56 research outputs found
Add-on montelukast in inadequately controlled asthma patients in a 6-month open-label study: The MONtelukast In Chronic Asthma (MONICA) study
SummaryBronchial asthma often remains uncontrolled despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), long-acting β2-agonists (LABA) or both, necessitating additional treatment. Patients ≥18years (n=1681) with mild-to-moderate asthma received oral montelukast 10mg added to ICS or ICS+LABAs, and were followed for 6months in a prospective, open-label observational study. The primary endpoint was change in Asthma Control Test (ACT) score. Secondary endpoints included mini-Asthma Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (mini-AQLQ) and FEV1/PEF. Mean ACT scores improved from 14.6±4.6 (baseline) to 19.4±4.4 (month 6; p<0.0001). Using ACT score categories, the percentage of patients with uncontrolled (57.5%) or poorly controlled (25.0%) asthma at baseline decreased at month 6 (17.6 and 21.7%, respectively); the percentage of patients with well controlled (13.9%) or completely controlled (1.2%) asthma at baseline increased at month 6 (47.5 and 11.4%, respectively). The mini-AQLQ score (mean±SD) improved from 4.0±1.1 to 5.3±1.1 (p<0.0001); FEV1 increased from 2.46±0.89 to 2.60±0.92L (p<0.0001). Treatment with montelukast was generally well tolerated. In patients insufficiently controlled with ICS or ICS+LABAs, daily add-on montelukast improved both asthma control and asthma-related quality of life. Clinicaltrials.gov registry number NCT00802789
Designing novel applications for emerging multimedia technology
Current R&D in media technologies such as Multimedia, Semantic Web and Sensor Web technologies are advancing in a fierce rate and will sure to become part of our important regular items in a 'conventional' technology inventory in near future. While the R&D nature of these technologies means their accuracy, reliability and robustness are not sufficient enough to be used in real world yet, we want to envision now the near-future where these technologies will have matured and used in real applications in order to explore and start shaping many possible new ways these novel technologies could be utilised.
In this talk, some of this effort in designing novel applications that incorporate various media technologies as their backend will be presented. Examples include novel scenarios of LifeLogging application that incorporate automatic structuring of millions of photos passively captured from a SenseCam (wearable digital camera that automatically takes photos triggered by environmental sensors) and an interactive TV application incorporating a number of multimedia tools yet extremely simple and easy to use with a remote control in a lean-back position. The talk will conclude with remarks on how the design of novel applications that have no precedence or existing user base should require somewhat different approach from those suggested and practiced in conventional usability engineering methodology
Photodetachment study of the 1s3s4s ^4S resonance in He^-
A Feshbach resonance associated with the 1s3s4s ^{4}S state of He^{-} has
been observed in the He(1s2s ^{3}S) + e^- (\epsilon s) partial photodetachment
cross section. The residual He(1s2s ^{3}S) atoms were resonantly ionized and
the resulting He^+ ions were detected in the presence of a small background. A
collinear laser-ion beam apparatus was used to attain both high resolution and
sensitivity. We measured a resonance energy E_r = 2.959 255(7) eV and a width
\Gamma = 0.19(3) meV, in agreement with a recent calculation.Comment: LaTeX article, 4 pages, 3 figures, 21 reference
Resonance structure in the Li^- photodetachment cross section
We report on the first observation of resonance structure in the total cross
section for the photodetachment of Li^-. The structure arises from the
autodetaching decay of doubly excited ^1P states of Li^- that are bound with
respect to the 3p state of the Li atom. Calculations have been performed for
both Li^- and H^- to assist in the identification of these resonances. The
lowest lying resonance is a symmetrically excited intrashell resonance. Higher
lying asymmetrically excited intershell states are observed which converge on
the Li(3p) limit.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure, 19 references, RevTeX, figures in ep
Electron affinity of Li: A state-selective measurement
We have investigated the threshold of photodetachment of Li^- leading to the
formation of the residual Li atom in the state. The excited residual
atom was selectively photoionized via an intermediate Rydberg state and the
resulting Li^+ ion was detected. A collinear laser-ion beam geometry enabled
both high resolution and sensitivity to be attained. We have demonstrated the
potential of this state selective photodetachment spectroscopic method by
improving the accuracy of Li electron affinity measurements an order of
magnitude. From a fit to the Wigner law in the threshold region, we obtained a
Li electron affinity of 0.618 049(20) eV.Comment: 5 pages,6 figures,22 reference
Isotope shift in the electron affinity of chlorine
The specific mass shift in the electron affinity between ^{35}Cl and ^{37}Cl
has been determined by tunable laser photodetachment spectroscopy to be
-0.51(14) GHz. The isotope shift was observed as a difference in the onset of
the photodetachment process for the two isotopes. In addition, the electron
affinity of Cl was found to be 29138.59(22) cm^{-1}, giving a factor of 2
improvement in the accuracy over earlier measurements. Many-body calculations
including lowest-order correlation effects demonstrates the sensitivity of the
specific mass shift and show that the inclusion of higher-order correlation
effects would be necessary for a quantitative description.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, LaTeX2e, amsmat
Abundance, behavior, and movement patterns of western gray whales in relation to a 3-D seismic survey, Northeast Sakhalin Island, Russia
A geophysical seismic survey was conducted in the summer of 2001 off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia. The area of seismic exploration was immediately adjacent to the Piltun feeding grounds of the endangered western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). This study investigates relative abundance, behavior, and movement patterns of gray whales in relation to occurrence and proximity to the seismic survey by employing scan sampling, focal follow, and theodolite tracking methodologies. These data were analyzed in relation to temporal, environmental, and seismic related variables to evaluate potential disturbance reactions of gray whales to the seismic survey. The relative numbers of whales and pods recorded from five shore-based stations were not significantly different during periods when seismic surveys were occurring compared to periods when no seismic surveys were occurring and to the post-seismic period. Univariate analyses indicated no significant statistical correlation between seismic survey variables and any of the eleven movement and behavior variables. Multiple regression analyses indicated that, after accounting for temporal and environmental variables, 6 of 11 movement and behavior variables (linearity, acceleration, mean direction, blows per surfacing, and surface-dive blow rate) were not significantly associated with seismic survey variables, and 5 of 11 variables (leg speed, reorientation rate, distance-from-shore, blow interval, and dive time) were significantly associated with seismic survey variables. In summary, after accounting for environmental variables, no correlation was found between seismic survey variables and the linearity of whale movements, changes in whale swimming speed between theodolite fixes, mean direction of whale movement, mean number of whale exhalations per minute at the surface, mean time at the surface, and mean number of exhalations per minute during a whales surface-to-dive cycle. In contrast, at higher received sound energy exposure levels, whales traveled faster, changed directions of movement less, were recorded further from shore, and stayed under water longer between respirations
High source levels and small active space of high-pitched song in bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus)
© The Author(s), 2012. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Public Library of Science, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052072.The low-frequency, powerful vocalizations of blue and fin whales may potentially be detected by conspecifics across entire ocean basins. In contrast, humpback and bowhead whales produce equally powerful, but more complex broadband vocalizations composed of higher frequencies that suffer from higher attenuation. Here we evaluate the active space of high frequency song notes of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in Western Greenland using measurements of song source levels and ambient noise. Four independent, GPS-synchronized hydrophones were deployed through holes in the ice to localize vocalizing bowhead whales, estimate source levels and measure ambient noise. The song had a mean apparent source level of 185±2 dB rms re 1 µPa @ 1 m and a high mean centroid frequency of 444±48 Hz. Using measured ambient noise levels in the area and Arctic sound spreading models, the estimated active space of these song notes is between 40 and 130 km, an order of magnitude smaller than the estimated active space of low frequency blue and fin whale songs produced at similar source levels and for similar noise conditions. We propose that bowhead whales spatially compensate for their smaller communication range through mating aggregations that co-evolved with broadband song to form a complex and dynamic acoustically mediated sexual display.This work was funded by the Oticon Foundation (grant # 08-3469 to Arctic Station, OT). OT and MC were additionally funded by AP Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal, MS by a PhD scholarship from the Oticon Foundation, FHJ by a Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Sciences post-doctoral grant, SEP by a grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, and PTM by frame grants from the Danish Natural Science Research Council
Passive in-vehicle driver breath alcohol detection using advanced sensor signal acquisition and fusion
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