Occurrence and distribution of Indian primates

Science.gov (United States)

Karanth, K.K.; Nichols, J.D.; Hines, J.E.

2010-01-01

Global and regional species conservation efforts are hindered by poor distribution data and range maps. Many Indian primates face extinction, but assessments of population status are hindered by lack of reliable distribution data. We estimated the current occurrence and distribution of 15 Indian primates by applying occupancy models to field data from a country-wide survey of local experts. We modeled species occurrence in relation to ecological and social covariates (protected areas, landscape characteristics, and human influences), which we believe are critical to determining species occurrence in India. We found evidence that protected areas positively influence occurrence of seven species and for some species are their only refuge. We found evergreen forests to be more critical for some primates along with temperate and deciduous forests. Elevation negatively influenced occurrence of three species. Lower human population density was positively associated with occurrence of five species, and higher cultural tolerance was positively associated with occurrence of three species. We find that 11 primates occupy less than 15% of the total land area of India. Vulnerable primates with restricted ranges are Golden langur, Arunachal macaque, Pig-tailed macaque, stump-tailed macaque, Phayre's leaf monkey, Nilgiri langur and Lion-tailed macaque. Only Hanuman langur and rhesus macaque are widely distributed. We find occupancy modeling to be useful in determining species ranges, and in agreement with current species ranking and IUCN status. In landscapes where monitoring efforts require optimizing cost, effort and time, we used ecological and social covariates to reliably estimate species occurrence and focus species conservation efforts. ?? Elsevier Ltd.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-06-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health and safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period January through March 1993. There is one abnormal occurrence at a nuclear power plant disposed in this report that involved a steam generator tube rupture at Palo Verde Unit 2, and none for fuel cycle facilities. Three abnormal occurrences involving medical misadminstrations (two therapeutic and one diagnostic) at NRC-licensed facilities are also discussed in this report. No abnormal occurrences were reported by NRC's Agreement States. The report also contains information updating previously reported abnormal occurrences

Report on Congress on abnormal occurrences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-06-01

Section 208 of the energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from January 1 through March 31, 1991. The report discusses six abnormal occurrences, none of which involved a nuclear power plant. Five of the events occurred at NRC-licensed facilities: one involved a significant degradation of plant safety at a nuclear fuel cycle facility, one involved a medical diagnostic misadministration, and three involved medical therapy misadministrations. An Agreement State (Arizona) reported one abnormal occurrence that involved medical therapy misadministrations

Occurrence reporting and processing of operations information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

DOE O 232.1A, Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information, and 10 CFR 830.350, Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information (when it becomes effective), along with this manual, set forth occurrence reporting requirements for Department of Energy (DOE) Departmental Elements and contractors responsible for the management and operation of DOE-owned and -leased facilities. These requirements include categorization of occurrences related to safety, security, environment, health, or operations (''Reportable Occurrences''); DOE notification of these occurrences; and the development and submission of documented follow-up reports. This Manual provides detailed information for categorizing and reporting occurrences at DOE facilities. Information gathered by the Occurrence Reporting and processing System is used for analysis of the Department's performance in environmental protection, safeguards and security, and safety and health of its workers and the public. This information is also used to develop lessons learned and document events that significantly impact DOE operations

Occurrence reporting and processing of operations information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-07-21

DOE O 232.1A, Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information, and 10 CFR 830.350, Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information (when it becomes effective), along with this manual, set forth occurrence reporting requirements for Department of Energy (DOE) Departmental Elements and contractors responsible for the management and operation of DOE-owned and -leased facilities. These requirements include categorization of occurrences related to safety, security, environment, health, or operations (``Reportable Occurrences``); DOE notification of these occurrences; and the development and submission of documented follow-up reports. This Manual provides detailed information for categorizing and reporting occurrences at DOE facilities. Information gathered by the Occurrence Reporting and processing System is used for analysis of the Department`s performance in environmental protection, safeguards and security, and safety and health of its workers and the public. This information is also used to develop lessons learned and document events that significantly impact DOE operations.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, July--September 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from July 1 to September 30, 1989. For this reporting period, there were five abnormal occurrences. One abnormal occurrence took place at a licensed nuclear power plant and involved significant deficiencies associated with the containment recirculation sump at the Trojan facility. The other four abnormal occurrences took place under other NRC-issued licenses: the first involved a medical diagnostic misadministration; the second involved a medical therapy misadministration; the third involved a radiation overexposure of a radiographer; and the fourth involved a significant breakdown and careless disregard of the radiation safety program at three of a licensee's manufacturing facilities. The Agreement States reported no abnormal occurrences during the reporting period. The report also contains information that updates some previously reported abnormal occurrences. 17 refs

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-10-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from April 1 through June 30, 1990. The report discusses six abnormal occurrences, none involving a nuclear power plant. There were five abnormal occurrences at NRC licensees: (1) deficiencies in brachytherapy program; (2) a radiation overexposure of a radiographer; (3) a medical diagnostic misadministration; (4) administration of iodine-131 to a lactating female with subsequent uptake by her infant; and (5) a medical therapy misadministration. An Agreement State (Arizona) reported an abnormal occurrence involving a medical diagnostic misadministration. The report also contains information that updates a previously reported occurrence

[Prediction model of human-caused fire occurrence in the boreal forest of northern China].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Fu-tao; Su, Zhang-wen; Wang, Guang-yu; Wang, Qiang; Sun, Long; Yang, Ting-ting

2015-07-01

The Chinese boreal forest is an important forest resource in China. However, it has been suffering serious disturbances of forest fires, which were caused equally by natural disasters (e.g., lightning) and human activities. The literature on human-caused fires indicates that climate, topography, vegetation, and human infrastructure are significant factors that impact the occurrence and spread of human-caused fires. But the studies on human-caused fires in the boreal forest of northern China are limited and less comprehensive. This paper applied the spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS 10.0 and Logistic regression model to investigate the driving factors of human-caused fires. Our data included the geographic coordinates of human-caused fires, climate factors during year 1974-2009, topographic information, and forest map. The results indicated that distance to railway (x1) and average relative humidity (x2) significantly impacted the occurrence of human-caused fire in the study area. The logistic model for predicting the fire occurrence probability was formulated as P= 1/[11+e-(3.026-0.00011x1-0.047x2)] with an accuracy rate of 80%. The above model was used to predict the monthly fire occurrence during the fire season of 2015 based on the HADCM2 future weather data. The prediction results showed that the high risk of human-caused fire occurrence concentrated in the months of April, May, June and August, while April and May had higher risk of fire occurrence than other months. According to the spatial distribution of possibility of fire occurrence, the high fire risk zones were mainly in the west and southwest of Tahe, where the major railways were located.

UMTRA project list of reportable occurrences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-04-01

This UMTRA Project List of Reportable occurrences is provided to facilitate efficient categorization of reportable occurrences. These guidelines have been established in compliance with DOE minimum reporting requirements under DOE Order 5000.3B. Occurrences are arranged into nine groups relating to US Department of Energy (DOE) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project operations for active sites. These nine groupings are provided for reference to determined whether an occurrence meets reporting requirement criteria in accordance with the minimum reporting requirements. Event groups and significance categories that cannot or will not occur, and that do not apply to UMTRA Project operations, are omitted. Occurrence categorization shall be as follows: Group 1. Facility Condition; Group 2. Environmental; Group 3. Personnel Safety; Group 4. Personnel Radiation Protection; Group 5. Safeguards and Security; Group 6. Transportation; Group 7. Value Basis Reporting; Group 8. Facility Status; and Group 9. Cross-Category Items.

UMTRA project list of reportable occurrences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-04-01

This UMTRA Project List of Reportable occurrences is provided to facilitate efficient categorization of reportable occurrences. These guidelines have been established in compliance with DOE minimum reporting requirements under DOE Order 5000.3B. Occurrences are arranged into nine groups relating to US Department of Energy (DOE) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project operations for active sites. These nine groupings are provided for reference to determined whether an occurrence meets reporting requirement criteria in accordance with the minimum reporting requirements. Event groups and significance categories that cannot or will not occur, and that do not apply to UMTRA Project operations, are omitted. Occurrence categorization shall be as follows: Group 1. Facility Condition; Group 2. Environmental; Group 3. Personnel Safety; Group 4. Personnel Radiation Protection; Group 5. Safeguards and Security; Group 6. Transportation; Group 7. Value Basis Reporting; Group 8. Facility Status; and Group 9. Cross-Category Items

THE OCCURRENCE OF DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS OF HEALTH CONCERN IN DRINKING WATER: RESULTS OF A NATIONWIDE DBP OCCURRENCE STUDY

Science.gov (United States)

The motivation for this Nationwide Disinfection By-product (DBP) Occurrence Study was two-fold: First, more than 500 DBPs have been reported in the literature, yet there is almost no quantitative occurrence information for most. As a result, there is significant uncertainty ove...

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April--June 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-10-01

The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. For this reporting period, there was one abnormal occurrence at nuclear power plants licensed to operate involving significant deficiencies in management controls at Slurry Nuclear Power Station. There was one abnormal occurrence under other NRC-issued licenses; the event involved a medical therapy misadministration. One other abnormal occurrence, involving industrial radiography overexposures, was reported by an Agreement State (Texas). 40 refs

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April--June 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-12-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from April 1 to June 30, 1988. For this reporting period, there were no abnormal occurrences at nuclear power plants licensed to operate. There were two abnormal occurrences at other NRC licensees: a significant breakdown in management and procedural controls at a medical facility and a medical diagnostic misadministration. There was one abnormal occurrence reported by an Agreement State (Texas) involving radioactive material released during a transportation accident. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January--March 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. The report, the twelfth in the series, covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 1978. The following incidents or events in that time period were determined by the Commission to be significant and reportable: (1) There was one abnormal occurrence at the 68 nuclear power plants licensed to operate. The event involved insulation failures in containment electrical penetrations. (2) There were no abnormal occurrences at fuel cycle facilities (other than nuclear power plants). (3) There were no abnormal occurrences at other license facilities. (4) There was one abnormal occurrence reported by an Agreement State Licensee. The event involved an overexposure of a radiographer. The report also contains information updating previously reported abnormal occurrences

Occurrence of Wounds in Nigerian Horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Agina, Onyinyechukwu A; Ihedioha, John I

2017-01-01

This study investigated the occurrence of wounds in Nigerian horses. The study population was 1,621 horses sold at the Obollo Afor horse lairage in Enugu State, Nigeria, during a 6-month period: 3 months of dry season and 3 months of rainy season (February-April and June-August 2012). A total of 207 horses were systematically sampled and subjected to a comprehensive physical examination. Those with wounds were marked, recorded, and clinically examined. Of the 207 horses sampled, 21 (10.1%) had wounds. The body distribution of the wounds was 9.5% head, 9.5% forelimbs, 19.1% hind limbs, 4.8% tail, 14.3% flank, 9.5% loin, 19.1% hip, 9.5% barrel, and 4.8% croup. The occurrence of the wounds was not significantly associated with sex or season, but the occurrence in adults was significantly (p horses. It was concluded that the occurrence of wounds is relatively high (10.1%), and mainly the hind limbs, hip, and flank of adult horses are affected. It was recommended that horse guardians and handlers should be properly educated on the care of horses.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, July-September 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-04-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from July 1 to September 30, 1986. The report states that for this reporting period, there were four abnormal occurrences at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate. The events were (1) a differential pressure switch problem in safety systems at LaSalle facility, (2) abnormal cooldown and depressurization transient at Catawba Unit 2, (3) significant safeguards deficiencies at Wolf Creek and Fort St. Vrain, and (4) significant deficiencies in access controls at River Bend Station. There was one abnormal occurrence at the other NRC licensees; it involved a therapeutic medical misadministration. There was one abnormal occurrence reported by an Agreement State; it involved a therapeutic medical misadministration. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April--June 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report, the thirteenth in the series, covers the period from April 1 to June 30, 1978. The following incidents or events in that period were determined by the Commission to be significant and reportable: (1) There were two abnormal occurrences at the 69 nuclear power plants licensed to operate. One involved a generic concern pertaining to fuel assembly control rod guide tube integrity. The second involved an overexposure of two radiation protection technicians. (2) There were no abnormal occurrences at fuel cycle facilities (other than nuclear power plants). (3) There were no abnormal occurrences at other licensee facilities. (4) There was one abnormal occurrence reported by an agreement state. The event involved willful violations of regulations and subsequent termination of a license. This report also contains information updating previously reported abnormal occurrences

Canonical correlation analysis of factors involved in the occurrence of peptic ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayyurt, Nizamettin; Abasiyanik, M Fatih; Sander, Ersan; Salih, Barik A

2007-01-01

The impact of risk factors on the development of peptic ulcers has been shown to vary among different populations. We sought to establish a correlation between these factors and their involvement in the occurrence of peptic ulcers for which a canonical correlation analysis was applied. We included 7,014 patient records (48.6% women, 18.4% duodenal ulcer [DU], 4.6% gastric ulcer [GU]) of those underwent upper gastroendoscopy for the last 5 years. The variables measured are endoscopic findings (DU, GU, antral gastritis, erosive gastritis, pangastritis, pyloric deformity, bulbar deformity, bleeding, atrophy, Barret esophagus and gastric polyp) and risk factors (age, gender, Helicobacter pylori infection, smoking, alcohol, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs] and aspirin intake). We found that DU had significant positive correlation with bulbar deformity (P=2.6 x 10(-23)), pyloric deformity (P=2.6 x 10(-23)), gender (P=2.6 x 10(-23)), H. pylori (P=1.4 x 10(-15)), bleeding (P=6.9 x 10(-15)), smoking (P=1.4 x 10(-7)), aspirin use (P=1.1 x 10(-4)), alcohol intake (P=7.7 x 10(-4)), and NSAIDs (P=.01). GU had a significantly positive correlation with pyloric deformity (P=1,6 x 10(-15)), age (P=2.6 x 10(-14)), bleeding (P=3.7 x 10(-8)), gender (P=1.3 x 10(-7)), aspirin use (P=1.1 x 10(-6)), bulbar deformity (P=7.4 x 10(-4)), alcohol intake (P=.03), smoking (P=.04), and Barret esophagus (P=.03). The level of significance was much higher in some variables with DU than with GU and the correlations with GU in spite of being highly significant the majority, were small in magnitude. In conclusion, Turkish patients with the following endoscopic findings bulbar deformity and pyloric deformity are high-risk patients for peptic ulcers with the risk of the occurrence of DU being higher than that of GU. Factors such as H. pylori, smoking, alcohol use, and NSAIDs use (listed in a decreasing manner) are risk factors that have significant impact on the occurrence of DU

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October--December 1994. Volume 17, No. 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-05-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence (AO) as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such occurrences to be made to Congress. This report provides a description of those incidents and events that have been determined to be AOs during the period of October 1 through December 31, 1994. This report addresses four AOs at NRC-licensed facilities. These occurrences involved the following: a generic concern relating to core shroud cracking in boiling water reactors; recurring incidents of administering higher doses than procedurally allowed for diagnostic imaging at a single facility; one medical teletherapy misadministration; and one medical brachytherapy misadministration. Agreement States submitted four AO reports. These four occurrences involved the following: one major contamination at a commercial facility; two medical brachytherapy misadministrations; and one medical teletherapy misadministration. The report also contains updates of seven AOs previously reported by NRC licensees and four AOs previously reported by the Agreement States. Two ''Other Events of Interest'' are also being reported. These occurrences involved the operability of safety relief valves at a nuclear power plant, and an error in the installation process of a Leksell Gamma KnifeR teletherapy unit that resulted in an operational failure

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October--December 1994. Volume 17, No. 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-05-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence (AO) as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such occurrences to be made to Congress. This report provides a description of those incidents and events that have been determined to be AOs during the period of October 1 through December 31, 1994. This report addresses four AOs at NRC-licensed facilities. These occurrences involved the following: a generic concern relating to core shroud cracking in boiling water reactors; recurring incidents of administering higher doses than procedurally allowed for diagnostic imaging at a single facility; one medical teletherapy misadministration; and one medical brachytherapy misadministration. Agreement States submitted four AO reports. These four occurrences involved the following: one major contamination at a commercial facility; two medical brachytherapy misadministrations; and one medical teletherapy misadministration. The report also contains updates of seven AOs previously reported by NRC licensees and four AOs previously reported by the Agreement States. Two ``Other Events of Interest`` are also being reported. These occurrences involved the operability of safety relief valves at a nuclear power plant, and an error in the installation process of a Leksell Gamma KnifeR teletherapy unit that resulted in an operational failure.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October--December 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-03-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from October 1 through December 31, 1992. There are two abnormal occurrences at nuclear power plants and six abnormal occurrences involving medical misadministration (all therapeutic) at NRC-licensed facilities discussed in this report. No abnormal occurrences were reported by the NRC's Agreement States. The report also contains information updating three previously reported abnormal occurrences

Report to congress on abnormal occurrences: January--March 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-07-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to congress. This report covers the period from January 1 through March 31, 1992. The abnormal occurrences involving medical therapy misadministrations at NRC-licensed facilities are discussed in this report. There were no abnormal occurrences at a nuclear power plant, and none were reported by NRC's Agreement States. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Occurrence of mammary tumors in beagls given radium-226

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruenger, F.W.; Lloyd, R.D.; Miller, S.C.; Taylor, G.N.; Angus, W.; Huth, D.A.

1994-01-01

A total of 128 primary mammary tumors (66 of them malignant) occurred in 35 female beagles injected with 226 Ra at eight dose levels ranging from 0.2 to 440 kBq/kg body mass as young adults, while a total of 156 mammary tumors (57 of them malignant) were seen in 46 female control beagles not given any radioactivity. Sixty-three of 65 control dogs and 59 of 61 dogs given 226 Ra survived the minimum age for diagnosis of mammary tumors of 3.75 years. Based on the observed age-dependent tumor incidence rates in the controls and on the corresponding number of dog-years at risk, the total number of observed malignant tumors in the radium group was statistically greater than the number of expected malignant tumors (66 observed vs 34 expected, P < 0.005). There was no such difference for the benign tumors. Cox regression analysis indicated no increased risk for the first tumor occurrence in irradiated dogs. Cox regression analysis of the multivariate risk sets showed no significantly increased risk for the occurrence of benign tumors but a statistically higher risk of 1.66 with a confidence interval of 1.15-2.40 for the occurrence of malignant tumors. The increased risk was dependent on dose, but a dependence on the frequency of previous occurrence of mammary tumors could not be confirmed. Censoring ovariectomized dogs at time of surgery decreased the relative risks slightly but did not alter the significance. Exposure to diagnostic X rays with cumulative exposures below 0.2 Gy had no effect on tumor formation. It is unknown whether the increased risk for malignant mammary tumors was due to some initial deposition of radium in sensitive tissue, a possible irradiation of fatty mammary tissue from transient radon → polonium deposition, or a general effect of the overall radium deposition on the immune system of the dogs that lowered their resistance to formation of mammary tumors. 27 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs

Correlation between vitiligo occurrence and clinical benefit in advanced melanoma patients treated with nivolumab: A multi-institutional retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Yasuhiro; Tanaka, Ryota; Asami, Yuri; Teramoto, Yukiko; Imamura, Taichi; Sato, Sayuri; Maruyama, Hiroshi; Fujisawa, Yasuhiro; Matsuya, Taisuke; Fujimoto, Manabu; Yamamoto, Akifumi

2017-02-01

Vitiligo is occasionally seen in melanoma patients. Although several studies indicate a correlation between vitiligo occurrence and clinical response in melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy, most studies have included heterogeneous patient and treatment settings. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the occurrence of vitiligo and clinical benefit of nivolumab treatment in advanced melanoma patients. We retrospectively reviewed unresectable stage III or IV melanoma patients treated with nivolumab. Of 35 melanoma patients treated with nivolumab, 25.7% (9/35) developed vitiligo during treatment. The time from the start of nivolumab treatment to occurrence of vitiligo ranged 2-9 months (mean, 5.2). Of nine patients who developed vitiligo, two (22.2%) had a complete response to nivolumab and two (22.2%) had a partial response. The objective response rate was significantly higher in patients with vitiligo than in patients without vitiligo (4/9 [44.4%] vs 2/26 [7.7%]; P = 0.027). The mean time to vitiligo occurrence in patients achieving an objective response was significantly less than that in patients who showed no response (3.1 vs 6.8 months, P = 0.004). Vitiligo occurrence was significantly associated with prolonged progression-free and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.24 and 0.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.11-0.55 and 0.03-0.79; P = 0.005, and 0.047, respectively). At the 20-week landmark analysis, however, vitiligo was not associated with a statistically significant overall survival benefit (P = 0.28). The occurrence of vitiligo during nivolumab treatment may be correlated with favorable clinical outcome. © 2016 Japanese Dermatological Association.

The occurrence and significance of fibronectin in livers from chronic alcoholics. An immunohistochemical study of early alcoholic liver injury

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Junge, Jette; Horn, T; Christoffersen, P

1988-01-01

The occurrence and distribution of fibronectin (FN) was assessed by an immunoperoxidase technique in liver biopsies from alcoholics without and with acinar zone 3 fibrosis of varying degrees. Increased amounts of FN was found diffusely in zone 3 areas with a perisinusoidal and pericellular...... localization. FN was closely correlating to the pattern of fibrosis but increased amounts of FN could also be seen in biopsies without fibrosis as visualized in Picro-Sirius stained sections. There was no topographical relationship to liver cells with fatty changes, Mallory bodies or to alcoholic hepatitis....... It is made probable that FN is of significance in the development of early liver fibrosis in alcoholics and that FN may act as a chemotactic factor for collagen producing cells and as a skeleton for the new collagen formation....

Occurrence and properties of Petunia peroxidase a

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, T.

1989-01-01

Peroxidases are probably the most extensively studied enzymes in higher plants. Various isoenzymes occur as soluble proteins in the apoplast and in the vacuole, or are bound to membranes and cell walls. Their occurrence is often organ-specific and developmentally controlled, and there is

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, July--September 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from July 1 through September 30, 1992. There were no abnormal occurrences at a nuclear power plant. Two abnormal occurrences involving medical misadministrations (both therapeutic) and one involving overexposure of a radiographer at NRC-licensed facilities were discussed in this report. In addition, another abnormal occurrence was reported by an NRC Agreement State. The report also contains information updating a previously reported abnormal occurrence

The co-occurrence of autistic traits and borderline personality disorder traits is associated to increased suicidal ideation in nonclinical young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Chabrol, Henri; Raynal, Patrick

2018-04-01

The co-occurrence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is not rare and has been linked to increased suicidality. Despite this significant comorbidity between ASD and BPD, no study had examined the co-occurrence of autistic traits and borderline personality disorder traits in the general population. The aim of the present study was to examine the co-occurrence of autistic and borderline traits in a non-clinical sample of young adults and its influence on the levels of suicidal ideation and depressive symptomatology. Participants were 474 college students who completed self-report questionnaires. Data were analysed using correlation and cluster analyses. Borderline personality traits and autistic traits were weakly correlated. However, cluster analysis yielded four groups: a low traits group, a borderline traits group, an autistic traits group, and a group characterized by high levels of both traits. Cluster analysis revealed that autistic and borderline traits can co-occur in a significant proportion of young adults. The high autistic and borderline traits group constituted 17% of the total sample and had higher level of suicidal ideation than the borderline traits group, despite similar levels of depressive symptoms. This result suggests that the higher suicidality observed in patients with comorbid ASD and BPD may extent to non-clinical individuals with high levels of co-occurrent autistic and borderline traits. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nonculturability Might Underestimate the Occurrence of Campylobacter in Broiler Litter.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassem, Issmat I; Helmy, Yosra A; Kathayat, Dipak; Candelero-Rueda, Rosario A; Kumar, Anand; Deblais, Loic; Huang, Huang-Chi; Sahin, Orhan; Zhang, Qijing; Rajashekara, Gireesh

2017-08-01

We investigated the contribution of litter to the occurrence of Campylobacter on three broiler farms, which were known to have low (LO) and high (HI-A and HI-B) Campylobacter prevalence. For this purpose, we collected litter samples (n = 288) during and after two rearing cycles from each farm. We evaluated the occurrence of Campylobacter (using selective enrichment and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction [q-PCR] analysis) in the litter samples as well as the litter's pH and moisture content. Ceca from each flock (n = 144) were harvested at slaughter age and used to quantify Campylobacter colony-forming units (CFUs). Campylobacter was only retrieved from 7 litter samples that were collected from HI-A and HI-B during the growing period, but no Campylobacter was isolated from LO farms. The q-PCR analysis detected Campylobacter in pooled litter samples from all three farms. However, in litter collected during the same rotation, Campylobacter levels were significantly higher (p litter samples in comparison to those in LO. Cecal samples from HI-A and HI-B yielded relatively high numbers of Campylobacter CFUs, which were undetectable in LO samples. Litter's pH and moisture did not affect the overall occurrence of Campylobacter in litter and ceca on any of the farms. Our data suggest that Campylobacter was generally more abundant in litter that was collected from farms with highly colonized flocks. Therefore, better approaches for assessing the occurrence of Campylobacter in litter might be warranted in order to reduce the dissemination of these pathogens on and off poultry farms.

Occurrence of tetracycline resistance genes in aquaculture facilities with varying use of oxytetracycline

Science.gov (United States)

Seyfried, Erin E.; Newton, Ryan J.; Rubert, Kennedy F.; Pedersen, Joel A.; McMahon, Katherine D.

2014-01-01

The contribution of human activities to environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistance is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine if oxytetracycline (OTC) use in aquaculture facilities increased the detection frequency (i.e. prevalence) of tetracycline resistance genes relative to facilities with no recent OTC treatment. We used PCR to screen water and sediment from four non-commercial fish farms in northwestern Wisconsin for the presence of ten tetracycline resistance determinants (tetR): tet(A), tet(B), tet(D), tet(E), tet(G), tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), tet(S) and tet(W). Water from farms with recent OTC use had significantly higher tetR detection frequencies than did water from farms without recent OTC use, with prevalence in raceways and rearing ponds of farms with recent OTC use exceeded by more than two-fold that of farms not using OTC. Effluent from all farms, regardless of treatment regime, had higher tetR detection frequencies than their corresponding influent for all genes, but the specific combinations of tetR genes detected in a sample were not different from their corresponding influent. Although OTC use was associated with the increased occurrence and diversity of tetR genes in water samples, it was not found to relate to tetR gene occurrence in sediment samples. Sediment samples from facilities with no recent OTC use had significantly higher frequencies of tetR gene detection than did samples from facilities with recent OTC use. All of the tetR genes were detected in both the medicated and non-medicated feed samples analyzed in this study. These findings suggest that both OTC treatment in aquaculture facilities, and the farms themselves, may be sources of tetR gene introduction to the environment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use genotypic and cultivation-independent methods to examine tetR gene occurrence associated with OTC use in aquaculture. PMID:20217406

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October--December 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-03-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence of an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health and safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period October through December 1991. Five abnormal occurrences at NRC-licensed facilities are discussed in this report. None of these occurrences involved a nuclear power plant. Four involved medical therapy misadministrations and one involved a medical diagnostic misadministration. The NRC's Agreement States reported three abnormal occurrences. Two involved exposures of non-radiation workers and one involved a medical therapy misadministration. The report also contains information that updates some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, July--September 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from July 1 to September 30, 1988. For this reporting period, there were no abnormal occurrences at nuclear power plants licensed to operate. There were two abnormal occurrences under other NRC-issued licenses: multiple medical therapy misadministrations at a single hospital and a medical diagnostic misadministration. There was one abnormal occurrence reported by an Agreement State (Texas) involving a medical diagnostic misadministration. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Seasonal occurrence of antibiotics and a beta agonist in an agriculturally-intensive watershed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaimes-Correa, Juan C.; Snow, Daniel D.; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon L.

2015-01-01

We evaluated the occurrence of 12 veterinary antibiotics and a beta agonist over spatial and temporal scales in Shell Creek, an intensively agricultural watershed in Nebraska, using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS). Twelve pharmaceuticals were detected with concentrations ranging from 0.0003 ng/L to 68 ng/L. The antibiotics measured at the highest time-weighted average concentrations were lincomycin (68 ng/L) and monensin (49 ng/L), and both compounds were detected at increased concentrations in summer months. Analysis of variance indicates that mean concentrations of detected pharmaceuticals have no significant (p > 0.01) spatial variation. However, significant temporal differences (p < 0.01) were observed. This study demonstrates the utility of passive samplers such as POCIS for monitoring ambient levels of pharmaceuticals in surface waters. - Highlights: • Passive samplers were used to evaluate veterinary pharmaceuticals in an agricultural watershed. • Monensin and lincomycin were detected at the highest TWA concentrations. • Significantly higher concentrations were detected in summer months. • Pulses of antibiotics correspond with rainfall-runoff events. - The spatial and temporal differences in the occurrence of thirteen veterinary pharmaceuticals was evaluated in an intensively agricultural watershed

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, July-September 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-03-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from July 1 to September 30, 1987. The report states that for this reporting period, there were two abnormal occurrences at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate. The first involved a significant degradation of plant safety at Oyster Creek; and the second involved a steam generator tube rupture at North Anna Unit 1. There were four abnormal occurrences at the other NRC licensees. The first involved a therapeutic medical misadministration; the second involved a failure to report diagnostic medical misadministrations; the third involved the suspension of a well logging company's license; and the fourth involved the suspension of an industrial radiography company's license. There were two abnormal occurrences reported by an Agreement State (New York). The first involved a hospital contamination incident and the second involved therapeutic medical misadministrations. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

The occurrence and significance of polychlorinated biphenyls in the environment

Science.gov (United States)

Dustman, E.H.; Stickel, L.F.; Blus, L.J.; Reichel, W.L.; Wiemeyer, Stanley N.

1971-01-01

SUMMARY: Polychlorinated biphenyls constitute a group of chlorine-bearing compounds of industrial origin that have permeated the natural environment throughout the world. Their chemical structure resembles that of some of the organochlorine pesticides. They are troublesome interferences in gas chromatographic analysis of these pesticides. Although methods have been developed to overcome analytical problems, measurements of quantity still are only approximate. Special studies in the United States, Netherlands, and Great Britain have traced PCB's to industrial effluent, but other possible sources have not been followed. Their use in paints, cartons, and insulating fluids suggests that environmental pollution may be from many different sources. PCB's are present in fish and wildlife in many countries of the world. Quantities are higher in animals living near industrial areas. PCB's build up in biological food chains with increases of tens to thousands of times from lower to higher organisms. Experimental studies have shown that PCB's have a toxicity to mallards, pheasants, bobwhite quail, coturnix quail, red-winged blackbirds, starlings, cowbirds, and grackles that is of the same order as the toxicity of DDE to these species. Overt signs of poisoning also are similar to those caused by compounds of the DDT group. Toxic effects of DDE and Aroclor 1254 to coturnix chicks were additive, but not synergistic. PCB's containing higher percentages of chlorine are more toxic to birds than those containing lower percentages. PCB's of foreign manufacture contained contaminants to an extent that greatly increased their toxicity Aroclor 1242. Statistical evaluations of the role that different chemicals may play in thinning of eggshells of brown pelicans show that DDE residues correlate better with shell thinning than do residues of dieldrin or PCB's. Studies of the effects of PCB's in the environment are as yet insufficient for well-rounded conclusions. The evidence available

Antibiotics in the surface water of the Yangtze Estuary: occurrence, distribution and risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Caixia; Yang, Yi; Zhou, Junliang; Liu, Min; Nie, Minghua; Shi, Hao; Gu, Lijun

2013-04-01

The occurrence and distribution of five groups of antibiotics were investigated in the surface water of Yangtze Estuary over four seasons. Of the 20 antibiotics, only sulfamerazine was not detected at all sampling sites, indicating widespread occurrence of antibiotic residues in the study area. Detection frequencies and concentrations of antibiotics were generally higher in January, indicating that low flow conditions and low temperature might enhance the persistence of antibiotics in water. Antibiotic levels varied with location, with the highest concentrations being observed around river discharge and sewage outfall. Furthermore, a positive correlation between total antibiotic and DOC concentrations revealed the significant role played by DOC. Risk assessment based on single compound exposure showed that sulfapyridine and sulfamethoxazole could cause medium risk to daphnid in the Yangtze Estuary. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Statistical approach to evaluate the occurrence of out-of acceptable ranges and accuracy for antimicrobial susceptibility tests in inter-laboratory quality control program].

Science.gov (United States)

Ueno, Tamio; Matuda, Junichi; Yamane, Nobuhisa

2013-03-01

To evaluate the occurrence of out-of acceptable ranges and accuracy of antimicrobial susceptibility tests, we applied a new statistical tool to the Inter-Laboratory Quality Control Program established by the Kyushu Quality Control Research Group. First, we defined acceptable ranges of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for broth microdilution tests and inhibitory zone diameter for disk diffusion tests on the basis of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M100-S21. In the analysis, more than two out-of acceptable range results in the 20 tests were considered as not allowable according to the CLSI document. Of the 90 participating laboratories, 46 (51%) experienced one or more occurrences of out-of acceptable range results. Then, a binomial test was applied to each participating laboratory. The results indicated that the occurrences of out-of acceptable range results in the 11 laboratories were significantly higher when compared to the CLSI recommendation (allowable rate laboratory was statistically compared with zero using a Student's t-test. The results revealed that 5 of the 11 above laboratories reported erroneous test results that systematically drifted to the side of resistance. In conclusion, our statistical approach has enabled us to detect significantly higher occurrences and source of interpretive errors in antimicrobial susceptibility tests; therefore, this approach can provide us with additional information that can improve the accuracy of the test results in clinical microbiology laboratories.

Packaging- and transportation-related occurrence reports. Fiscal year 1996 annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickerson, L.S.; Welch, M.J.

1997-02-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), through its support to the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Transportation, Emergency Management, and Analytical Services (EM-76), retrieves reports and information pertaining to transportation and packaging occurrences from the centralized Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS) database. These selected reports are analyzed for trends, impact on packaging and transportation operations and safety concerns, and lessons learned (LL) in transportation and packaging safety. Some selected reports are reviewed to evaluate the corrective actions being conducted. This report contains an analysis of 246 occurrences identified as packaging- or transportation-related during fiscal year (FY) 1996, with supporting data from calendar year (CY) 1991 through 1995 which provide the basis for trending. The overall number of packaging- and transportation-related occurrences remains a small percentage of the total occurrences in the DOE system, through it is relatively higher this year (∼6%) than previous years when transportation occurrences were approximately 3% of the total. The decrease in the total number of occurrences may be the result of the rollup provisions of the new DOE Order 232.1, and the comparative increase in packaging- and transportation-related occurrence reports (ORs) is only a reflection of the decrease in the overall total. There does not appear to be a correlation between the total number of offsite hazardous materials shipments and the number of reported occurrences. The offsite occurrences, while few in number, are consistent for the major shippers and contractors

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, July--September 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-12-01

Section 108 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health and safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period July through September 1991. The report discusses two abnormal occurrences at NRC-licensed facilities, neither involving a nuclear power plant. One involved radiation exposures to members of the public from a lost radioactive source and the other involved a medical diagnostic midadministration. The Agreement States reported no abnormal occurrences. The report also contains information that updates some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January--March 1977

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report, the eighth in the series, covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 1977. The NRC has determined that during this period: there were no abnormal occurrences at the 63 nuclear power plants licensed to operate; there were no abnormal occurrences at fuel cycle facilities (other than nuclear power plants); and there was one abnormal occurrence at other licensee facilities. The event involved an inadvertent radiation exposure to two painters while working in an area where industrial radiography was being performed. This report also contains information updating previously reported abnormal occurrences

An empirical model of global spread-f occurrence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singleton, D.G.

1974-09-01

A method of combining models of ionospheric F-layer peak electron density and irregularity incremental electron density into a model of the occurrence probability of the frequency spreading component of spread-F is presented. The predictions of the model are compared with spread-F occurrence data obtained under sunspot maximum conditions. Good agreement is obtained for latitudes less than 70 0 geomagnetic. At higher latitudes, the inclusion of a 'blackout factor' in the model allows it to accurately represent the data and, in so doing, resolves an apparent discrepancy in the occurrence statistics at high latitudes. The blackout factor is ascribed to the effect of polar blackout on the spread-F statistics and/or the lack of a definitve incremental electron density model for irregularities at polar latitudes. Ways of isolating these effects and assessing their relative importance in the blackout factor are discussed. The model, besides providing estimates of spread-F occurrence on a worldwide basis, which will be of value in the engineering of HF and VHF communications, also furnishes a means of further checking the irregularity incremental electron density model on which it is based. (author)

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January--March 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-07-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 1988. For this reporting period, there were three abnormal occurrences at nuclear power plants licensed to operate: a potential for common mode failure of safety-related components due to a degraded instrument air system at Fort Calhoun; common mode failures of main steam isolation valves at Perry Unit 1; and a cracked pipe weld in a safety injection system at Farley Unit 2. There were six abnormal occurrences at other NRC licensees: a diagnostic medical misadministration; a breakdown in management controls at the Georgia Institute of Technology reactor facility; release of polonium-210 from static elimination devices manufactured by the 3M Company; two therapeutic medical misadministrationS; and a significant widespread breakdown in the radiation safety program at Case Western Reserve University research laboratories. There was one abnormal occurrence reported by an Agreement State (Texas) involving radiation injury to two radiographers. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences. 43 refs

Atmospheric circulation and sounding-derived parameters associated with thunderstorm occurrence in Central Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Kolendowicz, Leszek; Taszarek, Mateusz; Czernecki, Bartosz

2017-07-01

The main objective of this study is to examine the influence of atmospheric circulation patterns and sounding-derived parameters on thunderstorm occurrence in Central Europe. Thunderstorm activity tends to increase as one moves from the north to the south of the research area. Maximal thunderstorm occurrence is observed in the summer months, while between October and March such activity is much lower. Thunderstorms are also more frequent in spring than in autumn. In the warm season, the occurrence of thunderstorm is associated with the presence of a trough associated with a low located over the North Sea and Scandinavia. In the cold season, the synoptic pattern indicates a strong zonal flow from the west with significantly higher horizontal pressure gradient compared to the warm season. Thunderstorms are more likely to form when the boundary layer's mixing ratios are higher than 8 g kg- 1. Deep convection is also more likely to occur when the vertical temperature lapse rates (between 800 and 500 hPa pressure layers) exceed 6 °C km- 1. During the cold season, considerably higher lapse rates are needed to produce thunderstorms. The values obtained for the convective available potential energy indicate that at least 50 J kg- 1 is needed to produce a thunderstorm during wintertime and 125 J kg- 1 during summertime. Cold season thunderstorms are formed with a lower instability but with a more dynamic wind field having an average value of deep layer shear that exceeds 20 ms- 1. The best parameter to distinguish thunderstorm from non-thunderstorm days for both winter and summer months is a combination of the square root of the convective available potential energy multiplied by the deep layer shear.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April--June 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-09-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from April 1 through June 30, 1992. Five abnormal occurrences are discussed in this report. One involved an extended loss of high-head safety injection capability at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. The other four involved medical misadministrations (three therapeutic and one diagnostic) at NRC-licensed facilities. No abnormal occurrences were reported by NRC's Agreement States. The report also contains information updating a previously reported abnormal occurrence

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October-December 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-03-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from October 1 to December 31, 1987. The report states that for this reporting period, these was one abnormal occurrence at the NRC licensees; the item involved the suspension of license of an oil and gas well tracer company for noncompliance with NRC regulatory requirements. There were no abnormal occurrences report by the Agreement States. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Precipitation increases the occurrence of sporadic legionnaires' disease in Taiwan.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nai-Tzu Chen

Full Text Available Legionnaires' disease (LD is an acute form of pneumonia, and changing weather is considered a plausible risk factor. Yet, the relationship between weather and LD has rarely been investigated, especially using long-term daily data. In this study, daily data was used to evaluate the impacts of precipitation, temperature, and relative humidity on LD occurrence in Taiwan from 1995-2011. A time-stratified 2:1 matched-period case-crossover design was used to compare each case with self-controlled data using a conditional logistic regression analysis, and odds ratios (ORs for LD occurrence was estimated. The city, gender and age were defined as a stratum for each matched set to modify the effects. For lag day- 0 to 15, the precipitation at lag day-11 significantly affected LD occurrence (p0.05. In conclusion, in warm, humid regions, an increase of daily precipitation is likely to be a critical weather factor triggering LD occurrence where the risk is found particularly significant at an 11-day lag. Additionally, precipitation at 21-40 and 61-80 mm might make LD occurrence more likely.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April--June 1977

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report, the ninth in the series, covers the period from April 1 to June 30, 1977. The NRC has determined that during this period: there were two abnormal occurrences at the 64 nuclear power plants licensed to operate, one involved a breach of a plant's physical security system and the other involved degraded fuel rods; there were no abnormal occurrences at fuel cycle facilities (other than nuclear power plants); and there were two abnormal occurrences at other licensee facilities, one involved improper radioactive source handling procedures and the other involved overexposure of two radiographers. Information updating previously reported abnormal occurrences is also included

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January--March 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-08-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health and safety and requires a Quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period January 1 to March 31, 1989. For this reporting period, there were two abnormal occurrences at nuclear power plants licensed to operate. The first had generic implications and involved a plug failure resulting in a steam generator tube leak at North Anna Unit 1. The second involved a steam generator tube rupture at McGuire Unit 1. There were three abnormal occurrences under other NRC-issued licenses. Two involved medical therapy misadministrations and one involved a medical diagnostic misadministration. There were no abnormal occurrences reported by the Agreement States. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Occurrence and Foraging Activity of Coastal Dolphins in Menai Bay, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J Temple

Full Text Available Understanding temporal patterns in distribution, occurrence and behaviour is vital for the effective conservation of cetaceans. This study used cetacean click detectors (C-PODs to investigate spatial and temporal variation in occurrence and foraging activity of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus and Indian Ocean humpback (Sousa plumbea dolphins resident in the Menai Bay Conservation Area (MBCA, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Occurrence was measured using detection positive minutes. Inter-click intervals were used to identify terminal buzz vocalisations, allowing for analysis of foraging activity. Data were analysed in relation to spatial (location and temporal (monsoon season, diel phase and tidal phase variables. Results showed significantly increased occurrence and foraging activity of dolphins in southern areas and during hours of darkness. Higher occurrence at night was not explained by diel variation in echolocation rate and so were considered representative of occurrence patterns. Both tidal phase and monsoon season influenced occurrence but results varied among sites, with no general patterns found. Foraging activity was greatest during hours of darkness, High water and Flood tidal phases. Comparisons of echolocation data among sites suggested differences in the broadband click spectra of MBCA dolphins, possibly indicative of species differences. These dolphin populations are threatened by unsustainable fisheries bycatch and tourism activities. The spatial and temporal patterns identified in this study have implications for future conservation and management actions with regards to these two threats. Further, the results indicate future potential for using passive acoustics to identify and monitor the occurrence of these two species in areas where they co-exist.

Occurrence of mastitis pathogens in relation to somatic cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Vyletělová Klimešová

2013-01-01

Full Text Available There were examined 161 cows from 4 farms in total. The suspect animals were selected according to viscosity test results, clinical symptoms and somatic cell count (SCC. Milk samples were examined for the presence of pathogens and for SCC. 55 mastitis pathogens were identified. The most frequently isolated species was Enterococcus faecalis (n = 20, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (n = 6 and Streptococcus uberis (n = 5. The SCC ranged from 9 to 24 204 ths.ml−1. There was positive occurrence of bacteria genus Staphylococcus and Enterococcus at lower SCC (50 ths.ml−1 and at higher SCC numbers (> 300 ths. ml−1 bacteria genus Streptococcus, Enterobacter and Escherichia coli. Differences in SCC were significant (P < 0.001 in negative samples xg 131 SCC versus 491 for positive, 611 for staphylococci and 464 ths.ml−1 for other positive. SCC discrimination limit for practical likelihood of pathogen occurrence estimation in infectious sample groups was calculated. This limit for suspicion of infection is 159 for positive group, 113 for staphylococci and 174 ths.ml−1 for other positive. This could be possible to recommend the value 174 ths.ml−1 for practical use with target to apply preventive or curative measures.

Significantly higher occurrence of Cryptosporidium infection in Roma children compared with non-Roma children in Slovakia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hasajová, A.; Valenčáková, A.; Malečková, B.; Danišová, D.; Halán, M.; Goldová, M.; Sak, Bohumil; Květoňová, Dana; Kváč, Martin; Halanová, M.

2014-01-01

Roč. 33, č. 8 (2014), s. 1401-1406 ISSN 0934-9723 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : molecular characterization * immunocompetent man * transmission * Murisinfection Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.668, year: 2014

A STELLAR-MASS-DEPENDENT DROP IN PLANET OCCURRENCE RATES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulders, Gijs D.; Pascucci, Ilaria; Apai, Dániel

2015-01-01

The Kepler spacecraft has discovered a large number of planets with up to one-year periods and down to terrestrial sizes. While the majority of the target stars are main-sequence dwarfs of spectral type F, G, and K, Kepler covers stars with effective temperatures as low as 2500 K, which corresponds to M stars. These cooler stars allow characterization of small planets near the habitable zone, yet it is not clear if this population is representative of that around FGK stars. In this paper, we calculate the occurrence of planets around stars of different spectral types as a function of planet radius and distance from the star and show that they are significantly different from each other. We further identify two trends. First, the occurrence of Earth- to Neptune-sized planets (1-4 R ⊕ ) is successively higher toward later spectral types at all orbital periods probed by Kepler; planets around M stars occur twice as frequently as around G stars, and thrice as frequently as around F stars. Second, a drop in planet occurrence is evident at all spectral types inward of a ∼10 day orbital period, with a plateau further out. By assigning to each spectral type a median stellar mass, we show that the distance from the star where this drop occurs is stellar mass dependent, and scales with semi-major axis as the cube root of stellar mass. By comparing different mechanisms of planet formation, trapping, and destruction, we find that this scaling best matches the location of the pre-main-sequence co-rotation radius, indicating efficient trapping of migrating planets or planetary building blocks close to the star. These results demonstrate the stellar-mass dependence of the planet population, both in terms of occurrence rate and of orbital distribution. The prominent stellar-mass dependence of the inner boundary of the planet population shows that the formation or migration of planets is sensitive to the stellar parameters

Active Longitude and Coronal Mass Ejection Occurrences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyenge, N.; Kiss, T. S.; Erdélyi, R.; Singh, T.; Srivastava, A. K.

2017-01-01

The spatial inhomogeneity of the distribution of coronal mass ejection (CME) occurrences in the solar atmosphere could provide a tool to estimate the longitudinal position of the most probable CME-capable active regions in the Sun. The anomaly in the longitudinal distribution of active regions themselves is often referred to as active longitude (AL). In order to reveal the connection between the AL and CME spatial occurrences, here we investigate the morphological properties of active regions. The first morphological property studied is the separateness parameter, which is able to characterize the probability of the occurrence of an energetic event, such as a solar flare or CME. The second morphological property is the sunspot tilt angle. The tilt angle of sunspot groups allows us to estimate the helicity of active regions. The increased helicity leads to a more complex buildup of the magnetic structure and also can cause CME eruption. We found that the most complex active regions appear near the AL and that the AL itself is associated with the most tilted active regions. Therefore, the number of CME occurrences is higher within the AL. The origin of the fast CMEs is also found to be associated with this region. We concluded that the source of the most probably CME-capable active regions is at the AL. By applying this method, we can potentially forecast a flare and/or CME source several Carrington rotations in advance. This finding also provides new information for solar dynamo modeling.

Active Longitude and Coronal Mass Ejection Occurrences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gyenge, N.; Kiss, T. S.; Erdélyi, R. [Solar Physics and Space Plasmas Research Centre (SP2RC), School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield Hounsfield Road, Hicks Building, Sheffield S3 7RH (United Kingdom); Singh, T.; Srivastava, A. K., E-mail: n.g.gyenge@sheffield.ac.uk [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi (India)

2017-03-20

The spatial inhomogeneity of the distribution of coronal mass ejection (CME) occurrences in the solar atmosphere could provide a tool to estimate the longitudinal position of the most probable CME-capable active regions in the Sun. The anomaly in the longitudinal distribution of active regions themselves is often referred to as active longitude (AL). In order to reveal the connection between the AL and CME spatial occurrences, here we investigate the morphological properties of active regions. The first morphological property studied is the separateness parameter, which is able to characterize the probability of the occurrence of an energetic event, such as a solar flare or CME. The second morphological property is the sunspot tilt angle. The tilt angle of sunspot groups allows us to estimate the helicity of active regions. The increased helicity leads to a more complex buildup of the magnetic structure and also can cause CME eruption. We found that the most complex active regions appear near the AL and that the AL itself is associated with the most tilted active regions. Therefore, the number of CME occurrences is higher within the AL. The origin of the fast CMEs is also found to be associated with this region. We concluded that the source of the most probably CME-capable active regions is at the AL. By applying this method, we can potentially forecast a flare and/or CME source several Carrington rotations in advance. This finding also provides new information for solar dynamo modeling.

Active Longitude and Coronal Mass Ejection Occurrences

Science.gov (United States)

Gyenge, N.; Singh, T.; Kiss, T. S.; Srivastava, A. K.; Erdélyi, R.

2017-03-01

The spatial inhomogeneity of the distribution of coronal mass ejection (CME) occurrences in the solar atmosphere could provide a tool to estimate the longitudinal position of the most probable CME-capable active regions in the Sun. The anomaly in the longitudinal distribution of active regions themselves is often referred to as active longitude (AL). In order to reveal the connection between the AL and CME spatial occurrences, here we investigate the morphological properties of active regions. The first morphological property studied is the separateness parameter, which is able to characterize the probability of the occurrence of an energetic event, such as a solar flare or CME. The second morphological property is the sunspot tilt angle. The tilt angle of sunspot groups allows us to estimate the helicity of active regions. The increased helicity leads to a more complex buildup of the magnetic structure and also can cause CME eruption. We found that the most complex active regions appear near the AL and that the AL itself is associated with the most tilted active regions. Therefore, the number of CME occurrences is higher within the AL. The origin of the fast CMEs is also found to be associated with this region. We concluded that the source of the most probably CME-capable active regions is at the AL. By applying this method, we can potentially forecast a flare and/or CME source several Carrington rotations in advance. This finding also provides new information for solar dynamo modeling.

[Sexual violence and co-occurrences suffered by children and adolescents: study of incidents over a decade].

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Jacqueline Reiter; Costa, Maria Conceição Oliveira; Amaral, Magali Teresópolis Reis; Santos, Clarice Alves; de Assis, Simone Gonçalves; do Nascimento, Ohana Cunha

2014-03-01

The study analyzes the evolution of the incidence of sexual violence (SV) and co-occurrences between 2001 and 2010. The records of the Guardianship Councils in Feira de Santana, State of Bahia, Brazil were used and the incidence rates and graphs of the events during the period were calculated. Of the total of the different types of violence, 21.8 % involved co-occurrences, the majority being female, most frequently during adolescence. There was a high proportion of abuse in male children, with most offenders bring family members or acquaintances. The incidence of SV revealed an increasing trend in both sexes during the decade, more significantly in females in 2002 and 2009. The age groups indicated the same trend, with a higher proportion of cases in adolescence. The record of co-occurrences with SV was more pronounced in the second half of the decade, namely psychological violence in 2008, neglect in 2008 and physical violence in 2009. The conclusion is that the increase in the coefficients of sexual violence and co-occurrences may indicate an improvement of the reporting system of instances in reference, as well as greater citizen participation through the Dial 100 complaint hotline. The indicators help to prevent and control violence against children.

Occurrence and predictors of depression and poor quality of life among patients with Type-2 diabetes: A Northern India perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prerna Bahety

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: Globally, depression has been linked to Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. However, similar data from India are scant. This study evaluated the occurrence and predictors of depression and health-related quality of life (QOL in patients with T2DM as compared to healthy controls.Materials and Methods: One hundred adults with T2DM without prior diagnosis of depression and 100 matched controls were evaluated. Depression was assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9. World Health Organization QOL Brief (WHO-QOL-BREF was used to assess QOL. Demography, anthropometry, biochemical parameters of diabetes control, and microvascular and macrovascular complications in patients were recorded. Results: Depression was significantly more common in T2DM (63% as compared to controls (48% (odds ratio [OR] - 1.84 [1.04, 3.24]; P = 0.03. In T2DM, depression was higher in patients with disease duration> 5 years (OR = 2.66; P = 0.02, glycated hemoglobin> 7% (OR = 3.45; P = 0.004, retinopathy (OR - 3.56; P = 0.03, and nephropathy (OR - 4.11; P = 0.07. Occurrence of depression was significantly higher among the patients with macrovascular complications, namely, coronary artery disease (17.4%; P = 0.000006, cerebrovascular disease (14.2%; P = 0.0006, and peripheral vascular disease (7.9%; P = 0.05. Insulin users had higher depression as compared to patients using only oral antihyperglycemic medications (P = 0.034. Patient with depression had significantly low QOL. The WHO-QOL for all the domains was significantly lower in T2DM with microvascular and macrovascular complications, as compared to those without. Conclusion: Indian T2DM had higher prevalence of depression and lower QOL as compared to controls, which was associated with poor glycemic control and higher end-organ damage. Public health measures are required to create more awareness for managing depression in diabetes.

Basic Diagnosis and Prediction of Persistent Contrail Occurrence using High-resolution Numerical Weather Analyses/Forecasts and Logistic Regression. Part I: Effects of Random Error

Science.gov (United States)

Duda, David P.; Minnis, Patrick

2009-01-01

Straightforward application of the Schmidt-Appleman contrail formation criteria to diagnose persistent contrail occurrence from numerical weather prediction data is hindered by significant bias errors in the upper tropospheric humidity. Logistic models of contrail occurrence have been proposed to overcome this problem, but basic questions remain about how random measurement error may affect their accuracy. A set of 5000 synthetic contrail observations is created to study the effects of random error in these probabilistic models. The simulated observations are based on distributions of temperature, humidity, and vertical velocity derived from Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) weather analyses. The logistic models created from the simulated observations were evaluated using two common statistical measures of model accuracy, the percent correct (PC) and the Hanssen-Kuipers discriminant (HKD). To convert the probabilistic results of the logistic models into a dichotomous yes/no choice suitable for the statistical measures, two critical probability thresholds are considered. The HKD scores are higher when the climatological frequency of contrail occurrence is used as the critical threshold, while the PC scores are higher when the critical probability threshold is 0.5. For both thresholds, typical random errors in temperature, relative humidity, and vertical velocity are found to be small enough to allow for accurate logistic models of contrail occurrence. The accuracy of the models developed from synthetic data is over 85 percent for both the prediction of contrail occurrence and non-occurrence, although in practice, larger errors would be anticipated.

Evaluating complementary networks of restoration plantings for landscape-scale occurrence of temporally dynamic species.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikin, Karen; Tulloch, Ayesha; Gibbons, Philip; Ansell, Dean; Seddon, Julian; Lindenmayer, David

2016-10-01

Multibillion dollar investments in land restoration make it critical that conservation goals are achieved cost-effectively. Approaches developed for systematic conservation planning offer opportunities to evaluate landscape-scale, temporally dynamic biodiversity outcomes from restoration and improve on traditional approaches that focus on the most species-rich plantings. We investigated whether it is possible to apply a complementarity-based approach to evaluate the extent to which an existing network of restoration plantings meets representation targets. Using a case study of woodland birds of conservation concern in southeastern Australia, we compared complementarity-based selections of plantings based on temporally dynamic species occurrences with selections based on static species occurrences and selections based on ranking plantings by species richness. The dynamic complementarity approach, which incorporated species occurrences over 5 years, resulted in higher species occurrences and proportion of targets met compared with the static complementarity approach, in which species occurrences were taken at a single point in time. For equivalent cost, the dynamic complementarity approach also always resulted in higher average minimum percent occurrence of species maintained through time and a higher proportion of the bird community meeting representation targets compared with the species-richness approach. Plantings selected under the complementarity approaches represented the full range of planting attributes, whereas those selected under the species-richness approach were larger in size. Our results suggest that future restoration policy should not attempt to achieve all conservation goals within individual plantings, but should instead capitalize on restoration opportunities as they arise to achieve collective value of multiple plantings across the landscape. Networks of restoration plantings with complementary attributes of age, size, vegetation structure, and

Bacterial networks and co-occurrence relationships in the lettuce root microbiota.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardinale, Massimiliano; Grube, Martin; Erlacher, Armin; Quehenberger, Julian; Berg, Gabriele

2015-01-01

Lettuce is one of the most common raw foods worldwide, but occasionally also involved in pathogen outbreaks. To understand the correlative structure of the bacterial community as a network, we studied root microbiota of eight ancient and modern Lactuca sativa cultivars and the wild ancestor Lactuca serriola by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicon libraries. The lettuce microbiota was dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteriodetes, as well as abundant Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria. Cultivar specificity comprised 12.5% of the species. Diversity indices were not different between lettuce cultivar groups but higher than in L. serriola, suggesting that domestication lead to bacterial diversification in lettuce root system. Spearman correlations between operational taxonomic units (OTUs) showed that co-occurrence prevailed over co-exclusion, and complementary fluorescence in situ hybridization-confocal laser scanning microscopy (FISH-CLSM) analyses revealed that this pattern results from both potential interactions and habitat sharing. Predominant taxa, such as Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium and Sphingomonadaceae rather suggested interactions, even though these are not necessarily part of significant modules in the co-occurrence networks. Without any need for complex interactions, single organisms are able to invade into this microbial network and to colonize lettuce plants, a fact that can influence the susceptibility to pathogens. The approach to combine co-occurrence analysis and FISH-CLSM allows reliably reconstructing and interpreting microbial interaction networks. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Occurrence of Phlebitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Wen P; Peng, Yu X

Peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) are commonly used in clinical practice. However, varying degrees of phlebitis often occur in patients receiving intravenous injections. The relevant literature suggests that phlebitis occurrence is highly associated with the catheter gauge, insertion site, and catheterization duration. Nevertheless, no meta-analysis has been performed on the influence of these three factors on the occurrence of phlebitis. The objective of this study was to determine whether any significant differences exist in the occurrence of phlebitis between catheters of 20 gauge or smaller and those larger than 20 gauge, between catheters inserted in the antecubital fossa and those inserted in other locations on the upper limbs, or between catheters inserted for more than 96 hours and those inserted for 96 hours or less. Using a systematic approach, we searched for literature published between 2006 and 2017 in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library databases. We used Comprehensive Meta-analysis Version 2 to perform our meta-analysis. After the screening and review processes, we identified 17 studies that met our selection conditions. Among these studies, 14 contained complete data for meta-analysis. These studies involved 4,343 patients and 5,846 PVCs. Regarding the overall effect size in the meta-analysis, the results of the forest plot comparing catheters of 20 gauge or smaller and those larger than 20 gauge presented a risk ratio (RR) of 0.88 (95% confidence interval [0.67, 1.17], p = .380), indicating no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of phlebitis between catheters of the aforementioned gauges. The results of the forest plot comparing catheters inserted in the antecubital fossa and those inserted in other locations on the upper limbs presented an RR of 1.05 (95% confidence interval [0.82, 1.34], p = .696), indicating no statistically significant difference in

Nonstationarities in the occurrence rates of flood events in Portuguese watersheds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. T. Silva

2012-01-01

Full Text Available An exploratory analysis on the variability of flood occurrence rates in 10 Portuguese watersheds is made, to ascertain if that variability is concurrent with the principle of stationarity. A peaks-over-threshold (POT sampling technique is applied to 10 long series of mean daily streamflows and to 4 long series of daily rainfall in order to sample the times of occurrence (POT time data of the peak values of those series. The kernel occurrence rate estimator, coupled with a bootstrap approach, was applied to the POT time data to obtain the time dependent estimated occurrence rate curves, λˆ(t, of floods and extreme rainfall events. The results of the analysis show that the occurrence of those events constitutes an inhomogeneous Poisson process, hence the occurrence rates are nonstationary. An attempt was made to assess whether the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO casted any influence on the occurrence rate of floods in the study area. Although further research is warranted, it was found that years with a less-than-average occurrence of floods tend to occur when the winter NAO is in the positive phase, and years with a higher occurrence of floods (more than twice the average tend to occur when the winter NAO is in the negative phase. Although the number of analyzed watersheds and their uneven spatial distribution hinders the generalization of the findings to the country scale, the authors conclude that the mathematical formulation of the flood frequency models relying on stationarity commonly employed in Portugal should be revised in order to account for possible nonstationarities in the occurrence rates of such events.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January--March 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-07-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from January 1 through March 31, 1990. for this reporting period, there were 10 abnormal occurrences. One involved the loss of vital ac power with a subsequent reactor coolant system heat-up at the Vogtle Unit 1 nuclear power plant during shutdown. The event was investigated by an NRC Incident Investigation Team (IIT). The other nine abnormal occurrences involved nuclear material licensees and are described in detail under other NRC-issued licenses: eight of these involved medical therapy misadministrations; the other involved the receipt of an unshielded radioactive source at Amersham Corporation in Burlington, Massachusetts. The latter event was also investigated by an NRC IIT. No abnormal occurrences were reported by the Agreement States. The report also contains information that updates a previously reported abnormal occurrence

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April-June 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from April 1 to June 30, 1986. The report states that for this reporting period, there were two abnormal occurrences at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate. One involved an out of sequence control rod withdrawal and the other involved a boiling water reactor emergency core cooling system design deficiency. There were five abnormal occurrences at the other NRC licensees. Two involved willful failure to report diagnostic medical misadministrations to the NRC; one involved a therapeutic medical misadministration; and two involved diagnostic medical misadministrations. There were two abnormal occurrences reported by the Agreement States. One involved an uncontrolled release of krypton-85 to an unrestricted area; the other involved a contaminated radiopharmaceutical used in diagnostic administrations. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Multi-substrate terpene synthases: their occurrence and physiological significance

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Leila Pazouki

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Terpene synthases are responsible for synthesis of a large number of terpenes in plants using substrates provided by two distinct metabolic pathways, the mevalonate-dependent pathway that is located in cytosol and has been suggested to be responsible for synthesis of sesquiterpenes (C15, and 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway located in plastids and suggested to be responsible for the synthesis of hemi- (C5, mono- (C10 and diterpenes (C20. Recent advances in characterization of genes and enzymes responsible for substrate and end product biosynthesis as well as efforts in metabolic engineering have demonstrated existence of a number of multi-substrate terpene synthases. This review summarizes the progress in the characterization of such multi-substrate terpene synthases and suggests that the presence of multi-substrate use might have been significantly underestimated. Multi-substrate use could lead to important changes in terpene product profiles upon substrate profile changes under perturbation of metabolism in stressed plants as well as under certain developmental stages. We therefore argue that multi-substrate use can be significant under physiological conditions and can result in complicate modifications in terpene profiles.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April-June 1985. Volume 8, No. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-11-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. For this reporting period, there were three abnormal occurrences at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate: (1) inoperable safety injection pumps, (2) significant deficiencies in reactor operator training and material false statements, and (3) loss of main and auxiliary feedwater systems. There were four abnormal occurrences at the other NRC licensees. Three events involved diagnostic or therapeutic medical misadministrations; the other involved a breakdown in management controls. There was one abnormal occurrence reported by an Agreement State; the event involved overexposures of a radiographer and an assistant radiographer. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Crossing seas and occurrence of rogue waves

Science.gov (United States)

Bitner-Gregersen, Elzbieta; Toffoli, Alessandro

2017-04-01

The study is addressing crossing wave systems which may lead to formation of rogue waves. Onorato et al. (2006, 2010) have shown using the Nonlinear Schr?dringer (NLS) equations that the modulational instability and rogue waves can be triggered by a peculiar form of directional sea state, where two identical, crossing, narrow-banded random wave systems interact with each other. Such results have been underpinned by numerical simulations of the Euler equations solved with a Higher Order Spectral Method (HOSM) and experimental observations (Toffoli et al., 2011). They substantiate a dependence of the angle between the mean directions of propagation of the two crossing wave systems, with a maximum rogue wave probability for angles of approximately 40 degrees. Such an unusual sea state of two almost identical wave systems (approximately the same significant wave height and mean frequency) with high steepness and different directions was observed during the accident to the cruise ship Louis Majesty (Cavaleri et al. 2012). Occurrence of wind sea and swell having almost the same spectral period and significant wave height and crossing at the angle 40o low and intermediate wave conditions. They have not been found in a location off coast of Australia and Nigeria. There are some indications that in the future climate we may expect an increase number of occurrence of rogue-prone crossing sea states in some ocean regions An adopted partitioning procedure of a wave spectrum will impact the results. References Bitner-Gregersen, E.M. and Toffoli, A., 2014. Probability of occurrence of rogue sea states and consequences for design of marine structures. Special Issue of Ocean Dynamics, ISSN 1616-7341, 64(10), DOI 10.1007/s10236-014-0753-2. Cavaleri, L., Bertotti, L., Torrisi, L. Bitner-Gregersen, E., Serio, M. and Onorato, M., 2012. Rogue Waves in Crossing Seas: The Louis Majesty accident. J. Geophysical Research, 117, C00J10, doi:10.1029/2012JC007923 Onorato, M., A. Osborne, A

Meteorological influence on the occurrence of gastric dilatation-volvulus in military working dogs in Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, George E.; Levine, Michael; Anderson, Johnna D.; Trapp, Robert J.

2008-01-01

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening condition in dogs and other species in which the stomach dilates and rotates on itself. The etiology of the disease is multi-factorial, but explicit precipitating causes are unknown. This study sought to determine if there was a significant association between changes in hourly-measured temperature and/or atmospheric pressure and the occurrence of GDV in the population of high-risk working dogs in Texas. The odds of a day being a GDV day, given certain temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions for that day or the day before, was estimated using logistic regression models. There were 57 days in which GDV(s) occurred, representing 2.60% of the days in the 6-year study period. The months of November, December, and January collectively accounted for almost half (47%) of all cases. Disease risk was negatively associated with daily maximum temperature. An increased risk of GDV was weakly associated with the occurrence of large hourly drops in temperature that day and of higher minimum barometric pressure that day and the day before GDV occurrence, but extreme changes were not predictive of the disease.

Diurnal and seasonal occurrence of polar patches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. Rodger

1996-05-01

Full Text Available Analysis of the diurnal and seasonal variation of polar patches, as identified in two years of HF-radar data from Halley, Antarctica during a period near sunspot maximum, shows that there is a broad maximum in occurrence centred about magnetic noon, not local noon. There are minima in occurrence near midsummer and midwinter, with maxima in occurrence between equinox and winter. There are no significant correlations between the occurrence of polar patches and the corresponding hourly averages of the solar wind and IMF parameters, except that patches usually occur when the interplanetary magnetic field has a southward component. The results can be understood in terms of UT and seasonal differences in the plasma concentration being convected from the dayside ionosphere into the polar cap. In summer and winter the electron concentrations in the polar cap are high and low, respectively, but relatively unstructured. About equinox, a tongue of enhanced ionisation is convected into the polar cap; this tongue is then structured by the effects of the interplanetary magnetic field, but these Halley data cannot be used to separate the various competing mechanisms for patch formation. The observed diurnal and seasonal variation in the occurrence of polar patches are largely consistent with predictions of Sojka et al. (1994 when their results are translated into the southern hemisphere. However, the ionospheric effects of flux transfer events are still considered essential in their formation, a feature not yet included in the Sojka et al. model.

Nitrogenous disinfection byproducts in English drinking water supply systems: Occurrence, bromine substitution and correlation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tom; Templeton, Michael R; Mokhtar Kamal, Nurul Hana; Graham, Nigel; Kanda, Rakesh

2015-11-15

Despite the recent focus on nitrogenous disinfection byproducts in drinking water, there is limited occurrence data available for many species. This paper analyses the occurrence of seven haloacetonitriles, three haloacetamides, eight halonitromethanes and cyanogen chloride in 20 English drinking water supply systems. It is the first survey of its type to compare bromine substitution factors (BSFs) between the haloacetamides and haloacetonitriles. Concentrations of the dihalogenated haloacetonitriles and haloacetamides were well correlated. Although median concentrations of these two groups were lower in chloraminated than chlorinated surface waters, median BSFs for both in chloraminated samples were approximately double those in chlorinated samples, which is significant because of the higher reported toxicity of the brominated species. Furthermore, median BSFs were moderately higher for the dihalogenated haloacetamides than for the haloacetonitriles. This indicates that, while the dihalogenated haloacetamides were primarily generated from hydrolysis of the corresponding haloacetonitriles, secondary formation pathways also contributed. Median halonitromethane concentrations were remarkably unchanging for the different types of disinfectants and source waters: 0.1 μg · mgTOC(-1) in all cases. Cyanogen chloride only occurred in a limited number of samples, yet when present its concentrations were higher than the other N-DBPs. Concentrations of cyanogen chloride and the sum of the halonitromethanes were not correlated with any other DBPs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Worldwide Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Cereals and Cereal-Derived Food Products: Public Health Perspectives of Their Co-occurrence.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyun Jung; Ryu, Dojin

2017-08-23

Cereal grains and their processed food products are frequently contaminated with mycotoxins. Among many, five major mycotoxins of aflatoxins, ochratoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone are of significant public health concern as they can cause adverse effects in humans. Being airborne or soilborne, the cosmopolitan nature of mycotoxigenic fungi contribute to the worldwide occurrence of mycotoxins. On the basis of the global occurrence data reported during the past 10 years, the incidences and maximum levels in raw cereal grains were 55% and 1642 μg/kg for aflatoxins, 29% and 1164 μg/kg for ochratoxin A, 61% and 71,121 μg/kg for fumonisins, 58% and 41,157 μg/kg, for deoxynivalenol, and 46% and 3049 μg/kg for zearalenone. The concentrations of mycotoxins tend to be lower in processed food products; the incidences varied depending on the individual mycotoxins, possibly due to the varying stability during processing and distribution of mycotoxins. It should be noted that more than one mycotoxin, produced by a single or several fungal species, may occur in various combinations in a given sample or food. Most studies reported additive or synergistic effects, suggesting that these mixtures may pose a significant threat to public health, particularly to infants and young children. Therefore, information on the co-occurrence of mycotoxins and their interactive toxicity is summarized in this paper.

Idaho National Laboratory Quarterly Occurrence Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell, Lisbeth Ann [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-11-01

This report is published quarterly by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Quality and Performance Management Organization. The Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS), as prescribed in DOE Order 232.2, “Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information,” requires a quarterly analysis of events, both reportable and not reportable, for the previous 12 months. This report is the analysis of 85 reportable events (18 from the 4th Qtr FY-15 and 67 from the prior three reporting quarters), as well as 25 other issue reports (including events found to be not reportable and Significant Category A and B conditions) identified at INL during the past 12 months (8 from this quarter and 17 from the prior three quarters).

Time-dependent Occurrence Rate of Electromagnetic Cyclotron Waves in the Solar Wind: Evidence for the Effect of Alpha Particles?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, G. Q.; Feng, H. Q. [Institute of Space Physics, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang (China); Wu, D. J. [Purple Mountain Observatory, CAS, Nanjing (China); Chu, Y. H. [Institute of Space Science, National Central University, Chungli, Taiwan (China); Huang, J. [CAS Key Laboratory of Solar Activity, National Astronomical Observatories, Beijing (China)

2017-09-20

Previous studies revealed that electromagnetic cyclotron waves (ECWs) near the proton cyclotron frequency exist widely in the solar wind, and the majority of ECWs are left-handed (LH) polarized waves. Using the magnetic field data from the STEREO mission, this Letter carries out a survey of ECWs over a long period of 7 years and calculates the occurrence rates of ECWs with different polarization senses. Results show that the occurrence rate is nearly a constant for the ECWs with right-handed polarization, but it varies significantly for the ECWs with LH polarization. Further investigation of plasma conditions reveals that the LH ECWs take place preferentially in a plasma characterized by higher temperature, lower density, and larger velocity. Some considerable correlations between the occurrence rate of LH ECWs and the properties of ambient plasmas are discussed. The present research may provide evidence for the effect of alpha particles on the generation of ECWs.

The role of human outdoor recreation in shaping patterns of grizzly bear-black bear co-occurrence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Ladle

Full Text Available Species' distributions are influenced by a combination of landscape variables and biotic interactions with other species, including people. Grizzly bears and black bears are sympatric, competing omnivores that also share habitats with human recreationists. By adapting models for multi-species occupancy analysis, we analyzed trail camera data from 192 trail camera locations in and around Jasper National Park, Canada to estimate grizzly bear and black bear occurrence and intensity of trail use. We documented (a occurrence of grizzly bears and black bears relative to habitat variables (b occurrence and intensity of use relative to competing bear species and motorised and non-motorised recreational activity, and (c temporal overlap in activity patterns among the two bear species and recreationists. Grizzly bears were spatially separated from black bears, selecting higher elevations and locations farther from roads. Both species co-occurred with motorised and non-motorised recreation, however, grizzly bears reduced their intensity of use of sites with motorised recreation present. Black bears showed higher temporal activity overlap with recreational activity than grizzly bears, however differences in bear daily activity patterns between sites with and without motorised and non-motorised recreation were not significant. Reduced intensity of use by grizzly bears of sites where motorised recreation was present is a concern given off-road recreation is becoming increasingly popular in North America, and can negatively influence grizzly bear recovery by reducing foraging opportunities near or on trails. Camera traps and multi-species occurrence models offer non-invasive methods for identifying how habitat use by animals changes relative to sympatric species, including humans. These conclusions emphasise the need for integrated land-use planning, access management, and grizzly bear conservation efforts to consider the implications of continued access for

The role of human outdoor recreation in shaping patterns of grizzly bear-black bear co-occurrence.

Science.gov (United States)

Ladle, Andrew; Steenweg, Robin; Shepherd, Brenda; Boyce, Mark S

2018-01-01

Species' distributions are influenced by a combination of landscape variables and biotic interactions with other species, including people. Grizzly bears and black bears are sympatric, competing omnivores that also share habitats with human recreationists. By adapting models for multi-species occupancy analysis, we analyzed trail camera data from 192 trail camera locations in and around Jasper National Park, Canada to estimate grizzly bear and black bear occurrence and intensity of trail use. We documented (a) occurrence of grizzly bears and black bears relative to habitat variables (b) occurrence and intensity of use relative to competing bear species and motorised and non-motorised recreational activity, and (c) temporal overlap in activity patterns among the two bear species and recreationists. Grizzly bears were spatially separated from black bears, selecting higher elevations and locations farther from roads. Both species co-occurred with motorised and non-motorised recreation, however, grizzly bears reduced their intensity of use of sites with motorised recreation present. Black bears showed higher temporal activity overlap with recreational activity than grizzly bears, however differences in bear daily activity patterns between sites with and without motorised and non-motorised recreation were not significant. Reduced intensity of use by grizzly bears of sites where motorised recreation was present is a concern given off-road recreation is becoming increasingly popular in North America, and can negatively influence grizzly bear recovery by reducing foraging opportunities near or on trails. Camera traps and multi-species occurrence models offer non-invasive methods for identifying how habitat use by animals changes relative to sympatric species, including humans. These conclusions emphasise the need for integrated land-use planning, access management, and grizzly bear conservation efforts to consider the implications of continued access for motorised

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January-March 1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-09-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 1983. The report states that for this report period, there were three abnormal occurrences at the nuclear power plants licensed by the NRC to operate. The first involved a main feedwater line break due to water hammer. The second involved management and procedural control deficiencies. The third involved failure of the automatic reactor trip system. There were no abnormal occurrences for the other NRC licensees. There were six abnormal occurrences at Agreement State licensees. One involved an individual who ingested and was contaminated by radioactive material. Four involved lost or stolen radioactive sources. One involved radioactive contamination of a metals production facility

Unusual occurrence report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

The final report provides information on an occurrence which took place in the HEDL Radioactive Liquid Waste System (RLWS), during which radioactive waste water entered the Retention Process Waste System. The RLWS has been cleared of the obstruction and is in full operation. Investigation of the occurrence and testing of the equipment involved is completed

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, July--September 1975

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health and safety, and a quarterly report on such events is to be made to Congress. The second such report to Congress on abnormal occurrences is presented. The first report identified abnormal occurrences at licensed nuclear power plants during the first six months of 1975. The current report includes the results of a review of events at nuclear power plants for the third quarter of 1975 and the results of a review for overexposure to radiation at all licensed facilities for a nine-month period. The NRC has determined that there were no abnormal occurrences at licensed nuclear power plants during the period and there were no abnormal occurrences involving overexposure to radiation at NRC-licensed facilities from January 1 to September 30, 1975. Therefore, the current report comprises an updating of information concerning events reported to the Congress in the first report dated October 1975. Status is reported as of November 25, 1975

Environmental occurrence of arsenic in Colombia: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, David L.; Latorre, Sergio; Castillo, Elianna; Brandão, Pedro F.B.

2014-01-01

The international literature on the presence of arsenic (As) in Latin America does not disclose the true magnitude of the presence of As in Colombia. In this paper, we summarize the literature on As occurrence in Colombia. The data reveal that As is present in matrices such as soil, sediments and water and in the food chain. Some of the As concentrations exceed the limits specified by national and international regulations. Arsenic higher concentrations are associated with mining regions (e.g., soils, up to 148 mg/kg; sediments, up to 1400 mg/kg) and agricultural areas (e.g., vegetables, up to 5.40 mg/kg; irrigation water, up to 255 μg/L), and underscore the potential human and environmental risks associated with the presence of As in the country. This review highlights the importance of focusing research on understanding the occurrence, origin and distribution of As in Colombia to better understand its environmental and public health impact. -- Highlights: • Information about arsenic (As) studies in Colombia is provided. • Occurrence of As in Colombia. • Compilation help to increase knowledge of As presence in Latin America. • Need for more research on the occurrence, origin, distribution, speciation and remediation of As in Colombia. -- This review communicates the untold story of arsenic in Colombia and draws attention to the need for more rigorous research on the metalloid. It also contributes to the information available on As in Latin America

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, July--September 1977. Quarterly report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-11-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report, the tenth in the series, covers the period July 1 to September 30, 1977. The NRC has determined that during this period there were no abnormal occurrences at the 65 nuclear power plants licensed to operate nor at fuel cycle facilities. There was one abnormal occurrence at other licensee facilities, which involved the loss and recovery of a radioactive source and probable overexposure. This report also contains information updating previously reported abnormal occurrences

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences: [Quarterly report], January-March 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-10-01

The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 1987. The report states that for this reporting period, there was one abnormal occurrence at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate. The item involved the NRC suspension of power operations of the Peach Bottom Facility due to inattentiveness of the control room staff. There were seven abnormal occurrences at the other NRC licensees. Four involved diagnostic medical misadministrations; the other three involved breakdowns in management controls at three separate industrial radiography licensees. There were two abnormal occurrences reported by the Agreement States. Both involved breakdowns in management controls at industrial radiography licensees. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences. Appendix A contains the criteria used to define an abnormal occurrence. 13 refs

The effects of forest structure on occurrence and abundance of three owl species (Aves: Strigidae in the Central Amazon forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Obed G. Barros

2009-03-01

Full Text Available We investigated how forest structure affects the occurrence and abundance of three owl species: the crested owl Lophostrix cristata Daudin, 1800, the Amazon pygmy owl Glaucidium hardyi Vielliard, 1990, and the tawny-bellied screech owl Megascops watsonii Cassin, 1849. We surveyed the owls mostly between 07:00 and 11:00 pm from July 2001 to April 2002, in eighteen 8 km transects along trails at the Ducke Reserve, Manaus, Central Amazon, Brazil. We staked out 50 x 50 m plots where the presence and absence of the owls were recorded. We compared some components of the forest structure between plots where owls were present and plots where they were absent. The spatial variation in these components were related to the occurrence and abundance of the owls using models of multiple logistic and multiple linear regressions analysis, respectively. Lophostrix cristata is rare in many other areas of the Amazon forest, but it was the most abundant in our study area. Lophostrix cristata and G. hardyi were more concentrated along the uplands (central plateau, which divide the reserve into two drainage water-basins. Megascops watsonii was distributed mainly in the southeastern part of the reserve. Glaucidium hardyi was more often found in areas with larger canopy openness. In areas with higher abundance of snags, there was significantly higher occurrence of L. cristata and M. watsonii. Megascops watsonii was also more abundant in areas with higher abundance of forest trees and in areas bearing shallower leaf litter on the forest floor. This study is the first to analyze at large spatial scale the effects of forest structure on neotropical forest top predator nocturnal birds. The results indicate that forest structure can affect the occurrence and abundance of owls in the Amazon forest.

STUDIES ON THE OCCURRENCE AND DAMAGE BY YAM TUBER BEETLES (HETEROLIGUS SPP IN ANIOCHA AND OSHIMILI AREAS OF DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F TOBIH

2007-11-01

Full Text Available A two-year (2001 and 2002 studies to evaluate the occurrence, population distribution and damage by yam beetles: Heteroligus spp was undertaken in four Local Government Areas in Delta State, Nigeria namely: Oshimili South and North, Aniocha South and North. Beetle population were sampled from farmers fields using light traps in selected locations in the Council areas. Sampling period was April to December for both years. Data collected were number of beetles caught per month, damage indices such as number and size of beetle feeding holes, percentage tuber attacked and tuber yield. Beetle occurrence began in May and were encountered till November. Peak population of beetle occurred in August across the location for the two-year trials. Beetle species comprised of H. meles Billb and H. appiusBurm with the former, the most abundant species regarding the number caught across the locations. Oshimili North and South had higher beetle feeding holes significant at (P < 0.05 than Aniocha South and North for both years and across the locations. No significant difference in size of feeding hole but in terms of percentage tuber attacked, Oshimili South showed higher attack significantly different than Aniocha North both in 2001 and 2002 but not significantly higher than attacked in Oshimili North and Aniocha South in 2001. However, there were no significant difference in the yield of tuber across the locations and for the two-year period. Yam beetle is still a serious insect pest of yam and the two species responsible for tuber damages are H. meles Billb and H. appius Burm in these areas.

Effects of fish community on occurrences of Yangtze finless porpoise in confluence of the Yangtze and Wanhe Rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoke; Yu, Daoping; Wang, Huili; Wan, An; Chen, Minmin; Tao, Feng; Song, Zunrong

2015-06-01

The Yangtze finless porpoise is a subspecies of narrow-ridged finless porpoise endemic to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the adjoining Poyang and Dongting Lakes. With the depletion of fish stocks in the Yangtze River in recent decades, food availability has become the most important factor affecting the survival of this subspecies. Despite this, the relationships between fish community and occurrences of porpoise are far from being fully understood. Therefore, during September 2013 to August 2014, the occurrences of porpoise were investigated in confluence of the Yangtze and Wanhe Rivers; fish community was also surveyed synchronously in confluence and two adjacent transects. The results showed that (1) the confluence had maximum fish species richness, and the main dominant species was upper fish, while the other two transects were mainly dominated by demersal fish. ANOVA analyses showed that individual number and yield of upper fish which can be eaten by porpoise (upper edible fish) in the confluence were significantly higher than other two transects. (2) Average group size of the porpoise was 3.7 ± 1.8 individuals. The occurrences of porpoise in different seasons had great differences, and the porpoise was more likely to be detected in autumn and winter. (3) Fish community had significant effects on occurrences of porpoise, and the main influencing factors were fish species richness, individual number, and yield of edible fish, especially the upper edible fish. The results of this study will have important implications for the conservation of porpoise.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in University Students: Occurrence and Associated Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amita Attlee

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS and its association with body composition among students in University of Sharjah (UOS. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total sample size of 50 female students registering in undergraduate programs at the University of Sharjah using convenience sampling technique. A pretested interview schedule was administered to elicit information pertaining to personal background and medical history related to PCOS. A diagnostic ultrasound scan was performed for determining PCOS along with a body composition analysis using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA technology. Results: Twenty percent (10 out of 50 participants were diagnosed with PCOS, of whom only 4 individuals were previously diagnosed with PCOS and aware of their conditions, while the reports showed 16% with oligomenorrhea, 4% with polymenorrhea, and none with amenorrhea. A positive family history was indicated as reported by 22% of the total participants. Significant difference between the body weights of participants having PCOS (66.7 kg and those without it (58.8 kg were noted (p=0.043, t=2.084. On the other hand, the body composition related variables including waist-hip ratio (WHR, fat-free mass (FFM, percent body fat (PBF and visceral fat area (VFA were relatively higher in participants having PCOS than those without it. However, there was no statistical significance of differences. Comparatively, the participants with PCOS had lower bone mineral density (BMD than those without it, whereas the difference was statistically non-significant. Conclusion: The occurrence of PCOS in the present study is consistent with the global prevalence. Comparatively, the body composition of PCOS females is different from the normal females. Further studies are required in the Middle East region on larger sample sizes and broader aspects of health including lifestyle and dietary

Occurrence of turbulent flow conditions in supercritical fluid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

De Pauw, Ruben; Choikhet, Konstantin; Desmet, Gert; Broeckhoven, Ken

2014-09-26

Having similar densities as liquids but with viscosities up to 20 times lower (higher diffusion coefficients), supercritical CO2 is the ideal (co-)solvent for fast and/or highly efficient separations without mass-transfer limitations or excessive column pressure drops. Whereas in liquid chromatography the flow remains laminar in both the packed bed and tubing, except in extreme cases (e.g. in a 75 μm tubing, pure acetonitrile at 5 ml/min), a supercritical fluid can experience a transition from laminar to turbulent flow in more typical operation modes. Due to the significant lower viscosity, this transition for example already occurs at 1.3 ml/min for neat CO2 when using connection tubing with an ID of 127 μm. By calculating the Darcy friction factor, which can be plotted versus the Reynolds number in a so-called Moody chart, typically used in fluid dynamics, higher values are found for stainless steel than PEEK tubing, in agreement with their expected higher surface roughness. As a result turbulent effects are more pronounced when using stainless steel tubing. The higher than expected extra-column pressure drop limits the kinetic performance of supercritical fluid chromatography and complicates the optimization of tubing ID, which is based on a trade-off between extra-column band broadening and pressure drop. One of the most important practical consequences is the non-linear increase in extra-column pressure drop over the tubing downstream of the column which leads to an unexpected increase in average column pressure and mobile phase density, and thus decrease in retention. For close eluting components with a significantly different dependence of retention on density, the selectivity can significantly be affected by this increase in average pressure. In addition, the occurrence of turbulent flow is also observed in the detector cell and connection tubing. This results in a noise-increase by a factor of four when going from laminar to turbulent flow (e.g. going

Water quality, pesticide occurrence, and effects of irrigation with reclaimed water at golf courses in Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Swancar, Amy

1996-01-01

Reuse of treated wastewater for golf course irrigation is an increasingly popular water management option in Florida, where growth has put stress on potable water supplies. Surface water, ground water, and irrigation water were sampled at three pairs of golf courses quarterly for one year to determine if pesticides were present, and the effect of irrigation with treated effluent on ground-water quality, with an emphasis on interactions of effluent with pesticides. In addition to the six paired golf courses, which were in central Florida, ground water was sampled for pesticides and other constituents at three more golf courses in other parts of the State. This study was the first to analyze water samples from Florida golf courses for a broad range of pesticides. Statistical methods based on the percentage of data above detection limits were used to determine the effects of irrigation with reclaimed water on ground-water quality. Shallow ground water at golf courses irrigated with treated effluent has higher concentrations of chloride, lower concentrations of bicarbonate, and lower pH than ground water at golf courses irrigated with water from carbonate aquifers. There were no statistically significant differences in nutrient concentrations in ground water between paired golf courses grouped by irrigation water type at a 95 percent confidence level. The number of wells where pesticides occurred was significantly higher at the paired golf courses using ground water for irrigation than at ones using reclaimed water. However, the limited occurrences of individual pesticides in ground water make it difficult to correlate differences in irrigation- water quality with pesticide migration to the water table. At some of the golf courses, increased pesticide occurrences may be associated with higher irrigation rates, the presence of well-drained soils, and shallow depths to the surficial aquifer. Pesticides used by golf courses for turf grass maintenance were detected in

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April--June 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-09-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health and safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period April through June 1993, and discusses four abnormal occurrences at NRC-licensed facilities, three involving medical brachytherapy misadministrations and one involving a research reactor that operated without a safety system. One pool irradiation facility contamination event, two medical misadministrations (one ''sodium iodide'' and one brachytherapy), and one industrial radiographer overexposure event that were reported by NRC Agreement States are also discussed. The report also contains information updating one previously reported abnormal occurrence and information on three other events of interest

Performance Analysis of Occurrences January 1, 2011-December 31, 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ludwig, M

2012-03-16

This report documents the analysis of the occurrences during the period January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011. The report compares LLNL occurrences by reporting criteria and significance category to see if LLNL is reporting occurrences along similar percentages as other DOE sites. The three-year trends are analyzed. It does not include the analysis of the causes or the lessons learned from the occurrences, as they are analyzed separately. The number and types of occurrences that LLNL reports to DOE varies over time. This variation can be attributed to normally occurring changes in frequency; DOE's or LLNL's heightened interest in a particular subject area; changes in LLNL processes; or emerging problems. Since all of the DOE sites use the same reporting criteria, it is helpful to understand if LLNL is consistent with or diverging from reporting at other sites. This section compares the normalized number of occurrences reported by LLNL and other DOE sites. In order to compare LLNL occurrence reports to occurrence reports from other DOE sites, we normalized (or standardized) the data from the sites. DOE sites vary widely in their budgets, populations, and scope of work and these variations may affect reporting frequency. In addition, reports are required for a wide range of occurrence types, some of which may not be applicable to all DOE sites. For example, one occurrence reporting group is Group 3, Nuclear Safety Basis, and not all sites have nuclear operations. Because limited information is available for all sites, the sites were normalized based on best available information. Site effort hours were extracted from the DOE Computerized Accident Incident Reporting System (CAIRS) and used to normalize (or standardize) the number of occurrences by site. Effort hours are those hours that employees normally work and do not include vacation, holiday hours etc. Sites are responsible for calculating their effort hours and ensuring entry into CAIRS. Out of the

The prevalence of coeliac disease is significantly higher in children compared with adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Mariné, M; Farre, C; Alsina, M; Vilar, P; Cortijo, M; Salas, A; Fernández-Bañares, F; Rosinach, M; Santaolalla, R; Loras, C; Marquès, T; Cusí, V; Hernández, M I; Carrasco, A; Ribes, J; Viver, J M; Esteve, M

2011-02-01

Some limited studies of coeliac disease have shown higher frequency of coeliac disease in infancy and adolescence than in adulthood. This finding has remained unnoticed and not adequately demonstrated. To assess whether there are age and gender differences in coeliac disease prevalence. A total of 4230 subjects were included consecutively (1 to ≥80 years old) reproducing the reference population by age and gender. Sample size was calculated assuming a population-based coeliac disease prevalence of 1:250. After an interim analysis, the paediatric sample was expanded (2010 children) due to high prevalence in this group. Anti-transglutaminase and antiendomysial antibodies were determined and duodenal biopsy was performed if positive. Log-linear models were fitted to coeliac disease prevalence by age allowing calculation of percentage change of prevalence. Differences between groups were compared using Chi-squared test. Twenty-one subjects had coeliac disease (male/female 1:2.5). Coeliac disease prevalence in the total population was 1:204. Coeliac disease prevalence was higher in children (1:71) than in adults (1:357) (P = 0.00005). A significant decrease of prevalence in older generations was observed [change of prevalence by age of -5% (95% CI: -7.58 to -2.42%)]. In the paediatric expanded group (1-14 years), a decrease of coeliac disease prevalence was also observed [prevalence change: -17% (95% CI: -25.02 to -6.10)]. The prevalence of coeliac disease in childhood was five times higher than in adults. Whether this difference is due to environmental factors influencing infancy, or latency of coeliac disease in adulthood, remains to be demonstrated in prospective longitudinal studies. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

RadCon Occurrence Reporting Simplified

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denham, D. H.

1999-01-01

This narrative and accompanying diagrams provide a simplified summary of the RadCon Occurrence Reporting criteria to allow Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) staff to efficiently recognize occurrences and to effectively initiate the implementation of the requirements of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 232.1A, Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information, and of the ERC criteria defined in BHI-MA-02, ERC Project Procedures, Procedure 2.6, ''Occurrence Investigation and Reporting.'' These directives promote timely identification, categorization, notification, and reporting to DOE and ERC management of reportable occurrences at DOE-owned or -operated facilities that could (1) affect health and safety of the public, (2) seriously impact the intended purpose of DOE facilities, (3) adversely affect the credibility of DOE, or (4) have a noticeable adverse effect on the environment

Intensity earthquake scenario (scenario event - a damaging earthquake with higher probability of occurrence) for the city of Sofia

Science.gov (United States)

Aleksandrova, Irena; Simeonova, Stela; Solakov, Dimcho; Popova, Maria

2014-05-01

Among the many kinds of natural and man-made disasters, earthquakes dominate with regard to their social and economical impact on the urban environment. Global seismic risk to earthquakes are increasing steadily as urbanization and development occupy more areas that a prone to effects of strong earthquakes. Additionally, the uncontrolled growth of mega cities in highly seismic areas around the world is often associated with the construction of seismically unsafe buildings and infrastructures, and undertaken with an insufficient knowledge of the regional seismicity peculiarities and seismic hazard. The assessment of seismic hazard and generation of earthquake scenarios is the first link in the prevention chain and the first step in the evaluation of the seismic risk. The earthquake scenarios are intended as a basic input for developing detailed earthquake damage scenarios for the cities and can be used in earthquake-safe town and infrastructure planning. The city of Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. It is situated in the centre of the Sofia area that is the most populated (the population is of more than 1.2 mil. inhabitants), industrial and cultural region of Bulgaria that faces considerable earthquake risk. The available historical documents prove the occurrence of destructive earthquakes during the 15th-18th centuries in the Sofia zone. In 19th century the city of Sofia has experienced two strong earthquakes: the 1818 earthquake with epicentral intensity I0=8-9 MSK and the 1858 earthquake with I0=9-10 MSK. During the 20th century the strongest event occurred in the vicinity of the city of Sofia is the 1917 earthquake with MS=5.3 (I0=7-8 MSK). Almost a century later (95 years) an earthquake of moment magnitude 5.6 (I0=7-8 MSK) hit the city of Sofia, on May 22nd, 2012. In the present study as a deterministic scenario event is considered a damaging earthquake with higher probability of occurrence that could affect the city with intensity less than or equal to VIII

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE OCCURRENCE OF HYPERTROPHIC SCARS AMONG POSTOPERATIVE PATIENTS IN GARUT, INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andri Nugraha

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Hypertrophic scar causes physical and psychological problems. Thus understanding the factors related to the occurrence of hypertrophic scar tissue is needed. Little is known about its influencing factors in Indonesia, especially in Garut. Objective: This study aims to examine the relationships between hypertrophic scar and its influencing factors, and identify the most dominant factor of the occurrence of hypertrophic scars. Methods: This was an observational case control study using retrospective approach in Polyclinic of Surgery of Regional Public Hospital of dr. Slamet of Garut Regency. There were 40 samples recruited in this study by purposive sampling, which was divided to be case group (20 patients and control group (20 patients. Data were collected using Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale by observation and documentation of the medical records of patients. Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis Results: Findings indicated that there were significant relationships between the surgical wound infection (p = 0.02, family history (p = 0.026, and type of suture (p = 0.043 with the occurrence of hypertrophic scars. The most dominant factor on the occurrence of hypertrophic scars was type of suture, acid polyglactin 910. The variables that had no significant relationships with the occurrence of hypertrophic scar tissue were age (p = 0.34, area of surgical wound (p = 0.177, and smoking habit (p = 0.479. Conclusion: There were significant relationships between infection of surgical wound, genetic history, the type of suture, and the occurrence of hypertrophic scar tissue. The most dominant factor that influenced the occurrence of hypertrophic scar tissue was the type of suture. Therefore, it is suggested to health professionals to modify the using of acid polyglactin 910 sutures, and nurses particularly need to provide the information regarding the family history and genetic-related hypertrophic scar, and prevent the

DMSP: Occurrence in plants and response to salinity in Zea mays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ausma, T.; Kebert, M.; Stefels, J.; De Kok, L.J.; De Kok, L.J.; Hawkesford, M.J.; Haneklaus, S.H.; Schnug, E.

2017-01-01

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a secondary sulfur compound that is present in high levels in several marine algal species and some higher plant species. DMSP has also been detected in low levels in some other plant species, though its overall occurrence within the plant kingdom remains

Dressing effects on the occurrence scattering time retardation and advance in a dusty plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Myoung-Jae; Jung, Young-Dae; Hanyang Plasma Team

2017-10-01

The dressing effects on the occurrence scattering time for the dust-dust interaction are investigated in a complex plasma. The first-order eikonal analysis is applied to obtain the scattering amplitude and the occurrence scattering time for the dust-dust interaction. The result shows that dressing effect enhances the retardation phenomena of the occurrence scattering time in the forward scattering domain. It is shown that the oscillatory behavior of the scaled occurrence scattering time is getting more significant with an increase of the Debye length. It is also found that the retardation domain of the occurrence scattering time increases with a decrease of the Debye length. The variation of the occurrence scattering time retardation and advance due to the dressing effect is also discussed.

Significance and occurrence of gas hydrates in offshore areas; Bedeutung und Vorkommen von Gashydraten im Offshore-Bereich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wehner, H.; Faber, E. [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Hannover (Germany)

1997-12-31

The present contribution describes the boundary and stability conditions under which gas hydrates are able to exist. It also discusses the occurrence and genesis of gas hydrates and their role as an energy raw material of the future. Furthermore, it deals with the possibility of gas hydrates being the cause of submarine slumps and with their influence on the climate. (MSK) [Deutsch] Die Rand-und Stabilitaetsbedingungen unter denen die Gashydrate existent sein koennen werden beschrieben. Ebenso wird das Vorkommen von Gashydraten, ihre Genese und ihre Rolle als Energierohstoff der Zukunft diskutiert. Darueberhinaus werden die Gashydrate als moegliche Ursache fuer untermeerische Rutschungen und ihr Einfluss auf Klimaaenderungen erlaeutert.

Risk Assessment of Defect Occurrences in Engine Piston Castings by FMEA Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piątkowski J.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis method consists in analysis of failure modes and evaluation of their effects based on determination of cause-effect relationships for formation of possible product or process defects. Identified irregularities which occur during the production process of piston castings for internal combustion engines were ordered according to their failure rates, and using Pareto-Lorenz analysis, their per cent and cumulated shares were determined. The assessments of risk of defects occurrence and their causes were carried out in ten-point scale of integers, while taking three following criteria into account: significance of effects of the defect occurrence (LPZ, defect occurrence probability (LPW and detectability of the defect found (LPO. A product of these quantities constituted the risk score index connected with a failure occurrence (a so-called “priority number,” LPR. Based on the observations of the piston casting process and on the knowledge of production supervisors, a set of corrective actions was developed and the FMEA was carried out again. It was shown that the proposed improvements reduce the risk of occurrence of process failures significantly, translating into a decrease in defects and irregularities during the production of piston castings for internal combustion engines.

Increasing occurrence of multiple sclerosis in women correlates to hygiene level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Cendrowski

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The increasing incidence of multiple sclerosis, particularly among women in Europe and North America, has a multifactorial aetiology. Method: The aim of the current study was to ascertain the relation between the hygiene level and occurrence of multiple sclerosis in women in Poland. The study was based on a large cohort of 14,200 multiple sclerosis individuals (male – 6,106, female – 8,094 who died in the years 1981–2010 in Poland. The female to male ratio (the F:M ratio in the multiple sclerosis group was calculated using the number of deaths per year. The rate of late mortality in infants (LMI per 1,000 live births yearly was used as a marker of the hygiene level. A correlation analysis was carried out between the rate of LMI and the F:M ratio in the multiple sclerosis cohort in the years 1981–2010. Demographic data were obtained from the Central Statistical Office in Warsaw. Results: The F:M ratio in the multiple sclerosis group evidently increased (range 1.08–1.79 in the years 1981–2010, showing increasing occurrence of multiple sclerosis in women (p < 0.0001. A significant, strong and inverse correlation was found between the marker of the hygiene level (LMI rate and the F:M ratio in the multiple sclerosis group over three decades: linear correlation coefficient by Pearson: r = –0.693, p < 0.0001. By contrast with this result, no correlation was established between the hygiene level marker and proportion of women to men in the general population on account of extremely low variance of the F:M ratio (0.000025. Conclusion: The improvement of the hygiene level showed association with the increasing occurrence of multiple sclerosis in women in the years 1981–2010. The higher the hygiene level was, the greater the occurrence of female multiple sclerosis in Poland.

Explanatory analysis of the relationship between atmospheric circulation and occurrence of flood generating events in a coastal city

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Åström, Helena Lisa Alexandra; Sunyer Pinya, Maria Antonia; Madsen, H.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to enhance the understanding of the occurrence of flood generating events in urban areas by analyzing the relationship between large-scale atmospheric circulation and extreme precipitation events, extreme sea water level events and their simultaneous occurrence......, respectively. To describe the atmospheric circulation we used the Lamb circulation type (LCT) classification and re-grouped it into Lamb circulation classes (LCC). The daily LCCs/LCTs were connected with rare precipitation and water level events in Aarhus, a Danish coastal city. Westerly and cyclonic LCCs (W......, C, SW, and NW) showed a significantly high occurrence of extreme precipitation. Similarly, for extreme water level events westerly LCCs (W and SW) showed a significantly high occurrence. Significantly low occurrence of extreme precipitation and water level events was obtained in easterly LCCs (NE, E...

External Stakeholders of Higher Education Institutions in Poland: Their Identification and Significance

Science.gov (United States)

Piotrowska-Piatek, Agnieszka

2017-01-01

In the context of the ongoing changes in the management systems of higher education, the issue of higher education institutions' (HEIs) relationships with external stakeholders are of key importance. This article discusses this problem from the perspective of Polish higher education system. The aim of it is to answer the following questions: (1)…

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...

The Evolution of Topics and Leading Trends over the Past 15 Years of Research on the Quality of Higher Education in China: Based on Keyword Co-Occurrence Knowledge Map Analysis of the Research Papers Published from 2000 to 2014 in the CSSCI Database

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Xia; Yang, Xiaotong

2016-01-01

Using CiteSpace to draw a keyword co-occurrence knowledge map for 1,048 research papers on the quality of higher education from 2000 to 2014 in the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index database, we found that over the past 15 years, research on the quality of Chinese higher education was clearly oriented toward policies, and a good interactive…

Variations in the occurrence of SuperDARN F region echoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ghezelbash

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The occurrence of F region ionospheric echoes observed by a number of SuperDARN HF radars is analyzed statistically in order to infer solar cycle, seasonal, and diurnal trends. The major focus is on Saskatoon radar data for 1994–2012. The distribution of the echo occurrence rate is presented in terms of month of observation and magnetic local time. Clear repetitive patterns are identified during periods of solar maximum and solar minimum. For years near solar maximum, echoes are most frequent near midnight during winter. For years near solar minimum, echoes occur more frequently near noon during winter, near dusk and dawn during equinoxes and near midnight during summer. Similar features are identified for the Hankasalmi and Prince George radars in the northern hemisphere and the Bruny Island TIGER radar in the southern hemisphere. Echo occurrence for the entire SuperDARN network demonstrates patterns similar to patterns in the echo occurrence for the Saskatoon radar and for other radars considered individually. In terms of the solar cycle, the occurrence rate of nightside echoes is shown to increase by a factor of at least 3 toward solar maximum while occurrence of the near-noon echoes does not significantly change with the exception of a clear depression during the declining phase of the solar cycle.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Habitat Suitability for Rift Valley Fever Occurrence in Tanzania: An Ecological Niche Modelling Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sindato, Calvin; Stevens, Kim B.; Karimuribo, Esron D.; Mboera, Leonard E. G.; Paweska, Janusz T.; Pfeiffer, Dirk U.

2016-01-01

Background Despite the long history of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Tanzania, extent of its suitable habitat in the country remains unclear. In this study we investigated potential effects of temperature, precipitation, elevation, soil type, livestock density, rainfall pattern, proximity to wild animals, protected areas and forest on the habitat suitability for RVF occurrence in Tanzania. Materials and Methods Presence-only records of 193 RVF outbreak locations from 1930 to 2007 together with potential predictor variables were used to model and map the suitable habitats for RVF occurrence using ecological niche modelling. Ground-truthing of the model outputs was conducted by comparing the levels of RVF virus specific antibodies in cattle, sheep and goats sampled from locations in Tanzania that presented different predicted habitat suitability values. Principal Findings Habitat suitability values for RVF occurrence were higher in the northern and central-eastern regions of Tanzania than the rest of the regions in the country. Soil type and precipitation of the wettest quarter contributed equally to habitat suitability (32.4% each), followed by livestock density (25.9%) and rainfall pattern (9.3%). Ground-truthing of model outputs revealed that the odds of an animal being seropositive for RVFV when sampled from areas predicted to be most suitable for RVF occurrence were twice the odds of an animal sampled from areas least suitable for RVF occurrence (95% CI: 1.43, 2.76, p < 0.001). Conclusion/Significance The regions in the northern and central-eastern Tanzania were more suitable for RVF occurrence than the rest of the regions in the country. The modelled suitable habitat is characterised by impermeable soils, moderate precipitation in the wettest quarter, high livestock density and a bimodal rainfall pattern. The findings of this study should provide guidance for the design of appropriate RVF surveillance, prevention and control strategies which target areas with

Characteristics of cloud occurrence using ceilometer measurements and its relationship to precipitation over Seoul

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sanghee; Hwang, Seung-On; Kim, Jhoon; Ahn, Myoung-Hwan

2018-03-01

Clouds are an important component of the atmosphere that affects both climate and weather, however, their contributions can be very difficult to determine. Ceilometer measurements can provide high resolution information on atmospheric conditions such as cloud base height (CBH) and vertical frequency of cloud occurrence (CVF). This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of CBH and CVF derived using Vaisala CL51 ceilometers at two urban stations in Seoul, Korea, during a three-year period from January 2014 to December 2016. The average frequency of cloud occurrence detected by the ceilometers is 54.3%. It is found that the CL51 is better able to capture CBH as compared to another ceilometer CL31 at a nearby meteorological station because it could detect high clouds more accurately. Frequency distributions for CBH up to 13,000 m providing detailed vertical features with 500-m interval show 55% of CBHs below 2 km for aggregated CBHs. A bimodal frequency distribution was observed for three-layers CBHs. A monthly variation of CVF reveals that frequency concentration of lower clouds is found in summer and winter, and higher clouds more often detected in spring and autumn. Monthly distribution features of cloud occurrence and precipitation are depending on seasons and it might be easy to define their relationship due to higher degree of variability of precipitation than cloud occurrence. However, a fluctuation of cloud occurrence frequency in summer is similar to precipitation in trend, whereas clouds in winter are relatively frequent but precipitation is not accompanied. In addition, recent decrease of summer precipitation could be mostly explained by a decrease of cloud occurrence. Anomalous precipitation recorded sometimes is considerably related to corresponding cloud occurrence. The diurnal and daily variations of CBH and CVF from ceilometer observations and the analysis of microwave radiometer measurements for two typical cloudiness cases are also reviewed

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October--December 1976

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report, the seventh in the series, covers the period from October 1 to December 31, 1976. The NRC has determined that during this period: (1) There were two abnormal occurrences at the 63 nuclear power plants licensed to operate. One event involved improper control rod withdrawals resulting in an unplanned reactor criticality. The second is a generic event pertaining to feedwater nozzle cracking in Boiling Water Reactors. The incidents had no actual impact on public health or safety. (2) There were five abnormal occurrences at other licensee facilities. The occurrences involved overexposures to radiography personnel; one event also involved high radiation levels in unrestricted areas. This report also contains information updating previously reported abnormal occurrences. This report does not contain information on activities in those states which have entered into agreements with the NRC for the assumption of certain regulatory authority pursuant to Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act, as amended. Future reports will include Agreement State licensee activities as soon as procedures can be implemented

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October-December 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-07-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from October 1 to December 31, 1986. The report states that for this reporting period, there were three abnormal occurrences at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate. The events were (1) loss of low pressure service water systems at Oconee, (2) degraded safety systems due to incorrect torque switch settings on Rotors motor operators at Catawba and McGuire Nuclear Stations, and (3) a secondary system pipe break resulting in the death of four persons at Surry Unit 2. There were six abnormal occurrences at the other NRC licensees. One involved release of americium-241 inside a waste storage building at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; three involved medical misadministrations, one therapeutic and two diagnostic; one involved a suspension of license for servicing teletherapy and radiography units; and one involved an immediately effective order modifying license and order to show cause issued to an industrial radiography company. There were no abnormal occurrences reported by the Agreement States. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Deciphering microbial interactions and detecting keystone species with co-occurrence networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David eBerry

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Co-occurrence networks produced from microbial survey sequencing data are frequently used to identify interactions between community members. While this approach has potential to reveal ecological processes, it has been insufficiently validated due to the technical limitations inherent in studying complex microbial ecosystems. Here, we simulate multi-species microbial communities with known interaction patterns using generalized Lotka-Volterra dynamics, construct co-occurrence networks, and evaluate how well networks reveal the underlying interactions, and how experimental and ecological parameters can affect network inference and interpretation. We find that co-occurrence networks can recapitulate interaction networks under certain conditions, but that they lose interpretability when the effects of habitat filtering become significant. We demonstrate that networks suffer from local hot spots of spurious correlation in the neighborhood of hub species that engage in many interactions. We also identify topological features associated with keystone species in co-occurrence networks. This study provides a substantiated framework to guide environmental microbiologists in the construction and interpretation of co-occurrence networks from microbial survey datasets.

Deciphering microbial interactions and detecting keystone species with co-occurrence networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, David; Widder, Stefanie

2014-01-01

Co-occurrence networks produced from microbial survey sequencing data are frequently used to identify interactions between community members. While this approach has potential to reveal ecological processes, it has been insufficiently validated due to the technical limitations inherent in studying complex microbial ecosystems. Here, we simulate multi-species microbial communities with known interaction patterns using generalized Lotka-Volterra dynamics. We then construct co-occurrence networks and evaluate how well networks reveal the underlying interactions and how experimental and ecological parameters can affect network inference and interpretation. We find that co-occurrence networks can recapitulate interaction networks under certain conditions, but that they lose interpretability when the effects of habitat filtering become significant. We demonstrate that networks suffer from local hot spots of spurious correlation in the neighborhood of hub species that engage in many interactions. We also identify topological features associated with keystone species in co-occurrence networks. This study provides a substantiated framework to guide environmental microbiologists in the construction and interpretation of co-occurrence networks from microbial survey datasets.

The character and causes of flash flood occurrence changes in mountainous small basins of Southern California under projected climatic change

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Theresa M. Modrick

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Study region: Small watersheds (O[25 km2] in the mountain regions of southern California comprise the study region. Study focus: This paper examines changes in flash flood occurrence in southern California resulting from projected climatic change. The methodology synthesizes elements of meteorological modeling, hydrology and geomorphology into an integrated modeling approach to define flash flood occurrence in a systematic and consistent way on a regional basis with high spatial and temporal resolution appropriate for flash flooding. A single climate model with three-dimensional atmospheric detail was used as input to drive simulations for historical and future periods. New hydrological insights for the region: Results indicate an increase in flash flood occurrence for the study region. For two distributed hydrologic models employed, the increase in flash flood occurrence frequency is on average between 30% and 40%. Regional flash flood occurrence is characterized by near saturation of the upper soil layer, and wider ranges in lower soil layer saturation and in precipitation. Overall, a decrease in the total number of precipitation events was found, although with increased precipitation intensity, increased event duration, and higher soil saturation conditions for the 21st century. This combination could signify more hazardous conditions, with fewer precipitation events but higher rainfall intensity and over soils with higher initial soil moisture saturation, leading to more frequent occurrence of flash floods. Keywords: Flash flooding, Climate change, Soil moisture, Precipitation, Distributed hydrologic modeling

Significant Tsunami Events

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Dunbar, P. K.; Furtney, M.; McLean, S. J.; Sweeney, A. D.

2014-12-01

Tsunamis have inflicted death and destruction on the coastlines of the world throughout history. The occurrence of tsunamis and the resulting effects have been collected and studied as far back as the second millennium B.C. The knowledge gained from cataloging and examining these events has led to significant changes in our understanding of tsunamis, tsunami sources, and methods to mitigate the effects of tsunamis. The most significant, not surprisingly, are often the most devastating, such as the 2011 Tohoku, Japan earthquake and tsunami. The goal of this poster is to give a brief overview of the occurrence of tsunamis and then focus specifically on several significant tsunamis. There are various criteria to determine the most significant tsunamis: the number of deaths, amount of damage, maximum runup height, had a major impact on tsunami science or policy, etc. As a result, descriptions will include some of the most costly (2011 Tohoku, Japan), the most deadly (2004 Sumatra, 1883 Krakatau), and the highest runup ever observed (1958 Lituya Bay, Alaska). The discovery of the Cascadia subduction zone as the source of the 1700 Japanese "Orphan" tsunami and a future tsunami threat to the U.S. northwest coast, contributed to the decision to form the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. The great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 marked the beginning of the modern era of seismology. Knowledge gained from the 1964 Alaska earthquake and tsunami helped confirm the theory of plate tectonics. The 1946 Alaska, 1952 Kuril Islands, 1960 Chile, 1964 Alaska, and the 2004 Banda Aceh, tsunamis all resulted in warning centers or systems being established.The data descriptions on this poster were extracted from NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) global historical tsunami database. Additional information about these tsunamis, as well as water level data can be found by accessing the NGDC website www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazard/

The occurrence of emerging trace organic chemicals in wastewater effluents in Saudi Arabia

KAUST Repository

Alidina, Mazahirali

2014-04-01

Emerging trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) released into the environment via discharge of wastewater effluents have been detected in rivers and lakes worldwide, raising concerns due to their potential persistence, toxicity and bioaccumulation. This study provides the first reconnaissance of TOrC occurrence in wastewater effluents within Saudi Arabia. Four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs 1-4) located in Western Saudi Arabia were sampled hourly over twelve-hour periods, for a total of six sampling events. All samples were analyzed for a wide range of TOrC encompassing pharmaceuticals, personal care products and household chemicals. Treatment and capacities of the plants varied from non-nitrifying to full biological nutrient removal providing a representative cross section of different types of plants operational within the country. A comparison of TOrC occurrence in effluents in Saudi Arabia with respective effluent qualities in the United States revealed similar levels for most TOrC. Overall, the occurrence of TOrC was higher at two of the plants. The higher TOrC concentrations at WWTP 1 are likely due to the non-nitrifying biological treatment process. The unique TOrC occurrence observed in the WWTP 3 effluent was unlike any other plant and was attributed to the influence of a large number of international visitors in its sewershed. The occurrence of TOrC in this plant was not expected to be representative of the occurrence elsewhere in the country. Bimodal diurnal variation expected for a range of TOrC was not observed, though some hourly variation in TOrC loading was noted for WWTP 3. Since water reclamation and reuse have received increasing interest in Saudi Arabia within the last few years, results from this study provide a good foundation in deciding whether advanced treatment is necessary to attenuate TOrC deemed to be of concern in effluents, or if natural treatment such as managed aquifer recharge provides sufficient protection to public health. © 2014

Active Longitude and Solar Flare Occurrences

Science.gov (United States)

Gyenge, N.; Ludmány, A.; Baranyi, T.

2016-02-01

The aim of the present work is to specify the spatio-temporal characteristics of flare activity observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) in connection with the behavior of the longitudinal domain of enhanced sunspot activity known as active longitude (AL). By using our method developed for this purpose, we identified the AL in every Carrington Rotation provided by the Debrecen Photoheliographic Data. The spatial probability of flare occurrence has been estimated depending on the longitudinal distance from AL in the northern and southern hemispheres separately. We have found that more than 60% of the RHESSI and GOES flares is located within +/- 36^\\circ from the AL. Hence, the most flare-productive active regions tend to be located in or close to the active longitudinal belt. This observed feature may allow for the prediction of the geo-effective position of the domain of enhanced flaring probability. Furthermore, we studied the temporal properties of flare occurrence near the AL and several significant fluctuations were found. More precisely, the results of the method are the following fluctuations: 0.8, 1.3, and 1.8 years. These temporal and spatial properties of the solar flare occurrence within the active longitudinal belts could provide us with an enhanced solar flare forecasting opportunity.

Environmental occurrence of arsenic in Colombia: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Alonso, David L; Latorre, Sergio; Castillo, Elianna; Brandão, Pedro F B

2014-03-01

The international literature on the presence of arsenic (As) in Latin America does not disclose the true magnitude of the presence of As in Colombia. In this paper, we summarize the literature on As occurrence in Colombia. The data reveal that As is present in matrices such as soil, sediments and water and in the food chain. Some of the As concentrations exceed the limits specified by national and international regulations. Arsenic higher concentrations are associated with mining regions (e.g., soils, up to 148 mg/kg; sediments, up to 1400 mg/kg) and agricultural areas (e.g., vegetables, up to 5.40 mg/kg; irrigation water, up to 255 μg/L), and underscore the potential human and environmental risks associated with the presence of As in the country. This review highlights the importance of focusing research on understanding the occurrence, origin and distribution of As in Colombia to better understand its environmental and public health impact. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scandium: its occurrence, chemistry, physics, metallurgy, biology, and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horovitz, C.T.

1975-01-01

This book describes the following aspects of scandium: discovery and history, occurrence in nature, geochemistry and mineralogy, chemical, physical and technological properties, fabrication and metallurgy, its biological significance and toxicology, and its uses. (Extensive references for each chapter)

Independent roles of country of birth and socioeconomic status in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamshirgaran, Seyed Morteza; Jorm, Louisa; Bambrick, Hilary; Hennessy, Annemarie

2013-12-23

There is strong evidence based on previous studies that ethnicity and socioeconomic status are important determinants of diversity in the occurrence of diabetes. However, the independent roles of socioeconomic status, country of birth and lifestyle factors in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes have not been clearly identified. This study investigated the relationships between socioeconomic status, country of birth and type 2 diabetes in a large diverse sample of residents of New South Wales, Australia, and aged 45 years and over. The analysis used self-reported baseline questionnaire data from 266,848 participants in the 45 and Up Study. Educational attainment, work status and income were used as indicators of socioeconomic status. Logistic regression models were built to investigate associations between socioeconomic status, country of birth and type 2 diabetes. The adjusted odds of type 2 diabetes were significantly higher for people born in many overseas countries, compared to Australian-born participants. Compared with participants who had a university degree or higher qualification, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for diabetes was higher in all other educational categories. Diabetes was more prevalent in people who were retired, unemployed or engaged in other types of work, compared with people who were in paid work. The prevalence of diabetes was higher in people with lower incomes. Compared with people who earned more than $50,000, the adjusted OR for diabetes was 2.05 (95% CI 1.95-2.14) for people who had an income less than $20,000 per annum. The relationships between socioeconomic factors and country of birth and diabetes were attenuated slightly when all were included in the model. Addition of smoking, obesity and physical activity to the model had marked impacts on adjusted ORs for some countries of birth, but relationships between diabetes and all measures of socioeconomic status and country of birth remained strong and significant. Country of birth and

THE subfossil occurrence and paleoecological significance of small mammals at ankilitelo cave, southwestern Madagascar

Science.gov (United States)

Muldoon, K.M.; De Blieux, D. D.; Simons, E.L.; Chatrath, P.S.

2009-01-01

Small mammals are rarely reported from subfossil sites in Madagascar despite their importance for paleoenvironmental reconstruction, especially as it relates to recent ecological changes on the island. We describe the uniquely rich subfossil small mammal fauna from Ankilitelo Cave, southwestern Madagascar. The Ankilitelo fauna is dated to the late Holocene (???500 years ago), documenting the youngest appearances of the extinct giant lemur taxa Palaeopropithecus, Megaladapis, and Archaeolemur, in association with abundant remains of small vertebrates, including bats, tenrecs, carnivorans, rodents, and primates. The Ankilitelo fauna is composed of 34 mammalian species, making it one of the most diverse Holocene assemblages in Madagascar. The fauna comprises the 1 st report of the short-tailed shrew tenrec (Microgale brevicaudata) and the ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans) in southwestern Madagascar. Further, Ankilitelo documents the presence of southwestern species that are rare or that have greatly restricted ranges today, such as Nasolo's shrew tenrec (M. nasoloi), Grandidier's mongoose (Galidictis grandidieri), the narrow-striped mongoose (Mungotictis decemlineata), and the giant jumping rat (Hypogeomys antimena). A simple cause for the unusual small mammal occurrences at Ankilitelo is not obvious. Synergistic interactions between climate change, recent fragmentation and human-initiated degradation of forested habitats, and community-level processes, such as predation, most likely explain the disjunct distributions of the small mammals documented at Ankilitelo. ?? 2009 American Society of Mammalogists.

Summer at the beach: spatio-temporal patterns of white shark occurrence along the inshore areas of False Bay, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Kock, Alison A; Photopoulou, Theoni; Durbach, Ian; Mauff, Katya; Meÿer, Michael; Kotze, Deon; Griffiths, Charles L; O'Riain, M Justin

2018-01-01

Understanding white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias ) habitat use in coastal areas adjacent to large cities, is an important step when formulating potential solutions to the conservation conflict that exists between humans and large predatory sharks. In this study, we present the findings of a 2.5-year study of white shark occurrence and movement patterns adjacent to the City of Cape Town in False Bay, South Africa, with a focus on spring and summer months. Fifty-one white sharks were monitored annually at three offshore and twelve inshore sites by VR2 acoustic receivers, over 975 days from 1 May 2005 to 31 December 2007. Occurrence patterns at inshore sites during spring and summer were analysed using a generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) with a spatial term (longitude, latitude), time of day and year included as explanatory variables for site use. We found that sharks occurred more frequently at inshore sites along the northern and northwestern shores, compared to the rest of the bay, and they transitioned most frequently between four adjacent beach sites that encompass the most popular recreational water use areas in Cape Town. There was significant diel variation, with higher shark occurrence around midday, and a peak in shark occurrence in 2005, when human-shark interactions also peaked. However, we found no effect of shark size on occurrence patterns at inshore sites. White sharks showed the highest levels of occurrence at specific inshore sites between Muizenberg and Strandfontein beach, and thus inclusion of these sites within False Bay's marine protected area (MPA) network or recognition as Ecological or Biological Significant Areas (EBSAs) should be a future consideration. These insights into white shark habitat use at inshore sites in False Bay are important for successfully applying the principles of marine spatial planning (MSP) and for making science-based policy decisions. Furthermore, this information can be used to reduce potential shark

Does the prophylactic and therapeutic use of beta-blockers in preoperative patients with tetralogy of Fallot significantly prevent and treat the occurrence of cyanotic spells?

Science.gov (United States)

Fanous, Eliana; Mogyorósy, Gábor

2017-10-01

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'Does the use of beta-blockers significantly prevent and treat the occurrence of cyanotic spells in preoperative infants with tetralogy of Fallot?' Altogether, 80 papers were found using the reported search, of which 6 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, journal, date, country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. The participants in the papers reviewed were uncorrected (native or palliated) tetralogy of Fallot patients, all younger than 18 years of age, with some patients younger than 1 year. Each study reviewed included at least 10 patients, and all the studies were case series. Although even the most recent studies found were from 30 years ago, their data remain relevant. Several reviews reported either cases of overdosage or changes in efficacy of treatment after long-term usage. Four of the 6 case reviews demonstrated a decrease in the number of recurring cyanotic spells in at least 66% of the participants, following the introduction of beta-blockers. We can therefore conclude that the use of beta-blockers prevents the occurrence of cyanotic spells in preoperative patients with tetralogy of Fallot. There were insufficient data to establish optimum dosages or duration of treatment. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Nurses' systems thinking competency, medical error reporting, and the occurrence of adverse events: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Jee-In; Park, Hyeoun-Ae

2017-12-01

Healthcare professionals' systems thinking is emphasized for patient safety. To report nurses' systems thinking competency, and its relationship with medical error reporting and the occurrence of adverse events. A cross-sectional survey using a previously validated Systems Thinking Scale (STS), was conducted. Nurses from two teaching hospitals were invited to participate in the survey. There were 407 (60.3%) completed surveys. The mean STS score was 54.5 (SD 7.3) out of 80. Nurses with higher STS scores were more likely to report medical errors (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.08) and were less likely to be involved in the occurrence of adverse events (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.93-0.98). Nurses showed moderate systems thinking competency. Systems thinking was a significant factor associated with patient safety. Impact Statement: The findings of this study highlight the importance of enhancing nurses' systems thinking capacity to promote patient safety.

The effect of atmospheric temperature and pressure on the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction in Kaunas.

Science.gov (United States)

Radišauskas, Ričardas; Vaičiulis, Vidmantas; Ustinavičienė, Rūta; Bernotienė, Gailutė

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of meteorological variables (atmospheric temperature and pressure) on the daily occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). MATERIAL AND METHODS. The study used the daily values of atmospheric temperature and pressure in 2000-2007. The meteorological data were obtained from the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service for Kaunas. The relative risks of event occurrence were computed for 5°C atmospheric temperature and for 10-hPa atmospheric pressure variations by means of the Poisson regression model. RESULTS. The occurrence of AMI and atmospheric temperature showed an inverse linear relationship, while the occurrence of AMI and atmospheric pressure, a positive linear relationship. Among the youngest subjects (25-44 years old), no relationships were detected. Contrary, among the subjects aged 45-64 years and those aged 65 years and older, the occurrence of AMI significantly decreased with higher temperature (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). A decrease in atmospheric temperature by 10ºC reduced the risk of AMI by 8.7% in the age groups of 45-64 and 65 years and older and by 19% in the age group of 25 years and older. Among the first AMI cases, the risk increased by 7.5% in the age group of 45-64-year olds and by 6.4% in the age group of 25-64-year olds. The relationship between atmospheric temperature and pressure, and AMI occurrence was found to be linear but inverse. An increase in atmospheric pressure by 10 hPa resulted in an increase in risk by 4% among the subjects aged 65 years and more and by 3% among the subjects aged 25 years and more. CONCLUSIONS. Atmospheric temperature and pressure variations had the greatest effect on middle-aged and aging subjects (starting from 45 years). At younger age, the effect of such factors on the AMI risk was considerably lower.

Occurrence and seasonality of Somotricus unifasciatus (Dejean, 1831 associated with raising Gallus gallus domesticus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Moscarelli Pinto

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The present study reports the occurrence and population fluctuation of Somotricus unifasciatus (Coleoptera: Carabidae, an exotic predatory species. The insects were collected once per week for 12 months, using traps, at the aviary of the Conjunto Agrotécnico Visconde da Graça (CAVG, in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. During the study, 1158 specimens of S. unifasciatus were captured. The highest occurrence period was in February (472, when the monthly average temperature was 24.7ºC, while the lowest occurrence periods were in July (01, April (0 and June (0. The population density of the coleopteron varied throughout the year, with the largest capture averages obtained during months with higher average temperatures (December, January, February and March.

Factors associated with the occurrence of Triatoma sordida (Hemiptera: Reduviidae in rural localities of Central-West Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Chedid Nogared Rossi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This study estimates the factors of artificial environments (houses and peridomestic areas associated with Triatoma sordida occurrence. Manual searches for triatomines were performed in 136 domiciliary units (DUs in two rural localities of Central-West Brazil. For each DU, 32 structural, 23 biotic and 28 management variables were obtained. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed in order to identify statistically significant variables associated with occurrence of T. sordida in the study areas. A total of 1,057 specimens (99% in peridomiciles, mainly chicken coops of T. sordida were collected from 63 DUs (infestation: 47%; density: ~8 specimens/DU; crowding: ~17 specimens/infested DU; colonisation: 81%. Only six (0.6% out of 945 specimens examined were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The final adjusted logistic regression model indicated that the probability of T. sordida occurrence was higher in DU with wooden chicken coops, presence of > 30 animals in wooden corrals, presence of wood piles and presence of food storeroom. The results show the persistence of T. sordida in peridomestic habitats in rural localities of Central-West Brazil. However, the observed low intradomestic colonisation and minimal triatomine infection rates indicate that T. sordida has low potential to sustain high rates of T. cruzi transmission to residents of these localities.

The Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study: baseline Axis I/II and II/II diagnostic co-occurrence.

Science.gov (United States)

McGlashan, T H; Grilo, C M; Skodol, A E; Gunderson, J G; Shea, M T; Morey, L C; Zanarini, M C; Stout, R L

2000-10-01

To describe baseline diagnostic co-occurrence in the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study. Six hundred and sixty-eight patients were reliably assessed with diagnostic interviews for DSM-IV Axis I and II disorders to create five groups: Schizotypal (STPD), Borderline (BPD), Avoidant (AVPD), Obsessive-Compulsive (OCPD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) without personality disorder (PD). Mean number of Axis I lifetime diagnoses was 3.4; STPD and BPD groups had more diagnoses than AVPD, OCPD, and MDD groups. Significant Axis I co-occurrences emerged for Social Phobia/ AVPD, PTSD/BPD and Substance Use/BPD. Mean number of co-occurring PDs was 1.4; STPD had more than BPD group which had more than AVPD and OCPD groups. Significant PD co-occurrence emerged for: STPD/ Paranoid and Schizoid PDs, BPD with Antisocial and Dependent PDs, and lower frequency for OCPD/Antisocial PD. Diagnostic co-occurrences generally followed base rates, while significant departures resemble those of controlled literature.

Climatology of the Occurrence Rate and Amplitudes of Local Time Distinguished Equatorial Plasma Depletions Observed by Swarm Satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Xin; Xiong, Chao; Rodriguez-Zuluaga, Juan; Kervalishvili, Guram N.; Stolle, Claudia; Wang, Hui

2018-04-01

In this study, we developed an autodetection technique for the equatorial plasma depletions (EPDs) and their occurrence and depletion amplitudes based on in situ electron density measurements gathered by Swarm A satellite. For the first time, comparisons are made among the detected EPDs and their amplitudes with the loss of Global Positioning System (GPS) signal of receivers onboard Swarm A, and the Swarm Level-2 product, Ionospheric Bubble Index (IBI). It has been found that the highest rate of EPD occurrence takes place generally between 2200 and 0000 magnetic local time (MLT), in agreement with the IBI. However, the largest amplitudes of EPD are detected earlier at about 1900-2100 MLT. This coincides with the moment of higher background electron density and the largest occurrence of GPS signal loss. From a longitudinal perspective, the higher depletion amplitude is always witnessed in spatial bins with higher background electron density. At most longitudes, the occurrence rate of postmidnight EPDs is reduced compared to premidnight ones; while more postmidnight EPDs are observed at African longitudes. CHAMP observations confirm this point regardless of high or low solar activity condition. Further by comparing with previous studies and the plasma vertical drift velocity from ROCSAT-1, we suggest that while the F region vertical plasma drift plays a key role in dominating the occurrence of EPDs during premidnight hours, the postmidnight EPDs are the combined results from the continuing of former EPDs and newborn EPDs, especially during June solstice. And these newborn EPDs during postmidnight hours seem to be less related to the plasma vertical drift.

Occurrence of priority organic pollutants in the fertilizers, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Ce-Hui; Cai, Quan-Ying; Li, Yun-Hui; Zeng, Qiao-Yun

2008-04-15

The use of large quantities of chemical fertilizers is usually associated with environmental problems. A lot of work has been done on the concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in chemical fertilizers, but little work has focused on the occurrence of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). In this study the occurrence of 43 SVOCs listed as priority pollutants in 22 widely used-fertilizers of China was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Twenty-six SVOCs were detected with different detection frequencies and concentrations. The most abundant compounds were phthalic acid esters (PAEs; ranging from 1.17 to 2795 microg kg(-1) dry weight, d.w.) and nitroaromatics (up to 9765 microg kg(-1) d.w.), followed by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; fertilizers, and the total concentrations of each class of contaminants varied widely, too. The highest levels of sum concentration for 16 PAHs, for 6 PAEs and for nitroaromatics were found in organic fertilizer containing pesticide and soil amendments. Concentrations of SVOCs in coated fertilizers (the controlled release fertilizer with coating) were considerably higher than those in the corresponding fertilizers without coating. The occurrence frequencies of SVOCs in the straight fertilizers (containing only one of the major plant nutrients) were lower than in the other fertilizers.

Traditional and cyberbullying co-occurrence and its relationship to psychiatric symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tural Hesapcioglu, Selma; Ercan, Filiz

2017-01-01

The effect of cyberbullying accompanied by traditional bullying on mental health has been less studied. In this study, the frequency, co-occurrence, and the relationship to psychiatric symptoms of traditional bullying and cyberbullying among bullies and victims are examined. All of the high schools in the province of Mus, Turkey were stratified according to Placement Test for High Schools admission points for 2014-2015. By choosing schools using simple random sampling, 1276 students were reached. Students were given the Brief Symptom Inventory and three separate scale assessments: peer bullying rating, cybervictimization, and cyberbullying scales. High scores in all subscale scores of bullying and victimization were significantly related to higher depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, somatization, and hostility scores. For people who were exposed to cyberbullying in addition to traditional bullying, the severity of the psychiatric symptoms was significantly higher. For all psychiatric symptoms, major predictors were gender, total victimization score, and total cybervictimization score. Moreover, the bullying total score was among the predictors of low self-esteem and hostility. Cybervictimization and cyberbullying occur less often than traditional bullying and victimization, but people who were exposed to or performed cyberbullying were also exposed to or performed traditional bullying. The addition of cyberbullying to traditional bullying is associated with more intense psychiatric symptoms. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

SEASONALITY OF THE LEAF MINER, LEVEL OF PREDATION AND TEMPORAL OCCURRENCE OF RUST CORRELATED TO ABIOTIC FACTORS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. M. R. Melo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The coffee leaf miner and a rust are considered as major diseases that are able to reduce productivity in coffee plantations. These agents are influenced by abiotic factors, and their occurrence may suffer oscillation over the years. The objective of this study was to evaluate the seasonal fluctuation of the coffee leaf miner, incidence of coffee prediction and rust, correlated with abiotic factors. The study was performed IFSULDEMINAS-Campus Inconfidentes, in a coffee crop of the cultivar Rubi. A sample for a rust and a coffee leaf miner, in addition to the middle and upper third of the plants, totaling 42 plants in the study area. At the same sampling point, perform soil analysis to correlate nutrients as studied variables. The Pearson correlation of the biotic variables was performed with a precipitation and fertility, a rate of 1 and 5% probability. It was verified that the rust cycle alternated its incidence for the same period in different years and the miner showed behavior coincident to the driest periods of the year. Data not available on precipitation data and number of mines. These diseases had no significant correlation with the fertility parameter. The coffee leaf miner yielded higher rates of occurrence in June and December of 2014. It was concluded that the percentage of coffee leaf miner was higher in the months with lower rainfall indices or no longer summer period; What is it you want to know about the one-time development that may have been influenced by the nearby woods under study and the rust alternated the peaks of occurrence for the two autumners, correlating with a precipitation.

Extraction of temporal networks from term co-occurrences in online textual sources.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Popović

Full Text Available A stream of unstructured news can be a valuable source of hidden relations between different entities, such as financial institutions, countries, or persons. We present an approach to continuously collect online news, recognize relevant entities in them, and extract time-varying networks. The nodes of the network are the entities, and the links are their co-occurrences. We present a method to estimate the significance of co-occurrences, and a benchmark model against which their robustness is evaluated. The approach is applied to a large set of financial news, collected over a period of two years. The entities we consider are 50 countries which issue sovereign bonds, and which are insured by Credit Default Swaps (CDS in turn. We compare the country co-occurrence networks to the CDS networks constructed from the correlations between the CDS. The results show relatively small, but significant overlap between the networks extracted from the news and those from the CDS correlations.

Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin occurrence north of Lantau Island, Hong Kong, based on year-round passive acoustic monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Munger, Lisa; Lammers, Marc O; Cifuentes, Mattie; Würsig, Bernd; Jefferson, Thomas A; Hung, Samuel K

2016-10-01

Long-term passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was conducted to study Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Sousa chinensis, as part of environmental impact assessments for several major coastal development projects in Hong Kong waters north of Lantau Island. Ecological acoustic recorders obtained 2711 days of recording at 13 sites from December 2012 to December 2014. Humpback dolphin sounds were manually detected on more than half of days with recordings at 12 sites, 8 of which were within proposed reclamation areas. Dolphin detection rates were greatest at Lung Kwu Chau, with other high-occurrence locations northeast of the Hong Kong International Airport and within the Lung Kwu Tan and Siu Ho Wan regions. Dolphin detection rates were greatest in summer and autumn (June-November) and were significantly reduced in spring (March-May) compared to other times of year. Click detection rates were significantly higher at night than during daylight hours. These findings suggest high use of many of the proposed reclamation/development areas by humpback dolphins, particularly at night, and demonstrate the value of long-term PAM for documenting spatial and temporal patterns in dolphin occurrence to help inform management decisions.

Serum concentration of alpha-1 antitrypsin is significantly higher in colorectal cancer patients than in healthy controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez-Holanda, Sergio; Blanco, Ignacio; Menéndez, Manuel; Rodrigo, Luis

2014-01-01

The association between alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency and colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently controversial. The present study compares AAT serum concentrations and gene frequencies between a group of CRC patients and a control group of healthy unrelated people (HUP). 267 CRC subjects (63% males, 72 ± 10 years old) were enlisted from a Hospital Clinic setting in Asturias, Spain. The HUP group comprised 327 subjects (67% males, mean age 70 ± 7.5 years old) from the same geographical region. Outcome measures were AAT serum concentrations measured by nephelometry, and AAT phenotyping characterization by isoelectric focusing. Significantly higher serum concentrations were found among CRC (208 ± 60) than in HUP individuals (144 ± 20.5) (p = 0.0001). No differences were found in the phenotypic distribution of the Pi*S and Pi*Z allelic frequencies (p = 0.639), although the frequency of Pi*Z was higher in CRC (21%) than in HUP subjects (15%). The only statistically significant finding in this study was the markedly higher AAT serum concentrations found in CRC subjects compared with HUP controls, irrespective of whether their Pi* phenotype was normal (Pi*MM) or deficient (Pi*MS, Pi*MZ and Pi*SZ). Although there was a trend towards the more deficient Pi* phenotype the more advanced the tumor, the results were inconclusive due to the small sample size. Consequently, more powerful studies are needed to reach firmer conclusions on this matter

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January-March 1985. Volume 8, No. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-08-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 1985. The report states that for this reporting period, there was one abnormal occurrence at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate; the event involved a premature criticality during reactor startup. There were three abnormal occurrences at the other NRC licensees. Two events involved diagnostic medical misadministrations and the other event involved unlawful possession of radioactive material. There were four abnormal occurrences reported by an Agreement State (Texas). Three events involved radiation overexposures; the other event involved a well logging source which was apparently stolen, but later was recovered. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Significantly higher Carabid beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) catch in conventionally than in organically managed Christmas tree plantations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagge, Søren; Lund, Malthe; Rønn, Regin

2012-01-01

Carabid beetles play an important role as consumers of pest organisms in forestry and agriculture. Application of pesticides may negatively affect abundance and activity of carabid beetles, thus reducing their potential beneficial effect. We investigated how abundance and diversity of pitfall...... trapped carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) varied between conventionally and organically managed Caucasian Fir (Abies nordmanniana (Stev.)) plantations, in northern Zealand, Denmark. We recorded significantly higher numbers of carabid beetle specimens and species at conventionally than at organically...

Occurrence and stability of masked fumonisins in corn silage samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Latorre, Alicia; Dagnac, Thierry; Lorenzo, Bruno Fernández; Llompart, María

2015-12-15

Corn plants contaminated with Fusarium verticilloides were harvested at two dates and ensiled in laboratory silos. The stability of Fumonisins B1 and B2 (FB1, FB2) was studied and the effects of inoculant use (Lactobacillus buchneri) and of the ensiling time were assessed. The occurrence of masked fumonisins was also investigated. After the extraction of the free forms (FB1, FB2), the residue was subjected to an alkaline hydrolysis resulting in the release of derivates subsequently detected by LC-HESI-MS/MS. The ensiling time has shown to be a significant factor for the evolution of free FB1 and FB2 at the 2nd harvest date. Moreover, the use of inoculant had a significant effect on the stability of hidden and total FB1 at the two harvest dates. Samples previously ensiled and exposed to aerobic conditions for 7days have shown higher fumonisin levels than those not exposed to air. Our results showed that 65% and 39% of the total FB1 and FB2 contents in silage were due to hidden fumonisins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictive parameters of Legionella pneumophila occurrence in hospital water: HPCs and plumbing system installation age.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanizadeh, Ghader; Mirmohamadlou, Ali; Esmaeli, Davoud

2016-09-01

Occurrence of Legionella pneumophila can be relevant to the installation age and the presence of heterotrophic plate counts (HPCs). This research illustrates L. pneumophila contamination of hospital water in accordance with the installation age and the presence of HPCs. One hundred and fifty samples were collected from hot and cold water systems and cultured on R2A and BCYE agar. L. pneumophila identification was done via specific biochemical tests. HPCs and L. pneumophila were detected in 96 and 37.3 % of the samples, respectively. The mean of HPCs density was 947 ± 998 CFU/ml; therefore, 52 % of the samples had higher densities than 500 CFU/ml. High densities of HPCs (>500 CFU/ml) led to colonization of L. pneumophila (≥1000 CFU/ml), mainly observed in cooling systems, gynecological, sonography, and NICU wards. Chi(2) test demonstrated that higher densities (>500 CFU/ml) of HPCs and L. pneumophila contamination in cold water were more frequent than warm water (OR: 2.3 and 1.49, respectively). Univariate regressions implied a significant difference between HPCs density and installation age in positive and negative tests of L. pneumophila (OR = 1.1, p installation age on L. pneumophila occurrences (p installation age (r s  = 0.33, p installation age are relevant; so, plumbing system renovation with appropriate materials and promotion of the effective efforts for hospital's water quality assurance is highly recommended.

Risk factors and the occurrence of cerebral palsy in high risk infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Setyo Handryastuti

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background The incidence of cerebral palsy (CP has increased due to better survival rates of high-risk babies. Early detection and time to the occurrence of CP in the first year of life is important in order to provide early intervention. Objectives To determine the proportion of CP in high-risk babies, the time to the occurrence of CP in the first year, and assess possible associations between risk factors of CP and time to the occurrence of CP. Methods A prospective cohort study was done on 150 high-risk babies up to the age of 12 months. We obtained history of motor ability and assessed primitive reflexes and postural reactions of subjects at the ages of 4 and 6 months. The diagnosis of CP was established at 6 and 12 months of age. Results The proportion of CP was 26% at 6 months and 24% at 12 months of age. Significant risk factors associated with CP at 6 and 12 months of age were cerebral ultrasound abnormalities, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and intracranial hemorrhage. In 88.7% of subjects with CP, CP was detected in the first 6 months. Mean age at the occurrence of CP was 9.99 months (95%CI 9.46 to 10.53. Risk factors that significantly affected the time to the occurrence of CP by survival analysis were ultrasound abnormalities and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Conclusions Cerebral palsy can be detected as early as the first 6 months of life. Cerebral ultrasound abnormalities and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy are the risk factors associated with CP.

Occurrence and spatial distribution of chemical contaminants in edible fish species collected from UK and proximate marine waters.

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Fernandes, A R; Mortimer, D; Holmes, M; Rose, M; Zhihua, L; Huang, X; Smith, F; Panton, S; Marshall, L

2018-05-01

The occurrence of a range of regulated and emerging organic environmental contaminants was investigated in 182 samples of edible marine fish sampled mainly from UK marine regions, but extending northerly to the coast of Norway and south to the Algarve. These species (sprats, mackerel, turbot, halibut, herring, grey mullet, sea bass, grey mullet, sardines, etc.) are among those considered to be at the highest risk of contamination with regulated contaminants such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs, dioxins), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), but the occurrence of polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) was also investigated. Sub-sets of samples (50-75) were also analysed for emerging contaminants: polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), polybrominated and mixed halogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and biphenyls (PBDD/Fs, PXDD/Fs and PXBs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Contaminant occurrence varied with species and location, but all measured contaminants were detected, with sprats, sea bass, sardines, mackerel, and herring showing higher tissue concentrations. The concentrations of the different contaminants in the various samples were mapped utilising the GPS coordinate data of the capture locations to visualise spatial distribution levels. In terms of catch location, fish sampled from the coasts of southern Britain, north-western France and the Irish Sea appeared to contain proportionately higher levels of some contaminants - e.g. samples from the Irish Sea tended to show higher PCN concentrations, whereas higher levels of PCBs were observed in some fish sampled off the coasts of northern France. Similarly, samples of mullet from the southeast coast of UK showed much higher concentrations of BDE-99 than the other regions. In terms of occurrence trends, PCDD/F and PCB concentrations show a modest decline over the last decade but where limited background data is available for emerging

Foreshock occurrence before large earthquakes

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Reasenberg, P.A.

1999-01-01

Rates of foreshock occurrence involving shallow M ??? 6 and M ??? 7 mainshocks and M ??? 5 foreshocks were measured in two worldwide catalogs over ???20-year intervals. The overall rates observed are similar to ones measured in previous worldwide and regional studies when they are normalized for the ranges of magnitude difference they each span. The observed worldwide rates were compared to a generic model of earthquake clustering based on patterns of small and moderate aftershocks in California. The aftershock model was extended to the case of moderate foreshocks preceding large mainshocks. Overall, the observed worldwide foreshock rates exceed the extended California generic model by a factor of ???2. Significant differences in foreshock rate were found among subsets of earthquakes defined by their focal mechanism and tectonic region, with the rate before thrust events higher and the rate before strike-slip events lower than the worldwide average. Among the thrust events, a large majority, composed of events located in shallow subduction zones, had a high foreshock rate, while a minority, located in continental thrust belts, had a low rate. These differences may explain why previous surveys have found low foreshock rates among thrust events in California (especially southern California), while the worldwide observations suggests the opposite: California, lacking an active subduction zone in most of its territory, and including a region of mountain-building thrusts in the south, reflects the low rate apparently typical for continental thrusts, while the worldwide observations, dominated by shallow subduction zone events, are foreshock-rich. If this is so, then the California generic model may significantly underestimate the conditional probability for a very large (M ??? 8) earthquake following a potential (M ??? 7) foreshock in Cascadia. The magnitude differences among the identified foreshock-mainshock pairs in the Harvard catalog are consistent with a uniform

The sensitivity of US wildfire occurrence to pre-season soil moisture conditions across ecosystems

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Jensen, Daniel; Reager, John T.; Zajic, Brittany; Rousseau, Nick; Rodell, Matthew; Hinkley, Everett

2018-01-01

It is generally accepted that year-to-year variability in moisture conditions and drought are linked with increased wildfire occurrence. However, quantifying the sensitivity of wildfire to surface moisture state at seasonal lead-times has been challenging due to the absence of a long soil moisture record with the appropriate coverage and spatial resolution for continental-scale analysis. Here we apply model simulations of surface soil moisture that numerically assimilate observations from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission with the USDA Forest Service’s historical Fire-Occurrence Database over the contiguous United States. We quantify the relationships between pre-fire-season soil moisture and subsequent-year wildfire occurrence by land-cover type and produce annual probable wildfire occurrence and burned area maps at 0.25 degree resolution. Cross-validated results generally indicate a higher occurrence of smaller fires when months preceding fire season are wet, while larger fires are more frequent when soils are dry. This is consistent with the concept of increased fuel accumulation under wet conditions in the pre-season. These results demonstrate the fundamental strength of the relationship between soil moisture and fire activity at long lead-times and are indicative of that relationship’s utility for the future development of national-scale predictive capability.

Evaluation of the occurrence and diagnose definitions for Nocturnal Polyuria in Spinal Cord Injured patients during rehabilitation.

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Viaene, Annick; Denys, Marie-Astrid; Goessaert, An-Sofie; Claeys, Jana; Raes, Ann; Roggeman, Saskia; Everaert, Karel

2017-11-03

Little is known about the occurrence of nocturnal polyuria in spinal cord injured (SCI) patients and the definitions which are preferable in this population. To determine the occurrence of nocturnal polyuria (NP) in spinal cord injured patients during in-patient rehabilitation in the Ghent University Hospital. To study the influence of different time periods (daytime, bed rest and sleep) on the accuracy of the existing diagnose definitions for NP specifically for this type of patients. Retrospective study using patient records. SCI patients during hospital based rehabilitation between 2011 and 2014. Seventy-four SCI patients were selected and their records of frequency-volume charts were examined, after exclusion of unreliable data, forty-seven patients were retained for the current study. Retrospective study using data from frequency-volume charts of either two or three days from patients with SCI. Nocturnal urine production (NUP) and nocturnal polyuria index (NPi) were calculated. There was a significant increase in diuresis, calculated as urine production, between day time and bed rest (p=0.008) and between day time and sleep (p=0.001). All patients showed nocturnal polyuria during a 12-hour night time period (including both bed rest and sleep) and 39 patients showed nocturnal polyuria during the 8 hour period of sleep. There was no significant difference in mean urine production between bed rest and sleep. Prevalence of NP did not significantly differ between the complete or incomplete SCI patients or between patients with higher and lower SCI levels. This study showed that the occurrence of nocturnal polyuria in patients with SCI is high and that it is important to consider which definitions of NP are used for diagnosis. Increase in diuresis is observed during bed rest and sleep and the diagnose is correctly estimated when nocturnal urine production definitions are used in both time periods. In accordance with what was expected, diagnose of NP was

On the effects of higher alcohols on red wine aroma.

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de-la-Fuente-Blanco, Arancha; Sáenz-Navajas, María-Pilar; Ferreira, Vicente

2016-11-01

This work aims to assess the aromatic sensory contribution of the four most relevant wine higher alcohols (isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, methionol and β-phenylethanol) on red wine aroma. The four alcohols were added at two levels of concentration, within the natural range of occurrence, to eight different wine models (WM), close reconstitutions of red wines differing in levels of fruity (F), woody (W), animal (A) or humidity (H) notes. Samples were submitted to discriminant and descriptive sensory analysis. Results showed that the contribution of methionol and β-phenylethanol to wine aroma was negligible and confirmed the sensory importance of the pair isobutanol-isoamyl alcohol. Sensory effects were only evident in WM containing intense aromas, demonstrating a strong dependence on the aromatic context. Higher alcohols significantly suppress strawberry/lactic/red fruity, coconut/wood/vanilla and humidity/TCA notes, but not the leather/animal/ink note. The spirit/alcoholic/solvent character generated by higher alcohols has been shown to be wine dependent. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of synanthropic triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae in the Federal District of Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maicon Hitoshi Maeda

2012-02-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Entomological surveillance of Chagas disease in the Federal District of Brazil (DF, has recorded the following triatomine species: Panstrongylus megistus, P. geniculatus, P. diasi, Rhodnius neglectus, Triatoma pseudomaculata, and T. sordida. We aimed to analyze the spatial and temporal occurrence of triatomine species collected in DF, and their indices of natural infection with trypanosomes. METHODS: The Health State Secretariat of DF recorded triatomines between 2002 and 2010 in 20 administrative regions. This retrospective analysis considered the number of adults and nymphs of each species collected and infected in both intradomicile and peridomicile. RESULTS: A total of 754 triatomines were collected in 252 reported domiciles. Panstrongylus megistus was the most frequent species (65%, followed by T. pseudomaculata (14%. Of the 309 examined insects, only 3 (1% specimens of P. megistus were infected with flagellates morphologically similar to Trypanosoma cruzi. The spatial occurrence indicated a higher diversity of triatomines and frequency of T. sordida in rural areas. Moreover, there was a predominance of P. megistus in urban areas. The number of records of P. megistus in the rainy season was two times higher than that during the dry season. The largest number of triatomines was collected in November. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of P. megistus specimens infected with trypanosomes in domiciles, shows the potential risk of human infection in DF. Thus, it is essential to continue entomological surveillance, intensifying it in the rainy season and in regions of greater occurrence.

Higher occurrence of childhood cancer in families with germline mutations in BRCA2, MMR and CDKN2A genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnusson, S.; Borg, A.; Kristoffersson, U.

2008-01-01

The contribution of hereditary factors for development of childhood tumors is limited to some few known syndromes associated with predominance of tumors in childhood. Occurrence of childhood tumors in hereditary cancer syndromes such as BRCA1/2 associated breast and ovarian cancer, DNA-mismatch r......-mismatch repair (MMR) genes associated hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer and CDKN2A associated familial malignant melanoma are very little studied. Herein we report the prevalence of childhood tumors (diagnosed...

Occurrence of clinical mastitis and environmental factors favoring its incidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa Junqueira Oliveira

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of clinical mastitis (CM, in high production Holstein cows, as well as the environmental factors that favoring its incidence. The average milk production of 305 days, according to the class of mastitis was estimated by the method of least squares. The frequencies of clinical mastitis (CM events were analyzed according to the calving sequences (1-6, year of calving, season and stage of lactation, and infected quarter (right anterior, left anterior, right posterior, left posterior. The frequency of CM ranged from 11.39% in the first calving to 21.18% in the third. 58.56% of mastitis cases occurred in the wet season, and 41.44% occurred in the dry season. The final lactation stage (200 to 300 days was the period with the highest occurrence of CM (45.33%. The quarter posterior had a higher frequency CM (54.25%. Animals with higher levels of milk production of 305 days showed highest occurrence of CM. We must find a balance between milk production and mastitis in order to increase profitability. The study of the periods of greatest frequency clinical mastitis events is essential for dairy farming, to direct a program to control this disease.

Occurrence of human respiratory syncytial virus in summer in Japan.

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Shobugawa, Y; Takeuchi, T; Hibino, A; Hassan, M R; Yagami, R; Kondo, H; Odagiri, T; Saito, R

2017-01-01

In temperate zones, human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) outbreaks typically occur in cold weather, i.e. in late autumn and winter. However, recent outbreaks in Japan have tended to start during summer and autumn. This study examined associations of meteorological conditions with the numbers of HRSV cases reported in summer in Japan. Using data from the HRSV national surveillance system and national meteorological data for summer during the period 2007-2014, we utilized negative binomial logistic regression analysis to identify associations between meteorological conditions and reported cases of HRSV. HRSV cases increased when summer temperatures rose and when relative humidity increased. Consideration of the interaction term temperature × relative humidity enabled us to show synergistic effects of high temperature with HRSV occurrence. In particular, HRSV cases synergistically increased when relative humidity increased while the temperature was ⩾28·2 °C. Seasonal-trend decomposition analysis using the HRSV national surveillance data divided by 11 climate divisions showed that summer HRSV cases occurred in South Japan (Okinawa Island), Kyushu, and Nankai climate divisions, which are located in southwest Japan. Higher temperature and higher relative humidity were necessary conditions for HRSV occurrence in summer in Japan. Paediatricians in temperate zones should be mindful of possible HRSV cases in summer, when suitable conditions are present.

Occurrence of epileptiform discharges and sleep during EEG recordings in children after melatonin intake versus sleep-deprivation.

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Gustafsson, Greta; Broström, Anders; Ulander, Martin; Vrethem, Magnus; Svanborg, Eva

2015-08-01

To determine if melatonin is equally efficient as partial sleep deprivation in inducing sleep without interfering with epileptiform discharges in EEG recordings in children 1-16 years old. We retrospectively analysed 129 EEGs recorded after melatonin intake and 113 EEGs recorded after partial sleep deprivation. Comparisons were made concerning occurrence of epileptiform discharges, the number of children who fell asleep and the technical quality of EEG recordings. Comparison between different age groups was also made. No significant differences were found regarding occurrence of epileptiform discharges (33% after melatonin intake, 36% after sleep deprivation), or proportion of unsuccessful EEGs (8% and 10%, respectively). Melatonin and sleep deprivation were equally efficient in inducing sleep (70% in both groups). Significantly more children aged 1-4 years obtained sleep after melatonin intake in comparison to sleep deprivation (82% vs. 58%, p⩽0.01), and in comparison to older children with melatonin induced sleep (58-67%, p⩽0.05). Sleep deprived children 9-12 years old had higher percentage of epileptiform discharges (62%, p⩽0.05) compared to younger sleep deprived children. Melatonin is equally efficient as partial sleep deprivation to induce sleep and does not affect the occurrence of epileptiform discharges in the EEG recording. Sleep deprivation could still be preferable in older children as melatonin probably has less sleep inducing effect. Melatonin induced sleep have advantages, especially in younger children as they fall asleep easier than after sleep deprivation. The procedure is easier for the parents than keeping a young child awake for half the night. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential expression of GPR30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue and its clinical significance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben-Zhou Feng

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the differential expression of GPR30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue and its clinical significance. Methods: Preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue were collected and GPR30 expression levels were detected; human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and processed with GRP30 inhibitor and GRP30 agonist combined with hypoxia-reoxygenation respectively, and cell apoptosis as well as pro-angiogenesis molecule and apoptosis molecule contents were detected. Results: mRNA content and protein content of GRP30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue were significantly lower than those in normal placenta tissue; apoptosis rate of G15 group was significantly higher than that of control group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly lower than those of control group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly higher than those of control group; apoptosis rate of H/R group was significantly higher than that of control group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly lower than those of control group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly higher than those of control group; apoptosis rate of G1 group was significantly lower than that of H/R group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly higher than those of H/R group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly lower than those of H/R group. Conclusions: Low expression of GPR30 in placenta tissue is closely associated with the occurrence of preeclampsia, enhancing GPR function can reduce endothelial cell apoptosis and increase the contents of pro-angiogenesis factors, and it has endothelial protection effect.

Radiation effects on pre-natal development and their radiological significance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mole, R.H.

1979-01-01

The evidence relating to pre-natal radiation exposure and the subsequent occurrence of malformations and cancer suggests that the overall risk lies in the range 0 to 1 cases per 1000 irradiated by one rad in utero in the first four months of pregnancy. The natural level of occurrence of serious handicaps in average pregnancies is at least 30 times higher. Is the much lower probability of radiation-induced harm sufficiently high to justify (a) concern when a woman who has been irradiated is found to have been pregnant at that time, or (b) the maintenance of restrictions on medical uses of ionizing radiation in women in the reproductive age, such as the ten day rule. (author)

Detection of LSB+/-1 steganography based on co-occurrence matrix and bit plane clipping

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Abolghasemi, Mojtaba; Aghaeinia, Hassan; Faez, Karim; Mehrabi, Mohammad Ali

2010-01-01

Spatial LSB+/-1 steganography changes smooth characteristics between adjoining pixels of the raw image. We present a novel steganalysis method for LSB+/-1 steganography based on feature vectors derived from the co-occurrence matrix in the spatial domain. We investigate how LSB+/-1 steganography affects the bit planes of an image and show that it changes more least significant bit (LSB) planes of it. The co-occurrence matrix is derived from an image in which some of its most significant bit planes are clipped. By this preprocessing, in addition to reducing the dimensions of the feature vector, the effects of embedding were also preserved. We compute the co-occurrence matrix in different directions and with different dependency and use the elements of the resulting co-occurrence matrix as features. This method is sensitive to the data embedding process. We use a Fisher linear discrimination (FLD) classifier and test our algorithm on different databases and embedding rates. We compare our scheme with the current LSB+/-1 steganalysis methods. It is shown that the proposed scheme outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in detecting the LSB+/-1 steganographic method for grayscale images.

Difference in occurrence of heterotopic ossification according to prosthesis type in the cervical artificial disc replacement.

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Yi, Seong; Kim, Keung Nyun; Yang, Moon Sul; Yang, Joong Won; Kim, Hoon; Ha, Yoon; Yoon, Do Heum; Shin, Hyun Chul

2010-07-15

Retrospective study of the difference of heterotopic ossification (HO) occurrence according to 3 different types of prosthesis. This study was designed to investigate the difference of HO occurrence according to different type of prosthesis. HO is defined as formation of the bone outside the skeletal system. Reported HO occurrence rate in cervical artificial disc replacement (ADR) was unexpectedly high and varied. But the influencing factors of HO in cervical ADR have not been elucidated well. The prosthesis-related factors for making difference of HO occurrence were investigated in this study. A total of 170 patients undergoing cervical arthroplasty with the Bryan cervical disc prosthesis (Medtroic Sofamor Danek, Memphis, TN), Mobi-C disc prosthesis (LDR Medical, Troyes, France), and ProDisc-C (Synthes, Inc., West Chester, PA) were included. Cervical lateral radiographs obtained before and after surgery were used to identify HO. Occurrence rate, occurrence-free period, location, and grade of HOs were investigated according to the different prosthesis. Each prosthesis group included patients as follows: Bryan disc, 81 patients; Mobi-C, 61 patients; and ProDisc-C, 28 patients. Overall HO rate was 40.6% (69 of 170 patients). Each HO occurrence rate by prosthesis was as follows: the Bryan disc group, 21.0%; Mobi-C group, 52.5%; and the ProDisc-C group, 71.4%. In the survival analysis, all patients showed 27.1 +/- 3.7 months as the median survival. The Bryan disc group showed statistically longer survival (48.4 +/- 7.4 months) than the other groups. Occurrence of HO is an inevitable postoperative complication after cervical ADR. The occurrence rate of HO was higher than our expectation. Moreover, definite differences in occurrence rate according to the prosthesis type were identified by this study.

The effect of cephalosporin usage on the occurrence of ESCs producing E. coli in pig herds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalhoff Andersen, Vibe; Jensen, Vibeke Frøkjær; Agersø, Yvonne

in 19 pig herds which have had five to fourteen prescriptions of ceph. and 20 pig herds without prescribed ceph. in a previous 12 month period. The 39 herds were all integrated and represent typical Danish pig farms. The occurrence of ESCs producing E. coli in the herds were tested in a total of 9...... pooled samples per herd. A pig herd was considered positive if one or more of the nine samples contained ESCs producing E. coli. Initially, the association between usages of ceph. and occurrence of ESCs producing E. coli in the pig herds was analyzed using logistic regression, and the effect was adjusted...... of ESCs producing E. coli was estimated as risk ratio(RR). The results showed that consumption of ceph. increased the risk of occurrence of ESCs producing E. coli significantly with a RR of 5 (95% CI: 2-11). This demonstrates that ceph. usage significant affect the occurrence of ESCs resistance...

Building a high-resolution T2-weighted MR-based probabilistic model of tumor occurrence in the prostate.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagarajan, Mahesh B; Raman, Steven S; Lo, Pechin; Lin, Wei-Chan; Khoshnoodi, Pooria; Sayre, James W; Ramakrishna, Bharath; Ahuja, Preeti; Huang, Jiaoti; Margolis, Daniel J A; Lu, David S K; Reiter, Robert E; Goldin, Jonathan G; Brown, Matthew S; Enzmann, Dieter R

2018-02-19

We present a method for generating a T2 MR-based probabilistic model of tumor occurrence in the prostate to guide the selection of anatomical sites for targeted biopsies and serve as a diagnostic tool to aid radiological evaluation of prostate cancer. In our study, the prostate and any radiological findings within were segmented retrospectively on 3D T2-weighted MR images of 266 subjects who underwent radical prostatectomy. Subsequent histopathological analysis determined both the ground truth and the Gleason grade of the tumors. A randomly chosen subset of 19 subjects was used to generate a multi-subject-derived prostate template. Subsequently, a cascading registration algorithm involving both affine and non-rigid B-spline transforms was used to register the prostate of every subject to the template. Corresponding transformation of radiological findings yielded a population-based probabilistic model of tumor occurrence. The quality of our probabilistic model building approach was statistically evaluated by measuring the proportion of correct placements of tumors in the prostate template, i.e., the number of tumors that maintained their anatomical location within the prostate after their transformation into the prostate template space. Probabilistic model built with tumors deemed clinically significant demonstrated a heterogeneous distribution of tumors, with higher likelihood of tumor occurrence at the mid-gland anterior transition zone and the base-to-mid-gland posterior peripheral zones. Of 250 MR lesions analyzed, 248 maintained their original anatomical location with respect to the prostate zones after transformation to the prostate. We present a robust method for generating a probabilistic model of tumor occurrence in the prostate that could aid clinical decision making, such as selection of anatomical sites for MR-guided prostate biopsies.

Occurrence of spinal column pain and its relation to the quality of life of manicures and pedicures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrezza Pinheiro Bezerra de Menezes Kinote

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the occurrence of spine column pain in manicures/pedicures and verify its relationship with quality of life. Methods: A quantitative and descriptive crosssectional research conducted from February to June 2010 with 30 professionals aged between 18 and 45 years and with at least one year of work experience. After selection, two questionnaires were applied: the SF-36 and another developed by the researchers with questions related to occupation (working hours and length of service, occurrence of pain and its characteristics (location, type, frequency and intensity. Results: Of the 30 participants, 76.7% (n=23 reported pain, with 63.3% (n=19 occurrence in the lumbar spine and 46.7% (n=14 occurrence of chronic type (lasting more than 6 months. A total of 36.7% (n=11 of interviewees reported daily pain with an average intensity of 6.1+2.24. Age and length of service rates were higher in the group of people who felt pain (34.2+6.80 and 12.3+6.39 years respectively. Regarding the quality of life in the group of people who did not feel pain, the domains “functional capacity”, “pain” and “general health status” had higher scores when compared to the group of people who felt pain (p<0.05. Conclusion: It was detected a high occurrence of spinal column pain among manicures / pedicures, especially in the lumbar spine, leading to functional limitations, and a consequent change in quality of life. doi:10.5020/18061230.2013.p318

The Occurrence of Erionite at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

NA

2004-01-01

The naturally-occurring zeolite mineral erionite has a fibrous morphology and is a known human carcinogen (inhalation hazard). Erionite has been found typically in very small quantities and restricted occurrences in the course of mineralogic characterization of Yucca Mountain as a host for a high-level nuclear waste repository. The first identification of erionite was made in 1984 on the basis of morphology and chemical composition and later confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found in the lower vitrophyre (Tptpv3) of the Topopah Spring Tuff in a borehole sidewall sample. Most erionite occurrences identified at Yucca Mountain are in the Topopah Spring Tuff, within an irregular zone of transition between the lower boundary of devitrified tuff and underlying glassy tuff. This zone is fractured and contains intermingled devitrified and vitric tuff. In 1997, a second host of erionite mineralization was identified in the Exploratory Studies Facility within and adjacent to a high-angle fracture/breccia zone transgressing the boundary between the lowermost devitrified tuff (Tpcplnc) and underlying moderately welded vitric tuff (Tpcpv2) of the Tiva Canyon Tuff. The devitrified-vitric transition zones where erionite is found tend to have complex secondary-mineral assemblages, some of very localized occurrence. Secondary minerals in addition to erionite may include smectite, heulandite-clinoptilolite, chabazite, opal-A, opal-CT, cristobalite, quartz, kenyaite, and moganite. Incipient devitrification within the Topopah Spring Tuff transition zone includes patches that are highly enriched in potassium feldspar relative to the precursor volcanic glass. Geochemical conditions during glass alteration may have led to local evolution of potassium-rich fluids. Thermodynamic modeling of zeolite stability shows that erionite and chabazite stability fields occur only at aqueous K concentrations much higher than in present Yucca Mountain waters. The association of erionite

Pubertal status, interaction with significant others, and self-esteem of adolescent girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacković-Grgin, K; Dekovíc, M; Opacić, G

1994-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between pubertal status, the quality of interactions with significant others, and the self-esteem of adolescent girls. The model which was tested, hypothesized that pubertal status affects self-esteem through girls' interactions with their parents and friends. Pubertal status was operationalized as the number of months between occurrence of the first menstrual periods and time of the investigation. The measure of self-esteem was the shortened form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Analyses revealed that girls who begun menstruating six months before the investigation obtained higher scores on the measure of self-esteem than did girls who had been menstruating 13 months or more. The best predictor of self-esteem, however, was the quality of interaction with their mothers. The results support the theoretical view that stresses the importance of interaction with significant others for the development of self-esteem.

Influence of family history, irradiation and anti-cancer drug (mitomycin C) on the occurrence of multiple primary neoplasms in breast carcinoma patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimoto, Masataka; Sakamoto, Goi; Sugano, Haruo; Kasumi, Fujio; Fukami, Atsuo; Kuno, Keijiro.

1984-01-01

The influence of family history, irradiation and anti-cancer drug (Mitomycin C) on the occurrence of multiple primary neoplasms was analysed using the person-year method in 1359 Japanese breast carcinoma patients. There were 111 multiple primary neoplasms, including bilaterl breast cancer, in 109 patients; the incidence rate was 0.0072 per person-year. The incidence rate in patients with a family history of cancer was 1.29 times higher than in those without. In the bilateral breast cancer group there was about a 3 times higher frequency of family history of breast cancer. Irradiation therapy raised the occurrence of multiple primary neoplasms 1.28 fold, and Mitomycin C (40 mg) had no effect on the occurrence of neoplasms during a 10-year observation period. (author)

Occurrence of azoxystrobin, propiconazole, and selected other fungicides in US streams, 2005-2006

Science.gov (United States)

Battaglin, William A.; Sandstrom, Mark W.; Kuivila, Kathryn; Kolpin, Dana W.; Meyer, Michael T.

2011-01-01

Fungicides are used to prevent foliar diseases on a wide range of vegetable, field, fruit, and ornamental crops. They are generally more effective as protective rather than curative treatments, and hence tend to be applied before infections take place. Less than 1% of US soybeans were treated with a fungicide in 2002 but by 2006, 4% were treated. Like other pesticides, fungicides can move-off of fields after application and subsequently contaminate surface water, groundwater, and associated sediments. Due to the constant pressure from fungal diseases such as the recent Asian soybean rust outbreak, and the always-present desire to increase crop yields, there is the potential for a significant increase in the amount of fungicides used on US farms. Increased fungicide use could lead to increased environmental concentrations of these compounds. This study documents the occurrence of fungicides in select US streams soon after the first documentation of soybean rust in the US and prior to the corresponding increase in fungicide use to treat this problem. Water samples were collected from 29 streams in 13 states in 2005 and/or 2006, and analyzed for 12 target fungicides. Nine of the 12 fungicides were detected in at least one stream sample and at least one fungicide was detected in 20 of 29 streams. At least one fungicide was detected in 56% of the 103 samples, as many as five fungicides were detected in an individual sample, and mixtures of fungicides were common. Azoxystrobin was detected most frequently (45% of 103 samples) followed by metalaxyl (27%), propiconazole (17%), myclobutanil (9%), and tebuconazole (6%). Fungicide detections ranged from 0.002 to 1.15 μ/L. There was indication of a seasonal pattern to fungicide occurrence, with detections more common and concentrations higher in late summer and early fall than in spring. At a few sites, fungicides were detected in all samples collected suggesting the potential for season-long occurrence in some streams

THE OCCURRENCE RATE OF SMALL PLANETS AROUND SMALL STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dressing, Courtney D.; Charbonneau, David

2013-01-01

We use the optical and near-infrared photometry from the Kepler Input Catalog to provide improved estimates of the stellar characteristics of the smallest stars in the Kepler target list. We find 3897 dwarfs with temperatures below 4000 K, including 64 planet candidate host stars orbited by 95 transiting planet candidates. We refit the transit events in the Kepler light curves for these planet candidates and combine the revised planet/star radius ratios with our improved stellar radii to revise the radii of the planet candidates orbiting the cool target stars. We then compare the number of observed planet candidates to the number of stars around which such planets could have been detected in order to estimate the planet occurrence rate around cool stars. We find that the occurrence rate of 0.5-4 R ⊕ planets with orbital periods shorter than 50 days is 0.90 +0.04 -0.03 planets per star. The occurrence rate of Earth-size (0.5-1.4 R ⊕ ) planets is constant across the temperature range of our sample at 0.51 -0.05 +0.06 Earth-size planets per star, but the occurrence of 1.4-4 R ⊕ planets decreases significantly at cooler temperatures. Our sample includes two Earth-size planet candidates in the habitable zone, allowing us to estimate that the mean number of Earth-size planets in the habitable zone is 0.15 +0.13 -0.06 planets per cool star. Our 95% confidence lower limit on the occurrence rate of Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of cool stars is 0.04 planets per star. With 95% confidence, the nearest transiting Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of a cool star is within 21 pc. Moreover, the nearest non-transiting planet in the habitable zone is within 5 pc with 95% confidence.

Quantum screening effects on the electron-ion occurrence scattering time advance in strongly coupled semiclassical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Mi-Young; Jung, Young-Dae

2003-01-01

Quantum screening effects on the occurrence scattering time advance for elastic electron-ion collisions in strongly coupled semiclassical plasmas are investigated using the second-order eikonal analysis. The electron-ion interaction in strongly coupled semiclassical plasmas is obtained by the pseudopotential model taking into account the plasma screening and quantum effects. It is found that the quantum-mechanical effects significantly reduce the occurrence scattering time advance. It is also found that the occurrence scattering time advance increases with increasing Debye length. It is quite interesting to note that the domain of the maximum occurrence time advance is localized for the forward scattering case. The region of the scaled thermal de Broglie wave length (λ-bar) for the maximum occurrence time advance is found to be 0.4≤λ-bar≤1.4

Occurrence of priority organic pollutants in the fertilizers, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mo Cehui; Cai Quanying; Li Yunhui; Zeng Qiaoyun

2008-01-01

The use of large quantities of chemical fertilizers is usually associated with environmental problems. A lot of work has been done on the concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in chemical fertilizers, but little work has focused on the occurrence of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). In this study the occurrence of 43 SVOCs listed as priority pollutants in 22 widely used-fertilizers of China was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Twenty-six SVOCs were detected with different detection frequencies and concentrations. The most abundant compounds were phthalic acid esters (PAEs; ranging from 1.17 to 2795 μg kg -1 dry weight, d.w.) and nitroaromatics (up to 9765 μg kg -1 d.w.), followed by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; -1 d.w.) and halogenated hydrocarbons ( -1 d.w.). Chlorobenzenes and haloethers occurred generally at low concentrations. There are large variations in concentrations of various compounds in different fertilizers, and the total concentrations of each class of contaminants varied widely, too. The highest levels of sum concentration for 16 PAHs, for 6 PAEs and for nitroaromatics were found in organic fertilizer containing pesticide and soil amendments. Concentrations of SVOCs in coated fertilizers (the controlled release fertilizer with coating) were considerably higher than those in the corresponding fertilizers without coating. The occurrence frequencies of SVOCs in the straight fertilizers (containing only one of the major plant nutrients) were lower than in the other fertilizers

Occurrence and Characterization Microstructure of Iron Impurities in Halloysite.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Rong; Yan, Chunjie; Wang, Hongquan; Xiao, Guoqi; Tu, Dong

2015-09-01

The quality of the clays and over all halloysite are mostly associated with minor amounts of ferruginous impurities content, since this element gives an undesirable reddish color to the halloysite mineral. Hence, finding out the modes of occurrence of iron in halloysite is of prime importance in the value addition and optimum utilization of halloysite. In order to analyze the occurrence of iron impurities in halloysite, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were combined with wet chemical analysis methods to study the low-grade halloysite. The results indicated that the mineral phases of iron impurities in the concentrates are mainly composed of amounts of magnetite, goethite and hematite. Two types of occurrences for iron impurities have been found. One is single crystalline mineral consist in the halloysite, which contains three different phases of Goethite FeO(OH) (44.75%), Magnetite Fe3O4 (27.43%) and Hematite Fe2O3 (31.96%). The other is amorphous Fe-Al-Si glial materials. This study is of significance in the theoretical research on the halloysite mineralogy and in the developmental practice of halloysite in coal measures.

The 'time of occurrence' in quantum mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivas, M.D.; Vijayalakshmi, R.

1981-01-01

Apart from serving as a parameter in describing the evolution of a system, time appears also as an observable property of a system in experiments where one measures 'the time of occurrence' of an event associated with the system. However, while the observables normally encountered in quantum theory (and characterized by self-adjoint operators or projection-valued measures) correspond to instantaneous measurements, a time of occurrence measurement involves continuous observations being performed on the system to monitor when the event occurs. It is argued that a time of occurrence observable should be represented by a positive-operator-valued measure on the interval over which the experiment is carried out. It is shown that while the requirement of time-translation invariance and the spectral condition rule out the possibility of a self-adjoint time operator (Pauli's theorem), they do allow for time of occurrence observables to be represented by suitable positive-operator-valued measures. It is also shown that the uncertainty in the time of occurrence of an event satisfies the time-energy uncertainty relation as a consequence of the time-translation invariance, only if the time of occurrence experiment is performed on the entire time axis. (author)

Assessment of the potential forecasting skill of a global hydrological model in reproducing the occurrence of monthly flow extremes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Candogan Yossef

2012-11-01

Full Text Available As an initial step in assessing the prospect of using global hydrological models (GHMs for hydrological forecasting, this study investigates the skill of the GHM PCR-GLOBWB in reproducing the occurrence of past extremes in monthly discharge on a global scale. Global terrestrial hydrology from 1958 until 2001 is simulated by forcing PCR-GLOBWB with daily meteorological data obtained by downscaling the CRU dataset to daily fields using the ERA-40 reanalysis. Simulated discharge values are compared with observed monthly streamflow records for a selection of 20 large river basins that represent all continents and a wide range of climatic zones.

We assess model skill in three ways all of which contribute different information on the potential forecasting skill of a GHM. First, the general skill of the model in reproducing hydrographs is evaluated. Second, model skill in reproducing significantly higher and lower flows than the monthly normals is assessed in terms of skill scores used for forecasts of categorical events. Third, model skill in reproducing flood and drought events is assessed by constructing binary contingency tables for floods and droughts for each basin. The skill is then compared to that of a simple estimation of discharge from the water balance (P−E.

The results show that the model has skill in all three types of assessments. After bias correction the model skill in simulating hydrographs is improved considerably. For most basins it is higher than that of the climatology. The skill is highest in reproducing monthly anomalies. The model also has skill in reproducing floods and droughts, with a markedly higher skill in floods. The model skill far exceeds that of the water balance estimate. We conclude that the prospect for using PCR-GLOBWB for monthly and seasonal forecasting of the occurrence of hydrological extremes is positive. We argue that this conclusion applies equally to other similar GHMs and

Neck Pain Occurrence and Characteristics in Nigerian University Undergraduates

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Olufunke Patience Iroko

2010-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: University students seem to be a high risk group for neck pain which often leads to diminished concentration and academic performance among them. This study examined the occurrence and characteristics of neck pain in undergraduate students from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. METHOD: One thousand and sixty nine (512 male and 557 female undergraduate students with the mean age of 23.49 ± 2.54 years responded in this cross-sectional survey. An adapted questionnaire that sought information on demographics, occurrence, characteristics and the consequence of neck pain on activities of daily living served as the survey instrument. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence and current frequency of neck pain among the respondents was 34.9% and 9.8% respectively. Female students had a higher preponderance of lifetime neck pain prevalence than their male counterparts (52.8 vs. 47.2%. There was higher frequency of neck pain after admission into the university than before (68.6 vs. 28.7%. Neck pain increased according to level of study and commoner among clinical students. 20% of the respondents reported chronic neck pain and was commoner in males than females (13% vs. 7% females. Seats without back supports used during lectures (48.0%, long reading hours (31.4%, poor self perpetuating posture (16.6%, and types of pillow used when sleeping (14.2% were the most implicated predisposing factors to neck pain. Reading (49.7% and concentration on school work (27.9% were the most limited activities of daily living. CONCLUSION: Neck pain is common among Nigerian university undergraduate students and affects females than males. The prevalence increased with higher level of study and commoner among clinical students. Neck pain mostly affects reading and concentration on school work among university undergraduate students. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2010; 9(3.000: 167-174

Relationship of Occlusal Schemes with the Occurrence of Temporomandibular Disorders

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Dina H. Sugiaman

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Masticatory system is a complex functional unit of the body responsible for mastication, speech, and deglutition process. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD is used to describe all functional disturbances of the masticatory system. The etiology of TMD is multifactorial, such as occlusal disharmony and emotional stress. The relationship between occlusion and TMD has been highly debated in dentistry, one of the occlusal factors is the occlusal scheme. Occlusal schemes are defined as bilateral canine guidance, unilateral canine guidance, group function and balanced occlusion. However, studies about the relationship of occlusal schemes and the occurrence of the TMD are still limited and remained controversial. Objective: To investigate the relationship of occlusal schemes witht he occurrence of TMD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, Uniiversitas Indonesia. A total of 127 students were included in this study. Subjects were examined based on Clinical Helkimo Index and divided into TMD and non-TMD groups. Subjects were categorized as non-TMD groups if the value of the clinical Helkimo index was 0 and as TMD group when the value ranged between 1-25. Results: Balanced occlusion schemes has a greater risk of TMD occurrence with odds ratio value 5.6 and 95% confidence interval 1.188 to 26.331 (p=0.021. Conclusion: Balanced occlusion has a significant relationship with the occurrence of TMD.

A study on the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment using a co-occurrence matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodama, Naoki; Shimada, Tetsuo; Kaeriyama, Tomoharu; Kaneko, Tomoyuki; Fukumoto, Ichiro

2004-01-01

We studied the possibility of making an objective diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. An image of the cerebral parenchyma was created from original MR images, and the brain, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and the amount of the features from the co-occurrence matrix were measured. When the brain-intracranial ratio, hippocampus-intracranial ratio, and parahippocampal-intracranial ratio were computed, a significant difference was not detected. Discriminant analysis using the hippocampus-intracranial ratio and parahippocampal-intracranial ratio showed an overall accuracy of 63.8%. These are not sufficient results to use clinically. Therefore it is possible to make an objective diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment using the co-occurrence matrix. A statistically significant difference was found in 8 of the 13 features obtained from the co-occurrence matrix. Moreover, discriminant analysis using the eight features showed an overall accuracy of 85.1%. These results indicate that they can be used as an objective diagnostic technique for mild cognitive impairment. (author)

Expression and clinical significance of Pax6 gene in retinoblastoma

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Hai-Dong Huang

2013-07-01

Full Text Available AIM: To discuss the expression and clinical significance of Pax6 gene in retinoblastoma(Rb. METHODS: Totally 15 cases of fresh Rb organizations were selected as observation group and 15 normal retinal organizations as control group. Western-Blot and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCRmethods were used to detect Pax6 protein and Pax6 mRNA expressions of the normal retina organizations and Rb organizations. At the same time, Western Blot method was used to detect the Pax6 gene downstream MATH5 and BRN3b differentiation gene protein level expression. After the comparison between two groups, the expression and clinical significance of Pax6 gene in Rb were discussed. RESULTS: In the observation group, average value of mRNA expression of Pax6 gene was 0.99±0.03; average value of Pax6 gene protein expression was 2.07±0.15; average value of BRN3b protein expression was 0.195±0.016; average value of MATH5 protein expression was 0.190±0.031. They were significantly higher than the control group, and the differences were statistically significant(PCONCLUSION: Abnormal expression of Pax6 gene is likely to accelerate the occurrence of Rb.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences. Volume 2, Number 4. Quarterly report, October-December 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-04-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report, the nineteenth in the series, covers the period October 1 to December 31, 1979. During the period, there was one abnormal occurrence. The event occurred at an Agreement State licensee and involved overexposure of a hot cell operator. This report also contains information updating previously reported abnormal occurrences

Differences in staining intensities affect reported occurrences and concentrations of Giardia spp. in surface drinking water sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Alderisio, K A; Villegas, L F; Ware, M W; McDonald, L A; Xiao, L; Villegas, E N

2017-12-01

USEPA Method 1623, or its equivalent, is currently used to monitor for protozoan contamination of surface drinking water sources worldwide. At least three approved staining kits used for detecting Cryptosporidium and Giardia are commercially available. This study focuses on understanding the differences among staining kits used for Method 1623. Merifluor and EasyStain labelling kits were used to monitor Cryptosporidium oocyst and Giardia cyst densities in New York City's raw surface water sources. In the year following a change to the approved staining kits for use with Method 1623, an anomaly was noted in the occurrence of Giardia cysts in New York City's raw surface water. Specifically, Merifluor-stained samples had higher Giardia cyst densities as compared with those stained with EasyStain. Side by side comparison revealed significantly lower fluorescence intensities of Giardia muris as compared with Giardia duodenalis cysts when labelled with EasyStain. This study showed very poor fluorescence intensity signals by EasyStain on G. muris cysts resulting in lower cyst counts, while Merifluor, with its broader Giardia cyst staining specificity, resulted in higher cyst counts, when using Methods 1623. These results suggest that detected Giardia cyst concentrations are dependent on the staining kits used, which can result in a more or less conservative estimation of occurrences and densities of zoonotic Giardia cysts by detecting a broader range of Giardia species/Assemblages. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Literature based species occurrence data of birds of northeast India

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Sujit Narwade

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The northeast region of India is one of the world’s most significant biodiversity hotspots. One of the richest bird areas in India, it is an important route for migratory birds and home to many endemic bird species. This paper describes a literature-based dataset of species occurrences of birds of northeast India. The occurrence records documented in the dataset are distributed across eleven provinces of India, viz.: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The geospatial scope of the dataset represents 24 to 29 degree North latitude and 78 to 94 degree East longitude, and it comprises over 2400 occurrence records. These records have been collated from scholarly literature published between1915 and 2008, especially from the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS. The temporal scale of the dataset represents bird observations recorded between 1909 and 2007. The dataset has been developed by employing MS Excel. The key elements in the database are scientific name, taxonomic classification, temporal and geospatial details including geo-coordinate precision, data collector, basis of record and primary source of the data record. The temporal and geospatial quality of more than 50% of the data records has been enhanced retrospectively. Where possible, data records are annotated with geospatial coordinate precision to the nearest minute. This dataset is being constantly updated with the addition of new data records, and quality enhancement of documented occurrences. The dataset can be used in species distribution and niche modeling studies. It is planned to expand the scope of the dataset to collate bird species occurrences across the Indian peninsula.

Towards a Formal Occurrence Logic based on Predicate Logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Badie, Farshad; Götzsche, Hans

2015-01-01

In this discussion we will concentrate on the main characteristics of an alternative kind of logic invented by Hans Götzsche: Occurrence Logic, which is not based on truth functionality. Our approach is based on temporal logic developed and elaborated by A. N. Prior. We will focus on characterising...... argumentation based on formal Occurrence Logic concerning events and occurrences, and illustrate the relations between Predicate Logic and Occurrence Logic. The relationships (and dependencies) is conducive to an approach that can analyse the occurrences of ”logical statements based on different logical...... principles” in different moments. We will also conclude that the elaborated Götzsche’s Occurrence Logic could be able to direct us to a truth-functional independent computer-based logic for analysing argumentation based on events and occurrences....

Occurrence of chemical contaminants in peri-urban agricultural irrigation waters and assessment of their phytotoxicity and crop productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Margenat, Anna; Matamoros, Víctor; Díez, Sergi; Cañameras, Núria; Comas, Jordi; Bayona, Josep M

2017-12-01

Water scarcity and water pollution have increased the pressure on water resources worldwide. This pressure is particularly important in highly populated areas where water demand exceeds the available natural resources. In this regard, water reuse has emerged as an excellent water source alternative for peri-urban agriculture. Nevertheless, it must cope with the occurrence of chemical contaminants, ranging from trace elements (TEs) to organic microcontaminants. In this study, chemical contaminants (i.e., 15 TEs, 34 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)), bulk parameters, and nutrients from irrigation waters and crop productivity (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Bodar and Lactuca sativa L. cv. Batavia) were seasonally surveyed in 4 farm plots in the peri-urban area of the city of Barcelona. A pristine site, where rain-groundwater is used for irrigation, was selected for background concentrations. The average concentration levels of TEs and CECs in the irrigation water impacted by treated wastewater (TWW) were 3 (35±75μgL -1 ) and 13 (553±1050ngL -1 ) times higher than at the pristine site respectively. Principal component analysis was used to classify the irrigation waters by chemical composition. To assess the impact of the occurrence of these contaminants on agriculture, a seed germination assay (Lactuca sativa L) and real field-scale study of crop productivity (i.e., lettuce and tomato) were used. Although irrigation waters from the peri-urban area exhibited a higher frequency of detection and concentration of the assessed chemical contaminants than those of the pristine site (P1), no significant differences were found in seed phytotoxicity or crop productivity. In fact, the crops impacted by TWW showed higher productivity than the other farm plots studied, which was associated with the higher nutrient availability for plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum in patients with suspected tick-borne encephalitis

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Zuzana Kalinová

2015-09-01

None of the examined patients with suspected TBE had the disease confirmed. Hoever, as shown by the results, the relative risk of occurrence of anaplasmosis is higher in people examined for some another vector-borne disease (in this case TBE. Therefore, the performance of screening examinations in patients suspected of having any tick-borne disease is very important.

Occurrences of uranium at Clinton, Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Science.gov (United States)

McKeown, F.A.; Klemic, H.; Choquette, P.W.

1954-01-01

An occurrence of uranium at Clinton, Hunterdon County, N. J. was first brought to the attention of the U.S. Geological Survey when Mr. Thomas L. Eak of Avenel, N. J. submitted to the Survey a sample containing 0.068 percent uranium. Subsequent examinations of the area around Clinton indicated that detailed mapping and study were warranted. The uranium occurrences at Clinton are in or associated with fault zones in the Kittatinny limestone of Cambro-Ordovician age. The limestone generally light gray, thick bedded, and dolomitic; chert is common but not abundant. Regionally and locally, faults are the most significant structural features. The local faults at Clinton are the loci for most of the uranium. The largest fault can be traced for about 700 feet and is radioactive everywhere it crops out. Samples from this fault contain as much as 0.038 percent uranium; the average content is about 0.010 percent uranium. Uranium also occurs disseminated in two 4-inch layers of black feldspathic dolomite and in several zones of residual soil derived from the Kittatinny limestone. The black layers contain as much as 0.046 percent uranium and can be traced only about 20 feet along strike. They are cut by a small fault that is also radioactive. The radioactive soil zones are roughly elongated parallel to bedding. Soil from them contains up to 0.008 percent uranium. The uranium occurrences are best explained by a supergene origin. The sampling, mapping, and radioactivity testing of uranium occurrences at Clinton indicate they are too low grade to be of current economic interest.

Technical assistance contractor occurrence reporting and processing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-08-01

Members of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project Technical Assistance Contractor (TAC) are responsible to notify management of TAC occurrence reporting and processing system (ORPS) classified occurrences .An ORPS occurrence is an unexpected or unplanned event on DOE property which causes bodily harm, death, damage to government property, exposure to toxic or hazardous substances above acceptable limits to workers, the environment, or general public. Examples of potential reportable occurrences include, but not limited to, site personnel exposures to airborne contaminants, incidents which could expose the general public to high levels of radiation or other contaminants, a vehicle accident resulting in property damage or personnel injuries. Listed TAC manager/staff contacts, with the assistance of TAC ORPS Program Coordinators, will determine if the occurrence is reportable under Department of Energy (DOE) Order M 232.1-2. The reportable occurrences will be classified as emergency, unusual, or off-normal. If determined to be reportable, listed TAC manager/staff will verbally report the details of the occurrence to the DOE Duty Officer within 2 hours of initial notification, and provide a written report of the event by noon the following work day

Introduced bullfrogs are associated with increased Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis prevalence and reduced occurrence of Korean treefrogs.

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Amaël Borzée

Full Text Available Bullfrogs, Lithobates catesbeianus, have been described as major vectors of the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd. Bd is widespread throughout the range of amphibians yet varies considerably within and among populations in prevalence and host impact. In our study, the presence of L. catesbeianus is correlated with a 2.5 increase in Bd prevalence in treefrogs, and the endangered Dryophytes suweonensis displays a significantly higher Bd prevalence than the more abundant D. japonicus for the 37 sites surveyed. In addition, the occurrence of L. catesbeianus was significantly correlated with a decrease in presence of D. suweonensis at sites. We could not determine if it is the presence of bullfrogs as competitors or predators that is limiting the distribution of D. suweonensis or whether this is caused by bullfrogs acting as a reservoir for Bd. However, L. catesbeianus can now be added to the list of factors responsible for the decline of D. suweonensis populations.

Effect of Dosimetric Factors on Occurrence and Volume of Temporal Lobe Necrosis Following Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Case-Control Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Xin; Ou, Xiaomin; Xu, Tingting; Wang, Xiaosheng; Shen, Chunying [Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai (China); Ding, Jianhui [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai (China); Hu, Chaosu, E-mail: hucsu62@yahoo.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai (China)

2014-10-01

Purpose: To determine dosimetric risk factors for the occurrence of temporal lobe necrosis (TLN) among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and to investigate the impact of dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters on the volume of TLN lesions (V-N). Methods and Materials: Forty-three NPC patients who had developed TLN following IMRT and 43 control subjects free of TLN were retrospectively assessed. DVH parameters included maximum dose (Dmax), minimum dose (Dmin), mean dose (Dmean), absolute volumes receiving specific dose (Vds) from 20 to 76 Gy (V20-V76), and doses covering certain volumes (Dvs) from 0.25 to 6.0 cm{sup 3} (D0.25-D6.0). V-Ns were quantified with axial magnetic resonance images. Results: DVH parameters were ubiquitously higher in temporal lobes with necrosis than in healthy temporal lobes. Increased Vds and Dvs were significantly associated with higher risk of TLN occurrence (P<.05). In particular, Vds at a dose of ≥70 Gy were found with the highest odds ratios. A common increasing trend was detected between V-N and DVH parameters through trend tests (P for trend of <.05). Linear regression analysis showed that V45 had the strongest predictive power for V-N (adjusted R{sup 2} = 0.305, P<.0001). V45 of <15.1 cm{sup 3} was relatively safe as the dose constraint for preventing large TLN lesions with V-N of >5 cm{sup 3}. Conclusions: Dosimetric parameters are significantly associated with TLN occurrence and the extent of temporal lobe injury. To better manage TLN, it would be important to avoid both focal high dose and moderate dose delivered to a large area in TLs.

Spatio-Temporal Occurrence Modeling of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Subtype H5N1: A Case Study in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

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Chinh C. Tran

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI subtype H5N1 poses severe threats to both animals and humans. Investigating where, when and why the disease occurs is important to help animal health authorities develop effective control policies. This study takes into account spatial and temporal occurrence of HPAI H5N1 in the Red River Delta of Vietnam. A two-stage procedure was used: (1 logistic regression modeling to identify and quantify factors influencing the occurrence of HPAI H5N1; and (2 a geostatistical approach to develop monthly predictive maps. The results demonstrated that higher average monthly temperatures and poultry density in combination with lower average monthly precipitation, humidity in low elevation areas, roughly from November to January and April to June, contribute to the higher occurrence of HPAI H5N1. Provinces near the Gulf of Tonkin, including Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh are areas with higher probability of occurrence of HPAI H5N1.

Strong Sporadic E Occurrence Detected by Ground-Based GNSS

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wenjie; Ning, Baiqi; Yue, Xinan; Li, Guozhu; Hu, Lianhuan; Chang, Shoumin; Lan, Jiaping; Zhu, Zhengping; Zhao, Biqiang; Lin, Jian

2018-04-01

The ionospheric sporadic E (Es) layer has significant impact on radio wave propagation. The traditional techniques employed for Es layer observation, for example, ionosondes, are not dense enough to resolve the morphology and dynamics of Es layer in spatial distribution. The ground-based Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) technique is expected to shed light on the understanding of regional strong Es occurrence, owing to the facts that the critical frequency (foEs) of strong Es structure is usually high enough to cause pulse-like disturbances in GNSS total electron content (TEC), and a large number of GNSS receivers have been deployed all over the world. Based on the Chinese ground-based GNSS networks, including the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China and the Beidou Ionospheric Observation Network, a large-scale strong Es event was observed in the middle latitude of China. The strong Es shown as a band-like structure in the southwest-northeast direction extended more than 1,000 km. By making a comparative analysis of Es occurrences identified from the simultaneous observations by ionosondes and GNSS TEC receivers over China middle latitude statistically, we found that GNSS TEC can be well employed to observe strong Es occurrence with a threshold value of foEs, 14 MHz.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January-March 1986. Volume 9, No. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-09-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 1986. The report states that for this reporting period, there were two abnormal occurrences at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate. The events were (1) a loss of power and water hammer event and (2) a loss of integrated control system power and overcooling transient. There were five abnormal occurrences at the other NRC licensees. The events were (1) a rupture of a uranium hexafluoride cylinder and release of gases, (2) a therapeutic medical misadministration, (3) an overexposure to a member of the public from an industrial gauge, (4) a breakdown of management controls at an irradiator facility, and (5) a tritium overexposure and laboratory contamination. There were four abnormal occurrences reported by the Agreement States. Three of the events involved radiation injuries to people working either as radiographers or assistant radiographers; the other event involved contamination of a scrap steel facility. The report also contains information updating some previously reported abnormal occurrences

Plasma soluble podoplanin is a novel marker for the diagnosis of tumor occurrence and metastasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xingpeng; Pan, Yanfang; Ren, Weihua; Shen, Fei; Xu, Mengqiao; Yu, Min; Fu, Jianxin; Xia, Lijun; Ruan, Changgeng; Zhao, Yiming

2018-02-01

Podoplanin (PDPN) is expressed on many tumors and is involved in tumor metastasis. The objective of the present study was to develop an ELISA for determining soluble PDPN (sPDPN) levels as a potential novel tumor marker in plasma of patients with cancers for detection of tumor occurrence and metastasis. Mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against human PDPN were developed and characterized. Two anti-PDPN mAb, SZ-163 and SZ-168, were used in a sandwich ELISA to detect plasma sPDPN in patients with cancers and in normal individuals. The levels of sPDPN were detected in patients with adenocarcinoma (87 cases, 31.09 ± 5.48 ng/ml), squamous cell carcinoma (86 cases, 6.91 ± 0.59 ng/ml), lung cancer (45 cases, 26.10 ± 7.62 ng/ml), gastric cancer (38 cases, 23.71 ± 6.90 ng/ml) and rectal cancer (27 cases, 32.98 ± 9.88 ng/ml), which were significantly higher than those in normal individuals (99 cases, 1.31 ± 0.13 ng/ml) (P < .0001). Moreover, the sPDPN levels in patients with metastatic cancers were higher (192 cases, 30.35 ± 3.63 ng/ml) than those in non-metastatic cancer patients (92 cases, 6.28 ± 0.77 ng/ml) (P < .0001). The post-treatment sPDPN levels of cancer patients (n = 156) (4.47 ± 0.35 ng/ml) were significantly lower compared with those seen pre-treatment (n = 128) (43.74 ± 4.97 ng/ml) (P < .0001). These results showed that an ELISA method was successfully established for quantitation of plasma sPDPN and plasma sPDPN levels correlate significantly with tumor occurrence and metastasis. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Wildlife in the Matrix: Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Herbivore Occurrence in Karnataka, India

Science.gov (United States)

Karanth, Krithi K.

2016-01-01

Wildlife reserves are becoming increasingly isolated from the surrounding human-dominated landscapes particularly in Asia. It is imperative to understand how species are distributed spatially and temporally in and outside reserves, and what factors influence their occurrence. This study surveyed 7500 km2 landscape surrounding five reserves in the Western Ghats to examine patterns of occurrence of five herbivores: elephant, gaur, sambar, chital, and pig. Species distributions are modeled spatio-temporally using an occupancy approach. Trained field teams conducted 3860 interview-based occupancy surveys in a 10-km buffer surrounding these five reserves in 2012. I found gaur and wild pig to be the least and most wide-ranging species, respectively. Elephant and chital exhibit seasonal differences in spatial distribution unlike the other three species. As predicted, distance to reserve, the reserve itself, and forest cover were associated with higher occupancy of all species, and higher densities of people negatively influenced occurrence of all species. Park management, species protection, and conflict mitigation efforts in this landscape need to incorporate temporal and spatial understanding of species distributions. All species are known crop raiders and conflict prone locations with resources (such as water and forage) have to be monitored and managed carefully. Wildlife reserves and adjacent areas are critical for long-term persistence and habitat use for all five herbivores and must be monitored to ensure wildlife can move freely. Such a large-scale approach to map and monitor species distributions can be adapted to other landscapes to identify and monitor critical habitats shared by people and wildlife.

A bootstrap based space-time surveillance model with an application to crime occurrences

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngho; O'Kelly, Morton

2008-06-01

This study proposes a bootstrap-based space-time surveillance model. Designed to find emerging hotspots in near-real time, the bootstrap based model is characterized by its use of past occurrence information and bootstrap permutations. Many existing space-time surveillance methods, using population at risk data to generate expected values, have resulting hotspots bounded by administrative area units and are of limited use for near-real time applications because of the population data needed. However, this study generates expected values for local hotspots from past occurrences rather than population at risk. Also, bootstrap permutations of previous occurrences are used for significant tests. Consequently, the bootstrap-based model, without the requirement of population at risk data, (1) is free from administrative area restriction, (2) enables more frequent surveillance for continuously updated registry database, and (3) is readily applicable to criminology and epidemiology surveillance. The bootstrap-based model performs better for space-time surveillance than the space-time scan statistic. This is shown by means of simulations and an application to residential crime occurrences in Columbus, OH, year 2000.

Report on safety related occurrences and reactor trips July 1, 1976-December 31, 1976

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andermo, L.

1977-04-01

This is a systematically arranged report on all reported safety related occurrences and reactor trips in Swedish nuclear power plants in operation during July 1, 1976 to December 31, 1976 inclusive. The facilities involved are Oskarshamn 1 and 2, Ringhals 1 and 2 and Barsebaeck 1. During this period of the 6 months 37 safety related occurrences and 34 reactor trips have been reported to the Nuclear Power Inspectorate. As earlier experiences have shown it is to the greatest extent the conventional components which bring about the safety related occurrences or occurrences leading to outages or power reductions. However, the component errors discovered in the safety related systems have not affected the function of their redundant systems and other diverse systems have not been involved. Therefore the reactor safety has been satisfactory. The fact that even small deviations from prescribed operation results in automatic and safe shut down of the reactor, does not always imply a conflict with operational availability. The number of reactor trips are almost as low as during the last period, which is a drastic reduction compared to earlier time periods. The greatest outages are caused by occurrences without safety significance.(author)

Influence of hormonal contraceptives and the occurrence of stroke: integrative review

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Adman Câmara Soares Lima

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To identify scientific evidence regarding the influence of hormonal contraceptive use and the occurrence of stroke. Method: Integrative review of the literature, through database search using the descriptors "contraceptive agents", "contraceptive devices", "contraceptives, Oral" and "Stroke". Original studies in Portuguese, Spanish and English, published in full and available online were included. Studies that did not answer our guiding questions and duplicated studies were excluded. Results: Women using combined oral contraceptives have higher risk of stroke, even with a lower hormonal dosage and different types of progestogen, regardless of the duration of use. The use of contraceptives associated with smoking, hypertension, migraine, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and sedentary lifestyle increases the chance of stroke. Contraceptive patch and vaginal ring are associated to increased risk. Conclusion: Use of combined hormonal contraceptives, except for the injectable and the transdermal ones, increases the chance of occurrence of the event. Progestogen-only contraceptives were considered safe.

The Probability of Uranium Deposit Occurrences at Hatapang and Its Surrounding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soepradto-Tjokrokardono; Ngadenin

2004-01-01

This study was carried out based on a geological condition of Hatapang and is surroundings areas that are favourable for uranium accumulation, which are indicated by the existence of granite high uranium content, having mobilizations process and uranium trapping rocks. Referring to the plate tectonic and geochemical situation of Hatapang, those condition will give a significant indications for the possible occurrence of deposit of uranium in the area. The goal of this study is to know the probability occurrences of uranium deposit based on the regional tectonic, geology, mineralogy, geochemical, and radioactivity characters. It is concluded that Hatapang granite is potential for U source granite, and U deposit of black shale type is probably accurate in this area. (author)

Association of time of occurrence of electrical heart storms with environmental physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoupel, Eliiyahu; Kusniec, Jairo; Golovchiner, Gregory; Abramson, Evgeny; Kadmon, Udi; Strasberg, Boris

2014-08-01

Many publications in recent decades have reported a temporal link between medical events and environmental physical activity. The aim of this study was to analyze the time of occurrence of electrical heart storms against levels of cosmological parameters. The sample included 82 patients (71 male) with ischemic cardiomyopathy treated with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator at a tertiary medical center in 1999-2012 (5,114 days). The time of occurrence of all electrical heart storms, defined as three or more events of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation daily, was recorded from the defibrillator devices. Findings were analyzed against data on solar, geomagnetic, and cosmic ray (neutron) activity for the same time period obtained from space institutions in the United States and Russia. Electrical storms occurred in all months of the year, with a slight decrease in July, August, and September. Most events took place on days with lower-than-average levels of solar and geomagnetic activity and higher-than-average levels of cosmic ray (neutron) activity. There was a significant difference in mean daily cosmic ray activity between the whole observation period and the days of electrical storm activity (P = 0.0001). These data extend earlier findings on the association of the timing of cardiac events and space weather parameters to the most dangerous form of cardiac arrhythmia-electric storms. Further studies are needed to delineate the pathogenetic mechanism underlying this association. ©2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Global occurrence of anti-infectives in contaminated surface waters: Impact of income inequality between countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Segura, Pedro A; Takada, Hideshige; Correa, José A; El Saadi, Karim; Koike, Tatsuya; Onwona-Agyeman, Siaw; Ofosu-Anim, John; Sabi, Edward Benjamin; Wasonga, Oliver V; Mghalu, Joseph M; dos Santos Junior, Antonio Manuel; Newman, Brent; Weerts, Steven; Yargeau, Viviane

2015-07-01

The presence anti-infectives in environmental waters is of interest because of their potential role in the dissemination of anti-infective resistance in bacteria and other harmful effects on non-target species such as algae and shellfish. Since no information on global trends regarding the contamination caused by these bioactive substances is yet available, we decided to investigate the impact of income inequality between countries on the occurrence of anti-infectives in surface waters. In order to perform such study, we gathered concentration values reported in the peer-reviewed literature between 1998 and 2014 and built a database. To fill the gap of knowledge on occurrence of anti-infectives in African countries, we also collected 61 surface water samples from Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa, and measured concentrations of 19 anti-infectives. A mixed one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model, followed by Turkey-Kramer post hoc tests was used to identify potential differences in anti-infective occurrence between countries grouped by income level (high, upper-middle and lower-middle and low income) according to the classification by the World Bank. Comparison of occurrence of anti-infectives according to income level revealed that concentrations of these substances in contaminated surface waters were significantly higher in low and lower-middle income countries (p=0.0001) but not in upper-middle income countries (p=0.0515) compared to high-income countries. We explained these results as the consequence of the absence of or limited sewage treatment performed in lower income countries. Furthermore, comparison of concentrations of low cost anti-infectives (sulfonamides and trimethoprim) and the more expensive macrolides between income groups suggest that the cost of these substances may have an impact on their environmental occurrence in lower income countries. Since wastewaters are the most important source of contamination of anti-infectives and other

Species co-occurrence networks: Can they reveal trophic and non-trophic interactions in ecological communities?

Science.gov (United States)

Freilich, Mara A; Wieters, Evie; Broitman, Bernardo R; Marquet, Pablo A; Navarrete, Sergio A

2018-03-01

Co-occurrence methods are increasingly utilized in ecology to infer networks of species interactions where detailed knowledge based on empirical studies is difficult to obtain. Their use is particularly common, but not restricted to, microbial networks constructed from metagenomic analyses. In this study, we test the efficacy of this procedure by comparing an inferred network constructed using spatially intensive co-occurrence data from the rocky intertidal zone in central Chile to a well-resolved, empirically based, species interaction network from the same region. We evaluated the overlap in the information provided by each network and the extent to which there is a bias for co-occurrence data to better detect known trophic or non-trophic, positive or negative interactions. We found a poor correspondence between the co-occurrence network and the known species interactions with overall sensitivity (probability of true link detection) equal to 0.469, and specificity (true non-interaction) equal to 0.527. The ability to detect interactions varied with interaction type. Positive non-trophic interactions such as commensalism and facilitation were detected at the highest rates. These results demonstrate that co-occurrence networks do not represent classical ecological networks in which interactions are defined by direct observations or experimental manipulations. Co-occurrence networks provide information about the joint spatial effects of environmental conditions, recruitment, and, to some extent, biotic interactions, and among the latter, they tend to better detect niche-expanding positive non-trophic interactions. Detection of links (sensitivity or specificity) was not higher for well-known intertidal keystone species than for the rest of consumers in the community. Thus, as observed in previous empirical and theoretical studies, patterns of interactions in co-occurrence networks must be interpreted with caution, especially when extending interaction

Modeling very large-fire occurrences over the continental United States from weather and climate forcing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbero, R; Abatzoglou, J T; Steel, E A; K Larkin, Narasimhan

2014-01-01

Very large-fires (VLFs) have widespread impacts on ecosystems, air quality, fire suppression resources, and in many regions account for a majority of total area burned. Empirical generalized linear models of the largest fires (>5000 ha) across the contiguous United States (US) were developed at ∼60 km spatial and weekly temporal resolutions using solely atmospheric predictors. Climate−fire relationships on interannual timescales were evident, with wetter conditions than normal in the previous growing season enhancing VLFs probability in rangeland systems and with concurrent long-term drought enhancing VLFs probability in forested systems. Information at sub-seasonal timescales further refined these relationships, with short-term fire weather being a significant predictor in rangelands and fire danger indices linked to dead fuel moisture being a significant predictor in forested lands. Models demonstrated agreement in capturing the observed spatial and temporal variability including the interannual variability of VLF occurrences within most ecoregions. Furthermore the model captured the observed increase in VLF occurrences across parts of the southwestern and southeastern US from 1984 to 2010 suggesting that, irrespective of changes in fuels and land management, climatic factors have become more favorable for VLF occurrence over the past three decades in some regions. Our modeling framework provides a basis for simulations of future VLF occurrences from climate projections. (letter)

Occurrence of Neophytes in Agrophytocoenoses – Field Survey in the Czech Republic

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Michaela Kolářová

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Neophytes belong to a group of non‑native plants, which were introduced by man either intentionally or unintentionally in different ways. The discovery of America is a historical milestone for non-native plant research. Most scientists use the term neophyte for species introduced after the year 1500. Neophytes became progressively more numerous in arable fields and their proportion significantly increased during the second half of the 20th century. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of neophytes in arable fields in the Czech Republic in terms of applied management systems, crops, and environmental site conditions at different altitudes. In the years 2006 to 2008, a phytocoenological survey was conducted on selected farms across the Czech Republic under various climate and soil conditions in spring and winter cereals and in wide‑row crops. Totally, 172 weed species were found. Among these species, 8 % were considered as neophytes (13 species. In respect of their stage of invasiveness, 6 neophytes were considered as invasive, 6 species as naturalized and 1 species was considered as casual. Frequencies of neophyte species we found ranged between 0.3 – 31 % from all relevés. Environmental site conditions associated with altitude were the most important factors correlated with the occurrence of neophytes. The incidence of neophytes is primarily concentrated at lower altitudes and is mainly associated with stands of spring wide‑row crops, especially root crops and vegetables. A higher proportion of neophytes was found in organic farming.

Family relationship, water contact and occurrence of Buruli ulcer in Benin.

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Ghislain Emmanuel Sopoh

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer is the most widespread mycobacterial disease in the world after leprosy and tuberculosis. How M. ulcerans is introduced into the skin of humans remains unclear, but it appears that individuals living in the same environment may have different susceptibilities. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine whether frequent contacts with natural water sources, family relationship or the practice of consanguineous marriages are associated with the occurrence of Buruli ulcer (BU. DESIGN: Case control study. SETTING: Department of Atlantique, Benin. SUBJECTS: BU-confirmed cases that were diagnosed and followed up at the BU detection and treatment center (CDTUB of Allada (Department of the Atlantique, Benin during the period from January 1st, 2006, to June 30th, 2008, with three matched controls (persons who had no signs or symptoms of active or inactive BU for age, gender and village of residence per case. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURED: Contact with natural water sources, BU history in the family and the practice of consanguineous marriages. RESULTS: A total of 416 participants were included in this study, including 104 cases and 312 controls. BU history in the family (p<0.001, adjusted by daily contact with a natural water source (p = 0.007, was significantly associated with higher odds of having BU (OR; 95% CI = 5.5; 3.0-10.0. The practice of consanguineous marriage was not associated with the occurrence of BU (p = 0.40. Mendelian disorders could explain this finding, which may influence individual susceptibility by impairing immunity. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a combination of genetic factors and behavioral risk factors may increase the susceptibility for developing BU.

Driving factors for torrential mass-movements occurrence in the Western Alps

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Davide eTiranti

2016-02-01

Full Text Available To understand the behaviour of torrential processes in the alpine environment, the conditions mainly responsiblefor the occurrence of these phenomena have to be identified and distinguished(classified aspredisposing and triggering factors. In this regard, this study is aimed to understanding which factors lead to the occurrence of a given torrential processes in alpine catchments in the Western Alps, where information on past events are exhaustive and characterized by a long historical series. More than 769 documented torrential eventsoccurred from 1728 to 2015 within 78 catchments. Datasets concerning climate, geology and morphology, land use and the presence of historical landslide activity have been elaborated as input for multivariate statistical analysis to characterize the behaviour of the catchments. The results pinpoint the factors that mainly drive the type of torrential dominant process occurring in a given catchment, its occurrence probability, and its frequency. This study has demonstrated that catchments characterized by a significant percentage of outcropping rocks show a greater occurrence of torrential processes, especially hyperconcentrated flows and debris flows; on the contrary highly vegetated catchments are typically subject to water flows. This result can be a useful tool for the evaluation of hazards related to this specific phenomenon, making it possible to predict the most likely torrential processes that can be generated in a specific basin, given the characteristics of outcropping rock and vegetation cover.

Implementation of a protocol to reduce occurrence of retained sponges after vaginal delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lutgendorf, Monica A; Schindler, Lynnett L; Hill, James B; Magann, Everett F; O'Boyle, John D

2011-06-01

Retained sponges (gossypiboma) following vaginal delivery are an uncommon occurrence. Although significant morbidity from such an event is unlikely, there are many reported adverse effects, including symptoms of malodorous discharge, loss of confidence in providers and the medical system, and legal claims. To report a protocol intended to reduce the occurrence of retained sponges following vaginal delivery. After identification of limitations with existing delivery room protocols, we developed a sponge count protocol to reduce occurrence of retained vaginal sponges. We report our experience at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, a large tertiary care military treatment facility with our efforts to implement a sponge count protocol to reduce retained sponges following vaginal delivery. With appropriate pre-implementation training, protocols which incorporate post-delivery vaginal sweep and sponge counts are well accepted by the health care team and can be incorporated into the delivery room routine.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October--December 1993. Volume 16, No. 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-04-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report covers the period from October 1 through December 31, 1993. This report discusses six abnormal occurrences at NRC-licensed facilities. Five involved medical brachytherapy misadministrations, and one involved an overexposure to a nursing infant. Seven abnormal occurrences that were reported by the Agreement States are also discussed, based on information provided by the Agreement States as of February 28, 1994. Of these events, three involved brachytherapy misadministrations, one involved a teletherapy misadministration, one involved a theft of radioactive material during transport and improper disposal, and two involved lost sources.

Occurrence, Seasonal Variation and Risk Assessment of Antibiotics in Qingcaosha Reservoir

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Yue Jiang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Qingcaosha Reservoir is an important drinking water source in Shanghai. The occurrence of five groups of antibiotics was investigated in the surface water of this reservoir over a one-year period. Seventeen antibiotics were selected in this study based on their significant usage in China. Of these antibiotics, 16 were detected, while oxytetracycline was not detected in any sampling site. The detected frequency of tylosin was only 47.92% while the other 15 antibiotics were above 81.25%. The dominant antibiotic was different in four seasons: norfloxacin was dominant in spring, and penicillinV was dominant in summer, autumn and winter, with medium concentrations of 124.10 ng/L, 89.91 ng/L, 180.28 ng/L, and 216.43 ng/L, respectively. The concentrations and detection frequencies of antibiotics were notably higher in winter than in other seasons, demonstrating that low temperature and low flow may result in the persistence of antibiotics in the aquatic environment. Risk assessment suggested that norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, penicillinV, and doxycycline in the surface water presented high ecological risks.

Occurrence of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in edible oils in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

MacMahon, Shaun; Begley, Timothy H; Diachenko, Gregory W

2013-01-01

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD) and glycidol are processing contaminants found in a wide range of edible oils. While both 3 MCPD and glycidol have toxicological properties that at present has concerns for food safety, the published occurrence data are limited. Occurrence information is presented for the concentrations of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in 116 retail and/or industrial edible oils and fats using LC-MS/MS analysis of intact esters. The concentrations for bound 3-MCPD ranged from below the limit of quantitation (3-MCPD and glycidol were seen in refined palm oil and palm olein samples. Palm olein samples also contained a higher percentage of 3-MCPD in mono-ester form than any other type of oil.

[Changes in serum YKL-40 level and humoral immune function and their significance in children with recurrent pneumonia].

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Wei-Yin; Peng, Shao; Zhang, Ting

2017-04-01

To investigate the changes in serum YKL-40 level and humoral immune function and their significance in children with recurrent pneumonia. Blood samples were collected from 30 children with recurrent pneumonia (recurrent pneumonia group), 30 children with acute pneumonia (acute pneumonia group), and 30 healthy children (control group). Serum YKL-40 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation between serum YKL-40 level and laboratory indices related to humoral immune function was analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum YKL-40 level for recurrent pneumonia. The recurrent pneumonia group had a significantly higher serum YKL-40 level than the acute pneumonia and control groups (Ppneumonia group had a significantly higher serum YKL-40 level than the control group (Ppneumonia group were significantly lower than in the acute pneumonia group (Ppneumonia was 0.958 (95%CI: 0.921-0.994). Humoral immune function is low in children with recurrent pneumonia. Serum YKL-40 may be involved in the occurrence of recurrent pneumonia and can be used as a reference index for diagnosing recurrent pneumonia.

Improving the Accuracy of Planet Occurrence Rates from Kepler Using Approximate Bayesian Computation

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Danley C.; Ford, Eric B.; Ragozzine, Darin; Morehead, Robert C.

2018-05-01

We present a new framework to characterize the occurrence rates of planet candidates identified by Kepler based on hierarchical Bayesian modeling, approximate Bayesian computing (ABC), and sequential importance sampling. For this study, we adopt a simple 2D grid in planet radius and orbital period as our model and apply our algorithm to estimate occurrence rates for Q1–Q16 planet candidates orbiting solar-type stars. We arrive at significantly increased planet occurrence rates for small planet candidates (R p 80 day) compared to the rates estimated by the more common inverse detection efficiency method (IDEM). Our improved methodology estimates that the occurrence rate density of small planet candidates in the habitable zone of solar-type stars is {1.6}-0.5+1.2 per factor of 2 in planet radius and orbital period. Additionally, we observe a local minimum in the occurrence rate for strong planet candidates marginalized over orbital period between 1.5 and 2 R ⊕ that is consistent with previous studies. For future improvements, the forward modeling approach of ABC is ideally suited to incorporating multiple populations, such as planets, astrophysical false positives, and pipeline false alarms, to provide accurate planet occurrence rates and uncertainties. Furthermore, ABC provides a practical statistical framework for answering complex questions (e.g., frequency of different planetary architectures) and providing sound uncertainties, even in the face of complex selection effects, observational biases, and follow-up strategies. In summary, ABC offers a powerful tool for accurately characterizing a wide variety of astrophysical populations.

Clinical Significance of A Waves in Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakshminarasimhan, Sindhuja; Venkatraman, Chandramouleeswaran; Vellaichamy, Kannan; Ranganathan, Lakshminarasimhan

2018-05-25

A wave is a late response recognized during recording of F waves. Though they might be seen in healthy subjects, their presence assumes significance in a patient presenting with polyradiculoneuropathy. In this prospective study, 75 patients with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) were enrolled. They were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of A waves. Clinical features, electrophysiological parameters and extent of clinical recovery in short-term follow-up were analyzed. A waves were present in 49 out of 75 patients (65%). Most common pattern observed was multiple A waves. Prevalence of A waves was more in lower limb nerves than upper limb nerves. Occurrence of A waves correlated with the presence of conduction block. Patients with A waves had higher Hughes grade (P = 0.003) and lower Medical Research Council sum score at 6 weeks of follow-up (P = 0.04) as compared to patients without A waves. A waves are common in acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy form of Guillain Barre syndrome and are considered as a marker of demyelination. Long-term follow-up studies are required to ascertain their significance in prognostication and assessing recovery.

Use of inflammatory molecules to predict the occurrence of fever in onco-hematological patients with neutropenia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ribeiro, A.F. Tibúrcio; Nobre, V.; Neuenschwander, L.C. [Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Teixeira, A.L. [Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Xavier, S.G.; Paula, F.D.F. [Departamento de Propedêutica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Teixeira, M.M. [Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Teixeira, J.C.A.; Bittencourt, H. [Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2013-02-01

Febrile neutropenia remains a frequent complication in onco-hematological patients, and changes in the circulating level of inflammatory molecules (IM) may precede the occurrence of fever. The present observational prospective study was carried out to evaluate the behavior of plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), soluble TNF-α I and II receptors (sTNFRI and sTNFRII), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1 or chemokine (c-c motif) ligand 2 (CCL2)], macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α or CCL3), eotaxin (CCL11), interleukin-8 (IL-8 or CXCL8), and interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10 or CXCL10) in 32 episodes of neutropenia in 26 onco-hematological patients. IM were tested on enrollment and 24-48 h before the onset of fever and within 24 h of the first occurrence of fever. Eight of 32 episodes of neutropenia did not present fever (control group) and the patients underwent IM tests on three different occasions. sTNFRI levels, measured a median of 11 h (1-15) before the onset of fever, were significantly higher in patients presenting fever during follow-up compared to controls (P = 0.02). Similar results were observed for sTNFRI and CCL2 levels (P = 0.04 for both) in non-transplanted patients. A cut-off of 1514 pg/mL for sTNFRI was able to discriminate between neutropenic patients with or without fever during follow-up, with 65% sensitivity, 87% specificity, and 93% positive predictive value. Measurement of the levels of plasma sTNFRI can be used to predict the occurrence of fever in neutropenic patients.

Use of inflammatory molecules to predict the occurrence of fever in onco-hematological patients with neutropenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.F. Tiburcio Ribeiro

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Febrile neutropenia remains a frequent complication in onco-hematological patients, and changes in the circulating level of inflammatory molecules (IM may precede the occurrence of fever. The present observational prospective study was carried out to evaluate the behavior of plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, soluble TNF-α I and II receptors (sTNFRI and sTNFRII, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1 or chemokine (c-c motif ligand 2 (CCL2], macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α or CCL3, eotaxin (CCL11, interleukin-8 (IL-8 or CXCL8, and interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10 or CXCL10 in 32 episodes of neutropenia in 26 onco-hematological patients. IM were tested on enrollment and 24-48 h before the onset of fever and within 24 h of the first occurrence of fever. Eight of 32 episodes of neutropenia did not present fever (control group and the patients underwent IM tests on three different occasions. sTNFRI levels, measured a median of 11 h (1-15 before the onset of fever, were significantly higher in patients presenting fever during follow-up compared to controls (P = 0.02. Similar results were observed for sTNFRI and CCL2 levels (P = 0.04 for both in non-transplanted patients. A cut-off of 1514 pg/mL for sTNFRI was able to discriminate between neutropenic patients with or without fever during follow-up, with 65% sensitivity, 87% specificity, and 93% positive predictive value. Measurement of the levels of plasma sTNFRI can be used to predict the occurrence of fever in neutropenic patients.

Regional variation in fire weather controls the reported occurrence of Scottish wildfires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Matt Davies

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Fire is widely used as a traditional habitat management tool in Scotland, but wildfires pose a significant and growing threat. The financial costs of fighting wildfires are significant and severe wildfires can have substantial environmental impacts. Due to the intermittent occurrence of severe fire seasons, Scotland, and the UK as a whole, remain somewhat unprepared. Scotland currently lacks any form of Fire Danger Rating system that could inform managers and the Fire and Rescue Services (FRS of periods when there is a risk of increased of fire activity. We aimed evaluate the potential to use outputs from the Canadian Fire Weather Index system (FWI system to forecast periods of increased fire risk and the potential for ignitions to turn into large wildfires. We collated four and a half years of wildfire data from the Scottish FRS and examined patterns in wildfire occurrence within different regions, seasons, between urban and rural locations and according to FWI system outputs. We used a variety of techniques, including Mahalanobis distances, percentile analysis and Thiel-Sen regression, to scope the best performing FWI system codes and indices. Logistic regression showed significant differences in fire activity between regions, seasons and between urban and rural locations. The Fine Fuel Moisture Code and the Initial Spread Index did a tolerable job of modelling the probability of fire occurrence but further research on fuel moisture dynamics may provide substantial improvements. Overall our results suggest it would be prudent to ready resources and avoid managed burning when FFMC > 75 and/or ISI > 2.

Regional variation in fire weather controls the reported occurrence of Scottish wildfires.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, G Matt; Legg, Colin J

2016-01-01

Fire is widely used as a traditional habitat management tool in Scotland, but wildfires pose a significant and growing threat. The financial costs of fighting wildfires are significant and severe wildfires can have substantial environmental impacts. Due to the intermittent occurrence of severe fire seasons, Scotland, and the UK as a whole, remain somewhat unprepared. Scotland currently lacks any form of Fire Danger Rating system that could inform managers and the Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) of periods when there is a risk of increased of fire activity. We aimed evaluate the potential to use outputs from the Canadian Fire Weather Index system (FWI system) to forecast periods of increased fire risk and the potential for ignitions to turn into large wildfires. We collated four and a half years of wildfire data from the Scottish FRS and examined patterns in wildfire occurrence within different regions, seasons, between urban and rural locations and according to FWI system outputs. We used a variety of techniques, including Mahalanobis distances, percentile analysis and Thiel-Sen regression, to scope the best performing FWI system codes and indices. Logistic regression showed significant differences in fire activity between regions, seasons and between urban and rural locations. The Fine Fuel Moisture Code and the Initial Spread Index did a tolerable job of modelling the probability of fire occurrence but further research on fuel moisture dynamics may provide substantial improvements. Overall our results suggest it would be prudent to ready resources and avoid managed burning when FFMC > 75 and/or ISI > 2.

Packaging and transportation occurrence reporting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Needels, T.S.

1996-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1 calls for the maintenance of a database for all unclassified occurrence reports (ORs). ORS provide DOE with notice of incidents and accidents that endanger the public, workers, or DOE facility operations. To fulfill this policy, the DOE Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS) was established to require DOE facilities to report and process information concerning such events. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) provides DOE with data and analysis of occurrence related to packaging and transportation (P and T) safety. This program produces annual reports, lessons learned bulletins, and information for the packaging and transportation home page on the Internet. The analysis and reports provided can be used as a tool for oversight and a means for DOE sites to be proactive and anticipate problems through shared knowledge and lessons learned. To illustrate, some observable trends based on 3 years of the program are given. In summary, this program shows potential problem areas that need correcting, and possible breakdowns of safety

Association of genetic variants of the incretin-related genes with quantitative traits and occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese.

Science.gov (United States)

Enya, Mayumi; Horikawa, Yukio; Iizuka, Katsumi; Takeda, Jun

2014-01-01

None of the high frequency variants of the incretin-related genes has been found by genome-wide association study (GWAS) for association with occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese. However, low frequency and rare and/or high frequency variants affecting glucose metabolic traits remain to be investigated. We screened all exons of the incretin-related genes ( GCG , GLP1R , DPP4 , PCSK1 , GIP , and GIPR ) in 96 patients with type 2 diabetes and investigated for association of genetic variants of these genes with quantitative metabolic traits upon test meal with 38 young healthy volunteers and with the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese subjects comprising 1303 patients with type 2 diabetes and 1014 controls. Two mutations of GIPR , p.Thr3Alafsx21 and Arg183Gln, were found only in patients with type 2 diabetes, and both of them were treated with insulin. Of ten tagSNPs, we found that risk allele C of SNP393 (rs6235) of PCSK1 was nominally associated with higher fasting insulin and HOMA-R ( P  = 0.034 and P  = 0.030), but not with proinsulin level, incretin level or BMI. The variant showed significant association with occurrence of type 2 diabetes after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI ( P  = 0.0043). Rare variants of GIPR may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, possibly through insulin secretory defects. Furthermore, the genetic variant of PCSK1 might influence glucose homeostasis by altered insulin resistance independently of BMI, incretin level or proinsulin conversion, and may be associated with the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese.

Report on safety related occurrences and reactor trips July 1, 1979 - December 31, 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsson, S.; Andermo, L.

1980-01-01

This is a report on all reported safety related occurrences and reactor trips in Swedish nuclear power plants in operation during July 1 to December 31, 1979 inclusive. The facilities involved are Barsebaeck 1 and 2, Oskarshamn 1 and 2 and Ringhals 1 and 2. During this period of 6 months 76 safety related occurrences and 27 reactor trips have been reported to the Nuclear Power Inspectorate. It is to the greatest extent conventional components such as valves and pumps which bring about the safety related occurrences or occurrences leading to outages or power reductions. However, the component errors discovered in the safety related systems have not affected the function of their redundant system and other diverse systems have not been involved. Therefore the reactor safety has been satisfactory. The total number of reactor trips are normal. The average value for these 6 months is 4.5 trips/unit. Approximetely one half of the reactor trips happened at zero or very low power operation. The fact that even small deviations from prescribed operation result in an automatic and safe shut down of the reactor, does not always imply a conflict with operational availability. The greatest outages are caused by occurrences without safety significance. (author)

Idaho National Laboratory Quarterly Occurrence Analysis - 3rd Quarter FY-2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell, Lisbeth Ann [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-09-01

This report is published quarterly by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Quality and Performance Management Organization. The Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS), as prescribed in DOE Order 232.2, “Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information,” requires a quarterly analysis of events, both reportable and not reportable, for the previous 12 months. This report is the analysis of 73 reportable events (23 from the 3rd Qtr FY-16 and 50 from the prior three reporting quarters), as well as 45 other issue reports (including events found to be not reportable and Significant Category A and B conditions) identified at INL during the past 12 months (16 from this quarter and 29 from the prior three quarters).

Idaho National Laboratory Quarterly Occurrence Analysis - 1st Quarter FY 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell, Lisbeth Ann [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-03-01

This report is published quarterly by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Quality and Performance Management Organization. The Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS), as prescribed in DOE Order 232.2, “Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information,” requires a quarterly analysis of events, both reportable and not reportable, for the previous 12 months. This report is the analysis of 74 reportable events (16 from the 1st Qtr FY-16 and 58 from the prior three reporting quarters), as well as 35 other issue reports (including events found to be not reportable and Significant Category A and B conditions) identified at INL during the past 12 months (15 from this quarter and 20 from the prior three quarters).

Idaho National Laboratory Quarterly Occurrence Analysis 4th Quarter FY 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell, Lisbeth Ann [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-11-01

This report is published quarterly by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Quality and Performance Management Organization. The Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System, as prescribed in DOE Order 232.2, “Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information,” requires a quarterly analysis of events, both reportable and not reportable, for the previous 12 months. This report is the analysis of 84 reportable events (29 from the 4th quarter fiscal year 2016 and 55 from the prior three reporting quarters), as well as 39 other issue reports (including events found to be not reportable and Significant Category A and B conditions) identified at INL during the past 12 months (two from this quarter and 37 from the prior three quarters).

Higher fatty acids in Chlorella vulgaris (pyrenoidosa): Content of indivudual acids and use of the algae for the preparation of higher fatty acids - 14C(G)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matucha, M.

1975-01-01

A survey of data on the occurrence of higher fatty acids in the lipids of C h l o r e l l a v u l g a r i s (pyrenoidosa) is presented with a view to the biosynthetical preparation of fatty acids- 14 C(G). (author)

Occurrence of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes in beef cattle storage ponds and swine treatment lagoons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yuping; Zhang, Chiqian; Parker, David B.; Snow, Daniel D.; Zhou, Zhi; Li, Xu

2013-01-01

Livestock manure treatment and storage structures are potential environmental sources of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, the occurrence of antimicrobials and ARGs was investigated in the water and the sludge compartments of beef cattle storage ponds and swine lagoons. Analysis was focused on two families of antimicrobials (sulfonamide and tetracycline) and the corresponding ARGs (sul1, sul2, tetO, tetQ and tetX). Results showed that the pseudo-partitioning coefficients of tetracyclines were higher than those of sulfonamides, suggesting different distributions of these two classes of antimicrobials between water and sludge. The ARGs tested were detected in nearly all ponds and lagoons, with the highest relative abundance in sul2 at 6.3 × 10 −1 copies per 16S rRNA gene. A positive correlation was observed between total sul genes and total sulfonamides in water while the correlation was negative in sludge. No significant correlation was found between total tet genes and total tetracyclines in either water or sludge, but significant correlations were observed for certain individual tet genes. Ammonia concentrations strongly correlated with all ARGs except tetX. This study provided quantitative information on the occurrence of antimicrobials and ARGs in the liquid and solid compartments of typical manure treatment and storage structures. - Highlights: • Partitioning of antimicrobials between water and sludge is compound specific. • Antimicrobial resistance genes occurred in both water and sludge. • The ARG abundance varied more substantially in swine lagoons than in cattle ponds. • Correlations between ARGs and antimicrobials are system dependent

Occurrence of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes in beef cattle storage ponds and swine treatment lagoons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yuping; Zhang, Chiqian [Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE (United States); Parker, David B. [USDA Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE (United States); Snow, Daniel D. [Water Sciences Laboratory, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE (United States); Zhou, Zhi [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore (Singapore); Li, Xu, E-mail: xuli@unl.edu [Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE (United States)

2013-10-01

Livestock manure treatment and storage structures are potential environmental sources of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, the occurrence of antimicrobials and ARGs was investigated in the water and the sludge compartments of beef cattle storage ponds and swine lagoons. Analysis was focused on two families of antimicrobials (sulfonamide and tetracycline) and the corresponding ARGs (sul1, sul2, tetO, tetQ and tetX). Results showed that the pseudo-partitioning coefficients of tetracyclines were higher than those of sulfonamides, suggesting different distributions of these two classes of antimicrobials between water and sludge. The ARGs tested were detected in nearly all ponds and lagoons, with the highest relative abundance in sul2 at 6.3 × 10{sup −1} copies per 16S rRNA gene. A positive correlation was observed between total sul genes and total sulfonamides in water while the correlation was negative in sludge. No significant correlation was found between total tet genes and total tetracyclines in either water or sludge, but significant correlations were observed for certain individual tet genes. Ammonia concentrations strongly correlated with all ARGs except tetX. This study provided quantitative information on the occurrence of antimicrobials and ARGs in the liquid and solid compartments of typical manure treatment and storage structures. - Highlights: • Partitioning of antimicrobials between water and sludge is compound specific. • Antimicrobial resistance genes occurred in both water and sludge. • The ARG abundance varied more substantially in swine lagoons than in cattle ponds. • Correlations between ARGs and antimicrobials are system dependent.

Longitudinal Variations in the Variability of Spread F Occurrence

Science.gov (United States)

Groves, K. M.; Bridgwood, C.; Carrano, C. S.

2017-12-01

The complex dynamics of the equatorial ionosphere have attracted the interest and attention of researchers for many decades. The relatively local processes that give rise to large meridional gradients have been well documented and the associated terminology has entered the common lexicon of ionospheric research (e.g., fountain effect, equatorial anomaly, bubbles, Spread F). Zonal variations have also been noted, principally at the level of determining longitudinal differences in seasonal activity patterns. Due to a historical lack of high resolution ground-based observations at low latitudes, the primary source of data for such analyses has been space-based observations from satellites such as ROCSAT, DMSP, C/NOFS that measure in situ electron density variations. An important longitudinal variation in electron density structure associated with non-migrating diurnal tides was discovered by Immel et al. in 2006 using data from the FUV sensor aboard the NASA IMAGE satellite. These satellite observations have been very helpful in identifying the structural characteristics of the equatorial ionosphere and the occurrence of Spread F, but they provide little insight into variations in scintillation features and potential differences in bubble development characteristics. Moreover space-based studies tend towards the statistics of occurrence frequency over periods of weeks to months. A recent analysis of daily spread F occurrence as determined by low latitude VHF scintillation activity shows that statistical results that are consistent with previous space-based observations, but the level of variability in the occurrence data show marked variations with longitude. For example, the American sector shows very low in-season variability while the African and Asian sectors exhibit true day-to-day variability regardless of seasonal variations. The results have significant implications for space weather as they suggest that long-term forecasts of equatorial scintillation may be

Foreshock occurrence rates before large earthquakes worldwide

Science.gov (United States)

Reasenberg, P.A.

1999-01-01

Global rates of foreshock occurrence involving shallow M ??? 6 and M ??? 7 mainshocks and M ??? 5 foreshocks were measured, using earthquakes listed in the Harvard CMT catalog for the period 1978-1996. These rates are similar to rates ones measured in previous worldwide and regional studies when they are normalized for the ranges of magnitude difference they each span. The observed worldwide rates were compared to a generic model of earthquake clustering, which is based on patterns of small and moderate aftershocks in California, and were found to exceed the California model by a factor of approximately 2. Significant differences in foreshock rate were found among subsets of earthquakes defined by their focal mechanism and tectonic region, with the rate before thrust events higher and the rate before strike-slip events lower than the worldwide average. Among the thrust events a large majority, composed of events located in shallow subduction zones, registered a high foreshock rate, while a minority, located in continental thrust belts, measured a low rate. These differences may explain why previous surveys have revealed low foreshock rates among thrust events in California (especially southern California), while the worldwide observations suggest the opposite: California, lacking an active subduction zone in most of its territory, and including a region of mountain-building thrusts in the south, reflects the low rate apparently typical for continental thrusts, while the worldwide observations, dominated by shallow subduction zone events, are foreshock-rich.

Nullifying quality: the marketasation of higher education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendixen, Carsten; Jacobsen, Jens Christian

2017-01-01

higher education. In the long run it will hardly benefit educational programmes if institutions of higher educations fail to ‘stand for’ quality that, in the very least, can supplement the fulfilment of politically determined targets and standards. In this way the market will have not only graduates who......The increasing dominance of educational markets means that quality of higher education has the character of open signifiers of periodic occurrence, embedded institutionally as ways of consensual communication on how to go on as smoothly as possible. This promotes the growth of context dependent...... nullification processes. On the other hand, institutions have to adopt standards in education as a measure of outcome indicators for benchmarking. When quality is replaced by standards and if standards are equivalent to labour market relevance this might signal the beginning of overall external control over...

Occurrence of Emerging Micropollutants in Water Systems in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and North West Provinces, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Wanda, Elijah M M; Nyoni, Hlengilizwe; Mamba, Bhekie B; Msagati, Titus A M

2017-01-13

The ubiquitous occurrence of emerging micropollutants (EMPs) in water is an issue of growing environmental-health concern worldwide. However, there remains a paucity of data regarding their levels and occurrence in water. This study determined the occurrence of EMPs namely: carbamazepine (CBZ), galaxolide (HHCB), caffeine (CAF), tonalide (AHTN), 4-nonylphenol (NP), and bisphenol A (BPA) in water from Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces, South Africa using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-HRTOFMS). Kruskal-Wallis test and ANOVA were performed to determine temporal variations in occurrence of the EMPs. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Surfer Golden Graphics software for surface mapping were used to determine spatial variations in levels and occurrence of the EMPs. The mean levels ranged from 11.22 ± 18.8 ng/L for CAF to 158.49 ± 662 ng/L for HHCB. There was no evidence of statistically significant temporal variations in occurrence of EMPs in water. Nevertheless, their levels and occurrence vary spatially and are a function of two principal components (PCs, PC1 and PC2) which controlled 89.99% of the variance. BPA was the most widely distributed EMP, which was present in 62% of the water samples. The detected EMPs pose ecotoxicological risks in water samples, especially those from Mpumalanga province.

Occurrence, characterisation and fate of (nano)particulate Ti and Ag in two Norwegian wastewater treatment plant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Polesel, Fabio; Farkas, Julia; Kjos, Marianne

2018-01-01

was conducted in two full-scale WWTPs in Trondheim (Norway) employing only primary treatment. We assessed the occurrence and elimination of Ti and Ag, and conducted size-based fractionation using sequential filtration of influent samples to separate particulate, colloidal and dissolved fractions. Eight......-hour composite influent samples were collected to assess diurnal variations in total Ti and Ag influx. Measured influent Ti concentrations (up to 290 μg L−1) were significantly higher than Ag (solids (>0.7 μm). Removal efficiencies ≥70% were observed....... Diurnal profiles of influent Ti were correlated to flow and pollutant concentration patterns (especially total suspended solids), with peaks during the morning and/or evening and minima at night, indicating household discharges as predominant source. Irregular profiles were exhibited by influent Ag...

Mechanisms of realization of THz-waves of nitrogen oxide occurrence physiological effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vyacheslav F. Kirichuk

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this review, there is generalized material of many experimental researches in interaction of THz-waves molecular emission and absorption spectrum (MEAS of nitrogen oxide occurrence with bioobjects. Thrombocytes and experimental animals were used as bioobjects. The experiments let indicate changes caused by THz-waves: at the cellular, tissular, system, organismic levels. There are all data of changes in physiological mechanisms of reglations at all levels: autocrine, paracrine, endocrine and nervous. There is a complex overview of experimental material firstly performed in the article. There had been shown that the effect of THz-waves of the given occurrence is realized by the changed activity of nitroxidergic system. It had been proved that THz-waves of nitrogen oxide occurrence can stimulate nitrogen oxide producing in organs and tissues in condition of its low concentration. Possible mechanisms of antiaggregative effect of the given waves had been described. There had been shown the possibility of regulating of vascular tone and system hemodynamics with the help of the studying these frequencies. The represented data of lipid peroxidation and enzymatic and nonenzymatic components of organism system under the influence of THz-waves of nitrogen oxide occurrence in stress conditions. Besides, there were shown changes of stress-regulating system activity and in concentration of important mediators - catecholamines and glucocorticosteroids. These data let characterize mechanism of realization of THz-waves basic effects. The research had shown the possibility of THz-waves of nitrogen oxide occurrence usage as a method of natural physiological noninvasive regulation of significant organism functions.

Seasonal variation in the occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a wastewater treatment plant in Xiamen, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Qian; Lv, Min; Hu, Anyi; Yang, Xiaoyong; Yu, Chang-Ping, E-mail: cpyu@iue.ac.cn

2014-07-30

Highlights: • The occurrence and removal of 50 PPCPs in a WWTP were investigated over one year. • 39 PPCPs were detected in the influent, 14 PPCPs could be removed >50% in WWTP. • Most PPCPs showed higher concentrations in cold seasons in the influent and effluent. • Temperature and HRT may contribute to the seasonal variation of PPCP removal. - Abstract: The occurrence and seasonal variation of 50 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Xiamen, China was investigated over a period of one year. Among the targets, 39 PPCPs were detected in the influent. The highest concentration was observed for acetaminophen, with the average concentration in the influent of 2963.5 ng/L. The seasonal variation of PPCPs in the influent was observed. For most pharmaceuticals, highest concentrations were in March 2013, followed by December 2012, while the concentrations were lower in August 2012 and May 2013. Among the detected PPCPs, 14 targets could be removed more than 50% in the WWTP. The activated sludge treatment process contributed to most of PPCP removal, while the adsorption to the particles in the primary treatment and the transformation under UV radiation in the disinfection treatment also contributed to the PPCP removal. Among the detected PPCPs in the influent, 36 PPCPs could be detected in the final effluent of the WWTP. Significantly higher concentrations of PPCPs were observed in effluent samples collected in March 2013 compared to other seasons, suggesting higher concentrations of PPCPs could be discharged into the surrounding seawater during this period.

Seasonal variation in the occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a wastewater treatment plant in Xiamen, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Qian; Lv, Min; Hu, Anyi; Yang, Xiaoyong; Yu, Chang-Ping

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The occurrence and removal of 50 PPCPs in a WWTP were investigated over one year. • 39 PPCPs were detected in the influent, 14 PPCPs could be removed >50% in WWTP. • Most PPCPs showed higher concentrations in cold seasons in the influent and effluent. • Temperature and HRT may contribute to the seasonal variation of PPCP removal. - Abstract: The occurrence and seasonal variation of 50 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Xiamen, China was investigated over a period of one year. Among the targets, 39 PPCPs were detected in the influent. The highest concentration was observed for acetaminophen, with the average concentration in the influent of 2963.5 ng/L. The seasonal variation of PPCPs in the influent was observed. For most pharmaceuticals, highest concentrations were in March 2013, followed by December 2012, while the concentrations were lower in August 2012 and May 2013. Among the detected PPCPs, 14 targets could be removed more than 50% in the WWTP. The activated sludge treatment process contributed to most of PPCP removal, while the adsorption to the particles in the primary treatment and the transformation under UV radiation in the disinfection treatment also contributed to the PPCP removal. Among the detected PPCPs in the influent, 36 PPCPs could be detected in the final effluent of the WWTP. Significantly higher concentrations of PPCPs were observed in effluent samples collected in March 2013 compared to other seasons, suggesting higher concentrations of PPCPs could be discharged into the surrounding seawater during this period

Endocrine-disruptor molecular responses, occurrence of intersex and gonado-histopathological changes in tilapia species from a tropical freshwater dam (Awba Dam) in Ibadan, Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adeogun, Aina O.; Onibonoje, Kolawole; Ibor, Oju R.; Omiwole, Roseline A.; Chukwuka, Azubuike V.; Ugwumba, Alex O.; Ugwumba, Adiaha A.A.; Arukwe, Augustine

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Occurrence and severity of intersex in Nigerian aquatic environment. • Estrogenic and reproductive developmental effects of effluents from a University community. • Biomarker of endocrine disruption in fish from a developing country. • Relationship between estrogenic responses and sediment contaminants burden in a dam used for University domestic water supply and for fisheries. • Possible health consequences of environmental contamination - Abstract: In the present study, the occurrence of endocrine disruptive responses in Tilapia species from Awba Dam has been investigated, and compared to a reference site (Modete Dam). The Awba Dam is a recipient of effluents from University of Ibadan (Nigeria) and several other anthropogenic sources. A total of 132 Tilapia species (Sarotherodon malenotheron (n = 57 and 32, males and females, respectively) and Tilapia guineensis (n = 23 and 20, males and females, respectively)) were collected from June to September 2014. At the reference site, samples of adult male and female S. melanotheron (48 males and 47 females) and T. guineensis (84 males and 27 females) were collected. Gonads were morphologically and histologically examined and gonadosomatic index (GSI) was calculated. Hepatic mRNA transcriptions of vitellogenin (Vtg) and zona radiata protein (Zrp) genes were analyzed using validated RT-qPCR. Significant increase in Vtg and Zrp transcripts were observed in male tilapias from Awba Dam, compared to males from the reference site. In addition, male tilapias from Awba Dam produced significantly higher Vtg and Zrp mRNA, compared to females in June and July. However, at the natural peak spawning period in August and September, females produced, significantly higher Vtg and Zrp mRNA, compared to males. Fish gonads revealed varying incidence of intersex with a striking presence of two (2) pairs of testes and a pair of ovary in S. melanotheron from Awba Dam. The entire fish population examined at Awba Dam

Endocrine-disruptor molecular responses, occurrence of intersex and gonado-histopathological changes in tilapia species from a tropical freshwater dam (Awba Dam) in Ibadan, Nigeria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adeogun, Aina O.; Onibonoje, Kolawole; Ibor, Oju R.; Omiwole, Roseline A.; Chukwuka, Azubuike V.; Ugwumba, Alex O.; Ugwumba, Adiaha A.A. [Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan (Nigeria); Arukwe, Augustine, E-mail: arukwe@bio.ntnu.no [Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim (Norway)

2016-05-15

Highlights: • Occurrence and severity of intersex in Nigerian aquatic environment. • Estrogenic and reproductive developmental effects of effluents from a University community. • Biomarker of endocrine disruption in fish from a developing country. • Relationship between estrogenic responses and sediment contaminants burden in a dam used for University domestic water supply and for fisheries. • Possible health consequences of environmental contamination - Abstract: In the present study, the occurrence of endocrine disruptive responses in Tilapia species from Awba Dam has been investigated, and compared to a reference site (Modete Dam). The Awba Dam is a recipient of effluents from University of Ibadan (Nigeria) and several other anthropogenic sources. A total of 132 Tilapia species (Sarotherodon malenotheron (n = 57 and 32, males and females, respectively) and Tilapia guineensis (n = 23 and 20, males and females, respectively)) were collected from June to September 2014. At the reference site, samples of adult male and female S. melanotheron (48 males and 47 females) and T. guineensis (84 males and 27 females) were collected. Gonads were morphologically and histologically examined and gonadosomatic index (GSI) was calculated. Hepatic mRNA transcriptions of vitellogenin (Vtg) and zona radiata protein (Zrp) genes were analyzed using validated RT-qPCR. Significant increase in Vtg and Zrp transcripts were observed in male tilapias from Awba Dam, compared to males from the reference site. In addition, male tilapias from Awba Dam produced significantly higher Vtg and Zrp mRNA, compared to females in June and July. However, at the natural peak spawning period in August and September, females produced, significantly higher Vtg and Zrp mRNA, compared to males. Fish gonads revealed varying incidence of intersex with a striking presence of two (2) pairs of testes and a pair of ovary in S. melanotheron from Awba Dam. The entire fish population examined at Awba Dam

Classifying Sluice Occurrences in Dialogue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baird, Austin; Hamza, Anissa; Hardt, Daniel

2018-01-01

perform manual annotation with acceptable inter-coder agreement. We build classifier models with Decision Trees and Naive Bayes, with accuracy of 67%. We deploy a classifier to automatically classify sluice occurrences in OpenSubtitles, resulting in a corpus with 1.7 million occurrences. This will support....... Despite this, the corpus can be of great use in research on sluicing and development of systems, and we are making the corpus freely available on request. Furthermore, we are in the process of improving the accuracy of sluice identification and annotation for the purpose of created a subsequent version...

Isolation and significance of Salmonella sp. from some beaches of Kerala

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gore, P.S.; Iyer, T.S.G.; Raveendran, O.; Unnithan, R.V.

to be some relation between the coliforms, E. coli counts and the presence of Salmonella. The occurrence and significance of Salmonella in bathing beaches in relation to public health hazard have been highlighted...

Normal LVEF measurements are significantly higher in females asassessed by post-stress resting Tc-99m sestamibi gated myocardial perfusion SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong Ho; Shin, Eak Kyun

1999-01-01

Volume-LVEF relationship is one of the most important factors of automatic EF quantification algorithm from gated myocardial perfusion SPECT(gMPS) (Germano et al. JNM, 1995). Gender difference whereby normal LVEF measurements are higher in females assessed by gMPS (Yao et al. JNM 1997). To validate true physiologic value of LVEF vs sampling or measured error, various parameters were evaluated statistically in both gender and age matched 200 subjects (mean age= 58.41±15.01) with normal LVEF more than 50%, and a low likelihood of coronary artery disease. Correlation between LVEDVi(ml/m2) and LVEF was highly significant (r=-0.62, p<0.0001) with similar correlations noted in both male (r=-0.45, p<0.0001) and female (r=-0.67, p<0.0001) subgroups. By multivariate analysis, LV volume and stroke volume was the most significant factor influencing LVEF in male and female, respectively. In conclusion, there is a significant negative correlation between LV volume and LVEF as measured by Tc-99m gated SPECT. Higher normal LVEF value should be applied to females as assessed by post-stress resting Tc-99m Sestamibi gated myocardial perfusion SPECT

Modeling fire occurrence as a function of landscape

Science.gov (United States)

Loboda, T. V.; Carroll, M.; DiMiceli, C.

2011-12-01

Wildland fire is a prominent component of ecosystem functioning worldwide. Nearly all ecosystems experience the impact of naturally occurring or anthropogenically driven fire. Here, we present a spatially explicit and regionally parameterized Fire Occurrence Model (FOM) aimed at developing fire occurrence estimates at landscape and regional scales. The model provides spatially explicit scenarios of fire occurrence based on the available records from fire management agencies, satellite observations, and auxiliary geospatial data sets. Fire occurrence is modeled as a function of the risk of ignition, potential fire behavior, and fire weather using internal regression tree-driven algorithms and empirically established, regionally derived relationships between fire occurrence, fire behavior, and fire weather. The FOM presents a flexible modeling structure with a set of internal globally available default geospatial independent and dependent variables. However, the flexible modeling environment adapts to ingest a variable number, resolution, and content of inputs provided by the user to supplement or replace the default parameters to improve the model's predictive capability. A Southern California FOM instance (SC FOM) was developed using satellite assessments of fire activity from a suite of Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data, Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity fire perimeters, and auxiliary geospatial information including land use and ownership, utilities, transportation routes, and the Remote Automated Weather Station data records. The model was parameterized based on satellite data acquired between 2001 and 2009 and fire management fire perimeters available prior to 2009. SC FOM predictive capabilities were assessed using observed fire occurrence available from the MODIS active fire product during 2010. The results show that SC FOM provides a realistic estimate of fire occurrence at the landscape level: the fraction of

Seroprevalence occurrence of viral hepatitis and HIV among hemodialysis patients

Science.gov (United States)

Kamal, Inass Mahmood; Mutar Mahdi, Batool

2018-05-01

Background: Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) were on maintenance invasive haemodialysis (HD) procedure. This procedure by itself affects immunity of the patients and became more susceptible to viral infections. Aim of the study: to investigate the occurrence of HBV, HCV and HIV infections in patients with hemodialysis. Patients and methods: A retrospective study of 430 end-stage renal failure patients, referred to hemodialysis department at Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital, Baghdad-Iraq from Junuary-2015 to Junuary-2017. Patients were investigated for HBs-Ag using enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USA ), HCV- Abs (IgG) specific immunoglobulin using a HCV enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USA) and anti HIV Abs (IgG) using enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USA). Results: The frequency of HBV infection in the first year was not significant between males (1.11%) and females (0.00%)(P = 0.295). About HCV also there are no significant differences between males (12.63%) and females (9.31%)(P = 0.347). After one year of follow up the frequencies of HBV and HCV were not significant between two sexes. Additionally, no any one of the patients had HIV infection. Conclusions: This study brings a light on that HBV and HCV were having the same frequencies in both genders and lower occurrence with time. Furthermore, HIV was not detected in those patients.

Seroprevalence occurrence of viral hepatitis and HIV among hemodialysis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamal, Inass Mahmood Abid; Mahdi, Batool Mutar

2018-05-01

Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) were on maintenance invasive hemodialysis (HD) procedure. This procedure by itself affects immunity of the patients and became more susceptible to viral infections. to investigate the occurrence of HBV, HCV and HIV infections in patients with hemodialysis. A retrospective study of 430 end-stage renal failure patients, referred to hemodialysis department at XXXX Teaching Hospital, Baghdad-Iraq from January-2015 to January-2017. Patients were investigated for HBs-Ag using enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USA), HCV- Abs (IgG) specific immunoglobulin using an HCV enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USA)and anti - HIV Abs (IgG) using enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USA). The frequency of HBV infection in the first year was not significant between males (1.11%) and females (0.00%) (P = 0.295). About HCV also there are no significant differences between males (12.63%) and females (9.31%) (P = 0.347). After one year of follow up the frequencies of HBV and HCV were not significant between two sexes. Additionally, no any one of the patients had HIV infection. This study brings a light on that HBV and HCV were having the same frequencies in both genders and lower occurrence with time. Furthermore, HIV was not detected in those patients.

Geospatial Analysis Application to Forecast Wildfire Occurrences in South Carolina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen L. Sperry

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Wildfire occurrence and intensity have increased over the last few decades and, at times, have been national news. Wildfire occurrence is somewhat predictable based on physical factors like meteorological conditions, fuel loads, and vegetation dynamics. Socioeconomic factors have been not been widely used in wildfire occurrence models. We used a geospatial (or geographical information system analysis approach to identify socioeconomic variables that contribute to wildfire occurrence. Key variables considered were population change, population density, poverty rate, educational level, geographic mobility, and road density (transportation network. Hot spot analysis was the primary research tool. Wildfire occurrence seemed to be positively related to low population densities, low levels of population change, high poverty rate, low educational attainment level, and low road density. Obviously, some of these variables are correlated and this is a complex problem. However, socioeconomic variables appeared to contribute to wildfire occurrence and should be considered in development of wildfire occurrence forecasting models.

Climate-driven trends in the occurrence of major floods across North America and Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Whitfield, Paul H.; Burn, Donald H.; Hannaford, Jamie; Renard, Benjamin; Stahl, Kerstin; Fleig, Anne K.; Madsen, Henrik; Mediero, Luis; Korhonen, Johanna; Murphy, Conor; Crochet, Philippe; Wilson, Donna

2016-04-01

long-term variability in the number of major floods, annual exceedances of 25-, 50-, and 100-year floods during the last 50 - 80 years are estimated for all study gauges across North America and Europe, and for smaller groups of gauges defined by catchment size, location, climate, flood threshold, and period of record. Trends are computed using logistic regression techniques, supported by a suite of methods used to test the assumptions used in the analysis. We also analyse relationships between major flood occurrence and atmosphere/ocean indices (the AMO, NAO, PDO and SOI). Our analysis finds no compelling evidence for consistent changes over time in major-flood occurrence across North America and Europe, indicating that generalizations about major-flood occurrence trends across large domains or a diversity of catchment types are ungrounded. There are in fact more significant relationships between major-flood occurrence and the AMO than between flood occurrence and time. Flood occurrence overall (based on data from all 1204 gauges in our study) increased from 1961 to 2010 but not significantly, driven primarily by European increases. Non-significant increases were also found overall from 1931 to 2010 (322 gauges) but driven primarily by North American increases. Flood occurrence increased and decreased (including some significant changes) for the various sub-groups of gauges. Overall this study demonstrates that past changes in major-flood occurrence are highly complex and future changes will be likewise. International hydrologic networks containing minimally altered catchments will play a key role in understanding these complexities.

Codon based co-occurrence network motifs in human mitochondria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pramod Shinde

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The nucleotide polymorphism in human mitochondrial genome (mtDNA tolled by codon position bias plays an indispensable role in human population dispersion and expansion. Herein, we constructed genome-wide nucleotide co-occurrence networks using a massive data consisting of five different geographical regions and around 3000 samples for each region. We developed a powerful network model to describe complex mitochondrial evolutionary patterns between codon and non-codon positions. It was interesting to report a different evolution of Asian genomes than those of the rest which is divulged by network motifs. We found evidence that mtDNA undergoes substantial amounts of adaptive evolution, a finding which was supported by a number of previous studies. The dominance of higher order motifs indicated the importance of long-range nucleotide co-occurrence in genomic diversity. Most notably, codon motifs apparently underpinned the preferences among codon positions for co-evolution which is probably highly biased during the origin of the genetic code. Our analyses manifested that codon position co-evolution is very well conserved across human sub-populations and independently maintained within human sub-populations implying the selective role of evolutionary processes on codon position co-evolution. Ergo, this study provided a framework to investigate cooperative genomic interactions which are critical in underlying complex mitochondrial evolution.

46 CFR 326.4 - Reports of accidents and occurrences.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reports of accidents and occurrences. 326.4 Section 326... MARINE PROTECTION AND INDEMNITY INSURANCE UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH AGENTS § 326.4 Reports of accidents and occurrences. The Agent shall report every accident or occurrence of a P&I nature promptly to both the Director...

Terbuthylazine and desethylterbuthylazine: Recent occurrence, mobility and removal techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Tasca, Andrea Luca; Puccini, Monica; Fletcher, Ashleigh

2018-07-01

The herbicide terbuthylazine (TBA) has displaced atrazine in most of EU countries, becoming one of the most regularly used pesticides and, therefore, frequently detected in natural waters. The affinity of TBA for soil organic matter suggests prolonged contamination; degradation leads to the release of the metabolite desethylterbuthylazine (DET), which has higher water solubility and binds more weakly to organic matter compared to the parent compound, resulting in higher associated risk for contamination of groundwater resources. Additionally, TBA and DET are chemicals of emerging concern because of their persistence and toxicity towards aquatic organisms; moreover, they are known to have significant endocrine disruption capacity to wildlife and humans. Conventional treatments applied during drinking water production do not lead to the complete removal of these chemicals; activated carbon provides the greatest efficiency, whereas ozonation can generate by-products with comparable oestrogenic activity to atrazine. Hydrogen peroxide alone is ineffective to degrade TBA, while UV/H 2 O 2 advanced oxidation and photocatalysis are the most effective processes for oxidation of TBA. It has been determined that direct photolysis gives the highest degradation efficiency of all UV/H 2 O 2 treatments, while most of the photocatalytic degradation is attributed to OH radicals, and TiO 2 solar-photocatalytic ozonation can lead to almost complete TBA removal in ∼30 min. Constructed wetlands provide a valuable buffer capacity, protecting downstream surface waters from contaminated runoff. TBA and DET occurrence are summarized and removal techniques are critically evaluated and compared, to provide the reader with a comprehensive guide to state-of-the-art TBA removal and potential future treatments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Linking management effectiveness indicators to observed effects of protected areas on fire occurrence in the Amazon rainforest.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolte, Christoph; Agrawal, Arun

2013-02-01

Management-effectiveness scores are used widely by donors and implementers of conservation projects to prioritize, track, and evaluate investments in protected areas. However, there is little evidence that these scores actually reflect the capacity of protected areas to deliver conservation outcomes. We examined the relation between indicators of management effectiveness in protected areas and the effectiveness of protected areas in reducing fire occurrence in the Amazon rainforest. We used data collected with the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) scorecard, adopted by some of the world's largest conservation organizations to track management characteristics believed to be crucial for protected-area effectiveness. We used the occurrence of forest fires from 2000 through 2010 as a measure of the effect of protected areas on undesired land-cover change in the Amazon basin. We used matching to compare the estimated effect of protected areas with low versus high METT scores on fire occurrence. We also estimated effects of individual protected areas on fire occurrence and explored the relation between these effects and METT scores. The relations between METT scores and effects of protected areas on fire occurrence were weak. Protected areas with higher METT scores in 2005 did not seem to have performed better than protected areas with lower METT scores at reducing fire occurrence over the last 10 years. Further research into the relations between management-effectiveness indicators and conservation outcomes in protected areas seems necessary, and our results show that the careful application of matching methods can be a suitable method for that purpose. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

A population-based study of the associations of stroke occurrence with weather parameters in Siberia, Russia (1982-92).

Science.gov (United States)

Feigin, V L; Nikitin, Y P; Bots, M L; Vinogradova, T E; Grobbee, D E

2000-03-01

Previous studies have established a seasonal variation in stroke occurrence, but none have assessed the influence of inclement weather conditions on stroke incidence in a general population of Russia. We performed a stroke population-based study in the Oktiabrsky District of Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia. Included in the analysis were 1929 patients with their first occurrence of ischemic stroke (IS), 215 patients with their first occurrence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and 64 patients with their first occurrence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH): all patients were aged between 25 and 74 years. The cumulative daily occurrence of total strokes and stroke subtypes was evaluated in relation to aggregated daily mean values of ambient temperature, relative humidity and air pressure by means of Poisson regression analysis to estimate the rate ratio (RR) with corresponding confidence interval (CI) and to identify the weather parameters of most importance. In a multivariate analysis, with adjustment for the effects of season, solar and geomagnetic activity, and age of the patients, low ambient temperature (RR 1.32; 95% CI 1.05-1.66) and mean value of air pressure (RR 0.986; 95% CI 0.972-0.999) were important predictors of IS occurrence, while mild ambient temperature (RR 1.52; 95% CI 1. 04-2.22) was an important predictor of ICH occurrence. No relationship between SAH occurrence and any one of the weather parameters studied was revealed. There was no interaction between any meteorological variables that was statistically significant. Inclement weather conditions are associated with the occurrence of IS and ICH in Siberia, Russia. Among the meteorological parameters studied, low ambient temperature and mean air pressure are the most important predictors of IS occurrence, whereas the occurrence of ICH is associated with mild ambient temperature. There is no association between any one of the weather parameters studied and the occurrence of SAH.

Trends in the occurrence of MTBE in drinking water in the Northeast United States

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, M.J.

2007-01-01

Public water systems in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island sampled treated drinking water from 1993-2006 and analyzed the samples for MTBE. The US Geological Survey examined trends in the occurrence of MTBE in drinking water derived from ground water in these States for two near-decadal time steps; 1993-1999 and 2000-2006. MTBE was detected in 14% of drinking water samples collected in all States from 1993-1999 and in 19% of drinking water samples collected from the same systems from 2000-2006 and this difference was statistically significant. Trends in the occurrence of MTBE in each State by individual year indicated significant positive trends in Maryland and New Hampshire. Significant, increasing trends in MTBE concentrations were observed in Maryland and Rhode Island by individual year. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2007 Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Organic Chemicals in Ground Water: Prevention, Assessment and Remediation Conference (Houston, TX 11/5-6/2007).

The clinical significance of gastrointestinal decontamination in the occurrence of endogenous infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozawa, A; Nagao, T; Sawamura, S; Ikigai, H

1984-12-01

No significant difference was seen in the incidence of infections between subjects receiving complete, selective and no decontamination aimed at the intestinal microflora in studies evaluating the preventative potential against endogenous infections in the compromised host maintained under protective isolation. This finding is reported together with a report of Serratia marcescens septicemia in a patient with leukemia who was given antibiotics systemically and kept under protective isolation. The establishment of opportunistic infections in relation to these results is discussed in terms of the biological phenomena of the interaction between the intestinal flora and the host, and between the species comprising the intestinal flora.

Decreasing trend in severe weather occurrence over China during the past 50 years

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qinghong; Ni, Xiang; Zhang, Fuqing

2017-04-01

Understanding the trend of localized severe weather under the changing climate is of great significance but remains challenging which is at least partially due to the lack of persistent and homogeneous severe weather observations at climate scales while the detailed physical processes of severe weather cannot be resolved in global climate models. Based on continuous and coherent severe weather reports from over 500 manned stations, for the first time, this study shows a significant decreasing trend in severe weather occurrence across China during the past five decades. The total number of severe weather days that have either thunderstorm, hail and/or damaging wind decrease about 50% from 1961 to 2010. It is further shown that the reduction in severe weather occurrences correlates strongly with the weakening of East Asian summer monsoon which is the primary source of moisture and dynamic forcing conducive for warm-season severe weather over China.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences: January--March 1994. Volume 17, No. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-08-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence (AO) as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report provides a description of those events that have been determined to be abnormal occurrences during the period of January 1 through March 31, 1994. This report addresses seven AOs at NRC-licensed facilities. One involved inoperable main steam isolation valves at a boiling water reactor, four involved medical brachytherapy misadministrations, one involved a medical teletherapy misadministration, and one involved four lost reference sources. One AO that was reported by an Agreement State is also discussed; the information is current as of April 25, 1994. This event involved a therapeutic radiopharmaceutical misadministration. The report also contains updates on seven abnormal occurrences previously reported by NRC licensees and one abnormal occurrence previously reported by an Agreement State license. For the period January 1 to March 31, 1994, no new ''Other Events of Interest'' were reported but an update to a therapeutic misadministration previously reported as an ''Other Event of Interest'' is included

Does probability of occurrence relate to population dynamics?

Science.gov (United States)

Thuiller, Wilfried; Münkemüller, Tamara; Schiffers, Katja H; Georges, Damien; Dullinger, Stefan; Eckhart, Vincent M; Edwards, Thomas C; Gravel, Dominique; Kunstler, Georges; Merow, Cory; Moore, Kara; Piedallu, Christian; Vissault, Steve; Zimmermann, Niklaus E; Zurell, Damaris; Schurr, Frank M

2014-12-01

Hutchinson defined species' realized niche as the set of environmental conditions in which populations can persist in the presence of competitors. In terms of demography, the realized niche corresponds to the environments where the intrinsic growth rate ( r ) of populations is positive. Observed species occurrences should reflect the realized niche when additional processes like dispersal and local extinction lags do not have overwhelming effects. Despite the foundational nature of these ideas, quantitative assessments of the relationship between range-wide demographic performance and occurrence probability have not been made. This assessment is needed both to improve our conceptual understanding of species' niches and ranges and to develop reliable mechanistic models of species geographic distributions that incorporate demography and species interactions. The objective of this study is to analyse how demographic parameters (intrinsic growth rate r and carrying capacity K ) and population density ( N ) relate to occurrence probability ( P occ ). We hypothesized that these relationships vary with species' competitive ability. Demographic parameters, density, and occurrence probability were estimated for 108 tree species from four temperate forest inventory surveys (Québec, Western US, France and Switzerland). We used published information of shade tolerance as indicators of light competition strategy, assuming that high tolerance denotes high competitive capacity in stable forest environments. Interestingly, relationships between demographic parameters and occurrence probability did not vary substantially across degrees of shade tolerance and regions. Although they were influenced by the uncertainty in the estimation of the demographic parameters, we found that r was generally negatively correlated with P occ , while N, and for most regions K, was generally positively correlated with P occ . Thus, in temperate forest trees the regions of highest occurrence

Occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in the fecal DNA of healthy omnivores, ovo-lacto vegetarians and vegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Milanović, Vesna; Osimani, Andrea; Aquilanti, Lucia; Tavoletti, Stefano; Garofalo, Cristiana; Polverigiani, Serena; Litta-Mulondo, Alice; Cocolin, Luca; Ferrocino, Ilario; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Turroni, Silvia; Lazzi, Camilla; Pellegrini, Nicoletta; Clementi, Francesca

2017-09-01

The effects of long-term omnivore, ovo-lacto vegetarian and vegan diets on the occurrence of 12 antibiotic resistance (AR) genes in the human gut were studied. The feces of 144 healthy volunteers recruited from Turin, Bari, Bologna, and Parma were screened for the occurrence of genes conferring resistance to tetracyclines, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B, vancomycin, and β-lactams. Overall, erm(B), tet(W) and tet(M) were detected at the highest frequency. A low effect from the diet on the AR gene distribution emerged, with tet(K) and vanB occurring at a lower and higher frequency in vegans and omnivores, respectively. A correlation of the intake of eggs, milk from animal sources and cheese with an increased occurrence of tet(K) was observed, together with a higher incidence of vanB in consumers of eggs, poultry meat, fish and seafood. When the detection frequencies of AR genes in volunteers from Bari and the other sites were comparatively evaluated, a north-to-south gradient was observed, whereas no effect of sex or age was highlighted. Except for tet(K), a negligible three-factor interaction was seen. A high impact of the geographical location on AR gene distribution was seen in the cohort of subjects analyzed, irrespective of their dietary habits. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Phenomenological Investigation of Experiences Regarding Workplace Bullying in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Burris, Patricia

2012-01-01

Understanding academic bullying begins with gaining a better understanding of bullying behaviors in general. Academic bullying causes harm and extends over a period of time (Fogg, 2008). The tenure system and hierarchical nature of higher education contribute to the occurrence of bullying in colleges and universities (Fogg, 2003, p. A12). While…

ASSESSING SELF-STUDY WORK’S SIGNIFICANT SKILLS FOR SUCCESSFUL LEARNING IN THE HIGHER SCHOOL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galina V. Milovanova

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: the problem of organizing students’ independent work/self-study is not new, but the changes in the higher school for the last two decades show that the experience accumulated in the traditional educational model can be applied only when it is processed in the present-day conditions. The article analyses the innovative component of the educational process in terms of a significant increase in the volume of compulsory independent work in the university. Particular attention is paid to determining the levels of the formation of skills for independent work in terms of students’ readiness for its implementa¬tion. The aim of the research is to identify the most significant skills of independent work for successful study at the university. Materials and Methods: the research is based on general scholarly methods: analysis, comparison, generalisation. A questionnaire survey was carried out and a correlation analysis of the results was presented. The mathematical statistics methods in Excel application were u sed for processing the survey data. Results: the article focused on the relevance of formation the students’ ability to work independently in the learning process. Requirements for professionals recognize the need for knowledge and skills, but more importantly, the ability and readiness to complete this knowledge and be in a state of continuous education and self-education. In turn, readiness to self-education cannot exist without independent work. The ratio of students to work independently and their skills’ levels in this area of the gnostic, design, structural, organisational and communicative blocks were identified because o f the research. Discussion and Conclusions: the levels of the formation of the skills for independent work influence on the success of the learning. There is a correlation between indicators of achievement and the ability to work independently. Organisation and communication skills have significant

Factors affecting the occurrence of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage after intravenous thrombolysis depending on the haemorrhage definition.

Science.gov (United States)

Sledzińska-Dźwigał, M; Sobolewski, Piotr; Szczuchniak, W

2013-01-01

Symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (sICH) remains the most feared complication of systemic thrombolysis in patients with ischaemic stroke. The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of different factors on the occurrence of sICH, depending on definition used. We retrospectively evaluated the influence of several factors on the occurrence of sICH (according to definitions used in ECASS2, SITS-MOST and NINDS studies) in 200 patients treated with systemic thrombolysis from 2006 to 2011. Multivariate analysis of impact of individual variables on the occurrence of haemorrhagic transformation (HT) and parenchymal haemorrhage type 2 (PH2) were performed. Haemorrhagic transformation occurred in 35 cases (17.5%). SICH was found in 10 cases according to ECASS2, in 7 cases according to SITS and in 13 cases according to NINDS. Older age was related to higher risk of sICH, regardless which definition was used (ECASS2: p = 0.014, SITS-MOST: p = 0.048, NINDS: p = 0.008), and female sex was related to higher risk of sICH according to NINDS and ECASS2 definition (p = 0.002 and p = 0.04, respectively). Blood glucose level and high NIHSS score (> 14 pts) were found as risk factor of sICH in ECASS2 definition (p = 0.044 and p = 0.03, respectively). In multivariate logistic regression higher NIHSS scores were associated with HT independent of age, gender and glucose level (p = 0.012). Multivariate analysis showed no impact of age, gender, severity of stroke and glucose level on presence of PH2. Definition of sICH can determine variables that are related to a high risk of this complication. In our study most factors correlated with sICH using the ECASS2 definition.

Co-occurrence and clustering of health conditions at age 11: cross-sectional findings from the Millennium Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hesketh, Kathryn R; Fagg, James; Muniz-Terrera, Graciela; Law, Catherine; Hope, Steven

2016-01-01

Objectives To identify patterns of co-occurrence and clustering of 6 common adverse health conditions in 11-year-old children and explore differences by sociodemographic factors. Design Nationally representative prospective cohort study. Setting Children born in the UK between 2000 and 2002. Participants 11 399 11-year-old singleton children for whom data on all 6 health conditions and sociodemographic information were available (complete cases). Main outcome measures Prevalence, co-occurrence and clustering of 6 common health conditions: wheeze; eczema; long-standing illness (excluding wheeze and eczema); injury; socioemotional difficulties (measured using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and unfavourable weight (thin/overweight/obese vs normal). Results 42.4% of children had 2 or more adverse health conditions (co-occurrence). Co-occurrence was more common in boys and children from lower income households. Latent class analysis identified 6 classes: ‘normative’ (57.4%): ‘atopic burdened’ (14.0%); ‘socioemotional burdened’ (11.0%); ‘unfavourable weight/injury’ (7.7%); ‘eczema/injury’ (6.0%) and ‘eczema/unfavourable weight’ (3.9%). As with co-occurrence, class membership differed by sociodemographic factors: boys, children of mothers with lower educational attainment and children from lower income households were more likely to be in the ‘socioemotional burdened’ class. Children of mothers with higher educational attainment were more likely to be in the ‘normative’ and ‘eczema/unfavourable weight’ classes. Conclusions Co-occurrence of adverse health conditions at age 11 is common and is associated with adverse socioeconomic circumstances. Holistic, child focused care, particularly in boys and those in lower income groups, may help to prevent and reduce co-occurrence in later childhood and adolescence. PMID:27881529

Prevalence and clinical significance of nonorgan specific antibodies in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis as predictor markers for rheumatic diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Elnady, Basant M; Kamal, Naglaa M; Shaker, Raneyah H M; Soliman, Amal F; Hasan, Waleed A; Alghamdi, Hamed A; Algethami, Mohammed M; Jajah, Mohamed Bilal

2016-09-01

Autoimmune diseases are considered the 3rd leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized countries. Autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATDs) are associated with high prevalence of nonorgan-specific autoantibodies, such as antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antidouble-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA), antiextractable-nuclear antigens (anti-ENAs), rheumatoid factor (RF), and anticyclic-citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) whose clinical significance is unknown.We aimed to assess the prevalence of various nonorgan-specific autoantibodies in patients with ATD, and to investigate the possible association between these autoantibodies and occurrence of rheumatic diseases and, if these autoantibodies could be considered as predictor markers for autoimmune rheumatic diseases in the future.This study had 2 phases: phase 1; in which 61 ATD patients free from rheumatic manifestations were assessed for the presence of these nonorgan-specific autoantibodies against healthy 61 control group, followed by 2nd phase longitudinal clinical follow-up in which cases are monitored systematically to establish occurrence and progression of any rheumatic disease in association to these autoantibodies with its influences and prognosis.Regarding ATD patients, ANA, anti-dsDNA, Anti-ENA, and RF were present in a percentage of (50.8%), (18%), (21.3%), and (34.4%), respectively, with statistically significance difference (P rheumatic diseases, over 2 years follow-up. It was obvious that those with positive anti-dsDNA had higher risk (2.45 times) to develop rheumatic diseases than those without. There was a statistically significant positive linear relationship between occurrence of disease in months and (age, anti-dsDNA, anti-CCP, RF, and duration of thyroiditis). Anti-dsDNA and RF are the most significant predictors (P rheumatic diseases than previously thought. Anti-dsDNA, RF, and anti-CCP antibodies may be used as predictive screening markers of systemic lupus erythematosus

T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin in grain and grain-based commodities in Europe: occurrence, factors affecting occurrence, co-occurence and toxicological effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fels-Klerx, van der H.J.; Stratakou, I.

2010-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the occurrence of T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin in cereals in Europe and derived food products, factors influencing the occurrence, co-occurrence with other trichothecenes, and toxicological effects of T-2 and HT-2 in human. Of all cereals, oats showed to be most

Clinical and statistical evaluation of the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction in the cold inland area of Hokkaido.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirasawa, K; Shibata, J; Yamamura, K

1989-07-01

We made a clinical and statistical evaluation of the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction with respect to the relation between its occurrence and the meterology of the cold inland area of Hokkaido (the Kamikawa Basin) over a period of 10 years (1976-1985). A total of 581 cases were studied. Monthly fluctuation of incidence was not found to be statistically significant. A cold period in the Kamikawa Basin was defined in this study as the period when ordinary mean atmospheric temperatures were below 0 degree C (from 7 Nov. to 16 Apr.). Canonical discriminant analysis was applied to 10 meterological factors between the days with occurrences and those without occurrences (245 days vs 245 days) in the cold periods of the investigated 10 years, and between the days with outdoor occurrences and those without occurrences (37 days vs 37 days). In order to compare the regional difference, this analysis was done on the same 10 factors for the cold periods over 3 years in Yamagata (46 days vs 46 days). The F values of 0.0003, 0.0155 and 0.0098 respectively in the above 3 analyses were small (much less than F 1(9) (0.25) = 1.51). A circadian rhythm of 2 cycles/day was recognized concerning the time of occurrence by power spectral analysis of the data of 562 patients for whom the time of the onset of myocardial infarction was known. Subdividing the patients into 2 groups according to physical activity just before the occurrence, the group who experienced an occurrence at rest showed a rhythm of 1 cycle/day, and the group who experienced an occurrence on effort showed a rhythm of 2 cycles/day. Therefore, the 10 meterological factors could not discriminate the probabilities between the days with occurrences and the days without occurrences of myocardial infarction in the cold periods. On the other hand, it was suggested that biological intrinsic rhythm participates in triggering the occurrence of myocardial infarction.

The relationship between the Southern Oscillation Index, rainfall and the occurrence of canine tick paralysis, feline tick paralysis and canine parvovirus in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rika-Heke, Tamara; Kelman, Mark; Ward, Michael P

2015-07-01

The aim of this study was to describe the association between climate, weather and the occurrence of canine tick paralysis, feline tick paralysis and canine parvovirus in Australia. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and monthly average rainfall (mm) data were used as indices for climate and weather, respectively. Case data were extracted from a voluntary national companion animal disease surveillance resource. Climate and weather data were obtained from the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology. During the 4-year study period (January 2010-December 2013), a total of 4742 canine parvovirus cases and 8417 tick paralysis cases were reported. No significant (P ≥ 0.05) correlations were found between the SOI and parvovirus, canine tick paralysis or feline tick paralysis. A significant (P parvovirus occurrence and rainfall in the same month (0.28), and significant negative cross-correlations (-0.26 to -0.36) between parvovirus occurrence and rainfall 4-6 months previously. Significant (P canine tick paralysis occurrence and rainfall 1-3 months previously, and significant positive cross-correlations (0.29-0.47) between canine tick paralysis occurrence and rainfall 7-10 months previously. Significant positive cross-correlations (0.37-0.68) were found between cases of feline tick paralysis and rainfall 6-10 months previously. These findings may offer a useful tool for the management and prevention of tick paralysis and canine parvovirus, by providing an evidence base supporting the recommendations of veterinarians to clients thus reducing the impact of these diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Circadian occurrence of variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Siringo, S; Bolondi, L; Sofia, S; Hermida, R C; Gramantieri, L; Gaiani, S; Piscaglia, F; Carbone, C; Misitano, B; Corinaldesi, R

1996-12-01

Several clinical events have a rhythmicity over the 24 h period. We assessed the presence of periodic rhythm in the occurrence of haematemesis in patients with liver cirrhosis under different daylight regimens, namely during standard time and during daylight savings. Over a 48 month period there were 212 consecutive admissions of 118 cirrhotics with variceal bleeding. Complete data were available for 181 episodes of bleeding: 121 (66.9%) started with haematemesis and 60 (33.1%) started with melaena. One hundred and two (56%) episodes occurred during daylight savings and 79 (44%) occurred during standard time. The cosinor test showed a 24 h biphasic peak for the occurrence of haematemesis (09.45 and 21.45 h). Moreover, a biphasic diurnal asymmetric frequency was also found by multiple component rhythmometry. The time peaks of onset of variceal haemorrhage did not change significantly during standard time and daylight savings. Patients with more than one haematemesis episode significantly bled over the same time interval. The present study confirms that over the 24 h period variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients occurs with a predictable rhythmicity that does not seem to be under the control of the light-dark cycle. The finding of a chronorisk for variceal haemorrhage addresses specific questions for pathophysiological studies as well as for new treatment strategies.

Arsenic in coal and its mode of occurrence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duck, N W; Himus, G W

1951-07-01

Arsenic concentrations were determined in 25 coals and their respective ashes, and in 6 commercial cokes. The form of occurrence of As was established in addition to its behavior during combustion. Coals were combusted at temperatures ranging from 290 to 1050/sup 0/C (approximate temperature attained in a coke oven). Float-sink tests were performed utilizing mixtures of toluene and carbon tetrachloride. Elemental As was determined by a modification of the Gutzeit process. Arsenic occurred as arsenopyrite in the coals, and to some extent as arsenites and arsenates in the ash. Over 50% of the As was retained in the ash, and coke ash contained a higher As concentration than the original coke. A portion of the As was said to be in organic association in the coals.

Discovering Multi-scale Co-occurrence Patterns of Asthma and Influenza with the Oak Ridge Bio-surveillance Toolkit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arvind eRamanathan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available We describe a data-driven unsupervised machine learning approach to extract geo-temporal co-occurrence patterns of asthma and the flu from large-scale electronic healthcare reimbursement claims (eHRC datasets. Specifically, we examine the eHRC data from the 2009-2010 pandemic H1N1 influenza season and analyze whether different geographic regions within the United States (US showed an increase in co-occurrence patterns of the flu and asthma. Our analyses reveal that the temporal patterns extracted from the eHRC data show a distinct lag time between the peak incidence of the asthma and the flu. While the increased occurrence of asthma contributed to increased flu incidence during the pandemic, this co-occurrence is predominant for female patients. The geo-temporal patterns reveal that the co-occurrence of the flu and asthma are typically concentrated within the south-east US. Further, in agreement with previous studies, large urban areas (such as New York, Miami and Los Angeles exhibit co-occurrence patterns that suggest a peak incidence of asthma and flu significantly early in the spring and winter seasons. Together, our data-analytic approach, integrated within the Oak Ridge Bio-surveillance Toolkit platform, demonstrates how eHRC data can provide novel insights into co-occurring disease patterns.

Prediction of the occurrence of related strong earthquakes in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorobieva, I.A.; Panza, G.F.

1993-06-01

In the seismic flow it is often observed that a Strong Earthquake (SE), is followed by Related Strong Earthquakes (RSEs), which occur near the epicentre of the SE with origin time rather close to the origin time of the SE. The algorithm for the prediction of the occurrence of a RSE has been developed and applied for the first time to the seismicity data of the California-Nevada region and has been successfully tested in several regions of the World, the statistical significance of the result being 97%. So far, it has been possible to make five successful forward predictions, with no false alarms or failures to predict. The algorithm is applied here to the Italian territory, where the occurrence of RSEs is a particularly rare phenomenon. Our results show that the standard algorithm is successfully directly applicable without any adjustment of the parameters. Eleven SEs are considered. Of them, three are followed by a RSE, as predicted by the algorithm, eight SEs are not followed by a RSE, and the algorithm predicts this behaviour for seven of them, giving rise to only one false alarm. Since, in Italy, quite often the series of strong earthquakes are relatively short, the algorithm has been extended to handle such situation. The result of this experiment indicates that it is possible to attempt to test a SE, for the occurrence of a RSE, soon after the occurrence of the SE itself, performing timely ''preliminary'' recognition on reduced data sets. This fact, the high confidence level of the retrospective analysis, and the first successful forward predictions, made in different parts of the World, indicates that, even if additional tests are desirable, the algorithm can already be considered for routine application to Civil Defence. (author). Refs, 3 figs, 7 tabs

Seroprevalence occurrence of viral hepatitis and HIV among hemodialysis patients

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Inass Mahmood Abid Kamal

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF were on maintenance invasive hemodialysis (HD procedure. This procedure by itself affects immunity of the patients and became more susceptible to viral infections. Aim of the study: to investigate the occurrence of HBV, HCV and HIV infections in patients with hemodialysis. Patients and methods: A retrospective study of 430 end-stage renal failure patients, referred to hemodialysis department at XXXX Teaching Hospital, Baghdad-Iraq from January-2015 to January-2017. Patients were investigated for HBs-Ag using enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USA, HCV- Abs (IgG specific immunoglobulin using an HCV enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USAand anti - HIV Abs (IgG using enzyme-labeled antigen test (Foresight-EIA-USA. Results: The frequency of HBV infection in the first year was not significant between males (1.11% and females (0.00% (P = 0.295. About HCV also there are no significant differences between males (12.63% and females (9.31% (P = 0.347. After one year of follow up the frequencies of HBV and HCV were not significant between two sexes. Additionally, no any one of the patients had HIV infection. Conclusions: This study brings a light on that HBV and HCV were having the same frequencies in both genders and lower occurrence with time. Furthermore, HIV was not detected in those patients. Keywords: Virus, Hemodialysis, Infection

Occurrence rate of ion upflow and downflow observed by the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR)

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, S.; Lu, J.; Varney, R. H.

2017-12-01

This study aims to investigate the occurrence rate of ion upflow and downflow events in the auroral ionosphere, using a full 3-year (2011-2013) dataset collected by the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) at 65.5° magnetic latitude. Ion upflow and downflow events are defined if there are three consecutive data points larger/smaller than 100/-100 m/s in the ion field-aligned velocity altitude profile. Their occurrence rates have been evaluated as a function of magnetic local time (MLT), season, geomagnetic activity, solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We found that the ion upflows are twice more likely to occur on the nightside than the dayside, and have slightly higher occurrence rate near Fall equinox. In contrast, the ion downflow events are more likely to occur in the afternoon sector but also during Fall equinox. In addition, the occurrence rate of ion upflows on the nightside increases when the aurora electrojet index (AE) and planetary K index (Kp) increase, while the downflows measured on the dayside clearly increase as the AE and Kp increase. In general, the occurrence rate of ion upflows increases with enhanced solar wind and IMF drivers. This correlation is particularly strong between the upflows on the nightside and the solar wind dynamic pressure and IMF Bz. The lack of correlation of upflows on the dayside with these parameters is due to the location of PFISR, which is usually equatorward of the dayside auroral zone and within the nightside auroral zone under disturbed conditions. The occurrence rate of downflow at all MLTs does not show strong dependence on the solar wind and IMF conditions. However, it occurs much more frequently on the dayside when the IMF By is strongly positive, i.e., >10 nT and the IMF Bz is strongly negative, i.e., < -10 nT. We suggest that the increased occurrence rate of downflows on the dayside is associated with dayside storm-enhanced density and the plume.

Basic fibroblast growth factor predicts cardiovascular disease occurrence in participants from the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial

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Mark B Zimering

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Aim: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to test whether plasma basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF levels predict future cardiovascular disease (CVD occurrence in adults from the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial. Methods: Nearly four- hundred veterans, 40 years of age or older, having a mean baseline diabetes duration of 11.4 years were recruited from outpatient clinics at six geographically distributed sites in the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial (VADT. Within the VADT, they were randomly assigned to intensive or standard glycemic treatment, with follow-up as much as seven and one-half years. Cardiovascular disease occurrence was examined at baseline in the patient population and during randomized treatment. Plasma bFGF was determined with a sensitive, specific two-site enzyme-linked immunoassay at the baseline study visit in all 399 subjects. Results: One hundred-five first cardiovascular events occurred in these 399 subjects. The best fit model of risk factors associated with the time to first cardiovascular disease occurrence (in the study over a seven and one-half year period had as significant predictors: prior cardiovascular event, (hazard ratio [HR] 3.378; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 3.079- 3.807; P < .0001, baseline plasma bFGF (HR 1.008; 95% CI 1.002-1.014; P =.01, age, (HR 1.027; 95% CI 1.004-1.051; P =.019, baseline plasma triglycerides, (HR 1.001; 95% CI 1.000-1.002; P =.02 and diabetes duration-treatment interaction (P =.03. Intensive glucose-lowering was associated with significantly decreased hazard ratios for CVD occurrence (0.38-0.63 in patients with known diabetes duration of 0-10 years, and non-significantly increased hazard ratios for CVD occurrence (0.82-1.78 in patients with longer diabetes duration. Conclusion: High level ofplasma basic fibroblast growth factor is a predictive biomarker of future cardiovascular

Investigation of independence in inter-animal tumor-type occurrences within the NTP rodent-bioassay database

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogen, K.T. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Seilkop, S. [Analytical Sciences, Inc., Durham, NC (United States)

1993-05-01

Statistically significant elevation in tumor incidence at multiple histologically distinct sites is occasionally observed among rodent bioassays of chemically induced carcinogenesis. If such data are to be relied on (as they have, e.g., by the US EPA) for quantitative cancer potency assessment, their proper analysis requires a knowledge of the extent to which multiple tumor-type occurrences are independent or uncorrelated within individual bioassay animals. Although difficult to assess in a statistically rigorous fashion, a few significant associations among tumor-type occurrences in rodent bioassays have been reported. However, no comprehensive studies of animal-specific tumor-type occurrences at death or sacrifice have been conducted using the extensive set of available NTP rodent-bioassay data, on which most cancer-potency assessment for environmental chemicals is currently based. This report presents the results of such an analysis conducted on behalf of the National Research Council`s Committee on Risk Assessment for Hazardous Air Pollutants. Tumor-type associations among individual animals were examined for {approximately}2500 to 3000 control and {approximately}200 to 600 treated animals using pathology data from 62 B6C3F1 mouse studies and 61 F/344N rat studies obtained from a readily available subset of the NTP carcinogenesis bioassay database. No evidence was found for any large correlation in either the onset probability or the prevalence-at-death or sacrifice of any tumor-type pair investigated in control and treated rats and niece, although a few of the small correlations present were statistically significant. Tumor-type occurrences were in most cases nearly independent, and departures from independence, where they did occur, were small. This finding is qualified in that tumor-type onset correlations were measured only indirectly, given the limited nature of the data analyzed.

The impact of bus drivers ’ lifestyle on the occurrence of health problems and absenteeism

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Andrej Jerman

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Research Question: Do bus drivers’ lifestyles affect the occurrence of health problems and absenteeism? Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine whether the lifestyle of professional bus drivers affects the occurrence of health problems and the phenomenon of absenteeism. Method: A quantitative research method was used in the research. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, on a sample of 230 professional bus drivers from different bus transport companies in Slovenia. Selected data were analyzed with chi-square test and multiple regression analysis. Results: We determined that there is a relationship between the state of health of professional bus drivers and participation in sport activity and that there is a statistically significant impact of lifestyle on the absenteeism of professional bus drivers. Organization: The study points to the necessity of management’s awareness to improve the conditions for the health status of employees and, consequently, absenteeism. Managers need to be more vigilant in ensuring conditions and social security that will allow employees a higher quality lifestyle. Society: The poor quality lifestyle of professional bus drivers, which includes different addictions, inadequate physical activity, and poor working conditions, is a significant factor causing absenteeism. All these factors influence the onset of negative consequences, such as the direct cost of compensation payments, costs of replacing the absent person, a reduction in productivity, which in turn affect economic growth and the high cost of health care. Originality: This is the first focus group study of professional bus drivers that targets lifestyle and its connection to absenteeism. Limitations/Future Research: The main limitation of the study is the number of respondents. The reason for this is that professional drivers are less responsive in the survey and that the study was conducted only in Slovenia, country of two

Common occurrence of anaemia at the end of pregnancy following exposure to zidovudine-free regimens.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinnetti, Carmela; Baroncelli, Silvia; Molinari, Atim; Nardini, Giulia; Genovese, Orazio; Ricerca, Bianca Maria; Cavaliere, Anna Franca; Guaraldi, Giovanni; Antoni, Anna Degli; Tamburrini, Enrica; Floridia, Marco

2011-08-01

Although zidovudine-free regimens are increasingly used in pregnancy, their haematological effects in mothers and newborns are incompletely defined. The haematological profiles of 119 HIV-infected women and their neonates with highly active antiretroviral regimens (HAART) in pregnancy including or not zidovudine (ZDV) were investigated. Three groups were compared: 1) women who started ZDV-lamivudine (3TC)-based HAART during pregnancy (ZDVs, n = 60); 2) women on ZDV-3TC-based HAART from conception (ZDVc, n = 18); 3) women on ZDV-free HAART from conception (ZDVf, n = 41). At the beginning of pregnancy, haemoglobin levels were similar in the three groups. By week 36 compared to baseline, haemoglobin levels had a significantly greater decrease in ZDVf women compared to ZDVs women (ZDVf: -2.03 g/dl; ZDVs: -1.36 g/dl, p = 0.036). A similar trend was observed for occurrence of maternal anaemia at 36 weeks. Newborns with no prenatal ZDV exposure had significantly higher haemoglobin levels at birth (ZDVf: 16.1 ± 1.4 g/dl, ZDVs: 14.3 ± 2.0 g/dl; ZDVc: 14.6 ± 2.4 g/dl, p = 0.044 and 0.003, respectively). Half of ZDV-unexposed mothers had anaemia at the end of pregnancy, but their neonates had normal haemoglobin levels. ZDV initiation was associated with a lower occurrence of maternal anaemia during the third trimester and decreased haemoglobin levels in the newborns. We hypothesize that foetal iron requirements could represent a major determinant of maternal anaemia at the end of pregnancy. Copyright © 2011 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thinking critically about the occurrence of widespread participation in poor nursing care.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Marc; Ion, Robin

2015-04-01

A discussion of how Arendt's work can be productively re-contextualized to provide a critical analysis of the occurrence of widespread participation in poor nursing care and what the implications of this are for the providers of nursing education. While the recent participation of nurses in healthcare failings, such as that detailed in the Francis report, has been universally condemned, there has been an absence of critical analyses in the literature that attempt to understand the occurrence of such widespread participation in poor nursing care. This is a significant omission in so far as such analyses will form an integral part of the strategy to limit the occurrence of such widespread participation of nurses in future healthcare failings. Discussion paper. Arendt's 'Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil' and 'Thinking and Moral Considerations: A Lecture'. In addition, a literature search was conducted and articles published in English relating to the terms care, compassion, ethics, judgement and thinking between 2004-2014 were included. It is anticipated that this discussion will stimulate further critical debate about the role of Arendt's work for an understanding of the occurrence of poor nursing care, and encouraging additional detailed analyses of the widespread participation of nurses in healthcare failings more generally. This article provides a challenging analysis of the widespread participation of nurses in poor care and discusses the opportunities confronting the providers of nursing education in limiting future healthcare failings. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

On some molybdenum occurrences associated with emerald deposits in the Gravelotte area, Eastern Transvaal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martini, J.E.J.

1980-04-01

Sporadic molybdenite is found associated with emerald mineralization at the contact of intrusive granite and Archaean basic rocks. The most important occurrence is at Cobra quarry. However, a general investigation and several analyses show that it has probably no economic significance

Seasonal Variation in the Occurrence of Pregnancy-Induced ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension (PIH) is one of the leading causes of maternal, neonatal and infant mortality. Several studies have suggested that the occurrence of PIH may be dependent on environmental factors. Although, several countries have documented the prevalence of PIH, little is known about the occurrence ...

Packaging- and transportation-related occurrence reports: 1993 annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welch, M.J.; Dickerson, L.S.; Jennings, S.D.

1994-06-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS) is an interactive computer system designed to support DOE-owned or -operated facilities in reporting and processing of information concerning occurrences related to facility operations. The requirements for reporting and the extent of the occurrences to be reported are defined in DOE Order 5000.3B, Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information (hereafter referred to as DOE 5000.3B). The centralized data base, which is managed by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), provides computerized support for the collection, distribution, updating, analysis, and sign-off of information in the occurrence reports (ORs). The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Packaging and Transportation Safety (PATS) Program has been made responsible for retrieving reports and information pertaining to transportation and packaging incidents/accidents from the centralized ORPS data base. This annual report details the methodology that PATS uses to conduct searches of the ORPS for pertinent information, the form of the reporting to EH-332, review and examination of trends observed in ORs related to transportation and packaging safety, a presentation and discussion of the root-cause codes of ORPS and the nature of occurrence codes of PATS, timely processing of notification reports to final stage, and analysis of 10% of the reported ORs that were finalized to determine whether the actions taken to close out the occurrences were sufficient to ensure remediation of the incident and to prevent a recurrence. Data in the report are presented by calendar years

Habitat stability and occurrences of malaria vector larvae in western Kenya highlands

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Atieli Harrysone

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although the occurrence of malaria vector larvae in the valleys of western Kenya highlands is well documented, knowledge of larval habitats in the uphill sites is lacking. Given that most inhabitants of the highlands actually dwell in the uphill regions, it is important to develop understanding of mosquito breeding habitat stability in these sites in order to determine their potential for larval control. Methods A total of 128 potential larval habitats were identified in hilltops and along the seasonal streams in the Sigalagala area of Kakamega district, western Kenya. Water availability in the habitats was followed up daily from August 3, 2006 to February 23, 2007. A habitat is defined as stable when it remains aquatic continuously for at least 12 d. Mosquito larvae were observed weekly. Frequencies of aquatic, stable and larvae positive habitats were compared between the hilltop and seasonal stream area using χ2-test. Factors affecting the presence/absence of Anopheles gambiae larvae in the highlands were determined using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Topography significantly affected habitat availability and stability. The occurrence of aquatic habitats in the hilltop was more sporadic than in the stream area. The percentage of habitat occurrences that were classified as stable during the rainy season is 48.76% and 80.79% respectively for the hilltop and stream area. Corresponding frequencies of larvae positive habitats were 0% in the hilltop and 5.91% in the stream area. After the rainy season, only 23.42% of habitat occurrences were stable and 0.01% larvae positive habitats were found in the hilltops, whereas 89.75% of occurrences remained stable in the stream area resulting in a frequency of 12.21% larvae positive habitats. The logistic regression analysis confirmed the association between habitat stability and larval occurrence and indicated that habitat surface area was negatively affecting the

Does probability of occurrence relate to population dynamics?

Science.gov (United States)

Thuiller, Wilfried; Münkemüller, Tamara; Schiffers, Katja H.; Georges, Damien; Dullinger, Stefan; Eckhart, Vincent M.; Edwards, Thomas C.; Gravel, Dominique; Kunstler, Georges; Merow, Cory; Moore, Kara; Piedallu, Christian; Vissault, Steve; Zimmermann, Niklaus E.; Zurell, Damaris; Schurr, Frank M.

2014-01-01

Hutchinson defined species' realized niche as the set of environmental conditions in which populations can persist in the presence of competitors. In terms of demography, the realized niche corresponds to the environments where the intrinsic growth rate (r) of populations is positive. Observed species occurrences should reflect the realized niche when additional processes like dispersal and local extinction lags do not have overwhelming effects. Despite the foundational nature of these ideas, quantitative assessments of the relationship between range-wide demographic performance and occurrence probability have not been made. This assessment is needed both to improve our conceptual understanding of species' niches and ranges and to develop reliable mechanistic models of species geographic distributions that incorporate demography and species interactions.The objective of this study is to analyse how demographic parameters (intrinsic growth rate r and carrying capacity K ) and population density (N ) relate to occurrence probability (Pocc ). We hypothesized that these relationships vary with species' competitive ability. Demographic parameters, density, and occurrence probability were estimated for 108 tree species from four temperate forest inventory surveys (Québec, western USA, France and Switzerland). We used published information of shade tolerance as indicators of light competition strategy, assuming that high tolerance denotes high competitive capacity in stable forest environments.Interestingly, relationships between demographic parameters and occurrence probability did not vary substantially across degrees of shade tolerance and regions. Although they were influenced by the uncertainty in the estimation of the demographic parameters, we found that r was generally negatively correlated with Pocc, while N, and for most regions K, was generally positively correlated with Pocc. Thus, in temperate forest trees the regions of highest occurrence

Expression of PPARγ, p27 and Ki67 in Cervical Cancer and its Clinical Significance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng-li LI

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the expression of peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor γ (PPARγ, p27 and Ki67 in cervical cancer and its clinical significance. Methods: The expression of PPARγ, p27 and Ki67 in the tissues of 42 patients with cervical cancer, 28 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN and 12 with normal cervix was detected using immunohistochemistry. Results:The positive rate of PPARγ protein in cervical cancer tissue (76.2% was significantly higher than in CIN (53.6% and normal cervical tissue (8.3% (P＜0.05 orP＜0.01, which was also evidently higher in CIN than in normal cervical tissue (P＜0.05. The positive rate of p27 protein in cervical cancer tissue (31.0% was significantly lower than in CIN (57.1% and normal cervical tissue (83.3% (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01, and that in CIN had a markedly lower tendency compared with normal cervical tissue (P＜0.05. The positive rate of Ki67 protein in cervical cancer tissue (100.0% was apparently higher than in CIN (85.7% and normal cervical tissue (33.3% (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01, which was also markedly higher in CIN than in normal cervical tissue (P＜0.01. The expression of PPARγ, p27 and Ki67 proteins was not associated with the clinicopathological features of patients, including the age, histological types, pathological grading and clinical staging (P＞0.05.Conclusion: Abnormal expression of PPARγ, p27 and Ki67 may play important roles in occurrence and progression of cervical cancer, and hence, joint detection of PPARγ, p27 and Ki67 can be used to diagnose early CIN and cervical cancer.

Modes of occurrence of potentially hazardous elements in coal: levels of confidence

Science.gov (United States)

Finkelman, R.B.

1994-01-01

The modes of occurrence of the potentially hazardous elements in coal will be of significance in any attempt to reduce their mobilization due to coal combustion. Antimony and selenium may be present in solid solution in pyrite, as minute accessory sulfides dispersed throughout the organic matrix, or in organic association. Because of these modes of occurrence it is anticipated that less than 50% of these elements will be routinely removed by conventional coal cleaning procedures. Arsenic and mercury occur primarily in late-stage coarse-grained pyrite therefore physical coal cleaning procedures should be successful in removing substantial proportions of these elements. Cadmium occurs in sphalerite and lead in galena. Both of these minerals exhibit a wide range of particle sizes and textural relations. Depending on the particle size and textural relations, physical coal cleaning may remove as little as 25% of these elements or as much as 75%. Manganese in bituminous coal occurs in carbonates, especially siderite. Physical coal cleaning should remove a substantial proportion of this element. More information is needed to elucidate the modes of occurrence of beryllium, chromium, cobalt, and nickel. ?? 1994.

Incomes, Attitudes, and Occurrences of Invasive Species: An Application to Signal Crayfish in Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Gren, Ing-Marie; Campos, Monica; Edsman, Lennart; Bohman, Patrik

2009-02-01

This article analyzes and carries out an econometric test of the explanatory power of economic and attitude variables for occurrences of the nonnative signal crayfish in Swedish waters. Signal crayfish are a carrier of plague which threatens the native noble crayfish with extinction. Crayfish are associated with recreational and cultural traditions in Sweden, which may run against environmental preferences for preserving native species. Econometric analysis is carried out using panel data at the municipality level with economic factors and attitudes as explanatory variables, which are derived from a simple dynamic harvesting model. A log-normal model is used for the regression analysis, and the results indicate significant impacts on occurrences of waters with signal crayfish of changes in both economic and attitude variables. Variables reflecting environmental and recreational preferences have unexpected signs, where the former variable has a positive and the latter a negative impact on occurrences of waters with signal crayfish. These effects are, however, counteracted by their respective interaction effect with income.

[Clinical significance of calcitonin gene-related peptide level before and after treatment in patients with chronic periodontitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Ying; Xiang, Xue-Rong; Wang, Chun; Ye, Guo; Fan, Xiao-Ping

2016-08-01

To explore the clinical significance of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) levels in patients with chronic periodontitis before and after treatment, and to detect the calcitonin gene-related peptide content in human venous blood. Thirty healthy controls and thirty patients with mild, moderate, severe periodontitis were enrolled from August 2014 to June 2015.CGRP level in the patients' peripheral blood was detected by ELISA. Three months after periodontal treatment, CGRP level in mild, moderate, severe periodontitis patients' peripheral blood was re-examined by ELISA. Then the correlation between calcitonin gene-related peptide and inflammation of chronic periodontitis was analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software package. The content of CGRP in healthy controls was significantly higher than that in patients with periodontitis. With the aggravation of periodontal inflammation, blood level of CGRP decreased gradually, and the lowest was in patients with severe periodontitis (Pperiodontal treatment, CGRP content was significantly higher compared with that before treatment (Pperiodontitis (P>0.05). The level of CGRP in venous blood decreased with the increasing severity of chronic periodontitis, and CGRP was negatively correlated with the degree of inflammation of chronic periodontitis. CGRP may be involved in the occurrence and development of chronic periodontitis. CGRP content in serum of patients with chronic periodontitis after treatment was significantly increased, CGRP may be used as the basis for clinical detection of chronic periodontitis.

Variation in orgasm occurrence by sexual orientation in a sample of U.S. singles.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Justin R; Lloyd, Elisabeth A; Wallen, Kim; Fisher, Helen E

2014-11-01

Despite recent advances in understanding orgasm variation, little is known about ways in which sexual orientation is associated with men's and women's orgasm occurrence. To assess orgasm occurrence during sexual activity across sexual orientation categories. Data were collected by Internet questionnaire from 6,151 men and women (ages 21-65+ years) as part of a nationally representative sample of single individuals in the United States. Analyses were restricted to a subsample of 2,850 singles (1,497 men, 1,353 women) who had experienced sexual activity in the past 12 months. Participants reported their sex/gender, self-identified sexual orientation (heterosexual, gay/lesbian, bisexual), and what percentage of the time they experience orgasm when having sex with a familiar partner. Mean occurrence rate for experiencing orgasm during sexual activity with a familiar partner was 62.9% among single women and 85.1% among single men, which was significantly different (F1,2848  = 370.6, P sexual orientation: heterosexual men 85.5%, gay men 84.7%, bisexual men 77.6% (F2,1494  = 2.67, P = 0.07, η(2)  = 0.004). For women, however, mean occurrence rate of orgasm varied significantly by sexual orientation: heterosexual women 61.6%, lesbian women 74.7%, bisexual women 58.0% (F2,1350  = 10.95, P sexual orientation, have less predictable, more varied orgasm experiences than do men and that for women, but not men, the likelihood of orgasm varies with sexual orientation. These findings demonstrate the need for further investigations into the comparative sexual experiences and sexual health outcomes of sexual minorities. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: LUMINOSITY CLASS, PLANET OCCURRENCE, AND PLANET-METALLICITY RELATION OF THE COOLEST KEPLER TARGET STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mann, Andrew W.; Hilton, Eric J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Gaidos, Eric [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Lepine, Sebastien, E-mail: amann@ifa.hawaii.edu [Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 (United States)

2012-07-01

We estimate the stellar parameters of late K- and early M-type Kepler target stars. We obtain medium-resolution visible spectra of 382 stars with K{sub P} - J > 2 ({approx_equal}K5 and later spectral type). We determine luminosity class by comparing the strength of gravity-sensitive indices (CaH, K I, Ca II, and Na I) to their strength in a sample of stars of known luminosity class. We find that giants constitute 96% {+-} 1% of the bright (K{sub P} < 14) Kepler target stars, and 7% {+-} 3% of dim (K{sub P} > 14) stars, significantly higher than fractions based on the stellar parameters quoted in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC). The KIC effective temperatures are systematically (110{sup +15}{sub -35} K) higher than temperatures we determine from fitting our spectra to PHOENIX stellar models. Through Monte Carlo simulations of the Kepler exoplanet candidate population, we find a planet occurrence of 0.36 {+-} 0.08 when giant stars are properly removed, somewhat higher than when a KIC log g > 4 criterion is used (0.27 {+-} 0.05). Last, we show that there is no significant difference in g - r color (a probe of metallicity) between late-type Kepler stars with transiting Earth-to-Neptune-size exoplanet candidates and dwarf stars with no detected transits. We show that a previous claimed offset between these two populations is most likely an artifact of including a large number of misidentified giants.

Landau retardation on the occurrence scattering time in quantum electron–hole plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Woo-Pyo; Jung, Young-Dae

2016-01-01

The Landau damping effects on the occurrence scattering time in electron collisions are investigated in a quantum plasma composed of electrons and holes. The Shukla–Stenflo–Bingham effective potential model is employed to obtain the occurrence scattering time in a quantum electron–hole plasma. The result shows that the influence of Landau damping produces the imaginary term in the scattering amplitude. It is then found that the Landau damping generates the retardation effect on the occurrence scattering time. It is found that the occurrence scattering time increases in forward scattering domains and decreases in backward scattering domains with an increase of the Landau parameter. It is also found that the occurrence scattering time decreases with increasing collision energy. In addition, it is found that the quantum shielding effect enhances the occurrence scattering time in the forward scattering and, however, suppresses the occurrence scattering time in the backward scattering. - Highlights: • The Landau damping effects on the occurrence scattering time are investigated in a quantum electron–hole plasma. • The Shukla–Stenflo–Bingham potential model is employed to obtain the occurrence scattering time in quantum plasmas. • The influence of quantum shielding on the occurrence scattering time is discussed.

Bilateral synchronous benign ovarian neoplasm: A rare occurrence ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bilateral synchronous ovarian tumours are defined as the occurrence of two or more histologically distinct tumours in the ovaries. Synchronous tumours of the female genital tract are rare and the association of mature cystic teratoma with contralateral serous cystadenoma is uncommon. We report the rare occurrence of a ...

"MOONSTROKE": Lunar patterns of stroke occurrence combined with circadian and seasonal rhythmicity--A hospital based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Yiting; Schnytzer, Yisrael; Busija, Lucy; Churilov, Leonid; Davis, Stephen; Yan, Bernard

2015-01-01

Both time of the day and season have been shown to have a significant effect on stroke incidence. In contrast, the role played by the moon has been little studied. We aimed to investigate the potential association of the lunar phase with the incidence of stroke subtypes [intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), transient ischemic attack (TIA) and ischemic stroke (IS)], adjusted by circadian and seasonal variations. Consecutive stroke admissions to the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) were analyzed from 2004-2011. Of 6252 patients, 4085 (65.3%) had confirmed dates and hour of the day. Of these, 632 (15.5%) had ICH, 658 (16.1%) presented with TIA and 2202 (53.9%) had IS. There were also 593 (14.5%) stroke mimics. We measured the association of stroke incidence with a particular lunar phase using an incidence rate ratio (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Poisson regression model (new moon set as reference). Compared with new moon phase, ICHs occurred significantly more during the first quarter (IRR, 1.55; 95%CI, 1.04 to 2.30; p = 0.03). More TIAs were observed during the first quarter and full moon than in new moon (IRR, 1.69; 95%CI, 1.16 to 2.46; p = 0.01; IRR, 1.52; 95%CI, 0.00 to 2.31; p = 0.05; respectively). Both ICH and TIA occurrence slightly decreased as lunar illumination increased (IRR, 0.99; 95%CI, 0.99 to 1.00; p = 0.01; IRR, 0.99; 95%CI, 0.99 to 1.00; p = 0.04; respectively). No association was found between lunar phase or illumination and IS. All stroke subtypes were less likely to happen between 12AM and 6AM than the remaining 18 h of the day. IS occurrence was significantly higher during the spring than summer (IRR, 1.14; 95%CI, 1.02 to 1.28; p = 0.03). For the patients older than 65 years, incidence of both ICH and IS was higher in spring than in summer (IRR, 1.33; 95%CI, 1.01 to 1.74; p = 0.04; IRR, 1.22; 95%CI, 1.06 to 1.39; p = 0.005; respectively). The lunar phase and illumination are associated with both ICH and TIA incidence. These findings

ON THE OCCURRENCE RATE OF HOT JUPITERS IN DIFFERENT STELLAR ENVIRONMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ji; Fischer, Debra A.; Horch, Elliott P.; Huang, Xu

2015-01-01

Many hot Jupiters (HJs) are detected by the Doppler and transit techniques. From surveys using these two techniques, however, the measured HJ occurrence rates differ by a factor of two or more. Using the California Planet Survey sample and the Kepler sample, we investigate the causes for this difference in the HJ occurrence rate. First, we find that 12.8% ± 0.24% of HJs are misidentified in the Kepler mission because of photometric dilution and subgiant contamination. Second, we explore the differences between the Doppler sample and the Kepler sample that can account for the different HJ occurrence rate. Third, we discuss how to measure the fundamental HJ occurrence rates by synthesizing the results from the Doppler and Kepler surveys. The fundamental HJ occurrence rates are measures of the HJ occurrence rate as a function of stellar multiplicity and evolutionary stage, e.g., the HJ occurrence rate for single and multiple stars or for main-sequence and subgiant stars. While we find qualitative evidence that HJs occur less frequently in subgiants and multiple stellar systems, we conclude that our current knowledge of stellar properties and the stellar multiplicity rate is too limited for us to reach any quantitative result for the fundamental HJ occurrence rates. This concern extends to η Earth , the occurrence rate of Earth-like planets

Occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in urban soil in Beijing and Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lihong; Shi, Yali; Li, Wenhui; Liu, Jiemin; Cai, Yaqi

2015-08-01

The recycling of reclaimed wastewater for irrigation and road cleaning is an important strategy to minimize water scarcity in megacities. However, little is known regarding the potential accumulation of antibiotics contained in reclaimed wastewater in urban soil. We investigated the occurrence and distribution of eight quinolones (QNs), nine sulfonamides (SAs), and five macrolides (MLs) antibiotics in urban surface soil in Beijing and Shanghai, China. QNs, especially norfloxacin (NOR), ofloxacin (OFL), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) were the predominant antibiotics in urban surface soil, and NOR revealed the highest average concentration of 94.6 μg kg(-1). The antibiotic concentrations in urban soil in our study were higher than those detected in agricultural soils after long-term wastewater irrigation and manure fertilization. The concentrations of antibiotics in Shanghai urban soil showed a significant negative correlation with soil pH and a positive correlation with total organic carbon (TOC), reflecting the effect of speciation and soil organic matter content on sorption and retention. In addition, antibiotic concentrations in the urban soil were positively correlated with heavy metal contents, likely due to their coexistence in reclaimed wastewater and the promoting effect of metals on the sorption of antibiotics. In several soil samples, NOR, OFL, CIP, enrofloxacin (ENR), and fleroxacin (FLE) showed higher concentrations than the trigger value of 100 μg kg(-1) in soil, indicating a potential risk for the environment.

Occurrence of 95 pharmaceuticals and transformation products in urban groundwaters underlying the metropolis of Barcelona, Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López-Serna, Rebeca; Jurado, Anna; Vázquez-Suñé, Enric; Carrera, Jesus; Petrović, Mira; Barceló, Damià

2013-01-01

The present paper presents the occurrence of 72 pharmaceuticals and 23 transformation products (TPs) in groundwaters (GWs) underlying the city of Barcelona, Spain. Thirty-one samples were collected under different districts, and at different depths. Aquifers with different geologic features and source of recharge were included, i.e., natural bank filtration, infiltration from wastewater and water supply pipes, rainfall recharge, etc. Antibiotics were the most frequently found compounds detected at levels reaching 1000 ng L −1 . Natural bank filtration from the river that receives large amounts of effluents from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs), turned out being the most influencing source of contamination, thus GW showed high range of compounds and concentrations as high as or even higher than in the river itself. In general, TPs were found at lower concentrations than the corresponding parent compounds, with some exceptions, such as 4OH propranolol and enalaprilat. -- Highlights: ► Comprehensive study of 95 pharmaceuticals in Barcelona's groundwater. ► Concentration levels found were higher than expected for groundwater. ► Transformation products significantly contributed to the overall levels. -- Ninety-five pharmaceuticals and transformation products are monitored in the groundwater from Barcelona metropolitan area

[Selected eating habits and caries occurrence in adolescents].

Science.gov (United States)

Krzywiec, Ewa; Zalewska, Magdalena; Wójcicka, Anna; Jabłoński, Robert; Olejnik, Beata Janina; Grabowska, Stanisława Zyta; Jamiołkowski, Jacek; Czerech, Ewa; Łuszcz, Anna; Stepek, Agata; Maciorkowska, Elibieta

2012-01-01

Normal nutrition is an important element of caries prophylaxis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of chosen bad eating habits on caries occurrence in adolescents. The examination was carried out in the group of 367 (68.5% girls and 31.5% boys) pupils of the 3rd year of high schools in Białystok in 2011. Own questionnaire was used for the evaluation of eating habits. Caries intensity (PUW) was assessed by dental examination. To verify statistic hypotheses, the level of significance was estimated at p Bad eating habits (irregular meals, skipping breakfast, eating between meals as well as overeating sweets) in the developmental age can be a significant caries coefficient in adolescents. 2. High mean coefficient PUW in the examined group of 18-year-old pupils, in relation to abnormal eating habits in the significant percentage of those pupils, indicates the necessity of health education as far as caries prophylaxis is concerned.

Occurrence, patterns & predictors of hypogonadism in patients with HIV infection in India

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Deep; Sharma, Lokesh Kumar; Sharma, Neera; Gadpayle, Adesh K; Anand, Atul; Gaurav, Kumar; Gupta, Ankit; Poondla, Yashwanth; Kulshreshtha, Bindu

2017-01-01

Background & objectives: Data on hypogonadism among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected Indians are not available. This study was aimed to evaluate the occurrence, pattern and predictors of hypogonadism in HIV-infected Indians. Methods: Consecutive stable HIV-infected patients, 18-70 yr age, without any severe comorbid state, having at least one year follow up data at the antiretroviral therapy clinic, underwent clinical assessment and hormone assays. Results: From initially screened 527 patients, 359 patients (225 males; 134 females), having disease duration of 61.44±39.42 months, 88.58 per cent on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), 40.67 per cent having tuberculosis history and 89.69 per cent with vitamin D insufficiency were analyzed. Testosterone males. Primary, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HypoH) and compensated hypogonadism were observed in 7.56, 31.56 and 12.44 per cent males, respectively. Males with hypogonadism were significantly older (P=0.009), and had higher opportunistic infections (Pmale hypogonadism. Age and CD4 count increment in first 6-12 months following HAART were the best predictors of POI. Interpretation & conclusions: Hypogonadism was observed to be a significant problem in HIV-infected men and women in India, affecting 39 and 29 per cent patients, respectively. HypoH was the most common form in males whereas ovarian failure being the most common cause in females. PMID:29067983

Sustainability from the Occurrence of Critical Dynamic Power System Blackout Determined by Using the Stochastic Event Tree Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Murtadha Othman

2017-06-01

Full Text Available With the advent of advanced technology in smart grid, the implementation of renewable energy in a stressed and complicated power system operation, aggravated by a competitive electricity market and critical system contingencies, this will inflict higher probabilities of the occurrence of a severe dynamic power system blackout. This paper presents the proposed stochastic event tree technique used to assess the sustainability against the occurrence of dynamic power system blackout emanating from implication of critical system contingencies such as the rapid increase in total loading condition and sensitive initial transmission line tripping. An extensive analysis of dynamic power system blackout has been carried out in a case study of the following power systems: IEEE RTS-79 and IEEE RTS-96. The findings have shown that the total loading conditions and sensitive transmission lines need to be given full attention by the utility to prevent the occurrence of dynamic power system blackout.

Predicting occurrence of juvenile shark habitat to improve conservation planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Beverly Z L; Sequeira, Ana M M; Meekan, Mark G; Ruppert, Jonathan L W; Meeuwig, Jessica J

2017-06-01

Fishing and habitat degradation have increased the extinction risk of sharks, and conservation strategies recognize that survival of juveniles is critical for the effective management of shark populations. Despite the rapid expansion of marine protected areas (MPAs) globally, the paucity of shark-monitoring data on large scales (100s-1000s km) means that the effectiveness of MPAs in halting shark declines remains unclear. Using data collected by baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) in northwestern Australia, we developed generalized linear models to elucidate the ecological drivers of habitat suitability for juvenile sharks. We assessed occurrence patterns at the order and species levels. We included all juvenile sharks sampled and the 3 most abundant species sampled separately (grey reef [Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos], sandbar [Carcharhinus plumbeus], and whitetip reef sharks [Triaenodon obesus]). We predicted the occurrence of juvenile sharks across 490,515 km 2 of coastal waters and quantified the representation of highly suitable habitats within MPAs. Our species-level models had higher accuracy (ĸ ≥ 0.69) and deviance explained (≥48%) than our order-level model (ĸ = 0.36 and deviance explained of 10%). Maps of predicted occurrence revealed different species-specific patterns of highly suitable habitat. These differences likely reflect different physiological or resource requirements between individual species and validate concerns over the utility of conservation targets based on aggregate species groups as opposed to a species-focused approach. Highly suitable habitats were poorly represented in MPAs with the most restrictions on extractive activities. This spatial mismatch possibly indicates a lack of explicit conservation targets and information on species distribution during the planning process. Non-extractive BRUVS provided a useful platform for building the suitability models across large scales to assist conservation planning across

Effect of electromagnetic waves and higher harmonics in capacitively coupled plasma phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upadhyay, R R; Sawada, I; Ventzek, P L G; Raja, L L

2013-01-01

High-resolution self-consistent numerical simulation of electromagnetic wave phenomena in an axisymmetric capacitively coupled plasma reactor is reported. A prominent centre-peaked plasma density profile is observed for driving frequencies of 60 MHz and is consistent with observations in the literature and accompanying experimental studies. A power spectrum of the simulated wave electric field reveals the presence of well-resolved high frequency harmonic content up to the 20th harmonic of the excitation frequency; an observation that has also been reported in experiments. Importantly, the simulation results reveal that the occurrence of higher harmonics is strongly correlated with the occurrence of a centre-peaked plasma density profile. (fast track communication)

Malaria and pneumonia occurrence in Lagos, Nigeria: Role of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EJIRO

profound influence on both malaria and pneumonia occurrence and are responsible directly for ... Key words: Malaria occurrence, change points, climate- disease, pneumonia. ..... formation of tall clouds and onset of rainy season, we observe ...

Multivariate Hawkes process models of the occurrence of regulatory elements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carstensen, L; Sandelin, A; Winther, Ole

2010-01-01

distribution of the occurrences of these TREs along the genome. RESULTS: We present a model of TRE occurrences known as the Hawkes process. We illustrate the use of this model by analyzing two different publically available data sets. We are able to model, in detail, how the occurrence of one TRE is affected....... For each of the two data sets we provide two results: first, a qualitative description of the dependencies among the occurrences of the TREs, and second, quantitative results on the favored or avoided distances between the different TREs. CONCLUSIONS: The Hawkes process is a novel way of modeling the joint...

Developing Predictive Models for Algal Bloom Occurrence and Identifying Factors Controlling their Occurrence in the Charlotte County and Surroundings

Science.gov (United States)

Karki, S.; Sultan, M.; Elkadiri, R.; Chouinard, K.

2017-12-01

Numerous occurrences of harmful algal blooms (Karenia Brevis) were reported from Southwest Florida along the coast of Charlotte County, Florida. We are developing data-driven (remote sensing, field, and meteorological data) models to accomplish the following: (1) identify the factors controlling bloom development, (2) forecast bloom occurrences, and (3) make recommendations for monitoring variables that are found to be most indicative of algal bloom occurrences and for identifying optimum locations for monitoring stations. To accomplish these three tasks we completed/are working on the following steps. Firstly, we developed an automatic system for downloading and processing of ocean color data acquired through MODIS Terra and MODIS Aqua products using SeaDAS ocean color processing software. Examples of extracted variables include: chlorophyll a (OC3M), chlorophyll a Generalized Inherent Optical Property (GIOP), chlorophyll a Garver-Siegel- Maritorena (GSM), sea surface temperature (SST), Secchi disk depth, euphotic depth, turbidity index, wind direction and speed, colored dissolved organic material (CDOM). Secondly we are developing a GIS database and a web-based GIS to host the generated remote sensing-based products in addition to relevant meteorological and field data. Examples of the meteorological and field inputs include: precipitation amount and rates, concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous, fecal coliform and Dissolved Oxygen (DO). Thirdly, we are constructing and validating a multivariate regression model and an artificial neural network model to simulate past algal bloom occurrences using the compiled archival remote sensing, meteorological, and field data. The validated model will then be used to predict the timing and location of algal bloom occurrences. The developed system, upon completion, could enhance the decision making process, improve the citizen's quality of life, and strengthen the local economy.

Advances in analytical methods and occurrence of organic UV-filters in the environment — A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, Sara; Homem, Vera; Alves, Arminda; Santos, Lúcia

2015-01-01

UV-filters are a group of compounds designed mainly to protect skin against UVA and UVB radiation, but they are also included in plastics, furniture, etc., to protect products from light damage. Their massive use in sunscreens for skin protection has been increasing due to the awareness of the chronic and acute effects of UV radiation. Some organic UV-filters have raised significant concerns in the past few years for their continuous usage, persistent input and potential threat to ecological environment and human health. UV-filters end up in wastewater and because wastewater treatment plants are not efficient in removing them, lipophilic compounds tend to sorb onto sludge and hydrophilics end up in river water, contaminating the existing biota. To better understand the risk associated with UV-filters in the environment a thorough review regarding their physicochemical properties, toxicity and environmental degradation, analytical methods and their occurrence was conducted. Higher UV-filter concentrations were found in rivers, reaching 0.3 mg/L for the most studied family, the benzophenone derivatives. Concentrations in the ng to μg/L range were also detected for the p-aminobenzoic acid, cinnamate, crylene and benzoyl methane derivatives in lake and sea water. Although at lower levels (few ng/L), UV-filters were also found in tap and groundwater. Swimming pool water is also a sink for UV-filters and its chlorine by-products, at the μg/L range, highlighting the benzophenone and benzimidazole derivatives. Soils and sediments are not frequently studied, but concentrations in the μg/L range have already been found especially for the benzophenone and crylene derivatives. Aquatic biota is frequently studied and UV-filters are found in the ng/g-dw range with higher values for fish and mussels. It has been concluded that more information regarding UV-filter degradation studies both in water and sediments is necessary and environmental occurrences should be monitored more

Advances in analytical methods and occurrence of organic UV-filters in the environment — A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramos, Sara; Homem, Vera, E-mail: vhomem@fe.up.pt; Alves, Arminda; Santos, Lúcia

2015-09-01

UV-filters are a group of compounds designed mainly to protect skin against UVA and UVB radiation, but they are also included in plastics, furniture, etc., to protect products from light damage. Their massive use in sunscreens for skin protection has been increasing due to the awareness of the chronic and acute effects of UV radiation. Some organic UV-filters have raised significant concerns in the past few years for their continuous usage, persistent input and potential threat to ecological environment and human health. UV-filters end up in wastewater and because wastewater treatment plants are not efficient in removing them, lipophilic compounds tend to sorb onto sludge and hydrophilics end up in river water, contaminating the existing biota. To better understand the risk associated with UV-filters in the environment a thorough review regarding their physicochemical properties, toxicity and environmental degradation, analytical methods and their occurrence was conducted. Higher UV-filter concentrations were found in rivers, reaching 0.3 mg/L for the most studied family, the benzophenone derivatives. Concentrations in the ng to μg/L range were also detected for the p-aminobenzoic acid, cinnamate, crylene and benzoyl methane derivatives in lake and sea water. Although at lower levels (few ng/L), UV-filters were also found in tap and groundwater. Swimming pool water is also a sink for UV-filters and its chlorine by-products, at the μg/L range, highlighting the benzophenone and benzimidazole derivatives. Soils and sediments are not frequently studied, but concentrations in the μg/L range have already been found especially for the benzophenone and crylene derivatives. Aquatic biota is frequently studied and UV-filters are found in the ng/g-dw range with higher values for fish and mussels. It has been concluded that more information regarding UV-filter degradation studies both in water and sediments is necessary and environmental occurrences should be monitored more

Evaluating the utility of companion animal tick surveillance practices for monitoring spread and occurrence of human Lyme disease in West Virginia, 2014-2016

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Hendricks

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Domestic dogs and cats are potentially effective sentinel populations for monitoring occurrence and spread of Lyme disease. Few studies have evaluated the public health utility of sentinel programmes using geo-analytic approaches. Confirmed Lyme disease cases diagnosed by physicians and ticks submitted by veterinarians to the West Virginia State Health Department were obtained for 2014-2016. Ticks were identified to species, and only Ixodes scapularis were incorporated in the analysis. Separate ordinary least squares (OLS and spatial lag regression models were conducted to estimate the association between average numbers of Ix. scapularis collected on pets and human Lyme disease incidence. Regression residuals were visualised using Local Moran’s I as a diagnostic tool to identify spatial dependence. Statistically significant associations were identified between average numbers of Ix. scapularis collected from dogs and human Lyme disease in the OLS (β=20.7, P<0.001 and spatial lag (β=12.0, P=0.002 regression. No significant associations were identified for cats in either regression model. Statistically significant (P≤0.05 spatial dependence was identified in all regression models. Local Moran’s I maps produced for spatial lag regression residuals indicated a decrease in model over- and under-estimation, but identified a higher number of statistically significant outliers than OLS regression. Results support previous conclusions that dogs are effective sentinel populations for monitoring risk of human exposure to Lyme disease. Findings reinforce the utility of spatial analysis of surveillance data, and highlight West Virginia’s unique position within the eastern United States in regards to Lyme disease occurrence.

Spherical dust collapse in higher dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goswami, Rituparno; Joshi, Pankaj S.

2004-01-01

We consider here whether it is possible to recover cosmic censorship when a transition is made to higher-dimensional spacetimes, by studying the spherically symmetric dust collapse in an arbitrary higher spacetime dimension. It is pointed out that if only black holes are to result as the end state of a continual gravitational collapse, several conditions must be imposed on the collapsing configuration, some of which may appear to be restrictive, and we need to study carefully if these can be suitably motivated physically in a realistic collapse scenario. It would appear, that, in a generic higher-dimensional dust collapse, both black holes and naked singularities would develop as end states as indicated by the results here. The mathematical approach developed here generalizes and unifies the earlier available results on higher-dimensional dust collapse as we point out. Further, the dependence of black hole or naked singularity end states as collapse outcomes on the nature of the initial data from which the collapse develops is brought out explicitly and in a transparent manner as we show here. Our method also allows us to consider here in some detail the genericity and stability aspects related to the occurrence of naked singularities in gravitational collapse

Occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii and risk factors for infection in pigs raised and slaughtered in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais, Brazil

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Fabielle Marques-Santos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The Triângulo Mineiro region from Minas Gerais state, is an important meat-exporting region of Brazil and data about Toxoplasma gondii infection in pigs raised and slaughtered in this area are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of T. gondii in swine and establish the risk factors associated with the infection. Samples were collected from 600 pigs raised under intensive system in farms located at three different counties (Carmo do Paranaíba, Patrocínio and Perdizes. The samples were submitted to indirect hemagglutination antibody test with dilution of 1:32 and to indirect immunofluorescence antibody test with a cutoff of 1:64. The occurrence of positive pig was 3.3% (n=20 and 51.8% (n=311 respectively. A significant difference was observed between toxoplasmatic infection and factors such as lineage, animal origin, size of the farm, collective raising with others species, presence of rodents and type of water offered (p≤0.05. There was no difference between gender and the farm goals. The results demonstrated an occurrence of anti-T.gondii antibodies higher than expected for intensive pig raising system on the studied area, which could indicate a possible sanitary management problem on the studied proprieties. Improvements on the raising techniques are necessary to reduce T. gondii infection sources.

Higher Education Is Associated with a Lower Risk of Dementia after a Stroke or TIA. The Rotterdam Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirza, Saira Saeed; Portegies, Marileen L P; Wolters, Frank J; Hofman, Albert; Koudstaal, Peter J; Tiemeier, Henning; Ikram, M Arfan

2016-01-01

Higher education is associated with a lower risk of dementia, possibly because of a higher tolerance to subclinical neurodegenerative pathology. Whether higher education also protects against dementia after clinical stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) remains unknown. Within the population-based Rotterdam Study, 12,561 participants free of stroke, TIA and dementia were followed for occurrence of stroke, TIA and dementia. Across the levels of education, associations of incident stroke or TIA with subsequent development of dementia and differences in cognitive decline following stroke or TIA were investigated. During 124,862 person-years, 1,463 persons suffered a stroke or TIA, 1,158 persons developed dementia, of whom 186 developed dementia after stroke or TIA. Risk of dementia after a stroke or TIA, compared to no stroke or TIA, was highest in the low education category (hazards ratio [HR] 1.46, 95% CI 1.18-1.81) followed by intermediate education category (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.03-1.81). No significant association was observed in the high education category (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.25-1.54). In gender stratified analyses, decrease in risk of dementia with increasing education was significant only in men. Higher education is associated with a lower risk of dementia after stroke or TIA, particularly in men, which might be explained by a higher cognitive reserve. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Root treatment with rhizobacteria antagonistic to Phytophthora blight affects anthracnose occurrence, ripening, and yield of pepper fruit in the plastic house and field.

Science.gov (United States)

Sang, Mee Kyung; Kim, Jeong Do; Kim, Beom Seok; Kim, Ki Deok

2011-06-01

We previously selected rhizobacterial strains CCR04, CCR80, GSE09, ISE13, and ISE14, which were antagonistic to Phytophthora blight of pepper. In this study, we investigated the effects of root treatment of rhizobacteria on anthracnose occurrence, ripening, and yield of pepper fruit in the plastic house and field in 2008 and 2009. We also examined the effects of volatiles produced by the strains on fruit ripening and on mycelial growth and spore development of Colletotrichum acutatum and Phytophthora capsici in the laboratory, identifying the volatile compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the house tests, all strains significantly (P anthracnose incidence on pepper fruit; strains GSE09 and ISE14 consistently produced higher numbers of pepper fruit or increased the fresh weight of red fruit more than the controls in both years. In the field tests, all strains significantly (P anthracnose occurrence on either green or red pepper fruit; strain ISE14 consistently produced higher numbers or increased fresh weights of red fruit more than the controls in both years. In the laboratory tests, volatiles produced by strains GSE09 and ISE13 only stimulated maturation of pepper fruit from green (unripe) to red (ripe) fruit; the volatiles of certain strains inhibited the growth and development of C. acutatum and P. capsici. On the other hand, GC-MS analysis of volatiles of strains GSE09 and ISE13 revealed 17 distinct compounds in both strains, including decane, dodecane, 1,3-di-tert-butylbenzene, tetradecane, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, and hexadecane. Among these compounds, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol only stimulated fruit ripening and inhibited growth and development of the pathogens. Taken together, strains GSE09 and ISE14 effectively reduced anthracnose occurrence and stimulated pepper fruit ripening and yield, possibly via bacterial volatiles. Therefore, these two strains could be potential agents for controlling Phytophthora blight and anthracnose, and for

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, January--March 1995. Volume 18, No. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-07-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence (AO) as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such occurrences to be made to Congress. This report provides a description of those incidents and events that have been determined to be AOs during the period of January 1 through March 31, 1995. This report addresses one AO at an NRC-licensed facility which involved a medical brachytherapy misadministration. The report also contains updates of one AO previously reported by an NRC licensee and three AOs previously reported by the Agreement States. No ''Other Events of Interest'' items are being reported

Limitations in global information on species occurrences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carsten Meyer

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Detailed information on species distributions is crucial for answering central questions in biogeography, ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation. Millions of species occurrence records have been mobilized via international data-sharing networks, but inherent biases, gaps and uncertainties hamper broader application. In my PhD thesis, I presented the first comprehensive analyses of global patterns and drivers of these limitations across different taxonomic groups and spatial scales. Integrating 300 million occurrence records for terrestrial vertebrates and plants with comprehensive taxonomic databases, expert range maps and regional checklists, I demonstrated extensive taxonomic, geographical and temporal biases, gaps and uncertainties. I identified key socio-economic drivers of data bias across different taxonomic groups and spatial scales. The results of my dissertation provide an empirical baseline for effectively accounting for data limitations in distribution models, as well as for prioritizing and monitoring efforts to collate additional occurrence information.

Word and phoneme frequency of occurrence in conversational ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Frequency of occurrence of Setswana consonant phonemes in a conversational sample of 49 358 Setswana-words was deter- mined. The percentage of occurrence of each consonant in each of the three positions of words was found to be 53.9% in the initial, 41.8% in the medial and 4.1% in the final positions. In addition ...

Forest Fire Occurrence in Southern Counties, 1966-1975

Science.gov (United States)

M.L. Doolittle

1977-01-01

Forest fire occurrence data for individual protection units generally are unavailable outside particular state organization. Number of fires, area protected and fire occurrence rate (fires per 1,000,000 acres) from 1966 to 1975, are presented in tables for the 993 counties under protection in 13 southern states. These data are compared with data for the preceeding...

Quantum characteristics of occurrence scattering time in two-component non-ideal plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Woo-Pyo [Department of Electronics Engineering, Catholic University of Daegu, Hayang, 712-702 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Young-Dae, E-mail: ydjung@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Applied Physics and Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Kyunggi-Do 15588 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180-3590 (United States)

2015-10-30

The quantum diffraction and plasma screening effects on the occurrence time for the collision process are investigated in two-component non-ideal plasmas. The micropotential model taking into account the quantum diffraction and screening with the eikonal analysis is employed to derive the occurrence time as functions of the collision energy, density parameter, Debye length, de Broglie wavelength, and scattering angle. It is shown that the occurrence time for forward scattering directions decreases the tendency of time-advance with increasing scattering angle and de Broglie wavelength. However, it is found that the occurrence time shows the oscillatory time-advance and time-retarded behaviors with increasing scattering angle. It is found that the plasma screening effect enhances the tendency of time-advance on the occurrence time for forward scattering regions. It is also shown the quantum diffraction effect suppresses the occurrence time advance for forward scattering angles. In addition, it is shown that the occurrence time advance decreases with an increase of the collision energy. - Highlights: • The quantum diffraction and screening effects on the occurrence scattering time are investigated in non-ideal plasmas. • It is shown the quantum diffraction effect suppresses the occurrence time advance for forward scattering angles. • It is found that the plasma screening effect enhances the tendency of time-advance on the occurrence time.

Water Exchange Produces Significantly Higher Adenoma Detection Rate Than Water Immersion: Pooled Data From 2 Multisite Randomized Controlled Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Felix W; Koo, Malcolm; Cadoni, Sergio; Falt, Premysl; Hsieh, Yu-Hsi; Amato, Arnaldo; Erriu, Matteo; Fojtik, Petr; Gallittu, Paolo; Hu, Chi-Tan; Leung, Joseph W; Liggi, Mauro; Paggi, Silvia; Radaelli, Franco; Rondonotti, Emanuele; Smajstrla, Vit; Tseng, Chih-Wei; Urban, Ondrej

2018-03-02

To test the hypothesis that water exchange (WE) significantly increases adenoma detection rates (ADR) compared with water immersion (WI). Low ADR was linked to increased risk for interval colorectal cancers and related deaths. Two recent randomized controlled trials of head-to-head comparison of WE, WI, and traditional air insufflation (AI) each showed that WE achieved significantly higher ADR than AI, but not WI. The data were pooled from these 2 studies to test the above hypothesis. Two trials (5 sites, 14 colonoscopists) that randomized 1875 patients 1:1:1 to AI, WI, or WE were pooled and analyzed with ADR as the primary outcome. The ADR of AI (39.5%) and WI (42.4%) were comparable, significantly lower than that of WE (49.6%) (vs. AI P=0.001; vs. WI P=0.033). WE insertion time was 3 minutes longer than that of AI (Prate (vs. AI) of the >10 mm advanced adenomas. Right colon combined advanced and sessile serrated ADR of AI (3.4%) and WI (5%) were comparable and were significantly lower than that of WE (8.5%) (vs. AI P<0.001; vs. WI P=0.039). Compared with AI and WI, the superior ADR of WE offsets the drawback of a significantly longer insertion time. For quality improvement focused on increasing adenoma detection, WE is preferred over WI. The hypothesis that WE could lower the risk of interval colorectal cancers and related deaths should be tested.

Advances in analytical methods and occurrence of organic UV-filters in the environment--A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Sara; Homem, Vera; Alves, Arminda; Santos, Lúcia

2015-09-01

UV-filters are a group of compounds designed mainly to protect skin against UVA and UVB radiation, but they are also included in plastics, furniture, etc., to protect products from light damage. Their massive use in sunscreens for skin protection has been increasing due to the awareness of the chronic and acute effects of UV radiation. Some organic UV-filters have raised significant concerns in the past few years for their continuous usage, persistent input and potential threat to ecological environment and human health. UV-filters end up in wastewater and because wastewater treatment plants are not efficient in removing them, lipophilic compounds tend to sorb onto sludge and hydrophilics end up in river water, contaminating the existing biota. To better understand the risk associated with UV-filters in the environment a thorough review regarding their physicochemical properties, toxicity and environmental degradation, analytical methods and their occurrence was conducted. Higher UV-filter concentrations were found in rivers, reaching 0.3mg/L for the most studied family, the benzophenone derivatives. Concentrations in the ng to μg/L range were also detected for the p-aminobenzoic acid, cinnamate, crylene and benzoyl methane derivatives in lake and sea water. Although at lower levels (few ng/L), UV-filters were also found in tap and groundwater. Swimming pool water is also a sink for UV-filters and its chlorine by-products, at the μg/L range, highlighting the benzophenone and benzimidazole derivatives. Soils and sediments are not frequently studied, but concentrations in the μg/L range have already been found especially for the benzophenone and crylene derivatives. Aquatic biota is frequently studied and UV-filters are found in the ng/g-dw range with higher values for fish and mussels. It has been concluded that more information regarding UV-filter degradation studies both in water and sediments is necessary and environmental occurrences should be monitored more

Co-occurrence of chancroid and gonorrhea.

Science.gov (United States)

Nawaf, Al-Mutairi; Joshi, Arun; Tayeh, Mohammad

2006-01-01

Gonorrhea and chancroid are common sexually transmitted infections in many parts of the world. Still, co-occurrence of these two conditions is uncommonly reported. We present here a patient who presented with painful genital ulcers and urethral discharge simultaneously acquired from a single exposure, which turned out to be chancroid and gonorrhea, respectively. Both conditions responded well to a single intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone 250 mg. This report describes the uncommon occurrence of gonorrhea and chancroid in a patient. Clinical features, relevant investigations, treatment options of these two sexually transmitted infections, and possible implications in view of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic are briefly discussed.

In patients suffering from idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy, anxiety scores are higher than in healthy controls, but do not vary according to sex or repeated central serous chorioretinopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bazzazi, Nooshin; Ahmadpanah, Mohammad; Akbarzadeh, Siamak; Seif Rabiei, Mohammad Ali; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2015-01-01

Idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is a relatively common ophthalmic disorder characterized by the development of a serous detachment of the sensory retina. Psychophysiological factors may trigger or maintain CSCR, though, surprisingly, the association between CSCR and anxiety has yet to be studied. The aims of the present study were threefold: to determine whether 1) Iranian patients with CSCR have higher scores for anxiety, 2) anxiety is lower, if CSCR has been experienced twice, and whether 3) anxiety scores differ between sexes. A total of 30 patients with CSCR and 30 healthy age-and sex-matched controls took part in the study. A brief face-to-face interview was conducted covering demographic variables and history and occurrence of CSCR and assessing anxiety. Compared to healthy controls, anxiety was significantly higher in both first-time and second-time CSCR patients. In CSCR patients, anxiety scores did not differ between sexes. Higher anxiety scores were observed in Iranian patients with CSCR, irrespective of whether this was the first or second occurrence of CSCR. This suggests there is no psychological adaptation in terms of reduced anxiety among patients with repeated CSCR.

Nonreciprocal and Reciprocal Dating Violence and Injury Occurrence among Urban Youth

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Swahn, Monica H

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: Dating violence is a significant health problem among youth that leads to adverse health outcomes, including injuries. Reciprocal violence (perpetrated by both partners is associated with increased injury in adults, but very little is known about the prevalence and context for reciprocal violence, as well as injury rates, among youth. We sought to determine the prevalence and scope of reciprocal dating violence and injury occurrence among urban youth in a high-risk community. Methods: Analyses were based on data from the Youth Violence Survey, conducted in 2004, and administered to over 80% of public school students in grades 7, 9, 11, and 12 (N=4,131 in a high-risk, urban school district. The current analyses were restricted to those who reported dating in the past year and who also reported any dating violence (n=1,158. Dating violence was categorized as reciprocal (the participant reported both violence perpetration and victimization and non-reciprocal (the participant report either violence perpetration or victimization, but not both. Results: Dating violence reciprocity varied by sex. Girls who reported any dating violence were more likely to report reciprocal dating violence (50.4% than were boys (38.9%. However, reciprocity did not vary by race/ethnicity or grade level. Reciprocal dating violence was more common among participants who reported more frequent violence experiences. Reciprocal violence was also associated with greater injury occurrences relative to non-reciprocal relationships (10.1% versus 1.2%. Conclusion: Reciprocal dating violence is common among adolescents and leads more often to injury outcomes. In particular, relationships in which boys report reciprocal violence against their partner appear to lead to more frequent injury occurrences. These findings underscore the importance of addressing dating violence and factors that increase risk for reciprocal violence and therefore exacerbate injury occurrence

Occurrence and removal of estrogens in Brazilian wastewater treatment plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pessoa, Germana P. [Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Rua do Contorno, S/N Campus do Pici, Bl. 713, CEP: 60455-900, Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Souza, Neyliane C. de [Department Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, State University of Paraíba, Rua Juvêncio Arruda, S/N, Campus Universitário, Bodocongó, CEP: 58109-790, Campina Grande, PB (Brazil); Vidal, Carla B.; Alves, Joana A.C.; Firmino, Paulo Igor M. [Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Rua do Contorno, S/N Campus do Pici, Bl. 713, CEP: 60455-900, Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Nascimento, Ronaldo F. [Department of Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry, Federal University of Ceará, Rua do Contorno, S/N Campus do Pici, Bl. 940, CEP: 60451-970, Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Santos, André B. dos, E-mail: andre23@ufc.br [Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Rua do Contorno, S/N Campus do Pici, Bl. 713, CEP: 60455-900, Fortaleza, CE (Brazil)

2014-08-15

This paper evaluated the occurrence and removal efficiency of four estrogenic hormones in five biological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), located in the State of Ceará, Brazil. The five WWTPs comprised: two systems consisted of one facultative pond followed by two maturation ponds, one facultative pond, one activated sludge (AS) system followed by a chlorination step, and one upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor followed by a chlorination step. Estrogen occurrence showed a wide variation among the analyzed influent and effluent samples. Estrone (E1) showed the highest occurrence in the influent (76%), whereas both 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) presented a 52% occurrence, and the compound 17β-estradiol 17-acetate (E2-17A), a 32% one. The occurrence in the effluent samples was 48% for E1, 28% for E2, 12% for E2-17A, and 40% for EE2. The highest concentrations of E1 and EE2 hormones in the influent were 3050 and 3180 ng L{sup −1}, respectively, whereas E2 and E2-17A had maximum concentrations of 776 and 2300 ng L{sup −1}, respectively. The lowest efficiencies for the removal of estrogenic hormones were found in WWTP consisted of waste stabilization ponds, ranging from 54 to 79.9%. The high-rate systems (AS and UASB), which have chlorination as post-treatment, presented removal efficiencies of approximately 95%. - Highlights: • The occurrence of four endocrine disrupting chemicals was evaluated. • The removal efficiency of four hormones in low-cost plants was examined. • Estrogen occurrence showed a wide variation in influent and effluent samples. • Estrone showed the highest occurrence in the influent and the effluent samples. • WSP treatment was observed to be less effective for removing estrogens.

Occurrence and removal of estrogens in Brazilian wastewater treatment plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pessoa, Germana P.; Souza, Neyliane C. de; Vidal, Carla B.; Alves, Joana A.C.; Firmino, Paulo Igor M.; Nascimento, Ronaldo F.; Santos, André B. dos

2014-01-01

This paper evaluated the occurrence and removal efficiency of four estrogenic hormones in five biological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), located in the State of Ceará, Brazil. The five WWTPs comprised: two systems consisted of one facultative pond followed by two maturation ponds, one facultative pond, one activated sludge (AS) system followed by a chlorination step, and one upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor followed by a chlorination step. Estrogen occurrence showed a wide variation among the analyzed influent and effluent samples. Estrone (E1) showed the highest occurrence in the influent (76%), whereas both 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) presented a 52% occurrence, and the compound 17β-estradiol 17-acetate (E2-17A), a 32% one. The occurrence in the effluent samples was 48% for E1, 28% for E2, 12% for E2-17A, and 40% for EE2. The highest concentrations of E1 and EE2 hormones in the influent were 3050 and 3180 ng L −1 , respectively, whereas E2 and E2-17A had maximum concentrations of 776 and 2300 ng L −1 , respectively. The lowest efficiencies for the removal of estrogenic hormones were found in WWTP consisted of waste stabilization ponds, ranging from 54 to 79.9%. The high-rate systems (AS and UASB), which have chlorination as post-treatment, presented removal efficiencies of approximately 95%. - Highlights: • The occurrence of four endocrine disrupting chemicals was evaluated. • The removal efficiency of four hormones in low-cost plants was examined. • Estrogen occurrence showed a wide variation in influent and effluent samples. • Estrone showed the highest occurrence in the influent and the effluent samples. • WSP treatment was observed to be less effective for removing estrogens

Detection of stable community structures within gut microbiota co-occurrence networks from different human populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Matthew A; Bonder, Marc Jan; Kuncheva, Zhana; Zierer, Jonas; Fu, Jingyuan; Kurilshikov, Alexander; Wijmenga, Cisca; Zhernakova, Alexandra; Bell, Jordana T; Spector, Tim D; Steves, Claire J

2018-01-01

Microbes in the gut microbiome form sub-communities based on shared niche specialisations and specific interactions between individual taxa. The inter-microbial relationships that define these communities can be inferred from the co-occurrence of taxa across multiple samples. Here, we present an approach to identify comparable communities within different gut microbiota co-occurrence networks, and demonstrate its use by comparing the gut microbiota community structures of three geographically diverse populations. We combine gut microbiota profiles from 2,764 British, 1,023 Dutch, and 639 Israeli individuals, derive co-occurrence networks between their operational taxonomic units, and detect comparable communities within them. Comparing populations we find that community structure is significantly more similar between datasets than expected by chance. Mapping communities across the datasets, we also show that communities can have similar associations to host phenotypes in different populations. This study shows that the community structure within the gut microbiota is stable across populations, and describes a novel approach that facilitates comparative community-centric microbiome analyses.

Mother, father and child traumatic stress reactions after paediatric burn: Within-family co-occurrence and parent-child discrepancies in appraisals of child stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Egberts, Marthe R; van de Schoot, Rens; Geenen, Rinie; Van Loey, Nancy E E

2018-06-01

The current study examined occurrence and within-family associations of traumatic stress reactions after child burn injury, while in the same model addressing the role of parents' own symptoms in their reports of child symptoms. One-hundred children (8-18 years old), and their mothers (n=90) and fathers (n=74) were assessed within the first month (T1) and three months (T2) after burn. Parents and children rated child traumatic stress reactions on the Children's Responses to Trauma Inventory (CRTI) and parents rated their own reactions on the Impact of Event Scale (IES). Cross-sectional associations at the two occasions were examined using a structural equation model. Occurrence of traumatic stress symptoms in the clinical range was higher in parents (T1: 24-50%; T2: 14-31%) than children (T1: 0-11%; T2: 3-5%, depending on whether children, mothers or fathers reported on symptoms). Traumatic stress symptoms of mothers at T1 and of both parents at T2 were significantly related to child self-reported symptoms. Moreover, mothers who experienced higher stress symptoms themselves gave higher ratings of their child's symptoms at both time points, while for fathers, this was only found at T2. The current study demonstrates the impact of pediatric burn injury on the family level, and shows simultaneous existence of within-family interrelatedness of traumatic stress and an influence of parents' own symptoms on their perception of child symptoms. Findings highlight the need for trauma symptom screening in all family members and for considering informants' symptoms to understand the child's functioning in particular. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal variation of equatorial electrojet and the occurrence of its counter electrojet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. B. Rabiu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available We examined the longitudinal variability of the equatorial electrojet (EEJ and the occurrence of its counter electrojet (CEJ using the available records of the horizontal component H of the geomagnetic field simultaneously recorded in the year 2009 (mean annual sunspot number Rz  =  3.1 along the magnetic equator in the South American, African, and Philippine sectors. Our results indicate that the EEJ undergoes variability from one longitudinal representative station to another, with the strongest EEJ of about 192.5 nT at the South American axis at Huancayo and a minimum peak of 40.7 nT at Ilorin in western Africa. Obtained longitudinal inequality in the EEJ was explicable in terms of the effects of local winds, dynamics of migratory tides, propagating diurnal tide, and meridional winds. The African stations of Ilorin and Addis Ababa registered the greatest % of CEJ occurrence. Huancayo in South America, with the strongest electrojet strength, was found to have the least occurrence of the CEJ. It is suggested that activities that support strong EEJ inhibits the occurrence of the CEJ. Percentage of occurrence of the CEJ varied with seasons across the longitudes. The order of seasonal variation of morning occurrence does not tally with the evening occurrence order at any station. A semiannual equinoctial maximum in percentage of morning occurrence of the CEJ was obtained at Huancayo and Addis Ababa. Only Addis Ababa recorded equal equinoctial maxima in percentage of evening occurrence of the CEJ. The seasonal distribution of the occurrences of the CEJ at different time regimes implies a seasonal variability of causative mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of the CEJ.

Longitudinal variation of equatorial electrojet and the occurrence of its counter electrojet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabiu, A. Babatunde; Folarin, Olanike Olufunmilayo; Lagos Univ., Lagos State; Uozumi, Teiji; Yoshikawa, Akimasa; Hamid, Nurul Shazana Abdul

2017-01-01

We examined the longitudinal variability of the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and the occurrence of its counter electrojet (CEJ) using the available records of the horizontal component H of the geomagnetic field simultaneously recorded in the year 2009 (mean annual sunspot number R z = 3.1) along the magnetic equator in the South American, African, and Philippine sectors. Our results indicate that the EEJ undergoes variability from one longitudinal representative station to another, with the strongest EEJ of about 192.5 nT at the South American axis at Huancayo and a minimum peak of 40.7 nT at Ilorin in western Africa. Obtained longitudinal inequality in the EEJ was explicable in terms of the effects of local winds, dynamics of migratory tides, propagating diurnal tide, and meridional winds. The African stations of Ilorin and Addis Ababa registered the greatest % of CEJ occurrence. Huancayo in South America, with the strongest electrojet strength, was found to have the least occurrence of the CEJ. It is suggested that activities that support strong EEJ inhibits the occurrence of the CEJ. Percentage of occurrence of the CEJ varied with seasons across the longitudes. The order of seasonal variation of morning occurrence does not tally with the evening occurrence order at any station. A semiannual equinoctial maximum in percentage of morning occurrence of the CEJ was obtained at Huancayo and Addis Ababa. Only Addis Ababa recorded equal equinoctial maxima in percentage of evening occurrence of the CEJ. The seasonal distribution of the occurrences of the CEJ at different time regimes implies a seasonal variability of causative mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of the CEJ.

Longitudinal variation of equatorial electrojet and the occurrence of its counter electrojet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rabiu, A. Babatunde [National Space Research and Development Agency, Anyigba (Nigeria). Centre for Atmospheric Research; Folarin, Olanike Olufunmilayo [National Space Research and Development Agency, Anyigba (Nigeria). Centre for Atmospheric Research; Lagos Univ., Lagos State (Nigeria). Ionospheric and Space Physics Lab.; Uozumi, Teiji; Yoshikawa, Akimasa [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). International Center for Space Weather Science and Education ICSWSE; Hamid, Nurul Shazana Abdul [National Univ. of Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia). Faculty of Science and Technology

2017-07-01

We examined the longitudinal variability of the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and the occurrence of its counter electrojet (CEJ) using the available records of the horizontal component H of the geomagnetic field simultaneously recorded in the year 2009 (mean annual sunspot number R{sub z} = 3.1) along the magnetic equator in the South American, African, and Philippine sectors. Our results indicate that the EEJ undergoes variability from one longitudinal representative station to another, with the strongest EEJ of about 192.5 nT at the South American axis at Huancayo and a minimum peak of 40.7 nT at Ilorin in western Africa. Obtained longitudinal inequality in the EEJ was explicable in terms of the effects of local winds, dynamics of migratory tides, propagating diurnal tide, and meridional winds. The African stations of Ilorin and Addis Ababa registered the greatest % of CEJ occurrence. Huancayo in South America, with the strongest electrojet strength, was found to have the least occurrence of the CEJ. It is suggested that activities that support strong EEJ inhibits the occurrence of the CEJ. Percentage of occurrence of the CEJ varied with seasons across the longitudes. The order of seasonal variation of morning occurrence does not tally with the evening occurrence order at any station. A semiannual equinoctial maximum in percentage of morning occurrence of the CEJ was obtained at Huancayo and Addis Ababa. Only Addis Ababa recorded equal equinoctial maxima in percentage of evening occurrence of the CEJ. The seasonal distribution of the occurrences of the CEJ at different time regimes implies a seasonal variability of causative mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of the CEJ.

Positive emotion, appraisal, and the role of appraisal overlap in positive emotion co-occurrence.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Eddie M W; Jia, Lile

2017-02-01

Appraisal research has traditionally focused on negative emotions but has not addressed issues concerning the relationships between several positive emotions and appraisals in daily life and the extent to which co-occurrence of positive emotions can be explained by overlap in appraisals. Driven by a priori hypotheses on appraisal-emotion relationships, this study investigated 12 positive emotions and 13 appraisal dimensions using Ecological Momentary Assessment. The results provide strong evidence that positive emotions and appraisals correlate significantly in daily life. Importantly, we found that the positive emotions' overlap on theoretically relevant, as compared to irrelevant, appraisals was stronger and more predictive of their co-occurrence. Furthermore, appraisal overlap on theoretically relevant appraisals predicted the co-occurrence of positive emotions even when the appraisal of pleasantness was excluded, indicating that positive emotions do not co-occur just by virtue of their shared valence. Our findings affirmed and refined the appraisal profiles of positive emotions and underscore the importance of appraisals in accounting for the commonality and differences among positive emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The occurrence and geochemistry of arsenic in groundwaters of Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, W.; Lu, H.; Liu, T.

2008-12-01

Blackfoot disease caused by digesting water with high concentration (>0.3 mg/L) of arsenic from deep wells affected thousands of people in Chianan of Taiwan during 1930 to 1960. Drinking water with arsenic, even in a lower concentration (0.1-0.01 mg/L) increase risk of cancer that had been demonstrated by a number of studies on Taiwan. By concerning the effects of long-term chronic exposure to arsenic, the EPA of United States had revised the regulatory limit of arsenic for drinking water from 0.05 to 0.01 mg/L in 2006. Many researches have investigated on the occurrence and chemistry of the arsenic-contained groundwater and its health effects in Chianan of Taiwan. However, there are only a few studies on the other groundwater basins of Taiwan that providing about one third of water supplies for a population of 21 million. In this study, we investigate the occurrence and redox geochemistry of arsenic in nine major groundwater basins of Taiwan. The values and concentrations of pH, Eh, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, sulfate, iron, methane, sulfide, bicarbonate and ammonium in groundwaters were determined with a total of 610 monitoring wells in 2006. More than 60% of wells in the GW6 basin with a concentration of arsenic exceed 0.05 mg/L. The groundwaters in GW6 basin also have the highest average arsenic concentration. The exceeding percent (>0.05 mg/L) of wells for GW7, GW5, GW9 and GW8 basins are 30%, 20%, 18% and 8%, respectively. All of arsenic concentrations in groundwaters of GW1 to GW4 basins are lower than 0.05 mg/L, but some samples are higher than 0.01 mg/L. The exceeding percent of samples for arsenic 0.01 mg/L in GW3, GW1, GW2 and GW4 basins are 28%, 24%, 23% and 6%, respectively. Our results suggest that the concentrations of arsenic as well as iron in groundwaters of Taiwan were elevated by the iron-reducing process in aquifers. Samples, especially those with higher concentration of bicarbonate (> 400 mg/L) and oversaturated methane, mostly in the GW6 basin

Uranium occurrences of the Thunder Bay-Nipigon-Marathon area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, J.F.

1987-01-01

During the 1981, 1982 and 1983 field seasons an inventory of all known uranium occurrences in the North Central Region of Ontario was undertaken. Three major categories of uranium occurrences were identified: uranium associated with the rocks of the Quetico Subprovince; uranium associated with the Proterozoic/Archean unconformity; and uranium associated with alkalic and carbonatite rocks of Late Precambrian age. Occurrences associated with the Quetico Belt are in white, albite-quartz-muscovite pegmatites. Occurrences associated with the Proterozoic/Archean unconformity are usually of high gradee (up to 12% U 3 O 8 ), nearly always hematized and are related to fault or shear zones proximal to the unconformity. Although of high grade, many of the unconformity related occurrences are very narrow (<1 m). Alkalic and carbonatite rocks of Late Precambrian age are an important source of uranium but possible metallurgical problems might downgrade their potential. The Quetico Subprovince is anomalously high in background uranium, and therefore contains important source rocks for uranium. Areas that have the highest potential for uranium deposits in the North Central Region are the Nipigon Basin area, and the areas underlain by the Gunflint and Rove Formations. All the high grade vein-type uranium deposits related to the unconformity are found within the Nipigon Basin. 126 refs

Mode of occurrence of chromium in four US coals

Science.gov (United States)

Huggins, Frank E.; Shah, N.; Huffman, G.P.; Kolker, A.; Crowley, S.; Palmer, C.A.; Finkelman, R.B.

2000-01-01

The mode of occurrence of chromium in three US bituminous coals and one US subbituminous has been examined using both X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and a selective leaching protocol supplemented by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron microprobe measurements. A synthesis of results from both methods indicates that chromium occurs principally in two forms in the bituminous coals: the major occurrence of chromium is associated with the macerals and is not readily leached by any reagent, whereas a second, lesser occurrence, which is leachable in hydrofluoric acid (HF), is associated with the clay mineral, illite. The former occurrence is believed to be a small particle oxyhydroxide phase (CrO(OH)). One coal also contained a small fraction (<5%) of the chromium in the form of a chromian magnetite, and the leaching protocol indicated the possibility of a similar small fraction of chromium in sulfide form in all three coals. There was little agreement between the two techniques on the mode of occurrence of chromium in the subbituminous coal; however, only a limited number of subbituminous coals have been analyzed by either technique. The chromium in all four coals was trivalent as no evidence was found for the Cr6+ oxidation state in any coal.

Day napping and short night sleeping are associated with higher risk of diabetes in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qun; Song, Yiqing; Hollenbeck, Albert; Blair, Aaron; Schatzkin, Arthur; Chen, Honglei

2010-01-01

To examine whether day napping or short night sleeping is associated with higher risk of diabetes. This was a prospective study of hours of day napping and night sleeping assessed in 1996-1997 in relation to diabetes diagnosed between 2000 and 2006 (n = 10,143) among 174,542 participants in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP Diet and Health Study. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CI were derived from multivariate logistic regression models. Longer day napping was associated with a higher risk of diabetes. After adjustment for potential confounders, ORs were 1.23 (95% CI 1.18-1.29) for those reporting or =1 h of napping compared with individuals who did not nap (P(trend) or =9 h. In both analyses, additional adjustment for BMI only modestly attenuated the associations. Further analysis showed a statistically significant interaction between hours of napping and sleeping on diabetes (P(interaction) napping, only short night sleeping was associated with higher occurrence of diabetes, whereas among those with > or =1 h of napping, both long and short sleeping was associated with higher risk. Day napping and short night sleeping are associated with higher risk of diabetes. The association between sleep duration and diabetes may be modified by napping habit.

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, October-December 1981. Quarterly report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-05-01

During the report period, there were two abnormal occurrences at the nuclear power plants licensed to operate. One involved a generic concern pertaining to blockage of coolant flow to safety-related systems. The other involved seismic design errors at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant with subsequent suspension of the fuel load and low power operating license for Unit 1. There were no abnormal occurrences for the other NRC licensees during the report period; the Agreement States reported no abnormal occurrences to the NRC. The report also contains information updating a previously reported abnormal occurrence

Occurrence of bromine in fluidised bed combustion of solid recovered fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vainikka, P.

2011-12-15

Corrosive ash species are the single most important factor limiting the electric efficiency of steam boiler plants fired with waste or biomass. Chlorine has been found to have a central role in the chemistry involved as it reduces the melting temperature of ash, forms corrosive vapour and gas species in the furnace and halogenated deposits on boiler heat transfer surfaces. In this context chlorine has been extensively researched. At the time of writing this thesis there was hardly any published data available on the occurrence of bromine (Br) in the aforementioned context. The objective of this work was to review the occurrence of bromine in solid fuels and characterise the behaviour of bromine in full-scale fluidised bed combustion. The review on the occurrence of bromine in solid fuels revealed that in anthropogenic wastes bromine is mainly found in connection to flame retarded substances. Several weight percentages of bromine can be found in plastics treated with brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Bromine is typically found some 100-200 mg kg-1 in mixed municipal solid wastes (MSW). Bromine may be enriched in fuels with high share of plastics, such as solid recovered fuel (SRF) or refuse derived fuel (RDF). Up to 2000 mg kg-1 was found as a monthly average in SRF, typical levels being 20-200 mg kg-1. Wastewater sludge from paper mills may contain bromine 20-100 mg kg-1 due the use of bromine based biocides. In other fuels bromine may be found in significant amounts in marine influenced coal deposits and peat as well as in biomass treated with brominated pesticides. In the experimental part SRF, spruce bark and wastewater sludge from a paper mill were co-fired in a full- scale bubbling fluidised bed (BFB) boiler, and the collected fuels, aerosols and waterwall deposits were analysed with the focus on the fate of bromine. Bromine was mainly found to form water soluble high vapour pressure alkali metal halides in the furnace - in the form of KBr(g) and NaBr(g) as

Butylated Hydroxyanisole Blocks the Occurrence of Tumor Associated Macrophages in Tobacco Smoke Carcinogen-Induced Lung Tumorigenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yan; Choksi, Swati; Liu, Zheng-Gang

2013-01-01

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promote tumorigenesis because of their proangiogenic and immune-suppressive functions. Here, we report that butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) blocks occurrence of tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) in tobacco smoke carcinogen-induced lung tumorigenesis. Continuous administration of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a ROS inhibitor, before or after NNK treatment significantly blocked tumor development, although less effectively when BHA is administered after NNK treatment. Strikingly, BHA abolished the occurrence of F4/80 + macrophages with similar efficiency no matter whether it was administered before or after NNK treatment. Detection of cells from bronchioalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) confirmed that BHA markedly inhibited the accumulation of macrophages while slightly reducing the number of lymphocytes that were induced by NNK. Immunohistological staining showed that BHA specifically abolished the occurrence of CD206 + TAMs when it was administered before or after NNK treatment. Western blot analysis of TAMs markers, arginase I and Ym-1, showed that BHA blocked NNK-induced TAMs accumulation. Our study clearly demonstrated that inhibiting the occurrence of TAMs by BHA contributes to the inhibition of tobacco smoke carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis, suggesting ROS inhibitors may serve as a therapeutic target for treating smoke-induced lung cancer

Idaho National Laboratory Quarterly Occurrence Analysis for the 1st Quarter FY2017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell, Lisbeth Ann [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2017-01-01

This report is published quarterly by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Quality and Performance Management Organization. The Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS), as prescribed in DOE Order 232.2, “Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information,” requires a quarterly analysis of events, both reportable and not reportable, for the previous 12 months. This report is the analysis of 82 reportable events (13 from the 1st quarter (Qtr) of fiscal year (FY) 2017 and 68 from the prior three reporting quarters), as well as 31 other issue reports (including events found to be not reportable and Significant Category A and B conditions) identified at INL during the past 12 months (seven from this quarter and 24 from the prior three quarters).

Occurrences of Indigestible Foreign Bodies in Cattle Slaughtered at Morogoro Municipal Slaughterhouse, Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. F. Bwatota

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the occurrence of indigestible foreign bodies (IFB in cattle slaughtered at Morogoro Municipal Slaughterhouse, Tanzania. A total of 387 slaughter cattle were examined for presence of IFB. Out of 387 examined cattle, 93 (24.03% had IFB in their forestomachs. The observed IFB were plastic bags, fruit seeds, clothing materials, ropes, hairballs, leather materials, stones, metallic nails, and wire. Plastic bags were the most frequently (50.5% observed IFB followed by fruit seeds (18.3%. A significantly (p<0.05 high proportion of old animals (31.7% had IFB compared to the young animals (21.2%. Similarly, the frequency of occurrence of IFB was significantly high (p<0.05 in crossbred dairy cattle (42.3% compared to local breeds (22.7%. Cattle that appeared with poor body condition (37.8% were found to be more affected (p<0.05 by IFB than those with good body condition (15.9%. In 91.4% of animals which had IFB, all the materials were located in the rumen. This study showed that presence of IFB is a common problem in cattle slaughtered at Morogoro Municipal Slaughterhouse and may significantly cause poor production and mortality in affected animals. Therefore, appropriate solid waste disposal should be implemented.

Occurrences of Indigestible Foreign Bodies in Cattle Slaughtered at Morogoro Municipal Slaughterhouse, Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Bwatota, S F; Makungu, M; Nonga, H E

2018-01-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the occurrence of indigestible foreign bodies (IFB) in cattle slaughtered at Morogoro Municipal Slaughterhouse, Tanzania. A total of 387 slaughter cattle were examined for presence of IFB. Out of 387 examined cattle, 93 (24.03%) had IFB in their forestomachs. The observed IFB were plastic bags, fruit seeds, clothing materials, ropes, hairballs, leather materials, stones, metallic nails, and wire. Plastic bags were the most frequently (50.5%) observed IFB followed by fruit seeds (18.3%). A significantly ( p < 0.05) high proportion of old animals (31.7%) had IFB compared to the young animals (21.2%). Similarly, the frequency of occurrence of IFB was significantly high ( p < 0.05) in crossbred dairy cattle (42.3%) compared to local breeds (22.7%). Cattle that appeared with poor body condition (37.8%) were found to be more affected ( p < 0.05) by IFB than those with good body condition (15.9%). In 91.4% of animals which had IFB, all the materials were located in the rumen. This study showed that presence of IFB is a common problem in cattle slaughtered at Morogoro Municipal Slaughterhouse and may significantly cause poor production and mortality in affected animals. Therefore, appropriate solid waste disposal should be implemented.

Variations in suicide method and in suicide occurrence by season and day of the week in Russia and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Northwestern Russia: a retrospective population-based mortality study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sumarokov, Yury A; Brenn, Tormod; Kudryavtsev, Alexander V; Nilssen, Odd

2015-09-23

Suicide is an important world health issue, especially in territories inhabited by indigenous people. This investigated differences in suicide rates, suicide methods, and suicide occurrence by month and day of the week among the indigenous and non-indigenous populations of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) and to compare the findings from the NAO with national Russian statistics. In this retrospective population-based mortality study we investigated all suicides that occurred in the NAO in 2002-2012 (N = 252). Suicide method and the month and day of the week suicide occurred was taken from autopsy reports and disaggregated by ethnic group (indigenous and non-indigenous) and sex. Data from the NAO were then compared with national data from the Russian Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat). Hanging was the most common suicide method in the NAO in both indigenous and non-indigenous populations. The proportion of suicides by hanging among males was lower in the NAO than in national data (69.3 vs 86.2 %), but the inverse was true for females (86.5 vs 74.9 %). Suicide by firearm and by cutting was significantly higher among the indigenous population in the NAO when compared with national data. Peaks in suicide occurrence were observed in May and September in the NAO, whereas national data showed only one peak in May. Suicide occurrence in the indigenous population of the NAO was highest in April, while the non-indigenous population showed peaks in May and September. Suicide occurrence in the NAO was highest on Fridays; in national data this occurrence was highest on Mondays. We showed different relative frequencies of suicide by hanging, cutting, and firearm, as well as different suicide occurrence by month and day of the week in the NAO compared with Russia as a whole. These results can be used to plan suicide prevention activities in the Russian Arctic.

Occurrence and distribution of dissolved pesticides in the San Joaquin River basin, California

Science.gov (United States)

Panshin, Sandra Yvonne; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Gronberg, JoAnn M.; Domagalski, Joseph L.

1998-01-01

generally low percentage of irrigation return flow and contribution of pesticide-free streamflow from reservoir releases. Irrigation return flows in the Orestimba Creek and Salt Slough subbasins generally contained more pesticides at higher concentrations. In addition, the distribution of seven pesticides (alachlor, cyanazine, dacthal, fonofos, molinate, napropamide, and trifluralin) in the subbasins showed a direct spatial correspondence between occurrence and application rates. Temporal patterns of occurrence also were affected by patterns of application and hydrology. Most pesticides showed a clear correspondence between the times of their application and their occurrence. Fourteen pesticides had maximum application and concentrations during the summer irrigation season. However, several pesticides exhibited maximum concentrations during winter storms, although maximum application occurred at some other time of year?the result of differences in precipitation and streamflow between seasons. In some subbasins, precipitation runoff was more effective than irrigation return flows at transporting pesticides from the site of application to the stream. Also, during autumn, when there was neither precipitation nor irrigation, the transport of pesticides to streams was limited. The effect of chemical and physical properties on the occurrence of pesticides was examined for the San Joaquin River Basin as a whole. The runoff potential of each pesticide, calculated from the solubility, water-soil organic carbon partition coefficient Koc, and hydrolysis half-life, is generally consistent with the frequency of detection of pesticides in surface water in relation to the amount applied. These three properties each were generally, and weakly, correlated with the relative load of the pesticides in surface water. Pesticide occurrence and concentrations at the mouth of the basin (the San Joaquin River near Vernalis) was compared with pesticide occurrence and concentration in the three

Factors related to occurrence and distribution of selected bacterial and protozoan pathogens in Pennsylvania streams

Science.gov (United States)

Duris, Joseph W.; Reif, Andrew G.; Donna A. Crouse,; Isaacs, Natasha M.

2013-01-01

The occurrence and distribution of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and bacterial and protozoan pathogens are controlled by diverse factors. To investigate these factors in Pennsylvania streams, 217 samples were collected quarterly from a 27-station water-quality monitoring network from July 2007 through August 2009. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of Escherichia coli (EC) and enterococci (ENT) indicator bacteria, concentrations of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts, and the presence of four genes related to pathogenic types of EC (eaeA, stx2, stx1, rfbO157) plus three microbial source tracking (MST) gene markers that are also associated with pathogenic ENT and EC (esp, LTIIa, STII). Water samples were concurrently analyzed for basic water chemistry, physical measures of water quality, nutrients, metals, and a suite of 79 organic compounds that included hormones, pharmaceuticals, and antibiotics. For each sample location, stream discharge was measured by using standardized methods at the time of sample collection, and ancillary sample site information, such as land use and geological characteristics, was compiled. Samples exceeding recreational water quality criteria were more likely to contain all measured pathogen genes but notCryptosporidium or Giardia (oo)cysts. FIB and Giardia density and frequency of eaeA gene occurrence were significantly related to season. When discharge at a sampling location was high (>75th percentile of daily mean discharge), there were greater densities of FIB and Giardia, and the stx2, rfbO157, STII, and esp genes were found more frequently than at other discharge conditions. Giardia occurrence was likely related to nonpoint sources, which are highly influential during seasonal overland transport resulting from snowmelt and elevated precipitation in late winter and spring in Pennsylvania. When MST markers of human, swine, or bovine origin were present, samples more frequently carried the eaeA, stx2

Severity and Co-occurrence of Oral and Verbal Apraxias in Left Brain Damaged Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fariba Yadegari

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: Oral and verbal apraxias represent motor programming deficits of nonverbal and verbal movements respectively. Studying their properties may shed light on speech motor control processes. This study was focused on identifying cases with oral or verbal apraxia, their co–occurrences and severities. Materials & Methods: In this non-experimental study, 55 left adult subjects with left brain lesion including 22 women and 33 men with age range of 23 to 84 years, were examined and videotaped using oral apraxia and verbal apraxia tasks. Three speech and language pathologists independently scored apraxia severities. Data were analyzed by independent t test, Pearson, Phi and Contingency coefficients using SPSS 12. Results: Mean score of oral and verbal apraxias in patients with and without oral and verbal apraxias were significantly different (P<0.001. Forty- two patients had simultaneous oral and verbal apraxias, with significant correlation between their oral and verbal apraxia scores (r=0.75, P<0.001. Six patients showed no oral or verbal apraxia and 7 had just one type of apraxia. Comparison of co-occurrence of two disorders (Phi=0.59 and different oral and verbal intensities (C=0.68 were relatively high (P<0.001. Conclusion: The present research revealed co-occurrence of oral and verbal apraxias to a great extent. It appears that speech motor control is influenced by a more general verbal and nonverbal motor control.

Significant enhancement in thermoelectric performance of nanostructured higher manganese silicides synthesized employing a melt spinning technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Muthiah, Saravanan; Singh, R C; Pathak, B D; Avasthi, Piyush Kumar; Kumar, Rishikesh; Kumar, Anil; Srivastava, A K; Dhar, Ajay

2018-01-25

The limited thermoelectric performance of p-type Higher Manganese Silicides (HMS) in terms of their low figure-of-merit (ZT), which is far below unity, is the main bottle-neck for realising an efficient HMS based thermoelectric generator, which has been recognized as the most promising material for harnessing waste-heat in the mid-temperature range, owing to its thermal stability, earth-abundant and environmentally friendly nature of its constituent elements. We report a significant enhancement in the thermoelectric performance of nanostructured HMS synthesized using rapid solidification by optimizing the cooling rates during melt-spinning followed by spark plasma sintering of the resulting melt-spun ribbons. By employing this experimental strategy, an unprecedented ZT ∼ 0.82 at 800 K was realized in spark plasma sintered 5 at% Al-doped MnSi 1.73 HMS, melt spun at an optimized high cooling rate of ∼2 × 10 7 K s -1 . This enhancement in ZT represents a ∼25% increase over the best reported values thus far for HMS and primarily originates from a nano-crystalline microstructure consisting of a HMS matrix (20-40 nm) with excess Si (3-9 nm) uniformly distributed in it. This nanostructure, resulting from the high cooling rates employed during the melt-spinning of HMS, introduces a high density of nano-crystallite boundaries in a wide spectrum of nano-scale dimensions, which scatter the low-to-mid-wavelength heat-carrying phonons. This abundant phonon scattering results in a significantly reduced thermal conductivity of ∼1.5 W m -1 K -1 at 800 K, which primarily contributes to the enhancement in ZT.

Climate variables as predictors for seasonal forecast of dengue occurrence in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Science.gov (United States)

Subash Kumar, D. D.; Andimuthu, R.

2013-12-01

Background Dengue is a recently emerging vector borne diseases in Chennai. As per the WHO report in 2011 dengue is one of eight climate sensitive disease of this century. Objective Therefore an attempt has been made to explore the influence of climate parameters on dengue occurrence and use for forecasting. Methodology Time series analysis has been applied to predict the number of dengue cases in Chennai, a metropolitan city which is the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. Cross correlation of the climate variables with dengue cases revealed that the most influential parameters were monthly relative humidity, minimum temperature at 4 months lag and rainfall at one month lag (Table 1). However due to intercorrelation of relative humidity and rainfall was high and therefore for predictive purpose the rainfall at one month lag was used for the model development. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models have been applied to forecast the occurrence of dengue. Results and Discussion The best fit model was ARIMA (1,0,1). It was seen that the monthly minimum temperature at four months lag (β= 3.612, p = 0.02) and rainfall at one month lag (β= 0.032, p = 0.017) were associated with dengue occurrence and they had a very significant effect. Mean Relative Humidity had a directly significant positive correlation at 99% confidence level, but the lagged effect was not prominent. The model predicted dengue cases showed significantly high correlation of 0.814(Figure 1) with the observed cases. The RMSE of the model was 18.564 and MAE was 12.114. The model is limited by the scarcity of the dataset. Inclusion of socioeconomic conditions and population offset are further needed to be incorporated for effective results. Conclusion Thus it could be claimed that the change in climatic parameters is definitely influential in increasing the number of dengue occurrence in Chennai. The climate variables therefore can be used for seasonal forecasting of dengue with rise in minimum

Tribes and Territories in the 21st Century: Rethinking the Significance of Disciplines in Higher Education. International Studies in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Trowler, Paul, Ed.; Saunders, Murray, Ed.; Bamber, Veronica, Ed.

2012-01-01

The "tribes and territories" metaphor for the cultures of academic disciplines and their roots in different knowledge characteristics has been used by those interested in university life and work since the early 1990s. This book draws together research, data and theory to show how higher education has gone through major change since then…

Beachrock occurrence, characteristics, formation mechanisms and impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Vousdoukas, M. I.; Velegrakis, A. F.; Plomaritis, T. A.

2007-11-01

Beachrocks are hard coastal sedimentary formations consisting of various beach sediments, lithified through the precipitation of carbonate cements. The objectives of this contribution are to (a) collate and review information on the reported occurrences, characteristics and formation mechanisms of beachrocks and (b) consider their impacts on the coastal zone. The analysis of the available information has shown that (a) beachrock formation is a global and diachronic phenomenon and (b) the great majority of beachrocks are found in tropical/subtropical and low temperate latitude, microtidal coasts. The cementing agents of beachrocks are composed predominantly of the metastable carbonate phases High Magnesian Calcite (HMC) and Aragonite (Ar), appearing in a diverse crystalline morphology. It has been suggested that cement precipitation in the coastal environment is controlled by: (i) the physicochemical conditions; (ii) the presence of organic compounds and microbes; (iii) the magnitude and distribution of the wave energy along the coast; and (iv) the textural characteristics of the constituent sediments. Various theories have been proposed to explain beachrock formation itself, linking the phenomenon to either physicochemical or biological processes. These theories, however, do not seem to be of universal validity and acceptance, as each is able to explain only some of the reported occurrences. The presence of beachrocks appears to affect beach morphodynamics by: (i) 'locking' the beach profile; (ii) modifying the nearshore hydrodynamics; (iii) changing the porous character of the beach and, thus, its response to wave forcing; and (iv) differential bed erosion at the margins of the beachrock outcrops that can alter significantly the long- and, particularly, the cross-shore sediment transport. Therefore, although relict submerged beachrock outcrops may provide some coastal protection by reducing the wave energy impinging onto the coastline, modern beachrocks may

Assessment of the nuclear installation's safety significant events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidican, D.

2005-01-01

This document tries to establish, based on the available documentation, the main steps in development of Assessment of the Events in Nuclear Installations. It takes into account: selection of the safety significant occurrences, establishing the direct cause and contributors as well as the root cause and contributors. Also, the document presents the necessary corrective actions and generic lessons to be learned from the event. The document is based especially on IAEA - ASSET guidelines and DOE root cause analysis Guidance. (author)

Human plague occurrences in Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neerinckx, Simon; Bertherat, Eric; Leirs, Herwig

2010-01-01

Plague remains a public health concern worldwide, but particularly in Africa. Despite the long-standing history of human plague, it is difficult to get a historical and recent overview of the general situation. We searched and screened available information sources on human plague occurrences in ...

Plant-soil interactions promote co-occurrence of three nonnative woody shrubs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuebbing, Sara E; Classen, Aimée T; Call, Jaime J; Henning, Jeremiah A; Simberloff, Daniel

2015-08-01

Ecosystems containing multiple nonnative plant species are common, but mechanisms promoting their co-occurrence are understudied. Plant-soil interactions contribute to the dominance of singleton species in nonnative ranges because many nonnatives experience stronger positive feedbacks relative to co-occurring natives. Plant-soil interactions could impede other nonnatives if an individual nonnative benefits from its soil community to a greater extent than its neighboring nonnatives, as is seen with natives. However, plant-soil interactions could promote nonnative co-occurrence if a nonnative accumulates beneficial soil mutualists that also assist other nonnatives. Here, we use greenhouse and field experiments to ask whether plant-soil interactions (1) promote the codominance of two common nonnative shrubs (Ligustrum sinense and Lonicera maackii) and (2) facilitate the invasion of a less-common nonnative shrub (Rhamnus davurica) in deciduous forests of the southeastern United States. In the greenhouse, we found that two of the nonnatives, L. maackii and R. davurica, performed better in soils conditioned by nonnative shrubs compared to uninvaded forest soils, which. suggests that positive feedbacks among co-occurring nonnative shrubs can promote continued invasion of a site. In both greenhouse and field experiments, we found consistent signals that the codominance of the nonnatives L. sinense and L. maackii may be at least partially explained by the increased growth of L. sinense in L. maackii soils. Overall, significant effects of plant-soil interactions on shrub performance indicate that plant-soil interactions can potentially structure the co-occurrence patterns of these nonnatives.

Identification of clinical and paraclinical findings predictive for headache occurrence during spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

Ljubisavljevic, Srdjan; Milosevic, Vuk; Stojanov, Aleksandar; Ljubisavljevic, Marina; Dunjic, Olivera; Zivkovic, Miroslava

2017-07-01

Headache is recognized as the main but unwarranted symptom of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). There are no enough findings identified as predictive for headache occurrence in SAH. We evaluated the clinical and paraclinical factors predictive for headache occurrence in SAH. We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 431 consecutive non traumatic SAH patients (264 females and 167 males), ages from 19 to 91 years, presenting with headache (70.3%) and without headache (29.7%) during period of 11years. Among all tested parameters, as negative predictors for headache occurrence were recognized: patients' ages (OR 0.97 [95%CI: 0.96-0.99], p=0.025), persistence of coagulation abnormality (OR 0.23 [95%CI: 0.08-0.67], p=0.006), atrial fibrilation (OR 0.23 [95%CI: 0.09-0.59], p=0.002), chronic renal failure (OR 0.26 [95%CI: 0.09-0.76], p=0.014) and more diseases (OR 0.11 [95%CI: 0.04-0.32], p<0.0001), as higher clinical score (OR 0.94 [95%CI: 0.90-0.99], p=0.018) including positive neurological findings (OR 0.34 [95%CI: 0.21-0.55], p<0.001) and loss of consciousness (OR 0.22 [95%CI: 0.12-0.39], p<0.001) at the SAH onset, while the complaint of neck stiffness was identified as its positive predictor (OR 1.93 [95%CI: 1.19-3.10], p=0.007). Although diagnosis based solely on clinical presentation is not reliable and speculative, our findings could provide physicians with evidence to consider SAH not only in conditions of its headache occurrence but also in those with headache absence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of patulin in organic and conventional apple-based food marketed in Catalonia and exposure assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Piqué, Ester; Vargas-Murga, Liliana; Gómez-Catalán, Jesús; Lapuente, Joaquin de; Llobet, Joan Maria

2013-10-01

In the last years, consumption of organic foods has become increasingly popular. Nevertheless, safety of organic foods is still unclear, and needs to be thoroughly evaluated. Patulin is a mycotoxin mainly present in rotten apples and apple-based products. The aim of this study is to analyse the content of patulin in apple juices and purees derived from organic and conventional production systems, in order to assess the risk to consumers, particularly in children. A total of 93 apple-based products marketed in Catalonia were analysed, 49 of which were derived from conventional and 44 from organic farming. The results showed higher incidence of positive samples and higher concentration of patulin in organic apple purees when comparing with conventional ones. In the case of juices, significant differences were found between conventional and organic samples, but applying a multivariate analysis the type of agriculture did not seem to have a relevant contribution to patulin occurrence, being cloudiness the main factor involved. The estimated daily intake of patulin for infants and young children (0-3 years old), children (4-18 years old) and adults (19-66 years old), were below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 0.4 μg/kg bw in all scenarios considered. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molds contamination of raw milk and dairy products: Occurrence, diversity and contamination source

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T Moshtaghi Maleki

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to assess the occurrence and diversity of mold species in raw milk and its products along with the identification of potential contamination sources. For this reason, a total of 260 samples consisting of 80 raw milk, 100 dairy products (i.e., pasteurized milk, yoghurt, cheese and buttermilk and 80 environmental (i.e. ingredients, packaging materials, surface of processing equipments and air specimens were collected. Using culture assay and microscopic observation, the occurrence as well as the diversity of mold species was investigated. According to the results, 82.3% of the samples were identified as positive for mold contamination. The percentage of mold contamination for raw milk was estimated as 97.5%. In the case of pasteurized milk, yoghurt, buttermilk, cheese and environmental samples, it was determined as 52%, 76%, 52%, 56% and 96.25%, respectively. Mold diversity among various samples consisted of Aspergillus, Geotrichum, Penicillium, Mucor, Alternaria, Rhizopus, Stemphylium, Cladosporium, and Fusarium. Results revealed a significant (p < 0.01 correlation between kind of mold species isolated from raw milk and dairy products. Similarly, a correlation was observed between dairy products and environmental sources. Regarding the high occurrence of mold contamination in raw milk and environmental sources, it seems that in some instances heat treatment was not effective enough to inactivate all molds; whereas in some other cases, cross contamination may have resulted in mold contamination. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain hygienic conditions during raw milk handling as well as processing steps. These practices could efficiently reduce the occurrence of mold contaminations in dairy products.

Occurrence and average behavior of pulsating aurora

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Partamies, N.; Whiter, D.; Kadokura, A.; Kauristie, K.; Nesse Tyssøy, H.; Massetti, S.; Stauning, P.; Raita, T.

2017-05-01

Motivated by recent event studies and modeling efforts on pulsating aurora, which conclude that the precipitation energy during these events is high enough to cause significant chemical changes in the mesosphere, this study looks for the bulk behavior of auroral pulsations. Based on about 400 pulsating aurora events, we outline the typical duration, geomagnetic conditions, and change in the peak emission height for the events. We show that the auroral peak emission height for both green and blue emission decreases by about 8 km at the start of the pulsating aurora interval. This brings the hardest 10% of the electrons down to about 90 km altitude. The median duration of pulsating aurora is about 1.4 h. This value is a conservative estimate since in many cases the end of event is limited by the end of auroral imaging for the night or the aurora drifting out of the camera field of view. The longest durations of auroral pulsations are observed during events which start within the substorm recovery phases. As a result, the geomagnetic indices are not able to describe pulsating aurora. Simultaneous Antarctic auroral images were found for 10 pulsating aurora events. In eight cases auroral pulsations were seen in the southern hemispheric data as well, suggesting an equatorial precipitation source and a frequent interhemispheric occurrence. The long lifetimes of pulsating aurora, their interhemispheric occurrence, and the relatively high-precipitation energies make this type of aurora an effective energy deposition process which is easy to identify from the ground-based image data.

The Occurrence of Heamoproteuscolumbae in Pigeons ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Occurrence of Heamoproteuscolumbae in Pigeons ( Columbidaelivia ) Based on Microscopy and PCR Based Method Analysis and Identification of New Lineage in the MalAvi Data Base in Kano State, Nigeria.

Epithermal gold occurrences in the lakes district of the Main ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MER). Epithermal gold occurrences related to Quaternary volcanics are at present being closely studied for their precious metal potential. Low sulphidation (Adularia-sericite-type) occurrences have been found. Analyses of 579 core and cutting ...

Arctic boundary layer properties and its influence on cloud occurrence frequency, phase and structure in autumn season

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Qiu, S.; Dong, X.; Xi, B.

2017-12-01

In this study, autumnal boundary layer characteristics and cloud properties have been investigated using data collected at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement North Slope of Alaska (ARM NSA) site from January 2002 to December 2008. We found that both cloud and planetary boundary layer (PBL) properties can be well distinguished by surface wind directions. When the ARM NSA site is dominated by a northerly wind during the period September- November, the PBL is at near saturation for all three months; while the maximum RH layer varies from low and thin in September, to higher and thicker in October, and then it becomes close to surface again in November. Both the ceilometer and the MPL derived cloud base heights coincide well with the RH maximum layer in the PBL for all three autumnal months. The frequencies of occurrence of mixed phase clouds in September and October are around 60-80% under a northerly wind, which are about 1.5 times higher than those during a southerly wind. Under northerly wind, the PDFs of PBL temperature and specific humidity are narrow and unimodal, with a peak probability around 0.4-0.5. Under a southerly wind, on the other hand, the PBL is both warmer and wetter than northerly wind profiles, which result in lower RH values (10-15% lower) in September and October; and the PDFs of PBL temperature and specific humidity are more evenly distributed with larger distribution range and lower PDF peak values (<0.3). In September, colder and dryer PBL is more favorable for mixed phase cloud formation, cloud occurrence frequency decreases from 90% to 60% as PBL temperature and specific humidity increase. In October, the frequency of occurrence of mixed phase clouds also decreases from 90% to 50-60% as PBL temperature increases. While in November, it increases first and then decreases with increasing PBL temperature and specific humidity. The frequency of occurrence of mixed phase clouds is linearly correlated to PBL RH values: for all three months, it

Positive Association of Fibroadenomatoid Change with HER2-Negative Invasive Breast Cancer: A Co-Occurrence Study.

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Yaqin Chen

Full Text Available Risk assessment of a benign breast disease/lesion (BBD for invasive breast cancer (IBC is typically done through a longitudinal study. For an infrequently-reported BBD, the shortage of occurrence data alone is a limiting factor to conducting such a study. Here we present an approach based on co-occurrence analysis, to help address this issue. We focus on fibroadenomatoid change (FAC, an under-studied BBD, as our preliminary analysis has suggested its previously unknown significant co-occurrence with IBC.A cohort of 1667 female patients enrolled in the Clinical Breast Care Project was identified. A single experienced breast pathologist reviewed all pathology slides for each case and recorded all observed lesions, including FAC. Fibroadenoma (FA was studied for comparison since FAC had been speculated to be an immature FA. FA and Fibrocystic Changes (FCC were used for method validation since they have been comprehensively studied. Six common IBC and BBD risk/protective factors were also studied. Co-occurrence analyses were performed using logistic regression models.Common risk/protective factors were associated with FA, FCC, and IBC in ways consistent with the literature in general, and they were associated with FAC, FA, and FCC in distinct patterns. Age was associated with FAC in a bell-shape curve so that middle-aged women were more likely to have FAC. We report for the first time that FAC is positively associated with IBC with odds ratio (OR depending on BMI (OR = 6.78, 95%CI = 3.43-13.42 at BMI25 kg/m2. This association is only significant with HER2-negative IBC subtypes.We conclude that FAC is a candidate risk factor for HER2-negative IBCs, and it is a distinct disease from FA. Co-occurrence analysis can be used for initial assessment of the risk for IBC from a BBD, which is vital to the study of infrequently-reported BBDs.

Positive Association of Fibroadenomatoid Change with HER2-Negative Invasive Breast Cancer: A Co-Occurrence Study

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Kovatich, Albert J.; Hooke, Jeffrey A.; Liu, Jianfang; Kvecher, Leonid; Fantacone-Campbell, J. Leigh; Mitchell, Edith P.; Rui, Hallgeir; Shriver, Craig D.; Hu, Hai

2015-01-01

Background Risk assessment of a benign breast disease/lesion (BBD) for invasive breast cancer (IBC) is typically done through a longitudinal study. For an infrequently-reported BBD, the shortage of occurrence data alone is a limiting factor to conducting such a study. Here we present an approach based on co-occurrence analysis, to help address this issue. We focus on fibroadenomatoid change (FAC), an under-studied BBD, as our preliminary analysis has suggested its previously unknown significant co-occurrence with IBC. Methods A cohort of 1667 female patients enrolled in the Clinical Breast Care Project was identified. A single experienced breast pathologist reviewed all pathology slides for each case and recorded all observed lesions, including FAC. Fibroadenoma (FA) was studied for comparison since FAC had been speculated to be an immature FA. FA and Fibrocystic Changes (FCC) were used for method validation since they have been comprehensively studied. Six common IBC and BBD risk/protective factors were also studied. Co-occurrence analyses were performed using logistic regression models. Results Common risk/protective factors were associated with FA, FCC, and IBC in ways consistent with the literature in general, and they were associated with FAC, FA, and FCC in distinct patterns. Age was associated with FAC in a bell-shape curve so that middle-aged women were more likely to have FAC. We report for the first time that FAC is positively associated with IBC with odds ratio (OR) depending on BMI (OR = 6.78, 95%CI = 3.43-13.42 at BMI25 kg/m2). This association is only significant with HER2-negative IBC subtypes. Conclusions We conclude that FAC is a candidate risk factor for HER2-negative IBCs, and it is a distinct disease from FA. Co-occurrence analysis can be used for initial assessment of the risk for IBC from a BBD, which is vital to the study of infrequently-reported BBDs. PMID:26098961

Low socio-economic status and familial occurrence of goitre are associated with a high prevalence of goitre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knudsen, N.; Buelow, I.; Laurberg, P.; Ovesen, L.; Perrild, H.; Jorgensen, T.

2003-01-01

The occurrence of goitre is dependent on genetic and environmental factors, but the associations with socio-economic and life-style factors have only been examined briefly. A cohort of 4649 participants from the general population was examined with questionnaires, thyroid ultrasonography, clinical examination and blood tests. Data were analysed in linear models and logistic regression analysis. Thyroid volume and serum thyroglobulin were closely associated with educational level with higher values in the group with the lowest levels of education (p < 0.001). The same pattern applied to thyroid multinodularity at ultrasonography (p = 0.002) and palpable goitre (p = 0.01). Physical activity in leisure time was negatively associated with thyroid enlargement (p = 0.02) and serum thyroglobulin (p < 0.001). These associations diminished markedly if adjustment was made for smoking habits, alcohol consumption and iodine intake. Familial occurrence of goitre was associated with goitre prevalence (Odds Ratio 2.5, 95% CI: 1.6-3.9), but did not confound the socio-economic associations. In conclusion, social imbalances in the occurrence of goitre were identified. These imbalances could in part be explained by differences in smoking habits and iodine intake

Occurrence and spatial distribution of intestinal parasites in an agricultural center in Paraná State, Brazil - doi: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v32i2.5283 Occurrence and spatial distribution of intestinal parasites in an agricultural center in Paraná State, Brazil - doi: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v32i2.5283

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Vanderly Janeiro

2010-09-01

Full Text Available We determined the occurrence of human cases of intestinal parasites and their spatial distribution in an agricultural center of the state of Paraná in southern Brazil. Results from 5,219 stool examinations carried out in 2003 and 2004 in public and private clinical-pathology laboratories were analyzed. The overall occurrence of intestinal parasites was 19.8%. Entamoeba coli (7.2% and Giardia duodenalis (5.2% were the most frequent species. E. coli was present in 36.4%, G. duodenalis in 26.2% and E. nana in 13.6% of positive cases. According to spatial distribution, the highest occurrence of intestinal parasites was observed in the Piquiri/Guarujá area (p G. duodenalis (22.2% and E. coli (7.4%. Significant differences in the occurrence of enteroparasites were observed for females (p We determined the occurrence of human cases of intestinal parasites and their spatial distribution in an agricultural center of the state of Paraná in southern Brazil. Results from 5,219 stool examinations carried out in 2003 and 2004 in public and private clinical-pathology laboratories were analyzed. The overall occurrence of intestinal parasites was 19.8%. Entamoeba coli (7.2% and Giardia duodenalis (5.2% were the most frequent species. E. coli was present in 36.4%, G. duodenalis in 26.2% and E. nana in 13.6% of positive cases. According to spatial distribution, the highest occurrence of intestinal parasites was observed in the Piquiri/Guarujá area (p G. duodenalis (22.2% and E. coli (7.4%. Significant differences in the occurrence of enteroparasites were observed for females (p < 0.05 and children 0 to 10 years of age (p < 0.05. The occurrence of intestinal parasites in the municipality was mostly related to children, females, and residence in rural areas and the peripheries of urban centers, where the risk of infection is greater. This information will allow the development of appropriate measures for disease prevention and optimization of resources.

EFFECTS OF VARIOUS SOIL ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES ON THE OCCURRENCE, DISTRIBUTION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF VA MYCORRHIZAE

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A.G. KHAN

1995-01-01

Full Text Available The vesicular - arbuscular (VA mycorrhizal fungi are geographically ubiquitous soil inhabitants and form universal symbiotic relationship with plants from every phylum. These fungi link host plants with host soils and their biota in the mycorrhizosphere and play an important role in plant health, productivity and soil structure. Although VA mycorrhizal fungi do not show any host specificity, there is increasing evidence that various climatic and edaphic environmental factors such as land use and management practices, physical, chemical and biological properties of host soils and host plant characteristics influence their occurrence, taxonomic distribution and effectiveness. The interaction of these factors with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM is poorly understood except in a few cases. It is now very clear that VA mycorrhizal associations are ecologically significant factors that require more attention than previously accorded. This paper discusses the occurrence, distribution and significance of VAM in environmentally stressed soil conditions that limit plant growth such as drought, waterlogging and salinity.

Endocrine-disruptor molecular responses, occurrence of intersex and gonado-histopathological changes in tilapia species from a tropical freshwater dam (Awba Dam) in Ibadan, Nigeria.

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Adeogun, Aina O; Onibonoje, Kolawole; Ibor, Oju R; Omiwole, Roseline A; Chukwuka, Azubuike V; Ugwumba, Alex O; Ugwumba, Adiaha A A; Arukwe, Augustine

2016-05-01

In the present study, the occurrence of endocrine disruptive responses in Tilapia species from Awba Dam has been investigated, and compared to a reference site (Modete Dam). The Awba Dam is a recipient of effluents from University of Ibadan (Nigeria) and several other anthropogenic sources. A total of 132 Tilapia species (Sarotherodon malenotheron (n=57 and 32, males and females, respectively) and Tilapia guineensis (n=23 and 20, males and females, respectively)) were collected from June to September 2014. At the reference site, samples of adult male and female S. melanotheron (48 males and 47 females) and T. guineensis (84 males and 27 females) were collected. Gonads were morphologically and histologically examined and gonadosomatic index (GSI) was calculated. Hepatic mRNA transcriptions of vitellogenin (Vtg) and zona radiata protein (Zrp) genes were analyzed using validated RT-qPCR. Significant increase in Vtg and Zrp transcripts were observed in male tilapias from Awba Dam, compared to males from the reference site. In addition, male tilapias from Awba Dam produced significantly higher Vtg and Zrp mRNA, compared to females in June and July. However, at the natural peak spawning period in August and September, females produced, significantly higher Vtg and Zrp mRNA, compared to males. Fish gonads revealed varying incidence of intersex with a striking presence of two (2) pairs of testes and a pair of ovary in S. melanotheron from Awba Dam. The entire fish population examined at Awba Dam showed a high prevalence of intersex (34.8%), involving phenotypic males and females of both species. Analysis of sediment contaminant levels revealed that As, Cd, Pb, Hg and Ni (heavy metals), monobutyltin cation, 4-iso-nonyphenol and PCB congeners (138, 153 and 180) were significantly higher in Awba Dam, compared to the reference site. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that fish variables were positively correlated with sediment contaminant burden at Awba Dam, indicating

Occurrence, distribution and risks of antibiotics in urban surface water in Beijing, China.

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Li, Wenhui; Gao, Lihong; Shi, Yali; Liu, Jiemin; Cai, Yaqi

2015-09-01

The occurrence and distribution of 22 antibiotics, including eight fluoroquinolones, nine sulfonamides and five macrolides, were investigated in the urban surface waters in Beijing, China. A total of 360 surface water samples were collected from the main rivers and lakes in the urban area of Beijing monthly from July 2013 to June 2014 (except the frozen period). Laboratory analyses revealed that antibiotics were widely used and extensively distributed in the surface water of Beijing, and sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones were the predominant antibiotics with the average concentrations of 136 and 132 ng L(-1), respectively. A significant difference of antibiotic concentrations from different sampling sites was observed, and the southern and eastern regions of Beijing showed higher concentrations of antibiotics. Seasonal variation of the antibiotics in the urban surface water was also studied, and the highest level of antibiotics was found in November, which may be due to the low temperature and flow of the rivers during the period of cold weather. Risk assessment showed that several antibiotics might pose high ecological risks to aquatic organisms (algae and plants) in surface water, and more attention should be paid to the risk of antibiotics to the aquatic environment in Beijing.

Soil iron and aluminium concentrations and feet hygiene as possible predictors of Podoconiosis occurrence in Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Muli, Jacinta; Kagai, Jim

2017-01-01

significant (P≤0.05). By modeling the different soil mineral concentrations and pH while adjusting for the variable frequency of wearing shoes, only iron concentration was significant and in the negative dimension (P≤0.05). However, controlling for Iron, Aluminum concentrations turned significant. Conclusion/Significance This study has pointed to a hitherto unreported occurrence of Podoconiosis cases and has contributed to the baseline knowledge on the occurrence of Podoconiosis in Kenya. Consistent with many studies, wearing shoes remain an important risk factor for the occurrence of the disease. However, our findings are inconsistent with some of the hitherto postulations that associate Podoconiosis prevalence with certain minerals in the soil in other regions in Africa. These findings provide new beginnings for the cross-disciplinary research of Podoconiosis in environmental health, socio-ecology and ecological niche and geo-spatial modeling and prediction. PMID:28832604

Emerging organic contaminants in groundwater: A review of sources, fate and occurrence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapworth, D.J.; Baran, N.; Stuart, M.E.; Ward, R.S.

2012-01-01

Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) detected in groundwater may have adverse effects on human health and aquatic ecosystems. This paper reviews the existing occurrence data in groundwater for a range of EOCs including pharmaceutical, personal care, ‘life-style’ and selected industrial compounds. The main sources and pathways for organic EOCs in groundwater are reviewed, with occurrence data for EOCs in groundwater included from both targeted studies and broad reconnaissance surveys. Nanogram-microgram per litre concentrations are present in groundwater for a large range of EOCs as well as metabolites and transformation products and under certain conditions may pose a threat to freshwater bodies for decades due to relatively long groundwater residence times. In the coming decades, more of these EOCs are likely to have drinking water standards, environmental quality standards and/or groundwater threshold values defined, and therefore a better understanding of the spatial and temporal variation remains a priority. - Highlights: ► First review to focus on EOCs in groundwater. ► A large range (n > 180) of EOCs are detected in groundwater. ► Significant concentrations (10 2 –10 4 ng/L) for a range of EOCs, including endocrine disruptors. ► Groundwater EOC occurrence is poorly characterised compared to other freshwater resources. - A large range of emerging organic contaminants are now being detected in groundwater as a result of recent and historical anthropogenic activities.

Impact of Computer Related Posture on the Occurrence of Musculoskeletal Discomfort among Secondary School Students in Lagos, Nigeria.

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Odebiyi, D O; Olawale, O A; Adeniji, Y M

2013-01-01

Computers have become an essential part of life particularly in industrially advanced countries of the world. Children now have greater accessibility to computers both at school and at home. Recent studies suggest that with this increased exposure, there are associated musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in both school-aged children and adults. To assess the posture assumed by secondary school students during computer use and its impact on the occurrence and severity of reported musculoskeletal discomforts. Posture assumed during normal computer class, occurrence of discomforts, body parts involved and the intensity of discomforts were evaluated in 235 school aged children using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) scale, Body Discomfort Chart (BDC) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after normal computer class. Inferential statistics of t-test and chi-square were used to determine significance difference between variables, with level of significant set at p Computer use produced significant discomforts on the neck, shoulder and low back. There was a significant relationship between participants height and posture assumed. Two hundred and eleven (89.8%) participants reported discomforts/pain during the use of computer. Weight and height were contributory factors to the occurrence of musculoskeletal discomfort/pain (p computer use. Weight and height were implicated as factors that influenced the form of posture and the nature of the reported discomfort. Creating awareness about the knowledge of ergonomics and safety for promotion of good posture was therefore recommended.

Phyloproteomic Analysis of 11780 Six-Residue-Long Motifs Occurrences

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O. V. Galzitskaya

2015-01-01

Full Text Available How is it possible to find good traits for phylogenetic reconstructions? Here, we present a new phyloproteomic criterion that is an occurrence of simple motifs which can be imprints of evolution history. We studied the occurrences of 11780 six-residue-long motifs consisting of two randomly located amino acids in 97 eukaryotic and 25 bacterial proteomes. For all eukaryotic proteomes, with the exception of the Amoebozoa, Stramenopiles, and Diplomonadida kingdoms, the number of proteins containing the motifs from the first group (one of the two amino acids occurs once at the terminal position made about 20%; in the case of motifs from the second (one of two amino acids occurs one time within the pattern and third (the two amino acids occur randomly groups, 30% and 50%, respectively. For bacterial proteomes, this relationship was 10%, 27%, and 63%, respectively. The matrices of correlation coefficients between numbers of proteins where a motif from the set of 11780 motifs appears at least once in 9 kingdoms and 5 phyla of bacteria were calculated. Among the correlation coefficients for eukaryotic proteomes, the correlation between the animal and fungi kingdoms (0.62 is higher than between fungi and plants (0.54. Our study provides support that animals and fungi are sibling kingdoms. Comparison of the frequencies of six-residue-long motifs in different proteomes allows obtaining phylogenetic relationships based on similarities between these frequencies: the Diplomonadida kingdoms are more close to Bacteria than to Eukaryota; Stramenopiles and Amoebozoa are more close to each other than to other kingdoms of Eukaryota.

Perioperative factors affecting the occurrence of acute complex regional pain syndrome following limb bone fracture surgery: data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database.

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Sumitani, Masahiko; Yasunaga, Hideo; Uchida, Kanji; Horiguchi, Hiromasa; Nakamura, Masaya; Ohe, Kazuhiko; Fushimi, Kiyohide; Matsuda, Shinya; Yamada, Yoshitsugu

2014-07-01

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) describes a broad spectrum of symptoms that predominantly localize to the extremities. Although limb fracture is one of the most frequently reported triggering events, few large-scale studies have shown the occurrence of and factors associated with CRPS following limb fracture. This study aimed to show the occurrence and identify of those factors. Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we identified 39 patients diagnosed with CRPS immediately after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for limb fracture from a cohort of 185 378 inpatients treated with ORIF between 1 July and 31 December of each year between 2007 and 2010. Patient and clinical characteristics such as age, gender, fracture site, duration of anaesthesia and use of regional anaesthesia were investigated by logistic regression analyses to examine associations between these factors and the in-hospital occurrence of CRPS after ORIF. The occurrence of CRPS was relatively high in fractures of the distal forearm, but low in fractures of the lower limb and in patients with multiple fractures. Generally females are considered to be at high risk of CRPS; however, we found a comparable number of male and female patients suffering from CRPS after ORIF for limb fracture. In terms of perioperative factors, a longer duration of anaesthesia, but not regional anaesthesia, was significantly associated with a higher incidence of CRPS. Although a limited number of CRPS patients were analysed in this study, reduced operative time might help to prevent the development of acute CRPS following limb fracture. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

First natural occurrence of coesite

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Chao, E.C.T.; Shoemaker, E.M.; Madsen, B.M.

1960-01-01

Coesite, the high-pressure polymorph of SiO2, hitherto known only as a synthetic compound, is identified as an abundant mineral in sheared Coconino sandstone at Meteor Crater, Arizona. This natural occurrence has important bearing on the recognition of meteorite impact craters in quartz-bearing geologic formations.

The applications and clinical significance of IMA, H-FABP joint CKMB in acute myocardial infarction

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Xiao-Hui Zeng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the applications and clinical significance of ischemia-modified protein (IMA, heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP joint creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB in acute myocardial infarction (AMI. Methods: From January 2014 to December 2014, 84 clinical materials of patients with AMI in Department of cardiology were collected, and 80 cases of normal projects were the control group. IMA was determinated with albumincobalt ion binding assay. The levels of H-FABP and CK-MB of 84 cases of AMI patients and 80 cases of normal subjects were determinated with immunoturbidimetric. The value of IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB of AMI patients were analyzed with subject-specific curve (ROC. Results: The levels of serum IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB of AMI group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Differences showed statistical significance (P < 0.05. The levels of serum IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB increased as the increase of coronary lesion vessels in patients with AMI (P < 0.05. The levels of IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB of the death group were significantly higher than those of the surviving group (P < 0.05. ROC curve analysis showed that when IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB joint detections of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were greater than singleindex detection (P < 0.05. Conclusions: The expression levels of IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB are closely related to the occurrence and development of disease progression in patients with AMI. IMA, H-FABP joint CK-MB detection can improve the sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis of AMI.

Development of a prediction model for crash occurrence by analyzing traffic crash and citation data : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-30

It is commonly acknowledged that factors such as human factors, vehicle characteristics, road design and environmental factors highly contribute to the occurrence of traffic crashes (WHO, 2004). Since human factors usually have the most significant i...

Correcting Estimates of the Occurrence Rate of Earth-like Exoplanets for Stellar Multiplicity

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Cantor, Elliot; Dressing, Courtney D.; Ciardi, David R.; Christiansen, Jessie

2018-06-01

One of the most prominent questions in the exoplanet field has been determining the true occurrence rate of potentially habitable Earth-like planets. NASA’s Kepler mission has been instrumental in answering this question by searching for transiting exoplanets, but follow-up observations of Kepler target stars are needed to determine whether or not the surveyed Kepler targets are in multi-star systems. While many researchers have searched for companions to Kepler planet host stars, few studies have investigated the larger target sample. Regardless of physical association, the presence of nearby stellar companions biases our measurements of a system’s planetary parameters and reduces our sensitivity to small planets. Assuming that all Kepler target stars are single (as is done in many occurrence rate calculations) would overestimate our search completeness and result in an underestimate of the frequency of potentially habitable Earth-like planets. We aim to correct for this bias by characterizing the set of targets for which Kepler could have detected Earth-like planets. We are using adaptive optics (AO) imaging to reveal potential stellar companions and near-infrared spectroscopy to refine stellar parameters for a subset of the Kepler targets that are most amenable to the detection of Earth-like planets. We will then derive correction factors to correct for the biases in the larger set of target stars and determine the true frequency of systems with Earth-like planets. Due to the prevalence of stellar multiples, we expect to calculate an occurrence rate for Earth-like exoplanets that is higher than current figures.

Analysis on the occurrence rate of pneumothorax after percutaneous pneumocentesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Qi; Wang Kun; Ren Ran

2001-01-01

Objective: To analyze the influence of multiple variable factors on the occurrence rate of pneumothorax associated with transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy of the lung. Methods: Fluoroscopical guided lung biopsies were performed in 46 patients. Variable factors were analyzed including lesion size, location, number of puncture, presence of emphysema and patients position after needle biopsy of the lung. Results: Pneumothorax occurred at 9 (19.6%) of 46 patients and that occurred at 4(44.4%) of 9 emphysematous patients. Among them 2 necessitated chest drainage tube placement. The pneumothorax occurrence rate was 30% (3/10) for lesions of diameter 3 cm or less in size. In the dependent group, pneumothorax occurred in 4 of 20 patients (20%). In the non-dependent group, pneumothorax occurred in 5 of 26 patients (19.2%). Conclusion: The correlation showed that increasing frequency of pneumothorax with decreasing size of lesions. An increased rate of pneumothorax was correlated with presence of emphysema. Patients with emphysema are more likely to have a symptomatic pneumothorax. No significant differences were found in the incidence of pneumothorax between patients placed with the puncture site dependent after biopsy and those placed with the puncture site non-dependent

Predicting the occurrence of iron chlorosis in grapevine with tests based on soil iron forms

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Isabel Díaz de la Torre

2010-06-01

Significance and impact of study: This study has shown the limited usefulness of tests based on the contents and reactivity of the soil carbonate to predict the occurrence of Fe chlorosis in grapevine; tests capable of estimating the contents of the labile soil Fe forms constitute the best alternative.

Predicting Spike Occurrence and Neuronal Responsiveness from LFPs in Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Storchi, Riccardo; Zippo, Antonio G.; Caramenti, Gian Carlo; Valente, Maurizio; Biella, Gabriele E. M.

2012-01-01

Local Field Potentials (LFPs) integrate multiple neuronal events like synaptic inputs and intracellular potentials. LFP spatiotemporal features are particularly relevant in view of their applications both in research (e.g. for understanding brain rhythms, inter-areal neural communication and neronal coding) and in the clinics (e.g. for improving invasive Brain-Machine Interface devices). However the relation between LFPs and spikes is complex and not fully understood. As spikes represent the fundamental currency of neuronal communication this gap in knowledge strongly limits our comprehension of neuronal phenomena underlying LFPs. We investigated the LFP-spike relation during tactile stimulation in primary somatosensory (S-I) cortex in the rat. First we quantified how reliably LFPs and spikes code for a stimulus occurrence. Then we used the information obtained from our analyses to design a predictive model for spike occurrence based on LFP inputs. The model was endowed with a flexible meta-structure whose exact form, both in parameters and structure, was estimated by using a multi-objective optimization strategy. Our method provided a set of nonlinear simple equations that maximized the match between models and true neurons in terms of spike timings and Peri Stimulus Time Histograms. We found that both LFPs and spikes can code for stimulus occurrence with millisecond precision, showing, however, high variability. Spike patterns were predicted significantly above chance for 75% of the neurons analysed. Crucially, the level of prediction accuracy depended on the reliability in coding for the stimulus occurrence. The best predictions were obtained when both spikes and LFPs were highly responsive to the stimuli. Spike reliability is known to depend on neuron intrinsic properties (i.e. on channel noise) and on spontaneous local network fluctuations. Our results suggest that the latter, measured through the LFP response variability, play a dominant role. PMID:22586452

Occurrence, Seasonal Variation and Risk Assessment of Antibiotics in Qingcaosha Reservoir

OpenAIRE

Yue Jiang; Cong Xu; Xiaoyu Wu; Yihan Chen; Wei Han; Karina Yew-Hoong Gin; Yiliang He

2018-01-01

Qingcaosha Reservoir is an important drinking water source in Shanghai. The occurrence of five groups of antibiotics was investigated in the surface water of this reservoir over a one-year period. Seventeen antibiotics were selected in this study based on their significant usage in China. Of these antibiotics, 16 were detected, while oxytetracycline was not detected in any sampling site. The detected frequency of tylosin was only 47.92% while the other 15 antibiotics were above 81.25%. The do...

Determinants of occurrence of epiphytic mosses in the urban environment; a case study from Katowice city (S Poland

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Fojcik Barbara

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Katowice is the largest city within the Upper Silesian Industrial District (S Poland. The investtigation conducted in this town earlier (1998-2000 showed limited number of epiphytic species. Recent study showed significant increase in number of localities of obligate epiphytes (mainly from the genera Orthotrichum and Ulota. They colonize mainly the edges of strongly urbanized areas bordering forest complexes and larger parks. This paper is an attempt to answer the question as currently in Katowice shape the main factors determining the occurrence of epiphytes. Crucial factors which govern epiphytes colonization processes in urban areas have been confirmed: bark chemistry (taking into account natural attributes and the influence of pollution and air humidity. The preference of epiphytes towards inhabited phorophytes was confirmed as well. The most commonly and abundantly inhabited species were poplar and willow trees (which have a higher pH of bark.

Clinical significance of determination of changes of serum NO, NOS and GM-CSF levels after massage therapy in patients with periarthritis of shoulder diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Feng; Chen Lixia; Pan Xiaohong

2011-01-01

Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum NO, NOS and GM-CSF levels after massage therapy in patients with periarthritis of shoulder diseases. Methods: Serum GM-CSF level was determined with RIA and serum NO, NOS levels were determined with chemical methods both before and after massage therapy in 33 patients with periarthritis of shoulder diseases as well as in 35 normal healthy controls. Results: Before massage therapy the serum concertration of NO, NOS and GM-CSF in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P 0.05). Conclusion: Detection of serum NO, NOS and GM-CSF levels were closely related to the occurrence and development of the disease also provides important value clinically. (authors)

Co-occurrence of protective health behaviours and perceived psychosocial job characteristics

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Vera J.C. Mc Carthy

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Little is known about the association between positive job characteristics of older workers and the co-occurrence of protective health behaviours. This study aims to investigate the association between perceived psychosocial job characteristics and the adoption of protective health behaviours. A population-based cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 1025 males and females (age-range 50–69-years attending a primary healthcare clinic. Perceived job characteristics (job demands: quantitative and cognitive demands; resources: possibility for development and influence at work were determined using the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. Each scale is presented in tertiles. Protective health behaviours were; consumption of five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day, moderate alcohol, non/ex-smoker, and high and moderate physical activity. Each participant was scored 0–4 protective health behaviours. The majority of the sample had three protective health behaviours. Higher levels of influence at work and cognitive demands were associated with higher self-reported physical activity, but not with any number of protective health behaviours. Conversely, higher quantitative and higher cognitive demands were associated with reporting any number of protective health behaviours or above average number of protective health behaviours respectively. The findings on protective health behaviours were inconsistent in relation to the different measures of perceived psychosocial job characteristics and were largely confined to physical activity and diet.

Occurrence of ochratoxin A in commodities and processed food - A review of EU occurrence data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Kevin

2005-01-01

A brief review on the occurrence of ochratoxin A in commodities and processed food on the European market (meat and meat products, cereal and cereal products, spices, beer, cocoa and derived products, coffee, wine, dried vine fruits, grape juice) is given in an historical perspective based on two...

Future Climate Data from RCP 4.5 and Occurrence of Malaria in Korea

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Jaewon Kwak

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Since its reappearance at the Military Demarcation Line in 1993, malaria has been occurring annually in Korea. Malaria is regarded as a third grade nationally notifiable disease susceptible to climate change. The objective of this study is to quantify the effect of climatic factors on the occurrence of malaria in Korea and construct a malaria occurrence model for predicting the future trend of malaria under the influence of climate change. Using data from 2001–2011, the effect of time lag between malaria occurrence and mean temperature, relative humidity and total precipitation was investigated using spectral analysis. Also, a principal component regression model was constructed, considering multicollinearity. Future climate data, generated from RCP 4.5 climate change scenario and CNCM3 climate model, was applied to the constructed regression model to simulate future malaria occurrence and analyze the trend of occurrence. Results show an increase in the occurrence of malaria and the shortening of annual time of occurrence in the future.

Future climate data from RCP 4.5 and occurrence of malaria in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Jaewon; Noh, Huiseong; Kim, Soojun; Singh, Vijay P; Hong, Seung Jin; Kim, Duckgil; Lee, Keonhaeng; Kang, Narae; Kim, Hung Soo

2014-10-15

Since its reappearance at the Military Demarcation Line in 1993, malaria has been occurring annually in Korea. Malaria is regarded as a third grade nationally notifiable disease susceptible to climate change. The objective of this study is to quantify the effect of climatic factors on the occurrence of malaria in Korea and construct a malaria occurrence model for predicting the future trend of malaria under the influence of climate change. Using data from 2001-2011, the effect of time lag between malaria occurrence and mean temperature, relative humidity and total precipitation was investigated using spectral analysis. Also, a principal component regression model was constructed, considering multicollinearity. Future climate data, generated from RCP 4.5 climate change scenario and CNCM3 climate model, was applied to the constructed regression model to simulate future malaria occurrence and analyze the trend of occurrence. Results show an increase in the occurrence of malaria and the shortening of annual time of occurrence in the future.

Unusual occurrences during the whole operation of BN-250 NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andropenkov, S.

2000-01-01

Unusual occurrences during the whole operation BN-350 NPP. 1. Oil ingress in high pressure receiver for the not reveled reason, 12.05.1994. 2. lncrease of water radioactivity of circulating water supply system due to heat exchanger leak of spent fuel assembly washing out system, 17.09.1993. 3. Lack of passableness of sodium drain header of primary circuit reveled during inspection on scheduled preventative maintenance, 28.11.1996. 4. Destruction of the blow-off line of MCP-6 due to corrosion damage of the pipeline while unit was being operated at rated power, 23.04.1993. 5. Lack of passableness of blow-down pipeline connecting reactor gas cover with gas-type pressurizer while unit was being operated at rated power, 17.11.1994. 6. Sodium ingress in blow-down pipeline of loop-5 intermediate heat exchanger while loop-5 was being fed of sodium during scheduled preventative maintenance, 27.06.1994. 7. Resistance deterioration of electro heating zones of loop-4 due to heat exchanger leak and water ingress in air-pipeline of primary circuit boxes recirculating air system, 02.05.1997. 8. Resistance deterioration of electro heating zones of sodium drain header of secondary circuit was sopped in the water for the extinguishing the fire of blowing ventilation oil-strainer, 23.12.1994. 9. Sodium ingress in gas-type pressurizer through pipeline of primary sodium cleanup system and blow-down pipeline of failed MCP-2 while primary sodium cleanup system was being connected to the primary circuit, 17.08.1976. As a rule, the main reactor systems are scrutinized more carefully than the auxiliary reactor systems and the order actions are existed for eliminating and mitigating of consequences of main reactor system fails. Therefore the auxiliary reactor system fails may impact on the main reactor systems through places of its contact in significant measure. The influence of auxiliary reactor system fails on main reactor systems and its possible consequences for behavior of the main

The global compendium of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus occurrence

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, Moritz U. G.; Sinka, Marianne E.; Duda, Kirsten A.; Mylne, Adrian; Shearer, Freya M.; Brady, Oliver J.; Messina, Jane P.; Barker, Christopher M.; Moore, Chester G.; Carvalho, Roberta G.; Coelho, Giovanini E.; van Bortel, Wim; Hendrickx, Guy; Schaffner, Francis; Wint, G. R. William; Elyazar, Iqbal R. F.; Teng, Hwa-Jen; Hay, Simon I.

2015-07-01

Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus are the main vectors transmitting dengue and chikungunya viruses. Despite being pathogens of global public health importance, knowledge of their vectors’ global distribution remains patchy and sparse. A global geographic database of known occurrences of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus between 1960 and 2014 was compiled. Herein we present the database, which comprises occurrence data linked to point or polygon locations, derived from peer-reviewed literature and unpublished studies including national entomological surveys and expert networks. We describe all data collection processes, as well as geo-positioning methods, database management and quality-control procedures. This is the first comprehensive global database of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus occurrence, consisting of 19,930 and 22,137 geo-positioned occurrence records respectively. Both datasets can be used for a variety of mapping and spatial analyses of the vectors and, by inference, the diseases they transmit.

Natural occurrence of fumonisins and ochratoxin A in some herbs and spices commercialized in Poland analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS method.

Science.gov (United States)

Waśkiewicz, Agnieszka; Beszterda, Monika; Bocianowski, Jan; Goliński, Piotr

2013-12-01

Unsanitary conditions during harvesting, drying, packing and storage stages in production and processing of spices and herbs could introduce mycotoxin contamination. The occurrence of ochratoxin A and fumonisins in popular spices and herbs was studied, using liquid chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry. Apart from mycotoxins, ergosterol as a factor indicating fungal development was also analysed. A total of 79 different samples commercialized in Poland were randomly purchased from popular markets were tested for mycotoxins. The frequency of samples with fumonisins was lower (31%) than ochratoxin A (49%). Free from mycotoxins were samples of bay leaf and white mustard. ERG content - in spice samples with high concentration level of mycotoxins - was also significantly higher than in samples with little to no mycotoxins. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2004 National Atrazine Occurrence Monitoring Program using the Abraxis ELISA method.

Science.gov (United States)

Graziano, Nicole; McGuire, Michael J; Roberson, Alan; Adams, Craig; Jiang, Hua; Blute, Nicole

2006-02-15

spectrophotometry (GC/MS). Several important conclusions can be drawn from this study including (1) surface waters were confirmed to be more vulnerable to atrazine contamination than groundwater sources, (2) peak atrazine concentrations corresponded well to precipitation/runoff events, and (3) atrazine occurrence tended to be uniform geographically when compared by river drainage basins. In addition, this project confirmed that the Abraxis atrazine ELISA test kit tended to have a positive bias (i.e., the measured ELISA concentration was higher than the actual concentration) in most measured samples. Finished samples tended to have more of a positive bias than raw water samples. Therefore, this bias may limit the effectiveness for ELISA for regulatory monitoring. There are many other applications for ELISA, however, including frequent monitoring for early detections of atrazine concentration changes that might trigger conventional analysis by GC/MS or be used for activated carbon dosing or other treatment operating controls.

Macroecology of parental care in arthropods: higher mortality risk leads to higher benefits of offspring protection in tropical climates.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Eduardo S A; Bueno, Pedro P; Gilbert, James D J; Machado, Glauco

2017-08-01

The intensity of biotic interactions varies around the world, in such a way that mortality risk imposed by natural enemies is usually higher in the tropics. A major role of offspring attendance is protection against natural enemies, so the benefits of this behaviour should be higher in tropical regions. We tested this macroecological prediction with a meta-regression of field experiments in which the mortality of guarded and unguarded broods was compared in arthropods. Mortality of unguarded broods was higher, and parental care was more beneficial, in warmer, less seasonal environments. Moreover, in these same environments, additional lines of defence further reduced offspring mortality, implying that offspring attendance alone is not enough to deter natural enemies in tropical regions. These results help to explain the high frequency of parental care among tropical species and how biotic interactions influence the occurrence of parental care over large geographic scales. Finally, our findings reveal that additional lines of defences - an oftentimes neglected component of parental care - have an important effect on the covariation between the benefits of parental care and the climate-mediated mortality risk imposed by natural enemies. © 2016 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Normalized burn ratios link fire severity with patterns of avian occurrence

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Eli T.; Simons, Theodore R.; Klein, Rob; McKerrow, Alexa

2016-01-01

ContextRemotely sensed differenced normalized burn ratios (DNBR) provide an index of fire severity across the footprint of a fire. We asked whether this index was useful for explaining patterns of bird occurrence within fire adapted xeric pine-oak forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains.ObjectivesWe evaluated the use of DNBR indices for linking ecosystem process with patterns of bird occurrence. We compared field-based and remotely sensed fire severity indices and used each to develop occupancy models for six bird species to identify patterns of bird occurrence following fire.MethodsWe identified and sampled 228 points within fires that recently burned within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We performed avian point counts and field-assessed fire severity at each bird census point. We also used Landsat™ imagery acquired before and after each fire to quantify fire severity using DNBR. We used non-parametric methods to quantify agreement between fire severity indices, and evaluated single season occupancy models incorporating fire severity summarized at different spatial scales.ResultsAgreement between field-derived and remotely sensed measures of fire severity was influenced by vegetation type. Although occurrence models using field-derived indices of fire severity outperformed those using DNBR, summarizing DNBR at multiple spatial scales provided additional insights into patterns of occurrence associated with different sized patches of high severity fire.ConclusionsDNBR is useful for linking the effects of fire severity to patterns of bird occurrence, and informing how high severity fire shapes patterns of bird species occurrence on the landscape.

Change in Occurrence of Rice stripe virus Disease

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Bong Choon Lee

2012-12-01

Full Text Available We surveyed the occurrence of Rice stripe virus (RSV disease in 672 fields from 29 rice representative area inJuly 2012 as nationwide survey for RSV occurrence since 2008. We confirmed occurrence of virus disease in18 areas, in west coast region including Secheon, Taean, Buwan and Cheorwon. RSV incidence rates of plantin Sacheon and Buan were less than 0.01% and 0.15%, respectively, showing similar rate with the nationwidesurvey carried out in 2008, whereas incidence rate of field declined from 19.9% in 2008 to 4.9% in 2012.Earlier, RSV occurred largely across the southern region of Korea. In 2001, RSV disease was found inGangwha and Gyeonggi-do, the northern region of Korea. In 2007, RSV appeared in west coast; Buan inJeollabuk-do and Seocheon in Choongnam-do. After migration of the vector, small brown plant hopper, fromChina in 2009, RSV is becoming a pandemic.

Elucidation of self-induced sloshing occurrence mechanism using numerical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saeki, Soichi; Madarame, Haruki; Okamoto, Koji; Tanaka, Nobukazu.

1995-01-01

In liquid metal-cooled fast breeder reactors, there is free liquid surface in a reactor vessel and others, and by reducing the size of the reactor vessel and others, it is necessary to increase the flow velocity of liquid sodium coolant. In the free liquid surface in which fast circulating flow exists, undesirable phenomena like waving and bubble catching are feared. The self-induced sloshing taken up in this study is one of these phenomena. Since the actual machine has complex three-dimensional structure, in order to forecast the occurrence of sloshing, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanism of vibration occurrence. The mechanism of occurrence of self-induced sloshing due to horizontal and vertical plane jets has been explained a number of times so far. In this study, by applying the model of the occurrence mechanism of Fukaya to horizontal plane jet, the self-induced sloshing due to horizontal plane jet was simulated by numerical analysis. Based on the results, it was attempted to examine the vibration energy supplied to sloshing in a whole flow field and the dependence of sloshing region on water depth and flow velocity. The numerical simulation, the analysis of the occurrence mechanism by using the numerical analysis code and the results are reported. (K.I.)

Sociodemographic disparities in the occurrence of medical conditions among adolescent and young adult Hodgkin lymphoma survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Keegan, Theresa H M; Li, Qian; Steele, Amy; Alvarez, Elysia M; Brunson, Ann; Flowers, Christopher R; Glaser, Sally L; Wun, Ted

2018-06-01

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors experience high risks of second cancers and cardiovascular disease, but no studies have considered whether the occurrence of these and other medical conditions differ by sociodemographic factors in adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors. Data for 5,085 patients aged 15-39 when diagnosed with HL during 1996-2012 and surviving ≥ 2 years were obtained from the California Cancer Registry and linked to hospitalization data. We examined the impact of race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), and health insurance on the occurrence of medical conditions (≥ 2 years after diagnosis) and the impact of medical conditions on survival using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Twenty-six percent of AYAs experienced at least one medical condition and 15% had ≥ 2 medical conditions after treatment for HL. In multivariable analyses, Black HL survivors had a higher likelihood (vs. non-Hispanic Whites) of endocrine [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.78] and circulatory system diseases (HR = 1.58, CI 1.17-2.14); Hispanics had a higher likelihood of endocrine diseases [HR = 1.24 (1.04-1.48)]. AYAs with public or no insurance (vs. private/military) had higher likelihood of circulatory system diseases, respiratory system diseases, chronic kidney disease/renal failure, liver disease, and endocrine diseases. AYAs residing in low SES neighborhoods (vs. high) had higher likelihood of respiratory system and endocrine diseases. AYAs with these medical conditions or second cancers had an over twofold increased risk of death. Strategies to improve health care utilization for surveillance and secondary prevention among AYA HL survivors at increased risk of medical conditions may improve outcomes.

Sociodemographic and environmental analysis for the occurrence of anti-Leptospira antibodies in dogs of Teresina, Piauí, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Elís Rosélia Dutra de Freitas Siqueira; Castro, Vanessa; Mineiro, Ana Lys Bezerra Barradas; Prianti, Maria das Graças; Martins, Gustavo Henrique Chaves; Santana, Misael das Virgens; Brito, Lucas Moreira; Silva, Silvana Maria Medeiros de Sousa

2018-05-01

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis whose transmission is interlinked by multiple factors in the man-animal-ecosystem interface. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for the occurrence of anti-Leptospira antibodies in dogs in the capital Teresina (PI), and to determine their spatial distribution. Five hundred fifty-eight dog blood samples were submitted to the Microscopic Serum Agglutination (MSA) test. We applied semi-structured questionnaires to dog owners and obtained the area of residence for projection in geographical maps. Serum prevalence was 13.8%, in which the most common serovar was icterohaemorrhagiae, with 49.2%. Dogs with street access, failure to collect food bowl and low income of owners were risk factors. There was a higher number of seropositive dogs in the rainy season, with 87.1%, which is a probable risk factor for the occurrence of cases. The distribution of seropositive dogs was widely spread in the city, with predominance of cases in anthropized areas. These risk factors favor the occurrence of anti-Leptospira antibodies in dogs that are agent maintenance sources in the city and reinforce the need for epidemiological and environmental surveillance to prevent leptospirosis.

Significance of dipyridamole-induced transient dilation of the left ventricle during thallium-201 scintigraphy in suspected coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chouraqui, P.; Rodrigues, E.A.; Berman, D.S.; Maddahi, J.

1990-01-01

The occurrence and significance of transient dilation of the left ventricle during dipyridamole stress-redistribution thallium-201 scintigraphy was studied in 73 patients who underwent both dipyridamole thallium-201 study and coronary angiography. Transient dilation ratio was calculated from planar anterior images by dividing the computer-derived left ventricular area on the initial image by that of the 4-hour image. In 11 patients with normal coronary arteriograms or less than 50% coronary stenosis, the transient dilation ratio was 0.98 +/- 0.046. An abnormal transient dilation ratio was defined as greater than or equal to 1.12, representing greater than or equal to 3 standard deviations above the mean normal value. When the 15 patients with an abnormal ratio were compared with the 58 with a normal ratio, the former group had a significantly higher frequency of 3 critical (greater than or equal to 90%) coronary stenoses (33 vs 5%), higher prevalence of collaterals (67 vs 24%), more extensive myocardial reversible defects by planar (71 vs 10%) or by single-photon emission computed tomography (87.5 vs 35%) imaging and a higher incidence of dipyridamole-induced anginal chest pain (53 vs 22%). No significant difference between the 2 groups was noted with respect to age, gender, prior myocardial infarction, single or double critical coronary stenosis, dipyridamole-induced ischemic electrocardiographic response and increased lung uptake. An abnormal transient dilation ratio of greater than or equal to 1.12 was a specific marker of multivessel (87%) or 3-vessel (85%) critical coronary artery disease

Studies on the application of radiation for genetic transformation in higher plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young Il; Song, Hi Sup; Kim, Jae Sung; Shin, In Chul; Lee, Sang Jae; Lee, Ki Woon; Lim, Yong Taek

1992-02-01

Present research carried out to develop the radiation application on the mutation research of genetic engineering. Some variants selected in M1 generation derived from the plantlet by the nodal stem culture of three potato cultivars irradiated with gamma rays, and the optimum dosage for mutation induction was revealed the range of 30 - 50 Gy of gamma ray. In the rice anther culture of the plant irradiated with gamma rays at different developmental stage of microspore, the haploidy callus formation rates were much higher in gamma ray irradiated anthers than those of non-irradiated, and the occurrence of a typical pollen was significantly increased up to 47% in the anthers irradiated with 30 Gy of gamma ray compared with 11% of non-irradiated anthers at the stage of pollen mother cell. A lot of variants were selected in rice, soybean, perilla and red pepper irradiated with gamma rays for breeding of earliness, short culm, high yielding and disease resistant mutant. (Author)

Occurrence of Indoor VOCs in Nursery School - Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Juhasova Senitkova, Ingrid

2017-10-01

Children’s exposure to air pollutants is an important public health challenge. Particular attention should be paid to preschools because younger children are more vulnerable to air pollution than higher grade children and spend more time indoors. The concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in younger and older children’s classrooms during the winter season were studied. An electronic nose based on gas chromatography was used for the analysis of individual VOCs and a photoionization detector with a UV lamp was used for the determination of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) concentration. Continuous measurements of CO2 concentrations both inside classrooms and outside each building were performed using automatic portable monitors. Improving ventilation, decreasing the occupancy per room and completing cleaning activities following occupancy periods can contribute to alleviating high CO2 and VOCs occurrence levels.

Women's Experience of Orgasm During Intercourse: Question Semantics Affect Women's Reports and Men's Estimates of Orgasm Occurrence.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirazi, Talia; Renfro, Kaytlin J; Lloyd, Elisabeth; Wallen, Kim

2018-04-01

Most women report reliably experiencing orgasm from masturbation, but a smaller proportion of women report regularly experiencing orgasm from intercourse. Research suggests that concurrent clitoral stimulation during intercourse increases the likelihood of orgasm, yet most surveys of orgasm during intercourse leave unspecified whether vaginal intercourse does or does not include concurrent clitoral stimulation (assisted intercourse or unassisted intercourse, respectively). Using an online sample of 1569 men and 1478 women, we tested whether phrasing of questions about the occurrence of orgasm in intercourse modulates women's reported frequency and men's estimates of women's frequency of orgasm in intercourse. Participants provided estimates of orgasm when asked explicitly about intercourse with stimulation unspecified, assisted intercourse, and unassisted intercourse. Women's reports of orgasm occurrence were highest in response to assisted intercourse (51-60%), second highest in response to intercourse with clitoral stimulation unspecified (31-40%), and lowest in response to unassisted intercourse (21-30%). Men's estimates of women's orgasms were highest in response to assisted intercourse (61-70%), and lowest in response to unassisted intercourse (41-50%); in both conditions, men's estimates were significantly higher than women's reports. When clitoral stimulation was unspecified, women interpreted "orgasm in intercourse" in three ways: as from intercourse alone, as including concurrent clitoral stimulation though it was unspecified, or as an average of assisted and unassisted intercourse. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the phrasing of questions about women's orgasm produces markedly different orgasm estimates, and suggest that concurrent clitoral stimulation increases the likelihood of women experiencing orgasm in intercourse.

Occurrence Of Virulence Factors And Antimicrobial Resistance In Pasteurella Multocida Strains Isolated From Slaughter Cattle In Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faham eKhamesipour

2014-10-01

Full Text Available A total of 30 Pasteurella multocida strains isolated from 333 pneumonic and apparently health slaughter cattle were examined for capsule biosynthesis genes and 23 virulence associated genes by polymerase chain reaction. The disc diffusion technique was used to determine antimicrobial resistance profiles among the isolates. Of the isolates, 23 belonged to capsular type A, 5 to capsular type D and two isolates were untypeable. The distribution of the capsular types in pneumonic lungs and in apparently health lungs was statistically similar. All virulence genes tested were detected among the isolates derived from pneumonic lungs; whereas isolates derived from apparently health lungs carried 16 of the 23 genes. The frequently detected genes among isolates from pneumonic lungs were exbD, hgbA, hgbB, ompA, ompH, oma87 and sodC; whereas tadD, toxA and pmHAS genes occurred less frequently. Most of the adhesins and superoxide dismutases; and all of the iron acquisition and protectin proteins occurred at significantly (p≤0.05 higher frequencies in isolates from pneumonic lungs. Isolates from apparently healthy lungs didn’t carry the following genes; hsf-1, hsf-2, tadD, toxA, nanB, nanH and pmHAS. One adhesion (hsf-1 and two iron acquisition (exbD and tonB genes occurred at significantly (p≤0.05 higher frequencies among capA isolates. All the P. multocida isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, nitrofurantoin and tetracyclines. Different proportions of the isolates were however resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin, erythromycin, lincomycin, penicillin, rifampin, streptomycin and florfenicol. Our results reveal presence of virulence factors in P. multocida strains isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic bovids. A higher frequency of the factors among isolates from symptomatic study animals may suggest their role in pathogenesis of P. multocida-associated bovine respiratory disease. The results further

Predictive score of sarcopenia occurrence one year after bariatric surgery in severely obese patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Voican, Cosmin Sebastian; Lebrun, Amandine; Maitre, Sophie; Lainas, Panagiotis; Lamouri, Karima; Njike-Nakseu, Micheline; Gaillard, Martin; Tranchart, Hadrien; Balian, Axel; Dagher, Ibrahim; Perlemuter, Gabriel; Naveau, Sylvie

2018-01-01

Sarcopenic obesity is a risk factor of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to generate a predictive score of sarcopenia occurrence one year after bariatric surgery. We conducted an observational prospective cohort study on a total of 184 severely obese patients admitted to our institution to undergo sleeve gastrectomy. Skeletal muscle cross-sectional area at the third lumbar vertebrae (SMA, cm2) was measured from the routinely performed computed tomography. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated as follows: SMA/height2 (cm2/m2). Sarcopenia was defined as an SMI predictive sarcopenia occurrence scores were constructed using SMA and gender (SS1 score) or SMI and gender (SS2 score). The area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of the SS2 score was significantly greater than that of the SS1 score for the diagnosis of postoperative sarcopenia occurrence (0.95±0.02 versus 0.90±0.02; ppredictive value of 83%, and a negative predictive value of 95%. In the group of patients without baseline sarcopenia, the SS2 score had still an excellent AUROC of 0.92±0.02. A cut-off of 0.55 predicted development of sarcopenia one year after sleeve gastrectomy in these patients with a sensitivity of 87%, a specificity of 88%, and negative predictive value of 95%. The SS2 score has excellent predictive value for the occurrence of sarcopenia one year after sleeve gastrectomy. This score can be used to target early intensification of nutritional and dietetic follow-up to the predicted high-risk population.

Relationship between food habits and tooth erosion occurrence in Malaysian University students.

Science.gov (United States)

Manaf, Zahara Abdul; Lee, Mei Tee; Ali, Nor Hazirah Muhammad; Samynathan, Selvamary; Jie, Ying Phor; Ismail, Noor Hasnani; Bibiana Hui Ying, Yong; Wei Seng, Yeo; Yahya, Nurul Asyikin

2012-04-01

Tooth erosion is a growing dental problem; however, the role of diet in the aetiology of tooth erosion is unclear. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between tooth erosion occurrence and the consumption of acidic foods and drinks among undergraduate university students. A total of 150 undergraduate students (33 males and 117 females) aged 19 to 24 years at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia participated in this study. The Basic Erosive Wear Examination was used to assess the occurrence of tooth erosion. Information regarding dental hygiene practices, usual dietary habits, and consumption of acidic foods and drinks was obtained through a structured questionnaire. In all, 68% of subjects had tooth erosion. Subjects who reported having received information about healthy eating were less likely to have tooth erosion (χ(2) [1, N = 150] = 7.328, P = 0.007). The frequencies of milk (OR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.13-0.67) and tea/coffee (adjusted OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.19-0.95) consumption were negatively associated with tooth erosion. Dental hygiene practice, the frequency and amount of acidic food and drink intake, and body mass index classification were not significantly associated with the risk of tooth erosion (P > 0.05). A high prevalence of tooth erosion was observed among this group of students. Preventive measures, such as dietary advice and increased consumption of milk at a younger age, may reduce the occurrence of tooth erosion among this age group.

The occurrence, origin and stratigraphic significance of bone-bearing mudstone pellet conglomerates from the Beaufort group in the Jansenville district, Cape Province, South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, B.R.

1981-01-01

The lack of useful lithostratigraphic markers in the Beaufort Group in the southern Karoo Basin has focused attention on the biostratigraphy of the sediments. As a result a more refined scheme of biostratigraphic classification is now possible which may prove useful in fixing the stratigraphic position of the uranium mineralized horizons. The most important mineralized horizon in the Beaufort West area (contains about 90 per cent of all known uranium occurrences) is associated with the Pristerognathus/Diictodon assemblage zone, but the way in which this relates to the important uranium occurrences farther east, between Graaff-Reinet and Jansenville, is uncertain because of the lack of biostratigraphic control. Vertebrate remains have recently been found in mudstone pellet conglomerates in Beaufort channel sandstones along the Bullrivier in the Jansenville District, in an area that is extensively mineralized. The sandstones were deposited as point bar sands within a meandering river system flowing towards the north-east. The rivers drained a dry, arid to semi-arid alluvial plain and were characterized by fluctuating discharge and periods of low or negligible flow. These conditions promoted flood scour and fill activity and the deposition of internal mudstone pellet conglomerates. Hydrodynamic considerations suggest that estimates of bone transport velocity from their hydrodynamically equivalent quartz sphere is of limited value and can seldom, if ever, be applied to fossil bone accumulations. Identification of the bones from the conglomerates indicates that they belong to the Dino-cephalia biozone and not the overlying Pristerognathus/Diictodon zone. This suggests that the lower part of the Beaufort succession (formerly the Tapinocephalus zone) extends farther east than previously thought, and that the main mineralized horizon in this area occurs lower down in the succession than that around Beaufort West

[Drivers of human-caused fire occurrence and its variation trend under climate change in the Great Xing'an Mountains, Northeast China].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shun; Wu, Zhi Wei; Liang, Yu; He, Hong Shi

2017-01-01

The Great Xing'an Mountains are an important boreal forest region in China with high frequency of fire occurrences. With climate change, this region may have a substantial change in fire frequency. Building the relationship between spatial pattern of human-caused fire occurrence and its influencing factors, and predicting the spatial patterns of human-caused fires under climate change scenarios are important for fire management and carbon balance in boreal forests. We employed a spatial point pattern model to explore the relationship between the spatial pattern of human-caused fire occurrence and its influencing factors based on a database of historical fire records (1967-2006) in the Great Xing'an Mountains. The fire occurrence time was used as dependent variable. Nine abiotic (annual temperature and precipitation, elevation, aspect, and slope), biotic (vegetation type), and human factors (distance to the nearest road, road density, and distance to the nearest settlement) were selected as explanatory variables. We substituted the climate scenario data (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5) for the current climate data to predict the future spatial patterns of human-caused fire occurrence in 2050. Our results showed that the point pattern progress (PPP) model was an effective tool to predict the future relationship between fire occurrence and its spatial covariates. The climatic variables might significantly affect human-caused fire occurrence, while vegetation type, elevation and human variables were important predictors of human-caused fire occurrence. The human-caused fire occurrence probability was expected to increase in the south of the area, and the north and the area along the main roads would also become areas with high human-caused fire occurrence. The human-caused fire occurrence would increase by 72.2% under the RCP 2.6 scenario and by 166.7% under the RCP 8.5 scenario in 2050. Under climate change scenarios, the spatial patterns of human-caused fires were mainly

Occurrence of clinical mastitis in primiparous Estonian dairy cows in different housing conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aasmäe Birgit

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Objectives of the study were to document the impact of some management factors on the occurrence of clinical mastitis in primiparous dairy cows and to identify common udder pathogens of clinical mastitis in freshly calved heifers and multiparous cows on the day of calving. Methods A one-year study was conducted during 2004 and 2005 in 11 selected Estonian dairy herds. Data consisted of 68 heifers with clinical mastitis and 995 heifers without clinical mastitis on the day of calving. Multivariable logistic regression with a random herd effect was used to investigate any association between housing system or the time interval from movement of heifers to the calving facility and day of calving on occurrence of clinical mastitis. Milk samples for bacteriological analysis were collected from affected heifers and multiparous cows on the day of calving Results Clinical mastitis occurrence in the study population of freshly calved heifers equalled 6.1 %. Housing system was not a significant risk factor for clinical mastitis of freshly calved heifers. Moving heifers to the cowbarn less than two weeks before calving in tiestall farms increased risk (OR = 5.9 p = 0.001 for clinical mastitis at parturition. The most frequently isolated udder pathogens among heifers were Escherichia coli (22.1%, Streptococcus uberis (19.1% and coagulase-negative staphylococci (8.8%. In comparison, the main pathogen in multiparous cows with clinical mastitis at parturition was Staphylococcus aureus (11.2%. Conclusion Moving heifers to the calving facilities too late in tiestall farms increased risk for clinical mastitis at parturition. The isolated udder pathogens did not differ significantly in tiestall farms compared to freestall farms in heifers, but differences were found between heifers and multiparous cows at parturition.

On the occurrence of rainstorm damage based on home insurance and weather data

Science.gov (United States)

Spekkers, M. H.; Clemens, F. H. L. R.; ten Veldhuis, J. A. E.

2015-02-01

Rainstorm damage caused by the malfunction of urban drainage systems and water intrusion due to defects in the building envelope can be considerable. Little research on this topic focused on the collection of damage data, the understanding of damage mechanisms and the deepening of data analysis methods. In this paper, the relative contribution of different failure mechanisms to the occurrence of rainstorm damage is investigated, as well as the extent to which these mechanisms relate to weather variables. For a case study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, a property level home insurance database of around 3100 water-related damage claims was analysed. The records include comprehensive transcripts of communication between insurer, insured and damage assessment experts, which allowed claims to be classified according to their actual damage cause. The results show that roof and wall leakage is the most frequent failure mechanism causing precipitation-related claims, followed by blocked roof gutters, melting snow and sewer flooding. Claims related to sewer flooding were less present in the data, but are associated with significantly larger claim sizes than claims in the majority class, i.e. roof and wall leakages. Rare events logistic regression analysis revealed that maximum rainfall intensity and rainfall volume are significant predictors for the occurrence probability of precipitation-related claims. Moreover, it was found that claims associated with rainfall intensities smaller than 7-8 mm in a 60-min window are mainly related to failure processes in the private domain, such as roof and wall leakages. For rainfall events that exceed the 7-8 mm h-1 threshold, the failure of systems in the public domain, such as sewer systems, start to contribute considerably to the overall occurrence probability of claims. The communication transcripts, however, lacked information to be conclusive about to which extent sewer-related claims were caused by overloading of sewer systems or

Studies on clinical significances of intracranial meningiomas in computerized tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasamo, Shizuya

1986-01-01

Meningioma has been widely assumed to be a representative benign tumor among the primary intracranial tumors. However, many problems still remain in the clinical management of meningioma. The author had studied the clinical significance of meningiomas from the 104 cases he had experienced. CT was performed in 101 cases of them. In this paper, CT findings of meningioma were initially analyzed with reference to correlations of symptomatological and histopathological features. The mechanism of occurrence of the peritumoral low density (PTL) found on CT was discussed under an identification of cerebral edema. Secondly, the endocrinological environment was studied since certain hormonal changes might influence the growth and spread of the tumor. Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) in the tumor tissue were studied and discussed as to their clinical evaluation. Thirdly, fine structures in 12 cases of meningiomas were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). And the correlation between the TEM findings and clinical and endocrinological findings were discussed. From these results, the author drew the following conclusions; 1) There was no correlation between the tumor and the hormonal environment, but there is a suggestive evidence that meningioma might be hormone-dependent. 2) The factors of occurrence of PTL were tumor size, location of tumor and histological subtype. And from the findings of TEM, one of the mechanisms of occurrence of PTL might be due to secretion of an edema factor from tumor tissue. 3) Close correlation between tumor size and period from onset to admission was found, and when the tumor size (xmm) was measured on CT, the time of occurrence of tumor (y months ago) could be roughly calculated from the following equation; y = 1.9x - 13.3 (r = 0.683, p < 0.01). (J.P.N.)

Effects of environmental modification on mastitis occurrence and hormonal changes in Holstein cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana R.P. Arcaro

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of evaporative cooling in freestall on mastitis occurrence, milk production, and composition, as well as cortisol, T3 (triiodothyronine, and T4 (thyroxin levels in lactating dairy cows. Twenty-eight multiparous cows averaging 70 ± 10 day postpartum were used in four treatments from January to March 2003. The treatments were: Day (cooling from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Night (cooling from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.; 24-hour (cooling 24-hour; and Control (no cooling. Wired cup test was used for clinical mastitis diagnosis, and the California Mastitis Test (CMT was used to identify subclinical mastitis. Blood and milk samples were taken weekly for microbiological and hormonal analyses. The cortisol levels were higher than normal values in all treatment groups, suggesting stress conditions, but T3 and T4 levels remained normal in all groups. The occurrence of subclinical mastitis was lower in Day and Night groups than in Control and 24-hour groups. Regarding the microbiological analyses, in all groups the isolation of Corynebacterium sp. from milk samples increased while negative coagulase staphylococci (CNS declined as etiological agents of subclinical mastitis. However, in Day and 24-hour groups, coagulase positive staphylococci (CPS increased mainly Staphylococcus aureus (49.8% and 47.7% respectively. The Night group showed a decrease in subclinical mastitis occurrences. Our data indicate that all animals subjected to treatments presented high levels of cortisol, indicating a stress condition. The Night treatment presented a reduction in microbial isolation, suggesting a reduced susceptibility to mastitis.

Stability, occurrence and step morphology of polymorphs and polytypes of stearic acid. I. Stability and occurrence

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Sato, Kiyotaka; Kobayashi, Masamichi; Morishita, Hirofumi

1988-02-01

The thermodynamical stability and occurrence of three different structural modifications: monoclinic and pseudo-orthorhombic polytypes of the B polymorph, called B(mon) and B(orth II) respectively, and monoclinic C polymorph, C(mon), of stearic acid have been examined. The solubility measurements, overgrowth and isothermal crystallization proved that B(orth II) and C(mon) are most stable below and above 32°C, respectively, whereas B(mon) is always metastable, turning to be more stable than C(mon) below between 23 and 24°C. It was confirmed by micro-probe Raman spectroscopy that the polytypic structure of the newly-overgrown crystal on the (001) faces of the seed crystal of B(mon) changed from the original monoclinic to pseudo-orthorhombic, B(orth II), at very small supersaturations above 23°C. This conversion was caused by the solubility difference. The occurrence experiment indicated a slight tendency that B(mon) crystallized more than B(orth II) at lower temperatures.

Effects of amphibian phylogeny, climate and human impact on the occurrence of the amphibian-killing chytrid fungus.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacigalupe, Leonardo D; Soto-Azat, Claudio; García-Vera, Cristobal; Barría-Oyarzo, Ismael; Rezende, Enrico L

2017-09-01

Chytridiomycosis, due to the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been associated with the alarming decline and extinction crisis of amphibians worldwide. Because conservation programs are implemented locally, it is essential to understand how the complex interactions among host species, climate and human activities contribute to Bd occurrence at regional scales. Using weighted phylogenetic regressions and model selection, we investigated geographic patterns of Bd occurrence along a latitudinal gradient of 1500 km within a biodiversity hot spot in Chile (1845 individuals sampled from 253 sites and representing 24 species), and its association with climatic, socio-demographic and economic variables. Analyses show that Bd prevalence decreases with latitude although it has increased by almost 10% between 2008 and 2013, possibly reflecting an ongoing spread of Bd following the introduction of Xenopus laevis. Occurrence of Bd was higher in regions with high gross domestic product (particularly near developed centers) and with a high variability in rainfall regimes, whereas models including other bioclimatic or geographic variables, including temperature, exhibited substantially lower fit and virtually no support based on Akaike weights. In addition, Bd prevalence exhibited a strong phylogenetic signal, with five species having high numbers of infected individuals and higher prevalence than the average of 13.3% across all species. Taken together, our results highlight that Bd in Chile might still be spreading south, facilitated by a subset of species that seem to play an important epidemiological role maintaining this pathogen in the communities, in combination with climatic and human factors affecting the availability and quality of amphibian breeding sites. This information may be employed to design conservation strategies and mitigate the impacts of Bd in the biodiversity hot spot of southern Chile, and similar studies may prove useful to disentangle the

Report to Congress on abnormal occurrences, April--June 1994: Volume 17, Number 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-10-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence (AO) as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such events to be made to Congress. This report provides a description of those events that have been determined to be abnormal occurrences during the period of April 1 through June 30, 1994. This report addresses seven abnormal occurrences (AOs) at NRC-licensed facilities. Five involved medical brachytherapy misadministrations, one involved a medical teletherapy misadministration, and one involved a medical sodium iodide misadministration. Four AOs were reported by the Agreement States as of August 3, 1994. Two involved medical brachytherapy misadministrations, one involved a radiation burn received by an industrial radiographer, and one involved a lost well logging source. The report also contains updates of seven AOs previously reported by NRC licensees and five AOs previously reported by Agreement State licensees. Three ''Other Events of Interest'' are also reported. One involved a deliberate cover up of an error in a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical administration at an NRC licensee, one involved an Order Suspending License and Demand for Information at an NRC licensee, and one involved an overexposure of an industrial radiographer at an Agreement State licensee

Large-scale Circulation Control of the Occurrence of Low-level Turbulence at Hong Kong International Airport

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Marco Y. T.; Zhou, Wen; Shun, Chi-Ming; Chan, Pak-Wai

2018-04-01

This study identifies the atmospheric circulation features that are favorable for the occurrence of low-level turbulence at Hong Kong International Airport [below 1600 feet (around 500 m)]. By using LIDAR data at the airport, turbulence and nonturbulence cases are selected. It is found that the occurrence of turbulence is significantly related to the strength of the southerly wind at 850 hPa over the South China coast. On the other hand, the east-west wind at this height demonstrates a weak relation to the occurrence. This suggests that turbulence is generated by flow passing Lantau Island from the south. The southerly wind also transports moisture from the South China Sea to Hong Kong, reducing local stability. This is favorable for the development of strong turbulence. It is also noted that the strong southerly wind during the occurrence of low-level turbulence is contributed by an anomalous zonal gradient of geopotential in the lower troposphere over the South China Sea. This gradient is caused by the combination of variations at different timescales. These are the passage of synoptic extratropical cyclones and anticyclones and the intraseasonal variation in the western North Pacific subtropical high. The seasonal variation in geopotential east of the Tibetan Plateau leads to a seasonal change in meridional wind, by which the frequency of low-level turbulence is maximized in spring and minimized in autumn.

Radiation accidents: occurrence, types, consequences, medical management, and the lessons to be learned

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turai, I.; Veress, K.

2001-01-01

The paper reviews the frequency, causes and occurrence of radiation accidents with some significant exposure to human. More detailed information is provided in tabulated form on the health consequences of those twenty severe radiation accidents that occurred in 1986-2000, world-wide. Reference is given to the very low cumulative incidence of significant radiation accidents, as during the last 57 years there were, in average, seven registered accidents annually in all countries of the world. Thus, the chance for most of the physicians to meet a patient with symptoms of acute radiation injury during their professional career is very low

Improving SysSim's Planetary Occurrence Rate Estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Ashby, Keir; Ragozzine, Darin; Hsu, Danley; Ford, Eric B.

2017-10-01

Kepler's catalog of thousands of transiting planet candidates enables statistical characterization of the underlying planet occurrence rates as a function of period and radius. Due to geometric factors and general noise in measurements, we know that many planets--especially those with a small-radius and/or long-period--were not observed by Kepler.To account for Kepler's detection criteria, Hsu et al. 2017 expanded on work in Lissuaer et al. 2011 to develop the Planetary System Simulator or "SysSim". SysSim uses a forward model to generate simulated catalogs of exoplanet systems, determine which of those simulated planets would have been seen by Kepler in the presence of uncertainties, and then compares those “observed planets” to those actually seen by Kepler. It then uses Approximate Bayesian Computation to infer the posterior probability distributions of the input parameters used to generate the forward model. In Hsu et al. 2017, we focused on matching the observed frequency of planets by solving for the underlying occurrence rate for each bin in a 2-dimensional grid of radius and period. After summarizing the results of Hsu et al. 2017, we show new results that investigate the effect on occurrence rates from including more accurate completeness products (from the Kepler DR25 analysis) into SysSim.

Spatial pattern of groundwater arsenic occurrence and association with bedrock geology in greater augusta, maine

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Q.; Jung, H.B.; Culbertson, C.W.; Marvinney, R.G.; Loiselle, M.C.; Locke, D.B.; Cheek, H.; Thibodeau, H.; Zheng, Yen

2009-01-01

In New England, groundwater arsenic occurrence has been linked to bedrock geology on regional scales. To ascertain and quantify this linkage at intermediate (100-101 km) scales, 790 groundwater samples from fractured bedrock aquifers in the greater Augusta, Maine area are analyzed, and 31% of the sampled wells have arsenic concentrations >10 ??g/L. The probability of [As] exceeding 10 ??g/L mapped by indicator kriging is highest in Silurian pelite-sandstone and pelite-limestone units (???40%). This probability differs significantly (p bedrock map. Thus, bedrock geology is associated with arsenic occurrence in fractured bedrock aquifers of the study area at intermediate scales relevant to water resources planning. The arsenic exceedance rate for each rock unit is considered robust because low, medium, and high arsenic occurrences in four cluster areas (3-20 km2) with a low sampling density of 1-6 wells per km2 are comparable to those with a greater density of 5-42 wells per km2. About 12,000 people (21% of the population) in the greater Augusta area (???1135 km2) are at risk of exposure to >10 ??g/L arsenic in groundwater. ?? 2009 American Chemical Society.

Problems in accurately diagnosing and follow-up for a higher brain dysfunction after traumatic brain injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayakawa, Mineji; Ikoma, Katsunori; Oshiro, Akiko; Hoshino, Hirokatsu; Gando, Satoshi

2007-01-01

Recently, the occurrence of a higher brain dysfunction after brain injury has been socially noticed and epidemiological investigations have thus been performed. However, most of these previous investigations tended to be based on populations in a chronic stage after brain trauma. We hypothesized that some patients with a higher brain dysfunction were socially in extreme distress after being discharged from our hospital due to a lack of any follow-up treatment. We investigated this problem to identify possible problems in diagnosing and follow-up for a higher brain dysfunction after blunt traumatic brain injury at a tertiary emergency center. A questionnaire survey was performed for 204 blunt trauma patients who had been admitted during the period from January 2000 thorough December 2003. Clinical examinations were performed for patients suspected of having a higher brain dysfunction based on this questionnaire survey. Three patients had been already diagnosed to have a higher brain dysfunction while other 3 patients were newly diagnosed in this investigation. The newly diagnosed patients discharged from departments other than the neurosurgery department. Computed tomography (CT) was performed in 82% patients (65 patients) to diagnose major brain injury or bone fracture. No magnetic resonance image was performed to detect any minor brain injury in alert patients. Overlooking the occurrence of a higher brain dysfunction may result from an insufficient recognition of higher brain dysfunction and an insufficient sensitivity of the present diagnostic methods available for minor brain injury. An increased awareness regarding the potential of a higher brain dysfunction existing in such patients is therefore needed by the entire medical staff and the general public. (author)

Hypoglycin A Concentrations in Maple Tree Species in the Netherlands and the Occurrence of Atypical Myopathy in Horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Westermann, C M; van Leeuwen, R; van Raamsdonk, L W D; Mol, H G J

2016-05-01

Atypical myopathy (AM) in horses is caused by the plant toxin hypoglycin A, which in Europe typically is found in the sycamore maple tree (Acer pseudoplatanus). Owners are concerned about whether their horses are in danger if they graze near maple trees. To measure hypoglycin A in the most common maple tree species in the Netherlands, and to determine whether concentration of toxin is a predictor of AM in horses. A total of 278 samples of maple tree leaves, sprouts, and seeds were classified by species. Mean concentrations of hypoglycin A were compared for the type of sample, the season and the occurrence of AM in the pasture (non-AM versus AM). Statistical analysis was performed using generalized a linear model (SPPS22). Almost all Acer pseudoplatanus samples contained hypoglycin A, with concentrations differing significantly among sources (P < .001). Concentrations were significantly higher in seeds from the AM group than in seeds from the non-AM group (856 ± 677 and 456 ± 358 mg/kg, respectively; P = .039). In sprouts and leaves this was not the case. Acer platanoides and Acer campestre samples did not contain detectable concentrations of hypoglycin A. Acer platanoides and campestre seem to be safe around paddocks and pastures, whereas almost all Acer pseudoplatanus samples contained hypoglycin A. In all AM cases, Acer pseudoplatanus was found. Despite significantly higher concentration of hypoglycin A in seeds of pastures where AM has occurred, individual prediction of AM cannot be made by measuring these concentrations because of the high standard deviation. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Major Natural Disasters in China, 1985-2014: Occurrence and Damages.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Weixiao; Liang, Chen; Jiang, Baofa; Ma, Wei; Zhang, Ying

2016-11-10

This study aimed to describe the characteristics of natural disasters and associated losses from 1985 to 2014. The Mann-Kendall method was used to detect any long-term trends and abrupt changes. Hotspot analysis was conducted to detect the spatial clusters of disasters. We found an increasing trend in the occurrence of integrated natural disasters ( tau = 0.594 , p natural disasters in 1998-2000. Hotspots of droughts, floods, landslides and storms were identified in central, southern, southwest and southeast areas of China, respectively. Annual deaths from integrated natural disasters were decreasing (tau = -0.237, p = 0.068) at about 32 persons/year, decreasing at 17 persons/year for floods ( tau = -0.154, p = 0.239), and decreasing at approximately 12 persons/year for storms ( tau = -0.338, p = 0.009). No significant trend was detected in inflation-adjusted damages while a declining trend was detected in the ratio of year damage against GDP (gross domestic product). In conclusion, there has been an increasing trend in occurrence of natural disasters in China with the absence of an increase in life and economic losses. Despite the progress in the disaster adaption, there will be great challenges in disaster control for China in the future.

Melatonin in higher plants: occurrence and possible functions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kolář, Jan; Macháčková, Ivana

2005-01-01

Roč. 39, - (2005), s. 333-341 ISSN 0742-3098 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : Melatonin * Lingulodinium * auxin-like effects Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 5.025, year: 2005

Rib fractures and their association With solid organ injury: higher rib fractures have greater significance for solid organ injury screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Rostas, Jack W; Lively, Timothy B; Brevard, Sidney B; Simmons, Jon D; Frotan, Mohammad A; Gonzalez, Richard P

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to identify patients with rib injuries who were at risk for solid organ injury. A retrospective chart review was performed of all blunt trauma patients with rib fractures during the period from July 2007 to July 2012. Data were analyzed for association of rib fractures and solid organ injury. In all, 1,103 rib fracture patients were identified; 142 patients had liver injuries with 109 (77%) associated right rib fractures. Right-sided rib fractures with highest sensitivity for liver injury were middle rib segment (5 to 8) and lower segment (9 to 12) with liver injury sensitivities of 68% and 43%, respectively (P rib fractures. Left middle segment rib fractures and lower segment rib fractures had sensitivities of 80% and 63% for splenic injury, respectively (P Rib fractures higher in the thoracic cage have significant association with solid organ injury. Using rib fractures from middle plus lower segments as indication for abdominal screening will significantly improve rib fracture sensitivity for identification of solid organ injury. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on the relationship between Helicobacter pylori in the dental plaque and the occurrence of dental caries or oral hygiene index.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Lin, Huanjian; Bai, Yang; Qin, Xiaoshu; Zheng, Xin; Sun, Yong; Zhang, Yali

2008-08-01

The aims of our study were to determine the presence of Helicobacter pylori DNA in the dental plaque of Chinese children aged 3-6 years by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to investigate the relationship between this infection and the occurrence of dental caries or oral hygiene index. Two hundred and fourteen children from a kindergarten in Guangzhou City of China were evaluated. The children's plaques were assessed by plaque indices of Quigley-Hein. Dental plaque was analyzed using nested PCR for two sets of primers directed to the 860-bp fragment of H. pylori genomic DNA, which have been reported to be highly sensitive and specific by other researchers. H. pylori was detected in dental plaque samples from 126 children, and 70 children with dental caries carried H. pylori in dental plaque. Of these children without infection, only 36 of 88 suffered dental caries. Besides, the average dental plaque index of 126 H. pylori-positive children was higher than that of 88 children without infection. In the present study, there was a significant correlation between H. pylori infection and dental caries or dental hygiene. The oral cavity may be a reservoir for H. pylori infection in children. H. pylori in dental plaque may play a role in the occurrence of dental caries, and poor oral hygiene may represent a risk factor for H. pylori in the oral cavity.

The Significance of Blackstone's Understanding of Sovereign Immunity for America's Public Institutions of Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, Brian A.; Thro, William E.

2001-01-01

Asserts that from the perspective of America's public institutions of higher education, Blackstone's greatest legacy is his understanding of sovereign immunity. Explores the similarities between Blackstone's understanding of sovereign immunity and the current jurisprudence of the U.S. Supreme Court. (EV)

Multi-day radon signals with a radioactive decay limb-Occurrence and geophysical significance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinitz, G.; Martin, M.C.; Gazit-Yaari, N.; Quesada, M.L.; Nuez, J. de la; Casillas, R.; Malik, U.; Begin, Z.B.

2006-01-01

Multi-day signals, generally with duration of 2-10 days, are a prominent temporal variation type of radon (Rn) in geo gas in the unsaturated zone. Rare multi-day Rn signals have been found which are characterized by: (a) a declining limb lasting up to 10 days which conforms to the radioactive decay of Rn (b) recurs at the same location and (c) is recorded in diverse situations-volcanic and seismogenic. It suggested that a Rn blob is injected at a lower level on a steady upward flow of geogas whereby the rise and final fall of the signal are attributed to the edges of the blob while the central Rn-decay segment records the passing of the decaying blob itself. Rn-decay signals are a small subset of multi-day Rn signals which are considered as highly irregular and unusable for the understanding of geophysical processes. In difference, it is concluded that multi-day Rn signals are probably proxies of subtle geodynamic processes at upper crustal levels and are therefore significant for studying such processes

Spatial and temporal variability in fire occurrence within the Las Bayas Forestry Reserve, Durango, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

S. A. Drury; T. T. Veblen

2008-01-01

Patterns of fire occurrence within the Las Bayas Forestry Reserve, Mexico are analyzed in relation to variability in climate, topography, and human land-use. Significantly more fires with shorter fire return intervals occurred from 1900 to 1950 than from 1950 to 2001. However, the frequency of widespread fire years (25% filter) was unchanged over time, as widespread...

Insomnia in central neurologic diseases--occurrence and management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mayer, Geert; Jennum, Poul; Riemann, Dieter

2011-01-01

The objective of this review is to highlight the impact of insomnia in central neurological disorders by providing information on its prevalence and give recommendations for diagnosis and treatment. Insomnia in neurological disorders is a frequent, but underestimated symptom. Its occurrence may...... be a direct consequence of the disease itself or may be secondary to pain, depression, other sleep disorders or the effects of medications. Insomnia can have a significant impact on the patient's cognitive and physical function and may be associated with psychological distress and depression. Diagnosis...... of insomnia is primarily based on medical history and validated questionnaires. Actigraphy is a helpful diagnostic tool for assessing the circadian sleep-wake rhythm. For differential diagnosis and to measure the duration of sleep full polysomnography may be recommended. Prior to initiating treatment...

Relations between the occurrence of resistance to antimicrobial growth promoters among Enterococcus faecium isolated from broilers and broiler meat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emborg, Hanne-Dorthe; Andersen, J. S.; Seyfarth, Anne Mette

2003-01-01

and streptogramin. By February 1998, all antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) were withdrawn from the Danish broiler production. The present study investigates, by logistic regression analyses, the (1) changes in the occurrence of AGP resistance among E. faecium from broilers and broiler meat from the fourth...... quarter of 1995 to the fourth quarter of 2001 and (2) relations between the occurrence of AGP resistance among E. faecium isolates from Danish broilers and AGP resistance among E. faecium isolates from the broiler meat of Danish and unknown origin collected in the same quarter within the year....... In the present study, we showed that after the AGP withdrawal, a significant decline in resistance to avilamycin, erythromycin, vancomycin and virginiamycin was observed among E. faecium from broilers and broiler meat. In addition, a decline in the occurrence of AGP resistance among E. faecium from Danish...

Problems involved in calculating the probability of rare occurrences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tittes, E.

1986-01-01

Also with regard to the characteristics such as occurrence probability or occurrence rate, there are limits which have to be observed, or else probability data and thus the concept of determinable risk itself will lose its practical value. The mathematical models applied for probability assessment are based on data supplied by the insurance companies, reliability experts in the automobile industry, or by planning experts in the field of traffic or information supply. (DG) [de

Uranium occurrences in the Gordonia and Kuruman districts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, M.

1978-11-01

This report highlights uranium occurrences discovered by the author in the Kuruman and Gordonia Districts. These discoveries are the result of follow-up work of the regional geological, hydrological and hydrochemical studies of the area, undertaken by the Geology Division of the Atomic Energy Board since 1974. A surficial uranium deposit was discovered on the farm Rus en Vrede in the Kuruman District, at the junction of a palaeo-river with the Kuruman River. Uranium occurs in carbonaceous diatomaceous earth, with surface samples assaying up to 308 ppm U 3 O 8 . As uranium is also present in calcrete 18 km south of this deposit, there is a distinct possibility that significant surficial deposits may occur under the Kalahari sand cover in this area. In the Gordonia District an interesting discovery was made on the farm Tsongnapan where four boreholes, drilled for water, intersected radioactive bands in the Dwyka Tillite Formation. These rocks, which outcrop in the northeast corner of the Tsongnapan, also proved to be radioactive. Some 35 km to the east of this occurrence, borehole logging indicated the existence of an anomalous zone near the base of the Dwyka. In some of these boreholes uranium anomalies were also found in the calcrete and gravel of the Kalahari Formation. It is evident, therefore, that the Gordonia District has the potential of becoming an economically important uranium province. A radiometric ground survey of one of the pans indicated that wind and water action is possibly responsible for the local dispersion and segregation of radioactive minerals [af

Leadership, Change Management, and Acculturation in the Merger of Two Institutions of Higher Education: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hazelwood, Anita Cook

2016-01-01

Mergers and consolidations within the higher education sector are "relatively rare occurrences and each merger has a distinct set of circumstances, actors, and characteristics" (Etschmaier, 2010, p. 1). Institutional mergers and consolidations require well-planned and strategic organizational change and include an examination of…

Clinical significance of the fabella

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodevski, A.; Lazarova-Tosovska, D.; Zhivadinovik, J.; Lazareska, M.

2012-01-01

Full text: Introduction: There is variable number of sesamoid bones in the human body; one of them is fabella, located in the tendon of the gastrocnemius muscle. Aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of occurrence of fabella in the Macedonian population and to discuss about clinical importance of this bone. Materials and methods: We retrospectively examined radiographs of 53 patients who had knee exams undertaken for a variety of clinical reasons, performed as a part of their medical treatment. Over a time span of six months, 53 patients (38 males and 15 females, age range 19-60 years, mean age of 36.7±12.3 years) were examined. Results: In seven (13.2%) patients of 53 analyzed reports, fabella was found in the lateral tendon of gastrocnemius muscle. We did not find a significant gender or side difference in the appearance of fabella. Conclusion: Although anatomic studies emphasized a lack of significance of the fabella, this bone has been associated with a spectrum of pathology affecting the knee as fabellar syndrome, perineal nerve injury and fracture. We should think of this sesamoid bone while performing diagnostic and surgical procedures

Occurrence of Furnonisins B2 and B4 in Retail Raisins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Peter Boldsen; Mogensen, Jesper Mølgaard; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld

2011-01-01

Concerns that raisins may be contaminated by fumonisins stem from the persistent occurrence of Aspergillus niger spores on raisins and the recent discovery of fumonisin production by A. niger on grapes, which leads to the widespread occurrence of fumonisin B-2 in wine. This study presents an LC-M...... that the fumonisins are produced mainly during the drying process concomitant with the decreasing water activity. Analysis of multiple packages from one manufacturer showed a 3-fold package-to-package variation, suggesting that a few raisins per package are contaminated.......Concerns that raisins may be contaminated by fumonisins stem from the persistent occurrence of Aspergillus niger spores on raisins and the recent discovery of fumonisin production by A. niger on grapes, which leads to the widespread occurrence of fumonisin B-2 in wine. This study presents an LC...

Affect and Health Behavior Co-Occurrence: The Emerging Roles of Transdiagnostic Factors and Sociocultural Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zvolensky, Michael J; Leventhal, Adam M

2016-01-01

The majority of scientific work addressing relations among affective states and health correlates has focused primarily on their co-occurrence and a limited range of health conditions. We have developed a Special Issue to highlight recent advances in this emerging field of work that addresses the nature and interplay between affective states and disorders, in terms of their impact and consequences from health status and behavior. This Special Issue is organized into three parts classified as (a) co-occurrence and interplay between (b) transdiagnostic factors and (c) sociocultural factors. It is hoped that this issue will (a) alert readers to the significance of this work at different levels of analysis, (b) illustrate the many domains currently being explored via innovative approaches, and (c) identify fecund areas for future systematic study. © The Author(s) 2016.

Fog Occurrence and Associated Meteorological Factors Over Kempegowda International Airport, India

Science.gov (United States)

Kutty, Saumya G.; Agnihotri, G.; Dimri, A. P.; Gultepe, I.

2018-05-01

The increase in fog frequency over the past few decades is a major cause of concern for the aviation and transportation sectors. Accurate forecasting of the spatio-temporal extent of fog is crucial for minimizing socioeconomic losses. The present study attempts to characterize the fog frequency and associated meteorological factors over Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB), in Karnataka, India. Maximum fog occurrence is observed during the month of December, followed by January. The time of onset of fog lies usually between 1800 and 0300 UTC. No fog is formed between 0400 and 1700 UTC indicating the role of radiation fog. The predominant wind direction during fog events is east or southeasterly. There is significant positive correlation between the fog frequency and both the northeast monsoon, October-November (0.72), as well as December-January-February (DJF) rainfall (0.80). Soil moisture conditions during the DJF period also play a key role in fog occurrence and its climatology, which is evident from the correlation coefficient of order 0.68. These suggest that further research is needed for understanding the extent of impact on aviation at KIAB.

F1 occurrence including L condition in TUCUMAN and BUENOS AIRES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosert Gonzalez, M. de; Ezquer, R.G.; Oviedo, R.V. del

1997-01-01

An analysis of the occurrence of the F1 layer including the L condition has been done, using data from two Argentine stations: TUCUMAN and BUENOS AIRES, at different seasons and solar activity conditions. The comparisons between observations and the F1 occurrence predicted by the IRI-90 model show the need of reviewing the use of the DuCharme et al. (1973) formula adopted by the model to predict the occurrence of the intermediate F1 layer including the L condition. (author). 6 refs, 6 figs, 2 tabs

Occurrence and functioning of phosphate solubilizing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Occurrence and functioning of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms from oil palm tree ( Elaeis guineensis ) rhizosphere in Cameroon. ... While the use of soluble mineral phosphate fertilizers is the obvious best means to combat phosphate ... in order to improve agricultural production, using low inputs technology. Isolates ...

iFORM: Incorporating Find Occurrence of Regulatory Motifs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Chao; Chen, Hebing; Yang, Bite; Liu, Feng; Ouyang, Zhangyi; Bo, Xiaochen; Shu, Wenjie

2016-01-01

Accurately identifying the binding sites of transcription factors (TFs) is crucial to understanding the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation and human disease. We present incorporating Find Occurrence of Regulatory Motifs (iFORM), an easy-to-use and efficient tool for scanning DNA sequences with TF motifs described as position weight matrices (PWMs). Both performance assessment with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and a correlation-based approach demonstrated that iFORM achieves higher accuracy and sensitivity by integrating five classical motif discovery programs using Fisher's combined probability test. We have used iFORM to provide accurate results on a variety of data in the ENCODE Project and the NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Project, and the tool has demonstrated its utility in further elucidating individual roles of functional elements. Both the source and binary codes for iFORM can be freely accessed at https://github.com/wenjiegroup/iFORM. The identified TF binding sites across human cell and tissue types using iFORM have been deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus under the accession ID GSE53962.

Prognostic significance of bi/oligoclonality in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia as determined by polymerase chain reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto Scrideli

2001-09-01

Full Text Available CONTEXT: The CDR-3 region of heavy-chain immunoglobulin has been used as a clonal marker in the study of minimal residual disease in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Southern blot and polymerase chain reaction studies have demonstrated the occurrence of bi/oligoclonality in a variable number of cases of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a fact that may strongly interfere with the detection of minimal residual disease. Oligoclonality has also been associated with a poorer prognosis and a higher chance of relapse. OBJECTIVES: To correlate bi/oligoclonality, detected by polymerase chain reaction in Brazilian children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a chance of relapse, with immunophenotype, risk group, and disease-free survival. DESIGN: Prospective study of patients’ outcome. SETTING: Pediatric Oncology Unit of the University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo. PARTICIPANTS: 47 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia DIAGNOSTIC TEST: Polymerase chain reaction using consensus primers for the CDR-3 region of heavy chain immunoglobulin (FR3A, LJH and VLJH for the detection of clonality. RESULTS: Bi/oligoclonality was detected in 15 patients (31.9%. There was no significant difference between the groups with monoclonality and biclonality in terms of the occurrence of a relapse (28.1% versus 26.1%, presence of CALLA+ (81.2% versus 80% or risk group (62.5% versus 60%. Disease-free survival was similar in both groups, with no significant difference (p: 0.7695. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that bi/oligoclonality was not associated with the factors investigated in the present study and that its detection in 31.9% of the patients may be important for the study and monitoring of minimal residual disease.

Ethnic differences in the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome: results of the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease (NCVD) Database Registry (March 2006 - February 2010).

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hou Tee; Nordin, Rusli Bin

2013-11-06

The National Cardiovascular Disease (NCVD) Database Registry represents one of the first prospective, multi-center registries to treat and prevent coronary artery disease (CAD) in Malaysia. Since ethnicity is an important consideration in the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) globally, therefore, we aimed to identify the role of ethnicity in the occurrence of ACS among high-risk groups in the Malaysian population. The NCVD involves more than 15 Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals nationwide, universities and the National Heart Institute and enrolls patients presenting with ACS [ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and unstable angina (UA)]. We analyzed ethnic differences across socio-demographic characteristics, hospital medications and invasive therapeutic procedures, treatment of STEMI and in-hospital clinical outcomes. We enrolled 13,591 patients. The distribution of the NCVD population was as follows: 49.0% Malays, 22.5% Chinese, 23.1% Indians and 5.3% Others (representing other indigenous groups and non-Malaysian nationals). The mean age (SD) of ACS patients at presentation was 59.1 (12.0) years. More than 70% were males. A higher proportion of patients within each ethnic group had more than two coronary risk factors. Malays had higher body mass index (BMI). Chinese had highest rate of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Indians had higher rate of diabetes mellitus (DM) and family history of premature CAD. Overall, more patients had STEMI than NSTEMI or UA among all ethnic groups. The use of aspirin was more than 94% among all ethnic groups. Utilization rates for elective and emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) were low among all ethnic groups. In STEMI, fibrinolysis (streptokinase) appeared to be the dominant treatment options (>70%) for all ethnic groups. In-hospital mortality rates for STEMI across ethnicity ranges from 8.1% to 10.1% (p = 0

Geology and occurrence of radon precursors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmalz, R.F.

1990-01-01

The discovery that radioactive radon gas may occur as a significant indoor contaminant in houses and in the workplace has had far-reaching consequences in public health, real estate marketing, the construction industry, health and liability insurance underwriting, and in legislation at the federal and state levels. Many factors are known to affect radon level inside a building - its location, construction, ventilation, and substructure; the climate of the region in which it is located and the life styles of it occupants, for example. Despite the importance of assessing the hazard radon contamination may represent, the economic cost and the time required to screen hundreds of millions of individual buildings make such an effort impracticable. The effectiveness of large-scale regional screening to evaluate radon potential depends on an understanding of the chemical and physical properties of the gas, and of the geological and geochemical factors which control the distribution of its radioactive progenitors, radium, uranium and thorium. It is the purpose of this paper to review and summarize our present knowledge of these large-scale controls on radon occurrence

A 3-year study on occurrence of emerging contaminants in an urban stream of São Paulo State of Southeast Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Campanha, Mariele B; Awan, Almas Taj; de Sousa, Diana N R; Grosseli, Guilherme M; Mozeto, Antonio A; Fadini, Pedro S

2015-05-01

This manuscript reports a 3-year study on occurrence of pharmaceuticals, hormones, and triclosan in surface waters of a central urban region of São Paulo State of Southeast Brazil (the Monjolinho River in São Carlos). Water samples collected once at every 2 months were pre-concentrated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The most frequently detected compounds in higher concentrations were caffeine, paracetamol, and atenolol (maximum concentrations 129,585, 30,421, and 8199 ng L(-1), respectively), while hormones estrone and 17-β-estradiol were the least detected, in levels up to 14.8 ng L(-1). There was an increasing trend in concentrations of most of the compounds along the river course, especially downstream of the river where there is discharge of both wastewater treatment plant effluent and raw sewage from a particular region of São Carlos city. Concentrations of contaminants were higher during dry periods as a result of decline in the water levels. Decrease in concentrations near the river mouth occurred to different extents for each compound. It was high for caffeine and atenolol, but was very low for carbamazepine and diclofenac. The present study reports the first data about the occurrence of some major emerging contaminants in the Monjolinho River. Besides its regional significance, this work may assist in composing a dataset for water contamination diagnosis focusing on emerging contaminants, both in the Brazilian as well as in the Global studies related to aquatic ecosystems. Such datasets can be helpful for making future public policies on water quality, since these compounds are not yet legally regulated.

A-FABP Concentration Is More Strongly Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and the Occurrence of Metabolic Syndrome in Premenopausal Than in Postmenopausal Middle-Aged Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Stefanska

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We aimed at the evaluation of the relationship between adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP and cardiometabolic risk factors in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Additionally, we compared A-FABP with adipokines related to metabolic syndrome (MetS such as leptin and adiponectin. 94 premenopausal and 90 early postmenopausal middle-aged Caucasian women were subject to examinations. Postmenopausal women had higher A-FABP than premenopausal; this difference became insignificant after controlling for age. We found significantly higher correlation coefficients between A-FABP and TC/HDL-C ratio and number of MetS components in premenopausal women, compared to postmenopausal. Each 1 ng/dL increase in A-FABP concentration significantly increased the probability of occurrence of atherogenic lipid profile in premenopausal women, even after multivariate adjustment. All odds ratios became insignificant after controlling for BMI in postmenopausal women. A-FABP was more strongly associated with MetS than leptin and adiponectin in premenopausal women. Adiponectin concentration was a better biomarker for MetS after menopause. Our results suggest that the A-FABP is more strongly associated with some cardiometabolic risk factors in premenopausal than in postmenopausal women. Higher values of A-FABP after menopause are mainly explained by the fact that postmenopausal women are older. Because of the limitation of study, these results should be interpreted with caution.

Changing patterns of fire occurrence in proximity to forest edges, roads and rivers between NW Amazonian countries

Science.gov (United States)

Armenteras, Dolors; Barreto, Joan Sebastian; Tabor, Karyn; Molowny-Horas, Roberto; Retana, Javier

2017-06-01

Tropical forests in NW Amazonia are highly threatened by the expansion of the agricultural frontier and subsequent deforestation. Fire is used, both directly and indirectly, in Brazilian Amazonia to propagate deforestation and increase forest accessibility. Forest fragmentation, a measure of forest degradation, is also attributed to fire occurrence in the tropics. However, outside the Brazilian Legal Amazonia the role of fire in increasing accessibility and forest fragmentation is less explored. In this study, we compared fire regimes in five countries that share this tropical biome in the most north-westerly part of the Amazon Basin (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil). We analysed spatial differences in the timing of peak fire activity and in relation to proximity to roads and rivers using 12 years of MODIS active fire detections. We also distinguished patterns of fire in relation to forest fragmentation by analysing fire distance to the forest edge as a measure of fragmentation for each country. We found significant hemispheric differences in peak fire occurrence with the highest number of fires in the south in 2005 vs. 2007 in the north. Despite this, both hemispheres are equally affected by fire. We also found difference in peak fire occurrence by country. Fire peaked in February in Colombia and Venezuela, whereas it peaked in September in Brazil and Peru, and finally Ecuador presented two fire peaks in January and October. We confirmed the relationship between fires and forest fragmentation for all countries and also found significant differences in the distance between the fire and the forest edge for each country. Fires were associated with roads and rivers in most countries. These results can inform land use planning at the regional, national and subnational scales to minimize the contribution of road expansion and subsequent access to the Amazonian natural resources to fire occurrence and the associated deforestation and carbon emissions.

Phenotypic occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To assess the occurrence of MRSA among camels in Kano abattoir, a total of 300 nasal swabs were collected from camels at the lairage in Kano abattoir, Kano state, Nigeria to isolate and biochemically characterize Staphylococcus aureus and confirm methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among isolates using ...

Familial occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orholm, M; Munkholm, P; Langholz, E

1991-01-01

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: We assessed the familial occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease in Copenhagen County, where there has been a long-term interest in the epidemiology of such disorders. In 1987 we interviewed 662 patients in whom inflammatory bowel disease had been diagnosed before 1979, a...

Disability occurrence and proximity to death

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klijs, Bart; Mackenbach, Johan P.; Kunst, Anton E.

2010-01-01

Purpose. This paper aims to assess whether disability occurrence is related more strongly to proximity to death than to age. Method. Self reported disability and vital status were available from six annual waves and a subsequent 12-year mortality follow-up of the Dutch GLOBE longitudinal study.

Occurrence, fate and transformation of emerging contaminants in water: An overarching review of the field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkinson, John; Hooda, Peter S.; Barker, James; Barton, Stephen; Swinden, Julian

2017-01-01

Many of the products and drugs used commonly contain chemical components which may persist through sewage treatment works (STW) and eventually enter the aquatic environment as parent compounds, metabolites, or transformation products. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and other emerging contaminants (ECs) have been detected in waters (typically ng/L) as well as more recently bound to sediment and plastic particles (typically ng/g). Despite significant advancement of knowledge since the late 1990s, the fate of these contaminants/transformation products once introduced into the aquatic environment remains relatively unresolved. This review provides a unique focus on the fate of seven major groups of PPCPs/ECs in the aquatic environment, which is frequently not found in similar works which are often compound or topic-specific and limited in background knowledge. Key findings include: a) some replacements for regulation precluded/banned chemicals may be similarly persistent in the environment as those they replace, b) the adsorption of potentially bioactive chemicals to micro- and nanoplastics is a significant topic with risks to aquatic organisms potentially greater than previously thought, and c) micro-/nanoplastics are likely to remain of significant concern for centuries after regulatory limitations on their use become active due to the slow degradation of macro-plastics into smaller components. An interdisciplinary perspective on recent advances in the field is presented here in a unique way which highlights both the principle science and direction of research needed to elucidate the fate and transport patterns of aquatic PPCPs/ECs. Unlike similar reviews, which are often topic-specific, here we aim to present an overarching review of the field with focus on the occurrence, transformation and fate of emerging contaminants. Environmental presence of seven major classes of contaminants (analygesics, antibiotics, antineoplastics, beta

Distress screening using distress thermometer in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and evaluation of causal factors predicting occurrence of distress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirley Lewis

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Distress is commonly seen in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Causal factors of distress are multifactorial; which encompasses physical, psychological, spiritual, and existential factors with complex interrelationship among the factors. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients undergoing head and neck radiotherapy were included in the study. Patients were screened for pain scores, distress scores, physical and psychological symptoms, and spiritual and emotional distress. Results: Significant increasing trend seen for pain score, distress score, and total number of symptoms during 2 nd week, 4 th week, and on completion of radiotherapy treatment (all P′s < 0.001 compared to pretreatment. Those who had chemotherapy (CT along with radiation had significantly greater pain score (t = 5.54, P = 0.03 and distress score (t = 3.9, P = 0.05 at 2 weeks into radiotherapy compared to those who did not receive CT. There was significantly higher grade of skin toxicity in those with spiritual distress (Somers′ d = 0.36, P = 0.02 and higher grade of mucositis in those with existential distress (d = 0.34, P = 0.02 at 4 weeks into radiotherapy. Conclusion: Positive correlation between distress score and pain score and occurrence of physical symptoms. Increasing trend seen for pain score, distress score, and total number of symptoms during 2 nd week, 4 th week, and completion of radiotherapy treatment compared to pretreatment. Increase in distress score in those with existential and spiritual distress.

Analysis of co-occurrence toponyms in web pages based on complex networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Xiang; Liu, Jiajun; Gao, Yong; Wu, Lun

2017-01-01

A large number of geographical toponyms exist in web pages and other documents, providing abundant geographical resources for GIS. It is very common for toponyms to co-occur in the same documents. To investigate these relations associated with geographic entities, a novel complex network model for co-occurrence toponyms is proposed. Then, 12 toponym co-occurrence networks are constructed from the toponym sets extracted from the People's Daily Paper documents of 2010. It is found that two toponyms have a high co-occurrence probability if they are at the same administrative level or if they possess a part-whole relationship. By applying complex network analysis methods to toponym co-occurrence networks, we find the following characteristics. (1) The navigation vertices of the co-occurrence networks can be found by degree centrality analysis. (2) The networks express strong cluster characteristics, and it takes only several steps to reach one vertex from another one, implying that the networks are small-world graphs. (3) The degree distribution satisfies the power law with an exponent of 1.7, so the networks are free-scale. (4) The networks are disassortative and have similar assortative modes, with assortative exponents of approximately 0.18 and assortative indexes less than 0. (5) The frequency of toponym co-occurrence is weakly negatively correlated with geographic distance, but more strongly negatively correlated with administrative hierarchical distance. Considering the toponym frequencies and co-occurrence relationships, a novel method based on link analysis is presented to extract the core toponyms from web pages. This method is suitable and effective for geographical information retrieval.

Significant complications occurred in the perioperative period of peripheral vascular interventions:an analysis of 1620 consecutive procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Zicai; Liu Li; Zhang Haibo; Wang Ning; Li Yu; Yan Ying

2010-01-01

Objective: To categorize the significant complications occurred in the perioperative period of peripheral vascular interventions and to analyze their causes, outcomes and managements in order to make a further understanding of the cause of occurrence and to improve the handling ability. Methods: Over the past five years a total of 1620 consecutive peripheral vascular interventions were carried out in our institute. Significant complications, which occurred in the perioperative period, and the clinical data were carefully examined. The occurrence, treatment, consequence and final outcome of each complication were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Of 1620 consecutive peripheral interventional procedures, significant complication which developed during the operation or within one week after the treatment was seen in 76 (4.69%). The significant complications could be classified into twelve kinds. After proper management most complications were cured without leaving any sequelae. Nevertheless, in some patients permanent damages such as paraplegia, lower limb paralysis, necrosis of gluteus, etc. were left over. Death occurred in six patients. Of the six patients, four died of concomitant hepatic failure and agranulocytosis, one of retroperitoneal hematoma and hemoperitoneum, and another one of pulmonary embolism. Conclusion: (1) Significant complications may occur in most peripheral vascular interventional therapies, which, in most cases, are mainly related to the insufficient understanding of the disease and improper manipulation. (2) A comprehensive and solid fundamental knowledge of the disease, strictly following the indications and careful handling the operation are the key points to reduce the occurrence of severe complications in the perioperative period of peripheral vascular interventions. (authors)

Δ17O Isotopic Investigation of Nitrate Salts Found in Co-Occurrence with Naturally Formed Perchlorate in the Mojave Desert, California, USA and the Atacama Desert, Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Lybrand, R. A.; Parker, D.; Rech, J.; Prellwitz, J.; Michalski, G.

2009-12-01

Perchlorate is both a naturally occurring and manmade contaminant that has been identified in soil, groundwater and surface water. Perchlorate directly affects human health by interfering with iodide uptake in the thyroid gland, which may in turn lower the production of key hormones that are needed for proper growth and development. Until recently, the Atacama Desert, Chile was thought to be the only location where perchlorate salts formed naturally. Recent work has documented the occurrence of these salts in several semi-arid regions of the United States. This study identified putatively natural sources of perchlorate in the Mojave Desert of California. Soil samples were collected from six field sites varying in geologic age. The co-occurrence of perchlorate and nitrate in caliches from the Atacama Desert and soils from the Mojave Desert was also investigated. Although the former are richer in NO3-, near-ore-grade (~5%) deposits occur in the vicinity of Death Valley National Park. Weak but significant correlations exist between ClO4- and NO3- at both locations, but the perchlorate levels are much higher (up to 800 mg/kg) in the Chilean samples than in California (atmospheric origin for the Atacama nitrate salts, and a mixture between biological nitrate and atmospherically-derived nitrate for the Mojave samples. When corrected for the percentage of atmospheric nitrate measured in the Atacama samples, the Mojave samples still contain much lower perchlorate concentrations than would be expected if the occurrence of perchlorate correlated strictly with atmospherically derived nitrate. These results indicate that the variation in the origins of the nitrate salts is not the only factor influencing perchlorate distribution in these environments. These findings suggest that there are other geologic differences in landform age and stability that are crucial to understanding the co-occurrence of nitrate and perchlorate between the two locations.

Impact of boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation on heat wave occurrence in Asia and Europe during the summer of 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, June-Yi; Hsu, Pang-Chi; ha, Kyung-Ja; Kim, Hae-Jeong; Jung, Yoo-Rim

2017-04-01

The summer of 2016 was the earth's hottest summer on record since 1880. Especially, in August, the global mean temperature was 1.66 degree higher than normal and heat waves set records across Asia, Europe, and North America. This study proposes that boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) played an important role in heat wave outbreaks over many regions of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) extratropics in the summer 2016 in addition to other factors including global warming, atmosphere-land interaction, and Africa-Pakistan heavy rainfall. By utilizing the real-time multivariate BSISO indices recently proposed, it has been demonstrated that the two dominant BSISO modes significantly modulate occurrence probability and spatial distributions of extreme rainfall and heat wave over Asia and Europe depending on their phases. The BSISO1 represents the canonical northward propagating variability that often occurs in conjunction with the eastward propagating Madden-Julian Oscillation with quasi-oscillating periods of 30-60 days. The BSISO2 represents the northward/northwestward propagating variability with periods of 10-30 days during primarily the pre-monsoon and monsoon-onset season. In August of 2016, BSISO1 was very active with amplitude up to 2 standard deviation and stayed at phase 7 state for about 20 days. During the phase 7 of BSISO1, extreme convective activity over the South China Sea and western North Pacific typically exerts significant global teleconnection leading to heat wave occurrence over East Asia including Korea and Japan, some part of Russia and Europe, and the western and eastern part of North America. In particular, anticyclonic circulation anomaly tends to be developed over East Asia inducing enhanced adiabatic and diabatic warming over Korea and Japan providing a favorable condition for extreme heat wave occurrence. The August of 2016 exhibited the typical global teleconnection pattern of BSISO1 associated with active convection over the western

Equinoctial spread-F occurrence at low latitudes in different longitude sectors under moderate and high solar activity

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrella, M.; Pezzopane, M.; Fagundes, P. R.; de Jesus, R.; Supnithi, P.; Klinngam, S.; Ezquer, R. G.; Cabrera, M. A.

2017-11-01

A comparative study aimed to investigate the equatorial and low-latitude spread-F occurrences for moderate solar activity (MSA) and high solar activity (HSA), was carried out considering concurrent observations made in some ionospheric stations, which identify three separate longitudinal sectors: Chiang Mai (CGM; 18.8° N, 98.9° E, mag. Lat. 13.2° N) and Chumphon (CPN; 10.7° N, 99.4° E, mag. Lat. 3.2° N), Thailand; Palmas (PAL; 10.2° S, 311.8° E, mag. Lat. 0.9° S) and São José dos Campos (SJC; 23.2° S, 314.1° E, mag. Lat. 14.0° S), Brazil; Tucumán (TUC; 26.9° S, 294.6° E, mag. Lat. 16.8° S), Argentina. Spread-F phenomena recorded during the equinoctial months of September and October 2010, March and April 2011, for MSA, March and April 2014, September and October 2014, for HSA, were classified in two different modes: range spread-F (RSF) and frequency spread-F (FSF). The satellite trace (ST) occurrence was also investigated as possible precursor of spread-F events. When comparing the results of equatorial (CPN and PAL) and low-latitude (CGM, SJC, and TUC) stations, some common features independently of the solar activity emerge: (1) a prevalence of RSF signatures is observed in the time interval 20:00-03:00 LT, while FSF occurrences prevail in the time interval 03:00-06:00 LT; (2) STs are confirmed to be a possible precursor of RSF occurrences. For HSA, at equatorial latitudes, spread-F occurrences in the Thai sector (CPN) are higher than those observed in the Brazilian sector (PAL). When comparing the results of low-latitude stations of CGM, SJC, and TUC some unusual aspects characterizing the morphology of spread-F occurrences emerge: (1) contrary to the Thai and Argentine sectors, in the Brazilian sector (SJC), RSF and FSF appearances in September, for HSA, are observed with relatively long persistence times between about 03:00-06:00 LT and 01:00-03:00 LT respectively, while balanced RSF and FSF occurrences with short persistence times are

CO-OCCURRENCE OF DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cardiovascular disease (CVD), and when they co-exist ... and hypertension among patients with co-occurrence ... are any clinical and metabolic differences between those ... The last 3 readings of their fasting blood .... as insulin resistance, aging, obesity, use of thiazide ... therapy as risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The effect of the administration of three different antimicrobial premix formulations via the liquid feeding system on the occurrence of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to tetracycline in the liquid feed for pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Heller, O; Sidler, X; Hässig, M; Thanner, S; Bee, G; Gutzwiller, A; Stephan, R

2016-06-01

The oral group treatment is still a common procedure in swine production. This project studied the effect of the application of 3 different formulations of antimicrobial premixes (1. chlortetracycline, 2. chlortetracycline + sulfadimidine + tylosin, 3. sulfadimidine + sulfathiazole + trimethoprim) via the liquid feeding system on the occurrence of tetracycline-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (Ent-Tetr) in the liquid feed. 156 and 112 feed samples were collected between April and December 2015 in 13 case and 14 control farms, respectively. The 27 farms were randomly selected pig fattening farms located in different parts of Switzerland. The number of feed samples that contained Ent-Tetr as well as the number of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to tetracycline per sample was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. The use of any of the 3 antimicrobial combinations turned out to be the main risk factor for the occurrence of Ent-Tetr in the liquid feed. Our results suggest that liquid feed containing antimicrobials is a reservoir of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in swine production.

Effect of needle tract bleeding on occurrence of pneumothorax after transthoracic needle biopsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Topal, U.; Berkman, Yahya M.

2005-01-01

Purpose: Occasionally bleeding along the needle trajectory is observed at post-biopsy computed tomographic sections. This study was designed to evaluate the possible effect of needle tract bleeding on the occurrence of pneumothorax and on requirement of chest tube insertion. Materials and methods: Two hundred eighty-four needle biopsies performed in 275 patients in whom the needle traversed the aerated lung parenchyma were retrospectively reviewed. Bleeding along the needle tract, occurrence of pneumothorax and need for chest tube insertion, type and size of the needle, size of the lesion, length of the lung traversed by the needle, presence or absence of emphysema were noted. Effect of these factors on the rate of pneumothorax and needle-tract bleeding was evaluated. The data were analyzed by χ 2 test. Results: Pneumothorax developed in 100 (35%) out of 284 procedures requiring chest tube placement in 16 (16%). Variables that were significantly associated with an increased risk of pneumothorax were depth of the lesion (P 0.05). However, analysis of the relation between length of lung traversed by the needle, tract-bleeding and pneumothorax rate indicated that tract-bleeding had a preventive effect on development of pneumothorax (P 0.05). Conclusion: Bleeding in the needle tract has a preventive effect on the occurrence of the pneumothorax in deep-seated lesions and in the presence of emphysema, although it does not affect the overall rate of pneumothorax

Changes of serum tumor markers, immunoglobulins, TNF-α and hs-CRP levels in patients with breast cancer and its clinical significance

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jian-Gang Dai; Yong-Feng Wu; Mei Li

2017-01-01

Objective: To study the serum tumor markers, immunoglobulin, TNF-α and hs-CRP in breast cancer in different pathological stages of the concentration, and to analyze the clinical significance of early diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods: A total of 130 patients with breast cancer were divided into stage I, II, III and IV according to clinical pathology. In addition, 40 patients with benign breast disease and 35 healthy subjects were selected as benign breast disease group and control group. Serum tumor markers, immunoglobulins, TNF-αand hs-CRP concentrations were measured and compared of all subjects. Results: There were no significant difference in serum tumor markers, immunoglobulin and inflammatory factors between the control group and the benign breast cancer group. The level of serum tumor markers in breast cancer group was significantly higher than that in control group and benign breast cancer group. The levels of serum CA125, CA153 and CEA were gradually increased with the severity enhancing from stage I and IV of breast cancer, and he difference was statistically significant. The level of serum immunoglobulin in breast cancer group was significantly higher than that in control group and benign breast cancer group. The levels of serum IgG and IgM increased gradually severity enhancing from stage I and IV of breast cancer, and the difference was statistically significant. The level of serum TNF-α and hs-CRP in serum of breast cancer group was significantly higher than that of control group and benign breast cancer group. The serum levels of TNF-α and hs-CRP increased gradually with severity enhancing from stage I and IV of breast cancer, and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: The level of serum tumor markers in breast cancer patients is increasing. Humoral and inflammatory responses are activated to varying degrees and increase with the aggregation of disease. They may involve regulating the occurrence and metastasis of breast

The effect of evaluation on co-occurrence memory judgement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Anan, Yoav; Amzaleg-David, Efrat

2014-01-01

Three experiments tested the effect of an attitude towards an object on the memory judgement of whether this object co-occurred with positive versus negative stimuli. We induced positive or negative attitudes towards novel male stimuli, and paired each man with an equal number of positive and negative animals. In a memory test, participants reported more co-occurrences of same-valence man/animal pairs than opposite-valence pairs. This valence-compatibility effect occurred even when attitudes were induced after the pairing (Experiment 1), when participants knew that each man occurred with an equal number of positive and negative animals (Experiment 2), and in reports of clear memory of pairs that did not co-occur (Experiment 3). The present findings suggest that evaluation causes illusory correlation even when the co-occurring stimuli are not traits or behaviours attributed to the attitude object. The results question the validity of co-occurrence memory judgements as measures of co-occurrence awareness in evaluative conditioning (EC) research.

Report to congress on abnormal occurrences. Volume 18, No. 3: Quarterly report, July--September 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-02-01

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 identifies an abnormal occurrence (AO) as an unscheduled incident or event that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety and requires a quarterly report of such occurrences to be made to Congress. This report provides a description of those incidents and events that have been determined to be AOs during the period of July 1 through September 30, 1995. This report addresses three AOs at NRC-licensed facilities. Two involved medical brachytherapy misadministrations and one involved ingestion of radioactive material by research workers. One AO submitted by the Agreement States is included. It involved importation into the United States of a package having excessive radiation. No updates of previously reported AOs are included in this report. No ''Other Events of Interest'' items are being reported

Variations in and predictors of the occurrence of depressive symptoms and mood symptoms in multiple sclerosis: a longitudinal two-year study.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Sverker; Gottberg, Kristina; Kierkegaard, Marie; Ytterberg, Charlotte

2016-03-05

There is limited knowledge regarding how depressive symptoms and a cluster of specific mood symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) vary over time and how they are influenced by contributing factors. Therefore, the aims of this study were a) to describe variations over 2 years in the occurrence of depressive symptoms and mood symptoms in a sample of people with MS, and b) to investigate the predictive value of sex, age, coping capacity, work status, disease severity, disease course, fatigue, cognition, frequency of social/lifestyle activities, and perceived impact of MS on health, on the occurrence of depressive symptoms and mood symptoms. Through using a protocol of measures of functioning and perceived impact of MS on health, comprising of the Beck Depression Inventory, 219 people with MS were assessed at 0, 12 and 24 months. Predictive values were explored with Generalised Estimating Equations. Proportions with depressive symptoms varied significantly (p < 0.001) from 21 to 30% between the three time points. Proportions with mood symptoms varied significantly (p < 0.001) from 14 to 17% between the three time points. Weak coping capacity and reduced frequency of social/lifestyle activities predicted the occurrence of depressive symptoms and mood symptoms, as did the psychological impact of MS on health in interaction with time. For people with MS of working age, not working predicted the occurrence of depressive symptoms and mood symptoms, as did the physical impact of MS on health on the occurrence of mood symptoms. The occurrence of depressive symptoms and mood symptoms in people with MS vary over a 2-year time period; almost half have depressive symptoms at least once. Health care services should develop strategies aimed at identifying people with MS who are depressed or who develop depressive symptoms. Interventions for alleviating depressive symptoms should consider the individual's coping capacity and perceived impact of MS on health, and

Spatial Pattern of Groundwater Arsenic Occurrence and Association with Bedrock Geology in Greater Augusta, Maine, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qiang; Jung, Hun Bok; Culbertson, Charles W.; Marvinney, Robert G.; Loiselle, Marc C.; Locke, Daniel B.; Cheek, Heidi; Thibodeau, Hilary; Zheng, Yan

2009-01-01

In New England, groundwater arsenic occurrence has been linked to bedrock geology on regional scales. To ascertain and quantify this linkage at intermediate (100-101 km) scales, 790 groundwater samples from fractured bedrock aquifers in the greater Augusta, Maine area are analyzed. 31% of the sampled wells have arsenic >10 μg/L. The probability of [As] exceeding 10 μg/L mapped by indicator kriging is highest in Silurian pelite-sandstone and pelite-limestone units (~40%). This probability differs significantly (pbedrock map. Thus, bedrock geology is associated with arsenic occurrence in fractured bedrock aquifers of the study area at intermediate scales relevant to water resources planning. The arsenic exceedance rate for each rock unit is considered robust because low, medium and high arsenic occurrences in 4 cluster areas (3-20 km2) with a low sampling density of 1-6 wells per km2 are comparable to those with a greater density of 5-42 wells per km2. About 12,000 people (21% of the population) in the greater Augusta area (~1135 km2) are at risk of exposure to >10 μg/L arsenic in groundwater. PMID:19475939

Activation of matrix metalloproteinases following anti-Aβ immunotherapy; implications for microhemorrhage occurrence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ridnour Lisa A

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Anti-Aβ immunotherapy is a promising approach to the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD currently in clinical trials. There is extensive evidence, both in mice and humans that a significant adverse event is the occurrence of microhemorrhages. Also, vasogenic edema was reported in phase 2 of a passive immunization clinical trial. In order to overcome these vascular adverse effects it is critical that we understand the mechanism(s by which they occur. Methods We have examined the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP protein degradation system in two previously published anti-Aβ immunotherapy studies. The first was a passive immunization study in which we examined 22 month old APPSw mice that had received anti-Aβ antibodies for 1, 2 or 3 months. The second is an active vaccination study in which we examined 16 month old APPSw/NOS2-/- mice treated with Aβ vaccination for 4 months. Results There is a significant activation of the MMP2 and MMP9 proteinase degradation systems by anti-Aβ immunotherapy, regardless of whether this is delivered through active vaccination or passive immunization. We have characterized this activation by gene expression, protein expression and zymography assessment of MMP activity. Conclusions Since the MMP2 and MMP9 systems are heavily implicated in the pathophysiology of intracerbral hemorrhage, these data may provide a potential mechanism of microhemorrhage due to immunotherapy. Increased activity of the MMP system, therefore, is likely to be a major factor in increased microhemorrhage occurrence.