4,902 research outputs found
Training course for radiation safety technicians
Course of instruction includes sections on basic information, natural radioactivity, properties of alpha, beta, gamma, X rays, and neutrons, concepts of radiation units and dose determinations, shielding, biological effects, background radiation, radiation protection standards, and internal dose calculation
The importance of a single primary cilium
The centrosome is the main microtubule-organizing center in animal cells, and helps to influence the morphology of the microtubule cytoskeleton in interphase and mitosis. The centrosome also templates the assembly of the primary cilium, and together they serve as a nexus of cell signaling that provide cells with diverse organization, motility, and sensory functions. The majority of cells in the human body contain a solitary centrosome and cilium, and cells have evolved regulatory mechanisms to precisely control the numbers of these essential organelles. Defects in the structure and function of cilia lead to a variety of complex disease phenotypes termed ciliopathies, while dysregulation of centrosome number has long been proposed to induce genome instability and tumor formation. Here, we review recent findings that link centrosome amplification to changes in cilium number and signaling capacity, and discuss how supernumerary centrosomes may be an important aspect of a set of cilia-related disease phenotypes
Hot Mess
This thesis is a collection of short fiction written in fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans
Responsiveness of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis
Background: The comprehensive International
Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a selection of 96
categories from the ICF, representing relevant aspects in
the functioning of patients with RA.
Objectives: To study the responsiveness of the ICF Core
Set for RA in rheumatological practice.
Methods: A total of 46 patients with RA (72% women,
mean (SD) age 53.6 (12.6) years, disease duration 6.3
(8.0) years) were interviewed at baseline and again after
6 months treatment with a disease-modifying antirheumatic
drug (DMARD), applying the ICF Core Set for RA
with qualifiers for problems on a modified three-point
scale (no problem, mild/moderate, severe/complete).
Patient-reported outcomes included Modified Health
Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ) and Short-Form 36
(SF-36) health survey, and disease activity was calculated.
Responsiveness was measured as change in
qualifiers in ICF categories, and was also compared with
change in patient-reported outcomes.
Results: After 6 months of DMARD treatment,
improvement by at least one qualifier was seen in 20% of
patients (averaged across all ICF categories), 71%
experienced no change and 9% experienced worsening
symptoms. Findings were similar across the different
aspects of functioning. Mainly moderate effect sizes were
seen for 6-month changes in the ICF Core Set for RA,
especially in patients with improved health status, with
similar effect size for disease activity. The components in
the ICF Core Set for RA were only weakly associated with
patient-reported outcomes and disease activity.
Conclusions: The ICF Core Set for RA demonstrated
moderate responsiveness in this real-life setting of
patients where minor changes occurred during treatment
with DMARDs
Structured Near-Optimal Channel-Adapted Quantum Error Correction
We present a class of numerical algorithms which adapt a quantum error
correction scheme to a channel model. Given an encoding and a channel model, it
was previously shown that the quantum operation that maximizes the average
entanglement fidelity may be calculated by a semidefinite program (SDP), which
is a convex optimization. While optimal, this recovery operation is
computationally difficult for long codes. Furthermore, the optimal recovery
operation has no structure beyond the completely positive trace preserving
(CPTP) constraint. We derive methods to generate structured channel-adapted
error recovery operations. Specifically, each recovery operation begins with a
projective error syndrome measurement. The algorithms to compute the structured
recovery operations are more scalable than the SDP and yield recovery
operations with an intuitive physical form. Using Lagrange duality, we derive
performance bounds to certify near-optimality.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures Update: typos corrected in Appendi
Note on Comparability of MicroCog Test Forms
This study investigated the differences between the Standard and Short forms of MicroCog by comparing Domain scores for a clinical sample of 351 substance abusers which gave a significant difference between scores on the Spatial Processing Domain. Implications for research and clinical use are discussed
Technology requirements for post-1985 communications satellites
The technical and functional requirements for commercial communication satellites are discussed. The need for providing quality service at an acceptable cost is emphasized. Specialized services are postulated in a needs model which forecasts future demands. This needs model is based upon 322 separately identified needs for long distance communication. It is shown that the 1985 demand for satellite communication service for a domestic region such as the United States, and surrounding sea and air lanes, may require on the order of 100,000 MHz of bandwith. This level of demand can be met by means of the presently allocated bandwidths and developing some key technologies. Suggested improvements include: (1) improving antennas so that high speed switching will be possible; (2) development of solid state transponders for 12 GHz and possibly higher frequencies; (3) development of switched or steered beam antennas with 10 db or higher gain for aircraft; and (4) continued development of improved video channel compression techniques and hardware
Ccdc11 is a novel centriolar satellite protein essential for ciliogenesis and establishment of left-right asymmetry
The establishment of left–right (L-R) asymmetry in vertebrates is dependent on the sensory and motile functions of cilia during embryogenesis. Mutations in CCDC11 disrupt L-R asymmetry and cause congenital heart disease in humans, yet the molecular and cellular functions of the protein remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that Ccdc11 is a novel component of centriolar satellites—cytoplasmic granules that serve as recruitment sites for proteins destined for the centrosome and cilium. Ccdc11 interacts with core components of satellites, and its loss disrupts the subcellular organization of satellite proteins and perturbs primary cilium assembly. Ccdc11 colocalizes with satellite proteins in human multiciliated tracheal epithelia, and its loss inhibits motile ciliogenesis. Similarly, depletion of CCDC11 in Xenopus embryos causes defective assembly and motility of cilia in multiciliated epidermal cells. To determine the role of CCDC11 during vertebrate development, we generated mutant alleles in zebrafish. Loss of CCDC11 leads to defective ciliogenesis in the pronephros and within the Kupffer’s vesicle and results in aberrant L-R axis determination. Our results highlight a critical role for Ccdc11 in the assembly and function of motile cilia and implicate centriolar satellite–associated proteins as a new class of proteins in the pathology of L-R patterning and congenital heart disease
Technology requirements for communication satellites in the 1980's
The key technology requirements are defined for meeting the forecasted demands for communication satellite services in the 1985 to 1995 time frame. Evaluation is made of needs for services and technical and functional requirements for providing services. The future growth capabilities of the terrestrial telephone network, cable television, and satellite networks are forecasted. The impact of spacecraft technology and booster performance and costs upon communication satellite costs are analyzed. Systems analysis techniques are used to determine functional requirements and the sensitivities of technology improvements for reducing the costs of meeting requirements. Recommended development plans and funding levels are presented, as well as the possible cost saving for communications satellites in the post 1985 era
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