Characteristic evolutions in numerical relativity using six angular patches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reisswig, Christian [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Muehlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm (Germany); Bishop, Nigel T [Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of South Africa, PO Box 392, Unisa 0003, South Africa (South Africa); Lai, Chi Wai [Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of South Africa, PO Box 392, Unisa 0003, South Africa (South Africa); Thornburg, Jonathan [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Muehlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm (Germany); Szilagyi, Bela [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Muehlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm (Germany)

2007-06-21

The characteristic approach to numerical relativity is a useful tool in evolving gravitational systems. In the past this has been implemented using two patches of stereographic angular coordinates. In other applications, a six-patch angular coordinate system has proved effective. Here we investigate the use of a six-patch system in characteristic numerical relativity, by comparing an existing two-patch implementation (using second-order finite differencing throughout) with a new six-patch implementation (using either second- or fourth-order finite differencing for the angular derivatives). We compare these different codes by monitoring the Einstein constraint equations, numerically evaluated independently from the evolution. We find that, compared to the (second-order) two-patch code at equivalent resolutions, the errors of the second-order six-patch code are smaller by a factor of about 2, and the errors of the fourth-order six-patch code are smaller by a factor of nearly 50.

Experimental and computational laser tissue welding using a protein patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Small, W; Heredia, N J; Maitland, D J; Eder, D C; Celliers, P M; Da Silva, L B; London, R A; Matthews, D L

1998-01-01

An in vitro study of laser tissue welding mediated with a dye-enhanced protein patch was conducted. Fresh sections of porcine aorta were used for the experiments. Arteriotomies were treated using an indocyanine green dye-enhanced collagen patch activated by an 805-nm continuous-wave fiber-delivered diode laser. Temperature histories of the surface of the weld site were obtained using a hollow glass optical fiber-based two-color infrared thermometer. The experimental effort was complemented by simulations with the LATIS (LAser-TISsue) computer code, which uses coupled Monte Carlo, thermal transport, and mass transport models. Comparison of simulated and experimental thermal data indicated that evaporative cooling clamped the surface temperature of the weld site below 100 °C. For fluences of approximately 200 J/cm2, peak surface temperatures averaged 74°C and acute burst strengths consistently exceeded 0.14×106 dyn/cm (hoop tension). The combination of experimental and simulation results showed that the inclusion of water transport and evaporative losses in the computer code has a significant impact on the thermal distributions and hydration levels throughout the tissue volume. The solid-matrix protein patch provided a means of controllable energy delivery and yielded consistently strong welds. © 1998 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Black-hole excision with multiple grid patches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thornburg, Jonathan [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Muehlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm (Germany)

2004-08-07

When using black-hole excision to numerically evolve a black-hole spacetime with no continuous symmetries, most 3 + 1 finite differencing codes use a Cartesian grid. It is difficult to do excision on such a grid because the natural r = constant excision surface must be approximated either by a very different shape such as a contained cube, or by an irregular and non-smooth 'LEGO{sup 1} sphere' which may introduce numerical instabilities into the evolution. In this paper I describe an alternate scheme which uses multiple {l_brace}r x (angular coordinates){r_brace} grid patches, each patch using a different (nonsingular) choice of angular coordinates. This allows excision on a smooth r = constant 2-sphere. I discuss the key design choices in such a multiple-patch scheme, including the choice of ghost-zone versus internal-boundary treatment of the interpatch boundaries (I use a ghost-zone scheme), the number and shape of the patches (I use a 6-patch 'inflated-cube' scheme), the details of how the ghost zones are 'synchronized' by interpolation from neighbouring patches, the tensor basis for the Einstein equations in each patch, and the handling of non-tensor field variables such as the BSSN {gamma}-tilde{sup i} (I use a scheme which requires ghost zones which are twice as wide for the BSSN conformal factor {phi} as for {gamma}-tilde{sup i} and the other BSSN field variables). I present sample numerical results from a prototype implementation of this scheme. This code simulates the time evolution of the (asymptotically flat) spacetime around a single (excised) black hole, using fourth-order finite differencing in space and time. Using Kerr initial data with J/m{sup 2} = 0.6, I present evolutions to t {approx}> 1500m. The lifetime of these evolutions appears to be limited only by outer boundary instabilities, not by any excision instabilities or by any problems inherent to the multiple-patch scheme.

Black-hole excision with multiple grid patches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thornburg, Jonathan

2004-01-01

When using black-hole excision to numerically evolve a black-hole spacetime with no continuous symmetries, most 3 + 1 finite differencing codes use a Cartesian grid. It is difficult to do excision on such a grid because the natural r = constant excision surface must be approximated either by a very different shape such as a contained cube, or by an irregular and non-smooth 'LEGO 1 sphere' which may introduce numerical instabilities into the evolution. In this paper I describe an alternate scheme which uses multiple {r x (angular coordinates)} grid patches, each patch using a different (nonsingular) choice of angular coordinates. This allows excision on a smooth r = constant 2-sphere. I discuss the key design choices in such a multiple-patch scheme, including the choice of ghost-zone versus internal-boundary treatment of the interpatch boundaries (I use a ghost-zone scheme), the number and shape of the patches (I use a 6-patch 'inflated-cube' scheme), the details of how the ghost zones are 'synchronized' by interpolation from neighbouring patches, the tensor basis for the Einstein equations in each patch, and the handling of non-tensor field variables such as the BSSN Γ-tilde i (I use a scheme which requires ghost zones which are twice as wide for the BSSN conformal factor φ as for Γ-tilde i and the other BSSN field variables). I present sample numerical results from a prototype implementation of this scheme. This code simulates the time evolution of the (asymptotically flat) spacetime around a single (excised) black hole, using fourth-order finite differencing in space and time. Using Kerr initial data with J/m 2 = 0.6, I present evolutions to t ∼> 1500m. The lifetime of these evolutions appears to be limited only by outer boundary instabilities, not by any excision instabilities or by any problems inherent to the multiple-patch scheme

Quantum computing with Majorana fermion codes

Science.gov (United States)

Litinski, Daniel; von Oppen, Felix

2018-05-01

We establish a unified framework for Majorana-based fault-tolerant quantum computation with Majorana surface codes and Majorana color codes. All logical Clifford gates are implemented with zero-time overhead. This is done by introducing a protocol for Pauli product measurements with tetrons and hexons which only requires local 4-Majorana parity measurements. An analogous protocol is used in the fault-tolerant setting, where tetrons and hexons are replaced by Majorana surface code patches, and parity measurements are replaced by lattice surgery, still only requiring local few-Majorana parity measurements. To this end, we discuss twist defects in Majorana fermion surface codes and adapt the technique of twist-based lattice surgery to fermionic codes. Moreover, we propose a family of codes that we refer to as Majorana color codes, which are obtained by concatenating Majorana surface codes with small Majorana fermion codes. Majorana surface and color codes can be used to decrease the space overhead and stabilizer weight compared to their bosonic counterparts.

Virtual Ligand Screening Using PL-PatchSurfer2, a Molecular Surface-Based Protein-Ligand Docking Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Woong-Hee; Kihara, Daisuke

2018-01-01

Virtual screening is a computational technique for predicting a potent binding compound for a receptor protein from a ligand library. It has been a widely used in the drug discovery field to reduce the efforts of medicinal chemists to find hit compounds by experiments.Here, we introduce our novel structure-based virtual screening program, PL-PatchSurfer, which uses molecular surface representation with the three-dimensional Zernike descriptors, which is an effective mathematical representation for identifying physicochemical complementarities between local surfaces of a target protein and a ligand. The advantage of the surface-patch description is its tolerance on a receptor and compound structure variation. PL-PatchSurfer2 achieves higher accuracy on apo form and computationally modeled receptor structures than conventional structure-based virtual screening programs. Thus, PL-PatchSurfer2 opens up an opportunity for targets that do not have their crystal structures. The program is provided as a stand-alone program at http://kiharalab.org/plps2 . We also provide files for two ligand libraries, ChEMBL and ZINC Drug-like.

Clinical analysis of amniotic membrane patches and grafts for acute ocular surface burn

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the effect and value of amniotic membrane patches and grafts for acute ocular surface burn at different degrees.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 28 cases(28 eyesaffected by ocular chemical or thermal burn with different degree were included in our hospital from March 2007 to March 2012. Amniotic membrane patched was undergone in 13 eyes with fresh amnion that the patients corneal burns degree Ⅱ or Ⅲ with partial limbal buns at degree Ⅳ. Amniotic membrane grafts was performed in 15 eyes with fresh amnion that the patients all corneal burns at degree Ⅲ with the whole limbal necrosis without severe eyelid defect. The follow-up time ranged 6～24mo. The postoperative visual acuity, the condition of amniotic membrane transplant, renovation of cornea and complications were observed. RESULTS: Postoperative corrected visual acuity was improved in 20 eyes(71%, it was not changed in 5 eyes(18%, the visual acuity declined in 3 eyes(11%. The amniotic membrane survived in 23 eyes and the survival rate was up to 82%. The cornea of 4 eyes recovered to transparent, nebula emceed in 8 eyes eventually, corneal macula emerged in 10 eyes, 4 eyes ended up with leukoma, 2 eyes developed corneal melting after therapy, then received lamellar keratoplasty. Corneal surface become epithelization after amnion patches or grafts, but any of them have recurrent epithelial erosion, and become stable epithalization after repeat operation.CONCLUSION: Amniotic membrane patches and grafts is an effective method to deal with acute ocular surface burn.

Fault-patch stress-transfer efficiency in presence of sub-patch geometric complexity

KAUST Repository

Zielke, Olaf

2015-04-01

It is well known that faults are not planar surfaces. Instead they exhibit self-similar or self-affine properties that span a wide range of spatial (sub-micrometer to tens-of-kilometer). This geometric fault roughness has a distinct impact on amount and distribution of stresses/strains induced in the medium and on other portions of the fault. However, when numerically simulated (for example in multi-cycle EQ rupture simulations or Coulomb failure stress calculations) this roughness is largely ignored: individual fault patches --the incremental elements that build the fault surface in the respective computer models-- are planar and fault roughness at this and lower spatial scales is not considered. As a result, the fault-patch stress-transfer efficiency may be systematically too large in those numerical simulations with respect to the "actual" efficiency level. Here, we investigate the effect of sub-patch geometric complexity on fault-patch stress-transfer efficiency. For that, we sub-divide a fault patch (e.g., 1x1km) into a large number of sub-patches (e.g., 20x20m) and determine amount of induced stresses at selected positions around that patch for different levels and realizations of fault roughness. For each fault roughness level, we compute mean and standard deviation of the induced stresses, enabling us to compute the coefficient of variation. We normalize those values with stresses from the corresponding single (planar) fault patch, providing scaling factors and their variability for stress transfer efficiency. Given a certain fault roughness that is assumed for a fault, this work provides the means to implement the sub-patch fault roughness into investigations based on fault-patch interaction schemes.

Bright patches on chernozems - from space to surface and soil properties

Science.gov (United States)

Smetanova, Anna; Burian, Libor; Holec, Juraj; Minár, Jozef

2016-04-01

located in areas with slope gradient between 3 and 6°, which is consider as the higher slope in this part of the hilly land. In 1949 the distribution of bright patches was more strongly related to higher slope gradient, the convex forms of profile curvature, and upslope position than in 2004. In the studied catchment, 34 soil profiles were described in the bright patches (identified in 2004), and 73% of them were situated on the convex forms of profile curvature. The most of the profiles were eroded (88%), the mean soil loss was 0.36 m (in the comparison with the reference soil profile), and in 55% of described soil profiles the entire mollic horizon was removed. The typical surface horizon contained 2.3% of humus and 21% of carbonates. The soil profiles were further compared with these situated in the areas neighbouring with the bright patches, and soil profiles on two valley cross-sections, in order to understand the soil redistribution in the catchment, and describe the differences between the bright and black patches in the chernozem landscape. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract ESF-EC-0006-07 and APVV-0625-11; Anna Smetanová has received the support of the AgreenSkills fellowship (under grant agreement n°267196).

A User’s Manual for: Electromagnetic Surface Patch Code (ESP).

Science.gov (United States)

1981-07-01

common e equivalent to say physical contact, that the two (or The parameter IOVL thi 5 code intersect ove rlap, ce contin dge Inse ing...cross polarizations is shown. The phase of field field is also shown (the incident wave at the origon). For backscattering STPM = both are printed...scattered fields phi polarized. STPM = scattering cross section with incident field theta polarized and scattered field phi polarized. SPTM

Patch layout generation by detecting feature networks

KAUST Repository

Cao, Yuanhao

2015-02-01

The patch layout of 3D surfaces reveals the high-level geometric and topological structures. In this paper, we study the patch layout computation by detecting and enclosing feature loops on surfaces. We present a hybrid framework which combines several key ingredients, including feature detection, feature filtering, feature curve extension, patch subdivision and boundary smoothing. Our framework is able to compute patch layouts through concave features as previous approaches, but also able to generate nice layouts through smoothing regions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework by comparing with the state-of-the-art methods.

Patch layout generation by detecting feature networks

KAUST Repository

Cao, Yuanhao; Yan, Dongming; Wonka, Peter

2015-01-01

The patch layout of 3D surfaces reveals the high-level geometric and topological structures. In this paper, we study the patch layout computation by detecting and enclosing feature loops on surfaces. We present a hybrid framework which combines

Formulation and optimization of mucoadhesive buccal patches of losartan potassium by using response surface methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Ikram, Md.; Gilhotra, Neeraj; Gilhotra, Ritu Mehra

2015-01-01

Background: This study was undertaken with an aim to systematically design a model of factors that would yield an optimized sustained release dosage form of an anti-hypertensive agent, losartan potassium, using response surface methodology (RSM) by employing 32 full factorial design. Materials and Methods: Mucoadhesive buccal patches were prepared using different grades of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) (K4M and K100M) and polyvinylpyrrolidone-K30 by solvent casting method. The amount of the release retardant polymers – HPMC K4M (X1) and HPMC K100M (X2) was taken as an independent variable. The dependent variables were the burst release in 30 min (Y1), cumulative percentage release of drug after 8 h (Y2) and swelling index (Y3) of the patches. In vitro release and swelling studies were carried out and the data were fitted to kinetic equations. Results: The physicochemical, bioadhesive, and swelling properties of patches were found to vary significantly depending on the viscosity of the polymers and their combination. Patches showed an initial burst release preceding a more gradual sustained release phase following a nonfickian diffusion process. Discussion: The results indicate that suitable bioadhesive buccal patches with desired permeability could be prepared, facilitated with the RSM. PMID:26682205

Interactive object modelling based on piecewise planar surface patches.

Science.gov (United States)

Prankl, Johann; Zillich, Michael; Vincze, Markus

2013-06-01

Detecting elements such as planes in 3D is essential to describe objects for applications such as robotics and augmented reality. While plane estimation is well studied, table-top scenes exhibit a large number of planes and methods often lock onto a dominant plane or do not estimate 3D object structure but only homographies of individual planes. In this paper we introduce MDL to the problem of incrementally detecting multiple planar patches in a scene using tracked interest points in image sequences. Planar patches are reconstructed and stored in a keyframe-based graph structure. In case different motions occur, separate object hypotheses are modelled from currently visible patches and patches seen in previous frames. We evaluate our approach on a standard data set published by the Visual Geometry Group at the University of Oxford [24] and on our own data set containing table-top scenes. Results indicate that our approach significantly improves over the state-of-the-art algorithms.

Surface acoustic wave coding for orthogonal frequency coded devices

Science.gov (United States)

Malocha, Donald (Inventor); Kozlovski, Nikolai (Inventor)

2011-01-01

Methods and systems for coding SAW OFC devices to mitigate code collisions in a wireless multi-tag system. Each device producing plural stepped frequencies as an OFC signal with a chip offset delay to increase code diversity. A method for assigning a different OCF to each device includes using a matrix based on the number of OFCs needed and the number chips per code, populating each matrix cell with OFC chip, and assigning the codes from the matrix to the devices. The asynchronous passive multi-tag system includes plural surface acoustic wave devices each producing a different OFC signal having the same number of chips and including a chip offset time delay, an algorithm for assigning OFCs to each device, and a transceiver to transmit an interrogation signal and receive OFC signals in response with minimal code collisions during transmission.

Holonomic surface codes for fault-tolerant quantum computation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiang; Devitt, Simon J.; You, J. Q.; Nori, Franco

2018-02-01

Surface codes can protect quantum information stored in qubits from local errors as long as the per-operation error rate is below a certain threshold. Here we propose holonomic surface codes by harnessing the quantum holonomy of the system. In our scheme, the holonomic gates are built via auxiliary qubits rather than the auxiliary levels in multilevel systems used in conventional holonomic quantum computation. The key advantage of our approach is that the auxiliary qubits are in their ground state before and after each gate operation, so they are not involved in the operation cycles of surface codes. This provides an advantageous way to implement surface codes for fault-tolerant quantum computation.

Is It Safe to Uplift This Patch? An Empirical Study on Mozilla Firefox

OpenAIRE

Castelluccio, Marco; An, Le; Khomh, Foutse

2017-01-01

In rapid release development processes, patches that fix critical issues, or implement high-value features are often promoted directly from the development channel to a stabilization channel, potentially skipping one or more stabilization channels. This practice is called patch uplift. Patch uplift is risky, because patches that are rushed through the stabilization phase can end up introducing regressions in the code. This paper examines patch uplift operations at Mozilla, with the aim to ide...

Correlated Errors in the Surface Code

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Daniel; Mucciolo, E. R.; Novais, E.

2012-02-01

A milestone step into the development of quantum information technology would be the ability to design and operate a reliable quantum memory. The greatest obstacle to create such a device has been decoherence due to the unavoidable interaction between the quantum system and its environment. Quantum Error Correction is therefore an essential ingredient to any quantum computing information device. A great deal of attention has been given to surface codes, since it has very good scaling properties. In this seminar, we discuss the time evolution of a qubit encoded in the logical basis of a surface code. The system is interacting with a bosonic environment at zero temperature. Our results show how much spatial and time correlations can be detrimental to the efficiency of the code.

Large-scale binding ligand prediction by improved patch-based method Patch-Surfer2.0.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiaolei; Xiong, Yi; Kihara, Daisuke

2015-03-01

Ligand binding is a key aspect of the function of many proteins. Thus, binding ligand prediction provides important insight in understanding the biological function of proteins. Binding ligand prediction is also useful for drug design and examining potential drug side effects. We present a computational method named Patch-Surfer2.0, which predicts binding ligands for a protein pocket. By representing and comparing pockets at the level of small local surface patches that characterize physicochemical properties of the local regions, the method can identify binding pockets of the same ligand even if they do not share globally similar shapes. Properties of local patches are represented by an efficient mathematical representation, 3D Zernike Descriptor. Patch-Surfer2.0 has significant technical improvements over our previous prototype, which includes a new feature that captures approximate patch position with a geodesic distance histogram. Moreover, we constructed a large comprehensive database of ligand binding pockets that will be searched against by a query. The benchmark shows better performance of Patch-Surfer2.0 over existing methods. http://kiharalab.org/patchsurfer2.0/ CONTACT: dkihara@purdue.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Self assembled temperature responsive surfaces for generation of cell patches for bone tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valmikinathan, Chandra M; ChangWei; Xu Jiahua; Yu Xiaojun

2012-01-01

One of the major challenges in the fabrication of tissue engineered scaffolds is the ability of the scaffold to biologically mimic autograft-like tissues. One of the alternate approaches to achieve this is by the application of cell seeded scaffolds with optimal porosity and mechanical properties. However, the current approaches for seeding cells on scaffolds are not optimal in terms of seeding efficiencies, cell penetration into the scaffold and more importantly uniform distribution of cells on the scaffold. Also, recent developments in scaffold geometries to enhance surface areas, pore sizes and porosities tend to further complicate the scenario. Cell sheet-based approaches for cell seeding have demonstrated a successful approach to generate scaffold-free tissue engineering approaches. However, the method of generating the temperature responsive surface is quite challenging and requires carcinogenic reagents and gamma rays. Therefore, here, we have developed temperature responsive substrates by layer-by-layer self assembly of smart polymers. Multilayer thin films prepared from tannic acid and poly N-isopropylacrylamide were fabricated based on their electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions. Cell attachment and proliferation studies on these thin films showed uniform cell attachment on the substrate, matching tissue culture plates. Also, the cells could be harvested as cell patches and sheets from the scaffolds, by reducing the temperature for a short period of time, and seeded onto porous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. An enhanced cell seeding efficiency on scaffolds was observed using the cell patch-based technique as compared to seeding cells in suspension. Owing to the already pre-existent cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix interactions, the cell patch showed the ability to reattach rapidly onto scaffolds and showed enhanced ability to proliferate and differentiate into a bone-like matrix. (paper)

Correlation of open cell-attached and excised patch clamp techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Filipovic, D; Hayslett, J P

1995-11-01

The excised patch clamp configuration provides a unique technique for some types of single channel analyses, but maintenance of stable, long-lasting preparations may be confounded by rundown and/or rapid loss of seal. Studies were performed on the amiloride-sensitive Na+ channel, located on the apical surface of A6 cells, to determine whether the nystatin-induced open cell-attached patch could serve as an alternative configuration. Compared to excised inside-out patches, stable preparations were achieved more readily with the open cell-attached patch (9% vs. 56% of attempts). In both preparations, the current voltage (I-V) relation was linear, current amplitudes were equal at opposite equivalent clamped voltages, and Erev was zero in symmetrical Na+ solutions, indicating similar Na+ activities on the cytosolic and external surfaces of the patch. Moreover, there was no evidence that nystatin altered channel activity in the patch because slope conductance (3-4pS) and Erev (75 mV), when the bath was perfused with a high K:low Na solution (ENa = 80 mV), were nearly equal in both patch configurations. Our results therefore indicate that the nystatin-induced open cell-attached patch can serve as an alternative approach to the excised inside-out patch when experiments require modulation of univalent ions in the cytosol.

Fractal Image Coding Based on a Fitting Surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng Bi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A no-search fractal image coding method based on a fitting surface is proposed. In our research, an improved gray-level transform with a fitting surface is introduced. One advantage of this method is that the fitting surface is used for both the range and domain blocks and one set of parameters can be saved. Another advantage is that the fitting surface can approximate the range and domain blocks better than the previous fitting planes; this can result in smaller block matching errors and better decoded image quality. Since the no-search and quadtree techniques are adopted, smaller matching errors also imply less number of blocks matching which results in a faster encoding process. Moreover, by combining all the fitting surfaces, a fitting surface image (FSI is also proposed to speed up the fractal decoding. Experiments show that our proposed method can yield superior performance over the other three methods. Relative to range-averaged image, FSI can provide faster fractal decoding process. Finally, by combining the proposed fractal coding method with JPEG, a hybrid coding method is designed which can provide higher PSNR than JPEG while maintaining the same Bpp.

Patched bimetallic surfaces are active catalysts for ammonia decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei; Vlachos, Dionisios G

2015-10-07

Ammonia decomposition is often used as an archetypical reaction for predicting new catalytic materials and understanding the very reason of why some reactions are sensitive on material's structure. Core-shell or surface-segregated bimetallic nanoparticles expose outstanding activity for many heterogeneously catalysed reactions but the reasons remain elusive owing to the difficulties in experimentally characterizing active sites. Here by performing multiscale simulations in ammonia decomposition on various nickel loadings on platinum (111), we show that the very high activity of core-shell structures requires patches of the guest metal to create and sustain dual active sites: nickel terraces catalyse N-H bond breaking and nickel edge sites drive atomic nitrogen association. The structure sensitivity on these active catalysts depends profoundly on reaction conditions due to kinetically competing relevant elementary reaction steps. We expose a remarkable difference in active sites between transient and steady-state studies and provide insights into optimal material design.

Terahertz wave manipulation based on multi-bit coding artificial electromagnetic surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiu-Sheng; Zhao, Ze-Jiang; Yao, Jian-Quan

2018-05-01

A polarization insensitive multi-bit coding artificial electromagnetic surface is proposed for terahertz wave manipulation. The coding artificial electromagnetic surfaces composed of four-arrow-shaped particles with certain coding sequences can generate multi-bit coding in the terahertz frequencies and manipulate the reflected terahertz waves to the numerous directions by using of different coding distributions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our coding artificial electromagnetic surfaces have strong abilities to reduce the radar cross section with polarization insensitive for TE and TM incident terahertz waves as well as linear-polarized and circular-polarized terahertz waves. This work offers an effectively strategy to realize more powerful manipulation of terahertz wave.

PROXY-BASED PATCHING STREAM TRANSMISSION STRATEGY IN MOBILE STREAMING MEDIA SYSTEM

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Liao Jianxin; Lei Zhengxiong; Ma Xutao; Zhu Xiaomin

2006-01-01

A mobile transmission strategy, PMPatching (Proxy-based Mobile Patching) transmission strategy is proposed, it applies to the proxy-based mobile streaming media system in Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) network. Performance of the whole system can be improved by using patching stream to transmit anterior part of the suffix that had been played back, and by batching all the demands for the suffix arrived in prefix period and patching stream transmission threshold period. Experimental results show that this strategy can efficiently reduce average network transmission cost and number of channels consumed in central streaming media server.

Effect of novel mucoadhesive buccal patches of carvedilol on isoprenaline-induced tachycardia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Navneet Verma

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The main aim of the study was designed to develop bioadhesive buccal patches of carvedilol (CR and evaluate for isoprenaline-induced tachycardia. Buccal patches of carvedilol were prepared by using chitosan (CH, sodium salt of carboxy methyl cellulose (NaCMC, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA as mucoadhesive polymers. The solvent evaporation method was used for the preparation of buccal patches. The patches were evaluated for their physical characteristics like patch thickness, weight variation, content uniformity, folding endurance, surface pH, residence time, in vitro drug release, and in vivo pharmacodynamic study. The swelling index of the patches was found to be proportional to the polymer concentration, whereas surface pH of all the formulated bioadhesive patches was found to lie between neutral ranges. In-vitro release study shows that 94.75% drug was release in 8 hours from the patch, which containing 2% w/v chitosan. The folding endurance result shows good elasticity in all the patches.Application of buccal patches on buccal mucosa of rabbit shows a significant result in % inhibition of isoprenaline-induced tachycardia. Prepared buccal patches of chitosan, NaCMC, and PVA containing Carvedilol meet the ideal requirement for the delivery of cardiovascular drugs and inhibit the isoprenaline tachycardia.

A method for detecting hydrophobic patches protein

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lijnzaad, P.; Berendsen, H.J.C.; Argos, P.

1996-01-01

A method for the detection of hydrophobic patches on the surfaces of protein tertiary structures is presented, it delineates explicit contiguous pieces of surface of arbitrary size and shape that consist solely of carbon and sulphur atoms using a dot representation of the solvent-accessible surface,

Long-term analysis of ionospheric polar patches based on CHAMP TEC data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noja, M.; Stolle, Claudia; Park, J.

2013-01-01

Total electron content (TEC) from LEO satellites offers great possibility to sound the upper ionosphere and plasmasphere. This paper describes a method to derive absolute TEC observations aboard CHAMP considering multipath effects and receiver differential code bias. The long-term data set of 9...... years GPS observations is used to investigate the climatological behavior of high-latitude plasma patches in both hemispheres. The occurrence of polar patches has a clear correlation with the solar cycle, which is less pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Summed over all years, we observed...... a higher number of patches in the SH. The maximum occurrence rate of patches has been found at the dayside polar cusp during 12:00-18:00 MLT (magnetic local time) supporting the mechanisms for patch creation by local particle precipitation and by intrusion of subauroral plasma into the polar cap through...

Sums of residues on algebraic surfaces and application to coding theory

OpenAIRE

Couvreur , Alain

2009-01-01

International audience; In this paper, we study residues of differential 2-forms on a smooth algebraic surface over an arbitrary field and give several statements about sums of residues. Afterwards, using these results we give a new construction of algebraic-geometric codes which can be regarded as an extension to surfaces of the well-known construction of differential codes on curves. We also study some properties of these codes and extend to them some known properties for codes on curves.; ...

Finite-time compressibility as an agent of frequent spontaneous patch formation in the surface layer: A case study for the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Giudici, Andrea; Soomere, Tarmo

2014-12-15

We explore the possibilities for spontaneous formation of surface patches with high concentrations of contaminants through time correlations of the convergence field and the Lagrangian transport. The test area is the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea, where surface velocity fields show extensive convergence. The flow properties are extracted from 3D velocity fields simulated for 1987-1991 using the OAAS model with a resolution of 1 mile. The focus is on the spatial distribution of the areas in which the values of finite-time flow compressibility of surface velocity fields exceed the threshold for clustering of floats. The distribution of such areas is asymmetric, with likely areas of patch formation located predominantly in the southern and eastern regions of the gulf. Out of nine areas of likely patch formation, six are located along the coast in regions of frequent downwelling, while three are identified in the central region of the gulf. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phosphorus leaching from cow manure patches on soil columns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chardon, W.J.; Aalderink, G.H.; Salm, van der C.

2007-01-01

The loss of P in overland flow or leachate from manure patches can impair surface water quality. We studied leaching of P from 10-cmhigh lysimeters filled with intact grassland soil or with acid-washed sand. A manure patch was created on two grassland and two sandfilled lysimeters, and an additional

Structure-aware Local Sparse Coding for Visual Tracking

KAUST Repository

Qi, Yuankai

2018-01-24

Sparse coding has been applied to visual tracking and related vision problems with demonstrated success in recent years. Existing tracking methods based on local sparse coding sample patches from a target candidate and sparsely encode these using a dictionary consisting of patches sampled from target template images. The discriminative strength of existing methods based on local sparse coding is limited as spatial structure constraints among the template patches are not exploited. To address this problem, we propose a structure-aware local sparse coding algorithm which encodes a target candidate using templates with both global and local sparsity constraints. For robust tracking, we show local regions of a candidate region should be encoded only with the corresponding local regions of the target templates that are the most similar from the global view. Thus, a more precise and discriminative sparse representation is obtained to account for appearance changes. To alleviate the issues with tracking drifts, we design an effective template update scheme. Extensive experiments on challenging image sequences demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm against numerous stateof- the-art methods.

Finite element modelling to assess the effect of surface mounted piezoelectric patch size on vibration response of a hybrid beam

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, N.; Alam, M. N.

2018-02-01

Vibration response analysis of a hybrid beam with surface mounted patch piezoelectric layer is presented in this work. A one dimensional finite element (1D-FE) model based on efficient layerwise (zigzag) theory is used for the analysis. The beam element has eight mechanical and a variable number of electrical degrees of freedom. The beams are also modelled in 2D-FE (ABAQUS) using a plane stress piezoelectric quadrilateral element for piezo layers and a plane stress quadrilateral element for the elastic layers of hybrid beams. Results are presented to assess the effect of size of piezoelectric patch layer on the free and forced vibration responses of thin and moderately thick beams under clamped-free and clamped-clamped configurations. The beams are subjected to unit step loading and harmonic loading to obtain the forced vibration responses. The vibration control using in phase actuation potential on piezoelectric patches is also studied. The 1D-FE results are compared with the 2D-FE results.

Image quality assessment based on inter-patch and intra-patch similarity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Zhou

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a full-reference (FR image quality assessment (IQA scheme, which evaluates image fidelity from two aspects: the inter-patch similarity and the intra-patch similarity. The scheme is performed in a patch-wise fashion so that a quality map can be obtained. On one hand, we investigate the disparity between one image patch and its adjacent ones. This disparity is visually described by an inter-patch feature, where the hybrid effect of luminance masking and contrast masking is taken into account. The inter-patch similarity is further measured by modifying the normalized correlation coefficient (NCC. On the other hand, we also attach importance to the impact of image contents within one patch on the IQA problem. For the intra-patch feature, we consider image curvature as an important complement of image gradient. According to local image contents, the intra-patch similarity is measured by adaptively comparing image curvature and gradient. Besides, a nonlinear integration of the inter-patch and intra-patch similarity is presented to obtain an overall score of image quality. The experiments conducted on six publicly available image databases show that our scheme achieves better performance in comparison with several state-of-the-art schemes.

PatchSurfers: Two methods for local molecular property-based binding ligand prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Woong-Hee; Bures, Mark Gregory; Kihara, Daisuke

2016-01-15

Protein function prediction is an active area of research in computational biology. Function prediction can help biologists make hypotheses for characterization of genes and help interpret biological assays, and thus is a productive area for collaboration between experimental and computational biologists. Among various function prediction methods, predicting binding ligand molecules for a target protein is an important class because ligand binding events for a protein are usually closely intertwined with the proteins' biological function, and also because predicted binding ligands can often be directly tested by biochemical assays. Binding ligand prediction methods can be classified into two types: those which are based on protein-protein (or pocket-pocket) comparison, and those that compare a target pocket directly to ligands. Recently, our group proposed two computational binding ligand prediction methods, Patch-Surfer, which is a pocket-pocket comparison method, and PL-PatchSurfer, which compares a pocket to ligand molecules. The two programs apply surface patch-based descriptions to calculate similarity or complementarity between molecules. A surface patch is characterized by physicochemical properties such as shape, hydrophobicity, and electrostatic potentials. These properties on the surface are represented using three-dimensional Zernike descriptors (3DZD), which are based on a series expansion of a 3 dimensional function. Utilizing 3DZD for describing the physicochemical properties has two main advantages: (1) rotational invariance and (2) fast comparison. Here, we introduce Patch-Surfer and PL-PatchSurfer with an emphasis on PL-PatchSurfer, which is more recently developed. Illustrative examples of PL-PatchSurfer performance on binding ligand prediction as well as virtual drug screening are also provided. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Local equivalence, surface-code states, and matroids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarvepalli, Pradeep; Raussendorf, Robert

2010-01-01

Recently, Ji et al. disproved the local-unitary-local Clifford (LU-LC) conjecture and showed that the local unitary (LU) and local Clifford (LC) equivalence classes of the stabilizer states are not always the same. Despite the fact that this settles the LU-LC conjecture, a sufficient condition for stabilizer states that violate the LU-LC conjecture is not known. In this paper, we investigate further the properties of stabilizer states with respect to local equivalence. Our first result shows that there exist infinitely many stabilizer states that violate the LU-LC conjecture. In particular, we show that for all numbers of qubits n≥28, there exist distance-two stabilizer states which are counterexamples to the LU-LC conjecture. We prove that, for all odd n≥195, there exist stabilizer states with distance greater than two that are LU equivalent but not LC equivalent. Two important classes of stabilizer states that are of great interest in quantum computation are the cluster states and stabilizer states of the surface codes. We show that, under some minimal restrictions, both these classes of states preclude any counterexamples. In this context, we also show that the associated surface codes do not have any encoded non-Clifford transversal gates. We characterize the Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) surface-code states in terms of a class of minor closed binary matroids. In addition to making a connection to an important open problem in binary matroid theory, this characterization does in some cases provide an efficient test for CSS states that are not counterexamples.

Local mesh refinement for incompressible fluid flow with free surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terasaka, H.; Kajiwara, H.; Ogura, K. [Tokyo Electric Power Company (Japan)] [and others

1995-09-01

A new local mesh refinement (LMR) technique has been developed and applied to incompressible fluid flows with free surface boundaries. The LMR method embeds patches of fine grid in arbitrary regions of interest. Hence, more accurate solutions can be obtained with a lower number of computational cells. This method is very suitable for the simulation of free surface movements because free surface flow problems generally require a finer computational grid to obtain adequate results. By using this technique, one can place finer grids only near the surfaces, and therefore greatly reduce the total number of cells and computational costs. This paper introduces LMR3D, a three-dimensional incompressible flow analysis code. Numerical examples calculated with the code demonstrate well the advantages of the LMR method.

A New Prime Code for Synchronous Optical Code Division Multiple-Access Networks

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Huda Saleh Abbas

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A new spreading code based on a prime code for synchronous optical code-division multiple-access networks that can be used in monitoring applications has been proposed. The new code is referred to as “extended grouped new modified prime code.” This new code has the ability to support more terminal devices than other prime codes. In addition, it patches subsequences with “0s” leading to lower power consumption. The proposed code has an improved cross-correlation resulting in enhanced BER performance. The code construction and parameters are provided. The operating performance, using incoherent on-off keying modulation and incoherent pulse position modulation systems, has been analyzed. The performance of the code was compared with other prime codes. The results demonstrate an improved performance, and a BER floor of 10−9 was achieved.

Thresholds of surface codes on the general lattice structures suffering biased error and loss

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokunaga, Yuuki; Fujii, Keisuke

2014-01-01

A family of surface codes with general lattice structures is proposed. We can control the error tolerances against bit and phase errors asymmetrically by changing the underlying lattice geometries. The surface codes on various lattices are found to be efficient in the sense that their threshold values universally approach the quantum Gilbert-Varshamov bound. We find that the error tolerance of the surface codes depends on the connectivity of the underlying lattices; the error chains on a lattice of lower connectivity are easier to correct. On the other hand, the loss tolerance of the surface codes exhibits an opposite behavior; the logical information on a lattice of higher connectivity has more robustness against qubit loss. As a result, we come upon a fundamental trade-off between error and loss tolerances in the family of surface codes with different lattice geometries

Thresholds of surface codes on the general lattice structures suffering biased error and loss

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tokunaga, Yuuki [NTT Secure Platform Laboratories, NTT Corporation, 3-9-11 Midori-cho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8585, Japan and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075 (Japan); Fujii, Keisuke [Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531 (Japan)

2014-12-04

A family of surface codes with general lattice structures is proposed. We can control the error tolerances against bit and phase errors asymmetrically by changing the underlying lattice geometries. The surface codes on various lattices are found to be efficient in the sense that their threshold values universally approach the quantum Gilbert-Varshamov bound. We find that the error tolerance of the surface codes depends on the connectivity of the underlying lattices; the error chains on a lattice of lower connectivity are easier to correct. On the other hand, the loss tolerance of the surface codes exhibits an opposite behavior; the logical information on a lattice of higher connectivity has more robustness against qubit loss. As a result, we come upon a fundamental trade-off between error and loss tolerances in the family of surface codes with different lattice geometries.

Physicochemical characterization and evaluation of buccal adhesive patches containing propranolol hydrochloride.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, V M; Prajapati, B G; Patel, J K; Patel, M M

2006-07-01

Buccal adhesive patches containing 20 mg of propranolol hydrochloride were prepared using solvent casting method. Chitosan was used as a natural bioadhesive polymer. Patches were prepared at different ratios of PVP K-30 and evaluated for various physicochemical characteristics such as weight variation, drug content uniformity, folding endurance, surface pH, ex-vivo mucoadhesive strength, ex-vivo residence time, in vitro drug release and in vitro buccal permeation study. Patches exhibited sustained release over a period of 7 hours. The mechanism of drug release was found to be Non-Fickian diffusion. Addition of PVP K-30 generally enhanced the releasing rate. The ex-vivo mucoadhesive strength was performed using sheep buccal mucosa on modified physical balance. Optimized patches (batch F4) showed satisfactory bioadhesive strength (9.6 degrees 2.0 gram) and ex vivo residence time (272 degrees 0.25 minutes). Swelling index was proportional to PVP K-30. The surface pH of all batches was within satisfactory limit (7.0+/-1.5) and hence patches would not cause irritation in the buccal cavity. Good correlation was observed between in vitro drug release and in vitro drug permeation with correlation coefficient of 0.9364. Stability of optimized patches was performed in natural human saliva showed that both drug and dosage forms were stable in human saliva.

Cyclical and patch-like GDNF distribution along the basal surface of Sertoli cells in mouse and hamster testes.

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Takeshi Sato

Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In mammalian spermatogenesis, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF is one of the major Sertoli cell-derived factors which regulates the maintenance of undifferentiated spermatogonia including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs through GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1. It remains unclear as to when, where and how GDNF molecules are produced and exposed to the GFRα1-positive spermatogonia in vivo. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we show the cyclical and patch-like distribution of immunoreactive GDNF-positive signals and their close co-localization with a subpopulation of GFRα1-positive spermatogonia along the basal surface of Sertoli cells in mice and hamsters. Anti-GDNF section immunostaining revealed that GDNF-positive signals are mainly cytoplasmic and observed specifically in the Sertoli cells in a species-specific as well as a seminiferous cycle- and spermatogenic activity-dependent manner. In contrast to the ubiquitous GDNF signals in mouse testes, high levels of its signals were cyclically observed in hamster testes prior to spermiation. Whole-mount anti-GDNF staining of the seminiferous tubules successfully visualized the cyclical and patch-like extracellular distribution of GDNF-positive granular deposits along the basal surface of Sertoli cells in both species. Double-staining of GDNF and GFRα1 demonstrated the close co-localization of GDNF deposits and a subpopulation of GFRα1-positive spermatogonia. In both species, GFRα1-positive cells showed a slender bipolar shape as well as a tendency for increased cell numbers in the GDNF-enriched area, as compared with those in the GDNF-low/negative area of the seminiferous tubules. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data provide direct evidence of regionally defined patch-like GDNF-positive signal site in which GFRα1-positive spermatogonia possibly interact with GDNF in the basal compartment of the seminiferous tubules.

Coevolution of patch-type dependent emigration and patch-type dependent immigration.

Science.gov (United States)

Weigang, Helene C

2017-08-07

The three phases of dispersal - emigration, transfer and immigration - are affecting each other and the former and latter decisions may depend on patch types. Despite the inevitable fact of the complexity of the dispersal process, patch-type dependencies of dispersal decisions modelled as emigration and immigration are usually missing in theoretical dispersal models. Here, I investigate the coevolution of patch-type dependent emigration and patch-type dependent immigration in an extended Hamilton-May model. The dispersing population inhabits a landscape structured into many patches of two types and disperses during a continuous-time season. The trait under consideration is a four dimensional vector consisting of two values for emigration probability from the patches and two values for immigration probability into the patches of each type. Using the adaptive dynamics approach I show that four qualitatively different dispersal strategies may evolve in different parameter regions, including a counterintuitive strategy, where patches of one type are fully dispersed from (emigration probability is one) but individuals nevertheless always immigrate into them during the dispersal season (immigration probability is one). I present examples of evolutionary branching in a wide parameter range, when the patches with high local death rate during the dispersal season guarantee a high expected disperser output. I find that two dispersal strategies can coexist after evolutionary branching: a strategy with full immigration only into the patches with high expected disperser output coexists with a strategy that immigrates into any patch. Stochastic simulations agree with the numerical predictions. Since evolutionary branching is also found when immigration evolves alone, the present study is adding coevolutionary constraints on the emigration traits and hence finds that the coevolution of a higher dimensional trait sometimes hinders evolutionary diversification. Copyright © 2017

Sleep Sleeping Patch

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2008-01-01

The Sleep Sleeping Patch is a new kind of external patch based on modern sleep medicine research achievements, which uses the internationally advanced transdermal therapeutic system (TTS). The Sleep Sleeping Patch transmits natural sleep inducers such as peppermint and liquorice extracts and melatonin through the skin to induce sleep. Clinical research proves that the Sleep Sleeping Patch can effectively improve insomnia and the quality of sleep. Highly effective: With the modern TTS therapy,

Evaluations of dielectric property and drug release profile of 5-FU patches based on plasma charged electrets

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, YUAN; Hejuan, LIANG; Ping, HUANG; Xiaoqiang, AN; Jian, JIANG; Lili, CUI

2018-05-01

In the present study, the electret 5-fluorouracil patch was developed, the effective surface potential, piezoelectric coefficient d 33, open-circuit thermally stimulated discharge (TSD) current spectra and shear adhesion of the patch were measured. The drug release profile of the patch was determined by using high performance liquid chromatography method. A stable potential difference which was positively dependent on the surface potential of the electret was generated on two sides of the patch. The measurements of d 33 coefficient, TSD current spectra and adhesion performance showed that the electrostatic field of the electret could cause polarization and cohesive strength decreasing of the matrix molecules, change the distribution and interaction of the drug molecules in patch, therefore to increase the release of drug from the transdermal patch.

Ultrahigh Error Threshold for Surface Codes with Biased Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Tuckett, David K.; Bartlett, Stephen D.; Flammia, Steven T.

2018-02-01

We show that a simple modification of the surface code can exhibit an enormous gain in the error correction threshold for a noise model in which Pauli Z errors occur more frequently than X or Y errors. Such biased noise, where dephasing dominates, is ubiquitous in many quantum architectures. In the limit of pure dephasing noise we find a threshold of 43.7(1)% using a tensor network decoder proposed by Bravyi, Suchara, and Vargo. The threshold remains surprisingly large in the regime of realistic noise bias ratios, for example 28.2(2)% at a bias of 10. The performance is, in fact, at or near the hashing bound for all values of the bias. The modified surface code still uses only weight-4 stabilizers on a square lattice, but merely requires measuring products of Y instead of Z around the faces, as this doubles the number of useful syndrome bits associated with the dominant Z errors. Our results demonstrate that large efficiency gains can be found by appropriately tailoring codes and decoders to realistic noise models, even under the locality constraints of topological codes.

The FLUFF code for calculating finned surface heat transfer -description and user's guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fry, C.J.

1985-08-01

FLUFF is a computer code for calculating heat transfer from finned surfaces by convection and radiation. It can also represent heat transfer by radiation to a partially emitting and absorbing medium within the fin cavity. The FLUFF code is useful not only for studying the behaviour of finned surfaces but also for deriving heat fluxes which can be applied as boundary conditions to other heat transfer codes. In this way models of bodies with finned surfaces may be greatly simplified since the fins need not be explicitly represented. (author)

Tactile detection of slip: surface microgeometry and peripheral neural codes.

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, M A; Whitehouse, J M; LaMotte, R H

1990-06-01

1. The role of the microgeometry of planar surfaces in the detection of sliding of the surfaces on human and monkey fingerpads was investigated. By the use of a servo-controlled tactile stimulator to press and stroke glass plates on passive fingerpads of human subjects, the ability of humans to discriminate the direction of skin stretch caused by friction and to detect the sliding motion (slip) of the plates with or without micrometer-sized surface features was determined. To identify the associated peripheral neural codes, evoked responses to the same stimuli were recorded from single, low-threshold mechanoreceptive afferent fibers innervating the fingerpads of anesthetized macaque monkeys. 2. Humans could not detect the slip of a smooth glass plate on the fingerpad. However, the direction of skin stretch was perceived based on the information conveyed by the slowly adapting afferents that respond differentially to the stretch directions. Whereas the direction of skin stretch signaled the direction of impending slip, the perception of relative motion between the plate and the finger required the existence of detectable surface features. 3. Barely detectable micrometer-sized protrusions on smooth surfaces led to the detection of slip of these surfaces, because of the exclusive activation of rapidly adapting fibers of either the Meissner (RA) or the Pacinian (PC) type to specific geometries of the microfeatures. The motion of a smooth plate with a very small single raised dot (4 microns high, 550 microns diam) caused the sequential activation of neighboring RAs along the dot path, thus providing a reliable spatiotemporal code. The stroking of the plate with a fine homogeneous texture composed of a matrix of dots (1 microns high, 50 microns diam, and spaced at 100 microns center-to-center) induced vibrations in the fingerpad that activated only the PCs and resulted in an intensive code. 4. The results show that surprisingly small features on smooth surfaces are

Early identification of hERG liability in drug discovery programs by automated patch clamp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timm eDanker

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Blockade of the cardiac ion channel coded by hERG can lead to cardiac arrhythmia, which has become a major concern in drug discovery and development. Automated electrophysiological patch clamp allows assessment of hERG channel effects early in drug development to aid medicinal chemistry programs and has become routine in pharmaceutical companies. However, a number of potential sources of errors in setting up hERG channel assays by automated patch clamp can lead to misinterpretation of data or false effects being reported. This article describes protocols for automated electrophysiology screening of compound effects on the hERG channel current. Protocol details and the translation of criteria known from manual patch clamp experiments to automated patch clamp experiments to achieve good quality data are emphasized. Typical pitfalls and artifacts that may lead to misinterpretation of data are discussed. While this article focuses on hERG channel recordings using the QPatch (Sophion A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark technology, many of the assay and protocol details given in this article can be transferred for setting up different ion channel assays by automated patch clamp and are similar on other planar patch clamp platforms.

A Comparison Between Jerusalem Cross and Square Patch Frequency Selective Surfaces for Low Profile Antenna Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Cure, David; Weller, Thomas; Miranda, Felix A.

2011-01-01

In this paper, a comparison between Jerusalem Cross (JC) and Square Patch (SP) based Frequency Selected Surfaces (FSS) for low profile antenna applications is presented. The comparison is aimed at understanding the performance of low profile antennas backed by high impedance surfaces. In particular, an end loaded planar open sleeve dipole (ELPOSD) antenna is examined due to the various parameters within its configuration, offering significant design flexibility and a wide operating bandwidth. Measured data of the antennas demonstrate that increasing the number of unit cells improves the fractional bandwidth. The antenna bandwidth increased from 0.8% to 1.8% and from 0.8% to 2.7% for the JC and SP structures, respectively. The number of unit cells was increased from 48 to 80 for the JC-FSS and from 24 to 48 for the SP-FSS.

Use of rivastigmine transdermal patch in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Winblad, Bengt; Machado, João Carlos

2008-12-01

Cholinesterase inhibitors such as rivastigmine and donepezil exhibit a dose-response relationship, with higher doses of the drugs demonstrating greater efficacy. Transdermal patches provide smooth continuous drug delivery, with the potential to offer efficacious levels of drug exposure while avoiding the peaks and troughs associated with side effects. As a small, lipophilic and hydrophilic molecule, rivastigmine (C14H22N2O2) is chemically well-suited to transdermal delivery. The technology underlying the rivastigmine patch allows it to be discreetly small and thin. The target dose 9.5 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch has a diameter of just 3.5 cm and a surface area of 10 cm2. A large randomized controlled trial has demonstrated that the target dose 9.5 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch provided similar efficacy to the highest rivastigmine capsule doses, yet with three times fewer reports of nausea and vomiting. Thus, the rivastigmine patch enables quick and easy access to high dose efficacy. The skin tolerability profile is good, and the patch has demonstrated excellent adhesion. The apparent success of rivastigmine patch, in terms of clinical utility and patient acceptability, suggests that it may mark the next generation of dementia treatment.

Experimental patch testing with chromium-coated materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Bregnbak, David; Thyssen, Jacob P; Jellesen, Morten S; Zachariae, Claus; Johansen, Jeanne D

2017-06-01

Chromium coatings on metal alloys can be decorative, and prevent corrosion and metal ion release. We recently showed that handling of a chromium-containing disc resulted in chromium deposition on the skin. To examine patch test reactivity to chromium-coated discs. We included 15 patients: 10 chromium-allergic patients, and 5 patients without chromium allergy. All were patch tested with potassium dichromate, cobalt chloride, nickel sulfate, and nine different metallic discs. The chromium-allergic patients were also patch tested with serial dilutions of potassium dichromate. Positive/weaker reactions were observed to disc B (1 of 10), disc C (1 of 10), and disc D, disc E, and disc I (4 of 10 each). As no controls reacted to any of the discs, the weak reactions indicate allergic reactions. Positive patch test reactions to 1770 ppm chromium(VI) in the serial dilutions of potassium dichromate were observed in 7 of 10 patients. When the case group was narrowed down to include only the patients with a current positive patch test reaction to potassium dichromate, elicitation of dermatitis by both chromium(III) and chromium(VI) discs was observed in 4 of 7 of patients. Many of the patients reacted to both chromium(III) and chromium(VI) surfaces. Our results indicate that both chromium(VI) and chromium(III) pose a risk to chromium-allergic patients. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Piper betle LEAVES EXTRACT PATCH: EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY, RELEASE PROFILE OF EUGENOL, AND LOCAL TOLERANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mufrod Mufrod

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Piper betle leaf in extract form is more effective than crude drug. Eugenol is a component in the extract that has antibacterial activity but irritate. Patch of piper betle leaf extract was used on the mucosa to make oral cavity hygiene. Antibacterial activity was influenced by the release of eugenol from the patch. Release enhancer substances (RES such as glycerin, propylen glicol and tween 80 were added in patch formulation to increase the release of active substances. The aim of the research was to investigate the physicochemical properties, eugenol release profiles, and local tolerance test of the patch. Extract of piper betle leaf was made using infundation method. Patch was made according to the variation concentration of extract (1, 2 and 4% and RES (glycerine, propylen glycol and tween 80 using chitosan as vehicle. Patch produced solvent casting method. Patch obtained was tested for swelling index, folding endurance, surface pH, antibacterial activity, release of eugenol, and local tolerance. Data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The result showed that the addition of RES did not affect the surface pH but increase the water absorption with in inconsistent way except patch with tween 80. The flexibility (folding endurance value increased, and the highest amount of eugenol released was achieved by patch using propylen glicol. Patch with tween 80 and glycerin for all extract concentration and patch with 1% extract concentration using propylen glycol showed medium sensation (local tolerance, and patch with 2 and 4% extract using propylen glycol showed severe sensation.

Polarization optics of the Brewster's dark patch visible on water surfaces versus solar height and sky conditions: theory, computer modeling, photography, and painting.

Science.gov (United States)

Takács, Péter; Barta, András; Pye, David; Horváth, Gábor

2017-10-20

When the sun is near the horizon, a circular band with approximately vertically polarized skylight is formed at 90° from the sun, and this skylight is only weakly reflected from the region of the water surface around the Brewster's angle (53° from the nadir). Thus, at low solar heights under a clear sky, an extended dark patch is visible on the water surface when one looks toward the north or south quarter perpendicular to the solar vertical. In this work, we study the radiance distribution of this so-called Brewster's dark patch (BDP) in still water as functions of the solar height and sky conditions. We calculate the pattern of reflectivity R of a water surface for a clear sky and obtain from this idealized situation the shape of the BDP. From three full-sky polarimetric pictures taken about a clear, a partly cloudy, and an overcast sky, we determine the R pattern and compose from that synthetic color pictures showing how the radiance distribution of skylight reflected at the water surface and the BDPs would look under these sky conditions. We also present photographs taken without a linearly polarizing filter about the BDP. Finally, we show a 19th century painting on which a river is seen with a dark region of the water surface, which can be interpreted as an artistic illustration of the BDP.

Localized surface plasmon resonances in gold nano-patches on a gallium nitride substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D’Antonio, Palma; Vincenzo Inchingolo, Alessio; Perna, Giuseppe; Capozzi, Vito; Stomeo, Tiziana; De Vittorio, Massimo; Magno, Giovanni; Grande, Marco; Petruzzelli, Vincenzo; D’Orazio, Antonella

2012-01-01

In this paper we describe the design, fabrication and characterization of gold nano-patches, deposited on gallium nitride substrate, acting as optical nanoantennas able to efficiently localize the electric field at the metal–dielectric interface. We analyse the performance of the proposed device, evaluating the transmission and the electric field localization by means of a three-dimensional finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. We detail the fabrication protocol and show the morphological characterization. We also investigate the near-field optical transmission by means of scanning near-field optical microscope measurements, which reveal the excitation of a localized surface plasmon resonance at a wavelength of 633 nm, as expected by the FDTD calculations. Such results highlight how the final device can pave the way for the realization of a single optical platform where the active material and the metal nanostructures are integrated together on the same chip. (paper)

Analyzing the Safeguarding Our Communities Act: Patch for Patch Return Policy in Ontario

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soo-Min Kim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Fentanyl is prescribed to patients suffering from severe chronic pain. Transdermal patches are the best mode of delivery for patients who have developed tolerance for opioids. However, used patches still contain fentanyl that can be extracted and misused, with potentially severe consequences. To address this issue, patients who are prescribed fentanyl patches in Ontario are now required to return previously dispensed patches to receive new patches under the Safeguarding Our Communities Act: Patch for Patch (P4P Return Policy. The problem is significant in Ontario because the province has the largest annual dispense rate of high-dose prescription fentanyl (112 units per 1,000 population in Canada even though the prevalence rate of chronic pain is lower than the national reported range (16.6% in Ontario versus 19.6 to 21.9% in other provinces, according to Gomes et al. 2014. The primary goal of this reform is to instill responsible use of fentanyl patches, and to improve safety for patients and the public by having a central disposal process. The reform was modeled after a community initiative that was pioneered in North Bay after receiving great support from health professional colleges and communities that voluntarily integrated the program prior to the introduction of Bill 33. Preliminary data suggest that the P4P policy is positively received by health professionals, although ongoing evaluation is needed to assess the effectiveness of the policy in reducing misuse and abuse of prescribed fentanyl patches.

Decoding small surface codes with feedforward neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Varsamopoulos, Savvas; Criger, Ben; Bertels, Koen

2018-01-01

Surface codes reach high error thresholds when decoded with known algorithms, but the decoding time will likely exceed the available time budget, especially for near-term implementations. To decrease the decoding time, we reduce the decoding problem to a classification problem that a feedforward neural network can solve. We investigate quantum error correction and fault tolerance at small code distances using neural network-based decoders, demonstrating that the neural network can generalize to inputs that were not provided during training and that they can reach similar or better decoding performance compared to previous algorithms. We conclude by discussing the time required by a feedforward neural network decoder in hardware.

Cell patch seeding and functional analysis of cellularized scaffolds for tissue engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, P R Anil [Division of Implant Biology, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695012 (India); Varma, H K [Bioceramics Laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695012 (India); Kumary, T V [Division of Implant Biology, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695012 (India)

2007-03-01

Cell seeding has a direct impact on the final structure and function of tissue constructs, especially for applications like tissue engineering and regeneration. In this study seeding cell patches retrieved from the thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) surface were used to generate in vitro tissue constructs. Porous and dense bone substitute materials were cellularized using osteoblast cells by a patch transfer and a trypsin method. The function and proliferation of cells was analyzed after 7 days of culture. The relative cell growth rate was found to be higher in cellularized porous hydroxyapatite (PHA) than in dense hydroxyapatite. Live-dead staining confirmed viable cells inside the pores of PHA. Increased alkaline phosphatase activity of cells transferred by the cell patch over the trypsin method revealed the significance of cell patch seeding. This novel method of generating tissue constructs by cell patch seeding was successful in cellularizing scaffolds with intact cell function.

Cell patch seeding and functional analysis of cellularized scaffolds for tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, P R Anil; Varma, H K; Kumary, T V

2007-01-01

Cell seeding has a direct impact on the final structure and function of tissue constructs, especially for applications like tissue engineering and regeneration. In this study seeding cell patches retrieved from the thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) surface were used to generate in vitro tissue constructs. Porous and dense bone substitute materials were cellularized using osteoblast cells by a patch transfer and a trypsin method. The function and proliferation of cells was analyzed after 7 days of culture. The relative cell growth rate was found to be higher in cellularized porous hydroxyapatite (PHA) than in dense hydroxyapatite. Live-dead staining confirmed viable cells inside the pores of PHA. Increased alkaline phosphatase activity of cells transferred by the cell patch over the trypsin method revealed the significance of cell patch seeding. This novel method of generating tissue constructs by cell patch seeding was successful in cellularizing scaffolds with intact cell function

Study on the electrostatic and piezoelectric properties of positive polypropylene electret cyclosporine A patch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, X; Liang, Y Y; Jiang, J; Liu, H Y; Cui, L L

2013-01-01

Corona charged electrets at voltages of +500 V, +1000 V and +1500 V were prepared for manufacturing polypropylene (PP) electret blank patches and PP electret drug patches. The stability of external electrostatic field of the electret patch and the polarization of the drug in patch under the internal electrostatic field of the electret were studied. The results indicate that all the electret drug patches had good charge storage stabilities. However, the non-electrode coated electret drug patch had better stability in the external electrostatic field than that of the electrode coated electret drug patch. The higher the charging voltage of the electret, the faster the surface potential of the electret drug patch decayed, and the worse the stability of the external electrostatic field. All the electrets used in this study could result in the polarization of the model drug in patch. The piezoelectric properties of non-electrode coated electret drug patch increased with the charging voltage of the electret. However, excessively higher charging voltage could result in the decreased polarization of the drug in patch. Both the stability of the external electrostatic field of electret and the polarization of drug were the key factors for controlled drug release and skin permeation.

Investigation of likely causes of white patch formation on irradiated WWER fuel rod claddings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibilashvili, Yu.K.; Velioukhanov, V.P.; Ioltoukhovski, A.Y.; Pogodin, V.P.

1999-01-01

The information concerning white patches observed on fuel cladding surfaces has been analytically treated. The analysis shows at least three kinds of the white patch appearance: bright white spots which appear to be loose corrosion product deposits disclosing corrosion pits upon spalling; indistinct streaks with separate pronounced spots 1-2 in dia. The spots seem to be thin superficial deposits; light-coloured dense uniform crud distributed over the surface of fuel claddings and fuel assembly jackets. (author)

U Patch Antenna for RFID and Wireless Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abi Saad, R.; Melhem, Z.; Nader, C.; Zaatar, Y.; Zaouk, D.

2011-01-01

in this paper, we propose a new multi-band patch antenna structure for embedded RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) readers and wireless communications. The proposed antenna is a dual band microstrip patch antenna using U-slot geometry. The operating frequencies of the proposed antenna are chosen as 2.4 and 0.9 (GHz), obtained by optimizing the physical dimensions of the U-slot. Several parameters have been investigated using Ansoft Designer software. The antenna is fed through a quarter wavelength transformer for impedance matching. An additional layer of alumina is added above the surface of the conductors to increase the performance of the antenna. (author)

Birth Control Patch

Science.gov (United States)

... Health Food & Fitness Diseases & Conditions Infections Drugs & Alcohol School & Jobs Sports Expert Answers (Q&A) Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Birth Control Patch KidsHealth / For Teens / Birth Control Patch What's ...

Granisetron Transdermal Patch

Science.gov (United States)

Granisetron transdermal patches are used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. Granisetron is in a class of medications called 5HT3 ... Granisetron transdermal comes as a patch to apply to the skin. It is usually applied 24 to ...

Non-standard patch test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Astri Adelia

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In managing contact dermatitis, identification of the causative agent is essential to prevent recurrent complaints. Patch test is the gold standard to identify the causative agent. Nowadays, there are many patch test standard materials available in the market, but do not include all the materials that potentially cause contact dermatitis. Patch test using patient’s own products or later we refer to as non-standard materials, is very helpful in identifying the causative agents of contact dermatitis. Guidance is needed in producing non-standard patch test materials in order to avoid test results discrepancy.

A surface code quantum computer in silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Charles D.; Peretz, Eldad; Hile, Samuel J.; House, Matthew G.; Fuechsle, Martin; Rogge, Sven; Simmons, Michelle Y.; Hollenberg, Lloyd C. L.

2015-01-01

The exceptionally long quantum coherence times of phosphorus donor nuclear spin qubits in silicon, coupled with the proven scalability of silicon-based nano-electronics, make them attractive candidates for large-scale quantum computing. However, the high threshold of topological quantum error correction can only be captured in a two-dimensional array of qubits operating synchronously and in parallel—posing formidable fabrication and control challenges. We present an architecture that addresses these problems through a novel shared-control paradigm that is particularly suited to the natural uniformity of the phosphorus donor nuclear spin qubit states and electronic confinement. The architecture comprises a two-dimensional lattice of donor qubits sandwiched between two vertically separated control layers forming a mutually perpendicular crisscross gate array. Shared-control lines facilitate loading/unloading of single electrons to specific donors, thereby activating multiple qubits in parallel across the array on which the required operations for surface code quantum error correction are carried out by global spin control. The complexities of independent qubit control, wave function engineering, and ad hoc quantum interconnects are explicitly avoided. With many of the basic elements of fabrication and control based on demonstrated techniques and with simulated quantum operation below the surface code error threshold, the architecture represents a new pathway for large-scale quantum information processing in silicon and potentially in other qubit systems where uniformity can be exploited. PMID:26601310

A surface code quantum computer in silicon.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Charles D; Peretz, Eldad; Hile, Samuel J; House, Matthew G; Fuechsle, Martin; Rogge, Sven; Simmons, Michelle Y; Hollenberg, Lloyd C L

2015-10-01

The exceptionally long quantum coherence times of phosphorus donor nuclear spin qubits in silicon, coupled with the proven scalability of silicon-based nano-electronics, make them attractive candidates for large-scale quantum computing. However, the high threshold of topological quantum error correction can only be captured in a two-dimensional array of qubits operating synchronously and in parallel-posing formidable fabrication and control challenges. We present an architecture that addresses these problems through a novel shared-control paradigm that is particularly suited to the natural uniformity of the phosphorus donor nuclear spin qubit states and electronic confinement. The architecture comprises a two-dimensional lattice of donor qubits sandwiched between two vertically separated control layers forming a mutually perpendicular crisscross gate array. Shared-control lines facilitate loading/unloading of single electrons to specific donors, thereby activating multiple qubits in parallel across the array on which the required operations for surface code quantum error correction are carried out by global spin control. The complexities of independent qubit control, wave function engineering, and ad hoc quantum interconnects are explicitly avoided. With many of the basic elements of fabrication and control based on demonstrated techniques and with simulated quantum operation below the surface code error threshold, the architecture represents a new pathway for large-scale quantum information processing in silicon and potentially in other qubit systems where uniformity can be exploited.

Patch Test Negative Generalized Dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiker, Alison; Mowad, Christen

2016-01-01

Allergic contact dermatitis is a common condition in dermatology. Patch testing is the criterion standard for diagnosis. However, dermatitis is not always caused by an allergen, and patch testing does not identify a culprit in every patient. Generalized dermatitis, defined as eczematous dermatitis affecting greater than 3 body sites, is often encountered in dermatology practice, especially patch test referral centers. Management for patients with generalized dermatitis who are patch test negative is challenging. The purpose of this article is to outline an approach to this challenging scenario and summarize the paucity of existing literature on patch test negative generalized dermatitis.

Temporal code in the vibrissal system-Part II: Roughness surface discrimination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farfan, F D [Departamento de BioingenierIa, FACET, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, INSIBIO - CONICET, CC 327, Postal Code CP 4000 (Argentina); AlbarracIn, A L [Catedra de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman (Argentina); Felice, C J [Departamento de BioingenierIa, FACET, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, INSIBIO - CONICET, CC 327, Postal Code CP 4000 (Argentina)

2007-11-15

Previous works have purposed hypotheses about the neural code of the tactile system in the rat. One of them is based on the physical characteristics of vibrissae, such as frequency of resonance; another is based on discharge patterns on the trigeminal ganglion. In this work, the purpose is to find a temporal code analyzing the afferent signals of two vibrissal nerves while vibrissae sweep surfaces of different roughness. Two levels of pressure were used between the vibrissa and the contact surface. We analyzed the afferent discharge of DELTA and GAMMA vibrissal nerves. The vibrissae movements were produced using electrical stimulation of the facial nerve. The afferent signals were analyzed using an event detection algorithm based on Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT). The algorithm was able to detect events of different duration. The inter-event times detected were calculated for each situation and represented in box plot. This work allowed establishing the existence of a temporal code at peripheral level.

Temporal code in the vibrissal system-Part II: Roughness surface discrimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farfan, F D; AlbarracIn, A L; Felice, C J

2007-01-01

Previous works have purposed hypotheses about the neural code of the tactile system in the rat. One of them is based on the physical characteristics of vibrissae, such as frequency of resonance; another is based on discharge patterns on the trigeminal ganglion. In this work, the purpose is to find a temporal code analyzing the afferent signals of two vibrissal nerves while vibrissae sweep surfaces of different roughness. Two levels of pressure were used between the vibrissa and the contact surface. We analyzed the afferent discharge of DELTA and GAMMA vibrissal nerves. The vibrissae movements were produced using electrical stimulation of the facial nerve. The afferent signals were analyzed using an event detection algorithm based on Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT). The algorithm was able to detect events of different duration. The inter-event times detected were calculated for each situation and represented in box plot. This work allowed establishing the existence of a temporal code at peripheral level

Flexible and Stretchable Microneedle Patches with Integrated Rigid Stainless Steel Microneedles for Transdermal Biointerfacing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajabi, Mina; Roxhed, Niclas; Shafagh, Reza Zandi; Haraldson, Tommy; Fischer, Andreas Christin; Wijngaart, Wouter van der; Stemme, Göran; Niklaus, Frank

2016-01-01

This paper demonstrates flexible and stretchable microneedle patches that combine soft and flexible base substrates with hard and sharp stainless steel microneedles. An elastomeric polymer base enables conformal contact between the microneedle patch and the complex topography and texture of the underlying skin, while robust and sharp stainless steel microneedles reliably pierce the outer layers of the skin. The flexible microneedle patches have been realized by magnetically assembling short stainless steel microneedles into a flexible polymer supporting base. In our experimental investigation, the microneedle patches were applied to human skin and an excellent adaptation of the patch to the wrinkles and deformations of the skin was verified, while at the same time the microneedles reliably penetrate the surface of the skin. The unobtrusive flexible and stretchable microneedle patches have great potential for transdermal biointerfacing in a variety of emerging applications such as transdermal drug delivery, bioelectric treatments and wearable bio-electronics for health and fitness monitoring.

Debonding Patch Detection in FRP-Strengthened Materials with Fiber-Optic Interferometer

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xu Ying; Wang Dexiang; Tang Tianyou; Lu Miaomiao

2017-01-01

The interfacial debonding in fiber-reinforced plastic(FRP) strengthened repair material will affect the bonding strength and lead to failure of the repair without warning.Unfortunately the interfacial damage is normally invisible and often in the form of a patch rather than a through-width crack.Therefore,a debonding patch detection technique based on fiber optic interferometry is proposed.A quasi impulse loading is applied with a rubberhead hammer and the total elongation of a surface mounted optical fiber along the length of the repair material is measured as a function of load position.When a debonding patch is present,the induced sudden slope or sign change on the plot of fiber integral strain v.s.load position will reveal the extent and the location of the debonded area.The results of the study indicate that the proposed technique is applicable for debonding patch detection in repaired members under various support conditions.

Transparent Patch Antenna on a-Si Thin Film Glass Solar Module

OpenAIRE

Roo Ons, Maria; Shynu, S.; Ammann, Max; McCormack, Sarah; Norton, Brian

2011-01-01

An optically transparent microstrip patch mounted on the surface of a commercially available solar module is proposed. The patch comprises a thin sheet of clear polyester with a conductive coating. The amorphous silicon solar cells in the module are used as both photovoltaic generator and antenna ground plane. The proposed structure provides a peak gain of 3.96 dBi in the 3.4-3.8 GHz range without significantly compromising the light transmission in the module. A comparison between copper and...

Formulation of Bilayer Benzydamine HCl Patch Targeted For Gingivitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piyush Sanghai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study bilayer patch of benzydamine HCl was developed using solvent casting method. Different substrates were attempted like Petri dish, glass-and-ring, and teflon-and-ring for selection of the proper option to formulate patch that should give easily peelable film with adequate mechanical properties. HPMC E15 LV was used in different concentrations for obtaining proper viscosity of solution for pouring on to surface and ring, that it should not leak from ring. The second layer was optimized by using different polymer like eudragit RSPO, eudragit RSPO + EC, and eudragit NE30 D for efficient layer bonding. The minimum release from backing membrane was established by diffusion study as compared to from drug loaded layer. The optimized batches were evaluated for folding endurance, weight variation, thickness, drug content, drug release, tensile strength, layer separation, mucoadhesion, moisture uptake, and layer bonding. The novel gingival patch of benzydamine HCl developed would be beneficial in optimizing the therapy.

Patch-augmented rotator cuff repair: influence of the patch fixation technique on primary biomechanical stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Christian; Spreiter, Gregor; Audigé, Laurent; Ferguson, Stephen J; Flury, Matthias

2016-05-01

There is an ongoing debate about the potential of patch augmentation to improve biomechanical stability and healing associated with rotator cuff repair. The biomechanical properties of three different patch-augmented rotator cuff repair techniques were assessed in vitro and compared with a standard repair. Dermal collagen patch augmentation may increase the primary stability and strength of the repaired tendon in vitro, depending on the technique used for patch application. Forty cadaveric sheep shoulders with dissected infraspinatus tendons were randomized into four groups (n = 10/group) for tendon repair using a knotless double-row suture anchor technique. A xenologous dermal extracellular matrix patch was used for augmentation in the three test groups using an "integrated", "cover", or "hybrid" technique. Tendons were preconditioned, cyclically loaded from 10 to 30 N at 1 Hz, and then loaded monotonically to failure. Biomechanical properties and the mode of failure were evaluated. Patch augmentation significantly increased the maximum load at failure by 61 % in the "cover" technique test group (225.8 N) and 51 % in the "hybrid" technique test group (211.4 N) compared with the non-augmented control group (140.2 N) (P ≤ 0.015). For the test group with "integrated" patch augmentation, the load at failure was 28 % lower (101.6 N) compared with the control group (P = 0.043). There was no significant difference in initial and linear stiffness among the four experimental groups. The most common mode of failure was tendon pullout. No anchor dislocation, patch disruption or knot breakage was observed. Additional patch augmentation with a collagen patch influences the biomechanical properties of a rotator cuff repair in a cadaveric sheep model. Primary repair stability can be significantly improved depending on the augmentation technique.

Development of radiolabelled compound using reactor produced RI - Development of Ho-166 skin patch for treatment of skin cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Kyung Bae [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea); Ryu, Jei Man [Dong Wha Pharm. Ind. Co., Ltd., Seoul (Korea)

1999-04-01

A radioactive patch which can be treat the skin cancer by direct irradiation was prepared by blending Ho(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}, 5H{sub 2}O and polyurethane(PU) and then irradiating with neutron in the nuclear reactor. The blend formation of the film was fonfirmed by FT-IR. Degree of the distribution of holmium and solvent in remaining in the film was determined. Physical properties of the film by thermal analysis, mechanical measurement and surface analysis were characterized, respectively. To evaluate efficacy of the patch, it was applied to the tumor surface of the hairlessmous. Until 6 weeks of the patch treatment 7 mice with skin tumor were cured totally (7/13). And the other nuclear except for holmium was in patch was not detected. Furthermore, the patch was stable at room temperature, 40 deg C and 60 deg C. (author). 17 refs., 13 figs., 9 tabs.

Patch near-field acoustic holography: The influence of acoustic contributions from outside the source

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandez Grande, Efren; Jacobsen, Finn; Zhang, Yong-Bin

2009-01-01

It is a requirement of conventional Near-field Acoustic Holography that the measurement area covers the entire surface of the source. In the case of Patch Near-field Acoustic Holography (patch NAH), the measurement area can be reduced to cover only a specific area of the source which...... is of particular interest (known as the “patch” or “source patch”). The area of the source beyond this patch is not of interest in the analysis. However, its acoustic output may nevertheless contribute to the total sound field in the measurement plane, and influence the reconstruction of the field close...... to the patch. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the acoustic radiation from outside the patch area influences the reconstruction of the sound field close to the source. The reconstruction is based on simulated measurements of sound pressure and particle velocity. The methods used in this paper...

Transdermal patches: history, development and pharmacology

Science.gov (United States)

Pastore, Michael N; Kalia, Yogeshvar N; Horstmann, Michael; Roberts, Michael S

2015-01-01

Transdermal patches are now widely used as cosmetic, topical and transdermal delivery systems. These patches represent a key outcome from the growth in skin science, technology and expertise developed through trial and error, clinical observation and evidence-based studies that date back to the first existing human records. This review begins with the earliest topical therapies and traces topical delivery to the present-day transdermal patches, describing along the way the initial trials, devices and drug delivery systems that underpin current transdermal patches and their actives. This is followed by consideration of the evolution in the various patch designs and their limitations as well as requirements for actives to be used for transdermal delivery. The properties of and issues associated with the use of currently marketed products, such as variability, safety and regulatory aspects, are then described. The review concludes by examining future prospects for transdermal patches and drug delivery systems, such as the combination of active delivery systems with patches, minimally invasive microneedle patches and cutaneous solutions, including metered-dose systems. PMID:25560046

Method optimization of ocular patches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamalesh Upreti

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The intraocular patches were prepared using gelatin as the polymer. Ocular patch were prepared by solvent casting method. The patches were prepared for six formulations GP1, GP2, GP3, GP4, GP5 and GP6. Petri dishes were used for formulation of ocular patch. Gelatin was used as a polymer of choice. Glutaraldehyde used as cross linking agent and (DMSO dimethylsulfoxide used as solubility enhancer. The elasticity depends upon the concentration of gelatin. 400 mg amount of polymer i.e gelatin gave the required elasticity for the formulation.

GAMER: A GRAPHIC PROCESSING UNIT ACCELERATED ADAPTIVE-MESH-REFINEMENT CODE FOR ASTROPHYSICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schive, H.-Y.; Tsai, Y.-C.; Chiueh Tzihong

2010-01-01

We present the newly developed code, GPU-accelerated Adaptive-MEsh-Refinement code (GAMER), which adopts a novel approach in improving the performance of adaptive-mesh-refinement (AMR) astrophysical simulations by a large factor with the use of the graphic processing unit (GPU). The AMR implementation is based on a hierarchy of grid patches with an oct-tree data structure. We adopt a three-dimensional relaxing total variation diminishing scheme for the hydrodynamic solver and a multi-level relaxation scheme for the Poisson solver. Both solvers have been implemented in GPU, by which hundreds of patches can be advanced in parallel. The computational overhead associated with the data transfer between the CPU and GPU is carefully reduced by utilizing the capability of asynchronous memory copies in GPU, and the computing time of the ghost-zone values for each patch is diminished by overlapping it with the GPU computations. We demonstrate the accuracy of the code by performing several standard test problems in astrophysics. GAMER is a parallel code that can be run in a multi-GPU cluster system. We measure the performance of the code by performing purely baryonic cosmological simulations in different hardware implementations, in which detailed timing analyses provide comparison between the computations with and without GPU(s) acceleration. Maximum speed-up factors of 12.19 and 10.47 are demonstrated using one GPU with 4096 3 effective resolution and 16 GPUs with 8192 3 effective resolution, respectively.

Patch photopatch test at Manipal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panja Arindrajit

1994-01-01

Full Text Available Patch and photopatch testing was performed on 55 patients with history of photosensitivity using Scandanavian photo patch test antigens obtained from Chemotechnique Diagnostics AB Sweden. The commonest reactions were seen to perfume mix 4 (21.0%, PABA 3 (15.78%, promethazine hydrochloride 3 (15.78%, chlorpromazine hydrochloride 3 (15.78%, balsam of peru 2 (10.52%, usnic acid, hexachlorophane, musk ambrette and 6 methyl coumarin showed 1 positive reaction each (5.26% suggesting either phototoxicity or photo sensitization. Patch and photo patch test positive reaction suggesting allergic sensitisation was seen to balsam of peru 3 (23.0% perfume mix 3 (23.0% promethazine hydrochloride 2 (15.3% and PABA, 6 methyl coumarin, tribromosalicylanilide, atranorin and wood mix showed positive reaction in one case each (7.69%. We conclude that photoxic or photo allergic reaction is a problem in India and patch photo patch test should be performed in all cases of idiopathic light eruptions to rule out photo sensitisation and in cases where photo sensitivity of exogenous origin is suspected.

use of the RESRAD-BUILD code to calculate building surface contamination limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faillace, E.R.; LePoire, D.; Yu, C.

1996-01-01

Surface contamination limits in buildings were calculated for 226 Ra, 230 Th, 232 Th, and natural uranium on the basis of 1 mSv y -1 (100 mrem y -1 ) dose limit. The RESRAD-BUILD computer code was used to calculate these limits for two scenarios: building occupancy and building renovation. RESRAD-BUILD is a pathway analysis model designed to evaluate the potential radiological dose incurred by individuals working or living inside a building contaminated with radioactive material. Six exposure pathways are considered in the RESRAD-BUILD code: (1) external exposure directly from the source; (2) external exposure from materials deposited on the floor; (3) external exposure due to air submersion; (4) inhalation of airborne radioactive particles; (5) inhalation of aerosol indoor radon progeny; and (6) inadvertent ingestion of radioactive material, either directly from the sources or from materials deposited on the surfaces. The code models point, line, area, and volume sources and calculates the effects of radiation shielding, building ventilation, and ingrowth of radioactive decay products. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine how variations in input parameters would affect the surface contamination limits. In most cases considered, inhalation of airborne radioactive particles was the primary exposure pathway. However, the direct external exposure contribution from surfaces contaminated with 226 Ra was in some cases the dominant pathway for building occupancy depending on the room size, ventilation rates, and surface release fractions. The surface contamination limits are most restrictive for 232 Th, followed by 230 Th, natural uranium, and 226 Ra. The results are compared with the surface contamination limits in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Regulatory Guide 1.86, which are most restrictive for 226 Ra and 230 Th, followed by 232 Th, and are least restrictive for natural uranium

Patch size has no effect on insect visitation rate per unit area in garden-scale flower patches

Science.gov (United States)

Garbuzov, Mihail; Madsen, Andy; Ratnieks, Francis L. W.

2015-01-01

Previous studies investigating the effect of flower patch size on insect flower visitation rate have compared relatively large patches (10-1000s m2) and have generally found a negative relationship per unit area or per flower. Here, we investigate the effects of patch size on insect visitation in patches of smaller area (range c. 0.1-3.1 m2), which are of particular relevance to ornamental flower beds in parks and gardens. We studied two common garden plant species in full bloom with 6 patch sizes each: borage (Borago officinalis) and lavender (Lavandula × intermedia 'Grosso'). We quantified flower visitation by insects by making repeated counts of the insects foraging at each patch. On borage, all insects were honey bees (Apis mellifera, n = 5506 counts). On lavender, insects (n = 737 counts) were bumble bees (Bombus spp., 76.9%), flies (Diptera, 22.4%), and butterflies (Lepidoptera, 0.7%). On both plant species we found positive linear effects of patch size on insect numbers. However, there was no effect of patch size on the number of insects per unit area or per flower and, on lavender, for all insects combined or only bumble bees. The results show that it is possible to make unbiased comparisons of the attractiveness of plant species or varieties to flower-visiting insects using patches of different size within the small scale range studied and make possible projects aimed at comparing ornamental plant varieties using existing garden flower patches of variable area.

Biocide patch tests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Veien, Niels

1985-01-01

Routine patch testing with a series of 6 industrial biocides containing methylene-bis-thiocyanate (Cytox 3522), benzisothiazolin-3-one (BIT), chlorocresol (Preventol CMK), 2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (Kathon 893), polyhydroxymethylene monobenzylether (Preventol D2) or 1,3,5-tris (hydroxy......-ethyl) hexahydrotriazine (Grotan BK) was carried out in 6 Danish out-patient clinics to evaluate guinea pig allergy test results with the same compounds. A total of 1652 consecutive patients with dermatitis were tested. The usefulness of this patch test battery was limited. There were a few positive reactions to Cytox...... of male patients and atopics, but significant differences in the frequencies of occupational cases, hand eczemas, and leg ulcers/stasis dermatitis, indicating possible variations in referral patterns, use of patch tests, and/or environmental factors....

Effect of photonic crystal and frequency selective surface implementation on gain enhancement in the microstrip patch antenna at terahertz frequency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nejati, Ameneh, E-mail: ameneh.nejati@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sadeghzadeh, Ramezan Ali [Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, K.N Toosi University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Geran, Fatemeh [Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-09-15

In this paper, microstrip patch antenna with frequency selective surface (FSS) and photonic band gap (PBG) structures in the frequency range of 0.5–0.7 THz is presented for wireless communications. Proposed patch antenna is designed on a substrate with uniform and non-uniform PBG structures. Here, the effects of substrate thickness, various radii and arrangement of holes on antenna resonance in both PBG forms are studied. Near zero characteristic on uniform and non-uniform PBG substrate is compared and the results show that along with increase in hole radius, antenna operating frequency and bandwidth are increased. Also, the FSS structure is designed as a perfect absorber. Finally, by using FSS and PBG structures simultaneously, gain enhancement, increase in directivity and pattern shaping are studied at THz field. The antenna gain in final structure is increased by 2 dBi (32%) in comparison to simple form and Half-Power beam width is reduced from 100°×80° in simple form to 72°×48° by using FSS and PBG. All simulations and designs are done by Ansoft HFSS and CST Microwave Studio simulation tools with different full wave methods.

A nucleation theory of cell surface capping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coutsias, E.A.; Wester, M.J.; Perelson, A.S.

1997-01-01

We propose a new theory of cell surface capping based on the principles of nucleation. When antibody interacts with cell surface molecules, the molecules initially form small aggregates called patches that later coalesce into a large aggregate called a cap. While a cap can form by patches being pulled together by action of the cell''s cytoskeleton, in the case of some molecules, disruption of the cytoskeleton does not prevent cap formation. Diffusion of large aggregates on a cell surface is slow, and thus we propose that a cap can form solely through the diffusion of small aggregates containing just one or a few cell surface molecules. Here we consider the extreme case in which single molecules are mobile, but aggregates of all larger sizes are immobile. We show that a set of patches in equilibrium with a open-quotes seaclose quotes of free cell surface molecules can undergo a nucleation-type phase transition in which the largest patch will bind free cell surface molecules, deplete the concentration of such molecules in the open-quotes seaclose quotes and thus cause the other patches to shrink in size. We therefore show that a cap can form without patches having to move, collide with each other, and aggregate

Collection of analytes from microneedle patches.

Science.gov (United States)

Romanyuk, Andrey V; Zvezdin, Vasiliy N; Samant, Pradnya; Grenader, Mark I; Zemlyanova, Marina; Prausnitz, Mark R

2014-11-04

Clinical medicine and public health would benefit from simplified acquisition of biological samples from patients that can be easily obtained at point of care, in the field, and by patients themselves. Microneedle patches are designed to serve this need by collecting dermal interstitial fluid containing biomarkers without the dangers, pain, or expertise needed to collect blood. This study presents novel methods to collect biomarker analytes from microneedle patches for analysis by integration into conventional analytical laboratory microtubes and microplates. Microneedle patches were made out of cross-linked hydrogel composed of poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) and poly(ethylene glycol) prepared by micromolding. Microneedle patches were shown to swell with water up to 50-fold in volume, depending on degree of polymer cross-linking, and to collect interstitial fluid from the skin of rats. To collect analytes from microneedle patches, the patches were mounted within the cap of microcentrifuge tubes or formed the top of V-bottom multiwell microplates, and fluid was collected in the bottom of the tubes under gentle centrifugation. In another method, microneedle patches were attached to form the bottom of multiwell microplates, thereby enabling in situ analysis. The simplicity of biological sample acquisition using microneedle patches coupled with the simplicity of analyte collection from microneedles patches integrated into conventional analytical equipment could broaden the reach of future screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of biomarkers in healthcare and environmental/workplace settings.

Structured Light Based 3d Scanning for Specular Surface by the Combination of Gray Code and Phase Shifting

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yujia; Yilmaz, Alper

2016-06-01

Surface reconstruction using coded structured light is considered one of the most reliable techniques for high-quality 3D scanning. With a calibrated projector-camera stereo system, a light pattern is projected onto the scene and imaged by the camera. Correspondences between projected and recovered patterns are computed in the decoding process, which is used to generate 3D point cloud of the surface. However, the indirect illumination effects on the surface, such as subsurface scattering and interreflections, will raise the difficulties in reconstruction. In this paper, we apply maximum min-SW gray code to reduce the indirect illumination effects of the specular surface. We also analysis the errors when comparing the maximum min-SW gray code and the conventional gray code, which justifies that the maximum min-SW gray code has significant superiority to reduce the indirect illumination effects. To achieve sub-pixel accuracy, we project high frequency sinusoidal patterns onto the scene simultaneously. But for specular surface, the high frequency patterns are susceptible to decoding errors. Incorrect decoding of high frequency patterns will result in a loss of depth resolution. Our method to resolve this problem is combining the low frequency maximum min-SW gray code and the high frequency phase shifting code, which achieves dense 3D reconstruction for specular surface. Our contributions include: (i) A complete setup of the structured light based 3D scanning system; (ii) A novel combination technique of the maximum min-SW gray code and phase shifting code. First, phase shifting decoding with sub-pixel accuracy. Then, the maximum min-SW gray code is used to resolve the ambiguity resolution. According to the experimental results and data analysis, our structured light based 3D scanning system enables high quality dense reconstruction of scenes with a small number of images. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons are performed to extract the advantages of our new

Electrostatic attraction between overall neutral surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Adar, Ram M; Andelman, David; Diamant, Haim

2016-08-01

Two overall neutral surfaces with positively and negatively charged domains ("patches") have been shown in recent experiments to exhibit long-range attraction when immersed in an ionic solution. Motivated by the experiments, we calculate analytically the osmotic pressure between such surfaces within the Poisson-Boltzmann framework, using a variational principle for the surface-averaged free energy. The electrostatic potential, calculated beyond the linear Debye-Hückel theory, yields an overall attraction at large intersurface separations, over a wide range of the system's controlled length scales. In particular, the attraction is stronger and occurs at smaller separations for surface patches of larger size and charge density. In this large patch limit, we find that the attraction-repulsion crossover separation is inversely proportional to the square of the patch-charge density and to the Debye screening length.

Edge of polar cap patches

Science.gov (United States)

Hosokawa, K.; Taguchi, S.; Ogawa, Y.

2016-04-01

On the night of 4 December 2013, a sequence of polar cap patches was captured by an all-sky airglow imager (ASI) in Longyearbyen, Norway (78.1°N, 15.5°E). The 630.0 nm airglow images from the ASI of 4 second exposure time, oversampled the emission of natural lifetime (with quenching) of at least ˜30 sec, introduce no observational blurring effects. By using such high-quality ASI images, we succeeded in visualizing an asymmetry in the gradients between the leading/trailing edges of the patches in a 2-D fashion. The gradient in the leading edge was found to be 2-3 times steeper than that in the trailing edge. We also identified fingerlike structures, appearing only along the trailing edge of the patches, whose horizontal scale size ranged from 55 to 210 km. These fingers are considered to be manifestations of plasma structuring through the gradient-drift instability (GDI), which is known to occur only along the trailing edge of patches. That is, the current 2-D observations visualized, for the first time, how GDI stirs the patch plasma and such a mixing process makes the trailing edge more gradual. This result strongly implies a close connection between the GDI-driven plasma stirring and the asymmetry in the large-scale shape of patches and then suggests that the fingerlike structures can be used as markers to estimate the fine-scale structure in the plasma flow within patches.

Reinforcement of a plate weakened by multiple holes with several patches for different types of plate-patch attachment

KAUST Repository

Zemlyanova, A.

2014-01-24

The most general situation of the reinforcement of a plate with multiple holes by several patches is considered. There is no restriction on the number and the location of the patches. Two types of patch attachment are considered: only along the boundary of the patch or both along the boundary of the patch and the boundaries of the holes which this patch covers. The unattached boundaries of the holes may be loaded with given in-plane stresses. The mechanical problem is reduced to a system of singular integral equations which can be further reduced to a system of Fredholm equations. A new numerical procedure for the solution of the system of singular integral equations is proposed in this paper. It is demonstrated on numerical examples that this procedure has advantages in the case of multiple patches and holes and allows achievement of better numerical convergence with less computational effort.

DEA deformed stretchable patch antenna

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, X-J; Jalali Mazlouman, S; Menon, C; Mahanfar, A; Vaughan, R G

2012-01-01

A stretchable patch antenna (SPA) whose frequency is tuned by a planar dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) is presented in this paper. This mechanically reconfigurable antenna system has a configuration resembling a pre-stretched silicone belt. Part of the belt is embedded with a layer of conductive liquid metal to form the patch antenna. Part of the belt is sandwiched between conductive electrodes to form the DEA. Electrical activation of the DEA results in a contraction of the patch antenna, and as a result, in a variation of its resonance frequency. Design and fabrication steps of this system are presented. Measurement results for deformation, resonance frequency variation and efficiency of the patch antenna are also presented. (paper)

Patching. Restitching business portfolios in dynamic markets.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenhardt, K M; Brown, S L

1999-01-01

In turbulent markets, businesses and opportunities are constantly falling out of alignment. New technologies and emerging markets create fresh opportunities. Converging markets produce more. And of course, some markets fade. In this landscape of continuous flux, it's more important to build corporate-level strategic processes that enable dynamic repositioning than it is to build any particular defensible position. That's why smart corporate strategists use patching, a process of mapping and remapping business units to create a shifting mix of highly focused, tightly aligned businesses that can respond to changing market opportunities. Patching is not just another name for reorganizing; patchers have a distinctive mindset. Traditional managers see structure as stable; patching managers believe structure is inherently temporary. Traditional managers set corporate strategy first, but patching managers keep the organization focused on the right set of business opportunities and let strategy emerge from individual businesses. Although the focus of patching is flexibility, the process itself follows a pattern. Patching changes are usually small in scale and made frequently. Patching should be done quickly; the emphasis is on getting the patch about right and fixing problems later. Patches should have a test drive before they're formalized but then be tightly scripted after they've been announced. And patching won't work without the right infrastructure: modular business units, fine-grained and complete unit-level metrics, and companywide compensation parity. The authors illustrate how patching works and point out some common stumbling blocks.

FuncPatch: a web server for the fast Bayesian inference of conserved functional patches in protein 3D structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yi-Fei; Golding, G Brian

2015-02-15

A number of statistical phylogenetic methods have been developed to infer conserved functional sites or regions in proteins. Many methods, e.g. Rate4Site, apply the standard phylogenetic models to infer site-specific substitution rates and totally ignore the spatial correlation of substitution rates in protein tertiary structures, which may reduce their power to identify conserved functional patches in protein tertiary structures when the sequences used in the analysis are highly similar. The 3D sliding window method has been proposed to infer conserved functional patches in protein tertiary structures, but the window size, which reflects the strength of the spatial correlation, must be predefined and is not inferred from data. We recently developed GP4Rate to solve these problems under the Bayesian framework. Unfortunately, GP4Rate is computationally slow. Here, we present an intuitive web server, FuncPatch, to perform a fast approximate Bayesian inference of conserved functional patches in protein tertiary structures. Both simulations and four case studies based on empirical data suggest that FuncPatch is a good approximation to GP4Rate. However, FuncPatch is orders of magnitudes faster than GP4Rate. In addition, simulations suggest that FuncPatch is potentially a useful tool complementary to Rate4Site, but the 3D sliding window method is less powerful than FuncPatch and Rate4Site. The functional patches predicted by FuncPatch in the four case studies are supported by experimental evidence, which corroborates the usefulness of FuncPatch. The software FuncPatch is freely available at the web site, http://info.mcmaster.ca/yifei/FuncPatch golding@mcmaster.ca Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Influence of habitat quality, population size, patch size, and connectivity on patch-occupancy dynamics of the middle spotted woodpecker.

Science.gov (United States)

Robles, Hugo; Ciudad, Carlos

2012-04-01

Despite extensive research on the effects of habitat fragmentation, the ecological mechanisms underlying colonization and extinction processes are poorly known, but knowledge of these mechanisms is essential to understanding the distribution and persistence of populations in fragmented habitats. We examined these mechanisms through multiseason occupancy models that elucidated patch-occupancy dynamics of Middle Spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopos medius) in northwestern Spain. The number of occupied patches was relatively stable from 2000 to 2010 (15-24% of 101 patches occupied every year) because extinction was balanced by recolonization. Larger and higher quality patches (i.e., higher density of oaks >37 cm dbh [diameter at breast height]) were more likely to be occupied. Habitat quality (i.e., density of large oaks) explained more variation in patch colonization and extinction than did patch size and connectivity, which were both weakly associated with probabilities of turnover. Patches of higher quality were more likely to be colonized than patches of lower quality. Populations in high-quality patches were less likely to become extinct. In addition, extinction in a patch was strongly associated with local population size but not with patch size, which means the latter may not be a good surrogate of population size in assessments of extinction probability. Our results suggest that habitat quality may be a primary driver of patch-occupancy dynamics and may increase the accuracy of models of population survival. We encourage comparisons of competing models that assess occupancy, colonization, and extinction probabilities in a single analytical framework (e.g., dynamic occupancy models) so as to shed light on the association of habitat quality and patch geometry with colonization and extinction processes in different settings and species. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

PATIENTS' KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICAL PATCHES IN HUNGARY.

Science.gov (United States)

Somogyi, Orsolya; Zelko, Romana

2016-11-01

Transdermal therapy with medical patches is a simple possibility in home medication. As the correct use of patches has a decisive impact from the point of its modulator effect.A questionnaire survey was developed to explore level of patients' knowledge of the correct use of transdermal patches. A survey was administered in thirteen Hungarian community pharmacies from October of 2012 to May of 2015. Most of the participants, men and women over 18 years of age (n = 233), used major analgesic patches (fentanyl); the remainder were given nitroglycerin, NSAID analgesics patches during the survey. For the hypothesis testing it was assumed that men were more likely to use a razor for skin depilation before patch application than women as their denser pelage hinders patch adhesion. The hypothesis testing showed no significant gender difference in razor use (X² = 0.201; p = 0.654). Pharmacists should direct patients to avoid using soap for skin cleansing before patch application because only 22 percent of the participants always avoided its use. Since only 9 tests were flawless from 233 completed questionnaires. Many patients do not understand how to correctly apply a transdermal dosage patch. Pharmacists should teach their correct application based on results.

Streamlining of plant patches in streams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kaj Sand; Pedersen, Morten Lauge

2008-01-01

. Sediment elevation within patches (avg. 4.1 cm) increased significantly with patch length, but did not differ between unstable sand or more stable coarse sediment for the same patch length. Shape of canopy and root area did not change significantly with sediment type. 4. Pressure drag on the canopy...

Riverine Landscape Patch Heterogeneity Drives Riparian Ant Assemblages in the Scioto River Basin, USA.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paradzayi Tagwireyi

Full Text Available Although the principles of landscape ecology are increasingly extended to include riverine landscapes, explicit applications are few. We investigated associations between patch heterogeneity and riparian ant assemblages at 12 riverine landscapes of the Scioto River, Ohio, USA, that represent urban/developed, agricultural, and mixed (primarily forested, but also wetland, grassland/fallow, and exurban land-use settings. Using remotely-sensed and ground-collected data, we delineated riverine landscape patch types (crop, grass/herbaceous, gravel, lawn, mudflat, open water, shrub, swamp, and woody vegetation, computed patch metrics (area, density, edge, richness, and shape, and conducted coordinated sampling of surface-active Formicidae assemblages. Ant density and species richness was lower in agricultural riverine landscapes than at mixed or developed reaches (measured using S [total number of species], but not using Menhinick's Index [DM], whereas ant diversity (using the Berger-Park Index [DBP] was highest in agricultural reaches. We found no differences in ant density, richness, or diversity among internal riverine landscape patches. However, certain characteristics of patches influenced ant communities. Patch shape and density were significant predictors of richness (S: R2 = 0.72; DM: R2=0.57. Patch area, edge, and shape emerged as important predictors of DBP (R2 = 0.62 whereas patch area, edge, and density were strongly related to ant density (R2 = 0.65. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and analysis of similarities distinguished ant assemblage composition in grass and swamp patches from crop, gravel, lawn, and shrub as well as ant assemblages in woody vegetation patches from crop, lawn, and gravel (stress = 0.18, R2 = 0.64. These findings lend insight into the utility of landscape ecology to river science by providing evidence that spatial habitat patterns within riverine landscapes can influence assemblage characteristics of riparian

Design and in vivo evaluation of a patch system based on thiolated polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyer, Herbert; Greindl, Melanie; Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas

2009-02-01

A new oral patch delivery system has been designed to increase the overall oral bioavailability of drugs within the gastrointestinal tract. The patch system consists of four layered films: a mucoadhesive matrix layer, a water insoluble backing layer, a middle layer and an enteric surface layer. The separation layer between the two matrix layers contained lactose, starch and confectioners' sugar. The matrix layer, exhibiting a diameter of 2.5 mm and a weight of 5 mg, comprised Polycarbophil-cysteine conjugate (49%), fluoresceine isothiocyanate-dextran (26%), glutathione (5%), and mannitol (20%). A standard tablet formulation consisting of the same matrix served as control. Entire fluoresceine isothiocyanate-dextran (FD(4)) was released from the delivery system within 2 h. For in vivo studies patch systems were administered orally to male Sprague-Dawley rats. Maximum FD(4) concentration in blood of the patch system was 46.1 +/- 8.9 ng/mL and was reached 3 h after administration. In contrast c(max) of control tablets displayed 50.5 +/- 14.9 ng/mL after 2 h and the absorption of FD(4) after administration in oral solution was negligible. The absolute bioavailability of orally administered patch systems and control tablets was 0.54% and 0.32% respectively. Results of this study indicate that a prolonged and higher oral bioavailability of FD(4) is obtained with patches than with tablets.

Sub-Patch Roughness in Earthquake Rupture Investigations

KAUST Repository

Zielke, Olaf; Mai, Paul Martin

2016-01-01

Fault geometric complexities exhibit fractal characteristics over a wide range of spatial scales (<µm to >km) and strongly affect the rupture process at corresponding scales. Numerical rupture simulations provide a framework to quantitatively investigate the relationship between a fault's roughness and its seismic characteristics. Fault discretization however introduces an artificial lower limit to roughness. Individual fault patches are planar and sub-patch roughness –roughness at spatial scales below fault-patch size– is not incorporated. Does negligence of sub-patch roughness measurably affect the outcome of earthquake rupture simulations? We approach this question with a numerical parameter space investigation and demonstrate that sub-patch roughness significantly modifies the slip-strain relationship –a fundamental aspect of dislocation theory. Faults with sub-patch roughness induce less strain than their planar-fault equivalents at distances beyond the length of a slipping fault. We further provide regression functions that characterize the stochastic effect sub-patch roughness.

Sub-Patch Roughness in Earthquake Rupture Investigations

KAUST Repository

Zielke, Olaf

2016-02-13

Fault geometric complexities exhibit fractal characteristics over a wide range of spatial scales (<µm to >km) and strongly affect the rupture process at corresponding scales. Numerical rupture simulations provide a framework to quantitatively investigate the relationship between a fault\\'s roughness and its seismic characteristics. Fault discretization however introduces an artificial lower limit to roughness. Individual fault patches are planar and sub-patch roughness –roughness at spatial scales below fault-patch size– is not incorporated. Does negligence of sub-patch roughness measurably affect the outcome of earthquake rupture simulations? We approach this question with a numerical parameter space investigation and demonstrate that sub-patch roughness significantly modifies the slip-strain relationship –a fundamental aspect of dislocation theory. Faults with sub-patch roughness induce less strain than their planar-fault equivalents at distances beyond the length of a slipping fault. We further provide regression functions that characterize the stochastic effect sub-patch roughness.

Rapid establishment of a regular distribution of adult tropical Drosophila parasitoids in a multi-patch environment by patch defence behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Peter W; Hemerik, Lia; Gort, Gerrit; van Alphen, Jacques J M

2011-01-01

Females of the larval parasitoid of Drosophila, Asobara citri, from sub-Saharan Africa, defend patches with hosts by fighting and chasing conspecific females upon encounter. Females of the closely related, palearctic species Asobara tabida do not defend patches and often search simultaneously in the same patch. The effect of patch defence by A. citri females on their distribution in a multi-patch environment was investigated, and their distributions were compared with those of A. tabida. For both species 20 females were released from two release-points in replicate experiments. Females of A. citri quickly reached a regular distribution across 16 patches, with a small variance/mean ratio per patch. Conversely, A. tabida females initially showed a clumped distribution, and after gradual dispersion, a more Poisson-like distribution across patches resulted (variance/mean ratio was closer to 1 and higher than for A. citri). The dispersion of A. tabida was most probably an effect of exploitation: these parasitoids increasingly made shorter visits to already exploited patches. We briefly discuss hypotheses on the adaptive significance of patch defence behaviour or its absence in the light of differences in the natural history of both parasitoid species, notably the spatial distribution of their hosts.

*New* CRITICAL Windows Security patch

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

On 10 September 2003, Microsoft issued a new CRITICAL security patch, MS03-039. It must be URGENTLY applied on ALL WINDOWS systems, which are not centrally managed for security patches. This includes Experiment computers, Home computers and Windows Portable and Desktop systems not running NICE. Details of the security hole and patch for MS03-039 (which also includes MS03-026) are at: http://cern.ch/it-div/news/hotfix-MS03-039.asp http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-039.asp

*New*: CRITICAL Windows Security patch

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

On 10 September 2003, Microsoft issued a new CRITICAL security patch, MS03-039. It must be URGENTLY applied on ALL WINDOWS systems, which are not centrally managed for security patches. This includes Experiment computers, Home computers and Windows Portable and Desktop systems not running NICE. Details of the security hole and patch for MS03-039 (which also includes MS03-026) are at: http://cern.ch/it-div/news/hotfix-MS03-039.asp http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-039.asp

Weight-4 Parity Checks on a Surface Code Sublattice with Superconducting Qubits

Science.gov (United States)

Takita, Maika; Corcoles, Antonio; Magesan, Easwar; Bronn, Nicholas; Hertzberg, Jared; Gambetta, Jay; Steffen, Matthias; Chow, Jerry

We present a superconducting qubit quantum processor design amenable to the surface code architecture. In such architecture, parity checks on the data qubits, performed by measuring their X- and Z- syndrome qubits, constitute a critical aspect. Here we show fidelities and outcomes of X- and Z-parity measurements done on a syndrome qubit in a full plaquette consisting of one syndrome qubit coupled via bus resonators to four code qubits. Parities are measured after four code qubits are prepared into sixteen initial states in each basis. Results show strong dependence on ZZ between qubits on the same bus resonators. This work is supported by IARPA under Contract W911NF-10-1-0324.

Miniaturization of Multiple-Layer Folded Patch Antennas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Jiaying; Breinbjerg, Olav

2009-01-01

A new folded patch antenna with multiple layers was developed in this paper, by folding the patch in a proper way, and a highly miniaturized antenna can be realized. The multiple layer patch with 4-layer and 6-layer are designed and evaluated at 2.4 GHz, 915 MHz, and 415 MHz respectively. Then a 4...... layer patch is fabricated and measured to validate the design method. The theoretical analysis, design and simulations, fabrications, as well as the measurements are presented in this paper. All the results show that the folded patch antenna is a good candidate in making a highly miniaturized compact...

SurfKin: an ab initio kinetic code for modeling surface reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Thong Nguyen-Minh; Liu, Bin; Huynh, Lam K

2014-10-05

In this article, we describe a C/C++ program called SurfKin (Surface Kinetics) to construct microkinetic mechanisms for modeling gas-surface reactions. Thermodynamic properties of reaction species are estimated based on density functional theory calculations and statistical mechanics. Rate constants for elementary steps (including adsorption, desorption, and chemical reactions on surfaces) are calculated using the classical collision theory and transition state theory. Methane decomposition and water-gas shift reaction on Ni(111) surface were chosen as test cases to validate the code implementations. The good agreement with literature data suggests this is a powerful tool to facilitate the analysis of complex reactions on surfaces, and thus it helps to effectively construct detailed microkinetic mechanisms for such surface reactions. SurfKin also opens a possibility for designing nanoscale model catalysts. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reinforcement of a plate weakened by multiple holes with several patches for different types of plate-patch attachment

KAUST Repository

Zemlyanova, A.

2014-01-01

the boundary of the patch or both along the boundary of the patch and the boundaries of the holes which this patch covers. The unattached boundaries of the holes may be loaded with given in-plane stresses. The mechanical problem is reduced to a system

Travelling-wave similarity solutions for a steadily translating slender dry patch in a thin fluid film

KAUST Repository

Yatim, Y. M.

2013-01-01

A novel family of three-dimensional travelling-wave similarity solutions describing a steadily translating slender dry patch in an infinitely wide thin fluid film on an inclined planar substrate when surface-tension effects are negligible is obtained, the flow being driven by gravity and/or a prescribed constant shear stress on the free surface of the film. For both driving mechanisms, the dry patch has a parabolic shape (which may be concave up or concave down the substrate), and the film thickness increases monotonically away from the contact lines to its uniform far-field value. The two most practically important cases of purely gravity-driven flow and of purely surface-shear-stress-driven flow are analysed separately. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

A new method in the management of skin neoplasm using a flexible radioactive patch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Doo; Park, Sang Gun; Lee, Min Geol [Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Gwi Eon; Chung, Yae Lee [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Eun Hee [Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Kyung Bae [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-01

We have developed a flexible radioactive polyurethane patch incorporating {beta}-emitting radionuclide (166Ho) to treat malignant skin lesions. We covered the tumor surface (n=133) with the radioactive patch for 33.58 {+-} 5.33 minutes. Radiation dose delivered was 35 Gy for Bowen's disease (n=78), Kaposi sarcoma (n=25), actinic keratosis (n=5), and 50 Gy for BCC (n=17) and squamous carcinoma (n=8). Complete response was observed in 91.7% after the first therapeutic trial, 96.2% after 2nd and 97.7% after 4th trial with excellent cosmetic outcome for 31.15{+-}13.88 months of follow-up. Radioactive patch therapy is effective for superficial skin cancers that are impractical for surgery.

A new method in the management of skin neoplasm using a flexible radioactive patch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jong Doo; Park, Sang Gun; Lee, Min Geol; Kim, Gwi Eon; Chung, Yae Lee; Kim, Eun Hee; Park, Kyung Bae

2005-01-01

We have developed a flexible radioactive polyurethane patch incorporating β-emitting radionuclide (166Ho) to treat malignant skin lesions. We covered the tumor surface (n=133) with the radioactive patch for 33.58 ± 5.33 minutes. Radiation dose delivered was 35 Gy for Bowen's disease (n=78), Kaposi sarcoma (n=25), actinic keratosis (n=5), and 50 Gy for BCC (n=17) and squamous carcinoma (n=8). Complete response was observed in 91.7% after the first therapeutic trial, 96.2% after 2nd and 97.7% after 4th trial with excellent cosmetic outcome for 31.15±13.88 months of follow-up. Radioactive patch therapy is effective for superficial skin cancers that are impractical for surgery

Patching It Up, Pulling It Forward

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlon E. Pierce

2015-11-01

Full Text Available An important reason for making any software open source is to encourage code and other community contributions, resulting in more diverse developer communities coalescing around valuable software efforts. We believe the full picture of open developer communities is underappreciated by scientific and cyberinfrastructure open source software efforts. Free and open source licensing is popular in scientific and cyberinfrastructure software, and Web-based tools for source code management (such as GitHub and Bitbucket are in common use, but community building efforts and associated governance models that foster these communities need improvement. We propose here a simple mechanism to address this problem: developers should be given incentives to submit patches and to make other measurable contributions to code bases that they use but are not otherwise connected to, and projects should be given incentives to accept these outside contributions. As an example implementation, we outline a contest system with small monetary rewards for individuals and recognition for both individuals and projects. The goal is to change the mindset of scientific and cyberinfrastructure developers, converting them from passive downstream users to active contributors. We hypothesize that this easily measurable concrete action will contribute to the sustainability of many projects and also create a more flexible scientific workforce. Building this effort on currently available, federally funded software will establish a foundation of public data that can be used to verify our hypothesis. More broadly, the effort will demonstrate the benefits for scientific and cyberinfrastructure projects that adopt workable governance models that are already well established in the broader open source software ecosystem.

Cell-Detection Technique for Automated Patch Clamping

Science.gov (United States)

McDowell, Mark; Gray, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

A unique and customizable machinevision and image-data-processing technique has been developed for use in automated identification of cells that are optimal for patch clamping. [Patch clamping (in which patch electrodes are pressed against cell membranes) is an electrophysiological technique widely applied for the study of ion channels, and of membrane proteins that regulate the flow of ions across the membranes. Patch clamping is used in many biological research fields such as neurobiology, pharmacology, and molecular biology.] While there exist several hardware techniques for automated patch clamping of cells, very few of those techniques incorporate machine vision for locating cells that are ideal subjects for patch clamping. In contrast, the present technique is embodied in a machine-vision algorithm that, in practical application, enables the user to identify good and bad cells for patch clamping in an image captured by a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera attached to a microscope, within a processing time of one second. Hence, the present technique can save time, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing cost. The present technique involves the utilization of cell-feature metrics to accurately make decisions on the degree to which individual cells are "good" or "bad" candidates for patch clamping. These metrics include position coordinates (x,y) in the image plane, major-axis length, minor-axis length, area, elongation, roundness, smoothness, angle of orientation, and degree of inclusion in the field of view. The present technique does not require any special hardware beyond commercially available, off-the-shelf patch-clamping hardware: A standard patchclamping microscope system with an attached CCD camera, a personal computer with an imagedata- processing board, and some experience in utilizing imagedata- processing software are all that are needed. A cell image is first captured by the microscope CCD camera and image-data-processing board, then the image

Modification of the ASME code z-factor for circumferential surface crack in nuclear ferritic pipings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Young Hwan; Chung, Yon Ki; Koh, Wan Young; Lee, Joung Bae

1996-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to modify the ASME Code Z-Factor, which is used in the evaluation of circumferential surface crack in nuclear ferritic pipings. The ASME Code Z-Factor is a load multiplier to compensate plastic load with elasto-plastic load. The current ASME Code Z-Factor underestimates pipe maximum load. In this study, the original SC. TNP method is modified first because the original SC. TNP method has a problem that the maximum allowable load predicted from the original SC. TNP method is slightly higher than that measured from the experiment. Then the new Z-Factor is developed using the modified SC. TNP method. The desirability of both the modified SC. TNP method and the new Z-Factor is examined using the experimental results for the circumferential surface crack in pipings. The results show that (1) the modified SC. TNP method is good for predicting the circumferential surface crack behavior in pipings, and (2) the Z-Factor obtained from the modified SC. TNP method well predicts the behavior of circumferential surface crack in ferritic pipings. 30 refs., 13 figs., 4 tabs. (author)

KS 20322007 Near-Surface Disposal Radioactive Waste - Code Of Practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omondi, C.

2017-01-01

To provide a basis for the near-surface disposal of solid radioactive waste to ensures that there is no unacceptable risk to humans, other biota or the environment. Near-Surface Disposal is the disposal of radioactive waste in below or above the natural ground surface, within app. 30 m. The code deals with management aspects associated with radioactive waste disposal only, and is not intended to cover issues related to the production and use of radionuclides. The objective of waste disposal is to isolate radioactive waste in order to ensure that there is no unacceptable health risk to humans and no long-term unacceptable effect to the environment. Radiation protection annual effective dose for exposure of members of the public should not exceed 1 mSv/year and occupational exposure of 20 mSv/year

Hydrophobic patches on protein surfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lijnzaad, P.

2007-01-01

Hydrophobicity is a prime determinant of the structure and function of proteins. It is the driving force behind the folding of soluble proteins, and when exposed on the surface, it is frequently involved in recognition and binding of ligands and other proteins. The energetic cost of

Selective binding and transcytosis of Ulex europaeus 1 lectin by mouse Peyer's patch M-cells in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, M A; Jepson, M A; Simmons, N L; Hirst, B H

1995-12-01

The in vivo interaction of the lectin Ulex europaeus agglutinin 1 with mouse Peyer's patch follicle-associated epithelial cells was studied in the mouse Peyer's patch gut loop model by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. The lectin targets to mouse Peyer's patch M-cells and is rapidly endocytosed and transcytosed. These processes are accompanied by morphological changes in the M-cell microvilli and by redistribution of polymerised actin. The demonstration of selective binding and uptake of a lectin by intestinal M-cells in vivo suggests that M-cell-specific surface glycoconjugates might act as receptors for the selective adhesion/uptake of microorganisms.

Windows Security patch required

CERN Multimedia

3004-01-01

This concerns Windows PCs (XP, 2000, NT) which are NOT centrally managed at CERN for security patches, e.g. home PCs, experiment PCs, portables,... A security hole which can give full privileges on Windows systems needs to be URGENTLY patched. Details of the security hole and hotfix are at: http://cern.ch/it-div/news/hotfix-MS03-026.asp http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-026.asp

Generic patch inference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jesper; Lawall, Julia

2010-01-01

A key issue in maintaining Linux device drivers is the need to keep them up to date with respect to evolutions in Linux internal libraries. Currently, there is little tool support for performing and documenting such changes. In this paper we present a tool, spdiff, that identifies common changes...... developers can use it to extract an abstract representation of the set of changes that others have made. Our experiments on recent changes in Linux show that the inferred generic patches are more concise than the corresponding patches found in commits to the Linux source tree while being safe with respect...

Smart thermal patch for adaptive thermotherapy

KAUST Repository

Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2015-11-12

A smart thermal patch for adaptive thermotherapy is provided. In an embodiment, the patch can be a stretchable, non-polymeric, conductive thin film flexible and non-invasive body integrated mobile thermal heater with wireless control capabilities that can be used to provide adaptive thermotherapy. The patch can be geometrically and spatially tunable on various pain locations. Adaptability allows the amount of heating to be tuned based on the temperature of the treated portion.

Reporting Recommended Patch Density from Vehicle Panel Vibration Convergence Studies using both DAF and TBL Fits of the Spatial Correlation Function

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Andrew M.; Davis, Robert Ben; LaVerde, Bruce T.; Jones, Douglas C.; Band, Jonathon L.

2012-01-01

Using the patch method to represent the continuous spatial correlation function of a phased pressure field over a structural surface is an approximation. The approximation approaches the continuous function as patches become smaller. Plotting comparisons of the approximation vs the continuous function may provide insight revealing: (1) For what patch size/density should the approximation be very good? (2) What the approximation looks like when it begins to break down? (3) What the approximation looks like when the patch size is grossly too large. Following these observations with a convergence study using one FEM may allow us to see the importance of patch density. We may develop insights that help us to predict sufficient patch density to provide adequate convergence for the intended purpose frequency range of interest

Linear-time general decoding algorithm for the surface code

Science.gov (United States)

Darmawan, Andrew S.; Poulin, David

2018-05-01

A quantum error correcting protocol can be substantially improved by taking into account features of the physical noise process. We present an efficient decoder for the surface code which can account for general noise features, including coherences and correlations. We demonstrate that the decoder significantly outperforms the conventional matching algorithm on a variety of noise models, including non-Pauli noise and spatially correlated noise. The algorithm is based on an approximate calculation of the logical channel using a tensor-network description of the noisy state.

*NEW* CRITICAL Windows Security patches

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

On 3 October and 10 September 2003, Microsoft issued new CRITICAL security patches MS03-040 and MS03-039. They must be URGENTLY applied on ALL WINDOWS systems, which are not centrally managed for security patches. This includes Experiment computers, Home computers and Windows Portable and Desktop systems not running NICE. Details of the security holes and patches are at: MS03-039: http://cern.ch/it-div/news/hotfix-MS03-039.asp http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-039.asp MS03-040: http://cern.ch/it-div/news/hotfix-MS03-040.asp http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-040.asp

Clinical effect of 1g/L anthocyanin eye-patch for mild and moderate dry eye

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke-Hua Wang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available AIM:To evaluate the clinic efficacy of 1g/L anthocyanin eye-patch for mild and moderate dry eye. METHODS: In this prospective and multicenter study, a total of 320 cases(640 eyeswith mild and moderate dry eye were enrolled from 8 Aier Eye Hospitals in Changsha, Chongqing, Wuhan and so on from October 2016 to April 2017. The patients were assigned to eye patch group(160 casesand artificial tears group(160 casesbased on random number table. The patients in eye-patch group used 1g/L of anthocyanin eye-patch for more than 6h during night sleep, while the patients in artificial tears group used polyvinyl alcohol eye drops for 4 times per day. The evaluation of symptoms and signs were conducted on 1d before the treatment and 14d after the treatment. The evaluation of symptoms adopted the Ocular Surface Disease Index(OSDI, while the observation of signs included tear secretion test(Schirmer Ⅰ test, SⅠt, first noninvasive tear breakup time(NITBUTfas well as average noninvasive tear breakup time(NITBUTavmeasured by Oculus ocular surface analyser. RESULTS: OSDI score, NITBUTf and NITBUTav in the two groups after treatment were significantly improved compared with that before treatment, and the difference had a statistical significance(PP>0.05. There was no significant difference in OSDI score, NITBUTf, NITBUTav and SⅠt between the two groups after treatment(P>0.05.CONCLUSION: The 1g/L anthocyanin eye-patch has similar efficacy with artificial tears for mild and moderate dry eye, which can effectively improve the symptoms and tear film stability.

Measurement of stress distributions in truck tyre contact patch in real rolling conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Anghelache, Gabriel; Moisescu, Raluca

2012-12-01

Stress distributions on three orthogonal directions have been measured across the contact patch of truck tyres using the complex measuring system that contains a transducer assembly with 30 sensing elements placed in the road surface. The measurements have been performed in straight line, in real rolling conditions. Software applications for calibration, data acquisition, and data processing were developed. The influence of changes in inflation pressure and rolling speed on the shapes and sizes of truck tyre contact patch has been shown. The shapes and magnitudes of normal, longitudinal, and lateral stress distributions, measured at low speed, have been presented and commented. The effect of wheel toe-in and camber on the stress distribution results was observed. The paper highlights the impact of the longitudinal tread ribs on the shear stress distributions. The ratios of stress distributions in the truck tyre contact patch have been computed and discussed.

Hepatitis B surface antigen incorporated in dissolvable microneedle array patch is antigenic and thermostable.

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, Danielle; Renaud, Frédéric; Dewar, Vincent; Strodiot, Laurent; Wauters, Florence; Janimak, Jim; Shimada, Toshio; Nomura, Tatsuya; Kabata, Koki; Kuruma, Koji; Kusano, Takayuki; Sakai, Masaki; Nagasaki, Hideo; Oyamada, Takayoshi

2017-11-01

Alternatives to syringe-based administration are considered for vaccines. Intradermal vaccination with dissolvable microneedle arrays (MNA) appears promising in this respect, as an easy-to-use and painless method. In this work, we have developed an MNA patch (MNAP) made of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and chondroitin sulphate (CS). In swines, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) formulated with the saponin QS-21 as adjuvant, both incorporated in HES-based MNAP, demonstrated the same level of immunogenicity as a commercially available aluminum-adjuvanted HBsAg vaccine, after two immunizations 28 days apart. MNAP application was associated with transient skin reactions (erythema, lump, scab), particularly evident when the antigen was delivered with the adjuvant. The thermostability of the adjuvanted antigen when incorporated in the HES-based matrix was also assessed by storing MNAP at 37, 45 or 50 °C for up to 6 months. We could demonstrate that antigenicity was retained at 37 and 45 °C and only a 10% loss was observed after 6 months at 50 °C. Our results are supportive of MNAP as an attractive alternative to classical syringe-based vaccination. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Biomaterials for drug delivery patches.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Lúcia F; Correia, Ilídio J; Silva, A Sofia; Mano, João F

2018-06-15

The limited efficiency of conventional drugs has been instigated the development of new and more effective drug delivery systems (DDS). Transdermal DDS, are associated with numerous advantages such its painless application and less frequent replacement and greater flexibility of dosing, features that triggered the research and development of such devices. Such systems have been produced using either biopolymer; or synthetic polymers. Although the first ones are safer, biocompatible and present a controlled degradation by human enzymes or water, the second ones are the most currently available in the market due to their greater mechanical resistance and flexibility, and non-degradation over time. This review highlights the most recent advances (mainly in the last five years) of patches aimed for transdermal drug delivery, focusing on the different materials (natural, synthetic and blends) and latest designs for the development of such devices, emphasizing also their combination with drug carriers that enable enhanced drug solubility and a more controlled release of the drug over the time. The benefits and limitations of different patches formulations are considered with reference to their appliance to transdermal drug delivery. Furthermore, a record of the currently available patches on the market is given, featuring their most relevant characteristics. Finally, a list of most recent/ongoing clinical trials regarding the use of patches for skin disorders is detailed and critical insights on the current state of patches for transdermal drug delivery are also provided. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Two Nicotine Patches in Smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Scott; Horkan, Kathleen Halabuk; Kotler, Mitchell

2018-02-02

Smoking continues to be a major preventable cause of early mortality worldwide, and nicotine replacement therapy has been demonstrated to increase rates of abstinence among smokers attempting to quit. Nicotine transdermal systems (also known as nicotine patches) attach to the skin via an adhesive layer composed of a mixture of different-molecular-weight polyisobutylenes (PIBs) in a specific ratio. This randomized, single-dose, 2-treatment, crossover pharmacokinetic (PK) trial assessed the bioequivalence of nicotine patches including a replacement PIB adhesive (test) compared with the PIB adhesive historically used on marketed patches (reference). The test and reference patches were bioequivalent, as determined by the PK parameters of C max and AUC 0-t . In addition, the parameters T max and t 1/2 did not significantly differ between the 2 patches, supporting the bioequivalence finding from the primary analysis. The tolerability profiles of the patches containing the replacement and previously used PIB adhesives were similar; application-site adverse events did not significantly differ between test and reference patches. Overall, these data establish the bioequivalence of the nicotine patch with the replacement PIB adhesive formulation and the previously utilized PIB adhesive formulation. © 2018 The Authors. Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

Nickel patch test reactivity and the menstrual cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rohold, A E; Halkier-Sørensen, L; Thestrup-Pedersen, K

1994-01-01

Premenstrual exacerbation of allergic contact dermatitis and varying allergic patch test responses have been reported at different points of the period. Using a dilution series of nickel sulphate, we studied the variation in patch test reactivity in nickel allergic women in relation to the menstr......Premenstrual exacerbation of allergic contact dermatitis and varying allergic patch test responses have been reported at different points of the period. Using a dilution series of nickel sulphate, we studied the variation in patch test reactivity in nickel allergic women in relation...... were tested first on day 7-10 and the other half first on day 20-24. There was no difference in the degree of patch test reactivity, when the results from day 7-10 and day 20-24 were compared (p > 0.4). However, when we compared the patch test results from the first and second test procedure, we found...... of positive patch tests led to an increased skin reactivity towards the same allergen, when the patients were retested weeks later....

Evaluation of concrete pavement patching techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

1989-01-01

This final report presents the results of a study undertaken to improve in concrete pavement patching techniques. Activities included an evaluation of the suitability of the impact hammer and maturity calculations for determining when a patch is read...

Composite GPS Patch Antenna for the AR Bandwidth Enhancement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minkil Park

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A composite Global Positioning System (GPS patch antenna with a quadrature 3 dB hybrid coupler was designed and implemented for working RHCP and had a broadband axial ratio (AR bandwidth. We designed two patches as a FR-4 patch and 1.5 mm thickness thin ceramic patch with a quadrature 3 dB hybrid coupler. A CP radiation pattern was achieved, and the AR bandwidth improved by incorporating a quadrature 3 dB hybrid coupler feed structure in a micro-strip patch antenna. SMD by chip elements was applied to the quadrature 3 dB hybrid coupler. For the composite FR-4 and ceramic patch antennas, the VSWR measurement showed a 2 : 1 ratio over the entire design band, and the 3 dB AR bandwidth was 295 and 580 MHz for the FR-4 patch and ceramic patch antennas, respectively. The antenna gains for the composite FR-4 and ceramic patch antennas were measured as 1.36–2.75 and 1.47–2.71 dBi with 15.11–25.3% and 19.25–28.45% efficiency, respectively.

APPLYING SPARSE CODING TO SURFACE MULTIVARIATE TENSOR-BASED MORPHOMETRY TO PREDICT FUTURE COGNITIVE DECLINE.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jie; Stonnington, Cynthia; Li, Qingyang; Shi, Jie; Bauer, Robert J; Gutman, Boris A; Chen, Kewei; Reiman, Eric M; Thompson, Paul M; Ye, Jieping; Wang, Yalin

2016-04-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive brain disease. Accurate diagnosis of AD and its prodromal stage, mild cognitive impairment, is crucial for clinical trial design. There is also growing interests in identifying brain imaging biomarkers that help evaluate AD risk presymptomatically. Here, we applied a recently developed multivariate tensor-based morphometry (mTBM) method to extract features from hippocampal surfaces, derived from anatomical brain MRI. For such surface-based features, the feature dimension is usually much larger than the number of subjects. We used dictionary learning and sparse coding to effectively reduce the feature dimensions. With the new features, an Adaboost classifier was employed for binary group classification. In tests on publicly available data from the Alzheimers Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, the new framework outperformed several standard imaging measures in classifying different stages of AD. The new approach combines the efficiency of sparse coding with the sensitivity of surface mTBM, and boosts classification performance.

Microneedle Patches as Drug and Vaccine Delivery Platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Junwei; Zeng, Mingtao; Shan, Hu; Tong, Chunyi

2017-01-01

Transcutaneous delivery is the ideal method for delivering therapeutic reagents or vaccines into skin. With their promise of self-administration, cost-effective and high efficiency, microneedle patches have been studied intensively as therapeutic and vaccination delivery platform that replaces injection by syringe. This review aims to summarize the recent advancements of microneedle patches in application for drugs and vaccine delivery. We reviewed the most of recently published papers on microneedle patches, summarized their evolution, classification, state-of the-art capabilities and discussed promising application in drugs and vaccine delivery. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, microneedle patches have been improved by switching from undissolving to dissolving microneedles, and their safety has also improved dramatically. As a drug delivery tool, microneedle patches can deliver bioactive molecular of different physical size. Additionally, microneedle patches can be coated or encapsulate with DNA vaccine, subunit antigen, inactivated or live virus vaccine. Combining clinical results with the results of patient interview, microneedle patches are found to be feasible and are predicated to soon be acceptable for the medical service. In this review, we summarized the evolution, current and future application of microneedle patches as delivery vehicle for drugs and vaccines. Compared with traditional delivery tools, microneedle patches have many advantages, such as providing pain-free, non-invasive, convenient route for reagent administration and delivery, with no cold chain required for storage and transportation as well as decreasing sharp medical waste, needle-caused injury and transmission of blood-borne infectious disease in rural area. However, even though there are dramatic progress in preclinical investigation of microneedle patches, further testing will be required for clinical application. Further research should be implemented in multiple fields

Improving Saliency Models by Predicting Human Fixation Patches

KAUST Repository

Dubey, Rachit

2015-04-16

There is growing interest in studying the Human Visual System (HVS) to supplement and improve the performance of computer vision tasks. A major challenge for current visual saliency models is predicting saliency in cluttered scenes (i.e. high false positive rate). In this paper, we propose a fixation patch detector that predicts image patches that contain human fixations with high probability. Our proposed model detects sparse fixation patches with an accuracy of 84 % and eliminates non-fixation patches with an accuracy of 84 % demonstrating that low-level image features can indeed be used to short-list and identify human fixation patches. We then show how these detected fixation patches can be used as saliency priors for popular saliency models, thus, reducing false positives while maintaining true positives. Extensive experimental results show that our proposed approach allows state-of-the-art saliency methods to achieve better prediction performance on benchmark datasets.

Improving Saliency Models by Predicting Human Fixation Patches

KAUST Repository

Dubey, Rachit; Dave, Akshat; Ghanem, Bernard

2015-01-01

There is growing interest in studying the Human Visual System (HVS) to supplement and improve the performance of computer vision tasks. A major challenge for current visual saliency models is predicting saliency in cluttered scenes (i.e. high false positive rate). In this paper, we propose a fixation patch detector that predicts image patches that contain human fixations with high probability. Our proposed model detects sparse fixation patches with an accuracy of 84 % and eliminates non-fixation patches with an accuracy of 84 % demonstrating that low-level image features can indeed be used to short-list and identify human fixation patches. We then show how these detected fixation patches can be used as saliency priors for popular saliency models, thus, reducing false positives while maintaining true positives. Extensive experimental results show that our proposed approach allows state-of-the-art saliency methods to achieve better prediction performance on benchmark datasets.

Role of collector alternating charged patches on transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst in a patchwise charged heterogeneous micromodel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Changyong; Hu, Dehong; Kuhlenschmidt, Mark S.; Kuhlenschmidt, Theresa B.; Mylon, Steven E.; Kong, Rong; Bhargava, Rohit; Nguyen, Thanh H.

2013-02-04

The role of collector surface charge heterogeneity on transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst and carboxylate microsphere in 2-dimensional micromodels was studied. The cylindrical silica collectors within the micromodels were coated with 0, 10, 20, 50 and 100% Fe2O3 patches. The experimental values of average single collector removal efficiencies (η) of the Fe2O3 patches and on the entire collectors were determined. In the presence of significant (>3500 kT) Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) energy barrier between the microspheres and the silica collectors at pH 5.8 and 8.1, the values of η determined for Fe2O3 patches were significantly less (p < 0.05, t-test) than that obtained for collectors coated entirely with Fe2O3. However, η on Fe2O3 patches for microspheres at pH 4.4 and for oocysts at pH 5.8 and 8.1, where the DLVO energy barrier was relatively small (ca. 200-360 kT), were significantly greater (p < 0.05, t-test) than that on the collectors coated entirely with Fe2O3. The dependence of η determined for Fe2O3 patches on the DLVO energy barrier indicated the importance of periodic favorable and unfavorable electrostatic interactions between colloids and collectors with alternating Fe2O3 and silica patches. Differences between experimentally determined η and that predicted by a patchwise geochemical heterogeneous model was observed, but can be explained by the model’s lack of consideration for the spatial distribution of charge heterogeneity on the collector surface and colloid migration on patchwise heterogeneous collectors.

Light transmission and preference of eye patches for occlusion treatment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hwan Heo

Full Text Available To investigate light transmission and preference for six eye patches for occlusion therapy.Six patches were examined, including; Ortopad Fun Pack, Ortopad Flesh, Kawamoto A-1, Kawamoto A-2, 3M Opticlude, and Everade Eye Guard. The size and the presence of a light blocking pad of patches were investigated. The amount of light transmitted through the patches was evaluated, using a digital light meter and a model eye, in three different environments; indoors with fluorescent light, outdoors on a sunny day, and strong light from illuminator. After patching the normal eye, the flash visual evoked potential (VEP was measured. Thirty patients with amblyopia or horizontal strabismus, who received occlusion therapy as initial treatment, were included. After using all six patches, patients completed a 7-item questionnaire regarding the patch preference for size, color and shape, adhesive power, pain with removal, skin irritation after removing patch, parent's preference and overall opinion.All patches had a light-blocking pad, except the 3M Nexcare. Ortopad had the strongest light blocking power in the three environments, and the 3M Nexcare had the weakest power. In flash VEP, Ortopad and Kawamoto patches showed flat, but 3M Nexcare and Everade Eye Guard showed normal response. There were significant preferential differences among the patches in all the items of the questionnaire (P<0.05. In comparison between the patches respectively, 3M Nexcare received the lowest satisfaction in pain when removing a patch and skin irritation after removing a patch. Kawamoto A-2 received the lowest score in the overall satisfaction.We found differences in the light-blocking power and in the preference of the various patches for the occlusion treatment. This is a pilot study regarding only characteristics and preferences of patches. Further clinical studies regarding the relationship between characteristics or preferences of patches and outcomes of occlusion treatment

Impacts of feedlot floor condition, deposition frequency, and inhibitors on N2O and CH4 emissions from feedlot dung and urine patches.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Wenhua; Liu, Chunjing; Gao, Zhiling

2018-04-09

Patches of dung and urine are major contributors to the feedlot gas emissions. This study investigated the impacts of dung deposition frequency (partly reflecting animal stocking density of a feedlot), dairy feedlot floor conditions (old floor indicated with the presence of consolidated manure pad [CMP] vs. new floor with the absence of consolidated manure pad [CMPn]), and application of dicyandiamide (DCD) and hydroquinone (HQ) on nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4 ) emissions from patches in the laboratory, and the integrative impacts were expressed in terms of global warming potential (CO 2 -equivalent). Dung deposition frequency, feedlot floor condition, and application of inhibitors showed inverse impacts on N 2 O and CH 4 emissions from patches. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the dung, urine, and dung+urine patches on the CMP feedlot surface were approximately 7.48, 87.35, and 7.10 times those on the CMPn feedlot surface (P emissions from CMP and CMPn feedlot surfaces under high deposition frequency condition were approximately 10 and 1.7 times those under low-frequency condition. Moreover, application of HQ slightly reduced the GHG emission from urine patches, by 14.9% (P > 0.05), while applying DCD or DCD+HQ significantly reduced the GHG, by 60.3% and 65.0%, respectively (P emission factors for feedlots. In the future, field measurements to quantitatively evaluate the relative contribution of nitrification and denitrification to the N 2 O emissions of feedlot surfaces are highly required for effective N 2 O control. This study shows that feedlot CH 4 and N 2 O emissions inversely respond to the dicyandiamide (DCD) application. Applying DCD significantly reduces GHG emissions of feedlot urine patches. Feedlot floor condition and stocking density strongly impact feedlot GHG emissions. Including feedlot floor condition and stocking density in the feedlot EF determining process is necessary.

Rock Outcrops Redistribute Organic Carbon and Nutrients to Nearby Soil Patches in Three Karst Ecosystems in SW China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dianjie Wang

Full Text Available Emergent rock outcrops are common in terrestrial ecosystems. However, little research has been conducted regarding their surface function in redistributing organic carbon and nutrient fluxes to soils nearby. Water that fell on and ran off 10 individual rock outcrops was collected in three 100 × 100 m plots within a rock desertification ecosystem, an anthropogenic forest ecosystem, and a secondary forest ecosystem between June 2013 and June 2014 in Shilin, SW China. The concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC, total nitrogen (N, total phosphorus (P, and potassium (K in the water samples were determined during three seasons, and the total amounts received by and flowing out from the outcrops were calculated. In all three ecosystems, TOC and N, P, and K were found throughout the year in both the water received by and delivered to nearby soil patches. Their concentrations and amounts were generally greater in forested ecosystems than in the rock desertification ecosystem. When rock outcrops constituted a high percentage (≥ 30% of the ground surface, the annual export of rock outcrop runoff contributed a large amount of organic carbon and N, P, and K nutrients to soil patches nearby by comparison to the amount soil patches received via atmospheric deposition. These contributions may increase the spatial heterogeneity of soil fertility within patches, as rock outcrops of different sizes, morphologies, and emergence ratios may surround each soil patch.

The hedgehog receptor patched is involved in cholesterol transport.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michel Bidet

Full Text Available Sonic hedgehog (Shh signaling plays a crucial role in growth and patterning during embryonic development, and also in stem cell maintenance and tissue regeneration in adults. Aberrant Shh pathway activation is involved in the development of many tumors, and one of the most affected Shh signaling steps found in these tumors is the regulation of the signaling receptor Smoothened by the Shh receptor Patched. In the present work, we investigated Patched activity and the mechanism by which Patched inhibits Smoothened.Using the well-known Shh-responding cell line of mouse fibroblasts NIH 3T3, we first observed that enhancement of the intracellular cholesterol concentration induces Smoothened enrichment in the plasma membrane, which is a crucial step for the signaling activation. We found that binding of Shh protein to its receptor Patched, which involves Patched internalization, increases the intracellular concentration of cholesterol and decreases the efflux of a fluorescent cholesterol derivative (BODIPY-cholesterol from these cells. Treatment of fibroblasts with cyclopamine, an antagonist of Shh signaling, inhibits Patched expression and reduces BODIPY-cholesterol efflux, while treatment with the Shh pathway agonist SAG enhances Patched protein expression and BODIPY-cholesterol efflux. We also show that over-expression of human Patched in the yeast S. cerevisiae results in a significant boost of BODIPY-cholesterol efflux. Furthermore, we demonstrate that purified Patched binds to cholesterol, and that the interaction of Shh with Patched inhibits the binding of Patched to cholesterol.Our results suggest that Patched may contribute to cholesterol efflux from cells, and to modulation of the intracellular cholesterol concentration. This activity is likely responsible for the inhibition of the enrichment of Smoothened in the plasma membrane, which is an important step in Shh pathway activation.

Formaldehyde concentration in diagnostic patch testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trattner, A; Johansen, J D; Menné, T

1998-01-01

Exposure to formaldehyde is common from both consumer products and industry. The reliability of the patch test is essential for the diagnosis of formaldehyde allergy as it is difficult to suspect from the patient's history. The recommended formaldehyde patch test concentration has been reduced over...

Immunoisolation Patch System for Cellular Transplantation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Taylor G. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

An immunoisolation patch system, and particularly a patch system comprising multiple immunoisolation microcapsules, each encapsulating biological material such as cells for transplantation, which can be used in the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of disease in large animals and humans without the need for immunosuppression.

Fabrication of Circuit QED Quantum Processors, Part 1: Extensible Footprint for a Superconducting Surface Code

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, A.; Michalak, D. J.; Poletto, S.; Clarke, J. S.; Dicarlo, L.

Large-scale quantum computation hinges on the ability to preserve and process quantum information with higher fidelity by increasing redundancy in a quantum error correction code. We present the realization of a scalable footprint for superconducting surface code based on planar circuit QED. We developed a tileable unit cell for surface code with all I/O routed vertically by means of superconducting through-silicon vias (TSVs). We address some of the challenges encountered during the fabrication and assembly of these chips, such as the quality of etch of the TSV, the uniformity of the ALD TiN coating conformal to the TSV, and the reliability of superconducting indium contact between the chips and PCB. We compare measured performance to a detailed list of specifications required for the realization of quantum fault tolerance. Our demonstration using centimeter-scale chips can accommodate the 50 qubits needed to target the experimental demonstration of small-distance logical qubits. Research funded by Intel Corporation and IARPA.

A New Low-Complexity Patch-based Super-Resolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasti, Pejman; Nasrollahi, Kamal; Orlova, Olga

2017-01-01

through an illumination enhancement process resulting in consistency of illumination between neigh- bour patches. This process is applied to all patches of the LR image. Finally, in order to remove the blocking effect caused by merging the patches, an average of the obtained HR image and the interpolated...

Social familiarity governs prey patch-exploitation, -leaving and inter-patch distribution of the group-living predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zach, Gernot J; Peneder, Stefan; Strodl, Markus A; Schausberger, Peter

2012-01-01

In group-living animals, social interactions and their effects on other life activities such as foraging are commonly determined by discrimination among group members. Accordingly, many group-living species evolved sophisticated social recognition abilities such as the ability to recognize familiar individuals, i.e. individuals encountered before. Social familiarity may affect within-group interactions and between-group movements. In environments with patchily distributed prey, group-living predators must repeatedly decide whether to stay with the group in a given prey patch or to leave and search for new prey patches and groups. Based on the assumption that in group-living animals social familiarity allows to optimize the performance in other tasks, as for example predicted by limited attention theory, we assessed the influence of social familiarity on prey patch exploitation, patch-leaving, and inter-patch distribution of the group-living, plant-inhabiting predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. P. persimilis is highly specialized on herbivorous spider mite prey such as the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae, which is patchily distributed on its host plants. We conducted two experiments with (1) groups of juvenile P. persimilis under limited food on interconnected detached leaflets, and (2) groups of adult P. persimilis females under limited food on whole plants. Familiar individuals of both juvenile and adult predator groups were more exploratory and dispersed earlier from a given spider mite patch, occupied more leaves and depleted prey more quickly than individuals of unfamiliar groups. Moreover, familiar juvenile predators had higher survival chances than unfamiliar juveniles. We argue that patch-exploitation and -leaving, and inter-patch dispersion were more favorably coordinated in groups of familiar than unfamiliar predators, alleviating intraspecific competition and improving prey utilization and suppression.

Social familiarity governs prey patch-exploitation, -leaving and inter-patch distribution of the group-living predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gernot J Zach

Full Text Available In group-living animals, social interactions and their effects on other life activities such as foraging are commonly determined by discrimination among group members. Accordingly, many group-living species evolved sophisticated social recognition abilities such as the ability to recognize familiar individuals, i.e. individuals encountered before. Social familiarity may affect within-group interactions and between-group movements. In environments with patchily distributed prey, group-living predators must repeatedly decide whether to stay with the group in a given prey patch or to leave and search for new prey patches and groups.Based on the assumption that in group-living animals social familiarity allows to optimize the performance in other tasks, as for example predicted by limited attention theory, we assessed the influence of social familiarity on prey patch exploitation, patch-leaving, and inter-patch distribution of the group-living, plant-inhabiting predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. P. persimilis is highly specialized on herbivorous spider mite prey such as the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae, which is patchily distributed on its host plants. We conducted two experiments with (1 groups of juvenile P. persimilis under limited food on interconnected detached leaflets, and (2 groups of adult P. persimilis females under limited food on whole plants. Familiar individuals of both juvenile and adult predator groups were more exploratory and dispersed earlier from a given spider mite patch, occupied more leaves and depleted prey more quickly than individuals of unfamiliar groups. Moreover, familiar juvenile predators had higher survival chances than unfamiliar juveniles.We argue that patch-exploitation and -leaving, and inter-patch dispersion were more favorably coordinated in groups of familiar than unfamiliar predators, alleviating intraspecific competition and improving prey utilization and suppression.

Perturbation analysis for patch occupancy dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Julien; Nichols, James D.; McIntyre, Carol L.; Ferraz, Goncalo; Hines, James E.

2009-01-01

Perturbation analysis is a powerful tool to study population and community dynamics. This article describes expressions for sensitivity metrics reflecting changes in equilibrium occupancy resulting from small changes in the vital rates of patch occupancy dynamics (i.e., probabilities of local patch colonization and extinction). We illustrate our approach with a case study of occupancy dynamics of Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) nesting territories. Examination of the hypothesis of system equilibrium suggests that the system satisfies equilibrium conditions. Estimates of vital rates obtained using patch occupancy models are used to estimate equilibrium patch occupancy of eagles. We then compute estimates of sensitivity metrics and discuss their implications for eagle population ecology and management. Finally, we discuss the intuition underlying our sensitivity metrics and then provide examples of ecological questions that can be addressed using perturbation analyses. For instance, the sensitivity metrics lead to predictions about the relative importance of local colonization and local extinction probabilities in influencing equilibrium occupancy for rare and common species.

Erythema-index of clinical patch test reactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jemec, G B; Johansen, J D

1995-01-01

that the method could be used for the grading of eczematous reactions in a clinical setting as well. OBJECTIVE: To assess the usefulness of the erythema index for the quantification of eczematous reactions using the Derma-Spectrometer (Cortex technology, Hadsund, Denmark) in a clinical setting. METHOD......: The erythema index of 56 patch test reactions ranging from +? to +++, was compared to regional controls and negative patch tests (189). The effects of intrumental application pressure was studied in 5 volunteers. Statistical analysis was carried out using Mann-Whitney and Jonckheere-Terpstra tests. RESULTS......: The erythema-index was significantly higher in all degrees of patch test reactions than in uninvolved regional skin or negative patch tests. It also showed a significant positive trend for higher values in +, ++ and +++ reactions (P

A missing factor in chip-based patch clamp assay: gigaseal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ong, W-L; Yobas, L; Ong, W-Y

2006-01-01

The 'gold' standard in the study of ionic currents across biological membranes is the Patch Clamp method. However, this is a slow, labor and skill intensive process. High throughput patch clamp devices are mainly chip-based. A major challenge in these miniaturized devices is the low rate of 'Gigaseal' formation which is critical in the study of Single Channel effect. In a conventional patch clamp, a pipette moves and patches a fixed cell (cell-adhered patch) which is grown on the bottom of a Petri dish. In the chip-based case, the cells are in suspension and move towards the fixed patch clamp sites (cell-suspended patch). In this study, using the proven conventional patch clamp setup, we investigated the effect of the differences in the cell configurations between the convention patch clamp and cell-based patch clamp. It is shown that adhered cells (as used in the conventional setup) have a much higher rate of gigaseal formation as compared to the cells in suspension (as used in chip-based devices). We postulate that the arrangement of the cytoskeleton within the cell plays a major part in the formation of the gigaseal

Boolean Operations with Prism Algebraic Patches

Science.gov (United States)

Bajaj, Chandrajit; Paoluzzi, Alberto; Portuesi, Simone; Lei, Na; Zhao, Wenqi

2009-01-01

In this paper we discuss a symbolic-numeric algorithm for Boolean operations, closed in the algebra of curved polyhedra whose boundary is triangulated with algebraic patches (A-patches). This approach uses a linear polyhedron as a first approximation of both the arguments and the result. On each triangle of a boundary representation of such linear approximation, a piecewise cubic algebraic interpolant is built, using a C1-continuous prism algebraic patch (prism A-patch) that interpolates the three triangle vertices, with given normal vectors. The boundary representation only stores the vertices of the initial triangulation and their external vertex normals. In order to represent also flat and/or sharp local features, the corresponding normal-per-face and/or normal-per-edge may be also given, respectively. The topology is described by storing, for each curved triangle, the two triples of pointers to incident vertices and to adjacent triangles. For each triangle, a scaffolding prism is built, produced by its extreme vertices and normals, which provides a containment volume for the curved interpolating A-patch. When looking for the result of a regularized Boolean operation, the 0-set of a tri-variate polynomial within each such prism is generated, and intersected with the analogous 0-sets of the other curved polyhedron, when two prisms have non-empty intersection. The intersection curves of the boundaries are traced and used to decompose each boundary into the 3 standard classes of subpatches, denoted in, out and on. While tracing the intersection curves, the locally refined triangulation of intersecting patches is produced, and added to the boundary representation. PMID:21516262

Evaluation of Changes in Morphology and Function of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes (HiPSC-CMs) Cultured on an Aligned-Nanofiber Cardiac Patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Mahmood; Xu, Yanyi; Hua, Serena; Johnson, Jed; Belevych, Andriy; Janssen, Paul M L; Gyorke, Sandor; Guan, Jianjun; Angelos, Mark G

2015-01-01

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a major cause of progressive heart failure. Utilization of stem cell therapy offers a potential means of regenerating viable cardiac tissue. However, a major obstacle to stem cell therapy is the delivery and survival of implanted stem cells in the ischemic heart. To address this issue, we have developed a biomimetic aligned nanofibrous cardiac patch and characterized the alignment and function of human inducible pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) cultured on this cardiac patch. This hiPSC-CMs seeded patch was compared with hiPSC-CMs cultured on standard flat cell culture plates. hiPSC-CMs were cultured on; 1) a highly aligned polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) nanofiber scaffold (~50 microns thick) and 2) on a standard flat culture plate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine alignment of PLGA nanofibers and orientation of the cells on the respective surfaces. Analysis of gap junctions (Connexin-43) was performed by confocal imaging in both the groups. Calcium cycling and patch-clamp technique were performed to measure calcium transients and electrical coupling properties of cardiomyocytes. SEM demonstrated >90% alignment of the nanofibers in the patch which is similar to the extracellular matrix of decellularized rat myocardium. Confocal imaging of the cardiomyocytes demonstrated symmetrical alignment in the same direction on the aligned nanofiber patch in sharp contrast to the random appearance of cardiomyocytes cultured on a tissue culture plate. The hiPSC-CMs cultured on aligned nanofiber cardiac patches showed more efficient calcium cycling compared with cells cultured on standard flat surface culture plates. Quantification of mRNA with qRT-PCR confirmed that these cardiomyocytes expressed α-actinin, troponin-T and connexin-43 in-vitro. Overall, our results demonstrated changes in morphology and function of human induced pluripotent derived cardiomyocytes cultured in an anisotropic environment

Estradiol Transdermal Patch

Science.gov (United States)

... menopause (change of life; the end of monthly menstrual periods). Transdermal estradiol is also used to prevent ... patch. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient.

Selegiline Transdermal Patch

Science.gov (United States)

... patch from direct heat such as heating pads, electric blankets, heat lamps, saunas, hot tubs, and heated ... may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this ...

Fentanyl Transdermal Patch

Science.gov (United States)

Fentanyl patches are used to relieve severe pain in people who are expected to need pain medication ... and who cannot be treated with other medications. Fentanyl is in a class of medications called opiate ( ...

Testosterone Transdermal Patch

Science.gov (United States)

... one else can use it accidentally or on purpose. Keep track of how many patches are left ... to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in ...

Rotigotine Transdermal Patch

Science.gov (United States)

... physical activity. If the edges of the patch lift, use a bandage tape to re-secure it ... burns on your skin if you are having magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; a radiology technique designed to ...

Methylphenidate Transdermal Patch

Science.gov (United States)

... for ADHD, which may include counseling and special education. Make sure to follow all of your doctor's ... that was covered by the patch seizures motion tics or verbal tics believing things that are not ...

Prior knowledge about spatial pattern affects patch assessment rather than movement between patches in tactile-feeding Mallard

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klaassen, R.H.G.; Nolet, B.A.; Van Leeuwen, C.H.A.

2007-01-01

1. Heterogeneity in food abundance allows a forager to concentrate foraging effort in patches that are rich in food. This might be problematic when food is cryptic, as the content of patches is unknown prior to foraging. In such case knowledge about the spatial pattern in the distribution of food

Necrotic patches affect Acropora palmata (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) in the Mexican Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Martínez, R E; Banaszak, A T; Jordán-Dahlgren, E

2001-12-05

An outbreak of necrotic patches was observed affecting Acropora palmata in the Mexican Caribbean in the summer of 1999. This study documents the tissue loss produced by these patches. Following a marked initial increase in the number of patches, there was a decrease in the appearance of new patches but the size of the patches increased throughout the study. In some cases patches expanded but in most cases they enlarged due to fusion of 2 or more patches. Patches recovered but not sufficiently to overcome damage in most colonies surveyed. Percentage tissue loss does not appear to be directly related to temperature but may be related to a combination of factors associated with prolonged summer doldrum-like conditions. The necrotic patch syndrome can have a substantial impact in tissue loss in affected A. palmata colonies.

Travelling-wave similarity solutions for a steadily translating slender dry patch in a thin fluid film

KAUST Repository

Yatim, Y. M.; Duffy, B. R.; Wilson, S. K.

2013-01-01

A novel family of three-dimensional travelling-wave similarity solutions describing a steadily translating slender dry patch in an infinitely wide thin fluid film on an inclined planar substrate when surface-tension effects are negligible

Physically Connected Stacked Patch Antenna Design with 100% Bandwidth

KAUST Repository

Klionovski, Kirill; Shamim, Atif

2017-01-01

Typically, stacked patch antennas are parasitically coupled and provide larger bandwidth than a single patch antenna. Here, we show a stacked patch antenna design where square patches with semi-circular cutouts are physically connected to each other. This arrangement provides 100% bandwidth from 23.9–72.2 GHz with consistent high gain (5 dBi or more) across the entire bandwidth. In another variation, a single patch loaded with a superstrate provides 83.5% bandwidth from 25.6–62.3 GHz. The mechanism of bandwidth enhancement is explained through electromagnetic simulations. Measured reflection coefficient, radiation patterns and gain results confirm the extremely wideband performance of the design.

Physically Connected Stacked Patch Antenna Design with 100% Bandwidth

KAUST Repository

Klionovski, Kirill

2017-11-01

Typically, stacked patch antennas are parasitically coupled and provide larger bandwidth than a single patch antenna. Here, we show a stacked patch antenna design where square patches with semi-circular cutouts are physically connected to each other. This arrangement provides 100% bandwidth from 23.9–72.2 GHz with consistent high gain (5 dBi or more) across the entire bandwidth. In another variation, a single patch loaded with a superstrate provides 83.5% bandwidth from 25.6–62.3 GHz. The mechanism of bandwidth enhancement is explained through electromagnetic simulations. Measured reflection coefficient, radiation patterns and gain results confirm the extremely wideband performance of the design.

Experimental patch testing with chromium-coated materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bregnbak, David; Thyssen, Jacob P; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl

2017-01-01

Chromium coatings on metal alloys can be decorative, and prevent corrosion and metal ion release. We recently showed that handling of a chromium-containing disc resulted in chromium deposition on the skin. To examine patch test reactivity to chromium-coated discs. We included 15 patients: 10...... chromium-allergic patients, and 5 patients without chromium allergy. All were patch tested with potassium dichromate, cobalt chloride, nickel sulfate, and nine different metallic discs. The chromium-allergic patients were also patch tested with serial dilutions of potassium dichromate. Positive...

Effects of patch size on feeding associations in muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides).

Science.gov (United States)

Strier, K B

1989-01-01

Data were collected on one group of muriquis, or woolly spider monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides) during a 14-month study at Fazenda Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil to examine the effects of food patch size on muriqui feeding associations. Muriqui food patches were larger than expected from the availability of patch sizes in the forest; fruit patches were significantly larger than leaf patches. Feeding aggregate size, the maximum number of simultaneous occupants, and patch occupancy time were positively related to the size of fruit patches. However, a greater number of individuals fed at leaf sources than expected from the size of these patches. Adult females tended to feed alone in patches more often than males, whereas males tended to feed in single-sexed groups more often than females. Yet in neither case were these differences statistically significant.

Sound insulation performance of plates with interconnected distributed piezoelectric patches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Kaijun

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the sound insulation performance of a thin plate with interconnected distributed piezoelectric patches. Piezoelectric patches are periodically bonded on the surfaces of the plate in a collocated fashion, and are interconnected via an inductive circuit network. This piezoelectric system is termed as piezo-electromechanical (PEM plate in the paper. Homogenization methods are involved under a sub-wavelength assumption to analytically develop the dynamical equations for the PEM plate. The dispersion relationships and energy densities of the wave modes propagating in the PEM plate are studied; the sub-wavelength assumption is verified for the simulations in this paper. The coincidence frequency of the PEM plate is researched, and results show that the coincidence frequency of the PEM plate will disappear at certain circumstances; mathematical and physical explanations are made for this phenomenon. The disappearance of the coincidence frequency is used to optimize the value of inductance, for the purpose of improving the sound transmission loss of the PEM plate.

Microneedle patches for vaccination in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Arya, Jaya; Prausnitz, Mark R

2016-10-28

Millions of people die of infectious diseases each year, mostly in developing countries, which could largely be prevented by the use of vaccines. While immunization rates have risen since the introduction of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), there remain major challenges to more effective vaccination in developing countries. As a possible solution, microneedle patches containing an array of micron-sized needles on an adhesive backing have been developed to be used for vaccine delivery to the skin. These microneedle patches can be easily and painlessly applied by pressing against the skin and, in some designs, do not leave behind sharps waste. The patches are single-dose, do not require reconstitution, are easy to administer, have reduced size to simplify storage, transportation and waste disposal, and offer the possibility of improved vaccine immunogenicity, dose sparing and thermostability. This review summarizes vaccination challenges in developing countries and discusses advantages that microneedle patches offer for vaccination to address these challenges. We conclude that microneedle patches offer a powerful new technology that can enable more effective vaccination in developing countries. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Lidocaine patches reduce pain in trauma patients with rib fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zink, Karen A; Mayberry, John C; Peck, Ellen G; Schreiber, Martin A

2011-04-01

Rib fracture pain is notoriously difficult to manage. The lidocaine patch is effective in other pain scenarios with an excellent safety profile. This study assesses the efficacy of lidocaine patches for treating rib fracture pain. A prospectively gathered cohort of patients with rib fracture was retrospectively analyzed for use of lidocaine patches. Patients treated with lidocaine patches were matched to control subjects treated without patches. Subjective pain reports and narcotic use before and after patch placement, or equivalent time points for control subjects, were gathered from the chart. All patients underwent long-term follow-up, including a McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). Twenty-nine patients with lidocaine patches (LP) and 29 matched control subjects (C) were analyzed. During the 24 hours before patch placement, pain scores and narcotic use were similar (LP 5.3, C 4.6, P = 0.19 and LP 51, C 32 mg morphine, P = 0.17). In the 24 hours after patch placement, LP patients had a greater decrease in pain scores (LP 1.2, C 0.0, P = 0.01) with no change in narcotic use (LP -8.4, C 0.5-mg change in morphine, P = 0.25). At 60 days, LP patients had a lower MPQ pain score (LP 7.7, C 12.2, P rib fracture pain. Lidocaine patches resulted in a sustained reduction in pain, outlasting the duration of therapy.

Mating success of males with and without wing patch in Drosophila biarmipes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegde, S N; Chethan, B K; Krishna, M S

2005-10-01

Some males of D. biarmipes--synonym of D. rajasekari and D. raychaudhuri have a black patch on the wing. The patch extends from the apical margin of wing to the third longitudinal vein. Field and laboratory studies have been carried out in D. biarmipes to study role of male's wing patch in mating success. The field study shows that nature favors D. biarmipes males with patch. Although males without patch mated, males with patch have higher mating success suggesting the role of wing patch during courtship. Further, among mating males, males with patch had longer wings than males without patch. During courtship, males with patch oriented and mated faster; performed courtship acts such as tapping, scissoring, vibration, licking and twist dance more times than males without patch in both competitive and non-competitive situations. The results indicate that there is a casual relationship between the presence of wing patch, mating speed and success. Also there is a correlation between presence of wing patch, size of the flies and mating success.

Development and characterization of mucoadhesive buccal patches of salbutamol sulphate.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Rajesh Singh; Poddar, S S

2009-01-01

Mucoadhesive patch releasing the drug in the oral cavity at predetermined rate may present distinct advantages over traditional dosage forms such as tablets, gels and solutions. The present study was concerned with the preparation and evaluation of mucoadhesive buccal patches for the controlled systemic delivery of Salbutamol sulphate to avoid first pass hepatic metabolism. The developed patches were evaluated for the physicochemical, mechanical and drug release characteristics. The patches showed desired mechanical and physicochemical properties to withstand environment of oral cavity. The in-vitro release study showed that patches could deliver drug to the oral mucosa for a period of 7 h. the patches exhibited adequate stability when tested under accelerated conditions.

An optimal approach to active damping of nonlinear vibrations in composite plates using piezoelectric patches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saviz, M R

2015-01-01

In this paper a nonlinear approach to studying the vibration characteristic of laminated composite plate with surface-bonded piezoelectric layer/patch is formulated, based on the Green Lagrange type of strain–displacements relations, by incorporating higher-order terms arising from nonlinear relations of kinematics into mathematical formulations. The equations of motion are obtained through the energy method, based on Lagrange equations and by using higher-order shear deformation theories with von Karman–type nonlinearities, so that transverse shear strains vanish at the top and bottom surfaces of the plate. An isoparametric finite element model is provided to model the nonlinear dynamics of the smart plate with piezoelectric layer/ patch. Different boundary conditions are investigated. Optimal locations of piezoelectric patches are found using a genetic algorithm to maximize spatial controllability/observability and considering the effect of residual modes to reduce spillover effect. Active attenuation of vibration of laminated composite plate is achieved through an optimal control law with inequality constraint, which is related to the maximum and minimum values of allowable voltage in the piezoelectric elements. To keep the voltages of actuator pairs in an allowable limit, the Pontryagin’s minimum principle is implemented in a system with multi-inequality constraint of control inputs. The results are compared with similar ones, proving the accuracy of the model especially for the structures undergoing large deformations. The convergence is studied and nonlinear frequencies are obtained for different thickness ratios. The structural coupling between plate and piezoelectric actuators is analyzed. Some examples with new features are presented, indicating that the piezo-patches significantly improve the damping characteristics of the plate for suppressing the geometrically nonlinear transient vibrations. (paper)

A new low-complexity patch-based image super-resolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasti, Pejman; Nasrollahi, Kamal; Orlova, Olga

2017-01-01

through an illumination enhancement process resulting in consistency of illumination between neigh- bour patches. This process is applied to all patches of the LR image. Finally, in order to remove the blocking effect caused by merging the patches, an average of the obtained HR image and the interpolated...

A Multigroup diffusion solver using pseudo transient continuation for a radiation-hydrodynamic code with patch-based AMR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shestakov, A I; Offner, S R

2006-09-21

We present a scheme to solve the nonlinear multigroup radiation diffusion (MGD) equations. The method is incorporated into a massively parallel, multidimensional, Eulerian radiation-hydrodynamic code with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). The patch-based AMR algorithm refines in both space and time creating a hierarchy of levels, coarsest to finest. The physics modules are time-advanced using operator splitting. On each level, separate 'level-solve' packages advance the modules. Our multigroup level-solve adapts an implicit procedure which leads to a two-step iterative scheme that alternates between elliptic solves for each group with intra-cell group coupling. For robustness, we introduce pseudo transient continuation ({Psi}tc). We analyze the magnitude of the {Psi}tc parameter to ensure positivity of the resulting linear system, diagonal dominance and convergence of the two-step scheme. For AMR, a level defines a subdomain for refinement. For diffusive processes such as MGD, the refined level uses Dirichet boundary data at the coarse-fine interface and the data is derived from the coarse level solution. After advancing on the fine level, an additional procedure, the sync-solve (SS), is required in order to enforce conservation. The MGD SS reduces to an elliptic solve on a combined grid for a system of G equations, where G is the number of groups. We adapt the 'partial temperature' scheme for the SS; hence, we reuse the infrastructure developed for scalar equations. Results are presented. We consider a multigroup test problem with a known analytic solution. We demonstrate utility of {Psi}tc by running with increasingly larger timesteps. Lastly, we simulate the sudden release of energy Y inside an Al sphere (r = 15 cm) suspended in air at STP. For Y = 11 kT, we find that gray radiation diffusion and MGD produce similar results. However, if Y = 1 MT, the two packages yield different results. Our large Y simulation contradicts a long-standing theory

A Multigroup diffusion Solver Using Pseudo Transient Continuation for a Radiaiton-Hydrodynamic Code with Patch-Based AMR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shestakov, A I; Offner, S R

2007-03-02

We present a scheme to solve the nonlinear multigroup radiation diffusion (MGD) equations. The method is incorporated into a massively parallel, multidimensional, Eulerian radiation-hydrodynamic code with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). The patch-based AMR algorithm refines in both space and time creating a hierarchy of levels, coarsest to finest. The physics modules are time-advanced using operator splitting. On each level, separate 'level-solve' packages advance the modules. Our multigroup level-solve adapts an implicit procedure which leads to a two-step iterative scheme that alternates between elliptic solves for each group with intra-cell group coupling. For robustness, we introduce pseudo transient continuation ({Psi}tc). We analyze the magnitude of the {Psi}tc parameter to ensure positivity of the resulting linear system, diagonal dominance and convergence of the two-step scheme. For AMR, a level defines a subdomain for refinement. For diffusive processes such as MGD, the refined level uses Dirichet boundary data at the coarse-fine interface and the data is derived from the coarse level solution. After advancing on the fine level, an additional procedure, the sync-solve (SS), is required in order to enforce conservation. The MGD SS reduces to an elliptic solve on a combined grid for a system of G equations, where G is the number of groups. We adapt the 'partial temperature' scheme for the SS; hence, we reuse the infrastructure developed for scalar equations. Results are presented. We consider a multigroup test problem with a known analytic solution. We demonstrate utility of {Psi}tc by running with increasingly larger timesteps. Lastly, we simulate the sudden release of energy Y inside an Al sphere (r = 15 cm) suspended in air at STP. For Y = 11 kT, we find that gray radiation diffusion and MGD produce similar results. However, if Y = 1 MT, the two packages yield different results. Our large Y simulation contradicts a long-standing theory

Diclofenac Potassium Transdermal Patches Using Natural Rubber Latex Biomembranes as Carrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natan Roberto de Barros

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to design a compound transdermal patch containing diclofenac potassium (Dic-K using natural rubber latex (NRL biomembrane. The NRL from Hevea brasiliensis is easily manipulated and low cost and presents high mechanical resistance. It is a biocompatible material which can stimulate natural angiogenesis and is capable of adhering cells on its surface. Recent researches have used the NRL for Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems (TDDSs. Dic-K is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and pain relief for postoperative and posttraumatic cases, as well as inflammation and edema. Results showed that the biomembrane can release Dic-K for up to 216 hours. The kinetics of the Dic-K release could be fitted with double exponential function. X-ray diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR spectroscopy show some interaction by hydrogen bound. The results indicated the potential of the compound patch.

Force-controlled patch clamp of beating cardiac cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ossola, Dario; Amarouch, Mohamed-Yassine; Behr, Pascal; Vörös, János; Abriel, Hugues; Zambelli, Tomaso

2015-03-11

From its invention in the 1970s, the patch clamp technique is the gold standard in electrophysiology research and drug screening because it is the only tool enabling accurate investigation of voltage-gated ion channels, which are responsible for action potentials. Because of its key role in drug screening, innovation efforts are being made to reduce its complexity toward more automated systems. While some of these new approaches are being adopted in pharmaceutical companies, conventional patch-clamp remains unmatched in fundamental research due to its versatility. Here, we merged the patch clamp and atomic force microscope (AFM) techniques, thus equipping the patch-clamp with the sensitive AFM force control. This was possible using the FluidFM, a force-controlled nanopipette based on microchanneled AFM cantilevers. First, the compatibility of the system with patch-clamp electronics and its ability to record the activity of voltage-gated ion channels in whole-cell configuration was demonstrated with sodium (NaV1.5) channels. Second, we showed the feasibility of simultaneous recording of membrane current and force development during contraction of isolated cardiomyocytes. Force feedback allowed for a gentle and stable contact between AFM tip and cell membrane enabling serial patch clamping and injection without apparent cell damage.

Living cardiac patch: the elixir for cardiac regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakshmanan, Rajesh; Krishnan, Uma Maheswari; Sethuraman, Swaminathan

2012-12-01

A thorough understanding of the cellular and muscle fiber orientation in left ventricular cardiac tissue is of paramount importance for the generation of artificial cardiac patches to treat the ischemic myocardium. The major challenge faced during cardiac patch engineering is to choose a perfect combination of three entities; cells, scaffolds and signaling molecules comprising the tissue engineering triad for repair and regeneration. This review provides an overview of various scaffold materials, their mechanical properties and fabrication methods utilized in cardiac patch engineering. Stem cell therapies in clinical trials and the commercially available cardiac patch materials were summarized in an attempt to provide a recent perspective in the treatment of heart failure. Various tissue engineering strategies employed thus far to construct viable thick cardiac patches is schematically illustrated. Though many strategies have been proposed for fabrication of various cardiac scaffold materials, the stage and severity of the disease condition demands the incorporation of additional cues in a suitable scaffold material. The scaffold may be nanofibrous patch, hydrogel or custom designed films. Integration of stem cells and biomolecular cues along with the scaffold may provide the right microenvironment for the repair of unhealthy left ventricular tissue as well as promote its regeneration.

Dermoscopy of shagreen patch: A first report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shivanand Gundalli

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The name is derived from French phrase peau chagrinee which is usually found on lower back, buttock and thigh. The major manifestations of Tuberous sclerosis include skin lesions in more than 95%, mental retardation in approximately 50%, autism, seizures in approximately 85%. The incidence at birth is estimated to be 1 in 5800. We report case of shagreen patch in a 27 year female which is present since birth. However there is no history of seizures or consanginous marriage in our case. Associated features are naevus comedonicus and naevus collagenosis, facial angiofibroma. Shagreen patch are present in mandibular area of face. Although, diagnosis is easy, it can be mistaken for inflammatory verrucous epidermal nevus, plaques of other inflammatory skin conditions. Diagnosis is usually on clinical background. Sometimes biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Dermoscopy, a non-invasive, in vivo technique for the microscopic examination of pigmented skin lesions, has the potential to improve the diagnostic accuracy. Dermoscopy of Shagreen patch showed reddish-brown strands with white dots giving a cobblestone appearance It can be utilized as a diagnostic aide in the diagnosis of Shagreen patch. Authors evaluated the dermoscopic patterns of Shagreen patch and hence, it is useful in diagnosis.

Multichannel noninvasive human-machine interface via stretchable µm thick sEMG patches for robot manipulation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Ying; Wang, Youhua; Liu, Runfeng; Xiao, Lin; Zhang, Qin; Huang, YongAn

2018-01-01

Epidermal electronics (e-skin) emerging in recent years offer the opportunity to noninvasively and wearably extract biosignals from human bodies. The conventional processes of e-skin based on standard microelectronic fabrication processes and a variety of transfer printing methods, nevertheless, unquestionably constrains the size of the devices, posing a serious challenge to collecting signals via skin, the largest organ in the human body. Herein we propose a multichannel noninvasive human-machine interface (HMI) using stretchable surface electromyography (sEMG) patches to realize a robot hand mimicking human gestures. Time-efficient processes are first developed to manufacture µm thick large-scale stretchable devices. With micron thickness, the stretchable µm thick sEMG patches show excellent conformability with human skin and consequently comparable electrical performance with conventional gel electrodes. Combined with the large-scale size, the multichannel noninvasive HMI via stretchable µm thick sEMG patches successfully manipulates the robot hand with eight different gestures, whose precision is as high as conventional gel electrodes array.

Patch dynamics of a foraging assemblage of bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, David Hamilton

1985-03-01

The composition and dynamics of foraging assemblages of bees were examined from the standpoint of species-level arrival and departure processes in patches of flowers. Experiments with bees visiting 4 different species of flowers in subalpine meadows in Colorado gave the following results: 1) In enriched patches the rates of departure of bees were reduced, resulting in increases in both the number of bees per species and the average number of species present. 2) The reduction in bee departure rates from enriched patches was due to mechanical factors-increased flower handling time, and to behavioral factors-an increase in the number of flowers visited per inflorescence and in the number of inflorescences visited per patch. Bees foraging in enriched patches could collect nectar 30-45% faster than those foraging in control patches. 3) The quantitative changes in foraging assemblages due to enrichment, in terms of means and variances of species population sizes, fraction of time a species was present in a patch, and in mean and variance of the number of species present, were in reasonable agreement with predictions drawn from queuing theory and studies in island biogeography. 4) Experiments performed with 2 species of flowers with different corolla tube lengths demonstrated that manipulation of resources of differing availability had unequal effects on particular subsets of the larger foraging community. The arrival-departure process of bees on flowers and the immigration-extinction process of species on islands are contrasted, and the value of the stochastic, species-level approach to community composition is briefly discussed.

Patch Type Granuloma Annulare Imitating Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Şeval Doğruk Kaçar

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Granuloma annulare (GA is a benign inflammatory skin disease with distinct clinical and histopathological findings. Patch type GA is described with erythematous patches beyond the classical clinical appearance and an interstitial pattern is observed without histopathologically granulomas with disseminated histiocytes among collagen bundles and vessels. Here we report 46 year old woman diagnosed as patch type GA after a punch biopsy performed from the annular bordered patches in belly area, which is a classical area for mycosis fungoides (MF evolution, and lesions increasingly spreading out within a 2 year period.

Quantitative Analysis of Range Image Patches by NEB Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Wen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we analyze sampled high dimensional data with the NEB method from a range image database. Select a large random sample of log-valued, high contrast, normalized, 8×8 range image patches from the Brown database. We make a density estimator and we establish 1-dimensional cell complexes from the range image patch data. We find topological properties of 8×8 range image patches, prove that there exist two types of subsets of 8×8 range image patches modelled as a circle.

Laparoscopic repair of perforated peptic ulcer: patch versus simple closure.

Science.gov (United States)

Abd Ellatif, M E; Salama, A F; Elezaby, A F; El-Kaffas, H F; Hassan, A; Magdy, A; Abdallah, E; El-Morsy, G

2013-01-01

Laparoscopic correction of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) has become an accepted way of management. Patch omentoplasty stayed for decades the main method of repair. The goal of the present study was to evaluate whether laparoscopic simple repair of PPU is as safe as patch omentoplasty. Since June 2005, 179 consecutive patients of PPU were treated by laparoscopic repair at our centers. We conducted a retrospective chart review in December 2012. Group I (patch group) included patients who were treated with standard patch omentoplasty. Group II (non-patch group) included patients who received simple repair without patch. From June 2007 to Dec. 2012, 179 consecutive patients of PPU who were treated by laparoscopic repair at our centers were enrolled in this multi-center retrospective study. 108 patients belong to patch group. While 71 patients were treated with laparoscopic simple repair. Operative time was significantly shorter in group II (non patch) (p = 0.01). No patient was converted to laparotomy. There was no difference in age, gender, ASA score, surgical risk (Boey's) score, and incidence of co-morbidities. Both groups were comparable in terms of hospital stay, time to resume oral intake, postoperative complications and surgical outcomes. Laparoscopic simple repair of PPU is a safe procedure compared with the traditional patch omentoplasty in presence of certain selection criteria. Copyright © 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of weed patch size on seed removal by harvester ants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Westermann, Paula R.

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In dryland cereals in North-eastern Spain, the harvester ant, Messor barbarus L., is responsible for removal of a large proportion of the newly produced weed seeds (40-100%. The probability that seeds will be found by the ants may be influenced by weed patch size. To investigate this source of variability, 30 seed patches were created in each of three, 50 × 50 m, blocks in a cereal field after harvest, by sequentially seeding (10, 16 and 17 August 2010 with 2000 seeds m-2 of Avena sativa L.. Patch size varied from 0.25 to 9 m2. Twenty four hours after seeding, the remaining seeds were collected and seed removal rates estimated. Average seed removal rate was lowest in the smallest (78-94% and highest in the largest patches (99-100%. Differences were mainly caused by the fact that some of the smaller patches (9.7% were not found. However, when patches were found, they were exploited at equal rates (98-100%. As predicted, the probability of finding a patch increased slightly, but significantly, with increasing patch size. When a patch was found, it was almost always fully exploited, resulting in very high seed removal rates, irrespective of patch size. These results indicate that the size of the seed patch is only a minor source of variation influencing this form of biological control of weeds.

Patch time allocation and oviposition behavior in response to patch quality and the presence of a generalist predator in Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Sheng; Ling, Meng; Fu-An, Wu; Baoping, Li

2015-01-01

Foraging parasitoids often must estimate local risk of predation just as they must estimate local patch value. Here, we investigate the effects a generalist predator Chlaenius bioculatus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), has on the oviposition behavior and the patch residence decisions of a solitary parasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in response to the varying host quality of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae (L2 and L4). M. pulchricornis attacked more L4 than on L2 hosts, with the difference in attack rate varying depending on predation treatments, greater in the presence (either actively feeding or not) of the predator than in the absence of it. The parasitoid attacked fewer L2 and L4 hosts when the predator was actively feeding than when it was not feeding or not present in the patch. M. pulchricornis decreased the patch leaving tendency with increasing rejections of hosts, but increased the tendency in response to the presence of the predator as compared with the absence of it, and furthermore, increased the patch leaving tendency when the predator was actively feeding as compared with when it was not. Our study suggests that M. pulchricornis can exploit high quality patches while minimizing predation risk, by attacking more hosts in high quality patches while reducing total patch time in response to risk of predation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Kirchhoff plate theory-based electromechanically-coupled analytical model considering inertia and stiffness effects of a surface-bonded piezoelectric patch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Heonjun; Youn, Byeng D; Kim, Heung Soo

2016-01-01

As a compact and durable design concept, piezoelectric energy harvesting skin (PEH skin) has been recently proposed for self-powered electronic device applications. This study aims to develop an electromechanically-coupled analytical model of PEH skin considering the inertia and stiffness effects of a piezoelectric patch. Based on Kirchhoff plate theory, Hamilton’s principle is used to derive the electromechanically-coupled differential equation of motion. Due to the geometric discontinuity of the piezoelectric patch, the Rayleigh–Ritz method is applied to calculate the natural frequency and corresponding mode shapes. The electrical circuit equation is derived from Gauss’s law. Output voltage is estimated by solving the equation of motion and electrical circuit equation, simultaneously. For the purpose of evaluating the predictive capability, the results of the electromechanically-coupled analytical model are compared with those of the finite element method in a hierarchical manner. The outstanding merits of the electromechanically-coupled analytical model of PEH skin are three-fold: (1) consideration of the inertia and stiffness effects of the piezoelectric patches; (2) physical parameterization between the two-dimensional mechanical configuration and piezoelectric transduction; (3) manipulability of the twisting modes of a cantilever plate with a small aspect ratio. (paper)

Multi-patch matching for person re-identification

Science.gov (United States)

Labidi, Hocine; Luo, Sen-Lin; Boubekeur, Mohamed B.; Benlefki, Tarek

2015-08-01

Recognizing a target object across non-overlapping distributed cameras is known in the computer vision community as the problem of person re-identification. In this paper, a multi-patch matching method for person reidentification is presented. Starting from the assumption that: the appearance (clothes) of a person does not change during the time of passing in different cameras field of view , which means the regions with the same color in target image will be identical while crossing cameras. First, we extract distinctive features in the training procedure, where each image target is devised into small patches, the SIFT features and LAB color histograms are computed for each patch. Then we use the KNN approach to detect group of patches with high similarity in the target image and then we use a bi-directional weighted group matching mechanism for the re-identification. Experiments on a challenging VIPeR dataset show that the performances of the proposed method outperform several baselines and state of the art approaches.

Estimation of vertical load on a tire from contact patch length and its use in vehicle stability control

OpenAIRE

Dhasarathy, Deepak

2010-01-01

The vertical load on a moving tire was estimated by using accelerometers attached to the inner liner of a tire. The acceleration signal was processed to obtain the contact patch length created by the tire on the road surface. Then an appropriate equation relating the patch length to the vertical load is used to calculate the load. In order to obtain the needed data, tests were performed on a flat-track test machine at the Goodyear Innovation Center in Akron, Ohio; tests were also conducted on...

Impedance spectra of patch clamp scenarios for single cells immobilized on a lab-on-a-chip

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alberti, Massimo; Snakenborg, Detlef; Lopacinska, Joanna M.

2014-01-01

and simulated impedance spectra proved that the presented method could distinguish between a cell-attached mode and a whole-cell mode even with low-quality seals. In physiological conditions, the capacitance of HeLa cells was measured to *38 pF. The first gigaseal was recorded and maintained for 40 min. Once...... membrane. After incubating the chip for 24 h, HeLa cells adhered and grew on the chip surface but did not survive when trapped on the microapertures. The microfluidic system proved to work as a micro electrophysiological analysis system, and the IS-based method can be used for further studies on the post......A simple method based on impedance spectroscopy (IS) was developed to distinguish between different patch clamp modes for single cells trapped on microapertures in a patch clamp microchannel array designed for patch clamping on cultured cells. The method allows detecting via impedance analysis...

Scale-adaptive Local Patches for Robust Visual Object Tracking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kang Sun

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the problem of robustly tracking objects which undergo rapid and dramatic scale changes. To remove the weakness of global appearance models, we present a novel scheme that combines object’s global and local appearance features. The local feature is a set of local patches that geometrically constrain the changes in the target’s appearance. In order to adapt to the object’s geometric deformation, the local patches could be removed and added online. The addition of these patches is constrained by the global features such as color, texture and motion. The global visual features are updated via the stable local patches during tracking. To deal with scale changes, we adapt the scale of patches in addition to adapting the object bound box. We evaluate our method by comparing it to several state-of-the-art trackers on publicly available datasets. The experimental results on challenging sequences confirm that, by using this scale-adaptive local patches and global properties, our tracker outperforms the related trackers in many cases by having smaller failure rate as well as better accuracy.

Novel Wearable Device for Blood Leakage Detection during Hemodialysis Using an Array Sensing Patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Yi-Chun; Lim, Bee-Yen; Ciou, Wei-Siang; Wu, Ming-Jui

2016-06-09

Hemodialysis (HD) is a clinical treatment that requires the puncturing of the body surface. However, needle dislodgement can cause a high risk of blood leakage and can be fatal to patients. Previous studies proposed several devices for blood leakage detection using optical or electrical techniques. Nonetheless, these methods used single-point detection and the design was not suitable for multi-bed monitoring. This study proposed a novel wearable device for blood leakage monitoring during HD using an array sensing patch. The array sensing patch combined with a mapping circuit and a wireless module could measure and transmit risk levels. The different risk levels could improve the working process of healthcare workers, and enhance their work efficiency and reduce inconvenience due to false alarms. Experimental results showed that each point of the sensing array could detect up to 0.1 mL of blood leakage and the array sensing patch supports a risk level monitoring system up to 8 h to alert healthcare personnel of pertinent danger to the patients.

Novel Wearable Device for Blood Leakage Detection during Hemodialysis Using an Array Sensing Patch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Chun Du

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Hemodialysis (HD is a clinical treatment that requires the puncturing of the body surface. However, needle dislodgement can cause a high risk of blood leakage and can be fatal to patients. Previous studies proposed several devices for blood leakage detection using optical or electrical techniques. Nonetheless, these methods used single-point detection and the design was not suitable for multi-bed monitoring. This study proposed a novel wearable device for blood leakage monitoring during HD using an array sensing patch. The array sensing patch combined with a mapping circuit and a wireless module could measure and transmit risk levels. The different risk levels could improve the working process of healthcare workers, and enhance their work efficiency and reduce inconvenience due to false alarms. Experimental results showed that each point of the sensing array could detect up to 0.1 mL of blood leakage and the array sensing patch supports a risk level monitoring system up to 8 h to alert healthcare personnel of pertinent danger to the patients.

Rabies vaccination in dogs using a dissolving microneedle patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Arya, Jaya M; Dewitt, Kristopher; Scott-Garrard, Maya; Chiang, Yu-Wei; Prausnitz, Mark R

2016-10-10

Because humans get rabies primarily through dog bites, stray dog population control and mass or mandatory vaccination of domestic dogs and other animals has virtually eliminated human rabies in industrialized countries. However, thousands of people in developing countries die of rabies each year due to the inability to control dog populations and implement mass vaccination because of financial, logistical and other challenges. The availability of an easier-to-administer and more cost-effective vaccine may help to address some of these issues. Here, we propose the use of dissolving microneedle patches for simple and potentially cost-effective rabies vaccination, and assess the safety and immunogenicity of microneedle patch vaccination using a rabies DNA vaccine in dogs. The vaccine was stable upon formulation and storage for at least 3weeks at 4°C in a microneedle patch. For vaccination, the patches were applied to the inner ear by hand without an applicator. Microneedle patches were well tolerated in the skin, with mild erythema, minimal wheal formation and complete resolution of skin reactions within 7days, and generated no systemic adverse events. Microneedle patches were at least as immunogenic as intramuscular injection at the same dose, as demonstrated by similar serum neutralizing antibody titers. A ten-fold lower vaccine dose administered by microneedle patch generated a weaker immune response compared to full-dose intramuscular vaccination. We conclude that dissolving microneedle patches may provide an innovative approach to mass vaccination of dogs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The use of biodegradable microneedle patches to increase penetration of topical steroid for prurigo nodularis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Jung U; Kim, Jung Dong; Kim, Hong Kee; Kang, Hong Kyu; Joo, Chulmin; Lee, Ju Hee; Jeong, Do Hyeon; Song, Seungri; Chu, Howard; Lee, Jung Soo; Lee, Hemin; Lee, Kwang Hoon

2018-02-01

The stratum corneum is an almost impermeable barrier. Recently, microneedles have been used to increase drug delivery passing the stratum corneum by incorporating the drug within the microneedle or by coating the surface of the microneedle with the drug. This study was performed to investigate whether applying a biodegradable microneedle patch after topical steroid application increases penetration of the steroid in vitro, as well as treatment efficacy in patients with prurigo nodularis. In vitro penetration of topical steroids after biodegradable microneedle patch application was measured using a 3D skin model. To evaluate the treatment efficacy of the combination of biodegradable microneedle and topical steroids, a split-body clinical study was performed. Penetration of topical steroid in the in vitro skin model was significantly greater in the microneedle-applied skin. In a split-body clinical study with prurigo nodularis patients, the area and height of skin lesions decreased after four weeks of treatment on both sides, however, the microneedle patch side exhibited a significantly greater decrease in both area and height, compared to the control side. The pruritus visual analogue scale was also significantly lower on the microneedle side. We suggest that simply applying a microneedle patch after topical steroid application could be a useful strategy for treating refractory skin diseases such as prurigo nodularis.

Surface charge method for molecular surfaces with curved areal elements I. Spherical triangles

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yi-Kuo

2018-03-01

Parametrizing a curved surface with flat triangles in electrostatics problems creates a diverging electric field. One way to avoid this is to have curved areal elements. However, charge density integration over curved patches appears difficult. This paper, dealing with spherical triangles, is the first in a series aiming to solve this problem. Here, we lay the ground work for employing curved patches for applying the surface charge method to electrostatics. We show analytically how one may control the accuracy by expanding in powers of the the arc length (multiplied by the curvature). To accommodate not extremely small curved areal elements, we have provided enough details to include higher order corrections that are needed for better accuracy when slightly larger surface elements are used.

Reef Development on Artificial Patch Reefs in Shallow Water of Panjang Island, Central Java

Science.gov (United States)

Munasik; Sugiyanto; Sugianto, Denny N.; Sabdono, Agus

2018-02-01

Reef restoration methods are generally developed by propagation of coral fragments, coral recruits and provide substrate for coral attachment using artificial reefs (ARs). ARs have been widely applied as a tool for reef restoration in degraded natural reefs. Successful of coral restoration is determined by reef development such as increasing coral biomass, natural of coral recruits and fauna associated. Artificial Patch Reefs (APRs) is designed by combined of artificial reefs and coral transplantation and constructed by modular circular structures in shape, were deployed from small boats by scuba divers, and are suitable near natural reefs for shallow water with low visibility of Panjang Island, Central Java. Branching corals of Acropora aspera, Montipora digitata and Porites cylindrica fragments were transplanted on to each module of two units of artificial patch reefs in different periods. Coral fragments of Acropora evolved high survival and high growth, Porites fragments have moderate survival and low growth, while fragment of Montipora show in low survival and moderate growth. Within 19 to 22 months of APRs deployment, scleractinian corals were recruited on the surface of artificial patch reef substrates. The most recruits abundant was Montastrea, followed by Poritids, Pocilloporids, and Acroporids. We conclude that artificial patch reefs with developed by coral fragments and natural coral recruitment is one of an alternative rehabilitation method in shallow reef with low visibility.

A free surface algorithm in the N3S finite element code for turbulent flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitrosso, B.; Pot, G.; Abbes, B.; Bidot, T.

1995-08-01

In this paper, we present a free surface algorithm which was implemented in the N3S code. Free surfaces are represented by marker particles which move through a mesh. It is assumed that the free surface is located inside each element that contains markers and surrounded by at least one element with no marker inside. The mesh is then locally adjusted in order to coincide with the free surface which is well defined by the forefront marker particles. After describing the governing equations and the N3S solving methods, we present the free surface algorithm. Results obtained for two-dimensional and three-dimensional industrial problems of mould filling are presented. (authors). 5 refs., 2 figs

Whale sharks target dense prey patches of sergestid shrimp off Tanzania

KAUST Repository

Rohner, C. A.; Armstrong, A. J.; Pierce, S. J.; Prebble, C. E. M.; Cagua, E. F.; Cochran, J. E. M.; Berumen, Michael L.; Richardson, A. J.

2015-01-01

Large planktivores require high-density prey patches to make feeding energetically viable. This is a major challenge for species living in tropical and subtropical seas, such as whale sharks Rhincodon typus. Here, we characterize zooplankton biomass, size structure and taxonomic composition from whale shark feeding events and background samples at Mafia Island, Tanzania. The majority of whale sharks were feeding (73%, 380 of 524 observations), with the most common behaviour being active surface feeding (87%). We used 20 samples collected from immediately adjacent to feeding sharks and an additional 202 background samples for comparison to show that plankton biomass was ∼10 times higher in patches where whale sharks were feeding (25 vs. 2.6 mg m-3). Taxonomic analyses of samples showed that the large sergestid Lucifer hanseni (∼10 mm) dominated while sharks were feeding, accounting for ∼50% of identified items, while copepods (<2 mm) dominated background samples. The size structure was skewed towards larger animals representative of L.hanseni in feeding samples. Thus, whale sharks at Mafia Island target patches of dense, large, zooplankton dominated by sergestids. Large planktivores, such as whale sharks, which generally inhabit warm oligotrophic waters, aggregate in areas where they can feed on dense prey to obtain sufficient energy. © 2015 © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Whale sharks target dense prey patches of sergestid shrimp off Tanzania

KAUST Repository

Rohner, C. A.

2015-03-17

Large planktivores require high-density prey patches to make feeding energetically viable. This is a major challenge for species living in tropical and subtropical seas, such as whale sharks Rhincodon typus. Here, we characterize zooplankton biomass, size structure and taxonomic composition from whale shark feeding events and background samples at Mafia Island, Tanzania. The majority of whale sharks were feeding (73%, 380 of 524 observations), with the most common behaviour being active surface feeding (87%). We used 20 samples collected from immediately adjacent to feeding sharks and an additional 202 background samples for comparison to show that plankton biomass was ∼10 times higher in patches where whale sharks were feeding (25 vs. 2.6 mg m-3). Taxonomic analyses of samples showed that the large sergestid Lucifer hanseni (∼10 mm) dominated while sharks were feeding, accounting for ∼50% of identified items, while copepods (<2 mm) dominated background samples. The size structure was skewed towards larger animals representative of L.hanseni in feeding samples. Thus, whale sharks at Mafia Island target patches of dense, large, zooplankton dominated by sergestids. Large planktivores, such as whale sharks, which generally inhabit warm oligotrophic waters, aggregate in areas where they can feed on dense prey to obtain sufficient energy. © 2015 © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

A versatile model for soft patchy particles with various patch arrangements.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhan-Wei; Zhu, You-Liang; Lu, Zhong-Yuan; Sun, Zhao-Yan

2016-01-21

We propose a simple and general mesoscale soft patchy particle model, which can felicitously describe the deformable and surface-anisotropic characteristics of soft patchy particles. This model can be used in dynamics simulations to investigate the aggregation behavior and mechanism of various types of soft patchy particles with tunable number, size, direction, and geometrical arrangement of the patches. To improve the computational efficiency of this mesoscale model in dynamics simulations, we give the simulation algorithm that fits the compute unified device architecture (CUDA) framework of NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs). The validation of the model and the performance of the simulations using GPUs are demonstrated by simulating several benchmark systems of soft patchy particles with 1 to 4 patches in a regular geometrical arrangement. Because of its simplicity and computational efficiency, the soft patchy particle model will provide a powerful tool to investigate the aggregation behavior of soft patchy particles, such as patchy micelles, patchy microgels, and patchy dendrimers, over larger spatial and temporal scales.

Fine-Tuning on the Effective Patch Radius Expression of the Circular Microstrip Patch Antennas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. E. Yilmaz

2010-09-01

Full Text Available In this study, the effective patch radius expression for the circular microstrip antennas is improved by means of several manipulations. Departing from previously proposed equations in the literature, one of the most accurate equations is picked up, and this equation is fine-tuned by means of Particle Swarm Optimization technique. Throughout the study, impacts of other parameters (such as the definition of the fitness/objective function, the degree-of-freedom in the proposed effective patch radius expression, the number of measured resonant frequency values are observed in a controlled manner. Finally, about 3% additional improvement is achieved over a very accurate formula, which was proposed earlier.

Tolerability, usability and acceptability of dissolving microneedle patch administration in human subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Arya, Jaya; Henry, Sebastien; Kalluri, Haripriya; McAllister, Devin V; Pewin, Winston P; Prausnitz, Mark R

2017-06-01

To support translation of microneedle patches from pre-clinical development into clinical trials, this study examined the effect of microneedle patch application on local skin reactions, reliability of use and acceptability to patients. Placebo patches containing dissolving microneedles were administered to fifteen human participants. Microneedle patches were well tolerated in the skin with no pain or swelling and only mild erythema localized to the site of patch administration that resolved fully within seven days. Microneedle patches could be administered by hand without the need of an applicator and delivery efficiencies were similar for investigator-administration and self-administration. Microneedle patch administration was not considered painful and the large majority of subjects were somewhat or fully confident that they self-administered patches correctly. Microneedle patches were overwhelmingly preferred over conventional needle and syringe injection. Altogether, these results demonstrate that dissolving microneedle patches were well tolerated, easily usable and strongly accepted by human subjects, which will facilitate further clinical translation of this technology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of tyre contact patch and on the stopping distance of automotive vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Selig, M.; Ball, A.; Ash, J.; Schmidt, K.

2012-05-01

This contribution presents the experimental tests results about the influence of the tyre contact patch on the stopping distance of automotive vehicles. The objective of the performed tests is the evaluation of the effect of tyre inflation pressure, hence the resulting tyre contact patch on the braking system and the brake distance. The conditions of the experiment are a dry and level road surface without steering inputs. To record scientific results, a brake robot system is used. The benefit of a robotic system is the elimination of the interfering variable driver, who is not able to apply the brake system at the same time with the same force. State-of-the-art data acquisition tools are used to log the data.

The influence of tyre contact patch and on the stopping distance of automotive vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selig, M; Ball, A; Ash, J; Schmidt, K

2012-01-01

This contribution presents the experimental tests results about the influence of the tyre contact patch on the stopping distance of automotive vehicles. The objective of the performed tests is the evaluation of the effect of tyre inflation pressure, hence the resulting tyre contact patch on the braking system and the brake distance. The conditions of the experiment are a dry and level road surface without steering inputs. To record scientific results, a brake robot system is used. The benefit of a robotic system is the elimination of the interfering variable driver, who is not able to apply the brake system at the same time with the same force. State-of-the-art data acquisition tools are used to log the data.

Mechanism of inhibition of the tumor suppressor Patched by Sonic Hedgehog.

Science.gov (United States)

Tukachinsky, Hanna; Petrov, Kostadin; Watanabe, Miyako; Salic, Adrian

2016-10-04

The Hedgehog cell-cell signaling pathway is crucial for animal development, and its misregulation is implicated in numerous birth defects and cancers. In unstimulated cells, pathway activity is inhibited by the tumor suppressor membrane protein, Patched. Hedgehog signaling is triggered by the secreted Hedgehog ligand, which binds and inhibits Patched, thus setting in motion the downstream events in signal transduction. Despite its critical importance, the mechanism by which Hedgehog antagonizes Patched has remained unknown. Here, we show that vertebrate Patched1 inhibition is caused by direct, palmitate-dependent interaction with the Sonic Hedgehog ligand. We find that a short palmitoylated N-terminal fragment of Sonic Hedgehog binds Patched1 and, strikingly, is sufficient to inhibit it and to activate signaling. The rest of Sonic Hedgehog confers high-affinity Patched1 binding and internalization through a distinct binding site, but, surprisingly, it is not absolutely required for signaling. The palmitate-dependent interaction with Patched1 is specifically impaired in a Sonic Hedgehog mutant causing human holoprosencephaly, the most frequent congenital brain malformation, explaining its drastically reduced potency. The palmitate-dependent interaction is also abolished in constitutively inhibited Patched1 point mutants causing the Gorlin cancer syndrome, suggesting that they might adopt a conformation distinct from the wild type. Our data demonstrate that Sonic Hedgehog signals via the palmitate-dependent arm of a two-pronged contact with Patched1. Furthermore, our results suggest that, during Hedgehog signaling, ligand binding inhibits Patched by trapping it in an inactive conformation, a mechanism that explains the dramatically reduced activity of oncogenic Patched1 mutants.

Dye-enhanced protein solders and patches in laser-assisted tissue welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Small, W; Heredia, N J; Maitland, D J; Da Silva, L B; Matthews, D L

1997-01-01

This study examines the use of dye-enhanced protein bonding agents in 805 nm diode laser-assisted tissue welding. A comparison of an albumin liquid solder and collagen solid-matrix patches used to repair arteriotomies in an in vitro porcine model is presented. Extrinsic bonding media in the form of solders and patches have been used to enhance the practice of laser tissue welding. Preferential absorption of the laser wavelength has been achieved by the incorporation of chromophores. Both the solder and the patch included indocyanine green dye (ICG) to absorb the 805 nm continuous-wave diode laser light used to perform the welds. Solder-mediated welds were divided into two groups (high power/short exposure and low power/long exposure), and the patches were divided into three thickness groups ranging from 0.1 to 1.3 mm. The power used to activate the patches was constant, but the exposure time was increased with patch thickness. Burst pressure results indicated that solder-mediated and patched welds yielded similar average burst strengths in most cases, but the patches provided a higher success rate (i.e., more often exceeded 150 mmHg) and were more consistent (i.e., smaller standard deviation) than the solder. The strongest welds were obtained using 1.0-1.3 mm thick patches, while the high power/short exposure solder group was the weakest. Though the solder and patches yielded similar acute weld strengths, the solid-matrix patches facilitated the welding process and provided consistently strong welds. The material properties of the extrinsic agents influenced their performance.

In vivo assessment of a novel dacron surface with covalently bound recombinant hirudin.

Science.gov (United States)

Wyers, M C; Phaneuf, M D; Rzucidlo, E M; Contreras, M A; LoGerfo, F W; Quist, W C

1999-01-01

Prosthetic arterial graft surfaces are relatively thrombogenic and fail to heal with a cellular neointima. The goal of this study was to characterize the in vivo antithrombin properties of a novel Dacron surface with covalently linked recombinant hirudin (rHir) implanted in a canine thoracic aorta with high flow and shear rates. rHir was bound to a knitted Dacron patch using crosslinker-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a basecoat protein. BSA was first reacted with the heterobifunctional crosslinker, sulfo-SMCC. This BSA-SMCC complex was then bound to the carboxylic acid groups of hydrolyzed Dacron patches using the carbodiimide crosslinker, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride. Iodinated, Traut's-modified rHir (125I-rHir-SH) was then reacted with the Dacron-BSA-SMCC surface, thereby covalently binding 125I-rHir. Graft segments were washed and sonicated to remove any nonspecifically bound 125I-rHir. Dacron-BSA-SMCC-S-125I-rHir patches (n = 5) and control Dacron-BSA patches (n = 5) were implanted in series in the thoracic aortas of canines. These patches were exposed to nonheparinized, arterial blood flow for 2 hours. Patches were explanted and assessed for 125I-rHir loss. Antithrombin activity of explanted 1-cm2 patch segments was evaluated using a chromogenic assay with 1, 5, 10, 15 units of added thrombin. Light microscopy was performed to qualitatively examine the pseudointima. Two animals were excluded from the study owing to excessive bleeding through the knitted 125I-rHir patch. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative 125I-rHir gamma counts revealed an overall decrease of 20+/-5.4% over the period studied. Explanted 125I-rHir patch segments were able to inhibit 1, 5, and 7 NIHU of thrombin, demonstrating retained antithrombin activity. Gross and microscopic examination of the control and test Dacron surfaces showed marked differences. Dacron surfaces with covalently bound 125I-rHir had no gross thrombus and a thin

Generic Patch Inference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jesper; Lawall, Julia Laetitia

2008-01-01

A key issue in maintaining Linux device drivers is the need to update drivers in response to evolutions in Linux internal libraries. Currently, there is little tool support for performing and documenting such changes. In this paper we present a tool, spfind, that identifies common changes made...... developers can use it to extract an abstract representation of the set of changes that others have made. Our experiments on recent changes in Linux show that the inferred generic patches are more concise than the corresponding patches found in commits to the Linux source tree while being safe with respect...

Efficient algorithms for maximum likelihood decoding in the surface code

Science.gov (United States)

Bravyi, Sergey; Suchara, Martin; Vargo, Alexander

2014-09-01

We describe two implementations of the optimal error correction algorithm known as the maximum likelihood decoder (MLD) for the two-dimensional surface code with a noiseless syndrome extraction. First, we show how to implement MLD exactly in time O (n2), where n is the number of code qubits. Our implementation uses a reduction from MLD to simulation of matchgate quantum circuits. This reduction however requires a special noise model with independent bit-flip and phase-flip errors. Secondly, we show how to implement MLD approximately for more general noise models using matrix product states (MPS). Our implementation has running time O (nχ3), where χ is a parameter that controls the approximation precision. The key step of our algorithm, borrowed from the density matrix renormalization-group method, is a subroutine for contracting a tensor network on the two-dimensional grid. The subroutine uses MPS with a bond dimension χ to approximate the sequence of tensors arising in the course of contraction. We benchmark the MPS-based decoder against the standard minimum weight matching decoder observing a significant reduction of the logical error probability for χ ≥4.

Simulating the performance of a distance-3 surface code in a linear ion trap

Science.gov (United States)

Trout, Colin J.; Li, Muyuan; Gutiérrez, Mauricio; Wu, Yukai; Wang, Sheng-Tao; Duan, Luming; Brown, Kenneth R.

2018-04-01

We explore the feasibility of implementing a small surface code with 9 data qubits and 8 ancilla qubits, commonly referred to as surface-17, using a linear chain of 171Yb+ ions. Two-qubit gates can be performed between any two ions in the chain with gate time increasing linearly with ion distance. Measurement of the ion state by fluorescence requires that the ancilla qubits be physically separated from the data qubits to avoid errors on the data due to scattered photons. We minimize the time required to measure one round of stabilizers by optimizing the mapping of the two-dimensional surface code to the linear chain of ions. We develop a physically motivated Pauli error model that allows for fast simulation and captures the key sources of noise in an ion trap quantum computer including gate imperfections and ion heating. Our simulations showed a consistent requirement of a two-qubit gate fidelity of ≥99.9% for the logical memory to have a better fidelity than physical two-qubit operations. Finally, we perform an analysis of the error subsets from the importance sampling method used to bound the logical error rates to gain insight into which error sources are particularly detrimental to error correction.

Results of patch testing in 10 patients with peristomal dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Landis, Megan N; Keeling, James H; Yiannias, James A; Richardson, Donna M; Nordberg Linehan, Diane L; Davis, Mark D P

2012-09-01

Peristomal dermatitis is a common problem in patients with ostomies that is a source of considerable morbidity. Irritant contact dermatitis is most common, but allergic contact dermatitis can also occur. Because of the lack of published reports on patch testing for this indication, we undertook a retrospective study of patch testing results in patients with suspected peristomal allergic contact dermatitis. We sought to describe our patch testing experience with patients referred with peristomal dermatitis. This was a retrospective review of medical records of patients with ostomies and peristomal dermatitis who underwent patch testing in the Mayo Clinic Departments of Dermatology in Jacksonville, FL; Rochester, MN; and Scottsdale, AZ, during a 10-year period (2000-2010). Ten patients with peristomal dermatitis were referred for patch testing (6 in Minnesota, 2 in Florida, and 2 in Arizona). Patients were patch tested to the materials used in their stoma devices, to the standard series, and in some cases to supplemental series. All 10 had at least one allergic patch test reaction, most commonly to stoma paste (3 of 10 patients). Retrospective nature of study via chart review is a limitation. Patch testing is a useful tool for identification of allergens in patients with peristomal dermatitis. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Grassland Fire and Cattle Grazing Regulate Reptile and Amphibian Assembly Among Patches

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Danelle M.

2014-12-01

Fire and grazing are common management schemes of grasslands globally and are potential drivers of reptilian and amphibian (herpetofauna) metacommunity dynamics. Few studies have assessed the impacts of fire and cattle grazing on herpetofauna assemblages in grasslands. A patch-burn grazing study at Osage Prairie, MO, USA in 2011-2012 created landscape patches with treatments of grazing, fire, and such legacies. Response variables were measured before and after the application of treatments, and I used robust-design occupancy modeling to estimate patch occupancy and detection rate within patches, and recolonization and extinction (i.e., dispersal) across patches. I conducted redundancy analysis and a permuted multivariate analysis of variance to determine if patch type and the associated environmental factors explained herpetofauna assemblage. Estimates for reptiles indicate that occupancy was seasonally constant in Control patches ( ψ ~ 0.5), but declined to ψ ~ 0.15 in patches following the applications of fire and grazing. Local extinctions for reptiles were higher in patches with fire or light grazing ( ɛ ~ 0.7) compared to the controls. For the riparian herpetofaunal community, patch type and grass height were important predictors of abundance; further, the turtles, lizards, snakes, and adult amphibians used different patch types. The aquatic amphibian community was predicted by watershed and in-stream characteristics, irrespective of fire or grazing. The varying responses from taxonomic groups demonstrate habitat partitioning across multiple patch types undergoing fire, cattle grazing, and legacy effects. Prairies will need an array of patch types to accommodate multiple herpetofauna species.

Patch dynamics and metapopulation theory: the case of successional species.

Science.gov (United States)

Amarasekare, P; Possingham, H

2001-04-07

We present a mathematical framework that combines extinction-colonization dynamics with the dynamics of patch succession. We draw an analogy between the epidemiological categorization of individuals (infected, susceptible, latent and resistant) and the patch structure of a spatially heterogeneous landscape (occupied-suitable, empty-suitable, occupied-unsuitable and empty-unsuitable). This approach allows one to consider life-history attributes that influence persistence in patchy environments (e.g., longevity, colonization ability) in concert with extrinsic processes (e.g., disturbances, succession) that lead to spatial heterogeneity in patch suitability. It also allows the incorporation of seed banks and other dormant life forms, thus broadening patch occupancy dynamics to include sink habitats. We use the model to investigate how equilibrium patch occupancy is influenced by four critical parameters: colonization rate, extinction rate, disturbance frequency and the rate of habitat succession. This analysis leads to general predictions about how the temporal scaling of patch succession and extinction-colonization dynamics influences long-term persistence. We apply the model to herbaceous, early-successional species that inhabit open patches created by periodic disturbances. We predict the minimum disturbance frequency required for viable management of such species in the Florida scrub ecosystem. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Skin patch and vaginal ring versus combined oral contraceptives for contraception.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Laureen M; Grimes, David A; Gallo, Maria F; Stockton, Laurie L; Schulz, Kenneth F

2013-04-30

The delivery of combination contraceptive steroids from a transdermal contraceptive patch or a contraceptive vaginal ring offers potential advantages over the traditional oral route. The transdermal patch and vaginal ring could require a lower dose due to increased bioavailability and improved user compliance. To compare the contraceptive effectiveness, cycle control, compliance (adherence), and safety of the contraceptive patch or the vaginal ring versus combination oral contraceptives (COCs). Through February 2013, we searched MEDLINE, POPLINE, CENTRAL, LILACS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and ICTRP for trials of the contraceptive patch or the vaginal ring. Earlier searches also included EMBASE. For the initial review, we contacted known researchers and manufacturers to identify other trials. We considered randomized controlled trials comparing a transdermal contraceptive patch or a contraceptive vaginal ring with a COC. Data were abstracted by two authors and entered into RevMan. For dichotomous variables, the Peto odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated. For continuous variables, the mean difference was computed. We also assessed the quality of evidence for this review. We found 18 trials that met our inclusion criteria. Of six patch studies, five examined the marketed patch containing norelgestromin plus ethinyl estradiol (EE); one studied a patch in development that contains levonorgestrel (LNG) plus EE. Of 12 vaginal ring trials, 11 examined the same marketing ring containing etonogestrel plus EE; one studied a ring being developed that contains nesterone plus EE.Contraceptive effectiveness was not significantly different for the patch or ring versus the comparison COC. Compliance data were limited. Patch users showed better compliance than COC users in three trials. For the norelgestromin plus EE patch, ORs were 2.05 (95% CI 1.83 to 2.29) and 2.76 (95% CI 2.35 to 3.24). In the levonorgestrel plus EE patch report, patch users were less

NSURE code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rattan, D.S.

1993-11-01

NSURE stands for Near-Surface Repository code. NSURE is a performance assessment code. developed for the safety assessment of near-surface disposal facilities for low-level radioactive waste (LLRW). Part one of this report documents the NSURE model, governing equations and formulation of the mathematical models, and their implementation under the SYVAC3 executive. The NSURE model simulates the release of nuclides from an engineered vault, their subsequent transport via the groundwater and surface water pathways tot he biosphere, and predicts the resulting dose rate to a critical individual. Part two of this report consists of a User's manual, describing simulation procedures, input data preparation, output and example test cases

The art and science of mission patches and their origins in society

Science.gov (United States)

Brumfitt, A.; Thompson, L. A.; Raitt, D.

2008-06-01

Space exploration utilizes some of the latest and highest technology available to human kind; synonymous with space exploration is the mission patch. This specialized art form popularizes the exploration of space with millions of mission patches sold around the world. Space tourism and education centres like the Kennedy Space Centre rely heavily on each space shuttle launch to support their merchandising of mission patches, from the traditional sew on badge to T shirts. Do mission patches tell a story? Are they Art? What is the origin and role of this art form in society? The art form of space mission patches combines the 21st century relevance with heraldic origins predating the ninth century. The space mission patch is designed by the astronauts themselves if it is a manned mission. As an education tool teachers and educators use the space mission patch to engage their students in the excitement of space exploration, the mission patch design is utilized as an education tool in literature, science and art. The space mission patch is a particularly powerful message medium. This paper looks at the origins of the space mission patch, its relevance to art and its impact on society.

Diurnal and seasonal occurrence of polar patches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. Rodger

1996-05-01

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

Focused Application Software for Ferrite Patch Antennas

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Trott, Keith

1999-01-01

... (brick and tetrahedral elements) are combined by MRC via a graphical user interface (GUI) into a user friendly code capable of modeling conformal antennas with ferrite sub and superstrates recessed in planar surfaces.

An Electronic Patch for wearable health monitoring by reflectance pulse oximetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Haahr, Rasmus G; Duun, Sune B; Toft, Mette H; Belhage, Bo; Larsen, Jan; Birkelund, Karen; Thomsen, Erik V

2012-02-01

We report the development of an Electronic Patch for wearable health monitoring. The Electronic Patch is a new health monitoring system incorporating biomedical sensors, microelectronics, radio frequency (RF) communication, and a battery embedded in a 3-dimensional hydrocolloid polymer. In this paper the Electronic Patch is demonstrated with a new optical biomedical sensor for reflectance pulse oximetry so that the Electronic Patch in this case can measure the pulse and the oxygen saturation. The reflectance pulse oximetry solution is based on a recently developed annular backside silicon photodiode to enable low power consumption by the light emitting components. The Electronic Patch has a disposable part of soft adhesive hydrocolloid polymer and a reusable part of hard polylaurinlactam. The disposable part contains the battery. The reusable part contains the reflectance pulse oximetry sensor and microelectronics. The reusable part is 'clicked' into the disposable part when the patch is prepared for use. The patch has a size of 88 mm by 60 mm and a thickness of 5 mm.

Rotator cuff repair with a tendon-fibrocartilage-bone composite bridging patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Xiaoxi; Chen, Qingshan; Thoreson, Andrew R; Qu, Jin; An, Kai-Nan; Amadio, Peter C; Steinmann, Scott P; Zhao, Chunfeng

2015-11-01

To compare the mechanical performance of a rotator cuff repaired with a novel tendon-fibrocartilage-bone composite bridging patch vs the traditional Mason-Allen repair in an in vitro canine model. Twenty shoulders and 10 bridging patches from patellar tendon were harvested. The patches were trimmed and sliced into 2 layers. An infraspinatus tendon tear was created in each shoulder. Modified Mason-Allen sutures were used to repair the infraspinatus tendon to the greater tuberosity, with or without the bridging patch (bridging patch group and controls, respectively). Shoulders were loaded to failure under displacement control at a rate of 0.5mm/s. The ultimate tensile load was significantly higher in the bridging patch group than control (mean [SD], 365.46 [36.45] vs 272.79 [48.88] N; Pfibrocartilage-bone composite bridging patch achieved higher ultimate tensile load and stiffness at the patch-greater tuberosity repair site compared with traditional repair in a canine model. This composite tissue transforms the traditional tendon-to-bone healing interface (with dissimilar tissues) into a pair of bone-to-bone and tendon-to-tendon interfaces, which may improve healing quality and reduce retear rate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EISCAT observations of plasma patches at sub-auroral cusp latitudes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Moen

2006-09-01

Full Text Available A sequence of 3 patches of high-density (10¹² m⁻³ cold plasma on a horizontal scale-size of 300–700 km was observed near magnetic noon by the EISCAT VHF radar above Svalbard on 17 December 2001. The patches followed a trajectory towards the cusp inflow region. The combination of radar and all-sky observations demonstrates that the patches must have been segmented equatorward of the cusp/cleft auroral display, and hence their properties had not yet been influenced by cusp particle showers and electrodynamics on open flux tubes. The last patch in the sequence was intersected by radio tomography observations, and was found to be located adjacent to a broader region of the same high electron density further south. The patches occurred under moderately active conditions (Kp=3 and the total electron content (TEC of the high-density plasma was 45 TEC units. The train of patches appeared as a segmentation of the tongue of ionization. The sequence of patches occurred in association with a sequence of flow bursts in the dusk cell return flow. It is proposed that reconnection driven pulsed convection is able to create sub-auroral patches in the region where high density mid-latitude plasma is diverted poleward toward the cusp. It is the downward Birkeland current sheet located at the equatorward boundary of the flow disturbance that represents the actual cutting mechanism.

EISCAT observations of plasma patches at sub-auroral cusp latitudes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Moen

2006-09-01

Full Text Available A sequence of 3 patches of high-density (1012 m−3 cold plasma on a horizontal scale-size of 300–700 km was observed near magnetic noon by the EISCAT VHF radar above Svalbard on 17 December 2001. The patches followed a trajectory towards the cusp inflow region. The combination of radar and all-sky observations demonstrates that the patches must have been segmented equatorward of the cusp/cleft auroral display, and hence their properties had not yet been influenced by cusp particle showers and electrodynamics on open flux tubes. The last patch in the sequence was intersected by radio tomography observations, and was found to be located adjacent to a broader region of the same high electron density further south. The patches occurred under moderately active conditions (Kp=3 and the total electron content (TEC of the high-density plasma was 45 TEC units. The train of patches appeared as a segmentation of the tongue of ionization. The sequence of patches occurred in association with a sequence of flow bursts in the dusk cell return flow. It is proposed that reconnection driven pulsed convection is able to create sub-auroral patches in the region where high density mid-latitude plasma is diverted poleward toward the cusp. It is the downward Birkeland current sheet located at the equatorward boundary of the flow disturbance that represents the actual cutting mechanism.

Microneedle patches: usability and acceptability for self-vaccination against influenza.

Science.gov (United States)

Norman, James J; Arya, Jaya M; McClain, Maxine A; Frew, Paula M; Meltzer, Martin I; Prausnitz, Mark R

2014-04-01

While therapeutic drugs are routinely self-administered by patients, there is little precedent for self-vaccination. Convenient self-vaccination may expand vaccination coverage and reduce administration costs. Microneedle patches are in development for many vaccines, but no reports exist on usability or acceptability. We hypothesized that naïve patients could apply patches and that self-administered patches would improve stated intent to receive an influenza vaccine. We conducted a randomized, repeated measures study with 91 venue-recruited adults. To simulate vaccination, subjects received placebo microneedle patches given three times by self-administration and once by the investigator, as well as an intramuscular injection of saline. Seventy participants inserted patches with thumb pressure alone and the remainder used snap-based devices that closed shut at a certain force. Usability was assessed by skin staining and acceptability was measured with an adaptive-choice analysis. The best usability was seen with the snap device, with users inserting a median value of 93-96% of microneedles over three repetitions. When a self-administered microneedle patch was offered, intent to vaccinate increased from 44% to 65% (CI: 55-74%). The majority of those intending vaccination would prefer to self-vaccinate: 64% (CI: 51-75%). There were no serious adverse events associated with use of microneedle patches. The findings from this initial study indicate that microneedle patches for self-vaccination against influenza are usable and may lead to improved vaccination coverage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relevance of positive patch-test reactions to fragrance mix.

Science.gov (United States)

Devos, Steven A; Constandt, Lieve; Tupker, Ron A; Noz, Kathy C; Lucker, Georges P H; Bruynzeel, Derk P; Schuttelaar, Marie-Louise A; Kruyswijk, Mente R J; van Zuuren, Esther J; Vink, Jaqueline; Coenraads, Pieter-Jan; Kiemeney, Lambertus A L M; van der Valk, Pieter G M

2008-01-01

Fragrances are an important cause of allergic contact dermatitis. We presume that the traditional fragrance mix (FM) detects 70 to 80% of fragrance-allergic patients. FM has an irritant potential. Weak positive reactions may have a greater chance of being irrelevant than strong reactions. To improve the appraisal of FM patch-test reactions, we studied the relevance of reactions of different strength. We also studied the predictive value of the following on the relevance of the initial FM patch-test results: patch-test results of a repeated FM test; results of patch tests with balsam of Peru, colophony, and ingredients of the mix; and (history of) atopic dermatitis. One hundred thirty-eight patients who had doubtful positive (?+) or positive (+ to +++) reactions were included in the study. We determined relevance by history taking, location and course of the dermatitis, and additional patch testing. Patients were retested with FM and with each ingredient separately. The relevance of reactions to FM increases with the strength of the reactions. Predictors of relevance are the results of retesting with FM, the results of tests with the ingredients, and a history and/or present symptoms of atopic dermatitis. Retesting with FM and its ingredients may add to the benefit of patch testing.

Improved image registration by sparse patch-based deformation estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minjeong; Wu, Guorong; Wang, Qian; Lee, Seong-Whan; Shen, Dinggang

2015-01-15

Despite intensive efforts for decades, deformable image registration is still a challenging problem due to the potential large anatomical differences across individual images, which limits the registration performance. Fortunately, this issue could be alleviated if a good initial deformation can be provided for the two images under registration, which are often termed as the moving subject and the fixed template, respectively. In this work, we present a novel patch-based initial deformation prediction framework for improving the performance of existing registration algorithms. Our main idea is to estimate the initial deformation between subject and template in a patch-wise fashion by using the sparse representation technique. We argue that two image patches should follow the same deformation toward the template image if their patch-wise appearance patterns are similar. To this end, our framework consists of two stages, i.e., the training stage and the application stage. In the training stage, we register all training images to the pre-selected template, such that the deformation of each training image with respect to the template is known. In the application stage, we apply the following four steps to efficiently calculate the initial deformation field for the new test subject: (1) We pick a small number of key points in the distinctive regions of the test subject; (2) for each key point, we extract a local patch and form a coupled appearance-deformation dictionary from training images where each dictionary atom consists of the image intensity patch as well as their respective local deformations; (3) a small set of training image patches in the coupled dictionary are selected to represent the image patch of each subject key point by sparse representation. Then, we can predict the initial deformation for each subject key point by propagating the pre-estimated deformations on the selected training patches with the same sparse representation coefficients; and (4) we

Preparation of Mucoadhesive Patches for Buccal Administration of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To develop mucoadhesive patches for buccal administration of metoprolol succinate and to evaluate their in vitro and in vivo bioadhesion. Methods: The mucoadhesive buccal patches were prepared by solvent casting technique using two different mucoadhesive polymers. The formulations were tested for in vitro ...

Robust Tracking with Discriminative Ranking Middle-Level Patches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Liu

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The appearance model has been shown to be essential for robust visual tracking since it is the basic criterion to locating targets in video sequences. Though existing tracking-by-detection algorithms have shown to be greatly promising, they still suffer from the drift problem, which is caused by updating appearance models. In this paper, we propose a new appearance model composed of ranking middle-level patches to capture more object distinctiveness than traditional tracking-by-detection models. Targets and backgrounds are represented by both low-level bottom-up features and high-level top-down patches, which can compensate each other. Bottom-up features are defined at the pixel level, and each feature gets its discrimination score through selective feature attention mechanism. In top-down feature extraction, rectangular patches are ranked according to their bottom-up discrimination scores, by which all of them are clustered into irregular patches, named ranking middle-level patches. In addition, at the stage of classifier training, the online random forests algorithm is specially refined to reduce drifting problems. Experiments on challenging public datasets and our test videos demonstrate that our approach can effectively prevent the tracker drifting problem and obtain competitive performance in visual tracking.

Nicotine patches in pregnant smokers: randomised, placebo controlled, multicentre trial of efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Grangé, Gilles; Jacob, Nelly; Tanguy, Marie-Laure

2014-01-01

Objective To determine the efficacy of 16 hour nicotine patches among pregnant smokers, with the dose individually adjusted according to saliva cotinine levels (potential range 10-30 mg/day). Design Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, multicentre trial (Study of Nicotine Patch in Pregnancy, SNIPP) between October 2007 and January 2013. Setting 23 maternity wards in France. Participants 476 pregnant smokers aged more than 18 years and between 12 and 20 weeks’ gestation, who smoked at least five cigarettes a day. After exclusions, 402 women were randomised: 203 to nicotine patches and 199 to placebo patches. Data were available on 192 live births in each group. Interventions Nicotine and identical placebo patches were administered from quit day up to the time of delivery. Doses were adjusted to saliva cotinine levels when smoking to yield a substitution rate of 100%. Participants were assessed monthly and received behavioural smoking cessation support. Main outcome measures The primary outcomes were complete abstinence (self report confirmed by carbon monoxide level in expired air ≤8 ppm) from quit date to delivery, and birth weight. The secondary outcomes were point prevalence of abstinence, time to lapse (a few puffs) or relapse, and delivery and birth characteristics. All data were analysed on an intention to treat basis. Results Complete abstinence was achieved by 5.5% (n=11) of women in the nicotine patch group and 5.1% (n=10) in the placebo patch group (odds ratio 1.08, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 2.60). The median time to the first cigarette smoked after target quit day was 15 days in both groups (interquartile range 13-18 in the nicotine patch group, 13-20 in the placebo patch group). The point prevalence abstinence ranged from 8% to 12.5% in the nicotine patch group and 8% to 9.5% in the placebo patch group without statistically significant differences. The nicotine substitution rate did not differ from 100%, and the self

Using an index of habitat patch proximity for landscape design

Science.gov (United States)

Eric J. Gustafson; George R. Parker

1994-01-01

A proximity index (PX) inspired by island biogeography theory is described which quantifies the spatial context of a habitat patch in relation to its neighbors. The index distinguishes sparse distributions of small habitat patches from clusters of large patches. An evaluation of the relationship between PX and variation in the spatial characteristics of clusters of...

Robust Face Recognition via Multi-Scale Patch-Based Matrix Regression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangwei Gao

Full Text Available In many real-world applications such as smart card solutions, law enforcement, surveillance and access control, the limited training sample size is the most fundamental problem. By making use of the low-rank structural information of the reconstructed error image, the so-called nuclear norm-based matrix regression has been demonstrated to be effective for robust face recognition with continuous occlusions. However, the recognition performance of nuclear norm-based matrix regression degrades greatly in the face of the small sample size problem. An alternative solution to tackle this problem is performing matrix regression on each patch and then integrating the outputs from all patches. However, it is difficult to set an optimal patch size across different databases. To fully utilize the complementary information from different patch scales for the final decision, we propose a multi-scale patch-based matrix regression scheme based on which the ensemble of multi-scale outputs can be achieved optimally. Extensive experiments on benchmark face databases validate the effectiveness and robustness of our method, which outperforms several state-of-the-art patch-based face recognition algorithms.

Investigation of the homogeneity of methacrylate allergens in commercially available patch test preparations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mose, Kristian Fredløv; Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Christensen, Lars Porskjaer

2013-01-01

The homogeneity of methacrylates in commercial patch test preparations has not yet been investigated. Inhomogeneous patch test preparations may give rise to false-negative or false-positive patch test results in patients suspected of having methacrylate allergy.......The homogeneity of methacrylates in commercial patch test preparations has not yet been investigated. Inhomogeneous patch test preparations may give rise to false-negative or false-positive patch test results in patients suspected of having methacrylate allergy....

Volatility of fragrance chemicals: patch testing implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilpin, Sarah J; Hui, Xiaoying; Maibach, Howard I

2009-01-01

Diagnostic and predictive patch testing to determine contact allergy due to fragrance materials requires applying a fixed dose of material to the skin. This dose can be affected by the volatile nature of fragrances; little data exist on how the loss of fragrance dose due to volatility affects patch testing. (1) To evaluate pH dependence and evaporation rates of two fragrance chemicals, geraniol, citronellol, and a common fragrance solvent, diethyl phthalate (DEP) and (2) Assess implications for predictive patch-testing methods for fragrances. pH analysis of each material at 1% for three values (4.0, 5.0, 7.0) was done over 40 hours. Volatility experiments for each material, nonradiolabeled and radiolabeled, were conducted over a 24-hour period, taking readings at six time points (5 minutes, 15 minutes, 40 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, and 24 hours). Evaporation rates were not sensitive to pH shifts from 4.0 to 7.0. Evaporation rates for nonradiolabeled materials were low: after 24 hours, geraniol lost 8.9%, citronellol 27.0% and DEP 14.5%. The volatility data for radiolabeled materials demonstrated that geraniol loses up to 39% of its dose, citronellol loses up to 26%, and DEP up to 14% within 40 minutes. The tendency of fragrance materials to evaporate can impact the dose being applied to the patch and therefore the result of the patch and ultimately the decision-making process regarding that fragrance material's safety. These data, developed with DEP, utilized in a predictive sensitization assay cannot be generalized.

Instability of flow of liquid film over a heated surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sha, W.T.

1994-01-01

Fundamental concepts and basic equations of a flowing thin liquid film cooling a heated surfaced by its vaporization and the effect of dry patches were treated. Stable film flow prior to the appearance of dry patches on the heated surface is maintained by a balance of various forces due to surface tension, shear stress, heat and mass transfer, and gravity. Film splitting at a critical film thickness produces dry patches due to perturbation by waves on a perfect surface, and often by surface imperfection and uneven heating. This work is primarily motivated by the design of next-generation nuclear reactors, which employ many novel passive heat-removal systems via natural circulation. These systems are design to prevent damage to the reactor core and containment without action by the reactor operators during or after a design basis accident such as a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) or a main steam-line break (MSLB) accident

A clinical study of transdermal contraceptive patch in Thai adolescence women.

Science.gov (United States)

Piyasirisilp, Rachatapon; Taneepanichskul, Surasak

2008-02-01

To study cycle control, compliance and safety of a transdermal contraceptive patch in adolescent Thai women. Fifty-eight healthy women were assigned to receive 3 cycles of contraceptive patch (ethinyl estradiol 20 microg and norelgestromin 150 microg/day). All participants aged 16-20 years were invited to participate from the family planning clinic at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Data were collected on adverse effects, perceived advantages and disadvantages, body weight, blood pressure, patch detachments and compliance. Data were analyzed using mean, percentage and student's t-test. The participants' average age was 19.4 years, height 158.8 cm, weight 51.8 kg, BMI 20.8 Kg/m2. The most location of patch application was the abdomen and the most adverse event was breast tenderness (31.0%) followed by application site reaction, nausea vomiting and headache respectively. The breast symptom was mild in severity. The participants reported decrease in dysmenorrhea and shorter duration of bleeding. There were no significant changes in body weight and blood pressure. The improvement of their facial acne was reported. There were no pregnancies during use and the adhesion of the contraceptive patch is excellent. Partial patch detachment was reported in only 6.9%. No completed patch detachment was found. The present study found an overall positive impression of a new transdermal contraceptive patch. The good compliance and few side effects were demonstrated. The adhesive patch contraceptive was excellent.

Population pharmacokinetic model of transdermal nicotine delivered from a matrix-type patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Linakis, Matthew W; Rower, Joseph E; Roberts, Jessica K; Miller, Eleanor I; Wilkins, Diana G; Sherwin, Catherine M T

2017-12-01

Nicotine addiction is an issue faced by millions of individuals worldwide. As a result, nicotine replacement therapies, such as transdermal nicotine patches, have become widely distributed and used. While the pharmacokinetics of transdermal nicotine have been extensively described using noncompartmental methods, there are few data available describing the between-subject variability in transdermal nicotine pharmacokinetics. The aim of this investigation was to use population pharmacokinetic techniques to describe this variability, particularly as it pertains to the absorption of nicotine from the transdermal patch. A population pharmacokinetic parent-metabolite model was developed using plasma concentrations from 25 participants treated with transdermal nicotine. Covariates tested in this model included: body weight, body mass index, body surface area (calculated using the Mosteller equation) and sex. Nicotine pharmacokinetics were best described with a one-compartment model with absorption based on a Weibull distribution and first-order elimination and a single compartment for the major metabolite, cotinine. Body weight was a significant covariate on apparent volume of distribution of nicotine (exponential scaling factor 1.42). After the inclusion of body weight in the model, no other covariates were significant. This is the first population pharmacokinetic model to describe the absorption and disposition of transdermal nicotine and its metabolism to cotinine and the pharmacokinetic variability between individuals who were administered the patch. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

Planar patch clamp: advances in electrophysiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Brüggemann, Andrea; Farre, Cecilia; Haarmann, Claudia; Haythornthwaite, Ali; Kreir, Mohamed; Stoelzle, Sonja; George, Michael; Fertig, Niels

2008-01-01

Ion channels have gained increased interest as therapeutic targets over recent years, since a growing number of human and animal diseases have been attributed to defects in ion channel function. Potassium channels are the largest and most diverse family of ion channels. Pharmaceutical agents such as Glibenclamide, an inhibitor of K(ATP) channel activity which promotes insulin release, have been successfully sold on the market for many years. So far, only a small group of the known ion channels have been addressed as potential drug targets. The functional testing of drugs on these ion channels has always been the bottleneck in the development of these types of pharmaceutical compounds.New generations of automated patch clamp screening platforms allow a higher throughput for drug testing and widen this bottleneck. Due to their planar chip design not only is a higher throughput achieved, but new applications have also become possible. One of the advantages of planar patch clamp is the possibility of perfusing the intracellular side of the membrane during a patch clamp experiment in the whole-cell configuration. Furthermore, the extracellular membrane remains accessible for compound application during the experiment.Internal perfusion can be used not only for patch clamp experiments with cell membranes, but also for those with artificial lipid bilayers. In this chapter we describe how internal perfusion can be applied to potassium channels expressed in Jurkat cells, and to Gramicidin channels reconstituted in a lipid bilayer.

Successful application of large microneedle patches by human volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ripolin, Anastasia; Quinn, James; Larrañeta, Eneko; Vicente-Perez, Eva Maria; Barry, Johanne; Donnelly, Ryan F

2017-04-15

We describe, for the first time, the design, production and evaluation of large microneedle patches. Such systems, based on 16 individual microneedle arrays (needle height 600μm), were prepared from aqueous blends of 15% w/w Gantrez ® S97 and 7.5% w/w poly(ethyleneglycol) 10,000Da. Ester-based crosslinking was confirmed by FTIR and mechanical strength was good. Insertion depths in a validated skin model were approximately 500μm. Ten human volunteers successfully self-inserted the microneedles of these larger patches in their skin, following appropriate instruction, as confirmed by transepidermal water loss measurements. The mean insertion depth ranged between 300 and 450μm over the area of the large patches. That this was not significantly different to a single unit MN patch self-applied by the same volunteers is encouraging. Microneedle patch sizes much larger than the 1-2cm 2 will be required if this technology is to be successfully translated to clinic for delivery of drug substances. The work described here suggests that use of such larger patches by patients can be successful, potentially opening up the possibility for a significant expansion of the size of the market for transdermal drug delivery. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Implementation of a tree algorithm in MCNP code for nuclear well logging applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fusheng; Han, Xiaogang

2012-07-01

The goal of this paper is to develop some modeling capabilities that are missing in the current MCNP code. Those missing capabilities can greatly help for some certain nuclear tools designs, such as a nuclear lithology/mineralogy spectroscopy tool. The new capabilities to be developed in this paper include the following: zone tally, neutron interaction tally, gamma rays index tally and enhanced pulse-height tally. The patched MCNP code also can be used to compute neutron slowing-down length and thermal neutron diffusion length. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biphilic Surfaces for Enhanced Water Collection from Humid Air

Science.gov (United States)

Benkoski, Jason; Gerasopoulos, Konstantinos; Luedeman, William

Surface wettability plays an important role in water recovery, distillation, dehumidification, and heat transfer. The efficiency of each process depends on the rate of droplet nucleation, droplet growth, and mass transfer. Unfortunately, hydrophilic surfaces are good at nucleation but poor at shedding. Hydrophobic surfaces are the reverse. Many plants and animals overcome this tradeoff through biphilic surfaces with patterned wettability. For example, the Stenocara beetle uses hydrophilic patches on a superhydrophobic background to collect fog from air. Cribellate spiders similarly collect fog on their webs through periodic spindle-knot structures. In this study, we investigate the effects of wettability patterns on the rate of water collection from humid air. The steady state rate of water collection per unit area is measured as a function of undercooling, angle of inclination, water contact angle, hydrophilic patch size, patch spacing, area fraction, and patch height relative to the hydrophobic background. We then model each pattern by comparing the potential and kinetic energy of a droplet as it rolls downwards at a fixed angle. The results indicate that the design rules for collecting fog differ from those for condensation from humid air. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Office of Naval Research for financial support through Grant Number N00014-15-1-2107.

Design and fabrication of a microstrip patch antenna with a low radar cross section in the X-band

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Hong-Kyu; Lee, Won-Jun; Kim, Chun-Gon

2011-01-01

In this study, the authors developed a radar absorbing method to reduce the antenna radar cross section (RCS) without any loss of antenna performance. The new method was based upon an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) absorber using conducting polymer (CP). First, a microstrip patch antenna was made by using a copper film and glass/epoxy composite materials, which are typically used for load-bearing structures, such as aircraft and other vehicles. Then, CP EBG patterns were also designed that had a 90% electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing performance within the X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz). Finally, the CP EBG patterns were printed on the top surface of the microstrip patch antenna. The measured radar absorbing performance of the fabricated patch antenna showed that the frontal RCS of the antenna declined by nearly 95% at 10 GHz frequency while the CP EBG patterns had almost no effect on the antenna's performance

Corridor Length and Patch Colonization by a Butterfly Junonia coenia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nick Haddad

2000-06-01

Habitat corridors have been proposed to reduce patch isolation and increase population persistence in fragmented landscapes. This study tested whether patch colonization was increased by the presence and various length corridors. The specific butterfly species tested has been shown to use corridors, however, the results indicate that neither the distance between patches or the presence of a corridor influenced colonization.

Ulex europaeus 1 lectin targets microspheres to mouse Peyer's patch M-cells in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, N; Clark, M A; Jepson, M A; Hirst, B H

1998-03-01

The interaction of latex microspheres with mouse Peyer's patch membranous M-cells was studied in a mouse gut loop model after the microspheres were coated with a variety of agents. Carboxylated microspheres (diameter 0.5 micron) were covalently coated with lectins Ulex europaeus 1, Concanavalin A, Euonymus europaeus and Bandeiraea simplicifolia 1 isolectin-B4, human immunoglobulin A or bovine serum albumin. Of the treatments examined, only Ulex europaeus (UEA1) resulted in significant selective binding of microspheres to M-cells. UEA1-coated microspheres bound to M-cells at a level 100-fold greater than BSA-coated microspheres, but binding to enterocytes was unaffected. Incubation of UEA1-coated microspheres with alpha-L-fucose reduced M-cell binding to a level comparable with BSA-coated microspheres. This indicated that targeting by UEA1 was via a carbohydrate receptor on the M-cell surface. Adherence of UEA1-coated microspheres to M-cells occurred within 10 min of inoculation into mouse gut loops and UEA1-coated microspheres were transported to 10 microns below the apical surface of M-cells within 60 min of inoculation. UEA1-coated microspheres also targeted mouse Peyer's patch M-cells after intragastric administration. These results demonstrated that altering the surface chemistry of carboxylated polystyrene microspheres increased M-cell targeting, suggesting a strategy to enhance delivery of vaccine antigens to the mucosal immune system.

Evaluating Structural and Functional Characteristics of Various Ecological Patches in Different Range Conditions (Case Study: Semi -Steppe Rangeland of Aghche-Isfahan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Jafari

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Rangeland condition assessment plays an important role in determining range health and applying appropriate management programs. This study aimed to evaluate the structure and function of a semi-steppe rangeland using Landscape Function Analysis technique (LFA in different land conditions in western Isfahan province, Iran. For this purpose, 4, 3 and 7 sites in different rangeland condition classes including very poor, poor, and moderate were selected respectively. In each site, a 30-meter transect was established and all kinds of patches and inter patches were identified and their lengths and widths were recorded. Also, in each ecological patch, 11 indicators of soil surface characteristics with three replications were measured, and their status was scored according to LFA method. The functionality indices of all the sites including soil stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling were measured. According to the statistical analysis results, most of the structural characteristics (number of patches, patch length, patch area index, landscape organization index and functional indices (infiltration, stability and nutrient cycling status varied significantly (α= 5% between rangeland sites with moderate and very poor condition. The changes of these structural and functional characteristics were not significant between range sites with moderate and poor, and also poor and very poor range conditions. According to the findings of this study, patch types' functionalities did not vary significantly in both rangeland sites with moderate and very poor conditions. The nutrient cycling index in patches formed by ‘forb, shrub and grass’ with poor range condition was significantly more than ‘forb’ and ‘grass’ patches. The study of range site functionality can assist managers in identifying possible ecological thresholds and prioritizing the sub-catchments and vegetation types for implementing range improvement practices.

FDTD Analysis of U-Slot Rectangular Patch Antenna

Science.gov (United States)

Luk, K. M.; Tong, K. F.; Shum, S. M.; Lee, K. F.; Lee, R. Q.

1997-01-01

The U-slot rectangular patch antenna (Figure I) has been found experimentally to provide impedance and gain bandwidths of about 300 without the need of stacked or coplanar parasitic elements [1,2]. In this paper, simulation results of the U-slot patch using FDTD analysis are presented. Comparison with measured results are given.

Circularly Polarized Slotted Microstrip Patch Antenna with Finite Ground Plane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanyog Rawat

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper a new geometry of circularly polarized patch antenna is proposed with improved bandwidth. The radiation performance of proposed patch antenna is investigated using IE3D simulation software and its performance is compared with that of conventional rectangular patch antenna. The simulated return loss, axial ratio and impedance with frequency for the proposed antenna are reported in this paper. It is shown that by selecting suitable ground-plane dimensions, air gap and location of the slots, the impedance bandwidth can be enhanced upto 10.15% as compared to conventional rectangular patch (4.24% with an axial ratio bandwidth of 4.05%.

Dry patch formed boiling and burnout in potassium pool boiling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michiyoshi, I.; Takenaka, N.; Takahashi, O.

1986-01-01

Experimental results are presented on dry patch formed boiling and burnout in saturated potassium pool boiling on a horizontal plane heater for system pressures from 30 to 760 torr and liquid levels from 5 to 50 mm. The dry patch formation occurs in the intermittent boiling which is often encountered when liquid alkali metals are used under relatively low pressure conditions. Burnout is caused from both continuous nucleate and dry patch formed boiling. The burnout heat flux together with nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficients are empirically correlated with system pressures. A model is also proposed to predict the minimum heat flux to form the dry patch. (author)

Analgesic Microneedle Patch for Neuropathic Pain Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xi; Pascual, Conrado; Lieu, Christopher; Oh, Seajin; Wang, Ji; Zou, Bende; Xie, Julian; Li, Zhaohui; Xie, James; Yeomans, David C; Wu, Mei X; Xie, Xinmin Simon

2017-01-24

Neuropathic pain caused by nerve injury is debilitating and difficult to treat. Current systemic pharmacological therapeutics for neuropathic pain produce limited pain relief and have undesirable side effects, while current local anesthetics tend to nonspecifically block both sensory and motor functions. Calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), a neuropeptide released from sensory nerve endings, appears to play a significant role in chronic neuropathic pain. In this study, an analgesic microneedle (AMN) patch was developed using dissolvable microneedles to transdermally deliver selective CGRP antagonist peptide in a painless manner for the treatment of localized neuropathic pain. Local analgesic effects were evaluated in rats by testing behavioral pain sensitivity in response to thermal and mechanical stimuli using neuropathic pain models such as spared-nerve injury and diabetic neuropathy pain, as well as neurogenic inflammatory pain model induced by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Unlike several conventional therapies, the AMN patches produced effective analgesia on neuropathic pain without disturbing the normal nociception and motor function of the rat, resulting from the high specificity of the delivered peptide against CGRP receptors. The AMN patches did not cause skin irritation or systemic side effects. These results demonstrate that dissolvable microneedle patches delivering CGRP antagonist peptide provide an effective, safe, and simple approach to mitigate neuropathic pain with significant advantages over current treatments.

Continued evaluation of pothole patching equipment, materials, and processes.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-06-14

After the deaths of two Caltrans workers who were patching potholes in 2006-2007, Caltrans tasked the Advanced Highway Maintenance and Construction Technology (AHMCT) Research Center with developing a safer and more efficient means of patching pothol...

Odorant responses of olfactory sensory neurons expressing the odorant receptor MOR23: A patch clamp analysis in gene-targeted mice

OpenAIRE

Grosmaitre, Xavier; Vassalli, Anne; Mombaerts, Peter; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Ma, Minghong

2006-01-01

A glomerulus in the mammalian olfactory bulb receives axonal inputs from olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that express the same odorant receptor (OR). Glomeruli are generally thought to represent functional units of olfactory coding, but there are no data on the electrophysiological properties of OSNs that express the same endogenous OR. Here, using patch clamp recordings in an intact epithelial preparation, we directly measured the transduction currents and receptor potentials from the dendr...

Model for capping of membrane receptors based on boundary surface effects

Science.gov (United States)

Gershon, N. D.

1978-01-01

Crosslinking of membrane surface receptors may lead to their segregation into patches and then into a single large aggregate at one pole of the cell. This process is called capping. Here, a novel explanation of such a process is presented in which the membrane is viewed as a supersaturated solution of receptors in the lipid bilayer and the adjacent two aqueous layers. Without a crosslinking agent, a patch of receptors that is less than a certain size cannot stay in equilibrium with the solution and thus should dissolve. Patches greater than a certain size are stable and can, in principle, grow by the precipitation of the remaining dissolved receptors from the supersaturated solution. The task of the crosslinking molecules is to form such stable patches. These considerations are based on a qualitative thermodynamic calculation that takes into account the existence of a boundary tension in a patch (in analogy to the surface tension of a droplet). Thermodynamically, these systems should cap spontaneously after the patches have reached a certain size. But, in practice, such a process can be very slow. A suspension of patches may stay practically stable. The ways in which a cell may abolish this metastable equilibrium and thus achieve capping are considered and possible effects of capping inhibitors are discussed. PMID:274724

Patching the Exchange-Correlation Potential in Density Functional Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chen

2016-05-10

A method for directly patching exchange-correlation (XC) potentials in materials is derived. The electron density of a system is partitioned into subsystem densities by dividing its Kohn-Sham (KS) potential among the subsystems. Inside each subsystem, its projected KS potential is required to become the total system's KS potential. This requirement, together with the nearsightedness principle of electronic matters, ensures that the electronic structures inside subsystems can be good approximations to the total system's electronic structure. The nearsightedness principle also ensures that subsystem densities could be well localized in their regions, making it possible to use high-level methods to invert the XC potentials for subsystem densities. Two XC patching methods are developed. In the local XC patching method, the total system's XC potential is improved in the cluster region. We show that the coupling between a cluster and its environment is important for achieving a fast convergence of the electronic structure in the cluster region. In the global XC patching method, we discuss how to patch the subsystem XC potentials to construct the XC potential in the total system, aiming to scale up high-level quantum mechanics simulations of materials. Proof-of-principle examples are given.

Results of patch testing with lavender oil in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiura, M; Hayakawa, R; Kato, Y; Sugiura, K; Hashimoto, R

2000-09-01

We report the annual results of patch testing with lavender oil for a 9-year period from 1990 to 1998 in Japan. Using Finn Chambers and Scanpor tape, we performed 2-day closed patch testing with lavender oil 20% pet. on the upper back of each patient suspected of having cosmetic contact dermatitis. We compared the frequency of positive patch tests to lavender oil each year with those to other fragrances. We diagnosed contact allergy when patch test reactions were + or Japan, there has been a trend for aromatherapy using lavender oil. With this trend, placing dried lavender flowers in pillows, drawers, cabinets, or rooms has become a new fashion. We asked patients who showed a positive reaction to lavender oil about their use of dried lavender flowers. We confirmed the use of dried lavender flowers in 5 cases out of 11 positive cases in 1997 and 8 out of 15 positive cases in 1998. We concluded that the increase in patch test positivity rates to lavender oil in 1997 and 1998 was due to the above fashion, rather than due to fragrances in cosmetic products.

Departure mechanisms for host search on high-density patches by the Meteorus pulchricornis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Sheng; Feng, Sufang; Meng, Ling; Li, Baoping

2014-01-01

Less attention has been paid to the parasitoid-host system in which the host occurs in considerably high density with a hierarchical patch structure in studies on time allocation strategies of parasitoids. This study used the parasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and the Oriental leafworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as the parasitoids-host model system to investigate patch-leaving mechanisms as affected by the high-host density, hierarchical patch structure, and foraging behaviors on both former and current patches. The results showed that three out of eight covariates tested had significant effects on the patch-leaving tendency, including the host density, ovipositor insertion, and host rejection on the current patch. The parasitoid paid more visits to the patch with high-density hosts. While the patch with higher host densities decreased the leaving tendency, the spatial distribution of hosts examined had no effect on the leaving tendency. Both oviposition and host rejection decreased the patch-leaving tendency. The variables associated with the former patch, such as the host density and number of ovipositor insertions, however, did not have an effect on the leaving tendency. Our study suggested that M. pulchricornis females may use an incremental mechanism to exploit high-density patches to the fullest. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Flow characterization and patch clamp dose responses using jet microfluidics in a tubeless microfluidic device.

Science.gov (United States)

Resto, Pedro J; Bhat, Abhishek; Stava, Eric; Lor, Chong; Merriam, Elliot; Diaz-Rivera, Ruben E; Pearce, Robert; Blick, Robert; Williams, Justin C

2017-11-01

Surface tension passive pumping is a way to actuate flow without the need for pumps, tubing or valves by using the pressure inside small drop to move liquid via a microfluidic channel. These types of tubeless devices have typically been used in cell biology. Herein we present the use of tubeless devices as a fluid exchange platform for patch clamp electrophysiology. Inertia from high-speed droplets and jets is used to create flow and perform on-the-fly mixing of solutions. These are then flowed over GABA transfected HEK cells under patch in order to perform a dose response analysis. TIRF imaging and electrical recordings are used to study the fluid exchange properties of the microfluidic device, resulting in 0-90% fluid exchange times of hundreds of milliseconds. COMSOL is used to model flow and fluid exchange within the device. Patch-clamping experiments show the ability to use high-speed passive pumping and its derivatives for studying peak dose responses, but not for studying ion channel kinetics. Our system results in fluid exchange times slower than when using a standard 12-barrel application system and is not as stable as traditional methods, but it offers a new platform with added functionality. Surface tension passive pumping and tubeless devices can be used in a limited fashion for electrophysiology. Users may obtain peak dose responses but the system, in its current form, is not capable of fluid exchange fast enough to study the kinetics of most ion channels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Our experience with atopy patch tests with aeroallergens.

Science.gov (United States)

Celakovská, Jarmila; Ettlerová, Kvetuse; Ettler, Karel; Vanecková, Jaroslava

2013-01-01

Aim of our study was to evaluate the importance of atopy patch testing with aeroallergens as a diagnostic method in patients suffering from atopic dermatitis. The complet dermatological and allergological examinations were performed in 29 patients; 10 men, 19 women with the average age of 27.8 years, min. 17, max. 57 years; with the median SCORAD 24.2 points, s.d. 13.3 points. Wormwood, grass, dog dander, cat dander, dermatophagoides pharinae, dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and birch pollen were examined in diagnostic procedures. Skin prick tests, specific IgE were examined; the atopy patch tests were performed with aeroallergens for skin prick tests in concentration 1 x skin prick tests. Specific IgE and skin prick tests to one or more tested aeroallergens were positive altogether in 27 patients; atopy patch tests were positive only in one of these patients. For atopy patch testing with aeroallergens the concentration of 1 x skin prick tests is low to confirme the eczematic reaction in patients suffering from allergy to inhallant allergens.

Modeling the effects of size on patch dynamics of an inert tracer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Xiu

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Mesoscale iron enrichment experiments have revealed that additional iron affects the phytoplankton productivity and carbon cycle. However, the role of initial size of fertilized patch in determining the patch evolution is poorly quantified due to the limited observational capability and complex of physical processes. Using a three-dimensional ocean circulation model, we simulated different sizes of inert tracer patches that were only regulated by physical circulation and diffusion. Model results showed that during the first few days since release of inert tracer, the calculated dilution rate was found to be a linear function with time, which was sensitive to the initial patch size with steeper slope for smaller size patch. After the initial phase of rapid decay, the relationship between dilution rate and time became an exponential function, which was also size dependent. Therefore, larger initial size patches can usually last longer and ultimately affect biogeochemical processes much stronger than smaller patches.

A Patch Density Recommendation based on Convergence Studies for Vehicle Panel Vibration Response resulting from Excitation by a Diffuse Acoustic Field

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Andrew; LaVerde, Bruce; Jones, Douglas; Towner, Robert; Waldon, James; Hunt, Ron

2013-01-01

Producing fluid structural interaction estimates of panel vibration from an applied pressure field excitation are quite dependent on the spatial correlation of the pressure field. There is a danger of either over estimating a low frequency response or under predicting broad band panel response in the more modally dense bands if the pressure field spatial correlation is not accounted for adequately. It is a useful practice to simulate the spatial correlation of the applied pressure field over a 2d surface using a matrix of small patch area regions on a finite element model (FEM). Use of a fitted function for the spatial correlation between patch centers can result in an error if the choice of patch density is not fine enough to represent the more continuous spatial correlation function throughout the intended frequency range of interest. Several patch density assumptions to approximate the fitted spatial correlation function are first evaluated using both qualitative and quantitative illustrations. The actual response of a typical vehicle panel system FEM is then examined in a convergence study where the patch density assumptions are varied over the same model. The convergence study results illustrate the impacts possible from a poor choice of patch density on the analytical response estimate. The fitted correlation function used in this study represents a diffuse acoustic field (DAF) excitation of the panel to produce vibration response.

Recent and relict topography of Boo Bee patch reef, Belize

Science.gov (United States)

Halley, R.B.; Shinn, E.A.; Hudson, J.H.; Lidz, B.; Taylor, D.L.

1977-01-01

Five core borings were taken on and around Boo Bee Patch Reef to better understand the origin of such shelf lagoon reefs. The cores reveal 4 stages of development: (1) subaerial exposure of a Pleistocene "high" having about 8 meters of relief, possibly a Pleistocene patch reef; (2) deposition of peat and impermeable terrigenous clay 3 meters thick around the high; (3) initiation of carbonate sediment production by corals and algae on the remaining 5 meters of hard Pleistocene topography and carbonate mud on the surrounding terrigenous clay; and (4) accelerated organic accumulation on the patch reef. Estimates of patch reef sedimentation rates (1.6 m/1000 years) are 3 to 4 times greater than off-reef sedimentation rates (0.4-0.5 m/1000 years). During periods of Pleistocene sedimentation on the Belize shelf, lagoon patch reefs may have grown above one another, stacking up to form reef accumulation of considerable thickness.

Patch near field acoustic holography based on particle velocity measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Yong-Bin; Jacobsen, Finn; Bi, Chuan-Xing

2009-01-01

Patch near field acoustic holography (PNAH) based on sound pressure measurements makes it possible to reconstruct the source field near a source by measuring the sound pressure at positions on a surface. that is comparable in size to the source region of concern. Particle velocity is an alternative...... examines the use of particle velocity as the input of PNAH. Because the particle velocity decays faster toward the edges of the measurement aperture than the pressure does and because the wave number ratio that enters into the inverse propagator from pressure to velocity amplifies high spatial frequencies...

Photo-patch and patch tests in patients with dermatitis over the photo-exposed areas: A study of 101 cases from a tertiary care centre in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Vinod Kumar; Bhari, Neetu; Wadhwani, Ashok Roopchand; Bhatia, Riti

2018-02-01

Many patients with dermatitis over photo-exposed body areas are positive to many contact allergens and have a pre-existing allergic contact dermatitis. This study included patients who presented to a tertiary centre in India with dermatitis on photo-exposed body areas suspected of chronic actinic dermatitis. Their detailed histories were recorded and cutaneous and systemic examinations were performed. Patch testing was done in all the patients and photo-patch testing was carried out in 86 patients. Altogether 101 patients were included (69 males, 32 females). The most common presentation was lichenified hyperpigmented plaques on the photo-exposed sites. Photosensitivity was recorded in 64 (63%) patients and summer exacerbation in 52 (52%). Exposure to the Parthenium hysterophorus weed was recorded in 70 (69%) patients, 27 (26.7%) had a history of hair dye application and 20 (20%) had a history of atopy. Photo-patch test was positive in 11 (12.8%) patients and patch testing was positive in 71 (70%). Parthenium hysterophorus was the most common allergen implicated and was positive in three (4%) photo-patch and 52 (52%) patch tests. Other positive photo-patch test allergens were perfume mix, balsam of Peru, thiuram mix, Compositae mix and promethazine hydrochloride. Other common patch test allergens were parthenolide, colophony, fragrance mix and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) base. In the Indian population parthenium and perfume mix are the most common photoallergens in patients with dermatitis over photo-exposed areas, while parthenium, colophony, fragrance mix and PPD are the common positive allergens. © 2016 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Assessing the utility WorldView-2 imagery for tree species mapping in a South African subtropical forest patch and the conservation implications: Dukuduku forest patch as case study

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Cho, Moses A

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Indigenous forest biome in South Africa is highly fragmented into patches of various sizes (most patches < 1 km (sup20). The utilization of timber and non-timber resources by poor rural communities living around protected forest patches produce...

Comparison of estrus synchronization by controlled internal drug release device (CIDR) and adhesive transdermal progestin patch in postpartum beef cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajaysri, Jatuporn; Chumchoung, Chaiwat; Wutthiwitthayaphong, Supphathat; Suthikrai, Wanvipa; Sangkamanee, Praphai

2017-09-15

Estrous synchronization with progesterone based protocols has been essentially used in cattle industry. Although intravaginal devices have been commonly used, this technique may induce vaginitis. This study aimed at examining the efficiency of novel transdermal progestin patch on follicle development and comparing the progestin patch versus CIDR device on estrous synchronization, complication at treated site and pregnancy in beef cattle. In experiment 1, seven beef cows were treated with an adhesive transdermal progestin patch on the ventral surface of the proximal part of the tail for 7 days. The cows were daily examined the follicular development using ultrasonography starting on Day 0 till 3 days after hormone removal. Experiment 2, forty beef cows were divided into two equal groups (20 cows per group). The cows randomly allocated to received either vaginal insertion of CIDR (n = 20) or treated with an adhesive transdermal progestin patch (n = 20). The levels of plasma progesterone during the experiment and the numbers of standing estrous cows were recorded. Timed artificial inseminated (TAI) was performed at 60 h after CIDR or patch termination. Pregnancy rates were determined at 60 days after TAI. Experiment 1 revealed that the novel transdermal progestin patch could efficiently control follicular growth. All the seven treated cows had dominant follicle upon dermal patch removal indicating the effectiveness of the progestin patch. In experiment 2, the percentages of cows exhibited standing estrus were similar between transdermal patch (72.22%) and CIDR (70.00%). The levels of plasma progesterone during CIDR treatment were significantly higher (4.06 ± 1.65 ng/mL on Day 1 and 3.62 ± 1.60 ng/mL on Day 7) compared with transdermal patch (2.60 ± 1.43 ng/mL on Day 1 and 1.81 ± 1.57 ng/mL on Day 7). Three cows treated with CIDR (15%) developed vaginitis while none of cows had physically dermal reaction at adhesive site. Cows synchronized with

Validation and application of help code used for design and review of cover of low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal in near-surface facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Zhiwen; Gu Cunli; Zhang Jinsheng; Liu Xiuzhen

1996-01-01

The authors describes validation and application of HELP code used by the United States Environmental Protective Agency for design and review of cover of low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal in near-surface facilities. The HELP code was validated using data of field aerated moisture movement test by China Institute for Radiation Protection. The results show that simulation of HELP code is reasonable. Effects of surface layer thickness and surface treatment on moisture distribution in a cover was simulated with HELP code in the conditions of south-west China. The simulation results demonstrated that surface plantation of a cover plays very important role in moisture distribution in the cover. Special attention should be paid in cover design. In humid area, radioactive waste disposal safety should take full consideration with functions of chemical barrier. It was recommended that engineering economy should be added in future cover research so as to achieve optimization of cover design

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Indications, technique and results of treatment with a blood patch; Liquorverlustsyndrom. Indikation, Technik und Ergebnisse der Behandlung mit ''blood patch''

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gottschalk, A. [Krankenhaus Nordwest, Abteilung Neuroradiologie, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2015-06-15

In most cases cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are iatrogenic and caused by medical interventions, such as lumbar puncture, peridural anesthesia and surgical interventions on the spine, However, spontaneous cerebral hypotension is currently detected more frequently due to improvements in diagnostic possibilities but often the cause cannot be clarified with certainty. There are various diagnostic tools for confirming the diagnosis and searching for the site of CSF leakage, such as postmyelography computed tomography (postmyelo-CT), indium{sup 111} radioisotope cisternography and (myelo) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which show different sensitivities. In accordance with own experience native MRI with fat-saturated T2-weighted sequences is often sufficient for diagnosing CSF leakage and the site. For the remaining cases an additional postmyelo-CT or alternatively myelo-MRI is recommended. In some patients with spontaneous cranial hypotension multiple CSF leaks are found at different spinal levels. The main symptom in most cases is an orthostatic headache. While post-puncture syndrome is self-limiting in many cases, spontaneous CSF leakage usually requires blood patch therapy. A lumbar blood patch can be safely carried out under guidance by fluoroscopy. In the case of a cervical or dorsal blood patch, CT guidance is recommended, which ensures epidural application of the blood patch and minimizes the risk of damaging the spinal cord. Despite a high success rate at the first attempt with a blood patch of up to 85 %, some cases require repeating the blood patch. A targeted blood patch of a CSF leak should generally be favoured over a blindly placed blood patch; nevertheless, if a CSF leak cannot be localized by CT or MRI a therapeutic attempt with a lumbar blood patch can be carried out. After a successful blood patch intracranial hygromas and pachymeningeal enhancement in the head show fast regression; however, epidural hygromas of the spine can persist for a period

Reconstruction of Magnetic Field Surfaces of the NOVILLO Tokamak by means of the 3D-MAPTOR Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavez-Alarcon, Esteban; Herrera-Velazquez, J. Julio E.

2008-01-01

A 3-D code has been developed in order to simulate the magnetic field lines in circular cross-section tokamaks. The toroidal magnetic field can be obtained from the individual fields of circular coils arranged around the torus, or alternatively, as a ripple-less field, as well as the vertical field coils, and divertor-like coils. The poloidal field is provided by a given toroidal current density profile. Proposing initial conditions for a magnetic filed line, it is integrated along the toroidal angle coordinate, and the Poincare maps can be obtained at any desired cross section plane along the torus. Following this procedure, the code allows to explore the necessary current values for the existence of magnetic field surfaces, allowing for deviations from axial symmetry, such as ripple effects. Therefore it is a good design instrument, in which different parameters and arrangements of coils can be tested. On the other hand, the current signals from experimental devices can be used in order to reconstruct the behaviour of the magnetic field surfaces, including the q(r) profiles. The reconstruction properties of the code are shown in this work

Investigation of a nanostrip patch antenna in optical frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Kashyap, Nitesh; Wani, Zamir Ahmad; Jain, Rishi; Khusboo; Dinesh Kumar, V.

2014-08-01

This is the first report and investigation of a patch antenna in optical frequency range. Variety of plasmonic nanoantenna reported so far is good at enhancing the local field intensity of light by orders of magnitude. However, their far-field radiation efficiency is very poor. The proposed patch antenna emits a directional beam with high efficacy in addition to enhancing the intensity of near field. The nano-patch antenna (NPA) consists of a square patch of gold film of dimension 480 nm2, placed on a substrate of dielectric constant \\varepsilon_{{r}} = 3.9 and thickness 150 nm with a ground plane of gold film of dimension 1,080 nm2. The NPA resonates at 210 THz and has gain nearly 2 dB and radiation efficiency 45.18 %. The NPA might be useful in variety of applications such as optical communication, nano-photonics, biosensing, and spectroscopy.

Isoplanatic patch of the human eye for arbitrary wavelengths

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Guoqing; Cao, Zhaoliang; Mu, Quanquan; Wang, Yukun; Li, Dayu; Wang, Shaoxin; Xu, Zihao; Wu, Daosheng; Hu, Lifa; Xuan, Li

2018-03-01

The isoplanatic patch of the human eye is a key parameter for the adaptive optics system (AOS) designed for retinal imaging. The field of view (FOV) usually sets to the same size as the isoplanatic patch to obtain high resolution images. However, it has only been measured at a specific wavelength. Here we investigate the wavelength dependence of this important parameter. An optical setup is initially designed and established in a laboratory to measure the isoplanatic patch at various wavelengths (655 nm, 730 nm and 808 nm). We established the Navarro wide-angle eye model in Zemax software to further validate our results, which suggested high consistency between the two. The isoplanatic patch as a function of wavelength was obtained within the range of visible to near-infrared, which can be expressed as: θ=0.0028 λ - 0 . 74. This work is beneficial for the AOS design for retinal imaging.

Investigation of the use of uniaxial comb-shaped Galfenol patches for a guided wave-based magnetostrictive phased array sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Byungseok; Pines, Darryll J.

2018-05-01

This paper investigates the use of uniaxial comb-shaped Fe-Ga alloy (Galfenol) patches in the development of a Magnetostrictive Phased Array Sensor (MPAS) for the Guided Wave (GW) damage inspection technique. The MPAS consists of six highly-textured Galfenol patches with a preferred orientation and a Hexagonal Magnetic Circuit Device (HMCD). The Galfenol patches individually aligned to distinct azimuthal directions were permanently attached to a thin aluminum plate specimen. The detachable HMCD encloses a biasing magnet and six sensing coils with unique directional sensing preferences, equivalent to the specific orientation of the discrete Galfenol patches. The preliminary experimental tests validated that the GW sensing performance and directional sensitivity of the Galfenol-based sensor were significantly improved by the magnetic shape anisotropy effect on the fabrication of uniaxial comb fingers to a Galfenol disc patch. We employed a series of uniaxial comb-shaped Galfenol patches to form an MPAS with a hexagonal sensor configuration, uniformly arranged within a diameter of 1". The Galfenol MPAS was utilized to identify structural damage simulated by loosening joint bolts used to fasten the plate specimen to a frame structure. We compared the damage detection results of the MPAS with those of a PZT Phased Array Sensor (PPAS) collocated to the back surface of the plate. The directional filtering characteristic of the Galfenol MPAS led to acquiring less complicated GW signals than the PPAS using omnidirectional PZT discs. However, due to the detection limit of the standard hexagonal patterned array, the two array sensors apparently identified only the loosened bolts located along one of the preferred orientations of the array configuration. The use of the fixed number of the Galfenol patches for the MPAS construction constrained the capability of sensing point multiplication of the HMCD by altering its rotational orientation, resulting in such damage detection

Summary of ground water and surface water flow and contaminant transport computer codes used at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandy, P.J.; Hall, L.F.

1993-03-01

This report presents information on computer codes for numerical and analytical models that have been used at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to model ground water and surface water flow and contaminant transport. Organizations conducting modeling at the INEL include: EG ampersand G Idaho, Inc., US Geological Survey, and Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company. Information concerning computer codes included in this report are: agency responsible for the modeling effort, name of the computer code, proprietor of the code (copyright holder or original author), validation and verification studies, applications of the model at INEL, the prime user of the model, computer code description, computing environment requirements, and documentation and references for the computer code

Patch size effects on plant species decline in an experimentally fragmented landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Cathy D; Holt, Robert D; Foster, Bryan L

2009-09-01

Understanding local and global extinction is a fundamental objective of both basic and applied ecology. Island biogeography theory (IBT) and succession theory provide frameworks for understanding extinction in changing landscapes. We explore the relative contribution of fragment size vs. succession on species' declines by examining distributions of abundances for 18 plant species declining over time in an experimentally fragmented landscape in northeast Kansas, U.S.A. If patch size effects dominate, early-successional species should persist longer on large patches, but if successional processes dominate, the reverse should hold, because in our system woody plant colonization is accelerated on large patches. To compare the patterns in abundance among patch sizes, we characterize joint shifts in local abundance and occupancy with a new metric: rank occupancy-abundance profiles (ROAPs). As succession progressed, statistically significant patch size effects emerged for 11 of 18 species. More early-successional species persisted longer on large patches, despite the fact that woody encroachment (succession) progressed faster in these patches. Clonal perennial species persisted longer on large patches compared to small patches. All species that persisted longer on small patches were annuals that recruit from the seed bank each year. The degree to which species declined in occupancy vs. abundance varied dramatically among species: some species declined first in occupancy, others remained widespread or even expanded their distribution, even as they declined in local abundance. Consequently, species exhibited various types of rarity as succession progressed. Understanding the effect of fragmentation on extinction trajectories requires a species-by-species approach encompassing both occupancy and local abundance. We propose that ROAPs provide a useful tool for comparing the distribution of local abundances among landscape types, years, and species.

Preparation and evaluation of cosmetic patches containing lactic and glycolic acids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahdavi H

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Alpha-hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid (GA and lactic acid (LA, are used in cosmetic patches. The important fact in cosmetic patches is its suitable adhesion and peel properties. Aim: The objective of this study was to prepare LA- and GA-containing cosmetic patches and evaluate in-vitro/in-vivo correlation of adhesion properties. Methods: Pressure-sensitive adhesives with different concentrations of GA and LA were cast on a polyethylene terephthalate film. The patches were evaluated for peel adhesive strength. On the basis of in vitro adhesion properties the patches were selected for wear performance tests and skin irritation potential. Results: The adhesion properties (adhesion to steel plate and skin and cohesive strength tests indicated the substantial influence of GA and LA concentrations. Based on in vitro adhesion studies the patches containing 3% (w/w GA were selected for in vivo studies. In vivo studies show that a formulation containing 3% GA displays good adhesion on the skin, but it leaves little residues on the skin. Skin Irritation studies on healthy human volunteers showed negligible erythema at the site of application after 48h. Conclusion: The noninvasive patch test model was found useful for detecting irritant skin reactions to the cosmetic patch containing GA. Our results demonstrated a strong correlation between the adhesion to steel plate and adhesion to skin. But a weak correlation between the degree of adhesive residue on the skin in in vitro and in vivo tests was observed for the formulation containing 3% (w/w GA.

Wireless OAM transmission system based on elliptical microstrip patch antenna.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jia Jia; Lu, Qian Nan; Dong, Fei Fei; Yang, Jing Jing; Huang, Ming

2016-05-30

The multiplexing transmission has always been a focus of attention for communication technology. In this paper, the radiation characteristics of circular microstrip patch antenna was firstly analyzed based on cavity model theory, and then spiral beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) were generated, using elliptical microstrip patch antenna, with a single feed probe instead of a standard circular patch with two feedpoints. Moreover, by combining the proposed elliptic microstrip patch antenna with Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP), a wireless OAM transmission system was established and the real-time transmission of text, image and video in a real channel environment was realized. Since the wireless OAM transmission has the advantage of good safety and high spectrum utilization efficiency, this work has theoretical significance and potential application.

Microstrip Patch Sensor for Salinity Determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kibae; Hassan, Arshad; Lee, Chong Hyun; Bae, Jinho

2017-12-18

In this paper, a compact microstrip feed inset patch sensor is proposed for measuring the salinities in seawater. The working principle of the proposed sensor depends on the fact that different salinities in liquid have different relative permittivities and cause different resonance frequencies. The proposed sensor can obtain better sensitivity to salinity changes than common sensors using conductivity change, since the relative permittivity change to salinity is 2.5 times more sensitive than the conductivity change. The patch and ground plane of the proposed sensor are fabricated by conductive copper spray coating on the masks made by 3D printer. The fabricated patch and the ground plane are bonded to a commercial silicon substrate and then attached to 5 mm-high chamber made by 3D printer so that it contains only 1 mL seawater. For easy fabrication and testing, the maximum resonance frequency was selected under 3 GHz and to cover salinities in real seawater, it was assumed that the salinity changes from 20 to 35 ppt. The sensor was designed by the finite element method-based ANSYS high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS), and it can detect the salinity with 0.01 ppt resolution. The designed sensor has a resonance frequency separation of 37.9 kHz and reflection coefficients under -20 dB at the resonant frequencies. The fabricated sensor showed better performance with average frequency separation of 48 kHz and maximum reflection coefficient of -35 dB. By comparing with the existing sensors, the proposed compact and low-cost sensor showed a better detection capability. Therefore, the proposed patch sensor can be utilized in radio frequency (RF) tunable sensors for salinity determination.

Joint surface modeling with thin-plate splines.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, S K; Ronsky, J L; Lichti, D D; Salkauskas, K; Chapman, M A; Salkauskas, D

1999-10-01

Mathematical joint surface models based on experimentally determined data points can be used to investigate joint characteristics such as curvature, congruency, cartilage thickness, joint contact areas, as well as to provide geometric information well suited for finite element analysis. Commonly, surface modeling methods are based on B-splines, which involve tensor products. These methods have had success; however, they are limited due to the complex organizational aspect of working with surface patches, and modeling unordered, scattered experimental data points. An alternative method for mathematical joint surface modeling is presented based on the thin-plate spline (TPS). It has the advantage that it does not involve surface patches, and can model scattered data points without experimental data preparation. An analytical surface was developed and modeled with the TPS to quantify its interpolating and smoothing characteristics. Some limitations of the TPS include discontinuity of curvature at exactly the experimental surface data points, and numerical problems dealing with data sets in excess of 2000 points. However, suggestions for overcoming these limitations are presented. Testing the TPS with real experimental data, the patellofemoral joint of a cat was measured with multistation digital photogrammetry and modeled using the TPS to determine cartilage thicknesses and surface curvature. The cartilage thickness distribution ranged between 100 to 550 microns on the patella, and 100 to 300 microns on the femur. It was found that the TPS was an effective tool for modeling joint surfaces because no preparation of the experimental data points was necessary, and the resulting unique function representing the entire surface does not involve surface patches. A detailed algorithm is presented for implementation of the TPS.

Hydrological heterogeneity in Mediterranean reclaimed slopes: runoff and sediment yield at the patch and slope scales along a gradient of overland flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Merino-Martín

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Hydrological heterogeneity is recognized as a fundamental ecosystem attribute in drylands controlling the flux of water and energy through landscapes. Therefore, mosaics of runoff and sediment source patches and sinks are frequently identified in these dry environments. There is a remarkable scarcity of studies about hydrological spatial heterogeneity in restored slopes, where ecological succession and overland flow are interacting. We conducted field research to study the hydrological role of patches and slopes along an "overland flow gradient" (gradient of overland flow routing through the slopes caused by different amounts of run-on coming from upslope in three reclaimed mining slopes of Mediterranean-continental climate. We found that runoff generation and routing in non-rilled slopes showed a pattern of source and sink areas of runoff. Such hydrological microenvironments were associated with seven vegetation patches (characterized by plant community types and cover. Two types of sink patches were identified: shrub Genista scorpius patches could be considered as "deep sinks", while patches where the graminoids Brachypodium retusum and Lolium perenne dominate were classified as "surface sinks" or "runoff splays". A variety of source patches were also identified spanning from "extreme sources" (Medicago sativa patches; equivalent to bare soil to "poor sources" (areas scattered by dwarf-shrubs of Thymus vulgaris or herbaceous tussocks of Dactylis glomerata. Finally, we identified the volume of overland flow routing along the slope as a major controlling factor of "hydrological diversity" (heterogeneity of hydrological behaviours quantified as Shannon diversity index: when overland flow increases at the slope scale hydrological diversity diminishes.

ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF HABITAT PATCHES ON WILDLIFE ROAD-KILL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Seok

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The ecosystem fragmentation due to transportation infrastructure causes a road-kill phenomenon. When making policies for mitigating road-kill it is important to select target-species in order to enhance its efficiency. However, many wildlife crossing structures have been questioned regarding their effectiveness due to lack of considerations such as target-species selection, site selection, management, etc. The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of habitat patches on wildlife road-kill and to suggest that spatial location of habitat patches should be considered as one of the important factors when making policies for mitigating road-kill. Habitat patches were presumed from habitat variables and a suitability index on target-species that was chosen by literature review. The road-kill hotspot was calculated using Getis-Ord Gi*. After that, we performed a correlation analysis between Gi Z-score and the distance from habitat patches to the roads. As a result, there is a low negative correlation between two variables and it increases the Gi Z-score if the habitat patches and the roads become closer.

Analyze the Impact of Habitat Patches on Wildlife Road-Kill

Science.gov (United States)

Seok, S.; Lee, J.

2015-10-01

The ecosystem fragmentation due to transportation infrastructure causes a road-kill phenomenon. When making policies for mitigating road-kill it is important to select target-species in order to enhance its efficiency. However, many wildlife crossing structures have been questioned regarding their effectiveness due to lack of considerations such as target-species selection, site selection, management, etc. The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of habitat patches on wildlife road-kill and to suggest that spatial location of habitat patches should be considered as one of the important factors when making policies for mitigating road-kill. Habitat patches were presumed from habitat variables and a suitability index on target-species that was chosen by literature review. The road-kill hotspot was calculated using Getis-Ord Gi*. After that, we performed a correlation analysis between Gi Z-score and the distance from habitat patches to the roads. As a result, there is a low negative correlation between two variables and it increases the Gi Z-score if the habitat patches and the roads become closer.

Dissolving Microneedle Patch for Transdermal Delivery of Human Growth Hormone

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jeong Woo; Choi, Seong-O; Felner, Eric I.

2014-01-01

Clinical impact of biotechnology has been constrained by the limitations of traditional hypodermic injection of biopharmaceuticals. Microneedle patches have been proposed as a minimally invasive alternative. In this study, we assess the translation of a dissolving microneedle patch designed for simple, painless self-administration of biopharmacetucials that generates no sharp biohazardous waste. To study pharmacokinetics and safety of this approach, human growth hormone (hGH) was encapsulated in 600 μm long dissolving microneedles composed of carboxymethylcellulose and trehalose using an aqueous, moderate-temperature process that maintained complete hGH activity after encapsulation and retained most activity after storage for up to 15 months at room temperature and humidity. After manual insertion into the skin of hairless rats, hGH pharmacokinetics were similar to conventional subcutaneous injection. After patch removal, the microneedles had almost completely dissolved, leaving behind only blunt stubs. The dissolving microneedle patch was well tolerated, causing only slight, transient erythema. This study suggests that a dissolving microneedle patch can deliver hGH and other biopharmaceuticals in a manner suitable for self-administration without sharp biohazardous waste. PMID:21360810

Global hydroelastic model for springing and whipping based on a free-surface CFD code (OpenFOAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sopheak Seng

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The theoretical background and a numerical solution procedure for a time domain hydroelastic code are presented in this paper. The code combines a VOF-based free surface flow solver with a flexible body motion solver where the body linear elastic deformation is described by a modal superposition of dry mode shapes expressed in a local floating frame of reference. These mode shapes can be obtained from any finite element code. The floating frame undergoes a pseudo rigid-body motion which allows for a large rigid body translation and rotation and fully preserves the coupling with the local structural deformation. The formulation relies on the ability of the flow solver to provide the total fluid action on the body including e.g. the viscous forces, hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces, slamming forces and the fluid damping. A numerical simulation of a flexible barge is provided and compared to experiments to show that the VOF-based flow solver has this ability and the code has the potential to predict the global hydroelastic responses accurately.

Wearable Inset-Fed FR4 Microstrip Patch Antenna Design

Science.gov (United States)

Zaini, S. R. Mohd; Rani, K. N. Abdul

2018-03-01

This project proposes the design of a wireless body area network (WBAN) microstrip patch antenna covered by the jeans fabric as the outer layer operating at the center frequency, fc of 2.40 GHz. Precisely, the microstrip patch antenna with the inset-fed edge technique is designed and simulated systematically by using the Keysight Advanced Design System (ADS) software where the FR4 board with the dielectric constant, ɛr of 4.70, dissipation factor or loss tangent, tan δ of 0.02 and height, h of 1.60 mm is the chosen dielectric substrate. The wearable microstrip patch antenna design is then fabricated using the FR4 printed circuit board (PCB) material, hidden inside the jeans fabric, and attached to clothing, such as a jacket accordingly. Simulation and fabrication measurement results show that the designed microstrip patch antenna characteristics can be applied significantly within the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) radio band, which is at fc = 2.40 GHz.

Development of a thermostable microneedle patch for influenza vaccination

Science.gov (United States)

Mistilis, Matthew; Bommarius, Andreas S; Prausnitz, Mark R.

2017-01-01

The goal of this study is to develop thermostable microneedle patch formulations for influenza vaccine that can be partially or completely removed from the cold chain. During vaccine drying associated with microneedle patch manufacturing, ammonium acetate and HEPES buffer salts stabilized influenza vaccine, surfactants had little effect during drying, drying temperature had weak effects on vaccine stability, and drying on polydimethylsiloxane led to increased stability compared to drying on stainless steel. A number of excipients, mostly polysaccharides and some amino acids, further stabilized the influenza vaccine during drying. Over longer time scales of storage, combinations of stabilizers preserved the most vaccine activity. Finally, dissolving microneedle patches formulated with arginine and calcium heptagluconate had no significant activity loss for all three strains of seasonal influenza vaccine during storage at room temperature for six months. We conclude that appropriately formulated microneedle patches can exhibit remarkable thermostability that could enable storage and distribution of influenza vaccine outside the cold chain. PMID:25448542

Discrete Sparse Coding.

Science.gov (United States)

Exarchakis, Georgios; Lücke, Jörg

2017-11-01

Sparse coding algorithms with continuous latent variables have been the subject of a large number of studies. However, discrete latent spaces for sparse coding have been largely ignored. In this work, we study sparse coding with latents described by discrete instead of continuous prior distributions. We consider the general case in which the latents (while being sparse) can take on any value of a finite set of possible values and in which we learn the prior probability of any value from data. This approach can be applied to any data generated by discrete causes, and it can be applied as an approximation of continuous causes. As the prior probabilities are learned, the approach then allows for estimating the prior shape without assuming specific functional forms. To efficiently train the parameters of our probabilistic generative model, we apply a truncated expectation-maximization approach (expectation truncation) that we modify to work with a general discrete prior. We evaluate the performance of the algorithm by applying it to a variety of tasks: (1) we use artificial data to verify that the algorithm can recover the generating parameters from a random initialization, (2) use image patches of natural images and discuss the role of the prior for the extraction of image components, (3) use extracellular recordings of neurons to present a novel method of analysis for spiking neurons that includes an intuitive discretization strategy, and (4) apply the algorithm on the task of encoding audio waveforms of human speech. The diverse set of numerical experiments presented in this letter suggests that discrete sparse coding algorithms can scale efficiently to work with realistic data sets and provide novel statistical quantities to describe the structure of the data.

Flu Vaccine Skin Patch Tested

Science.gov (United States)

... Subscribe September 2017 Print this issue Health Capsule Flu Vaccine Skin Patch Tested En español Send us ... Each year, millions of people nationwide catch the flu. The best way to protect yourself is to ...

User's guide for SLWDN9, a code for calculating flux-surfaced-averaging of alpha densities, currents, and heating in non-circular tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hively, L.M.; Miley, G.M.

1980-03-01

The code calculates flux-surfaced-averaged values of alpha density, current, and electron/ion heating profiles in realistic, non-circular tokamak plasmas. The code is written in FORTRAN and execute on the CRAY-1 machine at the Magnetic Fusion Energy Computer Center

Exploring Potential Foreshocks on Highly Compressed Patches in a Rate-and-State Fault Model

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, N.; Lapusta, N.

2015-12-01

On both natural and laboratory faults, some mainshocks are preceded by foreshocks. Such foreshocks may be triggered by aseismic processes of the mainshock nucleation at fault heterogeneities such as bumps, as inferred in some laboratory experiments. We explore a rate-and-state fault model in which potential foreshocks occur on patches of elevated normal compression (by a factor of 5 to 10) within a larger velocity-weakening (VW) region, using 3D numerical simulations of long-term earthquake sequences and aseismic slip. We find that this model produces isolated microseismicity during the nucleation of a larger-scale seismic event, under the following conditions: (i) Patch diameter D is comparable to or larger than the patch nucleation size h*patch; (ii) D is much smaller than the nucleation size h*main for the larger-scale VW region; otherwise, a patch-hosted event simply starts the larger-scale event; (iii) the patches are sufficiently separated to prevent them triggering each other nearly instantaneously. Hence the nucleation sizes h*main and h*patch need to be substantially different, by a factor of around 10 in our simulations so far, and potentially much more. The aforementioned separation of scales can be achieved by assigning high levels of compression on the patches. However, one would expect unrealistically large stress drops for events on such patches. Remarkably, in this model, we find that the stress drops of the patch-hosted events are reasonable and roughly constant, despite a wide variation in the patch compression, due to patch ruptures extending into the surrounding VW region. Furthermore, for D close to h*patch, a substantial part of the stress change on the patch occurs aseismically. Our current work is directed towards quantifying and explaining these trends, as well as exploring whether the microseismicity occurring on highly compressed patches due to nucleation-induced creep has any observable differences from other events.

Histological distinction between early allergic and irritant patch test reactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard, L; Clemmensen, Ole; Sørensen, Flemming Brandt

1999-01-01

Comparative light microscopic studies have revealed subtle differences between allergic and irritant reactions in the skin. In the search for specific differences, we focussed on the early inflammatory response. This pilot study was conducted to test the hypothesis that follicular spongiosis can...... differentiate between early allergic and irritant patch test reactions. 8 patients with known contact allergy to either colophony or quarternium-15 participated in the study. In each patient, allergic and irritant patch tests reactions were elicited, and 4-mm punch biopsies were taken after 6 8 h from...... clinically equipotent reactions. Paired sets of slides were assessed blindly by 2 pathologists. 1 patient showing a pityrosporum folliculitis was excluded from the study. All biopsies from allergic patch tests were characterized by follicular spongiosis, while biopsies from irritant patch tests showed...

Use of an autologous leucocyte and platelet-rich fibrin patch on hard-to-heal DFUs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Löndahl, M; Tarnow, L.; Karlsmark, T

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Leucopatch is a leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin patch that provides concentrated blood cells and signal substances to the surface of an ulcer. It is produced by centrifugation of the patient's own venous blood. The aim of this pilot multicentre cohort study was to evaluate effects...... was applied once a week for up to 19 treatments or until the foot ulcer was completely epithelialised. The primary endpoint was healing within 20 weeks. RESULTS: Of the 60 patients who gave consent 16 were excluded during run-in period, 44 patients initiated study treatment and 39 were included in the per...... compared to non-healers. Adverse events were mild and rare. CONCLUSION: The leucocyte patch is well-tolerated, easy to use and has potential in the armamentarium of the DFU treatment, provided this outcome is confirmed in an appropriately powered randomised clinical trial....

Mate choice when males are in patches: optimal strategies and good rules of thumb.

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchinson, John M C; Halupka, Konrad

2004-11-07

In standard mate-choice models, females encounter males sequentially and decide whether to inspect the quality of another male or to accept a male already inspected. What changes when males are clumped in patches and there is a significant cost to travel between patches? We use stochastic dynamic programming to derive optimum strategies under various assumptions. With zero costs to returning to a male in the current patch, the optimal strategy accepts males above a quality threshold which is constant whenever one or more males in the patch remain uninspected; this threshold drops when inspecting the last male in the patch, so returns may occur only then and are never to a male in a previously inspected patch. With non-zero within-patch return costs, such a two-threshold rule still performs extremely well, but a more gradual decline in acceptance threshold is optimal. Inability to return at all need not decrease performance by much. The acceptance threshold should also decline if it gets harder to discover the last males in a patch. Optimal strategies become more complex when mean male quality varies systematically between patches or years, and females estimate this in a Bayesian manner through inspecting male qualities. It can then be optimal to switch patch before inspecting all males on a patch, or, exceptionally, to return to an earlier patch. We compare performance of various rules of thumb in these environments and in ones without a patch structure. A two-threshold rule performs excellently, as do various simplifications of it. The best-of-N rule outperforms threshold rules only in non-patchy environments with between-year quality variation. The cutoff rule performs poorly.

Fever following an Epidural Blood Patch in a Child

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnes I. Hunyady

2012-01-01

Full Text Available There is increasing evidence that children suffer from the consequences of spontaneous or iatrogenic intracranial hypotension. Pediatric epidural blood patch is gaining popularity because of its ability to alter cerebrospinal fluid dynamics and to alleviate headaches attributed to low cerebrospinal fluid pressure. There is, however, still not enough data to document the safety profile of an epidural blood patch. Here we describe a case of a fever in a child temporally related to the administration of an epidural blood patch. This case depicts the dilemmas in making the diagnosis and instituting treatment for complications of this procedure in the pediatric population.

Efficacy of a single dose of a transdermal diclofenac patch as pre ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: We compared the analgesic efficacy of a transdermal diclofenac patch 100 mg (NuPatch® 100, Zydus Cadila, Ahmedabad, India) and intramuscular diclofenac sodium 75 mg (Voveran®, Novartis, India) for postoperative analgesia, and the associated side-effects of the transdermal diclofenac patch. Method: ...

DESIGN OF MULTILAYER APERTURE COUPLED STACKED MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA FOR WLAN APPLICATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Jothilakshmi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available One of the major drawbacks of microstrip patch antenna is its narrow bandwidth. The solution of this problem is to use aperture coupled stacked micro strip patch antenna. The antenna uses a combination of aperture coupled feeding technique and multi- layer radiating patch in order for the radiating elements are increase the gain bandwidth. The ‘I’ and ‘H’ shaped aperture slots are etched onto the ground plane. It is used to transfer the energy from feed line to stacked patch. A variation of the feed line length controls the selected aperture slots to be active. The waves from the selected activated aperture slots will radiate to particular radiating patch and achieve the desired resonant frequency. The air gap is used to avoid coupling loss between the aperture slots and stacked patches. The observed simulated and measured results show that the proposed antenna structure resonated at 2.51 GHz frequency with reduced return loss and optimum voltage standing wave ratio.

Review of the margins for ASME code fatigue design curve - effects of surface roughness and material variability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chopra, O. K.; Shack, W. J.

2003-01-01

The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides rules for the construction of nuclear power plant components. The Code specifies fatigue design curves for structural materials. However, the effects of light water reactor (LWR) coolant environments are not explicitly addressed by the Code design curves. Existing fatigue strain-vs.-life ((var e psilon)-N) data illustrate potentially significant effects of LWR coolant environments on the fatigue resistance of pressure vessel and piping steels. This report provides an overview of the existing fatigue (var e psilon)-N data for carbon and low-alloy steels and wrought and cast austenitic SSs to define the effects of key material, loading, and environmental parameters on the fatigue lives of the steels. Experimental data are presented on the effects of surface roughness on the fatigue life of these steels in air and LWR environments. Statistical models are presented for estimating the fatigue (var e psilon)-N curves as a function of the material, loading, and environmental parameters. Two methods for incorporating environmental effects into the ASME Code fatigue evaluations are discussed. Data available in the literature have been reviewed to evaluate the conservatism in the existing ASME Code fatigue evaluations. A critical review of the margins for ASME Code fatigue design curves is presented

Review of the margins for ASME code fatigue design curve - effects of surface roughness and material variability.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chopra, O. K.; Shack, W. J.; Energy Technology

2003-10-03

The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides rules for the construction of nuclear power plant components. The Code specifies fatigue design curves for structural materials. However, the effects of light water reactor (LWR) coolant environments are not explicitly addressed by the Code design curves. Existing fatigue strain-vs.-life ({var_epsilon}-N) data illustrate potentially significant effects of LWR coolant environments on the fatigue resistance of pressure vessel and piping steels. This report provides an overview of the existing fatigue {var_epsilon}-N data for carbon and low-alloy steels and wrought and cast austenitic SSs to define the effects of key material, loading, and environmental parameters on the fatigue lives of the steels. Experimental data are presented on the effects of surface roughness on the fatigue life of these steels in air and LWR environments. Statistical models are presented for estimating the fatigue {var_epsilon}-N curves as a function of the material, loading, and environmental parameters. Two methods for incorporating environmental effects into the ASME Code fatigue evaluations are discussed. Data available in the literature have been reviewed to evaluate the conservatism in the existing ASME Code fatigue evaluations. A critical review of the margins for ASME Code fatigue design curves is presented.

A new Monte Carlo code for simulation of the effect of irregular surfaces on X-ray spectra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunetti, Antonio, E-mail: brunetti@uniss.it; Golosio, Bruno

2014-04-01

Generally, quantitative X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis estimates the content of chemical elements in a sample based on the areas of the fluorescence peaks in the energy spectrum. Besides the concentration of the elements, the peak areas depend also on the geometrical conditions. In fact, the estimate of the peak areas is simple if the sample surface is smooth and if the spectrum shows a good statistic (large-area peaks). For this reason often the sample is prepared as a pellet. However, this approach is not always feasible, for instance when cultural heritage or valuable samples must be analyzed. In this case, the sample surface cannot be smoothed. In order to address this problem, several works have been reported in the literature, based on experimental measurements on a few sets of specific samples or on Monte Carlo simulations. The results obtained with the first approach are limited by the specific class of samples analyzed, while the second approach cannot be applied to arbitrarily irregular surfaces. The present work describes a more general analysis tool based on a new fast Monte Carlo algorithm, which is virtually able to simulate any kind of surface. At the best of our knowledge, it is the first Monte Carlo code with this option. A study of the influence of surface irregularities on the measured spectrum is performed and some results reported. - Highlights: • We present a fast Monte Carlo code with the possibility to simulate any irregularly rough surfaces. • We show applications to multilayer measurements. • Real time simulations are available.

Global hydroelastic model for springing and whipping based on a free-surface CFD code (OpenFOAM)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seng, Sopheak; Jensen, Jørgen Juncher; Malenica, Sime

2014-01-01

The theoretical background and a numerical solution procedure for a time domain hydroelastic code are presented in this paper The code combines a VOF-based free surface flow solver with a flexible body motion solver where the body linear elastic deformation is described by a modal superposition...... of dry mode shapes expressed in a local floating frame of reference. These mode shapes can be obtained from any finite element code. The floating frame undergoes a pseudo rigid-body motion which allows for a large rigid body translation and rotation and fully preserves the coupling with the local...... structural deformation. The formulation relies on the ability of the flow solver to provide the total fluid action on the body including e.g. the viscous forces, hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces, slamming forces and the fluid damping. A numerical simulation of a flexible barge is provided and compared...

Efficiency of small scale carbon mitigation by patch iron fertilization

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmiento, J. L.; Slater, R. D.; Dunne, J.; Gnanadesikan, A.; Hiscock, M. R.

2010-11-01

While nutrient depletion scenarios have long shown that the high-latitude High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) regions are the most effective for sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide, recent simulations with prognostic biogeochemical models have suggested that only a fraction of the potential drawdown can be realized. We use a global ocean biogeochemical general circulation model developed at GFDL and Princeton to examine this and related issues. We fertilize two patches in the North and Equatorial Pacific, and two additional patches in the Southern Ocean HNLC region north of the biogeochemical divide and in the Ross Sea south of the biogeochemical divide. We evaluate the simulations using observations from both artificial and natural iron fertilization experiments at nearby locations. We obtain by far the greatest response to iron fertilization at the Ross Sea site, where sea ice prevents escape of sequestered CO2 during the wintertime, and the CO2 removed from the surface ocean by the biological pump is carried into the deep ocean by the circulation. As a consequence, CO2 remains sequestered on century time-scales and the efficiency of fertilization remains almost constant no matter how frequently iron is applied as long as it is confined to the growing season. The second most efficient site is in the Southern Ocean. The North Pacific site has lower initial nutrients and thus a lower efficiency. Fertilization of the Equatorial Pacific leads to an expansion of the suboxic zone and a striking increase in denitrification that causes a sharp reduction in overall surface biological export production and CO2 uptake. The impacts on the oxygen distribution and surface biological export are less prominent at other sites, but nevertheless still a source of concern. The century time scale retention of iron in this model greatly increases the long-term biological response to iron addition as compared with simulations in which the added iron is rapidly scavenged from the

Efficiency of small scale carbon mitigation by patch iron fertilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. L. Sarmiento

2010-11-01

Full Text Available While nutrient depletion scenarios have long shown that the high-latitude High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC regions are the most effective for sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide, recent simulations with prognostic biogeochemical models have suggested that only a fraction of the potential drawdown can be realized. We use a global ocean biogeochemical general circulation model developed at GFDL and Princeton to examine this and related issues. We fertilize two patches in the North and Equatorial Pacific, and two additional patches in the Southern Ocean HNLC region north of the biogeochemical divide and in the Ross Sea south of the biogeochemical divide. We evaluate the simulations using observations from both artificial and natural iron fertilization experiments at nearby locations. We obtain by far the greatest response to iron fertilization at the Ross Sea site, where sea ice prevents escape of sequestered CO₂ during the wintertime, and the CO₂ removed from the surface ocean by the biological pump is carried into the deep ocean by the circulation. As a consequence, CO₂ remains sequestered on century time-scales and the efficiency of fertilization remains almost constant no matter how frequently iron is applied as long as it is confined to the growing season. The second most efficient site is in the Southern Ocean. The North Pacific site has lower initial nutrients and thus a lower efficiency. Fertilization of the Equatorial Pacific leads to an expansion of the suboxic zone and a striking increase in denitrification that causes a sharp reduction in overall surface biological export production and CO₂ uptake. The impacts on the oxygen distribution and surface biological export are less prominent at other sites, but nevertheless still a source of concern. The century time scale retention of iron in this model greatly increases the long-term biological response to iron addition as compared with

Microstrip Patch Sensor for Salinity Determination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kibae Lee

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a compact microstrip feed inset patch sensor is proposed for measuring the salinities in seawater. The working principle of the proposed sensor depends on the fact that different salinities in liquid have different relative permittivities and cause different resonance frequencies. The proposed sensor can obtain better sensitivity to salinity changes than common sensors using conductivity change, since the relative permittivity change to salinity is 2.5 times more sensitive than the conductivity change. The patch and ground plane of the proposed sensor are fabricated by conductive copper spray coating on the masks made by 3D printer. The fabricated patch and the ground plane are bonded to a commercial silicon substrate and then attached to 5 mm-high chamber made by 3D printer so that it contains only 1 mL seawater. For easy fabrication and testing, the maximum resonance frequency was selected under 3 GHz and to cover salinities in real seawater, it was assumed that the salinity changes from 20 to 35 ppt. The sensor was designed by the finite element method-based ANSYS high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS, and it can detect the salinity with 0.01 ppt resolution. The designed sensor has a resonance frequency separation of 37.9 kHz and reflection coefficients under −20 dB at the resonant frequencies. The fabricated sensor showed better performance with average frequency separation of 48 kHz and maximum reflection coefficient of −35 dB. By comparing with the existing sensors, the proposed compact and low-cost sensor showed a better detection capability. Therefore, the proposed patch sensor can be utilized in radio frequency (RF tunable sensors for salinity determination.

Characterization of available light for seagrass and patch reef productivity in Sugarloaf Key, Lower Florida Keys

Science.gov (United States)

Toro-Farmer, Gerardo; Muller-Karger, Frank E.; Vega-Rodriguez, Maria; Melo, Nelson; Yates, Kimberly K.; Johns, Elizabeth; Cerdeira-Estrada, Sergio; Herwitz, Stan R.

2016-01-01

Light availability is an important factor driving primary productivity in benthic ecosystems, but in situ and remote sensing measurements of light quality are limited for coral reefs and seagrass beds. We evaluated the productivity responses of a patch reef and a seagrass site in the Lower Florida Keys to ambient light availability and spectral quality. In situ optical properties were characterized utilizing moored and water column bio-optical and hydrographic measurements. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was also estimated for these study sites using benthic productivity chambers. Our results show higher spectral light attenuation and absorption, and lower irradiance during low tide in the patch reef, tracking the influx of materials from shallower coastal areas. In contrast, the intrusion of clearer surface Atlantic Ocean water caused lower values of spectral attenuation and absorption, and higher irradiance in the patch reef during high tide. Storms during the studied period, with winds >10 m·s−1, caused higher spectral attenuation values. A spatial gradient of NEP was observed, from high productivity in the shallow seagrass area, to lower productivity in deeper patch reefs. The highest daytime NEP was observed in the seagrass, with values of almost 0.4 g·O2·m−2·h−1. Productivity at the patch reef area was lower in May than during October 2012 (mean = 0.137 and 0.177 g·O2·m−2·h−1, respectively). Higher photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) levels measured above water and lower light attenuation in the red region of the visible spectrum (~666 to ~699 nm) had a positive correlation with NEP. Our results indicate that changes in light availability and quality by suspended or resuspended particles limit benthic productivity in the Florida Keys.

Characterization of Available Light for Seagrass and Patch Reef Productivity in Sugarloaf Key, Lower Florida Keys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerardo Toro-Farmer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Light availability is an important factor driving primary productivity in benthic ecosystems, but in situ and remote sensing measurements of light quality are limited for coral reefs and seagrass beds. We evaluated the productivity responses of a patch reef and a seagrass site in the Lower Florida Keys to ambient light availability and spectral quality. In situ optical properties were characterized utilizing moored and water column bio-optical and hydrographic measurements. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP was also estimated for these study sites using benthic productivity chambers. Our results show higher spectral light attenuation and absorption, and lower irradiance during low tide in the patch reef, tracking the influx of materials from shallower coastal areas. In contrast, the intrusion of clearer surface Atlantic Ocean water caused lower values of spectral attenuation and absorption, and higher irradiance in the patch reef during high tide. Storms during the studied period, with winds >10 m·s−1, caused higher spectral attenuation values. A spatial gradient of NEP was observed, from high productivity in the shallow seagrass area, to lower productivity in deeper patch reefs. The highest daytime NEP was observed in the seagrass, with values of almost 0.4 g·O2·m−2·h−1. Productivity at the patch reef area was lower in May than during October 2012 (mean = 0.137 and 0.177 g·O2·m−2·h−1, respectively. Higher photosynthetic active radiation (PAR levels measured above water and lower light attenuation in the red region of the visible spectrum (~666 to ~699 nm had a positive correlation with NEP. Our results indicate that changes in light availability and quality by suspended or resuspended particles limit benthic productivity in the Florida Keys.

The effects of platelet lysate patches on the activity of tendon-derived cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa-Almeida, Raquel; Franco, Albina R; Pesqueira, Tamagno; Oliveira, Mariana B; Babo, Pedro S; Leonor, Isabel B; Mano, João F; Reis, Rui L; Gomes, Manuela E

2018-03-01

Platelet-derived biomaterials are widely explored as cost-effective sources of therapeutic factors, holding a strong potential for endogenous regenerative medicine. Particularly for tendon repair, treatment approaches that shift the injury environment are explored to accelerate tendon regeneration. Herein, genipin-crosslinked platelet lysate (PL) patches are proposed for the delivery of human-derived therapeutic factors in patch augmentation strategies aiming at tendon repair. Developed PL patches exhibited a controlled release profile of PL proteins, including bFGF and PDGF-BB. Additionally, PL patches exhibited an antibacterial effect by preventing the adhesion, proliferation and biofilm formation by S. aureus, a common pathogen in orthopaedic surgical site infections. Furthermore, these patches supported the activity of human tendon-derived cells (hTDCs). Cells were able to proliferate over time and an up-regulation of tenogenic genes (SCX, COL1A1 and TNC) was observed, suggesting that PL patches may modify the behavior of hTDCs. Accordingly, hTDCs deposited tendon-related extracellular matrix proteins, namely collagen type I and tenascin C. In summary, PL patches can act as a reservoir of biomolecules derived from PL and support the activity of native tendon cells, being proposed as bioinstructive patches for tendon regeneration. Platelet-derived biomaterials hold great interest for the delivery of therapeutic factors for applications in endogenous regenerative medicine. In the particular case of tendon repair, patch augmentation strategies aiming at shifting the injury environment are explored to improve tendon regeneration. In this study, PL patches were developed with remarkable features, including the controlled release of growth factors and antibacterial efficacy. Remarkably, PL patches supported the activity of native tendon cells by up-regulating tenogenic genes and enabling the deposition of ECM proteins. This patch holds great potential towards

Development of a Spirulina Extract/Alginate-Imbedded PCL Nanofibrous Cosmetic Patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Byeon, Seon Yeong; Cho, Myung Kwon; Shim, Kyou Hee; Kim, Hye Jin; Song, Hyeon Gi; Shin, Hwa Sung

2017-09-28

Cosmetic patches have recently been developed as skin products for personal care owing to rapid advances in the technology of delivery of active ingredients, moisture, and adhesiveness to skin. Alginate and Spirulina are typical marine resources used in cosmetic products. This research involved the development of a Spirulina extract-impregnated alginate nanofiber cosmetic patch supported by a polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber cover ( Spi /Alg-PCL NF patch). In addition to the ability of alginate to affect moisture and adhesiveness to skin, the impregnation of Spirulina extract strengthened those abilities as well as its own bioactive effectiveness. All fabrication processing steps were undertaken in aqueous solution. The three components (alginate, Spirulina extract, and PCL) had no detected cytotoxicity in human keratinocyte cell-based examination. In addition, wetting the pre-dried patch on the skin resulted in the Spirulina extract being released within 30 min. The results indicate the excellence of the Spi /Alg-PCL NF patch as a skin-care cosmetic device.

Patch testing of 490 patients in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, T Y; Lam, T H

1996-07-01

Patch testing, using European standard allergens and suspected causative substances brought in by patients, was carried out in 490 patients with eczema in Hong Kong and 437 completed the test. Before patch testing, 244, 141 and 105 patients were diagnosed as having contact dermatitis, endogenous eczema and unclassified eczema, respectively. After patch testing, the diagnosis of the causal agent was changed in 54 contact dermatitis patients, and 18% of endogenous eczema patients and 34% of unclassified eczema patients were re-diagnosed as contact dermatitis. In the patients with a final diagnosis of contact dermatitis, 19.5% were positive to fragrance mix, followed by nickel sulfate (16.4%) and cobalt chloride (11.3%). The commonest causative agents for contact dermatitis were soap or detergent (22.0%) and traditional Chinese medicine (17.3%); the latter was a more common cause of contact dermatitis than Western medicine (9.0%) or metals (13.4%). The prevalence of allergic reaction to fragrance in Hong Kong was higher than among Chinese in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei or Singapore (78% ethnic Chinese). Dermatologists should have a high index of suspicion about traditional medications and should patch test with the suspected substance when patients give a history of use.

Variation in aluminium patch test reactivity over time.

Science.gov (United States)

Siemund, Ingrid; Mowitz, Martin; Zimerson, Erik; Bruze, Magnus; Hindsén, Monica

2017-11-01

Contact allergy to aluminium has been reported more frequently in recent years. It has been pointed out that positive patch test reactions to aluminium may not be reproducible on retesting. To investigate possible variations in patch test reactivity to aluminium over time. Twenty-one adults, who had previously reacted positively to aluminium, were patch tested with equimolar dilution series in pet. of aluminium chloride hexahydrate and aluminium lactate, four times over a period of 8 months. Thirty-six of 84 (43%) serial dilution tests with aluminium chloride hexahydrate and 49 of 84 (58%) serial dilution tests with aluminium lactate gave negative results. The range of reactivity varied between a negative reaction to aluminium chloride hexahydrate at 10% and/or to aluminium lactate at 12%, and a positive reaction to aluminium chloride hexahydrate at 0.1% and/or to aluminium lactate at 0.12%. The highest individual difference in test reactivity noticed was 320-fold when the two most divergent minimal eliciting concentrations were compared. The patch test reactivity to aluminium varies over time. Aluminium-allergic individuals may have false-negative reactions. Therefore, retesting with aluminium should be considered when there is a strong suspicion of aluminium contact allergy. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Surface gloss and color perception of 3D objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Bei; Brainard, David H

2008-01-01

Two experiments explore the color perception of objects in complex scenes. The first experiment examines the color perception of objects across variation in surface gloss. Observers adjusted the color appearance of a matte sphere to match that of a test sphere. Across conditions we varied the body color and glossiness of the test sphere. The data indicate that observers do not simply match the average light reflected from the test. Indeed, the visual system compensates for the physical effect of varying the gloss, so that appearance is stabilized relative to what is predicted by the spatial average. The second experiment examines how people perceive color across locations on an object. We replaced the test sphere with a soccer ball that had one of its hexagonal faces colored. Observers were asked to adjust the match sphere have the same color appearance as this test patch. The test patch could be located at either an upper or lower location on the soccer ball. In addition, we varied the surface gloss of the entire soccer ball (including the test patch). The data show that there is an effect of test patch location on observers' color matching, but this effect is small compared to the physical change in the average light reflected from the test patch across the two locations. In addition, the effect of glossy highlights on the color appearance of the test patch was consistent with the results from Experiment 1.

Microstrip patch antenna for simultaneous strain and temperature sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Mbanya Tchafa, F.; Huang, H.

2018-06-01

A patch antenna, consisting of a radiation patch, a dielectric substrate, and a ground plane, resonates at distinct fundamental frequencies that depend on the substrate dielectric constant and the dimensions of the radiation patch. Since these parameters change with the applied strain and temperature, this study investigates simultaneous strain and temperature sensing using a single antenna that has two fundamental resonant frequencies. The theoretical relationship between the antenna resonant frequency shifts, the temperature, and the applied strain was first established to guide the selection of the dielectric substrate, based on which an antenna sensor with a rectangular radiation patch was designed and fabricated. A tensile test specimen instrumented with the antenna sensor was subjected to thermo-mechanical tests. Experiment results validated the theoretical predictions that the normalized antenna resonant frequency shifts are linearly proportional to the applied strain and temperature changes. An inverse method was developed to determine the strain and temperature changes from the normalized antenna resonant frequency shifts, yielding measurement uncertainty of 0.4 °C and 17.22 μ \\varepsilon for temperature and strain measurement, respectively.

Slime moulds use heuristics based on within-patch experience to decide when to leave.

Science.gov (United States)

Latty, Tanya; Beekman, Madeleine

2015-04-15

Animals foraging in patchy, non-renewing or slowly renewing environments must make decisions about how long to remain within a patch. Organisms can use heuristics ('rules of thumb') based on available information to decide when to leave the patch. Here, we investigated proximate patch-departure heuristics in two species of giant, brainless amoeba: the slime moulds Didymium bahiense and Physarum polycephalum. We explicitly tested the importance of information obtained through experience by eliminating chemosensory cues of patch quality. In P. polycephalum, patch departure was influenced by the consumption of high, and to a much lesser extent low, quality food items such that engulfing a food item increased patch-residency time. Physarum polycephalum also tended to forage for longer in darkened, 'safe' patches. In D. bahiense, engulfment of any food item increased patch residency irrespective of that food item's quality. Exposure to light had no effect on the patch-residency time of D. bahiense. Given that these organisms lack a brain, our results illustrate how the use of simple heuristics can give the impression that individuals make sophisticated foraging decisions. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Evaluation and Management of Patch Test-Negative Patients With Generalized Dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiker, Alison; Mowad, Christen M

Patients with generalized dermatitis are common in dermatology practices. Allergic contact dermatitis is often suspected, and patients frequently undergo patch testing. When the patch testing result is negative, further evaluation and management of these patients are challenging. The purpose of this study was to survey members of the American Contact Dermatitis Society regarding the evaluation and management of patch test-negative patients with generalized dermatitis. Generalized dermatitis was the most common term identified for patch test-negative patients with diffuse dermatitis. After having negative expanded patch testing results, most physicians proceeded with additional testing including skin biopsy, complete blood cell count with differential, and liver and renal function tests. The most commonly used systemic treatment is prednisone, followed by methotrexate. Narrow-band ultraviolet B (UVB) is the most commonly used light source. Antihistamines are frequently prescribed. Food allergy is not felt to be causative. This cohort of patients experiences significant impairment in quality of life, stress on personal relationships, and time off work. The management of patch test-negative patients with generalized dermatitis is challenging. This study provides insight into management of these complex patients. It also demonstrates practice gaps in the management of these patients, indicating a need for further studies to direct the evaluation and management of this patient population.

Long-term stability of influenza vaccine in a dissolving microneedle patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Mistilis, Matthew J; Joyce, Jessica C; Esser, E Stein; Skountzou, Ioanna; Compans, Richard W; Bommarius, Andreas S; Prausnitz, Mark R

2017-04-01

This study tested the hypothesis that optimized microneedle patch formulations can stabilize trivalent subunit influenza vaccine during long-term storage outside the cold chain and when exposed to potential stresses found during manufacturing and storage. Formulations containing combinations of trehalose/sucrose, sucrose/arginine, and arginine/heptagluconate were successful at retaining most or all vaccine activity during storage at 25 °C for up to 24 months as determined by ELISA assay. The best formulation of microneedle patches contained arginine/heptagluconate, which showed no significant loss of vaccine activity during the study. To validate these in vitro findings, mice were immunized using trivalent influenza vaccine stored in microneedle patches for more than 1 year at 25 °C, which elicited antibody titers greater than or equal to fresh liquid vaccine delivered by intradermal injection, indicating the retention of immunogenicity during storage. Finally, influenza vaccine in microneedle patches lost no significant activity during exposure to 60 °C for 4 months, multiple freeze-thaw cycles, or electron beam irradiation. We conclude that optimally formulated microneedle patches can retain influenza vaccine activity during extended storage outside the cold chain and during other environmental stresses, which suggests the possibility of microneedle patch storage on pharmacy shelves without refrigeration.

Efficacy of a bleomycin microneedle patch for the treatment of warts.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Ha Ryeong; Jeong, Hye-Rin; Seon-Woo, Hye-Seung; Kim, Jung Soo; Lee, Seul Ki; Kim, Hee Joo; Baek, Jin Ok; Park, Jung-Hwan; Roh, Joo Young

2018-02-01

Warts are a common skin disease caused by infection of the human papilloma virus. Most treatments involving physical destruction of the infected cells, such as cryotherapy and electrocautery, are limited by intense pain, failure, or recurrences. Our aim was to compare the therapeutic effects of a newly developed bleomycin microneedle patch with cryotherapy in the treatment of warts. Forty-two patients with more than two wart lesions were included in the study. The two treatment modalities were randomly applied to different warts on each patient. Treatment efficacy was assessed using the Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) and the Patient's Global Assessment (PaGA). Mean PGA and PaGA scores were not significantly different between cryotherapy and bleomycin microneedle patch treatment. It was also determined that the mean size of all the warts treated with either modality shrank about equally at weeks 8 and 16 after initial treatment. Thus, treatment efficacy of the bleomycin microneedle patch was comparable to that of conventional cryotherapy. According to a visual analogue scale of pain, bleomycin microneedle patch treatment was significantly less painful than cryotherapy (p microneedle patch was more tolerable for patients who were reluctant to receive the painful treatment. Thus, the bleomycin microneedle patch can be an effective, convenient, and innovative treatment modality for warts.

Both population size and patch quality affect local extinctions and colonizations

OpenAIRE

Franzén, Markus; Nilsson, Sven G.

2009-01-01

Currently, the habitat of many species is fragmented, resulting in small local populations with individuals occasionally dispersing between the remaining habitat patches. In a solitary bee metapopulation, extinction probability was related to both local bee population sizes and pollen resources measured as host plant population size. Patch size, on the other hand, had no additional predictive power. The turnover rate of local bee populations in 63 habitat patches over 4 years was high, with 7...

Rotigotine transdermal patch for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Lloret, Santiago; Rey, María Verónica; Ratti, Pietro Lucca; Rascol, Olivier

2013-02-01

Rotigotine, a non-ergot dopamine agonist, has been developed as a novel transdermal formulation. The rotigotine transdermal patch has received EMEA marketing authorization for the treatment of adult patients with early or advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) or with moderate to severe restless legs syndrome (RLS). FDA originally granted a marketing authorization for early PD, which was later suspended, and is now studying the authorization for RLS. The aim of this review is to review the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics as well as the clinical efficacy and tolerability of the rotigotine transdermal patch in PD. Source material was identified using a PubMed search for the term 'rotigotine' and PD. Articles published up to January 2011 or abstract submitted to most relevant international neurology congresses were reviewed. The rotigotine transdermal patch is efficacious for the treatment of PD. Tolerability profile appears to be well within the range of that observed with other non-ergot dopamine agonists in PD. Application-site reactions were the most frequent adverse event, and they were considered mild to moderate in the majority of cases. The rotigotine transdermal patch offers a safe and efficacious alternative for the treatment of PD. Further studies should focus on the possibility that continuous dopamine stimulation by means of the transdermal patch has any influence on levodopa-related motor complications. © 2012 The Authors Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

Testing a solar coronal magnetic field extrapolation code with the Titov–Démoulin magnetic flux rope model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Chao-Wei; Feng, Xue-Shang

2016-01-01

In the solar corona, the magnetic flux rope is believed to be a fundamental structure that accounts for magnetic free energy storage and solar eruptions. Up to the present, the extrapolation of the magnetic field from boundary data has been the primary way to obtain fully three-dimensional magnetic information about the corona. As a result, the ability to reliably recover the coronal magnetic flux rope is important for coronal field extrapolation. In this paper, our coronal field extrapolation code is examined with an analytical magnetic flux rope model proposed by Titov and Démoulin, which consists of a bipolar magnetic configuration holding a semi-circular line-tied flux rope in force-free equilibrium. By only using the vector field at the bottom boundary as input, we test our code with the model in a representative range of parameter space and find that the model field can be reconstructed with high accuracy. In particular, the magnetic topological interfaces formed between the flux rope and the surrounding arcade, i.e., the “hyperbolic flux tube” and “bald patch separatrix surface,” are also reliably reproduced. By this test, we demonstrate that our CESE–MHD–NLFFF code can be applied to recovering the magnetic flux rope in the solar corona as long as the vector magnetogram satisfies the force-free constraints. (paper)

Patch test reactions associated with sunscreen products and the importance of testing to an expanded series: retrospective analysis of North American Contact Dermatitis Group data, 2001 to 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Warshaw, Erin M; Wang, Michael Z; Maibach, Howard I; Belsito, Donald V; Zug, Kathryn A; Taylor, James S; Mathias, C G Toby; Sasseville, Denis; Zirwas, Matthew J; Fowler, Joseph F; DeKoven, Joel G; Fransway, Anthony F; DeLeo, Vincent A; Marks, James G; Pratt, Melanie D; Storrs, Frances J

2013-01-01

Both active and inactive ingredients in sunscreen may cause contact dermatitis. This study aimed to describe allergens associated with a sunscreen source. A cross-sectional analysis of patients patch tested by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group between 2001 and 2010 was performed. Of 23,908 patients patch tested, 219 (0.9%) had sunscreen coded as an allergen source. Patients who were male, with occupational dermatitis, or older (older than 40 years) had significantly lower rates of allergic reactions to sunscreens; the most commonly affected areas were the face and exposed sites (P Contact Dermatitis Group screening series of 65 to 70 allergens. A supplemental antigen series is important in detecting allergy to sunscreens.

Patch testing in non-immediate cutaneous adverse drug reactions: value of extemporaneous patch tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Assier, Haudrey; Valeyrie-Allanore, Laurence; Gener, Gwendeline; Verlinde Carvalh, Muriel; Chosidow, Olivier; Wolkenstein, Pierre

2017-11-01

Patch testing following a standardized protocol is reliable for identifying the culprit drug in cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs). However, these patch tests (PTs) require pharmaceutical material and staff, which are not always easily available. To evaluate an extemporaneous PT method in CADRs. We retrospectively analysed data for all patients referred to our department between March 2009 and June 2013 for patch testing after a non-immediate CADR. The patients who supplied their own suspected drugs were tested both with extemporaneous PTs and with conventional PTs. Extemporaneous PTs involved a nurse crushing and diluting the drug in pet. in a ratio of approximately one-third to two-thirds. Standardized PTs were performed according to guidelines, with commercial drugs diluted to 30% or with active ingredients diluted to 10%. We analysed the data for the two PT methods in terms of the number of positive test reactions, drugs tested, and type of CADR for patients in whom the two PT methods were used. In total, 75 of 156 patients underwent the two PT procedures, including 91 double tests. Overall, 21 tests gave positive reactions with the two methods, and 69 other tests gave negative results with the two methods. Our series yielded results similar to those of published series concerning the types of CADR and the drugs responsible. Our results suggest that, for CADRs, if a patient supplies a suspected drug but if the pharmaceutical material and staff are not available for conventional PTs, extemporaneous PTs performed by the nurse with the commercial drug used by the patient can be useful and reliable. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pengaruh variasi berat polimer terhadap sifat fisik Patch NaF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diyah Fatmasari

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Influence of weight polymer variation towards sodium fluoride patch physical properties. Fluoride has been proven as a material for strengthen teeth. Many fluoride modalities are available nowadays, and the recent is sodium fluoride (NaF patch which delivers fluoride via transdermal. No report was found about the physical properties of NaF patch based on polymer variation used. Research purpose was to find NaF patch with polymer variation which has good physical properties. Research design was quasy experimental with post test group research as research approach. Dependent variables included polymer variation and stored time; independent variable included patch thickness; resistance of folding; weight; drug content; percentage of moisture uptake and percentage loss on drying. NaF Patch manufacturing used solvent casting method the polymer PVA and PVP mixed in 2 ml aquabidest inwater bath until polymer dissolved; 100 mg of NaF mixed in 2 ml aquabi 0,1 ml oleic acid; 0,1 ml IPA mixed in glass tube and dissolved in 3,8 ml aquabidest. Three kinds of NaF patch with polymer variation were made. All materials were mixed in glass tube and stirred until dissolved, then pour into petry disc and allowed for 3 days until it dry. Research result showed a difference of physical properties among three NaF patch. Patch with variation PVP : PVA = 1 : 2 resulted in the best physical properties. Storing patch in aluminum foil did not cause any differences of physical properties. NaF patch with good polymer variation can be developed for further research.   ABSTRAK Fluorida sudah terbukti sebagai bahan untuk memperkuat permukaan gigi. Berbagai sediaan fluoride sudah banyak ditemukan. Sediaan fluoride yang terbaru adalah dalam bentuk plester yang melepaskan ion fluorida lewat kulit. Sediaan plester sodium fluorida (NaF sudah ditemukan tetapi belum ada lapran mengenai sifat fisik plester berdasarkan variasi polimer yang digunakan. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk

Foraging Behavior in Golden Hamsters (Mesocricetus Auratus: Effect of the Distance among Multiple Patches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe Cabrera

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The pattern of travel and the efficiency in foraging behavior was evaluated in four hamsters searching for food within an enclosure with multiple patches. Two different distances among patches were randomly arranged: Near-Patches (10 cm separation and Distant-Patches (21.5 cm separation. Subjects obtained the food by mounting over the cylinders (stations placed in the enclosure of 110 cm2. Results showed that in both, Near and Distant conditions, the distance between responses was longer in late stages of the trials then in early stages. Nonetheless, the most choices to adjacent stations were in Distant-Patches condition, while skips and diagonal-station choices were more frequently showed in the Near-Patches condition.

Design of a Composite Membrane with Patches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuccu, Fabrizio; Emamizadeh, Behrouz; Porru, Giovanni

2010-01-01

This paper is concerned with minimization and maximization problems of eigenvalues. The principal eigenvalue of a differential operator is minimized or maximized over a set which is formed by intersecting a rearrangement class with an affine subspace of finite co-dimension. A solution represents an optimal design of a 2-dimensional composite membrane Ω, fixed at the boundary, built out of two different materials, where certain prescribed regions (patches) in Ω are occupied by both materials. We prove existence results, and present some features of optimal solutions. The special case of one patch is treated in detail.

Recommended Practice for Patch Management of Control Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steven Tom; Dale Christiansen; Dan Berrett

2008-12-01

A key component in protecting a nation’s critical infrastructure and key resources is the security of control systems. The term industrial control system refers to supervisory control and data acquisition, process control, distributed control, and any other systems that control, monitor, and manage the nation’s critical infrastructure. Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) consists of electric power generators, transmission systems, transportation systems, dam and water systems, communication systems, chemical and petroleum systems, and other critical systems that cannot tolerate sudden interruptions in service. Simply stated, a control system gathers information and then performs a function based on its established parameters and the information it receives. The patch management of industrial control systems software used in CIKR is inconsistent at best and nonexistent at worst. Patches are important to resolve security vulnerabilities and functional issues. This report recommends patch management practices for consideration and deployment by industrial control systems owners.

[Patch testing: historical aspects].

Science.gov (United States)

Lachapelle, J-M

2009-01-01

This article reviews the key points in the history of patch testing, which spans more than a century, starting with the first description of the method by J. Jadassohn in 1895. Special attention is paid to the contribution of French schools in this field, which led to the foundation of the Groupe d'études et de recherches en dermato-allergologie (GERDA).

Localization and Tracking of Submerged Phytoplankton Bloom Patches by an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Godin, M. A.; Ryan, J. P.; Zhang, Y.; Bellingham, J. G.

2012-12-01

Observing plankton in their drifting frame of reference permits effective studies of marine ecology from the perspective of microscopic life itself. By minimizing variation caused simply by advection, observations in a plankton-tracking frame of reference focus measurement capabilities on the processes that influence the life history of populations. Further, the patchy nature of plankton populations motivates use of sensor data in real-time to resolve patch boundaries and adapt observing resources accordingly. We have developed capabilities for population-centric plankton observation and sampling by autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Our focus has been on phytoplankton populations, both because of their ecological significance - as the core of the oceanic food web and yet potentially harmful under certain bloom conditions, as well as the accessibility of their signal to simple optical sensing. During the first field deployment of these capabilities in 2010, we tracked a phytoplankton patch containing toxigenic diatoms and found that their toxicity correlated with exposure to resuspended sediments. However, this first deployment was labor intensive as the AUV drove in a pre-programmed pattern centered around a patch-marking drifter; it required a boat deployment of the patch-marking drifter and required full-time operators to periodically estimate of the position of the patch with respect to the drifter and adjust the AUV path accordingly. In subsequent field experiments during 2011 and 2012, the Tethys-class long-range AUVs ran fully autonomous patch tracking algorithms which detected phytoplankton patches and continually updated estimates of each patch center by driving adaptive patterns through the patch. Iterations of the algorithm were generated to overcome the challenges of tracking advecting and evolving patches while minimizing human involvement in vehicle control. Such fully autonomous monitoring will be necessary to perform long-term in

Measured Leak Rate of Ammonia Through an Epoxy/Stainless-Steel Patch

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Brady, B. B; Desain, J. D; Curtiss, T. J

2007-01-01

.... To assess the lifetime of the patch and sensitivity to manufacturing variation, simulated leaks in circular aluminum discs were patched with several different variants on the same epoxy-stainless materials system...

A DOUBLE E SHAPED MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA FOR MULTIBAND APPLICATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pristin K Mathew

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a dual band Compact double E shaped Microstrip Patch antenna with enhanced gain for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WI-MAX, Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems (UMTS and Satellite applications. The modified E shaped patch antenna is designed using CADFEKO and the results of return loss, Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR, gain of the proposed antenna are compared with a conventional E shaped patch antenna. The results show that the double E shaped wideband patch antenna has an impedance bandwidth of 10.7 % with a return loss of -13.6dB, -12.4 dB, -12.1dB and -14.2dB at resonant frequencies of 1.96 GHz, 3.62 GHz, 5.76 GHz and 6.82 GHz, whereas a conventional E shaped patch antenna operates at 2.5 GHz, 3.4 GHz and 5.5 GHz with a return loss of -16 dB each and impedance bandwidth of 10.6 %. Both the antennas uses Coaxial Probe feeding technique and Flame Retardant 4 (FR-4 as the substrate material with a thickness of 2.87 mm. A parametric study has been done so as to understand the effect of each parameter to obtain a better performance and optimised results.

Foraging decisions, patch use, and seasonality in egrets (Aves: ciconiiformes)

Science.gov (United States)

Erwin, R.M.

1985-01-01

Feeding snowy (Egretta thula) and great (Casmerodius albus) egrets were observed during 2 breeding seasons in coastal New Jersey and 2 brief winter periods in northeast Florida (USA). A number of tests based on assumptions of foraging models, predictions from foraging theory, and earlier empirical tests concerning time allocation and movement in foraging patches was made. Few of the expectations based on foraging theory and/or assumptions were supported by the empirical evidence. Snowy egrets fed with greater intensity and efficiency during the breeding season (when young were being fed) than during winter. They also showed some tendency to leave patches when their capture rate declined, and they spent more time foraging in patches when other birds were present nearby. Great egrets showed few of these tendencies, although they did leave patches when their intercapture intervals increased. Satiation differences had some influence on feeding rates in snowy egrets, but only at the end of feeding bouts. Some individuals of both species revisited areas in patches that had recently been exploited, and success rates were usually higher after the 2nd visit. Apparently, for predators of active prey, short-term changes in resource availability ('resource depression') may be more important than resource depletion, a common assumption in most optimal foraging theory models.

CRUCIB: an axisymmetric convection code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertram, L.A.

1975-03-01

The CRUCIB code was written in support of an experimental program aimed at measurement of thermal diffusivities of refractory liquids. Precise values of diffusivity are necessary to realistic analysis of reactor safety problems, nuclear waste disposal procedures, and fundamental metal forming processes. The code calculates the axisymmetric transient convective motions produced in a right circular cylindrical crucible, which is surface heated by an annular heat pulse. Emphasis of this report is placed on the input-output options of the CRUCIB code, which are tailored to assess the importance of the convective heat transfer in determining the surface temperature distribution. Use is limited to Prandtl numbers less than unity; larger values can be accommodated by replacement of a single block of the code, if desired. (U.S.)

QUIL: a chemical equilibrium code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lunsford, J.L.

1977-02-01

A chemical equilibrium code QUIL is described, along with two support codes FENG and SURF. QUIL is designed to allow calculations on a wide range of chemical environments, which may include surface phases. QUIL was written specifically to calculate distributions associated with complex equilibria involving fission products in the primary coolant loop of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. QUIL depends upon an energy-data library called ELIB. This library is maintained by FENG and SURF. FENG enters into the library all reactions having standard free energies of reaction that are independent of concentration. SURF enters all surface reactions into ELIB. All three codes are interactive codes written to be used from a remote terminal, with paging control provided. Plotted output is also available

Paneling architectural freeform surfaces

KAUST Repository

Eigensatz, Michael; Kilian, Martin; Schiftner, Alexander; Mitra, Niloy J.; Pottmann, Helmut; Pauly, Mark

2010-01-01

The emergence of large-scale freeform shapes in architecture poses big challenges to the fabrication of such structures. A key problem is the approximation of the design surface by a union of patches, socalled panels, that can be manufactured with a

Influence of temperature on patch residence time in parasitoids: physiological and behavioural mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Moiroux, Joffrey; Abram, Paul K.; Louâpre, Philippe; Barrette, Maryse; Brodeur, Jacques; Boivin, Guy

2016-04-01

Patch time allocation has received much attention in the context of optimal foraging theory, including the effect of environmental variables. We investigated the direct role of temperature on patch time allocation by parasitoids through physiological and behavioural mechanisms and its indirect role via changes in sex allocation and behavioural defences of the hosts. We compared the influence of foraging temperature on patch residence time between an egg parasitoid, Trichogramma euproctidis, and an aphid parasitoid, Aphidius ervi. The latter attacks hosts that are able to actively defend themselves, and may thus indirectly influence patch time allocation of the parasitoid. Patch residence time decreased with an increase in temperature in both species. The increased activity levels with warming, as evidenced by the increase in walking speed, partially explained these variations, but other mechanisms were involved. In T. euproctidis, the ability to externally discriminate parasitised hosts decreased at low temperature, resulting in a longer patch residence time. Changes in sex allocation with temperature did not explain changes in patch time allocation in this species. For A. ervi, we observed that aphids frequently escaped at intermediate temperature and defended themselves aggressively at high temperature, but displayed few defence mechanisms at low temperature. These defensive behaviours resulted in a decreased patch residence time for the parasitoid and partly explained the fact that A. ervi remained for a shorter time at the intermediate and high temperatures than at the lowest temperature. Our results suggest that global warming may affect host-parasitoid interactions through complex mechanisms including both direct and indirect effects on parasitoid patch time allocation.

Spatial and temporal variation in sponge spicule patches at Station M, northeast Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Laguionie-Marchais, C; Kuhnz, L A; Huffard, C L; Ruhl, H A; Smith, K L

Changes in habitat-forming organisms can have complex consequences for associated species. Sessile epibenthic glass "plate" sponges (Porifera: Hexactinellida) are conspicuous inhabitants of soft-sediment abyssal areas and their siliceous spicules create persistent spicule patches on the seafloor. Sponge spicule patch density, spatial dispersion, and percent cover were examined over a seven-year period (2006-2013) using remotely operated vehicle videos from Station M in the abyssal northeast Pacific (50˚00N, 123˚00W, ~4,000 m depth). There was an apparent large increase in newly dead plate sponges in February 2007 compared with December 2006, with this trend continuing through June 2007 (mean 0.03 % cover increasing to 0.33 %). A second increase in mean percent cover of dead plate sponges occurred from May 2011 (0.24 %) through June 2012 (0.60 %). Among the 28 megafaunal taxa occurring in association with the patches, the distributions of three taxa [two sponge taxa (Porifera) and brittle stars (Ophiuroidea)] suggested selectivity for the sponge spicule patches. The community structure of visible megafauna within sponge spicule patches was different when compared with that outside the patches suggesting that the sponges, after death, provide preferred habitat patches for certain benthic megafauna. These findings indicate that sponge spicule patches contribute to habitat heterogeneity in space and time.

Hyaluronic acid microneedle patch for the improvement of crow's feet wrinkles.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sun Young; Kwon, Hyun Jung; Ahn, Ga Ram; Ko, Eun Jung; Yoo, Kwang Ho; Kim, Beom Joon; Lee, Changjin; Kim, Daegun

2017-11-01

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has an immediate volumizing effect, due to its strong water-binding potential, and stimulates fibroblasts, causing collagen synthesis, with short- and long-term effects on wrinkle improvement. We investigated the efficacy and safety of HA microneedle patches for crow's feet wrinkles. Using a randomized spilt-face design, we compared microneedle patches with a topical application containing the same active ingredients. We enrolled 34 Korean female subjects with mild to moderate crow's feet wrinkles. The wrinkle on each side of the subject's face was randomly assigned to a HA microneedle patch or HA essence application twice a week for 8 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated at weeks 2, 4, and 8. Skin wrinkles were measured as average roughness using replica and PRIMOS. Skin elasticity was assessed using a cutometer. Two independent blinded dermatologists evaluated the changes after treatment using the global visual wrinkle assessment score. Subjects assessed wrinkles using the subject global assessment score. Skin wrinkles were significantly reduced and skin elasticity significantly increased in both groups, although improvement was greater in the patch group at week 8 after treatment. In the primary and cumulative skin irritation tests, the HA microneedle patch did not induce any skin irritation. The HA microneedle patch is more effective than the HA essence for wrinkle improvement and is a safe and convenient without skin irritation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of novel double-decker microneedle patches for transcutaneous vaccine delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, Akihiko; Azukizawa, Hiroaki; Ito, Sayami; Nakamura, Yuki; Asada, Hideo; Quan, Ying-Shu; Kamiyama, Fumio; Katayama, Ichiro; Hirobe, Sachiko; Okada, Naoki

2017-10-30

Microneedle (MN) patches have great potential as transcutaneous vaccine delivery devices because MNs can effectively deliver vaccine antigen into the skin through the micropores formed in the stratum corneum by low-invasive and painless skin puncturing. This study aims to develop novel double-decker MN patches which have not only high safety and efficacy but also broad applicability to various vaccine antigens. We developed two types of MN patches (PGA-MN and Nylon-MN) that are made from polyglycolic acid and Nylon-6. In pre-clinical studies, both MN patches could demonstrably deliver antigens into resected human dermal tissue, prolong antigen deposition and increase antigen-specific IgG levels after vaccination compared with conventional injections. We demonstrated both MN patches could be safely applied to human skin because no broken MNs or significant skin irritation were observed after applications in the clinical research. PGA-MN was suggested to be superior to Nylon-MN regarding human skin puncturability based on measurements of transepidermal water loss and needle failure force. A high content of tetravalent influenza hemagglutinin antigens loaded on PGA-MN could stably maintain HA titers at 35°C for 1year. Overall, double-decker MN patches can reliably and safely puncture human skin and are promising as effective transcutaneous vaccine delivery devices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An improved broadband E patch microstrip antenna for wireless communications

Science.gov (United States)

Bzeih, Amer; Chahine, Soubhi Abou; Kabalan, Karim Y.; El-Hajj, Ali; Chehab, Ali

2007-12-01

A broadband probe-fed microstrip antenna with E-shaped patch on a single-layer air substrate is investigated. Bandwidth enhancement of the antenna is achieved by inserting two parallel slots into its radiating patch. The effects of the antenna parameters are analyzed, and their optimal values for broadband operation are obtained. The design parameters are formulated as a function of the center frequency, and the empirical equations are validated by simulation. A 51.5% enhanced E patch antenna for modern wireless communications (Personal Communications Service, Digital Cellular System, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, Wireless Local Area Network 802.11 b/g, and Bluetooth) is designed, simulated, fabricated, and measured. A comparison between simulated and measured results is presented, and it showed satisfactory agreement. Moreover, the effect of incorporating more parallel slots into the radiating patch is investigated. The antenna is designed and simulated for different scenarios (four slots, six slots, and eight slots), where a bandwidth of 57% is achieved in the eight-slot design.

Study on the preparation of 166Ho-patch for a skin cancer treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y. M.; Kim, K. H.; Han, K. H.; Park, E. W.; Shin, B. C.; Park, K. B.; Lee, J. D.

1998-01-01

Radioactive patch containing holmium-166 has been developed for skin cancer treatment, and then applied to animal model and patients with malignant skin cancer. 165Ho-Patch prepared by dissolving polyurethane and 165 Ho(NO 3 ) 3 ·5H 2 O in mixing solvent of DMF and THF and casting on aluminium dish was irradiated in ''HANARO'' reactor ( Φth = 1.25 X 1013 n/cm 2 '·sec, power = 15 MW), which results in preparing 166 Ho-Patch emitting β energy of Max. 1.86 MeV (51 %), 1.78 MeV (48 %), mean 0.67 MeV and low γ energy. The 166 Ho-Patch specially designed was applied to the superficial skin cancers. Their efficacy and safety have been investigated for several months. Radioactive patch was ready to prepare by post-irradiation without special danger by radioactive material. Skin tumor could be successfully treated with 166 Ho-Patch in animal model and patients. In animal model and patients, the world's first noninvasive 166Ho-Patch readily prepared by post-irradiation proved to be safe and effective in treatment for skin cancer

The Outlet Patch: Gastric Heterotopia of the Colo-rectum and Anus.

Science.gov (United States)

Mannan, Abul Ala Syed Rifat; Vieth, Michael; Khararjian, Armen; Khandakar, Binny; Lam-Himlin, Dora; Heydt, David; Bhaijee, Feriyl; Venbrux, Henry J; Byrnes, Kathleen; Voltaggio, Lysandra; Barker, Norman; Yuan, Songyang; Montgomery, Elizabeth

2018-04-18

Gastric heterotopia (GH) has been described throughout the gastrointestinal tract. However, the colorectal region is an extremely rare location for it. We describe the clinicopathologic features of GH of the colon, rectum, and anus. We identified 33 cases in 20 males and 13 females (median age 54 years; range, 4 months to 73 years). Sites included the rectum (N=26), anus (N=4), ileocecal junction (N=1), ascending colon (N=1) and descending colon (N=1). Presenting symptoms(N=27) included hematochezia (41%) and altered bowel habits (4%); 15 patients (55%) were asymptomatic. On colonoscopy (N=31), all appeared as solitary lesions, (median size 6.5 mm, range 2 mm - 55 mm), either as polyps (61%), raised erythematous patches (23%), an ulcer(10%), within a rectal diverticulum (3%), or a hemorrhoid (3%). Patients were managed by polypectomy. One with an associated carcinoma in the area of GH underwent resection. No morbidity related to GH itself was reported following excision. Histologically, heterotopic gastric mucosa was oxyntic type (85%), mixed oxyntic and non-oxyntic type (12%), and not specified (3%). In 5 patients a pyloric gland adenoma (PGA) arose from heterotopic gastric mucosa, two of which contained a focus of invasive adenocarcinoma. One case had associated surface foveolar type low-grade dysplasia. Another had associated adenocarcinoma arising from the heterotopic mucosa. One example harbored Helicobacter pylori organisms. We highlight the features of GH in the distal GIT - the 'outlet patch'. Association with PGA, surface dysplasia and adenocarcinoma suggests that lower tract GH can undergo neoplastic transformation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Features of change of permanent snow patches in the Mongun-Taiga Massif, 1966–2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. A. Ganyushkin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article is dedicated to perennial snow patches of Mongun-Taiga mountain massif (south-western Tuva, their morphology, present state and dynamics over the last 45 years. We created a scheme of snow patch classification with regard to genesis of relief and position on the slopes. Dynamics of snow patches is analyzed for periods between several time points – 1966 (on basis of aerial photos, 2000, 2007–2008 and 2011 (on basis of field measurements and observations. From 1966 to 2008 the number of snow patches decreased by 4 times, the total area – by 15 times, the altitudinal zone of snow patches moved 250–300 m up. In 2008–2011 the altitudinal zone of snow patches partly recovered, its lower limit moved 250 m down, periglacial snow patches recovered, a new type – snow patches of buried ice and debris-covered glaciers appeared. It could be the first face of the process of small glaciers recovery in the massif. Using the changes of the altitudinal position of snow patches in comparison with data of the closest meteorological station we estimated the amount of annual precipitation, critical for the existence of local snow patches.

A flexible skin patch for continuous physiological monitoring of mental disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Won Ick; Lee, Bong Kuk; Ryu, Jin Hwa; Baek, In-Bok; Yu, Han Young; Kim, Seunghwan

2017-10-01

In this study, we have newly developed a flexible adhesive skin patch of electrocardiogram (ECG) device for continuous physiological monitoring of mental disorders. In addition, this flexible patch did not cause any damage to the skin even after 24 hours attachment. We have also suggested the possibility of novel interconnection for copper film on polyimide and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers of the flexible patch. Self-align and soldering of IC chips such as resistor between metal pads on flexible skin patch have also successfully fabricated for 5 min at 180 °C in vacuum oven. Low temperature interconnection technology based on a Sn42/Bi58 solder was also developed for flexible ECG devices. As a result, we can monitor the mental health status through a comprehensive analysis of biological signals from flexible ECG devices.

A multiresolution remeshed particle vortex method using patches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Johannes Tophøj; Cottet, George-Henri; Walther, Jens Honore

vortex particle-mesh VIC algorithm interpolates particle vorticity to a mesh, solves a Poisson equation for the stream function using FFTs and calculates velocities as the curl of the stream function. With both vorticity and velocity available on the mesh, values of the substantial derivative of particle...... implementation with patches of varying resolution, is applied to the two-dimensional flow past a cylinder. The vorticity field can be divided into two regions, an arbitrary patch of vorticity and the remaining exterior vorticity field. Due to the linearity of the Poisson equation the velocity field corresponding...... to the total vorticity field is the sum of the free space solutions to the Poisson equation to each region. Hereby the flow on the patch can be simulated at a higher resolution, while including the influence from the coarser exterior region. Particles are remeshed and interpolated only to the region from which...

Investigation of contact allergy to dental materials by patch testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reena Rai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Dental products are widely used by patients and dental personnel alike and may cause problems for both. Dental materials could cause contact allergy with varying manifestations such as burning, pain, stomatitis, cheilitis, ulcers, lichenoid reactions localized to the oral mucosa in patients, and hand dermatitis in dental personnel. Patch testing with the dental series comprising commonly used materials can be used to detect contact allergies to dental materials. Aim: This study aimed to identify contact allergy among patients who have oral mucosal lesions after dental treatment and among dental personnel who came in contact with these materials. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients who had undergone dental procedures with symptoms of oral lichen planus, oral stomatitis, burning mouth, and recurrent aphthosis, were included in the study. Dental personnel with history of hand dermatitis were also included in the study. Patch testing was performed using Chemotechnique Dental Series and results interpreted as recommended by the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG. Results: Out of 13 patients who had undergone dental treatment/with oral symptoms, six patients with stomatitis, lichenoid lesions, and oral ulcers showed positive patch tests to a variety of dental materials, seven patients with ulcers had negative patch tests, seven dental personnel with hand dermatitis showed multiple allergies to various dental materials, and most had multiple positivities. Conclusion: The patch test is a useful, simple, noninvasive method to detect contact allergies among patients and among dental personnel dealing with these products. Long term studies are necessary to establish the relevance of these positive patch tests by eliminating the allergic substances, identifying clinical improvement, and substituting with nonallergenic materials.

Daytime pelagic schooling behaviour and relationships with plankton patch distribution in the Sicily Strait (Mediterranean Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Patti

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, hydroacoustic data collected with a scientific echosounder working at two frequencies (38 and 120 kHz over the continental shelf off the southern Sicilian coast were used in order to investigate the relationship between fish schools and plankton patches. Specifically, image analysis algorithms were applied to raw echograms in order to detect and characterise pelagic fish schools and plankton aggregations, considered as a proxy of food availability. The relationship was first investigated using estimated total plankton biomass over the whole water column and, second, by dividing the study area into three sub-regions and further distinguishing plankton patches between the surface and the bottom. In the relatively lower plankton abundance areas of Zone 1 (northern sector of the study area, results showed an inverse relationship between the biomass (and density of fish schools and the biomass of co-occurring plankton patches located close to the bottom. Instead, over the Sicilian-Maltese shelf (Zone 3, characterised by higher plankton abundances, a direct relationship was found when using plankton data from the whole water column. The observed difference between Zones 1 and 3 is probably due to diverse dominant fish species in the two sub-regions.

Result of standard patch test in patients suspected of having allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wongpiyabovorn, Jongkonnee; Puvabanditsin, Porntip

2005-09-01

Contact dermatitis is a common skin disease. Disease was diagnosed by a history of contact substance together with geographic distribution of lesion. Up till now, standard patch test is one of the most reliable test to identify and confirm causative agent of allergic contact dermatitis. To determine the rate of positive standard patch test and to identify the common allergen of contact dermatitis in Thailand, we performed the standard patch test in 129 patients, suspected having allergic contact dermatitis at Department of Dermatology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand from June 1, 2003 to September 1, 2004. The rate of positive standard patch test is 59.7% (n = 77/129). The most 3 common positive allergens were nickel sulfate (18.60%), cobalt chloride (17.05%) and fragrance mix (14.73%), respectively. The chance of positive standard patch test significantly correlated with sex (woman), initial diagnosis as contact dermatitis and history of house-worker (p = 0.017, p = 0.005 and p = 0.023, respectively). Whereas, there were no significant correlation between the chance of positive standard patch test and age of patient, location of lesion, history of recurrence, history of atopy, history of drug and food allergy. In addition, history of metal allergy significantly correlated with the chance of positive nickel sulfate or cobalt chloride in standard patch test (p = 0.017). In conclusion, this study demonstrated the prevalence of causative allergen of contact dermatitis in Thai patients using that standard patch test. Moreover, our data shown that the chance positive standard patch test was greater in patient, who were women or initial diagnosed as contact dermatitis or had history of houseworker or history of metal allergy.

Evaluation of Desensol As a Standard Patch Test Kit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K C Shah

1987-01-01

Full Text Available In a study undertaken to find out the usefulness of ′Desensol′ patch test kit to detect contact allergens, in 200 cases revealed 24 cases with negative patch test with all the antigens and 55 cases reacted to even the Vaseline control. -Excluding these 79 cases, the common contact allergens were potassium bichr6ma,te, (40.49%, TMTD(28.92%, PPD(24.79%, epoxy resin (23.14%, colophony (19.0%, nickel sulfate (19.0%, Framycetin (19.0% and nitrofurazone (19.0%. Desensol patch test kit is lacking in certain antigens while in our country due to varied environmental factors and social customs, a person is exposed to a large number of natural and man-made contact allergens. So usefulness of such a kit like. Desensol is limited.

Super wideband characteristics of monopolar patch antenna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Chen

2013-12-01

Full Text Available A simple method of acquiring super wideband characteristics for monopolar patch antenna is proposed. Through adopting a modified cone as feeding and radiating structure, the monopolar patch antenna can reach the impedance bandwidth of more than 1:23.4 for voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR ≤ 2. In the whole operating band, the antenna has the like-monopole omnidirectional radiation patterns and the peak gains of 3.8–8.7 dB. Meanwhile, the height of the antenna is just 0.074λ(c, and the diameter of the radiated body is 0.205λ(c, which is smaller than other ultra-wideband omnidirectional antenna.

The effect of transdermal nicotine patches on sleep and dreams.

Science.gov (United States)

Page, F; Coleman, G; Conduit, R

2006-07-30

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of 24-h transdermal nicotine patches on sleep and dream mentation in 15 smokers aged 20 to 33. Utilising a repeated measures design, it was found that more time awake and more ASDA micro-arousals occurred while wearing the nicotine patch compared to placebo. Also, the percentage of REM sleep decreased, but REM latency and the proportion of time spent in NREM sleep stages did not change significantly. Dream reports containing visual imagery, visual imagery ratings and the number of visualizable nouns were significantly greater from REM compared to Stage 2 awakenings, regardless of patch condition. However, a general interaction effect was observed. Stage 2 dream variables remained equivalent across nicotine and placebo conditions. Within REM sleep, more dream reports containing visual imagery occurred while wearing the nicotine patch, and these were rated as more vivid. The greater frequency of visual imagery reports and higher imagery ratings specifically from REM sleep suggests that previously reported dreaming side effects from 24-h nicotine patches may be specific to REM sleep. Combined with previous animal studies showing that transdermally delivered nicotine blocks PGO activity in REM sleep, the current results do no appear consistent with PGO-based hypotheses of dreaming, such as the Activation-Synthesis (AS) or Activation, Input and Modulation (AIM) models.

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Indications, technique and results of treatment with a blood patch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gottschalk, A.

2015-01-01

In most cases cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are iatrogenic and caused by medical interventions, such as lumbar puncture, peridural anesthesia and surgical interventions on the spine, However, spontaneous cerebral hypotension is currently detected more frequently due to improvements in diagnostic possibilities but often the cause cannot be clarified with certainty. There are various diagnostic tools for confirming the diagnosis and searching for the site of CSF leakage, such as postmyelography computed tomography (postmyelo-CT), indium 111 radioisotope cisternography and (myelo) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which show different sensitivities. In accordance with own experience native MRI with fat-saturated T2-weighted sequences is often sufficient for diagnosing CSF leakage and the site. For the remaining cases an additional postmyelo-CT or alternatively myelo-MRI is recommended. In some patients with spontaneous cranial hypotension multiple CSF leaks are found at different spinal levels. The main symptom in most cases is an orthostatic headache. While post-puncture syndrome is self-limiting in many cases, spontaneous CSF leakage usually requires blood patch therapy. A lumbar blood patch can be safely carried out under guidance by fluoroscopy. In the case of a cervical or dorsal blood patch, CT guidance is recommended, which ensures epidural application of the blood patch and minimizes the risk of damaging the spinal cord. Despite a high success rate at the first attempt with a blood patch of up to 85 %, some cases require repeating the blood patch. A targeted blood patch of a CSF leak should generally be favoured over a blindly placed blood patch; nevertheless, if a CSF leak cannot be localized by CT or MRI a therapeutic attempt with a lumbar blood patch can be carried out. After a successful blood patch intracranial hygromas and pachymeningeal enhancement in the head show fast regression; however, epidural hygromas of the spine can persist for a period of

An Active Patch Model for Real World Texture and Appearance Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Junhua; Zhu, Jun; Yuille, Alan L

2014-09-06

This paper addresses the task of natural texture and appearance classification. Our goal is to develop a simple and intuitive method that performs at state of the art on datasets ranging from homogeneous texture (e.g., material texture), to less homogeneous texture (e.g., the fur of animals), and to inhomogeneous texture (the appearance patterns of vehicles). Our method uses a bag-of-words model where the features are based on a dictionary of active patches. Active patches are raw intensity patches which can undergo spatial transformations (e.g., rotation and scaling) and adjust themselves to best match the image regions. The dictionary of active patches is required to be compact and representative, in the sense that we can use it to approximately reconstruct the images that we want to classify. We propose a probabilistic model to quantify the quality of image reconstruction and design a greedy learning algorithm to obtain the dictionary. We classify images using the occurrence frequency of the active patches. Feature extraction is fast (about 100 ms per image) using the GPU. The experimental results show that our method improves the state of the art on a challenging material texture benchmark dataset (KTH-TIPS2). To test our method on less homogeneous or inhomogeneous images, we construct two new datasets consisting of appearance image patches of animals and vehicles cropped from the PASCAL VOC dataset. Our method outperforms competing methods on these datasets.

Case Series: Keratolimbal Allograft as a Patch Graft for Glaucoma Drainage Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Sarah F; Schmutz, Mason; Mosaed, Sameh

2017-09-01

Tube exposure remains one of the most common complications after glaucoma drainage device (GDD) implantation, despite various types of patch grafts available today. We present a 4 patient case series following the effectivity of the keratolimbal allograft (KLAL) as a patch graft for cases of tube exposure. Given its inherent population of stem cells, our hypothesis was that this highly replicative, biological tissue would provide an adequate means of glaucoma tube coverage. The subset of patients chosen for the KLAL patch graft all had a history of abnormally scarred conjunctiva or thin sclera. The aim of utilizing the KLAL patch with its associated donor conjunctival and scleral ring was also to provide additional reinforcement and adequate tube coverage in the setting of compromised native tissue. Four patients comprised of 2 males and 2 females with a minimum postoperative period of 12 months. All GDDs were initially implanted with a limbal-based incision using either Ahmed glaucoma valve or Baerveldt drainage implant. Three of the 4 patients received the KLAL patch graft after tube exposure with scleral patch graft and 1 patient received KLAL as the primary graft during initial tube placement. Two of the 4 eyes experienced tube re-exposure postoperatively at 2 and 3 months, respectively. Both of these cases had a history of prior tube exposure after scleral patch graft and both were tubes placed in the pars plana. Interestingly, the patients with failed grafts were younger with a history of more ocular surgeries as compared with the patients with graft viable eyes. Through our case series, we found that the KLAL utilized as a patch graft over GDD tubes has the potential for favorable outcomes in certain subtypes of eyes. Although further large scale investigation will be necessary to better define the risk factors associated with graft failure, proving the graft's viability is a crucial first step.

Initial 2-year results of CardioCel® patch implantation in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavy, Carine; Michielon, Guido; Robertus, Jan Lukas; Lacour-Gayet, François; Ghez, Olivier

2018-03-01

We present the initial 2-year results of CardioCel® patch (Admedus Regen Pty Ltd, Perth, WA, Australia) implantation in paediatric patients with congenital heart diseases. This was a single-centre retrospective study with prospectively collected data of all patients aged 18 years and under operated for congenital heart disease. The patch was introduced in 2014, with clinical practice committee approval and a special consent in case of an Ozaki procedure. Standard follow-up was performed with systematic clinical exams and echocardiograms. In case of reoperation or graft failure, the patch was removed and sent for a histological examination. Between March 2014 and April 2016, 101 patients had surgical repair using a CardioCel patch. The mean age was 22 (±36.3) months, and the mean weight was 9.7 (±10.3) kg. No infections and no intraoperative implantation difficulties were associated with the patch. The median follow-up period was 212 (range 4-726) days. The overall 30-day postoperative mortality was 3.8% (n = 4), none of which were related to graft failure. Five children were reoperated because of graft failure, 4 of whom had the patch implanted for aortic and were aged less than 10 days. The indications for patch implantation in the aortic position were aortopulmonary window, truncus arteriosus, coarctation and aortic arch hypoplasia repair. The median time between the first and the second operation for graft failure was 245 (range 5-480) days. Our experience shows that the patch is well tolerated in the septal, valvar and pulmonary artery positions. However, we experienced graft failures in infants in the aortic position. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Thoracoscopic patch insulation to correct phrenic nerve stimulation secondary to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mediratta, Neeraj; Barker, Diane; McKevith, James; Davies, Peter; Belchambers, Sandra; Rao, Archana

2012-07-01

Cardiac resynchronization therapy is an established therapy for heart failure, improving quality of life and prognosis. Despite advances in technique, available leads and delivery systems, trans-venous left ventricular (LV) lead positioning remains dependent on the patient's underlying venous anatomy. The left phrenic nerve courses over the surface of the pericardium laterally and may be stimulated by the LV pacing lead, causing uncomfortable diaphragmatic twitch. This paper describes a video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) procedure to correct phrenic nerve stimulation secondary to cardiac resynchronization therapy. Most current ways of avoiding phrenic stimulation involve either electronic reprogramming to distance the phrenic nerve from the stimulation circuit or repositioning the lead. We describe a case where the phrenic nerve was surgically insulated from the stimulating current by insinuating a patch of bovine pericardium between the epicardium and native pericardium of the heart thus completely resolving previously intolerable and incessant diaphragmatic twitch. The procedure was performed under general anaesthesia with single-lung ventilation and minimal use of neuromuscular blocking agents. Surgical patch insulation of the phrenic nerve was performed using minimally invasive VATS surgery, as a short-stay procedure, with no complications. No diaphragmatic twitch occurred post-surgery and the patient continued to gain symptomatic benefit from cardiac synchronization therapy (New York Heart Association Class III to II), enabling return to work. In cases where the trans-venous position of a LV lead is limited by troublesome phrenic nerve stimulation, thoracoscopic surgical patch insulation of the phrenic nerve could be considered to allow beneficial cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Influence of very short patch mismatch repair on SOS inducing lesions after aminoglycoside treatment in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Baharoglu, Zeynep; Mazel, Didier

2014-01-01

Low concentrations of aminoglycosides induce the SOS response in Vibrio cholerae but not in Escherichia coli. In order to determine whether a specific factor present in E. coli prevents this induction, we developed a genetic screen where only SOS inducing mutants are viable. We identified the vsr gene coding for the Vsr protein of the very short patch mismatch repair (VSPR) pathway. The effect of mismatch repair (MMR) mutants was also studied. We propose that lesions formed upon aminoglycoside treatment are preferentially repaired by VSPR without SOS induction in E. coli and by MMR when VSPR is impaired. Copyright © 2014 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Bandwidth enhancement of a microstrip patch antenna for ultra-wideband applications

Science.gov (United States)

Anum, Khanda; Singh, Milind Saurabh; Mishra, Rajan; Tripathi, G. S.

2018-04-01

The microstrip antennas are used where size, weight, cost, and performance are constraints. Microstrip antennas (MSA) are being used in many government and commercial applications among which it is mostly used in wireless communication. The proposed antenna is designed for Ultra-wideband (UWB), it is designed on FR4 substrate material with ɛr = 4.3 and 0.0025 loss tangent. The shape and size of patch in microstrip patch antenna plays an important role in its performance. In the proposed antenna design the respective changes have been introduced which includes slotting the feedline,adding a curved slot in patch and change in patch shape itself to improve the bandwidth of the conventional antenna. The simulated results of proposed antenna shows impedance bandwidth (defined by 10 dB return loss) of 2-11.1GHz, VSWRcommunication at 7.25-8.395 GHz.

Drug profile: transdermal rivastigmine patch in the treatment of Alzheimer disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Emre, Murat; Bernabei, Roberto; Blesa, Rafael; Bullock, Roger; Cunha, Luis; Daniëls, Hugo; Dziadulewicz, Edward; Förstl, Hans; Frölich, Lutz; Gabryelewicz, Tomasz; Levin, Oleg; Lindesay, James; Martínez-Lage, Pablo; Monsch, Andreas; Tsolaki, Magda; van Laar, Teus

2010-08-01

Cholinesterase inhibitors constitute one of the mainstays of treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD). Gastrointestinal side effects, difficulty accessing therapeutic doses and poor patient compliance have been identified as barriers to effective treatment with these substances. The rivastigmine transdermal patch provides continuous delivery of drug through the skin into the bloodstream, avoiding the fluctuations in plasma concentration associated with oral administration. This pharmacokinetic profile is associated with reduced side effects, resulting in easier access to expected target doses. These benefits, along with other practical advantages of the transdermal patch, may contribute to enhanced patient compliance. Here, we present a review of the current literature on rivastigmine patch, and offer advice based on our own collective clinical experience. Rivastigmine patch provides an efficient option for managing patients with AD, to be considered among the first line therapies for the disease.

Absorption, accumulation and biological effects of depleted uranium in Peyer's patches of rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dublineau, I.; Grison, S.; Grandcolas, L.; Baudelin, C.; Tessier, C.; Suhard, D.; Frelon, S.; Cossonnet, C.; Claraz, M.; Ritt, J.; Paquet, P.; Voisin, P.; Gourmelon, P.

2006-01-01

The digestive tract is the entry route for radionuclides following the ingestion of contaminated food and/or water wells. It was recently characterized that the small intestine was the main area of uranium absorption throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This study was designed to determine the role played by the Peyer's patches in the intestinal absorption of uranium, as well as the possible accumulation of this radionuclide in lymphoid follicles and the toxicological or pathological consequences on the Peyer's patch function subsequent to the passage and/or accumulation of uranium. Results of experiments performed in Ussing chambers indicate that the apparent permeability to uranium in the intestine was higher (10-fold) in the mucosa than in Peyer's patches ((6.21 ± 1.21 to 0.55 ± 0.35) x 10 -6 cm/s, respectively), demonstrating that the small intestinal epithelium was the preferential pathway for the transmucosal passage of uranium. A quantitative analysis of uranium by ICP-MS following chronic contamination with depleted uranium during 3 or 9 months showed a preferential accumulation of uranium in Peyer's patches (1355% and 1266%, respectively, at 3 and 9 months) as compared with epithelium (890% and 747%, respectively, at 3 and 9 months). Uranium was also detected in the mesenteric lymph nodes (∼5-fold after contamination with DU). The biological effects of this accumulation of depleted uranium after chronic contamination were investigated in Peyer's patches. There was no induction of the apoptosis pathway after chronic DU contamination in Peyer's patches. The results indicate no change in the cytokine expression (Il-10, TGF-β, IFN-γ, TNF-α, MCP-1) in Peyer's patches and in mesenteric lymph nodes, and no modification in the uptake of yeast cells by Peyer's patches. In conclusion, this study shows that the Peyer's patches were a site of retention for uranium following the chronic ingestion of this radionuclide, without any biological consequences of

Nicotine patches improve mood and response speed in a lexical decision task.

Science.gov (United States)

Gentry, M V; Hammersley, J J; Hale, C R; Nuwer, P K; Meliska, C J

2000-01-01

The effects of smoking a cigarette or wearing a transdermal nicotine patch on mood and lexical decision-making were tested in eight smokers. Each participant was tested after 4 hours of smoking abstinence, under 4 conditions: placebo (very low nicotine) cigarette, nicotine cigarette, placebo patch, and nicotine patch. Relative to placebo, wearing the nicotine patch reduced Profile of Mood States (POMS) Total Mood Disturbance and Fatigue/Inertia scores, while increasing the speed of some types of lexical decisions. Smoking a nicotine cigarette did not affect reaction times, but unexpectedly decreased the accuracy of Word/ Nonword lexical decisions. Thus, transdermal nicotine may improve mood and facilitate longterm memory search and/or attentional processes in nicotine-deprived smokers.

Limonene hydroperoxide analogues show specific patch test reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensson, Johanna Bråred; Hellsén, Staffan; Börje, Anna; Karlberg, Ann-Therese

2014-05-01

The fragrance terpene R-limonene is a very weak sensitizer, but forms allergenic oxidation products upon contact with air. The primary oxidation products of oxidized limonene, the hydroperoxides, have an important impact on the sensitizing potency of the oxidation mixture. One analogue, limonene-1-hydroperoxide, was experimentally shown to be a significantly more potent sensitizer than limonene-2-hydroperoxide in the local lymph node assay with non-pooled lymph nodes. To investigate the pattern of reactivity among consecutive dermatitis patients to two structurally closely related limonene hydroperoxides, limonene-1-hydroperoxide and limonene-2-hydroperoxide. Limonene-1-hydroperoxide, limonene-2-hydroperoxide, at 0.5% in petrolatum, and oxidized limonene 3.0% pet. were tested in 763 consecutive dermatitis patients. Of the tested materials, limonene-1-hydroperoxide gave most reactions, with 2.4% of the patients showing positive patch test reactions. Limonene-2-hydroperoxide and oxidized R-limonene gave 1.7% and 1.2% positive patch test reactions, respectively. Concomitant positive patch test reactions to other fragrance markers in the baseline series were frequently noted. The results are in accordance with the experimental studies, as limonene-1-hydroperoxide gave more positive patch test reactions in the tested patients than limonene-2-hydroperoxide. Furthermore, the results support the specificity of the allergenic activity of the limonene hydroperoxide analogues and the importance of oxidized limonene as a cause of contact allergy. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Standard practice for infrared flash thermography of composite panels and repair patches used in aerospace applications

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2007-01-01

1.1 This practice describes a procedure for detecting subsurface flaws in composite panels and repair patches using Flash Thermography (FT), in which an infrared (IR) camera is used to detect anomalous cooling behavior of a sample surface after it has been heated with a spatially uniform light pulse from a flash lamp array. 1.2 This practice describes established FT test methods that are currently used by industry, and have demonstrated utility in quality assurance of composite structures during post-manufacturing and in-service examinations. 1.3 This practice has utility for testing of polymer composite panels and repair patches containing, but not limited to, bismaleimide, epoxy, phenolic, poly(amide imide), polybenzimidazole, polyester (thermosetting and thermoplastic), poly(ether ether ketone), poly(ether imide), polyimide (thermosetting and thermoplastic), poly(phenylene sulfide), or polysulfone matrices; and alumina, aramid, boron, carbon, glass, quartz, or silicon carbide fibers. Typical as-fabricate...

Is Decellularized Porcine Small Intestine Sub-mucosa Patch Suitable for Aortic Arch Repair?

Science.gov (United States)

Corno, Antonio F.; Smith, Paul; Bezuska, Laurynas; Mimic, Branko

2018-01-01

Introduction: We reviewed our experience with decellularized porcine small intestine sub-mucosa (DPSIS) patch, recently introduced for congenital heart defects. Materials and Methods: Between 10/2011 and 04/2016 a DPSIS patch was used in 51 patients, median age 1.1 months (5 days to 14.5 years), for aortic arch reconstruction (45/51 = 88.2%) or aortic coarctation repair (6/51 = 11.8%). All medical records were retrospectively reviewed, with primary endpoints interventional procedure (balloon dilatation) or surgery (DPSIS patch replacement) due to patch-related complications. Results: In a median follow-up time of 1.5 ± 1.1 years (0.6–2.3years) in 13/51 patients (25.5%) a re-intervention, percutaneous interventional procedure (5/51 = 9.8%) or re-operation (8/51 = 15.7%) was required because of obstruction in the correspondence of the DPSIS patch used to enlarge the aortic arch/isthmus, with median max velocity flow at Doppler interrogation of 4.0 ± 0.51 m/s. Two patients required surgery after failed interventional cardiology. The mean interval between DPSIS patch implantation and re-intervention (percutaneous procedure or re-operation) was 6 months (1–17 months). While there were 3 hospital deaths (3/51 = 5.9%) not related to the patch implantation, no early or late mortality occurred for the subsequent procedure required for DPSIS patch interventional cardiology or surgery. The median max velocity flow at Doppler interrogation through the aortic arch/isthmus for the patients who did not require interventional procedure or surgery was 1.7 ± 0.57 m/s. Conclusions: High incidence of re-interventions with DPSIS patch for aortic arch and/or coarctation forced us to use alternative materials (homografts and decellularized gluteraldehyde preserved bovine pericardial matrix). PMID:29900163

Designing and testing a wearable, wireless fNIRS patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Abtahi, Mohammadreza; Cay, Gozde; Saikia, Manob Jyoti; Mankodiya, Kunal

2016-08-01

Optical brain monitoring using near infrared (NIR) light has got a lot of attention in order to study the complexity of the brain due to several advantages as oppose to other methods such as EEG, fMRI and PET. There are a few commercially available functional NIR spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain monitoring systems, but they are still non-wearable and pose difficulties in scanning the brain while the participants are in motion. In this work, we present our endeavors to design and test a low-cost, wireless fNIRS patch using NIR light sources at wavelengths of 770 and 830nm, photodetectors and a microcontroller to trigger the light sources, read photodetector's output and transfer data wirelessly (via Bluetooth) to a smart-phone. The patch is essentially a 3-D printed wearable system, recording and displaying the brain hemodynamic responses on smartphone, also eliminates the need for complicated wiring of the electrodes. We have performed rigorous lab experiments on the presented system for its functionality. In a proof of concept experiment, the patch detected the NIR absorption on the arm. Another experiment revealed that the patch's battery could last up to several hours with continuous fNIRS recording with and without wireless data transfer.

A Study on the RF-DC Conversion Efficiency of Microstrip Patch Rectenna

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Yang Ha; Youn, Dong Gi; Kim, Kwan Ho [Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (Korea); Rhee, Young Chul [Kyungnam University (Korea)

2000-07-01

We designed and manufactured microstrip patch antenna mainly used in the rectenna and then analysed RF-DC conversion efficiency of wireless power transmission system. We analyse conversion efficiency of load, direction of linear and dual polization rectenna. We found that the maximum efficiency would be about 70% of load and direction in patch type. In conclusion, we found that total conversion efficiency is 64% - 71% in patch Rectenna. (author). 5 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

Large forest patches promote breeding success of a terrestrial mammal in urban landscapes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masashi Soga

Full Text Available Despite a marked increase in the focus toward biodiversity conservation in fragmented landscapes, studies that confirm species breeding success are scarce and limited. In this paper, we asked whether local (area of forest patches and landscape (amount of suitable habitat surrounding of focal patches factors affect the breeding success of raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides in Tokyo, Central Japan. The breeding success of raccoon dogs is easy to judge as adults travel with pups during the breeding season. We selected 21 forest patches (3.3-797.8 ha as study sites. In each forest patch, we used infra-red-triggered cameras for a total of 60 camera days per site. We inspected each photo to determine whether it was of an adult or a pup. Although we found adult raccoon dogs in all 21 forest patches, pups were found only in 13 patches. To estimate probability of occurrence and detection for raccoon in 21 forest fragments, we used single season site occupancy models in PRESENCE program. Model selection based on AIC and model averaging showed that the occupancy probability of pups was positively affected by patch area. This result suggests that large forests improve breeding success of raccoon dogs. A major reason for the low habitat value of small, isolated patches may be the low availability of food sources and the high risk of being killed on the roads in such areas. Understanding the effects of local and landscape parameters on species breeding success may help us to devise and implement effective long-term conservation and management plans.

Patch testing in children from 2005 to 2012: results from the North American contact dermatitis group.

Science.gov (United States)

Zug, Kathryn A; Pham, Anh Khoa; Belsito, Donald V; DeKoven, Joel G; DeLeo, Vincent A; Fowler, Joseph F; Fransway, Anthony F; Maibach, Howard I; Marks, James G; Mathias, C G Toby; Pratt, Melanie D; Sasseville, Denis; Storrs, Frances J; Taylor, James S; Warshaw, Erin M; Zirwas, Matthew J

2014-01-01

Allergic contact dermatitis is common in children. Epicutaneous patch testing is an important tool for identifying responsible allergens. The objective of this study was to provide the patch test results from children (aged ≤18 years) examined by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group from 2005 to 2012. This is a retrospective analysis of children patch-tested with the North American Contact Dermatitis Group 65- or 70-allergen series. Frequencies and counts were compared with previously published data (2001-2004) using χ statistics. A total of 883 children were tested during the study period. A percentage of 62.3% had ≥1 positive patch test and 56.7% had ≥1 relevant positive patch test. Frequencies of positive patch test and relevant positive patch test reaction were highest with nickel sulfate (28.1/25.6), cobalt chloride (12.3/9.1), neomycin sulfate (7.1/6.6), balsam of Peru (5.7/5.5), and lanolin alcohol 50% petrolatum vehicle (5.5/5.1). The ≥1 positive patch test and ≥1 relevant positive patch test in the children did not differ significantly from adults (≥19 years) or from previously tested children (2001-2004). The percentage of clinically relevant positive patch tests for 27 allergens differed significantly between the children and adults. A total of 23.6% of children had a relevant positive reaction to at least 1 supplemental allergen. Differences in positive patch test and relevant positive patch test frequencies between children and adults as well as test periods confirm the importance of reporting periodic updates of patch testing in children to enhance clinicians' vigilance to clinically important allergens.

Engineered hybrid cardiac patches with multifunctional electronics for online monitoring and regulation of tissue function

Science.gov (United States)

Feiner, Ron; Engel, Leeya; Fleischer, Sharon; Malki, Maayan; Gal, Idan; Shapira, Assaf; Shacham-Diamand, Yosi; Dvir, Tal

2016-06-01

In cardiac tissue engineering approaches to treat myocardial infarction, cardiac cells are seeded within three-dimensional porous scaffolds to create functional cardiac patches. However, current cardiac patches do not allow for online monitoring and reporting of engineered-tissue performance, and do not interfere to deliver signals for patch activation or to enable its integration with the host. Here, we report an engineered cardiac patch that integrates cardiac cells with flexible, freestanding electronics and a 3D nanocomposite scaffold. The patch exhibited robust electronic properties, enabling the recording of cellular electrical activities and the on-demand provision of electrical stimulation for synchronizing cell contraction. We also show that electroactive polymers containing biological factors can be deposited on designated electrodes to release drugs in the patch microenvironment on demand. We expect that the integration of complex electronics within cardiac patches will eventually provide therapeutic control and regulation of cardiac function.

Engineered hybrid cardiac patches with multifunctional electronics for online monitoring and regulation of tissue function

Science.gov (United States)

Feiner, Ron; Engel, Leeya; Fleischer, Sharon; Malki, Maayan; Gal, Idan; Shapira, Assaf; Shacham-Diamand, Yosi; Dvir, Tal

2016-01-01

In cardiac tissue engineering approaches to treat myocardial infarction, cardiac cells are seeded within three-dimensional porous scaffolds to create functional cardiac patches. However, current cardiac patches do not allow for online monitoring and reporting of engineered-tissue performance, and do not interfere to deliver signals for patch activation or to enable its integration with the host. Here, we report an engineered cardiac patch that integrates cardiac cells with flexible, free-standing electronics and a 3D nanocomposite scaffold. The patch exhibited robust electronic properties, enabling the recording of cellular electrical activities and the on-demand provision of electrical stimulation for synchronizing cell contraction. We also show that electroactive polymers containing biological factors can be deposited on designated electrodes to release drugs in the patch microenvironment on-demand. We expect that the integration of complex electronics within cardiac patches will eventually provide therapeutic control and regulation of cardiac function. PMID:26974408

Myth 8: The "Patch-On" Approach to Programming Is Effective

Science.gov (United States)

Tomlinson, Carol Ann

2009-01-01

It is not likely that any group of educators of the gifted ever sat around a table and came to the decision that a "patch-on" approach to programming for bright learners represented best practice. Nonetheless, it is as common today as 25 years ago that programming for students identified as gifted often represents such an approach. Patch-on…

Mechanical Development of a Very Non-Standard Patch Array Antenna for Extreme Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Richard; Chamberlain, Neil; Jakoboski, Julie; Petkov, Mihail

2012-01-01

This paper describes the mechanical development of patch antenna arrays for the Juno mission. The patch arrays are part of a six-frequency microwave radiometer instrument that will be used to measure thermal emissions from Jupiter. The very harsh environmental conditions in Jupiter orbit, as well as a demanding launch environment, resulted in a design that departs radically from conventional printed circuit patch antennas. The paper discusses the development and qualification of the Juno patch array antennas, with emphasis on the materials approach that was devised to mitigate the effects of electron charging in Jupiter orbit.

Modeling of endovascular patch welding using the computer program LATIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glinsky, M.E.; London, R.A.; Zimmerman, G.B.; Jacques, S.L.

1995-01-01

A new computer program, LATIS, being developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is used to study the effect of pulsed laser irradiation on endovascular patch welding. Various physical and biophysical effects are included in these simulations: laser light scattering and absorption, tissue heating and heat conduction, vascular cooling, and tissue thermal damage. The geometry of a patch being held against the inner vessel wall (500 μm inner diameter) by a balloon is considered. The system is exposed to light pulsed from an optical fiber inside the balloon. A minimum in the depth of damage into the vessel wall is found. The minimum damage zone is about the thickness of the patch material that is heated by the laser. The more ordered the tissue the thinner the minimum zone of damage. The pulse length which minimizes the zone of damage is found to be the time for energy to diffuse across the layer. The delay time between the pulses is determined by the time for the heated layer to cool down. An optimal pulse length exists which minimizes the total time needed to weld the patch to the wall while keeping the thickness of the damaged tissue to less than 100 μm. For the case that is considered, a patch dyed with light absorbing ICG on the side next to the vessel (thickness of the dyed layer is 60 μm), the best protocol is found to be 65-200 ms pulses applied over 2 min

Bilateral patching in retinal detachment: fluid mechanics and retinal "settling".

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, William J

2011-07-20

When a patient suffers a retinal detachment and surgery is delayed, it is known clinically that bilaterally patching the patient may allow the retina to partially reattach or "settle." Although this procedure has been performed since the 1860s, there is still debate as to how such a maneuver facilitates the reattachment of the retina. Finite element calculations using commercially available analysis software are used to elucidate the influence of reduction in eye movement caused by bilateral patching on the flow of subretinal fluid in a physical model of retinal detachment. It was found that by coupling fluid mechanics with structural mechanics, a physically consistent explanation of increased retinal detachment with eye movements can be found in the case of traction on the retinal hole. Large eye movements increase vitreous traction and detachment forces on the edge of the retinal hole, creating a subretinal vacuum and facilitating increased subretinal fluid. Alternative models, in which intraocular fluid flow is redirected into the subretinal space, are not consistent with these simulations. The results of these simulations explain the physical principles behind bilateral patching and provide insight that can be used clinically. In particular, as is known clinically, bilateral patching may facilitate a decrease in the height of a retinal detachment. The results described here provide a description of a physical mechanism underlying this technique. The findings of this study may aid in deciding whether to bilaterally patch patients and in counseling patients on pre- and postoperative care.

Relative abundance of mesopredators and size of oak patches in the cross-timbers ecoregion

Science.gov (United States)

Disney, M.R.; Hellgren, E.C.; Davis, C.A.; Leslie, David M.; Engle, David M.

2008-01-01

Mesopredators (e.g., raccoon Procyon lotor, Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana, striped skunk Mephitis mephitis) have received considerable attention because of links to population declines in birds via increased nest predation, especially in landscapes fragmented by anthropogenic forces. Relationships of abundance of mesopredators to size of habitat patches have received less attention than relationships to other metrics of fragmentation, particularly edge characteristics. We tested the hypothesis that relative abundance of mesopredators (e.g., raccoons and Virginia opossums) was related negatively to size of forest patch. We delineated 15 patches of oak (Quercus) forest ranging from 0.2 to 55.3 ha within a grassland-woodland mosaic in the cross-timbers ecoregion of Oklahoma. Scent stations and live traps within these patches were used to index relative abundance of mesopredators in summers 2003 and 2004. Both indices of relative abundance were related weakly and negatively to area of forest patch. However, rate of capture and visitation to scent station were not correlated consistently throughout the study. Our results suggested that the two methods to index abundance provided separate information on functional and numerical responses to size of patch. Our evidence that mesopredators within the cross timbers were more likely to be in smaller patches of oak forest may have implications to success of avian nesting in these patches.

Bandwidth-Enhanced Low-Profile Antenna with Parasitic Patches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Son Xuat Ta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents low-profile broadband antennas, which are composed of four parasitic patches placed between planar radiators and a perfect electric conductor ground plane. Two types of planar radiators, a conventional dipole and a crossed dipole, are employed to produce linearly polarized (LP and circularly polarized (CP radiations, respectively. The radiator and parasitic patches are realized on thin substrates to lower the cost. Owing to the presence of parasitic patches, the antenna performance improves in terms of profile reduction, resonant frequency decrease, and bandwidth enhancement. These improvements are discussed and confirmed computationally and experimentally. The LP design with the overall dimensions of 120 mm × 120 mm × 16.3 mm (0.64λ0 × 0.64λ0 × 0.087λ0 at 1.6 GHz has a |S11|  96%. The CP design, which has the same physical size as the LP case, has a |S11|  90%.

A microneedle patch containing measles vaccine is immunogenic in non-human primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Edens, Chris; Collins, Marcus L; Goodson, James L; Rota, Paul A; Prausnitz, Mark R

2015-09-08

Very high vaccination coverage is required to eliminate measles, but achieving high coverage can be constrained by the logistical challenges associated with subcutaneous injection. To simplify the logistics of vaccine delivery, a patch containing micron-scale polymeric needles was formulated to encapsulate the standard dose of measles vaccine (1000 TCID₅₀) and the immunogenicity of the microneedle patch was compared with subcutaneous injection in rhesus macaques. The microneedle patch was administered without reconstitution with diluent, dissolved in skin within 10 min, and caused only mild, transient skin erythema. Both groups of rhesus macaques generated neutralizing antibody responses to measles that were consistent with protection and the neutralizing antibody titers were equivalent. In addition, the microneedle patches maintained an acceptable level of potency after storage at elevated temperature suggesting improved thermostability compared to standard lyophilized vaccine. In conclusion, a measles microneedle patch vaccine was immunogenic in non-human primates, and this approach offers a promising delivery method that could help increase vaccination coverage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Management of nontraumatic corneal perforation with tectonic drape patch and cyanoacrylate glue.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalifa, Yousuf M; Bailony, M Rami; Bloomer, Michele M; Killingsworth, Daniel; Jeng, Bennie H

2010-10-01

To report a case of nontraumatic corneal perforation managed with a tectonic drape patch. Interventional case report. A 60-year-old patient with a corneal scar in his left eye likely secondary to herpes simplex virus interstitial keratitis underwent laser peripheral iridotomy for narrow angles. He developed progressive thinning of the cornea overlying the scar that led to a descemetocele and then ultimately a 1.2- × 1.7-mm perforation. Intraoperatively, several attempts were made to seal the perforation with cyanoacrylate glue, but the wound continued to leak. Sterile plastic drape that was on the surgical field was fashioned into a 2-mm-diameter patch, and the peripheral edge of the tectonic drape patch was glued over the perforation, successfully sealing the cornea. One week later, the drape patch was intact without leak, and a penetrating keratoplasty was carried out without complication. Tectonic drape patch technique for nontraumatic corneal perforations in which there is tissue loss is a viable temporizing option when cyanoacrylate glue alone fails and when there is no corneal tissue or amniotic membrane available to close the wound.

Evaluation of winter pothole patching methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and cost-effectiveness of the tow-behind combination : infrared asphalt heater/reclaimer patching method and compare it to the throw and roll and spray injection methods. To : achieve t...

Disentangling the role of seed bank and dispersal in plant metapopulation dynamics using patch occupancy surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Manna, F; Pradel, R; Choquet, R; Fréville, H; Cheptou, P-O

2017-10-01

In plants, the presence of a seed bank challenges the application of classical metapopulation models to aboveground presence surveys; ignoring seed bank leads to overestimated extinction and colonization rates. In this article, we explore the possibility to detect seed bank using hidden Markov models in the analysis of aboveground patch occupancy surveys of an annual plant with limited dispersal. Patch occupancy data were generated by simulation under two metapopulation sizes (N = 200 and N = 1,000 patches) and different metapopulation scenarios, each scenario being a combination of the presence/absence of a 1-yr seed bank and the presence/absence of limited dispersal in a circular 1-dimension configuration of patches. In addition, because local conditions often vary among patches in natural metapopulations, we simulated patch occupancy data with heterogeneous germination rate and patch disturbance. Seed bank is not observable from aboveground patch occupancy surveys, hence hidden Markov models were designed to account for uncertainty in patch occupancy. We explored their ability to retrieve the correct scenario. For 10 yr surveys and metapopulation sizes of N = 200 or 1,000 patches, the correct metapopulation scenario was detected at a rate close to 100%, whatever the underlying scenario considered. For smaller, more realistic, survey duration, the length for a reliable detection of the correct scenario depends on the metapopulation size: 3 yr for N = 1,000 and 6 yr for N = 200 are enough. Our method remained powerful to disentangle seed bank from dispersal in the presence of patch heterogeneity affecting either seed germination or patch extinction. Our work shows that seed bank and limited dispersal generate different signatures on aboveground patch occupancy surveys. Therefore, our method provides a powerful tool to infer metapopulation dynamics in a wide range of species with an undetectable life form. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

PC-version of RAM6-code for calculation of parameters of the effective logarithmic boundary condition at the absorbent rod surface in reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Van Ngoc; Ngo Dang Nhan

1990-01-01

The RAM-6 code for calculation of parameters of the effective logarithmic boundary condition at the absorbent rod surface in reactor is suitably modofied to work on IBM PC, the instructions for its usage are presented and capabilities of the personal cpmputer oriented RAM-6 code are demonstrated. (author). 4 refs, 5 tabs, 2 figs

Information Foraging Across the Life Span: Search and Switch in Unknown Patches.

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Jessie; Payne, Brennan R; Fu, Wai-Tat; Morrow, Daniel G; Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A L

2015-07-01

In this study, we used a word search puzzle paradigm to investigate age differences in the rate of information gain (RG; i.e., word gain as a function of time) and the cues used to make patch-departure decisions in information foraging. The likelihood of patch departure increased as the profitability of the patch decreased generally. Both younger and older adults persisted past the point of optimality as defined by the marginal value theorem (Charnov, 1976), which assumes perfect knowledge of the foraging ecology. Nevertheless, there was evidence that adults were rational in terms of being sensitive to the change in RG for making the patch-departure decisions. However, given the limitations in cognitive resources and knowledge about the ecology, the estimation of RG may not be accurate. Younger adults were more likely to leave the puzzle as the long-term RG incrementally decreased, whereas older adults were more likely to leave the puzzle as the local RG decreased. However, older adults with better executive control were more likely to adjust their likelihood of patch-departure decisions to the long-term change in RG. Thus, age-dependent reliance on the long-term or local change in RG to make patch-departure decisions might be due to individual differences in executive control. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Evaluation of serosal patch supplementation of surgical anastomoses in intestinal segments from canine cadavers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Lane A; Monnet, Eric L

2013-08-01

To compare leakage and maximum intraluminal pressures of intestinal anastomoses with and without serosal patch supplementation in dogs. Healthy small intestine segments from cadavers of 2 dogs euthanized for reasons unrelated to the study. 12 enterectomy constructs were created by anastomosis of intestinal segments with a standard simple continuous suture pattern. Half of the constructs were randomly selected for additional serosal patch support. Leakage and maximum intraluminal pressures were measured in and compared between patch-supplemented and nonsupplemented constructs. Mean ± SD leakage pressure was significantly greater for the patch-supplemented anastomoses (81.8 ± 6.7 mm Hg) than for the nonsupplemented anastomoses (28.0 ± 6.7 mm Hg). Maximum intraluminal pressures were not significantly different between the groups. Serosal patch-supplemented anastomoses were able to sustain a significantly higher pressure before leakage than were nonsupplemented anastomoses in intestinal specimens from canine cadavers. The serosal patch supplementation may protect against leakage immediately after enterectomy in dogs.

Selection of important ecological source patches base on Green Infrastructure theory: A case study of Wuhan city

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Yuanyuan; Yu, Yan; Tong, Yan

2018-01-01

Selecting urban ecological patches is of great significance for constructing urban green infrastructure network, protecting urban biodiversity and ecological environment. With the support of GIS technology, a criterion for selecting sources of patches was developed according to existing planning. Then ecological source patches of terrestrial organism, aquatic and amphibious organism were selected in Wuhan city. To increase the connectivity of the ecological patches and achieve greater ecological protection benefits, the green infrastructure networks in Wuhan city were constructed with the minimum path analysis method. Finally, the characteristics of ecological source patches were analyzed with landscape metrics, and ecological protection importance degree of ecological source patches were evaluated comprehensively. The results showed that there were 23 important ecological source patches in Wuhan city, among which Sushan Temple Forest Patch, Lu Lake and Shangshe Lake Wetland Patch were the most important in all kinds of patches for ecological protection. This study can provide a scientific basis for the preservation of urban ecological space, the delineation of natural conservation areas and the protection of biological diversity.

Laser microsurgery of higher plant cell walls permits patch-clamp access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henriksen, G.H.; Taylor, A.R.; Brownlee, C.; Assmann, S.M.

1996-01-01

Plasma membranes of guard cells in epidermal peels of Vicia faba and Commelina communis can be made accessible to a patch-clamp pipet by removing a small portion (1-3 micrometer in diameter) of the guard cell wall using a microbeam of ultraviolet light generated by a nitrogen laser. Using this laser microsurgical technique, we have measured channel activity across plasma membranes of V. faba guard cells in both cell-attached and isolated patch configurations. Measurements made in the inside-out patch configuration revealed two distinct K+-selective channels. Major advantages of the laser microsurgical technique include the avoidance of enzymatic protoplast isolation, the ability to study cell types that have been difficult to isolate as protoplasts or for which enzymatic isolation protocols result in protoplasts not amenable to patch-clamp studies, the maintenance of positional information in single-channel measurements, reduced disruption of cell-wall-mediated signaling pathways, and the ability to investigate intercellular signaling through studies of cells remaining situated within tissue

A Patch to MCNP5 for Multiplication Inference: Description and User Guide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solomon, Jr., Clell J. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2014-05-05

A patch to MCNP5 has been written to allow generation of multiple neutrons from a spontaneous-fission event and generate list-mode output. This report documents the implementation and usage of this patch.

Novel Wideband Metallic Patch Antennas with Low Profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhong-Xiang Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Two planar metallic patch (MP antennas with low profiles are investigated and compared in this paper. The MP of each antenna consists of metallic patch cells and it is centrally fed by a rectangular slot. Two modes with close resonance frequencies are excited, providing a quite wide bandwidth. The antenna principle is explained clearly through a parametric study. Simulated and measured results show that the MP antennas with profile of 0.06λ0 can obtain a 10 dB impedance bandwidth of ~32% and an average gain of ~10 dBi.

Sutureless closure of scleral wounds in animal models by the use of laser welded biocompatible patches

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Francesca; Matteini, Paolo; Menabuoni, Luca; Lenzetti, Ivo; Pini, Roberto

2011-03-01

The common procedures used to seal the scleral or conjunctival injuries are based on the traditional suturing techniques, that may induce foreign body reaction during the follow up, with subsequent inflammation and distress for the patient. In this work we present an experimental study on the laser welding of biocompatible patches onto ocular tissues, for the closure of surgical or trauma wounds. The study was performed ex vivo in animal models (porcine eyes). A penetrating perforation of the ocular tissue was performed with a surgical knife. The wound walls were approximated, and a biocompatible patch was put onto the outer surface of the tissue, in order to completely cover the wound as a plaster. The patches were prepared with a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, showing high mechanical strength, good elasticity, high permeability for vapour and gases and rather low biodegradation. During preparation, Indocyanine Green (ICG) was included in the biopolymeric matrix, so that the films presented high absorption at 810 nm. Effective adhesion of the membranes to the ocular tissues was obtained by using diode laser light emitted from an 810 nm diode laser and delivered by means of a 300 μm core diameter optical fiber, to produce spots of local film/tissue adhesion, due to the photothermal effect at the interface. The result is an immediate closure of the wound, thus reducing post-operative complications due to inflammation.

Ruptured peroneal aneurysm after infrapopliteal prosthetic bypass with Taylor patch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian Enzmann

Full Text Available Introduction: A 45-year-old mailman underwent an implantation of a femoro-peroneal polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE bypass with a distal Taylor patch six years prior to admission after two failed autologous reconstructions and extensive fasciotomy. The initial pathology was an acute ischemia due to popliteal entrapment with subsequent popliteal thrombectomy. Report: The patient was examined because of pain, reduction of walking distance and development of a palpable mass at the medial fasciotomy site. A 6-cm pseudoaneurysm with complete disruption of the suture line of the vein patch was discovered and resected. Arterial continuity with a vein interposition graft was established using non-reversed cephalic vein. Conclusion: The etiology of the aneurysm is not entirely clear. One may argue that the fourth revascularization could have been performed with an arm vein instead of a prosthetic graft with the probability of a better long term patency in a young patient. 15 months after the procedure the bypass is patent and the patient is without any symptoms. This complication of a Taylor patch has not been reported before. Keywords: Taylor patch, Pseudoaneurysm, Infrapopliteal bypass

[Amelioration of secondary bare alkali-saline patches in Songnen Plain through inserting cornstalk].

Science.gov (United States)

He, Nianpeng; Wu, Ling; Jiang, Shicheng; Zhou, Daowei

2004-06-01

Based on the field experiment on Songnen grassland, a new method was established to ameliorate the secondary bare alkali-saline patches (SAP) through inserting cornstalk. The experiment was rested on the assumption that through inserting cornstalk in the secondary bare alkali-saline patches (SAP) to retain seeds moving over its surface, the necessary seed source could be gained; and these seeds should be able to germinate and survive successfully on the cornstalk itself or in its neighborhood, where should be more fit to grow than other sites in SAP, due to the decomposition of cornstalk and its special role, so that, the aim to restore vegetation of SAP could be achieved at a pretty low cost and rapid speed. The results showed that the seed bank in soil was increased significantly, owing to the inserted cornstalk and its operating processes. The seed number in ameliorated soil was 4020.0 +/- 1773.6 seeds x m(-2), while that in the secondary bare alkali-saline patches (SAP) was only 10.0 +/- 31.6 seeds x m(-2). Although the soil chemical and physical characters in ameliorated zone were improved to some extent, the overall situation of soil was still bad for plant growth, as the pH, soluble saline ion and organic matter were concerned. Most of Chloris virgata grew around or on the cornstalk, the plants around each cornstalk being 3.9 +/- 2.2, and the total being 48.64 +/- 38.72 g x m(-2). Therefore, this method demanded a few resources, and needed simple technology and low cost, which is potentially deserved to popularize.

Reducible Dictionaries for Single Image Super-Resolution based on Patch Matching and Mean Shifting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasti, Pejman; Nasrollahi, Kamal; Orlova, Olga

2017-01-01

is taken, and its counterpart from the HR dictionary is passed through an illumination enhancement process. By this technique, the noticeable change of illumination between neighbor patches in the super-resolved image is significantly reduced. The enhanced HR patch represents the HR patch of the super......-resolved image. Finally, to remove the blocking effect caused by merging the patches, an average of the obtained HR image and the interpolated image obtained using bicubic interpolation is calculated. The quantitative and qualitative analyses show the superiority of the proposed technique over the conventional...

NEB in Analysis of Optical Flow 4 x 4 and 6 x 6-Patches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, Shengxiang; Liang, Di

2017-01-01

We apply the nudged elastic band technique to non-lineal high-dimensional datasets, we analyze spaces of 4 x 4 and 6 x 6 optical flow patches and detect their topological properties. We experimentally prove that subsets of 4 x 4 and 6 x 6 optical flow patches can be modeled a circle, which confirm some results of 4 x 4 and 6 x 6 optical flow patches by using a new method-NEB, and expend Adams et al's result to larger patches of optical flow. (paper)

Patch Test Results of 775 Patients with Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simin Ada

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Design: The allergens responsible for allergic contact dermatitis vary among countries and even between different geographical regions within the same country over time. It is of great importance to perform the patch test at certain intervals, to evaluate the results in different centers and to compare them afterwards. Our aim was to evaluate the patch test results in our patients with allergic contact dermatitis.Material and Method: The records of the patients with allergic contact dermatitis, who had been patch tested between May 1997 and March 2009, were analyzed retrospectively. The demographic features such as age and sex, localization of the contact dermatitis, and the patch test results were recorded. Results: Of the 775 patients, 581 (75.2% were females and 194 (25% males. Of all patients, 735 were patch tested with the European Standard Series, 318 - with both the European Standard Series and cosmetic series, and 40-with cosmetic series alone. Of the patients tested with the European Standard Series, 255 (34.7% had at least one positive reaction. The most frequent allergen in the European Standard Series was nickel sulfate (17.3%, followed by cobalt chloride (7.2%, potassium dichromate (3%, fragrance mix (2.9%, and p-phenylenediamine base (2.6%. Of the 358 patients tested with cosmetic series, 82 (22.9% had at least one positive reaction. The 5 most frequently observed cosmetic series allergens were octyl gallate (3.9%, thimerosal (2.2%, sorbitan sesquioleate (2%, Euxyl K 400 (2% and methyldibromo glutaronitrile (1.4%. Conclusion: Our study shows the contact allergen profile of our center over 12 years. The most common allergens and their frequency differ between centers in various cities in Turkey. Those geographical differences should be re-evaluated by further studies performed in the certain time period. The high frequency of reactions to octyl gallate is an important finding in patients suspected of cosmetic allergy

Holocene coral patch reef ecology and sedimentary architecture, Northern Belize, Central America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mazzullo, S.J.; Anderson-Underwood, K.E.; Burke, C.D.; Bischoff, W.D. (Wichita State Univ., KS (United States))

1992-12-01

Coral patch reefs are major components of Holocene platform carbonate facies systems in tropical and subtropical areas. The biotic composition, growth and relationship to sea level history, and diagenetic attributes of a representative Holocene patch reef ([open quotes]Elmer Reef[close quotes]) in the Mexico Rocks complex in northern Belize are described and compared to those of Holocene patch reefs in southern Belize. Elmer Reef has accumulated in shallow (2.5 m) water over the last 420 yr, under static sea level conditions. Rate of vertical construction is 0.3-0.5 m/100 yr, comparable to that of patch reefs in southern Belize. A pronounced coral zonation exists across Elmer Reef, with Monastrea annularis dominating on its crest and Acropora cervicornis occurring on its windward and leeward flanks. The dominance of Montastrea on Elmer Reef is unlike that of patch reefs in southern Belize, in which this coral assumes only a subordinate role in reef growth relative to that of Acropora palmata. Elmer Reef locally is extensively biodegraded and marine, fibrous aragonite and some bladed high-magnesium calcite cements occur throughout the reef section, partially occluding corallites and interparticle pores in associated sands. Patch reefs in southern Belize have developed as catch-up and keep-up reefs in a transgressive setting. In contrast, the dominant mode of growth of Elmer Reef, and perhaps other patch reefs in Mexico Rocks, appears to be one of lateral rather than vertical accretion. This style of growth occurs in a static sea level setting where there is only limited accommodation space because of the shallowness of the water, and such reefs are referred to as [open quotes]expansion reefs[close quotes]. 39 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

Automated identification and tracking of polar-cap plasma patches at solar minimum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Burston

2014-03-01

Full Text Available A method of automatically identifying and tracking polar-cap plasma patches, utilising data inversion and feature-tracking methods, is presented. A well-established and widely used 4-D ionospheric imaging algorithm, the Multi-Instrument Data Assimilation System (MIDAS, inverts slant total electron content (TEC data from ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS receivers to produce images of the free electron distribution in the polar-cap ionosphere. These are integrated to form vertical TEC maps. A flexible feature-tracking algorithm, TRACK, previously used extensively in meteorological storm-tracking studies is used to identify and track maxima in the resulting 2-D data fields. Various criteria are used to discriminate between genuine patches and "false-positive" maxima such as the continuously moving day-side maximum, which results from the Earth's rotation rather than plasma motion. Results for a 12-month period at solar minimum, when extensive validation data are available, are presented. The method identifies 71 separate structures consistent with patch motion during this time. The limitations of solar minimum and the consequent small number of patches make climatological inferences difficult, but the feasibility of the method for patches larger than approximately 500 km in scale is demonstrated and a larger study incorporating other parts of the solar cycle is warranted. Possible further optimisation of discrimination criteria, particularly regarding the definition of a patch in terms of its plasma concentration enhancement over the surrounding background, may improve results.

Patch Antenna based on a Photovoltaic Cell with a Dual resonance Frequency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Baccouch

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The present work was to use photovoltaic solar cells in patch antenna structures. The radiating patch element of a patch antenna was replaced by a solar cell. Direct Current (DC generation remained the original feature of the solar cell, but additionally   it was now able to receive and transmit electromagnetic waves. Here, we used a new patch antenna structure based on a photovoltaic solar cell. It was then used to collect photo-generated current as well as Radio Frequency (RF transmission. A mathematical model which would serve the minimization of power losses of the cell and therefore the improvement in the conversion efficiency was studied. A simulation allowed analysing the performance of the antenna, with a silicon material, and testing its parameters such as the reflection coefficient (S11, gain, directivity and radiated power. The performance analysis of the solar cell patch antenna was conducted using Advanced Design System (ADS software. Simulation results for this antenna showed a dual resonance frequency of 5.77 GHz and of 6.18 GHz with an effective return loss of -38.22dB and a gain of 1.59dBi.

Image Quality Assessment via Quality-aware Group Sparse Coding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minglei Tong

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Image quality assessment has been attracting growing attention at an accelerated pace over the past decade, in the fields of image processing, vision and machine learning. In particular, general purpose blind image quality assessment is technically challenging and lots of state-of-the-art approaches have been developed to solve this problem, most under the supervised learning framework where the human scored samples are needed for training a regression model. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised learning approach that work without the human label. In the off-line stage, our method trains a dictionary covering different levels of image quality patch atoms across the training samples without knowing the human score, where each atom is associated with a quality score induced from the reference image; at the on-line stage, given each image patch, our method performs group sparse coding to encode the sample, such that the sample quality can be estimated from the few labeled atoms whose encoding coefficients are nonzero. Experimental results on the public dataset show the promising performance of our approach and future research direction is also discussed.

Coupled Human-Environment Dynamics of Forest Pest Spread and Control in a Multi-Patch, Stochastic Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Qasim; Bauch, Chris T; Anand, Madhur

2015-01-01

The transportation of camp firewood infested by non-native forest pests such as Asian long-horned beetle (ALB) and emerald ash borer (EAB) has severe impacts on North American forests. Once invasive forest pests are established, it can be difficult to eradicate them. Hence, preventing the long-distance transport of firewood by individuals is crucial. Here we develop a stochastic simulation model that captures the interaction between forest pest infestations and human decisions regarding firewood transportation. The population of trees is distributed across 10 patches (parks) comprising a "low volume" partition of 5 patches that experience a low volume of park visitors, and a "high volume" partition of 5 patches experiencing a high visitor volume. The infestation spreads within a patch--and also between patches--according to the probability of between-patch firewood transportation. Individuals decide to transport firewood or buy it locally based on the costs of locally purchased versus transported firewood, social norms, social learning, and level of concern for observed infestations. We find that the average time until a patch becomes infested depends nonlinearly on many model parameters. In particular, modest increases in the tree removal rate, modest increases in public concern for infestation, and modest decreases in the cost of locally purchased firewood, relative to baseline (current) values, cause very large increases in the average time until a patch becomes infested due to firewood transport from other patches, thereby better preventing long-distance spread. Patches that experience lower visitor volumes benefit more from firewood movement restrictions than patches that experience higher visitor volumes. Also, cross-patch infestations not only seed new infestations, they can also worsen existing infestations to a surprising extent: long-term infestations are more intense in the high volume patches than the low volume patches, even when infestation is already

Engineered hybrid cardiac patches with multifunctional electronics for online monitoring and regulation of tissue function.

Science.gov (United States)

Feiner, Ron; Engel, Leeya; Fleischer, Sharon; Malki, Maayan; Gal, Idan; Shapira, Assaf; Shacham-Diamand, Yosi; Dvir, Tal

2016-06-01

In cardiac tissue engineering approaches to treat myocardial infarction, cardiac cells are seeded within three-dimensional porous scaffolds to create functional cardiac patches. However, current cardiac patches do not allow for online monitoring and reporting of engineered-tissue performance, and do not interfere to deliver signals for patch activation or to enable its integration with the host. Here, we report an engineered cardiac patch that integrates cardiac cells with flexible, freestanding electronics and a 3D nanocomposite scaffold. The patch exhibited robust electronic properties, enabling the recording of cellular electrical activities and the on-demand provision of electrical stimulation for synchronizing cell contraction. We also show that electroactive polymers containing biological factors can be deposited on designated electrodes to release drugs in the patch microenvironment on demand. We expect that the integration of complex electronics within cardiac patches will eventually provide therapeutic control and regulation of cardiac function.

Conserving tropical tree diversity and forest structure: the value of small rainforest patches in moderately-managed landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Ruedas, Manuel A; Arroyo-Rodríguez, Víctor; Meave, Jorge A; Martínez-Ramos, Miguel; Ibarra-Manríquez, Guillermo; Martínez, Esteban; Jamangapé, Gilberto; Melo, Felipe P L; Santos, Bráulio A

2014-01-01

Rainforests are undergoing severe deforestation and fragmentation worldwide. A huge amount of small forest patches are being created, but their value in conserving biodiversity and forest structure is still controversial. Here, we demonstrate that in a species-rich and moderately-managed Mexican tropical landscape small rainforest patches (<100 ha) can be highly valuable for the conservation of tree diversity and forest structure. These patches showed diverse communities of native plants, including endangered species, and a new record for the country. Although the number of logged trees increased in smaller patches, patch size was a poor indicator of basal area, stem density, number of species, genera and families, and community evenness. Cumulative species-area curves indicated that all patches had a similar contribution to the regional species diversity. This idea also was supported by the fact that patches strongly differed in floristic composition (high β-diversity), independently of patch size. Thus, in agreement with the land-sharing approach, our findings support that small forest patches in moderately-managed landscapes should be included in conservation initiatives to maintain landscape heterogeneity, species diversity, and ecosystem services.

Conserving Tropical Tree Diversity and Forest Structure: The Value of Small Rainforest Patches in Moderately-Managed Landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Ruedas, Manuel A.; Arroyo-Rodríguez, Víctor; Meave, Jorge A.; Martínez-Ramos, Miguel; Ibarra-Manríquez, Guillermo; Martínez, Esteban; Jamangapé, Gilberto; Melo, Felipe P. L.; Santos, Bráulio A.

2014-01-01

Rainforests are undergoing severe deforestation and fragmentation worldwide. A huge amount of small forest patches are being created, but their value in conserving biodiversity and forest structure is still controversial. Here, we demonstrate that in a species-rich and moderately-managed Mexican tropical landscape small rainforest patches (tree diversity and forest structure. These patches showed diverse communities of native plants, including endangered species, and a new record for the country. Although the number of logged trees increased in smaller patches, patch size was a poor indicator of basal area, stem density, number of species, genera and families, and community evenness. Cumulative species-area curves indicated that all patches had a similar contribution to the regional species diversity. This idea also was supported by the fact that patches strongly differed in floristic composition (high β-diversity), independently of patch size. Thus, in agreement with the land-sharing approach, our findings support that small forest patches in moderately-managed landscapes should be included in conservation initiatives to maintain landscape heterogeneity, species diversity, and ecosystem services. PMID:24901954

Transparent biocompatible sensor patches for touch sensitive prosthetic limbs

KAUST Repository

Nag, Anindya

2016-12-26

The paper presents the fabrication of transparent, flexible sensor patches developed using a casting technique with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as substrate and a nanocomposite of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and PDMS as interdigital electrodes. The electrodes act as strain sensitive capacitor. The prototypes were used as touch sensitive sensors attached to the limbs. Experiments results show the sensitivity of the patches towards tactile sensing. The results are very promising and can play a key role in the development of a cost efficient sensing system attached to prosthetic limbs.

Transparent biocompatible sensor patches for touch sensitive prosthetic limbs

KAUST Repository

Nag, Anindya; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas; Kosel, Jü rgen

2016-01-01

The paper presents the fabrication of transparent, flexible sensor patches developed using a casting technique with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as substrate and a nanocomposite of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and PDMS as interdigital electrodes. The electrodes act as strain sensitive capacitor. The prototypes were used as touch sensitive sensors attached to the limbs. Experiments results show the sensitivity of the patches towards tactile sensing. The results are very promising and can play a key role in the development of a cost efficient sensing system attached to prosthetic limbs.

Patch use in time and space for a meso-predator in a risky world.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Shomen; Zelcer, Michal; Kotler, Burt P

2009-03-01

Predator-prey studies often assume a three trophic level system where predators forage free from any risk of predation. Since meso-predators themselves are also prospective prey, they too need to trade-off between food and safety. We applied foraging theory to study patch use and habitat selection by a meso-predator, the red fox. We present evidence that foxes use a quitting harvest rate rule when deciding whether or not to abandon a foraging patch, and experience diminishing returns when foraging from a depletable food patch. Furthermore, our data suggest that patch use decisions of red foxes are influenced not just by the availability of food, but also by their perceived risk of predation. Fox behavior was affected by moonlight, with foxes depleting food resources more thoroughly (lower giving-up density) on darker nights compared to moonlit nights. Foxes reduced risk from hyenas by being more active where and when hyena activity was low. While hyenas were least active during moon, and most active during full moon nights, the reverse was true for foxes. Foxes showed twice as much activity during new moon compared to full moon nights, suggesting different costs of predation. Interestingly, resources in patches with cues of another predator (scat of wolf) were depleted to significantly lower levels compared to patches without. Our results emphasize the need for considering risk of predation for intermediate predators, and also shows how patch use theory and experimental food patches can be used for a predator. Taken together, these results may help us better understand trophic interactions.

The effects of patch shape and connectivity on nest site selection and reproductive success of the Indigo Bunting.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weldon, Aimee Jean

2004-07-01

Description – Ph.D Dissertation. North Carolina State University. Raleigh, North Carolina. 135 pp. Abatract - Habitat fragmentation and its associated effects have been blamed for the recent population declines of many Neotropical migratory bird species. Increased predation and parasitism resulting from edge-related effects have been implicated for poor nesting success in many studies, mostly of forest interior species. However, little attention has been devoted to disturbance-dependent birds. In this study, I examine how patch shape and connectivity in fragmented landscapes affects the reproductive success of disturbance-dependent bird species, specifically the Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). I conducted my study in a landscape-scale experimental system of similar-area habitat patches that differed in connectivity and in shape. Shapes differed between edgy and rectangular forms, where edgy patches contained 50% more edge than rectangular patches. I tested whether edgy patches function as ecological traps for species with strong edge preferences, by leading them to select dangerous habitats. Indigo Buntings preferentially selected edgy patches over rectangular patches, but experienced significantly lower reproductive success in edgy patches early in the season. Although predation pressure intensified in rectangular patches late in the season, seasonal fecundity was still significantly lower in edgy patches, providing the first empirical evidence that edges can function as ecological traps for Indigo Buntings. A second objective of my study was to evaluate the efficacy of conservation corridors for disturbance-dependent bird species. Conservation corridors have become a popular strategy to preserve biodiversity and promote gene flow in fragmented landscapes, but corridors may also have negative consequences. I tested the hypothesis that corridors can increase nest predation risk in connected patches relative to unconnected patches. Nest predation rates

Inference-Based Surface Reconstruction of Cluttered Environments

KAUST Repository

Biggers, K.; Keyser, J.

2012-01-01

guided by rules for fitting high-quality surface patches obtained from these prior models. We demonstrate the application of this algorithm on several example data sets containing heavy clutter and occlusion. © 2012 IEEE.

Patching DFT, T-duality and gerbes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, P.S.; Papadopoulos, G.

2017-01-01

We clarify the role of the dual coordinates as described from the perspectives of the Buscher T-duality rules and Double Field Theory. We show that the T-duality angular dual coordinates cannot be identified with Double Field Theory dual coordinates in any of the proposals that have been made in the literature for patching the doubled spaces. In particular, we show with explicit examples that the T-duality angular dual coordinates can have non-trivial transition functions over a spacetime and that their identification with the Double Field Theory dual coordinates is in conflict with proposals in which the latter remain inert under the patching of the B-field. We then demonstrate that the Double Field Theory coordinates can be identified with some C-space coordinates and that the T-dual spaces of a spacetime are subspaces of the gerbe in C-space. The construction provides a description of both the local O(d,d) symmetry and the T-dual spaces of spacetime.

Patching DFT, T-duality and gerbes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Howe, P.S.; Papadopoulos, G. [Department of Mathematics, King’s College London,Strand, London WC2R 2LS (United Kingdom)

2017-04-12

We clarify the role of the dual coordinates as described from the perspectives of the Buscher T-duality rules and Double Field Theory. We show that the T-duality angular dual coordinates cannot be identified with Double Field Theory dual coordinates in any of the proposals that have been made in the literature for patching the doubled spaces. In particular, we show with explicit examples that the T-duality angular dual coordinates can have non-trivial transition functions over a spacetime and that their identification with the Double Field Theory dual coordinates is in conflict with proposals in which the latter remain inert under the patching of the B-field. We then demonstrate that the Double Field Theory coordinates can be identified with some C-space coordinates and that the T-dual spaces of a spacetime are subspaces of the gerbe in C-space. The construction provides a description of both the local O(d,d) symmetry and the T-dual spaces of spacetime.

Spatial patterns of ponderosa pine regeneration in high-severity burn patches

Science.gov (United States)

Suzanne M. Owen; Carolyn H. Sieg; Andrew J. Sanchez. Meador; Peter Z. Fule; Jose M. Iniguez; L. Scott. Baggett; Paula J. Fornwalt; Michael A. Battaglia

2017-01-01

Contemporary wildfires in southwestern US ponderosa pine forests can leave uncharacteristically large patches of tree mortality, raising concerns about the lack of seed-producing trees, which can prevent or significantly delay ponderosa pine regeneration. We established 4-ha plots in high-severity burn patches in two Arizona wildfires, the 2000 Pumpkin and 2002 Rodeo-...

Safety of fentanyl initiation according to past opioid exposure among patients newly prescribed fentanyl patches

Science.gov (United States)

Friesen, Kevin J.; Woelk, Cornelius; Bugden, Shawn

2016-01-01

Background: Although a convenient opioid delivery system, transdermal fentanyl patches have caused several deaths and resulted in safety warnings reminding prescribers that fentanyl patches should be prescribed only for patients who have adequate prior exposure to opioids. We conducted a longitudinal analysis of the safety of fentanyl initiation by examining past opioid exposure among patients newly prescribed fentanyl patches. Methods: We identified all patients in the province of Manitoba who were newly prescribed fentanyl patches between Apr. 1, 2001, and Mar. 31, 2013. We converted all prior opioid use to oral morphine equivalents and determined the average daily dose in the 7–30 days before initial fentanyl patch use. Fentanyl initiation was considered unsafe if the patient’s pre-fentanyl opioid exposure was below the recommended level. Results: We identified 11 063 patients who began using fentanyl patches during the study period. Overall, fentanyl initiation was deemed unsafe in 74.1% of cases because the patient’s prior opioid exposure was inadequate. Women and patients 65 years of age and older were more likely than men and younger patients, respectively, to have inadequate prior opioid exposure (p fentanyl patches decreased significantly over the study period, from 87.0% in 2001 to 50.0% in 2012 (p fentanyl initiation improved over the study period, but still half of fentanyl patch prescriptions were written for patients with inadequate prior opioid exposure. Review of prior opioid exposure may be a simple but important way to improve the safe use of fentanyl patches. PMID:27044480

APC: A new code for Atmospheric Polarization Computations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korkin, Sergey V.; Lyapustin, Alexei I.; Rozanov, Vladimir V.

2013-01-01

A new polarized radiative transfer code Atmospheric Polarization Computations (APC) is described. The code is based on separation of the diffuse light field into anisotropic and smooth (regular) parts. The anisotropic part is computed analytically. The smooth regular part is computed numerically using the discrete ordinates method. Vertical stratification of the atmosphere, common types of bidirectional surface reflection and scattering by spherical particles or spheroids are included. A particular consideration is given to computation of the bidirectional polarization distribution function (BPDF) of the waved ocean surface. -- Highlights: •A new code, APC, has been developed. •The code was validated against well-known codes. •The BPDF for an arbitrary Mueller matrix is computed

Exploration of ethyl anthranilate-loaded monolithic matrix-type prophylactic polymeric patch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johirul Islam

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Compromised stability of pharmaceutical formulations loaded with volatiles is a serious problem associated with devices designed to deliver volatile compounds. The present study has been focused to evaluate the stability potential of matrix-type polymeric patches composed of volatile ethyl anthranilate for prophylaxis against vector-borne diseases. Ethyl anthranilate-loaded matrix-type polymeric patches were fabricated by solvent evaporation method on an impermeable backing membrane and attached to temporary release liners. Stability testing of the polymeric patches was performed as per the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH guidelines for 6 months under accelerated conditions. In addition, the quantification of residual solvents was also performed as per the ICH guidelines. After conducting the stability studies for 6 months, the optimized patches showed the best possible results with respect to uniformity of drug content, physical appearance, and other analytical parameters. Furthermore, the amount of residual solvent was found well below the accepted limit. Thus, the present report outlined the analytical parameters to be evaluated to ensure the stability of a certain devices consisting of volatile compounds.

The sensitivity of patch test in patients with psoriasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yavuz Yeşilova

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Allergic diseases play an important role in the natural course of psoriasis. Atopic sensitization and con-tact dermatitis are common in patients with psoriasis. Since the symptoms are prolonged in patients who are resistant to therapy and exposure to itchy and external factors are common among these patients, the effects of contact aller-gens on triggering psoriasis are investigated. Contact allergens have an important role in activation and remission of psoriasis. We aimed to investigate contact sensitization rates in patients with psoriasis in the study.Material and Methods: Contact sensitization was investigated with the application of European standard series in twenty patients with psoriasis, twenty patients with contact dermatitis, and twenty healthy persons. Results: Among the whole study cases, positivity rate of patch test against one allergen at least was 25%. rate of patch test was 25% in patients with psoriasis, 35% in patients with contact dermatitis, and 15% in healthy persons. There were no significant differences between the groups according to sensitization to one or more allergens (p>0.05. There were no significant difference in clinical subgroup of psoriatic patients according to contact sensitiza-tion (p>0.05. The allergens in patients with psoriasis on patch test were as the followings: phenyldiamine, potassium dichromat, nickel, and cobalt.Conclusion: We think that the patch test has a major role in the diagnosis and elimination of allergens in patients with the chronic and resistant diseases and palmoplantar and flexural psoriasis.

Management of Control System Information SecurityI: Control System Patch Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quanyan Zhu; Miles McQueen; Craig Rieger; Tamer Basar

2011-09-01

The use of information technologies in control systems poses additional potential threats due to the frequent disclosure of software vulnerabilities. The management of information security involves a series of policy-making on the vulnerability discovery, disclosure, patch development and patching. In this paper, we use a system approach to devise a model to understand the interdependencies of these decision processes. In more details, we establish a theoretical framework for making patching decision for control systems, taking into account the requirement of functionability of control systems. We illustrate our results with numerical simulations and show that the optimal operation period of control systems given the currently estimated attack rate is roughly around a half a month.

Evaporation over sump surface in containment studies: code validation on TOSQAN tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malet, J.; Gelain, T.; Degrees du Lou, O.; Daru, V.

2011-01-01

During the course of a severe accident in a Nuclear Power Plant, water can be collected in the sump containment through steam condensation on walls and spray systems activation. The objective of this paper is to present code validation on evaporative sump tests performed on the TOSQAN facility. The ASTEC-CPA code is used as a lumped-parameter code and specific user-defined-functions are developed for the TONUS-CFD code. The tests are air-steam tests, as well as tests with other non-condensable gases (He, CO 2 and SF 6 ) under steady and transient conditions. The results show a good agreement between codes and experiments, indicating a good behaviour of the sump models in both codes. (author)

A capsaicin (8%) patch in the treatment of severe persistent inguinal postherniorrhaphy pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bischoff, Joakim M; Ringsted, Thomas K; Petersen, Marian

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Persistent pain after inguinal herniorrhaphy is a disabling condition with a lack of evidence-based pharmacological treatment options. This randomized placebo-controlled trial investigated the efficacy of a capsaicin 8% cutaneous patch in the treatment of severe persistent inguinal...... postherniorrhaphy pain. METHODS: Forty-six patients with persistent inguinal postherniorrhaphy pain were randomized to receive either a capsaicin 8% patch or a placebo patch. Pain intensity (Numerical Rating Scale [NRS 0-10]) was evaluated under standardized conditions (at rest, during movement, and during pressure....... The primary outcome was comparisons of summed pain intensity differences (SPIDs) between capsaicin and placebo treatments at 1, 2 and 3 months after patch application (significance level P placebo treatments, was observed at 1 month after...

Reactivity to patch tests with nickel sulfate and fragrance mix in infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jøhnke, H; Norberg, L A; Vach, W

2004-01-01

sulfate in 3 concentrations, 200, 66 and 22 microg/cm(2), and fragrance mix 430 microg/cm(2) were used. A likely case of nickel sensitivity was defined as a reproducible positive reaction with at least homogeneous erythema and palpable infiltration occurring at least 2x and present at both the 12 and 18......The pattern of patch test reactivity to nickel sulfate and fragrance mix was studied with respect to patch test performance, reproducibility and clinical relevance in a population of unselected infants followed prospectively from birth to 18 months of age. TRUE Testtrade mark patches with nickel...... sensitivity was found in only 1 child. No reproducible positive reaction to fragrance mix was found. The high proportion of transient patch test reactivity to nickel sulfate 200 microg/cm(2) indicates that this standard concentration used for adults cannot be applied to infants. The interpretation of a single...

Nonuniform Overlapping Method in Designing Microstrip Patch Antennas Using Genetic Algorithm Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. M. Jeevani W. Jayasinghe

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Genetic algorithm (GA has been a popular optimization technique used for performance improvement of microstrip patch antennas (MPAs. When using GA, the patch geometry is optimized by dividing the patch area into small rectangular cells. This has an inherent problem of adjacent cells being connected to each other with infinitesimal connections, which may not be achievable in practice due to fabrication tolerances in chemical etching. As a solution, this paper presents a novel method of dividing the patch area into cells with nonuniform overlaps. The optimized design, which is obtained by using fixed overlap sizes, shows a quad-band performance covering GSM1800, GSM1900, LTE2300, and Bluetooth bands. In contrast, use of nonuniform overlap sizes leads to obtaining a pentaband design covering GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS, LTE2300, and Bluetooth bandswith fractional bands with of 38% due to the extra design flexibility.

Patch models and their applications to multivehicle command and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Venkatesh G; D'Andrea, Raffaello

2007-06-01

We introduce patch models, a computational modeling formalism for multivehicle combat domains, based on spatiotemporal abstraction methods developed in the computer science community. The framework yields models that are expressive enough to accommodate nontrivial controlled vehicle dynamics while being within the representational capabilities of common artificial intelligence techniques used in the construction of autonomous systems. The framework allows several key design requirements of next-generation network-centric command and control systems, such as maintenance of shared situation awareness, to be achieved. Major features include support for multiple situation models at each decision node and rapid mission plan adaptation. We describe the formal specification of patch models and our prototype implementation, i.e., Patchworks. The capabilities of patch models are validated through a combat mission simulation in Patchworks, which involves two defending teams protecting a camp from an enemy attacking team.

Rebootless Linux Kernel Patching with Ksplice Uptrack at BNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollowell, Christopher; Pryor, James; Smith, Jason

2012-01-01

Ksplice/Oracle Uptrack is a software tool and update subscription service which allows system administrators to apply security and bug fix patches to the Linux kernel running on servers/workstations without rebooting them. The RHIC/ATLAS Computing Facility (RACF) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has deployed Uptrack on nearly 2,000 hosts running Scientific Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The use of this software has minimized downtime, and increased our security posture. In this paper, we provide an overview of Ksplice's rebootless kernel patch creation/insertion mechanism, and our experiences with Uptrack.

Capacitance of circular patch resonator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miano, G.; Verolino, L.; Naples Univ.; Panariello, G.; Vaccaro, V.G.; Naples Univ.

1995-11-01

In this paper the capacitance of the circular microstrip patch resonator is computed. It is shown that the electrostatic problem can be formulated as a system of dual integral equations, and the most interesting techniques of solutions of these systems are reviewed. Some useful approximated formulas for the capacitance are derived and plots of the capacitance are finally given in a wide range of dielectric constants

Generalized peritonitis requiring re-operation after leakage of omental patch repair of perforated peptic ulcer.

Science.gov (United States)

Maghsoudi, Hemmat; Ghaffari, Alireza

2011-01-01

Peptic ulcer perforations are a common emergency, but available literature is silent on the exact definition, incidence, management, and complications of peritonitis due to omental patch leakage. Retrospective data were collected on 422 patients who underwent omental patch repair of perforated peptic ulcer between March 20, 1999 and March 20, 2006. The definitive diagnosis of perforated peptic ulcer and omental patch leakage was obtained at surgery. Seventeen (4%) patients experienced generalized peritonitis due to omental patch leakage. Mean age was 60.6 years. Mortality rate was 29.4%, and the mean hospital stay was 23.6 days. Delay in surgical approach, shock on admission, and age were all significantly associated with increased mortality. Peritonitis due to omental patch leakage can result in significant morbidity and mortality. The most common causes of omental patch leakage and operative procedures were unknown and reinsertion of omentum, respectively. Factors such as shock on admission or delayed surgery, have significantly contributed to fatal outcomes and need careful attention.

Inactivated polio vaccination using a microneedle patch is immunogenic in the rhesus macaque.

Science.gov (United States)

Edens, Chris; Dybdahl-Sissoko, Naomi C; Weldon, William C; Oberste, M Steven; Prausnitz, Mark R

2015-09-08

The phased replacement of oral polio vaccine (OPV) with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is expected to significantly complicate mass vaccination campaigns, which are an important component of the global polio eradication endgame strategy. To simplify mass vaccination with IPV, we developed microneedle patches that are easy to administer, have a small package size, generate no sharps waste and are inexpensive to manufacture. When administered to rhesus macaques, neutralizing antibody titers were equivalent among monkeys vaccinated using microneedle patches and conventional intramuscular injection for IPV types 1 and 2. Serologic response to IPV type 3 vaccination was weaker after microneedle patch vaccination compared to intramuscular injection; however, we suspect the administered type 3 dose was lower due to a flawed pre-production IPV type 3 analytical method. IPV vaccination using microneedle patches was well tolerated by the monkeys. We conclude that IPV vaccination using a microneedle patch is immunogenic in rhesus macaques and may offer a simpler method of IPV vaccination of people to facilitate polio eradication. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantifying the importance of patch-specific changes in habitat to metapopulation viability of an endangered songbird.

Science.gov (United States)

Horne, Jon S; Strickler, Katherine M; Alldredge, Mathew

2011-10-01

A growing number of programs seek to facilitate species conservation using incentive-based mechanisms. Recently, a market-based incentive program for the federally endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) was implemented on a trial basis at Fort Hood, an Army training post in Texas, USA. Under this program, recovery credits accumulated by Fort Hood through contracts with private landowners are used to offset unintentional loss of breeding habitat of Golden-cheeked Warblers within the installation. Critical to successful implementation of such programs is the ability to value, in terms of changes to overall species viability, both habitat loss and habitat restoration or protection. In this study, we sought to answer two fundamental questions: Given the same amount of change in breeding habitat, does the change in some patches have a greater effect on metapopulation persistence than others? And if so, can characteristics of a patch (e.g., size or spatial location) be used to predict how the metapopulation will respond to these changes? To answer these questions, we describe an approach for using sensitivity analysis of a metapopulation projection model to predict how changes to specific habitat patches would affect species viability. We used a stochastic, discrete-time projection model based on stage-specific estimates of survival and fecundity, as well as various assumptions about dispersal among populations. To assess a particular patch's leverage, we quantified how much metapopulation viability was expected to change in response to changing the size of that patch. We then related original patch size and distance from the largest patch to each patch's leverage to determine if general patch characteristics could be used to develop guidelines for valuing changes to patches within a metapopulation. We found that both the characteristic that best predicted patch leverage and the magnitude of the relationship changed under different model scenarios

Modelling of a cracked aluminium plate repaired with composite octagonal patch in mode I and mixed mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouinas, D.; Bachir Bouiadjra, B.; Achour, B.; Benderdouche, N.

2009-01-01

Adhesively bonded composite patch repair technique has been successfully applied in military aircraft repair and has recently been expanded to commercial aircraft industry. This technique is applied to extend the service life of cracked aluminium components. In this paper, the finite element method is applied to analyse the central crack's behaviour repaired by a boron/epoxy composite patch. The effects of the mechanical and geometrical properties of the patch on the variation of the stress intensity factor at the crack tip were highlighted. The obtained results show that the stress intensity factor at the crack tip, repaired by an octagonal patch of height 2c/3, is reduced by 5% with regard to the one repaired by an octagonal patch of size 'c'. For a height patch of c/3 the reduction is about 7%. The maximum reduction of composite patch of fibres in y-direction is about 30% compared to the aluminium patch. This reduction doubles when a composite patch of fibres in x-direction is used. The adhesive properties must be optimised to increase the performance of the repair of structures by such reinforcement

Environmental factors influenting species composition of acidophilous grasslands patches in agricultural landscape

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Halas, Petr

2012-01-01

Roč. 20, č. 1 (2012), s. 16-27 ISSN 1210-8812 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : acidophilous grasslands * hemeroby * patch isolation * patch area * regression trees Subject RIV: DE - Earth Magnetism, Geodesy, Geography http://www.geonika.cz/EN/research/ENMgr/MGR_2012_01.pdf

Quantitative aspects of isoeugenol contact allergy assessed by use and patch tests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, J D; Andersen, K E; Menné, T

1996-01-01

The clinical implications of sensitization to the fragrance material isoeugenol were studied in 19 subjects. Patch testing with serial dilutions of isoeugenol and a repeated open application test (ROAT) were performed. The minimum effect level under patch test conditions was below 0.01% isoeugenol...

Skin irritability to sodium lauryl sulfate is associated with increased positive patch test reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwitulla, J; Brasch, J; Löffler, H; Schnuch, A; Geier, J; Uter, W

2014-07-01

As previous observations have indicated an inter-relationship between irritant and allergic skin reactions we analysed data of synchronous allergen and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) patch tests in terms of a relationship between SLS responsiveness and allergic patch test reactions. To analyse differences in terms of allergen-specific and overall reaction profiles between patients with vs. those without an irritant reaction to SLS. Clinical data of 26 879 patients patch tested from 2008 to 2011 by members of the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology were analysed. After descriptive analyses, including the MOAHLFA index, the positivity ratio and the reaction index, a negative binomial hurdle model was adopted to investigate the correlation between SLS reactivity and positive patch test reactions. Men, patients aged ≥ 40 years and patients with an occupational dermatitis background were over-represented in the SLS-reactive group. Patients with an irritant reaction to SLS showed a higher proportion of weak positive reactions, as well as more questionable and irritant reactions to contact allergens than patients not reactive to SLS. The risk of an additional positive patch test reaction increased by 22% for SLS-reactive patients compared with those who were SLS negative. The marked association between SLS reactivity and the number of positive reactions in patch test patients may be due to nonspecific increased skin reactivity at the moment of patch testing only. However, increased SLS reactivity could also be due to longer-lasting enhanced skin irritability, which may have promoted (poly-)sensitization. Further studies, for example with longitudinal data on patients repeatedly patch tested with SLS and contact allergens, are necessary. © 2014 British Association of Dermatologists.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using lidocaine patch 5% in traumatic rib fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingalls, Nichole K; Horton, Zachary A; Bettendorf, Matthew; Frye, Ira; Rodriguez, Carlos

2010-02-01

The lidocaine patch 5% was developed to treat postherpetic neuralgia. Anecdotal experience at our institution suggests the lidocaine patch 5% decreases narcotic usage in patients with traumatic rib fractures. This trial was developed to define the patch's efficacy. Patients with rib fractures admitted to the trauma service at our Level I trauma center were enrolled and randomized in a 1 to 1 double-blind manner to receive a lidocaine patch 5% or placebo patch. Fifty-eight patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled from January 2007 to August 2008. Demographic and clinical information were recorded. The primary outcomes variable was total narcotic use, analyzed using the 1-tailed Mann-Whitney test. The secondary outcomes variables included non-narcotic pain medication, average pain score, pulmonary complications, and length of stay. Significance was defined based on a 1-sided test for the primary outcome and 2-sided tests for other comparisons, at p rib fractures, gender, trauma mechanism, preinjury lung disease, smoking history, percent of current smokers, and need for placement of chest tube between the lidocaine patch 5% and placebo groups. There was no difference between the lidocaine patch 5% and placebo groups, respectively, with regard to total IV narcotic usage: median, 0.23 units versus 0.26 units; total oral narcotics: median, 4 units versus 7 units; pain score: 5.6 +/- 0.4 versus 6.0 +/- 0.3 (mean +/- SEM); length of stay: 7.8 +/- 1.1 versus 6.2 +/- 0.7; or percentage of patients with pulmonary complications: 72.7% versus 72.0%. The lidocaine patch 5% does not significantly improve pain control in polytrauma patients with traumatic rib fractures.