Influence of Dam and Foundation Discountinuities Using Discountinuum Approach — A Case Study

Dam-foundation interaction plays an important role in the design and analysis of concrete gravity dams as has been reviewed from the failures of dams in the literature. The objective of the study is to understand the behavior of a concrete gravity dam taking into account the effect of dam and foundation discontinuities using three-dimensional Distinct Element Code. Different models have been formulated considering the complexities involved in the modeling of the dam structure, dam-foundation system and the results have been compared. Modeling the dam with the discontinuity in the form of crack which runs through the concrete section has a complex phenomenon taking place at the interface where sliding and rotation deformation contribute to the overall stability. Modeling dam with discontinuities in the dam monoliths proved to be more realistic in the analysis of dam than considering a monolith dam with no dam discontinuities. Significant relative displacements between the monoliths and the permanent relative displacement at the end of seismic input have been observed at the discontinuities in this case. Modeling the foundation rock discontinuities represent the field conditions in the analysis more realistically. It is clearly indicated from the study that the interaction between dam monoliths and discontinuities in the foundation rock mass provide more realistic dam response

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF HYDRO-ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT ON THE ROOTS OF NYCTANTHES ARBORTRISTIS

Objective: To determine the antioxidant activity of Nyctanthes arbortristis (Family-Oleaceae).Methods: The hydroalcoholic extract of the root of plant Nyctanthes arbortristis was taken into considerations to determine the phytochemicals present in it. The extracts of the roots were evaluated for antioxidant activity by using different in vitro model like Reducing Power Method and DPPH method.Results: In the current investigation it has been found that the Pet. Ether and Hydroalcoholic extracts showed potent antioxidant activity by reducing power, as the concentration of the extracts increased, the absorbance was also increased correspondingly.Conclusion: The hydroalcoholic extracts of this plant showed potent antioxidant activity against the standard drug (Kaempferol)

Critical role of electron-phonon interactions in determining the relative stability of Boron Nitride polymorphs

Despite several first principles studies, the relative stability of BN polymorphs remains controversial. The stable polymorph varies between the cubic (c-BN) and hexagonal (h-BN) depending on the van der Waals (vdW) dispersion approximation used. These studies are unable to explain the main experimental results, c-BN is stable, the relative stability order and the large energy difference between h-BN and c-BN (greater than 150 meV/formula unit). In this study, we introduce contributions from electron-phonon interactions (EPI) to the total energy of BN polymorphs. This clearly establishes c-BN is the stable polymorph irrespective of the vdW approximation. Only by including EPI contributions do the ab initio results match, for the first time, the main experimental results mentioned above. The EPI contribution to the total energy is strongly sensitive to chemical bonding (approximately twice in $sp^2$-bonded layered over $sp^3$-bonded polymorphs) and to crystal structure. The crucial role of EPI contributions is seen in $sp^2$-bonded layered BN polymorphs where it is greater than the vdW contribution. Given that h-BN is a prototype layered material, in bulk or 2D form, our results have a broader relevance, that is, including EPI correction, along with vdW approximation, is vital for the study of energetics in layered materials.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 3 table

Theoretical issues in the accurate computation of the electron-phonon interaction contribution to the total energy

The total energy is the most fundamental quantity in ab initio studies. To include electron-phonon interaction (EPI) contribution to the total energy, we have recast Allen's equation, for the case of semiconductors and insulators. This equivalent expression can be computed using available software, leading to more accurate total energy. We calculate the total energies and their differences for carbon-diamond and carbon-hexagonal polytypes. For ab initio investigations on crystalline materials, the accepted norm is to compute important quantities only for the primitive unit cell because per-atom quantities are independent of unit cell size. Our results, unexpectedly, show that the per-atom total energy (EPI included) depends on the unit cell size and violates the unit cell independence. For example, it differs for carbon-diamond by 1 eV/atom between the primitive cell and supercells. We observe that reliable energy differences between polytypes are obtained when, instead of primitive cells, supercells with identical number of atoms are used. A crucial inference of general validity is that any equation which contains a partial Fan-Migdal self-energy term violates the unit cell independence. Further theoretical studies are needed to establish if the total energy (EPI included) is an exception or can be reconciled with the unit cell independence.Comment: submitted for publication. 6 pages, 1 figure, 2 table

Partnership Between Academic and Public Health to Train Public Health Nurses New Chronic Diseases Protocols

Background: According to the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Georgia (29% in 2013). Diabetes (DM) and hypertension (HTN) are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In 2013, the prevalence of diabetes was 11% and of hypertension was 35% of the state’s adult population. There are not sufficient healthcare providers to manage these patients. To address this concern, the DPH Chronic Disease Prevention Section contracted with the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) at Augusta University to design and implement an innovative training program for Georgia public health nurses on diabetes and hypertension protocols. Methods: The two days’ training consisted of lectures, workshops, case discussions, simulation, physical examination practice, and both written and clinical skills testing developed and presented by MCG faculty members in accordance with DPH DM and HTN protocols. The epidemiology, risk factors, disease process, and appropriate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management protocols were covered during the training sessions. Results: A post-training evaluation survey was conducted to evaluate accomplishment of the 10 learning objectives, the effectiveness of teaching approaches, appropriateness of training facilities, and whether personal learning goals were met. Participants rated “meeting program objectives” highly with 96% of responses “met”, 3.5% “somewhat met”, and 0.5% “not met”. Participants were asked to rate personal knowledge of HTN and DM before and after the training (5-1 Likert scale with 5 = most knowledgeable and 1 = least knowledgeable). Average for pre-training was 3.0, and after the training 4.2. Conclusions: A partnership between the DPH and a public medical school resulted in a successful training of public health nurses. Participants agreed that the training effectively improved knowledge and ability to provide care with diabetic and hypertensive patients. Evaluation of the training on public health nurses’ actual practice is desired, with the hope of disseminating better services to and improved healthcare for the population of Georgia

Commonalities across computational workflows for uncovering explanatory variants in undiagnosed cases

PURPOSE: Genomic sequencing has become an increasingly powerful and relevant tool to be leveraged for the discovery of genetic aberrations underlying rare, Mendelian conditions. Although the computational tools incorporated into diagnostic workflows for this task are continually evolving and improving, we nevertheless sought to investigate commonalities across sequencing processing workflows to reveal consensus and standard practice tools and highlight exploratory analyses where technical and theoretical method improvements would be most impactful. METHODS: We collected details regarding the computational approaches used by a genetic testing laboratory and 11 clinical research sites in the United States participating in the Undiagnosed Diseases Network via meetings with bioinformaticians, online survey forms, and analyses of internal protocols. RESULTS: We found that tools for processing genomic sequencing data can be grouped into four distinct categories. Whereas well-established practices exist for initial variant calling and quality control steps, there is substantial divergence across sites in later stages for variant prioritization and multimodal data integration, demonstrating a diversity of approaches for solving the most mysterious undiagnosed cases. CONCLUSION: The largest differences across diagnostic workflows suggest that advances in structural variant detection, noncoding variant interpretation, and integration of additional biomedical data may be especially promising for solving chronically undiagnosed cases

A Pilot Online Survey Assessing Risk Factors for HIV Acquisition in the Navy and Marine Corps, 2005-2010

The Department of Defense policy Don\u27t Ask, Don\u27t Tell (DADT) ended in September, 2011. The Navy Bloodborne Infection Management Center conducted a post-DADT pilot survey of HIV seroconverters identified when the DADT policy was in effect. Sailors and Marines newly diagnosed as HIV positive from 2005 to 2010 were invited to participate in an online survey. A structured questionnaire elicited risk information about the 3-year period before HIV diagnosis. Respondents reported engaging commonly in same sex sexual activity, having concurrent partners, and poor condom use for anal sex. In this first post-DADT repeal report of self-reported behaviors, male-to-male sexual contact was a much more common mode of infection than previously reported. Several opportunities for primary prevention messaging now possible after DADT repeal are evident

Epidemiology of Contemporary Seroincident HIV Infection in the Navy and Marine Corps

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection continues at a steady rate among U.S. Sailors and Marines. This study provides the first service-specific description of HIV infection demographics. All Sailors and Marines identified as HIV infected between January 2005 and August 2010 were included. The project compared personnel and epidemiologic data, and tested reposed sera in the Department of Defense Serum Repository. This group comprised 410 Sailors and 86 Marines, predominantly men. HIV infected Marines were more likely to be foreign born than their Navy counterparts, 42% versus 10%, p \u3c 0.001. Approximately half of the patients had deployed including to the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. Nearly half of each group was infected by the age of 25. Similar to the U.S. epidemic, Black race was over-represented. Unlike national rates, Hispanic Sailors and Marines were not over-represented. Demographics were distinct for those of specific occupational specialties. Certain ship classes carried lower incidences. Clustering of HIV infection risk occurred around deployment. The Navy and Marine Corps have different patterns of HIV infection, which may merit distinct approaches to prevention. The Navy may have unique targets for prevention efforts to include pipeline training and first assignment as well as particular occupational environments

A novel bacteriophage Tail-Associated Muralytic Enzyme (TAME) from Phage K and its development into a potent antistaphylococcal protein

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>is a major cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. However, the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance limits the choice of therapeutic options for treating infections caused by this organism. Muralytic enzymes from bacteriophages have recently gained attention for their potential as antibacterial agents against antibiotic-resistant gram-positive organisms. Phage K is a polyvalent virulent phage of the <it>Myoviridae </it>family that is active against many <it>Staphylococcus </it>species.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified a phage K gene, designated <it>orf</it>56, as encoding the phage tail-associated muralytic enzyme (TAME). The gene product (ORF56) contains a C-terminal domain corresponding to cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolase/peptidase (CHAP), which demonstrated muralytic activity on a staphylococcal cell wall substrate and was lethal to <it>S. aureus </it>cells. We constructed N-terminal truncated forms of ORF56 and arrived at a 16-kDa protein (Lys16) that retained antistaphylococcal activity. We then generated a chimeric gene construct encoding Lys16 and a staphylococcal cell wall-binding SH3b domain. This chimeric protein (P128) showed potent antistaphylococcal activity on global clinical isolates of <it>S. aureus </it>including methicillin-resistant strains. In addition, P128 was effective in decolonizing rat nares of <it>S. aureus </it>USA300 in an experimental model.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We identified a phage K gene that encodes a protein associated with the phage tail structure. The muralytic activity of the phage K TAME was localized to the C-terminal CHAP domain. This potent antistaphylococcal TAME was combined with an efficient <it>Staphylococcus</it>-specific cell-wall targeting domain SH3b, resulting in the chimeric protein P128. This protein shows bactericidal activity against globally prevalent antibiotic resistant clinical isolates of <it>S. aureus </it>and against the genus <it>Staphylococcus </it>in general. <it>In vivo</it>, P128 was efficacious against methicillin-resistant <it>S. aureus </it>in a rat nasal colonization model.</p

Antitumor Activity of Pembrolizumab in Biomarker-Unselected Patients With Recurrent and/or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Results From the Phase Ib KEYNOTE-012 Expansion Cohort.

Purpose Treatment with pembrolizumab, an anti-programmed death-1 antibody, at 10 mg/kg administered once every 2 weeks, displayed durable antitumor activity in programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) -positive recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in the KEYNOTE-012 trial. Results from the expansion cohort, in which patients with HNSCC, irrespective of biomarker status, received a fixed dose of pembrolizumab at a less frequent dosing schedule, are reported. Patients and Methods Patients with R/M HNSCC, irrespective of PD-L1 or human papillomavirus status, received pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously once every 3 weeks. Imaging was performed every 8 weeks. Primary end points were overall response rate (ORR) per central imaging vendor (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1) and safety. Secondary end points included progression-free survival, overall survival, and association of response and PD-L1 expression. Patients who received one or more doses of pembrolizumab were included in analyses. Results Of 132 patients enrolled, median age was 60 years (range, 25 to 84 years), 83% were male, and 57% received two or more lines of therapy for R/M disease. ORR was 18% (95% CI, 12 to 26) by central imaging vendor and 20% (95% CI, 13 to 28) by investigator review. Median duration of response was not reached (range, ≥ 2 to ≥ 11 months). Six-month progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 23% and 59%, respectively. By using tumor and immune cells, a statistically significant increase in ORR was observed for PD-L1-positive versus -negative patients (22% v 4%; P = .021). Treatment-related adverse events of any grade and grade ≥ 3 events occurred in 62% and 9% of patients, respectively. Conclusion Fixed-dose pembrolizumab 200 mg administered once every 3 weeks was well tolerated and yielded a clinically meaningful ORR with evidence of durable responses, which supports further development of this regimen in patients with advanced HNSCC