WorldWideScience

Sample records for unit nineteen years

  1. The Applied Meteorology Unit: Nineteen Years Successfully Transitioning Research into Operations for America's Space Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madura, John T.; Bauman, William H.; Merceret, Francis J.; Roeder, William P.; Brody, Frank C.; Hagemeyer, Bartlett C.

    2010-01-01

    The Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) provides technology transition and technique development to improve operational weather support to the Space Shuttle and the entire American space program. The AMU is funded and managed by NASA and operated by a contractor that provides five meteorologists with a diverse mix of advanced degrees, operational experience, and associated skills including data processing, statistics, and the development of graphical user interfaces. The AMU's primary customers are the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base, the National Weather Service Spaceflight Meteorology Group at NASA Johnson Space Center, and the National Weather Service Melbourne FL Forecast Office. The AMU has transitioned research into operations for nineteen years and worked on a wide range of topics, including new forecasting techniques for lightning probability, synoptic peak winds,.convective winds, and summer severe weather; satellite tools to predict anvil cloud trajectories and evaluate camera line of sight for Space Shuttle launch; optimized radar scan strategies; evaluated and implemented local numerical models; evaluated weather sensors; and many more. The AMU has completed 113 projects with 5 more scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010. During this rich history, the AMU and its customers have learned many lessons on how to effectively transition research into operations. Some of these lessons learned include collocating with the operational customer and periodically visiting geographically separated customers, operator submitted projects, consensus tasking process, use of operator primary advocates for each project, customer AMU liaisons with experience in both operations and research, flexibility in adapting the project plan based on lessons learned during the project, and incorporating training and other transition assistance into the project plans. Operator involvement has been critical to the AMU's remarkable success and many awards

  2. The Applied Meteorology Unit: Nineteen Years Successfully Transitioning Research Into Operations for America's Space Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madura, John T.; Bauman, William H., III; Merceret, Francis J.; Roeder, William P.; Brody, Frank C.; Hagemeyer, Bartlett C.

    2011-01-01

    The Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) provides technology development and transition services to improve operational weather support to America's space program . The AMU was founded in 1991 and operates under a triagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Air Force (USAF) and the National Weather Service (NWS) (Ernst and Merceret, 1995). It is colocated with the 45th Weather Squadron (45WS) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and funded by the Space Shuttle Program . Its primary customers are the 45WS, the Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) operated for NASA by the NWS at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX, and the NWS forecast office in Melbourne, FL (MLB). The gap between research and operations is well known. All too frequently, the process of transitioning research to operations fails for various reasons. The mission of the AMU is in essence to bridge this gap for America's space program.

  3. The Universe in Your City - Nineteen Capitals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarpa, D.; Más, A.

    2010-10-01

    The programme, The Universe in Your City - Nineteen Capitals, took us to each of Uruguay's nineteen provincial capitals. In each capital we erected our Kappa Crucis Digital Mobile Planetarium and were able to reach a wide range of children of school age, and especially children in "critical contexts" (i.e. socially and economically deprived children). We transported our equipment, together with the exhibition materials for the IYA2009 Cornerstone project, From Earth To The Universe - and set it up in open public spaces, staying in each location for one week and offering an average of nine daily 40-minute presentations. Each session featured information on Galileo Galilei's discoveries, the Uruguayan night sky and the cultural heritage provided by the sky. A record number of 46 428 people participated in the 884 sessions held between April and September; while many more simply visited the exhibition. This reflects the remarkable success of the project.

  4. SOCIAL CRITICISM IN THE POEMS AND DRAMAS CREATED BY W.S. RENDRA FROM NINETEEN SEVENTIES TO NINETEEN NINETIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ni Ketut Sudewa

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzed the poems and dramas created by W.S. Rendra which were published from nineteen seventies to nineteen nineties. Such an era was a period of time during which Rendra creatively created his literary works. Politically, the decade from nineteen seventies to nineteen nineties was an era during which the Authoritative New Order held the power and did not hesitate to take action against those, including artists, who bravely expressed their criticisms. It was in that repressive period of time that Rendra appeared as a poet who so bravely used the poems and dramas he created to articularize his social criticisms. This study aims at revealing the themes and consistency of the social criticisms expressed by Rendra in the poems and dramas he created. This study was importantly conducted as the social criticisms the literary works Rendra created were not only strong but are still currently factual as well.  Many researchers have analyzed the social criticisms the poems and dramas created by Rendra contained but none had analyzed such a topic comprehensively and consistently. This present study attempted to complete the studies previously conducted so that the ideas, thoughts and concepts expressed by him through his literary works can be more comprehensively understood and exceed the era when they were created. The theory of sociology of literature and the theory of semiotics were used to analyze the social criticisms expressed by Rendra through his literary works. The theory of literature was used to analyze the social criticisms by contextualizing the themes and era when he created his poems and dramas, and the theory of semiotics was used to analyze the meanings of the sign systems the two genres contained. These two theories were used at the same time and were supported by the other relevant theories such as the theory of politics, the theory of capitalism, and the theory of feminism. His dramas were analyzed before his poems so that

  5. [Democracy without equity: analysis of health reform and nineteen years of National Health System in Brazil].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coelho, Ivan Batista

    2010-01-01

    This paper aims to evaluate the nineteen years of the National Health System in Brazil, under the prism of equity. It takes into account the current political context in Brazil in the 80s, that the democratization of the country and the health sector could, per se, lead to a more equitable situation regarding the access to health services. Democracy and equity concepts are here discussed; analyzing which situations may facilitate or make it difficult its association in a theoretical plan, applying them to the Brazilian context in a more general form and, to emphasizing practical implications to the National Health System and to groups of activism related to health reforms. It also seeks to show the limits and possibilities of these groups with regards to the reduction of inequality, in relation to the access to health services, which still remain. To conclude, the author points out the need for other movements to be established which seek the reduction of such and other inequalities, such as access to education, housing, etc, drawing special attention to the role played by the State, which is questioned regarding its incapacity of promoting equity, once it presents itself as being powerful when approaching other matters.

  6. Design and testing of a combustion-heated nineteen-converter SAVTEC array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nyren, T.; Fitzpatrick, G.O.; Korringa, M.; McVey, J.; Sahines, T.

    1984-01-01

    The SAVTEC (Self-Adjusting Versatile Thermionic Energy Converter) is a new design approach for achieving very close (<12μ) interelectrode spacing in a thermionic converter. Techniques were developed for fabricating an array of nineteen SAVTEC converters. The array was incorporated in an SiC protective ''hot shell'' which also served as a radiant heat source for the emitter of each converter. The completed assembly was tested with a specially constructed combustion heat source. Electric output was generated by sixteen of the nineteen converters, despite poor thermal contact in a cooling block, which resulted in high collector temperatures. Details of the array design and test results are described

  7. Nineteen-year time-series sediment trap study of Coccolithus pelagicus and Emiliania huxleyi (calcareous nannoplankton) fluxes in the Bering Sea and subarctic Pacific Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsutsui, Hideto; Takahashi, Kozo; Asahi, Hirofumi; Jordan, Richard W.; Nishida, Shiro; Nishiwaki, Niichi; Yamamoto, Sumito

    2016-03-01

    Coccolithophore fluxes at two sediment trap stations, Station AB in the Bering Sea and Station SA in the subarctic Pacific Ocean, were studied over a nineteen-year (August 1990-July 2009) interval. Two major species, Coccolithus pelagicus and Emiliania huxleyi, occur at both stations, with Gephyrocapsa oceanica, Umbilicosphaera sibogae, Braarudosphaera bigelowii, and Syracosphaera spp. as minor components. The mean coccolithophore fluxes at Stations AB and SA increased from 28.9×106 m2 d-1 and 61.9×106 m2 d-1 in 1990-1999 to 54.4×106 m2 d-1 and 130.2×106 m2 d-1 in 2002-2009, respectively. Furthermore, in late 1999 to early 2000, there was a significant shift in the most dominant species from E. huxleyi to C. pelagicus. High abundances of E. huxleyi correspond to the positive mode of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), while those of C. pelagicus respond to the PDO negative mode and are related to water temperature changes at huxleyi. At both stations the mean seawater temperature in the top 45 m from August to October increased ca. 1 °C with linear recurrence from 1990 to 2008. The coccosphere fluxes after Year 2000 at Stations AB and SA, and the shift in species dominance, may have been influenced by this warming.

  8. "Tripolar" hip arthroplasty for failed hip resurfacing: nineteen years follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheerlinck, T; Casteleyn, P P

    2001-10-01

    The authors describe the case of a 37-year-old patient who sustained a subcapital femoral neck fracture six months after ICLH double-cup hip resurfacing. As the polyethylene acetabular resurfacing component was undamaged and well fixed, a standard femoral stem with a bipolar head was inserted. The outer diameter of the bipolar head was chosen to fit the resurfacing socket. The "tripolar" hip arthroplasty has functioned well for 19 years and was revised for aseptic cup loosening. The cemented femoral stem was still well fixed and was not revised. Although the "tripolar" hip has functioned well in our case, we believe it is not indicated for metal on metal bearings. In this case the use of an appropriate modular head with a correct head-socket clearance is preferred.

  9. Growth performance and biochemical composition of nineteen microalgae collected from different Moroccan reservoirs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    EL. A. IDRISSI ABDELKHALEK

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Macro- and microalgae have recently received much attention due to their valuable chemical constituents. In order to increase existing data, the authors studied nineteen microalgae species isolated from different reservoirs in the Fez region (northern Morocco, undertaking experiments to determine for each species the specific growth rate, their total amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids and the influence of the growth phase on these chemical constituents. Conditions of cultivation were as follows: light intensity equal to 300 μmol photons m-2 s-1, with a temperature regime of 25/20°C (day/night and a 16/8 (light/dark photoperiod cycle. The growth rates of the nineteen studied species of microalgae showed a wide variation between species, ranging from 0.27 g l-1 d-1 for Chlamydomonas ovalis to 3.64 g l-1 d-1 for Chlorococcum wemmeri. Protein, carbohydrate and lipid contents varied greatly between taxa and within genera. Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Chlamydomonas ovalis, Chlorococcum sp., Hyaloraphidium contortum, Scenedesmus protuberans, and Synechocystis aquatilis tended to synthesize proteins, the concentrations exceeding 20% dry weight (DW. Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Ankistrodesmus sp., Chlorococcum wemmeri, Coenocystis sp., Isocystis sp., Lyngbya bergei, Oscillatoria amphibia, Polytoma papillatum, Scenedesmus protuberans, Scenedesmus sp. and Synechocystis aquatilis showed a high capacity for lipid storage, greater than 20% DW. For carbohydrate contents, only Scenedesmus protuberans and Scenedesmus quadricauda showed an excessive level compared to other scanned species with 29.21% and 24.76% DW, respectively.

  10. Household availability of ultra-processed foods and obesity in nineteen European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteiro, Carlos Augusto; Moubarac, Jean-Claude; Levy, Renata Bertazzi; Canella, Daniela Silva; Louzada, Maria Laura da Costa; Cannon, Geoffrey

    2018-01-01

    To assess household availability of NOVA food groups in nineteen European countries and to analyse the association between availability of ultra-processed foods and prevalence of obesity. Ecological, cross-sectional study. Europe. Estimates of ultra-processed foods calculated from national household budget surveys conducted between 1991 and 2008. Estimates of obesity prevalence obtained from national surveys undertaken near the budget survey time. Across the nineteen countries, median average household availability amounted to 33·9 % of total purchased dietary energy for unprocessed or minimally processed foods, 20·3 % for processed culinary ingredients, 19·6 % for processed foods and 26·4 % for ultra-processed foods. The average household availability of ultra-processed foods ranged from 10·2 % in Portugal and 13·4 % in Italy to 46·2 % in Germany and 50·4 % in the UK. A significant positive association was found between national household availability of ultra-processed foods and national prevalence of obesity among adults. After adjustment for national income, prevalence of physical inactivity, prevalence of smoking, measured or self-reported prevalence of obesity, and time lag between estimates on household food availability and obesity, each percentage point increase in the household availability of ultra-processed foods resulted in an increase of 0·25 percentage points in obesity prevalence. The study contributes to a growing literature showing that the consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Its findings reinforce the need for public policies and actions that promote consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods and make ultra-processed foods less available and affordable.

  11. Association between number of cell phone contracts and brain tumor incidence in nineteen U.S. States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehrer, Steven; Green, Sheryl; Stock, Richard G

    2011-02-01

    Some concern has arisen about adverse health effects of cell phones, especially the possibility that the low power microwave-frequency signal transmitted by the antennas on handsets might cause brain tumors or accelerate the growth of subclinical tumors. We analyzed data from the Statistical Report: Primary Brain Tumors in the United States, 2000-2004 and 2007 cell phone subscription data from the Governing State and Local Sourcebook. There was a significant correlation between number of cell phone subscriptions and brain tumors in nineteen US states (r = 0.950, P cell phone subscriptions and brain tumors could be due solely to the fact that some states, such as New York, have much larger populations than other states, such as North Dakota, multiple linear regression was performed with number of brain tumors as the dependent variable, cell phone subscriptions, population, mean family income and mean age as independent variables. The effect of cell phone subscriptions was significant (P = 0.017), and independent of the effect of mean family income (P = 0.894), population (P = 0.003) and age (0.499). The very linear relationship between cell phone usage and brain tumor incidence is disturbing and certainly needs further epidemiological evaluation. In the meantime, it would be prudent to limit exposure to all sources of electro-magnetic radiation.

  12. Systemic irradiation in multiple myeloma: a report on nineteen cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rostom, A.Y.; O'Cathail, S.M.; Folkes, A.

    1984-01-01

    Nineteen patients with relapsed or resistant multiple myeloma were treated with sequential half-body irradiation (12) and half-body irradiation only (seven). Haematological toxicity was acceptable and recovery was complete in all but two of the 19 patients following half-body irradiation. However, only six of the 12 patients who subsequently had the remaining half irradiated completely recovered. Blood transfusions were required to correct anaemia in six patients, a platelet transfusion was given to one and one patient required both platelet and blood transfusions. No serious haematological complications were observed. Six of the 13 patients who received upper half-body irradiation of probable chest infection, while one patient of the six who received lower half-body irradiation died of this complication. Some of the seven deaths may have been due to radiation pneumonitis. Two patients developed brain secondaries, possibly indicating a change in the natural history of myeloma produced by this new treatment. Subjective improvement was observed in 17 patients and relief of pain usually occurred within the first 24 h. Objective responses were noted in six patients. The median survival for all patients was 6 months with five patients alive 11-28 months at the time of writing. (author)

  13. Nineteen papers on algebraic semigroups

    CERN Document Server

    Aizenshtat, A Ya; Podran, N E; Ponizovskii, IS; Shain, BM

    1988-01-01

    This volume contains papers selected by leading specialists in algebraic semigroups in the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia. Many of the papers strongly influenced the development of algebraic semigroups, but most were virtually unavailable outside the U.S.S.R. Written by some of the most prominent Soviet researchers in the field, the papers have a particular emphasis on semigroups of transformations. Boris Schein of the University of Arkansas is the translator.

  14. Neither a year nor an annus can be a derived unit in the SI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Lucy E.

    2011-01-01

    The year is not a unit of the SI. The only SI unit of measurement for time is the second. The word “annus” or “annum” does not appear anywhere in the current SI document. The word “year” is not in the table of “Non-SI units accepted for use with the International System of Units,” nor in the table of “Non-SI units whose values in SI units must be obtained experimentally,” nor even in the table of “Other non-SI units.” The year can be found, however, through the list of “Other non-SI units not recommended for use.” This heading directs the reader to a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) list where three kinds of year (365 days, sidereal, and tropical) are given with conversion to seconds, but are set in type to indicate “in general not to be used in NIST publications.” Table 1 summarizes some of the uses of the year in other publications. For example, in the IUPAC chemistry document, the year is not a constant; in the International Astronomy Union Style Guide, the year (Julian) is a constant.   

  15. 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)

  16. Biblis unit A thirty years

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lauer, H.

    2004-01-01

    The first nuclear power plant in the Federal Republic of Germany started operation in 1961. It was followed by a consistent period of development until a new energy source had become available by the late sixties which was both powerful and capable of expansion. With 1200 MW electric power, the pressurized water reactor of Biblis A in 1974 was equipped with the world's most powerful single-shaft turbine generator. In 187,656 hours of operation, Biblis A over the past thirty years generated slightly more than 211 billion kWh of gross electricity (by July 31, 2004). The operating experience accumulated also resulted in improvements and modifications of technical plant systems in the 1970s and 1980s which served to bring the unit up to the then current state of the art. Modifications of technical plant systems serving to increase the safety margins or improve operating systems, always in the light of the state of the art, have been carried out consistently and continuously over the years. In combination with a high level of qualification of the operating personnel, which is ensured by an efficient system of primary and refresher training courses of responsible shift personnel and other groups of power plant personnel, this creates a lasting foundation of safe plant operation. In connection with the preparations for, and the execution of, revision outages, Biblis provided the first experience with a PWR of this size category. Unit A of the Biblis nuclear power station is proof of the fact that technical and safety challenges can be solved, and have been solved, by engineering expertise. The high availability and low susceptibility to failure of the plant demonstrate the widely optimized maintenance strategy and the high qualification and motivation of the staff. (orig.)

  17. Survival of the Scandinavian total ankle replacement (STAR): results of ten to nineteen years follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frigg, Arno; Germann, Ursula; Huber, Martin; Horisberger, Monika

    2017-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival and clinical outcome of the Scandinavian total ankle replacement (STAR) prosthesis after a minimum of ten years up to a maximum of 19 years. Fifty STAR prostheses in 46 patients with end stage ankle osteoarthritis operated between 1996 and 2006 by the same surgeon (MH) were included. Minimal follow-up was ten years (median 14.6 years, 95% confidence interval [CI] 12.9-16.4). Clinical (Kofoed score) and radiological assessments were taken before the operation and at one, ten (+2), and 16 (±3) years after implantation. The primary endpoint was defined as exchange of the whole prosthesis or conversion to arthrodesis (def. 1), exchange of at least one metallic component (def. 2), or exchange of any component including the inlay (due to breakage or wear) (def. 3). Survival was estimated according to Kaplan-Meier. Further reoperations related to STAR were also recorded. The ten year survival rate was (def. 1) 94% (CI 82-98%), (def. 2) 90% (CI, 77-96%), and (def. 3) 78% (CI 64-87%). The 19-year survival rate was (def. 1) 91% (CI 78-97%), (def. 2) 75% (CI 53-88%), and (def. 3) 55% (CI 34-71%). Considering any re-operations related to STAR, 52% (26/50) of prostheses were affected by re-operations. Mean pre-operative Kofoed score was 49, which improved to 84 after one year (n = 50), to 90 after ten years (n = 46), and to 89 after 16 years (n = 28). The survival rate for def. 1 and 2 was high. However, re-operations occurred in 52% of all STAR prosthesis. Retrospective cohort study, evidence Level 4.

  18. An orthopaedic geriatric rehabilitation unit: the first two years experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sainsbury, R; Gillespie, W J; Armour, P C; Newman, E F

    1986-08-13

    Experience of the first two years of an orthopaedic geriatric rehabilitation unit is described. There were 325 admissions comprising 271 females and 54 males. The predominant diagnosis was fracture of the proximal femur. Average length of stay in the unit was 43 days for males and 36.7 days for females. 75.9% of patients admitted from home returned there and 66.1% of patients admitted from residential care returned to similar accommodation. In the first year there was a fall of 13.5 days in the average length of stay for elderly females with proximal femoral fracture, resulting in 2175 less bed days for this diagnosis. This improvement has continued.

  19. "Home" or Away? The Higher Education Choices of Expatriate Children in the United Arab Emirates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkins, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of the research upon which this article is based was to identify the factors that influence the higher education choices of expatriate children. The study involved a self-completed written questionnaire and structured face-to-face interviews with nineteen students at four international schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The…

  20. The United States spent fuel acceptance policy - A year in review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huizenga, David G.

    1997-01-01

    Through the combined efforts of the United States and many other nations participating in the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program, much progress has been made toward reducing the amount of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in international commerce. A little more than a year ago, the U.S. Department of Energy adopted a new 1 0-year policy to accept research reactor spent nuclear fuel into the United States from other nations. The policy supports U.S. nuclear weapons nonproliferation objectives and demonstrates the continued commitment of the U.S. to the RERTR program. This paper is a review of the past year's activities and addresses the progress made since the policy was implemented

  1. Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program—2017 year in review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Organ, John F.; Thompson, John D.; Dennerline, Donald E.; Childs, Dawn E.

    2018-02-08

    The Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program was involved in a number of notable events during 2017, many concerning our personnel. Dr. Barry Grand left his position as Leader of the Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit to become the Cooperative Units Program Supervisor for the South, replacing Dr. Kevin Whalen who took over as Supervisor for the West. We welcomed Dr. Sarah Converse who left the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center to become Leader of the Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Dr. Amanda Rosenberger joined the Tennessee Cooperative Fishery Research Unit as Assistant Leader, transferring from the Missouri Cooperative Unit. Dr. Scott Carleton left his position as Assistant Unit Leader in New Mexico to become Chief of the Region 2 Migratory Bird Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.We said farewell to many colleagues who retired. Their departure is bittersweet as we wish them health, happiness, and wellness in retirement. We will miss their companionship and the extraordinary contributions they have made to the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program and conservation.The Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program has a record high number of vacant scientist positions due to a combination of retirements and base funding short-falls. These issues are affecting our ability to meet cooperator needs. Yet, we remain highly productive. For example, this year we released a report (https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1427) containing abstracts of nearly 600 of our research projects, covering thematic areas ranging from advanced technologies to wildlife diseases. We provided highly competent, trained scientists and natural resource managers for our cooperators’ workforce. We delivered technical training and guidance to professional practitioners. We provided critical information to cooperators for decisions on species status assessments and management of species of greatest conservation need

  2. Psychoanalitical Outlook for Orwell’s Coming Up for Air, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zennure KÖSEMAN

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This article highlights a psychoanalytical approach while assessing how world wars cause mental and psychological disorders in human beings in respect to George Orwell’s Coming up for Air (1939, Animal Farm (1945 and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949. Rising global risks result in different forms of tension in financial, economic, and social respects. The atmosphere of perpetual crisis is influential on human psychology and personal values in worsening socio-economic circumstances. The role of psychoanalysis in literary criticism cannot be disregarded because of the rising global risks’ influence on human beings. The chaos of World Wars is the reason for Orwell to portray an apocalyptic analysis in his fictional works. Orwell’s aforementioned three novels in question here reveal a dark undertone of war and conflicts and manifest Orwell’s tendency to portray individuals having anxiety, uncertainty, meaninglessness, alienation, and isolation in the modern world. Moreover, Orwell indirectly depicts that such psychological tensions end up rebellious activities of human beings in his novels

  3. Victory Gin Lane. Starvation and Beverages in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo Caponi

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Gin is an ubiquitous presence in the domestic and urban scenery of Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949. For a population mercilessly hungered, it represents a handy and cheap commodity item providing a fluid opportunity for social aggregation. Victory Gin, served “in handless chine mugs” (53, is part of the workers’ staple diet at the Ministry of Truth, and is sold “at ten cents the large nip” from the small bar (actually, “a mere hole in the wall”, 51 in the canteen; served with cloves, it is the “speciality” (79 of that disreputable place which is the Chestnut Tree Café, where Winston Smith once spotted three fallen-out-of-favor members of the Inner Party – Jones, Aaronson and Rutherford – drink it silently after their release from Oceania prison camps (79. As is typical of the fate of spirits in literature, gin also serves as self-medication and can fuel a kind of inner escapism. It is to make the world “look more cheerful” that Winston gulps it down “like a dose of medicine”, and only after the “shock” of swallowing it can he squeeze himself into his alcove and begin his diary (7; gin clears out Winston’s stomach (53, and is the ultima ratio against that prescient “dull ache” in his belly (105; 106 that originates after bumping into “the girl with dark hair” (later: Julia one evening outside Mr. Charrington’s shop.

  4. Dosimetric Consistency of Co-60 Teletherapy Unit- a ten years Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baba, Misba H; Mohib-Ul-Haq, M; Khan, Aijaz A

    2013-01-01

    The goal of the Radiation standards and Dosimetry is to ensure that the output of the Teletherapy Unit is within ±2% of the stated one and the output of the treatment dose calculation methods are within ±5%. In the present paper, we studied the dosimetry of Cobalt-60 (Co-60) Teletherapy unit at Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for last 10 years. Radioactivity is the phenomenon of disintegration of unstable nuclides called radionuclides. Among these radionuclides, Cobalt-60, incorporated in Telecobalt Unit, is commonly used in therapeutic treatment of cancer. Cobalt-60 being unstable decays continuously into Ni-60 with half life of 5.27 years thereby resulting in the decrease in its activity, hence dose rate (output). It is, therefore, mandatory to measure the dose rate of the Cobalt-60 source regularly so that the patient receives the same dose every time as prescribed by the radiation oncologist. The under dosage may lead to unsatisfactory treatment of cancer and over dosage may cause radiation hazards. Our study emphasizes the consistency between actual output and output obtained using decay method. The methodology involved in the present study is the calculations of actual dose rate of Co-60 Teletherapy Unit by two techniques i.e. Source to Surface Distance (SSD) and Source to Axis Distance (SAD), used for the External Beam Radiotherapy, of various cancers, using the standard methods. Thereby, a year wise comparison has been made between average actual dosimetric output (dose rate) and the average expected output values (obtained by using decay method for Co-60.). The present study shows that there is a consistency in the average output (dose rate) obtained by the actual dosimetry values and the expected output values obtained using decay method. The values obtained by actual dosimetry are within ±2% of the expected values. The results thus obtained in a year wise comparison of average output by actual dosimetry done regularly as a part of

  5. Modeling The Economic Burden Of Adult Vaccine-Preventable Diseases In The United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozawa, Sachiko; Portnoy, Allison; Getaneh, Hiwote; Clark, Samantha; Knoll, Maria; Bishai, David; Yang, H Keri; Patwardhan, Pallavi D

    2016-11-01

    Vaccines save thousands of lives in the United States every year, but many adults remain unvaccinated. Low rates of vaccine uptake lead to costs to individuals and society in terms of deaths and disabilities, which are avoidable, and they create economic losses from doctor visits, hospitalizations, and lost income. To identify the magnitude of this problem, we calculated the current economic burden that is attributable to vaccine-preventable diseases among US adults. We estimated the total remaining economic burden at approximately $9 billion (plausibility range: $4.7-$15.2 billion) in a single year, 2015, from vaccine-preventable diseases related to ten vaccines recommended for adults ages nineteen and older. Unvaccinated individuals are responsible for almost 80 percent, or $7.1 billion, of the financial burden. These results not only indicate the potential economic benefit of increasing adult immunization uptake but also highlight the value of vaccines. Policies should focus on minimizing the negative externalities or spillover effects from the choice not to be vaccinated, while preserving patient autonomy. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  6. Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program—2017 year in review postcard

    Science.gov (United States)

    Organ, John F.; Thompson, John D.; Dennerline, Donald E.; Childs, Dawn E.

    2018-02-08

    This postcard provides details about the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program—2017 Year in Review, U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1438, now available at https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1438. In this report, you will find details about the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units (CRU) Program relating to its background, fish and wildlife science, students, staffing, vacancies, research funding, outreach and training, science themes, accolades, and professional services. You will see snapshots of CRU projects with information on how results have been or are being applied by cooperators. This is the essence of what we do: science that matters.Throughout the year, keep up with CRU research projects at http://www.coopunits.org.

  7. Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, I. Elaine; Seaman, Jeff

    2013-01-01

    "Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education" in the United States is the tenth annual report on the state of online learning in U.S. higher education. The survey is designed, administered and analyzed by the Babson Survey Research Group. Data collection is conducted in partnership with the College Board. This year's study, like those…

  8. A few cubic centimetres inside your skull: a interpretação dos sonhos de Winston Smith em Nineteen eighty-four, de George Orwell

    OpenAIRE

    Stefaisk, Stéfanie Alves

    2015-01-01

    Aliando Nineteen Eighty-Four, de George Orwell, e A Interpretação dos Sonhos, de Sigmund Freud, esta dissertação pretende interpretar os sonhos da personagem principal da obra de George Orwell para, assim, compreender os mecanismos de repressão da personagem, suas neuroses, traumas, fobias, anseios e desejos, e tentar perceber a fundo quem ele, no seu mais profundo inconsciente, realmente é. Analisando sete sonhos relatados pela personagem durante a narrativa, pretendo aplicar a metodologi...

  9. Developmental Relations among Motor and Cognitive Processes and Mathematics Skills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Helyn; Duran, Chelsea A. K.; Cameron, Claire E.; Grissmer, David

    2018-01-01

    This study explored transactional associations among visuomotor integration, attention, fine motor coordination, and mathematics skills in a diverse sample of one hundred thirty-five 5-year-olds (kindergarteners) and one hundred nineteen 6-year-olds (first graders) in the United States who were followed over the course of 2 school years.…

  10. Ohio Department of Transportation State Infrastructure Bank Annual Financial Report : Federal Fiscal Year 2004

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    The Ohio Department of Transportation is pleased to present the Federal Fiscal : Year 2004 State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) Annual Financial Report. The portfolio of : the FFY 04 SIB had a total of nineteen loans in the amount of $47,340,891. : A comp...

  11. Biblis 1,300 MW unit B in operation for thirty years

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lauer, H.

    2006-01-01

    Over the past thirty years, unit B of the Biblis nuclear power station has contributed towards safe, reliable and non-polluting electricity generation. Unit B was the first 1,300 MW unit in the world confirming the good experience accumulated in the construction and operation of plants this size. It laid the foundation for the advanced development of nuclear power plants up to the convoy line. The good availability this plant has achieved in its operating cycles proves the mature state of technology and the high level of qualification and motivation of the power plant staff and the personnel of external firms contracted to work for Biblis. Biblis B has served as a reference plant in German nuclear safety research, demonstrating that units this size can be operated safely. Unit B is also living proof of the possibility to raise nuclear power plants built in the seventies to the current state of the art by implementing the appropriate backfitting and modernization measures. Today, Biblis B is operated at a safety level clearly higher than that to be achieved for new plants internationally. This is also evident from comparison with the guiding values for the safety of new facilities as published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (orig.)

  12. A Survey of Speech Education in United States Two-Year Colleges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Planck, Carolyn Roberts

    The status of speech education in all United States two-year colleges is discussed. Both public and private schools are examined. Two separate studies were conducted, each utilizing the same procedure. The specific aspects with which the research was concerned were: (1) availability of speech courses, (2) departmentalization of speech courses, (3)…

  13. Effects of fatigue on motor unit firing rate versus recruitment threshold relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stock, Matt S; Beck, Travis W; Defreitas, Jason M

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of fatigue on the average firing rate versus recruitment threshold relationships for the vastus lateralis (VL) and vastus medialis. Nineteen subjects performed ten maximum voluntary contractions of the dominant leg extensors. Before and after this fatiguing protocol, the subjects performed a trapezoid isometric muscle action of the leg extensors, and bipolar surface electromyographic signals were detected from both muscles. These signals were then decomposed into individual motor unit action potential trains. For each subject and muscle, the relationship between average firing rate and recruitment threshold was examined using linear regression analyses. For the VL, the linear slope coefficients and y-intercepts for these relationships increased and decreased, respectively, after fatigue. For both muscles, many of the motor units decreased their firing rates. With fatigue, recruitment of higher threshold motor units resulted in an increase in slope for the VL. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Nineteen and Up study (19Up): understanding pathways to mental health disorders in young Australian twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Couvy-Duchesne, Baptiste; O'Callaghan, Victoria; Parker, Richard; Mills, Natalie; Kirk, Katherine M; Scott, Jan; Vinkhuyzen, Anna; Hermens, Daniel F; Lind, Penelope A; Davenport, Tracey A; Burns, Jane M; Connell, Melissa; Zietsch, Brendan P; Scott, James; Wright, Margaret J; Medland, Sarah E; McGrath, John; Martin, Nicholas G; Hickie, Ian B; Gillespie, Nathan A

    2018-03-17

    The Nineteen and Up study (19Up) assessed a range of mental health and behavioural problems and associated risk factors in a genetically informative Australian cohort of young adult twins and their non-twin siblings. As such, 19Up enables detailed investigation of genetic and environmental pathways to mental illness and substance misuse within the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Sample (BLTS). Twins and their non-twin siblings from Queensland, Australia; mostly from European ancestry. Data were collected between 2009 and 2016 on 2773 participants (age range 18-38, 57.8% female, 372 complete monozygotic pairs, 493 dizygotic pairs, 640 non-twin siblings, 403 singleton twins). A structured clinical assessment (Composite International Diagnostic Interview) was used to collect lifetime prevalence of diagnostic statistical manual (4th edition) (DSM-IV) diagnoses of major depressive disorder, (hypo)mania, social anxiety, cannabis use disorder, alcohol use disorder, panic disorder and psychotic symptoms. Here, we further describe the comorbidities and ages of onset for these mental disorders. Notably, two-thirds of the sample reported one or more lifetime mental disorder.In addition, the 19Up study assessed general health, drug use, work activity, education level, personality, migraine/headaches, suicidal thoughts, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology, sleep-wake patterns, romantic preferences, friendships, familial environment, stress, anorexia and bulimia as well as baldness, acne, asthma, endometriosis, joint flexibility and internet use.The overlap with previous waves of the BLTS means that 84% of the 19Up participants are genotyped, 36% imaged using multimodal MRI and most have been assessed for psychological symptoms at up to four time points. Furthermore, IQ is available for 57%, parental report of ADHD symptomatology for 100% and electroencephalography for 30%. The 19Up study complements a phenotypically rich, longitudinal collection of

  15. Development of innovative teaching materials: clinical pharmacology problem-solving (CPPS) units: comparison with patient-oriented problem-solving units and problem-based learning--a 10-year review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lathers, Claire M; Smith, Cedric M

    2002-05-01

    The First Teaching Clinic in Clinical Pharmacology, sponsored by the American College of Clinical Pharmacology in September 1992, was designed for the preparation and development of new clinical pharmacology problem-solving (CPPS) units. CPPS units are case histories that illustrate pertinent principles in clinical pharmacology. Each unit consists of the following sections: introduction, learning objectives, pretest, four clinical pharmacology scenarios, posttest, answers to pre- and posttest questions, and selected references. The clinical pharmacology content of the CPPS units place greater emphasis on clinical information, drug selection, and risk/benefit analyses, and thus they complement the basic pharmacology presented in the patient-oriented problem-solving (POPS) units. In general, the CPPS units are intended for use by students more advanced in clinical pharmacology than first- and second-year medical students. The CPPS unit "Clinical Pharmacology of Antiepileptic Drug Use: Clinical Pearls about the Perils of Patty" was developed for use by third- and fourth-year medical students doing rotations in neurology or clinical pharmacology; advanced pharmacy students; residents in neurology, pediatrics, internal medicine, and family practice; fellows in clinical pharmacology, and those taking the board examination in clinical pharmacology. The CPPS unit titled "Geriatric Clinical Psychopharmacology" was written for third- and fourth-year medical students; residents in psychiatry, family practice, and internal medicine;fellows in clinical pharmacology; and those studying for boards in clinical pharmacology. The CPPS unit "Anisocoria and Glaucoma" was written for more advanced students of clinical pharmacology. The CPPS unit titled "Antiepileptic Drugs" was intended for second-year medical students. The second teaching clinic was held in November 1993 and focused on the development and editing of the CPPS units and their evaluations by faculty and students from

  16. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority's Environmental Unit - 10 years in the Polar Environmental Centre, Tromsoe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-01-01

    The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) established an Environmental Unit at the Polar Environmental Centre in Tromsoe in the summer of 1999. The aim of establishing the unit in Tromsoe was to further the monitoring programmes of the NRPA in the Arctic and to the promote collaboration within the Polar Environmental Centre. Over the last 10 years, the NRPA's Environmental Unit has undertaken a range of research and monitoring activities in close cooperation with other institutes in the Polar Environmental Centre that have helped to further understand the current radiological status of the Norwegian Arctic. (Author)

  17. Nordic ski jumping fatalities in the United States: a 50-year summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, J R

    1988-06-01

    Nordic ski-jumping fatalities are rare events. Six jumping fatalities have occurred in the United States during the past 50 years. The fatality rate for nordic ski jumping, estimated to be roughly 12 fatalities/100,000 participants annually, appears to be within the range of fatality rates for other "risky" outdoor sports. Cervical fractures appear to be the most frequent fatal ski-jumping injury.

  18. Ten years of unitization in Brazil; Dez anos de unitizacoes no Brazil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonolo, Daniel Dellamora; Almeida, Mateus Passeri de [Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (PETROBRAS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2012-07-01

    The unitization concept, as used by the oil industry, was established in Brazil through Art 27 of the Law 9.478/97, also known as the Petroleum Law, and the first process was initiated in 2002. Within these 10 years, four processes were started and finalized, approved by ANP. These processes were developed in a maturing regulatory environment, which was improved in 2010. This article deals with the peculiarities of these processes, putting in context the regulatory framework and doubts at the time. We also verse about the regulatory scene after 2010, pointing out the main enhancements made. It is concluded that, although essential, an elaborated regulation is not the only important factor for the success of a unitization agreement, but also the agreement between parties, which has been encouraged by ANP.(author)

  19. Years of Life Gained Due to Leisure-Time Physical Activity in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janssen, Ian; Carson, Valerie; Lee, I-Min; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Blair, Steven N.

    2013-01-01

    Background Physical inactivity is an important modifiable risk factor for non-communicable disease. The degree to which physical activity affects the life expectancy of Americans is unknown. This study estimated the potential years of life gained due to leisure-time physical activity across the adult lifespan in the United States. Methods Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2010), National Health Interview Study mortality linkage (1990–2006), and US Life Tables (2006) were used to estimate and compare life expectancy at each age of adult life for inactive (no moderate-to-vigorous physical activity), somewhat active (some moderate-to-vigorous activity but active (≥500 metabolic equivalent min/week of moderate-to-vigorous activity) adults. Analyses were conducted in 2012. Results Somewhat active and active non-Hispanic white men had a life expectancy at age 20 that was around 2.4 years longer than the inactive men; this life expectancy advantage was 1.2 years at age 80. Similar observations were made in non-Hispanic white women, with a higher life expectancy within the active category of 3.0 years at age 20 and 1.6 years at age 80. In non-Hispanic black women, as many as 5.5 potential years of life were gained due to physical activity. Significant increases in longevity were also observed within somewhat active and active non-Hispanic black men; however, among Hispanics the years of life gained estimates were more variable and not significantly different from 0 years gained. Conclusions Leisure-time physical activity is associated with increases in longevity in the United States. PMID:23253646

  20. [Pressure sores unit--a one year study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaul, E

    2001-10-01

    The phenomenon of pressure sores in the elderly patient often requires an alternative management policy to that of the standard treatment. In general, the therapeutic approach to pressure sores in the elderly should be different to that in younger patients. This modification is due to the accompanying comorbidity so often associated with aging. Due to accompanying illnesses, the aging population is at high risk and more predisposed to the development of pressure sores. The importance of the establishment of a unit for pressure sores arises from the specific geriatric team approach to the patient and the need to focus carefully on the pressure sores. The management of this special Pressure Sores Unit with a permanent capable staff requires skilled treatment, both localized and systemic, since pressure sores are very often a result of systemic failure or an indication of a terminal condition in the elderly patient. Over six months we followed-up on the number and location of the pressure sores in 47 patients in addition to other functional and nutritional parameters, in order to investigate any connection between the pressure sores and nutritional parameters. The results of the study indicate that the nutritional state of the patients admitted for pressure sores was very poor. Two thirds of the patients suffered from either dementia or stroke, and 90 percent were bedridden, incontinent and enterally fed. Despite the poor general condition of the patient, the study shows improvement in the pressure sores with a reduction from an average of 2.8 to 1.8 pressure sores per patient. The improvement in the pressure sore located on the legs was three times greater than those located in the pelvic area. By the end of the study, 50% of the patients had died, 33% of the original patients who were still in the unit showed improvement in the pressure sores and 15% were discharged showing complete recovery from the sores. No significant correlation was found between changes in the

  1. 76 FR 66051 - Availability of the Fiscal Year 2010 United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Inventory...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-25

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Availability of the Fiscal Year 2010 United States... Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (NDAA 08) Section 807, the Director of Procurement USSOCOM and the Office of the Director, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Office of Strategic Sourcing (DPAP/SS...

  2. Cernavoda NPP Unit 2: 'A year of progress'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullen, Ronald G.

    2004-01-01

    available for installation. An unfortunate incident in shipping of the generator stator from the USA at the end of 2003 meant a delay in the delivery by 10 months. Through a major team effort by all concerned the unit was rebuilt and delivery successfully effected in November. All of the major obstacles have been overcome and the project is currently on schedule. The project has now completed 482 days of work without a lost time accident which is notable considering that over 4 million man-hours were worked during this period. AECL Canada and ANSALDO Energia have worked hard to support the project. The foreign engineering scope of work is nearing completion and all contract scope purchase orders have been placed with most deliveries now completed. Work still continues on procurement to support the commissioning of the plant systems. The success to date is attributed partly to providing a strong Management Team consisting of personnel who bring experience from similar projects in China, Italy and of course Cernavoda Unit 1. The client and Romanian ministry of trade and industry are fully supportive of the project and working as a team with the MT is a key element to meeting the challenges that exist on a large project such as the Cernavoda 2 Plant and has been a key factor in the success to date. The coming year will be no less demanding, by the end of 2005 virtually all systems will be transferred from the construction to the commissioning group. The key issue that will have to be addressed by the project will be acquiring sufficient site construction contractor's manpower to meet the demands imposed by the aggressive systems turn over schedule and delivery of large amounts of materials. Commissioning will also have a major challenge to keep up with some 25 systems being turned over on a monthly basis. Staffing levels for Construction Division will be reduced while a similar increase will occur in Commissioning. With the support of the client SNN the Management Team at

  3. ACTDs: Management Plans as Predictors of Transition

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Phelps, Matthew; Wideman, Jeffrey S

    2007-01-01

    .... The methodology included case analysis of thirty-eight ACTD program business plans. Nineteen of the programs transitioned while the other nineteen were terminated either prior to the Military Unit Assessment (MUA...

  4. Homecoming as a National Founding Myth: Jewish Identity and German Landscapes in Konrad Wolf’s I was Nineteen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ofer Ashkenazi

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Konrad Wolf was one of the most enigmatic intellectuals of East Germany. The son of the Jewish Communist playwright Friedrich Wolf and the brother of Markus Wolf—the head of the GDR’s Foreign Intelligence Agency—Konrad Wolf was exiled in Moscow during the Nazi era and returned to Germany as a Red Army soldier by the end of World War Two. This article examines Wolf’s 1968 autobiographical film I was Nineteen (Ich war Neunzehn, which narrates the final days of World War II—and the initial formation of postwar reality—from the point of view of an exiled German volunteer in the Soviet Army. In analyzing Wolf’s portrayals of the German landscape, I argue that he used the audio-visual clichés of Heimat-symbolism in order to undermine the sense of a homogenous and apolitical community commonly associated with this concept. Thrown out of their original contexts, his displaced Heimat images negotiate a sense of a heterogeneous community, which assumes multi-layered identities and highlights the shared ideology rather than the shared origins of the members of the national community. Reading Wolf from this perspective places him within a tradition of innovative Jewish intellectuals who turned Jewish sensibilities into a major part of modern German mainstream culture.

  5. Living with Volcanoes: Year Eleven Teaching Resource Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Heron, Kiri; Andrews, Jill; Hooks, Stacey; Larnder, Michele; Le Heron, Richard

    2000-01-01

    Presents a unit on volcanoes and experiences with volcanoes that helps students develop geography skills. Focuses on four volcanoes: (1) Rangitoto Island; (2) Lake Pupuke; (3) Mount Smart; and (4) One Tree Hill. Includes an answer sheet and resources to use with the unit. (CMK)

  6. Results from the first year as a major trauma radiology unit in the UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adiotomre, A.; Chopra, A.; Kirwadi, A.; Kotnis, N.

    2014-01-01

    Aim: To record and analyse data from all facets of practice in the first year as a newly set-up major trauma centre radiology department. Materials and methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) for suspected polytrauma over a 1 year period was performed. The mechanism, the time of day, the number of body parts injured, the type of injuries, and resulting surgical or radiological interventions were recorded. Also recorded was the time from the CT examination to the formal report. Where applicable, the consultant-verified reports were cross-referenced with the out-of-hours registrar reports to assess for discrepancies. Results: Two hundred and one patients underwent WBCT for suspected polytrauma. Sixty-four percent (128/201) of WBCT examinations were performed “out-of-hours”. Fifty-seven percent (115/201) were road traffic accidents (RTAs), 33% (66/201) were falls, and 6% (12/201) were assaults. At WBCT, 31% (63/201) had no injuries; 27% (54/201) had injury to one body area; 21% (43/201) had injury to two areas; and 20% (41/201) had injury to three or more areas. Nineteen percent (39/201) required urgent radiological or surgical intervention. The mean time from end-of-CT to a formal report was 27 min. There were discrepancies between consultant reports and registrar reports in 22% (31/142) of cases; 1% (2/142) led to a change in acute management. Conclusion: Based on our early experiences, nearly one-third of patients who undergo a WBCT scan for suspected polytrauma, will have no acute injury at WBCT. One-fifth of patients in our study required emergency surgical or radiological intervention for acute injuries found on WBCT. A low discrepancy rate was found between on-call registrar reports and the consultant-verified reports. - Highlights: • Almost one-third of patients with clinically suspected polytrauma had no acute injury at whole body CT. • One-fifth of clinically suspected polytrauma patients

  7. 200 years of soil carbon nitrogen and phosphorus change across the United Kingdom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tipping, Ed; Quinton, John; Davies, Jessica; Bell, Vicky; Carnell, Ed; Dragosits, Ulli; Muhammed, Shibu; Naden, Pam; Stuart, Marianne; Tomlinson, Sam; Whitmore, Andy; Wu, Lianhai

    2015-04-01

    Human intervention over the last 200 years has resulted in vast changes to the fluxes of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) entering the United Kingdom's landscape. Industrialisation has resulted in N deposition, agricultural intensification has seen widespread use of N and P fertilizers and societal actions have resulted in extensive land use change. To understand the consequences of these anthropogenic inputs for our soils, freshwaters and ecosystems it is necessary to take an integrated long term large scale approach. Integration across the compartments of the critical zone - from atmosphere, plants to soil and stream - is necessary in order to trace the effects of deposition, fertilization, cultivation and land use change. Coherent integration of C, N and P dynamics is also crucial, as biological processes tightly couple these cycles, so that in unison C N and P control the generation of biomass and consequent production of soil organic matter, having knock on effects for dissolved and particulate fluxes and ecosystem function. The Long-Term Large-Scale (LTLS) project is developing an integrated model that simulates the pools and fluxes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (C, N, and P) between atmospheric, vegetation, soil and aquatic systems for the whole of the United Kingdom for a period spanning from the onset of the industrial revolution up until the present day. In this paper we will present results demonstrating the changes in the soil macronutrient cycles in response to agrarian and social change in the United Kingdom over the last 200 years

  8. The aging self in a cultural context: the relation of conceptions of aging to identity processes and self-esteem in the United States and the Netherlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westerhof, Gerben J; Whitbourne, Susan Krauss; Freeman, Gillian P

    2012-01-01

    To study the aging self, that is, conceptions of one's own aging process, in relation to identity processes and self-esteem in the United States and the Netherlands. As the liberal American system has a stronger emphasis on individual responsibility and youthfulness than the social-democratic Dutch system, we expect that youthful and positive perceptions of one's own aging process are more important in the United States than in the Netherlands. Three hundred and nineteen American and 235 Dutch persons between 40 and 85 years participated in the study. A single question on age identity and the Personal Experience of Aging Scale measured aspects of the aging self. The Identity and Experiences Scale measured identity processes and Rosenberg's scale measured self-esteem. A youthful age identity and more positive personal experiences of aging were related to identity processes and self-esteem. These conceptions of one's own aging process also mediate the relation between identity processes and self-esteem. This mediating effect is stronger in the United States than in the Netherlands. As expected, the self-enhancing function of youthful and positive aging perceptions is stronger in the liberal American system than in the social-democratic Dutch welfare system. The aging self should therefore be studied in its cultural context.

  9. Pregnant Adolescents Admitted to an Inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit: An Eight-Year Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fletcher, Teresa M; Markley, Laura A; Nelson, Dana; Crane, Stephen S; Fitzgibbon, James J

    2015-12-01

    To assess patient outcomes and describe demographic data of pregnant adolescents admitted to an inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric unit, as well as to determine if it is safe to continue to admit pregnant adolescents to such a unit. A descriptive retrospective chart review conducted at a free-standing pediatric hospital in northeast Ohio of all pregnant adolescents aged 13 to 17 years admitted to the inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric unit from July 2005 to April 2013. Data collection included details on demographic, pregnancy status, and psychiatric diagnoses. Eighteen pregnant adolescents were admitted to the psychiatric unit during the time frame. Sixteen of those were in the first trimester of pregnancy. Pregnancy was found to be a contributing factor to the adolescent's suicidal ideation and admission in 11 of the cases. Admission to an inpatient psychiatric facility did not lead to adverse effects in pregnancy. Pregnant adolescents did not have negative pregnancy outcomes related to admission to an inpatient psychiatric unit. Results of this study suggest that it is safe to continue to admit uncomplicated pregnant adolescents in their first trimester to an inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric unit for an acute stay. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. P A Jungian Approach to Self-fragmentation of Twentieth Century in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mozhdeh Alizadeh Shirazi

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The problematic life of modern human has always been a significant issue for many areas of study. In reaction to the absence of romantic values and the unity of the pre-modern world, Human being was afflicted with a sense of inner crises which is referred to as self-fragmentation. Fragmentation is one of the significant features of twentieth century when a mode of anxiety subjugated both art and society. In such an atmosphere many writers of the modern century attempted to reflect in their works of literature, what they had experienced in the real world. Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four is one of the popular novels of Modern Era that describes a modern but fragmented society wherein the modern human’s lack of self-integration is perceptible. By representing how the protagonists respond to the voices of their psyches through characterization and dreams, which is also of crucial significance in Jung’s Analytical Psychology, Orwell explores the roots of modern human’s urge for achieving a cohesive sense of self. Accordingly, this study, attempts to illustrate how modern human steps in the path of individuation and to what extent these efforts meet with success, if any. To achieve this goal, some terms and notions of Jungian Criticism such as archetypes and the process of individuation will be borrowed, and a particular focus will be held on dreams occurring in the course of the story. In addition, this paper would like to argue that the dystopian society portrayed in these novels is the offspring of a mere rationalism which prevents human from knowing the opposing forces working within as well as the forces functioning from without.

  11. Clinical prospective evaluation of zirconia-based three-unit posterior fixed dental prostheses: Up-to ten-year results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ioannidis, Alexis; Bindl, Andreas

    2016-04-01

    Only a few studies exist, which assess the clinical long-term behavior of all-ceramic FDPs in the posterior region. The aim of the present prospective clinical study was to evaluate the clinical performance of posterior three-unit FDPs manufactured from Y-TZP after a service period up to 10 years. 55 patients received 59 three-unit FDPs in the posterior region of the maxilla or mandible. Abutment teeth were prepared and full-arch impressions were taken. Definitive casts were fabricated and optically scanned. Frameworks were fabricated with computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing (CAM) technology. Y-TZP frameworks were veneered and adhesively luted to the abutment teeth. Baseline and follow-up examinations (service time: ≥ 48 months) were recorded by applying modified United States Public Health Services (USPHS) rating criteria. Cumulative survival rate was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier. Percentage of biological and technical complication was calculated. Fifty-three patients with 57 FDPs attended the last follow-up visit and a mean observation period of the remaining was 6.3 ± 1.9 years was calculated. Biological complications occurred in 17.5%, technical complications in 28% of the FDPs. The 10-year cumulative survival rate amounted 85.0%. Three FDPs failed to survive, two due to a root fracture of the abutment tooth and one due to secondary caries. Three-unit FDPs made from Y-TZP, veneered with ceramic offer a treatment option with a high rate of chipping. However, the manufacturing processes nowadays are modified in order to avoid this complication. The results of the present investigation suggest that three-unit Y-TZP posterior FDPs may are a possible treatment option. However, a high rate of chipping can be expected. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Complementary-relationship-based 30 year normals (1981-2010) of monthly latent heat fluxes across the contiguous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szilagyi, Jozsef

    2015-11-01

    Thirty year normal (1981-2010) monthly latent heat fluxes (ET) over the conterminous United States were estimated by a modified Advection-Aridity model from North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) radiation and wind as well as Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) air and dew-point temperature data. Mean annual ET values were calibrated with PRISM precipitation (P) and validated against United States Geological Survey runoff (Q) data. At the six-digit Hydrologic Unit Code level (sample size of 334) the estimated 30 year normal runoff (P - ET) had a bias of 18 mm yr-1, a root-mean-square error of 96 mm yr-1, and a linear correlation coefficient value of 0.95, making the estimates on par with the latest Land Surface Model results but without the need for soil and vegetation information or any soil moisture budgeting.

  13. Treatment and rehabilitation on a stroke unit improves 5-year survival. A community-based study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, H S; Kammersgaard, L P; Nakayama, H

    1999-01-01

    We have previously reported a marked reduction in mortality up to 1 year after treatment and rehabilitation on a stroke unit versus on general neurological and medical wards in unselected stroke patients. In the present study we wanted to test the hypothesis that this mortality-reducing effect...

  14. The United Kingdom’s Naval Shipbuilding Industrial Base: The Next Fifteen Years

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-01-01

    the United Kingdom 71 Lauder College are developing improved procedures for selecting and training craft modern apprentices, as well as programmes...Next 15 Years for the names of the suppliers, information on what they provided, and the amount of money spent on them. We also asked the ship- yards...analysis on all money spent on suppliers; (2) ration- alise the supply base, consolidating contracts where possible (and where this fits the legal

  15. Years of life lived with disease and years of potential life lost in children who die of cancer in the United States, 2009

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blank, Peter M de; Ostrom, Quinn T; Rouse, Chaturia; Wolinsky, Yingli; Kruchko, Carol; Salcido, Joanne; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill S

    2015-01-01

    Incidence and survival rates are commonly reported statistics, but these may fail to capture the full impact of childhood cancers. We describe the years of potential life lost (YPLL) and years of life lived with disease (YLLD) in children and adolescents who died of cancer in the United States to estimate the impact of childhood cancer in the United States in 2009. We examined mortality data in 2009 among children and adolescents <20 years old in both the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) datasets. YPLL and YLLD were calculated for all deaths due to cancer. Histology-specific YPLL and YLLD of central nervous system (CNS) tumors, leukemia, and lymphoma were estimated using SEER. There were 2233 deaths and 153,390.4 YPLL due to neoplasm in 2009. CNS tumors were the largest cause of YPLL (31%) among deaths due to cancer and were the cause of 1.4% of YPLL due to all causes. For specific histologies, the greatest mean YPLL per death was due to atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (78.0 years lost). The histology with the highest mean YLLD per death in children and adolescents who died of cancer was primitive neuroectodermal tumor (4.6 years lived). CNS tumors are the most common solid malignancy in individuals <20 years old and have the highest YPLL cost of all cancers. This offers the first histology-specific description of YPLL in children and adolescents and proposes a new measure of cancer impact, YLLD, in individuals who die of their disease. YPLL and YLLD complement traditional indicators of mortality and help place CNS tumors in the context of other childhood malignancies

  16. Migration from Mexico to the United States and subsequent risk for depressive and anxiety disorders: a cross-national study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breslau, Joshua; Borges, Guilherme; Tancredi, Daniel; Saito, Naomi; Kravitz, Richard; Hinton, Ladson; Vega, William; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio

    2011-04-01

    Migration is suspected to increase risk for depressive and anxiety disorders. To test the hypothesized increase in risk for depressive and anxiety disorders after arrival in the United States among Mexican migrants. We combined data from surveys conducted separately in Mexico and the United States that used the same diagnostic interview. Discrete time survival models were specified to estimate the relative odds of first onset of depressive disorders (major depressive episode and dysthymia) and anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder) among migrants after their arrival in the United States compared with nonmigrant Mexicans who have a migrant in their immediate family. Population surveys in the United States and Mexico. Two thousand five hundred nineteen nonmigrant family members of migrants in Mexico and 554 Mexican migrants in the United States. First onset of any depressive or anxiety disorder. After arrival in the United States, migrants had a significantly higher risk for first onset of any depressive or anxiety disorder than did nonmigrant family members of migrants in Mexico (odds ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.94). Associations between migration and disorder varied across birth cohorts. Elevated risk among migrants relative to nonmigrants was restricted to the 2 younger cohorts (those aged 18-25 or 26-35 years at interview). In the most recent birth cohort, the association between migration and first onset of any depressive or anxiety disorder was particularly strong (odds ratio, 3.89; 95% confidence interval, 2.74-5.53). This is, to our knowledge, the first study to compare risk for first onset of psychiatric disorder between representative samples of migrants in the United States and nonmigrants in Mexico. The findings are consistent with the hypothesized adverse effect of migration from Mexico to the United States on the mental health of migrants, but only among

  17. The Holocaust after 70 years: Holocaust survivors in the United States(.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prince, Robert M

    2015-09-01

    Over 70 years, there have been different narratives of the Holocaust survivors coming to the United States. Survivors' stories begin with an event of major historical significance. Difficulties in conceptualizing historical trauma, along with common distortions and myths about Holocaust survivors and their children are examined. This article proposes that it is impossible to discuss the consequences of extreme suffering without consideration of historical meaning and social context with which they are entwined. The evolution of the social representation of the Holocaust and the contradictions in clinical attributions to survivors and their children with consideration of the future is described. Attributions to survivors and their children with consideration of the future is described.

  18. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. Report for the Year ending on 30 September 1963

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1965-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article XXXV of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (JSPB) present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published a report containing statistical data for the year ending on 30 September 1963, as well as an account of the twelfth session of JSPB in July 1964, as Supplement No. 8 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: 19 th Session (A/5808)

  19. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. Report for the Year ending on 30 September 1965

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1967-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article XXXV of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (JSPB) present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published a report containing statistical data for the year ending on 30 September 1965, as well as an account of the thirteenth session of JSPB in July 1966, as Supplement No. 8 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: Twenty-first Session (A/6308)

  20. Work-unit measures of organisational justice and risk of depression--a 2-year cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grynderup, Matias Brødsgaard; Mors, Ole; Hansen, Åse Marie; Andersen, Johan Hviid; Bonde, Jens Peter; Kærgaard, Anette; Kærlev, Linda; Mikkelsen, Sigurd; Rugulies, Reiner; Thomsen, Jane Frølund; Kolstad, Henrik Albert

    2013-06-01

    The aim of this study is to analyse if low justice at work, analysed as aggregated workplace means, increases the risk of depression. A total of 4237 non-depressed Danish public employees within 378 different work units were enrolled in 2007. Mean levels of procedural and relational justice were computed for each work unit to obtain exposure measures that were robust to reporting bias related to depression. Two years later in 2009, 3047 (72%) participated at follow-up. Those reporting high levels of depressive, burn-out or stress symptoms were assigned to a psychiatric diagnostic interview. In the interview 58 cases of new onset depression were identified. Depression ORs by work unit level of procedural and relational justice were estimated by multivariable logistic regression accounting for established risk factors for depression. Working in a work unit with low procedural justice (adjusted ORs of 2.50, 95% CI 1.06 to 5.88) and low relational justice (3.14, 95% CI 1.37 to 7.19) predicted onset of depression. Our results indicate that a work environment characterised by low levels of justice is a risk factor for depression.

  1. Annual Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board. Report for the Year ending on 30 September 1964

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1966-01-01

    Pursuant to the requirement in Article XXXV of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund that the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (JSPB) present an annual report to the General Assembly of the United Nations and to the member organizations of the Fund, the United Nations has published a report containing statistical data for the year ending on 30 September 1964, as well as a summary of action taken on behalf of JSPB by its Standing Committee since the former's last session in July 1964, as Supplement No. 8 to the Official Records of the General Assembly: 20 th Session (A/6008)

  2. Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the united states: nationally-representative surveys

    OpenAIRE

    Castetbon Katia; Andreyeva Tatiana

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100) and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2...

  3. Report and accounts of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for the year ended 31 March 1986

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-03-01

    The report and accounts of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for the year ended 31 March 1986 is presented. The contents include: a) a general report, b) technical report, c) facilities, expertise and organisation, d) accounts. (UK)

  4. 5 CFR 2641.202 - Two-year restriction on any former employee's representations to United States concerning...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Two-year restriction on any former employee's representations to United States concerning particular matter for which the employee had official responsibility. 2641.202 Section 2641.202 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS GOVERNMENT ETHICS POST-EMPLOYMENT CONFLICT OF...

  5. Waste Area Group 10, Operable Unit 10-08, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Annual Status Report for Fiscal Year 2006

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    R. P. Wells

    2007-05-09

    This report provides a status of the progress made in Fiscal Year 2006 on tasks identified in the Waste Area Group 10, Operable Unit 10-08, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Work Plan. Major accomplishments include: (1) groundwater sampling and review of the groundwater monitoring data, (2) installation of a Sitewide groundwater-level monitoring network, (3) update of the Groundwater Monitoring and Field Sampling Plan of Operable Unit 10-08, (4) re-evaluation of the risk at Site TSF-08, (5) progress on the Operable Unit 10-08 Sitewide Groundwater Model.

  6. Child Mortality In The US And 19 OECD Comparator Nations: A 50-Year Time-Trend Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakrar, Ashish P; Forrest, Alexandra D; Maltenfort, Mitchell G; Forrest, Christopher B

    2018-01-01

    The United States has poorer child health outcomes than other wealthy nations despite greater per capita spending on health care for children. To better understand this phenomenon, we examined mortality trends for the US and nineteen comparator nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for children ages 0-19 from 1961 to 2010 using publicly available data. While child mortality progressively declined across all countries, mortality in the US has been higher than in peer nations since the 1980s. From 2001 to 2010 the risk of death in the US was 76 percent greater for infants and 57 percent greater for children ages 1-19. During this decade, children ages 15-19 were eighty-two times more likely to die from gun homicide in the US. Over the fifty-year study period, the lagging US performance amounted to over 600,000 excess deaths. Policy interventions should focus on infants and on children ages 15-19, the two age groups with the greatest disparities, by addressing perinatal causes of death, automobile accidents, and assaults by firearm.

  7. The Lombardia Stroke Unit Registry: a year experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuseppe Micieli

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Stroke is the third cause of death and the first long-term disability cause in industrialised countries. It is therefore an important problem, not only from a clinical point of view, but also because of the high costs involved in its management. The results of clinical trials, reviews and meta-analysis highlight the importance of the Stroke Unit in the correct and adequate management of the patient with stroke. This article describes the Lombardia Stroke Unit and the related Stroke Registry. In 2010 this Registry includes 27 Centres and recruits patients with acute stroke or transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs. The Registry aims at measuring performance parameters, identifying guidelines, non-compliance causes, and analysing care processes.

  8. 5-year operation experience with the 1.8 K refrigeration units of the LHC cryogenic system

    CERN Document Server

    Ferlin, G; Claudet, S; Pezzetti, M

    2015-01-01

    Since 2009, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is in operation at CERN. The LHC superconducting magnets distributed over eight sectors of 3.3-km long are cooled at 1.9 K in pressurized superfluid helium. The nominal operating temperature of 1.9 K is produced by eight 1.8-K refrigeration units based on centrifugal cold compressors (3 or 4 stages depending to the vendor) combined with warm volumetric screw compressors with sub-atmospheric suction. After about 5 years of continuous operation, we will present the results concerning the availability for the final user of these refrigeration units and the impact of the design choice on the recovery time after a system trip. We will also present the individual results for each rotating machinery in terms of failure origin and of Mean Time between Failure (MTBF), as well as the consolidations and upgrades applied to these refrigeration units.

  9. 5-year operation experience with the 1.8 K refrigeration units of the LHC cryogenic system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferlin, G.; Tavian, L.; Claudet, S.; Pezzetti, M.

    2015-12-01

    Since 2009, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is in operation at CERN. The LHC superconducting magnets distributed over eight sectors of 3.3-km long are cooled at 1.9 K in pressurized superfluid helium. The nominal operating temperature of 1.9 K is produced by eight 1.8-K refrigeration units based on centrifugal cold compressors (3 or 4 stages depending to the vendor) combined with warm volumetric screw compressors with sub-atmospheric suction. After about 5 years of continuous operation, we will present the results concerning the availability for the final user of these refrigeration units and the impact of the design choice on the recovery time after a system trip. We will also present the individual results for each rotating machinery in terms of failure origin and of Mean Time between Failure (MTBF), as well as the consolidations and upgrades applied to these refrigeration units.

  10. [Inpatient Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) - 10 years of experience on the psychiatric inpatient unit "wellenreiter"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Auer, Anne Kristin; Kleindienst, Nikolaus; Ludewig, Sonia; Soyka, Oliver; Bohus, Martin; Ludäscher, Petra

    2015-09-01

    In April 2004 the inpatient unit "Wellenreiter" at the Vorwerker Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy in Lubeck (Germany) opened its doors. Despite reservations by the therapeutic community, we implemented a specialized treatment for female adolescents with symptoms of borderline personality disorder - the I;>ialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A). In this article we present the concept, our experiences, and data from the past 10 years of clinical work in this specialized unit.

  11. Thirteen years electro-reclamation in the Netherlands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lageman, R.; Pool, W. [Hak Milieutechniek b.v., Geldermalsen (Netherlands)

    2001-07-01

    The suggestion that electrochemical techniques and more in general the use of electricity could compete with traditional methods of land clean up seemed somewhat ludicrous during the nineteen-eighties. Especially in the Netherlands, where at that time soil remediation was synonymous with digging, dumping or incinerating contaminated soil and pumping and treating hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of mostly just lightly polluted groundwater. At the end of the 1990's, however, the situation changed dramatically and in-situ remediation was much sought after and so were in-situ technologies. One of those is electroreclamation, but publications and symposia prolong the suggestion that it is still an emerging technology, or a development of recent years. Nothing is farther from the truth. (orig.)

  12. Developing a Model for Identifying Students at Risk of Failure in a First Year Accounting Unit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Malcolm; Therry, Len; Whale, Jacqui

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on the process involved in attempting to build a predictive model capable of identifying students at risk of failure in a first year accounting unit in an Australian university. Identifying attributes that contribute to students being at risk can lead to the development of appropriate intervention strategies and support…

  13. A regulatory view of the seismic assessment of existing nuclear structures in the United Kingdom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inkester, J.E.

    2001-01-01

    The paper describes the background to the seismic assessment of existing nuclear structures in the United Kingdom. Nuclear installations in this country were not designed specifically to resist earthquakes until the nineteen-seventies, although older plants were robustly constructed. The seismic capability of these older installations is now being evaluated as part of the periodic safety reviews which nuclear licensees are required to carry out. The regulatory requirements which set the framework for these studies are explained. The licensees' processes of hazard appraisal and examination of the response of the structure are briefly summarized. Regulatory views on some of the criteria used to judge the adequacy of safety are discussed. Finally the paper provides some comments on future initiatives and possible areas of development. (author)

  14. Conceptualizing Surrogate Decision-Making at End of Life in the Intensive Care Unit using Cognitive Task Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dionne-Odom, J. Nicholas; Willis, Danny G.; Bakitas, Marie; Crandall, Beth; Grace, Pamela J.

    2014-01-01

    Background Surrogate decision-makers (SDMs) face difficult decisions at end of life (EOL) for decisionally incapacitated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Purpose Identify and describe the underlying psychological processes of surrogate decision-making for adults at EOL in the ICU. Method Qualitative case study design using a cognitive task analysis (CTA) interviewing approach. Participants were recruited from October 2012 to June 2013 from an academic tertiary medical center’s ICU located in the rural Northeastern United States. Nineteen SDMs for patients who had died in the ICU completed in-depth semi-structured CTA interviews. Discussion The conceptual framework formulated from data analysis reveals that three underlying, iterative, psychological dimensions: gist impressions, distressing emotions, and moral intuitions impact a SDM’s judgment about the acceptability of either the patient’s medical treatments or his or her condition. Conclusion The framework offers initial insights about the underlying psychological processes of surrogate decision-making and may facilitate enhanced decision support for SDMs. PMID:25982772

  15. Proposal for the Award of a Contract for the Supply of the Power Units for LHC Thyristor Power Converters

    CERN Document Server

    2003-01-01

    This document concerns the award of a contract for the supply of 12 power units of thyristor power converters rated from 365 to 770 kW for the LHC. Following a market survey carried out among 98 firms in nineteen Member States, a call for tenders (IT-3003/SL/LHC) was sent on 25 October 2002 to six firms in four Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received five tenders from five firms in four Member States. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a contract with OCEM (IT), the lowest bidder, for the supply of 12 power units of thyristor power converters for a total amount of 981 484 Swiss francs not subject to revision, with options for three additional units of the power part of thyristor power converters, for an additional amount of 249 681 Swiss francs, subject to revision for inflation from 1 August 2006, bringing the total amount to 1 231 165 Swiss francs. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the contract value covered by this adjudication propos...

  16. Seven Years of Permanent Running of MELFI-1 on Board the ISS and Utilisation of the Three MELFI Units Refrigeration Pool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chegancas, Jean; Stephan, Hubertus; Jimenez, Jesus; Campana, Sharon; Hutchison, Susan

    2013-01-01

    The pool of three Minus Eighty Laboratory freezer for ISS (MELFI) units continues providing the scientific community with robust and permanent freezer and refrigeration capabilities for life science experiments on the International Space Station (ISS). Launched in 2006, the first unit will complete, by summer 2013, seven years of continuous operations without intervention on the internal Nitrogen gas cycle, while all necessary hardware and operations were initially planned for preventive maintenance every two years. This unit has demonstrated outstanding performance on orbit and proved the technical decisions made during the development program. Current utilization of MELFI units in the ISS is taking full benefit of the initial specifications, which allows for wide adaptations to cope with the mission scenario imposed by the life extension in orbit. The two other MELFI units, launched respectively in 2008 and 2009, are supporting the first unit providing additional conditioned volume necessary for the science on board, and also for preparing thermal mass used to protect the samples on their way down to earth. The MELFI pool is outfitted with all supporting hardware to allow for extended operation on orbit including preventive and corrective maintenance. The internal components were designed to allow for easy on board maintenance. Spare equipment was installed in the MELFI rack on ISS and specific maintenance means were developed which required crew training before the cold gas cycle could be accessed. The paper will present first how the design choices made for the initial missions are identifying features necessary for extended duration missions, and will then give highlights on the utilization of the MELFI refrigeration pool during the recent years in ISS.

  17. Four-unit fixed dental prostheses replacing the maxillary incisors supported by two narrow-diameter implants - a five-year case series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moráguez, Osvaldo; Vailati, Francesca; Grütter, Linda; Sailer, Irena; Belser, Urs C

    2017-07-01

    (1) To determine the survival rate of 10 four-unit fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) replacing the four maxillary incisors, supported by 20 narrow-diameter implants (NDIs), (2) to assess the incidence of mechanical and biological complications, and (3) to evaluate bone level changes longitudinally after final FDP insertion. Ten patients (six women, four men), mean age 49.4 ± 12.6 years, were treated with a four-unit anterior maxillary FDP (six screw-retained; four cemented). Biological parameters, eventual technical complications, radiographic measurements, and study casts were assessed at 1 (baseline), 3, and 5 years after implant placement. A multilevel logistic regression test was performed on clinical parameters and bone level changes (significance level P four-unit FDP to replace the four missing maxillary incisors may be considered a predictable treatment modality. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Doctors qualifying from United Kingdom medical schools during the calendar years 1977 and 1983.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkhouse, J; Parkhouse, H F

    1989-01-01

    At the conclusion of undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom most students pass a university qualifying examination and obtain a degree in medicine and surgery. Some students pass an external non-university qualifying examination in medicine as an alternative to obtaining a degree, and some do both. The degree may be obtained in the same year as the non-university qualifying examination, or in a different year. Some students from a medical school intake qualify in a later year than expected, for various reasons. Data from university, Health Department and other sources may relate to the academic year, the calendar year, or a fixed date such as 30 September. It is not a simple exercise, therefore, to define the exact number of people who qualify to practise medicine, for the first time, in any given 'year'. In counting qualifiers from individual medical schools, the problems are further compounded by the movement of students between the preclinical and clinical stages of the course, particularly from Oxford and Cambridge to London teaching hospitals. This paper analyses the situation for the calendar years 1977 and 1983, showing a decline in the number of students obtaining double (i.e. both university and non-university) qualifications. The number of UK graduates not registering with the General Medical Council to practise, at least for a time, in the UK was small, and the population base compiled for Medical Career Research Group studies was reasonably accurate in each of the 2 years examined.

  19. Epidemiology of burns undergoing hospitalization to the National Burns Unit in the Sultanate of Oman: a 25-year review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Shaqsi, Sultan; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Al-Bulushi, Taimoor

    2013-12-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of burns admitted to the National Burns Unit (NBU) in the Sultanate of Oman between 1987 and 2011. This is a retrospective review of burn patients admitted to Oman's National Burns Unit (NBU) between 1987 and 2011. The data extracted from the national burn registry. The study describes the admission rate by gender and age groups, occupation, causes of burns, time-to-admission, length of stay and in-hospital mortality of burns between 1987 and 2011. During a 25-year from 1987 to 2011, there were 3531 burn patients admitted to the National Burns Unit in Oman. The average admission rate to NBU is 7.02 per 100,000 persons per year. On average, males were more likely to be admitted to the NBU than females during the study period (P value Oman. Children are disproportionately over-represented in this study. Prevention programmes are urgently needed to address this "silent and costly epidemic." Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  20. Vascular access and infection prevention and control: a national survey of routine practices in Irish haemodialysis units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCann, Margaret; Clarke, Michael; Mellotte, George; Plant, Liam; Fitzpatrick, Fidelma

    2013-04-01

    National and international guidelines recommend the use of effective vascular access (VA) and infection prevention and control practices within the haemodialysis environment. Establishing an arterio-venous fistula (AVF) and preventing central venous catheter (CVC)-related infections are ongoing challenges for all dialysis settings. We surveyed VA and routine infection prevention and control practices in dialysis units, to provide national data on these practices in Ireland. A descriptive survey was emailed to nurse managers at all adult (n = 19) and children (n = 1) outpatient haemodialysis units in the Republic of Ireland. Data collected included AVF formation, CVC insertion and maintenance practices, VA use and surveillance of infection and screening protocols. Nineteen of the 20 units responded to the survey. The AVF prevalence was 49% for 1370 patients in 17 units who provided these data [mean prevalence per unit: 45.7% (SD 16.2)]; the CVC mean prevalence per unit was 52.5% (SD 16.0). Fourteen dialysis units experienced inadequate access to vascular surgical procedures either due to a lack of dedicated theatre time or hospital beds. Six units administered intravenous prophylactic antimicrobials prior to CVC insertion with only two units using a CVC insertion checklist at the time of catheter insertion. In general, dialysis units in Ireland show a strong adherence to national guidelines. Compared with the 12 countries participating in the Dialysis Outcomes Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS 4), in 2010, AVF prevalence in Irish dialysis units is the second lowest. Recommendations include establishing an AVF national prevalence target rate, discontinuing the administration of intravenous prophylactic antimicrobials prior to CVC insertion and promoting the use of CVC insertion checklists.

  1. Comparison of ultraviolet A light protection standards in the United States and European Union through in vitro measurements of commercially available sunscreens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Steven Q; Xu, Haoming; Stanfield, Joseph W; Osterwalder, Uli; Herzog, Bernd

    2017-07-01

    The importance of adequate ultraviolet A light (UVA) protection has become apparent in recent years. The United States and Europe have different standards for assessing UVA protection in sunscreen products. We sought to measure the in vitro critical wavelength (CW) and UVA protection factor (PF) of commercially available US sunscreen products and see if they meet standards set by the United States and the European Union. Twenty sunscreen products with sun protection factors ranging from 15 to 100+ were analyzed. Two in vitro UVA protection tests were conducted in accordance with the 2011 US Food and Drug Administration final rule and the 2012 International Organization for Standardization method for sunscreen effectiveness testing. The CW of the tested sunscreens ranged from 367 to 382 nm, and the UVA PF of the products ranged from 6.1 to 32. Nineteen of 20 sunscreens (95%) met the US requirement of CW >370 nm. Eleven of 20 sunscreens (55%) met the EU desired ratio of UVA PF/SPF > 1:3. The study only evaluated a small number of sunscreen products. The majority of tested sunscreens offered adequate UVA protection according to US Food and Drug Administration guidelines for broad-spectrum status, but almost half of the sunscreens tested did not pass standards set in the European Union. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. 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.

  3. Performance of USGS one-year earthquake hazard map for natural and induced seismicity in the central and eastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, E. M.; Stein, S.; Spencer, B. D.; Salditch, L.; Petersen, M. D.; McNamara, D. E.

    2017-12-01

    Seismicity in the central United States has dramatically increased since 2008 due to the injection of wastewater produced by oil and gas extraction. In response, the USGS created a one-year probabilistic hazard model and map for 2016 to describe the increased hazard posed to the central and eastern United States. Using the intensity of shaking reported to the "Did You Feel It?" system during 2016, we assess the performance of this model. Assessing the performance of earthquake hazard maps for natural and induced seismicity is conceptually similar but has practical differences. Maps that have return periods of hundreds or thousands of years— as commonly used for natural seismicity— can be assessed using historical intensity data that also span hundreds or thousands of years. Several different features stand out when assessing the USGS 2016 seismic hazard model for the central and eastern United States from induced and natural earthquakes. First, the model can be assessed as a forecast in one year, because event rates are sufficiently high to permit evaluation with one year of data. Second, because these models are projections from the previous year thus implicitly assuming that fluid injection rates remain the same, misfit may reflect changes in human activity. Our results suggest that the model was very successful by the metric implicit in probabilistic hazard seismic assessment: namely, that the fraction of sites at which the maximum shaking exceeded the mapped value is comparable to that expected. The model also did well by a misfit metric that compares the spatial patterns of predicted and maximum observed shaking. This was true for both the central and eastern United States as a whole, and for the region within it with the highest amount of seismicity, Oklahoma and its surrounding area. The model performed least well in northern Texas, over-stating hazard, presumably because lower oil and gas prices and regulatory action reduced the water injection volume

  4. Leaching and retention of nutrients and trace elements in peat nineteen years after wood ash application and afforestation of a terminated peat cutover area; Utlakning och retention av naeringsaemnen och spaaraemnen i torv nitton aar efter vedasktillfoersel och beskogning paa en avslutad torvtaekt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nilsson, Torbjoern; Lundin, Lars (Dept. of Forest Soils, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7001, SE-750 07 Uppsala (Sweden))

    2008-04-15

    Ash application on peatlands for improved biomass production attracts great interest. On drained peatlands in forestry use, application of wood ash would increase the forest production. Before such activities starts on a large-scale, the existing knowledge in this field should be compiled, with the aim to illustrate positive and negative effects of such a measure and to suggest recommendations for wood ash application to drained and afforested peatlands. The aim of this project was to investigate how much of different nutrients and trace elements that was still left in the peat, 19 years after application of 23 tonnes of wood fly ash, 0.6 tonnes of raw phosphate and 0.25 tonnes of superphosphate per hectare to 14 hectares of a terminated peat cutover area. This area was located on a mire, Flakmossen, in west-central Sweden. As it was nearly 40 years since peat harvesting had terminated on this mire, the area was drained before the application of wood ash and phosphorus fertilizer. A tractor-driven cultivator mixed the applied fertilizers with the upper 30-40 cm of the remaining peat and afterwards different tree species were planted in the cultivated peat. Peat sampling, down to 80 cm depth, was carried out before soil treatment, one year after, three years after and 19 years after the soil treatment. Analyses of these peat samples showed that: - After the soil treatments an initial increase of pH in the upper peat layers (0-40 cm depth) was observed, but 19 years after the soil treatments pH had decreased to levels that were lower than before the treatments. This decrease in pH was probably due to an oxidation of sulphur compounds in the peat, which was a result of the drainage. This acidification of the peat could not be buffered by the large dose of applied wood ash. However, it should be observed that the main part of the peat in this field study consists of reed peat, that has a considerable higher sulphur content than other peat types. - Nineteen years after

  5. Acute extradural haematomas in children: A single neurosurgery unit's 12-year experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enicker, B; Louw, H; Madiba, T

    2016-11-01

    Acute extradural haematomas (AEDHs) occur infrequently in children. This study was undertaken to review our experience with management and outcomes of this condition in children treated in the Neurosurgery Unit at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. A retrospective review of medical records of all children (age less than or equal to (≤) 12 years) with a diagnosis of AEDH admitted from January 2003 to December 2014 was performed. Records were analyzed for demographics, mechanisms of injury, clinical presentation, neuroradiology findings, management and outcomes at discharge. A total of 150 children with AEDHs were admitted during this period. The mean age was 6.6 ± 3.8 years with a peak incidence in the 7-9 year age group. There were 84 (56%) males, (M: F= 1.3:1). Sixty AEDHs resulted from road traffic crashes (40%). On admission 104 (69.3%) children were Glasgow coma scale (GCS) 13-15, 26 (17.3%) GCS 9-12 and 20 (13.4%) GCS 3-8. Haemoglobin was less than (children and the mean hospital stay was 6.9 ± 6.1 days. Four children (2.7%) died during in-hospital stay period. One hundred and forty one (94%) children had a favourable Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) at discharge. AEDHs in children carry a good prognosis, but can be potentially fatal. A vigilant approach is required when assessing these children, as early diagnosis and treatment yields gratifying results.

  6. The Medical Research Council (UK)/Uganda Virus Research Institute Uganda Research Unit on AIDS--'25 years of research through partnerships'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaleebu, P; Kamali, A; Seeley, J; Elliott, A M; Katongole-Mbidde, E

    2015-02-01

    For the past 25 years, the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute Uganda Research Unit on AIDS has conducted research on HIV-1, coinfections and, more recently, on non-communicable diseases. Working with various partners, the research findings of the Unit have contributed to the understanding and control of the HIV epidemic both in Uganda and globally, and informed the future development of biomedical HIV interventions, health policy and practice. In this report, as we celebrate our silver jubilee, we describe some of these achievements and the Unit's multidisciplinary approach to research. We also discuss the future direction of the Unit; an exemplar of a partnership that has been largely funded from the north but led in the south. © 2014 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. A geomorphic approach to 100-year floodplain mapping for the Conterminous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafarzadegan, Keighobad; Merwade, Venkatesh; Saksena, Siddharth

    2018-06-01

    Floodplain mapping using hydrodynamic models is difficult in data scarce regions. Additionally, using hydrodynamic models to map floodplain over large stream network can be computationally challenging. Some of these limitations of floodplain mapping using hydrodynamic modeling can be overcome by developing computationally efficient statistical methods to identify floodplains in large and ungauged watersheds using publicly available data. This paper proposes a geomorphic model to generate probabilistic 100-year floodplain maps for the Conterminous United States (CONUS). The proposed model first categorizes the watersheds in the CONUS into three classes based on the height of the water surface corresponding to the 100-year flood from the streambed. Next, the probability that any watershed in the CONUS belongs to one of these three classes is computed through supervised classification using watershed characteristics related to topography, hydrography, land use and climate. The result of this classification is then fed into a probabilistic threshold binary classifier (PTBC) to generate the probabilistic 100-year floodplain maps. The supervised classification algorithm is trained by using the 100-year Flood Insurance Rated Maps (FIRM) from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA FIRMs are also used to validate the performance of the proposed model in areas not included in the training. Additionally, HEC-RAS model generated flood inundation extents are used to validate the model performance at fifteen sites that lack FEMA maps. Validation results show that the probabilistic 100-year floodplain maps, generated by proposed model, match well with both FEMA and HEC-RAS generated maps. On average, the error of predicted flood extents is around 14% across the CONUS. The high accuracy of the validation results shows the reliability of the geomorphic model as an alternative approach for fast and cost effective delineation of 100-year floodplains for the CONUS.

  8. Accuracy of a real-time continuous glucose monitoring system in children with septic shock: A pilot study

    OpenAIRE

    Prabhudesai, Sumant; Kanjani, Amruta; Bhagat, Isha; Ravikumar, Karnam G.; Ramachandran, Bala

    2015-01-01

    Aims: The aim of this prospective, observational study was to determine the accuracy of a real-time continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) in children with septic shock. Subjects and Methods: Children aged 30 days to 18 years admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with septic shock were included. A real-time CGMS sensor was used to obtain interstitial glucose readings. CGMS readings were compared statistically with simultaneous laboratory blood glucose (BG). Results: Nineteen chil...

  9. 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)

  10. 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)

  11. Mental healthcare delivery in rural Greece: A 10-year account of a mobile mental health unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vaios Peritogiannis

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Patients living in rural and remote areas may have limited access to mental healthcare due to lack of facilities and socioeconomic reasons, and this is the case of rural areas in Eastern Europe countries. In Greece, community mental health service delivery in rural areas has been implemented through the development of the Mobile Mental Health Units (MMHUs. Methods: We present a 10-year account of the operation of the MMHU of the prefectures of Ioannina and Thesprotia (MMHU I-T and report on the impact of the service on mental health delivery in the catchment area. The MMHU I-T is a multidisciplinary community mental health team which delivers services in rural and mountainous areas of Northwest Greece. Results: The MMHU I-T has become an integral part of the local primary care system and is well known to the population of the catchment area. By the end of 2016, the majority of patients (60% were self-referred or family-referred, compared to 24% in the first 2 years. Currently, the number of active patients is 293 (mean age 63 years, 49.5% are older adults, and the mean caseload for each member of the team is 36.6. A significant proportion of patients (28% receive care with regular domiciliary visits, and the provision of home-based care was correlated with the age of the patients. Within the first 2 years of operation of the MMHU I-T hospitalizations of treatment, engaged patients were reduced significantly by 30.4%, whereas the treatment engagement rates of patients with psychotic disorders were 67.2% in 5 years. Conclusions: The MMHU I-T and other similar units in Greece are a successful paradigm of a low-cost service which promotes mental health in rural, remote, and deprived areas. This model of care may be informative for clinical practice and health policy given the ongoing recession and health budget cuts. It suggests that rural mental healthcare may be effectively delivered by integrating generic community mental health

  12. Effect of antibiotic use on antimicrobial antibiotic resistance and late-onset neonatal infections over 25 years in an Australian tertiary neonatal unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, David; Barnes, Elizabeth Helen; Gordon, Adrienne; Isaacs, David

    2017-05-01

    Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem. We describe 25 years of responsible antibiotic use in a tertiary neonatal unit. Data on neonatal infections and antibiotic use were collected prospectively from 1990 to 2014 at a single tertiary Sydney neonatal intensive care unit attached to a maternity unit. There are approximately 5500 deliveries and 900 nursery admissions per year. The mean annual rate of late-onset sepsis was 1.64 episodes per 100 admissions. The mean number of late-onset sepsis episodes per admission to the neonatal unit decreased by 4.0% per year (95% CI 2.6% to 5.4%; p<0.0001) and occurred particularly in infants born weighing <1500 g. No infants with negative cultures relapsed with sepsis when antibiotics were stopped after 48-72 hours. Antibiotic use decreased with time. The proportion of colonising methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates decreased by 7.4% per year (95% CI 0.2% to 14.1%; p=0.043). The proportion of colonising Gram-negative bacilli isolates resistant to either third-generation cephalosporins or gentamicin increased by 2.9% per year (95% CI 1.0% to 4.9%; p=0.0035). Most were cephalosporin-resistant; gentamicin resistance was rare. An average of one baby per year died from late-onset sepsis, the rate not varying significantly over time. The mortality from episodes of late-onset sepsis was 25 of 332 (7.5%). Stopping antibiotics after 2-3 days if neonatal systemic cultures are negative is safe. However, it does not prevent the emergence of cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative organisms. 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/.

  13. Reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers in critical care units: a 4-year quality improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Annette; Peart, Joanna; Wright, Stephen E; McCullagh, Iain J

    2017-06-01

    Critical care patients often have several risk factors for pressure ulceration and implementing prevention interventions have been shown to decrease risk. We identified a high incidence of pressure ulcers in the four adult critical care units in our organization. Therefore, avoiding pressure ulceration was an important quality priority. We undertook a quality improvement programme aimed at reducing the incidence of pressure ulceration using an evidence-based bundle approach. A bundle of technical and non-technical interventions were implemented supported by clinical leadership on each unit. Important components were evidence appraisals; changes to mattresses; focussed risk assessment alongside mandating patients at very high risk to be repositioned two hourly; and staff training to increase awareness of how to prevent pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcer numbers, incidence and categories were collected continuously and monitored monthly by unit staff. Pressure ulcer rates reduced significantly from 8.08/100 patient admissions to 2.97/100 patient admissions, an overall relative rate reduction of 63% over 4 years. The greatest reduction was seen in the most severe category of pressure ulceration. The average estimated cost saving was £2.6 million (range £2.1-£3.1). A quality improvement programme including technical and non-technical interventions, data feedback to staff and clinical leadership was associated with a sustained reduction in the incidence of pressure ulceration in the critically ill. Strategies used in this programme may be transferable to other critical care units to bring more widespread patient benefit. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  14. Dental Health Services Research Unit celebrates 30 years: Report of conference to mark the 30th anniversary of the Dental Health Services Research Unit (DHSRU) at Dundee, held on 1st December 2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eaton, Kenneth A; Pitts, Nigel B

    2009-04-01

    Over the years, several members of the staff of the Dental Health Services Research Unit (DHSRU) at Dundee have published papers in Primary Dental Care. Furthermore, its Director, Professor Nigel Pitts, together with Drs Jan Clarkson and Gail Topping have co-edited a number of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK)'s standards manuals and contributed to others. It had been suggested to the Unit by several parties that, having been in funded existence for some 30 years, it would be appropriate to mark this anniversary with a conference to explore 'Dental Health Services Research: After 30 years, what was the impact, what have we learned and where are we going?' So, following a range of consultations, the conference was convened at the West Park Conference Centre in Dundee with a mixed audience representing both dental research and dental practice.

  15. Four-Year Turfgrass Management Programs in the United States: II. Organization and Content of Introductory Turfgrass Management Courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karnok, Keith J.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    A survey of 32 land-grant institutions was conducted to determine format, topical content, and teaching methods of introductory turfgrass management courses of 4-year turfgrass management programs in the United States. Required courses included a basic soils class and a course in biology or botany, usually transmitted by the lecture method. (MDH)

  16. A histopathological score on baseline biopsies from elderly donors predicts outcome 1 year after renal transplantation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toft, Birgitte G; Federspiel, Birgitte H; Sørensen, Søren S

    2012-01-01

    wall thickness of arteries and/or arterioles. Nineteen renal baseline biopsies from 15 donors (age: 64 ± 10 years) were included and following consensus the histopathological score was 4.3 ± 2.1 (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.81; confidence interval: 0.66-0.92). The donor organs were used......Kidneys from elderly deceased patients and otherwise marginal donors may be considered for transplantation and a pretransplantation histopathological score for prediction of postoperative outcome is warranted. In a retrospective design, 29 baseline renal needle biopsies from elderly deceased donors...... Danish donors a histopathological score on baseline renal needle biopsies, with at least ten glomeruli and one artery present, predicts graft function 1 year after transplantation....

  17. Comparison of Metal-Ceramic and All-Ceramic Three-Unit Posterior Fixed Dental Prostheses: A 3-Year Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolaisen, Maj H; Bahrami, Golnosh; Schropp, Lars; Isidor, Flemming

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this randomized clinical study was to compare the 3-year clinical outcome of metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses (MC-FDPs) and zirconia all-ceramic fixed dental prostheses (AC-FDPs) replacing a posterior tooth. A sample of 34 patients with a missing posterior tooth were randomly chosen to receive either a MC-FDP (n = 17) or an AC-FDP (n = 17). The FDPs were evaluated at baseline and yearly until 3 years after cementation. They were assessed using the California Dental Association assessment system. Periodontal parameters were measured at the abutment teeth, and the contralateral teeth served as control. The statistical unit was the FDP/patient. The survival rates for MC-FDPs and AC-FDPs were 100%. The success rate was 76% and 71% for MC-FDPs and AC-FDPs, respectively. Three technical complications were observed in the MC-FDP group and five in the AC-FDP group, all chipping fractures of the ceramic veneer. Furthermore, one biologic complication in the MC-FDP group (an apical lesion) was observed. No framework fractures occurred. All patients had optimal oral hygiene and showed no bleeding on periodontal probing at any of the recalls. Only minor changes in the periodontal parameters were observed during the 3 years of observation. Three-unit posterior MC-FDPs and AC-FDPs showed similar high survival rates and acceptable success rates after 3 years of function, and ceramic veneer chipping fracture was the most frequent complication for both types of restorations.

  18. Peritonitis: 10 years' experience in a single surgical unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Nitin; Saha, Sudipta; Srivastava, Anurag; Chumber, Sunil; Dhar, Anita; Garg, Sanket

    2007-01-01

    Peritonitis secondary to gut perforation is still one of the commonest surgical emergencies in India and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The present study examines the aetiology and outcome of peritonitis cases operated on in our surgical unit, and compares our findings with those of previous studies performed between 1981 and 1991. A retrospective study of 260 peritonitis patients operated on in a single surgical unit from 1995 to 2006 was done and data involving clinical presentation, operative findings and post-operative course were studied and analysed. Causes of peritonitis were small bowel perforation (96 ileal, 17 jejunal), peptic perforation (45 duodenal, 16 gastric), appendicular perforation (36), primary peritonitis (8), and others (42). The incidence of major complications was 25% (burst-11%, leak-5%, intraabdominal abscess-5%, multi-organ failure-6.5%). The overall mortality was 10%. High mortality was observed in jejunal, gall bladder and liver abscess perforation cases (> 20%). Histopathological evaluation (143 specimens) revealed tuberculosis in 42 (mostly small bowel), malignancy in 8, and inflammation in the rest. Comparisons with a similar study carried out in the same unit and published in 1995 revealed similar demographic features and mortality, but a change in the most common cause (peptic ulcer perforation to small bowel perforation), and an increased performance of enterostomy compared with primary repair in small bowel perforation and a decrease in the leak rate (13% to 4%). Small bowel perforation is the commonest form of perforation and the mortality rate associated with peritonitis remains unchanged.

  19. Determining Family Needs on an Oncology Hospital Unit Using Interview, Art, and Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catlin, Anita; Ford, Marilee; Maloney, Carrie

    2016-04-01

    A movement worldwide, and specifically new to our hospital, is the implementation of Patient- and Family-Centered Care. We were unsure, however, what the needs were of our patients' families. This triangulated study, on a 28-bed oncology unit, studied family members at the bedside. We asked family members what their needs were in a three-step process (open-ended interview, use of the Draw a Bridge art therapy technique, and the Family Inventory of Needs survey). Nineteen interviews revealed needs for physical comfort, emotional support, cultural sensitivity, recognition of help provided by family members and improved pain management. Art therapy revealed the stress of caregiving and helped to uncover unmet needs for interviewers to explore. The FIN identified that care at home after discharge was a major worry. Knowledge of family members' needs while a loved one is in the hospital allows for planning and provision of modalities to assist them in their caregiving. © The Author(s) 2015.

  20. Late Intensive Care Unit Admission in Liver Transplant Recipients: 10-Year Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atar, Funda; Gedik, Ender; Kaplan, Şerife; Zeyneloğlu, Pınar; Pirat, Arash; Haberal, Mehmet

    2015-11-01

    We evaluated late intensive care unit admission in liver transplant recipients to identify incidences and causes of acute respiratory failure in the postoperative period and to compare these results with results in patients who did not have acute respiratory failure. We retrospectively screened the data of 173 consecutive adult liver transplant recipients from January 2005 through March 2015 to identify patients with late admission (> 30 d posttransplant) to an intensive care unit. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with and without acute respiratory failure. Acute respiratory failure was defined as severe dyspnea, respiratory distress, decreased oxygen saturation, hypoxemia or hypercapnia on room air, or need for noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation. Demographic, laboratory, clinical, and respiratory data were collected. Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores; lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stays; and hospital mortality were assessed. Among 173 patients, 37 (21.4%) were admitted to an intensive care unit, including 22 (59.5%) with acute respiratory failure. The leading cause of acute respiratory failure was pneumonia (n = 19, 86.4%). Patients with acute respiratory failure had significantly lower levels of albumin before intensive care unit admission (P = .003). In patients with acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis and septic shock were more frequently observed and tracheotomy was more frequently performed (P = .041). Acute respiratory failure developed in 59.5% of liver transplant recipients with late intensive care unit admission. The leading cause was pneumonia, with this group of patients having higher requirements for invasive mechanical ventilation and tracheotomy, longer stays in an intensive care unit, and higher mortality.

  1. Understanding Trends in Kidney Function 1 Year after Kidney Transplant in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yihung; Tilea, Anca; Gillespie, Brenda; Shahinian, Vahakn; Banerjee, Tanushree; Grubbs, Vanessa; Powe, Neil; Rios-Burrows, Nilka; Pavkov, Meda; Saran, Rajiv

    2017-08-01

    Lower eGFR 1 year after kidney transplant is associated with shorter allograft and patient survival. We examined how practice changes in the past decade correlated with time trends in average eGFR at 1 year after kidney transplant in the United States in a cohort of 189,944 patients who received a kidney transplant between 2001 and 2013. We calculated the average eGFR at 1 year after transplant for the recipient cohort of each year using the appropriate Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation depending on the prevailing methodology of creatinine measurement, and used linear regression to model the effects of practice changes on the national post-transplant eGFR trend. Between the 2001-2005 period and the 2011-2013 period, average 1-year post-transplant eGFR remained essentially unchanged, with differences of 1.34 (95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 1.65) ml/min per 1.73 m 2 and 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.32 to 1.01) ml/min per 1.73 m 2 among deceased and living donor kidney transplant recipients, respectively. Over time, the mean age of recipients increased and more marginal organs were used; adjusting for these trends unmasked a larger temporal improvement in post-transplant eGFR. However, changes in immunosuppression practice had a positive effect on average post-transplant eGFR and balanced out the negative effect of recipient/donor characteristics. In conclusion, average 1-year post-transplant eGFR remained stable, despite increasingly unfavorable attributes in recipients and donors. With an aging ESRD population and continued organ shortage, preservation of average post-transplant eGFR will require sustained improvement in immunosuppression and other aspects of post-transplant care. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Nephrology.

  2. Hepatitis A vaccination coverage among adults 18-49 years traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity, United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Peng-Jun; Byrd, Kathy K; Murphy, Trudy V

    2013-05-01

    Since 1996, hepatitis A vaccine (HepA) has been recommended for adults at increased risk for infection including travelers to high or intermediate hepatitis A endemic countries. In 2009, travel outside the United States and Canada was the most common exposure nationally reported for persons with hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. To assess HepA vaccination coverage among adults 18-49 years traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity in the United States. We analyzed data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), to determine self-reported HepA vaccination coverage (≥1 dose) and series completion (≥2 dose) among persons 18-49 years who traveled, since 1995, to a country of high or intermediate HAV endemicity. Multivariable logistic regression and predictive marginal analyses were conducted to identify factors independently associated with HepA vaccine receipt. In 2010, approximately 36.6% of adults 18-49 years reported traveling to high or intermediate hepatitis A endemic countries; among this group unadjusted HepA vaccination coverage was 26.6% compared to 12.7% among non-travelers (P-valuestravel status was an independent predictor of HepA coverage and series completion (both P-valuestravelers, HepA coverage and series completion (≥2 doses) were higher for travelers 18-25 years (prevalence ratios 2.3, 2.8, respectively, P-valuestravelers 26-39 years (prevalence ratios 1.5, 1.5, respectively, P-valuetravelers 40-49 years. Other characteristics independently associated with a higher likelihood of HepA receipt among travelers included Asian race/ethnicity, male sex, never having been married, having a high school or higher education, living in the western United States, having greater number of physician contacts or receipt of influenza vaccination in the previous year. HepB vaccination was excluded from the model because of the significant correlation between receipt of HepA vaccination and HepB vaccination could distort the model

  3. Learning from 25 years of experience with the United States clean air act

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulze, R.H. [Trinity Consultants Incorporated, Dallas, TX (United States)

    1995-12-31

    Twenty-five years ago, the United States embarked on a quest to attain clean air. President Nixon, in signing the Clean Air Act of 1970, defined clean air as the objective for the `70s. Although enormous progress has been made, much remains to be done. Newly constructed industry is quite clean, but many older facilities continue to operate with antiquated controls. Significant advances have been made in cleaning up the emissions from new automobiles, but two factors have impaired progress. First, cars last longer than they did in 1970, so the average age of the fleet has increased. Second, travel has increased as people have moved to the suburbs. Thus, the emission decreases from clean cars have not been as great as expected. This presentation will address some of the lessons learned from the efforts in the United States to implement clean air programs. In a large number of countries, excessively elaborate studies have been substituted for action programs. Since much is now known about air quality, fairly brief studies can define programs that should be undertaken. What may take longer is developing public support and enthusiasm for improved air quality. In most cases, it is desirable to reduce spending on studies and increase spending on devising and implementing plans, as well as effectively communicating the necessary changes to the public. Balanced spending on studies- and action programs is essential to a sound air quality control program. (author)

  4. Learning from 25 years of experience with the United States clean air act

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulze, R H [Trinity Consultants Incorporated, Dallas, TX (United States)

    1996-12-31

    Twenty-five years ago, the United States embarked on a quest to attain clean air. President Nixon, in signing the Clean Air Act of 1970, defined clean air as the objective for the `70s. Although enormous progress has been made, much remains to be done. Newly constructed industry is quite clean, but many older facilities continue to operate with antiquated controls. Significant advances have been made in cleaning up the emissions from new automobiles, but two factors have impaired progress. First, cars last longer than they did in 1970, so the average age of the fleet has increased. Second, travel has increased as people have moved to the suburbs. Thus, the emission decreases from clean cars have not been as great as expected. This presentation will address some of the lessons learned from the efforts in the United States to implement clean air programs. In a large number of countries, excessively elaborate studies have been substituted for action programs. Since much is now known about air quality, fairly brief studies can define programs that should be undertaken. What may take longer is developing public support and enthusiasm for improved air quality. In most cases, it is desirable to reduce spending on studies and increase spending on devising and implementing plans, as well as effectively communicating the necessary changes to the public. Balanced spending on studies- and action programs is essential to a sound air quality control program. (author)

  5. SI units in radiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iyer, P S [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Div. of Radiation Protection

    1978-11-01

    The proposal of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements that the special units of radiation and radioactivity-roentgen, rad, rem and curie-be replaced by the International System (SI) of Units has been accepted by international bodies. This paper reviews the resons for introducing the new units and their features. The relation between the special units and the corresponding SI units is discussed with examples. In spite of anticipated difficulties, the commission recommends a smooth and efficient changeover to the SI units in ten years.

  6. The prevalence of dental erosion in 5-year-old preschoolers in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gopinath, Vellore Kannan

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of 5-year-old preschoolers in Sharjah, affected by dental erosion and to assess the predictors. A total of 403 5-year-old children were examined of which 48.14% (n = 194) were boys and 51.86% (n = 209) were girls; 31.27% (n = 126) were Emirati and 68.73% (n = 277) were non-Emirati Arabs. Examination of dental erosion was confined to palatal surfaces of maxillary incisors using the erosion index described in the UK National Survey of Children's Dental Health, 1993. Dental caries was charted using the World Health Organization 1997 criteria. In the sample of 403 5-year-old preschoolers examined, dental erosion was apparent in 237 (58.80%) children, with 55.09% showing the dissolution of enamel and 3.72% exhibiting exposed dentin. Predictors of dental erosion as determined by logistic regression concluded that compared to Emirati citizens other Arab nationalities have 0.27 times the odds (95% confidence interval [CI] =0.18-0.42) of having tooth erosion (P United Arab Emirates, were affected by dental erosion. Caries experience and consumption of acidic drinks were associated with dental erosion.

  7. Vocational interests in the United States: Sex, age, ethnicity, and year effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Michael L

    2016-10-01

    Vocational interests predict educational and career choices, job performance, and career success (Rounds & Su, 2014). Although sex differences in vocational interests have long been observed (Thorndike, 1911), an appropriate overall measure has been lacking from the literature. Using a cross-sectional sample of United States residents aged 14 to 63 who completed the Strong Interest Inventory assessment between 2005 and 2014 (N = 1,283,110), I examined sex, age, ethnicity, and year effects on work related interest levels using both multivariate and univariate effect size estimates of individual dimensions (Holland's Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional). Men scored higher on Realistic (d = -1.14), Investigative (d = -.32), Enterprising (d = -.22), and Conventional (d = -.23), while women scored higher on Artistic (d = .19) and Social (d = .38), mostly replicating previous univariate findings. Multivariate, overall sex differences were very large (disattenuated Mahalanobis' D = 1.61; 27% overlap). Interest levels were slightly lower and overall sex differences larger in younger samples. Overall sex differences have narrowed slightly for 18-22 year-olds in more recent samples. Generally very small ethnicity effects included relatively higher Investigative and Enterprising scores for Asians, Indians, and Middle Easterners, lower Realistic scores for Blacks and Native Americans, higher Realistic, Artistic, and Social scores for Pacific Islanders, and lower Conventional scores for Whites. Using Prediger's (1982) model, women were more interested in people (d = 1.01) and ideas (d = .18), while men were more interested in things and data. These results, consistent with previous reviews showing large sex differences and small year effects, suggest that large sex differences in work related interests will continue to be observed for decades. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Mammography-based screening program: preliminary results from a first 2-year round in a Brazilian region using mobile and fixed units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haikel Raphael

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. The use of mobile mammography units to offer screening to women living in remote areas is a rational strategy to increase the number of women examined. This study aimed to evaluate results from the first 2 years of a government-organized mammography screening program implemented with a mobile unit (MU and a fixed unit (FU in a rural county in Brazil. The program offered breast cancer screening to women living in Barretos and the surrounding area. Methods Based on epidemiologic data, 54 238 women, aged 40 to 69 years, were eligible for breast cancer screening. The study included women examined from April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2005. The chi-square test and Bonferroni correction analyses were used to evaluate the frequencies of tumors and the importance of clinical parameters and tumor characteristics. Significance was set at p Results Overall, 17 964 women underwent mammography. This represented 33.1% of eligible women in the area. A mean of 18.6 and 26.3 women per day were examined in the FU and MU, respectively. Seventy six patients were diagnosed with breast cancer (41 (54% in the MU. This represented 4.2 cases of breast cancer per 1000 examinations. The number of cancers detected was significantly higher in women aged 60 to 69 years than in those aged 50 to 59 years (p Conclusions Preliminary results indicate that this mammography screening program is feasible for implementation in a rural Brazilian territory and favor program continuation.

  9. Science Library of Test Items. Volume Nineteen. A Collection of Multiple Choice Test Items Relating Mainly to Geology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New South Wales Dept. of Education, Sydney (Australia).

    As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

  10. The Slavery in Circassia and the United States (1850–1860-ies years: General and Special

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikhal Smigel

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The article provides a comparative analysis of slavery in Circassia and in the territory of the slave South in the United States in 1850–1860-ies years in the context of the fight against the slave trade and slavery in the world. The article discusses the Russian-American general trends for the prohibition of slavery and the slave trade. Among the materials are Russian and foreign archival sources, documents of personal origin (memoirs, diaries of travelers as well as scientific research. The methodological basis of historical-comparative study are the principles of objectivity and historicism, suggesting an unbiased approach to the analysis of the studied problems, a critical attitude to the sources, making judgments as a result of the analysis of a set of facts, and displays the slave of phenomena in the development and the context of the historical situation. In conclusion, the authors note that slavery and the slave position in the United States and the Circassia had their differences in 1850–1860-ies. Such differences included the inability of the transition to the United States from the status of a slave in the state of the dependent peasant, which was the norm in Circassia. In the United States the slaves were brought from outside, while in Circassia the slavery occurred in the region, mainly by trapping. At the root of discrimination in the United States was the racial principle, in Circassia this is based on the religious principle. The position of slaves had their similarities. A slave was powerless property of his master, there were certain unwritten rules governing the relationship, slave owners were reluctant to bring slaves to the extreme and etc. The important similarity between the US and Circassia was the presence of their territories with a strong slave system, where slaves constituted more than 30 % of the population. In the US, it was the territory of the slave-holding South, and in Circassia – the slaveholding Ubykhia.

  11. Demographic aging in the United States: implications for population and income redistribution to the year 2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serow, W J; Spar, M A

    1982-01-01

    "The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of a prolonged period of sustained low fertility upon shifts in the population distribution of the United States among Department of Energy (DOE) regions." The authors also examine the impact of demographic aging on income distribution up to the year 2000 using the assumptions made in the Series III population projections prepared by the U.S. Bureau of the Census in 1977. It is noted that migration will emerge as the primary agent for internal population redistribution. excerpt

  12. Hepatitis B vaccination among adolescents 13–17 years, United States, 2006–2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Peng-jun; Yankey, David; Jeyarajah, Jenny; O’Halloran, Alissa; Elam-Evans, Laurie; Greby, Stacie M.; Singleton, James A.; Murphy, Trudy V.

    2018-01-01

    Background Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccination is the most effective measure to prevent HBV infection. Routine HepB vaccination was recommended for infants in 1991 and catch-up vaccination has been recommended for adolescents since in 1995. The purpose of this study is to assess HepB vaccination among adolescents 13–17 years. Methods The 2006–2012 NIS-Teen were analyzed. Vaccination trends and coverage by birth cohort among adolescents were evaluated. Multivariable logistic regression and predictive marginal models are used to identify factors independently associated with HepB vaccination. Results HepB vaccination coverage increased from 81.3% in 2006 to 92.8% in 2012. Coverage varied by birth cohort and 79–83% received vaccination before 2 years of age for those who were born during 1995 and 1999. Among those who had not received vaccination by 11 years of age, for the 1993–1995 birth cohorts, 9–15% were vaccinated during ages 11–12 years, and 27–37% had been vaccinated through age 16 years. Coverage among adolescents 13–17 years in 2012 ranged by state from 84.4% in West Virginia to 98.7% in Florida (median 93.3%). Characteristics independently associated with a higher likelihood of HepB vaccination included living more than 5 times above poverty level, living in Northeastern or Southern region of the United States, and having a mixed facility as their vaccination provider. Those with a hospital listed as their vaccination provider and those who did not have a well-child visit at age 11–12 years were independently associated with a lower likelihood of HepB vaccination. Conclusions Efforts focused on groups with lower coverage may reduce disparities in coverage and prevent hepatitis B infection. Parents and providers should routinely review adolescent immunizations. Routine reminder/recall, expanded access in health care settings, and standing order programs should be incorporated into routine clinical care of adolescents. PMID:25724820

  13. Postintensive care unit psychological burden in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and informal caregivers: A multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Miranda, Sandra; Pochard, Frédéric; Chaize, Marine; Megarbane, Bruno; Cuvelier, Antoine; Bele, Nicolas; Gonzalez-Bermejo, Jesus; Aboab, Jérome; Lautrette, Alexandre; Lemiale, Virginie; Roche, Nicolas; Thirion, Marina; Chevret, Sylvie; Schlemmer, Benoit; Similowski, Thomas; Azoulay, Elie

    2011-01-01

    To determine the prevalence and risk factors of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder-related symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their relatives after an intensive care unit stay. Prospective multicenter study. Nineteen French intensive care units. One hundred twenty-six patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who survived an intensive care unit stay and 102 relatives. None. Patients and relatives were interviewed at intensive care unit discharge and 90 days later to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and posttraumatic stress disorder-related symptoms using the Impact of Event Scale (IES). At intensive care unit discharge, 90% of patients recollected traumatic psychological events in the intensive care unit. At day 90, we were able to conduct telephone interviews with 53 patients and 47 relatives. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores indicated symptoms of anxiety and depression in 52% and 45.5% of patients at intensive care unit discharge and in 28.3% and 18.9% on day 90, respectively. Corresponding prevalence in relatives were 72.2% and 25.7% at intensive care unit discharge and 40.4% and 14.9% on day 90, respectively. The Impact of Event Scale indicated posttraumatic stress disorder-related symptoms in 20.7% of patients and 29.8% of relatives on day 90. Peritraumatic dissociation assessed using the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire was independently associated with posttraumatic stress disorder-related symptoms in the patients and relatives. Previous intensive care unit experience and recollection of bothersome noise in the intensive care unit predicted posttraumatic stress disorder-related symptoms in the patients. Psychiatric symptoms were found to be common in a group of 126 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who survived an intensive care unit stay and their relatives at intensive care

  14. One-unit versus two-unit cord-blood transplantation for hematologic cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, John E; Eapen, Mary; Carter, Shelly; Wang, Yanli; Schultz, Kirk R; Wall, Donna A; Bunin, Nancy; Delaney, Colleen; Haut, Paul; Margolis, David; Peres, Edward; Verneris, Michael R; Walters, Mark; Horowitz, Mary M; Kurtzberg, Joanne

    2014-10-30

    Umbilical-cord blood has been used as the source of hematopoietic stem cells in an estimated 30,000 transplants. The limited number of hematopoietic cells in a single cord-blood unit prevents its use in recipients with larger body mass and results in delayed hematopoietic recovery and higher mortality. Therefore, we hypothesized that the greater numbers of hematopoietic cells in two units of cord blood would be associated with improved outcomes after transplantation. Between December 1, 2006, and February 24, 2012, a total of 224 patients 1 to 21 years of age with hematologic cancer were randomly assigned to undergo double-unit (111 patients) or single-unit (113 patients) cord-blood transplantation after a uniform myeloablative conditioning regimen and immunoprophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The primary end point was 1-year overall survival. Treatment groups were matched for age, sex, self-reported race (white vs. nonwhite), performance status, degree of donor-recipient HLA matching, and disease type and status at transplantation. The 1-year overall survival rate was 65% (95% confidence interval [CI], 56 to 74) and 73% (95% CI, 63 to 80) among recipients of double and single cord-blood units, respectively (P=0.17). Similar outcomes in the two groups were also observed with respect to the rates of disease-free survival, neutrophil recovery, transplantation-related death, relapse, infections, immunologic reconstitution, and grade II-IV acute GVHD. However, improved platelet recovery and lower incidences of grade III and IV acute and extensive chronic GVHD were observed among recipients of a single cord-blood unit. We found that among children and adolescents with hematologic cancer, survival rates were similar after single-unit and double-unit cord-blood transplantation; however, a single-unit cord-blood transplant was associated with better platelet recovery and a lower risk of GVHD. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the

  15. Role of CYP2E1-mediated metabolism in the acute and vestibular toxicities of nineteen nitriles in the mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saldaña-Ruíz, Sandra; Soler-Martín, Carla; Llorens, Jordi

    2012-01-25

    Allylnitrile, cis-crotononitrile, and 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile are known to cause vestibular toxicity in rodents, and evidence is available indicating that cis-2-pentenenitrile shares this effect. We evaluated nineteen nitriles for vestibular toxicity in wild type (129S1) and CYP2E1-null mice, including all the above, several neurotoxic nitriles, and structurally similar nitriles. A new acute toxicity test protocol was developed to facilitate evaluation of the vestibular toxicity by a specific behavioral test battery at doses up to sub-lethal levels while using a limited number of animals. A mean number of 8.5±0.3 animals per nitrile, strain and sex was necessary to obtain evidence of vestibular toxicity and optionally an estimation of the lethal dose. For several but not all nitriles, lethal doses significantly increased in CYP2E1-null mice. The protocol revealed the vestibular toxicity of five nitriles, including previously identified ototoxic compounds and one nitrile (trans-crotononitrile) known to have a different profile of neurotoxic effects in the rat. In all five cases, both sexes were affected and no decrease in susceptibility was apparent in CYP2E1-null mice respect to 129S1 mice. Fourteen nitriles caused no vestibular toxicity, including six nitriles tested in CYP2E1-null mice at doses significantly larger than the maximal doses that can be tested in wild type animals. We conclude that only a subset of low molecular weight nitriles is toxic to the vestibular system, that species-dependent differences exist in this vestibular toxicity, and that CYP2E1-mediated metabolism is not involved in this effect of nitriles although it has a role in the acute lethality of some of these compounds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Heart Disease Death Rates Among Blacks and Whites Aged ≥35 Years - United States, 1968-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Dyke, Miriam; Greer, Sophia; Odom, Erika; Schieb, Linda; Vaughan, Adam; Kramer, Michael; Casper, Michele

    2018-03-30

    Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In 2015, heart disease accounted for approximately 630,000 deaths, representing one in four deaths in the United States. Although heart disease death rates decreased 68% for the total population from 1968 to 2015, marked disparities in decreases exist by race and state. 1968-2015. The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data on deaths in the United States were abstracted for heart disease using diagnosis codes from the eighth, ninth, and tenth revisions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-8, ICD-9, and ICD-10) for 1968-2015. Population estimates were obtained from NVSS files. National and state-specific heart disease death rates for the total population and by race for adults aged ≥35 years were calculated for 1968-2015. National and state-specific black-white heart disease mortality ratios also were calculated. Death rates were age standardized to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Joinpoint regression was used to perform time trend analyses. From 1968 to 2015, heart disease death rates decreased for the total U.S. population among adults aged ≥35 years, from 1,034.5 to 327.2 per 100,000 population, respectively, with variations in the magnitude of decreases by race and state. Rates decreased for the total population an average of 2.4% per year, with greater average decreases among whites (2.4% per year) than blacks (2.2% per year). At the national level, heart disease death rates for blacks and whites were similar at the start of the study period (1968) but began to diverge in the late 1970s, when rates for blacks plateaued while rates for whites continued to decrease. Heart disease death rates among blacks remained higher than among whites for the remainder of the study period. Nationwide, the black-white ratio of heart disease death rates increased from 1.04 in 1968 to 1.21 in 2015, with large increases occurring during the 1970s and 1980s followed by small but steady

  17. A one-year observational study of all hospitalized acute poisonings in Oslo: complications, treatment and sequelae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lund Cathrine

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives Changes in poisoning trends may affect both complications and outcomes in patients with acute poisoning. This study reports the treatments given and the frequency of complications, also related to treatment, mortality and sequelae related to various toxic agents. Methods All acute poisonings in adults (≥16 years admitted to the five hospitals in Oslo were included consecutively during one year (2008 to 2009 in an observational cross-sectional multicenter study. A standardized form was completed by the treating physician, which covered the study aims. Results There were 1065 admissions in 912 patients. The median length of hospital stay was one day, and 49% were observed in an intensive care unit (ICU. Active treatment was given to 83%, and consisted of supportive therapy (70%, antidote(s (38%, activated charcoal (16% and gastric lavage (9%. The most commonly used antidotes were flumazenil (19%, naloxone (17% and N-acetylcysteine (11%. The rate of treatment-related complications was 2.4% (21/884. Neither flumazenil, naloxone, nor the combination, was associated with convulsions or other complications. Among those receiving N-acetylcysteine, 5% (6/120 developed allergic reactions, one of which mandated discontinuation of treatment. Nineteen percent presented in a coma. Complications developed in 30%, compared with 18% in a 2003 study, mainly respiratory depression (12%, prolonged QTc interval (6% and hypotension (5%. Eight patients died (0.8% and five (0.5% survived with permanent sequelae, mainly anoxic brain damage. Discussion Few patients stayed more than two days. The use of the ICU was liberal, considering that only one out of five presented in a coma. Antidotes were frequently given diagnostically. Although N-acetylcysteine induced allergic reactions, most were mild and treatment discontinuation was only necessary once. The frequency of complications had almost doubled in five years, although the poisoning pattern was

  18. A one-year observational study of all hospitalized acute poisonings in Oslo: complications, treatment and sequelae

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Objectives Changes in poisoning trends may affect both complications and outcomes in patients with acute poisoning. This study reports the treatments given and the frequency of complications, also related to treatment, mortality and sequelae related to various toxic agents. Methods All acute poisonings in adults (≥16 years) admitted to the five hospitals in Oslo were included consecutively during one year (2008 to 2009) in an observational cross-sectional multicenter study. A standardized form was completed by the treating physician, which covered the study aims. Results There were 1065 admissions in 912 patients. The median length of hospital stay was one day, and 49% were observed in an intensive care unit (ICU). Active treatment was given to 83%, and consisted of supportive therapy (70%), antidote(s) (38%), activated charcoal (16%) and gastric lavage (9%). The most commonly used antidotes were flumazenil (19%), naloxone (17%) and N-acetylcysteine (11%). The rate of treatment-related complications was 2.4% (21/884). Neither flumazenil, naloxone, nor the combination, was associated with convulsions or other complications. Among those receiving N-acetylcysteine, 5% (6/120) developed allergic reactions, one of which mandated discontinuation of treatment. Nineteen percent presented in a coma. Complications developed in 30%, compared with 18% in a 2003 study, mainly respiratory depression (12%), prolonged QTc interval (6%) and hypotension (5%). Eight patients died (0.8%) and five (0.5%) survived with permanent sequelae, mainly anoxic brain damage. Discussion Few patients stayed more than two days. The use of the ICU was liberal, considering that only one out of five presented in a coma. Antidotes were frequently given diagnostically. Although N-acetylcysteine induced allergic reactions, most were mild and treatment discontinuation was only necessary once. The frequency of complications had almost doubled in five years, although the poisoning pattern was largely

  19. The 20 year evolution of an energy conversion course at the United States Military Academy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bailey, Margaret; Oezer Arnas, A.; Potter, Robert; Samples, Jerry W.

    2004-01-01

    Over the past several years, an energy conversion course offered by the Mechanical Engineering Program at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, has evolved into a cohesive series of lessons addressing three general topical areas: advanced thermodynamics, advanced mechanical system analysis, and direct energy conversion systems. Mechanical engineering majors enroll in Energy Conversion Systems (ME 472) during the fall semester of their senior year as an advanced elective. ME 472 builds directly on the material covered in Thermodynamics (EM 301) taken during the student's junior year. In the first segment of ME 472, the students study advanced thermodynamic topics including exergy and combustion analyses. The students then analyze various mechanical systems including refrigeration systems, internal combustion engines, boilers, and fossil fuel fired steam and gas turbine combined power plants. Exergetic efficiencies of various equipment and systems are determined. The final portion of the course covers direct energy conversion technology, including fuel cells, photovoltaics, thermoelectricity, thermionics and magnetohydrodynamics. Supplemental lessons on energy storage, semi-conductors and nonreactive energy sources (such as solar collectors, wind turbines, and hydroelectric plants) are included here. This paper discusses the evolution of ME 472 since its inception and explains the motivations for the course's progress

  20. Nasal Bubble CPAP: One Year Experience in a Neonatal Unit of a Tertiary Health Facility in Northwestern Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdulkadir, I; Hassan, L; Abdullahi, F; Purdue, S; Ogala, W N

    2015-03-01

    Nasal bubble continuous positive airway pressure (NBCPAP) respiratory support, though decades old, is beginning to gain popularity in developing countries including Nigeria. We reviewed neonates who benefitted from NBCPAP, to describe the demographics and outcome of NBCPAP respiratory support in newborns admitted to the neonatal unit of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, over a one year period. The study is a descriptive observational review of all neonates who required NBCPAP respiratory support in the neonatal unit of ABUTH Zaria. Data was extracted from a specifically designed proforma used to obtain information on each neonate throughout the period of admission. Twenty babies received NBCPAP respiratory support during the period of study. Seventeen (85%) of the neonates were successfully weaned off CPAP while three (15%) failed CPAP. Three neonates developed complications with two having CPAP belly syndrome and the third had facial swelling which resolved spontaneously after 6 hours. Overall, seven (41%) of the neonates who were successfully weaned off CPAP were discharged home. MajorityofnewbornswhorequirerespiratorysupportwillbenefitfromNBCPAP therefore, this method of respiratory support should be popularized and neonatal units in the country should be supported to efficiently offer the service.

  1. An electrical load measurements dataset of United Kingdom households from a two-year longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, David; Stankovic, Lina; Stankovic, Vladimir

    2017-01-05

    Smart meter roll-outs provide easy access to granular meter measurements, enabling advanced energy services, ranging from demand response measures, tailored energy feedback and smart home/building automation. To design such services, train and validate models, access to data that resembles what is expected of smart meters, collected in a real-world setting, is necessary. The REFIT electrical load measurements dataset described in this paper includes whole house aggregate loads and nine individual appliance measurements at 8-second intervals per house, collected continuously over a period of two years from 20 houses. During monitoring, the occupants were conducting their usual routines. At the time of publishing, the dataset has the largest number of houses monitored in the United Kingdom at less than 1-minute intervals over a period greater than one year. The dataset comprises 1,194,958,790 readings, that represent over 250,000 monitored appliance uses. The data is accessible in an easy-to-use comma-separated format, is time-stamped and cleaned to remove invalid measurements, correctly label appliance data and fill in small gaps of missing data.

  2. An electrical load measurements dataset of United Kingdom households from a two-year longitudinal study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, David; Stankovic, Lina; Stankovic, Vladimir

    2017-01-01

    Smart meter roll-outs provide easy access to granular meter measurements, enabling advanced energy services, ranging from demand response measures, tailored energy feedback and smart home/building automation. To design such services, train and validate models, access to data that resembles what is expected of smart meters, collected in a real-world setting, is necessary. The REFIT electrical load measurements dataset described in this paper includes whole house aggregate loads and nine individual appliance measurements at 8-second intervals per house, collected continuously over a period of two years from 20 houses. During monitoring, the occupants were conducting their usual routines. At the time of publishing, the dataset has the largest number of houses monitored in the United Kingdom at less than 1-minute intervals over a period greater than one year. The dataset comprises 1,194,958,790 readings, that represent over 250,000 monitored appliance uses. The data is accessible in an easy-to-use comma-separated format, is time-stamped and cleaned to remove invalid measurements, correctly label appliance data and fill in small gaps of missing data.

  3. Pennsylvania hardwood timber bridges : field performance after 10 years

    Science.gov (United States)

    James P. Wacker; Carlito Calil

    2004-01-01

    Several hardwood demonstration timber bridges were built by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in the early nineteen nineties. These bridge superstructures are of the recently developed stress-laminated deck design-type using Red Oak lumber laminations that were pressure-treated with creosote preservatives. This paper will describe the data acquisition...

  4. Nursing diagnoses in patients having mechanical ventilation support in a respiratory intensive care unit in Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yücel, Şebnem Çinar; Eşer, Ismet; Güler, Elem Kocaçal; Khorshid, Leyla

    2011-10-01

    This research was carried out to find out the nursing diagnoses in patients who have mechanical ventilation support in a respiratory intensive care unit. The study was conducted with 51 evaluations of critically ill adult patients who underwent invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation therapy in 2008. Data collection was based on Gordon's 11 Functional Health Patterns, and nursing diagnoses were determined according to North American Nursing Diagnosis Association-International (NANDA-I) Taxonomy II. The nursing diagnoses were determined by two researchers separately. The consistency between the nursing diagnoses defined by the two researchers was evaluated by using Cohen's kappa (κ). Forty men (78.4%) and 11 women (21.6%) whose mean ages were 70.19 (SD = 8.96) years were included in the study. Nineteen subgroups of nursing diagnoses about safety/protection domain, and 15 subgroups about activity/rest domain were seen at different rates in the patients. There was a statistically significant difference between mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy or endotracheal tube and decreased cardiac output (d.f. = 1, χ(2) = 4.760, P = 0.029). The relationship between the length of time under mechanical ventilation and impaired physical mobility was considerably significant (d.f. = 3, χ(2) = 24.459, P = 0.000). It was found out that there was a high degree of agreement (96.8%) between the nursing diagnoses defined by the two researchers separately (κ = 0.936, SE = 0.08). © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  5. Using discrete event simulation to compare the performance of family health unit and primary health care centre organizational models in Portugal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fialho, André S; Oliveira, Mónica D; Sá, Armando B

    2011-10-15

    Recent reforms in Portugal aimed at strengthening the role of the primary care system, in order to improve the quality of the health care system. Since 2006 new policies aiming to change the organization, incentive structures and funding of the primary health care sector were designed, promoting the evolution of traditional primary health care centres (PHCCs) into a new type of organizational unit--family health units (FHUs). This study aimed to compare performances of PHCC and FHU organizational models and to assess the potential gains from converting PHCCs into FHUs. Stochastic discrete event simulation models for the two types of organizational models were designed and implemented using Simul8 software. These models were applied to data from nineteen primary care units in three municipalities of the Greater Lisbon area. The conversion of PHCCs into FHUs seems to have the potential to generate substantial improvements in productivity and accessibility, while not having a significant impact on costs. This conversion might entail a 45% reduction in the average number of days required to obtain a medical appointment and a 7% and 9% increase in the average number of medical and nursing consultations, respectively. Reorganization of PHCC into FHUs might increase accessibility of patients to services and efficiency in the provision of primary care services.

  6. Sunburn and sun protective behaviors among adults aged 18-29 years--United States, 2000-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-11

    Skin cancer is an important public health concern. Nonmelanoma skin cancers, comprised mainly of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common malignancies in the United States. Melanoma, although less common, is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers can be disfiguring, negatively affect quality of life, and create economic burden. Furthermore, age-adjusted incidence rates of both have increased in recent years. Different patterns of sun exposure are associated with different types of skin cancer. Continuous, chronic sun exposure, such as that observed among outdoor workers is associated with squamous cell carcinoma. Intermittent exposure, such as recreational exposure, is associated with melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. Sunburn typically occurs after intermittent exposure, and the risk for melanoma increases with an increasing number of sunburns during all periods of life. Sunburn is more common among persons aged 18-29 years compared with older adults. To evaluate trends in sunburn and sun protective behaviors among persons aged 18-29 years, CDC and the National Cancer Institute analyzed data from the 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The results indicated that although protective behaviors such as sunscreen use, shade use, and wearing long clothing to the ankles have increased in recent years, sunburn prevalence remains high, with 50.1% of all adults and 65.6% of whites aged 18-29 years reporting at least one sunburn in the past 12 months. These results suggest that additional efforts are needed to identify and implement effective strategies targeting younger adults to improve their sun protective behaviors and prevent sunburn and ultimately skin cancer.

  7. Nuclear engineering education in the United States: The first 50 years

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, G.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: This paper will discuss recent trends in the nuclear engineering education infrastructure in the United States. In the last several years political, economic and technical issues have been addressed and nuclear technology appears poised to resume growing again. It is in this new environment that there has been a confluence of industry, government and academic interests to see that nuclear engineering education retains its vitality and ability to provide technological leadership and a well-educated workforce. In order to understand the current situation it is important to give a brief historical perspective covering the six decades since the inception of 'Atoms for Peace' in 1953. The passage of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 established the Atomic Energy Commission and the declassification of much nuclear technology and scientific material. There was an understandable optimistic outlook as to the potential for nuclear technology in the areas of power, medicine and other industrial and scientific applications. There were commercial concepts for using nuclear energy to power ships, planes, rockets, and cars. But the must successful application, by far was in the area of electric power production. In only a few years demonstration nuclear power plants were built and the infamous quote - 'two cheap to meter' was reported. In the following decade much progress was made and commercial plant orders increased substantially in number and in size. There were going to light water reactors, gas cooled reactors, liquid metal fast reactors, reprocessing, waste buried in salt mines. There was going to be 'a 1000 reactors in the year 2000'. This was the picture in the United States in the 50's and 60's. And it was in this environment that nuclear engineering education was birthed and grew. The first nuclear engineering academic programs and university research reactors were established in the 1950's at such places as North Carolina State, MIT, Penn State and others

  8. Development of diagnostic mammography unit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsubara, M.; Muraki, T.; Kitade, K. (Toshiba Corp., Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan))

    1981-07-01

    The mortality from breast cancer is gradually increasing year after year. Accordingly, it is eagerly desired that X-ray diagnosis information be obtainable with higher accuracy and ease for early detection of the disease. Meeting this demand, development has been made of a 2 x magnification mammography unit (Model MGU-01) capabel of minutely depicting microcalcifications with a size of 150 ..mu..m or thereabout and the peripheral condition of a mammary abscess. The background of the development, the substance of the unit and the examination made of the unit are described here.

  9. Development of diagnostic mammography unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsubara, Mitsuyoshi; Muraki, Takeshi; Kitade, Kooichi

    1981-01-01

    The mortality from breast cancer is gradually increasing year after year. Accordingly, it is eagerly desired that X-ray diagnosis information be obtainable with higher accuracy and ease for early detection of the disease. Meeting this demand, development has been made of a 2 x magnification mammography unit (Model MGU-01) capabel of minutely depicting microcalcifications with a size of 150 μm or thereabout and the peripheral condition of a mammary abscess. The background of the development, the substance of the unit and the examination made of the unit are described here. (author)

  10. Cardiotocography interpretation skills and the association with size of maternity unit, years of obstetric work experience and healthcare professional background

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thellesen, Line; Sorensen, Jette Led; Hedegaard, Morten

    2017-01-01

    less than 15 years of obstetric work experience. This might indicate a challenge in maintaining CTG skills in small units and among experienced staff but could also reflect different levels of motivation, test familiarity and learning culture. Whether the findings are transferable to the clinical...... setting was not examined. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved....

  11. A measurement tool to assess culture change regarding patient safety in hospital obstetrical units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenneth Milne, J; Bendaly, Nicole; Bendaly, Leslie; Worsley, Jill; FitzGerald, John; Nisker, Jeff

    2010-06-01

    Clinical error in acute care hospitals can only be addressed by developing a culture of safety. We sought to develop a cultural assessment survey (CAS) to assess patient safety culture change in obstetrical units. Interview prompts and a preliminary questionnaire were developed through a literature review of patient safety and "high reliability organizations," followed by interviews with members of the Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (MOREOB) Program of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Three hundred preliminary questionnaires were mailed, and 21 interviews and 9 focus groups were conducted with the staff of 11 hospital sites participating in the program. To pilot test the CAS, 350 surveys were mailed to staff in participating hospitals, and interviews were conducted with seven nurses and five physicians who had completed the survey. Reliability analysis was conducted on four units that completed the CAS prior to and following the implementation of the first MOREOB module. Nineteen values and 105 behaviours, practices, and perceptions relating to patient safety were identified and included in the preliminary questionnaire, of which 143 of 300 (47.4%) were returned. Among the 220 cultural assessment surveys returned (62.9%), six cultural scales emerged: (1) patient safety as everyone's priority; (2) teamwork; (3) valuing individuals; (4) open communication; (5) learning; and (6) empowering individuals. The reliability analysis found all six scales to have internal reliability (Cronbach alpha), ranging from 0.72 (open communication) to 0.84 (valuing individuals). The CAS developed for this study may enable obstetrical units to assess change in patient safety culture.

  12. Three years of lightning impulse charge moment change measurements in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummer, Steven A.; Lyons, Walter A.; Stanley, Mark A.

    2013-06-01

    We report and analyze 3 years of lightning impulse charge moment change (iCMC) measurements obtained from an automated, real time lightning charge moment change network (CMCN). The CMCN combines U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) lightning event geolocations with extremely low frequency (≲1 kHz) data from two stations to provide iCMC measurements across the entire United States. Almost 14 million lightning events were measured in the 3 year period. We present the statistical distributions of iCMC versus polarity and NLDN-measured peak current, including corrections for the detection efficiency of the CMCN versus peak current. We find a broad distribution of iCMC for a given peak current, implying that these parameters are at best only weakly correlated. Curiously, the mean iCMC does not monotonically increase with peak current, and in fact, drops for positive CG strokes above +150 kA. For all positive strokes, there is a boundary near 20 C km that separates seemingly distinct populations of high and low iCMC strokes. We also explore the geographic distribution of high iCMC lightning strokes. High iCMC positive strokes occur predominantly in the northern midwest portion of the U.S., with a secondary peak over the gulf stream region just off the U.S. east coast. High iCMC negative strokes are also clustered in the midwest, although somewhat south of most of the high iCMC positive strokes. This is a region far from the locations of maximum occurrence of high peak current negative strokes. Based on assumed iCMC thresholds for sprite production, we estimate that approximately 35,000 positive polarity and 350 negative polarity sprites occur per year over the U.S. land and near-coastal areas. Among other applications, this network is useful for the nowcasting of sprite-producing storms and storm regions.

  13. 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.

  14. RECALMIN II. Eight years of hospitalisation in Internal Medicine Units (2007-2014). What has changed?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zapatero-Gaviria, A; Barba-Martín, R; Canora Lebrato, J; Fernández-Pérez, C; Gómez-Huelgas, R; Bernal-Sobrino, J L; Díez-Manglano, J; Marco-Martínez, J; Elola-Somoza, F J

    2017-11-01

    To analyse the evolution of care provided by the internal medicine units (IMU) of the Spanish National Health System from 2007 to 2014. We analysed all discharges from the IMU of the Spanish National Health System in 2007 and 2014, using the Minimum Basic Data Set. We compared the risk factors by episode, mortality and readmissions between the two periods. We prepared specific fits for the risk for mortality and readmissions in heart failure, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as the Charlson index for all activity. Discharges from the IMU between the two periods increased 14%. The average patient age increased by 2.8 years (71.2±17.1 vs. 74±16.2; pde Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.

  15. Correlates of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination initiation and completion among 18-26 year olds in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adjei Boakye, Eric; Lew, Daphne; Muthukrishnan, Meera; Tobo, Betelihem B; Rohde, Rebecca L; Varvares, Mark A; Osazuwa-Peters, Nosayaba

    2018-04-30

    To examine correlates of HPV vaccination uptake in a nationally representative sample of 18-26-year-old adults. Young adults aged 18-26 years were identified from the 2014 and 2015 National Health Interview Survey (n = 7588). Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models estimated sociodemographic factors associated with HPV vaccine initiation (≥1 dose) and completion (≥3 doses). Approximately 27% of study participants had initiated the HPV vaccine and 16% had completed the HPV vaccine. Participants were less likely to initiate the vaccine if they were men [(adjusted odds ratio) 0.19; (95% confidence interval) 0.16-0.23], had a high school diploma (0.40; 0.31-0.52) or less (0.46; 0.32-0.64) vs. college graduates, and were born outside the United States (0.52; 0.40-0.69). But, participants were more likely to initiate the HPV if they visited the doctor's office 1-5 times (2.09; 1.56-2.81), or ≥ 6 times (1.86; 1.48-2.34) within the last 12 months vs. no visits. Odds of completing HPV vaccine uptake followed the same pattern as initiation. And after stratifying the study population by gender and foreign-born status, these variables remained statistically significant. In our nationally representative study, only one out of six 18-26 year olds completed the required vaccine doses. Men, individuals with high school or less education, and those born outside the United States were less likely to initiate and complete the HPV vaccination. Our findings suggest that it may be useful to develop targeted interventions to promote HPV vaccination among those in the catch-up age range.

  16. Nosocomial bloodstream infection in a neonatal intensive care unit of a medical center: a three-year review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseng, Ya-Chun; Chiu, Yu-Chiao; Wang, Jen-Hsien; Lin, Hsiao-Chuan; Lin, Hung-Chih; Su, Bai-Horng; Chiu, Hsiu-Hui

    2002-09-01

    Bloodstream infections are the most frequent nosocomial infections in neonatal intensive care units. This retrospective study surveyed the epidemiologic characteristics of nosocomial bloodstream infections which occurred in the neonatal intensive care unit from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1999. The overall infection patient rate was 5.5% in the 3-year period, and the overall infection patient-day rate was 4.4 per 1000 patient-days. Low birth weight was a risk factor for bloodstream infections. The rate of infection for neonates with birth weight below 1000 g ranged from 36.6% to 45.8% (1997: 36.6%; 1998: 45.8% and 1999: 38.9%). The most common pathogens causing nosocomial bloodstream infection were: Staphylococcus aureus (18.5%) (with 92% oxacillin-resistant), Acinectobacter baumannii (16.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.9%), Escherichia coli (9.6%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.1%). The mortality due to nosocomial bloodstream infection was highest among gram-negative bacteria, especially with P. aeruginosa (45.5%). Therefore, surveillance of nosocomial bloodstream infection and successful strategies to decrease nosocomial bloodstream infection, such as infection control and optimal antibiotic use, are warranted.

  17. Why Not Start with Quarks? Teachers Investigate a Learning Unit on the Subatomic Structure of Matter with 12-Year-Olds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiener, Gerfried J.; Schmeling, Sascha M.; Hopf, Martin

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes the second in a series of studies exploring the acceptance of the subatomic structure of matter by 12-year-olds. The studies focus on a novel learning unit introducing an atomic model from electrons down to quarks, which is aimed to be used at an early stage in the physics curriculum. Three features are fundamental to the…

  18. United States transuranium and uranium registries - 25 years of growth, research, and service. Annual report, April 1992--September 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kathren, R.L.; Harwick, L.A.; Toohey, R.E.; Russell, J.J.; Filipy, R.E.; Dietert, S.E.; Hunacek, M.M.; Hall, C.A.

    1994-01-01

    The Registries originated in 1968 as the National Plutonium Registry with the name changed to the United States Transuranium Registry the following year to reflect a broader concern with the heavier actinides as well. Initially, the scientific effort of the USTR was directed towards study of the distribution and dose of plutonium and americium in occupationally exposed persons, and to assessment of the effects of exposure to the transuranium elements on health. This latter role was reassessed during the 1970's when it was recognized that the biased cohort of the USTR was inappropriate for epidemiologic analysis. In 1978, the administratively separate but parallel United States Uranium Registry was created to carry out similar work among persons exposed to uranium and its decay products. A seven member scientific advisory committee provided guidance and scientific oversight. In 1992, the two Registries were administratively combined and transferred from the purview of a Department of Energy contractor to Washington State University under the provisions of a grant. Scientific results for the first twenty-five years of the Registries are summarized, including the 1985 publication of the analysis of the first whole body donor. Current scientific work in progress is summarized along with administrative activities for the period

  19. United States transuranium and uranium registries - 25 years of growth, research, and service. Annual report, April 1992--September 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kathren, R.L.; Harwick, L.A.; Toohey, R.E.; Russell, J.J.; Filipy, R.E.; Dietert, S.E.; Hunacek, M.M.; Hall, C.A.

    1994-10-01

    The Registries originated in 1968 as the National Plutonium Registry with the name changed to the United States Transuranium Registry the following year to reflect a broader concern with the heavier actinides as well. Initially, the scientific effort of the USTR was directed towards study of the distribution and dose of plutonium and americium in occupationally exposed persons, and to assessment of the effects of exposure to the transuranium elements on health. This latter role was reassessed during the 1970`s when it was recognized that the biased cohort of the USTR was inappropriate for epidemiologic analysis. In 1978, the administratively separate but parallel United States Uranium Registry was created to carry out similar work among persons exposed to uranium and its decay products. A seven member scientific advisory committee provided guidance and scientific oversight. In 1992, the two Registries were administratively combined and transferred from the purview of a Department of Energy contractor to Washington State University under the provisions of a grant. Scientific results for the first twenty-five years of the Registries are summarized, including the 1985 publication of the analysis of the first whole body donor. Current scientific work in progress is summarized along with administrative activities for the period.

  20. Hepatitis A vaccination coverage among adults 18–49 years traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity, United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Peng-jun; Byrd, Kathy K.; Murphy, Trudy V.

    2018-01-01

    Background Since 1996, hepatitis A vaccine (HepA) has been recommended for adults at increased risk for infection including travelers to high or intermediate hepatitis A endemic countries. In 2009, travel outside the United States and Canada was the most common exposure nationally reported for persons with hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. Objective To assess HepA vaccination coverage among adults 18–49 years traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity in the United States. Methods We analyzed data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), to determine self-reported HepA vaccination coverage (≥1 dose) and series completion (≥2 dose) among persons 18–49 years who traveled, since 1995, to a country of high or intermediate HAV endemicity. Multivariable logistic regression and predictive marginal analyses were conducted to identify factors independently associated with HepA vaccine receipt. Results In 2010, approximately 36.6% of adults 18–49 years reported traveling to high or intermediate hepatitis A endemic countries; among this group unadjusted HepA vaccination coverage was 26.6% compared to 12.7% among non-travelers (P-values hepatitis A endemicity was associated with higher likelihood of HepA vaccination in 2010 among adults 18–49 years, self-reported HepA vaccination coverage was low among adult travelers to these areas. Healthcare providers should ask their patients’ upcoming travel plans and recommend and offer travel related vaccinations to their patients. PMID:23523408

  1. Cooling unit for a superconducting power cable. Two years successful operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herzog, Friedhelm [Messer Group GmbH, Krefeld (Germany); Kutz, Thomas [Messer Industriegase GmbH, Bad Soden (Germany); Stemmle, Mark [Nexans Deutschland GmbH, Hannover (Germany); Kugel, Torsten [Westnetz GmbH, Essen (Germany)

    2016-07-01

    High temperature super conductors (HTS) can efficiently be cooled with liquid nitrogen down to a temperature of 64 K (-209 C). Lower temperatures are not practical, because nitrogen becomes solid at 63 K (-210 C). To achieve this temperature level the coolant has to be vaporized below atmospheric pressure. Messer has developed a cooling unit with an adequate vacuum subcooler, a liquid nitrogen circulation system, and a storage vessel for cooling an HTS power cable. The cooling unit was delivered in 2013 for the German AmpaCity project of RWE Deutschland AG, Nexans and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Within this project RWE and Nexans installed the worldwide longest superconducting power cable in the city of Essen, Germany. The cable is in operation since March 10th, 2014.

  2. SI units in radiation protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jain, V.K.; Soman, S.D.

    1978-01-01

    International System of Units abbreviated as SI units has been adopted by most of the countries of the world. Following this development, the implementation of SI units has become mandatory with a transition period of about ten years. Some of the journals have already adopted the SI units and any material sent for publication to them must use only these. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurement (ICRU) published letters in several journals including Physics in Medicine and Biology, Health Physics, British Journal of Radiology, etc. outlining the latest recommendations on SI units to elicit the reactions of scientists in the general field of radiological sciences. Reactions to the letters were numerous as can be seen in the correspondence columns of these journals for the last few years and ranged from great misgivings and apprehension to support and appreciation. SI units have also been the subject of editorial comments in several journals. On the basis of a survey of this literature, it may be said that there was general agreement on the long term advantage of SI units inspite of some practical difficulties in their use particularly in the initial stages. This report presents a review of SI units in radiological sciences with a view to familiarize the users with the new units in terms of the old. A time table for the gradual changeover to the SI units is also outlined. (auth.)

  3. DESIGN AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE WS/HS ASSEMBLY MOVEMENT USING LABVIEW VIS, NATIONAL INSTRUMENT MOTION CONTROLLERS, AND COMPUMOTOR ELECTRONIC DRIVE UNITS AND MOTORS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barr, D.S.; Day, L.A.

    2001-01-01

    The Low-Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA), designed and built at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is part of the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) program and provides a platform for measuring high-power proton beam-halo formation. The technique used for measuring the beam halo employs nine combination Wire Scanner and Halo Scraper (WS/HS) devices. This paper will focus on the experience gained in the use of National Instrument (NI) LabVIEW VIs and motion controllers, and Compumotor electronic drive units and motors. The base configuration couples a Compumotor motor driven by a Parker-Hannifin Gemini GT Drive unit. The drive unit is controlled by a NI PXI-7344 controller card, which in turn is controlled by a PC running custom built NI LabVIEW VIs. The function of the control VI's is to interpret instructions from the main control system, the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS), and carry out the corresponding motion commands. The main control VI has to run all nineteen WS/HS motor axes used in the accelerator. A basic discussion of the main accelerator control system, EPICs which is hosted on a VXI platform, and its interface with the PC based LabVIEW motion control software will be included

  4. Antisocial Behavioral Syndromes and Three-Year Quality of Life Outcomes in United States Adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein, Risë B.; Dawson, Deborah A.; Smith, Sharon M.; Grant, Bridget F.

    2013-01-01

    Objective To examine 3-year quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes among United States adults with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), syndromal adult antisocial behavior without conduct disorder (CD) before age 15 (AABS, not a DSM-IV diagnosis), or no antisocial behavioral syndrome at baseline. Method Face-to-face interviews (n= 34,653). Psychiatric disorders were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule – DSM-IV Version. Health-related QOL was assessed using the Short-Form 12-Item Health Survey, version 2 (SF-12v2). Other outcomes included past-year Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4) scores, employment, receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), welfare, and food stamps, and participation in social relationships. Results ASPD and AABS predicted poorer employment, financial dependency, social relationship, and physical health outcomes. Relationships of antisociality to SSI and food stamp receipt and physical health scales were modified by baseline age. Both antisocial syndromes predicted higher PSS-4, AABS predicted lower SF-12v2 Vitality, and ASPD predicted lower SF-12v2 Social Functioning scores in women. Conclusion Similar prediction of QOL by ASPD and AABS suggests limited utility of requiring CD before age 15 to diagnose ASPD. Findings underscore the need to improve prevention and treatment of antisocial syndromes. PMID:22375904

  5. United States Armed Forces Celebrating 60 Years of Integration: 1948-2008

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Ledesma, Michael; Marcum, Rebecca; Moeser, Erin

    2008-01-01

    .... Despite repeated resistance, the U.S. military has throughout its history created cohesive and effective fighting units out of a fractious and diverse collection of civilians, integrating service members with vast differences in cultural...

  6. Analysis of neonatal sepsis in one neonatal intensive care unit for 6 years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Chun

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Purpose : Sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the newborn, particularly in preterm. The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence rate, causative pathogens and clinical features of neonatal sepsis in one neonatal intensive care unit (NICU for 6 years. Methods : This study was retrospectively performed to review the clinical and laboratory characteristics including sex, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, length of hospitalization, length of total parenteral nutrition, presence of central venous catheter, underlying diseases, laboratory findings, microorganisms isolated from blood culture, complications and mortality in 175 patients between January 2003 and December 2008. Results : 1 Sepsis was present in 175 of 3,747 infants for 6 years. There were more gram-positive organisms. 2 The gram-negatives were more prevalent in preterm. There were no significant differences of other clinical features between two groups. 3 Underlying diseases were found in 73.7%, and the most common disease was cardiovascular disease. The most common organisms of gram-positives and gram-negatives were methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and Serratia marcescens. 4 There was statistically significant difference on platelet counts between two groups (P&lt;0.05. 5 Complications were found in 18.3% and septic shock was the most common. MRSA was the most common pathogen in sepsis with complication. 6 The mortality rate was 7.4%. 7 There were differences in monthly blood stream infection/ 1,000 patient-days. Conclusion : The studies about the factors that can influence neonatal sepsis will contribute to decrease the infection rates in NICUs.

  7. The Agency's Annual Report to the General Assembly of the United Nations for the Year 1969-70. Explanatory Note

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1970-11-13

    By Resolution GC(XIV)/RES/268 the General Conference requested the Board of Governors to arrange for the preparation of a supplement to the Board's annual report to the General Conference for 1969-70 which, together with that report, constitutes the Agency's report to the General Assembly of the United Nations for that year. The present document contains the supplement, which deals briefly with some developments in the Agency's work during the period 1 July to 1 October 1970.

  8. The Agency's Annual Report to the General Assembly of the United Nations for the Year 1969-70. Explanatory Note

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1970-01-01

    By Resolution GC(XIV)/RES/268 the General Conference requested the Board of Governors to arrange for the preparation of a supplement to the Board's annual report to the General Conference for 1969-70 which, together with that report, constitutes the Agency's report to the General Assembly of the United Nations for that year. The present document contains the supplement, which deals briefly with some developments in the Agency's work during the period 1 July to 1 October 1970.

  9. Solar Energy in the Nineteen Eighties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broda, E.

    1979-01-01

    Solar energy is abundant inexhaustible and nonpolluting. Its utilization does not affect the climate, and it does not lend itself to military applications. The solar-thermal, solar-electric and solar-chemical options are available. The production of low-temperature heat for warm water and for space heating, of enormous importance in the energy budget, is economic already now in many situations. Technical progress is still considerable. With the further rise in fuel prices the application will increase dramatically. Use of solar heat for large-scale generation of electricity, i.e. of power on the basis of the solar-thermal option, should be approached cautiously. Possibilities include the tower concept and ocean thermal-electric conversion (OTEC). Investment would be large, and the technology hard. Better long-term chances may be given, for decentralized application in developing countries, to the farm concept. In contrast, the chances for cheap small-scale, and later large-scale, use of solar semiconductor cells (solar-electric option) are most favourable. Technical progress is rapid, and prices drop precipitously. For the production of fuel, the solar-chemical option is in the foreground. Gaseous, liquid and convenient solid fuels can be obtained from biomass, especially by fermentation. At the moment, biogenic wastes are already available in relatively large amounts. Subsequently, energy farming is to be introduced. Biomass converted to hydrogen can be employed for production of electricity by means of fuel cells. In the more distant future, hydrogen is to be made abiotically by photolysis of water, and is to be introduced into a hydrogen economy. Probably the technology will be based on the application of synthetic membranes. It is possible that regenerative solar energy in all its forms can in the end replace all existing energy used by man. This substitution will s however, be a gradual process. (author)

  10. Results of a two-year quality control program for a helical tomotherapy unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broggi, Sara; Mauro Cattaneo, Giovanni; Molinelli, Silvia; Maggiulli, Eleonora; Del Vecchio, Antonella; Longobardi, Barbara; Perna, Lucia; Fazio, Ferruccio; Calandrino, Riccardo

    2008-01-01

    Background and purpose: Image-guided helical tomotherapy (HT) is a new modality for delivering intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with helical irradiation: the slip ring continuously rotates while the couch moves into the bore. The radiation source (Linac, 6 MV) is collimated into a fan beam and modulated by means of a binary multileaf collimator (MLC). A xenon detector array, opposite the radiation source, allows a megavoltage-CT (MVCT) acquisition of patient images for set-up verification. The aim of this paper is to report the results of a two-year quality control (QC) program for the physical and dosimetric characterization of an HT unit installed at our Institute and clinically activated in November 2004, in order to monitor and verify the stability and the reliability of this promising radiation treatment unit. Materials and methods: Conventional Linac acceptance protocols (ATP) and QC protocols were adapted to HT with the addition of specific items reflecting important differences between the two irradiation modalities. QC tests can be summarized as: (a) mechanical and geometrical characterization of the system's components: evaluation of alignment among radiation source-gantry rotation plan-jaws-MLC-MVCT; (b) treatment beam configuration in static condition: depth dose curves (PDD) and profiles, output factors, output reproducibility and linearity; (c) dynamic component characterization: accuracy and reproducibility of MLC positioning; rotational output reproducibility and linearity, leaf latency, couch movement constancy; (d) gantry-couch and MLC-gantry synchronization; and (e) MVCT image quality. Peculiar periodicity specific tolerance and action levels were defined. Ionization chambers (Exradin A1SL 0.056 cc), films (XOmat-V/EDR2), water and solid water phantoms were used to perform quality assurance measurements. Results: Over a two-year period the final average output variation after possible beam output adjustment was -0.2 ± 1% for the

  11. Inventory of power plants in the United States 1990. [Contains glossary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-10-23

    The purpose of this publication is to provide year-end statistics about electric generating units operated by electric utilities in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia). The publication also provides a 10-year outlook of future generating unit additions. The Summary Statistics chapter contains aggregate capacity statistics at the national and various regional levels for operable electric generating units and planned electric generating unit additions. Aggregate capacity data at the national level are presented by energy source and by prime mover. Aggregate capacity data at the various regional levels are presented by prime energy source. Planned capacity additions in new units are summarized by year, 1991 through 2000. Additionally, this chapter contains a summary of electric generating unit retirements, by energy source and year, from 1991 through 2000. The chapter on Operable Electric Generating Units contains data about each operable electric generating unit and each electric generating unit that was retired from service during the year. Additionally, it contains a summary by energy source of electric generating unit capacity additions and retirements during 1990. Finally, the chapter on Projected Electric Generating Unit Additions contains data about each electric generating unit scheduled by electric utilities to start operation between 1991 and 2000. 11 figs., 22 tabs.

  12. Federally Chartered Corporation: Review of the Financial Statement Audit Report for the Navy Club of the United States of America for Fiscal Year 1998

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2000-01-01

    As requested, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of the Navy Club of the United States of America, a federally chartered corporation, for the fiscal year ended July 31, 1998...

  13. Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shearer, Jeffrey P. [Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States)

    2012-02-29

    The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2012 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of the 3389 sites and 540 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.

  14. Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shearer, Jeffrey P. [Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States)

    2013-02-13

    The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2013 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of the 3427 sites and 564 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.

  15. Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shearer, Jeffrey P. [Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States)

    2014-02-19

    The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) has been created to meet the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA) Action Plan, Section 3.5, which states: “The Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report shall be generated, in a format agreed upon by the Parties, as a calendar year report and issued annually by the DOE by the end of February of each year, and posted electronically for regulator and public access. This report shall reflect all changes made in waste management unit status during the previous year.” This February 2013 version of the HSWMUR contains a comprehensive inventory of the 3438 sites and 569 subsites in the Waste Information Data System (WIDS). The information for each site contains a description of each unit and the waste it contains, where applicable. The WIDS database provides additional information concerning the sites contained in this report and is maintained with daily changes to these sites.

  16. A Year of Hands-on Science: Exciting Theme Units with More Than 100 Activities, Projects, and Experiments To Make Science Come Alive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kepler, Lynne; Novelli, Joan, Ed.

    This book contains 18 themed teaching units with 2 themes per chapter, organized seasonally around the traditional school year. Each theme includes natural connections and hands-on science activities that correspond to what children are already observing in their world. Each chapter begins with highlights of the month and a reproducible "Science…

  17. Heart Disease Death Rates Among Blacks and Whites Aged ≥35 YearsUnited States, 1968–2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Dyke, Miriam; Greer, Sophia; Odom, Erika; Schieb, Linda; Vaughan, Adam; Kramer, Michael; Casper, Michele

    2018-01-01

    Problem/Condition Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In 2015, heart disease accounted for approximately 630,000 deaths, representing one in four deaths in the United States. Although heart disease death rates decreased 68% for the total population from 1968 to 2015, marked disparities in decreases exist by race and state. Period Covered 1968–2015. Description of System The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data on deaths in the United States were abstracted for heart disease using diagnosis codes from the eighth, ninth, and tenth revisions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-8, ICD-9, and ICD-10) for 1968–2015. Population estimates were obtained from NVSS files. National and state-specific heart disease death rates for the total population and by race for adults aged ≥35 years were calculated for 1968–2015. National and state-specific black-white heart disease mortality ratios also were calculated. Death rates were age standardized to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Joinpoint regression was used to perform time trend analyses. Results From 1968 to 2015, heart disease death rates decreased for the total U.S. population among adults aged ≥35 years, from 1,034.5 to 327.2 per 100,000 population, respectively, with variations in the magnitude of decreases by race and state. Rates decreased for the total population an average of 2.4% per year, with greater average decreases among whites (2.4% per year) than blacks (2.2% per year). At the national level, heart disease death rates for blacks and whites were similar at the start of the study period (1968) but began to diverge in the late 1970s, when rates for blacks plateaued while rates for whites continued to decrease. Heart disease death rates among blacks remained higher than among whites for the remainder of the study period. Nationwide, the black-white ratio of heart disease death rates increased from 1.04 in 1968 to 1.21 in 2015, with large increases

  18. The Agency's Annual Report to the General Assembly of the United Nations for the Year 1968-69. Explanatory Note

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1969-01-01

    By Resolution GC(XIII)/RES/251 the General Conference requested the Board of Governors to arrange for the preparation of a supplement to the Board's annual report to the General Conference for 1968-69 which, together with that report, shall constitute the Agency's report to the General Assembly of the United Nations for that year. The present document contains the supplement, which deals briefly with some developments in the Agency's work during the period 1 July to 1 October 1969.

  19. Detector Unit

    CERN Multimedia

    1960-01-01

    Original detector unit of the Instituut voor Kernfysisch Onderzoek (IKO) BOL project. This detector unit shows that silicon detectors for nuclear physics particle detection were already developed and in use in the 1960's in Amsterdam. Also the idea of putting 'strips' onto the silicon for high spatial resolution of a particle's impact on the detector were implemented in the BOL project which used 64 of these detector units. The IKO BOL project with its silicon particle detectors was designed, built and operated from 1965 to roughly 1977. Detector Unit of the BOL project: These detectors, notably the ‘checkerboard detector’, were developed during the years 1964-1968 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, by the Natuurkundig Laboratorium of the N.V. Philips Gloeilampen Fabrieken. This was done in close collaboration with the Instituut voor Kernfysisch Onderzoek (IKO) where the read-out electronics for their use in the BOL Project was developed and produced.

  20. Geoelectric Hazard Maps for the Mid-Atlantic United States: 100 Year Extreme Values and the 1989 Magnetic Storm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Love, Jeffrey J.; Lucas, Greg M.; Kelbert, Anna; Bedrosian, Paul A.

    2018-01-01

    Maps of extreme value geoelectric field amplitude are constructed for the Mid-Atlantic United States, a region with high population density and critically important power grid infrastructure. Geoelectric field time series for the years 1983-2014 are estimated by convolving Earth surface impedances obtained from 61 magnetotelluric survey sites across the Mid-Atlantic with historical 1 min (2 min Nyquist) measurements of geomagnetic variation obtained from a nearby observatory. Statistical models are fitted to the maximum geoelectric amplitudes occurring during magnetic storms, and extrapolations made to estimate threshold amplitudes only exceeded, on average, once per century. For the Mid-Atlantic region, 100 year geoelectric exceedance amplitudes have a range of almost 3 orders of magnitude (from 0.04 V/km at a site in southern Pennsylvania to 24.29 V/km at a site in central Virginia), and they have significant geographic granularity, all of which is due to site-to-site differences in magnetotelluric impedance. Maps of these 100 year exceedance amplitudes resemble those of the estimated geoelectric amplitudes attained during the March 1989 magnetic storm, and, in that sense, the March 1989 storm resembles what might be loosely called a "100 year" event. The geoelectric hazard maps reported here stand in stark contrast with the 100 year geoelectric benchmarks developed for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

  1. Geothermal electric power generation in Iceland for the proposed Iceland/United Kingdom HVDC power link

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hammons, T.J.; Palmason, G.; Thorhallsson, S.

    1991-01-01

    The paper reviews geothermal electric power potential in Iceland which could economically be developed to supplement hydro power for the proposed HVDC Power Link to the United Kingdom, and power intensive industries in Iceland, which are envisaged for development at this time. Technically harnessable energy for electricity generation taking account of geothermal resources down to an assumed base depth, temperature distribution in the crust, probable geothermal recovery factor, and accessibility of the field, has been assessed. Nineteen known high-temperature fields and 9 probable fields have been identified. Technically harnessable geo-heat for various areas is indicated. Data on high temperature fields suitable for geothermal electric power generation, and on harnessable energy for electric power generation within volcanic zones, is stated, and overall assessments are made. The paper then reviews how the potential might be developed, discussing preference of possible sites, and cost of the developments at todays prices. Cost of geothermal electric power generation with comparative costs for hydro generation are given. Possible transmission system developments to feed the power to the proposed HVDC Link converter stations are also discussed

  2. Voices of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Parents: The Case of Korean-American Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Myung-Sook; Shin, Sunwoo; Reeves, Kay C.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate attitudes and perspectives of Korean immigrant parents in rearing and educating their children in the United States. One hundred nineteen Korean parents from three cities in the United States were surveyed using the Korean Parent Questionnaire. The responses of the questionnaire were analyzed using…

  3. Acute stroke unit improves stroke management-four years on from INASC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanahan, E; Keenan, R; Cunningham, N; O'Malley, G; O'Connor, M; Lyons, D; Peters, C

    2015-02-01

    The Irish Heart Foundation carried out the Irish National Audit of Stroke Care (INASC) in 2008. Management practices were significantly poorer than those in the UK Sentinel audits. Since then an acute stroke unit has been established in University Hospital Limerick. A stroke database was established. 12 key indicators of stroke management audited by INASC were identified. Results were compared to those in INASC. 89 stroke patients were admitted. 8 of the 12 key indicators scored significantly better than in INASC. 92.5% had a brain scan within 24hrs (INASC-40%, p = strokes received anti-thrombotics (INASC-85%, p = 0.001). 94% had rehab goals agreed by MDT (22% in INASC p = 0.0000). 55% were treated in stroke unit (2% in INASC, p = 0.0000). MDT input improved with regard to physiotherapy (87% vs 43% in INASC, p = Stroke management has significantly improved from 2008, however some deficiencies remain.

  4. Four years Re-Use of low burned fuel assemblies from units 1 and 2 in core loadings of units 3 and 4 WWER-440 at Kozloduy NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoyanova, I.; Antov, A.; Spasova, V.

    2006-01-01

    At the end of 2002 units 1 and 2 of Kozloduy NPP were shutdown before their design life time which left a large number of assemblies yet with a significant energy resources. A decision to load these assemblies into the cores of Units 3 and 4 during the next 4 cycles has been taken. In 2003, 43 assemblies from Unit 1 cycle 23 rd and 55 assemblies from Unit 2 cycle 24 th are loaded in the cores of units 3 and 4 respectively. In 2004, new 49 assemblies from Unit 1 cycle 23rd and new 55 assemblies from Unit 2 cycle 24th are loaded in the cores of units 3 and 4 respectively. In 2005, the next new 25 assemblies from Unit 1 cycle 23 rd and 66 assemblies from Unit 2 cycle 24th are loaded in the cores of units 3 and 4 respectively. In 2006, the next new 54 assemblies from Unit 1 cycle 23 rd and 52 assemblies from Unit 2 cycle 24 th + 2 assemblies from Unit 3 cycle 19th are loaded in the cores of Units 3 and 4 respectively. The SPPSHB computer code system is used for development and safety assessment of the fuel loading patterns of Units 3 and 4 at Kozloduy NPP with low burned assemblies from units 1 and 2 (Authors)

  5. Occupational therapy students' attitudes towards inclusion education in Australia, United Kingdom, United States and Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Keli; Brown, Ted; Peyton, Claudia G; Rodger, Sylvia; Huang, Yan-Hua; Wu, Chin-Yu; Watson, Callie; Stagnitti, Karen; Hutton, Eve; Casey, Jackie; Hong, Chia Swee

    2010-03-01

    This international, cross-cultural study investigated the attitudes of occupational therapy students from Australia, United Kingdom, United States and Taiwan towards inclusive education for students with disabilities. The possible impact of professional education on students' attitudes was also explored. A total of 485 students from 11 entry-level occupational therapy education programmes from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Taiwan participated in the study. Among them, 264 were freshmen (first-year students) and 221 were seniors (final-year students). Data collected from a custom-designed questionnaire were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. In general, the occupational therapy students reported having positive attitudes towards inclusion. Considerable differences, however, existed among the student groups from the four countries. Professional education appeared to have a significant impact on students' attitudes towards inclusion from first year to senior year. Although students were in favour of inclusion, they also cautioned that their support for inclusive practices depended on various factors such as adequate preparation, support and assistance to students with disabilities. Limitations of the study included the small, convenience sample and different degree structures of the participating programmes. Future research studies need to compare occupational therapy students' attitudes with students from other health care professions. A longitudinal study on the impact of the professional education programme on students' attitudes towards inclusive education is warranted.

  6. Three years re-use of low burned fuel assemblies from units 1 and 2 in core loading of units 3 and 4 WWER-440 at Kozloduy NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoyanova, I.; Antov, A.; Spasova, V.

    2006-01-01

    At the end of 2002 Units 1 and 2 of Kozloduy NPP were shutdown before the end of their designed lifetime. This left a large number of assemblies yet with a significant energy resource. In 2003, 43 assemblies from Unit 1 and 55 assemblies from Unit 2 are loaded in the cores of Units 3 and 4 respectively. In 2004, new 49 assemblies from Unit 1 and new 55 assemblies from Unit 2 are loaded in the cores of Units 3 and 4 respectively. In 2005, the next new 25 assemblies from Unit 1 and 66 assemblies from Unit 2 are loaded in the cores of Units 3 and 4 respectively. The realized core loadings of Units 3 and 4 are illustrated. The large number of low burned assemblies after the shut down of Units 1 and 2 and their utilization during 4 consecutive cycles in the cores of Units 3 and 4 both do not permit to obtain in the last 3 cycles the typical mean burn up 35-36 MWd/kg U of 3.6% discharged assemblies

  7. Acute stroke unit improves stroke management-four years on from INASC.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Shanahan, E

    2015-02-01

    The Irish Heart Foundation carried out the Irish National Audit of Stroke Care (INASC) in 2008. Management practices were significantly poorer than those in the UK Sentinel audits. Since then an acute stroke unit has been established in University Hospital Limerick. A stroke database was established. 12 key indicators of stroke management audited by INASC were identified. Results were compared to those in INASC. 89 stroke patients were admitted. 8 of the 12 key indicators scored significantly better than in INASC. 92.5% had a brain scan within 24hrs (INASC-40%, p = < 0.001). 100% of ischaemic strokes received anti-thrombotics (INASC-85%, p = 0.001). 94% had rehab goals agreed by MDT (22% in INASC p = 0.0000). 55% were treated in stroke unit (2% in INASC, p = 0.0000). MDT input improved with regard to physiotherapy (87% vs 43% in INASC, p = < 0.02) and SALT (74% vs 26%, p = < 0.02). Stroke management has significantly improved from 2008, however some deficiencies remain.

  8. Descriptive, inferential, functional outcome data on 9,025 torture survivors over six years in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    The National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs conducted a large voluntary research project among torture rehabilitation centers in the United States (US). Its goal is to fill the void in the literature on demographic and diagnostic data of torture survivors across a large country. Twenty-three centers across the US collaborated over six years, utilizing training and making decisions via conference calls and webinars. A data use agreement signed by all the participating centers governed plans and the use of the data. This study reports on torture survivors from 125 countries, 109 of which signed the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT). Of the 9,025 torture survivors represented, most came from Africa and Asia and reported an average of 3.5 types of torture. Asylum seekers have different immigration experiences and show significantly higher rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than refugees. Torture survivors at high risk of PTSD and MDD in this sample reported three or more types of torture, reported rape, and had the immigration status of asylum seeker. At one and two years after beginning treatment, both asylum seekers and refugees reported increased rates of employment and improvements in their immigration status. This longitudinal project provides basic data on a large number of torture survivors who accessed services in the US, and provides a foundation for long-term follow up on immigration status, employment status, diagnostic status, medical diagnoses, and eventually, the effectiveness of treatment for torture survivors in the US. This article shares demographic and diagnostic findings useful for informing programmatic and policy decisions. However, these findings on refugees and asylum seekers in the US may not reflect the experience in other receiving countries. Collaboration with other researchers across continents is required to provide a much needed, more complete picture of torture

  9. Epidemiology of pediatric spinal cord injury in the United States: years 1997 and 2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitale, Michael G; Goss, Jordan M; Matsumoto, Hiroko; Roye, David P

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to report the current incidence rates of pediatric spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States and identify specific high-risk populations as a knowledge basis for improving the prevention and treatment of this traumatic injury. The Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) and the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) were used to investigate the etiology of pediatric SCI. Significant differences in the annual incidence rate of pediatric SCI were found to exist between patient populations stratified by race and sex. African Americans (1.53 cases/100,000 children) exhibit a significantly higher rate of pediatric SCI than native Americans (1.00), Hispanics (0.87), and Asians (0.36), whereas Asians show a significantly lower incidence than all other races. Also, boys (2.79) are more than twice as likely to experience SCI as girls (1.15). The overall incidence of pediatric SCI in the United States is 1.99 cases per 100,000 children. From these data, it is estimated that 1455 children are admitted to US hospitals each year for treatment of SCI. The etiology of pediatric SCI was also investigated, and the major causative factors were identified: motor vehicle accident (56%), accidental fall (14%), firearm injury (9%), and sports injury (7%). Of those children injured in a motor vehicle accident, 67.7% (n = 107) were reported as not wearing a seatbelt. The role of alcohol and drugs was also investigated and found to be involved in 30% (n = 82) of all pediatric SCI cases. Using discharge records from a public database, it is possible to identify high-risk demographic groups and activities that predispose a child to SCI. With a more thorough understanding of the etiology of pediatric SCI, clinicians and parents are better equipped to devise measures for prevention and treatment of this injury.

  10. United States streamflow probabilities and uncertainties based on anticipated El Niño, water year 2003

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dettinger, M.; Cayan, D.; Redmond, K.

    2002-01-01

    During the course of spring and summer 2002, tropical sea-surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean have warmed and the wind and pressure fields have shifted, so that by August, there was considerable confidence that water year (October–September) 2003 will be characterized by a weak to mild El Niño climate (http://iri.columbia.edu/climate/ENSO/currentinfo/archive/200208/QuickLook.html). At the same time, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation pattern of sea-surface temperatures in the North Pacific (Mantua et al., 1997) has shifted towards a more neutral state than in the past several years and will not be considered in detail here. Previous studies of the connections between El Niños and streamflow in the United States by the authors (e.g., Redmond and Koch, 1991; Cayan and Webb, 1992; Cayan et al., 1999; Dettinger et al., 2001) indicate that El Niño conditions influence historical streamflow distributions to varying extents. These conclusions, along with those of other researchers, suggest that foreknowledge of El Niño conditions can inform seasonal outlooks for streamflows throughout the Americas and elsewhere. For example, Dettinger et al. (2001), as distilled here into Fig. 1, showed that historical annual streamflow totals have correlated negatively with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI, which is negatively associated with El Niños) in the U.S. Southwest as well as in the subtropics of South America, and correlate positively in the U.S. Northwest, in much of tropical South America, and, perhaps, in southernmost South America. These interhemispheric bands of El Niño influence are a matter of considerable concern for water- and land-managers throughout the Americas, and expand upon results from previous studies in the western United States (e.g., Redmond and Koch, 1991; Cayan and Webb, 1992), including a recent analysis by Pizarro and Lall (2002), where water availability and hydrologic extremes are particularly pressing issues.

  11. Motor unit number estimation in the quantitative assessment of severity and progression of motor unit loss in Hirayama disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Chaojun; Zhu, Yu; Zhu, Dongqing; Lu, Feizhou; Xia, Xinlei; Jiang, Jianyuan; Ma, Xiaosheng

    2017-06-01

    To investigate motor unit number estimation (MUNE) as a method to quantitatively evaluate severity and progression of motor unit loss in Hirayama disease (HD). Multipoint incremental MUNE was performed bilaterally on both abductor digiti minimi and abductor pollicis brevis muscles in 46 patients with HD and 32 controls, along with handgrip strength examination. MUNE was re-evaluated approximately 1year after initial examination in 17 patients with HD. The MUNE values were significantly lower in all the tested muscles in the HD group (Pdisease duration (Pmotor unit loss in patients with HD within approximately 1year (P4years. A reduction in the functioning motor units was found in patients with HD compared with that in controls, even in the early asymptomatic stages. Moreover, the motor unit loss in HD progresses gradually as the disease advances. These results have provided evidence for the application of MUNE in estimating the reduction of motor unit in HD and confirming the validity of MUNE for tracking the progression of HD in a clinical setting. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Incidence, outcome and risk factors for sepsis - a two year retrospective study at surgical intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asghar, A.; Hashmi, M.; Rashid, S.; Khan, F.H.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Sepsis is amongst the leading causes of admission to the intensive care units and is associated with a high mortality. However, data from developing countries is scarse. Aim of conducting this study was to determine the incidence, outcome and risk factors for sepsis on admission to surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of a teaching hospital in Pakistan. Methods: Two year retrospective observational study included all consecutive adult admissions to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of a University Hospital, from January 2012 to December 2013. Results: Two hundred and twenty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. Average age of the patients was 46.35±18.23 years (16-85), mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score was 15.92±8.13 and males were 67.6 percentage. Median length of ICU stay was 4 [IQR 5]. 43 percentage patients fulfilled the criteria of sepsis at the time of admission to the SICU and incidence of severe sepsis/septic shock was 35 percentage. Abdominal sepsis was the most frequent source of infection (57.5 percentage). The overall intensive care unit mortality was 32.31 percentage but the mortality of sepsis-group was 51.15 percentage as compared to 17.7 percentage of the non-sepsis group. Stepwise logistic regression model showed that increasing age, female gender, non-operative admission, admission under general surgery and co-morbidities like ischaemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease were significant predictors of sepsis. Conclusion: The incidence of sepsis and severe sepsis/septic shock, on admission to SICU is high and mortality of the sepsis group is nearly three times the mortality of the non-sepsis group. (author)

  13. Post-Closure Inspection Report for Corrective Action Unit 453: Area 9 UXO Landfill Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, Calendar Year 2000; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    K. B. Campbell

    2001-01-01

    Post-closure monitoring requirements for the Area 9 Unexploded Ordnance Landfill (Corrective Action Unit[CAU] 453) (Figure 1) are described in Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 453: Area 9 UXO Landfill, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, report number DOE/NV-284. The Closure Report (CR) was submitted to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) on August 5,1999. The CR (containing the Post-Closure Monitoring Plan) was approved by the NDEP on September 10,1999. Post-closure monitoring at CAU 453 consists of the following: (1) Site inspections done twice a year to evaluate the condition of the unit; (2) Verification that the site is secure; (3) Notice of any subsidence or deficiencies that may compromise the integrity of the unit; (4) Remedy of any deficiencies within 90 days of discovery; and (5) Preparation and submittal of an annual report. Site inspections were conducted on June 20, 2000 and November 21, 2000. Both site inspections were conducted after NDEP approval of the CR, and in accordance with the Post-Closure Monitoring Plan in the NDEP-approved CR. This report includes copies of the inspection checklists, photographs, recommendations, and conclusions. The Post-Closure Inspection Checklists are found in Attachment A, a copy of the field notes is found in Attachment B, and inspection photographs are found in Attachment C

  14. SI units in radiation protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrmann, D.

    1976-10-01

    In the field of radiation protection all hitherto used units for activity, activity concentrations, exposure, absorbed dose, and dose rates have to be replaced by SI units during the next years. For this purpose graphs and conversion tables are given as well as recommendations on unit combinations preferentially to be used. As to the dose equivalent, it is suggested to introduce a new special unit being 100 times greater than the rem, instead of maintaining the rem or using the gray for both absorbed dose and dose equivalent. Measures and time schedule relating to the gradual transition to SI units in measuring techniques, training, and publishing et cetera are explained. (author)

  15. [Development of nursing key performance indicators for an intensive care unit by using a balanced scorecard].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Yun Jeong; Lim, Ji Young; Lee, Young Whee; Kim, Hwa Soon

    2008-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop visions of nursing service, nursing strategies and key performance indicators (KPIs) for an intensive care unit (ICU) based on a Balanced Scorecard (BSC). This study was undertaken by using methodological research. The development process consisted of four phases; the first phase was to develop the vision of nursing in ICUs. The second phase was to develop strategies according to 4 perspectives of a BSC. The third phase was to develop KPIs according to the 4 perspectives of BSC and the final phase was to combine the nursing visions, strategies and KPIs of ICUs. Two main visions of nursing service for ICUs were established. These were 'realization of harmonized professional nursing with human respect' and 'recovery of health through specialized nursing' respectively. In order to reach the aim of developing nursing visions, thirteen practical strategies and nineteen KPIs were developed by four perspectives of the BSC. The results will be used as objective fundamental data to attain business outcomes for the achievement of nursing visions and strategies of ICUs.

  16. Two-unit cantilevered resin-bonded fixed partial denture as a substitute for a prosthodontic-orthodontic treatment plan: a 5-year case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emami, Elham; St-Georges, Annie; de Grandmont, Pierre

    2012-01-01

    In this case report, we describe the successful long-term treatment of a patient with dental agenesis. The initial treatment plan included an orthodontic phase to provide adequate space for replacing missing lateral incisors with implants. However, because of some complications encountered after 2 years of orthodontic treatment, a revised treatment plan was considered to achieve functional and esthetic goals. The patient was completely satisfied 5 years after being treated with two 2-unit cantilevered resin-bonded fixed partial dentures supported by the cuspids. This conservative treatment plan was cost-effective without having any significant biological cost.

  17. Emergency Contraceptive Pills: A 10-Year Follow-up Survey of Use and Experiences at College Health Centers in the Mid-Atlantic United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Laura McKeller; Sawyer, Robin G.

    2006-01-01

    The authors conducted a 10-year follow-up study using a telephone survey to investigate the availability of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) at college health centers in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. They also examined related issues, such as distribution procedure, existence of a written protocol, personnel involved,…

  18. Geoelectric hazard maps for the Mid-Atlantic United States: 100 year extreme values and the 1989 magnetic storm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Love, Jeffrey J.; Lucas, Greg M.; Kelbert, Anna; Bedrosian, Paul A.

    2018-01-01

    Maps of extreme value geoelectric field amplitude are constructed for the Mid‐Atlantic United States, a region with high population density and critically important power grid infrastructure. Geoelectric field time series for the years 1983–2014 are estimated by convolving Earth surface impedances obtained from 61 magnetotelluric survey sites across the Mid‐Atlantic with historical 1 min (2 min Nyquist) measurements of geomagnetic variation obtained from a nearby observatory. Statistical models are fitted to the maximum geoelectric amplitudes occurring during magnetic storms, and extrapolations made to estimate threshold amplitudes only exceeded, on average, once per century. For the Mid‐Atlantic region, 100 year geoelectric exceedance amplitudes have a range of almost 3 orders of magnitude (from 0.04 V/km at a site in southern Pennsylvania to 24.29 V/km at a site in central Virginia), and they have significant geographic granularity, all of which is due to site‐to‐site differences in magnetotelluric impedance. Maps of these 100 year exceedance amplitudes resemble those of the estimated geoelectric amplitudes attained during the March 1989 magnetic storm, and, in that sense, the March 1989 storm resembles what might be loosely called a “100 year” event. The geoelectric hazard maps reported here stand in stark contrast with the 100 year geoelectric benchmarks developed for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

  19. Analyzing Four-Year Public University and Two-Year College Graduation Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ober, David R.; Beekman, John A.; Pierce, Rebecca L.

    2018-01-01

    This paper examines the graduation rates between 2000 and 2015 of United States colleges and universities at the national, state, and institutional levels. This research focuses on two-year and four-year programs. Rates are investigated longitudinally along with variables that distinguish between public/private institutions, percentages of…

  20. 26 CFR 1.956-2 - Definition of United States property.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ..., which is— (i) Tangible property (real or personal) located in the United States; (ii) Stock of a... year ending June 30, 1964, R Corporation's increase in earnings invested in United States property for... United States property during its taxable year 1965, S Corporation's increase in earnings invested in...

  1. Patient stress in intensive care: comparison between a coronary care unit and a general postoperative unit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, Douglas de Sá; Resende, Mariane Vanessa; Diniz, Gisele do Carmo Leite Machado

    2015-01-01

    Objective To evaluate and compare stressors identified by patients of a coronary intensive care unit with those perceived by patients of a general postoperative intensive care unit. Methods This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted in the coronary intensive care and general postoperative intensive care units of a private hospital. In total, 60 patients participated in the study, 30 in each intensive care unit. The stressor scale was used in the intensive care units to identify the stressors. The mean score of each item of the scale was calculated followed by the total stress score. The differences between groups were considered significant when p < 0.05. Results The mean ages of patients were 55.63 ± 13.58 years in the coronary intensive care unit and 53.60 ± 17.47 years in the general postoperative intensive care unit. For patients in the coronary intensive care unit, the main stressors were “being in pain”, “being unable to fulfill family roles” and “being bored”. For patients in the general postoperative intensive care unit, the main stressors were “being in pain”, “being unable to fulfill family roles” and “not being able to communicate”. The mean total stress scores were 104.20 ± 30.95 in the coronary intensive care unit and 116.66 ± 23.72 (p = 0.085) in the general postoperative intensive care unit. When each stressor was compared separately, significant differences were noted only between three items. “Having nurses constantly doing things around your bed” was more stressful to the patients in the general postoperative intensive care unit than to those in the coronary intensive care unit (p = 0.013). Conversely, “hearing unfamiliar sounds and noises” and “hearing people talk about you” were the most stressful items for the patients in the coronary intensive care unit (p = 0.046 and 0.005, respectively). Conclusion The perception of major stressors and the total stress score were similar between patients

  2. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years - autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 11 sites, United States, 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-03-28

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 2010. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is an active surveillance system in the United States that provides estimates of the prevalence of ASD and other characteristics among children aged 8 years whose parents or guardians live in 11 ADDM sites in the United States. ADDM surveillance is conducted in two phases. The first phase consists of screening and abstracting comprehensive evaluations performed by professional providers in the community. Multiple data sources for these evaluations include general pediatric health clinics and specialized programs for children with developmental disabilities. In addition, most ADDM Network sites also review and abstract records of children receiving special education services in public schools. The second phase involves review of all abstracted evaluations by trained clinicians to determine ASD surveillance case status. A child meets the surveillance case definition for ASD if a comprehensive evaluation of that child completed by a qualified professional describes behaviors consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnostic criteria for any of the following conditions: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (including atypical autism), or Asperger disorder. This report provides updated prevalence estimates for ASD from the 2010 surveillance year. In addition to prevalence estimates, characteristics of the population of children with ASD are described. For 2010, the overall prevalence of ASD among the ADDM sites was 14.7 per 1,000 (one in 68) children aged 8 years. Overall ASD prevalence estimates varied among sites from 5.7 to 21.9 per 1,000 children aged 8 years. ASD prevalence estimates also varied by sex and racial/ethnic group. Approximately one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls living in the ADDM Network communities were identified as having ASD

  3. A regulatory view of the seismic re-evaluation of existing nuclear power plants in the United Kingdom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inkester, J.E.; Bradford, P.M.

    1995-01-01

    The paper describes the background to the seismic re-evaluation of existing nuclear power plants in the United Kingdom. Nuclear installations in this country were not designed specifically to resist earthquakes until the nineteen-seventies, although older plants were robustly constructed. The seismic capability of these older installations is now being evaluated as part of the periodic safety reviews which nuclear licensees are required to carry out. The regulatory requirements which set the framework for these studies are explained and the approaches being adopted by the licensees for their assessment of the seismic capability of existing plants are outlined. The process of hazard appraisal is reported together with a general overview of UK seismicity. The paper then discusses the methodologies used to evaluate the response of plant to the hazard. Various other types of nuclear installation besides power plants are subject to licensing in the UK and the application of seismic evaluation to some of these is briefly described. Finally the paper provides some comments on future initiatives and possible areas of development. (author)

  4. ENERGY STAR Unit Reports

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Housing and Urban Development — These quarterly Federal Fiscal Year performance reports track the ENERGY STAR qualified HOME units that Participating Jurisdictions record in HUD's Integrated...

  5. Selection and Classification of United States Military Officers: A fifty-Year Bibliography (1937-1986)

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-03-01

    orientation in Naval aviation cadets. Journal of Educational Psychology , 45, 91-109. 908 Creelman , J.A. (1954). An analysis of the physical fitness index...International Index to Periodicals. (e) Military Testing Association Proceedings, and (f) Psychological Abstracts. The research organizations of the armed...Texas, can trace its beginning to a number of Psychological Research Units of the Medical Division of the United States Army Air Corps. Some of the

  6. Estimation of the year-on-year volatility and the unpredictability of the United States energy system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherwin, Evan D.; Henrion, Max; Azevedo, Inês M. L.

    2018-04-01

    Long-term projections of energy consumption, supply and prices heavily influence decisions regarding long-lived energy infrastructure. Predicting the evolution of these quantities over multiple years to decades is a difficult task. Here, we estimate year-on-year volatility and unpredictability over multi-decade time frames for many quantities in the US energy system using historical projections. We determine the distribution over time of the most extreme projection errors (unpredictability) from 1985 to 2014, and the largest year-over-year changes (volatility) in the quantities themselves from 1949 to 2014. Our results show that both volatility and unpredictability have increased in the past decade, compared to the three and two decades before it. These findings may be useful for energy decision-makers to consider as they invest in and regulate long-lived energy infrastructure in a deeply uncertain world.

  7. Oversight Institutions Within the United Nations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pontoppidan, Caroline Aggestam

    2015-01-01

    This article will give a description of the role of internal audit and governance functions within the United Nations system. The United Nations has, during the last 10 years, worked to establish effective oversight services. Oversight, governance and hereunder the internal audit function has been...

  8. Randomized Clinical Trial of a Self-Adhering Flowable Composite for Class I Restorations: 2-Year Results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Sabbagh

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. To compare the clinical performances of a self-adhering resin composite and a conventional flowable composite with a self-etch bonding system on permanent molars. The influence of using rubber dam versus cotton roll isolation was also investigated. Materials and Methods. Patients aged between 6 and 12 years and presenting at least two permanent molars in need of small class I restorations were selected. Thirty-four pairs of restorations were randomly placed by the same operator. Fifteen patients were treated under rubber dam and nineteen using cotton rolls isolation and saliva ejector. They were evaluated according to the modified USPHS criteria at baseline, 6 months, and 1 and 2 years by two independent evaluators. Results. All patients attended the two-year recall. For all measured variables, there was no significant difference between rubber dam and cotton after 2 years of restoration with Premise Flowable or Vertise Flow (p value > 0.05. The percentage of restorations scored alpha decreased significantly over time with Premise Flowable and Vertise Flow for marginal adaptation and surface texture as well as marginal discoloration while it did not vary significantly for color matching. After 2 years, Vertise Flow showed a similar behaviour to the Premise Flowable used with a self-adhesive resin system.

  9. Facilitators and barriers to initiating change in medical intensive care unit survivors with alcohol use disorders: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Brendan J; Jones, Jacqueline; Cook, Paul; Tian, Karen; Moss, Marc

    2013-10-01

    Alcohol abuse and dependence are collectively referred to as alcohol use disorders (AUD). An AUD is present in up to one third of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). We sought to understand the barriers and facilitators to change in ICU survivors with an AUD to provide a foundation upon which to tailor alcohol-related interventions. We used a qualitative approach with a broad constructivist framework, conducting semistructured interviews in medical ICU survivors with an AUD. Patients were included if they were admitted to 1 of 2 medical ICUs and were excluded if they refused participation, were unable to participate, or did not speak English. Digitally recorded and professionally transcribed interviews were analyzed using a general inductive approach and grouped into themes. Nineteen patients were included, with an average age of 51 (interquartile range, 36-51) years and an average Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score of 9 (interquartile range, 5-13); 68% were white, 74% were male, and the most common reason for admission was alcohol withdrawal (n=8). We identified 5 facilitators of change: empathy of the inpatient health care environment, recognition of accumulating problems, religion, pressure from others to stop drinking, and trigger events. We identified 3 barriers to change: missed opportunities, psychiatric comorbidity, and cognitive dysfunction. Social networks were identified as either a barrier or facilitator to change depending on the specific context. Alcohol-related interventions to motivate and sustain behavior change could be tailored to ICU survivors by accounting for unique barriers and facilitators. © 2013.

  10. Reduced Disparities in Birth Rates Among Teens Aged 15-19 Years - United States, 2006-2007 and 2013-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Lisa; Pazol, Karen; Warner, Lee; Cox, Shanna; Kroelinger, Charlan; Besera, Ghenet; Brittain, Anna; Fuller, Taleria R; Koumans, Emilia; Barfield, Wanda

    2016-04-29

    Teen childbearing can have negative health, economic, and social consequences for mothers and their children (1) and costs the United States approximately $9.4 billion annually (2). During 1991-2014, the birth rate among teens aged 15-19 years in the United States declined 61%, from 61.8 to 24.2 births per 1,000, the lowest rate ever recorded (3). Nonetheless, in 2014, the teen birth rate remained approximately twice as high for Hispanic and non-Hispanic black (black) teens compared with non-Hispanic white (white) teens (3), and geographic and socioeconomic disparities remain (3,4), irrespective of race/ethnicity. Social determinants associated with teen childbearing (e.g., low parental educational attainment and limited opportunities for education and employment) are more common in communities with higher proportions of racial and ethnic minorities (4), contributing to the challenge of further reducing disparities in teen births. To examine trends in births for teens aged 15-19 years by race/ethnicity and geography, CDC analyzed National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data at the national (2006-2014), state (2006-2007 and 2013-2014), and county (2013-2014) levels. To describe socioeconomic indicators previously associated with teen births, CDC analyzed data from the American Community Survey (ACS) (2010-2014). Nationally, from 2006 to 2014, the teen birth rate declined 41% overall with the largest decline occurring among Hispanics (51%), followed by blacks (44%), and whites (35%). The birth rate ratio for Hispanic teens and black teens compared with white teens declined from 2.9 to 2.2 and from 2.3 to 2.0, respectively. From 2006-2007 to 2013-2014, significant declines in teen birth rates and birth rate ratios were noted nationally and in many states. At the county level, teen birth rates for 2013-2014 ranged from 3.1 to 119.0 per 1,000 females aged 15-19 years; ACS data indicated unemployment was higher, and education attainment and family income were lower in

  11. Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program—2016 year in review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Organ, John F.; Thompson, John D.; Dennerline, Donald E.; Childs, Dawn E.

    2017-02-22

    SummaryThe Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units (CRU) Program had a productive year in 2016. Despite vacancies in our scientist ranks exceeding 20 percent, our research, training, and teaching portfolio was full and we graduated 93 students and published 398 manuscripts primarily focused on addressing the real conservation challenges of our cooperators. As I’ve stated before, our mission is our legacy: meeting the actionable science needs of our cooperators, providing them technical guidance and assistance in interpreting and applying new advances in science, and developing the future workforce through graduate education and mentoring. Our scientists and the manner in which they approach our mission continue to inspire me. The most rewarding part of my job is meeting and engaging with the students they recruit—the conservation professionals of the future. I cannot help but feel uplifted after discussions with and presentations by these young men and women. Personally, I owe my place in the profession today to the mentoring I received as a CRU student, and today’s CRU scientists have raised the bar. It gives me hope for the future of conservation, and added motivation to see our vacancies filled so that we can expand our portfolio.The National Cooperators’ Coalition has been active and is strategically working to build support on our behalf. Sincere thanks to the American Fisheries Society, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Boone and Crockett Club, the National Association of University Fish and Wildlife Programs, the Wildlife Management Institute, and The Wildlife Society for their efforts and those of their affiliated members.We co-sponsored a workshop at the 2016 North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference along with the American Fisheries Society, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Wildlife Management Institute, and The Wildlife Society, titled “Barriers and Bridges in Reconnecting Natural Resources

  12. BN-600 power unit 15-year operating experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saraev, O.M.; Oshkanov, N.N.; Vylomov, V.V.

    1996-01-01

    Comprehensive experience has been gained with the operating fast reactor BN-600 with a power out of 600 MWe. This paper includes important performance results and gives also an overview of the experience gained from BN-600 NPP commercial operation during 15 years. (author). 2 figs, 1 tab

  13. Age Effects on Upper Limb Kinematics Assessed by the REAplan Robot in Healthy Subjects Aged 3 to 93 Years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilliaux, Maxime; Lejeune, Thierry M; Sapin, Julien; Dehez, Bruno; Stoquart, Gaëtan; Detrembleur, Christine

    2016-04-01

    Kinematics is recommended for the quantitative assessment of upper limb movements. The aims of this study were to determine the age effects on upper limb kinematics and establish normative values in healthy subjects. Three hundred and seventy healthy subjects, aged 3-93 years, participated in the study. They performed two unidirectional and two geometrical tasks ten consecutive times with the REAplan, a distal effector robotic device that allows upper limb displacements in the horizontal plane. Twenty-six kinematic indices were computed for the four tasks. For the four tasks, nineteen of the computed kinematic indices showed an age effect. Seventeen indices (the accuracy, speed and smoothness indices and the reproducibility of the accuracy, speed and smoothness) improved in young subjects aged 3-30 years, showed stabilization in adults aged 30-60 years and declined in elderly subjects aged 60-93 years. Additionally, for both geometrical tasks, the speed index exhibited a decrease throughout life. Finally, a principal component analysis provided the relations between the kinematic indices, tasks and subjects' age. This study is the first to assess age effects on upper limb kinematics and establish normative values in subjects aged 3-93 years.

  14. Cost of umbilical cord blood units released for transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sirchia, G; Rebulla, P; Tibaldi, S; Lecchi, L

    1999-06-01

    A large number of institutions have started programs banking umbilical cord blood (UCB) for allogeneic unrelated-donor and related-donor transplantation. However, limited information is available on the financial issues surrounding these activities. The aim of this study was to determine the fee per UCB unit released for transplantation that would allow cost recovery after 10 years. Three organizational models were considered suitable to provide units for five UCB transplants per 1 million population per year, a figure that would translate into an annual need for 280 units in Italy. Models A, B, and C included, respectively, seven networked banks, each with an inventory of 1,500 units; two networked banks, each with an inventory of 5,000 units; and one bank with an inventory of 10,000 units. It was estimated that it would take 3 years to develop the cryopreserved inventory and that approximately 3 percent of the inventory could be released and replaced each year during the 7-year interval between the fourth and tenth years of activity. The data on the costs of labor, reagents and diagnostics, disposables, depreciation and maintenance, laboratory tests, and overhead, as well as the operational data used in the analysis were collected at the Milano Cord Blood Bank in 1996. Fees of US $15,061, $12,666, and $11,602 per unit released during the fourth through the tenth years of activity allow full cost recovery (principle and interest) under Models A, B, and C, respectively. Although UCB procurement costs compare favorably with those of other hematopoietic cell sources, these results and the current fee of US $15,300 used in some institutions show that UCB is an expensive resource. Therefore, judicious planning of banking programs with high quality standards is necessary to prevent economic losses. The advantages of lower fees associated with the centralized banking approach of Model C should be balanced with the more flexible collection offered by Model A.

  15. Federally Chartered Corporation: Review of the Financial Statement Audit Reports for the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, Incorporated for Fiscal Years 1999 and 1998

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Steinhoff, Jeffrey

    2000-01-01

    As requested, we reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, Incorporated, a federally chartered corporation, for the years...

  16. Inventory of Power Plants in the United States, October 1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-10-27

    The Inventory of Power Plants in the United States is prepared annually by the Survey Management Division, Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels, Energy Information Administration (EIA), US Department of Energy (DOE). The purpose of this publication is to provide year-end statistics about electric generating units operated by electric utilities in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia). The publication also provides a 10-year outlook of future generating unit additions. Data summarized in this report are useful to a wide audience including Congress, Federal and State agencies, the electric utility industry, and the general public. Data presented in this report were assembled and published by the EIA to fulfill its data collection and dissemination responsibilities as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275) as amended. The report is organized into the following chapters: Year in Review, Operable Electric Generating Units, and Projected Electric Generating Unit Additions. Statistics presented in these chapters reflect the status of electric generating units as of December 31, 1992.

  17. Nuclear power in the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnston, J.B.

    1985-01-01

    All over the world except in the United States, nuclear energy is a low cost, secure, environmentally acceptable form of energy. In the United States, civilian nuclear power is dead. 112 nuclear power plants have been abandoned or cancelled in the last decade, and there has been no new order for nuclear plants since 1978. It will be fortunate to have 125 operating nuclear plants in the United States in the year 2000. There are almost 90 completed nuclear power plants and about 45 under construction in the United States, but several of those under construction will eventually be abandoned. About 20 % of the electricity in the United States will be generated by nuclear plants in 2000 as compared with 13 % supplied in the last year. Under the present regulatory and institutional arrangement, American electric utilities would not consider to order a new nuclear power plant. Post-TMI nuclear plants became very expensive, and there is also ideological opposition to nuclear power. Coal-firing plants are also in the similar situation. The uncertainty about electric power demand, the cost of money, the inflation of construction cost and regulation caused the situation. (Kako, I.)

  18. Sandia`s computer support units: The first three years

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harris, R.N. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Labs. Computing Dept.

    1997-11-01

    This paper describes the method by which Sandia National Laboratories has deployed information technology to the line organizations and to the desktop as part of the integrated information services organization under the direction of the Chief Information officer. This deployment has been done by the Computer Support Unit (CSU) Department. The CSU approach is based on the principle of providing local customer service with a corporate perspective. Success required an approach that was both customer compelled at times and market or corporate focused in most cases. Above all, a complete solution was required that included a comprehensive method of technology choices and development, process development, technology implementation, and support. It is the authors hope that this information will be useful in the development of a customer-focused business strategy for information technology deployment and support. Descriptions of current status reflect the status as of May 1997.

  19. Associations among unit leadership and unit climates for implementation in acute care: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuman, Clayton J; Liu, Xuefeng; Aebersold, Michelle L; Tschannen, Dana; Banaszak-Holl, Jane; Titler, Marita G

    2018-04-25

    Nurse managers have a pivotal role in fostering unit climates supportive of implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in care delivery. EBP leadership behaviors and competencies of nurse managers and their impact on practice climates are widely overlooked in implementation science. The purpose of this study was to examine the contributions of nurse manager EBP leadership behaviors and nurse manager EBP competencies in explaining unit climates for EBP implementation in adult medical-surgical units. A multi-site, multi-unit cross-sectional research design was used to recruit the sample of 24 nurse managers and 553 randomly selected staff nurses from 24 adult medical-surgical units from 7 acute care hospitals in the Northeast and Midwestern USA. Staff nurse perceptions of nurse manager EBP leadership behaviors and unit climates for EBP implementation were measured using the Implementation Leadership Scale and Implementation Climate Scale, respectively. EBP competencies of nurse managers were measured using the Nurse Manager EBP Competency Scale. Participants were emailed a link to an electronic questionnaire and asked to respond within 1 month. The contributions of nurse manager EBP leadership behaviors and competencies in explaining unit climates for EBP implementation were estimated using mixed-effects models controlling for nurse education and years of experience on current unit and accounting for the variability across hospitals and units. Significance level was set at α < .05. Two hundred sixty-four staff nurses and 22 nurse managers were included in the final sample, representing 22 units in 7 hospitals. Nurse manager EBP leadership behaviors (p < .001) and EBP competency (p = .008) explained 52.4% of marginal variance in unit climate for EBP implementation. Leadership behaviors uniquely explained 45.2% variance. The variance accounted for by the random intercepts for hospitals and units (p < .001) and years of nursing experience in current unit

  20. Long-term clinical results: 3 years of up to 30-night continuous wear of lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel and daily wear of low-Dk/t hydrogel lenses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergenske, Peter; Long, Bill; Dillehay, Sally; Barr, Joseph T; Donshik, Peter; Secor, Glenda; Yoakum, John; Chalmers, Robin L

    2007-03-01

    To summarize results of a 3-year clinical trial assessing subjective and objective experience with lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel (SH) lenses for up to 30 nights of continuous wear or low-Dk/t daily-wear (LDW) hydrogel lenses. Nineteen sites dispensed SH lenses to 317 subjects (286 current wearers and 31 new wearers) and 2-week replacement LDW lenses to 81 new wearers in a 3-year study. For the SH cohort, limbal redness, conjunctival redness, and corneal neovascularization improved among 23%, 21%, and 13% of eyes, respectively (PDk/t hydrogel lenses. Many biomicroscopy signs and symptoms worsened among neophytes wearing daily-wear low-Dk/t hydrogel lenses. The use of lotrafilcon A lenses may minimize many ocular changes from soft contact lens wear.

  1. Cocaine-related admissions to an intensive care unit: a five-year study of incidence and outcomes.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Galvin, S

    2010-02-01

    Cocaine misuse is increasing and it is evidently considered a relatively safe drug of abuse in Ireland. To address this perception, we reviewed the database of an 18-bed Dublin intensive care unit, covering all admissions from 2003 to 2007. We identified cocaine-related cases, measuring hospital mortality and long-term survival in early 2009. Cocaine-related admissions increased from around one annually in 2003-05 to 10 in 2007. Their median (IQR [range]) age was 25 (21-35 [17-47]) years and 78% were male. The median (IQR [range]) APACHE II score was 16 (11-27 [5-36]) and length of intensive care stay was 5 (3-9 [1-16]) days. Ten patients died during their hospital stay. A further five had died by the time of follow-up, a median of 24 months later. One was untraceable. Cocaine toxicity necessitating intensive care is increasingly common in Dublin. Hospital mortality in this series was 52%. These findings may help to inform public attitudes to cocaine.

  2. Fertility of men and women aged 15-44 years in the United States: National Survey of Family Growth, 2006-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Gladys; Daniels, Kimberly; Chandra, Anjani

    2012-04-12

    This report presents national estimates of the fertility of men and women aged 15-44 years in the United States in 2006-2010 based on the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Data are compared with similar measures for 2002. Descriptive tables of numbers, percentages, and means are presented and discussed. Data were collected through in-person interviews of a nationally representative sample of the household population aged 15-44 years in the United States between July 2006 and June 2010. The 2006-2010 NSFG sample is comprised of 22,682 respondents including 10,403 men and 12,279 women. The overall response rate for the 2006-2010 NSFG was 77%, 75% for men and 78% for women. Many of the fertility measures among men and women aged 15-44 based on the 2006-2010 NSFG were generally similar to those reported based on the 2002 NSFG. The mean age at first child's birth for women was 23 and the mean age at first child's birth for men was 25. One-half of first births to women were in their 20s and two-thirds of first births were fathered by men who were in their 20s. On average, women aged 15-44 have 1.3 children as of the time of the interview. By age 40, 85% of women had had a birth, and 76% of men had fathered a child. In 2006-2010, 22% of first births to women occurred within cohabiting unions, up from 12% in 2002. These measures differed by Hispanic origin and race and other demographic characteristics.

  3. Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the united states: nationally-representative surveys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Castetbon Katia

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100 and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2007; n = 4 700. Height, weight, and fine and gross motor skills were assessed objectively via direct standardized procedures. We used categorical and continuous measures of body weight status, including obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI ≥ 95th percentile and BMI z-scores. Multivariate logistic and linear models estimated the association between obesity and gross and fine motor skills in very young children adjusting for individual, social, and economic characteristics and parental involvement. Results The prevalence of obesity was about 15%. The relationship between motor skills and obesity varied across types of skills. For hopping, obese boys and girls had significantly lower scores, 20% lower in obese preschoolers and 10% lower in obese kindergarteners than normal weight counterparts, p p Conclusions Based on objective assessment of children's motor skills and body weight and a full adjustment for confounding covariates, we find no reduction in overall coordination and fine motor skills in obese young children. Motor skills are adversely associated with childhood obesity only for skills most directly related to body weight.

  4. Cosmetic surgery growth and correlations with financial indices: a comparative study of the United Kingdom and United States from 2002-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nassab, Reza; Harris, Paul

    2013-05-01

    Over the past 10 years, there has been significant fluctuation in the yearly growth rates for cosmetic surgery procedures in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The authors compare cosmetic surgical procedure rates in the United Kingdom and United States with the macroeconomic climate of each region to determine whether there is a direct relationship between cosmetic surgery rates and economic health. The authors analyzed annual cosmetic surgery statistics from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery for 2002-2011 against economic indices from both regions, including the gross domestic product (GDP), consumer prices indices (CPI), and stock market reports. There was a 285.9% increase in the United Kingdom and a 1.1% increase in the United States in the number of procedures performed between 2002 and 2011. There were significant positive correlations between the number of cosmetic procedures performed in the United Kingdom and both the GDP (r = 0.986, P failed to show a significant relationship with any indices. UK interest rates showed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.668, P indices are accurate indicators of numbers of procedures being performed in the United Kingdom, whereas rates in the United States seem independent of those factors.

  5. [Chakrabarty today: 30 years after the United States Supreme Court Resolution].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergel, Salvador Darío

    2010-01-01

    The decision of the United States Supreme Court in the Chakrabarty case marked the beginning of a far reaching process, the development of which considerably extended the field of patentabiltiy of humans, their body parts and genetic information. The author believes that a period of three decades is sufficient to draw conclusions. A critical point has been reached from a debatable decision, which had more economic support than legal, which requires serious recapitulation of the scope and the purpose of industrial property rights.

  6. 46 CFR 122.740 - Periodic servicing of hydrostatic release units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Periodic servicing of hydrostatic release units. 122.740... hydrostatic release units. (a) Each hydrostatic release unit, other than a disposable unit, must be serviced... hydrostatic release unit must be marked in clearly legible letters with an expiration date of two years after...

  7. United States advanced technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Longenecker, J.R.

    1985-01-01

    In the United States, the advanced technologies have been applied to uranium enrichment as a means by which it can be assured that nuclear fuel cost will remain competitive in the future. The United States is strongly committed to the development of advanced enrichment technology, and has brought both advanced gas centrifuge (AGC) and atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS) programs to a point of significant technical refinement. The ability to deploy advanced technologies is the basis for the confidence in competitive future price. Unfortunately, the development of advanced technologies is capital intensive. The year 1985 is the key year for advanced technology development in the United States, since the decision on the primary enrichment technology for the future, AGC or AVLIS, will be made shortly. The background on the technology selection process, the highlights of AGC and AVLIS programs and the way to proceed after the process selection are described. The key objective is to maximize the sales volume and minimize the operating cost. This will help the utilities in other countries supply low cost energy on a reliable, long term basis. (Kako, I.)

  8. Non-European Union doctors in the National Health Service: why, when and how do they come to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jude Edward B

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background As many as 30% of doctors working for the National Health System (NHS of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK have obtained their primary qualifications from a country outside the European Union. However, factors driving this migration of doctors to the UK merit continuing exploration. Our objective was to obtain training and employment profile of UK doctors who obtained their primary medical qualification outside the European Union (non-European doctors and to assess self-reported reasons for their migration. Methods We conducted an online survey of non-European doctors using a pre-validated questionnaire. Results One thousand six hundred and nineteen doctors of 26 different nationalities completed the survey. Of the respondents, 90.1% were from India and over three-quarters migrated to the UK mainly for 'training'. Other reasons cited were 'better pay' (7.2%, 'better work environment' (7.1% and 'having family and friends in the UK' (2.8%. Many of the respondents have been in the UK for more than a year (88.8%, with 31.3% having spent more than 3 years gaining experience of working in the NHS. Most respondents believe they will be affected by recent changes to UK immigration policy (86.6%, few report that they would be unaffected (3.7% and the rest are unsure (9.8%. Conclusion The primary reason for many non-European doctors to migrate to the UK is for training within the NHS. Secondary reasons like better pay, better work environment and having friends and family in the UK also play a role in attracting these doctors, predominantly from the Indian subcontinent and other British Commonwealth countries.

  9. Impact of a National Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD) Program on Organ Donation in the United Kingdom: A 10-Year Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodgson, R; Young, A L; Attia, M A; Lodge, J P A

    2017-12-01

    Organ transplantation is the most successful treatment for some forms of organ failure, yet a lack of organs means many die on the waiting list. In the United Kingdom, the Organ Donation Taskforce was set up to identify barriers to organ donation and in 2008 released its first report (Organ Donation Taskforce Report; ODTR). This study assesses the success since the ODTR and examines the impact of the United Kingdom's controlled donation after circulatory death (DCD) program and the controversies surrounding it. There were 12 864 intended donation after brain death (DBD) or DCD donors from April 2004 to March 2014. When the 5 years preceding the ODTR was compared to the 5 years following, intended DCD donors increased 292% (1187 to 4652), and intended DBD donors increased 11% (3327 to 3698). Organs retrieved per intended DBD donor remained static (3.30 to 3.26), whereas there was a decrease in DCD (1.54 to 0.99) due to a large rise in donors who did not proceed to donation (325 to 2464). The majority of DCD donors who proceeded did so within 30 min from time of withdrawal. Our study suggests further work on converting eligible referrals to organ donation and exploring methods of converting DCD to DBD donors. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

  10. Twenty Years of French "Didactique" Viewed from the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilpatrick, Jeremy

    2003-01-01

    One cannot begin considering the topic of this colloquium without asking, why twenty years? Why not two hundred? Two hundred years ago, Silvestre Franois Lacroix was about to be named chief officer of the Commission Executive de L'Instruction Publique. Out of that experience, together with his long career in instruction, especially as professor of…

  11. Developmental Relations Among Motor and Cognitive Processes and Mathematics Skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Helyn; Duran, Chelsea A K; Cameron, Claire E; Grissmer, David

    2018-03-01

    This study explored transactional associations among visuomotor integration, attention, fine motor coordination, and mathematics skills in a diverse sample of one hundred thirty-five 5-year-olds (kindergarteners) and one hundred nineteen 6-year-olds (first graders) in the United States who were followed over the course of 2 school years. Associations were dynamic, with more reciprocal transactions occurring in kindergarten than in the later grades. Specifically, visuomotor integration and mathematics exhibited ongoing reciprocity in kindergarten and first grade, attention contributed to mathematics in kindergarten and first grade, mathematics contributed to attention across the kindergarten year only, and fine motor coordination contributed to mathematics indirectly, through visuomotor integration, across kindergarten and first grade. Implications of examining the hierarchical interrelations among processes underlying the development of children's mathematics skills are discussed. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  12. Hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults aged ≥18 years traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity, United States, 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Peng-Jun; O'Halloran, Alissa C; Williams, Walter W; Nelson, Noele P

    2018-04-28

    Persons from the United States who travel to developing countries are at substantial risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Hepatitis B vaccine has been recommended for adults at increased risk for infection, including travelers to high or intermediate hepatitis B endemic countries. To assess hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults ≥18 years traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity from the United States. Data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were analyzed to determine hepatitis B vaccination coverage (≥1 dose) and series completion (≥3 doses) among persons aged ≥18 years who reported traveling to a country of high or intermediate hepatitis B endemicity. Multivariable logistic regression and predictive marginal analyses were conducted to identify factors independently associated with hepatitis B vaccination. In 2015, hepatitis B vaccination coverage (≥1 dose) among adults aged ≥18 years who reported traveling to high or intermediate hepatitis B endemic countries was 38.6%, significantly higher compared with 25.9% among non-travelers. Series completion (≥3 doses) was 31.7% and 21.2%, respectively (P travel status was significantly associated with hepatitis B vaccination coverage and series completion. Other characteristics independently associated with vaccination (≥1 dose, and ≥3 doses) among travelers included age, race/ethnicity, educational level, duration of US residence, number of physician contacts in the past year, status of ever being tested for HIV, and healthcare personnel status. Although travel to a country of high or intermediate hepatitis B endemicity was associated with higher likelihood of hepatitis B vaccination, hepatitis B vaccination coverage was low among adult travelers to these areas. Healthcare providers should ask their patients about travel plans and recommend and offer travel related vaccinations to their patients or refer them to alternate sites for vaccination

  13. Epidemiology, Prognosis, and Evolution of Management of Septic Shock in a French Intensive Care Unit: A Five Years Survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas Boussekey

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To evaluate the epidemiology, prognosis, and management of septic shock patients hospitalized in our intensive care unit (ICU. Materiel and Methods. Five-year monocenter observational study including 320 patients. Results. ICU mortality was 54.4%. Independent mortality risk factors were mechanical ventilation (OR=4.97, Simplify Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II > 60 (OR=4.28, chronic alcoholism (OR=3.38, age >65 years (OR=2.65, prothrombin ratio <40% (OR=2.37, and PaO2/FiO2 ratio <150 (OR=1.91. These six mortality risk factors recovered allow screening immediately septic shock patients with a high mortality risk. Morbidity improved with time (diminution of septic shock complications, increase of the number of days alive free from mechanical ventilation and vasopressors on day 28, concomitant to an evolution of the management (earlier institution of all replacement and medical therapies and more initial volume expansion. There was no difference in mortality. Conclusion. Our study confirms a high mortality rate in septic shock patients despite a new approach of treatment.

  14. 75 FR 65561 - United Nations Day, 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-26

    ... A Proclamation Sixty-five years ago, 51 nations came together in the aftermath of one of history's... all peoples. The United Nations has made great advances since it first developed out of ruin and... of nations. The United Nations' humanitarian assistance lifts up countless lives, supporting nations...

  15. Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the united states: nationally-representative surveys

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100) and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2007; n = 4 700). Height, weight, and fine and gross motor skills were assessed objectively via direct standardized procedures. We used categorical and continuous measures of body weight status, including obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile) and BMI z-scores. Multivariate logistic and linear models estimated the association between obesity and gross and fine motor skills in very young children adjusting for individual, social, and economic characteristics and parental involvement. Results The prevalence of obesity was about 15%. The relationship between motor skills and obesity varied across types of skills. For hopping, obese boys and girls had significantly lower scores, 20% lower in obese preschoolers and 10% lower in obese kindergarteners than normal weight counterparts, p motor skills and fine motor skills of young children were not consistently related to BMI z-scores and obesity. Conclusions Based on objective assessment of children's motor skills and body weight and a full adjustment for confounding covariates, we find no reduction in overall coordination and fine motor skills in obese young children. Motor skills are adversely associated with childhood obesity only for skills most directly related to body weight. PMID:22420636

  16. National Growth Charts for United Arab Emirates Children With Down Syndrome From Birth to 15 Years of Age

    Science.gov (United States)

    H Aburawi, Elhadi; Nagelkerke, Nicolas; Deeb, Asma; Abdulla, Shahrban; Abdulrazzaq, Yousef M.

    2015-01-01

    Background Specific centile growth charts for children with Down syndrome (DS) have been produced in many countries and are known to differ from those of normal children. Since growth assessment depends on the growth pattern characteristic for these conditions, disorder-specific charts are desirable for various ethnic groups. Aims To provide cross-sectional weight, height, and head circumference (HC) references for healthy United Arab Emirates (UAE) children with DS. Methods A retrospective and cross-sectional growth study of Emirati children with DS, aged 0 to 18 years old, was conducted. Height, weight, and HC were measured in each child. Cole’s LMS statistical method was applied to estimate age-specific percentiles, and measurements were compared to UAE reference values for normal children. Results Incidence of DS in the UAE population is 1 in 374 live births (267 in 10 000 live births). We analyzed 1263 growth examinations of 182 children with DS born between 1994 and 2012. The male-to-female ratio was 1.6:1. Height, weight, and HC centile charts were constructed for ages 0 to 13 years. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in DS children aged 10 to 13 years of age was 32% and 19%, respectively. The DS children were significantly shorter and heavier than normal children in the UAE. Conclusions Weight, height, and HC growth charts were created for children with DS. These can be used as a reference standard for the UAE children with DS. Overweight and obesity are quite common in DS children ≥10 years of age, as DS children tend to be shorter and heavier than non-DS children. PMID:25196167

  17. Work-unit measures of organisational justice and risk of depression--a 2-year cohort study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grynderup, Matias Brødsgaard; Mors, Ole; Andersen, Johan Hviid

    2013-01-01

    diagnostic interview. In the interview 58 cases of new onset depression were identified. Depression ORs by work unit level of procedural and relational justice were estimated by multivariable logistic regression accounting for established risk factors for depression. RESULTS: Working in a work unit with low...... procedural justice (adjusted ORs of 2.50, 95% CI 1.06 to 5.88) and low relational justice (3.14, 95% CI 1.37 to 7.19) predicted onset of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that a work environment characterised by low levels of justice is a risk factor for depression.......OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to analyse if low justice at work, analysed as aggregated workplace means, increases the risk of depression. METHODS: A total of 4237 non-depressed Danish public employees within 378 different work units were enrolled in 2007. Mean levels of procedural...

  18. Immediate restoration of single tapered implants with nonoccluding provisional crowns: a 5-year clinical prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Lisa A; Turkyilmaz, Ilser; Edgin, Wendell A; Verrett, Ronald; Garcia, Lily T

    2014-04-01

    Dental literature has limited number of publications regarding long-term outcome data of immediate restoration of single missing teeth with an implant-supported provisional crown. This 5-year study evaluated hard and soft tissue responses to the immediate placement of single implant-supported provisional crowns. Twenty patients received one dental implant restored immediately with a provisional acrylic resin screw-retained crown. Crestal bone loss was evaluated from standardized periapical radiographs collected at 3-month intervals for the first 21 months followed by a 5-year evaluation. Historical controls acquired from available dental literature were used for comparison. One implant failed within 2 months of surgical placement, presenting with pain and mobility. The remaining implants demonstrated no infection, pain, or radiolucencies. Nineteen implants were clinically immobile, osseointegrated, and asymptomatic at 21 months. At 5 years, one patient died, three patients were noncompliant, and 15 implants were evaluated as functional. Mean bone loss (MBL) at 1 year and 21 months was approximately 0.5 ± 0.5 mm and 0.70 ± 0.26 mm at 5 years. There was no statistically significant difference between MBLs at p provisionalization of single dental implants compares favorably with conventional loading protocols. Long-term data suggest that immediate provisionalization of single dental implants is a viable treatment option. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Introducing 12 Year-Olds to Elementary Particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiener, Gerfried J.; Schmeling, Sascha M.; Hopf, Martin

    2017-01-01

    We present a new learning unit, which introduces 12 year-olds to the subatomic structure of matter. The learning unit was iteratively developed as a design-based research project using the technique of probing acceptance. We give a brief overview of the unit's final version, discuss its key ideas and main concepts, and conclude by highlighting the…

  20. Semivariogram models for estimating fig fly population density throughout the year

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauricio Paulo Batistella Pasini

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was to select semivariogram models to estimate the population density of fig fly (Zaprionus indianus; Diptera: Drosophilidae throughout the year, using ordinary kriging. Nineteen monitoring sites were demarcated in an area of 8,200 m2, cropped with six fruit tree species: persimmon, citrus, fig, guava, apple, and peach. During a 24 month period, 106 weekly evaluations were done in these sites. The average number of adult fig flies captured weekly per trap, during each month, was subjected to the circular, spherical, pentaspherical, exponential, Gaussian, rational quadratic, hole effect, K-Bessel, J-Bessel, and stable semivariogram models, using ordinary kriging interpolation. The models with the best fit were selected by cross-validation. Each data set (months has a particular spatial dependence structure, which makes it necessary to define specific models of semivariograms in order to enhance the adjustment to the experimental semivariogram. Therefore, it was not possible to determine a standard semivariogram model; instead, six theoretical models were selected: circular, Gaussian, hole effect, K-Bessel, J-Bessel, and stable.

  1. United States national prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities in black and white middle-age (45- to 64-Year) and older (≥65-Year) adults (from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prineas, Ronald J; Le, Anh; Soliman, Elsayed Z; Zhang, Zhu-Ming; Howard, Virginia J; Ostchega, Yechiam; Howard, George

    2012-04-15

    A United States national sample of 20,962 participants (57% women, 44% blacks) from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study provided general population estimates for electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities among black and white men and women. The participants were recruited from 2003 to 2007 by random selection from a commercially available nationwide list, with oversampling of blacks and those from the stroke belt, with a cooperation rate of 49%. The measurement of risk factors and 12-lead electrocardiograms (centrally coded using Minnesota code criteria) showed 28% had ≥1 major ECG abnormality. The prevalence of abnormalities was greater (≥35%) for those ≥65 years old, with no differences between blacks and whites. However, among men <65 years, blacks had more major abnormalities than whites, most notably for atrial fibrillation, major Q waves, and left ventricular hypertrophy. Men generally had more ECG abnormalities than women. The most common ECG abnormalities were T-wave abnormalities. The average heart rate-corrected QT interval was longer in women than in men, similar in whites and blacks, and increased with age. However, the average heart rate was greater in women than in men and in blacks than in whites and decreased with age. The prevalence of ECG abnormalities was related to the presence of hypertension, diabetes, blood pressure, and age. In conclusion, black men and women in the United States have a significantly greater prevalence of ECG abnormalities than white men and women at age 45 to 64 years; however, these proportions, although larger, tended to equalize or reverse after age 65. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Longitudinal cephalometric standards for the neurocranium in Norwegians from 6 to 21 years of age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Axelsson, Stefan; Kjaer, Inger; Bjørnland, Tore; Storhaug, Kari

    2003-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to establish and describe normative cephalometric standards of the neurocranium (theca cranii and cranial base) for Norwegian males and females from 6 to 21 years of age using lateral cephalograms. The subjects included 35 males and 37 females from the Oslo University Growth Archive with lateral cephalograms taken every third year from 6 to 21 years of age. The total number of lateral cephalograms was 194 from males and 200 from females. All subjects were Caucasian, all had normal occlusion and no apparent facial disharmony, and none had undergone orthodontic therapy. Nineteen measurements and three indices of the neurocranium were analysed longitudinally. Comparisons between the various parameters in the neurocranium of males and females in each age group were performed using the Student's t-test. The size of the neurocranium of females was smaller than that of males throughout the observation period and the differences increased with age, particularly the diameter of the neurocranium (n-l), length of the neurocranium (n-opc), anterior cranial base length (n-s), and posterior cranial base length (s-ba). The cephalometric standards of the neurocranium established in this study can be used as a reference material in investigations of individuals with various craniofacial aberrations and syndromes.

  3. Psychological Health of First-Year Health Professional Students in a Medical University in the United Arab Emirates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kadayam G Gomathi

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the psychological health of first-year health professional students and to study sources of student stress. Methods: All first-year students (N = 125 of the Gulf Medical University (GMU in Ajman, United Arab Emirates (UAE, were invited to participate in a voluntary, anonymous, self-administered, questionnaire-based survey in January 2011. Psychological health was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. A 24-item questionnaire, with items related to academic, psychosocial and health domains was used to identify sources of stress. Pearson’s chi-squared test and the Mann-Whitney U-test were used for testing the association between psychological morbidity and sources of stress. Results: A total of 112 students (89.6% completed the survey and the overall prevalence of psychological morbidity was found to be 33.6%. The main academic-related sources of stress were ‘frequency of exams’, ‘academic workload’, and ‘time management’. Major psychosocial stressors were ‘worries regarding future’, ‘high parental expectations’, ‘anxiety’, and ‘dealing with members of the opposite sex’. Health-related issues were ‘irregular eating habits’, ‘lack of exercise’, and ‘sleep-related problems’. Psychological morbidity was not significantly associated with any of the demographic factors studied. However, total stress scores and academics-related domain scores were significantly associated with psychological morbidity. Conclusion: Psychological morbidity was seen in one in three first-year students attending GMU. While worries regarding the future and parental expectations were sources of stress for many students, psychological morbidity was found to be significantly associated with only the total stress and the academic-related domain scores.

  4. Consumer perspectives and mental health reform movements in the United States: 30 years of first-person accounts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gumber, Shinakee; Stein, Catherine H

    2013-09-01

    The present qualitative study examined 69 published first-person accounts written by adults diagnosed with schizophrenia from 1979-2010 within the historical context of the four major mental health movements in the United States. Content analysis techniques were used to identify major topics and overarching content categories in the first-person accounts written over the 30-year period. The frequency of topics in each content category was examined as a function of the decade and corresponding mental health movement in which accounts were published. Five overarching content categories emerged reflecting authors' conceptualizations of schizophrenia, their experiences with psychiatric hospitalization, medications, coping with social stigma, and achieving and maintaining valued social roles. Two summary categories emerged reflecting authors explicit views about what helped and what did not help in their experience of living with schizophrenia. With the exception of social stigma, frequency of topics within content categories did not change as a function of decade and corresponding mental health movement. Despite changes in mental health policies, treatment, and systems of care, the overall lack of significant differences in the content of first-person accounts across the 30-year period suggests an enduring nature to the experiences of individuals coping with schizophrenia. Implications of present findings for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. The estimated impact of human papillomavirus vaccine coverage on the lifetime cervical cancer burden among girls currently aged 12 years and younger in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chesson, Harrell W; Ekwueme, Donatus U; Saraiya, Mona; Dunne, Eileen F; Markowitz, Lauri E

    2014-11-01

    Using a previously published dynamic model, we illustrate the potential benefits of human papillomavirus vaccination among girls currently 12 years or younger in the United States. Increasing vaccine coverage of young girls to 80% would avert 53,300 lifetime cervical cancer cases versus 30% coverage and 28,800 cases versus 50% coverage.

  6. Study on LOOP and SBO Frequency for Multi-Unit PSA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, Kyung Ho; Heo, Gyun Young [Kyunghee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    In conventional single unit PSA, it was assumed that all accidents or events are independent and the risk of only one unit has been evaluated. In other words, the possibility that simultaneous events occur on multiple units was excluded because it was assumed that the probability of concurrent events were extremely low. After Fukushima accidents, however, it was found that external hazards such as tsunami may impact on multiple units; that means, for the sake of proper mitigation the risk of accidents in shared SSCs should be reevaluated. New risk metrics to improve conventional CDF (Core Damage frequency) based on reactor-year is needed to perform MUPSA (Multi-Unit Probabilistic Safety Assessment). IAEA suggested SCDF (Site CDF) as a risk metrics for MUPSA. The frequency based on reactor-year was converted to the frequency based on site-year. In addition, shared SSCs were modeled in single unit PSA as if those units have independent shared SSCs. Therefore, the risk of shared SSCs should be reevaluated. In this paper, the frequency of LOOP (Loss of Offsite Power), which is typically a multi-unit event, was evaluated and the frequency of SBO (Station Blackout) depending on LOOP frequency and emergency power systems such as EDG (Emergency Diesel Generator) and AAC (Alternate AC), that can mitigate SBO events, was modeled. This paper describes how to calculate LOOP and SBO frequency from the simple example for two-unit site with shared AAC. The events impacting on multiple units, which were excluded in conventional PSA, should be considered for MUPSA.

  7. Alcohol-impaired driving and its consequences in the United States: the past 25 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Allan F

    2006-01-01

    Progress in dealing with the alcohol-impaired driving problem in the United States during the past 25 years is addressed. Trends in various measures of the problem were tracked and a thorough review of the relevant literature conducted. In the 1980s and continuing into the early 1990s, major decreases occurred in alcohol-impaired driving and its consequences. The contribution of alcohol to fatal crashes dropped by 35-40% during this period. Two primary reasons for the decline appear to be the emergence of citizen activist groups that mobilized public support and attention to the problem, and the proliferation of effective laws. Since about 1995 the alcohol-impaired driving problem has stabilized at a reduced but still quite high level. Highway safety organizations and citizen activist groups have continued to highlight the problem, but its status as a social issue has diminished. We basically know what the primary target groups are, and we know measures that would work to reduce the problem if implemented more fully. We know that political leadership, state task forces, and media advocacy are important ingredients in addressing the problem. It is likely that a resurgence in citizen activism will be necessary to foster these elements and refocus the nation on the unfinished battle against alcohol-impaired driving. Alcohol-impaired driving is still a major problem that needs continuing attention.

  8. Estimated incidence of pertussis in people aged <50 years in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chi-Chang; Balderston McGuiness, Catherine; Krishnarajah, Girishanthy; Blanchette, Christopher M.; Wang, Yuanyuan; Sun, Kainan; Buck, Philip O.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT The introduction of pertussis vaccination in the United States (US) in the 1940s has greatly reduced its burden. However, the incidence of pertussis is difficult to quantify, as many cases are not laboratory-confirmed or reported, particularly in adults. This study estimated pertussis incidence in a commercially insured US population aged pertussis or cough illness using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) codes, a commercial outpatient laboratory database for patients with a pertussis laboratory test, and the Centers for Disease Control influenza surveillance database. US national pertussis incidence was projected using 3 methods: (1) diagnosed pertussis, defined as a claim for pertussis (ICD-9 033.0, 033.9, 484.3) during 2008–2013; (2) based on proxy pertussis predictive logistic regression models; (3) using the fraction of cough illness (ICD-9 033.0, 033.9, 484.3, 786.2, 466.0, 466.1, 487.1) attributed to laboratory-confirmed pertussis, estimated by time series linear regression models. Method 1 gave a projected annual incidence of diagnosed pertussis of 9/100,000, which was highest in those aged pertussis of 649/100,000, approximately 58–93 times higher than method 1 depending on the year. These estimations, which are consistent with considerable underreporting of pertussis in people aged pertussis burden. PMID:27246119

  9. Corrective Action Management Unit Report of Post-Closure Care Activities Calendar Year 2017.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ziock, Robert [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Little, Bonnie Colleen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2018-02-01

    The Corrective Action Management Unit (CAMU) at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) consists of a containment cell and ancillary systems that underwent regulatory closure in 2003 in accordance with the Closure Plan in Appendix D of the Class 3 Permit Modification (SNL/NM September 1997). The containment cell was closed with wastes in place. On January 27, 2015, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) issued the Hazardous Waste Facility Operating Permit (Permit) for Sandia National Laboratories (NMED January 2015). The Permit became effective February 26, 2015. The CAMU is undergoing post-closure care in accordance with the Permit, as revised and updated. This CAMU Report of Post-Closure Care Activities documents all activities and results for Calendar Year (CY) 2017 as required by the Permit. The CAMU containment cell consists of engineered barriers including a cover system, a bottom liner with a leachate collection and removal system (LCRS), and a vadose zone monitoring system (VZMS). The VZMS provides information on soil conditions under the cell for early leak detection. The VZMS consists of three monitoring subsystems, which include the primary subliner (PSL), a vertical sensor array (VSA), and the Chemical Waste Landfill (CWL) sanitary sewer (CSS) line. The PSL, VSA, and CSS monitoring subsystems are monitored quarterly for soil moisture concentration, the VSA is monitored quarterly for soil temperature, and the VSA and CSS monitoring subsystems are monitored annually for volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations in the soil vapor at various depths. Baseline data for the soil moisture, soil temperature, and soil vapor were established between October 2003 and September 2004.

  10. Corrective Action Management Unit Report of Post-Closure Care Activities Calendar Year 2016.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ziock, Robert [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Little, Bonnie Colleen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-02-01

    The Corrective Action Management Unit (CAMU) at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) consisted of a containment cell, two treatment systems, four associated waste staging and storage areas, and support areas; all were used for management of remediation wastes between 1997 and 2003.

  11. A Service Evaluation of a 1-Year Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Programme for Women with Borderline Personality Disorder in a Low Secure Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Emily; Krawczyk, Kirsten; Staniford, Jessica; Dickens, Geoffrey L

    2015-11-01

    Previous studies about the effectiveness of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder have had promising results. However, no previous studies have examined its effectiveness when delivered in low secure inpatient services for women. To evaluate clinical outcomes during and after a 1-year period of admission within a low secure unit for women offering a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy programme. A naturalistic, within subjects study of clinical data collected as part of routine practice was conducted. Participants were 18 consecutively admitted women who met the diagnostic criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder and had completed at least 1 year of treatment. Measures covered: risk behaviours; self-reported symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder, and current mood and symptom experience; staff reports of clinical problems, needs and social functioning. Scores were compared between admission and at 6 months and 1 year. There was a statistically significant improvement on all 13 measures over the year's treatment. Most improvement was demonstrated between admission and 6 months. Engagement in1-year's treatment was associated with significant reduction in risk behaviours and both staff-rated and self-rated outcome measures. Some significant questions remain about which elements of the programme are most effective but the results are encouraging.

  12. Follow-up of 5- to 11-year-old children treated for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eriksen, Vibeke; Nielsen, Lars Holme; Klokker, Mads

    2009-01-01

    AIM: Determine the prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and relate this to cumulative exposure to hypoxia, hypocapnia and hypotension. Describe chronic health problems among 5- to 11-year-old children treated for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). METHODS: The index...... group consisted of 85 children and a reference group was matched for age, sex and municipality of current residence. Questionnaires were sent to the families. The families in the index group were asked to participate in an examination of their child's hearing. RESULTS: Seven children (11%) had SNHL...... therapy compared with 8% in the reference group (chi-square test, p = 0.028). In the index group five children had cerebral palsy and two had developmental delay. Nineteen percent in the index group and 5% in the reference group had remedial education (chi-square test, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Children...

  13. Einstein's Miraculous Year

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The revolution of the earth around the sun has given us a natural unit of time, the year ... are watershed events for the human race itself, in a far more profound sense ..... the conflict was to modify Newtonian mechanics while retaining Maxwell's ...

  14. Unravelling the Mystery of the Atomic Nucleus A Sixty Year Journey 1896 — 1956

    CERN Document Server

    Fernandez, Bernard

    2013-01-01

    Unravelling the Mystery of the Atomic Nucleus tells the story of how, in the span of barely sixty years, we made a transition from the belief that matter was composed of indivisible atoms, to the discovery that in the heart of each atom lies a nucleus which is ten thousand times smaller than the atom, which nonetheless carries almost all its mass, and the transformations of which involve energies that could never be reached by chemical reactions. It was not a smooth transition. The nature of nuclei, their properties, the physical laws which govern their behaviour, and the possibility of controlling to some extent their transformations, were discovered in discontinuous steps, following paths which occasionally led to errors which in turn were corrected by further experimental discoveries. The story begins in 1896 when radioactivity was unexpectedly discovered and continues up to the nineteen-sixties. The authors describe the spectacular progress made by physics during that time, which not only revealed a new f...

  15. 2007 - The Year of Turn?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hroch, A.

    2008-01-01

    The year 2007 was the fi rst one after the privatisation of Slovenske Elektrarne, a.s. (SE). It was the first year after the shutdown of V1 Unit 1. It was a year of big challenges, which got into budget (BDG), however, not everything happened as scheduled, so SE production (including V1 and HPPG) resulted in net supply amounting to 21,242.4 GWh, which means 99.35 % plan performance with year-to-year index 0.90. (author)

  16. Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan

    OpenAIRE

    Huang, CY; Cheah, CSL; Lamb, Michael Ernest; Zhou, N

    2017-01-01

    The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful\\ud control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese\\ud immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States,\\ud and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old (M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54\\ud girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers’ reported\\ud authoritarian pare...

  17. Economical analysis and study on a solar desalination unit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    of desalination unit and electrical power, the life time of solar desalination unit and the yearly yield of fresh water, on the cost of the fresh water production of the solar desalination unit are studied. It is helpful for the further investigation of solar desalination and for reducing the cost of fresh water...

  18. Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the United States: nationally-representative surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castetbon, Katia; Andreyeva, Tatiana

    2012-03-15

    Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100) and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2007; n = 4 700). Height, weight, and fine and gross motor skills were assessed objectively via direct standardized procedures. We used categorical and continuous measures of body weight status, including obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile) and BMI z-scores. Multivariate logistic and linear models estimated the association between obesity and gross and fine motor skills in very young children adjusting for individual, social, and economic characteristics and parental involvement. The prevalence of obesity was about 15%. The relationship between motor skills and obesity varied across types of skills. For hopping, obese boys and girls had significantly lower scores, 20% lower in obese preschoolers and 10% lower in obese kindergarteners than normal weight counterparts, p Obese girls could jump 1.6-1.7 inches shorter than normal weight peers (p motor skills and fine motor skills of young children were not consistently related to BMI z-scores and obesity. Based on objective assessment of children's motor skills and body weight and a full adjustment for confounding covariates, we find no reduction in overall coordination and fine motor skills in obese young children. Motor skills are adversely associated with childhood obesity only for skills most directly related to body weight.

  19. United Nations opens gender coordinating unit for Afghanistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, K

    1999-02-06

    The UN has created a gender coordinating unit for Afghanistan in an effort to combat some problems encountered by women and girls in the country. Reports continue to come in of women in Afghanistan being denied the right to work, to be educated, and to have access to medical care. The gap in education between men and women continues to widen as a result of edicts issued by Taliban authorities banning girls from attending formal schools and female teachers from working. The situation has grown worse since the UN and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) withdrew international workers last year due to security concerns. Although a UN mission will travel to the country this week to discuss the return of international staff, the gender coordinating unit will for now have to work out of Islamabad, Pakistan. The unit will create guidelines for gender mainstreaming, a strategy in which mainstream policies and resource allocations are changed to reflect the principle of gender equality. Other goals include setting realistic objectives for gender activities, working with partners on pilot projects, and establishing minimum standards for best practices. MERLIN, a NGO with a primary health care program run by local staff in the Taliban-controlled province of Farah, welcomes the move.

  20. Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration in National Parks: Values for the Conterminous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Leslie A.; Huber, Christopher; Zhu, Zhi-Liang; Koontz, Lynne

    2015-01-01

    Lands managed by the National Park Service (NPS) provide a wide range of beneficial services to the American public. This study quantifies the ecosystem service value of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems within NPS units in the conterminous United States for which data were available. Combining annual net carbon balance data with spatially explicit NPS land unit boundaries and social cost of carbon estimates, this study calculates the net metric tons of carbon dioxide sequestered annually by park unit under baseline conditions, as well as the associated economic value to society. Results show that, in aggregate, NPS lands in the conterminous United States are a net carbon sink, sequestering more than 14.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The associated societal value of this service is estimated at approximately $582.5 million per year. While this analysis provides a broad overview of the annual value of carbon sequestration on NPS lands averaged over a five year baseline period, it should be noted that carbon fluxes fluctuate from year to year, and there can be considerable variation in net carbon balance and its associated value within a given park unit. Future research could look in-depth at the spatial heterogeneity of carbon flux within specific NPS land units.

  1. One year after Chernobyl

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-04-01

    It is now one year since the accident which destroyed the fourth unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Its principal cause was a flagrant disregard by operating personnel of well-established operating rules and procedures, which placed Unit 4 in an unstable state. This booklet reviews some aspects of what had already been done before the accident, and what has taken place since. It describes, in particular, the Agency's programmes in the field of nuclear safety

  2. Hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults aged ≥ 18 years traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity, United States, 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Peng-Jun; O'Halloran, Alissa C; Williams, Walter W; Nelson, Noele P

    2018-04-25

    Persons from the United States who travel to developing countries are at substantial risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Hepatitis B vaccine has been recommended for adults at increased risk for infection, including travelers to high or intermediate hepatitis B endemic countries. To assess hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults ≥ 18 years traveling to a country of high or intermediate endemicity from the United States. Data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were analyzed to determine hepatitis B vaccination coverage (≥1 dose) and series completion (≥3 doses) among persons aged ≥ 18 years who reported traveling to a country of high or intermediate hepatitis B endemicity. Multivariable logistic regression and predictive marginal analyses were conducted to identify factors independently associated with hepatitis B vaccination. In 2015, hepatitis B vaccination coverage (≥1 dose) among adults aged ≥ 18 years who reported traveling to high or intermediate hepatitis B endemic countries was 38.6%, significantly higher compared with 25.9% among non-travelers. Series completion (≥3 doses) was 31.7% and 21.2%, respectively (P travel status was significantly associated with hepatitis B vaccination coverage and series completion. Other characteristics independently associated with vaccination (≥1 dose, and ≥ 3 doses) among travelers included age, race/ethnicity, educational level, duration of U.S. residence, number of physician contacts in the past year, status of ever being tested for HIV, and healthcare personnel status. Although travel to a country of high or intermediate hepatitis B endemicity was associated with higher likelihood of hepatitis B vaccination, hepatitis B vaccination coverage was low among adult travelers to these areas. Healthcare providers should ask their patients about travel plans and recommend and offer travel related vaccinations to their patients or refer them to alternate

  3. Safe intravenous administration in pediatrics: A 5-year Pediatric Intensive Care Unit experience with smart pumps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manrique-Rodríguez, S; Sánchez-Galindo, A C; Fernández-Llamazares, C M; Calvo-Calvo, M M; Carrillo-Álvarez, Á; Sanjurjo-Sáez, M

    2016-10-01

    To estimate the impact of smart pump implementation in a pediatric intensive care unit in terms of number and type of administration errors intercepted. Observational, prospective study carried out from January 2010 to March 2015 with syringe and great volumen infusion pumps available in the hospital. A tertiary level hospital pediatric intensive care unit. Infusions delivered with infusion pumps in all pediatric intensive care unit patients. Design of a drug library with safety limits for all intravenous drugs prescribed. Users' compliance with drug library as well as number and type of errors prevented were analyzed. Two hundred and eighty-three errors were intercepted during 62 months of study. A high risk drug was involved in 58% of prevented errors, such as adrenergic agonists and antagonists, sedatives, analgesics, neuromuscular blockers, opioids, potassium and insulin. Users' average compliance with the safety software was 84%. Smart pumps implementation has proven effective in intercepting high risk drugs programming errors. These results might be exportable to other critical care units, involving pediatric or adult patients. Interdisciplinary colaboration is key to succeed in this process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

  4. Estimating the cost-effectiveness of stroke units in France compared with conventional care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Launois, R; Giroud, M; Mégnigbêto, A C; Le Lay, K; Présenté, G; Mahagne, M H; Durand, I; Gaudin, A F

    2004-03-01

    The incidence of stroke in France is estimated at between 120 000 and 150 000 cases per year. This modeling study assessed the clinical and economic benefits of establishing specialized stroke units compared with conventional care. Data from the Dijon stroke registry were used to determine healthcare trajectories according to the degree of autonomy and organization of patient care. The relative risks of death or institutionalization or death or dependence after passage through a stroke unit were compared with conventional care. These risks were then inserted with the costing data into a Markov model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of stroke units. Patients cared for in a stroke unit survive more trimesters without sequelae in the 5 years after hospitalization than those cared for conventionally (11.6 versus 8.28 trimesters). The mean cost per patient at 5 years was estimated at 30 983 for conventional care and 34 638 in a stroke unit. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for stroke units of 1359 per year of life gained without disability was estimated. The cost-effectiveness ratio for stroke units is much lower than the threshold (53 400 ) of acceptability recognized by the international scientific community. This finding justifies organizational changes in the management of stroke patients and the establishment of stroke units in France.

  5. Public and nonprofit funding for research on mental disorders in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chevreul, Karine; McDaid, David; Farmer, Carrie M; Prigent, Amélie; Park, A-La; Leboyer, Marion; Kupfer, David J; Durand-Zaleski, Isabelle

    2012-07-01

    To document the investments made in research on mental disorders by both government and nonprofit nongovernmental organizations in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. An exhaustive survey was conducted of primary sources of public and nonprofit organization funding for mental health research for the year 2007 in France and the United Kingdom and for fiscal year 2007-2008 in the United States, augmented with an examination of relevant Web sites and publications. In France, all universities and research institutions were identified using the Public Finance Act. In the United Kingdom, we scrutinized Web sites and hand searched annual reports and grant lists for the public sector and nonprofit charitable medical research awarding bodies. In the United States, we included the following sources: the National Institutes of Health, other administrative entities within the Department of Health and Human Services (eg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the Department of Education, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the National Science Foundation and, for nonprofit funding, The Foundation Center. We included research on all mental disorders and substance-related disorders using the same keywords. We excluded research on mental retardation and dementia and on the promotion of mental well-being. We used the same algorithm in each country to obtain data for only mental health funding in situations in which funding had a broader scope. France spent $27.6 million (2%) of its health research budget on mental disorders, the United Kingdom spent $172.6 million (7%), and the United States spent $5.2 billion (16%). Nongovernmental funding ranged from 1% of total funding for mental health research in France and the United States to 14% in the United Kingdom. Funding for research on mental disorders accounts for low proportions of research budgets compared with funding levels for research on other major health problems, whereas

  6. Eliglustat, an investigational oral therapy for Gaucher disease type 1: Phase 2 trial results after 4 years of treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukina, Elena; Watman, Nora; Dragosky, Marta; Pastores, Gregory M; Arreguin, Elsa Avila; Rosenbaum, Hanna; Zimran, Ari; Angell, Jennifer; Ross, Leorah; Puga, Ana Cristina; Peterschmitt, Judith M

    2014-12-01

    Eliglustat is an investigational, oral substrate reduction therapy for Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1). Nineteen treatment-naïve patients have now completed 4years of an open-label study (NCT00358150). Mean hemoglobin level and platelet count increased by 2.3±1.5g/dL (baseline: 11.3±1.5g/dL) and 95% (baseline: 68,700±21,200/mm(3)), respectively. Mean spleen and liver volumes (multiples of normal, MN) decreased by 63% (baseline: 17.3±9.5 MN) and 28% (baseline: 1.7±0.4 MN), respectively. Median chitotriosidase and CCL-18 each decreased by 82%; plasma glucosylceramide and GM3 normalized. Mean bone mineral density T-score for the lumbar spine increased by 0.8 (60%) (baseline: -1.6±1.1). Femur dark marrow, a reflection of Gaucher cell infiltration into bone marrow, was reduced or stable in 17/18 patients. There were no bone crises. Most adverse events were mild and unrelated to treatment. These results extend the safety and efficacy of eliglustat reported at 1 and 2 years to 4 years. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  7. One year outcome of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy using the Bayley-III scales of infant and toddler development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connolly, Anne M; Florence, Julaine M; Cradock, Mary M; Eagle, Michelle; Flanigan, Kevin M; McDonald, Craig M; Karachunski, Peter I; Darras, Basil T; Bushby, Kate; Malkus, Elizabeth C; Golumbek, Paul T; Zaidman, Craig M; Miller, J Philip; Mendell, Jerry R

    2014-06-01

    The pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy starts before birth. Despite this, clinical trials exclude young boys because traditional outcome measures rely on cooperation. We recently used the Bayley-III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development to study 24 infants and boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Clinical evaluators at six centers were trained and certified to perform the Bayley-III. Here, we report 6- and 12-month follow-up of two subsets of these boys. Nineteen boys (1.9 ± 0.8 years) were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Twelve boys (1.5 ± 0.8 years) were assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Gross motor scores were lower at baseline compared with published controls (6.2 ± 1.7; normal 10 ± 3; P Cognitive and language scores were lower at baseline compared with normal children (range, P = 0.002-1 year (P = 0.05). Development can reliably be measured in infants and young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy across time using the Bayley-III. Power calculations using these data reveal that motor development may be used as an outcome measure. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Steam generator replacement in Bruce A Unit 1 and Unit 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, R.S.

    2006-01-01

    The Bruce A Generating Station consists of four 900 MW class CANDU units. The reactor and Primary Heat Transport System for each Unit are housed within a reinforced concrete reactor vault. A large duct running below the reactor vaults accommodates the shared fuel handling system, and connects the four reactor vaults to the vacuum building. The reactor vaults, fuelling system duct and the vacuum building constitute the station vacuum containment system. Bruce A Unit 2 was shut down in 1995 and Bruce A Units 1, 3 and 4 were shutdown in 1997. Bruce A Units 3 and 4 were returned to service in late 2003 and are currently operating. Units 1 and 2 remain out of service. Bruce Power is currently undertaking a major rehabilitation of Bruce A Unit 1 and Units 2 that will extend the in-service life of these units by at least 25 years. Replacement of the Steam Generators (eight in each unit) is required; this work was awarded to SNC-Lavalin Nuclear (SLN). The existing steam drums (which house the steam separation and drying equipment) will be retained. Unit 2 is scheduled to be synchronized with the grid in 2009, followed by Unit 1 in 2009. Each Bruce A unit has two steam generating assemblies, one located above and to each end of the reactor. Each steam generating assembly consists of a horizontal cylindrical steam drum and four vertical Steam Generators. The vertical Steam Generators connect to individual nozzles that are located on the underside of the Steam Drum (SD). The steam drums are located in concrete shielding structures (steam drum enclosures). The lower sections of the Steam Generators penetrate the top of the reactor vaults: the containment pressure boundary is established by bellows assemblies that connect between the reactor vault roof slab and the Steam Generators. Each Steam Generators is supported from the bottom by a trapeze that is suspended from the reactor vault top structure. The Steam Generator Replacement (SGR) methodology developed by SLN for Unit 1

  9. Construction: first of St. Lucie unit 2 successes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conway, W.F.

    1989-01-01

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted a full power operating license for St. Lucie Unit 2 on June 10, 1983, just six years after construction began. The industry average for nuclear power plant construction during this time was approximately ten years. The rate of completion had a positive effect on the cost of the facility. The price of the unit was $1.42 billion as compared to the $2 billion to $5 billion range experienced by other utilities for nuclear plants. These accomplishments were not serendipitous but the results of management techniques and personnel attitudes involved in the construction of the unit. More importantly, many of these same techniques and attitudes have now become part of a quality improvement program at St Lucie and are reflected in its performance indicators. This paper analyzes the construction success of St Lucie Unit 2 and demonstrates that excellent performance in the construction phase can be carried over to the operation of a facility

  10. Stage-related behavioural problems in the 1-4 year old child: parental expectations in a child development unit referral group compared with a control group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ticehurst, R L; Henry, R L

    1989-02-01

    Behavioural problems in preschool (1-4 years) children are a common cause of referral to health services. Parents of children presenting to the child development unit with behavioural problems (n = 18) were compared with a control group (n = 45). A questionnaire was utilized to examine the parents' expectations of the children's behaviours. As might be expected, the parents of children presenting to the Unit rated their children as having more difficult behaviours. These parents had unrealistic expectations, particularly for the 'negative' behaviours (disobedience, temper tantrums, defiance and whinging). However, they were able to anticipate normal age-related difficulties in some problem areas (dawdling during mealtimes, masturbating, not sharing toys and being jealous of one's siblings). Counselling should address the issue of matching the expectations of parents with the individual rates of development of their children.

  11. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baio, Jon; Wiggins, Lisa; Christensen, Deborah L; Maenner, Matthew J; Daniels, Julie; Warren, Zachary; Kurzius-Spencer, Margaret; Zahorodny, Walter; Robinson Rosenberg, Cordelia; White, Tiffany; Durkin, Maureen S; Imm, Pamela; Nikolaou, Loizos; Yeargin-Allsopp, Marshalyn; Lee, Li-Ching; Harrington, Rebecca; Lopez, Maya; Fitzgerald, Robert T; Hewitt, Amy; Pettygrove, Sydney; Constantino, John N; Vehorn, Alison; Shenouda, Josephine; Hall-Lande, Jennifer; Van Naarden Braun, Kim; Dowling, Nicole F

    2018-04-27

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 2014. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is an active surveillance system that provides estimates of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children aged 8 years whose parents or guardians reside within 11 ADDM sites in the United States (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin). ADDM surveillance is conducted in two phases. The first phase involves review and abstraction of comprehensive evaluations that were completed by professional service providers in the community. Staff completing record review and abstraction receive extensive training and supervision and are evaluated according to strict reliability standards to certify effective initial training, identify ongoing training needs, and ensure adherence to the prescribed methodology. Record review and abstraction occurs in a variety of data sources ranging from general pediatric health clinics to specialized programs serving children with developmental disabilities. In addition, most of the ADDM sites also review records for children who have received special education services in public schools. In the second phase of the study, all abstracted information is reviewed systematically by experienced clinicians to determine ASD case status. A child is considered to meet the surveillance case definition for ASD if he or she displays behaviors, as described on one or more comprehensive evaluations completed by community-based professional providers, consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder; pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS, including atypical autism); or Asperger disorder. This report provides updated ASD prevalence estimates for children aged 8 years during the 2014 surveillance year, on the basis of DSM

  12. Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    This Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) was originated to provide information responsive to Section 3004(u) of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) of the 1984 United States Code (USC). The report provides a comprehensive inventory of all types of waste management units at the Hanford Site and consists of waste disposal units, including (1) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) disposal units, (2) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) disposal units, (3) unplanned releases, (4) inactive contaminated structure, (5) RCRA treatment and storage units, and (6) other storage areas. Because of the comprehensive nature of this report, the listing of sites is more extensive than required by Section 3004(u) of HSWA. In support of the Hanford RCRA permit, a field was added to designate whether the waste management unit is a solid waste management unit (SWMU). As SWMUs are identified, they will added to the Hanford Waste Information Data System (WIDS), which is the database supporting this report, and added to the report at its next annual update. A quality review of the WIDS was conducted this past year. The review included checking all data against their reference and making appropriate changes, updating the data elements using the most recent references, marking duplicate units for deletion, and addition additional information. 6 refs

  13. Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    This Hanford Site Waste Management Units Report (HSWMUR) was originated to provide information responsive to Section 3004(u) of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) of the 1984 United States Code (USC). The report provides a comprehensive inventory of all types of waste management units at the Hanford Site and consists of waste disposal units, including (1) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) disposal units, (2) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) disposal units, (3) unplanned releases, (4) inactive contaminated structures, (5) RCRA treatment and storage units, and (6) other storage areas. Because of the comprehensive nature of this report, the listing of sites is more extensive than required by Section 3004(u) of HSWA. In support of the Hanford RCRA permit, a field was added to designate whether the waste management unit is a solid waste management unit (SWMU). As SWMUs are identified, they will added to the Hanford Waste Information Data System (WIDS), which is the database supporting this report, and added to the report at its next annual update. A quality review of the WIDS was conducted this past year. The review included checking all data against their reference and making appropriate changes, updating the data elements using the most recent references, marking duplicate units for deletion, and adding additional information. 6 refs

  14. United States Department of Education: Annual Accountability Report, Fiscal Year 1995.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Department of Education, Washington, DC.

    Fiscal year 1995 marks the first year during which an independent audit was conducted of the U.S. Department of Education's financial statements. This first annual accountability report describes the department's history, current mission, priorities, and progress. It highlights the department's program and fiscal accomplishments and describes…

  15. Inventory of power plants in the United States, 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-12-01

    The Inventory of Power Plants in the United States is prepared annually by the Survey Management Division, Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels, Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The purpose of this publication is to provide year-end statistics about electric generating units operated by electric utilities in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia). The publication also provides a 10-year outlook of future generating unit additions. Data summarized in this report are useful to a wide audience including Congress, Federal and State agencies, the electric utility industry, and the general public. Data presented in this report were assembled and published by the EIA to fulfill its data collection and dissemination responsibilities as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275) as amended

  16. Inventory of power plants in the United States, 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-12-01

    The Inventory of Power Plants in the United States is prepared annually by the Survey Management Division, Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels, Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The purpose of this publication is to provide year-end statistics about electric generating units operated by electric utilities in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia). The publication also provides a 10-year outlook of future generating unit additions. Data summarized in this report are useful to a wide audience including Congress, Federal and State agencies, the electric utility industry, and the general public. Data presented in this report were assembled and published by the EIA to fulfill its data collection and dissemination responsibilities as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275) as amended.

  17. [Analysis of obstetric-pediatric care in the perinatal period. Are births before 31 weeks' gestation in level 2B maternity units avoidable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, I; Roussel, A; Olieric, M-F; Feldmann, M; Wallerich, Y; Trabelsi, N; Miton, A; Zuily-Lamy, C; Valdès, V; Fresson, J

    2017-12-01

    Regionalization of perinatal care has been developed to improve the survival of preterm babies. The mortality rate is higher among very premature infants born outside level-3 maternity units. The objective of this study was to evaluate the preventability of these very premature births occurring outside recommendations within level-2B maternity units. The secondary objective was to describe the care of premature infants between 23 and 24 weeks. This is a single-center retrospective qualitative study of the care delivery pathways. Thirty-one deliveries in which the fetus was alive between 23 and 30 weeks+6 days occurred in a level-2B maternity unit in Thionville, France, between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015. After oral presentation of the cases, a level 2-3 multidisciplinary committee of experts in Lorraine evaluated the preventability criteria and reasons, and divided the deliveries into three groups: (i) birth in level-2B institutions avoidable, (ii) inevitable with factors related to the mother or the organization of care, (iii) with no inevitable factors. Out of the 31 deliveries included, the committee classified six deliveries as preventable, 14 as inevitable with factors, and 11 as inevitable with no factors. The criteria for preventability of birth in a level-2B unit were underestimation of maternal and fetal risk, an erroneous initial estimate of term or preterm labor, and two births in the upper limits of the French recommendations for in utero transfer. Nineteen of the 35 premature infants before 31 weeks' gestation died, 16 children were transferred to a level-3 maternity ward, and 16 children were allowed to go home. Analysis of the obstetrical-pediatric care course by an expert committee determined the preventability of the average birth and prematurity in level-2B maternity units in Lorraine for a small but significant number of cases. The local regionalization of neonatal care could be improved by the application of this method of analysis to

  18. The United Nations at 40

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-01-01

    The United Nations adopted a resolution expressing the hope that 1985 would mark the beginning of an era of durable and global peace and justice, social and economic development and progress and independence of all peoples. 1985 is the organization's 40th anniversary year - the United Nations Charter entered into force on 24 October 1945 - and the Assembly has chosen 'United Nations for a better world' as the anniversary theme. It also has decided to hold a brief commemorative session culminating on 24 October this year. Member States of the UN also have been urged to organize appropriate observance of the anniversary, with the widest possible participation, and to consider the creation of national committees to evaluate the contribution of the UN system over the past four decades, its continuing relevance in the current international situation, and ways in which it could be strengthened and made more effective. Among other things, the Assembly in its resolution appealed to the international mass media, both public and private, to contribute more effectively to dissemination of information on UN activities. During the commemorative session planned this October, a final document is expected to be adopted for which the Assembly has asked the Preparatory Committee for the Fortieth Anniversary of the United Nations to compose a suitable text. The Preparatory Committee had been established by the Assembly in 1983, and by December 1984, 98 countries had joined in its work, which relates to various activities

  19. The United Nations at 40

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1985-10-01

    The United Nations adopted a resolution expressing the hope that 1985 would mark the beginning of an era of durable and global peace and justice, social and economic development and progress and independence of all peoples. 1985 is the organization's 40th anniversary year - the United Nations Charter entered into force on 24 October 1945 - and the Assembly has chosen 'United Nations for a better world' as the anniversary theme. It also has decided to hold a brief commemorative session culminating on 24 October this year. Member States of the UN also have been urged to organize appropriate observance of the anniversary, with the widest possible participation, and to consider the creation of national committees to evaluate the contribution of the UN system over the past four decades, its continuing relevance in the current international situation, and ways in which it could be strengthened and made more effective. Among other things, the Assembly in its resolution appealed to the international mass media, both public and private, to contribute more effectively to dissemination of information on UN activities. During the commemorative session planned this October, a final document is expected to be adopted for which the Assembly has asked the Preparatory Committee for the Fortieth Anniversary of the United Nations to compose a suitable text. The Preparatory Committee had been established by the Assembly in 1983, and by December 1984, 98 countries had joined in its work, which relates to various activities.

  20. Estimation of Thermal Conductivity in the North- Western Niger Delta ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Thermal conductivity estimates are computed from nineteen petroleum wells in the north-western Niger Delta, Nigeria, using a geometric mean model. Sonic and gamma-ray logs were digitised and used in the estimation of in situ conductivity. The Niger Delta is composed of three major diachronous lithostratigraphic units of ...

  1. Peer-to-peer nursing rounds and hospital-acquired pressure ulcer prevalence in a surgical intensive care unit: a quality improvement project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelleher, Alyson Dare; Moorer, Amanda; Makic, MaryBeth Flynn

    2012-01-01

    We conducted a quality improvement project in order to evaluate the effect of nurse-to-nurse bedside "rounding" as a strategy to decrease hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) in a surgical intensive care unit. We instituted weekly peer-to-peer bedside skin rounds in a 17-bed surgical intensive care unit. Two nurses were identified as skin champions and trained by the hospital's certified WOC nurse to conduct skin rounds. The skin champion nurses conducted weekly peer-to-peer rounds that included discussions about key elements of our patients' skin status including current Braden Scale for Pressure Sore Risk score, and implementation of specific interventions related to subscale risk assessment. If a pressure ulcer was present, the current action plan was reevaluated for effectiveness. Quarterly HAPU prevalence studies were conducted from January 2008 to December 2010. Nineteen patients experienced a HAPU: 17 were located on the coccyx and 2 on the heel. Ten ulcers were classified as stage II, 3 PU were stage IV, 5 were deemed unstageable, and 1 was classified as a deep tissue injury. The frequency of preventive interventions rose during our quality improvement project. Specifically, the use of prevention surfaces increased 92%, repositioning increased 30%, nutrition interventions increased 77%, and moisture management increased 100%. Prior to focused nursing rounds, the highest HAPU prevalence rate was 27%. After implementing focused nursing rounds, HAPU rates trended down and were 0% for 3 consecutive quarters.

  2. Economic evaluation of Kori and Wolsong Unit 1 plant life extension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, T. H.; Jeong, I. S.

    2002-01-01

    24 years have been passed since Kori Unit 1 began its commercial operation, and 19 years have been passed since Wolsong Unit 1 began its commercial operation. As the end point of design life become closer, plant life extension and periodic safety assessment is paid more and more attention to by the utility company. In this paper, the methodologies and results of plant lifetime management economic evaluations of both units have been presented in comparison with Korean standard nuclear power plant 10, 20 and 30 year life extension cases respectively. In addition to that, sensitivity analysis and break even point analysis results are presented with the variables of capacity factor, operation and maintenance cost, and discount rate

  3. Life table analysis of the United States' Year 2000 mortality objectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockett, I R; Pollard, J H

    1995-06-01

    The US Year 2000 mortality objectives are model standards cast as targeted changes in age-adjusted cause-specific death rates. This research centred on the projected impact of such changes on life expectancy and the mortality toll for each sex. A computer simulation was conducted using single decrement, multiple decrement and cause-elimination life table techniques, together with a decomposition procedure. Male and female life expectancy at birth was projected to increase by 1.71 and 1.51 years, respectively, between the designated 1987 baseline and 2000. The leading beneficiaries would be those aged 65 and older, followed by those aged 45-64, and infants. Declines in coronary heart disease, stroke and injury death rates would most influence the projected life expectancy changes, irrespective of sex. Approximately 782,000 male deaths and 730,000 female deaths would be averted under Year 2000 assumptions. Life expectancy would be a useful summary measure to incorporate into official evaluations of the Year 2000 mortality objectives. Targeting of excess male mortality in the US and other highly industrialized nations is recommended.

  4. The relationship of religion, religiosity, and parental communication in the sexual behaviors of Filipinos aged 18-25 years in the United States and the Philippines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivy C. Tuason

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This cross-sectional survey research aims to explore and compare the relationship of religion, religiosity, and parental communication to the sexual behaviors of Filipinos aged 18-25 years in the United States and the Philippines. The Duke University Religion Index and Parent-Teen Sexual Risk Communication Scale-III was used to measure religiosity and parental communication. There were 130 participants living in the United States and 247 living in the Philippines included in this study. Among respondents from the Philippines, low levels of parental communication were associated with an increased report for the lack of condom use during the last intercourse. Catholics had a decreased likelihood of alcohol or illicit drug use before intercourse, having had multiple sex partners, and engaging in casual sex. Those who had low levels of religiosity were associated with reports of having had casual sex. Among the United States respondents, those who engaged in alcohol or illicit drug use before sexual intercourse were associated with decreased organizational religious activities. The findings of this study confirmed the need for comprehensive and culturally appropriate approaches to health promotion programs that incorporate religious and familial factors appropriate for Filipinos.

  5. Kozloduy NPP units 3 and 4 rest life time program execution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genov, S.

    2005-01-01

    In this paper the following tasks are considered: Kozloduy NPP units 3 and 4 life time evaluation; programme for the units life time assuring; units 3 and 4 renewals. The main activities for the programme implementation are described and the obtained results are presented. In conclusion, the executed activities of program for assuring the life time of units 3 and 4 of Kozloduy NPP, cogently prove that the lifetime of structures, systems and components, is assured duly and those structures, systems and components will be in service safely, economically effectively and mostly reliable till the end of the 30 years design lifetime. For some of them it has been proved even for 35 and 40 years. Program activities continue during 2005, although the early shutdown of units 3 and 4 is possible

  6. A fit method for the determination of inherent filtration with diagnostic x-ray units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meghzifene, K; Nowotny, R; Aiginger, H

    2006-01-01

    A method for the determination of total inherent filtration for clinical x-ray units using attenuation curves was devised. A model for the calculation of x-ray spectra is used to calculate kerma values which are then adjusted to the experimental data in minimizing the sum of the squared relative differences in kerma using a modified simplex fit process. The model considers tube voltage, voltage ripple, anode angle and additional filters. Fit parameters are the thickness of an additional inherent Al filter and a general normalization factor. Nineteen sets of measurements including attenuation data for three tube voltages and five Al-filter settings each were obtained. Relative differences of experimental and calculated kerma using the data for the additional filter thickness are within a range of -7.6% to 6.4%. Quality curves, i.e. the relationship of additional filtration to HVL, are often used to determine filtration but the results show that standard quality curves do not reflect the variety of conditions encountered in practice. To relate the thickness of the additional filter to the condition of the anode surface, the data fits were also made using tungsten as the filter material. These fits gave an identical fit quality compared to aluminium with a tungsten filter thickness of 2.12-8.21 μm which is within the range of the additional absorbing layers determined for rough anodes

  7. Steam generator replacement in Bruce A Unit 1 and Unit 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, R.S.

    2007-01-01

    The Bruce A Generating Station consists of four 900 MW class CANDU units. The reactor and Primary Heat Transport System for each Unit are housed within a reinforced concrete reactor vault. A large duct running below the reactor vaults accommodates the shared fuel handling system, and connects the four reactor vaults to the vacuum building. The reactor vaults, fuelling system duct and the vacuum building constitute the station vacuum containment system. Bruce A Unit 2 was shut down in 1995 and Bruce A Units 1, 3 and 4 were shutdown in 1997. Bruce A Units 3 and 4 were returned to service in late 2003 and are currently operating. Units 1 and 2 remain out of service. Bruce Power is currently undertaking a major rehabilitation of Bruce A Unit 1 and Unit 2 that will extend the in-service tile of these units by at least 25 years. Replacement of the Steam Generators (eight in each unit) is required; this work was awarded to SNC-Lavalin Nuclear (SLN). The existing steam drums (which house the steam separation and drying equipment) will be retained. Unit 2 is scheduled to be synchronized with the grid in 2009, followed by Unit 1 in 2009. Each Bruce A unit has two steam generating assemblies, one located above and to each end of the reactor. Each steam generating assembly consists of a horizontal cylindrical steam drum and four vertical Steam Generators. The vertical Steam Generators connect to individual nozzles that are located on the underside of the Steam Drum (SD). The steam drums are located in concrete shielding structures (steam drum enclosures). The lower sections of the Steam Generators penetrate the top of the reactor vaults: the containment pressure boundary is established by bellows assemblies that connect between the reactor vault roof slab and the Steam Generators. Each Steam Generators is supported from he bottom by a trapeze that is suspended from the reactor vault top structure. The Steam Generator Replacement (SGR) methodology developed by SLN for Unit 1

  8. Asthma changes at a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit after 10 years: Observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayman A Al-Eyadhy

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To describe the change in the management, and outcome of children with acute severe asthma (ASA admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU at tertiary institute, as compared to previously published report in 2003. Methods : This is a retrospective observational study. All consecutive pediatric ASA patients who were admitted to PICU during the study period were included. The data were extracted from PICU database and medical records. The Cohort in this study (2013 Cohort was compared with the Cohort of ASA, which was published in 2003 from the same institution (2003 Cohort. Results: In comparison to previous 2003 Cohort, current Cohort (2013 revealed higher mean age (5.5 vs. 3.6 years; P ≤ 0.001, higher rate of PICU admission (20.3% vs. 3.6%; P ≤ 0.007, less patients who received maintenance inhaled steroids (43.3% vs. 62.4%; P ≤ 0.03, less patients with pH <7.3 (17.9% vs. 42.9%; P ≤ 0.001. There were more patients in 2013 Cohort who received: Inhaled Ipratropium bromide (97% vs. 68%; P ≤ 0.001, intravenous magnesium sulfate (68.2% vs. none, intravenous salbutamol (13.6% vs. 3.6%; P ≤ 0.015, and noninvasive ventilation (NIV (35.8% vs. none while no patients were treated with theophylline (none vs. 62.5%. The median length of stay (LOS was 2 days while mean LOS was half a day longer in the 2013 Cohort. None of our patients required intubation, and there was no mortality. Conclusion: We observed slight shift toward older age, considerably increased the rate of PICU admission, increased utilization of Ipratropium bromide, magnesium sulfate, and NIV as important modalities of treatment.

  9. The Use of Importance Measures for Quantification of Multi-unit Risk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jang, Seung-Cheol; Lim, Ho-Gon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    In this paper, we focus on the quantification of the multi-unit accident sequences frequencies, i.e., conditional core damage probability (CCDP) for a MUI from the SUR model. The paper proposes a method for the estimation of the r-units CCDP considered the interunit dependency, using importance measures. Note that the 1{sup st} and 2{sup nd} terms in the left hand side of the equation have different units of risk measure, i.e., reactor operating year and site operating year, respectively. The total risk of multi-unit reactor accidents concurred by the independent accident sequences each single-unit (the 1{sup st} term in the right-hand side of the Equation 1) can approximate the sum of n single-unit risk conservatively. It corresponds to the traditional multi-unit risk profile concept having used since post-PSA era. Simultaneously, the Equation 1 represent that multi-unit risk within a site with n units has been underestimated as much as the amount of the 2{sup nd} term (MUR by multi-unit initiators), which consists of three parts: 1) the frequency estimation of a MUI, , 2) the quantification of the multi-unit accident sequences frequencies for a MUI, , and 3) the multi-unit consequence analysis for a MUI. The paper proposes a method for the estimation of the r-units CCDP considered the inter-unit dependency, using importance measures. It can facilitate the treatment of the inter-unit dependencies in the multi-unit risk model and can give more comprehensive and more practicable technical platform for estimating multi-unit site risk.

  10. The Use of Importance Measures for Quantification of Multi-unit Risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Seung-Cheol; Lim, Ho-Gon

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we focus on the quantification of the multi-unit accident sequences frequencies, i.e., conditional core damage probability (CCDP) for a MUI from the SUR model. The paper proposes a method for the estimation of the r-units CCDP considered the interunit dependency, using importance measures. Note that the 1 st and 2 nd terms in the left hand side of the equation have different units of risk measure, i.e., reactor operating year and site operating year, respectively. The total risk of multi-unit reactor accidents concurred by the independent accident sequences each single-unit (the 1 st term in the right-hand side of the Equation 1) can approximate the sum of n single-unit risk conservatively. It corresponds to the traditional multi-unit risk profile concept having used since post-PSA era. Simultaneously, the Equation 1 represent that multi-unit risk within a site with n units has been underestimated as much as the amount of the 2 nd term (MUR by multi-unit initiators), which consists of three parts: 1) the frequency estimation of a MUI, , 2) the quantification of the multi-unit accident sequences frequencies for a MUI, , and 3) the multi-unit consequence analysis for a MUI. The paper proposes a method for the estimation of the r-units CCDP considered the inter-unit dependency, using importance measures. It can facilitate the treatment of the inter-unit dependencies in the multi-unit risk model and can give more comprehensive and more practicable technical platform for estimating multi-unit site risk

  11. Spinal Motocross Injuries in the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Rohit; Bhalla, Amit; Ockendon, Matthew; Hay, Stuart

    2018-01-01

    Motocross is a form of motorcycle racing held on established off-road circuits and has been a recreational and competitive sport across the world for >100 years. In the United Kingdom alone, motocross has grown into a phenomenally ambitious and popular franchise. There are >200 motocross clubs across the country, permitting >900 events annually. To assess the current trend of spine-related motocross injuries over the past 5 years. Descriptive epidemiology study. Data were prospectively collected over 5 years (August 2010-August 2015) at our regional trauma and spine unit, regardless of whether the rider was performing the sport competitively or recreationally. During the study period, spine-related injuries were identified for 174 patients (age range, 6-75 years) who were directly referred to our department following recreational or competitive motocross, with most injuries being sustained within the early spring and summer months, representing the start of the motocross season. A significant number of injuries were in males (n = 203, 94%), with the majority of injuries occurring within the 21- to 30-year-old age group. A total of 116 (54%) injuries required operative treatment. The most common spinal injury was thoracolumbar burst fracture (n = 95), followed by chance fractures (n = 26). This data series emphasizes the prevalence and devastation of motocross-related spinal injuries in the United Kingdom and may serve in administering sanctions and guidelines to governing bodies of motocross. The spinal injuries that occur during motocross have significant capital connotations for regional spinal centers. The recent surge in motocross popularity is correlated with the number of injuries, which have increased over the past 5 years by almost 500%.

  12. Babies born before arrival to hospital and maternity unit closures in Queensland and Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kildea, Sue; McGhie, Alexandra C; Gao, Yu; Rumbold, Alice; Rolfe, Margaret

    2015-09-01

    Evidence suggests the closure of maternity units is associated with an increase in babies born before arrival (BBA). To explore the association between the number of maternity units in Australia and Queensland by birthing numbers, BBA rate and geographic remoteness of the health district where the mother lives. A retrospective study utilised routinely collected perinatal data (1992-2011). Pearson correlation tested the relationship between BBA rate and number of maternity units. Linear regression examined this association over time. During 1992-2011, the absolute numbers (N=22,814) of women having a BBA each year in Australia increased by 47% (N=836-1233); and 206% (n=140-429) in Queensland. This coincided with a 41% reduction in maternity units in Australia (N=623-368=18 per year) and a 28% reduction in Queensland (n=129-93). BBA rates increased significantly across Australia, r=0.837, n=20 years, pmaternity units in Australia, r=-0.804, n=19 years, pmaternity units over a 20-year period across Australia and Queensland is significantly associated with increased BBA rates. The distribution is not limited to rural and remote areas. Given the high risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with BBA, it is time to revisit the closure of units. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Transforming Public Education: Cases in Education Entrepreneurship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Childress, Stacey M., Ed.

    2010-01-01

    For nearly two decades, education entrepreneurs have been working to transform the K-12 public education system in the United States. "Social entrepreneurship" has become part of the language of a new generation of idealists, many of whom are focused on education. The nineteen cases in this book profile entrepreneurs who are pursuing…

  14. Evaluation of eleven years of area monitoring in ore treatment unit: I external exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pereira, W.S.; Py Junior, D.A.; Oliveira, S.Q. de; Dantas, M.V.A., E-mail: pereiraws@gmail.com [Industrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB), Pocos de Caldas, MG (Brazil). Unidade de Tratamento de Minerio. Grupo Multidisciplinar de Radioprotecao; Kelecom, A., E-mail: akelecom@id.uff.br [Universidade Federal Fluminense (LARARA-PLS/GETA/UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Laboratorio de Radiobiologia e Radiometria Pedro Lopes dos Santos. Grupo de Estudos em Temas Ambientais; Pereira, J.R.S., E-mail: pereirarsj@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL), Pocos de Caldas, MG (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    The Ore Treatment Unit (OTU) is an uranium mining and milling complex deactivated in 1995 that operated monazite during the years 2004 and 2005 in a plant used especially for that purpose called Chemical Treatment of Monazite (CTM). This study aims to analyze the monitoring of area to exposure rate from 2002 to 2012, comparing periods of suspended operation of OTU and identifying the influences of CTM and of the radioactive waste deposit, from other facilities of OTU. A total of 22,294 samples were analyzed for area dose rates; average values were obtained of 6.74 μSv h{sup -1} with an amplitude from 0 to 420 μSv h{sup -1}. 92% of the monitoring were below the derivative limit for workers, and 1,702 monitoring samples showed values above this limit. Ignoring the monitoring that was realized at CTM and at the deposit of radioactive waste, the number of monitoring samples were reduced to 1,341. In this case, the average reduces to 0.96 μSv h{sup -1}, going from 0 to 25 μSv h{sup -1}, only 15 samples remained above the threshold for workers and 675 samples were below the limit for individual public. It can be concluded that the OTU is an installation with nearly 99% of monitoring area safe for workers and 50% for individual public. The inclusion of new practices (CTM) and the deposit of radioactive waste coming from other facilities alter this picture dramatically, increased the dose rates. (author)

  15. Bacaan Anak Tentang Indonesia Terbitan Amerika Serikat 1960-1980

    OpenAIRE

    Toha-Sarumpaet, Riris K

    2002-01-01

    Children’s books about Indonesia published in the United States 1960-1980. The purpose of this study was to look at the image of Indonesia as presented in children’s literature published in the United States. The study focused upon the evaluative tone and the accuracy with which people in Indonesia are portrayed. Nineteen books (seven fictions, eight non-fictions, and four folktales) about Indonesia published between 1960 and 1980 constituted the sample of this study. In order to ...

  16. Nineteen Eighty-Four: The Latest Educational Reform Proposal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenstermacher, Gary D.

    1984-01-01

    The value of Orwell's novel is not to be found in point-by-point comparison between the society it portrays and our own, but in its treatment of such important issues as the centrality of language in thought and action and the dangerous potential bureaucratic organizations have to dominate our minds. (JBM)

  17. Nineteen-port photonic lantern with multimode delivery fiber

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noordegraaf, Danny; Skovgaard, Peter M. W.; Sandberg, Rasmus Kousholt

    2012-01-01

    We demonstrate efficient multimode (MM) to single-mode (SM) conversion in a 19-port photonic lantern with a 50 μm core MM delivery fiber. The photonic lantern can be used within the field of astrophotonics for coupling MM starlight to an ensemble of SM fibers in order to perform fiber-Bragg-grati....... The coupling loss from a 50 μm core MM fiber to an ensemble of 19 SM fibers and back to a 50 μm core MM fiber is below 1.1 dB....

  18. On the threshold of the nineteen-eighties... Eurodif

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besse, Georges; Leduc, Christian; Ergalant, Jacques

    1975-01-01

    Eurodif will be the first European plant for the enrichment of uranium by gaseous diffusion. After having presented the project and the different agreements signed for its finalization, the authors give a description of the plant for which the construction work has started on the Tricastin site, and for which the supply of the first enrichment services is foreseen from and after 1979. A certain number of particular are given concerning the techniques which will be applied at level of the diffusion cascade (diffuser and barriers, compressor, heat exchanger) and also on the electric power supply of the plant and its construction cost. The position of Eurodif on the market of uranium enrichment (an essential position on account of the very rapid development of requirements) is defined [fr

  19. Nineteen-Foot Diameter Explosively Driven Blast Simulator; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    VIGIL, MANUEL G.

    2001-01-01

    This report describes the 19-foot diameter blast tunnel at Sandia National Laboratories. The blast tunnel configuration consists of a 6 foot diameter by 200 foot long shock tube, a 6 foot diameter to 19 foot diameter conical expansion section that is 40 feet long, and a 19 foot diameter test section that is 65 feet long. Therefore, the total blast tunnel length is 305 feet. The development of this 19-foot diameter blast tunnel is presented. The small scale research test results using 4 inch by 8 inch diameter and 2 foot by 6 foot diameter shock tube facilities are included. Analytically predicted parameters are compared to experimentally measured blast tunnel parameters in this report. The blast tunnel parameters include distance, time, static, overpressure, stagnation pressure, dynamic pressure, reflected pressure, shock Mach number, flow Mach number, shock velocity, flow velocity, impulse, flow duration, etc. Shadowgraphs of the shock wave are included for the three different size blast tunnels

  20. 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

  1. The change of antibiotic resistance profiles over the years in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from intensive care units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Cem Şirin

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from patients in our hospital intensive care units (ICUs between the years 2011-2014 and to investigate the changes of these profiles over the years. Methods: Identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of the strains were performed by automated system. Cefoperazone-sulbactam and tigecycline susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion method. Imipenem, meropenem and colistin resistance was confirmed by E-test method. Chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the antibiotic susceptibilities statistically. Results: The highest resistance rates were determined for imipenem (50.2%, meropenem (51.9% and piperacillin-tazobactam (64.0% in P. aeruginosa strains (n=722. The changes in the rates of antibiotic resistance were not statistically significant in P. aeruginosa strains between the years 2011 and 2014. The decrease in gentamicin, amikacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance and the increase in cefoperazone-sulbactam and tigecycline resistance was found to be statistically significant in A. baumannii strains (n=1044 between the years 2011 and 2014. The increase in imipenem and meropenem resistance was found to be statistically significant between the years 2012 and 2013. Piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem and meropenem resistances in A. baumannii strains were found to be over 95% in all the years. Colistin was found to be the most effective antimicrobial agent for both bacteria. Conclusion: The determination of considerably high antibiotic resistance rates in P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii strains isolated from our hospital ICUs has indicated that rational antibiotic use policies and more effective infection control programs should be applied along with monitoring the antibiotic susceptibility profiles constantly. J Clin Exp Invest 2015

  2. Geochemical characteristics of Holocene laminated sapropel (unit II) and underlying lacustrine unit III in the Black Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dean, Walter E.; Arthur, Michael A.

    2011-01-01

    eg 1 of the 1988 R/V Knorr expeditions to the Black Sea recovered 90 gravity and box cores. The longest recovery by gravity cores was about 3 meters, with an average of about 2.5 meters, recovering all of the Holocene and upper Pleistocene sections in the Black Sea. During the latest Pleistocene glaciation, sea level dropped below the 35-meters-deep Bosporus outlet sill of the Black Sea. Therefore throughout most of its history the Black Sea was a lake, and most of its sediments are lacustrine. The oldest sediments recovered (older than 8,000 calendar years) consist of massive to coarsely banded lacustrine calcareous clay designated as lithologic Unit III, generally containing less than 1 percent organic carbon (OC). The base of overlying Unit II marks the first incursion of Mediterranean seawater into the Black Sea, and the onset of bottom-water anoxia about 7,900 calendar years. Unit II contains as much as 15 percent OC in cores from the deepest part of the Black Sea (2,200 meters). The calcium carbonate (CaCO3) remains of the coccolith Emiliania huxleyi form the distinctive white laminae of overlying Unit I. The composition of Unit III and Unit II sediments are quite different, reflecting different terrigenous clastic sources and increased contributions from hydrogenous and biogenic components in anoxic Unit II sapropel. In Unit II, positive covariance between OC and three trace elements commonly concentrated in OC-rich sediments where sulfate reduction has occurred (molybdenum, nickel, and vanadium) and a nutrient (phosphorus) suggest a large marine source for these elements although nickel and vanadium also have a large terrigenous clastic source. The marine sources may be biogenic or hydrogenous. A large biogenic source is also suggested for copper and cobalt. Because abundant pyrite forms in the water column and sediments of the Black Sea, we expected to find a large hydrogenous iron component, but a strong covariance of iron with aluminum suggests that the

  3. 46-Year Trends in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Mortality in the United States, 1968 to 2013: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Eric Y; Shaheen, Magda; Woo, Jennifer M P; Mercer, Neil; Li, Ning; McCurdy, Deborah K; Karlamangla, Arun; Singh, Ram R

    2017-12-05

    No large population-based studies have been done on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) mortality trends in the United States. To identify secular trends and population characteristics associated with SLE mortality. Population-based study using a national mortality database and census data. United States. All U.S. residents, 1968 through 2013. Joinpoint trend analysis of annual age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) for SLE and non-SLE causes by sex, race/ethnicity, and geographic region; multiple logistic regression analysis to determine independent associations of demographic variables and period with SLE mortality. There were 50 249 SLE deaths and 100 851 288 non-SLE deaths from 1968 through 2013. Over this period, the SLE ASMR decreased less than the non-SLE ASMR, with a 34.6% cumulative increase in the ratio of the former to the latter. The non-SLE ASMR decreased every year starting in 1968, whereas the SLE ASMR decreased between 1968 and 1975, increased between 1975 and 1999, and decreased thereafter. Similar patterns were seen in both sexes, among black persons, and in the South. However, statistically significant increases in the SLE ASMR did not occur among white persons over the 46-year period. Females, black persons, and residents of the South had higher SLE ASMRs and larger cumulative increases in the ratio of the SLE to the non-SLE ASMR (31.4%, 62.5%, and 58.6%, respectively) than males, other racial/ethnic groups, and residents of other regions, respectively. Multiple logistic regression showed independent associations of sex, race, and region with SLE mortality risk and revealed significant racial/ethnic differences in associations of SLE mortality with sex and region. Underreporting of SLE on death certificates may have resulted in underestimates of SLE ASMRs. Accuracy of coding on death certificates is difficult to ascertain. Rates of SLE mortality have decreased since 1968 but remain high relative to non-SLE mortality, and significant sex

  4. Employers mexican migrants in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Fernández Guzmán

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available You might think that by definition the migrant labor plays in less profitable niches and meager social mobility. However, a large group of migrants in different economically developed countries have successfully launched businesses of diverse nature and volume. This is why entrepreneurship of migrants is an issue that has received increasing attention in recent years. Compared to other immigrant groups in the United States, Mexicans show low levels of entrepreneurial activity. The aim of this paper is to, through a general literature review of official statistical data, a preliminary analysis of mexican migrant entrepreneurship in the United States, that is to say in recent years has been growing in importance.

  5. Estimates of Parainfluenza Virus-Associated Hospitalizations and Cost Among Children Aged Less Than 5 Years in the United States, 1998–2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abedi, Glen R.; Prill, Mila M.; Langley, Gayle E.; Wikswo, Mary E.; Weinberg, Geoffrey A.; Curns, Aaron T.; Schneider, Eileen

    2018-01-01

    Background Parainfluenza virus (PIV) is the second leading cause of hospitalization for respiratory illness in young children in the United States. Infection can result in a full range of respiratory illness, including bronchiolitis, croup, and pneumonia. The recognized human subtypes of PIV are numbered 1–4. This study calculates estimates of PIV-associated hospitalizations among US children younger than 5 years using the latest available data. Methods Data from the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System were used to characterize seasonal PIV trends from July 2004 through June 2010. To estimate the number of PIV-associated hospitalizations that occurred annually among US children aged PIV among young children enrolled in the New Vaccine Surveillance Network. Estimates of hospitalization charges attributable to PIV infection were also calculated. Results Parainfluenza virus seasonality follows type-specific seasonal patterns, with PIV-1 circulating in odd-numbered years and PIV-2 and -3 circulating annually. The average annual estimates of PIV-associated bronchiolitis, croup, and pneumonia hospitalizations among children aged PIV-associated bronchiolitis, croup, and pneumonia hospitalizations were approximately $43 million, $58 million, and $158 million, respectively. Conclusions The majority of PIV-associated hospitalizations in young children occur among those aged 0 to 2 years. When vaccines for PIV become available, immunization would be most effective if realized within the first year of life. PMID:26908486

  6. 2017 One‐year seismic‐hazard forecast for the central and eastern United States from induced and natural earthquakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Mark D.; Mueller, Charles; Moschetti, Morgan P.; Hoover, Susan M.; Shumway, Allison; McNamara, Daniel E.; Williams, Robert; Llenos, Andrea L.; Ellsworth, William L.; Rubinstein, Justin L.; McGarr, Arthur F.; Rukstales, Kenneth S.

    2017-01-01

    We produce a one‐year 2017 seismic‐hazard forecast for the central and eastern United States from induced and natural earthquakes that updates the 2016 one‐year forecast; this map is intended to provide information to the public and to facilitate the development of induced seismicity forecasting models, methods, and data. The 2017 hazard model applies the same methodology and input logic tree as the 2016 forecast, but with an updated earthquake catalog. We also evaluate the 2016 seismic‐hazard forecast to improve future assessments. The 2016 forecast indicated high seismic hazard (greater than 1% probability of potentially damaging ground shaking in one year) in five focus areas: Oklahoma–Kansas, the Raton basin (Colorado/New Mexico border), north Texas, north Arkansas, and the New Madrid Seismic Zone. During 2016, several damaging induced earthquakes occurred in Oklahoma within the highest hazard region of the 2016 forecast; all of the 21 moment magnitude (M) ≥4 and 3 M≥5 earthquakes occurred within the highest hazard area in the 2016 forecast. Outside the Oklahoma–Kansas focus area, two earthquakes with M≥4 occurred near Trinidad, Colorado (in the Raton basin focus area), but no earthquakes with M≥2.7 were observed in the north Texas or north Arkansas focus areas. Several observations of damaging ground‐shaking levels were also recorded in the highest hazard region of Oklahoma. The 2017 forecasted seismic rates are lower in regions of induced activity due to lower rates of earthquakes in 2016 compared with 2015, which may be related to decreased wastewater injection caused by regulatory actions or by a decrease in unconventional oil and gas production. Nevertheless, the 2017 forecasted hazard is still significantly elevated in Oklahoma compared to the hazard calculated from seismicity before 2009.

  7. The United Kingdom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, P.M.S.

    1987-01-01

    The history of nuclear development in the United Kingdom is traced, together with the factors (eg electricity demand, fossil fuel prices, political policy) that have influenced policy choices. Many of the research establishments and the fissile material production plants were established in the late 1940s. In these early years the civil and military development programmes were not separate. The initial growth period was in the 1950s when the plan was to build twelve reactors in three groups of four over ten years. The first were to be Magnox type reactors. This was trebled in 1957 and the advanced gas cooled reactor was developed. The Windscale fire in 1957 affected confidence in the nuclear programme. However, five AGR twin-reactor stations were ordered in 1964. These ran into construction problems and delay and it was not until 1980 that more new units were contemplated. The plan then was to build a pressurized water reactor at Sizewell-B. A delay to allow for the public inquiry put back the start of this until 1987 with commissioning planned for 1994. A list of the UK nuclear power stations is given and their operating performance discussed. The present situation and future prospects for nuclear power are reviewed. (U.K.)

  8. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiggins, Lisa; Christensen, Deborah L.; Maenner, Matthew J; Daniels, Julie; Warren, Zachary; Kurzius-Spencer, Margaret; Zahorodny, Walter; Robinson Rosenberg, Cordelia; White, Tiffany; Durkin, Maureen S.; Imm, Pamela; Nikolaou, Loizos; Yeargin-Allsopp, Marshalyn; Lee, Li-Ching; Harrington, Rebecca; Lopez, Maya; Fitzgerald, Robert T.; Hewitt, Amy; Pettygrove, Sydney; Constantino, John N.; Vehorn, Alison; Shenouda, Josephine; Hall-Lande, Jennifer; Van Naarden Braun, Kim; Dowling, Nicole F.

    2018-01-01

    Problem/Condition Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Period Covered 2014. Description of System The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is an active surveillance system that provides estimates of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children aged 8 years whose parents or guardians reside within 11 ADDM sites in the United States (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin). ADDM surveillance is conducted in two phases. The first phase involves review and abstraction of comprehensive evaluations that were completed by professional service providers in the community. Staff completing record review and abstraction receive extensive training and supervision and are evaluated according to strict reliability standards to certify effective initial training, identify ongoing training needs, and ensure adherence to the prescribed methodology. Record review and abstraction occurs in a variety of data sources ranging from general pediatric health clinics to specialized programs serving children with developmental disabilities. In addition, most of the ADDM sites also review records for children who have received special education services in public schools. In the second phase of the study, all abstracted information is reviewed systematically by experienced clinicians to determine ASD case status. A child is considered to meet the surveillance case definition for ASD if he or she displays behaviors, as described on one or more comprehensive evaluations completed by community-based professional providers, consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder; pervasive developmental disorder–not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS, including atypical autism); or Asperger disorder. This report provides updated ASD prevalence estimates for children aged 8

  9. Safety of milrinone use in neonatal intensive care units

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Samiee-Zafarghandy; S.R. Raman (Sudha R.); J.N. van den Anker (John); K. McHutchison (Kerstin); C.P. Hornik; R.H. Clark; P.B. Smith; D.K. Benjamin (Daniel K.); K. Berezny (Katherine); J. Barrett (Jeffrey); E.V. Capparelli (Edmund); M. Cohen-Wolkowiez (Michael); G.L. Kearns (Greg); M. Laughon (Matthew); A. Muelenaer (Andre); T. Michael O'Shea; I.M. Paul (Ian M.); K. Wade (Kelly); T.J. Walsh (Thomas J.)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Milrinone use in the neonatal intensive care unit has increased over the last 10. years despite a paucity of published safety data in infants. We sought to determine the safety of milrinone therapy among infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: We conducted a

  10. Suicide rates in five-year age-bands after the age of 60 years

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shah, Ajit; Bhat, Ravi; Zarate-Escudero, Sofia

    2016-01-01

    -79 years) and the oldest old (80+ years) age groups. METHODS: Data on the number of suicides (International Classification of Diseases - ICD-10 codes, X60-84) in each of the eight five-year age-bands between the age-bands 60-64 years and 95-99 years in both gender for as many years as possible from 2000...... were ascertained from three sources: colleagues with access to national data, national statisics office websites and email contact with the national statistics offices. The population size for the corresponding years and age-bands was estimated for each country using data provided by the United Nations......BACKGROUND: There is paucity of studies examining suicide rates in narrow five-year age-bands after the age of 60 years. This study examined suicide rates in eight five-year age-bands between the age of 60 and 99 years because this will allow more precise comparison between the young old (60...

  11. 'Newcomer' nuclear nation leads way into new nuclear year

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shepherd, John [nuclear 24, St George' s Redditch (United Kingdom)

    2018-01-15

    At the start of a new year, it is appropriate that a 'newcomer' nuclear nation has launched work on building its first nuclear power plant. First nuclear safety-related concrete has been poured for the plant at Rooppur in Bangladesh - making the South Asia nation the first in 30 years to start building its first commercial reactor unit following the United Arab Emirates in 2012 and Belarus in 2013. Despite setbacks that nuclear has endured in recent years, there are nearly 60 reactors under construction around the world, mostly in Asia. Some 447 commercial reactor units are in operation in 30 countries.

  12. Situation of the development of renewable energies in Poitou-Charentes - Year 2013, Year 2014

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    These reports propose a presentation of data regarding renewable energy production and the share of renewable energies in final energy consumption (situation by the end of year, avoided emissions, evolution since 1990, predictions by 2020, social-economic data), an overview of thermal renewable energy or heat production (wood under various forms, energetic valorisation unit, geothermal thermal biogas, solar thermal), of electricity-producing renewable energies (wind energy, solar photovoltaic, electric biogas, hydraulic energy), and agri-fuels (only one unit in service in the region). For each energy source, sites and their production are indicated

  13. Solvarmeanlæg med naturgaskedel/solbeholder-unit og oliefyr/solbeholder-unit. Ydelser og erfaringer fra praksis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Furbo, Simon; Vejen, Niels Kristian; Frederiksen, Karsten Vinkler

    1999-01-01

    of the natural gas burner/oil fired boiler and of the circulation pump of the loop so that the heat left in the loop outside the solar tank after every period of operation is reduced to a minimum.Measurements have been carried out in practice for three solar heating systems based on the new units. Additional......Manufacturers have during the last few years started marketing of newly developed natural gas burner/solar tank- and oil fired boiler/solar tank-units.These units make it possible to reduce the costs of solar heating systems, because an electric heating element is not built into the solar tank...... the pipes connecting the natural gas burner/oil fired boiler and the top spiral of the solar tank and from the natural gas burner/oil fired boiler. Furthermore, the unit with a fixed design of the natural gas burner/oil fired boiler - top spiral loop open up the possibility of an optimum control...

  14. Global context for the United States Forest Sector in 2030

    Science.gov (United States)

    James Turner; Joseph Buongiorno; Shushuai Zhu; Jeffrey P. Prestemon

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify markets for, and competitors to, the United States forest industries in the next 30 years. The Global Forest Products Model was used to make predictions of international demand, supply, trade, and prices, conditional on the last RPA Timber Assessment projections for the United States. It was found that the United States, Japan...

  15. 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%.

  16. United States position on severe accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ross, D.F.

    1988-01-01

    The United States policy on severe accidents was published in 1985 for both new plant applications and for existing plants. Implementation of this policy is in progress. This policy, aided by a related safety goal policy and by analysis capabilities emerging from improved understanding of accident phenomenology, is viewed as a logical development from the pioneering work in the WASH-1400 Reactor Safety Study published by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 1975. This work provided an estimate of the probability and consequences of severe accidents which, prior to that time, had been mostly evaluated by somewhat arbitrary assumptions dating back 30 years. The early history of severe accident evaluation is briefly summarized for the period 1957-1979. Then, the galvanizing action of Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) on severe accident analysis, experimentation and regulation is reviewed. Expressions of US policy in the form of rulemaking, severe accident policy, safety research, safety goal policy and court decisions (on adequacy of safety) are discussed. Finally, the NRC policy as of March 1988 is stated, along with a prospective look at the next few years. (author). 19 refs

  17. Spinal Motocross Injuries in the United Kingdom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Rohit; Bhalla, Amit; Ockendon, Matthew; Hay, Stuart

    2018-01-01

    Background: Motocross is a form of motorcycle racing held on established off-road circuits and has been a recreational and competitive sport across the world for >100 years. In the United Kingdom alone, motocross has grown into a phenomenally ambitious and popular franchise. There are >200 motocross clubs across the country, permitting >900 events annually. Purpose: To assess the current trend of spine-related motocross injuries over the past 5 years. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Data were prospectively collected over 5 years (August 2010–August 2015) at our regional trauma and spine unit, regardless of whether the rider was performing the sport competitively or recreationally. Results: During the study period, spine-related injuries were identified for 174 patients (age range, 6-75 years) who were directly referred to our department following recreational or competitive motocross, with most injuries being sustained within the early spring and summer months, representing the start of the motocross season. A significant number of injuries were in males (n = 203, 94%), with the majority of injuries occurring within the 21- to 30-year-old age group. A total of 116 (54%) injuries required operative treatment. The most common spinal injury was thoracolumbar burst fracture (n = 95), followed by chance fractures (n = 26). Conclusion: This data series emphasizes the prevalence and devastation of motocross-related spinal injuries in the United Kingdom and may serve in administering sanctions and guidelines to governing bodies of motocross. The spinal injuries that occur during motocross have significant capital connotations for regional spinal centers. The recent surge in motocross popularity is correlated with the number of injuries, which have increased over the past 5 years by almost 500%. PMID:29349095

  18. Post-Closure Inspection Report for Corrective Action Unit 404: Roller Coaster Sewage Lagoons and North Disposal Trench Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, Calendar Year 2000

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    K. B. Campbell

    2001-06-01

    Post-closure monitoring requirements for the Roller Coaster Sewage Lagoons and North Disposal Trench (Corrective Action Unit [CAW 404]) (Figure 1) are described in Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 404, Roller Coaster Sewage Lagoons and North Disposal Trench, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, report number DOE/NV--187. The Closure Report (CR) was submitted to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) on September 11, 1998. Permeability results of soils adjacent to the engineered cover and a request for closure of CAU 404 were transmitted to the NDEP on April 29, 1999. The CR (containing the Post-Closure Monitoring Plan) was approved by the NDEP on May 18, 1999. Post-closure monitoring at CAU 404 consists of the following: (1) Site inspections done twice a year to evaluate the condition of the unit; (2) Verification that the site is secure; (3) Notice of any subsidence or deficiencies that may compromise the integrity of the unit; (4) Remedy of any deficiencies within 90 days of discovery; and (5) Preparation and submittal of an annual report. Site inspections were conducted on June 19, 2000, and November 21, 2000. The site inspections were conducted after completion of the revegetation activities (October 30, 1997) and NDEP approval of the CR (May 18, 1999). All site inspections were conducted in accordance with the Post-Closure Monitoring Plan in the NDEP-approved CR. This report includes copies of inspection checklists, photographs, recommendations, and conclusions. The Post-Closure Inspection Checklists are found in Attachment A, a copy of the field notes is found in Attachment B, and copies of the inspection photographs are found in Attachment C.

  19. Independent effects of temperature and precipitation on modeled runoff in the conterminous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCabe, G.J.; Wolock, D.M.

    2011-01-01

    A water-balance model is used to simulate time series of water-year runoff for 4 km ?? 4 km grid cells for the conterminous United States during the 1900-2008 period. Model outputs are used to examine the separate effects of precipitation and temperature on runoff variability. Overall, water-year runoff has increased in the conterminous United States and precipitation has accounted for almost all of the variability in water-year runoff during the past century. In contrast, temperature effects on runoff have been small for most locations in the United States even during periods when temperatures for most of the United States increased significantly. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

  20. A longitudinal study of human milk composition in the second year postpartum: implications for human milk banking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrin, Maryanne T; Fogleman, April D; Newburg, David S; Allen, Jonathan C

    2017-01-01

    While the composition of human milk has been studied extensively in the first year of lactation, there is a paucity of data regarding human milk composition beyond one year postpartum. Policies vary at milk banks around the world regarding how long lactating women are eligible to donate their milk. The primary purpose of this study is to describe longitudinal changes in human milk composition in the second year postpartum to support the development of evidence based guidelines regarding how long lactating women can donate human milk to a milk bank. Nineteen lactating women in North Carolina provided monthly milk samples from 11 months to 17 months postpartum (N = 131), and two non-profit milk banks provided (N = 33) pooled, unpasteurized milk samples from 51 approved donors less than one year postpartum. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the concentration of total protein, lactoferrin, lysozyme, Immunoglobulin A, oligosaccharides and sodium in longitudinal samples of mother's milk between 11 and 17 months postpartum, while zinc and calcium concentrations declined, and no changes were observed in lactose, fat, iron and potassium. Human milk in the second year postpartum contained significantly higher concentrations of total protein, lactoferrin, lysozyme and Immunoglobulin A, than milk bank samples, and significantly lower concentrations of zinc, calcium, iron and oligosaccharides. Accepting milk bank donations beyond one year postpartum is a potential strategy for increasing the supply of donor milk, but may require mineral fortification. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Active surveillance of bat rabies in France: a 5-year study (2004-2009)

    OpenAIRE

    Picard-Meyer , Evelyne; Dubourg-Savage , Marie-Jo; Arthur , Laurent; Barataud , Michel; Bécu , David; Bracco , Sandrine; Borel , Christophe; Larcher , Gérald; Meme-Lafond , Benjamin; Moinet , Marie; Robardet , Emmanuelle; Wasniewski , Marine; Cliquet , Florence

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Active surveillance of bats in France started in 2004 with an analysis of 18 of the 45 bat species reported in Europe. Rabies antibodies were detected in six indigenous species, mainly in Eptesicus serotinus and Myotis myotis, suggesting previous contact with the EBLV-1 rabies virus. Nineteen of the 177 tested bats were shown serologically positive in seven sites, particularly in central and south-western France. Neither infectious viral particles nor viral genomes were de...

  2. Lifetime management of the nuclear units in France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Combes, J-P.; Godin, R.

    1994-01-01

    A systematic design study entitled 'Lifetime Project' has been initiated at Electricite de France, to estimate, plan, and maximize the life span of the French PWR plants. It is estimated that the present units will have a lifetime of 30 to 50 years. The life of a unit will be determined by that of its components, by economic considerations (whether it is cheaper to repair or replace the unit), and by safety considerations, which may be affected by changing safety standards. A 'periodic safety reassessment' takes place about every ten years. A list of 18 critical components can be summarized by saying that the main concerns are: radiation embrittlement of and within the reactor vessel, the steam generators, the concrete containment (which can not be replaced), instrumentation and control. Examination of samples from decommissioned plants, such as Chooz A, will provide valuable evidence of mechanisms of degradation due to aging

  3. Electric peak power forecasting by year 2025

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alsayegh, O.A.; Al-Matar, O.A.; Fairouz, F.A.; Al-Mulla Ali, A.

    2005-01-01

    Peak power demand in Kuwait up to the year 2025 was predicted using an artificial neural network (ANN) model. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of air conditioning (A/C) units on long-term power demand. Five socio-economic factors were selected as inputs for the simulation: (1) gross national product, (2) population, (3) number of buildings, (4) imports of A/C units, and (5) index of industrial production. The study used socio-economic data from 1978 to 2000. Historical data of the first 10 years of the studied time period were used to train the ANN. The electrical network was then simulated to forecast peak power for the following 11 years. The calculated error was then used for years in which power consumption data were not available. The study demonstrated that average peak power rates increased by 4100 MW every 5 years. Various scenarios related to changes in population, the number of buildings, and the quantity of A/C units were then modelled to estimate long-term peak power demand. Results of the study demonstrated that population had the strongest impact on future power demand, while the number of buildings had the smallest impact. It was concluded that peak power growth can be controlled through the use of different immigration policies, increased A/C efficiency, and the use of vertical housing. 7 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs

  4. Electric peak power forecasting by year 2025

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alsayegh, O.A.; Al-Matar, O.A.; Fairouz, F.A.; Al-Mulla Ali, A. [Kuwait Inst. for Scientific Research, Kuwait City (Kuwait). Div. of Environment and Urban Development

    2005-07-01

    Peak power demand in Kuwait up to the year 2025 was predicted using an artificial neural network (ANN) model. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of air conditioning (A/C) units on long-term power demand. Five socio-economic factors were selected as inputs for the simulation: (1) gross national product, (2) population, (3) number of buildings, (4) imports of A/C units, and (5) index of industrial production. The study used socio-economic data from 1978 to 2000. Historical data of the first 10 years of the studied time period were used to train the ANN. The electrical network was then simulated to forecast peak power for the following 11 years. The calculated error was then used for years in which power consumption data were not available. The study demonstrated that average peak power rates increased by 4100 MW every 5 years. Various scenarios related to changes in population, the number of buildings, and the quantity of A/C units were then modelled to estimate long-term peak power demand. Results of the study demonstrated that population had the strongest impact on future power demand, while the number of buildings had the smallest impact. It was concluded that peak power growth can be controlled through the use of different immigration policies, increased A/C efficiency, and the use of vertical housing. 7 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs.

  5. Hydrocarbons. Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). Unit O1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inner London Education Authority (England).

    This unit on hydrocarbons is one of 10 first year units produced by the Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). The unit is divided into sections dealing with alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, arenes, and several aspects of the petroleum industry. Two experiments, exercises (with answers), and pre- and post-tests are included.…

  6. Factors driving the development of healthcare waste management in the United Kingdom over the past 60 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townend, William K; Cheeseman, Christopher; Edgar, Jen; Tudor, Terry

    2009-06-01

    Since the creation of the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom in 1948 there have been significant changes in the way waste materials produced by healthcare facilities have been managed due to a number of environmental, legal and social drivers. This paper reviews the key changes in legislation and healthcare waste management that have occurred in the UK between 1948 and the present time. It investigates reasons for the changes and how the problems associated with healthcare wastes have been addressed. The reaction of the public to offensive disposal practices taking place locally required political action by the UK government and subsequently by the European legislature. The relatively new UK industry of hazardous healthcare waste management has developed rapidly over the past 25 years in response to significant changes in healthcare practices. The growth in knowledge and appreciation of environmental issues has also been fundamental to the development of this industry. Legislation emanating from Europe is now responsible for driving change to UK healthcare waste management. This paper examines the drivers that have caused the healthcare waste management to move forward in the 60 years since the NHS was formed. It demonstrates that the situation has moved from a position where there was no overall strategy to the current situation where there is a strong regulatory framework but still no national strategy. The reasons for this situation are examined and based upon the experience gained; suggestions are made for the benefit of countries with systems for healthcare waste management still in the early stages of development or without any provisions at all.

  7. 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.

  8. Anticorrosion and halobios control for tidal power generating units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, J C; Ding, L X

    2012-01-01

    The anticorrosion and halobios control is the key techniquesrelated to the safety and durability of tidal power generating units. The technique of material application, antifouling coating and cathodic protection are often adopted. The technical research, application, updating and development are carried on Jiangxia Tidal Power Station, which is based on the old Unit 1-Unit 5 operated for nearly 30 years, and the new Unit 6 operated in 2007. It is found that stainless steeland the antifouling coating used in Unit 1- Unit 5 are very effective, but cathodic protection is often likely to fail because of the limitation of structure and installation. Analyses and studies for anticorrosion and halobios control techniques of tidal power generating units according to theory, experience and actual effects have been done, which can be for reference to the tidal power station designers and builders.

  9. Bone Marrow Examination in Cases of New-onset Pancytopenia: A Four-year Study from a Medical College in the Rural Hilly Setting of Western Himalayas, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rashmi Kaul Raina

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available New-onset pancytopenia is a common diagnostic challenge. Pancytopenia is an indication for bone marrow examination. The present study has been carried out to determine the frequencies of various etiologies of pancytopenia based on bone marrow morphology in a defined geographical location. All cases of new-onset pancytopenia, diagnosed on peripheral smear and seen over a four-year period from January 2012 to December 2015 in the department of pathology, were analysed. Patients lacking representative bone marrow in the aspirate or receiving chemotherapy were excluded. Out of 69 cases, 29 were males and 40 were females. Most of the patients were in the age group of 19-60 years (52.2%. Nineteen (26.1% of them were less than 18 years old. The three major causes of pancytopenia were: megaloblastic anemia (hypercellular marrow with megaloblastic erythropoiesis in 25 (36.2% cases, hypercellular marrow with dimorphic erythropoiesis in 13 (18.8% cases, and haematological malignancies in 12 (17.4% cases of the study. Bone marrow examination along with laboratory evaluation helps to establish specific diagnosis in cases of new-onset pancytopenia.

  10. Preparation status for continuous operation of Kori unit 1 NPP in Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, C.H. . E-mail : chechee@khnp.co.kr

    2005-01-01

    Kori unit 1 Nuclear Power Plant is the first commercial operation plant in Korea. In Korea, the life extension of NPP beyond design lifetime reached practically application stage. Preparations status for continuous operation of Kori unit 1, Many researches have demonstrated that life extension beyond design lifetime is possible in terms of technology. This paper is to introduce and to share the continuous operation preparations status and schedule for Kori unit 1 License Renewal Process an additional every 10 years beyond the design life 30 years term. (author)

  11. Factors associated with decisions to attend cervical cancer screening among women aged 30-60 years in Chatapadung Contracting Medical Unit, Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budkaew, Jiratha; Chumworathayi, Bandit

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to identify factors associated with women's decisions to attend cervical cancer screening and to explore those linked with intention to attend in the coming year and to continue regular screening. A community based case-control study was conducted among woman 30-60 years of age in catchment area of Chatapadung Contracting Medical Unit (CCMU), networking of Khon Kaen Center Hospital, Thailand. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data, and in-depth interviews were then performed to explore in greater detail. There were 195 participants. Only one third (32.3 %) had been screened for cervical cancer within the past 5 years. Some 67.7% reported that they had not been screened because they had no abnormal symptoms, single marital status, and no children. Only 10.6% of those never had screening intent to be screened within the next 12 months. High family income (adjusted OR=2.16, 95%CI=1.13-4.14), good attitude towards a Pap test (OR=1.87, 95%CI=1.09-4.23), and having received a recommendation from health care providers were important factors associated with decisions to attend cervical cancer screening (OR=1.73, 95%CI=1.01-4.63). From in-depth interviews, there were five reasons of their decisions to attend cervical cancer screening including yearly check-up, postpartum check-up, having abnormal symptom, encouragement by health care providers, and request from workplace. High family income, good attitude towards a Pap test, and receiving proper recommendation by health care providers, were important factors associated with decision to have cervical cancer screening among women 30-60 years old. Trying to enhance these factors and reduce barriers regarding screening, may increase the coverage rate for cervical cancer screening in Thailand.

  12. Analysis of the actual number of physicians in radiotherapy units in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guttenberger, R.; Witucki, G.

    2002-01-01

    Background: Physician workload directly influences the ability of an institution to provide high standards in radiotherapy services. Materials and Methods: Data of 189 radiotherapy units of the DEGRO survey 2000 complemented and corrected (Table 1) are analyzed with simple and multiple linear regression (models in Table 2). Results: In 21 private radiotherapy facilities actual numbers of physicians split up in 0.19 for every 1,000 megavoltage courses per year, 1.8 per megavoltage unit, 0.68 for every ten beds for inpatients minus 0.67 or plus 1.2 physicians per facility providing radiotherapy only or combined with other services, respectively. Radiotherapy units in hospitals were analyzed in two groups, i.e. radiotherapy only (n=69) or in combination with other services (n=59). In the latter, reported numbers of physicians split up in 3.2 for every 1,000 megavoltage courses per year, minus 0.13 per megavoltage unit, 0.87 for every ten beds for inpatients, plus 2.2 per facility. Units providing radiotherapy only had 0.86 physicians for every 1,000 megavoltage courses per year plus 1.0 per megavoltage unit plus 0.97 for every ten beds plus 1.0 per facility. In 36 radiotherapy university clinics actual numbers of physicians split up in 2.4 for every 1,000 megavoltage courses per year, 1.7 per megavoltage unit, 0.86 for every ten beds for inpatients, plus 1.5 per clinic. For confidence limits see Table 3, for results of univariate analysis Figures 1 and 2. Conclusion: In German radiotherapy facilities, physician workload varies considerably. It exceeds that reported for the USA by a substantial margin. (orig.) [de

  13. Climate change and California: potential implications for vegetation, carbon, and fire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jonathan. Thompson

    2005-01-01

    Nineteen scientists from leading research institutes in the United States collaborated to estimate how California’s environment and economy would respond to global climate change. A scientist from the PNW Research Station led efforts to estimate effects on vegetation, carbon, and fire.To quantify the range of the possible effects of climate change over the...

  14. Vital signs: births to teens aged 15-17 years--United States, 1991-2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Shanna; Pazol, Karen; Warner, Lee; Romero, Lisa; Spitz, Alison; Gavin, Lorrie; Barfield, Wanda

    2014-04-11

    Teens who give birth at age 15-17 years are at increased risk for adverse medical and social outcomes of teen pregnancy. To examine trends in the rate and proportion of births to teens aged 15-19 years that were to teens aged 15-17 years, CDC analyzed 1991-2012 National Vital Statistics System data. National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) data from 2006-2010 were used to examine sexual experience, contraceptive use, and receipt of prevention opportunities among female teens aged 15-17 years. During 1991-2012, the rate of births per 1,000 teens declined from 17.9 to 5.4 for teens aged 15 years, 36.9 to 12.9 for those aged 16 years, and 60.6 to 23.7 for those aged 17 years. In 2012, the birth rate per 1,000 teens aged 15-17 years was higher for Hispanics (25.5), non-Hispanic blacks (21.9), and American Indians/Alaska Natives (17.0) compared with non-Hispanic whites (8.4) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (4.1). The rate also varied by state, ranging from 6.2 per 1,000 teens aged 15-17 years in New Hampshire to 29.0 in the District of Columbia. In 2012, there were 86,423 births to teens aged 15-17 years, accounting for 28% of all births to teens aged 15-19 years. This percentage declined from 36% in 1991 to 28% in 2012 (pteens aged 15-17 years received formal sex education on birth control or how to say no to sex, 24% had not spoken with parents about either topic; among sexually experienced female teens, 83% reported no formal sex education before first sex. Among currently sexually active female teens (those who had sex within 3 months of the survey) aged 15-17 years, 58% used clinical birth control services in the past 12 months, and 92% used contraception at last sex; however, only 1% used the most effective reversible contraceptive methods. Births to teens aged 15-17 years have declined but still account for approximately one quarter of births to teens aged 15-19 years. These data highlight opportunities to increase younger teens exposure to interventions that delay

  15. Inventory of power plants in the United States 1989. [Contains glossary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-09-21

    This document is prepared annually by the Electric Power Division, Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels, Energy Information Administration (EIA), US Department of Energy (DOE). The purpose of this publication is to provide year-end statistics about electric generating units in operation and to provide a 10-year outlook of future generating unit additions by electric utilities in the United States (the 50 states and the District of Columbia). Data summarized in this report are useful to a wide audience including Congress, federal and state agencies, the electric utility industry, and the general public. The data presented in this report were assembled and published by the EIA, to fulfill its data collection and dissemination responsibilities as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275) as amended. The report is organized into the following chapters: Summary Statistics; Operable Electric Generating Units; and Projected Electric Generating Unit Additions.

  16. 29 CFR 1919.71 - Unit proof test and examination of cranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Unit proof test and examination of cranes. 1919.71 Section... § 1919.71 Unit proof test and examination of cranes. (a) Unit proof tests of cranes shall be carried out at the following times: (1) In the cases of new cranes, before initial use and every 4 years...

  17. Post-Closure Report for Closed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Units, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada for Fiscal Year 2011 (October 2010-September 2011)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    This report serves as the combined annual report for post-closure activities for the following closed Corrective Action Units (CAUs): (1) CAU 90, Area 2 Bitcutter Containment; (2) CAU 91, Area 3 U-3fi Injection Well; (3) CAU 92, Area 6 Decon Pond Facility; (4) CAU 110, Area 3 WMD U-3ax/bl Crater; and (5) CAU 112, Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches. This report covers fiscal year 2011 (October 2010-September 2011). The post-closure requirements for these sites are described in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit Number NEV HW0101 and summarized in each CAU-specific section in Section 1.0 of this report. Site inspections are conducted semiannually at CAUs 90 and 91 and quarterly at CAUs 92, 110, and 112. Additional inspections are conducted at CAU 92 if precipitation occurs in excess of 0.50 inches in a 24-hour period. Inspections include an evaluation of the condition of the units and identification of any deficiencies that may compromise the integrity of the units. The condition of covers, fencing, signs, gates, and locks is documented. In addition, soil moisture monitoring and subsidence surveys are conducted at CAU 110. The results of the inspections, summary of maintenance activities, results of vegetations surveys, and analysis of monitoring data are presented in this report. Copies of the inspection checklists are included as Appendix A. Field notes completed during each inspection are included in Appendix B. Photographs taken during the inspections are included in Appendix C. It is recommended to continue semiannual inspections at CAUs 90 and 91; quarterly inspections at CAUs 92, 110, and 112; and additional inspections at CAU 92 if precipitation occurs in excess of 0.50 inches in a 24-hour period. At CAU 92, it is recommended to remove the wave barriers, as they have not proven to be necessary to protect the cover. At CAU 110, it is recommended to continue annual vegetation monitoring and soil moisture monitoring, and to reduce the frequency of

  18. Modifiable variables in physical therapy education programs associated with first-time and three-year National Physical Therapy Examination pass rates in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chad Cook

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: This study aimed to examine the modifiable programmatic characteristics reflected in the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE Annual Accreditation Report for all accredited programs that reported pass rates on the National Physical Therapist Examination, and to build a predictive model for first-time and three-year ultimate pass rates. Methods: This observational study analyzed programmatic information from the 185 CAPTE-accredited physical therapy programs in the United States and Puerto Rico out of a total of 193 programs that provided the first-time and three-year ultimate pass rates in 2011. Fourteen predictive variables representing student selection and composition, clinical education length and design, and general program length and design were analyzed against first-time pass rates and ultimate pass rates on the NPTE. Univariate and multivariate multinomial regression analysis for first-time pass rates and logistic regression analysis for three-year ultimate pass rates were performed. Results: The variables associated with the first-time pass rate in the multivariate analysis were the mean undergraduate grade point average (GPA and the average age of the cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that mean undergraduate GPA was associated with the three-year ultimate pass rate. Conclusions: Mean undergraduate GPA was found to be the only modifiable predictor for both first-time and three-year pass rates among CAPTE-accredited physical therapy programs.

  19. Inventory of power plants in the United States 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-10-18

    The Inventory of Power Plants in the US provides year-end statistics on generating units operated by electric utilities in the US (the 50 States and the District of Columbia). Statistics presented in this report reflect the status of generating units as of December 31, 1994. The publication also provides a 10-year outlook for generating unit additions. This report is prepared annually by the Coal and Electric Data and Renewables Division; Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels; Energy Information Administration (EIA); US Department of Energy (DOE). Data summarized in this report are useful to a wide audience including Congress, Federal, and State agencies; the electric utility industry; and the general public. This is a report of electric utility data; in cases where summary data of nonutility capacity are presented, it is specifically noted as such.

  20. Optimized 4-bit Quantum Reversible Arithmetic Logic Unit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayyoub, Slimani; Achour, Benslama

    2017-08-01

    Reversible logic has received a great attention in the recent years due to its ability to reduce the power dissipation. The main purposes of designing reversible logic are to decrease quantum cost, depth of the circuits and the number of garbage outputs. The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is an important part of central processing unit (CPU) as the execution unit. This paper presents a complete design of a new reversible arithmetic logic unit (ALU) that can be part of a programmable reversible computing device such as a quantum computer. The proposed ALU based on a reversible low power control unit and small performance parameters full adder named double Peres gates. The presented ALU can produce the largest number (28) of arithmetic and logic functions and have the smallest number of quantum cost and delay compared with existing designs.

  1. Data Sorting Using Graphics Processing Units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. J. Mišić

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Graphics processing units (GPUs have been increasingly used for general-purpose computation in recent years. The GPU accelerated applications are found in both scientific and commercial domains. Sorting is considered as one of the very important operations in many applications, so its efficient implementation is essential for the overall application performance. This paper represents an effort to analyze and evaluate the implementations of the representative sorting algorithms on the graphics processing units. Three sorting algorithms (Quicksort, Merge sort, and Radix sort were evaluated on the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA platform that is used to execute applications on NVIDIA graphics processing units. Algorithms were tested and evaluated using an automated test environment with input datasets of different characteristics. Finally, the results of this analysis are briefly discussed.

  2. United Kingdom national report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomkins, B.

    1998-01-01

    Report of the United Kingdom deals with life extension granted to Calder Hall and Chapelcross reactors for further 10 years operation. The two well recognised life-limiting features of Magnox type reactors are graphite core ageing and materials properties of the reactor pressure circuit components. These features have been scrutinised particularly closely and the conclusion has been reached that there are no safety factors which will necessarily limit the plant life to less than 50 years. Two other life-limiting factors are hear exchanger tubes and the heat exchanger tube failures internal to boiler shells and the integrity of the main engineering structures of the plant. It was concluded that appropriate routine ageing monitoring programs are in place in respect to these features to support continuing operation beyond 40 years

  3. Follicular Unit Extraction Hair Transplantation with Micromotor: Eight Years Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ors, Safvet; Ozkose, Mehmet; Ors, Sevgi

    2015-08-01

    Follicular unit extraction (FUE) has been performed for over a decade. Our experience in the patients who underwent hair transplantation using only the FUE method was included in this study. A total of 1000 patients had hair transplantation using the FUE method between 2005 and 2014 in our clinic. Manual punch was used in 32 and micromotor was used in 968 patients for graft harvesting. During the time that manual punch was used for graft harvesting, 1000-2000 grafts were transplanted in one session in 6-8 h. Following micromotor use, the average graft count was increased to 2500 and the operation time remained unchanged. Graft take was difficult in 11.1 %, easy in 52.2 %, and very easy in 36.7 % of our patients. The main purpose of hair transplantation is to restore the hair loss. During the process, obtaining a natural appearance and adequate hair intensity is important. In the FUE method, grafts can be taken without changing their natural structure, there is no need for magnification, and the grafts can be transplanted directly without using any other processes. Because there is no suture in the FUE method, patients do not experience these incision site problems and scar formation. The FUE method enables us to achieve a natural appearance with less morbidity.

  4. Analysis of real-world health care costs among immunocompetent patients aged 50 years or older with herpes zoster in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyers, Juliana L; Madhwani, Shweta; Rausch, Debora; Candrilli, Sean D; Krishnarajah, Girishanthy; Yan, Songkai

    2017-08-03

    Few peer-reviewed publications present real-world United States (US) data describing resource utilization and costs associated with herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). The primary objective of this analysis (GSK study identifier: HO-14-14270) was to assess direct costs associated with HZ and PHN in the US using a retrospective managed care insurance claims database. Patients ≥ 50 y at HZ diagnosis were selected. Patients were excluded if they were immunocompromised before diagnosis or received an HZ vaccine at any time. A subsample of patients with PHN was identified. Each patient with HZ was matched to ≤ 4 controls without HZ based on age, sex, and health plan enrollment. Incremental differences in mean HZ-related costs ("incremental costs") were assessed overall and stratified by age. Multivariable regression models controlled for the effect of demographic characteristics, prediagnosis costs, and comorbidity burden on costs using a recycled predictions approach. Overall, 142,519 patients with HZ (9,470 patients [6.6%] had PHN) and 357,907 matched controls without HZ were identified. Resource utilization was greater among patients with HZ than controls. After adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, annual incremental health care costs for HZ patients vs. controls were $1,210 for patients aged 50-59 years, $1,629 for those 60-64 years, $1,876 for those 65-69 years, $2,643 for those 70-79 years, and $3,804 for those 80+ years; adjusted annual incremental costs among PHN patients vs. controls were $4,670 for patients 50-59 years, $6,133 for those 60-64 years, $6,451 for those 65-69 years, $8,548 for those 70-79 years, and $11,147 for those 80+ years. HZ is associated with a significant cost burden, which increases with advancing patient age. Vaccination may reduce costs associated with HZ through case avoidance.

  5. UNIT TRUST FUND'S INITIAL SERVICE CHARGE AND ITS DETERMINANTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nur Adiana Hiau Abdullah

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the variables that might explain the initial service charge (ISC imposed on unit-holders of Malaysian unit trust funds in the year 1999. By using 39 openend unit trust funds, customer service and board structure variables are found to have asignificant effect in explaining the variations of ISC. Financial performance variables do not seem to have any influence on the level of ISC charged to the unit-holders. Our results also showed that funds which charged higher ISC do not necessarily provide higher returns to investors. Furthermore, there are unit trust funds that are having an initial service charge beyond the maximum 10% level required by the Securities Commissions or did not fulfil the independent directors requirement.

  6. Metabolic syndrome-related composite factors over 5 years in the STANISLAS family study: genetic heritability and common environmental influences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbeth, Bernard; Samara, Anastasia; Ndiaye, Coumba; Marteau, Jean-Brice; Berrahmoune, Hind; Siest, Gérard; Visvikis-Siest, Sophie

    2010-06-03

    We estimated genetic heritability and common environmental influences for various traits related to metabolic syndrome in young families from France. At entrance and after 5 years, nineteen traits related to metabolic syndrome were measured in a sample of families drawn from the STANISLAS study. In addition, 5 aggregates of these traits were identified using factor analysis. At entrance, genetic heritability was high (20 to 44%) for plasma lipids and lipoproteins, uric acid, fasting glucose, and the related clusters "risk lipids" and "protective lipids". Intermediate or low genetic heritability (less than 20%) was shown for triglycerides, adiposity indices, blood pressure, hepatic enzyme activity, inflammatory makers and the related clusters: "liver enzymes", "adiposity/blood pressure" and "inflammation". Moreover, common environmental influences were significant for all the parameters. With regard to 5-year changes, polygenic variance was low and not statistically significant for any of the individual variables or clusters whereas shared environment influence was significant. In these young families, genetic heritability of metabolic syndrome-related traits was generally lower than previously reported while the common environmental influences were greater. In addition, only shared environment contributed to short-term changes of these traits. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Post-Closure Inspection Report for Corrective Action Unit 404: Roller Coaster Sewage Lagoons and North Disposal Trench Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, Calendar Year 2000; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    K. B. Campbell

    2001-01-01

    Post-closure monitoring requirements for the Roller Coaster Sewage Lagoons and North Disposal Trench (Corrective Action Unit[CAW 404]) (Figure 1) are described in Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 404, Roller Coaster Sewage Lagoons and North Disposal Trench, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, report number DOE/NV-187. The Closure Report (CR) was submitted to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) on September 11, 1998. Permeability results of soils adjacent to the engineered cover and a request for closure of CAU 404 were transmitted to the NDEP on April 29, 1999. The CR (containing the Post-Closure Monitoring Plan) was approved by the NDEP on May 18, 1999. Post-closure monitoring at CAU 404 consists of the following: (1) Site inspections done twice a year to evaluate the condition of the unit; (2) Verification that the site is secure; (3) Notice of any subsidence or deficiencies that may compromise the integrity of the unit; (4) Remedy of any deficiencies within 90 days of discovery; and (5) Preparation and submittal of an annual report. Site inspections were conducted on June 19, 2000, and November 21, 2000. The site inspections were conducted after completion of the revegetation activities (October 30, 1997) and NDEP approval of the CR (May 18, 1999). All site inspections were conducted in accordance with the Post-Closure Monitoring Plan in the NDEP-approved CR. This report includes copies of inspection checklists, photographs, recommendations, and conclusions. The Post-Closure Inspection Checklists are found in Attachment A, a copy of the field notes is found in Attachment B, and copies of the inspection photographs are found in Attachment C

  8. Infliximab Dose Reduction Sustains the Clinical Treatment Effect in Active HLAB27 Positive Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Two-Year Pilot Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boel Mörck

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The rationale of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of infliximab (IFX treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS and to determine whether IFX dose reduction and interval extension sustains the treatment effect. Nineteen patients were included and treated with IFX 5 mg/kg every 6 weeks for 56 weeks. All patients concomitantly received MTX with median dose 7.5 mg/weekly. During the second year, the IFX dose was reduced to 3 mg/kg every 8 weeks. Eighteen patients completed the 1-year and 15 patients the 2-year trial. The ≥50% improvement at week 16 from baseline of BASDAI was achieved in 16/19 (84% patients. Significant reductions in BASDAI, BASFI, and BASMI scores, decrease in ESR and CRP, and improvement in SF-36 were observed at weeks 16 and 56. The MRI-defined inflammatory changes in the sacroiliac joints disappeared in 10/15 patients (67% already at 16 weeks. IFX treatment effect was sustained throughout the second year after IFX dose reduction and interval extension. We conclude that IFX treatment is effective in well-established active AS and a dose reduction sustains the treatment effect. These observations are of clinical importance and open the opportunity to reduce the drug costs. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01850121.

  9. THE EFFICIENCY OF GAS-PUMPING UNITS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. I. Kupreev

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available . The reliability of the gas transmission network of the JSC “Gazprom Transgaz Belarus” depends on the efficiency of gas compressor units. Pipeline transport takes the first place among all the other ways to deliver gas because it ensures a uniform and uninterrupted supply of gas at minimum costs. The main objects of main gas pipelines include process areas, including several compressor stations and sections of the pipeline between them. Currently, a significant part of the main equipment of the gas industry is approaching its deadline of operation, which causes decrease in energy efficiency and reliability of the transmission system. At compressor plants of the JSC “Gazprom Transgaz Belarus” there are more than 4000 gas compressor units in operation including about 80% ones with gas turbine drives. It is clear that the drives of these units take a significant proportion of the pumped gas. For many years the company invests and actively participates in the creation of modern gas-pumping units practicing the wide use of conversion potential of the CIS countries. In recent years, a comprehensive approach to the assessment of the reliability and efficiency of objects of gas pipelines on the basis of mathematical modeling is actively applied. Together with the development of computer supervisory and control this opens up opportunities to improve energy efficiency in pipeline transport of gas on the basis of mathematical models and processes. The real effect obtaining is based on the actual performance of the equipment that needs to be monitored over time and to clarify.

  10. The contemporary cement cycle of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapur, A.; Van Oss, H. G.; Keoleian, G.; Kesler, S.E.; Kendall, A.

    2009-01-01

    A country-level stock and flow model for cement, an important construction material, was developed based on a material flow analysis framework. Using this model, the contemporary cement cycle of the United States was constructed by analyzing production, import, and export data for different stages of the cement cycle. The United States currently supplies approximately 80% of its cement consumption through domestic production and the rest is imported. The average annual net addition of in-use new cement stock over the period 2000-2004 was approximately 83 million metric tons and amounts to 2.3 tons per capita of concrete. Nonfuel carbon dioxide emissions (42 million metric tons per year) from the calcination phase of cement manufacture account for 62% of the total 68 million tons per year of cement production residues. The end-of-life cement discards are estimated to be 33 million metric tons per year, of which between 30% and 80% is recycled. A significant portion of the infrastructure in the United States is reaching the end of its useful life and will need to be replaced or rehabilitated; this could require far more cement than might be expected from economic forecasts of demand for cement. ?? 2009 Springer Japan.

  11. Mental health in the United States: parental report of diagnosed autism in children aged 4-17 years--United States, 2003-2004.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-05-05

    Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by early onset of impairments in social interaction and communication and unusual, stereotyped behaviors. Autism (i.e., autistic disorder) often is classified with two related, although less severe, developmental disorders: Asperger disorder and pervasive developmental disorder--not otherwise specified. These three constitute the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Diagnosis of ASDs is based exclusively on developmental pattern and behavioral observation. Two population-based studies conducted by CDC in selected U.S. locations reported ASD prevalence of 3.4 and 6.7 per 1,000 children, respectively. CDC also conducts two nationally representative surveys, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), in which parents are asked whether their child ever received a diagnosis of autism. Because of similarities in methodology used by the two surveys, CDC analyzed 2003-2004 data from NHIS and data from the first-ever NSCH (collected during January 2003-July 2004) to 1) estimate the population-based prevalence of parental report of diagnosed autism in the United States and 2) assess parental reporting of child social, emotional, and behavioral strengths and difficulties and special-health care needs among children with and without reported autism. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that the prevalence of parent-reported diagnosis of autism was 5.7 per 1,000 children in NHIS and 5.5 per 1,000 children in NSCH. Prevalence estimates in the two studies were similar across age, sex, and racial/ethnic populations. The consistency in estimates between the two surveys suggests high reliability for parental report of autism. These estimates suggest that, as of 2003-2004, autism had been diagnosed in at least 300,000 U.S. children aged 4-17 years. In addition, parental reports of autism were associated with reported social, emotional, and

  12. Parkinson’s disease permanent care unit: managing the chronic-palliative interface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lökk J

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Johan LökkDepartment of Neurobiology, Caring Sciences, and Society, Karolinska Institutet; Geriatric Department, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, SwedenBackground: Parkinson’s disease (PD eventually leads to severe functional decline and dependence. Specialized care units for PD patients in need of permanent care are lacking.Methods: Patients with severe PD are referred to the PD permanent care unit harboring 30 patients with specialized medical and health care provided by trained staff. Patients need to have intensive medical and care needs, and be no longer able to stay at home or at an ordinary institution. A written and continuously reviewed care plan is made for each patient at admission, with the overriding aim to preserve quality of life and optimize functionality.Results: After five years, the PD permanent care unit has cared for 70 patients (36 men and 34 women with a mean age of 76.6 years and a mean duration of Parkinsonism of 11.8 years. Hoehn and Yahr severity of disease was 3.7, cognition was 25.3 (Mini-Mental State Examination, and the mean daily levodopa dose was 739 mg. The yearly fatality rate was seven, and the mean duration of stay was 26.9 months. Only five patients moved out from the unit.Conclusion: A specially designed and staffed care unit for Parkinsonism patients seems to fill a need for patients and caregivers, as well as for social and health care authorities. This model is sensitive to the changing needs and capacities of patients, ensuring that appropriate services are available in a timely manner. There was a rather short duration of patient stay and remaining life span after admission to the unit. Despite the chronic/palliative state of patients at the PD permanent care unit, there are many therapeutic options, with the overriding objective being to allow the patients to end their days in a professional and comfortable environment.Keywords: Parkinsonism, palliative care, end-stage disease

  13. Evaluation of seasonal exergy efficiency of air handing unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kęstutis Genys

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the air handling unit seasonal exergy efficiency. TRNSYS simulation tool is used to evaluate it. The object of research is air treatment device used to treat an air for the ventilation of laboratory. The mathematical model of air handling unit using TRNSYS simulation tool was developed when the technical parameters of air handling unit and energy exchange in it were analysed. The developed model according to the made observations during the warm and cold periods was tested and validation of elements was performed. The simulation of air handling unit operation after the verification of reliability and permitted tolerances was performed. The control mechanisim which allows simulating the operation of air handling unit during cold and warm periods of the year was made. The mathematical algorithm for calculation of air handling unit exergy efficiency coefficient applying the principles of exergy analysis was developed. The seasonal exergy efficiency of air handling unit equal to 3.94 percent during the simulation was obtained.

  14. Contemporary Development of Academic Reference Librarianship in the United States: A 44-Year Content Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hanrong; Tang, Yingqi; Knight, Carley

    2010-01-01

    This study analyzes job advertisements to identify the contemporary development of academic reference librarianship in the United States. Results show that more job openings, higher educational backgrounds, more duties & responsibilities, and variety of titles were assigned to academic reference librarian positions from 1966 through 2009.…

  15. Management of planned unit outages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brune, W.

    1984-01-01

    Management of planned unit outages at the Bruno Leuschner Nuclear Power Plant is based on the experience gained with Soviet PWR units of the WWER type over a period of more than 50 reactor-years. For PWR units, planned outages concentrate almost exclusively on annual refuellings and major maintenance of the power plant facilities involved. Planning of such major maintenance work is based on a standardized basic network plan and a catalogue of standardized maintenance and inspection measures. From these, an overall maintenance schedule of the unit and partial process plans of the individual main components are derived (manually or by computer) and, in the temporal integration of major maintenance at every unit, fixed starting times and durations are determined. More than 75% of the maintenance work at the Bruno Leuschner Nuclear Power Plant is carried out by the plant's own maintenance personnel. Large-scale maintenance of every unit is controlled by a special project head. He is assisted by commissioners, each of whom is responsible for his own respective item. A daily control report is made. The organizational centre is a central office which works in shifts around the clock. All maintenance orders and reports of completion pass through this office; thus, the overall maintenance schedule can be corrected daily. To enforce the proposed operational strategy, suitable accompanying technical measures are required with respect to effective facility monitoring and technical diagnosis, purposeful improvement of particularly sensitive components and an increase in the effectiveness of maintenance work by special technologies and devices. (author)

  16. Motor Unit Interpulse Intervals During High Force Contractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stock, Matt S; Thompson, Brennan J

    2016-01-01

    We examined the means, medians, and variability for motor-unit interpulse intervals (IPIs) during voluntary, high force contractions. Eight men (mean age = 22 years) attempted to perform isometric contractions at 90% of their maximal voluntary contraction force while bipolar surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were detected from the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles. Surface EMG signal decomposition was used to determine the recruitment thresholds and IPIs of motor units that demonstrated accuracy levels ≥ 96.0%. Motor units with high recruitment thresholds demonstrated longer mean IPIs, but the coefficients of variation were similar across all recruitment thresholds. Polynomial regression analyses indicated that for both muscles, the relationship between the means and standard deviations of the IPIs was linear. The majority of IPI histograms were positively skewed. Although low-threshold motor units were associated with shorter IPIs, the variability among motor units with differing recruitment thresholds was comparable.

  17. A Summary of First Year Activities of the United Arab Emirates Unified Aerosol Experiment: UAE(2)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Reid, Jeffrey S; Piketh, Stuart J; Kahn, Ralph; Bruintjes, Roelof T; Holben, Brent N

    2005-01-01

    In August and September of 2004, scientists from two dozen international research organizations converged in the Arabian Gulf region to participate in the United Arab Emirates Unified Aerosol Experiment (UAE...

  18. Post-Closure Inspection Report for Corrective Action Unit 424: Area 3 Landfill Complexes Tonopah Test Range, Nevada Calendar Year 2001; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    K. B. Campbell

    2002-01-01

    Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 424, the Area 3 Landfill Complexes at Tonopah Test Range, consists of eight Corrective Action Sites (CASs), seven of which are landfill cells that were closed previously by capping. (The eighth CAS, A3-7, was not used as a landfill site and was closed without taking any corrective action.) Figure 1 shows the general location of the landfill cells. Figure 2 shows in more detail the location of the eight landfill cells. CAU 424 closure activities included removing small volumes of soil containing petroleum hydrocarbons, repairing cell covers that were cracked or had subsided, and installing above-grade and at-grade monuments marking the comers of the landfill cells. Post-closure monitoring requirements for CAU 424 are detailed in Section 5.0, Post-Closure Inspection Plan, contained in the Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 424: Area 3 Landfill Complexes, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, report number DOE/NV-283, July 1999. The Closure Report (CR) was approved by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) in July 1999. The CR includes compaction and permeability results of soils that cap the seven landfill cells. As stated in Section 5.0 of the NDEP-approved CR, post-closure monitoring at CAU 424 consists of the following: (1) Site inspections conducted twice a year to evaluate the condition of the unit. (2) Verification that landfill markers and warning signs are in-place, intact, and readable. (3) Notice of any subsidence, erosion, unauthorized use, or deficiencies that may compromise the integrity of the landfill covers. (4) Remedy of any deficiencies within 90 days of discovery. (5) Preparation and submittal of an annual report. Site inspections were conducted on May 16, 2001, and November 6, 2001. The inspections were preformed after the NDEP approval of the CR. This report includes copies of the inspection checklist, photographs, recommendations, and conclusions. The Post-Closure Inspection Checklists are found in

  19. Radiation incidents with a cobalt-60 teletherapy unit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lane, R G; Tolbert, D D; Pailwal, B R; Radtke, R R [Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA). Dept. of Radiology

    1976-08-01

    Three radiation incidents associated with source drive failures on one particular /sup 60/Co teletherapy unit, which took place during a single year's operation, are discussed. In each case the extra treatment time of the patient, the exposure to the technician, the cause of the breakdown and the subsequent action taken are detailed. Recommendations for users of /sup 60/Co teletherapy units to minimise the results of the malfunctioning of such a system are given.

  20. Radiation incidents with a cobalt-60 teletherapy unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lane, R.G.; Tolbert, D.D.; Pailwal, B.R.; Radtke, R.R.

    1976-01-01

    Three radiation incidents associated with source drive failures on one particular 60 Co teletherapy unit, which took place during a single year's operation, are discussed. In each case the extra treatment time of the patient, the exposure to the technician, the cause of the breakdown and the subsequent action taken are detailed. Recommendations for users of 60 Co teletherapy units to minimise the results of the malfunctioning of such a system are given. (U.K.)

  1. LMFBR steam generators in the United Kingdom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, R.; Hayden, O.

    2002-01-01

    Experience has been gained in the UK on the operation of LMFBR Steam Generator Units (SGU) over a period of 20 years from the Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) and the Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR). The DFR steam generator featured a double barrier and therefore did not represent a commercial design. PFR, however, faced the challenge of a single wall design and it is experience from this which is most valuable. The PFR reactor went critical in March 1974 and the plant operating history since then has been dominated by experience with leaks in the tube to tube plate welds of the high performance U-tubes SGU's. Operation at high power using the full complement of three secondary sodium circuits was delayed until July 1976 by the occurrence of leaks in the tube to tube plate welds of the superheater and reheater units which are fabricated in stainless steel. Repairs were carried out to the two superheaters and they were returned to service. The reheater tube bundle was removed from circuit after sodium was found to have entered the steam side. When the sodium had been removed and inspection carried out it was decided not to recover the unit. Since 1976 the remaining five stainless steel units have operated satisfactorily. This year a replacement reheater unit has been installed. This is of a new design in 9-Cr-Mo ferritic steel using a sleeve through which the steam tube passes to eliminate the tube to tube plate weld. Despite a few early leaks in evaporator tube to tube plate welds up to 1979, these failures did not initially present a major problem. However, in 1980 the rate of evaporator weld failures increased and despite the successful application of a shot peening process to eliminate stress corrosion failures from the water side of the weld, failures traced to the sodium side continued. A sleeving process was developed for application to complete evaporator units on a production basis with the objective of bypassing the welds at each end of the 500 tubes. The decision

  2. 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

  3. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults Aged 19 Years or Older - United States, 2018.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, David K; Riley, Laura E; Hunter, Paul

    2018-02-09

    In October 2017, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to approve the Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults Aged 19 Years or Older, United States, 2018. The 2018 adult immunization schedule summarizes ACIP recommendations in two figures and a table of contraindications and precautions for vaccines recommended for adults, and is intended is to assist health care providers in implementing the current ACIP recommendations for vaccinating adults. The schedule can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules.* The full ACIP recommendations for each vaccine are available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/index.html. The 2018 adult immunization schedule has also been approved by the American College of Physicians (https://www.acponline.org), the American Academy of Family Physicians (https://www.aafp.org), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (https://www.acog.org), and the American College of Nurse-Midwives (http://www.midwife.org). The ACIP-recommended use of each vaccine is developed after an in-depth review of vaccine-related data, including data on disease epidemiology, vaccine efficacy and effectiveness, vaccine safety, feasibility of program implementation, and economic aspects of immunization policy (1).

  4. International issues: Obtaining an adult neurology residency position in the United States: an overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, Justin T; Sellner, Johann; Struhal, Walter; Schneider, Logan; Mayans, David

    2014-04-08

    Around the world, there are marked differences in neurology training, including training duration and degree of specialization. In the United States, adult neurology residency is composed of 1 year of internal medicine training (preliminary year) and 3 years of neurology-specific training. Child neurology, which is not the focus of this article, is 2 years of pediatrics and 3 years of neurology training. The route to adult neurology residency training in the United States is standardized and is similar to most other US specialties. Whereas US medical graduates often receive stepwise guidance from their medical school regarding application for residency training, international graduates often enter this complex process with little or no such assistance. Despite this discrepancy, about 10%-15% of residency positions in the United States are filled by international medical graduates.(1,2) In adult neurology specifically, 35% of matched positions were filled by international graduates in 2013, 75% of whom were not US citizens.(1) In an effort to provide a preliminary understanding of the application process and related terminology (table 1) and thereby encourage international residency applicants, we describe the steps necessary to apply for neurology residency in the United States.

  5. Fifty years with nuclear fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Behrens, J.W.; Carlson, A.D.

    1989-01-01

    The news of the discovery of nuclear fission, by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann in Germany, was brought to the United States by Niels Bohr in January 1939. Since its discovery, the United States, and the world for that matter, has never been the same. It therefore seemed appropriate to acknowledge the fifieth anniversary of its discovery by holding a topical meeting entitled, ''Fifty Years with Nuclear Fission,'' in the United States during the year 1989. The objective of the meeting was to bring together pioneers of the nuclear industry and other scientists and engineers to report on reminiscences of the past and on the more recent development in fission science and technology. The conference highlighted the early pioneers of the nuclear industry by dedicated a full day (April 26), consisting of two plenary sessions, at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, DC. More recent developments in fission science and technology in addition to historical reflections were topics for two fully days of sessions (April 27 and 28) at the main site of the NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The wide range of topics covered in this Volume 1 by this topical meeting included plenary invited, and contributed sessions entitled: Preclude to the First Chain Reaction -- 1932 to 1942; Early Fission Research -- Nuclear Structure and Spontaneous Fission; 50 Years of Fission, Science, and Technology; Nuclear Reactors, Secure Energy for the Future; Reactors 1; Fission Science 1; Safeguards and Space Applications; Fission Data; Nuclear Fission -- Its Various Aspects; Theory and Experiments in Support of Theory; Reactors and Safeguards; and General Research, Instrumentation, and By-Product. The individual papers have been cataloged separately

  6. Intelligent ventilation in the intensive care unit | Sviri | Southern ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives. Automated, microprocessor-controlled, closed-loop mechanical ventilation has been used in our Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at the Hadassah Hebrew-University Medical Center for the past 15 years; for 10 years it has been the primary (preferred) ventilator modality. Design and setting. We describe our ...

  7. Early versus late tracheostomy in pediatric intensive care unit: does it matter? A 6-year experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizza, Alessandro; Picconi, Enzo; Piastra, Marco; Genovese, Orazio; Biasucci, Daniele G; Conti, Giorgio

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study is to examine the clinical data of children who underwent tracheostomy during their stay in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), in order to describe the relationship between the timing of tracheostomy, the length of PICU stay and the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This is a retrospective cohort study that collects all patients undergoing tracheostomy during their PICU stay over a six-year period. Data collection included PICU length of stay, days of intubation, days of mechanical ventilation, primary indication for tracheostomy, information about VAP and decannulations. The early tracheostomy group was defined as patients who had ten or fewer days of continuous ventilation, whereas the late tracheostomy group had more than ten days of continuous ventilation. A significant decrease in the rate of VAP incidence was noticed in the early tracheostomy group vs. late group (P=0.004, OR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.18-0.85). No differences were observed about decannulation, need of long-term ventilation and death rate. Significant decreases of days of mechanical ventilation and PICU stay were found in subgroup of patients who underwent early tracheostomy and were decannulated within 18 months. No standard timing for tracheostomy placement has been established in the pediatric population. Early tracheostomy can shorten the days of ventilation and hospitalization in PICU and reduce the incidence of VAP, but further studies are needed to identify patient categories in which it can be of benefit.

  8. Safety of milrinone use in neonatal intensive care units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samiee-Zafarghandy, Samira; Raman, Sudha R; van den Anker, John N; McHutchison, Kerstin; Hornik, Christoph P; Clark, Reese H; Brian Smith, P

    2015-01-01

    Milrinone use in the neonatal intensive care unit has increased over the last 10 years despite a paucity of published safety data in infants. We sought to determine the safety of milrinone therapy among infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. We conducted a retrospective data analysis, identifying all infants who were exposed to milrinone and discharged from 322 neonatal intensive care units managed by the Pediatrix Medical Group from 1997-2010. We identified adverse events (AEs) during milrinone exposure. The unit of observation for clinical AEs was the first course of milrinone and for laboratory AEs it was an infant-day of exposure to milrinone. Overall, 1446 of 716,821 (0.2%) infants received milrinone for a total of 6894 infant-days. The proportion of infants exposed to milrinone increased from 0 in 1997 to 4/1000 infant cases in 2010. Persistent pulmonary hypertension (40%) was the most commonly reported diagnosis at the start of milrinone administration. Overall, 606/1446 (42%) of infants had at least 1 clinical AE recorded during milrinone therapy. Hypotension requiring pressors and thrombocytopenia (milrinone therapy. Among infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit, there was an increase in the use of milrinone over the past 13 years. The safety, dosing, and efficacy of milrinone in infants should be determined in prospective clinical trials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. 7000 years of Emiliania huxleyi viruses in the Black Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coolen, Marco J L

    2011-07-22

    A 7000-year record of Coccolithovirus and its host, the calcifying haptophyte Emiliania huxleyi, was reconstructed on the basis of genetic signatures preserved in sediments underlying the Black Sea. The data show that the same virus and host populations can persist for centuries. Major changes in virus and host populations occurred during early sapropel deposition, ~5600 years ago, and throughout the formation of the coccolith-bearing sediments of Unit I during the past 2500 years, when the Black Sea experienced dramatic changes in hydrologic and nutrient regimes. Unit I saw a reoccurrence of the same host genotype thousands of years later in the presence of a different subset of viruses. Historical plankton virus populations can thus be included in paleoecological and paleoenvironmental studies.

  10. Beverage Consumption Patterns at Age 13 to 17 Years Are Associated with Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index at Age 17 Years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Teresa A; Van Buren, John M; Warren, John J; Cavanaugh, Joseph E; Levy, Steven M

    2017-05-01

    Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have been associated with obesity in children and adults; however, associations between beverage patterns and obesity are not understood. Our aim was to describe beverage patterns during adolescence and associations between adolescent beverage patterns and anthropometric measures at age 17 years. We conducted a cross-sectional analyses of longitudinally collected data. Data from participants in the longitudinal Iowa Fluoride Study having at least one beverage questionnaire completed between ages 13.0 and 14.0 years, having a second questionnaire completed between 16.0 and 17.0 years, and attending clinic examination for weight and height measurements at age 17 years (n=369) were included. Beverages were collapsed into four categories (ie, 100% juice, milk, water and other sugar-free beverages, and SSBs) for the purpose of clustering. Five beverage clusters were identified from standardized age 13 to 17 years mean daily beverage intakes and named by the authors for the dominant beverage: juice, milk, water/sugar-free beverages, neutral, and SSB. Weight, height, and body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m 2 ) at age 17 years were analyzed. We used Ward's method for clustering of beverage variables, one-way analysis of variance and χ 2 tests for bivariable associations, and γ-regression for associations of weight or BMI (outcomes) with beverage clusters and demographic variables. Linear regression was used for associations of height (outcome) with beverage clusters and demographic variables. Participants with family incomes beverage cluster membership. For example, on average, male and female members of the neutral cluster were 4.5 cm (P=0.010) and 4.2 cm (P=0.034) shorter, respectively, than members of the milk cluster. For members of the juice cluster, mean BMI was lower than for members of the milk cluster (by 2.4 units), water/sugar-free beverage cluster (3.5 units), neutral cluster (2.2 units), and SSB cluster (3.2 units) (all

  11. Effect of age on changes in motor units functional connectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arjunan, Sridhar P; Kumar, Dinesh

    2015-08-01

    With age, there is a change in functional connectivity of motor units in muscle. This leads to reduced muscle strength. This study has investigated the effect of age on the changes in the motor unit recruitment by measuring the mutual information between multiple channels of surface electromyogram (sEMG) of biceps brachii muscle. It is hypothesised that with ageing, there is a reduction in number of motor units, which can lead to an increase in the dependency of remaining motor units. This increase can be observed in the mutual information between the multiple channels of the muscle activity. Two channels of sEMG were recorded during the maximum level of isometric contraction. 28 healthy subjects (Young: age range 20-35years and Old: age range - 60-70years) participated in the experiments. The normalized mutual information (NMI), a measure of dependency factor, was computed for the sEMG recordings. Statistical analysis was performed to test the effect of age on NMI. The results show that the NMI among the older cohort was significantly higher when compared with the young adults.

  12. Trends in Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections in a Burn Intensive Care Unit: an Eight-Year Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zorgani, A.; Franka, R.A.; Zaidi, M.M.; Alshweref, U.M.; Elgmati, M.

    2010-01-01

    Summary This study was designed to evaluate the frequency and profile of bloodstream infection (BSI) in a burn intensive care unit (BICU) in Tripoli, Libya, from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2007 and to determine the prevalence of different bacteria involved in such infections and their antimicrobial susceptibilities. During the eight-year study period, 995 patients were admitted to the BICU. Blood cultures were collected from each septicaemic case and reviewed for age, sex, total body surface area burned, isolated micro-organisms, and antibiotic sensitivity. There were 430 episodes of BSI among 830 cases; the annual true positive rate varied between 40.0 and 59.4%, the majority (87.9%) being caused by one species only. However, 22% had two or more episodes with different pathogens during hospitalization. The leading isolate was Staphylococcus aureus (40.4%) (methicillinresistant, 55.7%). Pseudomonas spp ranked second (23.9%). Klebsiella spp were third, responsible for 7.4%; the rate of extended spectrum beta lactamase among Klebsiella isolates was 47%. Candida spp were the fourth most common pathogen (6.7%), the majority (55%) being C. albicans. Staphylococci were generally resistant to trimethoprim (91%) and fusidic acid (80%). Pseudomonas spp proved moderately resistant (38-43%) to tobramicin, ciprofloxacin, amikacin, and impenem but remained relatively susceptible to cefepime (72%). Klebsiella isolates demonstrated moderate resistance (46-58%) to most agents tested, and relatively low resistance (19-27%) to meropenem, impenem, and cefepime. We suggest that extra infection control measures should be implemented and antibiotic policy and guidelines introduced to reduce the high resistance rate among isolates such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and MRSA. PMID:21991204

  13. A randomized controlled clinical trial of 3-unit posterior zirconia-ceramic fixed dental prostheses (FDP) with layered or pressed veneering ceramics: 3-year results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naenni, Nadja; Bindl, Andreas; Sax, Caroline; Hämmerle, Christoph; Sailer, Irena

    2015-11-01

    The aim of the present pilot study was to test whether or not posterior zirconia-ceramic fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) with pressed veneering ceramic exhibit less chipping than FDPs with layered veneering ceramics. Forty patients (13 female, 27 male; mean age 54 years (range 26.1-80.7 years) in need of one maxillary or mandibular three-unit FDP in the second premolar or molar region were recruited and treated at two separate centers at the University of Zurich according to the same study protocol. The frameworks were made out of zirconia using a CAD/CAM system (Cerec Sirona, Bensheim, Germany). The patients were randomly assigned to either the test group (zirconia frameworks veneered with pressed ceramic; IPS e.max ZirPress, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein; n=20) or the control group (layered veneering ceramic; IPS e.max Ceram, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein; n=20). All FDPs were adhesively cemented and evaluated at baseline (i.e., cementation), at 6 months and at 1 and 3 years of clinical service. The survival of the reconstruction was recorded. The technical outcome was assessed using modified United States Public Health Services (USPHS) criteria. The biologic parameters analyzed at abutment teeth and analogous non-restored teeth included probing pocket depth (PPD), plaque control record (PCR), bleeding on probing (BOP), and tooth vitality (CO2). Data was descriptively analyzed and survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier statistics. 36 patients (25 female, 11 male; mean age 52.3 years) with 18 test and 18 control FDPs were examined after a mean follow-up of 36 months (95% CI: 32.6-39.1 months). Comparison of groups was done by Crosstabulation showing even distribution of the respective restored teeth amidst the groups. Survival rate was 100% for both test and control FDPs. Chipping of the veneering ceramic tended to occur more frequently in test (n=8; 40%) than in control (n=4; 20%) FDPs, albeit not significantly (p=0.3). No further

  14. Nations United: The United Nations, the United States, and the Global Campaign Against Terrorism. A Curriculum Unit & Video for Secondary Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houlihan, Christina; McLeod, Shannon

    This curriculum unit and 1-hour videotape are designed to help students understand the purpose and functions of the United Nations (UN) and explore the relationship between the United Nations and the United States. The UN's role in the global counterterrorism campaign serves as a case study for the unit. The students are asked to develop a basic…

  15. Outcome of older persons admitted to intensive care unit, mortality, prognosis factors, dependency scores and ability trajectory within 1 year: a prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Level, Claude; Tellier, Eric; Dezou, Patrick; Chaoui, Karim; Kherchache, Aissa; Sejourné, Philippe; Rullion-Pac Soo, Anne Marie

    2017-12-06

    The outcome and functional trajectory of older persons admitted to intensive care (ICU) unit remain a true question for critical care physicians and geriatricians, due to the heterogeneity of geriatric population, heterogeneity of practices and absence of guidelines. To describe the 1-year outcome, prognosis factors and functional trajectory for older people admitted to ICU. In a prospective 1-year cohort study, all patients aged 75 years and over admitted to our ICU were included according to a global comprehensive geriatric assessment. Follow-up was conducted for 1 year survivors, in particular, ability scores and living conditions. Of 188 patients included [aged 82.3 ± 4.7 years, 46% of admissions, median SAPS II 53.5 (43-74), ADL of Katz's score 4.2 ± 1.6, median Barthel's index 71 (55-90), AGGIR scale 4.5 ± 1.5], the ICU, hospital and 1-year mortality were, respectively, 34, 42.5 and 65.5%. Prognosis factors were: SAPS 2, mechanical ventilation, comorbidity (Lee's and Mc Cabe's scores), disability scores (ADL of Katz's score, Barthel's index and AGGIR scale), admission creatinin, hypoalbuminemia, malignant haemopathy, cognitive impairment. One-year survivors lived in their own home for 83%, with a preserved physical ability, without significant variation of the three ability assessed scores compared to prior ICU admission. The mortality of older people admitted to ICU is high, with a significant impact of disabilty scores, and preserved 1-year survivor independency. Other studies, including a better comprehensive geriatric assessment, seem necessary to determine a predictive "phenotype" of survival with a "satisfactory" level of autonomy.

  16. License renewal in the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brons, Jack

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Nuclear plants in the United States are licensed for 40 years, a length specified in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which laid out much of the regulatory basis for the commercial nuclear industry. The Act, however, made provision for license renewal. The original 40-year license period was chosen arbitrarily by the U.S. Congress because it was the typical period over which utilities recovered their investment in electricity generating plants. Nuclear plants, however, are subject to a rigorous program of Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversight, maintenance and equipment replacement. In effect, they must be in the same operating condition on the last day of their licenses as they were on the first. As the industry matured, it became apparent that there was no physical limitation on the continued operation of nuclear plants past 40 years. The industry turned its attention toward license renewal. When the issue was first raised, the NRC considered stringent process equivalent to seeking a new operating license for each plant. The complexity, length and cost of the process made it unlikely that many nuclear plants would seek license renewal. The nuclear industry worked successfully with NRC on the application of generic principles to license renewal, however, and in 1995, the NRC issued an efficient, tightly-focused rule that made license renewal a safe, viable option. To extend the operating license for a reactor, a company must demonstrate to the NRC that aging effects will be adequately managed during the renewal terms, thus ensuring equipment functionality. The rule allows licensees to apply for extensions of up to 20 years. The first license renewal application was filed in 1998 by the owner of the two-unit Calvert Cliffs plant. Shortly thereafter, an application was filed for the three-unit Oconee Nuclear Station. The NRC renewed the licenses for all five units in 2000, and since then, five more licenses have been renewed. The NRC has received 37

  17. 31 CFR 515.321 - United States; continental United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false United States; continental United... General Definitions § 515.321 United States; continental United States. The term United States means the United States and all areas under the jurisdiction or authority thereof, including the Trust Territory of...

  18. 31 CFR 500.321 - United States; continental United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false United States; continental United... General Definitions § 500.321 United States; continental United States. The term United States means the United States and all areas under the jurisdiction or authority thereof, including U.S. trust territories...

  19. 31 CFR 535.321 - United States; continental United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false United States; continental United... General Definitions § 535.321 United States; continental United States. The term United States means the United States and all areas under the jurisdiction or authority thereof including the Trust Territory of...

  20. A review from the regulatory position of the control of occupational exposure associated with the first 20 years of the United Kingdom commercial nuclear power programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emmerson, B.W.

    1980-01-01

    The control of occupational exposure received at commercial nuclear generating plants in the United Kingdom has been subject to regulatory requirements embodied in site licence conditions since 1959, and at commercial fuel production and reprocessing plants since 1971. The paper indicates the main radiological control objectives which have applied, reviews the statutory measures introduced for their achievement and indicates some of the administrative arrangements made by site operators in order to comply. The principal sources of occupational exposure associated with each stage of the fuel cycle are identified and exposure data since licensed operations commenced are reviewed. The effectiveness of the United Kingdom site licensing procedure in ensuring adequate radiological control procedures, including the minimisation of occupational exposure, is examined in relation to the relevant ICRP recommendations and against the background of the first 20 years of commercial nuclear power production. The impact on these procedures of more recently introduced legislation relating to health and safety at all places of employment in the United Kingdom is discussed. The paper considers the changes in current regulatory procedures that may result from the introduction of ICRP-26 and the recommendations of ICRP Committee 2, and concludes with a review of the more important problems facing the licensee and the Nuclear Inspectorate with regard to the implementation of future radiological control procedures. (H.K.)

  1. Sociocultural dimensions of supply and demand for natural aggregate; examples from the Mid-Atlantic region, United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Gilpin R.; Brown, William M.

    2002-01-01

    The United States uses large quantities of natural aggregate to build and maintain a continuously expanding infrastructure. In recent years, per capita demand for aggregate in the United States has grown to about 9.7 metric tons (10.7 tons) per person per year. Over the next 25 years, the aggregate industry expects to mine quantities equivalent to all aggregate mined in the United States over the past 100 years. The issues surrounding supply and demand for aggregate in the mid-Atlantic states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia illustrate competing requirements for industrial minerals and many simultaneous social and environmental objectives.

  2. Utilisation and outcomes following the introduction of an interventional radiology day unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makris, G.C.; Shaida, N.; Pyneeandee, R.; Shaw, A.; See, T.C.

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To assess the utilisation of an interventional radiology day unit (RDU), the rates of on-time discharges, the financial performance of the unit, and finally, the patient satisfaction rates. Materials and methods: Data regarding the unit utilisation, discharge times, and complications were retrospectively collected for the first 2 years of operation of the unit (1 April 2013 to 1 January 2015). In addition, monitoring the activity going through the RDU and applying a contribution margin to the freed-up beds measured the financial performance. The data were provided by the finance department of the hospital. Satisfaction survey questionnaires were sent randomly by post to 100 patients who had been previously admitted to the RDU. Results: During the study period, 3019 patients were admitted to the RDU, comprising 1426 during the first year and 1513 during the second. On average, 5.6 patients were discharged from the RDU on every working day during the first year and 7.1 patients during the second (21% increase in the discharge rate). Given the 8-hour working time configuration of the unit, a realistic 80% utilisation rate of the RDU's seven beds could free a total of 1400 inpatient bed days over a full year. The cost of delivering these episodes of care was reduced by approximately 50%. From the financial data, it was estimated that the RDU managed to achieve a total of £393,000 in savings for the Trust for the financial year 2013–2014. The return rate of the patient satisfaction survey was 40%. All patients were satisfied with their overall RDU experience. Conclusion: The RDU has brought significant benefits for patients and the Trust without compromises in safety or quality. - Highlights: • Radiology Day units can improve workflow through improved efficiency. • RDUs can decrease the treatment-related costs mainly by reducing the need for unnecessary overnight hospitalisation. • They appear to be welcome by the patients with excellent feedback so far.

  3. The effect of an acidic cleanser versus soap on the skin pH and micro-flora of adult patients: a non-randomised two group crossover study in an intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, Christine N; Riley, Thomas V; Carson, Kerry C; Budgeon, Charley A; Siffleet, Joanne

    2013-10-01

    To test the effects of two different cleansing regimens on skin surface pH and micro-flora, in adult patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Forty-three patients were recruited from a 23-bed tertiary medical/surgical ICU. The nineteen patients in Group One were washed using soap for daily hygiene care over a four week period. In Group 2, 24 patients were washing daily using an acidic liquid cleanser (pH 5.5) over a second four week period. Skin pH measurements and bacterial swabs were sampled daily from each for a maximum of ten days or until discharged from the ICU. Skin surface pH and quantitative skin cultures (colony forming units). Skin pH measurements were lower in patients washed with pH 5.5 cleanser than those washed with soap. This was statistically significant for both the forearm (p = 0.0068) and leg (p = 0.0015). The bacterial count was not statistically significantly different between the two groups. Both groups demonstrated that bacterial counts were significantly affected by the length of stay in ICU (p = 0.0032). This study demonstrated that the product used in routine skin care significantly affects the skin pH of ICU patients, but not the bacterial colonisation. Bacterial colonisation of the skin increases with length of stay. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. 10 CFR 9.45 - Annual report to the Attorney General of the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Annual report to the Attorney General of the United States... Regulations § 9.45 Annual report to the Attorney General of the United States. (a) On or before February 1 of each year, the NRC will submit a report covering the preceding fiscal year to the Attorney General of...

  5. QuickStats: Birth Rates Among Teens Aged 15-19 Years, by Race/Hispanic Ethnicity* - National Vital Statistics System, United States,(†) 2007 and 2015(§).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-08-19

    From 2007 to 2015, the birth rate for female teens aged 15-19 years declined 46%, from 41.5 to 22.3 births per 1,000, the lowest rate ever recorded for this population in the United States. In 2015, rates declined to record lows for all racial/ethnic populations, with declines ranging from 41% for non-Hispanic white teens to 54% for Hispanic teens. Despite the declines, teen birth rates by race/Hispanic ethnicity continued to reflect wide disparities, with rates ranging from 6.9 per 1,000 for Asian or Pacific Islander teens to 34.9 for Hispanic teens in 2015.

  6. 77 FR 16591 - Implementation of the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty Between the United States and the United...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-21

    ... the amount of $25,000,000 or more, or for defense articles and defense services sold under a contract... Australia will be published later in the year once that treaty enters into force. Additionally, the... Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty between the United States and Australia, and to identify, via a...

  7. Kozloduy NPP - its 20 years operational experience; AEhS `Kozloduy`: 20-letni opyt ehksploatatsii

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yankov, M; Grizanov, I; Sabinov, S [Kombinat Atomna Energetika, Kozloduj (Bulgaria)

    1996-12-31

    The main technical and economic results of 20 year operation of the Kozloduy NPP are summarised. The total electricity produced amounts to more than 200 billions KWh. The energy produced by the plant accounts for more than 40% of the national electricity output since 1993. Details of electricity production in different years by all 6 units are given. The efficiency of units 1-4 (WWER-440) is 29-30% and of units 5-6 (WWER-1000) is 29-33%. The Unit 6 has best characteristics. Since 1989 a safety test is being carried out in cooperation with the IAEA. Units 1 and 2 have been reconstructed in order to enhance safety and reliability. 1 tab.

  8. Plutonium fuel and nuclear power - reflections after 21 years. [United Kingdom

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grainger, L [Branon PLC (UK)

    1983-02-01

    A review of the last 20 years of nuclear power development is presented in celebration of the 21st birthday of the British Nuclear Energy Society's journal. It examines the changes since the author's 1962 paper, 'Plutonium fuel and nuclear power'.

  9. United States Department of Defense: Agency Financial Report Fiscal Year 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    associated environmental costs using two methods: physical capacity for operating landfills and life expectancy in years for all other assets. The...construction, and rehabilitation projects on inland waterways. The BFS manages and invests for the Trust Fund. Defense Commissary Agency Surcharge

  10. The Society for Radiological Protection - 40 years on from 1963

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunster, H John

    2003-01-01

    The Society for Radiological Protection was created in 1963 at a time when the structure of radiological protection in the United Kingdom was already well established. From its creation 40 years ago to the present, most of the features of British radiological protection stem from the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. This review of the development of radiological protection has been produced to celebrate the 40 years of the Society's support of radiological protection, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. (review)

  11. Effects of unit-based garbage pricing : A differences-in-differences approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Allers, Maarten A.; Hoeben, Corine

    Using a unique 10-year dataset of all 458 Dutch municipalities, we apply a differences-in-differences approach to estimate the effect of unit-based pricing on household waste quantities and recycling. Community-level studies of unit-based pricing typically do not include fixed effects at the local

  12. The use of performance improvement methods to enhance emergency department patient satisfaction in the United States: a critical review of the literature and suggestions for future research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boudreaux, Edwin D; Cruz, Brian L; Baumann, Brigitte M

    2006-07-01

    The authors reviewed the evidence on performance improvement methods for increasing emergency department (ED) patient satisfaction to provide evidence-based suggestions for clinical practice. Data sources consisted of searches through MEDLINE, CINAHL, PSYCHINFO, Cochrane Library, and Emergency Medicine Abstracts and a manual search of references. Articles were included if they reported a performance improvement intervention targeting patient satisfaction in the ED setting. Articles on studies not conducted in the United States or that failed to provide enough details to allow critical evaluation of the study were excluded. Two authors used structured evaluation criteria to independently review each retained study. Nineteen articles met all selection criteria. Three studies found varying levels of support for multicomponent interventions, predominantly focused on implementation of clinical practice guidelines for specific presenting complaints and process redesign. Sixteen studies evaluated single-component interventions, with the following having at least one supportive study: using alternating patient assignment to provider teams rather than "zone"-based assignment, enhancing provider communication and customer service skills, incorporating information delivery interventions (e.g., pamphlets, video) that target patient expectations, using preformatted charts, and establishing ED-based observation units for specific conditions such as asthma and chest pain. There is modest evidence supporting a range of performance improvement interventions for improving ED patient satisfaction. Further work is needed before specific, evidence-based recommendations can be made regarding which process changes are most effective. Recommendations are made for improving the quality of performance improvement efforts in the ED setting.

  13. United Arab Emirates students at CERN

    CERN Multimedia

    2004-01-01

    During the last two months, CERN played host to more than a hundred young physicists who attended the summer student programme. However, the difference in culture has been more pronounced for some than others: among this year's attendees have been five female theoretical physics and medical physics students from the United Arab Emirates.

  14. Year in review 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richman, J.

    1995-01-01

    The past year saw a basic restructuring and reorganization of operations at AECL and at the CNA. Ontario Hydro saw a record electricity export sales. The CANDU units continue to rank among the world leaders in lifetime reliability. The sale of two CANDU 6 reactors to China is under negotiation after the signing of a bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between China and Canada. 1 tab., 2 figs

  15. Short and long-term career plans of final year dental students in the United Arab Emirates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashid, Hazim H; Ghotane, Swapnil G; Abufanas, Salem H; Gallagher, Jennifer E

    2013-08-13

    New dental schools have been established to train dentists in many parts of the world. This study examines the future dental workforce from the first dental school in the United Arab Emirates [UAE]; the aim of this study was to explore the short and long-term career aspirations of the final year dental students in the UAE in relation to their demography. Final year dental students of the Ajman University's College of Dentistry (n=87) were invited to participate in a self-completion questionnaire survey. Descriptive analysis, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression analysis were carried out on career aspirations using SPSS v20. Eighty-two percent of students (n=71) responded, the majority of whom were female (65%; n=46). Ethnicity was reported as: 'other Arab' (61%; n=43), 'Emirati' (17%, n=12), and 'Other' (21%, n=15). In the short-term, 41% (n=29) expressed a desire to work in government training centres, with Emirati students significantly more likely to do so (p=0.002). 'Financial stability' (80%; n=57) and 'gaining professional experience' (76%; n=54) emerged as the most important influences on their short-term career plans. The vast majority of students wished to specialise in dentistry (92%; n=65) in the longer term; logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of specialising in the most popular specialties of Orthodontics and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were less for the 'Other' ethnic group when compared with 'Emirati' students (0.26; 95% CI 0.068-0.989; p=0.04). Almost three-quarters of the students overall (72%; n=51) intended to work full-time. 'High income/financial security' (97%; n=69), 'standard of living' (97%; n=69), 'work/life balance' (94%; n=67), and 'professional fulfilment' (87%; n=62) were reported by the students as the most influential items affecting their long-term professional career choices. The findings suggest that students aspire to make a long-term contribution to the profession and there is a high level of

  16. Two-year outcome of normal-birth-weight infants admitted to a Singapore neonatal intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lian, W B; Yeo, C L; Ho, L Y

    2002-03-01

    To describe the characteristics, the immediate and short-term outcome and predictors of mortality in normal-birth-weight (NBW) infants admitted to a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Singapore. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 137 consecutive NBW infants admitted to the NICU of the Singapore General Hospital from January 1991 to December 1992. Data on the diagnoses, clinical presentation of illness, intervention received, complications and outcome as well as follow-up patterns for the first 2 years of life, were collected and analysed. NBW NICU infants comprised 1.8% of births in our hospital and 40.8% of all NICU admissions. The main reasons for NICU admissions were respiratory disorders (61.3%), congenital anomalies (15.3%) and asphyxia neonatorum (11.7%). Respiratory support was necessary in 81.8%. Among those ventilated, the only predictive factor contributing to mortality was the mean inspired oxygen concentration. The mortality rate was 11.7%. Causes of death included congenital anomalies (43.75%), asphyxia neonatorum (31.25%) and pulmonary failure secondary to meconium aspiration syndrome (12.5%). The median hospital stay among survivors (88.3%) was 11.0 (range, 4 to 70) days. Of 42 patients (out of 117 survivors) who received follow-up for at least 6 months, 39 infants did not have evidence of any major neurodevelopmental abnormalities at their last follow-up visit, prior to or at 2 years of age. Despite their short hospital stay (compared to very-low-birth-weight infants), the high volume of NBW admissions make the care of this population an important area for review to enhance advances in and hence, reduce the cost of NICU care. With improved antenatal diagnostic techniques (allowing earlier and more accurate diagnosis of congenital malformations) and better antenatal and perinatal care (allowing better management of at-risk pregnancies), it is anticipated that there should be a reduction in such admissions with better

  17. Estimating annualized earthquake losses for the conterminous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaiswal, Kishor S.; Bausch, Douglas; Chen, Rui; Bouabid, Jawhar; Seligson, Hope

    2015-01-01

    We make use of the most recent National Seismic Hazard Maps (the years 2008 and 2014 cycles), updated census data on population, and economic exposure estimates of general building stock to quantify annualized earthquake loss (AEL) for the conterminous United States. The AEL analyses were performed using the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Hazus software, which facilitated a systematic comparison of the influence of the 2014 National Seismic Hazard Maps in terms of annualized loss estimates in different parts of the country. The losses from an individual earthquake could easily exceed many tens of billions of dollars, and the long-term averaged value of losses from all earthquakes within the conterminous U.S. has been estimated to be a few billion dollars per year. This study estimated nationwide losses to be approximately $4.5 billion per year (in 2012$), roughly 80% of which can be attributed to the States of California, Oregon and Washington. We document the change in estimated AELs arising solely from the change in the assumed hazard map. The change from the 2008 map to the 2014 map results in a 10 to 20% reduction in AELs for the highly seismic States of the Western United States, whereas the reduction is even more significant for Central and Eastern United States.

  18. Upwind impacts of ammonia from an intensive poultry unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, L.; Nizam, M.S.; Reynolds, B.; Bareham, S.; Oxley, E.R.B.

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated potential ammonia impacts on a sand dune nature reserve 600 m upwind of an intensive poultry unit. Ammonia concentrations and total nitrogen deposition were measured over a calendar year. A series of ammonia and nitrogen exposure experiments using dune grassland species were conducted in controlled manipulations and in the field. Ammonia emissions from the intensive poultry unit were detected up to 2.8 km upwind, contributing to exceedance of critical levels of ammonia 800 m upwind and exceedance of critical loads of nitrogen 2.8 km upwind. Emissions contributed 30% of the total N load in parts of the upwind conservation site. In the nitrogen exposure experiments, plants showed elevated tissue nitrogen contents, and responded to ammonia concentrations and nitrogen deposition loads observed in the conservation site by increasing biomass. Estimated long-term impacts suggest an increase in the soil carbon pool of 9% over a 50-year timescale. -- Highlights: •Ammonia from a poultry unit can be detected 2.8 km upwind. •Ammonia caused exceedance of critical levels 800 m and critical loads 2.8 km upwind. •Dune grassland species utilised ammonia as a nutrient source. •Plant biomass increased at low levels of ammonia and total nitrogen deposition. •Soil C pools are predicted to increase by 9% over 50 years due to the excess ammonia. -- Ammonia from a poultry unit has upwind impacts, exceeding critical levels 800 m and critical loads 2.8 km upwind, and increasing biomass and tissue N of dune grassland species

  19. Precipitation Frequency Atlas of the Western United States

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Precipitation Frequency of the Western United States publication is an eleven volume set held in the archives. It was the culmination of many years of...

  20. Cost-Benefit Analysis of Telemedicine Systems/Units in Greek Remote Areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kouskoukis, Marios-Nikolaos; Botsaris, Charalambos

    2017-06-01

    Telemedicine units and information technology systems provide special healthcare services to remote populations using telecommunication technology, in order to reduce or even remove the usual and typical face-to-face contact between doctor and patient. This innovative approach to medical care delivery has been expanding for several years and currently covers various medical specialties. To facilitate installation of telemedicine systems/units in Greek remote areas, this article presents results of a cost-benefit analysis for two Greek islands, Patmos and Leros, using specific economic criteria. Net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period were calculated, in order to monetize the economic benefits and the costs savings, estimate the depreciation of each project, and highlight the social benefits. Costs were reduced (through saved air medical transportations) by €19,005 for Patmos and €78,225 for Leros each year. NPV and IRR were positive; NPV was €29,608 for Patmos and €293,245 for Leros, and IRR was 21.5% for Patmos and 140.5% for Leros. Each project depreciated faster than the 5-year life-cycle period, and specifically in 3.13 years for Patmos and in 0.70 years for Leros. The establishment of telemedicine systems/units in Patmos and Leros was evaluated and assessed positively, with large savings, economical and social, gained by reducing or even removing the face-to-face contact between doctor and patient. Telemedicine systems/units seem to be a promising solution, especially in Greece, where the problem of primary healthcare services in remote/inaccessible areas is of great concern.

  1. LECTURES ON ACUPUNCTURE—PartⅠ Clinical Acupuncture Lecture Nineteen INSOMNIA

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    XuLi; MengHong; WangShaorong; WangWei

    2000-01-01

    Insomnia refers to a disorder in which patient can not have normal or enough sleep. Clinically, it has different manifestations. In mild cases, it is manifested as difficulty in getting to sleep, easy to wake up and unable to sleep againafter waking. In severe cases, it is manifested as sleeplessness during the whole night.

  2. Seasonal variation, spatial distribution and source apportionment for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at nineteen communities in Xi'an, China: The effects of suburban scattered emissions in winter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jingzhi; Cao, Junji; Dong, Zhibao; Guinot, Benjamin; Gao, Meiling; Huang, Rujin; Han, Yongming; Huang, Yu

    2017-01-01

    Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of PM 2.5 bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated at urban residential, commercial area, university, suburban region, and industry in Xi'an, during summer and winter time at 2013. Much higher levels of total PAHs were obtained in winter. Spatial distributions by kriging interpolations principle showed that relative high PAHs were detected in western Xi'an in both summer and winter, with decreasing trends in winter from the old city wall to the 2 nd -3rd ring road except for the suburban region and industry. Coefficients of diversity and statistics by SPSS method demonstrated that PAHs in suburban have significant differences (t < 0.05) with those in urban residential in both seasons. The positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modeling indicated that biomass burning (31.1%) and vehicle emissions (35.9%) were main sources for PAHs in winter and summer in urban, which different with the suburban. The coal combustion was the main source for PAHs in suburban region, which accounted for 46.6% in winter and sharp decreased to 19.2% in summer. Scattered emissions from uncontrolled coal combustion represent an important source of PAHs in suburban in winter and there were about 135 persons in Xi'an will suffer from lung cancer for lifetime exposure at winter levels. Further studies are needed to specify the effluence of the scattered emission in suburban to the city and to develop a strategy for controlling those emissions and lighten possible health effects. - Highlights: • PM 2.5 bound PAHs were investigated in nineteen communities of Xi'an at 2013. • High amount of uncontrolled coal combustion were happened in suburban at winter. • About 135 persons in Xi'an will suffer from lung cancer for exposure at winter. - The high contribution of coal combustion for PAHs in suburban region demonstrated the high amount of scattered emissions in winter.

  3. Norms on unitizations of Banach algebras revisited

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Arhippainen, J.; Müller, Vladimír

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 114, č. 2 (2007), s. 201-204 ISSN 0236-5294 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/03/0041 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : regular norm * unitization Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.366, year: 2007

  4. Radiation doses in head CT examinations in Serbia: comparison among different CT units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arandjic, D.; Ciraj-Bjelac, O.; Bozovic, P.; Stankovic, J.; Hadnadjev, D.; Stojanovic, S.

    2012-01-01

    A rapid increase in number of Computed Tomography (CT) examinations has been observed world wide. As haed CT is the most frequent CT examination, the purpose of this study was to collect and analyse patient doses in children and adults in different CT units for this procedure. The study included 8 CT units from three manufacturers (Siemens, Toshiba and General Electric). Data for adults and pediatric patients were collected in terms of CTDIvol and DLP values. The doses were estimated as a mean value of 10 patients on each CT unit. For pediatrics, doses were collected for four age groups (0-1year, >1-5years, >5-10years and >10-15years). Comparing different manufacturers and the same number of detector rows it was observed that, in case of 16 slices units, doses were very similar on Siemens and General Electric scanner. CTDIvol and DLP on Siemens scanner were 60 mGy and 1066 mGy·cm, respectively, while on General Electric those values were 66 mGy and 1050 mGy·cm. However, this trend was not observed in case of 64 slices units. CTDIvol and DLP values collected on Toshiba were much higher (177 mGy and 2109 mGy·cm) than in case of Siemens scanner (59 mGy and 1060 mGy·cm). Doses on 16 and 64 slices Siemens scanners were very similar, while on 4 slices were higher. Except in two units, doses were were in line with DRLs. In case of pediatrics, doses increase with patient age and again Siemens scanner showed the lowest values while the highest were observed on Toshiba. (authors)

  5. Longitudinal survey of public opinion toward nuclear power generation. The result of a survey conducted one year after the Mihama Unit 3 accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitada, Atsuko

    2006-01-01

    As part of an ongoing public opinion survey, regarding nuclear power generation, which started in 1993, a survey was carried out in the Kansai area in 2005, one year and two months after the accident at Unit 3 of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant. It was found that people's memory about the accident decreased drastically. All questionnaire items that indicated a negative change two months after the accident returned to pre-accident levels. It was confirmed that the accident had only a temporary influence on public opinions. Moreover, the study also revealed a decrease in the public distrust of unclear power. It seems that people's evaluation of and attitude toward nuclear power generation have become slightly more positive since 2002. (author)

  6. The United Nations disarmament yearbook. V. 19: 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook contains a review of the main developments and negotiations in the field of disarmament taking place each year, together with a brief history of the major issues. The series began with the 1976 edition. The Yearbook makes no claim to present fully the views of Member States of the Organization. For further information on the official positions of States, readers should consult the Official Records of the General Assembly and other sources. General Assembly resolutions and decisions are quoted in The Yearbook in the form in which they were adopted by the General Assembly. For the edited texts of these documents for 1994, readers should consult the Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 49 (A/49/49). For an overview of the work of the United Nations in the field of disarmament, one should consult The United Nations and Disarmament: A short History (UN, 1988). A more detailed account is included in The United Nations and Disarmament: 1945-1970; United Nations and Disarmament: 1970-1975, and previous volumes of The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook

  7. One-stage release of congenital constriction band in lower limb from new born to 3 years

    OpenAIRE

    Das, Sakti Prasad; Sahoo, PK; Mohanty, RN; Das, SK

    2010-01-01

    Background: Congenital constriction band is the most common cause of terminal congenital malformation of a limb and lymphoedema. Superficial bands do not need any treatment, but deeper bands are managed with excision and Z-plasty. The circumferential bands are released in two to three stages to prevent vascular compromise. The purpose of this study was to present the outcome of one-stage release. Materials and Methods: Nineteen children, 12 boys and 7 girls, with 24 congenital constriction...

  8. WPPSS, now in technical default, moves to mothball nuclear unit 3 amidst opposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Utroska, D.

    1983-01-01

    Involved in a number of lawsuits and court challenges, the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS) executive board voted in late May to suspend construction on nuclear unit 3 (underwritten by Bonneville Power Administration) unless additional funding were obtained. (Unit 1 previously was mothballed, and units 4 and 5 are canceled.) WPPSS also failed to pay its $15.6 million May bill to the bond trustee of units 4 and 5. With this monthly amount, the trustee aggregates funds to pay investor's interest of $93.6 million twice a year. Some of the 88 public power participants oppose paying the bond interest of $93.6 million twice a year. Some of the 88 public power participants oppose paying the bond interest and have gone to court. The trustee has been restrained from declaring WPPSS in default. The future of the units will be affected by the Washington Supreme Court decision on the contracts between public utility participants and WPPSS

  9. Columbine High: Five Years Later

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurst, Marianne D.

    2004-01-01

    A few weeks before the fifth anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings on April 20, 1999, Principal Frank DeAngelis reflects on how his school has changed over the past five years. Much like the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States, "Columbine" carries a chilling meaning that resonates across the…

  10. The Gaseous State. Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). Unit P1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inner London Education Authority (England).

    This unit on the gaseous state is one of 10 first year units produced by the Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). The unit consists of two levels. Level one deals with the distinctive characteristics of gases, then considers the gas laws, in particular the ideal gas equation and its applications. Level two concentrates on…

  11. Equilibrium I: Principles. Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). Unit P2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inner London Education Authority (England).

    This unit on the principles of equilibrium is one of 10 first year units produced by the Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). The unit consists of two levels. After a treatment of non-mathematical aspects in level one (the idea of a reversible reaction, characteristics of an equilibrium state, the Le Chatelier's principle),…

  12. Surface-Water Data, Georgia, Water Year 1999

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhadeff, S. Jack; Landers, Mark N.; McCallum, Brian E.

    1999-01-01

    Water resources data for the 1999 water year for Georgia consists of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; and the stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs published in one volume in a digital format on a CD-ROM. This volume contains discharge records of 121 gaging stations; stage for 13 gaging stations; stage and contents for 18 lakes and reservoirs; continuous water quality records for 10 stations; and the annual peak stage and annual peak discharge for 75 crest-stage partial-record stations. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Georgia. Records of discharge and stage of streams, and contents or stage of lakes and reservoirs were first published in a series of U.S. Geological water-supply papers entitled, 'Surface-Water Supply of the United States.' Through September 30, 1960, these water-supply papers were in an annual series and then in a 5-year series for 1961-65 and 1966-70. Records of chemical quality, water temperature, and suspended sediment were published from 1941 to 1970 in an annual series of water-supply papers entitled, 'Quality of Surface Waters of the United States.' Records of ground-water levels were published from 1935 to 1974 in a series of water-supply papers entitled, 'Ground-Water Levels in the United States.' Water-supply papers may be consulted in the libraries of the principal cities in the United States or may be purchased from the U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Information Services, Federal Center, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225. For water years 1961 through 1970, streamflow data were released by the U.S. Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis prior to the two 5-year series water-supply papers, which cover this period. The data contained in the water-supply papers are considered the official record. Water-quality records for water years 1964 through 1970 were similarly released

  13. Age-related motor unit remodeling in the Tibialis Anterior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siddiqi, Ariba; Kumar, Dinesh; Arjunan, Sridhar

    2015-01-01

    Limited studies exist on the use of surface electromyogram (EMG) signal features to detect age-related motor unit remodeling in the Tibialis Anterior. Motor unit remodeling leads to declined muscle strength and force steadiness during submaximal contractions which are factors for risk of falls in the elderly. This study investigated the remodeling phenomena in the Tibialis Anterior using sample entropy and higher order statistics. Eighteen young (26.1 ± 2.9 years) and twelve elderly (68.7 ± 9.0 years) participants performed isometric dorsiflexion of the ankle at 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and their Tibialis Anterior (TA) EMG was recorded. Sample entropy, Gaussianity and Linearity Test statistics were calculated from the recorded EMG for each MVC. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine normality, and either a two-tail student t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test was performed to determine significant difference in the EMG features between the young and old cohorts. Results show age-related motor unit remodeling to be depicted by decreased sample entropy (p <; 0.1), increased non-Gaussianity (p <; 0.05) and lesser degree of linearity in the elderly. This is due to the increased sparsity of the MUAPs as a result of the denervation-reinnervation process, and the decrease in total number of motor units.

  14. Adoption experiences of women and men and demand for children to adopt by women 18-44 years of age in the United States, 2002.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Jo

    2008-08-01

    This report presents national estimates of the prevalence of adoption for men and women 18-44 years of age, the demand for children to adopt by women, and women's preferences for characteristics of the adopted child. Analysis is based on data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. This survey interviewed a nationally representative sample of women and men 15-44 years of age in their households. Results are weighted to produce national estimates of the characteristics of men and women who have adopted children, lifetime and current demand for adoption by women, and the characteristics of children preferred by women when they are considering adoption. Adoption remains rare in the United States. Among all women aged 18-44 in 2002, only 1.1% had adopted a child and 1.6% were currently seeking to adopt. Women were more likely to be currently seeking to adopt, to have ever sought to adopt, and to have actually adopted a child if they had used infertility services or had impaired fecundity. Older women and women who were in their second or later marriage were also more likely to have adopted a child. Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women were more likely to be currently seeking to adopt compared with non-Hispanic white women. More men than women have adopted children in their lifetimes. Among adopters, 17% of women and 6% of men were never married. Adopting a child has been and remains a relatively rare event in the United States. Adoption is a mechanism by which adults legalize their parental relationship to nonbiological children as well as a means to bring children into families. Studies examining adoption should include men as well as women and persons of all marital statuses.

  15. Alcohol and homicide in Russia and the United States: a comparative analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landberg, Jonas; Norström, Thor

    2011-09-01

    The object of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of the aggregate relationship between alcohol and homicide in Russia and in the United States. The comparison was based on the magnitude of the alcohol effect, the alcohol attributable fraction (AAF), and the degree to which total consumption could account for trends in homicide. We analyzed total and sex-specific homicide rates for the age groups 15-64 years, 15-34 years, and 35-64 years. The study period was 1959-1998 for Russia and 1950-2002 for the United States. For the United States, alcohol consumption was gauged by sales of alcohol; for Russia, estimated unrecorded consumption was included as well. The data were analyzed through autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modeling. The results show that, for Russia as well as for the United States, a 1-L increase in consumption was associated with an increase in homicides of about 10%, although the absolute effect was markedly larger in Russia because of differences in homicide rates. The AAF estimates suggested that 73% and 57% of the homicides would be attributable to alcohol in Russia and in the United States, respectively. Most of the temporal variation in the Russian homicide rate could be accounted for by the trend in drinking, whereas the U.S. trend in total alcohol consumption had a more limited ability to predict the trend in homicides. We conclude that the role of alcohol in homicide seems to be larger in Russia than in the United States.

  16. Canada's Post-war Manufacturing Performance : A Comparison with the United States

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Jong, Gjalt

    1996-01-01

    This study uses the ‘industry of origin’ approach to calculate 200 unit value ratios for the benchmark year 1987 which are used to convert the output value in Canada and the United States into a common currency.In 1987, Canada's comparative labor productivity was 77.4 per cent, measured in persons

  17. Considering a redesign of the Tech United keeper for improved acceleration

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roest, de A.; Steinbuch, M.; Rosielle, P.C.J.N.

    2011-01-01

    The report describes the explorations to design a new keeper for Tech United. The performance of the current robot was disappointing and one of the reasons that Tech United lost the finals at the world championship last year. The goal of this report is to provide suggestions for the design of a new

  18. Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Functions of N-halamine Dental Unit Waterline Tubing for One Year.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porteous, N; Dang, S; Schoolfield, J; Sun, Y

    2016-03-01

    The objective of this study was to test the biofilm-controlling properties of N-halamine antimicrobial dental unit waterline (DUWL) tubing (T) tubing, without recharging over one year, compared to a control line (C). A simulated clinical model was used to pump ultrapure water through T and C lines at a rate of 1.4 mL/min, five minutes on, 15 minutes off, eight hours/day, five days a week. Samples of source water, effluent from T and C, and from the stagnant water in the carboy (liquid container) after bench work was completed (S2), were collected aseptically, serially diluted, and cultured on R2A agar for seven days every six weeks. SEM images of the inside surfaces of detached tubing sections were also taken. The carboy was rinsed with a 1:10 dilution of sodium hypochlorite after six months. Means of log transformed CFU values obtained in triplicate were paired by T and C lines across months for comparison by paired Student's t-tests. An increase in effluent and carboy bacterial counts were noted after six months, but decreased after bleach rinse of the carboy. No significant difference (p > 0.25) between T and C lines were observed; similarly, T and carboy were not significantly different (p > 0.30). SEM images showed biofilm attachment on the inside surface of C after two months, but not on T. Organisms identified in the effluent reflected those in the source carboy. No biofilm attachment was detected on the N-halamine test line after 12 months, indicating its antimicrobial properties were retained. Further evaluation is recommended to determine the optimal recharge interval for N-halamine DUWL tubing when ultrapure source water is used.

  19. Mechanism of remote controlled after-loading radiotherapy unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morimoto, Masaki

    1980-01-01

    Employing a small amount of Radium-226 or Cesium-137 source was to be used hitherto for the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix in used After-loading techniques. It involved, however, radiation risk to the staff and patient. The long treatment time are also a pain (strain) on the patient. In recent years, we have developed a remote control after-loading unit, which was named as RALSTRON, which was complete eliminated the disadvantage of conventional radium therapy. This unit also has disadvantage, however, that the design for the remote after-loader for intracavitary applicators present considerable difficulties, because many sources of different active lengths and loading patterns are required. A solution to this problem was carried out by using small point source, placed in Tandem applicator, of high activity and moving them back slowly during the treatment. Recently, this unit was installed many hospitals about 80 units in Japan, and are used. In this paper are given about a mechanism and safety deviced of this unit. (author)

  20. Fifty years with nuclear fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Behrens, J.W.; Carlson, A.D.

    1989-01-01

    The news of the discovery of nucler fission, by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann in Germany, was brought to the United States by Niels Bohr in January 1939. Since its discovery, the United States, and the world for that matter, has never been the same. It therefore seemed appropriate to acknowledge the fiftieth anniversary of its discovery by holding a topical meeting entitled, ''Fifty years with nuclear fission,'' in the United States during the year 1989. The objective of the meeting was to bring together pioneers of the nuclear industry and other scientists and engineers to report on reminiscences of the past and on the more recent developments in fission science and technology. The conference highlighted the early pioneers of the nuclear industry by dedicating a full day (April 26), consisting of two plenary sessions, at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, DC. More recent developments in fission science and technology in addition to historical reflections were topics for two full days of sessions (April 27 and 28) at the main sites of the NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The wide range of topics covered by Volume 2 of this topical meeting included plenary invited, and contributed sessions entitled, Nuclear fission -- a prospective; reactors II; fission science II; medical and industrial applications by by-products; reactors and safeguards; general research, instrumentation, and by-products; and fission data, astrophysics, and space applications. The individual papers have been cataloged separately

  1. Synecdochic Memory at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernard-Donals, Michael

    2012-01-01

    On the third floor of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), in Washington, D.C., inside a glass case, lie thousands of shoes. Old and mismatched, moldering after sixty years, they are what remains of countless Jews who were told to disrobe and who were subsequently murdered at Majdanek, Poland, during the final years of the…

  2. Knee strength, power and stair performance of the elderly 5 years after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yumeng; Kakar, Rumit S; Fu, Yang-Chieh; Mahoney, Ormonde M; Kinsey, Tracy L; Simpson, Kathy J

    2018-04-13

    Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has been shown to demonstrate some satisfactory short-term outcomes. However, to our knowledge, there have been no reports on midterm or long-term knee extensor strength and leg extensor power post-UKA. Therefore, the purposes of this study were: (1) to assess the isokinetic knee extensor strength, leg extensor power and stair performance of elderly participants at 5 years UKA post-operation; (2) to compare the differences in knee extensor strength and leg extensor power between the UKA and contralateral healthy limbs. Nineteen elderly participants (75 ± 5 years) who had a medial or a lateral compartment UKA at 5 years post-operation were recruited. The isokinetic knee extensor strength and leg extensor power were measured. The stair performance was tested on a 4-step stair, and ascent and descent velocities were calculated. The pain level was assessed. The UKA limbs' knee extensor strength and leg extensor power were 1.01 ± 0.39 Nm/kg and 0.98 ± 0.27 W/kg, respectively. The stair ascent and descent velocities were 0.37 ± 0.07 and 0.38 ± 0.11 m/s, respectively. In addition, the UKA limbs exhibited comparable knee strength and leg power relative to the contralateral limbs. In general, the knee extensor strength and leg extensor power exhibited by the UKA limbs at 5 years post-operation may be typical in comparison with the normative data. We suggest that UKA is a satisfactory treatment in regard to the recovery of knee strength, leg power and ability to climb up and down stairs.

  3. 77 FR 12241 - Smart Grid Trade Mission to the United Kingdom; London, United Kingdom, October 15-17, 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-29

    ... from the World Bank, the United Kingdom is the best place to do business in the EU and G8 countries... smart grid. Consequently, over $300 billion of investment is needed over the next ten years to replace... distributing ever increasing amounts of electricity from intermittent and geographically spread renewable...

  4. Does size matter? Animal units and animal unit months

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamar Smith; Joe Hicks; Scott Lusk; Mike Hemmovich; Shane Green; Sarah McCord; Mike Pellant; John Mitchell; Judith Dyess; Jim Sprinkle; Amanda Gearhart; Sherm Karl; Mike Hannemann; Ken Spaeth; Jason Karl; Matt Reeves; Dave Pyke; Jordan Spaak; Andrew Brischke; Del Despain; Matt Phillippi; Dave Weixelmann; Alan Bass; Jessie Page; Lori Metz; David Toledo; Emily Kachergis

    2017-01-01

    The concepts of animal units, animal unit months, and animal unit equivalents have long been used as standards for range management planning, estimating stocking rates, reporting actual use, assessing grazing fees, ranch appraisal, and other purposes. Increasing size of cattle on rangelands has led some to suggest that the definition of animal units and animal unit...

  5. Follicular unit extraction as a therapeutic option for Vitiligo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Sacchidanand

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Follicular unit extraction (FUE is a surgical procedure, which can be used to transplant follicular units into vitiliginous areas. Such follicular unit transplant has been recently used to repigment stable vitiligo patches. FUE was done for a 12-year-old female with a stable vitiligo patch with leukotrichia on the eyebrow. Repigmentation was noted in 6 weeks and complete pigmentation seen at 12 weeks. Leukotrichia resolved over a period of 6 months. No recurrence was noted at the end of 6 months follow-up with excellent colour match. This case is presented to highlight the simplicity, safety and effectiveness of FUE in stable vitiligo patches with leukotrichia.

  6. Analysis and Outcome of Admissions in the Special Care Baby Unit ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aim: To audit the services of the neonatal Unit since its inception and determine the causes of morbidity and mortality among the neonates. Methods: This was a retrospective study. Case notes of all babies admitted into the neonatal Unit for the three-year study period were retrieved from the medical records department of ...

  7. The neural correlates of intimate partner violence in women | Flegar ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: To examine hippocampal volume and white matter tracts in women with and without intimate partner violence (IPV). Method: Nineteen women with IPV exposure in the last year, and 21 women without IPV exposure in the last year underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including diffusion tensor ...

  8. Condensing Unit with a Scroll Compressor (UB series)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Editor, [Korea Energy Management Corporation, Yongin (Korea)

    2002-05-01

    Condensing unit, which is selected as a heat reservoir of grocery store or refrigerating warehouse, has increased its electricity consumption due to high annual operating ratio and large-sized stores. As the requirement of temperature management on freezing and storage has become strict for maintenance of food quality, the number of companies that import HACCP has increased for a few years. Accordingly, the requirement of high performance and reliability on a condensing unit has also risen more than it did. To meet the requirement, Mitsubishi Electric developed and sold condensing unit UB series, which has high reliability in energy saving. The company also has a plan to sell UPB series for the substitute refrigerant gas from fall of 2001. 5 figs., 2 tabs.

  9. Complexity Index as Applied to Magnetic Resonance: Study Based on a Scale of Relative Units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Capelastegui, A.; Villanua, J.

    2003-01-01

    To analyze the merit and repercussions of measuring magnetic resonance (MR) activity in units of radiological activity, and of using complexity index (CI) as an activity indicator. We studied the MR activity of Osatek, Inc. during an 8-year period (1994-2001). We measured this activity both in number of MR procedures performed and in units of radiological activity, such units being based on the scale of relative units published in the Radiological Services Administration Guidelines published by the Spanish Society or Medical Radiology. We calculated the annual complexity index, this being a quotient between the number of MR procedures performed and corresponding value in units of radiological activity. We also analyzed factors that can have an impact on the CI: type of exploration and power of the equipment's magnetic field. The CL stayed practically stable during the first 4 years of the study, while it increased during the second 4 years. There exists a direct relationship between this increase and the percentage of explorations that we term complex (basically, body-and angio-MR). The increasing complexity of MR studies in the last years is evident from a consideration of CI. MR productivity is more realistically expressed in units of radiological activity than in number of procedures performed by any one center. It also allows for making external comparisons. CI is a useful indicator that can be utilized as an administrative tool. (Author) 13 refs

  10. Reflections on two years after establishing an orthogeriatric unit: a focus group study of healthcare professionals' expectations and experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrahamsen, C; Nørgaard, B; Draborg, E; Nielsen, D

    2017-08-25

    For decades hospitals have been "vertically" organized, with the risk that specialization leads to fragmented and one-sided views of patient care and treatment that may cause poor communication and coordination of care and treatment. Two years after the introduction of an orthogeriatric unit for elderly patients admitted with fragility fractures, we studied the involved healthcare professionals' perspectives and experiences with working in an interprofessional organization. We performed four focus groups interviews with 19 healthcare workers representing different professions. The interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation (STC). Three themes were identified: 1) A patient-centred approach, 2) An opportunity for professional growth and 3) The benefits of interprofessional collaboration. The interviewees emphasized in particular the systematic and frequent face-to-face communication enabled by the interprofessional team meetings as essential to their feeling of enhanced collegial solidarity. All groups expressed their respect for other groups' competences and their vital contributions to good orthogeriatric care. However, collaboration was challenged by the groups' divergent views of the patients and of the relevance of the information given in the weekly meetings. Heavy workloads were also mentioned. The opportunity for professional growth was also felt to be imperilled by some professionals. All participants indicated their view that the orthogeriatric organization had improved the quality of care and treatment. Furthermore, good communication, mutual respect for other professional competences and shared goals were found to have enhanced interprofessional collaboration and improved the sense of having a shared mission. However, differences in approaches and expectations continued to challenge the orthogeriatric model after 2 years. Neither did all professionals find orthogeriatric care professionally challenging.

  11. Measles vaccine: a 27-year follow-up.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Ramsay, M E

    1994-04-01

    In 1964, the Medical Research Council undertook a trial of measles vaccine in over 36,000 United Kingdom children; 9577 of whom received live vaccine, 10,625 received inactivated followed by live vaccines, and 16,328 acted as unvaccinated controls. Participants in this study have been followed to determine the long term protection from measles vaccine and follow-up data were available on 4194, 4638 and 274 respectively. During the 5-year period 1986-90, the protective efficacy of live measles vaccine has remained high at 87%, but the 95% confidence interval was wide (-43 to 99%) due to the small numbers of cases. Between 1976 and 1990, however, the overall efficacy of the live vaccine was 92% (95% confidence interval 86 to 95%) and there was no evidence of a decline in efficacy (P = 0.13) over the 15-year period. This study suggests that the protection from live measles vaccine persists for up to 27 years after vaccination, and that no change in the current United Kingdom measles immunization policy should be made on the grounds of waning immunity.

  12. Declining urban and community tree cover in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    David J. Nowak; Eric J. Greenfield

    2018-01-01

    Paired aerial photographs were interpreted to assess recent changes (c. 2009–2014) in tree, impervious and other cover types within urban/community and urban land in all 50 United States and the District of Columbia. National results indicate that tree cover in urban/community areas of the United States is on the decline at a rate of about 175,000 acres per year, which...

  13. Unit testing as a teaching tool in higher education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peláez Canek

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Unit testing in the programming world has had a profound impact in the way modern complex systems are developed. Many Open Source and Free Software projects encourage (and in some cases, mandate the use of unit tests for new code submissions, and many software companies around the world have incorporated unit testing as part of their standard developing practices. And although not all software engineers use them, very few (if at all object their use. However, there is almost no research available pertaining the use of unit tests as a teaching tool in introductory programming courses. I have been teaching introductory programming courses in the Computer Sciences program at the Sciences Faculty in the National Autonomous University of Mexico for almost ten years, and since 2013 I have been using unit testing as a teaching tool in those courses. The intent of this paper is to discuss the results of this experience.

  14. Through the Eyes of Nurse Managers in Long-Term Care: Identifying Perceived Competencies and Skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dever, Kathleen H

    2018-05-01

    Nurse managers (NMs) in long-term care supervise health care services for individuals with high acuity levels and numerous comorbidities. There is minimal research identifying NMs' skills and competencies as unit leaders within the long-term care environment. The current mixed-methods study identified NMs' leadership skills and competencies. Nineteen NMs with ≥5 years' long-term care management experience completed the Nurse Manager Inventory Tool and were individually interviewed. They rated their clinical skills at the competent level and their financial/strategic management skills at the novice level. All other skill categories, including leadership reflective practice, diversity, human resource leadership/management, relationship management, performance improvement, and problem solving, were rated at a competent level. Emergent interview qualitative themes included their visibility on the unit, trial and error learning, a sense of "aloneness" due to the absence of other RNs, NM position being a tough job, need for peer support, role modeling, and importance of supporting the resident through their "final journey." [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(5), 32-38.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  15. Rapanos v. United States & Carabell v. United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Documents associated with guidance for implementing the definition of waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act following the Rapanos v. United States, and Carabell v. United States Supreme Court decision.

  16. Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Causative Microorganisms in Intensive Care Unit: A Two Year Retrospective Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Onur Palabıyık; Yaşar Toptaş; Aziz Öğütlü

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common nosocomial infection in the intensive care units (ICUs). It causes prolonged hospital stay and increases mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the rate of VAP, causative microorganisms, and their antibiotic susceptibilities in anaesthesiology and reanimation ICU (ARICU). Material and Method: This retrospective study included patients who were admitted to 12-bed ARICU between January 2013 and December 2014. The ...

  17. The United Kingdom Acid Waters Monitoring Network: a review of the first 15 years and introduction to the special issue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monteith, D.T.; Evans, C.D.

    2005-01-01

    The United Kingdom Acid Waters Monitoring Network (AWMN) was established in 1988 to determine the ecological impact of acidic emissions control policy on acid-sensitive lakes and streams. AWMN data have been used to explore a range of causal linkages necessary to connect changes in emissions to chemical and, ultimately, biological recovery. Regional scale reductions in sulphur (S) deposition have been found to have had an immediate influence on surface water chemistry, including increases in acid neutralising capacity, pH and alkalinity and declines in aluminium toxicity. These in turn can be linked to changes in the aquatic biota which are consistent with 'recovery' responses. A continuation of the current programme is essential in order to better understand apparent non-linearity between nitrogen (N) in deposition and runoff, the substantial rise in organic acid concentrations, and the likely impacts of forecast climate change and other potential constraints on further biological improvement. - After 15 years of the UK Acid Waters Monitoring Network, we can now draw clear conclusions regarding the impact of emission reductions on acidified UK fresh waters

  18. H. B. Robinson Plant, Unit 2. Annual operating report for 1976

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    The unit achieved a good performance record through the year, experiencing only short duration shutdowns or power reductions. Information is presented concerning operations, maintenance, shutdowns, and occupational radiation exposures. In November there was a scheduled refueling lasting 40 days. After a start-up physics test program, the unit achieved 100 percent power on December 22, 1976

  19. U.S. Legal Permanent Residents: Fiscal Year 2006

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — Every year, hundreds of thousands of persons become legal permanent residents (LPRs) or “green card” recipients of the United States. LPRs, as defined by immigration...

  20. A medical admission unit reduces duration of hospital stay and number of readmissions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vork, Jan C; Brabrand, Mikkel; Folkestad, Lars

    2011-01-01

    Political initiatives promoting a more efficient emergency admission process have triggered a reorganisation of the Danish health system with a view to creating fewer and larger admission units counting more experienced physicians. At our hospital, a medical admission unit (MAU) was established. ...... present the effect of this on the length of hospital stay, mortality rates and the number of readmissions for the last year with the previous structure and the first year of the new MAU structure....

  1. Adolescent Drug Trafficking Trends in the United Kingdom--A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vale, Ellen Louise Eva; Kennedy, Patrick John

    2004-01-01

    This paper reports data from HM Customs and Excise (HMCE) of recorded cases of adolescent drug trafficking through all sea and air points of entry into the UK over a 10-year period (May 1992-May 2002). We report the characteristics of 38 cases of mixed gender and nationality ranging in age between 13 and 18 years who have been apprehended by HMCE…

  2. Technical evaluation report on the Third 10-year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Plan: Florida Power and Light Company, Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant, Units 3 and 4 (Docket Numbers 50-250 and 50-251)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, B.W.; Feige, E.J.; Galbraith, S.G.; Porter, A.M.

    1995-02-01

    This report presents the results of the evaluation of the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant, Units 3 and 4, Third 10-Year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Plan, Revision 0, submitted September 9, 1993, including the requests for relief from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, requirements that the licensee has determined to be impractical. The Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant, Units 3 and 4, Third 10-Year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Plan is evaluated in Section 2 of this report. The inservice inspection (ISI) program plan is evaluated for (a) compliance with the appropriate edition/addenda of Section XI, (b) acceptability of the examination sample, (c) correctness of the application of system or component examination exclusion criteria, and (d) compliance with ISI-related commitments identified during previous Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews. The requests for relief are evaluated in Section 3 of this report

  3. The United Nations disarmament yearbook. V. 29: 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-09-01

    The United Nations Disarmament book is designed to be a concise reference work. As a good amount of background information is condensed, it may be helpful to consult previous editions. Factual information, presented where possible in tabular form, is provided in the appendices. Web sites of United Nations departments and specialized agencies, intergovernmental organizations, research institutes and non-governmental organizations appear as footnotes. The Department for Disarmament Affairs draws your attention to its web site at http://disarmament.un.org where up-to-date information on disarmament issues may be obtained throughout the year

  4. Dosimetric evaluation of Radiotherapy units wit 60Co

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leon, B. Salinas de; Tovar M, V.; Becerril V, A.

    2000-01-01

    The SSDL network of the IAEA performs, every year, quality audit tests for radiotherapy services ( 60 Co units and linear accelerators), and for national SSDL as well. Because of the SSDL-Mexico results in these tests and due to our enthusiasm and confidence in our work, a parallel test has been done , which is described in this talk as well as the results. Nowadays, a second parallel test goes up, which could confirm our optimism and open the possibility to our country to start a national dosimetric audit of 60 Co radiotherapy units. (Author)

  5. Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years--Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, Deborah L; Baio, Jon; Van Naarden Braun, Kim; Bilder, Deborah; Charles, Jane; Constantino, John N; Daniels, Julie; Durkin, Maureen S; Fitzgerald, Robert T; Kurzius-Spencer, Margaret; Lee, Li-Ching; Pettygrove, Sydney; Robinson, Cordelia; Schulz, Eldon; Wells, Chris; Wingate, Martha S; Zahorodny, Walter; Yeargin-Allsopp, Marshalyn

    2016-04-01

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 2012. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is an active surveillance system that provides estimates of the prevalence and characteristics of ASD among children aged 8 years whose parents or guardians reside in 11 ADDM Network sites in the United States (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin). Surveillance to determine ASD case status is conducted in two phases. The first phase consists of screening and abstracting comprehensive evaluations performed by professional service providers in the community. Data sources identified for record review are categorized as either 1) education source type, including developmental evaluations to determine eligibility for special education services or 2) health care source type, including diagnostic and developmental evaluations. The second phase involves the review of all abstracted evaluations by trained clinicians to determine ASD surveillance case status. A child meets the surveillance case definition for ASD if one or more comprehensive evaluations of that child completed by a qualified professional describes behaviors that are consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision diagnostic criteria for any of the following conditions: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (including atypical autism), or Asperger disorder. This report provides ASD prevalence estimates for children aged 8 years living in catchment areas of the ADDM Network sites in 2012, overall and stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, and the type of source records (education and health records versus health records only). In addition, this report describes the proportion of children with ASD with a score consistent with intellectual disability on a standardized intellectual ability test, the age at which the earliest known

  6. What Is the Unit of Visual Attention? Object for Selection, but Boolean Map for Access

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Liqiang

    2010-01-01

    In the past 20 years, numerous theories and findings have suggested that the unit of visual attention is the object. In this study, I first clarify 2 different meanings of unit of visual attention, namely the unit of access in the sense of measurement and the unit of selection in the sense of division. In accordance with this distinction, I argue…

  7. Inventory of power plants in the United States, 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    Operable capacity at US electric power plants totaled 693,016 megawatts, as of year-end 1991. Coal-fired capacity accounted for 43 percent (299,849 megawatts) of the total US generating capacity, the share it has essentially maintained for the past decade. Gas-fired capacity accounted for 18 percent (125,683 megawatts); nuclear, 14 percent (99,589 megawatts); water, 13 percent (92,031 megawatts); petroleum, 10 percent (72,357 megawatts); other, one percent (3,507 megawatts). The 693,016 megawatts of operable capacity includes 3,627 megawatts of new capacity that came on line during 1991 (Table 2). This new capacity is 42 percent less than capacity in new units reported for 1990. Gas-fired capacity accounted for the greatest share of this new capacity. It represents 38 percent of the new capacity that started operation in 1991. The surge in new gas-fired capacity is the beginning of a trend that is expected to exist over the next 10 years. That is, gas-fired capacity will dominate new capacity additions. Gas-fired capacity additions during the next 10 years will primarily be in simple cycle gas turbines and gas turbines operating as combined cycle units. These planned gas turbine and combined cycle units, whose capacity totals over 21,000 megawatts, are expected to serve peak and intermediate loads of electric utilities

  8. Safety improvement programme of WWER 440/230 units in Jaslovske Bohunice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomek, J.

    2000-01-01

    A brief overview is given of the power sources in Slovakia which include 6 operational reactor units (4 at Jaslovske Bohunice and 2 at Mochovce) and 2 units under construction (at Mochovce). The efforts undertaken in the past 10 years and aimed at upgrading the nuclear safety of the two older (V-230 Soviet type) units at Bohunice are highlighted. The relevant regulatory decisions are dealt with and the measures already carried out are listed. Also characterized are several IAEA international safety assessment missions and safety-aimed meetings which took place in 1998 and 1999 and are of concern to the older Bohunice units. (A.K.)

  9. Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Station, Units 1, 2, and 3. Annual operating report: January--December 1976

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    Units 1 and 2 were down for the first half of the year caused by the fire of March 1975. Net electrical power generated by Unit 1 this year was 1,301,183 MWH with the generator on line 2,175.25 hrs. Unit 2 generated 1,567,170 MWH with the generator on line 2,548.73 hrs. Unit 3 began full power operation on November 20th and generated 1,416,891 MWH with the generator on line 2,058.20 hrs. Information is presented concerning operations, fuel performance, surveillance testing, containment leak testing, changes, power generation, shutdown and forced reductions, coolant chemistry, occupational radiation exposures, and maintenance

  10. US tornadoes. Part 1: 70-year statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujita, T. T.

    1987-01-01

    If tornadoes were counted as the Gross National Product, no other country on the surface of the earth could come even close to the United States. During the recent 70 year period, the United States produced 31,054 tornadoes which left behind a cumulative path of 132,005 miles (212,396 km) which would circle the world 5.3 times along the equator. In completing the book, staff members of the Satellite and Mesometeorlogy Research Project (1961 to the present) played an important role in collecting, evaluating, and archiving the historical tornado data.

  11. Obesity: A United States Strategic Imperative

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-01

    States Department of Veterans Affairs 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Dr. Thomas ...Army Ms. Karen Malebranche United States Department of Veterans Affairs Project Adviser Dr. Thomas Williams U.S. Army War...per American has increased by 57 pounds per year ( poultry representing 46 pounds).86 Surprisingly however, the percentage of calories from meat

  12. Advances in multi-unit nuclear power plant probabilistic risk assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modarres, Mohammad; Zhou, Taotao; Massoud, Mahmoud

    2017-01-01

    The Fukushima Dai-ichi accident highlighted the importance of risks from multiple nuclear reactor unit accidents at a site. As a result, there has been considerable interest in Multi-Unit Probabilistic Risk Assessment (MUPRA) in the past few years. For considerations in nuclear safety, the MUPRA estimates measures of risk and identifies contributors to risk representing the entire site rather than the individual units in the site. In doing so, possible unit-to-unit interactions and dependencies should be modeled and accounted for in the MUPRA. In order to effectively account for these risks, six main commonality classifications—initiating events, shared connections, identical components, proximity dependencies, human dependencies, and organizational dependencies—may be used. This paper examines advances in MUPRA, offers formal definitions of multi-unit site risk measures and proposes quantitative approaches and data to account for unit-to-unit dependencies. Finally, a parametric approach for the multi-unit dependencies has been discussed and a simple example illustrates application of the proposed methodology. - Highlights: • This paper will discuss the technical aspects of an integrated MUPRA, including consideration of dependencies and assessment of the multi-unit dependency data and models for quantifying such dependencies. • The paper also provides discussions on formal definitions and metrics for multi-unit site risks. • The parametric methods are used to address multi-unit dependency situations. • A conceptual two-unit logic example is used to demonstrate the application of proposed methodology.

  13. Mammography use among women aged 18-39 years in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Jin; White, Mary C; Sabatino, Susan A; Febo-Vázquez, Isaedmarie

    2018-04-01

    Recommendations for breast cancer screening using mammography target asymptomatic women aged ≥ 40 years who are not at increased risk for breast cancer. Evidence is not available to demonstrate benefits of screening with mammography at younger ages, and little is known about mammography use among younger women. This study described mammography use among women aged 18-39 years. We analyzed data from the 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth, an in-person survey of a nationally representative sample of the U.S. household population. We estimated the prevalence of ever receiving a mammogram and examined reasons for the first mammograms among women aged 18-39 years without personal cancer history (n = 8324). We classified the first mammogram as a screening examination if it was performed either as part of a routine exam or because of family history of cancer. Among women aged 18-39 years, 14.3% (95% CI 13.2-15.4) reported ever having a mammogram. Prevalence of mammography use was highest among women aged 35-39 years (31.0%, 95% CI 27.8-34.5), and was higher among non-Hispanic black women than in other race/ethnicity groups. Women with a family history of breast cancer reported a higher prevalence of mammography use than women without this family history. For both women with and without a family history of breast cancer, about half of all first mammograms were performed for screening reasons. Among U.S. women aged 18-39 years with no personal cancer history, one in seven reported having received a mammogram. Women with no family history of breast cancer were as likely as those with a family history to initiate breast cancer screening with mammography before age 40. Our findings provide evidence that supports further research to examine factors that prompt young women to receive screening mammograms.

  14. Interface unit

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keyson, D.V.; Freudenthal, A.; De Hoogh, M.P.A.; Dekoven, E.A.M.

    2001-01-01

    The invention relates to an interface unit comprising at least a display unit for communication with a user, which is designed for being coupled with a control unit for at least one or more parameters in a living or working environment, such as the temperature setting in a house, which control unit

  15. Unplanned pregnancies in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimes, D A

    1986-03-01

    Unplanned pregnancies constitute an epidemic in the United States. Over 3 million unplanned pregnancies occur, and over 1.5 million induced abortions are performed each year. Women of minority races and those with less than 12 years of education are at high risk of having unwanted children. Fear of complications (not the complications themselves) is the most powerful deterrent to women's use of contraception. Much of this fear is due to bad press. Recent good news about contraception, such as protection against ovarian and endometrial cancer, protection against ectopic pregnancy, and absence of teratogenic effects, has not received appropriate media coverage. For healthy women younger than 35 years, failure to use fertility control is more dangerous than use of any method.

  16. One-year results of maxillary overdentures supported by 2 titanium-zirconium implants - implant survival rates and radiographic outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zembic, Anja; Tahmaseb, Ali; Jung, Ronald E; Wismeijer, Daniel

    2017-07-01

    To assess implant survival rates and peri-implant bone loss of 2 titanium-zirconium implants supporting maxillary overdentures at 1 year of loading. Twenty maxillary edentulous patients (5 women and 15 men) being dissatisfied with their complete dentures were included. In total, 40 diameter-reduced titanium-zirconium implants were placed in the anterior maxilla. Local guided bone regeneration (GBR) was allowed if the treatment did not compromise implant stability. Following 3 to 5 months of healing, implant-supported overdentures were inserted on two ball anchors. Implants and overdentures were assessed at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after implant insertion and 2, 4, and 12 months after insertion of overdentures (baseline). Standardized radiographs were taken at implant loading and 1 year. Implant survival rates and bone loss were the primary outcomes. Nineteen patients (1 dropout) with 38 implants were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 1.1 years (range 1.0-1.7 years). One implant failed resulting in an implant survival rate of 97.3%. There was a significant peri-implant bone loss of the implants at 1 year of function (mean, 0.7 mm, SD = 1.1 mm; median: 0.48 mm, IQR = 0.56 mm). There was a high 1-year implant survival rate for edentulous patients receiving 2 maxillary implants and ball anchors as overdenture support. However, several implants exhibited an increased amount of bone loss of more than 2 mm. Overdentures supported by 2 maxillary implants should thus be used with caution as minimally invasive treatment for specific patients encountering problems with their upper dentures until more long-term data is available. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. United States rejoin ITER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roberts, M.

    2003-01-01

    Upon pressure from the United States Congress, the US Department of Energy had to withdraw from further American participation in the ITER Engineering Design Activities after the end of its commitment to the EDA in July 1998. In the years since that time, changes have taken place in both the ITER activity and the US fusion community's position on burning plasma physics. Reflecting the interest in the United States in pursuing burning plasma physics, the DOE's Office of Science commissioned three studies as part of its examination of the option of entering the Negotiations on the Agreement on the Establishment of the International Fusion Energy Organization for the Joint Implementation of the ITER Project. These were a National Academy Review Panel Report supporting the burning plasma mission; a Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) report confirming the role of ITER in achieving fusion power production, and The Lehman Review of the ITER project costing and project management processes (for the latter one, see ITER CTA Newsletter, no. 15, December 2002). All three studies have endorsed the US return to the ITER activities. This historical decision was announced by DOE Secretary Abraham during his remarks to employees of the Department's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The United States will be working with the other Participants in the ITER Negotiations on the Agreement and is preparing to participate in the ITA

  18. Facilitating Students' Conceptual Change and Scientific Reasoning Involving the Unit of Combustion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chin-Quen; She, Hsiao-Ching

    2010-01-01

    This article reports research from a 3 year digital learning project to unite conceptual change and scientific reasoning in the learning unit of combustion. One group of students had completed the course combining conceptual change and scientific reasoning. The other group of students received conventional instruction. In addition to the…

  19. Hand disinfection in a neonatal intensive care unit: continuous electronic monitoring over a one-year period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helder, Onno K; van Goudoever, Johannes B; Hop, Wim C J; Brug, Johannes; Kornelisse, René F

    2012-10-08

    Good hand hygiene compliance is essential to prevent nosocomial infections in healthcare settings. Direct observation of hand hygiene compliance is the gold standard but is time consuming. An electronic dispenser with built-in wireless recording equipment allows continuous monitoring of its usage. The purpose of this study was to monitor the use of alcohol-based hand rub dispensers with a built-in electronic counter in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting and to determine compliance with hand hygiene protocols by direct observation. A one-year observational study was conducted at a 27 bed level III NICU at a university hospital. All healthcare workers employed at the NICU participated in the study. The use of bedside dispensers was continuously monitored and compliance with hand hygiene was determined by random direct observations. A total of 258,436 hand disinfection events were recorded; i.e. a median (interquartile range) of 697 (559-840) per day. The median (interquartile range) number of hand disinfection events performed per healthcare worker during the day, evening, and night shifts was 13.5 (10.8 - 16.7), 19.8 (16.3 - 24.1), and 16.6 (14.2 - 19.3), respectively. In 65.8% of the 1,168 observations of patient contacts requiring hand hygiene, healthcare workers fully complied with the protocol. We conclude that the electronic devices provide useful information on frequency, time, and location of its use, and also reveal trends in hand disinfection events over time. Direct observations offer essential data on compliance with the hand hygiene protocol. In future research, data generated by the electronic devices can be supplementary used to evaluate the effectiveness of hand hygiene promotion campaigns.

  20. Human prion diseases in the United States.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert C Holman

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Prion diseases are a family of rare, progressive, neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and animals. The most common form of human prion disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD, occurs worldwide. Variant CJD (vCJD, a recently emerged human prion disease, is a zoonotic foodborne disorder that occurs almost exclusively in countries with outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. This study describes the occurrence and epidemiology of CJD and vCJD in the United States. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Analysis of CJD and vCJD deaths using death certificates of US residents for 1979-2006, and those identified through other surveillance mechanisms during 1996-2008. Since CJD is invariably fatal and illness duration is usually less than one year, the CJD incidence is estimated as the death rate. During 1979 through 2006, an estimated 6,917 deaths with CJD as a cause of death were reported in the United States, an annual average of approximately 247 deaths (range 172-304 deaths. The average annual age-adjusted incidence for CJD was 0.97 per 1,000,000 persons. Most (61.8% of the CJD deaths occurred among persons >or=65 years of age for an average annual incidence of 4.8 per 1,000,000 persons in this population. Most deaths were among whites (94.6%; the age-adjusted incidence for whites was 2.7 times higher than that for blacks (1.04 and 0.40, respectively. Three patients who died since 2004 were reported with vCJD; epidemiologic evidence indicated that their infection was acquired outside of the United States. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Surveillance continues to show an annual CJD incidence rate of about 1 case per 1,000,000 persons and marked differences in CJD rates by age and race in the United States. Ongoing surveillance remains important for monitoring the stability of the CJD incidence rates, and detecting occurrences of vCJD and possibly other novel prion diseases in the United States.

  1. Teamwork as a nursing competence at Intensive Care Units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvia Helena Henriques Camelo

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective. The aim in this study was to identify how Intensive Care Unit nurses perceive professional competences in thecare team. Methodology. Qualitative multiple case study with an exploratory focus. The sample consisted of 24 nurses from Intensive Care Units (ICU at two large hospitals. To collect the information, direct observation and - structured, non-structuredand participant - interviews were used. Results. Ninety-six percent of the participants were women, 79% were less than 40 years old, and 63% possessed less than five years of professional experience in ICU. Data analysis revealed three study categories: teamwork as a nursing management tool, improving teamwork, and interpersonal communication for teamwork. Conclusion. At the ICU where the nurses work, a teamwork strategy is observed, which demands cooperation and participation by other disciplines.

  2. Report of the CIRRPC Policy Subpanel on SI metric radiation units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-12-01

    Recognizing that use of the International System of Units (SI) for radiological quantities is increasing internationally but is not currently widely accepted in the United States, and recognizing that the existing US policy is to plan for the increasing voluntary use of SI units domestically, it is recommended that it be US policy to use dual radiation units in Federal activities. However, it is recognized that in certain operational situations, by reason of economy or safety, the utilization of dual units is undesirable. Therefore, in justified situations, agencies may adopt that system of units which best meets their needs. The objective of the recommended use of dual units is primarily to familiarize people with the SI units. This should serve to ease transition when and where transition is appropriate and mitigate economic and safety concerns. The Subpanel has made suggestions on how this policy should be implemented by Federal agencies: using dual units in issuing regulations containing radiation units, except where determined to be impractical, incorporating dual units in agency internal operating procedures as they are written or revised; and using dual units in contracts and procurement. The Subpanel recommends that this policy be reexamined in about five years following an assessment of the use of SI radiation units both internationally and within the United States. 11 refs

  3. World trend - a 10% growth per year for small wind turbines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kane, M.

    2016-01-01

    A decline was expected for small wind turbine business with the advent of bigger wind turbines but it is really not the case. In 2014 the growth rate was about 10 % with a cumulated power installed that year of 830 MW for small wind turbines. China (41% of the installed capacity), United-States (30%) and Great-Britain (15%) are the 3 main players. About 1 million wind turbines are operating in the world - it means 8.3% (∼ 70.000 units) more than a year before. (A.C.)

  4. Healthcare Needs of Homeless Youth in the United States

    OpenAIRE

    TERRY, Marisa J; BEDI, Gurpreet; PATEL, Neil

    2010-01-01

    Approximately 1.6 - 2.8 million youth at any given time in the United States are considered homeless and at high risk for poor social and health outcomes. It is estimated that in the United States homelessness overall is expected to rise 10 -20 percent in the next year. While governmental and private programs exist to address the tribulations faced by homeless persons, youth continue to be underserved. The 2009, $787 billion economic stimulus package includes $1.5 billion to address issues...

  5. Food Insecurity and Its Association With Central Obesity and Other Markers of Metabolic Syndrome Among Persons Aged 12 to 18 Years in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holben, David H; Taylor, Christopher A

    2015-09-01

    Food insecurity is a preventable health threat and may precipitate central obesity and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents in the United States. To examine (1) health by household food security status; and (2) differences and prevalence of central obesity among persons aged 12 to 18 years in the United States. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was administered to a cross-sectional sample of persons aged 12 to 18 years in 1999 to 2006. Controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and sex differences in mean obesity and chronic disease factors across levels of food insecurity (analysis of covariance [Bonferroni post hoc] and ORs [logistic regression analyses]) were examined, as were differences in the rates of risk factors (χ(2) statistics). A total of 7435 participants were analyzed. Those from marginally food secure (n=751) and low-food secure (n=1206) (population size estimate, 26,714,182) households were significantly more likely than their high-food secure counterparts (n=4831) to be overweight (P=.036) (OR, 1.44), and those from marginally food secure households were 1.3-times more likely to be obese (P=.036). Nearly 25% of respondents from marginally food secure, low-food secure, and very low-food secure (n=647) households reported central obesity (P=.002), which was 1.4 to 1.5 times more likely than those from high-food secure households. Participants from high-food secure households had significantly higher mean high-density lipoprotein values (P=.019). Risk factors indicative of metabolic syndrome were present in 3.1%. Household food insecurity was associated with an increased likelihood of being overweight and having central obesity. Limitations included the use of cross-sectional data and some self-reported data and the inability to control for all moderating variables in obesity and overall health status.

  6. The ASN imposes on EDF complementary requirements for the setting of the hard-core unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2014-01-01

    In January 2014, the ASN (French Authority for Nuclear Safety) published a list of 19 decisions concerning the implementation of a 'post-Fukushima' hard-core unit in each EDF nuclear power plant. The purpose of the hard-core unit is to have structures and equipment able to resist very extreme events and able to assure the vital functions necessary for the reactor safety. The 19 decisions detail the rules for the design of the hard-core unit. For example the hard-core unit will have to resist earthquakes for which the probability of occurrence is about 1 every 20.000 years while the probability taking into account for the design of the reactor is only 1 every 1000 or 10.000 years

  7. Control Beliefs and Cognition Over a 10-year Period: Findings from the ACTIVE Trial

    OpenAIRE

    Parisi, Jeanine M.; Gross, Alden L.; Marsiske, Michael; Willis, Sherry L.; Rebok, George W.

    2017-01-01

    We examined two facets of control beliefs and cognition over ten-years within the ACTIVE cognitive training program. Intellectual Self-efficacy decreased (β = −0.32 units/year; SE = 0.03) and Concern about Intellectual Aging increased (β = 0.26 units/year; SE = 0.02) over time, with older age being the only predictor of increases in Concern about Intellectual Aging. Although baseline cognitive performance was related to control beliefs over time, the reverse was not supported. Findings were n...

  8. Uniting to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, D

    1994-02-18

    In reading the column of Cal Thomas entitled "Speaking Truth to Power" it becomes clear that the forces aligned against each other on the issue of reproductive choice should work together in order to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. An estimated 400 million women are unable to limit their family size for economic reasons. More are inhibited by social or religious constraints. When family planning (FP) services are available, and the status and education levels of women are raised, abortion rates decrease. This is demonstrated in the Netherlands, where legal abortions and contraception are available. The abortion rate is less than 5/1000 women there, one of the lowest worldwide. Latin America, where abortion is illegal and FP services are lacking, has abortion rates of 30-60/1000. Furthermore, these illegal abortions usually have a tragic effect on the woman's health. Of an estimated 6 million pregnancies annually in the United States, approximately half are unintended. Of these, about 1.6 million are aborted. Of the women in the United States who become pregnant annually, 82% are unmarried, 25% are under 20 years of age, and 33% make less than $11,000 yearly. If industrialized nations made contraceptives and FP services available to the poor worldwide, the quality of life on earth would increase. Human misery, anarchy, and resource depletion would decrease. State and local governments should increase support of domestic FP activities, while the federal government should raise its funding of international FP services. In order to reach the goals set by the 1989 Amsterdam Declaration, which was signed by the US, the annual contribution of the United States needs to be doubled. 4% of the US foreign aid budget, $720 million, is less than 0.1% of its $1.5 trillion budget. This amounts to less than $3 per US citizen.

  9. Gross Motor Development in Children Aged 3-5 Years, United States 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kit, Brian K; Akinbami, Lara J; Isfahani, Neda Sarafrazi; Ulrich, Dale A

    2017-07-01

    Objective Gross motor development in early childhood is important in fostering greater interaction with the environment. The purpose of this study is to describe gross motor skills among US children aged 3-5 years using the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2). Methods We used 2012 NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS) data, which included TGMD-2 scores obtained according to an established protocol. Outcome measures included locomotor and object control raw and age-standardized scores. Means and standard errors were calculated for demographic and weight status with SUDAAN using sample weights to calculate nationally representative estimates, and survey design variables to account for the complex sampling methods. Results The sample included 339 children aged 3-5 years. As expected, locomotor and object control raw scores increased with age. Overall mean standardized scores for locomotor and object control were similar to the mean value previously determined using a normative sample. Girls had a higher mean locomotor, but not mean object control, standardized score than boys (p  0.05). Conclusions In a nationally representative sample of US children aged 3-5 years, TGMD-2 mean locomotor and object control standardized scores were similar to the established mean. These results suggest that standardized gross motor development among young children generally did not differ by demographic or weight status.

  10. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) Flame Retardant in Top Predator Fish across Canada and its 36-Year Temporal Trends for Lake Ontario.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Guanyong; McGoldrick, Daryl; Clark, Mandi G; Evans, Marlene; Gledhill, Melissa; Garron, Christine; Armellin, Alain; Backus, Sean; Letcher, Robert J

    2018-05-08

    Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) is a high concern environmental pollutant due to its persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic properties. The spatial distribution of HBCDD was investigated in top predator fish (Lake Trout, Walleye or Brook Trout) collected in 2013 (n=165) from nineteen sampling sites and in 2015 (n=145) from twenty sites across Canada. HBCDD was measurable in at least one sample at each sampling site regardless of sampling year with the exception of Walleye from the south basin of Lake Winnipeg (2013). Sampling sites in or near the Laurentian Great Lakes had greater HBCDD concentrations compared to locations to the west or east. The greatest mean HBCDD concentration was 72.6 ng/g lw in fish from Lake Huron-Goderich (2015). Regardless of the sampling sites, α-HBCDD was the dominant congener followed by γ-HBCDD, whereas β-HBCDD was barely detectable. In fish from the same waterbody there were comparable α/γ isomer concentration ratios. The greatest ratio was 20.8 in fish from Lake Ontario, whereas the lowest ratio was 6.3 for fish from Lac Memphrémagog (Québec) likely related to more recent emissions of technical HBCDD mixture. Temporal trends of HBCDD in Lake Trout from Lake Ontario showed a significant decreasing trend for γ-HBCDD with a half-life estimate of 10 years over a 36-year period (1979-2015), and for -HBCDD with a half-life of 11 years over the years of 2008 to 2015. The proportion of α-HBCDD to ΣHBCDD increased significantly during 1979 to 2015. The present study provided novel information on the isomer-specific HBCDDs in Canada freshwater fish.

  11. Decommissioning strategy of the operating WWER type units in the Ukraine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Litvinsky, L.L.; Lobach, Yu.N.; Skripov, A.E.

    2002-01-01

    At present in Ukraine, 13 WWER type units are in operation and two other ones are in the final stage of construction. Decommissioning of these units is expected after the year 2010. General planning of their decommissioning is developed in the framework of the decommissioning strategy of operating WWER type units. The strategy contains the objectives, principles and main tasks of the decommissioning as well as the activities at each phase of decommissioning. It is considered a broad range of factors important for the planning and implementation of decommissioning. (author)

  12. Improving gasoline quality produced from MIDOR light naphtha isomerization unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.F. Mohamed

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Isomerization process became one of the best gasoline production sources, as it gives a high octane product while saving environment from pollution impacts. This paper presents a practical study that aims to improve the gasoline quality and economic income of an existing light naphtha isomerization unit used for octane improvement. The study included selecting the optimum combination of isomerization unit equipment that gives better product specifications for a specified feed. Eight scenarios were studied and simulated to predict the product specs. The original studied unit is MIDOR light naphtha isomerization unit at Alexandria-Egypt that recycles the unconverted hexane (C6. The other studied scenarios were adding fractionators for separating feed iso-pentanes, and recycling unconverted pentanes, hexanes and/or combinations of these fractionators. The results show a change in octane number of gasoline product for a specific feed. Once through process with no extra fractionators has lower octane number of 81 while that with de-iso-pentanizer–de-pentanizer and de-hexanizer produces gasoline with 92.3 octane number. Detailed economic study was done to calculate the return on investment “ROI” for each process option based on equipment, utilities, feed and product prices. Once through simple isomerization unit had the lowest ROI of 14.3% per year while the combination of De-iso-pentanizer with the De-hexanizer had the best ROI of 26.6% per year.

  13. Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ching-Yu; Cheah, Charissa S. L.; Lamb, Michael E.; Zhou, Nan

    2017-01-01

    The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States, and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old (M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54 girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers’ reported authoritarian parenting style. Significant associations also emerged between mothers’ reports of their children’s EC and some parenting dimensions, although there were no cultural group differences in perceived child EC. Different patterns of associations between perceived child EC and parenting styles in these three groups also demonstrated heterogeneity within the Chinese population, and highlighted the need to consider differences between original and receiving societies when seeking to understand parenting and child development in different immigrant groups. PMID:29276309

  14. Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ching-Yu; Cheah, Charissa S L; Lamb, Michael E; Zhou, Nan

    2017-07-01

    The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States, and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old ( M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54 girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers' reported authoritarian parenting style. Significant associations also emerged between mothers' reports of their children's EC and some parenting dimensions, although there were no cultural group differences in perceived child EC. Different patterns of associations between perceived child EC and parenting styles in these three groups also demonstrated heterogeneity within the Chinese population, and highlighted the need to consider differences between original and receiving societies when seeking to understand parenting and child development in different immigrant groups.

  15. Climate change impacts on flood risk and asset damages within mapped 100-year floodplains of the contiguous United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wobus, Cameron; Gutmann, Ethan; Jones, Russell; Rissing, Matthew; Mizukami, Naoki; Lorie, Mark; Mahoney, Hardee; Wood, Andrew W.; Mills, David; Martinich, Jeremy

    2017-12-01

    A growing body of work suggests that the extreme weather events that drive inland flooding are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude in a warming climate, thus potentially increasing flood damages in the future. We use hydrologic projections based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) to estimate changes in the frequency of modeled 1 % annual exceedance probability (1 % AEP, or 100-year) flood events at 57 116 stream reaches across the contiguous United States (CONUS). We link these flood projections to a database of assets within mapped flood hazard zones to model changes in inland flooding damages throughout the CONUS over the remainder of the 21st century. Our model generates early 21st century flood damages that reasonably approximate the range of historical observations and trajectories of future damages that vary substantially depending on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pathway. The difference in modeled flood damages between higher and lower emissions pathways approaches USD 4 billion per year by 2100 (in undiscounted 2014 dollars), suggesting that aggressive GHG emissions reductions could generate significant monetary benefits over the long term in terms of reduced flood damages. Although the downscaled hydrologic data we used have been applied to flood impacts studies elsewhere, this research expands on earlier work to quantify changes in flood risk by linking future flood exposure to assets and damages on a national scale. Our approach relies on a series of simplifications that could ultimately affect damage estimates (e.g., use of statistical downscaling, reliance on a nationwide hydrologic model, and linking damage estimates only to 1 % AEP floods). Although future work is needed to test the sensitivity of our results to these methodological choices, our results indicate that monetary damages from inland flooding could be significantly reduced through substantial GHG mitigation.

  16. Climate change impacts on flood risk and asset damages within mapped 100-year floodplains of the contiguous United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Wobus

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A growing body of work suggests that the extreme weather events that drive inland flooding are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude in a warming climate, thus potentially increasing flood damages in the future. We use hydrologic projections based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5 to estimate changes in the frequency of modeled 1 % annual exceedance probability (1 % AEP, or 100-year flood events at 57 116 stream reaches across the contiguous United States (CONUS. We link these flood projections to a database of assets within mapped flood hazard zones to model changes in inland flooding damages throughout the CONUS over the remainder of the 21st century. Our model generates early 21st century flood damages that reasonably approximate the range of historical observations and trajectories of future damages that vary substantially depending on the greenhouse gas (GHG emissions pathway. The difference in modeled flood damages between higher and lower emissions pathways approaches USD 4 billion per year by 2100 (in undiscounted 2014 dollars, suggesting that aggressive GHG emissions reductions could generate significant monetary benefits over the long term in terms of reduced flood damages. Although the downscaled hydrologic data we used have been applied to flood impacts studies elsewhere, this research expands on earlier work to quantify changes in flood risk by linking future flood exposure to assets and damages on a national scale. Our approach relies on a series of simplifications that could ultimately affect damage estimates (e.g., use of statistical downscaling, reliance on a nationwide hydrologic model, and linking damage estimates only to 1 % AEP floods. Although future work is needed to test the sensitivity of our results to these methodological choices, our results indicate that monetary damages from inland flooding could be significantly reduced through substantial GHG mitigation.

  17. Evidence for increasingly variable Palmer Drought Severity Index in the United States since 1895.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rayne, Sierra; Forest, Kaya

    2016-02-15

    Annual and summertime trends towards increasingly variable values of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) over a sub-decadal period (five years) were investigated within the contiguous United States between 1895 and the present. For the contiguous United States as a whole, there is a significant increasing trend in the five-year running minimum-maximum ranges for the annual PDSI (aPDSI5 yr(min|max, range)). During this time frame, the average aPDSI5 yr(min|max, range) has increased by about one full unit, indicating a substantial increase in drought variability over short time scales across the United States. The end members of the running aPDSI5 yr(min|max, range) highlight even more rapid changes in the drought index variability within the past 120 years. This increasing variability in the aPDSI5 yr(min|max, range) is driven primarily by changes taking place in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean coastal climate regions, climate regions which collectively comprise one-third the area of the contiguous United States. Similar trends were found for the annual and summertime Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI), the Palmer Modified Drought Index (PMDI), and the Palmer Z Index (PZI). Overall, interannual drought patterns in the contiguous United States are becoming more extreme and difficult to predict, posing a challenge to agricultural and other water-resource related planning efforts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Multi-Unit Aspects of the Pickering Generating Station

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morison, W. G. [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd, Sheridan Park, ON (Canada)

    1968-04-15

    The Pickering nuclear generating station is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, about 20 miles east of the city of Toronto, Canada. The station has been planned and laid out on an eight-unit station, four units of which have now been authorized for construction. Each of these four units consists of a single heavy-water moderated and cooled CANDU-type reactor and auxiliaries coupled to a single tandem compound turbine generator with a net output of approximately 500 MW(e). The units are identical and are scheduled to come into operation at intervals of one year from 1970 to 1973. The station has been planned with central facilities for: administration maintenance laboratories, stores, change rooms, decontamination and waste management services. A common control centre, cooling water intake and discharge system, and spent fuel storage bay for four units has been arranged. A feature of the multi-unit station is a common containment system. Cost savings in building a number of identical units on the same site result from a single exclusion area, shared engineering costs, equipment purchase contracts for four identical components, and efficient use of construction plant. Operating cost savings are anticipated in the use of a common operating and maintenance staff and spare parts inventory. The plant has been arranged to minimize problems of operating, commissioning and constructing units at the same time on the same site. The layout and construction sequence have been arranged so that the first unit can be commissioned and operated with little or no interference from the construction forces working on succeeding units. During the construction phase barriers will be erected in the common control centre between operating control equipment and that being installed. Operations and construction personnel will enter the plant by separate routes and work in areas separated by physical barriers. (author)

  19. A year-long caregiver training program to improve neurocognition in preschool Ugandan HIV-exposed children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boivin, Michael J; Bangirana, Paul; Nakasujja, Noeline; Page, Connie F; Shohet, Cilly; Givon, Deborah; Bass, Judith K; Opoka, Robert O; Klein, Pnina S

    2013-05-01

    Mediational intervention for sensitizing caregivers (MISC) is a structured program enabling caregivers to enhance their child's cognitive and emotional development through daily interactions. The principal aim was to evaluate if a year-long MISC caregiver training program produced greater improvement in child cognitive and emotional development compared with a control program. One hundred and nineteen uninfected HIV-exposed preschool children and their caregivers were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment arms: biweekly MISC training alternating between home and clinic for 1 year or a health and nutrition curriculum. All children were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year with the Mullen Early Learning Scales, Color-Object Association Test for memory, and Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist for psychiatric symptoms. Caregivers were evaluated on the same schedule with the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 for depression and anxiety. The treatment arms were compared using repeated-measures analysis of covariance with child age, gender, weight, socioeconomic status, caregiving quality, caregiver anxiety, and caregiver education as covariates. The MISC children had significantly greater gains compared to controls on the Mullen Receptive and Expressive Language development, and on the Mullen composite score of cognitive ability. Color-Object Association Test total memory for MISC children was marginally better than controls. No Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist differences between the groups were noted. Caldwell Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment scores and observed mediational interaction scores from videotapes measuring caregiving quality also improved significantly more for the MISC group. The MISC enhanced cognitive performance, especially in language development. These benefits were possibly mediated by improved caregiving and positive emotional benefit to the caregiver.

  20. UNITED KINGDOM: under pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1994-01-01

    While attempting bravely to sustain the legacy left by J.J. Thomson, Rutherford, Chadwick, Cockcroft, Blackett, Dirac and others earlier this century, the United Kingdom, one of the major contributors to CERN, has suffered in recent years from an erosion of the international purchasing power of the pound sterling. At the same time, the national scientific community has squabbled over the apportionment of the research cake. In recent years, the CERN budget has remained constant in real terms, but the pound has drifted steadily down. In 1984 one pound bought 3.15 Swiss francs, now it gets just over 2. The hypersensitivity which left calculations at the mercy of exchange rate hiccups was cushioned in 1988 by a new method of calculating national CERN contributions, introduced by Chris Llewellyn Smith, now the Laboratory's Director General, using less sensitive input data

  1. Neuroscience Intermediate-Level Care Units Staffed by Intensivists: Clinical Outcomes and Cost Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyeremanteng, Kwadwo; Hendin, Ariel; Bhardwaj, Kalpana; Thavorn, Kednapa; Neilipovitz, Dave; Kubelik, Dalibour; D'Egidio, Gianni; Stotts, Grant; Rosenberg, Erin

    2017-01-01

    With an aging population and increasing numbers of intensive care unit admissions, novel ways of providing quality care at reduced cost are required. Closed neurointensive care units improve outcomes for patients with critical neurological conditions, including decreased mortality and length of stay (LOS). Small studies have demonstrated the safety of intermediate-level units for selected patient populations. However, few studies analyze both cost and safety outcomes of these units. This retrospective study assessed clinical and cost-related outcomes in an intermediate-level neurosciences acute care unit (NACU) before and after the addition of an intensivist to the unit's care team. Starting in October 2011, an intensivist-led model was adopted in a 16-bed NACU unit, including daytime coverage by a dedicated intensivist. Data were obtained from all patients admitted 1 year prior to and 2 years after this intervention. Primary outcomes were LOS and hospital costs. Safety outcomes included mortality and readmissions. Descriptive and analytic statistics were calculated. Individual and total patient costs were calculated based on per-day NACU and ward cost estimates and significance measured using bootstrapping. A total of 2931 patients were included over the study period. Patients were on average 59.5 years and 53% male. The most common reasons for admission were central nervous system (CNS) tumor (27.6%), ischemic stroke (27%), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (11%). Following the introduction of an intensivist, there was a significant reduction in NACU and hospital LOS, by 1 day and 3 days, respectively. There were no differences in readmissions or mortality. Adding an intensivist produced an individual cost savings of US$963 in NACU and US$2687 per patient total hospital stay. An intensivist-led model of intermediate-level neurointensive care staffed by intensivists is safe, decreases LOS, and produces cost savings in a system increasingly strained to provide quality

  2. Midwives' experiences of facilitating normal birth in an obstetric-led unit: a feminist perspective.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Keating, Annette

    2012-01-31

    OBJECTIVE: to explore midwives\\' experiences of facilitating normal birth in an obstetric-led unit. DESIGN: a feminist approach using semi-structured interviews focusing on midwives\\' perceptions of normal birth and their ability to facilitate this birth option in an obstetric-led unit. SETTING: Ireland. PARTICIPATION: a purposeful sample of 10 midwives with 6-30 years of midwifery experience. All participants had worked for a minimum of 6 years in a labour ward setting, and had been in their current setting for the previous 2 years. FINDINGS: the midwives\\' narratives related to the following four concepts of patriarchy: \\'hierarchical thinking\\

  3. Units of measurement past, present and future international system of units

    CERN Document Server

    Gupta, S V

    2010-01-01

    It is for the first time that the subject of quantities and their respective units is dealt this much in detail a glimpse of units of measurements of base quantities of length, time, mass and volume is given for ancient India three and four dimensional systems of measurement units are critically examined establishment of the fact that only four base units are needed to describe a system of units the basics to arrive at the unit of a derived quantity are explained basic, derived and dimensionless quantities including quantity calculus are introduced life history of scientists concerned with measurements units are presented to be inspiring to working metrologists and students. The International System of Units including, Metre Convention Treaty and its various organs including International National of Weights and Measure are described. The realisation of base units is given in detail. Classes of derived units within the SI, units permitted for time to come, units outside SI but used in special fields of measur...

  4. Equilibrium II: Acids and Bases. Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). Unit P3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inner London Education Authority (England).

    This unit on equilibrium is one of 10 first year units produced by the Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). The unit, which consists of two levels, focuses on the application of equilibrium principles to equilibria involving weak acids and bases, including buffer solutions and indicators. Level one uses Le Chatelier's…

  5. Examining the Language Phenotype in Children with Typical Development, Specific Language Impairment, and Fragile X Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haebig, Eileen; Sterling, Audra; Hoover, Jill

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: One aspect of morphosyntax, finiteness marking, was compared in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), specific language impairment (SLI), and typical development matched on mean length of utterance (MLU). Method: Nineteen children with typical development (mean age = 3.3 years), 20 children with SLI (mean age = 4.9 years), and 17 boys…

  6. Long-term groundwater depletion in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konikow, Leonard F.

    2015-01-01

    The volume of groundwater stored in the subsurface in the United States decreased by almost 1000 km3 during 1900–2008. The aquifer systems with the three largest volumes of storage depletion include the High Plains aquifer, the Mississippi Embayment section of the Gulf Coastal Plain aquifer system, and the Central Valley of California. Depletion rates accelerated during 1945–1960, averaging 13.6 km3/year during the last half of the century, and after 2000 increased again to about 24 km3/year. Depletion intensity is a new parameter, introduced here, to provide a more consistent basis for comparing storage depletion problems among various aquifers by factoring in time and areal extent of the aquifer. During 2001–2008, the Central Valley of California had the largest depletion intensity. Groundwater depletion in the United States can explain 1.4% of observed sea-level rise during the 108-year study period and 2.1% during 2001–2008. Groundwater depletion must be confronted on local and regional scales to help reduce demand (primarily in irrigated agriculture) and/or increase supply.

  7. Summary of Notifiable Diseases, United States. Volume 45, Number 53.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1997-10-31

    Trichinosis Tuberculosis Typhoid fever Yellow fever NOTE: Although varicella is not a nationally notifiable disease, the Council of State and...plague among humans, two of which were fatal, were re- ported in the United States (two cases in Arizona, one in Colorado, and two in New Mexico ). Both...13 cases per year) were reported in the United States. Of these cases, 80% occurred in the southwestern states of New Mexico , Arizona, and

  8. Curriculum Guide for Marketing and Distributive Education (Second Year).

    Science.gov (United States)

    South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia. Office of Vocational Education.

    This curriculum guide consists of materials for use in teaching the second year of a two-year course in marketing and distributive education. Included in the guide are field review information, an introduction, a course outline, a series of unit outlines, a bibliography, and a list of audiovisual materials. The following topics are addressed in…

  9. Early uranium mining in the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hahne, F.J.

    1990-01-01

    Uranium mining in the United States is closer to 100 years old than to the 200 years since the discovery of the element. Even then, for much of this time the rock was brought out of the ground for reasons other than its uranium content. The history of the US uranium industry is divided into five periods which follow roughly chronologically upon one another, although there is some overlap. The periods cover: uranium use in glass and ceramics; radium extraction; vanadium extraction; government uranium extraction and commercial extraction. (author)

  10. A Hundred Years of Physics on Show

    CERN Multimedia

    2002-01-01

    The New Yorker Richard Feynman, well known to all physicists for his diagrams. Eleven vivid posters have recently been hung along the Theoretical Physics corridor on the first floor of Building 53. They tell the story of a century of physics, between 1900 and the end of the nineteen-nineties, the century that gave us atomic and quantum physics and the great breakthroughs that have rocked our understanding of the world and the universe. The posters are a gift from the American Physical Society to the CERN Library. As they were designed for high school and university book collections in the US, they necessarily have a somewhat American view of the history of science. But it is still instructive to revisit contemporary physics through its great figures, such as Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, and Richard Feynman, not to mention Albert Einstein and many others. Why not take the time for a little trip down this particular stretch of Memory Lane?

  11. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance--United States, 2005

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eaton, Danice K.; Kann, Laura; Kinchen, Steve; Ross, James; Hawkins, Joseph; Harris, William A.; Lowry, Richard; McManus, Tim; Chyen, David; Shanklin, Shari; Lim, Connie; Grunbaum, Jo Anne; Wechsler, Howell

    2006-01-01

    In the United States, 71% of all deaths among persons aged 10-24 years result from 4 causes: motor vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from the 2005 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) indicated that during the 30 days preceding the survey, many high school students engaged in behaviors that…

  12. Oil fired boiler/solar tank- and natural gas burner/solar tank-units

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Furbo, Simon; Vejen, Niels Kristian; Frederiksen, Karsten Vinkler

    1999-01-01

    During the last few years new units consisting of a solar tank and either an oil fired boiler or a natural gas burner have been introduced on the Danish market. Three different marketed units - two based on a natural gas burner and one based on an oil fired boiler - have been tested in a heat...

  13. Masturbation in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Aniruddha

    2007-01-01

    Using data from the nationally representative National Health and Social Life Survey, this study queried the correlates of masturbation in the United States in 1992. Among those aged 18-60, 38% (CI, 35-41) of women and 61% (CI, 57-65) of men reported any masturbation over the preceding year. The system of factors underlying masturbation was similar for both genders, consistent with a convergence in gender patterns of sexual expression in the United States. Among both women and men, masturbation responded to a stable sexualized personality pattern, catalyzed by early-life factors and manifested in current sexual traits. Strikingly, the masturbation-partnered sex linkage, often conceptualized either as compensating for unsatisfying sex or complementing a satisfactory sex life, appeared to be bimodal for both genders. For some, masturbation complemented an active and pleasurable sex life, while among others, it compensated for a lack of partnered sex or satisfaction in sex.

  14. Stroke Mortality in Intensive Care Unit from Tertiary Care Neurological Center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lekhjung Thapa

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Stroke is the second most common cause of death and major cause of disability worldwide. About a quarter of stroke patients are dead within a month, about a third by 6 months, and a half by 1 year. Although the most substantial advance in stroke has been the routine management of patients in stroke care units, intensive care unit has remained the choice for stroke patients’ care in developing countries. This study explores the mortality of stroke patients in intensive care unit setting in tertiary care neurological centre in a developing country. Methods: We collected data of stroke patients admitted in our ICU from August 2009 to Aug 2010 and analyzed. Results: Total 44 (10.25% patients were admitted for acute stroke. Age ranged from 17-93 years. Low GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale, uncontrolled hypertension and aspiration pneumonia were common indications for admission in ICU. Total 23 (52.3% patients had hemorrhagic stroke and 21(47.7% patients had ischemic stroke. 13 (29.54% patients of stroke died within 7 days, 9 (69.23% patients of hemorrhagic stroke died within 6 days, and 4 patients (30.76% of ischemic stroke died within 7 days. 6 (13.63% patients left hospital against medical advice. All of these patients had ischemic stroke. Conclusions: Stroke mortality in intensive care unit remains high despite of care in tertiary neurological center in resource poor settings. Stroke care unit, which would also help dissemination of knowledge of stroke management, is an option for improved outcome in developing countries Keywords: intensive care unit; mortality; stroke; stroke care unit.

  15. Platinum recycling in the United States in 1998

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilliard, Henry E.

    2001-01-01

    In the United States, catalytic converters are the major source of secondary platinum for recycling. Other sources of platinum scrap include reforming and chemical process catalysts. The glass industry is a small but significant source of platinum scrap. In North America, it has been estimated that in 1998 more than 20,000 kilograms per year of platinum-group metals from automobile catalysts were available for recycling. In 1998, an estimated 7,690 kilograms of platinum were recycled in the United States. U.S. recycling efficiency was calculated to have been 76 percent in 1998; the recycling rate was estimated at 16 percent.

  16. A multicenter, observational study of lanreotide depot/autogel (LAN) in patients with acromegaly in the United States: 2-year experience from the SODA registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvatori, Roberto; Gordon, Murray B; Woodmansee, Whitney W; Ioachimescu, Adriana G; Carver, Don W; Mirakhur, Beloo; Cox, David; Molitch, Mark E

    2017-12-01

    This analysis evaluates the 2-year effectiveness and safety of lanreotide depot/autogel (LAN), as well as treatment convenience and acromegaly symptom relief, from the Somatuline ® Depot for Acromegaly (SODA) registry, a post-marketing, open-label, observational, multicenter, United States registry study. Patients with acromegaly treated with LAN were eligible for enrollment. Demographics, LAN dose, extended dosing interval (EDI) (interval of injections ≥42 days), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), growth hormone (GH), glycated hemoglobin, adverse events (AEs), injection convenience, and symptom data were collected. As of September 29, 2014, 241 patients were enrolled in SODA. IGF-1 levels below age- and gender-adjusted upper normal limit (ULN) were achieved in 71.2% at month (M) 12 and 74.4% at M24; GH ≤2.5 µg/L in 83.3% at M12 and 80.0% at M24; GH convenient. SODA indicates 2-year biochemical control with majority of patients achieving both IGF-1 < ULN and GH ≤2.5 µg/L. LAN was generally well tolerated with no new or unexpected safety signals reported during the observation period. clinicaltrials.gov Clinical Trial Identifier: NCT00686348.

  17. Nuclear power plant life extension in the United Kingdom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodison, D.; Seddon, J.W.; Pape, E.M.

    1991-01-01

    The safety cases for the United Kingdom's older nuclear power plant have been reviewed by their utilities in order to justify continued operation of the reactors up to an age of at least 30 year. These 'long term safety reviews' have identified worthwhile plant modifications and aspects where further studies or plant inspections are required. As the plants approach the age of 30 years, 'life extension reviews' are now being undertaken, concentrating on management of ageing, to support operation to at least 40 years. (author)

  18. An ISOLDE target unit

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2002-01-01

    A good dozen different targets are available for ISOLDE, made of different materials and equipped with different kinds of ion-sources, according to the needs of the experiments. Each separator (GPS: general purpose; HRS: high resolution) has its own target. Because of the high radiation levels, robots effect the target changes, about 80 times per year. In the standard unit shown in picture _01, the target is the cylindrical object in the front. It contains uranium-carbide kept at a temperature of 2200 deg C, necessary for the isotopes to be able to escape. At either end, one sees the heater current leads, carrying 700 A. The Booster beam, some 3E13 protons per pulse, enters the target from left. The evaporated isotope atoms enter a hot-plasma ion source (the black object behind the target). The whole unit sits at 60 kV potential (pulsed in synchronism with the arrival of the Booster beam) which accelerates the ions (away from the viewer) towards one of the 2 separators.

  19. Analysis of Advancement and Attrition in the Military Ceremonial Units

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hostetler, Elizabeth

    1997-01-01

    ... their normal career progression on hold. Information on individuals who entered the military service during fiscal years 1986 to 1995 and were assigned to one of the ceremonial units was collected...

  20. Changes in patient safety culture after restructuring of intensive care units: Two cross-sectional studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vifladt, Anne; Simonsen, Bjoerg O; Lydersen, Stian; Farup, Per G

    2016-02-01

    Compare changes in registered nurses' perception of the patient safety culture in restructured and not restructured intensive care units during a four-year period. Two cross-sectional surveys were performed, in 2008/2009 (time 1) and 2012/2013 (time 2). During a period of 0-3 years after time 1, three of six hospitals merged their general and medical intensive care units (restructured). The other hospitals maintained their structure of the intensive care units (not restructured). Intensive care units in hospitals at one Norwegian hospital trust. The safety culture was measured with Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. At times 1 and 2, 217/302 (72%) and 145/289 (50%) registered nurses participated. Restructuring was negatively associated with change in the safety culture, in particular, the dimensions of the safety culture within the unit level. The dimensions most vulnerable for restructuring were manager expectations and actions promoting safety, teamwork within hospital units and staffing. In this study, the restructuring of intensive care units was associated with a negative impact on the safety culture. When restructuring, the management should be particularly aware of changes in the safety culture dimensions manager expectations and actions promoting safety, teamwork within hospital units and staffing. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  1. Confidentiality Issues and Use of Sexually Transmitted Disease Services Among Sexually Experienced Persons Aged 15-25 Years - United States, 2013-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leichliter, Jami S; Copen, Casey; Dittus, Patricia J

    2017-03-10

    National-level data are limited regarding confidentiality-related issues and the use of sexually transmitted disease (STD) services for adolescents and young adults. Changes in the U.S. health care system have permitted dependent children to remain on a parent's health insurance plan until the child's 26th birthday and required coverage of certain preventive services, including some STD services, without cost sharing for most plans (1,2). Although these provisions likely facilitate access to the health care system, adolescents and young adults might not seek care or might delay seeking care for certain services because of concerns about confidentiality, including fears that their parents might find out (3,4). Therefore, it is important to examine STD services and confidentiality-related issues among persons aged 15-25 years in the United States. CDC analyzed data from the 2013-2015 National Survey of Family Growth and found that 12.7% of sexually experienced youths (adolescents aged 15-17 years and those young adults aged 18-25 years who were on a parent's insurance plan) would not seek sexual and reproductive health care because of concerns that their parents might find out. Particularly concerned were persons aged 15-17 years (22.6%). Females with confidentiality concerns regarding seeking sexual and reproductive health care reported a lower prevalence of receipt of chlamydia screening (17.1%) than did females who did not cite such concerns (38.7%). More adolescents aged 15-17 years who spent time alone with a health care provider (without a parent in the room) reported receipt of a sexual risk assessment (71.1%) and, among females, chlamydia testing (34.0%), than did those who did not spend time alone (36.6% and 14.9%, respectively). The results indicated that confidentiality-related issues were associated with less reported use of some STD services, especially for younger persons and females. Spending time alone with a provider (i.e., without a parent present

  2. Efficiency of mobile dental unit in public health programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nitin Gupta

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Almost all dental Colleges run a mobile dental operation for people living in far inaccessible areas who are not able to avail dental care. Mobile dental clinics provide a mode of reaching the unreached by delivering dental care in areas where alternative i.e. private practitioners and fixed clinics are unavailable or inaccessible. Oral diseases account for high morbidity in the community which is compounded by the gross mal-distribution of provision of oral health services in India. In order to ensure accessibility to basic oral health services innovative models of service delivery are being explored. In this context the health economics of mobile oral health care is critically evaluated in this paper. Thus a cost analysis was undertaken to determine the operating expenses for the existing mobile dental unit. Requisite permission of Head of institution was obtained and data was extracted from the records of the mobile dental unit for the year 2014-15.Information on the operating expenses was collected. Costing was done using step down accounting method. Total operating cost of the unit for the year 2014-15 was Rs. 184888/-.Unit cost for each camp was Rs.3625/- and for each patient Rs.76/-. Mobile dental programs can play a vital role in providing access to care to underserved populations and ensuring their mission requires long-term planning. Careful cost analysis based on sound assumptions is of utmost importance.

  3. Cancer insurance policies in Japan and the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, C L; Weinberg, P D; Lieberman, J J

    1998-01-01

    Cancer care in the United States often results in financial hardship for patients and their families. Standard health insurance covers most medical costs, but nonmedical costs (such as lost wages, deductibles, copayments, and travel to and from caregivers) are paid out of pocket. Over the course of treatment, these costs can become substantial. Insurance companies have addressed the burden of these out-of-pocket costs by offering supplemental cancer insurance policies that, upon diagnosis of cancer, pay cash benefits for items that usually require out-of-pocket expenditures and are distinct from reimbursements made by traditional health insurance. Limitations associated with managed care have fostered increased consumer awareness and interest in the United States for cancer insurance and its ability to defray treatment expenditures that usually require out-of-pocket payments. Marketing campaigns are becoming more aggressive, and the number of cancer insurance policies sold has been steadily rising. While cancer insurance is only recently gaining popularity in the United States, it has been a successful product in Japan for over twenty years. In Japan, approximately one-quarter of the population own cancer insurance, and ten-year retention rates are estimated at 75%. As a result, individuals are afforded good access to nonmedical cancer services. Understanding the factors that led to the success of cancer insurance in Japan may assist policymakers in evaluating cancer insurance policies as they become more prevalent in the United States.

  4. 38 CFR 17.272 - Benefits limitations/exclusions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... fabric versus synthetic fabric and vegetable-dyed shoes). (51) Food, food substitutes, vitamins or other... services in excess of 30 days in any fiscal year (or in an admission), in the case of a patient nineteen... excess of 23 visits in a fiscal year unless a waiver for extended coverage is granted in advance. (62...

  5. Articulated, Performance-Based Instruction Objectives Guide for Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Heating. Volume II (Second Year).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, William Edward, Jr., Ed.

    This articulation guide contains 17 units of instruction for the second year of a two-year vocational program designed to prepare the high school graduate to install, maintain, and repair various types of residential and commercial heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment. The units are designed to help the student to expand and…

  6. Organisation of a clinical trial unit--a proposal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gluud, C; Sørensen, T I

    1998-01-01

    to cover investments, core staff, and running costs, but excluding housing costs and costs of randomised clinical trials that do not originate from trial coordination. In return, such a unit should be able to mount and launch 6-7 multicenter randomised clinical trials during a 5 year period, corresponding...

  7. Experience of a monographic tuberculosis unit: the first 500 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Moreno, Juan; García-Gasalla, Mercedes; Cifuentes Luna, Carmen; Mir Villadrich, Isabel; Pareja Bezares, Antonio; Navarro Fernández, Verónica; Serrano Bujalance, Araceli; Pérez Seco, M Cruz; Payeras Cifre, Antonio

    2013-10-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) remains a highly prevalent and potentially severe disease. However, since 2002 the annual incidence has been decreasing both worldwide and in Spain, where the incidence varies widely between regions. The main objective of this study is to describe the experience of a monographic TB unit in a second level hospital. A descriptive study was carried out which included all cases of TB diagnosed in a monographic unit of a secondary hospital between 2003 and 2011. Demographic, clinical, epidemiological and microbiological data were recorded. We analyzed 500 TB cases and found an increasing annual incidence in all subgroups, including native and immigrant populations. Most cases (63.8%) were male, with a median age of 36 years (range 8 months-90 years). In total, 39.8% of patients were foreign born. Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus was found in 11% of cases. The pulmonary form was most frequently diagnosed (63.8%). Overall mortality was 5.8% with no significant differences between groups (including foreign born and human immunodeficiency virus positive patients). Although TB incidence is globally decreasing, in our study we found an increasing number of cases in recent years in all subgroups, which can be explained by this being a monographic unit with an intensive contact tracing program. Copyright © 2012 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  8. Baseline and pre-operative 1-year mortality risk factors in a cohort of 509 hip fracture patients consecutively admitted to a co-managed orthogeriatric unit (FONDA Cohort).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menéndez-Colino, Rocío; Alarcon, Teresa; Gotor, Pilar; Queipo, Rocío; Ramírez-Martín, Raquel; Otero, Angel; González-Montalvo, Juan I

    2018-03-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the patient characteristics that predict 1-year mortality after a hip fracture (HF). All patients admitted consecutively with fragility HF during 1 year in a co-managed orthogeriatric unit of a university hospital (FONDA cohort) were assesed. Baseline and admission demographic, clinical, functional, analytical and body-composition variables were collected in the first 72 h after admission. A protocol designed to minimize the consequences of the HF was applied. One year after the fracture patients or their carers were contacted by telephone to ascertain their vital status. A total of 509 patients with a mean age of 85.6 years were included. One-year mortality was 23.2%. The final multivariate model included 8 independent mortality risk factors: age >85 years, baseline functional impairment in basic activities of daily living, low body mass index, cognitive impairment, heart disease, low hand-grip strength, anaemia at admission, and secondary hyperparathyroidism associated with vitamin D deficiency. The association of several of these factors greatly increased mortality risk, with an OR (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 5.372 (3.227-8.806) in patients with 4 to 5 factors, and an OR (95% CI) of 11.097 (6.432-19.144) in those with 6 or more factors. In addition to previously known factors (such as age, impairment in basic activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, malnutrition and anaemia at admission), other factors, such as muscle strength and hyperparathyroidism associated with vitamin D deficiency, are associated with greater 1-year mortality after a HF. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Five-year interim report of the United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program: 2007--2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alley, William M.

    2013-01-01

    Transboundary aquifers are an essential, and in many cases, singular source of water for United States – Mexico border communities, particularly in arid regions. Declining water levels, deteriorating water quality, and increasing use of groundwater resources by municipal, industrial, and agricultural water users on both sides of the international border have raised concerns about the long-term availability of this supply. Water quantity and quality are determining and limiting factors that ultimately control agriculture, future economic development, population growth, human health, and ecological conditions along the border. Knowledge about the extent, depletion rates, and quality of transboundary aquifers, however, is limited and, in some areas, completely absent. The U.S. – Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act (Public Law 109-448), referred to in this report as “the Act,” was signed into law by the President of the United States on December 22, 2006, to conduct binational scientific research to systematically assess priority transboundary aquifers and to address water information needs of border communities. The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to collaborate with the States of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas through their Water Resources Research Institutes (WRRIs) and with the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), stakeholders, and Mexican counterparts to provide new information and a scientific foundation for State and local officials to address pressing water-resource challenges along the U.S. – Mexico border.

  10. Report from UNSCEAR to the United Nations General Assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    Over the past few years, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has undertaken a broad review of the sources and effects of ionizing radiation. The result of this work has presented for the general reader in the 2000 Report to the General Assembly. This report with the supporting scientific annexes, which are aimed at the general scientific community, was published as 'Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2000 report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes'

  11. Academic Library Consortia in the United States: An Introduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharon L. Bostick

    2001-07-01

    Full Text Available Library consortia in the United States arose from a need for sharing when resources or funding for those resources were scarce. This is as true today as it was over 100 years ago when the first American consortia were formed. Consortia continue to be a growing and important part of the library profession. This article will give an overview of academic library consortia, with special emphasis on the history and modern developments in the United States and provide a general introduction to the concept of library cooperation.

  12. Safstor decommissioning of the Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit No. 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, R.T.

    1985-01-01

    The Humboldt Bay Power Plant is located near Eureka, California, about 265 miles north of San Francisco. The plant consists of two fossil fueled units, two mobil gas turbine peaking units, and a nuclear unit - Unit No. 3. Unit No. 3, which utilized a boiling water reactor, was constructed between 1960 and 1963. The unit began commercial operation in August 1963 and operated until July 2, 1976 when it was shutdown for refueling, seismic modifications, and additional seismic and geologic studies. During the years Unit 3 operated it had one of the best operating records of any nuclear power plant in the United States. For its operating lifetime Unit 3 had an overall capacity factor of 63.0% and an availability factor of 85.9%. The unit included certain design features which made it unique among nuclear power plants of its era. Some of these unique features included natural circulation recirculation flow which eliminated the need for costly recirculation pumps, utilization of a pressure suppression containment system which had been developed jointly by PG and E and the General Electric Company, and the fact that the reactor vessel and the containment system were constructed in a caisson below ground level. These design features reduced the overall construction cost of the unit and improved its inherent safety

  13. Associations between perceived institutional support, job enjoyment, and intentions to work in the United Kingdom: national questionnaire survey of first year doctors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lachish, Shelly; Goldacre, Michael J; Lambert, Trevor

    2016-05-23

    Identifying factors that improve job satisfaction of new doctors and ease the difficult transition from student to doctor is of great interest to public health agencies. Studies to date have focused primarily on the value of changes to medical school curricula and induction processes in this regard, but have overlooked the extent to which institutional support can influence new doctors' enjoyment of and attitude to work. Here, we examine variation in the perceived level of support received by new medical graduates in the United Kingdom (UK) from their employer and whether this influences enjoyment of and attitudes to the first postgraduate year, and whether doctors who perceived a lower level of support were less inclined to intend a long term career in medicine in the UK. All UK medical graduates of 2012 were surveyed in 2013 in a cross-sectional study, towards the end of their first post-graduate year (the 'F1' year of the 2-year Foundation Training Programme for new UK doctors). We used linear regression to assess whether the level of support doctors reported receiving from their employing Trust (Very Good, Good, Adequate, Poor, or Very Poor) was associated with the extent to which they enjoyed their F1 year. Similarly, we assessed the strength of associations between self-reported level of Trust support and doctors' responses to 12 statements about fundamental aspects of their working lives, each assessed on a 5-point scale of agreement. Using χ (2) tests we examined whether doctors' intentions to practise medicine in the UK varied with the level of support they reported receiving from their Trust. The response rate was 45 % (2324/5171). Of 2324 responding junior doctors, 63.8 % reported receiving 'Very Good' (23.6 %) or 'Good' (40.2 %) initial support from their Trust, while a further 27.4 % stated they received 'Adequate' support. 'Poor' support was reported by 5.8 % and 'Very Poor' support by 2.2 %. We found very strong positive associations between

  14. Never ever? Characteristics, outcomes and motivations of patients who abscond or escape: A 5-year review of escapes and absconds from two medium and low secure forensic units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mezey, Gillian; Durkin, Catherine; Dodge, Liam; White, Sarah

    2015-12-01

    Absconds and escapes by psychiatric patients from secure forensic psychiatric settings create public anxiety and are poorly understood. To describe secure hospital patients who escape from within the secure perimeter or abscond, and test for differences between these groups. Escapes and absconds between 2008 and 2012 from the medium and low secure forensic psychiatric inpatient units of two London National Health Service Trusts were identified through the Trusts' databases. Demographic, offending, mental health and incident data were extracted from records for each. Seventy-seven incidents, involving 54 patients, were identified over the five years. These were 13 escapes involving 12 patients, representing a rate of 0.04 per 1000 bed days, and 64 absconds involving 42 patients, a rate of 0.26 per 1000 bed days; 15 (28%) patients were absent without leave more than once. Over half of the patients came back voluntarily within 24 hours of leaving. Over 50% of them had drunk alcohol or taken drugs while away from the unit. Escapees were more likely to be transferred prisoners and to have planned their escape, less likely to return to the unit voluntarily and away longer than patients who absconded. Offending was rare during unauthorised leave--just three offences among the 77 incidents; self-harm was more likely. Motives for absconding included: wanting freedom or drink or drugs, family worries and/or dissatisfaction with aspects of treatment. Escapes or absconding from secure healthcare units have different characteristics, but may best be prevented by convergent strategies. Relational security is likely to be as important for foiling plans for the former as it is for reducing boredom, building strong family support and managing substance misuse in the latter. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Bringing quality improvement into the intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMillan, Tracy R; Hyzy, Robert C

    2007-02-01

    During the last several years, many governmental and nongovernmental organizations have championed the application of the principles of quality improvement to the practice of medicine, particularly in the area of critical care. To review the breadth of approaches to quality improvement in the intensive care unit, including measures such as mortality and length of stay, and the use of protocols, bundles, and the role of large, multiple-hospital collaboratives. Several agencies have participated in the application of the quality movement to medicine, culminating in the development of standards such as the intensive care unit core measures of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Although "zero defects" may not be possible in all measurable variables of quality in the intensive care unit, several measures, such as catheter-related bloodstream infections, can be significantly reduced through the implementation of improved processes of care, such as care bundles. Large, multiple-center, quality improvement collaboratives, such as the Michigan Keystone Intensive Care Unit Project, may be particularly effective in improving the quality of care by creating a "bandwagon effect" within a geographic region. The quality revolution is having a significant effect in the critical care unit and is likely to be facilitated by the transition to the electronic medical record.

  16. Interpersonal violence in the United Arab Emirates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osman, Ossama T; Abbas, Alaa K; Eid, Hani O; Salem, Mohamed O; Abu-Zidan, Fikri M

    2014-01-01

    We aimed to study the anatomical distribution, severity and outcome of hospitalised interpersonal violence-related injured patients in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates so as to give recommendations regarding the magnitude of this problem, its causes and priorities of prevention. Data were retrieved from Al-Ain Hospital Trauma Registry, which was prospectively collected over three years. There were 75 patients (males = 85.3%) having a mean age of 30 years. Eighty-one percent had blunt trauma. The estimated annual injury hospitalisation of interpersonal violence in Al-Ain city was 6.7 per 100,000 population. Females were significantly more injured by a family member (p = 0.02), at home (p = 0.005), and had more severe injuries (p = 0.003). There was a trend for children less than 18 years old to have more penetrating trauma (p = 0.06) and to be injured by a family member (p = 0.09). There was only one case of woman sexual assault and two cases of child abuse. The mean (SD) hospital stay was 7.87 (14.1) days. Less than 3% (n = 2) were admitted to the intensive care unit with no deaths. In conclusion, the majority of patients in our study had minor injuries. Nevertheless, the psychological impact may be major. This highlights the need to develop suitable mental health services in support of victims of interpersonal violence.

  17. 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

  18. Simulation of motor unit recruitment and microvascular unit perfusion: spatial considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuglevand, A J; Segal, S S

    1997-10-01

    Muscle fiber activity is the principal stimulus for increasing capillary perfusion during exercise. The control elements of perfusion, i.e., microvascular units (MVUs), supply clusters of muscle fibers, whereas the control elements of contraction, i.e., motor units, are composed of fibers widely scattered throughout muscle. The purpose of this study was to examine how the discordant spatial domains of MVUs and motor units could influence the proportion of open capillaries (designated as perfusion) throughout a muscle cross section. A computer model simulated the locations of perfused MVUs in response to the activation of up to 100 motor units in a muscle with 40,000 fibers and a cross-sectional area of 100 mm2. The simulation increased contraction intensity by progressive recruitment of motor units. For each step of motor unit recruitment, the percentage of active fibers and the number of perfused MVUs were determined for several conditions: 1) motor unit fibers widely dispersed and motor unit territories randomly located (which approximates healthy human muscle), 2) regionalized motor unit territories, 3) reversed recruitment order of motor units, 4) densely clustered motor unit fibers, and 5) increased size but decreased number of motor units. The simulations indicated that the widespread dispersion of motor unit fibers facilitates complete capillary (MVU) perfusion of muscle at low levels of activity. The efficacy by which muscle fiber activity induced perfusion was reduced 7- to 14-fold under conditions that decreased the dispersion of active fibers, increased the size of motor units, or reversed the sequence of motor unit recruitment. Such conditions are similar to those that arise in neuromuscular disorders, with aging, or during electrical stimulation of muscle, respectively.

  19. Inventory of power plants in the United States as of January 1, 1998

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-12-01

    The Inventory of Power Plants in the United States provides annual statistics on generating units operated by electric utilities in the US (the 50 States and the District of Columbia). Statistics presented in this report reflect the status of generating units as of January 1, 1998. The publication also provides a 10-year outlook for generating unit additions and generating unit changes. This report is prepared annually by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Data summarized in this report are useful to a wide audience. This is a report of electric utility data; in cases where summary data or nonconfidential data of nonutilities are presented, it is specifically noted as nonutility data. 19 figs., 36 tabs.

  20. 1999: The Year in Review: Looking ahead

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-07-01

    AEC Pipelines P. L. is a Canadian limited partnership engaged in the transportation of oil through the Alberta Oil Sands, Cold Lake, Wabasca, Express and Platte pipelines. Although the company delivered a strong financial performance during 1999 with a net income of $ 61.4 million and cash distribution of $ 0.76 per unit, the performance of the Partnership's unit price on the stock market was disappointing. The Partnership enjoyed strong operating performance throughout the year as combined system throughputs increased from 1998 levels. The strategic focus of management is on cash distributions to unit holders -- first, to provide stability and second, to create growth. This means investing in the Partnership's own existing asset base, as well as taking advantage of attractive opportunities elsewhere, including investment opportunities in selected regions outside of North America where potential investments have attractive market fundamentals. The objective for 2000 is to maintain cash distribution at 1999 level ($ 0.76/unit) and to build cash distribution reserve of $ 0.05/unit. Operationally, the objective is to implement a strategy to transport substantially all of the expected increase in oil production in the Cold Lake Pipeline System. The annual report provides full details of the operations of each of the pipelines, audited financial statements and relevant notes.