2,236 research outputs found
Clinical Laboratory Assessment of \u3cem\u3eMycoplasma genitalium\u3c/em\u3e Transcription-Mediated Amplification Using Primary Female Urogenital Specimens
Following analysis of primary cervix, vagina, and first-void female urine specimens for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis via commercial transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), residual material was subjected to Mycoplasma genitalium research-use-only TMA. Representation within a 2,478-specimen retrospective study set was established by comparison to a 6-month audit of clinical C. trachomatis TMA (12,999 specimens) on the basis of the C. trachomatis detection rate, specimen source distribution, clinic location, and age. M. genitalium was detected in 282 (11.4%) patients. This rate was higher than those seen with T. vaginalis (9.0%; P _ 0.005), C. trachomatis (6.2%), and N. gonorrhoeae (1.4%). Positive M. genitalium results were confirmed by repeat testing or alternative-target TMA at a rate of 98.7%. The mean age of the M. genitalium-infected females (24.7 years) was lower than that of the T. vaginalis-infected females (mean, 30.1 years; P\u3c0.0001) and higher than that of the C. trachomatis-infected females (mean, 23.8 years; P_0.003). Of 566 patient encounters positive for at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI), 35.9% exhibited sole detection of M. genitalium (P \u3c 0.0004 versus sole detection of other STI agents) and 26.1% were solely positive for T. vaginalis (P \u3c 0.0002 versus C. trachomatis). The M. genitalium and T. vaginalis detection rates among 755 patients at urban emergency departments were 14.6% and 13.0%, respectively (P _ 0.37). A 10.0% M. genitalium detection rate from other facilities exceeded that of T. vaginalis (7.2%; P _ 0.004). Incorporation of M. genitalium TMA into comprehensive testing programs would detect M. genitalium in a significant proportion of females, particularly those in outpatient obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) settings
First Experiences Integrating PC Distributed I/O Into Argonne's ATLAS Control System
First Experiences Integrating PC Distributed I/O Into Argonne's ATLAS Control
System The roots of ATLAS (Argonne Tandem-Linac Accelerator System) date back
to the early 1960s. Located at the Argonne National Laboratory, the accelerator
has been designated a National User Facility, which focuses primarily on
heavy-ion nuclear physics. Like the accelerator it services, the control system
has been in a constant state of evolution. The present real-time portion of the
control system is based on the commercial product Vsystem [1]. While Vsystem
has always been capable of distributed I/O processing, the latest offering of
this product provides for the use of relatively inexpensive PC hardware and
software. This paper reviews the status of the ATLAS control system, and
describes first experiences with PC distributed I/O.Comment: ICALEPCS 2001 Conference, PSN WEAP027, 3 pages, 1 figur
Composite Reflective/Absorptive IR-Blocking Filters Embedded in Metamaterial Antireflection Coated Silicon
Infrared (IR) blocking filters are crucial for controlling the radiative
loading on cryogenic systems and for optimizing the sensitivity of bolometric
detectors in the far-IR. We present a new IR filter approach based on a
combination of patterned frequency selective structures on silicon and a thin
(50 thick) absorptive composite based on powdered reststrahlen
absorbing materials. For a 300 K blackbody, this combination reflects
50\% of the incoming light and blocks \textgreater 99.8\% of the total
power with negligible thermal gradients and excellent low frequency
transmission. This allows for a reduction in the IR thermal loading to
negligible levels in a single cold filter. These composite filters are
fabricated on silicon substrates which provide excellent thermal transport
laterally through the filter and ensure that the entire area of the absorptive
filter stays near the bath temperature. A metamaterial antireflection coating
cut into these substrates reduces in-band reflections to below 1\%, and the
in-band absorption of the powder mix is below 1\% for signal bands below 750
GHz. This type of filter can be directly incorporated into silicon refractive
optical elements
Ablation debris control by means of closed thick film filtered water immersion
The performance of laser ablation generated debris control by means of open immersion techniques have been shown to be limited by flow surface ripple effects on the beam and the action of ablation plume pressure loss by splashing of the immersion fluid. To eradicate these issues a closed technique has been developed which ensured a controlled geometry for both the optical interfaces of the flowing liquid film. This had the action of preventing splashing, ensuring repeatable machining conditions and allowed for control of liquid flow velocity. To investigate the performance benefits of this closed immersion technique bisphenol A polycarbonate samples have been machined using filtered water at a number of flow velocities. The results demonstrate the efficacy of the closed immersion technique: a 93% decrease in debris is produced when machining under closed filtered water immersion; the average debris particle size becomes larger, with an equal proportion of small and medium sized debris being produced when laser machining under closed flowing filtered water immersion; large debris is shown to be displaced further by a given flow velocity than smaller debris, showing that the action of flow turbulence in the duct has more impact on smaller debris. Low flow velocities were found to be less effective at controlling the positional trend of deposition of laser ablation generated debris than high flow velocities; but, use of excessive flow velocities resulted in turbulence motivated deposition. This work is of interest to the laser micromachining community and may aide in the manufacture of 2.5D laser etched patterns covering large area wafers and could be applied to a range of wavelengths and laser types
Preliminary Solar Sail Design and Fabrication Assessment: Spinning Sail Blade, Square Sail Sheet
Blade design aspects most affecting producibility and means of measurement and control of length, scallop, fullness and straightness requirements and tolerances were extensively considered. Alternate designs of the panel seams and edge reinforcing members are believed to offer advantages of seam integrity, producibility, reliability, cost and weight. Approaches to and requirements for highly specialized metalizing methods, processes and equipment were studied and identified. Alternate methods of sail blade fabrication and related special machinery, tooling, fixtures and trade offs were examined. A preferred and recommended approach is also described. Quality control plans, inspection procedures, flow charts and special test equipment associated with the preferred manufacturing method were analyzed and are discussed
Advanced ceramic coating development for industrial/utility gas turbine applications
The effects of ceramic coatings on the lifetimes of metal turbine components and on the performance of a utility turbine, as well as of the turbine operational cycle on the ceramic coatings were determined. When operating the turbine under conditions of constant cooling flow, the first row blades run 55K cooler, and as a result, have 10 times the creep rupture life, 10 times the low cycle fatigue life and twice the corrosion life with only slight decreases in both specific power and efficiency. When operating the turbine at constant metal temperature and reduced cooling flow, both specific power and efficiency increases, with no change in component lifetime. The most severe thermal transient of the turbine causes the coating bond stresses to approach 60% of the bond strengths. Ceramic coating failures was studied. Analytic models based on fracture mechanics theories, combined with measured properties quantitatively assessed both single and multiple thermal cycle failures which allowed the prediction of coating lifetime. Qualitative models for corrosion failures are also presented
Integrated genome-wide analysis of expression quantitative trait loci aids interpretation of genomic association studies
BACKGROUND: Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with gene expression levels, known as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), may improve understanding of the functional role of phenotype-associated SNPs in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The small sample sizes of some previous eQTL studies have limited their statistical power. We conducted an eQTL investigation of microarray-based gene and exon expression levels in whole blood in a cohort of 5257 individuals, exceeding the single cohort size of previous studies by more than a factor of 2.
RESULTS: We detected over 19,000 independent lead cis-eQTLs and over 6000 independent lead trans-eQTLs, targeting over 10,000 gene targets (eGenes), with a false discovery rate (FDR) \u3c 5%. Of previously published significant GWAS SNPs, 48% are identified to be significant eQTLs in our study. Some trans-eQTLs point toward novel mechanistic explanations for the association of the SNP with the GWAS-related phenotype. We also identify 59 distinct blocks or clusters of trans-eQTLs, each targeting the expression of sets of six to 229 distinct trans-eGenes. Ten of these sets of target genes are significantly enriched for microRNA targets (FDR \u3c 5%). Many of these clusters are associated in GWAS with multiple phenotypes.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide insights into the molecular regulatory patterns involved in human physiology and pathophysiology. We illustrate the value of our eQTL database in the context of a recent GWAS meta-analysis of coronary artery disease and provide a list of targeted eGenes for 21 of 58 GWAS loci
The Relational Database Aspects of Argonne's ATLAS Control System
The Relational Database Aspects of Argonnes ATLAS Control System Argonnes
ATLAS (Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System) control system comprises two
separate database concepts. The first is the distributed real-time database
structure provided by the commercial product Vsystem [1]. The second is a more
static relational database archiving system designed by ATLAS personnel using
Oracle Rdb [2] and Paradox [3] software. The configuration of the ATLAS
facility has presented a unique opportunity to construct a control system
relational database that is capable of storing and retrieving complete archived
tune-up configurations for the entire accelerator. This capability has been a
major factor in allowing the facility to adhere to a rigorous operating
schedule. Most recently, a Web-based operator interface to the control systems
Oracle Rdb database has been installed. This paper explains the history of the
ATLAS database systems, how they interact with each other, the design of the
new Web-based operator interface, and future plans.Comment: ICALEPCS 2001 Conference, PSN WEAP066, 3 pages, 3 figure
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Complementary influence functions for predicting subsidence caused by mining
Surface subsidence caused by underground mining is described through complementary influence functions. The complementary functions developed here differ from the simple functions previously used in that the surface displacement is the result of the combined contributions of the mined and unmined zones. This eliminates computational difficulties experienced with the simple functions in determining the deflections above the rib side and in the eventual application of influence functions to complex room-and-pillar configurations. Although the analysis framework presented is intended for predicting subsidence over complex mine configurations, use of the complementary functions is illustrated adequately by application to a longwall panel of the Old Ben No. 24 coal mine
Structural diversity in the type IV pili of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter
Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative coccobacillus found primarily in hospital settings that has recently emerged as a source of hospital-acquired infections. A. baumannii expresses a variety of virulence factors, including type IV pili, bacterial extracellular appendages often essential for attachment to host cells. Here, we report the high resolution structures of the major pilin subunit, PilA, from three Acinetobacter strains, demonstrating thatA. baumannii subsets produce morphologically distinct type IV pilin glycoproteins. We examine the consequences of this heterogeneity for protein folding and assembly as well as host-cell adhesion by Acinetobacter. Comparisons of genomic and structural data with pilin proteins from other species of soil gammaproteobacteria suggest that these structural differences stem from evolutionary pressure that has resulted in three distinct classes of type IVa pilins, each found in multiple species
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