Road Zone Effects in Small-Mammal Communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John A. Bissonette

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Our study focused on the putative effects of roads on small-mammal communities in a high desert region of southern Utah. Specifically, we tested whether or not roads create adjacent zones characterized by lower small- mammal densities, abundance, and diversity. We sampled abundance of small mammals at increasing distances from Interstate 15 during two summers. We recorded 11 genera and 13 species. We detected no clear abundance, density, or diversity effects relative to distance from the road. Only two of 13 species were never captured near roads. The abundance of the remaining 11 small mammal species was either similar at different distances from the road or higher closer to the road. We conclude that although roads may act as barriers and possible sources of mortality, adjacent zones of vegetation often provide favorable microhabitat in the desert landscape for many small mammals.

THE TURN OF THE MONTH EFFECT CONTINUED: A COMPARISON OF SMALL CAP STOCKS AND LARGE CAP STOCKS

OpenAIRE

Ramsundhar, Shamman

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the turn of the month effect occurs in small cap and large cap stocks and if it occurs in both categories, to determine whether there is a difference in the magnitude. My research, for the period of 1963-2008, based on the CRSP value weighted index, shows that there is a significant turn of the month effect in small and large cap stocks, however the effect is larger in small cap stocks. Furthermore, this effect is not limited to a short time...

Formal conditions for the significance-effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

2006-01-01

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

An effective method to improve the robustness of small-world networks under attack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zheng-Zhen; Xu Wen-Jun; Lin Jia-Ru; Zeng Shang-You

2014-01-01

In this study, the robustness of small-world networks to three types of attack is investigated. Global efficiency is introduced as the network coefficient to measure the robustness of a small-world network. The simulation results prove that an increase in rewiring probability or average degree can enhance the robustness of the small-world network under all three types of attack. The effectiveness of simultaneously increasing both rewiring probability and average degree is also studied, and the combined increase is found to significantly improve the robustness of the small-world network. Furthermore, the combined effect of rewiring probability and average degree on network robustness is shown to be several times greater than that of rewiring probability or average degree individually. This means that small-world networks with a relatively high rewiring probability and average degree have advantages both in network communications and in good robustness to attacks. Therefore, simultaneously increasing rewiring probability and average degree is an effective method of constructing realistic networks. Consequently, the proposed method is useful to construct efficient and robust networks in a realistic scenario. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Serum GRP78 as a Tumor Marker and Its Prognostic Significance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers: A Retrospective Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Ma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Glucose-regulated protein 78 (78 kDa, GRP78, which is also known as immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BIP, is a major chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER. The expression and clinical significance of GRP78 in the serum of non-small cell lung cancer patients have not yet been clearly described. The aims of the present study were to investigate the expression of GRP78 in the serum of non-small cell lung cancer patients, the relationships with clinicopathological parameters, and the potential implications for survival. Patients and Methods. A total of 163 peripheral blood samples from non-small cell lung cancer patients were prospectively collected at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer, China. Clinical characteristics data, including age, gender, stage, overall survival (OS time, and relapse-free survival (RFS time, were also collected. Serum GRP78 levels were measured using a commercially available ELISA kit. The associations between GRP78 levels and clinicopathological characteristics and survival were examined using Student’s t-test, Kaplan-Meier, or Cox regression analyses. Results. The mean ± standard error (SE value of GRP78 was 326.5 ± 49.77 pg/mL. This level was significantly lower compared with the level in late-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients (1227 ± 223.6, p=0.0001. There were no significant correlations with the clinicopathological parameters. No significant difference was found between high GRP78 expression and low GRP78 expression with regard to RFS (p=0.1585. However, the OS of patients with higher GRP78 expression was significantly poorer (p=0.0334. Conclusions. GRP78 was expressed in non-small cell lung cancer patients and was highly enriched in late-stage lung cancer. GRP78 may have an important role in the carcinogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer and may be a prognostic marker for non-small cell lung cancer.

Prognostic significance of tissue polypeptidespecific antigen (TPS) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. van der Gaast (Ate); C.H.H. Schoenmakers (Christian); T.C. Kok (Tjebbe); B.G. Blijenberg (Bert); W.C.J. Hop (Wim); T.A.W. Splinter (Ted)

1994-01-01

textabstractIn this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of the tumour marker, tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS), in 203 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and related this to several other known prognostic factors. TPS was significantly correlated with lactate

The protective effect of lycopene against radiation injury to the small intestine of abdominally radiated mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Youko; Kurabe, Teruhisa; Ishiguchi, Tsuneo

2004-01-01

To reduce the side effects of radiotherapy, radioprotective effects of lycopene on villi and crypts in the small intestine of abdominally radiated mice (15 Gy) were examined with administration pre-, continuous and post-radiation. In the lycopene group, the ratio of the villus length to the crypt was significantly increased in comparison with the radiation only group at 2 days after radiation. At 7 days after radiation, the ratio of necrotic cells in crypt/total was significantly decreased and the ratio of necrotic cells in villus/total was significantly increased by lycopene administration, which indicated an acceleration of the recovery from the radiation injury with lycopene. Each lycopene administered group showed a significant radioprotective effect, with the pre-radiation administration inducing a smaller effect than that of continuous and post-radiation administration. Radiation induced apoptosis was also decreased by lycopene administration. It is concluded that pre-, continuous and post-radiation administration of lycopene protects against radiation injury of the small intestine and accelerate the recovery. (author)

Small changes in meal patterns lead to significant changes in total caloric intake. Effects of diet and social status on food intake in female rhesus monkeys.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Carla J; Lowe, Jonathan; Michopoulos, Vasiliki; Ulam, Patrick; Toufexis, Donna; Wilson, Mark E; Johnson, Zachary

2013-03-01

Social subordination in macaques is a well-established model to study the adverse effects of psychosocial stress on a number of health outcomes, including stress-induced eating. The present analysis was conducted to empirically define a meal among free-feeding female rhesus monkeys and to examine the roles of meal patterning (e.g., meal size, meal frequency, and snacking patterns) in findings from a previous study demonstrating that psychosocial stress increases overall caloric intake among subordinate animals with access to a highly palatable diet. Results indicate that all animals, regardless of social status, consumed more frequent meals, larger meals, and more calories in the form of snacks when a highly palatable diet was available. Additional findings suggest that subordinate animals consumed significantly larger meals compared to their dominant counterparts regardless of the dietary environment. Additionally, subordinate females with a history of exposure to the palatable diet consumed significantly more snack calories than both dominant and subordinate animals without previous exposure to the palatable diet when these females were returned to a standard laboratory diet. These findings illustrate how small changes in meal patterns can lead to significant increases in total caloric intake, which if prolonged, could promote the emergence of an obese phenotype. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting effects of rainforest fragmentation from live trapping studies of small mammals in Sri Lanka

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M.R. Wijesinghe

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the impact of forest fragmentation on small mammals inhabiting the rainforests of Sri Lanka. Fifteen forests ranging in size from 145 to 11000 ha were live-trapped for five to eight nights each in both interior and edge habitats, yielding a total of 18400 trap nights. A total of 444 individuals belonging to 10 species of small mammals were captured. Multiple-regression analysis incorporating three indicators of fragmentation: patch area, shape index (perimeter/area and degree of isolation, showed no significant effects on overall species richness of small mammals. This is likely because the decline of forest-adapted species from small forest fragments was accompanied by an increase in more tolerant and adaptive species. Patch size, however, had a significant positive effect on the abundance of small mammals. Of the two dominant species, the endemic Mus mayori was positively affected by patch area whilst Rattus rattus was not affected. Although no differences were evident between interior and edge habitats with respect to total species richness and abundance, endemics were more abundant in core areas while the reverse was true for the non-endemics. Core forest areas were significantly different from forest edges with respect to canopy cover, density of herbaceous vegetation, large trees and litter cover. These results suggest that forest fragmentation is detrimental to some forest specialists and beneficial to some generalists.

Optimal network structure to induce the maximal small-world effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zheng-Zhen; Xu Wen-Jun; Lin Jia-Ru; Zeng Shang-You

2014-01-01

In this paper, the general efficiency, which is the average of the global efficiency and the local efficiency, is defined to measure the communication efficiency of a network. The increasing ratio of the general efficiency of a small-world network relative to that of the corresponding regular network is used to measure the small-world effect quantitatively. The more considerable the small-world effect, the higher the general efficiency of a network with a certain cost is. It is shown that the small-world effect increases monotonically with the increase of the vertex number. The optimal rewiring probability to induce the best small-world effect is approximately 0.02 and the optimal average connection probability decreases monotonically with the increase of the vertex number. Therefore, the optimal network structure to induce the maximal small-world effect is the structure with the large vertex number (> 500), the small rewiring probability (≍ 0.02) and the small average connection probability (< 0.1). Many previous research results support our results. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

[Clinic significance of nm23, collage IV and PCNA expression in non-small cell lung cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Q; Ma, L; Jing, S; Xu, Y; Geng, D

2001-12-20

To study the significance of nm23, collagen IV and PCNA expressions in non-small cell lung cancer. Expressions of the nm23, collagen IV and PCNA in 84 cases of non-small cell lung cancer were examined with SP immunohistochemical technique. Of the 84 cases, there were squamous cell carcinoma 42, adenocarcinoma 42, stage I 27, stage II 24, stage III 24, and stage IV 9. Statistical analysis was performed with Chi-Square test. Expressions of the nm23, collagen IV and PCNA in 84 cases of non-small cell lung cancer were 60. 7% ( 51/ 84) , 75. 0% ( 63/ 84) and 53. 6% ( 45/ 84) respectively. There was negative correlation between the lymph node metastasis and the expressions of nm23 and collagen IV in squamous cell carcinoma, and the expressions of collagen IV and PCNA were associated with tumor differentiation. No correlation was found between TNM stage and expressions of nm23, collagen IV and PCNA. The results indicate that nm23, collagen IV and PCNA participate the modulation of metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer and that they may be used to evaluate the potential of metastasis.

Epinephrine Injection effect on serotonin metabolism in small intestines of gamma irradiated rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saada, H.N.; Mahdy, A.M.

1997-01-01

The response of serotonin metabolism to epinephrine injection was examined in the small intestine of normal and whole body gamma irradiated rats. The data revealed that a single dose of 6 Gy induced decrease in serotonin content associated with increase of monoaminoxidase activity (MAO), and 5-hydroxyindol acetic acid (5-HIAA); at one and four hours, and one, three and seven days after exposure. Intraperitoneal administration of epinephrine to normal unirradiated rats at a dose of 0.2 mug/g increased serotonin content, decreased (MAO) activity, and (5-HIAA) level, one and four hours after treatment. No significant changes were recorded later. Injection of epinephrine to rats, 15 minutes before irradiation, resulted in no significant changes of serotonin content, MAO activity and 5-HIAA level at one, four hours and one day after irradiation. At three and seven days, the changes were less significant. The results obtained suggest that the effect of epinephrine on serotonin and 5-HIAA levels in the small intestine of rats is mediated by the opposing effect of epinephrine on the radiation induced increase of intestinal MAO activity

[Expression and clinical significance of Pokemon in non-small cell lung cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhihong; Wang, Shengfa; Zhang, Tiewa

2007-12-20

Proto-oncogene Pokemon is the special transcription inhibitor of ARF,which can regulate cell growth and differentiation by ARF-P53 path.It may be the important monitoring target of tumor because of being upstream region of many tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes.The aim of this study is to explore the clinical significance of Pokemon gene in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect the expression of Pokemon protein in 92 cases of NSCLC and 20 cases of paracancerous lung tissues.Correlation between abnormal expression of Pokemon with pathologic characteristics and prognosis of NSCLC was analyzed. Pokemon was not expressed in paracancerous lung tissues and was found in 66 of 92(71.7%) cases of lung cancer tissues.Expression of Pokemon was closely related to TNM stages(P=0.011).Survival rate of patients with negative Pokemon expression was significantly higher than that of those with positive Pokemon expression(P=0.0015).Pokemon expression was demonstrated as independent prognostic factor of NSCLC. Pokemon is expressed in NSCLC and it may be identified as a new diagnostic marker.High expression of Pokemon may indicate poor prognosis of patients with NSCLC.

The Small Firm Effect and the Quality of Entrepreneurs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Jing

of this alternative explanation, versus the existing theories for the small firm effect, this paper examines the persistence of the small firm effect on new business survival and the founders’ post-entry occupational choice. Using employer-employee matched panel data obtained from Statistics Denmark, I find...... that the size of entrepreneurs’ prior employers continues to have a negative correlation with the survival of startups for the first three years, but the size effect gradually fades away afterwards. The magnitude of the correlation is largely reduced if the new businesses were formed in sectors...... barriers of entry in sectors clustered by small firms, while related industry experience further facilitates the transition into self-employment for small firm employees....

EFFECT OF MARKET ORIENTATION ON SMALL BUSINESS PERORMANCE IN SMALL TOWN IN MALAYSIA: AN EMPRICAL STUDY ON MALAYSIAN SMALL FIRMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Masroor ALAM

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Most research on market orientation, and performance was related to big firms. In this study, based on the theoretical framework, a model was developed to investigate the effect of market orientation on business performance in small firms. To test the relationships among the variables, data from 53 small firms in the small town of Chunglun at Sintok, Kedah was used. The findings show that the three components of market orientation are related positive to business performance of small firms. The further analysis also confirmed that customer orientation and competitor orientation are strong predictors of small firm performance. The findings of this study confirm that market orientation behavior also applies to small firms.

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...

Expression of transcription factor Pokemon in non-small cell lung cancer and its clinical significance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhi-hong; Wang, Sheng-fa; Yu, Liang; Wang, Ju; Chang, Hao; Yan, Wei-li; Fu, Kai; Zhang, Jian

2008-03-05

Transcription factor Pokemon, a central regulation gene of the important tumor suppressor ARF gene, exerted its activity by acting upstream of many tumor-suppressing genes and proto-oncogenes. Its expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its clinical significance remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Pokemon in NSCLC and to explore its correlation with the clinical pathological characteristics and its influence on patients' prognosis. Fifty-five cases of NSCLC were involved in this study. The expression of Pokemon in the tumor tissue, the corresponding tumor adjacent tissue and the surrounding tissue was detected via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting, with the aim of investigating the correlation between the expression of Pokemon in tumor tissue of NSCLC and its clinical pathological characteristics. Moreover, a prognostic analysis was carried out based upon the immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of the expression of Pokemon gene in archival tumor specimens (5 years ago) of 62 cases of NSCLC. Statistical significance of the expression of Pokemon mRNA and protein was determined in the tumor tissue, the tumor adjacent tissue and the surrounding tissue (PPokemon was determined not to be associated with the patients' sex, age, smoking condition, tumor differentiation degree, histology and lymph node metastasis condition. However, its relationship with TNM staging was established (PPokemon expression was significantly higher than that of those with positive Pokemon expression (P=0.004), therefore, the expression of Pokemon is believed to be an independent factor affecting prognosis (P=0.034). Pokemon was over-expressed in NSCLC tissue and the expression of Pokemon might be of clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancer prognostic evaluation.

The effect of obesity levels on irradiated small bowel volume in belly board with small bowel displacement device for rectal cancer radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Se Young; Kim, Joo Ho; Park, Hyo Kuk; Cho, Jeong Hee [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-03-15

For radiotherapy in rectal cancer patients treated with small bowel displacement device (SBDD) and belly board, We will suggest new indication of using SBDD depending on obesity index by analyzing correlation between obesity and irradiated small bowel volume. In this study, We reviewed 29 rectal cancer patients who received pelvic radiation therapy with belly board and SBDD from January to April in 2012. We only analyzed those patients treated with three-field technique (PA and both LAT) on 45 Gy (1.8 Gy/fx). We measured patients' height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR) and divided BMI into two groups.(≥23:BMI=group 1, <23:BMI=group 2) We performed a statistical analysis to evaluate correlation between total volume of bladder (TV{sub bldder}), obesity index and high dose volume of small bowel (small bowel volume irradiated at 90% of prescribed dose, HDV{sub sb}), low dose volume of small bowel (small bowel volume irradiated at 33% of prescribed dose, LDV{sub sb}). The result shows, gender, WHR and status of pre operative or post operative do not greatly affect HDV{sub sb} and LDV{sub sb}. Statistical result shows, there are significant correlation between HDV{sub sb} and BMI (p<0.04), HDV{sub sb} and TV{sub bladder} (p<0.01), LDV{sub sb} and TV{sub bladder} (p<0.01). BMI seems to correlate with HDV{sub sb} but does not with LDV{sub sb} (p>0.05). There are negative correlation between HDV{sub sb} and BMI, TV{sub bladder} and HDV{sub sb}, TV{sub bladder} and LDV{sub sb} . Especially, BMI group1 has more effective and negative correlation with HDV{sub sb} (p=0.027) than in BMI group 2. In the case of BMI group 1, TV{sub bladder} has significant negative correlation with HDV{sub sb} and LDV{sub sb} (p<0.04). In conclusions, we confirmed that Using SBDD with belly board in BMI group 1 could more effectively reduce irradiated small bowel volume in radiation therapy for rectal cancer. Therefore, We suggest using belly board with SBDD in order

The effect of obesity levels on irradiated small bowel volume in belly board with small bowel displacement device for rectal cancer radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Se Young; Kim, Joo Ho; Park, Hyo Kuk; Cho, Jeong Hee

2013-01-01

For radiotherapy in rectal cancer patients treated with small bowel displacement device (SBDD) and belly board, We will suggest new indication of using SBDD depending on obesity index by analyzing correlation between obesity and irradiated small bowel volume. In this study, We reviewed 29 rectal cancer patients who received pelvic radiation therapy with belly board and SBDD from January to April in 2012. We only analyzed those patients treated with three-field technique (PA and both LAT) on 45 Gy (1.8 Gy/fx). We measured patients' height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR) and divided BMI into two groups.(≥23:BMI=group 1, <23:BMI=group 2) We performed a statistical analysis to evaluate correlation between total volume of bladder (TV bldder ), obesity index and high dose volume of small bowel (small bowel volume irradiated at 90% of prescribed dose, HDV sb ), low dose volume of small bowel (small bowel volume irradiated at 33% of prescribed dose, LDV sb ). The result shows, gender, WHR and status of pre operative or post operative do not greatly affect HDV sb and LDV sb . Statistical result shows, there are significant correlation between HDV sb and BMI (p<0.04), HDV sb and TV bladder (p<0.01), LDV sb and TV bladder (p<0.01). BMI seems to correlate with HDV sb but does not with LDV sb (p>0.05). There are negative correlation between HDV sb and BMI, TV bladder and HDV sb , TV bladder and LDV sb . Especially, BMI group1 has more effective and negative correlation with HDV sb (p=0.027) than in BMI group 2. In the case of BMI group 1, TV bladder has significant negative correlation with HDV sb and LDV sb (p<0.04). In conclusions, we confirmed that Using SBDD with belly board in BMI group 1 could more effectively reduce irradiated small bowel volume in radiation therapy for rectal cancer. Therefore, We suggest using belly board with SBDD in order to reduce the small bowel toxicity in rectal radiotherapy, if patients' BMI is above 23

The cumulative effect of small dietary changes may significantly improve nutritional intakes in free-living children and adults

OpenAIRE

Bornet , Francis; Paineau , Damien; Beaufils , François; Boulier , Alain; Cassuto , Dominique-Adèle; Chwalow , Judith; Combris , Pierre; Couet , Charles; Jouret , Béatrice; Lafay , Lionel; Laville , Martine; Mahé , Sylvain; Ricour , Claude; Romon , Monique; Simon , Chantal

2010-01-01

Abstract Background/Objectives: The ELPAS study was an 8-month randomized controlled dietary modification trial designed to test the hypothesis that family dietary coaching would improve nutritional intakes and weight control in 2026 free-living children and parents (Paineau et al., 2008). It resulted in significant nutritional changes, with beneficial effects on body mass index in adults. In these ancillary analyses, we investigated dietary changes throughout the intervention. ...

Effect of radiation on apoptosis in small intestine and colon of mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Guirong; Guo Guozhen; Tian Furong; Wang Jin; Zhang Liyan; Guo Yao

2000-01-01

To discuss the changes of apoptosis level in small bowel and colon of mice after γ-ray irradiation. The mice were irradiated with different doses (1,6,12 Gy). The incidence of apoptosis in small bowel and colon were observed at different time (6,12,24h) after irradiation using morphological method. Then results indicate that there were apoptosis in small bowel of normal mice, the number of apoptotic cell was 0.038 +- 0.059 per whole crypt. No apoptosis was observed in colon of normal mice and irradiated mice; The incidence of apoptosis significantly increased in small bowel after different doses of irradiation (p < 0.05). The apoptosis peak appeared at 12, 24, 6 h after 1, 6, 12 Gy irradiation; The incidence of apoptosis was higher in small bowel than that of colon after different doses of irradiation and at different time after irradiation. From the results the authors propose that the radiation-damaged cells might be more effectively removed in small bowel than in colon after irradiation. Radiation-damaged cells may tend to remain in colon and related to later tumorigenesis

Clinicopathological significance of fascin-1 expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling XL

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Xiao-Ling Ling,* Tao Zhang,* Xiao-Ming Hou, Da Zhao Department of Oncology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University (The Branch Hospital of Donggang, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Fascin-1 promotes the formation of filopodia, lamellipodia, and microspikes of cell membrane after its cross-linking with F-actin, thereby enhancing the cell movement and metastasis and invasion of tumor cells. This study explored the fascin-1 protein’s expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC tissues and its relationship with clinical pathology and prognostic indicators.Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was used to determine the expression of fascin-1 in NSCLC tissues. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis to further verify the results. The fascin-1 expression and statistical method for clinical pathological parameters are examined by χ2. Kaplan–Meier method is used for survival analysis. Cox’s Proportional Hazard Model was used to conduct a combined-effect analysis for each covariate.Results: In 73 of the 128 cases, NSCLC cancer tissues (57.0% were found with high expression of fascin-1, which was significantly higher than the adjacent tissues (35/128, 27.3%. The results suggested that the high expression of fascin-1 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.022 and TNM stage (P=0.042. The high fascin-1 expression patients survived shorter than those NSCLC patients with low fascin-1 expression (P<0.05. Univariate analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and fascin-1 expression status were correlated with the overall survival. Similarly, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and fascin-1 expression status were significantly associated with the overall survival in multivariate analyses by using the Cox regression model.Conclusion: The fascin-1 protein may be a useful prognostic indicator and

The effect of truncation on very small cardiac SPECT camera systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohmer, Damien; Eisner, Robert L.; Gullberg, Grant T.

2006-01-01

Background: The limited transaxial field-of-view (FOV) of a very small cardiac SPECT camera system causes view-dependent truncation of the projection of structures exterior to, but near the heart. Basic tomographic principles suggest that the reconstruction of non-attenuated truncated data gives a distortion-free image in the interior of the truncated region, but the DC term of the Fourier spectrum of the reconstructed image is incorrect, meaning that the intensity scale of the reconstruction is inaccurate. The purpose of this study was to characterize the reconstructed image artifacts from truncated data, and to quantify their effects on the measurement of tracer uptake in the myocardial. Particular attention was given to instances where the heart wall is close to hot structures (structures of high activity uptake).Methods: The MCAT phantom was used to simulate a 2D slice of the heart region. Truncated and non-truncated projections were formed both with and without attenuation. The reconstructions were analyzed for artifacts in the myocardium caused by truncation, and for the effect that attenuation has relative to increasing those artifacts. Results: The inaccuracy due to truncation is primarily caused by an incorrect DC component. For visualizing the left ventricular wall, this error is not worse than the effect of attenuation. The addition of a small hot bowel-like structure near the left ventricle causes few changes in counts on the wall. Larger artifacts due to the truncation are located at the boundary of the truncation and can be eliminated by sinogram interpolation. Finally,algebraic reconstruction methods are shown to give better reconstruction results than an analytical filtered back-projection reconstruction algorithm. Conclusion: Small inaccuracies in reconstructed images from small FOV camera systems should have little effect on clinical interpretation. However, changes in the degree of inaccuracy in counts from slice to slice are due to changes in

Effects of Small Oscillations on the Effective Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotroneo, V.; Conconi, P.; Pareschi, G.; Spiga, D.; Tagliaferri, G.; Cusumano, G.

2009-01-01

We analyze the effective area of the Simbol-X mirrors as a function of the off-axis angle for small oscillations. A reduction is expected due to: 1) geometrical effects, because some of the photons miss the secondary mirror surface; 2) reflectivity effects, caused by the variation of the coating reflectivity with the incidence angle. The former are related to the length of the two mirror surfaces, and can be reduced by making the secondary mirror longer. The second ones are energy-dependent, and strongly related to the characteristics of the reflecting coating. These effects are analyzed by means of ray-tracing simulations in order to optimize the mirror and coating design, aiming to improve the effective area stability.

Effects of Small Oscillations on the Effective Area

Science.gov (United States)

Cotroneo, V.; Conconi, P.; Cusumano, G.; Pareschi, G.; Spiga, D.; Tagliaferri, G.

2009-05-01

We analyze the effective area of the Simbol-X mirrors as a function of the off-axis angle for small oscillations. A reduction is expected due to: 1) geometrical effects, because some of the photons miss the secondary mirror surface; 2) reflectivity effects, caused by the variation of the coating reflectivity with the incidence angle. The former are related to the length of the two mirror surfaces, and can be reduced by making the secondary mirror longer. The second ones are energy-dependent, and strongly related to the characteristics of the reflecting coating. These effects are analyzed by means of ray-tracing simulations in order to optimize the mirror and coating design, aiming to improve the effective area stability.

Effects of relativistic small radial component on atomic photoionization cross sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiaobin; Xing Yongzhong; Sun Xiaowei

2008-01-01

The effects of relativistic small radial component on atomic photoionization cross sections have been studied within relativistic average self-consistent field theory. Relativistic effects are relatively unimportant for low photon energy, along with a review of high-energy photoionization the relativistic effects are quite important. The effects of relativistic small radial component on photoionization process should show breakdown when the nuclear finite-size effects is taken into account. The compression of wavefunction into the space near nucleus is so strong in highly charged ions that the electronic radius greatly decreases, and the effects of relativistic small radial component on photoionization cross sections turn to stronger than ordinary atoms. Since relativistic effects are extremely sensitive to the behavior of small radial component, the results are in good agreement with relativistic effects on photoionization cross section. (authors)

Marketing Communications Effectiveness in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs in Bandung

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asep Suryana

2001-12-01

Full Text Available The objectives of the study were: (1 To know the dynamics of Small and middle Scale Industry (SMSI in Kabupaten Bandun; (2 Individual effectivity on SMSI in KabupatenBandung; (3 Marketing communication management effectivity on SMSI in Kabupaten Bandung; (4 The correlation between organization dynamics level and individual effectivity on SMSI organization in Kabupaten Bandung; (5 The correlation between organization dynamics level and effectivity of marketing communication management on SMSI in Kabupaten Bandung; and (6 The correlation between individual effectivity level and effectivity of marketing communication management on SMSI in Kabupaten Bandung. The methodology used in this study was Survey Methods, to conducted the manager and workers of Small Scale Industry in Kabupaten Bandung as population target. The sample size was 60 respondents selected randomly based on sampling Random sample, technique. The results of the study showed that: (1 The dynamics of SMSI organization concerning on anatomy, structure, and process organization was effective; (2 the individual on SMSI organization concerning on motivation, attitude, aptitude, temperament, and role perception was effective; (3 The effectivity of marketing communication management on SMSI in Kabupaten Bandung concerning on planning, actuating, controlling, and marketing communication mix was effective; (4 The correlation between the dynamics organization level and individual effectivity on organization SMSI was significan; (5 The correlation between the dynamics organization level and effectivity of marketing communication management on SMSI in Kabupaten Bandung, was significan; and (6 The correlaton between individual effectivity on organization and effectivity of marketing communication managementon SMSI in Kabupaten Bandung was significant.

Epidemics in interconnected small-world networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, M.; Li, D.; Qin, P.; Liu, C.; Wang, H.; Wang, F.

2015-01-01

Networks can be used to describe the interconnections among individuals, which play an important role in the spread of disease. Although the small-world effect has been found to have a significant impact on epidemics in single networks, the small-world effect on epidemics in interconnected networks

Significance and Role of Small and Middle Entreprises in Economic Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bandur Miodrag

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Small and middle enterprises (SME are becoming more and more the subject of interest in developed countries in which small and middle companies represent a factor of development. The developed countries of the word put SME into focus of their economic strategies and programs and- by concrete macro-economic measures- the aimed politics to SME has a direct impact to reduction on business costs and improvement of liquidation (thus, competitive position of SME, through tax bonds. However, BiH still does not develop tax politics and praxis of many developed countries, which causes a lack of attention and improvement of the sector of SME. This is what many research in BiH confirmed. The changes in social-economic system based on the market commerce create suitable conditions for development of various activities which should be profitable and keep up with the development, with continuous adaptation to constant changes on market, which gives the advantage to SME or, so called, small business. Such companies most often represent the collision of ownership, management and risk, so the knowledge and skill needed for successful management include a very wide range.

Small scale homelike special care units and traditional special care units: effects on cognition in dementia; a longitudinal controlled intervention study.

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Kok, Jeroen S; van Heuvelen, Marieke J G; Berg, Ina J; Scherder, Erik J A

2016-02-16

Evidence shows that living in small scale homelike Special Care Units (SCU) has positive effects on behavioural and psychological symptoms of patients with dementia. Effects on cognitive functioning in relation to care facilities, however, are scarcely investigated. The purpose of this study is to gain more insight into the effects of living in small scale homelike Special Care Units, compared to regular SCU's, on the course of cognitive functioning in dementia. A group of 67 patients with dementia who moved from a regular SCU to a small scale homelike SCU and a group of 48 patients with dementia who stayed in a regular SCU participated in the study. Cognitive and behavioural functioning was assessed by means of a neuropsychological test battery and observation scales one month before (baseline), as well as 3 (post) and 6 months (follow-up) after relocation. Comparing the post and follow-up measurement with the baseline measurement, no significant differences on separate measures of cognitive functioning between both groups were found. Additional analyses, however, on 'domain clusters' revealed that global cognitive functioning of the small scale homelike SCU group showed significantly less cognitive decline three months after the transfer (p Effect sizes (95% CI) show a tendency for better aspects of cognition in favour of the homelike small scaled SCU group, i.e., visual memory, picture recognition, cognitive decline as observed by representatives and the clustered domains episodic memory and global cognitive functioning. While there is no significant longitudinal effect on the progression of cognitive decline comparing small scaled homelike SCU's with regular SCU's for patients with dementia, analyses on the domain clusters and effect sizes cautiously suggest differences in favour of the small scaled homelike SCU for different aspects of cognition.

Effect of the small-world structure on encoding performance in the primary visual cortex: an electrophysiological and modeling analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Li; Niu, Xiaoke; Wan, Hong

2015-05-01

The biological networks have been widely reported to present small-world properties. However, the effects of small-world network structure on population's encoding performance remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we applied a small world-based framework to quantify and analyze the response dynamics of cell assemblies recorded from rat primary visual cortex, and further established a population encoding model based on small world-based generalized linear model (SW-GLM). The electrophysiological experimental results show that the small world-based population responses to different topological shapes present significant variation (t test, p 0.8), while no significant variation was found for control networks without considering their spatial connectivity (t test, p > 0.05; effect size: Hedge's g < 0.5). Furthermore, the numerical experimental results show that the predicted response under SW-GLM is more accurate and reliable compared to the control model without small-world structure, and the decoding performance is also improved about 10 % by taking the small-world structure into account. The above results suggest the important role of the small-world neural structure in encoding visual information for the neural population by providing electrophysiological and theoretical evidence, respectively. The study helps greatly to well understand the population encoding mechanisms of visual cortex.

Therapeutic effect analysis of three dimensional conformal radiotherapy non-small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Zhijun; Cao Yongzhen; Zhang Wenxue; Liang Feng

2012-01-01

Objective: To analyse the treatment effect of non-small cell lung cancer of three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and to study the effect of patient survival related factors. Methods: Retrospective analysis was mack for 136 cases of non-small cell lung cancer, all accept 3D-CRT, through the case data collection and long-term follow-up, using the single factor and multiple factor analysis survival time and its influencing factors. Results: The recent curative effects of 136 cases of patients with three dimensional conformal radiotherapy: Complete response (CR) 14.7% (20/136), partial response (PR) 60.3 (82/136), stable disease(SD) 19.9% (27/136), progression disease (PD) 5.1% (7/136), total effective rate is 75% (102/136). One, two, three, five year survival rate is 79.4%, 45.4%, 22.1%, 12.5%. Side effects: Class 1 radiated esophagitis 35 cases, Class 2 radiated esophagitis 16 cases, Class 3 and above radiated esophagitis 0 case. Class I radiated pneumonia 20 cases, Class 2 radiated pneumonia 9 cases, Class 3 radiated pneumonia 0 case. Single factor analysis shows the influence of gender, age, pathology, phase, dose, and first-phase curative effect to the survival time are of a statistical significance, Multiple factor analysis showed KPS score, phase, dose, first-phase curative effect are the survival time independent factors. Conclusion: 3D-CRT for patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma is a safe, effective treatment method, Side effects are relatively low, and the patients survival time is long after radiotherapy. (authors)

Clinical significance of detection of serum expressions of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in patients with small cell pulmonary carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Liang

2008-01-01

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of changes of serum expressions of matrix metallo-proteinase 2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitors of metallo-proteinase 2 (TIMP-2) in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Methods: Serum MMP-2 and TIMP-2 contents were measured with RIA in 80 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and 35 controls. Results: The serum contents of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in patients with SCLC were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01). Among the patients, the serum concentration of the two parameters in patients with wide-spread disease were significantly higher than those in patients with localized disease (P<0.05). Conclusion: Serum concentrations of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were much increased in patients with SCLC, especially in patients with wide-spread disease. (authors)

Overestimation of test performance by ROC analysis: Effect of small sample size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seeley, G.W.; Borgstrom, M.C.; Patton, D.D.; Myers, K.J.; Barrett, H.H.

1984-01-01

New imaging systems are often observer-rated by ROC techniques. For practical reasons the number of different images, or sample size (SS), is kept small. Any systematic bias due to small SS would bias system evaluation. The authors set about to determine whether the area under the ROC curve (AUC) would be systematically biased by small SS. Monte Carlo techniques were used to simulate observer performance in distinguishing signal (SN) from noise (N) on a 6-point scale; P(SN) = P(N) = .5. Four sample sizes (15, 25, 50 and 100 each of SN and N), three ROC slopes (0.8, 1.0 and 1.25), and three intercepts (0.8, 1.0 and 1.25) were considered. In each of the 36 combinations of SS, slope and intercept, 2000 runs were simulated. Results showed a systematic bias: the observed AUC exceeded the expected AUC in every one of the 36 combinations for all sample sizes, with the smallest sample sizes having the largest bias. This suggests that evaluations of imaging systems using ROC curves based on small sample size systematically overestimate system performance. The effect is consistent but subtle (maximum 10% of AUC standard deviation), and is probably masked by the s.d. in most practical settings. Although there is a statistically significant effect (F = 33.34, P<0.0001) due to sample size, none was found for either the ROC curve slope or intercept. Overestimation of test performance by small SS seems to be an inherent characteristic of the ROC technique that has not previously been described

75 FR 17161 - Job Corps: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Installation of a Small...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-05

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Office of the Secretary Job Corps: Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Installation of a Small Wind Turbine at the Pine Ridge Job Corps Center Located at... the Pine Ridge Job Corps Center, 15710 Highway 385, Chadron, NE 69337. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the...

Pen size and parity effects on maternal behaviour of Small-Tail Han sheep.

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Lv, S-J; Yang, Y; Dwyer, C M; Li, F-K

2015-07-01

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of pen size and parity on maternal behaviour of twin-bearing Small-Tail Han ewes. A total of 24 ewes were allocated to a 2×2 design (six per pen), with parity (primiparous or multiparous) and pen size (large: 6.0×3.0 m; small: 6.0×1.5 m) as main effects at Linyi University, Shandong Province, China. Behaviour was observed from after parturition until weaning. All ewes were observed for 6 h every 5 days from 0700 to1000 h and from 1400 to 1700 h. Continuous focal animal sampling was used to quantify the duration of maternal behaviours: sucking, grooming and following as well as the frequency of udder accepting, udder refusing and low-pitched bleating. Oestradiol and cortisol concentrations in the faeces (collected in the morning every 5 days) were detected using EIA kits. All lambs were weighed 24 h after parturition and again at weaning at 35 days of age. The small pen size significantly reduced following (Pbehaviour in sheep during lactation. The study is also the first to report on the maternal behaviour of Chinese native sheep breeds (Small-Tail Han sheep), with implications for the production of sheep in China.

Prognostic significance of CD44s expression in resected non-small cell lung cancer

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Ko Yoon

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background CD44s is a cell adhesion molecule known to mediate cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix, a prerequisite for tumor cell migration. CD44s plays an important role in invasion and metastasis of various cancers. In the present study, we sought to determine whether CD44s is involved in clinical outcomes of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. Methods Using immunohistochemical staining, we investigated CD44s protein expression using tissue array specimens from 159 patients with resected NSCLC (adenocarcinoma (AC; n = 82 and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; n = 77. Additionally, the immunoreactivity of cyclooxygenase (COX-2 was also studied. The clinicopathological implications of these molecules were analyzed statistically. Results High CD44s expression was detected more frequently in NSCLC patients with SCC (66/72; 91.7% than in those with AC histology (P 0.001. Additionally, high CD44s expression was significant correlated with more advanced regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.021. In multivariate analysis of survival in NSCLC patients with AC histology, significant predictors were lymph node metastasis status (P P = 0.046, and high CD44s expression (P = 0.014. For NSCLC patients with SCC histology, the significant predictor was a more advanced tumor stage (P = 0.015. No significant association was found between CD44s and clinical outcome (P = 0.311. Conclusions High CD44s expression was a negative prognostic marker with significance in patients with resected NSCLC, particularly those with AC histology, and was independent of tumor stage.

Prognostic significance of CD44s expression in resected non-small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Yoon Ho; Won, Hye Sung; Jeon, Eun Kyoung; Hong, Sook Hee; Roh, Sang Young; Hong, Young Seon; Byun, Jae Ho; Jung, Chan-Kwon; Kang, Jin Hyoung

2011-01-01

CD44s is a cell adhesion molecule known to mediate cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix, a prerequisite for tumor cell migration. CD44s plays an important role in invasion and metastasis of various cancers. In the present study, we sought to determine whether CD44s is involved in clinical outcomes of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Using immunohistochemical staining, we investigated CD44s protein expression using tissue array specimens from 159 patients with resected NSCLC (adenocarcinoma (AC; n = 82) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; n = 77). Additionally, the immunoreactivity of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 was also studied. The clinicopathological implications of these molecules were analyzed statistically. High CD44s expression was detected more frequently in NSCLC patients with SCC (66/72; 91.7%) than in those with AC histology (P <0.001). Additionally, high CD44s expression was significant correlated with more advanced regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.021). In multivariate analysis of survival in NSCLC patients with AC histology, significant predictors were lymph node metastasis status (P < 0.001), high-grade tumor differentiation (P = 0.046), and high CD44s expression (P = 0.014). For NSCLC patients with SCC histology, the significant predictor was a more advanced tumor stage (P = 0.015). No significant association was found between CD44s and clinical outcome (P = 0.311). High CD44s expression was a negative prognostic marker with significance in patients with resected NSCLC, particularly those with AC histology, and was independent of tumor stage

Power, effects, confidence, and significance: an investigation of statistical practices in nursing research.

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Gaskin, Cadeyrn J; Happell, Brenda

2014-05-01

To (a) assess the statistical power of nursing research to detect small, medium, and large effect sizes; (b) estimate the experiment-wise Type I error rate in these studies; and (c) assess the extent to which (i) a priori power analyses, (ii) effect sizes (and interpretations thereof), and (iii) confidence intervals were reported. Statistical review. Papers published in the 2011 volumes of the 10 highest ranked nursing journals, based on their 5-year impact factors. Papers were assessed for statistical power, control of experiment-wise Type I error, reporting of a priori power analyses, reporting and interpretation of effect sizes, and reporting of confidence intervals. The analyses were based on 333 papers, from which 10,337 inferential statistics were identified. The median power to detect small, medium, and large effect sizes was .40 (interquartile range [IQR]=.24-.71), .98 (IQR=.85-1.00), and 1.00 (IQR=1.00-1.00), respectively. The median experiment-wise Type I error rate was .54 (IQR=.26-.80). A priori power analyses were reported in 28% of papers. Effect sizes were routinely reported for Spearman's rank correlations (100% of papers in which this test was used), Poisson regressions (100%), odds ratios (100%), Kendall's tau correlations (100%), Pearson's correlations (99%), logistic regressions (98%), structural equation modelling/confirmatory factor analyses/path analyses (97%), and linear regressions (83%), but were reported less often for two-proportion z tests (50%), analyses of variance/analyses of covariance/multivariate analyses of variance (18%), t tests (8%), Wilcoxon's tests (8%), Chi-squared tests (8%), and Fisher's exact tests (7%), and not reported for sign tests, Friedman's tests, McNemar's tests, multi-level models, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Effect sizes were infrequently interpreted. Confidence intervals were reported in 28% of papers. The use, reporting, and interpretation of inferential statistics in nursing research need substantial

Prognostic significance of tumor size of small lung adenocarcinomas evaluated with mediastinal window settings on computed tomography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yukinori Sakao

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We aimed to clarify that the size of the lung adenocarcinoma evaluated using mediastinal window on computed tomography is an important and useful modality for predicting invasiveness, lymph node metastasis and prognosis in small adenocarcinoma. METHODS: We evaluated 176 patients with small lung adenocarcinomas (diameter, 1-3 cm who underwent standard surgical resection. Tumours were examined using computed tomography with thin section conditions (1.25 mm thick on high-resolution computed tomography with tumour dimensions evaluated under two settings: lung window and mediastinal window. We also determined the patient age, gender, preoperative nodal status, tumour size, tumour disappearance ratio, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels and pathological status (lymphatic vessel, vascular vessel or pleural invasion. Recurrence-free survival was used for prognosis. RESULTS: Lung window, mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio and preoperative nodal status were significant predictive factors for recurrence-free survival in univariate analyses. Areas under the receiver operator curves for recurrence were 0.76, 0.73 and 0.65 for mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio and lung window, respectively. Lung window, mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels and preoperative nodal status were significant predictive factors for lymph node metastasis in univariate analyses; areas under the receiver operator curves were 0.61, 0.76, 0.72 and 0.66, for lung window, mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio and preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels, respectively. Lung window, mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels and preoperative nodal status were significant factors for lymphatic vessel, vascular vessel or pleural invasion in univariate analyses; areas under the receiver operator curves were 0

Prognostic Significance of Tumor Size of Small Lung Adenocarcinomas Evaluated with Mediastinal Window Settings on Computed Tomography

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Sakao, Yukinori; Kuroda, Hiroaki; Mun, Mingyon; Uehara, Hirofumi; Motoi, Noriko; Ishikawa, Yuichi; Nakagawa, Ken; Okumura, Sakae

2014-01-01

Background We aimed to clarify that the size of the lung adenocarcinoma evaluated using mediastinal window on computed tomography is an important and useful modality for predicting invasiveness, lymph node metastasis and prognosis in small adenocarcinoma. Methods We evaluated 176 patients with small lung adenocarcinomas (diameter, 1–3 cm) who underwent standard surgical resection. Tumours were examined using computed tomography with thin section conditions (1.25 mm thick on high-resolution computed tomography) with tumour dimensions evaluated under two settings: lung window and mediastinal window. We also determined the patient age, gender, preoperative nodal status, tumour size, tumour disappearance ratio, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels and pathological status (lymphatic vessel, vascular vessel or pleural invasion). Recurrence-free survival was used for prognosis. Results Lung window, mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio and preoperative nodal status were significant predictive factors for recurrence-free survival in univariate analyses. Areas under the receiver operator curves for recurrence were 0.76, 0.73 and 0.65 for mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio and lung window, respectively. Lung window, mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels and preoperative nodal status were significant predictive factors for lymph node metastasis in univariate analyses; areas under the receiver operator curves were 0.61, 0.76, 0.72 and 0.66, for lung window, mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio and preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels, respectively. Lung window, mediastinal window, tumour disappearance ratio, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels and preoperative nodal status were significant factors for lymphatic vessel, vascular vessel or pleural invasion in univariate analyses; areas under the receiver operator curves were 0.60, 0.81, 0

Effects of small doses of ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doll, R.

1998-01-01

Uncertainty remains about the quantitative effects of doses of ionising radiation less than 0.2 Sv. Estimates of hereditary effects, based on the atomic bomb survivors, suggest that the mutation doubling dose is about 2 Sv for acute low LET radiation, but the confidence limits are wide. The idea that paternal gonadal irradiation might explain the Seascale cluster of childhood leukaemia has been disproved. Fetal irradiation may lead to a reduction in IQ and an increase in seizures in childhood proportional to dose. Estimates that doses to a whole population cause a risk of cancer proportional to dose, with 0.1 Sv given acutely causing a risk of 1%, will need to be modified as more information is obtained, but the idea that there is a threshold for risk above this level is not supported by observations on the irradiated fetus or the effect of fallout. The idea, based on ecological observations, that small doses protect against the development of cancer is refuted by the effect of radon in houses. New observations on the atomic bomb survivors have raised afresh the possibility that small doses may also have other somatic effects. (author)

A Small Modular Laboratory Hall Effect Thruster

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Lee, Ty Davis

Electric propulsion technologies promise to revolutionize access to space, opening the door for mission concepts unfeasible by traditional propulsion methods alone. The Hall effect thruster is a relatively high thrust, moderate specific impulse electric propulsion device that belongs to the class of electrostatic thrusters. Hall effect thrusters benefit from an extensive flight history, and offer significant performance and cost advantages when compared to other forms of electric propulsion. Ongoing research on these devices includes the investigation of mechanisms that tend to decrease overall thruster efficiency, as well as the development of new techniques to extend operational lifetimes. This thesis is primarily concerned with the design and construction of a Small Modular Laboratory Hall Effect Thruster (SMLHET), and its operation on argon propellant gas. Particular attention was addressed at low-cost, modular design principles, that would facilitate simple replacement and modification of key thruster parts such as the magnetic circuit and discharge channel. This capability is intended to facilitate future studies of device physics such as anomalous electron transport and magnetic shielding of the channel walls, that have an impact on thruster performance and life. Preliminary results demonstrate SMLHET running on argon in a manner characteristic of Hall effect thrusters, additionally a power balance method was utilized to estimate thruster performance. It is expected that future thruster studies utilizing heavier though more expensive gases like xenon or krypton, will observe increased efficiency and stability.

Small group effectiveness during pharmacology learning sessions in a Nepalese medical school.

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Shankar, Pr; Gurung, Sb; Jha, N; Bajracharya, O; Karki, Bms; Thapa, Tp

2011-01-01

Small group learning sessions are used in pharmacology at the KIST Medical College, Lalitpur, Nepal. Feedback about student behaviours that enhance and hinder small group effectiveness was obtained. This will help us improve the small group sessions and will also be useful to educators using small groups in other medical schools. The small groups were self-managing with a group leader, time-keeper, recorder and presenter. Small group effectiveness was measured using the Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument (TGEI) developed by Singaram and co-authors. The instrument was administered in June 2010 and key findings obtained were shared with students and facilitators. The instrument was administered again in August. The mean cognitive, motivational, demotivational and overall scores were compared among different categories of respondents in June and August. Scores were also compared between June and August 2010. A total of 89 students participated in the study in June and 88 in August 2010. In June, females rated overall group productivity higher compared to males. The cognitive and motivational scores were higher in August 2010 while the demotivational score was lower. The small group effectiveness was higher in August after the educational intervention which utilised feedback about problems observed, theoretical considerations of effective small groups and how this information can be applied in practice.

A revision of sensitivity analysis for small reactivity effects in ZPRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ros, Paul; Blaise, Patrick; Gruel, Adrien; Leconte, Pierre

2017-01-01

Sensitivity analysis appears to be an important element for nuclear data improvement experiments. Indeed, it brings significant information on the contribution of the isotopes involved in the measurements performed in Zero Power Reactors (ZPRs), particularly oscillation measurements like in MINERVE, and its successor ZEPHYR (Zero power Experimental PHYsics Reactor), currently being designed at CEA. Oscillation measurements consist in oscillating a small sample made of separated isotopes (or irradiated fuels) in the core center. Then, two perturbations occur: a local one corresponding to the flux modification around the sample, and a global one which corresponds to the induced variation of reactivity. This variation of reactivity is either uncontrolled (open loop) or automatically compensated by an external pilot rod (closed loop) to keep the configuration in its critical state. Representativity studies are used in order to evaluate the pertinence of an experiment configuration versus a targeted application. For oscillation experiments, sensitivity of the reactivity effects to nuclear data is needed to obtain such coefficients. The Equivalent Generalized Perturbation Theory (EGPT) method, based on an approximation of the Generalized Perturbation. Theory, is currently applied in the ERANOS code for control rod insertions and other important variations of reactivity. However, such reactivity insertions induce consequent reactivity changes and variations of the flux, whereas oscillations induce maximal reactivity effects of 10 pcm (10 10 -5 Δk/k ) and consequently very local variations of the flux surrounding the sample. Therefore, such numerical methods are not necessarily adapted to the calculation of small reactivity effect sensitivities to nuclear data. The influence of peripheral isotopes (through their cross-sections) to central measurements is evaluated thanks to the deterministic EGPT method and the Monte-Carlo technique of correlated samples. Large

Functional Mixed Effects Model for Small Area Estimation.

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Maiti, Tapabrata; Sinha, Samiran; Zhong, Ping-Shou

2016-09-01

Functional data analysis has become an important area of research due to its ability of handling high dimensional and complex data structures. However, the development is limited in the context of linear mixed effect models, and in particular, for small area estimation. The linear mixed effect models are the backbone of small area estimation. In this article, we consider area level data, and fit a varying coefficient linear mixed effect model where the varying coefficients are semi-parametrically modeled via B-splines. We propose a method of estimating the fixed effect parameters and consider prediction of random effects that can be implemented using a standard software. For measuring prediction uncertainties, we derive an analytical expression for the mean squared errors, and propose a method of estimating the mean squared errors. The procedure is illustrated via a real data example, and operating characteristics of the method are judged using finite sample simulation studies.

Fast micro Hall effect measurements on small pads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østerberg, Frederik Westergaard; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Nielsen, Peter F.

2011-01-01

Sheet resistance, carrier mobility, and sheet carrier density are important parameters in semiconductor production, and it is therefore important to be able to rapidly and accurately measure these parameters even on small samples or pads. The interpretation of four-point probe measurements on small...... pads is non-trivial. In this paper we discuss how conformal mapping can be used to evaluate theoretically expected measurement values on small pads. Theoretical values calculated from analytical mappings of simple geometries are compared to the values found from the numerical conformal mapping...... of a square onto the infinite half-plane, where well-established solutions are known. Hall effect measurements are performed to show, experimentally, that it is possible to measure Hall mobility in less than one minute on squares as small as 7070 lm2 with a deviation of 66.5% on a 1r level from accurate...

Onset of shear thinning in glassy liquids: Shear-induced small reduction of effective density.

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Furukawa, Akira

2017-01-01

We propose a simple mechanism for describing the onset of shear thinning in a high-density glassy liquid. In a shear flow, along the compression axis, the overlap between neighboring particles is more enhanced than that at equilibrium, meaning that the "effective" size is reduced along this axis. On the other hand, along the extension axis perpendicular to the compression axis, the average structural configurations are stretched, but it does not indicate the expansion of the "effective" size itself. This asymmetric shear flow effect for particles results in a small reduction of the "effective" density. Because, in glass-forming liquids, the structural relaxation time τ_{α} strongly depends on the density ρ, even a very small reduction of the effective density should lead to a significant decrease of the relaxation time under shear flow. We predict that the crossover shear rate from Newtonian to non-Newtonian flow behaviors is given by γ[over ̇]_{c}=[ρ(∂τ_{α}/∂ρ)]^{-1}, which can be much smaller than 1/τ_{α} near the glass transition point. It is shown that this prediction is consistent with the results of molecular dynamics simulations.

Effectiveness of palliative radiotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chmielewska, E.; Jaskiewicz, P.

2001-01-01

Lung cancer is the most frequent malignant neoplasm in Poland. During the last 25 years it has become the first reason of death of men and the second of women in Poland. Patients with non-small cell lung cancer constitute 75% of all lung cancer patients. The therapy of choice for the advanced, non-small cell lung cancer is radiotherapy with palliative assumption. Many papers indicate that this therapy has no influence on long-term survival, hence it is aimed at reducing the symptoms. The therapy brings relief to 70-80% of patients. At present no other method with similar effectiveness is known. The aim of the is study was to assess the effectiveness of palliative radiotherapy as a treatment of the advanced, non-small cell lung cancel, applied as a remedy for the symptoms resulting from the growth of a lung tumour: Improvement of the quality of life and long-term survivals were assessed and prognostic factors were analysed. Between 1990 and 1995, 2330 patients with lung cancer attended the Outpatient Clinic of the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center in Warsaw. There were 1948 patients with the non-small cell lung cancer. From this group 832 patients were qualified to palliative radiotherapy that included the primary tumour. The documentation was found for 803 patients and this group was analysed. The group constituted of 115 women (14.3%) and 688 men (85.7%), aged 28 to 91 (mean 61). In the majority of cases a significant advancement of the disease was found: stage III A in 388 patients (48.3%) and stage III B in 358 patients (44.6%). Retrospective analysis of the results of the treatment was carried out. The material contained information on 803 patients. The basis for the analysis was the survival time. It was measured from the starting date of the irradiation to the date of death or the date of the last available information that the patient lives. The survival probability was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Multidimensional analysis of the

Small group learning: effect on item analysis and accuracy of self-assessment of medical students.

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Biswas, Shubho Subrata; Jain, Vaishali; Agrawal, Vandana; Bindra, Maninder

2015-01-01

Small group sessions are regarded as a more active and student-centered approach to learning. Item analysis provides objective evidence of whether such sessions improve comprehension and make the topic easier for students, in addition to assessing the relative benefit of the sessions to good versus poor performers. Self-assessment makes students aware of their deficiencies. Small group sessions can also help students develop the ability to self-assess. This study was carried out to assess the effect of small group sessions on item analysis and students' self-assessment. A total of 21 female and 29 male first year medical students participated in a small group session on topics covered by didactic lectures two weeks earlier. It was preceded and followed by two multiple choice question (MCQ) tests, in which students were asked to self-assess their likely score. The MCQs used were item analyzed in a previous group and were chosen of matching difficulty and discriminatory indices for the pre- and post-tests. The small group session improved the marks of both genders equally, but female performance was better. The session made the items easier; increasing the difficulty index significantly but there was no significant alteration in the discriminatory index. There was overestimation in the self-assessment of both genders, but male overestimation was greater. The session improved the self-assessment of students in terms of expected marks and expectation of passing. Small group session improved the ability of students to self-assess their knowledge and increased the difficulty index of items reflecting students' better performance.

Effects of spike-time-dependent plasticity on the stochastic resonance of small-world neuronal networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Haitao; Guo, Xinmeng; Wang, Jiang, E-mail: jiangwang@tju.edu.cn; Deng, Bin; Wei, Xile [School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2014-09-01

The phenomenon of stochastic resonance in Newman-Watts small-world neuronal networks is investigated when the strength of synaptic connections between neurons is adaptively adjusted by spike-time-dependent plasticity (STDP). It is shown that irrespective of the synaptic connectivity is fixed or adaptive, the phenomenon of stochastic resonance occurs. The efficiency of network stochastic resonance can be largely enhanced by STDP in the coupling process. Particularly, the resonance for adaptive coupling can reach a much larger value than that for fixed one when the noise intensity is small or intermediate. STDP with dominant depression and small temporal window ratio is more efficient for the transmission of weak external signal in small-world neuronal networks. In addition, we demonstrate that the effect of stochastic resonance can be further improved via fine-tuning of the average coupling strength of the adaptive network. Furthermore, the small-world topology can significantly affect stochastic resonance of excitable neuronal networks. It is found that there exists an optimal probability of adding links by which the noise-induced transmission of weak periodic signal peaks.

Effects of spike-time-dependent plasticity on the stochastic resonance of small-world neuronal networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Haitao; Guo, Xinmeng; Wang, Jiang; Deng, Bin; Wei, Xile

2014-01-01

The phenomenon of stochastic resonance in Newman-Watts small-world neuronal networks is investigated when the strength of synaptic connections between neurons is adaptively adjusted by spike-time-dependent plasticity (STDP). It is shown that irrespective of the synaptic connectivity is fixed or adaptive, the phenomenon of stochastic resonance occurs. The efficiency of network stochastic resonance can be largely enhanced by STDP in the coupling process. Particularly, the resonance for adaptive coupling can reach a much larger value than that for fixed one when the noise intensity is small or intermediate. STDP with dominant depression and small temporal window ratio is more efficient for the transmission of weak external signal in small-world neuronal networks. In addition, we demonstrate that the effect of stochastic resonance can be further improved via fine-tuning of the average coupling strength of the adaptive network. Furthermore, the small-world topology can significantly affect stochastic resonance of excitable neuronal networks. It is found that there exists an optimal probability of adding links by which the noise-induced transmission of weak periodic signal peaks

The small length scale effect for a non-local cantilever beam: a paradox solved.

Science.gov (United States)

Challamel, N; Wang, C M

2008-08-27

Non-local continuum mechanics allows one to account for the small length scale effect that becomes significant when dealing with microstructures or nanostructures. This paper presents some simplified non-local elastic beam models, for the bending analyses of small scale rods. Integral-type or gradient non-local models abandon the classical assumption of locality, and admit that stress depends not only on the strain value at that point but also on the strain values of all points on the body. There is a paradox still unresolved at this stage: some bending solutions of integral-based non-local elastic beams have been found to be identical to the classical (local) solution, i.e. the small scale effect is not present at all. One example is the Euler-Bernoulli cantilever nanobeam model with a point load which has application in microelectromechanical systems and nanoelectromechanical systems as an actuator. In this paper, it will be shown that this paradox may be overcome with a gradient elastic model as well as an integral non-local elastic model that is based on combining the local and the non-local curvatures in the constitutive elastic relation. The latter model comprises the classical gradient model and Eringen's integral model, and its application produces small length scale terms in the non-local elastic cantilever beam solution.

Modelling of the small pixel effect in gallium arsenide X-ray imaging detectors

CERN Document Server

Sellin, P J

1999-01-01

A Monte Carlo simulation has been carried out to investigate the small pixel effect in highly pixellated X-ray imaging detectors fabricated from semi-insulating gallium arsenide. The presence of highly non-uniform weighting fields in detectors with a small pixel geometry causes the majority of the induced signal to be generated when the moving charges are close to the pixellated contacts. The response of GaAs X-ray imaging detectors is further complicated by the presence of charge trapping, particularly of electrons. In this work detectors are modelled with a pixel pitch of 40 and 150 mu m, and with thicknesses of 300 and 500 mu m. Pulses induced in devices with 40 mu m pixels are due almost totally to the movement of the lightly-trapped holes and can exhibit significantly higher charge collection efficiencies than detectors with large electrodes, in which electron trapping is significant. Details of the charge collection efficiencies as a function of interaction depth in the detector and of the incident phot...

Effects of increased small-scale biomass combustion on local air quality - A theoretical dispersion modelling study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boman, C.

1997-01-01

The decided phasing out of nuclear power and the goal of reducing CO 2 emissions from fossil fuels causes a substantial estimated increase in the use of biomass fuels for energy production. Thus, a significant shift from small scale heating generated by electricity or fuel oil to biomass fuels is desirable. If a drastic deterioration of the local air quality is to be avoided, a reduction of today's emission limits is necessary. The objective of this report was therefore to describe the use of biomass fuels and small scale pellet fuel combustion, to make a theoretical study of the effects of increased pellets heating on the air quality in a residential area, and to discuss necessary emission limits for small biomass fuel plants. The general description is based on literature studies. In the theoretical study, several different dispersion model calculations were performed using the computer program Dispersion 1.1.0. The contents of tar and total hydrocarbons (THC) in the air were calculated for different scenarios with conversion from electricity to pellets and with different pellet plant performance. A sensitivity analysis was performed with additional variables and dispersion calculations according to an underlying statistical experimental design. The modeling and design computer program MODDE was used to facilitate design, evaluation and illustration of the calculated results. The results show that a substantial increase in the use of small scale pellets heating with worst calculated plant performance, will lead to a drastic increase of the content of hydrocarbons in the air. Thus, with best available performance, the content only increases marginally. Conversion from electricity to pellets, plant performance and time of year were the most influential variables. Also conversion from wood to pellets showed a significant effect, despite the small number of wood heated houses within the studied area. If a significant deterioration of the air quality is to be avoided

Effects of corridors on home range sizes and interpatch movements of three small mammal species.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mabry, Karen, E.; Barrett, Gary, W.

2002-04-30

Mabry, K.E., and G.W. Barrett. 2002. Effects of corridors on home range sizes and interpatch movements of three small mammal species. Landscape Ecol. 17:629-636. Corridors are predicted to benefit populations in patchy habitats by promoting movement, which should increase population densities, gene flow, and recolonization of extinct patch populations. However, few investigators have considered use of the total landscape, particularly the possibility of interpatch movement through matrix habitat, by small mammals. This study compares home range sizes of 3 species of small mammals, the cotton mouse, old field mouse and cotton rat between patches with and without corridors. Corridor presence did not have a statistically significant influence on average home range size. Habitat specialization and sex influenced the probability of an individual moving between 2 patches without corridors. The results of this study suggest that small mammals may be more capable of interpatch movement without corridors than is frequently assumed.

Classification of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Significance Analysis of Microarray-Gene Set Reduction Algorithm

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Lei Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, adenocarcinoma (AC, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC are two major histology subtypes, accounting for roughly 40% and 30% of all lung cancer cases, respectively. Since AC and SCC differ in their cell of origin, location within the lung, and growth pattern, they are considered as distinct diseases. Gene expression signatures have been demonstrated to be an effective tool for distinguishing AC and SCC. Gene set analysis is regarded as irrelevant to the identification of gene expression signatures. Nevertheless, we found that one specific gene set analysis method, significance analysis of microarray-gene set reduction (SAMGSR, can be adopted directly to select relevant features and to construct gene expression signatures. In this study, we applied SAMGSR to a NSCLC gene expression dataset. When compared with several novel feature selection algorithms, for example, LASSO, SAMGSR has equivalent or better performance in terms of predictive ability and model parsimony. Therefore, SAMGSR is a feature selection algorithm, indeed. Additionally, we applied SAMGSR to AC and SCC subtypes separately to discriminate their respective stages, that is, stage II versus stage I. Few overlaps between these two resulting gene signatures illustrate that AC and SCC are technically distinct diseases. Therefore, stratified analyses on subtypes are recommended when diagnostic or prognostic signatures of these two NSCLC subtypes are constructed.

Significance of CaV3.2 T-type Ca2+ channels for pressure- and flow-dependent vasomotor responses in rat and mouse mesenteric small arteries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Lars Jørn; Björling, K.; Hansen, Pernille B. Lærkegaard

RNA was similar in WT vs. CaV3.2-/- mice. CONCLUSION: FMVD responses appear to rely on an endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization in rat small mesenteric arteries. CaV3.2 channels are negative feedback modulators of myogenic tone in small mesenteric artery in young mice. The age-dependent decline in CaV3...... in young CaV3.2-/- mice (8-15 weeks) vs. age-matched WT mice (Pyoung WT mice, the CaV3.2 blocker NiCl2 (30 µM) significantly enhanced myogenic tone (P... was not seen (N=4). In young and old CaV3.2-/- mice no effects of NiCl2 were observed. The FMVD response in rat mesenteric arteries was not blocked by L-NAME, but was almost abolished by the SKCa/IKCa channel blockers apamin/TRAM-34 (50 nM/1 µM) (P

Explanatory models concerning the effects of small-area characteristics on individual health.

Science.gov (United States)

Voigtländer, Sven; Vogt, Verena; Mielck, Andreas; Razum, Oliver

2014-06-01

Material and social living conditions at the small-area level are assumed to have an effect on individual health. We review existing explanatory models concerning the effects of small-area characteristics on health and describe the gaps future research should try to fill. Systematic literature search for, and analysis of, studies that propose an explanatory model of the relationship between small-area characteristics and health. Fourteen studies met our inclusion criteria. Using various theoretical approaches, almost all of the models are based on a three-tier structure linking social inequalities (posited at the macro-level), small-area characteristics (posited at the meso-level) and individual health (micro-level). No study explicitly defines the geographical borders of the small-area context. The health impact of the small-area characteristics is explained by specific pathways involving mediating factors (psychological, behavioural, biological). These pathways tend to be seen as uni-directional; often, causality is implied. They may be modified by individual factors. A number of issues need more attention in research on explanatory models concerning small-area effects on health. Among them are the (geographical) definition of the small-area context; the systematic description of pathways comprising small-area contextual as well as compositional factors; questions of direction of association and causality; and the integration of a time dimension.

Expression and Its Clinical Significance of SLC22A18 in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

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Ming LEI

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background and objective It has been proven that multidrug resistance (MDR is the main cause of chemotherapy failure in lung cancer. Research on emergence mechanisms of MDR has great clinical significance in improving the curative efficiency of lung cancer chemotherapy. Proteins encoded by the SLC22A18 gene, which is similar to the transmembrane transporter, may influence the sensitivity of chemotherapeutics as well as the metabolism and growth of cells. In addition, these proteins probably have some effect on the development of lung cancer MDR. The aim of the present study is to investigate the expression of SLC22A18 protein in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC as well as in corresponding normal lung tissue. Furthermore, the relationship between SLC22A18 expression and pathological grade and TNM stage is analyzed. Methods The expression of SLC22A18 was detected by EnVinsion in 96 cases with NSCLC and in corresponding normal lung tissue. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 17.0 statistical software. Results SLC22A18 was mainly located in cell membrane and cytoplasm. The expression level of SLC22A18 in NSCLC was significantly higher than that in normal tissue (P<0.01. The positive rates in squamous cell lung cancer and lung adenocarcinoma were 68% and 78.2%, respectively (P<0.05. Moreover, the higher expression of SLC22A18 was associated with lower histological grade and later TNM stage (P<0.05. Conclusion SLC22A18 protein is overexpressed in NSCLC, and its expression is correlated with pathological grade and TNM stage. These findings provide the experimental basis for investigating the role of tumor and chemoresistance.

Wong's equations and the small x effective action in QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalilian-Marian, Jamal; Jeon, Sangyong; Venugopalan, Raju

2001-01-01

We propose a new form for the small x effective action in QCD. This form of the effective action is motivated by Wong's equations for classical, colored particles in non-Abelian background fields. We show that the BFKL equation, which sums leading logarithms in x, is efficiently reproduced with this form of the action. We argue that this form of the action may be particularly useful in computing next-to-leading-order results in QCD at small x

Wong's equations and the small x effective action in QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalilian-Marian, Jamal; Jeon, Sangyong; Venugopalan, Raju

2000-01-01

We propose a new form for the small x effective action in QCD. This form of the effective action is motivated by Wong's equations for classical, colored particles in non-Abelian background fields. We show that the BFKL equation, which sums leading logarithms in x, is efficiently reproduced with this form of the action. We argue that this form of the action may be particularly useful in computing next-to-leading-order results in QCD at small x

Working in small-scale, homelike dementia care: effects on staff burnout symptoms and job characteristics. A quasi-experimental, longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwakhalen, Sandra Mg; Hamers, Jan Ph; van Rossum, Erik; Ambergen, Ton; Kempen, Gertrudis Ijm; Verbeek, Hilde

2018-05-01

This paper reports on a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study on the effects of working in a new type of dementia care facility (i.e. small-scale living facilities) on staff burnout symptoms and job characteristics (job autonomy, social support, physical demands and workload). It is hypothesised that nursing staff working in small-scale facilities experience fewer burnout symptoms, more autonomy and social support, and fewer symptoms of physical demands and workload compared with staff in regular wards. Two types of long-term institutional nursing care settings were included: 28 houses in small-scale living facilities and 21 regular psychogeriatric wards in nursing homes. At baseline and at follow-ups after 6 and 12 months nursing staff were assessed by means of self-report questionnaires. In total, 305 nursing staff members were included in the study, 114 working in small-scale living facilities (intervention group) and 191 in regular wards (control group). No overall effects on burnout symptoms were detected. Significantly fewer physical demands and lower workload were experienced by staff working in small-scale living facilities compared with staff in regular wards. They also experienced more job autonomy. No significant effect was found for overall social support in the total group. This study suggests positive effects of the work environment on several work characteristics. Organisational climate differs in the two conditions, which might account for our results. This may influence nursing staff well-being and has important implications for nursing home managers and policy makers. Future studies should enhance our understanding of the influence of job characteristics on outcomes.

Prognostic significance of thymidylate synthase in postoperative non-small cell lung cancer patients

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Zhao HY

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Hong-Yun Zhao,1,* Guo-Wei Ma,1,* Ben-Yan Zou,1,* Mei Li,1 Su-Xia Lin,1 Li-Ping Zhao,2 Ying Guo,1 Yan Huang,1 Ying Tian,1 Dan Xie,1 Li Zhang1 1Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhongshan People’s City Hospital, Zhongshan, People’s Republic of China *The first three authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathologic/prognostic significance of thymidylate synthase (TS, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT, and thymidine phosphorylase (TP proteins in postoperative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC patients. Microarray slides from a set of 178 NSCLC patients were used for the detection of TS, OPRT, and TP expression by immunohistochemistry. The correlation between clinicopathologic factors and protein expression of three proteins was analyzed. Ninety seven carcinomas (57.4% were TS-positive, 90 carcinomas (53.9% were OPRT-positive, and 102 carcinomas (69.4% were TP-positive. Compared with the TS-positive patients, the overall survival (OS was significantly lower in the TS-negative patients (hazard ratio [HR] =1.766, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.212–2.573, P=0.003. Significant differences between TS-positive and TS-negative patients was also observed in the following stratified analyses: 1 adenocarcinoma subgroup (HR =2.079, 95% CI =1.235–3.500, P=0.006; 2 less than 60-year-old subgroup (HR =1.890, 95% CI =1.061–3.366, P=0.031; 3 stage II/III subgroup (HR =1.594, 95% CI =1.036–2.453, P=0.034; and 4 surgery plus adjuvant therapy subgroup (HR =1.976, 95% CI =1.226–3.185, P=0.005. However, the OS was not significantly correlated with OPRT or TP protein expression. This study demonstrates that the TS level in tumor tissues may be a useful marker

High beta plasma confinement and neoclassical effects in a small aspect ratio reversed field pinch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayase, K.; Sugimoto, H.; Ashida, H.

2003-01-01

The high β equilibrium and stability of a reversed field pinch (RFP) configuration with a small aspect ratio are theoretically studied. The equilibrium profile, high beta limit and the bootstrap current effect on those are calculated. The Mercier stable critical β decreases with 1/A, but β∼0.2 is permissible at A=2 with help of edge current profile modification. The effect of bootstrap current is evaluated for various pressure and current profiles and cross-sectional shapes of plasma by a self-consistent neoclassical PRSM equilibrium formulation. The high bootstrap current fraction (F bs ) increases the shear stabilization effect in the core region, which enhances significantly the stability β limit compared with that for the classical equilibrium. These features of small aspect ratio RFP, high β and high F bs , and a possibly easier access to the quasi-single helicity state beside the intrinsic compact structure are attractive for the feasible economical RFP reactor concept. (author)

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.

Physiological effects of increased foraging effort in a small passerine.

Science.gov (United States)

Yap, Kang Nian; Kim, Oh Run; Harris, Karilyn C; Williams, Tony D

2017-11-15

Foraging to obtain food, either for self-maintenance or at presumably elevated rates to provide for offspring, is thought to be an energetically demanding activity but one that is essential for fitness (higher reproductive success and survival). Nevertheless, the physiological mechanisms that allow some individuals to support higher foraging performance, and the mechanisms underlying costs of high workload, remain poorly understood. We experimentally manipulated foraging behaviour in zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata ) using the technique described by Koetsier and Verhulst (2011) Birds in the 'high foraging effort' (HF) group had to obtain food either while flying/hovering or by making repeated hops or jumps from the ground up to the feeder, behaviour typical of the extremely energetically expensive foraging mode observed in many free-living small passerines. HF birds made significantly more trips to the feeder per 10 min, whereas control birds spent more time (perched) at the feeder. Despite this marked change in foraging behaviour, we documented few short- or long-term effects of 'training' (3 days and 90 days of 'training', respectively) and some of these effects were sex specific. There were no effects of treatment on basal metabolic rate, haematocrit, haemoglobin or plasma glycerol, triglyceride and glucose levels, and masses of kidney, crop, large intestine, small intestine, gizzard and liver. HF females had higher masses of flight muscle, leg muscle, heart and lung compared with controls. In contrast, HF males had lower heart mass than controls and there were no differences for other organs. When both sexes were pooled, there were no effects of treatment on body composition. Finally, birds in the HF treatment group had higher levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (dROMs) and, consequently, although treatment did not affect total anti-oxidant capacity, birds in the HF treatment group had higher oxidative stress. © 2017. Published by The Company of

Age distribution of human gene families shows significant roles of both large- and small-scale duplications in vertebrate evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Xun; Wang, Yufeng; Gu, Jianying

2002-06-01

The classical (two-round) hypothesis of vertebrate genome duplication proposes two successive whole-genome duplication(s) (polyploidizations) predating the origin of fishes, a view now being seriously challenged. As the debate largely concerns the relative merits of the 'big-bang mode' theory (large-scale duplication) and the 'continuous mode' theory (constant creation by small-scale duplications), we tested whether a significant proportion of paralogous genes in the contemporary human genome was indeed generated in the early stage of vertebrate evolution. After an extensive search of major databases, we dated 1,739 gene duplication events from the phylogenetic analysis of 749 vertebrate gene families. We found a pattern characterized by two waves (I, II) and an ancient component. Wave I represents a recent gene family expansion by tandem or segmental duplications, whereas wave II, a rapid paralogous gene increase in the early stage of vertebrate evolution, supports the idea of genome duplication(s) (the big-bang mode). Further analysis indicated that large- and small-scale gene duplications both make a significant contribution during the early stage of vertebrate evolution to build the current hierarchy of the human proteome.

Extraction of network topology from multi-electrode recordings: Is there a small-world effect?

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Felipe eGerhard

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurons poses challenges for multivariate data analysis. Here, we propose a general scheme of reconstruction of the functional network from spike train recordings. Effective, causal interactions are estimated by fitting Generalized Linear Models (GLMs on the neural responses, incorporating effects of the neurons' self-history, of input from other neurons in the recorded network and of modulation by an external stimulus. The coupling terms arising from synaptic input can be transformed by thresholding into a binary connectivity matrix which is directed. Each link between two neurons represents a causal influence from one neuron to the other, given the observation of all other neurons from the population. The resulting graph is analyzed with respect to small-world and scale-free properties using quantitative measures for directed networks. Such graph-theoretic analyses have been performed on many complex dynamic networks, including the connectivity structure between different brain areas. Only few studies have attempted to look at the structure of cortical neural networks on the level of individual neurons. Here, using multi-electrode recordings from the visual system of the awake monkey, we find that cortical networks lack scale-free behavior, but show a small, but significant small-world structure. Assuming a simple distance-dependent probabilistic wiring between neurons, we find that this connectivity structure can account for all of the networks' observed small-world-ness. Moreover, for multi-electrode recordings the sampling of neurons is not uniform across the population. We show that the small-world-ness obtained by such a localized sub-sampling overestimates the strength of the true small-world-structure of the network. This bias is likely to be present in all previous experiments based on multi-electrode recordings.

Small Intestinal Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Munot, Khushboo; Kotler, Donald P

2016-06-01

Small intestinal infections are extremely common worldwide. They may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic in etiology. Most are foodborne or waterborne, with specific etiologies differing by region and with diverse pathophysiologies. Very young, very old, and immune-deficient individuals are the most vulnerable to morbidity or mortality from small intestinal infections. There have been significant advances in diagnostic sophistication with the development and early application of molecular diagnostic assays, though these tests have not become mainstream. The lack of rapid diagnoses combined with the self-limited nature of small intestinal infections has hampered the development of specific and effective treatments other than oral rehydration. Antibiotics are not indicated in the absence of an etiologic diagnosis, and not at all in the case of some infections.

SMALL GROUP LEARNING METHODS AND THEIR EFFECT ON LEARNERS’ RELATIONSHIPS

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Radka Borůvková

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Building relationships in the classroom is an essential part of any teacher's career. Having healthy teacher-to-learner and learner-to-learner relationships is an effective way to help prevent pedagogical failure, social conflict and quarrelsome behavior. Many strategies are available that can be used to achieve good long-lasting relationships in the classroom setting. Successful teachers’ pedagogical work in the classroom requires detailed knowledge of learners’ relationships. Good understanding of the relationships is necessary, especially in the case of teenagers’ class. This sensitive period of adolescence demands attention of all teachers who should deal with the problems of their learners. Special care should be focused on children that are out of their classmates’ interest (so called isolated learners or isolates in such class and on possibilities to integrate them into the class. Natural idea how to do it is that of using some modern non-traditional teaching/learning methods, especially the methods based on work in small groups involving learners’ cooperation. Small group education (especially problem-based learning, project-based learning, cooperative learning, collaborative learning or inquire-based learning as one of these methods involves a high degree of interaction. The effectiveness of learning groups is determined by the extent to which the interaction enables members to clarify their own understanding, build upon each other's contributions, sift out meanings, ask and answer questions. An influence of this kind of methods (especially cooperative learning (CL on learners’ relationships was a subject of the further described research. Within the small group education, students work with their classmates to solve complex and authentic problems that help develop content knowledge as well as problem-solving, reasoning, communication, and self-assessment skills. The aim of the research was to answer the question: Can the

Significant Improvement in Chronic Persistent Headaches Caused by Small Rathke Cleft Cysts After Transsphenoidal Surgery

OpenAIRE

Fukui, Issei; Hayashi, Yasuhiko; Kita, Daisuke; Sasagawa, Yasuo; Oishi, Masahiro; Tachibana, Osamu; Nakada, Mitsutoshi

2017-01-01

Purpose Rathke cleft cysts (RCC) usually are asymptomatic and can be observed via the use of conservative methods. Some patients with RCCs, however, have severe headaches even if they are small enough to be confined to the sella, and these small RCCs seldom have been discussed. This study presents an investigation into clinical characteristics of small RCCs associated with severe headaches, demonstrating efficacy and safety of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) to relieve headaches. Me...

Curative effects of small incision cataract surgery versus phacoemulsification: a Meta-analysis

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Chang-Jian Yang

2013-08-01

Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the curative efficacy of small incision cataract surgery(SICSversus phacoemulsification(Phaco.METHODS: A computerized literature search was carried out in Chinese Biomedical Database(CBM, Wanfang Data, VIP and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKIto collect articles published between 1989-2013 concerning the curative efficacy of SICS versus Phaco. The studies were assessed in terms of clinical case-control criteria. Meta-analysis were performed to assess the visual acuity, the complications rates between SICS and Phaco 90 days after surgery. Treatment effects were measured as risk difference(RDbetween SICS and Phaco. Fixed and random effect models were employed to combine results after a heterogeneity test. RESULTS:A total of 8 studies were included in our Meta-analysis. At 90 days postoperative time, there were no significant differences between the two groups at the visual acuity >0.5(P=0.14; and no significant differences on the complications rates of corneal astigmatism, corneal edema, posterior capsular rupture and anterior iris reaction(P>0.05.CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there is no different on the curative effects of SICS and Phaco for cataract.

Prognostic Significance of Clinical/Pathological Stage IA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Showing Partially Solid or Solid Tumours on Radiological Exam

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Matsuura, Yosuke; Nakao, Masayuki; Mun, Mingyon; Nakagawa, Ken; Ishikawa, Yuichi; Okumura, Sakae

2015-01-01

Purpose: Although curative resection is expected to be effective in patients with clinical (c-) stage IA/pathological (p-) stage IA non-small-cell lung cancers, recurrence is often observed. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify predictors of recurrence. Methods: Between 2005 and 2009, 138 patients with c-stage IA/p-stage IA non-small-cell lung cancers underwent resection. Recurrence and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared with clinical, radiographic and pathological findings. Results: The 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 97% and the RFS rate was 89% at a median follow-up time of 91 months. Recurrence was observed in 10 patients (7.2%). Significant differences were observed in RFS according to tumour dimensions on the mediastinal window image (>1.5 cm), serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels (>5.0 ng/mL), maximum standardised uptake values (SUVmax >2.5) and angiolymphatic invasion. Patients were grouped according to the number of risk factors for poor RFS. Patients with 0–1 of the identified risk factors had an RFS of 97%, where those with 2–4 factors had an RFS of 68% (p <0.001). Conclusion: Prognosis of patients exhibiting more than two of these risk factors is considerably poor. Thus, close observation and individualised adjuvant therapy may be beneficial to these patients. PMID:25740451

Anomalous effect of small doses of ionizing radiation on metals and alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernov, I.P.; Mamontov, A.P.; Botaki, A.A.; Cherdantsev, P.A.; Chakhlov, B.V.; Sharov, S.R.; Timoshnikov, Yu.A.; Filipenko, L.A.

1986-01-01

The effect of small doses of 60 Co gamma rays on copper, tungsten, and WCo alloys has been investigated. A decrease in the concentration of material defects under the influence of small doses of ionizing radiation was found. Also the structural rearrangement of the crystal was found to be still in progress after irradiation ceased. The mechanism of the anomalous effect of small doses of ionizing radiation on metals and alloys is discussed in terms of the electron energy scheme. (U.K.)

Effect of cryoablation sequential chemotherapy on patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

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Shu-Hui Yao

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the effect of cryoablation sequential chemotherapy on patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: A total of 39 cases with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received cryoablation sequential chemotherapy and 39 cases with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received chemotherapy alone were selected and enrolled in sequential group and control group, disease progression and survival of two groups were followed up, and contents of tumor markers and angiogenesis molecules in serum as well as contents of T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood were detected. Results: Progressionfree survival and median overall survival (mOS of sequential group were longer than those of control group, and cumulative cases of tumor progression at various points in time were significantly less than those of control group (P<0.05; 1 month after treatment, serum tumor markers CEA, CYFRA21-1 and NSE contents, serum angiogenesis molecules PCDGF, VEGF and HDGF contents as well as CD3+CD4-CD8+CD28-T cell content in peripheral blood of sequential group were significantly lower than those of control group (P<0.05, and contents of CD3+CD4+CD8-T cell and CD3+CD4-CD8+CD28+T cell in peripheral blood were higher than those of control group (P<0.05. Conclusions: Cryoablation sequential chemotherapy can improve the prognosis of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, delay disease progression, prolong survival time, inhibit angiogenesis and improve immune function.

E-Mentoring for Small Business: An Examination of Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Rickard, Kim; Rickard, Alex

2009-01-01

Purpose: While information and communications technology provides new opportunities for supporting mentoring, there is a need to explore how effectively these potential benefits are being realized. This paper seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of a program in the small business context as a basis for proposing determinants of e-mentoring…

[Effect of Small Knife Needle on β-enorpin and Enkehalin Contents of Tansverse Process Syndrome of the Third Vertebra].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Nai-gang; Guo, Chang-qing; Sun, Hong-mei; Li, Xiao-hong; Wu, Hai-xia; Xu, Hong

2016-04-01

To explore the analgesic mechanism of small knife needle for treating transverse process syndrome of the third vertebra (TPSTV) by observing peripheral and central changesof β-endorphin (β-EP) and enkephalin (ENK) contents. Totally 30 Japanese white big-ear rabbits of clean grade were divided into 5 groups according to random digit table, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the small knife needle group, the electroacupunture (EA) group, and the small knife needle plus EA group, 6 in each group. The TPSTV model was established by inserting a piece of gelatin sponge into the left transverse process of 3rd lumbar vertebrae. Rabbits in the small knife needlegroup were intervened by small knife needle. Those in the EA group were intervened by EA at bilateralWeizhong (BL40). Those in the small knife needle plus EA group were intervened by small knife needleand EA at bilateral Weizhong (BL40). Contents of β-EP and ENK in plasma, muscle, spinal cord, and hypothalamus were determined after sample collection at day 28 after modeling. Compared with the normal control group, contents of β-EP and ENK in plasma and muscle increased significantly, and contents of β-EP and ENK in spinal cord and hypothalamus decreased significantly in the model group (P 0.05). Small knife needle treatment and EA had benign regulation on peripheral and central β-EP and ENK in TPSTV rabbits. Small knife needle treatment showed better effect than that of EA.

Epidemics in interconnected small-world networks.

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Liu, Meng; Li, Daqing; Qin, Pengju; Liu, Chaoran; Wang, Huijuan; Wang, Feilong

2015-01-01

Networks can be used to describe the interconnections among individuals, which play an important role in the spread of disease. Although the small-world effect has been found to have a significant impact on epidemics in single networks, the small-world effect on epidemics in interconnected networks has rarely been considered. Here, we study the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model of epidemic spreading in a system comprising two interconnected small-world networks. We find that the epidemic threshold in such networks decreases when the rewiring probability of the component small-world networks increases. When the infection rate is low, the rewiring probability affects the global steady-state infection density, whereas when the infection rate is high, the infection density is insensitive to the rewiring probability. Moreover, epidemics in interconnected small-world networks are found to spread at different velocities that depend on the rewiring probability.

Epidemics in interconnected small-world networks.

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Meng Liu

Full Text Available Networks can be used to describe the interconnections among individuals, which play an important role in the spread of disease. Although the small-world effect has been found to have a significant impact on epidemics in single networks, the small-world effect on epidemics in interconnected networks has rarely been considered. Here, we study the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS model of epidemic spreading in a system comprising two interconnected small-world networks. We find that the epidemic threshold in such networks decreases when the rewiring probability of the component small-world networks increases. When the infection rate is low, the rewiring probability affects the global steady-state infection density, whereas when the infection rate is high, the infection density is insensitive to the rewiring probability. Moreover, epidemics in interconnected small-world networks are found to spread at different velocities that depend on the rewiring probability.

The effect of antenatal education in small classes on obstetric and psycho-social outcomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brixval, Carina Sjöberg; Axelsen, Solveig Forberg; Lauemøller, Stine Glenstrup

2015-01-01

of small group antenatal education on obstetric and psycho-social outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient evidence exists as to whether antenatal education in small classes is effective in regard to obstetric and psycho-social outcomes. We recommend updating this review following the emergence of well......, with participation of a small number of participants, may differ from the effect of other forms of antenatal education due to, for example, group dynamic. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the effects of antenatal education in small groups on obstetric as well as psycho-social outcomes. METHODS...

Effects of barge traffic on distribution and survival of ichthyoplankton and small fishes in the upper Mississippi River

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, L.E.

1986-01-01

Short-term impacts of commercial barge traffic on fish eggs, larvae, young-of-the-year (age-0) fishes, and small adults in the main channel of the upper Mississippi River were examined. Barge passages caused significant changes in the distribution of eggs and larvae in the study area. The mean catch of ichthyoplankton was reduced in both surface and bottom waters for 90 min after passage of vessels downstream. The effects of upstream traffic on catch ranged from nil in surface or bottom samples to short-term increases in surface samples immediately after passage. No consistent effect on the catch of age-0 or small adult fishes in surface or bottom trawls was evident.

Transistor Small Signal Analysis under Radiation Effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharshar, K.A.A.

2004-01-01

A Small signal transistor parameters dedicate the operation of bipolar transistor before and after exposed to gamma radiation (1 Mrad up to 5 Mrads) and electron beam(1 MeV, 25 mA) with the same doses as a radiation sources, the electrical parameters of the device are changed. The circuit Model has been discussed.Parameters, such as internal emitter resistance (re), internal base resistance, internal collector resistance (re), emitter base photocurrent (Ippe) and base collector photocurrent (Ippe). These parameters affect on the operation of the device in its applications, which work as an effective element, such as current gain (hFE≡β)degradation it's and effective parameter in the device operation. Also the leakage currents (IcBO) and (IEBO) are most important parameters, Which increased with radiation doses. Theoretical representation of the change in the equivalent circuit for NPN and PNP bipolar transistor were discussed, the input and output parameters of the two types were discussed due to the change in small signal input resistance of the two types. The emitter resistance(re) were changed by the effect of gamma and electron beam irradiation, which makes a change in the role of matching impedances between transistor stages. Also the transistor stability factors S(Ico), S(VBE) and S(β are detected to indicate the transistor operations after exposed to radiation fields. In low doses the gain stability is modified due to recombination of induced charge generated during device fabrication. Also the load resistance values are connected to compensate the effect

A framework for effective implementation of lean production in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

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Amine Belhadi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The present paper aims at developing an effective framework including all the components necessary for implementing lean production properly in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: The paper begins with the review of the main existing framework of lean implementation in order to highlight shortcomings in the literature through a lack of suitable framework for small companies. To overcome this literature gap, data of successful initiatives of lean implementation were collected based on a multiple case study approach. These initiatives has been juxtaposed in order to develop a new, practical and effective framework that includes all the components (process, tools, success factors that are necessary to implement lean in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Findings: The proposed framework presents many significant contributions: First, it provides an overcoming for the limitations of the existing frameworks by proposing for consultants, researchers and organizations an effective framework for lean implementation in SMEs that allows SMEs to benefit from competitive advantages  gained by lean. Second, it brings together a set of the more essential and critical elements of lean implementation commonly used by SMEs and derived from the practical experiences of them in lean implementation. Finally, it highlights the successful experiences of small companies in implementing lean programs and then proves that lean can give a relevant results even for SMEs. Research limitations/implications: The proposed framework presents a number of limitations and still evokes extension for further researches: Although it was derived from practical experiences of SMEs, the proposed framework is not supported by practical implementation. On the other hand and even though the elements in the proposed framework from the practical experiences of four SMEs, the identified elements need to be generalized and enriching by conducting

[Self-employed and small business owners diagnosed with cancer: effect on entrepreneurial survival].

Science.gov (United States)

Ha-Vinh, Philippe; Régnard, Pierre; Huiart, Laetitia; Sauze, Laurent; Eisinger, François

2015-01-01

When self-employed andsmall business owners are diagnosed with cancer what is the effect on their small-firm survival duration? Data Sources: secondary data for 3,587 subjects, 18-65 years, working when diagnosed with cancer in 1995-2009 and a comparison group of 27,688 subjects matched for gender, age and occupation. Study design: a comprehensive population-based longitudinal study. A Cox model described time to failures of small businesses and terminations ofself-employment. Data Collection Methods: extraction from the statutory mandatory self-employed social security scheme database. Findings were that age, cancer prognosis and very intense physical workload occupation were independent predictors of enterprise failure for cancer-exposed subjects. Compared with unexposed subjects, their global hazard ratio was 1.59 (95% CI = 1.50 - 1.70). However, the difference atfiveyears after cancer diagnosis became non-significant: hazard ratio 1.11 (95% CI = 0.95 - 1.30). These findings demonstrate that beyond 5 years of maintenance of activity, the economic cost of cancer supported by very small businesses and self-employed is not important. However, support is required to pass through these first 5 years. The authors describe the various possible aids that could be implemented.

The effects of a physical activity intervention on employees in small and medium enterprises: a mixed methods study.

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Edmunds, Sarah; Stephenson, Duncan; Clow, Angela

2013-01-01

Workplaces have potential as a setting for physical activity promotion but evidence of the effectiveness of intervention programmes in small and medium sized enterprises is limited. This paper reports the impact of an intervention which trained existing employees to promote physical activity to their colleagues. Eighty-nine previously low-active employees from 17 small and medium sized organisations participated. A mixed methods evaluation design was used. Quantitative data were collected at baseline and 6 months later using an online questionnaire. Qualitative data from a series of 6 focus groups were analysed. Repeated measures t-tests showed significant increases over time in physical activity, general health rating, satisfaction with life and positive mood states. There were significant decreases in body mass index (BMI), perceived stress, negative mood states and presenteeism. There was no change in absenteeism. Analysis of focus group data provided further insight into the impact of the intervention. Five major themes emerged: awareness of physical activity; sustaining physical activity behaviour change; improved health and well-being; enhanced social networks; and embedding physical activity in the workplace culture. This study shows it is feasible and effective to train employees in small and medium sized enterprises to support their colleagues in physical activity behaviour change.

Small hepatocellular carcinoma versus small cavernous hemangioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, B.I.; Park, H.W.; Kim, S.H.; Han, M.C.; Kim, C.W.

1989-01-01

To determine the optimal pulse sequence for detection and differential diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinomas and cavernous hemangiomas less than 5 cm in diameter, the authors have analyzed spin-echo (SE) images of 15 small hepatocellular carcinomas and 31 small cavernous hemangiomas obtained at 2.0 T. Pulse sequences used included repetition times (TRs) of 500 and 2,000 msec and echo times (TEs) of 30,60,90,120,150, and 180 msec. Mean tumor-liver contrast-to-noise ratios on the SE 2,000/60 (TR msec/TE msec) sequence were 23.90 ± 16.33 and 62.10 ± 25.94 for small hepatocellular carcinomas and hemangiomas, respectively, and were significantly greater than for all other pulse sequences. Mean tumor-liver signal intensity ratios on the SE 2,000/150 sequence were 2.34 ± 1.72 and 6.04 ± 2.72 for small hepatocellular carcinomas and hemangiomas, respectively, and were significantly greater than for all other pulse sequences in hemangiomas

Instream wood in a steep headwater channel: geomorphic significance of large and small wood

Science.gov (United States)

Galia, Tomáš; Šilhán, Karel; Ruiz-Villanueva, Virginia; Tichavský, Radek

2016-04-01

Besides the well-known significance of large wood (LW), also small woody pieces (SW; here defined as pieces with dimensions at least 0.5 m length and 0.05 m diameter), can play an important role in steep narrow headwaters. We inventoried instream wood in the 0.4 km long Mazák headwater channel, Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts, Czech Republic (2pieces were European beeches (Fagus sylvatica L.); only two pieces were Norway spruces (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). First results showed an increase in the number of LWs in channel-reaches confined by the steepest adjacent hillslopes (especially at 0.15-0.20 km). Increasing downstream amount of SW most likely reflected transport processes in the stream, and the later deposition of SWs on the lowest channel gradients. Also LWs and SWs in the downstream channel-reaches were more decayed than wood presented in the upper reaches. The orientation of instream wood was connected with its length and stability, and LWs longer than 5 m were usually attached to adjacent hillslopes. Pieces longer than 2 m, which were unattached or were somehow stabilized in the channel bed, had often orientation of 0° or 337°. LWs were mostly unattached in the upstream channel-reaches, while often stabilized by adjacent hillslopes in the middle part. At 0.05-0.10 km, there were also many logs stabilized by bed sediments. By contrast, SWs were mostly unattached in the whole longitudinal profile. We observed higher % of influenced channel width by SWs than LWs. Also, SWs were usually entirely located in the channel, which was significantly different when compared to LWs. Nine small steps (step height ~0.5 m) were created by instream wood; six of them were formed by SWs. Dendrogeomorphic cross dating supported the observed decay status for LW/SW within the longitudinal profile: at the lowest channel gradients with wider higher active channels, the potential for storage of instream wood increased. In these downstream reaches we observed older LW and SW, with

Palms, peccaries and perturbations: widespread effects of small-scale disturbance in tropical forests

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Queenborough Simon A

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Disturbance is an important process structuring ecosystems worldwide and has long been thought to be a significant driver of diversity and dynamics. In forests, most studies of disturbance have focused on large-scale disturbance such as hurricanes or tree-falls. However, smaller sub-canopy disturbances could also have significant impacts on community structure. One such sub-canopy disturbance in tropical forests is abscising leaves of large arborescent palm (Arececeae trees. These leaves can weigh up to 15 kg and cause physical damage and mortality to juvenile plants. Previous studies examining this question suffered from the use of static data at small spatial scales. Here we use data from a large permanent forest plot combined with dynamic data on the survival and growth of > 66,000 individuals over a seven-year period to address whether falling palm fronds do impact neighboring seedling and sapling communities, or whether there is an interaction between the palms and peccaries rooting for fallen palm fruit in the same area as falling leaves. We tested the wider generalisation of these hypotheses by comparing seedling and sapling survival under fruiting and non-fruiting trees in another family, the Myristicaceae. Results We found a spatially-restricted but significant effect of large arborescent fruiting palms on the spatial structure, population dynamics and species diversity of neighbouring sapling and seedling communities. However, these effects were not found around slightly smaller non-fruiting palm trees, suggesting it is seed predators such as peccaries rather than falling leaves that impact on the communities around palm trees. Conversely, this hypothesis was not supported in data from other edible species, such as those in the family Myristicaceae. Conclusions Given the abundance of arborescent palm trees in Amazonian forests, it is reasonable to conclude that their presence does have a significant, if spatially

Palms, peccaries and perturbations: widespread effects of small-scale disturbance in tropical forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Queenborough, Simon A; Metz, Margaret R; Wiegand, Thorsten; Valencia, Renato

2012-03-19

Disturbance is an important process structuring ecosystems worldwide and has long been thought to be a significant driver of diversity and dynamics. In forests, most studies of disturbance have focused on large-scale disturbance such as hurricanes or tree-falls. However, smaller sub-canopy disturbances could also have significant impacts on community structure. One such sub-canopy disturbance in tropical forests is abscising leaves of large arborescent palm (Arececeae) trees. These leaves can weigh up to 15 kg and cause physical damage and mortality to juvenile plants. Previous studies examining this question suffered from the use of static data at small spatial scales. Here we use data from a large permanent forest plot combined with dynamic data on the survival and growth of > 66,000 individuals over a seven-year period to address whether falling palm fronds do impact neighboring seedling and sapling communities, or whether there is an interaction between the palms and peccaries rooting for fallen palm fruit in the same area as falling leaves. We tested the wider generalisation of these hypotheses by comparing seedling and sapling survival under fruiting and non-fruiting trees in another family, the Myristicaceae. We found a spatially-restricted but significant effect of large arborescent fruiting palms on the spatial structure, population dynamics and species diversity of neighbouring sapling and seedling communities. However, these effects were not found around slightly smaller non-fruiting palm trees, suggesting it is seed predators such as peccaries rather than falling leaves that impact on the communities around palm trees. Conversely, this hypothesis was not supported in data from other edible species, such as those in the family Myristicaceae. Given the abundance of arborescent palm trees in Amazonian forests, it is reasonable to conclude that their presence does have a significant, if spatially-restricted, impact on juvenile plants, most likely on the

First-principles supercell calculations of small polarons with proper account for long-range polarization effects

Science.gov (United States)

Kokott, Sebastian; Levchenko, Sergey V.; Rinke, Patrick; Scheffler, Matthias

2018-03-01

We present a density functional theory (DFT) based supercell approach for modeling small polarons with proper account for the long-range elastic response of the material. Our analysis of the supercell dependence of the polaron properties (e.g., atomic structure, binding energy, and the polaron level) reveals long-range electrostatic effects and the electron–phonon (el–ph) interaction as the two main contributors. We develop a correction scheme for DFT polaron calculations that significantly reduces the dependence of polaron properties on the DFT exchange-correlation functional and the size of the supercell in the limit of strong el–ph coupling. Using our correction approach, we present accurate all-electron full-potential DFT results for small polarons in rocksalt MgO and rutile TiO2.

[Expression and clinical significance of BCL6 corepressor-like 1 in non-small cell lung cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xu; Tuo, Hang; Si, Meili; Wang, Lei; Liang, Ping

2015-12-01

To detect the expression of BCL6 corepressor-like 1 (BCORL1) in tumor tissues of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and determine the effect of BCORL1 on cell migration and invasion in A549 cells by knockdown of BCORL1. Sixty-eight pairs of NSCLC and nontumor tissues were collected and the expressions of BCORL1 and E-cadherin in them were detected using immunohistochemical staining. The expression of BCORL1 was knocked down by siRNA in A549 cells. Transwell(TM) assays were performed to test NSCLC cell migration and invasion in vitro. The expression of BCORL1 in NSCLC was significantly higher than that in paired noncancerous tissues, while E-cadherin was down-regulated in NSCLC as compared with nontumor tissues. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis suggested that BCORL1 was negatively correlated with E-cadherin expression in NSCLC tissues. Clinical association analysis suggested that the elevated expression of BCORL1 was evidently associated with the higher incidence of lymph node metastasis and more advanced TNM stage. When the expression of BCORL1 was down-regulated by a specific siRNA, E-cadherin was up-regulated, and BCORL1 knockdown obviously inhibited cell migration and invasion in A549 cells. BCORL1 is overexpressed in NSCLC tissues and it is negatively correlated with E-cadherin expression. Its high expression is correlated with poor prognostic features. BCORL1 knockdown up-regulates E-cadherin expression and subsequently inhibits cell migration and invasion of lung cancer cells.

Expression of Rab25 in non-small cell lung cancer and its clinical significance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pu ZHOU

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Objective　To assess the expression of Rab25 protein in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, and explore the correlation of its expression with tumor proliferation and metastasis. Methods　Sixty-one cases of NSCLC specimens (31 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 26 cases of adenocarcinoma, and 4 cases of adenosquamous carcinoma undergone surgical treatment, and 40 specimens of adjacent normal lung tissues were obtained from Jan. 2009 to Jun. 2010 at Xingqiao Hospital of Third Military Medical University. Immunochemistry method of MaxVision was used to detect the expression of Rab25 in the specimens, and then the correlation of the expression with the clinicopathological parameters (patients' sex, age, smoking history, tumor type, differentiation, volume, TNM stage, lymph metastasis, etc. was analyzed using statistical software SPSS 21.0. Results 　Rab25 protein was mainly expressed in cytoplasm and cell membrane. The positive rate of Rab25 in NSCLC was 93.4%, which was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues (27.5%, P＜0.01. The expression of Rab25 protein was significantly associated with the TNM stage and tumor size (P＜0.05. Conclusions　The expression of Rab25 is obviously higher in NSCLC than in the adjacent normal tissues, and the expression is associated with TNM stage and tumor size. Moreover, the later of the NSCLC stage, the larger of tumor size, and the higher of Rab25 expression will be in the NSCLC tissue. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2014.02.16

Oral versus intravenous premedication for small bowel biopsy in children: effect on procedure and fluoroscopy times.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenhammar, L; Wärngård, O; Lewander, P; Nordvall, M

1993-01-01

Oral alimemazine and cisapride, or diazepam and cisapride, or iv midazolam and metoclopramide were given as premedication for small bowel biopsy to three groups of children from a total population of 185 individuals. The biopsy procedures were performed under intermittent fluoroscopy and times for both were recorded. The median biopsy procedure time was significantly shorter in children given iv midazolam and metoclopramide (6 min) compared to those given oral premedication (10 min) (p < 0.001). The median fluoroscopy time was very short in all groups, ranging between 3 and 6 s. It is concluded that iv premedication is superior to oral premedication for small bowel biopsy in children because more effective sedation is obtained.

Does advanced lung inflammation index (ALI) have prognostic significance in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer?

Science.gov (United States)

Ozyurek, Berna Akinci; Ozdemirel, Tugce Sahin; Ozden, Sertac Buyukyaylaci; Erdoğan, Yurdanur; Ozmen, Ozlem; Kaplan, Bekir; Kaplan, Tugba

2018-01-22

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and death-related cancer type and is more frequent in males. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of all case. In this study, it was aimed to research the relationship between advanced lung inflammation index (ALI) and the primary mass maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and C-reactive protein (CRP) at initial diagnosis and the prognostic value of ALI in determining the survival in metastatic NSCLC. A total of 112 patients diagnosed as stage 4 non-small-lung cancer in our hospital between January 2006 and December 2013 were included in this study. ALI was calculated as body mass index (BMI) × serum albumin/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). The patients were divided into two groups as ALI ALI ≥ 18 (low inflammation). The log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model were used to identify predictors of mortality. Evaluation was made of 94 male and 18 female patients with a mean age of 59.7 ± 9.9 years. A statistically significant negative relationship was determined between ALI and CRP values (P ALI and SUVmax values (P = .436). The median survival time in patients with ALI ALI ≥ 18, it was 16 months (P = .095). ALI is an easily calculated indicator of inflammation in lung cancer patients. Values <18 can be considered to predict a poor prognosis. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Experiments to investigate the effects of small changes in fuel stoichiometry on fission gas release

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Copeland, P S; Smith, R C [Windscale Lab., AEA Technology, Seascale, Cumbria (United Kingdom)

1997-08-01

Fuel pin failure in-reactor leads to fission product and in the case of a PWR fuel debris release to the coolant. For economic reasons immediate shutdown and discharge of failed fuel needs to be avoided but this needs to be counter-balanced against the increasing dose to operators. PWR practice is to continue running wit failed rods, monitoring coolant activity, and only shutting down the reactor and discharging the fuel when circuit activity levels become unacceptable. The rate of fission product release under failed fuel conditions is of key importance and considerable effort has been directed towards establishing the dependency of release on temperature, heating rate, burn-up, and also the extent of fuel oxidation. As a precursor to a possible wider investigation of this area, a small programme was mounted during 1992/1993 to confirm whether small changes in the oxidation state of the fuel, for example those caused by minor cladding defects, would significantly effect fuel behaviour during postulated design basis faults. The objective of the programme was to determine the effects of small departures from stoichiometric fuel composition on fission gas release, and to compare the results with the current methodology for calculating releases under fault conditions. A total of eight experiments was performed. Two were intended as baseline tests to provide a reference with which to compare the effect of oxidation state influenced behaviour with that of thermal effects. It was found that small changes in stoichiometry of {sup {approx}}1 x 10{sup -6} had little or no effect on release but that changes of {sup {approx}} 1 x 10{sup -4} were observed to increase the diffusion coefficient, for {sup 85}Kr, by up to an order of magnitude and hence greatly increase the release rate. The stoichiometry of the sample used in these tests was, for convenience, adjusted using He/H{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O atmospheres. (Abstract Truncated)

Communicating Hydrocephalus Associated with Small- to Medium-Sized Vestibular Schwannomas: Clinical Significance of the Tumor Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Map.

Science.gov (United States)

Taniguchi, Masaaki; Nakai, Tomoaki; Kohta, Masaaki; Kimura, Hidehito; Kohmura, Eiji

2016-10-01

The etiology of hydrocephalus associated with the small- to medium-sized vestibular schwannomas is still controversial. We investigated tumor-specific factors related to the association of hydrocephalus with small- to medium-sized vestibular schwannomas. Among the 77 patients with vestibular schwannoma smaller than 30 mm, 9 patients demonstrated associated communicating hydrocephalus. Patient medical records, radiologic data, and histopathologic specimens were reviewed retrospectively. The age of the patients, and size, mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, and histologic features of the tumors were compared with those of patients without hydrocephalus. The symptoms related to hydrocephalus improved in all patients after tumor removal. Both the mean size and ADC values exhibited a statistically significant difference between the tumors with and without hydrocephalus (P hydrocephalus. The increased tumor ADC value was considered to be the result of degenerative change and suggested the involvement of protein sloughing in the etiology of the associated hydrocephalus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bayesian Estimation of Small Effects in Exercise and Sports Science.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kerrie L Mengersen

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to provide a Bayesian formulation of the so-called magnitude-based inference approach to quantifying and interpreting effects, and in a case study example provide accurate probabilistic statements that correspond to the intended magnitude-based inferences. The model is described in the context of a published small-scale athlete study which employed a magnitude-based inference approach to compare the effect of two altitude training regimens (live high-train low (LHTL, and intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE on running performance and blood measurements of elite triathletes. The posterior distributions, and corresponding point and interval estimates, for the parameters and associated effects and comparisons of interest, were estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations. The Bayesian analysis was shown to provide more direct probabilistic comparisons of treatments and able to identify small effects of interest. The approach avoided asymptotic assumptions and overcame issues such as multiple testing. Bayesian analysis of unscaled effects showed a probability of 0.96 that LHTL yields a substantially greater increase in hemoglobin mass than IHE, a 0.93 probability of a substantially greater improvement in running economy and a greater than 0.96 probability that both IHE and LHTL yield a substantially greater improvement in maximum blood lactate concentration compared to a Placebo. The conclusions are consistent with those obtained using a 'magnitude-based inference' approach that has been promoted in the field. The paper demonstrates that a fully Bayesian analysis is a simple and effective way of analysing small effects, providing a rich set of results that are straightforward to interpret in terms of probabilistic statements.

Bayesian Estimation of Small Effects in Exercise and Sports Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Mengersen, Kerrie L; Drovandi, Christopher C; Robert, Christian P; Pyne, David B; Gore, Christopher J

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to provide a Bayesian formulation of the so-called magnitude-based inference approach to quantifying and interpreting effects, and in a case study example provide accurate probabilistic statements that correspond to the intended magnitude-based inferences. The model is described in the context of a published small-scale athlete study which employed a magnitude-based inference approach to compare the effect of two altitude training regimens (live high-train low (LHTL), and intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE)) on running performance and blood measurements of elite triathletes. The posterior distributions, and corresponding point and interval estimates, for the parameters and associated effects and comparisons of interest, were estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations. The Bayesian analysis was shown to provide more direct probabilistic comparisons of treatments and able to identify small effects of interest. The approach avoided asymptotic assumptions and overcame issues such as multiple testing. Bayesian analysis of unscaled effects showed a probability of 0.96 that LHTL yields a substantially greater increase in hemoglobin mass than IHE, a 0.93 probability of a substantially greater improvement in running economy and a greater than 0.96 probability that both IHE and LHTL yield a substantially greater improvement in maximum blood lactate concentration compared to a Placebo. The conclusions are consistent with those obtained using a 'magnitude-based inference' approach that has been promoted in the field. The paper demonstrates that a fully Bayesian analysis is a simple and effective way of analysing small effects, providing a rich set of results that are straightforward to interpret in terms of probabilistic statements.

Dollars & Sense: The Cost Effectiveness of Small Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Bingler, Steven; Diamond, Barbara M.; Hill, Bobbie; Hoffman, Jerry L.; Howley, Craig B.; Lawrence, Barbara Kent; Mitchell, Stacy; Rudolph, David; Washor, Elliot

This publication summarizes research on the educational and social benefits of small schools and the negative effects of large schools on students, teachers, and members of the community, as well as the "diseconomies of scale" inherent in large schools. It asserts that research shows that measuring the cost of education by graduates rather than by…

Empirical Analysis of Effects of Bank Mergers and Acquisitions on Small Business Lending in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ita, Asuquo Akabom

2012-11-01

Mergers and acquisitions are the major instruments of the recent banking reforms in Nigeria.The effects and the implications of the reforms on the lending practices of merged banks to small businesses were considered in this study. These effects were divided into static and dynamic effects (restructuring, direct and external). Data were collected by cross-sectional research design and were subsequently analyzed by the ordinary least square (OLS) method.The analyses show that bank size, financial characteristics and deposit of non-merged banks are positively related to small business lending. While for the merged banks, the reverse is the case. From the above result, it is evident that merger and acquisition have not only static effect on small business lending but also dynamic effect, therefore, given the central position of small businesses in the current government policy on industrialization in Nigeria, policy makers in Nigeria, should consider both the static and dynamic effects of merger and acquisition on small business lending in their policy thrust.

Resolution effects and analysis of small-angle neutron scattering data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, J.S.

1993-01-01

A discussion of the instrumental smearing effects for small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) data sets is given. It is shown that these effects can be described by a resolution function, which describes the distribution of scattering vectors probed for the nominal values of the scattering vector...

77 FR 53769 - Receipts-Based, Small Business Size Standard; Confirmation of Effective Date

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-04

... Flexibility Act of 1980, as amended. The NRC is increasing its receipts-based, small business size standard from $6.5 million to $7 million to conform to the standard set by the Small Business Administration...-Based, Small Business Size Standard; Confirmation of Effective Date AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory...

Effect of furosemide and dietary sodium on kidney and plasma big and small renin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwao, H.; Michelakis, A.M.

1981-01-01

Renin was found in mouse plasma in high-molecular-weight forms (big big renin, big renin) and a low-molecular-weight form (small renin). They were measuerd by a radioimmunoassay procedure for the direct measurement of renin. In the kidney, 89% of total renin was small renin and the rest was big big and big renin. This distribution pattern of renins was not changed when the kideny tissue was homogenized in the presence of protease inhibitors. Low-sodium or high-sodium diets changed renal renin content, but not the distribution pattern of renins in the kidney. Acute stimulation of renin release by furosemide increased small renin but not big big and big renin in plasma. However, dietary sodium depletion for 2 weeks significantly increased big big, big, and small renin in plasma of mice with or without submaxillary glands. In contrast, high-sodium intake significantly decreased big big, big, and small renin in plasma of mice with or without submaxillary glands

Spin State Estimation of Tumbling Small Bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Corwin; Russell, Ryan P.; Bhaskaran, Shyam

2016-06-01

It is expected that a non-trivial percentage of small bodies that future missions may visit are in non-principal axis rotation (i.e. "tumbling"). The primary contribution of this paper is the application of the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) method to estimate the small body spin state, mass, and moments of inertia; the spacecraft position and velocity; and the surface landmark locations. The method uses optical landmark measurements, and an example scenario based on the Rosetta mission is used. The SLAM method proves effective, with order of magnitude decreases in the spacecraft and small body spin state errors after less than a quarter of the comet characterization phase. The SLAM method converges nicely for initial small body angular velocity errors several times larger than the true rates (effectively having no a priori knowledge of the angular velocity). Surface landmark generation and identification are not treated in this work, but significant errors in the initial body-fixed landmark positions are effectively estimated. The algorithm remains effective for a range of different truth spin states, masses, and center of mass offsets that correspond to expected tumbling small bodies throughout the solar system.

Why is the electrocaloric effect so small in ferroelectrics?

Science.gov (United States)

Guzman-Verri, Gian G.; Littlewood, Peter B.

2015-03-01

Ferroelectrics are attractive candidate materials for environmentally friendly solid state refrigeration free of greenhouse gases. Their thermal response upon variations of external electric fields is largest in the vicinity of their phase transitions, which may occur near room temperature. The magnitude of the effect, however, is too small for useful cooling applications even when they are driven close to dielectric breakdown. Insight from microscopic theory is therefore needed to characterize materials and provide guiding principles to search for new ones with enhanced electrocaloric performance. Here, we present meaningful figures of merit derived from well-known microscopic models of ferroelectricity which provide insight into the relation between the strength of the effect and the characteristic interactions of ferroelectrics such as dipole forces. We find that the long range nature of these interactions results in a small effect. A strategy is proposed to make it larger by shortening the correlation lengths of fluctuations of polarization. Work at Argonne is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

The effect of consuming small volumes of beer on gastric motility and the involvement of gene polymorphisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Shibata, Tomoyuki; Yamashita, Hiromi; Kawamura, Tomohiko; Jodai, Yasutaka; Omori, Takafumi; Sumi, Kazuya; Ichikawa, Yuichiro; Okubo, Masaaki; Ishizuka, Takamitsu; Tahara, Tomomitsu; Nagasaka, Mitsuo; Nakagawa, Yoshihito; Hirata, Ichiro; Ohmiya, Naoki; Nakao, Makoto

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of consuming small amounts of beer or a nonalcoholic beer taste beverage (non-beer) on gastric emptying and the polymorphisms in alcohol metabolism-related enzyme-encoding genes. Twenty male healthy volunteers were questioned regarding their alcohol consumption status, and body measurement was performed. The genetic polymorphisms in ADH1B (rs1229984, Arg47His) and ALDH2 (rs671 Glu487Lys) were analyzed. The subjects consumed 150 mL of beer or non-beer once per week, followed by the ingestion of 200 kcal of the test nutrient containing 13 C-acetate 15 min later, after which the subjects' exhalations were collected up to 120 min. The concentration peak of 13 C was measured as Tmax. Diamine oxidase (DAO) activity for the marker of small intestinal function activity was also measured the day after the test. Gastric emptying was significantly slower in the group that consumed a small amount of beer, and in daily beer consumption group, and also in the ADH1B *2/*2, ALDH2 *1/*2 genotypes compared to non-beer drinking group. DAO values were not significantly changed between beer and non-beer group. The consumption of even a small amount of beer and the polymorphisms in ADH1B / ALDH2 affects gastric motility.

A hysteretic model considering Stribeck effect for small-scale magnetorheological damper

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yu-Liang; Xu, Zhao-Dong

2018-06-01

Magnetorheological (MR) damper is an ideal semi-active control device for vibration suppression. The mechanical properties of this type of devices show strong nonlinear characteristics, especially the performance of the small-scale dampers. Therefore, developing an ideal model that can accurately describe the nonlinearity of such device is crucial to control design. In this paper, the dynamic characteristics of a small-scale MR damper developed by our research group is tested, and the Stribeck effect is observed in the low velocity region. Then, an improved model based on sigmoid model is proposed to describe this Stribeck effect observed in the experiment. After that, the parameters of this model are identified by genetic algorithms, and the mathematical relationship between these parameters and the input current, excitation frequency and amplitude is regressed. Finally, the predicted forces of the proposed model are validated with the experimental data. The results show that this model can well predict the mechanical properties of the small-scale damper, especially the Stribeck effect in the low velocity region.

Effects of an additional small group discussion to cognitive achievement and retention in basic principles of bioethics teaching methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dedi Afandi

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Aim The place of ethics in undergraduate medical curricula is essential but the methods of teaching medical ethics did not show substantial changes. “Basic principles of bioethics” is the best knowledge to develop student’s reasoning analysis in medical ethics In this study, we investigate the effects of an additional small group discussion in basic principles of bioethics conventional lecture methods to cognitive achievement and retention. This study was a randomized controlled trial with parallel design. Cognitive scores of the basic principles of bioethics as a parameter was measured using basic principles of bioethics (Kaidah Dasar Bioetika, KDB test. Both groups were attending conventional lectures, then the intervention group got an additional small group discussion.Result Conventional lectures with or without small group discussion significantly increased cognitive achievement of basic principles of bioethics (P= 0.001 and P= 0.000, respectively, and there were significant differences in cognitive achievement and retention between the 2 groups (P= 0.000 and P= 0.000, respectively.Conclusion Additional small group discussion method improved cognitive achievement and retention of basic principles of bioethics. (Med J Indones 2009; 18: 48-52Keywords: lecture, specification checklist, multiple choice questions

Effect of Small-Scale Turbulence on the Physiology and Morphology of Two Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Yan; Li, Zhe; Li, Chao; Zhang, Zhen; Guo, Jinsong

2016-01-01

The main goal of the present work is to test the hypothesis that small-scale turbulence affected physiological activities and the morphology of cyanobacteria in high turbulence environments. Using quantified turbulence in a stirring device, we conducted one set of experiments on cultures of two strains of cyanobacteria with different phenotypes; i.e., unicellular Microcystis flos-aquae and colonial Anabaena flos-aquae. The effect of small-scale turbulence examined varied from 0 to 8.01×10-2 m2s-3, covering the range of turbulence intensities experienced by cyanobacteria in the field. The results of photosynthesis activity and the cellular chlorophyll a in both strains did not change significantly among the turbulence levels, indicating that the potential indirect effects of a light regime under the gradient of turbulent mixing could be ignored. However, the experiments demonstrated that small-scale turbulence significantly modulated algal nutrient uptake and growth in comparison to the stagnant control. Cellular N and C of the two stains showed approximately the same responses, resulting in a similar pattern of C/N ratios. Moreover, the change in the phosphate uptake rate was similar to that of growth in two strains, which implied that growth characteristic responses to turbulence may be dependent on the P strategy, which was correlated with accumulation of polyphosphate. Additionally, our results also showed the filament length of A. flos-aquae decreased in response to high turbulence, which could favor enhancement of the nutrient uptake. These findings suggested that both M. flos-aquae and A. flos-aquae adjust their growth rates in response to turbulence levels in the ways of asynchronous cellular stoichiometry of C, N, and P, especially the phosphorus strategy, to improve the nutrient application efficiency. The fact that adaptation strategies of cyanobacteria diversely to turbulence depending on their physiological conditions presents a good example to

Small group effectiveness during pharmacology learning sessions in a Nepalese medical school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shankar PR

2011-06-01

Full Text Available BackgroundSmall group learning sessions are used in pharmacology atthe KIST Medical College, Lalitpur, Nepal. Feedback aboutstudent behaviours that enhance and hinder small groupeffectiveness was obtained. This will help us improve thesmall group sessions and will also be useful to educatorsusing small groups in other medical schools.MethodThe small groups were self-managing with a group leader,time-keeper, recorder and presenter. Small groupeffectiveness was measured using the Tutorial GroupEffectiveness Instrument (TGEI developed by Singaram andco-authors. The instrument was administered in June 2010and key findings obtained were shared with students andfacilitators. The instrument was administered again inAugust. The mean cognitive, motivational, demotivationaland overall scores were compared among differentcategories of respondents in June and August. Scores werealso compared between June and August 2010.ResultsA total of 89 students participated in the study in June and88 in August 2010. In June, females rated overall groupproductivity higher compared to males. The cognitive andmotivational scores were higher in August 2010 while thedemotivational score was lower.ConclusionThe small group effectiveness was higher in August after theeducational intervention which utilised feedback aboutproblems observed, theoretical considerations of effectivesmall groups and how this information can be applied inpractice.

Effects of small radiation doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, G.

1986-01-01

The term 'small radiation dosis' means doses of about (1 rem), fractions of one rem as well as doses of a few rem. Doses like these are encountered in various practical fields, e.g. in X-ray diagnosis, in the environment and in radiation protection rules. The knowledge about small doses is derived from the same two forces, on which the radiobiology of human beings nearly is based: interpretation of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki data, as well as the experience from radiotherapy. Careful interpretation of Hiroshima dates do not provide any evidence that small doses can induce cancer, fetal malformations or genetic damage. Yet in radiotherapy of various diseases, e.g. inflammations, doses of about 1 Gy (100 rad) do no harm to the patients. According to a widespread hypothesis even very small doses may induce some types of radiation damage ('no threshold'). Nevertheless an alternative view is justified. At present no decision can be made between these two alternatives, but the usefullness of radiology is definitely better established than any damage calculated by theories or extrapolations. Based on experience any exaggerated fear of radiations can be met. (author)

Effects of manganese doping on the structure evolution of small-sized boron clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lingquan; Qu, Xin; Wang, Yanchao; Lv, Jian; Zhang, Lijun; Hu, Ziyu; Gu, Guangrui; Ma, Yanming

2017-07-01

Atomic doping of clusters is known as an effective approach to stabilize or modify the structures and properties of resulting doped clusters. We herein report the effect of manganese (Mn) doping on the structure evolution of small-sized boron (B) clusters. The global minimum structures of both neutral and charged Mn doped B cluster \\text{MnB}nQ (n  =  10-20 and Q  =  0, ±1) have been proposed through extensive first-principles swarm-intelligence based structure searches. It is found that Mn doping has significantly modified the grow behaviors of B clusters, leading to two novel structural transitions from planar to tubular and then to cage-like B structures in both neutral and charged species. Half-sandwich-type structures are most favorable for small \\text{MnB}n-/0/+ (n  ⩽  13) clusters and gradually transform to Mn-centered double-ring tubular structures at \\text{MnB}16-/0/+ clusters with superior thermodynamic stabilities compared with their neighbors. Most strikingly, endohedral cages become the ground-state structures for larger \\text{MnB}n-/0/+ (n  ⩾  19) clusters, among which \\text{MnB}20+ adopts a highly symmetric structure with superior thermodynamic stability and a large HOMO-LUMO gap of 4.53 eV. The unique stability of the endohedral \\text{MnB}\\text{20}+ cage is attributed to the geometric fit and formation of 18-electron closed-shell configuration. The results significantly advance our understanding about the structure and bonding of B-based clusters and strongly suggest transition-metal doping as a viable route to synthesize intriguing B-based nanomaterials.

Cost-Effective Icy Bodies Exploration using Small Satellite Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Jonsson, Jonas; Mauro, David; Stupl, Jan; Nayak, Michael; Aziz, Jonathan; Cohen, Aaron; Colaprete, Anthony; Dono-Perez, Andres; Frost, Chad; Klamm, Benjamin;

Effects of grazing intensity on small mammal population ecology in wet meadows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Niels Martin; Olsen, Henrik; Bildsøe, Mogens

2005-01-01

Livestock grazing is common management practice in wet grasslands. However, knowledge of its effects on small mammals is limited. We studied the influence of grazing intensity on small mammals in general and field voles Microtus agrestis in particular in two Danish wet meadows, 1998-2000. General...

Wong's equations and the small x effective action in QCD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jalilian-Marian, Jamal; Jeon, Sangyong; Venugopalan, Raju

2000-07-13

We propose a new form for the small x effective action in QCD. This form of the effective action is motivated by Wong's equations for classical, colored particles in non-Abelian background fields. We show that the BFKL equation, which sums leading logarithms in x, is efficiently reproduced with this form of the action. We argue that this form of the action may be particularly useful in computing next-to-leading-order results in QCD at small x.

Why is the electrocaloric effect so small in ferroelectrics?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. G. Guzmán-Verri

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Ferroelectrics are attractive candidate materials for environmentally friendly solid state refrigeration free of greenhouse gases. Their thermal response upon variations of external electric fields is largest in the vicinity of their phase transitions, which may occur near room temperature. The magnitude of the effect, however, is too small for useful cooling applications even when they are driven close to dielectric breakdown. Insight from microscopic theory is therefore needed to characterize materials and provide guiding principles to search for new ones with enhanced electrocaloric performance. Here, we derive from well-known microscopic models of ferroelectricity meaningful figures of merit for a wide class of ferroelectric materials. Such figures of merit provide insight into the relation between the strength of the effect and the characteristic interactions of ferroelectrics such as dipolar forces. We find that the long range nature of these interactions results in a small effect. A strategy is proposed to make it larger by shortening the correlation lengths of fluctuations of polarization. In addition, we bring into question other widely used but empirical figures of merit and facilitate understanding of the recently observed secondary broad peak in the electrocalorics of relaxor ferroelectrics.

Evaluation of anesthesia effects on [18F]FDG uptake in mouse brain and heart using small animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyama, Hiroshi; Ichise, Masanori; Liow, Jeih-San; Vines, Douglass C.; Seneca, Nicholas M.; Modell, Kendra J.; Seidel, Jurgen; Green, Michael V.; Innis, Robert B.

2004-01-01

This study evaluates effects of anesthesia on 18 F-FDG (FDG) uptake in mouse brain and heart to establish the basic conditions of small animal PET imaging. Prior to FDG injection, 12 mice were anesthetized with isoflurane gas; 11 mice were anesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of a ketamine/xylazine mixture; and 11 mice were awake. In isoflurane and ketamine/xylazine conditions, FDG brain uptake (%ID/g) was significantly lower than in controls. Conversely, in the isoflurane condition, %ID/g in heart was significantly higher than in controls, whereas heart uptake in ketamine/xylazine mice was significantly lower. Results suggest that anesthesia impedes FDG uptake in mouse brain and affects FDG uptake in heart; however, the effects in the brain and heart differ depending on the type of anesthesia used

Possible effects of small-scale intermittency in turbulent reacting flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreenivasan, K.R.

2006-12-01

It is now well established that quantities such as energy dissipation, scalar dissipation and enstrophy possess huge fluctuations in turbulent flows, and that the fluctuations become increasingly stronger with increasing Reynolds number of the flow. The effects of this small-scale 'intermittency' on various aspects of reacting flows have not been addressed fully. This paper draws brief attention to a few possible effects on reaction rates, flame extinction, flamelet approximation, conditional moment closure methods, and so forth, besides commenting on possible effects on the resolution requirements of direct numerical simulations of turbulence. We also discuss the likelihood that large-amplitude events in a given class of shear flows are characteristic of that class, and that, plausible estimates of such quantities cannot be made, in general, on the hypothesis that large and small scales are independent. Finally, we briefly describe some ideas from multifractals as a potentially useful tool for an economical handling of a few of the problems touched upon here. (author)

Expressions and Significances of CRABPII and E-FABP 
in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian LIU

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background and objective The cellular retinoic acid-binding protein II (CRABPII and epidermal fatty acid-binding protein (E-FABP both serving as the transport protein of retinoic acid (RA, through RA signal transduction pathway, commit the cell to opposite fate, apoptosis or survival. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of CRABPII and E-FABP and significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC and their lymph node metastases with tissue microarray technique. Methods CRABPII and E-FABP proteins were detected in 54 normal lung tissues, 287 primary NSCLC tissues and 112 lymph node metastatic tissues by SP method of immunohistochemical staining. Results The expression level of CRABPII in the primary lesions was relevant to the gender of NSCLC patients, the metastasis and TNM staging of NSCLC (P<0.05, while the expression level of E-FABP was related to the grading and metastasis of NSCLC (P<0.05. The positive expression rate of E-FABP in NSCLC primary lesion was remarkably higher than that in adjacent normal lung tissues and lymph node metastases, respectively (P<0.05. The expression level of E-FABP had a recognizable advantage over that of CRABPII in NSCLC primary lesions (P<0.05. The differential expressions between CRABPII and E-FABP was correlated with the tumor size, grading, metastasis, TNM staging of NSCLC (P<0.05. The larger the tumor was and the later the TNM staging was, along with cancer metastasis, the more likely the expression of E-FABP would dominate. The expression of CRABPII and difference expression between CRABPII and E-FABP were closely related to the prognosis of NSCLC patients based on Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Conclusion E-FABP showed high exp ression in NSCLC, and the increased E-FABP expression may involved in the occurrence and development of NSCLC. CRABPII might have a negative effect in NSCLC progression, and its expression was negatively related to the prognosis of NSCLC patients.

Numerical investigation of heat transfer effects in small wave rotor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Shi; Okamoto, Koji; Teramoto, Susumu

2015-01-01

Although a wave rotor is expected to enhance the performance of the ultra-micro gas turbine, the device itself may be affected by downsizing. Apart from the immediate effect of viscosity on flow dynamics when downscaled, the effects of heat transfer on flow field increase at such small scales. To gain an insight into the effects of heat transfer on the internal flow dynamics, numerical investigations were carried out with adiabatic, isothermal and conjugate heat transfer boundary treatments at the wall, and the results compared and discussed in the present study. With the light shed by the discussion of adiabatic and conjugate heat transfer boundary treatments, this work presents investigations of the heat flux distributions, as well as the effects of heat transfer on the internal flow dynamics and the consequent charging and discharging processes for various sizes. When heat transfer is taken into account, states of fluid in the cell before compression process varies, shock waves in compression process are found to be weaker, and changes in the charging and discharging processes are observed. Heat transfer differences between conjugate heat transfer boundary treatment and isothermal boundary treatment are addressed through comparisons of local wall temperature and heat flux. As a result, the difference in discharging temperature of high pressure fluid is noticeable in all sizes investigated, and the rapid increase of differences between results of isothermal and conjugate heat transfer boundary treatment in small size reveals that for certain small sizes (length of cell < 23 mm) the thermal boundary treatment should be taken care of.

Effective field theory approach to structure functions at small xBj

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nachtmann, O.

2003-01-01

We relate the structure functions of deep inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering to current-current correlation functions in a Euclidean field theory depending on a parameter r. The r-dependent Hamiltonian of the theory is P 0 -(1-r)P 3 , with P 0 the usual Hamiltonian and P 3 the third component of the momentum operator. We show that a small x Bj in the structure functions corresponds to the small r limit of the effective theory. We argue that for r→0 there is a critical regime of the theory where simple scaling relations should hold. We show that in this framework Regge behaviour of the structure functions obtained with the hard pomeron ansatz corresponds to a scaling behaviour of the matrix elements in the effective theory where the intercept of the hard pomeron appears as a critical index. Explicit expressions for various analytic continuations of the structure functions and matrix elements are given as well as path integral representations for the matrix elements in the effective theory. Our aim is to provide a framework for truly non-perturbative calculations of the structure functions at small x Bj for arbitrary Q 2 . (orig.)

The volume effect in radiation-related late small bowel complications. Results of a clinical study of the EORTC Radiotherapy Cooperative Group in patients treated for rectal carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letschert, J.G.J.; Lebesque, J.V.; Aleman, B.M.P.; Bartelink, H.; Bosset, J.F.; Horiot, J.C.; Cionini, L.; Hamers, J.P.; Leer, J.W.H.; van Glabbele, M.

1994-01-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify the correlation between irradiated small bowel volume and late occurring small bowel complications. Methods: Small bowel volumes in the high-dose region were measured using orthogonal barium films for 203 patients treated for rectal carcinoma with pelvic postoperative radiotherapy to 50 Gy in an EORTC multicentric study. Results: The 5-year estimate of lat pelvic small bowel obstruction requiring surgery was 11%. No correlation between the irradiated small bowel volume and obstruction was detected. The actuarial 5-year estimate of chronic diarrhea varied from 31% in patients with irradiated small bowel volumes below 77 cm 3 to 42% in patients with volumes over 328 cm 3 . This correlation was significant in the univariate and multivariate analysis (p=0.025). The type of rectal surgery significantly influenced the incidence of chronic diarrhea and malabsorption, the actuarial 5-year estimate being 49% and 26% after low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection, respectively (p=0.04). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that there is a volume-effect in radiation-induced diarrhea atr a dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions. No volume-effect for small bowel obstruction was detected at this dose-level in pelvic postoperative radiotherapy. A review of the literature data on small bowel obstruction indicates that the volume effect at this dose level can only be demonstrated in patients who were treated with extended field radiotherapy (estimated small bowel volume 800 cm 3 ) after intra-abdominal surgery. (author). 22 refs., 5 tabs

D-xylose test of resorption as a method to determine radiation side effects in small intestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koest, S.; Keinert, K.; Glaser, F.H.

1998-01-01

Background: The D-xylose test is the most important method to determine a disorder of carbohydrates resorption in proximal small intestine. The application is based on an impaired resorption due to pathological change of small intestine surface, leading to a decreased blood level or decreased excretion in urine. Patients and Method: D-xylose test was applied in 91 patients before, shortly after, 1/2 and 1 year after radiotherapy. All patients received an abdominal radiotherapy. We determined the blood level of D-xylose by a capillary blood sample 1 hour after oral D-xylose administration. Results: A significant decrease of the mean blood level of D-xylose to 1.88 mmol/l was determined after radiotherapy in comparison with 2.17 mmol/l before radiotherapy. Half a year after radiotherapy the mean blood level of D-xylose returned to normal. Regarding a threshold value of D-xylose blood level of 1.70 mmol/l 29 patients (32%) showed a pathologically decreased D-xylose resorption after radiotherapy. Twenty out of the 29 patients already showed a normal resorption half a year after the determination of the resorption disorder, 5 patients after 1 year and 4 patients after 1 1/2 years. There was no correlation between the detection of a disorder of D-xylose resorption and of a loss of body weight. The acute clinical side effects seemed to be more marked in connection with a disorder of D-xylose resorption, but this correlation is not significant. Eleven or 14 of the 29 patients, respectively, with pathologically decreased D-xylose resorption only had complaints of lower or upper gastrointestinal tract, respectively, and 10 patients did not have abdominal complaints at all. Conclusions: The D-xylose test is an important and simple method for determination of radiogen induced carbohydrate malabsorption in proximal small intestine. By means of its radiation side effects on small intestine can also be determined in patients who are otherwise free of complaints. (orig.) [de

The effect of antenatal education in small classes on obstetric and psycho-social outcomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brixval, Carina Sjöberg; Axelsen, Solveig Forberg; Andersen, Stig Krøger

2014-01-01

The aims of antenatal education contain both outcomes related to pregnancy, birth and parenthood. Both content and methods of antenatal education have changed over time without evidence of effects on relevant outcomes. The effect of antenatal education in groups, with participation of a small num......-analysis aims to assess the effects of antenatal education in small groups on obstetric as well as psycho-social outcomes....

76 FR 26948 - Small Business Jobs Act Tour: Selected Provisions Having an Effect on Government Contracting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-10

...] Small Business Jobs Act Tour: Selected Provisions Having an Effect on Government Contracting AGENCY: U.S... INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard L. Miller, Small Business Job's Act Tour-Office of Government Contracting and..., concerning the Small Business Act Tour: Selected Provisions Having an Effect on Government that announced a...

Scaling effects concerning the analysis of small break experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Austregesilo Filho, H.

1985-01-01

Some scaling effects related to the experimental facilities as well as to the analytical models used for the design and safety analysis of nuclear power plants are discussed or the basis of phenomena expected to occur during small-break loss - of - coolant accidents. The results of isolated small-break experiments should not be directly extrapolated to the safety analysis of commercial reactors, due to the scaling distortions inherent to the test facilities. With respect to the analytical models used to simulate thermohydraulic processes in experimental facilities, their eventual dependence relative to the system dimension should be examined in order to assess their applicability to the safety analysis of commercial power plants. (Author) [pt

Sensitivity of effective rainfall amount to land use description using GIS tool. Case of a small mediterranean catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Payraudeau, S.; Tournoud, M. G.; Cernesson, F.

Distributed modelling in hydrology assess catchment subdivision to take into account physic characteristics. In this paper, we test the effect of land use aggregation scheme on catchment hydrological response. Evolution of intra-subcatchment land use is studied using statistic and entropy methods. The SCS-CN method is used to calculate effective rainfall which is here assimilated to hydrological response. Our purpose is to determine the existence of a critical threshold-area appropriate for the application of hydrological modelling. Land use aggregation effects on effective rainfall is assessed on small mediterranean catchment. The results show that land use aggregation and land use classification type have significant effects on hydrological modelling and in particular on effective rainfall modelling.

Evaluating significance in linear mixed-effects models in R.

Science.gov (United States)

Luke, Steven G

2017-08-01

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

Effects of partial time delays on phase synchronization in Watts-Strogatz small-world neuronal networks

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaojuan; Perc, Matjaž; Kurths, Jürgen

2017-05-01

In this paper, we study effects of partial time delays on phase synchronization in Watts-Strogatz small-world neuronal networks. Our focus is on the impact of two parameters, namely the time delay τ and the probability of partial time delay pdelay, whereby the latter determines the probability with which a connection between two neurons is delayed. Our research reveals that partial time delays significantly affect phase synchronization in this system. In particular, partial time delays can either enhance or decrease phase synchronization and induce synchronization transitions with changes in the mean firing rate of neurons, as well as induce switching between synchronized neurons with period-1 firing to synchronized neurons with period-2 firing. Moreover, in comparison to a neuronal network where all connections are delayed, we show that small partial time delay probabilities have especially different influences on phase synchronization of neuronal networks.

Industry Research and Recommendations for Small Buildings and Small Portfolios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Langner, Rois [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hendron, Bob [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Pless, Shanti [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Huppert, Mark [National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, DC (United States); Cochrane, Ric [National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, DC (United States)

2013-12-01

Small buildings have been left behind in the energy efficiency marketplace because financial and technical resources have flowed to larger commercial buildings. DOE's Building Technologies Office works with the commercial building industry to accelerate the uptake of energy efficiency technologies and techniques in existing and new commercial buildings (DOE 2013). BTO recognizes the SBSP sector'spotential for significant energy savings and the need for investments in resources that are tailored to this sector's unique needs. The industry research and recommendations described in this report identify potential approaches and strategic priorities that BTO could explore over the next 3-5 years that will support the implementation of high-potential energy efficiency opportunities for thisimportant sector. DOE is uniquely positioned to provide national leadership, objective information, and innovative tools, technologies, and services to support cost-effective energy savings in the fragmented and complex SBSP sector. Properly deployed, the DOE effort could enhance and complement current energy efficiency approaches. Small portfolios are loosely and qualitatively defined asportfolios of buildings that include only a small number of small buildings. This distinction is important because the report targets portfolio owners and managers who generally do not have staff and other resources to track energy use and pursue energy efficiency solutions.

[Evaluation of three-dimensional tumor microvascular architecture phenotype heterogeneity in non-small cell carcinoma and its significance].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hui; Liu, Jinkang; Chen, Shengxi; Xiong, Zeng; Zhou, Jianhua; Tong, Shiyu; Chen, Hao; Zhou, Moling

2012-06-01

To explore the degree, mechanism and clinical significance of three-dimensional tumor microvascular architecture phenotype heterogeneity (3D-TMAPH) in non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC). Twenty-one samples of solitary pulmonary nodules were collected integrally. To establish two-dimensional tumor microvascular architecture phenotype (2D-TMAP) and three-dimensional tumor microvascular architecture phenotype (3D-TMAP), five layers of each nodule were selected and embedded in paraffin. Test indices included the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), EphB4, ephfinB2 and microvascular density marked by anti-CD34 (CD34-MVD). The degrees of 3D-TMAPH were evaluated by the coefficient of variation and extend of heterogeneity. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between 2D-TMAP, 3D-TMAP and clinicopathological features. 3D-TMAPH showed that 2D-TMAP heterogeneity was expressed in the tissues of NSCLC. The heterogeneities in the malignant nodules were significantly higher than those in the active inflammatory nodules and tubercular nodules. In addition, different degrees of heterogeneity of CD34-MVD and PCNA were found in NSCLC tissues. The coefficients of variation of CD34- MVD and PCNA were positively related to the degree of differentiation (all P0.05). The level of heterogeneity of various expression indexes (ephrinB2, EphB4, VEGF) in NSCLC tissues were inconsistent, but there were no significant differences in heterogeneity in NSCLC tissues with different histological types (P>0.05). 3D-TMAPH exists widely in the microenvironment during the genesis and development of NSCLC and has a significant impact on its biological complexity.

Clinical Effects for Patients with Recurrent Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Icotinib Hydrochloride

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingying NONG

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Background and objective Icotinib hydrochloride is the third single target EGFR-TKI used in clinical treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. Clinical research reports on its efficacy and survival in patients with Recurrent Advanced NSCLC are still little.The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and survival of Icotinib hydrochloride for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who failed to previous chemotherapy and explore the association of clinical features with the efficacy and survival. Methods The clinical data of 60 NSCLC patients referred to the Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2009 to July 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Results The overall response rate (ORR was 45.0% and the disease control rate (DCR was 80.0%. The median progression-free survival (PFS time was 6.7 months. RR and PFS in female were superior to male (P=0.014, 0.013, respectively. RR, DCR in 2nd-line subgroup were superior to ≥3rd-line subgroup (P=0.020, 0.024, respectively. RR, DCR and PFS in EGFR mutation carriers were significantly superior to wild-type patients (P=0.006, <0.001, 0.002, respectively . There was no statistical difference in RR and PFS between those age <65 and ≥65 or PS<2 and PS≥2. There was no statistical difference in RR and DCR between exon 19 deletion and exon 21 mutations, while the former had much longer PFS (P=0.020. EGFR mutation and exon 19 deletion are the independent prognostic factors to significantly improve the PFS (P=0.009, 0.012, respectively. The side effects were generally mild and consisted of rash and diarrhea. Conclusion Icotinib hydrochloride is effective especially in EGFR mutation carriers and well tolerated in patients with recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

[Effectiveness of multiple small-diameter drilling decompression combined with hip arthroscopy for early osteonecrosis of the femoral head].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ji; Li, Zhongli; Su, Xiangzheng; Liu, Chunhui; Zhang, Hao; Wang, Ketao

2017-09-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of multiple small-diameter drilling decompression combined with hip arthroscopy for early oeteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Between March 2010 and December 2013, 91 patients with early ONFH were treated with the operation of multiple small-diameter drilling decompression combined with hip arthroscopy in 39 cases (53 hips, group A) or with drilling decompression alone in 52 cases (74 hips, group B). The patients in 2 groups had obvious hip pain and limited motion before operation. There was no significant difference in gender, age, etiology, effected side, stage of osteonecrosis, and preoperative Harris score between 2 groups ( P >0.05). All operations succeeded and all incisions healed by first intention. The operation time was significantly longer in group A [(73.3±10.6) minutes] than in group B [(41.5±7.2) minutes] ( t =8.726, P =0.000). Temporary of sciatic nerve apraxia after operation occurred in 2 patients of group A, and no complication occurred in other patients. Patients were followed up 24-52 months (mean, 39.3 months) in group A and 24-48 months (mean, 34.6 months) in group B. At last follow-up, the Harris scores were 83.34±8.76 in group A and 76.61±9.22 in group B, showing significant differences when compared between 2 groups ( t =-4.247, P =0.029) and when compared with preoperative values in 2 groups ( t =-10.327, P =0.001; t =-8.216, P =0.008). X-ray films showed that the collapse of the femoral head was observed in 6 hips (1 hip at stage Ⅰand 5 hips at stage Ⅱ) in group A, and in 16 hips (4 hips at stageⅠand 12 hips at stage Ⅱ) in group B; and hip arthroplasty was performed. The total effective rates were 88.68% (47/53) in group A and 78.38% (58/74) in group B, respectively; showing significant difference between 2 groups ( χ 2 =5.241, P =0.041). Multiple small-diameter drilling decompression combined with hip arthroscopy is effective in pain relief, improvement of hip function, slowing-down the

Leadership styles and effectiveness: A study of small firms in Chile

OpenAIRE

Pedraja-Rejas, Liliana; Rodríguez-Ponce, Emilio; Rodríguez-Ponce, Juan

2006-01-01

The purpose of this work is to analyze the relationship between leadership styles and effectiveness in small firms. The work considers a sample of 126 top and medium level managers based in small firms in the north of Chile. The results obtained show that the supportive leadership style is prominent. It was also found that the participative leadership style is present, but to a lesser extent, and that the instrumental leadership style is infrequent. Supportive and participative leadership sty...

Photosensitive chiral self-assembling materials: significant effects of small lateral substituents

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Cigl, Martin; Bubnov, Alexej; Kašpar, Miroslav; Hampl, F.; Hamplová, Věra; Pacherová, Oliva; Svoboda, J.

2016-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 23 (2016), 5326-5333 ISSN 2050-7526 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA16-12150S; GA MŠk(CZ) LH15305 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : liquid crystals * lateral substitution * azo group * isomerization Subject RIV: JJ - Other Materials Impact factor: 5.256, year: 2016

Effects of small variations of speed of sound in optoacoustic tomographic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deán-Ben, X. Luís; Ntziachristos, Vasilis; Razansky, Daniel

2014-01-01

Purpose: Speed of sound difference in the imaged object and surrounding coupling medium may reduce the resolution and overall quality of optoacoustic tomographic reconstructions obtained by assuming a uniform acoustic medium. In this work, the authors investigate the effects of acoustic heterogeneities and discuss potential benefits of accounting for those during the reconstruction procedure. Methods: The time shift of optoacoustic signals in an acoustically heterogeneous medium is studied theoretically by comparing different continuous and discrete wave propagation models. A modification of filtered back-projection reconstruction is subsequently implemented by considering a straight acoustic rays model for ultrasound propagation. The results obtained with this reconstruction procedure are compared numerically and experimentally to those obtained assuming a heuristically fitted uniform speed of sound in both full-view and limited-view optoacoustic tomography scenarios. Results: The theoretical analysis showcases that the errors in the time-of-flight of the signals predicted by considering the straight acoustic rays model tend to be generally small. When using this model for reconstructing simulated data, the resulting images accurately represent the theoretical ones. On the other hand, significant deviations in the location of the absorbing structures are found when using a uniform speed of sound assumption. The experimental results obtained with tissue-mimicking phantoms and a mouse postmortem are found to be consistent with the numerical simulations. Conclusions: Accurate analysis of effects of small speed of sound variations demonstrates that accounting for differences in the speed of sound allows improving optoacoustic reconstruction results in realistic imaging scenarios involving acoustic heterogeneities in tissues and surrounding media

Evaluation of anesthesia effects on [{sup 18}F]FDG uptake in mouse brain and heart using small animal PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toyama, Hiroshi E-mail: htoyama@fujita-hu.ac.jp; Ichise, Masanori; Liow, Jeih-San; Vines, Douglass C.; Seneca, Nicholas M.; Modell, Kendra J.; Seidel, Jurgen; Green, Michael V.; Innis, Robert B

2004-02-01

This study evaluates effects of anesthesia on {sup 18}F-FDG (FDG) uptake in mouse brain and heart to establish the basic conditions of small animal PET imaging. Prior to FDG injection, 12 mice were anesthetized with isoflurane gas; 11 mice were anesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of a ketamine/xylazine mixture; and 11 mice were awake. In isoflurane and ketamine/xylazine conditions, FDG brain uptake (%ID/g) was significantly lower than in controls. Conversely, in the isoflurane condition, %ID/g in heart was significantly higher than in controls, whereas heart uptake in ketamine/xylazine mice was significantly lower. Results suggest that anesthesia impedes FDG uptake in mouse brain and affects FDG uptake in heart; however, the effects in the brain and heart differ depending on the type of anesthesia used.

DSA study of the effect of vasopressin on the small-bowel circulation before and after embolization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xueqin; Wang Qiaoxi; Guo Yuxin; Yang Xinhong; Hu Hongyao

2001-01-01

Objective: To study the effect of vasopressin (VS) on the small-bowel circulation and the safety of embolotherapy for the small intestinal hemorrhage by DSA. Methods: Ten dogs were divided into three groups. Vasa recta were ligated 30 min after VS infusion ended in group A (n = 4), and 2h after VS infusion ended in group B (n = 4), they were ligated without VS infusion in control group (n = 2). DSA were performed before and after VS infusion, before and after the ligation. The tested parts of intestine were resected to make the pathologic examination a week late. Results: All branches of mesenteric arteries contracted and the contrast developed light in the intestinal wall after VS infusion. Branches contraction recovered but the contrast developed still slight in the intestinal wall about 30 min after infusion ended. All manifestation of DSA recovered to normal 2h after infusion ended. In all groups, the blood vessel net can be seen but is fewer and scattered in the area of ligation. The collocate presented soon after the ligation. The pathologic examination proved that there was only mind mucosal ischemia in all groups. Conclusion: The repressive effect of VS to the circulation of intestine weakened and then disappeared rapidly after the infusion ended. VS infusion had no significant effect on the safety of embolotherapy for small intestinal bleeding when the infusion has been finished for more than 2hr. DSA can demonstrated the circulation state of the intestine before and after embolization

Effects of Group Size on Students Mathematics Achievement in Small Group Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Enu, Justice; Danso, Paul Amoah; Awortwe, Peter K.

2015-01-01

An ideal group size is hard to obtain in small group settings; hence there are groups with more members than others. The purpose of the study was to find out whether group size has any effects on students' mathematics achievement in small group settings. Two third year classes of the 2011/2012 academic year were selected from two schools in the…

Complementary Feeding Interventions Have a Small but Significant Impact on Linear and Ponderal Growth of Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Panjwani, Anita; Heidkamp, Rebecca

2017-11-01

Background: World Health Assembly member states have committed to ambitious global targets for reductions in stunting and wasting by 2025. Improving complementary diets of children aged 6-23 mo is a recommended approach for reducing stunting in children impact of complementary feeding interventions on linear [length-for-age z score (LAZ)] and ponderal [weight-for-length z score (WLZ)] growth of children aged 6-23 mo, with the specific goal of updating intervention-outcome linkages in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). Methods: We started our review with studies included in the previous LiST review and searched for articles published since January 2012. We identified longitudinal trials that compared children aged 6-23 mo who received 1 of 2 types of complementary feeding interventions (nutrition education or counseling alone or complementary food supplementation with or without nutrition education or counseling) with a no-intervention control. We assessed study quality and generated pooled estimates of LAZ and WLZ change, as well as length and weight gain, for each category of intervention. Results: Interventions that provided nutrition education or counseling had a small but significant impact on linear growth in food-secure populations [LAZ standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.11; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.22] but not on ponderal growth. Complementary food supplementation interventions with or without nutrition education also had a small, significant effect in food-insecure settings on both LAZ (SMD: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.13) and WLZ (SMD: 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.08). Conclusions: Nutrition education and complementary feeding interventions both had a small but significant impact on linear growth, and complementary feeding interventions also had an impact on ponderal growth of children aged 6-23 mo in low- and middle-income countries. The updated LiST model will support nutrition program planning and evaluation efforts by allowing users to model changes in intervention coverage on

Superconductivity of small particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leavens, C.R.; Fenton, E.W.

1981-01-01

The Eliashberg gap equations are used to investigate the contribution of surface-phonon softening to the size dependence of the superconducting transition temperature (T/sub c/) of small metallic particles. Because of our limited quantitative knowledge of phonon spectra and electron-phonon coupling in the surface region, the effect cannot be calculated with certainty. Previous calculations which agree with experiment depend on a fortuitous choice of input parameters which cannot be justified at present. For this reason the absence of any observable size effect for T/sub c/ in Pb is especially important. This null effect is obtained in Pb if the electron-phonon coupling strength is the same in the surface region as in the bulk. This assumption can be tested experimentally because it means that the energy gap of Pb should not be independent of particle size but rather should increase significantly with decreasing radius. Hence, measurement of the size dependence of the energy gap for well-characterized small particles of Pb could provide information regarding the importance of the phonon-softening mechanism, at least for Pb

Pathology-Dependent Effects Linked to Small Heat Shock Proteins Expression: An Update

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.-P. Arrigo

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Small heat shock proteins (small Hsps are stress-induced molecular chaperones that act as holdases towards polypeptides that have lost their folding in stress conditions or consequently of mutations in their coding sequence. A cellular protection against the deleterious effects mediated by damaged proteins is thus provided to cells. These chaperones are also highly expressed in response to protein conformational and inflammatory diseases and cancer pathologies. Through specific and reversible modifications in their phospho-oligomeric organization, small Hsps can chaperone appropriate client proteins in order to provide cells with resistance to different types of injuries or pathological conditions. By helping cells to better cope with their pathological status, their expression can be either beneficial, such as in diseases characterized by pathological cell degeneration, or deleterious when they are required for tumor cell survival. Moreover, small Hsps are actively released by cells and can act as immunogenic molecules that have dual effects depending on the pathology. The cellular consequences linked to their expression levels and relationships with other Hsps as well as therapeutic strategies are discussed in view of their dynamic structural organization required to interact with specific client polypeptides.

[Application of paramunity inducers in small animal practice].

Science.gov (United States)

Proksch, A L; Hartmann, K

2016-01-01

Paramunity inducers have been used to treat small animals for decades. Paramunity inducers are based on attenuated and inactivated poxviruses (avipox virus and parapox virus). Their applications include both therapeutic and prophylactic use in various diseases. Despite their wide and variable use, only a very small number of placebo-controlled studies has been published. Positive effects in preventing kitten mortality and in treating feline stomatitis have been reported, however, no statistically significant effect of their therapeutic use in canine parvovirus infection, feline leukemia infection virus infection or canine papillomavirus infection could be demonstrated. For these infectious diseases, paramunity inducers do not appear to be effective.

Effects of pressure and temperature on pore structure of ceramic synthesized from rice husk: A small angle neutron scattering investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raut Dessai, R., E-mail: reshooin@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau, Goa 403 206 (India); Desa, J.A.E. [Department of Physics, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau, Goa 403 206 (India); Sen, D.; Mazumder, S. [Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085 (India)

2013-07-05

Highlights: ► A porous ceramic has been prepared from silica obtained from rice husk. ► The ceramic has a hierarchical pore structure from micrometric to nano-metric. ► Small Angle Neutron Scattering data indicate nano-pore connectivity to micro-pores. ► Pore morphology can be tuned by compaction pressure and sintering temperature. -- Abstract: Ceramic powder has been synthesized from rice husk as the source of silica. In order to probe the evolution of its hierarchical mesoscopic and microscopic porous structure, the ceramic powder was compacted at different pressures and was sintered at different temperatures. A glassy ceramic to crystalline transition under thermal treatment (up to 1000 °C) was revealed by X-ray diffraction. Existence of pores in two widely separated length scales was indicated by small angle neutron scattering with the smaller ones having mass fractal arrangement. Although no significant change in small pore structure under thermal effect was indicated, a significant modification of the same has been revealed by small angle neutron scattering at different compaction pressures. Connectivity between the pores was ascertained from scattering experiments on the ceramic compact impregnated with heavy water. Scanning electron microscopy shows the microstructure to undergo appreciable coalescence of micrometric ceramic particles for sintering temperature and pressure changes.

Magnetic fields are causing small, but significant changes of the radiochromic EBT3 film response to 6 MV photons.

Science.gov (United States)

Delfs, Björn; Schoenfeld, Andreas A; Poppinga, Daniela; Kapsch, Ralf-Peter; Jiang, Ping; Harder, Dietrich; Poppe, Björn; Looe, Hui Khee

2018-01-31

The optical density (OD) of EBT3 radiochromic films (Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Bridgewater, NJ, USA) exposed to absorbed doses to water up to D  =  20 Gy in magnetic fields of B  =  0.35 and 1.42 T was measured in the three colour channels of an Epson Expression 10000XL flatbed scanner. A 7 cm wide water phantom with fixed film holder was placed between the pole shoes of a constant-current electromagnet with variable field strength and was irradiated by a 6 MV photon beam whose axis was directed at right angles with the field lines. The doses at the film position at water depth 5 cm were measured with a calibrated ionization chamber when the magnet was switched off and were converted to the doses in presence of the magnetic field via the monitor units and by a Monte Carlo-calculated correction accounting for the slight change of the depth dose curves in magnetic fields. In the presence of the 0.35 and 1.42 T fields small negative changes of the OD values at given absorbed doses to water occurred and just significantly exceeded the uncertainty margin given by the stochastic and the uncorrected systematic deviations. This change can be described by a  +2.1% change of the dose values needed to produce a given optical density in the presence of a 1.42 T field. The thereby modified OD versus D function remained unchanged irrespective of whether the original short film side-the preference direction of the monomer crystals of the film-was directed parallel or orthogonal to the magnetic field. The 'orientation effect', the difference between the optical densities measured in the 'portrait' or 'landscape' film positions on the scanner bed caused by the reflection of polarised light in the scanner's mirror system, remained unaltered after EBT3 film exposure in magnetic fields. An independent optical bench investigation of EBT3 films exposed to doses of 10 and 20 Gy at 0.35 and 1.42 T showed that the direction of the electric vector of polarised

Effect of downed woody debris on small mammal anti-predator behavior.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hinkleman, Travis, M.; Orrock, John, L.; Loeb, Susan, C.

2011-10-01

Anti-predator behavior can affect prey growth, reproduction, survival, and generate emergent effects in food webs. Small mammals often lower the cost of predation by altering their behavior in response to shrubs,but the importance of other microhabitat features, such as downed woody debris, for anti-predator behavior is unknown. We used givingup densities to quantify the degree to which downed woody debris alters perceived predation risk by small mammals in southeastern pineforests. We placed 14 foraging trays next to large downed woody debris,shrubs, and in open areas for 12 consecutive nights. Moon illumination, a common indicator of predation risk, led to a similar reduction in small mammal foraging in all three microhabitats (open, downed woody debris,and shrub). Small mammals perceived open microhabitats as riskier than shrub microhabitats, with downed woody debris habitats perceived as being of intermediate risk between shrub and open microhabitats. Despite the presumed benefits of the protective cover of downed woody debris, small mammals may perceive downed woody debris as a relatively risky foraging site in southeastern pine forests where the high diversity and abundance of rodent-eating snakes may provide a primary predatory threat.

Side effects of oral antibiotics in small children with cystic fibrosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Karin Riisager; Bregnballe, Vibeke

2014-01-01

or/and stomach pain during antibiotic treatment. 48% reported their child to be eating little during antibiotic treatment and of these 87% were reporting diarrhoea or/and stomach pain. Half of the children with diarrhoea or/and stomach pain got treatment for the side effects. Conclusion: Most...... of the small children with CF suffered from side effect of antibiotics, but only half of them got treatment for the side effects....

Effect of scatter media on small gamma camera imaging characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ser, H. K.; Choi, Y.; Yim, K. C.

2001-01-01

Effect of scatter media materials and thickness, located between radioactivity and small gamma camera, on imaging characteristics was evaluated. The small gamma camera developed for breast imaging was consisted of collimator, NaI(TI) crystal (60x60x6 mm 3 ). PSPMT (position sensitive photomultiplier tube), NIMs and personal computer. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to evaluate the system sensitivity with different scatter media thickness (0∼8 cm) and materials (air and acrylie) with parallel hole collimator and diverging collimator. The sensitivity and spatial resolution was measured using the small gamma camera with the same condition applied to the simulation. Counts was decreased by 10% (air) and 54% (acrylic) with the parallel hole collimator and by 35% (air) and 63% (acrylic) with the diverging collimator. Spatial resolution was decreased as increasing the thickness of scatter media. This study substantiate the importance of a gamma camera positioning and the minimization of the distance between detector and target lesion in the clinical application of a gamma camera

Vorinostat enhances the cisplatin-mediated anticancer effects in small cell lung cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Chun-Hao; Chang, Ying-Fang; Lee, Ming-Shuo; Wen, B-Chen; Ko, Jen-Chung; Liang, Sheng-Kai; Liang, Mei-Chih

2016-11-07

Vorinostat, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, is a promising agent for cancer therapy. Combining vorinostat with cisplatin may relax the chromatin structure and facilitate the accessibility of cisplatin, thus enhancing its cytotoxicity. Studies have not yet investigated the effects of the combination of vorinostat and cisplatin on small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We first assessed the efficacy of vorinostat with etoposide/cisplatin (EP; triple combination) and then investigated the effects of cotreatment with vorinostat and cisplatin on H209 and H146 SCLC cell lines. The anticancer effects of various combinations were determined in terms of cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, and vorinostat-regulated proteins. We also evaluated the efficacy of vorinostat/cisplatin combination in H209 xenograft nude mice. Our data revealed that the triple combination engendered a significant reduction of cell viability and high apoptotic cell death. In addition, vorinostat combined with cisplatin enhanced cell growth inhibition, induced apoptosis, and promoted cell cycle arrest. We observed that the acetylation levels of histone H3 and α-tubulin were higher in combination treatments than in vorinostat treatment alone. Moreover, vorinostat reduced the expression of thymidylate synthase (TS), and TS remained inhibited after cotreament with cisplatin. Furthermore, an in vivo study revealed that the combination of vorinostat and cisplatin significantly inhibited tumor growth in xenograft nude mice (tumor growth inhibition T/C% = 20.5 %). Combined treatments with vorinostat promote the cytotoxicity of cisplatin and induce the expression of vorinostat-regulated acetyl proteins, eventually enhancing antitumor effects in SCLC cell lines. Triple combinations with a low dosage of cisplatin demonstrate similar therapeutic effects. Such triple combinations, if applied clinically, may reduce the undesired adverse effects of cisplatin. The effects of the combination of

SmallSat Database

Science.gov (United States)

Petropulos, Dolores; Bittner, David; Murawski, Robert; Golden, Bert

2015-01-01

The SmallSat has an unrealized potential in both the private industry and in the federal government. Currently over 70 companies, 50 universities and 17 governmental agencies are involved in SmallSat research and development. In 1994, the U.S. Army Missile and Defense mapped the moon using smallSat imagery. Since then Smart Phones have introduced this imagery to the people of the world as diverse industries watched this trend. The deployment cost of smallSats is also greatly reduced compared to traditional satellites due to the fact that multiple units can be deployed in a single mission. Imaging payloads have become more sophisticated, smaller and lighter. In addition, the growth of small technology obtained from private industries has led to the more widespread use of smallSats. This includes greater revisit rates in imagery, significantly lower costs, the ability to update technology more frequently and the ability to decrease vulnerability of enemy attacks. The popularity of smallSats show a changing mentality in this fast paced world of tomorrow. What impact has this created on the NASA communication networks now and in future years? In this project, we are developing the SmallSat Relational Database which can support a simulation of smallSats within the NASA SCaN Compatability Environment for Networks and Integrated Communications (SCENIC) Modeling and Simulation Lab. The NASA Space Communications and Networks (SCaN) Program can use this modeling to project required network support needs in the next 10 to 15 years. The SmallSat Rational Database could model smallSats just as the other SCaN databases model the more traditional larger satellites, with a few exceptions. One being that the smallSat Database is designed to be built-to-order. The SmallSat database holds various hardware configurations that can be used to model a smallSat. It will require significant effort to develop as the research material can only be populated by hand to obtain the unique data

Significance assessment of the external control effects of lecturers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurbatova Margarita, V.

2015-06-01

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

Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Garrison, Lynn; Jasper, Gwen

2015-01-01

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA's needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. The only eligible participants are small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a nonprofit research institute such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC. These programs are potential sources of seed funding for the development of small business innovations.

An integrative approach to predicting the functional effects of small indels in non-coding regions of the human genome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferlaino, Michael; Rogers, Mark F; Shihab, Hashem A; Mort, Matthew; Cooper, David N; Gaunt, Tom R; Campbell, Colin

2017-10-06

Small insertions and deletions (indels) have a significant influence in human disease and, in terms of frequency, they are second only to single nucleotide variants as pathogenic mutations. As the majority of mutations associated with complex traits are located outside the exome, it is crucial to investigate the potential pathogenic impact of indels in non-coding regions of the human genome. We present FATHMM-indel, an integrative approach to predict the functional effect, pathogenic or neutral, of indels in non-coding regions of the human genome. Our method exploits various genomic annotations in addition to sequence data. When validated on benchmark data, FATHMM-indel significantly outperforms CADD and GAVIN, state of the art models in assessing the pathogenic impact of non-coding variants. FATHMM-indel is available via a web server at indels.biocompute.org.uk. FATHMM-indel can accurately predict the functional impact and prioritise small indels throughout the whole non-coding genome.

Effect of defects on the small polaron formation and transport properties of hematite from first-principles calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, Tyler J; Ping, Yuan

2017-10-04

Hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) is a promising candidate as a photoanode material for solar-to-fuel conversion due to its favorable band gap for visible light absorption, its stability in an aqueous environment and its relatively low cost in comparison to other prospective materials. However, the small polaron transport nature in α-Fe 2 O 3 results in low carrier mobility and conductivity, significantly lowering its efficiency from the theoretical limit. Experimentally, it has been found that the incorporation of oxygen vacancies and other dopants, such as Sn, into the material appreciably enhances its photo-to-current efficiency. Yet no quantitative explanation has been provided to understand the role of oxygen vacancy or Sn-doping in hematite. We employed density functional theory to probe the small polaron formation in oxygen deficient hematite, N-doped as well as Sn-doped hematite. We computed the charged defect formation energies, the small polaron formation energy and hopping activation energies to understand the effect of defects on carrier concentration and mobility. This work provides us with a fundamental understanding regarding the role of defects on small polaron formation and transport properties in hematite, offering key insights into the design of new dopants to further improve the efficiency of transition metal oxides for solar-to-fuel conversion.

Prognostic significance of total lesion glycolysis in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaizen, Yoshiaki [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Azuma, Koichi, E-mail: azuma@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Kurata, Seiji [Department of Radiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Sadashima, Eiji; Hattori, Satoshi [Biostatistics Center, Kurume University, Kurume (Japan); Sasada, Tetsuro [Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Imamura, Yohei [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Kaida, Hayato [Department of Radiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Kawahara, Akihiko [Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Kinoshita, Takashi [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Ishibashi, Masatoshi [Department of Radiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Hoshino, Tomoaki [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan)

2012-12-15

Background: [{sup 18}F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging has been employed as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for malignant tumors. Total lesion glycolysis (TLG) on FDG-PET is calculated by multiplying the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) by the tumor volume. Unlike the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), which represents the point of greatest metabolic activity within tumors, TLG has been suggested to reflect global metabolic activity in whole tumors. Methods: We retrospectively examined whether or not FDG-PET measurements, including SUVmean, SUVmax, and TLG, could predict progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving chemotherapy. Results: This study involved 81 consecutive patients with NSCLC who received chemotherapy. All of the patients underwent FDG-PET examination before treatment. SUVmean, SUVmax, and TLG on FDG-PET were significantly associated with gender, smoking status, and tumor histology. With adjustment for several other variables, Cox regression analysis showed that TLG was significantly prognostic for both PFS [hazard ratio = 2.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–4.64; P = 0.015] and OS (hazard ratio = 2.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–6.96; P = 0.003), whereas SUVmean and SUVmax had no significant association with PFS (P = 0.693 and P = 0.322, respectively) or OS (P = 0.587 and P = 0.214, respectively). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that TLG may be more useful than SUVmean and SUVmax for predicting PFS and OS in NSCLC patients receiving chemotherapy. The TLG measurement on FDG-PET imaging could be routinely recommended to advanced NSCLC patients.

Thalidomide has a significant effect in patients with thalassemia intermedia.

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-01-01

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

Massive Boson Production at Small qT in Soft-Collinear Effective Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Becher, Thomas; Neubert, Matthias; Wilhelm, Daniel

2013-01-01

We study the differential cross sections for electroweak gauge-boson and Higgs production at small and very small transverse-momentum qT. Large logarithms are resummed using soft-collinear effective theory. The collinear anomaly generates a non-perturbative scale q*, which protects the processes from receiving large long-distance hadronic contributions. A numerical comparison of our predictions with data on the transverse-momentum distribution in Z-boson production at the Tevatron and LHC is given.

Effects of icotinib on advanced non-small cell lung cancer with different EGFR phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Huiyun; Liu, Rong; Li, Shengjie; Fang, Hui; Wang, Ziwei; Huang, Sheng; Zhou, Jianying

2014-09-01

Icotinib is the first oral epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor, which has been proven to exert significant inhibitory effects on non-small cell lung cancer in vitro. Clinical evidence has showed that the efficacy of Icotinib on retreating advanced non-small cell lung cancer is comparable to Gefitinib. However, different phenotypes of EGFR can affect the therapeutic outcomes of EGFR tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor. Therefore, our study focused on efficacy and safety of Icotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer of different EGPR phenotypes. Clinical data of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received Icotinib treatment from August, 2011 to May, 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analysis and comparison. 18 wild-type EGFR and 51 mutant type were found in a total of 69 patients. Objective response rate of patients with mutant type EGFR was 54.9 % and disease control rate was 86.3 %. Objective response rate of wild-type patients was 11.1 % (P = 0.0013 vs mutant type), disease control rate was 50.0 % (P = 0.0017). Median progression-free survival (PFS) of mutant type and wild-type patients were 9.7 and 2.6 months, respectively (P Icotinib included rash, diarrhea, itching skin with occurrence rates of 24.6 % (17/69), 13.0 % (9/69), and 11.6 % (8/69), respectively. Most adverse reactions were grade I-II. Icotinib has great efficacy in EGFR mutated patients, making it an optimal regimen to treat EGFR mutated patients. Furthermore, most of adverse reactions associated with Icotinib treatment were tolerable.

Effects produced by multi-parton interactions and color reconnection in small systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cuautle, Eleazar; Ortiz, Antonio; Paić, Guy

2016-12-15

Multi-parton interactions and color reconnection can produce QGP-like effects in small systems, specifically, radial flow-like patterns. For pp collisions simulated with Pythia 8.212, in this work we investigate their effects on different observables like event multiplicity, event shapes and transverse momentum distributions.

Treatment with a belly-board device significantly reduces the volume of small bowel irradiated and results in low acute toxicity in adjuvant radiotherapy for gynecologic cancer: results of a prospective study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Joseph; Fitzpatrick, Kathryn; Horan, Gail; McCloy, Roisin; Buckney, Steve; O'Neill, Louise; Faul, Clare

2005-01-01

Background and purpose: To determine whether treatment prone on a belly-board significantly reduces the volume of small bowel irradiated in women receiving adjuvant radiotherapy for gynecologic cancer, and to prospectively study acute small bowel toxicity using an accepted recording instrument. Material and methods: Thirty-two gynecologic patients underwent simulation with CT scanning supine and prone. Small bowel was delineated on every CT slice, and treatment was prone on the belly-board using 3-5 fields-typically Anterior, Right and Left Lateral, plus or minus Lateral Boosts. Median prescribed dose was 50.4 Gy and all treatments were delivered in 1.8 Gy fractions. Concomitant Cisplatin was administered in 13 patients with cervical carcinoma. Comparison of small bowel dose-volumes was made between supine and prone, with each subject acting as their own matched pair. Acute small bowel toxicity was prospectively measured using the Common Toxicity Criteria: Version 2.0. Results: Treatment prone on the belly-board significantly reduced the volume of small bowel receiving ≥100; ≥95; ≥90; and ≥80% of the prescribed dose, but not ≥50%. This was found whether volume was defined in cubic centimeters or % of total small bowel volume. Of 29 evaluable subjects, 2 (7%) experienced 1 episode each of grade 3 diarrhoea. All other toxicity events were grade 2 or less and comprised diarrhoea (59%), abdominal pain or cramping (48%), nausea (38%), anorexia (17%), vomiting (10%). There were no Grade 4 events and no treatment days were lost due to toxicity. Conclusions: Treatment prone on a belly-board device results in significant small bowel sparing, during adjuvant radiotherapy for gynecologic cancer. The absence of Grade 4 events or Treatment Days Lost compares favorably with the published literature

How small is a small cloud?

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I. Koren

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The interplay between clouds and aerosols and their contribution to the radiation budget is one of the largest uncertainties of climate change. Most work to date has separated cloudy and cloud-free areas in order to evaluate the individual radiative forcing of aerosols, clouds, and aerosol effects on clouds.

Here we examine the size distribution and the optical properties of small, sparse cumulus clouds and the associated optical properties of what is considered a cloud-free atmosphere within the cloud field. We show that any separation between clouds and cloud free atmosphere will incur errors in the calculated radiative forcing.

The nature of small cumulus cloud size distributions suggests that at any resolution, a significant fraction of the clouds are missed, and their optical properties are relegated to the apparent cloud-free optical properties. At the same time, the cloudy portion incorporates significant contribution from non-cloudy pixels.

We show that the largest contribution to the total cloud reflectance comes from the smallest clouds and that the spatial resolution changes the apparent energy flux of a broken cloudy scene. When changing the resolution from 30 m to 1 km (Landsat to MODIS the average "cloud-free" reflectance at 1.65 μm increases from 0.0095 to 0.0115 (>20%, the cloud reflectance decreases from 0.13 to 0.066 (~50%, and the cloud coverage doubles, resulting in an important impact on climate forcing estimations. The apparent aerosol forcing is on the order of 0.5 to 1 Wm⁻² per cloud field.

Effect of a Long Chain Carboxylate Acid on Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Micelle Structure: A Small-angle Neutron Scattering Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arum Patriati; Edy Giri Rachman Putra

2009-01-01

The effect of different hydrocarbon chain length of carboxylate acid, i.e. dodecanoic acid, CH 3 (CH 2 ) 10 COOH and hexadecanoic acid, CH 3 (CH 2 ) 14 COOH as a co-surfactant in the 0.3M SDS micellar solution has been studied using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Here, the present of dodecanoic acid has induced the SDS structural micelles. The ellipsoid micelles structures changed significantly in length (major axis) from 21.7 Armstrong to 35.5 Armstrong at a fixed minor axis of 16.7 Armstrong in the present of 0.005M to 0.1M dodecanoic acid. Nevertheless, this effect was not shown in the present of hexadecanoic acid with the same concentration range. The present of hexadecanoic acid molecules gave a small effect on growth of SDS micelles where the major axis of the micelle was simply elongated from 21.5 Armstrong to 23.5 Armstrong. It showed that the appropriate hydrocarbon chain length between surfactant and co-surfactant molecules is one of the determining factors in forming a mixed micelles structure. (author)

Investigating the significance of zero-point motion in small molecular clusters of sulphuric acid and water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stinson, Jake L.; Ford, Ian J.; Kathmann, Shawn M.

2014-01-01

The nucleation of particles from trace gases in the atmosphere is an important source of cloud condensation nuclei, and these are vital for the formation of clouds in view of the high supersaturations required for homogeneous water droplet nucleation. The methods of quantum chemistry have increasingly been employed to model nucleation due to their high accuracy and efficiency in calculating configurational energies; and nucleation rates can be obtained from the associated free energies of particle formation. However, even in such advanced approaches, it is typically assumed that the nuclei have a classical nature, which is questionable for some systems. The importance of zero-point motion (also known as quantum nuclear dynamics) in modelling small clusters of sulphuric acid and water is tested here using the path integral molecular dynamics method at the density functional level of theory. The general effect of zero-point motion is to distort the mean structure slightly, and to promote the extent of proton transfer with respect to classical behaviour. In a particular configuration of one sulphuric acid molecule with three waters, the range of positions explored by a proton between a sulphuric acid and a water molecule at 300 K (a broad range in contrast to the confinement suggested by geometry optimisation at 0 K) is clearly affected by the inclusion of zero point motion, and similar effects are observed for other configurations

Effects of small-world connectivity on noise-induced temporal and spatial order in neural media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perc, Matjaz

2007-01-01

We present an overview of possible effects of small-world connectivity on noise-induced temporal and spatial order in a two-dimensional network of excitable neural media with FitzHugh-Nagumo local dynamics. Small-world networks are characterized by a given fraction of so-called long-range couplings or shortcut links that connect distant units of the system, while all other units are coupled in a diffusive-like manner. Interestingly, already a small fraction of these long-range couplings can have wide-ranging effects on the temporal as well as spatial noise-induced dynamics of the system. Here we present two main effects. First, we show that the temporal order, characterized by the autocorrelation of a firing-rate function, can be greatly enhanced by the introduction of small-world connectivity, whereby the effect increases with the increasing fraction of introduced shortcut links. Second, we show that the introduction of long-range couplings induces disorder of otherwise ordered, spiral-wave-like, noise-induced patterns that can be observed by exclusive diffusive connectivity of spatial units. Thereby, already a small fraction of shortcut links is sufficient to destroy coherent pattern formation in the media. Although the two results seem contradictive, we provide an explanation considering the inherent scale-free nature of small-world networks, which on one hand, facilitates signal transduction and thus temporal order in the system, whilst on the other hand, disrupts the internal spatial scale of the media thereby hindering the existence of coherent wave-like patterns. Additionally, the importance of spatially versus temporally ordered neural network functioning is discussed

Protective Effect of Royal Jelly against Phenylhydrazine-induced Histological Injuries of Small Intestine of Mice: Morphometric Analyses

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Hojat Anbara

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Phenylhydrazine (PHZ, as a known hemolytic agent, causes toxicity in different tissues at various levels. The aim of the current study was to examine the possible protective effects of royal jelly (RJ against PHZ-induced histological injuries of small intestine in mice.   Methods: In this experimental study, adult male mice were randomly divided into four groups of 8 mice each. PHZ was administered intraperitoneally to two groups of mice (at a dose of 60mg/kg every 48 hours for 35 days. One of the groups received RJ (100mg/kg orally 4 hours before PHZ administration. The third group only received RJ, and the forth group was considered as control. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment, different segments of small intestine were dissected out, then histological sections were prepared and quantitative morphometric assessments were performed. To compare the groups, one-way ANOVA and multiple comparative Tukey tests were used. The significance level was considered to be p<0.05.   Results: In this study, PHZ caused significant decreases in depth of duodenal crypts, distribution rate of the goblet cells in ileal villi, width of duodenal and jejunal villi, and height of villi in all three segments of small intestine. Co-administration of RJ partially improved the changes in the above parameters.   Conclusion: From results of this study, it seems that RJ as a free radical scavenger could reduce PHZ-induced intestinal toxicity in mouse.

Effect of small-dose levosimendan on mortality rates and organ functions in Chinese elderly patients with sepsis

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Wang X

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Xin Wang,1,* Shikui Li2,* 1Intensive Care Unit, 2Cardiothoracic Surgery, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, Daqing, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Aim: As a primary cause of death not only in Western countries but also in the People’s Republic of China, sepsis is diagnosed as abnormal organ functions as a result of a disordered response to a severe infection. This study was designed to assess the effect of small-dose levosimendan without a loading dose on mortality rates and organ functions in Chinese elderly patients with sepsis.Methods: Following a prospective, randomized, and double-blinded design, 240 Chinese elderly patients with sepsis shock were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU. All patients were randomly and evenly assigned into a levosimendan group (number of patients =120 and a control group (number of patients =120. The control group underwent standard care, and the levosimendan group was administered levosimendan in addition to standard care.Results: All participants, comprising 134 males (55.8% and 106 females (44.2%, were 70 (67–73 years old. Baseline characteristics, preexisting illnesses, initial infections, organ failures, and additional agents and therapies showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05 for all. There were no significant differences in mortality rates at 28 days, at ICU discharge, and at hospital discharge between the two groups (P>0.05 for all. The number of days of ICU and hospital stay in the levosimendan group was significantly less than for those in the control group (P<0.05 for all. Mean daily total sequential organ failure assessment score and all organ scores except the cardiovascular scores showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05 for all. Cardiovascular scores in the levosimendan group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05 for all.Conclusion: Small

Oral contrast agents for small bowel distension in MRI: influence of the osmolarity for small bowel distention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajaj, Waleed; Kuehle, Christiane; Nuefer, Michael; Goehde, Susanne C.; Lauenstein, Thomas C.; Goyen, Mathias; Schneemann, Hubert; Ruehm, Stefan G.

2005-01-01

To assess the effect of the osmolarity for small bowel distension in MRI, ten volunteers ingested at two separate occasions negative oral contrast agents with different quantity and osmolarity: (1) a water solution combined with 2.0% sorbitol and 0.2% locus bean gum (LBG) with a quantity of 1500 ml and an osmolarity of 148 mOsmol/l, (2) a water solution combined with 2.0% sorbitol and 2.0% barium sulphate with a quantity of 1000 ml and an osmolarity of 194 mOsmol/l. Small bowel distension was quantified on coronal 2D-TrueFISP images by measuring the small bowel diameters. There were no statistically significant differences in mean small bowel diameter between both contrast agents. The mean small bowel distension was 19.2 mm after ingestion of 1500 ml of sorbitol-LBG solution and 19.0 mm after ingestion of 1000-ml sorbitol-barium sulphate solution. Furthermore, all volunteers found the ingestion of 1000-ml solution more pleasant than the 1500-ml solution. The ingestion of 1000 ml of sorbitol-barium sulphate solution led to a sufficient small bowel distension compared to 1500 ml of sorbitol-LBG solution. The side effect rate of both solutions was low. Based on these data, we recommend a quantity of 1000 ml of sorbitol-barium sulphate solution as an alternative for 1500-ml sorbitol-LBG solution for optimal bowel distension. (orig.)

Effects of the small molecule HERG activator NS1643 on Kv11.3 channels.

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Arne Bilet

Full Text Available NS1643 is one of the small molecule HERG (Kv11.1 channel activators and has also been found to increase erg2 (Kv11.2 currents. We now investigated whether NS1643 is also able to act as an activator of Kv11.3 (erg3 channels expressed in CHO cells. Activation of rat Kv11.3 current occurred in a dose-dependent manner and maximal current increasing effects were obtained with 10 µM NS1643. At this concentration, steady-state outward current increased by about 80% and the current increase was associated with a significant shift in the voltage dependence of activation to more negative potentials by about 15 mV. In addition, activation kinetics were accelerated, whereas deactivation was slowed. There was no significant effect on the kinetics of inactivation and recovery from inactivation. The strong current-activating agonistic effect of NS1643 did not result from a shift in the voltage dependence of Kv11.3 channel inactivation and was independent from external Na(+ or Ca(2+. At the higher concentration of 20 µM, NS1643 induced clearly less current increase. The left shift in the voltage dependence of activation reversed and the voltage sensitivity of activation dramatically decreased along with a slowing of Kv11.3 channel activation. These data show that, in comparison to other Kv11 family members, NS1643 exerts distinct effects on Kv11.3 channels with especially pronounced partial antagonistic effects at higher concentration.

Cost and effectiveness studies in non-small cell lung cancer

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Pinar Yalcin-Balcik

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Lung cancer disease diagnosis and treatment is costly. As the numbers of inflicted rise so does the economic burden assumed for this cancer type. When the treatment expenditures are considered for all types of cancer, the lung cancer is thought to occupy a 20% share. The disease examined in two basic groups as small-cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC is the most frequently encountered type of its kind nationally and in the World. This study considers the cost, effectiveness and cost effectiveness of platinum based chemotherapy medications with active ingredients pemetrexed and gemcitabine used for NSCLC. A review of studies relevant to the advanced stage NSCLC where majority of patients are positioned is foreseen to be useful to the decision makers since policy makers, regulating authorities and physicians require more information due to increased overall finance and costs, as well as treatment cost effectiveness. Furthermore, due to the entry attempt of pemetrexed active ingredient to the list of reimbursed medications for the first stage lung cancer treatment, it is assumed that a review of studies containing pemetrexed and gemcitabine will draw the attention of decision makers at the Social Security Instutition. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2015; 14(1.000: 55-64

Effect of small addition of aluminum on electrochemical corrosion behavior of magnesium-calcium sacrificial anode in underground environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizam, S.S.; Sasirehka, G.; Firdaus, A.M.H.; Mahdi, C.I.; Nazree, D.M.; Abdul Razak Daud; Azrem, A.A.

2009-01-01

The effect of small addition of Al on the electrochemical performances was investigated by open circuit potential and Tafel Extrapolation method. The results show that open circuit potential reveals as-cast Mg containing Ca alloys with minor content of Al maintained highly negative potential with the range of -1.68 to -1.63 V SCE in comparison to both pure Mg (-1.60V SCE ) and commercial high potential Mg content. Corrosion rate for the as-cast samples remains higher (30-17 mpy) than pure Mg (3 mpy) and commercial high potential Mg anode (14 mpy). The increasing small content of Al results in the reduction of corrosion rate significantly. Therefore, it proves that the performance of Mg containing Ca alloy is strongly influenced by the concentration of Al. (author)

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

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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

Small but super

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donald, R.L.

1994-01-01

This paper compares the advantages and disadvantages between large and small gas utility companies. It discusses areas of construction, gaining markets, technology advances, pricing, and customer service. The paper includes discussions from four chairmen of small utility companies whom describe their perceived position among the larger companies. It also describes methods which small companies use to unite for state and nationally significant issues to voice their opinions

Small hydro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, K.; Tung, T.

1995-01-01

A small hydro plant in Canada is defined as any project between 1 MW and 15 MW but the international standard is 10 MW. The global market for small hydro development was considered good. There are some 1000 to 2000 MW of generating capacity being added each year. In Canada, growth potential is considered small, primarily in remote areas, but significant growth is anticipated in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. Canada with its expertise in engineering, manufacturing and development is considered to have a good chance to take advantage of these growing markets

Cystic echinococcosis: prevalence and economic significance in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2015 to April 2016 at ELFORA export abattoir to determine the prevalence, cyst viability, organ distribution and economic significance of small ruminant cystic echinococcosis. A total of 850 small ruminants (400 sheep and 450 goats), were examined for the presence of ...

Prognostic Significance of Tumor Size of Small Lung Adenocarcinomas Evaluated with Mediastinal Window Settings on Computed Tomography

OpenAIRE

Sakao, Yukinori; Kuroda, Hiroaki; Mun, Mingyon; Uehara, Hirofumi; Motoi, Noriko; Ishikawa, Yuichi; Nakagawa, Ken; Okumura, Sakae

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: We aimed to clarify that the size of the lung adenocarcinoma evaluated using mediastinal window on computed tomography is an important and useful modality for predicting invasiveness, lymph node metastasis and prognosis in small adenocarcinoma. METHODS: We evaluated 176 patients with small lung adenocarcinomas (diameter, 1-3 cm) who underwent standard surgical resection. Tumours were examined using computed tomography with thin section conditions (1.25 mm thick on high-resolution ...

EFFECTS OF SMALL THRUST ON THE MOTION OF AN ARTIFICIAL EARTH SATELLITE

OpenAIRE

TAKEUCHI, Sumio; 武内, 澄夫

1982-01-01

Perturbative effects of small thrust on the motion of an artificial earth satellite are investigated. The Lagrange planetary equations in Gaussian form are applied to determine the variations of the orbital elements. Also, equations of motion expressed in terms of different components of the thrust acceleration are used. It is assumed that the small thrust acceleration is a function of time and expressible as a linear combination of a polynomial and a composite set of all sines and cosines. B...

Joint Effects of Structural Racism and Income Inequality on Small-for-Gestational-Age Birth

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Maeve E.; Liu, Danping; Grantz, Katherine L.

2015-01-01

Objectives. We examined potential synergistic effects of racial and socioeconomic inequality associated with small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth. Methods. Electronic medical records from singleton births to White and Black women in 10 US states and the District of Columbia (n = 121 758) were linked to state-level indicators of structural racism, including the ratios of Blacks to Whites who were employed, were incarcerated, and had a bachelor’s or higher degree. We used state-level Gini coefficients to assess income inequality. Generalized estimating equations models were used to quantify the adjusted odds of SGA birth associated with each indicator and the joint effects of structural racism and income inequality. Results. Structural racism indicators were associated with higher odds of SGA birth, and similar effects were observed for both races. The joint effects of racial and income inequality were significantly associated with SGA birth only when levels of both were high; in areas with high inequality levels, adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.81 to 2.11 for the 3 structural racism indicators. Conclusions. High levels of racial inequality and socioeconomic inequality appear to increase the risk of SGA birth, particularly when they co-occur. PMID:26066964

Joint Effects of Structural Racism and Income Inequality on Small-for-Gestational-Age Birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Maeve E; Mendola, Pauline; Liu, Danping; Grantz, Katherine L

2015-08-01

We examined potential synergistic effects of racial and socioeconomic inequality associated with small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth. Electronic medical records from singleton births to White and Black women in 10 US states and the District of Columbia (n = 121 758) were linked to state-level indicators of structural racism, including the ratios of Blacks to Whites who were employed, were incarcerated, and had a bachelor's or higher degree. We used state-level Gini coefficients to assess income inequality. Generalized estimating equations models were used to quantify the adjusted odds of SGA birth associated with each indicator and the joint effects of structural racism and income inequality. Structural racism indicators were associated with higher odds of SGA birth, and similar effects were observed for both races. The joint effects of racial and income inequality were significantly associated with SGA birth only when levels of both were high; in areas with high inequality levels, adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.81 to 2.11 for the 3 structural racism indicators. High levels of racial inequality and socioeconomic inequality appear to increase the risk of SGA birth, particularly when they co-occur.

Local-Field Distribution of Two Dielectric Inclusions at Small Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Siu, Yuet-Lun; Yu, Kin-Wah

2001-03-01

When two dielectric inclusions approach to each other in a composite medium, significant mutual polarization effects must occur. These effects are multipolar in nature and are difficult to treat from first principles(J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics), 2nd edition, (Wiley, New York, 1975).. In this work, we employ the discrete-dipole theory(B. T. Draine and P. J. Flatau, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 11) 1491 (1994). to account for the mutual polarization effects by dividing the inclusions into many small subparts. We begin the calculation at small inclusion sizes and large separation, where the point-dipole limit being valid, and proceed to larger inclusion sizes and small separation, for which the mutual polarization effect becomes important. Then, we apply the theory to determine the dipole moment of each subpart self-consistently. In this way, each dipole moment yields the local electric field, which in turn polarizes the neighboring dipoles. We also begin the calculation at small inclusion sizes and large separation, where the point-dipole limit being valid, and proceed to larger inclusion sizes and small separation. Our resluts indicate that convergence is achieved with moderate computational effects. The results produce valuable information about the local electric field distribution, which is relevant to optical absorption due to surface phonon-polaritons of ionic microcrystals.

In vivo and in vitro toxicological effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on small intestine

Science.gov (United States)

Tassinari, Roberta; La Rocca, Cinzia; Stecca, Laura; Tait, Sabrina; De Berardis, Barbara; Ammendolia, Maria Grazia; Iosi, Francesca; Di Virgilio, Antonio; Martinelli, Andrea; Maranghi, Francesca

2015-06-01

In European Union, titanium dioxide (TiO2) as bulk material is a food additive (E171) and - as nanoparticle (NP) - is used as a white pigment in several products (e.g. food, cosmetics, drugs). E171 contains approximately 36% of particles less than 100 nm in at least one dimension and TiO2 NP exposure is estimated fairly below 2.5 mg/person/day. The gastrointestinal tract is a route of entry for NPs, thus representing a potential target of effects. In in vivo study, the effects of TiO2 NP in adult rat small intestine have been evaluated by oral administration of 0 (CTRL), 1 and 2 mg/kg body weight per day - relevant to human dietary intake. Detailed quali/quantitative histopathological analyses were performed on CTRL and treated rat samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed on small intestine. An in vitro study on Caco-2 cells was also used in order to evaluate the potential cytotoxic effects directly on enterocytes through the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Suspensions of TiO2 NPs for in vitro and in vivo study were characterized by EM. Histomorphometrical data showed treatment-related changes of villus height and widths in male rats. Significantly different from CTRL decreased LDH levels in the medium were detected in vitro at 24h with 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 µg/cm2 levels of TiO2 NPs. SEM analysis showed no damaged areas. Overall the results showed that enterocytes may represent a target of TiO2 NP toxicity by direct exposure both in vivo and in vitro models.

In vivo and in vitro toxicological effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on small intestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tassinari, Roberta; La Rocca, Cinzia; Tait, Sabrina; De Berardis, Barbara; Ammendolia, Maria Grazia; Iosi, Francesca; Di Virgilio, Antonio; Martinelli, Andrea; Maranghi, Francesca; Stecca, Laura

2014-01-01

In European Union, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) as bulk material is a food additive (E171) and - as nanoparticle (NP) - is used as a white pigment in several products (e.g. food, cosmetics, drugs). E171 contains approximately 36% of particles less than 100 nm in at least one dimension and TiO 2 NP exposure is estimated fairly below 2.5 mg/person/day. The gastrointestinal tract is a route of entry for NPs, thus representing a potential target of effects. In in vivo study, the effects of TiO 2 NP in adult rat small intestine have been evaluated by oral administration of 0 (CTRL), 1 and 2 mg/kg body weight per day - relevant to human dietary intake. Detailed quali/quantitative histopathological analyses were performed on CTRL and treated rat samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed on small intestine. An in vitro study on Caco-2 cells was also used in order to evaluate the potential cytotoxic effects directly on enterocytes through the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Suspensions of TiO 2 NPs for in vitro and in vivo study were characterized by EM. Histomorphometrical data showed treatment-related changes of villus height and widths in male rats. Significantly different from CTRL decreased LDH levels in the medium were detected in vitro at 24h with 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 µg/cm 2 levels of TiO 2 NPs. SEM analysis showed no damaged areas. Overall the results showed that enterocytes may represent a target of TiO 2 NP toxicity by direct exposure both in vivo and in vitro models

[Clinical effects for patients with recurrent advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with icotinib hydrochloride].

Science.gov (United States)

Nong, Jingying; Qin, Na; Wang, Jinghui; Yang, Xinjie; Zhang, Hui; Wu, Yuhua; Lv, Jialin; Zhang, Quan; Zhang, Shucai

2013-05-01

Icotinib hydrochloride is the third single target EGFR-TKI used in clinical treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinical research reports on its efficacy and survival in patients with Recurrent Advanced NSCLC are still little.The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and survival of Icotinib hydrochloride for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who failed to previous chemotherapy and explore the association of clinical features with the efficacy and survival. The clinical data of 60 NSCLC patients referred to the Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2009 to July 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The overall response rate (ORR) was 45.0% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 80.0%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 6.7 months. RR and PFS in female were superior to male (P=0.014, 0.013, respectively). RR, DCR in 2nd-line subgroup were superior to ≥3rd-line subgroup (P=0.020, 0.024, respectively). RR, DCR and PFS in EGFR mutation carriers were significantly superior to wild-type patients (P=0.006, Icotinib hydrochloride is effective especially in EGFR mutation carriers and well tolerated in patients with recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Small-world effect induced by weight randomization on regular networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Menghui; Fan, Ying; Wang, Dahui; Li, Daqing; Wu, Jinshan; Di, Zengru

2007-01-01

The concept of edge weight provides additional depth for describing and adjusting the properties of networks. Redistribution of edge weight can effectively change the properties of networks even though the corresponding binary topology remains unchanged. Based on regular networks with initially homogeneous dissimilarity weights, random redistribution of edge weight can be enough to induce small world phenomena. The effects of random weight redistribution on both static properties and dynamical models of networks are investigated. The results reveal that randomization of weight can enhance the ability of synchronization of chaotic systems dramatically

[Clinical efficacy and adverse effects of taxol plus carboplatin or gemcitabine plus carboplatin in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao-Yun; Zhao, Yu-Liang

2010-12-21

To observe the clinical efficacy and adverse effects of taxol plus carboplatin (TP) or gemcitabine plus carboplatin (GP) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma. A total of 86 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma with a histologically confirmed diagnosis at our department were treated with at least two cycles of drug therapy according to the WHO standard. There were 43 cases in TP group and 43 cases in GP group. TP group: taxol 150 mg/m(2), d1, carboplatin 300 mg/m(2) in d1; GP group: gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2), 30 min, d1, 8, carboplatin 300 mg/m(2) in d1, 3 weeks a cycle. The efficacy and side effects were analyzed after two cycles of chemotherapy. When TP and GP groups were compared, the effective rate was 44.2% vs 39.5%; disease control rate (CR + PR + SD): 81.4% vs 74.4%; median time to progress (TTP): 4.6 vs 4.5 months; medium survivals: 8.6 vs 8.8 months; 1-year survival rates: 17.2% vs 18.1%; 2-year survival rates: 8% vs 10%. The statistic analysis showed that the two groups had no significant difference. The main cytotoxicities of GP and TP groups were predominantly thrombocytopenia and leucopenia respectively. The two groups had no significant statistical difference. The incidences of allergen, alopecia and peripheral neurotoxicity were higher in the TP group. The two groups had statistical difference. Tolerance was excellent in both groups. The therapeutic effect and tolerance are excellent for advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma. The efficacy and survival rate of two groups show no statistical difference.

Effects of small defects and nonmetallic inclusions on the fatigue strength of metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Y.

1991-01-01

The equation for predicting the effects of artificial small defects on the fatigue strength of metals is introduced, and it is applied to the quantitative evaluation of the effects of nonmetallic inclusions on the fatigue strength of high-strength steels. The importance of the concept that nonmetallic inclusions are virtually equivalent to defects, from the viewpoint of fatigue strength and, more practically, are equivalent to small cracks is emphasized. It is shown that nonmetallic inclusions cause relatively low-fatigue strength and large scatter of the fatigue strength of steels with high static strength or high hardness. The statistics of extreme values is used to estimate the expected maximum size of nonmetallic inclusions contained in a definite number of specimens. The lower limit of scatter in the fatigue strength of a high-strength steel is obtained by using the prediction equation for small defects together with the expected maximum size of nonmetallic inclusions

Significance of autobiographical episodes and spacing effects in incidental memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyota, Hiroshi

2013-10-01

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

EFFECTS OF SMALL-SIDED GAMES ON PHYSICAL CONDITIONING AND PERFORMANCE IN YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Athanasios Katis

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine, first, the movement actions performed during two different small-sided games and, second, their effects on a series of field endurance and technical tests. Thirty-four young soccer players (age: 13 ± 0.9 yrs; body mass: 62.3 ± 15.1 kg; height: 1.65 ± 0.06 m participated in the study. Small-sided games included three-a-side (3 versus 3 players and six-a-side (6 versus 6 players games consisting of 10 bouts of 4 min duration with 3 min active recovery between bouts. Soccer player performance was evaluated using five field tests: a 30m sprint, b throw-in for distance, c Illinois Agility Test, d dribbling the ball and e horizontal jump before, in the middle and after the implementation of both game situations. Heart rate was monitored during the entire testing session. Each game was also filmed to measure soccer movements within the game. The ANOVA analysis indicated that the three-a- side games displayed significantly higher heart rate values compared with the six-a-side games (p < 0.05. The number of short passes, kicks, tackles, dribbles and scoring goals were significantly higher during the three-a-side compared with the six-a-side game condition (p < 0. 05 while players performed more long passes and headed the ball more often during the six-a-side (p < 0.05. After the three-a-side games, there was a significant decline in sprint and agility performance (p < 0.05, while after both game conditions significant alterations in the throw-in and the horizontal jump performance were observed (p < 0.05. The results of the present study indicated that three-a-side games provide higher stimulus for physical conditioning and technical improvement than six-a-side games and their use for training young soccer players is recommended

The Effect of Business Climate on Operations of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Oluremi Olubitan

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This research investigated the effect of business climate on operations of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs in Nigeria. Specifically, the aims were to identify the various business climates affecting SMEs, examine how business climates affects sales turnover of SMEs, and evaluate the effect of business climate on Total Factor Productivity (TFP of SMEs in Nigeria. The research utilized secondary data collected from 2.783 registered businesses in all sectors. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation. It reveals that majority of SMEs experience one constraints or another as a major obstacle which includes inadequate electricity supply (53,22% and access to finance (15,74%. Inferential statistics such as Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA indicated that labour (0,9943; P < 0,05 and infrastructure (0,7133; P < 0,05 are the only significant variables to sales turnover. Meanwhile,  the regression analysis shows that raw material, labor, infrastructure and fixed cost are the variables that have a strong predicted variance in TFP at P < 0,05 with p-value of 0,000. Water is also observed to be significant at P < 0,1 with p-value of 0,087.

Effects of concomitant cisplatin and radiotherapy on inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaake-Koning, C.; van den Bogaert, W.; Dalesio, O.; Festen, J.; Hoogenhout, J.; van Houtte, P.; Kirkpatrick, A.; Koolen, M.; Maat, B.; Nijs, A.

1992-01-01

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum) has been reported to enhance the cell-killing effect of radiation, an effect whose intensity varies with the schedule of administration. We randomly assigned 331 patients with nonmetastatic inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer to one

Effects of taurine on plasma glucose concentration and active glucose transport in the small intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchiya, Yo; Kawamata, Koichi

2017-11-01

Taurine lowers blood glucose levels and improves hyperglycemia. However, its effects on glucose transport in the small intestine have not been investigated. Here, we elucidated the effect of taurine on glucose absorption in the small intestine. In the oral glucose tolerance test, addition of 10 mmol/L taurine suppressed the increase in hepatic portal glucose concentrations. To investigate whether the suppressive effect of taurine occurs via down-regulation of active glucose transport in the small intestine, we performed an assay using the everted sac of the rat jejunum. Addition of taurine to the mucosal side of the jejunum suppressed active glucose transport via sodium-glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1). After elimination of chloride ions from the mucosal solution, taurine did not show suppressive effects on active glucose transport. These results suggest that taurine suppressed the increase in hepatic portal glucose concentrations via suppression of SGLT1 activity in the rat jejunum, depending on chloride ions. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Effect on thyroid function and serum PTH, BGP, CT of small dose of iodine 131 combined with Methimazole in patients with hyperthyroidism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia-Yin Qiu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To observe the effect on thyroid function and serum PTH, BGP, CT of small dose of iodine 131 combined with Methimazole in patients with hyperthyroidism. Methods: A total of 104 patients with hyperthyroidism willing be incorporated into the study were randomly divided into the observation group (54 cases and the control group (50 cases. The control group was treated with Methimazole, and the observation group was given a small dose of iodine 131 the basised on the control group. For 2 months, to observe the changes of thyroid function (TT3, TT4, FT3, FT4 and TSH and bone metabolism related indexes (PTH, BGP and CT of the two groups. Results: (1 After treatment, TT3, FT3, TT4 and FT4 of the two groups decreased with before, and the observation group improved more significantly than the control group, with statistical difference; TSH of the two groups had no significant change. (2 After treatment, BGP and CT of the two groups decreased and PTH increased, the observation group improved more significantly than the control group, with statistical difference. Conclusion: small dose of iodine 131 combined with Methimazole can correct thyroid function and bone metabolism quickly in patients with hyperthyroidism.

Examining significant factors in micro and small enterprises performance: case study in Amhara region, Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Cherkos, Tomas; Zegeye, Muluken; Tilahun, Shimelis; Avvari, Muralidhar

2017-07-01

Furniture manufacturing micro and small enterprises are confronted with several factors that affect their performance. Some enterprises fail to sustain, some others remain for long period of time without transforming, and most are producing similar and non-standard products. The main aim of this manuscript is on improving the performance and contribution of MSEs by analyzing impact of significant internal and external factors. Data was collected via a questionnaire, group discussion with experts and interviewing process. Randomly selected eight representative main cities of Amhara region with 120 furniture manufacturing enterprises are considered. Data analysis and presentation was made using SPSS tools (correlation, proximity, and T test) and impact-effort analysis matrix tool. The correlation analysis shows that politico-legal with infrastructure, leadership with entrepreneurship skills and finance and credit with marketing factors are those factors, which result in high correlation with Pearson correlation values of r = 0.988, 0.983, and 0.939, respectively. The study investigates that the most critical factors faced by MSEs are work premises, access to finance, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and business managerial problems. The impact of these factors is found to be high and is confirmed by the 50% drop-out rate in 2014/2015. Furthermore, more than 25% work time losses due to power interruption daily and around 65% work premises problems challenged MSEs. Further, an impact-effort matrix was developed to help the MSEs to prioritize the affecting factors.

Acceleration and loss of relativistic electrons during small geomagnetic storms.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, B R; Millan, R M; Reeves, G D; Friedel, R H W

2015-12-16

Past studies of radiation belt relativistic electrons have favored active storm time periods, while the effects of small geomagnetic storms ( D s t  > -50 nT) have not been statistically characterized. In this timely study, given the current weak solar cycle, we identify 342 small storms from 1989 through 2000 and quantify the corresponding change in relativistic electron flux at geosynchronous orbit. Surprisingly, small storms can be equally as effective as large storms at enhancing and depleting fluxes. Slight differences exist, as small storms are 10% less likely to result in flux enhancement and 10% more likely to result in flux depletion than large storms. Nevertheless, it is clear that neither acceleration nor loss mechanisms scale with storm drivers as would be expected. Small geomagnetic storms play a significant role in radiation belt relativistic electron dynamics and provide opportunities to gain new insights into the complex balance of acceleration and loss processes.

Effect of hypocholesterolemia on cholesterol synthesis in small intestine of diabetic rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feingold, K.R.; Moser, A.H.

1987-01-01

Studies by our and other laboratories have demonstrated that cholesterol synthesis is increased in the small intestine of insulinopenic diabetic animals. In normal animals, many factors have been shown to regulate cholesterol synthesis in the small intestine, including changes in plasma cholesterol levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of lowering plasma cholesterol levels on small intestine cholesterol synthesis in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. In diabetic rats, 4-aminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (4-APP)-induced hypocholesterolemia (plasma cholesterol levels less than 20 mg/dl) resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in small intestine cholesterol synthesis, which was most marked in the distal small intestine, decreasing proximally. In the distal small intestine the incorporation of 3 H 2 O into cholesterol was 0.28 +/- 0.04 mumol.h-1.g-1 in diabetic rats versus 1.60 +/- 0.38 in diabetic rats administered 4-APP (P less than .01). This stimulation of cholesterol synthesis occurred in the upper villus, middle villus, and crypt cells isolated from the middle intestine of the 4-APP-treated diabetic animals. In agreement with these observations, functional hypocholesterolemia due to Triton WR-1339 administration also stimulated cholesterol synthesis 2.5-fold in the small intestine of normal and diabetic animals. In the distal small intestine, cholesterol synthesis was 0.43 +/- 0.10 mumol.h-1.g-1 in the diabetic rats versus 1.08 +/- 0.21 in diabetic rats treated with Triton WR-1339 (P less than .05). In both the 4-APP and Triton WR-1339 experiments, the response of the diabetic rats was similar to that observed in normal rats

Cost-effectiveness of using small vertebrates as indicators of disturbance.

Science.gov (United States)

Peck, Mika Robert; Maddock, Simon T; Morales, Jorge Noe; Oñate, Hugolino; Mafla-Endara, Paola; Peñafiel, Vanessa Aguirre; Torres-Carvajal, Omar; Pozo-Rivera, Wilmer E; Cueva-Arroyo, Xavier A; Tolhurst, Bryony A

2014-10-01

In species-rich tropical forests, effective biodiversity management demands measures of progress, yet budgetary limitations typically constrain capacity of decision makers to assess response of biological communities to habitat change. One approach is to identify ecological-disturbance indicator species (EDIS) whose monitoring is also monetarily cost-effective. These species can be identified by determining individual species' responses to disturbance across a gradient; however, such responses may be confounded by factors other than disturbance. For example, in mountain environments the effects of anthropogenic habitat alteration are commonly confounded by elevation. EDIS have been identified with the indicator value (IndVal) metric, but there are weaknesses in the application of this approach in complex montane systems. We surveyed birds, small mammals, bats, and leaf-litter lizards in differentially disturbed cloud forest of the Ecuadorian Andes. We then incorporated elevation in generalized linear (mixed) models (GL(M)M) to screen for EDIS in the data set. Finally, we used rarefaction of species accumulation data to compare relative monetary costs of identifying and monitoring EDIS at equal sampling effort, based on species richness. Our GL(M)M generated greater numbers of EDIS but fewer characteristic species relative to IndVal. In absolute terms birds were the most cost-effective of the 4 taxa surveyed. We found one low-cost bird EDIS. In terms of the number of indicators generated as a proportion of species richness, EDIS of small mammals were the most cost-effective. Our approach has the potential to be a useful tool for facilitating more sustainable management of Andean forest systems. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Canadian small wind market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moorhouse, E.

2010-01-01

This PowerPoint presentation discussed initiatives and strategies adopted by the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) to support the development of Canada's small wind market. The general public has shown a significant interest in small wind projects of 300 kW. Studies have demonstrated that familiarity and comfort with small wind projects can help to ensure the successful implementation of larger wind projects. Small wind markets include residential, farming and commercial, and remote community applications. The results of CanWEA market survey show that the small wind market grew by 78 percent in 2008 over 2007, and again in 2009 by 32 percent over 2008. The average turbine size is 1 kW. A total of 11,000 turbines were purchased in 2007 and 2008. Global small wind market growth increased by 110 percent in 2008, and the average turbine size was 2.4 kW. Eighty-seven percent of the turbines made by Canadian mid-size wind turbine manufacturers are exported, and there is now a significant risk that Canada will lose its competitive advantage in small wind manufacturing as financial incentives have not been implemented. American and Canadian-based small wind manufacturers were listed, and small wind policies were reviewed. The presentation concluded with a set of recommendations for future incentives, educational programs and legislation. tabs., figs.

Clinical Significance of Preoperative Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio versus Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Small Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji-Feng Feng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have shown that the presence of systemic inflammation correlates with poor survival in various of cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic values of neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR in patients with small cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE. Preoperative NLR and PLR were evaluated in 43 patients with SCCE from January 2001 to December 2010. The prognostic significance of both markers was then determined by both uni- and multivariate analytical methods. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves were also plotted to verify the accuracy of NLR and PLR for survival prediction. Patients with PLR ≥150 had significantly poorer (relapse-free survival RFS and (overall survival OS compared to patients with PLR <150. However, RFS or OS did not differ according to NLR categories (<3.5 and ≥3.5. The areas under the curve (AUC indicated that PLR was superior to NLR as a predictive factor. The results of the present study conclude that PLR is superior to NLR as a predictive factor in patients with SCCE.

Cost-effective climate policy in a small country

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagem, C.

1994-01-01

Unilateral action to curb CO 2 emissions in a small country or a group of countries has only a limited effect on global CO 2 emissions. However, it could be a first step toward a broader climate treaty. So far, unilateral commitments have been aimed at reducing national consumption of fossil fuels. A country that produces and consumes fossil fuels can also infiuence the global CO 2 emissions by reducing its production. The estimated cost of reducing national CO 2 emissions in Norway, through a reduction infossil fuel consumption, is presented in a report from the Environmental Tax Committee (1992). In this paper, that cost is compared with an estimated cost of reducing fossil fuel production. The calculation reveals that it could be less costly to reduce the production than the consumption, given that the effect on global CO 2 emissions is identical. 23 refs., 4 tabs

The Effect of Acquisition Reform on Small Business Participation in the Federal Marketplace

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cheifetz, Aaron

2004-01-01

... concentrates on examining contract bundling, reverse auctions, electronic commerce and multiple award schedules, It concludes that contract bundling has had a negative effect on small businesses...

The social effectiveness of small and medium-sized entities standard from the view point of Game Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Gonzales

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Accounting has been undergoing significant changes, and among these changes is the creation of a standard for the accounting of small and medium enterprises, in line with international accounting standards for companies of this size. This rule arose from the development of a pronouncement by the Accounting Pronouncements Committee – CPC, which subsequently was approved by the Federal Accounting Council - CFC through specific resolutions. The present study aimed to analyze trends of accounting professionals and business managers concerning the adoption of Technical Pronouncement emitted by Accounting Pronouncements Committee for Small and Medium Enterprises. Considering the level of complexity of the operations performed by companies of this size, the lack of oversight by specific entities and the question of enforcement of these pronouncements, it was used the game theory to determine possible strategies adopted by the accountants and business managers regarding to the effective adoption of pronouncement for SMEs. The study was characterized as a descriptive research, using bibliographical and field research. With the use of surveys sought to identify the perceptions of accounting professionals regarding the adoption of the pronouncement. It was found that this statement constitutes a valid legal standard, endowed with legal effectiveness and technical efficiency, but lacking social effectiveness, due to the low level of efforts for its adoption, both by accounting professionals and by firms.

Leadership and Small Firm Performance: The Moderating Effects of Demographic Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Flanigan, Rod L.; Bishop, Jacob L.; Brachle, Ben J.; Winn, Bradley A.

2017-01-01

The present study builds on extant leadership literature by examining the role demographic variables (including age, tenure as a leader at the current company, experience in the industry, and level of education) play as moderating effects on the relationship between leadership style and small business financial performance in the national…

Competitive Strategies and Financial Performance of Small Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Barron, Thomas A., Jr.

2017-01-01

Many institutions of higher education are facing significant financial challenges, resulting in diminished economic viability and, in the worst cases, the threat of closure (Moody's Investor Services, 2015). The study was designed to explore the effectiveness of competitive strategies for small colleges in terms of financial performance. Five…

Characterization of the effects of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition in the regulation of apoptosis in human small and non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Alam, Mahmood

2012-02-03

BACKGROUND: Cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme (COX-2) is overexpressed in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but is not expressed in small cell lung cancer. Selective COX-2 inhibitors have been shown to induce apoptosis in NSCLC cells, an effect which is associated with the regulation of intracellular MAP kinase (MAPK) signal pathways. Our aims were to characterize the effects of COX-2 inhibition by rofecoxib on apoptosis in human NSCLC and small cell lung cancer cell lines. METHODS: The human NSCLC cell line NCI-H2126 and small cell lung cancer cell line DMS-79 were used. Constitutive COX-2 protein levels were first determined by Western blot test. Levels of apoptosis were evaluated by using propidium iodide staining on FACScan analysis after incubation of NCI-H2126 and DMS-79 with p38 MAPK inhibitor SB202190 (25 ?microM), NF-kappaB inhibitor SN50 (75 microg\\/mL), and rofecoxib at 100 and 250 microM. All statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance. RESULTS: Western blot test confirmed the presence of COX-2 enzyme in NCI-H2126 and absence in DMS-79. Interestingly, rofecoxib treatment demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in apoptosis in both cell lines. Given this finding, the effect of rofecoxib on NF-kappaB and p38 MAPK pathways was also examined. Apoptosis in both cell lines was unaltered by SN50, either alone or in combination with rofecoxib. A similar phenomenon was observed in NCI-H2126 cells treated with SB202190, either alone or in combination with rofecoxib. In contrast, p38 MAPK inhibition greatly upregulated DMS-79 apoptosis in a manner that was unaltered by the addition of rofecoxib. CONCLUSIONS: Rofecoxib led to a dose-dependent increase in apoptosis in both tumor cell lines. This effect occurred independently of COX-2, NF-kappaB, and p38 MAPK pathways in DMS-79 cells. As such, rofecoxib must act on alternative pathways to regulate apoptosis in human small cell lung cancer cells.

Current trends in small vocabulary speech recognition for equipment control

Science.gov (United States)

Doukas, Nikolaos; Bardis, Nikolaos G.

2017-09-01

Speech recognition systems allow human - machine communication to acquire an intuitive nature that approaches the simplicity of inter - human communication. Small vocabulary speech recognition is a subset of the overall speech recognition problem, where only a small number of words need to be recognized. Speaker independent small vocabulary recognition can find significant applications in field equipment used by military personnel. Such equipment may typically be controlled by a small number of commands that need to be given quickly and accurately, under conditions where delicate manual operations are difficult to achieve. This type of application could hence significantly benefit by the use of robust voice operated control components, as they would facilitate the interaction with their users and render it much more reliable in times of crisis. This paper presents current challenges involved in attaining efficient and robust small vocabulary speech recognition. These challenges concern feature selection, classification techniques, speaker diversity and noise effects. A state machine approach is presented that facilitates the voice guidance of different equipment in a variety of situations.

Fringe field effects in small rings of large acceptance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Berz

2000-12-01

Full Text Available Recently there has been renewed interest in the influence of fringe fields on particle dynamics, due to studies that revealed their importance in some cases, as, for example, the proposed Neutrino Factory and muon colliders. In this paper, we present a systematic study of generic fringe field effects. Using as an example a lattice of the proposed Neutrino Factory, we show that fringe fields influence the dynamics of particles at all orders, starting with the linear motion. It is found that the widely used sharp cutoff approximation leads to divergences regardless of the specific fall-off shape of the fields. The results suggest that a careful consideration of fringe field effects in the design stage of small machines for large emittances is always recommended.

The small sample uncertainty aspect in relation to bullwhip effect measurement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Erland Hejn

2009-01-01

The bullwhip effect as a concept has been known for almost half a century starting with the Forrester effect. The bullwhip effect is observed in many supply chains, and it is generally accepted as a potential malice. Despite of this fact, the bullwhip effect still seems to be first and foremost...... a conceptual phenomenon. This paper intends primarily to investigate why this might be so and thereby investigate the various aspects, possibilities and obstacles that must be taken into account, when considering the potential practical use and measure of the bullwhip effect in order to actually get the supply...... chain under control. This paper will put special emphasis on the unavoidable small-sample uncertainty aspects relating to the measurement or estimation of the bullwhip effect.  ...

In vivo and in vitro toxicological effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on small intestine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tassinari, Roberta; La Rocca, Cinzia; Tait, Sabrina; De Berardis, Barbara; Ammendolia, Maria Grazia; Iosi, Francesca; Di Virgilio, Antonio; Martinelli, Andrea; Maranghi, Francesca, E-mail: francesca.maranghi@iss.it [Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome (Italy); Stecca, Laura [European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection Chemical assessment and Testing Unit, Via E. Fermi, 2749I-21027 Ispra (Italy)

2015-06-23

In European Union, titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) as bulk material is a food additive (E171) and - as nanoparticle (NP) - is used as a white pigment in several products (e.g. food, cosmetics, drugs). E171 contains approximately 36% of particles less than 100 nm in at least one dimension and TiO{sub 2} NP exposure is estimated fairly below 2.5 mg/person/day. The gastrointestinal tract is a route of entry for NPs, thus representing a potential target of effects. In in vivo study, the effects of TiO{sub 2} NP in adult rat small intestine have been evaluated by oral administration of 0 (CTRL), 1 and 2 mg/kg body weight per day - relevant to human dietary intake. Detailed quali/quantitative histopathological analyses were performed on CTRL and treated rat samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed on small intestine. An in vitro study on Caco-2 cells was also used in order to evaluate the potential cytotoxic effects directly on enterocytes through the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Suspensions of TiO{sub 2} NPs for in vitro and in vivo study were characterized by EM. Histomorphometrical data showed treatment-related changes of villus height and widths in male rats. Significantly different from CTRL decreased LDH levels in the medium were detected in vitro at 24h with 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 µg/cm{sup 2} levels of TiO{sub 2} NPs. SEM analysis showed no damaged areas. Overall the results showed that enterocytes may represent a target of TiO{sub 2} NP toxicity by direct exposure both in vivo and in vitro models.

14C-lactose breath tests during pelvic radiotherapy: the effect of the amount of small bowel irradiated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, R.G.; Stryker, J.A.

1982-01-01

Thirty patients who were undergoing pelvic radiotherapy had 14 C-lactose breath tests performed in the first and fifth weeks of treatment. In Group I (21 patients), a significant portion of the small intestine was irradiated, and in Group II (9 patients), only a small portion of the small intestine was irradiated. In Group I, the average reductions in the excretion of ingested 14 C between the first- and fifth-week tests were 41.5% at 1/2 hour postingestion (p 0.05). The data suggest that lactose malabsorption is a factor in the etiology of the nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea experienced by patients who are undergoing pelvic radiotherapy, and that the amount of bowel included in the treatment volume significantly influences the degree of malabsorption

Small millets, big potential

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

consumption of small millets, mainly due to limited productivity, high ... for effective integration of small millets in the ... replicated in other cities. ... to micro-, small- and medium-entrepreneurs producing millet-based ... and Activities Network,.

Effect of Integrated Pest Management Training on Ugandan Small-Scale Farmers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Anna Sabine; Jørs, Erik; Atuhaire, Aggrey

2017-01-01

interviews and were analyzed using a linear trend test and logistic regression. The results showed that FFS and neighboring farmers used significantly fewer pesticide applications (P = .021) and used more safety measures. No differences were found on the hazardousness of pesticides used or self......-reported symptoms. The study supports IPM as a method to reduce pesticide use and potential exposure and to improve pesticide-related KAP among small-scale farmers in developing countries....

Effects of casing treatment on a small, transonic axial-flow compressor

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, F. F.; Kidwell, J. R.

1975-01-01

Improved axial compressor surge margin through effective rotor casing treatment has been identified from test results on large axial compressors. A modified scale of a large compressor was built and tested to determine if similar improvements in surge margin could be duplicated in small-size turbomachinery. In addition, the effects of rotor radial running clearance, both with and without casing treatment, were investigated and are discussed. Test results of the scale configuration are presented and compared to the parent compressor.

Significant improvement of eczema with skin care and food elimination in small children.

Science.gov (United States)

Norrman, Gunilla; Tomicić, Sara; Böttcher, Malin Fagerås; Oldaeus, Göran; Strömberg, Leif; Fälth-magnusson, Karin

2005-10-01

To evaluate common methods of investigation and treatment in children younger than 2 y of age with eczema, with or without sensitization to food allergens. One hundred and twenty-three children younger than 2 y of age with eczema and suspected food allergy were included in this prospective study. The children underwent skin-prick test with cow's milk, fresh hen's egg white and wheat. Specific IgE to milk and egg white was analysed. The eczema extent and severity was estimated with SCORAD before and after treatment. Children with a positive skin-prick test were instructed to exclude that food item from their diet. All children were treated with emollients and topical steroids when needed. Sixty-two of the children were skin-prick positive to at least one of the allergens; 62% had mild, 30% moderate and 8% severe eczema at their first visit. After treatment, 90% had mild, 10% moderate and 0% severe eczema. Forty-six per cent of the children had circulating IgE antibodies to milk or egg white. Ten per cent had specific IgE but negative skin-prick test to the same allergen. This subgroup improved their eczema significantly without elimination diet. The conventional treatments for children with eczema, i.e. skin care and food elimination, are effective. The beneficial effect of skin care as the first step should not be neglected, and it may not be necessary to eliminate food allergens to relieve skin symptoms in all food-sensitized children with eczema.

Towards biodiversity hotspots effective for conserving mammals with small geographic ranges

Science.gov (United States)

Carrara, Rodolfo; San Blas, Germán; Agrain, Federico; Roig-Juñent, Sergio

2017-01-01

The main goal of using global biodiversity hotspots for conservation purposes is to protect taxa with small geographic ranges because these are highly vulnerable to extinction. However, the extent to what different hotspots types are effective for meeting this goal remains controversial because hotspots have been previously defined as either the richest or most threatened and richest sites in terms of total, endemic or threatened species. In this regard, the use of species richness to set conservation priorities is widely discussed because strategies focused on this diversity measure tend to miss many of the taxa with small geographic ranges. Here we use data on global terrestrial mammal distributions to show that, hotspots of total species, endemism and threat defined in terms of species richness are effective in including 27%, 29% and 11% respectively, of the taxa with small geographic ranges. Whilst, the same hotspot types defined in terms of a simple diversity index, which is a function of species richness and range-size rarity, include 68%, 44% and 90% respectively, of these taxa. In addition, we demonstrate that index hotspot types are highly efficient because they conserve 79% of mammal species (21% more species than richness hotspot types), with 59% of species shared by three hotspot types (31% more than richness hotspot types). These results suggest that selection of different diversity measures to define hotspots may strongly affect the achievement of conservation goals.

The effect of parasitism on nutrient metabolism and productivity in small ruminants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akinbamijo, O.O.

1994-01-01

INTRODUCTION

The investigation of voluntary feed intake (VFI) and nitrogen retention (NRET) during parasitic infections in small ruminants is the central theme of this thesis. An attempt was made to examine the effects of trypanosomiasis on feed intake,

Habitat, food, and small mammal community structure in Namaqualand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. van Deventer

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The effect of habitat differences and food availability on small mammal (rodent and elephant shrew species richness, diversity, density and biomass was investigated in Namaqualand, South Africa. Species richness in the three habitats sampled, namely Upland Succulent Karoo, Dry Riverine Shrub and North-western Mountain Renosterveld was low, with only 2–4 species per habitat. Rodents trapped were predominantly Gerbillurus paeba and Aethomys namaquensis, with fewer Mus minutoides and Petromyscus sp. The only non-rodent was the elephant shrew Elephantulus edwardii. Ten habitat features, the percentage of total plant cover, tree cover, shrub cover, grass cover, plant litter, total basal cover, sand, gravel or rock cover, and the dominant plant height were recorded at 30 randomly chosen points on five sampling grids in each habitat. Small mammal density and biomass was significantly correlated with food availability (green foliage cover, seeds, and relative density and biomass of insects. Species richness and diversity of small mammals were significantly correlated with shrub cover. Numbers and biomass of specific species correlated significantly with different habitat features in each case.

Effects of AC Electric Field on Small Laminar Nonpremixed Flames

KAUST Repository

Xiong, Yuan

2015-04-01

Electric field can be a viable method in controlling various combustion properties. Comparing to traditional actuators, an application of electric field requires very small power consumption. Especially, alternating current (AC) has received attention recently, since it could modulate flames appreciably even for the cases when direct current (DC) has minimal effects. In this study, the effect of AC electric fields on small coflow diffusion flames is focused with applications of various laser diagnostic techniques. Flow characteristics of baseline diffusion flames, which corresponds to stationary small coflow diffusion flames when electric field is not applied, were firstly investigated with a particular focus on the flow field in near-nozzle region with the buoyancy force exerted on fuels due to density differences among fuel, ambient air, and burnt gas. The result showed that the buoyancy force exerted on the fuel as well as on burnt gas significantly distorted the near-nozzle flow-fields. In the fuels with densities heavier than air, recirculation zones were formed very close to the nozzle exit. Nozzle heating effect influenced this near-nozzle flow-field particularly among lighter fuels. Numerical simulations were also conducted and the results showed that a fuel inlet boundary condition with a fully developed velocity profile for cases with long fuel tubes should be specified inside the fuel tube to obtain satisfactory agreement in both the flow and temperature fields with those from experiment. With sub-critical AC applied to the baseline flames, particle image velocimetry (PIV), light scattering, laser-induced incandescence (LII), and laser-induced fluores- cence (LIF) techniques were adopted to identify the flow field and the structures of OH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), soot zone. Under certain AC condi- tions of applied voltage and frequency, the distribution of PAHs and the flow field near the nozzle exit were drastically altered from the

Effects of dietary supplementation of Artemisia argyi aqueous extract on antioxidant indexes of small intestine in broilers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Fei; Shi, Binlin; Sun, Dengsheng; Chen, Hongyan; Tong, Manman; Zhang, Pengfei; Guo, Xiaoyu; Yan, Sumei

2016-09-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Artemisia argyi aqueous extract (AAE) on antioxidant indexes in the small intestine. A total of 192 Arbor Acre broiler chickens (one-day-old) were randomly divided into 4 treatments with 6 replicates of 8 chickens. These 4 diets were formulated by adding 0, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg AAE to the basal diet. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the control, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in ileum for the 2,000 mg/kg treatment group was significantly increased at 21 days of age ( P  < 0.05); the T-AOC levels in jejunum and ileum were significantly increased in broilers supplemented with 500 mg/kg AAE at 42 days of age ( P  < 0.05), and the T-AOC levels in jejunum and ileum were significantly improved in 1,000 mg/kg treatment group ( P  < 0.01). 2) At 21 days of age, supplementation of 500 mg/kg AAE significantly increased the catalase (CAT) activity of small intestine, and the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity of jejunum was improved ( P  < 0.01), meanwhile, the GSH-Px activity of duodenum and the total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity of duodenum and jejunum were significantly higher than those of the control group ( P  < 0.05); supplementation of 1,000 mg/kg AAE significantly increased the CAT activity of duodenum and ileum and the GSH-Px activity of duodenum and jejunum ( P  < 0.05), and the ileum GSH-Px activity was significantly increased ( P  < 0.01); supplementation of 2,000 mg/kg AAE significantly increased the CAT activity of duodenum and ileum ( P  < 0.05). At 42 days of age, supplementation of 500 mg/kg AAE significantly increased the GSH-Px activity of ileum and the T-SOD activity of duodenum ( P  < 0.05), meanwhile, the T-SOD activity of jejunum was significantly increased ( P  < 0.01); supplementation of 1,000 mg/kg AAE significantly increased the CAT activity of jejunum and the T-SOD activity of ileum ( P  < 0.01), and the GSH

The effect of control parameters to the quality of small-scale wood pellet combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruusunen, M. (Oulu Univ. (Finland). Contol Engineering Lab.), Email: mika.ruusunen@oulu.fi; Korpela, T.; Bjoerkqvist, T. (Tampere Univ. of Technology (Finland). Dept. of Automation Science and Engineering), Email: timo.korpela@tut.fi, Email: tomas.bjorqvist@tut.fi

2009-07-01

The target is to clear out control variables and requirements for clean small-scale wood pellet combustion (<100 kW{sub th}). Experimental runs were carried out in the form of design of experiments (DOE) with two commercial 15 kW pellet burners, namely a horizontal gas-burner and a conventional horizontal burner in a 20 kW commercial pellet boiler. Analysed variables were fuel power, draught, air flows, and fuel feed period, and research variables were CO, O{sub 2} and efficiency. The target was to identify and characterise separately the magnitude and direction of the effect of each factor. After process identification and variable optimisation, the results show strong influence of the studied control parameters on the efficiency and the emissions. The effects and interactions between different process variables were rather similar with both burners. The major effects for CO levels were fuel feed and additionally draught affected in case of wood gas combustion. Additionally, the effects on combustion efficiency is described by draught, air feed and fuel feed period. Furthermore, the fuel feed period affected the excess air level in case of direct combustion principle. It was noticed, however, that the combustion properties and optimal parameter values vary significantly between the two cases. (orig.)

Effects of small peptides, probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on growth performance, digestive enzymes, and oxidative stress in orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides, juveniles reared in artificial seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tao; Cheng, Yongzhou; Chen, Xiaoyan; Liu, Zhaopu; Long, Xiaohua

2017-01-01

Aquaculture production efficiency may increase by using feed additives. This study investigated the effects of different dietary additives [w/w: 2% small peptides, 0.01% probiotics ( Bacillus licheniformis) and 0.2% prebiotics (inulin)] on growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, and oxidative stress in juvenile Epinephelus coioides reared in artificial seawater of two salt concentrations (13.5 vs. 28.5). Weight gain rate was significantly higher in fish fed the diet supplemented with small peptides, B. licheniformis, inulin, or synbiotics than that in fish fed the basal diet; the greatest weight gain rate was found in fish fed the small peptide treatment [56.0% higher than basal diet]. Higher feed efficiency was detected in fish fed the diet supplemented with small peptides than that of fish in the other dietary treatments. Total protease activity in the stomach and intestines was highest in fish fed the small peptide-treated diet, whereas lipase activity was highest in those fed synbiotics (combination of Bacillus licheniformis and inulin) than that in fish fed the other treatments. Antioxidant enzyme (total superoxide dismutase and catalase) activities and hepatic malondialdehyde content were higher in fish receiving the dietary supplements and maintained in artificial seawater containing 13.5 salinity compared with those in the control (28.5). Hepatic catalase activity in grouper fed the diets with small peptides or synbiotics decreased significantly compared with that in control fish. Overall, the three types of additives improved growth rate of juvenile grouper and digestive enzymes activities to varying degrees but did not effectively improve antioxidant capacity under low-salinity stress conditions.

[Assessment of work ability index in evaluation of small peptides geroprotective effect].

Science.gov (United States)

Bashkireva, A S; Kachan, E Yu

We have conducted a comparative analysis of the work ability index (WAI) application in evaluation of the effectiveness of small peptides (cytogens) used as geroprotectors in the system of preventive medical nutrition of those working with occupational hazards. Our study revealed the necessity of an inclusion of small peptides into the system of preventive medical nutrition, health promotion in people working with occupational hazards and thus subjected to an accelerated aging. The combined application of peptide geroprotectors makes it possible to restore and enhance adaptive resources as well as to correct work ability and maintain health and well-being in different professional groups.

Was passiert vor dem Meeting? Small Talk steigert die Meetingeffektivität [What happens before meetings? Small talk promotes meeting effectiveness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Allen, J.A.; Lehmann-Willenbrock, N.K.

2013-01-01

Research interest: We explore how pre-meeting small talk impacts meeting effectiveness through the” ripple effect”, allowing before meeting communication/behaviors to ripple into and impact the scheduled meeting. Method: Data was obtained using an online survey of working adults (N = 252). A new

Effect of National Football League games on small animal emergency room caseload.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozanski, Elizabeth A; Rondeau, Mark P; Shaw, Scott P; Rush, John E

2009-07-01

To evaluate whether games of popular professional football teams have an effect on small animal emergency room caseload and percentage of dogs and cats that subsequently are hospitalized, are euthanatized, or die following admission to veterinary emergency rooms located within a dedicated fan base. Prospective study. 818 dogs and cats admitted to the emergency room. During the 2007 New England Patriots (NEP) football season, small animal emergency room caseload was recorded for Sunday (4-hour blocks, 8:00 AM until 12:00 midnight) and Monday night (7:00 PM to 11:00 PM). Number of dogs and cats that subsequently were hospitalized, died, or were euthanatized was recorded. Mean game importance rating (GIR) was determined for NEP games (scale, 1 [mild] to 3 [great]). Percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 1.7) versus non-NEP games was not different. Mean +/- SD percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 2.4) versus non-NEP games was significantly different (18 +/- 5% and 25 +/- 7% of daily caseload, respectively). Percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 8:00 PM to 12:00 midnight on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 2.1) versus non-NEP games was not different. Game type (NEP vs non-NEP) during emergency room admission did not influence whether dogs and cats subsequently were hospitalized, died, or were euthanatized. Professional sporting events may influence veterinary emergency room caseloads.

Predictive significance of standardized uptake value parameters of FDG-PET in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duan, X-Y.; Wang, W.; Li, M.; Li, Y.; Guo, Y-M. [PET-CT Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi' an, Jiaotong University, Xi' an, Shaanxi (China)

2015-02-03

{sup 18}F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is widely used to diagnose and stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the predictive ability of different FDG standardized uptake values (SUVs) in 74 patients with newly diagnosed NSCLC. {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT scans were performed and different SUV parameters (SUV{sub max}, SUV{sub avg}, SUV{sub T/L}, and SUV{sub T/A}) obtained, and their relationship with clinical characteristics were investigated. Meanwhile, correlation and multiple stepwise regression analyses were performed to determine the primary predictor of SUVs for NSCLC. Age, gender, and tumor size significantly affected SUV parameters. The mean SUVs of squamous cell carcinoma were higher than those of adenocarcinoma. Poorly differentiated tumors exhibited higher SUVs than well-differentiated ones. Further analyses based on the pathologic type revealed that the SUV{sub max}, SUV{sub avg}, and SUV{sub T/L} of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma tumors were higher than those of moderately or well-differentiated tumors. Among these four SUV parameters, SUV{sub T/L} was the primary predictor for tumor differentiation. However, in adenocarcinoma, SUV{sub max} was the determining factor for tumor differentiation. Our results showed that these four SUV parameters had predictive significance related to NSCLC tumor differentiation; SUV{sub T/L} appeared to be most useful overall, but SUV{sub max} was the best index for adenocarcinoma tumor differentiation.

The small world yields the most effective information spreading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lü Linyuan; Chen Duanbing; Zhou Tao

2011-01-01

The spreading dynamics of information and diseases are usually analyzed by using a unified framework and analogous models. In this paper, we propose a model to emphasize the essential difference between information spreading and epidemic spreading, where the memory effects, the social reinforcement and the non-redundancy of contacts are taken into account. Under certain conditions, the information spreads faster and broader in regular networks than in random networks, which to some extent supports the recent experimental observation of spreading in online society (Centola D 2010 Science 329 1194). At the same time, the simulation result indicates that the random networks tend to be favorable for effective spreading when the network size increases. This challenges the validity of the above-mentioned experiment for large-scale systems. More importantly, we show that the spreading effectiveness can be sharply enhanced by introducing a little randomness into the regular structure, namely the small-world networks yield the most effective information spreading. This work provides insights into the role of local clustering in information spreading. (paper)

New Approach to Enhance an Effect of Condition Monitoring of Mid/Small Size Rotating Equipment in Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin You Soo; Chang, Hee Seung [KHNP, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Condition monitoring for small and medium-size rotating equipment is mainly done by a patrol inspection and a vibration measurement. These methods are useful to recognize a significant change in a sound, temperature and vibration amplitude on the bearing housing. However, such a significant change shows an abnormal condition just before failure so that there is not much time to take a right action to recover. In other words, there is a severe damage when someone detects the phenomenon. These methods are good way to detect a flaw but too late to fix. It can't detect early recognition of defect To enhance the effect of condition monitoring and recognize a defect earlier, an integrated measurement including high band frequency analysis is required. It will be implemented at one of nuclear power plants in Korea as a pilot to verify an effect and applicability at nuclear power plants.

Effect of downed woody debris on small mammal anti-predator behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Travis M. Hinkelman; John L. Orrock; Susan C Loeb

2011-01-01

Anti-Predator behavior can affect prey growth, reproduction, survival, and generate emergent effects in food webs. Small mammals often lower the cost of predation by altering their behavior in response to shrubs, but the importance of other microhabitat features, such as downed woody debris, for anti-predator behavior is unknown. We used giving-up densities to quantify...

Magnetic fields are causing small, but significant changes of the radiochromic EBT3 film response to 6 MV photons

Science.gov (United States)

Delfs, Björn; Schoenfeld, Andreas A.; Poppinga, Daniela; Kapsch, Ralf-Peter; Jiang, Ping; Harder, Dietrich; Poppe, Björn; Khee Looe, Hui

2018-02-01

The optical density (OD) of EBT3 radiochromic films (Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Bridgewater, NJ, USA) exposed to absorbed doses to water up to D  =  20 Gy in magnetic fields of B  =  0.35 and 1.42 T was measured in the three colour channels of an Epson Expression 10000XL flatbed scanner. A 7 cm wide water phantom with fixed film holder was placed between the pole shoes of a constant-current electromagnet with variable field strength and was irradiated by a 6 MV photon beam whose axis was directed at right angles with the field lines. The doses at the film position at water depth 5 cm were measured with a calibrated ionization chamber when the magnet was switched off and were converted to the doses in presence of the magnetic field via the monitor units and by a Monte Carlo-calculated correction accounting for the slight change of the depth dose curves in magnetic fields. In the presence of the 0.35 and 1.42 T fields small negative changes of the OD values at given absorbed doses to water occurred and just significantly exceeded the uncertainty margin given by the stochastic and the uncorrected systematic deviations. This change can be described by a  +2.1% change of the dose values needed to produce a given optical density in the presence of a 1.42 T field. The thereby modified OD versus D function remained unchanged irrespective of whether the original short film side—the preference direction of the monomer crystals of the film—was directed parallel or orthogonal to the magnetic field. The ‘orientation effect’, the difference between the optical densities measured in the ‘portrait’ or ‘landscape’ film positions on the scanner bed caused by the reflection of polarised light in the scanner’s mirror system, remained unaltered after EBT3 film exposure in magnetic fields. An independent optical bench investigation of EBT3 films exposed to doses of 10 and 20 Gy at 0.35 and 1.42 T showed that the direction of the electric

Significant blockade of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases by MGCD516 (Sitravatinib), a novel small molecule inhibitor, shows potent anti-tumor activity in preclinical models of sarcoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Patwardhan, Parag P; Ivy, Kathryn S; Musi, Elgilda; de Stanchina, Elisa; Schwartz, Gary K

2016-01-26

Sarcomas are rare but highly aggressive mesenchymal tumors with a median survival of 10-18 months for metastatic disease. Mutation and/or overexpression of many receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) including c-Met, PDGFR, c-Kit and IGF1-R drive defective signaling pathways in sarcomas. MGCD516 (Sitravatinib) is a novel small molecule inhibitor targeting multiple RTKs involved in driving sarcoma cell growth. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of MGCD516 both in vitro and in mouse xenograft models in vivo. MGCD516 treatment resulted in significant blockade of phosphorylation of potential driver RTKs and induced potent anti-proliferative effects in vitro. Furthermore, MGCD516 treatment of tumor xenografts in vivo resulted in significant suppression of tumor growth. Efficacy of MGCD516 was superior to imatinib and crizotinib, two other well-studied multi-kinase inhibitors with overlapping target specificities, both in vitro and in vivo. This is the first report describing MGCD516 as a potent multi-kinase inhibitor in different models of sarcoma, superior to imatinib and crizotinib. Results from this study showing blockade of multiple driver signaling pathways provides a rationale for further clinical development of MGCD516 for the treatment of patients with soft-tissue sarcoma.

CAPITALISM FROM BELOW: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF SMALL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN HUNGARY, POLAND, AND ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cătălin Augustin STOICA

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The contours of markets and entrepreneurship are shaped by historical and politico-institutional factors. In the case of Central and Eastern Europe, the development of new entrepreneurial classes is a function of communist legacies and post-1989 political processes. Employing survey data from 2000, this article examines how political and institutional conditions influence patterns of recruitment into self-employment and income returns to small entrepreneurship in Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The results of this analysis show that human capital (captured by education has positive significant effects on becoming a self-employed individual with employees in Hungary and Romania. As compared to other individuals, former socialist “petit bourgeois” (i.e., individuals who were business owners in 1988 are more likely to be small business operators in post-communism. Individuals who held managerial authority positions before 1989 have higher chances to become small business operators in Romania but not in Hungary or Poland. Unemployment seems to function as a push-factor for becoming a small business operator in Hungary and Poland but not in Romania. In Romania, most small entrepreneurs earn significantly more than employees in the state or private sector. Gender, age, and education have significant positive effects on income returns in all of the three countries under scrutiny.

Extent and types of small-scale wind policies in the U.S. states: Adoption and effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiener, Joshua G.; Koontz, Tomas M.

2012-01-01

Renewable energy sources, including wind, are increasingly promoted by U.S. state governments. Using state-level data and survey responses from energy officials in 44 states, this study catalogs the extent and types of small wind policies adopted by states. It examines the factors correlated with policy adoption, and perceptions about which policy tools are most effective. Results indicate that 84% of the states participating in the survey have adopted at least one policy to promote small wind technologies, and most have adopted several policies. The most frequent policy is net metering, and this policy tool was also perceived to be one of the most effective at encouraging businesses and consumers to install small wind technologies. However, several other policy tools perceived to be most effective at promoting small wind installations have been adopted by relatively few states. This identified gap suggests opportunities for improving policy effectiveness. In explaining factors associated with adoption of policy tools, we find support for variables comprising both the policy diffusion and internal determinants models of policy adoption, including state commitment to environmental protection and policy innovations, citizen ideology, per capita wealth, energy policy network communications, and desire to be viewed as an environmental leader.

The effect of small molecules on nuclear-encoded translation diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Soiferman, Devorah; Ayalon, Oshrat; Weissman, Sarah; Saada, Ann

2014-05-01

The five complexes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) supply most organs and tissues with ATP produced by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Inherited mitochondrial diseases affecting OXPHOS dysfunction are heterogeneous; symptoms may present at any age and may affect a wide range of tissues, with many diseases giving rise to devastating multisystemic disorders resulting in neonatal death. Combined respiratory chain deficiency with normal complex II accounts for a third of all respiratory deficiencies; mutations in nuclear-encoded components of the mitochondrial translation machinery account for many cases. Although mutations have been identified in over 20 such genes and our understanding of the mitochondrial translation apparatus is increasing, to date no definitive cure for these disorders exists. We evaluated the effect of seven small molecules with reported therapeutic potential in fibroblasts of four patients with combined respiratory complex disorders, each harboring a known mutation in a different nuclear-encoded component of the mitochondrial translation machinery: EFTs, GFM1, MRPS22 and TRMU. Six mitochondrial parameters were screened as follows; growth in glucose-free medium, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, ATP content, mitochondrial content, mitochondrial membrane potential and complex IV activity. It was clearly evident that each patient displayed an individual response and there was no universally beneficial compound. AICAR increased complex IV activity in GFM1 cells and increased ATP content in MRPS22 fibroblasts but was detrimental to TRMU, who benefitted from bezafibrate. Two antioxidants, ascorbate and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), significantly improved cell growth, ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in EFTs fibroblasts. This study presents an expanded repertoire of assays that can be performed using the microtiter screening system with a small number

Effect of Pemetrexed combined with cis-platinum chemotherapy on matrix metalloproteinase VEGF, NK cells and immune function in patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Wen

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: To explore effect of Pemetrexed combined with cis-platinum chemotherapy on matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs, vascular esandothelial growth factor (VEGF, NK cells and immune function in patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Method: A total of 86 cases of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer patients were divided into control group (n=44 and observation group (n=42, control group was given docetaxel combined cisplatinum chemotherapy, pemetrexed combined cis-platinum chemotherapy, was applied for observation group. Compared MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF, NK cells and immune function level before and after treatment in both groups. Results: MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF, NK cells, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ level in both groups before treatment was no significant difference. After treatment, MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF, CD8+level in both groups was significant lower than before treatment intra-group, and observation was lower than control group, there was significant difference. After treatment, NK cells, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ level in both groups was increased dramatically than before treatment of intra-group, moreover, NK cells, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+level in observation group after treatment was obvious higher than in control group after treatment, there was significant difference. Conclusion: Pemetrexed combined with cis-platinum chemotherapy for non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer could effectively decrease serum MMPs, VEGF level and increase NK cell level, regulate immune function, with definite clinical significance.

Role and Relative Effectiveness of Immune System for Combating Small Pox and AIDS

OpenAIRE

A. Taqaddas

2014-01-01

The human body has a complex system of innate and adaptive mechanisms for combating infection. This article discusses the role and relative effectiveness of these mechanisms in relation to small pox and AIDS.

Effects of Environmental Context on Physiological Response During Team Handball Small Sided Games.

Science.gov (United States)

Bělka, Jan; Hulka, Karel; Machová, Iva; Šafář, Michal; Weisser, Radim; Bellar, David M; Hoover, Donald L; Judge, Lawrence W

2017-01-01

This study examined the distance covered and physiological effects of altering the number of players during small-sided games (SSG) in team handball. Twelve professional female handball players [24.6±3.7 years, 172±6.2 cm, 68.2 ± 9.9kg, 22.7 ± 2 kg/m 2 ] participated in this study. The SSG were played, first with five on each side (SSG 5), then four (SSG 4), then three (SSG 3). Each game was four minutes long, followed by three minutes of rest. The distance covered and time spent in four speed zones (based on player movement speed) were selected for analysis: Zone 1 (0-1.4 m/s), Zone 2 (1.5-3.4 m/s), Zone 3 (3.5-5.2 m/s), and Zone 4 (>5.2 m/s). Statistically significant differences were found in Zone 2, between conditions SSG 3 and SSG 4 (p=.049,ω 2 = .32). The highest average heart rate (HR) occurred during SSG 3. Average HR between SSG 3 (89.7 % HRmax) and SSG 5 (87.8 % HRmax) (p= .04, ω2= .26) were also significantly different. Participant HR response between the speed zones was not statistically significant. HR response was negatively correlated with the number of players within the SSG condition. Statistically significant results were found for RPE between SSG 3 and the other two SSG conditions (SSG 4, p = .01, and SSG 5, p = .00). These results indicate that changing the number of SSG players can be used to manipulate the physiological response during handball training.

Effect of image-guided hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy on peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang SW

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Shu-wen Wang,1 Juan Ren,1 Yan-li Yan,2 Chao-fan Xue,2 Li Tan,2 Xiao-wei Ma2 1Department of Radiotherapy, First Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University, 2Medical School of Xian Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China Abstract: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of image-guided hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventional fractionated radiotherapy on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC. Fifty stage- and age-matched cases with NSCLC were randomly divided into two groups (A and B. There were 23 cases in group A and 27 cases in group B. Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT and stereotactic radiotherapy were conjugately applied to the patients in group A. Group A patients underwent hypofractionated radiotherapy (6–8 Gy/time three times per week, with a total dose of 64–66 Gy; group B received conventional fractionated radiotherapy, with a total dose of 68–70 Gy five times per week. In group A, 1-year and 2-year local failure survival rate and 1-year local failure-free survival rate were significantly higher than in group B (P<0.05. The local failure rate (P<0.05 and distant metastasis rate (P>0.05 were lower in group A than in group B. The overall survival rate of group A was significantly higher than that of group B (P=0.03, and the survival rate at 1 year was 87% vs 63%, (P<0.05. The median survival time of group A was longer than that of group B. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P>0.05. Compared with conventional fractionated radiation therapy, image-guided hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy in NSCLC received better treatment efficacy and showed good tolerability. Keywords: non-small-cell lung cancer, hypofractionated radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, segmentation, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, image-guided radiation therapy technology

Combination of TRAIL and actinomycin D liposomes enhances antitumor effect in non-small cell lung cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo LG

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Liangran Guo1,2,4, Li Fan1,2, Jinfeng Ren1,2, Zhiqing Pang1,2, Yulong Ren1,2, Jingwei Li1,2, Ziyi Wen1,3, Yong Qian1,2, Lin Zhang1,2, Hang Ma4, Xinguo Jiang1,2 1School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Zhangheng Road, Shanghai, 2Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education and PLA, Shanghai, 3School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China; 4College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, RI, USAAbstract: The intractability of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC to multimodality treatments plays a large part in its extremely poor prognosis. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL is a promising cytokine for selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells; however, many NSCLC cell lines are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The therapeutic effect can be restored by treatments combining TRAIL with chemotherapeutic agents. Actinomycin D (ActD can sensitize NSCLC cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by upregulation of death receptor 4 (DR4 or 5 (DR5. However, the use of ActD has significant drawbacks due to the side effects that result from its nonspecific biodistribution in vivo. In addition, the short half-life of TRAIL in serum also limits the antitumor effect of treatments combining TRAIL and ActD. In this study, we designed a combination treatment of long-circulating TRAIL liposomes and ActD liposomes with the aim of resolving these problems. The combination of TRAIL liposomes and ActD liposomes had a synergistic cytotoxic effect against A-549 cells. The mechanism behind this combination treatment includes both increased expression of DR5 and caspase activation. Moreover, systemic administration of the combination of TRAIL liposomes and ActD liposomes suppressed both tumor formation and growth of established subcutaneous NSCLC xenografts in nude mice, inducing apoptosis without causing significant general toxicity. These results provide preclinical proof

The in vivo blood compatibility of bio-inspired small diameter vascular graft: effect of submicron longitudinally aligned topography

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths worldwide and the arterial reconstructive surgery remains the treatment of choice. Although large diameter vascular grafts have been widely used in clinical practices, there is an urgent need to develop a small diameter vascular graft with enhanced blood compatibility. Herein, we fabricated a small diameter vascular graft with submicron longitudinally aligned topography, which mimicked the tunica intima of the native arterial vessels and were tested in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. Methods Vascular grafts with aligned and smooth topography were prepared by electrospinning and were connected to the abdominal aorta of the SD rats to evaluate their blood compatibility. Graft patency and platelet adhesion were evaluated by color Doppler ultrasound and immunofluorescence respectively. Results We observed a significant higher patency rate (p = 0.021) and less thrombus formation in vascular graft with aligned topography than vascular graft with smooth topography. However, no significant difference between the adhesion rates on both vascular grafts (smooth/aligned: 0.35‰/0.12‰, p > 0.05) was observed. Moreover, both vascular grafts had few adherent activated platelets on the luminal surface. Conclusion Bionic vascular graft showed enhanced blood compatibility due to the effect of surface topography. Therefore, it has considerable potential for using in clinical application. PMID:24083888

Performance Enhancement of Small Molecular Solar Cells by Bilayer Cathode Buffer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Qinjun; Zhao, Huanbin; Zhou, Miao; Gao, Liyan; Hao, Yuying

2016-04-01

An effective composite bilayer cathode buffer structure is proposed for use in small molecular solar cells. CsF was doped in Alq3 to form the first cathode buffer, leading to small serial resistances. BCP was used as the second cathode buffer to block the holes to the electrode. The optimized bilayer cathode buffer significantly increased the short circuit and fill factor of devices. By integrating this bilayer cathode buffer, the CuPc/C60 small molecular heterojunction cell exhibited a power conversion efficiency of up to 0.8%, which was an improvement of 56% compared to a device with only the Alq3 cathode buffer. Meanwhile, the bilayer cathode buffer still has a good protective effect on the performance of the device.

Small-bowel absorption of D-tagatose and related effects on carbohydrate digestibility: an ileostomy study.

Science.gov (United States)

Normén, L; Laerke, H N; Jensen, B B; Langkilde, A M; Andersson, H

2001-01-01

The ketohexose D-tagatose is a new sweetener with a low energy content. This low energy content may be due to either low absorption of the D-tagatose or decreased absorption of other nutrients. The aims of this study were to measure the excretion of D-tagatose from the human small bowel, to calculate the apparent absorption of D-tagatose, and to study the effects of D-tagatose on the small-bowel excretion of other carbohydrates. A controlled diet was served for 2 periods of 2 d during 3 consecutive weeks to 6 ileostomy subjects. In one of the periods, 15 g D-tagatose was added to the diet daily. Duplicate portions of the diet and ileostomy effluents were freeze-dried and analyzed to calculate the apparent net absorption of D-tagatose and carbohydrates. Median D-tagatose excretion was 19% (range: 12-31%), which corresponded to a calculated apparent absorption of 81% (69-88%). Of the total amount of D-tagatose excreted [2.8 g (1.7-4.4 g)], 60% (8-88%) was excreted within 3 h. Between 3 and 5 h, 32% (11-82%) was excreted. Excretion of wet matter increased by 41% (24-52%) with D-tagatose ingestion. Sucrose and D-glucose excretion increased to a small extent, whereas no significant changes were found in the excretion of dry matter, energy, starch, or D-fructose. The apparent absorption of 15 g D-tagatose/d was 81%. D-Tagatose had only a minor influence on the apparent absorption of other nutrients.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xitao

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

Fuel density effect on near nozzle flow field in small laminar coflow diffusion flames

KAUST Repository

Xiong, Yuan

2015-01-01

Flow characteristics in small coflow diffusion flames were investigated with a particular focus on the near-nozzle region and on the buoyancy force exerted on fuels with densities lighter and heavier than air (methane, ethylene, propane, and n-butane). The flow-fields were visualized through the trajectories of seed particles. The particle image velocimetry technique was also adopted for quantitative velocity field measurements. The results showed that the buoyancy force exerted on the fuel as well as on burnt gas significantly distorted the near-nozzle flow-fields. In the fuels with densities heavier than air, recirculation zones were formed very close to the nozzle, emphasizing the importance of the relative density of the fuel to that of the air on the flow-field. Nozzle heating influenced the near-nozzle flow-field particularly among lighter fuels (methane and ethylene). Numerical simulations were also conducted, focusing specifically on the effect of specifying inlet boundary conditions for fuel. The results showed that a fuel inlet boundary with a fully developed velocity profile for cases with long tubes should be specified inside the fuel tube to permit satisfactory prediction of the flow-field. The calculated temperature fields also indicated the importance of the selection of the location of the inlet boundary, especially in testing various combustion models that include soot in small coflow diffusion flames. © 2014 The Combustion Institute.

Spatial Characteristics of Small Green Spaces' Mitigating Effects on Microscopic Urban Heat Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Park, J.; Lee, D. K.; Jeong, W.; Kim, J. H.; Huh, K. Y.

2015-12-01

The purpose of the study is to find small greens' disposition, types and sizes to reduce air temperature effectively in urban blocks. The research sites were six high developed blocks in Seoul, Korea. Air temperature was measured with mobile loggers in clear daytime during summer, from August to September, at screen level. Also the measurement repeated over three times a day during three days by walking and circulating around the experimental blocks and the control blocks at the same time. By analyzing spatial characteristics, the averaged air temperatures were classified with three spaces, sunny spaces, building-shaded spaces and small green spaces by using Kruskal-Wallis Test; and small green spaces in 6 blocks were classified into their outward forms, polygonal or linear and single or mixed. The polygonal and mixed types of small green spaces mitigated averaged air temperature of each block which they belonged with a simple linear regression model with adjusted R2 = 0.90**. As the area and volume of these types increased, the effect of air temperature reduction (ΔT; Air temperature difference between sunny space and green space in a block) also increased in a linear relationship. The experimental range of this research is 100m2 ~ 2,000m2 of area, and 1,000m3 ~ 10,000m3 of volume of small green space. As a result, more than 300m2 and 2,300m3 of polygonal green spaces with mixed vegetation is required to lower 1°C; 650m2 and 5,000m3 of them to lower 2°C; about 2,000m2 and about 10,000m3 of them to lower 4°C air temperature reduction in an urban block.

Significance of agricultural row structure on the microwave emissivity of soils

Science.gov (United States)

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

1987-01-01

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

Model Studies on the Effectiveness of MBBR Reactors for the Restoration of Small Water Reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, Agata; Mazur, Robert; Panek, Ewa; Chmist, Joanna

2018-02-01

The authors present the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) model with a quasi-continuous flow for small water reservoir restoration, characterized by high concentrations of organic pollutants. To determine the efficiency of wastewater treatment the laboratory analysis of physic-chemical parameters were conducted for the model on a semi-technical scale of 1:3. Wastewater treatment process was carried out in 24 h for 1 m3 for raw sewage. The startup period was 2 weeks for all biofilters (biological beds). Approximately 50% reduction in COD and BOD5 was obtained on average for the studied bioreactors. Significant improvements were achieved in theclarity of the treated wastewater, with the reduction of suspension by 60%. The oxygen profile has improved significantly in 7 to 9 hours of the process, and a diametric reduction in the oxidative reduction potential was recorded. A preliminary model of biological treatment effectiveness was determined based on the conducted studies. In final stages, the operation mode was set in real conditions of polluted water reservoirs.

Ethanol-drug absorption interaction: potential for a significant effect on the plasma pharmacokinetics of ethanol vulnerable formulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lennernäs, Hans

2009-01-01

Generally, gastric emptying of a drug to the small intestine is controlled by gastric motor activity and is the main factor affecting the onset of absorption. Accordingly, the emptying rate from the stomach is mainly affected by the digestive state, the properties of the pharmaceutical formulation and the effect of drugs, posture and circadian rhythm. Variability in the gastric emptying of drugs is reflected in variability in the absorption rate and the shape of the plasma pharmacokinetic profile. When ethanol interacts with an oral controlled release product, such that the mechanism controlling drug release is impaired, the delivery of the dissolved dose into the small intestine and the consequent absorption may result in dangerously high plasma concentrations. For example, the maximal plasma concentration of hydromorphone has individually been shown to be increased as much as 16 times through in vivo testing as a result of this specific pharmacokinetic ethanol-drug formulation interaction. Thus, a pharmacokinetic ethanol-drug interaction is a very serious safety concern when substantially the entire dose from a controlled release product is rapidly emptied into the small intestine (dose dumping), having been largely dissolved in a strong alcoholic beverage in the stomach during a sufficient lag-time in gastric emptying. Based on the literature, a two hour time frame for screening the in vitro dissolution profile of a controlled release product in ethanol concentrations of up to 40% is strongly supported and may be considered as the absolute minimum standard. It is also evident that the dilution, absorption and metabolism of ethanol in the stomach are processes with a minor effect on the local ethanol concentration and that ethanol exposure will be highly dependent on the volume and ethanol concentration of the fluid ingested, together with the rate of intake and gastric emptying. When and in which patients a clinically significant dose dumping will happen is

Vasodilator effects of red wines in subcutaneous small resistance artery of patients with essential hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Porteri, Enzo; Rizzoni, Damiano; De Ciuceis, Carolina; Boari, Gianluca E M; Platto, Caterina; Pilu, Annamaria; Miclini, Marco; Agabiti Rosei, Claudia; Bulgari, Giuseppe; Agabiti Rosei, Enrico

2010-04-01

It has been suggested that in animal models, red wine may have a protective effect on the vascular endothelium. However, it is not known whether this effect is also present in human small vessels and whether it is specific for certain wines. The objective of this study is to compare the vasodilator effects in subcutaneous small resistance arteries of wines with different flavonoid content as well as of ethanol vs. wines in normotensive (NT) subjects and in patients with essential hypertension (EH). Twenty-six EH and 27 NT were included in the study. Subcutaneous small resistance arteries were dissected and mounted on a micromyograph. Then we evaluated vasodilator responses as concentration-response curves (20, 30, and 50 microl) to the following items: (i) a red wine produced in small oak barrels ("en barrique": EB) (Barolo Oberto 1994), (ii) a red wine produced in large wood barrels (LB) (Barolo Scarzello 1989), (iii) a red wine produced in steel tanks (Albarello Rosso del Salento 1997), and (iv) a white wine produced in steel tanks in the presence or absence of an inhibitor of the nitric oxide (NO) synthase (L-NMMA 100 micromol/l). A dose-dependent vasodilator effect of red wines (particularly EB and LB) was detected in both NT and HT. The observed response was not reduced after preincubation with L-NMMA. Our results suggest red wines are more potent vasodilator than ethanol alone, possibly depending on the content of polyphenols or tannic acid. HT show similar responses compared with NT, indicating that red wine is not harmful in this population.

Scale and material effects on flame characteristics in small heat recirculation combustors of a counter-current channel type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Min Jung; Cho, Sang Moon; Choi, Byung Il; Kim, Nam Il

2010-01-01

Small energy sources have been interested with the recent development of small-scale mechanical systems. With the purpose of developing a basic model of micro-combustors of heat recirculation, small combustors of a counter-current channel type were fabricated, and the premixed flame stabilization characteristics were investigated experimentally. Each combustor consists of a combustion space and a pair of counter-current channels for heat recirculation. The channel gap was less than the ordinary quenching distance of a stoichiometric methane-air premixed flame. Depending on the flame locations and structures, flame stabilization was classified into four modes: an ordinary mode, a channel mode, a radiation mode, and a well-stirred reaction mode. Base-scale combustors of stainless steel were initially examined. Additional half-scale combustors of stainless steel and quartz were fabricated and their flame stabilization conditions were compared. Consequently, a change of the material of the combustor significantly affected the flame stabilization compared to the effects of a scale-down design. A half-scale quartz combustor had a wide range of flame stabilization conditions. Surface temperatures and the composition of the emission gas were measured. At a higher flow rate, the combustor temperature increases and the light emission from the middle wall is enhanced to extend the flame stabilization conditions. The combustion efficiency and the composition of emitted gas were feasible. These results provide useful information for the design of small-scale combustors.

Effectiveness of participatory training on improving occupational health in small and medium enterprises in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Chuandong; Zhu, Meifeng; Yu, Tak Sun Ignatius; He, Yonghua

2013-01-01

Participatory training on occupational health is widely used in the world. Evaluations of local experiences are necessary to its successful performance. The project evaluated the effectiveness of participatory training on occupational health improvement in small and medium enterprises of China, and explored local practice experiences. Participatory training was provided to 525 welding workers from 25 small and medium enterprises in ship building and machinery manufacturing industries. This training consisted of interactive learning, worksite assessment and group discussion on laws/regulations, safety of machine operation, prevention of slips and trips, fire/explosion prevention, ergonomics, and recognition and prevention of other workplace hazards. Workers completed knowledge, attitude, and practice and worksite assessment questionnaires before and 3 months after intervention. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were significantly increased through the training. An inventory of workplace safety modifications was proposed by participants and many were fixed by workers and employers. Health management and personal protective equipment provision/use were most often improved, but improvements in engineering control and health-related accommodations remained unsatisfactory. Workers could recognize and fix workplace hazards after the participatory training. More efficient measures in China are to be explored to improve implementing solutions, especially on preventive engineering and human ergonomics.

Gastroprotective effect of small centaury (Centaurium erythraea L) on aspirin-induced gastric damage in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuluce, Yasin; Ozkol, Halil; Koyuncu, Ismail; Ine, Hatice

2011-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine the antiulcer and antioxidant activities of Centaurium erythraea L (small centaury) in aspirin (ASA) induced acute gastric ulcer model. The gastroprotective effect of the 50% aqueous-ethanolic small centaury (SC) extract was investigated in rats at a dose of ASA 200 mg/kg body weight. Twenty-one Sprague-Dawley albino rats were divided into three groups of seven rats each as follows: (1) control group; (2) acute ASA-treated group and (3) ASA plus SC group. At the end of the 4-h drug administration, ulcer index, oxidant and antioxidant levels were measured and compared between the groups. The percentage of lesion area to total gastric surface area (ulcer index) was significantly reduced (77%) in ASA plus SC group as compared with acute ASA-treated group. The oral administration of ASA decreased catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), and increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels. Although myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was increased by ASA, it was found to be lower in the ASA plus SC group. GSH and Vitamin A levels were determined higher in the ASA plus SC group compared with ASA group. These results suggest that SC extract protects against ASA-induced damage due to its antioxidizing activity.

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

OpenAIRE

Iversen, Jens

2009-01-01

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

Pervasive Rise of Small-scale Deforestation in Amazonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalamandeen, Michelle; Gloor, Emanuel; Mitchard, Edward; Quincey, Duncan; Ziv, Guy; Spracklen, Dominick; Spracklen, Benedict; Adami, Marcos; Aragão, Luiz E O C; Galbraith, David

2018-01-25

Understanding forest loss patterns in Amazonia, the Earth's largest rainforest region, is critical for effective forest conservation and management. Following the most detailed analysis to date, spanning the entire Amazon and extending over a 14-year period (2001-2014), we reveal significant shifts in deforestation dynamics of Amazonian forests. Firstly, hotspots of Amazonian forest loss are moving away from the southern Brazilian Amazon to Peru and Bolivia. Secondly, while the number of new large forest clearings (>50 ha) has declined significantly over time (46%), the number of new small clearings (<1 ha) increased by 34% between 2001-2007 and 2008-2014. Thirdly, we find that small-scale low-density forest loss expanded markedly in geographical extent during 2008-2014. This shift presents an important and alarming new challenge for forest conservation, despite reductions in overall deforestation rates.

Effect of bcl-2 antisense oligodexynucleotides on chemotherapy efficacy of Vp-16 on human small cell lung cancer cell line NCI-H69

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Wenqian; Liu Zhonghua

2007-01-01

Objective: To study the effect of bcl-2 antisense oligodexynucleotides on chemotherapy efficacy of Vp-16 on human small cell lung cancer cell line NCI-H69. Methods: Cultured NCI-H69 cells were derided into 4 groups: bcl-2 antisense oligodexynucleotides (ASODN) added, sense oligodexynucleotides (SODN) added, nonsense oligodexynucleotides (NSODN) added and control (no nucleotides added), the oligodexynucleotides were transfected into the cultured cells with oligofectamine. The cellular expression of Bcl-2 protein 72h later was examined with Western-Blot. The four different groups of cultured tumor cells were treated with etopside(Vp-16) at different concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 μg/ml) for 48hr then the cell survival fraction was assessed with MTY test. Results: The apoptotic rate of cells in the ASODN group was significantly higher than that of the control group, also, the survival fraction of cells in ASODN group was significantly lower than that of the control group. The Bcl-2 protein expression in ASODN group was significantly lower than that in the control group, but no inhibition was observed in SODN and NSODN groups. Conclusion: The bcl-2 ASODN could enhance the sensitivity to chemotherapy with Vp-16 in small cell lung cancer cell line NCI-H69 by effectively blocking bcl-2 gene expression. (authors)

The causal effect of board size in the performance of small and medium-sized firms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennedsen, Morten; Kongsted, Hans Christian; Meisner Nielsen, Kasper

2008-01-01

correlation between family size and board size and show this correlation to be driven by firms where the CEO's relatives serve on the board. Second, we find empirical evidence of a small adverse board size effect driven by the minority of small and medium-sized firms that are characterized by having......Empirical studies of large publicly traded firms have shown a robust negative relationship between board size and firm performance. The evidence on small and medium-sized firms is less clear; we show that existing work has been incomplete in analyzing the causal relationship due to weak...... identification strategies. Using a rich data set of almost 7000 closely held corporations we provide a causal analysis of board size effects on firm performance: We use a novel instrument given by the number of children of the chief executive officer (CEO) of the firms. First, we find a strong positive...

The Effects of Heat Advection on UK Weather and Climate Observations in the Vicinity of Small Urbanized Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Bassett, Richard; Cai, Xiaoming; Chapman, Lee; Heaviside, Clare; Thornes, John E.

2017-10-01

Weather and climate networks traditionally follow rigorous siting guidelines, with individual stations located away from frost hollows, trees or urban areas. However, the diverse nature of the UK landscape suggests that the feasibility of siting stations that are truly representative of regional climate and free from distorting local effects is increasingly difficult. Whilst the urban heat island is a well-studied phenomenon and usually accounted for, the effect of warm urban air advected downwind is rarely considered, particularly at rural stations adjacent to urban areas. Until recently, urban heat advection (UHA) was viewed as an urban boundary-layer process through the formation of an urban plume that rises above the surface as it is advected. However, these dynamic UHA effects are shown to also have an impact on surface observations. Results show a significant difference in temperatures anomalies (p careful interpretation of long-term temperature data taken near small urban areas.

The problem of induced genomic instability in the child organism under conditions of long-term effect of small radiation doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suskov, I.I.; Kuz'mina, N.S.

2001-01-01

The phenomenological aspects of the genomic instability induced in the descendants of the multi-divided cells having been exposed to the radiation are examined. It is demonstrated that the regularity of the genomic instability induction do not correspond to the classical conception of the radiation genetics (hit principle and target theory). The mechanisms and the biological significance of this new genetic phenomenon in the child organism under conditions of low-intensive effect of small-dose radiation and its connection with the state of health are discussed [ru

[Clinical Significance and Mechanism of PI3K p110β Overexpression
 in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Yan; Qu, Linlin; Li, Dong; Wang, Ying; Li, Ting

2017-12-20

Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) pathway is one of the most important pathway in cells, which plays an important role in proliferation, growth, differentiation and mobility of cells. The aberrant activation of PI3K pathway was exsited in 50%-70% cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As the key point in PI3K pathway, expression of PI3K plays a critical role in activity of the pathway, which is closely related with the initiation and development of NSCLC, furthermore with the response of tumor to target treatment. Our study is to analyze the clinical significance and mechanism of PI3K p110β overexpression in NSCLC. Expression of p110β and other proteins in PI3K pathway were detected by immunohistochemistry in 170 cases of NSCLC. Correlation between expression of p110β and clinicopathological characteristics of patients as well as expression of other proteins in PI3K pathway was analyzed. In 170 NSCLC, overexpression of p110β was found in 41.8% of cases. Correlation between overexpression of p110β and Ki 67 index was significant (P=0.040). No significant difference of p110 expression were observed among different cohorts of gender, age, smoking status, classification, grade and stage (P>0.05). Correlation between expression of p110β and other proteins in PI3K pathway was various, positively correlated with PTEN loss (P0.05). Overexpression of p110β is frequently detected in NSCLC. It is closely related with PTEN loss NSCLC, which shows that it plays an important role in maintaining and developing of tumors driven by PTEN loss. It initiates the proliferation of tumor cells in NSCLC without phosphorylating Akt. PIK3CB mutation is not the major cause of overexpression of p110β. Dysregulation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) doesn't show potential of increasing p110β level in cancer tissue, furthermore the expression of p110β in tumors with EGFR mutation is lower than in tumors without EGFR mutation.

Effects of Fiscal Policy in a Small Open Economy: Evidence of Croatia

OpenAIRE

Deskar-Škrbić, Milan; Šimović, Hrvoje; Ćorić, Tomislav

2013-01-01

In this paper we use structural VAR model to analyze dynamic effects of fiscal shocks on economic activity in Croatia from 2000Q1-2012Q2. Due to the fact that Croatia is a small open economy we assume that shocks of foreign origination can have notable effects on its performance. Therefore, original Blanchard-Perotti (2002) model is extended by introducing variables that represent external (foreign) demand shocks. The results show that the government spending has a positive and statistically ...

Effects of residual stress on fatigue strength of small diameter welded pipe joint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashita, Tetsuo; Hattori, Takahiro; Nomoto, Toshiharu; Iida, Kunihiro; Sato, Masanobu

1996-01-01

A power plant consists of many welded components, therefore, it is essential in establishing the reliability of the power plant to maintain the reliability of all welded components. The fatigue failure caused by mechanical vibrations of small diameter welded joints, which is represented by socket welded joints, is one of the major causes of trouble for the welded parts of the power plant. Here, bending fatigue tests were conducted to investigate the fatigue strength of small diameter socket welded pipe joints. In the most cases of large diameter socket joints, a fatigue crack started from the root of the fillet weld though the stress amplitude at the root was smaller than that at the toe of fillet weld. Additionally, the fatigue strength was affected by the weld bead sequence. The residual stress was considered to be one of the important parameters governing fatigue strength, therefore, its effects were investigated. In several types of pipe joints, the local stress and residual stress distributions were calculated by finite element analysis. The residual stresses were compressive at the toe and tensile at the root of the socket welded joints. Based on these results, the effects of residual stresses on the fatigue strength are discussed for small diameter welded pipe joints in the present work

Significantly enhanced memory effect in metallic glass by multistep training

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-11-01

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

Prognostic significance of microsatellite instability in curatively resected adenocarcinoma of the small intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Brueckl, Wolfgang M; Heinze, Elvira; Milsmann, Catrin; Wein, Axel; Koebnick, Corinna; Jung, Andreas; Croner, Roland S; Brabletz, Thomas; Günther, Klaus; Kirchner, Thomas; Hahn, Eckhart G; Hohenberger, Werner; Becker, Heinz; Reingruber, Bertram

2004-01-20

Adenocarcinoma of the small intestine (ACSI) is a rare condition with few studies addressing follow-up and prognosis. Tumors of 35 patients with curative resection of an ACSI were retrospectively analyzed by immunohistochemistry: p53, hMLH1, hMSH2 and hMSH6 and microsatellite instability (MSI): BAT-26, BAX, TGF-beta RII. With a median follow up of 6.1 years, the median cancer-specific survival (CSS) was 36.2 months. Patients who were highly instable (MSI-H) (n=10) had a CSS of 49.6 months in contrast to patients with stable tumors (23.2 months) (P=0.010). Additionally, a low tumor stage according to UICC and MSI-H were shown to be independent factors (P=0.005 and P<0.001) for an increased survival in multivariate analysis. Therefore, it is suggested that analysis of the MSI status might prove useful in discerning prognosis within cancers of the same stage.

Effects of longitudinal small-group learning on delivery and receipt of communication skills feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Calvin L; Masters, Dylan E; Chang, Anna; Kruidering, Marieke; Hauer, Karen E

2013-11-01

Although feedback is a critical component of learning, recent data suggest that learners may discount feedback they receive. The emotional threat inherent in feedback can contribute to its ineffectiveness, particularly for sensitive topics like communication skills. Longitudinal relationships among peers may increase their sense of safety and soften the perceived threat of feedback to allow students to give, receive and potentially more effectively incorporate feedback. We studied the effects of prior shared learning experiences among medical students in the delivery and receipt of feedback on clinical (communication) skills. During a formative clinical skills examination, we divided Year 3 students at a US medical school into two subgroups comprising, respectively, small-group classmates from a 2-year longitudinal pre-clerkship clinical skills course (with prior peer-learning relationships), and peers with no prior shared small-group coursework. Students in both subgroups observed peers in a simulated clinical case and then provided feedback, which was videotaped, transcribed and coded. Feedback recipients also completed a survey on their perceptions of the feedback. Students valued the feedback they received and intended to enact it, regardless of whether they had prior peer-learning relationships. Coding of feedback revealed high specificity. Feedback providers who had prior peer-learning relationships with recipients provided more specific corrective feedback on communication skills than those with no such relationships (p = 0.014); there was no significant difference between subgroups in the provision of reinforcing feedback on communication skills. Year 3 medical student peers can deliver specific feedback on clinical skills; prior peer-learning relationships in pre-clerkship clinical skills courses enrich the provision of specific corrective feedback about communication skills. Feedback between peers with pre-existing peer-learning relationships represents

Effect of intravenous infusion of glyceryl trinitrate on gastric and small intestinal motor function in healthy humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jan Lysgård; Fuglsang, Stefan; Graff, J

2006-01-01

of glyceryl trinitrate 1 microg/kg x min or saline. A gamma camera technique was used to measure gastric emptying and small intestinal transit after a 1600-kJ mixed liquid and solid meal. Furthermore, duodenal motility was assessed by manometry. RESULTS: Glyceryl trinitrate did not change gastric mean......BACKGROUND: Glyceryl trinitrate is a donor of nitric oxide that relaxes smooth muscle cells of the gastrointestinal tract. Little is known about the effect of glyceryl trinitrate on gastric emptying and no data exist on the possible effect of glyceryl trinitrate on small intestinal transit. AIM......: To examine the effect of intravenous infusion of glyceryl trinitrate on gastric and small intestinal motor function after a meal in healthy humans. METHODS: Nine healthy volunteers participated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study. Each volunteer was examined during intravenous infusion...

Effect of Court Dimensions on Players’ External and Internal Load during Small-Sided Handball Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo Corvino

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of three different court dimensions on the internal and external load during small-sided handball games. Six male amateur handball players took part in this study and participated in three different 8-min 3vs3 (plus goalkeepers small-sided handball games (each repeated twice. The three court dimensions were 12×24m, 30×15m and 32×16m. Through Global Positioning System devices (SPI pro elite 15Hz, GPSports and video analysis, the following parameters were recorded: cyclic and acyclic movements (distance covered and number of technical actions executed, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE. Total distance travelled increased with court dimensions (885.2m ± 66.6m in 24×12m; 980.0m ± 73.4m in 30×15m; 1095.0m ± 112.9m in 32×16m, p 5.2 m·s-1 highlighted substantial differences: playing with the 30×15m court in comparison to the 24×12m, the players covered less distance in the first speed zone (p = 0.012; ES = 0.70 and more distance in the second (p = 0.049; ES = 0.73 and third (p = 0.012; ES = 0.51 speed zones. Statistical differences were also found between the 24×12m and 32×16m courts: the players covered more distance in the second and third speed zones (p = 0.013, ES = 0.76; p = 0.023 ES = 0.69 with the 32×16m court in comparison to the 24×12m. There was no significant effect of court dimensions on the technical parameters (number of team actions, passes, piston movements toward goal and defensive activities, the number of specific handball jumps and changes of direction, and the time spent in the different heart rate zones. Considering the average data of all the experimental conditions together (24×12m, 30×15m, 32×16m, a pronounced statistical difference was highlighted between the values in first two HR zones and the last two (p < 0.05; large ES. The rating of perceived exertion was significantly higher during the drill with the 32×16m court compared with the 24

Characteristics and Propagation of Airgun Pulses in Shallow Water with Implications for Effects on Small Marine Mammals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Line Hermannsen

Full Text Available Airguns used in seismic surveys are among the most prevalent and powerful anthropogenic noise sources in marine habitats. They are designed to produce most energy below 100 Hz, but the pulses have also been reported to contain medium-to-high frequency components with the potential to affect small marine mammals, which have their best hearing sensitivity at higher frequencies. In shallow water environments, inhabited by many of such species, the impact of airgun noise may be particularly challenging to assess due to complex propagation conditions. To alleviate the current lack of knowledge on the characteristics and propagation of airgun pulses in shallow water with implications for effects on small marine mammals, we recorded pulses from a single airgun with three operating volumes (10 in3, 25 in3 and 40 in3 at six ranges (6, 120, 200, 400, 800 and 1300 m in a uniform shallow water habitat using two calibrated Reson 4014 hydrophones and four DSG-Ocean acoustic data recorders. We show that airgun pulses in this shallow habitat propagated out to 1300 meters in a way that can be approximated by a 18log(r geometric transmission loss model, but with a high pass filter effect from the shallow water depth. Source levels were back-calculated to 192 dB re µPa2s (sound exposure level and 200 dB re 1 µPa dB Leq-fast (rms over 125 ms duration, and the pulses contained substantial energy up to 10 kHz, even at the furthest recording station at 1300 meters. We conclude that the risk of causing hearing damage when using single airguns in shallow waters is small for both pinnipeds and porpoises. However, there is substantial potential for significant behavioral responses out to several km from the airgun, well beyond the commonly used shut-down zone of 500 meters.

Characteristics and Propagation of Airgun Pulses in Shallow Water with Implications for Effects on Small Marine Mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermannsen, Line; Tougaard, Jakob; Beedholm, Kristian; Nabe-Nielsen, Jacob; Madsen, Peter Teglberg

2015-01-01

Airguns used in seismic surveys are among the most prevalent and powerful anthropogenic noise sources in marine habitats. They are designed to produce most energy below 100 Hz, but the pulses have also been reported to contain medium-to-high frequency components with the potential to affect small marine mammals, which have their best hearing sensitivity at higher frequencies. In shallow water environments, inhabited by many of such species, the impact of airgun noise may be particularly challenging to assess due to complex propagation conditions. To alleviate the current lack of knowledge on the characteristics and propagation of airgun pulses in shallow water with implications for effects on small marine mammals, we recorded pulses from a single airgun with three operating volumes (10 in3, 25 in3 and 40 in3) at six ranges (6, 120, 200, 400, 800 and 1300 m) in a uniform shallow water habitat using two calibrated Reson 4014 hydrophones and four DSG-Ocean acoustic data recorders. We show that airgun pulses in this shallow habitat propagated out to 1300 meters in a way that can be approximated by a 18log(r) geometric transmission loss model, but with a high pass filter effect from the shallow water depth. Source levels were back-calculated to 192 dB re µPa2s (sound exposure level) and 200 dB re 1 µPa dB Leq-fast (rms over 125 ms duration), and the pulses contained substantial energy up to 10 kHz, even at the furthest recording station at 1300 meters. We conclude that the risk of causing hearing damage when using single airguns in shallow waters is small for both pinnipeds and porpoises. However, there is substantial potential for significant behavioral responses out to several km from the airgun, well beyond the commonly used shut-down zone of 500 meters.

14C-lactose breath tests during pelvic radiotherapy: the effect of the amount of small bowel irradiated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, R.G.; Stryker, J.A.

1982-01-01

Thirty patients who were undergoing pelvic radiotherapy had 14 C-lactose breath tests performed in the first and fifth weeks of treatment. In Group I (21 patients), a significant portion of the small intestine was irradiated, and in Group II (9 patients), only a small portion of the small intestine was irradiated. In Group I, the average reductions in the excretion of ingested 14 C between the first- and fifth-week tests were 41.5% at 1/2 hour postingestion (p less than 0.05), and 21.8% at 1 hour postingestion (p less than 0.05). In Group II, the percentage reductions were 11.8% and 3.7% at 1/2 and 1 hour, respectively (p greater than 0.05). The data suggest that lactose malabsorption is a factor in the etiology of the nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea experienced by patients who are undergoing pelvic radiotherapy, and that the amount of bowel included in the treatment volume significantly influences the degree of malabsorption

Organic Semiconductor-Containing Supramolecules: Effect of Small Molecule Crystallization and Molecular Packing

KAUST Repository

Rancatore, Benjamin J.

2016-01-21

© 2016 American Chemical Society. Small molecules (SMs) with unique optical or electronic properties provide an opportunity to incorporate functionality into block copolymer (BCP)-based supramolecules. However, the assembly of supramolecules based on these highly crystalline molecules differs from their less crystalline counterparts. Here, two families of organic semiconductor SMs are investigated, where the composition of the crystalline core, the location (side- vs end-functionalization) of the alkyl solubilizing groups, and the constitution (branched vs linear) of the alkyl groups are varied. With these SMs, we present a systematic study of how the phase behavior of the SMs affects the overall assembly of these organic semiconductor-based supramolecules. The incorporation of SMs has a large effect on the interfacial curvature, the supramolecular periodicity, and the overall supramolecular morphology. The crystal packing of the SM within the supramolecule does not necessarily lead to the assembly of the comb block within the BCP microdomains, as is normally observed for alkyl-containing supramolecules. An unusual lamellar morphology with a wavy interface between the microdomains is observed due to changes in the packing structure of the small molecule within BCP microdomains. Since the supramolecular approach is modular and small molecules can be readily switched out, present studies provide useful guidance toward access supramolecular assemblies over several length scales using optically active and semiconducting small molecules.

Edaravone ameliorates the adverse effects of valproic acid toxicity in small intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Oktay, S; Alev, B; Tunali, S; Emekli-Alturfan, E; Tunali-Akbay, T; Koc-Ozturk, L; Yanardag, R; Yarat, A

2015-06-01

Valproic acid (VPA) is a drug used for the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar psychiatric disorders, and migraine. Previous studies have reported an increased generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in the toxic mechanism of VPA. Edaravone, a free radical scavenger for clinical use, can quench free radical reaction by trapping a variety of free radical species. In this study, effect of edaravone on some small intestine biochemical parameters in VPA-induced toxicity was investigated. Thirty seven Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into four groups. The groups include control group, edaravone (30 mg(-1) kg(-1) day(-1)) given group, VPA (0.5 g(-1) kg(-1) day(-1)) given group, VPA + edaravone (in same dose) given group. Edaravone and VPA were given intraperitoneally for 7 days. Biochemical parameters such as malondialdehyde, as an index of lipid peroxidation(LPO), sialic acid (SA), glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, myeloperoxidase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and tissue factor (TF) activities were determined in small intestine samples by colorimetric methods. Decreased small intestine antioxidant enzyme activities, increased LPO and SA levels, and increased activities of ALP and TF were detected in the VPA group. Based on our results edaravone may be suggested to reverse the oxidative stress and inflammation due to VPA-induced small intestine toxicity. © The Author(s) 2014.

Small-x Resummation and HERA Structure Function Data

CERN Document Server

Altarelli, Guido; Forte, Stefano; Altarelli, Guido; Ball, Richard D.; Forte, Stefano

2001-01-01

We apply our systematic NLO small x resummation of singlet splitting functions to the scaling violations of structure functions and compare the results with data. We develop various theoretical tools which are needed in order to relate resummed parton distributions to measurable structure functions, and we present results from a variety of fits to HERA data for the structure functions F_2 and F_L using the resummation. The behaviour of the singlet splitting functions at small x and fixed Q^2 is effectively parametrized as x^{-lambda}. We find that, for lambda small or negative, the resummed description of scaling violations may be phenomenologically as good as or even better than the standard next-to-leading order treatment. However, the best fit gluon density and value of alpha_s can be significantly modified by the resummation.

Use of Roche coordinates in the problems of small oscillations of tidally-distorted stellar models. II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohan, C.; Singh, V.P.

1979-01-01

Kopal's method of Roche coordinates used by the authors in an earlier paper (Mohan and Singh, 1978) to study the problems of small oscillations of tidally-distorted stars has been extended further to take into account the effect of second-order terms in tidal distortion. The results show that the effect of including terms of second order of smallness in tidal distortion in the metric coefficients of the Roche coordinates of tidally distroted stars is quite significant, especially in case of stars with extended envelopes and (or) larger values of the companion star producing tidal distortion. Some of the models which were earlier found stable against small perturbations now become dynamically unstable with the inclusion of the terms of second order of smallness in tidal effects. (Auth.)

The effect of urban green on small-area (healthy) life expectancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonker, M F; van Lenthe, F J; Donkers, B; Mackenbach, J P; Burdorf, A

2014-10-01

Several epidemiological studies have investigated the effect of the quantity of green space on health outcomes such as self-rated health, morbidity and mortality ratios. These studies have consistently found positive associations between the quantity of green and health. However, the impact of other aspects, such as the perceived quality and average distance to public green, and the effect of urban green on population health are still largely unknown. Linear regression models were used to investigate the impact of three different measures of urban green on small-area life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) in The Netherlands. All regressions corrected for average neighbourhood household income, accommodated spatial autocorrelation, and took measurement uncertainty of LE, HLE as well as the quality of urban green into account. Both the quantity and the perceived quality of urban green are modestly related to small-area LE and HLE: an increase of 1 SD in the percentage of urban green space is associated with a 0.1-year higher LE, and, in the case of quality of green, with an approximately 0.3-year higher LE and HLE. The average distance to the nearest public green is unrelated to population health. The quantity and particularly quality of urban green are positively associated with small-area LE and HLE. This concurs with a growing body of evidence that urban green reduces stress, stimulates physical activity, improves the microclimate and reduces ambient air pollution. Accordingly, urban green development deserves a more prominent place in urban regeneration and neighbourhood renewal programmes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on small oxygen-related clusters in silicon: LVM studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murin, L.I.; Lindstroem, J.L.; Misiuk, A.

2003-01-01

Local vibrational mode (LVM) spectroscopy is used to explore the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HP) on the formation of small oxygen-related clusters (dimers, trimers, thermal donors, and C-O complexes) at 450 deg. C and 650 deg. C in Cz-Si crystals with different impurity content and prehistory. It is found, in agreement with previous studies, that HP enhances the oxygen clustering in Cz-Si at elevated temperatures. The effect of HP is related mainly to enhancement in the diffusivity of single oxygen atoms and small oxygen aggregates. HP does not noticeably increase the binding energies of the most simple oxygen related complexes like O 2i , C s O ni . The biggest HP effect on the thermal double donor (TDDs) generation is revealed in hydrogenated samples. Heat-treatment of such samples at 450 deg. C under HP results in extremely high TDD introduction rates as well as in a strong increase in the concentration of the first TDD species

Radiation Synovectomy: an effective alternative treatment for inflamed small joints.

Science.gov (United States)

Karavida, N; Notopoulos, A

2010-01-01

An inflamed painful joint is one of the most common indications for the patient to be referred to a rheumatologist or an orthopedician. In relation to the aetiology, the therapeutic approach might be systemic, local or a combination of them in some cases, always with the thought of balancing risk with benefit for the patient. In all cases, independently of the cause, the goal of therapy is to improve the quality of life through the reduction of pain, improvement of mobility and preservation of function. Nuclear Medicine has to offer Radiosynoviorthesis, an effective alternative procedure for treating inflamed small joints. Various radionuclides are available for radiosynoviorthesis. Their selection depends on the size of the joint to be treated. Small joints are mainly treated with [169Er] erbium under a fluoroscopic or sonographic guidance, usually with a simultaneous instillation of a corticoid. Candidates for radiosynoviorthesis should have been under a six-month systemic treatment without encouraging results or should have undergone at least one unsuccessful intra-articular injection of a long acting glucocorticoid. Since 1973, when [169Er] erbium was firstly suggested as a therapeutic agent for radiosynoviorthesis of the finger joints, there has been quite enough experience in its' application. It has been found to be cost effective in providing long term relief of pain and deformity of the inflamed joints in comparison to other therapeutic approaches. Additionally, there is no radiation risk and can be performed on an out patient basis. Therefore it can stand as an effective alternative procedure for treating early stages of chronic synovitis in RA (rheumatoid arthritis) patients, with minor damage of the cartilage and the adjacent bones, and for synovitis secondary to inflammatory arthropathies.

Neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin against pressure ulcer in a mouse model of small fiber neuropathy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurore Danigo

Full Text Available An increased risk of skin pressure ulcers (PUs is common in patients with sensory neuropathies, including those caused by diabetes mellitus. Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO has been shown to protect the skin against PUs developed in animal models of long-term diabetes. The aim of this work was to determine whether rhEPO could prevent PU formation in a mouse model of drug-induced SFN. Functional SFN was induced by systemic injection of resiniferatoxin (RTX, 50 µg/kg, i.p.. RhEPO (3000 UI/kg, i.p. was given the day before RTX injection and then every other day. Seven days after RTX administration, PUs were induced by applying two magnetic plates on the dorsal skin. RTX-treated mice expressed thermal and mechanical hypoalgesia and showed calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP and substance P (SP depletion without nerve degeneration or vascular dysfunction. RTX mice developed significantly larger stage 2 PUs than Vehicle mice. RhEPO prevented thermal and mechanical hypoalgesia and neuropeptide depletion in small nerve fibers. RhEPO increased hematocrit and altered endothelium-dependent vasodilatation without any effect on PU formation in Vehicle mice. The characteristics of PUs in RTX mice treated with rhEPO and Vehicle mice were found similar. In conclusion, RTX appeared to increased PU development through depletion of CGRP and SP in small nerve fibers, whereas systemic rhEPO treatment had beneficial effect on peptidergic nerve fibers and restored skin protective capacities against ischemic pressure. Our findings support the evaluation of rhEPO and/or its non-hematopoietic analogs in preventing to prevent PUs in patients with SFN.

Mucus reduction promotes acetyl salicylic acid-induced small intestinal mucosal injury in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Suyama, Yosuke; Handa, Osamu; Naito, Yuji; Takayama, Shun; Mukai, Rieko; Ushiroda, Chihiro; Majima, Atsushi; Yasuda-Onozawa, Yuriko; Higashimura, Yasuki; Fukui, Akifumi; Dohi, Osamu; Okayama, Tetsuya; Yoshida, Naohisa; Katada, Kazuhiro; Kamada, Kazuhiro; Uchiyama, Kazuhiko; Ishikawa, Takeshi; Takagi, Tomohisa; Konishi, Hideyuki; Itoh, Yoshito

2018-03-25

Acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) is a useful drug for the secondary prevention of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases, but it has adverse effects on the small intestinal mucosa. The pathogenesis and prophylaxis of ASA-induced small intestinal injury remain unclear. In this study, we focused on the intestinal mucus, as the gastrointestinal tract is covered by mucus, which exhibits protective effects against various gastrointestinal diseases. ASA was injected into the duodenum of rats, and small intestinal mucosal injury was evaluated using Evans blue dye. To investigate the importance of mucus, Polysorbate 80 (P80), an emulsifier, was used before ASA injection. In addition, rebamipide, a mucus secretion inducer in the small intestine, was used to suppress mucus reduction in the small intestine of P80-administered rats. The addition of P80 reduced the mucus and exacerbated the ASA-induced small intestinal mucosal injury. Rebamipide significantly suppressed P80-reduced small intestinal mucus and P80-increased intestinal mucosal lesions in ASA-injected rats, demonstrating that mucus is important for the protection against ASA-induced small intestinal mucosal injury. These results provide new insight into the mechanism of ASA-induced small intestinal mucosal injury. Mucus secretion-increasing therapy might be useful in preventing ASA-induced small intestinal mucosal injury. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Significance of high energy spin effects in constituent pictures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.K.

1977-01-01

The spin information about high energy hadronic reactions is important for further understanding of the nature and the behavior of hadronic constituents. The usefulness of the information is discussed in the cases of dilepton production from hadronic collisions, large P/sub T/ inclusive and elastic scatterings, and small angle elastic scattering and quantum number exchanged reactions

Maybe Small Is Too Small a Term: Introduction to Advancing Small Sample Prevention Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Fok, Carlotta Ching Ting; Henry, David; Allen, James

2015-10-01

Prevention research addressing health disparities often involves work with small population groups experiencing such disparities. The goals of this special section are to (1) address the question of what constitutes a small sample; (2) identify some of the key research design and analytic issues that arise in prevention research with small samples; (3) develop applied, problem-oriented, and methodologically innovative solutions to these design and analytic issues; and (4) evaluate the potential role of these innovative solutions in describing phenomena, testing theory, and evaluating interventions in prevention research. Through these efforts, we hope to promote broader application of these methodological innovations. We also seek whenever possible, to explore their implications in more general problems that appear in research with small samples but concern all areas of prevention research. This special section includes two sections. The first section aims to provide input for researchers at the design phase, while the second focuses on analysis. Each article describes an innovative solution to one or more challenges posed by the analysis of small samples, with special emphasis on testing for intervention effects in prevention research. A concluding article summarizes some of their broader implications, along with conclusions regarding future directions in research with small samples in prevention science. Finally, a commentary provides the perspective of the federal agencies that sponsored the conference that gave rise to this special section.

Influence of thermocleavable functionality on organic field-effect transistor performance of small molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Mahale, Rajashree Y.; Dharmapurikar, Satej S.; Chini, Mrinmoy Kumar; Venugopalan, Vijay

2017-06-01

Diketopyrrolopyrrole based donor-acceptor-donor conjugated small molecules using ethylene dioxythiophene as a donor was synthesized. Electron deficient diketopyrrolopyrrole unit was substituted with thermocleavable (tert-butyl acetate) side chains. The thermal treatment of the molecules at 160 °C eliminated the tert-butyl ester group results in the formation of corresponding acid. Optical and theoretical studies revealed that the molecules adopted a change in molecular arrangement after thermolysis. The conjugated small molecules possessed p-channel charge transport characteristics in organic field effect transistors. The charge carrier mobility was increased after thermolysis of tert-butyl ester group to 5.07 × 10-5 cm2/V s.

Effect of weak nonsphericity on linear and nonlinear optical properties of small particle composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncharenko, A.V.; Popelnukh, V.V.; Venger, E.F.

2002-01-01

A small particle composite in which the inclusions are slightly nonspherical and distributed in shape is considered. Within the framework of the mean-field approximation, the functions of linear and nonlinear optical responses are calculated in terms of a nonsphericity parameter specifying the width of the distribution function in shape. To estimate the effect of weak nonsphericity on the functions, their second derivatives with respect to the nonsphericity parameter are computed. The derivatives are shown to be complexly structured surfaces in the coordinates (Re(ε i /ε m ), Im(ε i /ε m )), where ε i and ε m are the inclusion and matrix permittivity, respectively. Based on the results obtained, applicability area of the classical Maxwell Garnett theory is discussed. The main conclusion is that weak nonsphericity is significant only in the close vicinity of a dipole resonance of a single ball made of inclusion material. At the same time, the role of nonsphericity increases with decreasing the imaginary part of inclusion permittivity. (author)

Moderating Effects of Trust on Environmentally Significant Behavior in Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seong-Gin Moon

2017-03-01

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

Spectral distribution of particle fluence in small field detectors and its implication on small field dosimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Benmakhlouf, Hamza; Andreo, Pedro

2017-02-01

photoabsorption in the high-Z shielding material. For the ionization chambers and the diamond detector, the electron fluence spectra were found to be similar to that in water, for both field sizes. In contrast, electron spectra in the silicon diodes were much higher than that in water for both field sizes. The estimated perturbations of the fluence spectra for the silicon diodes were 11-21% for the large fields and 14-27% for the small fields. These perturbations are related to the atomic number, density and mean excitation energy (I-value) of silicon, as well as to the influence of the "extracameral"' components surrounding the detector sensitive volume. For most detectors the fluence perturbation was also found to increase when the field size was decreased, in consistency with the increased small-field effects observed for the smallest field sizes. The present work improves the understanding of small-field effects by relating output correction factors to spectral fluence perturbations in small field detectors. It is shown that the main reasons for the well-known small-field effects in silicon diodes are the high-Z and density of the "extracameral" detector components and the high I-value of silicon relative to that of water and diamond. Compared to these parameters, the density and atomic number of the radiation sensitive volume material play a less significant role. © 2016 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

[Spatial heterogeneity in body condition of small yellow croaker in Yellow Sea and East China Sea based on mixed-effects model and quantile regression analysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zun-Lei; Yuan, Xing-Wei; Yan, Li-Ping; Yang, Lin-Lin; Cheng, Jia-Hua

2013-09-01

By using the 2008-2010 investigation data about the body condition of small yellow croaker in the offshore waters of southern Yellow Sea (SYS), open waters of northern East China Sea (NECS), and offshore waters of middle East China Sea (MECS), this paper analyzed the spatial heterogeneity of body length-body mass of juvenile and adult small yellow croakers by the statistical approaches of mean regression model and quantile regression model. The results showed that the residual standard errors from the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and the linear mixed-effects model were similar, and those from the simple linear regression were the highest. For the juvenile small yellow croakers, their mean body mass in SYS and NECS estimated by the mixed-effects mean regression model was higher than the overall average mass across the three regions, while the mean body mass in MECS was below the overall average. For the adult small yellow croakers, their mean body mass in NECS was higher than the overall average, while the mean body mass in SYS and MECS was below the overall average. The results from quantile regression indicated the substantial differences in the allometric relationships of juvenile small yellow croakers between SYS, NECS, and MECS, with the estimated mean exponent of the allometric relationship in SYS being 2.85, and the interquartile range being from 2.63 to 2.96, which indicated the heterogeneity of body form. The results from ANCOVA showed that the allometric body length-body mass relationships were significantly different between the 25th and 75th percentile exponent values (F=6.38, df=1737, P<0.01) and the 25th percentile and median exponent values (F=2.35, df=1737, P=0.039). The relationship was marginally different between the median and 75th percentile exponent values (F=2.21, df=1737, P=0.051). The estimated body length-body mass exponent of adult small yellow croakers in SYS was 3.01 (10th and 95th percentiles = 2.77 and 3.1, respectively). The

Radiation research contracts: Biological effects of small radiation doses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hug, O [International Atomic Energy Agency, Division of Health, Safety and Waste Disposal, Vienna (Austria)

1959-04-15

To establish the maximum permissible radiation doses for occupational and other kinds of radiation exposure, it is necessary to know those biological effects which can be produced by very small radiation doses. This particular field of radiation biology has not yet been sufficiently explored. This holds true for possible delayed damage after occupational radiation exposure over a period of many years as well as for acute reactions of the organism to single low level exposures. We know that irradiation of less than 25 Roentgen units (r) is unlikely to produce symptoms of radiation sickness. We have, however, found indications that even smaller doses may produce certain instantaneous reactions which must not be neglected

Effect of small-molecule modification on single-cell pharmacokinetics of PARP inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Thurber, Greg M; Reiner, Thomas; Yang, Katherine S; Kohler, Rainer H; Weissleder, Ralph

2014-04-01

The heterogeneous delivery of drugs in tumors is an established process contributing to variability in treatment outcome. Despite the general acceptance of variable delivery, the study of the underlying causes is challenging, given the complex tumor microenvironment including intra- and intertumor heterogeneity. The difficulty in studying this distribution is even more significant for small-molecule drugs where radiolabeled compounds or mass spectrometry detection lack the spatial and temporal resolution required to quantify the kinetics of drug distribution in vivo. In this work, we take advantage of the synthesis of fluorescent drug conjugates that retain their target binding but are designed with different physiochemical and thus pharmacokinetic properties. Using these probes, we followed the drug distribution in cell culture and tumor xenografts with temporal resolution of seconds and subcellular spatial resolution. These measurements, including in vivo permeability of small-molecule drugs, can be used directly in predictive pharmacokinetic models for the design of therapeutics and companion imaging agents as demonstrated by a finite element model.

Effect of Small Molecule Modification on Single Cell Pharmacokinetics of PARP Inhibitors

Science.gov (United States)

Thurber, Greg M.; Reiner, Thomas; Yang, Katherine S; Kohler, Rainer; Weissleder, Ralph

2014-01-01

The heterogeneous delivery of drugs in tumors is an established process contributing to variability in treatment outcome. Despite the general acceptance of variable delivery, the study of the underlying causes is challenging given the complex tumor microenvironment including intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity. The difficulty in studying this distribution is even more significant for small molecule drugs where radiolabeled compounds or mass spectrometry detection lack the spatial and temporal resolution required to quantify the kinetics of drug distribution in vivo. In this work, we take advantage of the synthesis of fluorescent drug conjugates that retain their target binding but are designed with different physiochemical and thus pharmacokinetic properties. Using these probes, we followed the drug distribution in cell culture and tumor xenografts with temporal resolution of seconds and subcellular spatial resolution. These measurements, including in vivo permeability of small molecule drugs, can be used directly in predictive pharmacokinetic models for the design of therapeutics and companion imaging agents as demonstrated by a finite element model. PMID:24552776

Effect of automatic control technologies on emission reduction in small-scale combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruusunen, M. [Control Engineering Laboratory, University of Oulu (Finland)

2007-07-01

Automatic control can be regarded as a primary measure for preventing combustion emissions. In this view, the control technology covers broadly the control methods, sensors and actuators for monitoring and controlling combustion. In addition to direct control of combustion process, it can also give tools for condition monitoring and optimisation of total heat consumption by system integration thus reducing the need for excess conversion of energy. Automatic control has already shown its potential in small-scale combustion. The potential, but still unrealised advantages of automatic control in this scale are the adaptation to changes in combustion conditions (fuel, environment, device, user) and the continuous optimisation of the air/fuel ratio. Modem control technology also covers combustion condition monitoring, diagnostics, and the higher level optimisation of the energy consumption with system integration. In theory, these primary measures maximise the overall efficiency, enabling a significant reduction in fuel consumption and thus total emissions per small-scale combustion unit, specifically at the annual level.

Compensation of significant parametric uncertainties using sliding mode online learning

Science.gov (United States)

Schnetter, Philipp; Kruger, Thomas

An augmented nonlinear inverse dynamics (NID) flight control strategy using sliding mode online learning for a small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is presented. Because parameter identification for this class of aircraft often is not valid throughout the complete flight envelope, aerodynamic parameters used for model based control strategies may show significant deviations. For the concept of feedback linearization this leads to inversion errors that in combination with the distinctive susceptibility of small UAS towards atmospheric turbulence pose a demanding control task for these systems. In this work an adaptive flight control strategy using feedforward neural networks for counteracting such nonlinear effects is augmented with the concept of sliding mode control (SMC). SMC-learning is derived from variable structure theory. It considers a neural network and its training as a control problem. It is shown that by the dynamic calculation of the learning rates, stability can be guaranteed and thus increase the robustness against external disturbances and system failures. With the resulting higher speed of convergence a wide range of simultaneously occurring disturbances can be compensated. The SMC-based flight controller is tested and compared to the standard gradient descent (GD) backpropagation algorithm under the influence of significant model uncertainties and system failures.

Myoelectric activity of the small intestine during morphine dependence and withdrawal in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuperman, D.A.; Sninsky, C.A.; Lynch, D.F.

1987-01-01

The authors investigated (1) the effect of morphine dependence on the migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) of the small intestine, (2) whether bacterial overgrowth developed in morphine-dependent rats, and (3) the effect of naloxone and methylbromide naltrexone, a peripheral opioid antagonist, on the MMC in morphine-naive and morphine-dependent rats. They also evaluated intestinal motility during naloxone-induced withdrawal in animals pretreated with clonidine. Intestinal myoelectric activity was monitored by four indwelling electrodes in unanesthetized, fasted rats. D-[ 14 C]xylose breath tests were performed before and after morphine-pellet implantation to evaluate the presence of bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine. Naloxone had no effect on myoelectric activity of the small intestine in morphine-naive rats. Cycling activity fronts were present in morphine-dependent animals, but there was a significant prolongation of activity front periodicity and slowing of the propagation velocity. No significant increase in 14 CO 2 excretion was noted in the morphine-dependent rats. They conclude from their studies that (1) myoelectric activity of the small intestine develops incomplete tolerance to morphine; (2) bacterial overgrowth is not a feature of morphine dependence in the rat; (3) alterations of intestinal myoelectric activity are a component of the opiate withdrawal syndrome, and they appear at least partially mediated by a peripheral mechanism that can be suppressed by an α 2 -adrenergic agonist

Myoelectric activity of the small intestine during morphine dependence and withdrawal in rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuperman, D.A.; Sninsky, C.A.; Lynch, D.F.

1987-04-01

The authors investigated (1) the effect of morphine dependence on the migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) of the small intestine, (2) whether bacterial overgrowth developed in morphine-dependent rats, and (3) the effect of naloxone and methylbromide naltrexone, a peripheral opioid antagonist, on the MMC in morphine-naive and morphine-dependent rats. They also evaluated intestinal motility during naloxone-induced withdrawal in animals pretreated with clonidine. Intestinal myoelectric activity was monitored by four indwelling electrodes in unanesthetized, fasted rats. D-(/sup 14/C)xylose breath tests were performed before and after morphine-pellet implantation to evaluate the presence of bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine. Naloxone had no effect on myoelectric activity of the small intestine in morphine-naive rats. Cycling activity fronts were present in morphine-dependent animals, but there was a significant prolongation of activity front periodicity and slowing of the propagation velocity. No significant increase in /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ excretion was noted in the morphine-dependent rats. They conclude from their studies that (1) myoelectric activity of the small intestine develops incomplete tolerance to morphine; (2) bacterial overgrowth is not a feature of morphine dependence in the rat; (3) alterations of intestinal myoelectric activity are a component of the opiate withdrawal syndrome, and they appear at least partially mediated by a peripheral mechanism that can be suppressed by an ..cap alpha../sub 2/-adrenergic agonist.

Coherence effects and average multiplicity in deep inelastic scattering at small χ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kisselev, A.V.; Petrov, V.A.

1988-01-01

The average hadron multiplicity in deep inelastic scattering at small χ is calculated in this paper. Its relationship with the average multiplicity in e + e - annihilation is established. As shown the results do not depend on a choice of the gauge vector. The important role of coherence effects in both space-like and time-like jet evolution is clarified. (orig.)

Scintigraphic determination of the effect of metoclopramide and morphine on small intestinal transit time

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prokop, E.K.; Caride, V.J.; Winchenbach, K.; Troncale, F.J.; McCallum, R.W.

1988-01-01

To determine if a scintigraphic method could detect pharmacologic changes in small intestinal transit time (SITT), 10 male volunteers were studied at baseline and after intravenously administered metoclopramide (10 mg) and morphine (8 mg). Five of these volunteers were studied with the hydrogen breath test method for comparison. For each of the scintigraphic studies, the volunteers were positioned supine under a large-field-of-view gamma camera after ingesting an isosmotic lactulose solution containing 99mtechnetium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). Data were collected and stored in a computer. Both gastric emptying and SITT were determined. SITT was 81 +/- 11 min (mean +/- S.E.M.; N = 10) during baseline studies, was decreased significantly to 50 +/- 6 min (N = 10; P less than 0.01) after metoclopramide, and was increased significantly to 161 +/- 15 min (N = 8; P less than 0.01) after morphine. Baseline mean values were 86.3 +/- 15 min (N = 15) for the hydrogen breath tests, 47 +/- 8 min (N = 5) for metoclopramide, and 183 +/- 16 min (N = 5) for morphine. For gastric emptying, there was no significant difference in percentage emptying at 1 hr for baseline and metochopramide (82 +/- 5% vs. 88 +/- 4%). Morphine prolonged gastric emptying at 1 hr to 63 +/- 8%. We conclude that the scintigraphic method for measuring SITT permits accurate investigation of the pharmacologic effects on intestinal motility and, in addition, may be a useful research and clinical method for SITT determination.

Spatial variation in keystone effects: Small mammal diversity associated with black-tailed prairie dog colonies

Science.gov (United States)

Cully, J.F.; Collinge, S.K.; Van Nimwegen, R. E.; Ray, C.; Johnson, W.C.; Thiagarajan, Bala; Conlin, D.B.; Holmes, B.E.

2010-01-01

Species with extensive geographic ranges may interact with different species assemblages at distant locations, with the result that the nature of the interactions may vary spatially. Black-tailed prairie dogs Cynomys ludovicianus occur from Canada to Mexico in grasslands of the western Great Plains of North America. Black-tailed prairie dogs alter vegetation and dig extensive burrow systems that alter grassland habitats for plants and other animal species. These alterations of habitat justify the descriptor " ecological engineer," and the resulting changes in species composition have earned them status as a keystone species. We examined the impact of black-tailed prairie dogs on small mammal assemblages by trapping at on- and off-colony locations at eight study areas across the species' geographic range. We posed 2 nested hypotheses: 1) prairie dogs function as a keystone species for other rodent species; and 2) the keystone role varies spatially. Assuming that it does, we asked what are the sources of the variation? Black-tailed prairie dogs consistently functioned as a keystone species in that there were strong statistically significant differences in community composition on versus off prairie dog colonies across the species range in prairie grassland. Small mammal species composition varied along both latitudinal and longitudinal gradients, and species richness varied from 4 to 11. Assemblages closer together were more similar; such correlations approximately doubled when including only on- or off-colony grids. Black-tailed prairie dogs had a significant effect on associated rodent assemblages that varied regionally, dependent upon the composition of the local rodent species pool. Over the range of the black-tailed prairie dog, on-colony rodent richness and evenness were less variable, and species composition was more consistent than off-colony assemblages. ?? 2010 The Authors.

Wind variability and sheltering effects on measurements and modeling of air-water exchange for a small lake

Science.gov (United States)

Markfort, Corey D.; Resseger, Emily; Porté-Agel, Fernando; Stefan, Heinz

2014-05-01

Lakes with a surface area of less than 10 km2 account for over 50% of the global cumulative lake surface water area, and make up more than 99% of the total number of global lakes, ponds, and wetlands. Within the boreal regions as well as some temperate and tropical areas, a significant proportion of land cover is characterized by lakes or wetlands, which can have a dramatic effect on land-atmosphere fluxes as well as the local and regional energy budget. Many of these small water bodies are surrounded by complex terrain and forest, which cause the wind blowing over a small lake or wetland to be highly variable. Wind mixing of the lake surface layer affects thermal stratification, surface temperature and air-water gas transfer, e.g. O2, CO2, and CH4. As the wind blows from the land to the lake, wake turbulence behind trees and other shoreline obstacles leads to a recirculation zone and enhanced turbulence. This wake flow results in the delay of the development of wind shear stress on the lake surface, and the fetch required for surface shear stress to fully develop may be ~O(1 km). Interpretation of wind measurements made on the lake is hampered by the unknown effect of wake turbulence. We present field measurements designed to quantify wind variability over a sheltered lake. The wind data and water column temperature profiles are used to evaluate a new method to quantify wind sheltering of lakes that takes into account lake size, shape and the surrounding landscape features. The model is validated against field data for 36 Minnesota lakes. Effects of non-uniform sheltering and lake shape are also demonstrated. The effects of wind sheltering must be included in lake models to determine the effect of wind-derived energy inputs on lake stratification, surface gas transfer, lake water quality, and fish habitat. These effects are also important for correctly modeling momentum, heat, moisture and trace gas flux to the atmosphere.

Theory problems at small x

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, J.C.

1984-01-01

It is shown how the standard methods of perturbative QCD are valid to extremely small x. The methods are valid provided a quantity we call the packing fraction of partons in a hadron is much less than one. One surprising consequence is that the cross-section for production of jets of a few GeV energy can be reliably calculated. Since this cross-section in tens of millibarns, the phenomenology of minimum bias events at the SSC will be different than at lower energy; this will have a significant effect on the backgrounds for new physics events. 8 references

Impaired Growth of Small Intestinal Epithelium by Adrenalectomy in Weaning Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyata, Tohru; Minai, Yuji; Haga, Minoru

2008-01-01

Functional maturation of the small intestine occurs during the weaning period in rats. It is known that this development is facilitated by glucocorticoid. However, the effect of glucocorticoid on morphological development of small intestine has yet to be clarified. The present study evaluated the morphological development and cell proliferation of the small intestine in adrenalectomized (ADX) rat pups. To further understand the mechanism of glucocorticoid effects on intestinal development, we examined the localization of the glucocorticoid receptor in the small intestine. Microscopic analysis showed that growth of villi and crypts is age-dependent, and is significantly attenuated in ADX rats compared with sham-operated rats. BrdU-positive cells, i.e. proliferating cells, were primarily observed in crypt compartments and rapidly increased in number during the early weaning period. The increase in BrdU-positive cells could be attenuated by adrenalectomy. The morphological development of small intestine may be associated with increased proliferation of epithelial cells. On the other hand, glucocorticoid receptors were found in epithelial cells of the mid- and lower villi and not in crypts where BrdU-positive cells were localized. These results indicate that the growth of small intestine is attenuated by adrenalectomy, and that glucocorticoid indirectly acts on proliferation of epithelial cells during the weaning period

Percutaneous closure of patent ductus arteriosus in small infants with significant lung disease may offer faster recovery of respiratory function when compared to surgical ligation.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu Hazeem, Anas A; Gillespie, Matthew J; Thun, Haley; Munson, David; Schwartz, Matthew C; Dori, Yoav; Rome, Jonathan J; Glatz, Andrew C

2013-10-01

To describe our experience with percutaneous closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in small infants and compare outcomes to matched surgical patients. Ligation via thoracotomy has been used to close PDAs in small infants, but has been associated with respiratory and hemodynamic compromise. We hypothesized that percutaneous closure would offer faster recovery of respiratory function. Patients closure between January 2000 and April 2012 were reviewed and matched to contemporary surgical patients on gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), procedure weight (WT), and ventilation mode. Patients returned to baseline respiratory status when the product of mean airway pressure and FiO2 returned to pre-procedural levels. Eight matched pairs were included. Median BW, GA, and WT were 1.43 kg (0.52-2.97), 29.8 weeks (24-39), and 2.8 kg (2.2-3.9) for catheter patients and 1.55 kg (0.48-3.04), 29 weeks (23-37), and 2.75 kg (2.3-4.2) for surgical patients. Complete PDA closure occurred in all. The median time to return to baseline respiratory status was significantly shorter in the percutaneous group (17 hr (range 0-113) vs. 53 hr (range 13-219), P closure of PDA in small infants on respiratory support is equivalent in safety and efficacy and may offer shorter recovery time than surgical ligation. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Immunological Effects of Probiotics and their Significance to Human Health

Science.gov (United States)

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

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

Definitive Radiotherapy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jong Young; Park, Kyung Ran

1995-01-01

Purpose : The effect of dose escalation of up to 6500 cGy on local control and survival was investigated in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Materials and Methods : Ninety eight patients with biopsy-proven unresectable non-small cell lung cancer without distant metastases or medically inoperable patients with lower-stage were treated with definitive radiotherapy alone. Group A were treated by thoracic irradiation, 6000 cGy or less in total tumor dose with daily fractions of 180 to 200 cGy: and group B was treated with 6500 cGy of same daily fractions. Results : The actuarial overall survival rate for the entire group was 54% at 1 year, 26.6% at 2 years and 16.4% at 3 years with a median survival time of 13 months. Statistically significant prognostic factors that affect survival rate were stage and N-stage. However, no improvement in local control and survival has been seen with higher dose radiotherapy(group B). Conclusion : Dose escalation of up to 6500 cGy was no effect on local control and survival rate. To increase the survival rate of non-small cell lung cancer hyperfractionated radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy should be considered

Starfruit Leaves as Glucose Absorption Inhibitor in Mice’s Small Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rifqi Y Muhammad

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola leaves contain flavone derivatives that exhibit anti-hyperglycemic effects. This study aims to determine the effect of starfruit leaves in reducing glucose absorption in intestinal epithelial cells of mice. Methods: This study was done by performing perfusion on the small intestines of mice. The mice that were used in this study were divided into four groups. The control group was given glucose solution without infused starfruit leaves whereas, the remaining 3 groups were given 3 mmol (540 mg/dL glucose solution with infused starfruit leaves of varying concentrations; 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg. Samples were collected at 0, 15th, 30th, 45th, and 60th minute. The sample was tested for glucose levels using spectrophotometry. Results: Test of significance showed a significant difference between the control group and the test group with p < 0.05. Conclusions: Starfruit leaves have a reduction effect towards glucose absorption in the small intestines in Wistar strains where the group using 600 mg/kg of infused starfruit leaves have the most significant effect as compared to other groups.

Small x physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwiecinski, J.

1993-01-01

The QCD expectations concerning the small x limit of parton distributions where x is the Bjorken scaling variable are reviewed. This includes discussion of the evolutions equations in the small x region, the Lipatov equation which sums the leading powers of ln(1/x) and the shadowing effects. Phenomenological implantations of the theoretical expectations for the deep inelastic lepton-hadron scattering in the small x region which will be accessible at the HERA ep collider are described. We give predictions for structure functions F 2 and F L and discuss specific processes sensitive to the small x physics such as heavy quark production, deep inelastic diffraction and jet production in deep inelastic lepton scattering. A brief review of nuclear shadowing in the inelastic lepton nucleus scattering at small x is also presented. (author). 86 refs, 29 figs

Effect of orientation and loading rate on compression behavior of small-scale Mo pillars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, A.S.; Clark, B.G.; Frick, C.P.; Gruber, P.A.; Arzt, E.

2009-01-01

Recently, much work has focused on the size effect in face centered cubic (fcc) structures, however few pillar studies have focused on body centered cubic (bcc) metals. This paper explores the role of bcc crystal structure on the size effect, through compression testing of [001] and [235] Molybdenum (Mo) small-scale pillars manufactured by focused ion beam (FIB). The pillar diameters ranged from 200 nm to 5 μm. Results show that the relationship between yield stress and diameter exhibits an inverse relationship (σ y ∝ d -0.22 for [001] Mo and σ y ∝ d -0.34 for [235] Mo) weaker than that observed for face centered cubic (fcc) metals (σ y ∝ d -0.6to-1.0 ). Additional tests at various loading rates revealed that small-scale Mo pillars exhibit a strain rate sensitivity similar to bulk Mo.

Enhancing social media competitiveness of small businesses: insights from small pizzerias

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wu; Wang, Feng-Kwei; Zha, Shenghua

2014-07-01

Social media provide an online platform for enterprises to engage existing customers and attract new customers. Although social media can be easily set up at no cost, however, due to limited human and financial resources, many small businesses find it challenging to compete against large enterprises in social media use. While more and more small businesses have jumped on the bandwagon of social media in recent years, few studies investigated the social media strategies that can help small businesses to survive and even thrive against large competitors in the social media arena. Therefore, we studied 32 small pizzerias in a mid-size U.S. city in terms of their social media use for business. Our study found that small pizzerias emphasizing social media use on community relations and social responsibility tend to be more successful in attracting and engaging local customers. This study also sheds light on both effective strategies and successful practices of social media use by small pizzerias. The insights and recommendations identified from this study can help small businesses to enhance their social media competitiveness against large enterprises.

Analysis of small-scale rotor hover performance data

Science.gov (United States)

Kitaplioglu, Cahit

1990-01-01

Rotor hover-performance data from a 1/6-scale helicopter rotor are analyzed and the data sets compared for the effects of ambient wind, test stand configuration, differing test facilities, and scaling. The data are also compared to full scale hover data. The data exhibited high scatter, not entirely due to ambient wind conditions. Effects of download on the test stand proved to be the most significant influence on the measured data. Small-scale data correlated resonably well with full scale data; the correlation did not improve with Reynolds number corrections.

A small business worksite wellness model for improving health behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrill, Ray M

2013-08-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of a wellness program delivered by WellSteps, LLC, aimed at improving employee health behaviors in small companies that lack the resources to independently develop and manage a wellness program. Analyses are based on 618 employees from five diverse companies that completed an initial personal health assessment. Exercise and dietary behaviors significantly improved across the five companies. Significant improvements in health perception and life satisfaction also resulted and were associated with improvements in health behaviors. Three of the five companies, each with fewer than 50 employees, were most effective in influencing positive health behaviors, health perceptions, and life satisfaction. The worksite wellness program effectively improved health behaviors, health perceptions, and life satisfaction.

Monte Carlo simulation of small field electron beams for small animal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chung-Chi; Chen, Ai-Mei; Tung, Chuan-Jong; Chao, Tsi-Chian

2011-01-01

The volume effect of detectors in the dosimetry of small fields for photon beams has been well studied due to interests in radiosurgery and small beamlets used in IMRT treatments; but there is still an unexplored research field for small electron beams used in small animal irradiation. This study proposes to use the BEAM Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to assess characteristics of small electron beams (4, 6, 14, 30 mm in diameter) with the kinetic energies of 6 and 18 MeV. Three factors influencing beam characteristics were studied (1) AE and ECUT settings, (2) photon jaw settings and (3) simulation pixel sizes. Study results reveal that AE/ECUT settings at 0.7 MeV are adequate for linear accelerator treatment head simulation, while 0.521 MeV is more favorable to be used for the phantom study. It is also demonstrated that voxel size setting at 1/4 of the simulation field width in all directions is sufficient to achieve accurate results. As for the photon jaw setting, it has great impact on the absolute output of different field size setting (i.e. output factor) but with minimum effect on the relative lateral distribution.

Effect of small sided handball game on aerobic capacity and repeated sprint ability of male handball players

OpenAIRE

CHITTIBABU, Balasubramanian

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of four and eight weeks small-sided handball game on aerobic capacity and repeated sprint ability of male handball players. Sixteen (16) male university handball players volunteered to act as subjects and were randomly assigned to small-sided handball game group (SSHG) and control group (CG).  Small-sided handball game was administered three days in a week for eight weeks. Subjects were measured on aerobic capacity, total sprint time and ...

Radiation-related small head sizes among prenatally exposed atomic bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otaki, Masanori; Schull, William J.

2004-01-01

The population prenatally exposed to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, referred to as the In Utero Clinical Sample, on whom Dosimetry System 1986 doses are available consists of 1566 individuals (1242 in Hiroshima and 324 in Nagasaki). Of these study subjects, 1473 had the circumference of their heads measured at least once between ages 9 to 19. Among these 1473 individuals, 62 had small heads - the circumference of the head was two standard deviations or more below the observed specific age-at-measurement mean. Twenty-six of the 30 cases with severe mental retardation described elsewhere are included among these subjects. Of these 26 severely mentally retarded cases, 15 (58%) had small heads. Most (86%) of the individuals with small heads were exposed in the first or second trimester of pregnancy - 55% in the former period and 31% in the latter. Various dose-response relationships, with and without a threshold, have been fitted to the data grouped by the trimester or postovulatory age (weeks after ovulation) at which exposure occurred. A significant effect of radiation on the frequency of individuals with atypically small heads is observed only in the first and second trimesters and for the intervals postovulation of 0-7 weeks and 8-15 weeks. Although the risk of a small head at 0-7 weeks postovulation increases significantly with increasing dose, no increase in risk for severe mental retardation is noted in this period. No excess risk of a small head was seen in the third trimester or among individuals exposed at ≥ 16 weeks postovulation. The estimated threshold, based either on a linear or a linear-quadratic dose-response relationship, is zero or thereabouts. This apparent absence of a threshold and the somewhat different periods of vulnerability suggest an embryological difference in the development of both a small head and mental retardation. Mean IQ (using the Koga test) and its standard deviation are 63.8 and 8.5, respectively, for the

Effect of small-scale ionospheric variability on GNSS radio occultation data quality

Science.gov (United States)

Verkhoglyadova, O. P.; Mannucci, A. J.; Ao, C. O.; Iijima, B. A.; Kursinski, E. R.

2015-09-01

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) measurements are sensitive to thin ionization layers and small-scale ionosphere structures. To evaluate error bounds and possible biases in atmospheric retrievals, we characterized ionospheric irregularities encountered in the affected profiles by analyzing the L1 signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) variability at E layer altitudes (from 90 km to 130 km). New metrics to analyze statistical effects of small-scale ionospheric irregularities on refractivity retrievals are proposed. We analyzed refractivity (N) retrievals with Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) ROs in 2011. Using refractivity from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis (NECMWF) as the reference data set, we studied statistical properties of the fractional refractivity bias (ΔN) defined by the difference (NECMWF - N)/NECMWF and averaged in the altitude range from 20 to 25 km for each individual profile. We found that (1) persistently larger variability of the L1 SNR as measured by the interquartile range (IQR) existed when the occultation tangent point was in the 90 km to 110 km altitude range than at higher E layer altitudes; (2) the upper limits on the fractional refractivity bias for COSMIC ROs are 0.06% (for daytime local time), 0.1% (for nighttime local time), and ~0.01% (for all local times); (3) distributions of ΔN are non-Gaussian (leptokurtic); (4) latitudinal distributions of small and large ΔN for different levels of ionospheric variability show large tails (NECMWF > N) occurring around the Himalaya and the Andes regions, which are possibly due to biases in ECMWF analysis. We conclude that the refractivity bias due to small-scale irregularities is small below 25 km altitude and can be neglected.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CSR CONCEPT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Kaźmierczak

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This article attempts to assess the importance of the environmental dimension of the concept of corporate social responsibility (Social Corporate Responsibility - CSR in small and medium-sized enterprises. The first part describes the essence of corporate social responsibility. The second part is the basic pillar of CSR, which is an ecological area. The third part presents the environmental efforts undertaken by small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of CSR. The analysis was based on the literature available and data obtained from empirical research conducted by the writer. The results show that companies, however in different extent undertake ecological activities willingly. Furthermore, those activities benefit not only in terms of the environmental dimension of CSR, but also in other areas of the organization.

Gefitinib provides similar effectiveness and improved safety than erlotinib for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenxiong; Wei, Yiping; Yu, Dongliang; Xu, Jianjun; Peng, Jinhua

2018-04-01

The epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib are effective for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This meta-analysis compared their effectiveness and safety. We searched systematically in PubMed, ScienceDirect, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant clinical trials regarding gefitinib versus erlotinib for NSCLC. Antitumor effectiveness (overall survival [OS], progression-free survival [PFS], objective response rate [ORR] and disease control rate [DCR]) and adverse effects [AEs]) were assessed. Forty studies comprising 9376 participants were included. The results suggested that gefitinib and erlotinib are effective for advanced NSCLC with comparable PFS (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.98-1.11, P = .15), OS (95% CI: 0.93-1.19, P = .45), ORR (95% CI: 0.99-1.16, P = .07), and DCR (95% CI: 0.92-1.03, P = .35). For erlotinib, dose reduction was significantly more frequent (95% CI: 0.10-0.57, P = .001) as were grade 3 to 5 AEs (95% CI: 0.36-0.79, P = .002). In the subgroup analysis, the erlotinib group had a significant higher rate and severity of skin rash, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, and stomatitis. Gefitinib was proven to be the better choice for advanced NSCLC, with equal antitumor effectiveness and fewer AEs compared with erlotinib. Further large-scale, well-designed randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm our validation.

Major and Trace Element Fluxes to the Ganges River: Significance of Small Flood Plain Tributary as Non-Point Pollution Source

Science.gov (United States)

Lakshmi, V.; Sen, I. S.; Mishra, G.

2017-12-01

There has been much discussion amongst biologists, ecologists, chemists, geologists, environmental firms, and science policy makers about the impact of human activities on river health. As a result, multiple river restoration projects are on going on many large river basins around the world. In the Indian subcontinent, the Ganges River is the focal point of all restoration actions as it provides food and water security to half a billion people. Serious concerns have been raised about the quality of Ganga water as toxic chemicals and many more enters the river system through point-sources such as direct wastewater discharge to rivers, or non-point-sources. Point source pollution can be easily identified and remedial actions can be taken; however, non-point pollution sources are harder to quantify and mitigate. A large non-point pollution source in the Indo-Gangetic floodplain is the network of small floodplain rivers. However, these rivers are rarely studied since they are small in catchment area ( 1000-10,000 km2) and discharge (knowledge gap we have monitored the Pandu River for one year between February 2015 and April 2016. Pandu river is 242 km long and is a right bank tributary of Ganges with a total catchment area of 1495 km2. Water samples were collected every month for dissolved major and trace elements. Here we show that the concentration of heavy metals in river Pandu is in higher range as compared to the world river average, and all the dissolved elements shows a large spatial-temporal variation. We show that the Pandu river exports 192170, 168517, 57802, 32769, 29663, 1043, 279, 241, 225, 162, 97, 28, 25, 22, 20, 8, 4 Kg/yr of Ca, Na, Mg, K, Si, Sr, Zn, B, Ba, Mn, Al, Li, Rb, Mo, U, Cu, and Sb, respectively, to the Ganga river, and the exported chemical flux effects the water chemistry of the Ganga river downstream of its confluence point. We further speculate that small floodplain rivers is an important source that contributes to the dissolved chemical

Effectiveness of small daily amounts of progressive resistance training for frequent neck/shoulder pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Lars; Saervoll, Charlotte A; Mortensen, Ole S

2011-01-01

Regular physical exercise is a cornerstone in rehabilitation programs, but adherence to comprehensive exercise remains low. This study determined the effectiveness of small daily amounts of progressive resistance training for relieving neck/shoulder pain in healthy adults with frequent symptoms...

Clinical significance and predictive factors of early massive recurrence after radiofrequency ablation in patients with a single small hepatocellular carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ju-Yeon Cho

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims Radiofrequency ablation (RFA is one of the most frequently applied curative treatments in patients with a single small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC. However, the clinical significance of and risk factors for early massive recurrence after RFA—a dreadful event limiting further curative treatment—have not been fully evaluated. Methods In total, 438 patients with a single HCC of size ≤3 cm who underwent percutaneous RFA as an initial treatment between 2006 and 2009 were included. Baseline patient characteristics, overall survival, predictive factors, and recurrence after RFA were evaluated. In addition, the incidence, impact on survival, and predictive factors of early massive recurrence, and initial recurrence beyond the Milan criteria within 2 years were also investigated. Results During the median follow-up of 68.4 months, recurrent HCC was confirmed in 302 (68.9% patients, with early massive recurrence in 27 patients (6.2%. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 95.4%, 84.7%, and 81.8%, respectively, in patients with no recurrence, 99.6%, 86.4%, and 70.1% in patients with recurrence within the Milan criteria or late recurrence, and 92.6%, 46.5%, and 0.05% in patients with early massive recurrence. Multivariable analysis identified older age, Child-Pugh score B or C, and early massive recurrence as predictive of poor overall survival. A tumor size of ≥2 cm and tumor location adjacent to the colon were independent risk factors predictive of early massive recurrence. Conclusions Early massive recurrence is independently predictive of poor overall survival after RFA in patients with a single small HCC. Tumors sized ≥2 cm and located adjacent to the colon appear to be independent risk factors for early massive recurrence.

Treating Small Bowel Obstruction with a Manual Physical Therapy: A Prospective Efficacy Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda D. Rice

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Small bowel obstructions (SBOs caused by adhesions are a common, often life-threatening postsurgical complication with few treatment options available for patients. This study examines the efficacy of a manual physical therapy treatment regimen on the pain and quality of life of subjects with a history of bowel obstructions due to adhesions in a prospective, controlled survey based study. Changes in six domains of quality of life were measured via ratings reported before and after treatment using the validated Small Bowel Obstruction Questionnaire (SBO-Q. Improvements in the domains for pain (p=0.0087, overall quality of life (p=0.0016, and pain severity (p=0.0006 were significant when average scores before treatment were compared with scores after treatment. The gastrointestinal symptoms (p=0.0258 domain was marginally significant. There was no statistically significant improvement identified in the diet or medication domains in the SBO-Q for this population. Significant improvements in range of motion in the trunk (p≤0.001, often limited by adhesions, were also observed for all measures. This study demonstrates in a small number of subjects that this manual physical therapy protocol is an effective treatment option for patients with adhesive small bowel obstructions as measured by subject reported symptoms and quality of life.

The effects of the small-scale behaviour of dark matter power spectrum on CMB spectral distortion

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Abir; Sethi, Shiv. K.; Das, Subinoy

2017-07-01

After numerous astronomical and experimental searches, the precise particle nature of dark matter is still unknown. The standard Weakly Interacting Massive Particle(WIMP) dark matter, despite successfully explaining the large-scale features of the universe, has long-standing small-scale issues. The spectral distortion in the Cosmic Microwave Background(CMB) caused by Silk damping in the pre-recombination era allows one to access information on a range of small scales 0.3 Mpc Light Axion (ULA) dark matter and Charged Decaying Dark Matter (CHDM); the matter power in all these models deviate significantly from the ΛCDM model at small scales. We compute the spectral distortion of CMB for these alternative models and compare our results with the ΛCDM model. We show that the main impact of alternative models is to alter the sub-horizon evolution of the Newtonian potential which affects the late-time behaviour of spectral distortion of CMB. The y-parameter diminishes by a few percent as compared to the ΛCDM model for a range of parameters of these models: LFDM for formation redshift zf = 105 (7%); WDM for mass mwdm = 1 keV (2%); CHDM for decay redshift zdecay = 105 (5%); ULA for mass ma = 10-24 eV (3%). This effect from the pre-recombination era can be masked by orders of magnitude higher y-distortions generated by late-time sources, e.g. the Epoch of Reionization and tSZ from the cluster of galaxies. We also briefly discuss the detectability of this deviation in light of the upcoming CMB experiment PIXIE, which might have the sensitivity to detect this signal from the pre-recombination phase.

Small-scale habitat structure modulates the effects of no-take marine reserves for coral reef macroinvertebrates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pascal Dumas

Full Text Available No-take marine reserves are one of the oldest and most versatile tools used across the Pacific for the conservation of reef resources, in particular for invertebrates traditionally targeted by local fishers. Assessing their actual efficiency is still a challenge in complex ecosystems such as coral reefs, where reserve effects are likely to be obscured by high levels of environmental variability. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential interference of small-scale habitat structure on the efficiency of reserves. The spatial distribution of widely harvested macroinvertebrates was surveyed in a large set of protected vs. unprotected stations from eleven reefs located in New Caledonia. Abundance, density and individual size data were collected along random, small-scale (20×1 m transects. Fine habitat typology was derived with a quantitative photographic method using 17 local habitat variables. Marine reserves substantially augmented the local density, size structure and biomass of the target species. Density of Trochus niloticus and Tridacna maxima doubled globally inside the reserve network; average size was greater by 10 to 20% for T. niloticus. We demonstrated that the apparent success of protection could be obscured by marked variations in population structure occurring over short distances, resulting from small-scale heterogeneity in the reef habitat. The efficiency of reserves appeared to be modulated by the availability of suitable habitats at the decimetric scale ("microhabitats" for the considered sessile/low-mobile macroinvertebrate species. Incorporating microhabitat distribution could significantly enhance the efficiency of habitat surrogacy, a valuable approach in the case of conservation targets focusing on endangered or emblematic macroinvertebrate or relatively sedentary fish species.

Power quality of small rural industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koval, D.O.; Leonard, J.J.; Licsko, Z.J.

1991-01-01

Successful and economical operation of small rural industries (e.g., grain, dairy, irrigation, pig, poultry, beef feedlots, etc.) is a fundamental objective of society. However, when the performance and life expectancy of industrial electronic and electrical equipment is significantly affected by power supply anomalies caused by polluting loads at an industrial site and by utility normal operational activities, the economic benefits of this technology are quickly eradicated. This paper will present the results of a detailed power quality survey of 23 small rural industries sponsored by the Canadian Electrical Association and provides a knowledge base on rural power quality and the possible origins of power supply problems experienced at the various industrial sites. The results of the survey provide a basis for mitigating actions by the utilities and their rural industrial customers to design and operate their electrical systems to minimize the effects of power supply anomalies

Interactions between nutritional approaches and defences against microbial diseases in small ruminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Caroprese, M; Giannenas, I; Fthenakis, G C

2015-12-14

Objective of this review is to discuss the role of small ruminant diet in the defence of these animals against microbial diseases, in relation to different experimental approaches and various stressors acting on animals. The effects of various diets in immune reactions and animal defences are presented. Also, effects in relation to the species studied and the type of stressors acting on animals are discussed. Evidence is provided about the significance of the diet in enhancing immune responses of small ruminants during specific conditions, e.g., around parturition, during lactation, as well as in growing lambs or kids. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of feeding position and body size on the capacity of small ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of feeding position and body size on the capacity of small ruminants to reach, for food when fed through barriers. ... The barrier allowed the neck to pass through, but not the shoulders. It was hypothesized that goats would have larger reach than sheep and that for each species, horizontal reach forwards, F, ...

The prognostic significance of accumulation of p53 protein in stage III non-small cell lung cancer treated by radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langendijk, J.A.; Thunnissen, F.B.J.M.; Lamers, R.J.S.; Jong, J.M.A. de; Velde, G.P.M. ten; Wouters, E.F.M.

1995-01-01

In the present study the prognostic significance of accumulation of nuclear p53 protein on survival and freedom from local progression was investigated. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections obtained by bronchoscopy or mediastinoscopy were used to examine the expression of nuclear p53 protein using immunohistochemistry. In 37 cases (57%), overexpression of the p53 protein was detected. No relation was found between p53 expression and other pretreatment variables. Response to radiotherapy was found in 11 p53-negative cases (65%) versus 10 p53-positive cases (42%). Freedom from local progression was significantly better in the p53-negative cases as compared with the p53-positive cases. The p53-negative cases who responded to radiotherapy showed an excellent freedom from local progression rate after 2 years of 100%, whereas all p53-positive cases without response to radiotherapy showed local progression within 24 months. Overall survival between p53-negative and -positive cases did not differ, however the disease-specific survival was found to be worse in the p53-positive cases as compared to the negative cases (median survival 8.4 vs. 14.4 months (P < 0.05)). No correlation was found between p53 expression and the frequency of distant metastases. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that p53 protein expression may be of prognostic value on freedom from local progression in non-small cell lung carcinoma

The effect of antenatal education in small classes on obstetric and psycho-social outcomes - a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Brixval, Carina Sjöberg; Axelsen, Solveig Forberg; Lauemøller, Stine Glenstrup; Andersen, Stig Krøger; Due, Pernille; Koushede, Vibeke

2015-02-28

The aims of antenatal education are broad and encompass outcomes related to pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. Both form and content of antenatal education have changed over time without evidence of effects on relevant outcomes. The effect of antenatal education in groups, with participation of a small number of participants, may differ from the effect of other forms of antenatal education due to, for example, group dynamic. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the effects of antenatal education in small groups on obstetric as well as psycho-social outcomes. Bibliographic databases (Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) were searched. We included randomized and quasi-randomized trials irrespective of language, publication year, publication type, and publication status. Only trials carried out in the Western world were considered in this review. Studies were assessed for bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results are presented as structured summaries of the included trials and as forest plots. We identified 5,708 records. Of these, 17 studies met inclusion criteria. Studies varied greatly in content of the experimental and control condition. All outcomes were only reported in a single or a few trials, leading to limited or uncertain confidence in effect estimates. Given the heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes and also the high risk of bias of studies, we are unable to draw definitive conclusions as to the impact of small group antenatal education on obstetric and psycho-social outcomes. Insufficient evidence exists as to whether antenatal education in small classes is effective in regard to obstetric and psycho-social outcomes. We recommend updating this review following the emergence of well-conducted randomized controlled trials with a low risk of bias. PROSPERO CRD42013004319.

Intratracheal Administration of Small Interfering RNA Targeting Fas Reduces Lung Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Sorbo, Lorenzo; Costamagna, Andrea; Muraca, Giuseppe; Rotondo, Giuseppe; Civiletti, Federica; Vizio, Barbara; Bosco, Ornella; Martin Conte, Erica L; Frati, Giacomo; Delsedime, Luisa; Lupia, Enrico; Fanelli, Vito; Ranieri, V Marco

2016-08-01

Lung ischemia-reperfusion injury is the main cause of primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation and results in increased morbidity and mortality. Fas-mediated apoptosis is one of the pathologic mechanisms involved in the development of ischemia-reperfusion injury. We hypothesized that the inhibition of Fas gene expression in lungs by intratracheal administration of small interfering RNA could reduce lung ischemia-reperfusion injury in an ex vivo model reproducing the procedural sequence of lung transplantation. Prospective, randomized, controlled experimental study. University research laboratory. C57/BL6 mice weighing 28-30 g. Ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced in lungs isolated from mice, 48 hours after treatment with intratracheal small interfering RNA targeting Fas, control small interfering RNA, or vehicle. Isolated lungs were exposed to 6 hours of cold ischemia (4°C), followed by 2 hours of warm (37°C) reperfusion with a solution containing 10% of fresh whole blood and mechanical ventilation with constant low driving pressure. Fas gene expression was significantly silenced at the level of messenger RNA and protein after ischemia-reperfusion in lungs treated with small interfering RNA targeting Fas compared with lungs treated with control small interfering RNA or vehicle. Silencing of Fas gene expression resulted in reduced edema formation (bronchoalveolar lavage protein concentration and lung histology) and improvement in lung compliance. These effects were associated with a significant reduction of pulmonary cell apoptosis of lungs treated with small interfering RNA targeting Fas, which did not affect cytokine release and neutrophil infiltration. Fas expression silencing in the lung by small interfering RNA is effective against ischemia-reperfusion injury. This approach represents a potential innovative strategy of organ preservation before lung transplantation.

Clear as daylight: analysis of diurnal raptor pellets for small mammal studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matos, M.

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Non–invasive approaches are increasingly investigated and applied in studies of small mammal assemblages because they are more cost–effective and bypass conservation and animal welfare issues. However, pellets of diurnal raptors have rarely been used for these purposes. We evaluated the potential of marsh harrier pellets (Circus aeruginosus as a non–invasive method to sample small mammal assemblages, by comparing the results with those of sampling using Sherman live–traps and pitfalls. The three methods were applied simultaneously in an agricultural–wetland complex in NW Portugal. Estimates of species richness, diversity, evenness, abundance, and proportion of each species within the assemblage showed significant differences between the three methods. Our results suggest that the use of marsh harrier pellets is more effective in inventorying small mammal species than either of the two kinds of traps, while also avoiding any involuntary fatalities associated with the sampling of small non–volant mammals. Moreover, the analysis of pellets was the most cost–effective method. Comparison of the two trapping methodologies showed involuntary fatalities were higher in pitfalls than in Sherman traps. We discuss the advantages and flaws of the three methods, both from technical and conservational perspectives.

The significance of PIWI family expression in human lung embryogenesis and non-small cell lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro, Alfons; Tejero, Rut; Viñolas, Nuria; Cordeiro, Anna; Marrades, Ramon M; Fuster, Dolors; Caritg, Oriol; Moises, Jorge; Muñoz, Carmen; Molins, Laureano; Ramirez, Josep; Monzo, Mariano

2015-10-13

The expression of Piwi-interacting RNAs, small RNAs that bind to PIWI proteins, was until recently believed to be limited to germinal stem cells. We have studied the expression of PIWI genes during human lung embryogenesis and in paired tumor and normal tissue prospectively collected from 71 resected non-small-cell lung cancer patients. The mRNA expression analysis showed that PIWIL1 was highly expressed in 7-week embryos and downregulated during the subsequent weeks of development. PIWIL1 was expressed in 11 of the tumor samples but in none of the normal tissue samples. These results were validated by immunohistochemistry, showing faint cytoplasmic reactivity in the PIWIL1-positive samples. Interestingly, the patients expressing PIWIL1 had a shorter time to relapse (TTR) (p = 0.006) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.0076) than those without PIWIL1 expression. PIWIL2 and 4 were downregulated in tumor tissue in comparison to the normal tissue (p < 0.001) and the patients with lower levels of PIWIL4 had shorter TTR (p = 0.048) and OS (p = 0.033). In the multivariate analysis, PIWIL1 expression emerged as an independent prognostic marker. Using 5-Aza-dC treatment and bisulfite sequencing, we observed that PIWIL1 expression could be regulated in part by methylation. Finally, an in silico study identified a stem-cell expression signature associated with PIWIL1 expression.

The Effect of DA-6034 on Intestinal Permeability in an Indomethacin-Induced Small Intestinal Injury Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Dong Shin; Lee, Oh Young; Lee, Kang Nyeong; Jun, Dae Won; Lee, Hang Lak; Yoon, Byung Chul; Choi, Ho Soon

2016-05-23

DA-6034 has anti-inflammatory activities and exhibits cytoprotective effects in acute gastric injury models. However, explanations for the protective effects of DA-6034 on intestinal permeability are limited. This study sought to investigate the effect of DA-6034 on intestinal permeability in an indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury model and its protective effect against small intestinal injury. Rats in the treatment group received DA-6034 from days 0 to 2 and indomethacin from days 1 to 2. Rats in the control group received indomethacin from days 1 to 2. On the fourth day, the small intestines were examined to compare the severity of inflammation. Intestinal permeability was evaluated by using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran. Western blotting was performed to confirm the association between DA-6034 and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. The inflammation scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group, but the difference was statistically insignificant. Hemorrhagic lesions in the treatment group were broader than those in the control group, but the difference was statistically insignificant. Intestinal permeability was lower in the treatment group than in the control group. DA-6034 enhanced extracellular signal-regulated kinase expression, and intestinal permeability was negatively correlated with ERK expression. DA-6034 may decrease intestinal permeability in an indomethacin-induced intestinal injury model via the ERK pathway.

Analysis of Managing Safety in Small Enterprises: Dual-Effects of Employee Prosocial Safety Behavior and Government Inspection

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

This paper aims to promote a national and international occupational health and safety (OHS) intervention for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within internal and external resources. Based on the characteristics of small SME management, the work environment and occupational health may be positively affected by the dual-effects of employees and government. Evolutionary game theory is utilized to identify relevant interactions among the government, small enterprises, and employees. Furthermore, dynamic simulations of the evolutionary game model are used to explore stability strategies and to identify modes of equilibrium. PMID:29707574

Analysis of Managing Safety in Small Enterprises: Dual-Effects of Employee Prosocial Safety Behavior and Government Inspection.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiwei; Mei, Qiang; Liu, Suxia; Zhang, Jingjing

2018-01-01

This paper aims to promote a national and international occupational health and safety (OHS) intervention for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within internal and external resources. Based on the characteristics of small SME management, the work environment and occupational health may be positively affected by the dual-effects of employees and government. Evolutionary game theory is utilized to identify relevant interactions among the government, small enterprises, and employees. Furthermore, dynamic simulations of the evolutionary game model are used to explore stability strategies and to identify modes of equilibrium.

Transabdominal Ultrasonography of the Small Bowel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudolf Kralik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the era of double balloon enteroscopy, capsule endoscopy, CT, and MRI enterography is transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS underestimated method for evaluation of small bowel pathology. As often initial imagine method in abdominal complaints, nowadays has TUS much better diagnostic potential than two decades ago. High-resolution ultrasound probes with harmonic imaging significantly improve resolution of bowel wall in real time, with possibility to asses bowel peristalsis. Color flow doppler enables evaluation of intramural bowel vascularisation, pulse wave doppler helps to quantificate flow in coeliac and superior mesenteric arteries. Small intestine contrast ultrasonography with oral contrast fluid, as well as contrast enhanced ultrasonography with intravenous microbubble contrast also improves small bowel imaging. We present a review of small intestine pathology that should be detected during ultrasound examinations, discuss technical requirements, advantages and limitations of TUS, typical ultrasound signs of Crohn's disease, ileus, celiac disease, intussusception, infectious enteritis, tumours, ischemic and haemorrhagic conditions of small bowel. In the hands of experienced investigator, despite some significant limitations(obesity, meteorism, is transabdominal ultrasonography reliable, noninvasive and inexpensive alternative method to computerised tomography (CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI in small bowel examination.

Self-field effects on small-signal gain in two-stage free-electron lasers

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Self-field effects, induced by charge and current densities of the electron beam, on gain in two-stage free-electron laser with nonuniform guide magnetic field is presented. The gain equation for small-signal has been derived analytically. The results of numerical calculations show a gain decrement for group I orbits and a ...

The trophic effect of epidermal growth factor on morphological changes and polyamine metabolism in the small intestine of rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsujikawa, T; Bamba, T; Hosoda, S

1990-06-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the morphological changes and polyamine metabolism in the atrophic small intestinal mucosa of rats caused by feeding elemental diet (ED; Elental, Ajinomoto, Tokyo) for several weeks. Four-week-old Wistar male rats were given ad libitum ED (1 kcal/ml) for 4 weeks. The body weight increased to the same extent as the control group fed a pellet diet. However, the small intestine became atrophic: the mucosal wet weight of the jejunum decreased to 70%, while that of the ileum decreased to 60%. EGF (10 micrograms/kg) was subcutaneously injected into these rats every 8 hours. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activities of the jejunal and ileal mucosa rose within 12 hours of the initial EGF administration. Mucosal DNA specific activities tended to increase. Next, EGF (30 micrograms/kg/day) was intraperitoneally administered with a Mini-osmotic pump for one week. The wet weight, protein and DNA contents of the ileal mucosa increased significantly compared with those of the saline administered controls, while the crypt cell production rate (CCPR) also increased. Histologically, increases in both villus height and crypt depth were confirmed. These findings indicate that EGF causes mucosal proliferation through polyamine metabolism even in the atrophic small intestine of mature rats after ED administration for 4 weeks.

Detecting Novelty and Significance

Science.gov (United States)

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

2013-01-01

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

The effect of albedo neutrons on the neutron multiplication of small plutonium oxide samples in a PNCC chamber

CERN Document Server

Bourva, L C A; Weaver, D R

2002-01-01

This paper describes how to evaluate the effect of neutrons reflected from parts of a passive neutron coincidence chamber on the neutron leakage self-multiplication, M sub L , of a fissile sample. It is shown that albedo neutrons contribute, in the case of small plutonium bearing samples, to a significant part of M sub L , and that their effect has to be taken into account in the relationship between the measured coincidence count rates and the sup 2 sup 4 sup 0 Pu effective mass of the sample. A simple one-interaction model has been used to write the balance of neutron gains and losses in the material when exposed to the re-entrant neutron flux. The energy and intensity profiles of the re-entrant flux have been parameterised using Monte Carlo MCNP sup T sup M calculations. This technique has been implemented for the On Site Laboratory neutron/gamma counter within the existing MEPL 1.0 code for the determination of the neutron leakage self-multiplication. Benchmark tests of the resulting MEPL 2.0 code with MC...

Effect of Various Packaging Methods on Small-Scale Hanwoo (Korean Native Cattle) during Refrigerated Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hwan Hee; Song, Myung Wook; Kim, Tae-Kyung; Choi, Yun-Sang; Cho, Gyu Yong; Lee, Na-Kyoung; Paik, Hyun-Dong

2018-01-01

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate comparison of physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of Hanwoo eye of round by various packaging methods [wrapped packaging (WP), modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), vacuum packaging (VP) with three different vacuum films, and vacuum skin packaging (VSP)] at a small scale. Packaged Hanwoo beef samples were stored in refrigerated conditions (4±1°C) for 28 days. Packaged beef was sampled on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Physicochemical [pH, surface color, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) values], microbiological, and sensory analysis of packaged beef samples were performed. VP and VSP samples showed low TBARS and VBN values, and pH and surface color did not change substantially during the 28-day period. For VSP, total viable bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and coliform counts were lower than those for other packaging systems. Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were not detected in any packaged beef samples. A sensory analysis showed that the scores for appearance, flavor, color, and overall acceptability did not change significantly until day 7. In total, VSP was effective with respect to significantly higher a* values, physicochemical stability, and microbial safety in Hanwoo packaging (p<0.05). PMID:29805283

Examining the effectiveness of experiential teaching in small and large OM modules

OpenAIRE

Piercy, N.; Brandon-Jones, A.; Brandon-Jones, E.; Campbell, C.

2012-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the preferences of students towards different teaching methods and the perceived effectiveness of experiential teaching methods in different operations management (OM) modules.Design/methodology/approach – Student perceptions of different teaching methods and various aspects of an experiential teaching method, in the form of a business simulation game, are examined using survey data from 274 respondents in four small post-experience and two large pre-exper...

Bystander effects in radiotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenzie, D.R.

2011-01-01

Full text: School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Australia Objectives The bystander effect causes a response in unirradiated cells that are in communication with cells that receive a radiation dose. In recent work we have shown that there are 3 types bystander effect and that the expression of these effects follows a Ii course. The aim of this work is to identify the conditions for the three types of bystander effects in radiotherapy of non-small cell II cancer. A human non small cell lung cancer cell line (NCI-H460) was irradiated with a 6 MV photon beam produced from a Varian I i near accelerator to doses of 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy. These cells v termed donor cells. At selected time intervals after exposure (5,15 and 60 min), the medium was transferred to receiver cells of the cell line in separate flasks. The clonogenic survival fraction of the receiver cells was determined following 5 days of incubation comparing cells receiving transfer of medium from exposed cells to cell receiving transfer from sham exposed cells. The experimental design controlled for the density of cells in the donor flask, the e of irradiation on the medium alone and on the donor cell metabolites. The results show a strong time course for the bystander signal expression, which is dependent on the density of cells in the donor receiver flasks. Sub lethal doses of radiation resulted in a proliferative response at short time intervals after exposure [15 min] but a toxic response when medium transfer was carried out after 60 min. A higher cell density in the donor flasks produces an increased response in the receiver flasks for the same volume of medium transferred. The latter response corresponds to Bystander Effect type 1 in which a reduced survival is observed in cells receiving medium from cells that receive a high but not lethal dose. The proliferative response, corresponding to Bystander Effect type 3 is more general and is not strongly dependent on dose. Following a lethal dose of

Effect of peritoneal lavage solution temperature on body temperature in anaesthetised cats and small dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, D C; Leece, E A; Trimble, T A; Demetriou, J L

2017-05-20

A prospective, randomised, non-blinded, clinical study to assess the effect of peritoneal lavage using warmed fluid on body temperature in anesthetised cats and dogs of less than 10 kg body mass undergoing coeliotomy. A standardised anaesthetic protocol was used. Oesophageal and rectal temperatures were measured at various time points. At the end of surgery, group 1 patients (n=10) were lavaged with 200 ml/kg sterile isotonic saline at 34±1°C and group 2 (n=10) at 40±1°C. Groups were similar with respect to age, mass, body condition and surgical incision length. Duration of anaesthesia, surgical procedures and peritoneal lavage was similar between groups. Linear regression showed no significant change in oesophageal temperature during the lavage period for group 1 (P=0.64), but a significant increase for group 2 patients (Ptemperature changes of -0.5°C (from (36.3°C to 35.9°C) and +0.9°C (from 35.4°C to 36.3°C), respectively. Similar results were found for rectal temperature, with mean changes of -0.5°C and +0.8°C (P=0.922 and 0.045), respectively. The use of isotonic crystalloid solution for peritoneal lavage at a temperature of 40±1°C significantly warms small animal patients, when applied in a clinical setting, compared with lavage solution at 34±1°C. British Veterinary Association.

The Different Volume Effects of Small-Bowel Toxicity During Pelvic Irradiation Between Gynecologic Patients With and Without Abdominal Surgery: A Prospective Study With Computed Tomography-Based Dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, E.-Y.; Sung, C.-C.; Ko, S.-F.; Wang, C.-J.; Yang, Kuender D.

2007-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of abdominal surgery on the volume effects of small-bowel toxicity during whole-pelvic irradiation in patients with gynecologic malignancies. Methods and Materials: From May 2003 through November 2006, 80 gynecologic patients without (Group I) or with (Group II) prior abdominal surgery were analyzed. We used a computed tomography (CT) planning system to measure the small-bowel volume and dosimetry. We acquired the range of small-bowel volume in 10% (V10) to 100% (V100) of dose, at 10% intervals. The onset and grade of diarrhea during whole-pelvic irradiation were recorded as small-bowel toxicity up to 39.6 Gy in 22 fractions. Results: The volume effect of Grade 2-3 diarrhea existed from V10 to V100 in Group I patients and from V60 to V100 in Group II patients on univariate analyses. The V40 of Group I and the V100 of Group II achieved most statistical significance. The mean V40 was 281 ± 27 cm 3 and 489 ± 34 cm 3 (p 3 and 132 ± 19 cm 3 (p = 0.003). Multivariate analyses revealed that V40 (p = 0.001) and V100 (p = 0.027) were independent factors for the development of Grade 2-3 diarrhea in Groups I and II, respectively. Conclusions: Gynecologic patients without and with abdominal surgery have different volume effects on small-bowel toxicity during whole-pelvic irradiation. Low-dose volume can be used as a predictive index of Grade 2 or greater diarrhea in patients without abdominal surgery. Full-dose volume is more important than low-dose volume for Grade 2 or greater diarrhea in patients with abdominal surgery

Transport in a small aspect ratio torus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, R.B.; Gates, D.A.; Mynick, H.E.

2005-01-01

Transport theory in toroidal devices often assumes large aspect ratio and also assumes the poloidal field is small compared to the toroidal field. These assumptions result in transport which in the low collision rate limit is dominated by banana orbits, giving the largest collisionless excursion of a particle from an initial flux surface. However in a small aspect ratio device the gyro radius may be larger than the banana excursion, resulting in significant deviations from the standard neoclassical predictions. In this paper we report numerical simulation of diffusion in low and high beta low aspect ratio equilibria. We also sketch an analytic theory. The diffusion, which we refer to as omniclassical, is a combination of neoclassical and properly averaged classical effects, and can be two or three times the neoclassical value. Good agreement of the analytic theory with numerical simulations is obtained. (author)

The role of effective discharge in the ocean delivery of particulate organic carbon by small, mountainous river systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wheatcroft, R.A.; Goni, M.A.; Hatten, J.A.; Pasternack, G.B.; Warrick, J.A.

2010-01-01

Recent research has shown that small, mountainous river systems (SMRS) account for a significant fraction of the global flux of sediment and particulate organic carbon (POC) to the ocean. The enormous number of SMRS precludes intensive studies of the sort conducted on large systems, necessitating development of a conceptual framework that permits cross-system comparison and scaling up. Herein, we introduce the geomorphic concept of effective discharge to the problem of source-to-sink POC transport. This idea recognizes that transport effectiveness is the product of discharge frequency and magnitude, wherein the latter is quantified as a power-law relationship between discharge and load (the 'rating curve'). An analytical solution for effective discharge (Qe) identifies two key variables: the standard deviation of the natural logarithm of discharge (??q), and the rating exponent of constituent i (bi Data from selected SMRS are used to show that for a given river Qe-POC transport in SMRS should exploit the conceptual framework provided herein and seek to identify how constituent-specific effective discharges vary between rivers and respond to perturbations. ?? 2010, by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc.

Effect of acetylcysteine on adaptation of intestinal smooth muscle after small bowel bypass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weisbrodt, N.W.; Belloso, R.M.; Biskin, L.C.; Dudrick, P.S.; Dudrick, S.J.

1986-01-01

The authors have postulated that the adaptive changes in function and structure of bypassed segments of small bowel are due in part to the change in intestinal contents following operation. The purpose of these experiments was to determine if a mucolytic agent could alter the adaptation. Rats were anesthetized and a 70% jejunoileal bypass was performed. The bypassed segments then were perfused with either saline or acetylcysteine for 3-12 days. Then, either intestinal transit was determined using Cr-51, or segments were taken for morphometric analysis. Transit, as assessed by the geometric center, was increased 32% by acetylcysteine treatment. Treatment also caused a decrease in hypertrophy of the muscularis. Muscle wet weight, muscle cross-sectional area, and muscle layer thickness all were significantly less in those animals infused with acetyl-cysteine. No decreases in hypertrophy were seen in the in-continuity segments. These data indicate that alterations in intestinal content can affect the course of adaptation of intestinal muscle in response to small bowel bypass

Maneuverability of Ships with small Draught in Steady Wind

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daeng Paroka

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Wind force and moment may force a ship to drastically decrease its speed and use a large drift angle as well as a large rudder angle in order to maintain its course. Shipswith a small draught might have more risk in maneuvering to its point of view compared with a ship with a larger draught. This paper discusses maneuverability of a ship with a small draught in steady wind. The effect of wind on ship speed, drift angle, and rudder angle are investigated in a steady state condition. Five different ratios of wind velocity to ship speed from 1.0 to 20.0 are used in the simulation. The variation in wind direction is examined from 0°to 180°. Results of the numerical simulation show that thewind has a significant effect on the reduction in ship speed with a wind direction less than 100°. The drift angle increases due to increasing wind velocity in the same wind direction. Wind direction also has a significant effect on the drift angle especially when the wind direction is less than 140°. The same phenomenon was found for the rudder angle. The necessary rudder angle is greater than the maximum rudder angle of the ship when the wind direction is 60°with a wind velocity to ship speed ratio of 20 or more.

Comparison of small-group training with self-directed internet-based training in inhaler techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Toumas, Mariam; Basheti, Iman A; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z

2009-08-28

To compare the effectiveness of small-group training in correct inhaler technique with self-directed Internet-based training. Pharmacy students were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups: small-group training (n = 123) or self-directed Internet-based training (n = 113). Prior to intervention delivery, all participants were given a placebo Turbuhaler and product information leaflet and received inhaler technique training based on their group. Technique was assessed following training and predictors of correct inhaler technique were examined. There was a significant improvement in the number of participants demonstrating correct technique in both groups (small group training, 12% to 63%; p training, 9% to 59%; p groups in the percent change (n = 234, p > 0.05). Increased student confidence following the intervention was a predictor for correct inhaler technique. Self-directed Internet-based training is as effective as small-group training in improving students' inhaler technique.

The effect of chronic feeding of diacetoxyscirpenol and T-2 toxin on performance, health, small intestinal physiology and antibody production in turkey poults.

Science.gov (United States)

Sklan, D; Shelly, M; Makovsky, B; Geyra, A; Klipper, E; Friedman, A

2003-03-01

1. The effects of feeding T-2 toxin or diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) at levels up to 1 ppm for 32 d on performance, health, small intestinal physiology and immune response to enteral and parenteral immunisation were examined in young poults. 2. Slight improvement in growth was observed in some groups of poults fed T-2 or DAS mycotoxins for 32 d, with no change in feed efficiency. Feeding both T-2 and DAS resulted in oral lesions which had maximal severity after 7-15 d. 3. Mild intestinal changes were observed at 32 d but no pathological or histopathological lesions were found. Both mycotoxins altered small intestinal morphology, especially in the jejunum where villi were shorter and thinner. In addition, both DAS and T-2 mycotoxins enhanced the proportion of proliferating cells both in the crypts and along the villi. Migration rates were reduced in the jejunum of poults fed T-2 toxin but did not change in the duodenum or in poults fed DAS. 4. No significant effects of T-2 or DAS were observed on antibody production to antigens administered by enteral or parenteral routes. 5. This study indicates that tricothecene toxins at concentrations of up to 1 ppm for more than 30 d influenced small intestinal morphology but did not affect growth or antibody production.

Effect of informing the diagnosis on depressive state in patients with non-small cell lung cancer of stage Ⅲ

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Wei WANG

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Background and objective As other tumors, unresectabe lung cancer can cause many psychological problems to the patients, such as depression and anxiety. The present paper aims to evaluate the status of depression before and after knowing the state of illness in patients with non-small cell lung cancer of stage Ⅲ. Methods 43 casesof newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC with stage Ⅲ were enrolled in the study. All the patients were distributed into three groups and given different intervention, that was completely unknowing the state of illness (group A, partly knowing the state of illness (group B and completely knowing the state of illness (group C. Before and after knowing the state of illness, the depression status was assessed with the Hamilton depression rating scale for depression(HAMD. Results The mean total score of HAMD was unchanged both in group A and C, while significantly reduced in group B. The scores of anxiety somatization, cognitive disorder, retardation and feeling of despair were all significant lower in the group B after the patients partly knowing the state of illness, while the scores of sleep disorder was obviously higher in group C after the patients completely knowing the state of illness. The hypochondriasis was much severer in the group A, and in the group C, the score of suicidal idea became significantly higher after the patient knowing the diagnosis.Conclusion Depression is very common in the NSCLC patients with stage Ⅲ. Partly knowing the state of illness can obviously ameliorate the symptoms of depression, while completely knowing or completely unknowing the state of illness have no effect on relieving the patients' depression.

Effect of repeated small-dose γ-ray irradiation on atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Su-Ping; Muto, Yasuko; Tago, Fumitoshi; Simura, Noriko; Kojima, Shuji

2006-01-01

We previously showed that several small-dose 0.5 Gy whole-body γ-ray irradiation inhibits tumor growth in mice via elevation of the interferon (IFN)-γ/interleukin 4 (IL-4) ratio concomitantly with a decrease in the percentage of B cells. Here, we examined whether repeated small-dose (0.5 Gy, 10 times) γ-ray irradiation influences atopic dermatitis in an NC/Nga mouse model. It was found that repeated γ-ray irradiation increased total IgE in comparison with the disease-control group. Levels of IL-4 and IL-5 were increased versus the disease-control group, while IFN-γ was slightly decreased, resulting in a further decrease of the IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio compared with the disease-control group. These results indicate that repeated small-dose γ-ray irradiation may exacerbate atopic dermatitis. This may be because the irradiation induces not helper T lymphocyte 1 (Th1), but Th2 polarization in this atopic mouse model, i.e., the effects of small-dose irradiation may be different in conditions involving immune hypersensitivity and impaired immunity. (author)

Cine MR enterography grading of small bowel peristalsis: evaluation of the antiperistaltic effectiveness of sublingual hyoscyamine sulfate.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghobrial, Peter M; Neuberger, Ilana; Guglielmo, Flavius F; Mitchell, Donald G; Parker, Laurence; O'Kane, Patrick L; Roth, Christopher G; Deshmukh, Sandeep P; Borowski, Allison

2014-01-01

To use a cine balanced steady-state free precession magnetic resonance enterography (cine MRE) pulse sequence to assess the effectiveness of a sublingual (SL) antiperistaltic agent, hyoscyamine sulfate. Institutional review board approval was granted with an exemption for informed consent in this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant, retrospective, single-institution study. Of the 288 MRE examinations performed between October 1, 2007 and January 15, 2011, 92 using SL hyoscyamine sulfate for antiperistalsis were included for review, each with cine MRE before and after medication. These 184 cine MRE data sets were randomized, blinded for treatment, and independently reviewed by five attending abdominal radiologists, who rated the degree of whole abdomen bowel motility on each cine MRE data set on a 5-point scale. Pre- and postmedication mean peristalsis ratings, standard deviation, mean difference, and treatment effect sizes were calculated. A repeated measures analysis of variance test was performed using a significance threshold of P = .05. Interobserver reliabilities were also calculated. Mean peristalsis ratings ranged 2.63-3.34 and 2.36-3.03, before and after medication administration, respectively. The mean differences ranged from 0.22 to 0.46, which are treatment effect sizes of 0.20 to 0.37. The decrease in peristalsis observed by the five reviewing radiologists after SL hyoscyamine sulfate administration was significant (df = 1/182, f = 7.35, P cine MRE sequences show decreased bowel peristalsis after the use of SL hyoscyamine sulfate, the small size of the observed treatment effect is likely insufficient to justify its use for MRE. Copyright © 2014 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dermatitis in small-scale metal industries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coenraads, P J; Foo, S C; Phoon, W O; Lun, K C

1985-03-01

A survey in 21 small metal factories in Singapore revealed that 6.6% of 751 workers (530 male, 221 female) had a skin disorder on their hands and arms. Dermatitis accounted for 4.5% (34 cases) and follicular rashes for 1% (8 cases). Positive patch tests were found in 23% (8 cases) of those with dermatitis and in 9.8% (21 workers) of a control group without any skin problem. Dermatitis was found to be associated with exposure to solvents. Simultaneous analysis of various exposure/risk factors by multiple logistic regression indicated a significant effect of combined exposure to oils and solvents (interaction). Being over 35 years of age was also a significant risk factor, whereas the role of contact allergy, detected by patch testing, was less pronounced.

The average carbon-stock approach for small-scale CDM AR projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia Quijano, J.F.; Muys, B. [Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Laboratory for Forest, Nature and Landscape Research, Leuven (Belgium); Schlamadinger, B. [Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Institute for Energy Research, Graz (Austria); Emmer, I. [Face Foundation, Arnhem (Netherlands); Somogyi, Z. [Forest Research Institute, Budapest (Hungary); Bird, D.N. [Woodrising Consulting Inc., Belfountain, Ontario (Canada)

2004-06-15

In many afforestation and reforestation (AR) projects harvesting with stand regeneration forms an integral part of the silvicultural system and satisfies local timber and/or fuelwood demand. Especially clear-cut harvesting will lead to an abrupt and significant reduction of carbon stocks. The smaller the project, the more significant the fluctuations of the carbon stocks may be. In the extreme case a small-scale project could consist of a single forest stand. In such case, all accounted carbon may be removed during a harvesting operation and the time-path of carbon stocks will typically look as in the hypothetical example presented in the report. For the aggregate of many such small-scale projects there will be a constant benefit to the atmosphere during the projects, due to averaging effects.

EFFECT OF MICRO FINANCE ON POVERTY REDUCTION OF SMALL SCALE FARMERS OF PAKISTAN

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Zaheer Ahmad SAEED

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study revealed the impact of micro finance with regard to poverty alleviation, employment generation opportunities, upraise in the standards of living of the small farmers of Pakistan along with the access of such finances and their financial cost. Small farmers often rely on the loans and finance from the formal and informal sources of finance. There is low rate of sustainability in the micro finance sector. These schemes remain for a small time period. Another challenge is that there is a need of replicable and scalable model. There is also a requirement of formalization of informal credit source which count for higher. There is high need of reducing the ambiguities in obtaining the credit from these sources. With respect to agriculture, the proportion of finance should be increase with the proportion to its contribution to the economy. The data for this study has been collected through a selfstructured questionnaire and respondents are small farmers who are availing the micro finance facility for any source; informal, formal or semi – informal. The data collected form 150 respondent from Sahiwal and Multan Region. The data has been analyzed through regression and correlation method with the use of SPSS for checking the relationship and impact of micro finance on the living of poor and employment generation. This paper also concluded that the financial cost of such finances is having significant role on the success of such schemes. The research is a contribution to the financial sector to set their focus according to the quality and quantity of micro credit to the agriculture sector.

Anti-tumor effect of 131I labeled 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin on human non-small cell lung cancer in xenograft-bearing nude mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Jin; Liu Lu; Zhu Xiaoli; Chen Daozhen; Gao Wen; Jiang Xinyu; Huang Ying

2008-01-01

Objective: 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) has been developed as a novel heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor being used in clinical trials. HSP90 is known as a molecular target for tumor therapy. The goal of this study was to investigate the inhibitive effects of 131 I labeled 17-AAG on human non-small cell lung cancer in xenograft-bearing nude mice. Methods: 17-AAG was labeled with 131 I. Twenty-eight BALB/c nude mice bearing H460 human non-small cell lung carcinoma tumor xenograft were randomly divided into seven groups, one control group and six treatment groups according to the route of administration (via tail vein injection or intratumoral injection) and the doses of injected radio-activity (5.5 MBq x 2 with 8 d interval, 11.0 MBq and 5.5 MBq). Two additional mice were treated with intratumoral injection of Na 131 I solution that was served as seintigraphic imaging controls. In each group two mice underwent scintigraphy at 2 h, 6 h, 24 h, 2 d, 3 d, 7 d, 10 d and 16 d. After 16 d the tumor inhibition rate was calculated. Then all of the mice were sacrificed and the tumor tissues were obtained for histological examination and immunohistochemical assay. Results: Persistent accumulation of 131 I-17-AAG in the tumors was seen on seintigraphic images. Tumor inhibiting effect was demonstrated in all treatment groups with varying degrees. The highest tumor inhibition rate (86.77 ± 4.57)% was shown in the group with interval intratumoral injection (5.5 MBq x 2). There was no significant difference of tumor inhibition rates between 5.5 MBq x 2 group (via tail vein injection) and 11.0 MBq group( via tail vein injection, q=1.67, P>0.05). While among the other treatment groups, there was significant difference in tumor inhibition rates( q=3.16-24.34, all P 131 I-17-AAG may effectively inhibit the tumor growth and expression of HSP90α antigen expression in non-small cell lung cancer bearing nude mice. The more prominent anti-tumor effect may be

Synergistic Effect of Auto-Activation and Small RNA Regulation on Gene Expression

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Li-Ping; Ma, Yu-Qiang; Tang, Lei-Han

2010-09-01

Auto-activation and small ribonucleic acid (RNA)-mediated regulation are two important mechanisms in controlling gene expression. We study the synergistic effect of these two regulations on gene expression. It is found that under this combinatorial regulation, gene expression exhibits bistable behaviors at the transition regime, while each of these two regulations, if working solely, only leads to monostability. Within the stochastic framework, the base pairing strength between sRNA and mRNA plays an important role in controlling the transition time between on and off states. The noise strength of protein number in the off state approaches 1 and is smaller than that in the on state. The noise strength also depends on which parameters, the feedback strength or the synthesis rate of small RNA, are tuned in switching the gene expression on and off. Our findings may provide a new insight into gene-regulation mechanism and can be applied in synthetic biology.

Synergistic Effect of Auto-Activation and Small RNA Regulation on Gene Expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li-Ping, Xiong; Yu-Qiang, Ma; Lei-Han, Tang

2010-01-01

Auto-activation and small ribonucleic acid (RNA)-mediated regulation are two important mechanisms in controlling gene expression. We study the synergistic effect of these two regulations on gene expression. It is found that under this combinatorial regulation, gene expression exhibits bistable behaviors at the transition regime, while each of these two regulations, if working solely, only leads to monostability. Within the stochastic framework, the base pairing strength between sRNA and mRNA plays an important role in controlling the transition time between on and off states. The noise strength of protein number in the off state approaches 1 and is smaller than that in the on state. The noise strength also depends on which parameters, the feedback strength or the synthesis rate of small RNA, are tuned in switching the gene expression on and off. Our findings may provide a new insight into gene-regulation mechanism and can be applied in synthetic biology

Project appraisal for small and medium size wind energy installation: The Italian wind energy policy effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fera, M.; Iannone, R.; Macchiaroli, R.; Miranda, S.; Schiraldi, M.M.

2014-01-01

In the last few years, the distributed energy production from small wind turbines (i.e.<200 kWp) has developed into a relevant business opportunity for different investors in Italy. The market, especially in Italy, has rapidly grown, achieving 9 MWp only in 2011, with an increase from 1.5 MW in 2009 to 13.3 MW at the end of 2011. This paper reports the results of a case study on the installation of several small wind turbines. It aims to provide an analysis of the conditions in Italy that make it possible to install these machines and offer a reliable reference for designing, planning, and controlling small wind turbine projects while focusing on the strategic variables of time, cost, and quality used by typical enterprises in the investment projects. The results are relevant to investors as well as engineering, procurement, and construction companies involved in this new sector, which must understand Italy’s renewable energy policy and its effects in practice. Moreover, certain national energy policy conclusions are reported and discussed in this paper. To properly study the sector, the data on time, cost and quality are analysed using typical project management tools. - Highlights: • Focus on the Italian wind energy sector. • Analysis of Italian policy effects. • Focus on small/medium size wind energy machines

Effect of the FSH receptor single nucleotide polymorphisms (FSHR 307/680) on the follicular fluid hormone profile and the granulosa cell gene expression in human small antral follicles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borgbo, Tanni Kjær; Jeppesen, J V; Lindgren, I

2014-01-01

), by evaluating the hormone and gene expression profiles of human small antral follicles collected under physiological conditions in connection with fertility preservation. In total 69 women at various time during the menstrual cycle were included in this study. The intrafollicular hormone content of 179...... was significantly increased, whereas AMH gene expression was significantly reduced for the G/G genotype. In follicles >6 mm, estradiol and CYP19A1 gene expression levels were significantly higher for the G/G genotype. In conclusion, significant changes were observed between the FSHR 307/680 polymorphisms in human......The most pronounced effects of FSH signalling are potentially displayed in the follicle fluid, which acts as a reservoir for FSH-induced granulosa cell (GC) secreted hormones. This study investigates the effects of two common polymorphisms of FSHR, FSHR 307 (rs6165) and FSHR 680 (rs6166...

Effect of Long-Term Hypodynamy on Alkaline Phosphatase Activity of Small Intestine in Japanese Quail Chicks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ľ. Lenhardt

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The functional development of the small intestine was investigated in Japanese quail chicks subjected to simulated microgravity (hypodynamy on the second day after hatching and reared under these conditions to 63 days of age. On days 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 56 and 63 the activity of brush-border-bound alkaline phosphatase (AP in the duodenum and jejunum were determined in experimental animals as well as in control quail chicks housed in a floor box during these periods. As compared with control quails the experimental animals displayed a significantly increased enzyme activity until day 42 in the duodenum and day 35 in the jejunum (P < 0.001 whereas in older quails no significant enzymatic differences between these groups was found. However, a decrease in food consumption due to a partial physical constraint cannot be excluded. Moreover, the results suggested that the activity of AP in the control birds did not change substantially during all the periods examined. In contrast, in older hypodynamy quail the AP activity significantly decreased in the duodenum on days 56 and 63 and in the jejunum on days 42, 56 and 63, respectively. These results indicate that a the enhanced intestinal function in early periods of life may reflect the higher sensitivity of small intestine to simulated weightlessness, b the decrease of the AP activity in older animals to the level of controls might be considered as a part of intestinal mechanisms involved in adaptation of quail chicks to long-term hypodynamy, c different activity of AP in the small intestine of Japanese quail may not have resulted only from hypodynamy but also due to decreased food intake.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2014-11-01

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

G-CSF and cognitive dysfunction in elderly diabetic mice with cerebral small vessel disease: Preventive intervention effects and underlying mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Zhu-Fei; Tao, Ying-Hong; Zhang, Xiao-Ming; Guo, Qi-Lin; Liu, Ying-Chao; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Yan-Mei; Ji, Gang; Wu, Guo-Feng; Wang, Na-Na; Yang, Hao; Yu, Zhong-Yu; Guo, Jing-Chun; Zhou, Hou-Guang

2017-06-01

Although cognitive dysfunction is a common neurological complication in elderly patients with diabetes, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear, and effective preventive interventions have yet to be developed. Thus, this study investigated the preventive effects and mechanisms of action associated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on cognitive dysfunction in elderly diabetic mice with cerebral small vessel disease. This study included 40 male db/db diabetic and wild-type (WT) mice that were categorized into the following four groups at the age of 3 weeks: db/db group (DG), db/db+G-CSF group (DGG), WT group (WG), and WT+G-CSF group (WGG). The mice were fed normal diets for 4 months and then given G-CSF (75 μg/kg) via intraperitoneal injections for 1 month. At 7.5 months of age, the cognitive abilities of the mice were assessed with the Y-maze test and the Social Choice Test; body weight, blood pressure (BP), and blood glucose measurements were obtained throughout the study. Brain imaging and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast imaging analyses were performed with a small animal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, autophagosome levels were detected with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), hippocampal neurons were assessed with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and protein expressions and distributions were evaluated using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses. (i) The body weight and blood glucose levels of the DG and DGG mice were significantly higher than those of the WG and WGG mice; (ii) social choice and spatial memory capabilities were significantly reduced in DG mice but were recovered by G-CSF in DGG mice; (iii) the MRI scans revealed multiple lacunar lesions and apparent hippocampal atrophy in the brains of DG mice, but G-CSF reduced the number of lacunar lesions and ameliorated hippocampal atrophy; (iv) the MRI-BOLD scans showed a downward trend in whole-brain activity and reductions

Estimating small area health-related characteristics of populations: a methodological review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azizur Rahman

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Estimation of health-related characteristics at a fine local geographic level is vital for effective health promotion programmes, provision of better health services and population-specific health planning and management. Lack of a micro-dataset readily available for attributes of individuals at small areas negatively impacts the ability of local and national agencies to manage serious health issues and related risks in the community. A solution to this challenge would be to develop a method that simulates reliable small-area statistics. This paper provides a significant appraisal of the methodologies for estimating health-related characteristics of populations at geographical limited areas. Findings reveal that a range of methodologies are in use, which can be classified as three distinct set of approaches: i indirect standardisation and individual level modelling; ii multilevel statistical modelling; and iii micro-simulation modelling. Although each approach has its own strengths and weaknesses, it appears that microsimulation- based spatial models have significant robustness over the other methods and also represent a more precise means of estimating health-related population characteristics over small areas.

Increasing Water Temperature Triggers Dominance of Small Freshwater Plankton.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasconi, Serena; Gall, Andrea; Winter, Katharina; Kainz, Martin J

2015-01-01

Climate change scenarios predict that lake water temperatures will increase up to 4°C and rainfall events will become more intense and frequent by the end of this century. Concurrently, supply of humic substances from terrestrial runoff is expected to increase, resulting in darker watercolor ("brownification") of aquatic ecosystems. Using a multi-seasonal, low trophic state mesocosm experiment, we investigated how higher water temperature and brownification affect plankton community composition, phenology, and functioning. We tested the hypothesis that higher water temperature (+3°C) and brownification will, a) cause plankton community composition to shift toward small sized phytoplankton and cyanobacteria, and, b) extend the length of the growing season entailing higher phytoplankton production later in the season. We demonstrate that the 3°C increase of water temperature favored the growth of heterotrophic bacteria and small sized autotrophic picophytoplankton cells with significantly higher primary production during warmer fall periods. However, 3X darker water (effect of brownification) caused no significant changes in the plankton community composition or functioning relative to control conditions. Our findings reveal that increased temperature change plankton community structure by favoring smaller sized species proliferation (autotrophic phytoplankton and small size cladocerans), and increase primary productivity and community turnover. Finally, results of this multi-seasonal experiment suggest that warming by 3°C in aquatic ecosystems of low trophic state may cause planktonic food web functioning to become more dominated by fast growing, r-trait species (i.e., small sizes and rapid development).

Wind: small is beautiful

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vries, E. de

2005-01-01

The small wind sector (0.5-100 kW) is often overlooked but could provide decentralised energy systems. Small wind turbines have been used for homes, farms and small businesses for over 80 years (e.g. in the USA and the Netherlands), receiving a boost in the 1970s and 1980s following the 1973 oil crisis when a new generation of turbines entered the European and US markets. Bergey Windpower and Southwest Windpower from the USA are the market leaders in this sector in terms of sales volume but are still classed as medium-sized enterprises. Small turbines have the disadvantage of higher costs compared with large turbines due to higher manufacturing costs, technical factors associated with the tendency to use small turbines on relatively short towers, small production runs and a failure to keep up with the latest design developments such as cost-effective state-of-the-art frequency converters. Most small turbines are horizontal axis turbines, though vertical axis turbines are produced by some manufacturers. Examples of the systems available from European suppliers are described

Effects of Precommercial Thinning and Midstory Control on Avian and Small Mammal Communities during Longleaf Pine Savanna Restoration.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lane, Vanessa R [Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; Kilgo, John C [USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station

2015-01-01

Abstract - Restoring longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) savanna is a goal of many southern land managers, and longleaf plantations may provide a mechanism for savanna restoration. However, the effects of silvicultural treatments used in the management of longleaf pine plantations on wildlife communities are relatively unknown. Beginning in 1994, we examined effects of longleaf pine restoration with plantation silviculture on avian and small mammal communities using four treatments in four 8- to 11- year-old plantations within the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Treatments included prescribed burning every 3 to 5 years, plus: (1) no additional treatment (burn-only control); (2) precommercial thinning; (3) non-pine woody control with herbicides; and (4) combined thinning and woody control. We surveyed birds (1996-2003) using 50-m point counts and small mammals with removal trapping. Thinning and woody control alone had short-lived effects on avian communities, and the combination treatment increased avian parameters over the burn-only control in all years. Small mammal abundance showed similar trends as avian abundance for all three treatments when compared with the burn-only control, but only for 2 years post-treatment. Both avian and small mammal communities were temporarily enhanced by controlling woody vegetation with chemicals in addition to prescribed fire and thinning. Therefore, precommercial thinning in longleaf plantations, particularly when combined with woody control and prescribed fire, may benefit early-successional avian and small mammal communities by developing stand conditions more typical of natural longleaf stands maintained by periodic fire.

The significance of neuroendocrine system state in estimation of nonstochastic effects of small doses of internal irradiation. (An experimental study)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dedov, V.I.; Norets, T.A.; Stepanenko, V.F.; Dedenkov, A.N.

1987-01-01

Data on long-term complex investigations of nonstochastic effects of low doses of internal irradiation on the level of a whole organism are presented. Experiments have been carried out with mongrel rats of both sexes and different ages up to the moment of introduction of radioactive compounds. Action of relatively and uniformly distributing in the organism radiactive compounds of selenium - 75 and sulfur - 35, which were introduced once intravenously in quantities forming absorbed doses in average on the whole body and ovaries (0.5 Gy), on endocrine glands and critical organs (up to 1.0 Gy) has been used as models of internal radiation. Data, testifying to the fact that the neuroendocrinal system, despite the existing opinion, is sensitive to action of low doses of internal irradiation compared with the recommended one as an ultimate permissible one for nonstochastic effects ( 0.5 Sv), that permits to suggest for using factors of the functional state of the neuroendocrine system as an informative and sensitive criterium of estimation of biological action of low doses of internal radiation, have been obtained. These factors along with doses on critical organs permit to estimate the degree of dangerous action of different radionuclides on the organism level. Dynamic studying of activity factors of the neuroendocrine system with simultaneous analysis of the state of harmonically dependent processes permits to estimate functional possibilities of irradiated organism, its viability, especially under conditions requiring increased stress, as well as to take into account such factors modifying a biological effect as age, animal sex, the character of absorbed dose distribution

Analysis of the effects of different iodine concentrations on the characterization of small renal lesions detected by multidetector computed tomography scan: A pilot study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hak Jong; Kim, Sang Youn; Cho, Jeong Yeon; Hwang, Sung Il; Moon, Min Hoan; Kim, Seung Hyup [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-05-15

Our objective was to compare the effects of different iodine concentrations on characterizing small renal lesions. Thirty-eight patients were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent an initial CT scan using 370 mgI/mL iodinated contrast media. Patients were then randomized into two groups for a follow-up CT. Group A (n = 19) received 250 mgI/mL iodinated contrast media, and group B (n = 19) received 300 mgI/mL contrast media. The mean Hounsfield units (HU values) of small renal lesions with a maximum size of less than 2 cm were calculated. Signal to noise ratios (SNR values) were likewise evaluated. Three uroradiologists assessed the lesion's conspicuity and the diagnostic influence of the artifact's proximity to the adjacent renal parenchyma. In group A, there were significant differences between the HU values of renal lesions and those of the adjacent renal parenchyma between the initial and follow-up CT. Conversely, in group B, there was no significant difference. Moreover, SNR values showed no statistically significant difference between both groups. Regarding lesion conspicuity, only one reader identified a significant difference (p = 0.032) in group A; whereas in group B, there was no statistical difference. The artifact's proximity to the adjacent renal parenchyma did not appear to have any diagnostic influence on differentiating the two (p < 0.05). In evaluating small renal lesions, 300 mgI/mL instead of 370 mgI/mL contrast media can be used; however, it is important to note that the use of 250 mgI/mL contrast media may reveal different results from that of 370 mgI/mL contrast media.

Live-cell microscopy reveals small molecule inhibitor effects on MAPK pathway dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J Anderson

Full Text Available Oncogenic mutations in the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK pathway are prevalent in human tumors, making this pathway a target of drug development efforts. Recently, ATP-competitive Raf inhibitors were shown to cause MAPK pathway activation via Raf kinase priming in wild-type BRaf cells and tumors, highlighting the need for a thorough understanding of signaling in the context of small molecule kinase inhibitors. Here, we present critical improvements in cell-line engineering and image analysis coupled with automated image acquisition that allow for the simultaneous identification of cellular localization of multiple MAPK pathway components (KRas, CRaf, Mek1 and Erk2. We use these assays in a systematic study of the effect of small molecule inhibitors across the MAPK cascade either as single agents or in combination. Both Raf inhibitor priming as well as the release from negative feedback induced by Mek and Erk inhibitors cause translocation of CRaf to the plasma membrane via mechanisms that are additive in pathway activation. Analysis of Erk activation and sub-cellular localization upon inhibitor treatments reveals differential inhibition and activation with the Raf inhibitors AZD628 and GDC0879 respectively. Since both single agent and combination studies of Raf and Mek inhibitors are currently in the clinic, our assays provide valuable insight into their effects on MAPK signaling in live cells.

Identification of interstitial cells of Cajal. Significance for studies of human small intestine and colon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rumessen, J J

1994-01-01

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) were described a century ago by Ramón y Cajal a.o. as primitive neurons in the intestines. In the period 1900-1960 a large number of light microscopical studies of ICC were published, in which ICC were identified by heir characteristic morphology. After 1960...... electron microscopical studies emphasized similarities between ICC and fibroblasts. In our early studies of ICC in the external musculature of mouse small intestine, we identified ICC by their characteristic morphology and topography, and we analyzed the relation between ICC, autonomic nerves and smooth...... muscle. These studies strongly suggested that ICC were fundamental regulators of external muscle function. These hypotheses have since been supported by independent morphological and electrophysiological evidence, strongly suggesting a pacemaker role of some ICC populations as well as other regulatory...

Prognostic significance of nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 expression in non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent surgical resection.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Hyun Jin; Yun, Hwan-Jung; Yang, Hee Chul; Kim, Soo Jin; Kang, Shin Kwang; Che, Chengri; Lee, Sang Do; Kang, Min-Woong

2018-06-01

Nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 (NFAT5) is known to be correlated with migration or invasion of tumor cells based on previous in vitro studies. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between NFAT5 expression and clinical prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent surgical resection. A total of 92 NSCLC patients who underwent surgical resection were enrolled. The tissue microarray core was obtained from surgically resected tumor specimens. NFAT5 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Relationships of NFAT5 expression with disease recurrence, overall survival, and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed. The mean age of 92 patients was 63.7 y. The median follow-up duration was 63.3 mo. Fifty-one (55%) patients exhibited positive expression of NFAT5. Disease recurrence in the NFAT5-positive group was significantly (P = 0.022) higher than that in the NFAT5-negative group. NFAT5-positive expression (odds ratio: 2.632, 95% confidence interval: 1.071-6.465, P = 0.035) and pathologic N stage (N1-2 versus N0; odds ratio: 3.174, 95% confidence interval: 1.241-8.123, P = 0.016) were independent and significant risk factors for disease recurrence. DFS of the NFAT5-positive group was significantly worse than that of the NFAT5-negative group (89.7 versus 48.7 mo, P = 0.011). A multivariate analysis identified NFAT5 expression (P < 0.029) as a significant independent risk factor for DFS of patients with postoperative pathologic T and N stages (P < 0.001 and P = 0.017, respectively). NFAT5 expression is a useful prognostic biomarker for NSCLC patients who underwent surgical resection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of small, intense laser spots on thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estabrook, K.

1986-01-01

Two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations show that small diameter laser spots burn through flat foils considerably faster than larger spots. The physical mechanisms are (1) more nearly spherical divergence from the smaller spots which allows the debris to rapidly convect radially away from the small volume of laser heated plasma and (2) a variation on thermal self-focusing in which light is refracted into this volume, increasing the local heating rate

Psmir: a database of potential associations between small molecules and miRNAs.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Fanlin; Wang, Jing; Dai, Enyu; Yang, Feng; Chen, Xiaowen; Wang, Shuyuan; Yu, Xuexin; Liu, Dianming; Jiang, Wei

2016-01-13

miRNAs are key post-transcriptional regulators of many essential biological processes, and their dysregulation has been validated in almost all human cancers. Restoring aberrantly expressed miRNAs might be a novel therapeutics. Recently, many studies have demonstrated that small molecular compounds can affect miRNA expression. Thus, prediction of associations between small molecules and miRNAs is important for investigation of miRNA-targeted drugs. Here, we analyzed 39 miRNA-perturbed gene expression profiles, and then calculated the similarity of transcription responses between miRNA perturbation and drug treatment to predict drug-miRNA associations. At the significance level of 0.05, we obtained 6501 candidate associations between 1295 small molecules and 25 miRNAs, which included 624 FDA approved drugs. Finally, we constructed the Psmir database to store all potential associations and the related materials. In a word, Psmir served as a valuable resource for dissecting the biological significance in small molecules' effects on miRNA expression, which will facilitate developing novel potential therapeutic targets or treatments for human cancers. Psmir is supported by all major browsers, and is freely available at http://www.bio-bigdata.com/Psmir/.

Cardiac Gene Expression Knockdown Using Small Inhibitory RNA-Loaded Microbubbles and Ultrasound.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan A Kopechek

Full Text Available RNA interference has potential therapeutic value for cardiac disease, but targeted delivery of interfering RNA is a challenge. Custom designed microbubbles, in conjunction with ultrasound, can deliver small inhibitory RNA to target tissues in vivo. The efficacy of cardiac RNA interference using a microbubble-ultrasound theranostic platform has not been demonstrated in vivo. Therefore, our objective was to test the hypothesis that custom designed microbubbles and ultrasound can mediate effective delivery of small inhibitory RNA to the heart. Microbubble and ultrasound mediated cardiac RNA interference was tested in transgenic mice displaying cardiac-restricted luciferase expression. Luciferase expression was assayed in select tissues of untreated mice (n = 14. Mice received intravenous infusion of cationic microbubbles bearing small inhibitory RNA directed against luciferase (n = 9 or control RNA (n = 8 during intermittent cardiac-directed ultrasound at mechanical index of 1.6. Simultaneous echocardiography in a separate group of mice (n = 3 confirmed microbubble destruction and replenishment during treatment. Three days post treatment, cardiac luciferase messenger RNA and protein levels were significantly lower in ultrasound-treated mice receiving microbubbles loaded with small inhibitory RNA directed against luciferase compared to mice receiving microbubbles bearing control RNA (23±7% and 33±7% of control mice, p<0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively. Passive cavitation detection focused on the heart confirmed that insonification resulted in inertial cavitation. In conclusion, small inhibitory RNA-loaded microbubbles and ultrasound directed at the heart significantly reduced the expression of a reporter gene. Ultrasound-targeted destruction of RNA-loaded microbubbles may be an effective image-guided strategy for therapeutic RNA interference in cardiac disease.

The small-molecule TNF-alpha modulator, UTL-5g, reduces side effects induced by cisplatin and enhances the therapeutic effect of cisplatin in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, JiaJiu; Chen, Ben; Huang, Wen-Hsin; Lee, An-Rong; Media, Joseph; Valeriote, Frederick A

2011-01-01

We investigated a small-molecule modulator of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), UTL-5g (also referred to as GBL-5g), as a potential chemoprotective agent against cisplatin-induced side effects including nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and hematotoxicity. Pretreatment of UTL-5g i.p. in BDF1 mice reduced the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine induced by cisplatin treatment. The levels of both aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in these animals were also reduced by UTL-5g. Pretreatment of UTL-5g did not significantly affect the number of white blood cells (WBC) under current experimental conditions, yet it markedly increased blood platelet counts by more than threefold. Therapeutic assessment in SCID mice inoculated with human HCT-15 tumor cells showed that UTL-5g did not attenuate the anti-tumor effect of cisplatin but increased the therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin. The LD50 of UTL-5g was determined to be > 2,000 mg/kg by an acute toxicity study. In summary, our studies showed that 1) UTL-5g significantly reduces nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by cisplatin in mice, presumably by lowering the levels of TNF-alpha, 2) UTL-5g markedly increased blood platelet counts in mice and 3) UTL-5g treatment increased the therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin against HCT-15 cells inoculated in SCID mice.

Analysis of the performance and cost effectiveness of nine small wind energy conversion systems funded by the DOE small grants program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kay, Joshua [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1982-04-01

This report presents an analysis of the technical performance and cost effectiveness of nine small wind energy conversion systems (SWECS) funded during FY 1979 by the U.S. Department of Energy. Chapter 1 gives an analytic framework with which to evaluate the systems. Chapter 2 consists of a review of each of the nine projects, including project technical overviews, estimates of energy savings, and results of economic analysis. Chapter 3 summarizes technical, economic, and institutional barriers that are likely to inhibit widespread dissemination of SWECS technology.

The effects of the small-scale behaviour of dark matter power spectrum on CMB spectral distortion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, Abir; Sethi, Shiv K. [Raman Research Institute, CV Raman Ave Sadashivnagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560080 (India); Das, Subinoy, E-mail: abir@rri.res.in, E-mail: sethi@rri.res.in, E-mail: subinoy@iiap.res.in [Indian Institute of Astrophysics, 100 Feet Rd, Madiwala, 2nd Block, Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560034 (India)

2017-07-01

After numerous astronomical and experimental searches, the precise particle nature of dark matter is still unknown. The standard Weakly Interacting Massive Particle(WIMP) dark matter, despite successfully explaining the large-scale features of the universe, has long-standing small-scale issues. The spectral distortion in the Cosmic Microwave Background(CMB) caused by Silk damping in the pre-recombination era allows one to access information on a range of small scales 0.3 Mpc < k < 10{sup 4} Mpc{sup −1}, whose dynamics can be precisely described using linear theory. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of using the Silk damping induced CMB spectral distortion as a probe of the small-scale power. We consider four suggested alternative dark matter candidates—Warm Dark Matter (WDM), Late Forming Dark Matter (LFDM), Ultra Light Axion (ULA) dark matter and Charged Decaying Dark Matter (CHDM); the matter power in all these models deviate significantly from the ΛCDM model at small scales. We compute the spectral distortion of CMB for these alternative models and compare our results with the ΛCDM model. We show that the main impact of alternative models is to alter the sub-horizon evolution of the Newtonian potential which affects the late-time behaviour of spectral distortion of CMB. The y -parameter diminishes by a few percent as compared to the ΛCDM model for a range of parameters of these models: LFDM for formation redshift z {sub f} = 10{sup 5} (7%); WDM for mass m {sub wdm} = 1 keV (2%); CHDM for decay redshift z {sub decay} = 10{sup 5} (5%); ULA for mass m {sub a} = 10{sup −24} eV (3%). This effect from the pre-recombination era can be masked by orders of magnitude higher y -distortions generated by late-time sources, e.g. the Epoch of Reionization and tSZ from the cluster of galaxies. We also briefly discuss the detectability of this deviation in light of the upcoming CMB experiment PIXIE, which might have the sensitivity to detect this signal from

Effect of Pressure Anisotropy on the m = 1 Small Wavelength Modes in Z-Pinches

Science.gov (United States)

Faghihi, M.

1987-05-01

A generalization of Freidberg's perpendicular MHD model is used to investigate the effect of pressure anisotropy on the small wavelength internal kink (m = 1) mode instability in a Z-Pinch. A normal mode analysis of perturbed motion of an incompressible, collisionless and cylindrical plasma is performed. The stability criterion is (rΣB2)' = 0.

Antenatal education in small classes may increase childbirth self-efficacy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brixval, Carina S; Axelsen, Solveig F; Thygesen, Lau C

2016-01-01

Antenatal education in small classes may increase childbirth self-efficacy. In this randomised trial we assessed the effect of a structured antenatal programme versus auditorium-based lectures on childbirth self-efficacy measured by three single items. We found that women in the intervention group...... reported statistically significant higher levels of confidence in their ability to cope at home during labour compared to the control group. Likewise, the intervention had a positive effect on the women's confidence in own ability to handle the birth process....

The effects of maternal depression and use of antidepressants during pregnancy on risk of a child small for gestational age

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Hans Mørch; Grøn, Randi; Lidegaard, Ojvind

2013-01-01

Use of antidepressants during pregnancy has been associated with an increased rate of children small for gestational age (SGA), but it is unclear whether this is due to an effect of the underlying depressive disorder.......Use of antidepressants during pregnancy has been associated with an increased rate of children small for gestational age (SGA), but it is unclear whether this is due to an effect of the underlying depressive disorder....

THE INFLUENCE OF IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIC POLICY IN CREATING BUSINESS CLIMATE, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND PROVIDING SUPPORT FACILITIES TOWARDS BUSINESS EMPOWERMENT ON SMALL MEDIUM CRAFT ENTERPRISES IN AMBON INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josef Papilaya

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This study aims at analyzing and explaining whether there was the influence of implementing the strategic policy in creating business climate, business environment and providing support facilities towards empowerment on small and medium enterprises as well as whether there is synchronously influence of implementing the strategic policy in creating business climate, business environment and providing support facilities for business empowerment on small and medium scale enterprises through a survey in the city of Ambon. The results show, that there is a positive and significant effect of implementing the strategic policy in creating business climate to empower small and medium enterprises. There is a positive and significant effect on the business environment toward the empowerment of small and medium enterprises, there is a positive and significant effect of providing support facilities toward the empowerment of small and medium enterprises, and there is a positive and significant simultaneously effect in business climate, business environment and support facilities for business towards the empowerment of small business in Ambon city. Empowerment programs are conducted to maintain a conducive business climate, including: 1. the innovation promotion, 2. enhancing human resources through training development; 3. providing financial support, 4. giving support to the marketing strategy, 5. opening the business partnership. While the supporting facilities granted to small and medium enterprises including: 1. giving the fishing boat for the Fishermen, 2. providing the workshop (machine shop service facilities to small crafts business Enterprises, 3. establish vendors for small enterprises, 4. provide the area for street vendors, 5. provide tents for merchants culinary who work at night. Providing the assistance to encourage the business climate and create conducive business environment.

Unsedated transnasal small-caliber esophagogastroduodenoscopy in elderly and bedridden patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuki, Mika; Amano, Yuji; Komazawa, Yoshinori; Fukuhara, Hiroyuki; Shizuku, Toshihiro; Yamamoto, Shun; Kinoshita, Yoshikazu

2009-11-28

To evaluate the safety of unsedated transnasal small-caliber esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for elderly and critically ill bedridden patients. One prospective randomized comparative study and one crossover comparative study between transnasal small-caliber EGD and transoral conventional EGD was done (Study 1). For the comparative study, we enrolled 240 elderly patients aged > 65 years old. For the crossover analysis, we enrolled 30 bedridden patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) (Study 2). We evaluated cardiopulmonary effects by measuring arterial oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and calculating the rate-pressure product (RPP) (pulse rate x systolic blood pressure/100) at baseline, 2 and 5 min after endoscopic intubation in Study 1. To assess the risk for endoscopy-related aspiration pneumonia during EGD, we also measured blood leukocyte counts and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels before and 3 d after EGD in Study 2. In Study 1, we observed significant decreases in SpO(2) during conventional transoral EGD, but not during transnasal small-caliber EGD (0.24% vs -0.24% after 2 min, and 0.18% vs -0.29% after 5 min, P = 0.034, P = 0.044). Significant differences of the RPP were not found between conventional transoral and transnasal small-caliber EGD. In Study 2, crossover analysis showed statistically significant increases of the RPP at 2 min after intubation and the end of endoscopy (26.8 and 34.6 vs 3.1 and 15.2, P = 0.044, P = 0.046), and decreases of SpO(2) (-0.8% vs -0.1%, P = 0.042) during EGD with transoral conventional in comparison with transnasal small-caliber endoscopy. Thus, for bedridden patients with PEG feeding, who were examined in the supine position, transoral conventional EGD more severely suppressed cardiopulmonary function than transnasal small-caliber EGD. There were also significant increases in the markers of inflammation, blood leukocyte counts and serum CRP values, in bedridden patients after transoral conventional EGD, but

Study on the therapeutic effect of small dose of estradiol and progesterone on post-menopausal osteoporosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Wenqi; Li Xin; Zhou Jiwen; Zhou Zhengli

2004-01-01

Objective: To explore the therapeutic effect and possible adverse side-effects of small dose of estradiol and progesterone on postmenopausal osteoporosis. Methods: Applying a GBD-928 mono-photon BMD radiometer, 68 women (past-menopausal over 3 years, age 52-59, body weight index 2 0.5 mg with MPA (medroxyprogesterone acetate) 0.5 mg daily. The medication laster for a whole years and BMD value was measured again. All subjects underwent gynecological physical examination, vaginal sonography, vaginal smear study and breast examination with infra-red ray both before and after the test period. Results: After one year medication, mean value of BMD in Group A was 0.49 ± 0.05, three percentage points higher than before. In Group B, this was 0.52 ± 0.06, another three percentage points higher. Ten Women with mild lobular hyperplasia and nine women with small uterine myoma ( 3 ) were all allocated to the hormone treated group. The lesions showed either little change or slight regression after the test period. Conclusion: Osteoporotic women receiving additional small doses of female hormones responded much better than those receiving calcium only. The WHI report which advised against HRT should be more critically studied

Effect of intravenous infusion of glyceryl trinitrate on gastric and small intestinal motor function in healthy humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jan Lysgård; Fuglsang, Stefan; Graff, J

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: Glyceryl trinitrate is a donor of nitric oxide that relaxes smooth muscle cells of the gastrointestinal tract. Little is known about the effect of glyceryl trinitrate on gastric emptying and no data exist on the possible effect of glyceryl trinitrate on small intestinal transit. AIM: ...

Atomistic Simulations of Small-scale Materials Tests of Nuclear Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Chan Sun; Jin, Hyung Ha; Kwon, Jun Hyun

2012-01-01

Degradation of materials properties under neutron irradiation is one of the key issues affecting the lifetime of nuclear reactors. Evaluating the property changes of materials due to irradiations and understanding the role of microstructural changes on mechanical properties are required for ensuring reliable and safe operation of a nuclear reactor. However, high dose of neuron irradiation capabilities are rather limited and it is difficult to discriminate various factors affecting the property changes of materials. Ion beam irradiation can be used to investigate radiation damage to materials in a controlled way, but has the main limitation of small penetration depth in the length scale of micro meters. Over the past decade, the interest in the investigations of size-dependent mechanical properties has promoted the development of various small-scale materials tests, e.g. nanoindentation and micro/nano-pillar compression tests. Small-scale materials tests can address the issue of the limitation of small penetration depth of ion irradiation. In this paper, we present small-scale materials tests (experiments and simulation) which are applied to study the size and irradiation effects on mechanical properties. We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of nanoindentation and nanopillar compression tests. These atomistic simulations are expected to significantly contribute to the investigation of the fundamental deformation mechanism of small scale irradiated materials

Small Intestinal Bypass Induces a Persistent Weight-Loss Effect and Improves Glucose Tolerance in Obese Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Jiaqing; Ren, Quan; Tan, Cai; Duan, Jinyuan

2017-07-01

This study investigated the role of proximal small intestinal bypass (PSIB) and distal small intestinal bypass (DSIB) as well as their long-term effects on weight loss and glucose metabolism in high-sugar and high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: PSIB, bypassing 60% of the proximal small intestine length; DSIB, bypassing 60% of the distal small intestine length; sham-operated (Sham) animals; and control animals. All rats were fed a high-sugar and high-fat diet after surgery. The primary outcome measures were body weight, food intake, fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and the insulin tolerance test (ITT). Global body weight (BW) and food intake in the PSIB and DSIB groups were lower than those in the Sham group at postoperative week 2. BW and food intake in the PSIB group were lower than those in the DSIB group at postoperative week 24. The PSIB and DSIB groups exhibited improvement in glucose tolerance at postoperative weeks 4, 8, and 24. The PSIB and DSIB groups exhibited improvement in FBG at postoperative week 24, and only the DSIB group exhibited improvement in insulin sensitivity. This study provides experimental evidence that PSIB surgery induced a better and more persistent weight loss effect than DSIB surgery and that the two types of intestinal bypass surgeries yielded equivalent and stable long-term improvement in glucose tolerance in an obese rat model.

Reverse Effect of Opuntia ficus-indica L. Juice and Seeds Aqueous Extract on Gastric Emptying and Small-Bowel Motility in Rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Rtibi, Kaïs; Selmi, Slimen; Saidani, Khouloud; Grami, Dhekra; Amri, Mohamed; Sebai, Hichem; Marzouki, Lamjed

2018-01-01

This study was conducted to compare the effects of juice and seeds on gastric emptying, small-bowel motility and intestinal ion transport. Separate groups of rats were randomized to receive NaCl, increasing doses of juice (5, 10, and 20 mL/kg, b.w.) or seeds aqueous extract (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, b.w.). Simultaneously, two other groups were received, the reference drugs; clonidine (1 mg/kg) and yohimbine (2 mg/kg). The charcoal meal was used as a suspension for gastrointestinal motility test. The purgative action of juice was confirmed using the loperamide (5 mg/kg, p.o.) induced constipation. To evaluate the antisecretory effect, we were used as a hypersecretion agent, the castor oil at the dose of 5 mL/kg. Compared to the control and standard groups, we were showed that the prickly pear has an opposite effect on small-bowel motility and gastric emptying. Indeed, the juice at various doses has a laxative effect of gastrointestinal transit in healthy and constipated-rats. However, the aqueous extract of the seeds leads to a reduction of motility in normal rats which gives it a remarkable antidiarrhoeal activity, a notable intestinal fluid accumulation decline and electrolyte concentrations reestablishment. Moreover, orally juice administered at different doses accelerated the stomach emptying time in contrast to the seeds aqueous extract. More importantly, a significant variation in the phytochemical constituents levels between juice and seeds was found. These findings confirm the reverse therapeutic effects of this fruit in the treatment of digestive disturbances such as difficulty stool evacuation and massive intestinal secretion, likewise, the gastric emptying process perturbation. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Anomalous size effect in conductivity of Bi films of small thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anopchenko, A.S.; Kashirin, V.Yu.; Komnik, Yu.F.

1995-01-01

Experimental data are obtained at helium temperature, which describe the kinetic properties (conductivity, magnetoresistance and Hall coefficient) of Bi films whose thicknesses are within 100-500 A. The small-thickness Bi films display an anomalous size effect- the growing conductivity at decreasing thickness, and pronounced quantum interference effects - weak electron localization and enhancing electron-electron interaction in a disordered system. The information derived on the kinetic properties of the films is used to identify the character of the changes in the electron and hole concentrations and mobilities with a decreasing thickness. The isotropy of the properties in the films plane due to the axial texture has permitted us to use the equations for a conductor with two types of charge carriers. The used kinetic characteristics correctly take into account the contribution of the quantum corrections related to quantum interference. It is found that the concentration of the charge carries increases appreciably (by about two orders of magnitude) as the film thickness decreases to 100 A, which determines the anomalous size effect in the conductivity of the films

Ambipolar Small-Molecule:Polymer Blend Semiconductors for Solution-Processable Organic Field-Effect Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Minji; Hwang, Hansu; Park, Won-Tae; Khim, Dongyoon; Yeo, Jun-Seok; Kim, Yunseul; Kim, Yeon-Ju; Noh, Yong-Young; Kim, Dong-Yu

2017-01-25

We report on the fabrication of an organic thin-film semiconductor formed using a blend solution of soluble ambipolar small molecules and an insulating polymer binder that exhibits vertical phase separation and uniform film formation. The semiconductor thin films are produced in a single step from a mixture containing a small molecular semiconductor, namely, quinoidal biselenophene (QBS), and a binder polymer, namely, poly(2-vinylnaphthalene) (PVN). Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on QBS/PVN blend semiconductor are then assembled using top-gate/bottom-contact device configuration, which achieve almost four times higher mobility than the neat QBS semiconductor. Depth profile via secondary ion mass spectrometry and atomic force microscopy images indicate that the QBS domains in the films made from the blend are evenly distributed with a smooth morphology at the bottom of the PVN layer. Bias stress test and variable-temperature measurements on QBS-based OFETs reveal that the QBS/PVN blend semiconductor remarkably reduces the number of trap sites at the gate dielectric/semiconductor interface and the activation energy in the transistor channel. This work provides a one-step solution processing technique, which makes use of soluble ambipolar small molecules to form a thin-film semiconductor for application in high-performance OFETs.

The small molecule survivin inhibitor YM155 may be an effective treatment modality for colon cancer through increasing apoptosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Wan Lu, E-mail: lvvlchina@msn.cn [Department of Pathology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Mi-Ra, E-mail: mira1125@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Pathology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Mee-Yon, E-mail: meeyon@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Pathology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Genomic Cohort, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju (Korea, Republic of)

2016-03-04

Survivin has a known beneficial role in the survival of both cancer cells and normal cells. Therapies targeting survivin have been proposed as an alternative treatment modality for various tumors; however, finding the proper indication for this toxic therapy is critical for reducing unavoidable side effects. We recently observed that high survivin expression in CD133{sup +} cells is related to chemoresistance in Caco-2 colon cancer cells. However, the effect of survivin-targeted therapy on CD133{sup +} colon cancer is unknown. In this study, we investigated the roles of CD133 and survivin expression in colon cancer biology in vitro and comparatively analyzed the anticancer effects of survivin inhibitor on CD133{sup +} cells (ctrl-siRNA group) and small interfering RNA (siRNA)-induced CD133{sup −} cells (CD133-siRNA group) obtained from a single colon cancer cell line. CD133 knockdown via siRNA transfection did not change the tumorigenicity of cells, although in vitro survivin expression levels in CD133{sup +} cells were higher than those in siRNA-induced CD133{sup −} cells. The transfection procedure seemed to induce survivin expression. Notably, a significant number of CD133{sup −} cells (33.8%) was found in the cell colonies of the CD133-siRNA group. In the cell proliferation assay after treatment, YM155 and a combination of YM155 and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) proved to be far more effective than 5-FU alone. A significantly increased level of apoptosis was observed with increasing doses of YM155 in all groups. However, significant differences in therapeutic effect and apoptosis among the mock, ctrl-siRNA, and CD133-siRNA groups were not detected. Survivin inhibitor is an effective treatment modality for colon cancer; however, the role of CD133 and the use of survivin expression as a biomarker for this targeted therapy must be verified.

The small molecule survivin inhibitor YM155 may be an effective treatment modality for colon cancer through increasing apoptosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Wan Lu; Lee, Mi-Ra; Cho, Mee-Yon

2016-01-01

Survivin has a known beneficial role in the survival of both cancer cells and normal cells. Therapies targeting survivin have been proposed as an alternative treatment modality for various tumors; however, finding the proper indication for this toxic therapy is critical for reducing unavoidable side effects. We recently observed that high survivin expression in CD133"+ cells is related to chemoresistance in Caco-2 colon cancer cells. However, the effect of survivin-targeted therapy on CD133"+ colon cancer is unknown. In this study, we investigated the roles of CD133 and survivin expression in colon cancer biology in vitro and comparatively analyzed the anticancer effects of survivin inhibitor on CD133"+ cells (ctrl-siRNA group) and small interfering RNA (siRNA)-induced CD133"− cells (CD133-siRNA group) obtained from a single colon cancer cell line. CD133 knockdown via siRNA transfection did not change the tumorigenicity of cells, although in vitro survivin expression levels in CD133"+ cells were higher than those in siRNA-induced CD133"− cells. The transfection procedure seemed to induce survivin expression. Notably, a significant number of CD133"− cells (33.8%) was found in the cell colonies of the CD133-siRNA group. In the cell proliferation assay after treatment, YM155 and a combination of YM155 and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) proved to be far more effective than 5-FU alone. A significantly increased level of apoptosis was observed with increasing doses of YM155 in all groups. However, significant differences in therapeutic effect and apoptosis among the mock, ctrl-siRNA, and CD133-siRNA groups were not detected. Survivin inhibitor is an effective treatment modality for colon cancer; however, the role of CD133 and the use of survivin expression as a biomarker for this targeted therapy must be verified.

Effect of nonabsorbed amounts of a fructose-sorbitol mixture on small intestinal transit in healthy volunteers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jan L; Linnet, Jan; Rumessen, Jüri J

2006-01-01

Although malabsorption of small amounts of fructose-sorbitol mixtures occurs frequently in healthy humans, insights into their effects on gastrointestinal motility are poor. The present study addresses the hypothesis that malabsorption of a fructose-sorbitol challenge changes the small intestinal...... transit rate. Eleven healthy volunteers participated in a double-blind crossover investigation. In random order, the subjects ingested 30 g glucose or a mixture of 25 g fructose and 5 g sorbitol as 10% solutions. As a radiolabeled marker, (99m)Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid was added to each test...... solution. Breath hydrogen and methane concentrations and gastrointestinal progress of the radiolabeled marker were followed for the next 6-hr period. Malabsorption of small amounts of the fructose-sorbitol mixture was evident in all subjects. The area under the gastric radioactivity-time curve after...

Effect of nonabsorbed amounts of a fructose-sorbitol mixture on small intestinal transit in healthy volunteers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jan L; Linnet, Jan; Rumessen, Jüri J

2006-01-01

transit rate. Eleven healthy volunteers participated in a double-blind crossover investigation. In random order, the subjects ingested 30 g glucose or a mixture of 25 g fructose and 5 g sorbitol as 10% solutions. As a radiolabeled marker, (99m)Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid was added to each test......Although malabsorption of small amounts of fructose-sorbitol mixtures occurs frequently in healthy humans, insights into their effects on gastrointestinal motility are poor. The present study addresses the hypothesis that malabsorption of a fructose-sorbitol challenge changes the small intestinal...... solution. Breath hydrogen and methane concentrations and gastrointestinal progress of the radiolabeled marker were followed for the next 6-hr period. Malabsorption of small amounts of the fructose-sorbitol mixture was evident in all subjects. The area under the gastric radioactivity-time curve after...

Effective description of dark matter self-interactions in small dark matter haloes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kummer, Janis

2017-07-01

Self-interacting dark matter may have striking astrophysical signatures, such as observ- able offsets between galaxies and dark matter in merging galaxy clusters. Numerical N-body simulations used to predict such observables typically treat the galaxies as collisionless test particles, a questionable assumption given that each galaxy is embedded in its own dark matter halo. To enable a more accurate treatment we develop an effective description of small dark matter haloes taking into account the two major effects due to dark matter self-scatterings: deceleration and evaporation. We point out that self-scatterings can have a sizeable impact on the trajectories of galaxies, diminishing the separation between galaxies and dark matter in merging clusters. This effect depends sensitively on the underlying particle physics, in particular the angular dependence of the self-scattering cross section, and cannot be predicted from the momentum transfer cross section alone.

Prognostic Significance of N-Glycolyl GM3 Ganglioside Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Patients: New Evidences

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco, Rancés; Domínguez, Elizabeth; Morales, Orlando; Blanco, Damián; Martínez, Darel; Rengifo, Charles E.; Viada, Carmen; Cedeño, Mercedes; Rengifo, Enrique; Carr, Adriana

2015-01-01

The prognostic role of N-glycolyl GM3 ganglioside (NeuGcGM3) expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) still remains controversial. In this study, the NeuGcGM3 expression was reevaluated using an increased number of NSCLC cases and the 14F7 Mab (a highly specific IgG1 raised against NeuGcGM3). An immunohistochemical score integrating the percentage of 14F7-positive cells and the intensity of reaction was applied to reassess the relationship between NeuGcGM3 expression, some clinicopathological features, and the overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients. The double and the triple expression of NeuGcGM3 with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and/or its ligand, the epidermal growth factor (EGF), were also evaluated. NeuGcGM3 expression correlates with both S-Phase fraction (p = 0.006) and proliferation index (p = 0.000). Additionally, NeuGcGM3 expression was associated with a poor OS of patients in both univariate (p = 0.020) and multivariate (p = 0.010) analysis. Moreover, the double and/or the triple positivity of tumors to NeuGcGM3, EGFR, and/or EGF permitted us to identify phenotypes of NSCLC with a more aggressive biological behavior. Our results are in agreement with the negative prognostic significance of NeuGcGM3 expression in NSCLC patients. However, standardization of techniques to determine the expression of NeuGcGM3 in NSCLC as well as the implementation of a universal scoring system is recommended. PMID:26634172

Effects of small-sided games on physical conditioning and performance in young soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Katis, Athanasios; Kellis, Eleftherios

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine, first, the movement actions performed during two different small-sided games and, second, their effects on a series of field endurance and technical tests. Thirty-four young soccer players (age: 13 ± 0.9 yrs; body mass: 62.3 ± 15.1 kg; height: 1.65 ± 0.06 m) participated in the study. Small-sided games included three-a-side (3 versus 3 players) and six-a-side (6 versus 6 players) games consisting of 10 bouts of 4 min duration with 3 min active recovery between bouts. Soccer player performance was evaluated using five field tests: a) 30m sprint, b) throw-in for distance, c) Illinois Agility Test, d) dribbling the ball and e) horizontal jump before, in the middle and after the implementation of both game situations. Heart rate was monitored during the entire testing session. Each game was also filmed to measure soccer movements within the game. The ANOVA analysis indicated that the three-a- side games displayed significantly higher heart rate values compared with the six-a-side games (p players performed more long passes and headed the ball more often during the six-a-side (p performance (p performance were observed (p physical conditioning and technical improvement than six-a-side games and their use for training young soccer players is recommended. Key pointsThree-a-side games display higher HR compared with six-a-side games.In the three-a-side games players performed more short passes, kicks, dribbles, tackles and scored more goals compared with the six-a-side games.Impairment in endurance and field test performance was observed mainly after three-a-side games.The use of the three-a-side games to develop physical fitness and technique in young soccer players is recommended.

Role of small amount of MgO and ZrO 2 on creep behaviour of high ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Small levels of various dopants have a significant effect on creep in polycrystalline alumina. While most previous studies have examined the effect of ionic size, the influence of valency of dopants on creep has not yet been completely characterized. The present detailed experimental study, utilizing magnesia and zirconia ...

Introduction: innovation and small business

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.R. Thurik (Roy)

1996-01-01

textabstractThis paper introduces the special issue of Small Business Economics on Innovation. What binds the papers together is either their focus on the effect of firm size on the causes and consequences of innovation or their focus on the role small firms play in reshaping the industrial

Modelling the cost-effectiveness of public awareness campaigns for the early detection of non-small-cell lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinde, S; McKenna, C; Whyte, S; Peake, M D; Callister, M E J; Rogers, T; Sculpher, M

2015-06-30

Survival rates in lung cancer in England are significantly lower than in many similar countries. A range of Be Clear on Cancer (BCOC) campaigns have been conducted targeting lung cancer and found to improve the proportion of diagnoses at the early stage of disease. This paper considers the cost-effectiveness of such campaigns, evaluating the effect of both the regional and national BCOC campaigns on the stage distribution of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at diagnosis. A natural history model of NSCLC was developed using incidence data, data elicited from clinical experts and model calibration techniques. This structure is used to consider the lifetime cost and quality-adjusted survival implications of the early awareness campaigns. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) in terms of additional costs per quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained are presented. Two scenario analyses were conducted to investigate the role of changes in the 'worried-well' population and the route of diagnosis that might occur as a result of the campaigns. The base-case theoretical model found the regional and national early awareness campaigns to be associated with QALY gains of 289 and 178 QALYs and ICERs of £13 660 and £18 173 per QALY gained, respectively. The scenarios found that increases in the 'worried-well' population may impact the cost-effectiveness conclusions. Subject to the available evidence, the analysis suggests that early awareness campaigns in lung cancer have the potential to be cost-effective. However, significant additional research is required to address many of the limitations of this study. In addition, the estimated natural history model presents previously unavailable estimates of the prevalence and rate of disease progression in the undiagnosed population.

Hedgehog Pathway Inhibition Radiosensitizes Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Jing; Aziz, Khaled; Chettiar, Sivarajan T. [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Aftab, Blake T. [Department of Medical Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Armour, Michael; Gajula, Rajendra; Gandhi, Nishant; Salih, Tarek; Herman, Joseph M.; Wong, John [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Rudin, Charles M. [Department of Medical Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Tran, Phuoc T. [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Department of Medical Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Hales, Russell K., E-mail: rhales1@jhmi.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States)

2013-05-01

Purpose: Despite improvements in chemoradiation, local control remains a major clinical problem in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The Hedgehog pathway has been implicated in tumor recurrence by promoting survival of tumorigenic precursors and through effects on tumor-associated stroma. Whether Hedgehog inhibition can affect radiation efficacy in vivo has not been reported. Methods and Materials: We evaluated the effects of a targeted Hedgehog inhibitor (HhAntag) and radiation on clonogenic survival of human non-small cell lung cancer lines in vitro. Using an A549 cell line xenograft model, we examined tumor growth, proliferation, apoptosis, and gene expression changes after concomitant HhAntag and radiation. In a transgenic mouse model of Kras{sup G12D}-induced and Twist1-induced lung adenocarcinoma, we assessed tumor response to radiation and HhAntag by serial micro-computed tomography (CT) scanning. Results: In 4 human lung cancer lines in vitro, HhAntag showed little or no effect on radiosensitivity. By contrast, in both the human tumor xenograft and murine inducible transgenic models, HhAntag enhanced radiation efficacy and delayed tumor growth. By use of the human xenograft model to differentiate tumor and stromal effects, mouse stromal cells, but not human tumor cells, showed significant and consistent downregulation of Hedgehog pathway gene expression. This was associated with increased tumor cell apoptosis. Conclusions: Targeted Hedgehog pathway inhibition can increase in vivo radiation efficacy in lung cancer preclinical models. This effect is associated with pathway suppression in tumor-associated stroma. These data support clinical testing of Hedgehog inhibitors as a component of multimodality therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Earthquake hazard assessment and small earthquakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reiter, L.

1987-01-01

The significance of small earthquakes and their treatment in nuclear power plant seismic hazard assessment is an issue which has received increased attention over the past few years. In probabilistic studies, sensitivity studies showed that the choice of the lower bound magnitude used in hazard calculations can have a larger than expected effect on the calculated hazard. Of particular interest is the fact that some of the difference in seismic hazard calculations between the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) studies can be attributed to this choice. The LLNL study assumed a lower bound magnitude of 3.75 while the EPRI study assumed a lower bound magnitude of 5.0. The magnitudes used were assumed to be body wave magnitudes or their equivalents. In deterministic studies recent ground motion recordings of small to moderate earthquakes at or near nuclear power plants have shown that the high frequencies of design response spectra may be exceeded. These exceedances became important issues in the licensing of the Summer and Perry nuclear power plants. At various times in the past particular concerns have been raised with respect to the hazard and damage potential of small to moderate earthquakes occurring at very shallow depths. In this paper a closer look is taken at these issues. Emphasis is given to the impact of lower bound magnitude on probabilistic hazard calculations and the historical record of damage from small to moderate earthquakes. Limited recommendations are made as to how these issues should be viewed

Moderating effect of innovation on human capital and small firm ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study evaluate the importance of human capital on the performance of small firms in the construction sector in developing countries. Primary data was obtained from 255 small contractors in the construction sector in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. Analysis of the study was carried out through descriptive and multiple ...

The effects of wastewater discharges on the functioning of a small temporarily open/closed estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrie, Robynne A.; Stretch, Derek D.; Perissinotto, Renzo

2010-04-01

Wastewater discharges affect the functioning of small temporarily open/closed estuaries (TOCEs) through two main mechanisms: (1) they can significantly change the water balance by altering the quantity of water inflows, and (2) they can significantly change the nutrient balance and hence the water quality. This study investigated the bio-physical responses of a typical, small TOCE on the east coast of South Africa, the Mhlanga Estuary. This estuary receives significant inflows of treated effluent from upstream wastewater treatment works. Water and nutrient budgets were used together with biological sampling to investigate changes in the functioning of the system. The increase in inflows due to the effluent discharges has significantly increased the mouth breaching frequency. Furthermore, when the mouth closes, the accumulation of nutrients leads to eutrophication and algal blooms. A grey water index, namely the proportion of effluent in the estuary and an indicator of the additional nutrient inputs into the estuary, reached high values (≳50%) during low flow regimes and when the mouth was closed. In these hyper-eutrophic conditions (DIN and DIP concentrations up to 457 μM and 100 μM respectively), field measurements showed that algal blooms occurred within about 14 days following closure of the mouth (chlorophyll-a concentrations up to 375 mg chl-a m -3). Water and nutrient balance simulations for alternative scenarios suggest that further increases in wastewater discharges would result in more frequent breaching events and longer open mouth conditions, but the occurrence of hyper-eutrophic conditions would initially intensify despite more frequent openings. The study indicates how water and nutrient balance simulations can be used in the planning and impact assessment of wastewater treatment facilities.

Cost-effectiveness of motivational intervention with significant others for patients with alcohol misuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepard, Donald S; Lwin, Aung K; Barnett, Nancy P; Mastroleo, Nadine; Colby, Suzanne M; Gwaltney, Chad; Monti, Peter M

2016-05-01

To estimate the incremental cost, cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost ratio of incorporating a significant other (SO) into motivational intervention for alcohol misuse. We obtained economic data from the one year with the intervention in full operation for patients in a recent randomized trial. The underlying trial took place at a major urban hospital in the United States. The trial randomized 406 (68.7% male) eligible hazardous drinkers (196 during the economic study) admitted to the emergency department or trauma unit. The motivational interview condition consisted of one in-person session featuring personalized normative feedback. The significant other motivational interview condition comprised one joint session with the participant and SO in which the SO's perspective and support were elicited. We ascertained activities across 445 representative time segments through work sampling (including staff idle time), calculated the incremental cost in per patient of incorporating an SO, expressed the results in 2014 US$, incorporated quality and mortality effects from a closely related trial and derived the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. From a health system perspective, the incremental cost per patient of adding an SO was $341.09 [95% confidence interval (CI) = $244.44-437.74]. The incremental cost per year per hazardous drinker averted was $3623 (CI = $1777-22,709), the cost per QALY gained $32,200 (CI = $15,800-201,700), and the benefit-cost ratio was 4.73 (95% CI = 0.7-9.66). If adding an SO into the intervention strategy were concentrated during the hours with highest risk or in a trauma unit, it would become even more cost-beneficial. Using criteria established by the World Health Organization (cost-effectiveness below the country's gross domestic product per capita), incorporating a significant other into a patient's motivational intervention for alcohol misuse is highly cost-effective. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Small financial incentives increase smoking cessation in homeless smokers: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Businelle, Michael S; Kendzor, Darla E; Kesh, Anshula; Cuate, Erica L; Poonawalla, Insiya B; Reitzel, Lorraine R; Okuyemi, Kolawole S; Wetter, David W

2014-03-01

Although over 70% of homeless individuals smoke, few studies have examined the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in this vulnerable population. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the effectiveness of shelter-based smoking cessation clinic usual care (UC) to an adjunctive contingency management (CM) treatment that offered UC plus small financial incentives for smoking abstinence. Sixty-eight homeless individuals in Dallas, Texas (recruited in 2012) were assigned to UC (n=58) or UC plus financial incentives (CM; n=10) groups and were followed for 5 consecutive weeks (1 week pre-quit through 4 weeks post-quit). A generalized linear mixed model regression analysis was conducted to compare biochemically-verified abstinence rates between groups. An additional model examined the interaction between time and treatment group. The participants were primarily male (61.8%) and African American (58.8%), and were 49 years of age on average. There was a significant effect of treatment group on abstinence overall, and effects varied over time. Follow-up logistic regression analyses indicated that CM participants were significantly more likely than UC participants to be abstinent on the quit date (50% vs. 19% abstinent) and at 4 weeks post-quit (30% vs. 1.7% abstinent). Offering small financial incentives for smoking abstinence may be an effective way to facilitate smoking cessation in homeless individuals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increasing Water Temperature Triggers Dominance of Small Freshwater Plankton.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serena Rasconi

Full Text Available Climate change scenarios predict that lake water temperatures will increase up to 4°C and rainfall events will become more intense and frequent by the end of this century. Concurrently, supply of humic substances from terrestrial runoff is expected to increase, resulting in darker watercolor ("brownification" of aquatic ecosystems. Using a multi-seasonal, low trophic state mesocosm experiment, we investigated how higher water temperature and brownification affect plankton community composition, phenology, and functioning. We tested the hypothesis that higher water temperature (+3°C and brownification will, a cause plankton community composition to shift toward small sized phytoplankton and cyanobacteria, and, b extend the length of the growing season entailing higher phytoplankton production later in the season. We demonstrate that the 3°C increase of water temperature favored the growth of heterotrophic bacteria and small sized autotrophic picophytoplankton cells with significantly higher primary production during warmer fall periods. However, 3X darker water (effect of brownification caused no significant changes in the plankton community composition or functioning relative to control conditions. Our findings reveal that increased temperature change plankton community structure by favoring smaller sized species proliferation (autotrophic phytoplankton and small size cladocerans, and increase primary productivity and community turnover. Finally, results of this multi-seasonal experiment suggest that warming by 3°C in aquatic ecosystems of low trophic state may cause planktonic food web functioning to become more dominated by fast growing, r-trait species (i.e., small sizes and rapid development.

The effect of adenovirus-mediated gene expression of FHIT in small cell lung cancer cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zandi, Roza; Xu, Kai; Poulsen, Hans S

2011-01-01

The candidate tumor suppressor fragile histidine traid (FHIT) is frequently inactivated in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Mutations in the p53 gene also occur in the majority of SCLC leading to the accumulation of the mutant protein. Here we evaluated the effect of FHIT gene therapy alone...

Mutual Guarantee Institutions and Small Business Finance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Columba, F.; Gambacorta, L.; Mistrulli, P.E.

2009-01-01

A large literature showed that small firms experience difficulties in accessing the credit market due to informational asymmetries; these may be mitigated by collateral or relationship lending, possibilities often precluded to small business. We investigate the effect on small business finance of an

Novel small-molecule AMPK activator orally exerts beneficial effects on diabetic db/db mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yuan-Yuan; Yu, Li-Fang; Zhang, Li-Na; Qiu, Bei-Ying; Su, Ming-Bo; Wu, Fang; Chen, Da-Kai; Pang, Tao; Gu, Min; Zhang, Wei; Ma, Wei-Ping; Jiang, Hao-Wen; Li, Jing-Ya, E-mail: jyli@mail.shcnc.ac.cn; Nan, Fa-Jun, E-mail: fjnan@mail.shcnc.ac.cn; Li, Jia, E-mail: jli@mail.shcnc.ac.cn

2013-12-01

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is a pivotal guardian of whole-body energy metabolism, has become an attractive therapeutic target for metabolic syndrome. Previously, using a homogeneous scintillation proximity assay, we identified the small-molecule AMPK activator C24 from an optimization based on the original allosteric activator PT1. In this paper, the AMPK activation mechanism of C24 and its potential beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism on db/db mice were investigated. C24 allosterically stimulated inactive AMPK α subunit truncations and activated AMPK heterotrimers by antagonizing autoinhibition. In primary hepatocytes, C24 increased the phosphorylation of AMPK downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase dose-dependently without changing intracellular AMP/ATP ratio, indicating its allosteric activation in cells. Through activating AMPK, C24 decreased glucose output by down-regulating mRNA levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) in primary hepatocytes. C24 also decreased the triglyceride and cholesterol contents in HepG2 cells. Due to its improved bioavailability, chronic oral treatment with multiple doses of C24 significantly reduced blood glucose and lipid levels in plasma, and improved the glucose tolerance of diabetic db/db mice. The hepatic transcriptional levels of PEPCK and G6Pase were reduced. These results demonstrate that this orally effective activator of AMPK represents a novel approach to the treatment of metabolic syndrome. - Highlights: • C24 activates AMPK through antagonizing autoinhibition within α subunit. • C24 activates AMPK in hepatocytes and decreases glucose output via AMPK. • C24 exerts beneficial effects on diabetic db/db mice. • C24 represents a novel therapeutic for treatment of metabolic syndrome.

The Effective Use of Facebook by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Operating in Slovakia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

František Pollák

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose – The aim of this study was to identify and then interpret the basic preconditions for effective use of the social networking site Facebook as a marketing communication platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs operating in a selected Central European market. Design/Methodology/Approach – In order to achieve the objective, as well as partial targets, this contribution can be seen as a summary of two autonomous and extensive analyses. The context necessary for the fulfillment of the main objective was analyzed based on secondary data on hundreds of company profiles (of local SMEs, operating predominantly in the service sector and conducting their business activities in a business-to-consumer (B2C environment managed by a specific marketing agency operating on the Slovak market. The collected data were subsequently subjected to a thorough statistical testing based on monitored parameters. Findings and implications – From the perspective of the main findings, basic recommendations for the efficient use of selected marketing communication tools on the social networking site Facebook are described in terms of improving the expected user interactions. Limitations – We consider the mainly local nature of the data sources to be the biggest limitation in the research process. Due to the local nature of this study, however, this limitation has no significant effect on the quality of the research. Originality – The findings and information presented in this contribution can help improve our understanding of issues related to the effective implementation of resources (time and finances by entities using selected marketing tools, particularly marketing communication in the context of the social networking site Facebook for the purpose of promotion and branding.

Novel small-molecule AMPK activator orally exerts beneficial effects on diabetic db/db mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yuan-Yuan; Yu, Li-Fang; Zhang, Li-Na; Qiu, Bei-Ying; Su, Ming-Bo; Wu, Fang; Chen, Da-Kai; Pang, Tao; Gu, Min; Zhang, Wei; Ma, Wei-Ping; Jiang, Hao-Wen; Li, Jing-Ya; Nan, Fa-Jun; Li, Jia

2013-01-01

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is a pivotal guardian of whole-body energy metabolism, has become an attractive therapeutic target for metabolic syndrome. Previously, using a homogeneous scintillation proximity assay, we identified the small-molecule AMPK activator C24 from an optimization based on the original allosteric activator PT1. In this paper, the AMPK activation mechanism of C24 and its potential beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism on db/db mice were investigated. C24 allosterically stimulated inactive AMPK α subunit truncations and activated AMPK heterotrimers by antagonizing autoinhibition. In primary hepatocytes, C24 increased the phosphorylation of AMPK downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase dose-dependently without changing intracellular AMP/ATP ratio, indicating its allosteric activation in cells. Through activating AMPK, C24 decreased glucose output by down-regulating mRNA levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) in primary hepatocytes. C24 also decreased the triglyceride and cholesterol contents in HepG2 cells. Due to its improved bioavailability, chronic oral treatment with multiple doses of C24 significantly reduced blood glucose and lipid levels in plasma, and improved the glucose tolerance of diabetic db/db mice. The hepatic transcriptional levels of PEPCK and G6Pase were reduced. These results demonstrate that this orally effective activator of AMPK represents a novel approach to the treatment of metabolic syndrome. - Highlights: • C24 activates AMPK through antagonizing autoinhibition within α subunit. • C24 activates AMPK in hepatocytes and decreases glucose output via AMPK. • C24 exerts beneficial effects on diabetic db/db mice. • C24 represents a novel therapeutic for treatment of metabolic syndrome

Comparison of effectiveness and adverse effects of gefitinib, erlotinib and icotinib among patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A network meta-analysis.