Development of microforming process combined with thin film transfer printing

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Koshimizu Kazushi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Microforming receives a lot of attentions in the recent years due to the increased use of microparts in electronics and medical sectors. For the further functionalization of these micro devices, high functional surface with noble metals are strongly required for the devices in bio- and medical fields, such as bio-sensors. To realize the submillimeter structure of metal foils and micro to nanometer structures in one forming process, the present study proposes a combined process of microforming for metal foils and transfer printing of gold (Au thin films. To clarify the availability of the proposed combined process, transferability of Au thin films under micro bulging deformation are investigated. 0.1 mm-thick pure titanium (Ti foils and 100 nm-thick Au films were used as blank and functional materials, respectively. The forming tests of the proposed process were conducted. With increasing strain of Ti foils, Au TP areas increase. By this experiment, it’s confirmed that the hydrogen reduction of oxidation layers and the strain of Ti foil are significant factor for Au TP on Ti foils.

Validación estructural del Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS: estudio preliminar en adultos / Structural validation of the Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS: preliminary study in adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

César Merino Soto

2016-06-01

Full Text Available RESUMEN: La medición de la inteligencia emocional ha tenido muchas propuestas en formato de autorreporte. Una de estas es el Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS, creada para el contexto laboral y que evalúa valoración y expresión de las emociones propias, valoración y reconocimiento de las emociones en otros, regulación de las propias emociones y uso de la emoción para facilitar el desempeño. Hay poca evidencia psicométrica sobre el Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale en habla hispana, lo que posiblemente conduce a que sea también poco utilizado en la investigación y práctica profesional. El objetivo del presente estudio es presentar los primeros resultados de la validez de la estructura interna del WLEIS en adultos peruanos. Fueron 120 participantes (72 mujeres entre 17 y 59 años, quienes respondieron al cuestionario mediados por internet. Se analizó la estructura interna mediante metodología de ecuaciones estructurales. Se halló una satisfactoria estructura de 4 factores y elevadas cargas factoriales de los ítems; las correlaciones interfactores fueron altas o moderadamente altas; y la consistencia interna fue buena. Se concluye que los primeros resultados son aceptables para asumir que el modelo de Wong-Law también es aparentemente generalizable. ABSTRACT: The measurement of emotional intelligence has had many proposals in the form of self-report. One of these is the Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS, created for the job context and which evaluates valuation and the expression of self-emotions; valuation and recognition of emotions in others; regulation of one’s own emotions and the use of emotion to facilitate performance. There is little psychometric evidence regarding the Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale in the Spanish speaking world, which could lead to it also being little used in research and professional practice. The objective of this study is to present the first results of the internal

Fabrication of Times and Micro-Formation of Discourse at a Secondary School

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Michalis Kontopodis

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presented here starts with a reference to modernist time theories, followed by a presentation of alternative views in the works of FOUCAULT, DELEUZE, LATOUR and others. The study concentrates on the concrete context of an experimental school aiming at incorporation of excluded students into society. Based on the synthesis of discourse analysis and Actor-Network-Theory, the study puts forward a twofold question: a whether and how the "fabrication of times" is interrelated to micro-formations of discourses and b how micro-formations of discourses emerge as processes in the concrete setting of a school in regard to their temporal and other aspects. To answer this query, I combine some critical ethnographic work with an Actor-Network-Theory methodology—an approach which could be regarded as "rhizomatic analysis" (DELEUZE & GUATTARI, 1980. Examining discursive and non-discursive action with a particular focus on materialities (sites, students' documents, educational reports, CVs, and files, I introduce the notion of "temporal devices of control" and map two of them: that of synchronicity and that of convergence. In this way, I propose a new understanding of time and relate it to discourse formation. This, in turn, reveals a new potential for critical reflection on theories of time as well as on all action taking place in the school. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0701119

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2001-01-01

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

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2000-01-01

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

HUBUNGAN ANTARA GAYA HIDUP DAN PEMILIHAN MEREK LOKAL ATAU MEREK LUAR NEGERI (SURVEI PADA AYAM BAKAR WONG SOLO VS KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budhi Haryanto

2015-11-01

Full Text Available AbstractThis study examines the influence of lifesyle on probability in buying intention toward domestic brand (Ayam Bakar Wong Solo or foreign brand (Kentucky Fried Chicken. Convenience sampling method was employed to acquire 250 samples with the criteria of: (1 the respondents had the intention to buy Ayam Bakar Wong Solo or has intention to buy Kentucky Fried Chicken, (2 respondents had the freedom to take or to refuse to paticipate in the survey. (3 Survey was conducted in the form of direct structured intervew. These conditions were intended to get data acuracy. Logit regression was utilized to predict the influence of independent variable on depen¬dent variables. The analysis indicated that consumer who had fashion conscious life style preferred to buy foreign brand (Kentucky Fried Chicken, the health conscious life style preferred on local brand (Ayam Bakar Wong Solo, leadership life style preferred on foreign brand, caring life style preferred on local brand, and extrovertion life style preferred on foreign brand. In this study, implications of the results were also discussed.Key words: life style, local brand, foreign brand, caring life style, leadership life style, extrovertion life style.AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh gaya hidup pada kemungkinannya dalam membeli merek domestic (ayam Bakar Wong Solo atau merek luar negeri (Kentucky Fried Chicken. Metode sampling konveniens dipilih untuk mengambil 250 responden, yang diikuti dengan kriteria (1 responden berniat membeli Ayam Bakar Wong Solo dan KFC, (2 responden mempunyai kebebasan untuk menerima atau menolak sebagai responden, (3 survei dilakukan melalui wawancara langsung secara terstruktur. Hal ini dilakukan untuk mendapatkan keakurasian data penelitian. Regresi Logistik dilakukan untuk memprediksi hubungan antar dua variabel seperti yang dihipotresiskan. Hasilnya mengindikasi bahwa konsumen yang mempunyai gaya hidup pemerhati mode cenderung membeli merek

“Speaking German Like Nobody’s Business”: Anna May Wong, Walter Benjamin, and the Possibilities of Asian American Cosmopolitanism

OpenAIRE

Lim, Shirley Jennifer

2012-01-01

In the summer of 1928 in Berlin, the noted German Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) and Chinese American actress Anna May Wong (1905–1961) shared an unlikely encounter that set in relief European and American conceptions of modernity as well as white European intellectual and American racial minority cosmopolitanisms. On July 6, 1928, Benjamin published the results as “Gespräch mit Anne May Wong” [“Speaking with Anna May Wong: A Chinoiserie from the Old West”] on the front page o...

36 CFR 1238.28 - What must agencies do when sending permanent microform records to a records storage facility?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 1232 of this chapter and the additional requirements in this section. (b) Package non-silver copies separately from the silver gelatin original or silver duplicate microform copy and clearly label them as non-silver copies. (c) Include the following information on the transmittal (SF 135 for NARA Federal Records...

Wong-Type Dermatomyositis Showing Porokeratosis-Like Changes (Columnar Dyskeratosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

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Nicole Umanoff

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Wong-type dermatomyositis (DM exhibits simultaneous pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP features. Case Report: A 50-year-old woman presented with a heliotrope rash, Gottron's papules, and a poikilodermic, erythematous rash in shawl distribution without evidence of muscle weakness. Despite topical corticosteroids, the eruption progressed 9 months later to include generalized hyperkeratotic follicular papules, islands of sparing, and atrophic macules with a collarette of scale suggestive of porokeratosis. Mild dysphonia was the only sign of muscle weakness. Serology showed positive ANA. Histopathology revealed interface dermatitis with dermal mucin and melanophages, irregular psoriasiform hyperplasia, alternating mounds of para- and orthokeratosis, and tiers of dyskeratotic cells (columnar dyskeratosis. Systemic corticosteroid therapy was not tolerated; acitretin diminished the hyperkeratosis. While hyperpigmentation persisted, no progression of cutaneous or muscular symptoms has occurred after 22 months of follow-up and cessation of the therapy. Overall, her course did not differ from the natural history documented in the literature review of Wong-type DM. The most similar case also exhibited pseudocornoid lamella changes. Conclusion: Wong-type DM is a clinicopathologic DM-PRP hybrid that can also exhibit porokeratosis-like features best described as columnar dyskeratosis. Recognizing these types of lesions in DM is warranted in order to make an accurate assessment of their prognostic significance.

Measurement of material mechanical properties in microforming

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Wang; Xu, Zhenying; Hui, Huang; Zhou, Jianzhong

2006-02-01

As the rapid market need of micro-electro-mechanical systems engineering gives it the wide development and application ranging from mobile phones to medical apparatus, the need of metal micro-parts is increasing gradually. Microforming technology challenges the plastic processing technology. The findings have shown that if the grain size of the specimen remains constant, the flow stress changes with the increasing miniaturization, and also the necking elongation and the uniform elongation etc. It is impossible to get the specimen material properties in conventional tensile test machine, especially in the high precision demand. Therefore, one new measurement method for getting the specimen material-mechanical property with high precision is initiated. With this method, coupled with the high speed of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera and high precision of Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), the elongation and tensile strain in the gauge length are obtained. The elongation, yield stress and other mechanical properties can be calculated from the relationship between the images and CCD camera movement. This measuring method can be extended into other experiments, such as the alignment of the tool and specimen, micro-drawing process.

Hubungan Antara Gaya Hidup Dan Pemilihan Merek Lokal Atau Merek Luar Negeri (Survei Pada Ayam Bakar Wong Solo Vs Kentucky Fried Chicken)

OpenAIRE

Haryanto, Budhi; Febrianto, Awang

2013-01-01

This study examines the influence of lifesyle on probability in buying intention toward domestic brand (Ayam Bakar Wong Solo) or foreign brand (Kentucky Fried Chicken). Convenience sampling method was employed to acquire 250 samples with the criteria of: (1) the respondents had the intention to buy Ayam Bakar Wong Solo or has intention to buy Kentucky Fried Chicken, (2) respondents had the freedom to take or to refuse to paticipate in the survey. (3) Survey was conducted in the form of direct...

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2000-07-13

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

Quantum Stratonovich calculus and the quantum Wong-Zakai theorem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gough, John

2006-01-01

We extend the Ito(bar sign)-to-Stratonovich analysis or quantum stochastic differential equations, introduced by Gardiner and Collett for emission (creation), absorption (annihilation) processes, to include scattering (conservation) processes. Working within the framework of quantum stochastic calculus, we define Stratonovich calculus as an algebraic modification of the Ito(bar sign) one and give conditions for the existence of Stratonovich time-ordered exponentials. We show that conversion formula for the coefficients has a striking resemblance to Green's function formulas from standard perturbation theory. We show that the calculus conveniently describes the Markov limit of regular open quantum dynamical systems in much the same way as in the Wong-Zakai approximation theorems of classical stochastic analysis. We extend previous limit results to multiple-dimensions with a proof that makes use of diagrammatic conventions

Kwong-Wong-type integral equation on time scales

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Baoguo Jia

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Consider the second-order nonlinear dynamic equation $$ [r(tx^Delta(ho(t]^Delta+p(tf(x(t=0, $$ where $p(t$ is the backward jump operator. We obtain a Kwong-Wong-type integral equation, that is: If $x(t$ is a nonoscillatory solution of the above equation on $[T_0,infty$, then the integral equation $$ frac{r^sigma(tx^Delta(t}{f(x^sigma(t} =P^sigma(t+int^infty_{sigma(t}frac{r^sigma(s [int^1_0f'(x_h(sdh][x^Delta(s]^2}{f(x(s f(x^sigma(s}Delta s $$ is satisfied for $tgeq T_0$, where $P^sigma(t=int^infty_{sigma(t}p(sDelta s$, and $x_h(s=x(s+hmu(sx^Delta(s$. As an application, we show that the superlinear dynamic equation $$ [r(tx^{Delta}(ho(t]^Delta+p(tf(x(t=0, $$ is oscillatory, under certain conditions.

« Comme à l’époque de Suzie Wong ». Les mutations du red-light district de Wan Chai

OpenAIRE

Paris, Nicolas

2011-01-01

Le roman exotique Le monde de Suzie Wong et ses nombreuses adaptations immortalisent le red-light district de Wan Chai à Hong Kong à la fin des années 1950, mettant en scène marins américains, expatriés de l’Empire britannique et prostituées hongkongaises. Aujourd’hui, avec la mondialisation, Wan Chai est fréquenté par des migrantes de plusieurs pays d’Asie du Sud-Est. Pourtant, le red-light district est toujours associé dans la presse et les guides de voyage à « l’époque de Suzie Wong ». Ces...

El universo plástico y sensorial de La mano (Wong Kar Wai, 2004

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Melendo, Ana

2012-04-01

Full Text Available En español: Con el presente artículo, queremos mostrar cómo Wong Kar Wai, heredero de un cine muy vinculado a la modernidad cinematográfica, plantea en el cortometraje La mano (2004 temas como la soledad, la actitud melancólica o la necesidad de ensimismamiento. Estos, junto al estudio de la geometría, los colores saturados y las calidades pictóricas, y bajo el prisma de un realismo metafísico, dan lugar a situaciones ópticas, sonoras y táctiles puras. Es así como en el film del cineasta chino se ponen de manifiesto, a través de la presencia del fragmento corporal y la metonimia, las texturas, coloreadas y sonoras, que configuran los espacios sensoriomotrices del submundo en el que acontece la historia. In english: In this article, we show how Wong Kar Wai, heir to a filmography closely linked to cinematographic modernity, explores themes such as loneliness, melancholy, or self-absorption in his short film The Hand (2004. These themes, together with his study of geometry, saturated colours and pictorial qualities through the prism of metaphysical realism, give rise to purely optical, sonorous and tactile situations. In this way, the Chinese film director reveals, through the presence of a body fragment and metonymy, the colourful and sonorous textures that form the sensory-motor spaces of the underworld in which the story is set.

El universo plástico y sensorial de la mano (Wong Kar Wai, 2004

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana MELENDO CRUZ

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this article, we show how Wong Kar Wai, heir to a filmography closely linked to cinematographic modernity, explores themes such as loneliness, melancholy, or self-absorption in his short film The Hand (2004. These themes, together with his study of geometry, saturated colours and pictorial qualities through the prism of metaphysical realism, give rise to purely optical, sonorous and tactile situations. In this way, the Chinese film director reveals, through the presence of a body fragment and metonymy, the colourful and sonorous textures that form the sensory-motor spaces of the underworld in which the story is set

Canonical formulations of a classical particle in a Yang-Mills field and Wong's equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, R.

1984-01-01

Wong (1970) introduced equations of motion for a spin 0 particle in a Yang-Mills field which was widely accepted among physicists. It is shown that these are equivalent to the various mathematical formulations for the motion of such particles as given by the Kaluza-Klein formulation of Kerner, and those of Sternberg, and Weinstein. In doing this, we show that Sternberg's space is, in a natural way, a symplectic leaf of a reduced Poisson manifold and relations to a construction of Kummer's for dynamics on the cotangent bundle of a principle bundle are clarified. (orig.)

Complicating Culture and Difference: Situating Asian American Youth Identities in Lisa Yee's "Millicent Min," "Girl Genius" and "Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time"

Science.gov (United States)

Endo, Rachel

2009-01-01

This review situates how culture, difference, and identity are discursively constructed in "Millicent Min, Girl Genius" and "Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time," two award-winning books written by critically acclaimed Asian American author Lisa Yee. Using contextual literacy approaches, the characters, cultural motifs, and physical settings in these…

Full-scale measurements and system identification on Sutong cable-stayed bridge during Typhoon Fung-Wong.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Tao, Tianyou; Guo, Tong; Li, Jian; Li, Aiqun

2014-01-01

The structural health monitoring system (SHMS) provides an effective tool to conduct full-scale measurements on existing bridges for essential research on bridge wind engineering. In July 2008, Typhoon Fung-Wong lashed China and hit Sutong cable-stayed bridge (SCB) in China. During typhoon period, full-scale measurements were conducted to record the wind data and the structural vibration responses were collected by the SHMS installed on SCB. Based on the statistical method and the spectral analysis technique, the measured data are analyzed to obtain the typical parameters and characteristics. Furthermore, this paper analyzed the measured structural vibration responses and indicated the vibration characteristics of the stay cable and the deck, the relationship between structural vibrations and wind speed, the comparison of upstream and downstream cable vibrations, the effectiveness of cable dampers, and so forth. Considering the significance of damping ratio in vibration mitigation, the modal damping ratios of the SCB are identified based on the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) combined with the random decrement technique (RDT). The analysis results can be used to validate the current dynamic characteristic analysis methods, buffeting calculation methods, and wind tunnel test results of the long-span cable-stayed bridges.

Full-Scale Measurements and System Identification on Sutong Cable-Stayed Bridge during Typhoon Fung-Wong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The structural health monitoring system (SHMS provides an effective tool to conduct full-scale measurements on existing bridges for essential research on bridge wind engineering. In July 2008, Typhoon Fung-Wong lashed China and hit Sutong cable-stayed bridge (SCB in China. During typhoon period, full-scale measurements were conducted to record the wind data and the structural vibration responses were collected by the SHMS installed on SCB. Based on the statistical method and the spectral analysis technique, the measured data are analyzed to obtain the typical parameters and characteristics. Furthermore, this paper analyzed the measured structural vibration responses and indicated the vibration characteristics of the stay cable and the deck, the relationship between structural vibrations and wind speed, the comparison of upstream and downstream cable vibrations, the effectiveness of cable dampers, and so forth. Considering the significance of damping ratio in vibration mitigation, the modal damping ratios of the SCB are identified based on the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT combined with the random decrement technique (RDT. The analysis results can be used to validate the current dynamic characteristic analysis methods, buffeting calculation methods, and wind tunnel test results of the long-span cable-stayed bridges.

Temps, Espace et la Eeprésentation de la Subjectivité Dans les Films de Wong Kar-wai

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MOREIRA MACEDO, Ludmila

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Given the importance of the filmmaker Wong Kar-wai not only in the panorama of the cinema of Hong Kong, but in the contemporary cinematographic production as a whole, this paper proposes an analysis of his work concentrated on the problem of the identity of his characters. What we may call the «wongian subject” can be analyzed through various elements such as the tension between past, present and future, the relationship to public and private space, the changes of the perception of time and memory. Another important question that is analyzed is the relationship of the films with the social and political context of contemporary Hong Kong, because the topics of love, loneliness and alienation which invade the protagonists find relation in the transnational character of the Asian cinema and the fusion – often problematic – between Orient and Occident.

A census study exploring the training needs of nurses working in Kwong Wah Hospital and Wong Tai Sin Hospital in Hong Kong, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Yuk-Wah

2013-01-01

As part of the strategic professional development plan for nurses, training needs analysis was conducted from August 2011 to February 2012, in the form of descriptive research with survey design. The aim was to support nursing staff in their professional development needs and promote staff engagement. Consecutive sampling was employed; all full time nurses working in Kwong Wah Hospital (KWH) and Wong Tai Sin Hospital (WTSH) were recruited and invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Based on the findings and conclusions, follow up strategies were proposed. Management then built a sustainable learning environment for KWH and WTSH nurses in the 2012-2015 professional development plan.

A new model and extension of Wong-Sandler mixing rule for prediction of (vapour + liquid) equilibrium of polymer solutions using EOS/GE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haghtalab, Ali; Espanani, Reza

2004-01-01

The cubic equation of state (CEOS) is a powerful method for calculation of (vapour + liquid) equilibrium (VLE) in polymer solutions. Using CEOS for both the vapour and liquid phases allows one to calculate the non-ideality of polymer solutions based on a single EOS approach. However, the traditional mixing rules are not appropriate to extend the CEOS to non-ideal mixtures such as polymer solutions. Several authors have applied the EOS/G E approach to predict (vapour + liquid) equilibria in polymer solutions, however, incorporating an appropriate excess Gibbs free energy for the new mixing rule is a major step. In this research, the NRTL-NRF model was extended in terms of volume fraction of polymer and solvent (instead of mole fraction), then equilibrium calculations were carried out using PRSV EOS and Wong-Sandler mixing rules. Using the adjustable parameters as a function of solution temperature, the NRTL-NRF model can be used as a predictive model. In comparison with NRTL model, the results of the new NRTL-NRF model show better accuracy

Constitutional limits on federal legislation practically compelling medical employment: Wong v Commonwealth; Selim v Professional Services Review Committee.

Science.gov (United States)

Faunce, Thomas

2009-10-01

A recent decision by the High Court of Australia (Wong v Commonwealth; Selim v Professional Services Review Committee (2009) 236 CLR 573) (the PSR case) has not only clarified the scope of the Australian constitutional prohibition on "any form of civil conscription" in relation to federal legislation concerning medical or dental services (s 51xxiiiA), but has highlighted its importance as a great constitutional guarantee ensuring the mixed State-federal and public-private nature of medical service delivery in Australia. Previous decisions of the High Court have clarified that the prohibition does not prevent federal laws regulating the manner in which medical services are provided. The PSR case determined that the anti-overservicing provisions directed at bulk-billing general practitioners under Pt VAA of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth) did not offend the prohibition. Importantly, the High Court also indicated that the s 51(xxiiiA) civil conscription guarantee should be construed widely and that it would invalidate federal laws requiring providers of medical and dental services (either expressly or by practical compulsion) to work for the federal government or any specified State, agency or private industrial employer. This decision is likely to restrict the capacity of any future federal government to restructure the Australian health care system, eg by implementing recommendations from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission for either federal government or private corporate control of presently State-run public hospitals.

36 CFR 1238.5 - What publications are incorporated by reference in this part?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Stored Silver-Gelatin Microforms for Evidence of Deterioration, January 22, 1990, IBR approved for § 1238... Materials—Processed silver-gelatin type black-and-white films—Specifications for stability, February 15... Assurance of First-Generation, Silver Microforms of Documents, June 2, 1998, IBR approved for §§ 1238.10 and...

La inteligencia emocional y el sector financiero colombiano

OpenAIRE

Rodrigo Zárate Torres; Sergio Matviuk

2010-01-01

Existe un consenso general que dice que la inteligencia emocional es la habilidad de los individuos de lidiar con las emociones (Salovey y Mayer, 1990; Law, Wong y Song, 2004; Mayer, Caruso y Salovey, 2000; Wong, Law y Wong, 2004a; Wong, Wong y Law, 2007) y que es tan o más importante que el coeficiente intelectual en la vida de negocios y en la carrera profesional (Erkus, 2008; Goleman, 1995). Poco se ha estudiado acerca de la inteligencia emocional y la mayoría de estudios existentes se han...

Fusion reaction cross-sections using the Wong model within Skyrme energy density based semiclassical extended Thomas Fermi approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Raj, E-mail: rajkumarfzr@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160014 (India); School of Physics and Material Science, Thapar University, Patiala-147004 (India); Sharma, Manoj K. [School of Physics and Material Science, Thapar University, Patiala-147004 (India); Gupta, Raj K. [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160014 (India)

2011-11-15

First, the nuclear proximity potential, obtained by using the semiclassical extended Thomas Fermi (ETF) approach in Skyrme energy density formalism (SEDF), is shown to give more realistic barriers in frozen density approximation, as compared to the sudden approximation. Then, taking advantage of the fact that, in ETF method, different Skyrme forces give different barriers (height, position and curvature), we use the l-summed extended-Wong model of Gupta and collaborators (2009) under frozen densities approximation for calculating the cross-sections, where the Skyrme force is chosen with proper barrier characteristics, not-requiring additional 'barrier modification' effects (lowering or narrowing, etc.), for a best fit to data at sub-barrier energies. The method is applied to capture cross-section data from {sup 48}Ca + {sup 238}U, {sup 244}Pu, and {sup 248}Cm reactions and to fusion-evaporation cross-sections from {sup 58}Ni + {sup 58}Ni, {sup 64}Ni + {sup 64}Ni, and {sup 64}Ni + {sup 100}Mo reactions, with effects of deformations and orientations of nuclei included, wherever required. Interestingly, whereas the capture cross-sections in Ca-induced reactions could be fitted to any force, such as SIII, SV and GSkI, by allowing a small change of couple of units in deduced l{sub max}-values at below-barrier energies, the near-barrier data point of {sup 48}Ca + {sup 248}Cm reaction could not be fitted to l{sub max}-values deduced for below-barrier energies, calling for a check of data. On the other hand, the fusion-evaporation cross-sections in Ni-induced reactions at sub-barrier energies required different Skyrme forces, representing 'modifications of the barrier', for the best fit to data at all incident center-of-mass energies E{sub c.m.}'s, displaying a kind of fusion hindrance at sub-barrier energies. This barrier modification effect is taken into care here by using different Skyrme forces for reactions belonging to different regions of

Effect of microtopography on isotopic composition of methane in porewater and efflux at a boreal peatland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorodnikov, M.; Wilmking, M. [Greifswald Univ. (Georgia). Inst. of Botany and Landscape Ecology; Marushchak, M.; Biasi, C. [Univ. of Eastern Finland, Kuopio (Finland). Dept. of Environmental Science, Bioteknia 2], E-mail: maxim.dorodnikov@uef.fi

2013-09-01

The application of stable isotopes is an approach to identify pathways of methanogenesis, methane (CH{sub 4}) oxidation and transport in peatlands. We measured the stable C isotopic characteristics ({delta}C-13) of CH{sub 4} in peat profiles below hummocks, lawns and hollows of a Finnish mire to study the patterns of CH{sub 4} turnover. Porewater CH{sub 4} concentrations ([CH{sub 4}]; at 0.5-2 m) increased with depth below all microforms. Emissions of CH{sub 4} from hummocks were the lowest, and increased with the increasing water-saturated zone, being {approx}10 times higher from hollows. Thus, the microtopography of the peatland did not affect the porewater [CH{sub 4}] in the water-saturated part of the peat profile, but the CH{sub 4} emissions were affected due to differences in the oxidative potential of the microforms. There was a decrease in {delta}C-13-CH{sub 4} with depth below all microforms indicating dominance of CO{sub 2}-reduction over acetate cleavage pathway of methanogenesis at deep peat layers. However, estimated potential portions of transported CH{sub 4} comprised 50%-70% of the {delta}C-13-CH{sub 4} enrichment on microforms at the 0.5-m depth, hereby masking the acetate cleavage pathway of methanogenesis. Stable C composition ({delta}C-13) of CH{sub 4} proved to be a suitable (but not sufficient) tool to differentiate between types of methanogenesis in continuously water-saturated layers below microforms of a peatland. Combined flux-based and multi-isotopic approaches are needed to better understand the CH{sub 4} turnover process. (orig.)

Modelling (vapour + liquid) and (vapour + liquid + liquid) equilibria of {water (H2O) + methanol (MeOH) + dimethyl ether (DME) + carbon dioxide (CO2)} quaternary system using the Peng-Robinson EoS with Wong-Sandler mixing rule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Kongmeng; Freund, Hannsjoerg; Sundmacher, Kai

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Phase behaviour modelling of H 2 O-MeOH-DME under pressurized CO 2 (anti-solvent) using PRWS. → PRWS-UNIFAC-PSRK has better performance than PRWS-UNIFAC-Lby in general. → Reliable to extend the VLE and VLLE phase behaviour from binary to multicomponent systems. → Successful prediction of the VLE and VLLE of binary, ternary, and quaternary systems. → Potential to apply the model for designing new DME separation process. - Abstract: The (vapour + liquid) equilibria (VLE) and (vapour + liquid + liquid) equilibria (VLLE) binary data from literature were correlated using the Peng-Robinson (PR) equation of state (EoS) with the Wong-Sandler mixing rule (WS). Two group contribution activity models were used in the PRWS: UNIFAC-PSRK and UNIFAC-Lby. The systems were successfully extrapolated from the binary systems to ternary and quaternary systems. Results indicate that the PRWS-UNIFAC-PSRK generally displays a better performance than the PRWS-UNIFAC-Lby.

Wong PG 111-124

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cistvr

focus was placed on the quality and high productivity exemplified by the ... must be recognised: it offers high levels of training, combined with greater ... quality, safety, its high ethical standards, and its concern for employees, customers, ..... Everyone in the organisation, at all levels, from offices to technical service, from.

A NEW COMBINATION AND A NEW NAME IN GYNOCHTHODES (RUBIACEAE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. M. WONG

2016-01-01

Full Text Available WONG, K. M. & RAZAFIMANDIMBISON, S. G. 2015. A new combination and a new name in Gynochthodes(Rubiaceae. Reinwardtia14(2: 297 ‒ 298. — The new combination Gynochthodes lanuginosa (Suratman K. M. Wong & Razafim. and the new name Gynochthodes suratmanii K. M. Wong & Razafim., the latter in place of Morinda wongiana Suratman, are proposed.

Mobile, Multimodal, Label-Free Imaging Probe Analysis of Choroidal Oximetry and Retinal Hypoxia

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Stephen T.C. Wong CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: The Methodist Hospital Houston TX 77030 REPORT DATE: December 2017 TYPE OF...5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-14-1-0537 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Stephen T.C. Wong, Jiasong Li 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER E...experimentation and intepretation of results Funding Support: N/A Name: Stephen Wong Project Role: PI Researcher Identifier (e.g. ORCID ID): 143285

Guía de marcadores sociales, setiembre 2012

OpenAIRE

Gené Pujols, Esteve

2012-01-01

Los marcadores sociales son una forma sencilla y popular de almacenar, clasificar y compartir enlaces web. Aquí se explican en detalle: Delicious, Mister Wong y Diigo. Els marcadors socials són una forma senzilla i popular d'emmagatzemar, classificar i compartir enllaços web. Aquí s'expliquen en detall: Delicious, Mister Wong i Diigo. Social bookmarking is an easy and popular way to store, sort and share web links. Here are explained in detail: Delicious, Mister Wong and Diigo.

Guia de marcadors socials, setembre 2012

OpenAIRE

Gené Pujols, Esteve

2012-01-01

Los marcadores sociales son una forma sencilla y popular de almacenar, clasificar y compartir enlaces web. Aquí se explican en detalle: Delicious, Mister Wong y Diigo. Els marcadors socials són una forma senzilla i popular d'emmagatzemar, classificar i compartir enllaços web. Aquí s'expliquen en detall: Delicious, Mister Wong i Diigo. Social bookmarking is an easy and popular way to store, sort and share web links. Here are explained in detail: Delicious, Mister Wong and Diigo.

77 FR 69422 - Cost Accounting Standards: Revision of the Exemption From Cost Accounting Standards for Contracts...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-19

... Accounting Standards: Revision of the Exemption From Cost Accounting Standards for Contracts and Subcontracts... Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY... J. M. Wong, Director, Cost Accounting Standards Board (telephone: 202-395-6805; email: Raymond_wong...

25 CFR 36.40 - Standard XIII-Library/media program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... philosophy. The librarian or educational media specialist, with students and staff, shall set objectives... the following: Tactile objects, globes, models, maps, films, film-strips, microforms, slides, audio...

La inteligencia emocional y el sector financiero colombiano

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Zárate Torres

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Existe un consenso general que dice que la inteligencia emocional es la habilidad de los individuos de lidiar con las emociones (Salovey y Mayer, 1990; Law, Wong y Song, 2004; Mayer, Caruso y Salovey, 2000; Wong, Law y Wong, 2004a; Wong, Wong y Law, 2007 y que es tan o más importante que el coeficiente intelectual en la vida de negocios y en la carrera profesional (Erkus, 2008; Goleman, 1995. Poco se ha estudiado acerca de la inteligencia emocional y la mayoría de estudios existentes se han realizado en los Estados Unidos, Europa y Asia. Este artículo reporta los resultados de una investigación acerca de la inteligencia emocional en los líderes que están a nivel de gerencia o supervisión del sector financiero colombiano. Para lograr la investigación se utilizó el instrumento desarrollado por Wong y Law (2002 y en total se obtuvo una muestra de 218 participantes. Este instrumento ha sido probado y validado y como resultado se ha concluido que puede ser usado en las áreas de gerencia, liderazgo y comportamiento organizacional (Aslan y Erkus, 2008. Los resultados sugieren que los líderes del sector financiero colombiano saben cómo usar sus emociones, es decir las direccionan hacia actividades constructivas y desempeño personal. Con una amplia ventaja, los líderes del sector financiero valoran y entienden sus propias emociones y las expresan de manera natural. A manera de oportunidad de mejoramiento, se encontró que a los líderes del sector financiero colombiano se les dificulta recobrarse rápidamente de los altibajos emocionales y de la angustia, y también se les dificulta percibir y entender las emociones de las personas a su alrededor.

Friction Drag Reduction Using Superhydrophobic Surface in High Reynolds Number Turbulent Flow

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-25

Nanotechnology Council Early Career Award in Nanotechnology , 2016 (Tak-Sing Wong); 90th Anniversary Medal, Fluids Engineering Division...Outstanding Alumni, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering , The Chinese University of Hong Kong 2014 (Wong); National Defense Science and... Engineering Graduate Fellowship in 2015 (Fu); Fluid Dynamics Prize, American Physical Society, Division of Fluid Dynamics, 2016

Clinical Guide to Music Therapy in Physical Rehabilitation Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Elizabeth

2004-01-01

Elizabeth Wong, MT-BC presents tools and information designed to arm the entry-level music therapist (or an experienced MT-BC new to rehabilitation settings) with basic knowledge and materials to develop or work in a music therapy program treating people with stroke, brain injury, and those who are ventilator dependent. Ms. Wong offers goals and…

48 CFR 1852.208-81 - Restrictions on Printing and Duplicating.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

..., presswork, duplicating, silk screen processes, binding, microform, and the end items of such processes and... one sheet, size 8-1/2×11 inches (215×280 mm), one side only, and one color ink. (d) This clause does...

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON THE LIBRARY BUILDING.

Science.gov (United States)

Educational Facilities Labs., Inc., New York, NY.

LIBRARY PLANNERS SHOULD EXPECT AUTOMATION, MICROFORMS, AND FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION TO MODIFY BUT NOT RADICALLY CHANGE THE LIBRARY AS THE INSTITUTION WE NOW KNOW IT TO BE. CHANGES WILL INVOLVE TRADE-OFFS IN SPACE AND DEMANDS FOR ADDITIONAL SPACE. (MF)

Optical Digital Disk Storage: An Application for News Libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowley, Mary Jo

1988-01-01

Describes the technology, equipment, and procedures necessary for converting a historical newspaper clipping collection to optical disk storage. Alternative storage systems--microforms, laser scanners, optical storage--are also retrieved, and the advantages and disadvantages of optical storage are considered. (MES)

Systems Engineering Approach To Ground Combat Vehicle Survivability In Urban Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

GROUND COMBAT VEHICLE SURVIVABILITY IN URBAN OPERATIONS 5. FUNDING NUMBERS N/A 6. AUTHOR(S) Luhai Wong 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS...distance of 100m in the model , which is reasonable due to the constrained nature of an urban environment. This thesis also uses the key parameters...ENGINEERING APPROACH TO GROUND COMBAT VEHICLE SURVIVABILITY IN URBAN OPERATIONS by Luhai Wong September 2016 Thesis Advisor: Christopher A

Multiple Kernel Learning for Explosive Hazard Detection in Forward-Looking Ground-Penetrating Radar

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-01

Kevin Stone, Derek T. Anderson, James M. Keller, Dominic K.C. Ho, Tuan T. Ton, David C. Wong , Mehrdad Soumekh University of Missouri - Columbia...James M. Kellera, K.C. Hoa, Tuan T. Tone, David C. Wong\\ and Mehrdad Soumekhd aDept. ofElectrical and Computer Engineering, University of Missouri...2] Cremer , F., Schavemaker, J.G., de Jong, W., and Schutte, K., "Comparison of vehicle-mounted forward-looking polarimetric infrared and downward

The value of children in the context of the family in Java / by Paul A. Meyer

Trove (Australia)

Meyer, Paul A

1987-01-01

... The value of children in the context of the family in Java [microform] / by Paul A. Meyer. The value of children in the context of the family in Java by Paul A. Meyer. The value of children in the context of the family in Java ...

In-plane laser forming for high precision alignment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Folkersma, Ger; Römer, Gerardus Richardus, Bernardus, Engelina; Brouwer, Dannis Michel; Huis in 't Veld, Bert

2014-01-01

Laser microforming is extensively used to align components with submicrometer accuracy, often after assembly. While laser-bending sheet metal is the most common laser-forming mechanism, the in-plane upsetting mechanism is preferred when a high actuator stiffness is required. A three-bridge planar

Narrow-Band Processing and Fusion Approach for Explosive Hazard Detection in FLGPR

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Keller, K. C. Ho, Tuan T. Ton, David C. Wong, Mehrdad Soumekh University of Missouri - Columbia Office of Sponsored Programs The Curators of the...Timothy C. Havens* a , James M. Keller a , K.C. Ho a , Tuan T. Ton b , David C. Wong b , and Mehrdad Soumekh c a Dept. of Electrical and Computer...ARO. REFERENCES [1] Cremer , F., Schavemaker, J.G., de Jong, W., and Schutte, K., "Comparison of vehicle-mounted forward-looking polarimetric

Improved Detection and False Alarm Rejection Using FLGPR and Color Imagery in a Forward-Looking System

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

W911NF-05-1-0069 Havens, Tim, C. Spain, Christopher, J. Ho, Dominic, K.C. Keller, James, M. Ton, Tuan, T. Wong, David , C. Soumekh, Mehrdad...James M. Kellera, Tuan T. Tonb, David C. Wong, and Mehrdad Soumekhc aDept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Missouri...Research Office (48343-EV) in support of the u.s. Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD. REFERENCES [1] Cremer , F., Schavemaker, J.G., de Jong, W., and Schutte, K

MFIRE-2: A Multi Agent System for Flow-Based Intrusion Detection Using Stochastic Search

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-01

Algorithms to pattern recognition comes from Radtke et al. [72]. The authors apply Multi- Objective Genetic Algorithms (MOGAs) to two parts of a handwritten...Postel, J.B. “User Datagram Protocol. RFC 768”, 1980. [72] Radtke , Paulo V. W., Robert Sabourin, and Tony Wong. “Classification system optimization...Rennes 1, Suvisoft, La Baule (France), 10 2006. URL http://hal.inria.fr/inria-00104200/en/. [73] Radtke , P.V.W., T. Wong, and R. Sabourin. “A multi

Electrostatically Driven Large Aperture Micro-Mirror Actuator Assemblies for High Fill-Factor, Agile Optical Phase Arrays

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-18

techniques, microforming can produce micro devices with features up to the millimeter range which can be used to mold precise plastic parts or as a...adjacent device deposited debris across every other device. Figure 55 clearly shows the debris field produced by the disintegration of the

Micro-hydromechanical deep drawing of metal cups with hydraulic pressure effects

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Liang; Jiang, Zhengyi; Wei, Dongbin; Wang, Xiaogang; Zhou, Cunlong; Huang, Qingxue

2018-03-01

Micro-metal products have recently enjoyed high demand. In addition, metal microforming has drawn increasing attention due to its net-forming capability, batch manufacturing potential, high product quality, and relatively low equipment cost. Micro-hydromechanical deep drawing (MHDD), a typical microforming method, has been developed to take advantage of hydraulic force. With reduced dimensions, the hydraulic pressure development changes; accordingly, the lubrication condition changes from the macroscale to the microscale. A Voronoi-based finite element model is proposed in this paper to consider the change in lubrication in MHDD according to open and closed lubricant pocket theory. Simulation results agree with experimental results concerning drawing force. Changes in friction significantly affect the drawing process and the drawn cups. Moreover, defined wrinkle indexes have been shown to have a complex relationship with hydraulic pressure. High hydraulic pressure can increase the maximum drawing ratio (drawn cup height), whereas the surface finish represented by the wear is not linearly dependent on the hydraulic pressure due to the wrinkles.

Investigation of magnetization reversal process in pinned CoFeB thin film by in-situ Lorentz TEM

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Ke; Xia, Wei-Xing; Wang, Bao-Min; Wen, Xing-Cheng; Sheng, Ping; Liu, Jia-Ping; Liu, Xin-Cai; Li, Run-Wei

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0201102), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51571208), the Instrument Developing Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. YZ201536), the Program for Key Science and Technology Innovation Team of Zhejiang Province, China (Grant No. 2013TD08), the K C Wong Education Foundation (Grant No. rczx0800), and the K C Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University.

Council On Library Resources, Inc. Seventeenth Annual Report, For the Year Ending June 30, 1973.

Science.gov (United States)

Council on Library Resources, Inc., Washington, DC.

This report describes the efforts of the Council on Library Resources to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of operations in libraries during 1972-73. It covers 9 major areas: national library services, automation and networks, the academic library, the public library, microform and nonprint media, preservation and library…

The motion of color-charged particles as a means of testing the non-Abelian dark matter model

OpenAIRE

Dzhunushaliev, V.; Folomeev, V.; Protsenko, N.

2018-01-01

A possibility is discussed for experimental testing of the dark matter model supported by a classic non-Abelian SU(3) gauge (Yang-Mills) field. Our approach is based on the analysis of the motion of color-charged particles on the background of color electric and magnetic fields using the Wong equations. Estimating the magnitudes of the color fields near the edge of a galaxy, we employ them in obtaining the general analytic solutions to the Wong equations. Using the latter, we calculate the ma...

USER SERVICES AND EXTENSION SERVICES IN SELECTED SPECIAL LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES.

Science.gov (United States)

NONINI, CERISE

A SURVEY BY QUESTIONNAIRE WAS MADE OF THE PROBLEM OF USER SERVICES AND EXTENSION SERVICES USED IN THE DISSEMINATION OF MATERIALS AND INFORMATION TO A SELECTED NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL LIBRARIES. THE SURVEY RESULTED IN DATA CONCERNING STAFF SIZE, PROFESSIONAL-TO-CLERICAL RATIO, SIZE OF BOOK, DOCUMENT, PERIODICAL AND MICROFORM COLLECTIONS, LIBRARY…

National Libraries Section. General Research Libraries Division. Papers.

Science.gov (United States)

International Federation of Library Associations, The Hague (Netherlands).

Papers on national library services and activities, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "The National Library of China in its Gradual Application of Modern Technology," a discussion by Zhu Nan and Zhu Yan (China) of microform usage and library automation; (2)…

34 CFR 668.24 - Record retention and examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... representative. (3) An institution may keep required records in hard copy or in microform, computer file, optical disk, CD-ROM, or other media formats, provided that— (i) Except for the records described in paragraph (d)(3)(ii) of this section, all record information must be retrievable in a coherent hard copy format...

Who would benefit from memory training? A pilot study examining the ceiling effect of concurrent cognitive stimulation

OpenAIRE

Kwok, Timothy CY; Chau, Wai Wang; Yuen, Kenneth SL; Wong, Anita YM; Li, Jessie CY; Shiu, Rebecca YY; Ho, Florence KY

2011-01-01

Timothy CY Kwok1,2, Wai Wang Chau1, Kenneth SL Yuen1,3, Anita YM Wong4, Jessie CY Li1, Rebecca YY Shiu4, Florence KY Ho11Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Hong Kong; 2Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; 3Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; 4The Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club Madam Wong Chan Sook Ying Memorial Care and Attention Home for the Aged, Hong KongAbstr...

Library Technology and Architecture; Report of a Conference Held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, February 9, 1967.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education.

The purpose of the conference was to investigate the implications of new technologies for library architecture and to use the findings in planning new Library Research Facility for the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The first half of this document consists of reports prepared by six consultants on such topics as microforms, computers,…

Information Hang-Ups; Problems Encountered by Users of the Technical Information Services Offered by DDC and CFSTI, with Recommendations for the Future.

Science.gov (United States)

Committee of DDC Users in the Greater Washington, DC. Area, Washington, DC.

A change in policy of the Defense Documentation Center (DDC) with regard to supplying hard copy and/or microforms of reports caused problems to users of the DDC Technical Report Service. Discussions among users of the service, a questionnaire survey and committee reports summarized basic user concerns, provided selected statistics and a look at…

Effect of laser energy on the deformation behavior in microscale laser bulge forming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Chao; Sun Sheng; Ji Zhong; Wang Wei

2010-01-01

Microscale laser bulge forming is a high strain rate microforming method using high-amplitude shock wave pressure induced by pulsed laser irradiation. The process can serve as a rapidly established and high precision technique to impress microfeatures on thin sheet metals and holds promise of manufacturing complex miniaturized devices. The present paper investigated the forming process using both numerical and experimental methods. The effect of laser energy on microformability of pure copper was discussed in detail. A 3D measuring laser microscope was adopted to measure deformed regions under different laser energy levels. The deformation measurements showed that the experimental and numerical results were in good agreement. With the verified simulation model, the residual stress distribution at different laser energy was predicted and analyzed. The springback was found as a key factor to determine the distribution and magnitude of the compressive residual stress. In addition, the absorbent coating and the surface morphology of the formed samples were observed through the scanning electron microscope. The observation confirmed that the shock forming process was non-thermal attributed to the protection of the absorbent coating.

Recent Developments in Microhydroforming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Forouhandeh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Microforming is an emerging forming technology area in which small parts of 1 mm or less are formed under a variety of processes and process conditions. The technology is serving several industries like machine tools, medical and surgery, aerospace, atomic power, automotive, and energy sectors. Hydroforming has been a major field of interest for engineering and scientific research as well as designers and developers to look for its optimal process in terms of surface quality and part consolidation. Sheet hydroforming (SHF process is found to be a special one for sheet metal component manufacturing formed under high fluid pressure. In this paper, an overview of various aspects of research on microforming and microhydroforming (sheet/tube hydroforming by the authors and others in general has been presented. Most of the papers reviewed herein relate to modeling and simulation of the process and various forming issues such as process parameters, and experimental study of different alloys has been studied. Finally, current ongoing research on micro-SHF work by the authors has been introduced.

Behaviour of levee on softsoil caused by rapid drawdown

Science.gov (United States)

Upomo, Togani Cahyadi; Effendi, Mahmud Kori; Kusumawardani, Rini

2018-03-01

Rapid Drawdown is a condition where the water elevation that has reached the peak suddenly drops. As the water level reaches the peak, hydrostatic pressure helps in the stability of the slope. When water elevation decreases there will be two effects. First, reduced hydrostatic pressure and second, modification of pore water pressure. Rapid draw down usually comon in hydraulic structure such as dam and levee. This study will discuss behaviour of levee on softsoil caused by rapid drawdown. The analysis based on method which developed by US Army Corps Engineer and modified method which developed by Duncan, Wright, dan Wong. Results of analysis show that in drawdown condition, at 1 m drop of water, safety factor obtained based on US Army Corps Engineer method was 1.16 and 0.976 while based on Duncan, Wright, and Wong methods were 1.244 and 1.117. At 0.5 m water level, safety factor based on US Army Corps Engineer method was 1.287 and 1.09 while Duncan, Wright, and Wong were 1.357 and 1.194.

Advanced testing and characterization of shear modulus and deformation characteristics of oil sand materials

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Anochie-Boateng, Joseph

2014-09-01

Full Text Available and Pressures,” Can. Geotech. J., Vol. 24, 1987, pp. 1–10. [5] Samieh, A.M. and Wong, R.C.K., “Deformation of Athabasca Oil Sand in Triaxial Compression Tests at Low Effective Stresses under Varying Boundary Conditions,” Can. Geotech. J., Vol.34, 1997, pp.... 985– 990. [6] Samieh, A.M. and Wong, R.C.K., “Modeling the Responses of Athabasca Oil Sand in Triaxial Compression Tests at Low Pressure,” Can. Geotech. J., Vol. 35, 1998, pp. 395–406. [7] AASHTO Standard T265, 2009, “Laboratory Determination...

Tribological influence of tool surface roughness within microforming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Rasmus Solmer; Weidel, S.; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2010-01-01

A comparative friction study of tooling dies with a simple internal cylindrical geometry has been performed. The purpose of the experiment consist of studying the influence of the surface characteristics of tooling dies on the frictional behaviour in a micro bulk forming operation. This research ...

Formation and decay cross sections of {sup 66}As{sup ⁎} formed in an exotic proton-halo {sup 8}B induced reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaur, Gurvinder; Jain, Deepika; Kumar, Raj; Sharma, Manoj K., E-mail: msharma@thapar.edu

2013-10-23

In reference to experimental data on the fusion of a proton-halo {sup 8}B projectile with a {sup 58}Ni target, a systematic decay study of {sup 66}As{sup ⁎} is carried out in the framework of the dynamical cluster-decay model (DCM). The calculations suggest that the fusion excitation function of {sup 66}As{sup ⁎} consists of light particles (LPs) as the most dominant contributors, followed by intermediate mass fragments (IMFs) and fission fragments. A description of deformation effects is also provided by considering spherical and deformed choice of fragmentation up to quadrupole (β{sub 2i}) and hexadecapole (β{sub 2i}–β{sub 4i}) deformation. The DCM-based excitation functions agree well with the observed experimental cross sections for all three choices of fragmentation. The ℓ-summed Wong model is also employed to analyze the fusion cross section, which seems to work well, except for the minimum energy that lies below the barrier. Evidently, at below-barrier energy, the Wong model requires further barrier modification, which in the DCM, is accounted by its inbuilt property of barrier modification. Predictions of cross sections at higher extrapolated energies have also been done using both the DCM and ℓ-summed Wong model.

Modification of van La ar activity coefficient model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vakili-Nezhaad, G. R.; Modarress, H.; Mansoori, G. A.

2001-01-01

Based on statistical and mechanical arguments, the original van La ar activity coefficient model has been improved by reasonable assumptions. This modifications has been done by replacing the van der Waals equation of state with the Redlich-K wong equation of state in the formulation of van La ar with consistent mixing rules for the energy and volume parameters of this equation of state (a mix , b mix ). Other equations of state, such as the Soave modification of the Redlich-K wong equation of state, P eng-Robinson and Mohsen-Nia, Modarress and Mansoori equations of state, have been introduced in the formulation of van La ar for the activity coefficients of the components present in the binary liquid mixtures, and their effects on the accuracy of the resultant activity coefficient models have been examined. The results of these revised models have been compared with the experimental data and it was found that the Redlich-K wong equation of state with the van der Waals mixing rules for the volume and energy parameters of this equation, is the best choice among these equations of state. In addition, it can improve the original van La ar activity coefficient model and, therefore a better agreement with the experimental data is obtained

Kuuekümnes Cannes'i filmifestival alustas rullumist / Jaak Lõhmus

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Lõhmus, Jaak

2007-01-01

Algas 60. Cannes'i filmifestival. Pikemalt avafilmist - Wong Kar-Wai "My Blueberry Nights", festivali ajaloost ja korraldusest, eestlaste osalemisest (K. Kõusaar filmiga "Magnus", filmiturul "Klass" ja "Sügisball")

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge: 2000 Academic Award

Science.gov (United States)

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge 2000 award winner, Professor Chi-Huey Wong, developed reactions with enzymes and safer solvents that can replace traditional reactions done with toxic metals and hazardous solvents.

Tribological effects of polymer surface modification through plastic

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Tribological effects of polymer surface modification through plastic deformation. K O Low K J Wong ... In this regard, a surface modification technique through plastic deformation has been implemented. ... Bulletin of Materials Science | News.

Original Article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

JEN

Twenty nine had right transverse loop colostomy in the neonatal period; four were under local anesthesia ... Three patients resented with enterocolitis - explosive diarrhea and fever. .... GDH, Manglick P,. Wong CL, Athanasakos H, Elliott E,.

Eros / Aare Ermel

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Ermel, Aare, 1957-2013

2006-01-01

Kolmest iseseisvast armastusloost koosnev episoodfilm "Eros" : režissöörid Wong Kar-Wai ("Käsi"), Steven Soderbergh ("Tasakaal" / "Equilibrium"), Michelangelo Antonioni ("Asjade ohtlik käik") : Hongkong - Hiina - USA - Prantsuse - Itaalia 2004

Genetics Home Reference: hepatic veno-occlusive disease with immunodeficiency

Science.gov (United States)

... Donald JA, Kirk EP, Ziegler JB, Salzer U, McDonald GB, Wong M, Lindeman R, Buckley MF. Mutations ... 10 All Bulletins Features What is direct-to-consumer genetic testing? What are genome editing and CRISPR- ...

Recent Developments in Microhydroforming

OpenAIRE

F. Forouhandeh; S. Kumar; S. N. Ojha; R. Balasubramanian

2013-01-01

Microforming is an emerging forming technology area in which small parts of 1 mm or less are formed under a variety of processes and process conditions. The technology is serving several industries like machine tools, medical and surgery, aerospace, atomic power, automotive, and energy sectors. Hydroforming has been a major field of interest for engineering and scientific research as well as designers and developers to look for its optimal process in terms of surface quality and part consolid...

Association between vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism (TaqI ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2015-09-10

Sep 10, 2015 ... confirmed that VDR plays an important role in energy meta- bolism (Wong et al. ... of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, chronic liver .... Logistic regression analysis of traits associated with obesity. 95% CI.

Microrelief Associated with Gas Emission Craters: Remote-Sensing and Field-Based Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Kizyakov

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Formation of gas emission craters (GEC is a new process in the permafrost zone, leading to considerable terrain changes. Yet their role in changing the relief is local, incomparable in the volume of the removed deposits to other destructive cryogenic processes. However, the relief-forming role of GECs is not limited to the appearance of the crater itself, but also results in positive and negative microforms as well. Negative microforms are rounded hollows, surrounded by piles of ejected or extruded deposits. Hypotheses related to the origin of these forms are put forward and supported by an analysis of multi-temporal satellite images, field observations and photographs of GECs. Remote sensing data specifically was used for interpretation of landform origin, measuring distances and density of material scattering, identifying scattered material through analysis of repeated imagery. Remote-sensing and field data reliably substantiate an impact nature of the hollows around GECs. It is found that scattering of frozen blocks at a distance of up to 293 m from a GEC is capable of creating an impact hollow. These data indicate the influence of GEC on the relief through the formation of a microrelief within a radius of 15–20 times the radius of the crater itself. Our study aims at the prediction of risk zones.

Cannes loodab häid üllatusi Ida-Euroopast / Annika Koppel

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Koppel, Annika

2007-01-01

Algas 60. Cannes'i filmifestival. Eestit esindav Kadri Kõusaare filmi "Magnus" peaks esilinastuma 18. mail, kui kohtuotsus näitamiskeelu kohta seda ei takista. Pikemalt avafilmist - Wong Kar-Wai "My Blueberry Nights", ka venelase Andrei Zvjagintsevi filmist "Pagendus"

12-Bit High Dynamic Range ADC

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Oyama, Bert

1997-01-01

.... The results were discussed during a teleconference held on September 4, 1997 (attendees were: 0. Nichols, B. Oyama, S. Nelson, M. Englekirk, and B. Wong). Summaries of the analysis results are shown in Figures 1-1 and 1-2...

Kinolevi filme tutvustab Tiit Tuumalu / Tiit Tuumalu

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tuumalu, Tiit, 1971-

2008-01-01

Põnevusfilm "Eela orus" ("In the Valley of Elah") : režissöör Paul Haggis : Ameerika Ühendriigid 2007 ja Wong Kar-Wai mängufilm "Minu mustikakarva ööd" ("My Blueberry Nights") : Hiina - Hongkong - Prantsusmaa 2007

BIOINSPIRED DESIGN AND DIRECTED EVOLUTION OF IRON CONTAINING ENZYMES FOR GREENSYNTHETIC PROCESSES AND BIOREMEDIATION

Science.gov (United States)

SU833912Title: Bioinspired Design and Directed Evolution of Iron Containing Enzymes for Green Synthetic Processes and BioremediationEdward I. Solomon, Shaun D. Wong, Lei Liu, Caleb B. Bell, IIICynthia Nolt-HelmsProject Period: August 15, 2008 - August 14,...

Olukorrast Cannes'i rindel, edukast / Merit Kask

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kask, Merit

2007-01-01

Algas 60. Cannes'i filmifestival. Pikemalt avafilmist - Wong Kar-Wai "My Blueberry Nights", venelase Andrei Zvjagintsevi filmist "Izgnanije"(artikli autoril "Karistus"), David Fincheri kriminaalfilmist "Zodiac", rumeenlase Christian "Mungiu filmist "Neli kuud, kolm nädalat ja kaks päeva"

Film ja festival - ilusam kui elu / Andres Maimik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Maimik, Andres, 1970-

1998-01-01

Tallinna I Rahvusvahelisel Filmifestivalil mängufilmid "Õnnelikult koos" ("Happy Together"), režissöör Wong Kar-Wai : Hongkong 1997 ja "Elu on ilus" ("La vita e bella"), režissöör Roberto Benigni : Itaalia 1997

PÖFF käib vaikselt edasi / Margit Adorf

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Adorf, Margit, 1974-

2007-01-01

PÖFFi filme: Wong Kar-Wai mängufilm "Mu mustikakarva ööd" ("My Blueberry Nights") : Hongkong - Hiina - Prantsusmaa 2007 ja loodusfilm "Arktika lugu" ("Arctic Tale") : režissöörid Sarah Robertson, Adam Ravetch : Ameerika Ühendriigid 2007

Load flow analysis using decoupled fuzzy load flow under critical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

3.1 Maximum range selection of input and output variables: ..... Wong K. P., Li A., and Law M.Y., “ Advanced Constrained Genetic Algorithm Load Flow Method”, IEE Proc. ... Dr. Parimal Acharjee passed B.E.E. from North Bengal University ...

hepatitis b and hiv co-infection in south africa: just treat it! clinical

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-03-16

Mar 16, 2009 ... There are an estimated 350 million hepatitis B carriers worldwide. The prevalence of ... detection of two regions of the hepatitis virus DNA via. PCR is required for an ..... Bhattacharya D, Katzenstein D, Wong A, et al. Alanine ...

Factors Associated with Teen Pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

Therefore, it is important to test the influence of household- ...... South African Journal of Psychology 2010;. 40(1):18-31. ... Reynolds HW, Wong EL, Tucker H. Adolescents' use of maternal .... Eyakuze A, Salim A. The state of East Africa 2012:.

Disease: H00071 [KEGG MEDICUS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available H00071 Hereditary fructose intolerance; Fructosemia Hereditary fructose intolerance... MeSH: D005633 OMIM: 229600 PMID:16086449 ... AUTHORS ... Wong D ... TITLE ... Hereditary fructose intolerance. ... JOURNAL ... Mol Genet Metab 85:165-7 (2005) DOI:10.1016/j.ymgme.2005.05.001 ...

Disease: H00838 [KEGG MEDICUS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available erardinis T, Magli A, Schiavi C, Pastore-Trossello M, Koc F, Wong AM, Levin AV, Geraghty MT, Descartes M, Fl...aherty M, Jamieson RV, Moller HU, Meuthen I, Callen DF, Kerwin J, Lindsay S, Meindl A, Gupta ML Jr, Pellman

Numerical methods for stochastic partial differential equations with white noise

CERN Document Server

Zhang, Zhongqiang

2017-01-01

This book covers numerical methods for stochastic partial differential equations with white noise using the framework of Wong-Zakai approximation. The book begins with some motivational and background material in the introductory chapters and is divided into three parts. Part I covers numerical stochastic ordinary differential equations. Here the authors start with numerical methods for SDEs with delay using the Wong-Zakai approximation and finite difference in time. Part II covers temporal white noise. Here the authors consider SPDEs as PDEs driven by white noise, where discretization of white noise (Brownian motion) leads to PDEs with smooth noise, which can then be treated by numerical methods for PDEs. In this part, recursive algorithms based on Wiener chaos expansion and stochastic collocation methods are presented for linear stochastic advection-diffusion-reaction equations. In addition, stochastic Euler equations are exploited as an application of stochastic collocation methods, where a numerical compa...

Isobaric (vapor + liquid) equilibria of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate plus (propionaldehyde or valeraldehyde): Experimental data and prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez, Victor H.; Mattedi, Silvana; Aznar, Martin

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We report density, refraction index, and VLE for (propionaldehyde or valeraldehyde) + [emim][EtSO 4 ]. → The Peng -Robinson + Wong -Sandler + COSMO-SAC model was used to predict density and VLE. → The densities were predicted with deviations below than 2.3%. → The experimental VLE was predicted with deviations below than 1.6%. - Abstract: This paper reports the density, refraction index, and (vapor + liquid) equilibria (VLE) for binary systems {aldehyde + 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([emim][EtSO 4 ])}: {propionaldehyde + [emim][EtSO 4 ]} and {valeraldehyde + [emim][EtSO 4 ]}. The uncertainties for the temperature, pressure, and compositions measurements for the phase equilibria are ±0.1 K, ±0.01 kPa and ±0.0004, respectively. A qualitative analysis of the variation of the properties with changes in solvent and temperature was performed. The Peng-Robinson equation of state (PR EoS), coupled with the Wong-Sandler mixing rule (WS), is used to describe the experimental data. To calculate activity coefficients we used three different models: NRTL, UNIQUAC, and COSMO-SAC. Since the predictive liquid activity coefficient model COSMO-SAC is used in the Wong-Sandler mixing rule, the resulting thermodynamic model is a completely predictive one. The prediction results for the density and for the (vapor + liquid) equilibria have a deviation lower than 2.3% and 1.6%, respectively. The (vapor + liquid) equilibria predictions show a good description for the propionaldehyde system and only a qualitative description for the valeraldehyde system.

A note on the gap between the first two eigenvalues for the Schroedinger operator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benguria, R.

1986-01-01

By means of a commutation formula, the author gives a simple proof of the upper bound of Wong et al on the gap between the first two eigenvalues in the Schrodinger operator. Unfortunately this proof does not seem to generalise into higher dimensions. (author)

The fostering role of information technology on SMEs' strategic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2013-05-03

May 3, 2013 ... 8Key words: strategic purchasing, information technology (IT), ... 2011); the impact of IT on logistics performance (Kengpol 2007; Lai, Wong & Cheng .... control over performance is possible by considering global solutions in .... the logistics activities between the external suppliers and internal organisational.

Analysis of Shiphandlers’ Eye-Gaze and Simulation Data for Improvements in COVE-ITS System

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

intelligent tutor (Wong, Kirschenbaum, & Peters 2010). The expert model is a Java -based implementation of Adaptive Control of Thought—Rational (ACT-R...Across Frameworks 2007, Stanford, CA. Cohn, J., & Patrey, J. (2001). Virtual environments as a multi-modal “real world” laboratory for training. In

Proximate and mineral analysis of some wild edible mushrooms

African Journals Online (AJOL)

israelikk

2012-04-12

Apr 12, 2012 ... Key words: Edible mushroom, mineral composition, proximate analysis. ... than beef, pork and chicken that contain similar nutrients. .... legumes and meat. In earlier studies, Gruen and Wong. (1982) indicated that edible mushrooms were highly nutritional and compared favourably with meat, egg and milk.

77 FR 65685 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board; Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-30

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9747-4] Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board... performance review boards. This board shall review and evaluate the initial appraisal of a senior executive's... performance of the senior executive. Members of the 2012 EPA Performance Review Board are: Benita Best-Wong...

78 FR 77125 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board; Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-20

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9904-20-OARM] Senior Executive Service Performance Review... review boards. This board shall review and evaluate the initial appraisal of a senior executive's... performance of the senior executive. Members of the 2013 EPA Performance Review Board are: Benita Best-Wong...

A Guide to the Microform Collections of the USMA Library.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

the Renaissance and the Elizabethian period. One may find the earliest editions of Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare , More, Erasumus, and Bacon. Military...laws. As a companion to its indexing and abstracting services, CIS provides a comprehensive collection of contemporary government documents on

ARSITEKTUR TRADISIONAL TIONGHOA: TINJAUAN TERHADAP IDENTITAS, KARAKTER BUDAYA DAN EKSISTENSINYA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamdil Khaliesh

2014-01-01

Wigglesworth, S. & Till, J. 1998. The Everyday and Architecture. Architectural Design. New York: Princeton Architectural Press Wong, Bernard. 1998. Ethnicity and Entrepreneurship: The New Chinese Immigrants in  the San Francisco Bay Area. Allyn &Bacon A Simon & Schuster Company. San Francisco State University. United States of America

Evolution to decay of upwelling and associated biogeochemistry over the southeastern Arabian sea shelf

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gupta, G.V.M.; Sudheesh, V.; Sudharma, K.V.; Saravanane, N.; Dhanya, V.; Dhanya, K.R.; Lakshmi, G.; Sudhakar, M.; Naqvi, S.W.A.

was not added for prevent- ing interference with O2 [Wong, 2012]. The small amount of O2 carried by the reagents was not considered. The detection limit was about 2μM. O2 saturation was computed following Garcia and Gordon [1992]. Samples for nutrients (nitrate...

An Emerging Learning Design for Student-Generated "iVideos"

Science.gov (United States)

Kearney, Matthew; Jones, Glynis; Roberts, Lynn

2012-01-01

This paper describes an emerging learning design for a popular genre of learner-generated video projects: "Ideas Videos" or "iVideos." These advocacy-style videos are short, two-minute, digital videos designed "to evoke powerful experiences about educative ideas" (Wong, Mishra, Koehler & Siebenthal, 2007, p1). We…

Growth of Nd doped LiNbO3 crystals using Bridgman method and its ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

state for several hours so that a stable solid–liquid inter- face could ... growth would hold for about one week. ... Figure 4. The absorption spectrum of the Nd : LiNbO3 crystal. Figure 5. .... This work was supported by K C Wong Magna Fund in.

Outbreak of a New Strain of Flu at a Fair

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2013-02-28

Dr. Karen Wong, an EIS officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses her study about flu outbreaks at agricultural fairs.  Created: 2/28/2013 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 3/4/2013.

Featured Image: A New Dark Vortex on Neptune

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-03-01

This remarkable series of images by the Hubble Space Telescope (click for the full view) track a dark vortex only the fifth ever observed on Neptune as it evolves in Neptunes atmosphere. These Hubble images, presented in a recent study led by Michael Wong (University of California, Berkeley), were taken in 2015 September, 2016 May, 2016 October, and 2017 October; the observations have monitored the evolution of the vortex as it has gradually weakened and drifted polewards. Confirmation of the vortex solved a puzzle that arose in 2015, when astronomers spotted an unexplained outburst of cloud activity on Neptune. This outburst was likely a group of bright companion clouds that form as air flows over high-pressure dark vortices, causing gases to freeze into methane ice crystals. To learn more about what the authors have since learned by studying this vortex, check out the paper below.CitationMichael H. Wong et al 2018 AJ 155 117. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aaa6d6

The grotesque female in Malaysian poems: shaping the migrant's psyche.

Science.gov (United States)

DMani, Sheba

2011-12-01

The works of Malaysian poet, Wong Phui Nam's Against the Wilderness (vii) China bride and Variations on a Birthday Theme (iv) Kali, illustrate a bride and a mother in terrifying images. Wong's stylistic form of representing the female body through startling images of inversion and degradation evoke feelings of unease. The suspension between the known and the unknown causes a bewildering reality verging on madness. Interpreted through the lens of the carnivalesque, specifically, the grotesque body, festive language and parody, I attempt to reconstruct the psyche of the Chinese migrant which underpins these poems. The migrant who arrived in Malaya during the colonial era in the early nineteenth century faced political and social struggles in adapting to a new land. In the poems, the migrant juxtaposes his position to a female and uses the female body as a site of contention to intensify the torment of the psyche and to reflect the despair of the Chinese in Malaysia.

Preclinical Evaluation of Serine/Threonine Kinase Inhibitors Against Prostate Cancer Metastases

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

Invest, 103:197- 206, 1999. Yin JJ, Mohammad KS, Kakonen SM, Harris S, Wu-Wong JR, Wessale JL, Padley RJ, Garrett IR , Chirgwin JM, Guise TA. A...coefficient of organic, mm is attenuation coefficient of mineral, and C represents the density of hydroxyapatite . Nanoindentation Dissected male mouse tibiae

Synaptic vesicle distribution by conveyor belt.

Science.gov (United States)

Moughamian, Armen J; Holzbaur, Erika L F

2012-03-02

The equal distribution of synaptic vesicles among synapses along the axon is critical for robust neurotransmission. Wong et al. show that the continuous circulation of synaptic vesicles throughout the axon driven by molecular motors ultimately yields this even distribution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Viewing Equitable Practices through the Lens of Intersecting Identities

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Renée; Dsouza, Nikeetha; Quigley, Cassie

2016-01-01

This review explores Archer, Dawson, Seakins, and Wong's "Disorienting, fun or meaningful? Disadvantaged families' experiences of a science museum visit" by examining the analytic frameworks guiding this study. To expand on Archer et al.'s use of feminist post-structuralist theories of identity we draw from the theory of…

Reference Correction to: Making Air Pollution Visible: A Tool for Promoting Environmental Health Literacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Galkina Cleary, Ekaterina; Patton, Allison P; Wu, Hsin-Ching; Xie, Alan; Stubblefield, Joseph; Mass, William; Grinstein, Georges; Koch-Weser, Susan; Brugge, Doug; Wong, Carolyn

2017-12-20

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/publichealth.7492.]. ©Ekaterina Galkina Cleary, Allison P Patton, Hsin-Ching Wu, Alan Xie, Joseph Stubblefield, William Mass, Georges Grinstein, Susan Koch-Weser, Doug Brugge, Carolyn Wong. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 20.12.2017.

The performance of identity in Chinese popular music

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenewegen, Jeroen

2011-01-01

Popular music in Chinese languages both reflects and influences how its audiences perceive themselves and their position in the world around them. This book analyses the role of popular music in identity formation through detailed comparisons of the pop star Faye Wong, the rock band Second Hand Rose

(Dis)connections between Specific Language Impairment and Dyslexia in Chinese

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Anita M.-Y.; Ho, Connie S.-H.; Au, Terry K.-F.; Kidd, Joanna C.; Ng, Ashley K.-H.; Yip, Lesley P.-W.; Lam, Catherine C.-C.

2015-01-01

Specific language impairment (SLI) and dyslexia are found to co-occur in school-aged children learning Chinese, a non-alphabetic language (Wong, Kidd, Ho, & Au in "Sci Stud Read" 14:30--57, 2010). This paper examined the "Distinct" hypothesis--that SLI and dyslexia have different cognitive deficits and behavioural…

Whisper: Local Secret Maintenance in Sensor Networks

Science.gov (United States)

2003-02-01

networks, such as Balfanz et al. [1] and Hubaux et al. [9]; these works also use asymmetric cryptography while we use the less expensive symmetric... Balfanz , D. K. Smetters, P. Stewart and H. Chi Wong. Talking to strangers: authentication in ad-hoc wireless network. Symposium on Network and Distributed

Combinatorial Therapy Approaches for NF2-Deficient Meningiomas

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

78: 113- 121, 2006. 5- Wong, J., Armour , E., Kazanzides, P., Iordachita, I., Tryggestad, E., Deng, H., Matinfar, M., Kennedy, C., Liu, Z., Chan...were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be herebymarked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section

Reducing Bias and Increasing Precision by Adding Either a Pretest Measure of the Study Outcome or a Nonequivalent Comparison Group to the Basic Regression Discontinuity Design: An Example from Education

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yang; Cook, Thomas D.; Kisbu-Sakarya, Yasemin

2015-01-01

Regression discontinuity design (RD) has been widely used to produce reliable causal estimates. Researchers have validated the accuracy of RD design using within study comparisons (Cook, Shadish & Wong, 2008; Cook & Steiner, 2010; Shadish et al, 2011). Within study comparisons examines the validity of a quasi-experiment by comparing its…

76 FR 58277 - Performance Review Board Members

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-20

.... Cantrell, Patrick H. Conway, Kathleen M. Crosby, John Czajkowski, Cheryl R. Dammons, Michelle S. Davis..., William B. Schultz, Neil Shapiro, Jeremy B. Sharp, George H. Sheldon, Steven D. Silverman, Rebecca T... E. Tyler Jr., Stephen J. Veneruso, Karen V. Walker Bryce, Luis A. Wilmot, Holly J. Wong, Robert K...

Inelastic surface vibrations versus energy-dependent nucleus ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Limitations of the static Woods–Saxon potential and the applicability of the energy dependent Woods–Saxon potential (EDWSP) model within the framework of one-dimensional Wong formula to explore the sub-barrier fusion data are highlighted. The inelastic surface excitations of the fusing nuclei are found to be ...

Processing Instruction and Russian: Further Evidence Is IN

Science.gov (United States)

Comer, William J.; deBenedette, Lynne

2011-01-01

In response to Leaver, Rifkin, and Shekhtman (2004), Wong and VanPatten (2004) challenged instructors of Russian to present evidence for the claim that mechanical drills (Traditional Instruction) were necessary for second language learning, and to demonstrate empirically the claim that Processing Instruction would not be an effective intervention…

The Structure and Composition of Io's Atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Smyth, W. H.; Marconi, M. L.

2011-12-01

Io's atmosphere is thought to be generated principally by sublimation on the dayside and by multiple volcanoes scattered throughout its surface and more concentrated near the equator. While SO2 seems to be the principle product of these sources, many other chemical species are placed into the atmosphere by these sources, including substantial amounts of SO and S2 as well as smaller but observationally significant amounts of Na bearing molecules. These species in turn interact strongly with the torus plasma generating additional species such as O2, S, O, and Na. The strong interaction of the torus plasma with the neutral atmosphere not only exerts a profound effect on the composition of Io's atmosphere but also strongly affects the dynamics and thermodynamics of Io's atmosphere, particularly at higher altitudes. In addition, as Io orbits Jupiter, the change in location of the sublimation region and the eclipse of Io as it passes through Jupiter's shadow result in substantial variation in the atmosphere. A complex time-dependent three-dimensional atmosphere with strong spatial compositional variation is created. Here we extend the two-dimensional multispecies Navier-Stokes model of Smyth and Wong (2004) to three-dimensions, include two volcanic sources similar to Pele and Loki, and include the effect of Io's movement around Jupiter on sublimation. The effects of the torus plasma are also included as in Smyth and Wong. We will present the overall composition and structure of the atmosphere, O to S ratios in the upper atmosphere, and discuss a potential issue with the O2 abundance. Smyth, W.H. and M.C. Wong, Icarus 171, 171-182, 2004.

Filmikunsti kolm palet / Andres Maimik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Maimik, Andres, 1970-

1999-01-01

Tallinna filmifestival linastunud mängufilmid "Reekviem" : režissöör Alain Tanner : Šveits - Prantsusmaa - Portugal 1998, "Õnnelikult koos" : režissöör Wong Kar-Wai : Hongkong 1997 ja "Tuntud vana laul" : režissöör Alain Resnais : Prantsusmaa - Šveits - Suurbritannia 1997

Accumulation of cadmium, copper, lead, zinc and iron in the edible ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

TANIMA

collected from Shankarpur of East Midnapur and Satgelia of Sundarbans. ... in Asia, and also considered as a global biodiversity ... Parganas District of Indian Sundarbans region during the period of ... (Mean ± S.E.) .... culture. Mar. Poltn. Bull. 5: 74-78. Cheung YH, Wong MH (1992). Trace metal contents of the Pacific.

Supporting the Reuse of Open Educational Resources through Open Standards

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Glahn, Christian; Kalz, Marco; Gruber, Marion; Specht, Marcus

2010-01-01

Glahn, C., Kalz, M., Gruber, M., & Specht, M. (2010). Supporting the Reuse of Open Educational Resources through Open Standards. In T. Hirashima, A. F. Mohd Ayub, L. F. Kwok, S. L. Wong, S. C. Kong, & F. Y. Yu (Eds.), Workshop Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Computers in

Some Reflections on "Going beyond the Consensus View" of the Nature of Science in K-12 Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Berkovitz, Joseph

2017-01-01

Hodson and Wong (2017, this issue) argue that, though the nature of science (NOS) is now an established focus of school science education and a key element in defining scientific literacy, "the consensus view" of NOS misrepresents contemporary scientific practice. They then propose a number of alternative approaches to science curriculum…

beta-Aminoalcohols as Potential Reactivators of Aged Sarin-/Soman-Inhibited Acetylcholinesterase

Science.gov (United States)

2017-02-08

The calculations suggest that the designed b-aminoalcohol can selectively reactivate aged sarin-/soman-inhibited AChE. Fur - thermore, unlike existing...Kolossv#ry, K. F. Wong, F. Paesani, J. Vanicek, X. Wu, S. R. Brozell, T. Steinbrecher, H. Gohlke, L. Yang, C. Tan , J. Mongan, V. Hornak, G. Cui, D. H

NFE2L2 pathway polymorphisms and lung function decline in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sandford, Andrew J.; Malhotra, Deepti; Boezen, H. Marike; Siedlinski, Mateusz; Postma, Dirkje S.; Wong, Vivien; Akhabir, Loubna; He, Jian-Qing; Connett, John E.; Anthonisen, Nicholas R.; Pare, Peter D.; Biswal, Shyam

2012-01-01

Sandford AJ, Malhotra D, Boezen HM, Siedlinski M, Postma DS, Wong V, Akhabir L, He JQ, Connett JE, Anthonisen NR, Pare PD, Biswal S. NFE2L2 pathway polymorphisms and lung function decline in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Physiol Genomics 44: 754-763, 2012. First published June 12, 2012;

Opening the Black Box of NOS: Or Knowing How to Go on with Science Education, Wittgenstein, and STS in a Precarious World

Science.gov (United States)

Alsop, Steve; Gardner, Sam

2017-01-01

In this response essay we offer some critical comments on the nature of science (NOS) and thereby hopefully extend Hodson and Wong's (2017, this issue) argument concerning "understanding scientific practice." Drawing on selected theorising in science and technology studies (STS), we argue that NOS needs to take much more seriously…

Exact solutions of the generalized Lane–Emden equations of the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

the mutual attraction of its molecules and subject to the classical laws of thermodynamics. This equation was proposed ... was investigated for first integrals by Leach [31]. Moreover, transformation properties of a more general Emden–Fowler equation were considered in Mellin et al [5]. A review paper by Wong [32] contains ...

Quality Assurance in Distance Education and eLearning ...

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

2013-01-24

Jan 24, 2013 ... Tat Meng Wong is the former Vice Chancellor, CEO and Professor of Wawasan Open University, Malaysia, and served as the President of the Asian Association of Open Universities. Tian Belawati is the Rector of Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia, and President of the International Council for Open and ...

Effects of palm oil mill effluent (POME) anaerobic sludge from 500 m ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2010-04-19

Apr 19, 2010 ... in the country (Lau et al., 2008). Thus, the ... within 80 days with final C/N ratio of 12.5. .... C/N ratio of pressed shredded EFB was 54.4 with carbon ..... Wong JWC, Mak KF, Chan NW, Lam A, Fang M, Zhou LX, Wu QT, Liao.

Inelastic surface vibrations versus energy-dependent nucleus ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. Limitations of the static Woods–Saxon potential and the applicability of the energy- dependent Woods–Saxon potential (EDWSP) model within the framework of one-dimensional. Wong formula to explore the sub-barrier fusion data are highlighted. The inelastic surface exci- tations of the fusing nuclei are found to ...

Boc modifies the spectrum of holoprosencephaly in the absence of Gas1 function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maisa Seppala

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Holoprosencephaly is a heterogeneous developmental malformation of the central nervous system characterized by impaired forebrain cleavage, midline facial anomalies and wide phenotypic variation. Indeed, microforms represent the mildest manifestation, associated with facial anomalies but an intact central nervous system. In many cases, perturbations in sonic hedgehog signaling are responsible for holoprosencephaly. Here, we have elucidated the contribution of Gas1 and an additional hedgehog co-receptor, Boc during early development of the craniofacial midline, by generating single and compound mutant mice. Significantly, we find Boc has an essential role in the etiology of a unique form of lobar holoprosencephaly that only occurs in conjunction with combined loss of Gas1. Whilst Gas1−/− mice have microform holoprosencephaly characterized by a single median maxillary central incisor, cleft palate and pituitary anomalies, Boc−/− mice have a normal facial midline. However, Gas1−/−; Boc−/− mutants have lobar holoprosencephaly associated with clefting of the lip, palate and tongue, secondary to reduced sonic hedgehog transduction in the central nervous system and face. Moreover, maxillary incisor development is severely disrupted in these mice, arresting prior to cellular differentiation as a result of apoptosis in the odontogenic epithelium. Thus, Boc and Gas1 retain an essential function in these tooth germs, independent of their role in midline development of the central nervous system and face. Collectively, this phenotype demonstrates both redundancy and individual requirements for Gas1 and Boc during sonic hedgehog transduction in the craniofacial midline and suggests BOC as a potential digenic locus for lobar holoprosencephaly in human populations.

Disease: H01326 [KEGG MEDICUS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available se may be complicated by myocarditis. Infectious disease ... Human enterovirus 71 Enterovirus A [GN:T40103] ... ...nd-foot-mouth disease and herpangina caused by enterovirus 71 in Taiwan, 1998-200...ORS ... Wong SS, Yip CC, Lau SK, Yuen KY ... TITLE ... Human enterovirus 71 and hand, foot and mouth disease. ...

Prospective Evaluation of Mental Health and Deployment Experience Among Women in the US Military

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-06

Beverly Sheppard, Katherine Snell, Steven Speigle, Kari Sausedo, Jennifer Walstrom, Martin White, James Whitmer, and Char- lene Wong; Madigan Army Medical...what physicians should know. J Gen Intern Med. 2006; 21(suppl 3):S5–S10. 13. Lindstrom KE, Smith TC, Wells TS, et al. The mental health of U.S

77 FR 32116 - Findings of Research Misconduct

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-31

..., R. Thomas, D. Neil Hayes, M. Meyerson, D.J. Kwiatkowski, and K.-K. Wong, submitted to the Journal of... supervisory plan must be designed to ensure the scientific integrity of his research contribution; Respondent... application for PHS funds or any report, manuscript, or abstract of PHS-funded research in which he is...

People’s Republic of China Scientific Abstracts, Number 170

Science.gov (United States)

1977-06-30

ORO: Wong-sze Hosoital, Nan-p’i County, Ho-pei TITLE: "Use of Bleomycin Eyedrops in the Prevention of Postoperative Recurrence of Pannus " SOTTRCE...to prevent postoperative recurrence of pannus . It was used in 24 e^es (2 had 3 recurrences). All cases were operated by the D’ombrain orocedure

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF.MIREKU

carried off into water bodies such as lakes, rivers and the oceans by surface runoffs. (Wong and Tanner, 1997). .... if influences many biological and chemical processes within a water body and all the processes associated ..... A world without water is difficult to imagine, but images from the moon and Mars show clearly what ...

relationship between prostate volume and ipss in african men with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

Tan JK, Png DJ, Liew LC, Li MK, Wong ML. Prevalence of prostatitis-like symptoms in Singapore: a population- based study. Singapore Medical Journal. 2002;. 43(4):189-193. Ming Yin, Sheldon B, Uma C, Michael JB, Rajiv D. Prevalence of Incidental Prostate Cancer in the General. Population: A Study of Healthy Organ ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Wong, K.L.. Vol 10, No 1S (2018): Special Issue - Articles Key performance indicators for measuring sustainability in health care industry in Malaysia Abstract PDF. ISSN: 1112-9867. AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL · AJOL's Partners ...

Role of energy cost in the yield of cold ternary fission of Cf

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The energy costs in the cold ternary fission of 252Cf for various light charged particle emission are calculated by including Wong's correction for Coulomb potential. Energy cost is found to be higher in cold fission than in normal fission. It is found that energy cost always increases with decrease in experimental yield ...

A Civilization of Explorers

Science.gov (United States)

Duchesne, Ricardo

2012-01-01

The claim that there were "surprising similarities" between the West and the more advanced regions of Asia as late as 1800-1830, and that the Industrial Revolution was the one transformation that set Europe apart from Asia is central to the arguments of multicultural historians such as Kenneth Pomeranz, Bin Wong, Jack Goldstone, John…

Common fixed point theorems in intuitionistic fuzzy metric spaces and L-fuzzy metric spaces with nonlinear contractive condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jesic, Sinisa N.; Babacev, Natasa A.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to prove some common fixed point theorems for a pair of R-weakly commuting mappings defined on intuitionistic fuzzy metric spaces [Park JH. Intuitionistic fuzzy metric spaces. Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 2004;22:1039-46] and L-fuzzy metric spaces [Saadati R, Razani A, Adibi H. A common fixed point theorem in L-fuzzy metric spaces. Chaos, Solitons and Fractals, doi:10.1016/j.chaos.2006.01.023], with nonlinear contractive condition, defined with function, first observed by Boyd and Wong [Boyd DW, Wong JSW. On nonlinear contractions. Proc Am Math Soc 1969;20:458-64]. Following Pant [Pant RP. Common fixed points of noncommuting mappings. J Math Anal Appl 1994;188:436-40] we define R-weak commutativity for a pair of mappings and then prove the main results. These results generalize some known results due to Saadati et al., and Jungck [Jungck G. Commuting maps and fixed points. Am Math Mon 1976;83:261-3]. Some examples and comments according to the preceding results are given

Numerical Study of Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability with Re-Shock

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Man Long; Livescu, Daniel; Lele, Sanjiva

2017-11-01

The interaction of a Mach 1.45 shock wave with a perturbed planar interface between two gases with an Atwood number 0.68 is studied through 2D and 3D shock-capturing adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) simulations with physical diffusive and viscous terms. The simulations have initial conditions similar to those in the actual experiment conducted by Poggi et al. [1998]. The development of the flow and evolution of mixing due to the interactions with the first shock and the re-shock are studied together with the sensitivity of various global parameters to the properties of the initial perturbation. Grid resolutions needed for fully resolved and 2D and 3D simulations are also evaluated. Simulations are conducted with an in-house AMR solver HAMeRS built on the SAMRAI library. The code utilizes the high-order localized dissipation weighted compact nonlinear scheme [Wong and Lele, 2017] for shock-capturing and different sensors including the wavelet sensor [Wong and Lele, 2016] to identify regions for grid refinement. First and third authors acknowledge the project sponsor LANL.

Efficacy of lignocaine in gel and spray form during buccal infiltration anesthesia in children: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Anshul; Suprabha, B S; Shenoy, Ramya; Rao, Arathi

2014-11-01

To compare the efficacy of 15% lignocaine spray and 8% lignocaine gel as a topical anesthetic, in reducing pain, during buccal infiltration in children. Forty-two patients aged between 7 and 12 years requiring restorative procedures/extraction/pulp therapy of primary/ permanent teeth in the maxillary arch, under buccal infiltration anesthesia were selected for the study. The participants were randomly allocated into 2 groups of 21 each. In group A, 8% lignocaine gel and in group B, 15% lignocaine spray was applied prior to buccal infiltration. Pain was assessed using Wong-Baker faces pain rating scale (WBFPRS) and faces legs activity cry and consolability (FLACC) painscale. Pearson's chi-square test revealed that there was no significant difference in the FLACC scores of the two groups (p = 0.54). Independent t-test demonstrated that there was no significant difference in Wong-Bakers faces pain score between the two agents (p = 0.07). There is no significant difference in the efficacy of 15% lignocaine spray and 8% lignocaine gel as a topical anesthetic in controlling pain during buccal infiltration anesthesia, in children.

A psychometric revision of the European American Values Scale for Asian Americans using the Rasch model

OpenAIRE

Hong, S; Kim, Bryan S.K.; Wolfe, M M

2005-01-01

The 18-item European American Values Scale for Asian Americans (M. M. Wolfe, P H. Yang, E C. Wong, & D. R. Atkinson, 2001) was revised on the basis of results from a psychometric analysis using the Rasch Model (G. Rasch,1960). The results led to the establishment of the 25-item European AmericanValues Scale for Asian Americans-Revised.

Discriminant Validity of Self-Reported Emotional Intelligence: A Multitrait-Multisource Study

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Dana L.; Newman, Daniel A.

2010-01-01

A major stumbling block for emotional intelligence (EI) research has been the lack of adequate evidence for discriminant validity. In a sample of 280 dyads, self- and peer-reports of EI and Big Five personality traits were used to confirm an a priori four-factor model for the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) and a five-factor…

Dynamic effect in ultrasonic assisted micro-upsetting

Science.gov (United States)

Presz, Wojciech

2018-05-01

The use of ultrasonic assistance in microforming is becoming more and more popular. Mainly due to the beneficial effect of vibrations on the flow of plastic deformation reported already in the 50s of the last century. The influence is of two types: surface and volume. The surface effect is mainly the reduction of friction forces, and volumetric is the impact on the dislocation movement and even on phase transitions. The work focuses on the dynamic aspect of vibration assisted microforming. The use of ultrasonic vibrations at a frequency of 20 kHz and an amplitude of 16 µm, in the micro-upsetting process of an aluminum sample resulted in a high concentration of strain on both ends of the sample - at 14% of the height on both sides. There was observed (in relation to deformations of the sample without vibrations) 150-250% increase and a 50% decrease in strain in the center of the sample. At the same time, the larger deformations occurred from the impact side of the punch. Analyzing the course of forces of the upsetting process in the loading and unloading phase as well as the process of breaking glass samples, the spring deflections of key system elements and their natural frequencies were determined or calculated. Based on the determined or calculated parameters of the test stand, it was shown that during the micro-upsetting process the punch may detach from the sample surface and this is the main reason for the phenomena occurring. Detach of the punch is also the cause of the observed instability of the measurement of force, which should be considered unbelievable in such a situation.

Libert-E Motor

Science.gov (United States)

Sieloff, Susan F.; Kinnunen, Raymond; Chevarley, Joseph

2011-01-01

Kei Yun Wong has big dreams. She has been entrusted with the United States launch of Libert-E Motor, a new line of Chinese-manufactured electric scooters. With only $750,000 of her original budget of $3 million left, she needs to make sure that the launch succeeds, as it represents the initial step in her desire to create the first Chinese global…

From Orthodoxy to Plurality in the Nature of Science (NOS) and Science Education: A Metacommentary

Science.gov (United States)

Bazzul, Jesse

2017-01-01

This article provides a metacommentary on the special issue on nature of science (NOS). The issue is composed of senior scholars discussing Hodson and Wong's (2017, this issue) critique of the consensus view of nature of science, which on a basic level states that there are agreed-upon aspects of science that can be taught in K-12 schools. Each…

Army Officer Job Analysis: Identifying Performance Requirements to Inform Officer Selection and Assignment

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-01

satisfaction), it is influenced by a variety of factors including affect , cognitions , and behaviors (Weiss, 2002; Weiss, Nicholas, & Daus, 1999). Research...more prosocial behaviors such as assisting coworkers. Job Involvement. Job involvement refers to the degree to which one psychologically...variations in affective experiences over time. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 78, 1- 24. doi: 10.1006/obhd.1999.2824 Wong, L

Changing Minds in the Army: Why It Is So Difficult and What to Do About It

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

industrial and organiza- tional psychology from Penn State University. LEONARD WONG is a research professor in the Stra- tegic Studies Institute at...all countries), Congress became involved. Finally, after congressional pressure and a nudge from the White House, Defense Secretary Donald...known as cognitive dissonance, or the state of tension arising from holding two cognitions that are psychologically inconsistent.39 Researchers using

The origin of the energy-momentum conservation law

Science.gov (United States)

Chubykalo, Andrew E.; Espinoza, Augusto; Kosyakov, B. P.

2017-09-01

The interplay between the action-reaction principle and the energy-momentum conservation law is revealed by the examples of the Maxwell-Lorentz and Yang-Mills-Wong theories, and general relativity. These two statements are shown to be equivalent in the sense that both hold or fail together. Their mutual agreement is demonstrated most clearly in the self-interaction problem by taking account of the rearrangement of degrees of freedom appearing in the action of the Maxwell-Lorentz and Yang-Mills-Wong theories. The failure of energy-momentum conservation in general relativity is attributed to the fact that this theory allows solutions having nontrivial topologies. The total energy and momentum of a system with nontrivial topological content prove to be ambiguous, coordinatization-dependent quantities. For example, the energy of a Schwarzschild black hole may take any positive value greater than, or equal to, the mass of the body whose collapse is responsible for forming this black hole. We draw the analogy to the paradoxial Banach-Tarski theorem; the measure becomes a poorly defined concept if initial three-dimensional bounded sets are rearranged in topologically nontrivial ways through the action of free non-Abelian isometry groups.

Children acceptance of laser dental treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Lazea, Andreea; Todea, Carmen

2016-03-01

Objectives: To evaluate the dental anxiety level and the degree of acceptance of laser assisted pedodontic treatments from the children part. Also, we want to underline the advantages of laser use in pediatric dentistry, to make this technology widely used in treating dental problems of our children patients. Methods: Thirty pediatric dental patients presented in the Department of Pedodontics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babeş", Timişoara were evaluated using the Wong-Baker pain rating scale, wich was administered postoperatory to all patients, to assess their level of laser therapy acceptance. Results: Wong-Baker faces pain rating scale (WBFPS) has good validity and high specificity; generally it's easy for children to use, easy to compare and has good feasibility. Laser treatment has been accepted and tolerated by pediatric patients for its ability to reduce or eliminate pain. Around 70% of the total sample showed an excellent acceptance of laser dental treatment. Conclusions: Laser technology is useful and effective in many clinical situations encountered in pediatric dentistry and a good level of pacient acceptance is reported during all laser procedures on hard and soft tissues.

Analytical developments in the Wong-Fung-Tam-Gao radiation model of thermal diffusivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucia, U.; Maino, G.

2004-01-01

When the thermal diffusivity, χ, of a thin film on a substrate is measured by means of the mirage method, the photothermal deflection of the probe beam is determined by the heat radiation field contributed by the film and the substrate, heated by the pump beam. A two-dimensional algorithm is here presented in order to deduce the measure of the diffusivities of the film and the substrate in one set of mirage detection from the experimental data

Chinese Herbal tea brand positioning Strategy : Case study: WONG LO KAT Herbal Tea

OpenAIRE

Wan, Shanshan

2015-01-01

With the Chinese reformation and opening-up, the domestic beverage industries got into a new period of development. The market also entered a booming period. The domestic beverage enterprises faced with opportunities and challenges that came from different aspects, and inter-brand competition also became more seriously. How to identify the brand's market positioning, determine the brand's competitive advantage, and develop relevant marketing strategies is the subject which needs to have atten...

Adaptive Immune Responses Regulate the Pathophysiology of Lymphedema

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-01

A, Hennig B (2000) Effect of complex decongestive physiotherapy on gene expression for the inflammatory response in peripheral lymphedema. Lymphology...pharmacologic antagonism of lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 in a mouse model of scleroderma. Arthritis Rheum 63: 1405-1415. 51. Romani L, Mencacci A, Grohmann...severe disease in collagen-induced arthritis . Arthritis Rheum 48: 1452-1460. 29. Nakamura K, Radhakrishnan K, Wong YM, Rockson SG (2009) Anti

Palladium complexes of pyrrole-2-aldehyde thiosemicarbazone ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Chem. Rev. 253 1384; (j) Lobana T S, Sharma. R, Bawa G and Khanna S 2009 Coord. Chem. Rev. 253. 977; (k) Quiroga A G and Ranninger C N 2004 Coord. Chem. Rev. 248 119; (l) Dilworth J R, Arnold P, Morales. D, Wong Y L and Zheng Y 2002 Modern Coord. Chem. 217; (m) West D X, Liberta A E, Padhye S B, Chikate.

Effect of Gamma Radiation on the Microbial Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farag Marzouk Marea Mosalam

2013-01-01

Monasus purpureus Monascus is an ascomycete's fungus traditionally used for the production of food colorants, fermented foods and beverages in southern China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Species of Monascus are mainly employed in the production of red rice (Hesseltine, 1965), (Lin, 1973) and food colouring pigments (Wong and Koehler, 1983). This fungus divided into six species namely, M. ruber, M. pilosus, M. purpureus, M. floridans, M. pallens and M. sanguineus. The species with the greatest significance in the food industry are M. ruber, M. purpureus and M. pilosus (Martınkova and Patakova, 1999). The fungus Monascus has been traditionally used in East Asia for the production of fermented rice which served as a red food colorant. Nowadays, this natural dye is also used in European countries. Most studies have addressed the production of red orange oligoketides by the genus Monascus (Evans, and Wang, 1984) and their biological activities (Martfnkovi et al., 1995). M. purpureus has been used commercially to produce valuable secondary metabolites; ankaflavin and monascin (yellow pigments), monascorubrin and rubropunctanin (orange pigments), monascorubramine and rubropuctamine (red pigments) ( Wong et al.,1981), as well as antihypercholesterolemic agent, monacolin K (lovastatin), hypotensive agent, Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) ( Su et al .,2003), antioxidant compounds, dimerumic acid (Aniya et al.,1999) and an antibacterial compound, 3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzoic acid (Wu et al., 2000). Red mold rice also contains unsaturated fatty acids that may also help to reduce serum lipids (Wang et al., 1997), total cholesterol and triglyceride levels levels (Wong et al., 1981). Red mold rice is also contains phytosterols such as beta sitosterol and campesterol (Heber et al., 1999) which are interfere with cholesterol absorption in the intestine (Moghadasian and Frohlich, 1999).The combination of such dietary sterols with statin drugs has been

Cryophenomena in the Cold Desert of Atacama

Science.gov (United States)

Buchroithner, Dr.; Trombotto, Dr.

2012-04-01

The study area of the Valle de Barrancas Blancas in the High Atacama Andes of Chile (68°39' W, 27°02' S), a kind of Patagonian "bajo sin salida", shows well preserved landforms resulting from a combination of slope, eolian, lacustrine/litoral, fluvial, glacial and periglacial regimes. They permit the reconstruction of geomorphological processes within this isolated catchment of approximately 160 km2. The mean annual air temperature varies between -2 and -4 °C and the precipitation is approximately 150 mm/a. Snowfall is frequent but the snow is quickly sublimated, redeposited and/or covered by cryosediments, i.e. mainly pumice pebbles. Water bodies present icings, even in summer. Regarding its climatic conditions the study area represents an extremely cold desertic region. Extremophile microfauna was also found. The area displays both in situ mountain permafrost and creeping permafrost. The active layer is 30 to 45 cm thick. It is a periglacial macro-environment where interdependent processes, and not only cryogenic processes but also erosion and eolian deposition and the action of fluvial washout mainly caused by precipitation, accumulation, retransportation/redeposition and melting of snow, play an important role. The cryogenic geomorphology of the Valle de Barrancas Blancas is varied and contains microforms such as patterned ground and microforms caused by cryoturbation, as well as mesoforms like rockglaciers and cryoplanation surfaces. Slopes are strongly affected by gelifluction. New cryoforms in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere like the Atacama Pingo (Pingo atacamensis) and Permafrosted Dunes ("Dunas heladas") were found. Intense niveo-eolian processes participate in the erosion of preexisting landforms, in the formation of subterraneous ice layers, and the retransportation/redeposition of snow and sediments. Studies of this periglacial environment are crucial for the understanding of Tundrean paleoenvironments and Martian conditions.

(Vapour + liquid) equilibria of the {1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a) + n-butane (HC-600)} system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Im, Jihoon; Lee, Gangwon; Lee, Yong-Jin; Kim, Hwayong

2007-01-01

Binary (vapour + liquid) equilibrium data were obtained for the {1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a) + n-butane (HC-600)} system at temperatures from 313.15 K to 363.15 K. These experiments were carried out with a circulating-type apparatus with on-line gas chromatography. The experimental data were correlated well by Peng-Robinson equation of state using the Wong-Sandler mixing rules. This system shows positive azeotropic phase behaviour

ANALISIS SISTEM PENETAPAN FRANCHISE FEE DAN ROYALTY FEE PADA FRANCHISE BRC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walid Darmawan

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Pada saat ini bisnis franchise atau waralaba di indonesia, semakin menjamur dan banyak diminati oleh masyarakat untuk mencari peluang baru, dari mulai waralaba lokal seperti Ayam bakar Wong Solo, Es Teller 77, Burger Mr.Edam,Alfa Mart, Indomart dan lain-lain. Sampai waralaba mancanegarapun semakin banyak diminati seperti KFC, Mc.Donalds, Hoka-Hoka Bento, Starbuck Coffiee dan lain sebagainya.DOI: 10.15408/aiq.v2i1.2472

Analisis Sistem Penetapan Franchise Fee dan Royalty Fee pada Franchise Brc

OpenAIRE

Darmawan, Walid

2010-01-01

Pada saat ini bisnis franchise atau waralaba di indonesia, semakin menjamur dan banyak diminati oleh masyarakat untuk mencari peluang baru, dari mulai waralaba lokal seperti Ayam bakar Wong Solo, Es Teller 77, Burger Mr.Edam,Alfa Mart, Indomart dan lain-lain. Sampai waralaba mancanegarapun semakin banyak diminati seperti KFC, Mc.Donalds, Hoka-Hoka Bento, Starbuck Coffiee dan lain sebagainya.DOI: 10.15408/aiq.v2i1.2472

Annual Historical Report Calendar Year 1993

Science.gov (United States)

1994-04-01

would improve the exercise capacity of adult rats exercising in the heat by increasing cardiac function produced mixed results. Treated animals...and Infectious Diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, 15 April 1993. Colonel Lee and Major Wong, Senior Medical...level of the coeliac axis. Probes and catheters were evaluated daily up to 30 days. Implants remained functional for an average of three weeks, permitting

Psychological Factors Influencing Life Satisfaction of Undergraduates

OpenAIRE

Ajayi, Olubukola; Adewumi, Bukunmi

2017-01-01

This study was designed to assess the psychological factors influencing life satisfaction of undergraduates. The instruments used were Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), Rosenberge Self-esteem Scale (RSS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). A total number of 190 participants were purposively selected across various faculties in Ekiti State University. Four hypotheses were tested using Independent t-test to find the effects of perceived stres...

Prolonged Cycle Times and Schedule Growth in Defense Acquisition: A Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

10, 1979. DAU—See Defense Acquisition University. Decker, Gilbert F., Louis C. Wagner, William H. Forster, David M. Maddox, George T. Singley, and...March 2008. Bibliography 77 Johnson, Collie J., “Pentagon Systems Acquisition Director Speaks to Graduates of APMC 99-1,” PM Magazine, May–June...1999, pp. 8–11. Kassing, David , R. William Thomas, Frank Camm, and Carolyn Wong, How Funding Instability Affects Army Programs, Santa Monica, Calif

Big data in pharmacy practice: current use, challenges, and the future

OpenAIRE

Ma, Carolyn; Smith, Helen Wong; Chu, Cherie; Juarez, Deborah T

2015-01-01

Carolyn Ma, Helen Wong Smith, Cherie Chu, Deborah T JuarezDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, The Daniel K Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USAAbstract: Pharmacy informatics is defined as the use and integration of data, information, knowledge, technology, and automation in the medication-use process for the purpose of improving health outcomes. The term “big data” has been coined and is often defined in three V's: volume, v...

3D-printed patient-specific applications in orthopedics

OpenAIRE

Wong KC

2016-01-01

Kwok Chuen Wong Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong Abstract: With advances in both medical imaging and computer programming, two-dimensional axial images can be processed into other reformatted views (sagittal and coronal) and three-dimensional (3D) virtual models that represent a patients’ own anatomy. This processed digital information can be analyzed in detail by orthopedic surgeons to perform p...

Static Extraction and Conformance Analysis of Hierarchical Runtime Architectural Structure

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-14

information as a separate input. For instance, the Software Bookshelf (Finnigan et al. 1997), of which (PBS 2000) is an instantiation, has the...Kostas Kontogiannis, Hausi A. Müller, John Mylopoulos, Stephen G. Perelgut, Martin Stanley, and Kerny Wong. The Soft- ware Bookshelf . IBM Systems...pages 70–79, 2004. PBS. PBS: The Portable Bookshelf . http://www.swag.uwaterloo.ca/pbs/, 2000. Dewayne E. Perry and Alexander L. Wolf. Foundations for

Chronic fluoxetine treatment increases daytime melatonin synthesis in the rodent

OpenAIRE

Reierson, GW; Wong,Mali; Licinio,Julio; Mastronardi,C

2009-01-01

Gillian W Reierson, Claudio A Mastronardi, Julio Licinio, Ma-Li WongCenter on Pharmacogenomics, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USAAbstract: Circadian rhythm disturbances can occur as part of the clinical symptoms of major depressive disorder and have been found to resolve with antidepressant therapy. The pineal gland is relevant to circadian rhythms as it secretes the hormone melatonin following activation of the cyc...

The Role of Hydromagnetic Waves in the Magnetosphere and the Ionosphere

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-31

of right-hand-polarized waves in instabilities, we follow the examples discussed by Wong interplanetary shocks and in the terrestrial foreshock and... foreshock , (Received January 14, 1988;J. Geophys. Res., 90, 1429, 1985. Spangler, S.R., and J.P. Sheerin, Alfv6.n wave revised April 15, 1988;collapse...bow shocks,2 and in the interplanetary shocks and the a four-wave parametric coupling process is a.alyzed for the terrestrial foreshock .3 .4 Moreover

Spectacular Subjects : Race, Rhetoric, and Visuality in American Public Cultures (1870-1900)

OpenAIRE

Jabour, Tania Nicole

2015-01-01

Spectacular Subjects engages with the campaigns of three activists who inserted themselves into the nineteenth century American public sphere to combat forces of exploitation and disfranchisement in the communities they came to represent. The project is divided into three chapters, which correspond to the figures profiled : Ida B. Wells, an African American anti-lynching crusader; Sarah Winnemucca, a Native American advocate for reservation reform; and Wong Chin Foo, a Chinese American journa...

RSA-Based Secret Handshakes

OpenAIRE

Vergnaud , Damien

2006-01-01

A secret handshake mechanism allows two entities, members of a same group, to authenticate each other secretly. This primitive was introduced recently by Balfanz, Durfee, Shankar, Smetters, Staddon and Wong and, so far, all the schemes proposed are based on discrete log systems. This paper proposes three new secret handshake protocols secure against active impersonator and detector adversaries. Inspired by two RSA-based key agreement protocols introduced by Okamoto and Tanaka in 1989 and Gira...

'You have to be adaptable, obviously' : constructing professional identities in multicultural workplaces in Hong Kong

OpenAIRE

Schnurr, Stephanie; Zayts, Olga

2012-01-01

In spite of the increasing globalisation of the work domain and the mobilization of the workforce (Wong et al. 2007) only very little attention has been paid to the interplay between culture and professional identities in workplace contexts. This paper addresses this gap by exploring some of the ways through which professionals are required to construct and negotiate their various identities in increasingly multicultural contexts where notions of culture may become particularly salient.\\ud We...

A Multi Agent System for Flow-Based Intrusion Detection Using Reputation and Evolutionary Computation

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

pertinent example of the application of Evolutionary Algorithms to pattern recognition comes from Radtke et al. [130]. The authors apply Multi- Objective...J., T. Zseby, and B. Claise. S. Zander,” Requirements for IP Flow Information Export (IPFIX). Technical report, RFC 3917, October 2004. [130] Radtke ...hal.inria.fr/inria-00104200/en/. [131] Radtke , P.V.W., T. Wong, and R. Sabourin. “A multi-objective memetic al- gorithm for intelligent feature extraction

The k-means clustering technique: General considerations and implementation in Mathematica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurence Morissette

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Data clustering techniques are valuable tools for researchers working with large databases of multivariate data. In this tutorial, we present a simple yet powerful one: the k-means clustering technique, through three different algorithms: the Forgy/Lloyd, algorithm, the MacQueen algorithm and the Hartigan and Wong algorithm. We then present an implementation in Mathematica and various examples of the different options available to illustrate the application of the technique.

The role of insulin glulisine to improve glycemic control in children with diabetes mellitus

OpenAIRE

Carter J; Lih A; Hibbert EL; Wong T; Girgis C; Garg

2010-01-01

Anna Lih, Emily Hibbert, Tang Wong, Christian M Girgis, Nidhi Garg, John N CarterDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Concord Hospital, NSW, Australia; University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, AustraliaAbstract: Glulisine (Apidra®) is a rapid-acting human insulin analog approved for use in children with diabetes mellitus ≥4 years of age. Management of children with type 1 diabetes has seen a shift in favor of mimicking normal physiological insulin responses with multiple d...

Retooling for the Future

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-01

move up and down the power pyramid . A critical point exists where the dominant power seeks to maintain the status quo and its position atop the... pyramid while rising revisionist challengers seek to alter their position or eliminate the established system. Simply put, the theory posits a scenario...Wong-Diaz: Retooling 9 1950 a weaker China intervened against the U.S. and the United Nations in Korea; in 1973 Egypt crossed into the Sinai

The Feminist Movement and Equality in the Federal Workforce: Understanding the Position of Women in USAID’s Foreign Service

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-21

foreign affairs agencies prohibited married women from receiving overseas living quarters and other allowances offered to men and unmarried women on the...for at least one year, frequently leaving families behind.5 Officers who enter the Foreign Service unmarried all too often remain single, even if...File, 2000), 3. 14 Ibid. 15 Jane Wong, “The Anti-Essentialism vs . Essentialism Debate in Feminist Legal Theory: The Debate and Beyond,” William and

Monitoring and evaluation of sustained clinical performance and tuberculosis management in the South African mining industry

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Murray, J

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Advisory Committee Project Summary : SIM 02-08-02 Project Title: MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF SUSTAINED CLINICAL PERFORMANCE AND TUBERCULOSIS MANAGEMENT IN THE SA MINING INDUSTRY (22 pages) Author(s): Dr Jill Murray Dr Michelle Wong...-orientated data analyses. It was then possible to quantify the high proportion of pulmonary tuberculosis in miners that appeared to be undiagnosed during life (˜ 60%). SIMRAC Health 611 clearly demonstrated that significant problems exist with regard...

Improved hard-thermal-loop effective action for hot QED and QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flechsig, F.; Rebhan, A.K.

1995-01-01

The conventional results for hard thermal loops, which are the building blocks of resummed perturbation theory in thermal field theories, have collinear singularities when external momenta are light-like. It is shown that by taking into account asymptotic thermal masses these singularities are removed. The thus improved hard thermal loops can be summarized by compact gauge-invariant effective actions, generalizing the ones found by Taylor and Wong, and by Braaten and Pisarski. (orig.)

The periodicity of sleep duration – an infradian rhythm in spontaneous living

OpenAIRE

Wong, Shi Ngar; Halaki,Mark; Chow,Chin Moi

2013-01-01

Shi Ngar Wong, Mark Halaki, Chin Moi ChowDiscipline of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaAbstract: The sleep–wake cycle is a process not only dictated by homeostatic and circadian factors but also by social and environmental influences. Thus, the total sleep time partly reflects sleep need, which is integral to the dynamics of sleep loss recovery. This study explored the nature of the observed oscillations in total sleep time in healthy adults u...

Preparation and Electrocatalytic Activity of Gold Nanoparticles Immobilized on the Surface of 4-Mercaptobenzoyl-Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-20

thiolate -Au bonds,30 and so GNP/MB-MWCNT hybrids were synthesized using a modified literature procedure.31 The SEM images show sequential...4 The electrocatalytic stability of GNP/MB-MWCNT supposes to be originated from the formation of stable thiolate -Au bonds that prevent aggregation of...Moon, K.-S.; Wong, C. P. Carbon 2007, 45, 655–661. (19) Sandler, J.; Shaffer, M. S. P.; Prasse, T.; Bauhofer, W.; Schulte, K.; Windle, A. H. Polymer

Physical-Mechanisms Based Reliability Analysis For Emerging Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-05

irradiation effects on deep level states in Mg-doped p-type GaN grown by ammonia-based molecular beam epitaxy," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 106, article...Chan, A. Raman, and M. Turowski, "State and angular dependence of single-event upsets in an asymmetric RC-hardened SRAM using deep trench capacitors...Trinczek, E. W. Blackmore, S. J. Wen , R. Wong, B. Narasimham, J. A. Pellish and H. Puchner, "The contribution of low-energy protons to the total

Mortality, stroke, and heart failure in atrial fibrillation cohorts after ablation versus propensity-matched cohorts

OpenAIRE

Jarman, Julian WE; Hunter, Tina D; Hussain, Wajid; March, Jamie L; Wong, Tom; Markides, Vias

2017-01-01

Julian WE Jarman,1 Tina D Hunter,2 Wajid Hussain,1 Jamie L March,3 Tom Wong,1 Vias Markides1 1Cardiology & Electrophysiology, Heart Rhythm Centre, NIHR Cardiovascular Research Unit, The Royal Brompton Hospital, and National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK; 2Health Outcomes Research, CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, 3Health Economics and Market Access, Biosense Webster, Inc., Diamond Bar, CA, USA Background: We sought to determine...

Purification and in vitro antioxidant activities of tellurium-containing phycobiliproteins from tellurium-enriched Spirulina platensis

OpenAIRE

Chen, Tianfeng; Yang,Fang; Wong,Ka-Hing; Yang,Yufeng; Li,Xiaoling; Jiang,Jie; Wu,Hualian; Zheng,Wenjie

2014-01-01

Fang Yang,1 Ka-Hing Wong,2 Yufeng Yang,3 Xiaoling Li,1 Jie Jiang,1 Wenjie Zheng,1 Hualian Wu,1 Tianfeng Chen1 1Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 3Institute of Hydrobiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Tellu...

Food Photography dan Eating Out di Media Sosial Instagram

OpenAIRE

Nisak, Khoirun; Hariyanto, Didik

2017-01-01

This study aimed to analyze influence of food photography towards eating out Sidoarjo community in instagram media. Data collection was done by using questionnaire to the respondents who visited the cafe/restaurant Mie akhirat, Kedai Kopi Medan, Wong Solo, dan Dapur M’riah that was located on Jalan Raya Ponti Gelanggang Olahraga Sidoarjo. Samples were taken through random sampling technique with total sample of 100 respondents. The result of this quantitative research showed that there was in...

Autonomous Bacterial Localization and Gene Expression Based on Nearby Cell Receptor Density

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-22

signal-peptide (lpp-ompA) sequences from the template vector, pTX101 (provided by Dr George Georgiou, University of Texas, Austin) (Francisco et al...generously providing the PCI-15B cell line, Dr George Georgiou for kindly providing the ompA surface display vector, and Dr Eiry Kobatake for providing...E, Wong WW, Suen JK, Bulter T, Lee SG, Liao JC (2005) A synthetic gene-metabolic oscillator. Nature 435: 118–122 Gardner TS, Cantor CR, Collins JJ

A Hard Look at Hard Power: Assessing the Defense Capabilities of Key U.S. Allies and Security Partners

Science.gov (United States)

2015-07-01

as a means to reduce the public deficit. The third white paper was released in summer 2008 following Nicolas Sarkozy’s election as president the...Caroline Wyatt, “Crucial Role of Helicopters in Afghanis- tan ,” BBC News, March 2, 2010, available from news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ uk_news/8545695.stm. 35. It...September 18, 2014, available from aco.nato.int/general-breedlove-thanks-spain- for-patriot-commitment.aspx. 14. Edward Wong and Nicola Clark

Study of Liquid Breakup Process in Solid Rocket Motor Nozzle

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-16

Laboratory, Edwards, CA Abstract In a solid rocket motor (SRM), when the aluminum based propellant combusts, the fuel is oxidized into alumina (Al2O3...34Chemical Erosion of Refractory-Metal Nozzle Inserts in Solid - Propellant Rocket Motors," J. Propulsion and Power, Vol. 25, no.1,, 2009. [4] E. Y. Wong...34 Solid Rocket Nozzle Design Summary," in 4th AIAA Propulsion Joint Specialist Conference, Cleveland, OH, 1968. [5] Nayfeh, A. H.; Saric, W. S

Treatment decision-making among breast cancer patients in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Nies YH; Islahudin F; Chong WW; Abdullah N; Ismail F; Ahmad Bustamam RS; Wong YF; Saladina JJ; Mohamed Shah N

2017-01-01

Yong Hui Nies,1 Farida Islahudin,1 Wei Wen Chong,1 Norlia Abdullah,2 Fuad Ismail,3 Ros Suzanna Ahmad Bustamam,4 Yoke Fui Wong,5 JJ Saladina,2 Noraida Mohamed Shah1 1Faculty of Pharmacy, 2Department of Surgery, 3Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, 4Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, 5Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Putrajaya, Malaysia Purpose: This study investig...

Critical evaluation of measured line positions of 14N16O in X2П state

Science.gov (United States)

Sulakshina, O. N.; Borkov, Yu. G.

2018-04-01

All available line positions for unresolved and resolved Λ-doublets of the 14N16O molecule in the X2 П state were collected from the literature and tested using the RITZ computer code. These data have been critically analysed and used to obtain the most complete set of 1789 experimental energy levels of unresolved Λ-doublets covering the 0-35,866 cm-1 interval. A set of 425 experimental energy levels of resolved Λ-doublets covering the 0-5957 cm-1 interval for two states 2П1/2 and 2П3/2 also have been obtained. These levels together with calculated correlation matrix can be used to generate the precise list of transitions with confidence intervals. Comparisons with the HITRAN as well as with Amiot calculations are discussed. The systematic shift between experimental energy levels of unresolved Λ-doublets and those calculated by Amiot for 2П3/2 state was found. The same systematic shift for transitions frequencies of unresolved Λ-doublets in forbidden subbands 2П1/2↔2П3/2 is also established in the HITRAN database. Comparison of the RITZ energy levels with calculated energy levels by Wong at al. was also done. It was found, that experimental RITZ energy levels for resolved Λ-doublets of 14N16O coincide with those calculated by Wong at al. within experimental uncertainties.

Who would benefit from memory training? A pilot study examining the ceiling effect of concurrent cognitive stimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwok TCY

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Timothy CY Kwok1,2, Wai Wang Chau1, Kenneth SL Yuen1,3, Anita YM Wong4, Jessie CY Li1, Rebecca YY Shiu4, Florence KY Ho11Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Hong Kong; 2Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; 3Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; 4The Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club Madam Wong Chan Sook Ying Memorial Care and Attention Home for the Aged, Hong KongAbstract: Diverse effects of memory training were observed in the literature. One possible factor is the amount of concurrent cognitive training received during the training program. In this pilot study, we recruited 24 elderly adults with or without concurrent cognitive stimulations to attend a memory-training program. Findings suggested that elderly people without concurrent cognitive stimulation could benefit from a memory-training program in the form of improved initiation and memory functioning. Self-rated quality of life measure also showed improvements alongside the cognitive benefits. Elderly people with regular concurrent cognitive stimulation, on the other hand, seemed to plateau in their level of performance and did not show any significant change. Our preliminary findings suggested nonlinear concurrent cognitive stimulation in the elderly.Keywords: memory training, cognitive training, dementia, Chinese, elderly 

Perspectives on ambulatory anesthesia: the patient’s point of view

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sehmbi H

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Herman Sehmbi, Jean Wong, David T WongDepartment of Anesthesia, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaAbstract: Recent advances in anesthetic and surgical techniques have led to tremendous growth of ambulatory surgery. With patients with many co-morbid conditions undergoing complex procedures in an ambulatory setting, the challenges in providing ambulatory surgery and anesthesia are immense. In recent years, the paradigm has shifted from a health-care provider focus involving process compliance and clinical outcomes, to a patient-centered strategy that includes patients’ perspectives of desired outcomes. Improving preoperative patient education while reducing unnecessary testing, improving postoperative pain management, and reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting may help enhance patient satisfaction. The functional status of most patients is reduced postoperatively, and thus the pattern of recovery is an area of ongoing research. Standardized and validated psychometric questionnaires such as Quality of Recovery-40 and Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale are potential tools to assess this. Patient satisfaction has been identified as an important outcome measure and dedicated tools to assess this in various clinical settings are needed. Identification of key aspects of ambulatory surgery deemed important from patients’ perspectives, and implementation of validated outcome questionnaires, are important in improving patient centered care and patient satisfaction.Keywords: ambulatory, patient, satisfaction, anesthesia, outcomes, questionnaire, perspectives

Delineation of gravel-bed clusters via factorial kriging

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Fu-Chun; Wang, Chi-Kuei; Huang, Guo-Hao

2018-05-01

Gravel-bed clusters are the most prevalent microforms that affect local flows and sediment transport. A growing consensus is that the practice of cluster delineation should be based primarily on bed topography rather than grain sizes. Here we present a novel approach for cluster delineation using patch-scale high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs). We use a geostatistical interpolation method, i.e., factorial kriging, to decompose the short- and long-range (grain- and microform-scale) DEMs. The required parameters are determined directly from the scales of the nested variograms. The short-range DEM exhibits a flat bed topography, yet individual grains are sharply outlined, making the short-range DEM a useful aid for grain segmentation. The long-range DEM exhibits a smoother topography than the original full DEM, yet groupings of particles emerge as small-scale bedforms, making the contour percentile levels of the long-range DEM a useful tool for cluster identification. Individual clusters are delineated using the segmented grains and identified clusters via a range of contour percentile levels. Our results reveal that the density and total area of delineated clusters decrease with increasing contour percentile level, while the mean grain size of clusters and average size of anchor clast (i.e., the largest particle in a cluster) increase with the contour percentile level. These results support the interpretation that larger particles group as clusters and protrude higher above the bed than other smaller grains. A striking feature of the delineated clusters is that anchor clasts are invariably greater than the D90 of the grain sizes even though a threshold anchor size was not adopted herein. The average areal fractal dimensions (Hausdorff-Besicovich dimensions of the projected areas) of individual clusters, however, demonstrate that clusters delineated with different contour percentile levels exhibit similar planform morphologies. Comparisons with a

An introduction to biomaterials

CERN Document Server

Hollinger, Jeffrey O

2011-01-01

Consensus Definitions, Fundamental Concepts, and a Standardized Approach to Applied Biomaterials Sciences, J.O. HollingerBiology, Biomechanics, Biomaterial Interactions: Wound Healing BiologyCutaneous Wound Pathobiology: Raison d'etre for Tissue Engineering, L.K. Macri and R.A.F. ClarkOsseous Wound Healing, A. Nawab, M. Wong, D. Kwak, L. Schutte, A. Sharma, and J.O. HollingerBiology, Biomechanics, Biomaterial Interactions: Cellular MechanicsCell and Tissue Mechanobiology, W. Guo, P. Alvarez, and Y. WangBiology, Biomechanics, Biomaterial Interactions: Materials-Host InteractionsCell-Material In

On the classical dynamics of charges in non-commutative QED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fatollahi, A.H.; Mohammadzadeh, H.

2004-01-01

Following Wong's approach to formulating the classical dynamics of charged particles in non-Abelian gauge theories, we derive the classical equations of motion of a charged particle in U(1) gauge theory on non-commutative space, the so-called non-commutative QED. In the present use of the procedure, it is observed that the definition of the mechanical momenta should be modified. The derived equations of motion manifest the previous statement about the dipole behavior of the charges in non-commutative space. (orig.)

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WEB INFORMATION EXTRACTION TECHNIQUES DEEP LEARNING vs. NAÏVE BAYES vs. BACK PROPAGATION NEURAL NETWORKS IN WEB DOCUMENT EXTRACTION

OpenAIRE

J. Sharmila; A. Subramani

2016-01-01

Web mining related exploration is getting the chance to be more essential these days in view of the reason that a lot of information is overseen through the web. Web utilization is expanding in an uncontrolled way. A particular framework is required for controlling such extensive measure of information in the web space. Web mining is ordered into three noteworthy divisions: Web content mining, web usage mining and web structure mining. Tak-Lam Wong has proposed a web content mining methodolog...

Anbar Awake: What Now?

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-01

enough local support in the area to prevent the AM from taking root.64 The rapid expansion of the AM was both stunning and game -changing. By...in between. 40 Oppel, “Iraq Takes Aim.” 41 Wong, al-Ansary, and Cooper, and Anna Badkhen, “We Were basically Hiring Terrorists,” Salon , August 29...www.worldthreats.com/?p=533 (accessed January 20, 2008). Badkhen, Anna. “We Were Basically Hiring Terrorists.” Salon , August 29, 2008. http://www.salon.com/news

The development and validation of the Satisfaction Questionnaire for Osteoporosis Prevention in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Lai, Pauline Siew Mei; Toh,Li Shean; Wong,Kok Thong; Tan,Alex Tong Boon; Low,Bee Yean; Anderson,Claire; Wu,David Bin-Chia

2014-01-01

Li Shean Toh,1 Pauline Siew Mei Lai,2 David Bin-Chia Wu,3 Kok Thong Wong,1 Bee Yean Low,1 Alexander Tong Boon Tan,4 Claire Anderson5 1School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Semenyih, Malaysia; 2Department of Primary Care Medicine, University of Malaya Primary Care Research Group, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 3School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia; 4Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 5Division of Soci...

Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma as a Preclinical Tool

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-01

www.actaneurocomms.org/content/2/1/134N-Myc and Hedgehog [17], MYCN, silent, and H3-K27M [10] or H3-K27M and wildtype [6]. Together, these classi...pons, and as there are significant differences between mouse and human brainstem anatomy , we can- not be certain that the dorsal Nestin+/Pax3...Fisher PG, Weissman IL, Rowitch DH, Vogel H, Wong AJ, Beachy PA (2011) Hedgehog -responsive candidate cell of origin for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma

A pilot study on the functional performance and acceptability of an innovative female condom (Wondaleaf®) in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Ting,Rachel Sing-Kiat; Wong,Ee Lynn; Tnay,Jessie Koh-Sing

2018-01-01

Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting,1 Ee-Lynn Wong,2 Jessie Koh-Sing Tnay3 1School of Sociology, China University of Political Sciences and Law, Beijing, China; 2InPsych Psychological and Counselling Services, Kuala Lumpur, 3Institute of Borneo Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia Background: Female condom (FC) has been available for over 30 years, but it still lacks wide acceptability. To overcome misdirection and invagination occurring in FC and to provide a wider area of protection, W...

Behavioral activation for dementia caregivers: scheduling pleasant events and enhancing communications

OpenAIRE

Au, Alma; Gallagher-Thompson, Dolores; Wong, Meng-Kong; Leung, Jess; Chan, Wai-Chi; Chan, Chun Chung; Lu, Hui-Jing; Lai, Man Kin; Chan, Kevin

2015-01-01

Alma Au,1,2 Dolores Gallagher-Thompson,3 Meng-Kong Wong,4 Jess Leung,4 Wai-Chi Chan,5 Chun Chung Chan,6 Hui-Jing Lu,1 Man Kin Lai,1 Kevin Chan11Department of Applied Social Sciences, 2Institute of Active Aging, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Geriatric Education Centre, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; 4Department of Psychiatry, United Christian Hosp...

Nation, region, and globe alternative definitions of place in world history

OpenAIRE

Little, Daniel

2014-01-01

The paper begins in the recognition of the importance of ‘world history’ and considers some of the current challenges this field faces. It considers several important contributions to the field that illuminate the value of fresh approaches: James Scott''s construction of ‘Zomia’, Emmanuel Todd''s historicization of ‘France’ as a nation, Bin Wong and Kenneth Pomeranz''s new approach to Eurasian economic history, and Victor Lieberman''s analysis of the strange synchrony between Southeast Asia a...

Smart applications to track and record physical activity: implications for obesity treatment

OpenAIRE

Wong SS; Meng Y; Loprinzi PD; Hongu N

2014-01-01

Siew Sun Wong,1 Yu Meng,1 Paul D Loprinzi,2 Nobuko Hongu3 1School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; 2Department of Exercise Science, Donna and Allan Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY, USA; 3Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA Abstract: The primary purpose of this review is to answer three research questions: 1) What are the most popular features o...

UNLV Information Science Research Institute quarterly progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nartker, T.A.

1994-01-01

Sections of this report include: symposium activity, staff activity, document analysis program, text-retrieval program, institute activity, etc. It is believed that as large, complete collections of documents become available in digital libraries, users will demand complete interaction with the information; document access mechanisms will have to grow beyond keywords and full-text searches to include browsing, searching of images, and searching on basis of abstract concepts. It is proposed to study the microform document conversion process, including image preprocessing, recognition, postprocessing for extracting information, and natural language techniques. Characterization of algorithms will allow generation of a system that automatically adapts to a wide range of image quality, thereby allowing large-scale conversion efforts. It is proposed to focus first on the NSF Antarctic database (approx. 55,000 documents)

UNLV Information Science Research Institute quarterly progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nartker, T.A.

1994-03-31

Sections of this report include: symposium activity, staff activity, document analysis program, text-retrieval program, institute activity, etc. It is believed that as large, complete collections of documents become available in digital libraries, users will demand complete interaction with the information; document access mechanisms will have to grow beyond keywords and full-text searches to include browsing, searching of images, and searching on basis of abstract concepts. It is proposed to study the microform document conversion process, including image preprocessing, recognition, postprocessing for extracting information, and natural language techniques. Characterization of algorithms will allow generation of a system that automatically adapts to a wide range of image quality, thereby allowing large-scale conversion efforts. It is proposed to focus first on the NSF Antarctic database (approx. 55,000 documents).

A Guide to the Microform Collections of the USMA (United States Military Academy) Library,

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

period. One may find the earliest editions of Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare , More, Erasumus, and Bacon. Military, legal, royal and other public...Information Service, Inc., provides reference and information retrieval services to Congressional publications and public lava. As a companion to its

Magnetic Ultrathin Films: Multilayers and Surfaces, Interfaces and Characterization

Science.gov (United States)

1993-04-01

Zaluska, Z. Altounian, 1O. Str6m- Olsen , Y. Huai, and R.W. Cochrane GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE AND STRUCTURE OF PHASE- SEGREGATED EPITAXIAL METALS 411 R.F...helpful advice in the design of the MOKE magnetome- ter, Byungwoo Park for help with’ the earlier part of this project and lastly, Selmer Wong for...501 Paduani. C.. 333 Storm, D., 651 Panissod, P.. 289 Str6m- Olsen . J.O.. 405 Pappas, D.P., 369, 451, 457, 619 Sugita, Yutaka. 257 Parker. M.R., 73, 191

AIDS: Anti-HIV Agents, Therapies, and Vaccines

Science.gov (United States)

1990-12-26

Rabson, T. F. Smith & F. Wong-Staal, Eds. Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group T-10. Los Alamos, New Mexico . 146 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OV SCIENCES...delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to a 10 tg intradermal injection of purified protein derivative (PPD) of My"cobacterium tuberculosis ...8217t, & G. M SIt-ARt R. 1989. J. Clin. Invest. 84" 1892- 1899, I. M\\i R\\ K., Q. N. 1982 AdN . Exp. Med. iliol. 155:649 57. 17. MOORi. V L, Q N. MNRVIK

Kac limit and thermodynamic characterization of stochastic dynamics driven by Poisson-Kac fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Giona, Massimiliano; Brasiello, Antonio; Crescitelli, Silvestro

2017-07-01

We analyze the thermodynamic properties of stochastic differential equations driven by smooth Poisson-Kac fluctuations, and their convergence, in the Kac limit, towards Wiener-driven Langevin equations. Using a Markovian embedding of the stochastic work variable, it is proved that the Kac-limit convergence implies a Stratonovich formulation of the limit Langevin equations, in accordance with the Wong-Zakai theorem. Exact moment analysis applied to the case of a purely frictional system shows the occurrence of different regimes and crossover phenomena in the parameter space.

Single-mode Laser by Parity-time Symmetry Breaking

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-21

solenoid -like Pds5B that reside in direct proximity to Wapl and the Smc3-Scc1 in- teraction interface (fig. S13), implying that Wapl and Pds5 control the...accepted 26 September 2014 10.1126/science.1256904 REPORTS ◥ OPTICS Single-mode laser by parity-time symmetry breaking Liang Feng,1* Zi Jing Wong,1...Ren-Min Ma,1* Yuan Wang,1,2 Xiang Zhang1,2† Effective manipulation of cavity resonant modes is crucial for emission control in laser physics and

Explanatory factors of Work-Life Balance and time management leading to the well being in the vision of paranaian accountants1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stella Maris Lima Altoé

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, work-life balance has been focus of debates that aim to approach on the integration between the different domains work and family. The discussions seek to reduce the role conflicts inherent in these spheres. In certain professions, due to the intense work, one observes the intensification of the conflicts of roles. This fact shows that the accounting profession presents specific demands in certain periods, so the professional is overwhelmed with tasks and needs to manage his time properly. Thus, the study aims to identify which are the factors that explain the perception of accountants from Paraná regarding their work-life balance and time management. Through an online survey, from the research instrument adapted from the study of Wong and Ko (2009, 267 registered registries in the state of Paraná answered the questionnaire. To analyze the data, we used descriptive statistics and factor analysis. From the factor analysis technique, three factors were identified as explanatory of work-life balance: (1 work support; (2 commitment to work; and (3 commitment to family and personal aspects. In addition to the three work-life balance factors identified, time management was considered. The results of this research are in line with the findings of Wong and Ko (2009. As a scientific contribution, this study enables relevant discussions on aspects related to the quality of life and the performance of accounting professionals.

Migration, Displacement, and Movements in the Global Space: Ming-Yuen S. Ma’s Multi-Media Project Xin Lu: A Travelogue in Four Parts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaojing Zhou

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In her recent work, Sau-ling Cynthia Wong draws critical attention to the implications of the formation of an Asian American “diaporic community” in cyberspace, where race still operates as an organizing principle of power relations. Although cyberspace is not confined by national borders, Wong examines how subversion of and intervention in race- and sex-based hierarchies in cyberspace can articulate Asian American identities in relation to diasporas and the nation-state. This essay explores the politics of artistic invention in diasporas as embedded in the disruption, dislocation, and fragmentation in Ming-Yuen S. Ma’s multi-media project, Xin Lu: A Travelogue in Four Parts—a series of four experimental videos about Chinese diasporas. It argues that by moving outside the nation-space into the experiential and virtual “global space” of diasporas, Ma’s work addresses Wong’s concerns and enacts a viable “virtual mediation” that situates Chinese diasporas in the historical contexts of British colonialism and American racial exploitation and exclusion. This movement also entails confronting other forms of oppression, including sexism and heterosexism in both the East and West. While giving voice and visibility to the struggles of racial and sexual minorities across national borders, Ma demonstrates the possibilities of a historicized critical approach to diasporas, one which underlies Wong’s insistence in critiquing gendered and racialized power structures both within and outside the nation-state.

Comparisons of geoid models over Alaska computed with different Stokes' kernel modifications

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X.; Wang, Y.

2011-01-01

Various Stokes kernel modification methods have been developed over the years. The goal of this paper is to test the most commonly used Stokes kernel modifications numerically by using Alaska as a test area and EGM08 as a reference model. The tests show that some methods are more sensitive than others to the integration cap sizes. For instance, using the methods of Vaníček and Kleusberg or Featherstone et al. with kernel modification at degree 60, the geoid decreases by 30 cm (on average) when the cap size increases from 1° to 25°. The corresponding changes in the methods of Wong and Gore and Heck and Grüninger are only at the 1 cm level. At high modification degrees, above 360, the methods of Vaníček and Kleusberg and Featherstone et al become unstable because of numerical problems in the modification coefficients; similar conclusions have been reported by Featherstone (2003). In contrast, the methods of Wong and Gore, Heck and Grüninger and the least-squares spectral combination are stable at any modification degree, though they do not provide as good fit as the best case of the Molodenskii-type methods at the GPS/Leveling benchmarks. However, certain tests for choosing the cap size and modification degree have to be performed in advance to avoid abrupt mean geoid changes if the latter methods are applied.

Patient satisfaction and positive patient outcomes in ambulatory anesthesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shah U

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Ushma Shah, David T Wong, Jean Wong Department of Anesthesia, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Abstract: Most surgeries in North America are performed on an ambulatory basis, reducing health care costs and increasing patient comfort. Patient satisfaction is an important outcome indicator of the quality of health care services incorporated by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA. Patient satisfaction is a complex concept that is influenced by multiple factors. A patient's viewpoint and knowledge plays an influential role in patient satisfaction with ambulatory surgery. Medical optimization and psychological preparation of the patient plays a pivotal role in the success of ambulatory surgery. Postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting are the most important symptoms for the patient and can be addressed by multimodal drug regimens. Shared decision making, patient–provider relationship, communication, and continuity of care form the main pillars of patient satisfaction. Various psychometrically developed instruments are available to measure patient satisfaction, such as the Iowa Satisfaction with Anesthesia Scale and Evaluation du Vecu de I'Anesthesie Generale, but none have been developed specifically for ambulatory surgery. The ASA has made recommendations for data collection for patient satisfaction surveys and emphasized the importance of reporting the data to the Anesthesia Quality Institute. Future research is warranted to develop a validated tool to measure patient satisfaction in ambulatory surgery. Keywords: patient, satisfaction, anesthesia, outcomes, questionnaire, perspectives

Killing spinors as a characterisation of rotating black hole spacetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cole, Michael J; Kroon, Juan A Valiente

2016-01-01

We investigate the implications of the existence of Killing spinors in a spacetime. In particular, we show that in vacuum and electrovacuum a Killing spinor, along with some assumptions on the associated Killing vector in an asymptotic region, guarantees that the spacetime is locally isometric to the Kerr or Kerr–Newman solutions. We show that the characterisation of these spacetimes in terms of Killing spinors is an alternative expression of characterisation results of Mars (Kerr) and Wong (Kerr–Newman) involving restrictions on the Weyl curvature and matter content. (paper)

BMC Ecology image competition: the winning images

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

BMC Ecology announces the winning entries in its inaugural Ecology Image Competition, open to anyone affiliated with a research institute. The competition, which received more than 200 entries from international researchers at all career levels and a wide variety of scientific disciplines, was looking for striking visual interpretations of ecological processes. In this Editorial, our academic Section Editors and guest judge Dr Yan Wong explain what they found most appealing about their chosen winning entries, and highlight a few of the outstanding images that didn’t quite make it to the top prize. PMID:23517630

BMC Ecology image competition: the winning images.

Science.gov (United States)

Harold, Simon; Wong, Yan; Baguette, Michel; Bonsall, Michael B; Clobert, Jean; Royle, Nick J; Settele, Josef

2013-03-22

BMC Ecology announces the winning entries in its inaugural Ecology Image Competition, open to anyone affiliated with a research institute. The competition, which received more than 200 entries from international researchers at all career levels and a wide variety of scientific disciplines, was looking for striking visual interpretations of ecological processes. In this Editorial, our academic Section Editors and guest judge Dr Yan Wong explain what they found most appealing about their chosen winning entries, and highlight a few of the outstanding images that didn't quite make it to the top prize.

Role of Mitochondrial Inheritance on Prostate Cancer Outcome in African American Men. Addendum

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-01

RK, Tan DJ. Comprehensive scanning of the entire mitochondrial genome for mutations. Clin Chem. 2002; 48:1901-12. 3. Zhang W, Cui H, Wong L-J...Yang J, Price R, Nicolas A, Nalls M, Tranah G, Franceschini N, Xu Z, Schulte C, Alonso A, Cummings S, Fornage M, Zaykin D, Li L, Huang X, Kritchevsky S...L, Liu X, Liu L, Xu P, Han B, Bai C, Zhao Y, Zhang H, Yan Y, Amos CI, Chen F, Tan W, Jin L, Wu T, Lin D, Shen H. Association analyses identify

Novel Sonic Hedgehog Mutation in a Couple with Variable Expression of Holoprosencephaly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Aguinaga

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Holoprosencephaly (HPE is the most common developmental defect of the forebrain and midface in humans. sporadic and inherited mutations in the human sonic hedgehog (SHH gene cause 37% of familial HPE. A couple was referred to our unit with a family history of two spontaneous first trimester miscarriages and a daughter with HPE who presented early neonatal death. The father had a repaired median cleft lip, absence of central incisors, facial medial hypoplasia, and cleft palate. Intelligence and a brain CT scan were normal. Direct paternal sequencing analysis showed a novel nonsense mutation (W127X. Facial characteristics are considered as HPE microforms, and the pedigree suggested autosomal dominant inheritance with a variable expression of the phenotype. This study reinforces the importance of an exhaustive evaluation of couples with a history of miscarriages and neonatal deaths with structural defects.

Thermophysical properties of binary mixtures of {l_brace}ionic liquid 2-hydroxy ethylammonium acetate + (water, methanol, or ethanol){r_brace}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alvarez, Victor H. [School of Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6066, 13083-970 Campinas-SP (Brazil); Chemical Engineering Department, ETSE, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), P.O. Box 15782, Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Mattedi, Silvana [Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnic School, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), 40210-630 Salvador-BA (Brazil); Martin-Pastor, Manuel [Unidade de Resonancia Magnetica, RIAIDT, edif. CACTUS, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), P.O. Box 15706, Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Aznar, Martin [School of Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6066, 13083-970 Campinas-SP (Brazil); Iglesias, Miguel, E-mail: miguel.iglesias@usc.es [Chemical Engineering Department, ETSE, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), P.O. Box 15782, Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

2011-07-15

Research highlights: > This paper reports the density and speed of sound data of binary mixtures {l_brace}2-hydroxy ethylammonium acetate + (water, or methanol, or ethanol){r_brace} measured between the temperatures (298.15 and 313.15) K at atmospheric pressure. > The aggregation, dynamic behavior, and hydrogen-bond network were studied using thermo-acoustic, X-ray, and NMR techniques. > The Peng-Robinson equation of state, coupled with the Wong-Sandler mixing rule using the COSMO-SAC model predicted the density of the solutions with relative mean deviations below than 3.0%. - Abstract: In this work, density and speed of sound data of binary mixtures of an ionic liquid consisting of {l_brace}2-hydroxy ethylammonium acetate (2-HEAA) + (water, methanol, or ethanol){r_brace} have been measured throughout the entire concentration range, from the temperature of (288.15 to 323.15) K at atmospheric pressure. The excess molar volumes, variations of the isentropic compressibility, the apparent molar volume, isentropic apparent molar compressibility, and thermal expansion coefficient were calculated from the experimental data. The excess molar volumes were negative throughout the whole composition range. Compressibility data in combination with low angle X-ray scattering and NMR measurements proved that the presence of micelles formed due to ion pair interaction above a critical concentration of the ionic liquid in the mixtures. The Peng-Robinson equation of state coupled with the Wong-Sandler mixing rule and COSMO-SAC model was used to predict densities and the calculated deviations were lower than 3%, for binary mixtures in all composition range.

Thermophysical properties of binary mixtures of {ionic liquid 2-hydroxy ethylammonium acetate + (water, methanol, or ethanol)}

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez, Victor H.; Mattedi, Silvana; Martin-Pastor, Manuel; Aznar, Martin; Iglesias, Miguel

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → This paper reports the density and speed of sound data of binary mixtures {2-hydroxy ethylammonium acetate + (water, or methanol, or ethanol)} measured between the temperatures (298.15 and 313.15) K at atmospheric pressure. → The aggregation, dynamic behavior, and hydrogen-bond network were studied using thermo-acoustic, X-ray, and NMR techniques. → The Peng-Robinson equation of state, coupled with the Wong-Sandler mixing rule using the COSMO-SAC model predicted the density of the solutions with relative mean deviations below than 3.0%. - Abstract: In this work, density and speed of sound data of binary mixtures of an ionic liquid consisting of {2-hydroxy ethylammonium acetate (2-HEAA) + (water, methanol, or ethanol)} have been measured throughout the entire concentration range, from the temperature of (288.15 to 323.15) K at atmospheric pressure. The excess molar volumes, variations of the isentropic compressibility, the apparent molar volume, isentropic apparent molar compressibility, and thermal expansion coefficient were calculated from the experimental data. The excess molar volumes were negative throughout the whole composition range. Compressibility data in combination with low angle X-ray scattering and NMR measurements proved that the presence of micelles formed due to ion pair interaction above a critical concentration of the ionic liquid in the mixtures. The Peng-Robinson equation of state coupled with the Wong-Sandler mixing rule and COSMO-SAC model was used to predict densities and the calculated deviations were lower than 3%, for binary mixtures in all composition range.

Deformations in micro extrusion of metals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Piwnik

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Production technologies of small dimensions metallic elements are known for a long time. They are produced by machining methods:turning, milling, polishing. Recently, methods for manufacturing small details by forming are developed – microforming. This process ischaracterized by the high dimensions accuracy and the surface smoothness of received items and the high production rate. When a forming process is scaled down to micro dimensions, the microstructure of the workpiece, the surface topology of the workpiece and that of the tooling remain unchanged. Size effect is appearing. This paper analyses specifications of a metal extrusion in micro scale. To determine the impact of the tool surface roughness on deformation process the numerical model of roughness as triangle wave were developed. In paper the influence of the wave presence on the material flow is described. Impact of the forming conditions on extrusion forces there is also characterized.

Editorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wong-Riley M

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Margaret Wong-RileyMedical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USAThere is no doubt that we have long entered into an information explosion age, and the pace is escalating by the minute. Not only have the borders between disciplines been torn down, but there are no longer any barriers between counties, states, regions, countries, and continents. Knowledge is no longer reserved for a privileged few, but indeed can be shared by all. This freedom of information is what we cherish as scientists, but this information is much more valuable when screened first by experts before dissemination.

Quantum phase from s-parametrized quasidistributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perinova, V; Luks, A

2005-01-01

It is familiar that a well behaved operator of the harmonic oscillator phase does not exist. Therefore, Turski's phase operator and the operator of Garrison and Wong may be at most defined in an interesting fashion and yield useful quantum expectation values. In this paper we touch on a recent incomplete definition of a phase operator which has also failed in the respect that it can be completed only to a definition of an 'incomplete' phase operator. We discuss, however, a possibility of completion of the definition and a relationship to the phase operator from an s-parametrized quasidistribution

The brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 can generate cGMP enabling cGMP-dependent downstream signaling

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wheeler, J

2017-06-01

Full Text Available ) with the ll PickUp Injection mode using the loading pump at 15 ll min�1 flow rate for 3 min. Samples were then loaded on a RSLC, 75 lm 9 500 mm, nanoVi- per, C18, 2 lm, 100 �A column (Acclaim, PepMap) retrofitted to an EASY-spray source with a flow rate of 300... receptor BRI1 can generate cGMP enabling cGMP-dependent downstream signaling Janet I. Wheeler1,2,†, Aloysius Wong3,4, Claudius Marondedze3,5, Arnoud J. Groen5, Lusisizwe Kwezi1,6, Lubna Freihat1, Jignesh Vyas1, Misjudeen A. Raji7, Helen R. Irving1...

Analytical derivation of finite-data-record performance of Wong-Lok-Lehnert-Zoltowski's DS-CDMA "blind" space-time receiver

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tichavský, Petr; Wong, K. T.

2005-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 4 (2005), s. 1485-1499 ISSN 1053-587X R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0572 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : antenna arrays * array signal processing * cochannel interference Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 1.820, year: 2005

A Motivational Interviewing Intervention by Pharmacy Students to Improve Medication Adherence.

Science.gov (United States)

Abughosh, Susan; Wang, Xin; Serna, Omar; Esse, Tara; Mann, Amanda; Masilamani, Santhi; Holstad, Marcia McDonnell; Essien, Ekere James; Fleming, Marc

2017-05-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with comorbid hypertension (HTN) are at a higher risk of developing microvascular and macrovascular DM complications. Through guideline-driven recommendations, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are highly recommended for these patients. Unfortunately, medication adherence to these products, though crucial to achieving therapeutic benefit, is frequently suboptimal. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centered collaborative communication style that is used to strengthen internal motivation for change that may prove effective in enhancing adherence. To examine the effect of an MI telephone intervention conducted by pharmacy students in improving adherence to ACEIs/ARBs among Medicare Advantage Plan (MAP) patients with both DM and HTN. A prospective study was conducted among patients enrolled in a Texas MAP. Medical claims data were used to identify patients with DM and HTN, and pharmacy claims were observed to recognize those who filled either an ACEI or an ARB during June 2014. Patients with a 6-month proportion of days covered (PDC) sustainability of the intervention effect for longer time periods and its influence on associated clinical outcomes. This project was supported by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation (PhRMA). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of PhRMA. The funding agency was not involved in research design, analysis, or reporting results. Funding was obtained by Abughosh. Holstad provided a consultation regarding the MI guide and provided the MI training. Study concept and design were contributed by Abughosh and Fleming, along with Serna, Esse, and Holstad. Serna, Esse, Mann, Holstad, and Masilamani collected the data, and data interpretation was performed by Abughosh, Wong, and Esse. The manuscript was written by Abughosh, Wong, and Esse and revised

Remarks on the occasion of the 25. anniversary of the discovery of isobaric-analog states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodman, C.D.

1987-01-01

Roughly 25 years ago, John Anderson, the late Calvin Wong, John McClure, and Stewart Bloom made an interesting discovery. John and his colleagues had set out to measure the systematics of nuclear temperatures. They were to look at the spectra of evaporated neutrons from compound nuclei created by proton bombardment of various targets. The evaporation spectra should be smooth functions of energy. The smooth functions were there, but there was a sharp peak superimposed. No known physical phenomenon could produce the sharp peak, so it had to be an artifact of the electronics. However, John and his colleagues convinced themselves that the time-to-pulse-height converters were working right. Well then, it had to be a contaminant in the target. Sharp peaks had been seen for isospin mirror transitions, but this target, 23 51 V 28 , had five excess neutrons, so there could not be a mirror transition. The prevailing dogma was that isotopic spin, as it was then called, was a bad quantum number because the Coulomb force was so strong. Well, John and his colleagues set about to calculate the Z of the contaminant mirror transition that would put the sharp peak at the observed energy. They found Z = 23, that of the vanadium target ! They had discovered the existence of sharp isospin multiplet states in nonmirror nuclei. Dogmas are forced to change, and jargon changes. We now accept the idea that Fermi transition strength is concentrated in a sharp state, the IAS. CVC and PCAC are good buzz acronyms that get you accelerator time from PACs. But the discovery made by Anderson, Wong, McClure, and Bloom still stands as the most important finding in nuclear structure in over a quarter of a century

Neptune's New Dark Vortex: Aerosol Properties from Optical Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tollefson, J.; Luszcz-Cook, S.; Wong, M. H.; De Pater, I.

2016-12-01

Over the past year, amateur and professional astronomers alike have monitored the appearance of a new dark vortex on Neptune, dubbed SDS-2015 for "southern dark spot discovered in 2015" (Wong et al. 2016; CBET 4278). The discovery of SDS-2015 is fortuitous, being one of only five dark spots observed on Neptune since Voyager 2 imaged the Great Dark Spot (Smith et al. 1989, Science 246, 1422). A companion abstract (Wong et al., this meeting) will present Hubble Space Telescope images of SDS-2015, showcasing the discovery of the vortex in September 2015 and subsequent observations in May 2016. These observations span the optical regime. Longer wavelengths track bright companion clouds thought to form as air is diverted around SDS-2015. Shorter wavelengths reveal the dark spot itself. Combined, these data probe the vertical extent of the dark spot and Neptune's surrounding upper atmosphere. We present preliminary radiative transfer analyses of SDS-2015 using our multispectral data. Our model is the same as that in Luszcz-Cook et al. (2016, Icarus 276, 52) but extended to optical wavelengths. Prior to this work, little was known about the composition and vertical extent of Neptune's dark spots. Only data at optical wavelengths reveal these vortices, suggesting they consist of clearings in the background of fine, evenly-distributed haze particle. Alternatively, the spots may consist of low-albedo aerosols, causing their apparent darkness. Radiative transfer modeling is also one way to determine the vortex top altitude. Simulations of the Great Dark Spot by Stratman et al. (2001, Icarus 151, 275) found that the vortex top altitude is coupled to the brightness of companion clouds, where cloud opacity weakened as the top of the vortex reached higher into the tropopause region. The modeling presented here will compare these hypotheses and provide the first glimpses into the vertical structure of SDS-2015.

(Vapor + liquid) equilibrium data for (carbon dioxide + 1,1-difluoroethane) system at temperatures from (258 to 343) K and pressures up to about 8 MPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madani, Hakim; Valtz, Alain; Coquelet, Christophe; Meniai, Abdeslam Hassen; Richon, Dominique

2008-01-01

Accurate thermo-physical data are of utmost interest for the development of new efficient refrigeration systems. Carbon dioxide (R744) and 1,1-difluoroethane (R152a) are addressed here. Isothermal (vapor + liquid) equilibrium data are reported herein for (R744 + R152a) binary system in the (258-343) K temperature range and in the (0.14 to 7.65) MPa pressure range. A reliable 'static-analytic' method taking advantage of two online ROLSI TM micro capillary samplers is used for all thermodynamic measurements. The data are correlated using our in-house ThermoSoft thermodynamic model using the Peng-Robinson equation of state, the Mathias-Copeman alpha function, the Wong-Sandler mixing rules, and the NRTL model

KLT-type relations for QCD and bicolor amplitudes from color-factor symmetry

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Robert W.; Naculich, Stephen G.

2018-03-01

Color-factor symmetry is used to derive a KLT-type relation for tree-level QCD amplitudes containing gluons and an arbitrary number of massive or massless quark-antiquark pairs, generalizing the expression for Yang-Mills amplitudes originally postulated by Bern, De Freitas, and Wong. An explicit expression is given for all amplitudes with two or fewer quark-antiquark pairs in terms of the (modified) momentum kernel. We also introduce the bicolor scalar theory, the "zeroth copy" of QCD, containing massless biadjoint scalars and massive bifundamental scalars, generalizing the biadjoint scalar theory of Cachazo, He, and Yuan. We derive KLT-type relations for tree-level amplitudes of biadjoint and bicolor theories using the color-factor symmetry possessed by these theories.

Cryptanalysis on a modified Baptista-type cryptosystem with chaotic masking algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yong; Liao Xiaofeng

2005-01-01

Based on chaotic masking algorithm, an enhanced Baptista-type cryptosystem is proposed by Li et al. to resist all known attacks [S. Li, X. Mou, Z. Ji, J. Zhang, Y. Cai, Phys. Lett. A 307 (2003) 22; S. Li, G. Chen, K.-W. Wong, X. Mou, Y. Cai, Phys. Lett. A 332 (2004) 368]. In this Letter, we show that the second class bit extracting function in [S. Li, X. Mou, Z. Ji, J. Zhang, Y. Cai, Phys. Lett. A 307 (2003) 22] still leak partial information on the current chaotic state and reduce the security of cryptosystem. So, this type bit extracting function is not a good candidate for the masking algorithm

Competing Demands, Intertwined Narratives: Ethnic, Gender and National Identities in Alison Wong´s As the Earth Turns Silver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paloma Fresno Calleja

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on Alison Wong’s 2009 novel As the Earth Turns Silver, the first published by a New Zealand writer of Chinese descent, and considers the expectations and pressures placed on the author as a result of her ethnic background. As argued in the article, the “competing demands” affecting her as a novelist are solved by reconstructing Chinese New Zealand history as interrelated to the history of other New Zealanders. This is done, primarily, by fictionalising the interracial love story between the two protagonists, a Chinese man and a Pakeha woman, but also by contextualising their romance within a range of interrelated debates on ethnic, gender and national identity. Ultimately, Wong’s creative choices allow her to recover the silenced Chinese voice while exploring issues that were and continue to be of upmost importance for New Zealanders of all ethnic backgrounds.

Monte Carlo study of the honeycomb structure of anthraquinone molecules on Cu(111)

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kwangmoo; Einstein, T. L.

2011-06-01

Using Monte Carlo calculations of the two-dimensional (2D) triangular lattice gas model, we demonstrate a mechanism for the spontaneous formation of honeycomb structure of anthraquinone (AQ) molecules on a Cu(111) plane. In our model long-range attractions play an important role, in addition to the long-range repulsions and short-range attractions proposed by Pawin, Wong, Kwon, and Bartels [ScienceSCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.1129309 313, 961 (2006)]. We provide a global account of the possible combinations of long-range attractive coupling constants which lead to a honeycomb superstructure. We also provide the critical temperature of disruption of the honeycomb structure and compare the critical local coverage rate of AQ’s where the honeycomb structure starts to form with the experimental observations.

The "Pseudocommando" mass murderer: part II, the language of revenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Knoll, James L

2010-01-01

In Part I of this article, research on pseudocommandos was reviewed, and the important role that revenge fantasies play in motivating such persons to commit mass murder-suicide was discussed. Before carrying out their mass shootings, pseudocommandos may communicate some final message to the public or news media. These communications are rich sources of data about their motives and psychopathology. In Part II of this article, forensic psycholinguistic analysis is applied to clarify the primary motivations, detect the presence of mental illness, and discern important individual differences in the final communications of two recent pseudocommandos: Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech) and Jiverly Wong (Binghamton, NY). Although both men committed offenses that qualify them as pseudocommandos, their final communications reveal striking differences in their psychopathology.

Concluding Remarks%序

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Sunney I.Chan

1997-01-01

@@ Thank you for your kind introduction, T.L. I am, of course, honored to have been the Honorary Chairman of ISOC 4, and I thank the Organizing Committee for bestowing this honoron me. As you know, I am not a card- carrying organic chemist, and one might wonder what a physical biochemist could really contribute to this Symposium. But, as Professor Chi - Huey Wong noted during his keynote address, I am over the hill in my own field. Perhaps, my colleagues at CUHK think I might be able to begin a second career as an organic chemist. Lest you question the seriousness of this suggestion, my students and I have recently published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry and Tetrahedron Letters!

A randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating quality of life when using a simple acupressure protocol in women with primary dysmenorrhea.

Science.gov (United States)

Bazarganipour, Fatemeh; Taghavi, Seyed-Abdolvahab; Allan, Helen; Hosseini, Nazafarin; Khosravi, Ahmad; Asadi, Rahimeh; Salari, Shohreh; Dehghani, Raziyeh; Jamshidi, Zahra; Rezaei, Marziyeh; Saberian, Mansoreh; Javedan, Fatemeh; Salari, Zahra; Miri, Fahimeh

2017-10-01

To evaluate a simple acupressure protocol in LIV3 and LI4 acupoints in women with primary dysmenorrhea. This paper reports a randomized, single blinded clinical trial. 90 young women with dysmenorrhea were recruited to three groups to receive 20min acupressure every day in either LIV3 or LI4, or placebo points. Acupressure was timed five days before menstruation for three successive menstrual cycles. On menstruation, each participant completed the Wong Baker faces pain scale, and the quality of life short form -12 (QOL SF-12). Intensity and duration of pain between the three groups in the second and third cycles during the intervention (pdysmenorrhea, and improve the QOL. Registration ID in IRCT: IRCT2016052428038N1. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Fusion dynamics of 2020Ne + 20882Pb reaction using static and energy dependent Woods-Saxon potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautam, Manjeet Singh; Kaur, Amandeep; Sharma, Manoj K.

2015-01-01

The present work compares the theoretical predictions based on static Woods-Saxon potential and the EDWSP model along with one dimensional Wong formula. For 20 20 Ne + 208 82 Pb reaction, the theoretical calculations obtained by using static Woods-Saxon potential are substantially smaller than that of experimental data at below barrier energies and explain the fusion data at above barrier energies only. On the other hand, the EDWSP model based calculations adequately describe the observed fusion enhancement of 20 20 Ne + 208 82 Pb reaction in whole range of energy spread across the Coulomb barrier. Furthermore, a wide range of the diffuseness parameter ranging from 0.96 fm to 0.85 fm is required to address the sub-barrier fusion data

Web 2.0 Dienste als Ergänzung zu algorithmischen Suchmaschinen

CERN Document Server

Deutschland. Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie; Maas, Christian

2008-01-01

Dokumentiert die Ergebnisse des Fachprojekts "Einbingung von Frage-Antwort-Diensten in die Web-Suche", Wintersemester 2007/2008, Dept. Information, Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg. Mit sozialen Suchdiensten - wie z.B. Yahoo Clever, Lycos iQ oder Mister Wong - ist eine Ergänzung zu den bisherigen Ansätzen in der Web-Suche entstanden. Während Google und Co. automatisch generierte Trefferlisten bieten, binden soziale Suchdienste die Anwender zur Generierung der Suchergebnisse in den Suchprozess ein. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird in diesem Buch der Frage nachgegangen, inwieweit soziale Suchdienste mit traditionellen Suchmaschinen konkurrieren oder diese qualitativ ergänzen können. Der vorliegende Band beleuchtet die hier aufgeworfene Fragestellung aus verschiedenen Perspektiven, um auf die Bedeutung von sozialen Suchdiensten zu schließen.

Fusion of 16O+46,50Ti near and below the Coulomb barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liguori Neto, R.; Acquadro, J.C.; Gomes, P.R.S.; Toledo, A.S. de; Crema, E.; Carlin Filho, N.; Coimbra, M.M.

1988-11-01

Fusion excitation functions for the systems 16 O+ 46 , 50 Ti at bombarding energies in the range 30 MeV ≤ E LAB ( 16 O) ≤ 65 MeV were measured by means of the γ-ray spectroscopy technique. The fusion excitation functions are analysed using a semi-classical one-dimensional barrier-penetration model with different nuclear potentials describing the heavy-ion interaction. From the analysis the fusion barrier parameters were obtained. The observed fusion cross sections at subbarrier energies are larger than predicted by this conventional one-dimensional barrier-penetration model. The fusion enhacement at sub-barrier energies for these systems can be explained by the simple approach of Wong's model, considering explicitly the quadrupole deformation parameter of the target-nucleus. (author) [pt

Intrathecal morphine for postoperative analgesia in patients with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripi, Paul A; Poe-Kochert, Connie; Potzman, Jennifer; Son-Hing, Jochen P; Thompson, George H

2008-09-15

A retrospective study of postoperative pain management with intrathecal morphine. Identify the dosing regimen of intrathecal morphine that safely and effectively provides postoperative analgesia with minimal complications in patients with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) and segmental spinal instrumentation (SSI). Postoperative pain after surgery for idiopathic scoliosis is a concern. Intrathecal morphine has been used to decrease pain. However, the most appropriate dose has not been determined. We retrospectively analyzed 407 consecutive patients with idiopathic scoliosis who underwent PSF and SSI at our institution from 1992 through 2006. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the intrathecal morphine dose: no dose (n = 68); moderate dose of 9 to 19 microg/kg, mean 14 microg/kg (n = 293); and high dose of 20 microg/kg or greater, mean 24 microg/kg (n = 46). Data included demographics, Wong-Baker visual analog scale postoperative pain scores, postoperative intravenous morphine requirements, time to first rescue dose of intravenous morphine, and postoperative complications of pruritus, nausea/vomiting, respiratory depression, and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. The demographics of the 3 study groups showed no statistical differences. The mean Wong-Baker visual analog scale pain score in the post anesthesia care unit was 5.2, 0.5, and 0.2, and the mean time to first morphine rescue was 6.6, 16.7, and 22.9 hours, respectively. In the first 48 postoperative hours, respiratory depression occurred in 1 (1.5%), 8 (2.7%), and 7 (15.2%) patients, whereas PICU admission occurred in 0 (0%), 6 (2%), and 8 (17.4%) patients, respectively. The majority of PICU admissions were the result of respiratory depression. Frequency of pruritus and nausea/vomiting was similar in all 3 groups. Intrathecal morphine in the moderate dose range of 9 to 19 microg/kg (mean 14 microg/kg), provides safe and effective postoperative analgesia in the

The efficacy of herbal therapy on quality of life in patients with breast cancer: self-control clinical trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai Yi Eliza Wong

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Lai Yi Eliza Wong1, Chun Kwok Wong2, Ping Chung Leung3, Wei Kei Christopher Lam41Assistant Professor, Department of Community and Family Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; 2Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; 3Director, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F, School of Public Health Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, NT, Hong Kong; 4Chairman, Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1/F, Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, NT, Hong KongBackground: Mounting evidence indicates that herbal therapy is effective in alleviating anxiety, lessening cancer treatment-related side-effects, and facilitating rehabilitation. This is the first trial to examine the herbal therapy of combined yunzhi and danshen on quality of life among breast cancer patients.Methods: A multicenter, longitudinal, and self-control study was used. Eighty-two breast cancer patients were given combined yunzhi and danshen capsules for six months on a daily basis. Data collection including quality of life, vitality status and adverse effects were taken.Results: Results showed a significant improvement in physical function, role-physical, role-emotion and health transition (P < 0.05. Patients also reported less fatigue, better quality of sleep, better appetite, more regular bowel movements and more stable emotions (P < 0.05. As far as side-effects were concerned, only mild discomforts including sore throat (13.4% and dry mouth (9.8% were recorded.Conclusion: The findings add clinical evidence to support the beneficial effects of herbal therapy on quality of life and vitality status in breast cancer patients. Therefore, herbal therapy has a potentially important role to play in managing psychological distress in cancer patients. This study also suggests that herbal therapy is clinically acceptable and can be used safely with breast cancer

Hong Kong-Ideal Access For Mainland Enterprises

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Guo Yan

2009-01-01

@@ With the deepen economic integration between mainland China and Hong Kong SAR,more and more mainland enterprises choose Hong Kong as their platform to enter the international market.At the end or 2008,more than 3,800 mainland enterprises have invested in Hong Kong with the total amount of US$20.7 billion;and mainland enterprises collected the investment in Hong Kong has reached the scale of 22.1 billion HKD.In March of 2009,The Management Method of Investment Abroad issued by Ministry of Commerce also provides the great convenience for mainland investors.China's Foreign Trade invited Ms.Wong Hoi Wan,Charmraine,Associate Director-General of Invest HK to introduce HK investment environment,the development of mainland enterprises in Hong Kong as well as the investment perspective.

The effects of spatial dynamics on a wormhole throat

Science.gov (United States)

Alias, Anuar; Wan Abdullah, Wan Ahmad Tajuddin

2018-02-01

Previous studies on dynamic wormholes were focused on the dynamics of the wormhole itself, be it either rotating or evolutionary in character and also in various frameworks from classical to braneworld cosmological models. In this work, we modeled a dynamic factor that represents the spatial dynamics in terms of spacetime expansion and contraction surrounding the wormhole itself. Using an RS2-based braneworld cosmological model, we modified the spacetime metric of Wong and subsequently employed the method of Bronnikov, where it is observed that a traversable wormhole is easier to exist in an expanding brane universe, however it is difficult to exist in a contracting brane universe due to stress-energy tensors requirement. This model of spatial dynamic factor affecting the wormhole throat can also be applied on the cyclic or the bounce universe model.

Reasons of Tourists’ Preferences of All-Inclusive System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali YAYLI

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The study is aimed to identify the reasons of tourists’ preferences of all inclusive system. Scale that has developed by Wong and Kwong (2004 has been used in this study. Population of study has been consisted of tourists that have come to Antalya by purchasing all inclusive system package tours. In the study which carried out by participated 387 tourists, statements of “guaranty of tour”, “price of travel” and “items included in the tour price” that are the most important criteria of tourists while they prefer all inclusive system were ranked among first three. Moreover, according to the results of factor analysis, ten factors were determined and was seen that factors of “innovations”, “price” and “specifications of travel” were ranked among first three.

Investigations on the micro-scale surface interactions at the tool and workpiece interface in micro-manufacturing of bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Peker, Mevlut Fatih

Micro-forming studies have been more attractive in recent years because of miniaturization trend. One of the promising metal forming processes, micro-stamping, provides durability, strength, surface finish, and low cost for metal products. Hence, it is considered a prominent method for fabricating bipolar plates (BPP) with micro-channel arrays on large metallic surfaces to be used in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). Major concerns in micro-stamping of high volume BPPs are surface interactions between micro-stamping dies and blank metal plates, and tribological changes. These concerns play a critical role in determining the surface quality, channel formation, and dimensional precision of bipolar plates. The surface quality of BPP is highly dependent on the micro-stamping die surface, and process conditions due to large ratios of surface area to volume (size effect) that cause an increased level of friction and wear issues at the contact interface. Due to the high volume and fast production rates, BPP surface characteristics such as surface roughness, hardness, and stiffness may change because of repeated interactions between tool (micro-forming die) and workpiece (sheet blank of interest). Since the surface characteristics of BPPs have a strong effect on corrosion and contact resistance of bipolar plates, and consequently overall fuel cell performance, evolution of surface characteristics at the tool and workpiece should be monitored, controlled, and kept in acceptable ranges throughout the long production cycles to maintain the surface quality. Compared to macro-forming operations, tribological changes in micro-forming process are bigger challenges due to their dominance and criticality. Therefore, tribological size effect should be considered for better understanding of tribological changes in micro-scale. The integrity of process simulation to the experiments, on the other hand, is essential. This study describes an approach that aims to investigate

Experimental and theoretical study on minimum achievable foil thickness during asymmetric rolling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delin Tang

Full Text Available Parts produced by microforming are becoming ever smaller. Similarly, the foils required in micro-machines are becoming ever thinner. The asymmetric rolling technique is capable of producing foils that are thinner than those produced by the conventional rolling technique. The difference between asymmetric rolling and conventional rolling is the 'cross-shear' zone. However, the influence of the cross-shear zone on the minimum achievable foil thickness during asymmetric rolling is still uncertain. In this paper, we report experiments designed to understand this critical influencing factor on the minimum achievable thickness in asymmetric rolling. Results showed that the minimum achievable thickness of rolled foils produced by asymmetric rolling with a rolling speed ratio of 1.3 can be reduced to about 30% of that possible by conventional rolling technique. Furthermore, the minimum achievable thickness during asymmetric rolling could be correlated to the cross-shear ratio, which, in turn, could be related to the rolling speed ratio. From the experimental results, a formula to calculate the minimum achievable thickness was established, considering the parameters cross-shear ratio, friction coefficient, work roll radius, etc. in asymmetric rolling.

The significance of radiological control documentation in litigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lodde, G.M.; Murphy, T.D.

1988-01-01

Commercial nuclear facilities accumulate radiological control program data and documents generated and retained pursuant to regulatory, license, and technical specification requirements. During and following the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) accident, many documents were produced that would not normally have been produced. Shortly after the accident, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an order requiring the retention of all data, including documentary material and physical samples relating to the TMI-2 accident (44 Fed. Reg. 30788, May 29, 1979). Three years later, the NRC vacated the requirement to retain catalogued physical samples, provided the radioactivity data had been properly recorded, allowing disposal of many samples. After the TMI-2 accident, GPU Nuclear Corporation (GPU) designed and implemented an effective and efficient record management program for TMI. This Computer-Assisted Records and Information Retrieval System (CARIRS) was developed to assess the official record for TMI, which is maintained as a microform. GPU also retains hard copies of selected radiological control documents for potential litigation. This paper describes the use of radiological control documentation in the postaccident litigation and the magnitude of document production required to support that litigation

Micro-deformation behavior in micro-compression with high-purity aluminum processed by ECAP

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Xu Jie

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ultrafine-grained (UFG materials have a potential for applications in micro-forming since grain size appears to be the dominant factor which determines the limiting size of the geometrical features. In this research, high-purity Al was processed by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP at room temperature through 1–8 passes. Analysis shows that processing by ECAP produces a UFG structure with a grain size of ~1.3 μm and with microhardness and microstructural homogeneity. Micro-compression testing was carried out with different specimen dimensions using the annealed sample and after ECAP processing through 1–8 passes. The results show the flow stress increases significantly after ECAP processing by comparison with the annealed material. The flow stress generally reaches a maximum value after 2 passes which is consistent with the results of microhardness. The flow stress decreases with decreasing specimen diameter from 4 mm to 1 mm which demonstrates that size effects also exist in the ultrafine-grained materials. However, the deformation mechanism in ultrafine-grained pure Al changes from strain strengthening to softening by dynamic recovery by comparison with the annealed material.

Experimental and theoretical study on minimum achievable foil thickness during asymmetric rolling.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Delin; Liu, Xianghua; Song, Meng; Yu, Hailiang

2014-01-01

Parts produced by microforming are becoming ever smaller. Similarly, the foils required in micro-machines are becoming ever thinner. The asymmetric rolling technique is capable of producing foils that are thinner than those produced by the conventional rolling technique. The difference between asymmetric rolling and conventional rolling is the 'cross-shear' zone. However, the influence of the cross-shear zone on the minimum achievable foil thickness during asymmetric rolling is still uncertain. In this paper, we report experiments designed to understand this critical influencing factor on the minimum achievable thickness in asymmetric rolling. Results showed that the minimum achievable thickness of rolled foils produced by asymmetric rolling with a rolling speed ratio of 1.3 can be reduced to about 30% of that possible by conventional rolling technique. Furthermore, the minimum achievable thickness during asymmetric rolling could be correlated to the cross-shear ratio, which, in turn, could be related to the rolling speed ratio. From the experimental results, a formula to calculate the minimum achievable thickness was established, considering the parameters cross-shear ratio, friction coefficient, work roll radius, etc. in asymmetric rolling.

Preservation in New Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Kitching

2000-06-01

Full Text Available In the United Kingdom (as in many other countries increasing attention is being paid to the importance of each library and archive having a written preservation strategy endorsed by its governing body. So increasingly we are asking: where does „preservation“ begin and what are its top priorities? Some would say preservation begins with the definition of collecting policies to ensure that only relevant items are acquired in the first place, and therefore that no unnecessary costs are incurred on the long-term care of unwanted and unconsulted items. Others might argue that the first priority must be the careful appraisal of existing holdings to determine their preservation and conservation requirements and to prioritise their treatment. Or should preservation begin with damage-limitation: restricting the physical handling of books and documents, on the one hand by providing whenever possible surrogate copies in digital formats or microform, and on the other hand by offering at least basic protection through appropriate boxing and packaging? This, surely, goes hand-in-hand with the education of staff and readers about the importance of treating rare or unique materials with proper respect.

A jolly good call for Marie Curie Fellows

CERN Multimedia

2009-01-01

A new funding opportunity to train young researchers has just been announced by the European Commission. One of the calls within FP7 Marie Curie Actions requests proposals for Initial Training Network (ITN) projects, with a deadline of 22 December 2009. Project proposals are strongly encouraged at CERN and authors can receive support and guidance from the Marie Curie Steering Group. Winnie Wong: "I wouldn’t have considered a PhD if I hadn’t been a Marie Curie fellow" Dan Savu: "It’s the best of both worlds: training plus working in an international organisation" ITN projects have one key aim: training. Academic and industrial partners work together to form a network to recruit and train Marie Curie Fellows. Fellows are young researchers (typically PhD-level) from any country who combine project-based research with tailor-made training programmes, ...

Representations of desires in some recent gay Asian-American writings.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Stephen O

2003-01-01

This article explores conceptions of same-sex sexual behavior and desires by American gay males who grew up in Pacific Island or Asian societies. In the absence of systematic survey data, representations, which are not assumed to be autobiographical, by two South Asian émigrés to Canada (Badruddin Khan and Shyam Selvadurai), two second generation Filipino-Americans (Joël Tan and Ricardo Ramos), a second generation Chinese-Hawaiian (Norman Wong) and three men of Chinese descent born and raised in Southeast Asia (Lawrence Chua, Justin Chin, and T. C. Huo) are examined. The unsatisfying script of sexual submission of Asians to whites is particularly central, except for the South Asians. These books provide recurrent evidence of role distance, of switching roles (often without rewriting a dominance-submission conception of insertion-reception) and of some degree of reconceiving the (sexual) self.

On the interpretation of Stratonovich calculus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, W; Wettlaufer, J S

2014-01-01

The Itô–Stratonovich dilemma is revisited from the perspective of the interpretation of Stratonovich calculus using shot noise. Over the long time scales of the displacement of an observable, the principal issue is how to deal with finite/zero autocorrelation of the stochastic noise. The former (non-zero) noise autocorrelation structure preserves the normal chain rule using a mid-point selection scheme, which is the basis Stratonovich calculus, whereas the instantaneous autocorrelation structure of Itô's approach does not. By considering the finite decay of the noise correlations on time scales very short relative to the overall displacement times of the observable, we suggest a generalization of the integral Taylor expansion criterion of Wong and Zakai (1965 Ann. Math. Stat. 36 1560–4) for the validity of the Stratonovich approach. (paper)

Wayang dalam Tari Sunda Gaya Priangan

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Iyus Rusliana

2017-03-01

ABSTRAK   Tulisan ini merupakan kajian terhadap potensi wayang dalam lingkup budaya Sunda subkultur Priangan, khususnya seni tari. Awalnya kata wayang diartikan untuk menyebut boneka dari kayu yang dimainkan dalang dalam pertunjukan seni pedalangan atau untuk menunjukkan ceritanya dalam pertunjukan seni padalangan, dan juga bisa secara langsung untuk menyebut seni padalangan Wayang Golek. Selanjutnya potensi wayang ini berpengaruh kuat ke dalam beberapa aspek kehidupan yang berbau kepercayaan dan juga kesenian, termasuk ke tari Sunda gaya Priangan. Karena wayang mengandung makna religius yang tersirat dalam isi ceritanya, maka wayang dalam tari Sunda gaya Priangan tidaklah lepas dari misi atau pesan moral ke arah tuntunan hidup. Lahirnya Wayang Wong Priangan, terungkap sebagai bentuk dramatari berdialog dengan membawakan cerita wayang secara utuh atau sebagian, dan senantiasa adanya pertentangan antara tokoh wayang yang jahat dengan yang menumpas kejahatan.   Kata kunci: subkultur Priangan, Tari Wayang, gaya Priangan

A Super mKdV Equation: Bosonization, Painlevé Property and Exact Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Bo; Lou, Sen-Yue

2018-04-01

The symmetry of the fermionic field is obtained by means of the Lax pair of the mKdV equation. A new super mKdV equation is constructed by virtue of the symmetry of the fermionic form. The super mKdV system is changed to a system of coupled bosonic equations with the bosonization approach. The bosonized SmKdV (BSmKdV) equation admits Painlevé property by the standard singularity analysis. The traveling wave solutions of the BSmKdV system are presented by the mapping and deformation method. We also provide other ideas to construct new super integrable systems. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11775146, 11435005, and 11472177, Shanghai Knowledge Service Platform for Trustworthy Internet of Things under Grant No. ZF1213 and K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University

Disentangling complete and incomplete fusion for 9Be+187Re system at near barrier energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharab, Rajesh; Chahal, Rajiv; Rajiv Kumar

2015-01-01

The breakup of projectile before fusion leads to some unusual fusion mechanisms like incomplete fusion (ICF) and sequential complete fusion (SCF). Experimentally, it is not possible to separate SCF events from direct complete fusion (DCF). However, the complete fusion and incomplete fusion can be measured separately. Theoretically it is very difficult to calculate the complete and incomplete fusion cross section separately using different models. Very recently A. Diaz-Torres has developed a computer code platypus based on classical dynamical model wherein the complete and incomplete fusion cross sections are calculated separately. But this model is found to work very well at energies above the barrier energy. Here we have attempted to extrapolate the results of the code platypus by using simple Wong's formula in conjunction with the energy dependent Woods-Saxon potential (EDWSP) in the below barrier energy region

Sharpening Up Jupiter

Science.gov (United States)

2008-10-01

, MAD project manager Enrico Marchetti and Sébastien Tordo from the MAD team tracked two of Jupiter's largest moons, Europa and Io - one on each side of the planet - to provide a good correction across the full disc of the planet. "It was the most challenging observation we performed with MAD, because we had to track with high accuracy two moons moving at different speeds, while simultaneously chasing Jupiter," says Marchetti. With this unique series of images, the team found a major alteration in the brightness of the equatorial haze, which lies in a 16 000-kilometre wide belt over Jupiter's equator [2]. More sunlight reflecting off upper atmospheric haze means that the amount of haze has increased, or that it has moved up to higher altitudes. "The brightest portion had shifted south by more than 6000 kilometres," explains team member Mike Wong. This conclusion came after comparison with images taken in 2005 by Wong and colleague Imke de Pater using the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble images, taken at infrared wavelengths very close to those used for the VLT study, show more haze in the northern half of the bright Equatorial Zone, while the 2008 VLT images show a clear shift to the south. "The change we see in the haze could be related to big changes in cloud patterns associated with last year's planet-wide upheaval, but we need to look at more data to narrow down precisely when the changes occurred," declares Wong.

WE-EF-BRA-01: A Dual-Use Optical Tomography System for Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, K; Bin, Z; Wong, J [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD (United States); He, X; Iordachita, I [Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2015-06-15

-effective platform to facilitate optical imaging for pre-clinical radiation research. The work is supported by NIH R01CA158100 and Xstrahl Ltd. Drs. John Wong and Iulian Iordachita receive royalty payment from a licensing agreement between Xstrahl Ltd and Johns Hopkins University. John Wong also has a consultant agreement with Xstrahl Ltd.

SU-C-303-04: Evaluation of On- and Off-Line Bioluminescence Tomography System for Focal Irradiation Guidance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, B; Wang, K; Reyes, J; Tran, P; Wong, J [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States); Iordachita, I [Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2015-06-15

Ltd. Drs. John Wong and Iulian Iordachita receive royalty payment from a licensing agreement between Xstrahl Ltd and Johns Hopkins University. John Wong also has a consultant agreement with Xstrahl Ltd.

Partially hydrolyzed guar gum in pediatric functional abdominal pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, Claudio; Comito, Donatella; Famiani, Annalisa; Calamarà, Sabrina; Loddo, Italia

2013-01-14

To assess the effects of partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) diet supplement in pediatric chronic abdominal pain (CAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A randomized, double-blind pilot study was performed in sixty children (8-16 years) with functional bowel disorders, such as CAP or IBS, diagnosed according to Rome III criteria. All patients underwent ultrasound, blood and stool examinations to rule out any organic disease. Patients were allocated to receive PHGG at dosage of 5 g/d (n = 30) or placebo (fruit-juice n = 30) for 4 wk. The evaluation of the efficacy of fiber supplement included IBS symptom severity score (Birmingham IBS Questionnaire), severity of abdominal pain (Wong-Baker Face Pain Rating Score) and bowel habit (Bristol Stool Scale). Symptom scores were completed at 2, 4, and 8 wk. The change from baseline in the symptom severity scale at the end of treatment and at 4 wk follow-up after treatment was the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoint was to evaluate compliance to supplementation with the PHGG in the pediatric population. Differences within groups during the treatment period and follow-up were evaluated by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results of the study were assessed considering some variables, such as frequency and intensity of symptoms with modifications of the bowel habit. Both groups were balanced for baseline characteristics and all patients completed the study. Group A (PHGG group) presented a higher level of efficacy compared to group B (control group), (43% vs 5%, P = 0.025) in reducing clinical symptoms with modification of Birmingham IBS score (median 0 ± 1 vs 4 ± 1, P = 0.025), in intensity of CAP assessed with the Wong-Baker Face Pain Rating Score and in normalization of bowel habit evaluated with the Bristol Stool Scale (40% vs 13.3%, P = 0.025). In IBS subgroups, statistical analysis shown a tendency toward normalization of bowel movements, but there was no difference in the prevalence of improvement in two bowel

Effectiveness of cognitive training for Chinese elderly in Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwok T

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Timothy Kwok,1,2 Anita Wong,3 Grace Chan,4 YY Shiu,3 Ko-Chuen Lam,2 Daniel Young,2 Daniel WH Ho,2 Florence Ho21Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China; 2Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Shatin, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China; 3The Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club Madam Wong Chan Sook Ying Memorial Care and Attention Home for the Aged, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China; 4The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Hong Kong, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: In Hong Kong, the evidence for cognitive-training programs in fighting against memory complaints is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Active Mind cognitive-training program in improving the cognitive function and quality of life (QoL for local community-dwelling Chinese older adults. A total of 200 subjects were recruited from 20 different district elderly community centers (DECCs. Centers were randomly assigned into either the intervention group or control group. The intervention group underwent eight 1-hour sessions of cognitive training, while the control group were included in the usual group activities provided by the DECCs. Standardized neuropsychological tests (the Chinese version of Mattis Dementia Rating Scale [CDRS] and the Cantonese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination and the QoL questionnaire SF12 were used to assess participants' cognitive function and QoL before and after the trial. A total of 176 subjects completed the study. The intervention group showed greater improvement in the cognitive function measured by total CDRS score (treatment: 12.24 ± 11.57 vs control: 4.37 ± 7.99; P < 0.001 and QoL measured by total SF12 score (treatment: 7.82 ± 13.19 vs control: 3.18 ± 11.61; P = 0.014. Subjects with lower education level were associated with better cognitive response to the cognitive-training program. The current findings indicated that the Active

A Peer-Led, Social Media-Delivered, Safer Sex Intervention for Chinese College Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wai Han; Wong, Carlos King Ho; Wong, William Chi Wai

2017-08-09

://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=16234 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6s0Fc2L9T). ©Wai Han Sun, Carlos King Ho Wong, William Chi Wai Wong. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 09.08.2017.

Kerelaan Berbagi dan Keberanian Berbeda Perubahan Identitas Priyayi dalam Dwilogi Para Priyayi Karya Umar Kayam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pujiharto Pujiharto

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui bagaimana dua elemen budaya Jawa, yaitu kerelaan berbagi dan keberanian berbeda mengalami perubahan dari waktu ke waktu. Upaya itu dilakukan dengan menganalisis dwilogi novel Para Priyayi dan Jalan Menikung karya Umar Kayam. Un tuk mencapai tujuan tersebut digunakan konsep-konsep yang dikemukakan oleh Kayam sendiri dalam menciptakan novel-novelnya. Selain itu, digunakan juga konsep model of dan model for yang dikemukakan oleh Clifford Geertz dalam menginterpretasikan kebudayaan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dalam dwilogi karya Umar Kayam nilai kerelaan berbagi diwujudkan dalam berbagai relasi, baik relasi antaranggota keluarga maupun relasi sosial dari waktu ke waktu. Berbeda dengan nilai tersebut, nilai keberanian berbeda sulit diwujudkan dalam berbagai relasi, baik relasi antar anggota keluarga maupun relasi sosial. Kesulitan itu terjadi karena ada perbedaan kelas sosial, perbedaan orientasi dalam beragama Islam, perbedaan pandangan tentang kesempatan bagi wong cilik untuk mengenyam pendidikan, perbedaan agama, perbedaan orientasi politik di dalam dua novel tersebut. Namun, dalam hal perbedaan kelas sosial dan perbedaan agama tidak selamanya berani berbeda itu tidak bisa bersama. Abstract: This research aims to interpret how two elements of Javanese culture, those are a willingness to divisible and bravery to difference change from time to time. That effort has done with analyze Umar Kayam’s novel Para Priyayi and Jalan Men Kung. This reasearch uses Kayam’s concepts in the creative process. Besides that, is used the model of and model for concepts from Clifford Geertz in the interpretation of culture. The result of this research shows that in Kayam’s novel values of willingness to divisible shown in the relation between members of the family or social relationship, from time to time. Different from a willingness to divisible, values of bravery to difference difficult to show in relation between

Predictors of success in selective laser trabeculoplasty for primary open angle glaucoma in Chinese

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee JW

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Jacky WY Lee,1,2 Catherine CL Liu,3 Jonathan CH Chan,4 Raymond LM Wong,5 Ian YH Wong,2 Jimmy SM Lai2 1The Department of Ophthalmology, Caritas Medical Centre, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China; 2The Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Applied Mathematics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China; 4The Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China; 5The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China Purpose: To determine the predictors of success for adjuvant selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT in Chinese primary open angle glaucoma (POAG patients. Methods: This prospective study recruited Chinese subjects with unilateral or bilateral POAG currently taking medication to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP. All subjects received a single session of 360° SLT treatment and continued their medications for 1 month. SLT success was defined as IOP reduction ≥20% at 1 month. The following covariates were analyzed in both groups via univariate and multivariate analyses: age, sex, lens status, initial IOPs, post-SLT IOPs, number and type of medications, SLT shots and energy, and pre-SLT investigations.Results: In 51 eyes of 33 POAG subjects, the success rate of SLT was 47.1%. Certain groups of patients were associated with greater success using univariate analysis. These groups included the following: older age (coefficient =0.1; OR: 1.1; P=0.0003, a higher pre-SLT IOP (coefficient =0.3; OR: 1.3; P=0.0005, using four types of antiglaucoma medication (coefficient =2.1; OR: 8.4; P=0.005, a greater degree of spherical equivalent (coefficient =2.1; OR: 8.4; P=0.005, and the use of a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (coefficient =1.7; OR: 6.0; P=0.003. None of the covariates were significant using

Comparison of one and two-neutron transfer near the Coulomb barrier for the 27Al(18O, 16O)29Al, 27Al(18O, 17O)28Al and 27Al(13C, 12C)28Al reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiller, S.A.; Eck, J.S.

1975-01-01

Total reaction cross sections for the transfer reactions 27 Al( 18 O, 16 O) 29 Al, 27 Al( 18 O, 17 O) 28 Al and 27 Al( 13 C, 12 C) 28 Al are reported for center-of-mass energies between 13 and 20 MeV for 18 O projectiles and between 11 and 17.5 MeV for 13 C projectiles. The reaction products, 29 Al, and 28 Al, beta decay to 29 Si and 28 Si, respectively, and the subsequent γ decays of 29 Si and 28 Si were measured. Due to the relatively long beta decay half lives, data were taken in a beam-off mode, resulting in very clean spectra. Total cross sections were calculated and compared with a theoretical model for barrier penetration proposed by C.Y. Wong. Differences between 18 O induced one and two-neutron total transfer reaction cross sections are discussed. (orig.) [de

Elements of stochastic calculus and analysis

CERN Document Server

Stroock, Daniel W

2018-01-01

This book gives a somewhat unconventional introduction to stochastic analysis. Although most of the material covered here has appeared in other places, this book attempts to explain the core ideas on which that material is based. As a consequence, the presentation is more an extended mathematical essay than a ``definition, lemma, theorem'' text. In addition, it includes several topics that are not usually treated elsewhere. For example, Wiener's theory of homogeneous chaos is discussed, Stratovich integration is given a novel development and applied to derive Wong and Zakai's approximation theorem, and examples are given of the application of Malliavin's calculus to partial differential equations. Each chapter concludes with several exercises, some of which are quite challenging. The book is intended for use by advanced graduate students and research mathematicians who may be familiar with many of the topics but want to broaden their understanding of them.

Investigation of the Radial Compression of Carbon Nanotubes with a Scanning Probe Microscope

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Weidian; Jiang, Bin; Han, Bao Shan; Xie, Si-Shen

2001-03-01

Carbon nanotubes have attracted great interest since they were first synthesized. The tubes have substantial promise in a variety of applications due to their unique properties. Efforts have been made to characterize the mechanical properties of the tubes. However, previous work has concentrated on the tubes’ longitudinal properties, and studies of their radial properties lag behind. We have operated a scanning probe microscope, NanoScopeTM IIIa, in the indentation/scratching mode to carry out a nanoindentation test on the top of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. We measured the correlation between the radial stress and the tube compression, and thereby determined the radial compressive elastic modulus at different compressive forces. The measurements also allowed us to estimate the radial compressive strength of the tubes. Support of this work by an Eastern Michigan University Faculty Research Fellowship and by the K. C. Wong Education Foundation, Hong Kong is gratefully acknowledged.

True random number generation from mobile telephone photo based on chaotic cryptography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Liang; Liao Xiaofeng; Xiao Di; Xiang Tao; Zhou Qing; Duan Shukai

2009-01-01

A cheap, convenient and universal TRNG based on mobile telephone photo for producing random bit sequence is proposed. To settle the problem of sequential pixels and comparability, three chaos-based approaches are applied to post-process the generated binary image. The random numbers produced by three users are tested using US NIST RNG statistical test software. The experimental results indicate that the Arnold cat map is the fastest way to generate a random bit sequence and can be accepted on general PC. The 'MASK' algorithm also performs well. Finally, comparing with the TRNG of Hu et al. [Hu Y, Liao X, Wong KW, Zhou Q. A true random number generator based on mouse movement and chaotic cryptography. Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 2007. doi: 10.1016/j.chaos.2007.10.022] which is presented by Hu et al., many merits of the proposed TRNG in this paper has been found.

Mechanisms of ring chromosome formation in 11 cases of human ring chromosome 21

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McGinniss, M J; Kazazian, H H; Stetten, G

1992-01-01

We studied the mechanism of ring chromosome 21 (r(21)) formation in 13 patients (11 unique r(21)s), consisting of 7 from five families with familial r(21) and 6 with de novo r(21). The copy number of chromosome 21 sequences in the rings of these patients was determined by quantitative dosage......), resulting in deletion of varying amounts of 21q22.1 to 21qter. The data from one individual who had a Down syndrome phenotype were consistent with asymmetric breakage and reunion of 21q sequences from an intermediate isochromosome or Robertsonian translocation chromosome as reported by Wong et al. Another......). The phenotype of patients correlated well with the extent of deletion or duplication of chromosome 21 sequences. These data demonstrate three mechanisms of r(21) formation and show that the phenotype of r(21) patients varies with the extent of chromosome 21 monosomy or trisomy....

A multi-scale controlled tissue engineering scaffold prepared by 3D printing and NFES technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feifei Yan

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The current focus in the field of life science is the use of tissue engineering scaffolds to repair human organs, which has shown great potential in clinical applications. Extracellular matrix morphology and the performance and internal structure of natural organs are required to meet certain requirements. Therefore, integrating multiple processes can effectively overcome the limitations of the individual processes and can take into account the needs of scaffolds for the material, structure, mechanical properties and many other aspects. This study combined the biological 3D printing technology and the near-field electro-spinning (NFES process to prepare a multi-scale controlled tissue engineering scaffold. While using 3D printing technology to directly prepare the macro-scaffold, the compositing NFES process to build tissue micro-morphology ultimately formed a tissue engineering scaffold which has the specific extracellular matrix structure. This scaffold not only takes into account the material, structure, performance and many other requirements, but also focuses on resolving the controllability problems in macro- and micro-forming which further aim to induce cell directed differentiation, reproduction and, ultimately, the formation of target tissue organs. It has in-depth immeasurable significance to build ideal scaffolds and further promote the application of tissue engineering.

Correlation between vegetation pattern and microtopography in periglacial areas of the Central Alps

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Gerdol, Renato

1990-06-01

Full Text Available The distributional patterns of plant species were analyzed within periglacial microforms belonging to the collective groups of patterned grounds and sorted stripes In the Ortles-Cevedale group (Lombardy, Italy. The edges of primitive polygons are practically free of vegetation, whilst the central areas are colonized by pioneer plants of detritic slopes. This is clearly correlated with a low degree of sediment sorting. The morphological evolution of the forms proceeds at a faster rate at the edge of polygons than in the central areas. Vegetation, on the other hand, colonizes the coarse debris at the polygons’ edges slowly but colonizes the fine material in the central areas actively. The centre of the most evolved polygons is covered by a carpet of Salix herbacea. Age determinations of Salix shoots are not useful for dating purposes, but provide Information about the local microclimate.

[es] Se han analizado los modelos de distribución de especies vegetales en microformas periglaciares pertenecientes al tipo de suelos estructurales en el Ortles-Cevedale (Lombardía, Italia. Los límites de los polígonos de piedras están prácticamente libres de vegetación, mientras las áreas centrales están colonizadas por plantas pioneras de laderas pedregosas. La evolución morfológica actúa a mayor velocidad en el borde de los polígonos que en las áreas centrales. Por otro lado, la vegetación coloniza lentamente los bordes de los polígonos, y más activamente las zonas centrales. El centro de la mayoría de los polígonos está cubierto por un manto de Salix herbacea. La determinación de la edad de los vástagos de Salix no ha sido un método útil a efectos cronológicos, pero proporciona información sobre el microclima local.
[fr] On étude les modèles de distribution d'espèces végétaux dans microformes périglaciaires appartenants au type de sols structurales dans l'Ortles-Cevedale (Lombardie

Marcus canonical integral for non-Gaussian processes and its computation: pathwise simulation and tau-leaping algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tiejun; Min, Bin; Wang, Zhiming

2013-03-14

The stochastic integral ensuring the Newton-Leibnitz chain rule is essential in stochastic energetics. Marcus canonical integral has this property and can be understood as the Wong-Zakai type smoothing limit when the driving process is non-Gaussian. However, this important concept seems not well-known for physicists. In this paper, we discuss Marcus integral for non-Gaussian processes and its computation in the context of stochastic energetics. We give a comprehensive introduction to Marcus integral and compare three equivalent definitions in the literature. We introduce the exact pathwise simulation algorithm and give the error analysis. We show how to compute the thermodynamic quantities based on the pathwise simulation algorithm. We highlight the information hidden in the Marcus mapping, which plays the key role in determining thermodynamic quantities. We further propose the tau-leaping algorithm, which advance the process with deterministic time steps when tau-leaping condition is satisfied. The numerical experiments and its efficiency analysis show that it is very promising.

Monte Carlo Study of the Diffusion of CO Molecules inside Anthraquinone Hexagons on Cu(111)

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kwangmoo; Einstein, T. L.; Wyrick, Jon; Bartels, Ludwig

2010-03-01

Using Monte Carlo calculations of the two-di-men-sion-al (2D) lattice gas model, we study the diffusion of CO molecules inside anthraquinone (AQ) hexagons on a Cu(111) plane. We use experimentally-derived CO-CO interactionsfootnotetextK.L. Wong, , L. Bartels, J. Chem.Phys.123, 201102 (2005) and the analytic expression for the long-range surface-state- mediated interactionsfootnotetextK. Berland, TLE, and P. Hyldgaard, Phys.Rev. B 80, 155431 (2009) to describe the CO-AQ interactions. We assume that the CO-CO interactions are not affected by the presence of AQ's and that the CO-AQ interactions can be controlled by varying the intra-surface-state (ISS) reflectance r and the ISS phase shift δ of the indirect-electronic adsorbate-pair interactions. Comparing our results with experimental observations, we find that not only pair but also surface-state-mediated trio interactionsfootnotetextP. Hyldgaard and T.L. Einstein, EPL 59, 265 (2002) are needed to understand the data.

Near-infrared reflectance bull’s eye maculopathy as an early indication of hydroxychloroquine toxicity

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Wong KL

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Keye L Wong,1 Scott E Pautler,2 David J Browning31Retina Associates of Sarasota, Sarasota, FL, USA; 2Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; 3Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat Associates, Charlotte, NC, USAImportance: In some patients, hydroxychloroquine ocular toxicity may progress even following cessation of therapy. Any leverage the clinician may use to allow earlier detection may avert significant vision loss.Observation: We report three cases suggesting that bull’s eye maculopathy seen on near-infrared reflectance with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope could be an early, objective manifestation of hydroxychloroquine ocular toxicity, and with progression of the disease this near-infrared “bull’s eye” change may disappear.Conclusion and relevance: Alerting clinicians to this observation may allow a larger case series to corroborate the hypothesis that bull’s eye maculopathy detected by near-infrared reflectance may represent an early sign of hydroxychloroquine toxicity.Keywords: confocal, scanning laser ophthalmoscope, multifocal ERG

Emotional Intelligence Mediates the Relationship between Age and Subjective Well-Being.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yiwei; Peng, Yisheng; Fang, Ping

2016-07-01

Individuals' Subjective Well-being (SWB) increases as they grow older. Past literature suggests that emotional intelligence may increase with age and lead to higher levels of SWB in older adults. The primary purpose of the present study was to test whether emotional intelligence would mediate the relationship between age and SWB. A total of 360 Chinese adults (age range: 20 to 79 years old) participated in this study. They filled out questionnaires that assessed their age, life satisfaction (The Satisfaction with Life Scale), affective well-being (The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), and emotional intelligence (The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale). Using Structural Equation Modeling, the mediation model was supported, χ(2) (75) = 194.21, p Emotional intelligence partially mediated the relationship between age and life satisfaction, and fully mediated the relationship between age and affective well-being. The findings suggest that older adults may use their increased emotional intelligence to enhance their SWB. © The Author(s) 2016.

Search for Sphalerons in Proton-Proton Collisions

CERN Document Server

Ellis, John

2016-04-14

In a recent paper, Tye and Wong (TW) have argued that sphaleron-induced transitions in high-energy proton-proton collisions should be enhanced compared to previous calculations, based on a construction of a Bloch wave function in the periodic sphaleron potential and the corresponding pass band structure. Here we convolute the calculations of TW with parton distribution functions and simulations of final states to explore the signatures of sphaleron transitions at the LHC and possible future colliders. We calculate the increase of sphaleron transition rates in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 13/14/33/100 TeV for different sphaleron barrier heights, while recognising that the rates have large overall uncertainties. We use a simulation to show that LHC searches for microscopic black holes should have good efficiency for detecting sphaleron-induced final states, and discuss their experimental signatures and observability in Run 2 of the LHC and beyond. We recast the early ATLAS Run-2 search...

NMR diffusion simulation based on conditional random walk.

Science.gov (United States)

Gudbjartsson, H; Patz, S

1995-01-01

The authors introduce here a new, very fast, simulation method for free diffusion in a linear magnetic field gradient, which is an extension of the conventional Monte Carlo (MC) method or the convolution method described by Wong et al. (in 12th SMRM, New York, 1993, p.10). In earlier NMR-diffusion simulation methods, such as the finite difference method (FD), the Monte Carlo method, and the deterministic convolution method, the outcome of the calculations depends on the simulation time step. In the authors' method, however, the results are independent of the time step, although, in the convolution method the step size has to be adequate for spins to diffuse to adjacent grid points. By always selecting the largest possible time step the computation time can therefore be reduced. Finally the authors point out that in simple geometric configurations their simulation algorithm can be used to reduce computation time in the simulation of restricted diffusion.

Study of the effect of {sup 11}Be halo on the sub-coulombian fusion; Etude de l`effet du halo du {sup 11}Be sur la fusion sous-coulombienne

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Felou Youmbi, V

1996-12-11

Fission cross sections of {sup 9,11}Be + {sup 238}U systems are measured in the energy range of the coulomb barrier. These measures allow the study of neutron halo effect on sub coulombian fusion. {sup 9,11}Be beams are obtained by fragmentation at the GANIL facilities. The fusion between incident particle and the target nucleus leads to a compound nucleus which disappears by fission. The FUSION detector is used to detect the fission fragments by coincidence. We present some calculations of potential barriers by using Wong formula. The nucleus-nucleus interaction is simulated by a double convolution between the nucleus density and the effective M3Y interaction. In a more realistic framework ECIS94 code calculates the fusion cross section by using a coupling formalism. Theoretical values and experimental results are compared. We get a good agreement for {sup 9}Be + {sup 238}U system and an unusual behaviour appears for {sup 11}Be + {sup 238}U system 116 refs.

Study of the effect of 11Be halo on the sub-coulombian fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felou Youmbi, V.

1996-01-01

Fission cross sections of 9,11 Be + 238 U systems are measured in the energy range of the coulomb barrier. These measures allow the study of neutron halo effect on sub coulombian fusion. 9,11 Be beams are obtained by fragmentation at the GANIL facilities. The fusion between incident particle and the target nucleus leads to a compound nucleus which disappears by fission. The FUSION detector is used to detect the fission fragments by coincidence. We present some calculations of potential barriers by using Wong formula. The nucleus-nucleus interaction is simulated by a double convolution between the nucleus density and the effective M3Y interaction. In a more realistic framework ECIS94 code calculates the fusion cross section by using a coupling formalism. Theoretical values and experimental results are compared. We get a good agreement for 9 Be + 238 U system and an unusual behaviour appears for 11 Be + 238 U system

Elastic scattering measurements of {sup 4},{sup 6}He+ {sup 58}Ni at energies near the Coulomb barrier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morcelle, V.; Lichtenthaeler, R.; Guimaraes, V.; Lepine-Szily, A.; Faria, P.N.; Camargo, O.; Barioni, A.; Mendes Junior, D.R.; Condori, R.P.; Zamora, J.C.; Morais, M.C.; Pires, K.C.C.; Scarduelli, V.; Leistenschneider, E.; Zagatto, V.A.B. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil); Shorto, J.M.B. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

Full text: Elastic scattering angular distributions and total reaction cross sections of the neutron halo projectile nucleus {sup 6}He on a {sup 58}Ni target at energies around the Coulomb barrier are presented. The measurements were obtained at pelletron accelerator at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and the {sup 6}He radioactive secondary beam has been produced in the RIBRAS system through the {sup 9}Be({sup 7}Li, {sup 6}He){sup 10}B production reaction. The elastic scattering angular distributions obtained at E{sub Lab}= 12.5, 16.5 and 21.0 MeV, have been analysed by using optical model, using the Sao Paulo and Wood-Saxon potentials and the respective total reaction cross sections have been obtained. The total reaction cross sections have been reduced using the Wong formula and the UFF equation and are compared with other stable and unstable systems from the literature. (author)

Big data in pharmacy practice: current use, challenges, and the future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma C

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Carolyn Ma, Helen Wong Smith, Cherie Chu, Deborah T JuarezDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, The Daniel K Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USAAbstract: Pharmacy informatics is defined as the use and integration of data, information, knowledge, technology, and automation in the medication-use process for the purpose of improving health outcomes. The term “big data” has been coined and is often defined in three V's: volume, velocity, and variety. This paper describes three major areas in which pharmacy utilizes big data, including: 1 informed decision making (clinical pathways and clinical practice guidelines; 2 improved care delivery in health care settings such as hospitals and community pharmacy practice settings; and 3 quality performance measurement for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and medication management activities such as tracking medication adherence and medication reconciliation.Keywords: clinical pharmacy data base, pharmacy informatics, patient outcomes

Contextual control over task-set retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Crump, Matthew J C; Logan, Gordon D

2010-11-01

Contextual cues signaling task likelihood or the likelihood of task repetition are known to modulate the size of switch costs. We follow up on the finding by Leboe, Wong, Crump, and Stobbe (2008) that location cues predictive of the proportion of switch or repeat trials modulate switch costs. Their design employed one cue per task, whereas our experiment employed two cues per task, which allowed separate assessment of modulations to the cue-repetition benefit, a measure of lower level cue-encoding processes, and to the task-alternation cost, a measure of higher level processes representing task-set information. We demonstrate that location information predictive of switch proportion modulates performance at the level of task-set representations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that contextual control occurs even when subjects are unaware of the associations between context and switch likelihood. We discuss the notion that contextual information provides rapid, unconscious control over the extent to which prior task-set representations are retrieved in the service of guiding online performance.

From ‘The West and the Rest’ to Global Interconnectedness: China Historians and the Transformation of World History as a Discipline

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Robert Eng

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Representative of the Eurocentric perspective in world history texts and scholarship is David Landes' 'The Wealth and Poverty of Nations'. He argues that European culture was key to its achievement of wealth and power, and that China was doomed to fail by its "cultural triumphalism" and "petty downward tyranny." By adopting a globalist and comparative framework and disputing European exceptionalism, Andre Gunder Frank's 'ReORIENT: Global Economy in the Asian Age', R. Bin Wong's 'China Transformed', and Kenneth Pomeranz's 'The Great Divergence 'contribute to world history scholarship and teaching. These works collectively make the forceful case for Europe's rise as contingent on external and accidental factors such as the fortuitous abundance of readily accessible coal in Britain and the windfall profits from the Atlantic slave trade and the American colonies. They propose an inclusive vision of history that emphasizes multiple paths and possibilities rather than a single and inevitable path of the rise of industrialism in the West.

DISCOVERY OF A FLAT-SPECTRUM RADIO NUCLEUS IN NGC 3115

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wrobel, J. M. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Nyland, K., E-mail: jwrobel@nrao.edu, E-mail: knyland@nrao.edu [New Mexico Tech, Department of Physics, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States)

2012-12-01

The early-type galaxy NGC 3115, at a distance of 10.2 Mpc, hosts the nearest billion-solar-mass black hole. Wong et al. recently inferred a substantial Bondi accretion rate near the black hole. Bondi-like accretion is thought to fuel outflows, which can be traced through their radio emission. This paper reports the discovery of a radio nucleus in NGC 3115, with a diameter less than 0.''17 (8.4 pc), a luminosity at 8.5 GHz of 3.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 35} erg s{sup -1}, and a flat spectrum ({alpha} = -0.23 {+-} 0.20, S{proportional_to}{nu}{sup {alpha}}). The radio source coincides with the galaxy's photocenter and candidate X-ray nucleus. The emission is radio loud, suggesting the presence of an outflow on scales less than 10 pc. On such scales, the Bondi accretion could be impeded by heating due to disruption of the outflow.

Multispecies transport theory for axisymmetric rotating plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tessarotto, M.; White, R.B.

1992-01-01

A reduced gyrokinetic equation is derived for a multi-species toroidal axisymmetric plasma with arbitrary toroidal differential rotation speeds and in the presence of a finite induced electric field. The kinetic equation obtained, extending previous results obtained by Hinton and Wong and by Catto, Bernstein and Tessarotto, has a form suited for transport applications, via variational techniques; in particular it exhibits the feature that all source terms, including the Spitzer source term, carrying the contribution due to the inductive electric field, appear to be acted upon by the collision operator. Moreover, the equation displays a new contribution due to ''explicit'' velocity perturbations, here proven to be consistent with transport ordering, whose evaluation appears relevant for transport calculations. In addition, general expressions are obtained for the neoclassical fluxes in terms of a variational principle, as well as for the classical ones, retaining, in both cases, the contributions due to the Spitzer's inductive terms

Anti-tuberculosis medication-induced oculogyric crisis and the importance of proper history taking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wong LH

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Lin Ho Wong,1 Endean Tan2 1University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; 2Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore Abstract: Oculogyric crisis (OGC, frequently caused by medications such as antiemetics, antidepressants, and anti-epileptics, is an acute dystonic reaction of the ocular muscles. It consists of wide-staring gaze (lasting variably from seconds to minutes, seizures, and a widely-opened mouth. To date, there have been no reports of anti-tuberculosis medications such as rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide or ethambutol inducing OGC. It is of utmost importance to recognize this adverse reaction, which could be incorrectly diagnosed as an anaphylactic-like reaction. In this paper, we highlight a case of a 66-year-old Indian man who presented with OGC induced by anti-tuberculosis medications which was initially suspected to be an anaphylactic reaction and was subsequently halted with the administration of diphenhydramine. Keywords: oculogyric crisis, tuberculosis, rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, adverse drug reaction 

A Lightweight Buyer-Seller Watermarking Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongdong Wu

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The buyer-seller watermarking protocol enables a seller to successfully identify a traitor from a pirated copy, while preventing the seller from framing an innocent buyer. Based on finite field theory and the homomorphic property of public key cryptosystems such as RSA, several buyer-seller watermarking protocols (N. Memon and P. W. Wong (2001 and C.-L. Lei et al. (2004 have been proposed previously. However, those protocols require not only large computational power but also substantial network bandwidth. In this paper, we introduce a new buyer-seller protocol that overcomes those weaknesses by managing the watermarks. Compared with the earlier protocols, ours is n times faster in terms of computation, where n is the number of watermark elements, while incurring only O(1/lN times communication overhead given the finite field parameter lN. In addition, the quality of the watermarked image generated with our method is better, using the same watermark strength.

Determination of material distribution in heading process of small bimetallic bar

Science.gov (United States)

Presz, Wojciech; Cacko, Robert

2018-05-01

The electrical connectors mostly have silver contacts joined by riveting. In order to reduce costs, the core of the contact rivet can be replaced with cheaper material, e.g. copper. There is a wide range of commercially available bimetallic (silver-copper) rivets on the market for the production of contacts. Following that, new conditions in the riveting process are created because the bi-metal object is riveted. In the analyzed example, it is a small size object, which can be placed on the border of microforming. Based on the FEM modeling of the load process of bimetallic rivets with different material distributions, the desired distribution was chosen and the choice was justified. Possible material distributions were parameterized with two parameters referring to desirable distribution characteristics. The parameter: Coefficient of Mutual Interactions of Plastic Deformations and the method of its determination have been proposed. The parameter is determined based of two-parameter stress-strain curves and is a function of these parameters and the range of equivalent strains occurring in the analyzed process. The proposed method was used for the upsetting process of the bimetallic head of the electrical contact. A nomogram was established to predict the distribution of materials in the head of the rivet and the appropriate selection of a pair of materials to achieve the desired distribution.

EBSD analysis of plastic deformation of copper foils by flexible pad laser shock forming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagarajan, Balasubramanian; Castagne, Sylvie [Nanyang Technological University, SIMTech-NTU Joint Laboratory (Precision Machining), Singapore (Singapore); Nanyang Technological University, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Singapore (Singapore); Wang, Zhongke; Zheng, H.Y. [Nanyang Technological University, SIMTech-NTU Joint Laboratory (Precision Machining), Singapore (Singapore); Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Machining Technology Group, Singapore (Singapore)

2015-11-15

Flexible pad laser shock forming (FPLSF) is a new mold-free microforming process that induces high-strain-rate plastic deformation in thin metallic foils using laser-induced shock pressure and a hyperelastic flexible pad. This paper studies the plastic deformation behavior of copper foils formed through FPLSF by investigating surface hardness and microstructure. The microstructure of the foil surface before and after FPLSF is analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction technique using grain size distribution and grain boundary misorientation angle as analysis parameters. The surface hardness of the craters experienced a significant improvement after FPLSF; the top crater surface being harder than the bottom surface. The microstructure of the copper foil surface after FPLSF was found to be dominated by grain elongation, along with minor occurrences of subgrain formation, grain refinement, and high dislocation density regions. The results indicate that the prominent plastic deformation mechanism in FPLSF is strain hardening behavior rather than the typical adiabatic softening effect known to be occurring at high-strain-rates for processes such as electromagnetic forming, explosive forming, and laser shock forming. This significant difference in FPLSF is attributed to the concurrent reduction in plastic strain, strain rate, and the inertia effects, resulting from the FPLSF process configuration. Correspondingly, different deformation behaviors are experienced at top and bottom surfaces of the deformation craters, inducing the change in surface hardness and microstructure profiles. (orig.)

Standard versus pH-adjusted and lidocaine supplemented radiocolloid for patients undergoing sentinel-lymph-node mapping and biopsy for early breast cancer (PASSION-P trial): a double-blind, randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Stojadinovic, Alexander; Peoples, George E; Jurgens, Jennifer S; Howard, Robin S; Schuyler, Brandi; Kwon, Kyung H; Henry, Leonard R; Shriver, Craig D; Buckenmaier, Chester C

2009-09-01

Sentinel-lymph-node (SLN) mapping and biopsy maintains staging accuracy in early breast cancer and identifies patients for selective lymphadenectomy. SLN mapping requires injection of technetium-99m-sulfur colloid-an effective but sometimes painful method, for which better pain-management strategies are needed. In this randomised, double-blind trial, we compared degree of pain between standard radiocolloid injection and pH-adjusted and lidocaine-supplemented formulations for patients undergoing SLN mapping for breast cancer. Between Jan 13, 2006, and April 30, 2009, 140 patients with early breast cancer were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1:1 fashion to receive the standard topical 4% lidocaine cream and injection of [(99m)Tc]Tc-sulfur colloid (n=35), or to one of three other study groups: topical placebo cream and injection of Tc-sulfur colloid containing either sodium bicarbonate (n=35), 1% lidocaine (n=35), or sodium bicarbonate and 1% lidocaine (n=35). The randomisation sequence was computer generated, and all patients and investigators were masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was patient-reported breast pain immediately after radioisotope injection, using the Wong-Baker FACES pain rating scale and McGill pain questionnaire, analysed in the per-protocol population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00940199. 19 of the 140 patients enrolled were excluded from analysis: nine declined study participation or sought care elsewhere, nine did not undergo SLN mapping because of disease extent or a technical problem, and one had unreliable data. There were no adverse events. Mean pain scores on the Wong-Baker scale (0-10) were: 6.0 (SD 2.6) for those who received standard of practice, 4.7 (3.0) for those who received radiocolloid plus bicarbonate, 1.6 (1.4) for those who received radiocolloid plus 1% lidocaine, and 1.6 (1.3) for those who received radiocolloid plus bicarbonate and 1% lidocaine (psodium bicarbonate group, 4.6 (4

PENGARUH KOMPRES SEREI HANGAT TERHADAP PENURUNAN INTENSITAS NYERI ARTRITIS RHEUMATOID PADA LANJUT USIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlina Andriani

2016-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTThis study aims to look at the influence of warm lemongrass compress to decrease theintensity of pain in the elderly rheumatoid arthritis Tarok Dipo villages community health centers Guguk Panjang Bukittinggi working area. This study used an experimental metnod of one-group pretest-postest design using a total sampling with a sample of 20 people, collecting data through interviews with measuring outcomesassessment using the numeric rating scale and with observation we can get result with used scale Wong Barker (Scale Face, mean pain intensity before a warm lemongrasscompress 4,90 and after warm lemongrass compress 2,95. The results abtained rheumatoid arthritis pain intensity difference before and after warm lemongrass compress. This is evidenced by the t-test t value obtained at 10,563 with a significance value = 0,000, with a warm lemongrass compress these results can be used as an alternative to reduce pain intensity and pain felt by the elderly suffering rheumatoid arthritis. It was concluded that a warm lemongrass compress effect on rheumatoid arthritis decrease pain intensity and can be resumed as intervention can be carried out independently by people with rheumatoid arthritis. Keywords: (rheumatoid arthritis, pain intensity, olds, lemongrass compressABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat pengaruh kompres serei hangat terhadap penurunan intensitas nyeri artritis rheumatoid pada lansia. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode eksperimen one-group pretest-posttets design dengan menggunakan total sampling dengan sampel sebanyak 20 orang, pengumpulan data yang dilakukan melalui wawancara dengan penilaian hasil ukur menggunakan numeric rantingscale (NRS dan melalui observasi dengan penilaian hasil ukur menggunakan skala Wong Barker (skala wajah, mean intensitas nyeri sebelum kompres serei hangat 4,90 dan setelah dilakukan kompres serei hangat 2,95. Hasil penelitian ini didapatkan perbedaan intensitas nyeri artritis rheumatoid sebelum

Identification of Water Quality Significant Parameter with Two Transformation/Standardization Methods on Principal Component Analysis and Scilab Software

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovan Putranda

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Water quality monitoring is prone to encounter error on its recording or measuring process. The monitoring on river water quality not only aims to recognize the water quality dynamic, but also to evaluate the data to create river management policy and water pollution in order to maintain the continuity of human health or sanitation requirement, and biodiversity preservation. Evaluation on water quality monitoring needs to be started by identifying the important water quality parameter. This research objected to identify the significant parameters by using two transformation or standardization methods on water quality data, which are the river Water Quality Index, WQI (Indeks Kualitas Air, Sungai, IKAs transformation or standardization method and transformation or standardization method with mean 0 and variance 1; so that the variability of water quality parameters could be aggregated with one another. Both of the methods were applied on the water quality monitoring data which its validity and reliability have been tested. The PCA, Principal Component Analysis (Analisa Komponen Utama, AKU, with the help of Scilab software, has been used to process the secondary data on water quality parameters of Gadjah Wong river in 2004-2013, with its validity and reliability has been tested. The Scilab result was cross examined with the result from the Excel-based Biplot Add In software. The research result showed that only 18 from total 35 water quality parameters that have passable data quality. The two transformation or standardization data methods gave different significant parameter type and amount result. On the transformation or standardization mean 0 variances 1, there were water quality significant parameter dynamic to mean concentration of each water quality parameters, which are TDS, SO4, EC, TSS, NO3N, COD, BOD5, Grease Oil and NH3N. On the river WQI transformation or standardization, the water quality significant parameter showed the level of

Carbon dioxide flux and net primary production of a boreal treed bog: Responses to warming and water-table-lowering simulations of climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Munir, T. M.; Perkins, M.; Kaing, E.; Strack, M.

2015-02-01

Midlatitude treed bogs represent significant carbon (C) stocks and are highly sensitive to global climate change. In a dry continental treed bog, we compared three sites: control, recent (1-3 years; experimental) and older drained (10-13 years), with water levels at 38, 74 and 120 cm below the surface, respectively. At each site we measured carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes and estimated tree root respiration (Rr; across hummock-hollow microtopography of the forest floor) and net primary production (NPP) of trees during the growing seasons (May to October) of 2011-2013. The CO2-C balance was calculated by adding the net CO2 exchange of the forest floor (NEff-Rr) to the NPP of the trees. From cooler and wetter 2011 to the driest and the warmest 2013, the control site was a CO2-C sink of 92, 70 and 76 g m-2, the experimental site was a CO2-C source of 14, 57 and 135 g m-2, and the drained site was a progressively smaller source of 26, 23 and 13 g CO2-C m-2. The short-term drainage at the experimental site resulted in small changes in vegetation coverage and large net CO2 emissions at the microforms. In contrast, the longer-term drainage and deeper water level at the drained site resulted in the replacement of mosses with vascular plants (shrubs) on the hummocks and lichen in the hollows leading to the highest CO2 uptake at the drained hummocks and significant losses in the hollows. The tree NPP (including above- and below-ground growth and litter fall) in 2011 and 2012 was significantly higher at the drained site (92 and 83 g C m-2) than at the experimental (58 and 55 g C m-2) and control (52 and 46 g C m-2) sites. We also quantified the impact of climatic warming at all water table treatments by equipping additional plots with open-top chambers (OTCs) that caused a passive warming on average of ~ 1 °C and differential air warming of ~ 6 °C at midday full sun over the study years. Warming significantly enhanced shrub growth and the CO2 sink function of the drained

Influence Of Physical Conditions On The Outdoor Activities At The Street Level A Case Study Of Wong Ah Fook Street In Johor Bahru Malaysia

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Sharifah Salwa Binti Syed Mahdzar

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract one of the important effects of sustainable urban environments is motivating people for outdoor activities. The phenomena of street simultaneously come from the west into urban spaces with automobile and designers doesnt have much of a role to set and design of this space in relation to physical activities. Consequently these spaces are not adjusted to the walking behavior of people. In order to encourage walking among people it is important to know how pedestrian travel pattern can be affected by the physical environment. The aim of this paper is to show the influences of physical characteristics spaces and land use of neighborhood Commercial Street in the Johor Bahru City Centre of Malaysia to the behavioral responses and attitudes of people. In this research the inquiry employed a multiple-method survey involving a variety of techniques including direct observation walk-by observation and pedestrian counts to collect data on the behavior of people on the street. The result shows that a commercial street with high population should have various Spaces with impressive physical characteristics that each user with different attitude is able to recognize their required spaces and use it with satisfaction.

A vector field method on the distorted Fourier side and decay for wave equations with potentials

CERN Document Server

Donninger, Roland

2016-01-01

The authors study the Cauchy problem for the one-dimensional wave equation \\partial_t^2 u(t,x)-\\partial_x^2 u(t,x)+V(x)u(t,x)=0. The potential V is assumed to be smooth with asymptotic behavior V(x)\\sim -\\tfrac14 |x|^{-2}\\mbox{ as } |x|\\to \\infty. They derive dispersive estimates, energy estimates, and estimates involving the scaling vector field t\\partial_t+x\\partial_x, where the latter are obtained by employing a vector field method on the âeoedistortedâe Fourier side. In addition, they prove local energy decay estimates. Their results have immediate applications in the context of geometric evolution problems. The theory developed in this paper is fundamental for the proof of the co-dimension 1 stability of the catenoid under the vanishing mean curvature flow in Minkowski space; see Donninger, Krieger, Szeftel, and Wong, âeoeCodimension one stability of the catenoid under the vanishing mean curvature flow in Minkowski spaceâe, preprint arXiv:1310.5606 (2013).

Relating Line Width and Optical Depth for CO Emission in the Large Mgellanic Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Wojciechowski, Evan; Wong, Tony; Bandurski, Jeffrey; MC3 (Mapping CO in Molecular Clouds in the Magellanic Clouds) Team

2018-01-01

We investigate data produced from ALMA observations of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), using 12CO(2–1) and 13CO(2–1) emission. The spectral line width is generally interpreted as tracing turbulent rather than thermal motions in the cloud, but could also be affected by optical depth, especially for the 12CO line (Hacar et al. 2016). We compare the spectral line widths of both lines with their optical depths, estimated from an LTE analysis, to evaluate the importance of optical depth effects. Our cloud sample includes two regions recently published by Wong et al. (2017, submitted): the Tarantula Nebula or 30 Dor, an HII region rife with turbulence, and the Planck cold cloud (PCC), located in a much calmer environment near the fringes of the LMC. We also include four additional LMC clouds, which span intermediate levels of star formation relative to these two clouds, and for which we have recently obtained ALMA data in Cycle 4.

Clinical evidence of the efficacy of everolimus and its potential in the treatment of breast cancer

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Saksena R

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Rujuta Saksena, Serena T WongThe Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USAAbstract: The PI3K/Akt/mTOR (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway regulates several key cellular functions and its dysregulation creates an environment that promotes tumorigenesis as well as resistance to therapy. The mTOR inhibitor everolimus has emerged as a promising agent in the treatment of breast cancer and was recently approved in combination with exemestane for advanced hormone receptor–positive disease after progression on a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor. Everolimus may also be effective in combination with cytotoxic and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-directed therapies for the treatment of other subtypes of breast cancer. This paper highlights preclinical and clinical data that have emerged on the role of mTOR inhibition in breast cancer. Although generally well tolerated, everolimus carries a unique side effect profile of which both patients and providers should be made aware. Recommendations related to the administration of everolimus in the clinical setting are also discussed.Keywords: everolimus, breast cancer, mTOR inhibition

A Pseudo-Bayesian Model for Stock Returns In Financial Crises

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Eric S. Fung

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Recently, there has been a considerable interest in the Bayesian approach for explaining investors' behaviorial biases by incorporating conservative and representative heuristics when making financial decisions, (see, for example, Barberis, Shleifer and Vishny (1998. To establish a quantitative link between some important market anomalies and investors' behaviorial biases, Lam, Liu, and Wong (2010 introduced a pseudo-Bayesian approach for developing properties of stock returns, where weights induced by investors' conservative and representative heuristics are assigned to observations of the earning shocks and stock prices. In response to the recent global financial crisis, we introduce a new pseudo-Bayesian model to incorporate the impact of a financial crisis. Properties of stock returns during the financial crisis and recovery from the crisis are established. The proposed model can be applied to investigate some important market anomalies including short-term underreaction, long-term overreaction, and excess volatility during financial crisis. We also explain in some detail the linkage between these market anomalies and investors' behavioral biases during financial crisis.

Conceptualizing type 2 diabetes and its management

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Tsasis P

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Peter Tsasis,1 Jianhong Wu,2 Aijun An,3 Hannah J Wong,1 Xiandong An,3,4 Zhen Mei,4 Ted Hains4 1School of Health Policy and Management, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Centre for Disease Modelling, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 3Department of Electrical Engineering of Computer Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 4Manifold Data Mining Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada Abstract: Type 2 diabetes is growing worldwide due to population growth, increased rates of obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. Risk assessment methods can effectively evaluate the risk of diabetes, and a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce risk or prevent complications of type 2 diabetes. However, risk assessment alone has not significantly improved poor adherence to recommended medical interventions and lifestyle changes. This paper focuses on the challenge of nonadherence and posits that improving adherence requires tailoring interventions that explicitly consider the social determinants of health. Keywords: type 2 diabetes, nonadherence, tailored interventions, data mining and cluster analysis 

MARHAENISM: SOCIAL IDEOLOGY CREATE BY SUKARNO

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Kuswono Kuswono

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper describes an understanding born in the occupied country, namely Indonesia (Dutch East Indies to oppose colonialism, capitalism and imperialism in the early twentieth century. Marhaenisme, Sukarno call that ideology. The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the political ideology that developed early days of the movement of the twentieth century. Until now Marhaenism still interesting to be studied and understood even applied in the life of the nation. Writings using the historical method is descriptive-analysis. Sources of data obtained from the literature, library materials, and writings by Sukarno as the originator of this ideology. Marhaenism an ideology of opposition against colonialism and foreign imperialism. With the spirit of Sukarno hoped Marhaen colonized people will soon emerge from the downturn. Then able to process, enjoy the fruits of his labors without having to submit to someone else. Marhaenism not just a symbol of resurrection of the wong cilik but a spirit of all the people of Indonesia that is free from physical and mental colonization coming from the outside.

Design of power balance SRAM for DPA-resistance

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Keji, Zhou; Pengjun, Wang; Liang, Wen

2016-04-01

A power balance static random-access memory (SRAM) for resistance to differential power analysis (DPA) is proposed. In the proposed design, the switch power consumption and short-circuit power consumption are balanced by discharging and pre-charging the key nodes of the output circuit and adding an additional short-circuit current path. Thus, the power consumption is constant in every read cycle. As a result, the DPA-resistant ability of the SRAM is improved. In 65 nm CMOS technology, the power balance SRAM is fully custom designed with a layout area of 5863.6 μm2. The post-simulation results show that the normalized energy deviation (NED) and normalized standard deviation (NSD) are 0.099% and 0.04%, respectively. Compared to existing power balance circuits, the power balance ability of the proposed SRAM has improved 53%. Project supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. LQ14F040001), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61274132, 61234002), and the K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University, China.

Book review: Biology and management of invasive quagga and zebra mussels in the western United States

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Benson, Amy J.

2017-01-01

Water is a precious and limited commodity in the western United States and its conveyance is extremely important. Therefore, it is critical to do as much as possible to prevent the spread of two species of dreissenid mussels, both non-native and highly invasive aquatic species already well-established in the eastern half of the United States. This book addresses the occurrences of the two dreissenid mussels in the West, the quagga mussel and the zebra mussel, that are both known to negatively impact water delivery systems and natural ecosystems. It is edited by two researchers whom have extensive experience working with the mussels in the West and is composed of 34 chapters, or articles, written by a variety of experts.Book information: Biology and Management of Invasive Quagga and Zebra Mussels in the Western United States. Edited by Wai Hing Wong and Shawn L. Gerstenberger. Boca Raton (Florida): CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group). $149.95. xx + 545 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 978-1-4665-9561-3. [Compact Disc included.] 2015.

Associations between trait emotional intelligence and loneliness in Chinese undergraduate students: mediating effects of self-esteem and social support.

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Zou, Jilin

2014-06-01

Prior studies indicate that trait emotional intelligence (EI) is associated negatively with loneliness. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship are not clear. This study assessed whether both self-esteem and social support mediated the associations between trait EI and loneliness. 469 Chinese undergraduate participants whose age ranged from 18 to 23 years (208 women) were asked to complete four self-report questionnaires, including the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Analyses indicated that self-esteem and social support fully mediated the associations between trait EI and loneliness. Effect contrasts indicated that the specific indirect effect through social support was significantly greater than that through self-esteem. Moreover, a multiple-group analysis indicated that no path differed significantly by sex. These results suggest that social support is more important than self-esteem in the association between trait EI and loneliness. Furthermore, both sexes appear to share the same mechanism underlying this association.

Ultrasound and MR imaging of diabetic mastopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, K.T.; Tse, G.M.K.; Yang, W.T.

2002-01-01

AIM: To review the imaging findings of diabetic mastopathy, and document the colour flow ultrasound and MR imaging features in this benign condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetic mastopathy was clinically and histologically diagnosed in eight lesions in six women. All six women underwent conventional mammography and high frequency grey-scale ultrasound. Colour flow ultrasound was performed additionally in six lesions in four women and MR imaging in four lesions in three women before biopsy. The imaging findings were reviewed and correlated with final histological diagnosis. RESULTS: Mammography showed regional asymmetric increased opacity with ill-defined margins in all lesions. A heterogeneously hypoechoic mass with ill-defined margins was identified on high frequency grey-scale ultrasound in all lesions. Marked posterior acoustic shadowing was present in seven of eight (88%) lesions. Six lesions interrogated with colour flow ultrasound showed absence of Doppler signal. MR imaging in three women revealed non-specific stromal enhancement. CONCLUSION: Diabetic mastopathy shows absence of Doppler signal on colour flow ultrasound and non-specific stromal enhancement on MR imaging. Wong K.T. et al. (2002)

Differential cross sections for rovibrational (v'=0→1,2,3,4) excitation of the electronic ground state of O2 by electron impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunger, M.J.; Middleton, A.G.; Teubner, P.J.

1998-01-01

We have measured absolute differential cross sections (DCSs) for rovibrational excitation (0→1,2,3,4) of the χ 3 Σ g - electronic ground state of O 2 . The scattered electron angular range was 10 degree endash 90 degree, while the cross sections were measured at ten specific energies in the 5 endash 20 eV incident beam energy range. This energy regime encompasses the region where the 4 Σ u - and 2 Σ u - resonances of O 2 - are known to significantly enhance the vibrational excitation process. The present data are found to be in generally good agreement with the more limited recent measurements of Allan [J. Phys. B 28, 5163 (1995)] and the earlier results of Wong et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 31, 969 (1973)]. Agreement with the data of Shyn and Sweeney [Phys. Rev. A 48, 1214 (1993)], however, was found to be only fair. Comparison of the present DCS with an available Born-closure Schwinger variational method calculation result is also made. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

A semi-automated approach for mapping geomorphology of El Bardawil Lake, Northern Sinai, Egypt, using integrated remote sensing and GIS techniques

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Nabil Sayed Embabi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Among the other coastal lakes of the Mediterranean northern coast of Egypt, Bardawil Lake is a unique lagoon, as it is fed only by seawater. The lagoon is composed of two main basins, and several other internal small basins interconnected to one another. Although the general geomorphologic characteristics are treated in some regional studies, we used a semi-automated approach based on a wide variety of digital image processing for mapping the major geomorphological landforms of the lake on a medium scale of 1:250,000. The approach is based primarily on data fusion of Landsat ETM+ image, and validated by other ancillary spatial data (e.g. topographic maps, Google images and GPS in situ data. Interpretations of high resolution space images by Google Earth and the large-scale topographic maps (1:25,000, in specific, revealed new microforms and some detailed geomorphologic aspects with the aid of GPS measurements. Small sand barriers, submerged sand dunes, tidal channels, fans and flats, and micro-lagoons are the recurrent forms in the lake. The approach used in this study could be widely applied to study the low-lying coastal lands along the Nile Delta. However, it is concluded from geological data and geomorphologic aspects that Bardawil Lake is of a tectonic origin; it was much deeper than it is currently, and has been filled with sediments mostly since the Flandrian transgression (∼8–6 ka bp.

Superplasticity and Micro-arrayed Deep-Drawing Behavior of Ni-Co/GO Nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guofeng; Zhao, Shanshan; Li, You; Yang, Chao; Liu, Siyu

2017-10-01

In this article, Ni-Co/GO nanocomposite was fabricated by AC pulse electrodeposition method. The room temperature strength tests and the superplasticity of the nanocomposite were investigated by the tensile tests. A 5 × 5 micro-arrayed deep-drawing die was designed to explore the feasibility of micro-forming. The as-deposited material has a narrow grain size distribution with a mean grain size of 50 nm. The addition of GO as a reinforcing phase can effectively enhance the room temperature tensile strength of the nanocomposite, but reduce the plasticity. When adding GO to the plating bath, a maximum elongation of 467% was observed for the specimen with a GO content of 0.01 g/L at 773 K and a strain rate of 1.67 × 10-3 s-1 by tensile tests. Micro-arrayed deep-drawing tests were subsequently performed with male die diameter of 0.58 mm and female die diameter of 0.8 mm. The experimental relative drawing height values were measured and compared with the deep-drawing parts without GO additive. It is found that the micro-arrayed deep-drawing with rigid male die at high temperature was feasible and forming parts with good shape could be got. The thickness distribution analysis of the deep-drawing parts showed that wall thickness changed ranging from 53 to 95 μm, and the thickness reduction at the punch fillet is the most obvious.

The genera of Nematinae (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae

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Marko Prous

2014-10-01

of Nematus Panzer, 1801: Craesus Leach, 1817, Hypolaepus W.F. Kirby, 1882, and Paranematus Zinovjev, 1978. Synonyms of Pristiphora Latreille, 1810: Diphadnus Hartig, 1837, Lygaeonematus Konow, 1890, Micronematus Konow, 1890, Gymnonychus Marlatt, 1896, Neopareophora MacGillivray, 1908, syn. n., Neotomostethus MacGillivray, 1908, Dineuridea Rohwer, 1912, Sala Ross, 1937, Pristola Ross, 1945, syn. n., Nepionema Benson, 1960, syn. n., Melastola Wong, 1968, syn. n., Sharliphora Wong, 1969, Oligonematus Zhelochovtsev, 1988, Lygaeotus Liston, 1993, Lygaeophora Liston, 1993, and Pristicampus Zinovjev, 1993, syn. n. Varna Ross, 1937, syn. n. is treated as a synonym of Dineura Dahlbom 1835. Stauronematus Benson, 1953 is treated as a separate genus from Pristiphora. Names of 20 species-group taxa are junior secondary homonyms when combined with Euura. Replacement names are proposed for these. To facilitate the identification of Nematinae genera, we provide an illustrated key to the 31 extant genera of world Nematinae.

What Is Body, What Is Space? Performance and the Cinematic Body in a Non-Anthropocentric Cinema

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Anne Rutherford

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The assumption of a clear demarcation and hierarchy between figure and ground has long informed key approaches in film studies to bodies and space. However, many filmmakers working in both animation and live cinema have confounded this hierarchy, working with an integration of figure and ground on equal terms to explore the full performative potential of the cinematic body. In the animation work of Einar Baldvin, this strategy is an Expressionist one, blurring the boundaries between figure and ground in order to project affective and psychic states onto the space around the body. In Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster, this blurring of boundaries between figure and ground eschews an Expressionist mode, working instead to render, in aesthetic form, a biophilosophy that emphasizes the continuity between bodies and environment to explore the possibilities of non-anthropocentric cinematic modes. An experimental writing style here serves to trace the energetic unfolding of these strategies across both films in order to frame the question, ‘what is body here, what is space’, and to ask how we as viewers engage with this embodied mode.

Trait emotional intelligence and mental distress: the mediating role of positive and negative affect.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Feng; Zhao, Jingjing; You, Xuqun

2012-01-01

Over the past decade, emotional intelligence (EI) has received much attention in the literature. Previous studies indicated that higher trait or ability EI was associated with greater mental distress. The present study focused on mediating effects of positive and negative affect on the association between trait EI and mental distress in a sample of Chinese adults. The participants were 726 Chinese adults (384 females) with an age range of 18-60 years. Data were collected by using the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that EI was a significant predictor of positive affect, negative affect and mental distress. Further mediation analysis showed that positive and negative affect acted as partial mediators of the relationship between EI and mental distress. Furthermore, effect contrasts showed that there was no significant difference between the specific indirect effects through positive affect and through negative affect. This result indicated that positive affect and negative affect played an equally important function in the association between EI and distress. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.

Complete heat transfer solutions of an insulated regular polygonal pipe by using a PWTR model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, K.-L.; Chou, H.-M.; Li, Y.-H.

2004-01-01

The heat transfer characteristics for insulated long regular polygonal (including circular) pipes are analyzed by using the same PWRT model in the present study as that used by Chou and Wong previously [Energy Convers. Manage. 44 (4) (2003) 629]. The thermal resistance of the inner convection term and the pipe conduction term in the heat transfer rate are not neglected in the present study. Thus, the complete heat transfer solution will be obtained. The present results can be applied more extensively to practical situations, such as heat exchangers. The results of the critical thickness t cr and the neutral thickness t e are independent of the values of J (generated by the combined effect of the inner convection term and the pipe conduction term). However, the heat transfer rates are dependent on the values of J. The present study shows that the thermal resistance of the inner convection term and the pipe conduction term cannot be neglected in the heat transfer equation in situations of low to medium inner convection coefficients h i and/or low to medium pipe conductivities K, especially in situations with large pipe sizes or/and great outer convection coefficients h 0

Processos de formação e produção de conhecimento: cinco olhares sobre a Educação Popular e Saúde

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Helena Maria Scherlowski Leal David

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Neste suplemento da Interface, trazemos cinco entrevistados com histórias de origem e trajetos diferentes, mas cuja práxis se construiu e se constrói em torno dos princípios da Educação Popular e Saúde. São eles: Selvino Heck, atual assessor especial da Secretaria Geral da Presidência da República, diretor do Departamento de Educação Popular e Mobilização da Secretaria Nacional de Articulação Social da Secretaria Geral e secretário executivo da Comissão Nacional de Agroecologia e Produção Orgânica; Regina Helena Simões Barbosa, professora e pesquisadora do Instituto de Estudos de Saúde Coletiva da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; Ivanilde Batista, servidora da Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de Goiás, fundadora e militante da Aneps-GO; Paulette Cavalcanti, professora e pesquisadora da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz em Pernambuco; e Julio Alberto Wong Un, professor e pesquisador do Instituto de Saúde Coletiva da Universidade Federal Fluminense.

SSAT State-of-the-Art Conference: Current Surgical Management of Gastric Tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Norton, Jeffrey A; Kim, Teresa; Kim, Joseph; McCarter, Martin D; Kelly, Kaitlyn J; Wong, Joyce; Sicklick, Jason K

2018-01-01

The current era of gastric surgery is marked by low morbidity and mortality rates, innovative strategies to approach resections with a minimally invasive fashion or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), as well as improved understanding of the biology of sporadic and hereditary stromal, neuroendocrine, and epithelial malignancies. In 2017, the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract convened a State-of-the-Art Conference on Current Surgical Management of Gastric Tumors with both international experts and emerging leaders in the field of gastric surgery. Martin D. McCarter, MD of the University of Colorado discussed the current management of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Kaitlyn J. Kelly, MD of the University of California, San Diego discussed the management of gastric carcinoid tumors. Jeffrey A. Norton of Stanford University discussed recent advances in the management of gastric adenocarcinoma including a focus on hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC). Joseph Kim, MD of Stony Brook University discussed a systematic approach to minimally invasive gastrectomy for cancer. Joyce Wong, MD of Pennsylvania State University discussed the role for cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and HIPEC for gastric adenocarcinoma. This review provides gastrointestinal surgeons with a concise update on the current surgical management of gastric tumors.

Development of a dual-layered dielectric-loaded accelerating structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing Chunguang; Kanareykin, Alexei; Kazakov, Sergey; Liu Wanming; Nenasheva, Elizaveta; Schoessow, Paul; Gai Wei

2008-01-01

rf Power attenuation is a critical problem in the development of dielectric-loaded structures for particle acceleration. In a previous paper [C. Jing, W. Liu, W. Gai, J. Power, T. Wong, Nucl. Instr. Meth. A 539 (2005) 445] we suggested the use of a Multilayer Dielectric-Loaded Accelerating Structure (MDLA) as a possible approach for reducing the rf losses in a single layer device. The MDLA is based on the principle of Bragg reflection familiar from optics that is used to partially confine the fields inside the dielectric layers and reduce the wall current losses at the outer boundary. We report here on the design, construction and testing of a prototype X-band double-layer structure (2DLA). The measurements show an rf power attenuation for the 2DLA more than ten times smaller than that of a comparable single-layer structure, in good agreement with the analytic results. Testing and operation of MDLAs also requires efficient power coupling from test equipment or rf power systems to the device. We describe the design and construction of two novel structures: a TM 03 mode launcher for cold testing and a power coupler for planned high-gradient experiments

High speed true random number generator with a new structure of coarse-tuning PDL in FPGA

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Hongzhen; Wang, Pengjun; Cheng, Xu; Zhou, Keji

2018-03-01

A metastability-based TRNG (true random number generator) is presented in this paper, and implemented in FPGA. The metastable state of a D flip-flop is tunable through a two-stage PDL (programmable delay line). With the proposed coarse-tuning PDL structure, the TRNG core does not require extra placement and routing to ensure its entropy. Furthermore, the core needs fewer stages of coarse-tuning PDL at higher operating frequency, and thus saves more resources in FPGA. The designed TRNG achieves 25 Mbps @ 100 MHz throughput after proper post-processing, which is several times higher than other previous TRNGs based on FPGA. Moreover, the robustness of the system is enhanced with the adoption of a feedback system. The quality of the designed TRNG is verified by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and also accepted by class P1 of the AIS-20/31 test suite. Project supported by the S&T Plan of Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Department (No. 2016C31078), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61574041, 61474068, 61234002), and the K.C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University, China.

The road to miniaturization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwai, Hiroshi; Hei Wong

2006-01-01

Silicon microelectronics has revolutionized the way we live, but how long can the relentless down sizing of devices continue? Hei Wong and Hiroshi Iwai describe the challenges facing the semiconductor industry today. For the last four decades the miniaturization of the microchip has been the driving force behind developments in all kinds of technology, from home entertainment to space exploration. At the heart of this revolution lies the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor, which has evolved in two ways. First, it has become smaller, with the latest devices measuring a thousandth of their original size. Second, the number of transistors that can be interconnected on a single chip has risen from a few tens to hundreds of millions. The density of microchips has followed an exponential trend that was famously identified by Gordon Moore of Intel in 1965. Moore predicted that the number of components that could be crammed into an integrated circuit would double every two years for the foreseeable future. In fact, he slightly underestimated the trend, because the average number has actually doubled every 18 months. The question keeping chip manufacturers awake in 2005 is how long this exponential growth can continue. (U.K.)

Effects of Virtual Reality and External Cold and Vibration on Pain in 7- to 12-Year-Old Children During Phlebotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerçeker, Gülçin Ö; Binay, Şeyda; Bilsin, Elif; Kahraman, Ayşe; Yılmaz, Hatice B

2018-03-17

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the virtual reality (VR) and external cold and vibration methods on pain scores in children aged 7 to 12 years during phlebotomy. A randomized controlled study. The sample of children (n = 121) was allocated to the groups (group 1, VR; group 2, external cold and vibration; group 3, control) by blocked randomization. Pain scores were assessed after the phlebotomy using self-report, parent's reports, report from the nurse who attempted the phlebotomy, and researchers' report with the Wong-Baker FACES scale. Pain scores were determined to be lower in groups 1 and 2. Although there was no difference between the groups 1 and 2, a statistically significant difference was found between groups 1 or 2 and group 3 based on all pain scores. Results suggest that VR and external cold and vibration are effective in reducing the pain in 7- to 12-year-old children during phlebotomy. VR can be used safely for the pain management of children who are growing up in the age of technology. Copyright © 2018 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of insulin glulisine to improve glycemic control in children with diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carter J

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Anna Lih, Emily Hibbert, Tang Wong, Christian M Girgis, Nidhi Garg, John N CarterDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Concord Hospital, NSW, Australia; University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, AustraliaAbstract: Glulisine (Apidra® is a rapid-acting human insulin analog approved for use in children with diabetes mellitus ≥4 years of age. Management of children with type 1 diabetes has seen a shift in favor of mimicking normal physiological insulin responses with multiple daily injections or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusions (CSII. Few studies have compared the rapid-acting insulin analogs in this population but limited data indicate that glulisine is as effective as lispro when used in a basal–bolus regimen. This review appraises the current available studies and reviews on insulin glulisine in children. An extensive keyword search of ‘insulin glulisine’, ‘insulin analogs’, and ‘Apidra’ in the pediatric population was performed. These studies have suggested that glulisine is safe, well tolerated, and is an effective option in the diabetes armamentarium. Further studies are needed to determine its safety for use in CSII pumps in the pediatric population.Keywords: glulisine, pediatrics, type 1 diabetes mellitus

Is there a link between the volume of physical exercise and emotional intelligence (EQ?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gáspár Zoltán

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Emotional intelligence (EQ was linked to sport participation. We report two studies in which we tested the link between exercise volume, defined as weekly hours of exercise, and EQ. Volunteers (n = 64 and n = 84 completed the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. In Study I, significant correlations between exercise volume and use- and regulation-of-emotions prompted us to use a posteriori grouping into high- and low exercise-volume groups. The former exhibited better use-of-emotions than the latter (p = .007, d = .87. In Study II, using a priori grouping, we replicated the finding from Study I (p = .001, d = .78, and the groups also differed in “self-emotions appraisal” (p = .05, d = .44 and total EQ (p = .017, d = .54. Since the items measuring the use-of-emotions involve motivational aspects of the EQ, we posit that this dimension is “naturally” linked to exercise volume. Our findings also suggest that self-emotions appraisal and the overall EQ are linked to greater volumes of exercise. These results should provide an incentive for longitudinal studies in this area.

Recent developments in heavy-ion fusion reactions around the Coulomb barrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hagino K.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The nuclear fusion is a reaction to form a compound nucleus. It plays an important role in several circumstances in nuclear physics as well as in nuclear astrophysics, such as synthesis of superheavy elements and nucleosynthesis in stars. Here we discuss two recent theoretical developments in heavy-ion fusion reactions at energies around the Coulomb barrier. The first topic is a generalization of the Wong formula for fusion cross sections in a single-channel problem. By introducing an energy dependence to the barrier parameters, we show that the generalized formula leads to results practically indistinguishable from a full quantal calculation, even for light symmetric systems such as 12C+12C, for which fusion cross sections show an oscillatory behavior. We then discuss a semi-microscopic modeling of heavy-ion fusion reactions, which combine the coupled-channels approach to the state-of-the-art nuclear structure calculations for low-lying collective motions. We apply this method to subbarrier fusion reactions of 58Ni+58Ni and 40Ca+58Ni systems, and discuss the role of anharmonicity of the low-lying vibrational motions.

Can we use lower volume of local anesthetic for infraclavicular brachial plexus nerve block under ultrasound guidance in children?

Science.gov (United States)

Ince, Ilker; Aksoy, Mehmet; Dostbil, Aysenur; Tuncer, Kutsi

2017-09-01

To determine if the infraclavicular brachial plexus block can be applied with lower volume of local anesthetic. Randomised, double-blinded clinical trial. 60 patients aged 5-15years with ASA I-II who underwent emergent or elective arm, forearm or hand operations were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups randomly; standard volume local anesthetic administered group (Group S, n=30) and low volume anesthetic administered group (Group L, n=30). Postoperative pain scores, sensory and motor block durations were noted. Pain scores (Wong-Baker Face Scale) were evaluated and the results were detected to be similar at all times (30min, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24h). Durations of motor block were 168(±16) minutes and 268(±15) minutes in Group L and Group S respectively and the difference was statistically significant (pblock were 385(±26) and 402(±39) in Group L and Group S respectively and no statistically significant difference was detected (p=0.064). Similar block success, postoperative sensory block durations and pain scores could be obtained during infraclavicular brachial plexus in pediatric patients with lower local anesthetic volumes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Using Online Collaborative Tasks on Incidental Vocabulary Learning of Impulsive vs. Reflective Iranian EFL Learners

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Khalil Motallebzadeh

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Incidental vocabulary learning is one of the most significant sources of learning vocabulary for language learners Laufer  & Hulstjin, 2001. This study endeavored to investigate the effect of using online collaborative tasks on incidental vocabulary learning of impulsive vs. reflective Iranian EFL learners. To this end, Nelson vocabulary proficiency test was administered to 100 Iranian EFL learners as the homogeneity test and the pretest. Using random sampling procedure, 75 learners were selected as the main participants for this study. Kember, McKay, Sinclair and Wong (2008 reflective thinking questionnaire was administered to these learners, based on which they were distinguished based on their cognitive thinking styles, i.e., impulsivity and reflectivity. The participants were homogenously distributed into 3 main groups (impulsive experimental group, reflective experimental group, and the control group. All participants went through 4 weeks of treatment. Experimental groups were conducted using Telegram software and the control group was conducted in a classroom. The results of t-test after 4 weeks of treatment revealed that reflective learners benefited from online collaborative groups with regard to incidental vocabulary learning. The findings of the study are discussed in light of previous research.

Dynamic Modeling and Soil Mechanics for Path Planning of the Mars Exploration Rovers

Science.gov (United States)

Trease, Brian; Arvidson, Raymond; Lindemann, Randel; Bennett, Keith; Zhou, Feng; Iagnemma, Karl; Senatore, Carmine; Van Dyke, Lauren

2011-01-01

To help minimize risk of high sinkage and slippage during drives and to better understand soil properties and rover terramechanics from drive data, a multidisciplinary team was formed under the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project to develop and utilize dynamic computer-based models for rover drives over realistic terrains. The resulting tool, named ARTEMIS (Adams-based Rover Terramechanics and Mobility Interaction Simulator), consists of the dynamic model, a library of terramechanics subroutines, and the high-resolution digital elevation maps of the Mars surface. A 200-element model of the rovers was developed and validated for drop tests before launch, using MSC-Adams dynamic modeling software. Newly modeled terrain-rover interactions include the rut-formation effect of deformable soils, using the classical Bekker-Wong implementation of compaction resistances and bull-dozing effects. The paper presents the details and implementation of the model with two case studies based on actual MER telemetry data. In its final form, ARTEMIS will be used in a predictive manner to assess terrain navigability and will become part of the overall effort in path planning and navigation for both Martian and lunar rovers.

Fabrication of wear-resistant silicon microprobe tips for high-speed surface roughness scanning devices

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Wasisto, Hutomo Suryo; Yu, Feng; Doering, Lutz; Völlmeke, Stefan; Brand, Uwe; Bakin, Andrey; Waag, Andreas; Peiner, Erwin

2015-05-01

Silicon microprobe tips are fabricated and integrated with piezoresistive cantilever sensors for high-speed surface roughness scanning systems. The fabrication steps of the high-aspect-ratio silicon microprobe tips were started with photolithography and wet etching of potassium hydroxide (KOH) resulting in crystal-dependent micropyramids. Subsequently, thin conformal wear-resistant layer coating of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) was demonstrated on the backside of the piezoresistive cantilever free end using atomic layer deposition (ALD) method in a binary reaction sequence with a low thermal process and precursors of trimethyl aluminum and water. The deposited Al2O3 layer had a thickness of 14 nm. The captured atomic force microscopy (AFM) image exhibits a root mean square deviation of 0.65 nm confirming the deposited Al2O3 surface quality. Furthermore, vacuum-evaporated 30-nm/200-nm-thick Au/Cr layers were patterned by lift-off and served as an etch mask for Al2O3 wet etching and in ICP cryogenic dry etching. By using SF6/O2 plasma during inductively coupled plasma (ICP) cryogenic dry etching, micropillar tips were obtained. From the preliminary friction and wear data, the developed silicon cantilever sensor has been successfully used in 100 fast measurements of 5- mm-long standard artifact surface with a speed of 15 mm/s and forces of 60-100 μN. Moreover, the results yielded by the fabricated silicon cantilever sensor are in very good agreement with those of calibrated profilometer. These tactile sensors are targeted for use in high-aspect-ratio microform metrology.

Enigmatic cranial superstructures among Chamorro ancestors from the Mariana Islands: gross anatomy and microanatomy.

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Heathcote, Gary M; Bromage, Timothy G; Sava, Vincent J; Hanson, Douglas B; Anderson, Bruce E

2014-06-01

This study focuses on the gross anatomy, anatomic relations, microanatomy, and the meaning of three enigmatic, geographically patterned, and quasi-continuous superstructures of the posterior cranium. Collectively known as occipital superstructures (OSSs), these traits are the occipital torus tubercle (TOT), retromastoid process (PR), and posterior supramastoid tubercle (TSP). When present, TOT, PR, and TSP develop at posterior cranial attachment sites of the upper trapezius, superior oblique, and sternocleidomastoid muscles, respectively. Marked expression and co-occurrence of these OSSs are virtually circumscribed within Oceania and reach highest recorded frequencies in protohistoric Chamorros (CHamoru) of the Mariana Islands. Prior to undertaking scanning electron microscopy (SEM) work, our working multifactorial model for OSS development was that early-onset, long-term, and chronic activity-related microtrauma at enthesis sites led to exuberant reactive or reparative responses in a substantial minority of genetically predisposed (and mostly male) individuals. SEM imaging, however, reveals topographic patterning that questions, but does not negate, activity induction of these superstructures. Although OSSs appear macroscopically as relatively large and discrete phenomena, SEM findings reveal a unique, widespread, and seemingly systemic distribution of structures over the occipital surface that have the appearance of OSS microforms. Nevertheless, apparent genetic underpinnings, anatomic relationships with muscle entheses, and positive correlation of OSS development with humeral robusticity continue to suggest that these superstructures have potential to at once bear witness to Chamorro population history and inform osteobiographical constructions of chronic activity patterns in individuals bearing them. Further work is outlined that would illuminate the proximate and ultimate meanings of OSS. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Classificação e tipologia dos lapiás. Contributo para uma terminologia das formas cársicas.

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Maria Luísa Rodrigues

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Classification and types of karren. A contribution for a karst landforms terminology. The bibliography that refer to the forms developed in limestone rocks normally emphasizes the so called major karst forms (sinkholes, uvalas, poljes and fluvio-karstic forms, paying less attention to the so called minor karst forms, that are formed by the karren ones. In this particular field, the bibliography available in Portuguese is no exception. Hence the option of choosing this set of forms amongst all the wide range of karstic landforms, in addition to the fact that these smaller forms show better the existence of active dissolution processes at the surface that contribute decisively to the hydrologic underground karst activity. Most of the karren classifications are essentially descriptive favoring the morphology (forms and microforms, which leads to a multiplication of terms conferring a secondary role to the genesis and processes related to its formation. Therefore, we tried to develop a methodology to classify the karren and the related type of forms based on the formation processes that includes the type of sediment cover and the morphology. We consider three major groups of karren: i those in which the dominant process (associated to dissolution is related to running water; ii those formed by the combined action of the runoff and of dissolution controlled by structural factors; iii those with a mostly biochemical genesis, resulting from the action of dissolution (due to the persistence of water in flattened surfaces and of the living organisms.

A new generation of ultra-dense optical I/O for silicon photonics

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Wlodawski, Mitchell S.; Kopp, Victor I.; Park, Jongchul; Singer, Jonathan; Hubner, Eric E.; Neugroschl, Daniel; Chao, Norman; Genack, Azriel Z.

2014-03-01

In response to the optical packaging needs of a rapidly growing silicon photonics market, Chiral Photonics, Inc. (CPI) has developed a new generation of ultra-dense-channel, bi-directional, all-optical, input/output (I/O) couplers that bridge the data transport gap between standard optical fibers and photonic integrated circuits. These couplers, called Pitch Reducing Optical Fiber Arrays (PROFAs), provide a means to simultaneously match both the mode field and channel spacing (i.e. pitch) between an optical fiber array and a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). Both primary methods for optically interfacing with PICs, via vertical grating couplers (VGCs) and edge couplers, can be addressed with PROFAs. PROFAs bring the signal-carrying cores, either multimode or singlemode, of many optical fibers into close proximity within an all-glass device that can provide low loss coupling to on-chip components, including waveguides, gratings, detectors and emitters. Two-dimensional (2D) PROFAs offer more than an order of magnitude enhancement in channel density compared to conventional one-dimensional (1D) fiber arrays. PROFAs can also be used with low vertical profile solutions that simplify optoelectronic packaging while reducing PIC I/O real estate usage requirements. PROFA technology is based on a scalable production process for microforming glass preform assemblies as they are pulled through a small oven. An innovative fiber design, called the "vanishing core," enables tailoring the mode field along the length of the PROFA to meet the coupling needs of disparate waveguide technologies, such as fiber and onchip. Examples of single- and multi-channel couplers fabricated using this technology will be presented.

Evaporative demand, transpiration, and photosynthesis: How are they changing?

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Farquhar, G. D.; Roderick, M. L.

2009-04-01

Carbon dioxide concentration is increasing. This affects photosynthesis via increases in substrate availability (Farquhar et al. 1980). It reduces the amount of water transpired by plants to fix a given amount of carbon into an organic form; i.e it increases transpiration efficiency (Wong et al. 1979). It also warms the earth's surface. It is commonly supposed that this warming causes an increase in evaporative demand - the rate of water loss from a wet surface. This supposition has then been extended to effects on plant water availability, with the idea that there would be offsets to the gains in productivity associated with increased transpiration efficiency. The assumption that increased temperature means increased evaporative demand has also been applied to global maps of changes in soil water content. However, observations of pan evaporation rate show that this measure of evaporative demand has been decreasing in most areas examined over the last few decades. We reconcile these observations with theory by noting that, on long time scales, warming also involves water bodies, so that the vapour pressure at the earth's surface also increases. Using the physics of pan evaporation (Rotstayn et al. 2006) we show that the reduction in evaporative demand has been associated with two main effects, (1) "dimming", a reduction in sunlight received at the earth's surface because of aerosols and clouds, being the first phenomenon identified (Roderick and Farquhar 2002), and (2) "stilling", a reduction in wind speed, being the second (Roderick et al. 2007). We show that better accounting for changes in evaporative demand is important for estimating soil water changes, particularly in regions where precipitation exceeds evaporative demand (i.e where there are rivers) (Hobbins et al. 2008). We synthesise some of these results with others on vegetation change. References: Farquhar, GD, von Caemmerer, S, and Berry, JA, 1980: A biochemical model of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation

Translocation and accumulation of trace metals from the rhizosphere to the tomato and topinambur plants in a contaminated area of South Italy

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Papa, Stefania; Bartoli, Giovanni; Álvarez-Romero, Marta; Zornoza, Raúl; Carillo, Petronia; Fioretto, Antonietta

2017-04-01

According to a survey of the Italian Environmental Monitoring Agency (ARPA), there are different critical sites in Campania region (South Italy) (e.i. legal or illegal landfills, countryside lands, abandoned farms, parking lots and regular streets). Literature data show that about half of the lead, cadmium and mercury contents, ingested through food, is due to the plant products (fruit, vegetables and grains) (Kachenko and Singh 2006; Liu et al 2012; Chang et al 2014; Wong et al 2002). In the health protection programs, the knowledge of heavy metals translocation from soils to plants used as food are very important with research on metal uptake by plants of food interest cultivated in contaminated soils. The goal of this work was to evaluate the translocation and accumulation of trace metals from the rhizosphere to the different parts of the plant (roots, stems, leaves, fruit) of Topinambur (Helianthus tuberosus) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) sampled in the coast area of Castel Volturno (Campania region, South Italy). This area is one of the critical sites according to a survey of the Environmental Monitoring Agency ARPA. In addition to these measures, malondialdehyde (MDA) activity was assayed to evaluate the stress state of the plant. The results showed that the trace metals concentration determinated in different organs of each species studied were more present in the roots than the other plant's parts, suggesting a probable block at root level. The only exception were Cu and Hg in tomato and topinambur plants respectively, that were mainly present in the leaves. The metals block at the root induced no alteration of MDA. However, the correlation between this activity and Cd, Pb, V and Hg seemed to attest to a possible synergy. Keywords: "Helianthus tuberosus", "Solanum lycopersicum", trace metal, traslocation Reference -Kachenko AG, Singh B, 2006 Heavy Metals Contamination in Vegetables Grown in Urban and Metal Smelter Contaminated Sites in Australia. Water

Soil microbial population and nitrogen fixation in peanut under fly ash and sewage sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, S.; Khan, A.R.

2002-06-01

such as C, N, S, and P in the biosphere (Wong and Wong, 1986). Addition of such wastes to agricultural lands is likely to alter the nutrient cycling processes particularly for leguminous crops, where nodulation, N 2 fixation and N uptake is mainly governed by a group of microorganisms (McGrath et al., 1988). It is therefore imperative to study the effect of different doses and combination of wastes on changes in microbial population and its impact on overall performance of a crop. The objective of this study is thus, to investigate the implications of industrial wastes (Fly Ash) and urban sewage sludge (treated City Waste) application at different rates and frequencies of application on the total soil microbial population, Rhizobium population, nodulation, N-uptake, N-accumulation and yield of peanut crop in lateritic sandy loam soil of eastern India

Finding Text Information in the Ocean of Electronic Documents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Medvick, Patricia A.; Calapristi, Augustin J.

2003-02-05

Information management in natural resources has become an overwhelming task. A massive amount of electronic documents and data is now available for creating informed decisions. The problem is finding the relevant information to support the decision-making process. Determining gaps in knowledge in order to propose new studies or to determine which proposals to fund for maximum potential is a time-consuming and difficult task. Additionally, available data stores are increasing in complexity; they now may include not only text and numerical data, but also images, sounds, and video recordings. Information visualization specialists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have software tools for exploring electronic data stores and for discovering and exploiting relationships within data sets. These provide capabilities for unstructured text explorations, the use of data signatures (a compact format for the essence of a set of scientific data) for visualization (Wong et al 2000), visualizations for multiple query results (Havre et al. 2001), and others (http://www.pnl.gov/infoviz ). We will focus on IN-SPIRE, a MS Windows vision of PNNL’s SPIRE (Spatial Paradigm for Information Retrieval and Exploration). IN-SPIRE was developed to assist information analysts find and discover information in huge masses of text documents.

The Impact of Virtual Reality Distraction on Pain and Anxiety during Dental Treatment in 4-6 Year-Old Children: a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Asl Aminabadi, Naser; Erfanparast, Leila; Sohrabi, Azin; Ghertasi Oskouei, Sina; Naghili, Armaghan

2012-01-01

Dental practitioners have numerous methods to control anxiety and pain in children, and distracting the child appears to be the most common technique used for behavior management during dental procedures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of using virtual reality eyeglasses on severity of pain and anxiety during dental procedures in pediatric patients. This study included 120 healthy children aged 4-6 years. Children with no previous anxiety disorder were randomly divided into two groups, each consisting of 60 children. The study consisted of 3 consecutive treatment sessions. During the first visit fluoride therapy was carried out in both groups. In the next sessions, the groups received restorative treatment with and without virtual reality eyeglasses in a randomized single-blind-controlled crossover fashion. Then at the end of each session the subjects' pain severity was assessed using Wong Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and state anxiety was measured by Faces version of the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale [MCDAS (f)]. There was a significant decrease in pain perception (P anxiety scores (P virtual reality eyeglasses during dental treatment. Results of this study showed that virtual reality eyeglasses can successfully decrease pain perception and state anxiety during dental treatment. 201103126036N1.

Using the Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offense version in sexual violence risk assessments: Updated risk categories and recidivism estimates from a multisite sample of treated sexual offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Olver, Mark E; Mundt, James C; Thornton, David; Beggs Christofferson, Sarah M; Kingston, Drew A; Sowden, Justina N; Nicholaichuk, Terry P; Gordon, Audrey; Wong, Stephen C P

2018-04-30

The present study sought to develop updated risk categories and recidivism estimates for the Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offense version (VRS-SO; Wong, Olver, Nicholaichuk, & Gordon, 2003-2017), a sexual offender risk assessment and treatment planning tool. The overarching purpose was to increase the clarity and accuracy of communicating risk assessment information that includes a systematic incorporation of new information (i.e., change) to modify risk estimates. Four treated samples of sexual offenders with VRS-SO pretreatment, posttreatment, and Static-99R ratings were combined with a minimum follow-up period of 10-years postrelease (N = 913). Logistic regression was used to model 5- and 10-year sexual and violent (including sexual) recidivism estimates across 6 different regression models employing specific risk and change score information from the VRS-SO and/or Static-99R. A rationale is presented for clinical applications of select models and the necessity of controlling for baseline risk when utilizing change information across repeated assessments. Information concerning relative risk (percentiles) and absolute risk (recidivism estimates) is integrated with common risk assessment language guidelines to generate new risk categories for the VRS-SO. Guidelines for model selection and forensic clinical application of the risk estimates are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparison of salicylic acid 30% peel and pneumatic broadband light in the treatment of mild to moderately severe facial acne vulgaris.

Science.gov (United States)

Thuangtong, Rattapon; Tangjaturonrusamee, Chinmanat; Rattanaumpawan, Pinyo; Ditre, Chérie M

2017-07-01

Acne patients experience not only a medical disease but also an aesthetic condition, and this latter complication greatly motivates patients to seek out the best treatment regimen to hasten improvement in their appearance. The available clinical procedures for acne treatment include salicylic acid 30% peel and pneumatic broadband light (PBBL). The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of salicylic acid 30% peel and PBBL treatments in patients with mild to moderately severe facial acne vulgaris. Twelve patients were recruited for a 12-week prospective, single-blind, randomized, split-face study. Patients were treated with a salicylic acid 30% peel on one side of the face and PBBL treatment was administered on the opposite side of the face for 6 consecutive weeks without other acne treatments. At every visit, treatment evaluations were performed using a modified Global Acne Grading Score (mGAGS), acne quality of life (QOL) questionnaire, Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBPRS) assessments, and clinical photography. Improvement in acne symptoms was observed for both treatment procedures without significant differences and with minimal side effects. Salicylic acid 30% peel and PBBL were well tolerated in our study, and both clinical procedures were efficacious and well-tolerated by the patients.

Documenting pain as the fifth vital sign: a feasibility study in an oncology ward in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, B C R; Tang, T S

2008-01-01

Monitoring acute postoperative pain as the fifth vital sign is currently practiced in many developed countries. In Sarawak, pain is an important symptom as 70% of cancer patients present with advanced disease. As the existing validated pain assessment tools were found to be difficult to use, we studied the feasibility of modifying the use of a pain assessment tool, consisting of the short form of the Brief Pain Inventory and the Wong-Baker Faces Scale. This tool was used to document pain in all 169 patients who were admitted for pain control to the oncology ward between July 2000 and June 2001. Nurses were trained in the use of the modified scale before the start of the study. The method was easy to use, and the mean number of days to reduce pain was found to be 3.1 days (SD: 2.9; median: 2 days; range: 1-31 days). At discharge, none in the group with initially mild pain had pain, and the severity of pain for 98% of patients with moderate pain and 61% with severe pain was downgraded to mild pain. The staff found that the tool allowed continuous pain assessment in an objective manner. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A new moving strategy for the sequential Monte Carlo approach in optimizing the hydrological model parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Gaofeng; Li, Xin; Ma, Jinzhu; Wang, Yunquan; Liu, Shaomin; Huang, Chunlin; Zhang, Kun; Hu, Xiaoli

2018-04-01

Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) samplers have become increasing popular for estimating the posterior parameter distribution with the non-linear dependency structures and multiple modes often present in hydrological models. However, the explorative capabilities and efficiency of the sampler depends strongly on the efficiency in the move step of SMC sampler. In this paper we presented a new SMC sampler entitled the Particle Evolution Metropolis Sequential Monte Carlo (PEM-SMC) algorithm, which is well suited to handle unknown static parameters of hydrologic model. The PEM-SMC sampler is inspired by the works of Liang and Wong (2001) and operates by incorporating the strengths of the genetic algorithm, differential evolution algorithm and Metropolis-Hasting algorithm into the framework of SMC. We also prove that the sampler admits the target distribution to be a stationary distribution. Two case studies including a multi-dimensional bimodal normal distribution and a conceptual rainfall-runoff hydrologic model by only considering parameter uncertainty and simultaneously considering parameter and input uncertainty show that PEM-SMC sampler is generally superior to other popular SMC algorithms in handling the high dimensional problems. The study also indicated that it may be important to account for model structural uncertainty by using multiplier different hydrological models in the SMC framework in future study.

REMIFENTANIL VS FENTANYL DURING DAY CASE DENTAL SURGERY IN PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: A COMPARATIVE, PILOT STUDY OF THEIR EFFECT ON STRESS RESPONSE AND POSTOPERATIVE PAIN.

Science.gov (United States)

Sklika, Eirini; Kalimeris, Konstantinos; Perrea, Despina; Stavropoulos, Nikolaos; Kostopanagiotou, Georgia; Matsota, Paraskevi

2016-06-01

People with special needs undergoing dental surgery frequently require general anesthesia. We investigated the effect of remifentanil vs fentanyl on stress response and postoperative pain in people with special needs undergoing day-case dental surgery. Forty-six adult patients with cognitive impairment undergoing day-case dental surgery under general anesthesia were allocated to receive intraoperatively either fentanyl 50 μg iv bolus (group F, n = 23) or continuous infusion of remifentanil 0.5-1 μg/kg/min (group R, n = 23). Iintraoperative hemodynamic parameters were recorded and serum inflammatory mediators [tumor necrosis factor-α, substance-P], stress hormons (melatonin, cortisol) and β-endorphin were measured. Postoperative pain was assessed during the first postoperative 12 hours with the Wong-Baker faces pain-rating scale. Demographics were similar in two groups. The two groups did not differ regarding their effects on inflammatory mediators, stress hormons and postoperative pain scores. However, the use of remifentanil prevented intraoperative increases of arterial blood pressure and heart rate. Remifentanil and fentanyl did not affect differently stress and inflammatory hormones during day-case dental surgery, although remifentanil may render intraoperative management of hemodynamic responses easier. Both opioids are equally efficient for postoperative pain management following dental surgery in people with special needs.

Tilt angles and positive response of head-up tilt test in children with orthostatic intolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jing; Wang, Yuli; Ochs, Todd; Tang, Chaoshu; Du, Junbao; Jin, Hongfang

2015-01-01

This study aimed at examining three tilt angle-based positive responses and the time to positive response in a head-up tilt test for children with orthostatic intolerance, and the psychological fear experienced at the three angles during head-up tilt test. A total of 174 children, including 76 boys and 98 girls, aged from 4 to 18 years old (mean 11.3±2.8 years old), with unexplained syncope, were randomly divided into three groups, to undergo head-up tilt test at the angles of 60°, 70° and 80°, respectively. The diagnostic rates and times were analysed, and Wong-Baker face pain rating scale was used to access the children's psychological fear. There were no significant differences in diagnostic rates of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and vasovagal syncope at different tilt angles during the head-up tilt test (p>0.05). There was a significant difference, however, in the psychological fear at different tilt angles utilising the Kruskal-Wallis test (χ2=36.398, ptest (ptest for vasovagal syncope or for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Hence, it is suggested that a tilt angle of 60° and head-up tilt test time of 45 minutes should be suitable for children with vasovagal syncope.

Hemoglobinopathies and thalassemia screening among Senoi Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Rong, Danny Koh Xuan; Ismail, Endom; Sabudin, Raja Zahratul Azma Raja; Hussin, Noor Hamidah; Othman, Ainoon

2015-09-01

Orang Asli are the minority indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia and can be divided into 3 main groups (Negrito, Senoi and Proto Malay) with different six sub-ethnics under each group. Within the Senoi group, the six sub-ethnics are sub-ethnic Mah Meri, Semoq Beri, Che Wong, Jah Hut, Semai and Temiar. This study was aimed to investigate the current prevalence of α- and β-thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies and their mutation types among all six sub-ethnics of Senoi Orang Asli. Blood samples from 685 Senoi participants were collected and sent immediately for routine full blood count analysis and hemoglobin sub-typing. Of 378 subjects screened, 7 subjects were found to be Hemoglobin E (HbE) beta thalassemia carriers, 13 beta thalassaemic, 35 Hemoglobin Constant Spring (HbCS) carriers, 6 compound HbE and HbCS carriers, 32 with HbE disease and 163 HbE heterozygote carriers. The findings of high HbE among Temiars and Jah Huts and high HbCS exclusively in Jah Huts in this study suggest distinct differences across sub-ethnics under Senoi group. Understanding of prevalence and wide spectrum of thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies among Senoi and Orang Asli is essential for national thalassaemia awareness and prevention program, especially in Orang Asli communities.

Effects of music therapy and distraction cards on pain relief during phlebotomy in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Diler; Sahiner, Nejla Canbulat

2017-02-01

To investigate three different distraction methods (distraction cards, listening to music, and distraction cards + music) on pain and anxiety relief in children during phlebotomy. This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. The sample consisted of children aged 7 to 12years who required blood tests. The children were randomized into four groups, distraction cards, music, distraction cards + music, and controls. Data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with the children, their parents, and the observer before and after the procedure. The children's pain levels were assessed and reported by the parents and observers, and the children themselves who self-reported using Wong-Baker FACES. The children's anxiety levels were also assessed using the Children's Fear Scale. Two hundred children (mean age: 9.01±2.35years) were included. No difference was found between the groups in the self, parent, and observer reported procedural pain levels (p=0.72, p=0.23, p=0.15, respectively). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between groups in procedural child anxiety levels according to the parents and observer (p=0.092, p=0.096, respectively). Pain and anxiety relief was seen in all three methods during phlebotomy; however, no statistically significant difference was observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental Analysis of Mast Lifting and Bending Forces on Vibration Patterns Before and After Pinion Reinstallation in an OH-58 Transmission Test Rig

Science.gov (United States)

Huff, Edward M.; Lewicki, David G.; Tumer, Irem Y.; Decker, Harry; Barszez, Eric; Zakrajsek, James J.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

As part of a collaborative research program between NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), and the US Army Laboratory, a series of experiments is being performed in GRC's 500 HP OH-58 Transmission Test Rig facility and ARC's AH-I Cobra and OH-58c helicopters. The findings reported in this paper were drawn from Phase-I of a two-phase test-rig experiment, and are focused on the vibration response of an undamaged pinion gear operating in the transmission test rig. To simulate actual flight conditions, the transmission system was run at three torque levels, as well as two mast lifting and two mast bending levels. The test rig was also subjected to disassembly and reassembly of the main pinion housing to simulate the effect of maintenance operations. An analysis of variance based on the total power of the spectral distribution indicates the relative effect of each experimental factor, including Wong interactions with torque. Reinstallation of the main pinion assembly is shown to introduce changes in the vibration signature, suggesting the possibility of a strong effect of maintenance on HUMS design and use. Based on these results, further research will be conducted to compare these vibration responses with actual OH58c helicopter transmission vibration patterns.

Desarrollo del pensamiento crítico mediante la aplicación del Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verónica Lara Quintero

Full Text Available Resumen El proceso educativo actual involucra al docente y al estudiante con roles activos aplicando nuevas estrategias. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar si la aplicación del Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas a estudiantes de Ingeniería Biomédica de una universidad privada de Bogotá, favorece la obtención de competencias genéricas, especialmente el pensamiento crítico. El tipo de estudio fue de naturaleza mixta, cuasi-experimental y transaccional. Se utilizó para el enfoque cuantitativo el cuestionario de las Competencias Genéricas Individuales validado por Olivares y Wong (2013 asociado a tres dimensiones del pensamiento crítico: interpretación, juicio e inferência. A su vez, se evaluó de manera cualitativa mediante rúbrica de cuatro categorías relacionadas con la estrategia didáctica: autonomía, participación, comunicación y disposición al pensamiento crítico. Aunque el enfoque cuantitativo no arrojó resultados determinantes en el cambio del pensamiento crítico, si se encontraron cambios a través del análisis cualitativo, especialmente en análisis, interpretación y evaluación.

Analyzing Multiple-Probe Microarray: Estimation and Application of Gene Expression Indexes

KAUST Repository

Maadooliat, Mehdi

2012-07-26

Gene expression index estimation is an essential step in analyzing multiple probe microarray data. Various modeling methods have been proposed in this area. Amidst all, a popular method proposed in Li and Wong (2001) is based on a multiplicative model, which is similar to the additive model discussed in Irizarry et al. (2003a) at the logarithm scale. Along this line, Hu et al. (2006) proposed data transformation to improve expression index estimation based on an ad hoc entropy criteria and naive grid search approach. In this work, we re-examined this problem using a new profile likelihood-based transformation estimation approach that is more statistically elegant and computationally efficient. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method using a benchmark Affymetrix U95A spiked-in experiment. Moreover, We introduced a new multivariate expression index and used the empirical study to shows its promise in terms of improving model fitting and power of detecting differential expression over the commonly used univariate expression index. As the other important content of the work, we discussed two generally encountered practical issues in application of gene expression index: normalization and summary statistic used for detecting differential expression. Our empirical study shows somewhat different findings from the MAQC project (MAQC, 2006).

A Longitudinal Study of the Presence of Dental Anomalies in the Primary and Permanent Dentitions of Cleft Lip and/or Palate Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Akira; Nakano, Masayuki; Yoshizaki, Keigo; Yasunaga, Atsushi; Haruyama, Naoto; Takahashi, Ichiro

2017-05-01

  The aim is to survey primary and permanent dental anomalies: hypodontia, microdontia, a supernumerary tooth, and fused teeth in patients with cleft lip and/or palate.   Retrospective longitudinal study Subjects :  The subjects were selected from all 1724 patients with cleft lip and/or palate who were registered at the orthodontic clinic of Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan, from 1970 to 2009. Finally, 994 subjects were evaluated for primary dentition, 1352 for permanent dentition, and 871 for the longitudinal changes from primary to permanent dentition.   The prevalence of dental anomalies was compared for each tooth type, among various cleft types, between males and females, and between the alveolar cleft area and the noncleft area.   The prevalence of hypodontia was 16.2% for primary dentition and 52.7% for permanent dentition in the subjects with cleft lip and/or palate. Hypodontia increased with the severity of the cleft type. Multiple hypodontia was found more frequently in the subjects with bilateral cleft lip and palate and the subjects with unilateral cleft lip and palate. Microformed lateral incisors were found in 22.7% of permanent lateral incisors but not in primary dentition. Supernumerary teeth were found in 17.7% of the subjects with cleft lip and/or palate for primary maxillary dentition and in 5.7% for permanent maxillary dentition.   The prevalence of hypodontia was greater in permanent dentition than in primary dentition; although, it was not much different between males and females or between the right and left sides. The prevalence of dental anomalies was significantly different among four groups by cleft type: cleft lip, cleft lip and alveolus, cleft lip and palate, and cleft palate.

Applicability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Research on Aeolian Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Algimantas, Česnulevičius; Artūras, Bautrėnas; Linas, Bevainis; Donatas, Ovodas; Kęstutis, Papšys

2018-02-01

Surface dynamics and instabilities are characteristic of aeolian formation. The method of surface comparison is regarded as the most appropriate one for evaluation of the intensity of aeolian processes and the amount of transported sand. The data for surface comparison can be collected by topographic survey measurements and using unmanned aerial vehicles. Time cost for relief microform fixation and measurement executing topographic survey are very high. The method of unmanned aircraft aerial photographs fixation also encounters difficulties because there are no stable clear objects and contours that enable to link aerial photographs, to determine the boundaries of captured territory and to ensure the accuracy of surface measurements. Creation of stationary anchor points is irrational due to intense sand accumulation and deflation in different climate seasons. In September 2015 and in April 2016 the combined methodology was applied for evaluation of intensity of aeolian processes in the Curonian Spit. Temporary signs (marks) were installed on the surface, coordinates of the marks were fixed using GPS and then flight of unmanned aircraft was conducted. The fixed coordinates of marks ensure the accuracy of measuring aerial imagery and the ability to calculate the possible corrections. This method was used to track and measure very small (micro-rank) relief forms (5-10 cm height and 10-20 cm length). Using this method morphometric indicators of micro-terraces caused by sand dunes pressure to gytia layer were measured in a non-contact way. An additional advantage of the method is the ability to accurately link the repeated measurements. The comparison of 3D terrain models showed sand deflation and accumulation areas and quantitative changes in the terrain very clearly.

Banks of microscopic forms and survival to darkness of propagules and microscopic stages of macroalgae Bancos de formas microscópicas y supervivencia a la oscuridad de propágulos y formas microscópicas de macroalgas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BERNABÉ SANTELICES

2002-09-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have found that the number of species conforming a bank of microscopic forms in tide pools in central Chile accounted only for half the number of species present in the macroscopic vegetation around the pools. An elemental condition for survival in these banks is the ability of microscopic forms to tolerate darkness or very low irradiances for extended periods. To test this ability, spores of 17 green, brown and red algal species, present and absent from the bank, were incubated at different combinations of irradiances and day lengths. Propagules of 47 % of the species tested (eight species germinated in total darkness while the propagules of the other nine species germinated under conditions of very low irradiance (2-10 µmol m-2 s-1. In most species, microforms showed a higher tolerance to darkness than the propagules. Some survived for over a year and one species (Gelidium lingulatum could live under complete darkness for 500 days. The ability to survive in total darkness did not relate to presence or absence of a species in the banks of microscopic forms previously studied, to phylogenetic relatedness, life history style, propagule size, morphology of microscopic forms or to successional status (fugitive versus late successional. Thus, tolerance to darkness appears to be common to propagules and microscopic stages of most benthic algae. The growth patterns exhibited by the microforms of Lessonia nigrescens, Chaetomorpha firma and Glossophora kunthii suggest high irradiances on these recruits might determine the shallower limits of distribution of these speciesEstudios previos han encontrado que el número de especies formando un banco de formas microscópicas en pozas de mareas de Chile central incluyó sólo la mitad del número de especies presentes en la vegetación macroscópica en las cercanías de las pozas intermareales. Una primera condición para sobrevivir en estos bancos radica en la capacidad de las formas

MO-FG-213-04: Managing the Relationship

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, J. [Johns Hopkins University: Managing the Relationship (United States)

2015-06-15

Research Contracts – a Primer [Norbert Pelc; Stanford University] What topics are suited to industrial grants vs. academic grants How do resources (personnel effort, tuition) get allocated and charged in academia What are reasonable resource and timeline requests for small and big projects; from small and big companies “Fair market value” considerations Sections of a research agreement (IP including software confidential information, publications, data, exclusivity, support) 4. Managing the relationship [John Wong, Johns Hopkins University] How to effectively collaborate with each other How to adapt to changes in the relationship How to renew funding with the industry Moderated Panel Discussion [All speakers + moderators] Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the motivations of each partner 2. Elements that contribute to a successful partnership 3. Avoiding pitfalls - Challenges on either side that may derail a project 4. How to frame a research grant and agreement 5. How to sustain the collaborative relationship Amit Sawant: Funding from: NIH. Varian, Elekta and VisionRT; Michelle Svatos: Employee and shareholder: Varian, Board Member, TopasMC; Kevin Brown: Employee, Elekta; T. Rock Mackie: Consultant, Accuray; Norbert Pelc: Research support: Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare; John Wong: Funding from NIH, Xstrahl and Elekta. Co-founder and advisor for JPLC Associates, LLC.

MO-FG-213-04: Managing the Relationship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, J.

2015-01-01

Research Contracts – a Primer [Norbert Pelc; Stanford University] What topics are suited to industrial grants vs. academic grants How do resources (personnel effort, tuition) get allocated and charged in academia What are reasonable resource and timeline requests for small and big projects; from small and big companies “Fair market value” considerations Sections of a research agreement (IP including software confidential information, publications, data, exclusivity, support) 4. Managing the relationship [John Wong, Johns Hopkins University] How to effectively collaborate with each other How to adapt to changes in the relationship How to renew funding with the industry Moderated Panel Discussion [All speakers + moderators] Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the motivations of each partner 2. Elements that contribute to a successful partnership 3. Avoiding pitfalls - Challenges on either side that may derail a project 4. How to frame a research grant and agreement 5. How to sustain the collaborative relationship Amit Sawant: Funding from: NIH. Varian, Elekta and VisionRT; Michelle Svatos: Employee and shareholder: Varian, Board Member, TopasMC; Kevin Brown: Employee, Elekta; T. Rock Mackie: Consultant, Accuray; Norbert Pelc: Research support: Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare; John Wong: Funding from NIH, Xstrahl and Elekta. Co-founder and advisor for JPLC Associates, LLC

Ecology of testate amoebae in an Amazonian peatland and development of a transfer function for palaeohydrological reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Swindles, Graeme T; Reczuga, Monika; Lamentowicz, Mariusz; Raby, Cassandra L; Turner, T Edward; Charman, Dan J; Gallego-Sala, Angela; Valderrama, Elvis; Williams, Christopher; Draper, Frederick; Honorio Coronado, Euridice N; Roucoux, Katherine H; Baker, Tim; Mullan, Donal J

2014-08-01

Tropical peatlands represent globally important carbon sinks with a unique biodiversity and are currently threatened by climate change and human activities. It is now imperative that proxy methods are developed to understand the ecohydrological dynamics of these systems and for testing peatland development models. Testate amoebae have been used as environmental indicators in ecological and palaeoecological studies of peatlands, primarily in ombrotrophic Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in the mid- and high-latitudes. We present the first ecological analysis of testate amoebae in a tropical peatland, a nutrient-poor domed bog in western (Peruvian) Amazonia. Litter samples were collected from different hydrological microforms (hummock to pool) along a transect from the edge to the interior of the peatland. We recorded 47 taxa from 21 genera. The most common taxa are Cryptodifflugia oviformis, Euglypha rotunda type, Phryganella acropodia, Pseudodifflugia fulva type and Trinema lineare. One species found only in the southern hemisphere, Argynnia spicata, is present. Arcella spp., Centropyxis aculeata and Lesqueresia spiralis are indicators of pools containing standing water. Canonical correspondence analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling illustrate that water table depth is a significant control on the distribution of testate amoebae, similar to the results from mid- and high-latitude peatlands. A transfer function model for water table based on weighted averaging partial least-squares (WAPLS) regression is presented and performs well under cross-validation (r(2)(apparent)= 0.76, RMSE = 4.29; r(2)(jack)= 0.68, RMSEP =5.18). The transfer function was applied to a 1-m peat core, and sample-specific reconstruction errors were generated using bootstrapping. The reconstruction generally suggests near-surface water tables over the last 3,000 years, with a shift to drier conditions at c. cal. 1218-1273 AD.

A simple objective method for determining a dynamic journal collection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastille, J D; Mankin, C J

1980-10-01

In order to determine the content of a journal collection responsive to both user needs and space and dollar constraints, quantitative measures of the use of a 647-title collection have been related to space and cost requirements to develop objective criteria for a dynamic collection for the Treadwell Library at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a large medical research center. Data were collected for one calendar year (1977) and stored with the elements for each title's profile in a computerized file. To account for the effect of the bulk of the journal runs on the number of uses, raw use data have been adjusted using linear shelf space required for each title to produce a factor called density of use. Titles have been ranked by raw use and by density of use with space and cost requirements for each. Data have also been analyzed for five special categories of use. Given automated means of collecting and storing data, use measures should be collected continuously. Using raw use frequency ranking to relate use to space and costs seems sensible since a decision point cutoff can be chosen in terms of the potential interlibrary loans generated. But it places new titles at risk while protecting titles with long, little used runs. Basing decisions on density of use frequency ranking seems to produce a larger yield of titles with fewer potential interlibrary loans and to identify titles with overlong runs which may be pruned or converted to microform. The method developed is simple and practical. Its design will be improved to apply to data collected in 1980 for a continuous study of journal use. The problem addressed is essentially one of inventory control. Viewed as such it makes good financial sense to measure use as part of the routine operation of the library to provide information for effective management decisions.

The effects of three different distraction methods on pain and anxiety in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahiner, Nejla Canbulat; Bal, Meltem Demirgoz

2016-09-01

This study aims to investigate of three different distraction methods (distraction cards, listening to the music of cartoon and balloon inflation) on pain and anxiety relief of children during phlebotomy. This study is a prospective, randomized, and controlled trial. The sample consisted of 6 to 12 years old children who require blood tests. Children were randomized into four groups as the distraction cards, the music, the balloon inflation, and the control. Data were obtained by conducting interviews with the children, their parents, and the observer before and after the procedure. The pain levels of the children were assessed by the parent and observer reports as well as self-report using the Wong-Baker FACES. The anxiety levels of children were assessed by parent and observer reports using Children Fear Scale. One hundred and twenty children (mean age: 9.1 ± 1.6 years) were included. The self-reported procedural pain levels showed significant differences among the study groups (p = .040). The distraction card group (2.33 ± 3.24) had significantly lower pain levels (p = .057) than the control group (4.53 ± 3.23). The procedural child anxiety levels reported by the observer showed a significant difference among the study groups (p = .032). All the forms of distraction significantly reduced pain and anxiety perception. © The Author(s) 2015.

Diameter effect on critical heat flux

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanase, A.; Cheng, S.C.; Groeneveld, D.C.; Shan, J.Q.

2009-01-01

The critical heat flux look-up table (CHF LUT) is widely used to predict CHF for various applications, including design and safety analysis of nuclear reactors. Using the CHF LUT for round tubes having inside diameters different from the reference 8 mm involves conversion of CHF to 8 mm. Different authors [Becker, K.M., 1965. An Analytical and Experimental Study of Burnout Conditions in Vertical Round Ducts, Aktiebolaget Atomenergie Report AE 177, Sweden; Boltenko, E.A., et al., 1989. Effect of tube diameter on CHF at various two phase flow regimes, Report IPE-1989; Biasi, L., Clerici, G.C., Garriba, S., Sala, R., Tozzi, A., 1967. Studies on Burnout, Part 3, Energia Nucleare, vol. 14, pp. 530-536; Groeneveld, D.C., Cheng, S.C., Doan, T., 1986. AECL-UO critical heat flux look-up table. Heat Transfer Eng., 7, 46-62; Groeneveld et al., 1996; Hall, D.D., Mudawar, I., 2000. Critical heat flux for water flow in tubes - II subcooled CHF correlations. Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 43, 2605-2640; Wong, W.C., 1996. Effect of tube diameter on critical heat flux, MaSC dissertation, Ottawa Carleton Institute for Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of Ottawa] have proposed several types of correlations or factors to describe the diameter effect on CHF. The present work describes the derivation of new diameter correction factor and compares it with several existing prediction methods

Iterative image reconstruction in ECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chintu Chen; Ordonez, C.E.; Wernick, M.N.; Aarsvold, J.N.; Gunter, D.L.; Wong, W.H.; Kapp, O.H.; Xiaolong Ouyang; Levenson, M.; Metz, C.E.

1992-01-01

A series of preliminary studies has been performed in the authors laboratories to explore the use of a priori information in Bayesian image restoration and reconstruction. One piece of a priori information is the fact that intensities of neighboring pixels tend to be similar if they belong to the same region within which similar tissue characteristics are exhibited. this property of local continuity can be modeled by the use of Gibbs priors, as first suggested by German and Geman. In their investigation, they also included line sites between each pair of neighboring pixels in the Gibbs prior and used discrete binary numbers to indicate the absence or presence of boundaries between regions. These two features of the a priori model permit averaging within boundaries of homogeneous regions to alleviate the degradation caused by Poisson noise. with the use of this Gibbs prior in combination with the technique of stochastic relaxation, German and Geman demonstrated that noise levels can be reduced significantly in 2-D image restoration. They have developed a Bayesian method that utilizes a Gibbs prior to describe the spatial correlation of neighboring regions and takes into account the effect of limited spatial resolution as well. The statistical framework of the proposed approach is based on the data augmentation scheme suggested by Tanner and Wong. Briefly outlined here, this Bayesian method is based on Geman and Geman's approach

Non-Abelian Yang-Mills analogue of classical electromagnetic duality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, Hong-Mo; Faridani, J.; Tsun, T.S.

1995-01-01

The classic question of non-Abelian Yang-Mills analogue to electromagnetic duality is examined here in a minimalist fashion at the strictly four-dimensional, classical field, and point charge level. A generalization of the Abelian Hodge star duality is found which, though not yet known to give dual symmetry, reproduces analogues to many dual properties of the Abelian theory. For example, there is a dual potential, but it is a two-indexed tensor T μν of the Freedman-Townsend-type. Though not itself functioning as such, T μν gives rise to a dual parallel transport A μ for the phase of the wave function of the color magnetic charge, this last being a monopole of the Yang-Mills field but a source of the dual field. The standard color (electric) charge itself is found to be a monpole of A μ . At the same time, the gauge symmetry is found doubled from say SU(N) to SU(N)xSU(N). A novel feature is that all equations of motion, including the standard Yang-Mills and Wong equations, are here derived from a ''universal'' principle, namely, the Wu-Yang criterion for monpoles, where interactions arise purely as a consequence of the topological definition of the monopole charge. The technique used is the loop space formulation of Polyakov

Current approaches to enhance CNS delivery of drugs across the brain barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu CT

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Cui-Tao Lu,1 Ying-Zheng Zhao,2,3 Ho Lun Wong,4 Jun Cai,5 Lei Peng,2 Xin-Qiao Tian1 1The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Hainan Medical College, Haikou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China; 3College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Pharmacy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 5Departments of Pediatrics and Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine Louisville, KY, USA Abstract: Although many agents have therapeutic potentials for central nervous system (CNS diseases, few of these agents have been clinically used because of the brain barriers. As the protective barrier of the CNS, the blood–brain barrier and the blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier maintain the brain microenvironment, neuronal activity, and proper functioning of the CNS. Different strategies for efficient CNS delivery have been studied. This article reviews the current approaches to open or facilitate penetration across these barriers for enhanced drug delivery to the CNS. These approaches are summarized into three broad categories: noninvasive, invasive, and miscellaneous techniques. The progresses made using these approaches are reviewed, and the associated mechanisms and problems are discussed. Keywords: drug delivery system, blood–brain barrier (BBB, central nervous system, brain-targeted therapy, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF

Selecting of a cytochrome P450cam SeSaM library with 3-chloroindole and endosulfan - Identification of mutants that dehalogenate 3-chloroindole.

Science.gov (United States)

Kammoonah, Shaima; Prasad, Brinda; Balaraman, Priyadarshini; Mundhada, Hemanshu; Schwaneberg, Ulrich; Plettner, Erika

2018-01-01

Cytochrome P450 cam (a camphor hydroxylase) from the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida shows potential importance in environmental applications such as the degradation of chlorinated organic pollutants. Seven P450 cam mutants generated from Sequence Saturation Mutagenesis (SeSaM) and isolated by selection on minimal media with either 3-chloroindole or the insecticide endosulfan were studied for their ability to oxidize of 3-chloroindole to isatin. The wild-type enzyme did not accept 3-chloroindole as a substrate. Mutant (E156G/V247F/V253G/F256S) had the highest maximal velocity in the conversion of 3-chloroindole to isatin, whereas mutants (T56A/N116H/D297N) and (G60S/Y75H) had highest k cat /K M values. Six of the mutants had more than one mutation, and within this set, mutation of residues 297 and 179 was observed twice. Docking simulations were performed on models of the mutant enzymes; the wild-type did not accommodate 3-chloroindole in the active site, whereas all the mutants did. We propose two potential reaction pathways for dechlorination of 3-chloroindole. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fibromyalgia with Gabapentin and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Marske, Cynthia; Bernard, Natasha; Palacios, Alison; Wheeler, Cary; Preiss, Ben; Brown, Mackenzie; Bhattacharya, Saveri; Klapstein, Gloria

2018-04-01

This pilot study compares the safety and efficacy of three treatments in reducing pain and improving fibromyalgia symptoms. This study was an 8-week prospective, single center feasibility study. Forty subjects were recruited from Solano, Sonoma, and Contra Costa counties of California in 2006-2009. Subjects were aged 18-65 and met the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 criteria for fibromyalgia. This study had three treatment arms: gabapentin only (900 mg/day), osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) only, and combined treatment of gabapentin plus OMM. OMM treatment was administered by advanced medical students for 30 min, once a week. The trial lasted for 8 weeks, which included 6 weeks of treatment plus initial and final visits. Key outcome measures included Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBF), Clinical Global Impression of Health (CGI), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and number of tender points. Twenty-nine subjects completed the trial; 8 subjects received gabapentin only, 11 patients received OMM only, and 10 patients received gabapentin plus OMM. Subjects receiving OMM alone and subjects receiving the combined treatment of OMM and gabapentin displayed clinical improvements based on WBF (p treatment and gabapentin are safe and clinically efficacious treatment of pain and other constitutional and somatic symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. A larger trial using the new ACR 2010 Fibromyalgia criteria is needed to confirm these findings.

Helical CT imaging of clinically suspected appendicitis: Correlation of CT and histological findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, S.K.; Chan, L.P.; Yeo, A.

2002-01-01

PURPOSE: The diagnosis of appendicitis is traditionally made on the basis of clinical findings supported by laboratory results. The aim of our study was to determine the accuracy and feasibility of using a relatively new technique of computed tomography (CT) using only colonic contrast medium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 patients clinically diagnosed as having appendicitis were prospectively examined before surgery with thin-collimation helical CT from the L3 level to the acetabular roof with only rectally administered colon contrast medium. The hard copy CT images were reviewed jointly by two radiologists and a consensus was reached for each patient. The results were then compared with the surgical and histological findings at appendicectomy. RESULTS: There were 35 true-positives, one false-positive, 12 true-negatives and two false-negatives for CT. This yielded an accuracy of 94%, sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 92%, positive predictive value of 97% and negative predictive value of 86%. The appendix was identified in 45 patients (90%) and obscured by an inflammatory mass in the remaining five. An alternative diagnosis was found in 10 of 12 normal CT examinations (83%). CONCLUSION: Helical CT with rectal contrast medium is a quick, well tolerated and accurate test to diagnose appendicitis. It can offer alternative, possibly non-surgical diagnosis in patients who would otherwise have undergone laparotomy. Wong, S.K. et al. (2002)

Clinical and patient reported outcomes of bleaching effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Klaric Sever, Eva; Budimir, Zrinka; Cerovac, Matea; Stambuk, Mario; Par, Matej; Negovetic Vranic, Dubravka; Tarle, Zrinka

2018-01-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate clinical and patient reported outcomes of different bleaching products. Thirty participants were randomly divided into three bleaching groups (n = 10). Bleaching was performed with high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (HP) - Boost (40%) and Dash (30%), and with prefabricated splints Bite&White (6% HP). Tooth colour was measured before, immediately after, and 1 and 6 months after the bleaching by using classical shade guide and spectrophotometer. Tooth hypersensitivity was self-rated by patients on the Wong-Baker's face scale. Patient satisfaction was evaluated on a 7-point Likert-type scales that measured perceived performance and importance of different characteristics of bleaching treatment. All products were effective in teeth colour change (ΔE > 3.3), which was significantly higher for Boost (p = .016) and Dash (p = .024) than Bite&White treatment. Perception of hypersensitivity was the highest in Boost group, followed by Dash and Bite&White treatment. Most of the patients were satisfied with final tooth colour, length and comfort during treatment, but were dissatisfied with the stability of bleached tooth colour. Materials with the higher concentrations of bleaching agent demonstrated greater bleaching effectiveness than at-home bleaching product, but also a greater hypersensitivity. Lengthening the treatment process, but achieving a more stable tooth colour may improve the perceived value of a bleaching service.

Inteligencia emocional y prácticas de liderazgo en las organizaciones colombianas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo A. Zárate Torres

2012-06-01

Full Text Available La relación entre inteligencia emocional y liderazgo ha sido explorada por varios autores (Barbuto y Burbach, 2006; Dulewics, Young y Dulewics, 2005; Gardner y Stough, 2002; Barling, Slater y Kelloway, 2000; sin embargo, esta relación aún no se ha estudiado a profundidad en Latinoamérica. Éste estudio muestra la relación existente entre las prácticas de liderazgo y la inteligencia emocional en los empleados colombianos. Para el efecto, se aplicó el inventario de prácticas de liderazgo de Kouzes y Posner (1997 y el instrumento desarrollado por Wong y Law (2002 de inteligencia emocional a una muestra de 339 empleados de organizaciones de diferentes sectores en la ciudad de Bogotá en Colombia. Los resultados sugieren que sí existe una relación entre la inteligencia emocional y las prácticas de liderazgo. Además, que los líderes que utilizan la inteligencia emocional pueden liderar más eficientemente sus grupos de trabajo. También se encontró una relación entre la edad, el género, el nivel educativo y los años de experiencia en manejo de personal con el desarrollo de la inteligencia emocional y las prácticas de liderazgo.

Chiral anomaly, Berry phase, and chiral kinetic theory from worldlines in quantum field theory

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Niklas; Venugopalan, Raju

2018-03-01

In previous work, we outlined a worldline framework that can be used for systematic computations of the chiral magnetic effect (CME) in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. Towards this end, we first expressed the real part of the fermion determinant in the QCD effective action as a supersymmetric worldline action of spinning, colored, Grassmanian point particles in background gauge fields, with equations of motion that are covariant generalizations of the Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi and Wong equations. The chiral anomaly, in contrast, arises from the phase of the fermion determinant. Remarkably, the latter too can be expressed as a point particle worldline path integral, which can be employed to derive the anomalous axial vector current. We will show here how Berry's phase can be obtained in a consistent nonrelativistic adiabatic limit of the real part of the fermion determinant. Our work provides a general first principles demonstration that the topology of Berry's phase is distinct from that of the chiral anomaly confirming prior arguments by Fujikawa in specific contexts. This suggests that chiral kinetic treatments of the CME in heavy-ion collisions that include Berry's phase alone are incomplete. We outline the elements of a worldline covariant relativistic chiral kinetic theory that captures the physics of how the chiral current is modified by many-body scattering and topological fluctuations.

Impact of age-relevant goals on future thinking in younger and older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapp, Leann K; Spaniol, Julia

2017-10-01

This study investigated how personal goals influence age differences in episodic future thinking. Research suggests that personal goals change with age and like autobiographical memory, future thinking is thought to be organised and impacted by personal goals. It was hypothesised that cueing older adults with age-relevant goals should modulate age differences in episodic details and may also influence phenomenological characteristics of imagined scenarios. Healthy younger and older adults completed the Future Thinking Interview [Addis, D. R., Wong, A. T., & Schacter, D. L. (2008). Age-related changes in the episodic simulation of future events. Psychological Science, 19(1), 33-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02043.x ] adapted to activate age-appropriate goals. Narratives were scored with an established protocol to obtain objective measures of episodic and semantic details. Subjective features such as emotionality and personal significance showed age differences as a function of goal domain while other features (e.g., vividness) were unaffected. However, consistent with prior reports, older adults produced fewer episodic details than younger adults and this was not modulated by goal domain. The results do not indicate that goal activation affects level of episodic detail. With respect to phenomenological aspects of future thinking, however, younger adults show more sensitivity to goal activation, compared with older adults.

Prospective assessment of positioning-related pain in robotic urologic surgery.

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Ginsburg, Kevin B; Pape, Kelsey; Heilbronn, Chase; Levin, Michael; Cher, Michael L

2018-03-01

This was a prospective study to assess positioning-related pain in 20 awake volunteers in the dorsal lithotomy (DL) and lateral decubitus (LD) positions. Each volunteer was put through the series of discrete, sequential steps used to achieve a final position; each step had two options. The Wong-Baker scale (WB) was used to rate pain for each option and the preferred option and ad lib comments were recorded. We found that awake volunteers could clearly and immediately distinguish differences in pain levels between position options. For the DL position, volunteers favored having the arms slightly flexed and pronated as opposed to being straight and supinated reflected by statistically less painful WB scores and option preference. Volunteers preferred having the neck flexed as opposed to being flat. For the LD position, volunteers reported statistically lower pain scores and preference for a foam roll for axilla support as opposed to a rolled blanket, the table flexed without the kidney rest as opposed to a raised kidney rest, and the over arm board as oppose to stacked blankets for contralateral arm support. Ad lib comments from the volunteers supported the above findings. To our knowledge, ours is the first study to demonstrate objective preferences for variations in surgical positioning using awake volunteers. This exercise with awake volunteers resulted in immediate changes in positioning for real robotic surgery patients in our practice.

Impact of individualized pain plan on the emergency management of children with sickle cell disease.

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Krishnamurti, Lakshmanan; Smith-Packard, Bethanny; Gupta, Ashish; Campbell, Mary; Gunawardena, Sriya; Saladino, Richard

2014-10-01

Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) the hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD) is often treated inadequately in the emergency department (ED). We hypothesized that pain management plans individualized for each patient can improve pain management and lead to high levels of patient satisfaction. Starting in 2002, we treated all patients with SCD reporting to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) ED with VOC using a structured algorithm. We recorded regimens used successfully for each patient as an "individualized pain plan" and implemented it during subsequent VOC visits and adjusted it to patient response. We compared rates of hospitalization following an ED visit with VOC and readmission within 1 week after discharge for CHP with that of four comparable hospitals from Pediatric Health Information (PHIS) database. Patients and parents completed surveys of satisfaction with pain management and with care. Between 2002 and 2008 there was a greater decline in the rate of admission of patients presenting to the ED at CHP (78% to 52%) as compared to PHIS (71% to 68%), (P pain score during ED management was 2.0 or more on a Wong Baker scale of 0-5 (P pain management as very good or higher. Individualized pain management plans in the ED are effective in delivering high quality management of VOC and are associated with a high level of patient satisfaction and decreased avoidable hospitalizations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 in the Treatment of Functional Abdominal Pain in Children: RCT Study.

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Jadrešin, Oleg; Hojsak, Iva; Mišak, Zrinjka; Kekez, Alemka Jaklin; Trbojević, Tena; Ivković, Lana; Kolaček, Sanja

2017-06-01

Beneficial therapeutic effect of probiotics has been reported in children with the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but not consistently in other functional abdominal pain-related disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 in the treatment of functional abdominal pain (FAP) and IBS in children. Children (age 4-18 years) referred to pediatric gastroenterologist at Children's Hospital Zagreb from May 2012 to December 2014, diagnosed as FAP or IBS, were randomized to receive L reuteri DSM 17938 10⁸ CFU daily or placebo. The study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study. Symptoms were evaluated using Wong-Baker FACES pain rating scale for pain and Bristol scale for stool shape and consistence. Data were analyzed for 55 children (26 in the intervention group and 29 in the placebo group). Children in the intervention group had significantly more days without pain (median 89.5 vs 51 days, P = 0.029). Abdominal pain was less severe in children taking probiotics during the second month (P abdominal pain, stool type, or absence from school. Both groups experienced significant reduction in the severity of abdominal pain from first to fourth month, with the reduction more prominent in the intervention group (P pain and significantly more days without pain in children with FAP and IBS.

Environmental Applications of Nanotechnology

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Arturo A.

2014-07-01

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are currently used in many applications including agriculture (Gruère, 2012; Khot et al. 2012; Lopez-Moreno et al. 2010; Peralta-Videa et al. 2011; Zhao et al. 2012), aerogels (Bigall et al. 2009), aerospace (Baur and Silverman, 2007), automotive (Coelho et al. 2012; Presting and König, 2003; Salonitis et al. 2010), catalysts (Zhou et al. 2011), coatings, paints and pigments (Dhoke et al. 2009; Gopalakrishnan et al. 2011; Khanna, 2008), composites (Borchardt, 2003; Khanna and Bakshi, 2009; Petrov and Georgiev, 2012; Sahoo et al. 2010), construction (Lee et al. 2010), cosmetics (Musee, 2011; Sabitha et al. 2012; Singh and Nanda, 2012), electronics and optics (Alda et al. 2005; Avasthi et al. 2007; Song et al. 2012; Subramanian and Takhee, 2012), energy (Serrano et al. 2009), environmental remediation (Dionysiou 2004; Khin et al. 2012), filtration and purification (Dhakras, 2011; Savage and Diallo, 2005), food products (Blasco and Picó, 2011; Weiss et al. 2006), medical (Boisseau and Loubaton, 2011; Farokhzad and Langer, 2006), packaging (Silvestre et al. 2011), paper and board (Kharisov and Kharissova, 2010), plastics, security (Marín and Merkoçi, 2012), sensors (Ding et al. 2010; Duncan et al. 2012; Su et al. 2012; Tan et al. 2012), and textiles (Qian and Hinestroza, 2004; Wong et al. 2006), and research is underway on many new applications...

Psychosocial Predictors of Relationship Conflict Styles as Mediated by Emotional Intelligence

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Nicole M. Monteiro

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the influence of age, gender, and emotional intelligence (EI on conflict management styles among dating age adults in Botswana. A mixed survey and quasi-experimental design was used to assess the relationship between age and gender and the mediating influence of EI on participants’ preferred conflict management strategies (avoidance, competition, compromise, accommodation, and collaboration in response to violent and nonviolent relationship conflict. One hundred fifty-two participants were surveyed before (with the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale and after (with the Conflict Style Questionnaire watching video clips of nonviolent and violent relationship conflict. Correlations, t tests, and regression analyses were conducted. Findings revealed that women were more likely than men to report use of collaboration conflict strategies in response to the nonviolent video, and men were more likely than women to report accommodation strategies in response to the violent video. In the regression analysis, gender was a significant predictor of accommodation conflict style in response to the violent video, and EI had a significant independent and partial mediating relationship with compromise in response to the violent situation and collaboration in response to both violent and nonviolent conflict situations. Findings highlight the important role of EI in the use of higher-level relationship conflict strategies. Implications in the way of communication and conflict management for dating age adults and couples are discussed.

Direct numerical simulation of MHD heat transfer in high Reynolds number turbulent channel flows for Prandtl number of 25

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yoshinobu; Kunugi, Tomoaki

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • For the first time, the MHD heat transfer DNS database corresponding to the typical nondimensional parameters of the fusion blanket design using molten salt, were established. • MHD heat transfer correlation was proposed and about 20% of the heat transfer degradation was evaluated under the design conditions. • The contribution of the turbulent diffusion to heat transfer is increased drastically with increasing Hartmann number. - Abstract: The high-Prandtl number passive scalar transport of the turbulent channel flow imposed a wall-normal magnetic field is investigated through the large-scale direct numerical simulation (DNS). All essential turbulence scales of velocities and temperature are resolved by using 2048 × 870 × 1024 computational grid points in stream, vertical, and spanwise directions. The heat transfer phenomena for a Prandtl number of 25 were observed under the following flow conditions: the bulk Reynolds number of 14,000 and Hartman number of up to 28. These values were equivalent to the typical nondimensional parameters of the fusion blanket design proposed by Wong et al. As a result, a high-accuracy DNS database for the verification of magnetohydrodynamic turbulent heat transfer models was established for the first time, and it was confirmed that the heat transfer correlation for a Prandtl number of 5.25 proposed by Yamamoto and Kunugi was applicable to the Prandtl number of 25 used in this study

Direct numerical simulation of MHD heat transfer in high Reynolds number turbulent channel flows for Prandtl number of 25

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, Yoshinobu, E-mail: yamamotoy@yamanashi.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu 400-8511 (Japan); Kunugi, Tomoaki [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyoto University Yoshida, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)

2015-01-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • For the first time, the MHD heat transfer DNS database corresponding to the typical nondimensional parameters of the fusion blanket design using molten salt, were established. • MHD heat transfer correlation was proposed and about 20% of the heat transfer degradation was evaluated under the design conditions. • The contribution of the turbulent diffusion to heat transfer is increased drastically with increasing Hartmann number. - Abstract: The high-Prandtl number passive scalar transport of the turbulent channel flow imposed a wall-normal magnetic field is investigated through the large-scale direct numerical simulation (DNS). All essential turbulence scales of velocities and temperature are resolved by using 2048 × 870 × 1024 computational grid points in stream, vertical, and spanwise directions. The heat transfer phenomena for a Prandtl number of 25 were observed under the following flow conditions: the bulk Reynolds number of 14,000 and Hartman number of up to 28. These values were equivalent to the typical nondimensional parameters of the fusion blanket design proposed by Wong et al. As a result, a high-accuracy DNS database for the verification of magnetohydrodynamic turbulent heat transfer models was established for the first time, and it was confirmed that the heat transfer correlation for a Prandtl number of 5.25 proposed by Yamamoto and Kunugi was applicable to the Prandtl number of 25 used in this study.

DIFUSI INOVASI MARKETING MIX MELALUI KELOMPOK USAHA SEKTOR INFORMAL (UPAYA PENINGKATAN PEMASARAN PRODUK SEKTOR INFORMAL

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Sugiharini Sugiharini

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Sektor informal sebagai sektor usaha yang punya andil penting dalam penyerapan tenaga kerja akhir-akhir ini. Dalam situasi dimana sektor formal belum mampu mengimbangi laju pertumbuhan tenaga kerja karena berbagai kendala terutama karena faktor SDM dan iklim dunia usaha formal yang belum kondusif, maka pilihan sektor informal menjadi prioritas. Berdasarkan fakta yang ada banyak sektor informal yang telah berkembang dan berhasil. Dan sebaliknya tidak sedikit pula yang gagal di perjalanan terutama disebabkan faktor individu kewirausahaan terutama faktor akses pasar. Sebenarnya kalau kita cermati dan analisis lebih dalam terutama mereka-mereka yang sukses ada aspek nilai pemasaran yang selama ini terlupakan dan berada di luar marketing mix. Dan aspek ini lambat laun akan menjadi citra merek yang melekat di hati konsumen dan akan mendatangkan omzet yang tinggi. Ambil contoh kasus ayam goreng Wong Solo. Kalau dilihat dari atribut produk yang melekat tidak jauh berbeda dengan produk-produk lain, dan produk ini terkesan mengabaikan faktor marketing mix dalam promosi produk. Namun ada satu kelebihan dibanding dengan yang lain yaitu cita rasa khas yang sudah melekat dan punya posisi tersendiri di lidah konsumen. Konsumen sudah mampu membedakan produk ini dengan yang lain. Berbagai contoh kasus di atas tampaknya pas sebagai gambaran dari divusi inovasi marketing mix. Selain itu juga bisa ditempuh dengan membentuk kelompok usaha sehingga mempunyai kekuatan dan pertahanan yang kuat.

Relationship between emotional intelligence and innovative work behaviors in Turkish banking sector

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Nazife Orhan

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, almost all sectors especially service ones are aware of the fact that the presence of employees who have high level ofemotional intelligence and innovative work behaviors is crucial so as to perform efficiently and productively. Since customersatisfaction and customer loyalty are the main primacy for the banking sector, they need to keep up with all kinds of changes anddevelopments to resist and gain advantages over their competitors subject to the highly increase of competition worldwide. Themain reason of applying this study on the banking sector is its dynamic structure that has been changed both positively andnegatively owing to the economic crisis. In connection with this, it is aimed to present the importance of emotional intelligence andinnovative work behaviors on the success of banking sector through the analysis of two variables in terms of their relationshipbetween each other. Additionally, it is intended for setting forth the differences of state-owned and private banks in terms of thelevel of emotional intelligence and innovative work behaviors. As a data collection tool, questionnaire technique has been used. Ithas been benefited from the emotional intelligence scale developed by Wong and Law to obtain the data related to emotionalintelligence level; and the innovative work behaviors scale developed by Janssen to obtain the data related to innovative workbehaviors. The findings obtained from the questionnaire were applied to 332 employees in Turkish banking sector

Effect of Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid Injection on Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain After Stroke.

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Jang, Myung Hun; Lee, Chang-Hyung; Shin, Yong-Il; Kim, Soo-Yeon; Huh, Sung Chul

2016-10-01

To evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (IAHA) injection for hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) after stroke. Thirty-one patients with HSP and limited range of motion (ROM) without spasticity of upper extremity were recruited. All subjects were randomly allocated to group A (n=15) for three weekly IAHA injection or group B (n=16) for a single intra-articular steroid (IAS) injection. All injections were administered by an expert physician until the 8th week using a posterior ultrasonography-guided approach. Shoulder joint pain was measured using the Wong-Baker Scale (WBS), while passive ROM was measured in the supine position by an expert physician. There were no significant intergroup differences in WBS or ROM at the 8th week. Improvements in forward flexion and external rotation were observed from the 4th week in the IAHA group and the 8th week in the IAS group. Subjects experienced a statistically significant improvement in pain from the 1st week in the IAS and from the 8th week in IAHA group, respectively. IAHA seems to have a less potent ability to reduce movement pain compared to steroid in the early period. However, there was no statistically significant intergroup difference in WBS and ROM improvements at the 8th week. IAHA might be a good alternative to steroid for managing HSP when the use of steroid is limited.

Study of the nonequilibrium state of superconductors by large quasiparticle injection from an external current source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iguchi, I.

1977-01-01

We have studied the nonequilibrium state of superconductors by injecting large numbers of quasiparticles from an external current source into a superconducting film of a tunnel junction with low tunnel resistance (typically 0.1--1 Ω for junction area approx. = 10 -4 cm 2 ). It was observed that there was a critical tunnel current density at which a voltage appeared locally in the part of a superconducting film confined to the junction area. Its values ranged from 10 2 to 10 3 A/cm 2 for bath temperatures well below T/sub c/. Followed by this voltage onset, a transition region corresponding to the nonequilibrium intermediate resistive state was also observed. For further increase of the tunnel current, the local film resistance developed beyond the value of its normal resistance, suggesting that the nonequilibrium state extends far beyond the voltage onset point. A theory based on the modified Rothwarf-Taylor equations and Parker's T* model is presented to compare with the experimental results. The calculated critical current density yielded almost the same order of magnitude as those found experimentally. The detailed behavior, however, deviates from the theoretical predictions although the film makes a second-order transition in the broad range of temperatures. It is also shown using four-terminal analysis that our observations and those by Wong, Yeh, and Langenberg are essentially the same

Dirac Coulomb Green's function and its application to relativistic Rayleigh scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, M.K.F.; Yeh, E.H.Y.

1985-01-01

The Dirac Coulomb Green's function is obtained in both coordinate and momentum space. The Green's function in coordinate space is obtained by the eigenfunction expansion method in terms of the wave functions obtained by Wong and Yeh. The result is simpler than those obtained previously by other authors, in that the radial part for each component contains one term only instead of four terms. Our Green's function reduces to the Schroedinger Green's function upon some simple conditions, chiefly by neglecting the spin and replacing lambda by l. The Green's function in momentum space is obtained as the Fourier transform of the coordinate space Green's function, and is expressed in terms of basically three types of functions: (1) F/sub A/ (α; β 1 β 2 β 3 ; γ 1 γ 2 γ 3 ; z 1 z 2 z 3 ), (2) the hypergeometric function, and (3) spherical harmonics. The matrix element for Rayleigh scattering, or elastic Compton scattering, from relativistically bound electrons is then obtained in analytically closed form. The matrix element is written basically in terms of the coordinate space Dirac Coulomb Green's function. The technique used in the evaluation of the matrix element is based on the calculation of the momentum space Dirac Coulomb Green's function. Finally the relativistic result is compared with the nonrelativistic result

The Application of Barnes Filter to Positioning the Center of Landed Tropical Cyclone in Numerical Models

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Haibo Zou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available After a tropical cyclone (TC making landfall, the numerical model output sea level pressure (SLP presents many small-scale perturbations which significantly influence the positioning of the TC center. To fix the problem, Barnes filter with weighting parameters C=2500 and G=0.35 is used to remove these perturbations. A case study of TC Fung-Wong which landed China in 2008 shows that Barnes filter not only cleanly removes these perturbations, but also well preserves the TC signals. Meanwhile, the centers (track obtained from SLP processed with Barnes filter are much closer to the observations than that from SLP without Barnes filter. Based on the distance difference (DD between the TC center determined by SLP with/without Barnes filter and observation, statistics analysis of 12 TCs which landed China during 2005–2015 shows that in most cases (about 85% the DDs are small (between −30 km and 30 km, while in a few cases (about 15% the DDs are large (greater than 30 km even 70 km. This further verifies that the TC centers identified from SLP with Barnes filter are more accurate compared to that directly obtained from model output SLP. Moreover, the TC track identified with Barnes filter is much smoother than that without Barnes filter.

Immediate Postoperative Pain and Recovery Time after Pulpotomy Performed under General Anaesthesia in Young Children

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Sultan Keles

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare immediate postoperative pain scores and need for rescue analgesia in children who underwent pulpotomies and restorative treatment and those who underwent restorative treatment only, all under general anaesthesia. Methods. Ninety patients aged between 3 and 7 years who underwent full mouth dental rehabilitation under general anaesthesia were enrolled in the study and reviewed. The experimental group included patients who were treated with at least one pulpotomy, and the control group was treated with dental fillings only. The Wong-Baker FACES scale was used to evaluate self-reported pain and need for rescue analgesia. The data were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, two sample t-tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results. Ninety percent of the children experienced postoperative pain in varying degrees of severity. Immediate postoperative pain scores in experimental group were found to be significantly higher than in control group (x2=24.82, p<0.01. In the experimental group, 48% of the children needed rescue analgesia, compared with only 13% of the children in the control group (x2=13.27, p<0.05. Conclusion. Children who underwent pulpotomy treatment had higher postoperative pain scores and greater need for rescue analgesia than control group who underwent only dental fillings.

The Impact of Virtual Reality Distraction on Pain and Anxiety during Dental Treatment in 4-6 Year-Old Children: a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

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Naser Asl Aminabadi

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Background and aims. Dental practitioners have numerous methods to control anxiety and pain in children, and distracting the child appears to be the most common technique used for behavior management during dental procedures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of using virtual reality eyeglasses on severity of pain and anxiety during dental procedures in pediatric patients. Materials and methods. This study included 120 healthy children aged 4-6 years. Children with no previous anxiety disorder were randomly divided into two groups, each consisting of 60 children. The study consisted of 3 consecutive treatment sessions. During the first visit fluoride therapy was carried out in both groups. In the next sessions, the groups received restorative treatment with and without virtual reality eyeglasses in a randomized single-blind-controlled crossover fashion. Then at the end of each session the subjects’ pain severity was assessed using Wong Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and state anxiety was measured by Faces version of the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale [MCDAS (f]. Results. There was a significant decrease in pain perception (P < 0.001 and state anxiety scores (P < 0.001 with the use of virtual reality eyeglasses during dental treatment. Conclusion. Results of this study showed that virtual reality eyeglasses can successfully decrease pain perception and state anxiety during dental treatment. Trial registration number: 201103126036N1.

A randomised controlled trial of coblation, diode laser and cold dissection in paediatric tonsillectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Elbadawey, M R; Hegazy, H M; Eltahan, A E; Powell, J

2015-11-01

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of diode laser, coblation and cold dissection tonsillectomy in paediatric patients. A total of 120 patients aged 10-15 years with recurrent tonsillitis were recruited. Participants were prospectively randomised to diode laser, coblation or cold dissection tonsillectomy. Operative time and blood loss were recorded. Pain was recorded on a Wong-Baker FACES(®) pain scale. The operative time (10 ± 0.99 minutes), blood loss (20 ± 0.85 ml) and pain were significantly lower with coblation tonsillectomy than with cold dissection tonsillectomy (20 ± 1.0 minutes and 30 ± 1.0 ml; p = 0.0001) and diode laser tonsillectomy (15 ± 0.83 minutes and 25 ± 0.83 ml; p = 0.0001). Diode laser tonsillectomy had a shorter operative time (p = 0.0001) and less blood loss (p = 0.001) compared with cold dissection tonsillectomy. However, at post-operative day seven, the diode laser tonsillectomy group had significantly higher pain scores compared with the cold dissection (p = 0.042) and coblation (p = 0.04) tonsillectomy groups. Both coblation and diode laser tonsillectomy are associated with significantly reduced blood loss and shorter operative times compared with cold dissection tonsillectomy. However, we advocate coblation tonsillectomy because of the lower post-operative pain scores compared with diode laser and cold dissection tonsillectomy.

Killer whale (Orcinus orca) behavioral audiograms.

Science.gov (United States)

Branstetter, Brian K; St Leger, Judy; Acton, Doug; Stewart, John; Houser, Dorian; Finneran, James J; Jenkins, Keith

2017-04-01

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are one of the most cosmopolitan marine mammal species with potential widespread exposure to anthropogenic noise impacts. Previous audiometric data on this species were from two adult females [Szymanski, Bain, Kiehl, Pennington, Wong, and Henry (1999). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 108, 1322-1326] and one sub-adult male [Hall and Johnson (1972). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 51, 515-517] with apparent high-frequency hearing loss. All three killer whales had best sensitivity between 15 and 20 kHz, with thresholds lower than any odontocete tested to date, suggesting this species might be particularly sensitive to acoustic disturbance. The current study reports the behavioral audiograms of eight killer whales at two different facilities. Hearing sensitivity was measured from 100 Hz to 160 kHz in killer whales ranging in age from 12 to 52 year. Previously measured low thresholds at 20 kHz were not replicated in any individual. Hearing in the killer whales was generally similar to other delphinids, with lowest threshold (49 dB re 1 μPa) at approximately 34 kHz, good hearing (i.e., within 20 dB of best sensitivity) from 5 to 81 kHz, and low- and high-frequency hearing cutoffs (>100 dB re μPa) of 600 Hz and 114 kHz, respectively.

Manual of Documentation Practices Applicable to Defence-Aerospace Scientific and Technical Information. Volume 3. Section 7 - Information Retrieval. Section 8 - Dissemination Practices. Section 9 - Microform Systems and Reprography

Science.gov (United States)

1980-10-01

ClW Q F . ISO C . ( 0 CX 2 L - 4 . LL; 2j LL C : m (r r I 4Ck) CD ; .J c -w. (.4.L Wa..) ~ ~ ~ L C-) -) ~- . C F- 0 24 2i > LL. C..> C L. u0 a, t...chart and the International Standards Organisation ( ISO ) ’mire’ test character V1 (see also References 58, 59). 171 6.2.3 Microfilm Density...21440 £ 27000 Total p.a. £45900 £51460 For the choson conditions and cost assumptions, it appears that the internal printing operation would be the

Investigation of turbines for driving supersonic compressors II : performance of first configuration with 2.2 percent reduction in nozzle flow area / Warner L. Stewart, Harold J. Schum, Robert Y. Wong

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Stewart, Warner L; Schum, Harold J; Wong, Robert Y

1952-01-01

The experimental performance of a modified turbine for driving a supersonic compressor is presented and compared with the performance of the original configuration to illustrate the effect of small changes in the ratio of nozzle-throat area to rotor-throat area. Performance is based on the performance of turbines designed to operate with both blade rows close to choking. On the basis of the results of this investigation, the ratio of areas is concluded to become especially critical in the design of turbines such as those designed to drive high-speed, high-specific weight-flow compressors where the turbine nozzles and rotor are both very close to choking.

The Effect of Virtual Reality Distraction on Pain Relief During Dressing Changes in Children with Chronic Wounds on Lower Limbs.

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Hua, Yun; Qiu, Rong; Yao, Wen-Yan; Zhang, Qin; Chen, Xiao-Li

2015-10-01

It has been demonstrated that patients with chronic wounds experience the most pain during dressing changes. Currently, researchers focus mostly on analgesics and appropriate dressing materials to relieve pain during dressing changes of chronic wounds. However, the effect of nonpharmacologic interventions, such as virtual reality distraction, on pain management during dressing changes of pediatric chronic wounds remains poorly understood. To investigate the effect of virtual reality distraction on alleviating pain during dressing changes in children with chronic wounds on their lower limbs. A prospective randomized study. A pediatric center in a tertiary hospital. Sixty-five children, aged from 4 to 16 years, with chronic wounds on their lower limbs. Pain and anxiety scores during dressing changes were recorded by using the Wong-Baker Faces picture scale, visual analogue scale, and pain behavior scale, as well as physiological measurements including pulse rate and oxygen saturation. Time length of dressing change was recorded. Virtual reality distraction significantly relieved pain and anxiety scores during dressing changes and reduced the time length for dressing changes as compared to standard distraction methods. The use of virtual reality as a distraction tool in a pediatric ward offered superior pain reduction to children as compared to standard distractions. This device can potentially improve clinical efficiency by reducing length time for dressing changes. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The periodicity of sleep duration – an infradian rhythm in spontaneous living

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Wong SN

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Shi Ngar Wong, Mark Halaki, Chin Moi ChowDiscipline of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaAbstract: The sleep–wake cycle is a process not only dictated by homeostatic and circadian factors but also by social and environmental influences. Thus, the total sleep time partly reflects sleep need, which is integral to the dynamics of sleep loss recovery. This study explored the nature of the observed oscillations in total sleep time in healthy adults under spontaneous living conditions. Actigraph-measured sleep data for 13 healthy young male adults were collected over 14 consecutive days and analyzed for habitual sleep duration. The total sleep time periodicity was modeled using the cosinor method for each individual across the 14 days. The findings confirm the existence of periodicity in habitual sleep duration as there were clear periodic patterns in the majority of the participants. Although exclusive to each individual, the observed oscillations may be a resultant response of homeostatic sleep need, circadian timing, and/or social and environmental influences. These findings instigate further indepth studies into the periodicity of sleep duration in healthy individuals to provide a better understanding of sleep need in short versus long sleepers, in predicting work performance, and reducing sleepiness-related accidents following shift work, and how this periodicity may impact sleep treatment outcome in clinical populations.Keywords: sleep regulation, homeostasis, habitual sleep, spontaneous living, healthy males

El efecto colegio sobre la variabilidad del rendimiento en matemáticas

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Elkin Castaño

1998-07-01

Full Text Available En estudios de educación, es de gran interés tratar de determinar la importancia que tienen las características propias de los colegios sobre el rendimiento que obtienen sus estudiantes. En otras palabras, los investigadores quieren saber qué porcentaje de la variabilidad del rendimiento es explicado por el “efecto colegio”. Desafortunadamente, en la mayoría de los estudios realizados hasta ahora, esta pregunta ha quedado sin respuesta debido a que las técnicas usadas, como la regresión lineal estándar, no permiten descomponer la variabilidad del rendimiento entre la variabilidad explicada por las características propias de los estudiantes y la explicada por las características de los colegios. Dichas técnicas fallan al no reconocer que en estos casos los datos son generados por estructuras jerárquicas, es decir los datos son observados en diferentes niveles: generalmente se tiene variables que describen los individuos, y los individuos están agrupados en unidades más grandes de las cuáles también se tienen variables que las describen. Este trabajo ilustra como el uso de los modelos jerárquicos lineales (Mason, Wong y Entwistle, 1983; Bryck y Raundenbush, 1992 sobre la Encuesta Saber 93, permite concluir que aproximadamente el 29% de la varianza del rendimiento en matemáticas de los estudiantes de tercero de primaria es explicada por el efecto colegio.

Involvement of wnt signaling pathways in the metamorphosis of the bryozoan bugula neritina

KAUST Repository

Wong, Yue Him

2012-03-20

In this study, we analyzed the metamorphosis of the marine bryozoan Bugula neritina. We observed the morphogenesis of the ancestrula. We defined three distinct pre-ancestrula stages based on the anatomy of the developing polypide and the overall morphology of pre-ancestrula. We then used an annotation based enrichment analysis tool to analyze the B. neritina transcriptome and identified over-representation of genes related to Wnt signaling pathways, suggesting its involvement in metamorphosis. Finally, we studied the temporal-spatial gene expression studies of several Wnt pathway genes. We found that one of the Wnt ligand, BnWnt10, was expressed spatially opposite to the Wnt antagonist BnsFRP within the blastemas, which is the presumptive polypide. Down-stream components of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway were exclusively expressed in the blastemas. Bn?catenin and BnFz5/8 were exclusively expressed in the blastemas throughout the metamorphosis. Based on the genes expression patterns, we propose that BnWnt10 and BnsFRP may relate to the patterning of the polypide, in which the two genes served as positional signals and contributed to the polarization of the blastemas. Another Wnt ligand, BnWnt6, was expressed in the apical part of the pre-ancestrula epidermis. Overall, our findings suggest that the Wnt signaling pathway may be important to the pattern formation of polypide and the development of epidermis. © 2012 Wong et al.

Gestión organizacional en entornos complejos por parte de las Mipymes del sector servicios de la ciudad de Sincelejo

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Jorge Luis Del Rio Vásquez

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Con el propósito de determinar los modelos de gestión organizacional en entornos complejos que practican las MIPYMES del sector servicios en la ciudad de Sincelejo - Sucre - Colombia, se adelanta la presente investigación. Para ello es importante tener en cuenta su gestión actual, toda vez que estas representan en su mayoría el tejido empresarial de las economías locales y nacionales. El presente artículo pretende un análisis, a la luz de la teoría y antecedentes empíricos, que demuestre la relación entre la gestión organizacional y los índices de perdurabilidad o tasas de mortalidad de las MIPYMES del sector servicios, definiendo los principales enfoques de modelos de gestión organizacional en cabeza de autores como Koontz y Weihrich, (1998, De la Rosa, (2002, Wong, (2000, entre otros. Finalmente, las MIPYMES del sector, desde su enfoque funcional u operativo e informalidad no se aprestan a un enfoque basado en procesos, por lo tanto, los esfuerzos en materia de fortalecimiento y consolidación empresarial, estarían encaminados al desarrollo de la gestión del talento humano, la gestión comercial, la gestión gerencial, la gestión de producción, la gestión financiera, la gestión tecnológica y la gestión de calidad.

Recent advances in noninvasive glucose monitoring

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So CF

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Chi-Fuk So,1 Kup-Sze Choi,1 Thomas KS Wong,2 Joanne WY Chung2,31Centre for Integrative Digital Health, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 2Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong, 3Department of Health and Physical Education, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong KongAbstract: The race for the next generation of painless and reliable glucose monitoring for diabetes mellitus is on. As technology advances, both diagnostic techniques and equipment improve. This review describes the main technologies currently being explored for noninvasive glucose monitoring. The principle of each technology is mentioned; its advantages and limitations are then discussed. The general description and the corresponding results for each device are illustrated, as well as the current status of the device and the manufacturer; internet references for the devices are listed where appropriate. Ten technologies and eleven potential devices are included in this review. Near infrared spectroscopy has become a promising technology, among others, for blood glucose monitoring. Although some reviews have been published already, the rapid development of technologies and information makes constant updating mandatory. While advances have been made, the reliability and the calibration of noninvasive instruments could still be improved, and more studies carried out under different physiological conditions of metabolism, bodily fluid circulation, and blood components are needed.Keywords: noninvasive, glucose monitoring, diabetes mellitus, blood glucose measurement

A quasi randomized-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of clowntherapy on children's anxiety and pain levels in emergency department.

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Felluga, Margherita; Rabach, Ingrid; Minute, Marta; Montico, Marcella; Giorgi, Rita; Lonciari, Isabella; Taddio, Andrea; Barbi, Egidio

2016-05-01

The aim of the study is to investigate if the presence of medical clowns during painful procedures in the emergency department (ED) affects children's anxiety and pain. Forty children (4-11 years) admitted to the ED with the need of painful procedures were prospectively enrolled. They were randomly assigned to the clown group, where children interacted with clowns or to the control group in which they were entertained by parents and ED nurses. The children's anxiety was assessed by the Children's Anxiety and Pain Scales; pain was evaluated with the Numerical Rating Scale and Wong-Backer Scale, according to the children's age. Staff and clown's opinions were evaluated by means of dedicated questionnaires. Children's anxiety levels in the clown group were significantly lower than those compared with the control group, while children's pain levels did not change between the two groups. The presence of clowns in the ED before and during painful procedures was effective in reducing children's anxiety. • Anxiety and fear caused by medical procedures exacerbate children's pain and may interfere with the procedure. • To reduce anxiety, fear, and pain and to facilitate patient's evaluation, different non-pharmacological approaches have been proposed and positive effects of laughter and humor have been reported. What is New: • The presence of clowns in the waiting room and in the ED during medical evaluation and painful procedures helps to reduce children's anxiety.

Diversity and distribution of eukaryotic microbes in and around a brine pool adjacent to the Thuwal cold seeps in the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Wang, Yong

2014-02-04

A hypoxic/suboxic brine pool at a depth of about 850 m was discovered near the Thuwal cold seeps in the Red Sea. Filled with high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, such a brine pool might limit the spread of eukaryotic organisms. Here, we compared the communities of the eukaryotic microbes in a microbial mat, sediments and water samples distributed in 7 sites within and adjacent to the brine pool. Taxonomic classification of the pyrosequenced 18S rRNA amplicon reads showed that fungi highly similar to the species identified along the Arabic coast were almost ubiquitous in the water and sediment samples, supporting their wide distribution in various environments. The microbial mat displayed the highest species diversity and contained grazers and a considerable percentage of unclassified species. Phylogeny-based methods revealed novel lineages representing a majority of the reads from the interface between the sea water and brine pool. Phylogenetic relationships with more reference sequences suggest that the lineages were affiliated with novel Alveolata and Euglenozoa inhabiting the interface where chemosynthetic prokaryotes are highly proliferative due to the strong chemocline and halocline. The brine sediments harbored abundant species highly similar to invertebrate gregarine parasites identified in different oxygen-depleted sediments. Therefore, the present findings support the uniqueness of some microbial eukaryotic groups in this cold seep brine system. 2014 Wang, Zhang, Cao, Shek, Tian, Wong, Batang, Al-suwailem and Qian.

Emotional intelligence, emotional labor, and job satisfaction among physicians in Greece.

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Psilopanagioti, Aristea; Anagnostopoulos, Fotios; Mourtou, Efstratia; Niakas, Dimitris

2012-12-17

There is increasing evidence that psychological constructs, such as emotional intelligence and emotional labor, play an important role in various organizational outcomes in service sector. Recently, in the "emotionally charged" healthcare field, emotional intelligence and emotional labor have both emerged as research tools, rather than just as theoretical concepts, influencing various organizational parameters including job satisfaction. The present study aimed at investigating the relationships, direct and/or indirect, between emotional intelligence, the surface acting component of emotional labor, and job satisfaction in medical staff working in tertiary healthcare. Data were collected from 130 physicians in Greece, who completed a series of self-report questionnaires including: a) the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, which assessed the four dimensions of emotional intelligence, i.e. Self-Emotion Appraisal, Others' Emotion Appraisal, Use of Emotion, and Regulation of Emotion, b) the General Index of Job Satisfaction, and c) the Dutch Questionnaire on Emotional Labor (surface acting component). Emotional intelligence (Use of Emotion dimension) was significantly and positively correlated with job satisfaction (r=.42, peffect was moderated by gender. Apart from its mediating role, surface acting was also a moderator of the emotional intelligence-job satisfaction relationship. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that surface acting could predict job satisfaction over and above emotional intelligence dimensions. The results of the present study may contribute to the better understanding of emotion-related parameters that affect the work process with a view to increasing the quality of service in the health sector.

The impact of emotional intelligence on work engagement of registered nurses: the mediating role of organisational justice.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yun; Liu, Congcong; Guo, Bingmei; Zhao, Lin; Lou, Fenglan

2015-08-01

To explore the impact of emotional intelligence and organisational justice on work engagement in Chinese nurses and to examine the mediating role of organisational justice to provide implications for promoting clinical nurses' work engagement. The importance of work engagement on nurses' well-being and quality of care has been well documented. Work engagement is significantly predicted by job resources. However, little research has concentrated simultaneously on the influence of both personal and organisational resources on nurses' work engagement. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed. A total of 511 nurses from four public hospitals were enrolled by multistage sampling. Data collection was undertaken using the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Organizational Justice questionnaire and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9. We analysed the data using structural equation modelling. Emotional intelligence and organisational justice were significant predictors and they accounted for 44% of the variance in nurses' work engagement. Bootstrap estimation confirmed an indirect effect of emotional intelligence on work engagement via organisational justice. Emotional intelligence and organisational justice positively predict work engagement and organisational justice partially mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement. Our study supports the idea that enhancing organisational justice can increase the impact of emotional intelligence. Managers should take into account the importance of emotional intelligence and perceptions of organisational justice in human resources management and apply targeted interventions to foster work engagement. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Involvement of wnt signaling pathways in the metamorphosis of the bryozoan bugula neritina

KAUST Repository

Wong, Yue Him; Wang, Hao; Ravasi, Timothy; Qian, Pei-Yuan

2012-01-01

In this study, we analyzed the metamorphosis of the marine bryozoan Bugula neritina. We observed the morphogenesis of the ancestrula. We defined three distinct pre-ancestrula stages based on the anatomy of the developing polypide and the overall morphology of pre-ancestrula. We then used an annotation based enrichment analysis tool to analyze the B. neritina transcriptome and identified over-representation of genes related to Wnt signaling pathways, suggesting its involvement in metamorphosis. Finally, we studied the temporal-spatial gene expression studies of several Wnt pathway genes. We found that one of the Wnt ligand, BnWnt10, was expressed spatially opposite to the Wnt antagonist BnsFRP within the blastemas, which is the presumptive polypide. Down-stream components of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway were exclusively expressed in the blastemas. Bn?catenin and BnFz5/8 were exclusively expressed in the blastemas throughout the metamorphosis. Based on the genes expression patterns, we propose that BnWnt10 and BnsFRP may relate to the patterning of the polypide, in which the two genes served as positional signals and contributed to the polarization of the blastemas. Another Wnt ligand, BnWnt6, was expressed in the apical part of the pre-ancestrula epidermis. Overall, our findings suggest that the Wnt signaling pathway may be important to the pattern formation of polypide and the development of epidermis. © 2012 Wong et al.

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of Sb-doped GeSe2 thin films

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Zhang, Zhen-Ying; Chen, Fen; Lu, Shun-Bin; Wang, Yong-Hui; Shen, Xiang; Dai, Shi-Xun; Nie, Qiu-Hua

2015-06-01

Sb-doped GeSe2 chalcogenide thin films are prepared by the magnetron co-sputtering method. The linear optical properties of as-deposited films are derived by analyzing transmission spectra. The refractive index rises and the optical band gap decreases from 2.08 eV to 1.41 eV with increasing the Sb content. X-ray photoelectron spectra further confirm the formation of a covalent Sb-Se bond. The third-order nonlinear optical properties of thin films are investigated under femtosecond laser excitation at 800 nm. The results show that the third-order nonlinear optical properties are enhanced with increasing the concentration of Sb. The nonlinear refraction indices of these thin films are measured to be on the order of 10-18 m2/W with a positive sign and the nonlinear absorption coefficients are obtained to be on the order of 10-10 m/W. These excellent properties indicate that Sb-doped Ge-Se films have a good prospect in the applications of nonlinear optical devices. Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2012CB722703), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61377061), the Young Leaders of Academic Climbing Project of the Education Department of Zhejiang Province, China (Grant No. pd2013092), the Program for Innovative Research Team of Ningbo City, China (Grant No. 2009B217), and the K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University, China.

Dynamics of fault slip near the stability transition combining laboratory and numerical experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Mele Veedu, D.; Giorgetti, C.; Scuderi, M. M.; Barbot, S.; Marone, C.; Collettini, C.

2017-12-01

Frictional stability controls the seismogenic potential of faults. Laboratory (1) and theoretical (2) studies document and predict the conditions under which fault slip is seismic or aseismic. However, the full gamut of fault slip behavior near the stable/unstable boundary is still poorly known. Here, we combine insight from laboratory and numerical experiments to identify the wide spectrum of frictional instabilities around that transition, including slow-slip events, period-multiplying events, and chaos. We present a synoptic picture of the dynamics of fault slip in a bifurcation diagram obtained from a series of laboratory and numerical experiments. We compare the laboratory observations with spring-slider and finite-fault numerical models. In the laboratory, we vary the stiffness of the system by modulating the stress field around the experimental fault. In the numerical experiments, we vary the characteristic weakening distance to explore a range of critical nucleation sizes. Contrarily to previously found (3), complex fault dynamics can be obtained with a rate-and-state constitutive law with a single state variable. While the dynamics of fault slip is complicated on large faults by the presence of morphological and rheological heterogeneities, the range of instabilities identified in the laboratory is reminiscent of the variety of slow and fast earthquakes found along subduction zones (4). The accord between laboratory data and theoretical models affords more realistic predictions of fault behavior at slow slip speeds. (1) Scuderi et al., (2016), (2) Ruina (1983), (3) Gu & Wong (1994), (4) Obara & Kato (2016)

Nanomedicine applications in the treatment of breast cancer: current state of the art

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Wu D

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Di Wu, Mengjie Si, Hui-Yi Xue, Ho-Lun Wong Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA, USA Abstract: Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease in women worldwide, but the current drug therapy is far from optimal as indicated by the high death rate of breast cancer patients. Nanomedicine is a promising alternative for breast cancer treatment. Nanomedicine products such as Doxil® and Abraxane® have already been extensively used for breast cancer adjuvant therapy with favorable clinical outcomes. However, these products were originally designed for generic anticancer purpose and not specifically for breast cancer treatment. With better understanding of the molecular biology of breast cancer, a number of novel promising nanotherapeutic strategies and devices have been developed in recent years. In this review, we will first give an overview of the current breast cancer treatment and the updated status of nanomedicine use in clinical setting, then discuss the latest important trends in designing breast cancer nanomedicine, including passive and active cancer cell targeting, breast cancer stem cell targeting, tumor microenvironment-based nanotherapy and combination nanotherapy of drug-resistant breast cancer. Researchers may get insight from these strategies to design and develop nanomedicine that is more tailored for breast cancer to achieve further improvements in cancer specificity, antitumorigenic effect, antimetastasis effect and drug resistance reversal effect. Keywords: nanomedicine, breast cancer, targeted delivery, drug therapy, drug resistance, tumor microenvironment 

Assessing Seasonal Risks for the Introduction and Mosquito-borne Spread of Zika Virus in Europe

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Joacim Rocklöv

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The explosive Zika virus epidemic in the Americas is amplifying spread of this emerging pathogen into previously unaffected regions of the world, including Europe (Gulland, 2016, where local populations are immunologically naïve. As summertime approaches in the northern hemisphere, Aedes mosquitoes in Europe may find suitable climatic conditions to acquire and subsequently transmit Zika virus from viremic travellers to local populations. While Aedes albopictus has proven to be a vector for the transmission of dengue and chikungunya viruses in Europe (Delisle et al., 2015; ECDC, n.d. there is growing experimental and ecological evidence to suggest that it may also be competent for Zika virus(Chouin-Carneiro et al., 2016; Grard et al., 2014; Li et al., 2012; Wong et al., 2013. Here we analyze and overlay the monthly flows of airline travellers arriving into European cities from Zika affected areas across the Americas, the predicted monthly estimates of the basic reproduction number of Zika virus in areas where Aedes mosquito populations reside in Europe (Aedes aegypti in Madeira, Portugal and Ae. albopictus in continental Europe, and human populations living within areas where mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus may be possible. We highlight specific geographic areas and timing of risk for Zika virus introduction and possible spread within Europe to inform the efficient use of human disease surveillance, vector surveillance and control, and public education resources.

Assessing Seasonal Risks for the Introduction and Mosquito-borne Spread of Zika Virus in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocklöv, Joacim; Quam, Mikkel Brandon; Sudre, Bertrand; German, Matthew; Kraemer, Moritz U G; Brady, Oliver; Bogoch, Isaac I; Liu-Helmersson, Jing; Wilder-Smith, Annelies; Semenza, Jan C; Ong, Mark; Aaslav, Kaja Kaasik; Khan, Kamran

2016-07-01

The explosive Zika virus epidemic in the Americas is amplifying spread of this emerging pathogen into previously unaffected regions of the world, including Europe (Gulland, 2016), where local populations are immunologically naïve. As summertime approaches in the northern hemisphere, Aedes mosquitoes in Europe may find suitable climatic conditions to acquire and subsequently transmit Zika virus from viremic travellers to local populations. While Aedes albopictus has proven to be a vector for the transmission of dengue and chikungunya viruses in Europe (Delisle et al., 2015; ECDC, n.d.) there is growing experimental and ecological evidence to suggest that it may also be competent for Zika virus(Chouin-Carneiro et al., 2016; Grard et al., 2014; Li et al., 2012; Wong et al., 2013). Here we analyze and overlay the monthly flows of airline travellers arriving into European cities from Zika affected areas across the Americas, the predicted monthly estimates of the basic reproduction number of Zika virus in areas where Aedes mosquito populations reside in Europe (Aedes aegypti in Madeira, Portugal and Ae. albopictus in continental Europe), and human populations living within areas where mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus may be possible. We highlight specific geographic areas and timing of risk for Zika virus introduction and possible spread within Europe to inform the efficient use of human disease surveillance, vector surveillance and control, and public education resources. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Earnings Management and Valuation of Biological Assets

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Ricardo Luiz Menezes da Silva

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The use of fair value to measure the worth of biological assets allows discretionary choices when using discounted cash flow in the absence of an active market, influencing the quality of accounting information. The objective of this study was to investigate evidence of earnings management among Brazilian companies that have adopted fair value based on the discounted cash flow method. The firms were investigated with regard to: a disclosure of the discount rate, b BM&FBovespa corporate governance levels; and c adherence to disclosure requirements in the Brazilian accounting standard CPC 29 (IAS 41. We analyzed 31 firms with significant biological assets from 2010 to 2012. The earnings management measurements were calculated according to the modified Jones, the Teoh, Welch and Wong (1998, and the KS models. The Mann-Whitney test of the means was applied and revealed evidence of greater earnings management for companies that use discounted cash flow, and the ones that least meet CPC 29 disclosure requirements, considering the KS model estimates. Regarding the other proposals, testing did not offer enough evidence of differences in discretionary accruals. In this sense, only hypotheses 1 and 4 are partially accepted, demanding more research in this area. We also present evidence in favor of adopting Exposure Draft ED/2013/08 Agriculture: Bearer Plants, Proposed amendments to IAS 16 and IAS 41, which proposes to measure biological assets at cost, because firms already following these rules showed lower earnings management in this study.

Five-Year-olds' Acoustic Realization of Mandarin Tone Sandhi and Lexical Tones in Context Are Not Yet Fully Adult-Like

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Nan Xu Rattanasone

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Large numbers of children around the world are learning tone languages, but few studies have examined the acoustic properties of children's early tone productions. Even more scarce are acquisition studies on tone sandhi, a tone change phenomenon which alters the surface realization of lexical tones. Two studies using perceptual coding report the emergence of lexical tone and tone sandhi at around 2 years (Li and Thompson, 1977; Hua and Dodd, 2000. However, the only acoustic study available shows that 3-year-olds are not yet adult-like in their lexical tone productions (Wong, 2012. This raises questions about when children's productions become acoustically adult-like and how their tone productions differ from those of adults. These questions were addressed in the current study which compared Mandarin-speaking pre-schoolers' (3–5-year-olds tone productions to that of adults. A picture naming task was used with disyllabic real words familiar to pre-schoolers. Overall children produced appropriate tone contours for all tones, i.e., level for tone 1, rising for tones 2, 3 and full sandhi, falling for tone 4 and half sandhi. However, children's productions were not adult-like for tones 3, 4, and the sandhi forms, in terms of coordinating pitch range, slope and curvature, with little evidence of development across ages. These results suggest a protracted process in achieving adult-like acoustic realization of both lexical and sandhi tones.

North-Western Palaearctic species of Pristiphora (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae

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Marko Prous

2017-09-01

Full Text Available North-Western Palaearctic species of Pristiphora Latreille, 1810 are revised. Altogether, 90 species are treated, two of which are described as new: P. caraganae Vikberg & Prous, sp. n. from Finland and P. dedeara Liston & Prous, sp. n. from Germany. Host plant of P. caraganae is Caragana arborescens Lam. Pristiphora dasiphorae (Zinovjev, 1993 (previously known from East Palaearctic and P. cadma Wong & Ross, 1960 (previously known from North America are recorded for the first time from Europe. Nematus nigricans Eversmann, 1847 [= Pristiphora nigricans (Eversmann, 1847, comb. n.], N. breviusculus Eversmann, 1847 [= Euura melanocephalus (Hartig, 1837], and N. caudalis Eversmann, 1847 [= E. caudalis (Eversmann, 1847, comb. n.] are removed from synonymy with P. pallidiventris (Fallén, 1808, N. paralellus Hartig, 1840 [= P. paralella (Hartig, 1840, comb. n.] is removed from synonymy with P. bufo (Brischke, 1883, and P. mesatlantica Lacourt, 1976 is removed from synonymy with P. insularis Rohwer, 1910. The following 29 new synonymies are proposed: P. nigropuncticeps Haris, 2002, syn. n. with P. albitibia (Costa, 1859; Lygaeonematus karvoneni Lindqvist, 1952, syn. n. with P. alpestris (Konow, 1903; P. (P. anivskiensis Haris, 2006, syn. n. with P. appendiculata (Hartig, 1837; Nematus canaliculatus Hartig, 1840, syn. n with P. carinata (Hartig, 1837; P. nigrogroenblomi Haris, 2002, syn. n. with P. cincta Newman, 1837; Tenthredo flavipes Zetterstedt, 1838, syn. n., Nematus congener W.F. Kirby, 1882, syn. n., and P. thomsoni Lindqvist, 1953, syn. n. with P. dochmocera (Thomson, 1871; P. atrata Lindqvist, 1975, syn. n. with P. friesei (Konow, 1904; P. gelida Wong, 1968, syn. n. with P. frigida (Boheman, 1865; Pachynematus nigricorpus Takagi, 1931, syn. n. with P. laricis (Hartig, 1837; Nematus (Pikonema piceae Zhelochovtsev in Zhelochovtsev and Zinovjev, 1988, syn. n. and P. (P. hoverlaensis Haris, 2001, syn. n. with P. leucopodia (Hartig, 1837; Mesoneura

Fire and Microtopography in Peatlands: Feedbacks and Carbon Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Benscoter, B.; Turetsky, M. R.

2011-12-01

Fire is the dominant natural disturbance in peatland ecosystems. Over the past decade, peat fires have emerged as an important issue for global climate change, human health, and economic loss, largely due to the extreme peat fire events in Indonesia and Russia that severely impacted metropolitan areas and social infrastructure. However, the impact and importance of fire in peatland ecosystems are more far-reaching. Combustion of vegetation and soil organic matter releases an average of 2.2 kg C m-2 to the atmosphere, primarily as CO2, as well as a number of potentially harmful emissions such as fine particulate matter and mercury. Additionally, while peatlands are generally considered to be net sinks of atmospheric carbon, the removal of living vegetation by combustion halts primary production following fire resulting in a net loss of ecosystem carbon to the atmosphere for several years. The recovery of carbon sink function is linked to plant community succession and development, which can vary based on combustion severity and the resulting post-fire microhabitat conditions. Microtopography has a strong influence on fire behavior and combustion severity during peatland wildfires. In boreal continental peatlands, combustion severity is typically greatest in low-lying hollows while raised hummocks are often lightly burned or unburned. The cross-scale influence of microtopography on landscape fire behavior is due to differences in plant community composition between microforms. The physiological and ecohydrological differences among plant communities result in spatial patterns in fuel availability and condition, influencing the spread, severity, and type of combustion over local to landscape scales. In addition to heterogeneous combustion loss of soil carbon, this differential fire behavior creates variability in post-fire microhabitat conditions, resulting in differences in post-fire vegetation succession and carbon exchange trajectories. These immediate and legacy

Interpreting Carbon Fluxes from a Spatially Heterogeneous Peatland with Thawing Permafrost: Scaling from Plant Community Scale to Ecosystem Scale

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Harder, S. R.; Roulet, N. T.; Strachan, I. B.; Crill, P. M.; Persson, A.; Pelletier, L.; Watt, C.

2014-12-01

Various microforms, created by spatial differential thawing of permafrost, make up the subarctic heterogeneous Stordalen peatland complex (68°22'N, 19°03'E), near Abisko, Sweden. This results in significantly different peatland vegetation communities across short distances, as well as differences in wetness, temperature and peat substrates. We have been measuring the spatially integrated CO2, heat and water vapour fluxes from this peatland complex using eddy covariance and the CO2 exchange from specific plant communities within the EC tower footprint since spring 2008. With this data we are examining if it is possible to derive the spatially integrated ecosystem-wide fluxes from community-level simple light use efficiency (LUE) and ecosystem respiration (ER) models. These models have been developed using several years of continuous autochamber flux measurements for the three major plant functional types (PFTs) as well as knowledge of the spatial variability of the vegetation, water table and active layer depths. LIDAR was used to produce a 1 m resolution digital evaluation model of the complex and the spatial distribution of PFTs was obtained from concurrent high-resolution digital colour air photography trained from vegetation surveys. Continuous water table depths have been measured for four years at over 40 locations in the complex, and peat temperatures and active layer depths are surveyed every 10 days at more than 100 locations. The EC footprint is calculated for every half-hour and the PFT based models are run with the corresponding environmental variables weighted for the PFTs within the EC footprint. Our results show that the Sphagnum, palsa, and sedge PFTs have distinctly different LUE models, and that the tower fluxes are dominated by a blend of the Sphagnum and palsa PFTs. We also see a distinctly different energy partitioning between the fetches containing intact palsa and those with thawed palsa: the evaporative efficiency is higher and the Bowen

Estimating radiotherapy demands in South East Asia countries in 2025 and 2035 using evidence-based optimal radiotherapy fractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yahya, Noorazrul; Roslan, Nurhaziqah

2018-01-08

As about 50% of cancer patients may require radiotherapy, the demand of radiotherapy as the main treatment to treat cancer is likely to rise due to rising cancer incidence. This study aims to quantify the radiotherapy demand in countries in Southeast Asia (SEA) in 2025 and 2035 using evidence-based optimal radiotherapy fractions. SEA country-specific cancer incidence by tumor site for 2015, 2025 and 2035 was extracted from the GLOBOCAN database. We utilized the optimal radiotherapy utilization rate model by Wong et al. (2016) to calculate the optimal number of fractions for all tumor sites in each SEA country. The available machines (LINAC & Co-60) were extracted from the IAEA's Directory of Radiotherapy Centres (DIRAC) from which the number of available fractions was calculated. The incidence of cancers in SEA countries are expected to be 1.1 mil cases (2025) and 1.4 mil (2035) compared to 0.9 mil (2015). The number of radiotherapy fractions needed in 2025 and 2035 are 11.1 and 14.1 mil, respectively, compared to 7.6 mil in 2015. In 2015, the radiotherapy fulfillment rate (RFR; required fractions/available fractions) varied between countries with Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia are highest (RFR > 1.0 - available fractions > required fractions), whereas Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor-Leste and Vietnam have RFR fractions, estimation for number of machines required can be obtained which will guide acquisition of machines in SEA countries. RFR is low with access varied based on the economic status. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Chronic fluoxetine treatment increases daytime melatonin synthesis in the rodent

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Gillian W Reierson

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Gillian W Reierson, Claudio A Mastronardi, Julio Licinio, Ma-Li WongCenter on Pharmacogenomics, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USAAbstract: Circadian rhythm disturbances can occur as part of the clinical symptoms of major depressive disorder and have been found to resolve with antidepressant therapy. The pineal gland is relevant to circadian rhythms as it secretes the hormone melatonin following activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP signaling cascade and of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT, the rate-limiting enzyme for its synthesis. Cyclic AMP is synthesized by adenylate cyclases (AC and degraded by phosphodiesterases (PDEs. Little is known about the contribution of the PDE system to antidepressant-induced alterations in pineal cAMP signaling and melatonin synthesis. In the present study we used enzyme immunoassay to measure plasma melatonin levels and pineal cAMP levels and as well as quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to measure pineal expression of PDE, AC, and AA-NAT genes in rats chronically treated with the prototypic antidepressant fluoxetine. We found elevated melatonin synthesis with increased pineal AA-NAT gene expression and daytime plasma melatonin levels and downregulated cAMP signaling with increased PDE and unchanged AC pineal gene expression, and decreased content of pineal cAMP. We conclude that chronic fluoxetine treatment increases daytime plasma melatonin and pineal AA-NAT gene expression despite downregulated pineal cAMP signaling in the rodent.Keywords: antidepressant, melatonin, pineal, nucleotides, cyclic, phosphodiesterase, rat

Community Health Environment Scan Survey (CHESS): a novel tool that captures the impact of the built environment on lifestyle factors.

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Wong, Fiona; Stevens, Denise; O'Connor-Duffany, Kathleen; Siegel, Karen; Gao, Yue

2011-03-07

Novel efforts and accompanying tools are needed to tackle the global burden of chronic disease. This paper presents an approach to describe the environments in which people live, work, and play. Community Health Environment Scan Survey (CHESS) is an empirical assessment tool that measures the availability and accessibility, of healthy lifestyle options lifestyle options. CHESS reveals existing community assets as well as opportunities for change, shaping community intervention planning efforts by focusing on community-relevant opportunities to address the three key risk factors for chronic disease (i.e. unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and tobacco use). The CHESS tool was developed following a review of existing auditing tools and in consultation with experts. It is based on the social-ecological model and is adaptable to diverse settings in developed and developing countries throughout the world. For illustrative purposes, baseline results from the Community Interventions for Health (CIH) Mexico site are used, where the CHESS tool assessed 583 food stores and 168 restaurants. Comparisons between individual-level survey data from schools and community-level CHESS data are made to demonstrate the utility of the tool in strategically guiding intervention activities. The environments where people live, work, and play are key factors in determining their diet, levels of physical activity, and tobacco use. CHESS is the first tool of its kind that systematically and simultaneously examines how built environments encourage/discourage healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco use. CHESS can help to design community interventions to prevent chronic disease and guide healthy urban planning. © 2011 Fiona Wong et al.

An assessment of sources and pathways of human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the United States.

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Johnson-Restrepo, Boris; Kannan, Kurunthachalam

2009-07-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are ubiquitous in the indoor environment, owing to their use in consumer products ranging from electronics to mattresses, furniture, and carpets. People are exposed to PBDEs through inhalation of indoor air and ingestion, and dermal absorption of dust particles present in the air. In this study, concentrations of PBDEs were determined in indoor air and house dust collected from homes in Albany, New York, USA. Based on the measured concentrations of PBDEs in indoor air and dust, we estimated daily exposure dose (DED) of PBDEs. In addition, we used previously published PBDE concentrations reported for breast milk from Massachusetts, USA [Johnson-Restrepo, B., Addink, R., Wong, C., Arcaro, K., Kannan, K., 2007. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and organochlorine pesticides in human breast milk from Massachusetts. USA. J. Environ. Monitor. 9, 1205-1212] and foodstuffs collected from Texas and Florida, USA [Schecter, A., Päpke, O., Harris, T.R., Tung, K.C., Musumba, A., Olson, J., Birnbaum, L., 2006. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) levels in an expanded market basket survey of U.S. food and estimated PBDE dietary intake by age and sex. Environ. Health Perspect. 114, 1515-1520, Johnson-Restrepo, B., Kannan, K., Addink, R., Adams, D.H., 2005b. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in a marine foodweb of coastal Florida. Environ. Sci. Technol. 39, 8243-8250], in an estimation of dietary exposure to PBDEs. The exposure assessment was performed for five age groups: infants (accounting for, on average, 56-77% of the total PBDE intake.

Automatic and controlled processing and the Broad Autism Phenotype.

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Camodeca, Amy; Voelker, Sylvia

2016-01-30

Research related to verbal fluency in the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) is limited and dated, but generally suggests intact abilities in the context of weaknesses in other areas of executive function (Hughes et al., 1999; Wong et al., 2006; Delorme et al., 2007). Controlled processing, the generation of search strategies after initial, automated responses are exhausted (Spat, 2013), has yet to be investigated in the BAP, and may be evidenced in verbal fluency tasks. One hundred twenty-nine participants completed the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency test (D-KEFS; Delis et al., 2001) and the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ; Hurley et al., 2007). The BAP group (n=53) produced significantly fewer total words during the 2nd 15" interval compared to the Non-BAP (n=76) group. Partial correlations indicated similar relations between verbal fluency variables for each group. Regression analyses predicting 2nd 15" interval scores suggested differentiation between controlled and automatic processing skills in both groups. Results suggest adequate automatic processing, but slowed development of controlled processing strategies in the BAP, and provide evidence for similar underlying cognitive constructs for both groups. Controlled processing was predictive of Block Design score for Non-BAP participants, and was predictive of Pragmatic Language score on the BAPQ for BAP participants. These results are similar to past research related to strengths and weaknesses in the BAP, respectively, and suggest that controlled processing strategy use may be required in instances of weak lower-level skills. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-pressure solubility of carbon dioxide in pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids: [bmpyr][dca] and [bmpyr][Tf{sub 2}N

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Lee, Byung-Chul; Nam, Sang Gyu [Hannam University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-03-15

Solubility data of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) in two pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids: 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium dicyanamide ([bmpyr][dca]) and 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([bmpyr] [Tf{sub 2}N]) are presented at pressures up to about 30MPa and temperatures from 303..2 K to 343.2 K. The solubility was determined by measuring bubble or cloud point pressures of mixtures of CO{sub 2} and ionic liquid using a high-pressure equilibrium apparatus equipped with a variable-volume view cell. The CO{sub 2} solubility in the ionic liquid in terms of the mole fraction or the molality increased with the increase of the equilibrium pressure at a given temperature, but decreased with the increase of temperature at a given pressure. At a given temperature, the mole fraction of CO{sub 2} dissolved in the ionic liquid increased rapidly as pressure increased. CO{sub 2} solubility in the mole fraction almost reached saturation around 0.65 for [bmpyr][dca] and around 0..8 for [bmpyr][Tf{sub 2}N], respectively. The experimental data for the CO{sub 2}+ionic liquid systems were correlated using the Peng-Robinson equation of state (PR-EoS). The mixing rules of the Wong-Sandler type rather than the classical mixing rules of the van der Waals type were coupled with the PR-EoS. The resulting modeling approach proved to be able to correlate the CO{sub 2} solubilities in aforementioned ionic liquids over the aforementioned range of temperature and pressure within 5% average deviations.

Isothermal vapour-liquid equilibrium data for the binary systems of (CHF3 or C2F6) and n-heptane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams-Wynn, Mark D.; Naidoo, Paramespri; Ramjugernath, Deresh

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Isothermal static-analytic and static-synthetic phase equilibrium measurements. • Binary VLE data for (CHF3 or C 2 F 6 ) + n-heptane. • Thermodynamic models were fitted to the experimental data. • Critical locus estimation for the systems. - Abstract: Isothermal vapour-liquid equilibrium (VLE) values for two binary systems; trifluoromethane and n-heptane at temperatures between T = (272.9 and 313.2) K, and hexafluoroethane and n-heptane at temperatures between T = (293.0 and 313.2) K were measured with a static-analytic apparatus. Bubble pressures at temperatures between T = (293.0 and 313.2) K, at several compositions, were also measured with a variable-volume static-synthetic apparatus. Vapour-liquid-liquid equilibrium (VLLE) was found to occur for certain isotherms for both of the systems. The PR EOS, with the Mathias-Copeman (MC) alpha function, combined with either the classical mixing rule or the Wong-Sandler (WS) mixing rule was used to correlate the experimental results. Either the NRTL or the UNIQUAC activity coefficient model was used within the WS mixing rule. The indirect extended scaling laws of Ungerer et al. were used to extrapolate critical loci from the experimental coexistence data, and the calculation procedure of Heidemann and Khalil was employed to calculate the mixture critical locus curves at temperatures close to the refrigerant critical temperatures. At lower temperatures on the mixture critical curve, gas-liquid critical points occurred, whereas, at higher temperatures, the critical points occurred along a liquid-liquid locus curve. The two systems were categorised according to the van Konynenburg and Scott classification.

The South East Asian Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (SEAFOMP): Its history and role in the ASEAN countries.

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Ng, Kh; Wong, Jhd

2008-04-01

Informal discussion started in 1996 and the South East Asian Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (SEAFOMP) was officially accepted as a regional chapter of the IOMP at the Chicago World Congress in 2000 with five member countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Professor Kwan-Hoong Ng served as the founding president until 2006. Brunei (2002) and Vietnam (2005) joined subsequently. We are very grateful to the founding members of SEAFOMP: Anchali Krisanachinda, Kwan-Hoong Ng, Agnette Peralta, Ratana Pirabul, Djarwani S Soejoko and Toh-Jui Wong.The objectives of SEAFOMP are to promote (i) co-operation and communication between medical physics organizations in the region; (ii) medical physics and related activities in the region; (iii) the advancement in status and standard of practice of the medical physics profession; (iv) to organize and/or sponsor international and regional conferences, meetings or courses; (v) to collaborate or affiliate with other scientific organizations.SEAFOMP has been organizing a series of congresses to promote scientific exchange and mutual support. The South East Asian Congress of Medical Physics (SEACOMP) series was held respectively in Kuala Lumpur (2001), Bangkok (2003), Kuala Lumpur (2004) and Jakarta (2006). The respective congress themes indicated the emphasis and status of development. The number of participants (countries in parentheses) was encouraging: 110 (17), 150 (16), 220 (23) and 126 (7).In honour of the late Professor John Cameron, an eponymous lecture was established. The inaugural John Cameron Lecture was delivered by Professor Willi Kalender in 2004. His lecture was titled "Recent Developments in Volume CT Scanning".

Near-field/far-field array manifold of an acoustic vector-sensor near a reflecting boundary.

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Wu, Yue Ivan; Lau, Siu-Kit; Wong, Kainam Thomas

2016-06-01

The acoustic vector-sensor (a.k.a. the vector hydrophone) is a practical and versatile sound-measurement device, with applications in-room, open-air, or underwater. It consists of three identical uni-axial velocity-sensors in orthogonal orientations, plus a pressure-sensor-all in spatial collocation. Its far-field array manifold [Nehorai and Paldi (1994). IEEE Trans. Signal Process. 42, 2481-2491; Hawkes and Nehorai (2000). IEEE Trans. Signal Process. 48, 2981-2993] has been introduced into the technical field of signal processing about 2 decades ago, and many direction-finding algorithms have since been developed for this acoustic vector-sensor. The above array manifold is subsequently generalized for outside the far field in Wu, Wong, and Lau [(2010). IEEE Trans. Signal Process. 58, 3946-3951], but only if no reflection-boundary is to lie near the acoustic vector-sensor. As for the near-boundary array manifold for the general case of an emitter in the geometric near field, the far field, or anywhere in between-this paper derives and presents that array manifold in terms of signal-processing mathematics. Also derived here is the corresponding Cramér-Rao bound for azimuth-elevation-distance localization of an incident emitter, with the reflected wave shown to play a critical role on account of its constructive or destructive summation with the line-of-sight wave. The implications on source localization are explored, especially with respect to measurement model mismatch in maximum-likelihood direction finding and with regard to the spatial resolution between coexisting emitters.

Does Listening to Music during Tonsillectomy Affect Sevoflurane Consumption?

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Doğan Baki, Elif; Ulu, Şahin; Yüksek, Ahmet; Arıcan, Hüseyin; Sivaci, Remziye

2018-03-12

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of listening to music on the consumption of an anesthetic agent as well as postoperative recovery and pain in children undergoing elective tonsillectomy. Fifty patients were randomized into those to whom music was played during surgery (Group M) and a control group to whom music was not played (Group C). The depth of anesthesia was provided by entropy levels of 50 ± 5 in both groups. Demographic characteristics and hemodynamic parameters were recorded perioperatively. The duration of surgery sevoflurane consumption, eye opening time, and extubation time were also recorded. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Surgical pleth index values measured intraoperatively were statistically lower in Group M than in Group C. In the post-anesthesia care unit children in the music group felt less pain than those in the control group according to Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (p = 0.035). The heart rates of the patients in the music group were statistically lower at 30 minutes intraoperatively and at the end of the procedure compared to the values of the control group (p = 0.015). Consumption of sevoflurane was lower in Group M than in Group C but the difference was not statistically significant. The need for additional fentanyl was significantly lower in Group M than in Group C. In this study, the children exposed to music intraoperatively needed less analgesia during surgery, and reported less pain postoperatively, but there was no difference in sevoflurane requirements. ©2018The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Evaluation of psychological fear in children undergoing head-up tilt test].

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Wei-Hong; Wu, Li-Jia; Wang, Cheng; Lin, Ping; Li, Fang; Zhu, Li-Ping; Ran, Jing; Zou, Run-Mei; Liu, De-Yu

2014-03-01

To investigate the effects of different tilt angles of head-up tilt test (HUTT) and different responses to HUTT on the psychological fear in children undergoing the test. HUTT was performed on children with unexplained syncope or pre-syncope (107 cases: 52 males and 55 females), aged 5.5-17.8 years (mean 12.0±2.8 years). All subjects were randomly assigned to undergo HUTT at an angle of 60°, 70° or 80°; the negative cases underwent sublingual nitroglycerin-provocation HUTT at the same tilt angle. The Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale was used for self-assessment of psychological fear in subjects during HUTT at the end point of the test. The positive rate, hemodynamic changes and distribution of response types showed no significant differences between children at tilt angles of 60°, 70° and 80° (P>0.05). The greater the tilt angle, the higher the degree of psychological fear in children undergoing the test, but there were no significant differences between them (P>0.05). The degree of psychological fear in children who showed a positive response to HUTT (n=76) was significantly higher than that in children who showed a negative response (n=31) (Pfear in children undergoing the test, and the degree of psychological fear increases in children tested at tilt angles from 60° to 80°, but the differences have no statistical significance. A positive response to HUTT can significantly increase the psychological fear in children.

The effect of parental presence on the child's perception and co-operation during dental treatment.

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Vasiliki, B; Konstantinos, A; Vassilis, K; Nikolaos, K; van Loveren, C; Jaap, V

2016-10-01

This was to study the influence of parental presence during dental treatment on children's behaviour and perception. Parents of 100 patients (mean age 7 ± 2.2 years) who visited the Postgraduate Paediatric Dental Clinic were randomly divided into two equal groups during one familiarisation and two treatment sessions: (1) parent present in the surgery/operatory and (2) parent absent (with their child observed through a window). Both an independent paediatric dentist and the parent rated the child's behaviour using the Venham scale. The child's perception was measured using the Wong-Baker Faces Rating Scale (FPRS) at the end of every session. Statistical analysis was performed with the IBM Statistics SPSS 22.0 (p children's behaviour was worse when the parent was absent, with a significant difference only for the second restorative treatment session (p = 0.011). There was no difference on parents' rating child behaviour scores between the two groups. There was no difference of children's own perception between the two groups, except for any increased discomfort found at the second treatment (p = 0.021) when the parent was present. In both groups, the dentist rated lower Venham scores (better child behaviour), than parents did (presence: p = 0.001, absence: p = 0.038). Children recorded worse scores than both parents and the paediatric dentist. The only significant finding lay in the antithesis of how children perceived their last treatment session and how the dentist rated children's behaviour regarding parental presence. Parents' scores of their child's behaviour were unrelated to parental presence.

Actitudes hacia la muerte en un grupo de adultos intermedios y mayores con enfermedad crónica (hipertensión, diabetes y cáncer en la ciudad de Bucaramanga

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Leonardo Yovany Álvarez Ramírez

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Se desarrolló un estudio correlacional-transversal que exploró las actitudes hacia la muerte en un grupo de adultos intermedios y mayores con enfermedad crónica (hipertensión, diabetes y cáncer en la ciudad de Bucaramanga y su posible correlación con la edad, el estrato socioeconómico y sus diferencias según el género de los examinados. Los participantes del presente estudio, fueron 200 adultos intermedios (40 a 60 años y mayores (60 a 66 años, 100 mujeres y 100 hombres. Se utilizó el PAM-R de Wong, Reker & Gesser (1987 el cual evalúa varias actitudes hacia la muerte (Temor a la muerte: a=0,86, Evitación: a=0,88, Neutral: a=0,65, Aproximación: a=0,97 y Escape: a=0,84. El procedimiento incluyó la aplicación individual de la escala a cada participante, con un consentimiento informado previo. Se llevó a cabo un análisis factorial, con una rotación Varimax de los principales componentes, usando SPSS versión 13,0. Se evaluaron las correlaciones con algunas variables sociodemográficas y las actitudes hacia la muerte usando el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman y la prueba F para las diferencias de género. Se encontraron actitudes de acercamiento hacia la muerte predominantemente (transición hacia una vida feliz y relaciones débiles no significativas entre éstas, la edad y el estrato de los participantes.

Lung inflammation caused by inhaled toxicants: a review

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Wong J

2016-06-01

Full Text Available John Wong, Bruce E Magun, Lisa J Wood School of Nursing, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, USA Abstract: Exposure of the lungs to airborne toxicants from different sources in the environment may lead to acute and chronic pulmonary or even systemic inflammation. Cigarette smoke is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, although wood smoke in urban areas of underdeveloped countries is now recognized as a leading cause of respiratory disease. Mycotoxins from fungal spores pose an occupational risk for respiratory illness and also present a health hazard to those living in damp buildings. Microscopic airborne particulates of asbestos and silica (from building materials and those of heavy metals (from paint are additional sources of indoor air pollution that contributes to respiratory illness and is known to cause respiratory illness in experimental animals. Ricin in aerosolized form is a potential bioweapon that is extremely toxic yet relatively easy to produce. Although the aforementioned agents belong to different classes of toxic chemicals, their pathogenicity is similar. They induce the recruitment and activation of macrophages, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, inhibition of protein synthesis, and production of interleukin-1 beta. Targeting either macrophages (using nanoparticles or the production of interleukin-1 beta (using inhibitors against protein kinases, NOD-like receptor protein-3, or P2X7 may potentially be employed to treat these types of lung inflammation without affecting the natural immune response to bacterial infections. Keywords: cigarette, mycotoxin, trichothecene, ricin, inflammasome, macrophage, inhibitors

Pseudoexfoliation syndrome at a Singapore eye clinic

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Lee JK

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Jason Kian Seng Lee, Elizabeth Poh Ying Wong, Su Ling HoNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the demographics of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PXG in a Singapore hospital eye outpatient clinic.Methods: A retrospective study of 93 consecutive patients (146 eyes with PXF was undertaken by a single ophthalmologist over a period of 37 months (July 1, 2006, to July 31, 2009.Results: Ninety-three (2.8% of 3,297 patients seen during the study period were diagnosed with PXF. Forty-three (46.2% of the 93 PXF patients were male. Indians were 5.04 times more likely to develop PXF than Chinese (P<0.001, 95% confidence interval 3.05–8.33, while Malays were 2.22 times more likely to develop PXF as compared with Chinese (P=0.029, 95% CI 1.08–4.55. Twenty-two (23.7% of the 93 PXF patients had PXG at the time of diagnosis. There was no statistically significant difference in mean age between PXF and PXG patients. There was a larger proportion of males with PXG than females (P<0.001.Conclusion: PXF is not infrequent in elderly Singapore eye clinic patients, and is more likely to occur in Indians than in Chinese. In the Singapore eye clinic setting, males may be more likely to develop PXG, although larger studies will be required to confirm this.Keywords: exfoliation syndrome, pseudoexfoliation syndrome, exfoliation glaucoma, glaucoma capsulare

Alleviation of insulin resistance and liver damage by oral administration of Imm124-E is mediated by increased Tregs and associated with increased serum GLP-1 and adiponectin: results of a phase I/II clinical trial in NASH

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Mizrahi M

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Meir Mizrahi,1 Yehudit Shabat,1 Ami Ben Ya'acov,1 Gadi Lalazar,1 Tomer Adar,1 Victor Wong,2 Brian Muller,2 Grant Rawlin,2 Yaron Ilan11Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; 2Immuron Limited, North Melbourne, AustraliaBackground: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH is considered to be part of the nonalcoholic fatty liver disorders and its incidence is increasing. Imm124-E (Immuron Ltd, Melbourne, Australia, containing hyperimmune bovine colostrum, has been shown to exert an immunomodulatory effect and to alleviate target organ damage in animal models of NASH. The aim of our study was to determine the safety and efficacy of oral administration of Imm124-E to patients with insulin resistance and NASH.Methods: In an open-label trial, ten patients with biopsy-proven NASH and insulin resistance were orally treated with Imm124-E for 30 days.Results: Oral administration of Imm124-E was safe, and no side effects were noted. Alleviation of insulin resistance was reflected by significantly improved hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c values in all ten treated patients. For between five and eight responders, the following effects were noted: a decrease in fasting glucose levels; improved oral glucose tolerance test (OGGT and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA scores; and alleviation in lipid profile. These effects were accompanied by increased serum levels of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1, adiponectin and T regulatory cells.Conclusion: Hyperimmune colostrum alleviates NASH.Keywords: NASH, anti-LPS, diabetes, adipokines, regulatory T cells

A passively-safe fusion reactor blanket with helium coolant and steel structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crosswait, Kenneth Mitchell [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

1994-04-01

Helium is attractive for use as a fusion blanket coolant for a number of reasons. It is neutronically and chemically inert, nonmagnetic, and will not change phase during any off-normal or accident condition. A significant disadvantage of helium, however, is its low density and volumetric heat capacity. This disadvantage manifests itself most clearly during undercooling accident conditions such as a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) or a loss of flow accident (LOFA). This thesis describes a new helium-cooled tritium breeding blanket concept which performs significantly better during such accidents than current designs. The proposed blanket uses reduced-activation ferritic steel as a structural material and is designed for neutron wall loads exceeding 4 MW/m{sup 2}. The proposed geometry is based on the nested-shell concept developed by Wong, but some novel features are used to reduce the severity of the first wall temperature excursion. These features include the following: (1) A ``beryllium-joint`` concept is introduced, which allows solid beryllium slabs to be used as a thermal conduction path from the first wall to the cooler portions of the blanket. The joint concept allows for significant swelling of the beryllium (10 percent or more) without developing large stresses in the blanket structure. (2) Natural circulation of the coolant in the water-cooled shield is used to maintain shield temperatures below 100 degrees C, thus maintaining a heat sink close to the blanket during the accident. This ensures the long-term passive safety of the blanket.

The Effectiveness of New Solar Photovoltaic System with Supercapacitor for Rural Areas

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Muhammad Izuan Fahmi Romli

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Countries like Malaysia have more that 70% of its population living in rural areas. Majority of these rural areas lie in regions where most villages do not have grid connected electricity. Renewable energy using photovoltaic (PV panels offers an alternative and cost efficient solution that exploits the yearlong abundance of sunlight available in countries like Malaysia. The main problem with PV systems is the high maintenance costs in replacing batteries every few years which makes PV systems unattractive for rural areas. A full scale PV system, developed in Semenyih Malaysia, aims to increase battery lifetime and reduce maintenance costs by incorporating supercapacitors. The system was developed in a life-sized cabin to mimic a rural home. A programmable load is used to test the system with the load profile of a typical rural household usage. Experimental and simulation results show that the supercapacitor bank is able to reduce the stress on the battery by absorbing peak current surges. Results also show that the system is able to maintain a high battery state of charge during the entire day. Article History: Received June 17th 2016; Received in revised form August 16th 2016; Accepted Sept 10th 2016; Available online How to Cite This Article: Fahmi, M.I., Rajkumar, R.,  Wong, Y.W., Chong, L.W., Arelhi, R., and Isa, D. (2016 The Effectiveness of New Solar Photovoltaic System with Supercapacitor for Rural Areas. Int. Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 5(3, 249-257. http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/ijred.5.3.249-257

DOMESTIFIKASI PEREMPUAN SAMIN DALAM KHASANAH MASYARAKAT ISLAM MODERN

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Mukodi Mukodi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The dominance is a term that is owned by a variety of entities ranging from the lowest social strata up to those who have the highest power in public domain, even in the global public organization. The domination of the lowest domain up to the highest one can be transformed into a variety of issues including the role of someone in the public domain. Problems will arise when the role of men are much more dominant than women as shown in Samin community in Blora. Based on  the concept of gender, this study tried to dismantle and explore the myths of Samin  community and the commodity of Saminisme in Blora. The women of  Samin were still placed as a sub-ordinate of  men, that is, the Samin community in the village of Kelopo Dhuwur, called Wong Sikep (people of Sikep; Wong Samin who, in a particular level, still showed strong patriarchal culture in daily life, especially the issue of the concept of matchmaking in marriage and marriage itself. This condition was as a result of low level of their education which led to weakness of involvement of Samin women in public spaces. The local culture of this community had constructed domestication of women. Samin women's empowerment efforts had been done in two ways by its stakeholders, namely, Samin myth demolition and removal Saminisme commodities. The success and the positive effect of these two efforts had reached their attainment, although the results still  showed  the minimum  ideal outcome.الملخص :إن موضوع "الهيمنة" أصبح لشتى الجهات من المجتمعات، من الجهة الإجتماعية السفلى إلى ولاية السلطة العليا بل وفي المنظمات العالمية. ظهرت هذه الهيمنة – من المستوى السافل إلى العالي – في شتّى الأشياء ومنها دور المرء في المجتمع. نشأت المشكلة إذا كانت هيمنة الرجل على المرأة �

Temperature effects on the pickup process of water group and hydrogen ions - Extensions of 'A theory for low-frequency waves observed at Comet Giacobini-Zinner' by M. L. Goldstein and H. K. Wong

Science.gov (United States)

Brinca, Armando L.; Tsurutani, Bruce T.

1988-01-01

Cometary heavy ions can resonantly excite hydromagnetic wave activity with spacecraft frequency spectra strongly deviating from the ion cyclotron frequency. The influence of the newborn particle temperature on this effect is assessed, its relevance to the interpretation of the observations is discussed, and an alternative, more efficient mechanism to generate spacecraft frequencies of the order of the proton cyclotron frequency is suggested.

Development of Technology Competencies for Public Services’ Staff Has Limited External Validity. A Review of: Wong, G. K. W. (2010. Information commons help desk transactions study. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 36(3, 235-241.

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Jason Martin

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Objective - To develop an understanding of the types of technology questions asked at an information commons help desk for the purposes of staffing the desk and training. Specifically, the study looked to answer the following questions:1. What kind of assistance do users seek from the help desk?2. How complex is it to handle the technology questions?3. What are the key competencies desirable of the help desk staff?Design - Qualitative analysis of transactions completed at an information commons help desk.Setting - A medium sized academic library located in Hong Kong.Data - 1,636 transactions completed at an information commons help desk between January 2007 and May 2009.Methods - From the opening in 2006, the staff of the information commons help desk recorded all transactions electronically using a modified version of the open source software LibStats. The author examined the transactions for roughly the second and third weeks of each month from January 2007 to May 2009 in an effort to determine the types of questions asked and their complexity.Main Results - In response to question one, 86.3% of questions asked at the help desk concerned technology; the majority of those questions (76.5% were about printing, wireless connection, and various software operation. For question two, 82% of technology questions were determined to be of the lowest tier (Tier 1 of complexity, one-third of the questions required only “direct answers,” and 80% of questions could be answered consistently via the creation of a “knowledge base of answers for these foreseeable questions.” For question three, a list of fourteen competencies for help desk staff were created.Conclusion - With the low complexity of the technology questions asked, the creation of a knowledge base of common questions and answers, and proper training of staff based on the competencies identified in the study, an information commons could be effective with one integrated desk staffed by a librarian and paraprofessional staff member.

Simulation of Alfvén eigenmode bursts using a hybrid code for nonlinear magnetohydrodynamics and energetic particles

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Todo, Y.; Berk, H. L.; Breizman, B. N.

2012-03-01

A hybrid simulation code for nonlinear magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and energetic-particle dynamics has been extended to simulate recurrent bursts of Alfvén eigenmodes by implementing the energetic-particle source, collisions and losses. The Alfvén eigenmode bursts with synchronization of multiple modes and beam ion losses at each burst are successfully simulated with nonlinear MHD effects for the physics condition similar to a reduced simulation for a TFTR experiment (Wong et al 1991 Phys. Rev. Lett. 66 1874, Todo et al 2003 Phys. Plasmas 10 2888). It is demonstrated with a comparison between nonlinear MHD and linear MHD simulation results that the nonlinear MHD effects significantly reduce both the saturation amplitude of the Alfvén eigenmodes and the beam ion losses. Two types of time evolution are found depending on the MHD dissipation coefficients, namely viscosity, resistivity and diffusivity. The Alfvén eigenmode bursts take place for higher dissipation coefficients with roughly 10% drop in stored beam energy and the maximum amplitude of the dominant magnetic fluctuation harmonic δBm/n/B ~ 5 × 10-3 at the mode peak location inside the plasma. Quadratic dependence of beam ion loss rate on magnetic fluctuation amplitude is found for the bursting evolution in the nonlinear MHD simulation. For lower dissipation coefficients, the amplitude of the Alfvén eigenmodes is at steady levels δBm/n/B ~ 2 × 10-3 and the beam ion losses take place continuously. The beam ion pressure profiles are similar among the different dissipation coefficients, and the stored beam energy is higher for higher dissipation coefficients.

Rotationally resolved colors of the targets of NASA's Lucy mission

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Emery, Joshua; Mottola, Stefano; Brown, Mike; Noll, Keith; Binzel, Richard

2018-05-01

We propose rotationally resolved photometry at 3.6 and 4.5 um of 5 Trojan asteroids and one Main Belt asteroid - the targets of NASA's Lucy mission. The proposed Spitzer observations are designed to meet a combination of science goals and mission support objectives. Science goals 1) Search for signatures of volatiles and/or organics on the surfaces. a. This goal includes resolving a discrepancy between previous WISE and Spitzer measurements of Trojans 2) Provide new constraints on the cause of rotational spectral heterogeneity detected on 3548 Eurybates at shorter wavelengths a. Determine whether the heterogeneity (Fig 1) extends to the 3-5 um region 3) Assess the possibility for spectral heterogeneity on the other targets a. This goal will help test the hypothesis of Wong and Brown (2015) that the near-surface interiors of Trojans differ from their surfaces 4) Thermal data at 4.5 um for the Main Belt target Donaldjohanson will refine estimates of size, albedo, and provide the first estimate of thermal inertia Mission support objectives 1) Assess scientifically optimal encounter times (viewing geometries) for the fly-bys a. Characterizing rotational spectral units now will enable the team to choose the most scientifically valuable part of the asteroid to view 2) Gather data to optimize observing parameters for Lucy instruments a. Measuring brightness in the 3 - 5 um region and resolving the discrepancy between WISE and Spitzer will enable better planning of the Lucy spectral observations in this wavelength range 3) The size, albedo, and thermal inertia of Donaldjohanson are fundamental data for planning the encounter with that Main Belt asteroid

The advantages of carbon dioxide laser applications in paediatric oral surgery. A prospective cohort study.

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Hanna, R; Parker, S

2016-11-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate and demonstrate the advantages of the carbon dioxide laser in paediatric oral surgery patients in terms of less post-operative complications, healing without scaring, functional benefits, positive patient perception and acceptance of the treatment. One hundred fit and healthy paediatric patients (aged 4-15 years) were recruited to undergo laser surgery for different soft tissue conditions. The outcome of these laser treatments was examined. The Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale was employed to evaluate the pain before, immediately after laser treatment in the clinic and 1 day after post-operatively at home. Post-operative complications and patients' perception and satisfaction were self-reported during a review telephone call the day after treatment. The patients were reviewed 2 weeks after surgery. Laser parameter was 1.62 W, measured by power meter, continuous wave mode with 50 % emission cycle. The beam spot size at the target tissue was 0.8 mm. The pain score pre-operative, during and immediately after laser treatment was rated 0. Whilst the pain score 1 day after surgery was rated between 0 and 2, the healing time was measured over 2 weeks. None of the patients reported post-operative complications after surgery. Patients' perception and acceptance were rated very good. Laser dentistry is a promising field in modern minimally invasive dentistry, which enables provision of better care for children and adolescents. In this cohort study, the use of the carbon dioxide laser therapy offers a desirable, acceptable and minimally invasive technique in the surgical management of soft tissues in paediatric oral surgery with minimal post-operative complications.

Human adipose stem cell and ASC-derived cardiac progenitor cellular therapy improves outcomes in a murine model of myocardial infarction

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Davy PMC

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Philip MC Davy,1 Kevin D Lye,2,3 Juanita Mathews,1 Jesse B Owens,1 Alice Y Chow,1 Livingston Wong,2 Stefan Moisyadi,1 Richard C Allsopp1 1Institute for Biogenesis Research, 2John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, 3Tissue Genesis, Inc., Honolulu, HI, USA Background: Adipose tissue is an abundant and potent source of adult stem cells for transplant therapy. In this study, we present our findings on the potential application of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs as well as induced cardiac-like progenitors (iCPs derived from ASCs for the treatment of myocardial infarction. Methods and results: Human bone marrow (BM-derived stem cells, ASCs, and iCPs generated from ASCs using three defined cardiac lineage transcription factors were assessed in an immune-compromised mouse myocardial infarction model. Analysis of iCP prior to transplant confirmed changes in gene and protein expression consistent with a cardiac phenotype. Endpoint analysis was performed 1 month posttransplant. Significantly increased endpoint fractional shortening, as well as reduction in the infarct area at risk, was observed in recipients of iCPs as compared to the other recipient cohorts. Both recipients of iCPs and ASCs presented higher myocardial capillary densities than either recipients of BM-derived stem cells or the control cohort. Furthermore, mice receiving iCPs had a significantly higher cardiac retention of transplanted cells than all other groups. Conclusion: Overall, iCPs generated from ASCs outperform BM-derived stem cells and ASCs in facilitating recovery from induced myocardial infarction in mice. Keywords: adipose stem cells, myocardial infarction, cellular reprogramming, cellular therapy, piggyBac, induced cardiac-like progenitors

ACTITUDES HACIA LA MUERTE EN UN GRUPO DE ADULTOS INTERMEDIOS Y MAYORES CON ENFERMEDAD CRÓNICA (HIPERTENSIÓN, DIABETES Y CÁNCER EN LA CIUDAD DE BUCARAMANGA

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Zulay Florez

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Se desarrolló un estudio correlacional-transversal que exploró las actitudes hacia la muerte en un grupo de adultos intermedios y mayores con enfermedad crónica (hipertensión, diabetes y cáncer en la ciudad de Bucaramanga y su posible correlación con la edad, el estrato socioeconómico y sus diferencias según el género de los examinados. Los participantes del presente estudio, fueron 200 adultos intermedios (40 a 60 años y mayores (60 a 66 años, 100 mujeres y 100 hombres. Se utilizó el PAM-R de Wong, Reker & Gesser (1987 el cual evalúa varias actitudes hacia la muerte (Temor a la muerte: α=0,86, Evitación: α=0,88, Neutral: α=0,65, Aproximación: α=0,97 y Escape: α=0,84. El procedimiento incluyó la aplicación individual de la escala a cada participante, con un consentimiento informado previo. Se llevó a cabo un análisis factorial, con una rotación Varimax de los principales componentes, usando SPSS versión 13,0. Se evaluaron las correlaciones con algunas variables sociodemográficas y las actitudes hacia la muerte usando el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman y la prueba F para las diferencias de género. Se encontraron actitudes de acercamiento hacia la muerte predominantemente (transición hacia una vida feliz y relaciones débiles no significativas entre éstas, la edad y el estrato de los participantes.

A Study of the Optimal Planning Model for Reservoir Sustainable Management- A Case Study of Shihmen Reservoir

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Chen, Y. Y.; Ho, C. C.; Chang, L. C.

2017-12-01

The reservoir management in Taiwan faces lots of challenge. Massive sediment caused by landslide were flushed into reservoir, which will decrease capacity, rise the turbidity, and increase supply risk. Sediment usually accompanies nutrition that will cause eutrophication problem. Moreover, the unevenly distribution of rainfall cause water supply instability. Hence, how to ensure sustainable use of reservoirs has become an important task in reservoir management. The purpose of the study is developing an optimal planning model for reservoir sustainable management to find out an optimal operation rules of reservoir flood control and sediment sluicing. The model applies Genetic Algorithms to combine with the artificial neural network of hydraulic analysis and reservoir sediment movement. The main objective of operation rules in this study is to prevent reservoir outflow caused downstream overflow, minimum the gap between initial and last water level of reservoir, and maximum sluicing sediment efficiency. A case of Shihmen reservoir was used to explore the different between optimal operating rule and the current operation of the reservoir. The results indicate optimal operating rules tended to open desilting tunnel early and extend open duration during flood discharge period. The results also show the sluicing sediment efficiency of optimal operating rule is 36%, 44%, 54% during Typhoon Jangmi, Typhoon Fung-Wong, and Typhoon Sinlaku respectively. The results demonstrate the optimal operation rules do play a role in extending the service life of Shihmen reservoir and protecting the safety of downstream. The study introduces a low cost strategy, alteration of operation reservoir rules, into reservoir sustainable management instead of pump dredger in order to improve the problem of elimination of reservoir sediment and high cost.

Effectiveness of coordination exercise in improving cognitive function in older adults: a prospective study

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Kwok TCY

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Timothy CY Kwok1,2, KC Lam2, PS Wong2, WW Chau2, Kenneth SL Yuen2,3, KT Ting2, Elite WK Chung2, Jessie CY Li2, Florence KY Ho2,41Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, 3Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, 4Jockey Club CADENZA Hub, Hong Kong SARBackground: Studies on the effect of a low intensity coordination exercise on the elderly with limited mobility are sparse. This prospective study attempted to compare the effectiveness of a customized coordination exercise and a strength exercise in improving the cognitive functioning and physical mobility on the elderly.Methods: Participants from two centers for the elderly were allocated to practice either an 8-week coordination training (CT program or an 8-week towel exercise (TE program. The Chinese Mini-Mental State Examination and Chinese Dementia Rating Scale (CDRS were used to measure cognitive functioning of participants, and Timed Up-and-Go test for physical mobility. These assessments were administered before and after the program.Results: Paired t-tests showed that the CDRS scores of the CT group improved significantly from 114.8 at pre-test to 119.3 after training (P = 0.045. The CDRS scores of the TE group also improved from 114.9 at pre-test to 116.9 after training.Conclusion: Findings from this prospective study demonstrated that low-intensity level mind-body exercise could be beneficial to the cognitive functioning of older adults.Keywords: coordination exercise, cognitive function, elderly, Chinese

Harnessing Social Media to Explore Youth Social Withdrawal in Three Major Cities in China: Cross-Sectional Web Survey.

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Liu, Lucia Lin; Li, Tim Mh; Teo, Alan R; Kato, Takahiro A; Wong, Paul Wc

2018-05-10

Socially withdrawn youth belong to an emerging subgroup of youth who are not in employment, education, or training and who have limited social interaction intention and opportunities. The use of the internet and social media is expected to be an alternative and feasible way to reach this group of young people because of their reclusive nature. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of using various social media platforms to investigate the existence of the phenomenon of youth social withdrawal in 3 major cities in China. A cross-sectional open Web survey was conducted from October 2015 to May 2016 to identify and reach socially withdrawn youth in 3 metropolitan cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. To advertise the survey, 3 social media platforms were used: Weibo, WeChat, and Wandianba, a social networking gaming website. In total, 137 participants completed the survey, among whom 13 (9.5%) were identified as belonging to the withdrawal group, 7 (5.1%) to the asocial group, and 9 (6.6%) to the hikikomori group (both withdrawn and asocial for more than 3 months). The cost of recruitment via Weibo was US $7.27 per participant. Several social media platforms in China are viable and inexpensive tools to reach socially withdrawn youth, and internet platforms that specialize in a certain culture or type of entertainment appeared to be more effective in reaching socially withdrawn youth. ©Lucia Lin Liu, Tim MH Li, Alan R Teo, Takahiro A Kato, Paul WC Wong. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 10.05.2018.

Telephone-delivered psychoeducational intervention for Hong Kong Chinese dementia caregivers: a single-blinded randomized controlled trial

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Kwok T

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Timothy Kwok,1,2 Bel Wong,2 Isaac Ip,2 Kenny Chui,2 Daniel Young,2 Florence Ho2 1Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region; 2Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region Purpose: Many family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD are unable to participate in community center-based caregiver support services because of logistical constraints. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a telephone-delivered psychoeducational intervention for family caregivers of PWD in alleviating caregiver burden and enhancing caregiving self-efficacy. Subjects and methods: In a single-blinded randomized controlled trial, 38 family caregivers of PWD were randomly allocated into an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group received psychoeducation from a registered social worker over the phone for 12 sessions. Caregivers in the control group were given a DVD containing educational information about dementia caregiving. Outcomes of the intervention were measured by the Chinese versions of the Zarit Burden Interview and the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-efficacy. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare the differences between the intervention and control groups. Results: The level of burden of caregivers in the intervention group reduced significantly compared with caregivers in the control group. Caregivers in the intervention group also reported significantly more gain in self-efficacy in obtaining respite than the control group. Conclusion: A structured telephone intervention can benefit dementia caregivers in terms of self-efficacy and caregiving burden. The limitations of the research and recommendations for intervention are discussed. Keywords: telephone intervention, psychoeducation, dementia caregivers

Assessing quality and completeness of human transcriptional regulatory pathways on a genome-wide scale

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Aifantis Iannis

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pathway databases are becoming increasingly important and almost omnipresent in most types of biological and translational research. However, little is known about the quality and completeness of pathways stored in these databases. The present study conducts a comprehensive assessment of transcriptional regulatory pathways in humans for seven well-studied transcription factors: MYC, NOTCH1, BCL6, TP53, AR, STAT1, and RELA. The employed benchmarking methodology first involves integrating genome-wide binding with functional gene expression data to derive direct targets of transcription factors. Then the lists of experimentally obtained direct targets are compared with relevant lists of transcriptional targets from 10 commonly used pathway databases. Results The results of this study show that for the majority of pathway databases, the overlap between experimentally obtained target genes and targets reported in transcriptional regulatory pathway databases is surprisingly small and often is not statistically significant. The only exception is MetaCore pathway database which yields statistically significant intersection with experimental results in 84% cases. Additionally, we suggest that the lists of experimentally derived direct targets obtained in this study can be used to reveal new biological insight in transcriptional regulation and suggest novel putative therapeutic targets in cancer. Conclusions Our study opens a debate on validity of using many popular pathway databases to obtain transcriptional regulatory targets. We conclude that the choice of pathway databases should be informed by solid scientific evidence and rigorous empirical evaluation. Reviewers This article was reviewed by Prof. Wing Hung Wong, Dr. Thiago Motta Venancio (nominated by Dr. L Aravind, and Prof. Geoff J McLachlan.

A Diverging View of Role Modeling in Medical Education

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Gurjit Sandhu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Research in the area of role modeling has primarily focused on the qualities and attributes of exceptional role models, and less attention has been given to the act of role modeling itself (Elzubeir & Rizk, 2001; Jochemsen-van der Leeuw, van Dijk, van Etten-Jamaludin, & Wieringa-de Waard, 2013; Wright, 1996; Wright, Wong, & Newill, 1997. A standardized understanding of role modeling in medical education remains elusive (Kenny, Mann, & MacLeod, 2003. This is problematic given that role modeling is pervasively documented as an approach to teaching (Reuler & Nardone, 1994. Our study attempts to fill a void in this body of research by looking at what faculty are thinking, saying, and doing when they say they are role modeling. Individual semi-structured interviews with faculty members were conducted in the Department of General Surgery at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative methods for themes surrounding teaching and role modeling. Three major themes emerged from the data: (1 faculty members think they are teaching when they are acting professionally; (2 faculty members become aware of teaching opportunities and act on them; and (3 faculty members employ evidence-based teaching methods, but they are incorrectly labeling them as “role modeling.” As a whole, our findings should help distinguish between role modeling as roles and responsibilities enacted while doing one’s job well, and teaching as facilitated instruction that helps connect knowledge with action (Clayton, 2006; Fassbinder, 2007. Contributing to a better understanding of how teaching is separate from role modeling has the potential to improve the scope and quality of teaching, ultimately enhancing the learning experience for trainees.

Comparison of 37 months global net radiation flux derived from PICARD-BOS over the same period observations of CERES and ARGO

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Zhu, Ping; Wild, Martin

2016-04-01

The absolute level of the global net radiation flux (NRF) is fixed at the level of [0.5-1.0] Wm-2 based on the ocean heat content measurements [1]. The space derived global NRF is at the same order of magnitude than the ocean [2]. Considering the atmosphere has a negligible effects on the global NRF determination, the surface global NRF is consistent with the values determined from space [3]. Instead of studying the absolute level of the global NRF, we focus on the interannual variation of global net radiation flux, which were derived from the PICARD-BOS experiment and its comparison with values over the same period but obtained from the NASA-CERES system and inferred from the ocean heat content survey by ARGO network. [1] Allan, Richard P., Chunlei Liu, Norman G. Loeb, Matthew D. Palmer, Malcolm Roberts, Doug Smith, and Pier-Luigi Vidale (2014), Changes in global net radiative imbalance 1985-2012, Geophysical Research Letters, 41 (no.15), 5588-5597. [2] Loeb, Norman G., John M. Lyman, Gregory C. Johnson, Richard P. Allan, David R. Doelling, Takmeng Wong, Brian J. Soden, and Graeme L. Stephens (2012), Observed changes in top-of-the-atmosphere radiation and upper-ocean heating consistent within uncertainty, Nature Geoscience, 5 (no.2), 110-113. [3] Wild, Martin, Doris Folini, Maria Z. Hakuba, Christoph Schar, Sonia I. Seneviratne, Seiji Kato, David Rutan, Christof Ammann, Eric F. Wood, and Gert Konig-Langlo (2015), the energy balance over land and oceans: an assessment based on direct observations and CMIP5 climate models, Climate Dynamics, 44 (no.11-12), 3393-3429.

CO2 and CH4 fluxes of contrasting pristine bogs in southern Patagonia (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina)

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Münchberger, Wiebke; Blodau, Christian; Kleinebecker, Till; Pancotto, Veronica

2015-04-01

South Patagonian peatlands cover a wide range of the southern terrestrial area and thus are an important component of the terrestrial global carbon cycle. These extremely southern ecosystems have been accumulating organic material since the last glaciation up to now and are - in contrast to northern hemisphere bogs - virtually unaffected by human activities. So far, little attention has been given to these pristine ecosystems and great carbon reservoirs which will potentially be affected by climate change. We aim to fill the knowledge gap in the quantity of carbon released from these bogs and in what controls their fluxes. We study the temporal and spatial variability of carbon fluxes in two contrasting bog ecosystems in southern Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego. Sphagnum-dominated bog ecosystems in Tierra del Fuego are similar to the ones on the northern hemisphere, while cushion plant-dominated bogs can almost exclusively be found in southern Patagonia. These unique cushion plant-dominated bogs are found close to the coast and their occurrence changes gradually to Sphagnum-dominated bogs with increasing distance from the coast. We conduct closed chamber measurements and record relevant environmental variables for CO2 and CH4 fluxes during two austral vegetation periods from December to April. Chamber measurements are performed on microforms representing the main vegetation units of the studied bogs. Gas concentrations are measured with a fast analyzer (Los Gatos Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer) allowing to accurately record CH4 fluxes in the ppm range. We present preliminary results of the carbon flux variability from south Patagonian peat bogs and give insights into their environmental controls. Carbon fluxes of these two bog types appear to be highly different. In contrast to Sphagnum-dominated bogs, cushion plant-dominated bogs release almost no CH4 while their CO2 flux in both, photosynthesis and respiration, can be twice as high as for Sphagnum

Oral administration of analgesia and anxiolysis for pain associated with bone marrow biopsy.

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Talamo, Giampaolo; Liao, Jason; Bayerl, Michael G; Claxton, David F; Zangari, Maurizio

2010-03-01

Medical literature provides only scarce data about the degree of pain experienced by patients undergoing a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy (BMAB), and little is known about the factors that can modify the perception of pain. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a combination of analgesia and anxiolysis in reducing the pain score of patients undergoing BMAB. Eighty-four consecutive adult patients underwent BMAB after local anesthesia with 5 mL of lidocaine hydrochloride 1% aqueous solution in the left posterior superior iliac crest. Analgesia was obtained with acetaminophen 650 mg and oxycodone 10 mg, and anxiolysis was obtained with lorazepam 2 mg, all drugs given once orally 30 min before the procedure. We assessed the pain level with the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale, which distinguishes six levels of pain, from 0 to 5. The 34 patients who received an oral administration of analgesia and anxiolysis reported pain at lower levels, i.e., in the range of 0-2, more frequently than the 50 patients who underwent BMAB without analgesia/anxiolysis (78% vs 64%, respectively). Among several predictors analyzed using a multivariate regression model, three were found to be associated with decreased pain level: the use of analgesia/anxiolysis, male sex, and increase in age (all with p values <0.05). Length of the extracted bone specimen, body mass index, and need of a spinal needle for anesthesia in obese patients did not predict for pain level. An oral administration of prophylactic regimen of analgesia and anxiolysis, at the above-mentioned doses, produced a statistically significant reduction of the perception of pain in patients undergoing BMAB, but its effect did not seem to provide a major and clinically significant reduction of pain level.

Factors Related to Life satisfaction, Meaning of life, Religiosity and Death Anxiety in Health Care Staff and Students: A Cross Sectional Study from India

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Latha KS

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Death is beyond one's personal control, generates great concern and anxiety, among human beings. Studies exploring the association between religious attitudes and death attitudes in adolescents and young adults in postmodern society are scarce. This study examines the relationship between five dimensions of attitude toward death (fear of death, death avoidance, neutral acceptance, approach acceptance, and escape acceptance, death anxiety, life satisfaction and meaning, religiosity and selected personal factors among health care staff and students in three teaching hospitals. A total of 230 adolescents and adults both sexes who were willing participated. Diener et al Satisfaction with Life, Steger et al Meaning of Life Questionnaire; Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, Wong's Death Attitude Profile-R and a religious attitude scale were administered. Findings showed students' search for meaning was higher than faculty. An unusual finding of higher Approach acceptance death attitude in students emerged. Correlation analysis revealed that presence of meaning was related to greater life satisfaction in both groups. It was further related to higher religiosity in both groups and higher neutral acceptance of death and lesser death anxiety in students alone. In both groups search for meaning was positively associated with death anxiety. Faculty's search for meaning was positively associated with negative death attitudes and surprisingly one positive death attitude. Death anxiety was more with faculty's advancing age, and was also more when both groups held negative death attitudes. Religiosity was positively associated with death anxiety in students. Further, religiosity was not only positively associated with positive death attitudes of approach acceptance (both groups and neutral acceptance (faculty but also with negative attitude of death avoidance (faculty. Death anxiety was more despite both groups embracing approach acceptance death attitude indicating

Selected Lectures of the 2nd International Workshop “Intensive Care of the Newborn”; Verona (Italy; March 9-10, 2018

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--- Various Authors

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Selected Lectures of the 2nd International Workshop “Intensive Care of the Newborn”; Verona (Italy; March 9-10, 2018 CONGRESS PRESIDENT Paolo Biban  Guest Editor: Paolo BibanLECT 1. RESUSCITATION OF EXTREMELY PREMATURE INFANTS: HOW TO IMPROVE EVEN FURTHER • J.M. PerlmanLECT 2. MAINTAINING NORMAL TEMPERATURE IN THE NEWLY BORN: NOT A TRIVIAL GAME • J. WyllieLECT 3. PRESENT AND FUTURE OF SURFACTANT AD­MINISTRATION IN PRETERM INFANTS WITH RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (RDS • A. KribsLECT 4. CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRES­SURE (CPAP, SURFACTANT, OR BOTH? A DILEMMA STILL WAITING TO BE SOLVED • D. De LucaLECT 5. NON-INVASIVE RESPIRATORY SUPPORT AND RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (RDS: IS NASAL CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE (nCPAP ALWAYS ENOUGH? • G. Lista, I. BresestiLECT 6. NEURALLY ADJUSTED VENTILATORY ASSIST (NAVA IN THE NEWBORN: A NEW STANDARD OF CARE? • H. SteinLECT 7. HIGH-FREQUENCY, MULTI-FREQUENCY OSCIL­LA­TION, JET VENTILATION: WHERE ARE WE? • J.J. PillowLECT 8. SURVIVAL AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUT­COME IN PERIVIABLE INFANTS • N. YoungeLECT 9. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF SEPTIC SHOCK IN NEONATES • H.R. WongLECT 10. CLINICAL METABOLOMICS IN NEONATAL SEPSIS • V. FanosLECT 11. OPTIMIZING EARLY NUTRITION SUPPORT IN VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (VLBW INFANTS • T. SenterreLECT 12. LONG-TERM ADVERSE EFFECTS OF EARLY GROWTH ACCELERATION OR CATCH-UP GROWTH • A. SinghalLECT 13. ROLE OF NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY DURING NEONATAL TRANSITION • B. UrlesbergerLECT 14. HEART RATE CHARACTERISTICS AS PHYSIO­MARKERS FOR DETECTION OF SEPSIS AND OTHER DISEASES • K.D. FairchildLECT 15. ENHANCED CARDIORESPIRATORY MONI­TORING OF THE PRETERM INFANT DURING STABILIZA­TION IN THE DELIVERY ROOM • E. Dempsey

Phase equilibrium data and thermodynamic modeling of the system (CO2 + biodiesel + methanol) at high pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, Leandro F.; Segalen da Silva, Diogo Italo; Rosa da Silva, Fabiano; Ramos, Luiz P.; Ndiaye, Papa M.; Corazza, Marcos L.

2012-01-01

Highlights: → We measured phase behavior for the system involving {CO 2 + biodiesel + methanol}. → The saturation pressures were obtained using a variable-volume view cell. → The experimental data were modeled using PR-vdW2 and PR-WS equations of state. - Abstract: The main objective of this work was to investigate the high pressure phase behavior of the binary systems {CO 2 (1) + methanol(2)} and {CO 2 (1) + soybean methyl esters (biodiesel)(2)} and the ternary system {CO 2 (1) + biodiesel(2) + methanol(3)} were determined. Biodiesel was produced from soybean oil, purified, characterized and used in this work. The static synthetic method, using a variable-volume view cell, was employed to obtain the experimental data in the temperature range of (303.15 to 343.15) K and pressures up to 21 MPa. The mole fractions of carbon dioxide were varied according to the systems as follows: (0.2383 to 0.8666) for the binary system {CO 2 (1) + methanol(2)}; (0.4201 to 0.9931) for the binary system {CO 2 (1) + biodiesel(2)}; (0.4864 to 0.9767) for the ternary system {CO 2 (1) + biodiesel(2) + methanol(3)} with a biodiesel to methanol molar ratio of (1:3); and (0.3732 to 0.9630) for the system {CO 2 + biodiesel + methanol} with a biodiesel to methanol molar ratio of (8:1). For these systems, (vapor + liquid), (liquid + liquid), (vapor + liquid + liquid) transitions were observed. The phase equilibrium data obtained for the systems were modeled using the Peng-Robinson equation of state with the classical van der Waals (PR-vdW2) and Wong-Sandler (PR-WS) mixing rules. Both thermodynamic models were able to satisfactorily correlate the phase behavior of the systems investigated and the PR-WS presented the best performance.

Significance of HbA1c and its measurement in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus: US experience

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Juarez DT

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Deborah Taira Juarez, Kendra M Demaris, Roy Goo, Christina Louise Mnatzaganian, Helen Wong SmithDaniel K Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Honolulu, HI, USAAbstract: The 2014 American Diabetes Association guidelines denote four means of diagnosing diabetes. The first of these is a glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c >6.5%. This literature review summarizes studies (n=47 in the USA examining the significance, strengths, and limitations of using HbA1c as a diagnostic tool for diabetes, relative to other available means. Due to the relatively recent adoption of HbA1c as a diabetes mellitus diagnostic tool, a hybrid systematic, truncated review of the literature was implemented. Based on these studies, we conclude that HbA1c screening for diabetes has been found to be convenient and effective in diagnosing diabetes. HbA1c screening is particularly helpful in community-based and acute care settings where tests requiring fasting are not practical. Using HbA1c to diagnose diabetes also has some limitations. For instance, HbA1c testing may underestimate the prevalence of diabetes, particularly among whites. Because this bias differs by racial group, prevalence and resulting estimates of health disparities based on HbA1c screening differ from those based on other methods of diagnosis. In addition, existing evidence suggests that HbA1c screening may not be valid in certain subgroups, such as children, women with gestational diabetes, patients with human immunodeficiency virus, and those with prediabetes. Further guidelines are needed to clarify the appropriate use of HbA1c screening in these populations.Keywords: diabetes mellitus, diagnosis, glycosylated hemoglobin, USA

2K09 and thereafter : the coming era of integrative bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing for functional genomics and personalized medicine research

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Significant interest exists in establishing synergistic research in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. Supported by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (http://www.ISIBM.org), International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (IJCBDD) and International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine, the ISIBM International Joint Conferences on Bioinformatics, Systems Biology and Intelligent Computing (ISIBM IJCBS 2009) attracted more than 300 papers and 400 researchers and medical doctors world-wide. It was the only inter/multidisciplinary conference aimed to promote synergistic research and education in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. The conference committee was very grateful for the valuable advice and suggestions from honorary chairs, steering committee members and scientific leaders including Dr. Michael S. Waterman (USC, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Chih-Ming Ho (UCLA, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Academician of Academia Sinica), Dr. Wing H. Wong (Stanford, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Ruzena Bajcsy (UC Berkeley, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Member of United States Institute of Medicine of the National Academies), Dr. Mary Qu Yang (United States National Institutes of Health and Oak Ridge, DOE), Dr. Andrzej Niemierko (Harvard), Dr. A. Keith Dunker (Indiana), Dr. Brian D. Athey (Michigan), Dr. Weida Tong (FDA, United States Department of Health and Human Services), Dr. Cathy H. Wu (Georgetown), Dr. Dong Xu (Missouri), Drs. Arif Ghafoor and Okan K Ersoy (Purdue), Dr. Mark Borodovsky (Georgia Tech, President of ISIBM), Dr. Hamid R. Arabnia (UGA, Vice-President of ISIBM), and other scientific leaders. The committee presented the 2009 ISIBM Outstanding Achievement Awards to Dr. Joydeep Ghosh (UT

Spontaneous Adverse Event Reports Associated with Zolpidem in the United States 2003–2012

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Wong, Carmen K.; Marshall, Nathaniel S.; Grunstein, Ronald R.; Ho, Samuel S.; Fois, Romano A.; Hibbs, David E.; Hanrahan, Jane R.; Saini, Bandana

2017-01-01

Study Objectives: Stimulated reporting occurs when patients and healthcare professionals are influenced or “stimulated” by media publicity to report specific drug-related adverse reactions, significantly biasing pharmacovigilance analyses. Among countries where the non-benzodiazepine hypnotic drug zolpidem is marketed, the United States experienced a comparable surge of media reporting during 2006–2009 linking the above drug with the development of complex neuropsychiatric sleep-related behaviors. However, the effect of this stimulated reporting in the United States Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System has not been explored. Methods: Using disproportionality analyses, reporting odds ratios for zolpidem exposure and the following adverse events; parasomnia, movement-based parasomnia, nonmovement-based parasomnia, amnesia, hallucination, and suicidality were determined and compared to all other medications in the database, followed by specific comparison to the benzodiazepine hypnotic class, year-by-year from 2003 to 2012. Results: Odds ratios were increased significantly during and after the period of media publicity for parasomnias, movement-based parasomnias, amnesias and hallucinations. We also observed that zolpidem adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports have higher odds for parasomnias, movement-based parasomnias, amnesias, hallucinations, and suicidality compared to all other drugs, even before the media publicity cluster. Conclusions: Although our results indicate that zolpidem reports have higher odds for the ADR of interest even before the media publicity cluster, negative media coverage greatly exacerbated the reporting of these adverse reactions. The effect of such reporting must be borne in mind when decisions around drugs which have been the subject of intense media publicity are made by health professionals or regulatory bodies. Citation: Wong CK, Marshall NS, Grunstein RR, Ho SS, Fois RA, Hibbs DE, Hanrahan JR, Saini B

Liver Stiffness Evaluation by Transient Elastography in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Ultrasound-proven Steatosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sporea, Ioan; Mare, Ruxandra; Lupușoru, Raluca; Sima, Alexandra; Sirli, Roxana; Popescu, Alina; Timar, Romulus

2016-06-01

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. The aim of our study was to evaluate a population of diabetic patients regarding the severity of liver steatosis and liver fibrosis. The study included 392 type 2 diabetic patients prospectively randomized, evaluated in the same session by transabdominal ultrasound to assess steatosis and by liver elastography to assess fibrosis (Transient Elastography - TE, FibroScan, EchoSens). Steatosis severity was graded using a semi-quantitative scale (S0-no steatosis; S1-mild steatosis; S2-moderate steatosis; S3-severe steatosis). For differentiation between stages of liver fibrosis, the following cut-off values were used (Wong et al., 2010): F2-F3: 7-10.2kPa, F4>/=10.3 kPa. Reliable elastographic measurements were obtained in 76% (298/392) patients. By using the proposed cut-off values, significant fibrosis (F2-F3) was found in 18.8% (56) patients with steatosis, while 13.8% (41) had cirrhosis (F4). Significant fibrosis (F2-F3) was found in 20.4% (20/98) of the patients with S1, in 18.6% (22/118) of those with S2 and in 31.8% (14/44) of those with S3, while cirrhosis (F4) was diagnosed in 7.1% (7/98) patients with S1, in 20.3% (24/118) of those with S2 and in 22.7% (10/44) of those with S3. Liver steatosis diagnosed by ultrasound is very frequently found in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, more than half of them having moderate/severe steatosis. A significant liver stiffness increase was found in more than 30% of these patients. Liver stiffness assessment in type 2 diabetic patients should be performed systematically to identify those with significant liver fibrosis.

Development and evaluation of pH-responsive single-walled carbon nanotube-doxorubicin complexes in cancer cells

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Gu YJ

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Yan-Juan Gu1,2,*, Jinping Cheng2,*, Jiefu Jin3, Shuk Han Cheng2, Wing-Tak Wong11Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2Department of Biology and Chemistry, The City University of Hong Kong, 3Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs have been identified as an efficient drug carrier. Here a controlled drug-delivery system based on SWNTs coated with doxorubicin (DOX through hydrazone bonds was developed, because the hydrazone bond is more sensitive to tumor microenvironments than other covalent linkers. The SWNTs were firstly stabilized with polyethylene glycol (H2N-PEG-NH2. Hydrazinobenzoic acid (HBA was then covalently attached on SWNTs via carbodiimide-activated coupling reaction to form hydrazine-modified SWNTs. The anticancer drug DOX was conjugated to the HBA segments of SWNT using hydrazine as the linker. The resulting hydrazone bonds formed between the DOX molecules and the HBA segments of SWNTs are acid cleavable, thereby providing a strong pH-responsive drug release, which may facilitate effective DOX release near the acidic tumor microenvironment and thus reduce its overall systemic toxicity. The DOX-loaded SWNTs were efficiently taken up by HepG2 tumor cells, and DOX was released intracellularly, as revealed by MTT assay and confocal microscope observations. Compared with SWNT-DOX conjugate formed by supramolecular interaction, the SWNT-HBA-DOX featured high weight loading and prolonged release of DOX, and thus improved its cytotoxicity against cancer cells. This study suggests that while SWNTs have great potential as a drug carrier, the efficient formulation strategy requires further study.Keywords: carbon nanotubes, drug delivery, controlled release, SWNTs

Dependency on de novo protein synthesis and proteomic changes during metamorphosis of the marine bryozoan Bugula neritina

KAUST Repository

Wong, Yue Him

2010-05-24

proteins in the morphogenetic rearrangement of B. neritina. 2010 Wong et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Large-eddy simulation of stratified atmospheric flows with the CFD code Code-Saturne

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dall'Ozzo, Cedric

2013-01-01

Large-eddy simulation (LES) of the physical processes in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) remains a complex subject. LES models have difficulties to capture the evolution of the turbulence in different conditions of stratification. Consequently, LES of the whole diurnal cycle of the ABL including convective situations in daytime and stable situations in the nighttime is seldom documented. The simulation of the stable atmospheric boundary layer which is characterized by small eddies and by weak and sporadic turbulence is especially difficult. Therefore The LES ability to well reproduce real meteorological conditions, particularly in stable situations, is studied with the CFD code developed by EDF R and D, Code-Saturne. The first study consist in validate LES on a quasi-steady state convective case with homogeneous terrain. The influence of the sub-grid-scale models (Smagorinsky model, Germano-Lilly model, Wong-Lilly model and Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-viscosity model) and the sensitivity to the parametrization method on the mean fields, flux and variances are discussed. In a second study, the diurnal cycle of the ABL during Wangara experiment is simulated. The deviation from the measurement is weak during the day, so this work is focused on the difficulties met during the night to simulate the stable atmospheric boundary layer. The impact of the different sub-grid-scale models and the sensitivity to the Smagorinsky constant are been analysed. By coupling radiative forcing with LES, the consequences of infra-red and solar radiation on the nocturnal low level jet and on thermal gradient, close to the surface, are exposed. More, enhancement of the domain resolution to the turbulence intensity and the strong atmospheric stability during the Wangara experiment are analysed. Finally, a study of the numerical oscillations inherent to Code-Saturne is realized in order to decrease their effects. (author) [fr

Host range and reproductive output of Diachasmimorpha kraussii (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of tephritid fruit flies newly imported to Hawaii

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messing, R.H.; Ramadan, M.M.

2000-01-01

Four exotic tephritid fruit fly pests have colonised the Hawaiian islands over the past 100 years, where they have become major pests infesting hundreds of horticultural crops. The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), melon fly, B. cucurbitae (Coquillett), and Solanaceous fruit fly, B. latifrons (Hendel) are considered among the major obstacles to the development of a more robust agricultural economy in the state of Hawaii. Furthermore, the flies pose a continuous threat to agriculture in California and other areas in the southern United States, where it has been estimated that the establishment of the Medfly alone would result in losses of over one billion dollars annually (Andrew et al. 1978). Entomologists in Hawaii have conducted a number of classical biological control programmes against these tephritid pests over the years, resulting in the establishment of several parasitoid species and partial control of the flies in some crops (see reviews in Clausen et al. 1965, Wharton 1989). However, these programmes were conducted before the invasion of the state by the Solanaceous fruit fly; thus, there have been no biocontrol programmes targeted against this pest. Also, several entomologists have pointed out the potential of improved control over the other tephritid species in Hawaii by introducing new natural enemies (Gilstrap and Hart 1987, Messing 1995, Steck et al. 1986, Wharton 1989, Wong and Ramadan 1992). We have therefore renewed efforts to import parasitoids from tropical and sub-tropical areas around the world to attack tephritid fruit flies in Hawaii. As part of this effort, we imported Diachasmimorpha kraussii Fullaway from Queensland, Australia, where it is an endemic parasitoid of Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) and several other endemic Australian tephritids. This paper reports the results of initial host range tests and studies on the reproductive output of D. kraussii in quarantine

A systematic review of nonsurgical single-visit versus multiple-visit endodontic treatment

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Wong AWY

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Amy WY Wong, Chengfei Zhang, Chun-hung Chu Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China Abstract: Conventional endodontic treatment used to require multiple visits, but some clinicians have suggested that single-visit treatment is superior. Single-visit endodontic treatment and multiple-visit endodontic treatment both have their advantages and disadvantages. This paper is a literature review of the research on nonsurgical single-visit versus multiple-visit endodontic treatment. The PubMed database was searched using the keywords (endodontic treatment OR endodontic therapy OR root canal treatment OR root canal therapy AND (single-visit OR one-visit OR 1-visit. Review papers, case reports, data studies, and irrelevant reports were excluded, and 47 papers on clinical trials were reviewed. The studies generally had small sample sizes, and the endodontic procedures varied among the studies. Meta-analysis on the selected studies was performed, and the results showed that the postoperative complications of the single-visit and multiple-visit endodontic treatment were similar. Furthermore, neither single-visit endodontic treatment nor multiple-visit treatment had superior results over the other in terms of healing or success rate. Results of limited studies on disinfection of the root canals using low-energy laser photodynamic therapy is inconclusive, and further studies are necessary to show whether laser should be used in endodontic treatment. This review also found that that neither single-visit endodontic treatment nor multiple-visit treatment could guarantee the absence of postoperative pain. Since the study design of many studies displayed significant limitation and the materials and equipment used in endodontic treatment have dramatically changed in recent years, prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to further verify the postoperative pain and success rates of

Purification and in vitro antioxidant activities of tellurium-containing phycobiliproteins from tellurium-enriched Spirulina platensis

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Yang F

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Fang Yang,1 Ka-Hing Wong,2 Yufeng Yang,3 Xiaoling Li,1 Jie Jiang,1 Wenjie Zheng,1 Hualian Wu,1 Tianfeng Chen1 1Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 3Institute of Hydrobiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Tellurium-containing phycocyanin (Te-PC and allophycocyanin (Te-APC, two organic tellurium (Te species, were purified from tellurium-enriched Spirulina platensis by a fast protein liquid chromatographic method. It was found that the incorporation of Te into the peptides enhanced the antioxidant activities of both phycobiliproteins. With fractionation by ammonium sulfate precipitation and hydroxylapatite chromatography, Te-PC and Te-APC could be effectively separated with high purity, and Te concentrations were 611.1 and 625.3 µg g-1 protein in Te-PC and Te-APC, respectively. The subunits in the proteins were identified by using MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry. Te incorporation enhanced the antioxidant activities of both phycobiliproteins, as examined by 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid assay. Moreover, Te-PC and Te-APC showed dose-dependent protection on erythrocytes against the water-soluble free radical initiator 2,2'-azo(2-asmidinopropanedihydrochloride-induced hemolysis. In the hepatoprotective model, apoptotic cell death and nuclear condensation induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in HepG2 cells was significantly attenuated by Te-PC and Te-APC. Taken together, these results suggest that Te-PC and Te-APC are promising Te-containing proteins with application potential for treatment of diseases related to oxidative stress. Keywords: tellurium, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, purification, antioxidant activity

Short-term complementary and alternative medicine on quality of life in women with fibromyalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Paulo Araujo; Guimarães, André Brito Bastos; Albuquerque, Andrea de Oliveira; de Oliveira, Karoline Lucas; Cavalcante, Maria Luzete Costa; Guimarães, Sergio Botelho

2016-01-01

Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a syndrome characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain, whose etiology is not completely understood. Different therapeutic approaches have been used with inconsistent results. This observation does not invalidate the continued search for alternative treatments aimed at improving quality of life (QoL) in FMS. This study compared three classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies: acupuncture (AC), electroacupuncture (EAC) and moxibustion (MX) in the management of pain and promotion of QoL in FMS patients. A preliminary, group-assigned, comparative study enrolled 30 women, mean age (46.90±9.24) years (range 20-60 years), who met the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for FMS diagnosis and a pain-pressure threshold (PPT) < 4 kg/cm(2). The study was conducted in a teaching tertiary-care medical institution from May 2010 through April 2012. AC, EAC and MX were delivered for 30 min, once a week, for 8 weeks, bilaterally at Neiguan (PC6), Hegu (LI4), Yanglingquan (GB34), Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Taichong (LR3) acupoints. Each week, immediately before treatment and after treatment, subjects were tested for PPTs, Wong-Baker Faces Pain Scale (WBFPS; for pain intensity) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36: for QoL). There was no significant improvement in pain or reduction of tender points in any of the groups studied, at the end of the 8th session. Significant improvement of QoL was perceived in vitality (after AC treatment) and in mental health (after EAC and MX treatments). TCM therapies (AC, EAC and MX) promoted an improvement in the QoL in two areas (vitality and mental health) in FMS women. Further large-scale clinical trials are required to confirm this effect.

A statistical analysis of North East Atlantic (submicron aerosol size distributions

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M. Dall'Osto

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The Global Atmospheric Watch research station at Mace Head (Ireland offers the possibility to sample some of the cleanest air masses being imported into Europe as well as some of the most polluted being exported out of Europe. We present a statistical cluster analysis of the physical characteristics of aerosol size distributions in air ranging from the cleanest to the most polluted for the year 2008. Data coverage achieved was 75% throughout the year. By applying the Hartigan-Wong k-Means method, 12 clusters were identified as systematically occurring. These 12 clusters could be further combined into 4 categories with similar characteristics, namely: coastal nucleation category (occurring 21.3 % of the time, open ocean nucleation category (occurring 32.6% of the time, background clean marine category (occurring 26.1% of the time and anthropogenic category (occurring 20% of the time aerosol size distributions. The coastal nucleation category is characterised by a clear and dominant nucleation mode at sizes less than 10 nm while the open ocean nucleation category is characterised by a dominant Aitken mode between 15 nm and 50 nm. The background clean marine aerosol exhibited a clear bimodality in the sub-micron size distribution, with although it should be noted that either the Aitken mode or the accumulation mode may dominate the number concentration. However, peculiar background clean marine size distributions with coarser accumulation modes are also observed during winter months. By contrast, the continentally-influenced size distributions are generally more monomodal (accumulation, albeit with traces of bimodality. The open ocean category occurs more often during May, June and July, corresponding with the North East (NE Atlantic high biological period. Combined with the relatively high percentage frequency of occurrence (32.6%, this suggests that the marine biota is an important source of new nano aerosol particles in NE Atlantic Air.

Emotional intelligence, emotional labor, and job satisfaction among physicians in Greece

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Psilopanagioti Aristea

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is increasing evidence that psychological constructs, such as emotional intelligence and emotional labor, play an important role in various organizational outcomes in service sector. Recently, in the “emotionally charged” healthcare field, emotional intelligence and emotional labor have both emerged as research tools, rather than just as theoretical concepts, influencing various organizational parameters including job satisfaction. The present study aimed at investigating the relationships, direct and/or indirect, between emotional intelligence, the surface acting component of emotional labor, and job satisfaction in medical staff working in tertiary healthcare. Methods Data were collected from 130 physicians in Greece, who completed a series of self-report questionnaires including: a the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, which assessed the four dimensions of emotional intelligence, i.e. Self-Emotion Appraisal, Others’ Emotion Appraisal, Use of Emotion, and Regulation of Emotion, b the General Index of Job Satisfaction, and c the Dutch Questionnaire on Emotional Labor (surface acting component. Results Emotional intelligence (Use of Emotion dimension was significantly and positively correlated with job satisfaction (r=.42, p, whereas a significant negative correlation between surface acting and job satisfaction was observed (r=−.39, p. Furthermore, Self-Emotion Appraisal was negatively correlated with surface acting (r=−.20, p. Self-Emotion Appraisal was found to influence job satisfaction both directly and indirectly through surface acting, while this indirect effect was moderated by gender. Apart from its mediating role, surface acting was also a moderator of the emotional intelligence-job satisfaction relationship. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that surface acting could predict job satisfaction over and above emotional intelligence dimensions. Conclusions The results of the present

Effectiveness of audiovisual distraction eyewear and computerized delivery of anesthesia during pulp therapy of primary molars in phobic child patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Fakhruddin, Kausar Sadia; El Batawi, Hisham; Gorduysus, Mehmet Omer

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of audiovisual distraction technique with video eyewear and computerized delivery system-intrasulcular (CDS-IS) during the application of local anesthetic in phobic pediatric patients undergoing pulp therapy of primary molars. This randomized, crossover clinical study includes 60 children, aged between 4 and 7-year-old (31 boys and 29 girls). Children were randomly distributed equally into two groups as A and B. This study involved two treatment sessions of pulp therapy, 1-week apart. During treatment session I, group A had an audiovisual distraction with video eyewear, whereas group B had audiovisual distraction using projector display only without video eyewear. During treatment session II, group A had undergone pulp therapy without video eyewear distraction, whereas group B had the pulp treatment using video eyewear distraction. Each session involved the pulp therapy of equivalent teeth in the opposite sides of the mouth. At each visit scores on the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS) (f) were used to evaluate the level of anxiety before treatment. After the procedure, children were instructed to rate their pain during treatment on the Wong Bakers' faces pain scale. Changes in pulse oximeter and heart rate were recorded in every 10 min. From preoperative treatment session I (with video eyewear) to preoperative treatment session II (without video eyewear) for the MCDAS (f), a significant (P > 0.03) change in the mean anxiety score was observed for group A. Self-reported mean pain score decreases dramatically after treatment sessions' with video eyewear for both groups. The use of audiovisual distraction with video eyewear and the use of CDS-IS system for anesthetic delivery was demonstrated to be effective in improving children's cooperation, than routine psychological interventions and is, therefore, highly recommended as an effective behavior management technique for long invasive procedures of pulp

ELECTRON IRRADIATION AND THERMAL PROCESSING OF MIXED-ICES OF POTENTIAL RELEVANCE TO JUPITER TROJAN ASTEROIDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahjoub, Ahmed; Poston, Michael J.; Hand, Kevin P.; Hodyss, Robert; Blacksberg, Jordana; Carlson, Robert W.; Ehlmann, Bethany L.; Choukroun, Mathieu; Brown, Michael E.; Eiler, John M.

2016-01-01

In this work we explore the chemistry that occurs during the irradiation of ice mixtures on planetary surfaces, with the goal of linking the presence of specific chemical compounds to their formation locations in the solar system and subsequent processing by later migration inward. We focus on the outer solar system and the chemical differences for ice mixtures inside and outside the stability line for H 2 S. We perform a set of experiments to explore the hypothesis advanced by Wong and Brown that links the color bimodality in Jupiter's Trojans to the presence of H 2 S in the surface of their precursors. Non-thermal (10 keV electron irradiation) and thermally driven chemistry of CH 3 OH–NH 3 –H 2 O (“without H 2 S”) and H 2 S–CH 3 OH–NH 3 –H 2 O (“with H 2 S”) ices were examined. Mid-IR analyses of ice and mass spectrometry monitoring of the volatiles released during heating show a rich chemistry in both of the ice mixtures. The “with H 2 S” mixture experiment shows a rapid consumption of H 2 S molecules and production of OCS molecules after a few hours of irradiation. The heating of the irradiated “with H 2 S” mixture to temperatures above 120 K leads to the appearance of new infrared bands that we provisionally assign to SO 2 and CS. We show that radiolysis products are stable under the temperature and irradiation conditions of Jupiter Trojan asteroids. This makes them suitable target molecules for potential future missions as well as telescope observations with a high signal-to-noise ratio. We also suggest the consideration of sulfur chemistry in the theoretical modeling aimed at understanding the chemical composition of Trojans and KOBs

Silent and suffering: a pilot study exploring gaps between theory and practice in pain management for people with severe dementia in residential aged care facilities

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Peisah C

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Carmelle Peisah,1–3 Judith Weaver,1 Lisa Wong,1 Julie-Anne Strukovski1 1Behaviour Assessment Management Service, Specialist Mental Health Services for Older People, Mental Health Drug and Alcohol, Northern Sydney Local Health District, 2University of Sydney, 3University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia Background: Pain is common in older people, particularly those in residential aged care facilities (RACF and those with dementia. However, despite 20 years of discourse on pain and dementia, pain is still undetected or misinterpreted in people with dementia in residential aged care facilities, particularly those with communication difficulties. Methods: A topical survey typology with semistructured interviews was used to gather attitudes and experiences of staff from 15 RACF across Northern Sydney Local Health District. Results: While pain is proactively assessed and pain charts are used in RACF, this is more often regulatory-driven than patient-driven (eg, prior to accreditation. Identification of pain and need for pain relief was ill defined and poorly understood. Both pharmacological and nonpharmacological regimes were used, but in an ad hoc, variable and unsystematic manner, with patient, staff, and attitudinal obstacles between the experience of pain and its relief.Conclusion: A laborious “pain communication chain” exists between the experience of pain and its relief for people with severe dementia within RACF. Given the salience of pain for older people with dementia, we recommend early, proactive consideration and management of pain in the approach to behaviors of concern. Individualized pain measures for such residents; empowerment of nursing staff as “needs interpreters”; collaborative partnerships with common care goals between patients where possible; RACF staff, doctors, and family carers; and more meaningful use of pain charts to map response to stepped pain protocols may be useful strategies to explore in clinical settings

Failure to replicate the internal structure of Greek-specific thalassemia quality of life instrument in adult thalassemia patients in Sabah

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Keowmani T

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Thamron Keowmani,1 Lily Wong Lee Lee21Clinical Research Centre, 2Hematology Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, MalaysiaPurpose: To study the validity and reliability of the Malay version of the Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument (STQOLI in Sabah’s adult thalassemia patients.Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was done at Thalassemia Treatment Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Sabah, Malaysia. Eighty-two adult thalassemia patients who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were conveniently selected for participation in the study. The English version of STQOLI was translated into Malay by using forward and back translations. The content of the questionnaire was validated by the chief hematologist of the hospital. The construct validity of the 40-item questionnaire was assessed by principal component analysis with varimax rotation and the scale reliability was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha.Results: The study failed to replicate the internal structure of the Greek STQOLI. Instead, 12 factors have been identified from the exploratory factor analysis, which accounted for 72.2% of the variance. However, only eight factors were interpretable. The factors were iron chelation pump impact, transfusion impact, time spent on treatment and its impact on work and social life, sex life, side effects of treatment, cardiovascular problems, psychology, and iron chelation pill impact. The overall scale reliability was 0.913.Conclusion: This study was unable to replicate the internal structure of the Greek STQOLI in Sabah’s adult thalassemia patients. Instead, a new structure has emerged that can be used as a guide to develop a questionnaire specific for adult thalassemia patients in Sabah. Future research should focus on the eight factors identified from this study.Keywords: STQOLI, validity, reliability, Malay, transfusion

Association between assisted reproductive technology and advanced retinopathy of prematurity

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RV Paul Chan

2010-11-01

Full Text Available RV Paul Chan1, Yoshihiro Yonekawa1, Margaux A Morrison2,3, Grace Sun1, Ryan K Wong1, Jeffrey M Perlman4, Michael F Chiang5,6, Thomas C Lee7, M Elizabeth Hartnett3, Margaret M DeAngelis2,31Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York; 2Ocular Molecular Genetics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; 3University of Utah School of Medicine, Moran Eye Center, Salt Lake City, Utah; 4Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York; Departments of 5Ophthalmology and 6Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York; 7The Vision Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, California, USAPurpose: To investigate the associations between assisted reproductive technology (ART and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP requiring treatment. Methods: Retrospective analyses of inborn preterm infants screened for severe ROP at the Weill Cornell Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital by single factor logistic regression and multifactor models.Results: Of 399 ethnically diverse infants, 253 were conceived naturally and 146 by ART. Eight (3.16% patients conceived naturally, and 11 (7.53% with ART required laser treatment. In multifactor analyses, significant risks for severe ROP requiring treatment included both gestational age (odds ratio [OR] 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23–0.52; P< 0.001 and ART ([OR] 4.70; [CI], 1.52–4.57; P = 0.007.Conclusions: ART is associated with severe ROP requiring treatment in this cohort. This is the first report that demonstrates a statistically significant association between ART and severe ROP requiring treatment in infants in the US.Keywords: retinopathy of prematurity, low birth rate, blindness, assisted reproductive technology

Modulation of the interaction between human P450 3A4 and B. megaterium reductase via engineered loops.

Science.gov (United States)

Castrignanò, Silvia; D'Avino, Serena; Di Nardo, Giovanna; Catucci, Gianluca; Sadeghi, Sheila J; Gilardi, Gianfranco

2018-01-01

Chimerogenesis involving cytochromes P450 is a successful approach to generate catalytically self-sufficient enzymes. However, the connection between the different functional modules should allow a certain degree of flexibility in order to obtain functional and catalytically efficient proteins. We previously applied the molecular Lego approach to develop a chimeric P450 3A4 enzyme linked to the reductase domain of P450 BM3 (BMR). Three constructs were designed with the connecting loop containing no glycine, 3 glycine or 5 glycine residues and showed a different catalytic activity and coupling efficiency. Here we investigate how the linker affects the ability of P450 3A4 to bind substrates and inhibitors. We measure the electron transfer rates and the catalytic properties of the enzyme also in the presence of ketoconazole as inhibitor. The data show that the construct 3A4-5GLY-BMR with the longest loop better retains the binding ability and cooperativity for testosterone, compared to P450 3A4. In both 3A4-3GLY-BMR and 3A4-5GLY-BMR, the substrate induces an increase in the first electron transfer rate and a shorter lag phase related to a domain rearrangements, when compared to the construct without Gly. These data are consistent with docking results and secondary structure predictions showing a propensity to form helical structures in the loop of the 3A4-BMR and 3A4-3GLY-BMR. All three chimeras retain the ability to bind the inhibitor ketoconazole and show an IC 50 comparable with those reported for the wild type protein. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography as an effective screening test for hydroxychloroquine retinopathy (the “flying saucer” sign

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric Chen

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Eric Chen, David M Brown, Matthew S Benz, Richard H Fish, Tien P Wong, Rosa Y Kim, James C MajorRetina Consultants of Houston, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USAPurpose: While the long-term incidence of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ retinopathy is low, there remains no definitive clinical screening test to recognize HCQ toxicity before ophthalmoscopic fundus changes or visual symptoms. Patients receiving HCQ were evaluated with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT to assess the feasibility of identifying HCQ retinopathy at an early stage.Methods: Twenty-five patients referred for the evaluation of hydroxychloroquine toxicity underwent a comprehensive ocular examination, Humphrey visual field (HVF perimetry, time domain OCT, and SD OCT. Some patients with screening abnormalities also underwent further diagnostic testing at the discretion of the treating providers.Results: Five patients were found to have SD OCT findings corresponding to HCQ toxicity and retinal damage as seen by clinical exam and/or HVF perimetry. Two patients with advanced toxicity were found to have significant outer retina disruption in the macula on SD OCT. Three patients with early HCQ toxicity and HVF 10-2 perifoveal defects were found to have loss of the perifoveal photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS junction with intact outer retina directly under the fovea, creating the “flying saucer” sign. While two of these three patients had early ophthalmoscopic fundus changes, one had none.Conclusion: Outer retinal abnormalities including perifoveal photoreceptor IS/OS junction disruption can be identified by SD OCT in early HCQ toxicity, sometimes even before ophthalmoscopic fundus changes are apparent. SD OCT may have a potential complementary role in screening for HCQ retinopathy due to its quick acquisition and because it is more objective than automated perimetry.Keywords: drug toxicity, hydroxychloroquine, photoreceptors, screening test

3D Printed Surgical Instruments Evaluated by a Simulated Crew of a Mars Mission.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Julielynn Y; Pfahnl, Andreas C

2016-09-01

The first space-based fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer became operational in 2014. This study evaluated whether Mars simulation crewmembers of the Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) II mission with no prior surgical experience could utilize acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic surgical instruments FDM 3D printed on Earth to complete simulated surgical tasks. This study sought to examine the feasibility of using 3D printed surgical tools when the primary crew medical officer is incapacitated and the back-up crew medical officer must conduct a surgical procedure during a simulated extended space mission. During a 4 mo duration ground-based analog mission, five simulation crewmembers with no prior surgical experience completed 16 timed sets of simulated prepping, draping, incising, and suturing tasks to evaluate the relative speed of using four ABS thermoplastic instruments printed on Earth compared to conventional instruments. All four simulated surgical tasks were successfully performed using 3D printed instruments by Mars simulation crewmembers with no prior surgical experience. There was no substantial difference in time to completion of simulated tasks with control vs. 3D printed sponge stick, towel clamp, scalpel handle, and toothed forceps. These limited findings support further investigation into the creation of an onboard digital catalog of validated 3D printable surgical instrument design files to support autonomous, crew-administered healthcare on Mars missions. Future work could include addressing sterility, biocompatibility, and having astronaut crew medical officers test a wider range of surgical instruments printed in microgravity during actual surgical procedures. Wong JY, Pfahnl AC. 3D printed surgical instruments evaluated by a simulated crew of a Mars mission. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(9):806-810.

Long-term results of oral valganciclovir for treatment of anterior segment inflammation secondary to cytomegalovirus infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wong VW

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Victoria WY Wong, Carmen KM Chan, Dexter YL Leung, Timothy YY LaiDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Hong Kong, People's Republic of ChinaBackground: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of oral valganciclovir in the treatment of anterior segment inflammation caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV infection.Methods: Consecutive patients with anterior segment inflammation due to CMV causing anterior uveitis or corneal endotheliitis treated with oral valganciclovir were reviewed. Diagnosis of CMV infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction of the aqueous aspirate prior to commencement of oral valganciclovir. All patients were treated with an oral loading dose of 900 mg valganciclovir twice daily for at least 2 weeks, followed by an additional 450 mg valganciclovir twice-daily maintenance therapy. Changes in visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP, use of antiglaucomatous eye drops, and recurrence were analyzed.Results: Thirteen eyes of 11 patients were followed for a mean of 17.2 months. Two patients had bilateral corneal endotheliitis. All eyes had absence of anterior segment inflammation within 3 weeks after treatment. Following treatment, the mean logMAR visual acuity improved significantly from 0.58 at baseline to 0.37 at the last follow-up (P = 0.048. The mean IOP and number of antiglaucomatous eye drops also decreased significantly (P = 0.021 and P = 0.004, respectively. Five (38.5% eyes had recurrence of anterior uveitis after valganciclovir was stopped and required retreatment with oral valganciclovir.Conclusion: Oral valganciclovir appeared to be effective in controlling CMV anterior uveitis, resulting in visual improvement and IOP reduction following control of inflammation. However, despite the initial clinical response in all cases, recurrence after cessation of oral valganciclovir could occur.Keywords: cytomegalovirus infection, inflammation

Lattice Boltzmann Study on Seawall-Break Flows under the Influence of Breach and Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Qiu-Ying; Zhang, Wen-Huan; Wang, Yi-Hang; Chen, Wen-Wen

2017-10-01

In the process of storm surge, the seawater often overflows and even destroys the seawall. The buildings near the shore are usually inundated by the seawater through the breach. However, at present, there is little study focusing on the effects of buildings and breach on the seawall-break flows. In this paper, the lattice Boltzmann (LB) model with nine velocities in two dimensions (D2Q9) for the shallow water equations is adopted to simulate the seawall-break flows. The flow patterns and water depth distributions for the seawall-break flows under various densities, layouts and shapes of buildings and different breach discharges, sizes and locations are investigated. It is found that when buildings with a high enough density are perpendicular to the main flow direction, an obvious backwater phenomenon appears near buildings while this phenomenon does not occur when buildings with the same density are parallel to the main flow direction. Moreover, it is observed that the occurrence of backwater phenomenon is independent of the building shape. As to the effects of breach on the seawall-break flows, it is found that only when the breach discharge is large enough or the breach size is small enough, the effects of asymmetric distribution of buildings on the seawall-break flows become important. The breach location only changes the flow pattern in the upstream area of the first building that seawater meets, but has little impact on the global water depth distribution. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 11502124, the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province under Grant No. LQ16A020001, the Scientific Research Fund of Zhejiang Provincial Education Department under Grant No. Y201533808, the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo under Grant No. 2016A610075, and is sponsored by K.C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University.

固体发酵豆粕、菜粕和棉粕的复合菌筛选%Choose Complex Bacterium and Fungus as Fermentation Microform on Soybean Meal, Rapeseed Meal and Cottonseed Meal

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

邓露芳; 范学珊; 王加启

2012-01-01

试验根据豆粕、菜粕和棉粕作为植物性蛋白饲料的营养特性,选择中性蛋白酶活较高的细菌和真菌作为发酵豆粕、菜粕和棉粕的菌种以改善豆粕、菜粕和棉粕的蛋白质品质.通过细菌和真菌的两两组合生长试验,分别筛选出适合发酵豆粕、菜粕和棉粕的最佳复合菌各一组.试验结果表明,发酵豆粕、菜粕和棉粕的最佳菌株组合为BS-2和Ao、BS-natto和Ao、BS-natto和Ao.%Based on nutrition characters on soybean meal, rapeseed meal and cotton seed meal, high neutral enzyme production of bacteria and fungus were chose to inoculate in them to improve their protein quality as animal feed. Compounded one bacterium strain and one fungus strain cultured together, chose the best group to ferment the soybean meal, rapeseed meal and cotton seed meal. The results showed the best groups were BS-2 and Ao for soybean meal, BS-natto and Ao for rapeseed meal, and BS-natto and Ao for cotton seed meal.

用多感官型分心装置缓解患儿伤口处理时疼痛的研究%Multimodal distraction to relieve pain in children undergoing acute medical procedures

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Kate Miller; Sylvia Rodger; Sam Bucolo; Xue-Qing WANG; Roy M Kim-ble

2009-01-01

Objective Non-pharmacological approaches to pain management have been used by therapists for decades to reduce the anxiety and pain experienced by children during burn care procedures. With a greater understanding of pain and the principles behind what causes a child to be distracted, com-bined with access to state of the art technology, we have developed an easy to use, hand held multimodal distraction device (MMD). MMD is an interactive device that prepares the child for a procedure and uses developmentally appropriate distraction stories and games during the procedures to alleviate anxiety and pain. This paper summarizes the results of three randomized control trials. The trials aimed to understand the effec-tiveness of MMD as a distraction and preparation tool in reducing anxiety and pain in children undergoing burns and non-burns medical procedures compared to pure pharmacological approaches Standard Distraction (SD) and off the shelf video games (VG). Methods Three separate prospective randomized control tri-als involving 182 children having 354 dressing changes were conducted in the burns and orthopedic depart-ments at Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, to address the above aims. Pain and anxiety scores were completed for the child, caregivcr and nursing staff according to the Modified Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability Scale, Faces Pain Scale-Revised, Visual Analogue Scale and Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale. Procedural length was recorded. Results MMD as a preparation and distraction tool were shown to have a significant impact on child, parent and nursing staff reported anxiety and pain daring proce-dures compared to standard care and video games (P<0.01). The MMD had a positive effect on clinical time and was shown to sustain its impact on pain and time with further dressing changes. Conclusions MMD is more effective in reducing the pain and anxiety experienced by children in acute medical procedures as compared with SD and VG

The Effect of Preintervention Preparation on Pain and Anxiety Related to Peripheral Cannulation Procedures in Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Tunç-Tuna, Pinar; Açikgoz, Ayfer

2015-12-01

This study was performed to determine the effect of several preintervention preparation practices on pain and anxiety related to the peripheral cannulation procedure in children ages 9-12 years. The study included 60 Turkish children (28 female, 32 male, randomly selected by lot), 30 of whom were included in the intervention group and 30 of whom were included in the control group. The children's demographic data were collected by a data collection form prepared by the researcher. The children in the intervention group read the training manual before peripheral cannulation, and the procedure was demonstrated on a teddy bear. Their level of pain was assessed using the Wong-Baker Faces Rating Scale, and their level of anxiety was determined by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, before and during the procedure in both groups. Results showed that while anxiety and pain scores increased during the actual procedure compared to the preparatory procedure in the control group (anxiety t = -4.957, pain Z(a) = -4.048), anxiety and pain scores decreased during the actual procedure in the intervention group compared to the preparatory procedure (anxiety t = 7.896, pain t = 6.196). When the pain and anxiety scores were examined, it was found that both anxiety and pain scores in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group. In conclusion, children in this study experienced pain and situational anxiety during peripheral cannulation, and this pain can be reduced by preparing the child in advance of the procedure. It is suggested that children should be informed about and able to practice the procedure on a toy or model before peripheral cannulation. Preparation of the children to painful procedures in accordance with their cognitive development can reduce anxiety and pain. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Arabidopsis thaliana proteome harbors undiscovered multi-domain molecules with functional guanylyl cyclase catalytic centers

KAUST Repository

Wong, Aloysius Tze

2013-07-08

and homeostasis, biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as cGMP-dependent responses to hormones. 2013 Wong and Gehring; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

SU-E-P-26: Oncospace: A Shared Radiation Oncology Database System Designed for Personalized Medicine, Decision Support, and Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowers, M; Robertson, S; Moore, J; Wong, J; DeWeese, T; McNutt, T [Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States); Phillips, M [Univ Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Hendrickson, K [University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Song, W; Kwok, P [Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, U of T, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2015-06-15

Consortium model: http://oncospace.radonc.jhmi.edu/ . John Wong - SRA from Elekta; Todd McNutt - SRA from Elekta; Michael Bowers - funded by Elekta.

Investigation of the shelf break and continental slope in the Western part of the Black Sea using acoustic methods

Science.gov (United States)

Dutu, F.; Ion, G.; Jugaru Tiron, L.

2009-04-01

The Black Sea is a large marginal sea surrounded by a system of Alpine orogenic chains, including the Balkanides-Pontides, Caucasus, Crimea and North Dobrogea located to the south, northeast, north and northwest, respectively (Dinu et al., 2005). The north-western part of the Black Sea is the main depocentre for sediment supply from Central Europe via the Danube River, but also from Eastern Europe through the Ukrainian rivers Dniepr, Dniestr and Southern Bug (Popescu et al., 2004). The shelfbreak is located at water depths of 120-140 m southward of the Danube Canyon, and up to 170 m northward of the canyon possibly due to recent faulting which is very common in this area. The continental slope is dissected by numerous canyons, each of which is fed by several tributaries. The Danube Canyon (also known as Viteaz Canyon) is a large shelf-indenting canyon located in the north-western Black Sea and connected to the youngest channel-levee system of the Danube Fan (Popescu et al., 2004). The acoustic methods are a useful way for investigate the shelf break and the continental slope giving us information about landslides on the continental slope, the topography of the investigated area, the sedimentary zones affected by instability and to quantify the geometry of the underwater landslides. The measurements made on the continental slope from north-western part of the Black Sea gave us the possibility to make a digital terrain model. After processing the data the model offer information about the main access ways of the sediments through gravitational slide on the submarines canyons, with forming of turbidity currents, debris flows and also other transport/transformation phenomena of the sediments on the continental slope like submarine landslides and submarine collapse. References Dinu, C., Wong, H.K., Tambrea, D., Matenco, L., 2005. Stratigraphic and structural characteristics of the Romanian Black Sea shelf. Tectonophysics 410, 417-435. Popescu, I., Lericolais, G., Panin

Random matrix theory for transition strengths: Applications and open questions

Science.gov (United States)

Kota, V. K. B.

2017-12-01

Embedded random matrix ensembles are generic models for describing statistical properties of finite isolated interacting quantum many-particle systems. A finite quantum system, induced by a transition operator, makes transitions from its states to the states of the same system or to those of another system. Examples are electromagnetic transitions (then the initial and final systems are same), nuclear beta and double beta decay (then the initial and final systems are different) and so on. Using embedded ensembles (EE), there are efforts to derive a good statistical theory for transition strengths. With m fermions (or bosons) in N mean-field single particle levels and interacting via two-body forces, we have with GOE embedding, the so called EGOE(1+2). Now, the transition strength density (transition strength multiplied by the density of states at the initial and final energies) is a convolution of the density generated by the mean-field one-body part with a bivariate spreading function due to the two-body interaction. Using the embedding U(N) algebra, it is established, for a variety of transition operators, that the spreading function, for sufficiently strong interactions, is close to a bivariate Gaussian. Also, as the interaction strength increases, the spreading function exhibits a transition from bivariate Breit-Wigner to bivariate Gaussian form. In appropriate limits, this EE theory reduces to the polynomial theory of Draayer, French and Wong on one hand and to the theory due to Flambaum and Izrailev for one-body transition operators on the other. Using spin-cutoff factors for projecting angular momentum, the theory is applied to nuclear matrix elements for neutrinoless double beta decay (NDBD). In this paper we will describe: (i) various developments in the EE theory for transition strengths; (ii) results for nuclear matrix elements for 130Te and 136Xe NDBD; (iii) important open questions in the current form of the EE theory.

ELECTRON IRRADIATION AND THERMAL PROCESSING OF MIXED-ICES OF POTENTIAL RELEVANCE TO JUPITER TROJAN ASTEROIDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahjoub, Ahmed; Poston, Michael J.; Hand, Kevin P.; Hodyss, Robert; Blacksberg, Jordana; Carlson, Robert W.; Ehlmann, Bethany L.; Choukroun, Mathieu [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Brown, Michael E.; Eiler, John M., E-mail: Mahjoub.Ahmed@jpl.nasa.gov [California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2016-04-01

In this work we explore the chemistry that occurs during the irradiation of ice mixtures on planetary surfaces, with the goal of linking the presence of specific chemical compounds to their formation locations in the solar system and subsequent processing by later migration inward. We focus on the outer solar system and the chemical differences for ice mixtures inside and outside the stability line for H{sub 2}S. We perform a set of experiments to explore the hypothesis advanced by Wong and Brown that links the color bimodality in Jupiter's Trojans to the presence of H{sub 2}S in the surface of their precursors. Non-thermal (10 keV electron irradiation) and thermally driven chemistry of CH{sub 3}OH–NH{sub 3}–H{sub 2}O (“without H{sub 2}S”) and H{sub 2}S–CH{sub 3}OH–NH{sub 3}–H{sub 2}O (“with H{sub 2}S”) ices were examined. Mid-IR analyses of ice and mass spectrometry monitoring of the volatiles released during heating show a rich chemistry in both of the ice mixtures. The “with H{sub 2}S” mixture experiment shows a rapid consumption of H{sub 2}S molecules and production of OCS molecules after a few hours of irradiation. The heating of the irradiated “with H{sub 2}S” mixture to temperatures above 120 K leads to the appearance of new infrared bands that we provisionally assign to SO{sub 2}and CS. We show that radiolysis products are stable under the temperature and irradiation conditions of Jupiter Trojan asteroids. This makes them suitable target molecules for potential future missions as well as telescope observations with a high signal-to-noise ratio. We also suggest the consideration of sulfur chemistry in the theoretical modeling aimed at understanding the chemical composition of Trojans and KOBs.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quantification of Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis in Symptomatic Subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siddarth Ragupathi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Low backache is a common condition to occur in the middle age. It is mainly caused by the degeneration of the intervertebral disc which forms the main support to the vertebral column. Lumbar spinal canal stenosis results in the compression of spinal cord and nerves at the level of lumbar vertebra. Aim: The purpose of this study is to measure the spinal canal dimensions and correlate with the clinical symptoms to establish a radiological criterion based on MRI for diagnosis of lumbar canal stenosis. This study is done to improve the diagnostic accuracy of lumbar spinal canal stenosis. Materials and Methods: Two hundred subjects with complaints of low backache without a traumatic history underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI after assessment of pain by two methods: 1. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI scoring and 2. Wong Baker Facial Expression scale. All the images were qualitatively analyzed to obtain the MRI grading for central canal at various levels from L1 to S1 vertebra after making sure that the neural foramina is not involved. Anteroposterior (AP and transverse diameter of spinal canal at intervertebral disc and upper part of vertebral body levels and spinal canal area are measurements that are taken. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis has been carried out in the present study. Results on continuous measurements are presented on mean±SD (min-max and results on categorical measurements are presented in number (%. Significance is assessed at 5% level of significance. Results: The spinal canal diameter measured along its AP and transverse direction is found to be correlating with the severity of low backache complained by the patient. Comparing the two methods of clinical assessment, ODI scoring was found to be more significant. Conclusion: The spinal canal measurements can be used as a radiologic criterion for diagnosis of acquired lumbar spinal canal stenosis. This will improve the diagnostic accuracy. However

SU-F-T-232: Monthly Quality Assurance in External Beam Radiation Therapy Using a Single System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, K [Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States); Ji, T [Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning (China); Iordachita, I [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States); Velarde, E; Hyatt, J; Wong, J

2016-06-15

Purpose: Monthly quality assurance (QA) is time consuming for external beam radiation therapy, taking as long as 6–8 hours for each machine. It is due to the use and setup of multiple devices for different QA procedures. We have developed a single system with rotational capability for the measurement of both optical light and radiation which significantly reduces the time spent on Monthly QA. Methods: A single system using mirrors, a phosphor screen and a CCD camera is housed on a cylindrical motor so that it can rotate 360 degrees. For monthly QA, the system is placed on the patient couch of the medical accelerator with the plane of the phosphor screen at isocenter for all measurements. For optical QA such as optical distance indicator, room laser and light field, the optical image is collected directly with the camera. For radiation QA such as beam profile, MLC speed, picket-fence test, collimator rotation, table rotation and gantry rotation, a brass build-up plate is attached to the top of the phosphor screen. Two brass plates with islands of different thickness were designed for photon energy and electron energy constancy checks. Flex map, distortion map and uniformity map were developed to calibrate the motor bearing, camera/lens distortion, and the phosphor screen’s measured response across the field. Results: Following the TG142 guidelines for monthly QA with our system, the overall run time is reduced from 6–8 hours to 1.5 hours. Our system’s rotating design allows for quick testing of the gantry radiation isocenter test that is also independent of the sag of the gantry and the EPID. Conclusion: Our system significantly shortens the time needed for monthly QA by unifying the tests with a single system. Future work will be focused on extending the technology to Brachytherapy, IMRT and proton therapy QAs. This work is funded in part by a sponsor research grant from JPLC who owns the Raven technology. John Wong is a co-founder of JPLC.

Discretization of convection-diffusion equations with finite-difference scheme derived from simplified analytical solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kriventsev, Vladimir

2000-09-01

Most of thermal hydraulic processes in nuclear engineering can be described by general convection-diffusion equations that are often can be simulated numerically with finite-difference method (FDM). An effective scheme for finite-difference discretization of such equations is presented in this report. The derivation of this scheme is based on analytical solutions of a simplified one-dimensional equation written for every control volume of the finite-difference mesh. These analytical solutions are constructed using linearized representations of both diffusion coefficient and source term. As a result, the Efficient Finite-Differencing (EFD) scheme makes it possible to significantly improve the accuracy of numerical method even using mesh systems with fewer grid nodes that, in turn, allows to speed-up numerical simulation. EFD has been carefully verified on the series of sample problems for which either analytical or very precise numerical solutions can be found. EFD has been compared with other popular FDM schemes including novel, accurate (as well as sophisticated) methods. Among the methods compared were well-known central difference scheme, upwind scheme, exponential differencing and hybrid schemes of Spalding. Also, newly developed finite-difference schemes, such as the the quadratic upstream (QUICK) scheme of Leonard, the locally analytic differencing (LOAD) scheme of Wong and Raithby, the flux-spline scheme proposed by Varejago and Patankar as well as the latest LENS discretization of Sakai have been compared. Detailed results of this comparison are given in this report. These tests have shown a high efficiency of the EFD scheme. For most of sample problems considered EFD has demonstrated the numerical error that appeared to be in orders of magnitude lower than that of other discretization methods. Or, in other words, EFD has predicted numerical solution with the same given numerical error but using much fewer grid nodes. In this report, the detailed

Nanomedicine for glaucoma: liposomes provide sustained release of latanoprost in the eye

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natarajan JV

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Jayaganesh V Natarajan1*, Marcus Ang2*, Anastasia Darwitan1, Sujay Chattopadhyay3, Tina T Wong2, Subbu S Venkatraman1 1Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; 2Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore; 3Polymer Division, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India*These authors contributed equally to this workPurpose: To report the development and therapeutic evaluation of a liposomal nanocarrier for sustained release of latanoprost, in the rabbit eye.Methods: We fabricated latanoprost-loaded egg-phosphatidylcholine (EggPC liposomes using the film hydration technique. The delivery vehicles were nano-sized (Z avg = 109 ± 18 nm, had a narrow poly dispersity index (PDI = 0.19 ± 0.04, and a very high loading efficiency (94% ± 5%. Based on in vitro data, we evaluated this formulation for lowering intraocular pressure (IOP in rabbit eyes. Following a single subconjunctival injection of the latanoprost loaded formulation, the eyes were clinically monitored and the IOP recorded.Results: Latanoprost-loaded EggPC liposomes demonstrated a high drug/lipid mole ratio of 0.181, remained stable for at least 6 months on storage (4°C, and at least 1 month at 25°C. A slow and sustained release of 60% of latanoprost was achieved by 14 days in the in vitro release study. The same formulation demonstrated a greater sustained IOP lowering effect compared with daily administration of topical latanoprost beyond 90 days (4.8 ± 1.5 vs 2.5 ± 0.9 mmHg; P < 0.001. No signs of inflammation were evident in the eyes from slit-lamp examination analysis.Conclusion: The loading required for a long-term sustained delivery of latanoprost for up to 90 days in the rabbit eyes was achieved with EggPC liposomes. A single injection of latanoprost-loaded EggPC liposomes can lower the IOP for up to 90 days, with a greater IOP lowering effect than daily topical administration of latanoprost.Keywords: nanomedicine, nanoliposomes, Egg

SU-E-P-26: Oncospace: A Shared Radiation Oncology Database System Designed for Personalized Medicine, Decision Support, and Research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowers, M; Robertson, S; Moore, J; Wong, J; DeWeese, T; McNutt, T; Phillips, M; Hendrickson, K; Song, W; Kwok, P

2015-01-01

Consortium model: http://oncospace.radonc.jhmi.edu/ . John Wong - SRA from Elekta; Todd McNutt - SRA from Elekta; Michael Bowers - funded by Elekta

Update on thromboprophylaxis in orthopedic surgery and critical appraisal of the role of enoxaparin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wong JM

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Jan Man Wong, Yoon Kong LokeNorwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United KingdomAbstract: Orthopedic surgery is considered one of the most prominent risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE, but the optimal strategy for thromboprophylaxis remains a debatable topic. Consistent and reliable definitions of clinically relevant VTE and major bleeds in orthopedic research are particularly contentious areas, resulting in uncertainty about the actual benefit–harm balance of available interventions. For the newer oral anticoagulants, short-term clinical trials in highly selected patients with asymptomatic VTE (from mandatory radiological screening must be supplemented by long-term efficacy and safety data in real-world settings (such as the Global Orthopedic Registry. The evidence gap leads to visible differences among recent recommendations from bodies such as the American College of Chest Physicians (2012, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (2011, and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, England (NICE, 2012. While thromboprophylaxis after hip and knee arthroplasty is clearly recommended by all three bodies, there is no consistent agreement on the optimal agent or the duration of prophylaxis. Differences in opinion stem from subjective judgments on the relative weighting given to asymptomatic as opposed to symptomatic VTE, and the impact of major bleeding. While the newer oral anticoagulants (such as rivaroxaban and apixaban seem to offer significant benefits compared to enoxaparin in the reduction of asymptomatic VTE, the data are limited by the paucity of symptomatic VTE and inconsistencies in capturing major bleeds. The lack of long-term experience in real world patients means that it is too early to judge whether the obvious convenience of newer oral anticoagulants will result in better patient adherence, safety, and quality of life as compared to enoxaparin. Further research should focus on clinically

Functionalized poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) bodies as new in vitro biocatalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenger, Benjamin; Gerber, Adrian; Bernhardt, Rita; Hannemann, Frank

2018-01-01

Cytochromes P450 play a key role in the drug and steroid metabolism in the human body. This leads to a high interest in this class of proteins. Mammalian cytochromes P450 are rather delicate. Due to their localization in the mitochondrial or microsomal membrane, they tend to aggregate during expression and purification and to convert to an inactive form so that they have to be purified and stored in complex buffers. The complex buffers and low storage temperatures, however, limit the feasibility of fast, automated screening of the corresponding cytochrome P450-effector interactions, which are necessary to study substrate-protein and inhibitor-protein interactions. Here, we present the production and isolation of functionalized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) granules (PHB bodies) from Bacillus megaterium MS941 strain. In contrast to the expression in Escherichia coli, where mammalian cytochromes P450 are associated to the cell membrane, when CYP11A1 is heterologously expressed in Bacillus megaterium, it is located on the PHB bodies. The surface of these particles provides a matrix for immobilization and stabilization of the CYP11A1 during the storage of the protein and substrate conversion. It was demonstrated that the PHB polymer basis is inert concerning the performed conversion. Immobilization of the CYP11A1 onto the PHB bodies allows freeze-drying of the complex without significant decrease of the CYP11A1 activity. This is the first lyophilization of a mammalian cytochrome P450, which allows storage over more than 18days at 4°C instead of storage at -80°C. In addition, we were able to immobilize the cytochrome P450 on the PHB bodies in vitro. In this case the expression of the protein is separated from the production of the immobilization matrix, which widens the application of this method. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared

Midazolam induces apoptosis in MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells through caspase activation and the involvement of MAPK signaling pathway

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So EC

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Edmund Cheung So,1,2 Yu-Xuan Lin,3 Chi Hao Tseng,1 Bo-Syong Pan,3 Ka-Shun Cheng,2 Kar-Lok Wong,2 Lyh-Jyh Hao,4 Yang-Kao Wang,5 Bu-Miin Huang2 1Department of Anesthesia, Tainan Municipal An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan; 2Department of Anesthesia, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 3Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kaohsiung Veteran General Hospital Tainan Branch Tainan, Taiwan; 5Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Purpose: The present study aims to investigate how midazolam, a sedative drug for clinical use with cytotoxicity on neuronal and peripheral tissues, induced apoptosis in MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells. Methods: The apoptotic effect and underlying mechanism of midazolam to MA-10 cells were investigated by flow cytometry assay and Western blotting methods. Results: Data showed that midazolam induced the accumulation of the MA-10 cell population in the sub-G1 phase and a reduction in the G2/M phase in a time- and dose-dependent manner, suggesting an apoptotic phenomenon. Midazolam could also induce the activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3 and poly (ADP-ribose polymerase proteins. There were no changes in the levels of Bax and cytochrome-c, whereas Bid was significantly decreased after midazolam treatment. Moreover, midazolam decreased both pAkt and Akt expression. In addition, midazolam stimulated the phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Conclusion: Midazolam could induce MA-10 cell apoptosis through the activation of caspase cascade, the inhibition of pAkt pathway, and the induction of p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase pathways. Keywords: midazolam, apoptosis, MA-10 cell, caspase, Akt, MAPKs

A pilot study on the functional performance and acceptability of an innovative female condom (Wondaleaf® in Malaysia

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Ting RS

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting,1 Ee-Lynn Wong,2 Jessie Koh-Sing Tnay3 1School of Sociology, China University of Political Sciences and Law, Beijing, China; 2InPsych Psychological and Counselling Services, Kuala Lumpur, 3Institute of Borneo Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia Background: Female condom (FC has been available for over 30 years, but it still lacks wide acceptability. To overcome misdirection and invagination occurring in FC and to provide a wider area of protection, Wondaleaf® (WL, a new-generation adhesive FC, was recently invented. This pioneering study sought to assess the acceptability and functional performance of WL among Malaysian women. Methods: A mixed method survey was conducted in three cities of Malaysia, recruiting sexually active heterosexual women, aged 18–50, by snowball sampling method. Participants were provided with WL and initially surveyed to rate its performance in five coital usages over 2 months. After that, the participants underwent a second survey to rate their satisfaction and acceptability toward WL. Descriptive statistics on clinical failure rates were tabulated with correlational analysis performed to identify major variables contributing to WL’s functional performance and acceptability. Results: Out of the 51 enrolled participants, 31 women completed the required surveys. WL’s total clinical failure rate was 2.60% (out of 155 condom uses with above-average ratings of functional performance. The ease of use significantly correlated with ratings of no slippage and no misdirection. The confidence in WL’s safety features significantly correlated with a sense of empowerment and protection. Conclusion: WL has a relatively low risk of clinical failures and an overall favorable acceptability among Malaysian women. However, this study also showed that its future usage largely depends on partner acceptability. It may have the potential of complementing the existing barrier toward