Neighborhood Environments: Links to Health Behaviors and Obesity Status in Vulnerable Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Choo, Jina; Kim, Hye-Jin; Park, Sooyeon

2017-08-01

This study aimed to identify the actual and perceived features of neighborhood environments linked to health behaviors and obesity status in vulnerable children by using geographic information systems, walking surveys, and focus group interviews. The participants were 126 children registered at community child centers and 10 mothers of study participants. Increased availability of fast food outlets and convenience stores was significantly and positively associated with fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and inversely with physical activity. Reduced availability of physical activity outlets was significantly and positively associated with sedentary behaviors. Mothers' perceptions of their neighborhoods fell into three content categories: (a) changed to be unfriendly for children, (b) adapted to fast food and convenience eating, and (c) confined to physically inactive living. Based on these findings, community-level environmental strategies for reducing unhealthy behaviors linked to neighborhood environments should be prioritized to prevent childhood obesity in vulnerable populations.

Accelerated ageing and renal dysfunction links lower socioeconomic status and dietary phosphate intake.

Science.gov (United States)

McClelland, Ruth; Christensen, Kelly; Mohammed, Suhaib; McGuinness, Dagmara; Cooney, Josephine; Bakshi, Andisheh; Demou, Evangelia; MacDonald, Ewan; Caslake, Muriel; Stenvinkel, Peter; Shiels, Paul G

2016-05-01

We have sought to explore the impact of dietary Pi intake on human age related health in the pSoBid cohort (n=666) to explain the disparity between health and deprivation status in this cohort. As hyperphosphataemia is a driver of accelerated ageing in rodent models of progeria we tested whether variation in Pi levels in man associate with measures of biological ageing and health. We observed significant relationships between serum Pi levels and markers of biological age (telomere length (p=0.040) and DNA methylation content (p=0.028), gender and chronological age (p=0.032). When analyses were adjusted for socio-economic status and nutritional factors, associations were observed between accelerated biological ageing (telomere length, genomic methylation content) and dietary derived Pi levels among the most deprived males, directly related to the frequency of red meat consumption. Accelerated ageing is associated with high serum Pi levels and frequency of red meat consumption. Our data provide evidence for a mechanistic link between high intake of Pi and age-related morbidities tied to socio-economic status.

78 FR 76711 - Royal City Charter Coach Lines Ltd.-Acquisition of Control-Quick Coach Lines Ltd. d/b/a Quick...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-18

... current ownership of Quick, and its wholly owned subsidiary Quick Coach Lines USA Inc. (Quick USA... Charter Coach Lines Ltd.--Acquisition of Control-- Quick Coach Lines Ltd. d/b/a Quick Shuttle Service.... SUMMARY: On November 18, 2013, Royal City Charter Coach Lines Ltd. (Royal, or Applicant) filed an...

The quick wins paradox.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Buren, Mark E; Safferstone, Todd

2009-01-01

Many leaders taking on new roles try to prove themselves early on by going after quick wins--fresh, visible contributions to the business. But in the pursuit of early results, those leaders often fall into traps that prevent them from benefiting from their achievements. To succeed in their new positions, leaders must realize that the teams they have inherited are also experiencing change. Instead of focusing on an individual accomplishment, leaders need to work with team members on a collective quick win. In a study of more than 5,400 new leaders, the authors found that those who were struggling tended to exhibit five behaviors characteristic of people overly intent on securing a quick win. They focused too much on details, reacted negatively to criticism, intimidated others, jumped to conclusions, and micromanaged their direct reports. Some managed to eke out a win anyway, but the fallout was often toxic. The leaders who were thriving in their new roles, by contrast, shared not only a strong focus on results--necessary for early successes--but also excellent change-management skills. They communicated a clear vision, developed constructive relationships, and built team capabilities. They seemed to realize that the lasting value of their accomplishment would be the way they managed their teams through the transition. Collective quick wins established credibility and prepared them to lead their teams to harder-won victories. The authors provide a diagnostic tool for identifying opportunities for collective quick wins, and they share some advice for organizations: When grooming new leaders, don't just shore up their domain knowledge and technical skills; help them develop the change-management skills they will need as they settle in with their new teams.

Current status of accelerated corneal cross-linking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Mrochen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Corneal cross-linking with riboflavin is a technique to stabilize or reduce corneal ectasia, in diseases such as keratoconus and post-laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK ectasia. There is an interest by patient as well as clinicians to reduce the overall treatment time. Especially, the introduction of corneal cross-linking in combination with corneal laser surgery demands a shorter treatment time to assure a sufficient patient flow. The principles and techniques of accelerated corneal cross-linking is discussed.

Effect of Link Flexibility on tip position of a single link robotic arm

Science.gov (United States)

Madhusudan Raju, E.; Siva Rama Krishna, L.; Mouli, Y. Sharath Chandra; Nageswara Rao, V.

2015-12-01

The flexible robots are widely used in space applications due to their quick response, lower energy consumption, lower overall mass and operation at high speed compared to conventional industrial rigid link robots. These robots are inherently flexible, so that the kinematics of flexible robots can't be solved with rigid body assumptions. The flexibility in links and joints affects end-point positioning accuracy of the robot. It is important to model the link kinematics with precision which in turn simplifies modelling of dynamics of flexible robots. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of link flexibility on a tip position of a single link robotic arm for a given motion. The joint is assumed to be rigid and only link flexibility is considered. The kinematics of flexible link problem is evaluated by Assumed Modes Method (AMM) using MAT LAB Programming. To evaluate the effect of link flexibility (with and without payload) of robotic arm, the normalized tip deviation is found for flexible link with respect to a rigid link. Finally, the limiting inertia for payload mass is found if the allowable tip deviation is 5%.

Sensitiveness of the Constant-Murley’s Shoulder and Quick DASH as an Outcome Measure for Midshaft Clavicle Fracture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Magetsari

2010-03-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Quick DASH and Constant-Murley’s Shoulder are two valid measuring tools for health status and are useful for patients with a wide variety of upper-extremity complaints; it is sufficiently sensitive to reveal even small changes in function. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity of Quick DASH and Constant-Murley’s Shoulder as an outcome measurement for midshaft clavicle fracture. METHOD: The study population consisted of 64 patients with a diagnosis of midshaft clavicle fracture based on clinical and radiological criteria. Study design was that of a classic prospective cohort study with measurements at 3 and 6 months following the injury. Evaluation was based on effect size (ES and standardized response means (SRM. RESULT: Both Quick DASH and Constant-Murley’s Shoulder showed high sensitivity (ES: 0.711; SRM: 1.46 and ES: 0.628; SRM: 1.45, respectively. CONCLUSION: Quick DASH was more sensitive than Constant-Murley’s Shoulder in detecting clinical changes on midshaft clavicle fractures at 3 and 6 month following treatment.

Quick Green Scan: A Methodology for Improving Green Performance in Terms of Manufacturing Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aldona Kluczek

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The heating sector has begun implementing technologies and practices to tackle the environmental and social–economic problems caused by their production process. The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology, “the Quick-Green-Scan”, that caters for the need of quick assessment decision-makers to improve green manufacturing performance in companies that produce heating devices. The study uses a structured approach that integrates Life Cycle Assessment-based indicators, framework and linguistic scales (fuzzy numbers to evaluate the extent of greening of the enterprise. The evaluation criteria and indicators are closely related to the current state of technology, which can be improved. The proposed methodology has been created to answer the question whether a company acts on the opportunity to be green and whether these actions are contributing towards greening, maintaining the status quo or moving away from a green outcome. Results show that applying the proposed improvements in processes helps move the facility towards being a green enterprise. Moreover, the methodology, being particularly quick and simple, is a practical tool for benchmarking, not only in the heating industry, but also proves useful in providing comparisons for facility performance in other manufacturing sectors.

Performance Analysis of Different NeQuick Ionospheric Model Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WANG Ningbo

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Galileo adopts NeQuick model for single-frequency ionospheric delay corrections. For the standard operation of Galileo, NeQuick model is driven by the effective ionization level parameter Az instead of the solar activity level index, and the three broadcast ionospheric coefficients are determined by a second-polynomial through fitting the Az values estimated from globally distributed Galileo Sensor Stations (GSS. In this study, the processing strategies for the estimation of NeQuick ionospheric coefficients are discussed and the characteristics of the NeQuick coefficients are also analyzed. The accuracy of Global Position System (GPS broadcast Klobuchar, original NeQuick2 and fitted NeQuickC as well as Galileo broadcast NeQuickG models is evaluated over the continental and oceanic regions, respectively, in comparison with the ionospheric total electron content (TEC provided by global ionospheric maps (GIM, GPS test stations and JASON-2 altimeter. The results show that NeQuickG can mitigate ionospheric delay by 54.2%~65.8% on a global scale, and NeQuickC can correct for 71.1%~74.2% of the ionospheric delay. NeQuick2 performs at the same level with NeQuickG, which is a bit better than that of GPS broadcast Klobuchar model.

Android quick APIs reference

CERN Document Server

Cinar, Onur

2015-01-01

The Android Quick APIs Reference is a condensed code and APIs reference for the new Google Android 5.0 SDK. It presents the essential Android APIs in a well-organized format that can be used as a handy reference. You won't find any technical jargon, bloated samples, drawn out history lessons, or witty stories in this book. What you will find is a software development kit and APIs reference that is concise, to the point and highly accessible. The book is packed with useful information and is a must-have for any mobile or Android app developer or programmer. In the Android Quick APIs Refe

A quick method for estimation of long-lived alpha activity in work atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, G.K.; Ramakrishna Rao, A.; Balbudhe, A.Y.; Sarma, P.S.

2003-01-01

In an operating plant quick reporting of the status of long-lived alpha activity concentrations in the work atmosphere is required. This will help in taking any corrective control measures if required. Radon and thoron progeny concentrations prevalent in the general atmosphere predominantly interfere in measurement of long-lived alpha activity in air. The alpha counts due to radon and thoron progeny vary widely in many atmospheric conditions. Therefore, conventionally, 5 days delay is allowed for all interfering activity to decay completely and true alpha air activity is then estimated. An approach for quick assessment of long-lived alpha activity by eliminating interference due to radon and thoron progeny in air, is made here. Based on the study of the pattern of alpha count rate due to radon and thoron progeny in air, a method for estimation of long-lived alpha activity within 8 hours delay time is suggested in this paper. (author)

FCC riser quick separation system: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi Li

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract The riser reactor is the key unit in the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC process. As the FCC feedstocks become heavier, the product mixture of oil, gas and catalysts must be separated immediately at the outlet of the riser to avoid excessive coking. The quick separation system is the core equipment in the FCC unit. China University of Petroleum (Beijing has developed many kinds of separation system including the fender-stripping cyclone and circulating-stripping cyclone systems, which can increase the separation efficiency and reduce the pressure drop remarkably. For the inner riser system, a vortex quick separation system has been developed. It contains a vortex quick separator and an isolated shell. In order to reduce the separation time, a new type of separator called the short residence time separator system was developed. It can further reduce the separation time to less than 1 s. In this paper, the corresponding design principles, structure and industrial application of these different kinds of separation systems are reviewed. A system that can simultaneously realize quick oil gas separation, quick oil gas extraction and quick pre-stripping of catalysts at the end of the riser is the trend in the future.

Quick Spacecraft Thermal Analysis Tool, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — For spacecraft design and development teams concerned with cost and schedule, the Quick Spacecraft Thermal Analysis Tool (QuickSTAT) is an innovative software suite...

Criteria for Quick and Consistent Synthesis of Poly(glycerol sebacate) for Tailored Mechanical Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xinda; Hong, Albert T-L; Naskar, Nilanjon; Chung, Hyun-Joong

2015-05-11

Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) and its derivatives make up an attractive class of biomaterial owing to their tunable mechanical properties with programmable biodegradability. In practice, however, the application of PGS is often hampered by frequent inconsistency in reproducing process conditions. The inconsistency stems from the volatile nature of glycerol during the esterification process. In this study, we suggest that the degree of esterification (DE) can be used to predict precisely the physical status, the mechanical properties, and the degradation of the PGS materials. Young's modulus is shown to linearly increase with DE, which is in agreement with an entropic spring theory of rubbers. To provide a processing guideline for researchers, we also provide a physical status map as a function of curing temperature and time. The amount of glycerol loss, obtainable by monitoring the evolution of the total mass loss and the DE during synthesis, is shown to make the predictions even more precise. We expect that these strategies can be applicable to different categories of polymers that involve condensation polymerization with the volatility of the reactants. In addition, we demonstrate that microwave-assisted prepolymerization is a time- and energy-efficient pathway to obtain PGS. For example, 15 min of microwave time is shown to be as efficient as prepolymerization in nitrogen atmosphere for 6 h at 130 °C. The quick synthesis method, however, causes a severe evaporation of glycerol, resulting in a large distortion in the monomer ratio between glycerol and sebacic acid. Consequently, more rigid PGS is produced under a similar curing condition compared to the conventional prepolymerization method. Finally, we demonstrate that the addition of molecularly rigid cross-linking agents and network-structured inorganic nanoparticles are also effective in enhancing the mechanical properties of the PGS-derived materials.

Spirulina Supplements Improved the Nutritional Status of Undernourished Children Quickly and Significantly: Experience from Kisantu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Féfé Khuabi Matondo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. Despite high levels of malnutrition, there is still very little information on the nutritional benefits of Spirulina, a natural alga that provides essential amino acids, rare essential lipids, and numerous minerals and vitamins, to undernourished children in the world. Methods. We carried out a prospective study of 50 children aged between six and 60 months. The intervention group consisted of 16 children who received 10 g of Spirulina daily, as well as the local diet administered by the nutritional centre, and the control group of 34 children who just received the local diet. Both groups of children were assessed on day zero, day 15, and day 30. Results. After treatment, the weight-for-age Z scores and weight-for-height Z scores increased significantly in the intervention group. At day 15, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean corpuscular volume, total proteins, and albumin (p<0.05 in both groups, in favour of the intervention group, and at day 30, this difference extended to all of the studied parameters (p<0.05. Conclusion. This study found that the nutritional status of undernourished children who received Spirulina supplements as well as the local diet administered by the nutritional centre improved quickly and significantly.

Perceived discrimination, serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region status, and the development of conduct problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Brody, Gene H; Beach, Steven R H; Chen, Yi-Fu; Obasi, Ezemenari; Philibert, Robert A; Kogan, Steven M; Simons, Ronald L

2011-05-01

This study examined the prospective relations of adolescents' perceptions of discrimination and their genetic status with increases in conduct problems. Participants were 461 African American youths residing in rural Georgia (Wave 1 mean age = 15.5 years) who provided three waves of data and a saliva sample from which a polymorphism in the SCL6A4 (serotonin transporter [5-HTT]) gene polymorphism known as the 5-HTT linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) was genotyped. Data analyses using growth curve modeling indicated that perceived discrimination was significantly related to the slope of conduct problems. As hypothesized, interactions between perceived discrimination and genetic status emerged for male but not female youths. Compared with those carrying two copies of the long allele variant of 5-HTTLPR, male youths carrying one or two copies of its short allele variant evinced higher rates of conduct problems over time when they perceived high levels of racial discrimination. These findings are consistent with resilience and differential susceptibility propositions stating that genes can both foster sensitivity to adverse events and confer protection from those events.

Quick-change filter cartridge

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, John C.; McFarland, Andrew R.; Ortiz, Carlos A.

1995-01-01

A quick-change filter cartridge. In sampling systems for measurement of airborne materials, a filter element is introduced into the sampled airstream such that the aerosol constituents are removed and deposited on the filter. Fragile sampling media often require support in order to prevent rupture during sampling, and careful mounting and sealing to prevent misalignment, tearing, or creasing which would allow the sampled air to bypass the filter. Additionally, handling of filter elements may introduce cross-contamination or exposure of operators to toxic materials. Moreover, it is desirable to enable the preloading of filter media into quick-change cartridges in clean laboratory environments, thereby simplifying and expediting the filter-changing process in the field. The quick-change filter cartridge of the present invention permits the application of a variety of filter media in many types of instruments and may also be used in automated systems. The cartridge includes a base through which a vacuum can be applied to draw air through the filter medium which is located on a porous filter support and held there by means of a cap which forms an airtight seal with the base. The base is also adapted for receiving absorbing media so that both particulates and gas-phase samples may be trapped for investigation, the latter downstream of the aerosol filter.

Using Quick Response Codes in the Classroom: Quality Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zurmehly, Joyce; Adams, Kellie

2017-10-01

With smart device technology emerging, educators are challenged with redesigning teaching strategies using technology to allow students to participate dynamically and provide immediate answers. To facilitate integration of technology and to actively engage students, quick response codes were included in a medical surgical lecture. Quick response codes are two-dimensional square patterns that enable the coding or storage of more than 7000 characters that can be accessed via a quick response code scanning application. The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to explore quick response code use in a lecture and measure students' satisfaction (met expectations, increased interest, helped understand, and provided practice and prompt feedback) and engagement (liked most, liked least, wanted changed, and kept involved), assessed using an investigator-developed instrument. Although there was no statistically significant correlation of quick response use to examination scores, satisfaction scores were high, and there was a small yet positive association between how students perceived their learning with quick response codes and overall examination scores. Furthermore, on open-ended survey questions, students responded that they were satisfied with the use of quick response codes, appreciated the immediate feedback, and planned to use them in the clinical setting. Quick response codes offer a way to integrate technology into the classroom to provide students with instant positive feedback.

Quick spacecraft charging primer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, Brian Arthur

2014-01-01

This is a presentation in PDF format which is a quick spacecraft charging primer, meant to be used for program training. It goes into detail about charging physics, RBSP examples, and how to identify charging.

generalized constitutive model for stabilized quick clay

African Journals Online (AJOL)

QUICK CLAY. PANCRAS MUGISHAGWE BUJULU AND GUSTAV GRIMSTAD. ABSTRACT. An experimentally-based two yield surface constitutive model for cemented quick clay has been ... Clay Model, the Koiter Rule and two Mapping Rules. .... models, where a mobilization formulation is used, this is independent of q.

Java for dummies quick reference

CERN Document Server

Lowe, Doug

2012-01-01

A reference that answers your questions as you move through your coding The demand for Android programming and web apps continues to grow at an unprecedented pace and Java is the preferred language for both. Java For Dummies Quick Reference keeps you moving through your coding while you solve a problem, look up a command or syntax, or search for a programming tip. Whether you're a Java newbie or a seasoned user, this fast reference offers you quick access to solutions without requiring that you wade through pages of tutorial material. Leverages the true reference format that is organized with

Adolescent Overweight and Obesity: Links to Socioeconomic Status and Fruit and Vegetable Intakes

Science.gov (United States)

You, Jihyun; Choo, Jina

2016-01-01

Whether adolescent overweight/obesity is linked to socioeconomic status (SES) and fruit and vegetable (F/V) intakes has not been confirmed. We aimed to determine whether there is an association between SES and adolescent overweight/obesity and to test the mediating effect of F/V intakes. This cross-sectional study included the data of 63,111 adolescents extracted from the 2013 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. Overweight/obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 85th percentile, while F/V intakes were categorized as high (recommended levels: ≥1 fruit serving and ≥3 vegetable servings per day) versus low. Among girls, low SES (beta = 0.50, p overweight/obesity; the former association was significantly mediated by F/V intakes (Sobel test: z = 2.00, p = 0.046). Among boys, neither SES nor F/V intakes was significantly associated with overweight/obesity. Adolescent overweight/obesity was significantly linked to low SES and F/V intakes among girls only; low SES indirectly increased the risk of overweight/obesity via low F/V intakes. Therefore, promoting F/V intakes for socially disadvantaged girls should be prioritized as a population-based strategy for preventing adolescent overweight/obesity in South Korea. PMID:27005654

Quick clay and landslides of clayey soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khaldoun, A.; Moller, P.; Fall, A.; Wegdam, G.; de Leeuw, B.; Méheust, Y.; Fossum, J.O.; Bonn, D.

2009-01-01

We study the rheology of quick clay, an unstable soil responsible for many landslides. We show that above a critical stress the material starts flowing abruptly with a very large viscosity decrease caused by the flow. This leads to avalanche behavior that accounts for the instability of quick clay

New, Novice or Nervous? The "Quick" Guide to the "No-Quick-Fix"

Science.gov (United States)

Teaching History, 2016

2016-01-01

"Teaching History" presents "New, Novice or Nervous (NNN)" for those new to the published writings of history teachers. Each problem newcomers wrestle with is one other teachers have wrestled with too. Quick fixes do not exist. But in others' writing, there is something better: "conversations in which other history…

Drugs + HIV, Learn the Link

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Link Need ideas for posts? We’ve provided sample Facebook status updates that you can easily copy ... LearntheLink. Need ideas for tweets? We’ve provided sample tweets that you can easily copy and paste ...

Quick charge battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parise, R.J.

1998-07-01

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles (EVs and HEVs) will become a significant reality in the near future of the automotive industry. Both types of vehicles will need a means to store energy on board. For the present, the method of choice would be lead-acid batteries, with the HEV having auxiliary power supplied by a small internal combustion engine. One of the main drawbacks to lead-acid batteries is internal heat generation as a natural consequence of the charging process as well as resistance losses. This limits the re-charging rate to the battery pack for an EV which has a range of about 80 miles. A quick turnaround on recharge is needed but not yet possible. One of the limiting factors is the heat buildup. For the HEV the auxiliary power unit provides a continuous charge to the battery pack. Therefore heat generation in the lead-acid battery is a constant problem that must be addressed. Presented here is a battery that is capable of quick charging, the Quick Charge Battery with Thermal Management. This is an electrochemical battery, typically a lead-acid battery, without the inherent thermal management problems that have been present in the past. The battery can be used in an all-electric vehicle, a hybrid-electric vehicle or an internal combustion engine vehicle, as well as in other applications that utilize secondary batteries. This is not restricted to only lead-acid batteries. The concept and technology are flexible enough to use in any secondary battery application where thermal management of the battery must be addressed, especially during charging. Any battery with temperature constraints can benefit from this advancement in the state of the art of battery manufacturing. This can also include nickel-cadmium, metal-air, nickel hydroxide, zinc-chloride or any other type of battery whose performance is affected by the temperature control of the interior as well as the exterior of the battery.

Solenoid hammer valve developed for quick-opening requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Wrench, E. H.

1967-01-01

Quick-opening lightweight solenoid hammer valve requires a low amount of electrical energy to open, and closes by the restoring action of the mechanical springs. This design should be applicable to many quick-opening requirements in fluid systems.

Allostatic Load Is Linked to Cortical Thickness Changes Depending on Body-Weight Status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonatan Ottino-González

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: Overweight (body mass index or BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and stress interact with each other in complex ways. Overweight promotes chronic low-inflammation states, while stress is known to mediate caloric intake. Both conditions are linked to several avoidable health problems and to cognitive decline, brain atrophy, and dementia. Since it was proposed as a framework for the onset of mental illness, the allostatic load model has received increasing attention. Although changes in health and cognition related to overweight and stress are well-documented separately, the association between allostatic load and brain integrity has not been addressed in depth, especially among overweight subjects.Method: Thirty-four healthy overweight-to-obese and 29 lean adults underwent blood testing, neuropsychological examination, and magnetic resonance imaging to assess the relationship between cortical thickness and allostatic load, represented as an index of 15 biomarkers (this is, systolic and diastolic arterial tension, glycated hemoglobin, glucose, creatinine, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, c-reactive protein, interleukin-6, insulin, cortisol, fibrinogen, and leptin.Results: Allostatic load indexes showed widespread positive and negative significant correlations (p < 0.01 with cortical thickness values depending on body-weight status.Conclusion: The increase of allostatic load is linked to changes in the gray matter composition of regions monitoring behavior, sensory-reward processing, and general cognitive function.

Allostatic Load Is Linked to Cortical Thickness Changes Depending on Body-Weight Status

Science.gov (United States)

Ottino-González, Jonatan; Jurado, María A.; García-García, Isabel; Segura, Bàrbara; Marqués-Iturria, Idoia; Sender-Palacios, María J.; Tor, Encarnació; Prats-Soteras, Xavier; Caldú, Xavier; Junqué, Carme; Garolera, Maite

2017-01-01

Objective: Overweight (body mass index or BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and stress interact with each other in complex ways. Overweight promotes chronic low-inflammation states, while stress is known to mediate caloric intake. Both conditions are linked to several avoidable health problems and to cognitive decline, brain atrophy, and dementia. Since it was proposed as a framework for the onset of mental illness, the allostatic load model has received increasing attention. Although changes in health and cognition related to overweight and stress are well-documented separately, the association between allostatic load and brain integrity has not been addressed in depth, especially among overweight subjects. Method: Thirty-four healthy overweight-to-obese and 29 lean adults underwent blood testing, neuropsychological examination, and magnetic resonance imaging to assess the relationship between cortical thickness and allostatic load, represented as an index of 15 biomarkers (this is, systolic and diastolic arterial tension, glycated hemoglobin, glucose, creatinine, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, c-reactive protein, interleukin-6, insulin, cortisol, fibrinogen, and leptin). Results: Allostatic load indexes showed widespread positive and negative significant correlations (p < 0.01) with cortical thickness values depending on body-weight status. Conclusion: The increase of allostatic load is linked to changes in the gray matter composition of regions monitoring behavior, sensory-reward processing, and general cognitive function. PMID:29375342

Intraindividual variability in cognitive performance in three groups of older adults: cross-domain links to physical status and self-perceived affect and beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, Esther; MacDonald, Stuart W S; Hunter, Michael; Moll, Alex; Hultsch, David F

2002-11-01

Intraindividual variability of physical status and affect/beliefs as well as their relations with cognition were examined in 3 groups of older adults: healthy elderly, individuals with a nonneurological health-related disturbance (arthritis) and people with neurological compromise (dementia). The findings showed that greater inconsistency in physical performance was observed in groups characterized by central nervous system dysfunction. By contrast, fluctuations in affect appeared to reflect other more transient sources, such as pain. In general, increased inconsistency in non-cognitive domains was associated with poorer cognitive function. There were cross-domain links between inconsistency in physical functioning and fluctuations in cognitive performance, although the nature of the links depended largely upon the neurological status of the individuals. Considered together, the result indicated that measures of cognitive as well as physical variability are important behavioral markers of neurological integrity.

Development of quick charging system for electric vehicle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anegawa, Takafumi

2010-09-15

Despite low environmental impact and high energy efficiency, electric vehicles (EV) have not been widely accepted. The lack of charging infrastructure is one reason. Since lithium-ion battery has high energy density and low internal resistance that allows quick charging, the convenience of EV may be greatly improved if charging infrastructure is prepared adequately. TEPCO aims for EV spread to reduce CO2 emissions and to increase demand for electric power, and has developed quick charging system for fleet-use EV to improve the convenience of EV. And based on research results, we will propose desirable characteristics of quick charger for public use.

A Linked Model for Simulating Stand Development and Growth Processes of Loblolly Pine

Science.gov (United States)

V. Clark Baldwin; Phillip M. Dougherty; Harold E. Burkhart

1998-01-01

Linking models of different scales (e.g., process, tree-stand-ecosystem) is essential for furthering our understanding of stand, climatic, and edaphic effects on tree growth and forest productivity. Moreover, linking existing models that differ in scale and levels of resolution quickly identifies knowledge gaps in information required to scale from one level to another...

QuickCash: Secure Transfer Payment Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulrahman Alhothaily

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Payment systems play a significant role in our daily lives. They are an important driver of economic activities and a vital part of the banking infrastructure of any country. Several current payment systems focus on security and reliability but pay less attention to users’ needs and behaviors. For example, people may share their bankcards with friends or relatives to withdraw money for various reasons. This behavior can lead to a variety of privacy and security issues since the cardholder has to share a bankcard and other sensitive information such as a personal identification number (PIN. In addition, it is commonplace that cardholders may lose their cards, and may not be able to access their accounts due to various reasons. Furthermore, transferring money to an individual who has lost their bankcard and identification information is not a straightforward task. A user-friendly person-to-person payment system is urgently needed to perform secure and reliable transactions that benefit from current technological advancements. In this paper, we propose two secure fund transfer methods termed QuickCash Online and QuickCash Offline to transfer money from peer to peer using the existing banking infrastructure. Our methods provide a convenient way to transfer money quickly, and they do not require using bank cards or any identification card. Unlike other person-to-person payment systems, the proposed methods do not require the receiving entity to have a bank account, or to perform any registration procedure. We implement our QuickCash payment systems and analyze their security strengths and properties.

QuickCash: Secure Transfer Payment Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Alhothaily, Abdulrahman; Alrawais, Arwa; Song, Tianyi; Lin, Bin; Cheng, Xiuzhen

2017-01-01

Payment systems play a significant role in our daily lives. They are an important driver of economic activities and a vital part of the banking infrastructure of any country. Several current payment systems focus on security and reliability but pay less attention to users’ needs and behaviors. For example, people may share their bankcards with friends or relatives to withdraw money for various reasons. This behavior can lead to a variety of privacy and security issues since the cardholder has to share a bankcard and other sensitive information such as a personal identification number (PIN). In addition, it is commonplace that cardholders may lose their cards, and may not be able to access their accounts due to various reasons. Furthermore, transferring money to an individual who has lost their bankcard and identification information is not a straightforward task. A user-friendly person-to-person payment system is urgently needed to perform secure and reliable transactions that benefit from current technological advancements. In this paper, we propose two secure fund transfer methods termed QuickCash Online and QuickCash Offline to transfer money from peer to peer using the existing banking infrastructure. Our methods provide a convenient way to transfer money quickly, and they do not require using bank cards or any identification card. Unlike other person-to-person payment systems, the proposed methods do not require the receiving entity to have a bank account, or to perform any registration procedure. We implement our QuickCash payment systems and analyze their security strengths and properties. PMID:28608846

QuickCash: Secure Transfer Payment Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Alhothaily, Abdulrahman; Alrawais, Arwa; Song, Tianyi; Lin, Bin; Cheng, Xiuzhen

2017-06-13

Payment systems play a significant role in our daily lives. They are an important driver of economic activities and a vital part of the banking infrastructure of any country. Several current payment systems focus on security and reliability but pay less attention to users' needs and behaviors. For example, people may share their bankcards with friends or relatives to withdraw money for various reasons. This behavior can lead to a variety of privacy and security issues since the cardholder has to share a bankcard and other sensitive information such as a personal identification number (PIN). In addition, it is commonplace that cardholders may lose their cards, and may not be able to access their accounts due to various reasons. Furthermore, transferring money to an individual who has lost their bankcard and identification information is not a straightforward task. A user-friendly person-to-person payment system is urgently needed to perform secure and reliable transactions that benefit from current technological advancements. In this paper, we propose two secure fund transfer methods termed QuickCash Online and QuickCash Offline to transfer money from peer to peer using the existing banking infrastructure. Our methods provide a convenient way to transfer money quickly, and they do not require using bank cards or any identification card. Unlike other person-to-person payment systems, the proposed methods do not require the receiving entity to have a bank account, or to perform any registration procedure. We implement our QuickCash payment systems and analyze their security strengths and properties.

QuickDirect - Payload Control Software Template Package, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — To address the need to quickly, cost-effectively and reliably develop software to control science instruments deployed on spacecraft, QuickFlex proposes to create a...

Linking lab and field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cronje, P.B.

1988-01-01

The multitude of different supplements recommended for animals grazing natural pastures, which testifies to the need for a metabolic basis for supplementary feeding practices. The first approach to this problem was to simulate different feeding conditions in the laboratory, where the metabolic responses of body tissues to changes in the supply of purified nutrients could be studied using radioisotope techniques. The second step was to link these fundamental studies to field conditions. The results of these studies suggest that the efficiency of feed conversion and growth rates of ruminants grazing winter pastures in the highveld region of South Africa could be substantially improved by strategic supplementation with glucose precursors. Acetate clearance rate represents a valuable link in the process of applying information obtained from controlled laboratory experiments to field conditions. As this technique is inexpensive, quick and simple to carry out, it is ideally suited to application under field conditions where the use of isotopes is impractical. By providing a link with field conditions, it greatly extended the scope and practical application of isotope tracer techniques

Quick-Connect, Slow-Disconnect Bolt

Science.gov (United States)

Weddendorf, Bruce

1995-01-01

Proposed bolt functions similarly to device described in article "Quick-Connect, Slow-Disconnect Nut" (MFS-28833). Bolt installed in standard threaded hole simply by pushing it into hole. Once inserted, bolt withdrawn only by turning it in conventional way.

Artificial neural network for research reactor safety status monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varde, P.V.

2001-01-01

During reactor upset/abnormal conditions, emphasis is placed on plant operator's ability to quickly identify the problem and perform diagnosis and initiate recovery action to ensure safety of the plant. However, the reliability of human action is adversely affected at the time of crisis, due to the time stress and psychological factors. Availability of operational aids capable of monitoring the status of the plant and quickly identifying the deviation from normal operation is expected to significantly improve the operator reliability. Artificial Neural Network (based on Back Propagation Algorithm) has been developed and applied for reactor safety status monitoring, as part of an Operator Support System. ANN has been trained for 14 different plant states using 42 input symptom patterns. Recall tests performed on the ANN show that the system was able to identify the plant state with reasonable accuracy. (author)

QUICK - AN INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENT FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN

Science.gov (United States)

Schlaifer, R. S.

1994-01-01

QUICK provides the computer user with the facilities of a sophisticated desk calculator which can perform scalar, vector and matrix arithmetic, propagate conic orbits, determine planetary and satellite coordinates and perform other related astrodynamic calculations within a Fortran-like environment. QUICK is an interpreter, therefore eliminating the need to use a compiler or a linker to run QUICK code. QUICK capabilities include options for automated printing of results, the ability to submit operating system commands on some systems, and access to a plotting package (MASL)and a text editor without leaving QUICK. Mathematical and programming features of QUICK include the ability to handle arbitrary algebraic expressions, the capability to define user functions in terms of other functions, built-in constants such as pi, direct access to useful COMMON areas, matrix capabilities, extensive use of double precision calculations, and the ability to automatically load user functions from a standard library. The MASL (The Multi-mission Analysis Software Library) plotting package, included in the QUICK package, is a set of FORTRAN 77 compatible subroutines designed to facilitate the plotting of engineering data by allowing programmers to write plotting device independent applications. Its universality lies in the number of plotting devices it puts at the user's disposal. The MASL package of routines has proved very useful and easy to work with, yielding good plots for most new users on the first or second try. The functions provided include routines for creating histograms, "wire mesh" surface plots and contour plots as well as normal graphs with a large variety of axis types. The library has routines for plotting on cartesian, polar, log, mercator, cyclic, calendar, and stereographic axes, and for performing automatic or explicit scaling. The lengths of the axes of a plot are completely under the control of the program using the library. Programs written to use the MASL

Using nitrate to quantify quick flow in a karst aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Mahler, B.J.; Garner, B.D.

2009-01-01

In karst aquifers, contaminated recharge can degrade spring water quality, but quantifying the rapid recharge (quick flow) component of spring flow is challenging because of its temporal variability. Here, we investigate the use of nitrate in a two-endmember mixing model to quantify quick flow in Barton Springs, Austin, Texas. Historical nitrate data from recharging creeks and Barton Springs were evaluated to determine a representative nitrate concentration for the aquifer water endmember (1.5 mg/L) and the quick flow endmember (0.17 mg/L for nonstormflow conditions and 0.25 mg/L for stormflow conditions). Under nonstormflow conditions for 1990 to 2005, model results indicated that quick flow contributed from 0% to 55% of spring flow. The nitrate-based two-endmember model was applied to the response of Barton Springs to a storm and results compared to those produced using the same model with ??18O and specific conductance (SC) as tracers. Additionally, the mixing model was modified to allow endmember quick flow values to vary over time. Of the three tracers, nitrate appears to be the most advantageous because it is conservative and because the difference between the concentrations in the two endmembers is large relative to their variance. The ??18O- based model was very sensitive to variability within the quick flow endmember, and SC was not conservative over the timescale of the storm response. We conclude that a nitrate-based two-endmember mixing model might provide a useful approach for quantifying the temporally variable quick flow component of spring flow in some karst systems. ?? 2008 National Ground Water Association.

Quick pace of property acquisitions requires two-stage evaluations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollo, R.; Lockwood, S.

1994-01-01

The traditional method of evaluating oil and gas reserves may be too cumbersome for the quick pace of oil and gas property acquisition. An acquisition evaluator must decide quickly if a property meets basic purchase criteria. The current business climate requires a two-stage approach. First, the evaluator makes a quick assessment of the property and submits a bid. If the bid is accepted then the evaluator goes on with a detailed analysis, which represents the second stage. Acquisition of producing properties has become an important activity for many independent oil and gas producers, who must be able to evaluate reserves quickly enough to make effective business decisions yet accurately enough to avoid costly mistakes. Independent thus must be familiar with how transactions usually progress as well as with the basic methods of property evaluation. The paper discusses acquisition activity, the initial offer, the final offer, property evaluation, and fair market value

Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a "cocktail" of non-tumourous elements is a reliable, quick and easy technique for inferring methylation status in glioblastomas and other primary brain tumours.

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Elinor; Grobler, Mariana; Elderfield, Kay; Bond, Frances; Crocker, Matthew; Taylor, Rohan; Bridges, Leslie R

2013-06-10

Our aim was to develop a new protocol for MGMT immunohistochemistry with good agreement between observers and good correlation with molecular genetic tests of tumour methylation. We examined 40 primary brain tumours (30 glioblastomas and 10 oligodendroglial tumours) with our new technique, namely double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a "cocktail" of non-tumour antigens (CD34, CD45 and CD68). We compared the results with single-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA, a recognised molecular genetic technique which we applied as the gold-standard for the methylation status). Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT produced a visual separation of tumourous and non-tumourous elements on the same histological slide, making it quick and easy to determine whether tumour cell nuclei were MGMT-positive or MGMT-negative (and thereby infer the methylation status of the tumour). We found good agreement between observers (kappa 0.76) and within observer (kappa 0.84). Furthermore, double-labelling showed good specificity (80%), sensitivity (73.33%), positive predictive value (PPV, 83.33%) and negative predictive value (NPV, 68.75%) compared to MS-MLPA. Double-labelling was quicker and easier to assess than single-labelling and it outperformed quantitative computerised image analysis of MGMT single-labelling in terms of sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV. Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a cocktail of non-tumourous elements provides a "one look" method for determining whether tumour cell nuclei are MGMT-positive or MGMT-negative. This can be used to infer the methylation status of the tumour. There is good observer agreement and good specificity, sensitivity, PPV and NPV compared to a molecular gold-standard.

Quick Prototyping of Educational Software: An Object-Oriented Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Simon C-H

1994-01-01

Introduces and demonstrates a quick-prototyping model for educational software development that can be used by teachers developing their own courseware using an object-oriented programming system. Development of a courseware package called "The Match-Maker" is explained as an example that uses HyperCard for quick prototyping. (Contains…

The ActionScript 30 Quick Reference Guide

CERN Document Server

Stiller, David; deHaan, Jen; Richardson, Darren

2008-01-01

"No matter what your background, the pages that follow will provide you with some excellent knowledge, insight, and even a little bit of wisdom in the realm of Flash and ActionScript. Happy learning!"-- Branden Hall, from the ForewordWritten by Flash insiders with extensive knowledge of the technology, this guide is designed specifically to help Flash designers and developers make the leap from ActionScript 2.0 to the new object-oriented ActionScript 3.0 quickly and painlessly. Formatted so you can find any topic easily, ActionScript 3.0 Quick Reference Guide explains:Object-oriented programmi

Quick clay and landslides of clayey soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Khaldoun, Asmae; Moller, Peder; Fall, Abdoulaye; Wegdam, Gerard; De Leeuw, Bert; Méheust, Yves; Otto Fossum, Jon; Bonn, Daniel

2009-10-30

We study the rheology of quick clay, an unstable soil responsible for many landslides. We show that above a critical stress the material starts flowing abruptly with a very large viscosity decrease caused by the flow. This leads to avalanche behavior that accounts for the instability of quick clay soils. Reproducing landslides on a small scale in the laboratory shows that an additional factor that determines the violence of the slides is the inhomogeneity of the flow. We propose a simple yield stress model capable of reproducing the laboratory landslide data, allowing us to relate landslides to the measured rheology.

A Quick Guide for Building a Successful Bioinformatics Community

Science.gov (United States)

Budd, Aidan; Corpas, Manuel; Brazas, Michelle D.; Fuller, Jonathan C.; Goecks, Jeremy; Mulder, Nicola J.; Michaut, Magali; Ouellette, B. F. Francis; Pawlik, Aleksandra; Blomberg, Niklas

2015-01-01

“Scientific community” refers to a group of people collaborating together on scientific-research-related activities who also share common goals, interests, and values. Such communities play a key role in many bioinformatics activities. Communities may be linked to a specific location or institute, or involve people working at many different institutions and locations. Education and training is typically an important component of these communities, providing a valuable context in which to develop skills and expertise, while also strengthening links and relationships within the community. Scientific communities facilitate: (i) the exchange and development of ideas and expertise; (ii) career development; (iii) coordinated funding activities; (iv) interactions and engagement with professionals from other fields; and (v) other activities beneficial to individual participants, communities, and the scientific field as a whole. It is thus beneficial at many different levels to understand the general features of successful, high-impact bioinformatics communities; how individual participants can contribute to the success of these communities; and the role of education and training within these communities. We present here a quick guide to building and maintaining a successful, high-impact bioinformatics community, along with an overview of the general benefits of participating in such communities. This article grew out of contributions made by organizers, presenters, panelists, and other participants of the ISMB/ECCB 2013 workshop “The ‘How To Guide’ for Establishing a Successful Bioinformatics Network” at the 21st Annual International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) and the 12th European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB). PMID:25654371

GLCF: Landsat GeoCover

Science.gov (United States)

satellite imagery provided in a standardized, orthorectified format, covering the entire land surface of the * Orthorectification * Distribution Status * Hard Media Orders * Letters Delivered Quick Links * Create True Color

Socioeconomic status as an effect modifier of alcohol consumption and harm: analysis of linked cohort data.

Science.gov (United States)

Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Whitley, Elise; Lewsey, Jim; Gray, Linsay; Leyland, Alastair H

2017-06-01

Alcohol-related mortality and morbidity are high in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations compared with individuals from advantaged areas. It is unclear if this increased harm reflects differences in alcohol consumption between these socioeconomic groups, reverse causation (ie, downward social selection for high-risk drinkers), or a greater risk of harm in individuals of low socioeconomic status compared with those of higher status after similar consumption. We aimed to investigate whether the harmful effects of alcohol differ by socioeconomic status, accounting for alcohol consumption and other health-related factors. The Scottish Health Surveys are record-linked cross-sectional surveys representative of the adult population of Scotland. We obtained baseline demographics and data for alcohol consumption (units per week and binge drinking) from Scottish Health Surveys done in 1995, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. We matched these data to records for deaths, admissions, and prescriptions. The primary outcome was alcohol-attributable admission or death. The relation between alcohol-attributable harm and socioeconomic status was investigated for four measures (education level, social class, household income, and area-based deprivation) using Cox proportional hazards models. The potential for alcohol consumption and other risk factors (including smoking and body-mass index [BMI]) mediating social patterning was explored in separate regression models. Reverse causation was tested by comparing change in area deprivation over time. 50 236 participants (21 777 men and 28 459 women) were included in the analytical sample, with 429 986 person-years of follow-up. Low socioeconomic status was associated consistently with strikingly raised alcohol-attributable harms, including after adjustment for weekly consumption, binge drinking, BMI, and smoking. Evidence was noted of effect modification; for example, relative to light drinkers living in

QuickASP: PEMBANGKIT KODE PROGRAM ASP UNTUK APLIKASI BASIS DATA BERBASIS WEB

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imam Kuswardayan

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Dalam pembuatan sistem aplikasi basis data berbasis web, perancangan antarmuka pengguna (presentation layer dan lapisan bisnis (bussiness layer merupakan tahap yang dilalui setelah pemahaman terhadap kebutuhan pengguna sistem. Adanya pola atau keteraturan dalam implementasi tahap ini menyebabkan pengembangan sistem akan lebih efisien jika menggunakan suatu aplikasi yang dapat menghasilkan kerangka dasar aplikasi web dengan cepat untuk kedua lapisan tersebut dan bahkan beserta kode programnya. Pada penelitian ini telah diimplementasikan suatu perangkat lunak yang selanjutnya disebut QuickASP. QuickASP membangkitkan kode ASP untuk membangun  homepage otomatis. Untuk membangkitkan kode ASP, QuickASP membutuhkan komponen berupa basis data dan file Cascading Style Sheets (CSS. Proses awal yang dilakukan QuickASP dalam membangkitkan kode program ASP adalah membaca informasi basis data berupa tabel-tabel, nama field dan tipe data. Setelah itu QuickASP akan membangkitkan file-file ASP beserta file-file pendukungnya berdasarkan hasil pengaturan tampilan halaman web yang dilakukan oleh pengguna.Uji coba QuickASP dilakukan pada tiga jenis basis data yaitu Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, dan Oracle. Dari hasil uji coba tersebut, QuickASP terbukti dapat membangkitkan homepage otomatis beserta fungsi–fungsi yang disediakan untuk modifikasi record dan fungsi navigasi.Kata kunci: QuickASP, file cascading style sheets, kode program ASP.

Measurement properties of the QuickDASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand) outcome measure and cross-cultural adaptations of the QuickDASH: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Carol A; Beaton, Dorcas E; Smith, Peter; Van Eerd, Dwayne; Tang, Kenneth; Inrig, Taucha; Hogg-Johnson, Sheilah; Linton, Denise; Couban, Rachel

2013-11-01

To identify and synthesize evidence for the measurement properties of the QuickDASH, a shortened version of the 30-item DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) instrument. This systematic review used a best evidence synthesis approach to critically appraise the measurement properties [using COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN)] of the QuickDASH and cross-cultural adaptations. A standard search strategy was conducted between 2005 (year of first publication of QuickDASH) and March 2011 in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. The search identified 14 studies to include in the best evidence synthesis of the QuickDASH. A further 11 studies were identified on eight cross-cultural adaptation versions. Many measurement properties of the QuickDASH have been evaluated in multiple studies and across most of the measurement properties. The best evidence synthesis of the QuickDASH English version suggests that this tool is performing well with strong positive evidence for reliability and validity (hypothesis testing), and moderate positive evidence for structural validity testing. Strong negative evidence was found for responsiveness due to lower correlations with global estimates of change. Information about the measurement properties of the cross-cultural adaptation versions is still lacking, or the available information is of poor overall methodological quality.

Quick Reference for Financial Reporting

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

Alexandra Eustache

Quick Reference – Financial Reporting. 6. Complete FR3 - Payment Receipts, Foreign Exchange and Other Income Forms: a. Enter in Section 3A – Payment Receipt Form all payments received from IDRC. b. Use the Cash Exchange Form if the funds received from IDRC are held in a currency other than the project working ...

Amelioration of altered antioxidant status and membrane linked ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

oxidant enzymes and membrane-linked functions in diabetic rat brains. ... high blood glucose (P < 0⋅001), decreased activities of SOD, catalase and Na+/K+ ATPase (P < 0⋅01, ... as an index of membrane physical properties and controls.

The Weak Link HP-41C hand-held calculator program

Science.gov (United States)

Ross A. Phillips; Penn A. Peters; Gary D. Falk

1982-01-01

The Weak Link hand-held calculator program (HP-41C) quickly analyzes a system for logging production and costs. The production equations model conventional chain saw, skidder, loader, and tandemaxle truck operations in eastern mountain areas. Production of each function of the logging system may be determined so that the system may be balanced for minimum cost. The...

Magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop in a quickly changing magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Z.Y.; Chen, J.M.; Qian, J.P.; Jiang, W.H.; Pan, C.J.; Li, W.Z.

1995-01-01

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop of 22 Na 78 K flow in a circular duct was measured under a quickly changing magnetic field. The MHD pressure drop reduced with time as the magnetic field strength decreased. However, the dimensionless pressure drop gradient varied with the interaction parameter and had a higher value in the middle of the range of values of the interaction parameter. Therefore, a quickly changing magnetic field is harmful to the structural material in a liquid metal self-cooled blanket of a fusion reactor, since the greater pressure drop gradient may cause a larger stress in the blanket. This is even more harmful if the magnetic field strength decreases very quickly or its distribution in space is greatly non-uniform. (orig.)

Studying quick coupler efficiency in working attachment system of single-bucket power shovel

Science.gov (United States)

Duganova, E. V.; Zagorodniy, N. A.; Solodovnikov, D. N.; Korneyev, A. S.

2018-03-01

A prototype of a quick-disconnect connector (quick coupler) with an unloaded retention mechanism was developed from the analysis of typical quick couplers used as intermediate elements for power shovels of different manufacturers. A method is presented, allowing building a simulation model of the quick coupler prototype as an alternative to physical modeling for further studies.

46 CFR 153.284 - Characteristics of required quick closing valves.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Characteristics of required quick closing valves. 153.284 Section 153.284 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK... and Equipment Piping Systems and Cargo Handling Equipment § 153.284 Characteristics of required quick...

Combining Quick-Turnaround and Batch Workloads at Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Gregory A.

2012-01-01

NAS uses PBS Professional to schedule and manage the workload on Pleiades, an 11,000+ node 1B cluster. At this scale the user experience for quick-turnaround jobs can degrade, which led NAS initially to set up two separate PBS servers, each dedicated to a particular workload. Recently we have employed PBS hooks and scheduler modifications to merge these workloads together under one PBS server, delivering sub-1-minute start times for the quick-turnaround workload, and enabling dynamic management of the resources set aside for that workload.

Status Configurations, Military Service and Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Elder, Glen H., Jr.; Spence, Naomi J.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Armed Forces offer educational and training benefits as incentives for service. This study investigates the influence of status configurations on military enlistment and their link to greater educational opportunity. Three statuses (socioeconomic status of origin, cognitive ability and academic performance) have particular relevance for…

Quick response codes in Orthodontics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moidin Shakil

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Quick response (QR code codes are two-dimensional barcodes, which encodes for a large amount of information. QR codes in Orthodontics are an innovative approach in which patient details, radiographic interpretation, and treatment plan can be encoded. Implementing QR code in Orthodontics will save time, reduces paperwork, and minimizes manual efforts in storage and retrieval of patient information during subsequent stages of treatment.

A line code with quick-resynchronization capability and low latency for the optical data links of LHC experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, B; He, M; Chen, J; Guo, D; Hou, S; Teng, P-K; Li, X; Liu, C; Xiang, A C; Ye, J; Gong, D; Liu, T; You, Y

2014-01-01

We propose a line code that has fast resynchronization capability and low latency. Both the encoder and decoder have been implemented in FPGAs. The encoder has also been implemented in an ASIC. The latency of the whole optical link (not including the optical fiber) is estimated to be less than 73.9 ns. In the case of radiation-induced link synchronization loss, the decoder can recover the synchronization in 25 ns. The line code will be used in the ATLAS liquid argon calorimeter Phase-I trigger upgrade and can also be potentially used in other LHC experiments

Asthma Patients in US Overuse Quick-Relief Inhalers, Underuse Control Medications

Science.gov (United States)

... quick-relief inhalers, underuse control medications Share | Asthma patients in US overuse quick-relief inhalers, underuse control ... and uncontrolled asthma result in poor health outcomes. Patients with well-controlled asthma are at lower risk ...

Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a “cocktail” of non-tumourous elements is a reliable, quick and easy technique for inferring methylation status in glioblastomas and other primary brain tumours

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Our aim was to develop a new protocol for MGMT immunohistochemistry with good agreement between observers and good correlation with molecular genetic tests of tumour methylation. We examined 40 primary brain tumours (30 glioblastomas and 10 oligodendroglial tumours) with our new technique, namely double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a "cocktail" of non-tumour antigens (CD34, CD45 and CD68). We compared the results with single-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA, a recognised molecular genetic technique which we applied as the gold-standard for the methylation status). Results Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT produced a visual separation of tumourous and non-tumourous elements on the same histological slide, making it quick and easy to determine whether tumour cell nuclei were MGMT-positive or MGMT-negative (and thereby infer the methylation status of the tumour). We found good agreement between observers (kappa 0.76) and within observer (kappa 0.84). Furthermore, double-labelling showed good specificity (80%), sensitivity (73.33%), positive predictive value (PPV, 83.33%) and negative predictive value (NPV, 68.75%) compared to MS-MLPA. Double-labelling was quicker and easier to assess than single-labelling and it outperformed quantitative computerised image analysis of MGMT single-labelling in terms of sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV. Conclusions Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a cocktail of non-tumourous elements provides a "one look" method for determining whether tumour cell nuclei are MGMT-positive or MGMT-negative. This can be used to infer the methylation status of the tumour. There is good observer agreement and good specificity, sensitivity, PPV and NPV compared to a molecular gold-standard. PMID:24252243

Studies of future readout links for the CMS experiment

CERN Document Server

Bukowiec, Sebastian

2010-01-01

This paper studies a possible replacement of the existing S-LINK64 implementation by an optical link, based on 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The new link will employ commercial protocols in order to be able to receive the data by standard hardware components like PCs or network switches. Currently prototypes using multiple Gigabit Ethernet links are being developed and tested. The paper summarizes the status of these studies.

Energy status and ovarian follicular development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meng, Li

2016-01-01

Female reproduction is tightly linked to body energy status and it has become increasingly clear that disturbed energy metabolism can negatively affect reproductive performance. Nevertheless, the way how a disturbed energy status affects ovarian follicular reserve as well as follicular

Quick answers to quantitative problems a pocket primer

CERN Document Server

Page, G William

1991-01-01

No matter the field, professionals need to respond quickly to quantitative problems as they arise and to develop a quick understanding of what the data mean. Whether you are an aide to a city council member trying to decipher the true meaning of a citizen opinion poll, a private consultant to the health department estimating the number of pregnant teenagers in a neighborhood, or the executive director of a small agency striving to present your budget facts precisely and clearly, the techniques presented here are helpful to you and your work.Key Features* Presents relatively simple techniques t

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory: Quick Access to Data and Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Cornwell, Carl; Roberts, D. Aaron; McGuire, Robert E.

2006-01-01

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO; see http://vspo.gsfc.nasa.gov) has grown to provide a way to find and access about 375 data products and services from over 100 spacecraft/observatories in space and solar physics. The datasets are mainly chosen to be the most requested, and include most of the publicly available data products from operating NASA Heliophysics spacecraft as well as from solar observatories measuring across the frequency spectrum. Service links include a "quick orbits" page that uses SSCWeb Web Services to provide a rapid answer to questions such as "What spacecraft were in orbit in July 1992?" and "Where were Geotail, Cluster, and Polar on 2 June 2001?" These queries are linked back to the data search page. The VSPO interface provides many ways of looking for data based on terms used in a registry of resources using the SPASE Data Model that will be the standard for Heliophysics Virtual Observatories. VSPO itself is accessible via an API that allows other applications to use it as a Web Service; this has been implemented in one instance using the ViSBARD visualization program. The VSPO will become part of the Space Physics Data Facility, and will continue to expand its access to data. A challenge for all VOs will be to provide uniform access to data at the variable level, and we will be addressing this question in a number of ways.

Link between perceived smoking behaviour at school and students smoking status: a large survey among Italian adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Backhaus, I; D'Egidio, V; Grassucci, D; Gelardini, M; Ardizzone, C; La Torre, G

2017-10-01

To investigate a possible link between sociodemographic factors, the perception of smoking habits at school and smoking status of Italian adolescents attending secondary school. The study was a cross-sectional study. An anonymous online survey was employed to gather information on age, gender, smoking status and to examine the perception of smoking behaviour on the school premises. Chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed for the univariate analysis and logistic and multinomial regressions for the multivariate analysis. The statistical analyses included 1889 students. Univariate analysis showed significant differences concerning knowledge between smoker and non-smoker concerning the harmfulness of smoking (P smoking at school (odds ratio: 1.54 [95% confidence interval 1.26-1.89]). Students older than 19 years most often begin smoking because their friends smoke compared with younger students (adjusted odds ratio: 1.18 [95% confidence interval 0.48-2.89]). School environment and behaviour of role models play a crucial part in student smoking. To prevent and reduce youth tobacco smoking, not merely the presence of preventive measures is important but greater attention needs to be placed on the enforcement of smoking policies. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

5-HTTLPR polymorphism is linked to neural mechanisms of selective attention in preschoolers from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elif Isbell

2016-12-01

Full Text Available While a growing body of research has identified experiential factors associated with differences in selective attention, relatively little is known about the contribution of genetic factors to the skill of sustained selective attention, especially in early childhood. Here, we assessed the association between the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR genotypes and the neural mechanisms of selective attention in young children from lower socioeconomic status (SES backgrounds. Event-related potentials (ERPs were recorded during a dichotic listening task from 121 children (76 females, aged 40–67 months, who were also genotyped for the short and long allele of 5-HTTLPR. The effect of selective attention was measured as the difference in ERP mean amplitudes elicited by identical probe stimuli embedded in stories when they were attended versus unattended. Compared to children homozygous for the long allele, children who carried at least one copy of the short allele showed larger effects of selective attention on neural processing. These findings link the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR to enhanced neural mechanisms of selective attention and lay the groundwork for future studies of gene-by-environment interactions in the context of key cognitive skills.

Towards a numerical run-out model for quick-clay slides

Science.gov (United States)

Issler, Dieter; L'Heureux, Jean-Sébastien; Cepeda, José M.; Luna, Byron Quan; Gebreslassie, Tesfahunegn A.

2015-04-01

Highly sensitive glacio-marine clays occur in many relatively low-lying areas near the coasts of eastern Canada, Scandinavia and northern Russia. If the load exceeds the yield stress of these clays, they quickly liquefy, with a reduction of the yield strength and the viscosity by several orders of magnitude. Leaching, fluvial erosion, earthquakes and man-made overloads, by themselves or combined, are the most frequent triggers of quick-clay slides, which are hard to predict and can attain catastrophic dimensions. The present contribution reports on two preparatory studies that were conducted with a view to creating a run-out model tailored to the characteristics of quick-clay slides. One study analyzed the connections between the morphological and geotechnical properties of more than 30 well-documented Norwegian quick-clay slides and their run-out behavior. The laboratory experiments by Locat and Demers (1988) suggest that the behavior of quick clays can be reasonably described by universal relations involving the liquidity index, plastic index, remolding energy, salinity and sensitivity. However, these tests should be repeated with Norwegian clays and analyzed in terms of a (shear-thinning) Herschel-Bulkley fluid rather than a Bingham fluid because the shear stress appears to grow in a sub-linear fashion with the shear rate. Further study is required to understand the discrepancy between the material parameters obtained in laboratory tests of material from observed slides and in back-calculations of the same slides with the simple model by Edgers & Karlsrud (1982). The second study assessed the capability of existing numerical flow models to capture the most important aspects of quick-clay slides by back-calculating three different, well documented events in Norway: Rissa (1978), Finneidfjord (1996) and Byneset (2012). The numerical codes were (i) BING, a quasi-two-dimensional visco-plastic model, (ii) DAN3D (2009 version), and (iii) MassMov2D. The latter two are

High Pressure Quick Disconnect Particle Impact Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Rosales, Keisa R.; Stoltzfus, Joel M.

2009-01-01

NASA Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) performed particle impact testing to determine whether there is a particle impact ignition hazard in the quick disconnects (QDs) in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on the International Space Station (ISS). Testing included standard supersonic and subsonic particle impact tests on 15-5 PH stainless steel, as well as tests performed on a QD simulator. This paper summarizes the particle impact tests completed at WSTF. Although there was an ignition in Test Series 4, it was determined the ignition was caused by the presence of a machining imperfection. The sum of all the test results indicates that there is no particle impact ignition hazard in the ISS ECLSS QDs. KEYWORDS: quick disconnect, high pressure, particle impact testing, stainless steel

Clean Air Markets - Quick Facts and Trends

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Quick Facts and Trends module is part of a suite of Clean Air Markets-related tools that are accessible at http://camddataandmaps.epa.gov/gdm/index.cfm. The...

Development and evaluation of porcine cysticercosis QuickELISA in Triturus EIA analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Handali, Sukwan; Pattabhi, Sowmya; Lee, Yeuk-Mui; Silva-Ibanez, Maria; Kovalenko, Victor A; Levin, Andrew E; Gonzalez, Armando E; Roberts, Jacquelin M; Garcia, Hector H; Gilman, Robert H; Hancock, Kathy; Tsang, Victor C W

2010-01-01

We evaluated three diagnostic antigens (recombinant GP50, recombinant T24H, and synthetic Ts18var1) for cysticercosis and found that all three performed well in detecting cysticercosis in humans and pigs in several assay formats. These antigens were adapted to a new antibody detection format (QuickELISA). With one single incubation step which involves all reactants except the enzyme substrate, the QuickELISA is particularly suited for automation. We formatted the QuickELISA for the Triturus EIA analyzer for testing large numbers of samples. We found that in QuickELISA formats rGP50 and rT24H have better sensitivity and specificity than sTs18var1 for detecting porcine cysticercosis.

Data Driven - Android based displays on data acquisition and system status

CERN Document Server

Canilho, Paulo

2014-01-01

For years, both hardware and software engineers have struggled with the acquisition of device information in a flexible and fast perspective, numerous devices cannot have their status quickly tested due to time limitation associated with the travelling to a computer terminal. For instance, in order to test a scintillator status, one has to inject beam into the device and quickly return to a terminal to see the results, this is not only time demanding but extremely inconvenient for the person responsible, it consumes time that would be used in more pressing matters. In this train of thoughts, the proposal of creating an interface to bring a stable, flexible, user friendly and data driven solution to this problem was created. Being the most common operative system for mobile display, the Android API proved to have the best efficient in financing, since it is based on an open source software, and in implementation difficulty since it’s backend development resides in JAVA calls and XML for visual representation...

LittleQuickWarp: an ultrafast image warping tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Lei; Peng, Hanchuan

2015-02-01

Warping images into a standard coordinate space is critical for many image computing related tasks. However, for multi-dimensional and high-resolution images, an accurate warping operation itself is often very expensive in terms of computer memory and computational time. For high-throughput image analysis studies such as brain mapping projects, it is desirable to have high performance image warping tools that are compatible with common image analysis pipelines. In this article, we present LittleQuickWarp, a swift and memory efficient tool that boosts 3D image warping performance dramatically and at the same time has high warping quality similar to the widely used thin plate spline (TPS) warping. Compared to the TPS, LittleQuickWarp can improve the warping speed 2-5 times and reduce the memory consumption 6-20 times. We have implemented LittleQuickWarp as an Open Source plug-in program on top of the Vaa3D system (http://vaa3d.org). The source code and a brief tutorial can be found in the Vaa3D plugin source code repository. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quick test for infiltration of arable soils

OpenAIRE

Liebl, Boris; Spiegel, Ann-Kathrin

2018-01-01

The quick test makes the consequences of soil compaction on water infiltration and the yield of agricultural crops visible. It promotes an understanding of the effects of soil compaction and the importance of soil-conserving cultivation.

Quick Statistics about Voice, Speech, and Language

Science.gov (United States)

... here Home » Health Info » Statistics and Epidemiology Quick Statistics About Voice, Speech, Language Voice, Speech, Language, and ... no 205. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2015. Hoffman HJ, Li C-M, Losonczy K, ...

Process to Obtain Quick Counts from PREP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martínez–Cruz M.Á.

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Considering the Preliminary Electoral Results Program (PERP as a database of the federal elections for president of the Mexican Republic, a methodology was developed in order to find representative samples of ballot boxes installed in the election’s day (quick count in different hours, due to its characteristics of gathering of information, the PREP in the first hours forms a non-representative sample of data. In a particular way, in the election of July 2, 2006, after 3 hours of opening the PREP, it was observed that the accuracy of the process of the quick counts was better than the one obtained by the IFE. Among other things, this allows to lower the cost, to increase the confidentiality of the ballot boxes used in the sampling and to distinguish in a precise moment the winning candidate long before PREP finishes.

Electron bombardment cross-linking of coating materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mileo, J.-C.

1976-01-01

The use of medium-power electron accelerators to cure paints and varnishes and to make them insoluble is described by making a special analysis of the physico-chemical aspect of the process. The following points in particular are examined: the effect of radiation on matter; general aspects of radiochemical polymerization, and the application of radiation polymerization to varnish drying. A quick review is then made of problems linked to the choice of radiation and to the influence of the oxygen in air. An electron accelerator and a method of calorimetric dosimetery are described [fr

Testing Quick Response (QR) Codes as an Innovation to Improve Feedback Among Geographically-Separated Clerkship Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Matthew J; Nguyen, Dana R; Womack, Jasmyne J; Bunt, Christopher W; Westerfield, Katie L; Bell, Adriane E; Ledford, Christy J W

2018-03-01

Collection of feedback regarding medical student clinical experiences for formative or summative purposes remains a challenge across clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of a quick response (QR) code-linked online feedback form improves the frequency and efficiency of rater feedback. In 2016, we compared paper-based feedback forms, an online feedback form, and a QR code-linked online feedback form at 15 family medicine clerkship sites across the United States. Outcome measures included usability, number of feedback submissions per student, number of unique raters providing feedback, and timeliness of feedback provided to the clerkship director. The feedback method was significantly associated with usability, with QR code scoring the highest, and paper second. Accessing feedback via QR code was associated with the shortest time to prepare feedback. Across four rotations, separate repeated measures analyses of variance showed no effect of feedback system on the number of submissions per student or the number of unique raters. The results of this study demonstrate that preceptors in the family medicine clerkship rate QR code-linked feedback as a high usability platform. Additionally, this platform resulted in faster form completion than paper or online forms. An overarching finding of this study is that feedback forms must be portable and easily accessible. Potential implementation barriers and the social norm for providing feedback in this manner need to be considered.

5-HTTLPR polymorphism is linked to neural mechanisms of selective attention in preschoolers from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Isbell, Elif; Stevens, Courtney; Hampton Wray, Amanda; Bell, Theodore; Neville, Helen J

2016-12-01

While a growing body of research has identified experiential factors associated with differences in selective attention, relatively little is known about the contribution of genetic factors to the skill of sustained selective attention, especially in early childhood. Here, we assessed the association between the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotypes and the neural mechanisms of selective attention in young children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a dichotic listening task from 121 children (76 females, aged 40-67 months), who were also genotyped for the short and long allele of 5-HTTLPR. The effect of selective attention was measured as the difference in ERP mean amplitudes elicited by identical probe stimuli embedded in stories when they were attended versus unattended. Compared to children homozygous for the long allele, children who carried at least one copy of the short allele showed larger effects of selective attention on neural processing. These findings link the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR to enhanced neural mechanisms of selective attention and lay the groundwork for future studies of gene-by-environment interactions in the context of key cognitive skills. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Multigenerational links between mothers' experiences of autonomy in childhood and preschoolers' respiratory sinus arrhythmia: Variations by maltreatment status.

Science.gov (United States)

Noll, Laura K; Clark, Caron A C; Skowron, Elizabeth A

2015-11-01

Despite burgeoning evidence linking early exposure to child maltreatment (CM) to deficits in self-regulation, the pathways to strong regulatory development in these children are not well understood, and significant heterogeneity is observed in their outcomes. Experiences of autonomy may play a key role in transmitting self-regulatory capacity across generations and help explain individual differences in maltreatment outcomes. In this study, we investigated multigenerational associations between Generation 1 (G1)-Generation 2 (G2) mothers' early experience of warmth and autonomy in relation to their own mothers and their Generation 3 (G3) children's autonomic physiological regulation in CM (n = 85) and non-CM (n = 128) families. We found that G2 mothers who recalled greater autonomy in their childhood relationship with their G1 mothers had preschool-age G3 children with higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia at baseline when alone while engaged in individual challenge tasks, during social exchanges with their mother in joint challenge tasks, and during the portions of the strange situation procedure when the mother was present. Although no clear mediators of this association emerged, multigenerational links among G1-G2 relations, maternal representations of her child, child behavior, and child respiratory sinus arrhythmia differed by maltreatment status, thus possibly representing important targets for future research and intervention.

Gene expression profiles of lung adenocarcinoma linked to histopathological grading and survival but not to EGF-R status: a microarray study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Passlick Bernward

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several different gene expression signatures have been proposed to predict response to therapy and clinical outcome in lung adenocarcinoma. Herein, we investigate if elements of published gene sets can be reproduced in a small dataset, and how gene expression profiles based on limited sample size relate to clinical parameters including histopathological grade and EGFR protein expression. Methods Affymetrix Human Genome U133A platform was used to obtain gene expression profiles of 28 pathologically and clinically annotated adenocarcinomas of the lung. EGFR status was determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Results Using unsupervised clustering algorithms, the predominant gene expression signatures correlated with the histopathological grade but not with EGFR protein expression as detected by immunohistochemistry. In a supervised analysis, the signature of high grade tumors but not of EGFR overexpressing cases showed significant enrichment of gene sets reflecting MAPK activation and other potential signaling cascades downstream of EGFR. Out of four different previously published gene sets that had been linked to prognosis, three showed enrichment in the gene expression signature associated with favorable prognosis. Conclusions In this dataset, histopathological tumor grades but not EGFR status were associated with dominant gene expression signatures and gene set enrichment reflecting oncogenic pathway activation, suggesting that high immunohistochemistry EGFR scores may not necessarily be linked to downstream effects that cause major changes in gene expression patterns. Published gene sets showed association with patient survival; however, the small sample size of this study limited the options for a comprehensive validation of previously reported prognostic gene expression signatures.

Disease management strategy for macadamia quick decline

Science.gov (United States)

Trees infected with Macadamia Quick Decline (MQD) exhibit excessive sap bleeding from the trunk, frass from ambrosia beetle feeding, orange fruiting bodies of the fungus Nectria rugulosa and yellowing and browning of the leaves within the tree canopy. MQD threatens commercial and residential product...

Transmission Delay Based Control over Networks with Wireless Links

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2002-01-01

To achieve the mobility of computers during communication, the TCP connections between fixed host and mobile host may often traverse wired and wireless networks, and the recovery of losses due to wireless transmission error is much different from congestion control. The paper analyzes the side effect of RTT estimation while making the TCP source to handle congestion and wireless error losses properly. Then present a strategy using information feedback by the last hop acknowledgement and monitoring the queuing level of the wired bottleneck link by calculating the changes in transmission delay along the path. With the identification of the early stage of congestion, it can respond to wired congestion quickly while keeping wireless link more reliable, and make TCP react to the different packets losses more appropriately.

Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell Desktop Quick Reference

CERN Document Server

Flanagan, David

1999-01-01

Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell is an indispensable quick reference for Java programmers who are writing applications that use graphics or graphical user interfaces. The author of the bestsellingJava in a Nutshell has written fast-paced introductions to the Java APIs that comprise the Java Foundation Classes (JFC), such as the Swing GUI components and Java 2D, so that you can start using these exciting new technologies right away. This book also includes O'Reilly's classic-style, quick-reference material for all of the classes in the javax.swing and java.awt packages and their numerous

The PROMIS physical function correlates with the QuickDASH in patients with upper extremity illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Overbeek, Celeste L; Nota, Sjoerd P F T; Jayakumar, Prakash; Hageman, Michiel G; Ring, David

2015-01-01

To assess disability more efficiently with less burden on the patient, the National Institutes of Health has developed the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function-an instrument based on item response theory and using computer adaptive testing (CAT). Initially, upper and lower extremity disabilities were not separated and we were curious if the PROMIS Physical Function CAT could measure upper extremity disability and the Quick Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH). We aimed to find correlation between the PROMIS Physical Function and the QuickDASH questionnaires in patients with upper extremity illness. Secondarily, we addressed whether the PROMIS Physical Function and QuickDASH correlate with the PROMIS Depression CAT and PROMIS Pain Interference CAT instruments. Finally, we assessed factors associated with QuickDASH and PROMIS Physical Function in multivariable analysis. A cohort of 93 outpatients with upper extremity illnesses completed the QuickDASH and three PROMIS CAT questionnaires: Physical Function, Pain Interference, and Depression. Pain intensity was measured with an 11-point ordinal measure (0-10 numeric rating scale). Correlation between PROMIS Physical Function and the QuickDASH was assessed. Factors that correlated with the PROMIS Physical Function and QuickDASH were assessed in multivariable regression analysis after initial bivariate analysis. There was a moderate correlation between the PROMIS Physical Function and the QuickDASH questionnaire (r=-0.55, p<0.001). Greater disability as measured with the PROMIS and QuickDASH correlated most strongly with PROMIS Depression (r=-0.35, p<0.001 and r=0.34, p<0.001 respectively) and Pain Interference (r=-0.51, p<0.001 and r=0.74, p<0.001 respectively). The factors accounting for the variability in PROMIS scores are comparable to those for the QuickDASH except that the PROMIS Physical Function is influenced by other pain conditions while the QuickDASH is

Adolescent work intensity, school performance, and substance use: links vary by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Science.gov (United States)

Bachman, Jerald G; Staff, Jeremy; O'Malley, Patrick M; Freedman-Doan, Peter

2013-11-01

High school students who spend long hours in paid employment during the school year are at increased risk of lower grades and higher substance use, although questions remain about whether these linkages reflect causation or prior differences (selection effects). Questions also remain about whether such associations vary by socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity. This study examines those questions using nationally representative data from two decades (1991-2010) of annual Monitoring the Future surveys involving about 600,000 students in 10th and 12th grades. White students are consistently more likely than minority students to hold paid employment during the school year. Among White and Asian American students, paid work intensity is negatively related to parental education and grade point averages (GPA) and is positively related to substance use. Also among Whites and Asian Americans, students with the most highly educated parents show the strongest negative relations between work intensity and GPA, whereas the links are weaker for those with less educated parents (i.e., lower SES levels). All of these relations are less evident for Hispanic students and still less evident for African American students. It thus appears that any costs possibly attributable to long hours of student work are most severe for those who are most advantaged--White or Asian American students with highly educated parents. Working long hours is linked with fewer disadvantages among Hispanic students and especially among African American students. Youth employment dropped in 2008-2010, but the relations described above have shown little change over two decades.

SUBJECTIVE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND HEALTH: RELATIONSHIPS RECONSIDERED

Science.gov (United States)

Nobles, Jenna; Ritterman Weintraub, Miranda; Adler, Nancy

2013-01-01

Subjective status, an individual’s perception of her socioeconomic standing, is a robust predictor of physical health in many societies. To date, competing interpretations of this correlation remain unresolved. Using longitudinal data on 8,430 older adults from the 2000 and 2007 waves of the Indonesia Family Life Survey, we test these oft-cited links. As in other settings, perceived status is a robust predictor of self-rated health, and also of physical functioning and nurse-assessed general health. These relationships persist in the presence of controls for unobserved traits, such as difficult-to-measure aspects of family background and persistent aspects of personality. However, we find evidence that these links likely represent bi-directional effects. Declines in health that accompany aging are robust predictors of declines in perceived socioeconomic status, net of observed changes to the economic profile of respondents. The results thus underscore the social value afforded good health status. PMID:23453318

Analisis Performansi Agregasi Link dengan Lacp pada SDN menggunakan RYU sebagai Controller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohmat Tulloh

2018-11-01

Full Text Available — As time goes by, the world of communication has flourished quickly, especially in network. One of the network technologies by now called SDN (Software Defined Network, is a new paradigm in network technology that is able to virtualize network device by taking the function of control plane, that is usually taken by controller, and separate between control plane and data plane into a network device. Besides the coming of that new paradigm, the need of bandwidth consumption on data communication by this time has increased. Link aggregation is a method that combines several physical links into a logical link in the form of multiplying the bandwidth capacity. Link aggregation can be implemented in SDN network, that makes bandwidth consumption in network has good effect on service quality. In this research, the writer will show the comparison analysis between link aggregation and not using link aggregation in SDN network. This comparison analysis is done by analyzing some parameters, like throughput, packetloss, jitter and fault tolerance from the service in network, called video streaming.

Part B Excess Cost Quick Reference Document

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Wayne; Beridon, Virginia; Hamre, Kent; Morse, Amanda

2011-01-01

This Quick Reference Document has been prepared by the Regional Resource Center Program ARRA/Fiscal Priority Team to aid RRCP State Liaisons and other (Technical Assistance) TA providers in understanding the general context of state questions surrounding excess cost. As a "first-stop" for TA providers in investigating excess cost…

Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults

Science.gov (United States)

... Health Promotion Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults skip to content ODPHP Health Communication Healthy People ... and Patient e-Health Resources Health Literacy and Older Adults Who is this guide for? Why are health ...

Versatile Link PLUS transceiver development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soós, C.; Détraz, S.; Olanterä, L.; Sigaud, C.; Troska, J.; Vasey, F.; Zeiler, M.

2017-01-01

The Versatile Link PLUS project targets the phase II upgrades of the ATLAS and CMS experiments. It will develop a radiation resistant optical link, operating at up to 10 Gb/s in the upstream and up to 5 Gb/s in the downstream directions with a smaller footprint and higher channel count than its predecessor. A low-profile package is being developed that allows volume production at reduced costs, but which nevertheless can be configured to suit the individual channel count needs of different detectors. This paper describes the development strategies and summarizes the status of the feasibility demonstration phase of the project.

Genipin Cross-Linked Glucose Oxidase and Catalase Multi-enzyme for Gluconic Acid Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Caixia; Chen, Haibin; Chen, Biqiang; Tan, Tianwei

2017-02-01

In this work, glucose oxidase (GOD) and catalase (CAT) were used simultaneously to produce gluconic acid from glucose. In order to reduce the distance between the two enzymes, and therefore improve efficiency, GOD and CAT were cross-linked together using genipin. Improvements in gluconic acid production were due to quick removal of harmful intermediate hydrogen peroxide by CAT. GOD activity was significantly affected by the proportion of CAT in the system, with GOD activity in the cross-linked multi-enzyme (CLME) being 10 times higher than that in an un-cross-linked GOD/CAT mixture. The glucose conversion rate after 15 h using 15 % glucose was also 10 % higher using the CLME than was measured using a GOD/CAT mixture.

Influence of HeartMath quick coherence technique on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... of high psychophysiological coherence, decreased feelings of sadness and increased feelings of peacefulness. Psychophysiological and emotional state findings are discussed in relation to health and sport psychology, theory and practice. Keywords: Biofeedback, physiological coherence, Quick Coherence Technique, ...

A General Method for Targeted Quantitative Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan D Chavez

Full Text Available Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NMR and cryo-electron microscopy[1]. The extension of traditional quantitative proteomics methods with chemical cross-linking can provide information on the structural dynamics of protein structures and protein complexes. The identification and quantitation of cross-linked peptides remains challenging for the general community, requiring specialized expertise ultimately limiting more widespread adoption of the technique. We describe a general method for targeted quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of cross-linked peptide pairs. We report the adaptation of the widely used, open source software package Skyline, for the analysis of quantitative XL-MS data as a means for data analysis and sharing of methods. We demonstrate the utility and robustness of the method with a cross-laboratory study and present data that is supported by and validates previously published data on quantified cross-linked peptide pairs. This advance provides an easy to use resource so that any lab with access to a LC-MS system capable of performing targeted quantitative analysis can quickly and accurately measure dynamic changes in protein structure and protein interactions.

Characterization of Disulfide-Linked Peptides Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Automated Data Analysis Software

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zhidan; McGuinness, Kenneth N.; Crespo, Alejandro; Zhong, Wendy

2018-05-01

Disulfide bond formation is critical for maintaining structure stability and function of many peptides and proteins. Mass spectrometry has become an important tool for the elucidation of molecular connectivity. However, the interpretation of the tandem mass spectral data of disulfide-linked peptides has been a major challenge due to the lack of appropriate tools. Developing proper data analysis software is essential to quickly characterize disulfide-linked peptides. A thorough and in-depth understanding of how disulfide-linked peptides fragment in mass spectrometer is a key in developing software to interpret the tandem mass spectra of these peptides. Two model peptides with inter- and intra-chain disulfide linkages were used to study fragmentation behavior in both collisional-activated dissociation (CAD) and electron-based dissociation (ExD) experiments. Fragments generated from CAD and ExD can be categorized into three major types, which result from different S-S and C-S bond cleavage patterns. DiSulFinder is a computer algorithm that was newly developed based on the fragmentation observed in these peptides. The software is vendor neutral and capable of quickly and accurately identifying a variety of fragments generated from disulfide-linked peptides. DiSulFinder identifies peptide backbone fragments with S-S and C-S bond cleavages and, more importantly, can also identify fragments with the S-S bond still intact to aid disulfide linkage determination. With the assistance of this software, more comprehensive disulfide connectivity characterization can be achieved. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Characterization of Disulfide-Linked Peptides Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Automated Data Analysis Software.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zhidan; McGuinness, Kenneth N; Crespo, Alejandro; Zhong, Wendy

2018-01-25

Disulfide bond formation is critical for maintaining structure stability and function of many peptides and proteins. Mass spectrometry has become an important tool for the elucidation of molecular connectivity. However, the interpretation of the tandem mass spectral data of disulfide-linked peptides has been a major challenge due to the lack of appropriate tools. Developing proper data analysis software is essential to quickly characterize disulfide-linked peptides. A thorough and in-depth understanding of how disulfide-linked peptides fragment in mass spectrometer is a key in developing software to interpret the tandem mass spectra of these peptides. Two model peptides with inter- and intra-chain disulfide linkages were used to study fragmentation behavior in both collisional-activated dissociation (CAD) and electron-based dissociation (ExD) experiments. Fragments generated from CAD and ExD can be categorized into three major types, which result from different S-S and C-S bond cleavage patterns. DiSulFinder is a computer algorithm that was newly developed based on the fragmentation observed in these peptides. The software is vendor neutral and capable of quickly and accurately identifying a variety of fragments generated from disulfide-linked peptides. DiSulFinder identifies peptide backbone fragments with S-S and C-S bond cleavages and, more importantly, can also identify fragments with the S-S bond still intact to aid disulfide linkage determination. With the assistance of this software, more comprehensive disulfide connectivity characterization can be achieved. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

FINANCIAL WORKBOOK Quick Reference -Budget Preparation 1 ...

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

Alexandra Eustache

FINANCIAL WORKBOOK. Quick Reference -Budget Preparation. 6. Enter detailed budget notes for each line item. Use the “add new row “ button if more rows are needed. (Refer to page 7 on user guider for more information on budget notes). 7. On the “indirect cost” sheet, enter a fixed percentage or amount(s) a. For fixed ...

Psychological Perspectives on Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Status and Physical Health

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Karen A.; Gallo, Linda C.

2011-01-01

Low socioeconomic status (SES) is a reliable correlate of poor physical health. Rather than treat SES as a covariate, health psychology has increasingly focused on the psychobiological pathways that inform understanding why SES is related to physical health. This review assesses the status of research that has examined stress and its associated distress, and social and personal resources as pathways. It highlights work on biomarkers and biological pathways related to SES that can serve as intermediate outcomes in future studies. Recent emphasis on the accumulation of psychobiological risks across the life course is summarized and represents an important direction for future research. Studies that test pathways from SES to candidate psychosocial pathways to health outcomes are few in number but promising. Future research should test integrated models rather than taking piecemeal approaches to evidence. Much work remains to be done, but the questions are of great health significance. PMID:20636127

20 CFR 416.1019 - Quick disability determination process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Quick disability determination process. 416.1019 Section 416.1019 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME... disagreement between the disability examiner and the medical or psychological consultant, the State agency will...

Status Configurations, Military Service and Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Elder, Glen H; Spence, Naomi J

2012-12-01

The U.S. Armed Forces offer educational and training benefits as incentives for service. This study investigates the influence of status configurations on military enlistment and their link to greater educational opportunity. Three statuses (socioeconomic status of origin, cognitive ability and academic performance) have particular relevance for life course options. We hypothesize that young men with inconsistent statuses are more likely to enlist than men with consistent status profiles, and that military service improves access to college for certain configurations. Analyses of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) show (1. that several status configurations markedly increased the likelihood of military enlistment and (2. within status configurations, recruits were generally more likely to enroll in higher education than nonveterans, with associate degrees being more likely.

A quick guide to pipeline engineering

CERN Document Server

Alkazraji, D

2008-01-01

Pipeline engineering requires an understanding of a wide range of topics. Operators must take into account numerous pipeline codes and standards, calculation approaches, and reference materials in order to make accurate and informed decisions.A Quick Guide to Pipeline Engineering provides concise, easy-to-use, and accessible information on onshore and offshore pipeline engineering. Topics covered include: design; construction; testing; operation and maintenance; and decommissioning.Basic principles are discussed and clear guidance on regulations is provided, in a way that will

Hybrid Multidimensional Relational and Link Analytical Knowledge Discovery for Law Enforcement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joslyn, Cliff A.; Gillen, David S.; Burke, John S.; Critchlow, Terence J.; Damante, Matt; Fernandes, Robert

2008-08-01

The challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) require not only multi-dimensional, but also multi-scale data analysis. In particular, the ability to seamlessly move from summary information, such as trends, into detailed analysis of individual entities, while critical for law enforcement, typically requires manually transferring information among multiple tools. Such time-consuming and error prone processes significantly hamper the analysts' ability to quickly explore data and identify threats. As part of a DHS Science and Technology effort, we have been developing and deploying for Immigration and Customs Enforcement the CubeLink system integrating information between relational data cubes and link analytical semantic graphs. In this paper we describe CubeLink in terms of the underlying components, their integration, and the formal mapping from multidimensional data analysis into link analysis. In so doing, we provide a formal basis for one particular form of automatic schema-ontology mapping from OLAP data cubes to semantic graphs databases, and point the way towards future ``intelligent'' OLAP data cubes equipped with meta-data about their dimensional typing.

20 CFR 404.1619 - Quick disability determination process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Quick disability determination process. 404.1619 Section 404.1619 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND... that is fully favorable to the individual or if there is an unresolved disagreement between the...

Development and quality evaluation of quick cooking dhal-A convenience product.

Science.gov (United States)

Sethi, Shruti; Samuel, D V K; Khan, Islam

2014-03-01

Owing to rapid urbanization and more women joining the workforce, use of ready-to-eat and ready-to-use convenience foods is gaining increasing popularity. Women require dhal that cooks fast and increases in volume when cooked. In an attempt to prepare quick cooking dhal from pigeon pea, variety UPAS 120 was milled, pre-treated with sodium chloride solution (1%), flaked and dried. The quick cooking dhal was packed in three packaging materials, namely, high molecular weight high density polyethylene (HMHDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and laminated pouches. The quality evaluation of the prepared flakes with respect to the cooking quality attributes, changes in proximate composition, free fatty acid (FFA) and peroxide value (PV) were carried out during storage at ambient temperature (8-36°C) at regular intervals for a period of 10 months. During storage, quick cooking dhal packed in laminated pouches performed better than samples stored in other pouches with respect to the changes in the overall quality and acceptability of the product.

Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status

Science.gov (United States)

Ťupek, Boris; Ortiz, Carina A.; Hashimoto, Shoji; Stendahl, Johan; Dahlgren, Jonas; Karltun, Erik; Lehtonen, Aleksi

2016-08-01

Inaccurate estimate of the largest terrestrial carbon pool, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, is the major source of uncertainty in simulating feedback of climate warming on ecosystem-atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange by process-based ecosystem and soil carbon models. Although the models need to simplify complex environmental processes of soil carbon sequestration, in a large mosaic of environments a missing key driver could lead to a modeling bias in predictions of SOC stock change.We aimed to evaluate SOC stock estimates of process-based models (Yasso07, Q, and CENTURY soil sub-model v4) against a massive Swedish forest soil inventory data set (3230 samples) organized by a recursive partitioning method into distinct soil groups with underlying SOC stock development linked to physicochemical conditions.For two-thirds of measurements all models predicted accurate SOC stock levels regardless of the detail of input data, e.g., whether they ignored or included soil properties. However, in fertile sites with high N deposition, high cation exchange capacity, or moderately increased soil water content, Yasso07 and Q models underestimated SOC stocks. In comparison to Yasso07 and Q, accounting for the site-specific soil characteristics (e. g. clay content and topsoil mineral N) by CENTURY improved SOC stock estimates for sites with high clay content, but not for sites with high N deposition.Our analysis suggested that the soils with poorly predicted SOC stocks, as characterized by the high nutrient status and well-sorted parent material, indeed have had other predominant drivers of SOC stabilization lacking in the models, presumably the mycorrhizal organic uptake and organo-mineral stabilization processes. Our results imply that the role of soil nutrient status as regulator of organic matter mineralization has to be re-evaluated, since correct SOC stocks are decisive for predicting future SOC change and soil CO2 efflux.

Status Configurations, Military Service and Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Elder, Glen H.; Spence, Naomi J.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Armed Forces offer educational and training benefits as incentives for service. This study investigates the influence of status configurations on military enlistment and their link to greater educational opportunity. Three statuses (socioeconomic status of origin, cognitive ability and academic performance) have particular relevance for life course options. We hypothesize that young men with inconsistent statuses are more likely to enlist than men with consistent status profiles, and that military service improves access to college for certain configurations. Analyses of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) show (1. that several status configurations markedly increased the likelihood of military enlistment and (2. within status configurations, recruits were generally more likely to enroll in higher education than nonveterans, with associate degrees being more likely. PMID:24511161

P2X purinoceptors as a link between hyperexcitability and neuroinflammation in status epilepticus.

Science.gov (United States)

Henshall, David C; Engel, Tobias

2015-08-01

There remains a need for more efficacious treatments for status epilepticus. Prolonged seizures result in the release of ATP from cells which activates the P2 class of ionotropic and metabotropic purinoceptors. The P2X receptors gate depolarizing sodium and calcium entry and are expressed by both neurons and glia throughout the brain, and a number of subtypes are upregulated after status epilepticus. Recent studies have explored the in vivo effects of targeting ATP-gated P2X receptors in preclinical models of status epilepticus, with particular focus on the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R). The P2X7R mediates microglial activation and the release of the proepileptogenic inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1β. The receptor may also directly modulate neurotransmission and gliotransmission and promote the recruitment of immune cells into brain parenchyma. Data from our group and collaborators show that status epilepticus produced by intraamygdala microinjection of kainic acid increases P2X7R expression in the hippocampus and neocortex of mice. Antagonism of the P2X7R in the model reduced seizure severity, microglial activation and interleukin 1β release, and neuronal injury. Coadministration of a P2X7R antagonist with a benzodiazepine also provided seizure suppression in a model of drug-refractory status epilepticus when either treatment alone was minimally effective. More recently, we showed that status epilepticus in immature rats is also reduced by P2X7R antagonism. Together, these findings suggest that P2X receptors may be novel targets for seizure control and interruption of neuroinflammation after status epilepticus. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Status Epilepticus". Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Quick-responsive DNA Nanotechnology Device for Bio-molecular Homeostasis Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Songlin; Wang, Pei; Xiao, Chen; Li, Zheng; Yang, Bing; Fu, Jieyang; Chen, Jing; Wan, Neng; Ma, Cong; Li, Maoteng; Yang, Xiangliang; Zhan, Yi

2016-08-10

Physiological processes such as metabolism, cell apoptosis and immune responses, must be strictly regulated to maintain their homeostasis and achieve their normal physiological functions. The speed with which bio-molecular homeostatic regulation occurs directly determines the ability of an organism to adapt to conditional changes. To produce a quick-responsive regulatory system that can be easily utilized for various types of homeostasis, a device called nano-fingers that facilitates the regulation of physiological processes was constructed using DNA origami nanotechnology. This nano-fingers device functioned in linked open and closed phases using two types of DNA tweezers, which were covalently coupled with aptamers that captured specific molecules when the tweezer arms were sufficiently close. Via this specific interaction mechanism, certain physiological processes could be simultaneously regulated from two directions by capturing one biofactor and releasing the other to enhance the regulatory capacity of the device. To validate the universal application of this device, regulation of the homeostasis of the blood coagulant thrombin was attempted using the nano-fingers device. It was successfully demonstrated that this nano-fingers device achieved coagulation buffering upon the input of fuel DNA. This nano-device could also be utilized to regulate the homeostasis of other types of bio-molecules.

Transjugular liver biopsy : the efficacy of quick-core biopsy needle system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Gyoo Sik; Ahn, Byung Kwon; Lee, Sang Ouk; Chang, Hee Kyong; Oh, Kyung Seung; Huh, Jin Do; Joh, Young Duk [Kosin Medical College, Pusan (Korea, Republic of)

1998-02-01

To evaluate the efficacy of the Quick-Core biopsy needle system in performing transjugular liver biopsy. Between December 1995 and June 1997, eight patients underwent transjugular liver biopsy involving use of the Quick-Core biopsy needle system; the conditions involved were coagulopathy (n=4), thrombocytopenia (n=3), and ascites (n=1). Via the right internal jugular vein, the right hepatic vein was selectively catheterized with a 7-F transjugular guiding catheter, and a14-guage stiffening cannula was then inserted through this catheter; to obtain core tissue, a Quick-Core needle was then advanced into the liver parenchyma through the catheter-cannula combination. Eighteen- and 19-guage needles were used in three and five patients, respectively; specimen size, adequacy of the biopsy specimen and histologic diagnosis were determined, and complications were recorded. Biopsy was successful in all patients. The mean length of the specimen was 1.4 cm (1.0 - 1.8 cm), and all were adequate for pathologic examinations ; specific diagnosis was determined in all patients. There were two malignant neoplasms, two cases of veno-occlusive disease, and one case each of cirrhosis, fulminant hepatitis, Banti syndrome and Budd-Chiari syndrome. One patient complained of neck pain after the procedure, but no serious procedural complications were noted. Our preliminary study shows that the Quick-Core biopsy needle system is safe and provides adequate core tissues with high diagnostic yields. (author). 23 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

Transjugular liver biopsy : the efficacy of quick-core biopsy needle system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Gyoo Sik; Ahn, Byung Kwon; Lee, Sang Ouk; Chang, Hee Kyong; Oh, Kyung Seung; Huh, Jin Do; Joh, Young Duk

1998-01-01

To evaluate the efficacy of the Quick-Core biopsy needle system in performing transjugular liver biopsy. Between December 1995 and June 1997, eight patients underwent transjugular liver biopsy involving use of the Quick-Core biopsy needle system; the conditions involved were coagulopathy (n=4), thrombocytopenia (n=3), and ascites (n=1). Via the right internal jugular vein, the right hepatic vein was selectively catheterized with a 7-F transjugular guiding catheter, and a14-guage stiffening cannula was then inserted through this catheter; to obtain core tissue, a Quick-Core needle was then advanced into the liver parenchyma through the catheter-cannula combination. Eighteen- and 19-guage needles were used in three and five patients, respectively; specimen size, adequacy of the biopsy specimen and histologic diagnosis were determined, and complications were recorded. Biopsy was successful in all patients. The mean length of the specimen was 1.4 cm (1.0 - 1.8 cm), and all were adequate for pathologic examinations ; specific diagnosis was determined in all patients. There were two malignant neoplasms, two cases of veno-occlusive disease, and one case each of cirrhosis, fulminant hepatitis, Banti syndrome and Budd-Chiari syndrome. One patient complained of neck pain after the procedure, but no serious procedural complications were noted. Our preliminary study shows that the Quick-Core biopsy needle system is safe and provides adequate core tissues with high diagnostic yields. (author). 23 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs

Quick-sealing design for radiological containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rampdla, D.S.; Speer, E.

1991-01-01

This patent describes a quick-sealing assembly and method for forming an adhesive seal on opposite sides of a mechanical seal for a flexible containment bag of the type used for working with radioactively contaminated objects. The assembly includes an elongated mechanical fastener having opposing engaging members affixed at a predetermined distance from each of the elongated edges, with an adhesive layer formed between the mechanical fastener and the elongated edge such that upon engagement of the mechanical fastener and adhesive layers to opposing containment fabric, a neat triple hermetic seal is formed

Quick-sealing design for radiological containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rampolia, D.S.; Speer, E.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a quick-sealing assembly and method for forming an adhesive seal on opposite sides of a mechanical seal for a flexible containment bag of the type used for working with radioactively contaminated objects. The assembly includes an elongated mechanical fastener having opposing engaging members affixed at a predetermined distance from each of the elongated edges, with an adhesive layer formed between the mechanical fastener and the elongated edge such that upon engagement of the mechanical fastener and adhesive layers to opposing containment fabric, a neat triple hermetic seal is formed

Quick-sealing design for radiological containment

Science.gov (United States)

Rampolia, Donald S.; Speer, Elmer

1990-01-01

A quick-sealing assembly and method for forming an adhesive seal on opposite sides of a mechanical seal for a flexible containment bag of the type used for working with radioactively contaminated objects. The assembly includes an elongated mechanical fastener having opposing engaging members affixed at a predetermined distance from each of the elongated edges, with an adhesive layer formed between the mechanical fastener and the elongated edge such that upon engagement of the mechanical fastener and adhesive layers to opposing containment fabric, a neat triple hermetic seal is formed.

Quick and Easy Rate Equations for Multistep Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Savage, Phillip E.

2008-01-01

Students rarely see closed-form analytical rate equations derived from underlying chemical mechanisms that contain more than a few steps unless restrictive simplifying assumptions (e.g., existence of a rate-determining step) are made. Yet, work published decades ago allows closed-form analytical rate equations to be written quickly and easily for…

A Quick-Test for Biochar Effects on Seed Germination ...

Science.gov (United States)

Biochar is being globally evaluated as a soil amendment to improve soil characteristics (e.g. soil water holding, nutrient exchange, microbiology, pesticides and chemical availability) to increase crop yields. Unfortunately, there are no quick tests to determine what biochar types are most effective at improving soil characteristics amenable for higher crop yields. Seed germination is a critical parameter for plant establishment and may be a quick indicator of biochar quality. We adapted Oregon State University Seed Laboratory procedures to develop a “quick-test” for screening the effects of biochar on seed germination. We used 11.0 cm rectangular x 3.5 cm deep containers fitted with blotter paper. The paper was premoistened with reverse-osmosis water, followed by placement of seeds (25 in a uniform 5 x 5 vacuum-assisted pattern, and biochar mixtures). A Norfolk and Coxville soil series from South Carolina were used. A total of 18 biochars were evaluated that were produced from 6 feedstocks (pine chips, poultry litter, swine solids, switchgrass, and two blends of pine chips and poultry litter); with biochar from each feedstock made by pyrolysis at 350, 500 and 700 ̊ C. Crops were cabbage, cucumber, onion, ryegrass and tomato. Preliminary results from the test indicated differences in seed germination due to soil type and possibly soil x biochar feedstock interactions. Other measurements including shoot dry weight per plate and pH of the soil+ biochar mixtur

Emergency medicine task shifting: Quick dash outcome scores of upper extremity injury management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.S. Frank*

2013-12-01

Results and conclusions: There were a total of 25 initial candidates, of which only 17 were able to complete the survey. Using the Quick DASH Outcome Measure, our 17 patients had a mean score of 29.5 (range 5.0– 56.8. When compared to the standardized Quick DASH outcomes (no work limitation at 27.5 vs. work limited by injury at 52.6 the non-physician clinicians appear to be performing upper extremity repairs with good outcomes. The key variable to successful repair was the initial injury type. Although accommodations needed to be made to the standard Quick DASH protocol, the tool appears to be usable in non-traditional settings.

Systematic review of the relationship between quick returns in rotating shift work and health-related outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vedaa, Øystein; Harris, Anette; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Waage, Siri; Sivertsen, Børge; Tucker, Philip; Pallesen, Ståle

2016-01-01

A systematic literature search was carried out to investigate the relationship between quick returns (i.e., 11.0 hours or less between two consecutive shifts) and outcome measures of health, sleep, functional ability and work-life balance. A total of 22 studies published in 21 articles were included. Three types of quick returns were differentiated (from evening to morning/day, night to evening, morning/day to night shifts) where sleep duration and sleepiness appeared to be differently affected depending on which shifts the quick returns occurred between. There were some indications of detrimental effects of quick returns on proximate problems (e.g., sleep, sleepiness and fatigue), although the evidence of associations with more chronic outcome measures (physical and mental health and work-life balance) was inconclusive. Modern societies are dependent on people working shifts. This study systematically reviews literature on the consequences of quick returns (11.0 hours or less between two shifts). Quick returns have detrimental effects on acute health problems. However, the evidence regarding effects on chronic health is inconclusive.

Next-generation vision testing: the quick CSF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorr Michael

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The Contrast Sensitivity Function relates the spatial frequency and contrast of a spatial pattern to its visibility and thus provides a fundamental description of visual function. However, the current clinical standard of care typically restricts assessment to visual acuity, i.e. the smallest stimulus size that can be resolved at full contrast; alternatively, tests of contrast sensitivity are typically restricted to assessment of the lowest visible contrast for a fixed letter size. This restriction to one-dimensional subspaces of a two-dimensional space was necessary when stimuli were printed on paper charts and simple scoring rules were applied manually. More recently, however, computerized testing and electronic screens have enabled more flexible stimulus displays and more complex test algorithms. For example, the quick CSF method uses a Bayesian adaptive procedure and an information maximization criterion to select only informative stimuli; testing times to precisely estimate the whole contrast sensitivity function are reduced to 2-5 minutes. Here, we describe the implementation of the quick CSF method in a medical device. We make several usability enhancements to make it suitable for use in clinical settings. A first usability study shows excellent results, with a mean System Usability Scale score of 86.5.

A Quick-Test for Biochar Effects on Seed Germination

Science.gov (United States)

Biochar is being globally evaluated as a soil amendment to improve soil characteristics (e.g. soil water holding, nutrient exchange, microbiology, pesticides and chemical availability) to increase crop yields. Unfortunately, there are no quick tests to determine what biochar type...

The force recovery following repeated quick releases applied to pig urinary bladder smooth muscle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. van Mastrigt (Ron)

1991-01-01

textabstractA method for measuring several quick-releases during one contraction of a pig urinary bladder smooth muscle preparation was developed. The force recovery following quick release in this muscle type was studied by fitting a multiexponential model to 926 responses measured during the first

Delineation of a quick clay zone at Smørgrav, Norway, with electromagnetic methods under geotechnical constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Kalscheuer, Thomas; Bastani, Mehrdad; Donohue, Shane; Persson, Lena; Aspmo Pfaffhuber, Andreas; Reiser, Fabienne; Ren, Zhengyong

2013-05-01

In many coastal areas of North America and Scandinavia, post-glacial clay sediments have emerged above sea level due to iso-static uplift. These clays are often destabilised by fresh water leaching and transformed to so-called quick clays as at the investigated area at Smørgrav, Norway. Slight mechanical disturbances of these materials may trigger landslides. Since the leaching increases the electrical resistivity of quick clay as compared to normal marine clay, the application of electromagnetic (EM) methods is of particular interest in the study of quick clay structures. For the first time, single and joint inversions of direct-current resistivity (DCR), radiomagnetotelluric (RMT) and controlled-source audiomagnetotelluric (CSAMT) data were applied to delineate a zone of quick clay. The resulting 2-D models of electrical resistivity correlate excellently with previously published data from a ground conductivity metre and resistivity logs from two resistivity cone penetration tests (RCPT) into marine clay and quick clay. The RCPT log into the central part of the quick clay identifies the electrical resistivity of the quick clay structure to lie between 10 and 80 Ω m. In combination with the 2-D inversion models, it becomes possible to delineate the vertical and horizontal extent of the quick clay zone. As compared to the inversions of single data sets, the joint inversion model exhibits sharper resistivity contrasts and its resistivity values are more characteristic of the expected geology. In our preferred joint inversion model, there is a clear demarcation between dry soil, marine clay, quick clay and bedrock, which consists of alum shale and limestone.

Post-marketing surveillance of OraQuick whole blood and oral fluid rapid HIV testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesolowski, Laura G; MacKellar, Duncan A; Facente, Shelley N; Dowling, Teri; Ethridge, Steven F; Zhu, Julia H; Sullivan, Patrick S

2006-08-01

Post-marketing surveillance was conducted to monitor the performance of the OraQuick Advance rapid HIV-1/2 antibody test (OraQuick) on whole blood and oral fluid. Surveillance of routinely collected data on clients tested with OraQuick in 368 testing sites affiliated with 17 state and city health departments between 11 August 2004 and 30 June 2005. For whole blood and oral fluid, we report the median (range) health department OraQuick specificity and positive predictive value (PPV), and the number of clients with discordant results (e.g. who had a reactive rapid test not confirmed positive by Western blot or indirect immunofluorescence). At one site with lower than expected oral-fluid specificity, we evaluated whether device expiration, manufacturing lot, operator practices, or device-storage or testing-area temperatures were associated with false-positive tests. During the surveillance period, 135 724 whole blood and 26 066 oral fluid rapid tests were conducted. The median health department whole blood OraQuick specificity was 99.98% (range: 99.73-100%) and PPV was 99.24% (range: 66.67-100%); the median oral fluid specificity was 99.89% (range: 99.44-100%) and PPV was 90.00% (range: 50.00-100%). A total of 124 discordant results were reported from 68 (0.05%) whole blood and 56 (0.22%) oral fluid rapid tests. The oral fluid specificity at the site with excess oral fluid false-positive tests was 98.7% (95% confidence interval: 98.18-99.11%). The increase in false-positive tests at that site was not associated with any specific device characteristic, operator procedure or temperature condition. The specificity of OraQuick performed on whole blood and oral fluid during post-marketing surveillance was compatible with the manufacturer's claim within the package insert. However, one site experienced lower than expected oral fluid specificity. Sites that observe that the specificity of OraQuick is lower than the range indicated in the package insert should notify the

Gender and sex differences in job status and hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Clougherty, Jane E; Eisen, Ellen A; Slade, Martin D; Kawachi, Ichiro; Cullen, Mark R

2011-01-01

Studies have shown greater health risks associated with blue-collar manufacturing employment for women than men. It remains challenging, however, to distinguish gendered job status (affected by family composition and other personal characteristics) from sex-linked biological differences influencing physiological response to workplace physical hazards. We examined the effects of hourly (blue-collar) status on incident hypertension among men and women, using health claims data for 14, 618 white- and blue-collar aluminium manufacturing employees in eight US states. To explore gender differences in job status, we developed sex-stratified propensity score models identifying key socioeconomic predictors of hourly status for men and women. To examine the effects of hourly employment on hypertension risk, after adjusting for gender differences in job status, we applied time-weighted logistic regression models, stratified by propensity score, with additional adjustment for socioeconomic confounders. Family structure (partnership, parity) influenced job status for both sexes; single mothers were more likely to hold hourly jobs (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.37 to 2.97) and partnered men with children less likely (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.56 to 0.83). Education, age at hire and race influenced job status for both sexes. The effect of hourly status on hypertension was significant only among women predicted to be hourly (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.34 to 2.35). Our results indicate significant risks of hypertension associated with hourly status for women, possibly exacerbated by sociodemographic factors predicting hourly status (eg, single parenthood, low education). Greater attention to gender differences in job status, and finer exploration of sex-linked biological differences influencing responsivity to workplace exposures, is warranted.

Investigating the Relationship between Perceived Discrimination, Social Status, and Mental Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hedwig; Turney, Kristin

2012-03-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that experiences with discrimination have implications for mental health and that these associations may vary by social status. We use data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study (CCAHS) to examine how two types of perceived discrimination, chronic everyday discrimination and major lifetime discrimination, are linked to mental health, and how this association varies by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Results indicate that everyday discrimination is generally independently linked to greater depressive symptoms, loneliness, and hostility across all social status groups. Major discrimination is not associated with depressive symptoms or loneliness after adjusting for a host of covariates, but is associated with hostility, especially for certain groups. These findings highlight the need to examine multiple indicators of discrimination and mental health, and to pay attention to both differences and similarities in these associations by social status.

Assessing nutritional status in children with chronic liver disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Rachel M; Dhawan, Anil

2005-12-01

The metabolic changes compounded by anorexia associated with chronic liver disease adversely affect growth in children. In many cases, this requires the administration of artificial nutritional support. It is important in this group of patients that those who are becoming nutritionally depleted are identified quickly and in those receiving artificial nutritional support, the effectiveness is monitored. The current review is an examination of methods available to assess nutritional status. These include anthropometry, methods available in the laboratory and a selection of less commonly used methods undergoing evaluation at research level. A brief discussion accompanies each technique, outlining the limitations of its use in children with chronic liver disease. The review concludes with an outline of how nutritional status should be assessed in this group of children, and suggests further research.

Evaluation of quick tests for phosphorus determination in dairy manures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lugo-Ospina, A.; Dao, Thanh H.; Van Kessel, J.A.; Reeves, J.B.

2005-01-01

Nutrients in animal manure are valuable inputs in agronomic crop production. Rapid and timely information about manure nutrient content are needed to minimize the risks of phosphorus (P) over-application and losses of dissolved P (DP) in runoff from fields treated with manure. We evaluated the suitability of a commercial hand-held reflectometer, a hydrometer, and an electrical conductivity (EC) meter for determining DP and total P (TP) in dairy manures. Bulk samples (n = 107) collected from farms across CT, MD, NY, PA, and VA were highly variable in total solids (TS) concentration, ranging from 11 to 213 g L -1 , in suspensions' pH (6.3-9.2), and EC (6.2-53.3 dS m -1 ). Manure DP concentrations measured using the RQFlex reflectometer (RQFlex-DP s ) were related to molybdate-reactive P (MRP s ) concentrations as follows: RQFlex-DP s = 0.471 x MRP s + 1102 (r 2 = 0.29). Inclusion of pH and squared-pH terms improved the prediction of manure DP from RQFlex results (r 2 = 0.66). Excluding five outlier samples that had pH ≤ 6.9 the coefficient of determination (r 2 ) for the MRP s and RQFlex-DP s relationship was 0.83 for 95% of the samples. Manure TS were related to hydrometer specific gravity readings (r 2 = 0.53) that were in turn related to TP (r 2 = 0.34), but not to either RQFlex-DP or MRP. Relationships between suspensions' EC and DP or TP were non-significant. Therefore, the RQFlex method is the only viable option for on-site quick estimates of DP that can be made more robust when complemented with TS and pH measurements. The DP quick test can provide near real-time information on soluble manure nutrient content across a wide range of handling and storage conditions on dairy farms and quick estimates of potential soluble P losses in runoff following land applications of manure. - The dissolved phosphorous quick test can provide real-time information on soluble manure nutrient control

LHCOPN and LHCONE: Status and Future Evolution

CERN Document Server

Martelli, Edoardo; Stancu, Stefan Nicolae; CERN. Geneva. IT Department

2015-01-01

The LHC Optical Private Network (LHCOPN), linking CERN and the Tier 1s, and the LHC Open Network Environment (LHCONE) which links these to the Tier 2 community both successfully supported the data transfer needs of the LHC community during Run 1 and have now evolved to serve the networking requirements of the new computing models for Run 2. We present here the current status and the key changes, notably the delivered and planned bandwidth increases, the ongoing work to better address the needs of the Asia-Pacific region, developments to improve redundancy and progress made for provisioning point-to-point links.

Bearing the burden: women's status linked to stopping overpopulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stutsman, R

1992-02-01

Improving the status of women is a key element for saving women's lives, increasing contraceptive prevalence, and curbing population growth. Currently, about 1/2 of all the women in the world are of reproductive age, most of whom live in developing countries, where they lack access to adequate health care, schooling, or nutrition. A young girl in the Third World is likely to bear numerous household responsibilities. As a result, she is unlikely to receive formal schooling. It is also probable that she will be married by age 18. 50% of African women and 40% of Asian women are married by this age. As a wife, her primary responsibility will be to have as many children as her husband desires. In addition to child care, women in developing countries often bear the burden of growing food. At least 50% of the world's food is grown by women. The increasing population pressure makes it more difficult for women to fulfill the responsibility of supporting their families. Poor and desperate, these women lack control over their lives, and have little time to worry about the long-term consequences of their actions upon the planet. Enhancing women's status, therefore, is an essential element of population policy. And family planning is one way to improve women's sense of autonomy. Not only does it contribute to overpopulation, unintended pregnancy also has serious consequences for women's health. Complications of pregnancy, childbirth, and unsafe abortion are the leading killers of women of reproductive age in the Third World. But in order to make family planning successful, familial and cultural barriers must be overcome. There are stories of success in many Third World countries, where family planning has succeeded in dramatically reducing fertility.

Is self-regard a sociometer or a hierometer? Self-esteem tracks status and inclusion, narcissism tracks status.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahadevan, Nikhila; Gregg, Aiden P; Sedikides, Constantine

2018-04-02

What adaptive function does self-regard serve? Sociometer theory predicts that it positively tracks social inclusion. A new theory, hierometer theory, predicts that it positively tracks social status. We tested both predictions with respect to two types of self-regard: self-esteem and narcissism. Study 1 (N = 940), featuring a cross-sectional design, found that both status and inclusion covaried positively with self-esteem, but that status alone covaried positively with narcissism. These links held independently of gender, age, and the Big Five personality traits. Study 2 (N = 627), a preregistered cross-sectional study, obtained similar results with alternative measures of self-esteem and narcissism. Studies 3-4 featured experimental designs in which status and inclusion were orthogonally manipulated. Study 3 (N = 104) found that both higher status and higher inclusion promoted higher self-esteem, whereas only higher status promoted higher narcissism. Study 4 (N = 259) obtained similar results with alternative measures of self-esteem and narcissism. The findings suggest that self-esteem operates as both sociometer and hierometer, positively tracking both status and inclusion, whereas narcissism operates primarily as a hierometer, positively tracking status. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Influence of parental employment status on Dutch and Slovak adolescents' health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sleskova, M.; Tuinstra, J.; Geckova, A.M.; van Dijk, J.P.; Salonna, F.; Groothoff, J.W.; Reijneveld, S.A.

2006-01-01

Background: Recent research shows the possibility that the link between parental employment status and children's health can be affected by different cultural or societal settings. The aim of this study was to explore whether the effect of father's and mother's employment status on several aspects

QuickRNASeq: Guide for Pipeline Implementation and for Interactive Results Visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wen; Zhao, Shanrong; Zhang, Chi; Vincent, Michael S; Zhang, Baohong

2018-01-01

Sequencing of transcribed RNA molecules (RNA-Seq) has been used wildly for studying cell transcriptomes in bulk or at the single-cell level (Wang et al., Nat Rev Genet, 10:57-63, 2009; Ozsolak and Milos, Nat Rev Genet, 12:87-98, 2011; Sandberg, Nat Methods, 11:22-24, 2014) and is becoming the de facto technology for investigating gene expression level changes in various biological conditions, on the time course, and under drug treatments. Furthermore, RNA-Seq data helped identify fusion genes that are related to certain cancers (Maher et al., Nature, 458:97-101, 2009). Differential gene expression before and after drug treatments provides insights to mechanism of action, pharmacodynamics of the drugs, and safety concerns (Dixit et al., Genomics, 107:178-188, 2016). Because each RNA-Seq run generates tens to hundreds of millions of short reads with size ranging from 50 to 200 bp, a tool that deciphers these short reads to an integrated and digestible analysis report is in high demand. QuickRNASeq (Zhao et al., BMC Genomics, 17:39-53, 2016) is an application for large-scale RNA-Seq data analysis and real-time interactive visualization of complex data sets. This application automates the use of several of the best open-source tools to efficiently generate user friendly, easy to share, and ready to publish report. Figures in this protocol illustrate some of the interactive plots produced by QuickRNASeq. The visualization features of the application have been further improved since its first publication in early 2016. The original QuickRNASeq publication (Zhao et al., BMC Genomics, 17:39-53, 2016) provided details of background, software selection, and implementation. Here, we outline the steps required to implement QuickRNASeq in user's own environment, as well as demonstrate some basic yet powerful utilities of the advanced interactive visualization modules in the report.

Technical Support Document: 50% Energy Savings for Quick-Service Restaurants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Jian; Schrock, D. W.; Fisher, D. R.; Livchak, A.; Zabrowski, D. A.; Athalye, Rahul A.; Liu, Bing

2010-09-30

Document describing PNNL's project to develop a package of energy efficiency measures that demonstrate the feasibility of achieving a 50% energy savings for quick-service restaurants with a simple payback of 5 years or less.

Non-response Assessment of a Web-based Navy Quick Poll

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Uriell, Zannette A; Whittam, Kimberly P; Newell, Carol E; Hargrove, Matthew J

2007-01-01

Quick Polls were developed to obtain attitudes and opinions of U.S. Navy personnel in a shorter time period than traditional mailed surveys using a new contact method and a web-based survey available for only a...

Time perspective and socioeconomic status: a link to socioeconomic disparities in health?

Science.gov (United States)

Guthrie, Lori C; Butler, Stephen C; Ward, Michael M

2009-06-01

Time perspective is a measure of the degree to which one's thinking is motivated by considerations of the future, present, or past. Time perspective has been proposed as a potential mediator of socioeconomic disparities in health because it has been associated with health behaviors and is presumed to vary with socioeconomic status. In this cross-sectional community-based survey of respondents recruited from hair salons and barber shops in a suburb of Washington DC, we examined the association between time perspective and both education level and occupation. We asked participants (N=525) to complete a questionnaire that included three subscales (future, present-fatalistic, and present-hedonistic) of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. Participants with more formal education and those with professional occupations had higher scores on the future time perspective subscale, and lower scores on the present-fatalistic subscale, than participants with less formal education or a non-professional occupation. Present-fatalistic scores were also higher among participants whose parents had less formal education. Present-hedonistic scores were not associated with either education level or professional occupation. Time perspective scores were not independently associated with the likelihood of obesity, smoking, or exercise. In this community sample, future time perspective was associated with current socioeconomic status, and past-fatalistic time perspective was associated with both current and childhood socioeconomic status.

Organizing for low cost space operations - Status and plans

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, C.

1976-01-01

Design features of the Space Transportation System (vehicle reuse, low cost expendable components, simple payload interfaces, standard support systems) must be matched by economical operational methods to achieve low operating and payload costs. Users will be responsible for their own payloads and will be charged according to the services they require. Efficient use of manpower, simple documentation, simplified test, checkout, and flight planning are firm goals, together with flexibility for quick response to varying user needs. Status of the Shuttle hardware, plans for establishing low cost procedures, and the policy for user charges are discussed.

Are malnourished patients complex patients? Health status and care complexity of malnourished patients detected by the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kruizenga, H. M.; de Jonge, P.; Seidell, J. C.; Neelemaat, F.; van Bodegraven, A. A.; Wierdsma, N. J.; van Bokhorst-de van der Schueren, M. A. E.

Background: This article describes the characteristics of patients identified as malnourished using the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ) in terms of health status (quality of life, functional capacity, and body composition) and care complexity. We expected that by using the quick

[Comparison of the quick Gram stain method to the B&M modified and favor methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Osawa, Kayo; Kataoka, Nobumasa; Maruo, Toshio

2011-01-01

The Gram stain is an established method for bacterial identification, but the time needed to carry out this stain is 2-3 min. We attempted to shorten this time and stained a total of 70 clinical specimens isolated from using the Bartholomew & Mittwer (B&M) modified or Favor methods with a 3 s duration for washing and staining steps. Results were plotted and analyzed using a Hue Saturation Intensity (HSI) model. The range based on a plot of the two methods with the HSI model was presented as a reference interval. Our results indicated that 100% (35/35) of strains were Gram positive and 97.1% (34/35) were Gram negative for the quick B&M modified method. In the quick Favor method, 80.0% (28/35) were Gram positive and 68.6% (24/35) of strains were Gram negative. We propose that the quick B&M modified method is equivalent to the standard Gram staining method and is superior to the quick Favor method.

Porting Initiation and Failure into Linked CHEETAH

Science.gov (United States)

Souers, Clark; Vitello, Peter

2007-06-01

Linked CHEETAH is a thermo-chemical code coupled to a 2-D hydrocode. Initially, a quadratic-pressure dependent kinetic rate was used, which worked well in modeling prompt detonation of explosives of large size, but does not work on other aspects of explosive behavior. The variable-pressure Tarantula reactive flow rate model was developed with JWL++ in order to also describe failure and initiation, and we have moved this model into Linked CHEETAH. The model works by turning on only above a pressure threshold, where a slow turn-on creates initiation. At a higher pressure, the rate suddenly leaps to a large value over a small pressure range. A slowly failing cylinder will see a rapidly declining rate, which pushes it quickly into failure. At a high pressure, the detonation rate is constant. A sequential validation procedure is used, which includes metal-confined cylinders, rate-sticks, corner-turning, initiation and threshold, gap tests and air gaps. The size (diameter) effect is central to the calibration. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.

Oil-in-Ice Demonstration 4: Quick Look Report

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-01

A-3  Figure A-4. Temporary storage tank setup on the deck of USCGC Elm , December 2014 (ELASTEC American Marine 2014...an oil surrogate.  Boot covers work well for slippery surfaces, better than rubber boots. Oil-in-Ice IV Demonstration Quick Look Report 24...RDC | A. Balsley, et al. Public | November 2016 Figure A-4. Temporary storage tank setup on the deck of USCGC Elm , December 2014 (ELASTEC

Quick Estimation Model for the Concentration of Indoor Airborne Culturable Bacteria: An Application of Machine Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhijian Liu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Indoor airborne culturable bacteria are sometimes harmful to human health. Therefore, a quick estimation of their concentration is particularly necessary. However, measuring the indoor microorganism concentration (e.g., bacteria usually requires a large amount of time, economic cost, and manpower. In this paper, we aim to provide a quick solution: using knowledge-based machine learning to provide quick estimation of the concentration of indoor airborne culturable bacteria only with the inputs of several measurable indoor environmental indicators, including: indoor particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10, temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration. Our results show that a general regression neural network (GRNN model can sufficiently provide a quick and decent estimation based on the model training and testing using an experimental database with 249 data groups.

Dried Blood Spot Test for HIV Exposed Infants and Children and Their Anti-Retro Viral Treatment Status in Selected Hospitals in Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wondafrash, Beyene; Hiko, Desta

2016-01-01

Infants and children living with HIV receive antiretroviral treatment often late, are exposed to opportunistic infection and quickly develop AIDS. Few hospitals are providing ART service after Dried Blood Spot (DBS)test.The objective of this study is to assess the status of infants and children linked to ART. Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in hospitals. Data of 138 infants and children exposed to HIV were collected from registration books and data bases from 2009 to 2011. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Chi-squared test and p-value were computed. In-depth interviews were conducted with key informants. Ninety-eight (71%) infants and children exposed to HIV were diagnosed for HIV infection of which 68(69.4%) initiated ART. Twenty four (35.3%) initiated ART one month after HIV screening results. Thirty-three (50.0%) and 23(35.3%) infants and children dropped from and adhered to ART respectively. Eleven (16.2%) of them who initiated ART died within the study period. HIV infection status (p-value=0.003), dropping from ART (p-value=0.002) and death after ART initiation (p-value=0.010) showed significance with mothers' PMTCT service status. Seven in ten HIV-exposed infants and children were diagnosed with HIV, and almost all of them initiated ART. The overall turnaround time was 10 days. Based up on mothers' PMTCT service status, there was a significant difference among HIV-exposed infants and children in acquiring HIV infection from mothers during pregnancy (p-value=0.003) and dropping from ART (p-value=0.010). There were challenges in sample collection and transportation. Early HIV screening during pregnancy and PMTCT service should be strengthened.

Socio-economic status and urbanization are linked to snacks and obesity in adolescents in Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Maruapula, Segametsi D; Jackson, Jose C; Holsten, Joanna; Shaibu, Sheila; Malete, Leapetswe; Wrotniak, Brian; Ratcliffe, Sarah J; Mokone, George G; Stettler, Nicolas; Compher, Charlene

2011-12-01

To describe patterns of food consumption associated with overweight/obesity (OW/OB) and their links to socio-economic status (SES) and urbanization. A nationwide cross-sectional survey. Secondary schools in cities, towns and villages in Botswana, Africa. A total of 746 adolescent schoolchildren. OW/OB is associated with greater SES, city residence and a snack-food diet pattern. Students belonging to higher SES compared with those from a lower SES background reported significantly (P snack foods (1·55 v. 0·76) and fewer servings of traditional diet foods (0·99 v. 1·68) and also reported that they ate meals outside the home more often (90% v. 72%). Students in cities ate significantly (P snacks (1·69 v. 1·05 v. 0·51) and fewer servings of traditional foods (0·67 v. 1·52 v. 1·61) compared with those in urban and rural villages. The odds of OW/OB were increased 1·16-fold with a snack-food diet, a result that was diminished when controlled for SES. These data suggest that nutritional transition occurs at different rates across urbanization and SES levels in Botswana. In cities, increasing the availability of fruit while reducing access to or portion sizes of snack items is important. Emphasis on continued intake of traditional foods may also be helpful as rural areas undergo economic and infrastructural development.

A Measure of Cultural Competence as an Ethical Responsibility: Quick-Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test

Science.gov (United States)

Sirin, Selcuk R.; Rogers-Sirin, Lauren; Collins, Brian A.

2010-01-01

This article presents the psychometric qualifications of a new video-based measure of school professionals' ethical sensitivity toward issues of racial intolerance in schools. The new scale, titled the Quick-Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test (Quick-REST) is based on the ethical principles commonly shared by school-based professional…

Quick-Connect/Disconnect Joint For Truss Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Sprague, Benny B.

1991-01-01

Simple connector used for temporary structures and pipes. Truss connector joins and aligns structural members. Consists of two sections, one flanged and other with mating internal groove. When flanged half inserted in groove, moves lever of trigger mechanism upward. Cone then shoots into grooved half. Attached without tools in less than 2 seconds and taken apart just as quickly and easily. Developed for assembling structures in outer space, also useful for temporary terrestrial structures like scaffolds and portable bleachers. With modifications, used to join sections of pipelines carrying liquids or gases.

HBsAg RIA QUICK and Anti-HBs RIA QUICK. Information of a new technique of radioimmunoassay of hepatitis B virus surface antigen and the corresponding antibody using kits by IMMUNO Vienna

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kselikova, M; Urbankova, J

1985-11-01

With regard to the high sensitivity of HBsAg and anti-HBs detection using kits HBsAg RIA QUICK and Anti-HBs RIA QUICK, and with regard to the excellent technical set-up which substantially reduces demands on manual work and eliminates the need to equip the department with a rinser, and also with regard to the lower price as compared with similar kits by Abbott Co., the above mentioned two kits will be imported to Czechoslovakia.

Development and evaluation of the quick anaero-system-a new disposable anaerobic culture system.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Nam Woong; Kim, Jin Man; Choi, Gwang Ju; Jang, Sook Jin

2010-04-01

We developed a new disposable anaerobic culture system, namely, the Quick anaero-system, for easy culturing of obligate anaerobes. Our system consists of 3 components: 1) new disposable anaerobic gas pack, 2) disposable culture-envelope and sealer, and 3) reusable stainless plate rack with mesh containing 10 g of palladium catalyst pellets. To evaluate the efficiency of our system, we used 12 anaerobic bacteria. We prepared 2 sets of ten-fold serial dilutions of the 12 anaerobes, and inoculated these samples on Luria-Bertani (LB) broth and LB blood agar plate (LB-BAP) (BD Diagnostic Systems, USA). Each set was incubated in the Quick anaero-system (DAS Tech, Korea) and BBL GasPak jar with BD GasPak EZ Anaerobe Container System (BD Diagnostic Systems) at 35-37 degrees C for 48 hr. The minimal inoculum size showing visible growth of 12 anaerobes when incubated in both the systems was compared. The minimal inoculum size showing visible growth for 2 out of the 12 anaerobes in the LB broth and 9 out of the 12 anaerobes on LB-BAP was lower for the Quick anaero-system than in the BD GasPak EZ Anaerobe Container System. The mean time (+/-SD) required to achieve absolute anaerobic conditions of the Quick anaero-system was 17 min and 56 sec (+/-3 min and 25 sec). The Quick anaero-system is a simple and effective method of culturing obligate anaerobes, and its performance is superior to that of the BD GasPak EZ Anaerobe Container System.

Study of a New Quick-Charging Strategy for Electric Vehicles in Highway Charging Stations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixing Chen

2016-09-01

Full Text Available To solve the problem, because of which conventional quick-charging strategies (CQCS cannot meet the requirements of quick-charging for multiple types of electric vehicles (EV on highways where vehicle inflow is excessive, this paper proposed a new quick-charging strategy (NQCS for EVs: on the premise of not affecting those EVs being charged, the remaining power of the quick-charging pile with multiple power output interfaces is used to provide a synchronous charging service for EVs waiting in the queue. To verify the effectiveness of this strategy, a power distribution model of charging pile and a queuing model of charging station (CS were constructed. In addition, based on an actual highway service area where vehicle inflow is excessive during the simulation period (0:00–24:00, charging situations of CQCS and NQCS were respectively simulated in a charging station (CS, with different number of chargers, by basic queuing algorithm and an improved queuing algorithm. The simulation results showed that when the relative EV inflow is excessive, compared to CQCS, NQCS not only can reduce user waiting time, charging time, and stay time, but also can improve the utilisation rate of charging infrastructure and service capacity of CS and reduce the queue length of CS. At the same time, NQCS can reduce the impact on the power grid. In addition, in NQCS, the on-demand power distribution method is more efficient than the average power distribution method. Therefore, NQCS is more suitable for quick-charging for multiple types of EVs on highways where vehicle inflow is excessive.

Physical activity and cohabitation status moderate the link between diabetes mellitus and cognitive performance in a community-dwelling elderly population in Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Buchmann, Nikolaus; Tegeler, Christina; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

Aims/Hypothesis The increasing number of people with dementia and cognitive impairments makes it essential to detect and prevent modifiable risk factors of dementia. This study focuses on type 2 diabetes mellitus, especially on undiagnosed cases and their increased risk of cognitive impairment. Furthermore, the potential of physical activity and social integration to moderate the relation between diabetes and cognitive impairment is assessed. Methods We used cross-sectional data from 1299 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) aged between 60 to 84 years and performed logistic regression models to analyze the association of diabetes status, physical activity, and cohabitation status with poor cognitive performance. Cognitive performance was measured with the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD)-Plus test battery. Results Undiagnosed diabetes (odds ratio (OR) = 2.12, p = 0.031), physical inactivity (OR = 1.43, p = 0.008) and non-cohabiting (OR = 1.58, p = 0.002) were associated with an increased likelihood of poor cognitive performance. The highest odds were observed in participants who suffered from undiagnosed or insulin-dependent diabetes and, in addition, were inactive (undiagnosed diabetes: OR = 3.44, p = 0.003; insulin-dependent diabetes: OR = 6.19, p = 0.019) or lived alone (undiagnosed diabetes: OR = 4.46, p = 0.006; insulin-dependent diabetes: OR = 6.46 p = 0.052). Physical activity and cohabiting appeared to be beneficial. Conclusions/Interpretation Physical activity and cohabitation status moderate the link between diabetes mellitus and cognitive performance. Special attention should be paid to undiagnosed and insulin-dependent diabetes cases, which have a particularly high risk of poor cognitive performance. PMID:29073237

Formaldehyde cross-linking and structural proteomics: Bridging the gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasa, Savita; Ding, Xuan; Kast, Juergen

2015-11-01

Proteins are dynamic entities constantly moving and altering their structures based on their functions and interactions inside and outside the cell. Formaldehyde cross-linking combined with mass spectrometry can accurately capture interactions of these rapidly changing biomolecules while maintaining their physiological surroundings. Even with its numerous established uses in biology and compatibility with mass spectrometry, formaldehyde has not yet been applied in structural proteomics. However, formaldehyde cross-linking is moving toward analyzing tertiary structure, which conventional cross-linkers have already accomplished. The purpose of this review is to describe the potential of formaldehyde cross-linking in structural proteomics by highlighting its applications, characteristics and current status in the field. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Better performance of Western blotting: quick vs slow protein transfer, blotting membranes and the visualization methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Ling-Quan; Pu, Ying-Hui; Ma, Shi-Kun

2008-01-01

To study how the choices of the quick vs slow protein transfer, the blotting membranes and the visualization methods influence the performance of Western blotting. The cellular proteins were abstracted from human breast cell line MDA-MB-231 for analysis with Western blotting using quick (2 h) and slow (overnight) protein transfer, different blotting membranes (nitrocellulose, PVDF and nylon membranes) and different visualization methods (ECL and DAB). In Western blotting with slow and quick protein transfer, the prestained marker presented more distinct bands on nitrocellulose membrane than on the nylon and PVDF membranes, and the latter also showed clear bands on the back of the membrane to very likely cause confusion, which did not occur with nitrocellulose membrane. PVDF membrane allowed slightly clearer visualization of the proteins with DAB method as compared with nitrocellulose and nylon membranes, and on the latter two membranes, quick protein transfer was likely to result in somehow irregular bands in comparison with slow protein transfer. With slow protein transfer and chemiluminescence for visualization, all the 3 membranes showed clear background, while with quick protein transfer, nylon membrane gave rise to obvious background noise but the other two membranes did not. Different membranes should be selected for immunoblotting according to the actual needs of the experiment. Slow transfer of the proteins onto the membranes often has better effect than quick transfer, and enhanced chemiluminescence is superior to DAB for protein visualization and allows highly specific and sensitive analysis of the protein expressions.

Evaluation of quick tests for phosphorus determination in dairy manures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lugo-Ospina, A. [Animal Manure and By-Products Laboratory, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705 (United States); Dao, Thanh H. [Animal Manure and By-Products Laboratory, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705 (United States); Van Kessel, J.A. [Animal Waste Pathogens Laboratory, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705 (United States); Reeves, J.B. [Animal Manure and By-Products Laboratory, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705 (United States)]. E-mail: jreeves@anri.barc.usda.gov

2005-05-01

Nutrients in animal manure are valuable inputs in agronomic crop production. Rapid and timely information about manure nutrient content are needed to minimize the risks of phosphorus (P) over-application and losses of dissolved P (DP) in runoff from fields treated with manure. We evaluated the suitability of a commercial hand-held reflectometer, a hydrometer, and an electrical conductivity (EC) meter for determining DP and total P (TP) in dairy manures. Bulk samples (n = 107) collected from farms across CT, MD, NY, PA, and VA were highly variable in total solids (TS) concentration, ranging from 11 to 213 g L{sup -1}, in suspensions' pH (6.3-9.2), and EC (6.2-53.3 dS m{sup -1}). Manure DP concentrations measured using the RQFlex reflectometer (RQFlex-DP{sub s}) were related to molybdate-reactive P (MRP{sub s}) concentrations as follows: RQFlex-DP{sub s} = 0.471 x MRP{sub s} + 1102 (r{sup 2} = 0.29). Inclusion of pH and squared-pH terms improved the prediction of manure DP from RQFlex results (r{sup 2} = 0.66). Excluding five outlier samples that had pH {<=} 6.9 the coefficient of determination (r{sup 2}) for the MRP{sub s} and RQFlex-DP{sub s} relationship was 0.83 for 95% of the samples. Manure TS were related to hydrometer specific gravity readings (r{sup 2} = 0.53) that were in turn related to TP (r{sup 2} = 0.34), but not to either RQFlex-DP or MRP. Relationships between suspensions' EC and DP or TP were non-significant. Therefore, the RQFlex method is the only viable option for on-site quick estimates of DP that can be made more robust when complemented with TS and pH measurements. The DP quick test can provide near real-time information on soluble manure nutrient content across a wide range of handling and storage conditions on dairy farms and quick estimates of potential soluble P losses in runoff following land applications of manure. - The dissolved phosphorous quick test can provide real-time information on soluble manure nutrient control.

PROSPECTS OF APPLICATION OF THE CONCEPTOF QUICK RESPONSE MANUFACTURING AT THE RUSSIAN INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ch. V. Shipilova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to research of such concept of the organization of production, as Quick Response Manufacturing or Quick-response production, at the center which, time of implementation of the order is put. Today domestic producers are compelled to function in new conditions, competing with a great number of players of the global market, as a result the emphasis on timely implementation of orders and a tendency of reduction of time of production will allow to reach competitive advantages. Fundamental aspects of Quick Response Manufacturing within functioning of the enterprise of branch are considered, and also the essential lack of this concept is revealed.The purpose / objectives. The purpose of article is research of the economic contents of the concept of the organization of production Quick Response Manufacturing and area of its use at the modern industrial enterprises. Article tasks: to investigate economic contents of the concept of Quick Response Manufacturing, to reveal its features and scopes in the modern industry.Methods. A methodical basis of this article are comparative methods of the analysis.Results. The economic contents of the concept of Quick Response Manufacturing are investigated. Four main key aspects which are the cornerstone of this concept are investigated: time force, organizational structure of the enterprise, system dynamics and possibilities of its application in scales of all enterprise. Components of positive work of system dynamics of the industrial enterprise are revealed, the trend of critical process of production is built. Considering that modern conditions demand from the enterprises to react, adapt quickly for the changing conditions, the factor of time plays an important role. Therefore the concept of QRM has rather perspective character, focusing attention on time of implementation of the order, in that communication that this parameter is one of key both for the enterprise, and for increase of its

A study of 60 Gigahertz intersatellite link applications

Science.gov (United States)

Anzic, G.; Connolly, D. J.; Haugland, E. J.; Kosmahl, H. G.; Chitwood, J. S.

Applications of intersatellite links operating at 60 GHz are reviewed. Likely scenarios, ranging from transmission of moderate and high data rates over long distances to low data rates over short distances are examined. A limited parametric tradeoff is performed with system variables such as radiofrequency power, receiver noise temperature, link distance, data rate, and antenna size. Present status is discussed and projections are given for both electron tube and solid state transmitter technologies. Monolithic transmit and receive module technology, already under development at 20 to 30 GHz, is reviewed and its extension to 60 GHz, and possible applicability is discussed.

A study of 60 GHz intersatellite link applications

Science.gov (United States)

Anzic, G.; Connolly, D. J.; Haugland, E. J.; Kosmahl, H. G.; Chitwood, J. S.

Applications of intersatellite links operating at 60 GHz are reviewed. Likely scenarios, ranging from transmission of moderate and high data rates over long distances to low data rates over short distances are examined. A limited parametric tradeoff is performed with system variables such as radiofrequency power, receiver noise temperature, link distance, data rate, and antenna size. Present status is discussed and projections are given for both electron tube and solid state transmitter technologies. Monolithic transmit and receive module technology, already under development at 20 to 30 GHz, is reviewed and its extension to 60 GHz, and possible applicability is discussed.

A study of 60 Gigahertz intersatellite link applications

Science.gov (United States)

Anzic, G.; Connolly, D. J.; Haugland, E. J.; Kosmahl, H. G.; Chitwood, J. S.

1983-01-01

Applications of intersatellite links operating at 60 GHz are reviewed. Likely scenarios, ranging from transmission of moderate and high data rates over long distances to low data rates over short distances are examined. A limited parametric tradeoff is performed with system variables such as radiofrequency power, receiver noise temperature, link distance, data rate, and antenna size. Present status is discussed and projections are given for both electron tube and solid state transmitter technologies. Monolithic transmit and receive module technology, already under development at 20 to 30 GHz, is reviewed and its extension to 60 GHz, and possible applicability is discussed.

A study of 60 GHz intersatellite link applications

Science.gov (United States)

Anzic, G.; Connolly, D. J.; Haugland, E. J.; Kosmahl, H. G.; Chitwood, J. S.

1983-01-01

Applications of intersatellite links operating at 60 GHz are reviewed. Likely scenarios, ranging from transmission of moderate and high data rates over long distances to low data rates over short distances are examined. A limited parametric tradeoff is performed with system variables such as radiofrequency power, receiver noise temperature, link distance, data rate, and antenna size. Present status is discussed and projections are given for both electron tube and solid state transmitter technologies. Monolithic transmit and receive module technology, already under development at 20 to 30 GHz, is reviewed and its extension to 60 GHz, and possible applicability is discussed.

Proposed Standards for Variable Harmonization Documentation and Referencing: A Case Study Using QuickCharmStats 1.1

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, Kristi; Netscher, Sebastian

2016-01-01

Comparative statistical analyses often require data harmonization, yet the social sciences do not have clear operationalization frameworks that guide and homogenize variable coding decisions across disciplines. When faced with a need to harmonize variables researchers often look for guidance from various international studies that employ output harmonization, such as the Comparative Survey of Election Studies, which offer recoding structures for the same variable (e.g. marital status). More problematically there are no agreed documentation standards or journal requirements for reporting variable harmonization to facilitate a transparent replication process. We propose a conceptual and data-driven digital solution that creates harmonization documentation standards for publication and scholarly citation: QuickCharmStats 1.1. It is free and open-source software that allows for the organizing, documenting and publishing of data harmonization projects. QuickCharmStats starts at the conceptual level and its workflow ends with a variable recording syntax. It is therefore flexible enough to reflect a variety of theoretical justifications for variable harmonization. Using the socio-demographic variable ‘marital status’, we demonstrate how the CharmStats workflow collates metadata while being guided by the scientific standards of transparency and replication. It encourages researchers to publish their harmonization work by providing researchers who complete the peer review process a permanent identifier. Those who contribute original data harmonization work to their discipline can now be credited through citations. Finally, we propose peer-review standards for harmonization documentation, describe a route to online publishing, and provide a referencing format to cite harmonization projects. Although CharmStats products are designed for social scientists our adherence to the scientific method ensures our products can be used by researchers across the sciences. PMID

Quick assessment of binary distillation efficiency using a heat engine perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blahušiak, M.; Kiss, A.A.; Kersten, S.R.A.; Schuur, B.

2016-01-01

With emphasis on close boiling, (near-)ideal VLE mixtures, this paper links the efficiency of distillation to the binary feed composition and thermal properties of the compounds. The proposed approach, treating the process as a heat engine, allows to directly quantify distillation performance (in terms of energy intensity & efficiency) based on the components boiling points and feed composition. In addition, this approach reviews and formulates simple, approximate and essentially non-iterative calculation procedures to quickly estimate the energy efficiency of distillation. These estimations may be applied to identify opportunities to save significant amounts of energy. The results show that the reboiler duty for low relative volatility is relatively independent of the heat of vaporization and feed composition, while being reciprocally proportional to the Carnot efficiency of the distillation column. The internal efficiency for distillation of mixtures with low relative volatility has a maximum of about 70% for a symmetrical feed (equimolar ratio) and decreases to zero for unsymmetrical feed compositions approaching infinite dilution. With increasing relative volatility, the maximum efficiency is preserved, but the locus shifts towards lower light component fractions. At very high relative volatility, the internal efficiency increases with decreasing concentration of light component, as typical for evaporators. - Highlights: • A heat engine perspective was applied to estimate binary distillation efficiency. • The method was derived from first principles. • Validation on industrial cases showed the strength of the method.

Molecular Evolution of Slow and Quick Anion Channels (SLACs and QUACs/ALMTs).

Science.gov (United States)

Dreyer, Ingo; Gomez-Porras, Judith Lucia; Riaño-Pachón, Diego Mauricio; Hedrich, Rainer; Geiger, Dietmar

2012-01-01

Electrophysiological analyses conducted about 25 years ago detected two types of anion channels in the plasma membrane of guard cells. One type of channel responds slowly to changes in membrane voltage while the other responds quickly. Consequently, they were named SLAC, for SLow Anion Channel, and QUAC, for QUick Anion Channel. Recently, genes SLAC1 and QUAC1/ALMT12, underlying the two different anion current components, could be identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression of the gene products in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the quick and slow current kinetics. In this study we provide an overview on our current knowledge on slow and quick anion channels in plants and analyze the molecular evolution of ALMT/QUAC-like and SLAC-like channels. We discovered fingerprints that allow screening databases for these channel types and were able to identify 192 (177 non-redundant) SLAC-like and 422 (402 non-redundant) ALMT/QUAC-like proteins in the fully sequenced genomes of 32 plant species. Phylogenetic analyses provided new insights into the molecular evolution of these channel types. We also combined sequence alignment and clustering with predictions of protein features, leading to the identification of known conserved phosphorylation sites in SLAC1-like channels along with potential sites that have not been yet experimentally confirmed. Using a similar strategy to analyze the hydropathicity of ALMT/QUAC-like channels, we propose a modified topology with additional transmembrane regions that integrates structure and function of these membrane proteins. Our results suggest that cross-referencing phylogenetic analyses with position-specific protein properties and functional data could be a very powerful tool for genome research approaches in general.

Molecular evolution of slow and quick anion channels (SLACs and QUACs/ALMTs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingo eDreyer

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Electrophysiological analyses conducted about 25 years ago detected two types of anion channels in the plasma membrane of guard cells. One type of channel responds slowly to changes in membrane voltage while the other responds quickly. Consequently, they were named SLAC, for SLow Anion Channel, and QUAC, for QUick Anion Channel. Recently, genes SLAC1 and QUAC1/ALMT12, underlying the two different anion current components, could be identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression of the gene products in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the quick and slow current kinetics. In this study we provide an overview on our current knowledge on slow and quick anion channels in plants and analyze the molecular evolution of ALMT/QUAC-like and SLAC-like channels. We discovered fingerprints that allow screening databases for these channel types and were able to identify 192 (177 non-redundant SLAC-like and 422 (402 non-redundant ALMT/QUAC-like proteins in the fully sequenced genomes of 32 plant species. Phylogenetic analyses provided new insights into the molecular evolution of these channel types. We also combined sequence alignment and clustering with predictions of protein features, leading to the identification of known conserved phosphorylation sites in SLAC1-like channels along with potential sites that have not been yet experimentally confirmed. Using a similar strategy to analyze the hydropathicity of ALMT/QUAC-like channels, we propose a modified topology with additional transmembrane regions that integrates structure and function of these membrane proteins. Our results suggest that cross-referencing phylogenetic analyses with position-specific protein properties and functional data could be a very powerful tool for genome research approaches in general.

Isolation of a sex-linked DNA sequence in cranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, W; Fuerst, P A

2001-01-01

A female-specific DNA fragment (CSL-W; crane sex-linked DNA on W chromosome) was cloned from female whooping cranes (Grus americana). From the nucleotide sequence of CSL-W, a set of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers was identified which amplify a 227-230 bp female-specific fragment from all existing crane species and some other noncrane species. A duplicated versions of the DNA segment, which is found to have a larger size (231-235 bp) than CSL-W in both sexes, was also identified, and was designated CSL-NW (crane sex-linked DNA on non-W chromosome). The nucleotide similarity between the sequences of CSL-W and CSL-NW from whooping cranes was 86.3%. The CSL primers do not amplify any sequence from mammalian DNA, limiting the potential for contamination from human sources. Using the CSL primers in combination with a quick DNA extraction method allows the noninvasive identification of crane gender in less than 10 h. A test of the methodology was carried out on fully developed body feathers from 18 captive cranes and resulted in 100% successful identification.

Development of a simple and quick immunochromatography method for detection of anti-HPV-16/-18 antibodies

Science.gov (United States)

Endo, Fumiko; Tabata, Tsutomu; Sadato, Daichi; Kawamura, Machiko; Ando, Noriyuki; Ukaji, Masako; Kobayashi, Kaoru; Kobayashi, Yukuharu; Ikeda, Tomoaki; Shibasaki, Futoshi

2017-01-01

Immunochromatography (IC) is widely used to detect target molecules in biological fluids. Since this method can be performed without a special technique or device, IC is a convenient way to assess the existence of antibodies or pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, simply and quickly. In this study, we established an IC method to detect serum antibodies against oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 and HPV-18 L1 proteins using recombinant L1 proteins produced by silkworms as antigens. Infection of oncogenic HPVs is a major risk factor of cervical cancer, which is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. We first measured blood sera of two groups by magnetic beads enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MB-ELISA). For the first group, sera were collected prospectively from young women who planned to receive HPV vaccination. The second group consisted of children under 20 years of age, non-vaccinated healthy women, vaccinated healthy women, dysplasia, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III, and cervical cancer patients. We confirmed that standard vaccination doses significantly increased serum HPV antibody concentrations, and the level was sustained at least more than 30 months after vaccination. In contrast, an increase in antibody concentration was not observed in patients with precancerous cervical changes and cervical cancer. We next measured the samples in both groups using the IC method we originally developed, and found that the measurement values of IC highly correlated with those of MB-ELISA. The simple and quick IC method would be a useful tool for rapid monitoring of L1 specific antibody levels in a non-laboratory environment. With less than one drop of serum, our IC can easily detect serum HPV-16/-18 antibodies within 15 minutes, without the need for electronic devices or techniques. PMID:28158224

Development of a simple and quick immunochromatography method for detection of anti-HPV-16/-18 antibodies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fumiko Endo

Full Text Available Immunochromatography (IC is widely used to detect target molecules in biological fluids. Since this method can be performed without a special technique or device, IC is a convenient way to assess the existence of antibodies or pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, simply and quickly. In this study, we established an IC method to detect serum antibodies against oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV-16 and HPV-18 L1 proteins using recombinant L1 proteins produced by silkworms as antigens. Infection of oncogenic HPVs is a major risk factor of cervical cancer, which is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. We first measured blood sera of two groups by magnetic beads enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MB-ELISA. For the first group, sera were collected prospectively from young women who planned to receive HPV vaccination. The second group consisted of children under 20 years of age, non-vaccinated healthy women, vaccinated healthy women, dysplasia, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III, and cervical cancer patients. We confirmed that standard vaccination doses significantly increased serum HPV antibody concentrations, and the level was sustained at least more than 30 months after vaccination. In contrast, an increase in antibody concentration was not observed in patients with precancerous cervical changes and cervical cancer. We next measured the samples in both groups using the IC method we originally developed, and found that the measurement values of IC highly correlated with those of MB-ELISA. The simple and quick IC method would be a useful tool for rapid monitoring of L1 specific antibody levels in a non-laboratory environment. With less than one drop of serum, our IC can easily detect serum HPV-16/-18 antibodies within 15 minutes, without the need for electronic devices or techniques.

40 CFR 22.18 - Quick resolution; settlement; alternative dispute resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...; alternative dispute resolution. 22.18 Section 22.18 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...; alternative dispute resolution. (a) Quick resolution. (1) A respondent may resolve the proceeding at any time... complaint. (d) Alternative means of dispute resolution. (1) The parties may engage in any process within the...

Quick profile-reorganization driven by helical field perturbation for suppressing tokamak major disruptions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, K.; Kawahata, K.; Ando, R.

1986-09-01

Disruptive behavior of magnetic field configuration leading to tokamak major disruption is found to be controlled by a mild ''mini-disruption'' which is induced by the compact external modular multipole-field coils with m = 3/n = 2 dominant helical field component in the JIPP T-IIU tokamak. This mini-disruption ergodizes the m = 2/n = 1 magnetic island quickly but mildly and then prevents the profile of electron temperature from flattening. This quick profile-reorganization is effective to avoid the two-step disruption (pre- and major disuptions) responsible for the chatastrophic current termination. (author)

Relationships among mental health status, social context, and demographic characteristics in Taiwanese aboriginal adolescents: a structural equation model.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Cheng-Fang; Hsu, Chia-Chuang; Liu, Shu-Chun; Huang, Chi-Fen; Ko, Chih-Hung; Yen, Ju-Yu; Cheng, Chung-Ping

2006-10-01

The purposes of this study were to examine the relationships among mental health status, demographic characteristics, and social contexts, including family conflict and support, connectedness to school, and affiliation with peers who exhibit delinquent behavior and who use substances, among Taiwanese aboriginal adolescents. A total of 251 aboriginal junior high school students in an isolated mountainous area of southern Taiwan were recruited, and the relationships among mental health status, demographic characteristics, and social contexts among them were examined using a structural equation model (SEM). The SEM revealed that family conflict and support had direct influences on mental health status and connectedness to school. Family conflict had a direct relationship with affiliation with peers who use substances, and family conflict and support were both indirectly linked with affiliation with peers who exhibit delinquent behavior and who used substances; these were mediated by a poor mental health status. Female and older age were directly linked with a poor mental health status and were indirectly linked with a greater number of peers who exhibit delinquent behavior and who use substances via the poor mental health status. Disruptive parenting was directly linked with affiliation with peers who use substances. The authors suggest that those who devise strategies to improve aboriginal adolescents' mental health and discourage substance use should take these relationships among mental health, demographic characteristics, and social contexts into account.

Quick-E-scan: A methodology for the energy scan of SMEs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cagno, E.; Trucco, P.; Trianni, A.; Sala, G.

2010-01-01

This paper introduces the Quick-E-Scan methodology that has been developed to achieve the operational energy efficiency of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), characterized by being scarcely disposed to long energy audits and by a limited budget for energy management programs. On one side, through dividing the firm into functional units - either service (lighting, HVAC, etc.) or production units - the main consuming areas are identified and a criticality index is defined; conversely, an enhancement index highlights the gap of each unit towards the best available techniques (BATs) in energy management programs. Finally, a priority index, created with the junction of the two indexes, points out the most profitable areas in which energy saving measures should be implemented. The methodology, particularly quick and simple, has been successfully tested in 38 SMEs in Northern Italy.

A Quick Surgical Treatment of Conjunctivochalasis Using Radiofrequencies

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Alexandra Trivli

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose of our study is to present a quick surgical procedure for the treatment of Conjunctivochalasis (CCH and to evaluate its effectiveness. Thirty consecutive patients, in whom CCH was diagnosed on clinical examination, were investigated for the presence of symptoms of dry eye. The 60 eyes were evaluated according to their symptomatology and the 40 symptomatic eyes were grouped in two stages using the LIPCOF (stage 1, one small fold; stage 2, more than two folds but not higher than the tear meniscus classification and included in the study. After a subconjunctival injection of lidocaine 20 mg/mL, a medium frequency alternating current (RF was used, adjusted in low power. With a wide tip, redundant conjunctiva was ablated leaving space between the ablations. Postoperative treatment included eye oint.gentamicin 0.3% with dexamethasone 0.03% three times a day for 5 days. At postoperative day 10, conjunctival edema had subsided and conjunctival epithelium was intact after fluorescein staining. Symptoms had improved in all patients. During follow-up, no complication was detected. Mild conjunctival hyperemia was present in all cases but resolved with standard postoperative medications. To conclude, CCh treatment with RF appears to be a safe, quick, and effective surgical technique. Operation time is less than 10 min and can be performed in an outpatient clinic.

Emerging semantics to link phenotype and environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne E. Thessen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding the interplay between environmental conditions and phenotypes is a fundamental goal of biology. Unfortunately, data that include observations on phenotype and environment are highly heterogeneous and thus difficult to find and integrate. One approach that is likely to improve the status quo involves the use of ontologies to standardize and link data about phenotypes and environments. Specifying and linking data through ontologies will allow researchers to increase the scope and flexibility of large-scale analyses aided by modern computing methods. Investments in this area would advance diverse fields such as ecology, phylogenetics, and conservation biology. While several biological ontologies are well-developed, using them to link phenotypes and environments is rare because of gaps in ontological coverage and limits to interoperability among ontologies and disciplines. In this manuscript, we present (1 use cases from diverse disciplines to illustrate questions that could be answered more efficiently using a robust linkage between phenotypes and environments, (2 two proof-of-concept analyses that show the value of linking phenotypes to environments in fishes and amphibians, and (3 two proposed example data models for linking phenotypes and environments using the extensible observation ontology (OBOE and the Biological Collections Ontology (BCO; these provide a starting point for the development of a data model linking phenotypes and environments.

Problems in developing an instrument for the rapid assessment of personality status.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Horn, E; Manley, C; Leddy, D; Cicchetti, D; Tyrer, P

2000-06-01

To assess the validity of a quick assessment instrument (10 minutes) for assessing personality status, the Rapid Personality Assessment Schedule (PAS-R). The PAS-R was evaluated in psychotic patients recruited in one of the centres involved in a multicentre randomised controlled trial of intensive vs standard case management (the UK700 case management trial). Patients were assessed using both a full version of the PAS (PAS-I - ICD version) and the PAS-R. The weighted kappa statistic was used to gauge the (criterion-related) validity of the PAS-R using the PAS-I as the gold standard. Both measure code personality status using a four-point rating of severity in addition to recording individual categories of personality disorder. One hundred fifty-five (77%) of 201 patients recruited were assessed with both instruments. The weighted kappa statistic was 0.31, suggesting only moderate agreement between the PAS-I and PAS-R instruments under the four-point rating format, and 0.39 for the dichotomous personality disorder/no disorder separation. The sensitivity (64%) and specificity (82%) of the PAS-R in predicting PAS-I personality disorder were as satisfactory as for other screening instruments but still somewhat disappointing, and the PAS-R had an overall diagnostic accuracy of 78%. The PAS-R is a quick and rough method of detecting personality abnormality but is not a substitute for a fuller assessment.

Preventing distortion of quick couplers of hoses of central pipe lines--a cheap and simple method.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamath S

1995-01-01

Full Text Available A cheap and practical approach of steel chains attached to the station outlet quick couplers helps in maintaining the shape of the quick couplers and ensures their effective functioning over a long period of time and avoids mishap of connection due to damage of these couplers.

Quick returns and night work as predictors of sleep quality, fatigue, work-family balance and satisfaction with work hours.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlgren, Anna; Tucker, Philip; Gustavsson, Petter; Rudman, Ann

2016-01-01

Quick returns (intervals of work. The current study explored quick returns and night work in terms of their impact on sleep, unwinding, recovery, exhaustion, satisfaction with work hours and work-family interference. Data from the 2006 cohort of Swedish nursing students within the national Longitudinal Analysis of Nursing Education (LANE) study were analysed (N = 1459). Respondents completed a questionnaire prior to graduation (response rate 69.2%) and 3 years after graduation (65.9%). The analyses examined associations between frequency of quick returns and night work and measures taken in year three, while adjusting for confounding factors (in year three and prior graduation). Frequency of quick returns was a significant predictor of poor sleep quality, short sleeps, unwinding, exhaustion, satisfaction with work hours and work-to-family interference, with higher frequency predicting more negative outcomes. Quick returns did not predict recovery after rest days. Frequency of night work did not predict any of the outcomes. In conclusion, quick returns were an important determinant of sleep, recovery and wellbeing, whereas night work did not show such an association.

Vitamin K status in chronic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, Kristin M; Adams, Michael A; Holden, Rachel M

2013-11-07

The purpose of this review is to summarize the research to date on vitamin K status in chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review includes a summary of the data available on vitamin K status in patients across the spectrum of CKD as well as the link between vitamin K deficiency in CKD and bone dynamics, including mineralization and demineralization, as well as ectopic mineralization. It also describes two current clinical trials that are underway evaluating vitamin K treatment in CKD patients. These data may inform future clinical practice in this population.

Substitution of valine for glycine-558 in the congenital dysthrombin thrombin Quick II alters primary substrate specificity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henriksen, R.A.; Mann, K.G. (Univ. of Vermont, Burlington (USA))

1989-03-07

Thrombin Quick II is one of two dysfunctional forms of thrombin derived from the previously described congenital dysprothrombin prothrombin Quick. Thrombin Quick II does not clot fibrinogen, hydrolyze p-nitroanilide substrates of thrombin, or bind N{sup 2}-(5-(dimethylamino)naphthalene-1-sulfonyl)arginine N,N-(3-ethyl-1,5-pentanediyl)amide, a high-affinity competitive inhibitor of thrombin. To determine the structural alteration in thrombin Quick II, the reduced, carboxymethylated protein was hydrolyzed by a lysyl endopeptidase. A peptide not present in a parallel thrombin hydrolysate was identified by reverse-phase chromatography. This Gly residue, which is highly conserved in the chymotrypsin family of serine proteases, forms part of the substrate binding pocket for bulky aromatic and basic side chains in chymotrypsin and trypsin, respectively. However, in porcine elastase 1, the corresponding residue is threonine. Consistent with the identified structural alteration, thrombin Quick II incorporates ({sup 3}H)diisopropyl fluorophosphate stoichiometrically and hydrolyzes the elastase substrate succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Leu-p-nitroanilide with a relative k{sub cat}/K{sub M} of 0.14 when compared to thrombin. This results from a 3-fold increase in K{sub M} and a 2.5-fold decrease in k{sub cat} for thrombin Quick II when compared to thrombin acting on the same substrate. These results and those of other investigators studying mutant trypsins support the conclusion that the catalytic activity of serine proteases is very sensitive to structural alterations in the primary substrate binding pocket.

Pathways linking parental divorce with adolescent depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Aseltine, R H

1996-06-01

This article examines the intervening pathways linking parental divorce with adolescent depression, using both cross-sectional and prospective data from a study of high school students in the Boston metropolitan area. Overall, findings reveal that parental divorce is linked with adolescent depression in two ways: (1) it is a source of numerous secondary problems and stresses that are causally related to depression, and (2) it alters youths' reactivity to these stresses, in some cases enhancing, but in other cases mitigating, their depressive effects. Analyses demonstrated the central role of economic hardship in linking family status with depression, with the strength of this indirect pathway partly attributable to the greater vulnerability of youths in single-parent families to financial stresses. In contrast, family conflict did not account for the distress of youths in single-parent families, largely because of their immunity to the effects of such conflict. Finally, prospective data failed to support the hypothesis that differences between youths in single-parent and intact families predate the divorce.

BioNames: linking taxonomy, texts, and trees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roderic D.M. Page

2013-10-01

Full Text Available BioNames is a web database of taxonomic names for animals, linked to the primary literature and, wherever possible, to phylogenetic trees. It aims to provide a taxonomic “dashboard” where at a glance we can see a summary of the taxonomic and phylogenetic information we have for a given taxon and hence provide a quick answer to the basic question “what is this taxon?” BioNames combines classifications from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF and GenBank, images from the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL, animal names from the Index of Organism Names (ION, and bibliographic data from multiple sources including the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL and CrossRef. The user interface includes display of full text articles, interactive timelines of taxonomic publications, and zoomable phylogenies. It is available at http://bionames.org.

Public views on the links between air pollution and health in Northeast England

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howel, Denise; Moffatt, Suzanne; Bush, Judith; Unn, C.E.; Prince, Helen

2003-01-01

We investigated how public perceptions of the links between air pollution and health varied with contextual factors describing individuals and their locality. Information was collected via postal surveys on 2744 adults resident in five neighborhoods in Northeast England. Perceptions were compared by individual factors (health status, age, and gender) and locality actors (relative deprivation, proximity to industry and district--Teesside r Sunderland, with different amounts of heavy industry). There was relatively little variation in views about air pollution and health links between neighborhoods. The greatest contrasts were found when comparing those living near or further from industry and between the two districts. Any differences were related more to awareness of illness in the neighborhood thought to be affected by air pollution, rather than belief that a particular disease was linked to air pollution. Chronic illness status and age were sometimes found to be associated with perceptions of disease affected by air pollution, but gender and material deprivation were not central to differences in risk perceptions among the population studied. In understanding public perceptions about the links between air quality and health, research should focus on the characteristics of places as well as of people

Change in subjective social status following HIV diagnosis and associated effects on mental and physical health among HIV-positive gay men in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Heywood, Wendy; Lyons, Anthony

2017-07-01

This study investigates the impact of HIV diagnosis on subjective social status and if changes are linked to health outcomes. Two measures of subjective social status, socio-economic and standing in the community were examined in 342 Australian HIV-positive gay men in 2014. Participants recalled ratings at diagnosis were compared with current ratings. Self-reported mental (psychological distress, self-esteem, positive mental health and satisfaction with life) and physical health (self-rated health, CD4 count, viral load). Half of the participants reported improvements in subjective socio-economic status (59%) or standing in the community (52%) since diagnosis, yet one quarter reported socio-economic status (25%) or standing in the community had decreased (23%). Increases in either measure of subjective social status were linked to higher self-esteem, positive mental health, satisfaction with life and better self-rated health. Decreases in subjective social status, however, were strongly linked to poorer outcomes on all mental health measures. Decreases in standing in the community were also associated with poorer physical self-rated health. Most participants reported their subjective social status were the same or better since diagnosis. Changes in subjective social status following diagnosis were strongly linked to mental health outcomes. Those who reported a decrease in subjective social status were particularly vulnerable to mental health problems.

TESS Data Processing and Quick-look Pipeline

Science.gov (United States)

Fausnaugh, Michael; Huang, Xu; Glidden, Ana; Guerrero, Natalia; TESS Science Office

2018-01-01

We describe the data analysis procedures and pipelines for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We briefly review the processing pipeline developed and implemented by the Science Processing Operations Center (SPOC) at NASA Ames, including pixel/full-frame image calibration, photometric analysis, pre-search data conditioning, transiting planet search, and data validation. We also describe data-quality diagnostic analyses and photometric performance assessment tests. Finally, we detail a "quick-look pipeline" (QLP) that has been developed by the MIT branch of the TESS Science Office (TSO) to provide a fast and adaptable routine to search for planet candidates in the 30 minute full-frame images.

Final Phase II report : QuickSite(R) investigation, Everest, Kansas.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LaFreniere, L. M. (Environmental Research)

2003-11-01

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated grain storage facilities at two different locations at Everest, Kansas (Figure 1.1). One facility (referred to in this report as the Everest facility) was at the western edge of the city of Everest. The CCC/USDA operated this facility from 1950 until the early 1970s. The second facility (referred to in this report as Everest East) was about 0.5 mi northeast of the town. The CCC/USDA operated this facility from 1954 until the early 1970s. While these two former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities were in operation, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain. In 1997, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) sampled several domestic drinking water and nondrinking water wells in the Everest area. The KDHE sampling was part of the CCC/USDA Private Well Sampling Program, which was initiated to determine whether carbon tetrachloride was present in domestic wells near former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Kansas. All of the sampled domestic drinking water wells were located outside the Everest city boundaries. As a result of this sampling, carbon tetrachloride contamination was identified at a single domestic drinking water well (the Nigh well; DW06) approximately 3/8 mi northwest of the former Everest CCC/USDA grain storage facility. The CCC/USDA subsequently connected the Nigh residence to the Everest municipal water system. As a result of the detection of carbon tetrachloride in this well, the KDHE conducted preliminary investigations to further evaluate the existence of contamination and its potential effect on public health and the environment. The KDHE concluded that carbon tetrachloride in groundwater at Everest might, in part, be linked to historical use of carbon tetrachloride-based grain fumigants at the former CCC/USDA facilities. For

PATHOS: a quick screening method for assessing sexual addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Pennie; Cashwell, Craig S; Cress, Jim; Barber, Tim; Dunn, Mary Clayton

2013-01-01

Pastors may understand that sex addiction exists and are frequently faced with people who need non-clinical and clinical services for the addiction. However, the pastoral counselors have no quick reliable method of assessing them. The purpose of this article is to define sexual addiction and provide information about a tool called PATHOS that can be used in clinical and non-clinical settings to identify potential sex addicts.

Quick, Easy, and Economic Mineralogical Studies of Flooded Chalk for EOR Experiments Using Raman Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Borromeo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Understanding the chalk-fluid interactions and the associated mineralogical and mechanical alterations on a sub-micron scale are major goals in Enhanced Oil Recovery. Mechanical strength, porosity, and permeability of chalk are linked to mineral dissolution that occurs during brine injections, and affect the reservoir potential. This paper presents a novel “single grain” methodology to recognize the varieties of carbonates in rocks and loose sediments: Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive, quick, and user-friendly technique representing a powerful tool to identify minerals down to 1 µm. An innovative working technique for oil exploration is proposed, as the mineralogy of micron-sized crystals grown in two flooded chalk samples (Liége, Belgium was successfully investigated by Raman spectroscopy. The drilled chalk cores were flooded with MgCl2 for ca. 1.5 (Long Term Test and 3 years (Ultra Long Term Test under North Sea reservoir conditions (Long Term Test: 130 °C, 1 PV/day, 9.3 MPa effective stress; Ultra Long Term Test: 130 °C, varying between 1–3 PV/day, 10.4 MPa effective stress. Raman spectroscopy was able to identify the presence of recrystallized magnesite along the core of the Long Term Test up to 4 cm from the injection surface, down to the crystal size of 1–2 µm. In the Ultra Long Term Test core, the growth of MgCO3 affected nearly the entire core (7 cm. In both samples, no dolomite or high-magnesium calcite secondary growth could be detected when analysing 557 and 90 Raman spectra on the Long and Ultra Long Term Test, respectively. This study can offer Raman spectroscopy as a breakthrough tool in petroleum exploration of unconventional reservoirs, due to its quickness, spatial resolution, and non-destructive acquisition of data. These characteristics would encourage its use coupled with electron microscopes and energy dispersive systems or even electron microprobe studies.

Renewables 2013. Global Status Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sawin, J. L. [and others

2013-07-01

Renewable energy markets, industries, and policy frameworks have evolved rapidly in recent years. The Renewables Global Status Report provides a comprehensive and timely overview of renewable energy market, industry, investment, and policy developments worldwide. It relies on the most recent data available, provided by many contributors and researchers from around the world, all of which is brought together by a multi-disciplinary authoring team. The report covers recent developments, current status, and key trends; by design, it does not provide analysis or forecasts. This latest Renewables Global Status Report saw: a shift in investment patterns that led to a global decrease in clean energy investment; continuing growth in installed capacity due to significant technology cost reductions and increased investment in developing countries; renewables progressively supplementing established electricity systems, demonstrating that the implementation of suitable policies can enable the successful integration of higher shares of variable renewables; and the emergence of integrated policy approaches that link energy efficiency measures with the implementation of renewable energy technologies.

Identity Statuses in Upper-Division Physics Students

Science.gov (United States)

Irving, Paul W.; Sayre, Eleanor C.

2016-01-01

We use the theories of identity statuses and communities of practice to describe three different case studies of students finding their paths through undergraduate physics and developing a physics subject-specific identity. Each case study demonstrates a unique path that reinforces the link between the theories of communities of practice and…

Relationship-Oriented Software Defined AS-Level Fast Rerouting for Multiple Link Failures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunxiu Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Large-scale deployments of mission-critical services have led to stringent demands on Internet routing, but frequently occurring network failures can dramatically degrade the network performance. However, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP can not react quickly to recover from them. Although extensive research has been conducted to deal with the problem, the multiple failure scenarios have never been properly addressed due to the limit of distributed control plane. In this paper, we propose a local fast reroute approach to effectively recover from multiple link failures in one administrative domain. The principle of Software Defined Networking (SDN is used to achieve the software defined AS-level fast rerouting. Considering AS relationships, efficient algorithms are proposed to automatically and dynamically find protection paths for multiple link failures; then OpenFlow forwarding rules are installed on routers to provide data forwarding continuity. Our approach is able to ensure applicability to ASes with flexibility and adaptability to multiple link failures, contributing toward improving the network performance. Through experimental results, we show that our proposal provides effective failure recovery and does not introduce significant control overhead to the network.

Status of women in India: a comparison by state.

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, D R

1993-12-01

Reformers in India have worked since the late 19th century to abolish practices such as the patriarchal joint-family system, the structure of property ownership, early marriage, and the self-immolation of widows which have been detrimental to the development of women. As a result, independent India has taken steps to protect the rights and equality of women. In order to analyze the objective status of women, secondary data were used to make 1) interstate comparisons, 2) intrastate comparisons with the status of men, and 3) comparisons in relation to overall development. Data from the early 1980s were analyzed from the 14 states which had a population of 10 million or more. 7 variables describe educational status, 3 are employment indicators, 2 are health indicators, 3 are demographic indicators, and 13 represent various aspects of development. The taxonomic method designed by Polish mathematicians in 1952 was used to rank states on the basis of each of the indicators. This method allows the determination of homogeneous units in an n-dimensional space without using such statistical tools as regression, variance, and correlation. It was found that the status indicators resulted in similar rankings for males and females in many states, but that in some states (Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh) the health, employment, and educational status of women is low. These states also show a low ranking in overall development status, thus highlighting the direct link between the status of women and the level of development. This study leads to the question of whether women's status can be studied at the macro level using macro-level data. If this is possible, then the lack of significant differences found in the present study either indicates that the indicators chosen did not reveal the differences or that, in fact, no differences exist. The observed direct link between ranks of development and status, however, indicates that what was read as status differences

Design of a Lunar Quick-Attach Mechanism to Hummer Vehicle Mounting Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Grismore, David A.

2010-01-01

This report presents my work experiences while I was an intern with NASA (National Aeronautic and Space Administration) in the Spring of2010 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida as a member of the NASA USRP (Undergraduate Student Research Program) program. I worked in the Surface Systems (NE-S) group during the internship. Within NE-S, two ASRC (Arctic Slope Regional Corporation) contract engineers, A.J. Nick and Jason Schuler, had developed a "Quick-Attach" mechanism for the Chariot Rover, the next generation lunar rover. My project was to design, analyze, and possibly fabricate a mounting interface between their "Quick-Attach" and a Hummer vehicle. This interface was needed because it would increase their capabilities to test the Quick Attach and its various attachments, as they do not have access to a Chariot Rover at KSC. I utilized both Pro Engineer, a 3D CAD software package, and a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) known as a FAROarm to collect data and create my design. I relied on hand calculations and the Mechanica analysis tool within Pro Engineer to perform stress analysis on the design. After finishing the design, I began working on creating professional level CAD drawings and issuing them into the KSC design database known as DDMS before the end of the internship.

Relational trustworthiness: how status affects intra-organizational inequality in job autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos-Castillo, Celeste; Ewoodzie, Kwesi

2014-03-01

Recent accounts of trustworthiness have moved away from treating it as a stable, individual-level attribute toward viewing it as a variable situated in a relational context, but have not been formalized or supported empirically. We extend status characteristics theory (SCT) to develop formal propositions about relational trustworthiness. We posit that members of task- and collectively oriented groups (non-consciously) infer three qualities from their relative status that are commonly used to determine an individual's trustworthiness: ability, benevolence, and integrity. We apply our formalization to clarify ambiguities regarding intra-organizational job autonomy inequality, thereby linking SCT to broader disparities rooted in job autonomy. We analyze data from a vignette experiment and the General Social Survey to test incrementally how well our propositions generalize across different settings and populations. Results generally support our proposed links between status and intra-organizational job autonomy. We discuss implications for SCT in understanding broader patterns of inequalities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between quantitative measurement of Porphyromonas gingivalis on dental plaque with periodontal status of patients with coronary heart disease

Science.gov (United States)

Dwiyanti, Stephani; Soeroso, Yuniarti; Sunarto, Hari; Radi, Basuni

2017-02-01

Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of coronary artery due to plaque build-up. [1] Chronic periodontitis increases risk of cardiovascular disease. P.gingivalis is linked to both diseases. Objective: to analyse quantitative difference of P.gingivalis on dental plaque and its relationship with periodontal status of CHD patient and control. Methods: Periodontal status of 66 CHD patient and 40 control was checked. Subgingival plaque was isolated and P.gingivalis was measured using real-time PCR. Result: P.gingivalis of CHD patient differs from control. P.gingivalis is linked to pocket depth of CHD patient. Conclusion: P.gingivalis count of CHD patient is higher than control. P.gingivalis count is not linked to any periodontal status, except for pocket depth of CHD patient.

Penilaian gizi sederhana: alat penilaian praktis untuk menentukan status gizi pasien rawat inap di rumah sakit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ida Marlena

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Absence of effective and efficient screening tool for assessment of nutritional status have lead to high incidence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients. Objective: To develope practical screening tool for assessing nutritional status of hospitalized patients. Method: A simple method of nutritional assessment, called The Simple Nutritional Assessment, was compared to albumin serum as the gold standard. This study involved 50 nurses and 50 hospitalized patients in Dr. Moewardi General Hospital, Surakarta. Result: There was significant concordance of nutritional status assessed by the Simple Nutritional Assessment and the level of albumin serum (k=0,92. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio of the Simple Nutritional Assessment compared to serum albumin were 92%, 67–75%, and 3.8, respectively. Internal consistence of the Simple Nutritional ssessment is high (Alpha=0.80. Average time required for doing the assessment was only 5 minutes. Conclusion: The Simple Nutritional Assessment can be used for quick screening of nutritional status of hospitalized patients with high sensitivity and reliability.

NeQuick 2 and IRI Plas VTEC predictions for low latitude and South American sector

Science.gov (United States)

Ezquer, R. G.; Scidá, L. A.; Migoya Orué, Y.; Nava, B.; Cabrera, M. A.; Brunini, C.

2018-04-01

Using vertical total electron content (VTEC) measurements obtained from GPS satellite signals the capability of the NeQuick 2 and IRI Plas models to predict VTEC over the low latitude and South American sector is analyzed. In the present work both models were used to calculate VTEC up to the height of GPS satellites. Also, comparisons between the performance of IRI Plas and IRI 2007 have been done. The data correspond to June solstice and September equinox 1999 (high solar activity) and they were obtained at nine stations. The considered latitude range extends from 18.4°N to -64.7°N and the longitude ranges from 281.3°E to 295.9°E in the South American sector. The greatest discrepancies among model predictions and the measured VTEC are obtained at low latitudes stations placed in the equatorial anomaly region. Underestimations as strong as 40 TECU [1 TECU = 1016 m-2] can be observed at BOGT station for September equinox, when NeQuick2 model is used. The obtained results also show that: (a) for June solstice, in general the performance of IRI Plas for low latitude stations is better than that of NeQuick2 and, vice versa, for highest latitudes the performance of NeQuick2 is better than that of IRI Plas. For the stations TUCU and SANT both models have good performance; (b) for September equinox the performances of the models do not follow a clearly defined pattern as in the other season. However, it can be seen that for the region placed between the Northern peak and the valley of the equatorial anomaly, in general, the performance of IRI Plas is better than that of NeQuick2 for hours of maximum ionization. From TUCU to the South, the best TEC predictions are given by NeQuick2. The source of the observed deviations of the models has been explored in terms of CCIR foF2 determination in the available ionosonde stations in the region. Discrepancies can be also related to an unrealistic shape of the vertical electron density profile and or an erroneous prediction of

Topside Electron Density Representations for Middle and High Latitudes: A Topside Parameterization for E-CHAIM Based On the NeQuick

Science.gov (United States)

Themens, David R.; Jayachandran, P. T.; Bilitza, Dieter; Erickson, Philip J.; Häggström, Ingemar; Lyashenko, Mykhaylo V.; Reid, Benjamin; Varney, Roger H.; Pustovalova, Ljubov

2018-02-01

In this study, we present a topside model representation to be used by the Empirical Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Model (E-CHAIM). In the process of this, we also present a comprehensive evaluation of the NeQuick's, and by extension the International Reference Ionosphere's, topside electron density model for middle and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Using data gathered from all available incoherent scatter radars, topside sounders, and Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation satellites, we show that the current NeQuick parameterization suboptimally represents the shape of the topside electron density profile at these latitudes and performs poorly in the representation of seasonal and solar cycle variations of the topside scale thickness. Despite this, the simple, one variable, NeQuick model is a powerful tool for modeling the topside ionosphere. By refitting the parameters that define the maximum topside scale thickness and the rate of increase of the scale height within the NeQuick topside model function, r and g, respectively, and refitting the model's parameterization of the scale height at the F region peak, H0, we find considerable improvement in the NeQuick's ability to represent the topside shape and behavior. Building on these results, we present a new topside model extension of the E-CHAIM based on the revised NeQuick function. Overall, root-mean-square errors in topside electron density are improved over the traditional International Reference Ionosphere/NeQuick topside by 31% for a new NeQuick parameterization and by 36% for a newly proposed topside for E-CHAIM.

Quick insulin radioimmunoassay and its utilization for intra operative localization of insulinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ursich, M.J.M.; Fukui, R.T.; Aguiar Pupo, A. de; Machado, M.C.C.

1988-01-01

A quick insuLin radioimmunoassay performed in 90 minutes is described and the results are compared with those obtained with the conventional method. The realibility of the new procedure is pointed. (M.A.C.) [pt

Quick probabilistic binary image matching: changing the rules of the game

Science.gov (United States)

Mustafa, Adnan A. Y.

2016-09-01

A Probabilistic Matching Model for Binary Images (PMMBI) is presented that predicts the probability of matching binary images with any level of similarity. The model relates the number of mappings, the amount of similarity between the images and the detection confidence. We show the advantage of using a probabilistic approach to matching in similarity space as opposed to a linear search in size space. With PMMBI a complete model is available to predict the quick detection of dissimilar binary images. Furthermore, the similarity between the images can be measured to a good degree if the images are highly similar. PMMBI shows that only a few pixels need to be compared to detect dissimilarity between images, as low as two pixels in some cases. PMMBI is image size invariant; images of any size can be matched at the same quick speed. Near-duplicate images can also be detected without much difficulty. We present tests on real images that show the prediction accuracy of the model.

ZnO-Based Microfluidic pH Sensor: A Versatile Approach for Quick Recognition of Circulating Tumor Cells in Blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Mani, Ganesh Kumar; Morohoshi, Madoka; Yasoda, Yutaka; Yokoyama, Sho; Kimura, Hiroshi; Tsuchiya, Kazuyoshi

2017-02-15

The present study is concerned about the development of highly sensitive and stable microfluidic pH sensor for possible identification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood. The precise pH measurements between silver-silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) reference electrode and zinc oxide (ZnO) working electrode have been investigated in the microfluidic device. Since there is a direct link between pH and cancer cells, the developed device is one of the valuable tools to examine circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood. The ZnO-based working electrode was deposited by radio frequency (rf) sputtering technique. The potential voltage difference between the working and reference electrodes (Ag/AgCl) is evaluated on the microfluidic device. The ideal Nernstian response of -43.71165 mV/pH was achieved along with high stability and quick response time. Finally, to evaluate the real time capability of the developed microfluidic device, in vitro testing was done with A549, A7r5, and MDCK cells.

Link prediction based on nonequilibrium cooperation effect

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lanxi; Zhu, Xuzhen; Tian, Hui

2018-04-01

Link prediction in complex networks has become a common focus of many researchers. But most existing methods concentrate on neighbors, and rarely consider degree heterogeneity of two endpoints. Node degree represents the importance or status of endpoints. We describe the large-degree heterogeneity as the nonequilibrium between nodes. This nonequilibrium facilitates a stable cooperation between endpoints, so that two endpoints with large-degree heterogeneity tend to connect stably. We name such a phenomenon as the nonequilibrium cooperation effect. Therefore, this paper proposes a link prediction method based on the nonequilibrium cooperation effect to improve accuracy. Theoretical analysis will be processed in advance, and at the end, experiments will be performed in 12 real-world networks to compare the mainstream methods with our indices in the network through numerical analysis.

The Versatile Link common project: feasibility report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasey, F; Soos, C; Troska, J; Hall, D; Huffman, T; Weidberg, T; Kwan, S; Prosser, A; Xiang, A; Ye, J

2012-01-01

The Versatile Link is a bi-directional digital optical data link operating at rates up to 4.8 Gbit/s and featuring radiation-resistant low-power and low-mass front-end components. The system is being developed in multimode or singlemode versions operating at 850 nm or 1310 nm wavelength respectively. It has serial data interfaces and is protocol-agnostic, but is targeted to operate in tandem with the GigaBit Transceiver (GBT) serializer/deserializer chip being designed at CERN. This paper gives an overview of the project status three and a half years after its launch. It describes the challenges encountered and highlights the solutions proposed at the system as well as the component level. It concludes with a positive feasibility assesment and an outlook for future project development directions.

A Strategic Analysis of a Vegetarian Quick-Service Franchise

OpenAIRE

McLean, Scott

2011-01-01

The purpose of this report is to assess the potential success rate of Lean, a vegetarian quick-service restaurant franchise currently in its infancy, in both the local Vancouver market where Lean is attempting to launch, as well as assess the potential growth opportunities for franchise locations. The industry analysis done on the foodservice industry indicates that it is a competitive industry that is highly saturated with many players. It also indicates that Lean is attempting to undertake ...

Effect-driven QuickChecking of compilers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Midtgaard, Jan; Justesen, Mathias Nygaard; Kasting, Patrick Frederik Soelmark

2017-01-01

How does one test a language implementation with QuickCheck (aka. property-based testing)? One approach is to generate programs following the grammar of the language. But in a statically-typed language such as OCaml too many of these candidate programs will be rejected as ill-typed by the type...... checker. As a refinement Pałka et al. propose to generate programs in a goal-directed, bottom-up reading up of the typing relation. We have written such a generator. However many of the generated programs has output that depend on the evaluation order, which is commonly under-specified in languages...... such as OCaml, Scheme, C, C++, etc. In this paper we develop a type and effect system for conservatively detecting evaluation-order dependence and propose its goal-directed reading as a generator of programs that are independent of evaluation order. We illustrate the approach by generating programs to test...

Factors Linked to Identification with a Super-Ordinate Category in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Multiple regression analyses suggested that factors linked to identification with a super-ordinate category were related more to personal variables than to status differentiation and distribution of resources. These results are discussed with reference to the Common Ingroup Identity model (Gaertner et al, 1993), Breakwell's ...

The link between body dissatisfaction and self-esteem in adolescents: similarities across gender, age, weight status, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Berg, Patricia A; Mond, Jonathan; Eisenberg, Marla; Ackard, Diann; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2010-09-01

The present study examined whether the cross-sectional association between body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem varies across gender, age, body weight status, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES). We also examined the association longitudinally. A school-based survey of eating, weight, and related attitudes was conducted with a diverse sample of adolescents aged 11-18 years (N = 4,746). Height and weight were measured in the schools at Time 1. Participants were resurveyed through mails 5 years later (Time, 2; N = 2,516). The relationship between body dissatisfaction and self-esteem was strong and significant in both boys and girls (all p values p = .16), or between the middle school and high school cohorts in either boys (p = .79) or girls (p = .80). Among girls, the relationship between body dissatisfaction and self-esteem was strong, but did vary across weight status, race/ethnicity, and SES (all p values = .0001-.03). The relationship was nonsignificant in underweight girls (p = .36), and weaker but still significant among black, Asian, and low SES group girls (all p values p values = .18-.79). In longitudinal analyses, the strength of the association did not change significantly as adolescents grew older. Findings indicate that body dissatisfaction and self-esteem are strongly related among nearly all groups of adolescents. This suggests the importance of addressing body image concerns with adolescents of all backgrounds and ages.

Assessment of the NeQuick-2 and IRI-Plas 2017 models using global and long-term GNSS measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Okoh, Daniel; Onwuneme, Sylvester; Seemala, Gopi; Jin, Shuanggen; Rabiu, Babatunde; Nava, Bruno; Uwamahoro, Jean

2018-05-01

The global ionospheric models NeQuick and IRI-Plas have been widely used. However, their uncertainties are not clear at global scale and long term. In this paper, a climatologic assessment of the NeQuick and IRI-Plas models is investigated at a global scale from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) observations. GNSS observations from 36 globally distributed locations were used to evaluate performances of both NeQuick-2 and IRI-Plas 2017 models from January 2006 to July 2017, covering more than the 11-year period of a solar cycle. An hourly interval of diurnal profiles computed on monthly basis was used to measure deviations of the model estimations from corresponding GNSS VTEC observations. Results show that both models are fairly accurate in trends with the GNSS measurements. The NeQuick predictions were generally better than the IRI-Plas predictions in most of the stations and the times. The mean annual prediction errors for the IRI-Plas model typically varied from about 3 TECU at the high latitude stations to about 12 TECU at the low latitude stations, while for the NeQuick the values are respectively about 2-7 TECU. Out of a total 4497 months in which GNSS data were available for all the stations put together for the entire period covered in this work, the NeQuick model was observed to perform better in about 83% of the months while the IRI-Plas performed better in about 17% of the months. The IRI-Plas generally performed better than the NeQuick at certain locations (e.g. DAV1, KERG, and ADIS). For both models, the most of the deviations were witnessed during local daytimes and during seasons that receive maximum solar radiation for various locations. In particular, the IRI-Plas model predictions were improved during periods of increased solar activity at the low latitude stations. The IRI-Plas model overestimates the GNSS VTEC values, except during high solar activity years at some high latitude stations. The NeQuick underestimates the TEC values during

The Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Counseling Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, Lisa D.; Leibert, Todd W.; Lane, Joel A.

2014-01-01

In this study, we examined the relationship between various indices of socioeconomic status (SES) and counseling outcomes among clients at a university counseling center. We also explored links between SES and three factors that are generally regarded as facilitative of client change in counseling: motivation, treatment expectancy and social…

Software support: Pre-empting the quick question. [User's support group at Fermilab

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loebel, L.

1987-09-01

High energy physicists, researchers and graduate students, from universities all around the world come to Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to do their experiments. They use our computer facilities to perform all phases of their data-analysis and presentation. We have a large turnover of users and a rather small support group, in a multi-vendor environment. We strive to make our users self-sufficient through the use of well-publicized maintenance procedures, documentation systems, and product support standards. By these pre-emptive measures we attempt to have quick answers at hand for the truly quick questions, leaving us time for the interesting problems.

Queue Management Practices of Quick ServiceRestaurants (QSR in Lipa City, Philippines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leoven A. Austria

2015-12-01

Full Text Available –Problems regarding waiting line in quick service restaurants (QSR has been one of the main concerns of industries and scholars nowadays. It is because people today demand not only for qualityfood but also for speed. Quick service restaurant players explore on the approaches to optimize the efficiency of restaurant management. One important area that defines how well and efficient a fast food restaurant delivers its product and services to customers is its waiting line (queue management practices. The study was conducted at Lipa City, involving five popular quick service restaurants named by the researcher as QSR A, B, C, D, and E. It made used of 363customer respondents proportionally obtained from five restaurants.It intended to assess the extent of implementation of the queue management practices of the restaurants and the level of satisfaction of the customers in such practices in terms of customer arrival, waiting line and service facility. The findings revealed the queuing system used and the waiting line structured utilized by the restaurants. The extent of implementation of the queue management practices in the three areas mentioned of the five QSR’s was presented comparatively. Likewise, the level of customer’s satisfaction on the queue management practices was also determined. Significant difference in the extent of implementation and in the level of customer satisfaction were determined if the respondents were grouped according to restaurant’s profile. Recommendations in the improvement of queue were given based on the findings.

Implementation of linked data in the life sciences at BioHackathon 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki-Kinoshita, Kiyoko F; Kinjo, Akira R; Morita, Mizuki; Igarashi, Yoshinobu; Chen, Yi-An; Shigemoto, Yasumasa; Fujisawa, Takatomo; Akune, Yukie; Katoda, Takeo; Kokubu, Anna; Mori, Takaaki; Nakao, Mitsuteru; Kawashima, Shuichi; Okamoto, Shinobu; Katayama, Toshiaki; Ogishima, Soichi

2015-01-01

Linked Data has gained some attention recently in the life sciences as an effective way to provide and share data. As a part of the Semantic Web, data are linked so that a person or machine can explore the web of data. Resource Description Framework (RDF) is the standard means of implementing Linked Data. In the process of generating RDF data, not only are data simply linked to one another, the links themselves are characterized by ontologies, thereby allowing the types of links to be distinguished. Although there is a high labor cost to define an ontology for data providers, the merit lies in the higher level of interoperability with data analysis and visualization software. This increase in interoperability facilitates the multi-faceted retrieval of data, and the appropriate data can be quickly extracted and visualized. Such retrieval is usually performed using the SPARQL (SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language) query language, which is used to query RDF data stores. For the database provider, such interoperability will surely lead to an increase in the number of users. This manuscript describes the experiences and discussions shared among participants of the week-long BioHackathon 2011 who went through the development of RDF representations of their own data and developed specific RDF and SPARQL use cases. Advice regarding considerations to take when developing RDF representations of their data are provided for bioinformaticians considering making data available and interoperable. Participants of the BioHackathon 2011 were able to produce RDF representations of their data and gain a better understanding of the requirements for producing such data in a period of just five days. We summarize the work accomplished with the hope that it will be useful for researchers involved in developing laboratory databases or data analysis, and those who are considering such technologies as RDF and Linked Data.

Effect of Exercise Program Speed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ) in Improving Speed, Agility, and Acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Azmi, K.; Kusnanik, N. W.

2018-01-01

This study aimed to analyze the effect of speed, agility and quickness training program to increase in speed, agility and acceleration. This study was conducted at 26 soccer players and divided into 2 groups with 13 players each group. Group 1 was given SAQ training program, and Group 2 conventional training program for 8 weeks. This study used a quantitative approach with quasi-experimental method. The design of this study used a matching-only design. Data was collected by testing 30-meter sprint (speed), agility t-test (agility), and run 10 meters (acceleration) during the pretest and posttest. Furthermore, the data was analyzed using paired sample t-test and independent t-test. The results showed: that there was a significant effect of speed, agility and quickness training program in improving in speed, agility and acceleration. In summary, it can be concluded that the speed, agility and quickness training program can improve the speed, agility and acceleration of the soccer players.

Maternal folate status in early pregnancy and child emotional and behavioral problems: The generation R study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.C.J. Steenweg-de Graaff (Jolien); S.J. Roza (Sabine); E.A.P. Steegers (Eric); A. Hofman (Albert); F.C. Verhulst (Frank); V.W.V. Jaddoe (Vincent); H.W. Tiemeier (Henning)

2012-01-01

textabstractBackground: Maternal prenatal folate status has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, but the association with child emotional and behavioral problems is unclear. Objectives: We assessed the association of maternal folate status during pregnancy with child emotional and behavioral

Building Links between Early Socioeconomic Status, Cognitive Ability, and Math and Science Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Blums, Angela; Belsky, Jay; Grimm, Kevin; Chen, Zhe

2017-01-01

The present study examined whether and how socioeconomic status (SES) predicts school achievement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) using structural equation modeling and data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Child Care and Youth Development. The present inquiry addresses gaps in…

TMI-2 quick look examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franz, W.A.; Rider, R.L.; Austin, W.A.; Cole, N.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this work, conducted under the Department of Energy's Reactor Evaluation Program, was to gain the earliest possible access to the TMI-2 reactor vessel and to determine the condition of the plenum assembly and the reactor core. Completion of this examination has also provided substantial progress towards removal of the reactor vessel head and eventual defueling. Two methods were developed for gaining through-head access. The first involves removal of an entire CRDM, providing a 6.8-cm-diameter access through the nozzle. In case normal uncoupling proved unsuccessful, contingency techniques were developed to disconnect the leadscrew. Two contingency procedures, one ex-head and one in-head, were developed. A second technique for through-head access, the so-called Quick Look technique, was developed at the suggestion of the Technical Assessment and Advisory Group (TAAG), a group of senior technical people funded by DOE to advise GPU Nuclear on the TMI-2 recovery. This simplified method involves uncoupling and removing a CRDM leadscrew by basically normal methods and inserting a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera directly through the space vacated by the leadscrew

Innovative approach for low-cost quick-access small payload missions

Science.gov (United States)

Friis, Jan W., Jr.

2000-11-01

A significant part of the burgeoning commercial space industry is placing an unprecedented number of satellites into low earth orbit for a variety of new applications and services. By some estimates the commercial space industry now exceeds that of government space activities. Yet the two markets remain largely separate, with each deploying dedicated satellites and infrastructure for their respective missions. One commercial space firm, Final Analysis, has created a new program wherein either government, scientific or new technology payloads can be integrated on a commercial spacecraft on commercial satellites for a variety of mission scenarios at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated mission. NASA has recognized the advantage of this approach, and has awarded the Quick Ride program to provide frequent, low cost flight opportunities for small independent payloads aboard the Final Analysis constellation, and investigators are rapidly developing science programs that conform to the proposed payload accommodations envelope. Missions that were not feasible using dedicated launches are now receiving approval under the lower cost Quick Ride approach. Final Analysis has dedicated ten out of its thirty-eight satellites in support of the Quick Ride efforts. The benefit of this type of space access extend beyond NASA science programs. Commercial space firms can now gain valuable flight heritage for new technology and satellite product offerings. Further, emerging international space programs can now place a payload in orbit enabling the country to allocate its resources against the payload and mission requirements rather htan increased launch costs of a dedicated spacecraft. Finally, the low cost nature provides University-based research educational opportunities previously out of the reach of most space-related budgets. This paper will describe the motivation, benefits, technical features, and program costs of the Final Analysis secondary payload program. Payloads can be

Rocky Planet Formation: Quick and Neat

Science.gov (United States)

Kenyon, Scott J.; Najita, Joan R.; Bromley, Benjamin C.

2016-11-01

We reconsider the commonly held assumption that warm debris disks are tracers of terrestrial planet formation. The high occurrence rate inferred for Earth-mass planets around mature solar-type stars based on exoplanet surveys (˜20%) stands in stark contrast to the low incidence rate (≤2%-3%) of warm dusty debris around solar-type stars during the expected epoch of terrestrial planet assembly (˜10 Myr). If Earth-mass planets at au distances are a common outcome of the planet formation process, this discrepancy suggests that rocky planet formation occurs more quickly and/or is much neater than traditionally believed, leaving behind little in the way of a dust signature. Alternatively, the incidence rate of terrestrial planets has been overestimated, or some previously unrecognized physical mechanism removes warm dust efficiently from the terrestrial planet region. A promising removal mechanism is gas drag in a residual gaseous disk with a surface density ≳10-5 of the minimum-mass solar nebula.

Computational intelligence, medicine and biology selected links

CERN Document Server

Zaitseva, Elena

2015-01-01

This book contains an interesting and state-of the art collection of chapters presenting several examples of attempts to developing modern tools utilizing computational intelligence in different real life problems encountered by humans. Reasoning, prediction, modeling, optimization, decision making, etc. need modern, soft and intelligent algorithms, methods and methodologies to solve, in the efficient ways, problems appearing in human activity. The contents of the book is divided into two parts. Part I, consisting of four chapters, is devoted to selected links of computational intelligence, medicine, health care and biomechanics. Several problems are considered: estimation of healthcare system reliability, classification of ultrasound thyroid images, application of fuzzy logic to measure weight status and central fatness, and deriving kinematics directly from video records. Part II, also consisting of four chapters, is devoted to selected links of computational intelligence and biology. The common denominato...

Serum zinc status of neonates with seizure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olia Sharmeen

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Seizure is a common neurological disorder in neonatal age group!. Primary metabolic derangement is one of the important reason behind this convulsion during this period. Among primary metabolic derangement hypoglycemia, is most common followed by bypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia, low zinc status etc. As causes of many cases of convul­sion remain unknown in neonate. Objectives: To see the zinc status in the sera of neonate with convulsion. So that if needed early intervention can be taken up and thereby prevent complications. Method: A total of 50 neonates (1-28 days who had convulsion with no apparent reasons of convulsion were enrolled as cases and 50 healthy age and sex matched neonates were enrolled as controls. After a quick clinical evaluation serum zinc status was estimated from venous blood by atomic absorption method in Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre. Low zinc was considered if serum value was <0.7mg/L. Results: Among a total of 50 cases 6% had low zinc value & 2% of controls also had low zinc level. The mean serwu zinc level of cases and controls were 1.57±0.95 and 2.37±1.06 mmol/1 respectively (p<0.01. Conclusion: From the study it is seen that low zinc value is an important cause of neonatal seizure due to primary metabolic abnormalities. So early recognition and treatment could save these babies from long term neurological sequelies.

The future of population registers: linking routine health datasets to assess a population's current glycaemic status for quality improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Wing Cheuk; Jackson, Gary; Wright, Craig Shawe; Orr-Walker, Brandon; Drury, Paul L; Boswell, D Ross; Lee, Mildred Ai Wei; Papa, Dean; Jackson, Rod

2014-04-28

To determine the diabetes screening levels and known glycaemic status of all individuals by age, gender and ethnicity within a defined geographic location in a timely and consistent way to potentially facilitate systematic disease prevention and management. Retrospective observational study. Auckland region of New Zealand. 1 475 347 people who had utilised publicly funded health service in New Zealand and domicile in the Auckland region of New Zealand in 2010. The health service utilisation population was individually linked to a comprehensive regional laboratory repository dating back to 2004. The two outcomes measures were glycaemia-related blood testing coverage (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting and random glucose and glucose tolerance tests), and the proportions and number of people with known dysglycaemia in 2010 using modified American Diabetes Association (ADA) and WHO criteria. Within the health service utilisation population, 792 560 people had had at least one glucose or HbA1c blood test in the previous 5.5 years. Overall, 81% of males (n=198 086) and 87% of females (n=128 982) in the recommended age groups for diabetes screening had a blood test to assess their glycaemic status. The estimated age-standardised prevalence of dysglycaemia was highest in people of Pacific Island ethnicity at 11.4% (95% CI 11.2% to 11.5%) for males and 11.6% (11.4% to 11.8%) for females, followed closely by people of Indian ethnicity at 10.8% (10.6% to 11.1%) and 9.3% (9.1% to 9.6%), respectively. Among the indigenous Maori population, the prevalence was 8.2% (7.9% to 8.4%) and 7% (6.8% to 7.2%), while for 'Others' (mainly Europeans) it was 3% (3% to 3.1%) and 2.2% (2.1% to 2.2%), respectively. We have demonstrated that the data linkage between a laboratory repository and national administrative datasets has the potential to provide a systematic and consistent individual level clinical information that is relevant to medical auditing for a large geographically defined

Guide to Preparing SAND Reports and other communication products : quick reference guide.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-10-01

This Quick Reference Guide supplements the more complete Guide to Preparing SAND Reports and Other Communication Products. It provides limited guidance on how to prepare SAND Reports at Sandia National Laboratories. Users are directed to the in-depth guide for explanations of processes.

The Effect of Air Preheat at Atmospheric Pressure on the Formation of NO(x) in the Quick-Mix Sections of an Axially Staged Combustor

Science.gov (United States)

Vardakas, M. A.; Leong, M. Y.; Brouwer, J.; Samuelsen, G. S.; Holdeman, J. D.

1999-01-01

The Rich-burn/Quick-mix/Lean-burn (RQL) combustor concept has been proposed to minimize the formation of nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) in gas turbine systems. The success of this combustor strategy is dependent upon the efficiency of the mixing section bridging the fuel-rich and fuel-lean stages. Note that although these results were obtained from an experiment designed to study an RQL mixer, the link between mixing and NOx signatures is considerably broader than this application, in that the need to understand this link exists in most advanced combustors. The experiment reported herein was designed to study the effects of inlet air temperature on NO(x) formation in a mixing section. The results indicate that NO(x) emission is increased for all preheated cases compared to non-preheated cases. When comparing the various mixing modules, the affect of jet penetration is important, as this determines where NO(x) concentrations peak, and affects overall NO(x) production. Although jet air comprises 70 percent of the total airflow, the impact that jet air preheat has on overall NO(x) emissions is small compared to preheating both main and jet air flow.

Combined eating behaviors and overweight: Eating quickly, late evening meals, and skipping breakfast.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jung Su; Mishra, Gita; Hayashi, Kunihiko; Watanabe, Etsuko; Mori, Katsumi; Kawakubo, Kiyoshi

2016-04-01

Various eating behaviors have been linked with body weight management. However, combined effects of major eating behaviors are not fully understood. This study aimed to clarify the association of the combination of eating quickly (EQ), late evening meals (LEM), and skipping breakfast (SB) with being overweight. A cross-sectional study with standardized questions for EQ, LEM, and SB was conducted. Stratified random sampling of 5% of residents aged 20 to 80years was surveyed in a city in northeast Japan in 2011, and 4249 (84.9%) residents were analyzed. Association of combinations of eating behaviors on being overweight (BMI (kg/m(2)≥25.0)) was estimated by using logistic analysis, and odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidential interval were calculated after adjustment for potential covariates. LEM, SB, or a combination of LEM and SB was not significantly associated with being overweight. However, the combination of EQ or only EQ was significantly associated with being overweight. As the number of eating behavior practices increased, there was a linear increase in OR for being overweight. The OR of all three combined eating behaviors was higher than that of any combined two behaviors or of each behavior. This study result supports the evidence that EQ increases the risk of being overweight whether by itself or in combinations with LEM and/or SB. However, only LEM or only SB did not increase the risk of being overweight. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current sensorless quick charger for lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, K.M.; Chan, W.L.

2011-01-01

An efficient, simple and low cost quick charger based on the double-loop controller is proposed for the charging of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. With positive and negative feedback of the battery voltage, charging profile similar to the constant current and constant voltage (CC-CV) charging strategy can be performed without actually sensing the charging current. The charging time can easily be shortened by raising the level of saturation in the primary voltage control loop. Experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the battery charger. The charger could be a low cost and high performance replacement for existing Li-ion battery chargers.

Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Body Mass Index ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There is a long tradition of observational studies from developed societies linking overweight and obesity to low socioeconomic status (SES). The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between SES and obesity and determine whether variations in the body mass index (BMI) of adult Nigerians is influenced by their ...

Near Theoretical Gigabit Link Efficiency for Distributed Data Acquisition Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu-Nimeh, Faisal T; Choong, Woon-Seng

2017-03-01

Link efficiency, data integrity, and continuity for high-throughput and real-time systems is crucial. Most of these applications require specialized hardware and operating systems as well as extensive tuning in order to achieve high efficiency. Here, we present an implementation of gigabit Ethernet data streaming which can achieve 99.26% link efficiency while maintaining no packet losses. The design and implementation are built on OpenPET, an opensource data acquisition platform for nuclear medical imaging, where (a) a crate hosting multiple OpenPET detector boards uses a User Datagram Protocol over Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) Ethernet soft-core, that is capable of understanding PAUSE frames, to stream data out to a computer workstation; (b) the receiving computer uses Netmap to allow the processing software (i.e., user space), which is written in Python, to directly receive and manage the network card's ring buffers, bypassing the operating system kernel's networking stack; and (c) a multi-threaded application using synchronized queues is implemented in the processing software (Python) to free up the ring buffers as quickly as possible while preserving data integrity and flow continuity.

[Differentiation of influenza (Flu) type A, type B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by QuickNavi™-Flu+RSV].

Science.gov (United States)

Kohiyama, Risa; Miyazawa, Takashi; Shibano, Nobuko; Inano, Koichi

2014-01-01

Because it is not easy to differentiate Influenza virus (Flu) from RS virus (RSV) just by clinical symptoms, to accurately diagnose those viruses in conjunction with patient's clinical symptoms, rapid diagnostic kits has been used separately for each of those viruses. In our new study, we have developed a new rapid diagnostic kit, QuickNavi™-Flu+RSV. The kit can detect Flu A, Flu B, and RSV antigens with a single sample collection and an assay. Total of 2,873 cases (including nasopharyngeal swabs and nasopharyngeal aspirates specimens) in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 seasons were evaluated with QuickNavi™-Flu+RSV and a commercially available kit. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of Flu type A, type B, and RSV were above 95% when compared to commercially available kits (QuickNavi™-Flu and QuickNavi™-RSV) and considered to be equivalent to the commercially available kits. In 2011/2012 season, RSV infections increased prior to Flu season and continued during the peak of the Flu season. The kit can contribute to accurate diagnosis of Flu and RSV infections since co-infection cases have also been reported during the 2011/2012 season. QuickNavi™-Flu+RSV is useful for differential diagnosis of respiratory infectious diseases since it can detect Flu type A, type B, and RSV virus antigens with a single sample collection.

Investigating the Relationship between Perceived Discrimination, Social Status, and Mental Health*

OpenAIRE

Lee, Hedwig; Turney, Kristin

2012-01-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that experiences with discrimination have implications for mental health and that these associations may vary by social status. We use data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study (CCAHS) to examine how two types of perceived discrimination, chronic everyday discrimination and major lifetime discrimination, are linked to mental health, and how this association varies by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Results indicate that everyday d...

Quickly updatable hologram images with high performance photorefractive polymer composites

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsumi, Naoto; Kinashi, Kenji; Nonomura, Asato; Sakai, Wataru

2012-02-01

We present here quickly updatable hologram images using high performance photorefractive (PR) polymer composite based on poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVCz). PVCz is one of the pioneer materials for photoconductive polymer. PVCz/7- DCST/CzEPA/TNF (44/35/20/1 by wt) gives high diffraction efficiency of 68 % at E = 45 V/μm with fast response speed. Response speed of optical diffraction is the key parameter for real-time 3D holographic display. Key parameter for obtaining quickly updatable hologram images is to control the glass transition temperature lower enough to enhance chromophore orientation. Object image of the reflected coin surface recorded with reference beam at 532 nm (green beam) in the PR polymer composite is simultaneously reconstructed using a red probe beam at 642 nm. Instead of using coin object, object image produced by a computer was displayed on a spatial light modulator (SLM) is used as an object for hologram. Reflected object beam from a SLM interfered with reference beam on PR polymer composite to record a hologram and simultaneously reconstructed by a red probe beam. Movie produced in a computer was recorded as a realtime hologram in the PR polymer composite and simultaneously clearly reconstructed with a video rate.

High & mighty: Implicit associations between space and social status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie eGagnon

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Figurative language, the built environment, and our perceptuo-motor experiences frequently associate social status with physical space. Linguistic references such as high status or climbing the corporate ladder, and built places such as the U.S. Capitol building link social and physical hierarchies. In three experiments we examine the source and extent of these associations by testing whether people implicitly associate abstract social status indicators with concrete representations of spatial topography (level versus mountainous land and relatively abstract representations of cardinal direction (south and north. Experiment 1 demonstrates speeded performance during an Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald et al., 1998 when average social status is paired with level topography and high status with mountainous topography. Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrate a similar effect but with relatively abstract representations of cardinal direction (south and north, with speeded performance when average and powerful social status are paired with south and north coordinate space, respectively. Abstract concepts of social status are perceived and understood in an inherently spatial world, resulting in powerful associations between abstract social concepts and concrete and abstract notions of physical axes. These associations may prove influential in guiding daily judgments and actions.

[Efficacy of quick repositioning maneuver for posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in different age groups].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Li, Jinrang; Guo, Pengfei; Tian, Shiyu; Li, Keliang

2015-12-01

To observe the short and long-term efficacy of quick repositioning maneuver for posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (PC-BPPV) in different age groups. The clinical data of 113 adult patients with single PC-BPPV who underwent quick repositioning maneuver from July 2009 to February 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The quick repositioning maneuver was to roll the patient from involved side to healthy side in the coronal plane for 180° as quickly as possible. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to different ages: young group (age group (45 ≤ age group (≥ 60 years). The short and long term outcomes of the three groups were observed. The left ear was involved in 58 cases (51.3%) and the right ear in 55 cases (48.7%). The short term improvement rates of the young, middle-age and the old groups were 92.5%, 93.6% and 92.3% respectively, and the long term improvement rate was 90.0%, 85.1% and 73.1% respectively. There was no significant difference among the three groups in short and long term outcomes (P > 0.05). The recurrence rate of the three groups was 5.0%, 6.4% and 15.4% respectively, also no significant difference (P > 0.05). The quick repositioning maneuver along the coronal plane for PC-BPPV has a definite effect for every age groups. The method is simple, rapid and easy to master, and the patients are tolerated the maneuver well without evident side effect.

Experience, limits of and prospects for quick local analysis of harmful organic substances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matz, G.

1993-01-01

In the area of cleaning up old loads, both in exploration and also for concrete measures such as removing layers or cleaning the soil, the three-dimensionality and non-homogeneousness of the distribution of the harmful substances underground leads to very large numbers of samples, which must be analysed to describe the problem. If the analyses can be carried out directly locally and quickly, then based on the analysis results, the effect on the sample grid and on the course of the work can be estimated. The exploration and cleaning up cases carried out with the quick GC-MS analysis have shown that local analysis, firstly, represents a reasonably priced alternative to conventional laboratory analysis and, secondly, has advantages which very greatly accelerate work on old loads. (orig.) [de

Using QR codes to enable quick access to information in acute cancer care.

Science.gov (United States)

Upton, Joanne; Olsson-Brown, Anna; Marshall, Ernie; Sacco, Joseph

2017-05-25

Quick access to toxicity management information ensures timely access to steroids/immunosuppressive treatment for cancer patients experiencing immune-related adverse events, thus reducing length of hospital stays or avoiding hospital admission entirely. This article discusses a project to add a QR (quick response) code to a patient-held immunotherapy alert card. As QR code generation is free and the immunotherapy clinical management algorithms were already publicly available through the trust's clinical network website, the costs of integrating a QR code into the alert card, after printing, were low, while the potential benefits are numerous. Patient-held alert cards are widely used for patients receiving anti-cancer treatment, and this established standard of care has been modified to enable rapid access of information through the incorporation of a QR code.

A spatial analysis of variations in health access: linking geography, socio-economic status and access perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background This paper analyses the relationship between public perceptions of access to general practitioners (GPs) surgeries and hospitals against health status, car ownership and geographic distance. In so doing it explores the different dimensions associated with facility access and accessibility. Methods Data on difficulties experienced in accessing health services, respondent health status and car ownership were collected through an attitudes survey. Road distances to the nearest service were calculated for each respondent using a GIS. Difficulty was related to geographic distance, health status and car ownership using logistic generalized linear models. A Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) was used to explore the spatial non-stationarity in the results. Results Respondent long term illness, reported bad health and non-car ownership were found to be significant predictors of difficulty in accessing GPs and hospitals. Geographic distance was not a significant predictor of difficulty in accessing hospitals but was for GPs. GWR identified the spatial (local) variation in these global relationships indicating locations where the predictive strength of the independent variables was higher or lower than the global trend. The impacts of bad health and non-car ownership on the difficulties experienced in accessing health services varied spatially across the study area, whilst the impacts of geographic distance did not. Conclusions Difficulty in accessing different health facilities was found to be significantly related to health status and car ownership, whilst the impact of geographic distance depends on the service in question. GWR showed how these relationships were varied across the study area. This study demonstrates that the notion of access is a multi-dimensional concept, whose composition varies with location, according to the facility being considered and the health and socio-economic status of the individual concerned. PMID:21787394

Guide to preparing SAND reports and other communication products : quick reference guide.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-03-01

This 'Quick Reference Guide' supplements the more complete 'Guide to Preparing SAND Reports and Other Communication Products'. It provides limited guidance on how to prepare SAND Reports at Sandia National Laboratories. Users are directed to the in-depth guide for explanations of processes.

High speed serial link for UA1 microprocessor network

CERN Document Server

Cittolin, S; Zurfluh, E

1981-01-01

The UA1 data acquisition system consists of a set of distributed microprocessor units. An interprocessor link, independent of the CAMAC data readout, has been developed in order to have continuous remote control and run-time data handling, e.g. transmission of calibration programs/parameters, equipment test/status and histogram accumulation. The data transmission system is designed to be used in a loop configuration equipped with transceivers for twisted pair cables (RS-422). As an economical system, it is running as an ancillary serial loop-link between microprocessors, like Data Acquisition Crate Controllers and systems with distributed intelligence. The software driver consists of a loop-controller package, which may run in a BAMBI Computer Language environment and a fully interrupt controlled program for all other secondary stations. A special single-character mode provides a handy link for remote debugging in a pseudo-full-duplex mode. The format is based on the HDLC protocol without sequence numbering. ...

High speed serial link for UA1 microprocessor network

CERN Document Server

Cittolin, Sergio; Zurfluh, E

1981-01-01

The UA1 data acquisition system consists of a set of distributed microprocessor units. An interprocessor link, independent of the CAMAC data readout, has been developed in order to have continuous remote control and run-time data handling, e.g. transmission of calibration programs/parameters, equipment test/status and histogram accumulation. The data transmission system is designed to be used in a loop configuration equipped with transceivers for twisted pair cables (RS-422). As an economical system, it is running as an ancillary serial loop-link between microprocessors, like data acquisition crate controllers and systems with distributed intelligence. The software driver consists of a loop-controller package, which may run in a BAMBI computer language environment and a fully interrupt controlled program for all other secondary stations. A special single-character mode provides a handy link for remote debugging in a pseudo-full-duplex mode. The format is based on the HDLC protocol without sequence numbering. ...

Links between nuclear medicine and radiopharmacy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelegrin, M.; Francois-Joubert, A.; Chassel, M.L.; Desruet, M.D.; Bolot, C.; Lao, S.

2010-01-01

Radiopharmaceuticals are nowadays under the responsibility of the radio-pharmacist because of their medicinal product status. Radiopharmacy belongs to the hospital pharmacy department, nevertheless, interactions with nuclear medicine department are important: rooms are included or located near nuclear medicine departments in order to respect radiation protection rules, more over staff, a part of the material and some activities are shared between the two departments. Consequently, it seems essential to formalize links between the radiopharmacy and the nuclear medicine department, setting the goals to avoid conflicts and to ensure patients' security. Modalities chosen for this formalization will depend on the establishment's organization. (authors)

Linked migration systems: immigration and internal labor flows in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

R. Walker; M. Ellis; R. Barff

1992-01-01

We investigate the relationship between immigration and internal labor movements in the US. Wedding the literatures on immigration and internal migration, we develop a mobility model linking these various flows on the basis of occupational status of worker, producction and institutional relations in the economy, and economic restructuring.

[Links between non-professional agents and the official Veterinary Services in sub-Saharan Africa].

Science.gov (United States)

Diop, B A; Bessin, R

2004-04-01

Para-professional agents known as auxiliaries, or community animal health workers, provide low-cost basic veterinary services to communities of livestock producers. A 2003 survey of 16 Sub-Saharan African countries, carried out as part of the Pan-African Programme for the Control of Epizootics, showed that in the majority of cases, the official Veterinary Services have no (or very few) links with the auxiliaries, although they are well aware of their existence and in some cases the auxiliaries have been trained by officials of the Veterinary Services. However, there are isolated cases of countries establishing more formal links, for example, recognising the status of an auxiliary, recognising auxiliaries with no definition of a status, attaching auxiliaries to Veterinary Service staff, establishing agreements for the provision of auxiliary services through livestock producer associations, harmonising auxiliary training programmes, issuing professional auxiliary cards, and setting up a consultation framework on the issue of auxiliaries. Unlike private veterinarians, agents of the official services do not generally perceive auxiliaries as competitors, and sometimes collaboration develops at this level. The authors propose several measures to improve links between the official Veterinary Services and auxiliaries, as follows: the fields of competence of auxiliaries should be defined and their curriculum harmonised, the status of auxiliaries should be recognised, a monitoring and assessment mechanism should be established at senior level in the Veterinary Services, training for livestock producers should be improved.

EMUs for the Oeresund link; Elektrische Triebzuege fuer die Oeresundverbindung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bengtsson, J.E. [Bombardier Transportation GmbH, Vaesteraas (Sweden)

2001-07-01

Danish and Swedish Railways jointly purchased new EMUs type Contessa for the Oresund Link, starting operation in summer 2000. By high acceleration the three car electric multiple units reach a top speed of 180 km/h. Several EMUs can be coupled quickly to the Flexfrontsystem technology. Further special features are equipments for two different line voltages as well as for two signalling and automatic train control systems and a low floor part. (orig.) [German] Die daenische und die schwedische Eisenbahn haben gemeinsam fuer die Oresund-Verbindung neue dreiteilige Triebzuege Contessa beschafft und im Sommer 2000 in Betrieb genommen. Die elektrischen Triebzuege erreichen mit hoher Beschleunigung 180 km/h Hoechstgeschwindigkeit und koennen dank des Flexfrontsystems schnell zu mehreren gekuppelt werden. Weitere Merkmale sind die Ausruestungen fuer zwei Fahrleitungsspannungen, zwei Signal- und Zugbeeinflussungssysteme sowie ein Niederflurbereich. (orig.)

Knowledge Representation and Management: a Linked Data Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Barros, M; Couto, F M

2016-11-10

Biomedical research is increasingly becoming a data-intensive science in several areas, where prodigious amounts of data is being generated that has to be stored, integrated, shared and analyzed. In an effort to improve the accessibility of data and knowledge, the Linked Data initiative proposed a well-defined set of recommendations for exposing, sharing and integrating data, information and knowledge, using semantic web technologies. The main goal of this paper is to identify the current status and future trends of knowledge representation and management in Life and Health Sciences, mostly with regard to linked data technologies. We selected three prominent linked data studies, namely Bio2RDF, Open PHACTS and EBI RDF platform, and selected 14 studies published after 2014 (inclusive) that cited any of the three studies. We manually analyzed these 14 papers in relation to how they use linked data techniques. The analyses show a tendency to use linked data techniques in Life and Health Sciences, and even if some studies do not follow all of the recommendations, many of them already represent and manage their knowledge using RDF and biomedical ontologies. These insights from RDF and biomedical ontologies are having a strong impact on how knowledge is generated from biomedical data, by making data elements increasingly connected and by providing a better description of their semantics. As health institutes become more data centric, we believe that the adoption of linked data techniques will continue to grow and be an effective solution to knowledge representation and management.

Metropolitan food supply : case study Cairo : a quick scan study to enhance fresh food supply and minimize postharvest losses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broek, van den W.H.A.M.; Boerrigter, H.A.M.

2014-01-01

To investigate options for “Metropolitan food production systems” in Egypt and specifically in the Cairo region, a ‘cold chain quick scan’ is conducted by Wageningen UR post-harvest specialists. The study comprehends a quick scan for market demand, market willingness and a search for trend

A Software Engineering Paradigm for Quick-turnaround Earth Science Data Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, K.

2016-12-01

As is generally the case with applied sciences professional and educational programs, the participants of such programs can come from a variety of technical backgrounds. In the NASA DEVELOP National Program, the participants constitute an interdisciplinary set of backgrounds, with varying levels of experience with computer programming. DEVELOP makes use of geographically explicit data sets, and it is necessary to use geographic information systems and geospatial image processing environments. As data sets cover longer time spans and include more complex sets of parameters, automation is becoming an increasingly prevalent feature. Though platforms such as ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, and ENVI facilitate the batch-processing of geospatial imagery, these environments are naturally constricting to the user in that they limit him or her to the tools that are available. Users must then turn to "homemade" scripting in more traditional programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, or R, to automate workflows. However, in the context of quick-turnaround projects like those in DEVELOP, the programming learning curve may be prohibitively steep. In this work, we consider how to best design a software development paradigm that addresses two major constants: an arbitrarily experienced programmer and quick-turnaround project timelines.

Total Isolation Status Monitoring and Management System by CAD Assisted Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Masaaki

1995-01-01

Isolation tasks in a nuclear power station require high confidence and quick response particularly during the annual inspection when the equipment must be checked in a safe and planned manner. To realize these advanced isolation works, JAPC has developed TOtal Isolation Status Monitoring and Management System using CAD Assisted Technology. This system, TOMM-CAT, developed under the concept of 'User friendly advanced man-machine interface', allows planning and management to be performed on a CRT display. TOMM-CAT allows isolation tasks to be performed accurately and efficiently in conjunction with equipment information from the existing Job Order Management System, which runs on the station host computer. (author)

Present status of NMCC and sample preparation method for bio-samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Futatsugawa, S.; Hatakeyama, S.; Saitou, S.; Sera, K.

1993-01-01

In NMCC(Nishina Memorial Cyclotron Center) we are doing researches on PET of nuclear medicine (Positron Emission Computed Tomography) and PIXE analysis (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) using a small cyclotron of compactly designed. The NMCC facilities have been opened to researchers of other institutions since April 1993. The present status of NMCC is described. Bio-samples (medical samples, plants, animals and environmental samples) have mainly been analyzed by PIXE in NMCC. Small amounts of bio-samples for PIXE are decomposed quickly and easily in a sealed PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) vessel with a microwave oven. This sample preparation method of bio-samples also is described. (author)

Quick titration of pergolide in cotreatment with domperidone is safe and effective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, PAF; Herings, RMC; Samson, MM; Schuurmans-Daemen, LMPJ; Hovestadt, A; Verhaar, HJJ; Van Laar, T; de Vreede, P.

2001-01-01

The purpose of the study was to analyze efficacy and safety of quick pergolide titration combined with domperidone. In an open-label prospective study, pergolide was titrated in 16 days to a maximum of 3 mg/d doses as adjunctive treatment to L-Dopa in 10 elderly patients with Parkinson's disease.

Trait- and size-based descriptions of trophic links in freshwater food webs: current status and perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David S. Boukal

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Biotic interactions in aquatic communities are dominated by predation, and the distribution of trophic link strengths in aquatic food webs crucially impacts their dynamics and stability. Although individual body size explains a large proportion of variation in trophic link strengths in aquatic habitats, current predominately body size-based views can gain additional realism by incorporating further traits. Functional traits that potentially affect the strength of trophic links can be classified into three groups: i body size, ii traits that identify the spatiotemporal overlap between the predators and their prey, and iii predator foraging and prey vulnerability traits, which are readily available for many taxa. Relationship between these trait groups and trophic link strength may be further modified by population densities, habitat complexity, temperature and other abiotic factors. I propose here that this broader multi-trait framework can utilize concepts, ideas and existing data from research on metabolic ecology, ecomorphology, animal personalities and role of habitats in community structuring. The framework can be used to investigate non-additive effects of traits on trophic interactions, shed more light on the structuring of local food webs and evaluate the merits of taxonomic and functional group approaches in the description of predator-prey interactions. Development of trait- and size-based descriptions of food webs could be particularly fruitful in limnology given the relative paucity of well resolved datasets in standing waters. 

Young children in urban areas: Links among neighborhood characteristics, weight status, outdoor play, and television watching

Science.gov (United States)

Kimbro, Rachel Tolbert; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; McLanahan, Sara

2011-01-01

Although research consistently demonstrates a link between residential context and physical activity for adults and adolescents, less is known about young children’s physical activity. Using data from the U.S. Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=1822, 51% male), we explored whether outdoor play and television watching were associated with children’s body mass indexes (BMIs) at age five using OLS regression models, controlling for a wide array of potential confounders, including maternal BMI. We also tested whether subjective and objective neighborhood measures - socioeconomic status (from U.S. Census tract data), type of dwelling, perceived collective efficacy, and interviewer-assessed physical disorder of the immediate environment outside the home -were associated with children’s activities, using negative binomial regression models. Overall, 19% of the sample were overweight (between the 85th and 95th percentiles), and 16% were obese (≥95th percentile). Hours of outdoor play were negatively associated with BMI, and hours of television were positively associated with BMI. Moreover, a ratio of outdoor play to television time was a significant predictor of BMI. Higher maternal perceptions of neighborhood collective efficacy were associated with more hours of outdoor play, fewer hours of television viewing, and more trips to a park or playground. In addition, we found that neighborhood physical disorder was associated with both more outdoor play and more television watching. Finally, contrary to expectations, we found that children living in public housing had significantly more hours of outdoor play and watched more television, than other children. We hypothesize that poorer children may have more unstructured time, which they fill with television time but also with outdoor play time; and that children in public housing may be likely to have access to play areas on the grounds of their housing facilities. PMID:21324574

Young children in urban areas: links among neighborhood characteristics, weight status, outdoor play, and television watching.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimbro, Rachel Tolbert; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; McLanahan, Sara

2011-03-01

Although research consistently demonstrates a link between residential context and physical activity for adults and adolescents, less is known about young children's physical activity. Using data from the U.S. Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=1822, 51% male), we explored whether outdoor play and television watching were associated with children's body mass indexes (BMIs) at age five using OLS regression models, controlling for a wide array of potential confounders, including maternal BMI. We also tested whether subjective and objective neighborhood measures - socioeconomic status (from U.S. Census tract data), type of dwelling, perceived collective efficacy, and interviewer-assessed physical disorder of the immediate environment outside the home - were associated with children's activities, using negative binomial regression models. Overall, 19% of the sample were overweight (between the 85th and 95th percentiles), and 16% were obese (≥ 95th percentile). Hours of outdoor play were negatively associated with BMI, and hours of television were positively associated with BMI. Moreover, a ratio of outdoor play to television time was a significant predictor of BMI. Higher maternal perceptions of neighborhood collective efficacy were associated with more hours of outdoor play, fewer hours of television viewing, and more trips to a park or playground. In addition, we found that neighborhood physical disorder was associated with both more outdoor play and more television watching. Finally, contrary to expectations, we found that children living in public housing had significantly more hours of outdoor play and watched more television, than other children. We hypothesize that poorer children may have more unstructured time, which they fill with television time but also with outdoor play time; and that children in public housing may be likely to have access to play areas on the grounds of their housing facilities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

QuickPALM: 3D real-time photoactivation nanoscopy image processing in ImageJ

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Henriques, R

2010-05-01

Full Text Available QuickPALM in conjunction with the acquisition of control features provides a complete solution for the acquisition, reconstruction and visualization of 3D PALM or STORM images, achieving resolutions of ~40 nm in real time. This software package...

Link-topic model for biomedical abbreviation disambiguation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seonho; Yoon, Juntae

2015-02-01

The ambiguity of biomedical abbreviations is one of the challenges in biomedical text mining systems. In particular, the handling of term variants and abbreviations without nearby definitions is a critical issue. In this study, we adopt the concepts of topic of document and word link to disambiguate biomedical abbreviations. We newly suggest the link topic model inspired by the latent Dirichlet allocation model, in which each document is perceived as a random mixture of topics, where each topic is characterized by a distribution over words. Thus, the most probable expansions with respect to abbreviations of a given abstract are determined by word-topic, document-topic, and word-link distributions estimated from a document collection through the link topic model. The model allows two distinct modes of word generation to incorporate semantic dependencies among words, particularly long form words of abbreviations and their sentential co-occurring words; a word can be generated either dependently on the long form of the abbreviation or independently. The semantic dependency between two words is defined as a link and a new random parameter for the link is assigned to each word as well as a topic parameter. Because the link status indicates whether the word constitutes a link with a given specific long form, it has the effect of determining whether a word forms a unigram or a skipping/consecutive bigram with respect to the long form. Furthermore, we place a constraint on the model so that a word has the same topic as a specific long form if it is generated in reference to the long form. Consequently, documents are generated from the two hidden parameters, i.e. topic and link, and the most probable expansion of a specific abbreviation is estimated from the parameters. Our model relaxes the bag-of-words assumption of the standard topic model in which the word order is neglected, and it captures a richer structure of text than does the standard topic model by considering

Women's Status and World-System Position: An Exploratory Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard York

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Our aim here is to strengthen the links between the world-systems perspective and research ongender inequality. Grounding our analysis in theories assessing the connections between genderrelationships and world-system processes, we empirically explore (] the extent to whichwomen's status in nations overlaps with the world-system position of those nations and (2 theinfluence of women's status within nations on a variety of national characteristics. We find thatwomen's status has a moderately strong association with world-system position, which suggeststhat macro-comparative research may confound the respective effects on a variety of socialcharacteristics of women's status and world-system position if indicators of both factors are notincluded in analyses. We also find that, controlling for world-system position, GDP per capita,and urbanization, in nations where women have higher status (variously measured, total fertilityrates, infant mortality rates, military expenditures, and inflows of foreign direct investinent arelower, and public health care expenditures and per capita meat consumption are higher. Theseresults suggest that women's status likely has social effects that can be seen on the macro-level,and that world-systems analysts should pay more attention to theories of gender in their research.

Causes, Consequences and Public Health Implications of Low B-Vitamin Status in Ageing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsty Porter

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The potential protective roles of folate and the metabolically related B-vitamins (vitamins B12, B6 and riboflavin in diseases of ageing are of increasing research interest. The most common cause of folate and riboflavin deficiencies in older people is low dietary intake, whereas low B12 status is primarily associated with food-bound malabsorption, while sub-optimal vitamin B6 status is attributed to increased requirements in ageing. Observational evidence links low status of folate and the related B-vitamins (and/or elevated concentrations of homocysteine with a higher risk of degenerative diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD, cognitive dysfunction and osteoporosis. Deficient or low status of these B-vitamins alone or in combination with genetic polymorphisms, including the common MTHFR 677 C → T polymorphism, could contribute to greater disease risk in ageing by causing perturbations in one carbon metabolism. Moreover, interventions with the relevant B-vitamins to optimise status may have beneficial effects in preventing degenerative diseases. The precise mechanisms are unknown but many have been proposed involving the role of folate and the related B-vitamins as co-factors for one-carbon transfer reactions, which are fundamental for DNA and RNA biosynthesis and the maintenance of methylation reactions. This review will examine the evidence linking folate and related B-vitamins with health and disease in ageing, associated mechanisms and public health implications.

LAUE lens development at UC Berkeley: status and prospects

Science.gov (United States)

Barrière, Nicolas M.; Tomsick, John A.; Ackermann, Marcelo D.; Bastie, Pierre; Boggs, Steven E.; Hanlon, Lorraine; Jentschel, Michael; Lowell, Alexander; Roudil, Gilles; von Ballmoos, Peter; Wade, Colin

2013-09-01

We report on the status of the Laue lens development effort led by UC Berkeley, where a dedicated X-ray beamline and a Laue lens assembly station were built. This allowed the realization of a first lens prototype in June 2012. Based on this achievement, and thanks to a new NASA APRA grant, we are moving forward to enable Laue lenses. Several parallel activities are in progress. Firstly, we are refining the method to glue quickly and accurately crystals on a lens substrate. Secondly, we are conducting a study of high-Z crystals to diffract energies up to 900 keV efficiently. And thirdly, we are exploring new concepts of Si-based lenses that could further improve the focusing capabilities, and thus the sensitivity of Laue lenses.

[The status of the medical profession: reinforced or challenged by the new public management?

Science.gov (United States)

Cascón-Pereira, Rosalía; Kirkpatrick, Ian; Exworthy, Mark

This article aims to assess if the status of the medical profession has been reinforced or weakened with the new public management. With this purpose, it collects the opinion of two international experts regarding situation in the United Kingdom, in order to apply some lessons to the Spanish case. Both agree that, far from losing status and power with the healthcare reform, the medical profession has protected its status and autonomy against other social agents such as managers, politicians and patients. However, the maintenance of the status quo has been at the expense of an intra-professional stratification that has caused status inequalities linked to social class within the medical profession. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. All rights reserved.

Detecting Cancer Quickly and Accurately

Science.gov (United States)

Gourley, Paul; McDonald, Anthony; Hendricks, Judy; Copeland, Guild; Hunter, John; Akhil, Ohmar; Capps, Heather; Curry, Marc; Skirboll, Steve

2000-03-01

We present a new technique for high throughput screening of tumor cells in a sensitive nanodevice that has the potential to quickly identify a cell population that has begun the rapid protein synthesis and mitosis characteristic of cancer cell proliferation. Currently, pathologists rely on microscopic examination of cell morphology using century-old staining methods that are labor-intensive, time-consuming and frequently in error. New micro-analytical methods for automated, real time screening without chemical modification are critically needed to advance pathology and improve diagnoses. We have teamed scientists with physicians to create a microlaser biochip (based upon our R&D award winning bio-laser concept)1 which evaluates tumor cells by quantifying their growth kinetics. The key new discovery was demonstrating that the lasing spectra are sensitive to the biomolecular mass in the cell, which changes the speed of light in the laser microcavity. Initial results with normal and cancerous human brain cells show that only a few hundred cells -- the equivalent of a billionth of a liter -- are required to detect abnormal growth. The ability to detect cancer in such a minute tissue sample is crucial for resecting a tumor margin or grading highly localized tumor malignancy. 1. P. L. Gourley, NanoLasers, Scientific American, March 1998, pp. 56-61. This work supported under DOE contract DE-AC04-94AL85000 and the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of ReCoupment Actions on Medicine Payments to Uniformed Services Treatment Facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

1993-07-21

OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL QUICK-REACTION REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF RECOUPMENT ACTIONS ON MEDICARE PAYMENTS TO UNIFORMED SERVICES TREATMENT...Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of Recoupment Actions on Medicare Payments to Uniformed Services Treatment Facilities (Report No. 93-150) We are...Inspectors General will provide a joint report to the congressional committees that requested the audit . The courtesies extended to the audit staff

School quality, economic status and school dropout rates among Mexican teenagers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eunice Danitza Vargas Valle

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to analyze the relationship between dropping out of school and the perceived quality of the last school that Mexican teenagers attended, and examine the interaction between this educational factor and the economic status of this population. Based on the 2010 National Youth Survey, the researchers used the life table to describe this relationship, and Cox regression models to analyze it, including individual, family-related and educational co-variables. The results show that the risk of dropping out of school is indirectly linked to school quality and, to a greater degree, to economic status; and that the gap between students dropping out based on school quality is slightly wider among adolescents of low academic status than among those of high status.

Relevance of financial information in quick loans negotiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Cruz Rambaud

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, most loan transactions are contracted by using the exponential discounting as the underlying standard economic model to value this type of financial operations. In a framework of absence of fees to be paid by the borrower, the interest rate of the exponential discount function is, moreover, the true interest rate of the operation. Nevertheless, there exist a set of circumstances which make this identity false. Among others, these characteristics are: the use of linear discount as the underlying discount function, splitting time when using a nominal interest rate, and the existence of fees in a loan at 0% interest rate. All these cases will be analyzed in this paper in the context of the so-called quick loans.

Quick discharge circuit for pacer nuclear power supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.Y.

1975-01-01

A quick discharge circuit for a pacer's nuclear power supply is described. A pacer capable of implantation within the body of a patient and capable of being powered by at least one nuclear battery is disclosed. Voltage from a single nuclear battery is increased by a factor of about 25 to 30 in order to provide a voltage level adequate to power pacer circuitry. A restartable DC--DC converter is used for this purpose. But if the converter malfunctions the load voltage must be reduced below a certain level for the converter to be automatically restarted. The present invention relates to means for reducing the time from converter malfunction to resumption of converter operation in order to reduce the corresponding inoperative pacer time period. (U.S.)

Characterization of vibratory turning in cutting zone using a pneumatic quick-stop device

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeid Amini

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Shear angle and sticking length are two crucial parameters in mechanics of metal cutting. These two parameters directly influence machinability factors such as cutting forces. Thus, shear angle and sticking length were investigated in vibratory turning process by using a pneumatic quick-stop device which was designed and fabricated, in this study. After preparation of ultrasonic assisted turning set-up, experimental tests have been carried out on two types of steel: AISI-1060 and AISI 304. Accordingly, the process of chip formation in each particular cutting test was quickly stopped when deformed chip was still in contact with workpiece. As a result, it was revealed that added linear vibration leads the turning operation to be improved by increase of shear angle and decrease of sticking length. Moreover, the effect of ultrasonic vibration on cutting force and chip micro-hardness is evaluated.

Self-Healing Superhydrophobic Materials Showing Quick Damage Recovery and Long-Term Durability.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liming; Urata, Chihiro; Sato, Tomoya; England, Matt W; Hozumi, Atsushi

2017-09-26

Superhydrophobic coatings/materials are important for a wide variety of applications, but the majority of these man-made coatings/materials still suffer from poor durability because of their lack of self-healing ability. Here, we report novel superhydrophobic materials which can quickly self-heal from various severe types of damage. In this study, we used poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) infused with two liquids: trichloropropylsilane, which reacts with ambient moisture to self-assemble into grass-like microfibers (named silicone micro/nanograss) on the surfaces and low-viscosity silicone oil (SO), which remains within the PDMS matrices and acts as a self-healing agent. Because of the silicone micro/nanograss structures on the PDMS surfaces and the effective preserve/protection system of a large quantity of SO within the PDMS matrices, our superhydrophobic materials showed quick superhydrophobic recovery under ambient conditions (within 1-2 h) even after exposure to plasma (24 h), boiling water, chemicals, and outside environments. Such an ability is superior to the best self-healing superhydrophobic coatings/materials reported so far.

Human anti-HIV IgM detection by the OraQuick ADVANCE® Rapid HIV 1/2 Antibody Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Guillon, Geraldine; Yearwood, Graham; Snipes, Casey; Boschi, Daniel; Reed, Michael R

2018-01-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and many public health jurisdictions continue to advocate for the most sensitive rapid HIV test that is available. Currently, the recommendation is to utilize tests that can detect HIV infection biomarkers within 30 days of infection, when initial immune responses are mounted. The infected patient's IgM response is often used to detect acute infection within a 20-25 days window after infection. This requirement applies to lab-based testing with automated analyzers and rapid, point of care (POC) testing used for screening in a non-clinical setting. A recent study has demonstrated that POC tests using a Protein A-based detection system can detect samples with predominantly HIV-1 IgM reactivity (Moshgabadi et al., 2015). The OraQuick ADVANCE ® Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test (OraQuick ADVANCE ®) also uses Protein A as the detection protein in the antibody-binding colloidal gold conjugate, so it is expected that the OraQuick ADVANCE ® Test will also detect samples with predominantly IgM reactivity. This report definitively demonstrates that the OraQuick ADVANCE ® Test can detect IgM antibodies during an acute infection window period of approximately 20-25 days after infection, and is therefore suitable for use in testing environments requiring adherence to current CDC recommendations.

Quick torque coupling

Science.gov (United States)

Luft, Peter A [El Cerrito, CA

2009-05-12

A coupling for mechanically connecting modular tubular struts of a positioning apparatus or space frame, comprising a pair of toothed rings (10, 12) attached to separate strut members (16), the teeth (18, 20) of the primary rings (10, 12) mechanically interlocking in both an axial and circumferential manner, and a third part comprising a sliding, toothed collar (14) the teeth (22) of which interlock the teeth (18, 20) of the primary rings (10, 12), preventing them from disengaging, and completely locking the assembly together. A secondary mechanism provides a nesting force for the collar, and/or retains it. The coupling is self-contained and requires no external tools for installation, and can be assembled with gloved hands in demanding environments. No gauging or measured torque is required for assembly. The assembly can easily be visually inspected to determine a "go" or "no-go" status. The coupling is compact and relatively light-weight. Because of it's triply interlocking teeth, the connection is rigid. The connection does not primarily rely on clamps, springs or friction based fasteners, and is therefore reliable in fail-safe applications.

RIA Quick, AUSRIA II-125, AUSAB. Comparative study on isolated and simultaneous radioimmunoassay of hepatitis B surface antigen and antibodies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kselikova, M; Urbankova, J [Institut fuer Haematologie und Bluttransfusion, Prag (Czechoslovakia)

1983-01-01

The surface antigen of hepatitis B (HBsAg) and the antibodies against HBsAg can be determined separately by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) test kits AUSRIA II-125 and AUSAB, respectively. Using the test kit RIA Quick (IMMUNO, Wien) it is possible to perform both the determinations in one preparation simultaneously. The sensitivity of RIA Quick for HBsAg corresponds to that of AUSRIA II-125 and for HBsAB it is considerably lower than that of AUSAB. RIA Quick is of excellent technical design and is by a quarter cheaper than the kits for isolated determination of HBsAg and HBsAb.

Linking Obesity and Activity Level with Children's Television and Video Game Use

Science.gov (United States)

Vandewater, Elizabeth A.; Shim, Mi-suk; Caplovitz, Allison G.

2004-01-01

This study examined the links between childhood obesity, activity participation and television and video game use in a nationally representative sample of children (N=2831) ages 1-12 using age-normed body mass index (BMI) ratings. Results indicated that while television use was not related to children's weight status, video game use was. Children…

Microbiota colonization status influences developmental toxicity of bisphenol A in embryonic zebrafish

Science.gov (United States)

There is growing evidence that microbiota can modify the toxicokinetics and/or toxicodynamics of environmental chemicals. Commonly used mammalian systems have limited ability to link phenotypic effects in exposed animals to colonization status. Here, we used gnotobiotic zebrafish...

Linking Employment Status, Maternal Psychological Well-Being, Parenting, and Children's Attributions about Poverty in Families Receiving Government Assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Murry, Velma McBride; Brody, Gene H.; Brown, Anita; Wisenbaker, Joseph; Cutrona, Carolyn E.; Simons, Ronald L.

2002-01-01

Using an ecological risk-protection perspective, explores functional changes in single African American mothers (N=96) receiving government assistance. Examines links among maternal employment, mothers' physical and psychological health, and children's attributions about causes of poverty. Maternal psychological distress was linked with children's…

High speed serial link for UA1 microprocessor network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cittolin, S.; Loefstedt, B.; Zurfluh, E.

1981-01-01

The UA1 data acquisition system consists of a set of distributed microprocessor units. An interprocessor link, independent of the CAMAC data readout, has been developed in order to have continuous remote control and run-time data handling, e.g. transmission of calibration programs/parameters, equipment rest/status and histogram accumulation. The data transmission system is designed to be used in a loop configuration equipped with transceivers for twisted pair cables (RS-422). As an economical system it is running as an ancillary serial loop-link between microprocessors Like Data Acquisition Crate Controllers and systems with distributed intelligence. The software driver consists of a loop-controller package, which may run in a BAMBI Computer Language environment and a fully interrupt controlled program for all other secondary stations. A special single-character mode provides a handy link for remote debugging in a pseudo-full-duplex mode. The format is based on the HDLC protocol without sequence numbering. The Chip MC-6854 from Motorola, Inc. enables an implementation with few components. (orig.)

Designing an energy-efficient quick service restaurant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young, R.; Spata, A.J.; Turnbull, P.; Allen, T.E.

1999-07-01

Food service operators typically focus on controlling labor and food costs in order to increase profits. Energy, which typically represents 2% to 6% of the total cost to operate, is often a lower priority due to the complexity of food service operations and the lack of practical information. However, in an increasing competitive market, operators are actively seeking opportunities to further reduce overhead, and energy represents a good candidate. This paper presents an overview of the design and application of energy-efficient technologies to a quick service restaurant (QSR) and the resulting energy savings. Included in the discussion are the relevance of energy efficiency in a QSR, the criteria for choosing appropriate energy-efficient technologies, the replication of results to other restaurants, and the performance of the individual energy-saving technologies. Three different techniques were used to estimate energy savings of the energy-efficient technologies, with results in the range of 12% to 18% savings in overall annual restaurant energy costs.

Energy modeling issues in quick service restaurants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, V.A.; Johnson, K.F.

1997-03-01

The complexity of monitoring and modeling the energy performance of food-service facilities was discussed. Usually, less than one third of the energy consumed in a commercial food-service facility is used by equipment and systems typically modeled in building simulation software such as DOE-2. Algorithms have not yet been developed to handle independent makeup air units and the kitchen and dining room HVAC systems. The energy used by food process equipment and water heating is based on customer-volume and operation-hours. Monitoring projects have been undertaken to provide detailed energy use profiles of individual appliances and whole restaurants. Some technical issues that are unique to food-service modeling in current versions of DOE-2.1E software in the context of quick service restaurants, such as difficulties in modelling internal heat gains of hooded cooking appliances and walk-in refrigeration, and system and zone limitations on tracking energy consumption, were discussed. 1 fig.

The feasibility of direct processing of sugar beets in Slovenia: a quick scan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongeneel, R.A.; Smit, A.L.; Bakker, Tom; Jager, J.H.

2015-01-01

This study presents a quick scan of the economic feasibility of direct processing of sugar beet for ethanol production in Slovenia, using the Betaprocess technology. The outcome is that given the prices for sugar, sugar beets, ethanol and other relevant arable crops that are expected to prevail

The extent of knowledge of Quick Response Manufacturing principles : an exploratory transnational study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Godinho Filho, Moacir; Marchesini, Antonio Gilberto; Riezebos, Jan; Vandaele, Nico; Devos Ganga, Gilberto Miller

2017-01-01

The main goal of this research is to identify whether companies that have implemented the Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) approach have full knowledge of the QRM principles or have merely applied the elements ( principles and tools) that have a close relationship with Lean Manufacturing. Based on

Links between nutrition and reproduction in cattle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marie, M.

1999-01-01

Situations in which nutrition modulates reproductive function, and targets involved, are identified, particularly in relation to initiation of cyclicity (at puberty, during the post-partum period or after induction of ovulation), fertility and induction of ovulation. The usefulness and pertinence of measurements of body weight variations, body condition score, nutritional balance or blood metabolites (glucose, ketone bodies, free fatty acids, cholesterol, urea and amino acids) to evaluate nutritional status in this context is considered. Leptin could play a central role in causal mechanisms linking nutrition and reproduction, in conjunction with somatotropic axis, insulin, opioids, and neuropeptide Y. (author)

Winning quick and dirty: the greedy random walk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben-Naim, E; Redner, S

2004-01-01

As a strategy to complete games quickly, we investigate one-dimensional random walks where the step length increases deterministically upon each return to the origin. When the step length after the kth return equals k, the displacement of the walk x grows linearly in time. Asymptotically, the probability distribution of displacements is a purely exponentially decaying function of |x|/t. The probability E(t, L) for the walk to escape a bounded domain of size L at time t decays algebraically in the long-time limit, E(t, L) ∼ L/t 2 . Consequently, the mean escape time (t) ∼ Lln L, while (t n ) ∼ L 2n-1 for n > 1. Corresponding results are derived when the step length after the kth return scales as k α for α > 0

Linking degradation status with ecosystem vulnerability to environmental change

Science.gov (United States)

Angeler, David G.; Baho, Didier L.; Allen, Craig R.; Johnson, Richard K.

2015-01-01

Environmental change can cause regime shifts in ecosystems, potentially threatening ecosystem services. It is unclear if the degradation status of ecosystems correlates with their vulnerability to environmental change, and thus the risk of future regime shifts. We assessed resilience in acidified (degraded) and circumneutral (undegraded) lakes with long-term data (1988–2012), using time series modeling. We identified temporal frequencies in invertebrate assemblages, which identifies groups of species whose population dynamics vary at particular temporal scales. We also assessed species with stochastic dynamics, those whose population dynamics vary irregularly and unpredictably over time. We determined the distribution of functional feeding groups of invertebrates within and across the temporal scales identified, and in those species with stochastic dynamics, and assessed attributes hypothesized to contribute to resilience. Three patterns of temporal dynamics, consistent across study lakes, were identified in the invertebrates. The first pattern was one of monotonic change associated with changing abiotic lake conditions. The second and third patterns appeared unrelated to the environmental changes we monitored. Acidified and the circumneutral lakes shared similar levels and patterns of functional richness, evenness, diversity, and redundancy for species within and across the observed temporal scales and for stochastic species groups. These similar resilience characteristics suggest that both lake types did not differ in vulnerability to the environmental changes observed here. Although both lake types appeared equally vulnerable in this study, our approach demonstrates how assessing systemic vulnerability by quantifying ecological resilience can help address uncertainty in predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change across ecosystems.

A quick guide to wind power forecating : state-of-the-art 2009.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monteiro, C.; Keko, H.; Bessa, R.; Miranda, V.; Botterud, A.; Wang, J.; Conzelmann, G.; Decision and Information Sciences; INESC Porto

2009-11-20

This document contains a summary of the main findings from our full report entitled 'Wind Power Forecasting: State-of-the-Art 2009'. The aims of this document are to provide guidelines and a quick overview of the current state-of-the-art in wind power forecasting (WPF) and to point out lines of research in the future development of forecasting systems.

Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Schagen, Silke K; Zampeli, Vasiliki A; Makrantonaki, Evgenia; Zouboulis, Christos C

2012-07-01

Skin has been reported to reflect the general inner-health status and aging. Nutrition and its reflection on skin has always been an interesting topic for scientists and physicians throughout the centuries worldwide. Vitamins, carotenoids, tocopherols, flavonoids and a variety of plant extracts have been reported to possess potent anti-oxidant properties and have been widely used in the skin care industry either as topically applied agents or oral supplements in an attempt to prolong youthful skin appearance. This review will provide an overview of the current literature "linking" nutrition with skin aging.

Employment characteristics and health status among men and women.

Science.gov (United States)

Hibbard, J H; Pope, C R

1987-01-01

This study examines the characteristics of jobs held by women as compared to men during the 1970s and assesses associations between job characteristics and family status with health status by sex. Sex differences in perceptions about the meaning of work, commitment to the work role, and stresses and rewards are considered. Survey data on 1490 employed men and women, ages 18-64, drawn from a random sample of enrollees of a large health maintenance organization in 1970-71 are linked with medical record data covering seven years of outpatient and inpatient services. The findings suggest important differences in the characteristics of jobs held by men and women and in the relative importance of these job characteristics in relation to health. Men held jobs with higher quality intrinsic work characteristics and perceived their jobs to be less stressful and less physically and mentally tiring than did women. Social support and integration through work and occupational status were significantly related to health status for both sexes, however, family responsibilities interact with job characteristics to affect health status for women. Single motherhood, in combination with low social support and integration through work, was related to poor health among women.

QuickRNASeq lifts large-scale RNA-seq data analyses to the next level of automation and interactive visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Shanrong; Xi, Li; Quan, Jie; Xi, Hualin; Zhang, Ying; von Schack, David; Vincent, Michael; Zhang, Baohong

2016-01-08

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), a next-generation sequencing technique for transcriptome profiling, is being increasingly used, in part driven by the decreasing cost of sequencing. Nevertheless, the analysis of the massive amounts of data generated by large-scale RNA-seq remains a challenge. Multiple algorithms pertinent to basic analyses have been developed, and there is an increasing need to automate the use of these tools so as to obtain results in an efficient and user friendly manner. Increased automation and improved visualization of the results will help make the results and findings of the analyses readily available to experimental scientists. By combing the best open source tools developed for RNA-seq data analyses and the most advanced web 2.0 technologies, we have implemented QuickRNASeq, a pipeline for large-scale RNA-seq data analyses and visualization. The QuickRNASeq workflow consists of three main steps. In Step #1, each individual sample is processed, including mapping RNA-seq reads to a reference genome, counting the numbers of mapped reads, quality control of the aligned reads, and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) calling. Step #1 is computationally intensive, and can be processed in parallel. In Step #2, the results from individual samples are merged, and an integrated and interactive project report is generated. All analyses results in the report are accessible via a single HTML entry webpage. Step #3 is the data interpretation and presentation step. The rich visualization features implemented here allow end users to interactively explore the results of RNA-seq data analyses, and to gain more insights into RNA-seq datasets. In addition, we used a real world dataset to demonstrate the simplicity and efficiency of QuickRNASeq in RNA-seq data analyses and interactive visualizations. The seamless integration of automated capabilites with interactive visualizations in QuickRNASeq is not available in other published RNA-seq pipelines. The high degree

Obesity and Cigarette Smoking: Extending the Link to E-cigarette/Vaping Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanza, H Isabella; Pittman, Patricia; Batshoun, Jennifer

2017-05-01

In recent years, electronic tobacco (e-cigarette/vaping) use among young adults has grown exponentially. Given past research linking obesity and cigarette smoking, assessing whether this relationship extends to electronic tobacco use is warranted. The current study examined weight status as a correlate of substance use patterns reflecting electronic tobacco use. Survey data were collected from a convenience sample of 452 (59% female) undergraduates attending a large, public university during the 2015-2016 academic year. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify substance use classes and examine weight status as a covariate of class membership. LCA analyses identified 4 classes: High Substance Use (19%), Risky Alcohol Use (14%), Cigarette/Electronic Tobacco Use (17%), and Low Substance Use (50%). Both obesity status and greater deviation from one's group body mass index (BMI) norm were associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the Cigarette/Electronic Tobacco Use class. Findings suggest that electronic tobacco use may fit well into previously established relationships between higher weight status and tobacco use. Future research should examine the longitudinal processes and pathways underlying the relationship between weight status and electronic tobacco use.

Obesity and Cigarette Smoking: Extending the Link to E cigarette/Vaping Use

Science.gov (United States)

Lanza, H. Isabella; Pittman, Patricia; Batshoun, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Objectives In recent years, electronic tobacco (e-cigarette/vaping) use among young adults has grown exponentially. Given past research linking obesity and cigarette smoking, assessing whether this relationship extends to electronic tobacco use is warranted. The current study examined weight status as a correlate of substance use patterns reflecting electronic tobacco use. Methods Survey data were collected from a convenience sample of 452 (59% female) undergraduates attending a large, public university during the 2015–2016 academic year. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify substance use classes and examine weight status as a covariate of class membership. Results LCA analyses identified 4 classes: High Substance Use (19%), Risky Alcohol Use (14%), Cigarette/Electronic Tobacco Use (17%), and Low Substance Use (50%). Both obesity status and greater deviation from one’s group body mass index (BMI) norm were associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the Cigarette/Electronic Tobacco Use class. Conclusions Findings suggest that electronic tobacco use may fit well into previously established relationships between higher weight status and tobacco use. Future research should examine the longitudinal processes and pathways underlying the relationship between weight status and electronic tobacco use. PMID:28376978

Paternal education status significantly influences infants' measles vaccination uptake, independent of maternal education status.

Science.gov (United States)

Rammohan, Anu; Awofeso, Niyi; Fernandez, Renae C

2012-05-08

Despite increased funding of measles vaccination programs by national governments and international aid agencies, structural factors encumber attainment of childhood measles immunisation to levels which may guarantee herd immunity. One of such factors is parental education status. Research on the links between parental education and vaccination has typically focused on the influence of maternal education status. This study aims to demonstrate the independent influence of paternal education status on measles immunisation. Comparable nationally representative survey data were obtained from six countries with the highest numbers of children missing the measles vaccine in 2008. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the influence of paternal education on uptake of the first dose of measles vaccination, independent of maternal education, whilst controlling for confounding factors such as respondent's age, urban/rural residence, province/state of residence, religion, wealth and occupation. The results of the analysis show that even if a mother is illiterate, having a father with an education of Secondary (high school) schooling and above is statistically significant and positively correlated with the likelihood of a child being vaccinated for measles, in the six countries analysed. Paternal education of secondary or higher level was significantly and independently correlated with measles immunisation uptake after controlling for all potential confounders. The influence of paternal education status on measles immunisation uptake was investigated and found to be statistically significant in six nations with the biggest gaps in measles immunisation coverage in 2008. This study underscores the imperative of utilising both maternal and paternal education as screening variables to identify children at risk of missing measles vaccination prospectively.

Identification of three novel OA1 gene mutations identified in three families misdiagnosed with congenital nystagmus and carrier status determination by real-time quantitative PCR assay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamel Christian

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background X-linked ocular albinism type 1 (OA1 is caused by mutations in OA1 gene, which encodes a membrane glycoprotein localised to melanosomes. OA1 mainly affects pigment production in the eye, resulting in optic changes associated with albinism including hypopigmentation of the retina, nystagmus, strabismus, foveal hypoplasia, abnormal crossing of the optic fibers and reduced visual acuity. Affected Caucasian males usually appear to have normal skin and hair pigment. Results We identified three previously undescribed mutations consisting of two intragenic deletions (one encompassing exon 6, the other encompassing exons 7–8, and a point mutation (310delG in exon 2. We report the development of a new method for diagnosis of heterozygous deletions in OA1 gene based on measurement of gene copy number using real-time quantitative PCR from genomic DNA. Conclusion The identification of OA1 mutations in families earlier reported as families with hereditary nystagmus indicate that ocular albinism type 1 is probably underdiagnosed. Our method of real-time quantitative PCR of OA1 exons with DMD exon as external standard performed on the LightCycler™ allows quick and accurate carrier-status assessment for at-risk females.

2015 QuickCompass of Sexual Assult-Related Responders: Statistical Methodology Report

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-01

Degree Age CAGE5 18 to 24 years olds 25 to 30 years olds 31 to 34 years olds 35 to 40 years olds 41 years old and older Gender CSEX Male Female...2015 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response- Related Responders Statistical Methodology Report Additional copies of this report...from: http://www.dtic.mil/ Ask for report by ADA630235 DMDC Report No. 2015-039 February 2016 2015 QUICKCOMPASS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION

[Relationship between body weight status and self-concept in schoolchildren].

Science.gov (United States)

Gálvez Casas, Arancha; Rodríguez García, Pedro L; Rosa Guillamón, Andrés; García-Cantó, Eliseo; Pérez-Soto, Juan J; Tarraga Marcos, Loreto; Tarraga López, Pedro

2014-11-30

Body weight status has been linked to other health parameters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body weight status and self-concept in a sample of 216 students (9.26 ± 1.26 years) from schools of the Southeast of Spain. BMI (Body-mass index) was used to evaluate the body weight status. Subjects were classified into normal weight, overweight and obesity according to international standards. The six dimensions of self-concept (intellectual, behavioral, physical, lack of anxiety, social and life satisfaction) were assessed using the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. The results showed significant associations between BMI and intellectual self-concept, life satisfaction, global self-concept and physical self. Subjects categorized as overweight or obese were those who showed lower scores on the self-concept scale. Interventions focused on improving the body weight status are needed in order to achieve better self-concept levels and health among young people. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

25 CFR 115.708 - How quickly will trust funds received by the Secretary on behalf of tribes or individual Indians...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How quickly will trust funds received by the Secretary on behalf of tribes or individual Indians be deposited into a trust account? 115.708 Section 115.708 Indians... INDIVIDUAL INDIANS Trust Fund Accounts: General Information § 115.708 How quickly will trust funds received...

Indian gas field development plan aims for quick production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, N.

1992-01-01

The development of a new oil or gas field involves construction of various downstream facilities such as field flow lines, trunk lines, oil and gas collecting and processing stations, and transportation to refineries and consuming centers. This paper reports that it is essential that these facilities be built on a schedule that allows the products to be transported and processed as early as possible. Unless such an approach is initiated, the wells producing crude oil or natural gas will need to be shut-in in the absence of the other relative facilities. For quick returns on the investments, a realistic program and careful evaluation of the schedule is needed to ensure that early commissioning of the fields is possible

Los Alamos National Laboratory Develops ''Quick to WIPP'' Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, R.; Allen, G.; Kosiewicz, S.; Martin, B.; LANL; Nunz, J.; Biedscheid, J.; Sellmer, T.; Willis, J.; Orban, J.; Liekhus, K.; Djordjevic, S.

2003-01-01

The Cerro Grande forest fire in May of 2000 and the terrorist events of September 11, 2001 precipitated concerns of the vulnerability of legacy contact-handled (CH), high-wattage transuranic (TRU) waste stored at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). An analysis of the 9,100 cubic meters of stored CH-TRU waste revealed that 400 cubic meters or 4.5% of the inventory represented 61% of the risk. The analysis further showed that this 400 cubic meters was contained in only 2,000 drums. These facts and the question ''How can the disposition of this waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) be accelerated?'' formed the genesis of LANL's Quick to WIPP initiative

Comorbidity burden is associated with poor psychological well-being and physical health status in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoogwegt, Madelein T; Kupper, Nina; Jordaens, Luc

2013-01-01

Comorbidity burden has been linked to survival in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), but no study has examined the influence on psychological well-being and health status. We examined the relationship between comorbidity burden and anxiety, depression, and health status...

Fast, accurate, and reliable molecular docking with QuickVina 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Alhossary, Amr; Handoko, Stephanus Daniel; Mu, Yuguang; Kwoh, Chee-Keong

2015-07-01

The need for efficient molecular docking tools for high-throughput screening is growing alongside the rapid growth of drug-fragment databases. AutoDock Vina ('Vina') is a widely used docking tool with parallelization for speed. QuickVina ('QVina 1') then further enhanced the speed via a heuristics, requiring high exhaustiveness. With low exhaustiveness, its accuracy was compromised. We present in this article the latest version of QuickVina ('QVina 2') that inherits both the speed of QVina 1 and the reliability of the original Vina. We tested the efficacy of QVina 2 on the core set of PDBbind 2014. With the default exhaustiveness level of Vina (i.e. 8), a maximum of 20.49-fold and an average of 2.30-fold acceleration with a correlation coefficient of 0.967 for the first mode and 0.911 for the sum of all modes were attained over the original Vina. A tendency for higher acceleration with increased number of rotatable bonds as the design variables was observed. On the accuracy, Vina wins over QVina 2 on 30% of the data with average energy difference of only 0.58 kcal/mol. On the same dataset, GOLD produced RMSD smaller than 2 Å on 56.9% of the data while QVina 2 attained 63.1%. The C++ source code of QVina 2 is available at (www.qvina.org). aalhossary@pmail.ntu.edu.sg Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Relationships between eating quickly and weight gain in Japanese university students: a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamane, Mayu; Ekuni, Daisuke; Mizutani, Shinsuke; Kataoka, Kota; Sakumoto-Kataoka, Masami; Kawabata, Yuya; Omori, Chie; Azuma, Tetsuji; Tomofuji, Takaaki; Iwasaki, Yoshiaki; Morita, Manabu

2014-10-01

Many cross-sectional studies have reported a relationship between overweight/obesity and eating quickly, but there have been few longitudinal studies to address this relationship in younger populations. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to investigate whether eating quickly was related to being overweight in Japanese university students. Of 1,396 students who underwent a general examination and completed questionnaires at the start of university and before graduation, 1,314 students (676 male and 638 female) of normal body composition [body mass index (BMI) students whose BMIs were ≥ 25 kg m(-2) were defined as overweight. In this study, 38 participants (2.9%) became overweight. In the logistic regression analysis, the risk of being overweight was increased in males [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.77; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33-5.79; P university students. Copyright © 2014 The Obesity Society.

Utility of linking primary care electronic medical records with Canadian census data to study the determinants of chronic disease: an example based on socioeconomic status and obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Biro, Suzanne; Williamson, Tyler; Leggett, Jannet Ann; Barber, David; Morkem, Rachael; Moore, Kieran; Belanger, Paul; Mosley, Brian; Janssen, Ian

2016-03-11

Electronic medical records (EMRs) used in primary care contain a breadth of data that can be used in public health research. Patient data from EMRs could be linked with other data sources, such as a postal code linkage with Census data, to obtain additional information on environmental determinants of health. While promising, successful linkages between primary care EMRs with geographic measures is limited due to ethics review board concerns. This study tested the feasibility of extracting full postal code from primary care EMRs and linking this with area-level measures of the environment to demonstrate how such a linkage could be used to examine the determinants of disease. The association between obesity and area-level deprivation was used as an example to illustrate inequalities of obesity in adults. The analysis included EMRs of 7153 patients aged 20 years and older who visited a single, primary care site in 2011. Extracted patient information included demographics (date of birth, sex, postal code) and weight status (height, weight). Information extraction and management procedures were designed to mitigate the risk of individual re-identification when extracting full postal code from source EMRs. Based on patients' postal codes, area-based deprivation indexes were created using the smallest area unit used in Canadian censuses. Descriptive statistics and socioeconomic disparity summary measures of linked census and adult patients were calculated. The data extraction of full postal code met technological requirements for rendering health information extracted from local EMRs into anonymized data. The prevalence of obesity was 31.6 %. There was variation of obesity between deprivation quintiles; adults in the most deprived areas were 35 % more likely to be obese compared with adults in the least deprived areas (Chi-Square = 20.24(1), p primary health care interventions and services.

Atlas of PET/CT. A quick guide to image interpretation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fanti, Stefano [Bologna Univ. (Italy). PET; Farsad, Mohsen [Central Hospital of Bolzano (Italy). Nuclear Medicine; Mansi, Luigi [Second Univ. of Naples (Italy). Nuclear Medicine

2009-07-01

This user-friendly atlas, featuring about 500 images, should be a quick guide to interpreting PET/CT images with FDG in oncology. It also illustrates how to recognize normal, para-physiological, and benign pathological uptakes in a case-based practical manner. The text, which includes most relevant technical and pathophysiological premises, covers the main clinical applications and clearly articulates learning points and pitfalls. This atlas aims to become a standard text for nuclear medicine physicians and radiologists, residents and technicians whose work involves PET/CT imaging. This book is also suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. (orig.)

A fast reactor transient analysis methodology for PCs: Volume 3, LTC program manual of the QuickBASIC code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, K.O.; Chung, L.

1992-06-01

This manual augments the detailed manual of the GW-BASIC version of the LTC code for an application in QuickBASIC. As most of the GW-BASIC coding of this program for ''LMR Transient Calculations'' is compatible with QuickBASIC, this manual pertains primarily to the required changes, such as the handling of input and output. The considerable reduction in computation time achieved by this conversion is demonstrated for two sample problems, using a variety of hardware and execution options. The revised code is listed. Although the severe storage limitations of GW-BASIC no longer apply, the LOF transient path has not been completed in this QuickBASIC code. Its advantages are thus primarily in the much faster running time for TOP and LOHS transients. For the fastest PC hardware (486) and execution option the computation time is reduced by a factor of 124 compared to GW-BASIC on a 386/20

Enduring links from childhood mathematics and reading achievement to adult socioeconomic status.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Stuart J; Bates, Timothy C

2013-07-01

Understanding the determinants of socioeconomic status (SES) is an important economic and social goal. Several major influences on SES are known, yet much of the variance in SES remains unexplained. In a large, population-representative sample from the United Kingdom, we tested the effects of mathematics and reading achievement at age 7 on attained SES by age 42. Mathematics and reading ability both had substantial positive associations with adult SES, above and beyond the effects of SES at birth, and with other important factors, such as intelligence. Achievement in mathematics and reading was also significantly associated with intelligence scores, academic motivation, and duration of education. These findings suggest effects of improved early mathematics and reading on SES attainment across the life span.

Learning from near misses: from quick fixes to closing off the Swiss-cheese holes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffs, Lianne; Berta, Whitney; Lingard, Lorelei; Baker, G Ross

2012-04-01

The extent to which individuals in healthcare use near misses as learning opportunities remains poorly understood. Thus, an exploratory study was conducted to gain insight into the nature of, and contributing factors to, organisational learning from near misses in clinical practice. A constructivist grounded theory approach was employed which included semi-structured interviews with 24 participants (16 clinicians and 8 administrators) from a large teaching hospital in Canada. This study revealed three scenarios for the responses to near misses, the most common involved 'doing a quick fix' where clinicians recognised and corrected an error with no further action. The second scenario consisted of reporting near misses but not hearing back from management, which some participants characterised as 'going into a black hole'. The third scenario was 'closing off the Swiss-cheese holes', in which a reported near miss generated corrective action at an organisational level. Explanations for 'doing a quick fix' included the pervasiveness of near misses that cause no harm and fear associated with reporting the near miss. 'Going into a black hole' reflected managers' focus on operational duties and events that harmed patients. 'Closing off the Swiss-cheese holes' occurred when managers perceived substantial potential for harm and preventability. Where learning was perceived to occur, leaders played a pivotal role in encouraging near-miss reporting. To optimise learning, organisations will need to determine which near misses are appropriate to be responded to as 'quick fixes' and which ones require further action at the unit and corporate levels.

Pre-Service Teachers' Perception of Quick Response (QR) Code Integration in Classroom Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Nagla; Santos, Ieda M.; Areepattamannil, Shaljan

2017-01-01

Quick Response (QR) codes have been discussed in the literature as adding value to teaching and learning. Despite their potential in education, more research is needed to inform practice and advance knowledge in this field. This paper investigated the integration of the QR code in classroom activities and the perceptions of the integration by…

The effects of gender and socioeconomic status on youth sexual-risk ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HIV and AIDS remains one of the most serious problems facing youths in many sub-Saharan African countries. Among young people in South Africa, gender is linked with a number of HIV-risk behaviours and outcomes. The literature suggests that factors such as socioeconomic status, intimate partner violence, and several ...

Inferring social status and rich club effects in enterprise communication networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yuxiao; Tang, Jie; Chawla, Nitesh V; Lou, Tiancheng; Yang, Yang; Wang, Bai

2015-01-01

Social status, defined as the relative rank or position that an individual holds in a social hierarchy, is known to be among the most important motivating forces in social behaviors. In this paper, we consider the notion of status from the perspective of a position or title held by a person in an enterprise. We study the intersection of social status and social networks in an enterprise. We study whether enterprise communication logs can help reveal how social interactions and individual status manifest themselves in social networks. To that end, we use two enterprise datasets with three communication channels--voice call, short message, and email--to demonstrate the social-behavioral differences among individuals with different status. We have several interesting findings and based on these findings we also develop a model to predict social status. On the individual level, high-status individuals are more likely to be spanned as structural holes by linking to people in parts of the enterprise networks that are otherwise not well connected to one another. On the community level, the principle of homophily, social balance and clique theory generally indicate a "rich club" maintained by high-status individuals, in the sense that this community is much more connected, balanced and dense. Our model can predict social status of individuals with 93% accuracy.

Development of a Single Detector Ring Micro Crystal Element Scanner: QuickPET II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert S. Miyaoka

2005-04-01

Full Text Available This article describes a single ring version of the micro crystal element scanner (MiCES and investigation of its spatial resolution imaging characteristics for mouse positron emission tomography (PET imaging. This single ring version of the MiCES system, referred to as QuickPET II, consists of 18 MiCE detector modules mounted as a single ring in a vertical gantry. The system has a 5.76-cm transverse field of view and a 1.98-cm axial field of view. In addition to the scanner and data acquisition system, we have developed an iterative reconstruction that includes a model of the system's detector response function. Evaluation images of line sources and mice have been acquired. Using filtered backprojection, the resolution for a reconstructed line source has been measured at 1.2 mm full width at half maximum. F-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose mouse PET images are provided. The result shows that QuickPET II has the imaging characteristics to support high-resolution, static mouse PET studies using 18-F labeled compounds.

Quick installation/removal technology for first wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tachikawa, Katsuhiro; Horie, Tomoyoshi; Seki, Yasushi; Fujisawa, Noboru; Kondoh, Mitsunori; Uchida, Takao.

1989-07-01

Fusion Next Step Device (FER) plans to experiment Deutrium-Tritium (D-T) reaction, remote handling and other fusion engineering issues. The fast neutron of 14 MeV caused by D-T reaction does not only activate the structural components inside the vacuum vessel, but also damages some first walls. The technique to remove the armour tiles of first walls by simple and quick operation is a key technology for the D-T burning Next Step Device. To establish the rational remote tile handling technology, consideration of consistency between the reactor structure and remote equipments should be made. The report comprises mainly the joint structures of armour tiles, design conditions (electro-magnetic force, cooling systems and so forth) and remote equipments. In addition, it is referred in shape memory alloy (SMA) applications, transportation of damaged tiles from the vacuum vessel and inspection systems for the first wall integrity. Hereafter, furthermore study in depth for the tile handling must be made in parallel with verification of remote systems and tile attachment structures using partial mockups. (author)

Fortification of lysine for improving protein quality in multiple-fortified quick cooking rice : Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wongmetinee, T.; Boonstra, A.; Zimmermann, M.B.; Chavasit, V.

2009-01-01

Previous studies in Thailand indicated that rice-based complementary foods of breast-fed infants normally provided inadequate iron and calcium. Quick-cooking rice fortified with different nutrients was therefore developed. The idea of lysine fortification was based on the fact that lysine is a

Comparison of recording of hepatitis B infection in the NSW Perinatal Data Collection with linked hepatitis B notifications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucy Deng

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: Results of routine maternal antenatal hepatitis B (HBV screening have been recorded in the New South Wales (NSW Perinatal Data Collection (PDC since January 2011. We evaluated the accuracy of this reporting in 2012, the first year that comprehensive data were available, by linking the PDC to HBV notifications. Methods: PDC records of mothers giving birth in 2012 were probabilistically linked to HBV notifications recorded in the NSW Notifiable Conditions Information Management System (NCIMS. Sensitivity and specificity of the PDC record of HBV status were determined using a linked HBV notification from the NCIMS database as the gold standard. Results were also examined according to health service (area health service, hospital level, public or private and individual factors (maternal age, country of birth, Aboriginality, parity, timing of first antenatal visit. Results: Among 99 510 records of women giving birth in NSW in 2012, positive HBV status was recorded for 0.69% of the women according to the PDC record and 0.90% from linked NCIMS records. The overall sensitivity of the HBV status variable in the PDC data was 65.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 62.4, 68.7 and positive predictive value was 85.3% (95% CI 82.6, 87.9. In general, the low prevalence of HBV meant we had limited statistical power to assess differences between health service factors and maternal factors; however, sensitivity was significantly lower in PDC data for HBV in Australian-born non-Aboriginal women (37.0%; 95% CI 27.5, 46.7 than in overseas-born women (69.9%; 95% CI 66.6, 73.1; p < 0.001. Conclusions: PDC records of HBV status for women giving birth in 2012 had high specificity but poor sensitivity. Sensitivity varied across area health services and levels of maternal services, and by various maternal factors. Because the results of maternal HBV screening can be used to monitor HBV prevalence in adults, analysis of the PDC records in subsequent years is

Reliability of a Test Battery Designed for Quickly and Safely Assessing Diverse Indices of Neuromuscular Function

Science.gov (United States)

Spiering, Barry A.; Lee, Stuart M. C.; Mulavara, Ajitkumar P.; Bentley, Jason, R.; Buxton, Roxanne E.; Lawrence, Emily L.; Sinka, Joseph; Guilliams, Mark E.; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori L.; Bloomberg, Jacob J.

2010-01-01

Spaceflight affects nearly every physiological system. Spaceflight-induced alterations in physiological function translate to decrements in functional performance. Purpose: To develop a test battery for quickly and safely assessing diverse indices of neuromuscular performance. I. Quickly: Battery of tests can be completed in approx.30-40 min. II. Safely: a) No eccentric muscle actions or impact forces. b) Tests present little challenge to postural stability. III. Diverse indices: a) Strength: Excellent reliability (ICC = 0.99) b) Central activation: Very good reliability (ICC = 0.87) c) Power: Excellent reliability (ICC = 0.99) d) Endurance: Total work has excellent reliability (ICC = 0.99) e) Force steadiness: Poor reliability (ICC = 0.20 - 0.60) National

Link Performance Analysis and monitoring - A unified approach to divergent requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Thom, G. A.

Link Performance Analysis and real-time monitoring are generally covered by a wide range of equipment. Bit Error Rate testers provide digital link performance measurements but are not useful during real-time data flows. Real-time performance monitors utilize the fixed overhead content but vary widely from format to format. Link quality information is also present from signal reconstruction equipment in the form of receiver AGC, bit synchronizer AGC, and bit synchronizer soft decision level outputs, but no general approach to utilizing this information exists. This paper presents an approach to link tests, real-time data quality monitoring, and results presentation that utilizes a set of general purpose modules in a flexible architectural environment. The system operates over a wide range of bit rates (up to 150 Mbs) and employs several measurement techniques, including P/N code errors or fixed PCM format errors, derived real-time BER from frame sync errors, and Data Quality Analysis derived by counting significant sync status changes. The architecture performs with a minimum of elements in place to permit a phased update of the user's unit in accordance with his needs.

User's guide for PRISM (Plant Risk Status Information Management System) Arkansas Nuclear One-Unit 1: Volume 1, Program for inspectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, D.J.; Guthrie, V.H.; Kirchner, J.R.; Kirkman, J.Q.; Paula, H.M.; Ellison, B.C.; Dycus, F.M.; Farquharson, J.A.; Flanagan, G.F.

1988-03-01

This user's guide is a two-volume document designed to teach NRC inspectors and NRC regulators how to access probabilistic risk assessment information from the two Plant Risk Status Information Management System (PRISIM) programs developed for Arkansas Nuclear One -- Unit One (ANO-1). This document, Volume 1, describes how the PRA information available in Version 1.0 of PRISIM is useful for planning inspections. Using PRISIM, inspectors can quickly access PRA information and use that information to update risk analysis results, reflecting a plant's status at any particular time. Both volumes are stand-alone documents, and each volume presents several sample computer sessions designed to lead the user through a variety of PRISIM applications used to obtain PRA-related information for monitoring and controlling plant risk

High Tc superconducting nonlinear inductance and quick response magnetic sensor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchiyama, T.; Mohri, K.; Ozeki, A.; Shibata, T.

1990-01-01

A flux penetration model considering the demagnetizing effect is presented in order to analyze the nonlinear inductance characteristics for HTcSC. Various quick response magnetic devices such as modulators, magnetic switches and magnetic sensors were constructed. The magnetizing frequency can be set up more than 10 MHz which is difficult to achieve with the conventional ferromagnetic bulk cores. The cut-off frequency of 1.6 MHz was obtained for the sensors using the HTcSC cores at a magnetizing frequency of 11.5 MHz

Paternal education status significantly influences infants’ measles vaccination uptake, independent of maternal education status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rammohan Anu

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite increased funding of measles vaccination programs by national governments and international aid agencies, structural factors encumber attainment of childhood measles immunisation to levels which may guarantee herd immunity. One of such factors is parental education status. Research on the links between parental education and vaccination has typically focused on the influence of maternal education status. This study aims to demonstrate the independent influence of paternal education status on measles immunisation. Methods Comparable nationally representative survey data were obtained from six countries with the highest numbers of children missing the measles vaccine in 2008. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the influence of paternal education on uptake of the first dose of measles vaccination, independent of maternal education, whilst controlling for confounding factors such as respondent’s age, urban/rural residence, province/state of residence, religion, wealth and occupation. Results The results of the analysis show that even if a mother is illiterate, having a father with an education of Secondary (high school schooling and above is statistically significant and positively correlated with the likelihood of a child being vaccinated for measles, in the six countries analysed. Paternal education of secondary or higher level was significantly and independently correlated with measles immunisation uptake after controlling for all potential confounders. Conclusions The influence of paternal education status on measles immunisation uptake was investigated and found to be statistically significant in six nations with the biggest gaps in measles immunisation coverage in 2008. This study underscores the imperative of utilising both maternal and paternal education as screening variables to identify children at risk of missing measles vaccination prospectively.

Paternal education status significantly influences infants’ measles vaccination uptake, independent of maternal education status

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Despite increased funding of measles vaccination programs by national governments and international aid agencies, structural factors encumber attainment of childhood measles immunisation to levels which may guarantee herd immunity. One of such factors is parental education status. Research on the links between parental education and vaccination has typically focused on the influence of maternal education status. This study aims to demonstrate the independent influence of paternal education status on measles immunisation. Methods Comparable nationally representative survey data were obtained from six countries with the highest numbers of children missing the measles vaccine in 2008. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the influence of paternal education on uptake of the first dose of measles vaccination, independent of maternal education, whilst controlling for confounding factors such as respondent’s age, urban/rural residence, province/state of residence, religion, wealth and occupation. Results The results of the analysis show that even if a mother is illiterate, having a father with an education of Secondary (high school) schooling and above is statistically significant and positively correlated with the likelihood of a child being vaccinated for measles, in the six countries analysed. Paternal education of secondary or higher level was significantly and independently correlated with measles immunisation uptake after controlling for all potential confounders. Conclusions The influence of paternal education status on measles immunisation uptake was investigated and found to be statistically significant in six nations with the biggest gaps in measles immunisation coverage in 2008. This study underscores the imperative of utilising both maternal and paternal education as screening variables to identify children at risk of missing measles vaccination prospectively. PMID:22568861

Review of English Language Library and Information Science Weblogs: Analyzing the Link between Weblog Types and Their Technical /Content Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahereh Karami

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Weblog has become well established as one of the Web 2.0 products. Given the essential nature of their job, librarians and information professionals, can use weblog as a quick and easy mean for information and knowledge sharing. The present study reviews some 150 LIS weblogs in order to examine and analyze the link between weblog types (personal, library-owned or group operated with their content and technical structure. Webometric methods were deployed for selection of the sample. The findings indicated that there is a significant correlation between the weblog types and their update frequency. The same holds between the weblog types and their content. But no such significance was observed with respect to the weblog publishing tools. The investigators believe that the links uncovered could also hold true for Iranian LIS weblogs.

Fluorescence imaging of tryptophan and collagen cross-links to evaluate wound closure ex vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Ortega-Martinez, Antonio; Farinelli, Bill; Anderson, R. R.; Franco, Walfre

2016-02-01

Wound size is a key parameter in monitoring healing. Current methods to measure wound size are often subjective, time-consuming and marginally invasive. Recently, we developed a non-invasive, non-contact, fast and simple but robust fluorescence imaging (u-FEI) method to monitor the healing of skin wounds. This method exploits the fluorescence of native molecules to tissue as functional and structural markers. The objective of the present study is to demonstrate the feasibility of using variations in the fluorescence intensity of tryptophan and cross-links of collagen to evaluate proliferation of keratinocyte cells and quantitate size of wound during healing, respectively. Circular dermal wounds were created in ex vivo human skin and cultured in different media. Two serial fluorescence images of tryptophan and collagen cross-links were acquired every two days. Histology and immunohistology were used to validate correlation between fluorescence and epithelialization. Images of collagen cross-links show fluorescence of the exposed dermis and, hence, are a measure of wound area. Images of tryptophan show higher fluorescence intensity of proliferating keratinocytes forming new epithelium, as compared to surrounding keratinocytes not involved in epithelialization. These images are complementary since collagen cross-links report on structure while tryptophan reports on function. HE and immunohistology show that tryptophan fluorescence correlates with newly formed epidermis. We have established a fluorescence imaging method for studying epithelialization processes during wound healing in a skin organ culture model, our approach has the potential to provide a non-invasive, non-contact, quick, objective and direct method for quantitative measurements in wound healing in vivo.

The effect of quick feedback on employee motivation and performance : A qualitative study on how to formulate effective feedback

OpenAIRE

Marthouret, Eloïse; Sigvardsson, Sofie

2016-01-01

This thesis conceptualizes quick feedback as part of a performance management tool influencing and contributing to the individual’s self-motivation to work and improvement of employees’ performance. Prior research has shown that feedback is often considered to be a useful communication tool but not essential due to its time-consumption, i.e. feedback is perceived as too time-consuming to be prioritized. Thus, this thesis investigates the potential benefits of a quick feedback strategy focusin...

[Who is interested in quick and intentional death--reflections of a public health economist].

Science.gov (United States)

Oggier, W

2001-12-06

Healthcare economics deals with the concepts of direct, indirect and intangible costs and the interrelated timeframes. Using two concrete examples, the author will examine the utilization patterns of direct and indirect costs and take a look at the participants who might be interested in a quick and intentional death.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. Development of a Quick TBT Analytical Method

Science.gov (United States)

2000-08-16

Development of a Quick TBT Analytical Method 09/25/2000 Page 3 of 38 Executive Summary Concern about the toxic effect of tributyltin have caused the...Antifouling Paints on the Environment Tributyl tin ( TBT ) has been shown to be highly toxic to certain aquatic organisms at concentrations measured in the...paints, developed in the 1960s, contains the organotin tributyltin ( TBT ), which has been proven to cause deformations in oysters and sex changes in

Developmental Pathways from Parental Socioeconomic Status to Adolescent Substance Use: Alternative and Complementary Reinforcement.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jungeun Olivia; Cho, Junhan; Yoon, Yoewon; Bello, Mariel S; Khoddam, Rubin; Leventhal, Adam M

2018-02-01

Although lower socioeconomic status has been linked to increased youth substance use, much less research has determined potential mechanisms explaining the association. The current longitudinal study tested whether alternative (i.e., pleasure gained from activities without any concurrent use of substances) and complementary (i.e., pleasure gained from activities in tandem with substance use) reinforcement mediate the link between lower socioeconomic status and youth substance use. Further, we tested whether alternative and complementary reinforcement and youth substance use gradually unfold over time and then intersect with one another in a cascading manner. Potential sex differences are also examined. Data were drawn from a longitudinal survey of substance use and mental health among high school students in Los Angeles. Data collection involved four semiannual assessment waves beginning in fall 2013 (N = 3395; M baseline age = 14.1; 47% Hispanic, 16.2% Asian, 16.1% multiethnic, 15.7% White, and 5% Black; 53.4% female). The results from a negative binomial path model suggested that lower parental socioeconomic status (i.e., lower parental education) was significantly related to an increased number of substances used by youth. The final path model revealed that the inverse association was statistically mediated by adolescents' diminished engagement in pleasurable substance-free activities (i.e., alternative reinforcers) and elevated engagement in pleasurable activities paired with substance use (i.e., complementary reinforcers). The direct effect of lower parental education on adolescent substance use was not statistically significant after accounting for the hypothesized mediating mechanisms. No sex differences were detected. Increasing access to and engagement in pleasant activities of high quality that do not need a reinforcement enhancer, such as substances, may be useful in interrupting the link between lower parental socioeconomic status and youth

High sensitivity of quick view capsule endoscopy for detection of small bowel Crohn's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halling, Morten Lee; Nathan, Torben; Kjeldsen, Jens

2014-01-01

Capsule endoscopy (CE) has a high sensitivity for diagnosing small bowel Crohn's disease, but video analysis is time consuming. The quick view (qv) function is an effective tool to reduce time consumption. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of missed small bowel ulcerations with qv-C...

The economics of food choice behavior: why poverty and obesity are linked.

Science.gov (United States)

Drewnowski, Adam

2012-01-01

Obesity in the United States does not affect all segments of the population equally. It is more prevalent in deprived neighborhoods and among groups with lower education and incomes. Inequitable access to healthy foods is one mechanism by which socioeconomic factors can influence food choice behaviors, overall diet quality, and bodyweight. Having a supermarket in the immediate neighborhood has been linked to better diets and to lower obesity rates. However, the affordability of healthy foods may have more of an impact on food patterns than does distance to the nearest store. Grains, added sugars, and added fats are inexpensive, good-tasting, and convenient. Their consumption has been linked to lower quality diets, lower diet costs, and lower socioeconomic status. By contrast, the recommended healthier diets not only cost more but were consumed by more affluent groups. New techniques of spatial analysis are a promising approach to mapping obesity rates and linking them with measures of socioeconomic status based on diverse social and economic aspects of the built environment. Low residential property values predicted bodyweights of women better than did either education or incomes. Shopping in low-cost supermarkets was another powerful predictor of bodyweight. Bodyweight gain may be best predicted not by any one nutrient, food or beverage but by low diet cost. Higher obesity rates in poor neighborhoods may be the toxic consequence of economic insecurity. Alleviating poverty may be the best, if not the only, way to stop the obesity epidemic. Copyright © 2012 Nestec Ltd., Vevey/S. Karger AG, Basel.

Mechanical System Analysis/Design Tool (MSAT) Quick Guide

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, HauHua; Kolb, Mark; Madelone, Jack

1998-01-01

MSAT is a unique multi-component multi-disciplinary tool that organizes design analysis tasks around object-oriented representations of configuration components, analysis programs and modules, and data transfer links between them. This creative modular architecture enables rapid generation of input stream for trade-off studies of various engine configurations. The data transfer links automatically transport output from one application as relevant input to the next application once the sequence is set up by the user. The computations are managed via constraint propagation - the constraints supplied by the user as part of any optimization module. The software can be used in the preliminary design stage as well as during the detail design of product development process.

Relations with parents and identity statuses in the relational domain in emerging adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justyna Michałek

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Emerging adulthood is a core developmental period in which individuals can develop a meaningful identity in the relational domain (with a romantic partner. The aim of the study was to examine relationships between relations with parents and identity statuses in the relational domain in emerging adults. Participants and procedure Participants were 266 (47.30% males emerging adults (M = 22.50, SD = 1.73. They completed self-report measures of relations with parents and identity. Results More than half of the participants were in the moratorium status or were not involved in a romantic relationship (35% and 29%, respectively. Relations with parents were linked to identity statuses in the relational domain. Particularly, the perception of low autonomy given by the father was related to less mature identity statuses. Conclusions This study highlighted that transition from singleness to stable partnerships seems to be challenging. Therefore, it is important to examine correlates of identity statuses in this domain.

Linking global scenarios to national assessments: Experiences from the Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Linda L. Langner; Peter J. Ince

2012-01-01

The Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment provides a nationally consistent analysis of the status and trends of the Nation's renewable forest resources. A global scenario approach was taken for the 2010 RPA Assessment to provide a shared world view of potential futures. The RPA Assessment scenarios were linked to the global scenarios and climate projections used...

PANANICA quick charger for portable VIR and color camera

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Y; Sato, K; Kitani, M

1978-04-01

Recently, the use of portable VTR and color camera systems has become popular for producing various news films, documentary films, general TV programs, and VTR commercials. A cylindrical sealed nickel--cadmium rechargeable battery has been used as the system power source, and, therefore, a method of quick charge to keep the battery ready for the next use has been strongly demanded. The usual charge method, however, leaves something to be desired. It cannot give full performance with respect to required capacity, and it damages the battery by overcharge. The PANANICA Quck Charger, which can charge the battery safely and effectively, was developed by using the pulse-charge method, a temperature sensor to control the charge, the charge-stop function to prevent overcharge, exclusive intergrated circuit, etc. (7 figures, 3 tables)

Global Inequalities in Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality are Linked to Deprivation, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Human Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Gopal K; Azuine, Romuladus E; Siahpush, Mohammad

2012-01-01

This study examined global inequalities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates as a function of cross-national variations in the Human Development Index (HDI), socioeconomic factors, Gender Inequality Index (GII), and healthcare expenditure. Age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were calculated for women in 184 countries using the 2008 GLOBOCAN database, and incidence and mortality trends were analyzed using the WHO cancer mortality database. Log-linear regression was used to model annual trends, while OLS and Poisson regression models were used to estimate the impact of socioeconomic and human development factors on incidence and mortality rates. Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates varied widely, with many African countries such as Guinea, Zambia, Comoros, Tanzania, and Malawi having at least 10-to-20-fold higher rates than several West Asian, Middle East, and European countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and Switzerland. HDI, GII, poverty rate, health expenditure per capita, urbanization, and literacy rate were all significantly related to cervical cancer incidence and mortality, with HDI and poverty rate each explaining >52% of the global variance in mortality. Both incidence and mortality rates increased in relation to lower human development and higher gender inequality levels. A 0.2 unit increase in HDI was associated with a 20% decrease in cervical cancer risk and a 33% decrease in cervical cancer mortality risk. The risk of a cervical cancer diagnosis increased by 24% and of cervical cancer death by 42% for a 0.2 unit increase in GII. Higher health expenditure levels were independently associated with decreased incidence and mortality risks. Global inequalities in cervical cancer are clearly linked to disparities in human development, social inequality, and living standards. Reductions in cervical cancer rates are achievable by reducing inequalities in socioeconomic conditions, availability of preventive health

Exploring the links between natural resource use and biophysical status in the waterways of the North Rupununi, Guyana.

Science.gov (United States)

Mistry, Jayalaxshmi; Simpson, Matthews; Berardi, Andrea; Sandy, Yung

2004-09-01

The North Rupununi District in south-west Guyana is comprised of a mosaic of ecosystems, including savannas, wetlands and forests, and is home to the Makushi Amerindians, who depend on the waterways for their subsistence needs. With logging and mining seen as increasing threats to the region, it is necessary to look at methods for engaging stakeholders in monitoring the status of their natural resources. This paper presents the results of a pilot study carried out to investigate water use by the Makushi Amerindians, and collect baseline data on the hydro-morphological aspects of the waterways. Methods included informal interviews, the use of the River Habitat Survey (RHS), and water quality measurements. The results indicate the heavy reliance of the Makushi on the waterways for their daily lives, particularly on fishing. Although ponds and creeks are important sources of fish, the rivers provide much larger catches of a greater diversity of fish species, both in the wet and dry seasons. The physical characteristics of the water sources used by the Makushi are mainly associated with the surrounding habitat types: the savanna areas containing the more nutrient rich white-water rivers, and the tropical forest areas containing the less nutrient rich black-water rivers. This study indicates that at present there is no direct evidence of adverse impacts on the waterways used by the Makushi in terms of fish catches, habitat conditions and water quality. A monitoring scheme was set up using this study's outputs as a baseline from which any future changes can be compared. Further work is to be carried out over the next three years to produce monitoring and sustainable management procedures for the North Rupununi ecosystems, by linking the physical attributes of the environment to biodiversity and subsequently local livelihoods, and by building capacity of local stakeholders through training.

Too Many Links in the Horizon; What is Next? Linked Views and Linked History

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E. Liarou (Erietta); S. Idreos (Stratos)

2011-01-01

textabstractThe trend for more online linked data becomes stronger. Foreseeing a future where ``everything" will be online and linked, we ask the critical question; what is next? We envision that managing, querying and storing large amounts of links and data is far from yet another query

Bone-Cement: The New Medical Quick Fix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh Bhatia

2010-01-01

Full Text Available

Bone Cement is being widely used in vertebroplasty, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat spinal fractures and collapsed vertebrae. It is being labeled as a concrete success in medical field. It is being used to treat fractures due to osteoporosis, menopause, steroids, hyperthyroidism and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.  In this technique a needle with bone cement (PMMA, polymethylmethacrylate is injected into the collapsed vertebra after administering local anesthesia to patient. It solidifies within few minutes and provides support to damaged bone resulting in relief to the patient. It also prevents the movement between different parts of the broken bone. Hence it requires a short hospital stay for the patient and the procedure can be performed with much ease and at significant lower costs. Patient can resume normal activity within a day or so. Bone cement is now being referred to as the quick medical fix material for early repair of fractures.

Artificial Neural Network based DC-link Capacitance Estimation in a Diode-bridge Front-end Inverter System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Soliman, Hammam Abdelaal Hammam; Abdelsalam, Ibrahim; Wang, Huai

2017-01-01

, a proposed software condition monitoring methodology based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithm is presented. Matlab software is used to train and generate the proposed ANN. The proposed methodology estimates the capacitance of the DC-link capacitor in a three phase front-end diode bridge AC......In modern design of power electronic converters, reliability of DC-link capacitors is an essential aspect to be considered. The industrial field have been attracted to the monitoring of their health condition and the estimation of their ageing process status. The existing condition monitoring...

Rethinking the relationship between socioeconomic status and health: Challenging how socioeconomic status is currently used in health inequality research.

Science.gov (United States)

Gagné, Thierry; Ghenadenik, Adrian E

2018-02-01

The Scandinavian Journal of Public Health recently reiterated the importance of addressing social justice and health inequalities in its new editorial policy announcement. One of the related challenges highlighted in that issue was the limited use of sociological theories able to inform the complexity linking the resources and mechanisms captured by the concept of socioeconomic status. This debate article argues that part of the problem lies in the often unchallenged reliance on a generic conceptualization and operationalization of socioeconomic status. These practices hinder researchers' capacity to examine in finer detail how resources and circumstances promote the unequal distribution of health through distinct yet intertwined pathways. As a potential way forward, this commentary explores how research practices can be challenged through concrete publication policies and guidelines. To this end, we propose a set of recommendations as a tool to strengthen the study of socioeconomic status and, ultimately, the quality of health inequality research. Authors, reviewers, and editors can become champions of change toward the implementation of sociological theory by holding higher standards regarding the conceptualization, operationalization, analysis, and interpretation of results in health inequality research.

SINGLE AND AGGREGATE SALIVARY CORTISOL MEASURES IN WORKING WOMEN LIVING IN HIGH AND LOW STATUS NEIGHBORHOODS IN SWEDEN.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindfors, Petra; Riva, Roberto; Lundberg, Ulf

2015-10-01

Contextual factors including neighborhood status have consistently been associated with health disparities. This may relate to a poorer neighborhood status involving an exposure to chronic stressors, which dysregulates cortisol secretion. This study investigated single and aggregate cortisol measures in 88 working women living in high and low status neighborhoods. Results showed significantly lower waking cortisol among women in low status neighborhoods. However, there were no group differences in aggregate cortisol measures. The lower morning cortisol among women in the low status neighborhoods follows previous research suggesting hypocortisolism as a pathway linking neighborhood status and health disparities, albeit a less consistent finding across cortisol measures in this sample. This may relate to the Swedish welfare state and its fostering of equality.

Smoking and use of primary care services: findings from a population-based cohort study linked with administrative claims data

OpenAIRE

Jorm, Louisa R; Shepherd, Leah C; Rogers, Kris D; Blyth, Fiona M

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Available evidence suggests that smokers have a lower propensity than others to use primary care services. But previous studies have incorporated only limited adjustment for confounding and mediating factors such as income, access to services and health status. We used data from a large prospective cohort study (the 45 and Up Study), linked to administrative claims data, to quantify the relationship between smoking status and use of primary care services, including specifi...

Are daughters' childbearing intentions related to their mothers' socio-economic status?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Rita Testa

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Unlike actual fertility, fertility intentions are often found to be positively correlated with education. The literature explaining this paradox is scarce. Objective: We aim to fill the gap in the existing scientific literature by searching for the main factors that influence highly educated women to plan a larger family size. Methods: Using the first wave of the Generations and Gender Survey for four countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, and Norway, we analyse the relationship between mother's socio-economic status and daughter's fertility intentions, controlling for daughter's socio-economic status and sibship size. Zero-inflated Poisson regression models are employed to estimate the predictors of women's additionally intended number of children. Results: We find that the effect of family of origin is exerted mainly through sibship size among childless daughters: Daughters with more siblings intend to have more children. After the transition to parenthood, the effect of family of origin is exerted mainly through the mother's level of education: Daughters with highly educated mothers intend to have more children. Conclusions: The empirical results suggest that the positive link between births intentions and level of education might not merely be an artefact generated by the design of cross-sectional surveys but the outcome of a better socio-economic status that allows forming positive reproductive plans. Contribution: The positive role of mother's socio-economic status on daughter's fertility decision-making offers a valuable interpretation of the positive link between education and fertility intentions which goes beyond the alternative explanations referring to self-selection, partner effect, or time squeeze, and needs to be confirmed by further research.

Progress of research on corneal collagen cross-linking for corneal melting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke-Ren Xiao

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Corneal collagen cross-linking(CXLcould increase the mechanical strength, biological stability and halt ectasia progression due to covalent bond formed by photochemical reaction between ultraviolet-A and emulsion of riboflavin between collagen fibers in corneal stroma. Corneal melting is an autoimmune related noninfectious corneal ulcer. The mechanism of corneal melting, major treatment, the basic fundamental of ultraviolet-A riboflavin induced CXL and the clinical researches status and experiment in CXL were summarized in the study.

Has enhanced folate status during pregnancy altered natural selection and possibly Autism prevalence? A closer look at a possible link.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Eugene J

2008-09-01

The inverse association between maternal folate status and incidence of infants born with neural tube defects (NTD's) was recognized over twenty years ago and led the US health agencies in the early 1990s to recommend that women of childbearing age consume 400 microg of folic acid each day. The FDA followed by mandating that certain foods be fortified with folic acid and this has resulted in a significant enhancement of maternal folate status to levels that are often difficult to otherwise achieve naturally. At least one study indicates that this has decreased the incidence of NTD's. However, this same time period directly coincides with what many feel is the apparent beginning and continuous increase in the prevalence of Autism and related Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD's) in the US. Are these similar time frames of changes in maternal folate status and possible Autism prevalence a random event or has improved maternal (and fetal) folate status during pregnancy played a role? It is not only plausible but highly likely. A particular polymorphic form to a key enzyme required to activate folate for methylation in neurodevelopment, 5-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), demonstrates reduced activity under low or normal folate levels but normal activity under conditions of higher folate nutritional status. A consequence of the presence of the polymorphic form of this enzyme during normal or reduced folate status are higher plasma homocysteine levels than noncarriers and the combination of these factors have been shown in several studies to result in an increase rate of miscarriage via thrombotic events. However, the incidence of hyperhomocysteinemia in the presence of the polymorphism is reduced under the common condition of enhanced folate status and thereby masks the latent adverse effects of the presence of this enzyme form during pregnancy. Of great importance is that this polymorphism, although common in the normal population, is found in significantly

How is nutrition linked to agriculture and education?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayed Mohammad Naim Khalid

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Agricultural development is now expected to proceed in a way that maximizes opportunities to improve health and nutrition. Accordingly, the term “nutrition-education-agriculture linkages” describes the set of relationships that shows the mutual dependence of nutrition, education and agriculture. Changes in nutrition or education status are expected to affect agricultural production; conversely changes in the agricultural sector can have significant effects on individual health and nutritional status. Professionals in are trained in nutrition or agriculture, but very few will be trained in both. It is therefore difficult to begin discussions on nutrition-focused agricultural programs and policies. How do we begin to identify these linked outcomes? And how do we begin to think about ways to impact factors that are outside of our sector of expertise? This paper provides a simple framework for thinking critically about nutrition, education and agriculture linkages. The purpose is to help readers identify the linkages of greatest importance to their goals and to begin thinking about how to take steps toward integrating programs more effectively.

The method of quick satellite aiming with 3-Steps on the mobile satellite station

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng Liang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The study analyses and concludes the technology of the satellite aiming during real-time broadcast of mobile video.We conclude a method of quick satellite aiming with 3-steps according to practical exercises and users' requirement to meet situation of facts and standardized operation,which can improve efficiency and quality of service.

Adaptive threshold-based shadow masking for across-date settlement classification of panchromatic quickBird images

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luus, FPS

2014-06-01

Full Text Available -1 IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING LETTERS, VOL. 11, NO. 6, JUNE 2014 1153 Adaptive Threshold-Based Shadow Masking for Across- Date Settlement Classification of Panchromatic QuickBird Images F. P. S. Luus, F. van den Bergh, and B. T. J. Maharaj...

Scrapie infectivity is quickly cleared in tissues of orally-infected farmed fish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faoro Franco

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE belongs to the group of animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE. BSE epidemic in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has been linked to the use of bovine meat and bone meals (MBM in the feeding of cattle. There is concern that pigs, poultry and fish bred for human consumption and fed with infected MBM would eventually develop BSE or carry residual infectivity without disease. Although there has been no evidence of infection in these species, experimental data on the susceptibility to the BSE agent of farm animals other than sheep and cow are limited only to pigs and domestic chicken. In the framework of a EU-granted project we have challenged two species of fish largely used in human food consumption, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus, with a mouse-adapted TSE strain (scrapie 139A, to assess the risk related to oral consumption of TSE contaminated food. In trout, we also checked the "in vitro" ability of the pathological isoform of the mouse prion protein (PrPSc to cross the intestinal epithelium when added to the mucosal side of everted intestine. Results Fish challenged with a large amount of scrapie mouse brain homogenate by either oral or parenteral routes, showed the ability to clear the majority of infectivity load. None of the fish tissues taken at different time points after oral or parenteral inoculation was able to provoke scrapie disease after intracerebral inoculation in recipient mice. However, a few recipient mice were positive for PrPSc and spongiform lesions in the brain. We also showed a specific binding of PrPSc to the mucosal side of fish intestine in the absence of an active uptake of the prion protein through the intestinal wall. Conclusion These results indicate that scrapie 139A, and possibly BSE, is quickly removed from fish tissues despite evidence of a prion like protein in fish and of a specific binding of Pr

Conceptualizing pathways linking women's empowerment and prematurity in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Afulani, Patience A; Altman, Molly; Musana, Joseph; Sudhinaraset, May

2017-11-08

Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5. Many efforts have focused on clinical approaches to improve the survival of premature babies. There is a need, however, to explore psychosocial, sociocultural, economic, and other factors as potential mechanisms to reduce the burden of prematurity. Women's empowerment may be a catalyst for moving the needle in this direction. The goal of this paper is to examine links between women's empowerment and prematurity in developing settings. We propose a conceptual model that shows pathways by which women's empowerment can affect prematurity and review and summarize the literature supporting the relationships we posit. We also suggest future directions for research on women's empowerment and prematurity. The key words we used for empowerment in the search were "empowerment," "women's status," "autonomy," and "decision-making," and for prematurity we used "preterm," "premature," and "prematurity." We did not use date, language, and regional restrictions. The search was done in PubMed, Population Information Online (POPLINE), and Web of Science. We selected intervening factors-factors that could potentially mediate the relationship between empowerment and prematurity-based on reviews of the risk factors and interventions to address prematurity and the determinants of those factors. There is limited evidence supporting a direct link between women's empowerment and prematurity. However, there is evidence linking several dimensions of empowerment to factors known to be associated with prematurity and outcomes for premature babies. Our review of the literature shows that women's empowerment may reduce prematurity by (1) preventing early marriage and promoting family planning, which will delay age at first pregnancy and increase interpregnancy intervals; (2) improving women's nutritional status; (3) reducing domestic violence and other stressors to improve psychological health; and (4) improving

The prevalence of periodontopathogenic bacteria in saliva is linked to periodontal health status and oral malodour.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurata, Hiroshi; Awano, Shuji; Yoshida, Akihiro; Ansai, Toshihiro; Takehara, Tadamichi

2008-05-01

This study investigated whether an improvement in periodontal health resulted in changes in the prevalence of periodontopathogenic bacteria in saliva and tongue coatings and a reduction in volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs: H(2)S and CH(3)SH) linked to oral malodour. The subjects were 35 patients who visited the breath odour clinic of Kyushu Dental College, Japan. Their mean age was 51.2+/-18.3 years (mean+/-sd). A clinical examination performed at baseline and 2 months after periodontal treatment assessed VSCs in mouth air using gas chromatography, periodontal probing depth and bleeding on probing (BOP) in all subjects; saliva and tongue coatings were also collected. Genomic DNA was isolated from the samples, and the proportions of five periodontopathogenic bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythensis, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens) were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR. The subjects were classified into four groups based on the presence of a periodontal pocket of more than 4 mm (PD) and VSCs above the organoleptic threshold level (VSCT) as follows: -PD/-VSCT group, subjects without PD or VSCT; -PD/+VSCT group, those without PD but with VSCT; +PD/-VSCT group, those with PD but without VSCT; and +PD/+VSCT group, those with PD and VSCT. Although the mean PD values in the +PD/-VSCT and +PD/+VSCT groups, BOP in the +PD/+VSCT group, and H(2)S and CH(3)SH concentrations in the -PD/+VSCT and +PD/+VSCT groups were greater than in the other groups at baseline, we found no significant difference among the four groups after periodontal treatment. The proportion of periodontopathogenic bacteria in saliva was higher in the +PD/-VSCT and +PD/+VSCT groups than in the -PD/-VSCT and -PD/+VSCT groups at baseline and after treatment, but the proportions of bacteria in saliva after treatment were reduced compared to the baseline. Furthermore, the differences in the proportions of the five target bacteria in the tongue

Use of family relationships improved consistency of identification of Aboriginal people in linked administrative data.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibberd, Alison J; Simpson, Judy M; Eades, Sandra J

2017-10-01

Algorithms are often used to improve identification of Aboriginal Australians in linked data sets with inconsistent and incomplete recording of Aboriginal status. We compared how consistently some common algorithms identified family members, developed a new algorithm incorporating relatives' information, and assessed the effects of these algorithms on health estimates. The sample was people born 1980-2011 recorded as Aboriginal at least once (or a relative) in four Western Australian data sets and their relatives (N = 156,407). A very inclusive approach, ever-Aboriginal (EA/EA+, where + denotes children's records incorporated), and two more specific approaches, multistage median (MSM/MSM+) and last record (LR/LR+), were chosen, along with the new algorithm (MSM+Family). Ever-Aboriginal (EA) categorized relatives the least consistently; 25% of parent-child triads had incongruent Aboriginal statuses with EA+, compared with only 9% with MSM+. With EA+, 14% of full siblings had different statuses compared with 8% for MSM+. EA produced the lowest estimates of the proportion of Aboriginal people with poor health outcomes. Using relatives' records reduced the number of uncategorized people and categorized as Aboriginal more people who had few records (e.g., no hospital admissions). When many data sets are linked, more specific algorithms select more representative Aboriginal samples and identify Aboriginality of relatives more consistently. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aspect-Oriented Visualization of the Health Status: An Example in Treatment of Cervical Spine Defect.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Yihan; Denecke, Kerstin

2016-01-01

Clinical data is often captured in unstructured texts and scattered in different health information systems. This complicates the aggregation of information in the process of clinical decision making. However, having a quick overview and an efficient representation of relevant aspects of a patient's health status are crucial for this process. While accessing patient data and perusing clinical documents, relevant details need to be discovered quickly. In this paper, we introduce an approach to visualize relevant information from clinical documents by tag clouds. The conventional tag clouds visualize the content of a document using the terms they are containing shown in different sizes with the size calculated based on the term frequency. Important facts and diagnostic results with low occurrence in a text may be ignored by this naïve method. In this paper, we therefore adapt the conventional tag clouds by information extraction and a guidelines-based classification schema, so that the clinical concerns can be visualized more correctly. The aspects are extracted according to a classification schema developed by clinical experts. We evaluate the approach on a set of radiology reports for cervical spine treatment.

A multi-level analysis of the EU linking directive process: the controversial connection between EU and global climate policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaam, Karoline Haegstad

2007-10-15

Despite initial scepticism in the EU towards the Kyoto Protocol's project mechanisms (the CDM and JI), the 'Linking Directive' was adopted in October 2004, connecting the EU emissions trading scheme with the project mechanisms. Not only was the Linking Directive settled remarkably quickly, the decision-making process also left a more liberal text, with fewer restrictions on the use of the project mechanisms, as compared to the initial directive proposal. This report examines possible explanations to this puzzle, evaluating whether Member State preferences, EU institutions or external influence from the climate regime best can contribute to understanding the process. On the basis of the analysis of written sources stemming from the decision-making process, as well as seven in-depth interviews, the report finds that Member State preferences were the main driver in the Linking Directive process. This gives support to the intergovernmentalist mantra, that Member States are the main decision-makers in the EU. It also challenges much recent research claiming that EU policy-making is increasingly being taken out of the hands of the nation-state and into supranational actors such as the Commission and the European Parliament. (author). 41 refs., figs., tabs

A multi-level analysis of the EU linking directive process: the controversial connection between EU and global climate policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaam, Karoline Haegstad

2007-10-15

Despite initial scepticism in the EU towards the Kyoto Protocol's project mechanisms (the CDM and JI), the 'Linking Directive' was adopted in October 2004, connecting the EU emissions trading scheme with the project mechanisms. Not only was the Linking Directive settled remarkably quickly, the decision-making process also left a more liberal text, with fewer restrictions on the use of the project mechanisms, as compared to the initial directive proposal. This report examines possible explanations to this puzzle, evaluating whether Member State preferences, EU institutions or external influence from the climate regime best can contribute to understanding the process. On the basis of the analysis of written sources stemming from the decision-making process, as well as seven in-depth interviews, the report finds that Member State preferences were the main driver in the Linking Directive process. This gives support to the intergovernmentalist mantra, that Member States are the main decision-makers in the EU. It also challenges much recent research claiming that EU policy-making is increasingly being taken out of the hands of the nation-state and into supranational actors such as the Commission and the European Parliament. (author). 41 refs., figs., tabs

Self-rated health and employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Krokavcova, Martina; Nagyova, Iveta; Van Dijk, Jitse P; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Gavelova, Miriam; Middel, Berrie; Szilasiova, Jarmila; Gdovinova, Zuzana; Groothoff, Johan W

2010-01-01

The aim is to explore the association between self-rated health and employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) when controlling for age, gender, functional disability, disease duration, anxiety and depression. One hundred eighty-four people with MS completed a sociodemographic questionnaire that included questions on employment status, the first item of the Short Form-36 Health Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Functional disability was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale. The probability of good self-rated health in employed persons was investigated using stepwise logistic regression analyses. Patients with MS who reported good self-rated health were 2.46 times more likely to be employed (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-5.59). Patients without anxiety were 2.64 times more likely to be employed (95%CI: 1.23-5.67). Patients with higher EDSS scores were 0.49 times less likely to be employed (95%CI: 0.33-0.70). Age, gender, disease duration and the presence of depression did not show an increased chance of patient employment. Patients with MS with good self-rated health are more likely to be employed, even after adjusting for age, gender, education, functional disability, disease duration, depression and anxiety. Dependent on the findings of longitudinal studies unravelling the relevant causal pahways, self-rated health might be used as a quick and cheap prognostic marker, which could warn about the possible loss of employment, or changes in functional disability.

Subjective social status predicts in vivo responsiveness of β-adrenergic receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Euteneuer, Frank; Mills, Paul J; Rief, Winfried; Ziegler, Michael G; Dimsdale, Joel E

2012-07-01

Several poor health outcomes, including cardiovascular risk, have been associated with both subjective social status (SSS) and sympathetic overactivity. Because prolonged sympathetic overactivation down regulates beta adrenergic receptor (β-AR) function, reduced β-AR responsiveness is considered an indicator of sympathetic overactivity and a cardiovascular risk factor. Though prior research has focused on objective social status and β-AR function, no studies have examined the association between SSS and β-AR function. We aimed to learn whether SSS predicts the in vivo responsiveness of β-ARs. We assessed the chronotropic 25 dose (CD25), an in vivo marker of β-AR responsiveness, in 94 healthy participants. The MacArthur scales of subjective social status were used to assess SSS in the U.S.A. (SSS-USA) and in the local community (SSS-C). Objective social status was analyzed by calculating the Hollingshead two-factor index. β-AR responsiveness was reduced (as indicated by higher CD25 values) in participants with lower SSS-USA (p = .007) and lower SSS-C (p social status. Our results indicate that β-AR function may be an important component of the link between SSS and health.

3D for free using the Mac's standard apps : converting raw 3D text files to QuickDraw 3D's 3DMF format using AppleScript

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Djajadiningrat, J.P.

2003-01-01

This article introduces you to the basics of 3D files in general and the 3D Metafile (3DMF), QuickDraw 3D's native 3D format, in particular. It shows how you can use AppleScript to easily convert a raw 3D text file into a 3DMF readable by the QuickDraw 3D Viewer or any other QuickDraw 3D compatible

Linking social capital and mortality in the elderly: a Swedish national cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundquist, Kristina; Hamano, Tsuyoshi; Li, Xinjun; Kawakami, Naomi; Shiwaku, Kuninori; Sundquist, Jan

2014-07-01

Our objective was to examine the association between neighborhood linking social capital (a concept describing the amount of trust between individuals and societal institutions) and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the elderly. The entire Swedish population aged 65+, a total of 1,517,336 men and women, was followed from 1 January 2002 until death, emigration, or the end of the study on 31 December 2010. Small geographic units were used to define neighborhoods. The definition of linking social capital was based on neighborhood voting participation rates, categorized into three groups. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and between-neighborhood variance in three different models. The results showed an overall association between linking social capital and all-cause mortality. The significant OR of 1.53 in the group with low linking social capital decreased, but remained significant (OR=1.27), after accounting for age, sex, family income, marital status, country of birth, education level, and region of residence. There were also significant associations between linking social capital and cause-specific mortality in coronary heart disease, psychiatric disorders, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, type 2 diabetes, and suicide. There are associations between low linking social capital and mortality from chronic disorders and suicide in the elderly population. Community support for elderly people living in neighborhoods with low levels of linking social capital may need to be strengthened. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

STUDI KASUS HUBUNGAN SENAM NIFAS DENGAN STATUS KESEHATAN IBU NIFAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurendro Putro

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Background: During pregnancy and birth period there are physical changes, some of muscle experiencing lengthening, especially uterus muscle and stomach muscle. After bearing, uterus was not back quickly like before, but through a process. Health recover process at post-partum was important thing for mother after birth period. Therefore, for turning back at early condition or recover period better so that body always health needed a exercise which popular as post-partum exercise. Methods: This research executed was prospective cohort design with quantitative approach. Interview was executed at 30 respondents post-partum mother. Subject got from population with simple random sampling. Depth interview was executed to get depth information about research which observed. Independent variables at this research were participation postparfum exercise and dependent variables are complication, narrow of uterus, swell oedema, treatment of stitching hurt loctation, early ambulation, urinate, defecate, drink and eat pattern. Results: Chi square result indicated difference health status between does exercise and neither was only early ambulation and defecates from other some variable. Variables early ambulation (p = 0.001 and deficate (p = 0.001 significant with exercise. But variables involution utery, oedema treatment of stitching hurt and drink and eat pattern not significant with exercise.Key words: post-parfum exercise, health status

Development of 70 MW class superconducting generator with quick-response excitation

Science.gov (United States)

Miyaike, Kiyoshi; Kitajima, Toshio; Ito, Tetsuo

2002-03-01

The development of a superconducting generator had been carried out for 12 years under the first stage of a Super GM project. The 70 MW class model machine with quick response excitation was manufactured and evaluated in the project. This type of superconducting generator improves power system stability against rapid load fluctuations at the power system faults. This model machine achieved all development targets including high stability during rapid excitation control. It was also connected to the actual 77 kV electrical power grid as a synchronous condenser and proved advantages and high-operation reliability of the superconducting generator.

Ethnic Variations of Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Status, Parenting, and Preacademic Skills in a Nationally Representative Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Iruka, Iheoma U.; Dotterer, Aryn M.; Pungello, Elizabeth P.

2014-01-01

Research Findings: Grounded in the investment model and informed by the integrative theory of the study of minority children, this study used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort data set, a nationally representative sample of young children, to investigate whether the association between socioeconomic status (family income and…

Evaluation and Comparison of QuickBird and ADS40-SH52 Multispectral Imagery for Mapping Iberian Wild Pear Trees (Pyrus bourgaeana, Decne in a Mediterranean Mixed Forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Arenas-Castro

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The availability of images with very high spatial and spectral resolution from airborne sensors or those aboard satellites is opening new possibilities for the analysis of fine-scale vegetation, such as the identification and classification of individual tree species. To evaluate the potential of these images, a study was carried out to compare the spatial, spectral and temporal resolution between QuickBird and ADS40-SH52 imagery, in order to discriminate and identify, within the mixed Mediterranean forest, individuals of the Iberian wild pear (Pyrus bourgaeana. This is a typical species of the Mediterranean forest, but its biology and ecology are still poorly known. The images were subjected to different correction processes and data were homogenized. Vegetation classes and individual trees were identified on the images, which were classified from two types of supervised classification (Maximum Likelihood and Support Vector Machines on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The classification values were satisfactory. The classifiers were compared, and Support Vector Machines was the algorithm that provided the best results in terms of overall accuracy. The QuickBird image showed higher overall accuracy (86.16% when the Support Vector Machines algorithm was applied. In addition, individuals of Iberian wild pear were discriminated with probability of over 55%, when the Maximum Likelihood algorithm was applied. From the perspective of improving the sampling effort, these results are a starting point for facilitating research on the abundance, distribution and spatial structure of P. bourgaeana at different scales, in order to quantify the conservation status of this species.

A comparison of experiment, CEPXS/ONETRAN, TIGERP, and QUICKE2 net electron emission coefficients for various bremsstrahlung spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballard, W.P.; Lorence, L.J. Jr.; Snowden, D.P.; van Lint, V.A.J.; Beale, E.S.

1987-01-01

This work compares a carefully designed experiment with the predictions of four different codes (CEPXS/ONETRAN, TIGERP, TIGER and QUICKE2) for the complex bremsstrahlung spectra typical of very intense pulsed power x-ray generators. Accurate calculation of net photon-induced electron emission yields at material interfaces using Monte Carlo codes can be particularly difficult if the forward and reverse partial yields are of similar magnitudes. In such a circumstance, the statistical error in the Monte Carlo solution (TIGER or TIGERP) must be kept to a minimum to accurately resolve the difference. CEPXS/ONETRAN is a new deterministic coupled electron/photon transport code that is faster than Monte Carlo and is not subject to statistical error. QUICKE2 evaluates an analytical approximation and is also much less expensive to run than the Monte Carlo codes. The comparison of net yields is a sensitive test of the relative accuracy and efficiency of these various codes. We find that all of the codes except QUICKE2 substantially agree with the experiments for the forward net yields. Howver, for reverse net yields from high-Z materials, all the codes overpredict relative to measurements

Analysis of quick-count and exit-poll methods as a part of the public monitoring activities during the elections in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Y. Arabadjyiev

2015-09-01

As the practice of quick-count implementation shows, it is not only a quick method of voting results obtaining for their later comparison with the official results of the elections. The method also helps citizens to monitor the quality of the electoral process, regardless of the official government communications. It also allows you to evaluate the activities of bodies and institutions responsible for organizing elections during the voting, counting and processing.

Asset sustainability index : quick guide : proposed metrics for the long-term financial sustainability of highway networks.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-01

"This report provides a Quick Guide to the concept of asset sustainability metrics. Such metrics address the long-term performance of highway assets based upon expected expenditure levels. : It examines how such metrics are used in Australia, Britain...

Linked data management

CERN Document Server

Hose, Katja; Schenkel, Ralf

2014-01-01

Linked Data Management presents techniques for querying and managing Linked Data that is available on today’s Web. The book shows how the abundance of Linked Data can serve as fertile ground for research and commercial applications. The text focuses on aspects of managing large-scale collections of Linked Data. It offers a detailed introduction to Linked Data and related standards, including the main principles distinguishing Linked Data from standard database technology. Chapters also describe how to generate links between datasets and explain the overall architecture of data integration systems based on Linked Data. A large part of the text is devoted to query processing in different setups. After presenting methods to publish relational data as Linked Data and efficient centralized processing, the book explores lookup-based, distributed, and parallel solutions. It then addresses advanced topics, such as reasoning, and discusses work related to read-write Linked Data for system interoperation. Desp...

S-LINK, a data link interface specification for the LHC era

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bij, H.C. van der; McLaren, R.A.; Boyle, O.

1996-01-01

In the Technical Proposals for ATLAS, CMS and ALICE there is a requirement for several thousand data links. Although there is an obvious need for standardization, this seems difficult to achieve as the links run at different speeds, over different distances and have various constraints of power consumption, size and radiation hardness. An additional complication is that today we cannot decide which will be the most cost effective technology for the implementation of the final links. Furthermore, we must allow designers of boards at each end of the link, for example readout electronics and input buffers, to work in parallel with the development of the links. The S-LINK is a new concept which should provide the benefits of standardization without the limitations. The S-LINK specification defines, at both ends of the link, a simple FIFO-like user interface which remains independent of the technology used to implement the physical link. The physical link provides transfer of event data and control words, error detection, optional flow control and test facilities. This paper describes the S-LINK specification and gives examples of the use of the S-LINK, the physical links being designed, and the test equipment that is being developed

Black-White Differences in Child Maltreatment Reports and Foster Care Placements: A Statistical Decomposition Using Linked Administrative Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Maloney, Tim; Jiang, Nan; Putnam-Hornstein, Emily; Dalton, Erin; Vaithianathan, Rhema

2017-03-01

Introduction Official statistics have confirmed that relative to their presence in the population and relative to white children, black children have consistently higher rates of contact with child protective services (CPS). We used linked administrative data and statistical decomposition techniques to generate new insights into black and white differences in child maltreatment reports and foster care placements. Methods Birth records for all children born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, between 2008 and 2010 were linked to administrative service records originating in multiple county data systems. Differences in rates of involvement with child protective services between black and white children by age 4 were decomposed using nonlinear regression techniques. Results Black children had rates of CPS involvement that were 3 times higher than white children. Racial differences were explained solely by parental marital status (i.e., being unmarried) and age at birth (i.e., predominantly teenage mothers). Adding other covariates did not capture any further racial differences in maltreatment reporting or foster care placement rates, they simply shifted differences already explained by marital status and age to these other variables. Discussion Racial differences in rates of maltreatment reports and foster care placements can be explained by a basic model that adjusts only for parental marital status and age at the time of birth. Increasing access to early prevention services for vulnerable families may reduce disparities in child protective service involvement. Using birth records linked to other administrative data sources provides an important means to developing population-based research.

LinkED: A Novel Methodology for Publishing Linked Enterprise Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shreyas Suresh Rao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Semantic Web technologies have redefined and strengthened the Enterprise-Web interoperability over the last decade. Linked Open Data (LOD refers to a set of best practices that empower enterprises to publish and interlink their data using existing ontologies on the World Wide Web. Current research in LOD focuses on expert search, the creation of unified information space and augmentation of core data from an enterprise context. However, existing approaches for publication of enterprise data as LOD are domain-specific, ad-hoc and suffer from lack of uniform representation across domains. The paper proposes a novel methodology called LinkED that contributes towards LOD literature in two ways: (a streamlines the publishing process through five stages of cleaning, triplification, interlinking, storage and visualization; (b addresses the latest challenges in LOD publication, namely: inadequate links, inconsistencies in the quality of the dataset and replicability of the LOD publication process. Further, the methodology is demonstrated via the publication of digital repository data as LOD in a university setting, which is evaluated based on two semantic standards: Five-Star model and data quality metrics. Overall, the paper provides a generic LOD publication process that is applicable across various domains such as healthcare, e-governance, banking, and tourism, to name a few.

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility cryogenic system: Performance, management approach, and present equipment status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slack, D.S.; Chronis, W.C.

1987-01-01

The cryogenic system for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) is a 14-kW, 4.35-K helium refrigeration system that proved to be highly successful and cost-effective. All operating objectives were met, while remaining within a few percent of initial cost and schedule plans. The management approach used in MFTF allowed decisions to be made quickly and effectively, and it helped keep costs down. Manpower levels, extent and type of industrial participation, key aspects of subcontractor specifications, and subcontractor interactions are reviewed, as well as highlights of the system tests, operation, and present equipment status. Organizations planning large, high-technology systems may benefit from this experience with the MFTF cryogenic system

Fatigue status assessment for reactor pressure vessel based on actual operational transient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Guangqiang; Liao Changbin; Dai Bing; Gui Chun

2013-01-01

Background: Fatigue is an important aging mechanism in RPV and it must be contained to aging management working range. Purpose: In order to ensure the safety operation of nuclear power plants, as extension of RPV service time, it is necessary to assess the fatigue damage caused by actual operation transient. Methods: Based on monitoring data of actual operation during the past eleven years, refer to design transient, the statistic analysis for types and occurrence times of actual transient is carried out, at the same time, every transients are combined as different operation cycles and the temperature field and stress field of typical components are analyzed by FEM. Results: Based on these information, fatigue analysis and assessment are finished, if later-actual transients are similar with the previous transients, the calculation result shows that the ratio between maximum of cumulative usage factors and design calculation value is 0.4967 the design transients is conservative. Conclusions: Fatigue status of RPV could be assessed and traced quickly through fatigue status assessment method in this paper based on actual operational transient and assessment result would be a good reference for RPV aging management. (authors)

Physiological status and intersex in the endobenthic bivalve Scrobicularia plana from thirteen estuaries in northwest France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fossi Tankoua, O.; Amiard-Triquet, C.; Denis, F.; Minier, C.; Mouneyrac, C.; Berthet, B.

2012-01-01

The bivalve Scrobicularia plana, an important species for the structure and functioning of estuarine and coastal mudflats, was studied in thirteen sites from NW France differing by their degree of contamination to document the presence of reproduction impairments (intersex, sex ratio, gonadosomatic indices) in relation to the condition revealed by using hepatosomatic and condition indices. In agreement with recent studies in other European estuaries, intersex was revealed in all the studied estuaries, including sites the chemical and ecological status of which is considered “good” according to the criteria of the European Water Framework Directive. The presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) could result in such disturbances. Our results re-inforce the concern linked to the subtle effects of EDCs, which are active at very low doses, often in the absence of any major sign of toxicity. However at this stage, no clear link may be established between intersex and population effects. - Highlights: ► Clams were collected from 13 estuaries differing by their degree of contamination. ► Gonadosomatic, hepatosomatic and condition indices were determined. ► Reproduction impairments (intersex, biased sex ratio, asynchronism) were shown. ► Intersex shown even at sites with good ecological status (Water Framework Directive). ► No clear links between intersex and populational effects. - Intersex in clams from estuaries, the chemical/ecological status of which was considered as good under the EC Water Framework Directive.

HealthLines: Quick Tips for Seasonal Health, Safety and Fun... "Ah, when the sun beats down…"

Science.gov (United States)

... Current Issue Past Issues HealthLines: Quick Tips for Seasonal Health, Safety and Fun Past Issues / Spring 2007 ... and protect against reflected UV radiation (from sand, water, or snow). UV radiation ... and stress fractures. Remember safety gear. Depending on the sport, ...

Subjective Social Status and Well-Being: The Role of Referent Abstraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Haught, Heather M; Rose, Jason; Geers, Andrew; Brown, Jill A

2015-01-01

Subjective social status (SSS) has been shown to predict well-being and mental health, above and beyond objective social status (OSS). However, little is known about the factors that moderate this relationship. Two studies explored whether the link between SSS and well-being varied depending upon the referent used for comparison in SSS judgments. Participants judged their well-being and SSS in comparison to referents that varied in abstraction. A confirmatory factor analysis on SSS judgments yielded two factors: (a) SSS perceptions toward global referents and (b) SSS perceptions toward local referents. SSS relative to a global referent was a better predictor of depression (Studies 1 and 2), life satisfaction (Studies 1 and 2), and self-esteem (Study 2) than SSS relative to a local referent. These findings have theoretical implications for understanding how people differentiate between local vs. global referents and practical implications for status-related health disparities.

Estimated status 2006-2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

According to article 6 of the French law from February 10, 2000 relative to the modernization and development of the electric public utility, the manager of the public power transportation grid (RTE) has to produce, at least every two years and under the control of the French government, a pluri-annual estimated status. Then, the energy ministry uses this status to prepare the pluri-annual planning of power production investments. The estimated status aims at establishing a medium- and long-term diagnosis of the balance between power supply and demand and at evaluating the new production capacity needs to ensure a durable security of power supplies. The hypotheses relative to the power consumption and to the evolution of the power production means and trades are presented in chapters 2 to 4. Chapter 5 details the methodology and modeling principles retained for the supply-demand balance simulations. Chapter 6 presents the probabilistic simulation results at the 2006, 2010 and 2015 prospects and indicates the volumes of reinforcement of the production parks which would warrant an acceptable level of security. Chapter 7 develops the critical problem of winter demand peaks and evokes the possibilities linked with demand reduction, market resources and use of the existing park. Finally, chapter 8 makes a synthesis of the technical conclusions and recalls the determining hypotheses that have been retained. The particular situations of western France, of the Mediterranean and Paris region, and of Corsica and overseas territories are examined in chapter 9. The simulation results for all consumption-production scenarios and the wind-power production data are presented in appendixes. (J.S.)

Quick Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Advanced Technology

Science.gov (United States)

1992-10-27

Oct 27, 1992 Title: Audit Report Office Of The Inspector General: Quick Reaction Report On The Audit Of The Army Contract With The University Of Texas...ENGINEERING "INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY SUBJECT: Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas...additional comments on Recommendation 3. by November 27, 1992. The courtesies extended to the audit staff are appreciated. If you have any questions on

Sex-linked dominant

Science.gov (United States)

Inheritance - sex-linked dominant; Genetics - sex-linked dominant; X-linked dominant; Y-linked dominant ... can be either an autosomal chromosome or a sex chromosome. It also depends on whether the trait ...

Radioisotopes and fungicide research- present status and future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatrath, M.S.

1996-01-01

The developments in pesticides and radioisotopes fields were so near to each other that at a very early stage in this history, both became linked together and their usefulness was recognised for faster development. The purpose of this communication is to illustrate the present status these techniques in fungicide research by drawing suitable examples and also to bring out the directions in which future research will be going with the aid of these tools. 72 refs

Potential role of centrioles in determining the morphogenetic status of animal somatic cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tkemaladze, J; Chichinadze, K

2005-05-01

Irreversible differentiation (change of morphogenetic status) and programmed death (apoptosis) are observed only in somatic cells. Cell division is the only way by which the morphogenetic status of the offspring cells may be modified. It is known that there is a fixed limit to the number of possible cell divisions, the so-called 'Hayflick limit'. Existing links between cell division, differentiation and apoptosis make it possible to conclude that all these processes could be controlled by a single self-reproducing structure. Potential candidates for this replicable structure in a somatic cell are chromosomes, mitochondria (both contain DNA), and centrioles. Centrioles (diplosome) are the most likely unit that can fully regulate the processes of irreversible differentiation, determination and modification of the morphogenetic status. It may contain differently encoded RNA molecules stacked in a definite order. During mitosis, these RNA molecules are released one by one into the cytoplasm. In the presence of reverse transcriptase and endonuclease, RNA can be embedded in nuclear DNA. This process presumably changes the status of repressed and potentially active genes and, subsequently, the morphogenetic status of a cell.

Computer controlled vacuum control system for synchrotron radiation beam lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldberg, S.M.; Wang, C.; Yang, J.

1983-01-01

The increasing number and complexity of vacuum control systems at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory has resulted in the need to computerize its operations in order to lower costs and increase efficiency of operation. Status signals are transmitted through digital and analog serial data links which use microprocessors to monitor vacuum status continuously. Each microprocessor has a unique address and up to 256 can be connected to the host computer over a single RS232 data line. A FORTRAN program on the host computer will request status messages and send control messages via only one RS232 line per beam line, signal the operator when a fault condition occurs, take automatic corrective actions, warn of impending valve failure, and keep a running log of all changes in vacuum status for later recall. Wiring costs are thus greatly reduced and more status conditions can be monitored without adding excessively to the complexity of the system. Operators can then obtain status reports at various locations in the lab quickly without having to read a large number of meter and LED's

An analysis of flight Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data and its applications in preventing landing incidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lei; Wu, Changxu; Sun, Ruishan

2014-01-01

A long landing is one type of flight incident that will multiply the risk of a runway excursion. It occurs frequently but receives little attention in research due to difficulty in obtaining the real flight data. The aim of this paper is to discover key flight parameter features of long landing incidents by analyzing Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data and put forward prevention measures from the perspective of pilot operation at the same time. First, 73 flight performance parameter variables and 4 operation parameter variables were defined, covering major landing stages from 1500 ft to touchdown. Then 128 cases of selected QAR data were divided into two groups according to the threshold of identifying normal and long landing. Second, each flight parameter variable of these 128 flights was compared between groups and then the logistic and linear regression models were developed respectively to further examine the links between touchdown distance and these flight parameter variables. Third, potential flight operation causing performance difference of long landing incidents was also analyzed. Finally results indicate that the period of 200 ft to touchdown is the key stage of landing and flare is the most critical operation affecting touchdown distance. It is suggested that the pilot should inspect the ratio of descent rate and groundspeed carefully at the height of 50 ft and pilot's faster and steady pulling up columns is probably helpful for an excellent flare and landing. The findings are expected to be applied into flight operation practice for further preventing long landing incidents and even the runway excursion accidents

Economic Status and Adult Mortality in India: Is the Relationship Sensitive to Choice of Indicators?

Science.gov (United States)

Barik, Debasis; Desai, Sonalde; Vanneman, Reeve

2018-03-01

Research on economic status and adult mortality is often stymied by the reciprocity of this relationship and lack of clarity on which aspect of economic status matters. While financial resources increase access to healthcare and nutrition and reduce mortality, sickness also reduces labor force participation, thereby reducing income. Without longitudinal data, it is difficult to study the linkage between economic status and mortality. Using data from a national sample of 132,116 Indian adults aged 15 years and above, this paper examines their likelihood of death between wave 1 of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), conducted in 2004-2005 and wave 2, conducted in 2011-2012. The results show that mortality between the two waves is strongly linked to the economic status of the household at wave 1 regardless of the choice of indicator for economic status. However, negative relationship between economic status and mortality for individuals already suffering from cardiovascular and metabolic conditions varies between three markers of economic status - income, consumption and ownership of consumer durables - varies, reflecting two-way relationship between short and long term markers of economic status and morbidity.

Evidence of Quick-Clay Deposit at Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas; Kirkelund, Gunvor Marie; Jørgensen, Anders Stuhr

2010-01-01

unnoticed in Greenland, but in this case the jökulhlaup propagated through a river basin which passes by the main international airport in Greenland. Due to the erosion of the riverbank during the jökulhlaup, several man-made structures were affected – roads disappeared and several storage facilities were...... eroded and destroyed by the river. In the wake of the catastrophic flood, a previously unknown permafrozen fingrained marine deposit was observed in the erosional bank of the river. Laboratory studies have proven this material to have extremely high sensitivity, with natural water content much higher...... than the liquid limit. The formation has been stabilized by the presence of permafrost in the area, but the combination of erosional energy supplied by the river and the sensitive properties of the material have resulted in quick thaw, destabilization and erosion of the formation. As an effect...

QuickEval: a web application for psychometric scaling experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Van Ngo, Khai; Storvik, Jehans J.; Dokkeberg, Christopher A.; Farup, Ivar; Pedersen, Marius

2015-01-01

QuickEval is a web application for carrying out psychometric scaling experiments. It offers the possibility of running controlled experiments in a laboratory, or large scale experiment over the web for people all over the world. It is a unique one of a kind web application, and it is a software needed in the image quality field. It is also, to the best of knowledge, the first software that supports the three most common scaling methods; paired comparison, rank order, and category judgement. It is also the first software to support rank order. Hopefully, a side effect of this newly created software is that it will lower the threshold to perform psychometric experiments, improve the quality of the experiments being carried out, make it easier to reproduce experiments, and increase research on image quality both in academia and industry. The web application is available at www.colourlab.no/quickeval.

Simple method for quick estimation of aquifer hydrogeological parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, C.; Li, Y. Y.

2017-08-01

Development of simple and accurate methods to determine the aquifer hydrogeological parameters was of importance for groundwater resources assessment and management. Aiming at the present issue of estimating aquifer parameters based on some data of the unsteady pumping test, a fitting function of Theis well function was proposed using fitting optimization method and then a unitary linear regression equation was established. The aquifer parameters could be obtained by solving coefficients of the regression equation. The application of the proposed method was illustrated, using two published data sets. By the error statistics and analysis on the pumping drawdown, it showed that the method proposed in this paper yielded quick and accurate estimates of the aquifer parameters. The proposed method could reliably identify the aquifer parameters from long distance observed drawdowns and early drawdowns. It was hoped that the proposed method in this paper would be helpful for practicing hydrogeologists and hydrologists.

Characteristics of foraging sites and protein status in wintering muskoxen: insights from isotopes of nitrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Gustine, David D.; Barboza, Perry S.; Lawler, James P.; Arthur, Stephen M.; Shults, Brad S.; Persons, Kate; Adams, Layne G.

2011-01-01

Identifying links between nutritional condition of individuals and population trajectories greatly enhances our understanding of the ecology, conservation, and management of wildlife. For northern ungulates, the potential impacts of a changing climate to populations are predicted to be nutritionally mediated through an increase in the severity and variance in winter conditions. Foraging conditions and the availability of body protein as a store for reproduction in late winter may constrain productivity in northern ungulates, yet the link between characteristics of wintering habitats and protein status has not been established for a wild ungulate. We used a non‐invasive proxy of protein status derived from isotopes of N in excreta to evaluate the influence of winter habitats on the protein status of muskoxen in three populations in Alaska (2005–2008). Multiple regression and an information‐theoretic approach were used to compare models that evaluated the influence of population, year, and characteristics of foraging sites (components of diet and physiography) on protein status for groups of muskoxen. The observed variance in protein status among groups of muskoxen across populations and years was partially explained (45%) by local foraging conditions that affected forage availability. Protein status improved for groups of muskoxen as the amount of graminoids in the diet increased (−0.430 ± 0.31, β± 95% CI) and elevation of foraging sites decreased (0.824 ± 0.67). Resources available for reproduction in muskoxen are highly dependent upon demographic, environmental, and physiographic constraints that affect forage availability in winter. Due to their very sedentary nature in winter, muskoxen are highly susceptible to localized foraging conditions; therefore, the spatial variance in resource availability may exert a strong effect on productivity. Consequently, there is a clear need to account for climate–topography effects in winter at multiple scales

Land cover mapping and change detection in urban watersheds using QuickBird high spatial resolution satellite imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Hester, David Barry

The objective of this research was to develop methods for urban land cover analysis using QuickBird high spatial resolution satellite imagery. Such imagery has emerged as a rich commercially available remote sensing data source and has enjoyed high-profile broadcast news media and Internet applications, but methods of quantitative analysis have not been thoroughly explored. The research described here consists of three studies focused on the use of pan-sharpened 61-cm spatial resolution QuickBird imagery, the spatial resolution of which is the highest of any commercial satellite. In the first study, a per-pixel land cover classification method is developed for use with this imagery. This method utilizes a per-pixel classification approach to generate an accurate six-category high spatial resolution land cover map of a developing suburban area. The primary objective of the second study was to develop an accurate land cover change detection method for use with QuickBird land cover products. This work presents an efficient fuzzy framework for transforming map uncertainty into accurate and meaningful high spatial resolution land cover change analysis. The third study described here is an urban planning application of the high spatial resolution QuickBird-based land cover product developed in the first study. This work both meaningfully connects this exciting new data source to urban watershed management and makes an important empirical contribution to the study of suburban watersheds. Its analysis of residential roads and driveways as well as retail parking lots sheds valuable light on the impact of transportation-related land use on the suburban landscape. Broadly, these studies provide new methods for using state-of-the-art remote sensing data to inform land cover analysis and urban planning. These methods are widely adaptable and produce land cover products that are both meaningful and accurate. As additional high spatial resolution satellites are launched and the

Handbook for quick cost estimates. A method for developing quick approximate estimates of costs for generic actions for nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ball, J.R.

1986-04-01

This document is a supplement to a ''Handbook for Cost Estimating'' (NUREG/CR-3971) and provides specific guidance for developing ''quick'' approximate estimates of the cost of implementing generic regulatory requirements for nuclear power plants. A method is presented for relating the known construction costs for new nuclear power plants (as contained in the Energy Economic Data Base) to the cost of performing similar work, on a back-fit basis, at existing plants. Cost factors are presented to account for variations in such important cost areas as construction labor productivity, engineering and quality assurance, replacement energy, reworking of existing features, and regional variations in the cost of materials and labor. Other cost categories addressed in this handbook include those for changes in plant operating personnel and plant documents, licensee costs, NRC costs, and costs for other government agencies. Data sheets, worksheets, and appropriate cost algorithms are included to guide the user through preparation of rough estimates. A sample estimate is prepared using the method and the estimating tools provided.

Handbook for quick cost estimates. A method for developing quick approximate estimates of costs for generic actions for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, J.R.

1986-04-01

This document is a supplement to a ''Handbook for Cost Estimating'' (NUREG/CR-3971) and provides specific guidance for developing ''quick'' approximate estimates of the cost of implementing generic regulatory requirements for nuclear power plants. A method is presented for relating the known construction costs for new nuclear power plants (as contained in the Energy Economic Data Base) to the cost of performing similar work, on a back-fit basis, at existing plants. Cost factors are presented to account for variations in such important cost areas as construction labor productivity, engineering and quality assurance, replacement energy, reworking of existing features, and regional variations in the cost of materials and labor. Other cost categories addressed in this handbook include those for changes in plant operating personnel and plant documents, licensee costs, NRC costs, and costs for other government agencies. Data sheets, worksheets, and appropriate cost algorithms are included to guide the user through preparation of rough estimates. A sample estimate is prepared using the method and the estimating tools provided

Low serum vitamin D-status, air pollution and obesity: A dangerous liaison.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrea, Luigi; Savastano, Silvia; Di Somma, Carolina; Savanelli, Maria Cristina; Nappi, Francesca; Albanese, Lidia; Orio, Francesco; Colao, Annamaria

2017-06-01

The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of the possible associations among the vitamin D status, air pollution and obesity. Sunlight exposure accounts in humans for more than 90 % of the production of vitamin D. Among emerging factors influencing sunlight-induced synthesis of vitamin D, prospective and observational studies proved that air pollution constitutes an independent risk factor in the pathogenesis of vitamin D hypovitaminosis. In addition, environmental pollutants can affect risk of obesity when inhaled, in combination with unhealthy diet and lifestyle. In turn, obesity is closely associated with a low vitamin D status and many possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association. The associations of air pollution with low vitamin D status on the hand and with obesity on the other hand, could provide a rationale for considering obesity as a further link between air pollution and low vitamin D status. In this respect, a vicious cycle could operate among low vitamin D status, air pollution, and obesity, with additive detrimental effects on cardio-metabolic risk in obese individuals. Besides vitamin D supplementation, nutrient combination, used to maximize the protective effects against air pollution, might also contribute to improve the vitamin D status by attenuating the "obesogen" effects of air pollution.

The relationship between socio-economic status and cancer detection at screening

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor-Phillips, Sian; Ogboye, Toyin; Hamborg, Tom; Kearins, Olive; O'Sullivan, Emma; Clarke, Aileen

2015-03-01

It is well known that socio-economic status is a strong predictor of screening attendance, with women of higher socioeconomic status more likely to attend breast cancer screening. We investigated whether socio-economic status was related to the detection of cancer at breast screening centres. In two separate projects we combined UK data from the population census, the screening information systems, and the cancer registry. Five years of data from all 81 screening centres in the UK was collected. Only women who had previously attended screening were included. The study was given ethical approval by the University of Warwick Biomedical Research Ethics committee reference SDR-232-07- 2012. Generalised linear models with a log-normal link function were fitted to investigate the relationship between predictors and the age corrected cancer detection rate at each centre. We found that screening centres serving areas with lower average socio-economic status had lower cancer detection rates, even after correcting for the age distribution of the population. This may be because there may be a correlation between higher socio-economic status and some risk factors for breast cancer such as nullparity (never bearing children). When applying adjustment for age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status of the population screened (rather than simply age) we found that SDR can change by up to 0.11.

A national cohort study of parental socioeconomic status and non-fatal suicidal behaviour-the mediating role of school performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jablonska Beata

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A link between low parental socioeconomic status and mental health problems in offspring is well established in previous research. The mechanisms that explain this link are largely unknown. The present study investigated whether school performance was a mediating and/or moderating factor in the path between parental socioeconomic status and the risk of hospital admission for non-fatal suicidal behaviour. Methods A national cohort of 447 929 children born during 1973-1977 was followed prospectively in the National Patient Discharge Register from the end of their ninth and final year of compulsory school until 2001. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards and linear regression analyses were performed to test whether the association between parental socioeconomic status and non-fatal suicidal behaviour was mediated or moderated by school performance. Results The results of a series of multiple regression analyses, adjusted for demographic variables, revealed that school performance was as an important mediator in the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and risk of non-fatal suicidal behaviour, accounting for 60% of the variance. The hypothesized moderation of parental socioeconomic status-non-fatal suicidal behaviour relationship by school performance was not supported. Conclusions School performance is an important mediator through which parental socioeconomic status translates into a risk for non-fatal suicidal behaviour. Prevention efforts aimed to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in non-fatal suicidal behaviour among young people will need to consider socioeconomic inequalities in school performance.

Hypothyroidism and obesity: An intriguing link

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debmalya Sanyal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available According to common perception, hypothyroidism is held responsible for obesity. However, linking them causally is controversial. Overt hypothyroidism is associated with modest weight gain, but there is a lack of clarity regarding subclinical hypothyroidism. Novel view indicates that changes in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH could well be secondary to obesity. The increasing prevalence of obesity further confounds definition of normal TSH range in population studies. Thyroid autoantibody status may help in establishing the diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism in obesity. High leptin levels may play a role in the hyperthyrotropinemia of obesity and also increase susceptibility to thyroid autoimmunity and subsequent hypothyroidism. There is at most a modest effect of L-T4 treatment in overt hypothyroidism in inducing weight loss; benefit in subclinical hypothyroidism is not established with no data supporting thyroid hormone use in euthyroid obese patients.

An Interpersonal Circumplex Model of Children's Social Goals: Links with Peer-Reported Behavior and Sociometric Status

Science.gov (United States)

Ojanen, Tiina; Gronroos, Matti; Salmivalli, Christina

2005-01-01

The objective of the present research was to develop an assessment model for children's social goals. The aims were (a) to fit children's social goals to a circumplex model and to examine links between goals and peer-reported social behaviors (aggression, withdrawal, and prosocial behavior) in a sample of 276 participants (134 girls, 11- to…

Thermal studies on the weathering status of Lakhra coal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumbher, M.; Vasandani, A.G.M.; Shah, S.W.

2002-01-01

Thermal studies about the weathering status of Lakhra coal were conducted using thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) in N/sub 2/ and air atmospheres. These studies were centered on the extent of the release of volatile matters and the determination of calorific values. The decline in these parameters, i.e. volatile matters and calorific values, cause a decline in the caking properties of coal and promote auto-ignition. The TG behavior of weathered samples in N/sub 2/ indicates a clear decline in percent moisture and volatile matters and abrupt burning of the fixed carbon. The TG curves further indicate quick decomposition of samples at various temperatures and auto-ignition with respect to time. The DTA behavior of the weathered samples in air, shows a significant difference in peak configuration, such as suppression of main endothermic peaks and shifting of shoulder peaks towards lower temperature. The N/sub 2/ atmosphere gives illusive and ill-defined events with respect to time. (author)

User's guide for PRISM (Plant Risk Status Information Management System) Arkansas Nuclear One-Unit 1: Volume 1, Program for inspectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, D.J.; Guthrie, V.H.; Kirchner, J.R.; Kirkman, J.Q.; Paula, H.M.; Ellison, B.C.; Dycus, F.M.; Farquharson, J.A.; Flanagan, G.F.

1988-03-01

This user's guide is a two-volume document designed to teach NRC inspectors and NRC regulators how to access probabilistic risk assessment information from the two Plant Risk Status Information Management System (PRISIM) programs developed for Arkansas Nuclear One -- Unit One (ANO-1). This document, Volume 1, describes how the PRA information available in Version 1.0 of PRISIM is useful for planning inspections. Using PRISIM, inspectors can quickly access PRA information and use that information to update risk analysis results, reflecting a plant's status at any particular time. Both volumes are stand-alone documents, and each volume presents several sample computer sessions designed to lead the user through a variety of PRISIM applications used to obtain PRA-related information for monitoring and controlling plant risk.

Should academic journals publish e-cigarette research linked to tobacco companies?

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, David M; Etter, Jean-François; Elger, Bernice S

2016-08-01

Electronic cigarettes are currently polarizing professional opinion. Some public health experts regard them as an effective smoking cessation aid and a vital means of reducing active and passive smoking, while others regard them as another attempt by the tobacco industry to create new customers and addicts. These different attitudes unsurprisingly yield different conclusions regarding both the appropriate regulation of e-cigarettes and the ethical status of research funded by, or conducted in, cooperation with the tobacco industry. This paper examines whether e-cigarette research linked to the tobacco industry should be regarded as an exception to the rule that tobacco industry research is so tainted by conflicts of interest that journals should refuse to publish them, or at the very least treat them as a special case for scrutiny. Despite the fact that e-cigarettes can be used for smoking cessation, most of the conflicts of interest that apply to other tobacco research also apply to e-cigarette research linked to that industry. Journals that currently refuse to publish findings from studies linked to tobacco companies have no reason to make an exception in the case of e-cigarettes. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

The application of Quick Response Manufacturing practices in Brazil, Europe, and the USA : An exploratory study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Godinho Filho, Moacir; Marchesini, Antonio Gilberto; Riezebos, Jan; Vandaele, Nico; Devos Ganga, Gilberto Miller

2017-01-01

This research investigates the application of Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) practices by enterprises in Brazil, Europe, and the USA. QRM is a management concept that focuses on time as the key factor in competitive manufacturing, particularly in customer-oriented Engineer and Make to Order

Longitudinal links between childhood peer acceptance and the neural correlates of sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Will, Geert-Jan; Crone, Eveline A; van Lier, Pol A C; Güroğlu, Berna

2018-01-01

Childhood peer acceptance is associated with high levels of prosocial behavior and advanced perspective taking skills. Yet, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these associations have not been studied. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined the neural correlates of sharing decisions in a group of adolescents who had a stable accepted status (n = 27) and a group who had a chronic rejected status (n = 19) across six elementary school grades. Both groups of adolescents played three allocation games in which they could share money with strangers with varying costs and profits to them and the other person. Stably accepted adolescents were more likely to share their money with unknown others than chronically rejected adolescents when sharing was not costly. Neuroimaging analyses showed that stably accepted adolescents, compared to chronically rejected adolescents, exhibited higher levels of activation in the temporo-parietal junction, posterior superior temporal sulcus, temporal pole, pre-supplementary motor area, and anterior insula during costly sharing decisions. These findings demonstrate that stable peer acceptance across childhood is associated with heightened activity in brain regions previously linked to perspective taking and the detection of social norm violations during adolescence, and thereby provide insight into processes underlying the widely established links between peer acceptance and prosocial behavior. © 2016 The Authors. Developmental Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Budget Cuts: Financial Aid Offices Face Budget Cuts and Increasing Workload. Quick Scan Survey Results

Science.gov (United States)

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJ1), 2010

2010-01-01

The majority of college financial aid offices have seen cuts to their operating budgets this year compared to the 2007-08 academic year when the recession began, according to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator's latest QuickScan Survey. Sixty-two percent of financial aid offices reported operating budget cuts this year…

Legal barriers in accessing opioid medicines: results of the ATOME quick scan of national legislation of eastern European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Vranken, Marjolein J M; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K; Jünger, Saskia; Radbruch, Lukas; Lisman, John; Scholten, Willem; Payne, Sheila; Lynch, Tom; Schutjens, Marie-Hélène D B

2014-12-01

Overregulation of controlled medicines is one of the factors contributing to limited access to opioid medicines. The purpose of this study was to identify legal barriers to access to opioid medicines in 12 Eastern European countries participating in the Access to Opioid Medication in Europa project, using a quick scan method. A quick scan method to identify legal barriers was developed focusing on eight different categories of barriers. Key experts in 12 European countries were requested to send relevant legislation. Legislation was quick scanned using World Health Organization guidelines. Overly restrictive provisions and provisions that contain stigmatizing language and incorrect definitions were identified. The selected provisions were scored into two categories: 1) barrier and 2) uncertain, and reviewed by two authors. A barrier was recorded if both authors agreed the selected provision to be a barrier (Category 1). National legislation was obtained from 11 of 12 countries. All 11 countries showed legal barriers in the areas of prescribing (most frequently observed barrier). Ten countries showed barriers in the areas of dispensing and showed stigmatizing language and incorrect use of definitions in their legislation. Most barriers were identified in the legislation of Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, Serbia, and Slovenia. The Cypriot legislation showed the fewest total number of barriers. The selected countries have in common as main barriers prescribing and dispensing restrictions, the use of stigmatizing language, and incorrect use of definitions. The practical impact of these barriers identified using a quick scan method needs to be validated by other means. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brain MRI lesions and atrophy are associated with employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tauhid, Shahamat; Chu, Renxin; Sasane, Rahul; Glanz, Bonnie I; Neema, Mohit; Miller, Jennifer R; Kim, Gloria; Signorovitch, James E; Healy, Brian C; Chitnis, Tanuja; Weiner, Howard L; Bakshi, Rohit

2015-11-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly affects occupational function. We investigated the link between brain MRI and employment status. Patients with MS (n = 100) completed a Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) (general health version) survey measuring employment status, absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall work and daily activity impairment. Patients "working for pay" were considered employed; "temporarily not working but looking for work," "not working or looking for work due to age," and "not working or looking for work due to disability" were considered not employed. Brain MRI T1 hypointense (T1LV) and T2 hyperintense (T2LV) lesion volumes were quantified. To assess lesional destructive capability, we calculated each subject's ratio of T1LV to T2LV (T1/T2). Normalized brain parenchymal volume (BPV) assessed brain atrophy. The mean (SD) age was 45.5 (9.7) years; disease duration was 12.1 (8.1) years; 75 % were women, 76 % were relapsing-remitting, and 76 % were employed. T1LV, T1/T2, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, and activity impairment were lower and BPV was higher in the employed vs. not employed group (Wilcoxon tests, p 0.05). In multivariable logistic regression modeling, adjusting for age, sex, and disease duration, higher T1LV predicted a lower chance of employment (p 0.05). We report a link between brain atrophy and lesions, particularly lesions with destructive potential, to MS employment status.

Rich-burn, flame-assisted fuel cell, quick-mix, lean-burn (RFQL) combustor and power generation

Science.gov (United States)

Milcarek, Ryan J.; Ahn, Jeongmin

2018-03-01

Micro-tubular flame-assisted fuel cells (mT-FFC) were recently proposed as a modified version of the direct flame fuel cell (DFFC) operating in a dual chamber configuration. In this work, a rich-burn, quick-mix, lean-burn (RQL) combustor is combined with a micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (mT-SOFC) stack to create a rich-burn, flame-assisted fuel cell, quick-mix, lean-burn (RFQL) combustor and power generation system. The system is tested for rapid startup and achieves peak power densities after only 35 min of testing. The mT-FFC power density and voltage are affected by changes in the fuel-lean and fuel-rich combustion equivalence ratio. Optimal mT-FFC performance favors high fuel-rich equivalence ratios and a fuel-lean combustion equivalence ratio around 0.80. The electrical efficiency increases by 150% by using an intermediate temperature cathode material and improving the insulation. The RFQL combustor and power generation system achieves rapid startup, a simplified balance of plant and may have applications for reduced NOx formation and combined heat and power.

Bifunctional alkylating agent-mediated MGMT-DNA cross-linking and its proteolytic cleavage in 16HBE cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Jin; Ye, Feng; Dan, Guorong; Zhao, Yuanpeng; Wang, Bin; Zhao, Jiqing; Sai, Yan; Zou, Zhongmin

2016-01-01

Nitrogen mustard (NM), a bifunctional alkylating agent (BAA), contains two alkyl arms and can act as a cross-linking bridge between DNA and protein to form a DNA-protein cross-link (DPC). O 6 -methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), a DNA repair enzyme for alkyl adducts removal, is found to enhance cell sensitivity to BAAs and to promote damage, possibly due to its stable covalent cross-linking with DNA mediated by BAAs. To investigate MGMT-DNA cross-link (mDPC) formation and its possible dual roles in NM exposure, human bronchial epithelial cell line 16HBE was subjected to different concentrations of HN2, a kind of NM, and we found mDPC was induced by HN2 in a concentration-dependent manner, but the mRNA and total protein of MGMT were suppressed. As early as 1 h after HN2 treatment, high mDPC was achieved and the level maintained for up to 24 h. Quick total DPC (tDPC) and γ-H2AX accumulation were observed. To evaluate the effect of newly predicted protease DVC1 on DPC cleavage, we applied siRNA of MGMT and DVC1, MG132 (proteasome inhibitor), and NMS-873 (p97 inhibitor) and found that proteolysis plays a role. DVC1 was proven to be more important in the cleavage of mDPC than tDPC in a p97-dependent manner. HN2 exposure induced DVC1 upregulation, which was at least partially contributed to MGMT cleavage by proteolysis because HN2-induced mDPC level and DNA damage was closely related with DVC1 expression. Homologous recombination (HR) was also activated. Our findings demonstrated that MGMT might turn into a DNA damage promoter by forming DPC when exposed to HN2. Proteolysis, especially DVC1, plays a crucial role in mDPC repair. - Highlights: • Nitrogen mustard-induced MGMT-DNA cross-linking was detected in a living cell. • Concentration- and time-dependent manners of MGMT-DNA cross-linking were revealed. • Proteolysis played an important role in protein (MGMT)-DNA cross-linking repair. • DVC1 acts as a proteolytic enzyme in cross-linking repair in a p

Quickly Planning TF/TA2 Trajectory by Artificial Immune Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIU Lifeng

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Flight path planning by artificial immune algorithm approach met the requirements of aircraft's flyability and operation is proposed for the problem of single and double TF/TA2 flight path planning. Punishment function (affinity function with comprehensive 3D threat information is designed. A comprehensive threat model is formed including dynamic and static threats and no-fly-zone. Accordingly, single and dual flight paths are planned by AIA, which have been compared with the paths by GA. The results show that, GA's planned a quick and longer path compared under simple threat environment; in complex environments, GA has high failure rate (greater than 95% for single aircraft, but it is failed for double aircrafts. For the single and double aircrafts, AIA can provides one optimal and more candidate optimal flight paths.

Childhood Trauma and Chronic Illness in Adulthood: Mental Health and Socioeconomic Status as Explanatory Factors and Buffers

OpenAIRE

Mock, Steven E.; Arai, Susan M.

2011-01-01

Experiences of traumatic events in childhood have been shown to have long-term consequences for health in adulthood. With data from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey we take a life course perspective of cumulative disadvantage and examine the potential role of mental health and socioeconomic status in adulthood as multiple mediators of the link between childhood trauma and chronic illness in adulthood. Mental health and socioeconomic status are also tested as buffers against the typ...

Global Inequalities in Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality are Linked to Deprivation, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Human Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gopal K. Singh, PhD

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study examined global inequalities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates as a function of cross-national variations in the Human Development Index (HDI, socioeconomic factors, Gender Inequality Index (GII, and healthcare expenditure.Methods: Age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were calculated for women in 184 countries using the 2008 GLOBOCAN database, and incidence and mortality trends were analyzed using the WHO cancer mortality database. Log-linear regression was used to model annual trends, while OLS and Poisson regression models were used to estimate the impact of socioeconomic and human development factors on incidence and mortality rates.Results: Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates varied widely, with many African countries such as Guinea, Zambia, Comoros, Tanzania, and Malawi having at least 10-to-20-fold higher rates than several West Asian, Middle East, and European countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and Switzerland. HDI, GII, poverty rate, health expenditure per capita, urbanization, and literacy rate were all significantly related to cervical cancer incidence and mortality, with HDI and poverty rate each explaining >52% of the global variance in mortality. Both incidence and mortality rates increased in relation to lower human development and higher gender inequality levels. A 0.2 unit increase in HDI was associated with a 20% decrease in cervical cancer risk and a 33% decrease in cervical cancer mortality risk. The risk of a cervical cancer diagnosis increased by 24% and of cervical cancer death by 42% for a 0.2 unit increase in GII. Higher health expenditure levels were independently associated with decreased incidence and mortality risks.Conclusions and Public Health Implications: Global inequalities in cervical cancer are clearly linked to disparities in human development, social inequality, and living standards. Reductions in cervical cancer rates are achievable by

Improvement of nutritional status as assessed by multifrequency BIA during 15 weeks of refeeding in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Mika, Claudia; Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate; Heer, Martina; Holtkamp, Kristian

2004-11-01

In patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), an assessment of changes in body composition and nutritional status is crucial for adequate nutritional management during refeeding therapies. Phase-sensitive multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an inexpensive and noninvasive technique with which to determine nutritional status and body composition. We investigated 21 female adolescents with AN (initial BMI 15.5 +/- 1.1 kg/m(2)) 4 times between wk 3 and 15 of inpatient refeeding and 19 normal-weight, age-matched female controls. From wk 3 to 15, BMI, fat mass, body cell mass (BCM), total body water (TBW), intracellular water (ICW) but not extracellular mass (ECM), and extracellular water (ECW) increased significantly. Reactance (Xc), phase angle (PhA), and the ECM/BCM index as parameters of nutritional status improved significantly in patients and no longer differed from controls in wk 15, although the BMI of patients was significantly lower than those of controls. Changes in the ECM/BCM index were due to accretion of BCM, which was associated with an increase of ICW. Multifrequency phase-sensitive BIA seems to be a promising tool for the assessment of changes in nutritional status and body composition in patients with AN. An individually determined and controlled hyperenergetic diet as part of a multidimensional, interdisciplinary treatment program for eating disorders seems to quickly improve the nutritional status of AN patients.

Development of High-Speed, Low-fixed Latency Serial Links for the Router of ATLAS NSW sTGC Detector

CERN Document Server

Hu, Xueye; The ATLAS collaboration

2014-01-01

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) needs to be upgraded in order to cope with the increased luminosity and particle rates expected for the High Luminosity LHC (HL­LHC) running. Part of the phase­1 upgrade, to be done in the 2018/19 shutdown, is the replacement of the present muon forward detector (wheel) by a new detector, the so called New Small Wheel (NSW). The NSW detector consists of two detector technologies and the work here is on the small­strip Thin­Gap Chambers (sTGC). For sTGC, it requires very high­speed electronic triggering of signal events. The data must be quickly digitized, serialized, and transmitted off­detector for computer processing. The serialized data is sent to the trigger processor through a routing system that serves as a switchyard for all active signals. Design requirements on the router are low latency and stable/predictable data transfer timing with high­speed serial links (4.8 Gbps). We describe a 4.8 Gbps (maximum 6.6 Gbps) serial link structure base...

Early changes in socioeconomic status do not predict changes in body mass in the first decade of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Starkey, Leighann; Revenson, Tracey A

2015-04-01

Many studies link childhood socioeconomic status (SES) to body mass index (BMI), but few account for the impact of socioeconomic mobility throughout the lifespan. This study aims to investigate the impact of socioeconomic mobility on changes in BMI in childhood. Analyses tested whether [1] socioeconomic status influences BMI, [2] changes in socioeconomic status impact changes in BMI, and [3] timing of socioeconomic status mobility impacts BMI. Secondary data spanning birth to age 9 were analyzed. SES and BMI were investigated with gender, birth weight, maternal race/ethnicity, and maternal nativity as covariates. Autoregressive structural equation modeling and latent growth modeling were used. Socioeconomic status in the first year of life predicted body mass index. Child covariates were consistently associated with body mass index. Rate of change in socioeconomic status did not predict change in body mass index. The findings suggest that early socioeconomic status may most influence body mass in later childhood.

Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) Cloud/Virtual Open Campus Quick Start Guide (Revision 1)

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

ARL-CR-0816 ● JUNE 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) Cloud/Virtual Open...to the originator. ARL-CR-0816 ● JUNE 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT...January 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) Cloud/Virtual Open Campus Quick-Start Guide (Revision 1

Quick evaluation of the neutron dose following a criticality accident by measurement of sodium 24 activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabardel, R.; Ricourt, A.; Parmentier, N.

1984-07-01

In order to quickly sort out the irradiated individuals following a criticality accident, the neutron dose can be evaluated quickly by measuring the sodium-24 activity induced in the human body. The report supplies the information necessary for this evaluation from the response of various detectors of current use in radiation protection. The first part describes the method of evaluation of sodium-24 activity (A) given by the reading (M) of each instrument. The second part describes the method of kerma evaluation from the measured sodium-24 activity. The third part is an experimental application of the method of kerma evaluation from the sodium-24 activity measured in a phantom irradiated in the SILENE reactor flux. The results given by radiation protection instruments are in good agreement with the calculated values for a front exposure and demonstrate the usefulness of measuring the induced sodium-24 activity by radiation protection instruments of current use [fr

Quick management of accidental tritium exposure cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, V. P.; Badiger, N. M.; Managanvi, S. S.; Bhat, H. R.

2008-01-01

Removal half-life (RHL) of tritium is one of the best means for optimising medical treatment, reduction of committed effective dose (CED) and quick/easy handling of a large group of workers for medical treatment reference. The removal of tritium from the body depends on age, temperature, relative humidity and daily rainfall; so tritium removal rate, its follow-up and proper data analysis and recording are the best techniques for management of accidental acute tritium exposed cases. The decision of referring for medical treatment or medical intervention (MI) would be based on workers' tritium RHL history taken from their bodies at the facilities. The workers with tritium intake up to 1 ALI shall not be considered for medical treatment as it is a derived limit of annual total effective dose. The short-term MI may be considered for tritium intake of 1-10 ALI; however, if the results show intake ≥100 ALI, extended strong medical/therapeutic intervention may be recommended based on the severity of exposure for maximum CED reduction requirements and annual total effective dose limit. The methodology is very useful for pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) which are mainly operated by Canada and India and future fusion reactor technologies. Proper management will optimise the cases for medical treatment and enhance public acceptance of nuclear fission and fusion reactor technologies. (authors)

Quick management of accidental tritium exposure cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Vishwanath P; Badiger, N M; Managanvi, S S; Bhat, H R

2012-07-01

Removal half-life (RHL) of tritium is one of the best means for optimising medical treatment, reduction of committed effective dose (CED) and quick/easy handling of a large group of workers for medical treatment reference. The removal of tritium from the body depends on age, temperature, relative humidity and daily rainfall; so tritium removal rate, its follow-up and proper data analysis and recording are the best techniques for management of accidental acute tritium exposed cases. The decision of referring for medical treatment or medical intervention (MI) would be based on workers' tritium RHL history taken from their bodies at the facilities. The workers with tritium intake up to 1 ALI shall not be considered for medical treatment as it is a derived limit of annual total effective dose. The short-term MI may be considered for tritium intake of 1-10 ALI; however, if the results show intake ≥100 ALI, extended strong medical/therapeutic intervention may be recommended based on the severity of exposure for maximum CED reduction requirements and annual total effective dose limit. The methodology is very useful for pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) which are mainly operated by Canada and India and future fusion reactor technologies. Proper management will optimise the cases for medical treatment and enhance public acceptance of nuclear fission and fusion reactor technologies.

Quick starting contraception after emergency contraception: have clinical guidelines made a difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Janine; Craik, Julie; Melvin, Louise

2014-07-01

When initiating contraception after emergency contraception (EC), conventional practice had been to wait until the next menses. Since 2010, UK guidelines have endorsed quick starting (QS) contraception, namely offering immediate start when requested. We conducted an audit to assess clinical practice before and after QS guidance publication. A full cycle audit was performed on the clinical notes of women requesting EC during two 2-month periods in 2010 and 2011 in an Integrated Sexual Health Service. All case notes were identified using the National Sexual Health database of sexual health records (Scotland). Information was collated and interpreted using Microsoft Excel and SPSS V.17. During January and February 2010 and 2011, 190 and 180 women, respectively, attended for EC, of whom 96 and 97 were identified as potential quick starters. Between 2010 and 2011, a statistically significant increase in QS practice was noted from 20.8% (n=20) to 37.1% (n=36) (p=0.011), with a corresponding decrease in the percentage of women traditionally started on hormonal contraception (HC): 24% (n=23) and 14.6% (n=14), respectively. There was also a decrease in those advised to return for commencement of HC [55.2% (n=53) vs 49% (n=47)]. Of those advised to return, 26.4% (n=14) and 31.9% (n=15) had no further contact with the service within at least 6 months. QS practice increased after the introduction of clinical guidelines. However, overall provision of HC remained low, with only around half of women prescribed a hormonal method. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited.

Application of Functional Link Artificial Neural Network for Prediction of Machinery Noise in Opencast Mines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santosh Kumar Nanda

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Functional link-based neural network models were applied to predict opencast mining machineries noise. The paper analyzes the prediction capabilities of functional link neural network based noise prediction models vis-à-vis existing statistical models. In order to find the actual noise status in opencast mines, some of the popular noise prediction models, for example, ISO-9613-2, CONCAWE, VDI, and ENM, have been applied in mining and allied industries to predict the machineries noise by considering various attenuation factors. Functional link artificial neural network (FLANN, polynomial perceptron network (PPN, and Legendre neural network (LeNN were used to predict the machinery noise in opencast mines. The case study is based on data collected from an opencast coal mine of Orissa, India. From the present investigations, it could be concluded that the FLANN model give better noise prediction than the PPN and LeNN model.

The Status of Interactivity in Computer Art: Formal Apories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Castro Pinto

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Contemporary art, particularly that which is produced by computer technologies capable of receiving data input via interactive devices (sensors and controllers, constitutes an emerging expressive medium of interdisciplinary nature, which implies the need for a critical look at its constitution and artistic functions. To consider interactive art as a form of artistic expression that files under the present categorization, implies the acceptance of the participation of the spectator in the production of the work of art, supposedly at the time of its origin / or during its creation. When we examine the significance of the formal status of interactivity, assuming as a theoretical starting point the referred premises and reducing it to a phenomenological point of view of artistic creation, we quickly fall into difficulties of conceptual definitions and structural apories [1]. The fundamental aim of this research is to formally define the status of interactive art, by perpetrating a phenomenological examination on the creative process of this specific art, establishing crucial distinctions in order to develop a hermeneutics in favor of creation of new perspectives and aesthetic frameworks. What is interactive creation? Is interactivity, from the computing artistic creativity point of view, the exponentiation of the concept of the open work of art (ECO 2009? Does interactive art correspond to an a priori projective and unachievable meta-art? What is the status of the artist and of the spectator in relation to an interactive work of art? What ontic and factical conditions are postulated as necessary in order to determine an artistic product as co-created? What apories do we find along the progres- sive process of reaching to a clarifying conceptual definition?This brief investigation will seek to contribute to the study of this issue, intending ultimately, and above all, to expose pertinent lines of inquiry rather than to provide definite scientific and

Proposals for Protection of Return Cables on SwePol Link

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadeusz Szczepański

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The return cable on the SwePol Link has been introduced as an alternative forced by environmentalists due to lack of social acceptance of other solutions. This is why in the proposed solution water and earth have been replaced by two return cables, although from a technical point of view such a solution is less effective. The last, eleventh fault of the return cable took place on 15 October 2012. In eight earlier cases the faults were caused by electrical failures in the cable in the sea and were located between ten and twenty kilometers from the Polish shore and triggered by disturbances in the northern part of the Polish power grid. In this situation it has been suggested to analyze and introduce one or two solutions shown below which may significantly limit the effects and lower the costs caused by return cable faults: a assembly of additional surge arresters b return to electrodes – lack of return cables c ”partial” electrodes working with one return cable d operation of the link only with earthings on converter stations. To sum up it needs to be stated that: • a relatively cheap way of protecting return cables against electrical failures is installing surge arresters in the cabinet located next to the cable container on the Polish shore • from the suggested preventive measures it seems reasonable to introduce the above mentioned solutions a and d simultaneously, as both of them are simple solutions which require neither considerable financial expenditure nor authorizations and may quickly show the expected results.

Hollow Mill for Extraction of Stripped Titanium Screws: An Easy, Quick, and Safe Technique

OpenAIRE

Gupta, Ravi; Singh, Harpreet; Singh, Amit; Garg, Sudhir

2014-01-01

Removal of jammed titanium screws can be difficult due to the problem of stripping of the hexagonal heads of the screws. We present a technique of extraction of stripped screws with the use of a standard 4.5 mm stainless steel hollow mill in a patient of peri-implant fracture of the radius fixed with a titanium locking plate 2 years back. The technique is quick, safe, and cost effective.

Deploying Linked Open Vocabulary (LOV to Enhance Library Linked Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oh, Sam Gyun

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Since the advent of Linked Data (LD as a method for building webs of data, there have been many attempts to apply and implement LD in various settings. Efforts have been made to convert bibliographic data in libraries into Linked Data, thereby generating Library Linked Data (LLD. However, when memory institutions have tried to link their data with external sources based on principles suggested by Tim Berners-Lee, identifying appropriate vocabularies for use in describing their bibliographic data has proved challenging. The objective of this paper is to discuss the potential role of Linked Open Vocabularies (LOV in providing better access to various open datasets and facilitating effective linking. The paper will also examine the ways in which memory institutions can utilize LOV to enhance the quality of LLD and LLD-based ontology design.

Quick monitoring of pozzolanic reactivity of waste ashes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinthaworn, Suppachai; Nimityongskul, Pichai

2009-05-01

This article proposes a quick method of monitoring for pozzolanic reactivity of waste ashes by investigating the electrical conductivity of the suspension at an elevated temperature. This suspension is obtained by mixing tested pozzolan with an ordinary Portland cement (OPC) solution produced by mixing ordinary Portland cement with water. For comparison, silica fume, metakaolin, rice husk ash and river sand - whose pozzolanic reactivities range from reactive to inert - were used in the experimental investigation. The electrical conductivity of the suspension was continually recorded by using an electrical conductivity meter and stored by using a personal computer for a period of slightly over 1day. The indicative parameters that can be related to pozzolanic reactivity were discussed and analyzed in detail. It was found that it is possible to determine the pozzolanic reactivity of fly ash within 28h by using the proposed technique, as compared to 7 or 28 days for the determination of strength activity index according to ASTM. This technique would help concrete technologists to speedily investigate the quality of fly ash for use as a cement replacement in order to alleviate pollution caused by cement production and solve disposal problems of waste ashes.

Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Advanced Technology

Science.gov (United States)

1992-10-27

AD-A27O 238 T Of DTIC ELECTE 8OCT 06 1993 E O F F ICE OF THE 1NSPECTOR GENERAL QUICK REAC.7ION REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE ARMY CONTRACT WITH THE...ENGINEERING INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF TH, ARMY SUBJECT: Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas at Austin...comments on Recommendation 3. by November 27, 1992. The courtesies extended to the audit staff are appreciated. If you have any questions on this final

Status of food safety management activities in fresh produce companies in the European Union and beyond

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kirezieva, K.; Luning, P.A.; Jacxsens, L.; Uyttendaele, M.

2015-01-01

An increase in food safety incidences linked to fresh produce has been reported in recent years. Imports from the transitional economies have often been blamed for these incidences. However, limited information is available about the status of food safety management activities in companies in

Capacitance estimation algorithm based on DC-link voltage harmonics using artificial neural network in three-phase motor drive systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Soliman, Hammam Abdelaal Hammam; Davari, Pooya; Wang, Huai

2017-01-01

to industry. In this digest, a condition monitoring methodology that estimates the capacitance value of the dc-link capacitor in a three phase Front-End diode bridge motor drive is proposed. The proposed software methodology is based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithm. The harmonics of the dc......-link voltage are used as training data to the Artificial Neural Network. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the dc-link voltage is analysed in order to study the impact of capacitance variation on the harmonics order. Laboratory experiments are conducted to validate the proposed methodology and the error analysis......In modern design of power electronic converters, reliability of dc-link capacitors is one of the critical considered aspects. The industrial field have been attracted to the monitoring of their health condition and the estimation of their ageing process status. However, the existing condition...

QuickNGS elevates Next-Generation Sequencing data analysis to a new level of automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagle, Prerana; Nikolić, Miloš; Frommolt, Peter

2015-07-01

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) has emerged as a widely used tool in molecular biology. While time and cost for the sequencing itself are decreasing, the analysis of the massive amounts of data remains challenging. Since multiple algorithmic approaches for the basic data analysis have been developed, there is now an increasing need to efficiently use these tools to obtain results in reasonable time. We have developed QuickNGS, a new workflow system for laboratories with the need to analyze data from multiple NGS projects at a time. QuickNGS takes advantage of parallel computing resources, a comprehensive back-end database, and a careful selection of previously published algorithmic approaches to build fully automated data analysis workflows. We demonstrate the efficiency of our new software by a comprehensive analysis of 10 RNA-Seq samples which we can finish in only a few minutes of hands-on time. The approach we have taken is suitable to process even much larger numbers of samples and multiple projects at a time. Our approach considerably reduces the barriers that still limit the usability of the powerful NGS technology and finally decreases the time to be spent before proceeding to further downstream analysis and interpretation of the data.

ESA's Gaia Satellite and data processing status

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2015-01-01

Gaia, ESA's astrometric surveyor, was launched on Dec 19th 2013 from Kourou. This exciting mission intends to probe the formation history of our galaxy among other things. We will briefly describe the mission and its goals. An overview of Gaia Data Processing Analysis Consortium and the status of the on ground processing will be provided as this is intimately linked to mission performance and goals. The commissioning phase ended in July 2015, this was longer than planned due to in-flight issues. Now we are well into nominal operations and learning to deal with the Gaia we have (it is a great piece of hardware). We will share the current status of Gaia at L2 and the current end of mission performance estimates. About the speaker Since April 2014 William O'Mullane is head of the Operations Development Division in the Science and Robotic Exploration (SRE) directorate of the the European Space Agency. Based in Madrid, he was Gaia Science Operations Development manager from 2005 to launc...

In the eye of the beholder: Can counter-stereotypes change perceptions of older adults' social status?

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Deirdre A; Weiss, David

2017-09-01

Negative age-related stereotypes often entail the perception that older adults have a lower social status than middle-aged adults. We hypothesized that older adults are perceived to have lower social status because they are less likely to be seen in prestigious occupational positions. People tend to infer general assumptions about group characteristics from exemplars. According to this, presenting a stereotype-inconsistent exemplar (i.e., older person in a high-status position) should change perceptions of older adults' social status. Study 1 (60 countries, N = 86,026, 18-99 years) showed that people in countries with an older relative to a younger political leader do not perceive as great a decline in social status from middle-aged to older adults. Study 2 (N = 131; 19-74 years) tested the causal link demonstrating that participants exposed to older exemplars holding a prestigious occupational position were significantly more likely to rate older adults as having a relative higher social status. We discuss implications for future interventions to change negative age-related stereotypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Mark I 1/5-scale boiling water reactor pressure suppresion experiment quick-look report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, W.; Collins, E.K.

1977-01-01

This report is intended as a ''quick-look'' report summarizing the experimental results obtained from pressure suppression experiment numbers 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 that were performed on the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory's 1/5-scale boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark I pressure suppression experimental facility on April 26, 1977. A brief description of the general nature of the tests and a summary of the actual tests that were performed are given

Links between Family Social Status and Preschoolers' Persistence: The Role of Maternal Values and Quality of Parenting

Science.gov (United States)

Mokrova, Irina L.; O'Brien, Marion; Calkins, Susan D.; Leerkes, Esther M.; Marcovitch, Stuart

2012-01-01

Children who develop persistence in the preschool years are likely to function more effectively during the transition into school. In this study of 231 3-year-old children and their mothers, we examined the relations among family social status, maternal values of self-direction, quality of parenting, and children's persistence in challenging…

Conceptual design of a cassette compact toroid reactor (the zero-phase study) - Quick replacement of the reactor core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishikawa, M.; Narikawa, T.; Iwamoto, M.; Watanabe, K.

1986-01-01

A study of a conceptual design for a ''cassette'' compact toroid reactor has been performed that emphasizes quick replacement handling. The core plasma, spheromak, is ohmically heated in a merging process between the core plasma and the gun-produced spheromak. The quick handling of replacement accomplished by using a functional material, a shape memory alloy (SMA) joint, which is proposed for release from first-wall high neutron loading in a newly devised mechanical and structural method. The SMA joint can be used for connecting or disconnecting the coupling by simply controlling the SMA temperature without the need for a robot system. Effective heat removal from the first wall and thermal and electromagnetic stress in a fusion core with very high heat flux are discussed from an engineering standpoint

Swarm-Aurora: A web-based tool for quickly identifying multi-instrument auroral events

Science.gov (United States)

Chaddock, D.; Donovan, E.; Spanswick, E.; Knudsen, D. J.; Frey, H. U.; Kauristie, K.; Partamies, N.; Jackel, B. J.; Gillies, M.; Holmdahl Olsen, P. E.

2016-12-01

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in ground-based auroral imaging systems. These include the continent-wide THEMIS-ASI network, and imagers operated by other programs including GO-Canada, MIRACLE, AGO, OMTI, and more. In the near future, a new Canadian program called TREx will see the deployment of new narrow-band ASIs that will provide multi-wavelength imaging across Western Canada. At the same time, there is an unprecedented fleet of international spacecraft probing geospace at low and high altitudes. We are now in the position to simultaneously observe the magnetospheric drivers of aurora, observe in situ the waves, currents, and particles associated with MI coupling, and the conjugate aurora. Whereas a decade ago, a single magnetic conjunction between one ASI and a low altitude satellite was a relatively rare event, we now have a plethora of triple conjunctions between imagers, low-altitude spacecraft, and near-equatorial magnetospheric probes. But with these riches comes a new level of complexity. It is often difficult to identify the many useful conjunctions for a specific line of inquiry from the multitude of conjunctions where the geospace conditions are often not relevant and/or the imaging is compromised by clouds, moon, or other factors. Swarm-Aurora was designed to facilitate and drive the use of Swarm in situ measurements in auroral science. The project seeks to build a bridge between the Swarm science community, Swarm data, and the complimentary auroral data and community. Swarm-Aurora (http://swarm-aurora.phys.ucalgary.ca) incorporates a web-based tool which provides access to quick-look summary data for a large array of instruments, with Swarm in situ and ground-based ASI data as the primary focus. This web interface allows researchers to quickly and efficiently browse Swarm and ASI data to identify auroral events of interest to them. This allows researchers to be able to easily and quickly identify Swarm overflights of ASIs that

Hydration Status in US Military Officer Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Reva; Cole, Renee

2016-01-01

Relocation from a cool to a hot climate is a frequent occurrence in military service. Acclimatization requires time and exposure to heat. Nonacclimatized individuals frequently consume inadequate fluid leading to hypohydration, which can quickly result in dehydration with increased risk of heat illness/injury. This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed the hydration status of 196 officers attending the US Army Medical Department's Officer Basic Course (67%) or Captain's Career Course (33%) in San Antonio, Texas, prior to taking the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Consenting Soldiers provided a first morning void urine sample and demographic survey (age, rank, sex, previous geographic location, etc) prior to the APFT. Height, weight, and APFT event scores were collected from a subject-coded, APFT scorecard without personal information data. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify variables that contribute to predicting hypohydration status. The sample population was 54% male, a mean age of 30 years, 5.2 years of military service, and a mean body mass index of 25 kg/m². Nearly one-third met the criteria for hypohydration (≥1.02 urine specific gravity). Soldiers who relocated from a cool environment within 9 days of taking the APFT had 2.1 higher odds of being hypohydrated compared with individuals who had resided in a hot environment for more than 9 days. Women had a 0.5 lower odds of being hypohydrated as compared to males. Significantly more Soldiers were hypohydrated on Monday compared to those tested on Tuesday (33% vs 16%, P=.004). Given these findings, the authors provided 5 recommendations to reduce the number of Soldiers exercising in a hypohydrated state.

Operative Links

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wistoft, Karen; Højlund, Holger

2012-01-01

educational goals, learning content, or value clarification. Health pedagogy is often a matter of retrospective rationalization rather than the starting point of planning. Health and risk behaviour approaches override health educational approaches. Conclusions: Operational links between health education......, health professionalism, and management strategies pose the foremost challenge. Operational links indicates cooperative levels that facilitate a creative and innovative effort across traditional professional boundaries. It is proposed that such links are supported by network structures, shared semantics...

A structural equation modeling approach to understanding pathways that connect socioeconomic status and smoking.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Sydney A; Beebe, Laura A; Thompson, David M; Wagener, Theodore L; Terrell, Deirdra R; Campbell, Janis E

2018-01-01

The inverse association between socioeconomic status and smoking is well established, yet the mechanisms that drive this relationship are unclear. We developed and tested four theoretical models of the pathways that link socioeconomic status to current smoking prevalence using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Using data from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey, we selected four indicator variables (poverty ratio, personal earnings, educational attainment, and employment status) that we hypothesize underlie a latent variable, socioeconomic status. We measured direct, indirect, and total effects of socioeconomic status on smoking on four pathways through four latent variables representing social cohesion, financial strain, sleep disturbance, and psychological distress. Results of the model indicated that the probability of being a smoker decreased by 26% of a standard deviation for every one standard deviation increase in socioeconomic status. The direct effects of socioeconomic status on smoking accounted for the majority of the total effects, but the overall model also included significant indirect effects. Of the four mediators, sleep disturbance and psychological distress had the largest total effects on current smoking. We explored the use of structural equation modeling in epidemiology to quantify effects of socioeconomic status on smoking through four social and psychological factors to identify potential targets for interventions. A better understanding of the complex relationship between socioeconomic status and smoking is critical as we continue to reduce the burden of tobacco and eliminate health disparities related to smoking.

A Discussion about Upgrading the Quick Script Platform to Create Natural Language based IoT Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khanna, Anirudh; Das, Bhagwan; Pandey, Bishwajeet

2016-01-01

With the advent of AI and IoT, the idea of incorporating smart things/appliances in our day to day life is converting into a reality. The paper discusses the possibilities and potential of designing IoT systems which can be controlled via natural language, with help of Quick Script as a development...

Adolescent Work Intensity, School Performance, and Substance Use: Links Vary by Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status

OpenAIRE

Bachman, Jerald G.; Patrick, Jeremy Staff; O’Malley, M.; Freedman-Doan, Peter

2013-01-01

High school students who spend long hours in paid employment during the school year are at increased risk of lower grades and higher substance use, although questions remain about whether these linkages reflect causation or prior differences (selection effects). Questions also remain about whether such associations vary by socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity. This study examines those questions using nationally representative data from two decades (1991–2010) of annual Monitoring th...

Capacitance Estimation for DC-link Capacitors in a Back-to-Back Converter Based on Artificial Neural Network Algorithm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Soliman, Hammam Abdelaal Hammam; Wang, Huai; Blaabjerg, Frede

2016-01-01

of the aforementioned challenges and shortcomings. In this paper, a pure software condition monitoring method based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithm is proposed. The implemented ANN estimates the capacitance of the dc-link capacitor in a back-to-back converter. The error analysis of the estimated results......The reliability of dc-link capacitors in power electronic converters is one of the critical aspects to be considered in modern power converter design. The observation of their ageing process and the estimation of their health status have been an attractive subject for the industrial field and hence...

Proyecto Quick Natura. Técnologías móviles aplicadas a rutas botánicas urbanas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Ripoll

2017-01-01

Full Text Available El proyecto Quick Natura pretende acercar a las personas que habitan o visitan espacios urbanos de la ciudad de Valencia al entorno vegetal que les rodea, de una manera rápida y amena. La iniciativa se basa en el uso de las nuevas tecnologías para conectar el mundo físico con el virtual mediante la colocación de códigos QR (Quick Response code, “código de respuesta rápida” en diferentes especies vegetales de jardines, parques y espacios urbanos y periurbanos. Cualquier usuario podrá escanear con un Smartphone u otro dispositivo móvil el código QR ubicado en las plantas etiquetadas, permitiendo el acceso inmediato a una capa de información amena y de fácil comprensión sobre ese ejemplar. El método permite asociar los códigos QR a la página web www.uv.es/quicknatura en el cual cada planta está alojada en un espacio virtual donde los usuarios podrán ver: información sobre la especie a través de preguntas y curiosidades, su ubicación actual, la ubicación de otros códigos QR cercanos y una serie de rutas diseñadas para diferentes jardines de la ciudad de Valencia. El proyecto permite un uso tanto particular como tutelado, con un guía acompañante que pueda complementar la información obtenida a través de Quick Natura.

Time development in the early history of social networks: link stabilization, group dynamics, and segregation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruun, Jesper; Bearden, Ian G

2014-01-01

Studies of the time development of empirical networks usually investigate late stages where lasting connections have already stabilized. Empirical data on early network history are rare but needed for a better understanding of how social network topology develops in real life. Studying students who are beginning their studies at a university with no or few prior connections to each other offers a unique opportunity to investigate the formation and early development of link patterns and community structure in social networks. During a nine week introductory physics course, first year physics students were asked to identify those with whom they communicated about problem solving in physics during the preceding week. We use these students' self reports to produce time dependent student interaction networks. We investigate these networks to elucidate possible effects of different student attributes in early network formation. Changes in the weekly number of links show that while roughly half of all links change from week to week, students also reestablish a growing number of links as they progress through their first weeks of study. Using the Infomap community detection algorithm, we show that the networks exhibit community structure, and we use non-network student attributes, such as gender and end-of-course grade to characterize communities during their formation. Specifically, we develop a segregation measure and show that students structure themselves according to gender and pre-organized sections (in which students engage in problem solving and laboratory work), but not according to end-of-coure grade. Alluvial diagrams of consecutive weeks' communities show that while student movement between groups are erratic in the beginning of their studies, they stabilize somewhat towards the end of the course. Taken together, the analyses imply that student interaction networks stabilize quickly and that students establish collaborations based on who is immediately

Link-N: The missing link towards intervertebral disc repair is species-specific.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frances C Bach

Full Text Available Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD is a frequent cause for back pain in humans and dogs. Link-N stabilizes proteoglycan aggregates in cartilaginous tissues and exerts growth factor-like effects. The human variant of Link-N facilitates IVD regeneration in several species in vitro by inducing Smad1 signaling, but it is not clear whether this is species specific. Dogs with IVD disease could possibly benefit from Link-N treatment, but Link-N has not been tested on canine IVD cells. If Link-N appears to be effective in canines, this would facilitate translation of Link-N into the clinic using the dog as an in vivo large animal model for human IVD degeneration.This study's objective was to determine the effect of the human and canine variant of Link-N and short (s Link-N on canine chondrocyte-like cells (CLCs and compare this to those on already studied species, i.e. human and bovine CLCs. Extracellular matrix (ECM production was determined by measuring glycosaminoglycan (GAG content and histological evaluation. Additionally, the micro-aggregates' DNA content was measured. Phosphorylated (p Smad1 and -2 levels were determined using ELISA.Human (sLink-N induced GAG deposition in human and bovine CLCs, as expected. In contrast, canine (sLink-N did not affect ECM production in human CLCs, while it mainly induced collagen type I and II deposition in bovine CLCs. In canine CLCs, both canine and human (sLink-N induced negligible GAG deposition. Surprisingly, human and canine (sLink-N did not induce Smad signaling in human and bovine CLCs. Human and canine (sLink-N only mildly increased pSmad1 and Smad2 levels in canine CLCs.Human and canine (sLink-N exerted species-specific effects on CLCs from early degenerated IVDs. Both variants, however, lacked the potency as canine IVD regeneration agent. While these studies demonstrate the challenges of translational studies in large animal models, (sLink-N still holds a regenerative potential for humans.

Progranulin and Its Related MicroRNAs after Status Epilepticus: Possible Mechanisms of Neuroprotection.

Science.gov (United States)

Körtvelyessy, Peter; Huchtemann, Tessa; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Bittner, Daniel M

2017-02-24

The current knowledge about neuroprotective mechanisms in humans after status epilepticus is scarce. One reason is the difficulty to measure possible mediators of these neuroprotective mechanisms. The dawn of microRNA detection in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the recent advancements in measuring proteins in the CSF such as progranulin, which is, e.g., responsible for neurite outgrowth and limiting exceeding neuroinflammatory responses, have given us new insights into putative neuroprotective mechanisms following status epilepticus. This should complement the animal data. In this review, we cover what is known about the role of progranulin as well as the links between microRNA changes and the progranulin pathway following status epilepticus in humans and animals hypothesizing neuroprotective and neurorehabilitative effects. Progranulin has also been found to feature prominently in the neuroprotective processes under hypoxic conditions and initiating neurorehabilitative processes. These properties may be used therapeutically, e.g., through drugs that raise the progranulin levels and therefore the cerebral progranulin levels as well with the goal of improving the outcome after status epilepticus.

Progranulin and Its Related MicroRNAs after Status Epilepticus: Possible Mechanisms of Neuroprotection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Körtvelyessy

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The current knowledge about neuroprotective mechanisms in humans after status epilepticus is scarce. One reason is the difficulty to measure possible mediators of these neuroprotective mechanisms. The dawn of microRNA detection in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF and the recent advancements in measuring proteins in the CSF such as progranulin, which is, e.g., responsible for neurite outgrowth and limiting exceeding neuroinflammatory responses, have given us new insights into putative neuroprotective mechanisms following status epilepticus. This should complement the animal data. In this review, we cover what is known about the role of progranulin as well as the links between microRNA changes and the progranulin pathway following status epilepticus in humans and animals hypothesizing neuroprotective and neurorehabilitative effects. Progranulin has also been found to feature prominently in the neuroprotective processes under hypoxic conditions and initiating neurorehabilitative processes. These properties may be used therapeutically, e.g., through drugs that raise the progranulin levels and therefore the cerebral progranulin levels as well with the goal of improving the outcome after status epilepticus.

Treatment of Convulsive Status Epilepticus.

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, Eric H; Nazzal, Yara; Hirsch, Lawrence J

2016-03-01

Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is a medical emergency with an associated high mortality and morbidity. It is defined as a convulsive seizure lasting more than 5 min or consecutive seizures without recovery of consciousness. Successful management of CSE depends on rapid administration of adequate doses of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). The exact choice of AED is less important than rapid treatment and early consideration of reversible etiologies. Current guidelines recommend the use of benzodiazepines (BNZ) as first-line treatment in CSE. Midazolam is effective and safe in the pre-hospital or home setting when administered intramuscularly (best evidence), buccally, or nasally (the latter two possibly faster acting than intramuscular (IM) but with lower levels of evidence). Regular use of home rescue medications such as nasal/buccal midazolam by patients and caregivers for prolonged seizures and seizure clusters may prevent SE, prevent emergency room visits, improve quality of life, and lower health care costs. Traditionally, phenytoin is the preferred second-line agent in treating CSE, but it is limited by hypotension, potential arrhythmias, allergies, drug interactions, and problems from extravasation. Intravenous valproate is an effective and safe alternative to phenytoin. Valproate is loaded intravenously rapidly and more safely than phenytoin, has broad-spectrum efficacy, and fewer acute side effects. Levetiracetam and lacosamide are well tolerated intravenous (IV) AEDs with fewer interactions, allergies, and contraindications, making them potentially attractive as second- or third-line agents in treating CSE. However, data are limited on their efficacy in CSE. Ketamine is probably effective in treating refractory CSE (RCSE), and may warrant earlier use; this requires further study. CSE should be treated aggressively and quickly, with confirmation of treatment success with epileptiform electroencephalographic (EEG), as a transition to non-convulsive status

Analytic programming with FMRI data: a quick-start guide for statisticians using R.

Science.gov (United States)

Eloyan, Ani; Li, Shanshan; Muschelli, John; Pekar, Jim J; Mostofsky, Stewart H; Caffo, Brian S

2014-01-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a thriving field that plays an important role in medical imaging analysis, biological and neuroscience research and practice. This manuscript gives a didactic introduction to the statistical analysis of fMRI data using the R project, along with the relevant R code. The goal is to give statisticians who would like to pursue research in this area a quick tutorial for programming with fMRI data. References of relevant packages and papers are provided for those interested in more advanced analysis.

High triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol lipid profile in rheumatoid arthritis: A potential link among inflammation, oxidative status, and dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Carrio, Javier; Alperi-López, Mercedes; López, Patricia; López-Mejías, Raquel; Alonso-Castro, Sara; Abal, Francisco; Ballina-García, Francisco J; González-Gay, Miguel Á; Suárez, Ana

The interactions between inflammation and lipid profile in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are poorly understood. The lipid profile study in RA has been biased toward lipoprotein levels, whereas those of triglycerides (TGs) and lipoprotein functionality have been underestimated. Since recent findings suggest a role for TG and TG-rich lipoproteins (TRL) on inflammation, we aimed to evaluate a combined lipid profile characterized by high TG and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (TG high HDL low ) in RA. Lipid profiles were analyzed in 113 RA patients, 113 healthy controls, and 27 dyslipemic subjects. Levels of inflammatory mediators, paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity, and total antioxidant capacity were quantified in serum. PON1-rs662 status was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The TG high HDL low profile was detected in 29/113 RA patients. Although no differences in prevalence compared with healthy controls or dyslipemic subjects were observed, this profile was associated with increased tumor necrosis factor α (P = .004), monocyte chemotactic protein (P = .004), interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 (P = .018), and leptin (P < .001) serum levels in RA, where decreased PON1 activity and total antioxidant capacity were found. TG high HDL low prevalence was lower among anti-TNFα-treated patients (P = .004). When RA patients were stratified by PON1-rs662 status, these associations remained in the low-activity genotype (QQ). Finally, a poor clinical response on TNFα blockade was related to an increasing prevalence of the TG high HDL low profile over treatment (P = .021) and higher TRL levels at baseline (P = .042). The TG high HDL low profile is associated with systemic inflammation, decreased PON1 activity, and poor clinical outcome on TNFα blockade in RA, suggesting a role of TRL and HDL dysfunction as the missing link between inflammation and lipid profile. Copyright © 2017 National Lipid Association. Published by Elsevier Inc

Comparison of Quick Lactose Intolerance Test in duodenal biopsies of dyspeptic patients with single nucleotide polymorphism LCT-13910C>T associated with primary hypolactasia/lactase-persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattar, Rejane; Basile-Filho, Anibal; Kemp, Rafael; Santos, José Sebastião dos

2013-01-01

To analyze the usefulness of Quick Lactose Intolerance Test in relation to the genetic test based on LCT-13910C>T genotypes, previously validated for clinical practice, for primary hypolactasia/lactase-persistence diagnosis. Thirty-two dyspeptic patients that underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy entered the study. Two postbulbar duodenal biopsies were taken for the Quick test, and gastric antral biopsy for DNA extraction and LCT-13910C>T polymorphism analysis. DNA was also extracted from biopsies after being used in the Quick Test that was kept frozen until extraction. Nine patients with lactase-persistence genotype (LCT-13910CT or LCT-13910TT) had normolactasia, eleven patients with hypolactasia genotype (LCT-13910CC) had severe hypolactasia, and among twelve with mild hypolactasia, except for one that had LCT-13910CT genotype, all the others had hypolactasia genotype. The agreement between genetic test and quick test was high (plactose-containing food ingestion had severe hypolactasia (plactose intolerance.

Quick Response Code Secure: A Cryptographically Secure Anti-Phishing Tool for QR Code Attacks

OpenAIRE

Mavroeidis, Vasileios; Nicho, Mathew

2017-01-01

The two-dimensional quick response (QR) codes can be misleading due to the difficulty in differentiating a genuine QR code from a malicious one. Since the vulnerability is practically part of their design, scanning a malicious QR code can direct the user to cloned malicious sites resulting in revealing sensitive information. In order to evaluate the vulnerabilities and propose subsequent countermeasures, we demonstrate this type of attack through a simulated experiment, where a malicious QR c...

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ child and adolescent asthma guidelines: a quick reference guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Asher, Innes; McNamara, David; Davies, Cheryl; Demetriou, Teresa; Fleming, Theresa; Harwood, Matire; Hetaraka-Stevens, Lorraine; Ingham, Tristram; Kristiansen, John; Reid, Jim; Rickard, Debbie; Ryan, Debbie

2017-12-01

The purpose of the New Zealand Child and adolescent asthma guidelines: a quick reference guide is to provide simple, practical, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis, assessment and management of asthma in children and adolescents in New Zealand, with the aim of improving outcomes and reducing inequities. The intended users are health professionals responsible for delivering asthma care in the community and hospital emergency department settings, and those responsible for the training of such health professionals.

Quick setup of test unit for accelerator control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, W.; D'Ottavio, T.; Gassner, D.; Nemesure, S.; Morris, J.

2011-01-01

Testing a single hardware unit of an accelerator control system often requires the setup of a program with graphical user interface. Developing a dedicated application for a specific hardware unit test could be time consuming and the application may become obsolete after the unit tests. This paper documents a methodology for quick design and setup of an interface focused on performing unit tests of accelerator equipment with minimum programming work. The method has three components. The first is a generic accelerator device object (ADO) manager which can be used to setup, store, and log testing controls parameters for any unit testing system. The second involves the design of a TAPE (Tool for Automated Procedure Execution) sequence file that specifies and implements all te testing and control logic. The sting third is the design of a PET (parameter editing tool) page that provides the unit tester with all the necessary control parameters required for testing. This approach has been used for testing the horizontal plane of the Stochastic Cooling Motion Control System at RHIC.

Development of a method to accurately calculate the Dpb and quickly predict the strength of a chemical bond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Xia; Zhao, Dong-Xia; Yang, Zhong-Zhi

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A method from new respect to characterize and measure the bond strength is proposed. ► We calculate the D pb of a series of various bonds to justify our approach. ► A quite good linear relationship of the D pb with the bond lengths for series of various bonds is shown. ► Take the prediction of strengths of C–H and N–H bonds for base pairs in DNA as a practical application of our method. - Abstract: A new approach to characterize and measure bond strength has been developed. First, we propose a method to accurately calculate the potential acting on an electron in a molecule (PAEM) at the saddle point along a chemical bond in situ, denoted by D pb . Then, a direct method to quickly evaluate bond strength is established. We choose some familiar molecules as models for benchmarking this method. As a practical application, the D pb of base pairs in DNA along C–H and N–H bonds are obtained for the first time. All results show that C 7 –H of A–T and C 8 –H of G–C are the relatively weak bonds that are the injured positions in DNA damage. The significance of this work is twofold: (i) A method is developed to calculate D pb of various sizable molecules in situ quickly and accurately; (ii) This work demonstrates the feasibility to quickly predict the bond strength in macromolecules

The Application of Determining Students’ Graduation Status of STMIK Palangkaraya Using K-Nearest Neighbors Method

Science.gov (United States)

Rusdiana, Lili; Marfuah

2017-12-01

K-Nearest Neighbors method is one of methods used for classification which calculate a value to find out the closest in distance. It is used to group a set of data such as students’ graduation status that are got from the amount of course credits taken by them, the grade point average (AVG), and the mini-thesis grade. The study is conducted to know the results of using K-Nearest Neighbors method on the application of determining students’ graduation status, so it can be analyzed from the method used, the data, and the application constructed. The aim of this study is to find out the application results by using K-Nearest Neighbors concept to determine students’ graduation status using the data of STMIK Palangkaraya students. The development of the software used Extreme Programming, since it was appropriate and precise for this study which was to quickly finish the project. The application was created using Microsoft Office Excel 2007 for the training data and Matlab 7 to implement the application. The result of K-Nearest Neighbors method on the application of determining students’ graduation status was 92.5%. It could determine the predicate graduation of 94 data used from the initial data before the processing as many as 136 data which the maximal training data was 50data. The K-Nearest Neighbors method is one of methods used to group a set of data based on the closest value, so that using K-Nearest Neighbors method agreed with this study. The results of K-Nearest Neighbors method on the application of determining students’ graduation status was 92.5% could determine the predicate graduation which is the maximal training data. The K-Nearest Neighbors method is one of methods used to group a set of data based on the closest value, so that using K-Nearest Neighbors method agreed with this study.

Light-induced cross-linking and post-cross-linking modification of polyglycidol.

Science.gov (United States)

Marquardt, F; Bruns, M; Keul, H; Yagci, Y; Möller, M

2018-02-08

The photoinduced radical generation process has received renewed interest due to its economic and ecological appeal. Herein the light-induced cross-linking of functional polyglycidol and its post-cross-linking modification are presented. Linear polyglycidol was first functionalized with a tertiary amine in a two-step reaction. Dimethylaminopropyl functional polyglycidol was cross-linked in a UV-light mediated reaction with camphorquinone as a type II photoinitiator. The cross-linked polyglycidol was further functionalized by quaternization with various organoiodine compounds. Aqueous dispersions of the cross-linked polymers were investigated by means of DLS and zeta potential measurements. Polymer films were evaluated by DSC and XPS.

Comparison of the quick mild cognitive impairment (Qmci) screen and the SMMSE in screening for mild cognitive impairment.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Caoimh, Rónán

2012-09-01

differentiating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from normal cognition (NC) is difficult. The AB Cognitive Screen (ABCS) 135, sensitive in differentiating MCI from dementia, was modified to improve sensitivity and specificity, producing the quick mild cognitive impairment (Qmci) screen.

A history of the INTERNIST-1 and Quick Medical Reference (QMR) computer-assisted diagnosis projects, with lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, R A

2010-01-01

The INTERNIST-1/Quick Medical Reference (QMR) diagnostic decision support project spans four decades, from 1971-onward. This paper describes the history of the project and details insights gained of relevance to the general clinical and informatics communities.

The combined status of ATM and p53 link tumor development with therapeutic response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Hai; Reinhardt, H Christian; Bartkova, Jirina

2009-01-01

commonly used by tumors to bypass early neoplastic checkpoints ultimately determine chemotherapeutic response and generate tumor-specific vulnerabilities that can be exploited with targeted therapies. Specifically, evaluation of the combined status of ATM and p53, two commonly mutated tumor suppressor...... genes, can help to predict the clinical response to genotoxic chemotherapies. We show that in p53-deficient settings, suppression of ATM dramatically sensitizes tumors to DNA-damaging chemotherapy, whereas, conversely, in the presence of functional p53, suppression of ATM or its downstream target Chk2...... actually protects tumors from being killed by genotoxic agents. Furthermore, ATM-deficient cancer cells display strong nononcogene addiction to DNA-PKcs for survival after DNA damage, such that suppression of DNA-PKcs in vivo resensitizes inherently chemoresistant ATM-deficient tumors to genotoxic...

Health Behaviors and Health Status of At-Risk Latino Students for Diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurtado-Ortiz, Maria T; Santos, Silvia; Reynosa, Astrid

This research study examined the behavioral lifestyle patterns and health status of at-risk Latino college students for future diabetes onset in relation to their age, gender, and acculturation status. Participants were 156 Latino (34% male and 66% female) university students who had a first and/or second degree relative afflicted with diabetes. Findings indicated that Latino students exhibit similar lifestyle patterns in terms of dietary intake, physical activity, and drinking and smoking behaviors observed in the general and college population that have been linked to obesity-a particularly problematic risk factor among those who already have a genetic predisposition for diabetes. The reported findings are of importance for the development of culturally-relevant treatment interventions targeting young Latinos in college.

Repeated quick hot-and-chilling treatments for the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in mung bean and radish seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bari, Md Latiful; Sugiyama, Jun; Kawamoto, Shinnichi

2009-01-01

The majority of the seed sprout-related outbreaks have been associated with Escherichia coli O157:H7. Therefore, it is necessary to find an effective method to inactivate these organisms on the seeds prior to sprouting. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of repeated quick hot-and-chilling treatments with various chemicals to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 populations inoculated onto mung bean and radish seeds intended for sprout production and to determine the effect of these treatments on seed germination. The treatment time was 20 sec for quick hot and 20 sec for quick chilling in one repeat. Likewise up to five repeats were done throughout the experiments. The chemicals used for this study were electrolyzed acidic (EO) water, phytic acid (0.05%), oxalic acid (3%), surfcera(R), and alpha-torino water(R), and distilled water was used as control. The quick hot treatment was done with 75 degrees C, 70 degrees C, and 60 degrees C, and the chilling temperature was 0 degrees C. The treated seeds were then assessed for the efficacy of this treatment in reducing populations of the pathogens and the effects of repeated quick hot-and-chilling treatments on germination yield. It was found that repeating treatment at 75 degrees C for two or three repeats with phytic acid and oxalic acid could reduce 4.38-log colony-forming unit (CFU)/g of E. coli O157:H7 in mung bean seeds. EO water and distilled water were found equally effective at 75 degrees C for four or five repeats to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 in mung bean seeds. However, alpha-torino water(R) and surfcera(R) were not found effective in comparison to other sanitizers used in this experiment. Irrespective of sanitizer used, the germination yield of the mung bean seed was not affected significantly. On the other hand, distilled water, EO water, and alpha-torino water(R) at 75 degrees C for five repeats were found effective in reducing 5.80-log CFU/g of E. coli O157:H7 in radish seeds; however, the

Use of link to mammography screening information and link sharing strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mukai, Thomas; Bro, Flemming; Olesen, Frede

2011-01-01

-43%) reported use of the link. The difference between the two strategies was 15% (95% CI: 8-22%) (Pused the link prior to the screening event, and 37% (95% CI: 30-43%) used the link afterwards. The difference was 9% (95% CI: 0-17%) (P=0.035). Among the GPs in group 1, 40% (95% CI......Introduction: The Internet is increasingly being used for disseminating knowledge in health care. Often this is done through a ‘Uniform Resource Locator’ (URL), better known as a link. There are three ways of sharing a link: verbally, in print or electronically. Furthermore, timing and exposure...... in Central Denmark Region, we constructed a website containing screening programme information for GPs. We inserted the link to this website in different media and divided the GPs into three groups: Group 1 received a letter prior to the screening event and an electronic test result after the screening...

Wallops Low Elevation Link Analysis for the Constellation Launch/Ascent Links

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Keith; Ho, C.; Kantak, A.; Lee, C.; Tye, R.; Richards, E.; Sham, C.; Schlesinger, A.; Barritt, B.

2011-01-01

To execute the President's Vision for Space Exploration, the Constellation Program (CxP) was formed to build the next generation spacecraft Orion and launch vehicles Ares, to transport human and cargo to International Space Station (ISS), moon, and Mars. This paper focuses on the detailed link analysis for Orion/Ares s launch and ascent links with Wallops 11.3m antenna (1) Orion's Dissimilar Voice link: 10.24 Kbps, 2-way (2) Ares Developmental Flight Instrument link, 20 Mbps, downlink. Three launch trajectories are considered: TD7-E, F (Feb), and G (Aug). In certain launch scenarios, the critical events of main engine cutoff (MECO) and Separation occur during the low elevation regime of WFF s downrange -- less than 5 degree elevation angle. The goal of the study is to access if there is enough link margins for WFF to track the DV and DFI links.

QuickStrike ASOC Battlefield Simulation: Preparing the War Fighter to Win

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Richard L.

2010-01-01

The QuickStrike ASOC (Air Support Operations Center) Battlefield Simulation fills a crucial gap in USAF and United Kingdom Close Air Support (CAS) and airspace manager training. The system now provides six squadrons with the capability to conduct total-mission training events whenever the personnel and time are available. When the 111th ASOC returned from their first deployment to Afghanistan they realized the training available prior to deployment was inadequate. They sought an organic training capability focused on the ASOC mission that was low cost, simple to use, adaptable, and available now. Using a commercial off-the-shelf simulation, they developed a complete training system by adapting the simulation to their training needs. Through more than two years of spiral development, incorporating lessons learned, the system has matured, and can now realistically replicate the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, the TOC supporting the mission in Iraq, or can expand to support a major conflict scenario. The training system provides a collaborative workspace for the training audience and exercise control group via integrated software and workstations that can easily adapt to new mission reqUirements and TOC configurations. The system continues to mature. Based on inputs from the war fighter, new capabilities have been incorporated to add realism and simplify the scenario development process. The QuickStrike simulation can now import TBMCS Air Tasking Order air mission data and can provide air and ground tracks to a common operating picture; presented through either C2PC or JADOCS. This oranic capability to practice team processes and tasks and to conduct mission rehearsals proved its value in the 111 h ASOS's next deployment. The ease of scenario development and the simple to learn and intuitive gamelike interface enables the squadrons to develop and share scenarios incorporating lessons learned from every deployment. These war fighters have now

Tracking the Oxygen Status in the Cell Nucleus with a Hoechst-Tagged Phosphorescent Ruthenium Complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Daiki; Umehara, Yui; Son, Aoi; Asahi, Wataru; Misu, Sotaro; Kurihara, Ryohsuke; Kondo, Teruyuki; Tanabe, Kazuhito

2018-05-04

Molecular oxygen in living cells is distributed and consumed inhomogeneously, depending on the activity of each organelle. Therefore, tractable methods that can be used to monitor the oxygen status in each organelle are needed to understand cellular function. Here we report the design of a new oxygen-sensing probe for use in the cell nucleus. We prepared "Ru-Hoechsts", each consisting of a phosphorescent ruthenium complex linked to a Hoechst 33258 moiety, and characterized their properties as oxygen sensors. The Hoechst unit shows strong DNA-binding properties in the nucleus, and the ruthenium complex shows oxygen-dependent phosphorescence. Thus, Ru-Hoechsts accumulated in the cell nucleus and showed oxygen-dependent signals that could be monitored. Of the Ru-Hoechsts prepared in this study, Ru-Hoechst b, in which the ruthenium complex and the Hoechst unit were linked through a hexyl chain, showed the most suitable properties for monitoring the oxygen status. Ru-Hoechsts are probes with high potential for visualizing oxygen fluctuations in the nucleus. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Genes2WordCloud: a quick way to identify biological themes from gene lists and free text.

Science.gov (United States)

Baroukh, Caroline; Jenkins, Sherry L; Dannenfelser, Ruth; Ma'ayan, Avi

2011-10-13

Word-clouds recently emerged on the web as a solution for quickly summarizing text by maximizing the display of most relevant terms about a specific topic in the minimum amount of space. As biologists are faced with the daunting amount of new research data commonly presented in textual formats, word-clouds can be used to summarize and represent biological and/or biomedical content for various applications. Genes2WordCloud is a web application that enables users to quickly identify biological themes from gene lists and research relevant text by constructing and displaying word-clouds. It provides users with several different options and ideas for the sources that can be used to generate a word-cloud. Different options for rendering and coloring the word-clouds give users the flexibility to quickly generate customized word-clouds of their choice. Genes2WordCloud is a word-cloud generator and a word-cloud viewer that is based on WordCram implemented using Java, Processing, AJAX, mySQL, and PHP. Text is fetched from several sources and then processed to extract the most relevant terms with their computed weights based on word frequencies. Genes2WordCloud is freely available for use online; it is open source software and is available for installation on any web-site along with supporting documentation at http://www.maayanlab.net/G2W. Genes2WordCloud provides a useful way to summarize and visualize large amounts of textual biological data or to find biological themes from several different sources. The open source availability of the software enables users to implement customized word-clouds on their own web-sites and desktop applications.

Intranasal Midazolam versus Rectal Diazepam for the Management of Canine Status Epilepticus: A Multicenter Randomized Parallel-Group Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Charalambous, M; Bhatti, S F M; Van Ham, L; Platt, S; Jeffery, N D; Tipold, A; Siedenburg, J; Volk, H A; Hasegawa, D; Gallucci, A; Gandini, G; Musteata, M; Ives, E; Vanhaesebrouck, A E

2017-07-01

Intranasal administration of benzodiazepines has shown superiority over rectal administration for terminating emergency epileptic seizures in human trials. No such clinical trials have been performed in dogs. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of intranasal midazolam (IN-MDZ), via a mucosal atomization device, as a first-line management option for canine status epilepticus and compare it to rectal administration of diazepam (R-DZP) for controlling status epilepticus before intravenous access is available. Client-owned dogs with idiopathic or structural epilepsy manifesting status epilepticus within a hospital environment were used. Dogs were randomly allocated to treatment with IN-MDZ (n = 20) or R-DZP (n = 15). Randomized parallel-group clinical trial. Seizure cessation time and adverse effects were recorded. For each dog, treatment was considered successful if the seizure ceased within 5 minutes and did not recur within 10 minutes after administration. The 95% confidence interval was used to detect the true population of dogs that were successfully treated. The Fisher's 2-tailed exact test was used to compare the 2 groups, and the results were considered statistically significant if P status epilepticus in 70% (14/20) and 20% (3/15) of cases, respectively (P = .0059). All dogs showed sedation and ataxia. IN-MDZ is a quick, safe and effective first-line medication for controlling status epilepticus in dogs and appears superior to R-DZP. IN-MDZ might be a valuable treatment option when intravenous access is not available and for treatment of status epilepticus in dogs at home. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Health status monitoring for ICU patients based on locally weighted principal component analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yangyang; Ma, Xin; Wang, Youqing

2018-03-01

Intelligent status monitoring for critically ill patients can help medical stuff quickly discover and assess the changes of disease and then make appropriate treatment strategy. However, general-type monitoring model now widely used is difficult to adapt the changes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients' status due to its fixed pattern, and a more robust, efficient and fast monitoring model should be developed to the individual. A data-driven learning approach combining locally weighted projection regression (LWPR) and principal component analysis (PCA) is firstly proposed and applied to monitor the nonlinear process of patients' health status in ICU. LWPR is used to approximate the complex nonlinear process with local linear models, in which PCA could be further applied to status monitoring, and finally a global weighted statistic will be acquired for detecting the possible abnormalities. Moreover, some improved versions are developed, such as LWPR-MPCA and LWPR-JPCA, which also have superior performance. Eighteen subjects were selected from the Physiobank's Multi-parameter Intelligent Monitoring for Intensive Care II (MIMIC II) database, and two vital signs of each subject were chosen for online monitoring. The proposed method was compared with several existing methods including traditional PCA, Partial least squares (PLS), just in time learning combined with modified PCA (L-PCA), and Kernel PCA (KPCA). The experimental results demonstrated that the mean fault detection rate (FDR) of PCA can be improved by 41.7% after adding LWPR. The mean FDR of LWPR-MPCA was increased by 8.3%, compared with the latest reported method L-PCA. Meanwhile, LWPR spent less training time than others, especially KPCA. LWPR is first introduced into ICU patients monitoring and achieves the best monitoring performance including adaptability to changes in patient status, sensitivity for abnormality detection as well as its fast learning speed and low computational complexity. The algorithm

Linking open vocabularies

CERN Document Server

Greifender, Elke; Seadle, Michael

2013-01-01

Linked Data (LD), Linked Open Data (LOD) and generating a web of data, present the new knowledge sharing frontier. In a philosophical context, LD is an evolving environment that reflects humankinds' desire to understand the world by drawing on the latest technologies and capabilities of the time. LD, while seemingly a new phenomenon did not emerge overnight; rather it represents the natural progression by which knowledge structures are developed, used, and shared. Linked Open Vocabularies is a significant trajectory of LD. Linked Open Vocabularies targets vocabularies that have traditionally b

Quick, portable toxicity testing of marine or terrigenous fluids, sediments, or chemicals with bioluminescent organism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabate, R.W.; Stiffey, A.V.; Dewailly, E.L.

1995-01-01

A hand-held, battery-operated instrument, which measures bioluminescence inhibition of the microscopic marine dinoflagellate Pyrocystis lunula, is capable of field-testing substances for toxicity. The organism is sensitive to ppb of strong toxicants. It tolerates some solvents in concentrations necessary for testing lipophylic samples. A test consumes only micrograms of sample. This method requires no adjustments for salinity, pH, color, or turbidity. It has been used successfully to test oil-well drilling fluids, brines produced with oil, waters and sediments from streams and lakes and petroleum-plant effluents containing contaminants such as benzene. The test is non-specific; however, if the substance is known, the end-point effects a direct measurement of its concentration. One-hour toxicity screening tests in the field produce results comparable to the standard four-hour laboratory test. Keeping the sample in the dark during incubation and testing, together with shortness of the overall procedure, eliminates anomalies from light-sensitive substances. Day-to-day variation, as well as among test replicates, is less than 10%. This quick method yields results comparable with a quick test that uses Photobacterium phosphoria, and with 96-hour tests that use Mysidopsis bahia, Artemia salina, Gonyaulax polyedra, Pimephales promelas, Ceriodaphnia dubia, and Cyprinodon variegatus

Fast steering and quick positioning of large field-of-regard, two-axis, four-gimbaled sight

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, Zahir Ahmed; Nigam, Madhav Ji; Kumar, Avnish

2017-07-01

Fast steering and quick positioning are prime requirements of the current electro-optical tracking system to achieve quick target acquisition. A scheme has been proposed for realizing these features using two-axis, four-gimbaled sight. For steering the line of sight in the stabilization mode, outer gimbal is slaved to the gyro stabilized inner gimbal. Typically, the inner gimbals have direct drives and outer gimbals have geared drives, which result in a mismatch in the acceleration capability of their servo loops. This limits the allowable control bandwidth for the inner gimbal. However, to achieve high stabilization accuracy, high bandwidth control loops are essential. This contradictory requirement has been addressed by designing a suitable command conditioning module for the inner gimbals. Also, large line-of-sight freedom in pitch axis is required to provide a wide area surveillance capacity for airborne application. This leads to a loss of freedom along the yaw axis as the pitch angle goes beyond 70 deg or so. This is addressed by making the outer gimbal master after certain pitch angle. Moreover, a mounting scheme for gyro has been proposed to accomplish yaw axis stabilization for 110-deg pitch angle movement with a single two-axis gyro.

Quick screening for new flux pinning materials in YBCO films with the combinatorial-PLD method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, T.; Ichino, Y.; Yoshida, Y.; Takai, Y.; Kita, R.; Suzuki, K.; Takeuchi, T.

2011-01-01

An effective way to improve the superconducting properties in REBa 2 Cu 3 O y (REBCO) films under a magnetic field is to dope artificial pinning centers (APC). The pinning performance depends on the content of the APC materials. Usually, the optimal APC content is explored by preparing films one at a time from the REBCO target using different APC material content, which is an extremely time-consuming process. The combinatorial-PLD (C-PLD) method allowed us to prepare films that continuously changed in composition across a single substrate. In this study, we used the C-PLD method to prepare BaSnO 3 (BSO)-doped YBCO films. The films were deposited on SrTiO 3 substrate using a fourth-harmonic Nd:YAG laser. From the results of the J c -B curves at 77 K and B//c, the film that contained 3.2 vol.% of BSO exhibited the best pinning performance in this study. We showed that the C-PLD method was efficient for quick screening of the optimal APC content with only one deposition. We also used the C-PLD method to explore new APC materials, and proved that it can quickly evaluate the new APC materials Ba 3 Cu 3 In 4 O 12 and BaTbO 3 .

Linked Ocean Data

Science.gov (United States)

Leadbetter, Adam; Arko, Robert; Chandler, Cynthia; Shepherd, Adam

2014-05-01

"Linked Data" is a term used in Computer Science to encapsulate a methodology for publishing data and metadata in a structured format so that links may be created and exploited between objects. Berners-Lee (2006) outlines the following four design principles of a Linked Data system: Use Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) as names for things. Use HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) URIs so that people can look up those names. When someone looks up a URI, provide useful information, using the standards (Resource Description Framework [RDF] and the RDF query language [SPARQL]). Include links to other URIs so that they can discover more things. In 2010, Berners-Lee revisited his original design plan for Linked Data to encourage data owners along a path to "good Linked Data". This revision involved the creation of a five star rating system for Linked Data outlined below. One star: Available on the web (in any format). Two stars: Available as machine-readable structured data (e.g. An Excel spreadsheet instead of an image scan of a table). Three stars: As two stars plus the use of a non-proprietary format (e.g. Comma Separated Values instead of Excel). Four stars: As three stars plus the use of open standards from the World Wide Web Commission (W3C) (i.e. RDF and SPARQL) to identify things, so that people can point to your data and metadata. Five stars: All the above plus link your data to other people's data to provide context Here we present work building on the SeaDataNet common vocabularies served by the NERC Vocabulary Server, connecting projects such as the Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R) and the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) and other vocabularies such as the Marine Metadata Interoperability Ontology Register and Repository and the NASA Global Change Master Directory to create a Linked Ocean Data cloud. Publishing the vocabularies and metadata in standard RDF XML and exposing SPARQL endpoints renders them five-star Linked

Linking Intra-Aggregate Pore Size Distribution with Organic Matter Decomposition Status, Evidence from FTIR and X-Ray Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Toosi, E. R.; Quigley, M.; Kravchenko, A. N.

2014-12-01

It has been reported that conversion of intensively cultivated lands to less disturbed systems enhances soil OM storage capacity, primarily through OM stabilization in macroaggregates. We hypothesized that the potential for OM stabilization inside macro-aggregates is influenced by presence and abundance of intra-aggregate pores. Pores determine microbial access to OM and regulate diffusion of solution/gases within aggregates which drives microbial functioning. We investigated the influence of longterm disturbance intensity on soil OM composition and its relation to pore size distribution within macroaggregates. We used quantitative FTIR to determine OM decomposition status and X-ray micro-tomography to assess pore size distribution in macroaggregates as affected by management and landuse. Macroaggregates 4-6 mm in size where selected from topsoil under long term conventional tillage (CT), cover-crop (CC), and native succession vegetation (NS) treatments at Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan. Comparison of main soil OM functional groups suggested that with increasing disturbance intensity, the proportion of aromatic and carboxylic/carbohydrates associated compounds increased and it was concomitant with a decrease in the proportion of aliphatic associated compounds and lignin derivatives. Further, FTIR-based decomposition indices revealed that overall decomposition status of macroaggregates followed the pattern of CT > CC ≈ NS. X-ray micro-tomography findings suggested that greater OM decomposition within the macroaggregates was associated with i) greater percent of pores >13 micron in size within the aggregates, as well as ii) greater proportion of small to medium pores (13-110 micron). The results develop previous findings, suggesting that shift in landuse or management indirectly affects soil OM stabilization through alteration of pore size distribution within macroaggregates that itself, is coupled with OM decomposition status.

The hammer QSD-quick stop device for high speed machining and rubbing

Science.gov (United States)

Black, J. T.; James, C. R.

1980-01-01

A quick stop device (QSD) was designed for use in orthogonal machining and rubbing experiments. QSD's are used to obtain chip root samples that are representative of the deformation taking place during dynamic (actual) cutting conditions. These 'frozen' specimens are helpful in examining the plastic deformation that occurs in the regions of compression and shear which form the chip; the secondary shear at the tool-chip interface; and the nose ploughing/flank rubbing action which operates on the newly machined surface. The Hammer QSD employs a shear pin mechanism, broken by a flying hammer, which is traveling at the same velocity as the workpiece. The device has been successfully tested up to 6000 sfpm (30.48 m/sec).

Association Between Lipid Biomarkers, Physical Activity, and Socioeconomic Status in a Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Heather; Becker, Frauke; Antwi, Kofi

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of global death. Physical activity can help individuals reduce their CVD risk. However, the biological mechanisms explaining the link between physical activity and CVD risk and how they may be mediated by socioeconomic status are not well understood. We use cross-sectional data from 2010/2011 of the Understanding Society Survey, UK, to investigate the association between two biomarkers for CVD risk: cholesterol ratio and triglyceride levels and four different measures of physical activity: moderate, mild, self-reported activity rating, and walking 30 min or more a week using multivariate logistic regression. The analysis investigates if this association is mediated by socioeconomic status and difficulty accessing sports facilities. Results from multivariate regressions show that moderate and self-reported activity rating are significantly associated with cholesterol ratio and triglycerides for both men and women. A weaker association was found for walking 30 min or more a week. No association was found between mild physical activity and the two biomarkers. There is some evidence that socioeconomic status mediates the relationship between the biomarkers and physical activity. A significant association between socioeconomic status variables and the biomarkers was found only for women. We provide some evidence of the mechanisms explaining the link between CVD risk and physical activity by finding an association with traditional lipid biomarkers. We also find that intensity of physical activity matters. Socioeconomic status especially for women is important which may explain some of the inequalities in CVD risk.

Visualisierung von typisierten Links in Linked Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georg Neubauer

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Das Themengebiet der Arbeit behandelt Visualisierungen von typisierten Links in Linked Data. Die wissenschaftlichen Gebiete, die im Allgemeinen den Inhalt des Beitrags abgrenzen, sind das Semantic Web, das Web of Data und Informationsvisualisierung. Das Semantic Web, das von Tim Berners Lee 2001 erfunden wurde, stellt eine Erweiterung zum World Wide Web (Web 2.0 dar. Aktuelle Forschungen beziehen sich auf die Verknüpfbarkeit von Informationen im World Wide Web. Um es zu ermöglichen, solche Verbindungen wahrnehmen und verarbeiten zu können sind Visualisierungen die wichtigsten Anforderungen als Hauptteil der Datenverarbeitung. Im Zusammenhang mit dem Sematic Web werden Repräsentationen von zuhammenhängenden Informationen anhand von Graphen gehandhabt. Der Grund des Entstehens dieser Arbeit ist in erster Linie die Beschreibung der Gestaltung von Linked Data-Visualisierungskonzepten, deren Prinzipien im Rahmen einer theoretischen Annäherung eingeführt werden. Anhand des Kontexts führt eine schrittweise Erweiterung der Informationen mit dem Ziel, praktische Richtlinien anzubieten, zur Vernetzung dieser ausgearbeiteten Gestaltungsrichtlinien. Indem die Entwürfe zweier alternativer Visualisierungen einer standardisierten Webapplikation beschrieben werden, die Linked Data als Netzwerk visualisiert, konnte ein Test durchgeführt werden, der deren Kompatibilität zum Inhalt hatte. Der praktische Teil behandelt daher die Designphase, die Resultate, und zukünftige Anforderungen des Projektes, die durch die Testung ausgearbeitet wurden.

The Effect of Testosterone Administration and Digit Ratio (2D:4D on Implicit Preference for Status Goods in Healthy Males

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yin Wu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Testosterone has been linked to social status seeking in humans. The present study investigated the effects of testosterone administration on implicit and explicit preferences for status goods in healthy male participants (n = 64, using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design. We also investigated the interactive effect between second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D; i.e., a proximal index of prenatal testosterone and testosterone treatment on status preferences. Results showed that testosterone administration has no discernable influence on self-reported willingness-to-pay (i.e., the explicit measure or implicit attitudes towards status goods. Individuals with lower 2D:4D (i.e., more masculine had more positive attitudes for high-status goods on an Implicit Association Task, and this association was abolished with testosterone administration. These data suggest interactive effects of acute testosterone administration and prenatal testosterone exposure on human social status seeking, and highlight the utility of implicit methods for measuring status-related behavior.

Assessment of the relatives or spouses cohabiting with the fibromyalgia patients: is there a link regarding fibromyalgia symptoms, quality of life, general health and psychologic status?

Science.gov (United States)

Dogan, Sebnem Koldas; Aytur, Yesim Kurtais; Atbasoglu, Cem

2011-09-01

It was aimed to investigate the existence of the symptoms related to fibromyalgia in the first-degree relatives or spouses of the patients and to assess the psychologic and general health status of these individuals and the correlation of these with the patients' status. Thirty-seven patients with FS, 32 first-degree relatives or spouses of the patients and 30 healthy subjects as a control group were included. Symptoms related to FS were recorded in all subjects. Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Nottingham Health Profile were used to assess the components of functional status and quality of life. General health status was evaluated by General Health Questionnaire. Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to assess the psychologic status. There were significant differences in the frequency of the symptoms between three groups (P 0.05). No fibromyalgia symptoms or signs were detected in the relatives/spouses. The general health status, psychologic status and quality of life were found to be not impaired in relatives/spouses of the patients with FS.

Implementing ERP-systems with accelerated ERP more efficient and quickly – a best practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yücel Yılmaz

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This best practice deals with the Accelerated ERP Methodology and the relevant project steps, while defining the main parameters such as administration, system availability, security and planning the project and the network. In this case, the implementation project in a food company (JKL, name altered is analyzed within the scope of project management, and it is described how this methodology put into practice. With this study, efficiency and quickness of an ERP implementation with the Accelerated ERP Methodology is pointed out.

Can Link Analysis Be Applied to Identify Behavioral Patterns in Train Recorder Data?

Science.gov (United States)

Strathie, Ailsa; Walker, Guy H

2016-03-01

A proof-of-concept analysis was conducted to establish whether link analysis could be applied to data from on-train recorders to detect patterns of behavior that could act as leading indicators of potential safety issues. On-train data recorders capture data about driving behavior on thousands of routine journeys every day and offer a source of untapped data that could be used to offer insights into human behavior. Data from 17 journeys undertaken by six drivers on the same route over a 16-hr period were analyzed using link analysis, and four key metrics were examined: number of links, network density, diameter, and sociometric status. The results established that link analysis can be usefully applied to data captured from on-vehicle recorders. The four metrics revealed key differences in normal driver behavior. These differences have promising construct validity as leading indicators. Link analysis is one method that could be usefully applied to exploit data routinely gathered by on-vehicle data recorders. It facilitates a proactive approach to safety based on leading indicators, offers a clearer understanding of what constitutes normal driving behavior, and identifies trends at the interface of people and systems, which is currently a key area of strategic risk. These research findings have direct applications in the field of transport data monitoring. They offer a means of automatically detecting patterns in driver behavior that could act as leading indicators of problems during operation and that could be used in the proactive monitoring of driver competence, risk management, and even infrastructure design. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

LinkMind: Link Optimization in Swarming Mobile Sensor Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ngo, Trung Dung

2012-01-01

of the most advantageous properties of the swarming wireless sensor network is that mobile nodes can work cooperatively to organize an ad-hoc network and optimize the network link capacity to maximize the transmission of gathered data from a source to a target. This paper describes a new method of link...... optimization of swarming mobile sensor networks. The new method is based on combination of the artificial potential force guaranteeing connectivities of the mobile sensor nodes and the max-flow min-cut theorem of graph theory ensuring optimization of the network link capacity. The developed algorithm...

Mission Control Operations: Employing a New High Performance Design for Communications Links Supporting Exploration Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Dan E., Jr.

2015-01-01

The planetary exploration programs demand a totally new examination of data multiplexing, digital communications protocols and data transmission principles for both ground and spacecraft operations. Highly adaptive communications devices on-board and on the ground must provide the greatest possible transmitted data density between deployed crew personnel, spacecraft and ground control teams. Regarding these requirements, this proposal borrows from research into quantum mechanical computing by applying the concept of a qubit, a single bit that represents 16 states, to radio frequency (RF) communications link design for exploration programs. This concept of placing multiple character values into a single data bit can easily make the evolutionary steps needed to meet exploration mission demands. To move the qubit from the quantum mechanical research laboratory into long distance RF data transmission, this proposal utilizes polarization modulation of the RF carrier signal to represent numbers from zero to fifteen. It introduces the concept of a binary-to-hexadecimal converter that quickly chops any data stream into 16-bit words and connects variously polarized feedhorns to a single-frequency radio transmitter. Further, the concept relies on development of a receiver that uses low-noise amplifiers and an antenna array to quickly assess carrier polarity and perform hexadecimal to binary conversion. Early testbed experiments using the International Space Station (ISS) as an operations laboratory can be implemented to provide the most cost-effective return for research investment. The improvement in signal-to-noise ratio while supporting greater baseband data rates that could be achieved through this concept justifies its consideration for long-distance exploration programs.

Is migration status a determinant of urban nutrition insecurity? Empirical evidence from Mumbai city, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhary, Neetu; Parthasarathy, D

2009-09-01

From an economic perspective that understood it as a spillover of development, migration is now also the subject of socioeconomic investigation incorporating the problems of assimilation, relative deprivation and isolation. The corollary is an increased emphasis on economic and social understanding of migration and its consequences. This entails studying migration or migrants in terms of factors beyond income. Health outcome is important among these non-income factors but at the same time remains less studied. Although there have been a few influential studies on health issues as linked to migration status, the issue of malnutrition in this context continues to be under-researched. This paper explores, theoretically and empirically, migration status and malnutrition in Mumbai in India. An econometric analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data gives insight into the dynamics of child and maternal undernutrition as mediated by migration status in Mumbai.

A practical link between medical and computer groups in image data processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ollivier, J Y

1975-01-01

An acquisition and processing system of scintigraphic images should not be exclusively constructed for a computer specialist. Primarily it should be designed to be easily and quickly handled by a nurse or a doctor and be programmed by the doctor or the computer specialist. This consideration led Intertechnique to construct the CINE 200 system. In fact, the CINE 200 includes a computer and so offers the programming possibilities which are the tools of the computer specialist, even more it was conceived especially for clinic use and offers some functions which cannot be carried out by classical computer and some standard peripherals. In addition, the CINE 200 allows the doctor who is not a computer specialist to familiarize himself with this science by the progressive levels of language, the first level being a link of simple processing on images or curves, the second being an interpretative language identical to BASIC, very easy to learn. Before showing the offered facilities for the doctor and the computer specialist by the CINE 200, its characteristics are briefly reviewed.

Socioeconomic Risk Moderates the Link between Household Chaos and Maternal Executive Function

Science.gov (United States)

Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Chen, Nan; Wang, Zhe; Bell, Martha Ann

2012-01-01

We examined the link between household chaos (i.e., noise, clutter, disarray, lack of routines) and maternal executive function (i.e., effortful regulation of attention and memory), and whether it varied as a function of socioeconomic risk (i.e., single parenthood, lower mother and father educational attainment, housing situation, and father unemployment). We hypothesized that: 1) higher levels of household chaos would be linked with poorer maternal executive function, even when controlling for other measures of cognitive functioning (e.g., verbal ability), and 2) this link would be strongest in the most socioeconomically distressed or lowest-socioeconomic status households. The diverse sample included 153 mothers from urban and rural areas who completed a questionnaire and a battery of cognitive executive function tasks and a verbal ability task in the laboratory. Results were mixed for hypothesis 1, and consistent with hypothesis 2. Two-thirds of the variance overlapped between household chaos and maternal executive function, but only in families with high levels of socioeconomic risk. This pattern was not found for chaos and maternal verbal ability, suggesting that the potentially deleterious effects of household chaos may be specific to maternal executive function. The findings implicate household chaos as a powerful statistical predictor of maternal executive function in socioeconomically distressed contexts. PMID:22563703

Association between maternal nutritional status in pregnancy and offspring cognitive function during childhood and adolescence; a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Veena, Sargoor R; Gale, Catharine R; Krishnaveni, Ghattu V; Kehoe, Sarah H; Srinivasan, Krishnamachari; Fall, Caroline Hd

2016-08-12

The mother is the only source of nutrition for fetal growth including brain development. Maternal nutritional status (anthropometry, macro- and micro-nutrients) before and/or during pregnancy is therefore a potential predictor of offspring cognitive function. The relationship of maternal nutrition to offspring cognitive function is unclear. This review aims to assess existing evidence linking maternal nutritional status with offspring cognitive function. Exposures considered were maternal BMI, height and weight, micronutrient status (vitamins D, B12, folate and iron) and macronutrient intakes (carbohydrate, protein and fat). The outcome was any measure of cognitive function in children aged nutritional status during pregnancy as defined by BMI, single micronutrient studies, or macronutrient intakes influences offspring cognitive function is inconclusive. There is a need for more trials especially in populations with high rates of maternal undernutrition. Registered in PROSPERO CRD42013005702 .

Effect of marital status on duration of treatment for mental illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret J. Penning

2012-01-01

Full Text Available There is a well-established link between marital status and mental health, but previous research has produced mixed results about the reasons for this relationship. Some studies propose that marriage provides protection from stressors and increases personal coping abilities (the causation perspective, whereas other studies argue that marriage markets “weed out” individuals predisposed to illness (the selection perspective. This article addresses the causation-versus-selection debate by examining the effect of marital status on duration of treatment for mental illness. The empirical analysis uses longitudinal data and GEE models to estimate group-level differences in duration of treatment. The results suggest that marriage does not appear to confer a health advantage in terms of duration of treatment. However, the study demonstrates that the never-married experience longer treatment time than the married, divorced, and widowed.

Effect of marital status on duration of treatment for mental illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Wu

2012-07-01

Full Text Available There is a well-established link between marital status and mental health, but previous research has produced mixed results about the reasons for this relationship. Some studies propose that marriage provides protection from stressors and increases personal coping abilities (the causation perspective, whereas other studies argue that marriage markets “weed out” individuals predisposed to illness (the selection perspective. This article addresses the causation-versus-selection debate by examining the effect of marital status on duration of treatment for mental illness. The empirical analysis uses longitudinal data and GEE models to estimate group-level differences in duration of treatment. The results suggest that marriage does not appear to confer a health advantage in terms of duration of treatment. However, the study demonstrates that the never-married experience longer treatment time than the married, divorced, and widowed.

Wallops' Low Elevation Link Analysis for the Constellation Launch/Ascent Links

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Kar-Ming; Ho, Christian; Kantak, Anil; Lee, Charles; Tye, Robert; Richards, Edger; Sham, Catherine; Schlesinger, Adam; Barritt, Brian

2011-01-01

Prior to the redirection of the Constellation Program, the Wallops 11.3-meter ground station was tasked to support the Orion's Dissimilar Voice (DV) link and the Ares's Development Flight Instrument (DFI) link. Detailed analysis of the launch trajectories indicates that during the launch and ascent operation, the critical events of Orion-Ares main engine cut off (MECO) and Separation occur at low elevation angle. We worked with engineers from both Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) and Johnson Space Center (JSC) to perform an intensive measurement and link analysis campaign on the DV and DFI links. The main results were as follows: (1) The DV links have more than 3 dB margin at MECO and Separation. (2) The DFI links have 0 dB margin at Separation during certain weather condition in summer season. (3) Tropospheric scintillation loss is the major impairment at low elevation angle. (4) The current scintillation models in the Recommendation ITU-R P.618 (Propagation data and prediction methods required for the design of Earth-space telecommunication systems), which are based on limited experimental and theoretical work, exhibit idiosyncratic behaviors. We developed an improved model based on the measurements of recent Shuttle mission launch and ascent links and the ITU propagation data. (5) Due to the attitude uncertainty of the Orion-Ares stack, the high dynamics of the launch and ascent trajectory, and the irregularity of the Orion and Ares antenna patterns, we employed new link analysis approach to model the spacecraft antenna gain. In this paper we discuss the details of the aforementioned results.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNET ADDICTION AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS INFLUENCED BY THE SMOKING STATUS IN MALE ONLINE VIDEO GAMERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Müller

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: Mounting evidence suggests a putative link between overuse of digital media and easily accessible drugs such as alcohol and nicotine. Method: We assessed Internet addiction tendencies in a sample of N=1,362 male players of online first-person-shooter-video games. We used Young’s 20-item Internet addiction test (IAT. We also asked participants about their smoking status and alcohol consumption. Results: No significant differences were observed on the IAT between smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers. However, in line with the majority of the literature, the results yielded support for a link between Internet addiction and alcohol consumption. Of importance, this correlation was influenced by the current smoking status. This relationship was especially pronounced for the group of ex-smokers. Conclusions: It is possible that after quitting smoking, drinking habits and online activities may be used to compensate for nicotine abstinence.

Khovanov homology of graph-links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nikonov, Igor M [M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2012-08-31

Graph-links arise as the intersection graphs of turning chord diagrams of links. Speaking informally, graph-links provide a combinatorial description of links up to mutations. Many link invariants can be reformulated in the language of graph-links. Khovanov homology, a well-known and useful knot invariant, is defined for graph-links in this paper (in the case of the ground field of characteristic two). Bibliography: 14 titles.

Geophysical and physical measurements applied to characterize an area prone to quick clay landslides in SW Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Salas-Romero, Silvia; Malehmir, Alireza; Snowball, Ian; Lougheed, Bryan C.; Hellqvist, Magnus

2014-05-01

The study of quick clay landslides in Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Norway, is wide and varied. However, the occurrence of catastrophes like those in Munkedal, Sweden, in 2006, demands a more complete characterization of these materials and their extensiveness. The objectives of this research are mainly focused on obtaining information about the properties and behavior of quick clays in an area prone to landslides in southwestern Sweden. Two fieldwork campaigns were carried out in 2011 and 2013, using methods such as 2D and 3D P-wave and S-wave seismic, geoelectrics, controlled-source and radio-magnetotellurics, ground gravity, as well as downhole geophysics (measuring fluid temperature and conductivity, gamma radiation, sonic velocity and resistivity) performed in three boreholes located in the study area. Drill cores recovered using the SONIC technique provided samples for paleontological information, as well as laboratory measurements of physical properties of the subsurface materials to a maximum subsurface depth of about 60 m. The laboratory measurements included grain size analysis, mineral magnetic properties, electric conductivity, pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, x-ray fluorescence (XRF), and a reconnaissance study of the fossil content. A correlation study of the downhole geophysical measurements, 2D seismic sections located at the intersection with the boreholes and the sample observations indicated that the presence of quick clays is associated with contacts with coarse-grained materials. Although the PVC casing of the boreholes interferes with the sonic and resistivity measurements, the perforated parts of the PVC casing show significant changes. The most important variations in magnetic susceptibility and conductivity mostly coincide with these coarse-grained layers, supporting the seismic data. Coarse-grained layers are characterized by enhanced magnetic susceptibility and conductivity. Grain size analysis results on subsamples from the

Genes2WordCloud: a quick way to identify biological themes from gene lists and free text

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma'ayan Avi

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Word-clouds recently emerged on the web as a solution for quickly summarizing text by maximizing the display of most relevant terms about a specific topic in the minimum amount of space. As biologists are faced with the daunting amount of new research data commonly presented in textual formats, word-clouds can be used to summarize and represent biological and/or biomedical content for various applications. Results Genes2WordCloud is a web application that enables users to quickly identify biological themes from gene lists and research relevant text by constructing and displaying word-clouds. It provides users with several different options and ideas for the sources that can be used to generate a word-cloud. Different options for rendering and coloring the word-clouds give users the flexibility to quickly generate customized word-clouds of their choice. Methods Genes2WordCloud is a word-cloud generator and a word-cloud viewer that is based on WordCram implemented using Java, Processing, AJAX, mySQL, and PHP. Text is fetched from several sources and then processed to extract the most relevant terms with their computed weights based on word frequencies. Genes2WordCloud is freely available for use online; it is open source software and is available for installation on any web-site along with supporting documentation at http://www.maayanlab.net/G2W. Conclusions Genes2WordCloud provides a useful way to summarize and visualize large amounts of textual biological data or to find biological themes from several different sources. The open source availability of the software enables users to implement customized word-clouds on their own web-sites and desktop applications.

Successful Technology Commercialization – Yes or No? Improving the Odds. The Quick Look Methodology and Process

OpenAIRE

Pletcher, Gary; Zehner II, William Bradley

2017-01-01

This article explores the relationships which transform new scientific knowledge into new commercial products, services, and ventures to create wealth creation. The major technology and marketing commercialization dilemmas are defined and addressed. The Quicklook methodology and related processes to quickly assess the commercial viability and potential of a scientific research project is explained. Using the Quicklook methodology and process early in the research and development process i...

Validation of the Dutch version of the quick mild cognitive impairment screen (Qmci-D).

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bunt, Steven

2015-10-01

Differentiating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from dementia is important, as treatment options differ. There are few short (<5 min) but accurate screening tools that discriminate between MCI, normal cognition (NC) and dementia, in the Dutch language. The Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen is sensitive and specific in differentiating MCI from NC and mild dementia. Given this, we adapted the Qmci for use in Dutch-language countries and validated the Dutch version, the Qmci-D, against the Dutch translation of the Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE-D).

Present status of PIK gadolinium control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrov, Yu.V.; Garusov, E.A.; Shustov, V.A.

1994-01-01

A liquid control element (LCE) containing a water solution of gadolinium nitrate Gd(NO 3 ) 3 was originally planned for use at the PIK reactor for partial compensation of poisoning and fuel burnup [1-3]. However, a further analysis has shown that quick forcing-out, boiling up or flowing-out of the absorbing solution (though of low probability) can lead to the dangerous prompt overcriticality of the reactor. The results of the analysis are presented as well as the upper limit of the reactivity, quick insertion of which still is safe for the reactor (J.P.N.)