroughbred horses during training period.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyata, Hirofumi; Itoh, Rika; Sato, Fumio; Takebe, Naoya; Hada, Tetsuro; Tozaki, Teruaki

2017-10-20

Variants of the Myostatin gene have been shown to have an influence on muscle hypertrophy phenotypes in a wide range of mammalian species. Recently, a Thoroughbred horse with a C-Allele at the g.66493737C/T single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has been reported to be suited to short-distance racing. In this study, we examined the effect of the Myostatin SNP on muscle fiber properties in young Thoroughbred horses during a training period. To investigate the effect of the Myostatin SNP on muscle fiber before training, several mRNA expressions were relatively quantified in biopsy samples from the middle gluteal muscle of 27 untrained male Thoroughbred horses (1.5 years old) using real-time RT-PCR analysis. The remaining muscle samples were used for immunohistochemical analysis to determine the population and area of each fiber type. All measurements were revaluated in biopsy samples of the same horses after a 5-month period of conventional training. Although the expressions of Myostatin mRNA decreased in all SNP genotypes, a significant decrease was found in only the C/C genotype after training. While, expression of VEGFa, PGC1α, and SDHa mRNAs, which relate to the biogenesis of mitochondria and capillaries, was significantly higher (54-82%) in the T/T than the C/C genotypes after training. It is suggested that hypertrophy of muscle fiber is directly associated with a decrease in Myostatin mRNA expression in the C/C genotype, and that increased expressions of VEGFa, PGC1α, and SDHa in the T/T genotype might be indirectly caused by the Myostatin SNP.

Survival of a planet in short-period Neptunian desert under effect of photoevaporation

Science.gov (United States)

Ionov, Dmitry E.; Pavlyuchenkov, Yaroslav N.; Shematovich, Valery I.

2018-06-01

Despite the identification of a great number of Jupiter-like and Earth-like planets at close-in orbits, the number of `hot Neptunes' - the planets with 0.6-18 times of Neptune mass and orbital periods less than 3 d - turned out to be very small. The corresponding region in the mass-period distribution was assigned as the `short-period Neptunian desert'. The common explanation of this fact is that the gaseous planet with few Neptune masses would not survive in the vicinity of host star due to intensive atmosphere outflow induced by heating from stellar radiation. To check this hypothesis, we performed numerical simulations of atmosphere dynamics for a hot Neptune. We adopt the previously developed self-consistent 1D model of hydrogen-helium atmosphere with suprathermal electrons accounted. The mass-loss rates as a function of orbital distances and stellar ages are presented. We conclude that the desert of short-period Neptunes could not be entirely explained by evaporation of planet atmosphere caused by the radiation from a host star. For the less massive Neptune-like planet, the estimated upper limits of the mass-loss may be consistent with the photoevaporation scenario, while the heavier Neptune-like planets could not lose the significant mass through this mechanism. We also found the significant differences between our numerical results and widely used approximate estimates of the mass-loss.

The effects of periodic interruptions of physical activities on the physical capacities of adult active women.

Science.gov (United States)

Greve, Patrícia; Wanderley, Fabio da Silva; Rebelatto, José Rubens

2009-01-01

Physical activity programs adapted to the elderly have been proposed with the purpose of minimizing the alterations provoked by aging. These programs usually present break periods of more than 30 days, at least once a year. The aim of this study was to verify if 30-day interruptions cause alterations in the acquisition of physical capacities for senescent women. The study was longitudinal in design, 125 senescent women completed a physical activity program consisting of stretching, aerobic resistance, strength, power and resistance exercises; coordination, agility and flexibility activities; respiratory and relaxation exercises during almost 2 years. Two periods were selected, containing four evaluations with two activities' interruption periods in between the measurements. The main outcome measures were manual pressing strength, flexibility, dynamic balance and physical conditioning (VO2max). During the program there was an increasing tendency for the muscular strength and the VO2max. A significant improvement in flexibility was noted (pprogram, the dynamic balance showed significant difference (pactivities in both studied periods were not enough to significantly alter the values of physical capacities of senescent active women.

Effect of Polydextrose on Subjective Feelings of Appetite during the Satiation and Satiety Periods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Alvin Ibarra

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Subjective feelings of appetite are measured using visual analogue scales (VAS in controlled trials. However, the methods used to analyze VAS during the Satiation (pre- to post-meal and Satiety (post-meal to subsequent meal periods vary broadly, making it difficult to compare results amongst independent studies testing the same product. This review proposes a methodology to analyze VAS during both the Satiation and Satiety periods, allowing us to compare results in a meta-analysis. Methods: A methodology to express VAS results as incremental areas under the curve (iAUC for both the Satiation and Satiety periods is proposed using polydextrose as a case study. Further, a systematic review and meta-analysis on subjective feelings of appetite was conducted following the PRISMA methodology. Meta-analyses were expressed as Standardized Mean Difference (SMD. Results: Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. There were important differences in the methods used to analyze appetite ratings amongst these studies. The separate subjective feelings of appetite reported were Hunger, Satisfaction, Fullness, Prospective Food Consumption, and the Desire to Eat. The method proposed here allowed the results of the different studies to be homogenized. The meta-analysis showed that Desire to Eat during the Satiation period favors polydextrose for the reduction of this subjective feeling of appetite (SMD = 0.24, I2 < 0.01, p = 0.018; this effect was also significant in the sub-analysis by sex for the male population (SMD = 0.35, I2 < 0.01, p = 0.015. There were no other significant results. Conclusion: It is possible to compare VAS results from separate studies. The assessment of iAUC for both the Satiation and Satiety periods generates results of homogeneous magnitudes. This case study demonstrates, for the first time, that polydextrose reduces the Desire to Eat during the Satiation period. This may explain, at least in part, the observed

Effect of Polydextrose on Subjective Feelings of Appetite during the Satiation and Satiety Periods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibarra, Alvin; Astbury, Nerys M; Olli, Kaisa; Alhoniemi, Esa; Tiihonen, Kirsti

2016-01-14

Subjective feelings of appetite are measured using visual analogue scales (VAS) in controlled trials. However, the methods used to analyze VAS during the Satiation (pre- to post-meal) and Satiety (post-meal to subsequent meal) periods vary broadly, making it difficult to compare results amongst independent studies testing the same product. This review proposes a methodology to analyze VAS during both the Satiation and Satiety periods, allowing us to compare results in a meta-analysis. A methodology to express VAS results as incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) for both the Satiation and Satiety periods is proposed using polydextrose as a case study. Further, a systematic review and meta-analysis on subjective feelings of appetite was conducted following the PRISMA methodology. Meta-analyses were expressed as Standardized Mean Difference (SMD). Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. There were important differences in the methods used to analyze appetite ratings amongst these studies. The separate subjective feelings of appetite reported were Hunger, Satisfaction, Fullness, Prospective Food Consumption, and the Desire to Eat. The method proposed here allowed the results of the different studies to be homogenized. The meta-analysis showed that Desire to Eat during the Satiation period favors polydextrose for the reduction of this subjective feeling of appetite (SMD = 0.24, I² < 0.01, p = 0.018); this effect was also significant in the sub-analysis by sex for the male population (SMD = 0.35, I² < 0.01, p = 0.015). There were no other significant results. It is possible to compare VAS results from separate studies. The assessment of iAUC for both the Satiation and Satiety periods generates results of homogeneous magnitudes. This case study demonstrates, for the first time, that polydextrose reduces the Desire to Eat during the Satiation period. This may explain, at least in part, the observed effects of polydextrose on the reduction of levels of energy

Age, period, or birth cohort: What determines demographic differences in seafood consumption?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scholderer, Joachim; Lund, Eiliv; Trondsen, Torbjørn

Effects of age, period and birth cohort on consumption of fat fish, lean fish and processed fish were estimated based on panel data from the Norwegian Women and Seafood Consumption Study (NOWAC). Cohorts selected for the present analysis were women born between 1951 and 1966. Survey questionnaires...... fish increased between 1996 and 2001, while consumption of lean fish decreased. All three period effects were stable across birth cohorts. Estimation of polynomial contrasts indicated that birth cohort itself had linear effects on consumption, with older generations consuming significantly more fat...... and lean fish, but less processed fish than younger generations. Finally, the effects of cohort and period on consumption of lean and processed fish remained stable when biological age was controlled for, whilst the effect of period on fat fish consumption vanished. Regarding total consumption of fat fish...

Effects of repeated anesthesia by thiopental in neonatal period on PTZ-induced convulsions and pain responses during maturation in rats

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Fatemeh Faghih Majidi

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: General anesthetics during critical periods of brain development may cause some seriousmalformations or side effects. Anesthetic drugs can involve in the brain development and synaptogenesis atthe critical period of development. There are some controversy with regards the effects of(neurodegenerative or neuroprotective barbiturates on brain. The aim of the present study was toinvestigate the possible relation between repeated induced thiopental (a GABAA agonist anesthesia at thepostnatal period and pentylentetrazol-induced convulsions and pain responses in adult in the Wistar rats.Materials and methods: 40 male neonate rats were divided into experimental and sham groups. Theexperimental group (n=20 was deeply anesthetized with thiopental (30 mg/kg daily during 10 to 20-daysof post- natal period and physiologic serum was used for sham animals. After maturation of male rats, thePTZ-induced seizures were induced by daily interapritoneally injection of PTZ (45 mg/kg, and thelatency of the appearance of generalized epileptiform behaviors was recorded. Pain responses were alsoevaluated using tail-flick and formalin tests.Results: No significant differences were found in the lantency of the appearance of behaviouralconvulsions and pain sensitivity between experimental and sham groups.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that prior exposure to thiopental during nenonatal stage has no effectson PTZ-induced seizures and also pain responses after maturation. Developmental compensatorymechanisms may protect the brian against the possible damage that induced by repeated thipopental duringneonatal period.

Dependence of spectrum on period and twist effect of the pulsars magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shitov, Yu.P.

1983-01-01

The analysis of flux depsities at 102, 408 and 2700 MHz shows that the mean spectral radio luminosity of pUlsars anti Lsub(ν) depends on their period P. The radio luminosity on the average, decreases with the increasing period at all three freqUercies. The character and power of the period dependence anti Lsub(ν)(P) are different at different freqUencies caUsing the corresponding period dependence of the mean radio spectrUm and, particularly, of the spectral index anti αsub(1-4)(102-408 MHz), anti αsub(1-4)(P) varies as Psup(1.7) for P 408 (P) varies as Psup(-1.3) in the period interval 0.3 408 and the period derivatives P, between αsub(1-4) and P. In this connection, the arthor draws the conclusion that period dependences of the spectral radio luminosity and of the spectrum of pulsars are caused by geometrical factors. Quantitative estimates show that the twist effect of magnetic field lines caused by the reaction of magnetic-dipole radiation may be such a geometrical factor, which increases the field line curvatUre (as compared to the dipole field). The twist curvature rhosub(rot)sup(-1) varies as PsUp(-3)xrsup(2) (r is the radial distance from a star) causes the observed period dependence anti Lsub(ν)(P) owing to the curvature emission mechanism. The twist effect of the magnetic field gives the possibility to estimate height levels r of the radio emission regions in a pulsar from the observed function anti Lsub(π)(P). At 408 MHz for an ''average statistic'' pulsar with P> or approximately 0.3 s the level r 408 =1x10 9 cm

Long-Period Tidal Variations in the Length of Day

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Richard D.; Erofeeva, Svetlana Y.

2014-01-01

A new model of long-period tidal variations in length of day is developed. The model comprises 80 spectral lines with periods between 18.6 years and 4.7 days, and it consistently includes effects of mantle anelasticity and dynamic ocean tides for all lines. The anelastic properties followWahr and Bergen; experimental confirmation for their results now exists at the fortnightly period, but there remains uncertainty when extrapolating to the longest periods. The ocean modeling builds on recent work with the fortnightly constituent, which suggests that oceanic tidal angular momentum can be reliably predicted at these periods without data assimilation. This is a critical property when modeling most long-period tides, for which little observational data exist. Dynamic ocean effects are quite pronounced at shortest periods as out-of-phase rotation components become nearly as large as in-phase components. The model is tested against a 20 year time series of space geodetic measurements of length of day. The current international standard model is shown to leave significant residual tidal energy, and the new model is found to mostly eliminate that energy, with especially large variance reduction for constituents Sa, Ssa, Mf, and Mt.

Transverse Periodic Beam Loading Effects in a Storage Ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, J.R.; Byrd, J.M.

2009-01-01

Uneven beam fill patterns in storage rings, such as gaps in the fill patterns, leads to periodic, or transient loading of the modes of the RF cavities. We show that an analogous effect can occur in the loading of a dipole cavity mode when the beam passes off the electrical center of the cavity mode. Although this effect is small, it results in a variation of the transverse offset of the beam along the bunch train. For ultralow emittance beams, such as optimized third generation light sources and damping rings, this effect results in a larger projected emittance of the beam compared with the single bunch emittance. The effect is particularly strong for the case when a strong dipole mode has been purposely added to the ring, such as a deflecting, or 'crab' cavity. We derive an approximate analytic solution for the variation of the beam-induced deflecting voltage along the bunch train.

The Discrete Beverton-Holt Model with Periodic Harvesting in a Periodically Fluctuating Environment

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Ziyad AlSharawi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate the effect of constant and periodic harvesting on the Beverton-Holt model in a periodically fluctuating environment. We show that in a periodically fluctuating environment, periodic harvesting gives a better maximum sustainable yield compared to constant harvesting. However, if one can also fix the environment, then constant harvesting in a constant environment can be a better option, especially for sufficiently large initial populations. Also, we investigate the combinatorial structure of the periodic sequence of carrying capacities and its effect on the maximum sustainable yield. Finally, we leave some questions worth further investigations.

Effect of intercropping period management on runoff and erosion in a maize cropping system.

Science.gov (United States)

Laloy, Eric; Bielders, C L

2010-01-01

The management of winter cover crops is likely to influence their performance in reducing runoff and erosion during the intercropping period that precedes spring crops but also during the subsequent spring crop. This study investigated the impact of two dates of destruction and burial of a rye (Secale cereale L.) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cover crop on runoff and erosion, focusing on a continuous silage maize (Zea mays L.) cropping system. Thirty erosion plots with various intercrop management options were monitored for 3 yr at two sites. During the intercropping period, cover crops reduced runoff and erosion by more than 94% compared with untilled, post-maize harvest plots. Rough tillage after maize harvest proved equally effective as a late sown cover crop. There was no effect of cover crop destruction and burial dates on runoff and erosion during the intercropping period, probably because rough tillage for cover crop burial compensates for the lack of soil cover. During two of the monitored maize seasons, it was observed that plots that had been covered during the previous intercropping period lost 40 to 90% less soil compared with maize plots that had been left bare during the intercropping period. The burial of an aboveground cover crop biomass in excess of 1.5 t ha(-1) was a necessary, yet not always sufficient, condition to induce a residual effect. Because of the possible beneficial residual effect of cover crop burial on erosion reduction, the sowing of a cover crop should be preferred over rough tillage after maize harvest.

Effect of olive storage period at two different temperatures on oil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ambient and 5°C) for different periods before oil extraction at 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days to investigate the effect of postharvest fruit storage on olive oil quality. Conventional analyses (acidity, peroxide value, specific extinction coefficient at 232 and 270 ...

Effect of lunar periodicity on the abundance of crabs from the Goa Coast

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Chatterji, A; Ansari, Z.A; Ingole, B.S.; Sreepada, R.A; Kanti, A; Parulekar, A

Lunar periodicity showed a significant influence on the occurrence of edible crabs (@iPortunus pelagicus, Charybdis cruciata and Portunus sanguinolentus@@). High density of these crabs was recorded in the trawl catches during full moon and new moon...

A 10-day vacancy period after cleaning and disinfection has no effect on the bacterial load in pig nursery units.

Science.gov (United States)

Luyckx, K; Millet, S; Van Weyenberg, S; Herman, L; Heyndrickx, M; Dewulf, J; De Reu, K

2016-10-19

Biosecurity measures such as cleaning, disinfection and a vacancy period between production cycles on pig farms are essential to prevent disease outbreaks. No studies have tested the effect of a longer vacancy period on bacterial load in nursery units. The present study evaluated the effect of a 10-day vacancy period in pig nursery units on total aerobic flora, Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli, faecal coliforms and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Three vacancy periods of 10 days were monitored, each time applied in 3 units. The microbiological load was measured before disinfection and at 1, 4, 7 and 10 days after disinfection. No significant decrease or increase in E. coli, faecal coliforms, MRSA and Enterococcus spp. was noticed. Total aerobic flora counts were the lowest on day 4 after disinfection (i.e. 4.07 log CFU/625 cm 2 ) (P disinfection, drinking nipples were still mostly contaminated with total aerobic flora (i.e. 5.32 log CFU/625 cm 2 ) and Enterococcus spp. (i.e. 95 % of the samples were positive) (P disinfection with no extra biosecurity measures has no impact on the environmental load of total aerobic flora, E. coli, faecal coliforms, MRSA and Enterococcus spp..

Effect of Storage Period on Dimensional Stability of Alginplus and Hydrogum 5

OpenAIRE

Shima Aalaei; Rohollah Ganj-Khanloo; Fatemeh Gholami

2017-01-01

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of storage period on dimensional stability of Alginplus and Hydrogum 5.Materials and Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, 60 impressions were taken of an upper jaw typodont, including 10 impressions for each storage period to be tested (12 minutes, 24 and 120 hours) for each type of alginate. Then, the impressions were stored in an incubator with stable temperature and humidity, and poured using a type III dental stone. Subsequently...

Effects of the length of inundation periods on investment in tuber biomass and sexual reproduction by Vallisneria spinulosa S.Z. Yan Ramets

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Fox A.D.

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Modification and reductions in flows are reducing inundation times in some Yangtze River wetlands, potentially affecting the growth of submerged macrophytes. The effects of shortening the inundation period from April to October (control to April to September (treatment were tested on the production of surface and below-ground tubers and fruits in individual Vallisneria spinulosa ramets in microcosm experiments. Mean numbers of below-ground tubers produced did not differ significantly between treatments, but individual tuber dry mass was significantly greater when harvested in October compared with plants harvested in September. Significantly more surface tubers were initiated by the ramets in the later harvest, but these did not differ in dry mass. Fewer ramets had initiated sexual reproduction by the September harvest compared with the October harvest. Almost all October fruits were mature, while the ratio of mature to unripe fruits was significantly greater than in September. There was no support for the hypothesis that more tubers were initiated deeper in the substrate with a longer inundation period to avoid predation by fish or birds. Based on these results, shortening of the inundation periods experienced by Vallisneria spinulosa plants in Yangtze River ephemeral wetlands may reduce the dry biomass of below-ground tubers and the production of surface tubers in this keystone macrophyte.

Comparison of Periodized and Non-Periodized Resistance Training on Maximal Strength: A Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Tyler D; Tolusso, Danilo V; Fedewa, Michael V; Esco, Michael R

2017-10-01

Periodization is a logical method of organizing training into sequential phases and cyclical time periods in order to increase the potential for achieving specific performance goals while minimizing the potential for overtraining. Periodized resistance training plans are proposed to be superior to non-periodized training plans for enhancing maximal strength. The primary aim of this study was to examine the previous literature comparing periodized resistance training plans to non-periodized resistance training plans and determine a quantitative estimate of effect on maximal strength. All studies included in the meta-analysis met the following inclusion criteria: (1) peer-reviewed publication; (2) published in English; (3) comparison of a periodized resistance training group to a non-periodized resistance training group; (4) maximal strength measured by 1-repetition maximum (1RM) squat, bench press, or leg press. Data were extracted and independently coded by two authors. Random-effects models were used to aggregate a mean effect size (ES), 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and potential moderators. The cumulative results of 81 effects gathered from 18 studies published between 1988 and 2015 indicated that the magnitude of improvement in 1RM following periodized resistance training was greater than non-periodized resistance training (ES = 0.43, 95% CI 0.27-0.58; P training status (β = -0.59; P = 0.0305), study length (β = 0.03; P = 0.0067), and training frequency (β = 0.46; P = 0.0123) were associated with a change in 1RM. These results indicate that undulating programs were more favorable for strength gains. Improvements in 1RM were greater among untrained participants. Additionally, higher training frequency and longer study length were associated with larger improvements in 1RM. These results suggest that periodized resistance training plans have a moderate effect on 1RM compared to non-periodized training plans. Variation in training stimuli

Evaluating significance in linear mixed-effects models in R.

Science.gov (United States)

Luke, Steven G

2017-08-01

Mixed-effects models are being used ever more frequently in the analysis of experimental data. However, in the lme4 package in R the standards for evaluating significance of fixed effects in these models (i.e., obtaining p-values) are somewhat vague. There are good reasons for this, but as researchers who are using these models are required in many cases to report p-values, some method for evaluating the significance of the model output is needed. This paper reports the results of simulations showing that the two most common methods for evaluating significance, using likelihood ratio tests and applying the z distribution to the Wald t values from the model output (t-as-z), are somewhat anti-conservative, especially for smaller sample sizes. Other methods for evaluating significance, including parametric bootstrapping and the Kenward-Roger and Satterthwaite approximations for degrees of freedom, were also evaluated. The results of these simulations suggest that Type 1 error rates are closest to .05 when models are fitted using REML and p-values are derived using the Kenward-Roger or Satterthwaite approximations, as these approximations both produced acceptable Type 1 error rates even for smaller samples.

Allee effect in the selection for prime-numbered cycles in periodical cicadas.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Yumi; Yoshimura, Jin; Simon, Chris; Cooley, John R; Tainaka, Kei-ichi

2009-06-02

Periodical cicadas are well known for their prime-numbered life cycles (17 and 13 years) and their mass periodical emergences. The origination and persistence of prime-numbered cycles are explained by the hybridization hypothesis on the basis of their lower likelihood of hybridization with other cycles. Recently, we showed by using an integer-based numerical model that prime-numbered cycles are indeed selected for among 10- to 20-year cycles. Here, we develop a real-number-based model to investigate the factors affecting the selection of prime-numbered cycles. We include an Allee effect in our model, such that a critical population size is set as an extinction threshold. We compare the real-number models with and without the Allee effect. The results show that in the presence of an Allee effect, prime-numbered life cycles are most likely to persist and to be selected under a wide range of extinction thresholds.

Effects of Fish Oil Supplementation during the Suckling Period on Auditory Neural Conduction in n-3 Fatty Acid-Deficient Rat Pups

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vida rahimi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Omega 3 fatty acid especially in the form of fish oil, has structural and biological role in the body's various systems especially nervous system. Numerous studies have tried to research about it. Auditory is one of the affected systems. Omega 3 deficiency can have devastating effects on the nervous system and auditory. This study aimed to evaluate neural conduction in n-3 fatty acid-deficient rat pups following the supplementation of fish oil consumption during the suckling period Materials and Methods: In this interventional and experimental study, one sources of omega3 fatty acid (fish oil were fed to rat pups of n-3 PUFA-deficient dams to compare changes in their auditory neural conduction with that of control and n-3 PUFA-deficient groups, using Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR. The parameters of interest were P1, P3, P4 absolute latency, P1-P3, P1-P4 and P3-P4 IPL , P4/P1 amplitude ratio . The rat pups were given oral fish oil, 5 Ml /g weight for 17 days, between the age of 5 and 21 days. Results There were no significant group differences in P1 and P3 absolute latency (p > 0.05. but the result in P4 was significant(P ≤ 0.05 . The n-3 PUFA deficient +vehicle had the most prolonged (the worst P1-P4 IPL and P3-P4 IPL compared with control and n-3 PUFA deficient + FO groups. There was no significant difference in P1-P4 IPL and P3-P4 IPL between n-3 PUFA deficient + FO and control groups (p > 0.05.There was a significant effect of diet on P1-P4 IPL and P3-P4 IPL between groups (P ≤ 0.05. Conclusion: The results of present study showed the effect of omega3 deficiency on auditory neural structure during pregnancy and lactation period. Additionally, we observed the reduced devastating effects on neural conduction in n-3 fatty acid-deficient rat pups following the supplementation of fish oil during the suckling period

The Pro-collusive Effect of Increasing the Repose Period for Price Fixing Agreements

OpenAIRE

Jeroen Hinloopen

2005-01-01

This discussion paper resulted in the publication The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy (2007), 7(1), 1135. Intuitively, extending the period of repose for price fixing agreements enhances the effectiveness of competition policy enforcement. This paper proofs this intuition wrong. As extending the repose period reduces cartel members' defection payoff while it leaves unaltered expected compliance profits, it induces cartels to be more stable internally.

A mathematical approach to the effective Hamiltonian in perturbed periodic problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerard, C.; Martinez, A.; Sjoestrand, J.

1991-01-01

We describe a rigorous mathematical reduction of the spectral study for a class of periodic problems with perturbations which gives a justification of the method of effective Hamiltonians in solid state physics. We study the partial differential operators of the form P=P(hy, y, D y +A(hy)) on R n (when h>0 is small enough), where P(x, y, η) is elliptic, periodic in y with respect to some lattice Γ, and admits smooth bounded coefficients in (x, y). A(x) is a magnetic potential with bounded derivatives. We show that the spectral study of P near any fixed energy level can be reduced to the study of a finite system of h-pseudodifferential operators ε(x, hD x , h), acting on some Hilbert space depending on Γ. We then apply it to the study of the Schroedinger operator when the electric potential is periodic, and to some quasiperiodic potentials with vanishing magnetic field. (orig.)

Theoretical growth rates, periods, and pulsation constants for long-period variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fox, M.W.; Wood, P.R.

1982-01-01

Theoretical values of the growth rate, period, and pulsation constant for the first three radial pulsation modes in red giants (Population II and galactic disk) and supergiants have been derived in the linear, nonadiabatic approximation. The effects of altering the surface boundary conditions, the effective temperature (or mixing length), and the opacity in the outer layers have been explored. In the standard models, the Q-value for the first overtone can be much larger (Q 1 1 roughly-equal0.04); in addition, the Q-value for the fundamental mode is reduced from previous values, as is the period ratio P 0 /P 1 . The growth rate for the fundamental mode is found to increase with luminosity on the giant branch while the growth rate for the first overtone decreases. Dynamical instabilities found in previous adiabatic models of extreme red giants do not occur when nonadiabatic effects are included in the models. In some massive, luminous models, period ratios P 0 /P 1 approx.7 occur when P 0 approx.2000--5000 days; it is suggested that the massive galactic supergiants and carbon stars which have secondary periods Papprox.2000--7000 days and primary periods Papprox.300--700 days are first-overtone pulsators in which the long secondary periods are due to excitation of the fundamental mode. Some other consequences of the present results are briefly discussed, with particular emphasis on the mode of pulsation of the Mira variables. Subject headings: stars: long-period variables: stars: pulsation: stars: supergiants

[The effects of 16-weeks pilates mat program on anthropometric variables and body composition in active adult women after a short detraining period].

Science.gov (United States)

Vaquero-Cristóbal, Raquel; Alacid, Fernando; Esparza-Ros, Francisco; Muyor, José M; López-Miñarro, Pedro Ángel

2015-04-01

previous studies have analysed the effect of mat Pilates practice on anthropometric variables and body composition in sedentaries. To date no researchs have investigated the benefits of Pilates on these variables after a short detraining period. to determine the effect of a 16-week mat Pilates program on anthropometric variables, body composition and somatotype of women with previous practice experience after three weeks of detraining period. twenty-one women underwent a complete anthropometric assessment according with ISAK guidelines before and after a 16 week mat Pilates program (two days, one hour). All women had one to three years of mat Pilates experience and came to three weeks of detraining period (Christmas holiday). women showed significant decreases for body mass, BMI, upper limb (biceps and triceps) and trunk (subscapular, iliac crest, supraspinale and abdominal) individual skinfolds, 6 and 8 skinfold sums, endomorphy and fat mass; and a significant increases for muscle mass. The mean somatotype was classified as mesomorphic endomorph in the pre- (4.91, 4.01, 1.47) and post-test (4.68, 4.16, 1.69). Eight women changed their somatotype clasification after the intervention program. the practice of mat Pilates for 16 weeks caused changes associated with health state improvements on anthropometric variables, especially on skinfolds which significantly decreased, body composition (fat and muscle masses decreased and increased, respectively) and somatotype (there was a significantly decreased on the endomorph component in experienced women after three week of detraning. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Chicken meat quality as a function of fasting period and water spray

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CM Komiyama

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at evaluating the effect of different fasting periods and water spray during lairage on the quality of chicken meat. A number of 300 male Ross broilers were reared up to 42 days of age, and submitted to four pre-slaughter fasting periods (4, 8, 12, and 16 hours and sprayed with water or not during lairage. Deboned breast meat was submitted to the following analysis: pH, color, drip loss, water retention capacity, cooking loss, and shear force. There was a significant effect (p < 0.05 of fasting period on meat luminosity was significantly different, with the highest value obtained for 4-hour fasting, whereas no difference was found among the other fasting periods. Meat pH values were different among fasting periods when birds received water spray, with birds fasted for 4, 8, and 12 hours of fasting presenting lower meat pH values (5.87, 5.87, and 6.04, respectively. The interaction between fasting period and water spray influenced meat drip loss and cooking loss, with birds fasted for 16h and not receiving water spray presenting higher drip loss (4.88 and higher cooking loss (28.24 as compared to the other birds. Fasting period affects meat quality, and very short periods (4h impair meat quality.

Effect of insulin-like growth factor-I during the early postnatal period in intrauterine growth-restricted rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Naho; Shoji, Hiromichi; Suganuma, Hiroki; Ohkawa, Natsuki; Kantake, Masato; Murano, Yayoi; Sakuraya, Koji; Shimizu, Toshiaki

2016-05-01

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is essential for perinatal growth and development; low serum IGF-I has been observed during intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We investigated the effects of recombinant human (rh) IGF-I in IUGR rats during the early postnatal period. Intrauterine growth restriction was induced by bilateral uterine artery ligation in pregnant rats. IUGR pups were divided into two groups injected daily with rhIGF-I (2 mg/kg; IUGR/IGF-I, n = 16) or saline (IUGR/physiologic saline solution (PSS), n = 16) from postnatal day (PND) 7 to 13. Maternal sham-operated pups injected with saline were used as controls (control, n = 16). Serum IGF-I and IGF binding proteins (IGFBP) 3 and 5 were measured on PND25. The expression of Igf-i, IGF-I receptor (Igf-ir), Igfbp3, and 5 mRNA in the liver and brain was measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction on PND25. Immunohistochemical staining of the liver for IGF expression was performed. Mean bodyweight on PND3 and PND25 in the IUGR pups (IUGR/IGF-I and IUGR/PSS) was significantly lower than that of the control pups. Serum IGF-I and hepatic Igf-ir mRNA in the IUGR pups were significantly lower than those in the control pups. In the IUGR/IGF-I group, hepatic Igfbp3 mRNA and liver immunohistochemical staining were increased. In the IUGR/PSS and control pups, there were no significant differences between these two groups in serum IGFBP3 and IGFBP5, hepatic Igf-i and Igfbp-5 mRNA, or brain Igf mRNA. No benefits on body and brain weight gain but an effective increase in hepatic IGFBP-3 was observed after treatment with 2 mg/kg rhIGF-I during the early postnatal period. © 2015 Japan Pediatric Society.

Effects of Pre - Season Short - Term Daily Undulating Periodized Training on Muscle Strength and Sprint Performance of Under - 20 Soccer Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Ricardo L OPES

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of daily undulating training periodization designed for maximal lower limb muscle strength and sprint performance in under - 20 soccer players. Twenty - four male athletes (age = 19.1 ± 1.2 yr; mass = 71.1 ± 6. 8 kg; height = 178.0 ± 0.1 cm participated in four weeks of a daily undulating periodized (DUP training soccer program. During the pre - and post - training periods the subjects performed a one repetition maximum (1 RM half back squat test and a 15 - meter s print. Significant training - induced changes were observed in sprint times (pre = 2.38 ± 0.01 s; post = 2.31 ± 0.02 s and 1 RM tests (pre = 107.0 ± 2.0 kg; post = 128.0 ± 2.2 kg. These results indicate that a DUP program is efficient in promoting positive neuromuscular adaptations in soccer players, even with a short - term preseason training period.

Serious fighting-related injuries produce a significant reduction in intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Joseph A; Beaver, Kevin M

2013-10-01

Fighting-related injuries are common among adolescents within the United States, but how such injuries relate to subsequent cognitive functioning remains unclear. In particular, the long-term effect of fighting-related injuries suffered during important developmental periods, such as adolescence, on subsequent cognitive functioning has been overlooked by previous studies. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between sustaining serious fighting-related injuries and changes in verbal intelligence (IQ) over a 5- to 6-year time period. Longitudinal multivariate statistical models were used to analyze data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health collected between 1994 and 2002 and analyzed in 2013. Even a single fighting-related injury resulted in a significant reduction in IQ over time even after controlling for age, race, sex, and changes in socioeconomic status (SES) over the study period. Additionally, females experienced a significantly greater reduction in IQ from each fighting-related injury than males. Fighting-related injuries have a significant impact on subsequent cognitive functioning and intelligence. The implications for future policies and research are discussed in more detail. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The dual effect of vegetation green-up date and strong wind on the return period of spring dust storms.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Jieling; Li, Ning; Zhang, Zhengtao; Chen, Xi

2017-08-15

Vegetation phenology changes have been widely applied in the disaster risk assessments of the spring dust storms, and vegetation green-up date shifts have a strong influence on dust storms. However, the effect of earlier vegetation green-up dates due to climate warming on the evaluation of dust storms return periods remains an important, but poorly understood issue. In this study, we evaluate the spring dust storm return period (February to June) in Inner Mongolia, Northern China, using 165 observations of severe spring dust storm events from 16 weather stations, and regional vegetation green-up dates as an integrated factor from NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), covering a period from 1982 to 2007, by building the bivariate Copula model. We found that the joint return period showed better fitting results than without considering the integrated factor when the actual dust storm return period is longer than 2years. Also, for extremely severe dust storm events, the gap between simulation result and actual return period can be narrowed up to 0.4888years by using integrated factor. Furthermore, the risk map based on the return period results shows that the Mandula, Zhurihe, Sunitezuoqi, Narenbaolige stations are identified as high risk areas. In this study area, land surface is extensively covered by grasses and shrubs, vegetation green-up date can play a significant role in restraining spring dust storm outbreaks. Therefore, we suggest that Copula method can become a useful tool for joint return period evaluation and risk analysis of severe dust storms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of periodic atmospheric pressure variation on radon entry into buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Y. W.; Narasimhan, T. N.

1992-06-01

Using a mathematical model, we have investigated the temporal variations of radon entry into a house basement in the presence of time-dependent periodic variations of barometric pressure as well as a persistent small steady depressurization within the basement. The tool for our investigation is an integral finite difference numerical code which can solve for both diffusive and advective flux of radon in the soil gas which is treated as a slightly compressible fluid. Two different boundary conditions at the house basement are considered: (1) a dirt floor basement so that diffusion is equally or more important than advective transport, and (2) an "impermeable" cement basement except for a 1-cm-wide crack near the perimeter of the basement floor; in which case, advective transport of radon flux dominates. Two frequencies of barometric pressure fluctuation with representative values of amplitudes, based on a Fourier decomposition of barometric pressure data, were chosen in this study: one with a short period of 0.5 hour with pressure amplitude of 50 Pa, the other a diurnal variation with a period of 24 hours with the typical pressure amplitude of 250 Pa. For a homogeneous soil medium with soil permeability to air between 10-13 and 10-10 m2, we predict that the barometric fluctuations increase the radon entry into the basement by up to 120% of the steady radon inflow into the basement owing to a steady depressurization of 5 Pa. If soil permeability heterogeneity is present, such as the presence of a thin layer of higher permeability aggregate immediately below the basement floor, radon flux due to atmospheric pumping is further increased. Effects of pressure pumping on radon entry are also compared to diffusion-only transport when the steady depressurization is absent. It is found that contribution to radon entry is significant for the basement crack configuration. In particular, for pressure pumping at 0.5-hour period and for a homogeneous medium of permeability of 10

Effect of different anesthesia methods on plasma neuropeptides levels during the peri-operative period in surgical patients with hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hong; He Haomin; Tian Xiaoping

2003-01-01

Objective: To explore the effect of different anesthesia methods on the levels of plasma neuropeptides during the peri-operative period in patients with hypertension. Methods: Ninety hypertensive patients undergoing upper abdominal operations were randomly allocated to equal divided epidural anesthesia, general anesthesia and combined Groups. Plasma neuropeptide Y(NPY) concentrations were measured before anesthesia, at 15 min after anesthesia, 20 min after operation and 10 min after completion of the operation. Results: BP, HR and NPY were significantly changed in both E group and G group after anesthesia and operation (compared vs before anesthesia, p<0.01). BP, HR and NPY were significantly changed in C group after operation compared with those in both E and G group (p<0.05) . Conclusion: The combined anesthesia method is effective in inhibits the stress response during upper abdominal operation in the hypertensive patients

Rumen-protected choline: A significance effect on dairy cattle nutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayaprakash, G; Sathiyabarathi, M; Robert, M Arokia; Tamilmani, T

2016-08-01

Choline is a vitamin-like substance it has multi-function in animal production, reproduction, and health. The transition period is most crucial stage in lactation cycle of dairy cows due to its association with negative hormonal and energy balances. Unfortunately, unprotected choline easily degrades in the rumen; therefore, choline added to the diet in a rumen-protected form. The use of rumen-protected choline (RPC) is a preventive measurement for the fatty liver syndrome and ketosis; may improve milk production as well as milk composition and reproduction parameters. This review summarizes the effectiveness of RPC on animal production, health, and reproduction.

A periodic-type dose effect of insulin in the blood glucose level of a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We investigated in this paper the effect of a periodic-type insulin dose on a diabetic patient. An appropriate matching condition is introduced in our problem by expressing the insulin dose using a Fourier series expansion. Our result gives insight to the state of the patient over a period of administration. Clearly, there is the ...

Effect of Dietary Palm oil Fatty Acids and Buffer on Physiological Performance of Cows During The Transition Period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teama, F.E.I.; Osman, S.F.; El-Tarabany, A.A.

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study is to examine the physiological effect of supplemental palm oil fatty acids- Ca salt and buffer on some biochemical and hormonal levels, milk yield and composition for high yielding Holstein Friesian cows during transition period. Thirty six Holstein Friesian cows, aged 53±1.4 months and 739±19.86 kg body weight, were used. The cows were randomly divided into three groups; 12 cows each, control group, the second group received 4% calcium salt palm oil fatty acid (Ca-POFA) and the third group received Ca-POFA + buffer ( 0.5% sodium bicarbonate) for three weeks before and after parturition (transition period). Blood samples were collected at 21, 14, 7 and 2 days before and 2, 7, 14 and 21 days after parturition to assess total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, cholesterol, creatinine, total lipids and total cholesterol in addition to cortisol and progesterone hormones. Milk yield were recorded for each animal and samples were taken after parturition at different intervals (7, 14 and 21 days) to assess milk composition. Significant decreases in total protein, globulin, total lipids, cortisol and progesterone levels in post-partum cows compared to pre-partum were improved after Ca-POFA + buffer supplementation. On the other hand, increased levels of serum albumin, cholesterol and creatinine were recorded in post-partum period which returned to the normal level as shown in albumin only after treatment with Ca-POFA + buffer. A continuous increase in cholesterol and creatinine levels was observed as a result of supplementation of Ca-POFA + buffer (0.5% sodium bicarbonate). Significant improvements in milk yield, 4% FCM and GE were determined after Ca-POFA + buffer supplementation whereas non-significant changes were recorded in total solids, fat, protein and ash content of milk. In the present study, supplementation of cows in transition period with Ca-POFA + buffer (0.5% sodium bicarbonate) can improve the levels of some blood components

Effective thermoelastic properties of composites with periodicity in cylindrical coordinates

KAUST Repository

Chatzigeorgiou, George

2012-09-01

The aim of this work is to study composites that present cylindrical periodicity in the microstructure. The effective thermomechanical properties of these composites are identified using a modified version of the asymptotic expansion homogenization method, which accounts for unit cells with shell shape. The microscale response is also shown. Several numerical examples demonstrate the use of the proposed approach, which is validated by other micromechanics methods. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increasing children's physical activity levels during recess periods in elementary schools: the effects of providing game equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Verstraete, Stefanie J M; Cardon, Greet M; De Clercq, Dirk L R; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse M M

2006-08-01

During recess, children can be active on a daily basis, making it an important school environmental factor for the promotion of health-related physical activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of providing game equipment on children's physical activity levels during morning recess and lunch break in elementary schools. Seven elementary schools were randomly assigned to the intervention group (four schools), including 122 children (75 boys, 47 girls, mean age: 10.8 +/- 0.6 years), and to the control group (three schools), including 113 children (46 boys, 67 girls, mean age: 10.9 +/- 0.7 years). Children's activity levels were measured before and three months after providing game equipment, using MTI accelerometers. During lunch break, children's moderate and vigorous physical activity significantly increased in the intervention group (moderate: from 38 to 50%, vigorous: from 10 to 11%), while it decreased in the control group (moderate: from 44 to 39%, vigorous: from 11 to 5%). At morning recess, providing game equipment was effective in increasing children's moderate physical activity (from 41 to 45%), while it decreased in the control group (from 41 to 34%). Providing game equipment during recess periods was found to be effective in increasing children's physical activity levels. This finding suggests that promoting physical activity through game equipment provision during recess periods can contribute to reach the daily activity levels recommended for good health.

A study on the effect of exclusion period on the suicidal risk among the insured.

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Paul S F; Chen, Feng

2014-06-01

An exclusion period (usually from 12 months to 2 years) is usually found in life insurance policies as a precautionary measure to prohibit people from insuring their lives with the intent to kill themselves shortly thereafter. Several studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of exclusion periods on the risk of suicide among the insured in the US and Australia. However, while Hong Kong has experienced an increase in the number of suicides among the insured, little is known about the dynamic between the exclusion period and suicide in Asia. Here we make use of death claims data from one of the major life insurance companies in Hong Kong to ascertain the impact of a 12-month exclusion period on suicide risk. We also use utility functions derived from economic theory to better understand individual choices regarding suicide among the insured. More specifically, we sought to determine whether there is a greater risk of suicide immediately following the 12-month exclusion period. We also examined whether the risk of suicide claims was higher than that of other non-suicidal claims. The study period for this investigation was from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2011, during which time there were 1935 claims based on 1243 deaths. Of these, 197 were suicide-related claims for 106 suicide deaths. The mean number of life policies held by suicidal claimants and non-suicidal claimants was 1.6 and 1.4, respectively. The average/median size of the claims (total payment made on all policies held by the insured life) was HK$665,800/426,600 and HK$497,700/276,200 for suicidal and non-suicidal deaths, respectively. The policy lifetime of the claims, or the number of days from policy issuance to suicide occurrence, ranged from 38 to 7561 days, with a mean of 2209 days, a median of 1941 days, and a standard deviation of 1544 days. The peak density of suicide claims occurred on day 1039 of the policy. Our results revealed that suicide claims tend to occur earlier than other

Time trend and age-period-cohort effect on kidney cancer mortality in Europe, 1981–2000

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

López-Abente Gonzalo

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The incorporation of diagnostic and therapeutic improvements, as well as the different smoking patterns, may have had an influence on the observed variability in renal cancer mortality across Europe. This study examined time trends in kidney cancer mortality in fourteen European countries during the last two decades of the 20th century. Methods Kidney cancer deaths and population estimates for each country during the period 1981–2000 were drawn from the World Health Organization Mortality Database. Age- and period-adjusted mortality rates, as well as annual percentage changes in age-adjusted mortality rates, were calculated for each country and geographical region. Log-linear Poisson models were also fitted to study the effect of age, death period, and birth cohort on kidney cancer mortality rates within each country. Results For men, the overall standardized kidney cancer mortality rates in the eastern, western, and northern European countries were 20, 25, and 53% higher than those for the southern European countries, respectively. However, age-adjusted mortality rates showed a significant annual decrease of -0.7% in the north of Europe, a moderate rise of 0.7% in the west, and substantial increases of 1.4% in the south and 2.0% in the east. This trend was similar among women, but with lower mortality rates. Age-period-cohort models showed three different birth-cohort patterns for both men and women: a decrease in mortality trend for those generations born after 1920 in the Nordic countries, a similar but lagged decline for cohorts born after 1930 in western and southern European countries, and a continuous increase throughout all birth cohorts in eastern Europe. Similar but more heterogeneous regional patterns were observed for period effects. Conclusion Kidney cancer mortality trends in Europe showed a clear north-south pattern, with high rates on a downward trend in the north, intermediate rates on a more marked rising

Effects of periodic modulation on the Landau-Zener transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan Suqing; Fu Libin; Liu Jie; Zhao Xiangeng

2005-01-01

We study the quantum tunnelling of a two-level crossing system which extends the standard Landau-Zener model with applying a periodic modulation on its energy sweep. By directly integrating the time evolution operator we obtain the analytic expressions of tunnelling probability in the cases of high and low modulation frequency limit as well as in weak inter-level coupling limit. Our formula clarify the conditions for resonance occurrence, with the help of it we can readily manipulate the system in a desired way, say, to enhance or suppress the tunnelling probability effectively through adjusting the modulation properly

Effect of healthcare associated infections and broad spectrum antibiotic use in newborn period on development of asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in early childhood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hacer Yapicioglu Yildizdas

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The iam of this study was to investigate the effect of healthcare associated infections (HAIs and broad spectrum antibiotic use in newborn period on asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Material and Methods: Seventy three children treated for HAIs in newborn period in Neonatal Intesive Care Unitin a 6 years period, and their 41 siblings who were healthy in newborn period were included in the study. Parents answered a detailed questionnaire, children were examined and complete blood count, serum total Ig E and specific Ig E levels were studied. Results: Ventilator associated pneumonia was observed in 32 (45.2%, blood stream infection in 28 (38.4% and clinic sepsis in 12 (16.4% of 73 children with HAIs. Asthma was significantly higher in HAIs group compared to sibling group (32.9% vs. 4.9, whereas there was no significant difference in allergic rhinitis (4.1% vs.2.4% and atopic dermatitis (6.8% vs. 0% among groups. When non-allergic 85 subjects and allergic 29 children compared, children who had been hospitalised and treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics in newborn period were almost 11.5 times as likely to have an allergic disease. Conclusion: Asthma was significantly higher in HAI group, and allergic disease risk seems to increase in children treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics for HAIs in newborn period. [Cukurova Med J 2017; 42(1.000: 132-139

Significance assessment of the external control effects of lecturers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurbatova Margarita, V.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The state policy regarding higher education has changed in the last decade. These changes were part of the efficiency programs of the public sector. Governments of different countries ruined previously existing system of higher education state regulation and attempted to build the quasi-market structure in the higher education industry. Such transformations served as timely and progressive reforms in the recent studies of the economics of education. Substitution of bureaucratic management mechanisms and modern competition managerial tools are articulated. Economic and institutional and sociological studies on the effects of the introduction of quasi-markets and managerial tools in higher education governance oppose to orthodox market approach. They drew attention to the fact that evaluation methods and improve the effectiveness of organizations and employees that are typical of the private sector often produce results that differ from those in the public sector. To assess the consequences of the introduction of managerial tools of external control activities of university lecturers used a methodology based on the allocation of the individual structural components (effects and building on their basis of a multi-level hierarchical model in the research. Each component of the model (single effect is characterized by a degree of significance (importance and the degree of severity. The results of the systematization and assessment of the significance of the effects of external control activity of lecturers of Russian universities implemented in conditions of quasi-market mechanisms of the higher education system are highlighted in the paper.

Dry period plane of energy: Effects on glucose tolerance in transition dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, S; Leal Yepes, F A; Duplessis, M; Wakshlag, J J; Overton, T R; Cummings, B P; Nydam, D V

2016-01-01

Overfeeding energy in the dry period can affect glucose metabolism and the energy balance of transition dairy cows with potential detrimental effects on the ability to successfully adapt to early lactation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of different dry cow feeding strategies on glucose tolerance and on resting concentrations of blood glucose, glucagon, insulin, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in the peripartum period. Cows entering second or greater lactation were enrolled at dry-off (57 d before expected parturition) into 1 of 3 treatment groups following a randomized block design: cows that received a total mixed ration (TMR) formulated to meet but not exceed energy requirements during the dry period (n=28, controlled energy); cows that received a TMR supplying approximately 150% of energy requirements during the dry period (n=28, high energy); and cows that were fed the same diet as the controlled energy group for the first 28 d, after which the TMR was formulated to supply approximately 125% of energy requirements until calving (n=28, intermediate energy). Intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT) with rapid administration of 0.25 g of glucose/kg of body weight were performed 28 and 10d before expected parturition, as well as at 4 and 21 d after calving. Area under the curve for insulin and glucose, maximal concentration and time to half-maximal concentration of insulin and glucose, and clearance rates were calculated. Insulin resistance (IR) indices were calculated from baseline samples obtained during IVGTT and Spearman rank correlations determined between IVGTT parameters and IR indices. Treatment did not affect IVGTT parameters at any of the 4 time points. Correlation between IR indices and IVGTT parameters was generally poor. Overfeeding cows energy in excess of predicted requirements by approximately 50% during the entire dry period resulted in decreased postpartum basal plasma glucose and

Quasi-isodynamic configuration with large number of periods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafranov, V.D.; Isaev, M.Yu.; Mikhailov, M.I.; Subbotin, A.A.; Cooper, W.A.; Kalyuzhnyj, V.N.; Kasilov, S.V.; Nemov, V.V.; Kernbichler, W.; Nuehrenberg, C.; Nuehrenberg, J.; Zille, R.

2005-01-01

It has been previously reported that quasi-isodynamic (qi) stellarators with poloidal direction of the contours of B on magnetic surface can exhibit very good fast- particle collisionless confinement. In addition, approaching the quasi-isodynamicity condition leads to diminished neoclassical transport and small bootstrap current. The calculations of local-mode stability show that there is a tendency toward an increasing beta limit with increasing number of periods. The consideration of the quasi-helically symmetric systems has demonstrated that with increasing aspect ratio (and number of periods) the optimized configuration approaches the straight symmetric counterpart, for which the optimal parameters and highest beta values were found by optimization of the boundary magnetic surface cross-section. The qi system considered here with zero net toroidal current do not have a symmetric analogue in the limit of large aspect ratio and finite rotational transform. Thus, it is not clear whether some invariant structure of the configuration period exists in the limit of negligible toroidal effect and what are the best possible parameters for it. In the present paper the results of an optimization of the configuration with N = 12 number of periods are presented. Such properties as fast-particle confinement, effective ripple, structural factor of bootstrap current and MHD stability are considered. It is shown that MHD stability limit here is larger than in configurations with smaller number of periods considered earlier. Nevertheless, the toroidal effect in this configuration is still significant so that a simple increase of the number of periods and proportional growth of aspect ratio do not conserve favourable neoclassical transport and ideal local-mode stability properties. (author)

Periodicity-induced effects and methods in vibro-acoustics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorokin, Sergey V.

2015-01-01

issue addressed in the paper is an influence of the corrugation shape and amplitude on the broadness and location of the stop- and pass-bands in an infinite periodic structure. Explicit asymptotic formulae for the stop band borders are given and the topology of the stop band pattern is explained......The paper is concerned with the modelling of wave propagation in and vibration of periodic elastic structures. Although analysis of waveguide properties of infinite periodic structures is a well establish research subject, some issues have not yet been fully addressed in the literature. The aim...... of the paper is to illustrate these issues in simple examples and to discuss possible applications and generalisations. First, the eigenfrequency spectra of finite periodic structures are compared with the location of stop-bands for their infinite counterparts. Special attention is paid to eigenfrequencies...

Protective effects of recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide in perioperative period during open heart surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yunbin; Li, Yong; Bao, Weiguo; Qiu, Shi

2018-03-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects and safety aspects of recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP) on cardiac functions of patients undergoing open-heart surgery during perioperative period. In total, 150 patients undergoing open heart surgery in the Second Hospital of Shandong Universty from August 2015 to July 2016 were randomly divided into control group and observation group each with 75 cases. Patients in control group were treated by routine rehabilitation while patients in the observation group were treated by both the routine rehabilitation and rhBNP. All the observations were made before operation, after operation and 7 days after operation. The changes of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) of patients, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac function [Cardiac output (CO), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PAWP) and central venous pressure (CVP)] of patients were measured. Further, respirator support time, ICU stay time, incidence of complications and vital signs (BP, HR, SaO2) of patients in the two groups were also compared. NT-proBNP levels of all patients improved after operation but it decreased in both groups after 7 days of operation. The decrease of NT-proBNP levels in observation group was significantly higher than that of control group. Whereas, LVEF, CO, PAWP and CVP of patients in both the groups increased after operation but effects were significantly higher in the observation group after 7 days of medication. Respirator support time and ICU stay time of patients in observation group were significantly shorter than those in control group, and the incidence of postoperative complications of patients in the observation group were significantly lower than the control group. Moreover, BP, HR and SaO2 of patients in observation group were significantly elevated in comparison to control group (Popen heart surgery, and is safe as well as reliable.

Renormalization transformation of periodic and aperiodic lattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macia, Enrique; Rodriguez-Oliveros, Rogelio

2006-01-01

In this work we introduce a similarity transformation acting on transfer matrices describing the propagation of elementary excitations through either periodic or Fibonacci lattices. The proposed transformation can act at two different scale lengths. At the atomic scale the transformation allows one to express the systems' global transfer matrix in terms of an equivalent on-site model one. Correlation effects among different hopping terms are described by a series of local phase factors in that case. When acting on larger scale lengths, corresponding to short segments of the original lattice, the similarity transformation can be properly regarded as describing an effective renormalization of the chain. The nature of the resulting renormalized lattice significantly depends on the kind of order (i.e., periodic or quasiperiodic) of the original lattice, expressing a delicate balance between chemical complexity and topological order as a consequence of the renormalization process

Beliefs and social behavior in a multi-period ultimatum game

Science.gov (United States)

Azar, Ofer H.; Lahav, Yaron; Voslinsky, Alisa

2015-01-01

We conduct a multi-period ultimatum game in which we elicit players' beliefs. Responders do not predict accurately the amount that will be offered to them, and do not get better in their predictions over time. At the individual level we see some effect of the mistake in expectations in the previous period on the responder's expectation about the offer in the current period, but this effect is relatively small. The proposers' beliefs about the minimum amount that responders will accept is significantly higher than the minimum amount responders believe will be accepted by other responders. The proposer's belief about the minimal acceptable offer does not change following a rejection. Nevertheless, the proposer's offer in the next period does increase following a rejection. The probability of rejection increases when the responder has higher expectations about the amount that will be offered to him or higher beliefs about the minimal amount that other responders will accept. PMID:25762909

Thalidomide has a significant effect in patients with thalassemia intermedia.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, YunShuan; Ren, Quan; Zhou, Yali; Li, Pingping; Lin, Wanhua; Yin, Xiaolin

2018-01-01

To investigate the effect of thalidomide in patients with thalassemia intermedia. We observed the effect of thalidomide in seven patients with thalassemia intermedia requiring blood transfusion. Four of the patients were transfusion-independent, and three patients were transfusion-dependent. For the four transfusion-independent patients, hemoglobin concentration increased significantly (≥2 g/dl) in three and moderately (1-2 g/dl) in one. After 3 months of treatment, hemoglobin concentration increased 3.2 ± 1.2 g/dl compared to pretreatment. Among the three transfusion-dependent patients, transfusion was terminated after one month of treatment in one patient and decreased >50% in the other two patients, accompanied by an increase in the average hemoglobin concentration. Thalidomide had a significant effect in patients with thalassemia intermedia. Further studies of a larger scale and more rigorous design are warranted.

Periodization Strategies in Older Adults: Impact on Physical Function and Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Conlon, Jenny A; Newton, Robert U; Tufano, James J; Banyard, Harry G; Hopper, Amanda J; Ridge, Ashley J; Haff, G Gregory

2016-12-01

This study compared the effect of periodized versus nonperiodized (NP) resistance training (RT) on physical function and health outcomes in older adults. Forty-one apparently healthy untrained older adults (women = 21, men = 20; 70.9 ± 5.1 yr; 166.3 ± 8.2 cm; 72.9 ± 13.4 kg) were recruited and randomly stratified to a NP, block periodized, or daily undulating periodized training group. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and after a 22-wk × 3 d·wk RT intervention, including; anthropometrics, body composition, blood pressure and biomarkers, maximal strength, functional capacity, balance confidence, and quality of life. Thirty-three subjects satisfied all study requirements and were included in analyses (women = 17, men = 16; 71.3 ± 5.4 yr; 166.3 ± 8.5 cm; 72.5 ± 13.7 kg). The main finding was that all three RT models produced significant improvements in several physical function and physiological health outcomes, including; systolic blood pressure, blood biomarkers, body composition, maximal strength, functional capacity and balance confidence, with no between-group differences. Periodized RT, specifically block periodization and daily undulating periodized, and NP RT are equally effective for promoting significant improvements in physical function and health outcomes among apparently healthy untrained older adults. Therefore, periodization strategies do not appear to be necessary during the initial stages of RT in this population. Practitioners should work toward increasing RT participation in the age via feasible and efficacious interventions targeting long-term adherence in minimally supervised settings.

Disruption of the circadian period of body temperature by the anesthetic propofol.

Science.gov (United States)

Touitou, Yvan; Mauvieux, Benoit; Reinberg, Alain; Dispersyn, Garance

2016-01-01

The circadian time structure of an organism can be desynchronized in a large number of instances, including the intake of specific drugs. We have previously found that propofol, which is a general anesthetic, induces a desynchronization of the circadian time structure in rats, with a 60-80 min significant phase advance of body temperature circadian rhythm. We thus deemed it worthwhile to examine whether this phase shift of body temperature was related to a modification of the circadian period Tau. Propofol was administered at three different Zeitgeber Times (ZTs): ZT6 (middle of the rest period), ZT10 (2 h prior to the beginning of activity period), ZT16 (4 h after the beginning of the activity period), with ZT0 being the beginning of the rest period (light onset) and ZT12 being the beginning of the activity period (light offset). Control rats (n = 20) were injected at the same ZTs with 10% intralipid, which is a control lipidic solution. Whereas no modification of the circadian period of body temperature was observed in the control rats, propofol administration resulted in a significant shortening of the period by 96 and 180 min at ZT6 and ZT10, respectively. By contrast, the period was significantly lengthened by 90 min at ZT16. We also found differences in the time it took for the rats to readjust their body temperature to the original 24-h rhythm. At ZT16, the speed of readjustment was more rapid than at the two other ZTs that we investigated. This study hence shows (i) the disruptive effects of the anesthetic propofol on the body temperature circadian rhythm, and it points out that (ii) the period Tau for body temperature responds to this anesthetic drug according to a Tau-response curve. By sustaining postoperative sleep-wake disorders, the disruptive effects of propofol on circadian time structure might have important implications for the use of this drug in humans.

Experimental observation of parametric effects near period doubling in a loss-modulated CO2 laser

OpenAIRE

Chizhevsky, V. N.

1996-01-01

A number of parametric effects, such as suppression of period doubling, shift of the bifurcation point, scaling law relating the shift and the perturbation amplitude, influence of the detuning on the suppression, reaching of the maximum gain between the original and shifted bifurcation points, and scaling law for idler power are experimentally observed near period doubling bifurcation in a loss-driven CO2 laser that is subjected to periodic loss perturbations at a frequency that is close to a...

The effect of housing on dairy cattle behavior during the transition period

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Campler, Magnus Robert Bertil

2014-01-01

with freestalls until the day before calving or signs of imminent calving in Denmark (and northern Europe), the aim of this PhD was to investigate the effect of a straw yard housing system during the last 4 weeks of the dry period compared to freestalls on; 1) lying-, feeding- and agonistic behavior before...... during the days before calving. The results show that dry cows housed in straw yards during the last 4 weeks of the dry period have a higher number of transitions between lying and standing compared to freestalls, which suggest that straw yards may facilitate a more flexible lying behavior. The flexible...... lying behavior in straw yards may be facilitated by better traction, the absence of physical limitations in the lying area, or a combination of the two. There was no difference in lying- or feeding time between cows housed in straw yards or freestalls before calving. There was no overall effect...

Short communication: Effect of heat stress on markers of autophagy in the mammary gland during the dry period.

Science.gov (United States)

Wohlgemuth, S E; Ramirez-Lee, Y; Tao, S; Monteiro, A P A; Ahmed, B M; Dahl, G E

2016-06-01

Heat stress (HT) during the dry period compromises mammary gland (MG) growth, thus negatively affecting subsequent milk yield. Cooling during the late dry period, when mammary tissue proliferates, is a common management practice. However, it neglects MG involution during the early dry period, a process that is accomplished by both apoptosis and autophagy. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of HT on MG autophagy during the early dry period. Holstein cows were dried off ~45d before expected calving and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: HT or cooling (CL). All cows were housed in the same free stall barn during the dry period, but only the stall area for CL cows was equipped with soakers and fans. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were measured daily during the dry period. Mammary gland biopsies were collected from each cow 3d before dry-off and on d 3, 7, 14, and 22±2 after dry-off. Autophagy in the MG was determined by measuring protein expression of 2 autophagic markers, autophagy-related protein 7 and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3). The average temperature-humidity index during the dry period was 77.7, which indicated that HT and CL cows were exposed to significant heat stress. However, the cooling system effectively alleviated heat strain in CL cows by decreasing the rectal temperature (39.0 vs. 39.4°C) and respiration rate (47.3 vs. 71.2 breaths per minute) relative to HT cows. Protein expression of autophagy-related protein 7, a marker for early autophagosome formation, did not change within or between groups. In contrast, protein expression of LC3-II, a marker of autophagosomes, and its precursor LC3-I showed a dynamic expression pattern in MG from CL cows during the early dry period. Relative to HT cows, MG from CL cows displayed higher expression of LC3-I and LC3-II on d 7 and lower expression of LC3-II on d 14 and 22 after dry-off. Collectively, our data provide a possible mechanistic explanation for the impairment of

Effect of various periodic forces on Duffing oscillator

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Bifurcations and chaos in the ubiquitous Duffing oscillator equation with different external periodic forces are studied numerically. The external periodic forces considered are sine wave, square wave, rectified sine wave, symmetric saw-tooth wave, asymmetric saw-tooth wave, rectangular wave with amplitude-dependent ...

Special Features In Turbulent Mixing. Comparison between Periodic and Non Periodic Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihai Costescu

2006-12-01

Full Text Available After hundreds of years of stability study, the problems of flow kinematics are far from complete solving. A modern theory appears in this field: the mixing theory. Its mathematical methods and techniques developed the significant relation between turbulence and chaos. The turbulence is an important feature of dynamic systems with few freedom degrees, the so-called far from equilibrium systems. These are widespread between the models of excitable media.Studying a mixing for a flow implies the analysis of successive stretching and folding phenomena for its particles, the influence of parameters and initial conditions. In the previous works, the study of the 3D non-periodic models exhibited a quite complicated behavior, involving some significant events - the so-called rare events. The variation of parameters had a great influence on the length and surface deformations. The 2D (periodic case is simpler, but significant events can also issue for irrational values of the length and surface versors, as was the situation in 3D case.The comparison between 2D and 3D case revealed interesting properties; therefore a modified 2D (periodic model is tested. The numerical simulations were realized in MapleVI, for searching special mathematical events. Continuing this work both from analytical and numeric standpoint would relieve useful properties for the turbulent mixing. A proximal target is to test some special functions for the periodic model, and to study the behavior of the structures realized by the model.

Elastic Bands as a Component of Periodized Resistance Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Joy, Jordan M; Lowery, Ryan P; Oliveira de Souza, Eduardo; Wilson, Jacob M

2016-08-01

Joy, JM, Lowery, RP, Oliveira de Souza, E, and Wilson, JM. Elastic bands as a component of periodized resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2100-2106, 2016-Variable resistance training (VRT) has recently become a component of strength and conditioning programs. Prior research has demonstrated increases in power and/or strength using low loads of variable resistance. However, no study has examined using high loads of variable resistance as a part of a periodized training protocol to examine VRT within the context of a periodized training program and to examine a greater load of variable resistance than has been examined in prior research. Fourteen National Collegiate Athletic Association division II male basketball players were recruited for this study. Athletes were divided equally into either a variable resistance or control group. The variable resistance group added 30% of their 1 repetition maximum (1RM) as band tension to their prescribed weight 1 session per week. Rate of power development (RPD), peak power, strength, body composition, and vertical jump height were measured pretreatment and posttreatment. No baseline differences were observed between groups for any measurement of strength, power, or body composition. A significant group by time interaction was observed for RPD, in which RPD was greater in VRT posttraining than in the control group. Significant time effects were observed for all other variables including squat 1RM, bench press 1RM, deadlift 1RM, clean 3RM, vertical jump, and lean mass. Although there were no significant group ×-time interactions, the VRT group's percent changes and effect sizes indicate a larger treatment effect in the squat and bench press 1RM values and the vertical jump performed on the force plate and vertec. These results suggest that when using variable resistance as a component of a periodized training program, power and strength can be enhanced. Therefore, athletes who add variable resistance to 1 training

Acute effect of different time periods of passive static stretching on the hamstring flexibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Cini, Anelize; de Vasconcelos, Gabriela Souza; Lima, Claudia Silveira

2017-01-01

Several factors are associated with the presence of chronic low back pain; one of them is the flexibility of the hamstring muscles that influences the posture of the pelvic spine. Investigate the influence of two different time periods of passive static stretching on the flexibility of the hamstring. Forty-six physiotherapy students were divided into two groups performing stretching exercises: 30 s and 60 s duration. The collections consisted of: (1) pre-test: evaluation of the flexibility of the hip and knee, using a manual goniometer by means of the following tests: Straight Leg Raise Test (SLR), Passive Hip Flexion Test (PHFT) and Modified Knee Extension Test (MKET), (2) intervention: stretching with different runtimes, (3) post-test: reappraisal of flexibility, conducted immediately after the intervention. Significant difference was observed intra groups, group that did stretching exercises lasting 30 seconds (G30) (SLR p = 0.000. PHFT p = 0.003 and MKET p = 0.000) and group that did stretching exercises lasting 60 seconds (G60) (SLR p = 0.000. PHFT p = 0.001 and MKET p = 0.002). Comparing the groups, no significant difference was found (SLR p = 0.307; PHFT p = 0.904; MKET p = 0.132). Thus it can be inferred that 30 seconds are sufficient for increased flexibility of young women. Therefore the time-treatment sessions can be optimized. Only the acute effect of stretching was observed; further investigation of the long-term effect is required.

Kinking and Torsion Can Significantly Improve the Efficiency of Valveless Pumping in Periodically Compressed Tubular Conduits. Implications for Understanding of the Form-Function Relationship of Embryonic Heart Tubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian Hiermeier

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Valveless pumping phenomena (peristalsis, Liebau-effect can generate unidirectional fluid flow in periodically compressed tubular conduits. Early embryonic hearts are tubular conduits acting as valveless pumps. It is unclear whether such hearts work as peristaltic or Liebau-effect pumps. During the initial phase of its pumping activity, the originally straight embryonic heart is subjected to deforming forces that produce bending, twisting, kinking, and coiling. This deformation process is called cardiac looping. Its function is traditionally seen as generating a configuration needed for establishment of correct alignments of pulmonary and systemic flow pathways in the mature heart of lung-breathing vertebrates. This idea conflicts with the fact that cardiac looping occurs in all vertebrates, including gill-breathing fishes. We speculate that looping morphogenesis may improve the efficiency of valveless pumping. To test the physical plausibility of this hypothesis, we analyzed the pumping performance of a Liebau-effect pump in straight and looped (kinked configurations. Compared to the straight configuration, the looped configuration significantly improved the pumping performance of our pump. This shows that looping can improve the efficiency of valveless pumping driven by the Liebau-effect. Further studies are needed to clarify whether this finding may have implications for understanding of the form-function relationship of embryonic hearts.

Chicken meat quality as a function of fasting period and water spray

OpenAIRE

Komiyama, CM; Mendes, AA; Takahashi, SE; Moreira, J; Garcia, RG; Sanfelice, C; Borba, HS; Leonel, FR; Almeida Paz, ICL; Balog, A

2008-01-01

This study aimed at evaluating the effect of different fasting periods and water spray during lairage on the quality of chicken meat. A number of 300 male Ross broilers were reared up to 42 days of age, and submitted to four pre-slaughter fasting periods (4, 8, 12, and 16 hours) and sprayed with water or not during lairage. Deboned breast meat was submitted to the following analysis: pH, color, drip loss, water retention capacity, cooking loss, and shear force. There was a significant effect ...

Reporting effect sizes as a supplement to statistical significance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of the article is to review the statistical significance reporting practices in reading instruction studies and to provide guidelines for when to calculate and report effect sizes in educational research. A review of six readily accessible (online) and accredited journals publishing research on reading instruction ...

Effect of aeration rate, moisture content and composting period on availability of copper and lead during pig manure composting.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yujun; Zhao, Lixin; Meng, Haibo; Hou, Yueqing; Zhou, Haibin; Wang, Fei; Cheng, Hongsheng; Liu, Hongbin

2016-06-01

Pollution by heavy metals, such as copper and lead, has become a limiting factor for the land application of faecal manures, such as pig manure. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of composting process parameters, including aeration rate, moisture content and composting period, on the distribution of heavy metal species during composting, and to select an optimal parameter for copper and lead inactivation. Results showed that the distribution ratios of exchangeable fractions of copper and lead had a bigger decrease under conditions of aeration rate, 0.1 m(3) min(-1) m(-3), an initial moisture content of 65% and composting period of 50 days. Suboptimal composting process conditions could lead to increased availability of heavy metals. Statistical analysis indicated that the aeration rate was the main factor affecting copper and lead inactivation, while the effects of moisture content and composting period were not significant. The rates of reduction of copper-exchangeable fractions and lead-exchangeable fractions were positively correlated with increased pH. The optimal parameters for reducing heavy metal bioavailability during pig manure composting were aeration rate, 0.1 m(3) min(-1) m(-3), initial moisture content, 65%, and composting period, 20 days. © The Author(s) 2016.

Factors affecting the duration of nestling period and fledging order in Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus: effect of wing length and hatching sequence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Kouba

Full Text Available In altricial birds, the nestling period is an important part of the breeding phase because the juveniles may spend quite a long time in the nest, with associated high energy costs for the parents. The length of the nestling period can be variable and its duration may be influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors; however, studies of this have mostly been undertaken on passerine birds. We studied individual duration of nestling period of 98 Tengmalm's owl chicks (Aegolius funereus at 27 nests during five breeding seasons using a camera and chip system and radio-telemetry. We found the nestlings stayed in the nest box for 27 - 38 days from hatching (mean ± SD, 32.4 ± 2.2 days. The individual duration of nestling period was negatively related to wing length, but no formally significant effect was found for body weight, sex, prey availability and/or weather conditions. The fledging sequence of individual nestlings was primarily related to hatching order; no relationship with wing length and/or other factors was found in this case. We suggest the length of wing is the most important measure of body condition and individual quality in Tengmalm's owl young determining the duration of the nestling period. Other differences from passerines (e.g., the lack of effect of weather or prey availability on nestling period are considered likely to be due to different life-history traits, in particular different food habits and nesting sites and greater risk of nest predation among passerines.

Effects of maternal depressive symptomatology during pregnancy and the postpartum period on infant-mother attachment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohoka, Harue; Koide, Takayoshi; Goto, Setsuko; Murase, Satomi; Kanai, Atsuko; Masuda, Tomoko; Aleksic, Branko; Ishikawa, Naoko; Furumura, Kaori; Ozaki, Norio

2014-08-01

Postnatal depression has demonstrated long-term consequences on child cognitive and emotional development; however, the link between maternal and child pathology has not been clearly identified. We conducted a prospective study using self-rating questionnaires to clarify the association between bonding disorder and maternal mood during pregnancy and after childbirth. A total of 389 women participated in this study and completed questionnaires. Participants were asked to complete the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale four times during pregnancy and the postpartum period. We found statistically significant weak to moderate correlations (r = 0.14-0.39) between the EPDS and Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale scores at each testing period. Women who experienced low mood tended to have stronger bonding disorder. Furthermore, the effectiveness of attachment between the mother and child was closely related to the mood of the mother as measured by the EPDS. We observed different patterns of bonding and maternal mood. Distinct subtypes regarding maternal mood and formation of mother-to-infant attachment suggests that analysis of bonding disorder should be performed considering the course of maternal depressive symptoms. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Significance of the Capacity Recovery Effect in Pouch Lithium-Sulfur Battery Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knap, Vaclav; Zhang, Teng; Stroe, Daniel Loan

2016-01-01

Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries are an emerging energy storage technology, which is technically-attractive due to its high theoretical limits; practically, it is expected that Li-S batteries will result into lighter energy storage devices with higher capacities than traditional Lithium-ion...... batteries. One of the actual disadvantages for this technology is the highly pronounced rate capacity effect, which reduces the available capacity to be discharged when high currents are used. This drawback might be addressed by the use of the capacity recovery effect, which by introducing relaxation...... periods between consecutive pulse discharges of the battery, increases the available discharge capacity of the cell. The capacity recovery effect of the Li-S cell is studied in this paper using the pulse discharge technique, considering its dependence on the applied current, discharge step length...

Effect of cooling heat-stressed dairy cows during the dry period on insulin response.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, S; Thompson, I M; Monteiro, A P A; Hayen, M J; Young, L J; Dahl, G E

2012-09-01

Heat stress (HT) during the dry period affects hepatic gene expression and adipose tissue mobilization during the transition period. In addition, it is postulated that HT may alter insulin action on peripheral tissues. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of cooling heat-stressed cows during the dry period on insulin effects on peripheral tissues during the transition period. Cows were dried off 46 d before expected calving and assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: HT (n = 16) or cooling (CL, n = 16). During the dry period, the average temperature-humidity index was 78, but CL cows were cooled with sprinklers and fans, whereas HT cows were not. After calving, all cows were housed and managed under the same conditions. Rectal temperatures were measured twice daily (0730 and 1430 h) and respiration rate recorded 3 times weekly during the dry period. Dry matter intake was recorded daily from dry-off to 42 d relative to calving (DRC). Body weight and body condition score were measured weekly from dry-off to 42 DRC. Milk yield and composition were recorded daily to 42 wk postpartum. Glucose tolerance tests (GTT) and insulin challenges (IC) were performed at dry-off, -14, 7, and 28 DRC in a subset of cows (HT, n = 8; CL, n = 8). Relative to HT, CL cows had lower rectal temperatures (39.3 vs. 39.0°C) in the afternoon and respiration rate (69 vs. 48 breath/min). Cows from the cooling treatment tended to consume more feed than HT cows prepartum and postpartum. Compared with HT, CL cows gained more weight before calving but lost more weight and body condition in early lactation. Cows from the cooling treatment produced more milk than HT cows (34.0 vs. 27.7 kg/d), but treatments did not affect milk composition. Treatments did not affect circulating insulin and metabolites prepartum, but CL cows had decreased glucose, increased nonesterified fatty acid, and tended to have lower insulin concentrations in plasma postpartum compared with HT cows. Cooling prepartum HT cows did not

Investigation of Quasi-periodic Solar Oscillations in Sunspots Based on SOHO/MDI Magnetograms

Science.gov (United States)

Kallunki, J.; Riehokainen, A.

2012-10-01

In this work we study quasi-periodic solar oscillations in sunspots, based on the variation of the amplitude of the magnetic field strength and the variation of the sunspot area. We investigate long-period oscillations between three minutes and ten hours. The magnetic field synoptic maps were obtained from the SOHO/MDI. Wavelet (Morlet), global wavelet spectrum (GWS) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) methods are used in the periodicity analysis at the 95 % significance level. Additionally, the quiet Sun area (QSA) signal and an instrumental effect are discussed. We find several oscillation periods in the sunspots above the 95 % significance level: 3 - 5, 10 - 23, 220 - 240, 340 and 470 minutes, and we also find common oscillation periods (10 - 23 minutes) between the sunspot area variation and that of the magnetic field strength. We discuss possible mechanisms for the obtained results, based on the existing models for sunspot oscillations.

Self-Administered Computer Therapy for Apraxia of Speech: Two-Period Randomized Control Trial With Crossover.

Science.gov (United States)

Varley, Rosemary; Cowell, Patricia E; Dyson, Lucy; Inglis, Lesley; Roper, Abigail; Whiteside, Sandra P

2016-03-01

There is currently little evidence on effective interventions for poststroke apraxia of speech. We report outcomes of a trial of self-administered computer therapy for apraxia of speech. Effects of speech intervention on naming and repetition of treated and untreated words were compared with those of a visuospatial sham program. The study used a parallel-group, 2-period, crossover design, with participants receiving 2 interventions. Fifty participants with chronic and stable apraxia of speech were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 order conditions: speech-first condition versus sham-first condition. Period 1 design was equivalent to a randomized controlled trial. We report results for this period and profile the effect of the period 2 crossover. Period 1 results revealed significant improvement in naming and repetition only in the speech-first group. The sham-first group displayed improvement in speech production after speech intervention in period 2. Significant improvement of treated words was found in both naming and repetition, with little generalization to structurally similar and dissimilar untreated words. Speech gains were largely maintained after withdrawal of intervention. There was a significant relationship between treatment dose and response. However, average self-administered dose was modest for both groups. Future software design would benefit from incorporation of social and gaming components to boost motivation. Single-word production can be improved in chronic apraxia of speech with behavioral intervention. Self-administered computerized therapy is a promising method for delivering high-intensity speech/language rehabilitation. URL: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1278-0601. Unique identifier: ISRCTN88245643. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

A novel partial SOI LDMOSFET with periodic buried oxide for breakdown voltage and self heating effect enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Jamali Mahabadi, S. E.; Rajabi, Saba; Loiacono, Julian

2015-09-01

In this paper a partial silicon on insulator (PSOI) lateral double diffused metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (LDMOSFET) with periodic buried oxide layer (PBO) for enhancing breakdown voltage (BV) and self-heating effects (SHEs) is proposed for the first time. This new structure is called periodic buried oxide partial silicon on insulator (PBO-PSOI). In this structure, periodic small pieces of SiO2 were used as the buried oxide (BOX) layer in PSOI to modulate the electric field in the structure. It was demonstrated that the electric field is distributed more evenly by producing additional electric field peaks, which decrease the common peaks near the drain and gate junctions in the PBO-PSOI structure. Hence, the area underneath the electric field curve increases which leads to higher breakdown voltage. Also a p-type Si window was introduced in the source side to force the substrate to share the vertical voltage drop, leading to a higher vertical BV. Furthermore, the Si window under the source and those between periodic pieces of SiO2 create parallel conduction paths between the active layer and substrate thereby alleviating the SHEs. Simulations with the two dimensional ATLAS device simulator from the Silvaco suite of simulation tools show that the BV of PBO-PSOI is 100% higher than that of the conventional partial SOI (C-PSOI) structure. Furthermore the PBO-PSOI structure alleviates SHEs to a greater extent than its C-PSOI counterpart. The achieved drain current for the PBO-PSOI structure (100 μA), at drain-source voltage of VDS = 100 V and gate-source voltage of VGS = 25 V, is shown to be significantly larger than that in C-PSOI and fully depleted SOI (FD-SOI) structures (87 μA and 51 μA respectively). Drain current can be further improved at the expense of BV by increasing the doping of the drift region.

Chemical effects of (n,2n) reactions on iodate and periodates systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendonca, J.M.A. de.

1975-12-01

The chemical consequences of (n,2n) reactions on cristalline sodium iodate and periodates were investigated measuring the initial yield and the post irradiation thermal annealing yields (90 0 C) of the separated fractions I - , IO 3 - and IO 4 - . NaIO 3 , NaIO 3 .H 2 O and NaIO 4 , Na 4 H 2 IO 6 , Na 4 I 2 O 9 .3H 2 O containing 127 I and 129 I, or both, were irradiated with 14 MeV neutrons. Results obtained show different effects for each system and that 126 I and 128 I isotopes keep the same behaviour in the irradiated compounds containing only α 127 I or 129 I and in compounds having both 127 I and 129 I. Neither isotope effect nor qualitative differences on thermal annealing at 90 0 C were observed. The annealed fractions in the three studied periodates were IO - 3 and IO - 4 . These results differ from the ones reported previously for (n,γ) reactions on the same compounds [pt

Significance of autobiographical episodes and spacing effects in incidental memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyota, Hiroshi

2013-10-01

Participants were presented with target words on two occasions, and were asked each time to generate a memory of a past episode associated with the targets. Participants were also instructed to rate the importance (significance elaboration) or pleasantness of the pisode (pleasantness elaboration) in an orienting task, followed by an unexpect d recall test. Significance elaboration led to better recall than pleasantness elaboration, but only in the spaced presentation. The spaced presentation led to better tree recall than massed presentation with significance elaboration, but the difference between the two types of presentation was not observed with pleasantness elaboration. These results suggest that the significance of an episode is more critical than the pleasantness of an episode in determining the effectiveness of autobiographical elaboration in facilitating recall.

Effect of eddy current damping on phononic band gaps generated by locally resonant periodic structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ozkaya, Efe; Yilmaz, Cetin

2017-02-01

The effect of eddy current damping on a novel locally resonant periodic structure is investigated. The frequency response characteristics are obtained by using a lumped parameter and a finite element model. In order to obtain wide band gaps at low frequencies, the periodic structure is optimized according to certain constraints, such as mass distribution in the unit cell, lower limit of the band gap, stiffness between the components in the unit cell, the size of magnets used for eddy current damping, and the number of unit cells in the periodic structure. Then, the locally resonant periodic structure with eddy current damping is manufactured and its experimental frequency response is obtained. The frequency response results obtained analytically, numerically and experimentally match quite well. The inclusion of eddy current damping to the periodic structure decreases amplitudes of resonance peaks without disturbing stop band width.

A critical period for gravitational effects on otolith formation

Science.gov (United States)

Wiederhold, M.; Harrison, J.

Gravity and linear acceleration are sensed in fish by the saccule, utricle (as in mammals) and lagena, each with a solid otolith. Previous experiments in which eggs or larvae of a marine mollusk ( plysia) or fish larvae were raised on aA centrifuge, demonstrated that the size of the otolith or statoconia (in Aplysia) were reduced, in a graded manner, as the gfield was increased, suggesting that some- control mechanism was acting to normalize the weight of the mass. Pre-mated adult female swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri) were flown in the CEBAS aquarium system on space shuttle missions STS 89 and STS-90 (Neurolab). Developing- larvae were removed from the adult ovaries after shuttle landing. Otolith sizes were compared between ground- and flight -reared larvae of similar sizes. For later-stage swordtail larvae, with spine lengths from 3 to 6 mm from STS-90 (16 days), the growth of the otolith with increasing spine length was significantly greater in the flight - reared fish for all three otoliths, from the saccule (saggita), utricle (lapillus) and lagena (astericus). However, juvenile fish, 1 cm long at launch, showed no significant difference in otolith size between flight - and ground-reared animals. In very early stage larvae from STS-89 (9 days), with spine length of 1.5 to 3.5 mm, the utricular and saccular otoliths were actually larger in the ground-reared larvae. Thus, it appears that late-stage fish embryos reared in space do produce larger-than - normal otoliths, apparently in an attempt to c mpensate for the reduced weight ofo the test mass in space. However, the results from very early-stage larvae and juvenile fish suggest that there is a fairly short critical period during which altered gravity can affect the size of the test mass. Recent studies on the development of the inner ear of the zebrafish (Danio raria) may explain the critical period for gravitational effects on otolith growth. By 16 hours after zebrafish fertilization (at 28.5 o

Age, period and cohort influences on beer, wine and spirits consumption trends in the US National Alcohol Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, William C; Greenfield, Thomas K; Bond, Jason; Ye, Yu; Rehm, Jürgen

2004-09-01

To estimate the separate influences of age, period and cohort on the consumption of beer wine and spirits in the United States. Linear age-period-cohort models controlling for demographic change with extensive specification testing. Setting US general population 1979-2000. Monthly average of past-year consumption of beer, wine and spirits in five National Alcohol Surveys. Findings The strongest cohort effects are found for spirits; cohorts born before 1940 are found to have significantly higher consumption than those born after 1946, with especially high spirits consumption for men in the pre-1930s cohorts. Significant cohort effects are also found for beer with elevated consumption in the 1946-65 cohorts for men but in the pre-1940 cohorts for women. Significant negative effects of age are found for beer and spirits consumption, although not for wine. Significant period effects are found for men's beer and wine consumption and for women's spirits consumption. Increased educational attainment in the population over time is associated with reduced beer consumption and increased wine consumption. Changing cohort demographics are found to have significant effects on beverage-specific consumption, indicating the importance of controlling for these effects in the evaluation of alcohol policy effectiveness and the potential for substantial improvement in the forecasting of future beverage-specific consumption trends, alcohol dependence treatment demand and morbidity and mortality outcomes.

Homicides among women in the different Brazilian regions in the last 35 years: an analysis of age-period-birth cohort effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Edinilsa Ramos de; Meira, Karina Cardoso; Ribeiro, Adalgisa Peixoto; Santos, Juliano Dos; Guimarães, Raphael Mendonça; Borges, Laiane Felix; Oliveira, Lannuzya Veríssimo E; Simões, Taynãna César

2017-09-01

The aim of this study is to estimate the effects of age-period-birth cohort (APC) on female homicides. This is an ecological study which analyzed the violence-related death records of women aged 10 years and older, in the Brazilian geographic regions, between 1980 and 2014. Data on mortality were extracted from the Mortality Information System. The trend analysis was conducted using negative binomial regression and APC effects were analyzed using estimable functions. The average mortality rate for the period was 5.13 deaths per 100,000 women, with the highest rates observed in the Central-West (7.98 deaths), followed by the Southeast (4.78 deaths), North (4.77 deaths), Northeast (4.05 deaths) and South (3.82 deaths) regions. All regions presented a decrease in the risk of death in the period from 2010 to 2014, except for the Northeast region (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.10). There was a progressive increase in the homicide risk for women born from 1955 to 1959 in all Brazilian regions. Younger women are at higher risk of dying from homicides in all Brazilian geographic regions. The upward trend of homicide mortality rates according to birth cohort was significant and the highest risk was observed in women born between 2000 and 2004.

Architecture of Gothic Period and Its Effect to Clothing Design

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Şerife YILDIZ

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Root of the word Gothic comes from a German tribe which lives in region of the Gotland of Scandinavia. Gothic period is a movement which ends the Midde Age and opens Renaissance. Alth ough seen in all branches of the art, Gothic is widely a style of architecture. Having been originated from the Roman architecture, Gothic Architecture come out in the second half of the 12th century and continued its existence until the half of the 16th c entury when classical architecture come out. In Europe, Gothic painting, sculpture and architecture were dominant and preserved its popularity until the Renaissance. Fashion means all the temporary new styles which come out in a certain period of time with the desires of dressing up, being different, wearing the most desirable. Although seen as two different design field, when we examine closely, we can see that fashion and architecture has many common point from the past to present. As man is the common po int of this two field, they naturally affect each other. Gothic architecture inspired clothing designs, which is enough to show how much they affected each other. In this study, our purpose is to reveal effects of the Gothic architecture on the clothing d esigns. The style used in the Gothic period architecture and models and styles in clothing designs was presented with the help of table of specification. According to this, both fields' sharing common aesthetic concern and same theoritic and ideologic bas e was accompanied by stylistic and structural similarities accordingly. Designers in this two different fields turned even to themselves for inspiration and technical strategy. Environmental and cultural factors affect both fashion designers and architects . When seen as a part of historical process, clothes and buildings with their important cultural and economic conditions are priceless anthropological buildings which show technological developments within the period.

Effect of Different Storage Periods and Temperatures on the Hatchability of Broiler Breeder Eggs

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A. Mahmud*, M. Z. U. Khan1, Saima1 and M. A. Javed

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Temperature and humidity have been the two most common variables used to manipulate the storage environment of hatching eggs. To ascertain the effects of different egg storage periods and temperatures on hatchability; 400 eggs were obtained from a broiler breeder flock of 32 weeks of age on a single day collection basis. These eggs were randomly divided into 5 equal groups of 80 eggs each. After collection these were cleaned, fumigated and stored on four temperatures viz 4oC, 16oC, room temperature (25oC and ambient temperature (29oC. Each group was further subdivided into 4 replicates having 20 eggs each. Eggs of Group A (control were set in incubator with temperature of 37.5oC and relative humidity 60% after the storage of one day. Eggs of rest of the four groups were set in the incubator after the storage of 3, 6, 9 and 12 days. Subsequently, these were shifted to hatchers on 18th day where the temperature and humidity were maintained at 36.5oC and 75%, respectively. The data on hatchability and dead-in-shell embryos for various groups were recorded. The results revealed that as the storage period increased at different temperatures, the hatchability decreased significantly (P<0.01. Similarly, as the storage time increased, the percentage of dead-in-shell embryos increased (P<0.01.

Effects of periodic modulation on the nonlinear Landau–Zener tunneling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li-Hua, Wu; Wen-Shan, Duan

2009-01-01

We study the Landau–Zener tunneling of a nonlinear two-level system by applying a periodic modulation on its energy bias. We find that the two levels are splitting at the zero points of the zero order Bessel function for high-frequency modulation. Moreover, we obtain the effective coupling constant between two levels at the zero points of the zero order Bessel function by calculating the final tunneling probability at these points. It seems that the effective coupling constant can be regarded as the approximation of the higher order Bessel function at these points. For the low-frequency modulation, we find that the final tunneling probability is a function of the interaction strength. For the weak inter-level coupling case, we find that the final tunneling probability is more disordered as the interaction strength becomes larger. (general)

The Effect of Dietary Protein Levels in Growing Period on Performance at Onset of Lay of Crossbred Hens between Cockerel Native Chickens and Commercial Laying Hens

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Harimurti Februari Trisiwi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This research aims to examine the effects of various dietary protein levels during growing period crossbreed hens between cockerel native chickens and laying hens on performance at onset of lay. The effects of the dietary protein levels on weight and other components of eggs were also examined. Eighteen hens aged thirteen weeks were randomly divided into three different treatment groups. Each group consists of six replications. The replication contains a hen. All the treatment hens were grown in a battery-cage until reaching sexual maturity then were fed with three different dietary protein levels which are 13,54%, 12,00%, and 9,80% formulated with 2600 kcal/kg ME. The collected data were analyzed by a one-way classification of variance analysis (CRD followed by testing the significant means using The Duncan,s MultipleRange Test (DMRT. The experiment result suggested that the treatment during hen’s growing period did not cause significance on performance at onset lay, egg weight, and egg components weight.

Trends in ischemic heart disease mortality in Korea, 1985-2009: an age-period-cohort analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hye Ah; Park, Hyesook

2012-09-01

Economic growth and development of medical technology help to improve the average life expectancy, but the western diet and rapid conversions to poor lifestyles lead an increasing risk of major chronic diseases. Coronary heart disease mortality in Korea has been on the increase, while showing a steady decline in the other industrialized countries. An age-period-cohort analysis can help understand the trends in mortality and predict the near future. We analyzed the time trends of ischemic heart disease mortality, which is on the increase, from 1985 to 2009 using an age-period-cohort model to characterize the effects of ischemic heart disease on changes in the mortality rate over time. All three effects on total ischemic heart disease mortality were statistically significant. Regarding the period effect, the mortality rate was decreased slightly in 2000 to 2004, after it had continuously increased since the late 1980s that trend was similar in both sexes. The expected age effect was noticeable, starting from the mid-60's. In addition, the age effect in women was more remarkable than that in men. Women born from the early 1900s to 1925 observed an increase in ischemic heart mortality. That cohort effect showed significance only in women. The future cohort effect might have a lasting impact on the risk of ischemic heart disease in women with the increasing elderly population, and a national prevention policy is need to establish management of high risk by considering the age-period-cohort effect.

Quantum system under periodic perturbation: Effect of environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hotta, M.; Joichi, I.; Matsumoto, S.; Yoshimura, M.

1997-01-01

In many physical situations the behavior of a quantum system is affected by interaction with a larger environment. We develop, using the method of an influence functional, how to deduce the density matrix of the quantum system incorporating the effect of environment. After introducing the characterization of the environment by spectral weight, we first devise schemes to approximate the spectral weight, and then a perturbation method in field theory models, in order to approximately describe the environment. All of these approximate models may be classified as extended Ohmic models of dissipation whose differences are in the high frequency part. The quantum system we deal with in the present work is a general class of harmonic oscillators with an arbitrary time-dependent frequency. The late time behavior of the system is well described by an approximation that employs a localized friction in the dissipative part of the correlation function appearing in the influence functional. The density matrix of the quantum system is then determined in terms of a single classical solution obtained with the time-dependent frequency. With this one can compute the entropy, the energy distribution function, and other physical quantities of the system in a closed form. A specific application is made to the case of a periodically varying frequency. This dynamical system has a remarkable property when the environmental interaction is switched off: The effect of the parametric resonance gives rise to an exponential growth of the populated number in higher excitation levels, or particle production in field theory models. The effect of the environment is investigated for this dynamical system and it is demonstrated that there exists a critical strength of the friction for the parametric effect. (Abstract Truncated)

Effect of holographic grating period on its relaxation in a molecular glassy film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozols, A; Augustovs, P; Kokars, V; Traskovskis, K; Saharov, D

2013-01-01

Holographic grating (HG) relaxation has been experimentally studied in 5,5,5-triphenylpentyl 4-((4-(bis(5,5,5-triphenylpentyl)amino) phenyl) diazenyl) benzoate molecular glassy film for HG periods (Λ) of 0.50, 2.0 and 8.6 μm. A strong effect of HG period on its relaxation is found manifesting itself differently in the volume and on the surface. The volume part of HG is fairly stable during 40 days if Λ > 0.50μm whereas the surface part of HG (most probably, surface relief grating) exhibits relaxational self-enhancement which is maximal at Λ = 8.6μm. It is proposed that thermostimulated directional mass transfer in the process of relaxation can be responsible for this relaxational self-enhancement. Weak HG recording and relatively fast HG decay takes place at Λ=0.50 μm. Therefore, effective chromophore photoorientation domain of about 0.2 μm is supposed

Periodic vortex pinning by regular structures in Nb thin films: magnetic vs. structural effects

Science.gov (United States)

Montero, Maria Isabel; Jonsson-Akerman, B. Johan; Schuller, Ivan K.

2001-03-01

The defects present in a superconducting material can lead to a great variety of static and dynamic vortex phases. In particular, the interaction of the vortex lattice with regular arrays of pinning centers such as holes or magnetic dots gives rise to commensurability effects. These commensurability effects can be observed in the magnetoresistance and in the critical current dependence with the applied field. In recent years, experimental results have shown that there is a dependence of the periodic pinning effect on the properties of the vortex lattice (i.e. vortex-vortex interactions, elastic energy and vortex velocity) and also on the dots characteristics (i.e. dot size, distance between dots, magnetic character of the dot material, etc). However, there is not still a good understanding of the nature of the main pinning mechanisms by the magnetic dots. To clarify this important issue, we have studied and compared the periodic pinning effects in Nb films with rectangular arrays of Ni, Co and Fe dots, as well as the pinning effects in a Nb film deposited on a hole patterned substrate without any magnetic material. We will discuss the differences on pinning energies arising from magnetic effects as compared to structural effects of the superconducting film. This work was supported by NSF and DOE. M.I. Montero acknowledges postdoctoral fellowship by the Secretaria de Estado de Educacion y Universidades (Spain).

Indications of a Scarring Effect of Sickness Absence Periods in a Cohort of Higher Educated Self-Employed

Science.gov (United States)

Wijnvoord, Liesbeth E. C.; Brouwer, Sandra; Buitenhuis, Jan; van der Klink, Jac J. L.; de Boer, Michiel R.

2016-01-01

Objectives Little is known regarding incidence and recurrence of sickness absence in self-employed. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the number of prior episodes of sickness absence on the risk of subsequent periods of sickness absence in higher educated self-employed. Methods In a historic register study based on the files of a Dutch private disability insurance company all sickness absence periods of 30 days or more were analysed. Results A total of 15,868 insured persons contributed 141,188 person years to the study. In total, 5608 periods of sickness absence occurred during follow-up. The hazard of experiencing a new period of sickness absence increased with every previous period, ranging from a hazard ratio of 2.83 in case of one previous period of sickness absence to a hazard ratio of 6.72 in case of four previous periods. This effect was found for both men and women and for all diagnostic categories of the first period of sickness absence. Conclusions Our study shows that for all diagnostic categories the hazard of experiencing a recurrence of sickness absence is appreciably higher than for experiencing a first episode. This suggests that this increased hazard may be related to the occurrence of sickness absence itself rather than related to characteristics of the insured person or of the medical condition. These findings could indicate that sickness absence periods may have a scarring effect on the self-employed person experiencing the sickness absence. PMID:27213963

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF INTERVENTIONS TARGETING PATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD.

Science.gov (United States)

Rominov, Holly; Pilkington, Pamela D; Giallo, Rebecca; Whelan, Thomas A

2016-05-01

Interventions targeting parents' mental health in the perinatal period are critical due to potential consequences of perinatal mental illness for the parent, the infant, and their family. To date, most programs have targeted mothers. This systematic review explores the current status and evidence for intervention programs aiming to prevent or treat paternal mental illness in the perinatal period. Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify peer-reviewed studies that described an intervention targeting fathers' mental health in the perinatal period. Mental health outcomes included depression, anxiety, and stress as well as more general measures of psychological functioning. Eleven studies were identified. Three of five psychosocial interventions and three massage-technique interventions reported significant effects. None of the couple-based interventions reported significant effects. A number of methodological limitations were identified, including inadequate reporting of study designs, and issues with the timing of interventions. The variability in outcomes measures across the studies made it difficult to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the interventions. Father-focused interventions aimed at preventing perinatal mood problems will be improved if future studies utilize more rigorous research strategies. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

PERIOD ESTIMATION FOR SPARSELY SAMPLED QUASI-PERIODIC LIGHT CURVES APPLIED TO MIRAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Shiyuan; Huang, Jianhua Z.; Long, James [Department of Statistics, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States); Yuan, Wenlong; Macri, Lucas M., E-mail: lmacri@tamu.edu [George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States)

2016-12-01

We develop a nonlinear semi-parametric Gaussian process model to estimate periods of Miras with sparsely sampled light curves. The model uses a sinusoidal basis for the periodic variation and a Gaussian process for the stochastic changes. We use maximum likelihood to estimate the period and the parameters of the Gaussian process, while integrating out the effects of other nuisance parameters in the model with respect to a suitable prior distribution obtained from earlier studies. Since the likelihood is highly multimodal for period, we implement a hybrid method that applies the quasi-Newton algorithm for Gaussian process parameters and search the period/frequency parameter space over a dense grid. A large-scale, high-fidelity simulation is conducted to mimic the sampling quality of Mira light curves obtained by the M33 Synoptic Stellar Survey. The simulated data set is publicly available and can serve as a testbed for future evaluation of different period estimation methods. The semi-parametric model outperforms an existing algorithm on this simulated test data set as measured by period recovery rate and quality of the resulting period–luminosity relations.

Parametric effect of a spatially periodic voltage depression on operation of Cerenkov sources of electromagnetic radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nusinovich, G.S.; Vlasov, A.N.

1994-01-01

In microwave sources of coherent Cerenkov radiation the electrons usually propagate near the rippled wall of a slow-wave structure. These ripples cause the periodic modulation of electron potential depression, and therefore, lead to periodic modulation of electron axial velocities. Since the period of this electrostatic pumping is the period of the slow-wave structure the parametric coupling of electrons to originally nonsynchronous spatial harmonics of the microwave field may occur. This effect can be especially important for backward-wave oscillators (BWO's) driven by high current, relativistic electron beams. In the paper both linear and nonlinear theories of the relativistic resonant BWO with periodic modulation of electron axial velocities are developed and results illustrating the evolution of the linear gain function and the efficiency of operation in the large-signal regime are presented

[The study of developmental pharmacology (I). Effect of pentazocine HCl on the physiology of rats given the drug during perinatal and postnatal periods (author's transl)].

Science.gov (United States)

Fukawa, K; Sawabe, T; Kawano, O; Hatanaka, Y

1978-01-01

The effects of drug administration on the dams (F0) and their offspring (F1), particularly on the central nervous and reproductive functions of F1, were studied by oral administration of pentazocine HCl to rats during the perinatal and postnatal periods. No significant differences were observed between administered and control rats regarding body weight changes and food intake during perinatal and postnatal periods in F0 at all dosages, but temporary salivation was observed in the 200 and 100 mg/kg groups, and decline of spontaneous activity and respiratory rate, disappearance of righting reflex, clonic convulsion were observed in some of the 200 mg/kg group. No significant differences were observed regarding litter size, birth rate, state and timing of differentiation as postnatal development, sex maturity, reproductive function in F1, although some groups were slightly inferior in body weight at birth and during the nursing period. Furthermore, no differences were observed in respect to the nervous functions of balance, exercise and psychotic related activity in the open-field test.

Effect of the fluid core on changes in the length of day due to long period tides

Science.gov (United States)

Wahr, J. M.; Smith, M. L.; Sasao, T.

1981-01-01

The long period luni-solar tidal potential is known to cause periodic changes in the earth's rotation rate. It is found that the effect of a dissipationless fluid outer core is to reduce the amplitudes of these tidal perturbations by about 11 percent. When the fluid core effect is added to Agnew and Farrell's (1978) estimate of the effect of an equilibrium ocean, the result is in accord with observation. The effects of dissipative processes within the fluid core are also examined. Out-of-phase perturbations are found which could be as large as about 10 ms at 18.6 yr. It is concluded, however, that the poorly understood decade fluctuations in the earth's rotation rate will prohibit observation of this effect.

Effect of Different Interrepetition Rest Periods on Barbell Velocity Loss During the Ballistic Bench Press Exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Ramos, Amador; Padial, Paulino; Haff, G Gregory; Argüelles-Cienfuegos, Javier; García-Ramos, Miguel; Conde-Pipó, Javier; Feriche, Belén

2015-09-01

This study investigated the effect of introducing different interrepetition rest (IRR) periods on the ability to sustain maximum bench press throw velocity with a range of loads commonly used to develop upper-body power. Thirty-four physically active collegiate men (age: 21.5 ± 2.8 years; body mass: 75.2 ± 7.2 kg; height: 176.9 ± 4.9 cm) were tested during 2 consecutive weeks. During the first week, the maximum dynamic strength (repetition maximum [RM]) in bench press exercise was determined (RM = 76.7 ± 13.2 kg). The following week, 3 testing sessions were conducted with 48 hours apart in random order. In each day of evaluation, only 1 load (30%RM, 40%RM, or 50%RM) was assessed in the bench press throw exercise. With each load, subjects performed 3 single sets of 15 repetitions (15-minute interset rest) with 3 different sets configurations: continuous repetitions (CR), 6 seconds of IRR (IRR6), and 12 seconds of IRR (IRR12). The decrease of peak velocity (PV) was significantly lower for IRR12 compared with CR and IRR6 at least since the repetition 4. No differences between CR and IRR6 protocols were found until the repetition 7 at 30%RM and 40%RM and until the repetition 5 at 50%RM. The decrease of PV during the CR protocol was virtually linear for the 3 loads analyzed (r > 0.99); however, this linear relationship became weaker for IRR6 (r = 0.79-0.95) and IRR12 (r = 0.35-0.87). These results demonstrate that IRR periods allow increasing the number of repetitions before the onset of significant velocity losses.

Handgun waiting periods reduce gun deaths.

Science.gov (United States)

Luca, Michael; Malhotra, Deepak; Poliquin, Christopher

2017-11-14

Handgun waiting periods are laws that impose a delay between the initiation of a purchase and final acquisition of a firearm. We show that waiting periods, which create a "cooling off" period among buyers, significantly reduce the incidence of gun violence. We estimate the impact of waiting periods on gun deaths, exploiting all changes to state-level policies in the Unites States since 1970. We find that waiting periods reduce gun homicides by roughly 17%. We provide further support for the causal impact of waiting periods on homicides by exploiting a natural experiment resulting from a federal law in 1994 that imposed a temporary waiting period on a subset of states. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Decreasing but still significant facilitation effect of cold-season macrophytes on wetlands purification function during cold winter.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Xiangxu; Zhang, Hui; Zuo, Jie; Wang, Penghe; Zhao, Dehua; An, Shuqing

2016-06-01

To identify the facilitation effect of a cool-season aquatic macrophyte (FEam) for use in effluent purification via constructed floating wetlands (CFWs) and to determine the possible pathways used during a winter period with an average temperature of less than 5 °C, pilot-scale CFWs were planted with the cold-season macrophyte Oenanthe clecumbens and were operated as batch systems. Although some leaves withered, the roots retained relatively high levels of activity during the winter, which had average air and water temperatures of 3.63 and 5.04 °C, respectively. The N and P removal efficiencies in CFWs decreased significantly in winter relative to those in late autumn. The presence of cool-season plants resulted in significant improvements in N and P removal, with a FEam of 15.23-25.86% in winter. Microbial N removal accounted for 71.57% of the total N removed in winter, and the decrease in plant uptake was the dominant factor in the wintertime decrease in N removal relative to that in late autumn. These results demonstrate the importance of cold-season plants in CFWs for the treatment of secondary effluent during cold winters.

Controlling chaos in low and high dimensional systems with periodic parametric perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirus, K.A.; Sprott, J.C.

1998-06-01

The effect of applying a periodic perturbation to an accessible parameter of various chaotic systems is examined. Numerical results indicate that perturbation frequencies near the natural frequencies of the unstable periodic orbits of the chaotic systems can result in limit cycles for relatively small perturbations. Such perturbations can also control or significantly reduce the dimension of high-dimensional systems. Initial application to the control of fluctuations in a prototypical magnetic fusion plasma device will be reviewed

Evolution of periodicity in periodical cicadas.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Hiromu; Kakishima, Satoshi; Uehara, Takashi; Morita, Satoru; Koyama, Takuya; Sota, Teiji; Cooley, John R; Yoshimura, Jin

2015-09-14

Periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) in the USA are famous for their unique prime-numbered life cycles of 13 and 17 years and their nearly perfectly synchronized mass emergences. Because almost all known species of cicada are non-periodical, periodicity is assumed to be a derived state. A leading hypothesis for the evolution of periodicity in Magicicada implicates the decline in average temperature during glacial periods. During the evolution of periodicity, the determinant of maturation in ancestral cicadas is hypothesized to have switched from size dependence to time (period) dependence. The selection for the prime-numbered cycles should have taken place only after the fixation of periodicity. Here, we build an individual-based model of cicadas under conditions of climatic cooling to explore the fixation of periodicity. In our model, under cold environments, extremely long juvenile stages lead to extremely low adult densities, limiting mating opportunities and favouring the evolution of synchronized emergence. Our results indicate that these changes, which were triggered by glacial cooling, could have led to the fixation of periodicity in the non-periodical ancestors.

Effects of Long-Term Periodic Submergence on Photosynthesis and Growth of Taxodium distichum and Taxodium ascendens Saplings in the Hydro-Fluctuation Zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir of China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaoying Wang

Full Text Available Responses of bald cypress (Taxodium distichum and pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens saplings in photosynthesis and growth to long-term periodic submergence in situ in the hydro-fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir (TGDR were studied. Water treatments of periodic deep submergence (DS and moderate submergence (MS in situ were imposed on 2-year-old bald cypress and pond cypress saplings. The effects of periodic submergence on photosynthesis and growth were investigated after 3 years (i.e. 3 cycles compared to a control (i.e. shallow submergence, abbreviated as SS. Results showed that pond cypress had no significant change in net photosynthetic rate (Pn in response to periodic moderate and deep submergence in contrast to a significant decrease in Pn of bald cypress under both submergence treatments, when compared to that of SS. Ratios of Chlorophyll a/b and Chlorophylls/Carotenoid of pond cypress were significantly increased in periodic moderate submergence and deep submergence, while bald cypress showed no significant change. Diameter at breast height (DBH and tree height of both species were significantly reduced along with submergence depth. Relative diameter and height growth rates of the two species were also reduced under deeper submergence. Moreover, bald cypress displayed higher relative diameter growth rate than pond cypress under deep submergence mainly attributed to higher productivity of the larger crown area of bald cypress. When subjected to deep subergence, both species showed significant reduction in primary branch number, while in moderate submergence, bald cypress but not pond cypress showed significant reduction in primary branch number. These results indicate that both bald cypress and pond cypress are suitbale candidates for reforestation in the TGDR region thanks to their submergence tolerance characteristics, but bald cypress can grow better than pond cypress under deep submergence overall.

Effects of pranoprofen eye drops on corneal endothelium and tears inflammatory factors in perioperative period of cataract

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Rong-Rong Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available AIM: To observe the effect of pranoprofen eye drops on corneal endothelium and tears inflammatory factors in perioperative period of cataract surgery. METHODS: Totally 60 cases(60 eyesof senile cataract patients were enrolled in this study. Patients with diabetes or other systemic diseases, with other eye diseases or eye surgery, drug allergy were excluded. All the patients were given ophthalmic surgery for the first time. All the patients were randomly divided into 4 groups, 15 patients per group. Each group of patients had been given levofloxacin eye drops preoperatively for 3d, 4 times per day, and tobramycin dexamethasone eye drops postoperatively, 3 times per day for the first week, 2 times per day for the second week. Group A was the control group, without any other drugs. Group B was given pranoprofen eye drops 4 times per day for 3d before the operation. Group C was given pranoprofen eye drops 4 times per day for 1wk after the operation. Group D was given pranoprofen eye drops 4 times per day for 3d before the operation and 1wk after the operation. All the surgeries were done by the same ophthalmologist, using the same phacoemulsification machine and the same ultrasound energy parameters. The loss rate of endothelial cell was measured by corneal endothelium counterometry. Interleukin-6(IL-6and tumor necrosis factor(TNFin the tear fluid were measured by ELISA before surgery(before using eye dropsand 1wk, 1mo and 3mo postoperatively. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in patients' gender, age and phacoemulsification time among 4 groups. The levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 in the tear fluid of the Group B before surgery had no significant difference compared to that at 3mo postoperatively(P>0.05, but the differences among the other groups at different time points were statistically significant(PP>0.05. At 1wk after the operation, there was significant difference between the Group A and the other three groups(PPP>0.05. At 1mo

Demokrasi Di Malaysia: Studi Perbandingan Periode Pemerintahan Tiga Perdana Menteri Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Fauzi, Mohammad

2015-01-01

This study aimed to compare the historical descriptive-interpretative effect general election implementation and socio-economic and cultural conditions of democracy and democratic process in Malaysia during the government period of Tunku Abdul Rahman to Mahathir Mohamad. The research based on the secondary data study-method. Based on the research, the general election implementation and socio-economic and cultural condition do not significant effect on democracy and the democratic process in ...

Representations of relatedness with parents and friends and autonomous academic motivation during the late adolescence-early adulthood period: reciprocal or unidirectional effects?

Science.gov (United States)

Guay, Frédéric; Marsh, Herbert W; Senécal, Caroline; Dowson, Martin

2008-12-01

The literature on the determinants of academic motivation indicates that social and affective processes connected to students' interpersonal relationships are central elements in understanding students' academic motivation and other school-related outcomes. The aim of this study was to answer the following questions: Does autonomous motivation drive representations of relatedness, do representations of relatedness drive autonomous motivation, or are these constructs reciprocally related over time? The sample consists of 834 adolescents aged 18 years (SD=1.88) who participated in a 3-year longitudinal study. Results from the structural equation models provided good support for the effect of representations of relatedness with parents on autonomous academic motivation but no convincing support for the effect of motivation on representations of relatedness with parents. In addition, no significant effect in either direction was found between representations of relatedness with friends and autonomous academic motivation. It might be important to inform parents that they may still have an influence on their adolescent's representations of relatedness and subsequently on his/her autonomous academic motivation even during the late adolescence-early adulthood period, a period when some parents may be tempted to believe that they can do little to motivate their offspring.

Trends in mouth cancer incidence in Mumbai, India (1995-2009): An age-period-cohort analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shridhar, Krithiga; Rajaraman, Preetha; Koyande, Shravani; Parikh, Purvish M; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Dhillon, Preet K; Dikshit, Rajesh P

2016-06-01

Despite tobacco control and health promotion efforts, the incidence rates of mouth cancer are increasing across most regions in India. Analysing the influence of age, time period and birth cohort on these secular trends can point towards underlying factors and help identify high-risk populations for improved cancer control programmes. We evaluated secular changes in mouth cancer incidence among men and women aged 25-74 years in Mumbai between 1995 and 2009 by calculating age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates (ASR). We estimated the age-adjusted linear trend for annual percent change (EAPC) using the drift parameter, and conducted an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis to quantify recent time trends and to evaluate the significance of birth cohort and calendar period effects. Over the 15-year period, age-standardized incidence rates of mouth cancer in men in Mumbai increased by 2.7% annually (95% CI:1.9 to 3.4), pMumbai cancer registry indicate a significant linear increase of mouth cancer incidence from 1995 to 2009 in men, which was driven by younger men aged 25-49 years, and a non-significant upward trend in similarly aged younger women. Health promotion efforts should more effectively target younger cohorts. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Effect of eugenol-based endodontic sealer on the adhesion of intraradicular posts cemented after different periods.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Larissa Lustosa Lima; Giovani, Alessandro Rogério; Silva Sousa, Yara Teresinha Corrêa; Vansan, Luiz Pascoal; Alfredo, Edson; Sousa-Neto, Manoel Damião; Paulino, Silvana Maria

2009-01-01

This study evaluated in vitro the influence of an eugenol-based sealer (EndoFill) on the retention of stainless steel prefabricated posts cemented with zinc phosphate and resin-based (Panavia F) cements after different periods of root canal obturation, using the pull-out test. Sixty upper canines were decoronated and the roots were embedded in resin blocks. The specimens were distributed into 3 groups, according to the period elapsed between canal obturation and post cementation: Group I - immediately; Group II - 72 h and Group III - 4 months. The groups were subdivided according to the type of cement used for post cementation: A - zinc phosphate and B - Panavia F. Following the experimental periods, specimens were subjected to pullout test in an Instron machine with application of tensile force at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min until post dislodgement. The maximum forces required for post removal were recorded (kN) and means were subjected to statistical analysis by 2-way ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer test (alpha=0.001) There were statistically significant differences (pcemented with zinc phosphate cement (0.2112 kN) and Panavia F (0.0501 kN). However, no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were found between the three post cementation periods, regardless of the cement. It was concluded that the eugenol-based sealer influenced the tensile strength of the posts cemented with the resin cement, but had no influence on the time waited between root canal obturation and post space preparation/post cementation.

Statistical Significance and Effect Size: Two Sides of a Coin.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xitao

This paper suggests that statistical significance testing and effect size are two sides of the same coin; they complement each other, but do not substitute for one another. Good research practice requires that both should be taken into consideration to make sound quantitative decisions. A Monte Carlo simulation experiment was conducted, and a…

Aperture scaling effects with monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate optical parametric oscillators and generators.

Science.gov (United States)

Missey, M; Dominic, V; Powers, P; Schepler, K L

2000-02-15

We used elliptical beams to demonstrate aperture scaling effects in nanosecond single-grating and multigrating periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) monolithic optical parametric oscillators and generators. Increasing the cavity Fresnel number in single-grating crystals broadened both the beam divergence and the spectral bandwidth. Both effects are explained in terms of the phase-matching geometry. These effects are suppressed when a multigrating PPLN crystal is used because the individual gratings provide small effective subapertures. A flood-pumped multigrating optical parametric generator displayed a low output beam divergence and contained 19 pairs of signal and idler frequencies.

Beam-wave interaction in periodic and quasi-periodic structures. 2. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaechter, Levi

2011-01-01

The main theme of this book is the interaction of electrons with electromagnetic waves in the presence of periodic and quasi-periodic structures in vacuum, in view of applications in the design and operation of particle accelerators. The first part of the book is concerned with the textbook-like presentation of the basic material, in particular reviewing elementary electromagnetic phenomena and electron dynamics. The second part of the book describes the current models for beam-wave interactions with periodic and quasi-periodic structures. This is the basis for introducing, in the last part of the book, a number of particle and radiation sources that rest on these principles, in particular the free-electron laser, wake-field acceleration schemes and a number of other advanced particle accelerator concepts. This second edition brings this fundamental text up-to-date in view of the enormous advances that have been made over the last decade since the first edition was published. All chapters, as well as the bibliography, have been significantly revised and extended, and the number of end-of-chapter exercises has been further increased to enhance this book's usefulness for teaching specialized graduate courses. (orig.)

Effect of externally applied periodic force on ion acoustic waves in superthermal plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Chowdhury, Snigdha; Mandi, Laxmikanta; Chatterjee, Prasanta

2018-04-01

Ion acoustic solitary waves in superthermal plasmas are investigated in the presence of trapped electrons. The reductive perturbation technique is employed to obtain a forced Korteweg-de Vries-like Schamel equation. An analytical solution is obtained in the presence of externally applied force. The effect of the external applied periodic force is also observed. The effect of the spectral index (κ), the strength ( f 0 ) , and the frequency ( ω ) on the amplitude and width of the solitary wave is obtained. The result may be useful in laboratory plasma as well as space environments.

Alzheimer's Disease in the Danish Malnutrition Period 1999-2007

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sparre-Sørensen, Maja; Kristensen, Gustav David Westergaard

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Several studies published over the last few years have shown that malnutrition is a risk factor for developing and worsening Alzheimer's disease (AD) and that a balanced diet can delay the onset of the disease. During the period from January 1999 to January 2007, a statistically...... significant increase in the number of deaths related to malnutrition was found among the elderly in Denmark. Many more may have been suffering from malnutrition, but not to such a degree that it led to their deaths. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine whether or not the effect of the malnutrition...... from AD associated with the period when the general nutritional state among the elderly in Denmark worsened (from 1999 to 2007). CONCLUSION: The study concludes that the malnutrition period resulted in an excess death rate from Alzheimer's disease. All in all, a total of 345 extra lives were lost...

Effect of weaning period on nutritional status children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamim, S.; Naz, F.; Jamalvi, S.W.; Ali, S.

2006-01-01

To determine the effect of age of introduction and the type of weaning foods used, on the nutritional status of children under three years of age. Three hundred and fifty-nine children under 3 years were included in the study. Based on the age of commencement of weaning, the children were categorized as children weaned at appropriate and inappropriate age. For the type of weaning foods, the children were grouped into two categories based on the nature of food items. Children for whom weaning was started at the recommended age of 4-6 months were found to be significantly less malnourished on anthropometric measurements as compared to the other set in which weaning was started at an earlier or later age. Significant statistical difference was noted in the children weaned on nutritious home-made items compared to children having commercial foods. (author)

Stochastic model stationarization by eliminating the periodic term and its effect on time series prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Moeeni, Hamid; Bonakdari, Hossein; Fatemi, Seyed Ehsan

2017-04-01

Because time series stationarization has a key role in stochastic modeling results, three methods are analyzed in this study. The methods are seasonal differencing, seasonal standardization and spectral analysis to eliminate the periodic effect on time series stationarity. First, six time series including 4 streamflow series and 2 water temperature series are stationarized. The stochastic term for these series obtained with ARIMA is subsequently modeled. For the analysis, 9228 models are introduced. It is observed that seasonal standardization and spectral analysis eliminate the periodic term completely, while seasonal differencing maintains seasonal correlation structures. The obtained results indicate that all three methods present acceptable performance overall. However, model accuracy in monthly streamflow prediction is higher with seasonal differencing than with the other two methods. Another advantage of seasonal differencing over the other methods is that the monthly streamflow is never estimated as negative. Standardization is the best method for predicting monthly water temperature although it is quite similar to seasonal differencing, while spectral analysis performed the weakest in all cases. It is concluded that for each monthly seasonal series, seasonal differencing is the best stationarization method in terms of periodic effect elimination. Moreover, the monthly water temperature is predicted with more accuracy than monthly streamflow. The criteria of the average stochastic term divided by the amplitude of the periodic term obtained for monthly streamflow and monthly water temperature were 0.19 and 0.30, 0.21 and 0.13, and 0.07 and 0.04 respectively. As a result, the periodic term is more dominant than the stochastic term for water temperature in the monthly water temperature series compared to streamflow series.

Periodic Recurrence Patterns In X-Ray Solar Flare Appearances

Science.gov (United States)

Gyenge, N.; Erdélyi, R.

2018-06-01

The temporal recurrence of micro-flare events is studied for a time interval before and after of major solar flares. Our sample is based on the X-ray flare observations by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). The analyzed data contain 1330/301 M-class and X-class GOES/RHESSI energetic solar flares and 4062/4119 GOES/RHESSI micro-flares covering the period elapse since 2002. The temporal analysis of recurrence, by Fast Fourier Transform, of the micro-flares, shows multiple significant periods. Based on the GOES and RHESSI data, the temporal analysis also demonstrates that multiple periods manifest simultaneously in both statistical samples without any significant shift over time. In the GOES sample, the detected significant periods are: 11.33, 5.61, 3.75, 2.80, and 2.24 minutes. The RHESSI data show similar significant periods at 8.54, 5.28, 3.66, 2.88, and 2.19 minutes. The periods are interpreted as signatures of standing oscillations, with the longest period (P 1) being the fundamental and others being higher harmonic modes. The period ratio of the fundamental and higher harmonics (P 1/P N ) is also analyzed. The standing modes may be signatures of global oscillations of the entire solar atmosphere encompassing magnetized plasma from the photosphere to the corona in active regions.

Global warming: the significance of methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dessus, B.; Le Treut, H.; Laponche, B.

2008-01-01

the concept of Global Warming Potential (GWP) indicates the relative contribution to global warming over a given period (for example 100 years) of a pulse emission at the start of the period of 1 kg of a specific greenhouse gas (GHG) in comparison to the contribution, over the same period, of an emission of 1 kg of CO 2 . The GWPs calculated for different time intervals take into account the differences in atmospheric lifetimes of the different GHGs. Using the '100-year GWP' to measure non CO 2 GHG emissions is not well suited to the case of permanent or long lifetime measures whose effectiveness is to be assessed at a given time horizon. In this context, it contributes to significantly playing down the importance of reducing emissions of GHGs with short atmospheric lifetimes. Thus, for example, methane which is not emitted over the period 2020- 2100 as a result of a landfill site being closed in 2020 will have an impact (as opposed to if the site remained in operation) that would be far greater towards 2100 compared to a CO 2 emission source that has also been stopped permanently and whose climate impact is measured in an equivalent manner. Using the GWP is only appropriate if applied year after year to time horizons considered to be of concern or decisive by climate studies, thus in particular 2050, 2100 and 2150. This is all the more significant as climate experts' current concerns lead them not only to advocate long-term stabilisation of GHG concentrations but also to avoid as far as possible intermediate excess of these concentrations over the coming century. Finally, it is noted that CH 4 prevention policies implemented in the short term may continue to have a long-term impact greater than merely taking into account the current GWP would imply. To more or less ignore the impact of CH 4 as it is unsuitable for accounting purposes affects the exclusive character of the link that may exist between the issue of GHGs and that of energy. Furthermore, if the

Periodicity effects on compound waves guided by a thin metal slab sandwiched between two periodically nonhomogeneous dielectric materials

Science.gov (United States)

Chiadini, Francesco; Fiumara, Vincenzo; Scaglione, Antonio; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh

2017-10-01

Surface-plasmon-polariton waves can be compounded when a sufficiently thin metal layer is sandwiched between two half spaces filled with dissimilar periodically nonhomogeneous dielectric materials. We solved the boundary-value problem for compound waves guided by a layer of a homogeneous and isotropic metal sandwiched between a structurally chiral material (SCM) and a periodically multilayered isotropic dielectric (PMLID) material. We found that the periodicities of the PMLID material and the SCM are crucial to excite a multiplicity of compound guided waves arising from strong coupling between the two interfaces.

Periodic Properties and Inquiry: Student Mental Models Observed during a Periodic Table Puzzle Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Kathleen G.; Long, George R.; Briggs, Michael W.

2012-01-01

The mental models of both novice and advanced chemistry students were observed while the students performed a periodic table activity. The mental model framework seems to be an effective way of analyzing student behavior during learning activities. The analysis suggests that students do not recognize periodic trends through the examination of…

Restless Legs Syndrome and Depression: Effect Mediation by Disturbed Sleep and Periodic Limb Movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, Brian B; Blackwell, Terri; Lee, Hochang B; Stone, Katie L; Louis, Elan D; Redline, Susan

2016-11-01

To investigate an association between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and depression and to what extent sleep disturbance, periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS), and antidepressant medication mediate this relationship. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of the Osteoporotic Fractures in Older Men Study data in 982 men assessed for RLS (International RLS Study Group scale [IRLSS]) and depression (Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS]), who underwent actigraphy (for sleep latency/efficiency) and polysomnography (for PLMS). Men were split into three groups: no RLS (N = 815), mild RLS (IRLSS ≤ 12, N = 85), moderate-to-severe RLS (IRLSS > 12, N = 82). Depression was defined as GDS score ≥ 6. Logistic and linear regression assessed associations of RLS and depression or number depressive symptoms, respectively. Models were adjusted for age, site, race, education, body mass index, personal habits, benzodiazepine/dopaminergic medication, physical activity, cardiovascular risk factors, and apnea-hypopnea index. Of 982 men, 167 (17.0%) had RLS. Depression was significantly associated with moderate-to-severe RLS after adjustment (versus no RLS: OR [95% CI] 2.85 [1.23, 6.64]). Further adjustment for potential mediators attenuated effect size modestly, most for sleep efficiency (OR: 2.85-2.55). Compared with no RLS, moderate-to-severe RLS was associated with the number of depressive symptoms after adjustment (adjusted means [95% CI]; no RLS: 1.14 [1.05, 1.24] versus IRLSS > 12: 1.69 [1.32, 2.11]). Further adjustment for potential mediators did not alter effect size. For men with PLMS index at least median, number of depressive symptoms significantly increased as RLS category became more severe. Depression is more common as RLS severity worsens. The RLS-depression relationship is modestly explained by sleep disturbance and PLMS. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effect of gamma radiation in the ripening period of prato cheese

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez, Erika Maria Roel

2001-01-01

The Prato (cheese washed dough) is one of the must popular cheese of Brazil and must be ripening for 45 to 60 days for to reach characteristics of flavors and texture. The present work studied the effect of gamma radiation in the ripening period of Prato cheese. Two periods of irradiation was studied, in first day and 15 th day of ripening. The cheese was irradiated with doses of 0 (non-irradiated), 1, 2, 3 and 4 kGy at a rate of 0,9696 kGy/h from a cobalto-60 source in the period referred and stored at 10-12 deg C and +- 85% RH for 60 days. The physical-chemical and microbiological characteristics and organoleptic properties were analysed every each 15 days of ripening. Through of the results observed that with the increase of the dose of radiation, decreased the total microbial count and that the irradiation retarded the ripening according to increase of the dose, this probability of the destruction of bacterial lactic. The greatest difference found was in the colour according the increasing of the dose, the cheese was more colorless, less yellow and red. Which the organoleptic properties verified that with the increase of the dose of radiation, there was a lost about the color. The cheese increase the firmness, became dryer and less creamy and tasted flavors less intense, a little more bitter and smoking compared with a control. Even though about these differences there was no refuse of Prato cheese, among the sensorial group for irradiated cheese until 2 kGy. (author)

Periodic variation and its effect on management and prognosis of Korean patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyo Eun; Koo, Bon-Kwon; Lee, Wonjae; Cho, Youngjin; Park, Jin Sik; Choi, Ji-Yong; Jeong, Myung-Ho; Kim, Jong Hyun; Chae, Shung Chull; Kim, Young Jo; Nam, Chang-Wook; Lee, Jae-Hwan; Choi, Dong Hoon; Hong, Taek Jong; Chae, Jei Keon; Rhew, Jae Young; Kim, Kee Sik; Kim, Hyo-Soo; Oh, Byung-Hee; Park, Young Bae

2010-05-01

The characteristics of the periodic variation in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the subsequent effect on management and prognosis have not been fully investigated in a large number of Asian populations. From a prospective, observational multicenter online registry, 4,573 patients diagnosed as AMI in Korea from January to December 2006 were included. The highest incidence of AMI was between 8 a.m. and noon. The number of cases was highest in the winter and lowest in the autumn (13.6 vs 11.4 patients per day, Pworking hours had a shorter time to first medical contact (203+/-288 min) compared with out-of-hours onset (230+/-288 min, P=0.003). In patients who underwent primary angioplasty, out-of hours symptom onset was associated with a greater time delay in both the patient's and the medical facility's response (door-to-balloon time out-of hours vs working hours: 101+/-54 min vs 84+/-44 min, P<0.001). In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, symptoms to first medical contact showed a significant relationship to in-hospital mortality (for every 10 min of symptoms to first medical contact, odds ratio 1.006, 95% confidence interval 1.001-1.012, P=0.018) Circadian and periodic variation in AMI exists in Korean patients, which resulted in different patient behavior, hospital management and outcomes.

Should we expect financial globalization to have significant effects on business cycles?

OpenAIRE

Iversen, Jens

2009-01-01

Empirical research suggests that financial globalization has insignificant effects on business cycles. Based on standard theoretical models it might be conjectured that the effects should be significant. I show that this conjecture is wrong. Theoretical effects of financial globalization can be determined to any level of precision by expanding the underlying artificial samples. In contrast, in the data the effects are imprecisely estimated because of short samples. I show that if the conclusi...

Non-reciprocal wave propagation in one-dimensional nonlinear periodic structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benbiao Luo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We study a one-dimensional nonlinear periodic structure which contains two different spring stiffness and an identical mass in each period. The linear dispersion relationship we obtain indicates that our periodic structure has obvious advantages compared to other kinds of periodic structures (i.e. those with the same spring stiffness but two different mass, including its increased flexibility for manipulating the band gap. Theoretically, the optical cutoff frequency remains unchanged while the acoustic cutoff frequency shifts to a lower or higher frequency. A numerical simulation verifies the dispersion relationship and the effect of the amplitude-dependent signal filter. Based upon this, we design a device which contains both a linear periodic structure and a nonlinear periodic structure. When incident waves with the same, large amplitude pass through it from opposite directions, the output amplitude of the forward input is one order magnitude larger than that of the reverse input. Our devised, non-reciprocal device can potentially act as an acoustic diode (AD without an electrical circuit and frequency shifting. Our result represents a significant step forwards in the research of non-reciprocal wave manipulation.

Hydrostatic pressure and strain effects in short period InN/GaN superlattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gorczyca, I.; Suski, T.; Christensen, Niels Egede

2012-01-01

The electronic structures of short-period pseudomorphically grown superlattices (SLs) of the form mInN/nGaN are calculated and the band gap variation with the well and the barrier thicknesses is discussed including hydrostatic pressure effects. The calculated band gap shows a strong dependence...... strongly on the strain conditions and SL geometry, but weakly on the applied external hydrostatic pressure....

Effect of litter quality on foot pad dermatitis, hock burns and breast blisters in broiler breeders during the production period.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaukonen, Eija; Norring, Marianna; Valros, Anna

2016-12-01

Foot pad dermatitis and hock burn lesions are a form of contact dermatitis, a condition affecting skin areas in contact with unsuitable or irritating material. Contact dermatitis is a common problem, reducing the welfare of broilers, and is believed to also affect broiler breeders. However, there is very little research on contact dermatitis in breeders. This study followed the severity of foot pad lesions in broiler breeders throughout the production period. At slaughter the presence of hock burns and breast blisters was also determined. In addition, changes in litter condition over time and the impact of litter quality on foot pads were evaluated. The study was performed on 10 broiler breeder farms, including altogether 18 flocks. Foot pads of 100 hens per flock were assessed at the end of rearing period, three times during the production period, and at slaughter. Foot pad and hock lesions, as well as litter condition were scored on a 5-point scale. Litter quality was evaluated as pH, moisture and ammonia content. The condition of foot pads deteriorated towards slaughter age, with the occurrence of severe lesions reaching a maximum of 64% on average at slaughter. Hock lesions and breast blisters were rare. The litter layer became drier over time. Although poorer litter condition and wetness influenced foot pad health negatively, the effect on severe lesions was not significant. We also observed a negative effect on foot pad condition of larger slat areas. In conclusion, maintaining good litter quality alone is not enough to ensure healthy foot pads in broiler breeders.

Seismic isolation of two dimensional periodic foundations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Y.; Mo, Y. L.; Laskar, A.; Cheng, Z.; Shi, Z.; Menq, F.; Tang, Y.

2014-01-01

Phononic crystal is now used to control acoustic waves. When the crystal goes to a larger scale, it is called periodic structure. The band gaps of the periodic structure can be reduced to range from 0.5 Hz to 50 Hz. Therefore, the periodic structure has potential applications in seismic wave reflection. In civil engineering, the periodic structure can be served as the foundation of upper structure. This type of foundation consisting of periodic structure is called periodic foundation. When the frequency of seismic waves falls into the band gaps of the periodic foundation, the seismic wave can be blocked. Field experiments of a scaled two dimensional (2D) periodic foundation with an upper structure were conducted to verify the band gap effects. Test results showed the 2D periodic foundation can effectively reduce the response of the upper structure for excitations with frequencies within the frequency band gaps. When the experimental and the finite element analysis results are compared, they agree well with each other, indicating that 2D periodic foundation is a feasible way of reducing seismic vibrations.

Transient hydrodynamic finite-size effects in simulations under periodic boundary conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Asta, Adelchi J.; Levesque, Maximilien; Vuilleumier, Rodolphe; Rotenberg, Benjamin

2017-06-01

We use lattice-Boltzmann and analytical calculations to investigate transient hydrodynamic finite-size effects induced by the use of periodic boundary conditions. These effects are inevitable in simulations at the molecular, mesoscopic, or continuum levels of description. We analyze the transient response to a local perturbation in the fluid and obtain the local velocity correlation function via linear response theory. This approach is validated by comparing the finite-size effects on the steady-state velocity with the known results for the diffusion coefficient. We next investigate the full time dependence of the local velocity autocorrelation function. We find at long times a crossover between the expected t-3 /2 hydrodynamic tail and an oscillatory exponential decay, and study the scaling with the system size of the crossover time, exponential rate and amplitude, and oscillation frequency. We interpret these results from the analytic solution of the compressible Navier-Stokes equation for the slowest modes, which are set by the system size. The present work not only provides a comprehensive analysis of hydrodynamic finite-size effects in bulk fluids, which arise regardless of the level of description and simulation algorithm, but also establishes the lattice-Boltzmann method as a suitable tool to investigate such effects in general.

Depression in pregnancy and postpartum period.

Science.gov (United States)

Sood, Mamta; Sood, A K

2003-01-01

This prospective study was carried out in a service hospital, with the aim to study the prevalence and incidence of depression in pregnancy and postpartum period. Eighty Four consecutive patients attending the antenatal outpatient in the Obstetrics & Gynaecology department in their last trimester of pregnancy were recruited for the study. They were assessed on Beck Depression Inventory thrice viz. during third trimester of pregnancy, within 3 days of delivery (early postpartum period) & within 4-8 weeks of delivery (late postpartum period).The prevalence of depression was 8.3%, 20% and 12.8% respectively at three ratings. The incidence was 16% and 10% in the early & late postpartum period respectively. Further analysis revealed that depression in pregnancy correlated significantly with depression in early postpartum period, but not with late postpartum period. Depression in early postpartum period correlated with depression in late postpartum period.These findings have implications for early detection and care of women at risk for developing depression.

Effect of lavender oil aroma in the early hours of postpartum period on maternal pains, fatigue, and mood: A randomized clinical trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farideh Vaziri

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Busy care providers focus on the serious complications of postpartum period. This issue causes the seemingly trivial complications, such as mother's pains, fatigue, and psychological status, to be less taken into account. The study aimed to determine the effect of lavender oil aroma in the early hours of postpartum period on maternal pains, fatigue, and mood in primiparous mothers. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 56 participants; 29 in intervention group and 27 in control group. The intervention group received lavender oil in three doses during the first 24 h after delivery. Sesame oil was used in the control group. Intensity of pain, fatigue, and distress level was measured by visual analog scale before and after the interventions. Besides, mood status was assessed through the positive and negative affect schedule. Results: The mean age of all the participants was 23.88 ± 3.88 years. After the first intervention and also in the tomorrow morning assessment, significant differences were found between the two groups regarding perineal pain (P = 0.004, P< 0.001, physical pain (P < 0.001, fatigue (P = 0.02, P< 0.001, and distress scores (P < 0.001. In addition, significant differences were found concerning the mean scores of positive (P < 0.001 and negative (P = 0.007, P< 0.001 moods between the two groups after the interventions. Repeated measures analyses showed that the two groups were significantly different over time in all the evaluated variables. Conclusions: Lavender oil aromatherapy starting in the first hours of postpartum period resulted in better physical and mood status compared to nonaromatic group.

A Time-Delayed Mathematical Model for Tumor Growth with the Effect of a Periodic Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shihe; Wei, Xiangqing; Zhang, Fangwei

2016-01-01

A time-delayed mathematical model for tumor growth with the effect of periodic therapy is studied. The establishment of the model is based on the reaction-diffusion dynamics and mass conservation law and is considered with a time delay in cell proliferation process. Sufficient conditions for the global stability of tumor free equilibrium are given. We also prove that if external concentration of nutrients is large the tumor will not disappear and the conditions under which there exist periodic solutions to the model are also determined. Results are illustrated by computer simulations.

A Time-Delayed Mathematical Model for Tumor Growth with the Effect of a Periodic Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shihe Xu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A time-delayed mathematical model for tumor growth with the effect of periodic therapy is studied. The establishment of the model is based on the reaction-diffusion dynamics and mass conservation law and is considered with a time delay in cell proliferation process. Sufficient conditions for the global stability of tumor free equilibrium are given. We also prove that if external concentration of nutrients is large the tumor will not disappear and the conditions under which there exist periodic solutions to the model are also determined. Results are illustrated by computer simulations.

Randomized trial of BCG vaccination at birth to low-birth-weight children: beneficial nonspecific effects in the neonatal period?

Science.gov (United States)

Aaby, Peter; Roth, Adam; Ravn, Henrik; Napirna, Bitiguida Mutna; Rodrigues, Amabelia; Lisse, Ida Maria; Stensballe, Lone; Diness, Birgitte Rode; Lausch, Karen Rokkedal; Lund, Najaaraq; Biering-Sørensen, Sofie; Whittle, Hilton; Benn, Christine Stabell

2011-07-15

Observational studies have suggested that BCG may have nonspecific beneficial effects on survival. Low-birth-weight (LBW) children are not given BCG at birth in Guinea-Bissau; we conducted a randomized trial of BCG at birth (early BCG) vs delayed BCG. In the period 2004-2008 we recruited 2320 LBW children in Bissau. The children were visited at home at 2, 6, and 12 months of age. With a pretrial infant mortality of 250 per 1000, we hypothesized a 25% reduction in infant mortality for LBW children. Infant mortality was only 101 per 1000 during the trial. In the primary analysis, infant mortality was reduced insignificantly by 17% (mortality rate ratio [MRR] = .83 [.63-1.08]). In secondary analyses, early BCG vaccine was safe with an MRR of .49 (.21-1.15) after 3 days and .55 (.34-.89) after 4 weeks. The reduction in neonatal mortality was mainly due to fewer cases of neonatal sepsis, respiratory infection, and fever. The impact of early BCG on infant mortality was marked for children weighing <1.5 kg (MRR = .43 [.21-.85]) who had lower coverage for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccinations. Though early BCG did not reduce infant mortality significantly, it may have a beneficial effect in the neonatal period. This could be important for public health because BCG is often delayed in low-income countries.

Significantly enhanced memory effect in metallic glass by multistep training

Science.gov (United States)

Li, M. X.; Luo, P.; Sun, Y. T.; Wen, P.; Bai, H. Y.; Liu, Y. H.; Wang, W. H.

2017-11-01

The state of metastable equilibrium glass can carry an imprint of the past and exhibit memory effect. As a hallmark of glassy dynamics, memory effect can affect glassy behavior as it evolves further upon time. Even though the physical picture of the memory effect has been well studied, it is unclear whether a glass can recall as many pieces of information as possible, and if so, how the glass will accordingly behave. We report that by fractionizing temperature interval, inserting multistep aging protocols, and optimizing the time of each temperature step, i.e., by imposing a multistep "training" on a prototypical P d40N i10C u30P20 metallic glass, the memory of the trained glass can be significantly strengthened, marked by a pronounced augment in potential energy. These findings provide a new guide for regulating the energy state of glass by enhancing the nonequilibrium behaviors of the memory effect and offer an opportunity to develop a clearer physical picture of glassy dynamics.

Vitamin D and Calcium Addition during Denosumab Therapy over a Period of Four Years Significantly Improves Lumbar Bone Mineral Density in Japanese Osteoporosis Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takako Suzuki

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study investigated whether or not vitamin D and calcium supplementation affected bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD over a period of four years of denosumab therapy in patients with primary osteoporosis. Patients were divided into a denosumab monotherapy group (22 cases or a denosumab plus vitamin D and calcium supplementation group (combination group, 21 cases. We measured serum bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP-5b, urinary N-terminal telopeptide of type-I collagen (NTX, and BMD of the lumbar 1–4 vertebrae (L-BMD and bilateral hips (H-BMD at baseline and at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months of treatment. There were no significant differences in patient background. Serum BAP, TRACP-5b, and urinary NTX were significantly and comparably inhibited in both groups from 12 to 48 months versus baseline values. L-BMD was significantly increased at every time point in both groups, while H-BMD was significantly increased at every time point in the combination group only. There were significant differences between the groups for L-BMD at 24, 36, and 48 months (P < 0.05 and for H-BMD at 12 months (P < 0.05. Compared with denosumab monotherapy, combination therapy of denosumab plus vitamin D and calcium significantly increased H-BMD at 12 months and L-BMD from 24 to 48 months. These findings indicate that continuous vitamin D and calcium supplementation is important, especially for 12 months to improve H-BMD and from 24 to 48 months to improve L-BMD.

Utilization of critical periods during development to study the effects of low levels of environmental agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, L.B.

1981-01-01

This chapter shows how careful definition of critical periods in the development of selected characters can result in experimental systems that may be highly useful in studying risk at low levels of exposure. Presents 3 systems that utilize critical periods to study low-level effects: 1) cell kinetics as an indicator of nervous-system maldevelopment; 2) oocyte depletion; and 3) homeotic shifts in the skeleton. Discusses application of the sensitive systems to the testing of chemicals and the role of sensitive stages in estimating risk. Suggests that tests such as the 3 discussed in this paper, which are developed with strict attention to specific critical periods, can provide rapid and sensitive means for revealing whether an agent is capable of causing developmental interference. Concludes that epidemiological investigations can lose much of their value unless critical periods are known for the endpoints being studied

Effects of age, time period, and birth cohort on the prevalence of diabetes and obesity in Korean men.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jin-Won; Song, Yun-mi; Park, Hye soon; Sung, Joohon; Kim, Ho; Cho, Sung-il

2008-02-01

We examined changes in the prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and overweight in 412,881 Korean men in birth cohorts from 1933 to 1972 over 8 years from 1992 to 2000 and separately analyzed the effects of age, time period, and birth cohort. The study included male employees of Korean government organizations and schools who were between 20 and 59 years of age in 1992. Diabetes was diagnosed on the basis of self-reports in 1992 or fasting blood glucose levels (>or=126 mg/ml, 7.0 mmol/l). The age-period-cohort model was used to estimate the effects of age, time period, and birth cohort. In Korean male birth cohorts from 1933 to 1972, the age-specific prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and overweight in men aged 28-59 years increased annually by 0.41% (3.03 to 6.29%), 0.18% (0.70 to 2.16%), and 1.49% (23.48 to 35.41%), respectively, from 1992 to 2000. The relative change in diabetes was largest among the younger cohorts (>400% increase over 8 years) and corresponded to the change in obesity. Apart from the contribution of age, clear cohort and period effects were evident for diabetes, although the magnitude of the effect was slightly less than that for obesity. Prevention of diabetes through the control of obesity, particularly in young men, clearly needs to be emphasized.

Periodicity effects of axial waves in elastic compound rods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, R. B.; Sorokin, S. V.

2015-01-01

Floquet analysis is applied to the Bernoulli-Euler model for axial waves in a periodic rod. Explicit asymptotic formulae for the stop band borders are given and the topology of the stop band pattern is explained. Eigenfrequencies of the symmetric unit cell are determined by the Phase-closure Prin......Floquet analysis is applied to the Bernoulli-Euler model for axial waves in a periodic rod. Explicit asymptotic formulae for the stop band borders are given and the topology of the stop band pattern is explained. Eigenfrequencies of the symmetric unit cell are determined by the Phase......-closure Principle, and their correspondence with stop band formation is shown. Steady-state and transient dynamics of a periodic rod of finite length are analysed numerically and the difference in structural response when excitation is done in either stop- or pass bands is demonstrated. A physical interpretation...

Effect of fluoxetine on the pharmacokinetics of lansoprazole: a two-treatment period study in healthy male subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlase, Laurian; Popa, Adina; Neag, Maria; Muntean, Dana; Leucuta, Sorin E

2011-10-01

Fluoxetine is an inhibitor of the main metabolizing enzymes of lansoprazole and could influence the pharmacokinetics of lansoprazole. The changes in lansoprazole pharmacokinetics could have clinical significance concerning the safety of the therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic interaction between fluoxetine and lansoprazole in healthy subjects. A dose of lansoprazole 30 mg, alone or in combination with fluoxetine 60 mg, was administered to 18 healthy male subjects in a two-treatment study design, separated by an 8-day period in which fluoxetine alone was administered as a single oral daily dose. Plasma concentrations of lansoprazole were determined during a 12-hour period following drug administration. Lansoprazole plasma concentrations were determined by a validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method. The pharmacokinetic parameters of lansoprazole were calculated using non-compartmental analysis. In the two periods of treatment, the mean maximum plasma concentration (C(max)) values were 817 ng/mL (lansoprazole alone) and 1370 ng/mL (lansoprazole in combination with fluoxetine after pre-treatment with fluoxetine for 8 days) [p lansoprazole and suggest that the observed interaction may be clinically significant, although its clinical relevance has yet to be confirmed.

An Effective Method of Introducing the Periodic Table as a Crossword Puzzle at the High School Level

Science.gov (United States)

Joag, Sushama D.

2014-01-01

A simple method to introduce the modern periodic table of elements at the high school level as a game of solving a crossword puzzle is presented here. A survey to test the effectiveness of this new method relative to the conventional method, involving use of a wall-mounted chart of the periodic table, was conducted on a convenience sample. This…

A computational study of the piezoelectric response due to the material effect in periodic, single island thin films and the geometric effect in periodic, bi-island thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, B.; Bhattacharyya, A.

2010-01-01

The electromechanical response of a square-periodic array of circular piezoelectric (PE) thin films alternating with non-piezoelectric (NPE) films is studied in this paper. The material effects are studied for four film/substrate combinations in absence of NPE films for which it is found that if d zxx zzz (z-axis being normal to the interfacial plane between the film and the substrate), it results in reduced substrate bending leading to reduced degradation in the electromechanical response of the thin film. The bi-island structure is studied for zinc oxide on strontium titanate, and, in general, it is seen that the NPE films not only reduce degradation of the electromechanical response of the PE films but also increase their internal stresses; the effect on the former is less than the latter. These effects are most prominent when the circular NPE thin films fill the space between the PE thin films and are elastically very stiff compared to the substrate.

Understanding trends in Australian alcohol consumption-an age-period-cohort model.

Science.gov (United States)

Livingston, Michael; Raninen, Jonas; Slade, Tim; Swift, Wendy; Lloyd, Belinda; Dietze, Paul

2016-09-01

To decompose Australian trends in alcohol consumption into their age, period (survey year) and cohort (birth year/generation) components. In particular, we aimed to test whether recent declines in overall consumption have been influenced by reductions in drinking among recently born cohorts. Seven cross-sectional waves of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey (1995-2013). Age, period and cohort effects were estimated using a linear and logistic cross-classified random-effects models (CCREMs). Australia A total of 124 440 Australians (69 193 females and 55 257 males), aged 14-79 years. Whether or not respondents consumed alcohol in the 12 months prior to the survey and, for those who did, the estimated volume of pure alcohol consumed, derived using standard quantity-frequency survey questions. Controlling for age and period effects, there was significant variation in drinking participation and drinking volume by birth cohort. In particular, male cohorts born between the 1965 and 1974 and female cohorts born between 1955 and 1974 reported higher rates of drinking participation (P women (P < 0.01). Recent birth cohorts (born between 1995 and 1999) in Australia report significantly lower rates of both drinking participation and drinking volume than previous cohorts, controlling for their age distribution and overall changes in population drinking. These findings suggest that the recent decline in alcohol consumption in Australia has been driven by declines in drinking among these recently born cohorts. These trends are consistent with international shifts in youth drinking. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

The effects of UV radiation during the vegetative period on antioxidant compounds and postharvest quality of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Topcu, Yasin; Dogan, Adem; Kasimoglu, Zehra; Sahin-Nadeem, Hilal; Polat, Ersin; Erkan, Mustafa

2015-08-01

In this study, the effects of supplementary UV radiation during the vegetative period on antioxidant compounds, antioxidant activity and postharvest quality of broccoli heads during long term storage was studied. The broccolis were grown under three different doses of supplementary UV radiation (2.2, 8.8 and 16.4 kJ/m(2)/day) in a soilless system in a glasshouse. Harvested broccoli heads were stored at 0 °C in modified atmosphere packaging for 60 days. The supplementary UV radiation (280-315 nm) during the vegetative period significantly decreased total carotenoid, the chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content but increased the ascorbic acid, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of broccolis. All supplementary UV treatments slightly reduced the antioxidant activity of the broccolis, however, no remarkable change was observed between 2.2 and 8.8 kJ/m(2) radiation levels. The sinigrin and glucotropaeolin contents of the broccolis were substantially increased by UV treatments. The prolonged storage period resulted in decreased ascorbic acid, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant activity. Discoloration of the heads, due to decreased chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, was also observed with prolonged storage duration. Glucosinolates levels showed an increasing tendency till the 45th day of storage, and then their levels started to decline. The weight loss of broccoli heads during storage progressively increased with storage time in all treatments. Total soluble solids, solids content and titratable acidity decreased continuously during storage. Titratable acidity was not affected by UV radiation doses during the storage time whereas soluble solids and solids content (dry matter) were significantly affected by UV doses. Supplementary UV radiation increased the lightness (L*) and chroma (C*) values of the broccoli heads. Pre-harvest UV radiation during vegetative period seems to be a promising tool for increasing the beneficial health components

Effects of periodic boundary conditions on equilibrium properties of computer simulated fluids. I. Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pratt, L.R.; Haan, S.W.

1981-01-01

An exact formal theory for the effects of periodic boundary conditions on the equilibrium properties of computer simulated classical many-body systems is developed. This is done by observing that use of the usual periodic conditions is equivalent to the study of a certain supermolecular liquid, in which a supermolecule is a polyatomic molecule of infinite extent composed of one of the physical particles in the system plus all its periodic images. For this supermolecular system in the grand ensemble, all the cluster expansion techniques used in the study of real molecular liquids are directly applicable. As expected, particle correlations are translationally uniform, but explicitly anisotropic. When the intermolecular potential energy functions are of short enough range, or cut off, so that the minimum image method is used, evaluation of the cluster integrals is dramatically simplified. In this circumstance, a large and important class of cluster expansion contributions can be summed exactly, and expressed in terms of the correlation functions which result when the system size is allowed to increase without bound. This result yields a simple and useful approximation to the corrections to the particle correlations due to the use of periodic boundary conditions with finite systems. Numerical application of these results are reported in the following paper

Effect of periodic deuterium ion irradiation on deuterium retention and blistering in Tungsten

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M. Oya

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The effect of periodic irradiation on Deuterium (D retention and blistering in Tungsten (W was investigated. W samples were exposed to D plasma at a fixed fluence while varying the irradiation cycle number (1-shot, 2-shots and 3-shots. Exposure energy and flux were ∼50eV and ∼1 ×1022 D m−2 s−1, respectively. Sample temperatures were 537K and 643K. At 573K, D retention and blister density decreased with increasing number of irradiation cycle. In contrast at 643K, D retention showed no dependence on number of irradiation cycle. Therefore, sample temperature during irradiation is an important parameter in comparing the results of continuous and periodic irradiation, especially in studies involving extremely-high-flux (>1024 D m−2 s−1 irradiation and fluence dependency of D retention.

Ovarian activity and embryo yield in relation to the postpartum period in superovulated dairy cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luděk Stádník

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate superovulation response in cows at various postpartum periods (early postpartum period up to 3.5 months; middle postpartum period 3.7–7 months; later postpartum period above 7.5 months after calving. The data included observation of 55 Holstein cows superovulated at one farm in the Czech Republic during the years 2010 and 2013. Reproduction traits (dependent variable were represented as number of the corpora lutea, number of transferable embryos, morulae, blastocysts, total number of embryos and embryo recovery. For statistical evaluation we used the PROC GLM of SAS® with fixed effect - breeding value of milk production. The study results show significant differences (P < 0.05–0.01 in the three postpartum periods (early, middle, and later postpartum periods and the number of corpora lutea (4.6; 7.4; 10.8, number of total embryos (3.2; 2.9; 6.5 and transferable embryos (1.8; 1.7; 4.4. Effective timing of embryo transfer in the later postpartum period resulted in greater ovarian activity and embryo yield compared to early lactation periods.

Effect of probucol combined with atorvastatin adjuvant therapy on serum indexes of acute cerebral infarction patients during rehabilitation period

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Li Zhang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the effect of probucol combined with atorvastatin adjuvant therapy on serum indexes of acute cerebral infarction patients in rehabilitation period. Methods: A total of 102 patients with acute cerebral infarction were treated in our hospital from August 2011 to June 2015, were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and were randomly divided into observation group 51 cases and control group 51 cases according to the order of hospitalization. Control group received atorvastatin treatment alone, observation group received probucol combined with atorvastatin adjuvant therapy, and then differences in levels of serum CXCL16, HMGB1, CD40L and Fibulin-5, P-selectin, NPY, CGRP, visfatin and others, chemokines and inflammation-related factors, vascular endothelial cells and fibrinolytic function, etc were compared between two groups after treatment. Results: Serum CXCL16, HMGB1, CD40L and Fibulin-5 levels of observation group after treatment were lower than those of control group; serum P-selectin, NPY, visfatin, UCH-L1, sVCAM-1 and SAA levels of observation group after treatment were lower than those of control group while CGRP level was higher than that of control group; serum CCL-19, CCL-21, YKL-40, IL-33 and IL- 18 values of observation group after treatment were lower than those of control group; serum vWF, PAI-1 and plasminogen levels of observation group after treatment were lower than those of control group while 6-K-PGF1α and tPA levels were higher than those of control group. Conclusions: Probucol combined with atorvastatin adjuvant therapy for acute cerebral infarction patients in rehabilitation period can effectively optimize patients’ general status and avoid re-infarction in recovery period, and it has positive clinical significance.

Human error considerations and annunciator effects in determining optimal test intervals for periodically inspected standby systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McWilliams, T.P.; Martz, H.F.

1981-01-01

This paper incorporates the effects of four types of human error in a model for determining the optimal time between periodic inspections which maximizes the steady state availability for standby safety systems. Such safety systems are characteristic of nuclear power plant operations. The system is modeled by means of an infinite state-space Markov chain. Purpose of the paper is to demonstrate techniques for computing steady-state availability A and the optimal periodic inspection interval tau* for the system. The model can be used to investigate the effects of human error probabilities on optimal availability, study the benefits of annunciating the standby-system, and to determine optimal inspection intervals. Several examples which are representative of nuclear power plant applications are presented

Significance of agricultural row structure on the microwave emissivity of soils

Science.gov (United States)

Promes, P. M.; Jackson, T. J.; O'Neill, P. E.

1987-01-01

A series of field experiments was carried out to extend the data base available for verifying agricultural row effect models of emissivity. The row effects model was used to simulate a data base from which an algorithm could be developed to account for row effects when the scene dielectric constant and small-scale roughness are unknown. One objective of the study was to quantify the significance of row structure and to develop a practical procedure for removing the effects of periodic row structure on the microwave emissivity of a soil in order to use the emissivity values to estimate the soil moisture. A second objective was to expand the data set available for model verification through field observations using a truck-mounted 1.4-GHz microwave radiometer.

Moderating Effects of Trust on Environmentally Significant Behavior in Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seong-Gin Moon

2017-03-01

Full Text Available To treat environmental problems and to seek sustainable development, voluntary and cooperative efforts, which is really against the traditional mentality with the emphasis on the individual competitive optimization, became the key to maintain the sustainability of complex social and ecological systems. To understand the cooperative and voluntary individual’s environmentally significant behavior (ESB, this paper focuses on the role of trust, and assesses the effect of trust on the relationship between existing factors and ESB. A structural equation model (SEM is constructed to estimate the moderating effects of trust on ESB in Korea. We found that people with a negative view on strict environmental regulations do not exhibit ESB and thus nudge policies could be much more effective than the forceful measure. It is noteworthy that public private partnership, as a kind of optimal trust, should be more promoted in the environmental protection policies.

An examination of the prospective association between religious service attendance and suicide: Explanatory factors and period effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleiman, Evan M; Liu, Richard T

2018-01-01

We addressed two unanswered questions from prior research, demonstrating a prospective association between frequent religious service attendance and decreased risk for suicide. First, we assessed whether religious service attendance conferred protection from suicide even after accounting for strength of religious affiliation. Second, we evaluated whether the relationship between religious service attendance and suicide was subject to period effects. Data were drawn from the 1978-2010 General Social Survey, a nationally representative study of 30,650 non-institutionalized, English-speaking American residents age 18 or older. Data were linked with the National Death Index through the end of 2014. We analyzed these data using moderated Cox proportional hazard analyses. Religious affiliation had no relationship with suicide. Religious service attendance only had a protective effect against suicide death among those in later (2000-2010) rather than earlier (1998 and earlier) data collection periods. Secondary analysis of data limited the types of variables that were available. The protective nature of religion is due more to participating in religious activities, such as attending religious services, than to having a strong religious affiliation, and this effect exists primarily in more recent data collection periods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Money Supply on the Inflation the Period between 1980-2013 in Turkey Economy

OpenAIRE

İsmail Şahin; Muhammet Karanfil

2015-01-01

To provide the economic stability, in the fight against the inflation problem, various monetary and fiscal policies have been applied in different periods in Turkey. In spite of these policies, inflation has not been taken to the expected level in the certain period. However, in recent years the decline in the inflation has demonstrated that the policies which were implemented were effective. At the end of these policies, the object is achieved partly which, was targeted in the inflation. The...

Effect of climatic variability on childhood diarrhea and its high risk periods in northwestern parts of Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Kumie, Abera; Worku, Alemayehu; C. Bagtzoglou, Amvrossios; Anagnostou, Emmanouil

2017-01-01

Background Increasing climate variability as a result of climate change will be one of the public health challenges to control infectious diseases in the future, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia. Objective To investigate the effect of climate variability on childhood diarrhea (CDD) and identify high risk periods of diarrheal diseases. Methods The study was conducted in all districts located in three Zones (Awi, West and East Gojjam) of Amhara Region in northwestern parts of Ethiopia. Monthly CDD cases for 24 months (from July 2013 to June 2015) reported to each district health office from the routine surveillance system were used for the study. Temperature, rainfall and humidity data for each district were extracted from satellite precipitation estimates and global atmospheric reanalysis. The space-time permutation scan statistic was used to identify high risk periods of CDD. A negative binomial regression was used to investigate the relationship between cases of CDD and climate variables. Statistical analyses were conducted using SaTScan program and StataSE v. 12. Results The monthly average incidence rate of CDD was 11.4 per 1000 (95%CI 10.8–12.0) with significant variation between males [12.5 per 1000 (95%CI 11.9 to 13.2)] and females [10.2 per 1000 (95%CI 9.6 to 10.8)]. The space-time permutation scan statistic identified the most likely high risk period of CDD between March and June 2014 located in Huletej Enese district of East Gojjam Zone. Monthly average temperature and monthly average rainfall were positively associated with the rate of CDD, whereas the relative humidity was negatively associated with the rate of CDD. Conclusions This study found that the most likely high risk period is in the beginning of the dry season. Climatic factors have an association with the occurrence of CDD. Therefore, CDD prevention and control strategy should consider local weather variations to improve programs on CDD. PMID:29073259

Effects of leptin on sperm count and morphology in Sprague-Dawley rats and their reversibility following a 6-week recovery period.

Science.gov (United States)

Almabhouh, F A; Osman, K; Siti Fatimah, I; Sergey, G; Gnanou, J; Singh, H J

2015-09-01

Altered epididymal sperm count and morphology following leptin treatment has been reported recently. This study examined the effects of 42 days of leptin treatment on sperm count and morphology and their reversibility during a subsequent 56-day recovery period. Twelve-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised into four leptin and four saline-treated control groups (n = 6). Intraperitoneal injections of leptin were given daily (60 μg Kg(-1) body weight) for 42 days. Controls received 0.1 ml of 0.9% saline. Leptin-treated animals and their respective age-matched controls were euthanised on either day 1, 21, 42 or 56 of recovery for collection of epididymal spermatozoa. Sperm concentration was determined using a Makler counting chamber. Spermatozoa were analysed for 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine and DNA fragmentation (Comet assay). Data were analysed using anova. Sperm concentration was significantly lower but fraction of abnormal spermatozoa, and levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine were significantly higher in leptin-treated rats on day 1 of recovery. Comet assays revealed significant DNA fragmentation in leptin-treated rats. These differences were reduced by day 56 of recovery. It appears that 42 days of leptin treatment to Sprague-Dawley rats has significant adverse effects on sperm count and morphology that reverse following discontinuation of leptin treatment. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Anisotropic failure and size effects in periodic honeycomb materials: A gradient-elasticity approach

Science.gov (United States)

Réthoré, Julien; Dang, Thi Bach Tuyet; Kaltenbrunner, Christine

2017-02-01

This paper proposes a fracture mechanics model for the analysis of crack propagation in periodic honeycomb materials. The model is based on gradient-elasticity which enables us to account for the effect of the material structure at the macroscopic scale. For simulating the propagation of cracks along an arbitrary path, the numerical implementation is elaborated based on an extended finite element method with the required level of continuity. The two main features captured by the model are directionality and size effect. The numerical predictions are consistent with experimental results on honeycomb materials but also with results reported in the literature for microstructurally short cracks in metals.

Effect of 16-hour duty periods on patient care and resident education.

Science.gov (United States)

McCoy, Christopher P; Halvorsen, Andrew J; Loftus, Conor G; McDonald, Furman S; Oxentenko, Amy S

2011-03-01

To measure the effect of duty periods no longer than 16 hours on patient care and resident education. As part of our Educational Innovations Project, we piloted a novel resident schedule for an inpatient service that eliminated shifts longer than 16 hours without increased staffing or decreased patient admissions on 2 gastroenterology services from August 29 to November 27, 2009. Patient care variables were obtained through medical record review. Resident well-being and educational variables were collected by weekly surveys, end of rotation evaluations, and an electronic card-swipe system. Patient care metrics, including 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission rate, and length of stay, were unchanged for the 196 patient care episodes in the 5-week intervention month compared with the 274 episodes in the 8 weeks of control months. However, residents felt less prepared to manage cross-cover of patients (P = .006). There was a nonsignificant trend toward decreased perception of quality of education and balance of personal and professional life during the intervention month. Residents reported working fewer weekly hours overall during the intervention (64.3 vs 68.9 hours; P = .40), but they had significantly more episodes with fewer than 10 hours off between shifts (24 vs 2 episodes; P = .004). Inpatient hospital services can be staffed with residents working shifts less than 16 hours without additional residents. However, cross-cover of care, quality of education, and time off between shifts may be adversely affected.

The period-luminosity relation for Cepheids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodie, J.P.

1980-01-01

Numerical simulations of the empirical determination of the period-luminosity-colour relation for classical Cepheids are presented. In this study the quantitative effects of random errors, reddening, sample size and the presence of both colour and period cut-offs (imposed by the finite extent of the instability strip) on the observational redetermination of the original relation are evaluated. Both random errors in the photometry and correlated errors in the reddening corrections are shown to have systematic effects. Especially sensitive to these errors is the colour coefficient in the period-luminosity-colour relation, where the ratio of the error to the width of the instability strip is the determining factor. With present observations only broad confidence limits can be placed on present knowledge of the intrinsic period-luminosity-colour relation and/or its variations from galaxy to galaxy. (author)

The effects of music intervention on the emotion, haemodynamics and endocrine hormone level of senile patients during the perianesthesia period

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Liang Feng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to explore the effects of music intervention on haemodynamics and endocrine hormone level of senile patients. Methods: choosing ASA II-III level and selecting 60 senile patients performed with intraspinal anesthesia; randomly dividing them into the intervention group and control group with 30 cases in each group. Both the two groups of patients completed the SAS before entering the operating room. When the patients of the intervention group entered the operating room, selected music would be played in a continuous loop immediately till the end of the operation while the doctors of the control group just told the patient to relax without music or other special treatment. Recording and comparing the SAS scores, SBP, HR and salivary cortisol concentration of the two groups before and after intervention. Results: the SAS scores, SBP, HR and salivary cortisol concentration of the intervention group were significantly decreased compared with the value before intervention and the differences within and between the groups were significant (P < 0.05. Conclusion: music intervention can effectively reduce the preoperative anxiety, ease intranperative tension and maintain the stability of hemodynamics, so it is beneficial for senile parents to live through the perianesthesia period.

Non-perturbative study of impurity effects on the Kubo conductivity in macroscopic periodic and quasiperiodic lattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sánchez, Vicenta; Ramírez, Carlos; Sánchez, Fernando; Wang, Chumin

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the effects of site and bond impurities on the electrical conductance of periodic and quasiperiodic systems with macroscopic length by means of a real-space renormalization plus a convolution method developed for the Kubo–Greenwood formula. All analyzed systems are connected to semi-infinite periodic leads. Analytical and numerical conductivity spectra are obtained for one and two site impurities in a periodic chain, where the separation between impurities determines the number of maximums in the spectra. We also found transparent states at the zero chemical potential in Fibonacci chains of every three generations with bond impurities, whose existence was confirmed by an analytical analysis within the Landauer formalism. For many impurities, the spectral average of the conductivity versus the system length reveals a power-law behavior, when the distance between impurities follows the Fibonacci sequence. Finally, we present an analysis of the conductance spectra of segmented periodic and Fibonacci chains and nanowires

Non-perturbative study of impurity effects on the Kubo conductivity in macroscopic periodic and quasiperiodic lattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sánchez, Vicenta; Ramírez, Carlos; Sánchez, Fernando [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-542, 04510 México D.F., México (Mexico); Wang, Chumin, E-mail: chumin@unam.mx [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-360, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico)

2014-09-15

In this paper, we analyze the effects of site and bond impurities on the electrical conductance of periodic and quasiperiodic systems with macroscopic length by means of a real-space renormalization plus a convolution method developed for the Kubo–Greenwood formula. All analyzed systems are connected to semi-infinite periodic leads. Analytical and numerical conductivity spectra are obtained for one and two site impurities in a periodic chain, where the separation between impurities determines the number of maximums in the spectra. We also found transparent states at the zero chemical potential in Fibonacci chains of every three generations with bond impurities, whose existence was confirmed by an analytical analysis within the Landauer formalism. For many impurities, the spectral average of the conductivity versus the system length reveals a power-law behavior, when the distance between impurities follows the Fibonacci sequence. Finally, we present an analysis of the conductance spectra of segmented periodic and Fibonacci chains and nanowires.

The physiological period length of the human circadian clock in vivo is directly proportional to period in human fibroblasts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucia Pagani

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Diurnal behavior in humans is governed by the period length of a circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the brain hypothalamus. Nevertheless, the cell-intrinsic mechanism of this clock is present in most cells of the body. We have shown previously that for individuals of extreme chronotype ("larks" and "owls", clock properties measured in human fibroblasts correlated with extreme diurnal behavior. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we have measured circadian period in human primary fibroblasts taken from normal individuals and, for the first time, compared it directly with physiological period measured in vivo in the same subjects. Human physiological period length was estimated via the secretion pattern of the hormone melatonin in two different groups of sighted subjects and one group of totally blind subjects, each using different methods. Fibroblast period length was measured via cyclical expression of a lentivirally delivered circadian reporter. Within each group, a positive linear correlation was observed between circadian period length in physiology and in fibroblast gene expression. Interestingly, although blind individuals showed on average the same fibroblast clock properties as sighted ones, their physiological periods were significantly longer. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that the period of human circadian behaviour is mostly driven by cellular clock properties in normal individuals and can be approximated by measurement in peripheral cells such as fibroblasts. Based upon differences among sighted and blind subjects, we also speculate that period can be modified by prolonged unusual conditions such as the total light deprivation of blindness.

Spiral waves in excitable media due to noise and periodic forcing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan Guoyong, E-mail: g-y-yuan@sohu.com [Department of Physics, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016 (China); Hebei Advanced Thin Films Laboratory, Shijiazhuang 050016 (China); Xu Lin [Department of Physics, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016 (China); Xu Aiguo; Wang Guangrui [Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, P.O. Box 8009, Beijing 100088 (China); Yang Shiping [Department of Physics, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016 (China); Hebei Advanced Thin Films Laboratory, Shijiazhuang 050016 (China)

2011-09-15

Highlights: > Excitable media jointly driven by periodic forcing and Gaussian white noise. > The joint driving leads to many unique tip motions. > New type of spiral wave breakup occurs between entrainment bands with 1:1 and 2:1. > Arnold tongues for different noise intensities exhibit stochastic resonance. > Fourier spectrum analysis can interpret tip motions and formation of entrainments. - Abstract: We investigate the jointly driven effects of external periodic forcing and Gaussian white noise on meandering spiral waves in excitable media with FitzHugh-Nagumo local dynamics. Interesting phenomena resulted from various forcing periods are found, for example, piece-wise line drift, intermittent straight-line drift and so on. We also observe new type of breakup of spiral wave between entrainment bands with 1:1 and 2:1. It is believed that the occurrence of the new type is relevant to the appearance of local bidirectional propagation window. There exist optimized noise intensities which can induce the broadest entrainments and Arnold tongues. Such a phenomenon is referred to as stochastic resonance. It is also observed that the noise makes significant effects on the spiral wave with straight-line drift. Via the tip Fourier spectrum, the varying of tip motion with external periods on the resonance band is interpreted.

Effect of Rearing Periods on the Production of Hybrid Catfish ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fingerling production of hybrid catfish (Clarias gariepinus x Heterobanchus longifilis) was investigated over three rearing periods of 3 weeks, 4 weeks and 5 weeks in fertilized earthen ponds during the rainy season. At harvest, fingerling mean weight was directly related to length of rearing period, while survival rate and ...

Economic comparison of a sixty day dry period with no dry period on Dutch dairy farms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heeren, J.A.H.; Steeneveld, W.; Berentsen, P.B.M.

2014-01-01

In the Netherlands it is general practice that dairy cows have a dry period of six to eight weeks. Research, however, shows that omission of the dry period avoids the negative energy balance after calving with its potential negative effects on metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, and fertility.

Effects of deposition period on the chemical bath deposited Cu4SnS4 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kassim, Anuar; Wee Tee, Tan; Soon Min, Ho.; Nagalingam, Saravanan

2010-01-01

Cu 4 SnS 4 thin films were prepared by simple chemical bath deposition technique. The influence of deposition period on the structural, morphological and optical properties of films was studied. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the films were polycrystalline with prominent peak attributed to (221) plane of orthorhombic crystal structure. The films prepared at 80 min showed significant increased in the intensity of all diffractions. According to AFM images, these films indicated that the surface of substrate was covered completely. The obtained films also produced higher absorption characteristics when compared to the films prepared at other deposition periods based on optical absorption studies. The band gap values of films deposited at different deposition periods were in the range of 1.6-2.1 eV. Deposition for 80 min was found to be the optimum condition to produce good quality thin films under the current conditions. (author).

Immunological Effects of Probiotics and their Significance to Human Health

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Harsharn S.; Grover, Sunita; Batish, Virender K.; Gill, Preet

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit upon the host (FAO/WHO, 2001). Lactic acid bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species are commonly used as probiotics. Other less commonly used probiotics include the yeast Sacchromyces cerevisiae and some non-pathogenic Escherichia coli and Bacillus species. Studies over the past 20 years have demonstrated that probiotic intake is able to confer a range of health benefits including modulation of the immune system, protection against gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections, lowering of blood cholesterol levels, attenuation of overt immuno-inflammatory disorders (such as inflammatory bowel disease, allergies) and anti-cancer effects. However, the strongest clinical evidence for probiotics relates to their effectiveness in improving gut health and modulating (via stimulation or regulation) the host immune system. This chapter provides an overview of the current status of our knowledge regarding the immunostimulatory and immunoregulatory effects of probiotics on the immune system and their significance to human health.

Spectral sum rules and search for periodicities in DNA sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chechetkin, V.R.

2011-01-01

Periodic patterns play the important regulatory and structural roles in genomic DNA sequences. Commonly, the underlying periodicities should be understood in a broad statistical sense, since the corresponding periodic patterns have been strongly distorted by the random point mutations and insertions/deletions during molecular evolution. The latent periodicities in DNA sequences can be efficiently displayed by Fourier transform. The criteria of significance for observed periodicities are obtained via the comparison versus the counterpart characteristics of the reference random sequences. We show that the restrictions imposed on the significance criteria by the rigorous spectral sum rules can be rationally described with De Finetti distribution. This distribution provides the convenient intermediate asymptotic form between Rayleigh distribution and exact combinatoric theory. - Highlights: → We study the significance criteria for latent periodicities in DNA sequences. → The constraints imposed by sum rules can be described with De Finetti distribution. → It is intermediate between Rayleigh distribution and exact combinatoric theory. → Theory is applicable to the study of correlations between different periodicities. → The approach can be generalized to the arbitrary discrete Fourier transform.

Surface plasmon effects in the absorption enhancements of amorphous silicon solar cells with periodical metal nanowall and nanopillar structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hung-Yu; Kuo, Yang; Liao, Cheng-Yuan; Yang, C C; Kiang, Yean-Woei

2012-01-02

The authors numerically investigate the absorption enhancement of an amorphous Si solar cell, in which a periodical one-dimensional nanowall or two-dimensional nanopillar structure of the Ag back-reflector is fabricated such that a dome-shaped grating geometry is formed after Si deposition and indium-tin-oxide coating. In this investigation, the effects of surface plasmon (SP) interaction in such a metal nanostructure are of major concern. Absorption enhancement in most of the solar spectral range of significant amorphous Si absorption (320-800 nm) is observed in a grating solar cell. In the short-wavelength range of high amorphous Si absorption, the weakly wavelength-dependent absorption enhancement is mainly caused by the broadband anti-reflection effect, which is produced through the surface nano-grating structures. In the long-wavelength range of diminishing amorphous Si absorption, the highly wavelength-sensitive absorption enhancement is mainly caused by Fabry-Perot resonance and SP interaction. The SP interaction includes the contributions of surface plasmon polariton and localized surface plasmon.

The effect of the apneic period on the respiratory physiology of patients undergoing intubation in the ED.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Jason R; Scoccimarro, Anthony; Kramer, Cody; Caputo, Nicholas D

2017-09-01

We sought to examine the physiological impact the apneic period has on the respiratory physiology of patients undergoing intubation in the emergency department and whether DAO, the delivery of 15L oxygen by nasal cannula during apnea, can affect the development of respiratory acidosis. This was a prospective observational cohort study conducted at an urban academic level 1 trauma center. A convenience sample of 100 patients was taken. Timed data collection forms were completed during the periintubation period. We report the mean ABG and end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2) values between those with normal and prolonged apnea times (>60s) and between those who received DAO and those who did not. 100 patients met our inclusion criteria. There were no significant differences in the pre-RSI ABG values between those who received DAO and those who did not and between those with apnea times less than or >60s. Only in the group of patients with apnea times >60s did significant changes in respiratory physiology occur. DAO did not alter the trend in respiratory acidosis during the periintubation period. EtCO2 increased as apnea times were prolonged, and DAO altered this trend. Post-RSI EtCO2 increased as apnea times were prolonged. DAO may alter this trend. Statistically significant changes in pH and PaCO2 (mean differences of 0.15 and 12.5, respectively) occurred in the group of patients who had mean apnea times of >60s but not in those with apnea times <60s. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

One arm exercise induces significant interarm diastolic blood pressure difference.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Dezhi; Wang, Jiwei; Su, Hai; Xu, Jingsong; Liu, Yanna; Peng, Qiang; Wang, Lijuan

2011-06-01

This study is designed to investigate the inducing effect of one arm exercise on interarm difference (IAD) in the blood pressure (BP). Fifty healthy young participants were included in the study. Three-minute exercises of the right arm elbow flexion and extension were performed. The bilateral brachial BP was simultaneously measured with two automatic BP measurement devices before (basic) and immediately 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min after exercise. The absolute difference in the systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) between the left and right BP of at least 10 mmHg was recognized as sIAD and dIAD. The baseline data of the SBP and DBP in left and right arms revealed no significant difference (SBP: 110 ± 10 vs. 111 ± 11 mmHg; DBP: 66 ± 8 vs. 66 ± 9 mmHg, both not significant). The prevalence of dIAD was 2% at the baseline. However, this prevalence increased to 80% at 0 min, as right arm exercise induced the right DBP decrease and left DBP increase, and then the prevalence decreased gradually within a 30-min recovery period. The prevalence of sIAD was zero at the baseline and the maximal prevalence was 8% during the 20-min postexercise period. One arm exercise can lead to a significant IAD in DBP. Any arm exercise should be avoided before BP measurement.

The effects of plyometric training followed by detraining and reduced training periods on explosive strength in adolescent male basketball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Eduardo J A M; Janeira, Manuel A A S

2011-02-01

The aims of this study were to determine the effects of (a) plyometric training on explosive strength indicators in adolescent male basketball players and (b) detraining and reduced training on previously achieved explosive strength gains. Two groups were formed: an experimental and a control group. The former was submitted to a 10-week in-season plyometric training program, twice weekly, along with regular basketball practice. Simultaneously, the control group participated in regular basketball practice only. At the end of this period, the experimental group was subdivided into 2 groups: a reduced training group and a detraining group. All participants were assessed on squat jump, countermovement jump, Abalakov test, depth jump, mechanical power, and medicine ball throw at the beginning and at the end of the 10-week in-season plyometric training and on weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16 of the in-season detraining and reduced training periods. In the first phase of the study, the experimental group significantly increased all the assessed indicators (p training showed positive effects on upper- and lower-body explosive strength in adolescent male basketball players. Moreover, we can state that both detraining and a reduced training program indistinctly contribute to maintenance of strength levels. These results highlight the unique power that basketball-specific training seems to have on the sustainability and maintenance of sport performance.

Uncertainty in return period analysis of combined sewer overflow effects using embedded Monte Carlo simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grum, M.; Aalderink, R.H.

1999-01-01

The rerun periods of detrimental effects ate often used as design criteria in urban storm water management. Considerable uncertainty is associated with the models used. This is either ignored or pooled with the inherent event to event variation such as rainfall depth It is here argued that

Magnetomechanically induced long period fiber gratings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Causado-Buelvas, Jesus D.; Gomez-Cardona, Nelson D.; Torres, Pedro

2008-01-01

In this work, we report a simple, flexible method to create long period fiber gratings mechanically by controlling the repulsion/attraction force between two magnets that pressing a plate with a periodic array of small glass cylinders to a short length of optical fiber. Via the photoelastic effect, the pressure points induce the required periodic refractive index modulation to create the LPFG. We found that the induced device exhibits spectral characteristics similar to those of other types of LPFG. As the optical properties of LPFGs are directly related to the nature of the applied perturbations, we show, to our knowledge for the frrst time, how is the evolution of birefringence effects in mechanically induced LPFGs

Periodic and quasiperiodic revivals in periodically driven interacting quantum systems

Science.gov (United States)

Luitz, David J.; Lazarides, Achilleas; Bar Lev, Yevgeny

2018-01-01

Recently it has been shown that interparticle interactions generically destroy dynamical localization in periodically driven systems, resulting in diffusive transport and heating. In this Rapid Communication we rigorously construct a family of interacting driven systems which are dynamically localized and effectively decoupled from the external driving potential. We show that these systems exhibit tunable periodic or quasiperiodic revivals of the many-body wave function and thus of all physical observables. By numerically examining spinless fermions on a one-dimensional lattice we show that the analytically obtained revivals of such systems remain stable for finite systems with open boundary conditions while having a finite lifetime in the presence of static spatial disorder. We find this lifetime to be inversely proportional to the disorder strength.

Effects of Calcium Carbonate on Pain Symptoms in Third Trimester of Pregnancy and Nursing Period: a randomized clinical trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soosan Alimohammadzadeh Taher

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The study evaluated the efficacy of oral calcium carbonate supplement on leg pain in pregnancy and nursing period.Materials and methods: A total number of 176 women at third trimester of pregnancy or nursing period till to one year after delivery with complaint of leg pain, low back pain (LBP, and posterior pelvic pain (PPP were evaluated for distinct primary causes and were excluded, then 58 patients randomized into calcium group (n=27 treated with 500 mg calcium carbonate orally per day just for one week, and control group (n=31 received no drug. Incidence of days with leg, low back, and posterior pelvic pain per week were evaluated and compared between the two groups at 3 different weeks before, during, and after discontinuation of drug. Statistical significance was defined as P<0.05.  Results: Mean number of days with leg pain per week during calcium carbonate intake was significantly different between the study and control groups (P<0.05. Mean number of days with LBP and PPP was not significantly different between two groups.Conclusion: The use of oral calcium supplement was associated with lower episodes of leg pain but failed to reduce the incidence of LBP and PPP in pregnancy and nursery period.

Periodic vehicle inspection (MOT). [previously: Periodic Vehicle Inspection of cars (MOT).

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2010-01-01

In the 1980s the periodic vehicle inspection (MOT) of various categories of vehicles was introduced in the Netherlands. This fact sheet will discuss the legal framework of this measure and the research carried out into its effects on road safety, also in an international context. For instance, the

Multiscale periodicities in aerosol optical depth over India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramachandran, S; Ghosh, Sayantan; Verma, Amit; Panigrahi, P K

2013-01-01

Aerosols exhibit periodic or cyclic variations depending on natural and anthropogenic sources over a region, which can become modulated by synoptic meteorological parameters such as winds, rainfall and relative humidity, and long-range transport. Information on periodicity and phase in aerosol properties assumes significance in prediction as well as examining the radiative and climate effects of aerosols including their association with changes in cloud properties and rainfall. Periodicity in aerosol optical depth, which is a columnar measure of aerosol distribution, is determined using continuous wavelet transform over 35 locations (capitals of states and union territories) in India. Continuous wavelet transform is used in the study because continuous wavelet transform is better suited to the extraction of the periodic and local modulations present in various frequency ranges when compared to Fourier transform. Monthly mean aerosol optical depths (AODs) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Terra satellite at 1° × 1° resolution from January 2001 to December 2012 are used. Annual and quasi-biennial oscillations (QBOs) in AOD are evident in addition to the weak semi-annual (5–6 months) and quasi-triennial oscillations (∼40 months). The semi-annual and annual oscillations are consistent with the seasonal and yearly cycle of variations in AODs. The QBO type periodicity in AOD is found to be non-stationary while the annual period is stationary. The 40 month periodicity indicates the presence of long term correlations in AOD. The observed periodicities in MODIS Terra AODs are also evident in the ground-based AOD measurements made over Kanpur in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The phase of the periodicity in AOD is stable in the mid-frequency range, while local disturbances in the high-frequency range and long term changes in the atmospheric composition give rise to unstable phases in the low-frequency range. The presence of phase

Teenage pregnancy and mental health beyond the postpartum period: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Xavier, Chloé; Benoit, Anita; Brown, Hilary K

2018-02-08

Teenage mothers are at increased risk for adverse social outcomes and short-term health problems, but long-term impacts on mental health are poorly understood. The aims of our systematic review were to determine the association between teenage pregnancy and mental health beyond the postpartum period, critically appraise the literature's quality and guide future research. We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science from inception to June 2017 for peer-reviewed articles written in English or French. Data were collected using a modified Cochrane Data Extraction Form. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project critical appraisal tool. Heterogeneity of studies permitted only a qualitative synthesis. Nine quantitative studies comprising the results from analyses of 11 cohorts met our criteria and were rated as strong (n=5), moderate (n=2) or weak (n=2). Three cohorts found a statistically significant association between teenage pregnancy and poor long-term mental health after adjustment, three found a statistically significant association before but not after adjustment and five did not find a statistically significant association. Studies observed varying degrees of attenuation after considering social context. Studies with statistically significant findings tended to comprise earlier cohorts, with outcomes measured at older ages. The association between teenage pregnancy and mental health beyond the postpartum period remains unclear. Future studies should employ age-period-cohort frameworks to disentangle effects of normative patterns and stress accumulation. Social factors are important in determining long-term mental health of teenage mothers and should be prioritised in prevention and intervention strategies. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly

Enantiomer-specific ketorolac pharmacokinetics in young women, including pregnancy and postpartum period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aida Kulo

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Racemic ketorolac clearance (CL is significantly higher at delivery, but S-ketorolac disposition determines the analgesic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pregnancy and postpartum period on enantiomer-specific (S and R intravenous (IV ketorolac pharmacokinetics (PKs. Data in women shortly following cesarean delivery (n=39 were pooled with data in a subgroup of these women that was reevaluated in the later postpartum period (postpartum group, n=8/39 and with eight healthy female volunteers. All women received single IV bolus of 30 mg ketorolac tromethamine. Five plasma samples were collected at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours and plasma concentrations were determined using high performance liquid chromatography. Enantiomer-specific PKs were calculated using PKSolver. Unpaired analysis showed that distribution volume at steady state (Vss, L/kg for S- and R-ketorolac was significantly higher in women shortly following cesarean delivery (n=31 compared to postpartum group (n=8 or to healthy female volunteers (n=8. CL, CL to body weight, and CL to body surface area (CL/BSA for S- and R-ketorolac were also significantly higher in women following delivery. In addition, S/R-ketorolac CL/BSA ratio was significantly higher at delivery. Paired PK analysis in eight women shortly following delivery and in postpartum group showed the same pattern. Finally, the simultaneous increase in CL and Vss resulted in similar estimates for elimination half-life in both unpaired and paired analysis. In conclusion, pregnancy affects S-, R-, and S/R-ketorolac disposition. This is of clinical relevance since S-ketorolac (analgesia CL is even more increased compared to R-ketorolac CL, and S/R-ketorolac CL ratio is higher following delivery compared to postpartum period or to healthy female volunteers.

Effects of the infectious period distribution on predicted transitions in childhood disease dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Krylova, Olga; Earn, David J D

2013-07-06

The population dynamics of infectious diseases occasionally undergo rapid qualitative changes, such as transitions from annual to biennial cycles or to irregular dynamics. Previous work, based on the standard seasonally forced 'susceptible-exposed-infectious-removed' (SEIR) model has found that transitions in the dynamics of many childhood diseases result from bifurcations induced by slow changes in birth and vaccination rates. However, the standard SEIR formulation assumes that the stage durations (latent and infectious periods) are exponentially distributed, whereas real distributions are narrower and centred around the mean. Much recent work has indicated that realistically distributed stage durations strongly affect the dynamical structure of seasonally forced epidemic models. We investigate whether inferences drawn from previous analyses of transitions in patterns of measles dynamics are robust to the shapes of the stage duration distributions. As an illustrative example, we analyse measles dynamics in New York City from 1928 to 1972. We find that with a fixed mean infectious period in the susceptible-infectious-removed (SIR) model, the dynamical structure and predicted transitions vary substantially as a function of the shape of the infectious period distribution. By contrast, with fixed mean latent and infectious periods in the SEIR model, the shapes of the stage duration distributions have a less dramatic effect on model dynamical structure and predicted transitions. All these results can be understood more easily by considering the distribution of the disease generation time as opposed to the distributions of individual disease stages. Numerical bifurcation analysis reveals that for a given mean generation time the dynamics of the SIR and SEIR models for measles are nearly equivalent and are insensitive to the shapes of the disease stage distributions.

Sigmoid Volvulus Complicating Postpartum Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelsey E. Ward

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Sigmoid volvulus is a rare complication of pregnancy and the puerperium. Case. A 19-year-old patient, gravida 1 para 0 at 41 0/7 weeks of gestation, admitted for late-term induction of labor underwent an uncomplicated primary low transverse cesarean delivery for arrest of descent. Her postoperative period was complicated by sudden onset of abdominal pain and the ultimate diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus. Conclusion. Prompt surgical evaluation of an acute abdomen in the postpartum period is essential; delayed diagnosis and treatment can lead to significant maternal morbidity and mortality.

Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Psychological Distress in the United States and Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Keyes, Katherine M.; Nicholson, Ryan; Kinley, Jolene; Raposo, Sarah; Stein, Murray B.; Goldner, Elliot M.; Sareen, Jitender

2014-01-01

Although treatment utilization for depression and anxiety symptoms has increased substantially in the United States and elsewhere, it remains unclear whether the underlying population distribution of psychological distress is changing over time. We estimated age, period, and cohort effects using data from 2 countries over more than 20 years, including National Health Interview Surveys from 1997 to 2010 (n = 447,058) and Canadian Community Health Surveys from 2000 to 2007 (n = 125,306). Psychological distress was measured with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. By period, both countries showed the highest levels of psychological distress in 2001 and the lowest levels in 2007. By age, psychological distress was highest in adolescence and during the late 40s and early 50s. By cohort, Canadian Community Health Survey results indicated a decreasing cohort effect among those born in 1922–1925 through 1935–1939 (β = −0.36, 95% confidence interval: −0.45, −0.27) and then a continuously increasing cohort effect during the remainder of the 20th century through 1989–1992 (β = 0.49, 95% confidence interval: 0.38, 0.61). The National Health Interview Survey data captured earlier-born cohorts and indicated an increased cohort effect for the earliest born (for 1912–1914, β = 0.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.26, 0.61). In sum, individuals in the oldest and more recently born birth cohorts have higher mean psychological distress symptoms compared with those born in midcentury, underscoring the importance of a broad, population-level lens for conceptualizing mental health. PMID:24692432

Effects of straw mulching on soil evaporation during the soil thawing period in a cold region in northeastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Qiang; Yan, Peiru; Li, Tianxiao; Cui, Song; Peng, Li

2018-04-01

To study the effect of straw mulching on soil water evaporation, it is necessary to measure soil water evaporation under different conditions of straw mulching during the soil thawing period. A field experiment was conducted in winter, and soil evaporation was measured using a microlysimeter on bare land (LD) and 4500 (GF4500), 9000 (GF9000) and 13500 kg/hm2 (GF13500) straw mulch. The influence of different quantities of straw mulch on soil water evaporation during the thawing period was analyzed using the Mallat algorithm, statistical analysis and information cost function. The results showed that straw mulching could delay the thawing of the surface soil by 3-6 d, decrease the speed at which the surface soil thaws by 0.40-0.80 cm/d, delay the peak soil liquid water content, increase the soil liquid water content, reduce the cumulative evaporation by 2.70-7.40 mm in the thawing period, increase the range of soil evaporation by 0.04-0.10 mm in the early stage of the thawing period, and reduce the range of soil evaporation by 0.25-0.90 mm in the late stage of the thawing period. Straw mulching could reduce the range of and variation in soil evaporation and can reduce the effect of random factors on soil evaporation. When the amount of straw mulch exceeded 9000 kg/hm2, the effect of increasing the amount of straw mulch on daily soil water evaporation was small.

Are two spaces better than one? The effect of spacing following periods and commas during reading.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Rebecca L; Bui, Becky; Schmitt, Lindsay L

2018-04-24

The most recent edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) Manual states that two spaces should follow the punctuation at the end of a sentence. This is in contrast to the one-space requirement from previous editions. However, to date, there has been no empirical support for either convention. In the current study, participants performed (1) a typing task to assess spacing usage and (2) an eye-tracking experiment to assess the effect that punctuation spacing has on reading performance. Although comprehension was not affected by punctuation spacing, the eye movement record suggested that initial processing of the text was facilitated when periods were followed by two spaces, supporting the change made to the APA Manual. Individuals' typing usage also influenced these effects such that those who use two spaces following a period showed the greatest overall facilitation from reading with two spaces.

Effects of substituting fishmeal with immobilized urea periodate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Growth trails were conducted with Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings (mean weight 0.88 + 0.02 g) to evaluate the suitability of incorporating immobilized urea periodate oxidized Lignocellulosic Materials (LCMs) namely, Acha (Digitaria exilis (Staph) and Rice (Oryza sativa (L.) straws for substituting fishmeal from the reference ...

Effects of corner radius on periodic nanoantenna for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chao, Bo-Kai; Lin, Shih-Che; Nien, Li-Wei; Hsueh, Chun-Hway; Li, Jia-Han

2015-01-01

Corner radius is a concept to approximate the fabrication limitation due to the effective beam broadening at the corner in using electron-beam lithography. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of corner radius on the electromagnetic field enhancement and resonance wavelength for three periodic polygon dimers of bowtie, twin square, and twin pentagon. The enhancement factor of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy due to the localized surface plasmon resonances in fabricated gold bowtie nanostructures was investigated using both Raman spectroscopy and finite-difference time-domain simulations. The simulated enhancement factor versus corner radius relation was in agreement with measurements and it could be fitted by a power-law relation. In addition, the resonance wavelength showed blue shift with the increasing corner radius because of the distribution of concentrated charges in a larger area. For different polygons, the corner radius instead of the tip angle is the dominant factor of the electromagnetic field enhancement because the surface charges tend to localize at the corner. Greater enhancements can be obtained by having both the smaller gap and sharper corner although the corner radius effect on intensity enhancement is less than the gap size effect. (paper)

Maternal mortality in Mexico, beyond millennial development objectives: An age-period-cohort model.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Aguilar, Román

2018-01-01

The maternal mortality situation is analyzed in México as an indicator that reflects the social development level of the country and was one of the millennial development objectives. The effect of a maternal death in the related social group has multiplier effects, since it involves family dislocation, economic impact and disruption of the orphans' normal social development. Two perspectives that causes of maternal mortality were analyzed, on one hand, their relationship with social determinants and on the other, factors directly related to the health system. Evidence shows that comparing populations based on group of selected variables according to social conditions and health care access, statistically significant differences prevail according to education and marginalization levels, and access to medical care. In addition, the Age-Period-Cohort model raised, shows significant progress in terms of a downward trend in maternal mortality in a generational level. Those women born before 1980 had a greater probability of maternal death in relation to recent generations, which is a reflection of the improvement in social determinants and in the Health System. The age effect shows a problem in maternal mortality in women under 15 years old, so teen pregnancy is a priority in health and must be addressed in short term. There is no clear evidence of a period effect.

Clinical significance and changes of TRAb and TSI assay in patients with Graves' disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Xiaolin; Zhang Haiyan

2006-01-01

Objective: To explore the changes and clinical significance of TRAb and TSI detection in patients with Graves' disease. Methods: Serum TRAb and TSI levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and thyroid hormone levels were detected by microparticle enzyme immunoassay, including normal controls, Graves' disease in period of onset, catabsis group and hashimotos thyroiditis group. Results: The positive rate of TRAb and TSI in Graves' in period of onset group is 86.67% and 95.0%, TGA and TMA in hashimotos thyroiditis group is 85.29% and 91.18%, respectively. More importantly these results were significant difference than normal controls. Conclusions: It's very important for Graves' disease patients to detect TRAb, TSI, TGA, TMA and thyroid hormone simulta-neously, especially to the curative effect and prognosis criterin in patients with Graves' disease and antidi-astole in patients with hashimotos thyroiditis. (authors)

Periodical rocking long period gratings in PANDA fibers for high temperature and refractive index sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Wa; Bi, Wei-hong; Fu, Xing-hu; Fu, Guang-wei

2017-09-01

We report periodical rocking long period gratings (PR-LPGs) in PANDA fibers fabricated with CO2 laser. The PR-LPGs achieve very high coupling efficiency of 19 dB with 12 periods and a 3.5° twist angle in just one scanning cycle, which is much more effective than the conventional CO2 laser fabrication technique. This type of LPGs exhibits polarization-selective resonance dips which demonstrate different sensitivities to environmental parameters. The high temperature and external refractive index sensitivities are measured simultaneously, so it can be used as a wavelength-selective polarization filter and sensor.

Feedback effect of human physical and psychological adaption on time period of thermal adaption in naturally ventilated building

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

liu, weiwei; Huangfu, Hao; Xiong, Jing

2014-01-01

This study proposed a method to determine time period of thermal adaption for occupants in naturally ventilated building, and analyzed the synergistic and separate feedback effect of the physical and psychological adaption modes on the time period of thermal adaption. Using the method, the values...... of the time period of thermal adaption were obtained on the basis of the data from a long-term field survey conducted in two typical naturally ventilated offices located in Changsha, China. The results showed that the occupants need to take 4.25 days to fully adapt to a step-change in outdoor air temperature...

Effective Equivalent Doses of External Irradiation of Population by Man-made Radionuclides from the Soil in the Sarajevo Region Over the Period of 1986-1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saracevic, L.; Samek, D.; Hasanbasic, D.; Gradascevic, N.

1998-01-01

Assessment of exposition of human body to radioactive materials is seen as radiation-hygienic measure of utmost importance, since the doses absorbed due to radionuclides present in soil, air, food and water are significant integral parts of the total dose that the human being receives in all kinds and conditions of exposition. External irradiation by radionuclides deposed in soil is a major contributor to the whole dose of irradiation of population. Assuming that fission radionuclides Cs-134 and Cs-137 had a specially significant contribution to the total dose of irradiation of the population over the investigation period (1986-1989), we established their levels of activity in the soil in different localities of the Sarajevo region, and then calculated the effective equivalent dose for the population for each year of investigation. The mean values for the yearly effective equivalent doses of external irradiation of the population by fission radionuclides Cs-134 and Cs-137 from the soil in the Sarajevo region were 0.77 mSv/year in 1989. Contribution by Cs-134 to the total effective equivalent dose was 63.64 % in 1986 year, to be reeducated in 1987 to 45.67 %, in 1988 to 35.89 % and in the year 1989 to 33.33 %. The effective equivalent dose was different to a great extent by the investigated localities (town sections) during the started period. It can be inferred from the above that the average population of the Sarajevo region did not receive a larger dose of radiation than the one established by the International Commission for Radiological Protection as the limit for subsequent exposition to radiation. (author)

Detecting Novelty and Significance

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, Vera; Bradley, Margaret M.; Codispoti, Maurizio; Lang, Peter J.

2013-01-01

Studies of cognition often use an “oddball” paradigm to study effects of stimulus novelty and significance on information processing. However, an oddball tends to be perceptually more novel than the standard, repeated stimulus as well as more relevant to the ongoing task, making it difficult to disentangle effects due to perceptual novelty and stimulus significance. In the current study, effects of perceptual novelty and significance on ERPs were assessed in a passive viewing context by presenting repeated and novel pictures (natural scenes) that either signaled significant information regarding the current context or not. A fronto-central N2 component was primarily affected by perceptual novelty, whereas a centro-parietal P3 component was modulated by both stimulus significance and novelty. The data support an interpretation that the N2 reflects perceptual fluency and is attenuated when a current stimulus matches an active memory representation and that the amplitude of the P3 reflects stimulus meaning and significance. PMID:19400680

First-lactation performance in cows affected by digital dermatitis during the rearing period.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez, A; Cook, N B; Socha, M T; Döpfer, D

2015-07-01

The long-term effects of prepartum digital dermatitis (DD) on first-lactation performance were evaluated in a cohort of 719 pregnant heifers. All heifers were followed for a period of 6 mo until calving and classified on the basis of the number of DD events diagnosed during this period as type I, type II, or type III (no DD, one DD event, and multiple DD events, respectively). Health during the initial 60d in milk (DIM), reproductive and hoof health outcomes, and milk production were compared between the 3 heifer type groups. All logistic and linear models were adjusted for age, height, and girth circumference at enrollment, and the type of trace mineral supplementation during the prepartum period. Overall, cows experiencing DD during the rearing period showed worse production and health outcomes compared with healthy heifers during the first lactation. The percentages of assisted calvings, stillbirths, culled before 60 DIM, and diseased cows during the fresh period were numerically higher in type III cows compared with type I cows. However, none of these differences were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Significantly lower conception at first service [odds ratio (OR)=0.55, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.33, 0.89] and increased number of days open (mean=24d, 95% CI: 5.2, 43) were observed in type III cows compared with type I cows. In relation to hoof health, a significantly increased risk of DD during the first lactation was found in type II and III cows (OR=5.16, 95% CI: 3.23, 8.29; and OR=12.5, 95% CI: 7.52, 21.1, respectively), as well as earlier occurrence of DD following calving (OR=59d, 95% CI=20, 96, and OR=74d, 95% CI: 37, 109). Compared with type I cows, statistically significant milk production losses during the initial 305 DIM of 199 and 335kg were estimated in type II and III cows, respectively. This difference was due to a greater rate of production decline (less persistence) after peak yield. No differences in monthly fat

Geometric effects of spacer grid in an annulus flow channel during reflooding period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, S.; Chun, S. Y.; Kim, B. D.; Park, J. K.; Yun, Y. J.; Baek, W. P.

2004-01-01

A number of studies on the reflooding phase were actively carried out from the early 70's due to its importance for the safety of the nuclear reactor. (Martini et al., 1973; Henry, 1974; Chung, 1978;) However, few studies have presented the spacer grid effect during the reflooding period. Since the grid is an obstruction in the flow passage, it causes an increased pressure drop due to form and skin friction losses. On the other hand, the spacer grid tends to increase the local wall heat transfer. The present work has been performed in a vertical annulus flow channel with various flow conditions. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effects of a swirl-vane spacer grid on the rewetting phenomena during the reflooding phase

How significant is the ‘significant other’? Associations between significant others’ health behaviors and attitudes and young adults’ health outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berge Jerica M

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Having a significant other has been shown to be protective against physical and psychological health conditions for adults. Less is known about the period of emerging young adulthood and associations between significant others’ weight and weight-related health behaviors (e.g. healthy dietary intake, the frequency of physical activity, weight status. This study examined the association between significant others’ health attitudes and behaviors regarding eating and physical activity and young adults’ weight status, dietary intake, and physical activity. Methods This study uses data from Project EAT-III, a population-based cohort study with emerging young adults from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds (n = 1212. Logistic regression models examining cross-sectional associations, adjusted for sociodemographics and health behaviors five years earlier, were used to estimate predicted probabilities and calculate prevalence differences. Results Young adult women whose significant others had health promoting attitudes/behaviors were significantly less likely to be overweight/obese and were more likely to eat ≥ 5 fruits/vegetables per day and engage in ≥ 3.5 hours/week of physical activity, compared to women whose significant others did not have health promoting behaviors/attitudes. Young adult men whose significant other had health promoting behaviors/attitudes were more likely to engage in ≥ 3.5 hours/week of physical activity compared to men whose significant others did not have health promoting behaviors/attitudes. Conclusions Findings suggest the protective nature of the significant other with regard to weight-related health behaviors of young adults, particularly for young adult women. Obesity prevention efforts should consider the importance of including the significant other in intervention efforts with young adult women and potentially men.

Administration of antibiotics to ewes at the beginning of the dry-period.

Science.gov (United States)

Petridis, Ioannis G; Fthenakis, George C

2014-02-01

The objective of the present paper is to review the significance of administration of antibiotics at the end of a lactation period/beginning of the dry-period in ewes. During the stage of active involution, there is an increased risk of new mastitis cases and recrudescence of subclinical infections that had occurred during the previous lactation period. The main pathogens involved in the so-called 'dry-period mastitis' are coagulase-negative staphylococci. The principle of antibiotic administration at the end of a lactation period involves the intramammary infusion of a preparation to both mammary glands of ewes in the flock. Although a variety of products is licensed for administration in ewes, preferably the product for administration should be selected on the results of susceptibility testing of bacteria to be isolated from samples from ewes in the flock. In many clinical studies from around the world, performed in dairy- or mutton-production flocks, administration of antimicrobial agents at the end of a lactation period has been found beneficial in curing intramammary infections present at cessation of a lactation period, as well as in minimising the risk for intramammary infections during the dry-period. In dairy flocks, there are also benefits from increase in milk yield and decrease flock bulk milk mean somatic cell counts during the subsequent lactation period. Antibiotic administration at drying-off may be performed to all animals in a flock ('complete') or only to those considered to be infected ('selective'). In all cases, after administration of the antibiotic, definite and complete cessation of the lactation period is essential for success of the procedure. Moreover, maintenance of the prescribed withdrawal periods is essential to safeguard public health. The procedure should always be applied as part of a strategic udder health management plan in a flock; implementation improves the welfare of animals and affords significant financial benefits to the

Neurological effects of white spirit: Contribution of animal studies during a 30-year period

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Gunnar Damgård; Lund, Søren Peter; Ladefoged, Ole

2006-01-01

Numerous studies have suggested that long-term occupational exposure to white spirit may cause chronic toxic encephalopathy (WHO 1996). This review summarizes the chronic nervous system effects of white spirit in animal studies during a 30-year period. First, routine histopathology was consistently...... unable to reveal adverse peripheral or central nervous system effects after inhalation of white spirit. Second, neurobehavioural studies in animals showed no adverse effect after inhalation of white spirit with a high content of aromatics in contrast to what was found with products with a low content....... Third, white spirit with a high content of aromatics induced adverse neurochemical changes at inhalation of 400 ppm and possibly already at 100 ppm. In the studied parameters, white spirit with a low content of aromatics showed no clear adverse neurochemical effects at inhalation of 400 ppm...

Effect of environment and fallow period on Cosmopolites sordidus population dynamics at the landscape scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Duyck, P-F; Dortel, E; Vinatier, F; Gaujoux, E; Carval, D; Tixier, P

2012-10-01

Understanding how the population dynamics of insect pests are affected by environmental factors and agricultural practices is important for pest management. To investigate how the abundance of the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is related to environmental factors and the length of the fallow period in Martinique, we developed an extensive data set (18,130 observations of weevil abundance obtained with pheromone traps plus associated environmental data) and analysed it with generalized mixed-effects models. At the island scale, C. sordidus abundance was positively related to mean temperature and negatively related to mean rainfall but was not related to soil type. The number of insects trapped was highest during the driest months of the year. Abundance of C. sordidus decreased as the duration of the preceding fallow period increased. The latter finding is inconsistent with the view that fallow-generated decomposing banana tissue is an important resource for larvae that leads to an increase in the pest population. The results are consistent with the view that fallows, in association with pheromone traps, are effective for the control of the banana weevil.

Revised predictions of long-period ocean tidal effects on Earth's rotation rate

Science.gov (United States)

Dickman, S. R.; Nam, Young S.

1995-01-01

The rotational response of Earth to long-period tidal forces, embodied in a 'zonal response function,' can be expected to vary with frequency because of variable contributions by the oceans, mantle, and core. The zonal response function has been estimated from 9 years of International Radio Interferometric Surveying (IRIS) universal time (UT1) data and compared with theoretical predictions, using a spherical harmonic tide model to compute the oceans' dynamic response, at semiannual, monthly, fortnightly, and 9-day lunisolar tidal frequencies. Different amounts of mantle anelasticity have been considered for both the oceanic and soild earth responses; predictions have been made assuming axial core-mantle coupling which is either complete or absent. Additionally, an extensive recalibration of the ocean model's frictional parameters was performed using constraints derived in part from Space92 polar motion data; zonal response function predictions have also been made employing this recalibrated ocean tide model. Our results indicate that any amount of core coupling can be ruled out at a fortnightly period and probably at a 9-day period, but not at a monthly period. Our results also suggest that the mantle responds purely elastically at a 9-day period but may behave increasingly anelastically at longer periods. A simple dispersive rule is postulated for periods ranging up to the 14-month Chandler wobble period.

Bi-periodicity evoked by periodic external inputs in delayed Cohen-Grossberg-type bidirectional associative memory networks

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Jinde; Wang, Yanyan

2010-05-01

In this paper, the bi-periodicity issue is discussed for Cohen-Grossberg-type (CG-type) bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural networks (NNs) with time-varying delays and standard activation functions. It is shown that the model considered in this paper has two periodic orbits located in saturation regions and they are locally exponentially stable. Meanwhile, some conditions are derived to ensure that, in any designated region, the model has a locally exponentially stable or globally exponentially attractive periodic orbit located in it. As a special case of bi-periodicity, some results are also presented for the system with constant external inputs. Finally, four examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results.

Bi-periodicity evoked by periodic external inputs in delayed Cohen-Grossberg-type bidirectional associative memory networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Jinde; Wang Yanyan

2010-01-01

In this paper, the bi-periodicity issue is discussed for Cohen-Grossberg-type (CG-type) bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural networks (NNs) with time-varying delays and standard activation functions. It is shown that the model considered in this paper has two periodic orbits located in saturation regions and they are locally exponentially stable. Meanwhile, some conditions are derived to ensure that, in any designated region, the model has a locally exponentially stable or globally exponentially attractive periodic orbit located in it. As a special case of bi-periodicity, some results are also presented for the system with constant external inputs. Finally, four examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results.

Maintenance of smoking cessation in the postpartum period: which interventions work best in the long-term?

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Anny; Buttenheim, Alison M

2014-04-01

Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to a variety of adverse outcomes for both maternal and child health. Decades of studies have sought to increase cessation antepartum and reduce relapse postpartum. A number of effective interventions exist to significantly reduce smoking rates during pregnancy; however, less is known about how to prevent relapse in the postpartum period. This review investigates interventions to prevent relapse in the long-term postpartum period. We focus specifically on nonspontaneous quitters (individuals who quit smoking as a result of an external intervention) to reveal differences in long-term response to interventions for this population compared to spontaneous quitters. A systematic literature search yielded 32 relevant studies of pharmacological, behavioral, and incentives-based interventions. Results were compiled, analyzed, and compared in order to evaluate success factors in maintaining cessation postpartum. Though intervention groups showed consistently higher quit rates during pregnancy than control groups, none of the intervention types were effective at preventing relapse in the longer-term postpartum period. One study maintained significantly higher abstinence in the longer-term period postpartum using a mix of behavioral and incentives strategies. Additional research in this area is needed to identify optimal intervention strategies to reduce long-term postpartum relapse, particularly for nonspontaneous quitters.

Unstable Angina Treatment in Various Periods of Geomagnetic Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Parshina, S. S.; Tokayeva, L. K.; Afanasiyeva, T. N.; Samsonov, S. N.; Petrova, V. D.; Dolgova, E. M.; Manykina, V. I.; Vodolagina, E. S.

In 145 patients with unstable angina (UA) there was analized an efficiency of a drug therapy at different types of heliogeophysical activity (HA) during the 23th solar cycle. 83 patients were examined at the period of a lower HA (Kp-index 16,19±0,18), and 62 patients - at the period of a higher HA (Kp-index 17,25±0,21, p<0,05). Baseline severity of patients' condition with UA at the moment of hospitalization at the studied periods did not differ, but the effectiveness of the therapy depended on the period of HA. At the period of a higher HA antianginal effect was stronger than at the lower period of HA (2,27±0,16 points and 1,75±0,12 points, p<0,05), and the need in nitroglycerin on the background of a drug therapy disappeared for 5-7 days quicker than at the period of a lower HA. Maximal hypotensive effect at a higher HA was achieved quicker - on the 3rd day of the treatment, and at a lower HA - only up to hospital discharge (p<0,05). Blood viscosity did not normalize in both of the studied periods, but in small vessels there was noted a decrease of a BV (p<0,05). So, at a higher HA the effectiveness of a drug therapy in patients with UA is higher than at the period of a lower HA.

Effects of Packaging on Shelf Life and Postharvest Qualities of Radish Roots during Storage at Low Temperature for an Extended Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dulal Chandra

2018-01-01

Full Text Available To investigate the effects of packaging on the quality aspects of radish, Korean radish roots (Raphanus sativus L. var. Kwandong were stored at 0°C after different packaging treatments such as keeping in paper cartoon box (control, keeping in plastic crates (PC, packaging with micro perforated HDPE film in PC (HDPE + PC, curing followed by keeping in PC (Curing + PC, and curing followed by packaging with micro perforated HDPE film in PC (Curing + HDPE + PC. Weight losses of radish roots were remarkably lower (<3% in both HDPE film packaged samples compared to that of control (10% or without film (≈18%. L⁎ values, whiteness index, total soluble solids, and flesh and skin firmness were better maintained in Curing + HDPE + PC treatment compared to other treatments. Lower color difference values were also found in this treatment. Both film packaged samples had lower scores of black spot, surface shrinkage, and fungal infection incidence which revealed significantly longer marketable periods. HDPE film packaged samples exhibited longer shelf life more than one and two months compared to control and unpacked samples, respectively. Results suggest that HDPE film packaging can extend postharvest life of radish while curing might have little but beneficial effects in maintaining the quality characteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first report on quality evaluation of Korean radish during an extended storage period simulating the Korean industrial practices.

Effect of various periodic forces on Duffing oscillator

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ω respectively. However, the Fourier series of all the forces except the force sin ωt considered in our study have various frequencies. The frequencies present in the forces and in the periodic solution confined to the left well alone corresponding to the amplitude f = 0.2 are studied by constructing the Fourier series. 352.

Effect of a period of aquatic exercise therapy on the quality of life, anxiety and depression in patients with hemophilia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Kargarfard

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Muscle-Skeletal disorders are the most common problems in hemophilia patients that can affect the quality of life and psychological factors in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a period of aquatic exercise therapy on the quality of life, depression and anxiety in hemophilia patients. Materials and Methods: In a semi-experimental study, 20 patients who referred to Isfahan Sayedo-Shohada hospital voluntarily were selected and then randomly in two experimental (n=10 and control (n=10 groups. Subjects of aquatic exercise therapy group started their activity in water for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week about45 to 60 minutes, while the control group was only followed-up and during this period they did not experience any exercise. The quality of life, depression and anxiety variables of patients were measured by standard questionnaires in the beginning and end of eight week aquatic exercise therapy. Results: The results showed significant improvement in quality of life, depression and anxiety variables in aquatic exercise therapy group patients, compared with the control group after 8 week aquatic exercise therapy (p<0.05. Conclusion: Results of this study showed that aquatic exercise therapy can be used as an effective and helpful method to prevent and treat hemophilia patients because it leads to improve multi-dimensional variable quality of life, depression and anxiety in hemophilia patients .

Clinical significance of gamma camera renography in chronic renal insufficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudczak, R.; Frischauf, H.; Kletter, K.

1980-01-01

Gamma camera renography allows, together with renal imaging, an evaluation of individual renal function. For these examinations, I 123 orthoiodohippurate is preferred and most widely used. The results on patients with chronic renal insufficiency, including urologic and posttransplantation patients, are reported. Whereas the method is of clinical significance in evaluating posttransplantation complications and in assessing individual kidney function preoperatively in urology, as well as in monitoring therapeutic effects in the early period of renal disease, it is of limited diagnostic value in chronic renal insufficiency. In this latter regard, clinical and laboratory examinations are of primary importance. (author)

Changes in Salivary Hormones Concentration during the Preparation and Competition Period in Olympic Weightlifters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kováč Milan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Endogenous hormones are essential for physiological reactions and influence the adaptation to weightlifting training by modulating anabolic and catabolic processes. It seems that testosterone and cortisol are playing a key role in anabolic and catabolic processes in resistance training. Eight elite Czech and Slovak weightlifters volunteered in present study. The testosterone and cortisol were measured in 4 testing sessions over 18 weeks during preparation and competition period. The training protocol consisted of three specific weightlifting exercises. The saliva samples were collected in 4 testing sessions, pre and 5 min, 15 min and 30 min after protocol, respectively. The basal level of salivary testosterone and cortisol remains unchanged during preparation and competition period. Also, acute testosterone response was not observed over the monitored period. However, acute decrease of cortisol were found between pre intervention and post 5 (p ≤ 0.01, 15 (p ≤ 0.01, and 30 min (p ≤ 0.05 during preparation periods. While in competition period was found significant decrease (p ≤ 0.05 only 5 min after testing protocol. The testosterone/cortisol ratio significantly increased during preparation periods (p ≤ 0.01, but not in competition period. Results indicated that the routine assessment of testosterone and cortisol may provide an effective way to monitor acute and chronic adaptive response to weightlifting training. Our results suggest that cortisol, not the testosterone is an important component of adaptation during elite weightlifting training.

Engineering of spatial solitons in two-period QPM structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Steffen Kjær; Carrasco, Silvia; Torner, Lluis

2002-01-01

We report on a scheme which might make it practically possible to engineer the effective competing nonlinearities that on average govern the light propagation in quasi-phase-matching (QPM) gratings. Modulation of the QPM period with a second longer period, introduces an extra degree of freedom...... relative lengths of the two periods and we consider the effect on solitons and the bandwidth for their generation. We derive an expression for the bandwidth of multicolor soliton generation in two-period QPM samples and we predict and confirm numerically that the bandwidth is broader in the two-period QPM...

The effect of box shape on the dynamic properties of proteins simulated under periodic boundary conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wassenaar, T.A.; Mark, A.E.

The effect of the box shape on the dynamic behavior of proteins simulated under periodic boundary conditions is evaluated. In particular, the influence of simulation boxes defined by the near-densest lattice packing (NDLP) in conjunction with rotational constraints is compared to that of standard

The effect of a period of intense exercise on the marker approach to detect growth hormone doping in sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, Sven Christian; Robinson, Neil; Alsayrafi, Mohammed; Bourdon, Pitre C; Schumacher, Yorck Olaf; Saugy, Martial; Giraud, Sylvain

2014-06-01

The major objective of this study was to investigate the effects of several days of intense exercise on the growth hormone marker approach to detect doping with human growth hormone (hGH). In addition we investigated the effect of changes in plasma volume on the test. Fifteen male athletes performed a simulated nine-day cycling stage race. Blood samples were collected twice daily over a period of 15 days (stage race + three days before and after). Plasma volumes were estimated by the optimized CO Rebreathing method. IGF-1 and P-III-NP were analyzed by Siemens Immulite and Cisbio Assays, respectively. All measured GH 2000 scores were far below the published decision limits for an adverse analytical finding. The period of exercise did not increase the GH-scores; however the accompanying effect of the increase in Plasma Volume yielded in essentially lower GH-scores. We could demonstrate that a period of heavy, long-term exercise with changes in plasma volume does not interfere with the decision limits for an adverse analytical finding. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of indomethacin on ovarian leukocytes during the periovulatory period in the rat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarradas Esteban

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract We have investigated the effects of indomethacin (IM, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and the role of prostaglandins on the accumulation of leukocytes in the rat ovary during the periovulatory period. Adult cycling rats were injected sc with 1 mg of IM in olive oil or vehicle on the morning of proestrus. Some animals were killed at 16:00 h in proestrus. On the evening (19:00 h of proestrus, IM-treated rats were injected with 500 micrograms of prostaglandin E1 in saline or vehicle. Animals were killed at 01:30 and 09:00 h in estrus. There was an influx of macrophages, neutrophils, and eosinophils into the theca layers of preovulatory follicles, and of neutrophils and eosinophils into the ovarian medulla from 16:00 h in proestrus to 01:30 h in estrus. All these changes, except the accumulation of neutrophils in the theca layers of preovulatory follicles, were blocked by IM treatment. At 09:00 h in estrus, large clusters of neutrophils were observed in IM-treated rats, around abnormally ruptured follicles. The accumulation of leukocytes was not restored by prostaglandin supplementation, despite the inhibition of abnormal follicle rupture and restoration of ovulation in these animals. These results suggest that different mechanisms are involved in leukocyte accumulation in the ovary during the periovulatory period, and that the inhibitory effects of IM on the influx of leukocytes are not dependent on prostaglandin synthesis inhibition.

Hydrologic effects of large southwestern USA wildfires significantly increase regional water supply: fact or fiction?

Science.gov (United States)

Wine, M. L.; Cadol, D.

2016-08-01

In recent years climate change and historic fire suppression have increased the frequency of large wildfires in the southwestern USA, motivating study of the hydrological consequences of these wildfires at point and watershed scales, typically over short periods of time. These studies have revealed that reduced soil infiltration capacity and reduced transpiration due to tree canopy combustion increase streamflow at the watershed scale. However, the degree to which these local increases in runoff propagate to larger scales—relevant to urban and agricultural water supply—remains largely unknown, particularly in semi-arid mountainous watersheds co-dominated by winter snowmelt and the North American monsoon. To address this question, we selected three New Mexico watersheds—the Jemez (1223 km2), Mogollon (191 km2), and Gila (4807 km2)—that together have been affected by over 100 wildfires since 1982. We then applied climate-driven linear models to test for effects of fire on streamflow metrics after controlling for climatic variability. Here we show that, after controlling for climatic and snowpack variability, significantly more streamflow discharged from the Gila watershed for three to five years following wildfires, consistent with increased regional water yield due to enhanced infiltration-excess overland flow and groundwater recharge at the large watershed scale. In contrast, we observed no such increase in discharge from the Jemez watershed following wildfires. Fire regimes represent a key difference between the contrasting responses of the Jemez and Gila watersheds with the latter experiencing more frequent wildfires, many caused by lightning strikes. While hydrologic dynamics at the scale of large watersheds were previously thought to be climatically dominated, these results suggest that if one fifth or more of a large watershed has been burned in the previous three to five years, significant increases in water yield can be expected.

Inferring probabilistic stellar rotation periods using Gaussian processes

Science.gov (United States)

Angus, Ruth; Morton, Timothy; Aigrain, Suzanne; Foreman-Mackey, Daniel; Rajpaul, Vinesh

2018-02-01

Variability in the light curves of spotted, rotating stars is often non-sinusoidal and quasi-periodic - spots move on the stellar surface and have finite lifetimes, causing stellar flux variations to slowly shift in phase. A strictly periodic sinusoid therefore cannot accurately model a rotationally modulated stellar light curve. Physical models of stellar surfaces have many drawbacks preventing effective inference, such as highly degenerate or high-dimensional parameter spaces. In this work, we test an appropriate effective model: a Gaussian Process with a quasi-periodic covariance kernel function. This highly flexible model allows sampling of the posterior probability density function of the periodic parameter, marginalizing over the other kernel hyperparameters using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach. To test the effectiveness of this method, we infer rotation periods from 333 simulated stellar light curves, demonstrating that the Gaussian process method produces periods that are more accurate than both a sine-fitting periodogram and an autocorrelation function method. We also demonstrate that it works well on real data, by inferring rotation periods for 275 Kepler stars with previously measured periods. We provide a table of rotation periods for these and many more, altogether 1102 Kepler objects of interest, and their posterior probability density function samples. Because this method delivers posterior probability density functions, it will enable hierarchical studies involving stellar rotation, particularly those involving population modelling, such as inferring stellar ages, obliquities in exoplanet systems, or characterizing star-planet interactions. The code used to implement this method is available online.

Theory of Periodic Conjugate Heat Transfer

CERN Document Server

Zudin, Yuri B

2012-01-01

This book presents the theory of periodic conjugate heat transfer in a detailed way. The effects of thermophysical properties and geometry of a solid body on the commonly used and experimentally determined heat transfer coefficient are analytically presented from a general point of view. The main objective of the book is a simplified description of the interaction between a solid body and a fluid as a boundary value problem of the heat conduction equation for the solid body. At the body surface, the true heat transfer coefficient is composed of two parts: the true mean value resulting from the solution of the steady state heat transfer problem and a periodically variable part, the periodic time and length to describe the oscillatory hydrodynamic effects. The second edition is extended by (i) the analysis of stability boundaries in helium flow at supercritical conditions in a heated channel with respect to the interaction between a solid body and a fluid; (ii) a periodic model and a method of heat transfer sim...

The effect of a period of intensive exercise on the isoform test to detect growth hormone doping in sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, S C; Giraud, S; Alsayrafi, M; Bourdon, P C; Schumacher, Y O; Saugy, M; Robinson, N

2013-08-01

The major objective of this study was to investigate the effects of several days of intense exercise on growth hormone (hGH) testing using the World Anti-Doping Agencies hGH isoform differential immunoassays. Additionally the effects of circadian variation and exercise type on the isoform ratios were also investigated. 15 male athletes performed a simulated nine day cycling stage race. Blood samples were collected twice daily over a period of 15 days (stage race+three days before and after). hGH isoforms were analysed by the official WADA immunoassays (CMZ Assay GmbH). All measured isoform ratios were far below the WADA decision limits for an adverse analytical finding. Changes in the isoform ratios could not be clearly connected to circadian variation, exercise duration or intensity. The present study demonstrates that the hGH isoform ratios are not significantly affected by exercise or circadian variation. We demonstrated that heavy, long term exercise does not interfere with the decision limits for an adverse analytical finding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of possible chaotic, quasi-periodic and periodic structures in quantum dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Uday Narayan; Chatterjee, Prasanta; Roychoudhury, Rajkumar

2014-01-01

Existence of chaotic, quasi-periodic, and periodic structures of dust-ion acoustic waves is studied in quantum dusty plasmas through dynamical system approach. A system of coupled differential equations is derived from the fluid model and subsequently, variational matrix is obtained. The characteristic equation is obtained at the equilibrium point, and the behavior of nonlinear waves is studied numerically using Runge-Kutta method. The behavior of the dynamical system changes significantly when any of plasma parameters, such as the dust concentration parameter, temperature ratio, or the quantum diffraction parameter, is varied. The change of the characteristic of solution of the system is extensively studied. It is found that the system changes its behavior from chaotic pattern to limit cycle behavior

Thermomechanical effect of pulse-periodic laser radiation on cartilaginous and eye tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, O. I.; Zheltov, G. I.; Omelchenko, A. I.; Romanov, G. S.; Romanov, O. G.; Sobol, E. N.

2013-08-01

This paper is devoted to theoretical and experimental studies into the thermomechanical action of laser radiation on biological tissues. The thermal stresses and strains developing in biological tissues under the effect of pulse-periodic laser radiation are theoretically modeled for a wide range of laser pulse durations. The models constructed allow one to calculate the magnitude of pressures developing in cartilaginous and eye tissues exposed to laser radiation and predict the evolution of cavitation phenomena occurring therein. The calculation results agree well with experimental data on the growth of pressure and deformations, as well as the dynamics of formation of gas bubbles, in the laser-affected tissues. Experiments on the effect of laser radiation on the trabecular region of the eye in minipigs demonstrated that there existed optimal laser irradiation regimens causing a substantial increase in the hydraulic permeability of the radiation-exposed tissue, which can be used to develop a novel glaucoma treatment method.

Thermomechanical effect of pulse-periodic laser radiation on cartilaginous and eye tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baum, O I; Omelchenko, A I; Sobol, E N; Zheltov, G I; Romanov, G S; Romanov, O G

2013-01-01

This paper is devoted to theoretical and experimental studies into the thermomechanical action of laser radiation on biological tissues. The thermal stresses and strains developing in biological tissues under the effect of pulse-periodic laser radiation are theoretically modeled for a wide range of laser pulse durations. The models constructed allow one to calculate the magnitude of pressures developing in cartilaginous and eye tissues exposed to laser radiation and predict the evolution of cavitation phenomena occurring therein. The calculation results agree well with experimental data on the growth of pressure and deformations, as well as the dynamics of formation of gas bubbles, in the laser-affected tissues. Experiments on the effect of laser radiation on the trabecular region of the eye in minipigs demonstrated that there existed optimal laser irradiation regimens causing a substantial increase in the hydraulic permeability of the radiation-exposed tissue, which can be used to develop a novel glaucoma treatment method. (paper)

Effects of dynamic long-period ocean tides on changes in earth's rotation rate

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Young; Dickman, S. R.

1990-01-01

As a generalization of the zonal response coefficient first introduced by Agnew and Farrell (1978), the zonal response function kappa of the solid earth-ocean system is defined as the ratio, in the frequency domain, of the tidal change in earth's rotation rate to the tide-generating potential. Amplitudes and phases of kappa for the monthly, fortnightly, and nine-day lunar tides are estimated from 2 1/2 years of VLBI UT1 observations, corrected for atmospheric angular momentum effects using NMC wind and pressure series. Using the dynamic ocean tide model of Dickman (1988, 1989), amplitudes and phases of kappa for an elastic earth-ocean system are predicted. The predictions confirm earlier results which found that dynamic effects of the longer-period ocean tides reduce the amplitude of kappa by about 1 percent.

Effect of dry period length and dietary energy source on energy balance, milk yield, and milk composition of dairy cows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knegsel, van A.T.M.; Remmelink, G.J.; Jorjong, S.; Fievez, V.; Kemp, B.

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dry period length and dietary energy source in early lactation on milk production, feed intake, and energy balance (EB) of dairy cows. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (60 primiparous and 108 multiparous) were randomly assigned to dry period

Entrainment effects in periodic forcing of the flow over a backward-facing step

Science.gov (United States)

Berk, T.; Medjnoun, T.; Ganapathisubramani, B.

2017-07-01

The effect of the Strouhal number on periodic forcing of the flow over a backward-facing step (height, H ) is investigated experimentally. Forcing is applied by a synthetic jet at the edge of the step at Strouhal numbers ranging from 0.21 effect of Strouhal number on the reattachment length is often divided into low- and high-frequency actuation, referring to specific frequencies present in the unforced flow. In the present study, variations with Strouhal number are explained based on a continuous variation of entrainment of momentum into the recirculation region rather than on specific frequencies. The reattachment length is shown to decrease linearly with entrainment of momentum. Vertical momentum flux is driven by vortices generated by the forcing, and locally vertical momentum flux is shown to be qualitatively similar to circulation for all cases considered. Total circulation (and therewith entrainment of momentum and the effect on the reattachment length) is shown to decrease with Strouhal number, whereas this is not predicted by models based on specific low and high frequencies. An empirical model for the (decay of) circulation is derived by tracking vortices in phase-locked data. This model is used to decipher relevant scaling parameters that explain the variations in circulation, entrainment of momentum, and reattachment length. Three regimes of Strouhal number are identified. A low-Strouhal-number regime is observed for which vortices are formed at a late stage relative to the recirculation region, causing a decrease in effectiveness. For high Strouhal numbers, vortices are being reingested into the actuator or are packed so close together that they cancel each other, both decreasing the effectiveness of forcing. In the intermediate regime a vortex train is formed of which the decay of circulation increases for increasing Strouhal number. The scaling of this

Triply coupled vibrational band gap in a periodic and nonsymmetrical axially loaded thin-walled Bernoulli-Euler beam including the warping effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Dianlong; Fang Jianyu; Cai Li; Han Xiaoyun; Wen Jihong

2009-01-01

The propagation of triply coupled vibrations in a periodic, nonsymmetrical and axially loaded thin-walled Bernoulli-Euler beam composed of two kinds of materials is investigated with the transfer matrix method. The cross-section of the beam lacks symmetrical axes, and bending vibrations in the two perpendicular directions are coupled with torsional vibrations. Furthermore, the effect of warping stiffness is included. The band structures of the periodic beam, both including and excluding the warping effect, are obtained. The frequency response function of the finite periodic beam is simulated with the finite element method. These simulations show large vibration-based attenuation in the frequency range of the gap, as expected. By comparing the band structure of the beam with plane wave expansion method calculations that are available in the literature, one finds that including the warping effect leads to a more accurate simulation. The effects of warping stiffness and axial force on the band structure are also discussed.

p-Curve and Effect Size: Correcting for Publication Bias Using Only Significant Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonsohn, Uri; Nelson, Leif D; Simmons, Joseph P

2014-11-01

Journals tend to publish only statistically significant evidence, creating a scientific record that markedly overstates the size of effects. We provide a new tool that corrects for this bias without requiring access to nonsignificant results. It capitalizes on the fact that the distribution of significant p values, p-curve, is a function of the true underlying effect. Researchers armed only with sample sizes and test results of the published findings can correct for publication bias. We validate the technique with simulations and by reanalyzing data from the Many-Labs Replication project. We demonstrate that p-curve can arrive at conclusions opposite that of existing tools by reanalyzing the meta-analysis of the "choice overload" literature. © The Author(s) 2014.

Age-specific mortality trends in France and Italy since 1900: period and cohort effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Caselli, G; Vallin, J; Vaupel, J W; Yashin, A

1987-11-01

The age/sex-specific mortality trends of France and Italy were studied over the 1899-1979 period in as much detail as possible in an effort to distinguish between cohort effects and those related to period changes. Complete series of mortality data by individual years of age and calendar years were available from 1869 to 1979 for Italy and from 1899 to 1982 for France. For both countries, these data include the military and civil deaths not registered in vital statistics during the war periods. They cover each national territory as defined by its present boundaries. The graphical representation method of mortality surfaces, elaborated by Vaupel, Gambill, and Yashin (1985), was adopted. The age/sex-specific mortality patterns of France and Italy have not followed the same trends, and the differences observed today are not those of 100 years ago. The mean death probabilities for the 1975-79 period were used to illustrate the age-specific patterns of mortality. Although infant mortality was higher in Italy than in France, the death probabilities at ages 1-15 for both sexes were roughly the same for both countries. At ages 15-23, they were much higher in France than in Italy, and they remained considerably higher in France up to age 55. From then on, the sexes differ: for males, the 2 countries showed similar patterns, whereas for females the probabilities were noticeably higher for France. The situation was very different for both countries at the beginning of the century. For both sexes, higher mortality was observed in Italy not only during infancy but throughout childhood and the adolescent years up to age 15. The 2 countries showed similar patterns from 15-25. Above age 25, the 2 countries had similar patterns for females, whereas male mortality was higher in France right up to the old age groups. Such differences in the age-specific mortality trends depend in part on a different development of health and social conditions but also may be due to factors concerning

Proton Affinities of Anionic Bases:  Trends Across the Periodic Table, Structural Effects, and DFT Validation.

Science.gov (United States)

Swart, Marcel; Bickelhaupt, F Matthias

2006-03-01

We have carried out an extensive exploration of the gas-phase basicity of archetypal anionic bases across the periodic system using the generalized gradient approximation of density functional theory (DFT) at BP86/QZ4P//BP86/TZ2P. First, we validate DFT as a reliable tool for computing proton affinities and related thermochemical quantities:  BP86/QZ4P//BP86/TZ2P is shown to yield a mean absolute deviation of 1.6 kcal/mol for the proton affinity at 0 K with respect to high-level ab initio benchmark data. The main purpose of this work is to provide the proton affinities (and corresponding entropies) at 298 K of the anionic conjugate bases of all main-group-element hydrides of groups 14-17 and periods 2-6. We have also studied the effect of stepwise methylation of the protophilic center of the second- and third-period bases.

Mitigating the effects of in-vehicle distractions through use of the Psychological Refractory Period paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Hibberd, Daryl L; Jamson, Samantha L; Carsten, Oliver M J

2013-01-01

Modern driving involves frequent and potentially detrimental interactions with distracting in-vehicle tasks. Distraction has been shown to slow brake reaction time and decrease lateral and longitudinal vehicle control. It is likely that these negative effects will become more prevalent in the future as advances are made in the functionality, availability, and number of in-vehicle systems. This paper addresses this problem by considering ways to manage in-vehicle task presentation to mitigate their distracting effects. A driving simulator experiment using 48 participants was performed to investigate the existence of the Psychological Refractory Period in the driving context and its effect on braking performance. Drivers were exposed to lead vehicle braking events in isolation (single-task) and with a preceding surrogate in-vehicle task (dual-task). In dual-task scenarios, the time interval between the in-vehicle and braking tasks was manipulated. Brake reaction time increased when drivers were distracted. The in-vehicle task interfered with the performance of the braking task in a manner that was dependent on the interval between the two tasks, with slower reactions following a shorter inter-task interval. This is the Psychological Refractory Period effect. These results have implications for driver safety during in-vehicle distraction. The findings are used to develop recommendations regarding the timing of in-vehicle task presentation so as to reduce their potentially damaging effects on braking performance. In future, these guidelines could be incorporated into a driver workload management system to minimise the opportunity for a driver to be distracted from the ongoing driving task. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization on replacement and inspection period of plant equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takase, Kentaro; Kasai, Masao

2004-01-01

Rationalization of the plant maintenance is one of the main topics being investigated in Japanese nuclear power industries. Optimization of the inspection and replacement period of equipments is effective for the maintenance cost reduction. The more realistic model of the replacement policy is proposed in this study. It is based on the classical replacement policy model and its cost is estimated. Then, to consider the inspection for the maintenance, the formulation that includes the risk concept is discussed. Based on it, two variations of the combination of the inspection and the replacement are discussed and the costs are estimated. In this study the effect of the degradation of the equipment is important. The optimized maintenance policy depends on the existence of significant degradation. (author)

The effect of extended periodic inspection of passenger cars and vans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pilegaard, Ninette; Bernhoft, Inger Marie

The purpose of this note is to perform a calculation of the costs and benefits of extended period-ic inspection of passenger cars and vans in Denmark, provided that the first inspection of pas-senger cars and vans is performed after four years, then one inspection after two years and thereafter...

An improved test for periodicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, S.R.

1990-01-01

I discuss two widely used methods of testing for periodicity, phase dispersion minimization and epoch-folding. Using an analysis of variance approach, I demonstrate the close relationship between these two methods. I also show that the significance test sometimes used in phase dispersion minimization is statistically inaccurate, and that the test used in epoch-folding is an approximation valid only for large sample sizes. I propose a new test statistic, applicable to either epoch-folding or PDM, which is statistically sound for all sample sizes, and which is also more sensitive to periodicity than the test statistics previously used with these two methods. (author)

Medicaid program; premiums and cost sharing. Final rule; delay of effective date and reopening of comment period.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-03-27

This action temporarily delays the effective date of the November 25, 2008 final rule entitled, Medicaid Program; Premiums and Cost Sharing" (73 FR 71828) until December 31, 2009. In addition, this action reopens the comment period on the policies set out in the November 25, 2008 final rule, and specifically solicits comments on the effect of certain provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Comparative study of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis from idiopathic hypokalemic periodic paralysis: An experience from India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Kalita

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: There is paucity of reports on thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP from India. We report the patients with TPP and compare them with idiopathic hypokalemic periodic paralysis (IHPP. Materials and Methods: Patients with hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HPP treated during the past 11 years were evaluated retrospectively. Their demographic parameters, family history, clinical features, precipitating factors, severity of weakness, laboratory parameters and rapidity of recovery were recorded. The demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters of TPP and IHPP were compared. Results: During the study period, we managed 52 patients with HPP; nine (17.3% of whom had TPP and 27 (52% had IHPP. The demographic, precipitating factors, number of attacks and severity of limb weakness were similar between the TPP and IHPP groups, except in the IHPP group, bulbar weakness was present in four and respiratory paralysis in six, needing artificial ventilation in two patients. Serum potassium was significantly lower in TPP (2.21 ± 0.49 compared with IHPP (2.67 ± 0.59, P = 0.04. Four patients with TPP had subclinical thyrotoxicosis and two had subclinical hyperthyroidism. Rebound hyperkalemia occurred in both TPP and IHPP (three versus eight patients. The recovery was faster in IHPP (26.7 ± 15.4 h compared with TPP (34.0 ± 14.0 h, but was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: TPP constitutes 17.3% of HPP, and absence of clinical features of thyrotoxicosis and subclinical hyperthyroidism in TPP is not uncommon. Clinical features, demographic profile and rebound hyperkalemia are similar in both TPP and IHPP. The serum potassium level is significantly low in the TPP compared with the IHPP group.

Emotional changes occurring in women in pregnancy, parturition and lying-in period according to factors exerting an effect on a woman during the peripartum period.

Science.gov (United States)

Pięta, Beata; Jurczyk, Mieczysława Urszula; Wszołek, Katarzyna; Opala, Tomasz

2014-01-01

Pregnancy, parturition and childcare, which are important moments in a woman's life, are connected with many emotional states of a future mother, a pregnant woman and a lying-in woman. The perinatal period is the time when the risk of psychological disorders in a pregnant woman may increase by even several times. Objective. The objective of the study was recognition of the main emotional and psychological changes in pregnant women, those in labour and lying-in, according to the factors occurring during the peripartum period. The study was conducted in the form of a survey and covered a group of 108 mothers who were hospitalized in gynaecological-obstetric and obstetric wards in the Karol Marcinkowski Gynaecological-Obstetric University Hospital in Poznań. There are a number of factors which may exert a negative effect on the emotions of women in pregnancy, parturition, and during lying-in. The study showed that there is a close relationship between the occurrence of these factors and emotional states of the mothers after giving birth. Special attention should be given to women in whom already during pregnancy factors arise which may have a negative impact on their mental state. Emotions during pregnancy, parturition and lying-in are often quite extreme, and achieve a high intensity, as well being very variable within a short period of time.

Communications with Mars During Periods of Solar Conjunction: Initial Study Results

Science.gov (United States)

Morabito, D.; Hastrup, R.

2001-07-01

During the initial phase of the human exploration of Mars, a reliable communications link to and from Earth will be required. The direct link can easily be maintained during most of the 780-day Earth-Mars synodic period. However, during periods in which the direct Earth-Mars link encounters increased intervening charged particles during superior solar conjunctions of Mars, the resultant effects are expected to corrupt the data signals to varying degrees. The purpose of this article is to explore possible strategies, provide recommendations, and identify options for communicating over this link during periods of solar conjunctions. A significant improvement in telemetry data return can be realized by using the higher frequency 32 GHz (Ka-band), which is less susceptible to solar effects. During the era of the onset of probable human exploration of Mars, six superior conjunctions were identified from 2015 to 2026. For five of these six conjunctions, where the signal source is not occulted by the disk of the Sun, continuous communications with Mars should be achievable. Only during the superior conjunction of 2023 is the signal source at Mars expected to lie behind the disk of the Sun for about one day and within two solar radii (0. 5 deg) for about three days.

Effect of Number of Spermatozoa, Oviduct Condition and Timing of Artificial Insemination on Fertility and Fertile Period of Kampung Rooster Spermatozoa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DM Saleh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. This study was carried out to determine the optimum fertility and fertile period using the number of spermatozoa, oviduct condition and timing of insemination of native rooster spermatozoa. Ninety six commercial Isa brown pullets and nine kampung roosters were used in this study in a 3×2×2 factorial arrangement with one bird in a cage constituting a unit. The factor levels were the number of spermatozoa (50, 100 and 150 million/0.1 ml, oviduct condition (hard-shelled eggs and free hard-shelled eggs, and timing of artificial insemination (in the morning, at 7 AM and in the afternoon, at 4 PM.  The results showed that among the treatments there was no significant interaction to fertility and fertile period. Insemination with 50 million sperm number seemed to be the same result with the other 2 treatments. Oviduct condition had a highly significant difference on fertility and fertile period percentage, and timing of insemination did not differ between morning and afternoon.  In conclusion, the only oviduct condition (free hard-shelled eggs was the best results for insemination in terms of fertility and fertile period of native roosters.  It is recommended that for the maximum fertility and fertile period, hens should be inseminated with 50 million spermatozoa, free of hard-shelled eggs and insemination performed in the morning or in the afternoon.   Keywords: timing of artificial insemination, fertility, fertile period, semen dose, oviduct condition Animal Production 14(1:32-36, January 2012

Effect of the sub-threshold periodic current forcing on the regularity and the synchronization of neuronal spiking activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozer, Mahmut; Uzuntarla, Muhammet; Agaoglu, Sukriye Nihal

2006-01-01

We first investigate the amplitude effect of the subthreshold periodic forcing on the regularity of the spiking events by using the coefficient of variation of interspike intervals. We show that the resonance effect in the coefficient of variation, which is dependent on the driving frequency for larger membrane patch sizes, disappears when the amplitude of the subthreshold forcing is decreased. Then, we demonstrate that the timings of the spiking events of a noisy and periodically driven neuron concentrate on a specific phase of the stimulus. We also show that increasing the intensity of the noise causes the phase probability density of the spiking events to get smaller values, and eliminates differences in the phase locking behavior of the neuron for different patch sizes

Periodic feedback stabilization for linear periodic evolution equations

CERN Document Server

Wang, Gengsheng

2016-01-01

This book introduces a number of recent advances regarding periodic feedback stabilization for linear and time periodic evolution equations. First, it presents selected connections between linear quadratic optimal control theory and feedback stabilization theory for linear periodic evolution equations. Secondly, it identifies several criteria for the periodic feedback stabilization from the perspective of geometry, algebra and analyses respectively. Next, it describes several ways to design periodic feedback laws. Lastly, the book introduces readers to key methods for designing the control machines. Given its coverage and scope, it offers a helpful guide for graduate students and researchers in the areas of control theory and applied mathematics.

Effect from Hyperbolic Law in Periodic Table of Elements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khazan A.

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Hyperbola curves Y = K/X and Y = ( mx + n / ( px + q at determination of the upper limit of the Periodic System have been studied. Their interdependence is shown by the example of mathematical calculations in chemistry.

Some Reflections on the Periodic Table and Its Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernelius, W. Conard

1986-01-01

Discusses early periodic tables; effect on the periodic table of atomic numbers; the periodic table in relation to electron distribution in the atoms of elements; terms and concepts related to the table; and the modern basis of the periodic table. Additional comments about these and other topics are included. (JN)

Epigenetic Influences During the Periconception Period and Assisted Reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Amoako, Akwasi A; Nafee, Tamer M; Ola, Bolarinde

2017-01-01

The periconception period starts 6 months before conception and lasts until the tenth week of gestation. In this chapter, we will focus on epigenetic modifications to DNA and gene expression within this period and during assisted reproduction. There are two critical times during the periconception window when significant epigenetic 'reprogramming' occur: one during gametogenesis and another during the pre-implantation embryonic stage. Furthermore, assisted conception treatments, laboratory protocols and culture media can affect the embryo development and birth weights in laboratory animals. There is, however, an ongoing debate as to whether epigenetic changes in humans, causing embryo mal-development, placenta dysfunction and birth defects, result from assisted reproductive technologies or are consequences of pre-existing medical and/or genetic conditions in the parents. The periconception period starts from ovarian folliculogenesis, through resumption of oogenesis, fertilisation, peri-implantation embryo development, embryogenesis until the end of organogenesis. In men, it is the period from spermatogenesis to epididymal sperm storage and fertilisation. Gametes and developing embryos are sensitive to environmental factors during this period, and epigenetic modifications can occur in response to adverse lifestyles and environmental factors. We now know that lifestyle factors such as advanced parentage age, obesity or undernutrition, smoking, excessive alcohol and caffeine intake and recreational drugs used during gamete production and embryogenesis could induce epigenetic alterations, which could impact adversely on pregnancy outcomes and health of the offspring. Furthermore, these can also result in a permanent and irreversible effect in a dose-dependent manner, which can be passed on to the future generations.

Periodic Safety Review of Nuclear Power Plants: Experience of Member States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-04-01

Routine reviews of nuclear power plant operation (including modifications to hardware and procedures, operating experience, plant management and personnel competence) and special reviews following major events of safety significance are the primary means of safety verification. In addition, many Member States of the IAEA have initiated systematic safety reassessments, termed periodic safety reviews, of nuclear power plants, to assess the cumulative effects of plant ageing and plant modifications, operating experience, technical developments and siting aspects. The reviews include an assessment of plant design and operation against current safety standards and practices, and they have the objective of ensuring a high level of safety throughout the plant's operating lifetime. They are complementary to the routine and special safety reviews and do not replace them. Periodic safety reviews of nuclear power plants are considered an effective way to obtain an overall view of actual plant safety, and to determine reasonable and practical modifications that should be made in order to maintain a high level of safety. They can be used as a means of identifying time limiting features of the plant in order to determine nuclear power plant operation beyond the designed lifetime. The periodic safety review process can be used to support the decision making process for long term operation or licence renewal. Since 1994, the use of periodic safety reviews by Member States has substantially broadened and confirmed its benefits. Periodic safety review results have, for example, been used by some Member States to help provide a basis for continued operation beyond the current licence term, to communicate more effectively with stakeholders regarding nuclear power plant safety, and to help identify changes to plant operation that enhance safety. This IAEA-TECDOC is intended to assist Member States in the implementation of a periodic safety review. This publication complements the

Effect of Mobile Phone Microwaves on Fetal Period of Balb-C Mice in Histological Characteristics of Hippocampus and Learning Behaviors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Moghimi

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Objective(sThe possible risks of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF for the living organisms and human body are a growing concern for our society. In this study, we examined the possibility of changes in working memory and hippocampal histological characteristics effects in mice brain following whole body exposure to microwave radiation.Materials and MethodsDuring gestation period, we exposed mice for 4 hr to Global system for mobile communications (GSM, Specific Absorption Rate (SAR of 200 mW/kg. Pregnant control mice were sham-exposed or free in a cage without further restraining. Three month after exposure animals were prepared for behavioral (Radial Arm Maze (RAM and Morris Water Maze (MWM and histological studies.ResultsThe results showed that microwave exposed mice were slower than sham, and control in finding the platform. Analyses of error rates in RAM and MWM performance revealed significant differences which emphasize the effect of acute exposure to pulsed microwaves in deficit of spatial reference memory in the mice. However in this study exposed group didn’t show any statistically significant loss of hippocampal CA1, CA3 neurons versus controls or sham. ConclusionWe conclude that there is evidence from the current study that exposure to MW radiation under parameters examined caused decrements in the ability of mice to learn the spatial memory task.

Effect of protease and duration of fattening period on dressing percentage of broiler chickens

OpenAIRE

Dosković Vladimir; Bogosavljević-Bošković Snežana; Perić Lidija; Lukić Miloš; Škrbić Zdenka; Rakonjac Simeon; Petričević Veselin

2016-01-01

This study evaluates the effect of different crude protein levels in broiler diets supplemented with 0.2% and 0.3% protease enzyme (Ronozyme Pro Act) on dressed carcass weight and dressing percentage during two fattening periods (49 and 63 days). The fast-growing strain Cobb 500 was used. At the end of the fattening trial i.e. at 49 and 63 days, 10 male and 10 female birds were randomly sacrificed from each experimental group to determine body weights and c...

[The effect of breast massage at different time in the early period after cesarean section].

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, J Y; Zhang, L; Zhang, Y J; Yang, M J; Li, X W; Sun, L L

2017-11-06

Objective: To evaluate the effect of breast massage at different time in the early period on maternal lactation after cesarean section. Methods: 80 women delivered by cesarean section were randomly selected from maternity ward of a hospital in Shandong province during Jan. 2013 to Jan. 2015; which were divided into four groups, with 20 patients in each. Three groups received 3 times of breast massage every 24 hoursbeginning from 2, 12 and 24 h after cesarean section, respectively. The control group didn't receive any breast massage. The starting time and status of lactation were observed and recorded after cesarean section. 5 ml venous blood sample was drawn from each patient respectively at 2 h before cesarean, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after cesarean to test the level of serum prolactin. The lactation status of each group was compared. Results: The P (50) ( P (25)- P (75)) of starting time of lactation of the three massage groups and control group were 3 (2-6) h, 4 (2-8) h, 4 (3-12) h and 4 (2-12) h, respectively, whose differences showed no statistical significance ( H =3.32, P= 0.345).The number of delivered women with adequate lactation 24 hours after cesarean was 10 in the group who received massage beginning from 2 h after cesarean; while the number was only 2 in the control group. The number of delivered women with adequate lactation 48 hours after cesarean was 18 in the group who received massage beginning from 2 h after cesarean; while the number was 8 in the control group. The differences showed statistical significances ( P values were 0.021 and 0.008, respectively). The serum prolactin level in the group of delivered women who received massage from 2 h after cesarean was separately (195.9±78.5), (176.0±96.5), (216.4±110.0), (190.0±56.8) and (184.8±69.6) μg/L at 2, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after cesarean, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (which were (128.8±40.6), (127.3±66.8), (162.2±58.8), (145.1±64.7) and (141.7±49

Effect of iron ions and electric field on nitrification process in the periodic reversal bio-electrocoagulation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Guangsheng; Hu, Xiaomin; Li, Liang; Ye, Linlin; Lv, Weijian

2017-11-01

This study explored the nitrification mechanism of a periodic reversal bio-electrocoagulation system with Fe-C electrodes. The ammonia nitrogen removal was compared in four identical cylindrical sequencing bath reactors. Two of them were reactors with Fe-C electrodes (S1) and C-C electrodes (S2), respectively. The other two were a reactor with iron ions (S3) and a traditional SBR (S4), respectively. The results demonstrated that the effect on enhancing nitrification in S1 was the best among all four SBRs, followed by S3, S2 and S4. Iron ions increased the biomass, and electric field improved the proton transfer and enzyme activity. The dominant bacterial genera in the four SBRs were Hyphomicrobium, Thauera, Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas, Paracoccus and Hydrogenophaga. The iron ions may increase the levels of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter, both of which were the main microbes of the nitrification process. This study provided a significant and meaningful understanding of nitrification in a bio-electrocoagulation system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Summer weather characteristics and periodicity observed over the period 1888-2013 in the region of Belgrade, Serbia

Science.gov (United States)

Vujović, Dragana; Todorović, Nedeljko; Paskota, Mira

2018-04-01

With the goal of finding summer climate patterns in the region of Belgrade (Serbia) over the period 1888-2013, different techniques of multivariate statistical analysis were used in order to analyze the simultaneous changes of a number of climatologic parameters. An increasing trend of the mean daily minimum temperature was detected. In the recent decades (1960-2013), this increase was much more pronounced. The number of days with the daily minimum temperature greater or equal to 20 °C also increased significantly. Precipitation had no statistically significant trend. Spectral analysis showed a repetitive nature of the climatologic parameters which had periods that roughly can be classified into three groups, with the durations of the following: (1) 6 to 7 years, (2) 10 to 18 years, and (3) 21, 31, and 41 years. The temperature variables mainly had one period of repetitiveness of 5 to 7 years. Among other variables, the correlations of regional fluctuations of the temperature and precipitation and atmospheric circulation indices were analyzed. The North Atlantic oscillation index had the same periodicity as that of the precipitation, and it was not correlated to the temperature variables. Atlantic multidecadal oscillation index correlated well to the summer mean daily minimum and summer mean temperatures. The underlying structure of the data was analyzed by principal component analysis, which detected the following four easily interpreted dimensions: More sunshine-Higher temperature, Precipitation, Extreme heats, and Changeable summer.

Long-period maintenance program of JRR-3M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murayama, Yoji; Onozaki, Michio; Kakefuda, Kazuhiro

1999-01-01

The JRR-3M is a swimming pool type research reactor with maximum thermal output of 20 MW, classed in a large-scale research reactor and composed of numerous facilities. An operation cycle consists of 4 weeks of continuously reactor operation and 1 week of shutdown work such as fuel exchange and irradiation sample handling. The temporary and small-scale maintenance is also carried out during the shutdown period. Systematic maintenance period through a year usually follows 2 stages. The former stage of about 4 weeks is prepared to maintain the general facilities related to the overall reactor system such as computer system. The latter stage of about 9 weeks is prepared to maintain the other individual facilities such as cooling facilities and control facilities that are to be inspected by the regulatory body. Since preventive maintenance is required in order to achieve an improvement of safety, reliability and availability throughout the life cycle of the reactor, a long-period maintenance program should be prepared properly in consideration of an ageing degradation of the facilities. The long-period maintenance program of JRR-3M, which determines not only the replacement frequency but also the maintenance frequency of the facilities, is made on the basis of an ageing degradation of the facilities, irradiation effects of the materials, recommendations from the manufacturer and JRR-3M maintenance records. The replacement frequency recommended by the manufacturer is examined from the viewpoint of the safety significance of the facilities and availability of the components. The program is arranged so that it may not concentrate the replacement of the facilities in the specific fiscal year and smooth the budget and maintenance period throughout the life cycle of the reactor. There have been two unanticipated failures of the facilities, which required rearranging the program. (author)

Effectiveness of an extended period of flashing lights and strategic signage to increase the salience of alcohol-gel dispensers for improving hand hygiene compliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashidi, Babak; Li, Aimee; Patel, Rakesh; Harmsen, Irene E; Sabri, Elham; Kyeremanteng, Kwadwo; D'Egidio, Gianni

2016-07-01

Multiple factors affect compliance with hand hygiene, including conspicuity of alcohol-gel dispensers. Previous studies have shown that flashing lights increase hand hygiene compliance; however, the durability of this effect has not been studied. We affixed flashing lights to hand sanitizer dispensers for a total of 6 weeks. Regression analysis was used to compare compliance rates between the beginning and end of the intervention. Our secondary objective was to determine whether compliance rates in cold weather could be improved by adding a sign separated in time and space from the dispensers. Flashing lights improved hand hygiene compliance from 11.8% to 20.7%, and this effect was unchanged over the 6-week study period. Fully charged lights resulted in a greater compliance increase. A preemptive sign did not have a significant effect on hand hygiene rates nor did absolute temperatures. Flashing lights are a simple, inexpensive way of improving hand hygiene. Brighter lights appear to have a greater effect; however, this must be balanced with annoyance in specific settings. Temperature did not have a significant effect; however, this may be because the relationship does not fit a linear model. Other interventions, such as signs, may need to be tailored specifically to individual hospital environments. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Embryotoxic and Teratogenic Effects of Nickel in Swiss Albino Mice during Organogenetic Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shivi Saini

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The present study evaluates potential hazardous of nickel (Ni+2 as NiCl2·6H2O to Swiss albino mice fetus. Ni was administered orally on body weight base from days 6 to 13 of gestation period. Based on LD50, Ni doses (46.125, 92.25, and 184.5 mg Ni/kg b.wt. were used. On day 18 of gestation, uteri of the sacrificed dams were examined. A dose-dependent decrease ( in the body weight of the pregnant females and fetuses during the gestation period was observed. Number of implant sites and placental weight at all the three dose levels was lower compared with their respective control groups. Average number of live fetuses/dams reduced significantly ( at 184.5 mg Ni/kg b.wt. with concomitant increase in the percentage of postimplantation death and percentage of resorbed, macerated, and dead fetuses, respectively. Exposure increased the fetal malformations, namely, hydrocephaly, open eyelids, microphthalmia, exophthalmia, club foot, umbilical hernia, and skeletal anomalies. Reduced ossification of nasal, frontal, parietal, intraparietal, and supraoccipital bones, absence/gap between the ribs, reduced/fused sternebrae, vertebral centra, and caudal vertebrae, reduced pelvic elements, absence of carpals, metacarpals, tarsals, metatarsals, and phalanges were distinct. This indicates vulnerability of the mice fetus to nickel during prenatal exposure.

The impact of "Ramadan fasting period" on total and differential white blood cells, haematological indices, inflammatory biomarker, respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function tests of healthy and asthmatic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Askari, V R; Alavinezhad, A; Boskabady, M H

2016-01-01

There is no conclusive evidence regarding the effect of fasting on different features in asthmatic patients. In the present study, the effect of Ramadan fasting in asthmatic patients and healthy control was studied. Haematological indices, inflammatory mediators, pulmonary function tests (PFT) and respiratory symptoms were evaluated in 15 asthmatic patients compared to 14 healthy matched control group before and after the one-month fasting period in Ramadan. The change in each parameter from the beginning to the end of Ramadan was calculated and referred to as "variation during Ramadan". The values of MCH, MCHC in both groups and monocyte counts in asthmatic patients, were significantly increased but platelet count was reduced in asthmatic and controls respectively compared to pre-Ramadan fasting period (Pfasting month (Pfasting month in both groups were non-significantly higher compared to pre-fasting values except FVC. Respiratory symptoms in asthmatic patients were non-significantly but wheeze-o was significantly reduced after Ramadan fasting period in asthma group (Pfasting period between two groups, although reduction of hs-CRP in asthmatic group was non-significantly higher than control group. These results show that Ramadan fasting period has no negative impact on asthma and may have some positive effect on asthma severity with regard to reduction of hs-CRP concentration and chest wheeze. Copyright © 2016 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Decomposing the effects of time on the social acceptability of biotechnology using age-period-cohort-country models.

Science.gov (United States)

Rousselière, Damien; Rousselière, Samira

2017-08-01

The study of European attitudes toward biotechnologies underlines a situation that is relatively contrasting in Europe. However, as different effects of time can influence the social attitudes (a life-cycle effect, a generational effect, and an exogenous temporal effect potentially affecting the entire population), an appropriate methodology should be used. To this end, age-period-cohort-country models have thus been estimated based on Eurobarometer data from 1991 onward. Applied to different data subsets, these models give similar results underlining the importance of the life-cycle effects as well as the heterogeneity of the link between political affiliation and biotechnologies attitudes across the European countries.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-09-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1990) and includes copies of letters, notices, and orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October - December 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-05-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1991) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-09-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-11-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1990) and includes copies of letters, notices, and orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-08-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1992) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-02-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1990) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-06-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1989) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-07-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April-June 1991) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-05-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1992) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-12-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1992) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-11-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1991) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1991) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July - September 1992) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-12-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1989) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Ideomotor compatibility in the psychological refractory period effect: 29 years of oversimplification.

Science.gov (United States)

Lien, Mei-Ching; Proctor, Robert W; Allen, Philip A

2002-04-01

Four experiments examined whether the psychological refractory period (PRP) effect can be eliminated with ideomotor compatible (IM) but not stimulus-response compatible (SR) tasks, as reported by A. G. Greenwald and H. G. Shulman (1973). Their tasks were used: a left or right movement to a left- or right-pointing arrow (IM) or to the word left or right (SR) for Task 1; saying "A" or "B" (IM) or "1" or "2" (SR) to an auditory A or B for Task 2. The stimulus onset asynchronies were 0, 100, 200, 300, 500, and 1,000 ms in Experiment 1, and only 0, 100, 200, and 1,000 ms in Experiments 2-4. The arrow was in the center of the screen in Experiments 1-3 and to the left or right in Experiment 4. As in Greenwald and Shulman's Experiment 2, the instructions stated that most often the 2 stimuli would be presented simultaneously. A PRP effect was obtained in all conditions, most likely because response-selection decisions are required even for IM tasks.

Effect of 4 Weeks of Detraining After a Period of Resistance Training on Plasma Apelin Levels in Overweight and Obese Girls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rezvaneh Galdavi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Apelin is secreted from visceral adipose tissue. However, the effect of resistance training and consequent detraining on the apelin level in obesity, has not yet been clearly determined. In the current research, the effect of 4 weeks of detraining after a period of resistance training, was investigated on the plasma apelin levels in overweight and obese girls. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 22 overweight and obese girls were purposefully selected and randomly divided into two groups of experimental (n=12 and control (n=10. The experimental group exercised in an 8-week training program (4 sessions per week according to a training program with an intensity of 65-80% of one maximum repetition, and then experienced 4 weeks of detraining. Blood sampling was performed after a 12-h fasting in various phases and the level of apelin was measured. Data were analyzed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov, repeated measure ANOVA, post-hoc LSD, and independent t-tests at a significance level of α 0.05. Also, after 4 weeks of detraining a slight increase was seen in the levels of apelin, but was not significant (p>0.05. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, resistance training as a new non-drug therapy can be effective in reducing the levels of apelin. Also, apelin levels increases with discontinuation of exercise, which may lead to the emergence of inflammatory features in the cardiovascular system.

The Effect of a Moderate Intensity Aerobic Exercise Followed by a Period of Detraining on Femoral Micro structures and It\\'s Strength in Oophorectomized Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Hojjati

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background and aim: Exercise activities increase bone mass, however, the effect of  detraining and inactivity on osteoporosis in active people who take part in regular physical activity, are still not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of treadmill running exercise together with detraining on osteoporosis in Oophorectomized rats. Methods: Fifty female rats divided randomly into control experimental 1 (oophorectomized rats for 12 weeks experimental 2 (oophorectomized rats for 22 weeks experimental 3 (oophorectomized rats undergoing treadmill running exercise and experimental 4 (oophorectomized rats undergoing treadmill running exercise together with a period of detraining groups. Control group sacrificed in the beginning of the study. The experimental groups of 3 and 4 exercised for 10 weeks. After the training period, The experimental groups of 1 and 3 were sacrificed, while, experimental groups 4 and 2 remained detraining. The exercise program consisted of running on a treadmill (3 days/week for 10 weeks. The speed of treadmill was adjusted constant at 12 m/min and the duration of exercise began from 10 min in the first week and reached up to 64 min in the 10th week of exercise. At the end of study, all rats were sacrificed and their femurs were removed for bone micro structures (cortical and trabecular thickness, and trabecular separation and bone strength analysis. We used One-Way ANOVA and  post hoc Scheffe test to compare the groups after evaluation of Homology of variances by Shapiro wilk test. P&le 0.05 considered significant. Results: Trabecular thickness decreased significantly in experimental groups of 1 and 2 compared with control group (P<0.05. Bone strength and cortical thicknesses decreased significantly in experimental groups of 2 compared with control group (P<0.01. Bone strength and femoral micro structures improved in experimental group of 3 compared with experimental group of 1 and in

Effect of the gamma radiation on the preservation pf potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) during the storing period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazon matanzo, M.P.; Fernandez Gonzalez, J.

1976-01-01

The effect of the gamma radiation on the preservation of potato tubers stored during a period of six months is described by evaluating the loss by sprouting, transpiration and infections. The dose of 9 Krad inhibits sprouting with independence of the epoch in wich the treatment is made, on the other hand a dose of 6 Krad inhibits sprouting only if the tubers are irradiated during the resting period. The treatment with IPC gave similar results to those obtained with a dose of 9 Krad. (author) [es

The "sticking period" in a maximum bench press.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Tillaar, Roland; Ettema, Gertjan

2010-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine muscle activity and three-dimensional kinematics in the ascending phase of a successful one-repetition maximum attempt in bench press for 12 recreational weight-training athletes, with special attention to the sticking period. The sticking period was defined as the first period of deceleration of the upward movement (i.e. from the highest barbell velocity until the first local lowest barbell velocity). All participants showed a sticking period during the upward movement that started about 0.2 s after the initial upward movement, and lasted about 0.9 s. Electromyography revealed that the muscle activity of the prime movers changed significantly from the pre-sticking to the sticking and post-sticking periods. A possible mechanism for the existence of the sticking period is the diminishing potentiation of the contractile elements during the upward movement together with the limited activity of the pectoral and deltoid muscles during this period.

Periodicity and repeatability in data

Science.gov (United States)

Southwood, D.

Using magnetic data from the first two years in Saturn orbit, the basic periodicity of apparent is examined with the aim of elucidating the `cam' shaft model of Espinosa et al. (2003) identifying the nature of the `cam' and giving a definitive period for its rotation. An initial hypothesis, supported by the spectral analysis of analysis of the first 8 months in orbit Gianpieri et al. (2006), is made that the source of the period is linked to something inside the planet and therefore that the source inertia means that the period effectively does not change over the 2 years. Moreover one expects that the source phase is fixed. Using this approach, not only can the period identified by spectral analysis (647.1 + 0.6 min.) be verified but also by phase analysis between successive passes over the 2 years the period can be refined to 647.6 + 0.1 min. The signal itself is remarkably reproducible from pass to pass. It appears in all three components of the field and its polarisation is unambiguously not attributable to direct detection of an internal field. Not only does the signal not decay rapidly with distance from the planet, but although it has the m=1 symmetry of a tilted dipole, the field lines diverge from the planet indicating an exterior source. This feature led to the `cam' model. The polarisation and comparisons of passes with different latitude profiles show a surprising north-south symmetry in the azimuthal field. The absence of asymmetry with respect to the magnetic equator rules out a direct magnetospheric-ionospheric interaction source. Accordingly, it is proposed that the basic `cam' effect is generated by a single hemisphere anomaly which creates hemisphere to hemisphere field aligned currents. The existence of Saturn phase related anomaly appears to produce a basic asymmetry in the inner magnetosphere that sets the phase of both an inflowing and outflowing sector in a rotating circulation system.

Periodization Theory: Confronting an Inconvenient Truth.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiely, John

2018-04-01

Periodization theory has, over the past seven decades, emerged as the preeminent training planning paradigm. The philosophical underpinnings of periodization theory can be traced back to the integration of diverse shaping influences, whereby coaching beliefs and traditions were blended with historically available scientific insights and contextualized against pervading social planning models. Since then, many dimensions of elite preparation have evolved significantly, as driven by a combination of coaching innovations and science-led advances in training theory, techniques, and technologies. These advances have been incorporated into the fabric of the pre-existing periodization planning framework, yet the philosophical assumptions underpinning periodization remain largely unchallenged and unchanged. One particularly influential academic sphere of study, the science of stress, particularly the work of Hans Selye, is repeatedly cited by theorists as a central pillar upon which periodization theory is founded. A fundamental assumption emanating from the early stress research is that physical stress is primarily a biologically mediated phenomenon: a presumption translated to athletic performance contexts as evidence that mechanical training stress directly regulates the magnitude of subsequent 'fitness' adaptations. Interestingly, however, since periodization theory first emerged, the science of stress has evolved extensively from its historical roots. This raises a fundamental question: if the original scientific platform upon which periodization theory was founded has disintegrated, should we critically re-evaluate conventional perspectives through an updated conceptual lens? Realigning periodization philosophy with contemporary stress theory thus presents us with an opportunity to recalibrate training planning models with both contemporary scientific insight and progressive coaching practice.

Period Changes of 23 Field RR Lyrae Stars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soo-Chang Rey

1994-12-01

Full Text Available The secular period behavior of 23 field RR Lyrae stars is studied in order to determine if the observed period changes could be attributed, at least in the mean, to stellar evolution. The sample of stars is subdivided into two Oosterhoff groups based on the metallicity and period-shift. Despite the small sample size, we found a distinct bias toward positive period changes in the group variables. The period changes of the group variables in globular clusters. This provides yet another support for the Lee, Demarque, and Zinn(1990 evolutionary models of RR Lyrae stars and their explanation of the Sandage period-shift effect.

Cost-effectiveness of motivational intervention with significant others for patients with alcohol misuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepard, Donald S; Lwin, Aung K; Barnett, Nancy P; Mastroleo, Nadine; Colby, Suzanne M; Gwaltney, Chad; Monti, Peter M

2016-05-01

To estimate the incremental cost, cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost ratio of incorporating a significant other (SO) into motivational intervention for alcohol misuse. We obtained economic data from the one year with the intervention in full operation for patients in a recent randomized trial. The underlying trial took place at a major urban hospital in the United States. The trial randomized 406 (68.7% male) eligible hazardous drinkers (196 during the economic study) admitted to the emergency department or trauma unit. The motivational interview condition consisted of one in-person session featuring personalized normative feedback. The significant other motivational interview condition comprised one joint session with the participant and SO in which the SO's perspective and support were elicited. We ascertained activities across 445 representative time segments through work sampling (including staff idle time), calculated the incremental cost in per patient of incorporating an SO, expressed the results in 2014 US$, incorporated quality and mortality effects from a closely related trial and derived the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. From a health system perspective, the incremental cost per patient of adding an SO was $341.09 [95% confidence interval (CI) = $244.44-437.74]. The incremental cost per year per hazardous drinker averted was $3623 (CI = $1777-22,709), the cost per QALY gained $32,200 (CI = $15,800-201,700), and the benefit-cost ratio was 4.73 (95% CI = 0.7-9.66). If adding an SO into the intervention strategy were concentrated during the hours with highest risk or in a trauma unit, it would become even more cost-beneficial. Using criteria established by the World Health Organization (cost-effectiveness below the country's gross domestic product per capita), incorporating a significant other into a patient's motivational intervention for alcohol misuse is highly cost-effective. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

The Effect of Four-Week Period of Aerobic Exercise with Cinnamon Consumption on Lipoprotein Indicates and Blood sugar in Diabetic Female Patients (Type 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Dastani

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Cinnamon as an herbal medicine has the ability to reduce blood glucose and lipoproteins in diabetic patients. Based on the positive effects of exercise on diabetic patients, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Four weeks Period aerobic exercise alongside using cinnamon on lipoprotein parameters and blood glucose in women with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Thirty diabetic women were voluntarily selected and were randomly divided into three groups: 1 aerobic exercise group; 2 aerobic exercise alongside using cinnamon; and 3 control group. Aerobic exercise took four weeks with 60 percent of maximum heart rate. Blood samples were collected at the beginning and end of the study. Results: Blood glucose, the fat percentage and HDL, and the ratio of LDL to HDL in the first group significantly decreased and in the second group increased (P<0.05. Also the first group showed a significant reduction in triglyceride. The only significant change observed in the control group was a significant increase in the level of LDL. Comparing the first and second group, it was observed that in the second group the level of total cholesterol decreased and the ratio of LDL to HDL increased (P<0.05. Conclusion: Using cinnamon alongside aerobic exercise is likely to be beneficial in regulating the concentration of blood glucose and lipids in diabetic patients.

Effect Of Light Qualities And Storage Periods On The Germination Of Pennisetum Polystachion Seeds*)

OpenAIRE

TJITROSEMITO, S

1992-01-01

Seeds of the yellowish inflorescence strain of Pennisetum polystachion, collected from the field in Indonesia, were kept in the dark for 30 days, then germinated in 12-h light and 24-h light under various light qualities, namely, white, black, blue, red and far-red. There was no effect of photo-period to seed germination. Percent of seed germination under white, red, far-red, blue and dark were 49, 43, 22, 11 and 2%, respectively. White and red light did not cause any diffe...

[Vaginitis and vaginosis. Comparison of two periods].

Science.gov (United States)

Ceruti, M; Canestrelli, M; Piantelli, G; Amone, F; Condemi, V; De Paolis, P; Ludovici, G; Somenzi, P

1993-10-01

Vaginitis is the most frequent gynecological disease. It is characterized by objective and subjective signs of inflammation and differs from bacterial vaginosis (BV) which is an abnormal condition of the vaginal ecosystem caused by the excessive growth of aerobic and anaerobic flora normally present in the vagina with an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The authors report the results of a study carried out at the Centre for Gynecological Infections at the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Parma. 828 patients were enrolled in the study during the period 1985-86 and 1559 patients during the two-year period 1991-92. The aim of the study was to evaluate variations in epidemiological data for vaginitis and bacterial vaginosis in the two periods examined. No significant changes were observed (p > 0.05) with regard to the prevalence of Ca, Tv and BV forms. On the other hand, there was a significant reduction (p vaginitis and BV showed a reduction of other microorganisms and an increase in negative vaginal swabs in adults (> 20 years old).

Emotional changes occurring in women in pregnancy, parturition and lying-in period according to factors exerting an effect on a woman during the peripartum period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beata Pięta

2014-09-01

Full Text Available [b]Introduction[/b]. Pregnancy, parturition and childcare, which are important moments in a woman’s life, are connected with many emotional states of a future mother, a pregnant woman and a lying-in woman. The perinatal period is the time when the risk of psychological disorders in a pregnant woman may increase by even several times. [b]Objective.[/b] The objective of the study was recognition of the main emotional and psychological changes in pregnant women, those in labour and lying-in, according to the factors occurring during the peripartum period. [b]Material and method[/b]. The study was conducted in the form of a survey and covered a group of 108 mothers who were hospitalized in gynaecological-obstetric and obstetric wards in the Karol Marcinkowski Gynaecological-Obstetric University Hospital in Poznań. [b]Results[/b]. There are a number of factors which may exert a negative effect on the emotions of women in pregnancy, parturition, and during lying-in. The study showed that there is a close relationship between the occurrence of these factors and emotional states of the mothers after giving birth. [b]Conclusion[/b]. Special attention should be given to women in whom already during pregnancy factors arise which may have a negative impact on their mental state. Emotions during pregnancy, parturition and lying-in are often quite extreme, and achieve a high intensity, as well being very variable within a short period of time.

Comparative study of optical properties of the one-dimensional multilayer Period-Doubling and Thue-Morse quasi-periodic photonic crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Bouazzi

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The last decades have witnessed the growing interest in the use of photonic crystal as a new material that can be used to control electromagnetic wave. Actually, not only the periodic structures but also the quasi-periodic systems have become significant structures of photonic crystals. This work deals with optical properties of dielectric Thue-Morse multilayer and Period-Doubling multilayer. We use the so-called Transfer Matrix Method (TMM to determine the transmission spectra of the structures. Based on the representation of the transmittance spectra in the visible range a comparative analysis depending on the iteration number, number of layers and incidence angle is presented.

Application of estimating effective dose from external radiation using two dosimeters during maintenance periods at KNPPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hee Geun; Kong, Tae Young

2008-01-01

The application of a two-dosimeter and its algorithm and a test of its use in an inhomogeneous high radiation field are described. The goal was to develop an improved method for estimating the effective dose during maintenance periods at Korean nuclear power plants (NPPs). The use of the method in domestic and international NPPs including USA, Canada and Japan was also investigated. The algorithms used by the Canadian Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and American ANSI HPS N13.41, Lakshmanan, NCRP, EPRI and Texas A and M University were extensively analyzed as two-dosimeter algorithms. The possibility of their application to NPPs was evaluated using data for each algorithm from two-dosimeter results for an inhomogeneous high radiation field during maintenance periods at Korean NPPs. (author)

The Effectiveness of Life Skills Training on Enhancement of Self-Esteem and Marital Satisfaction among Addicts in Treatment Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Nooripour

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study has been done to determine the impact of life skills training on enhancement of self-esteem and marital satisfaction among addicts in treatment period. Method: The research design was semi experimental pretest-posttest with witness group. For each group 12men addicts in treatment period in Qazvin city were selected by available sampling. Rosenberg self-esteem and Enrich marital satisfaction questionnaires were administered among selected samples. Training workshop was conducted on role playing, questioning and answering which was taught by psychology professors in experimental group. Results: Results showed life skills training improved self-esteem and marital satisfaction of addicts in treatment period. Conclusion: Life skills training have a positive impact on self-esteem and marital satisfaction of individuals especially on addicts in treatment period, also life skills training in the field of smoking prevention enhances individuals’ skills (such as self-esteem, marital satisfaction, etc…. Life skills training empower person to actualize his knowledge, attitudes and values, and enable him to have motivation for healthy behavior which this will have significant impact on his relationship with his wife.

Effects of the kinematic viscosity and surface tension on the bubble take-off period in a catalase-hydrogen peroxide system.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Satoshi; Iida, Yoshinori

2009-06-01

The effect of kinematic viscosity and surface tension of the solution was investigated by adding catalase, glucose oxidase, or glucose on the bubble movement in a catalase-hydrogen peroxide system. The kinematic viscosity was measured using a Cannon-Fenske kinematic viscometer. The surface tension of the solution was measured by the Wilhelmy method using a self-made apparatus. The effects of the hole diameter/cell wall thickness, catalase concentration, glucose concentration, and glucose oxidase concentration on the kinematic viscosity, surface tension, and bubble take-off period were investigated. With our system, the effects of the changes in the solution materiality on the bubble take-off period were proven to be very small in comparison to the change in the oxygen-producing rate.

Automated driving and its effects on the safety ecosystem: How do compatibility issues affect the transition period?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Loon, R.J.; Martens, Marieke Hendrikje

2015-01-01

Different components of automated vehicles are being made available commercially as we speak. Much research has been conducted into these components and many of these have been studied with respect to their effects on safety, but the transition period from non-automated driving to fully automated

Automated driving and its effect on the safety ecosystem: how do compatibility issues affect the transition period?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loon, R.J. van; Martens, M.H.

2015-01-01

Different components of automated vehicles are being made available commercially as we speak. Much research has been conducted into these components and many of these have been studied with respect to their effects on safety, but the transition period from non-automated driving to fully automated

Germ cell toxicity: significance in genetic and fertility effects of radiation and chemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oakberg, E.F.

1983-01-01

The response of the male and female to radiation and chemicals is different. Any loss of oocytes in the female cannot be replaced, and if severe enough, will result in a shortening of the reproductive span. In the male, a temporary sterile period may be induced owing to destruction of the differentiating spermatogonia, but the stem cells are the most resistant spermatogonial type, are capable of repopulating the seminiferous epithelium, and fertility usually returns. The response of both the male and female changes with development of the embryonic to the adult gonad, and with differentiation and maturation in the adult. The primordial germ cells, early oocytes, and differentiating spermatogonia of the adult male are unusually sensitive to the cytotoxic action of noxious agents, but each agent elicits a specific response owing to the intricate biochemical and physiological changes associated with development and maturation of the gametes. The relationship of germ cell killing to fertility is direct, and long-term fertility effects can be predicted from histological analysis of the gonads. The relationship to genetic effects, on the other hand, is indirect, and acts primarily by limiting the cell stages available for testing, by affecting the distribution of mitotically active stem cells among the different stages of the mitotic cycle, and thereby, changing both the type and frequency of genetic effects observed. 100 references, 38 figures, 7 tables

Effect of biostimulation on the microbial community in PCB-contaminated sediments through periodic amendment of sediment with iron.

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasa Varadhan, A; Khodadoust, Amid P; Brenner, Richard C

2011-10-01

Reductive dehalogenation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by indigenous dehalorespiring microorganisms in contaminated sediments may be enhanced via biostimulation by supplying hydrogen generated through the anaerobic corrosion of elemental iron added to the sediment. In this study, the effect of periodic amendment of sediment with various dosages of iron on the microbial community present in sediment was investigated using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) over a period of 18 months. Three PCB-contaminated sediments (two freshwater lake sediments and one marine sediment) were used. Signature biomarker analysis of the microbial community present in all three sediments revealed the enrichment of Dehalococcoides species, the population of which was sustained for a longer period of time when the sediment microcosms were amended with the lower dosage of iron (0.01 g iron per g dry sediment) every 6 months as compared to the blank system (without iron). Lower microbial stress levels were reported for the system periodically amended with 0.01 g of iron per g dry sediment every 6 months, thus reducing the competition from other hydrogen-utilizing microorganisms like methanogens, iron reducers, and sulfate reducers. The concentration of hydrogen in the system was found to be an important factor influencing the shift in microbial communities in all sediments with time. Periodic amendment of sediment with larger dosages of iron every 3 months resulted in the early prevalence of Geobacteraceae and sulfate-reducing bacteria followed by methanogens. An average pH of 8.4 (range of 8.2-8.6) and an average hydrogen concentration of 0.75% (range of 0.3-1.2%) observed between 6 and 15 months of the study were found to be conducive to sustaining the population of Dehalococcoides species in the three sediments amended with 0.01 g iron per g dry sediment. Biostimulation of indigenous PCB dechlorinators by the periodic amendment of contaminated sediments with low dosages of

Effects of parental number and duration of the breeding period on the effective population size and genetic diversity of a captive population of the endangered Tokyo bitterling Tanakia tanago (Teleostei: Cyprinidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Kubota, Hitoshi; Watanabe, Katsutoshi

2012-01-01

The maintenance of genetic diversity is one of the chief concerns in the captive breeding of endangered species. Using microsatellite and mtDNA markers, we examined the effects of two key variables (parental number and duration of breeding period) on effective population size (N(e) ) and genetic diversity of offspring in an experimental breeding program for the endangered Tokyo bitterling, Tanakia tanago. Average heterozygosity and number of alleles of offspring estimated from microsatellite data increased with parental number in a breeding aquarium, and exhibited higher values for a long breeding period treatment (9 weeks) compared with a short breeding period (3 weeks). Haplotype diversity in mtDNA of offspring decreased with the reduction in parental number, and this tendency was greater for the short breeding period treatment. Genetic estimates of N(e) obtained with two single-sample estimation methods were consistently higher for the long breeding period treatment with the same number of parental fish. Average N(e) /N ratios were ranged from 0.5 to 1.4, and were high especially in the long breeding period with small and medium parental number treatments. Our results suggest that the spawning intervals of females and alternative mating behaviors of males influence the effective size and genetic diversity of offspring in bitterling. To maintain the genetic diversity of captive T. tanago, we recommend that captive breeding programs should be conducted for a sufficiently long period with an optimal level of parental density, as well as using an adequate number of parents. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Age, period and cohort effects on first-child fertility in Danish men

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kamper-Jørgensen, Mads; Keiding, Niels; Knudsen, Lisbeth B.

Demographic studies of fertility are most often based solely on information about women, leaving out characteristics of men. Thereby valuable information may be lost. The present note intends to explore the potential of the classical age-period-cohort model for describing male first-child fertility...... patterns. The model was fitted to fertility data on Danish men aged 15 to 49 years in the calendar period from 1960 to 1994. We found the classical age-period-cohodt model to be an appropriate model for describing male first-child fertility patterns in Denmark. Fluctuations in age-specific male first-child...... fertility rates over period were found,  with a nadir in the mid-1980s. Furthermore, age-specific first-child fertility rates were found to be lower in men from younger cirth cohorts than in men from older birth cohorts....

PERIODIC SIGNALS IN BINARY MICROLENSING EVENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Xinyi; Stefano, Rosanne Di; Esin, Ann; Taylor, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

Gravitational microlensing events are powerful tools for the study of stellar populations. In particular, they can be used to discover and study a variety of binary systems. A large number of binary lenses have already been found through microlensing surveys and a few of these systems show strong evidence of orbital motion on the timescale of the lensing event. We expect that more binary lenses of this kind will be detected in the future. For binaries whose orbital period is comparable to the event duration, the orbital motion can cause the lensing signal to deviate drastically from that of a static binary lens. The most striking property of such light curves is the presence of quasi-periodic features, which are produced as the source traverses the same regions in the rotating lens plane. These repeating features contain information about the orbital period of the lens. If this period can be extracted, then much can be learned about the lensing system even without performing time-consuming, detailed light-curve modeling. However, the relative transverse motion between the source and the lens significantly complicates the problem of period extraction. To resolve this difficulty, we present a modification of the standard Lomb–Scargle periodogram analysis. We test our method for four representative binary lens systems and demonstrate its efficiency in correctly extracting binary orbital periods

New significance test methods for Fourier analysis of geophysical time series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Zhang

2011-09-01

Full Text Available When one applies the discrete Fourier transform to analyze finite-length time series, discontinuities at the data boundaries will distort its Fourier power spectrum. In this paper, based on a rigid statistics framework, we present a new significance test method which can extract the intrinsic feature of a geophysical time series very well. We show the difference in significance level compared with traditional Fourier tests by analyzing the Arctic Oscillation (AO and the Nino3.4 time series. In the AO, we find significant peaks at about 2.8, 4.3, and 5.7 yr periods and in Nino3.4 at about 12 yr period in tests against red noise. These peaks are not significant in traditional tests.

Improved nonparametric inference for multiple correlated periodic sequences

KAUST Repository

Sun, Ying

2013-08-26

This paper proposes a cross-validation method for estimating the period as well as the values of multiple correlated periodic sequences when data are observed at evenly spaced time points. The period of interest is estimated conditional on the other correlated sequences. An alternative method for period estimation based on Akaike\\'s information criterion is also discussed. The improvement of the period estimation performance is investigated both theoretically and by simulation. We apply the multivariate cross-validation method to the temperature data obtained from multiple ice cores, investigating the periodicity of the El Niño effect. Our methodology is also illustrated by estimating patients\\' cardiac cycle from different physiological signals, including arterial blood pressure, electrocardiography, and fingertip plethysmograph.

The Effect of Fasting Pattern on Biological Performance of Quail at Early Production Period

OpenAIRE

Tugiyanti, Efka

2005-01-01

The objective of this research was to find out the effect of fasting pattern on biological performance of quail at early production period. 50 kg commercial feed, vitamins and medicine were applied on 140 heads of seven old day quail.  Four different fasting pattern were employed as treatment, i.e. ad libitum diet (Po); every two days fasting (P1); every three days fasting (P2); every four days fasting (P3); and every five days fasting (P4).   Ad libitum amount of  corn and water were offered...

Policy Uncertainty, Investment and Commitment Periods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

Today's investment decisions in key sectors such as energy, forestry or transport have significant impacts on the levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the coming decades. Given the economic and environmental long-term implications of capital investment and retirement, a climate mitigation regime should aim to encourage capital investment in climate-friendly technologies. Many factors affect technology choice and the timing of investment, including investor expectations about future prices and policies. Recent international discussions have focused on the importance of providing more certainty about future climate policy stringency. The design of commitment periods can play a role in creating this environment. This paper assesses how the length of commitment periods influences policy uncertainty and investment decisions. In particular, the paper analyses the relationship between commitment period length and near term investment decisions in climate friendly technology.

Clinical evaluation of the treatment in male patient with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis: 131I treatment compared with antithyroid drug therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Li; Chen Jing; Zhao Ming

2007-01-01

Objective: To evaluate clinical efficacy of 131 I treatment for thyrotoxic periodic paralysis. Methods: 100 male patients with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis were divided equally into two groups, and treated with 131 I or antithyroid drugs (ATD). They were followed up regularly for 3 years with the cure rate, the incidence of hypothyroidism, the recurrence tree of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis and the side effects, which included granulocytopenia, liver function damage and skin rash from medicinal herbs resource. Results: The cure rate of 131 I therapy and ATD therapy for thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is 80% and 52%, respectively. And there is significant difference between them (χ 2 =8.73, P 2 =18.92, P 2 =11.11, P 131 I therapy has a higher incidence of hypothyroidism (χ = 6.35, P 131 I is preferable to effectively control the recurrent attacks of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis. (authors)

Effects of doping on spin correlations in the periodic Anderson model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonca, J.; Gubernatis, J.E.

1998-01-01

We studied the effects of hole doping on spin correlations in the two-dimensional periodic Anderson model, mainly at the full and three-quarters-full lower bands cases. In the full lower band case, strong antiferromagnetic correlations develop when the on-site repulsive interaction strength U becomes comparable to the quasiparticle bandwidth. In the three-quarters full case, a kind of spin correlation develops that is consistent with the resonance between a (π,0) and a (0,π) spin-density wave. In this state the spins on different sublattices appear uncorrelated. Hole doping away from the completely full case rapidly destroys the long-range antiferromagnetic correlations, in a manner reminiscent of the destruction of antiferromagnetism in the Hubbard model. In contrast to the Hubbard model, the doping does not shift the peak in the magnetic structure factor from the (π,π) position. At dopings intermediate to the full and three-quarters full cases, only weak spin correlations exist. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

The periodicity of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum in Venezuela.

Science.gov (United States)

Grillet, María-Eugenia; El Souki, Mayida; Laguna, Francisco; León, José Rafael

2014-01-01

We investigated the periodicity of Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum incidence in time-series of malaria data (1990-2010) from three endemic regions in Venezuela. In particular, we determined whether disease epidemics were related to local climate variability and regional climate anomalies such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Malaria periodicity was found to exhibit unique features in each studied region. Significant multi-annual cycles of 2- to about 6-year periods were identified. The inter-annual variability of malaria cases was coherent with that of SSTs (ENSO), mainly at temporal scales within the 3-6 year periods. Additionally, malaria cases were intensified approximately 1 year after an El Niño event, a pattern that highlights the role of climate inter-annual variability in the epidemic patterns. Rainfall mediated the effect of ENSO on malaria locally. Particularly, rains from the last phase of the season had a critical role in the temporal dynamics of Plasmodium. The malaria-climate relationship was complex and transient, varying in strength with the region and species. By identifying temporal cycles of malaria we have made a first step in predicting high-risk years in Venezuela. Our findings emphasize the importance of analyzing high-resolution spatial-temporal data to better understand malaria transmission dynamics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epidural Analgesia in the Postoperative Period

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mathsen, Curtis

2001-01-01

.... This descriptive study was conducted to determine which surgical patients experienced the most analgesia with the fewest side effects when receiving epidural analgesia in the postoperative period...

Vortex lattice in effective type-I superconducting films with periodic arrays of submicron holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berdiyorov, G.R.; Milosevic, M.V.; Peeters, F.M.

2006-01-01

The vortex matter and related phenomena in superconducting films with periodic arrays of microholes (antidots) are studied within the nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory. By varying the GL parameter κ, the vortex-vortex interaction is fine tuned, from repulsive to attractive behavior. This interaction is of crucial importance for equilibrium vortex structures, the saturation number of the antidots, and the related quantities, such as critical current. Due to vortex attraction in effectively type-I samples, the giant-vortex state becomes energetically favorable (contrary to the type-II behavior). For the same reason, the number of vortices which can be captured by antidots, increases with decreasing κ. As a result, for given magnetic field, the critical current is larger for effectively type-I superconductors than in conventional type-II cases

Are symptom features of depression during pregnancy, the postpartum period and outside the peripartum period distinct? Results from a nationally representative sample using item response theory (IRT).

Science.gov (United States)

Hoertel, Nicolas; López, Saioa; Peyre, Hugo; Wall, Melanie M; González-Pinto, Ana; Limosin, Frédéric; Blanco, Carlos

2015-02-01

Whether there are systematic differences in depression symptom expression during pregnancy, the postpartum period and outside these periods (i.e., outside the peripartum period) remains debated. The aim of this study was to use methods based on item response theory (IRT) to examine, after equating for depression severity, differences in the likelihood of reporting DSM-IV symptoms of major depressive episode (MDE) in women of childbearing age (i.e., aged 18-50) during pregnancy, the postpartum period and outside the peripartum period. We conducted these analyses using a large, nationally representative sample of women of childbearing age from the United States (n = 11,256) who participated in the second wave of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). The overall 12-month prevalence of all depressive criteria (except for worthlessness/guilt) was significantly lower in pregnant women than in women of childbearing age outside the peripartum period, whereas the prevalence of all symptoms (except for "psychomotor symptoms") was not significantly different between the postpartum and the nonperipartum group. There were no clinically significant differences in the endorsement rates of symptoms of MDE by pregnancy status when equating for levels of depression severity. This study suggests that the clinical presentation of depressive symptoms in women of childbearing age does not differ during pregnancy, the postpartum period and outside the peripartum period. These findings do not provide psychometric support for the inclusion of the peripartum onset specifier for major depressive disorder in the DSM-5. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Influence of School Policy and Practice on Mathematics Achievement During Transitional Periods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janet K. Holt

2004-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, the effects of school policies and practices on math achievement growth, as students transitioned from middle to high school, were examined while controlling for school contextual variables. A pattern of accelerated growth in mathematics achievement from grades 8 to 12 occurred, in which higher achieving students in mathematics at grade eight accelerated more than lower achieving students in mathematics growth during the transition from middle to high school. Controlling for school context, school policy promoting parent involvement and academic counseling had significant positive impacts on the acceleration in growth during this period. The implications of using multilevel growth models to study growth during transition periods are discussed.

Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Struktur Modal (Studi kasus pada Perusahaan Manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia Periode 2011 – 2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukhlan Khariry

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to analyze and test the effects of firm size, tangible assets, profitability, asset growth, sales growth and financial risks to the capital structure of the companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange period 2011-2014. Methods used in this research was quantitative method using manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI in the period of 2011-2014 as the research population. The samples of 54 companies were selected by using purposive sampling method. The study hypothesis was tested by multiple linear regression which have fulfilled classical assumption test. The results showed that firm size (X1, asset growth (X4, and financial risks (X6 had significant influence with the positive directional effect towards the capital structure. Profitability factor (X3 had significant influence with the negative directional effect towards the capital structure. Meanwhile, the factors of tangible asset (X2 and sales growth (X5 had no significant effect towards the capital structure.   Keywords: Firm size, tangible asset, profitability, asset growth, sales growth,    financial risk and capital structure.