Twenty Years of Australian Educational Computing: A Call for Modern Traditionalism

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, Anne

2005-01-01

This article reflects on twenty or more years of development and research in educational computing. It argues that the emphasis on exploiting the technology in the service of contemporary ideas about learning held by many of the early workers has been lost to a focus on the technology itself and its capabilities. In schools this has led to an…

Trends in CPAP adherence over twenty years of data collection: a flattened curve.

Science.gov (United States)

Rotenberg, Brian W; Murariu, Dorian; Pang, Kenny P

2016-08-19

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder, and continuous airway positive pressure (CPAP) is considered to be the gold standard of therapy. CPAP however is known to have problems with adherence, with many patients eventually abandoning the device. The purpose of this paper is to assess secular trends in CPAP adherence over the long term to see if there have been meaningful improvements in adherence in light of the multiple interventions proposed to do so. A comprehensive systematic literature review was conducted using the Medline-Ovid, Embase, and Pubmed databases, searching for data regarding CPAP adherence over a twenty year timeframe (1994-2015). Data was assessed for quality and then extracted. The main outcome measure was reported CPAP non-adherence. Secondary outcomes included changes in CPAP non-adherence when comparing short versus long-term, and changes in terms of behavioral counseling. Eighty-two papers met study inclusion/exclusion criteria. The overall CPAP non-adherence rate based on a 7-h/night sleep time that was reported in studies conducted over the twenty year time frame was 34.1 %. There was no significant improvement over the time frame. Behavioral intervention improved adherence rates by ~1 h per night on average. The rate of CPAP adherence remains persistently low over twenty years worth of reported data. No clinically significant improvement in CPAP adherence was seen even in recent years despite efforts toward behavioral intervention and patient coaching. This low rate of adherence is problematic, and calls into question the concept of CPAP as gold-standard of therapy for OSA.

Twenty-Five Years of Gene Therapy for ADA-SCID: From Bubble Babies to an Approved Drug.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrua, Francesca; Aiuti, Alessandro

2017-11-01

Twenty-five years have passed since first attempts of gene therapy (GT) in children affected by severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to adenosine deaminase (ADA) defect, also known by the general public as bubble babies. ADA-SCID is fatal early in life if untreated. Unconditioned hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplant from matched sibling donor represents a curative treatment but is available for few patients. Enzyme replacement therapy can be life-saving, but its chronic use has many drawbacks. This review summarizes the history of ADA-SCID GT over the last 25 years, starting from first pioneering studies in the early 1990s using gamma-retroviral vectors, based on multiple infusions of genetically corrected autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes. HSC represented the ideal target for gene correction to guarantee production of engineered multi-lineage progeny, but it required a decade to achieve therapeutic benefit with this approach. Introduction of low-intensity conditioning represented a crucial step in achieving stable gene-corrected HSC engraftment and therapeutic levels of ADA-expressing cells. Recent clinical trials demonstrated that gamma-retroviral GT for ADA-SCID has a favorable safety profile and is effective in restoring normal purine metabolism and immune functions in patients >13 years after treatment. No abnormal clonal proliferation or leukemia development have been observed in >40 patients treated experimentally in five different centers worldwide. In 2016, the medicinal product Strimvelis™ received marketing approval in Europe for patients affected by ADA-SCID without a suitable human leukocyte antigen-matched related donor. Positive safety and efficacy results have been obtained in GT clinical trials using lentiviral vectors encoding ADA. The results obtained in last 25 years in ADA-SCID GT development fundamentally contributed to improve patients' prognosis, together with earlier diagnosis thanks to newborn screening. These advances

Twenty years of energy policy: What should we have learned?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, D.L.

1994-07-01

This report examines the past twenty years of energy market events and energy policies to determine what may be useful for the future. The author focuses on two important lessons that should have been learned but which the author feels have been seriously misunderstood. The first is that oil price shocks were a very big and very real problem for oil importing countries, a problem the has not gone away. The second is that automobile fuel economy regulation has worked and worked effectively to reduce oil consumption and the externalities associated with it, and can still work effectively in the future

Twenty years of energy policy: What should we have learned?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greene, D.L. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Center for Transportation Analysis

1994-07-01

This report examines the past twenty years of energy market events and energy policies to determine what may be useful for the future. The author focuses on two important lessons that should have been learned but which the author feels have been seriously misunderstood. The first is that oil price shocks were a very big and very real problem for oil importing countries, a problem the has not gone away. The second is that automobile fuel economy regulation has worked and worked effectively to reduce oil consumption and the externalities associated with it, and can still work effectively in the future.

Twenty-five years of post-Bretton Woods experience: some lessons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. ASKARI

1999-03-01

Full Text Available In 1971 many academic economists were predicting that the Bretton Woods system of fixed parities would collapse. Some, most notably Milton Friedman, became excited about the possibility of a floating system because the benefits of international capital mobility can only be achieved through the flexibility in the exchange rate. These economists argued that a floating exchange rate system can ensure positive results more than the fixed parities system. Twenty-five years later, however, there is still no consensus on the matter. The author reviews the post-Bretton Woods experience to highlight some policies and approaches that might be helpful for the future.

IN BANGLADESH DIABETES STARTS EARLIER NOW THAN 10 YEARS BACK: A BIRDEM STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvin Akter Khanam

2008-01-01

Full Text Available BIRDEM is the largest referral center of diabetes in the world. It registered more than 300,000 diabetic patients from 1956 to 2005. This retrospective study compared the biophysical characteristics of diabetic patients registered in 1995 to those registered in 2005. Information on social (income, education, clinical (height, weight, blood pressure and oral glucose tolerance (OGTT of patients registered in 1995 and 2005 were retrieved from the BIRDEM registry. The age group ³ 20y was considered eligible. Overall, there were 11489 patients for 1995 and 19580 for 2005. Compared with the registry of 1995, a significant increase of registry for female patients were observed (39.5 vs. 46.7%, p<0.001 and also the rural population (31.9 vs. 47.4%, p<0.001. Likewise, the number of poor social class was also found higher in 2005 (5.2 vs. 25.5%, p<0.001. Young aged (<40y registry was also significantly higher in 2005 (34.4 vs. 37.1%, p<0.001. Compared with the registered patients of 1995, adjusted for sex and area, those of 2005 had a significantly higher BMI, higher FPG and higher 2hPG (for all, p<0.001. In contrast, a significantly lower age, lower height and lower blood pressure were observed in those of 2005. We conclude that the age at registration for diabetes has decreased significantly in 2005 compared to that in 1995 indicating an earlier onset of diabetes. Significantly higher obesity in the year 2005 than 1995 indicates that there has been an increase in obesity that might be an important contributing factor for earlier onset of diabetes. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2008; 2(1: 1-3

Twenty years of operation of Ljubljana's TRIGA Mark II reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimic, V.

1986-01-01

Twenty years have now passed since the start of the TRIGA Mark II reactor in Ljubljana. The reactor was critical on May 31, 1966. The total energy produced until the end of May 1986 was 14.048 MWh or 585 MWd. For the first 14 years (until 1981) the yearly energy produced was about 600 MWh, since 1981 the yearly energy produced was 1000 MWh when a routine radioactive isotopes production started for medical use as well as other industrial applications, such as doping and irradiation with fast neutrons of silicon monocrystals, production of level indicators (irradiated cobalt wire), production of radioactive iridium for gamma-radiography, leak detection in pipes by sodium, etc. Besides these, applied research around the reactor is being conducted in the following main fields, where- many unique methods have been developed or have found their way into the local industry or hospitals: neutron radiography, neutron induced auto-radiography using solid state nuclear track detectors, nondestructive methods for assessment of nuclear burn-up, neutron dosimetry, calculation of core burn-up for the optimal in-core fuel management strategy. The solvent extraction method was developed for the everyday production of 99m Tc, which is the most widely used radionuclide in diagnostic nuclear medicine. The methods were developed for the production of the following isotopes: 18 F, 85m Kr, 24 Na, 82 Br, 64 Zn, 125 I. Neutron activation analysis represents one of the major usages for the TRIGA reactor. Basic research is being conducted in the following main fields: solid state physics (elastic and inelastic scattering of the neutrons), neutron dosimetry, neutron radiography, reactor physics and neutron activation analysis. The reactor is used very extensively as a main instrument in the Reactor Training Centre in Ljubljana where manpower training for our nuclear power plant and other organisations has been performed. Although the reactor was designed very carefully in order to be used for

Twenty years of environmental opposition in the electric sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molocchi, Andrea

1997-01-01

This article aims to provide a framework for analysing social opposition In Italy against the construction and management of electric power plants (nuclear and thermoelectric) and big electricity power lines in the past twenty years. First The author provide a history of social environmental opposition in the electric sector. This is followed by a typology of reason for opposition in terms of risk perception, which has been applied to about forty cases of social opposition against electric plants. This study an original experimental methodology which could also yield useful results when applied to other complex social phenomena. In the third phase of the study the author analyse the various roles of the social and institutional actors involved in the opposition, and the obstacles to future consensus building. The most interesting result of the study is the not only social but political nature opposition. This factor necessitates integration of the traditional individual risk perception approach with an approach which analyses political and social action of NGO's

Achievements in the past twenty years and perspective outlook of crop space breeding in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Luxiang; Guo Huijun; Zhao Linshu; Gu Jiayu; Zhao Shirong

2007-01-01

Space breeding is a novel effective approach to crop mutational improvement, which was firstly founded by the chinese scientists in 1987. A national collaborative research network has been established and significant achievements have been made during the past twenty years. More than forty new mutant varieties derived from space mutagenesis in rice, wheat, cotton, sweet pepper, tomato, sesame and alfalfa have been developed, officially released and put into production. A series of useful rare mutant germplasms which might make a great breakthrough in crop grain yield and/or quality improvement have been obtained. Technique innovations in space breeding and ground simulation of space environmental factors have been made good progresses. Intellective property right protection and industrialization of space mutation techniques and mutant varieties, exploration of the mechanism of space mutation induction have also been stably advanced. In this paper, the main achievements of crop space breeding in the past twenty years had been reviewed. The perspective development strategies of space breeding were also discussed. (authors)

Age of diagnosis of breast cancer in china: almost 10 years earlier than in the United States and the European union.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qing-Kun; Li, Jing; Huang, Rong; Fan, Jin-Hu; Zheng, Rong-Shou; Zhang, Bao-Ning; Zhang, Bin; Tang, Zhong-Hua; Xie, Xiao-Ming; Yang, Hong-Jian; He, Jian-Jun; Li, Hui; Li, Jia-Yuan; Qiao, You-Lin; Chen, Wan-Qing

2014-01-01

The study aimed to describe the age distribution of breast cancer diagnosis among Chinese females for comparison with the United States and the European Union, and provide evidence for the screening target population in China. Median age was estimated from hospital databases from 7 tertiary hospitals in China. Population-based data in China, United States and European Union was extracted from the National Central Cancer Registry, SEER program and GLOBOCAN 2008, respectively. Age-standardized distribution of breast cancer at diagnosis in the 3 areas was estimated based on the World Standard Population 2000. The median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was around 50 in China, nearly 10 years earlier than United States and European Union. The diagnosis age in China did not vary between subgroups of calendar year, region and pathological characteristics. With adjustment for population structure, median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was 50~54 in China, but 55~59 in United States and European Union. The median diagnosis age of female breast cancer is much earlier in China than in the United States and the European Union pointing to racial differences in genetics and lifestyle. Screening programs should start at an earlier age for Chinese women and age disparities between Chinese and Western women warrant further studies.

The covered distance for twenty five years of the Manche waste storage 1969 - 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gourden, J.M.

2001-01-01

The twenty five years of the Manche plant,are narrated with the difficulties of the beginning, the problems coming from leaks or runoff that have led to improvement in the knowledge of radioactive waste behaviour and the solutions that have been brought. It is from the building of the plant until the radioactive waste management that is related in this book. (N.C.)

Twenty years of operation of WWER 440/230 units in Jaslovske Bohunice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomek, J.

1998-01-01

It is twenty years this year since the first unit WWER 440 of Slovak Nuclear Power Plant Jaslovske Bohunice was commissioned. There are four units WWER 440 in operation Jaslovske Bohunice site. First two units of older soviet PWR design V-230 (also known as V-1) and other two units of newer V-213 type (also known as V-2). The goal of this presentation is to summarize and evaluate the operation of Unit 1 and 2 for this period of time and mainly to describe what has been done and what is planned to be done to increase the nuclear safety and operational reliability of both units. The operating organization and regulatory authority assume that an internationally acceptable level of safety will be reached by accomplishing of the upgrading program.(author)

Twenty years' application of agricultural countermeasures following the Chernobyl accident: lessons learned

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fesenko, S V; Alexakhin, R M; Balonov, M I; Bogdevich, I M; Howard, B J; Kashparov, V A; Sanzharova, N I; Panov, A V; Voigt, G; Zhuchenka, Yu M

2006-01-01

The accident at the Chernobyl NPP (nuclear power plant) was the most serious ever to have occurred in the history of nuclear energy. The consumption of contaminated foodstuffs in affected areas was a significant source of irradiation for the population. A wide range of different countermeasures have been used to reduce exposure of people and to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident for agriculture in affected regions in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. This paper for the first time summarises key data on countermeasure application over twenty years for all three countries and describes key lessons learnt from this experience. (review)

Twenty years of „post-communism”: the radiography of a political failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurora Martin

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This empirical view on the current „state” of Romania has as main objective to emphasize that the contemporary economic crisis actually revealed some other escalated crises in the very heart of the Romanian society. The vicious circle determined by three crises – one political, another social-institutional and last, but not least, a cultural one, continuously weakened the state for the last twenty years. Romania will overcome the economic crisis but the key for walking out of the above-mentioned circle would be the real transformation of its core systems – political, institutional and educational.

Twenty years on: Poverty and hardship in urban Fiji

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenny Bryant-Tokalau

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Through ‘official statistics’, academic and donor interpretations as well as the eyes of Suva residents, this paper presents an overview and case study of twenty years of growing poverty and hardship in the contemporary Pacific. Focusing on the past two decades, the paper notes how much, and yet so little, has changed for those attempting to make a living in the rapidly developing towns and cities. Changing interpretations of poverty and hardship are presented, moving from the ‘no such thing’ view, to simplification, and finally to an understanding that Pacific island countries, especially Fiji, are no longer an ‘extension’ of Australia and New Zealand, but independent nations actively trying to find solutions to their issues of economic, social and political hardship whilst facing challenges to traditional institutions and networks. Fiji is in some respects a very particular case as almost half of the population has limited access to secure land, but the very nature of that vulnerability to hardship and poverty holds useful lessons for wider analysis.

Twenty years of RERTR in Russia: Past, present and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arkhangelsky, N.

2000-01-01

The Russian RERTR Program started approximately 20 years ago. The USSR always supported principles and goals of the policy of nonproliferation and at the end of 70's the Soviet Government decided to create such national program. Twenty years is the sufficient time to estimate preliminary results of the realization of the program and its prospects on the future. After the first successes of the program, when the enrichment of uranium in fuel elements for foreign supplies was reduced from 80 % to 36 %, the realization of the program was suspended in connection with financial difficulties. But in the beginning of the 90's the Program has received a new pulse connected to the inclusion of Russian scientists and engineers in the international Program. Now basic directions in development of new kinds of fuel are development of works on fuel on a basis dioxide of uranium and development of fuel on a basis of U-Mo alloy. In the future to basic goals of the program the problem of the management of the spent nuclear fuel should be added. The management of HEU at the final stage of a fuel cycle becomes an important objective of the program, since the basic amount of HEU is concentrated in storage of SNF. (author)

The deep, hot biosphere: Twenty-five years of retrospection.

Science.gov (United States)

Colman, Daniel R; Poudel, Saroj; Stamps, Blake W; Boyd, Eric S; Spear, John R

2017-07-03

Twenty-five years ago this month, Thomas Gold published a seminal manuscript suggesting the presence of a "deep, hot biosphere" in the Earth's crust. Since this publication, a considerable amount of attention has been given to the study of deep biospheres, their role in geochemical cycles, and their potential to inform on the origin of life and its potential outside of Earth. Overwhelming evidence now supports the presence of a deep biosphere ubiquitously distributed on Earth in both terrestrial and marine settings. Furthermore, it has become apparent that much of this life is dependent on lithogenically sourced high-energy compounds to sustain productivity. A vast diversity of uncultivated microorganisms has been detected in subsurface environments, and we show that H 2 , CH 4 , and CO feature prominently in many of their predicted metabolisms. Despite 25 years of intense study, key questions remain on life in the deep subsurface, including whether it is endemic and the extent of its involvement in the anaerobic formation and degradation of hydrocarbons. Emergent data from cultivation and next-generation sequencing approaches continue to provide promising new hints to answer these questions. As Gold suggested, and as has become increasingly evident, to better understand the subsurface is critical to further understanding the Earth, life, the evolution of life, and the potential for life elsewhere. To this end, we suggest the need to develop a robust network of interdisciplinary scientists and accessible field sites for long-term monitoring of the Earth's subsurface in the form of a deep subsurface microbiome initiative.

Twenty Years of Research on RNS for DSP: Lessons Learned and Future Perspectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albicocco, Pietro; Cardarilli, Gian Carlo; Nannarelli, Alberto

2014-01-01

In this paper, we discuss a number of issues emerged from our twenty-year long experience in applying the Residue Number System (RNS) to DSP systems. In early days, RNS was mainly used to reach the maximum performance in speed. Today, RNS is also used to obtain powerefficient (tradeoffs speed......-power) and reliable systems (redundant RNS). Advances in microelectronics and CAD tools play an important role in favoring one technology over another, and a winning choice of the past may become at disadvantage today. In this paper, we address a number of factors influencing the choice of RNS as the winning solution...

Twenty years' application of agricultural countermeasures following the Chernobyl accident: lessons learned

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fesenko, S V [International Atomic Energy Agency, 1400 Vienna (Austria); Alexakhin, R M [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, 249020 Obninsk (Russian Federation); Balonov, M I [International Atomic Energy Agency, 1400 Vienna (Austria); Bogdevich, I M [Research Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Minsk (Belarus); Howard, B J [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LAI 4AP (United Kingdom); Kashparov, V A [Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology (UIAR), Mashinostroiteley Street 7, Chabany, Kiev Region 08162 (Ukraine); Sanzharova, N I [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, 249020 Obninsk (Russian Federation); Panov, A V [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, 249020 Obninsk (Russian Federation); Voigt, G [International Atomic Energy Agency, 1400 Vienna (Austria); Zhuchenka, Yu M [Research Institute of Radiology, 246000 Gomel (Belarus)

2006-12-15

The accident at the Chernobyl NPP (nuclear power plant) was the most serious ever to have occurred in the history of nuclear energy. The consumption of contaminated foodstuffs in affected areas was a significant source of irradiation for the population. A wide range of different countermeasures have been used to reduce exposure of people and to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident for agriculture in affected regions in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. This paper for the first time summarises key data on countermeasure application over twenty years for all three countries and describes key lessons learnt from this experience. (review)

Twenty-Five Year Site Plan FY2013 - FY2037

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, William H. [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2012-07-12

Los Alamos National Laboratory (the Laboratory) is the nation's premier national security science laboratory. Its mission is to develop and apply science and technology to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the United States (U.S.) nuclear stockpile; reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction, proliferation, and terrorism; and solve national problems in defense, energy, and the environment. The fiscal year (FY) 2013-2037 Twenty-Five Year Site Plan (TYSP) is a vital component for planning to meet the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) commitment to ensure the U.S. has a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent. The Laboratory also uses the TYSP as an integrated planning tool to guide development of an efficient and responsive infrastructure that effectively supports the Laboratory's missions and workforce. Emphasizing the Laboratory's core capabilities, this TYSP reflects the Laboratory's role as a prominent contributor to NNSA missions through its programs and campaigns. The Laboratory is aligned with Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) modernization activities outlined in the NNSA Strategic Plan (May 2011) which include: (1) ensuring laboratory plutonium space effectively supports pit manufacturing and enterprise-wide special nuclear materials consolidation; (2) constructing the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility (CMRR-NF); (3) establishing shared user facilities to more cost effectively manage high-value, experimental, computational and production capabilities; and (4) modernizing enduring facilities while reducing the excess facility footprint. Th is TYSP is viewed by the Laboratory as a vital planning tool to develop an effi cient and responsive infrastructure. Long range facility and infrastructure development planning are critical to assure sustainment and modernization. Out-year re-investment is essential for sustaining existing facilities, and will be re-evaluated on an annual

Twenty years of experience with central softening in The Netherlands : Water quality – Environmental benefits – Costs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofman, J.A.M.H.; Kramer, O.J.I.; van der Hoek, J.P.; Nederlof, M; Groenendijk, M

2006-01-01

Central softening has been utilized by the Dutch water utilities since the late 1970s. It was introduced in the water treatment process as a method to supply water with an optimum water composition to prevent lead and copper release and to prevent excessive scaling. Twenty years of experience show

Elevated dioxin levels in chloracne cases twenty years after the Seveso, Italy accident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baccarelli, A.; Pesatori, A.C.; Consonni, D.; Bonzini, M.; Giacomini, S.M.; Bertazzi, P.A. [EPOCA Research Center, Univ. of Milan (Italy); Mocarelli, P. [Dept. of Lab. Medicine, Univ. of Milan-Bicocca, Desio (Italy); Patterson, D.G. Jr. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA (United States); Caporaso, N.E.; Landi, M.T. [Div. of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Inst., NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD (United States)

2004-09-15

In July 1976, an industrial accident contaminated a residential area surrounding Seveso, Italy, with high levels of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The exposure was acute, relatively pure, and affected more than 45,000 men, women, and children. By February 1978, 193 chloracne cases, mostly children, had been identified in the exposed population. Twenty years after, we conducted a case-control study on subjects diagnosed with chloracne and control subjects, who had not developed chloracne after the accident, to evaluate their TCDD plasma levels, as well as the exposure-response relationship and possible determinants of susceptibility to TCDD effects in this population.

Mercury pollution control in industrial area in Rosignano Marittimo (Italy) during last twenty years (1971-1991)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertani, R.

1995-01-01

Author takes into account some papers dealing with mercury environmental pollution, appeared in different scientific journals over the last twenty years, in the aim of defining a homogeneous frame for the comprehension of the environmental situation development. Data relating to air, marine water, sediments, animal and vegetal organisms, show a consistent decreasing of mercury emissions with the passing of time. Nevertheless, author fearfully points out the environmental fate of the mercury which has been heavily released from the plant in the past years and to whom he wishes to turn attention for the assessment of an adequate control procedure

Normal Health-Related Quality of Life and Ability to Work Twenty-nine Years After in Situ Arthrodesis for High-Grade Isthmic Spondylolisthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Joelson, Anders; Hedlund, Rune; Frennered, Karin

2014-06-18

The purpose of this mixed prospective and retrospective case series was to evaluate the long-term health-related quality of life and physical disability after in situ arthrodesis for high-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis. Thirty-five of forty consecutive patients who had in situ spinal arthrodesis for high-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis at a mean age of fifteen years (range, nine to twenty-five years) completed validated questionnaires (Short Form-36 [SF-36], EuroQol-5 Dimensions [EQ-5D], Zung depression scale, Oswestry disability index [ODI], Million score, and back and leg pain visual analog scale [VAS]) and underwent physical examination twenty-nine years (range, twenty-three to thirty-five years) after surgery. The mean age at the time of follow-up was forty-three years (range, thirty-seven to fifty-one years). In the absence of a formal control group, the scores on the SF-36 and EQ-5D were compared with Swedish normative data. The proportion of patients at work was compared with an age-matched control group derived from official statistics of Sweden. The Million score at the long-term follow-up was compared with the corresponding results at the mid-term follow-up of the same patients at a mean age of twenty-two years. The scores on the SF-36 and EQ-5D were similar to the scores of the general Swedish population. The mean Zung depression scale score was 30 (range, 20 to 52), the mean ODI score was 10 (range, 0 to 34), the mean back pain VAS score was 13 (range, 0 to 72), and the mean leg pain VAS score was 9 (range, 0 to 60). The Million score averaged 28 (range, 0 to 109) and was slightly worsened compared with the score of 19 (range, 0 to 94) at the mid-term follow-up (p = 0.034). The proportion of patients at work was the same as that for the age-matched general Swedish population. Our study shows good outcomes in health-related quality of life, disability, pain, and ability to work at up to twenty-nine years after in situ lumbar spine arthrodesis for high

Building On Builder: The Persistent Icarus Syndrome at Twenty Years

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

mission of the United States Air Force is to "fly, fight, and win…in air, space and cyberspace"--as an intergral member of the Joint team that...Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the Twenty-First Century (New York: Bantam Books Trade Paperbacksl, 2009), 17. 33 Carl H. Builder

CND twenty years on

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, R.; Pritchard, C.

1980-01-01

A study is presented of people who were supporters or leaders in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in the 1950s and 1960s. Information is given from questionnaires completed by 403 respondents, about their social and political development during the past 20 years. (author)

Twenty years of renewable energy law; 20 Jahre Recht der Erneuerbaren Energien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Thorsten (ed.)

2012-07-01

The present volume was compiled as part of a project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, one event under which was the seventh Wuerzburg conference on environmental energy law with the title ''Twenty Years of Renewable Energy Law'' which took place on 13/14 October 2010. It comprises 36 contributions which, from different scientific perspectives, take stock of the significance of renewable energies for climate protection and the energy supply, examine the developments of the past 20 years and draw conclusions for the future use of renewable energy. The authors are scientists from the areas of climate research, economics, political science, engineering, environmental psychology and jurisprudence who have dedicated their work to issues that directly or indirectly relate to the expansion of renewable energies. Together they have created an overall picture of renewable energies with its many different aspects and related topics, a picture that necessarily cannot be complete but which nevertheless provides many rich insights. The great majority of articles were written around the turn of the year to 2011, just after the granting of lifetime extension for German nuclear power plants. They thus only take sparse account of the diverse and for some part far-reaching changes in German energy policy that came about after the reactor disaster in Fukushima.

Serum concentrations and profiles of polychlorinated biphenyls in Taiwan Yu-cheng victims twenty years after the incident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lung, S.-C. Candice [Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan 115 (China); Guo, Y.-L.L. [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138 Sheng-Li Rd., Tainan, Taiwan 70428 (China); Chang, H.-Y.[Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138 Sheng-Li Rd., Tainan, Taiwan 70428 (China)]. E-mail: h7154@mail.ncku.edu.tw

2005-07-15

In 1979, about 2000 people in central Taiwan were intoxicated via rice oil consumption that was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This 'Yu-cheng' incident was one of the two known major human PCB intoxication episodes. Twenty years after the intoxication, serum samples of 435 Yu-cheng victims, 414 adults and 21 children, were collected. Sixteen PCB congeners were analyzed with a gas chromatograph-electron capture detector. We found the median concentration of total PCBs in the adult serum was 1500 ng/g lipid, still substantially higher than that of the general population in Taiwan (3.7-fold) and most seafood consumers in the world. Most of analyzed PCB congeners in children were below or around the detection limits. Congener no. 138, however, had the highest concentrations, approximately accounting for 55% and 29% in the child and adult groups, respectively. Given that PCBs are persistent organic pollutants and endocrine disruptors, the concentrations and congener-specific profiles regarding the Yu-cheng victims provide valuable information for the investigation of such chemicals in humans. - Total serum PCBs in the Yu-cheng adult victims twenty years after the incident were still higher than that of the general population in Taiwan.

Daily Use, Especially of High-Potency Cannabis, Drives the Earlier Onset of Psychosis in Cannabis Users

Science.gov (United States)

Di Forti, Marta; Sallis, Hannah; Allegri, Fabio; Trotta, Antonella; Ferraro, Laura; Stilo, Simona A.; Marconi, Arianna; La Cascia, Caterina; Reis Marques, Tiago; Pariante, Carmine; Dazzan, Paola; Mondelli, Valeria; Paparelli, Alessandra; Kolliakou, Anna; Prata, Diana; Gaughran, Fiona; David, Anthony S.; Morgan, Craig; Stahl, Daniel; Khondoker, Mizanur; MacCabe, James H.; Murray, Robin M.

2014-01-01

Cannabis use is associated with an earlier age of onset of psychosis (AOP). However, the reasons for this remain debated. Methods: We applied a Cox proportional hazards model to 410 first-episode psychosis patients to investigate the association between gender, patterns of cannabis use, and AOP. Results: Patients with a history of cannabis use presented with their first episode of psychosis at a younger age (mean years = 28.2, SD = 8.0; median years = 27.1) than those who never used cannabis (mean years = 31.4, SD = 9.9; median years = 30.0; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.16–1.74; P cannabis at age 15 or younger had an earlier onset of psychosis (mean years = 27.0, SD = 6.2; median years = 26.9) than those who had started after 15 years (mean years = 29.1, SD = 8.5; median years = 27.8; HR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.06–1.84; P = .050). Importantly, subjects who had been using high-potency cannabis (skunk-type) every day had the earliest onset (mean years = 25.2, SD = 6.3; median years = 24.6) compared to never users among all the groups tested (HR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.50- 2.65; P cannabis had an onset an average of 6 years earlier than that of non-cannabis users. Conclusions: Daily use, especially of high-potency cannabis, drives the earlier onset of psychosis in cannabis users. PMID:24345517

2011 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments: Enrollments Decline, Reversing the Increase of a Year Earlier, and Suggesting Slow Growth for Future

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Lee B.; Vlad, Tudor; Kalpen, Konrad

2012-01-01

Enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs declined in the autumn of 2011, compared to a year earlier. Enrollments were down slightly at the senior and junior levels and substantially at the freshman level. Enrollment increased at the sophomore level. The majority of administrators say they have made curricular changes in the past…

Gasification of waste. Summary and conclusions of twenty-five years of development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rensfelt, Erik [TPS Termiska Processer AB, Nykoeping (Sweden); Oestman, Anders [Kemiinformation AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2000-04-01

An overview of nearly thirty years development of waste gasification and pyrolysis technology is given, and some major general conclusions are drawn. The aim has been to give new developers an overview of earlier major attempts to treat MSW/RDF with thermochemical processes, gasification or pyrolysis. Research work in general is not covered, only R and D efforts that have led to substantial testing in pilot scale or demonstration. For further details, especially related to ongoing R and D, readers are referred to other recent reviews. The authors' view is that gasification of RDF with appropriate gas cleaning can play an important role in the future, for environmentally acceptable and efficient energy production. A prerequisite is that some of the major mistakes can be avoided, such as: (1) too rapid scale-up without experimental base, (2) unsuitable pretreatment of MSW to RDF and poor integration with material recycling, and (3) too limited gas/flue gas cleaning.

One hundred and twenty-five years of the Annals of Botany. Part 2: the years 1937 to 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Michael B.

2016-01-01

Background Annals of Botany is a peer-reviewed plant biology journal. It was started in 1887, making it the oldest continuously published plant science title. A previous article [Jackson MB. 2015. One hundred and twenty-five years of the Annals of Botany. Part 1: the first 50 years (1887–1936). Annals of Botany 115: 1–18] summarized events leading to its founding, highlighted the individuals involved and examined the Journal’s achievements and management practices over the first 50 years to 1937. This second article covers the next 75 years. Sources of information The account draws principally on the Journal’s own records, minute books, financial accounts, original letters and notes held by the Annals of Botany Company, the Journal’s owners and managers. Content In 1937, its 51st year, the Journal was re-launched as Annals of Botany New Series and its volume numbers were reset to No. I. The present article evaluates the evolution of the New Series up to 2012, Annals of Botany’s 125th anniversary year. The period includes a 2-year run-up to World War II, six war years and their immediate aftermath, and then on through increasingly competitive times. The ebb and flow of the Journal’s fortunes are set against a roll-call of the often highly distinguished scientists who managed and edited the Journal. The article also examines an internal crisis in the 1980s that radically altered the Journal’s organization in ways that were, ultimately, to its benefit. The narrative is set against changes to economic conditions in Great Britain over the period, to the evolving nature and geographical distribution of much experimental plant science and to the digital revolution that, from the late 20th century, transformed the workings of Annals of Botany and of scientific publishing more generally. PMID:27974325

Twenty Years After the 1988 Yellowstone Fires: Lessons About Disturbance and Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Romme, W.H.; Boyce, M.S.; Gresswell, R.; Merrill, E.H.; Minshall, G.W.; Whitlock, C.; Turner, M.G.

2011-01-01

The 1988 Yellowstone fires were among the first in what has proven to be an upsurge in large severe fires in the western USA during the past 20 years. At the time of the fires, little was known about the impacts of such a large severe disturbance because scientists had had few previous opportunities to study such an event. Ecologists predicted short- and long-term effects of the 1988 fires on vegetation, biogeochemistry, primary productivity, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems based on scientific understanding of the time. Twenty-plus years of subsequent study allow these early predictions to be evaluated. Most of the original predictions were at least partially supported, but some predictions were refuted, others nuanced, and a few postfire phenomena were entirely unexpected. Post-1988 Yellowstone studies catalyzed advances in ecology focused on the importance of spatial and temporal heterogeneity, contingent influences, and multiple interacting drivers. Post-1988 research in Yellowstone also has changed public perceptions of fire as an ecological process and attitudes towards fire management. Looking ahead to projected climate change and more frequent large fires, the well-documented ecological responses to the 1988 Yellowstone fires provide a foundation for detecting and evaluating potential changes in fire regimes of temperate mountainous regions. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

The earlier identification of the seedless characteristic of the wampee

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2010-12-13

Dec 13, 2010 ... the production of new seedless wampee cultivars in recent years were operated. ... increase burliness rate in hybridization. In order to earlier ... methods is greatly limited due to a long juvenile phase of ... Plant materials .... This fragment may be linked ... reduce high temperature which affected pollen germi-.

Twenty-five years of the common market in coal, 1953--1978. [genesis and growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-01-01

Twenty-five years have passed since the European Coal and Steel commmunity was established. An attempt is made to show what economic integration is, what problems have arisen, and how the community has tried to overcome them. Three phases can be distinguished during the period under review--a first phase of growth in the coal industry between 1953 and 1957; a second phase marked by a plentiful supply of cheap hydrocarbons and a rapid reduction in coal output despite exceptional growth, linked with a parallel increase in overall energy requirements; and a third phase from 1973, marked by sharp price increases by the oil producing countries with repercussions on the world market in coal.

Reactions to combat stress in Israeli veterans twenty years after the 1982 Lebanon war.

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, Zahava; Shklar, Rami; Singer, Yaffa; Mikulincer, Mario

2006-12-01

During the war or shortly thereafter, the most common manifestation of combat induced psychopathology is combat stress reaction (CSR). The long-term consequences of CSR have so far received little scientific attention. The aim of this study was to examine whether CSR is a marker for long-term PTSD and other psychiatric comorbidities. Two groups of veterans from the 1982 Lebanon war were assessed 20 years after the war: one comprised 286 CSR casualties and the other comprised 218 matched non-CSR soldiers. Participants were assessed for PTSD, psychiatric symptomatology, social functioning, physical health, and postwar life events. Twenty years after the war, veterans with antecedent CSR reported more PTSD, psychiatric symptomatology and distress, social dysfunction, and health problems than did non-CSR veterans. We conclude that CSR should be seen as a marker for long-term psychiatric distress and impairment. In addition, the implications of combat-related trauma are broad and varied, and go beyond the narrow scope of PTSD.

Twenty-five years of transient counting experience in French PWR units

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barthelet, B. [Electricite de France (EDF DPN), 93 - Saint-Denis (France); Savoldelli, D.; Fritz, R. [Electricite de France (EDF DPN), 93 - Noisy le Grand (France)

2001-07-01

For nearly twenty five years, EDF has been checking that the actual operating transients are neither more severe nor more numerous than the design basis transients. This activity of transient cycle counting and bookkeeping has enabled EDF to own a database of more than 800 reactor.years for the PWR units. The current method of transient cycle counting is presented. In the paper, we will point out the main results of transient cycle counting and lessons learned. In general, the frequencies of transients are lower than the design frequencies. In few cases, they are higher, such as the transient frequencies of the RCS lines connected to auxiliary systems often due to operating procedures or particular periodic testing. Few periodic tests were not taken into account in the design basis transient file ; they have been detected thanks to the transient cycle counting. In the last 1980's, we achieved the first updating of the design basis transient file for the PWR 900 MWe series. In the early 1990's, we updated the design basis transient file of the PWR 1300 MWe series. In fact, since design and start-up, the operating conditions have been modified (fuel cycle with stretch-out, modification of the hot leg and cold leg temperatures for the PWR 1300 MWe,...). This was the cause of many unclassified transients. In the new design basis transient file, we have created new transients and increased the frequencies of some of them. This has enabled to consider the updated design basis transient file more representative of actual operating transients. For some years, we have increasingly associated the operators with the transient cycle counting concern. We noticed progress (decreased frequencies of most transients). (authors)

Twenty-five years of transient counting experience in French PWR units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthelet, B.; Savoldelli, D.; Fritz, R.

2001-01-01

For nearly twenty five years, EDF has been checking that the actual operating transients are neither more severe nor more numerous than the design basis transients. This activity of transient cycle counting and bookkeeping has enabled EDF to own a database of more than 800 reactor.years for the PWR units. The current method of transient cycle counting is presented. In the paper, we will point out the main results of transient cycle counting and lessons learned. In general, the frequencies of transients are lower than the design frequencies. In few cases, they are higher, such as the transient frequencies of the RCS lines connected to auxiliary systems often due to operating procedures or particular periodic testing. Few periodic tests were not taken into account in the design basis transient file ; they have been detected thanks to the transient cycle counting. In the last 1980's, we achieved the first updating of the design basis transient file for the PWR 900 MWe series. In the early 1990's, we updated the design basis transient file of the PWR 1300 MWe series. In fact, since design and start-up, the operating conditions have been modified (fuel cycle with stretch-out, modification of the hot leg and cold leg temperatures for the PWR 1300 MWe,...). This was the cause of many unclassified transients. In the new design basis transient file, we have created new transients and increased the frequencies of some of them. This has enabled to consider the updated design basis transient file more representative of actual operating transients. For some years, we have increasingly associated the operators with the transient cycle counting concern. We noticed progress (decreased frequencies of most transients). (authors)

Understanding Contamination; Twenty Years of Simulating Radiological Contamination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emily Snyder; John Drake; Ryan James

2012-02-01

A wide variety of simulated contamination methods have been developed by researchers to reproducibly test radiological decontamination methods. Some twenty years ago a method of non-radioactive contamination simulation was proposed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) that mimicked the character of radioactive cesium and zirconium contamination on stainless steel. It involved baking the contamination into the surface of the stainless steel in order to 'fix' it into a tenacious, tightly bound oxide layer. This type of contamination was particularly applicable to nuclear processing facilities (and nuclear reactors) where oxide growth and exchange of radioactive materials within the oxide layer became the predominant model for material/contaminant interaction. Additional simulation methods and their empirically derived basis (from a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility) are discussed. In the last ten years the INL, working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC), has continued to develop contamination simulation methodologies. The most notable of these newer methodologies was developed to compare the efficacy of different decontamination technologies against radiological dispersal device (RDD, 'dirty bomb') type of contamination. There are many different scenarios for how RDD contamination may be spread, but the most commonly used one at the INL involves the dispersal of an aqueous solution containing radioactive Cs-137. This method was chosen during the DARPA projects and has continued through the NHSRC series of decontamination trials and also gives a tenacious 'fixed' contamination. Much has been learned about the interaction of cesium contamination with building materials, particularly concrete, throughout these tests. The effects of porosity, cation-exchange capacity of the material and the amount of dirt and debris on the surface are very important factors

"Europe" as an Alibi: An Overview of Twenty Years of Policy, Curricula and Textbooks in the Republic of Cyprus--and Their Review

Science.gov (United States)

Philippou, Stavroula

2012-01-01

This article compares discourses on "Europe" in Greek-Cypriot policy, curricula and textbooks over approximately the last twenty years, from the early 1990s, when Cyprus applied for European Union (EU) membership, until 2011-12, the school year during which the recently revised curricula were gradually introduced to schools for…

One hundred and twenty-five years of the Annals of Botany. Part 2: the years 1937 to 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Michael B

2016-12-01

Annals of Botany is a peer-reviewed plant biology journal. It was started in 1887, making it the oldest continuously published plant science title. A previous article [Jackson MB. 2015. One hundred and twenty-five years of the Annals of Botany Part 1: the first 50 years (1887-1936). Annals of Botany 115: : 1-18] summarized events leading to its founding, highlighted the individuals involved and examined the Journal's achievements and management practices over the first 50 years to 1937. This second article covers the next 75 years. The account draws principally on the Journal's own records, minute books, financial accounts, original letters and notes held by the Annals of Botany Company, the Journal's owners and managers. In 1937, its 51st year, the Journal was re-launched as Annals of Botany New Series and its volume numbers were reset to No. I. The present article evaluates the evolution of the New Series up to 2012, Annals of Botany's 125th anniversary year. The period includes a 2-year run-up to World War II, six war years and their immediate aftermath, and then on through increasingly competitive times. The ebb and flow of the Journal's fortunes are set against a roll-call of the often highly distinguished scientists who managed and edited the Journal. The article also examines an internal crisis in the 1980s that radically altered the Journal's organization in ways that were, ultimately, to its benefit. The narrative is set against changes to economic conditions in Great Britain over the period, to the evolving nature and geographical distribution of much experimental plant science and to the digital revolution that, from the late 20th century, transformed the workings of Annals of Botany and of scientific publishing more generally. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Prescription stimulant use is associated with earlier onset of psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Lauren V; Masters, Grace A; Pingali, Samira; Cohen, Bruce M; Liebson, Elizabeth; Rajarethinam, R P; Ongur, Dost

2015-12-01

A childhood history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common in psychotic disorders, yet prescription stimulants may interact adversely with the physiology of these disorders. Specifically, exposure to stimulants leads to long-term increases in dopamine release. We therefore hypothesized that individuals with psychotic disorders previously exposed to prescription stimulants will have an earlier onset of psychosis. Age of onset of psychosis (AOP) was compared in individuals with and without prior exposure to prescription stimulants while controlling for potential confounding factors. In a sample of 205 patients recruited from an inpatient psychiatric unit, 40% (n = 82) reported use of stimulants prior to the onset of psychosis. Most participants were prescribed stimulants during childhood or adolescence for a diagnosis of ADHD. AOP was significantly earlier in those exposed to stimulants (20.5 vs. 24.6 years stimulants vs. no stimulants, p drugs of abuse, and family history of a first-degree relative with psychosis, the association between stimulant exposure and earlier AOP remained significant. There was a significant gender × stimulant interaction with a greater reduction in AOP for females, whereas the smaller effect of stimulant use on AOP in males did not reach statistical significance. In conclusion, individuals with psychotic disorders exposed to prescription stimulants had an earlier onset of psychosis, and this relationship did not appear to be mediated by IQ or cannabis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"The First Twenty Years," by Bernard J. Siegel. Annual Review of Anthropology, 22 (1993, pp. 1-34, Annual Reviews, Inc, Palo Alto

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James A. Delle

1995-05-01

Full Text Available After twenty years as editor of the Annual Review ofAnthropology (ARA, Professor Siegel took on a daunting task with this article. In his words, he set out to "ponder the developments in the several subfields of anthropol­ogy over this period of time, as reflected in the topics selected for review in this enterprise" (p. 8. To this end Siegel, a cultural anthropologist, mined the collective knowledge contained within twenty years of the ARA. In his presentation, he considers the intellectual developments within each of the five subdisciplines separately (he includes applied anthropology, concluding with some brief remarks on the importance of maintaining a four or five field approach to anthropology. For our purposes here, I will limit my comments to his section on archaeology.

Twenty years research of chronic gamma-ray irradiation on seed crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashita, Atsushi

1983-01-01

Twenty years of the works on the chronic gamma-ray irradiation of seed crops are summarized. Radiosensitivity and the mutation rate per unit exposure varies not only with the genetic factor but also depend on whether treatment is given to seeds or growing plants. The relation between the radiosensitivity of seeds and growing plants also varies with plant species. In Hordeum, Avena and Nicotiana, the highest mutation rate obtained by the chronic irradiation of growing plants is similar to that in seed irradiation, but in Oryza and Setalia, chronic irradiation was two to three times more effective for attaining a higher mutation rate. The mutation spectrum also varies with the mutagen, the factors modifying the effects of mutagen, and the dose of mutagen. The suitability of a particular mutagenic treatment to a species should be taken into consideration in the evaluation of mutagenic treatment. For instance, NaN 3 is highly mutagenic to barley, but less mutagenic to rice. The gene ea7 controlling the maturing earliness of barley seems to be mutable in chronic irradiation, and the mutants obtained by chronic irradiation are healthy. The author emphasized that the chronic irradiation at the gamma-field is a useful mutagenic treatment, even though some negative results have been reported in European countries. (Kaihara, S.)

Cardiac Complications, Earlier Treatment, and Initial Disease Severity in Kawasaki Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams, Joseph Y; Belay, Ermias D; Uehara, Ritei; Maddox, Ryan A; Schonberger, Lawrence B; Nakamura, Yosikazu

2017-09-01

To assess if observed higher observed risks of cardiac complications for patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) treated earlier may reflect bias due to confounding from initial disease severity, as opposed to any negative effect of earlier treatment. We used data from Japanese nationwide KD surveys from 1997 to 2004. Receipt of additional intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (data available all years) or any additional treatment (available for 2003-2004) were assessed as proxies for initial disease severity. We determined associations between earlier or later IVIG treatment (defined as receipt of IVIG on days 1-4 vs days 5-10 of illness) and cardiac complications by stratifying by receipt of additional treatment or by using logistic modeling to control for the effect of receiving additional treatment. A total of 48 310 patients with KD were included in the analysis. In unadjusted analysis, earlier IVIG treatment was associated with a higher risk for 4 categories of cardiac complications, including all major cardiac complications (risk ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.06-1.15). Stratifying by receipt of additional treatment removed this association, and earlier IVIG treatment became protective against all major cardiac complications when controlling for any additional treatment in logistic regressions (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.80-1.00). Observed higher risks of cardiac complications among patients with KD receiving IVIG treatment on days 1-4 of the illness are most likely due to underlying higher initial disease severity, and patients with KD should continue to be treated with IVIG as early as possible. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Twenty-year survivors of kidney transplantation.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Traynor, C

2012-12-01

There have been few studies of patients with renal allografts functioning for more than 20 years. We sought to identify clinical factors associated with ultra long-term (>20 year) renal allograft survival and to describe the clinical features of these patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of the Irish Renal Transplant Database and included 1174 transplants in 1002 patients. There were 255 (21.74%) patients with graft function for 20 years or more. Multivariate analysis identified recipient age (HR 1.01, CI 1.01-1.02), gender (male HR 1.25, CI 1.08-1.45), acute rejection (HR 1.26, CI 1.09-1.45) and transplant type (living related donor vs. deceased donor) (HR 0.52, CI 0.40-0.66) as significantly associated with long-term graft loss. Median serum creatinine was 115 μmol\\/L. The 5-year graft survival in 20-year survivors was 74.7%. The mean age at death was 62.7 years (±10.6). The most common causes of death were cardiovascular disease and malignancy. The two major causes of graft loss were death (with function) and interstitial fibrosis\\/tubular atrophy. Comorbidities included skin cancer (36.1%), coronary heart disease (17.3%) and other malignancies (14.5%). This study identifies factors associated with long-term allograft survival and a high rate of morbidity and early mortality in long-term transplant recipients.

Twenty Years after Philippine Trade Liberalization and Industrialization: What Has Happened and Where Do We Go from Here

OpenAIRE

Aldaba, Rafaelita M.

2013-01-01

The paper aims to review our trade liberalization policy and its contribution to the country`s industrial growth and performance. After more than twenty years of liberalization, the overall performance of the manufacturing industry has been weak, growth has been slow, and contribution to value added and employment has been limited. Total factor productivity growth declined from 1996 to 2006. The industrial structure has remained "hollow" or "missing" in the middle and medium enterprises have ...

Book review: Twenty-Five Years on the Cutting Edge of Obsidian Studies: Selected Readings from the IAOS Bulletin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean Dolan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Edited by Carolyn D. Dillian (Coastal Carolina University, Twenty-Five Years on the Cutting Edge of Obsidian Studies: Selected Readings from the IAOS Bulletin consists of 19 previously published articles from the International Association for Obsidian Studies (IAOS Bulletin. Dillian selected these articles because they provide a range of methodological and theoretical approaches concerning archaeological obsidian studies from around the world like Eretria, California, and the Near East, for example.

Changing trend of viral hepatitis -- 'A twenty one year report from Pakistan medical research council research centre, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, W.; Qureshi, H.; Arif, A.; Alam, S.E.

2010-01-01

To determine the frequency and pattern of Hepatitis B and C over the past twenty one years, in a liver research unit of Karachi. Retrospective analysis of the records of PMRC, Research Centre, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, from 1987 to 2007 were reviewed. A special flow sheet was made where information of all patients with viral liver disease was entered. Patients having complete information of viral markers were included in the analysis. Cases with HBsAg, Anti HBc IgM positive and raised ALT were considered as acute Hepatitis B. HBs Ag/ Anti HBc IgG positive were considered as chronic Hepatitis B. Delta antibody positive with or without HBsAg were considered as Delta Hepatitis. Anti HCV positive and raised ALT more than ten times for less than 6 months were considered as acute Hepatitis C, whereas Anti HCV and HCV-RNA positive with or without raised ALT for more than six months were considered as chronic Hepatitis C. Anti HEV IgM and Anti HAV IgM positive were considered as acute Hepatitis E and A respectively. A total of 5193 cases fulfilling all criteria of viral hepatitis were seen in the past 21 years. Of the total 3247 (62.5 %) were males and 1946 (37.5 %) females giving a male to female ratio of 1.7:1 Hepatitis C was the most common infection seen in 2896 cases (55.8 %), followed by Hepatitis B in 1691 cases (32.6 %). Seventy five percent cases of Hepatitis B were males and 25 % females while 55% Hepatitis C cases were males and 45 % females. Hepatitis B was seen a decade earlier in different age groups than hepatitis C. Overall, out of the total 5193 cases, 2294 (44.2%) were of chronic hepatitis, 1430 (27.5%) cirrhosis, 1083 (20.8%) carriers and 346 (6.7%) had acute hepatitis (hepatitis B; 214 (61.8%), hepatitis C; 21 (6.0%). While hepatitis B and hepatitis C both were present in 3 (1.3%). Hepatitis E was 70 (20.2%) hepatitis A 12 (3.5%) and all markers were negative in 26 (7.5%) cases). Forty cases (0.8%) were of Hepatocellular carcinoma

Insight Into Illness and Cognition in Schizophrenia in Earlier and Later Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerretsen, Philip; Voineskos, Aristotle N; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel; Menon, Mahesh; Pollock, Bruce G; Mamo, David C; Mulsant, Benoit H; Rajji, Tarek K

2017-04-01

Impaired insight into illness in schizophrenia is associated with illness severity and deficits in premorbid intellectual function, executive function, and memory. A previous study of patients aged 60 years and older found that illness severity and premorbid intellectual function accounted for variance in insight impairment. As such, we aimed to test whether similar relationships would be observed in earlier life. A retrospective analysis was performed on 1 large sample of participants (n = 171) with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of schizophrenia aged 19 to 79 years acquired from 2 studies: (1) a psychosocial intervention trial for older persons with schizophrenia (June 2008 to May 2014) and (2) a diffusion tensor imaging and genetics study of psychosis across the life span (February 2007 to December 2013). We assessed insight into illness using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) item G12 and explored its relationship to illness severity (PANSS total modified), premorbid intellectual function (Wechsler Test of Adult Reading [WTAR]), and cognition. Insight impairment was more severe in later life (≥ 60 years) than in earlier years (t = -3.75, P insight was explained by PANSS total modified (Exp[B] = 1.070, P insight, they did not independently contribute to its variance. However, the relationships between impaired insight and illness severity and between impaired insight and cognition, particularly working memory, were stronger in later life than in earlier life. These results suggest an opportunity for intervention may exist with cognitive-enhancing neurostimulation or medications to improve insight into illness in schizophrenia across the life span. Original study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT00832845). © Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Hypopigmented mycosis fungoides in a twenty-year-old Saudi woman with fair skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al-Ratrout J

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The hypopigmented variant of mycosis fungoides (MF is charactrized by the presence of hypopigmented patches as the sole manifestation of the disease. This variant is usually observed in the dark skin of African or Asian individuals particularly children, but nevertheless is an uncommonly reported presentation of the disease. The incidence of hypopigmented MF in Caucasian patients and others of fair skin color is rare. We describe hypopigmented lesions arising in a twenty-year-old Saudi woman with type IV skin color. The diagnosis of mycosis fungoides stage IA was made based on the clinico-radiological and histological features. The patient responded well to PUVA therapy and is currently clear of lesions. MF should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypopigmented macular lesions in patients of any skin color and age. Multiple skin biopsies must be performed on different occasions so as not to miss the diagnosis; and long term follow up is recommended since recurrence is common and occasional cases behave aggressively.

Which Russia, twenty years later?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Claudín

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Russia is proud of its position among the emerging powers, of the strength provided by its ample energetic resources and its nuclear potential with which it can influence the world and always be taken into account. Nevertheless, the perception within the country is that stagnation has become Russia’s dominant characteristic at present. The objective of this article is to explore how this situation came about, analysing the evolution of domestic processes in Russia during both of its most defining periods: Yeltsin and Putin’s leadership, since the ephemeral presidency of Medvedev proved to be basically a continuation of the latter. During the eight years of Boris Yeltsin’s tenure, the state of crisis, latent or open, developed into the way that political processes are carried out in Russia. With Putin’s arrival, however, stability and State control are imposed, against the backdrop of economic growth, and they become values in themselves, far from the democratic discourse of the first years.

Fast-food consumption among 17-year-olds in the Birth to Twenty ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives: Assessment of fast-food consumption in urban black adolescents. Design: The current research was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting: Subjects attending the Birth to Twenty (Bt20) research facility at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg between September 2007 and May ...

DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFORMATION COMPETENCE OF THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY: TWENTY YEARS AFTER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glosiene, Audrone

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Twenty years ago, reading culture, library skills’ development used to be one of the core directions in research and teaching policy of the Department of Library Science at Vilnius University. Lateron, the topic was marginalized and today we return to the field that meanwhile has developed huge knowledge and experience base worldwide. A stimulus for the return was participation in BIBLIONOVA project. The aim of the article is to present a holistic approach towards information competency development in a modern academic institution. Prescriptive approach based on information literacy standards proved to be limited and not always effective in the academic environment.Information competency development is problem-specific, domain-specific, and disciplinespecific. It is interrelated with critical thinking, analytical skills as well as creativity and computerliteracy skills. Holistically, information competency development is an integral part of university’s life-long learning strategy. Critical success factors for information competency development areopen and problem-based learning and cooperative, inclusive strategies of the whole university. Academic libraries continue to play a major role in the process but the connections with faculty and administration in the process are of major importance.

Twenty years after the embargo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geller, H.; DeCicco, J.; Laitner, S.; Dyson, C.

1994-01-01

This paper reviews the direct and indirect oil import costs and examines actions that can be taken to reduce future imports. We find that the USA could greatly reduce its oil imports during the next 20 years by increasing energy efficiency and accelerating the introduction of fuels derived from renewable energy sources, particularly in the transport sector. (author)

Twenty years of the national program of surveillance radiation of the atmosphere and terrestrial environment; Veinte anos del programa nacional de vigilancia radiologica de la atmosfera y medio terrestre

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rey del Castillo, C.; Luque Heredia, S.; Marugan Tovar, I.; Salas Collantes, R.; Serling Carmona, A.; Lorente Lorente, P.; Ramos Salvador, L.

2013-07-01

This paper presents a global basis the information provided by the program in twenty years of operation, describing the main changes introduced and analyzing how they have influenced the results. The use of program data to inform and in response to questions from individuals or incidents is reviewed. And finally the prospects and major milestones expected to address in the next twenty years are described. (Author)

Twenty Years of National Minority Protection in the Republic of Croatia

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Siniša Tatalović

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The paper contains a review of policies towards national minorities in the Republic of Croatia in the past twenty years, with reference to the perspective of minority rights implementation. The topic has been analysed in relation to two independent variables – the influence of external factors, i.e. the international community, and internal political processes that have had influence on the realisation of national minority rights. Today, as a country and society on the eve of accession to the European Union, along with a legislatively developed and institutionally branched model of the implementation of national minority rights, we can not claim to have established permanent protection of their rights. The degree of national minority integration in society is the only true indicator of policy success in relation to national minorities. The goal of this policy ought to be complete integration of national minorities into public, cultural, economic and political life, but accompanied by the preservation of their cultural and national identity. The Croatian model has been set up in such a way, but the manner in which it functions will depend on the political will to implement it, the willingness of national minority members to be active subjects of social and political life, as well as on civil society and Croatian society as a whole.

One-year prospective replication study of an untreated sample of community dysthymia subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

McCullough, J P; McCune, K J; Kaye, A L; Braith, J A; Friend, R; Roberts, W C; Belyea-Caldwell, S; Norris, S L; Hampton, C

1994-07-01

This study replicates an earlier naturalistic-prospective investigation of nontreatment, community DSM-III-R dysthymia subjects. Major goals were to determine spontaneous remission rates and monitor the stability of psychosocial functioning levels over time. Twenty-four dysthymia subjects were followed for 1 year. Three remissions (13%) were diagnosed at the final interview. At a 4-year diagnostic follow-up contact with the remitters only, one remitter had relapsed and two remained in remission. Subjects were monitored for depressive symptom intensity, personality functioning, general medical distress, cognitive functioning, coping stylistics, interpersonal functioning, quality of their social support resources, and general family functioning. Stable levels of psychosocial functioning were maintained across all measures over the 1-year period. Current psychometric findings confirm the conclusions of the earlier nontreatment prospective study that dysthymia is a chronic mood disorder with stable psychosocial features and is unlikely to remit spontaneously over time.

Higher Alu methylation levels in catch-up growth in twenty-year-old offsprings.

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Kittipan Rerkasem

Full Text Available Alu elements and long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1 are two major human intersperse repetitive sequences. Lower Alu methylation, but not LINE-1, has been observed in blood cells of people in old age, and in menopausal women having lower bone mass and osteoporosis. Nevertheless, Alu methylation levels also vary among young individuals. Here, we explored phenotypes at birth that are associated with Alu methylation levels in young people. In 2010, 249 twenty-years-old volunteers whose mothers had participated in a study association between birth weight (BW and nutrition during pregnancy in 1990, were invited to take part in our present study. In this study, the LINE-1 and Alu methylation levels and patterns were measured in peripheral mononuclear cells and correlated with various nutritional parameters during intrauterine and postnatal period of offspring. This included the amount of maternal intake during pregnancy, the mother's weight gain during pregnancy, birth weight, birth length, and the rate of weight gain in the first year of life. Catch-up growth (CUG was defined when weight during the first year was >0.67 of the standard score, according to WHO data. No association with LINE-1 methylation was identified. The mean level of Alu methylation in the CUG group was significantly higher than those non-CUG (39.61% and 33.66 % respectively, P < 0.0001. The positive correlation between the history of CUG in the first year and higher Alu methylation indicates the role of Alu methylation, not only in aging cells, but also in the human growth process. Moreover, here is the first study that demonstrated the association between a phenotype during the newborn period and intersperse repetitive sequences methylation during young adulthood.

About Chernobyl - Twenty Years Later

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tubiana, M.

2006-01-01

The author discusses the reactor accident of Chernobyl, the information on its consequences so contradictory in the former USSR countries, the status of the effects observed, the forecasting concerning the onset of cancers in the coming years among the populations that were exposed to radiations, the public opinion facing the pessimists. He concludes on the lessons which can be drawn from Chernobyl. (A.L.B.)

Industries processing naturally occurring radioactive materials: twenty years of emission data in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanzi, C.P.

2008-01-01

This paper provides a review of the dose assessment of discharges to air of two industries processing NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) in the Netherlands. An industrial plant producing elemental phosphorus (thermal process, unique within Europe) reports since 1987 its emission data to the Dutch Ministry of the Environment (VROM: Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment). This plant accounts for the highest release of Po-210 to air in the Netherlands, with a yearly average of approximately 500 GBq. Other significant NORM discharges to air arise from an industrial plant with blast-furnaces for steel production. Yearly discharges fall under permit, and are reported, since 1993. RIVM, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, is tasked by the Ministry to assess the dose to the general public arising from these discharges to air. Air transport modelling is used to determine both air concentration (for inhalation exposure) and deposition rate of the radionuclides. A (conservative) committed ingestion dose is determined by modelling the uptake of radionuclides from contaminated farmland, and assuming a food basket to be fairly representative for the population of the Netherlands. Discharges to water in the Netherlands have decreased in the past twenty years, due both to the closure of two phosphoric acid plants a decade ago and the improved treatment of waste fluids by other NORM industries. The collective dose assessed from discharges to air since 1987 is presented here. (author)

Establishing the R&D Agenda for Twenty-First Century Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Kay, Ken; Honey, Margaret

2006-01-01

Much ink has flowed over the past few years describing the need to incorporate twenty-first century skills into K-12 education. Preparing students to succeed as citizens, thinkers, and workers--the bedrock of any educational system--in this environment means arming them with more than a list of facts and important dates. Infusing twenty-first…

The semiquantitative three-phase bone scintigraphy on hemiplegic patients with earlier complex regional pain syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Fang; Liu Xingdang; Lu Zhihui; Liu Congjin

2010-01-01

Objective: To investigate the difference between the early phases and delay phase of three-phase bone scintigraphy on hemiplegic patients with earlier complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Methods: Twenty-nine stroke patients with hemiplegia complicating CRPS received three-phase bone scintigraphy after intravenous injection of 99 Tc m -methylene diphosphonate (MDP). The region of interest (ROI) technique was used to obtain the radioactive counts of involved joints and contralateral sites on wrists, metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints. The total counts of these four sites in each patient were then obtained and the total uptake ratios of involved joints/contralateral joints for each phase were calculated to compare the difference among the three phases. Wilcoxon test and ANOVA were used in data analyses. Results: The involved joints of hemiplegic side displayed higher tracer uptake. There were significant differences of the radioactive counts between involved joints and uninvolved ones in the perfusion, pool and delay phase (Wilcoxon test, Z: -4.73 to -2.10, P<0.05). There was no significant difference of total uptake ratios of involved joints/contralateral joints among the three phases (ANOVA, F = 0. 807, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Due to higher bone seeking agent accumulation on three-phase bone scintigraphy, both early phases and delay phase imaging showed similar value in stroke patients with hemiplegia complicating earlier CRPS. (authors)

Twenty years after the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Full text: The April 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant remains a painful memory in the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people who were most affected by the accident. In addition to the emergency rescue workers who died, thousands of children contracted thyroid cancer, and thousands of other individuals will eventually die of other cancers caused by the release of radiation. Vast areas of cropland, forests, rivers and urban centres were contaminated by environmental fallout. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from these affected areas - forced to leave behind their homes, possessions, and livelihoods - and resettled elsewhere, in a traumatic outcome that has had long-lasting psychological and social impacts. The commemoration of the Chernobyl tragedy is taking place in many forums this month - in Minsk, in Kiev and in other locations. At the IAEA, it might be said that we have been responding to the accident and its consequences for twenty years, in a number of ways: first, through a variety of programmes designed to help mitigate the environmental and health consequences of the accident; second, by analyzing the lessons of what went wrong to allow such an accident to occur at all; and third, by working to prevent any such accident from occurring in the future. Building a strong and effective global nuclear safety regime is a central objective of our work. This requires effective international cooperation. The explosions that destroyed the Unit 4 reactor core, and discharged its contents in a cloud of radionuclides, made painfully clear that the safety risks associated with nuclear and radiological activities extend beyond national borders. International cooperation on nuclear safety matters - sharing information, setting clear safety standards, assisting with safety upgrades, and reviewing operational performance - has therefore become a hallmark of IAEA activity, particularly at a time when we are witnessing an expansion of

Twenty years of student sexual behavior: subcultural adaptations to a changing health environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Netting, Nancy S; Burnett, Matthew L

2004-01-01

This twenty-year study analyzes changes in sexual behavior among students at Okanagan University College in British Columbia, Canada. Surveys conducted in 1980, 1990, and 2000 reveal a steady increase in safer sexual practices. Most students now question potential partners about their past, use condoms with a new sexual partner, and maintain fairly long-term monogamous relationships. Three sexual subcultures continue to coexist in fairly stable proportions: celibacy (about 30%), monogamy (about 60%), and free experimentation (about 10%). Each subculture has created its own response to the danger of HIV/AIDS: celibates exaggerate the danger they face, monogamists rely on love and fidelity for protection, and free experimenters have increased their use of condoms. While romantic feelings lead many monogamous couples to abandon condoms without objective HIV/AIDS knowledge, free experimenters still face the highest risk. Although they now use condoms more than half the time, their lifestyle, which involves multiple partners, risky sexual acts, and frequent drug and/or alcohol use, clearly remains dangerous. The persistence of distinct subcultures has implications for health education programs, which would be most effective if based on key values held by specific target groups.

Health of Europeans twenty years after the fall of Berlin wall.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginter, E; Simko, V

2010-01-01

The failure of central planning in the totalitarian systems of the USSR and its satellites adversely affected not only the economy and social relations but also the population health. While in the countries with established democracy (DEM) the general health and the life expectancy (LE) steadily improved, in countries declaring socialism (SOC) the LE was stagnant and in the USSR even decreased. Dramatic changes in Russia after the demise of Soviet Union resulted in an extraordinary destabilization of LE that reached a minimum in 1994. Remarkably, even twenty years after the breakdown of the Iron Curtain there persists a gap in the general health between the DEM and the SOC regions of Europe. Within the territory of the former Soviet influence there are additional differences in LE: Central Europe is much better off than Russia and its neighbours. Main cause of relatively high mortality in the post totalitarian Europe is the cardiovascular disease (CVD). Among females about 80% difference in LE between DEM and SOC countries is related to premature CVD mortality. In SOC males compared to DEM, about 50% of the higher mortality is caused by CVD, 20% is related to external factors (trauma, suicide) and 10% is oncologic disorders. The main suggested cause of such excess mortality, besides a low socioeconomic level and limited funding for health care, is an improper life style: alcoholism, smoking and inadequate intake of protective nutrients. Alcoholism, especially binge drinking is a prominent factor in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and in the Baltic Republics (Fig. 6, Tab. 4, Ref. 20).

The second twenty-five years.

Science.gov (United States)

Kippley, J F

1993-01-01

Between 1964 and 1968, the liberal Catholic press had prepared the laity for the change expected to occur after the release of Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Humanae Vitae," but almost no one read it when it was released in July 1968. The media gave the impression that no one agreed with the Pope. The Archbishop of Baltimore denounced his dissenting priests. The media publicized the discord, resulting in his fellow bishops not supporting him or the Pope. Sound theology was limited then. Today many Catholic leaders and scholars openly defend the encyclical, e.g., since 1978, Pope John Paul II has supported the doctrine of marital noncontraception. Pope Pius XII called for every woman to breast feed. The 1969 publication of the Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing was the catalyst for 10 years of research which confirmed breast feeding's contraceptive effect. Family planning specialists and demographers agreed in the Bellagio Consensus in 1988 that mothers who practiced exclusive breast feeding and were amenorrheic need not use a contraceptive for the first 6 months postpartum. Recent research shows that this rule depends on the population, e.g., women in Bangladesh meeting the criteria do not need to use contraceptives for 1 year. Few natural family planning groups existed in 1968 (e.g., 1 diocese), but today there are natural family planning teachers in 49 US states and in 13 countries. Some Catholics are calling for couples wanting to marry to take a course in natural family planning. The media widely publicized the new unnatural family planning methods, especially the pill. Recently a baby magazine allocated natural family planning 2/3rd of a page. A reporter for the "Washington Post" plans to interview a Catholic leader about natural family planning, completely on his/her own initiative.

Twenty lectures on thermodynamics

CERN Document Server

Buchdahl, H A

2013-01-01

Twenty Lectures on Thermodynamics is a course of lectures, parts of which the author has given various times over the last few years. The book gives the readers a bird's eye view of phenomenological and statistical thermodynamics. The book covers many areas in thermodynamics such as states and transition; adiabatic isolation; irreversibility; the first, second, third and Zeroth laws of thermodynamics; entropy and entropy law; the idea of the application of thermodynamics; pseudo-states; the quantum-static al canonical and grand canonical ensembles; and semi-classical gaseous systems. The text

Single Jejunum Metastasis from Breast Cancer Arising Twelve Years after the Initial Treatment

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Cláudia Paiva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Metastatic involvement of gastrointestinal tract from breast cancer is a rare event. We report the case of a 61-year-old woman presenting with bowel obstruction, related to metastasis of a primary breast cancer she had 12 years earlier (a triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Bowel obstruction was caused by a 20-centimeter tumor in the jejunum, involving also the transverse colon. The patient underwent en bloc resection of tumor with jejunum and transverse bowel segment and received adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel. Twenty months later, she was alive without disease recurrence.

Twenty-five years of life lessons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, Annemieke; Dorren, Luuk; Noord, Van Hans; Veraart, Josja; Cusell, Casper; Sterk, Henk Pieter

2017-01-01

For 25 years, Physical Geography students of the University of Amsterdam have experienced a 6-week field training in the cuesta landscape in Luxembourg around Diekirch. They studied the geology of the Gutland and surrounding areas, such as Ardennes and Eiffel. They mapped geomorphological patterns,

B. F. Skinner’s legacy twenty years after (1990-2010: Behavior analysis in Ibero-America

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Wilson M. López López

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Twenty years after his death (August 18th 1990,B. F. Skinner leaves five major living legacies: 1radical behaviorism; 2 the experimental analysis ofbehavior; 3 applied behavior analysis; 4 the Skinnerbox; 5 the Horcones community (Mexico.Behavior analysis is recognized for its internationalactive presence. Its growth provides a set of opportunitiesfor knowledge and technology transferenceand reminds us the importance of working for thedevelopment of educational and research programsand the arrangement of contingencies which enableits advance. In Ibero-America, behavior analysis, asa Skinnerian legacy, has been an important traditionwithin psychology. In this article we will presenta current synthesis of the central Ibero-Americancontributions to Behavior analysis. The panoramaof Behavior analysis in Ibero-America will beanalyzed according to the following dimensions:1 the most relevant figures; 2 the academic communityrelated to the Behavior Analytic tradition;and 3 the most important research lines. Finally,some of the most general characteristics of Ibero-American Behavior analysis are included.

Review: Devan Pillay, Gilbert M. Khadiagala, Prishani Naidoo and Roger Southall (eds, New South African Review 4: A Fragile Democracy – Twenty Years On (2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian Taylor

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Review of the edited volume:Devan Pillay, Gilbert M. Khadiagala, Prishani Naidoo and Roger Southall (eds, New South African Review 4: A Fragile Democracy – Twenty Years On, Johannesburg: Wits University Press, 2014, ISBN 9781868147632, 380 pp.

Earlier BMI rebound and lower pre-rebound BMI as risk of obesity among Japanese preschool children.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, N; Isojima, T; Yokoya, S; Tanaka, T; Ono, A; Yokomichi, H; Yamagata, Z; Tanaka, S; Matsubara, H; Ishikuro, M; Kikuya, M; Chida, S; Hosoya, M; Kuriyama, S; Kure, S

2018-01-01

Longitudinal growth data of children were analyzed to clarify the relationship between the timing of body mass index (BMI) rebound and obesity risk in later ages. Of 54 558 children born between April 2004 and March 2005 and longitudinally measured in April and October every year in the preschool period, 15 255 children were analyzed wherein no longitudinal measurement is missing after 1 year of age. BMI rebound age was determined as the age with smallest BMI value across longitudinal individual data after 1 year of age. Rebound age was compared between overweight and non-overweight groups. The subjects were divided into groups based on the timing of rebound. The sex- and age-adjusted mean of the BMI, height and weight s.d. scores for age group, along with 6 months weight and height gain, were compared among groups using analysis of covariance. Among those who were overweight at 66-71 months of age, BMI rebound age obtained at approximately 3 years of age was compared with the non-overweight group, whose BMI rebound age was utmost 66 months or later (PBMI age group showed that earlier BMI rebound results in larger BMI (PBMI rebound earlier than 30 months of age, low BMI was observed (PBMI rebound among groups with rebound age earlier than 60 months of age (PBMI rebound timing with pre-rebound low BMI leads to greater childhood obesity risk; hence, early detection and prevention is necessary for such cases.

Earlier Right Ventricular Pacing in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy for a Patient with Right Axis Deviation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hattori, Yusuke; Ishibashi, Kohei; Noda, Takashi; Okamura, Hideo; Kanzaki, Hideaki; Anzai, Toshihisa; Yasuda, Satoshi; Kusano, Kengo

2017-09-01

We describe the case of a 37-year-old woman who presented with complete right bundle branch block and right axis deviation. She was admitted to our hospital due to severe heart failure and was dependent on inotropic agents. Cardiac resynchronization therapy was initiated but did not improve her condition. After the optimization of the pacing timing, we performed earlier right ventricular pacing, which led to an improvement of her heart failure. Earlier right ventricular pacing should be considered in patients with complete right bundle branch block and right axis deviation when cardiac resynchronization therapy is not effective.

Early twenty-first-century droughts during the warmest climate

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Felix Kogan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The first 13 years of the twenty-first century have begun with a series of widespread, long and intensive droughts around the world. Extreme and severe-to-extreme intensity droughts covered 2%–6% and 7%–16% of the world land, respectively, affecting environment, economies and humans. These droughts reduced agricultural production, leading to food shortages, human health deterioration, poverty, regional disturbances, population migration and death. This feature article is a travelogue of the twenty-first-century global and regional droughts during the warmest years of the past 100 years. These droughts were identified and monitored with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operational space technology, called vegetation health (VH, which has the longest period of observation and provides good data quality. The VH method was used for assessment of vegetation condition or health, including drought early detection and monitoring. The VH method is based on operational satellites data estimating both land surface greenness (NDVI and thermal conditions. The twenty-first-century droughts in the USA, Russia, Australia and Horn of Africa were intensive, long, covered large areas and caused huge losses in agricultural production, which affected food security and led to food riots in some countries. This research also investigates drought dynamics presenting no definite conclusion about drought intensification or/and expansion during the time of the warmest globe.

Twenty-year trends in the prevalence of Down syndrome and other trisomies in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Loane, Maria; Morris, Joan K; Addor, Marie-Claude

2013-01-01

This study examines trends and geographical differences in total and live birth prevalence of trisomies 21, 18 and 13 with regard to increasing maternal age and prenatal diagnosis in Europe. Twenty-one population-based EUROCAT registries covering 6.1 million births between 1990 and 2009 participa...

Health effects following long-term exposure to thorium dusts: a twenty-year follow-up study in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, X.A.; Cheng, Y.E.; Xiao, H.; Chen, L.; Yang, Y.J.; Dong, Z.H.; Zheng, R.; Feng, G.; Deng, Y.H.; Feng, Z.L.; Han, X.M.

2004-01-01

A twenty-year follow-up study was carried out at Baiyun Obo Rare-earth Iron Mine in China, This mine has been mined since 1958. Its ore contains 0.04% of ThO 2 and 10% of SiO 2 . The purpose of this study is to investigate possible health effects in dust-exposed miners following long-term exposure to thorium-containing dusts and thoron progeny. By using the negative high voltage exhaled thoron progeny measurement system to estimate the miner's thorium lung burden. The highest thorium lung burden among 1 158 measurements of 638 miners was 11.11 Bq. The incidence of stage 0 + pneumoconiosis was increased among dust-exposed miners. An epidemiological study showed that the lung cancer mortality of the dust-exposed miners was significantly (p 2 and SiO 2 ) and thoron progeny. This is the first evidence in humans of the carcinogenicity after long-term inhalation of thorium-containing dusts and thoron progeny. The total person-years of observation for the dust-exposed miners and the controls were 62 712 and 34 672 respectively. (author)

Digital earth applications in the twenty-first century

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de By, R.A.; Georgiadou, P.Y.

2014-01-01

In these early years of the twenty-first century, we must look at how the truly cross-cutting information technology supports other innovations, and how it will fundamentally change the information positions of government, private sector and the scientific domain as well as the citizen. In those

Twenty-five years of modeling multiphase flow and heat transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyczkowski, R.W.

1999-01-01

This presentation will cover some of the highlights of multiphase modeling in collaboration with Professor Dimitri Gidaspow (DG) over the last roughly twenty-five years. It all started in 1972 in Idaho Falls with Charles Solbrig, who planned and initiated a project for the former USAEC to develop a computer code to replace RELAP4 to analyze the loss of coolant accident (LOCA). DG spent his sabbatical on the project in 1973. One highlight was the discovery of complex characteristics, the implications of which are still pondered by some. Fluidization research began in 1978 when the author collaboratively developed a step-by-step building-block approach to understanding the hydrodynamics of fluidized beds, an approach closely coupled to validation experiments. A grant from the USDOE to study solids circulation around a jet in a fluidized bed was awarded to DG in 1978. Following that, grants from GRI, NSF, and a contract from Westinghouse Electric Corp. allowed the early work to continue. Progress was slow since computer costs were high. Subsequent continuing support from the USDOE, NSF, EPRI, and industry has allowed research to continue, as has his collaboration. A highlight of this collaboration was the development of the monolayer energy dissipation (MED) erosion model. Multiphase flow and fluidization theory took quantum leaps with the publication of DG's Multiphase Flow and Fluidization: Continuum and Kinetic Theory Descriptions (MFF), Academic Press, San Diego (1994), for which there is essentially no competition. Only the late Professor S.L. Soo's Particulates and Continuum: Multiphase Fluid Dynamics, Hemisphere Publishing Corp., New York (1989), a textbook version of the classic monograph Multiphase Fluid Dynamics, Science Press, Beijing, China (1990), comes close. In MFF, the kinetic theory of granular flow has evolved as a potentially viable adjunct to the continuum multiphase theory, of which fluidization is one important manifestation. It must be

Twenty years of operation of the Radioisotope Department of the 3rd Medical Clinic, Faculty of General Medicine, Charles University in Prague

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapitola, J.

1983-01-01

Twenty years ago a radioisotope department was established in the old building of the 3rd Medical Clinic in Prague 2. The department is suitably placed and meets present requirements. It was set up as part of the 3rd Medical Clinic and of the Laboratory for endocrinology and Metabolism which gave it its main orientation and scope. Its present scope is much broader. In the twenty years since it was established 115,800 examinations were carried out, some 40 examination methods were introduced, 103 publications published, members of the department were co-authors of another 113 publications, they completed 11 research projects. The production of the department represents a substantial part of laboratory material especially in the diagnosis of endocrinopathy and metabolic disorders at the Clinic and is a significant part of the material of a number of research projects. The department has significantly contributed to the development of nuclear medicine in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in thyroid diagnosis, by the first introduction of radioimmunoassay methods, by the introduction of certain other special examination and laboratory methods and is currently taking part in the fulfilment of tasks given by the zoning of nuclear medicine in health care in Czechoslovakia in general and in Prague in particular. (author)

Compulsive Buying: Earlier Illicit Drug Use, Impulse Buying, Depression, and Adult ADHD Symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Brook, Judith S.; Zhang, Chenshu; Brook, David W.; Leukefeld, Carl G.

2015-01-01

This longitudinal study examined the association between psychosocial antecedents, including illicit drug use, and adult compulsive buying (CB) across a 29-year time period from mean age 14 to mean age 43. Participants originally came from a community-based random sample of residents in two upstate New York counties. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to study the relationship between the participant’s earlier psychosocial antecedents and adult CB in the fifth decade of life. The results of the multivariate linear regression analyses showed that gender (female), earlier adult impulse buying (IB), depressive mood, illicit drug use, and concurrent ADHD symptoms were all significantly associated with adult CB at mean age 43. It is important that clinicians treating CB in adults should consider the role of drug use, symptoms of ADHD, IB, depression, and family factors in CB. PMID:26165963

Alzheimer's and Dementia Testing for Earlier Diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

... for Earlier Diagnosis What if we could diagnose Alzheimer's before symptoms started? The hope is, future treatments ... diagnosis is among the most active areas in Alzheimer's science, and funding from the Alzheimer's Association has ...

Twenty years of social capital and health research: a glossary.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, S; Kawachi, I

2017-05-01

Research on social capital in public health is approaching its 20th anniversary. Over this period, there have been rich and productive debates on the definition, measurement and importance of social capital for public health research and practice. As a result, the concepts and measures characterising social capital and health research have also evolved, often drawing from research in the social, political and behavioural sciences. The multidisciplinary adaptation of social capital-related concepts to study health has made it challenging for researchers to reach consensus on a common theoretical approach. This glossary thus aims to provide a general overview without recommending any particular approach. Based on our knowledge and research on social capital and health, we have selected key concepts and terms that have gained prominence over the last decade and complement an earlier glossary on social capital and health. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Commercial NAA — Is It a Success? Evaluation of a Twenty Year Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parry, S.

2013-01-01

The commercial service at Imperial College was maintained for twenty years by juggling staff, equipment and irradiation facilities, building when required and downsizing when necessary. At no point was the service entirely self-sufficient since staff had more than one role and participated in teaching and research as well as the analytical service. The balance was of benefit everyone concerned, including students who have studied with us and gained experience of working within a well maintained and quality assured laboratory. The benefits of collaborating with industry cannot be overestimated, with the secondary effects for research and teaching identified previously. A key change took place in the early 2000s, which can be seen in Figure 5 by the fall in income from 2002. The author’s academic department became a separate cost centre to the Reactor Centre, and irradiations were charged at a more realistic price. Once the true costs were built in, including space, overheads and irradiation charges, it was not possible to maintain a viable business plan without reducing staff to a non-viable number. As a result, in 2003 the analytical service was handed to the Reactor Centre, in which the business could remain viable because the irradiation charge became income not expenditure. Without the continued interactions that academic research generated, the NAA service has diminished with very few customers in the past few years. Staff are occupied with internal work for the reactor such as routine monitoring using gamma spectrometry. In summary the introduction and operation of a commercial service is to be recommended, particularly in those situations where it can complement other parts of the organisation such other analytical or academic activities. It is not practical to fund reactor operations entirely on commercial activities, but it can result in a number of spin-offs that can increase other income streams such as teaching and research projects. Over the past 28

Minimum dipole moment required to bind an electron: molecular theorists rediscover phenomenon mentioned in Fermi-Teller paper twenty years earlier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, J.E.

1977-01-01

Work leading to the discovery of the minimum dipole moment for electron binding, D/sub min/=0.639 ea 0 (atomic units), by several groups in 1967--1968 is described. It was subsequently learned that this number had been published in 1947 by Fermi and Teller, who did not, however, indicate how they derived it. The author has found a numerical solution in Fermi's notebooks from 1946--1950 at the University of Chicago Library. Fermi's work is described and presented here with relevant material from his notebooks

Alcoholism. Earlier diagnosis and definition of the problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Girard, D E; Carlton, B E

1978-07-01

There are important measurements of alcoholism that are poorly understood by physicians. Professional attitudes toward alcoholic patients are often counterproductive. Americans spend about $30 billion on alcohol a year and most adults drink alcohol. Even though traditional criteria allow for recognition of the disease, diagnosis is often made late in the natural course, when intervention fails. Alcoholism is a major health problem and accounts for 10 percent of total health care costs. Still, this country's 10 million adult alcoholics come from a pool of heavy drinkers with well defined demographic characteristics. These social, cultural and familial traits, along with subtle signs of addiction, allow for earlier diagnosis. Although these factors alone do not establish a diagnosis of alcoholism, they should alert a physician that significant disease may be imminent. Focus must be directed to these aspects of alcoholism if containment of the problem is expected.

EBR-II: twenty years of operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentz, G.L.; Buschman, H.W.; Smith, R.N.

1985-01-01

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 2 (EBR-II) is an unmoderated, sodium-cooled reactor with a design power of 62.5 MWt. For the last 20 years EBR-II has operated safely, has demonstrated stable operating characteristics, has shown excellent performance of its sodium components, and has had an excellent plant factor. These years of operating experience provide a valuable resource to the nuclear community for the development and design of future liquid metal fast reactors. This report provides a brief description of the EBR-II plant and its early operating experience, describes some recent problems of interest to the nuclear community, and also mentions some of the significant operating achievements of EBR-II. Finally, a few words and speculations on EBR-II's future are offered. 4 figs., 1 tab

Twenty years of meta-analyses in orthopaedic surgery: has quality kept up with quantity?

Science.gov (United States)

Dijkman, Bernadette G; Abouali, Jihad A K; Kooistra, Bauke W; Conter, Henry J; Poolman, Rudolf W; Kulkarni, Abhaya V; Tornetta, Paul; Bhandari, Mohit

2010-01-01

As the number of studies in the literature is increasing, orthopaedic surgeons highly depend on meta-analyses as their primary source of scientific evidence. The objectives of this review were to assess the scientific quality and number of published meta-analyses on orthopaedics-related topics over time. We conducted, in duplicate and independently, a systematic review of published meta-analyses in orthopaedics in the years 2005 and 2008 and compared them with a previous systematic review of meta-analyses from 1969 to 1999. A search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) was performed to identify meta-analyses published in 2005 and 2008. We searched bibliographies and contacted content experts to identify additional relevant studies. Two investigators independently assessed the quality of the studies, using the Oxman and Guyatt index, and abstracted relevant data. We included forty-five and forty-four meta-analyses from 2005 and 2008, respectively. While the number of meta-analyses increased fivefold from 1999 to 2008, the mean quality score did not change significantly over time (p = 0.067). In the later years, a significantly lower proportion of meta-analyses had methodological flaws (56% in 2005 and 68% in 2008) compared with meta-analyses published prior to 2000 (88%) (p = 0.006). In 2005 and 2008, respectively, 18% and 30% of the meta-analyses had major to extensive flaws in their methodology. Studies from 2008 with positive conclusions used and described appropriate criteria for the validity assessment less often than did those with negative results. The use of random-effects and fixed-effects models as pooling methods became more popular toward 2008. Although the methodological quality of orthopaedic meta-analyses has increased in the past twenty years, a substantial proportion continues to show major to extensive flaws. As the number of published meta-analyses is increasing, a routine checklist for

Compulsive buying: Earlier illicit drug use, impulse buying, depression, and adult ADHD symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Brook, Judith S; Zhang, Chenshu; Brook, David W; Leukefeld, Carl G

2015-08-30

This longitudinal study examined the association between psychosocial antecedents, including illicit drug use, and adult compulsive buying (CB) across a 29-year time period from mean age 14 to mean age 43. Participants originally came from a community-based random sample of residents in two upstate New York counties. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to study the relationship between the participant's earlier psychosocial antecedents and adult CB in the fifth decade of life. The results of the multivariate linear regression analyses showed that gender (female), earlier adult impulse buying (IB), depressive mood, illicit drug use, and concurrent ADHD symptoms were all significantly associated with adult CB at mean age 43. It is important that clinicians treating CB in adults should consider the role of drug use, symptoms of ADHD, IB, depression, and family factors in CB. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ten Years, Twenty Issues, and Two Hundred Papers of Numeracy: Toward International Reach and Transdisciplinary Utility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.L. Vacher

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This issue completes the first ten years of Numeracy. The purpose of this introductory editorial is to review what has happened to the journal in those ten years. In the twenty issues, Numeracy’s output has been 201 papers counting the one or two editorials per issue. More than 50% of the papers are full, peer-reviewed articles, including 13 papers in two theme collections. The others are peer-reviewed notes and perspectives, editor-reviewed book reviews (15% of the total, and a column by contributing co-editor, Dorothy Wallace. The current issue marks an upswing in the number of notes, and our first discussion/reply. The number of papers per year has been increasing (e.g., 66% more in the last three years than in the first three years. The download rate has increased from about 5,000 in the first two years to 5,000 in about 40 days now. The editorial goes on to document two main outcomes. First, the journal is gaining an international reach: more than half the downloads occur outside the United States now, and the number of contributions from outside the United States has increased from 4 in the first five years to 15 in the second five years. Second, the across-the-curriculum nature of quantitative literacy is coming to the fore. The transdisciplinarity of QL is strikingly evident in this issue, which is discussed in some detail, especially how it conforms to the mission of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The editorial ends with some results from a small ad hoc study of Google Scholar Citation Profiles. The question was, of the profiles that used “numeracy” or “quantitative literacy” as keywords, what other keywords did those profiles use, and what were the source countries? The results show that (1 QL is very much an American term, (2 there is, metaphorically, a vast and interesting numeracy ecosystem out there for Numeracy to engage and serve, and (3 as we become more global, the transdisciplinary relevance

Career patterns : A twenty-year panel study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biemann, Torsten; Zacher, Hannes; Feldman, Daniel C.

2012-01-01

Using 20 years of employment and job mobility data from a representative German sample (N=1259), we employ optimal matching analysis (OMA) to identify six career patterns which deviate from the traditional career path of long-term, full-time employment in one organization. Then, in further analyses,

Twenty years of chemistry associated with the needs and utilization of nuclear reactors at the 'Boris Kidric' Institute of nuclear sciences, Vinca, Yugoslavia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1969-01-01

This publication covers nine review papers on the following topics related to the needs and utilization of nuclear reactors in the Boris Kidric Institute of nuclear sciences during previous twenty years: radiochemistry, hot atom chemistry, isotope production, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, chemistry of transuranium elements; liquid radioactive waste processing, purification of reactor coolant water by inorganic ion exchangers, research related to deuterium concentration processes, and chemical dosimetry at the RA reactor [sr

Twenty years of radiation sterilization in Croatia

Science.gov (United States)

Ražem, Dus̆an

2004-09-01

The development of radiation processing in Croatia is described from its inception 20 years ago up to the present time. Annual throughputs of treated materials are given by the categories of materials and pertaining volumes. The pasteurization of hard gelatine capsules occured during the early stages, while sterilization of disposable medical supplies has been dominant in the later stages. Irradiation of foods and of cosmetics and toiletries has been a minor fraction of the total throughput. Since the recovery of everyday life and economy of the country after the war, the total throughput has increased steadily to reach 13,000 m 3 kGy in 2002, 90% of which are medical supplies. Estimates of the present maximum capacity of 30,000 m 3 kGy and of future needs indicate that the present rate of growth could be sustained for the next several years only, unless a major upgrading is undertaken. An estimate of potential future needs is made.

Twenty years of radiation sterilization in Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razem, Dusan

2004-01-01

The development of radiation processing in Croatia is described from its inception 20 years ago up to the present time. Annual throughputs of treated materials are given by the categories of materials and pertaining volumes. The pasteurization of hard gelatine capsules occured during the early stages, while sterilization of disposable medical supplies has been dominant in the later stages. Irradiation of foods and of cosmetics and toiletries has been a minor fraction of the total throughput. Since the recovery of everyday life and economy of the country after the war, the total throughput has increased steadily to reach 13,000 m 3 kGy in 2002, 90% of which are medical supplies. Estimates of the present maximum capacity of 30,000 m 3 kGy and of future needs indicate that the present rate of growth could be sustained for the next several years only, unless a major upgrading is undertaken. An estimate of potential future needs is made

Twenty years of radiation sterilization in Croatia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Razem, Dusan E-mail: razem@irb.hr

2004-10-01

The development of radiation processing in Croatia is described from its inception 20 years ago up to the present time. Annual throughputs of treated materials are given by the categories of materials and pertaining volumes. The pasteurization of hard gelatine capsules occured during the early stages, while sterilization of disposable medical supplies has been dominant in the later stages. Irradiation of foods and of cosmetics and toiletries has been a minor fraction of the total throughput. Since the recovery of everyday life and economy of the country after the war, the total throughput has increased steadily to reach 13,000 m{sup 3} kGy in 2002, 90% of which are medical supplies. Estimates of the present maximum capacity of 30,000 m{sup 3} kGy and of future needs indicate that the present rate of growth could be sustained for the next several years only, unless a major upgrading is undertaken. An estimate of potential future needs is made.

Career Patterns: A Twenty-Year Panel Study

Science.gov (United States)

Biemann, Torsten; Zacher, Hannes; Feldman, Daniel C.

2012-01-01

Using 20years of employment and job mobility data from a representative German sample (N = 1259), we employ optimal matching analysis (OMA) to identify six career patterns which deviate from the traditional career path of long-term, full-time employment in one organization. Then, in further analyses, we examine which socio-demographic predictors…

A Tale of Ambivalence: Salman Rushdie's "Two Years, Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarik Ziyad Gulcu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Salman Rushdie’s memoirs, essays and novels contribute to the appreciation of the contradictions in his outlook on life. His experiences in his family enable Rushdie to make efforts for objective and tolerant judgement of British lifestyle and culture. However, his isolation from the society in Britain despite his struggle for adaptation to British cultural values cause contradictions in his cultural identity. While Rushdie expresses his allegiance to India and its culture in The Ground Beneath Her Feet (1999, he reflects his alienation from his homeland in this novel as well. Similarly, in his Imaginary Homelands (1981-1991 whereas Rushdie questions the injustice and inequality caused by imperialism in The New Empire within Britain (1982, he justifies the colonialist discourse in Kipling (1990. He elaborates on the contradictions in his outlook on life in terms of his cultural ambivalence in his fictions such as Midnight’s Children (1981 and Shame (1983. However, in his latest novel, Two Years, Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights (2015, Rushdie reflects his cultural identity conflict in terms of rationalism-mysticism dichotomy. With the use of allegory as well as the lack of linearity in time and space, Rushdie justifies his cultural ambivalence in relation to the dynamism of contemporary world. Thus, Rushdie’s latest novel invites reading for its representation of the oppositions in his approach to life.

Why the American public supports twenty-first century learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Sacconaghi, Michele

2006-01-01

Aware that constituent support is essential to any educational endeavor, the AOL Time Warner Foundation (now the Time Warner Foundation), in conjunction with two respected national research firms, measured Americans' attitudes toward the implementation of twenty-first century skills. The foundation's national research survey was intended to explore public perceptions of the need for changes in the educational system, in school and after school, with respect to the teaching of twenty-first century skills. The author summarizes the findings of the survey, which were released by the foundation in June 2003. One thousand adults were surveyed by telephone, including African Americans, Latinos, teachers, and business executives. In general, the survey found that Americans believe today's students need a "basics-plus" education, meaning communication, technology, and critical thinking skills in addition to the traditional basics of reading, writing, and math. In fact, 92 percent of respondents stated that students today need different skills from those of ten to twenty years ago. Also, after-school programs were found to be an appropriate vehicle to teach these skills. Furthermore, the survey explored how well the public perceives schools to be preparing youth for the workforce and postsecondary education, which twenty-first century skills are seen as being taught effectively, and the level of need for after-school and summer programs. The survey results provide conclusive evidence of national support for basics-plus education. Thus, a clear opportunity exists to build momentum for a new model of education for the twenty-first century.

Increased Prevalence of Dental Fluorosis after Twenty Years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Richards, Alan; Larsen, Mogens Joost; Maare, L.

2006-01-01

tooth types in children born and reared in an area with drinking water with (regularly monitored, naturally-occurring) fluoride concentrations of 1 ppm and compare with data recorded for a similar group of children examined in the same way and residing in the same area 20 years ago. Methods: Dental...... children, of similar ages, examined in the same area in 1984. Results: The prevalence and severity of fluorosis varied between tooth types so that the later in childhood the teeth are mineralized the higher the prevalence of dental fluorosis. When the data were compared to those collected 20 years...... in the (later formed) premolars and second molars. Conclusions: A significant increase in fluorosis prevalence has occurred over the last 20 years due to increased fluoride exposure of pre-school children. These findings may be explained by increased use of fluoride toothpaste by this age group from...

In-utero cigarette smoke exposure and the risk of earlier menopause

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Honorato, Talita C; Haadsma, Maaike L; Land, Jolande A; Boezen, Marike H; Hoek, Annemieke; Groen, Henk

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for earlier menopause. Animal studies show that in-utero smoke exposure is toxic to developing ovaries. Our aim was to evaluate whether in-utero smoke exposed women reach menopause earlier compared with nonexposed women. METHODS: This is a cohort study

Analysis of arrhythmic events is useful to detect lead failure earlier in patients followed by remote monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishii, Nobuhiro; Miyoshi, Akihito; Kubo, Motoki; Miyamoto, Masakazu; Morimoto, Yoshimasa; Kawada, Satoshi; Nakagawa, Koji; Watanabe, Atsuyuki; Nakamura, Kazufumi; Morita, Hiroshi; Ito, Hiroshi

2018-03-01

Remote monitoring (RM) has been advocated as the new standard of care for patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). RM has allowed the early detection of adverse clinical events, such as arrhythmia, lead failure, and battery depletion. However, lead failure was often identified only by arrhythmic events, but not impedance abnormalities. To compare the usefulness of arrhythmic events with conventional impedance abnormalities for identifying lead failure in CIED patients followed by RM. CIED patients in 12 hospitals have been followed by the RM center in Okayama University Hospital. All transmitted data have been analyzed and summarized. From April 2009 to March 2016, 1,873 patients have been followed by the RM center. During the mean follow-up period of 775 days, 42 lead failure events (atrial lead 22, right ventricular pacemaker lead 5, implantable cardioverter defibrillator [ICD] lead 15) were detected. The proportion of lead failures detected only by arrhythmic events, which were not detected by conventional impedance abnormalities, was significantly higher than that detected by impedance abnormalities (arrhythmic event 76.2%, 95% CI: 60.5-87.9%; impedance abnormalities 23.8%, 95% CI: 12.1-39.5%). Twenty-seven events (64.7%) were detected without any alert. Of 15 patients with ICD lead failure, none has experienced inappropriate therapy. RM can detect lead failure earlier, before clinical adverse events. However, CIEDs often diagnose lead failure as just arrhythmic events without any warning. Thus, to detect lead failure earlier, careful human analysis of arrhythmic events is useful. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Technology Education: Twenty-five years of progress

OpenAIRE

Miranda, Michael A. De; Miyakawa, Hidetoshi

2005-01-01

The past 25 years has brought significant changes in the field of technology education. Contributing to these changes has been the evolution of a curriculum from the early days of industrial arts that addressed human productive practice to an emerging contemporary technological curriculum shaped by the exponential growth of technology and its impact on the extension of human capabilities, society, and the environment. The recent literature that focuses on the exponential growth of technology ...

Visual impairment from uveitis in a reference hospital of Southeast Brazil: a retrospective review over a twenty years period.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Luci Meire Pereira da; Muccioli, Cristina; Oliveira, Filipe de; Arantes, Tiago Eugênio; Gonzaga, Lucas Renó; Nakanami, Célia Regina

2013-01-01

To identify the frequency and causes of uveitis leading to visual impairment in patients referred to the Low Vision Service - Department of Ophthalmology - UNIFESP, over a twenty years period. In a retrospective study, medical records of 5,461 patients were reviewed. Data from the first clinical evaluation at the Low Vision Service were collected, patient's age, gender and cause of visual impairment were analyzed. Patients with uveitis had their chart reviewed for anatomical classification and clinical diagnosis. The mean age of the patients referred to the Low Vision Service was 42.86 years and the mean age of patients with uveitis diagnosis was 25.51 years. Retinal disorders were the most common cause of visual impairment (N=2,835 patients; 51.9%) followed by uveitis (862 patients, 15.7%). Uveitis was posterior in 792 patients (91.9% of uveitis) and toxoplasmosis was the most common diagnosis (765 patients, 88.7%). In our study, uveitis represents the second cause of visual impairment in patients referred for visual rehabilitation and toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis was the most common clinical diagnosis. It affects a young working age population with a relevant social and economic impact, but the early diagnosis and treatment can improve the quality of life of these patients.

Cardiac myxoma: diagnostic approach, surgical treatment and follow-up. A twenty years experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Jelic, J; Milicić, D; Alfirević, I; Anić, D; Baudoin, Z; Bulat, C; Corić, V; Dadić, D; Husar, J; Ivanćan, V; Korda, Z; Letica, D; Predrijevac, M; Ugljen, R; Vućemilo, I

1996-12-01

At the University Department of Cardiovascular Surgery in Zagreb, Croatia, we treated 81 patients with primary intracardiac myxoma, in a period from January 1975 to December 1994. There were 55 female and 26 male pts, in age from 1 month to 80 years, mean 46+/-15 years. Clinical manifestations varied from no symptoms and very poor or no clinical signs to various manifestations of chronic or acute congestive heart failure, syncope and arrhythmias with or without systemic findings such as high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anaemia, leucocytosis, elevated gamma globulin, thrombocytopenia or low grade fever, as well as cerebrovascular accidents due to tumour embolization. Cardiac symptoms were predominant in 54 pts (66.6%) and cerebrovascular in 20 pts (24.7%). Seven pts (8.6%) were symptomless and discovered accidentally, mostly regarding on an unexplained heart murmur. In almost all the patients preoperative diagnosis of intracardiac myxoma was sufficiently established by echocardiography. The tumour was located in the left atrium in 62 pts (76.5%) and in the right atrium in 19 pts (23.5%). Delay from the onset of symptoms to the diagnosis was 6 months in average (range 10 days to 25 months). The average waiting for the operation was 9 days (range from 1 to 60 days). The echocardiographic diagnosis was confirmed during intraoperative examination followed by histological analysis. All pts underwent excision of myxoma using cardiopulmonary bypass with core and topical hypothermia and cold crystaloid cardioplegia. According to the additional preoperative and intraoperative findings, in 6 pts sinchronous mitral valve reconstruction, in 3 pts artificial mitral valve implantation and in 2 pts atrial wall reconstruction was performed. There was no perioperative mortality. After the operation, we could not evaluate all the patients long enough, mostly because of some paramedical circumstancies, such as war, migrations, etc. Twenty two pts undevent evaluation for at least 5

A vantage from space can detect earlier drought onset: an approach using relative humidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Farahmand, Alireza; AghaKouchak, Amir; Teixeira, Joao

2015-02-25

Each year, droughts cause significant economic and agricultural losses across the world. The early warning and onset detection of drought is of particular importance for effective agriculture and water resource management. Previous studies show that the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI), a measure of precipitation deficit, detects drought onset earlier than other indicators. Here we show that satellite-based near surface air relative humidity data can further improve drought onset detection and early warning. This paper introduces the Standardized Relative Humidity Index (SRHI) based on the NASA Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) observations. The results indicate that the SRHI typically detects the drought onset earlier than the SPI. While the AIRS mission was not originally designed for drought monitoring, we show that its relative humidity data offers a new and unique avenue for drought monitoring and early warning. We conclude that the early warning aspects of SRHI may have merit for integration into current drought monitoring systems.

Decreased length of stay and earlier oral feeding associated with standardized postoperative clinical care for total gastrectomies at a cancer center.

Science.gov (United States)

Selby, Luke V; Rifkin, Marissa B; Yoon, Sam S; Ariyan, Charlotte E; Strong, Vivian E

2016-09-01

Standardization of postoperative care has been shown to decrease postoperative length of stay. In June 2009, we standardized postoperative care for all gastrectomies at our institution. Four years' worth of total gastrectomies (2 years prior to standardization and 2 years after standardization) were reviewed to determine the effect of standardization on postoperative care, length of stay, complications, and readmissions. Between June 2007 and July 2011, 99 patients underwent curative intent open total gastrectomy: 51 patients prior to standardization, and 48 patients poststandardization. Patients were predominantly male (70%); median age was 63; and median body mass index was 26. Standardization of postoperative care was associated with a decrease in median time to beginning both clear liquids and a postgastrectomy diet, earlier removal of epidural catheters, earlier use of oral pain medication, less time receiving intravenous fluids, and decreased length of stay (all P Care Center, or readmission. Institution of standardized postoperative orders for total gastrectomy was associated with a significantly decreased length of stay and earlier oral feeding without increasing postoperative complications, early postoperative outpatient visits, or readmissions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Isar-2 nuclear power station twenty-five years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, Erwin; Luginger, Markus

2013-01-01

The Isar-2 nuclear power station (KKI 2) began commercial power operation on April 9, 1988. In these past 25 years the plant generated a total of approx. 285 billion kWh of electricity. The annual electricity production of KKI 2 of approx. 12 billion kWh corresponds to a share of approx. 15 % in the cumulated Bavarian electricity production. This amount of electricity, theoretically, could supply some 3 million three person households, or meet two thirds of the electricity requirement of the Bavarian industry, for one year. In its 25 years of power operation the Isar-2 nuclear power plant has recorded the highest annual gross electricity production of all nuclear power plants in the world nine times so far. A plant performance as impressive as this necessitates a plant availability far above the average. This, in turn, is based on short revision times and faultfree plant operation. However, high plant safety and availability must not be taken for granted, but are the result of responsible, safety-minded plant operation combined with continuous plant optimization and permanent execution of comprehensive checks, inspections, and maintenance measures. Besides plant technology also organization and administration were permanently advanced and adapted to changing requirements so as to safeguard reliable, safe, and non-polluting plant operation.

Validity aspects in Chernobyl at twenty years of the accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arredondo, C.

2006-01-01

inventory of rare gases of the core. The consequences of the accident have been studied during the twenty lapsed years since it happened. In this work the more recent discoveries on the effects in the health, the environment and economic that have been reported, as well as the current advances regarding the solution of the problems with the sarcophagus are commented. Other aspects little mentioned that consequences of the accident can be considered are discussed also, like they are the increment in the nuclear safety in the reactors in operation in the entire world and the termination of the cold war with the consequent dismantlement of a great one numbers of nuclear weapons. Finally it is remembered that the lessons learned in Chernobyl should never be forgotten. (Author)

The associations of earlier trauma exposures and history of mental disorders with PTSD after subsequent traumas.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessler, R C; Aguilar-Gaxiola, S; Alonso, J; Bromet, E J; Gureje, O; Karam, E G; Koenen, K C; Lee, S; Liu, H; Pennell, B-E; Petukhova, M V; Sampson, N A; Shahly, V; Stein, D J; Atwoli, L; Borges, G; Bunting, B; de Girolamo, G; Gluzman, S F; Haro, J M; Hinkov, H; Kawakami, N; Kovess-Masfety, V; Navarro-Mateu, F; Posada-Villa, J; Scott, K M; Shalev, A Y; Ten Have, M; Torres, Y; Viana, M C; Zaslavsky, A M

2017-09-19

Although earlier trauma exposure is known to predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after subsequent traumas, it is unclear whether this association is limited to cases where the earlier trauma led to PTSD. Resolution of this uncertainty has important implications for research on pretrauma vulnerability to PTSD. We examined this issue in the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys with 34 676 respondents who reported lifetime trauma exposure. One lifetime trauma was selected randomly for each respondent. DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition) PTSD due to that trauma was assessed. We reported in a previous paper that four earlier traumas involving interpersonal violence significantly predicted PTSD after subsequent random traumas (odds ratio (OR)=1.3-2.5). We also assessed 14 lifetime DSM-IV mood, anxiety, disruptive behavior and substance disorders before random traumas. We show in the current report that only prior anxiety disorders significantly predicted PTSD in a multivariate model (OR=1.5-4.3) and that these disorders interacted significantly with three of the earlier traumas (witnessing atrocities, physical violence victimization and rape). History of witnessing atrocities significantly predicted PTSD after subsequent random traumas only among respondents with prior PTSD (OR=5.6). Histories of physical violence victimization (OR=1.5) and rape after age 17 years (OR=17.6) significantly predicted only among respondents with no history of prior anxiety disorders. Although only preliminary due to reliance on retrospective reports, these results suggest that history of anxiety disorders and history of a limited number of earlier traumas might usefully be targeted in future prospective studies as distinct foci of research on individual differences in vulnerability to PTSD after subsequent traumas.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 19 September 2017; doi:10.1038/mp.2017.194.

Earlier nesting by generalist predatory bird is associated with human responses to climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Shawn H; Steenhof, Karen; McClure, Christopher J W; Heath, Julie A

2017-01-01

Warming temperatures cause temporal changes in growing seasons and prey abundance that drive earlier breeding by birds, especially dietary specialists within homogeneous habitat. Less is known about how generalists respond to climate-associated shifts in growing seasons or prey phenology, which may occur at different rates across land cover types. We studied whether breeding phenology of a generalist predator, the American kestrel (Falco sparverius), was associated with shifts in growing seasons and, presumably, prey abundance, in a mosaic of non-irrigated shrub/grasslands and irrigated crops/pastures. We examined the relationship between remotely-sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and abundance of small mammals that, with insects, constitute approximately 93% of kestrel diet biomass. We used NDVI to estimate the start of the growing season (SoGS) in irrigated and non-irrigated lands from 1992 to 2015 and tested whether either estimate of annual SoGS predicted the timing of kestrel nesting. Finally, we examined relationships among irrigated SoGS, weather and crop planting. NDVI was a useful proxy for kestrel prey because it predicted small mammal abundance and past studies showed that NDVI predicts insect abundance. NDVI-estimated SoGS advanced significantly in irrigated lands (β = -1·09 ± 0·30 SE) but not in non-irrigated lands (β = -0·57 ± 0·53). Average date of kestrel nesting advanced 15 days in the past 24 years and was positively associated with the SoGS in irrigated lands, but not the SoGS in non-irrigated lands. Advanced SoGS in irrigated lands was related to earlier planting of crops after relatively warm winters, which were more common in recent years. Despite different patterns of SoGS change between land cover types, kestrel nesting phenology shifted with earlier prey availability in irrigated lands. Kestrels may preferentially track prey in irrigated lands over non-irrigated lands because of higher quality prey on

Assumption and program of the earlier stage construction of L/ILW disposal site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xuequn; Chen Shi; Li Xinbang

1993-01-01

The authors analysed the production and treatment of low- and intermediate-level radwastes (L/ILW) in China. Some problems and situation in this field are introduced. Over the past ten years, preliminary efforts have been made by CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation) in policy, law and rules, developing program, management system, siting, engineering techniques, and safety assessment for radwaste disposal. The investment of the earlier stage work of L/ILW disposal site construction is estimated, the program and assumption to disposal site construction of the L/ILW are reviewed

Twenty Practices of an Entrepreneurial University

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerding, Allan Næs; Wilderom, Celeste P.M.; Cameron, Shona P.B.

2006-01-01

studies twenty organisational practices against which a University's entrepreneurship can be measured. These twenty practices or factors in effect formed the basis for an entrepreneurship audit. During a series of interviews, the extent to which the universities are seen as entrepreneurial...

Some Observations on Cultural Opposites in Contemporary China: Kunming and Beijing Twenty Years Later

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vesna Vučinić-Nešković

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper considers the cultural opposites observed in various segments of Chinese culture during the author's three stays in China over a period of twenty years. The first and second stay, in 1986 and 1989 respectively, coincided with the initial period of the implementation of modernization reforms in China, when their results were just beginning to be felt. The third stay was in 2009, towards the end of the third decade of reform implementation, at the time of an already developed marketoriented communism. The paper's main thesis is that most of the phenomena observed in present-day urban China can be assigned to opposite categories, namely Chinese-Western and traditional- contemporary. Cultural opposites have been observed in the sphere of tourism and the behavior of both Chinese and foreign visitors, in the use of Chinese and English in notices and signs in public places, and in the promotion of traditional and modern architecture. In addition, they have been noted in the presentation of arts and crafts and industrial products, in the manner of consumption of hot drinks, and in the combining of Chinese and foreign cuisine. They are also evident in a Beijing Opera performance adapted both to the modern Chinese and to foreigners, and in the traditional Chinese exercises and western dances performed in public parks. In conclusion, the paper suggests that the process of establishing connections between China and the West is being carried on in a moderate and controlled way. In the globalization process cultural opposites coexist and merge, imparting new features to Chinese culture.

Earlier adolescent substance use onset predicts stronger connectivity between reward and cognitive control brain networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David G. Weissman

2015-12-01

Discussion: The regions that demonstrated significant positive linear relationships between the number of adolescent years using substances and connectivity with NAcc are nodes in the right frontoparietal network, which is central to cognitive control. The coupling of reward and cognitive control networks may be a mechanism through which earlier onset of substance use is related to brain function over time, a trajectory that may be implicated in subsequent substance use disorders.

The earlier the better: An evaluation of changes to teaching year 1 Nuclear Medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, E.J.; Kilburn-Watt, E.; Cowell, S.F.

1998-01-01

Full text: Changes were made to the content and mode of delivery of the Year 1 Nuclear Medicine degree program at The University of Sydney in 1996. Changes included increased study of skeletal, respiratory and cardiac Nuclear Medicine and the use of problem based learning to increase independent learning and clinical reasoning skills. Learning outcomes were qualitatively assessed to determine the educational value of the changes. The project aimed to evaluate whether changes made to the Year 1 program in 1996 raised clinical abilities of students entering their first clinical placement in Year 2. Retrospective surveys were conducted on both the 1995 and 1996 Year 1 students after completion of their first Year 2 clinical placement. Surveys were designed to assess the students perception of how well Year 1 had prepared them for both understanding and application of content studied in Year 1. Clinical Supervisors who assessed both cohorts of students were surveyed to determine if 1996 students presented with any appreciable difference in understanding and application to areas studied in Year 1. Results of the student survey indicated the 1996 students were more positive than the 1995 students about their clinical readiness. Clinical Supervisor survey results showed a positive response to the level of understanding and application of skills by the 1996 students. In conclusion, the 1996 Year 1 students were perceived to have a higher level of clinical abilities at the commencement of their Year 2 clinical placement. This result demonstrated worthwhile learning outcomes for the changes to content and mode of delivery in the Year 1 Nuclear Medicine degree program

Neuropsychological dysfunction related to earlier occupational exposure to mercury vapor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.C. Zachi

2007-03-01

Full Text Available We assessed the neuropsychological test performances of 26 patients (mean age = 41.5 ± 6.1 years; mean years of education = 9.8 ± 1.8; 20 males diagnosed with chronic occupational mercurialism who were former workers at a fluorescent lamp factory. They had been exposed to elemental mercury for an average of 10.2 ± 3.8 years and had been away from this work for 6 ± 4.7 years. Mean urinary mercury concentrations 1 year after cessation of work were 1.8 ± 0.9 µg/g creatinine. Twenty control subjects matched for age, gender, and education (18 males were used for comparison. Neuropsychological assessment included attention, inhibitory control, verbal and visual memory, verbal fluency, manual dexterity, visual-spatial function, executive function, and semantic knowledge tests. The Beck Depression Inventory and the State and Trait Inventory were used to assess depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The raw score for the group exposed to mercury indicated slower information processing speed, inferior performance in psychomotor speed, verbal spontaneous recall memory, and manual dexterity of the dominant hand and non-dominant hand (P < 0.05. In addition, the patients showed increased depression and anxiety symptoms (P < 0.001. A statistically significant correlation (Pearson was demonstrable between mean urinary mercury and anxiety trait (r = 0.75, P = 0.03. The neuropsychological performances of the former workers suggest that occupational exposure to elemental mercury has long-term effects on information processing and psychomotor function, with increased depression and anxiety also possibly reflecting the psychosocial context.

Earlier adolescent substance use onset predicts stronger connectivity between reward and cognitive control brain networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Weissman, David G; Schriber, Roberta A; Fassbender, Catherine; Atherton, Olivia; Krafft, Cynthia; Robins, Richard W; Hastings, Paul D; Guyer, Amanda E

2015-12-01

Early adolescent onset of substance use is a robust predictor of future substance use disorders. We examined the relation between age of substance use initiation and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the core reward processing (nucleus accumbens; NAcc) to cognitive control (prefrontal cortex; PFC) brain networks. Adolescents in a longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth reported their substance use annually from ages 10 to 16 years. At age 16, 69 adolescents participated in a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Seed-based correlational analyses were conducted using regions of interest in bilateral NAcc. The earlier that adolescents initiated substance use, the stronger the connectivity between bilateral NAcc and right dorsolateral PFC, right dorsomedial PFC, right pre-supplementary motor area, right inferior parietal lobule, and left medial temporal gyrus. The regions that demonstrated significant positive linear relationships between the number of adolescent years using substances and connectivity with NAcc are nodes in the right frontoparietal network, which is central to cognitive control. The coupling of reward and cognitive control networks may be a mechanism through which earlier onset of substance use is related to brain function over time, a trajectory that may be implicated in subsequent substance use disorders. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Twenty-Year Survey of Scientific Literacy and Attitudes Toward Science: Students’ Acceptance of Astrology and Pseudoscience

Science.gov (United States)

Sugarman, Hannah R.; Impey, C.; Buxner, S.; Antonellis, J.

2010-01-01

Our survey used to collect data during a twenty-year long investigation into the science literacy of undergraduates (see Impey et al., this meeting), contains several questions addressing how students conceptualize astrology, and other pseudoscientific ideas. This poster presents findings from the quantitative analysis of some of these question responses from almost 10,000 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory astronomy courses from 1989 to 2009. The results from our data reveal that a large majority of students (78%) and half of science majors (52%) consider astrology either "very” or "sort of” scientific. Students performed comparatively better on all other pseudoscientific questions, demonstrating that belief in astrology is pervasive and deeply entrenched. We compare our results to those obtained by the NSF Science Indicators series, and suggest possible reasons for the high susceptibility to belief in astrology. These findings call into question whether our education system is adequately preparing students to be scientifically literate adults. You can help! Stop by our poster and fill out a new survey that will give us important parallel information to help us continue to analyze our valuable data set. We acknowledge the NSF for funding under Award No. 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS) Program.

International cyclotron conferences: twenty-five years of progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.A.

1984-01-01

This brief introduction reviews a few of the highlights of the nine previous meetings to perhaps convey an appreciation of the time-scale of the significant achievements of past years and to leave the thought that the future is as filled with promise as was the past

Paleolithic nutrition: twenty-five years later.

Science.gov (United States)

Konner, Melvin; Eaton, S Boyd

2010-12-01

A quarter century has passed since the first publication of the evolutionary discordance hypothesis, according to which departures from the nutrition and activity patterns of our hunter-gatherer ancestors have contributed greatly and in specifically definable ways to the endemic chronic diseases of modern civilization. Refinements of the model have changed it in some respects, but anthropological evidence continues to indicate that ancestral human diets prevalent during our evolution were characterized by much lower levels of refined carbohydrates and sodium, much higher levels of fiber and protein, and comparable levels of fat (primarily unsaturated fat) and cholesterol. Physical activity levels were also much higher than current levels, resulting in higher energy throughput. We said at the outset that such evidence could only suggest testable hypotheses and that recommendations must ultimately rest on more conventional epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory studies. Such studies have multiplied and have supported many aspects of our model, to the extent that in some respects, official recommendations today have targets closer to those prevalent among hunter-gatherers than did comparable recommendations 25 years ago. Furthermore, doubts have been raised about the necessity for very low levels of protein, fat, and cholesterol intake common in official recommendations. Most impressively, randomized controlled trials have begun to confirm the value of hunter-gatherer diets in some high-risk groups, even as compared with routinely recommended diets. Much more research needs to be done, but the past quarter century has proven the interest and heuristic value, if not yet the ultimate validity, of the model.

Twenty-first century vaccines

Science.gov (United States)

Rappuoli, Rino

2011-01-01

In the twentieth century, vaccination has been possibly the greatest revolution in health. Together with hygiene and antibiotics, vaccination led to the elimination of many childhood infectious diseases and contributed to the increase in disability-free life expectancy that in Western societies rose from 50 to 78–85 years (Crimmins, E. M. & Finch, C. E. 2006 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 103, 498–503; Kirkwood, T. B. 2008 Nat. Med 10, 1177–1185). In the twenty-first century, vaccination will be expected to eliminate the remaining childhood infectious diseases, such as meningococcal meningitis, respiratory syncytial virus, group A streptococcus, and will address the health challenges of this century such as those associated with ageing, antibiotic resistance, emerging infectious diseases and poverty. However, for this to happen, we need to increase the public trust in vaccination so that vaccines can be perceived as the best insurance against most diseases across all ages. PMID:21893537

Twenty years of Triga Mark I reactor use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stasiulevicius, R.; Maretti Junior, F.

1981-01-01

This work is a report on the 20 years of activities of the Triga Mark I, research reactor located in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It contains also a list of publications, details of operation and improvements introduced in the reactor as well as some perspectives for its future. (A.C.A.S.)

Twenty years of immunocontraceptive research: lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Lowell A; Fagerstone, Kathleen A; Eckery, Douglas C

2013-12-01

The National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) began immunocontraception vaccine research by testing porcine zona pellucida (PZP) on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Early PZP research demonstrated that PZP induced infertility; however, increased length of the rut was observed in PZP-treated deer. An alternative vaccine using a keyhole limpet hemocyanin-gonadotropin-releasing hormone (KLH-GnRH) conjugate formulated with modified Freund's adjuvant was developed at NWRC. Suppression of GnRH has reduced reproduction in both sexes but is most effective in females. This vaccine was effective in preventing contraception in female deer for several years after a prime and boost. Due to adverse side effects of Freund's adjuvant, NWRC developed a new adjuvant called AdjuVac, a mineral oil/surfactant adjuvant with the addition of Mycobacterium avium as an immunostimulant. The price of KLH prompted a search for a more economical hemocyanin carrier protein for the GnRH peptide. Blue protein, derived from the mollusk Concholepas concholepas, proved to be a successful option. Formulation improvements resulted in a vaccine that can be effective as a single injection for multiple years, now called GonaCon. GonaCon is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in white-tailed deer in urban/suburban areas and for wild horses (Equus caballus) and burros (Equus asinus). Future GonaCon applications may include reducing reproduction to manage populations of other wildlife species, such as prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in urban areas and suppressing reproduction to reduce the spread of venereal diseases such as brucellosis. Research is being conducted to develop a GnRH vaccine used in combination with the rabies vaccine to control population growth in free-roaming dogs, with the secondary effect of managing the spread of rabies. The EPA would regulate all these uses. Research is also ongoing on a GnRH vaccine to delay the onset of adrenocortical

Changes in Reef Fish Abundances Associated with the Introduction of Indo-Pacific Lionfish to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: a Twenty Year Time Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Hepner, M.; Muller-Karger, F. E.; Gittings, S.; Stallings, C.

2016-02-01

The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) is a partnership between academic, private, and government researchers seeking to understand how marine biodiversity changes over long periods of time. In this context, a study of the multi-agency Reef Visual Census (RVC) data, collected over twenty years in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), was analyzed to measure possible changes in reef fish abundances as a result of possible predation by lionfish predation or due to related trophic cascading. Lionfish were first sighted in the FKNMS in January 2009, with abundances and frequency of occurrence increasing three to six fold throughout the sanctuary by 2011. Their high consumption rates of smaller fish, coupled with their rapidly increasing densities may be having a significant effect on coral reef fish communities. The study compares the natural variability in reef fish abundances from 1994-2009 in the FKNMS, 15 years prior to the first lionfish detected in the sanctuary, to changes in reef fish abundances 5 years after the invasion. The MBON project also aims to develop environmental DNA (eDNA) technology for conducting biodiversity assessments. eDNA is an emerging technique that seeks to quantify biodiversity in an area by obtaining genetic material directly from environmental samples (soil, sediment, water, etc.) without any obvious signs of biological source material. All marine organisms shed DNA into their surrounding habitat, leaving a "fingerprint." Similar to forensic science, the DNA can be collected from seawater and analyzed to determine what species were recently present. The MBON team is evaluating whether eDNA can be used to adequately monitor reef fish biodiversity in coral reef ecosystems. We will compare species detected in our samples to the taxonomic composition of reef fish communities at the sample site as recorded over the past twenty years in the Reef Visual Census data.

Light pollution is associated with earlier tree budburst across the United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Ffrench-Constant, Richard H; Somers-Yeates, Robin; Bennie, Jonathan; Economou, Theodoros; Hodgson, David; Spalding, Adrian; McGregor, Peter K

2016-06-29

The ecological impact of night-time lighting is of concern because of its well-demonstrated effects on animal behaviour. However, the potential of light pollution to change plant phenology and its corresponding knock-on effects on associated herbivores are less clear. Here, we test if artificial lighting can advance the timing of budburst in trees. We took a UK-wide 13 year dataset of spatially referenced budburst data from four deciduous tree species and matched it with both satellite imagery of night-time lighting and average spring temperature. We find that budburst occurs up to 7.5 days earlier in brighter areas, with the relationship being more pronounced for later-budding species. Excluding large urban areas from the analysis showed an even more pronounced advance of budburst, confirming that the urban 'heat-island' effect is not the sole cause of earlier urban budburst. Similarly, the advance in budburst across all sites is too large to be explained by increases in temperature alone. This dramatic advance of budburst illustrates the need for further experimental investigation into the impact of artificial night-time lighting on plant phenology and subsequent species interactions. As light pollution is a growing global phenomenon, the findings of this study are likely to be applicable to a wide range of species interactions across the world. © 2016 The Authors.

TPACK Updated to Measure Pre-Service Teachers' Twenty-First Century Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Valtonen, Teemu; Sointu, Erkko; Kukkonen, Jari; Kontkanen, Sini; Lambert, Matthew C.; Mäkitalo-Siegl, Kati

2017-01-01

Twenty-first century skills have attracted significant attention in recent years. Students of today and the future are expected to have the skills necessary for collaborating, problem solving, creative and innovative thinking, and the ability to take advantage of information and communication technology (ICT) applications. Teachers must be…

Biological consequences of earlier snowmelt from desert dust deposition in alpine landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Steltzer, Heidi; Landry, Chris; Painter, Thomas H; Anderson, Justin; Ayres, Edward

2009-07-14

Dust deposition to mountain snow cover, which has increased since the late 19(th) century, accelerates the rate of snowmelt by increasing the solar radiation absorbed by the snowpack. Snowmelt occurs earlier, but is decoupled from seasonal warming. Climate warming advances the timing of snowmelt and early season phenological events (e.g., the onset of greening and flowering); however, earlier snowmelt without warmer temperatures may have a different effect on phenology. Here, we report the results of a set of snowmelt manipulations in which radiation-absorbing fabric and the addition and removal of dust from the surface of the snowpack advanced or delayed snowmelt in the alpine tundra. These changes in the timing of snowmelt were superimposed on a system where the timing of snowmelt varies with topography and has been affected by increased dust loading. At the community level, phenology exhibited a threshold response to the timing of snowmelt. Greening and flowering were delayed before seasonal warming, after which there was a linear relationship between the date of snowmelt and the timing of phenological events. Consequently, the effects of earlier snowmelt on phenology differed in relation to topography, which resulted in increasing synchronicity in phenology across the alpine landscape with increasingly earlier snowmelt. The consequences of earlier snowmelt from increased dust deposition differ from climate warming and include delayed phenology, leading to synchronized growth and flowering across the landscape and the opportunity for altered species interactions, landscape-scale gene flow via pollination, and nutrient cycling.

Cryogenic air separation: the last twenty years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grenier, M.; Petit, P.

1986-01-01

In the last 20 years cryogenic air separation plant sizes have increased from 150 tons per day to 2800 tons per day. Progressively reversing heat exchangers have replaced regenerators. However, with this arrangement, the quantity of pure product output is limited to about 50% of the air input. With the appearance on the market of molecular sieve, another arrangement was developed, which allows one to produce a combined pure product flow equivalent to 85% of the air input. Recently, there has been a strong tendency for the reversing exchangers to be superseded by this arrangement. Due to the ever increasing cost of energy, optimization studies are today pushed much further than they used to be; as a consequence there have been major changes in the size of equipment, improvements in the machinery, and simultaneous developments in instrumentation

Capital in the Twenty-First Century

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Per H.

2014-01-01

Review essay on: Capital in the Twenty-First Century. By Thomas Piketty . Translated by Arthur Goldhammer . Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2014. viii + 685 pp......Review essay on: Capital in the Twenty-First Century. By Thomas Piketty . Translated by Arthur Goldhammer . Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2014. viii + 685 pp...

Seasonal calcareous nannoplankton and other biogenic particle fluxes for 1990-2009: twenty-year long records from the central subarctic Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Kozo; Tsutsui, Hideto

2017-04-01

Time-series sediment traps were deployed for nearly 20 years (1990-2009) at two long-term locations: Station SA (49°N, 174°W, trap depth 4,800 m, water depth 5,400 m) in the central subarctic Pacific, and Station AB (53.5°N, 177°W, trap depth 3,200 m, water depth 3,800 m) in the southern Bering Sea. Among many biogenic particles, calcareous nannoplankton represented nearly half or more of the entire calcium carbonate fluxes of the regions. Dominant taxa include Coccolithus pelagicus and Emiliania huxleyi. The flux maxima of the former taxon occurred twice a year during June and October-November, whereas that of the latter taxon only occurred primarily once a year in November at both stations, indicating environmental preferences of the taxa. Among many environmental conditions, the fluxes of Emiliania huxleyi showed strong correlations with both water temperatures above 45 m depth and air temperatures (these parameters taken with one-month lag [earlier values] considering sinking time of ca. a month to the respective trap depths). Coccolithus pelagicus, on the other hand, showed lower values in the correlation with temperatures (Tsutsui et al., 2016), indicating that this taxon is somewhat more dependent on other factors such as nutrients compared to those of E. huxleyi. The timings of the seasonal flux maxima of calcareous nannoplankton are quite different from and later than those of other taxonomic groups such as diatoms and silicoflagellates. The primary seasonal flux maxima of diatoms and silicoflagellates, for example, occurred in May, a month earlier than the June maximum of C. pelagicus, and secondary seasonal flux maxima occurred in August, 2-3 months earlier than those of calcareous nannoplankton at both stations, based on 8 year flux records for diatoms (Onodera and Takahashi, 2009) and 4 year records for silicoflagellates (Onodera and Takahashi, 2012). By examining seasonal changes of nitrate and phosphate concentrations above 50 m depth from ERDDAP

About Chernobyl - Twenty Years Later; Propos sur Tchernobyl

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tubiana, M

2006-07-01

The author discusses the reactor accident of Chernobyl, the information on its consequences so contradictory in the former USSR countries, the status of the effects observed, the forecasting concerning the onset of cancers in the coming years among the populations that were exposed to radiations, the public opinion facing the pessimists. He concludes on the lessons which can be drawn from Chernobyl. (A.L.B.)

Twenty years later: The war did (not begin at Maksimir an anthropological analysis of the media narratives about a never ended football game

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đorđević Ivan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is an analysis of the media narratives about the never ended football match between Dynamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade on May 13 1990. The article focuses on the media coverage twenty years after the incident in the context of the game's acquired mythic status, symbolically marking the beginning of the war in former Yugoslavia. The object of the analysis are Serbian and Croatian media with the aim of revealing the strategies of representing this event in the period of the normalization of the relations in the region. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177026: Cultural Heritage and Identity

The summer institute in clinical dental research methods: still going and growing after twenty years.

Science.gov (United States)

Derouen, Timothy A; Wiesenbach, Carol

2012-11-01

The first Summer Institute in Clinical Dental Research Methods, a faculty development program at the University of Washington, was offered in the summer of 1992 for sixteen participants. The primary objective of the program was to give clinical faculty members in dentistry an introduction to and an understanding of the fundamental principles and methods used in good clinical research. In the twentieth offering of the institute in 2011, there were thirty-five participants, and over the twenty institutes, there has been a cumulative total of 463 participants who have come from thirty U.S. states as well as forty-three countries outside the United States. The curriculum has expanded from the initial offering of biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, behavioral research methods, and ethics in clinical research to now include clinical trials, grantsmanship, data analysis, an elective in molecular biology, and a team project that provides participants with hands-on experience in research proposal development as members of an interdisciplinary team. Enrollment has doubled since the first year, yet exit evaluations of the program content have remained consistently high (rated as very good to excellent). One of the indicators of program quality is that at least 50 percent of recent participants indicated that they attended because the program was recommended by colleagues who had attended. There seems to be an ever-increasing pool of dental faculty members who are eager to learn more about clinical research methodology through the institute despite the intensive demands of full-time participation in a six-week program.

Earlier time to aerobic exercise is associated with faster recovery following acute sport concussion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, David Wyndham; Richards, Doug; Comper, Paul; Hutchison, Michael G

2018-01-01

To determine whether earlier time to initiation of aerobic exercise following acute concussion is associated with time to full return to (1) sport and (2) school or work. A retrospective stratified propensity score survival analysis of acute (≤14 days) concussion was used to determine whether time (days) to initiation of aerobic exercise post-concussion was associated with, both, time (days) to full return to (1) sport and (2) school or work. A total of 253 acute concussions [median (IQR) age, 17.0 (15.0-20.0) years; 148 (58.5%) males] were included in this study. Multivariate Cox regression models identified that earlier time to aerobic exercise was associated with faster return to sport and school/work adjusting for other covariates, including quintile propensity strata. For each successive day in delay to initiation of aerobic exercise, individuals had a less favourable recovery trajectory. Initiating aerobic exercise at 3 and 7 days following injury was associated with a respective 36.5% (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.53-0.76) and 73.2% (HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.16-0.45) reduced probability of faster full return to sport compared to within 1 day; and a respective 45.9% (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.44-0.66) and 83.1% (HR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.10-0.30) reduced probability of faster full return to school/work. Additionally, concussion history, symptom severity, LOC deleteriously influenced concussion recovery. Earlier initiation of aerobic exercise was associated with faster full return to sport and school or work. This study provides greater insight into the benefits and safety of aerobic exercise within the first week of the injury.

[Twenty-five years of screening eugenics in Spain].

Science.gov (United States)

Mérida Donoso, Salvador

2012-01-01

Over the past 25 years, the incidence of newborns with congenital defects in Spain has fallen by 56.7% primarily due to the practice of "fetal risk" abortion, after prenatal diagnosis. In some cases, such as people with Down syndrome, the strategy involves the removal of 80-90% of those affected in pregnancy. After presenting the techniques used today and statistical data, we will make a reflection about the ethical justification for prenatal diagnosis programs and practice of "eugenic" abortion.

Spatial and Temporal Variation in Primary Productivity (NDVI) of Coastal Alaskan Tundra: Decreased Vegetation Growth Following Earlier Snowmelt

Science.gov (United States)

Gamon, John A.; Huemmrich, K. Fred; Stone, Robert S.; Tweedie, Craig E.

2015-01-01

In the Arctic, earlier snowmelt and longer growing seasons due to warming have been hypothesized to increase vegetation productivity. Using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from both field and satellite measurements as an indicator of vegetation phenology and productivity, we monitored spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation growth for a coastal wet sedge tundra site near Barrow, Alaska over three growing seasons (2000-2002). Contrary to expectation, earlier snowmelt did not lead to increased productivity. Instead, productivity was associated primarily with precipitation and soil moisture, and secondarily with growing degree days, which, during this period, led to reduced growth in years with earlier snowmelt. Additional moisture effects on productivity and species distribution, operating over a longer time scale, were evident in spatial NDVI patterns associated with microtopography. Lower, wetter regions dominated by graminoids were more productive than higher, drier locations having a higher percentage of lichens and mosses, despite the earlier snowmelt at the more elevated sites. These results call into question the oft-stated hypothesis that earlier arctic growing seasons will lead to greater vegetation productivity. Rather, they agree with an emerging body of evidence from recent field studies indicating that early-season, local environmental conditions, notably moisture and temperature, are primary factors determining arctic vegetation productivity. For this coastal arctic site, early growing season conditions are strongly influenced by microtopography, hydrology, and regional sea ice dynamics, and may not be easily predicted from snowmelt date or seasonal average air temperatures alone. Our comparison of field to satellite NDVI also highlights the value of in-situ monitoring of actual vegetation responses using field optical sampling to obtain detailed information on surface conditions not possible from satellite observations alone.

Does menopause start earlier in smokers? Evidence from the Pro-Saude Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula de Holanda Mendes

2013-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: cigarette smoking has been the modifiable risk factor most consistently associated with earlier menopause. This preliminary study based on cross-sectional data aimed to analyze the association between smoking status and age of onset of menopause in a Brazilian population. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was carried out with 1,222 female employees of Rio de Janeiro university campuses aged over 35 years who were at risk of natural menopause. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the association between smoking status and age at the onset of menopause, adjusting for education, parity and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: current smokers showed a 56% increase in the risk of menopause, being 1.8 years younger at menopause onset compared with women who had never smoked. However, no differences were observed between former smokers and women who had never smoked. The adjusted median age at menopause was 49.5 years for current smokers and 51.3 years for women who had never smoked (p<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: the results suggest a deleterious but potentially reversible effect of smoking on the age of onset of menopause, which should receive greater attention in tobacco control efforts. Longitudinal analyses of this association will be carried out in the future in a follow-up study of this population.

Skin-to-skin contact is associated with earlier breastfeeding attainment in preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Oras, Paola; Thernström Blomqvist, Ylva; Hedberg Nyqvist, Kerstin; Gradin, Maria; Rubertsson, Christine; Hellström-Westas, Lena; Funkquist, Eva-Lotta

2016-07-01

This study investigated the effects of skin-to-skin contact on breastfeeding attainment, duration and infant growth in preterm infants, as this has not been sufficiently explored. A prospective longitudinal study on Kangaroo mother care was carried out, comprising 104 infants with a gestational age of 28 + 0 to 33 + 6 and followed up to one year of corrected age. Parents and staff recorded the duration of skin-to skin contact during the stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Medical data were collected through patient records, and follow-up questionnaires were filled in by parents. The 53 infants who attained full breastfeeding in the NICU did so at a median (range) of 35 + 0 (32 + 1 to 37 + 5) weeks of postmenstrual age, and skin-to-skin contact was the only factor that influenced earlier attainment in the regression analysis (R(2) 0.215 p skin-to-skin contact during the stay in the NICU did not affect the duration of breastfeeding or infant growth after discharge. Furthermore, infant growth was not affected by the feeding strategy of exclusive, partial breastfeeding or no breastfeeding. A longer daily duration of skin-to-skin contact in the NICU was associated with earlier attainment of exclusive breastfeeding. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

'Twenty-five years after Chernobyl accident: Safety for the future'. 2011 National report of Ukraine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imanaka, Tetsuji; Shindo, Mahito

2016-02-01

This is the Japanese translation of the Ukrainian National Report 'Twenty-five Years after Chernobyl Accident: Safety for the Future', published by the Ministry of Ukraine of Emergencies in 2011 (in Ukrainian and English). This Japanese translation is published as an outcome of the KAKENHI research project on liquidations of Nuclear Disasters in the World (headed by Tetsuji Imanaka), in which Shindo participates, and as a KUR report of the Research Reactor Institute at Kyoto University. The objective of publishing this Japanese translation is to provide basic information on how to overcome the consequences of a large-scale Nuclear Disaster for the wide range of public, including decision-makers and administrative staff. By doing so, this publication aims at invigorating discussions over measures to be applied for overcoming the consequences of the TEPCO Nuclear Disaster (started in 11th March 2011 at Fukushima), and at forming proper schemes to minimise the consequences on current and future generations. The original text of this translation tightly summarised the whole picture of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, which had been the only large-scale Nuclear Disaster until 11th March 2011. More importantly, it describes all sorts of measures and schemes taken in Ukraine from 1986 to 2011 in order to overcome the consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, in a quite well structured manner. In other words, from the contents of this text, Japanese readers are able to learn a lot about the very problems currently facing with. Therefore, I wish many Japanese readers will read this text, and utilise the knowledge written here effectively to overcome the consequences of the TEPCO Nuclear Disaster. (J.P.N.)

Twenty-Eight Years of Poliovirus Replication in an Immunodeficient Individual: Impact on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Glynis; Klapsa, Dimitra; Wilton, Thomas; Stone, Lindsay; Minor, Philip D; Martin, Javier

2015-08-01

There are currently huge efforts by the World Health Organization and partners to complete global polio eradication. With the significant decline in poliomyelitis cases due to wild poliovirus in recent years, rare cases related to the use of live-attenuated oral polio vaccine assume greater importance. Poliovirus strains in the oral vaccine are known to quickly revert to neurovirulent phenotype following replication in humans after immunisation. These strains can transmit from person to person leading to poliomyelitis outbreaks and can replicate for long periods of time in immunodeficient individuals leading to paralysis or chronic infection, with currently no effective treatment to stop excretion from these patients. Here, we describe an individual who has been excreting type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus for twenty eight years as estimated by the molecular clock established with VP1 capsid gene nucleotide sequences of serial isolates. This represents by far the longest period of excretion described from such a patient who is the only identified individual known to be excreting highly evolved vaccine-derived poliovirus at present. Using a range of in vivo and in vitro assays we show that the viruses are very virulent, antigenically drifted and excreted at high titre suggesting that such chronic excreters pose an obvious risk to the eradication programme. Our results in virus neutralization assays with human sera and immunisation-challenge experiments using transgenic mice expressing the human poliovirus receptor indicate that while maintaining high immunisation coverage will likely confer protection against paralytic disease caused by these viruses, significant changes in immunisation strategies might be required to effectively stop their occurrence and potential widespread transmission. Eventually, new stable live-attenuated polio vaccines with no risk of reversion might be required to respond to any poliovirus isolation in the post-eradication era.

Twenty-Five Years Later: A Librarian Looks Back...and Ahead

Science.gov (United States)

York, Sherry

2007-01-01

In this article, the author thinks about the changes that have taken place in school libraries during the past 25 years that she has shared with Linworth Publishing. She remembers the first copy of "The Book Report" that arrived in the mail as a sample. As a high school librarian with several years experience, she found this new magazine an…

Later endogenous circadian temperature nadir relative to an earlier wake time in older people

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, J. F.; Dijk, D. J.; Klerman, E. B.; Czeisler, C. A.

1998-01-01

The contribution of the circadian timing system to the age-related advance of sleep-wake timing was investigated in two experiments. In a constant routine protocol, we found that the average wake time and endogenous circadian phase of 44 older subjects were earlier than that of 101 young men. However, the earlier circadian phase of the older subjects actually occurred later relative to their habitual wake time than it did in young men. These results indicate that an age-related advance of circadian phase cannot fully account for the high prevalence of early morning awakening in healthy older people. In a second study, 13 older subjects and 10 young men were scheduled to a 28-h day, such that they were scheduled to sleep at many circadian phases. Self-reported awakening from scheduled sleep episodes and cognitive throughput during the second half of the wake episode varied markedly as a function of circadian phase in both groups. The rising phase of both rhythms was advanced in the older subjects, suggesting an age-related change in the circadian regulation of sleep-wake propensity. We hypothesize that under entrained conditions, these age-related changes in the relationship between circadian phase and wake time are likely associated with self-selected light exposure at an earlier circadian phase. This earlier exposure to light could account for the earlier clock hour to which the endogenous circadian pacemaker is entrained in older people and thereby further increase their propensity to awaken at an even earlier time.

Radiation protection training: twenty year experience in Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellet, Sandor; Kanyar, Bela; Zagyvay, Peter; Solymosi, Jozsef; Bujtas, Tibor; Feher, Istvan; Giczi, Ferenc; Deme, Sandor; Uray, Istvan

2008-01-01

In Hungary, radiation protection training for radiation workers has been introduced in very early, just following the publication of the ICRP recommendation No. 26. Before that, in some of the institutions, radiation protection training was recommended for technicians and medical doctors working in nuclear medicine, X-ray diagnostic radiology and radiation therapy, as well as in some of industrial applications, but not on regular way. Since 1988, radiation protection training regulated by the Ministry of Health and required for all of the workers in radiation workplaces licensed by the authority the State Public Health and Medical Officers Service (SPHAMOS). Decree No. 16/2000. (VI. 8.) EuM of the Minister of Health on the enforcement of Clauses of the Nuclear Law 116/1996 regulates the radiation protection training of Radiation Workers (RW). Annex 4 of Decree sees radiation protection training and in-service training: Persons performing conducted work in the field of the use of the nuclear energy and any other work within legal relationship shall be educated in training and in-service training at an interval of 5 years. Three levels of the training introduced; basic, extended and comprehensive, based on radiation risk related to the given job. Several institutions are involved in performing radiation protection training, such universities, scientific institutions, Regional Radiological Health Centers (RRHC) of SPHAMOS, private enterprises etc. All training course material is subject to accreditation. Most of the faculties of the universities involved in training of natural sciences and engineering provide subjects on the fundamentals of dosimetry, radiobiology and radiation protection within the courses of physics, biophysics, chemistry, biology, ecology etc. These courses take 5-10 contact hours per week on average. The members of the Hungarian Committee of EUTERP Platform summarize their broad experience collected in the past 20 year. (author)

Twenty-five-year experience with the Björk-Shiley convexoconcave heart valve: a continuing clinical concern.

Science.gov (United States)

Blot, William J; Ibrahim, Michel A; Ivey, Tom D; Acheson, Donald E; Brookmeyer, Ron; Weyman, Arthur; Defauw, Joseph; Smith, J Kermit; Harrison, Donald

2005-05-31

The first Björk-Shiley convexoconcave (BSCC) prosthetic heart valves were implanted in 1978. The 25th anniversary provided a stimulus to summarize the research data relevant to BSCC valve fracture, patient management, and current clinical options. Published and unpublished data on the risks of BSCC valve fracture and replacement were compiled, and strategies for identifying candidates for prophylactic valve reoperation were summarized. By December 2003, outlet strut fractures (OSFs), often with fatal outcomes, had been reported in 633 BSCC valves (0.7% of 86,000 valves implanted). Fractures still continue to occur, but average rates of OSFs in 60 degrees valves are now valve characteristics, especially valve angle and size, with weaker effects associated with other manufacturing variables. OSF risks are mildly lower among women than men but decline sharply with advancing age. The risks of valve replacement typically greatly exceed those of OSF. By comparing individualized estimated risks of OSF versus valve replacement, guidelines have been developed to identify the small percentage of BSCC patients (mostly younger men) who would be expected to have a gain in life expectancy should reoperative surgery be performed. Twenty-five years after the initial BSCC valve implants, fractures continue to occur. Continued monitoring of BSCC patients is needed to track and quantify risks and enable periodic updating of guidelines for patients and their physicians.

Perceptual sensitivity to spectral properties of earlier sounds during speech categorization.

Science.gov (United States)

Stilp, Christian E; Assgari, Ashley A

2018-02-28

Speech perception is heavily influenced by surrounding sounds. When spectral properties differ between earlier (context) and later (target) sounds, this can produce spectral contrast effects (SCEs) that bias perception of later sounds. For example, when context sounds have more energy in low-F 1 frequency regions, listeners report more high-F 1 responses to a target vowel, and vice versa. SCEs have been reported using various approaches for a wide range of stimuli, but most often, large spectral peaks were added to the context to bias speech categorization. This obscures the lower limit of perceptual sensitivity to spectral properties of earlier sounds, i.e., when SCEs begin to bias speech categorization. Listeners categorized vowels (/ɪ/-/ɛ/, Experiment 1) or consonants (/d/-/g/, Experiment 2) following a context sentence with little spectral amplification (+1 to +4 dB) in frequency regions known to produce SCEs. In both experiments, +3 and +4 dB amplification in key frequency regions of the context produced SCEs, but lesser amplification was insufficient to bias performance. This establishes a lower limit of perceptual sensitivity where spectral differences across sounds can bias subsequent speech categorization. These results are consistent with proposed adaptation-based mechanisms that potentially underlie SCEs in auditory perception. Recent sounds can change what speech sounds we hear later. This can occur when the average frequency composition of earlier sounds differs from that of later sounds, biasing how they are perceived. These "spectral contrast effects" are widely observed when sounds' frequency compositions differ substantially. We reveal the lower limit of these effects, as +3 dB amplification of key frequency regions in earlier sounds was enough to bias categorization of the following vowel or consonant sound. Speech categorization being biased by very small spectral differences across sounds suggests that spectral contrast effects occur

Smoking is associated with earlier time to revision of total knee arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Chin Tat; Goodman, Stuart B; Huddleston, James I; Harris, Alex H S; Bhowmick, Subhrojyoti; Maloney, William J; Amanatullah, Derek F

2017-10-01

Smoking is associated with early postoperative complications, increased length of hospital stay, and an increased risk of revision after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the effect of smoking on time to revision TKA is unknown. A total of 619 primary TKAs referred to an academic tertiary center for revision TKA were retrospectively stratified according to the patient smoking status. Smoking status was then analyzed for associations with time to revision TKA using a Chi square test. The association was also analyzed according to the indication for revision TKA. Smokers (37/41, 90%) have an increased risk of earlier revision for any reason compared to non-smokers (274/357, 77%, p=0.031). Smokers (37/41, 90%) have an increased risk of earlier revision for any reason compared to ex-smokers (168/221, 76%, p=0.028). Subgroup analysis did not reveal a difference in indication for revision TKA (p>0.05). Smokers are at increased risk of earlier revision TKA when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. The risk for ex-smokers was similar to that of non-smokers. Smoking appears to have an all-or-none effect on earlier revision TKA as patients who smoked more did not have higher risk of early revision TKA. These results highlight the need for clinicians to urge patients not to begin smoking and encourage smokers to quit smoking prior to primary TKA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Minimum dipole moment required to bind an electron--molecular theorists rediscover phenomenon mentioned in Fermi--Teller paper on another subject twenty years earlier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, J.E.

1976-07-01

Work leading to the discovery of the minimum dipole moment for electron binding, D/sub min/ = 0.639 ea 0 (atomic units), by several groups in 1967-68 is described. It was subsequently learned that this number had been published in 1947 by Fermi and Teller, who did not, however, indicate how they derived it. The author has found a numerical solution in Fermi's notebooks from 1946-50 at the University of Chicago Library. Fermi's work is described and presented here with relevant material from his notebooks

Twenty years of punishment (and democracy) in South Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

in 2004, South Africa has the highest incarceration rate in Africa and one of the highest in the world.2 In. 2013, the number of people serving life imprisonment stood at 11 000, as opposed to 400 in 1994.3. Democratisation has thus brought with it a dramatic increase in long-term prison sentences, ranging from seven years ...

Hemodynamic Characterization of Recombinant Inbred Strains: Twenty Years Later

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kuneš, Jaroslav; Dobešová, Zdenka; Musilová, Alena; Zídek, Václav; Vorlíček, Jaroslav; Pravenec, Michal; Křen, Vladimír; Zicha, Josef

2008-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 8 (2008), s. 1659-1668 ISSN 0916-9636 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M0510; GA ČR(CZ) GA305/08/0139; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA500110604 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : recombinant inbred strains * blood pressure * telemetry Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 3.146, year: 2008

Outcomes of arthroscopic lateral epicondylitis release: Should we treat earlier?

Science.gov (United States)

Soeur, L; Desmoineaux, P; Devillier, A; Pujol, N; Beaufils, P

2016-10-01

When managed conservatively, lateral epicondylitis often subsides only after considerable time, during which social and occupational activities are severely disrupted. If conservative management fails, a recently introduced option is arthroscopic release of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB). The primary objective of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of this procedure according to preoperative symptom duration. Earlier arthroscopic release is associated with better functional outcomes. Consecutive patients with arthroscopically managed lateral epicondylitis were included in a retrospective study. Arthroscopy was performed only after at least 6 months of conservative treatment. The criteria to evaluate the clinical outcomes were the Nirschl and Quick-DASH scores, muscle strength, time to pain relief, and percentage of functional recovery. Thirty-five patients were evaluated at a median of 4 years (range: 1-12 years) after surgery. Mean preoperative symptom duration was 18 months (range: 6-106 months) with a mean sick leave duration of 2.3±4.9 months. Postoperatively, mean time to recovery was 37.5 days (range: 7 days to 5 years) and mean sick leave duration was 2.4±2.4 months. The mean Quick-DASH score was 15.9±19.1. The Nirschl score improved significantly, from 26.4±7.9 to 66.3±16.3. The initial muscle strength deficit was 10.1±33.2% and muscle strength at last follow-up was increased by 4.3±30.3%. Symptom duration showed no correlations with any of the clinical outcome measures. Outcomes after arthroscopic release were not associated with symptom duration in this study. Nevertheless, the good clinical outcomes support treatment with arthroscopic release after only 6 months of conservative management. IV, retrospective study. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Epidemiological characteristics of children born with Down syndrome in western Herzegovina in the period of the last twenty years (1994-2013).

Science.gov (United States)

Sumanović-Glamuzina, Darinka; Zovko, Ana; Letica, Ivona; Jerković-Raguž, Marjana; Mustapić, Antonija; Božić, Tomica; Vukojević, Mladenka

2014-12-01

Children with Down syndrome (DS) are an everyday casuistry of pediatric clinical medicine. The prevalence of DS is dependent on socio-demographic and cultural conditions of a community. Antenatal screening is not carried out mainly due to religious views, and the prevalence of DS in our region is really considered a "natural phenomenon". The aim of the study was to analyze some epidemiological characteristics of infants with Down syndrome in the western region of Herzegovina in the period between year 1994-2013. We performed a retrospective analysis of hospital records of children who were supervised and treated at Children's Hospital through the twenty-year period. In this period there were 44,100 liveborn infants. Down syndrome was detected in 78 children (54 male and 24 female). The prevalence is estimated at 1.8/1,000 of live births. Aborted fetuses and stillbirths were not analyzed. 37 (47%) of the parent couples were over 35 years of age. Out of that 65 cytogenetic analysis, a regular type of trisomy 21 was found in 94% of cases, and the translocation in 6%. From major malformations (MM) heart failure was more often present (47%), then the anomaly of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems. Ten children (12%) died, most often in the early period of infancy due to complications of the cardiovascular system. The prevalence of DS throughout these two decades has been uniform in the region of western Herzegovina. Improvement in perinatal care in recent years caused higher survival and a better quality of life for the children with DS and thus their families. DS is less a desirable family tragedy, and increasingly a tolerable family fate.

INTERNET ADDICTION: A REVIEW OF THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS

OpenAIRE

Mihajlov, Martin; Vejmelka, Lucija

2017-01-01

Easy access to communication and information technologies has increased our dependence on technology for various aspects of our lives. Nevertheless, this remarkable growth of Internet Usage has been inextricably paired with a rise of excessive and dysfunctional Internet use. Conceptualized around 1996, a few years after the inception of the World Wide Web, Internet addiction has developed into a global issue influencing varying segments of the population at different levels. Despite ...

Twenty thousand years of changing obsidian trade in Melanesia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, J. P. [University Of Sydney, NSW (Australia). Archaeloogy; Torrence, R. [Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW (Australia). Anthropology

1998-12-31

Archaeological investigations on a range of sites in the Pacific Region identified four well separated obsidian flows which varied in terms of their spatial scale, ease of extraction of raw material, and quality of obsidian for artefact manufacture. Extensive deposits of the by-products from quarrying and artefact manufacture were associated with each flow. Using enhancements in PIXE-PIGME, a finer discrimination was achieved that has allowed each artefact to be assigned to one of the four sub-regions in the Willaumez Peninsular group. These results have led to a better understanding of ancient trade practices. Further analyses of archaeological materials from multiple sites in the Bismarck Archipelago have shown: 1. During the Pleistocene (20,000 - 10,000 years ago) obsidian from both major source regions was repeatedly moved to New Ireland, a distance of some 600 km. The Mopir source predominated. 2. In the period 3500-1500 years ago Mopir was very rare probably because the source was cut off due to a massive volcanic eruption. 3. Although proximity to outcrop is usually the major factor in determining which obsidian was used, one excellent sub-source, Baki on Garua Island, was almost never traded and was not always even the preferred source locally

Twenty thousand years of changing obsidian trade in Melanesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, J. P.; Torrence, R.

1998-01-01

Archaeological investigations on a range of sites in the Pacific Region identified four well separated obsidian flows which varied in terms of their spatial scale, ease of extraction of raw material, and quality of obsidian for artefact manufacture. Extensive deposits of the by-products from quarrying and artefact manufacture were associated with each flow. Using enhancements in PIXE-PIGME, a finer discrimination was achieved that has allowed each artefact to be assigned to one of the four sub-regions in the Willaumez Peninsular group. These results have led to a better understanding of ancient trade practices. Further analyses of archaeological materials from multiple sites in the Bismarck Archipelago have shown: 1. During the Pleistocene (20,000 - 10,000 years ago) obsidian from both major source regions was repeatedly moved to New Ireland, a distance of some 600 km. The Mopir source predominated. 2. In the period 3500-1500 years ago Mopir was very rare probably because the source was cut off due to a massive volcanic eruption. 3. Although proximity to outcrop is usually the major factor in determining which obsidian was used, one excellent sub-source, Baki on Garua Island, was almost never traded and was not always even the preferred source locally

The FAA's postmortem forensic toxicology self-evaluated proficiency test program: the second seven years.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaturvedi, Arvind K; Craft, Kristi J; Cardona, Patrick S; Rogers, Paul B; Canfield, Dennis V

2009-05-01

During toxicological evaluations of samples from fatally injured pilots involved in civil aviation accidents, a high degree of quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) is maintained. Under this philosophy, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started a forensic toxicology proficiency-testing (PT) program in July 1991. In continuation of the first seven years of the PT findings reported earlier, PT findings of the next seven years are summarized herein. Twenty-eight survey samples (12 urine, 9 blood, and 7 tissue homogenate) with/without alcohols/volatiles, drugs, and/or putrefactive amine(s) were submitted to an average of 31 laboratories, of which an average of 25 participants returned their results. Analytes in survey samples were correctly identified and quantitated by a large number of participants, but some false positives of concern were reported. It is anticipated that the FAA's PT program will continue to serve the forensic toxicology community through this important part of the QC/QA for laboratory accreditations.

The Italian National Register of infants with congenital hypothyroidism: twenty years of surveillance and study of congenital hypothyroidism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivieri Antonella

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract All the Italian Centres in charge of screening, diagnosis, and follow-up of infants with congenital hypothyroidism participate in the Italian National Registry of affected infants, which performs the nationwide surveillance of the disease. It was established in 1987 as a program of the Health Ministry and is coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. The early diagnosis performed by the nationwide newborn screening programme, the prompt treatment and the appropriate clinical management of the patients carried out by the Follow-up Centres, and the surveillance of the disease performed by the National Register of infants with congenital hypothyroidism are the components of an integrated approach to the disease which has been successfully established in our country. The aim of the Register is to monitor efficiency and effectiveness of neonatal screening, to provide disease surveillance and to allow identification of possible aetiological risk factors for the disease. During the past twenty years the active and continuous collaboration between the Register and the Italian Screening and Follow up Centres for Congenital Hypothyroidism allowed to perform a standardization of screening procedures and considerable improvements in the time at starting treatment and in the dose of therapy. Furthermore, the large amount and the high quality of information collected in the Register provided a unique opportunity for research into the disease. This because data collected in the Register are highly representative as referred to the entire Italian population with congenital hypothyroidism. The results derived from the epidemiological studies performed in these years, by using the Register database, contributed to deepen the knowledge of congenital hypothyroidism, to start identifying the most important risk factors for the disease, and to orient molecular studies aimed at identifying new genes involved in the aetiology of this condition.

Earlier vegetation green-up has reduced spring dust storms.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Bihang; Guo, Li; Li, Ning; Chen, Jin; Lin, Henry; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Shen, Miaogen; Rao, Yuhan; Wang, Cong; Ma, Lei

2014-10-24

The observed decline of spring dust storms in Northeast Asia since the 1950s has been attributed to surface wind stilling. However, spring vegetation growth could also restrain dust storms through accumulating aboveground biomass and increasing surface roughness. To investigate the impacts of vegetation spring growth on dust storms, we examine the relationships between recorded spring dust storm outbreaks and satellite-derived vegetation green-up date in Inner Mongolia, Northern China from 1982 to 2008. We find a significant dampening effect of advanced vegetation growth on spring dust storms (r = 0.49, p = 0.01), with a one-day earlier green-up date corresponding to a decrease in annual spring dust storm outbreaks by 3%. Moreover, the higher correlation (r = 0.55, p storm outbreak ratio (the ratio of dust storm outbreaks to times of strong wind events) indicates that such effect is independent of changes in surface wind. Spatially, a negative correlation is detected between areas with advanced green-up dates and regional annual spring dust storms (r = -0.49, p = 0.01). This new insight is valuable for understanding dust storms dynamics under the changing climate. Our findings suggest that dust storms in Inner Mongolia will be further mitigated by the projected earlier vegetation green-up in the warming world.

Comprehensive methods for earlier detection and monitoring of forest decline

Science.gov (United States)

Jennifer Pontius; Richard Hallett

2014-01-01

Forested ecosystems are threatened by invasive pests, pathogens, and unusual climatic events brought about by climate change. Earlier detection of incipient forest health problems and a quantitatively rigorous assessment method is increasingly important. Here, we describe a method that is adaptable across tree species and stress agents and practical for use in the...

EXOGENOUS CHALLENGES FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE BEGINNING OF THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akosz Ozan

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Besides its sustained growth the tourism industry has shown in the first years of the twenty first century that it can deal with political, military and natural disasters. The present paper ac

Earlier visual N1 latencies in expert video-game players: a temporal basis of enhanced visuospatial performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Latham, Andrew J; Patston, Lucy L M; Westermann, Christine; Kirk, Ian J; Tippett, Lynette J

2013-01-01

Increasing behavioural evidence suggests that expert video game players (VGPs) show enhanced visual attention and visuospatial abilities, but what underlies these enhancements remains unclear. We administered the Poffenberger paradigm with concurrent electroencephalogram (EEG) recording to assess occipital N1 latencies and interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT) in expert VGPs. Participants comprised 15 right-handed male expert VGPs and 16 non-VGP controls matched for age, handedness, IQ and years of education. Expert VGPs began playing before age 10, had a minimum 8 years experience, and maintained playtime of at least 20 hours per week over the last 6 months. Non-VGPs had little-to-no game play experience (maximum 1.5 years). Participants responded to checkerboard stimuli presented to the left and right visual fields while 128-channel EEG was recorded. Expert VGPs responded significantly more quickly than non-VGPs. Expert VGPs also had significantly earlier occipital N1s in direct visual pathways (the hemisphere contralateral to the visual field in which the stimulus was presented). IHTT was calculated by comparing the latencies of occipital N1 components between hemispheres. No significant between-group differences in electrophysiological estimates of IHTT were found. Shorter N1 latencies may enable expert VGPs to discriminate attended visual stimuli significantly earlier than non-VGPs and contribute to faster responding in visual tasks. As successful video-game play requires precise, time pressured, bimanual motor movements in response to complex visual stimuli, which in this sample began during early childhood, these differences may reflect the experience and training involved during the development of video-game expertise, but training studies are needed to test this prediction.

Earlier visual N1 latencies in expert video-game players: a temporal basis of enhanced visuospatial performance?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J Latham

Full Text Available Increasing behavioural evidence suggests that expert video game players (VGPs show enhanced visual attention and visuospatial abilities, but what underlies these enhancements remains unclear. We administered the Poffenberger paradigm with concurrent electroencephalogram (EEG recording to assess occipital N1 latencies and interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT in expert VGPs. Participants comprised 15 right-handed male expert VGPs and 16 non-VGP controls matched for age, handedness, IQ and years of education. Expert VGPs began playing before age 10, had a minimum 8 years experience, and maintained playtime of at least 20 hours per week over the last 6 months. Non-VGPs had little-to-no game play experience (maximum 1.5 years. Participants responded to checkerboard stimuli presented to the left and right visual fields while 128-channel EEG was recorded. Expert VGPs responded significantly more quickly than non-VGPs. Expert VGPs also had significantly earlier occipital N1s in direct visual pathways (the hemisphere contralateral to the visual field in which the stimulus was presented. IHTT was calculated by comparing the latencies of occipital N1 components between hemispheres. No significant between-group differences in electrophysiological estimates of IHTT were found. Shorter N1 latencies may enable expert VGPs to discriminate attended visual stimuli significantly earlier than non-VGPs and contribute to faster responding in visual tasks. As successful video-game play requires precise, time pressured, bimanual motor movements in response to complex visual stimuli, which in this sample began during early childhood, these differences may reflect the experience and training involved during the development of video-game expertise, but training studies are needed to test this prediction.

Twenty years of revolutionary democratic Ethiopia, 1991 to 2011

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hagmann, Tobias; Abbink, Jon

2011-01-01

This paper introduces a special issue of the Journal of Eastern African Studies devoted to a review of Ethiopia's 20 years of “revolutionary democracy”. The collection brings together 11 articles exploring differing aspects of Ethiopia's political experience since 1991. This introduction begins...... with a short summary of these 11 papers, but then moves to a substantive review of Ethiopia's political history over the past two decades, featuring consideration of the extent of transformation and continuity under the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the importance...

Twenty years of ABACC: Accomplishments, lessons learnt and future perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peixoto, Orpet J.M. [ABACC- Brazilian Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2012-06-15

From the inception of the implementation of the Quadripartite Agreement (INFCIRC/435), in 1991, ABACC has had an important role at the non-proliferation agenda and has also been an active player in the international safeguards. It was necessary for ABACC to develop a technical capacity to face the challenges to be a safeguards agency and to gain credibility in the nuclear safeguards world. This capacity means to develop and implement safeguards systems in the technical area, in the inspection framework, in the conceptual analysis of processes and approaches and in the political scenario. These tasks conducted the strategic plan of ABACC on the last 20 years. Among the accomplishments, ABACC has been involved in the application of safeguards to sensitive and complex installations, in developing safeguards instrumentation, in establishing a technical and trained inspectorate, in constructing a cooperative and coordinate environment with IAEA for safeguards application. Other challenges as R and D of equipment and quality assurance systems were also managed during all these years. ESARDA is one forum that ABACC is involved and always shares experience and ideas. On July 18th, 2011 ABACC will formally complete 20 years. This paper summarizes the accomplishments, lessons learnt and future actions for strengthen the ABACC safeguards role. It also addresses the collaboration of ABACC with other organizations in the non-proliferation and international safeguards arena.

Progress in thermal comfort research over the last twenty years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dear, R. J. de; Akimoto, T.; Arens, E. A.

2013-01-01

Climate change and the urgency of decarbonizing the built environment are driving technological innovation in the way we deliver thermal comfort to occupants. These changes, in turn, seem to be setting the directions for contemporary thermal comfort research. This article presents a literature...... review of major changes, developments, and trends in the field of thermal comfort research over the last 20 years. One of the main paradigm shift was the fundamental conceptual reorientation that has taken place in thermal comfort thinking over the last 20 years; a shift away from the physically based...... developed, driven by the continuous challenge to model thermal comfort at the same anatomical resolution and to combine these localized signals into a coherent, global thermal perception. Finally, the demand for ever increasing building energy efficiency is pushing technological innovation in the way we...

Twenty Years of the European Information Systems Academy at ECIS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stein, Mari-Klara; Galliers, Robert D.; Whitley, Edgar A.

2016-01-01

by further developing the profile of European IS research that was reported on in EJIS following the first 10 years of the European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS). On the basis of an analysis of all papers published in ECIS proceedings during the 10-year period 2003–2012, the paper highlights three...... key characteristics of the developing European IS research profile: (1) continuation of the traditional European IS research profile as developed in the first decade; (2) convergence with aspects of the North American tradition and (3) development of a distinct approach to design science. We place...... these observed characteristics within broader historical and contextual features such as the changing European academic landscape, with increasing pressures to ‘publish or perish’ in order to be internationally competitive. Our contribution lies in providing a contemporaneous account of the dominant contextual...

Women in neuroscience (WIN): the first twenty years.

Science.gov (United States)

Haak, Laurel L

2002-03-01

Women in Neuroscience (WIN) is an international organization whose major goal is to promote the professional advancement of women neuroscientists. To this end, WIN facilitates contacts and communication among women working in neuroscience, and organizes appropriate activities at the annual Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeting. WIN was created in 1980, when despite major changes and advances in 'equal opportunities', women were still not achieving a proportionate level of success in the subdiscipline of neurosciences. In 1980, women made up 40 to 50% of entering classes in medical schools or graduate programs, but often comprised only 5 to 15% of leadership in respective organizations. Although there had been women elected to serve as SfN presidents, council, and committee members, women were under-represented in other positions of the Society, such as symposium and session chairs. There was an even lesser degree of representation in leadership positions at universities and medical schools in terms of full professorships, chairs, and program directors, as well as on editorial boards, advisory boards, and councils. Over the years, WIN has worked with success toward increasing the participation of women in neuroscience.

The ASTRONET Infrastructure Roadmap: A Twenty Year Strategy for European Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Bode, M.; Monnet, G.

2008-12-01

The process followed by ASTRONET to build a long-term strategy for European astronomy is presented. The main conclusions and priorities given in the recently unveiled report on the Infrastructure Roadmap for the next 20 years, following the establishment of a Science Vision last year, are summarised. These reports together hopefully represent a blueprint for a bright future for European astronomy.

Effects of earlier sea ice breakup on survival and population size of polar bears in western Hudson Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Regehr, E.V.; Lunn, N.J.; Amstrup, Steven C.; Stirling, I.

2007-01-01

Some of the most pronounced ecological responses to climatic warming are expected to occur in polar marine regions, where temperature increases have been the greatest and sea ice provides a sensitive mechanism by which climatic conditions affect sympagic (i.e., with ice) species. Population-level effects of climatic change, however, remain difficult to quantify. We used a flexible extension of Cormack-Jolly-Seber capture-recapture models to estimate population size and survival for polar bears (Ursus maritimus), one of the most ice-dependent of Arctic marine mammals. We analyzed data for polar bears captured from 1984 to 2004 along the western coast of Hudson Bay and in the community of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The Western Hudson Bay polar bear population declined from 1,194 (95% CI = 1,020-1,368) in 1987 to 935 (95% CI = 794-1,076) in 2004. Total apparent survival of prime-adult polar bears (5-19 yr) was stable for females (0.93; 95% CI = 0.91-0.94) and males (0.90; 95% CI = 0.88-0.91). Survival of juvenile, subadult, and senescent-adult polar bears was correlated with spring sea ice breakup date, which was variable among years and occurred approximately 3 weeks earlier in 2004 than in 1984. We propose that this correlation provides evidence for a causal association between earlier sea ice breakup (due to climatic warming) and decreased polar bear survival. It may also explain why Churchill, like other communities along the western coast of Hudson Bay, has experienced an increase in human-polar bear interactions in recent years. Earlier sea ice breakup may have resulted in a larger number of nutritionally stressed polar bears, which are encroaching on human habitations in search of supplemental food. Because western Hudson Bay is near the southern limit of the species' range, our findings may foreshadow the demographic responses and management challenges that more northerly polar bear populations will experience if climatic warming in the Arctic continues as

Internet Addiction: A Review of the First Twenty Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Mihajlov, Martin; Vejmelka, Lucija

2017-09-01

Easy access to communication and information technologies has increased our dependence on technology for various aspects of our lives. Nevertheless, this remarkable growth of Internet Usage has been inextricably paired with a rise of excessive and dysfunctional Internet use. Conceptualized around 1996, a few years after the inception of the World Wide Web, Internet addiction has developed into a global issue influencing varying segments of the population at different levels. Despite heated debates on its addictive nature, consensus is emerging regarding the existence of this problematic behavior. In this paper we provide a comprehensive overview of the literature on Internet addiction in last 20 years. Purpose of this paper is to present crucial findings on Internet addiction to health profession. Besides numerous benefits of Internet use, the virtual environment brings various risks in every age group. The Internet is very significant in the everyday activities of children and youth and professional interventions with this age group should be specific considering their developmental characteristics. Exposure to online risks can have long-lasting and intense negative effects. Effective programs in prevention and treatment should include a multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach. Detail review of the symptomatology, diagnosis model an possibilities of treatment can be multiple beneficial to the health professionals and other helping professions due to actual needs for interventions in the field of the internet addiction treatment. Internet addiction is slowly becoming a societal concern as it particularly affects adolescents and children, who are more exposed and consequently more vulnerable. Findings presented in the paper can benefit in practice of treatment internet addiction and also as framework for further researches in the field.

Genetic diversity and evolution of human metapneumovirus fusion protein over twenty years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liem Alexis

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human metapneumovirus (HMPV is an important cause of acute respiratory illness in children. We examined the diversity and molecular evolution of HMPV using 85 full-length F (fusion gene sequences collected over a 20-year period. Results The F gene sequences fell into two major groups, each with two subgroups, which exhibited a mean of 96% identity by predicted amino acid sequences. Amino acid identity within and between subgroups was higher than nucleotide identity, suggesting structural or functional constraints on F protein diversity. There was minimal progressive drift over time, and the genetic lineages were stable over the 20-year period. Several canonical amino acid differences discriminated between major subgroups, and polymorphic variations tended to cluster in discrete regions. The estimated rate of mutation was 7.12 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year and the estimated time to most recent common HMPV ancestor was 97 years (95% likelihood range 66-194 years. Analysis suggested that HMPV diverged from avian metapneumovirus type C (AMPV-C 269 years ago (95% likelihood range 106-382 years. Conclusion HMPV F protein remains conserved over decades. HMPV appears to have diverged from AMPV-C fairly recently.

Genetic diversity and evolution of human metapneumovirus fusion protein over twenty years

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chin-Fen; Wang, Chiaoyin K; Tollefson, Sharon J; Piyaratna, Rohith; Lintao, Linda D; Chu, Marla; Liem, Alexis; Mark, Mary; Spaete, Richard R; Crowe, James E; Williams, John V

2009-01-01

Background Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is an important cause of acute respiratory illness in children. We examined the diversity and molecular evolution of HMPV using 85 full-length F (fusion) gene sequences collected over a 20-year period. Results The F gene sequences fell into two major groups, each with two subgroups, which exhibited a mean of 96% identity by predicted amino acid sequences. Amino acid identity within and between subgroups was higher than nucleotide identity, suggesting structural or functional constraints on F protein diversity. There was minimal progressive drift over time, and the genetic lineages were stable over the 20-year period. Several canonical amino acid differences discriminated between major subgroups, and polymorphic variations tended to cluster in discrete regions. The estimated rate of mutation was 7.12 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year and the estimated time to most recent common HMPV ancestor was 97 years (95% likelihood range 66-194 years). Analysis suggested that HMPV diverged from avian metapneumovirus type C (AMPV-C) 269 years ago (95% likelihood range 106-382 years). Conclusion HMPV F protein remains conserved over decades. HMPV appears to have diverged from AMPV-C fairly recently. PMID:19740442

Optimal HIV testing and earlier care: the way forward in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coenen, T; Lundgren, J; Lazarus, Jeff

2008-01-01

The articles in this supplement were developed from a recent pan-European conference entitled 'HIV in Europe 2007: Working together for optimal testing and earlier care', which took place on 26-27 November in Brussels, Belgium. The conference, organized by a multidisciplinary group of experts rep...

Polymorphism in ficolin-1 ( FCN1 ) gene is associated with an earlier ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

-1 (FCN1) gene is associated with an earlier onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents from northeast Brazil. ZILMA PEREIRA DOS ANJOSA MANUELLA MARIA SILVA SANTOS NATASSIA JAVORSKI RODRIGUES ...

Faculty Time Allocation: A Study of Change over Twenty Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Milem, Jeffrey F.; Berger, Joseph B.; Dey, Eric L.

2000-01-01

Examined changes in amounts of time faculty spent in teaching, advising, and research activities over the past 20 years. Found institutions are becoming more similar in their patterns of faculty time allocation, particularly regarding time spend on research. However, time spent advising and interacting informally with students appears to be…

Twenty years of activity of the radiation protection service of the El Cabril storage center; Veinte anos de actividad del servicio de proteccion radiologica del centro de almacenamiento de El Cabril

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuentes, L.; Pinilla, J. L.; Ortiz, M. T.

2013-07-01

All controls of internal contamination by body radioactivity counter have been lower than the level of logging for internal doses (1 mSv/year). External personal pollution incidents have not occurred. With respect to the dose to the public these remain very low and lower than the limits specified in the authorization. Also the results of the PVRA indicate no influence of the installation in your environment. During the twenty years of operation of the El Cabril Storage Center has not occurred any incidents radiological and doses both to workers and the public in general, are kept very low and lower than the established dose limits. (Author)

Twenty-Five-Year Experience With Radical Chemoradiation for Anal Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomaszewski, Jonathan M.; Link, Emma; Leong, Trevor; Heriot, Alexander; Vazquez, Melisa; Chander, Sarat; Chu, Julie; Foo, Marcus; Lee, Mark T.; Lynch, Craig A.; Mackay, John; Michael, Michael; Tran, Phillip; Ngan, Samuel Y.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic factors, patterns of failure, and late toxicity in patients treated with chemoradiation (CRT) for anal cancer. Methods and Materials: Consecutive patients with nonmetastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anus treated by CRT with curative intent between February 1983 and March 2008 were identified through the institutional database. Chart review and telephone follow-up were undertaken to collect demographic data and outcome. Results: Two hundred eighty-four patients (34% male; median age 62 years) were identified. The stages at diagnosis were 23% Stage I, 48% Stage II, 10% Stage IIIA, and 18% Stage IIIB. The median radiotherapy dose to the primary site was 54 Gy. A complete clinical response to CRT was achieved in 89% of patients. With a median follow-up time of 5.3 years, the 5-year rates of locoregional control, distant control, colostomy-free survival, and overall survival were 83% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78–88), 92% (95% CI, 89–96), 73% (95% CI, 68–79), and 82% (95% CI, 77–87), respectively. Higher T stage and male sex predicted for locoregional failure, and higher N stage predicted for distant metastases. Locoregional failure occurred most commonly at the primary site. Omission of elective inguinal irradiation resulted in inguinal failure rates of 1.9% and 12.5% in T1N0 and T2N0 patients, respectively. Pelvic nodal failures were very uncommon. Late vaginal and bone toxicity was observed in addition to gastrointestinal toxicity. Conclusions: CRT is a highly effective approach in anal cancer. However, subgroups of patients fare relatively poorly, and novel approaches are needed. Elective inguinal irradiation can be safely omitted only in patients with Stage I disease. Vaginal toxicity and insufficiency fractures of the hip and pelvis are important late effects that require prospective evaluation.

Twenty-Five-Year Experience With Radical Chemoradiation for Anal Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomaszewski, Jonathan M., E-mail: jonathan.tomaszewski@petermac.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Link, Emma [Centre for Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Leong, Trevor [Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria (Australia); Heriot, Alexander [University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria (Australia); Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Vazquez, Melisa [Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Chander, Sarat; Chu, Julie; Foo, Marcus; Lee, Mark T. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Lynch, Craig A. [Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Mackay, John [University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria (Australia); Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Michael, Michael [University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria (Australia); Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Tran, Phillip [Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Ngan, Samuel Y. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria (Australia)

2012-06-01

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic factors, patterns of failure, and late toxicity in patients treated with chemoradiation (CRT) for anal cancer. Methods and Materials: Consecutive patients with nonmetastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anus treated by CRT with curative intent between February 1983 and March 2008 were identified through the institutional database. Chart review and telephone follow-up were undertaken to collect demographic data and outcome. Results: Two hundred eighty-four patients (34% male; median age 62 years) were identified. The stages at diagnosis were 23% Stage I, 48% Stage II, 10% Stage IIIA, and 18% Stage IIIB. The median radiotherapy dose to the primary site was 54 Gy. A complete clinical response to CRT was achieved in 89% of patients. With a median follow-up time of 5.3 years, the 5-year rates of locoregional control, distant control, colostomy-free survival, and overall survival were 83% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78-88), 92% (95% CI, 89-96), 73% (95% CI, 68-79), and 82% (95% CI, 77-87), respectively. Higher T stage and male sex predicted for locoregional failure, and higher N stage predicted for distant metastases. Locoregional failure occurred most commonly at the primary site. Omission of elective inguinal irradiation resulted in inguinal failure rates of 1.9% and 12.5% in T1N0 and T2N0 patients, respectively. Pelvic nodal failures were very uncommon. Late vaginal and bone toxicity was observed in addition to gastrointestinal toxicity. Conclusions: CRT is a highly effective approach in anal cancer. However, subgroups of patients fare relatively poorly, and novel approaches are needed. Elective inguinal irradiation can be safely omitted only in patients with Stage I disease. Vaginal toxicity and insufficiency fractures of the hip and pelvis are important late effects that require prospective evaluation.

Affective and cognitive determinants of intention to consume twenty foods that contribute to fat intake

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stafleu, A.; Graaf, de C.; Staveren, van W.A.; Burema, J.

2001-01-01

Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action was used as a framework to study beliefs and attitudes towards twenty foods that contribute to fat intake in a Netherlands smaple population. Subjects between 18 and 75 years of age (n = 419, response rate 23€filled out a self-administered

One Hundred Twenty-One Resected Solid Pseudopapillary Tumors of the Pancreas: An 8-Year Single-Institution Experience at Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yadong; Zhao, Guochao; Pu, Ning; Nuerxiati, Abulimiti; Ji, Yuan; Zhang, Lei; Rong, Yefei; Lou, Wenhui; Wang, Dansong; Kuang, Tiantao; Xu, Xuefeng; Wu, Wenchuan

2017-09-01

The aims of this study were to introduce our experience with treating patients with pancreatic solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPTs) and to investigate the clinical risk factors for recurrence of SPTs because no consensus has been established to date. One hundred twenty-one patients underwent surgical resection from January 2008 to December 2015 in our institution. Clinical data were collected from the standardized reports. Of the 121 patients, 93 (76.9%) were women, 28 (23.1%) were men, and the mean age at diagnosis was 33.7 years (range, 11-68 years). Sixty patients were subjected to short-term complications, and 8 patients experienced long-term complications, some of whom may require surgery. The tumor located in the distal pancreas (P = 0.02), and a Ki-67 index value > 1.5 (P = 0.01) indicated malignancy according to the World Health Organization 2000 classification. One hundred three patients responded to follow-up, and 3 cases (2.9%) were subject to liver metastases. Recurrence was more frequently observed in tumors classified as high-grade malignancies according to the World Health Organization 2010 classification (P = 0.013), synchronous metastases (P < 0.001), peripancreatic fat infiltration (P = 0.018), and lymphovascular invasion (P < 0.001). Evaluating the risk of the recurrence of SPTs still requires systematic and multicenter trials in the future, even some pathological features showed statistical differences.

Prescription Stimulant Use is Associated with Earlier Onset of Psychosis

OpenAIRE

Moran, Lauren V.; Masters, Grace A.; Pingali, Samira; Cohen, Bruce M.; Liebson, Elizabeth; Rajarethinam, R.P.; Ongur, Dost

2015-01-01

A childhood history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common in psychotic disorders, yet prescription stimulants may interact adversely with the physiology of these disorders. Specifically, exposure to stimulants leads to long-term increases in dopamine release. We therefore hypothesized that individuals with psychotic disorders previously exposed to prescription stimulants will have an earlier onset of psychosis. Age of onset of psychosis (AOP) was compared in individuals...

Astronomical Spectroscopy -24 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

growth of spectroscopy and its application to the study of .... Cesium was discovered ten years earlier, in 1859; it is the ... Kirchhoff and Bunsen's discovery; he was spared the pain of seeing ... We will have to go back about twenty years.

The twenty-first century in space

CERN Document Server

Evans, Ben

2015-01-01

This final entry in the History of Human Space Exploration mini-series by Ben Evans continues with an in-depth look at the latter part of the 20th century and the start of the new millennium. Picking up where Partnership in Space left off, the story commemorating the evolution of manned space exploration unfolds in further detail. More than fifty years after Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering journey into space, Evans extends his overview of how that momentous voyage continued through the decades which followed. The Twenty-first Century in Space, the sixth book in the series, explores how the fledgling partnership between the United States and Russia in the 1990s gradually bore fruit and laid the groundwork for today’s International Space Station. The narrative follows the convergence of the Shuttle and Mir programs, together with standalone missions, including servicing the Hubble Space Telescope, many of whose technical and human lessons enabled the first efforts to build the ISS in orbit. The book also looks to...

Twenty-million-year relationship between mammalian diversity and primary productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, Susanne A.; Eronen, Jussi T.; Schnitzler, Jan; Hof, Christian; Janis, Christine M.; Mulch, Andreas; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin; Graham, Catherine H.

2016-01-01

At global and regional scales, primary productivity strongly correlates with richness patterns of extant animals across space, suggesting that resource availability and climatic conditions drive patterns of diversity. However, the existence and consistency of such diversity–productivity relationships through geological history is unclear. Here we provide a comprehensive quantitative test of the diversity–productivity relationship for terrestrial large mammals through time across broad temporal and spatial scales. We combine >14,000 occurrences for 690 fossil genera through the Neogene (23–1.8 Mya) with regional estimates of primary productivity from fossil plant communities in North America and Europe. We show a significant positive diversity–productivity relationship through the 20-million-year record, providing evidence on unprecedented spatial and temporal scales that this relationship is a general pattern in the ecology and paleo-ecology of our planet. Further, we discover that genus richness today does not match the fossil relationship, suggesting that a combination of human impacts and Pleistocene climate variability has modified the 20-million-year ecological relationship by strongly reducing primary productivity and driving many mammalian species into decline or to extinction. PMID:27621451

Twenty Years of Cultural Journalism.

Science.gov (United States)

Olmstead, Kathryn J.

1986-01-01

Traces history and contributions of cultural journalism since the inception of the first Foxfire Book in 1966. Reviews successful student projects across the country. Discusses significance of cultural journalism as source of cultural identity with potential to increase understanding among different groups of people. (NEC)

The Turn to Precarity in Twenty-First Century Fiction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morrison Jago

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Recent years have seen several attempts by writers and critics to understand the changed sensibility in post-9/11 fiction through a variety of new -isms. This essay explores this cultural shift in a different way, finding a ‘turn to precarity’ in twenty-first century fiction characterised by a renewal of interest in the flow and foreclosure of affect, the resurgence of questions about vulnerability and our relationships to the other, and a heightened awareness of the social dynamics of seeing. The essay draws these tendencies together via the work of Judith Butler in Frames of War, in an analysis of Trezza Azzopardi’s quasi-biographical study of precarious life, Remember Me.

Catholic school governance in the twenty-first century: continuity, incongruity and challenge

OpenAIRE

Storr, Christopher John

2007-01-01

This study has two main aspects: first, it reports the results of a survey of ninety nine governors working in Roman Catholic primary and secondary schools situated in four English Catholic dioceses, and publishes hitherto unknown information about them; and, second, it examines how, in seeking to maintain a distinctive educational ethos, these governors are responding both to the legislative changes of the last twenty years, and to changes in English social and cultural attitudes. It shows h...

Roe v. Wade, the next twenty-five years.

Science.gov (United States)

Kissling, F

1998-01-01

There is little left to be said about abortion in the US; most Americans are either bored with the issue or the issue has simply lost its immediacy. The world today is certainly different from the 1970s, when the US Supreme Court issued its Roe vs. Wade decision. That era was marked by societal and economic generosity manifest by greater acceptance of civil rights, liberal sexual mores, acceptance of divorce, ignorance of infertility, and a focus on alleviating the readily apparent suffering of women made desperate by an unwanted pregnancy. In the 25 intervening years, abortion has remained legal even as the US has become more conservative. It may be, therefore, that pro-choices forces are safe enough to attempt to regain the moral edge and lead the way out of the abortion wars. In order to do this, the values that informed early commitment to women's right to make the abortion decision must finally be clearly expressed, explained, and advocated. Also, pro-choice groups must initiate a more meaningful public dialogue about the morality of abortion and offer answers to the hard questions such as whether it is not better to encourage teenagers to talk to their parents about an unwanted pregnancy, what is the moral significance of developing life, is viability a significant threshold, are there better and worse reasons for abortion, and are some pro-abortion arguments morally dubious. While some may consider this course of action threatening, the visionary leadership that is desperately needed involves addressing both the underlying values and hard questions.

[The Gulf War Syndrome twenty years on].

Science.gov (United States)

Auxéméry, Y

2013-10-01

After Operation Desert Storm which took place in Iraq from August 1990 to July 1991 involving a coalition of 35 countries and a 700,000 strong contingent of mainly American men, some associations of war veterans, the media and researchers described a new diagnostic entity: the Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). GWS seems to be a new disorder which associates a litany of functional symptoms integrating the musculoskeletal, digestive, tegumentary and neurosensory systems. The symptoms presented do not allow a syndrome already known to be considered and the aetiology of the clinical picture remains unexplained, an increasing cause for concern resulting from the extent of the phenomenon and its media coverage. It quickly appears that there is no consensus amongst the scientific community concerning a nosographic description of GWS: where can all these functional complaints arise from? Different aetiopathogenic hypotheses have been studied by the American administration who is attempting to incriminate exposure to multiple risks such as vaccines and their adjuvants, organophosphorous compounds, pyridostigmine (given to the troops for the preventive treatment of the former), impoverished uranium, and the toxic emanations from oil well fires. But despite extremely in-depth scientific investigations, 10 years after the end of the war, no objective marker of physical suffering has been retained to account for the disorders presented. It would appear that the former soldiers are in even better objective health than the civil population whereas their subjective level of health remains low. Within this symptomatic population, some authors have begun to notice that the psychological disorders appear and persist associating: asthenia, fatigability, mood decline, sleep disorders, cognitive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Within the nosological framework, does GWS cause functional disorders or somatisation? Finally, 20 years after the end of the fighting, only PTSD has

Statistical analysis of twenty years (1993 to 2012) of data from mainland China's first intervention center for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wei-Zhen; Ye, Adam Yongxin; Sun, Zhong-Kai; Tian, Hope Huiping; Pu, Tad Zhengzhang; Wu, Yu-Yu; Wang, Dan-Dan; Zhao, Ming-Zhen; Lu, Shu-Juan; Yang, Chang-Hong; Wei, Liping

2014-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, and restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. This study aimed to analyze trends in ASD diagnosis and intervention in 20 years of data from the Beijing Stars and Rain Education Institute for Autism (SR), the first autism intervention center in mainland China, and from a recent survey of members of the Heart Alliance, an industry association of autism intervention centers in China. We analyzed the registration data at the SR from 1993 to 2012 for a total of 2,222 children who had a parent-reported diagnosis of ASD and 612 of 'autistic tendencies'. Most of the children who were the primary focus of our analyses were age six and under. We also analyzed results of a survey we conducted in 2013 of 100 member centers of the Heart Alliance. Generalized Estimating Equations, multiple linear regression and the Mann-Whitney test were used for data analysis. Statistically significant findings are reported here. The number of hospitals where SR children received their diagnosis increased from several in the early 1990s to 276 at present. The proportion of 'autistic tendencies' diagnosis increased 2.04-fold from 1998 to 2012 and was higher for children diagnosed at a younger age. The mean age at first diagnosis of ASD or 'autistic tendencies' decreased by 0.27 years every decade. A higher level of parental education was statistically significantly associated with an earlier diagnosis of the child. The mean parental age at childbirth increased by about 1.48 years per decade, and the mean maternal age was 1.40 and 2.10 years higher than that in the national population censuses of 2000 and 2010, respectively. At the time of the survey 3,957 children with ASD were being trained at the 100 autism intervention centers. Ninety-seven of these centers opened after the year 2000. Economically underdeveloped regions are still underserved. This

The twenty-eight lodges (xiu 宿)

OpenAIRE

Morgan, Daniel Patrick

2018-01-01

The twenty-eight lodges (xiu 宿). Named and numbered in the central circle, the twenty-eight lodges, represent uneven orange-segment-like divisions of the celestial sphere running from pole to pole through the ‘guide stars’ (juxing 距星) at/near the western extremity of the constellations after which they are named. In the inner circle are the modern identifications of those guide stars. In the outer circle are the equatorial lodge widths in contemporary use in du 度 / days, where the number of d...

Changes to injury profile (and recommended cricket injury definitions based on the increased frequency of Twenty20 cricket matches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Orchard

2010-05-01

Full Text Available John Orchard1, Trefor James2, Alex Kountouris2, Marc Portus21School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 2Cricket Australia, Melbourne, AustraliaAbstract: This study analyzes injuries occurring prospectively in Australian men’s cricket at the state and national levels over 11 seasons (concluding in season 2008–09. In the last four of these seasons, there was more cricket played, with most of the growth being a new form of the game – Twenty20 cricket. Since the introduction of a regular Twenty20 program, injury incidence rates in each form of cricket have been fairly steady. Because of the short match duration, Twenty20 cricket exhibits a high match injury incidence, expressed as injuries per 10,000 hours of play. Expressed as injuries per days of play, Twenty20 cricket injury rates compare more favorably to other forms of cricket. Domestic level Twenty20 cricket resulted in 145 injuries per 1000 days of play (compared to 219 injuries per 1000 days of domestic one day cricket, and 112 injuries per 1000 days of play in first class domestic cricket. It is therefore recommended that match injury incidence measures be expressed in units of injuries per 1000 days of play. Given the high numbers of injuries which are of gradual onset, seasonal injury incidence rates (which typically range from 15–20 injuries per team per defined ‘season’ are probably a superior incidence measure. Thigh and hamstring strains have become clearly the most common injury in the past two years (greater than four injuries per team per season, perhaps associated with the increased amount of Twenty20 cricket. Injury prevalence rates have risen in conjunction with an increase in the density of the cricket calendar. Annual injury prevalence rates (average proportion of players missing through injury have exceeded 10% in the last three years, with the injury prevalence rates for fast bowlers exceeding 18%. As the amount of scheduled cricket is

Progress in thermal comfort research over the last twenty years

OpenAIRE

de Dear, R; Akimoto, T; Arens, E; Brager, G; Candido, C; Cheong, K.W.; Li, B; Nishihara, N; Sekhar, S.C.; Tanabe, S; Toftum, J; Zhang, H; Zhu, Y

2013-01-01

Climate change and the urgency of decarbonizing the built environment are driving technological innovation in the way we deliver thermal comfort to occupants. These changes, in turn, seem to be setting the directions for contemporary thermal comfort research. This article presents a literature review of major changes, developments, and trends in the field of thermal comfort research over the last 20 years. One of the main paradigm shift was the fundamental conceptual reorientation that has ta...

Progress in thermal comfort research over the last twenty years.

Science.gov (United States)

de Dear, R J; Akimoto, T; Arens, E A; Brager, G; Candido, C; Cheong, K W D; Li, B; Nishihara, N; Sekhar, S C; Tanabe, S; Toftum, J; Zhang, H; Zhu, Y

2013-12-01

Climate change and the urgency of decarbonizing the built environment are driving technological innovation in the way we deliver thermal comfort to occupants. These changes, in turn, seem to be setting the directions for contemporary thermal comfort research. This article presents a literature review of major changes, developments, and trends in the field of thermal comfort research over the last 20 years. One of the main paradigm shift was the fundamental conceptual reorientation that has taken place in thermal comfort thinking over the last 20 years; a shift away from the physically based determinism of Fanger's comfort model toward the mainstream and acceptance of the adaptive comfort model. Another noticeable shift has been from the undesirable toward the desirable qualities of air movement. Additionally, sophisticated models covering the physics and physiology of the human body were developed, driven by the continuous challenge to model thermal comfort at the same anatomical resolution and to combine these localized signals into a coherent, global thermal perception. Finally, the demand for ever increasing building energy efficiency is pushing technological innovation in the way we deliver comfortable indoor environments. These trends, in turn, continue setting the directions for contemporary thermal comfort research for the next decades. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Twenty Statement Test in Teacher Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Aypay

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to describe teacher characteristics using Twenty Statements Test (TST. Study group includes a total of thirty-five individuals, including teachers, guidance and counselors and research assistants. The study used a qualitative approach on teacher identity. TST is one of the qualitative methods that were used to determine individual self-conceptualization. Study group were requested to write twenty statements that describe themselves responding to the question “Who I am?” in a free format. The findings indicated that teachers were overwhelmingly in group c (reflective. No differences were found in terms of gender and profession. Only few significant differences have been found based on marital status. The utility of TST in teacher training and development was discussed.

The Twenty Statement Test in Teacher Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Aypay

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to describe teacher characteristics using Twenty Statements Test (TST. Study group includes a total of thirty-five individuals, including teachers, guidance and counselors and research assistants. The study used a qualitative approach on teacher identity. TST is one of the qualitative methods that were used to determine individual self-conceptualization. Study group were requested to write twenty statements that describe themselves responding to the question “Who I am?” in a free format. The findings indicated that teachers were overwhelmingly in group c (reflective. No differences were found in terms of gender and profession. Only few significant differences have been found based on marital status. The utility of TST in teacher training and development was discussed

Twenty Years of Regional Safeguards: the ABACC System and the Synergy with the National Nuclear Material Control Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, Fabio C.; Palhares, Lilia C.; De Mello, Luiz A.; Vicens, Hugo E.; Maceiras, Elena; Terigi, Gabriel

2011-01-01

As result of the nuclear integration between Brazil and Argentina, in July 1991 the Agreement for Peaceful Uses of the Nuclear Energy (Bilateral Agreement) was signed and the Brazilian Argentine Agency for Accountancy and Control of Nuclear Material (ABACC) was created [1]. The main role assigned to ABACC was the implementation and administration of the regional control system and the coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in order to apply safeguards to all nuclear material in all nuclear activities of Argentina and Brazil. In December 1991 the IAEA, ABACC, Argentina and Brazil signed the Quadripartite Agreement (INFCIRC/435) [2]. The agreement establishes obligations similar to those established by model INFCIRC/153 comprehensive agreements. The Bilateral Agreement establishes that the Parties should make available financial and technical capabilities to support ABACC activities. In order to accomplish this challenge, the National Systems had to improve their structure and capabilities. Through the close interaction with the IAEA and ABACC, the national systems have been enriched by adopting new methodologies, implementing innovative safeguards approaches and providing specialized training to the regional inspectors. All of this also resulted in relevant technical improvements to the regional system as a whole. The approach of both neighborhoods controlling each other increased the confidence between the partners and permitted a better knowledge of their potentialities. The recognized performance of the regional system in the implementation of innovative, efficient and credible safeguards measures increased the confidence of the international community on the implementation of nuclear safeguards in Argentina and Brazil. In this paper, after twenty years of the creation of the ABACC System, the view of the Brazilian and Argentine National Authorities is presented. (authors)

Reduction of Glucose Metabolism in Olfactory Bulb is an Earlier Alzheimer's Disease-related Biomarker in 5XFAD Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nai-An Xiao

2015-01-01

Conclusions: The decline of (18F-FDG uptake in the olfactory bulb occurs earlier than other incidents, serving as an earlier in vivo biological marker of AD in 5XFAD mice and making early diagnosis of AD possibly.

The adoption of sustainable innovations: The role of instrumental, environmental, and symbolic attributes for earlier and later adopters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H. Noppers, E.; Keizer, K.; Bockarjova, M.; Steg, L.

2015-01-01

We investigated motivations of potential earlier and later adopters for adopting sustainable innovations. A large questionnaire study revealed that potential earlier adopters of innovative cars evaluated the symbolic attributes of electric cars, but not the instrumental and environmental attributes,

Twenty-five-year atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) approach: a comprehensive overview

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frencken, J.E.; Leal, S.C.; Navarro, M.F.

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: The atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) approach was born 25 years ago in Tanzania. It has evolved into an essential caries management concept for improving quality and access to oral care globally. RESULTS: Meta-analyses and systematic reviews have indicated that the high

The discovery of mesoporous molecular sieves from the twenty year perspective

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kresge, Ch. T.; Roth, Wieslaw Jerzy

2013-01-01

Roč. 42, č. 9 (2013), s. 3663-3670 ISSN 0306-0012 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP106/12/G015 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : liquid crystal phases * surfactant * silica Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 30.425, year: 2013

Association of parents' and children's physical activity and sedentary time in Year 4 (8-9) and change between Year 1 (5-6) and Year 4: a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jago, Russell; Solomon-Moore, Emma; Macdonald-Wallis, Corrie; Thompson, Janice L; Lawlor, Deborah A; Sebire, Simon J

2017-08-17

Parents could be important influences on child physical activity and parents are often encouraged to be more active with their child. This paper examined the association between parent and child physical activity and sedentary time in a UK cohort of children assessed when the children were in Year 1 (5-6 years old) and in Year 4 (8-9 years old). One thousand two hundred twenty three children and parents provided data in Year 4 and of these 685 participated in Year 1. Children and parents wore an accelerometer for five days including a weekend. Mean minutes of sedentary time and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) were derived. Multiple imputation was used to impute all missing data and create complete datasets. Linear regression models examined whether parent MVPA and sedentary time at Year 4 and at Year 1 predicted child MVPA and sedentary time at Year 4. Change in parent MVPA and sedentary time was used to predict change in child MVPA and sedentary time between Year 1 and Year 4. Imputed data showed that at Year 4, female parent sedentary time was associated with child sedentary time (0.13, 95% CI = 0.00 to 0.27 mins/day), with a similar association for male parents (0.15, 95% CI = -0.02 to 0.32 mins/day). Female parent and child MVPA at Year 4 were associated (0.16, 95% CI = 0.08 to 0.23 mins/day) with a smaller association for male parents (0.08, 95% CI = -0.01 to 0.17 mins/day). There was little evidence that either male or female parent MVPA at Year 1 predicted child MVPA at Year 4 with similar associations for sedentary time. There was little evidence that change in parent MVPA or sedentary time predicted change in child MVPA or sedentary time respectively. Parents who were more physically active when their child was 8-9 years old had a child who was more active, but the magnitude of association was generally small. There was little evidence that parental activity from three years earlier predicted child activity at age 8-9, or

TWENTY-ONE-YEAR EXTENSION PROJECT PERFORMANCE "LET'S BREASTFEEDING, MOMMY?"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marizete Argolo Teixeira

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Research aiming to describe the actions that were developed by the Extension Project "Let's breastfeed, Mom?" During the 21 years of its performance in Jequié / Bahia and identify the difficulties, facilities and progress of the project. This is a descriptive, quantitative-qualitative study. The data were collected in the archived project documents, analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results showed that 8,923 registered postpartum women with educational activities and 1,313 domiciliary visits were carried out, as the main actions carried out by the project. The difficulties were: lack of consumer / permanent materials and human resources; As facilities: responsibility and commitment of the members of the project, as well as the support of the transportation service of the institution. The advances were the elaboration of the research project, with insertion of research fellows, creation of the webpage and the logo. It is necessary to reflect on the difficulties and propose measures to remedy them and thus continue to contribute to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding in the Municipality, contributing to the reduction of infant morbidity and mortality

9+ The Year-Round School.

Science.gov (United States)

American Association of School Administrators, Washington, DC.

The 9-month school year with a 3-month summer vacation had its origin in our earlier agrarian life. Today's teacher shortages, overcrowded schools, and pressures to learn demand extensions of the school year. This publication analyzes five programs: (1) a staggered-vacation school year for all, (2) a full 48-week school year for all, (3) a…

Infantile Amnesia across the Years: A 2-Year Follow-Up of Children's Earliest Memories

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Carole; Warren, Kelly L.; Short, Megan M.

2011-01-01

Although infantile amnesia has been investigated for many years in adults, only recently has it been investigated in children. This study was a 2-year follow-up and extension of an earlier study. Children (4-13 years old) were asked initially and 2 years later for their earliest 3 memories. At follow-up, their age at the time of these memories…

Twenty-Year Experience in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infective Endocarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Abramczuk, Elżbieta; Stępińska, Janina; Hryniewiecki, Tomasz

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the etiology, clinical course, selected diagnostic methods and efficacy of the treatment used in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) in the nineteen eighties and nineties. The study group comprised 300 patients with infective endocarditis hospitalized in the Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw in the following years: from 1982 to 1987 (150 patients: 75 successive patients with IE on the prosthetic valve and 75 successive patients with IE on the native valve), as well as from 1990 to 2003 (150 patients: 75 successive patients with IE on the prosthetic valve and 75 successive patients with IE on the native valve). In the nineties, immunological symptoms, embolism formation and progressive heart failure were diagnosed decidedly more frequently. Early prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) (up to 60 days after operation) occurred significantly more frequently in the eighties. The quantity of negative blood cultures in PVE has not decreased, it is still observed in over 20% of cases. For 20 years the etiology of PVE has remained the same, the dominant pathogen remains Staphylococcus. The frequency of PVE caused by Streptococci has markedly reduced. In both the decades analyzed the etiology of native valve endocarditis (NVE) was similar. In the eighties Streptococcus was predominant. In successive years the number of infections caused by Staphylococci was the same as that caused by Streptococci. The incidence of early PVE decreased in the nineties. More patients were treated surgically with lesser peri-operative mortality. A lower incidence of infective endocarditis on prosthetic valves caused by streptococci may signify better prophylaxis against infective endocarditis. Infective endocarditis with sterile blood cultures continues to occur frequently.

The Alleged Death of the Monroe Doctrine: Panama as a Case Study, 1977-1999

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Isenhower, James

2002-01-01

... ceremony symbolizing the transfer of canal responsibility to the Panamanian government. The U.S. Senate had made the transfer possible twenty-one years earlier, after ratifying the Panama Canal treaties with just one vote to spare...

Twenty-eight years of wilderness campsite monitoring in Yosemite National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Laurel Boyers; Mark Fincher; Jan van Wagtendonk

2000-01-01

The research, resource management and wilderness staffs in Yosemite National Park recently completed the third 10-year cycle of a wilderness campsite impact monitoring program. Initial results indicate an overall improvement in conditions due to a strong restoration program, decreased use and increased visitor education. Lessons learned point to the necessity for ample...

Twenty-year trends in benzodiazepine dispensing in the Australian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, M M; Conigrave, K M; Day, C A; Nguyen, Y; Haber, P S

2014-01-01

Considerable concern has been expressed about overprescribing of benzodiazepines and related harms. Past analyses have relied on World Health Organization-defined daily doses (DDD) which are sometimes out of keeping with clinical usage. This study examines 20-year (1992-2011) trends of benzodiazepine dispensing in Australia using both DDD and Ashton equivalent dose. Data from the Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) website were analysed. Trends in number of prescriptions, DDD/1000 people/day and DDD/prescription were examined over time, and between states/territories. In the 20-year period, 174 080 904 scripts were recorded, with temazepam the most dispensed benzodiazepine (35% of scripts), followed by diazepam (23%). Overall recorded utilisation fell from 27.7 DDD/1000 people/day in 1992 to 20.8 in 2011 (24.9% decrease). There were striking changes in use of individual benzodiazepines over time, with reductions in oxazepam and flunitrazepam and dramatic increases in alprazolam. Since 1998, there has been a steady increase, albeit modest, in per script DDD. The DDD/1000 people/day for items dispensed through PBS/Repatriaton-PBS was highest in Tasmania and lowest in Northern Territory. Despite a modest overall decline in the amount of benzodiazepine dispensed, the level of use is still likely to reflect relative over-prescribing given the paucity of accepted indications for long-term use. Since 1998, there was a polynomial increase in quantity dispensed per script. The WHO-defined DDD for clonazepam seems inappropriate and could impede monitoring of its abuse. Other problems include lack of national data for medications not subsidised on PBS/Repatriation PBS. A broad policy approach is required, not one which targets only one particular benzodiazepine. © 2013 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2013 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Twenty-Year Experience in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infective Endocarditis

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Aims The aim of this study was to compare the etiology, clinical course, selected diagnostic methods and efficacy of the treatment used in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) in the nineteen eighties and nineties. Material and Methods The study group comprised 300 patients with infective endocarditis hospitalized in the Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw in the following years: from 1982 to 1987 (150 patients: 75 successive patients with IE on the prosthetic valve and 75 successive patients with IE on the native valve), as well as from 1990 to 2003 (150 patients: 75 successive patients with IE on the prosthetic valve and 75 successive patients with IE on the native valve). Results In the nineties, immunological symptoms, embolism formation and progressive heart failure were diagnosed decidedly more frequently. Early prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) (up to 60 days after operation) occurred significantly more frequently in the eighties. The quantity of negative blood cultures in PVE has not decreased, it is still observed in over 20% of cases. For 20 years the etiology of PVE has remained the same, the dominant pathogen remains Staphylococcus. The frequency of PVE caused by Streptococci has markedly reduced. In both the decades analyzed the etiology of native valve endocarditis (NVE) was similar. In the eighties Streptococcus was predominant. In successive years the number of infections caused by Staphylococci was the same as that caused by Streptococci. Conclusions The incidence of early PVE decreased in the nineties. More patients were treated surgically with lesser peri-operative mortality. A lower incidence of infective endocarditis on prosthetic valves caused by streptococci may signify better prophylaxis against infective endocarditis. Infective endocarditis with sterile blood cultures continues to occur frequently. PMID:26230402

Association of Previous Clinical Breast Examination With Reduced Delays and Earlier-Stage Breast Cancer Diagnosis Among Women in Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Romanoff, Anya; Constant, Tara Hayes; Johnson, Kay M; Guadiamos, Manuel Cedano; Vega, Ana María Burga; Zunt, Joseph; Anderson, Benjamin O

2017-11-01

Mammographic screening is impractical in most of the world where breast cancers are first identified based on clinical signs and symptoms. Clinical breast examination may improve early diagnosis directly by finding breast cancers at earlier stages or indirectly by heightening women's awareness of breast health concerns. To investigate factors that influence time to presentation and stage at diagnosis among patients with breast cancer to determine whether history of previous clinical breast examination is associated with earlier presentation and/or earlier cancer stage at diagnosis. In this cross-sectional analysis of individual patient interviews using a validated Breast Cancer Delay Questionnaire, 113 (71.1%) of 159 women with breast cancer treated at a federally funded tertiary care referral cancer center in Trujillo, Peru, from February 1 through May 31, 2015, were studied. Method of breast cancer detection and factors that influence time to and stage at diagnosis. Of 113 women with diagnosed cancer (mean [SD] age, 54 [10.8] years; age range, 32-82 years), 105 (92.9%) had self-detected disease. Of the 93 women for whom stage was documented, 45 (48.4%) were diagnosed with early-stage disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stage 0, I, or II), and 48 (51.6%) were diagnosed with late-stage disease (AJCC stage III or IV). Mean (SD) total delay from symptom onset to initiation of treatment was 407 (665) days because of patient (mean [SD], 198 [449] days) and health care system (mean [SD], 241 [556] days) delay. Fifty-two women (46.0%) had a history of clinical breast examination, and 23 (20.4%) had undergone previous mammography. Women who underwent a previous clinical breast examination were more likely to have shorter delays from symptom development to presentation compared with women who had never undergone a previous clinical breast examination (odds ratio, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.30-6.60; P = .01). Women diagnosed with shorter patient delay were more

Twenty-five years after introduction of automotive catalysts. What next?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shelef, M.; McCabe, R.W. [Chemical and Physical Sciences Laboratory, Ford Research Laboratory, Ford Motor Company, MD-3179, SRL, PO Box 2053, 48121 Dearborn, MI (United States)

2000-09-25

The union of catalysts and the automobile has been one of the greatest successes of heterogeneous catalysis over the last 25 years. Here, the history of automotive catalysis is briefly reviewed, followed by an assessment of where automotive catalysis stands today and where it is headed in the future. A key distinction between past automotive catalysis experience and that projected for the future is an increased focus on catalysts in upstream of power plant applications, such as on-board fuel processing units for fuel cell vehicles. Driven by ever tighter regulations, there will be continued research and development activity focused also on downstream applications (i.e. exhaust emission aftertreatment), especially for fuel-efficient, lean-burn vehicles, both diesel and spark-ignited.

Increasing precipitation volatility in twenty-first-century California

Science.gov (United States)

Swain, Daniel L.; Langenbrunner, Baird; Neelin, J. David; Hall, Alex

2018-05-01

Mediterranean climate regimes are particularly susceptible to rapid shifts between drought and flood—of which, California's rapid transition from record multi-year dryness between 2012 and 2016 to extreme wetness during the 2016-2017 winter provides a dramatic example. Projected future changes in such dry-to-wet events, however, remain inadequately quantified, which we investigate here using the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble of climate model simulations. Anthropogenic forcing is found to yield large twenty-first-century increases in the frequency of wet extremes, including a more than threefold increase in sub-seasonal events comparable to California's `Great Flood of 1862'. Smaller but statistically robust increases in dry extremes are also apparent. As a consequence, a 25% to 100% increase in extreme dry-to-wet precipitation events is projected, despite only modest changes in mean precipitation. Such hydrological cycle intensification would seriously challenge California's existing water storage, conveyance and flood control infrastructure.

Accelerators for the twenty-first century - a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, E.J.N.

1990-01-01

Modern synchrotrons and storage rings are based upon the electrical technology of the 1900s boosted by the microwave radar techniques of World War II. This method of acceleration now seems to be approaching its practical limit. It is high time that we seek a new physical acceleration mechanism to provide the higher energies and luminosities needed to continue particle physics beyond the machines now on the stocks. Twenty years is a short time in which to invent, develop, and construct such a device. Without it, high-energy physics may well come to an end. Particle physicists and astrophysicists are invited to join accelerator specialists in the hunt for this new principle. This report analyses the present limitations of colliders and explores some of the directions in which one might look to find a new principle. Chapters cover proton colliders, electron-positron colliders, linear colliders, and two-beam accelerators; transverse fields, wake-field and beat-wave accelerators, ferroelectric crystals, and acceleration in astrophysics. (orig.)

Twenty-six years experience of commercialization on potato irradiation at Shihoro, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Kameyama, K.; Ito, H.

2000-03-01

The township of Shihoro is Japan's biggest and most advanced dairy and field farming district which has been producing potatoes as a key crop. The potato irradiation plant was built at Shihoro in 1973 with a potato processing complex and has been shipping some 15,000 tons of sprout-inhibited potatoes a year during the sprouting season. From a technical viewpoint, the radiation efficiency of the Shihoro irradiator is lower than that of the usual irradiation facility using a carton box. The success of the Shihoro irradiator is shown in that radiation processing has been effectively included into one of the storage systems of a huge potato distribution facility. The sprout-inhibited potatoes as such are no guarantee of better business derived from potatoes, but producers see the merit of this process, because it makes possible year-round plant operations and planned shipments, keeps employees in year-round service and prevents rural depopulation, with an increase in the volume of business by expanding the area under crop. Recently in Japan, many companies have interests in commercial irradiation of spices, medical herbs and farm animal feeds before application to common foods.

Twenty-six years experience of commercialization on potato irradiation at Shihoro, Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kameyama, K.; Ito, H.

2000-01-01

The township of Shihoro is Japan's biggest and most advanced dairy and field farming district which has been producing potatoes as a key crop. The potato irradiation plant was built at Shihoro in 1973 with a potato processing complex and has been shipping some 15,000 tons of sprout-inhibited potatoes a year during the sprouting season. From a technical viewpoint, the radiation efficiency of the Shihoro irradiator is lower than that of the usual irradiation facility using a carton box. The success of the Shihoro irradiator is shown in that radiation processing has been effectively included into one of the storage systems of a huge potato distribution facility. The sprout-inhibited potatoes as such are no guarantee of better business derived from potatoes, but producers see the merit of this process, because it makes possible year-round plant operations and planned shipments, keeps employees in year-round service and prevents rural depopulation, with an increase in the volume of business by expanding the area under crop. Recently in Japan, many companies have interests in commercial irradiation of spices, medical herbs and farm animal feeds before application to common foods. (author)

Earlier Snowmelt Changes the Ratio Between Early and Late Season Forest Productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Knowles, J. F.; Molotch, N. P.; Trujillo, E.; Litvak, M. E.

2017-12-01

Future projections of declining snowpack and increasing potential evaporation associated with climate warming are predicted to advance the timing of snowmelt in mountain ecosystems globally. This scenario has direct implications for snowmelt-driven forest productivity, but the net effect of temporally shifting moisture dynamics is unknown with respect to the annual carbon balance. Accordingly, this study uses both satellite- and tower-based observations to document the forest productivity response to snowpack and potential evaporation variability between 1989 and 2012 throughout the southern Rocky Mountain ecoregion, USA. These results show that a combination of low snow accumulation and record high potential evaporation in 2012 resulted in the 34-year minimum ecosystem productivity that could be indicative of future conditions. Moreover, early and late season productivity were significantly and inversely related, suggesting that future shifts toward earlier or reduced snowmelt could increase late-season moisture stress to vegetation and thus restrict productivity despite a longer growing season. This relationship was further subject to modification by summer precipitation, and the controls on the early/late season productivity ratio are explored within the context of ecosystem carbon storage in the future. Any perturbation to the carbon cycle at this scale represents a potential feedback to climate change since snow-covered forests represent an important global carbon sink.

Ecological restoration should be redefined for the twenty-first century.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, David M

2017-09-24

Forty years ago, ecological restoration was conceptualized through a natural science lens. Today, ecological restoration has evolved into a social and scientific concept. The duality of ecological restoration is acknowledged in guidance documents on the subject but is not apparent in its definition. Current definitions reflect our views about what ecological restoration does but not why we do it. This viewpoint does not give appropriate credit to contributions from social sciences, nor does it provide compelling goals for people with different motivating rationales to engage in or support restoration. In this study, I give a concise history of the conceptualization and definition of ecological restoration, and I propose an alternative definition and corresponding viewpoint on restoration goal-setting to meet twenty-first century scientific and public inquiry.

Do BRCA1/2 mutation carriers have an earlier onset of natural menopause?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Tilborg, Theodora C.; Broekmans, Frank J.; Pijpe, Anouk; Schrijver, Lieske H.; Mooij, Thea M.; Oosterwijk, Jan C.; Verhoef, Senno; Garcia, Encarna B. Gomez; van Zelst-Stams, Wendy A.; Adank, Muriel A.; van Asperen, Christi J.; van Doorn, Helena C.; van Os, Theo A.; Bos, Anna M.; Rookus, Matti A.; Ausems, Margreet G.

Objective: It has been hypothesized that BRCA1/2 mutation carriers have an earlier age at natural menopause (ANM), although to date findings are inconclusive. This study assessed the influence of BRCA mutation status on ANM, and aimed to explore the reasons of inconsistency in the literature.

Twenty-One at TREC-8: using Language Technology for Information Retrieval

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraaij, Wessel; Pohlmann, Renée; Hiemstra, Djoerd; Voorhees, E.M; Harman, D.K.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the official runs of the Twenty-One group for TREC-8. The Twenty-One group participated in the Ad-hoc, CLIR, Adaptive Filtering and SDR tracks. The main focus of our experiments is the development and evaluation of retrieval methods that are motivated by natural language

Adverse childhood experiences predict earlier age of drinking onset: results from a representative US sample of current or former drinkers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothman, Emily F; Edwards, Erika M; Heeren, Timothy; Hingson, Ralph W

2008-08-01

Our goal was to determine whether adverse childhood experiences predicted the age at which drinking was initiated and drinking motives in a representative sample of current or former drinkers in the United States. In 2006, a probability sample of 3592 US current or former drinkers aged 18 to 39 were surveyed. Multinomial logistic regression examined whether each of 10 adverse childhood experiences was associated with earlier ages of drinking onset, controlling for demographics, parental alcohol use, parental attitudes toward drinking, and peers' drinking in adolescence. We also examined whether there was a graded relationship between the number of adverse childhood experiences and age of drinking onset and whether adverse childhood experiences were related to self-reported motives for drinking during the first year that respondents drank. Sixty-six percent of respondents reported >or=1 adverse childhood experiences, and 19% reported experiencing >or=4. The most commonly reported adverse childhood experiences were parental separation/divorce (41.3%), living with a household member who was a problem drinker (28.7%), mental illness of a household member (24.8%), and sexual abuse (19.1%). Of the 10 specific adverse childhood experiences assessed, 5 were significantly associated with initiating drinking at or=21 years of age) after adjustment for confounders, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, having a mentally ill household member, substance abuse in the home, and parental discord or divorce. Compared with those without adverse childhood experiences, respondents with adverse childhood experiences were substantially more likely to report that they drank to cope during the first year that they used alcohol. Results suggest that children with particular adverse childhood experiences may initiate drinking earlier than their peers and that they may be more likely to drink to cope with problems (rather than for pleasure or to be social).

Specific anti-EL4-lymphoma immunity in mice cured 2 years earlier with doxorubicin and interleukin-2.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrke, M J; Verstovsek, S; Zaleskis, G; Ho, R L; Ujházy, P; Maccubbin, D L; Mihich, E

1996-05-01

This laboratory has reported the conditions for an effective, non-toxic, chemoimmunotherapy utilizing doxorubicin in combination with prolonged administration of interleukin-2 and the identification of the critical role of activated CD8+ T cells in the therapeutic effect. Mice (C57BL/6) cured in those studies have been followed for the remainder of their life spans. These mice, approximately 2 months of age when initially inoculated with syngeneic EL4 lymphoma, survived for more than 2 years, the normal life span of C57BL/6 mice. Mice 4 months old reinoculated with the EL4 cells all survived. At about 1 year of age mice were sacrificed and the ability of their thymocytes and splenocytes to develop specific CD8+ anti-EL4 activity was as high as it had been at the time of tumor rejection. At about 2 years of age EL4 was reimplanted into mice; all of them survived. These surviving mice, at 2 years 2 months of age, as well as a group of 2-year-old mice not rechallenged, were killed and functional antitumor activity and phenotype characteristics of various lymphocyte populations were determined in comparison to those of young and age-matched control mice. The phenotyping of the lymphocytes from the cured mice indicated very notable differences in subset distribution and increased CD44 expression. Functionally they developed high levels of anti-EL4 activity, which was ablated by combined treatment with monoclonal antibodies against CD8 and CD44, indicating the role of memory cells. Consistent with cells from aged mice, these same cell populations had a very reduced allogeneic responsiveness. It appears that cured mice have developed an immune memory specific for EL4.

Strategic Leader Competencies for the Twenty-First Century

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Becker, Bradley A

2007-01-01

...: interpersonal skills, conceptual skills, and technical skills. From these three primary strategic leadership skills, there is a list of twenty-one competencies that a strategic leader should posses...

Unreliable Bodies: A Follow-up Twenty Years Later by a Mother and Daughter about the Impact of Illness and Disability on their Lives.

Science.gov (United States)

Weingarten, Kaethe; Worthen, Miranda

2017-03-01

We are a mother and daughter, both health care professionals, who offer a follow-up to an article we published twenty years ago about the impact of each other's ongoing, serious medical problems on our relationship. In this article, we contribute a long-term perspective on the differences between having an illness that is well or poorly understood by medical professionals and the lay community. We also discuss health in the context of identity formation and life stage, as during this interval the daughter left home, graduated college, married, and had two children. Also in this period, the mother survived a third breast cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. We discuss the impact of these experiences on each other and in other important relationships in our lives. Current discourses on daughters of breast cancer survivors do not fit our experience and we speculate about why our story differs. We find that although we continue to contend with serious medical issues that impact our own, each other's, and our families' lives, nonetheless, our lives are rich, rewarding, and "appropriate" for our life stage. That is the news. © 2015 Family Process Institute.

Twenty-One at TREC-7: ad-hoc and cross-language track

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hiemstra, Djoerd; Kraaij, Wessel; Voorhees, E.M; Harman, D.K.

1999-01-01

This paper describes the official runs of the Twenty-One group for TREC-7. The Twenty-One group participated in the ad-hoc and the cross-language track and made the following accomplishments: We developed a new weighting algorithm, which outperforms the popular Cornell version of BM25 on the ad-hoc

Assessment of serology and spirometry and the combination of both to complement microbiological isolation for earlier detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in children with cystic fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotnik Pirš, Ana; Krivec, Uroš; Simčič, Saša; Seme, Katja

2016-11-25

The aim of this study was to assess whether serology and spirometry and the combination of both can complement culture-based detection for earlier recognition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in children with cystic fibrosis. A 4 year longitudinal prospective study that included 67 Slovenian children with cystic fibrosis with a mean age of 10.5 years was conducted. Serology, spirometry and a scoring system combining serology and spirometry were assessed and compared. Infection was confirmed with isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from respiratory samples. There was a significantly positive correlation between serology and the combination of serology and spirometry and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation (P spirometry and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation (P spirometry the highest sensitivity (0.90). Both had a high negative predictive value (0.93 and 0.79 respectively). Using serology and the combination of serology and lung function measurement can be beneficial for earlier detection of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children with cystic fibrosis when done simultaneously with standard culture-based detection from respiratory samples.

Twenty-Year Evolution of Discourse System of China's Educational Economics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Li Guirong

2006-01-01

Although the discourse system of China's educational economics has a short history of only 20 years,it has gained an important position in the discourse system of pedagogy.This system consists of rich discourse branches including the relations between education and economy,educational investment and educational finance,educational cost and educational benefit.changes and innovation in education system and utilization and efficiency of educational resources.All the above discourse branches show various characteristics in different stages.From theif development and changes.the following features Of diScoursc system of educational economics can be drawn:the specialty of discourse,the trend of time of discourse themes.the positivism of discourse expressions and the applicability of discourse nature and contention of Chinese perspectives.To further improve the quality of the discourse system.the emphasis of educational economic studies should be laid upon the improvement of research attitude,theoretical basis,content and methodology.

Twenty years on: the impact of fragments on drug discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Erlanson, Daniel A; Fesik, Stephen W; Hubbard, Roderick E; Jahnke, Wolfgang; Jhoti, Harren

2016-09-01

After 20 years of sometimes quiet growth, fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) has become mainstream. More than 30 drug candidates derived from fragments have entered the clinic, with two approved and several more in advanced trials. FBDD has been widely applied in both academia and industry, as evidenced by the large number of papers from universities, non-profit research institutions, biotechnology companies and pharmaceutical companies. Moreover, FBDD draws on a diverse range of disciplines, from biochemistry and biophysics to computational and medicinal chemistry. As the promise of FBDD strategies becomes increasingly realized, now is an opportune time to draw lessons and point the way to the future. This Review briefly discusses how to design fragment libraries, how to select screening techniques and how to make the most of information gleaned from them. It also shows how concepts from FBDD have permeated and enhanced drug discovery efforts.

Contribution from twenty two years of CSNI International Standard Problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-03-01

This report provides a brief overview on the contribution of some CSNI International Standard Problems (ISPs) to nuclear reactor safety issues (41 ISPs performed over the last 22 years). This CSNI activity on ISPs has been one of the major activities of the Principal Working Group no.2 on Coolant System Behaviour. Its domain extended from thermal-hydraulics to several other accident domains following the main concerns of nuclear reactor safety, e.g., LOCA predictions fuel behaviour, operator procedures, containment thermal-hydraulics severe accidents, VVERs, etc. ISPs are providing unique material and benefits for some safety related issues. Clearly, all the technical findings and benefits provided by ISPs are still needed and contribute to advancement of nuclear safety. The report provides some overview on the general objectives of ISPs, content and types of ISPs, and technical domains covered by ISPs, followed by a synthesis of technical findings and benefits to the scientific community

Combined immunodeficiencies: twenty years experience from a single center in Turkey

OpenAIRE

Akar, H. Haluk; Patiroglu, Turkan; Hershfield, Michael; van der Burg, Mirjam

2016-01-01

Combined immunodeficiencies (CIDs) include a group of inherited monogenic disorders. CIDs are characterized by defective cellular and humoral immunities that lead to severe infections. CIDs can be classified according to immunologic phenotypes as T?B?NK? CID, T?B?NK+ CID, T?B+NK? CID and T?B+NK+ CID. In a 20-year period, from 1994 to 2014, a total of 40 CID patients were diagnosed at the Pediatric Immunology of Erciyes University Medical Faculty in Kayseri, Turkey. The gender ratio (F/M) was ...

Twenty-five years of Antarctic upper atmosphere research at Rhodes University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gledhill, J.A.

1987-01-01

South Africa, as one of the twelve signatories of the Antarctic Treaty is required to establish presence in Antarctica. In this article the past 25 years of upper atmosphere research in Antarctica, and the ionosphere programme at SANAE (South African National Antarctic Expedition) are described. The use of ionograms, Barry ionosondes, airglow photometers, oblique incidence ionograms and the digitized FM ionosonde are discussed as well as anomalous daily variations, the ionospheric effects of particle precipitation, Atmosphere Explorer-C and project ISAAC (International South Atlantic Anomaly Campaign)

Recovery of a lowland dipterocarp forest twenty two years after selective logging at Sekundur, Gunung Leuser National Park, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dolly - Priatna

2006-12-01

Full Text Available PRIATNA, D.; KARTAWINATA, K.; ABDULHADI, R. 2004. Recovery of a lowland dipterocarp forest twenty two years after selective logging at Sekundur, Gunung Leuser National Park, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Reinwardtia 12 (3: 237–255. — A permanent 2-ha plot of lowland forest selectively logged in 1978 at Sekundur, Gunung Leuser National Park, which is also a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site, North Sumatra, was established and investigated in 1982. It was re-examined in 2000, where remeasurement and reidentification of all trees with DBH 10 cm were made. The areas of gap, building and mature phases of the canopy were also measured and mapped. Within this plot, 133 species, 87 genera and 39 families were recorded, with the total number of trees of 1145 or density of 572.5/ha. Euphorbiaceae was the richest family with 18 species (13.5 % of the total and total number of trees of 248 (21.7 % of the total or density of 124 trees/ha. The most important families were Dipterocarpaceae with IV (Importance Value = 52.0, followed by Euphorbiaceae with IV = 51.8. The most prevalent species was Shorea kunstleri (Dipterocarpaceae with IV =24.4, followed by Macaranga diepenhorstii (Euphorbiaceae with IV = 12.4. They were the species with highest density, 34 trees/ha and 23.5 trees/ha, respectively. During the period of 18 years there has been no shift in the richest families, most important families and most important species. Euphorbiaceae was the richest family and Dipterocarpaceae was the most important family, with Shorea kunstleri as the most important species with highest importance value throughout the period. The number of species increased from 127 to 133 with increase in density by 36.8% , from 418.5 trees/ha to 572.5 trees/ha. The mortality was 25.57 % or 1.4 % per year. The diameter class distribution indicated that the forest recovery has not been complete. Trees were small, comprising 67.6 % with diameters of 10-20 cm and only two trees

Twenty years of vasoplegic syndrome treatment in heart surgery. Methylene blue revised

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Paulo Roberto Barbosa Evora

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study was conducted to reassess the concepts established over the past 20 years, in particular in the last 5 years, about the use of methylene blue in the treatment of vasoplegic syndrome in cardiac surgery. Methods: A wide literature review was carried out using the data extracted from: MEDLINE, SCOPUS and ISI WEB OF SCIENCE. Results: The reassessed and reaffirmed concepts were 1 MB is safe in the recommended doses (the lethal dose is 40 mg/kg; 2 MB does not cause endothelial dysfunction; 3 The MB effect appears in cases of NO up-regulation; 4 MB is not a vasoconstrictor, by blocking the cGMP pathway it releases the cAMP pathway, facilitating the norepinephrine vasoconstrictor effect; 5 The most used dosage is 2 mg/kg as IV bolus, followed by the same continuous infusion because plasma concentrations sharply decrease in the first 40 minutes; and 6 There is a possible "window of opportunity" for MB's effectiveness. In the last five years, major challenges were: 1 Observations about side effects; 2 The need for prophylactic and therapeutic guidelines, and; 3 The need for the establishment of the MB therapeutic window in humans. Conclusion: MB action to treat vasoplegic syndrome is time-dependent. Therefore, the great challenge is the need, for the establishment the MB therapeutic window in humans. This would be the first step towards a systematic guideline to be followed by possible multicenter studies.

Neutrino masses twenty-five years later

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valle, J.W.F.

2003-01-01

The discovery of neutrino mass marks a turning point in elementary particle physics, with important implications for nuclear and astroparticle physics. Here I give a brief update, where I summarize the current status of three-neutrino oscillation parameters from current solar, atmospheric, reactor and accelerator neutrino data, discuss the case for sterile neutrinos and LSND, and also the importance of tritium and double beta decay experiments probing the absolute scale of neutrino mass. In this opinionated look at the present of neutrino physics, I keep an eye in the future, and a perspective of the past, taking the opportunity to highlight Joe Schechter's pioneering contribution, which I have had the fortune to share, as his PhD student back in the early eighties

Ecotourism revisited: Last twenty-five years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandel Abhinav

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The concept of ecotourism evolves differently in developing and developed nations due to which the basic principles of ecotourism are in question. The existing literature on ecotourism suggests ambiguity in conceptual understanding of ecotourism. Due to this qualm, ecotourism is evolving into various forms. Different stakeholders with varying objectives related to ecotourism make it further difficult to form the consensus on what constitutes ecotourism. Without the clear understanding of ecotourism, it is difficult to evolve ethics on which the ecotourism principles are based. The focus of this research is to find out the principle components or themes of ecotourism using a content analysis for the development of ecotourism policy and applications. This study identified six key components of ecotourism which are widely accepted by researchers and could be used to shape the fundamental understanding of ecotourism. These themes are: (1 Nature oriented travel; (2 Support of conservation; (3 Learning and appreciation; (4 Socio-economic development of local area; (5 Support and respect for local culture and (6 Local people (area participation.

Twenty years of molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, A. Y.

1995-05-01

The term "molecular beam epitaxy" (MBE) was first used in one of our crystal growth papers in 1970, after having conducted extensive surface physics studies in the late 1960's of the interaction of atomic and molecular beams with solid surfaces. The unique feature of MBE is the ability to prepare single crystal layers with atomic dimensional precision. MBE sets the standard for epitaxial growth and has made possible semiconductor structures that could not be fabricated with either naturally existing materials or by other crystal growth techniques. MBE led the crystal growth technologies when it prepared the first semiconductor quantum well and superlattice structures that gave unexpected and exciting electrical and optical properties. For example, the discovery of the fractional quantized Hall effect. It brought experimental quantum physics to the classroom, and practically all major universities throughout the world are now equipped with MBE systems. The fundamental principles demonstrated by the MBE growth of III-V compound semiconductors have also been applied to the growth of group IV, II-VI, metal, and insulating materials. For manufacturing, the most important criteria are uniformity, precise control of the device structure, and reproducibility. MBE has produced more lasers (3 to 5 million per month for compact disc application) than any other crystal growth technique in the world. New directions for MBE are to incorporate in-situ, real-time monitoring capabilities so that complex structures can be precisely "engineered". In the future, as environmental concerns increase, the use of toxic arsine and phosphine may be limited. Successful use of valved cracker cells for solid arsenic and phosphorus has already produced InP based injection lasers.

Earlier Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Down Syndrome Patients Following Tetralogy of Fallot Repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Rachel T; Frommelt, Peter C; Hill, Garick D

2017-08-01

The association between Down syndrome and pulmonary hypertension could contribute to more severe pulmonary regurgitation after tetralogy of Fallot repair and possibly earlier pulmonary valve replacement. We compared cardiac magnetic resonance measures of pulmonary regurgitation and right ventricular dilation as well as timing of pulmonary valve replacement between those with and without Down syndrome after tetralogy of Fallot repair. Review of our surgical database from 2000 to 2015 identified patients with tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary stenosis. Those with Down syndrome were compared to those without. The primary outcome of interest was time from repair to pulmonary valve replacement. Secondary outcomes included pulmonary regurgitation and indexed right ventricular volume on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The cohort of 284 patients included 35 (12%) with Down syndrome. Transannular patch repair was performed in 210 (74%). Down syndrome showed greater degree of pulmonary regurgitation (55 ± 14 vs. 37 ± 16%, p = 0.01) without a significantly greater rate of right ventricular dilation (p = 0.09). In multivariable analysis, Down syndrome (HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.5, p = 0.02) and transannular patch repair (HR 5.5, 95% CI 1.7-17.6, p = 0.004) were significant risk factors for valve replacement. Those with Down syndrome had significantly lower freedom from valve replacement (p = 0.03). Down syndrome is associated with an increased degree of pulmonary regurgitation and earlier pulmonary valve replacement after tetralogy of Fallot repair. These patients require earlier assessment by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to determine timing of pulmonary valve replacement and evaluation for and treatment of preventable causes of pulmonary hypertension.

2013 Annual Survey of Journalism Mass Communication Enrollments: Enrollments Decline for Third Consecutive Year

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Lee Bernard; Vlad, Tudor; Simpson, Holly Anne

2014-01-01

Enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the United States in the fall of 2013 were down from a year earlier for the third year in a row. Enrollments dropped at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, and the number of freshmen and sophomores were down dramatically from a year earlier. Enrollments in the…

Twenty years of audiology in a patient with Norrie disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Halpin, Chris; Sims, Katherine

2008-11-01

To describe disease progression and treatment outcomes over a 20-year period (ages 5-25) in a young man with Norrie disease (occuloacousticocerebral dysplasia), ND; OMIM #310600. Affected individuals are born blind and develop progressive sensory loss with onset in adolescence. This disease is X-linked and has been associated with mutations of the NDP gene (Xp11.4). The patient was followed using repeated audiograms, as well as reports of educational progress and hearing aid use. The specific mutation was found by molecular analysis. The patient demonstrated progressive sensory loss with good preservation of word recognition. The loss was initially high frequency and asymmetric in adolescence and became more severe, more symmetric and affected practically all frequencies by the end of childhood. Educational progress was affected by the cognitive effects of the syndrome, and hearing aid use was very effective. A bilateral progressive sensory loss with good preservation of word recognition was documented in detail. The residual word recognition supported good use of hearing aids in this case.

The NEA co-operative programme on decommissioning. Twenty-five years of progress; the last five years - 2006 through 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

The Co-operative Programme for the Exchange of Scientific and Technical Information Concerning Nuclear Installation Decommissioning (CPD) is a joint undertaking according to Article 5 of the Statute of the NEA. Concluded in 1985, the Agreement constituting the CPD has been continuously extended, although modified in 2003, with the current programme period lasting until the end of 2013. This report provides information about the participants, structure and achievements of the Co-operative Programme and the projects involved. The projects in the Programme have a broad range of characteristics and cover various types of reactors and fuel facilities. The number of projects in the programme has grown from 42 to 59 over the past five years. The Programme now covers 35 reactor related projects and 24 fuel related projects representing a wide selection of facility types in each category. Also, all phases of decommissioning - from active dismantling to safe store and to completed decommissioning back to 'green field conditions' - are represented. Over the 25 years of experience of the Co-operative Programme on Decommissioning, and in particular through the information exchange and review within the TAG, it has become evident that: - decommissioning can and has been done in a safe, cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner; - the evolution of technologies have demonstrated their effectiveness in performance improvements in all aspects of conducting decommissioning projects; - the upkeep and maintenance of design, construction and operational records can significantly enhance performance through all stages of a decommissioning project; - in the absence of waste disposal facilities, interim waste storage facilities with integrated waste processing facilities can effectively be used to keep all levels of waste streams moving and avoid delays to project schedules; - cleanup of material for recycle and reuse or disposal as conventional waste is cost

Hepatitis B and C virus prevalence in couples attending an in vitro fertilization clinic in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: comparison with ten years earlier.

Science.gov (United States)

Albadran, Asma; Hibshi, Ali; Saeed, Bahjat; Coskun, Serdar; Awartani, Khalid Arab

2017-01-01

Viral hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) are a major public health problem in Saudi Arabia. Recent data has indicated a major reduction in viral hepatitis prevalence in Saudi population. However, there is limited data for infertile Saudi couples. To determine the prevalence of HCV and HBV attending an in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic in Saudi Arabia between 2012 and 2015 to compare with the prevalence 10 years earlier in the same center. Retrospective prevalence study. Tertiary care center in Riyadh. Data on the prevalence of HBV and HCV was collected on all couples seen at the IVF unit between 2002-2005 and 2012-2015. Prevalence of HBV and HCV. In 4442 patients during 2002-2005 and 5747 patients during 2012-2015, the prevalence of HBV was significantly less in 2012-2015 compared with 2002-2005 (1.67% [97 patients] vs 4.7% [210 patients], P < .0001), respectively, but HCV prevalence was similar for the two periods (0.7% for both periods) (P=.887). The hepatitis B seroprevalence rate was higher in males compared to females during 2002-2005 (6.3% vs 3.1%) (P < .0001) and 2012-2015 (2.4% vs 1.1% ) (P < .0001), respectively. The significant drop in HBV prevalence was most likely due to the introduction of the vaccination program in 1989, while reasons for HCV prevalence remaining unchanged are unclear. No data on confounding factors that may have affected the prevalence.

150 years since Babbage's ophthalmoscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Keeler, C R

1997-11-01

The discovery of the ophthalmoscope in 1851 is rightly attributed to Hermann von Helmholtz. However, 4 years earlier, in 1847, Charles Babbage nearly invented the instrument that was to revolutionize ophthalmological examination so dramatically.

The twenty-five maiden ladies' tomb and predicaments of the feminist movement in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Lee, Anru; Tang, Wen-hui Anna

2010-01-01

“The Twenty-five Maiden Ladies’ Tomb” is the collective burial site of the female workers who died in a ferry accident on their way to work in 1973. The fact that of the more than 70 passengers on board all 25 who died were unmarried young women, and the taboo in Taiwanese culture that shuns unmarried female ghosts, made the Tomb a fearsome place. Feminists in Gaoxiong (高雄) had for some years wanted the city government to change the tomb’s public image....

Historical Approach to the Role of Women in the Legislation of Iran: A Case Study on the Twenty-First Parliament

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Sarah Sheibani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available One hundred and ten years ago, men and women took constitutionalism to achieve justice in Iran. National Council was the result of the Iranian people's struggle for justice, both women and men. Men policies from the beginning of legislation put women as minors and lunatics and bankrupted and banned them from vote. However, the Constitutional Revolution as a turning point and a national revolution played a key role in changing attitudes to women and structural context of their participation provided. In this paper, with the use of descriptive-analytical as well as quantitative methods, we sought to answer the question that what was the position of women in the twenty-first Parliament. The results of this study suggest that when Iranian women were allowed to participate politics, they have achieved to show their ability in politics as we saw examples in the twenty-first Parliament in which women had twenty-two percent participation.

United States Air Force Statistical Digest, Fiscal Year 1966, Twenty First Edition

Science.gov (United States)

1966-09-30

Federation of Malaysia . . . . 24 24 11 - - - - 13 - - - - - - Greece ....••...... 2,2Z7 1,798 30 109 443 405 - 811 429 - 54 84 145 146 DOWNGRADED AT 12 YEAR...Termination of Indefinite Enlistments Early Release for Chirstmas Obesity Early Separation from Extension of Enlistment Resignation Unconditional

Onset Symptoms, Tobacco Smoking, and Progressive-Onset Phenotype Are Associated With a Delayed Onset of Multiple Sclerosis, and Marijuana Use With an Earlier Onset

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunrong Tao

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Age at symptom onset (ASO is a prognostic factor that could affect the accrual of disability in multiple sclerosis (MS patients. Some factors are known to influence the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS, but their influence on the ASO is less well-investigated.Objective: Examine the associations between known or emerging MS risk factors and ASO.Methods: This was a multicenter study, incident cases (n = 279 with first clinical diagnosis of demyelinating event aged 18–59 years recruited at four Australian centres (latitudes 27°-43°S, from 1 November 2003 to 31 December 2006. Environmental/behavioral variables and initial symptoms were recorded at baseline interview. Linear regression was used to assess the association between risk factors and ASO.Results: Five factors were significantly associated with ASO: a history of tobacco smoking was associated with 3.05-years later ASO (p = 0.002; a history of marijuana use was associated with 6.03-years earlier ASO (p < 0.001; progressive-onset cases had 5.61-years later ASO (p = 0.001; an initial presentation of bowel & bladder and cerebral dysfunctional were associated with 3.39 (p = 0.017 and 4.37-years (p = 0.006 later ASO, respectively. Other factors, including sex, offspring number, latitude of study site, history of infectious mononucleosis, HLA-DR15 & HLA-A2 genotype, 25(OHD levels, and ultraviolet radiation exposure were not associated with ASO. Including all five significant variables into one model explained 12% of the total variance in ASO.Conclusion: We found a novel association between a history of tobacco smoking and later onset, whereas marijuana use was associated with earlier onset. Behavioral factors seem important drivers of MS onset timing although much of the variance remains unexplained.

United States Air Force Statistical Digest, Fiscal Year 1967, Twenty Second Edition

Science.gov (United States)

1967-09-30

AT 12 YEAR INTERVALS;..- NOT AUTOMATICALLY DECLASSIFIEDDOD DIR. 5200.10 ~ Federation of Malaysia . . . . 47 47 22 - - - - 25 - - - - - -Greece...Substandard Performance Resigned - Homosexuality (Class II) Resigned - Homosexuality (Class III) Resigned - Unfitness or Unacceptable Conduct Resigned - In...Performance of Duty (Voluntary) Discharged - Unfitness (Voluntary) Discharged - Marriage (Voluntary) Discharged - Pregnancy (Voluntary) Discharged

Reflections on the first twenty-five years of the University of Malawi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

September 2016 marks 25 years since the College of Medicine of the University of Malawi was established. In this article we reflect on its conception, birth, adolescence, and youth. The contributions of multiple stakeholders are celebrated while being mindful of the ongoing efforts to consolidate past and current gains.

Twenty-First Century Literacy: A Matter of Scale from Micro to Mega

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Abbie; Slagter van Tryon, Patricia J.

2010-01-01

Twenty-first century technologies require educators to look for new ways to teach literacy skills. Current communication methods are combinations of traditional and newer, network-driven forms. This article describes the changes twenty-first century technologies cause in the perception of time, size, distance, audience, and available data, and…

Evaluation of the safety of the operating nuclear power plants built to earlier standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menteseoglu, S.

2001-01-01

The objective of this paper is to provide practical assistance on judging the safety of a nuclear power plant, on the basis of a comparison with current safety standards and operational practices. For nuclear power plants built to earlier standards for which there are questions about the adequacy of the maintenance of the plant design and operational practices, a safety review against current standards and practices can be considered a high priority. The objective of reviewing nuclear power plants built to earlier standards against current standards and practices is to determine whether there are any deviations which would have an impact on plant safety. The safety significance of the issues identified should be judged according to their implications for plant design and operation in terms of basic safety concepts such as defence in depth and safety culture. In addition, this paper provides assistance on the prioritization of corrective measures and their implementation so as to approach an acceptable level of safety

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Annual Statistics: an exploratory twenty-five-year trend analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrd, Gary D; Shedlock, James

2003-04-01

This paper presents an exploratory trend analysis of the statistics published over the past twenty-four editions of the Annual Statistics of Medical School Libraries in the United States and Canada. The analysis focuses on the small subset of nineteen consistently collected data variables (out of 656 variables collected during the history of the survey) to provide a general picture of the growth and changing dimensions of services and resources provided by academic health sciences libraries over those two and one-half decades. The paper also analyzes survey response patterns for U.S. and Canadian medical school libraries, as well as osteopathic medical school libraries surveyed since 1987. The trends show steady, but not dramatic, increases in annual means for total volumes collected, expenditures for staff, collections and other operating costs, personnel numbers and salaries, interlibrary lending and borrowing, reference questions, and service hours. However, when controlled for inflation, most categories of expenditure have just managed to stay level. The exceptions have been expenditures for staff development and travel and for collections, which have both outpaced inflation. The fill rate for interlibrary lending requests has remained steady at about 75%, but the mean ratio of items lent to items borrowed has decreased by nearly 50%.

Afterword: Victorian Sculpture for the Twenty-First Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David J. Getsy

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Commenting on the directions proposed by this issue of '19', the afterword discusses the broad trends in twenty-first century studies of Victorian sculpture and the opportunity for debate arising from the first attempt at a comprehensive exhibition.

Twenty-Five Year Survival of Children with Intellectual Disability in Western Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourke, Jenny; Nembhard, Wendy N; Wong, Kingsley; Leonard, Helen

2017-09-01

To investigate survival up to early adulthood for children with intellectual disability and compare their risk of mortality with that of children without intellectual disability. This was a retrospective cohort study of all live births in Western Australia between January 1, 1983 and December 31, 2010. Children with an intellectual disability (n = 10 593) were identified from the Western Australian Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers Database. Vital status was determined from linkage to the Western Australian Mortality database. Kaplan-Meier product limit estimates and 95% CIs were computed by level of intellectual disability. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated from Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusting for potential confounders. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared with those without intellectual disability, children with intellectual disability had a 6-fold increased risk of mortality at 1-5 years of age (adjusted HR [aHR] = 6.0, 95%CI: 4.8, 7.6), a 12-fold increased risk at 6-10 years of age (aHR = 12.6, 95% CI: 9.0, 17.7) and a 5-fold increased risk at 11-25 years of age (aHR = 4.9, 95% CI: 3.9, 6.1). Children with severe intellectual disability were at even greater risk. No difference in survival was observed for Aboriginal children with intellectual disability compared with non-Aboriginal children with intellectual disability. Although children with intellectual disability experience higher mortality at all ages compared with those without intellectual disability, the greatest burden is for those with severe intellectual disability. However, even children with mild to moderate intellectual disability have increased risk of death compared with unaffected children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Twenty-Nail Transverse Melanonychia Induced by Hydroxyurea: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Osemwota, Osamuede; Uhlemann, John; Rubin, Adam

2017-08-01

Twenty-nail transverse melanonychia from hydroxyurea is a rare phenomenon, only reported four times previously. Here we describe a 51-year-old female who presented with 20-nail transverse melanonychia 3 months after initiating hydroxyurea therapy. Transverse melanonychia is a benign process but can cause patients significant distress, and thus is an entity with which dermatologists should recognize. We then review the cutaneous manifestations, differential diagnosis, and clinical considerations when evaluating patients with transverse melanonychia from hydroxyurea or other causes. J Drugs Dermatol. 2017;16(8):814-815..

Twenty Years of European Union Support to Gene Therapy and Gene Transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gancberg, David

2017-11-01

For 20 years and throughout its research programmes, the European Union has supported the entire innovation chain for gene transfer and gene therapy. The fruits of this investment are ripening as gene therapy products are reaching the European market and as clinical trials are demonstrating the safety of this approach to treat previously untreatable diseases.

Gender trends in dental leadership and academics: a twenty-two-year observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Judy Chia-Chun; Lee, Damian J; Kongkiatkamon, Suchada; Ross, Sasha; Prasad, Soni; Koerber, Anne; Sukotjo, Cortino

2010-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine gender disparities in dental leadership and academics in the United States. Nine journals that represent the dental specialties and high published impact factors were selected to analyze the percentage of female dentists' first and senior authorship for the years 1986, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2008. Data on appointment status and female deanship were collected from the American Dental Association (ADA) survey, and the trends were studied. The proportion of female presidents in ADA-recognized specialty organizations was also calculated. Overall, the increase in first female authorship was not statistically significant, but the increase of last female authorship was statistically significant in a linear trend over the years. The percentage of tenured female faculty members and female deans in U.S. dental schools increased by factors of 1.7 and 9, respectively, during the study period. However, female involvement in professional organizations was limited. Findings from this study indicate that female participation in authorship and leadership has increased over time. Nevertheless, females are still a minority in dental academics and leadership.

Open Adoption Placement by Birth Mothers in Their Twenties.

Science.gov (United States)

Clutter, Lynn B

The purpose of this study was to summarize birth mothers' descriptions of unplanned pregnancy experienced in their twenties and how open adoption influenced their lives. Naturalistic inquiry was used with purposive sampling from one agency and telephone interviews of women who experienced unplanned pregnancy in their twenties and relinquishment through open adoption. Recorded, transcribed, and deidentified interviews were analyzed for qualitative themes. Fifteen participants judiciously weighed the open adoption decision. Over half parented other children prior to placement. Most knew they could not have parented this child due to life stressors. Placement was a hard decision, but ongoing contact with birth child and adoptive family was valued. Open adoption processes made them stronger by being happy that their child experienced family life with greater opportunities than birth mothers could offer at the time. Summarized themes used the acronym COMMITTED: C-care deeply about what is best for the child, O-ongoing open adoption: good and hard, M-meeting together regularly, M-moving on in personal growth, accomplishments, and milestones, I-independence from previous stressors or crises, T-transitions, T-therapeutic support, E-emotions, D-depression giving way to deepened strength and personal direction. Open adoption is reinforced as a positive resolution of unintended pregnancy for birth mothers in their twenties.

Twenty Years of Basic Vocational Education Provision in Spain: Changes and Trends

Science.gov (United States)

Marhuenda-Fluixá, Fernando; Salvà, Francesca; Saurin, Almudena A. Navas; López, Miriam Abiétar

2015-01-01

Our contribution attempts to review basic vocational education programmes in Spain over the past 25 years. We intend to compare the evolution of these programmes in terms of conception and conditions of delivery in order to find out how different they are as skill-formation and remedial systems, as well as analysing how different political views…

Twenty Years of Women's Leadership: Have We Come "A Long Way, Baby?"

Science.gov (United States)

Boatman, Sara A.

2007-01-01

I'd like to share with you some thoughts from my last 20 years of leadership study and what I've come to understand during this time about women in relationship to leadership. Consider these remarks personal reflections on some of what has been written and discussed about leadership and especially about how women relate to leadership. Let's wonder…

Twenty Years of Research on Cytokine-Induced Sickness Behavior*

Science.gov (United States)

Dantzer, Robert; Kelley, Keith W.

2007-01-01

Cytokine-induced sickness behavior was recognized within a few years of the cloning and expression of interferon-α, IL-1 and IL-2, which occurred around the time that the first issue of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity was published in 1987. Phase I clinical trials established that injection of recombinant cytokines into cancer patients led to a variety of psychological disturbances. It was subsequently shown that physiological concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines that occur after infection act in the brain to induce common symptoms of sickness, such as loss of appetite, sleepiness, withdrawal from normal social activities, fever, aching joints and fatigue. This syndrome was defined as sickness behavior and is now recognized to be part of a motivational system that reorganizes the organism's priorities to facilitate recovery from the infection. Cytokines convey to the brain that an infection has occurred in the periphery, and this action of cytokines can occur via the traditional endocrine route via the blood or by direct neural transmission via the afferent vagus nerve. The finding that sickness behavior occurs in all mammals and birds indicates that communication between the immune system and brain has been evolutionarily conserved and forms an important physiological adaptive response that favors survival of the organism during infections. The fact that cytokines act in the brain to induce physiological adaptations that promote survival has led to the hypothesis that inappropriate, prolonged activation of the innate immune system may be involved in a number of pathological disturbances in the brain, ranging from Alzheimers' disease to stroke. Conversely, the newly-defined role of cytokines in a wide variety of systemic co-morbid conditions, ranging from chronic heart failure to obesity, may begin to explain changes in the mental state of these subjects. Indeed, the newest findings of cytokine actions in the brain offer some of the first clues about the

The technical support organization at BNL is twenty years old

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Indusi, J.P.

1988-01-01

The Technical Support Organization was established by the Atomic Energy Commission in January 1968 at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The original idea came from a small group of scientists at BNL. The group included Willy Higinbotham, Herb Kouts, Frank Miles, Richard Dodson, and Gerhardt Friedlander. The AEC endorsed the idea of a technical support group to provide technical assistance to AEC's Office of Safeguards and Materials Management and they sent requests for expressions of interest throughout the complex. For a number of reasons, to be discussed in the paper, the Technical Support Organization was established at BNL. An early project was the Conceptual Design for Safeguarding Nuclear Material which formed the first logical and systematic description of the integration of several elements into a safeguards system for protecting nuclear materials. Many other projects were undertaken over the years. TSO today provides technical assistance to the DOE Office of Safeguards and Secuirty, the Office of Classification and Technology Policy, and the Office of Security Evaluations. Technical support to the IAEA is provided under the Program of Technical Assistance to Agency Safeguards (POTAS). Recently, TSO began a program of technical assistance to the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in the area of nuclear systems security

Nuclear power in the twenty-first century - An assessment (Part 1)

OpenAIRE

von Hirschhausen, Christian

2017-01-01

Nuclear power was one of the most important discoveries of the twentieth century, and it continues to play an important role in twenty-first century discussions about the future energy mix, climate change, innovation, proliferation, geopolitics, and many other crucial policy topics. This paper addresses some key issues around the emergence of nuclear power in the twentieth century and perspectives going forward in the twenty-first, including questions of economics and competitiveness, the str...

Recent gestational diabetes was associated with mothers stopping predominant breastfeeding earlier in a multi-ethnic population.

Science.gov (United States)

Baerug, Anne; Sletner, Line; Laake, Petter; Fretheim, Atle; Løland, Beate Fossum; Waage, Christin W; Birkeland, Kåre I; Jenum, Anne Karen

2018-06-01

It has previously been shown that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in mothers with recent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study compared the cessation of predominant breastfeeding in mothers with and without recent GDM in a multi-ethnic population. From May 2008 to May 2010, healthy pregnant women attending antenatal care provided by community health services in Eastern Oslo, Norway were recruited. We included 616 women-58% non-Western-and interviewed and examined them at a mean of 15 and 28 weeks of gestation and 14 weeks' postpartum. Cox regression models examined the association between GDM, as assessed by the 2013 World Health Organization criteria, and breastfeeding cessation. Overall, 190 of the 616 (31%) mothers had GDM and they ended predominant breastfeeding earlier than mothers without GDM, with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.33 and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of 1.01-1.77. Mothers of South Asian origin ended predominant breastfeeding earlier than Western European mothers in the adjusted analysis (aHR 1.53, 95% CI: 1.04-2.25), but Middle Eastern mothers did not. Recent gestational diabetes was associated with earlier cessation of predominant breastfeeding in Western European and non-Western women. ©2018 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Twenty-first workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering: Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1996-01-26

PREFACE The Twenty-First Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at the Holiday Inn, Palo Alto on January 22-24, 1996. There were one-hundred fifty-five registered participants. Participants came from twenty foreign countries: Argentina, Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK. The performance of many geothermal reservoirs outside the United States was described in several of the papers. Professor Roland N. Horne opened the meeting and welcomed visitors. The key note speaker was Marshall Reed, who gave a brief overview of the Department of Energy's current plan. Sixty-six papers were presented in the technical sessions of the workshop. Technical papers were organized into twenty sessions concerning: reservoir assessment, modeling, geology/geochemistry, fracture modeling hot dry rock, geoscience, low enthalpy, injection, well testing, drilling, adsorption and stimulation. Session chairmen were major contributors to the workshop, and we thank: Ben Barker, Bobbie Bishop-Gollan, Tom Box, Jim Combs, John Counsil, Sabodh Garg, Malcolm Grant, Marcel0 Lippmann, Jim Lovekin, John Pritchett, Marshall Reed, Joel Renner, Subir Sanyal, Mike Shook, Alfred Truesdell and Ken Williamson. Jim Lovekin gave the post-dinner speech at the banquet and highlighted the exciting developments in the geothermal field which are taking place worldwide. The Workshop was organized by the Stanford Geothermal Program faculty, staff, and graduate students. We wish to thank our students who operated the audiovisual equipment. Shaun D. Fitzgerald Program Manager.

Reflections on 21 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eklund, S.; Mandel, H.; Teller, E.

1977-01-01

Personal reflections after twenty one years of nuclear power are presented by a number of those who were international figures in the nuclear energy field during that period. Lessons learnt, achievements, prospects and predictions for the future are discussed in eleven brief surveys. (U.K.)

A New Method of Earlier Kick Assessment Using ANFIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Deregeh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The late detection of the kick (the entrance of underground fluids into oil wells leads to oil well blowouts. It causes human life loss and imposes a great deal of expenses on the petroleum industry. This paper presents the application of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system designed for an earlier kick detection using measurable drilling parameters. In order to generate the initial fuzzy inference system, subtractive clustering is utilized. The training set contains 50 data samples and there are 362 data samples for testing the proposed method. Also, ANFIS structure is examined at different radii (the parameter of subtractive clustering. Different conformations are tested to get the earliest detection and the lowest false alarms while facing kick. Eventually, ANFIS verifies the danger exposure depth of about 28.6 meters before the depth that the kick was sensed by crew. Such an assessment gives the rig crew enough time to prepare for the danger and stop the operation before being exposed to high pressure zones.

Summary record of the twenty-seventh meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, P.

1990-01-01

The topics presented and discussed at the twenty-seventh international meeting of the Nuclear Data Committee of the Nuclear Energy Agency are summarized. Relations with other committees and reports of data centers are analyzed. Problems concerning nuclear model codes are underlined. National evaluation efforts on data library and data file are reported. Reports from several laboratories and subcommittees are summarized

Twenty years of children’s health monitoring: organization, results, conclusions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra Anatol’evna Shabunova

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Deep understanding of human potential reproduction, presenting it as a continuous cycle and reflecting the continuity of generations, is significant for the formation of health and development of children. Today’s children will determine the future of Russian society. It is they who in 10–15 years will be a major part of the labor and creative population, a demographic base of the country. The research into children’s problems through the prism of socio-economic development helps identify targets of the state many-sided policy. The article presents results of the long-term medical sociological monitoring on the formation of child health carried out by the Institute of Socio-Economic Development of Territories of RAS with the support of the Vologda Oblast Healthcare Department since 1995. The special monitoring study of health dynamics in real time is unique not only for the Vologda Oblast, but for Russia as well. It reveals the transformation of a personality and the dependence of these changes on direct and indirect factors. The work’s feature is that it addresses an extremely important and wide range of issues: whether man was born healthy or not, if he/she is unhealthy, then why and why he/she was born unhealthy; whether his/her health after the birth is improving or deteriorating; if health is changing, what causes the changes. The 15 year observations disclose the dynamics of child health in the conditions of transformation processes taking place in the country. If the official statistics only records certain health trends, the monitoring results allow us to talk about them at a qualitatively new level. They reveal the underlying causes of demographic processes. The conclusion is, on the one hand, obvious and, on the other hand, it can not be neglected: economic stability and orderly development of the social sphere are critical for family well-being and child health. The reverse situation leads to the destruction of the family

Direitos sociais na constituição cidadã: um balanço de 21 anos Social rights in the citizen Constitution: a balance of twenty-one years of existence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlindo Rodrigues de Oliveira

2011-03-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho faz um balanço dos direitos sociais previstos na Constituição de 1988, destacando seus avanços e limitações ao longo destes últimos 21 anos. Começando pelos direitos dos trabalhadores e, em seguida, pelos dispositivos relativos à Seguridade Social, o trabalho busca compreender as motivações do legislador constituinte e o histórico de constantes disputas no interior da sociedade, em torno da regulamentação, manutenção e aprimoramento desses direitos ao longo dos anos.This paper is an attempt to make a balance of the social rights forseen in the Brazilian 1988 Constitution, stressing its advances and limitations during the last twenty one years. Beginning with the labour rights and following with the Social Security articles, it is an effort to understand both the motivations of the legislators and the historic of permanent disputes within the Brazilian society around the regulation, maintenance and improvement of these rights along the years.

Clinical presentation of retinoblastoma in Alexandria: A step toward earlier diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Soliman, Sameh E; Eldomiaty, Wesam; Goweida, Mohamed B; Dowidar, Amgad

2017-01-01

To evaluate the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma in Alexandria, Egypt, correlate the timing of accurate diagnosis with the presence of advanced disease and identify causes of delayed presentation. Retrospective noncomparative single institution study reviews demographic and clinical data of all new children with retinoblastoma presenting to Alexandria Main University ocular oncology clinic (OOC) from January 2012 to June 2014. Diagnosis time was from initial parental complaint to retinoblastoma diagnosis and referral time was from retinoblastoma diagnosis to presentation to the Alexandria OCC. Delayed Diagnosis and referral were counted if >2 weeks. Advanced presentation is defined as clinical TNMH (8th edition) staging of cT2 or cT3 (international intraocular retinoblastoma classification group D or E) in at least one eye or the presence of extra-ocular disease (cT4). Seventy eyes of 47 children were eligible: 52% unilateral, 7% with family history and 96% presented with leukocorea. Sixty-four percent of children had advanced intraocular disease and none had extra-ocular disease. Delayed presentation occurred in 58% of children and was significantly associated with advanced disease in both unilaterally and bilaterally affected children (p = 0.003, 0.002 respectively). The delay in diagnosis was more in unilateral cases while the delay in referral was more in bilateral cases. The main cause of delayed presentation in unilateral retinoblastoma was misdiagnosis (30%) while parental shopping for second medical opinion (30%) was the main cause in bilateral children. Delayed diagnosis is a problem affecting retinoblastoma management. Better medical education and training, health education and earlier screening are recommended to achieve earlier diagnosis.

Twenty-year-old results from a bottomland oak species comparison trial in western Kentucky

Science.gov (United States)

Randall J. Rousseau

2008-01-01

A 20-year-old trial of five bottomland oak species (cherrybark, Nuttall, pin, water, and willow oaks) located in western Kentucky showed little difference in survival and growth but considerable difference in form characteristics. Mortality was highest between ages 1 and 3 years during plantation establishment until tree-to-tree competition began increasing between the...

Twenty-Five Years of Applications of the Modified Allan Variance in Telecommunications.

Science.gov (United States)

Bregni, Stefano

2016-04-01

The Modified Allan Variance (MAVAR) was originally defined in 1981 for measuring frequency stability in precision oscillators. Due to its outstanding accuracy in discriminating power-law noise, it attracted significant interest among telecommunications engineers since the early 1990s, when it was approved as a standard measure in international standards, redressed as Time Variance (TVAR), for specifying the time stability of network synchronization signals and of equipment clocks. A dozen years later, the usage of MAVAR was also introduced for Internet traffic analysis to estimate self-similarity and long-range dependence. Further, in this field, it demonstrated superior accuracy and sensitivity, better than most popular tools already in use. This paper surveys the last 25 years of progress in extending the field of application of the MAVAR in telecommunications. First, the rationale and principles of the MAVAR are briefly summarized. Its adaptation as TVAR for specification of timing stability is presented. The usage of MAVAR/TVAR in telecommunications standards is reviewed. Examples of measurements on real telecommunications equipment clocks are presented, providing an overview on their actual performance in terms of MAVAR. Moreover, applications of MAVAR to network traffic analysis are surveyed. The superior accuracy of MAVAR in estimating long-range dependence is emphasized by highlighting some remarkable practical examples of real network traffic analysis.

Twenty-ninth annual progress report of the Pennsylvania State University Breazeale Nuclear Reactor, July 1, 1983-June 30, 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levine, S.H.; Totenbier, R.E.

1984-07-01

The twenty-ninth annual progress report of the operation of the Pennsylvania State University Breazeale Reactor is submitted in accordance with the requirements of Contract DE-AC02-76ER03409 with the United States Department of Energy. This report also provides the University administration with a summary of the operation of the facility for the past year

Uterine artery embolisation versus hysterectomy for leiomyomas: primary and 2-year follow-up results of a randomised prospective clinical trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruuskanen, Anu; Hippelaeinen, Maritta; Sipola, Petri; Manninen, Hannu

2010-01-01

To compare uterine artery embolisation (UAE) and hysterectomy for the treatment of leiomyomas at 2-year follow-up in a prospective, randomised, single-centre study. Fifty-seven symptomatic patients were randomised to UAE (n = 27) or hysterectomy (n = 30). Complications, recovery, reinterventions and satisfaction with treatment were recorded. Primary endpoint was improvement of symptoms. Analyses were performed by intent-to-treat and per protocol. Two hysterectomy patients (7%) developed major complications. Hospital discharge occurred earlier after UAE than after hysterectomy (p < 0.001). Length of sick leave was longer after hysterectomy than after UAE (p < 0.001). Twenty-two (82%) UAE patients and 28 (93%) hysterectomy patients reported overall relief of symptoms (p = 0.173). In 12/18 (67%) UAE patients menorrhagia was completely resolved or reduced. Improvement of pressure symptoms was reported significantly more by UAE patients than by hysterectomy patients (19/20 [95%] versus 18/26 [69%], respectively; p = 0.029). Five (19%) UAE patients underwent additional interventions due to worsening symptoms. Twenty-four (89%) UAE patients and 29 (97%) hysterectomy patients would have chosen treatment again (p = 0.336). UAE gave relief of symptoms (apart from menorrhagia) comparable to hysterectomy with less severe complications, but with an increased rate of secondary interventions. UAE may be the preferable treatment especially for patients with pressure symptoms. (orig.)

Uterine artery embolisation versus hysterectomy for leiomyomas: primary and 2-year follow-up results of a randomised prospective clinical trial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruuskanen, Anu [Kuopio University Hospital, Department of Clinical Radiology, P.O. Box 1777, Kuopio (Finland); Hippelaeinen, Maritta [Kuopio University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, P.O. Box 1777, Kuopio (Finland); Sipola, Petri; Manninen, Hannu [Kuopio University Hospital, Department of Clinical Radiology, P.O. Box 1777, Kuopio (Finland); University of Eastern Finland, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Clinical Medicine, P.O. Box 1627, Kuopio (Finland)

2010-10-15

To compare uterine artery embolisation (UAE) and hysterectomy for the treatment of leiomyomas at 2-year follow-up in a prospective, randomised, single-centre study. Fifty-seven symptomatic patients were randomised to UAE (n = 27) or hysterectomy (n = 30). Complications, recovery, reinterventions and satisfaction with treatment were recorded. Primary endpoint was improvement of symptoms. Analyses were performed by intent-to-treat and per protocol. Two hysterectomy patients (7%) developed major complications. Hospital discharge occurred earlier after UAE than after hysterectomy (p < 0.001). Length of sick leave was longer after hysterectomy than after UAE (p < 0.001). Twenty-two (82%) UAE patients and 28 (93%) hysterectomy patients reported overall relief of symptoms (p = 0.173). In 12/18 (67%) UAE patients menorrhagia was completely resolved or reduced. Improvement of pressure symptoms was reported significantly more by UAE patients than by hysterectomy patients (19/20 [95%] versus 18/26 [69%], respectively; p = 0.029). Five (19%) UAE patients underwent additional interventions due to worsening symptoms. Twenty-four (89%) UAE patients and 29 (97%) hysterectomy patients would have chosen treatment again (p = 0.336). UAE gave relief of symptoms (apart from menorrhagia) comparable to hysterectomy with less severe complications, but with an increased rate of secondary interventions. UAE may be the preferable treatment especially for patients with pressure symptoms. (orig.)

Twenty-five year outcome of sequential abdominopelvic radiotherapy and alkylating agent chemotherapy for ovarian carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellairs, Ellen E.; Twiggs, Leo B.; Potish, Roger A.

1997-01-01

Purpose: A prospective study of sequential surgery, abdominopelvic radiotherapy and single agent alkylating chemotherapy was conducted to evaluate survival and toxicity in the management of ovarian carcinoma. Methods: From 1970-1976, 95 women with stage I-III epithelial ovarian carcinoma were scheduled to receive postoperative radiotherapy consisting of 20.0 Gy to the whole abdomen (1.0 Gy/day), a 29.75 Gy pelvic boost (1.75 Gy/day) and 10 subsequent courses of Melphalan (1 mg/kg/course). Endpoints were overall survival, disease-free survival(DFS), and acute and chronic toxicity. Results: The evaluable 94 patients included 19 stage I, 25 stage II, and 50 stage III. Of the latter, 21 had no palpable disease postoperatively (IIIN) and 29 had postoperative palpable disease (IIIP). Overall survival at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years was 42%, 30%, 23% and 22%. DFS for the entire group was 54% at 5 years and remained 50% from 10 to 25 years. All but two recurrences were noted within the first 27 months. No recurrence or treatment-related deaths occurred after 8 years. After 10 years, the survival of the study group became parallel to the general population. Prognostic factors were only related to stage (p<.001) and the presence of postoperative palpable disease(p<.001). DFS at 25 years was 95 % for stage I, 71% at 5 years and 66% from 10 to 25 years for stage II, and 17% at 5 years and 11% thereafter for stage III patients(p<.001). Although no stage IIIP patients were cured, 25% lived beyond 2 years. Five year DFS was significantly better in IIIN (45%) vs. IIIP (0%) patients (p<.001). The 65 patients without postoperative palpable disease, (stage I-IIIN) achieved DFS at 5 and 25 years of 69%, and 61%, respectively. Of 31 patients undergoing a second-look surgery, 84% were found to be free of tumor. Two recurred at 3.5 and 7 years after surgery. Acute tolerance was acceptable. Chronic toxicity included an 11.7% rate of small bowel obstruction requiring surgery and a 3% rate of

Collembola at three alpine subarctic sites resistant to twenty years of experimental warming

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Alatalo, J.M.; Jägerbrand, A.K.; Čuchta, Peter

2015-01-01

Roč. 5, December (2015), s. 18161 ISSN 2045-2322 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Collembola * alpine subarctic sites * experimental warming Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 5.228, year: 2015

Earlier activity from XTE J1739-302/IGR J17391-3021 detected by INTEGRAL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chenevez, Jérôme; Beckmann, V.; Kuulkers, E.

2008-01-01

The recently reported outburst from the supergiant fast X-ray transient XTE J1739-302/IGR J17391-3021 (ATEL #1466) began already about five hours earlier than the Swift/BAT trigger on 2008-04-08. The INTEGRAL/JEM-X monitor detected a flare starting at 16:18 (UTC) on the same day during recent Gal...

Effective and Efficient Stand Magnifier Use in Visually Impaired Children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liebrand-Schurink, Joyce; Cox, Ralf F. A.; van Rens, Ger H. M. B.; Cillessen, Antonius H. N.; Meulenbroek, Ruud G. J.; Boonstra, Frouke N.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of magnifier use in children with visual impairment who did not use a low vision aid earlier, in an ecologically valid goal-directed perceptuomotor task. Methods: Participants were twenty-nine 4- to 8-year-old

Conditioning of cooling water in power stations. Feedback from twenty years of experience with acid feeding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goffin, C.; Duvivier, L.; Girasa, E. [LABORELEC, Chemistry of Water (Belgium); Brognez, J. [ELECTRABEL, TIHANGE Nuclear Power Station (Belgium)

2002-07-01

solution is no longer easily justifiable. The research efforts undertaken to better understand and control calcium carbonate precipitation and scale formation have paid off and have resulted in the standardisation of the treatment process and the control procedure of the cooling circuits by ELECTRABEL. The initial experience gained in the fossil power plants of AMERCOEUR (2 x 125 MW units) was finally successfully applied to plants 2 and 3 at TIHANGE. Since then, all of the conventional or combined cycle power plants have adopted the same treatment philosophy. Six units of between 125 and 1000 MW have been treated in this manner, some of them for over twenty years, without showing any signs of scale deposits. It is true that adaptations have had to be made in the control recommendations defined during the pilot trials, in order to allow for the impact of cathodic protections and certain cooling tower fills. (authors)

Conditioning of cooling water in power stations. Feedback from twenty years of experience with acid feeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goffin, C.; Duvivier, L.; Girasa, E.; Brognez, J.

2002-01-01

longer easily justifiable. The research efforts undertaken to better understand and control calcium carbonate precipitation and scale formation have paid off and have resulted in the standardisation of the treatment process and the control procedure of the cooling circuits by ELECTRABEL. The initial experience gained in the fossil power plants of AMERCOEUR (2 x 125 MW units) was finally successfully applied to plants 2 and 3 at TIHANGE. Since then, all of the conventional or combined cycle power plants have adopted the same treatment philosophy. Six units of between 125 and 1000 MW have been treated in this manner, some of them for over twenty years, without showing any signs of scale deposits. It is true that adaptations have had to be made in the control recommendations defined during the pilot trials, in order to allow for the impact of cathodic protections and certain cooling tower fills. (authors)

Twenty years of functional near-infrared spectroscopy: introduction for the special issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Boas, David A; Elwell, Clare E; Ferrari, Marco; Taga, Gentaro

2014-01-15

Papers from four different groups were published in 1993 demonstrating the ability of functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to non-invasively measure hemoglobin concentration responses to brain function in humans. This special issue commemorates the first 20years of fNIRS research. The 9 reviews and 49 contributed papers provide a comprehensive survey of the exciting advances driving the field forward and of the myriad of applications that will benefit from fNIRS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical and radiological evolution of a hand arthrosis in twenty-five years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calonje, Julio H; Botero, Misael; Gersner, Jochen

2004-01-01

The clinical evolution and X rays of an arthrodosis of the hand followed for 25 years is presented. This is a complement of another article published in the magazine, arthrosis viewed by a doctor patient second part. An emphasis is placed on the good results obtained with a new program of exercises. The problems related to the Alignment and instability of the wrist and its collapse are analyzed in depth in both the example X rays as well as the scannography

Cost in medical education: one hundred and twenty years ago.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Kieran

2015-10-01

The first full paper that is dedicated to cost in medical education appears in the BMJ in 1893. This paper "The cost of a medical education" outlines the likely costs associated with undergraduate education at the end of the nineteenth century, and offers guidance to the student on how to make financial planning. Many lessons can be gleaned from the paper about the cost and other aspects of nineteenth century medical education. Cost is viewed almost exclusively from the domain of the male gender. Cost is viewed not just from the perspective of a young man but of a young gentleman. There is a strong implication that medicine is a club and that you have to have money to join the club and then to take part in the club's activities. Cost affects choice of medical school and selection into schools. The paper places great emphasis on the importance of passing exams at their first sitting and progressing through each year in a timely manner-mainly to save costs. The subject of cost is viewed from the perspective of the payer-at this time students and their families. The paper encourages the reader to reflect on what has and has not changed in this field since 1893. Modern medical education is still expensive; its expense deters students; and we have only started to think about how to control costs or how to ensure value. Too much of the cost of medical education continues to burden students and their families.

Twenty-Seven Years Experience With Transvenous Pacemaker Implantation in Children Weighing <10 kg.

Science.gov (United States)

Konta, Laura; Chubb, Mark Henry; Bostock, Julian; Rogers, Jan; Rosenthal, Eric

2016-02-01

Epicardial pacemaker implantation is the favored approach in children weighing pacemaker implantation in neonates and infants from 1987. To date there have been no long-term follow-up reports of what is for many a controversial strategy. Between 1987 and 2003, 37 neonates and infants-median age 6.7 months (1 day to 3 years) and median weight 4.6 kg (2.7-10 kg)-had a permanent transvenous pacing system implanted. Pacing leads were placed into the right ventricular apex/outflow tract through a subclavian vein puncture with a redundant loop in the atrium. Three patients were lost to follow-up, 4 patients died from complications of cardiac surgery, and 2 patients had their system removed. At long-term follow-up in 28 patients at a median of 17.2 (range, 11.2-27.4) years, 10 patients have a single chamber ventricular pacemaker, 14 a dual chamber pacemaker, 3 a biventricular pacemaker, and 1 has a single chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Subclavian vein patency was assessed in 26 patients. The overall subclavian vein occlusion rate was 10 of 13 (77%) 5 kg during long-term follow-up. After a median of 14.3 (range, 13.4-17.6) years of pacing, 7 patients continue with their original lead. Transvenous pacing in infants <10 kg results in encouraging short- and long-term clinical outcomes. Subclavian vein occlusion remains an important complication, occurring predominantly in those weighing <5 kg. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Family history of atrial fibrillation is associated with earlier-onset and more symptomatic atrial fibrillation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gundlund, Anna; Fosbøl, Emil Loldrup; Kim, Sunghee

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: We addressed whether patients with a family history of atrial fibrillation (AF) were diagnosed as having AF earlier in life, were more symptomatic, and had worse outcomes compared with those without a family history of AF. METHODS: Using the ORBIT-AF, we compared symptoms and disease...

SEAPOWER: A GUIDE FOR THE TWENTY- FIRST CENTURY

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abel

$154,37 (amazon.com hardback). With the publication of Seapower: A Guide for the Twenty-First Century. Geoffrey Till has set the standard for publications on all things maritime. The updated and expanded new edition of the book is an essential guide for students of naval history and maritime strategy and provides ...

[Twenty Five Years of Cuadernos de Bioética (1990-2015): Present and Future].

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer Colomer, Modesto; Aranda García, Ana; Pastor, Luis Miguel

2015-01-01

In this article a brief history of the journal ″Cuadernos de Bioética″ is made, a general analysis of the published works in the diverse journal sections is realized. The last changes in it over recent years are also indicated. The article ends with some considerations on the recent history of the magazine and stating some of the lines of improvement that has raised the current editorial board for the next years.

Career Decision Status as a Predictor of Resignation Behavior Five Years Later

Science.gov (United States)

Earl, Joanne K.; Minbashian, Amirali; Sukijjakhamin, Aun; Bright, Jim E. H.

2011-01-01

This paper extends earlier research exploring the relationship between career decision status and work outcomes by examining resignation behavior in a group of new graduates five years after initial appointment. On appointment various measures were collected including career decision status variables. Earlier research identified a significant…

Twenty-one year old female with an iris tumor: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zettinig, G.; Kurtaran, A.; Dudczak, R.; Maca, S.; Barisani, T.; Horvat, R.

2002-01-01

Full text: A 21-year-old female with multiple granulomas an the right iris with concomitant therapy refractive panuveitis was referred to the Department of Ophthalmology to exclude an ocular malignancy. The patient had a history of minimal change glomerulonephritis and cutaneous granulomas at the age of six years that were successfully treated with cyclophosphamide. Her visual acuity initially already reduced to 30 % decreased rapidly to 'counting fingers'. A clinical work-up including chest x-ray, spiral computed tomography of the lungs and a detailed serological examination including angiotensin converting enzyme showed no evidence of infection or neoplasia. Planar scintigraphy 24 hours after administration of 185 MBq Gallium-67 citrate demonstrated an intense tracer accumulation in both lacrimal glands. Salivary gland uptake was normal and there was only a faint accumulation in the mediastinum interpreted as normal. A biopsy of the right iris revealed a granulomatous non caseating inflammation diagnosed as sarcoidosis. A systemic combination treatment with prednisolone and methotrexate for 4 months could not control the inflammation. After therapy was changed to cyclosporine the inflammation decreased and visual acuity decreased to 60 %. Neither a 'lambda sign' (characteristic uptake of Ga-67 in intrathoracic lymph nodes resembling the Greek letter lambda) nor a typical 'panda sign' (bilateral salivary and lacrimal gland uptake of Ga-67) commonly present in sarcoidosis were seen in our patient. This case demonstrates that in individual patients with sarcoidosis, lacrimal gland uptake of Ga-67 may be the only significant noninvasive finding. (author)

Vesico-vaginal fistula repair: experience with first twenty-three ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Vesico-vaginal fistula repair: experience with first twenty-three patients seen at a tertiary hospital in north-central Nigeria. Stephen D. Ngwan, Bassey E. Edem, Ajen S. Anzaku, Barnabas A. Eke, Mohammed A. Shittu, Solomon A. Obekpa ...

Insights of the periodic reviews regarding the physical protection of nuclear power plants designed to earlier standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagemann, A.

2001-01-01

Among other prerequisites for licensing a nuclear activity, the German Atomic Energy Act stipulates that the necessary physical protection against malevolent acts has to be approved before granting a license. This is required for nuclear power plants in paragraph 7 of the Atomic Energy Act. The licenses for nuclear power plants designed to earlier standards were granted about 20 years ago and more. All NPPs are under the supervision of the Supervisory Authority in order to ensure that all conditions of the license are met during the whole plant operation period. The 'Periodic Safety Review', PSR, is designated to provide the Supervisory Authority with additional information on the safety status. One part of the PSR is the 'Deterministic Security Analysis', DSA. The subject of the DSA is the actual physical protection of a NPP. The following document outlines the experiences gained during the evaluation of DSA reports by GRS as an external expert organisation under contract of the Supervisory Authorities. (author)

Insights of the periodic reviews regarding the physical protection of nuclear power plants designed to earlier standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagemann, A. [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, Cologne (Germany)

2001-07-01

Among other prerequisites for licensing a nuclear activity, the German Atomic Energy Act stipulates that the necessary physical protection against malevolent acts has to be approved before granting a license. This is required for nuclear power plants in paragraph 7 of the Atomic Energy Act. The licenses for nuclear power plants designed to earlier standards were granted about 20 years ago and more. All NPPs are under the supervision of the Supervisory Authority in order to ensure that all conditions of the license are met during the whole plant operation period. The 'Periodic Safety Review', PSR, is designated to provide the Supervisory Authority with additional information on the safety status. One part of the PSR is the 'Deterministic Security Analysis', DSA. The subject of the DSA is the actual physical protection of a NPP. The following document outlines the experiences gained during the evaluation of DSA reports by GRS as an external expert organisation under contract of the Supervisory Authorities. (author)

Drinking Level, Drinking Pattern, and Twenty-Year Total Mortality Among Late-Life Drinkers.

Science.gov (United States)

Holahan, Charles J; Schutte, Kathleen K; Brennan, Penny L; Holahan, Carole K; Moos, Rudolf H

2015-07-01

Research on moderate drinking has focused on the average level of drinking. Recently, however, investigators have begun to consider the role of the pattern of drinking, particularly heavy episodic drinking, in mortality. The present study examined the combined roles of average drinking level (moderate vs. high) and drinking pattern (regular vs. heavy episodic) in 20-year total mortality among late-life drinkers. The sample comprised 1,121 adults ages 55-65 years. Alcohol consumption was assessed at baseline, and total mortality was indexed across 20 years. We used multiple logistic regression analyses controlling for a broad set of sociodemographic, behavioral, and health status covariates. Among individuals whose high level of drinking placed them at risk, a heavy episodic drinking pattern did not increase mortality odds compared with a regular drinking pattern. Conversely, among individuals who engage in a moderate level of drinking, prior findings showed that a heavy episodic drinking pattern did increase mortality risk compared with a regular drinking pattern. Correspondingly, a high compared with a moderate drinking level increased mortality risk among individuals maintaining a regular drinking pattern, but not among individuals engaging in a heavy episodic drinking pattern, whose pattern of consumption had already placed them at risk. Findings highlight that low-risk drinking requires that older adults drink low to moderate average levels of alcohol and avoid heavy episodic drinking. Heavy episodic drinking is frequent among late-middle-aged and older adults and needs to be addressed along with average consumption in understanding the health risks of late-life drinkers.

Identified research directions for using manufacturing knowledge earlier in the product lifecycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedberg, Thomas D; Hartman, Nathan W; Rosche, Phil; Fischer, Kevin

2017-01-01

Design for Manufacturing (DFM), especially the use of manufacturing knowledge to support design decisions, has received attention in the academic domain. However, industry practice has not been studied enough to provide solutions that are mature for industry. The current state of the art for DFM is often rule-based functionality within Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems that enforce specific design requirements. That rule-based functionality may or may not dynamically affect geometry definition. And, if rule-based functionality exists in the CAD system, it is typically a customization on a case-by-case basis. Manufacturing knowledge is a phrase with vast meanings, which may include knowledge on the effects of material properties decisions, machine and process capabilities, or understanding the unintended consequences of design decisions on manufacturing. One of the DFM questions to answer is how can manufacturing knowledge, depending on its definition, be used earlier in the product lifecycle to enable a more collaborative development environment? This paper will discuss the results of a workshop on manufacturing knowledge that highlights several research questions needing more study. This paper proposes recommendations for investigating the relationship of manufacturing knowledge with shape, behavior, and context characteristics of product to produce a better understanding of what knowledge is most important. In addition, the proposal includes recommendations for investigating the system-level barriers to reusing manufacturing knowledge and how model-based manufacturing may ease the burden of knowledge sharing. Lastly, the proposal addresses the direction of future research for holistic solutions of using manufacturing knowledge earlier in the product lifecycle.

Ten years Foundation Flora Malesiana twenty-five years of work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lam, H.J.; Leenhouts, P.W.

1960-01-01

As a phylogenist, I have often experienced that a relatively small number of scientifically working botanists realize the importance — or even the existence — of the factor time. It is true that many of them never come across that factor; for a man who through his microscope analyses the structure

Pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone therapy is associated with earlier spermatogenesis compared to combined gonadotropin therapy in patients with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang-Feng Mao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Both pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH infusion and combined gonadotropin therapy (human chorionic gonadotropin and human menopausal gonadotropin [HCG/HMG] are effective to induce spermatogenesis in male patients with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH. However, evidence is lacking as to which treatment strategy is better. This retrospective cohort study included 202 patients with CHH: twenty had received pulsatile GnRH and 182 had received HCG/HMG. Patients had received therapy for at least 12 months. The total follow-up time was 15.6 ± 5.0 months (range: 12-27 months for the GnRH group and 28.7 ± 13.0 months (range: 12-66 months for the HCG/HMG group. The median time to first sperm appearance was 6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-10.4 in the GnRH group versus 18 months (95% CI: 16.4-20.0 in the HCG/HMG group (P 1 × 10 6 ml−1 was 43.7% ± 20.4% (16 samples in the GnRH group versus 43.2% ± 18.1% (153 samples in the HCG/HMG group (P = 0.921. Notably, during follow-up, the GnRH group had lower serum testosterone levels than the HCG/HMG group (8.3 ± 4.6 vs 16.2 ± 8.2 nmol l−1 , P < 0.001. Our study found that pulsatile GnRH therapy was associated with earlier spermatogenesis and larger testicular size compared to combined gonadotropin therapy. Additional prospective randomized studies would be required to confirm these findings.

Irrigation quality of ground water of twenty villages in Lahore district

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.S. Ali

2009-05-01

Full Text Available study was conducted in twenty villages of Lahore district to assess the suitability of ground water for irrigation. Three water samples were collected from each of twenty villages and were analyzed for electrical conductivity (EC, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR, residual sodium carbonate (RSC and chloride concentration. Out of total 60 water samples, 7 (11.7% were fit, 7 (11.7% were marginally fit, and remaining 46 (76.6% were unfit for irrigation. Twenty eight samples (46.6% had electrical conductivity higher than permissible limit (i.e. >1250 µS cm-1, 19 samples (31.6% were found with high SAR (i.e. >10 (m mol L-10. 5, 44 samples (73.3% had high RSC (i.e. >2.5 me L-1 and 10 samples (16.6% were found unfit for irrigation due to high concentration of chloride (i.e. >3.9 me L-1. It can be inferred from data that quality of available ground water in most ofthe villages is not suitable for sustainable crop production and soil health.

Twenty-four-year trends in the incidence of ischemic stroke in Sweden from 1987 to 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosengren, Annika; Giang, Kok Wai; Lappas, Georgios; Jern, Christina; Torén, Kjell; Björck, Lena

2013-09-01

The incidence of stroke in Sweden increased between 1989 and 2000 among people aged ≤65 years, but more recent data on those aged >65 years are lacking. Through the Swedish Hospital Discharge and Cause of Death registries, we identified all cases of nonfatal and fatal ischemic stroke (IS) among people aged 18 to 84 years during 1987-2010 in Sweden. Of the 391 081 stroke cases identified, 1.6% were 18 to 44 years, 16.7% were 45 to 64 years, and 81.7% were 65 to 84 years. Among people aged 18 to 44 years, there was a continuous increase in the incidence of stroke of 1.3% (95% confidence interval, 0.8%-1.8%) per year for men and 1.6% (1.0%-2.3%) per year for women. Among men and women aged 45 to 64 years, slightly declining rates were observed from the late 1990s, with a mean annual decrease of 0.4% (0.1%-0.7%) among men and 0.6% (0.2%-1.0%) among women. Among men aged 65 to 84 years, a decrease of 3.7% in IS (3.4%-4.0%) per year was observed from the late 1990s. This was more marked in women, where an initial decrease of 2.5% (2.1%-2.9%) per year was followed by an accelerated decrease of 5.1% (4.4%-5.8%) after 2005. Mortality from IS decreased markedly in all age groups. The incidence of IS in elderly people in Sweden is now decreasing, whereas the decline in IS incidence in the middle-aged people is much less steep. The increasing incidence of stroke in the young, particularly if carried forward to an older age, is concerning.

Twenty Years of Precise Radial Velocities at Keck and Lick Observatories

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, J. T.

2015-10-01

The precise radial velocity survey at Keck Observatory began over 20 years ago. Its survey of thousands of stars now has the time baseline to be sensitive to planets with decade-long orbits, including Jupiter analogs. I present several newly-finished orbital solutions for long-period giant planets. Although hot Jupiters are generally ``lonely'' (i.e. they are not part of multiplanet systems), those that are not appear to often have giant companions at 5 AU or beyond. I present two of the highest period-ratios among planets in a two-planet system, and some of the longest orbital periods ever measured for exoplanets. In many cases, combining Keck radial velocities from those from other long-term surveys at Lick Observatory, McDonald Observatory, HARPS, and, of course, OHP spectrographs, produces superior orbital fits, constraining both period and eccentricity better than could be possible with any single set alone. Stellar magnetic activity cycles can masquerade as long-period planets. In most cases this effect is very small, but a loud minority of stars, including, apparently, HD 154345, show very strong RV-activity correlations.

Advanced seasonal reproductive development in a male urban bird is reflected in earlier plasma luteinizing hormone rise but not energetic status.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Scott; Behbahaninia, Hirbod; Giraudeau, Mathieu; Meddle, Simone L; Waites, Kyle; Deviche, Pierre

2015-12-01

Urban animals inhabit an environment considerably different than do their non-urban conspecifics, and to persist urban animals must adjust to these novel environments. The timing of seasonal reproductive development (i.e., growth of gonads and secondary sex organs) is a fundamental determinant of the breeding period and is frequently advanced in urban bird populations. However, the underlying mechanism(s) by which birds adjust the timing of reproductive development to urban areas remain(s) largely unknown. Here, we compared the timing of vernal reproductive development in free-ranging urban and non-urban male Abert's Towhees, Melozone aberti, in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, and tested the non-mutually exclusive hypotheses that earlier reproductive development is due to improved energetic status and/or earlier increase in endocrine activity of the reproductive system. We found that urban birds initiated testicular development earlier than non-urban birds, but this disparity was not associated with differences in body condition, fat stores, or innate immune performance. These results provide no support for the hypothesis that energetic constraints are responsible for delayed reproductive development of non-urban relative to urban male Abert's Towhees. Urban birds did, however, increase their plasma luteinizing hormone, but not plasma testosterone, earlier than non-urban birds. These findings suggest that adjustment to urban areas by Abert's Towhees involves increases in the endocrine activity of the anterior pituitary gland and/or hypothalamus earlier than non-urban towhees. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Twenty Five Years of Cognitive Care Education Research: Time for a Revolutionary Change

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Russell; Berry, Jeremy; Cude, Kellie; Anderson, Stephen; Britt, Sanfrena

2018-01-01

This is the third study of Cognitive Care Education in New York State nursing homes using cross-sectional methods over a 25 year period. The data indicate that the Cognitive Care Education increased at statistically significant levels, albeit by evolutionary means. It is now time for "A Revolutionary Change," for Cognitive Care…

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF SCHOLARSHIP ON SECOND LANGUAGE COMPOSING PROCESSES: 1976-2000

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melinda Reichelt

2001-12-01

Full Text Available This work is divided into two sections: (1 an annotated bibliography of full-length, published, (mostly basic research on second language writing and overviews thereof, and (2 an unannotated bibliography of both basic and applied research (mostly unpublished and commentary on second language composing. Both sections have been arranged in chronological order to allow readers to follow the development of scholarship in this area. Entries are listed alphabetically within a given year. While this bibliography is extensive, it is not meant to be exhaustive, and while the focus here is on research, many of the studies included address pedagogical matters in a substantive manner.

Earlier Age of Onset of Chronic Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus After a Hypertensive Disorder of Pregnancy or Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Heida, Karst Y; Franx, Arie; van Rijn, Bas B; Eijkemans, Marinus J C; Boer, Jolanda M A; Verschuren, Monique W M; Oudijk, Martijn A; Bots, Michiel L; van der Schouw, Yvonne T

2015-12-01

A prospective cohort study was conducted to assess the impact of a history of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on the risk and age of onset of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life, independent of hypertension and T2D. Between 1993 and 1997, 22 265 ever-pregnant women were included from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-NL study, aged 20 to 70 years at baseline. Details on complications of pregnancy and known hypertension were obtained by questionnaire. Blood pressure was measured at enrollment. Participants were followed for the occurrence of CVD events. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA, multivariable logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazard (with HDP and GDM as time-dependent variables for T2D and CVD) models. At enrollment, women with a HDP reported diagnosis of hypertension 7.7 years earlier (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.9-8.5) and women with GDM reported diagnosis of T2D 7.7 years earlier (95% CI 5.8-9.6) than women without pregnancy complications. After adjustment for potential confounders, HDP was associated with presence of hypertension at enrollment (odds ratio 2.12, 95% CI 1.98-2.28) and onset of CVD later in life (hazard ratio 1.21, 95% CI 1.10-1.32). After including the intermediates hypertension and T2D in the model, the risk of CVD later in life decreased (hazard ratio 1.09, 95% CI 1.00-1.20). GDM was associated with an increased risk of developing T2D later in life (hazard ratio 3.68, 95% CI 2.77-4.90), but not with risk of CVD. HDP and GDM have a substantial impact on the risk of CVD and are potentially important indicators for preventive cardiovascular risk management. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Retiform hemangioendothelioma developed on the site of an earlier cystic lymphangioma in a six-year-old girl.

Science.gov (United States)

Albertini, Anne-Fore; Brousse, Nicole; Bodemer, Christine; Calonje, Eduardo; Fraitag, Sylvie

2011-10-01

Retiform hemangioendothelioma (RH) is a rare low-grade malignancy angiosarcoma, with a high rate of local recurrence and a low metastatic risk. A 6 year-old girl with a large cervical cystic lymphangioma diagnosed by ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound, which showed a large multiloculated anechoic cyst with no flow. The lymphangioma was treated with injections of Picibanil (OK-432). The tumor regressed, but after a year, she developed a poorly limited infiltrated plaque spreading out regularly over her chest, back, and shoulder. The biopsy showed a poorly limited dermal and subcutaneous vascular proliferation composed of elongated arborising vessels lined with ovoid endothelial cells in a hobnail pattern. In addition, the deep part of the lesion showed typical features of a papillary intralymphatic angioendothelioma pattern (PILA) or Dabska tumor. The endothelial cells strongly expressed podoplanin (D2-40). A diagnosis of RH with focal areas of PILA was reached. The girl died 8 months after surgery of hypovolemic shock in a context of diffuse lymphangiomatosis with pulmonary localization. To our knowledge, RH has hardly ever been described in children. This entity exhibits a continuum with the PILA, sharing not only morphological and immunohistochemical similarities but also its ability to develop in a context of a vascular anomaly, particularly a lymphangioma. The role of Picibanil in the development of this tumor can be discussed.

5 CFR Appendix A to Subpart C of... - Present Value Conversion Factors for Earlier Commencing Date of Annuities of Current and Former...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Present Value Conversion Factors for Earlier Commencing Date of Annuities of Current and Former Spouses of Deceased Separated Employees A...—Present Value Conversion Factors for Earlier Commencing Date of Annuities of Current and Former Spouses of...

Compendium in astronomy a volume dedicated to professor John Xanthakis on the occasion of completing twenty-five years of scientific activities as fellow of the National Academy of Athens

CERN Document Server

Theocaris, Pericles; Mavridis, L

1982-01-01

When we first approached some colleagues allover the world to sound them about a volume dedicated to Professor John Xanthakis on the occasion of completing twenty-five years of scientific activities as fellow of the National Academy of Athens, any possible doubts as to the feasibility of the project were quickly dispelled by their warm and encouraging response. In a short time 50 authors from 15 countries, coming from a wide range of Professor Xanthakis' immediate colleagues, pupils and friends joined to produce the 36 contributions included in this volume. Some of those who where originally approached found themselves un­ able to contribute, because of the time-limit necessarily imposed. Happi­ ly, they were only few in number, and we should like to record our grat­ itude to them for their good wishes for the success of the venture. Their warm words were among the many sources of inspiring encouragement extended to us.

Twenty years of Korea radioisotope association history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-09-01

This contents has two parts. The first part describes the present and post of Korea radioisotope association which are about the foundation of the association, organization, main projects and vision of the association. The second part is about the use and the prospect of radiation and radioisotope in Korea, which shows the plan of expansion of use of radiation and radioisotope, the prospect and present condition in fields such as medical, industry and farming, product and distribution, research and development of human resources, system and management of safety of radiation.

Twenty-five years of maximum-entropy principle

Science.gov (United States)

Kapur, J. N.

1983-04-01

The strengths and weaknesses of the maximum entropy principle (MEP) are examined and some challenging problems that remain outstanding at the end of the first quarter century of the principle are discussed. The original formalism of the MEP is presented and its relationship to statistical mechanics is set forth. The use of MEP for characterizing statistical distributions, in statistical inference, nonlinear spectral analysis, transportation models, population density models, models for brand-switching in marketing and vote-switching in elections is discussed. Its application to finance, insurance, image reconstruction, pattern recognition, operations research and engineering, biology and medicine, and nonparametric density estimation is considered.

UNESCO's twenty years of work for peace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1967-01-01

When UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, celebrated its twentieth anniversary in November, the Agency was happy to join in the congratulations sent from all parts of the world. In this case there were special reasons, since UNESCO was interested in the peaceful development of atomic energy before IAEA was set up, and there have been a number of areas of common interest

Twenty years of the Non-proliferation Treaty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldblat, Jozef.

1990-01-01

The report assesses the achievements of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and discusses ways in which the non-proliferation regime could be strenghtened. It recommends a series of measures to be taken by the parties of the Treaty, both nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states, with a view to reinforcing the Treaty and achieving its universality. 198 refs

Twenty years of ''Nuclear Fusion''. Inertial confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanaka, C.

1980-01-01

Inertial confinement (ICF) fusion research is directed towards demonstrating the feasibility of very rapidly heating and compressing small pellets of suitable fuel until conditions exist where thermonuclear fusion can occur and useful amounts of power can be produced. Major problems which have to be solved are the following: 1) pellet design based on driver-plasma coupling; 2) the technology of energy drivers; 3) feasibility of ICF reactor systems

Twenty Years of Diagnosis and the DSM.

Science.gov (United States)

Seligman, Linda

1999-01-01

The process of diagnosing mental disorders and the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) have been increasingly important for counselors. This article provides information on the hallmarks of this shift. Reviews and discusses the changes form the third and fourth editions of the DSM. Offers predictions as to future…

The Next Twenty Years in Management Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ansoff, H. Igor

1973-01-01

The concern in this article is with the manner in which education serves the managerial needs of organizations. It is the managerial needs of organizations that provide the demand function to educational institutions. Presently, the state of management education lags behind managerial needs, and prospects of closing the gap are doubtful. (41…

Twenty years of an international nuclear laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suschny, O.

1982-01-01

The laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Agency were started in 1959 with a physics laboratory, a chemistry laboratory and an electronics workshop. Early work centred on absolute radionuclide calibrations and on assessments of the consequences of radioactive fallout from atomic weapons testing on the health of the people in Member States. Subsequently, work was started on the use of radioactive and stable isotopes in agriculture, in hydrology, in medical applications, in pest and insect control and with the entry into force of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty a Safeguard Analytical Laboratory was established to provide support for the Agency's safeguards inspection responsibilities. Together with WHO a network of 43 Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories were set up in Member States to improve dosimetric accuracy in medicine and radiation protection worldwide. Throughout their history, the laboratories of the IAEA have lent great importance on their training programmes that have enabled many workers in nuclear or nuclear related research to gain experience. This emphasis on training has been stressed particularly to benefit research workers from developing countries

Twenty years of improvements in LWR safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franks, S. III; Mulkey, J.P.; Moonka, A.

1996-01-01

Substantial improvements have been made in the safety of light-water reactors in the US during the past two decades, making currently operating reactors safer than ever before. Safety improvements have resulted both from regulatory and operational changes and from new knowledge and technology. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the US Department of Energy, and the American nuclear power industry have worked together and with the international community to enhance the safety of existing plants and to incorporate lessons learned from prior operation into designs for a new generation of advanced, inherently safer reactors

Maxillofacial fractures: twenty years of study in the department of maxillofacial surgery in kosovo.

Science.gov (United States)

Loxha, Mergime Prekazi; Sejfija, Osman; Salihu, Sami; Gjinolli, Fellanza; Agani, Zana; Hamiti, Vjosa; Rexhepi, Aida Namani; Gecaj-Gashi, Agreta

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze maxillofacial region fractures during the past 20 years in the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery in Prishtina. We have analyzed the histories of all patients with trauma who were hospitalized in the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery in Prishtina since the opening of the clinic in 1983 through 2005. Narrowing the subject of our research, we concentrated on fractures of the maxillofacial region treated at the Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery for the period 2001-2005. We have analyzed those fractures and compared them with the period from 1983 to 2005 only when it was reasonable. During this period, 1,945 patients were treated for trauma in the maxillofacial region by the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. This group included 19.8% females and 80.2% males. The largest age group were those between 20 and 20 years of age. Causes of trauma for both periods were predominantly traffic accidents; however, during the period 2001-2005, interpersonal conflicts were increasingly the cause of fractures. Interpersonal conflict as a cause of maxillofacial trauma has risen in recent years. With this increase the methods of treating fractures in this region are also changing.

Twenty Years of Basic Vocational Education Provision in Spain: Changes and Trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Marhuenda

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Our contribution attempts to review basic vocational education programmes in Spain over the past 25 years. We intend to compare the evolution of these programmes in terms of conception and conditions of delivery in order to find out how different they are as skill-formation and remedial systems, as well as analysing how different political views have an impact upon such provision. We will focus on the current programmes in two regions in Spain where tourism is the main economic strength and source of employment. The authors have been working on several research projects investigating these issues since the late 1990s and we are currently working on two of them.

Use of metformin earlier in pregnancy predicts supplemental insulin therapy in women with gestational diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

McGrath, Rachel T; Glastras, Sarah J; Hocking, Samantha; Fulcher, Gregory R

2016-06-01

The use of metformin in gestational diabetes is safe and effective, yet some women require additional insulin therapy to achieve glycaemic targets. We found a significant association between earlier gestational age at initiation of metformin therapy and the necessity for supplemental insulin in women treated with metformin during pregnancy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technological sciences society of the twenty-first century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-04-01

This book introduces information-oriented society of the twenty-first century connected to computer network for example memory of dream : F-ram, information-oriented society : New media, communications network for next generation ; ISDN on what is IDSN?, development of information service industry, from office automation to an intelligent building in the future, home shopping and home banking and rock that hinders information-oriented society.

The two faces of selective memory retrieval: Earlier decline of the beneficial than the detrimental effect with older age.

Science.gov (United States)

Aslan, Alp; Schlichting, Andreas; John, Thomas; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

2015-12-01

Recent work with young adults has shown that, depending on study context access, selective memory retrieval can both impair and improve recall of other memories (Bäuml & Samenieh, 2010). Here, we investigated the 2 opposing effects of selective retrieval in older age. In Experiment 1, we examined 64 younger (20-35 years) and 64 older participants (above 60 years), and manipulated study context access using list-method directed forgetting. Whereas both age groups showed a detrimental effect of selective retrieval on to-be-remembered items, only younger but not older adults showed a beneficial effect on to-be-forgotten items. In Experiment 2, we examined 112 participants from a relatively wide age range (40-85 years), and manipulated study context access by varying the retention interval between study and test. Overall, a detrimental effect of selective retrieval arose when the retention interval was relatively short, but a beneficial effect when the retention interval was prolonged. Critically, the size of the beneficial but not the detrimental effect of retrieval decreased with age and this age-related decline was mediated by individuals' working memory capacity, as measured by the complex operation span task. Together, the results suggest an age-related dissociation in retrieval dynamics, indicating an earlier decline of the beneficial than the detrimental effect of selective retrieval with older age. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Twenty-five years of co-management of caribou in northern Québec

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

René Dion

2003-04-01

Full Text Available The Hunting Fishing and Trapping Co-ordinating Committee (HFTCC, created at the signature of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement has been meeting regularly since 1977. Early in the process, it became clear that the perception of the role and powers of the Committee were not commonly shared by the native and non-native members of the Committee. Nevertheless, the Committee has been used primarily as a consultative body for wildlife related issues. Of all the files on which the Committee worked, Caribou management, (including the development of outfitting and commercial hunting for this species has been among one of the most discussed subjects during the meetings. An analysis of important decisions taken and of the process that led to them reveal that very rarely was the Committee able to formulate unanimous resolutions to the Governments concerning caribou management. In fact, only a few unanimous resolutions could be traced and many were ignored. This took place during a period of abundance and growth of the caribou herds. As a result, the Committee has gone through the cycle of growth of the George River Herd without a management plan, without a long term outfitting management plan and for the last 8 years, without a population estimate of the herds. This situation did not prevent the Committee from allocating quotas for a commercial hunt, open a winter sport hunt and to give permanent status to outfitting camps that were once established as mobile camps. It was hoped then that increased harvest would help maintain the population at carrying capacity. This short-term reaction however, never evolved into a more elaborate plan. Of course this must be looked at in the context of the HFTCC having a lot more to worry about than the Caribou. Although all members know of the population cycles of caribou, the decision process that must be triggered, should a crisis occur is not in place. This presently results into a polarization of concerned

[Quality assurance systems and occupational medicine system: an history twenty years along].

Science.gov (United States)

Apostoli, Pietro

2014-01-01

Along the last tventy years, in our country the quality assurance systems and the occupational medicine deeply interacted both in theoretical and practical fields of interest at three levels: (i) the need of preventive and therefore of occupational medicine in quality assurance systems; (ii) the need on reverse of quality in prevention and occupational mnedicine mainly in qualification and updating process; (iii) the evidence, proofs of efficacy or appropriateness of different preventive procedures and occupational physician activities; (iv) the connection with European and national legal directives and with technical or good practice norms. Finally we discuss about the role of occupational physician as the global consultant for enterprise, as a mandatory strategic technical figure in a typical multidisciplinary processes as the implementation of the quality systems.

Book Review: Africa and Europe in the Twenty-First Century ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Title: Africa and Europe in the Twenty-First Century. Author: Osita C. Eze and Amadu Sesay. Publisher: Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, 2010, xvi + 397pp, Tables, Index. ISBN: 978-002-102-7 ...

Cholesteatoma has a high prevalence in Turner syndrome, highlighting the need for earlier diagnosis and the potential benefits of otoscopy training for paediatricians.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, D B N; Gault, E J; Kubba, H; Morrissey, M S C; Wynne, D M; Donaldson, M D C

2014-07-01

Girls with Turner syndrome are prone to cholesteatoma, a serious suppurative middle ear disease. We aimed to confirm its high prevalence in Turner syndrome, identify risk factors and suggest possible strategies for earlier detection. We reviewed 179 girls with Turner syndrome between 1989 and 2012 to identify cases of cholesteatoma. Seven girls (3.9%) had cholesteatoma (index girls) and each was compared with three age-matched girls without cholesteatoma (comparison girls). All the index girls had either the 45,X or 45,X/46X,i(Xq) karyotypes. Nine ears were initially affected, with three recurrences in two girls. Median age at first cholesteatoma presentation was 11.9 years (range: 7.5-15.2), with otorrhoea for three (range: one to seven) months in all 12 affected ears. Index girls had a significantly higher proportion of previous recurrent acute (p = 0.007) and chronic otitis media (p = 0.008), chronic perforation (p = 0.038) aural polyps (p Turner syndrome. Risk factors include 45,X and 46,XiXq karyotypes; a history of chronic otitis media, tympanic membrane retraction and persistent otorrhoea; and older age. Earlier recognition of ear disease is needed and otoscopy training for paediatricians caring for Turner syndrome patients may be beneficial. ©2014 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

China's iGeneration - Cinema and Moving Image Culture for the Twenty-First Century

OpenAIRE

Johnson, Matthew D.; Wagner, Keith B.; Yu, Tianqui; Vulpiani, Luke

2014-01-01

Collection of essays on twenty-first century Chinese cinema and moving image culture. This innovative collection of essays on twenty-first century Chinese cinema and moving image culture features contributions from an international community of scholars, critics, and practitioners. Taken together, their perspectives make a compelling case that the past decade has witnessed a radical transformation of conventional notions of cinema. Following China's accession to the WTO in 2001, personal ...

Guidelines to design engineering education in the twenty-first century for supporting innovative product development

Science.gov (United States)

Violante, Maria Grazia; Vezzetti, Enrico

2017-11-01

In the twenty-first century, meeting our technological challenges demands educational excellence, a skilled populace that is ready for the critical challenges society faces. There is widespread consensus, however, that education systems are failing to adequately prepare all students with the essential twenty-first century knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in life, career, and citizenship. The purpose of this paper is to understand how twenty-first century knowledge and skills can be appropriately embedded in engineering education finalised to innovative product development by using additive manufacturing (AM). The study designs a learning model by which to achieve effective AM education to address the requirements of twenty-first century and to offer students the occasion to experiment with STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts. The study is conducted using the quality function deployment (QFD) methodology.

Utility of Krashen's Five Hypotheses in the Saudi Context of Foreign Language Acquisition/Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Gulzar, Malik Ajmal; Gulnaz, Fahmeeda; Ijaz, Attiya

2014-01-01

In the last twenty years, the paradigm that has dominated the discipline of language teaching is the SLA theory and Krashen's five hypotheses which are still proving flexible to accommodate earlier reforms. This paper reviews second language acquisition (SLA) theory to establish an understanding of its role in the EFL/ESL classrooms. Other areas…

Double Consciousness and the Future of Service-Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Hickmon, Gabrielle

2015-01-01

The author begins this essay by reflecting on an article penned twenty years earlier, "Does Service-Learning Have a Future?" (Zlotkowski, 1995) that called educators to attend seriously to the academic aspects of service-learning (SL), to situate the pedagogy strongly within the academy as a means of legitimizing and expanding the work.…

Twenty years of universal vaccination against hepatitis B in Italy: achievements and challanges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luisa Romano'

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Viral hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccination has proved to be safe and highly effective in reducing the incidence, the carrier rate and HBV-related mortality on a global scale. In Italy, universal vaccination against hepatitis B started in 1991 in infants as well as in adolescents, providing an outstanding record of safety and effectiveness. Within a few years, over 95% coverage was consistently reported. Today, some 17 million people are immune against hepatitis B and their immunity has been shown to be long-lasting. At present, no booster is required in healthy vaccinated people to sustain protection. Surveillance data from Italy have shown a clear overall decline in hepatitis B among successfully vaccinated individuals. Furthermore, a generation of children and young people (at present cohorts ranging from 0 to 32 years is emerging with practically no markers of HBV infection. Italy’s vaccination programme has resulted in substantial progress being made towards the prevention and control of hepatitis B. The vaccination programme must continue. Maintaining mandatory vaccination of infants and increasing HBV vaccination coverage in high-risk groups, including households of HBsAg carriers as well as immigrants, remain a priority for the future.

Can maintaining cognitive function at 65 years old predict successful ageing 6 years later? The PROOF study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Castro-Lionard, Karine; Thomas-Anterion, Catherine; Crawford-Achour, Emilie; Rouch, Isabelle; Trombert-Paviot, Beatrice; Barthelemy, Jean-Claude; Laurent, Bernard; Roche, Frederic; Gonthier, Regis

Methods: nine hundred and seventy-six questionnaires were sent by mail to a sample of healthy and voluntary French pensioners. Successful ageing was defined through health status and well-being. Cognitive abilities had been assessed 6 years earlier according to an objective method (Free and Cued

Indication to Open Anatrophic Nephrolithotomy in the Twenty-First Century: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfredo Maria Bove

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Advances in endourology have greatly reduced indications to open surgery in the treatment of staghorn kidney stones. Nevertheless in our experience, open surgery still represents the treatment of choice in rare cases. Case Report. A 71-year-old morbidly obese female patient complaining about occasional left flank pain, and recurrent cystitis for many years, presented bilateral staghorn kidney stones. Comorbidities were obesity (BMI 36.2, hypertension, type II diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmunary disease (COPD hyperlipidemia. Due to these comorbidities, endoscopic and laparoscopic approaches were not indicated. We offered the patient staged open anatrophic nephrolithotomy. Results. Operative time was 180 minutes. Blood loss was 500 cc. requiring one unit of packed red blood cells. Hospital stay was 7 days. The renal function was unaffected based on preoperative and postoperative serum creatinine levels. Stone-free status of the left kidney was confirmed after surgery with CT scan. Conclusions. Open surgery can represent a valid alterative in the treatment of staghorn kidney stones of very selected cases. A discussion of the current indications in the twenty-first century is presented.

Designing Vaccines for the Twenty-First Century Society

OpenAIRE

Finco, Oretta; Rappuoli, Rino

2014-01-01

The history of vaccination clearly demonstrates that vaccines have been highly successful in preventing infectious diseases, reducing significantly the incidence of childhood diseases and mortality. However, many infections are still not preventable with the currently available vaccines and they represent a major cause of mortality worldwide. In the twenty-first century, the innovation brought by novel technologies in antigen discovery and formulation together with a deeper knowledge of the h...

Twenty years of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPER: Historical and personal perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Matthias; Filardo, Edward J; Lolait, Stephen J; Thomas, Peter; Maggiolini, Marcello; Prossnitz, Eric R

2018-02-01

Estrogens play a critical role in many aspects of physiology, particularly female reproductive function, but also in pathophysiology, and are associated with protection from numerous diseases in premenopausal women. Steroids and the effects of estrogen have been known for ∼90 years, with the first evidence for a receptor for estrogen presented ∼50 years ago. The original ancestral steroid receptor, extending back into evolution more than 500 million years, was likely an estrogen receptor, whereas G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) trace their origins back into history more than one billion years. The classical estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) are ligand-activated transcription factors that confer estrogen sensitivity upon many genes. It was soon apparent that these, or novel receptors may also be responsible for the "rapid"/"non-genomic" membrane-associated effects of estrogen. The identification of an orphan GPCR (GPR30, published in 1996) opened a new field of research with the description in 2000 that GPR30 expression is required for rapid estrogen signaling. In 2005-2006, the field was greatly stimulated by two studies that described the binding of estrogen to GPR30-expressing cell membranes, followed by the identification of a GPR30-selective agonist (that lacked binding and activity towards ERα and ERβ). Renamed GPER (G protein-coupled estrogen receptor) by IUPHAR in 2007, the total number of articles in PubMed related to this receptor recently surpassed 1000. In this article, the authors present personal perspectives on how they became involved in the discovery and/or advancement of GPER research. These areas include non-genomic effects on vascular tone, receptor cloning, molecular and cellular biology, signal transduction mechanisms and pharmacology of GPER, highlighting the roles of GPER and GPER-selective compounds in diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer and the obligatory role of GPER in propagating cardiovascular aging, arterial

Proceedings of the Twenty-Eighth General Assembly Beijing 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Montmerle, Thierry

2015-09-01

Preface; 1. Inaugural ceremony; 2. Twenty-eighth General Assembly business sessions; 3. Closing ceremony; 4. Resolutions; 5. Report of Executive Committee, 2009-2012; 6. Reports on Division, Commission, and Working Group meetings; 7. Statutes, bye-laws, and working rules; 8. New members admitted at the General Assembly; 9. Divisions and their Commissions.

Number of Physics Faculty in Two-Year Colleges: Results from the 2012 Survey of Physics in Two-Year Colleges. Focus On

Science.gov (United States)

White, Susan; Chu, Raymond

2013-01-01

In an earlier report, ("Physics Enrollments in Two-Year Colleges," ED547610), Susan White and Raymond Chu examined physics enrollments--both the number of students and the types of classes taught--at the 1,063 two-year college campuses in the US where they believe physics is offered. This "Focus On" considers the faculty…

Do BRCA1/2 mutation carriers have an earlier onset of natural menopause?

Science.gov (United States)

van Tilborg, Theodora C; Broekmans, Frank J; Pijpe, Anouk; Schrijver, Lieske H; Mooij, Thea M; Oosterwijk, Jan C; Verhoef, Senno; Gómez Garcia, Encarna B; van Zelst-Stams, Wendy A; Adank, Muriel A; van Asperen, Christi J; van Doorn, Helena C; van Os, Theo A; Bos, Anna M; Rookus, Matti A; Ausems, Margreet G

2016-08-01

It has been hypothesized that BRCA1/2 mutation carriers have an earlier age at natural menopause (ANM), although to date findings are inconclusive. This study assessed the influence of BRCA mutation status on ANM, and aimed to explore the reasons of inconsistency in the literature. Cross-sectional assessment from an ongoing nationwide cohort study among members of BRCA1/2 mutated families. Information was obtained by a standardized questionnaire. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed, and Cox regression was used to assess the association between BRCA1/2 mutation status and ANM. Adjustments were made for birth cohort, family, smoking, use of hormonal contraceptives, and parity. A total of 1,208 BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and 2,211 proven noncarriers were included. Overall, no association was found between BRCA1/2 mutation status and ANM (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.06 [95% CI, 0.87-1.30]). We examined if the null finding was due to informative censoring by uptake of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. Indeed, within the oldest birth cohort, in which the percentage of surgical menopause events was lowest and comparable between carriers and noncarriers, the HR for earlier natural menopause in carriers was 1.45 (95% CI, 1.09-1.94). The second oldest birth cohort, however, demonstrated a decreased HR (0.67 [95% CI, 0.46-0.98]), and thus no trend over birth cohorts was found. Various types of selection bias hamper the comparison of ANM between BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and noncarriers, genetically tested in the clinic.

The chemical and biological response of two remote mountain lakes in the Southern Central Alps (Italy to twenty years of changing physical and chemical climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea LAMI

2004-02-01

Full Text Available Two small high mountain lakes in the Alps were monitored in 1984-2003 to follow their response to changes in human impact, such as deposition of atmospheric pollutants, fish stocking and climate change. The results were compared to occasional samplings performed in the 1940s, and to the remains found in sediment cores. When monitoring started, the most acid-sensitive of them, Lake Paione Superiore, was acidified, with evident effects in its flora and fauna: benthic diatoms assemblage was shifted towards acidophilous species, and zooplankton lost the dominant species, Arctodiaptomus alpinus. Palaeolimnological studies outlined that lake acidification paralleled the increasing input of long-range transported industrial pollutants, traced by spherical carbonaceous particles. On the contrary, the biota of Lake Paione Inferiore appeared to be mainly affected by fish stocking. In the last twenty years, decrease in acid load from the atmosphere led to an improvement in lake water quality, with an increase in both pH and alkalinity. First signs of biological recovery were identified, such as change in diatom flora and appearance of sensitive species among benthic insects. However, climate change and episodic deposition of Saharan dust were important driving factors controlling lake water chemistry. Further monitoring to assess the effects of climate change and of the increasing load of nitrogen and other pollutants is recommended.

The Psychological Effects of Unemployment and Unsatisfactory Employment on Young Adults: Findings from a 10-Year Longitudinal Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Winefield, Anthony H; Delfabbro, Paul H; Winefield, Helen R; Duong, David; Malvaso, Catia

2017-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to extend the external validity of an earlier longitudinal study of school leavers by including participants from a representative sample of secondary schools. Questionnaires were administered annually to a sample of South Australian school leavers over a 10-year period. At Time 1 participants were in the last compulsory year of high school aged around 15 years and at Time 10 they were aged around 25 years. Results confirmed those from an earlier longitudinal study showing that the transition from school to satisfactory employment was associated with significant improvements in psychological well-being, whereas transition from school to unemployment or unsatisfactory employment showed no change in psychological well-being. The current findings extended the external validity of the earlier study because whereas participants in the earlier study were sampled from co-educational metropolitan public high schools, the current study included participants from every kind of high school: single sex as well as co-educational, rural as well as metropolitan, and private as well as public.

Critical Remarks on Piketty's 'Capital in the Twenty-first Century'

OpenAIRE

Homburg, Stefan

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the central macroeconomic claims that are made in Thomas Piketty's book 'Capital in the Twenty-first Century'. The paper aims to show that Piketty's contentions are not only logically flawed but also contradicted by his own data.

Twenty-third Semiannual Report of the Commission to the Congress, January 1958. Progress in peaceful uses of atomic energy July - December 1957

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strauss, Lewis L.

1958-01-31

The document represents the twenty-third semiannual Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) report to Congress. The report sums up the major activities and developments in the national atomic energy program covering the period July - December 1957. A special part one of this semiannual report is titled ''Progress in the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy - A 3-year Summary.

Magnetic resonance imaging, radiography, and scintigraphy of the finger joints: one year follow up of patients with early arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

Klarlund, M; Ostergaard, M; Jensen, K; Madsen, J; Skjodt, H; Lorenzen, I; the, T

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVES—To evaluate synovial membrane hypertrophy, tenosynovitis, and erosion development of the 2nd to 5th metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints by magnetic resonance imaging in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or suspected RA followed up for one year. Additionally, to compare the results with radiography, bone scintigraphy, and clinical findings.
PATIENTS AND METHODS—Fifty five patients were examined at baseline, of whom 34 were followed up for one year. Twenty one patients already fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for RA at baseline, five fulfilled the criteria only after one year's follow up, whereas eight maintained the original diagnosis of early unclassified polyarthritis. The following MRI variables were assessed at baseline and one year: synovial membrane hypertrophy score, number of erosions, and tenosynovitis score.
RESULTS—MRI detected progression of erosions earlier and more often than did radiography of the same joints; at baseline the MRI to radiography ratio was 28:4. Erosions were exclusively found in patients with RA at baseline or fulfilling the ACR criteria at one year. At one year follow up, scores of MR synovial membrane hypertrophy, tenosynovitis, and scintigraphic tracer accumulation had not changed significantly from baseline; in contrast, swollen and tender joint counts had declined significantly (pthe changes seen over time in clinically assessed swollen and tender joint counts. Although joint disease activity may be assessed as quiescent by conventional clinical methods, a more detailed evaluation by MRI may show that a pathological condition is still present within the synovium.

 PMID:10873961

Twenty years of high-speed lines in Spain; Zwanzig Jahre Hochgeschwindigkeitsstrecken in Spanien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vega Vega, Tomas [ADIF, Madrid (Spain); Gil Ortiz, Jose Miguel [Balfour Beatty Rail Iberica, Alcobendas (Spain)

2012-07-15

In April 1992, i.e. 20 years ago, fast train services started in Spain when high-speed trains were put into operation on the almost 500 km long Madrid-Cordoba-Sevilla railway line. Both the 1,435 mm UIC standard gauge and the 1 AC 25 kV 50 Hz overhead line voltage level meant a big step in the development. Today the Spanish high-speed network covers some 2,200 km of railway line, and more lines are planned or already under construction. (orig.)

A longitudinal study of grapheme-colour synaesthesia in childhood: 6/7 years to 10/11 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia eSimner

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Grapheme-colour synaesthesia is a condition characterised by enduring and consistent associations between letter/digits and colours. This study is the continuation of longitudinal research begun by Simner, Harrold, Creed, Monro and Foulkes (2009 which aimed to explore the development of this condition in real time within a childhood population. In that earlier study we randomly sampled over 600 children and tested them aged 6/7 years and 7/8 years. We identified the child synaesthetes within that cohort and measured their development over 1 year, in comparison to a group of nonsynaesthetic children with both average and superior memories. We were able to show the beginnings of a developmental progression in which synaesthetic associations (e.g. A = red mature over time from relatively chaotic pairings into a system of fixed consistent associations. In the current study we return to this same population three years later when participants are now 10/11 years. We used the same paired-association memory task to determine the synaesthetic status of our participants and to also establish synaesthetes’ inventories of grapheme-colour associations. We compared their inventories to those from age 6/7 year and 7/8 years to examine how synaesthesia matures over time. Together with earlier findings, our study shows that grapheme-colour synaesthesia emerges with a protracted lineal trajectory, with 34% of letters/digits fixed at age 6/7 years, 48% fixed at 7/8 years and 71% fixed at 10/11 years. We also show several cases where synaesthesia is not developing in the same time-frame as peers, either because it has died out at an older age, or because it was slower to develop than other cases. Our study paints the first picture of the emergence of synaesthesia in real-time over four years within a randomly sampled population of child synaesthetes.

Twenty-year review of medical findings in a Marshallese population accidentally exposed to radioactive fallout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conard, R.A.

1975-01-01

A summary is presented of results of medical examinations of inhabitants of the Marshall Islands during the 20-year period following the exposure of Rongelap people to radioactive fallout in 1954. The initial effect observed was β burns of the skin of some individuals. Few significant findings were observed during the subsequent 9-year period, although an increase in miscarriages and stillbirths among the exposed women was noted. In 1963 some thyroid abnormalities and growth retardation of some children were noted. (177 references)

Guidelines to Design Engineering Education in the Twenty-First Century for Supporting Innovative Product Development

Science.gov (United States)

Violante, Maria Grazia; Vezzetti, Enrico

2017-01-01

In the twenty-first century, meeting our technological challenges demands educational excellence, a skilled populace that is ready for the critical challenges society faces. There is widespread consensus, however, that education systems are failing to adequately prepare all students with the essential twenty-first century knowledge and skills…

Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in very elderly patients

Science.gov (United States)

Cappelleri, Claudia; Janoschka, Alin; Berli, Reto; Kohler, Sibylle; Braun-Dullaeus, Ruediger C.; Heuss, Ludwig T.; Wolfrum, Mathias

2017-01-01

Abstract Elevated blood pressure (BP) is frequently diagnosed in very elderly hospitalized patients. Accurate diagnosis of hypertension is challenging in the hospital environment, due to the “white coat effect,” and both overtreatment and undertreatment can adversely affect clinical outcome. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has the potential to avoid the “white coat effect” and accurately guide the management of hypertension. However, effects of the hospital environment on ABPM are unknown in the very elderly. We set out to enroll 45 patients, age ≥70 years, with elevated conventional BP during hospitalization in this observational study. It was prespecified by protocol to assess initially the difference between 24-hour BP during hospital-admission and home follow-up. Subsequent analysis should investigate the change in anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-A [HADS-A]) after discharge, the correlation with change in 24-hour BP after discharge, and the prevalence of orthostatic hypertension. Thirty-one patients were included in the final analysis (age 83.5 ± 4.4 years; 71% female). Twenty-four-hour BP decreased significantly after hospital discharge (systolic from 133.5 ± 15.6 to 126.2 ± 14.4 mm Hg [millimeter of mercury], P = .008; diastolic from 71.0 ± 9.0 to 68.3 ± 8.6 mm Hg, P = .046). Anxiety level (HADS-A) decreased significantly after discharge, from 7.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 4.0–13.8) to 5.0 (IQR: 4.0–8.0, P = .012). The change in anxiety was a predictor of change in systolic BP after discharge (F[1,20] = 5.9, P = .025). Sixty-one percent of the patients had significant orthostatic hypotension during hospital stay. In conclusion, 24-hour BP in very elderly patients is lower in the home environment than during hospitalization. This phenomenon seems to be directly linked to a lower anxiety-level at home. Reassessing hypertension at home may decrease the

Are cause of subfertility and in vitro fertilization treatment risk factors for an earlier start of menopauze?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Boer, E.J.; den Tonkelaar, I.; Burger, C.W.; van Leeuwen, F.E.

2005-01-01

Objective: To study whether women diagnosed with unexplained subfertility reach the menopause transition and natural menopause earlier than women with tubal subfertility, in an in vitro fertilization (FVF)-treated population, and to examine the influence of the number of FVT cycles on the occurrence

Twenty years of principal-agent research in EU politics: how to cope with complexity?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Delreux, Tom; Adriaensen, J.

2017-01-01

In the 20 years after its introduction, the principal-agent model has seen increasing use to study political processes in virtually all policy domains in which the EU is active. Relaxing the strict assumptions that guided the original economic applications has greatly widened the scope for potential

A Summer at the University: A twenty five years experience with High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Zamorano, Nelson

2014-03-01

After running a summer school for enthusiastic high school students for 25 years, we reached the point where three of my colleagues at the physics department, are exstudents from two physics courses offered (more than ten years ago) within our program. There are also graduates in some others Faculties in different universities. Here we would like to describe the evolution of this project since its beginning, with 60 students in an introductory physics class to the 3000 now attending (January 2014) the around 60 courses offered in almost all areas of knowledge, from theater to Biotechnology. Lately, as we became aware of the relevance of teaching sciences to young kids in elementary school, we started a winter section addressing this group of students. The courses are mainly a hands on experience. In this talk we will comment about our learning experience working on this kind of projects and our projections for the future. Partial travel support from Escuela de Verano.

Twenty Years of Brassinosteroids : Steroidal Plant Hormones Warrant Better Crops for the XXI Century

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khripach, V.; Zhabinskii, V.; Groot, de C.P.G.M.

2000-01-01

The discovery of brassinosteroids (BS) just over 20 years ago opened a new era in studies of bio-regulation in living organisms. Previously, the only known role of steroids as hormones was in animals and fungi; now a steroidal hormone in plants had been added. Progress in brassinosteroid research

Supervoltage orbital radiotherapy for progressive Graves' ophthalmopathy; Results of a twenty-year experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kriss, J.P.; McDougall, I.R. (Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Medical Center, Palo Alto, California (USA)); Petersen, I.A.; Donaldson, S.S. (Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Medical Center, Palo Alto, California (USA))

1989-01-01

Since 1968 we have employed supervoltage orbital radiation as treatment for severe progressive Graves' ophthalmopathy. A numerical ophthalmic index was used to asess pre- and post-treatment serverity. In the past 20 years we have treated 311 patients of whom 275 have been followed for {le} 1 year or until any eye surgery was performed. An orbital radiation dosage of 2000 rads in 2 weeks was used for the majority of patients (Series I and III). Series II patients received an orbital dose of 3000 rads in 3 weeks. Demographic differences were observed between these series, thus mandating presentation of the results of each separately. Analyses excluded any result achieved by any post-radiation surgical procedure on the eyes. Post-theraphy worsening of ophtalmopathy occurred in only 29 of 1025 observations. Improvement or complete resolution was observed within each category of eye involvement, but lack of favorable response was also recorded in significant numbers. Improvement in proptosis occurred with the lowest frequency and magnitude. About 30% of the patients required eye muscle surgery to correct residual diplopia. Analysis of the data by step-wise linear regression analysis enabled us a. to derive formulae predicting the problable response to radiation therapy according to sign and severity, and b. identify parameters which diminished the likelihood or the extent of a favorable response. The latter included male sex, never thyrotoxic, age greater than 60 years, and requirement for concomitant treatment for hyperthyroidism. No long-term adverse reactions attributable to the radiotherapy have been observed. We conclude that supervoltage orbital radiotherapy, combined with later eye muscle surgery if necessary, is an effective treatment strategy for progressive Graves' ophthalmopathy. (author).

Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Software Engineering Workshop

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

The Twenty-third Annual Software Engineering Workshop (SEW) provided 20 presentations designed to further the goals of the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) of the NASA-GSFC. The presentations were selected on their creativity. The sessions which were held on 2-3 of December 1998, centered on the SEL, Experimentation, Inspections, Fault Prediction, Verification and Validation, and Embedded Systems and Safety-Critical Systems.

Nutrition factors predict earlier acquisition of motor and language milestones among young children in Haiti.

Science.gov (United States)

Iannotti, Lora; Jean Louis Dulience, Sherlie; Wolff, Patricia; Cox, Katherine; Lesorogol, Carolyn; Kohl, Patricia

2016-09-01

To examine the nutrition-related factors associated with motor and language development among young children living in a poor urban area of Haiti. Children aged 6-11 months (n = 583) were enrolled and followed monthly for one year. World Health Organization motor developmental milestones and vowel and consonant counts were assessed. Longitudinal regression models were applied to assess the association of anthropometric, dietary intake, infectious disease morbidity and socio-economic and demographic factors on developmental outcomes. At baseline, 9.4% were stunted or length-for-age Z score < -2, and 30.2% were mild-to-moderately stunted or length-for-age Z score < -1. Stunting status was significantly associated with motor and phonetic language acquisition at each time point during infancy. Several nutrition factors significantly predicted earlier achievement of motor and language development outcomes in longitudinal models: child anthropometry; breastfeeding and complementary feeding frequencies; dietary diversity; egg and oil intake; and reduced infectious disease morbidities. Increases in the length-for-age Z score significantly predicted all motor and language outcomes and yielded the best fit models compared to other anthropometric indicators (p < 0.001). Child development interventions may be enhanced by incorporating nutrition strategies such as improved diet quality, breastfeeding promotion and diarrhoeal disease mitigation. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

To achieve an earlier IFN-γ response is not sufficient to control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Vilaplana, Cristina; Prats, Clara; Marzo, Elena; Barril, Carles; Vegué, Marina; Diaz, Jorge; Valls, Joaquim; López, Daniel; Cardona, Pere-Joan

2014-01-01

The temporo-spatial relationship between the three organs (lung, spleen and lymph node) involved during the initial stages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection has been poorly studied. As such, we performed an experimental study to evaluate the bacillary load in each organ after aerosol or intravenous infection and developed a mathematical approach using the data obtained in order to extract conclusions. The results showed that higher bacillary doses result in an earlier IFN-γ response, that a certain bacillary load (BL) needs to be reached to trigger the IFN-γ response, and that control of the BL is not immediate after onset of the IFN-γ response, which might be a consequence of the spatial dimension. This study may have an important impact when it comes to designing new vaccine candidates as it suggests that triggering an earlier IFN-γ response might not guarantee good infection control, and therefore that additional properties should be considered for these candidates.

Proceedings of the Twenty Second Nordic Seminar on Computational Mechanics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book contains the proceedings of the Twenty Second Nordic Seminar on Computational Mechanics (NSCM22), taking event 22-23 October 2009 at Aalborg University, Denmark. The papers presented at the Optimization Seminar in Honour of Niels Olhoff, held 21 October 2009 at Aalborg University, Denmark...

Management of twenty patients with neck trauma in Khartoum ENT ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Neck trauma is a great surgical challenge, because there are multi organ and systems involved. Objective: To study the clinical presentation, management and outcome of twenty patients presented to Khartoum ENT Hospital with neck trauma. Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in Khartoum ENT ...

A Critical Feminist and Race Critique of Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century"

Science.gov (United States)

Moeller, Kathryn

2016-01-01

Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-first Century" documents the foreboding nature of rising wealth inequality in the twenty-first century. In an effort to promote a more just and democratic global society and rein in the unfettered accumulation of wealth by the few, Piketty calls for a global progressive annual tax on corporate…

Twenty years of the Chernobyl accident: Results and problems in eliminating its consequences in Russia 1986-2006. Russian national report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerasimova, N.V.; Marchenko, T.A.; Shoigu, S.K.; Bolshov, L.A.

2006-01-01

Twenty years after the Chernobyl accident, above 1.5 million people in 14 subjects of the Russian Federation continue to live in the area of radioactive contamination. More than 180,000 of the Russians were affected by radiation, when participating in elimination of the accident and its consequences. Since the first days of the accident, the public health service faced a task to develop and implement the measures on minimization of medical effects of the accident and public provision with medical assistance, including the employees of the nuclear power plant and the participants in mitigation of the accident. The health of the liquidators and the public living in the contaminated areas is the most socially significant issue being solved in the process of elimination of the Chernobyl consequences. Radiological effects have been the focus of attention for the overall 20-year period. The radiation protection system was based on performance of the two conditions, namely: absolute prevention of acute (deterministic) effects and reduction in the risk of remote (stochastic) effects to acceptable (justified) levels. As early as in 1986, a decision was made to create the unified system of medical observation for the individuals affected by radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident. The Russian State Medical and Dosimetry Register (RSMDR) was established on the basis of the Medical Radiological Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. The two most suffered public groups were defined as a result of research activity of the Register. These are the children (at the moment of the accident) living in the highly contaminated areas and the liquidators who have obtained the exposure dose above 150 mGy. According to the Register's data, 122 cases (54%) out of 226 thyroid cancers revealed during the years 1991-2003 among the children (at the moment of the Chernobyl catastrophe) from the Bryansk region can be considered as radiation-stipulated. Hygienic

A longitudinal study of grapheme-color synesthesia in childhood: 6/7 years to 10/11 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Simner, Julia; Bain, Angela E

2013-01-01

Grapheme-color synesthesia is a condition characterized by enduring and consistent associations between letter/digits and colors. This study is the continuation of longitudinal research begun by Simner et al. (2009) which aimed to explore the development of this condition in real time within a childhood population. In that earlier study we randomly sampled over 600 children and tested them aged 6/7 and 7/8 years. We identified the child synesthetes within that cohort and measured their development over 1 year, in comparison to a group of non-synesthetic children with both average and superior memories. We were able to show the beginnings of a developmental progression in which synesthetic associations (e.g., A = red) mature over time from relatively chaotic pairings into a system of fixed consistent associations. In the current study we return to this same population three years later when participants are now 10/11 years. We used the same paired-association memory task to determine the synesthetic status of our participants and to also establish synesthetes' inventories of grapheme-color associations. We compared their inventories to those from age 6/7 and 7/8 years to examine how synesthesia matures over time. Together with earlier findings, our study shows that grapheme-color synesthesia emerges with a protracted trajectory, with 34% of letters/digits fixed at age 6/7 years, 48% fixed at 7/8 years and 71% fixed at 10/11 years. We also show several cases where synesthesia is not developing in the same time-frame as peers, either because it has died out at an older age, or because it was slower to develop than other cases. Our study paints the first picture of the emergence of synesthesia in real-time over four years within a randomly sampled population of child synesthetes.

Twenty-years of splenic preservation at a level 1 pediatric trauma center.

Science.gov (United States)

Bairdain, Sigrid; Litman, Heather J; Troy, Michael; McMahon, Maria; Almodovar, Heidi; Zurakowski, David; Mooney, David P

2015-05-01

Splenic preservation is the standard of care for hemodynamically stable children with splenic injuries. We report a 20-year single-institutional series of children with splenic injuries managed without a splenectomy. Children evaluated and treated for blunt splenic injury at Boston Children's Hospital from 1994 to 2014 were extracted from the trauma registry. Demographics, clinical characteristics, complications, and outcomes were reviewed. Three time-periods were evaluated based upon the development and modification of splenic injury clinical pathway guidelines (CPGs). Survival was defined as being discharged from the hospital alive. 502 suffered isolated splenic injuries. The median AAST grade of splenic injury increased across the three CPG time periods (psplenic-injury related mortalities occurred. Hospital length of stay decreased significantly secondary to splenic injury CPGs (psplenic injury, no patient died or underwent splenectomy. Hospital length of stay decreased across time, despite an increase in the severity of splenic injuries encountered. Splenectomy has become so unusual in the management of hemodynamically stable children with a splenic injury that it may no longer be a legitimate outcome marker. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Twenty-first century learning for teachers: helping educators bring new skills into the classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, John I

2006-01-01

The motivation behind every educator's dedication and hard work in the classroom is the knowledge that his or her teaching will result in students' success in life. Educators are committed to implementing twenty-first century skills; they have no question that students need such skills to be equipped for life beyond school. Members of the National Education Association are enthusiastic about the Partnership for 21st Century Skills framework, yet express frustration that many schools do not have adequate resources to make the necessary changes. Teaching these skills poses significant new responsibilities for schools and educators. To make it possible for teachers to build twenty-first century skills into the curriculum, physical and policy infrastructures must exist, professional development and curriculum materials must be offered, and meaningful assessments must be available. With an established understanding of what skills need to be infused into the classroom-problem solving, analysis, and com- munications-and educators' commitment to the new skill set, this chapter explores how to make such a dramatic reform happen. The author discusses existing strategies that will guide educators in infusing twenty-first century skills into traditional content areas such as math, English, geography, and science. Ultimately, public policy regarding educational standards, professional development, assessments, and physical school structures must exist to enable educators to employ twenty-first century skills, leading to student success in contemporary life. Any concern about the cost of bringing this nation's educational system up to par internationally should be offset by the price that not making twenty-first century skills a priority in the classroom will have on future economic well-being.

The fate of stranded oil at the BIOS site twenty years after the experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owens, E.H.; Sergy, G.A.; Prince, R.C.

2002-01-01

As part of the 1981 Baffin Island Oil Spill (BIOS) Project, 15 cubic metres of aged crude oil was released onto the shores of an experimental beach at Cape Hatt, northern Baffin Island, Canada. The oil was left to weather naturally and the distribution, quantity and character of the oil was monitored over time. The experiment provided a unique opportunity to study and sample oil as it weathers over a 20 year period in a low-energy, arctic environment. Over the 20 years of the study, the oil was exposed to weathering processes for about 40 months during ice-free periods. While most of the stranded oil was removed in the first few months of open water immediately following the experiment, some small surface patches still persist. It was noted that there has been very little change in the distribution or in the physical condition of the oil patches between 1993 and 2001. Geochemical analysis reveals that some samples are unaltered despite more than 20 years of exposure to elements. Other samples indicate that biodegradation and photo-oxidation play a major role in removing most of the components of the oil in this low-energy arctic environment. Some highly biodegraded samples had less than 87 per cent of the original hydrocarbons. The study revealed that there are 4 stages in the evolution of the stranded oil: (1) initial rapid refloating of oil during the first 24 to 48 hours in 1981, (2) period of relative stability up to the formation of an asphalt pavement within 4 open-water months, (3) degradation of an asphalt pavement in the upper intertidal zone over a 10-month open-water period from August 1983 to August 1989, and (4) disintegration of the pavement after 1989 and before August 1991, with soft interstitial surface oil still present in 2001. 21 refs., 1 tab., 1 fig

Twenty-five years of biomonitoring lead in the Frankfurt/Main area.

Science.gov (United States)

Ballach, Hans-Joachim; Wittig, Rüdiger; Wulff, Svenja

2002-01-01

The present study is an example of the historical monitoring of heavy metals. The specific question it aims to explore is: to what extent has the lead content of selected organisms used for biomonitoring in Frankfurt/Main--one of the cities in Germany most heavily affected by automobile traffic--changed as a result of legislation on leaded gasoline? Data on the lead content of the moss species Bryum argenteum Hedw. from the years 1974, 1975 and 1978 and data on the lead content of the outer bark of the ash species Fraxinus excelsior L. from 1973 served as the basis for the repeated measurements. Remeasurement was successful in 76.5% (i.e. 124 trees at 26 growth sites). The study produced the following results: As was expected, the lead content of the short-term accumulator Bryum argenteum Hedw. was distinctly lowered with a decreasing particulate lead concentration. However, the reduction factor varied greatly between the different growth sites. On the other hand, the lead content measured in the outer bark layers of Fraxinus excelsior L. has risen markedly during the past two decades. Whereas in 1973 nearly all trees examined displayed very low concentrations of lead (225 ppm). Various factors have to be taken into account to explain this increase. First of all, bark is a long-term accumulator for heavy metals like lead and its enrichment capacity could have increased as the surface becomes rougher over time. Furthermore, lead is most probably leached out of the bark to a lesser degree now than in the 1970s, owing to the reduced concentration of sulphuric acid in the rain. The dramatic growth of automobile traffic in the Frankfurt/Main area during the period covered by the study undoubtedly plays an important role as well.

The conundrum of religious schools in twenty-first-century Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Merry, M.S.

2015-01-01

In this paper Merry examines in detail the continued - and curious - popularity of religious schools in an otherwise ‘secular’ twenty-first century Europe. To do this he considers a number of motivations underwriting the decision to place one's child in a religious school and delineates what are

Cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index values in 9-year-old rural Norwegian children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Resaland, G K; Mamen, A; Anderssen, S A

2009-01-01

AIM: To describe cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index (BMI) values in a representative population of 9-year-old Norwegian children in two rural communities and compare present values with previous findings. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-nine 9-year-old children were invited, and 256......, children's BMI values seem to have increased substantially. This increase is most pronounced in girls. When assessing these differences using the PI, this increase is less marked. Comparing maximal oxygen uptake data with that in earlier Nordic studies, there is no evidence that fitness has declined among...... 9-year olds. However, the limitations of the few earlier studies make reliable comparisons difficult....

Testicular prostheses in children: Is earlier better?

Science.gov (United States)

Peycelon, M; Rossignol, G; Muller, C O; Carricaburu, E; Philippe-Chomette, P; Paye-Jaouen, A; El Ghoneimi, A

2016-08-01

The absence of a testis occurs for various reasons in children, but testicular prosthesis implantation in children is uncommon. The optimal time for prosthesis placement is still unclear, and its complication rate has been poorly studied in children. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of complications in cases of testicular prosthesis implantation in children. A monocentric, retrospective review was performed of children implanted with a testicular prosthesis between 2008 and 2014. All implantations were performed through an inguinal incision with a standardized procedure. Children were divided into two groups depending on the interval after orchiectomy: (A) early implantation (delay between surgeries prosthesis implantation at the mean age of 14.7 years (range 9-18) (A, 14.3; B, 14.6) with a mean delay of 36.1 months (A, 1.3; B, 80.3). Indications were mainly spermatic cord torsion (27%), bilateral anorchia (27%), and testicular atrophy after cryptorchidism surgery (19.2%). Complications (10.5%) included two cases of extrusion, one infection and one migration. Patient 1 had a history of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with testicle relapse 2 years after induction therapy. High-dose chemotherapy, total body irradiation and bilateral orchiectomies were performed, and bilateral prostheses were implanted 12 years after the end of chemotherapy. Complications happened 85 days after surgery. Patient 2 was followed-up for a proximal hypospadias. The tunica vaginalis flap, which was used during a redo urethroplasty, lead to testicular atrophy. Thirteen years after the last penile surgery, a testicular prosthesis was placed through an inguinal incision, and extrusion occurred 203 days after surgery. Bacterial cultures of the prostheses were sterile and histological review showed no sign of granuloma or graft rejection. The complication rate was significantly higher if the delay between the two surgeries exceeded 1 year (P = 0.01). Indications of

KEK Engineering Department activity report. Fiscal year 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuyama, Yoshitaka; Takenaka, Tateru; Kobayashi, Yoshiharu; Ikeda, Mitsuo; Satoh, Setsuo; Tanaka, Nobuaki (eds.)

2002-02-01

As Engineering Department of KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization) was established on April, 1977, it will be the twenty-five memorial day on March, 2002. Among them, KEK published a number of research results in Japan and foreign countries, to develop as an academic research institute with international scale on both quality and quantity. On a memorial twenty-five years, here was published an engineering department activity report for indicator of further development. It contains prize of engineering, engineering exchange meetings, seminars, co-operational research and development projects, symposiums, specialty trainings, foreign language trainings, and so on. (G.K.)

A Hepatocellular Carcinoma Case in a Patient Who had Immunity to Hepatitis B Virus Earlier.

Science.gov (United States)

Ates, Ihsan; Kaplan, Mustafa; Demirci, Selim; Altiparmak, Emin

2016-01-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the liver. Hepatitis B virus infection is one of the most important etilogical factors of HCC. In this case report, a patient with HCC previously infected and having ongoing immunity against hepatitis B virus will be discussed. Ates I, Kaplan M, Demirci S, Altiparmak E. A Hepatocellular Carcinoma Case in a Patient Who had Immunity to Hepatitis B Virus Earlier. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2016;6(1):82-83.

COMPLICATIONS OF NON-ENDOSCOPIC DISCECTOMY: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF TWENTY-ONE YEARS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Felipe Ramírez León

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To report and compare the number and grade of major complications presented with non-endoscopic thermal discectomy and nucleoplasty for the treatment of discogenic axial lumbar pain using laser and radiofrequency. Methods: A 21 years retrospective study was conducted of the clinical charts of patients whose reason for consultation was axial lumbar pain from degenerative disc disease, and who underwent surgery using non-endoscopic discectomy and nucleoplasty (NEDN. Two groups were established; the first, NEDN with laser, and second, NEDN with radiofrequency. The number and types of complications reported in the case-series were counted, and their statistical differences determined. Results: The inclusion criteria were fulfilled by 643 of the medical charts. 26 complications were reported, the most common being radiculitis (n=12. Statistically significant differences were found between the complications occurring in the two groups (p=0.01. Conclusion: The number of complications showed statistically significant difference. The severity of the complications and adverse outcomes provide an argument for choosing one technology over the other. Training and the learning curve stage are important factors to be taken into account, to avoid complications.

Safety and immune response to a challenge dose of hepatitis B vaccine in healthy children primed 10years earlier with hexavalent vaccines in a 3, 5, 11-month schedule: An open-label, controlled, multicentre trial in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanetti, Alessandro; Desole, Maria Giuseppina; Romanò, Luisa; d'Alessandro, Antonio; Conversano, Michele; Ferrera, Giuseppe; Panico, Maria Grazia; Tomasi, Alberto; Zoppi, Giorgio; Zuliani, Massimo; Thomas, Stéphane; Soubeyrand, Benoît; Eymin, Cécile; Lockhart, Stephen

2017-07-13

The strategy of vaccinating infants to prevent hepatitis B virus infection in adolescence or adulthood requires durable immunity. This study investigated responses to a challenge dose of monovalent hepatitis B vaccine in children primed with three doses of either Hexavac® or Infanrix hexa® 10years earlier during infancy. This open-label, controlled, multicentre study conducted in Italy, enrolled 751 healthy pre-adolescents (aged 11-13years) who were given either Hexavac (n=409) or Infanrix hexa (n=342) at 3, 5 and 11months of life. All participants received a challenge dose of a monovalent hepatitis B vaccine (HBVaxPro® 5µg). The concentrations of antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) were measured before and 1month after the challenge dose. The analysis was descriptive and no formal hypothesis was tested. One month post-challenge, 331 participants in the Hexavac cohort [83.6%, 95% CI: 79.6; 87.1] and 324 in the Infanrix hexa cohort [96.4%, 95% CI: 93.8; 98.1] had anti-HBs concentrations ≥10mIU/mL. Before the challenge dose, an anti-HBs concentration of ≥10mIU/mL was found in 94 children in the Hexavac cohort [23.9%, 95% CI: 19.7; 28.4] and in 232 children in the Infanrix hexa cohort [69%, 95% CI: 63.8; 74.0]. Among children with a pre-challenge anti-HBs concentration of children (>80%) at least 10years after a two-dose primary and booster vaccination schedule with a hexavalent vaccine (Hexavac or Infanrix hexa). EudraCT Number: 2013-001602-28; clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02012998. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Earlier the Better? Taking the AP® in 10th Grade. Research Report No. 2012-10

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Awilda; McKillip, Mary E. M.; Niu, Sunny X.

2013-01-01

In this report, the authors examine the impact of scoring a 1 or 2 on an AP® Exam in 10th grade on later AP Exam participation and performance. As access to AP courses increases within and across schools, a growing number of students are taking AP courses and exams in the earlier grades of high school. Using a matched sample of AP and no-AP…

Improving the temporal transposability of lumped hydrological models on twenty diversified U.S. watersheds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Seiller

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Study region: Twenty diversified U.S. watersheds. Study focus: Identifying optimal parameter sets for hydrological modeling on a specific catchment remains an important challenge for numerous applied and research projects. This is particularly the case when working under contrasted climate conditions that question the temporal transposability of the parameters. Methodologies exist, mainly based on Differential Split Sample Tests, to examine this concern. This work assesses the improved temporal transposability of a multimodel implementation, based on twenty dissimilar lumped conceptual structures and on twenty U.S. watersheds, over the performance of the individual models. New hydrological insights for the region: Individual and collective temporal transposabilities are analyzed and compared on the twenty studied watersheds. Results show that individual models performances on contrasted climate conditions are very dissimilar depending on test period and watershed, without the possibility to identify a best solution in all circumstances. They also confirm that performance and robustness are clearly enhanced using an ensemble of rainfall-runoff models instead of individual ones. The use of (calibrated weight averaged multimodels further improves temporal transposability over simple averaged ensemble, in most instances, confirming added-value of this approach but also the need to evaluate how individual models compensate each other errors. Keywords: Rainfall-runoff modeling, Multimodel approach, Differential Split Sample Test, Deterministic combination, Outputs averaging

The «Group of Twenty», IMF and EU and Reforming of Global Governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgeniy J. Il'in

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to the process of reforming the global financial system and world economic organizations since the foundation of the International Monetary Fund at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 to present time. Special attention is given to results of cooperation of the IMF and the "Group of Twenty"in the context of the world financial crisis 2008-2009. This article mentions the key benchmarks of the historical development of world economy: foundation of the Bretton Woods financial system, rejection of the gold standard at the Jamaica Conference, transition to the floating exchange rates, the wave of crises in the 1990-s, the world financial crisis of 2008-2009. The process of evolution of the IMF within the framework of these global events is considered here. The cooperation of EU, IMF and "Group of Twenty" is considered. The reforms of the IMF and their results are analyzed. The policy of the IMF at different historical stages of its evolution is estimated. As well as it results, the article also deals with the formation and development of the "Group of Twenty". The increasing role of the "Group of Twenty" in the global economic governance and reforming the IMF is considered. Especially is marked the necessity of the further reforms of the IMF and increasing of participation of the "G-20" in the world economic and politic system.

Proceedings of the twenty-first LAMPF users group meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-04-01

The Twenty-First Annual LAMPF Users Group Meeting was held November 9-10, 1987, at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility. The program included a number of invited talks on various aspects of nuclear and particle physics as well as status reports on LAMPF and discussions of upgrade options. The LAMPF working groups met and discussed plans for the secondary beam lines, experimental programs, and computing facilities

Proceedings of the twenty-second LAMPF users groupd meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinuzzi, R.

1989-04-01

The Twenty-Second Annual LAMPF Users Group Meeting was held October 17--18, 1988, at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility. The program included a number of invited talks on various aspects of nuclear and particle physics as well as status reports on LAMPF and discussions of upgrade options. The LAMPF working groups met and discussed plans for the secondary beam lines, experimental programs, and computing facilities

NATO’s Relevance in the Twenty-First Century

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-22

reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching...5d. PROJECT NUMBER Colonel John K. Jones 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES...Christopher Coker, Globalisation and Insecurity in the Twenty-first Century: NATO and the Management of Risk (The International Institute for Strategic

Physical Activity and Personality Development over Twenty Years: Evidence from Three Longitudinal Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Yannick; Sutin, Angelina R; Luchetti, Martina; Bosselut, Grégoire; Terracciano, Antonio

2018-04-01

A physically inactive lifestyle is associated with maladaptive patterns of personality development over relatively short follow-up periods. The present study extends existing research by examining whether this association persists over 20 years. Participants (total N = 8,723) were drawn from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduates and Siblings samples and the Midlife in the United States Study. Controlling for demographic factors and disease burden, baseline physical inactivity was related to steeper declines in conscientiousness in all three samples and a meta-analysis (β=-.06). The meta-analysis further showed that lower physical activity was associated with declines in openness (β=-.05), extraversion (β=-.03), and agreeableness (β=-.03). These findings provide evidence that a physically inactive lifestyle is associated with long-term detrimental personality trajectories.

10 years of SIN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1984-11-15

The Schweizerisches Institut fur Nuklearforschung (Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research, or SIN) proudly celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year. Welcoming the audience at a reception on 22 June, Swiss Federal Councillor Alphons Egli recalled that only about one human lifetime ago was it demonstrated that the atom, despite its name (from the Greek for indivisible), could in fact be split. Since then, questions arising from this discovery have continued to fascinate research workers all over the world.

10 years of SIN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1984-01-01

The Schweizerisches Institut fur Nuklearforschung (Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research, or SIN) proudly celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year. Welcoming the audience at a reception on 22 June, Swiss Federal Councillor Alphons Egli recalled that only about one human lifetime ago was it demonstrated that the atom, despite its name (from the Greek for indivisible), could in fact be split. Since then, questions arising from this discovery have continued to fascinate research workers all over the world

Twenty-first century learning in schools: A case study of New Technology High School in Napa, California.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearlman, Bob

2006-01-01

The most pertinent question concerning teaching and learning in the twenty-first century is not what knowledge and skills students need--that laundry list was identified over a decade ago--but rather how to foster twenty-first century learning. What curricula, experiences, assessments, environments, and technology best support twenty-first century learning? New Technology High School (NTHS) in Napa, California, is one example of a successful twenty-first century school. In this chapter, the author describes the components of this exemplary high school, illustrating an environment that will cultivate twenty-first century student learning. New Technology High School began by defining eight learning outcomes, aligned with the standards of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills; to graduate, students demonstrate mastery of these outcomes through an online portfolio. To help students achieve the outcomes, NTHS employs project- and problem-based learning. Whereas in traditional classrooms students work alone on short-term assignments that do not lend themselves to deep understanding, the project-based learning approach has students working in teams on long-term, in-depth, rigorous projects. Students' work is supported by the school's workplace-like environment and effectiv use of technology. Meaningful assessment is essential to project-based learning; students receive continuous feedback, helping them become self-directed learners. In fact, NTHS uses outcome-based grading through which students constantly know how they are performing on the twenty-first century outcomes. Research has shown that NTHS graduates are better prepared for postsecondary education, careers, and citizenship than their peers from other schools. To facilitate twenty-first century learning, all schools need to rethink their approach to teaching and learning. New Technology High School is one way to do so.

Twenty years of electroconvulsive therapy in a psychiatric unit at a university general hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amilton dos Santos Jr.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To describe the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients who underwent electroconvulsive therapy (ECT at a university general hospital. Method: In this retrospective study, records from all patients undergoing ECT between January 1988 and January 2008 at the psychiatric unit of the general hospital of Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP were reviewed. Telephone contact was made with patients/relatives to collect follow-up data. Results: A total of 200 charts were reviewed. The majority of patients were women, with a mean age of 39 years, and history of psychiatric hospitalization. The main indications for ECT were depression and catatonia. Complications were observed in less than half of the cases, and most were temporary and not severe. There was a good psychiatric outcome for 89.7% of the patients, especially for catatonic patients (100%, p = 0.02. Thirty-four percent of the cases were later contacted by telephone calls, at a mean of 8.5 years between the procedure and the contact. Among these, three (1.5% reported persistent memory disorders and 73% considered ECT a good treatment. Conclusion: ECT has been performed according to international guidelines. In the vast majority of cases, undesirable effects were temporary and not severe. Response to ECT was positive in most cases, particularly in catatonic patients.

Humanities: The Unexpected Success Story of the Twenty-First Century

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Virginia

2012-01-01

Humanities within universities faced challenges in the latter half of the twentieth century as their value in the modern world was questioned. This paper argues that there is strong potential for the humanities to thrive in the twenty-first century university sector. It outlines some of the managerial implications necessary to ensure that this…

Accelerators for the twenty-first century a review

CERN Document Server

Wilson, Edmund J N

1990-01-01

The development of the synchrotron, and later the storage ring, was based upon the electrical technology at the turn of this century, aided by the microwave radar techniques of World War II. This method of acceleration seems to have reached its limit. Even superconductivity is not likely to lead to devices that will satisfy physics needs into the twenty-first century. Unless a new principle for accelerating elementary particles is discovered soon, it is difficult to imagine that high-energy physics will continue to reach out to higher energies and luminosities.

Natural selection for earlier male arrival to breeding grounds through direct and indirect effects in a migratory songbird

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Velmala, William; Helle, Samuli; Ahola, Markus P.; Klaassen, M.R.J.; Lehikoinen, Esa; Rainio, Kalle; Sirkia, Paivi M.; Laaksonen, Toni

2015-01-01

For migratory birds, the earlier arrival of males to breeding grounds is often expected to have fitness benefits. However, the selection differential on male arrival time has rarely been decomposed into the direct effect of male arrival and potential indirect effects through female traits. We

Twenty-three-year trend in firearm deaths in the Transkei subregion of South Africa (1993-2015).

Science.gov (United States)

Meel, Banwari

2018-04-01

Background Firearm-related deaths are a serious public-health problem in South Africa, which has the second-highest rate of firearm-related deaths in the world. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the trend in firearm deaths in the Transkei subregion of South Africa. Method An autopsy record review study was conducted at the Forensic Pathology Laboratory at Mthatha over a period of 23 years (1993-2015). Results Over a 23-year period (1993-2015), 27,036 autopsies were performed at the Mthatha Forensic Pathology Laboratory on people who had died from unnatural causes. Of these, 3935 (14.2%) deaths were related to firearm injuries. The average gunshot death rate during the study period was 29/100,000 of the population annually. The majority (3236; 82%) were males, among whom the death rate was 24.4/100,000 of the population per year. The rate of gunshot deaths was 27/100,000 of the population in 1993, while in 2015 it was 12.8/100,000. About a third (1207; 31%) of victims were between 21 and 30 years of age. Conclusion The gunshot death rate is at an unacceptably high level in the Transkei subregion of South Africa, especially among young people.

Twenty Years of Progress on Global Ocean Tides: The Impact of Satellite Altimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Egbert, Gary; Ray, Richard

2012-01-01

At the dawn of the era of high-precision altimetry, before the launch of TOPEX/Poseidon, ocean tides were properly viewed as a source of noise--tidal variations in ocean height would represent a very substantial fraction of what the altimeter measures, and would have to be accurately predicted and subtracted if altimetry were to achieve its potential for ocean and climate studies. But to the extent that the altimetry could be severely contaminated by tides, it also represented an unprecedented global-scale tidal data set. These new data, together with research stimulated by the need for accurate tidal corrections, led to a renaissance in tidal studies in the oceanographic community. In this paper we review contributions of altimetry to tidal science over the past 20 years, emphasizing recent progress. Mapping of tides has now been extended from the early focus on major constituents in the open ocean to include minor constituents, (e.g., long-period tides; non-linear tides in shelf waters, and in the open ocean), and into shallow and coastal waters. Global and spatially local estimates of tidal energy balance have been refined, and the role of internal tide conversion in dissipating barotropic tidal energy is now well established through modeling, altimetry, and in situ observations. However, energy budgets for internal tides, and the role of tidal dissipation in vertical ocean mixing remain controversial topics. Altimetry may contribute to resolving some of these important questions through improved mapping of low-mode internal tides. This area has advanced significantly in recent years, with several global maps now available, and progress on constraining temporally incoherent components. For the future, new applications of altimetry (e.g., in the coastal ocean, where barotropic tidal models remain inadequate), and new mission concepts (studies of the submesoscale with SWOT, which will require correction for internal tides) may bring us full circle, again pushing

Physical Activity and Personality Development over Twenty Years: Evidence from Three Longitudinal Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Yannick; Sutin, Angelina R.; Luchetti, Martina; Bosselut, Grégoire; Terracciano, Antonio

2018-01-01

A physically inactive lifestyle is associated with maladaptive patterns of personality development over relatively short follow-up periods. The present study extends existing research by examining whether this association persists over 20 years. Participants (total N = 8,723) were drawn from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduates and Siblings samples and the Midlife in the United States Study. Controlling for demographic factors and disease burden, baseline physical inactivity was related to steeper declines in conscientiousness in all three samples and a meta-analysis (β=−.06). The meta-analysis further showed that lower physical activity was associated with declines in openness (β=−.05), extraversion (β=−.03), and agreeableness (β=−.03). These findings provide evidence that a physically inactive lifestyle is associated with long-term detrimental personality trajectories. PMID:29651189

Radiographic evaluation of third molar development in 6 to 24 year olds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Yun Hwa; Cho, Bong Hae

2014-01-01

This study investigated the developmental stages of third molars in relation to chronological age and compared third molar development according to location and gender. A retrospective analysis of panoramic radiographs of 2490 patients aged between 6 and 24 years was conducted, and the developmental stages of the third molars were evaluated using the modified Demirjian's classification. The mean age, standard deviation, minimal and maximal age, and percentile distributions were recorded for each stage of development. A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to test the developmental differences in the third molars between the maxillary and mandibular arches and between genders. A linear regression analysis was used for assessing the correlation between the third molar development and chronological age. The developmental stages of the third molars were more advanced in the maxillary arch than the mandibular arch. Males reached the developmental stages earlier than females. The average age of the initial mineralization of the third molars was 8.57 years, and the average age at apex closure was 21.96 years. The mean age of crown completion was 14.52 and 15.04 years for the maxillary and the mandibular third molars, respectively. The developmental stages of the third molars clearly showed a strong correlation with age. The third molars developed earlier in the upper arch than the lower arch; further, they developed earlier in males than in females.

Twenty-year trends in the utilization of Heller myotomy for achalasia in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Haisley, Kelly R; Preston, Jennifer F; Dolan, James P; Diggs, Brian S; Hunter, John G

2017-08-01

Trends in the utilization of Heller myotomy for achalasia in the U.S. over time have not been previously described. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we analyzed patients undergoing Heller myotomy for achalasia over a 20-year period (1992-2011) to estimate rates of Heller myotomy, locations where the procedures were performed (rural, urban or teaching) and changes in technique (laparoscopic vs open) as well as outcomes of length of stay and in-hospital mortality. Over the last 20 years, the total number of Heller myotomies performed in the U.S. has increased (1576 cases in 1992 to 5046 cases in 2011, p = 0.001). These procedures are now being performed laparoscopically (0.9%-67.0%, p Heller myotomy at teaching institutions with decreased in-hospital mortality and shorter LOS. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Twenty five years of experience at CERCA society

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dewez, P.

1985-01-01

This paper outlines the main characteristics the research reactors and stresses that their diversity induces numerous differences in the types and variety of fuels. One goes on to describe the resources deployed by the CERCA Company to manufacture these fuels and stresses the leading position this company has acquired in this sector at international level [fr

Twenty years of child and teenager’s statute

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Antonio Bruno da Silva

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Em 2010 completaremos 20 anos do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA, instituído pela Lei 8.069, em julho de 1990(1. O seu papel é de fundamental importância, pois até então as políticas relacionadas a crianças e adolescentes surgiam com o objetivo de resolução de problemas sociais. O ECA consiste na forma de regulamentação dos direitos das crianças e dos adolescentes de nosso país.O ECA surgiu a partir das diretrizes da Constituição Federal de 1988(2, explicitadas em seu art 227.Art. 227. É dever da família, da sociedade e do Estado assegurar à criança e ao adolescente, com absoluta prioridade, o direito à vida, à saúde, à alimentação, à educação, ao lazer, à profissionalização, à cultura, à dignidade, ao respeito, à liberdade e à convivência familiar e comunitária, além de colocá-los a salvo de toda forma de negligência, discriminação, exploração, violência, crueldade e opressão.A partir destes dois importantes documentos sociais e em resposta às lutas sociais que vinham sendo travadas desde 1980 em prol da redemocratização e da defesa dos direitos da criança e do adolescetes, estes passaram a ser considerados como “sujeitos de direitos”. Desde então, são considerados em sua “peculiar condição de pessoas em desenvolvimento” e a quem se deve assegurar “prioridade absoluta” na formulação de políticas públicas e destinação privilegiada de recursos nas dotações orçamentárias das diversas instâncias político-administrativas do País(3.Os direitos concernentes à convivência familiar e comunitária e ao lazer como parte fundamental de sua socialização e de seu florescimento enquanto ser humano, também são estabelecidos pelo documento. Entretanto, apesar de serem considerados como direitos básicos de todas as crianças, este aspecto da legislação não recebe ainda a devida atenção. O problema do trabalho infantil, apesar de todos os esforços das organizações governamentais, não governamentais e da sociedade, ainda está longe de ser resolvido (3.O ECA, além de criar mecanismos de proteção nas áreas de educação, saúde, trabalho e assistência social, estabelece o fim da aplicação de punições para adolescentes, tratados com medidas de proteção em caso de desvio de conduta e com medidas socioeducativas em caso de cometimento de atos infracionais. Ponto este que tem sido alvo de debates e de necessidade de maiores estudos acerca da violência. Não só daquela sofrida pelo jovem, mas principalmente aquela que é exercida por ele(4.Com o Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente surgem os Conselhos e Fundos dos Direitos da Criança e do Adolescente – municipais, estaduais e nacional –, e o Conselho Tutelar – apenas na esfera municipal –, obrigatórios em todo Município. Passa-se assim a responsabilidade para o município.No ano de 2009 foi realizada uma avaliação da Associação Nacional dos Centros de Defesa (ANCED, tendo sido organizado, pela segunda vez, um relatório sobre a situação dos direitos da criança e do adolescente no país. Neste levantamento sobre os principais eixos temáticos que albergam as políticas públicas, destacaram-se aquelas que envolviam: Sistema Geral de Proteção; Medidas Gerais de Implementação da Convenção dos Direitos da Criança (CDC; Homicídios, Atentados à Vida, à Integridade Física, Tortura e Punições Corporais; Convivência Família e Comunitária; Violências Sexuais e Exploração Econômica; Direito à Saúde, Direito à Educação e Justiça Juvenil. Concluindo-se que o estado tem fracassado no seu papel primordial de defesa dos direitos da criança e do adolescente(5.Neste número da Revista Brasileira em Promoção da Saúde publicamos um artigo que aborda o tema Políticas Públicas de Saúde (PPS voltadas para a criança. Esta pesquisa foi realizada nos Centros Municipais de Educação Infantil (CMEI e nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS na Cidade de Santa Maria no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul(6.Os achados corroboram o que tem sido visto em todo o Brasil: as políticas públicas direcionadas para as crianças e adolescentes necessitam de maior empenho para que sejam plenamente executadas.REFERÊNCIAS1. BRASIL. Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente: Lei8.069/90, de 13 de Julho de 1990. Brasília: SenadoFederal;19902. BRASIL. Constituição da República Federativa doBrasil. Brasília: Senado Federal;19883. Sposito MP, Carrano PCR. Juventude e políticaspúblicas no Brasil. Rev Bras Educ 2003; 24:16-39.4. Oliveira APG, Milnitsky-Sapiro C. Políticas públicaspara adolescentes em vulnerabilidade social: abrigo eprovisoriedade. Psicol Cienc Prof 2007;27(4:623-35.5. Anced – Associação Nacional dos Centros de Defesa daCriança e do Adolescente. Análise sobre os direitos dacriança e do adolescente no Brasil: relatório preliminarda ANCED. [acesso em dez 2009]. Disponível em:http://www.anced.org.br/sitio/anced_2009/cyberteca/publicacoes/relatorio-alternativo-cdc.6. Rizzetti DA, Fabbrin APA, Trevisan CM. Políticaspúblicas de saúde voltadas para a criança no municípiode Santa Maria-RS. Rev Bras Promoção Saúde.

Sea Grant in California: Twenty Years of Achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Amidei, Rosemary

Since 1968, the California Sea Grant program has operated to produce scientific research oriented to solving problems in marine resource development, management, and conservation. This document decribes the facets of this program, their accomplishments and goals. Discussions include: (1) historical notes; (2) coastal governance; (3) coastal…

Twenty years of health physics research reactor operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sims, C.S.; Gilley, L.W.

1983-01-01

The Health Physics Research Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been in regular use for more than two decades. Safe operation of this fast reactor over this extended period indicates that (1) fundamental design, (2) operational procedures, (3) operator training and performance, (4) maintenance activites, and (5) management have all been eminently satisfactory. The reactor and its uses are described, the operational history and significant events are reviewed, and operational improvements and maintenance are discussed

Dynamics of blood flow: twenty years of achievement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosendorff, C.

1988-01-01

The physiology of blood circulation has evolved from the descriptive phenomenology of William Harvey's time to an interdisciplinary science, involving elements of fluid dynamics, vessel wall mechanics, electrophysiology, cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology. Most of these new developments have occured during the lifetime of the South African Medical Research Council. Highlights of the research undertaken by the Council regarding circulatory physiology are given. In the 1960s the use of xenon-133 to study the flow of blood to the brain resulted in the first systematic description of cerebral blood flow and its control by sympathetic nerves. During the 1970s this technique was refined and the use of radioactive microspheres for the measurement of tissue blood flow was developed. Research concerning the control of blood vessels in the kidney was also carried out, and this showed that the sympathetic nerves control renal blood flow by releasing a local hormone called renin. The renal release of renin was later recognised as being important in the control of blood pressure. Another development was the discovery that vascular sensitivity to noradrenaline was increased in certain types of liver diseases. An analysis of the blood of patients with obstructive jaundice showed that the substance responsible for this noradrenaline effect was a combination of cholesterol and lipo-protein. This led to the theory that excessive cholesterol in the blood may be dangerous. In the late 1970s a shift in research emphasis to coronary artery physiology occurred and the 1980s saw research move into the area of cell biology

Baltic cooperation twenty years later / Rokas M. Tracevskis

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tracevskis, Rokas M.

2011-01-01

2. detsembril Tallinnas toimunud Baltimaade ja Poola presidentide kohtumisel arutati Rail Balticu projektiga seonduvat. 2. detsembril Kaunases toimunud Baltimaade kaitseministrite Mart Laari, Rasa Jukneviciene ja Artis Pabriksi kohtumisel arutati Balti riikide kaitsekoostööga seotud küsimusi. Samal ajal Visaginases toimunud Läti ja Leedu peaministrite kohtumisel räägiti Visaginase tuumaelektrijaama projektist. LNG terminaliga seotud vaidlustest

Twenty Years on: Reflections on the CEDISYS Project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boudol, Gerard; Castellani, Ilaria; Hennessy, Matthew

2008-01-01

We recall some memories of the Esprit Basic Research Action CEDISYS, a small, well-focussed and fruitful project which brought together researchers at the meeting point of true concurrency and process algebra, in the period 1988-1991. The project was initiated and effectively animated by Ugo...

Twenty Two Years after Chernobyl Accident Medical Aspect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shabon, M.

2009-01-01

Chernobyl accident is the most serious nuclear catastrophe in the recent era. About 600.000 victims intervene in this disaster. The most fatality was about one month after the accident 31 victims. The main cause was Acute Radiation Syndrome. After few weeks 115.000 persons evacuated from the contaminated areas with exposure dose from 0.07 to 2 Gy. The main Isotope exposure was iodine 131 and Cesium 137 with average exposure dose 7 and 10 mGy respectively

The Talar Body Prosthesis: Results at Ten to Thirty-six Years of Follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Harnroongroj, Thos; Harnroongroj, Thossart

2014-07-16

Satisfactory results of implantation of the talar body prosthesis were reported in 1997, although some complications associated with the initial design were noted. The present study evaluated outcomes of treatment with a modified talar body prosthesis. Of the thirty-six talar body prostheses implanted with use of a transmalleolar surgical approach from 1974 to 2011, thirty-three were available for follow-up at ten to thirty-six years or had failed prior to that time. The indication for implantation had been osteonecrosis in twenty-three patients, a comminuted talar fracture in eight, and a talar body tumor in two. Twenty-eight of the thirty-three prostheses were still in place at the time of final follow-up and five had failed prior to five years. The duration of follow-up was ten to twenty years in eight patients, twenty to thirty years in eleven, and thirty to thirty-six years in nine. The AOFAS (American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society) ankle-hindfoot score did not differ significantly among these three groups. Patients over sixty-five years of age with underlying disease that impeded walking ability had lower AOFAS scores. Early prosthesis failure occurred as a result of size mismatch in two patients, tumor recurrence in one, infection in one, and osteonecrosis of the talar head and neck in one. These failures, which occurred at eight to fifty-seven months, were treated with tibiotalar arthrodesis in three patients, prosthesis revision in one, and below-the-knee amputation in one. Although early prosthesis failure may occur, survival of the talar body prosthesis can provide satisfactory ankle and foot function. Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Twenty-three years (1993-2015) of homicide trends in the Transkei region of South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Banwari, Meel

2018-01-01

Background Transkei is regarded as a rural part of South Africa. It was one of the black homelands where rigorous apartheid was practised. The incidence of firearm-related deaths used to be very high, but after the implementation of the Firearm Control Act in 2002, the trend changed. However, the murder rate is still a major public-health problem in this region of South Africa. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate 23 years (1993-2015) of homicide trends in the Transkei region of South Africa. Method A review of records of medico-legal autopsies performed at Mthatha Forensic Pathology Laboratory from 1993 to 2015 was undertaken. Results Between 1993 and 2015, the number of autopsies performed on people who had died unnatural deaths was 24,693. The records of 12,618 (51%) autopsies on victims of homicide between 1993 and 2015 were available for study. The average rate of murder was 85/100,000 of the population in this region. Of these deaths, on average 34/100,000 were caused by sharp-edged instruments, 30/100,000 by gunshot wounds and 21/100,000 by blunt trauma. The rate of murder of males was significantly higher than that of females, with a ratio of 5.7:1, and over the period of 23 years covered by this study, the incidence was highest (30.5/100,000) in the young age group between 21 and 30 years. Conclusion The rate of homicide is very high in the Transkei region of South Africa. It needs urgent intervention to curb unnecessary deaths.

Twenty-five year Consolidation project for the CERN’s Injector Machines of the LHC

CERN Document Server

Chohan, V

2010-01-01

The 25 year consolidation project was a result of a major re-thinking of CERN’s strategy for consolidating the LHC operation and the decision not to build a new PS Ring or a new Superconducting Proton Linac in early 2010. The work packages envisaged under this consolidation exercise came to a budget estimation of nearly 500 MCHF and were subjected to risk analyses to establish priorities and allocated funds based on limited spending profiles permitted under the CERN’s rolling Medium Term Plan, MTP.

An investigation of twenty-one cases of low-frequency noise complaints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Christian Sejer; Møller, Henrik; Persson-Waye, Kerstin

2007-01-01

Twenty-one cases of low-frequency noise complaints were thoroughly investigated with the aim of answering the question whether it is real physical sound or low-frequency tinnitus that causes the annoyance. Noise recordings were made in the homes of the complainants taking the spatial variation...

Kvinnor i olympiaden. En jämförande studie av kvinnors representation och framställning i media under OS-åren 1996 och 2016

OpenAIRE

Källman, Marie; Fellman, Elin

2017-01-01

Abstract Women in the olympics - A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the representation and portayal of female athletes in the olympics The purpose of the study was to examine how often female athletes occur in swedish sports media and how they are portrayed, in comparison to male athletes. The years studied was 1996 and 2016. Since the female participants increased over those twenty years it was interesting to see if the media followed that development. The study is based on earlier r...

Earlier surgical intervention in congenital heart disease results in better outcome and resource utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Panni, Roheena Z; Ashfaq, Awais; Amanullah, Muhammad M

2011-12-29

Congenital heart disease (CHD) accounts for a major proportion of disease in the pediatric age group. The objective of the study was to estimate the cost of illness associated with CHD pre, intra and postoperatively; among patients referred to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. This is the first study conducted to estimate the cost of managing CHD in Pakistan. A prevalence based cost of illness study design was used to estimate the cost of cardiac surgery (corrective & palliative) for congenital heart defects in children ≤ 5 years of age from June 2006 to June 2009. A total of 120 patients were enrolled after obtaining an informed consent and the data was collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. The mean age at the time of surgery in group A (1-12 mo age) was 6.08 ± 2.80 months and in group B (1-5 yrs) was 37.10 ± 19.94 months. The cost of surgical admission was found to be significantly higher in the older group, p = 0.001. The total number and cost of post-operative outpatient visits was also higher in group B, p = 0.003. Pre and post operative hospital admissions were not found to be significantly different among the two groups, p = 0.166 and 0.627, respectively. The number of complications were found to be different between the two groups (p = 0.019). Majority of these were contributed by hemorrhage and post-operative seizures. This study concluded that significant expenditure is incurred by people with CHD; with the implication that resources could be saved by earlier detection and awareness campaigns.

One hundred and twenty-five years of the Annals of Botany. Part 1: the first 50 years (1887-1936).

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Michael B

2015-01-01

The Annals of Botany is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing papers on a wide range of topics in plant biology. It first appeared in 1887, making it the oldest continuously published botanical title. The present article gives a historical account of events leading to the founding of the Journal and of its development over the first 50 years. Much of the content is drawn from the Journal's own records and from extensive Minutes, financial accounts, personal letters and notes relating to the Annals of Botany that were repatriated from University College, University of London in 1999. Documents held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and at the Oxford University Press Museum were also consulted. Emphasis is placed on the individuals who instigated, edited and managed the Annals of Botany up to 1937, especially the nine founding members of the Journal and the background that brought them together and motivated them to start the Annals of Botany. A falling out between two of the founders in 1899 is highlighted since not only did this threaten the Journal's future but also gives much insight into the personalities of those most closely involved in the Journal during its formative years. The article also examines the way the Journal was funded and how it dealt with its publisher (the University of Oxford's Clarendon Press), turned itself into a registered company (the Annals of Botany Company) and coped with the travails of the First World War, currency inflation and the Great Depression. Plans to re-start the Journal as a New Series, beginning in 1937, are discussed in the context of the competition the Annals of Botany then faced from younger journals. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Twenty-fourth Semiannual Report of the Commission to the Congress, July 1958

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strauss, Lewis L.; McCone, John A.

1958-07-31

The document represents the twenty-fourth semiannual Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) report to Congress. The report sums up the major activities and developments in the national atomic energy program covering the period January - June 1958.

Twenty-second Semiannual Report of the Commission to the Congress, July 1957

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strauss, Lewis L.

1957-07-31

The document represents the twenty-second semiannual Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) report to Congress. The report sums up the major activities and developments in the national atomic energy program covering the period January - June 1957.

AAAI's National and Innovative Applications Conferences Celebrate 50 Years of AI

OpenAIRE

Hedberg, Sara R.

2006-01-01

The Twenty-First National Conference on Artificial Intelligence and the Nineteenth Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence Conference commemorated fifty years of artificial intelligence research in Boston, Massachusetts this past July.

Actinomycosis of Distal Phalanx Twenty Years after Flap Reconstruction of Index Finger: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashant N

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Actinomycosis is a chronic granulomatous suppurative infection caused by anaerobic bacteria from genus Actinomyces which are normal flora of mouth, colon and vagina. Actinomycosis of upper extremity is rare. We report a case of actinomycosis of the distal phalanx of finger many years after flap reconstruction. The patient presented with two months’ history of chronic discharging sinus from the tip of his right index finger, which had sustained a degloving injury 20 years previously. It had been treated with an anterior chest wall flap which had healed uneventfully but was bulky due to excess tissue from the donor site. Radiograph revealed osetomyelitis changes of distal phalanx. Debulking surgery with curettage of the distal phalanx was done. Wound healing was uneventful. He was treated with six weeks of metronidazole and ciprofloxacin. The discharge from the distal phalanx cultured actinomycosis odontolyticus. Histopathology of the debrided tissue showed chronic inflammation. As far as we are aware, there are no reports of actinomycosis in a flap involving the finger treated previously with a chest wall skin flap. The infection was probably dormant for many years before manifesting as a discharging sinus. Although the finger flap was bulky, it was not problematic until it started to have serous discharge. With a thorough debridement of all infected tissue, six weeks of antibiotic was adequate. Ciprofloxacin was prescribed based on discharge culture sensitivity. Metronidazole was added as actinomycosis is anaerobic. Response was prompt as patient was not immunocompromised. At follow-up six months post-surgery the finger had recovered with good function. If not for the discharging sinus, patient would probably have tolerated his bulky finger for the rest of his life.

Earlier (late Pliocene) first appearance of the Caribbean reef-building coral Acropora palmata: Stratigraphic and evolutionary implications

Science.gov (United States)

McNeill, Donald F.; Budd, Ann F.; Borne, Pamela F.

1997-10-01

An integrated stratigraphic study of reefal deposits on the Caribbean side of the Isthmus of Panama (Limon, Costa Rica) has discovered a significantly earlier first appearance of the major reef-building coral Acropora palmata. A. palmata is here reported from the early late Pliocene, constrained in age to within the Gauss chron (ca. 3.6 2.6 Ma). This coral was previously thought to have originated in the earliest Pleistocene and has subsequently been used as a Quaternary marker throughout the Caribbean and the Bahamas. An earlier appearance in the southern Caribbean implies a diachronous first appearance datum relative to the northern Caribbean. This older age also places A. palmata well within the transition phase of a Pliocene (4 1 Ma) faunal turnover that was marked by widespread extinction and origination of Caribbean coral species. An early late Pliocene origination is coincident with formation of the Isthmus, climate reorganization, and frequent sea-level changes associated with onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciations. The rapid growth and accumulation rates that characterize A. palmata may therefore be adaptive to these fluctuating environmental conditions, enabling its success during the subsequent Pleistocene glacial cycles.

Why American business demands twenty-first century skills: an industry perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruett, Karen

2006-01-01

Public education is the key to individual and business prosperity. With a vested stake in education, educators, employers, parents, policymakers, and the public should question how this nation's public education system is faring. Knowing that recent international assessments have shown little or no gains in American students' achievement, the author asserts the clear need for change. As both a large American corporate employer and a provider of technology for schools, Dell is concerned with ensuring that youth will thrive in their adult lives. Changing workplace expectations lead to a new list of skills students will need to acquire before completing their schooling. Through technology, Dell supports schools in meeting educational goals, striving to supply students with the necessary skills, referred to as twenty-first century skills. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, of which Dell is a member, has led an initiative to define what twenty-first century learning should entail. Through extensive research, the partnership has built a framework outlining twenty-first century skills: analytical thinking, communication, collaboration, global awareness, and technological and economic literacy. Dell and the partnership are working state by state to promote the integration of these skills into curricula, professional development for teachers, and classroom environments. The authors describe two current initiatives, one in Virginia, the other in Texas, which both use technology to help student learning. All stakeholders can take part in preparing young people to compete in the global economy. Educators and administrators, legislators, parents, and employers must play their role in helping students be ready for what the workforce and the world has in store for them.

Twenty-three years of vegetation change in a fly-ash leachate impacted meadow

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlovic, Noel B.; Leicht-Young, Stacey A.; Wilcox, Douglas; Hiebert, Ron; Murphy, Marilyn K.; Mason, Daniel; Frohnapple, Krystal

2009-01-01

1. Blag Slough, located in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, has received leachates from nearby fly-ash ponds for 13 years (1967-1980). We have monitored vegetation and sediment of Blag Slough since 1982, two years after the sealing of the fly-ash ponds and one year after the substrate was first exposed. The pH of the soil has increased one order of magnitude from 3.0 to 4.0 over the 23 years (1982-2005). If the pH further increases the solubility of many heavy metals will decrease, except for arsenic. We provide evidence that boron and zinc were bioaccumulating in the leaves of woody plants in 1984. The ratio of leaf concentration and soil concentration of aluminum suggests this element was not bioaccumulating in woody plants in 1984. 2. Soil concentrations of iron, aluminum, arsenic, and strontium were higher nearest the fly-ash ponds in 2005. The southwest corner of Blag Slough and middle position of transect X had the highest elevated levels of these metals and correlated with the occurrence of mixed spikerush association (dominated by Eleocharis olivacea). 3. Only a few exotic species occurred in the Blag Slough. Common reed (Phragmites australis) was among such species that occurred in three large clones. Other exotic species included dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), mullein (Verbascum thapsis), Jerusalem oak goosefoot (Chenopodium botrys), and sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella). Ruderal species have occurred including thistle (Cirsium spp.), fire weed (Erechtites hieracifolium), and horseweed (Conyza canadensis). While occasional cattail (Typha) have been sampled and mapped in Blag Slough they have never persisted for very long. 4. Species richness leveled off between 1991 and 2005, except for Transect X that had a peak in 1986-7. After an extreme rainfall event in August 18, 1990, Transect V had an average water depth of 0.70 cm, W had 7.1 cm, and X had 26.90 cm. Richness in Transect X declined to a low level in 1990 and 1991 after the extreme flooding event

Onset of rigor mortis is earlier in red muscle than in white muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, M; Takatori, T; Nakajima, M; Sakurada, K; Hatanaka, K; Ikegaya, H; Matsuda, Y; Iwase, H

2000-01-01

Rigor mortis is thought to be related to falling ATP levels in muscles postmortem. We measured rigor mortis as tension determined isometrically in three rat leg muscles in liquid paraffin kept at 37 degrees C or 25 degrees C--two red muscles, red gastrocnemius (RG) and soleus (SO) and one white muscle, white gastrocnemius (WG). Onset, half and full rigor mortis occurred earlier in RG and SO than in WG both at 37 degrees C and at 25 degrees C even though RG and WG were portions of the same muscle. This suggests that rigor mortis directly reflects the postmortem intramuscular ATP level, which decreases more rapidly in red muscle than in white muscle after death. Rigor mortis was more retarded at 25 degrees C than at 37 degrees C in each type of muscle.

Causes and impacts of changes in the Arctic freshwater budget during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in an AOGCM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arzel, Olivier [University of New South Wales, Climate and Environmental Dynamics Laboratory, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Fichefet, Thierry; Goosse, Hugues [Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institut d' Astronomie et de Geophysique G. Lemaitre, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Dufresne, Jean-Louis [Institut Pierre Simon Laplace UPMC/CNRS, Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique, Paris (France)

2008-01-15

The fourth version of the atmosphere-ocean general circulation (AOGCM) model developed at the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL-CM4) is used to investigate the mechanisms influencing the Arctic freshwater balance in response to anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing. The freshwater influence on the interannual variability of deep winter oceanic convection in the Nordic Seas is also studied on the basis of correlation and regression analyses of detrended variables. The model shows that the Fram Strait outflow, which is an important source of freshwater for the northern North Atlantic, experiences a rapid and strong transition from a weak state toward a relatively strong state during 1990-2010. The authors propose that this climate shift is triggered by the retreat of sea ice in the Barents Sea during the late twentieth century. This sea ice reduction initiates a positive feedback in the atmosphere-sea ice-ocean system that alters both the atmospheric and oceanic circulations in the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian (GIN)-Barents Seas sector. Around year 2080, the model predicts a second transition threshold beyond which the Fram Strait outflow is restored toward its original weak value. The long-term freshening of the GIN Seas is invoked to explain this rapid transition. It is further found that the mechanism of interannual changes in deep mixing differ fundamentally between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This difference is caused by the dominant influence of freshwater over the twenty-first century. In the GIN Seas, the interannual changes in the liquid freshwater export out of the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait combined with the interannual changes in the liquid freshwater import from the North Atlantic are shown to have a major influence in driving the interannual variability of the deep convection during the twenty-first century. South of Iceland, the other region of deep water renewal in the model, changes in freshwater import from the North Atlantic

Validity aspects in Chernobyl at twenty years of the accident; Aspectos vigentes en Chernobyl a veinte anos del accidente

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arredondo, C [ININ, 52045 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2006-07-01

inventory of rare gases of the core. The consequences of the accident have been studied during the twenty lapsed years since it happened. In this work the more recent discoveries on the effects in the health, the environment and economic that have been reported, as well as the current advances regarding the solution of the problems with the sarcophagus are commented. Other aspects little mentioned that consequences of the accident can be considered are discussed also, like they are the increment in the nuclear safety in the reactors in operation in the entire world and the termination of the cold war with the consequent dismantlement of a great one numbers of nuclear weapons. Finally it is remembered that the lessons learned in Chernobyl should never be forgotten. (Author)

Earlier flowering did not alter pollen limitation in an early flowering shrub under short-term experimental warming

OpenAIRE

Pan, Cheng-Chen; Feng, Qi; Zhao, Ha-Lin; Liu, Lin-De; Li, Yu-Lin; Li, Yu-Qiang; Zhang, Tong-Hui; Yu, Xiao-Ya

2017-01-01

In animal pollinated plants, phenological shifts caused by climate change may have important ecological consequences. However, no empirical evidence exists at present on the consequences that flowering phenology shifts have on the strength of pollen limitation under experimental warming. Here, we investigated the effects of experimental warming on flowering phenology, flower density, reproductive success, and pollen limitation intensity in Caragana microphylla and evaluated whether earlier fl...

Earlier anal sexarche and co-occurring sexual risk are associated with current HIV-related risk behaviors among an online sample of men who have sex with men in Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Doug H.; Suharlim, Christian; Guadamuz, Thomas E.; Lim, Sin How; Koe, Stuart; Wei, Chongyi

2014-01-01

Studies of heterosexual populations across the globe and men who have sex with men (MSM) in a few developed countries showed that earlier sexual debut (sexarche) was associated with higher levels of co-occurring and subsequent HIV risk behaviors. We examined the relationships between earlier anal sexarche, unprotected earlier anal sexarche and current HIV risks among MSM from Asia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among MSM (N = 10,826) in Asia in 2010. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify co-occurring (i.e., sexual experiences during sexarche) and current HIV-related risk factors (i.e., past six months) associated with earlier anal sexarche (before the age of 18) and unprotected earlier anal sexarche, respectively. Earlier anal sexarche was significantly associated with lack of condom use, being anal receptive or both receptive and insertive, and having a partner who were older during sexarche. It was also associated with current HIV-related risk behaviors including having multiple male sexual partners, having been paid for sex, and increased frequencies of recreational drug use. Unprotected earlier anal sexarche was significantly associated with inconsistent condom use in the past the six months. Improved and culturally sensitive sex education at schools should be included in national and regional HIV/AIDS prevention programming and policies in Asia. Such sex education programs should incorporate curriculum that address sexuality, sexual orientation, and sexual behaviors beyond those related to reproductive health. PMID:24920344

Radiographic evaluation of third molar development in 6- to 24-year-olds

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Yun-Hoa

2014-01-01

Purpose This study investigated the developmental stages of third molars in relation to chronological age and compared third molar development according to location and gender. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of panoramic radiographs of 2490 patients aged between 6 and 24 years was conducted, and the developmental stages of the third molars were evaluated using the modified Demirjian's classification. The mean age, standard deviation, minimal and maximal age, and percentile distributions were recorded for each stage of development. A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to test the developmental differences in the third molars between the maxillary and mandibular arches and between genders. A linear regression analysis was used for assessing the correlation between the third molar development and chronological age. Results The developmental stages of the third molars were more advanced in the maxillary arch than the mandibular arch. Males reached the developmental stages earlier than females. The average age of the initial mineralization of the third molars was 8.57 years, and the average age at apex closure was 21.96 years. The mean age of crown completion was 14.52 and 15.04 years for the maxillary and the mandibular third molars, respectively. Conclusion The developmental stages of the third molars clearly showed a strong correlation with age. The third molars developed earlier in the upper arch than the lower arch; further, they developed earlier in males than in females. PMID:25279338

Twenty four year time trends in fats and cholesterol intake by adolescents. Warsaw Adolescents Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charzewska Jadwiga

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine time trends (1982–2006 in total fat intake and changes in fatty acid structure intake in adolescents from Warsaw in view of increasing prevalence of obesity. Data come from four successive surveys randomly selected samples of adolescents (aged 11–15 years old, from Warsaw region. In total 9747 pupils have been examined, with response rate varying from 55% to 87% depending on year. Surveys were done always in the spring season of the year. Food intake was assessed by using 24 hours recall method of consumption by the pupils all products, including enriched, dishes and beverages as well as diet supplements, in the last 24 hours preceding the examination. The content of energy and nutrients was calculated by means of own computer softwares (DIET 2 and 4, taking into account successive revisions of the tables of food composition and nutritional values, as well as current Polish DRI. A significant decreasing trend was found in intake of total fat, of saturated fatty acids (SFA and cholesterol. The percentage of energy from total fat, also decreased both in boys (to 35,1% and girls (to 33,7%, what failed to reach the desired level below 30% of energy from fat which is recommended. Also significant decrease of SFA consumption was not satisfactory enough to approach the values <10% of energy recommended as was from 13% to 15%. Decreasing trends in fat intake was not in accordance with the trend in obesity prevalence in the adolescents as average BMI is going up. To stabilize the health-oriented changes especially in the diets of adolescents, further activity is desired from professionals working with prevention of adolescents obesity.

Age-specific MRI brain and head templates for healthy adults from twenty through eighty-nine years of age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul T Fillmore

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This study created and tested a database of adult, age-specific MRI brain and head templates. The participants included healthy adults from 20 through 89 years of age. The templates were done in 5-year, 10-year, and multi-year intervals from 20 through 89 years, and consist of average T1W for the head and brain, and segmenting priors for GM, WM, and CSF. It was found that age-appropriate templates provided less biased tissue classification estimates than age-inappropriate reference data and reference data based on young adult templates. This database is available for use by other investigators and clinicians for their MRI studies, as well as other types of neuroimaging and electrophysiological research (http://jerlab.psych.sc.edu/NeurodevelopmentalMRIDatabase/.

Assessing twenty-first century skills through a teacher created video game for high school biology students

Science.gov (United States)

Annetta, Leonard A.; Cheng, Meng-Tzu; Holmes, Shawn

2010-07-01

As twenty-first century skills become a greater focus in K-12 education, an infusion of technology that meets the needs of today's students is paramount. This study looks at the design and creation of a Multiplayer Educational Gaming Application (MEGA) for high school biology students. The quasi-experimental, qualitative design assessed the twenty-first century skills of digital age literacy, inventive thinking, high productivity, and effective communication techniques of the students exposed to a MEGA. Three factors, as they pertained to these skills, emerged from classroom observations. Interaction with the teacher, discussion with peers, and engagement/time-on-task while playing the MEGA suggested that students playing an educational video game exhibited all of the projected twenty-first century skills while being engrossed in the embedded science content.

Twenty-year perspective of randomized controlled trials for surgery of chronic nonspecific low back pain: citation bias and tangential knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Nicholas S; Flynn, John P; Bartanusz, Viktor

2013-11-01

After decades of clinical research, the role of surgery for chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) remains equivocal. Despite significant intellectual, human, and economic investments into randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the past two decades, the role of surgery in the treatment for CNLBP has not been clarified. To delineate the historical research agenda of surgical RCTs for CNLBP performed between 1993 and 2012 investigating whether conclusions from earlier published trials influenced the choice of research questions of subsequent RCTs on elucidating the role of surgery in the management of CNLBP. Literature review. We searched the literature for all RCTs involving surgery for CNLBP. We reviewed relevant studies to identify the study question, comparator arms, and sample size. Randomized controlled trials were classified as "indication" trials if they evaluated the effectiveness of surgical therapy versus nonoperative care or as "technical" if they compared different surgical techniques, adjuncts, or procedures. We used citation analysis to determine the impact of trials on subsequent research in the field. Altogether 33 technical RCTs (3,790 patients) and 6 indication RCTs (981 patients) have been performed. Since 2007, despite the unclear benefits of surgery reported by the first four indication trials published in 2001 to 2006, technical trials have continued to predominate (16 vs. 2). Of the technical trials, types of instrumentation (13 trials, 1,332 patients), bone graft materials and substitutes (11 trials, 833 patients), and disc arthroplasty versus fusion (5 trials, 1,337 patients) were the most common comparisons made. Surgeon authors have predominantly cited one of the indication trials that reported more favorable results for surgery, despite a lack of superior methodology or sample size. Trials evaluating bone morphogenic protein, instrumentation, and disc arthroplasty were all cited more frequently than the largest trial of surgical versus

Thomas Piketty – The Adam Smith of the Twenty-First Century?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob Dahl Rendtorff

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Piketty’s book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2014 has become a bestseller in the world. Two month after its publication, it had sold more than 200.000 copies, and this success will surely continue for a long time. Piketty has established a new platform to discuss political economy.

Twenty-One Ways to Use Music in Teaching the Language Arts.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardarelli, Aldo F.

Twenty-one activities that integrate music and the language arts in order to capitalize on children's interests are described in this paper. Topics of the activities are as follows: alphabetical order, pantomime, vocabulary building from words of a favorite song, words that are "the most (whatever)" from songs, mood words, a configuration clue…

Twenty-five years of sport performance research in the Journal of Sports Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Nevill, Alan; Atkinson, Greg; Hughes, Mike

2008-02-15

In this historical review covering the past 25 years, we reflect on the content of manuscripts relevant to the Sport Performance section of the Journal of Sports Sciences. Due to the wide diversity of sport performance research, the remit of the Sport Performance section has been broad and includes mathematical and statistical evaluation of competitive sports performances, match- and notation-analysis, talent identification, training and selection or team organization. In addition, due to the academic interests of its section editors, they adopted a quality-assurance role for the Sport Performance section, invariably communicated through key editorials that subsequently shaped the editorial policy of the Journal. Key high-impact manuscripts are discussed, providing readers with some insight into what might lead an article to become a citation "classic". Finally, landmark articles in the areas of "science and football" and "notation analysis" are highlighted, providing further insight into how such articles have contributed to the development of sport performance research in general and the Journal of Sports Sciences in particular.

Schizophrenia-The spirit possessed 23 year old male from rural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A case of a twenty-three year old rural Ghanaian male suffering from schizophrenia and presenting as “possessed by spirits” is reported. Treatment, and outcome by physical means with chlorpromazine; and implications for further research are discussed.

Twenty-First Water Reaction Safety Information Meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteleone, S.

1994-04-01

This three-volume report contains 90 papers out of the 102 that were presented at the Twenty-First Water Reactor Safety Information Meeting held at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel, Bethesda, Maryland, during the week of October 25--27, 1993. The papers are printed in the order of their presentation in each session and describe progress and results of programs in nuclear safety research conducted in this country and abroad. Foreign participation in the meeting included papers presented by researchers from France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, and United Kingdom. The titles of the papers and the names of the authors have been updated and may differ from those that appeared in the final program of the meeting. Individual papers have been cataloged separately. This document, Volume 2, presents papers on severe accident research

Twenty-First Water Reactor Safety Information Meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteleone, S.

1994-04-01

This three-volume report contains 90 papers out of the 102 that were presented at the Twenty-First Water Reactor Safety Information Meeting held at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel, Bethesda, Maryland, during the week of October 25-27, 1993. The papers are printed in the order of their presentation in each session and describe progress and results of programs in nuclear safety research conducted in this country and abroad. Foreign participation in the meeting included papers presented by researchers from France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, and United Kingdom. The titles of the papers and the names of the authors have been updated and may differ from those that appeared in the final program of the meeting. Selected papers were indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database

Twenty Years On: Reflections on "Supporting the Use of External Representations in Problem Solving"…

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Richard; Brna, Paul

2016-01-01

We reflect upon a paper we wrote that was published in 1995 (20 years ago). We outline the motivation for the work and situate it in the state of the art at that time. We suggest that a key contribution was to highlight the need to provide support for learners who reason with external representations. The support must be flexible enough to…

50 Years of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts 1967-2017 and 48 Years of Publishing the Journal Prilozi (Contributions) of MASA.

Science.gov (United States)

Polenakovic, Momir; Pop-Jordanova, Nada; Gucev, Zoran

2017-12-01

Papers on medical subjects have been published since the first issue of the journal Prilozi in 1969, totalling a number of of 957 (nine hundred and fifty seven) papers have been published in Prilozi. Two hundred and twenty nine cover subjects on natural sciences and mathematics, and 728 (seven hundred and twenty eight) subjects on medical sciences. So far, 2017 No. XXXVIII-2, 622 (six hundred and twenty two) papers published in Prilozi are in Pubmed. Prilozi is published three times a year and it is covered by the following services: Baidu Scholar, Case, Celdes, CNKI Scholar (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), CNPIEC, DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), EBSCO (relevant databases), EBSCO Discovery Service, Elsevier - SCOPUS, Google Scholar, J-Gate, JournalTOCs, KESLI-NDSL (Korean National Discovery for Science Leaders), Naviga (Softweco), Primo Central (ExLibris), Publons, PubMed, ReadCube, ResearchGate, SCImago (SJR), Summon (Serials Solutions/ProQuest), TDNet, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory/ulrichsweb WanFang Data, WorldCat (OCLC).

Ten Thousand Years of Solitude

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benford, G. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) California Univ., Irvine, CA (USA). Dept. of Physics); Kirkwood, C.W. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (USA). Coll. of Business Administration); Harry, O. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)); Pasqualetti, M.J. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (USA))

1991-03-01

This report documents the authors work as an expert team advising the US Department of Energy on modes of inadvertent intrusion over the next 10,000 years into the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) nuclear waste repository. Credible types of potential future accidental intrusion into the WIPP are estimated as a basis for creating warning markers to prevent inadvertent intrusion. A six-step process is used to structure possible scenarios for such intrusion, and it is concluded that the probability of inadvertent intrusion into the WIPP repository over the next ten thousand years lies between one and twenty-five percent. 3 figs., 5 tabs.

Ten Thousand Years of Solitude?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benford, G.; Pasqualetti, M.J.

1991-03-01

This report documents the authors work as an expert team advising the US Department of Energy on modes of inadvertent intrusion over the next 10,000 years into the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) nuclear waste repository. Credible types of potential future accidental intrusion into the WIPP are estimated as a basis for creating warning markers to prevent inadvertent intrusion. A six-step process is used to structure possible scenarios for such intrusion, and it is concluded that the probability of inadvertent intrusion into the WIPP repository over the next ten thousand years lies between one and twenty-five percent. 3 figs., 5 tabs

Twenty First Century Education: Transformative Education for Sustainability and Responsible Citizenship

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, David V. J.

2016-01-01

Many ministries of education focus on twenty-first century education but unless they are looking at this topic through a sustainability lens, they will be missing some of its most important elements. The usual emphasis on developing skills for employability in the current global economy begs the question whether the global economy is itself…

How Do Students Value the Importance of Twenty-First Century Skills?

Science.gov (United States)

Ahonen, Arto Kalevi; Kinnunen, Päivi

2015-01-01

Frameworks of twenty-first century skills have attained a central role in school development and curriculum changes all over the world. There is a common understanding of the need for meta-skills such as problem solving, reasoning, collaboration, and self-regulation. This article presents results from a Finnish study, in which 718 school pupils…

Science Teacher Education in the Twenty-First Century: a Pedagogical Framework for Technology-Integrated Social Constructivism

Science.gov (United States)

Barak, Miri

2017-04-01

Changes in our global world have shifted the skill demands from acquisition of structured knowledge to mastery of skills, often referred to as twenty-first century competencies. Given these changes, a sequential explanatory mixed methods study was undertaken to (a) examine predominant instructional methods and technologies used by teacher educators, (b) identify attributes for learning and teaching in the twenty-first century, and (c) develop a pedagogical framework for promoting meaningful usage of advanced technologies. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via an online survey, personal interviews, and written reflections with science teacher educators and student teachers. Findings indicated that teacher educators do not provide sufficient models for the promotion of reform-based practice via web 2.0 environments, such as Wikis, blogs, social networks, or other cloud technologies. Findings also indicated four attributes for teaching and learning in the twenty-first century: (a) adapting to frequent changes and uncertain situations, (b) collaborating and communicating in decentralized environments, (c) generating data and managing information, and (d) releasing control by encouraging exploration. Guided by social constructivist paradigms and twenty-first century teaching attributes, this study suggests a pedagogical framework for fostering meaningful usage of advanced technologies in science teacher education courses.

Leibstadt nuclear power station (KKL): The Future after twenty years of operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenenberger, M.

2005-01-01

Switzerland's largest power plant, KKL (1 165 MW BWR), is situated on the Swiss side of the Rhine River, not far from the entry of the Aare River. In 2003, the plant generated some 17% of the electricity consumed in the country. In line with the importance of the plant, it shareholders are all major Swiss power utilities. KKL was connected to the power grid in December 1984. Its construction cost amounted to approx. euro 3 200 million. After some backfitting measures at an expense of approx. euro 200 million, the plant is now in excellent technical shape. Generating costs, which were very high in the beginning, have been greatly reduced in the meantime. This was helped by a decrease of borrowed capital, the favorable development of interest rates and, above all, the rise in annual production. This, in turn, was achieved in various programs increasing plant power, and by shortening the annual revision outages. From the coming year onward, costs could be below Eurocent 3.3/kWh. Also the organization and the staff of te plant are prepared for the future. They have demonstrated their fitness in various national and international reviews. Also the political environment is favorable, by and large. In 2003, the Swiss voting population so clearly rejected the two opt-out initiatives that there has been a lasting positive change in the policy of continuing the operation of existing plants. Also for KKL, the waste management problem is still unsolved. This is due primarily to political reasons. The envisaged repository for low-level waste was rejected in a referendum in 2003. Technically and in its organization, the Leibstadt Nuclear Power Station is ready for the future. The electricity generated at Leibstadt is desired and accepted politically. (orig.)

Compulsive buying disorder: an untreated patient for 20 years

OpenAIRE

Gonca Karakus; Lut Tamam

2017-01-01

Compulsive buying disorder is characterized by impulsive drives and compulsive behaviors (buying unneeded things), personal distress, impaired social and vocational functioning and financial problems. In this case report, we presented diagnostic and treatment process of 49 year old, female patient who had complaints amnesia, weight loss and insomnia. In her medical history, she had compulsive buying disorder for nearly twenty years but untreated until her current evaluation. Comorbid psychi...

Measured airtightness of twenty-four detached houses over periods of up to three years

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-01-01

A three year field study of 20 energy efficient houses and four conventional dwellings was conducted in Winnipeg, Manitoba to evaluate the performance of their building envelope systems. Ten of the houses were built with polyethylene air barriers and 14 using the Airtight Drywall Approach (ADA). All were newly constructed and used dry wood for the framing members with a wood moisture content (WMC) below 19 percent. Building envelope performance was evaluated by developing a comprehensive monitoring program which included measurements of wall, attic, and floor joist WMC levels, detailed thermographic examinations and regular airtightness testing. Over 13,000 WMC measurements were performed, 1,013 thermographic images recorded, and 167 airtightness tests conducted.

Earlier pupping in harbour seals, Phoca vitulina

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reijnders, P.J.H.; Brasseur, S.M.J.M.; Meesters, H.W.G.

2010-01-01

The annual reproductive cycle of most seal species is characterized by a tight synchrony of births. Typically, timing of birth shows little inter-annual variation. Here, however we show that harbour seals Phoca vitulina from the Wadden Sea (southeast North Sea) have shortened their yearly cycle,

Comorbidity and 1-year mortality risks in nursing home residents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, P.T.; Mehr, D.R.; Ooms, M.E.; Madsen, R.W.; Petroski, G.; Frijters, D.H.M.; Pot, A.M.; Ribbe, M.W.

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of chronic diseases and disease combinations on 1-year mortality in nursing home residents. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using electronically submitted Minimum Data Set (MDS) information and Missouri death certificate data. SETTING: Five hundred twenty-two

An analysis of players\\' performances in the first cricket Twenty20 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of this paper is to show how batting and bowling performance measures for one-day internationals can be adapted for use in Twenty20 matches, specifically in the case of a very small number of matches played. These measures are then used to give rankings of the batsmen and bowlers who performed best in ...

[Therapeutic drug monitoring of three antiepileptic drugs - Back on twenty years of experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Serragui, Samira; Zalagh, Fatima; Tanani, Driss Soussi; Ouammi, Lahcen; Moussa, Latifa Ait; Badrane, Narjis; Bencheikh, Rachida Soulaymani

2016-01-01

The therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of antiepileptic drugs is a tool widely used in the management of epilepsy. In Morocco, this monitoring is carried out by the Centre Anti Poison et Pharmacovigilance (CAPM) since April 1995. This is a retrospective study spanning 20 years. It concerns the therapeutic drug monitoring of Phenobarbital (PB) of carbamazepine (CBZ) and valproic acid (VPA). Therapeutic drug monitoring of the 3 antiepileptic drugs represent 58.85% of all applications received by the CAPM. The dosage of PB was ranked first followed by that of CBZ and finally by the VPA. Weak demand for therapeutic drug monitoring in Morocco could be explained by the low number of neurologists in addition to social factors. With its affordable price by patients, PB is the most prescribed antiepileptic drug in our country, which explains the high demand for its dosage. As for the therapeutic drug monitoring of the antiepileptic drug, they were mainly related to age, the occurrence of adverse effects, the association antiepileptic drugs or in the case of verification of patient compliance. Efforts are required for promoting the interests of therapeutic drug monitoring of antiepileptic drug in the management of epilepsy in Morocco.

Radiotherapy for tongue cancer in young adults less than 40 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Ken; Koizumi, Masahiko; Inoue, Toshihiko; Inoue, Takehiro; Yamazaki, Hideya; Kagawa, Kazufumi; Teshima, Teruki; Shimizutani, Kimishige; Furukawa, Souhei; Murayama, Shigeyuki; Nose, Takayuki; Tanaka, Eiichi

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: Radiotherapy for tongue cancer in young adults less than 40 years is studied, retrospectively. Some reports say young tongue cancer patient has worse prognosis. We investigate treatment results of them treated in our department, compared with elder patients. Materials and Methods: Our department registered 1289 patients with tongue cancer during 26 years between Jan. 1967 and Dec. 1992. One hundred and eighty-eight patients were under 40 years old. One hundred and forty-eight patients were primarily treated by radiotherapy. Follow-up terms are among 2 and 25 years (median; 15 years). They consisted of 99 males and 49 females. They were divided into 3 age groups, 3 teenagers, 39 twenties, and 106 thirties. The youngest was 18 years old. T and N categories were T1: 33, T2: 77, T3: 34, T4: 4, N0: 111, N1: 25, N2: 4, and N3: 8 patients, respectively. One hundred and twenty patients were treated only with radiotherapy. Twenty-four and 4 patients were treated with chemotherapy and surgery adding to radiotherapy respectively. Radiotherapy consisted of 29 external, 60 brachytherapy, and 59 both. One hundred and nineteen brachytherapies consisted of Ir: 66, Ra: 50, Ir+Ra: 1, and Au: 2. Eighty-one patients with T1 or2N0M0 treated only by radiotherapy were compared with the similar 454 patients more and equal to 40 years old. Results: The 5-and 10-year survival rates of 148 patients were 69% and 65%, respectively. The 5-and 10-year local control rates were 77% and 76%, respectively. The 5-year survival rates of T1, T2, T3, and T4 patients were 90%, 70%, 50%, and 43%, respectively. The corresponding 10-year survival rates were 81%, 66%, 50%, and 43%, respectively. The 5-year local control rates were 87%, 79%, 71%, and 25%, respectively. With respect to T1 or 2N0M0 patients, the 5-and 10-year local control rates were 80% and 75% under 40 years old, 77% and 73% over 40 years old patients. (p=0.99) The 5-and 10-year cause-specific survival rates were 79% and 72

Solar photochemistry - twenty years of progress, what`s been accomplished, and where does it lead?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blake, D M

1995-01-01

It has been more than 20 years since the first oil embargo. That event created an awareness of the need for alternative sources of energy and renewed interest in combining sunlight and chemistry to produce the chemicals and materials required by industry. This paper will review approaches that have been taken, progress that has been made, and give some projections for the near and longer term prospects for commercialization of solar photochemistry.

New and newer[The New Physics for the Twenty-First Century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, C. [Electron and Optical Physics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, MD (United States)]. E-mail: clark@mail.nist.gov

2006-09-15

Stephen Hawking's inaugural lecture as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University in 1980 caused quite a stir. Its title - 'Is the end in sight for theoretical physics?' - raised the prospect of a unified 'theory of everything'. Hawking suggested that there was a good chance of resolving the remaining inconsistencies between the two big 'theories of something' - quantum mechanics and general relativity - before the turn of the century. My first impression on reading The New Physics for the Twenty-First Century, a collection of essays edited by science journalist Gordon Fraser, is that a theory of everything may still be attainable by the turn of the century. However, there is now 20 times more of everything in the universe than there was in the past century, 95% of which no-one has ever actually seen, or had even heard of until a few years ago - as summarized in articles by Wendy Freedman, Edward Kolb and Ronald Adler. Despite this, Michael Green describes amazing developments in string theory that could tie everything together, if one could just figure out which, if any, of the apparently infinite varieties of string theory applies to our world, and why. (U.K.)

Explaining Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Political Backlash and Generational Succession, 1987-2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Hout

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Twenty percent of American adults claimed no religious preference in 2012, compared to 7 percent twenty-five years earlier. Previous research identified a political backlash against the religious right and generational change as major factors in explaining the trend. That research found that religious beliefs had not changed, ruling out secularization as a cause. In this paper we employ new data and more powerful analytical tools to: (1 update the time series, (2 present further evidence of correlations between political backlash, generational succession, and religious identification, (3 show how valuing personal autonomy generally and autonomy in the sphere of sex and drugs specifically explain generational differences, and (4 use GSS panel data to show that the causal direction in the rise of the “Nones” likely runs from political identity as a liberal or conservative to religious identity, reversing a long-standing convention in social science research. Our new analysis joins the threads of earlier explanations into a general account of how political conflict over cultural issues spurred an increase in non-affiliation.

The Twenty-five Maiden Ladies’ Tomb and Predicaments of the Feminist Movement in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anru Lee

2010-01-01

Full Text Available “The Twenty-five Maiden Ladies’ Tomb” is the collective burial site of the female workers who died in a ferry accident on their way to work in 1973. The fact that of the more than 70 passengers on board all 25 who died were unmarried young women, and the taboo in Taiwanese culture that shuns unmarried female ghosts, made the Tomb a fearsome place. Feminists in Gaoxiong (高雄 had for some years wanted the city government to change the tomb’s public image. Their calls were not answered until the Gaoxiong mayor’s office finally allocated money to clean up the gravesite and, as part of the city’s plans to develop urban tourism, to remake it into the tourist-friendly “Memorial Park for Women Labourers”. Consequently, even though the tomb renovation seemed to indicate a triumph of the feminist endeavour, it was more a result of the Gaoxiong city government’s efforts towards culture-led urban revitalization.

Two years of growth hormone therapy in young children with Prader-Willi syndrome: physical and neurodevelopmental benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Susan E; Whitman, Barbara Y; Carrel, Aaron L; Moerchen, Victoria; Bekx, M Tracy; Allen, David B

2007-03-01

Infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) typically display failure to thrive and decreased muscle mass with excess body fat for age. Growth hormone (GH) therapy in children with PWS improves, but does not normalize, body composition and muscle strength and agility. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of earlier GH therapy on anthropometric measurements, body composition, and psychomotor development in affected PWS infants and toddlers. Twenty-five subjects, ages 4-37 months, were randomized to 2 years of GH therapy (1 mg/m(2)/day) or 1 year of observation without GH treatment and then placed on GH (1.5 mg/m(2).day) for 1 year only. Anthropometric measurements were obtained by standard methods: percent body fat, lean body mass, and total body bone mineral density by dual x-ray absorptiometry; motor constructs of mobility and stability by the Toddler Infant Motor Evaluation; and cognitive and language function by the Capute Scales of Infant Language and Cognitive Development. GH-treated PWS subjects demonstrated normalization of length/height standard deviation scores (SDS), faster head growth, increased lean body mass accrual, and decreased percent body fat (P < 0.005 for all parameters), as well as improved language (P = 0.05) and cognitive (P = 0.02) quotient Z-scores compared with similarly aged untreated PWS subjects after 1 year into the study. PWS subjects treated before their first birthday spoke their first words at a mean age of 14.4 +/- 2.8 months and walked independently at 23.3 +/- 4.8 months. GH therapy was well-tolerated; however, one PWS subject experienced scoliosis progression. As greater benefits were seen in our study with early treatment, prompt referral to a pediatric endocrinologist for consideration of GH therapy is recommended for PWS at an early age. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

One hundred and twenty-five years of the Annals of Botany. Part 1: the first 50 years (1887–1936)

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Michael B.

2015-01-01

Background The Annals of Botany is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing papers on a wide range of topics in plant biology. It first appeared in 1887, making it the oldest continuously published botanical title. The present article gives a historical account of events leading to the founding of the Journal and of its development over the first 50 years. Sources of Information Much of the content is drawn from the Journal’s own records and from extensive Minutes, financial accounts, personal letters and notes relating to the Annals of Botany that were repatriated from University College, University of London in 1999. Documents held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and at the Oxford University Press Museum were also consulted. Content Emphasis is placed on the individuals who instigated, edited and managed the Annals of Botany up to 1937, especially the nine founding members of the Journal and the background that brought them together and motivated them to start the Annals of Botany. A falling out between two of the founders in 1899 is highlighted since not only did this threaten the Journal’s future but also gives much insight into the personalities of those most closely involved in the Journal during its formative years. The article also examines the way the Journal was funded and how it dealt with its publisher (the University of Oxford’s Clarendon Press), turned itself into a registered company (the Annals of Botany Company) and coped with the travails of the First World War, currency inflation and the Great Depression. Plans to re-start the Journal as a New Series, beginning in 1937, are discussed in the context of the competition the Annals of Botany then faced from younger journals. PMID:25561090

Twenty Years of Creativity Research in Human-Computer Interaction: Current State and Future Directions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frich Pedersen, Jonas; Biskjaer, Michael Mose; Dalsgaard, Peter

2018-01-01

Creativity has been a growing topic within the ACM community since the 1990s. However, no clear overview of this trend has been offered. We present a thorough survey of 998 creativity-related publications in the ACM Digital Library collected using keyword search to determine prevailing approaches......, topics, and characteristics of creativity-oriented Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research. . A selected sample based on yearly citations yielded 221 publications, which were analyzed using constant comparison analysis. We found that HCI is almost exclusively responsible for creativity......-oriented publications; they focus on collaborative creativity rather than individual creativity; there is a general lack of definition of the term ‘creativity’; empirically based contributions are prevalent; and many publications focus on new tools, often developed by researchers. On this basis, we present three...

AKR-1 nuclear training reactor of Dresden Technical University turns twenty-five

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, W.

2003-01-01

Twenty-five years ago, in the night of July 27 to 28, 1978, the AKR-1 nuclear training reactor of the Dresden Technical University went critical for the first time and was commissioned. On the occasion of this anniversary, a colloquy was arranged with representatives from science, politics and industry, at which the reactor's history, the excellent achievements in research and training with the reactor, and the status and perspectives of this research facility were described. The AKR-1 had been built within the framework of the Nuclear Development Program of the then German Democratic Republic (GDR). The Nuclear Power Scientific Division of the Dresden Technical University had been entrusted with the responsibility, among other things, to train university personnel for the GDR Nuclear Power Program. The review by an expert group in 1996 of this plant had resulted in a recommendation in favor of long-term plant operation. A nuclear licensing procedure to this effect was initiated, and the necessary technical backfitting measures were implemented. The AKR-1 plant now equally serves for the specialized training of students and for research. (orig.) [de

Risk factors for prelacteal feeding in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis of population data from twenty-two countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Berde, Anselm S; Ozcebe, Hilal

2017-08-01

To examine the risk factors of prelacteal feeding (PLF) among mothers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We pooled data from Demographic and Health Surveys in twenty-two SSA countries. The key outcome variable was PLF. A multilevel logistic regression model was used to explore factors associated with PLF. Demographic and Health Surveys in twenty-two SSA countries. Mother-baby pairs (n 95348). Prevalence of PLF in SSA was 32·2 %. Plain water (22·1 %), milk other than breast milk (5·0 %) and sugar or glucose water (4·1 %) were the predominant prelacteal feeds. In the multivariable analysis, mothers who had caesarean section delivery had 2·25 times the odds of giving prelacteal feeds compared with mothers who had spontaneous vaginal delivery (adjusted OR=2·25; 95 % CI 2·06, 2·46). Other factors that were significantly associated with increased likelihood of PLF were mother's lower educational status, first birth rank, fourth or above birth rank with preceding birth interval less than or equal to 24 months, lower number of antenatal care visits, home delivery, multiple birth, male infant, as well as having an average or small sized baby at birth. Mothers aged 20-34 years were less likely to give prelacteal feeds compared with mothers aged ≤19 years. Belonging to the second, middle or fourth wealth quintile was associated with lower likelihood of PLF compared with the highest quintile. To achieve optimal breast-feeding, there is a need to discourage breast-feeding practices such as PLF. Breast-feeding promotion programmes should target the at-risk sub-population groups discovered in our study.

Testing Students under Cognitive Capitalism: Knowledge Production of Twenty-First Century Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Clara

2016-01-01

Scholars studying the global governance of education have noted the increasingly important role corporations play in educational policy making. I contribute to this scholarship by examining the Assessment and Teaching of twenty-first century skills (ATC21S™) project, a knowledge production apparatus operating under cognitive capitalism. I analyze…

Twenty Years after the Nakhodka Oil Spill Accident in the Sea of Japan, How Has Contamination Changed?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazue Tazaki

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The Nakhodka, a Russian tanker loaded with 19,000 kL of C-type heavy oil, was broken up into sections and submerged off Oki Island, Shimane Prefecture, Japan on 2 January 1997. The bow, after drifting for four days, was wrecked off Anto, Sakai City (Mikuni, Fukui Prefecture, threatening the environment throughout the various shores of Ishikawa Prefecture. The accident, caused by a heavy oil spill of 6200 kL, created serious environmental problems along the shores of Hokuriku District. We report the characterization of C-type heavy oil 20 years after the accident at the Atake seashore, Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the Sea of Japan, based on observations in the field on 18 January 2017. We studied the microstructure, mineralogy, chemical composition, and radioactivity associated with microorganisms in the soils, and buried fishing nets and ropes that were contaminated with C-type heavy oil from this spill. The analyses used a combination of micro techniques, analytical data based on a CHN analyzer, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD, and two kinds of scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, paraffin wax, cristobalite, graphite, calcite, halite, and biotite from the Nakhodka oil spill were recognized on the surface of ropes and in the soil of the polluted seashores after 20 years. The chemical compositions indicated that high concentrations of C, O, Na, Al, Si, P, S, Ca, Fe, Cl, Sr, and Pb were predominantly indigenous to the Nakhodka oil spill. In the XRD analysis of the oil-contaminated soils on the rope at the Atake seashore indicated paraffin wax, graphite, sulfate, calcite and halite refractions with clay minerals, after 20 years. To date, no report has described the results of electron microscopy observations, such as Micrococcus bacillus and filamentous fungi, found in oil-contaminated soils after 20 years. In this research, such observations are introduced as �

Cancer epidemiology from Guayaquil city, years 1990-2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arreaga, Carlos; Paulson, Guillermo; Ceballos, Francisco; Grijalva, Peter; Rhor, Alba

2003-01-01

All sites cancer is in increase in Guayaquil, Ecuador, while the expectations of life when being born they go improving and being infectious contagious illnesses controlled continue adult it will be the increase the cancer like illness causing morbidity and death, in the year 2000 according to official publications the National Institute Statistical and Censuses (INEC) there were 56.420 deaths for different causes, 56.7% corresponded to masculine sex and 43.3% to feminine sex. All registered deaths in Ecuador during the year 2000, 10% corresponded to cancer in men and 14% was in women. According world statistical information it is calculated that in next twenty years, on the world population eight thousand millions inhabitants, annually twenty millions will appear new cancer cases, which twelve millions for this cause will die. For our cancer registry, of Guayaquil city, taking figures published in the periods 1990-2000, the numbers give annual incident cases they have had an increment in men 21% and in women 15%. The reason man/woman has stayed stable 0.6/1, that is to say the woman has more probability to suffer some type cancer that the man and this is due to the great impact gynecological carcinoma. (The author)

Border Crossing in Contemporary Brazilian Culture: Global Perspectives from the Twenty-First Century Literary Scene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cimara Valim de Melo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract: This paper investigates the process of internationalisation of Brazilian literature in the twenty-first century from the perspective of the publishing market. For this, we analyse how Brazil has responded to globalisation and what effects of cultural globalisation can be seen in the Brazilian literary scene, focusing on the novel. Observing the movement of the novelists throughout the globe, the reception of Brazilian literature in the United Kingdom and the relations between art and the literary market in Brazil, we intend to provoke some reflections on Brazilian cultural history in the light of the twenty-first century.

Distribution of stoneflies of the family Taeniopterygidae (Plecoptera) in the Czech Republic: earlier data, new records and recent distributional changes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bojková, J.; Soldán, Tomáš; Špaček, J.; Straka, M.

2011-01-01

Roč. 60, č. 3 (2011), s. 239-258 ISSN 1211-3026 Grant - others:Czech Science Foundation(CZ) GAP505/10/P302 Program:GP Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : Plecoptera * Taeniopterygidae * historical and earlier data Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour

Marijuana and Cannabinoids in ESRD and Earlier Stages of CKD.

Science.gov (United States)

Rein, Joshua L; Wyatt, Christina M

2018-02-01

Marijuana is the most commonly used recreational drug in the United States, and legal recreational and medicinal use has gained public acceptance during the last decade. Twenty-nine US states have established medical marijuana programs, 8 of which have also legalized recreational marijuana, and Canada is expected to legalize recreational marijuana in 2018. Advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are chronic conditions with significant associated morbidity and mortality. Patients experience substantial symptom burden that is frequently undertreated due to adverse medication side effects. This article reviews the available evidence for the use of medical marijuana to manage chronic pain, nausea/vomiting, anorexia/cachexia, and pruritus, all of which are frequently reported by patients with advanced CKD or ESRD. Potential adverse health effects of medical and recreational marijuana use are also discussed. Regardless of personal, social, and political beliefs, marijuana use is becoming mainstream, and nephrologists should be aware of the potential impact on our patient population. Further research is warranted to investigate the renal endocannabinoid system, the impact of marijuana use on kidney disease outcomes, and the risks and benefits of medical marijuana use on symptoms of advanced CKD and ESRD. Copyright © 2017 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Locoregional recurrences following radical external beam irradiation and interstitial implantation for operable breast cancer - a twenty three year experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, S.; Otmezguine, Y.; Calitchi, E.; Mazeron, J.J.; Le Bourgeois, J.P.; Pierquin, B.

1986-01-01

Locoregional recurrences are reported in 493 consecutive with T1 T2 N0 N1 breast cancer patients who were treated with radical external beam irradiation and interstitial 192 Ir implant between 1961 and 1979. Follow-up ranges from 5-23 years (mean 10 years) with 195 patients having 10-23 years follow up (mean 12 years). There were 51 (10%) locoregional recurrences with 34 mammary, 14 combined mammary/axillary and 3 isolated axillary recurrences. The 10 year relapse rate was 20/195 (10%). The results have been compared with other series in the literature and changes in the authors' current protocol are described. (Auth.)

Early-Years Swimming: Creating Opportunities for Adding Mathematical Capital to Under 5s

Science.gov (United States)

Jorgensen, Robyn

2013-01-01

Drawing on survey data from over 2000 parents, this paper explores the possibility of early-years swimming to add mathematical capital to young children. Using developmental milestones as the basis, it was found that parents reported significantly earlier achievement on many of these milestones. Such data suggest that the early years swim…

Review of the book, International handbook of research and development in Technology Education

OpenAIRE

Householder, Dan L.

2012-01-01

This is by far the most comprehensive volume yet issued by Sense Publishers in their excellent contemporary series, International Technology Education Studies. Earlier books in the series are the International Handbook of Technology Education: Reviewing the Past Twenty Years, edited by Marc J. de Vries and Ilja Mottier (2006); Analyzing Best Practices in Technology Education, edited by Marc de Vries, Rod Custer, John Dakers, and Gene Martin (2007); Researching Technology Education, edited by ...

Long-term follow-up after urethral injection with polyacrylamide hydrogel for female stress incontinence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mouritsen, Lone; Lose, Gunnar; Møller-Bek, Karl

2014-01-01

Urethral injection therapy for treatment of stress urinary incontinence has been in use for years, but only a few long-term follow-up studies have been published. Twenty-five women, injected with polyacrylamide hydrogel 8 years earlier, were invited for follow-up. Twenty-four could be contacted; 15...... had had no further treatment, seven had been re-operated with placement of mid-urethral slings, and two had been re-injected with polyacrylamide hydrogel. Eleven women attended for objective examination; all non-attenders were interviewed by telephone. Subjectively, in 44% the stress incontinence...... was cured or much improved, with a positive outcome according to the King's Health Questionnaire. Objectively, all patients had visible polyacrylamide hydrogel deposits on vaginal ultrasonography. No local adverse reactions were seen in the vaginal mucosa. The results of a later mid-urethral sling were...

Twenty-first-century medical microbiology services in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Duerden, Brian

2005-12-01

With infection once again a high priority for the UK National Health Service (NHS), the medical microbiology and infection-control services require increased technology resources and more multidisciplinary staff. Clinical care and health protection need a coordinated network of microbiology services working to consistent standards, provided locally by NHS Trusts and supported by the regional expertise and national reference laboratories of the new Health Protection Agency. Here, I outline my thoughts on the need for these new resources and the ways in which clinical microbiology services in the UK can best meet the demands of the twenty-first century.

Twenty-five-year study of radionuclides in the Susquehanna river via periphyton biomonitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Ruth; Palms, John; Kreeger, Danielle; Harris, Charles

2007-01-01

This 25-y study monitored aquatic and terrestrial gamma-ray-emitting radionuclide levels near a nuclear power plant. It is the only known, long-term environmental survey of its kind. It was conducted neither by a utility owner, nor by a government agency, but rather by a private, environmental research institution. Compared to dozens of other flora and fauna, periphyton was found to be the best indicator to biomonitor the Susquehanna River, which runs near PPL Susquehanna's nuclear plant. Sampling began in 1979 before the first plant start-up and continued for the next 24 years. Monitoring began two months after the Three Mile Island accident of 28 March 1979 and includes Three Mile Island area measurements. Ongoing measurements detected fallout from Chernobyl in 1986, as well as I not released from PPL Susquehanna. Although this paper concentrates on radionuclides found in periphyton, the scope of the entire environmental program includes a wide variety of aquatic and land-based plants, animals, and inorganic matter. Other species and matter studied were fish, mussels, snails, crayfish, insects, humus, mushrooms, lichens, squirrels, deer, cabbage, tomatoes, coarse and flocculated sediment, and more. Results show periphyton works well for detection of radionuclide activity, even in concentrations less than 100 Bq kg (picocuries per gram amounts). Data indicate that PPL Susquehanna's radionuclide releases have had no known environmental or human health impact.

The characterization of twenty sequenced human genomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberly Pelak

2010-09-01

Full Text Available We present the analysis of twenty human genomes to evaluate the prospects for identifying rare functional variants that contribute to a phenotype of interest. We sequenced at high coverage ten "case" genomes from individuals with severe hemophilia A and ten "control" genomes. We summarize the number of genetic variants emerging from a study of this magnitude, and provide a proof of concept for the identification of rare and highly-penetrant functional variants by confirming that the cause of hemophilia A is easily recognizable in this data set. We also show that the number of novel single nucleotide variants (SNVs discovered per genome seems to stabilize at about 144,000 new variants per genome, after the first 15 individuals have been sequenced. Finally, we find that, on average, each genome carries 165 homozygous protein-truncating or stop loss variants in genes representing a diverse set of pathways.

Quality of Cultural Heritage in EIA; twenty years of experience in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindblom, Inge, E-mail: inge.lindblom@niku.no

2012-04-15

The aim of this paper is to clarify and discuss how quality, relevance, attitudes, beliefs and transfer value act as underlying driving forces in the development of the Cultural Heritage theme in EIAs. One purpose is to identify and discuss some conditions that can better environmental assessment in order to increase the significance of EIA in decision-making with regard to Cultural Heritage. The main tools used are different research methods designed for analyses of quality and quality changes, primarily based on the relevant opinions of 160 people occupied with Cultural Heritage in EIA in Norway. The study is based on a review of 40 types of EIAs from 1991 to 2000, an online questionnaire to 319 (160 responded) individuals from 14 different backgrounds, and interviews with three institutions in Sweden and Denmark. The study confirms a steadily increasing quality on EIRs over time, parallel with an improvement of the way in which Cultural Heritage is treated in EIA. This is supported by both the interviews and the qualitative comments regarding the survey. Potential for improvements is shown to be a need for more detailed background material as well as more use of adequate methods. The survey shows the existence of a wide variety of negative views, attitudes and beliefs, but the consequences of this are difficult to evaluate. However, most certainly, negative attitudes and beliefs have not been powerful enough to be detrimental to the quality of Cultural Heritage component, as nothing in the study indicates that negative attitudes and myths are undermining the system of EIA. The study shows the importance of having on-going discussions on quality and quality change over time by people involved in EIA, and how this is a necessary condition for successful implementation and acceptance. Beliefs and negative attitudes can also be a catalyst for developing better practice and advancing new methodology. In addition, new EIA countries must be prepared for several years

Quality of Cultural Heritage in EIA; twenty years of experience in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindblom, Inge

2012-01-01

The aim of this paper is to clarify and discuss how quality, relevance, attitudes, beliefs and transfer value act as underlying driving forces in the development of the Cultural Heritage theme in EIAs. One purpose is to identify and discuss some conditions that can better environmental assessment in order to increase the significance of EIA in decision-making with regard to Cultural Heritage. The main tools used are different research methods designed for analyses of quality and quality changes, primarily based on the relevant opinions of 160 people occupied with Cultural Heritage in EIA in Norway. The study is based on a review of 40 types of EIAs from 1991 to 2000, an online questionnaire to 319 (160 responded) individuals from 14 different backgrounds, and interviews with three institutions in Sweden and Denmark. The study confirms a steadily increasing quality on EIRs over time, parallel with an improvement of the way in which Cultural Heritage is treated in EIA. This is supported by both the interviews and the qualitative comments regarding the survey. Potential for improvements is shown to be a need for more detailed background material as well as more use of adequate methods. The survey shows the existence of a wide variety of negative views, attitudes and beliefs, but the consequences of this are difficult to evaluate. However, most certainly, negative attitudes and beliefs have not been powerful enough to be detrimental to the quality of Cultural Heritage component, as nothing in the study indicates that negative attitudes and myths are undermining the system of EIA. The study shows the importance of having on-going discussions on quality and quality change over time by people involved in EIA, and how this is a necessary condition for successful implementation and acceptance. Beliefs and negative attitudes can also be a catalyst for developing better practice and advancing new methodology. In addition, new EIA countries must be prepared for several years

Strategies for Teaching Maritime Archaeology in the Twenty First Century

Science.gov (United States)

Staniforth, Mark

2008-12-01

Maritime archaeology is a multi-faceted discipline that requires both theoretical learning and practical skills training. In the past most universities have approached the teaching of maritime archaeology as a full-time on-campus activity designed for ‘traditional’ graduate students; primarily those in their early twenties who have recently come from full-time undergraduate study and who are able to study on-campus. The needs of mature-age and other students who work and live in different places (or countries) and therefore cannot attend lectures on a regular basis (or at all) have largely been ignored. This paper provides a case study in the teaching of maritime archaeology from Australia that, in addition to ‘traditional’ on-campus teaching, includes four main components: (1) learning field methods through field schools; (2) skills training through the AIMA/NAS avocational training program; (3) distance learning topics available through CD-ROM and using the Internet; and (4) practicums, internships and fellowships. The author argues that programs to teach maritime archaeology in the twenty first century need to be flexible and to address the diverse needs of students who do not fit the ‘traditional’ model. This involves collaborative partnerships with other universities as well as government underwater cultural heritage management agencies and museums, primarily through field schools, practicums and internships.

Twenty-first Semiannual Report of the Commission to the Congress, January 1957

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strauss, Lewis L.

1957-01-31

The document represents the twenty-first semiannual Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) report to Congress. The report sums up the major activities and developments in the national atomic energy program covering the period July - December 1956. A special part two of this semiannual report addresses specifically Radiation Safety in Atomic Energy Activities.

Twenty years of the journal of product innovation management : History, participants and knowledge stock and flows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moenaert, R.K.; Griffin, A.; Biemans, W.

2007-01-01

The Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM) serves as a marketplace for science-based, innovative ideas that are produced and consumed by scholars and businesspeople. Now that JPIM has existed for 20 years, two intriguing questions emerge: (1) How has the journal evolved over time in terms

Twenty years of the Journal of product innovation management : History, participants, and knowledge stock and flows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biemans, Wim; Griffin, Abbie; Moenaert, Rudy

The Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM) serves as a marketplace for science-based, innovative ideas that are produced and consumed by scholars and businesspeople. Now that JPIM has existed for 20 years, two intriguing questions emerge: (1) How has the journal evolved over time in terms

Long-term intrathecal baclofen: outcomes after more than 10 years of treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathur, Sunjay N; Chu, Samuel K; McCormick, Zack; Chang Chien, George C; Marciniak, Christina M

2014-06-01

To report outcomes of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy for spasticity management in a cohort of patients who had received this treatment for at least 10 years. A cross-sectional survey and retrospective chart review. An academic rehabilitation outpatient clinic. Adult patients with spasticity treated with ITB for at least 10 years. Surveys included the Brief Pain Inventory, Penn Spasm Frequency Scale, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, Diener Satisfaction with Life, Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Intrathecal Baclofen Survey. Twenty-four subjects completed the surveys. The subjects had been treated with ITB from 10.0-28.4 years, with a mean (standard deviation) of 14.7 ± 4.2 years. The mean (standard deviation) dose of ITB was 627.9 ± 306.7 μg/d, with only 6 subjects averaging daily dose changes of more than 10% compared with 3 years earlier. The mean (standard deviation) scores on outcomes surveys were the following: 2.6 ± 2.3 for pain severity on the Brief Pain Inventory, 1.4 ± 0.7 for spasm severity on the Penn Spasm Frequency Scale, 7.9 ± 5.4 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, 4.1 ± 1.6 on the Fatigue Severity Scale, 19.4 ± 8.1 on the Diener Satisfaction with Life, 3.9 ± 0.9 on the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, and 8.8 ± 1.9 for overall satisfaction with ITB on the Intrathecal Baclofen Survey. On the Brief Pain Inventory, the mean scores for pain severity and interference of pain with life showed moderate inverse correlations with ITB dose (r = -0.386, P = .115; and r = -0.447, P = .062, respectively). On the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, the mean scores for life satisfaction showed statistically significant positive correlation with ITB dose (r = 0.549, P = .021). The subjects reported low levels of pain, moderate levels of life satisfaction, normal levels of sleepiness, low-to-moderate levels of fatigue, infrequent spasms at mild-to-moderate severity, and high levels of satisfaction. The efficacy and favorable adverse

Twenty years of socio-economic inequalities in type 2 diabetes mellitus prevalence in Spain, 1987-2006

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Espelt, Albert; Kunst, Anton E.; Palència, Laia; Gnavi, Roberto; Borrell, Carme

2012-01-01

Background: To analyse trends in socio-economic inequalities in the prevalence of diabetes among men and women aged epsilon 35 years in Spain during the period 1987-2006. Methods: We analysed trends in the age-standardized prevalence of self-reported diabetes and obesity in relation to level of

76 FR 72240 - Twenty-Seventh Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 206: Aeronautical Information and Meteorological...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-22

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Twenty-Seventh Meeting: RTCA Special... Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of RTCA Special Committee 206..., 2011 FRAC OSED [[Page 72241

The Summit of «Group of Twenty» – 2016: geopolitical assessments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. S. Vonsovych

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The article investigated the geopolitical assessments of the results of the Summit of «Group of Twenty», which took place in Hangzhou from 4 till 5 September, 2016. The main idea of this event was the development of  innovation, healthy, coherent and inclusive economy. Moreover, important for the geopolitical consolidation of efforts of member countries in the context of further development of the world economy was making such documents as: Contours of the innovative growth of «Group of Twenty», Action plan of «Group of Twenty» in connection with a new industrial revolution, Hangzhou action plan, which set out a strategy for overall and confident growth and also initiative of «Group of twenty» in development and cooperation in the field of digital economy. Important thing is that analysis of the Summit’s results for world regions is important from a geopolitical point of view. We can predict that in the future geopolitical dialogue between the EU and the US in the economy will become more vital for both sides, and will enable to contribute to the implementation of more global challenges of the global economy. We should mention that Summit of «Group of Twenty» largely determined the prospects of global economic processes and build a new world economic order with the introduction of innovative approaches and elements of the digital economy. Activity on the functioning of the global economy should be based on the collective efforts of all participants and take into account all the realities on the international stage. No less important is that the Summit proved the presence of leading geopolitical centers that affect not only the balance of power in the world, but also the further development of key economic processes. Each of these centers sees its future not only the global economy but the global system as a whole as well as its geopolitical influence in certain regions and countries. On the one hand, as for the development of

Mission possible: twenty-five years of university and college collaboration in baccalaureate nursing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Zawaduk, Cheryl; Duncan, Susan; Mahara, M Star; Tate, Betty; Callaghan, Doris; McCullough, Deborah; Chapman, Marilyn; Van Neste-Kenny, Jocelyne

2014-10-01

In Canada, nurse educators from five postsecondary institutions in the province of British Columbia established a collaborative nursing education initiative in 1989, with a vision to transform RN college diploma programs to baccalaureate degree programs. The principles, processes, and structures that served to develop and sustain this nursing education initiative are briefly reviewed. Curriculum, scholarship, and education legislation serve as platforms to critically explore a 25-year history (1989-2014) of successes, challenges, and transitions within this unique nursing education collaboration. The importance of curriculum development as faculty development, program evaluation as an adjunct to pedagogical scholarship, diversity of cross-institutional mandates, political interplay in nursing education, collegiality, and courageous leadership are highlighted. Nurse educators seeking to create successful collaborations must draw upon well-defined principles and organizational structures and processes to guide pedagogical practices and inquiry while remaining mindful of and engaged in professional and societal developments. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

78 FR 20168 - Twenty Fourth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 203, Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-03

... Washington, DC, on March 28, 2013. Paige Williams, Management Analyst, NextGen, Business Operations Group... Introductions Review Meeting Agenda Review/Approval of Twenty Third Plenary Meeting Summary Leadership Update... for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards Other Business Adjourn...

Theoretical Contexts and Conceptual Frames for the Study of Twenty-First Century Capitalism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hull Kristensen, Peer; Morgan, Glenn

2012-01-01

This chapter argues that the comparative institutionalist approach requires rethinking in the light of developments in the twenty-first century. The chapter emphasizes the following features of the new environment: first, the rise of the BRIC and the emerging economies; secondly, the changed...

METHYLMERCURY BIOACCUMULATION DEPENDENCE ON NORTHERN PIKE AGE AND SIZE IN TWENTY MINNESOTA LAKES

Science.gov (United States)

Mercury accumulation in northern pike muscle tissue (fillets) was found to be directly related to fish age and size. Measurements were made on 173 individual northern pike specimens from twenty lakes across Minnesota. Best fit regressions of mercury fillet concentration (wet wt.)...

A 47-Year-Old Man With Fever, Dry Cough, and a Lung Mass After Redo Lung Transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaddha, Udit; Patil, Pradnya D; Omar, Ashraf; Walia, Rajat; Panchabhai, Tanmay S

2018-06-01

A 47-year-old man who was a redo double lung transplant recipient (cytomegalovirus [CMV] status: donor positive/recipient positive; Epstein-Barr virus status: donor positive/recipient positive) presented to the hospital with 1 week of generalized malaise, low-grade fevers, and dry cough. His redo lung transplantation was necessitated by bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, and his previous lung transplantation 5 years earlier was for silicosis-related progressive massive fibrosis. He denied any difficulty breathing or chest pain. There was no history of GI or urinary symptoms, and the patient had no anorexia, weight loss, night sweats, sick contacts, or history of travel. He had a history of 1 earlier episode of CMV viremia that was treated with valganciclovir. His immunosuppressive regimen included tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone, and his infection prophylaxis included trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, itraconazole, and valganciclovir. Results of a chest radiograph 8 weeks earlier were normal. Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.