Sample records for affect multiple body

  1. 78 FR 7659 - Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Congenital Disorders That Affect Multiple Body Systems

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-04

    ... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 20 CFR Part 404 [Docket No. SSA-2009-0039] RIN 0960-AH04 Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Congenital Disorders That Affect Multiple Body Systems AGENCY: Social... in adults and children under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (Act). The revisions...

  2. Dynamics of multiple bodies in a corotation resonance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    A'Hearn, Joseph; Hedman, Matthew

    2018-04-01

    The orbital evolution of multiple massive bodies trapped in the same corotation resonance site has not yet been studied in depth, but could be relevant to the origins and history of small moons like Saturn's moon Aegaeon. We conduct numerical simulations of multiple bodies trapped within a corotation resonance and examine what happens to these bodies when they have close encounters. Compared to simulations with equal mass bodies, simulations with one body more massive than the others may be more likely to feature an asymmetry in the phase space of semi-major axis and mean longitude. That is, bodies on one side of phase space have a slightly greater tendency to lose angular momentum, while bodies on the other side gain angular momentum. With this asymmetry, the transfer of angular momentum during gravitational encounters makes it more likely for the most massive body rather than other bodies to approach the center of the corotation site. More work is needed to determine if this sort of process can significantly affect the orbital evolution of small moons like Aegaeon.

  3. Does affective touch influence the virtual reality full body illusion?

    PubMed

    de Jong, Jutta R; Keizer, Anouk; Engel, Manja M; Dijkerman, H Chris

    2017-06-01

    The sense of how we experience our physical body as our own represents a fundamental component of human self-awareness. Body ownership can be studied with bodily illusions which are generated by inducing a visuo-tactile conflict where individuals experience illusionary ownership over a fake body or body part, such as a rubber hand. Previous studies showed that different types of touch modulate the strength of experienced ownership over a rubber hand. Specifically, participants experienced more ownership after the rubber hand illusion was induced through affective touch vs non-affective touch. It is, however, unclear whether this effect would also occur for an entire fake body. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate whether affective touch modulates the strength of ownership in a virtual reality full body illusion. To elicit this illusion, we used slow (3 cm/s; affective touch) and fast (30 cm/s; non-affective touch) stroking velocities on the participants' abdomen. Both stroking velocities were performed either synchronous or asynchronous (control condition), while participants viewed a virtual body from a first-person-perspective. In our first study, we found that participants experienced more subjective ownership over a virtual body in the affective touch condition, compared to the non-affective touch condition. In our second study, we found higher levels of subjective ownership for synchronous stimulation, compared to asynchronous, for both touch conditions, but failed to replicate the findings from study 1 that show a difference between affective and non-affective touch. We, therefore, cannot conclude unequivocally that affective touch enhances the full-body illusion. Future research is required to study the effects of affective touch on body ownership.

  4. Body-related cognitions, affect and post-event processing in body dysmorphic disorder.

    PubMed

    Kollei, Ines; Martin, Alexandra

    2014-03-01

    Cognitive behavioural models postulate that individuals with BDD engage in negative appearance-related appraisals and affect. External representations of one's appearance are thought to activate a specific mode of processing characterized by increased self-focused attention and an activation of negative appraisals and affect. The present study used a think-aloud approach including an in vivo body exposure to examine body-related cognitions and affect in individuals with BDD (n = 30), as compared to individuals with major depression (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 30). Participants were instructed to think aloud during baseline, exposure and follow-up trials. Individuals with BDD verbalized more body-related and more negative body-related cognitions during all trials and reported higher degrees of negative affect than both control groups. A weaker increase of positive body-related cognitions during exposure, a stronger increase of sadness and anger after exposure and higher levels of post-event processing, were specific processes in individuals with BDD. Individuals with major depression were not excluded from the BDD group. This is associated with a reduction of internal validity, as the two clinical groups are somewhat interwoven. Key findings need to be replicated. The findings indicate that outcomes such as negative appearance-related cognitions and affect are specific to individuals with BDD. An external representation of one's appearance activates a specific mode of processing in BDD, manifesting itself in the absence of positive body-related cognitions, increased anger and sadness, and high levels of post-event processing. These specific processes may contribute toward maintenance of BDD psychopathology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Gender affects body language reading.

    PubMed

    Sokolov, Arseny A; Krüger, Samuel; Enck, Paul; Krägeloh-Mann, Ingeborg; Pavlova, Marina A

    2011-01-01

    Body motion is a rich source of information for social cognition. However, gender effects in body language reading are largely unknown. Here we investigated whether, and, if so, how recognition of emotional expressions revealed by body motion is gender dependent. To this end, females and males were presented with point-light displays portraying knocking at a door performed with different emotional expressions. The findings show that gender affects accuracy rather than speed of body language reading. This effect, however, is modulated by emotional content of actions: males surpass in recognition accuracy of happy actions, whereas females tend to excel in recognition of hostile angry knocking. Advantage of women in recognition accuracy of neutral actions suggests that females are better tuned to the lack of emotional content in body actions. The study provides novel insights into understanding of gender effects in body language reading, and helps to shed light on gender vulnerability to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental impairments in visual social cognition.

  6. Multiple Sclerosis

    MedlinePlus

    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a nervous system disease that affects your brain and spinal cord. It damages the ... attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Multiple sclerosis affects women more than men. It often begins ...

  7. Impact strength of small icy bodies that experienced multiple collisions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yasui, Minami; Hayama, Ryo; Arakawa, Masahiko

    2014-05-01

    Frequent collisions are common for small bodies in the Solar System, and the cumulative damage to these bodies is thought to significantly affect their evolution. It is important to study the effects of multiple impacts such as the number of impacts on the impact strength and the ejection velocity of impact fragments. Here we conducted multiple-impact experiments using a polycrystalline water ice target, varying the number of impacts from 1 to 10 times. An ice cylindrical projectile was impacted at 84-502 m s-1 by using a single-stage gas gun in a cold room between -10 and -15 °C. The impact strength of the ice target that experienced a single impact and multiple impacts is expressed by the total energy density applied to the same target, ΣQ, and this value was observed to be 77.6 J kg-1. The number of fine impact fragments at a fragment mass normalized by an initial target mass, m/Mt0 ∼ 10-6, nm, had a good correlation with the single energy density at each shot, Qj, and the relationship was shown to be nm=10·Qj1.31±0.12. We also estimated the cumulative damage of icy bodies as a total energy density accumulated by past impacts, according to the crater scaling laws proposed by Housen et al. (Housen, K.R., Schmidt, R.M., Holsapple, K.A. [1983]. J. Geophys. Res. 88, 2485-2499) of ice and the crater size distributions observed on Phoebe, a saturnian icy satellite. We found that the cumulative damage of Phoebe depended significantly on the impact speed of the impactor that formed the craters on Phoebe; and the cumulative damage was about one-third of the impact strength ΣQ* at 500 m s-1 whereas it was almost zero at 3.2 km s-1.

  8. Multiple parent bodies of ordinary chondrites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yomogida, K.; Matsui, T.

    1984-01-01

    Thermal histories of chondrite parent bodies are calculated from an initial state with material in a powder-like form, taking into account the effect of consolidation state on thermal conductivity. The very low thermal conductivity of the starting materials makes it possible for a small body with a radius of less than 100 km to be heated by several hundred degrees even if long-lived radioactive elements in chondritic abundances are the only source of heat. The maximum temperature is determined primarily by the temperature at which sintering of the constituent materials occurs. The thermal state of the interior of a chondrite parent body after sintering has begun is nearly isothermal. Near the surface, however, where the material is unconsolidated and the thermal conductivity is much lower, the thermal gradient is quite large. This result contradicts the conventional 'onion-shell' model of chondrite parent bodies. But because the internal temperature is almost constant through the whole body, it supports a 'multiple-parent bodies' model, according to which each petrologic type of chondrite comes from a different parent body.

  9. Monkeys preferentially process body information while viewing affective displays.

    PubMed

    Bliss-Moreau, Eliza; Moadab, Gilda; Machado, Christopher J

    2017-08-01

    Despite evolutionary claims about the function of facial behaviors across phylogeny, rarely are those hypotheses tested in a comparative context-that is, by evaluating how nonhuman animals process such behaviors. Further, while increasing evidence indicates that humans make meaning of faces by integrating contextual information, including that from the body, the extent to which nonhuman animals process contextual information during affective displays is unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the extent to which rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) process dynamic affective displays of conspecifics that included both facial and body behaviors. Contrary to hypotheses that they would preferentially attend to faces during affective displays, monkeys looked for longest, most frequently, and first at conspecifics' bodies rather than their heads. These findings indicate that macaques, like humans, attend to available contextual information during the processing of affective displays, and that the body may also be providing unique information about affective states. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Cognitive Affective Engagement Model of Multiple Source Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    List, Alexandra; Alexander, Patricia A.

    2017-01-01

    This article introduces the cognitive affective engagement model (CAEM) of multiple source use. The CAEM is presented as a way of unifying cognitive and behaviorally focused models of multiple text engagement with research on the role of affective factors (e.g., interest) in text processing. The CAEM proposes that students' engagement with…

  11. Spinal cord injury affects the interplay between visual and sensorimotor representations of the body

    PubMed Central

    Ionta, Silvio; Villiger, Michael; Jutzeler, Catherine R; Freund, Patrick; Curt, Armin; Gassert, Roger

    2016-01-01

    The brain integrates multiple sensory inputs, including somatosensory and visual inputs, to produce a representation of the body. Spinal cord injury (SCI) interrupts the communication between brain and body and the effects of this deafferentation on body representation are poorly understood. We investigated whether the relative weight of somatosensory and visual frames of reference for body representation is altered in individuals with incomplete or complete SCI (affecting lower limbs’ somatosensation), with respect to controls. To study the influence of afferent somatosensory information on body representation, participants verbally judged the laterality of rotated images of feet, hands, and whole-bodies (mental rotation task) in two different postures (participants’ body parts were hidden from view). We found that (i) complete SCI disrupts the influence of postural changes on the representation of the deafferented body parts (feet, but not hands) and (ii) regardless of posture, whole-body representation progressively deteriorates proportionally to SCI completeness. These results demonstrate that the cortical representation of the body is dynamic, responsive, and adaptable to contingent conditions, in that the role of somatosensation is altered and partially compensated with a change in the relative weight of somatosensory versus visual bodily representations. PMID:26842303

  12. Dynamical configurations of celestial systems comprised of multiple irregular bodies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Yu; Zhang, Yun; Baoyin, Hexi; Li, Junfeng

    2016-09-01

    This manuscript considers the main features of the nonlinear dynamics of multiple irregular celestial body systems. The gravitational potential, static electric potential, and magnetic potential are considered. Based on the three established potentials, we show that three conservative values exist for this system, including a Jacobi integral. The equilibrium conditions for the system are derived and their stability analyzed. The equilibrium conditions of a celestial system comprised of n irregular bodies are reduced to 12n - 9 equations. The dynamical results are applied to simulate the motion of multiple-asteroid systems. The simulation is useful for the study of the stability of multiple irregular celestial body systems and for the design of spacecraft orbits to triple-asteroid systems discovered in the solar system. The dynamical configurations of the five triple-asteroid systems 45 Eugenia, 87 Sylvia, 93 Minerva, 216 Kleopatra, and 136617 1994CC, and the six-body system 134340 Pluto are calculated and analyzed.

  13. Influential sources affecting Bangkok adolescent body image perceptions.

    PubMed

    Thianthai, Chulanee

    2006-01-01

    The study of body image-related problems in non-Western countries is still very limited. Thus, this study aims to identify the main influential sources and show how they affect the body image perceptions of Bangkok adolescents. The researcher recruited 400 Thai male and female adolescents in Bangkok, attending high school to freshmen level, ranging from 16-19 years, to participate in this study. Survey questionnaires were distributed to every student and follow-up interviews conducted with 40 students. The findings showed that there are eight main influential sources respectively ranked from the most influential to the least influential: magazines, television, peer group, familial, fashion trend, the opposite gender, self-realization and health knowledge. Similar to those studies conducted in Western countries, more than half of the total percentage was the influence of mass media and peer groups. Bangkok adolescents also internalized Western ideal beauty through these mass media channels. Alike studies conducted in the West, there was similarities in the process of how these influential sources affect Bangkok adolescent body image perception, with the exception of familial source. In conclusion, taking the approach of identifying the main influential sources and understanding how they affect adolescent body image perceptions can help prevent adolescents from having unhealthy views and taking risky measures toward their bodies. More studies conducted in non-Western countries are needed in order to build a cultural sensitive program, catered to the body image problems occurring in adolescents within that particular society.

  14. An Advanced N -body Model for Interacting Multiple Stellar Systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brož, Miroslav

    We construct an advanced model for interacting multiple stellar systems in which we compute all trajectories with a numerical N -body integrator, namely the Bulirsch–Stoer from the SWIFT package. We can then derive various observables: astrometric positions, radial velocities, minima timings (TTVs), eclipse durations, interferometric visibilities, closure phases, synthetic spectra, spectral energy distribution, and even complete light curves. We use a modified version of the Wilson–Devinney code for the latter, in which the instantaneous true phase and inclination of the eclipsing binary are governed by the N -body integration. If all of these types of observations are at one’s disposal,more » a joint χ {sup 2} metric and an optimization algorithm (a simplex or simulated annealing) allow one to search for a global minimum and construct very robust models of stellar systems. At the same time, our N -body model is free from artifacts that may arise if mutual gravitational interactions among all components are not self-consistently accounted for. Finally, we present a number of examples showing dynamical effects that can be studied with our code and we discuss how systematic errors may affect the results (and how to prevent this from happening).« less

  15. Effects of the exposure to self- and other-referential bodies on state body image and negative affect in resistance-trained men.

    PubMed

    Cordes, Martin; Vocks, Silja; Düsing, Rainer; Waldorf, Manuel

    2017-06-01

    Previous body image research suggests that first, exposure to body stimuli can negatively affect men's body satisfaction and second, body concerns are associated with dysfunctional gaze behavior. To date, however, the effects of self- vs. other-referential body stimuli and of gaze behavior on body image in men under exposure conditions have not been investigated. Therefore, 49 weight-trained men were presented with pictures of their own and other bodies of different builds (i.e., normal, muscular, hyper-muscular) while being eye-tracked. Participants completed pre- and post-exposure measures of body image and affect. Results indicated that one's own and the muscular body negatively affected men's body image to a comparable degree. Exposure to one's own body also led to increased negative affect. Increased attention toward disliked own body parts was associated with a more negative post-exposure body image and affect. These results suggest a crucial role of critical self-examination in maintaining body dissatisfaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Dynamical mass and multiplicity constraints on co-orbital bodies around stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Veras, Dimitri; Marsh, Thomas R.; Gänsicke, Boris T.

    2016-09-01

    Objects transiting near or within the disruption radius of both main-sequence (e.g. KOI 1843) and white dwarf (WD 1145+017) stars are now known. Upon fragmentation or disintegration, these planets or asteroids may produce co-orbital configurations of nearly equal mass objects. However, as evidenced by the co-orbital objects detected by transit photometry in the WD 1145+017 system, these bodies are largely unconstrained in size, mass, and total number (multiplicity). Motivated by potential future similar discoveries, we perform N-body simulations to demonstrate if and how debris masses and multiplicity may be bounded due to second-to-minute deviations and the resulting accumulated phase shifts in the osculating orbital period amongst multiple co-orbital equal point masses. We establish robust lower and upper mass bounds as a function of orbital period deviation, but find the constraints on multiplicity to be weak. We also quantify the fuzzy instability boundary, and show that mutual collisions occur in less than 5, 10, and 20 per cent of our simulations for masses of 1021, 1022, and 1023 kg. Our results may provide useful initial rough constraints on other stellar systems with multiple co-orbital bodies.

  17. Mind-Body Medicine for Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Senders, Angela; Wahbeh, Helané; Spain, Rebecca; Shinto, Lynne

    2012-01-01

    Background. Mind-body therapies are used to manage physical and psychological symptoms in many chronic health conditions. Objective. To assess the published evidence for using mind-body techniques for symptom management of multiple sclerosis. Methods. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Clinical Trials Register were searched from inception to March 24, 2012. Eleven mind-body studies were reviewed (meditation, yoga, biofeedback, hypnosis, relaxation, and imagery). Results. Four high quality trials (yoga, mindfulness, relaxation, and biofeedback) were found helpful for a variety of MS symptoms. Conclusions. The evidence for mind-body medicine in MS is limited, yet mind-body therapies are relatively safe and may provide a nonpharmacological benefit for MS symptoms. PMID:23227313

  18. Stereotypes and prejudice affect the recognition of emotional body postures.

    PubMed

    Bijlstra, Gijsbert; Holland, Rob W; Dotsch, Ron; Wigboldus, Daniel H J

    2018-03-26

    Most research on emotion recognition focuses on facial expressions. However, people communicate emotional information through bodily cues as well. Prior research on facial expressions has demonstrated that emotion recognition is modulated by top-down processes. Here, we tested whether this top-down modulation generalizes to the recognition of emotions from body postures. We report three studies demonstrating that stereotypes and prejudice about men and women may affect how fast people classify various emotional body postures. Our results suggest that gender cues activate gender associations, which affect the recognition of emotions from body postures in a top-down fashion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. A principal component meta-analysis on multiple anthropometric traits identifies novel loci for body shape

    PubMed Central

    Ried, Janina S.; Jeff M., Janina; Chu, Audrey Y.; Bragg-Gresham, Jennifer L.; van Dongen, Jenny; Huffman, Jennifer E.; Ahluwalia, Tarunveer S.; Cadby, Gemma; Eklund, Niina; Eriksson, Joel; Esko, Tõnu; Feitosa, Mary F.; Goel, Anuj; Gorski, Mathias; Hayward, Caroline; Heard-Costa, Nancy L.; Jackson, Anne U.; Jokinen, Eero; Kanoni, Stavroula; Kristiansson, Kati; Kutalik, Zoltán; Lahti, Jari; Luan, Jian'an; Mägi, Reedik; Mahajan, Anubha; Mangino, Massimo; Medina-Gomez, Carolina; Monda, Keri L.; Nolte, Ilja M.; Pérusse, Louis; Prokopenko, Inga; Qi, Lu; Rose, Lynda M.; Salvi, Erika; Smith, Megan T.; Snieder, Harold; Stančáková, Alena; Ju Sung, Yun; Tachmazidou, Ioanna; Teumer, Alexander; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; van der Harst, Pim; Walker, Ryan W.; Wang, Sophie R.; Wild, Sarah H.; Willems, Sara M.; Wong, Andrew; Zhang, Weihua; Albrecht, Eva; Couto Alves, Alexessander; Bakker, Stephan J. L.; Barlassina, Cristina; Bartz, Traci M.; Beilby, John; Bellis, Claire; Bergman, Richard N.; Bergmann, Sven; Blangero, John; Blüher, Matthias; Boerwinkle, Eric; Bonnycastle, Lori L.; Bornstein, Stefan R.; Bruinenberg, Marcel; Campbell, Harry; Chen, Yii-Der Ida; Chiang, Charleston W. K.; Chines, Peter S.; Collins, Francis S; Cucca, Fracensco; Cupples, L Adrienne; D'Avila, Francesca; de Geus, Eco J .C.; Dedoussis, George; Dimitriou, Maria; Döring, Angela; Eriksson, Johan G.; Farmaki, Aliki-Eleni; Farrall, Martin; Ferreira, Teresa; Fischer, Krista; Forouhi, Nita G.; Friedrich, Nele; Gjesing, Anette Prior; Glorioso, Nicola; Graff, Mariaelisa; Grallert, Harald; Grarup, Niels; Gräßler, Jürgen; Grewal, Jagvir; Hamsten, Anders; Harder, Marie Neergaard; Hartman, Catharina A.; Hassinen, Maija; Hastie, Nicholas; Hattersley, Andrew Tym; Havulinna, Aki S.; Heliövaara, Markku; Hillege, Hans; Hofman, Albert; Holmen, Oddgeir; Homuth, Georg; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Hui, Jennie; Husemoen, Lise Lotte; Hysi, Pirro G.; Isaacs, Aaron; Ittermann, Till; Jalilzadeh, Shapour; James, Alan L.; Jørgensen, Torben; Jousilahti, Pekka; Jula, Antti; Marie Justesen, Johanne; Justice, Anne E.; Kähönen, Mika; Karaleftheri, Maria; Tee Khaw, Kay; Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi, Sirkka M.; Kinnunen, Leena; Knekt, Paul B.; Koistinen, Heikki A.; Kolcic, Ivana; Kooner, Ishminder K.; Koskinen, Seppo; Kovacs, Peter; Kyriakou, Theodosios; Laitinen, Tomi; Langenberg, Claudia; Lewin, Alexandra M.; Lichtner, Peter; Lindgren, Cecilia M.; Lindström, Jaana; Linneberg, Allan; Lorbeer, Roberto; Lorentzon, Mattias; Luben, Robert; Lyssenko, Valeriya; Männistö, Satu; Manunta, Paolo; Leach, Irene Mateo; McArdle, Wendy L.; Mcknight, Barbara; Mohlke, Karen L.; Mihailov, Evelin; Milani, Lili; Mills, Rebecca; Montasser, May E.; Morris, Andrew P.; Müller, Gabriele; Musk, Arthur W.; Narisu, Narisu; Ong, Ken K.; Oostra, Ben A.; Osmond, Clive; Palotie, Aarno; Pankow, James S.; Paternoster, Lavinia; Penninx, Brenda W.; Pichler, Irene; Pilia, Maria G.; Polašek, Ozren; Pramstaller, Peter P.; Raitakari, Olli T; Rankinen, Tuomo; Rao, D. C.; Rayner, Nigel W.; Ribel-Madsen, Rasmus; Rice, Treva K.; Richards, Marcus; Ridker, Paul M.; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Ryan, Kathy A.; Sanna, Serena; Sarzynski, Mark A.; Scholtens, Salome; Scott, Robert A.; Sebert, Sylvain; Southam, Lorraine; Sparsø, Thomas Hempel; Steinthorsdottir, Valgerdur; Stirrups, Kathleen; Stolk, Ronald P.; Strauch, Konstantin; Stringham, Heather M.; Swertz, Morris A.; Swift, Amy J.; Tönjes, Anke; Tsafantakis, Emmanouil; van der Most, Peter J.; Van Vliet-Ostaptchouk, Jana V.; Vandenput, Liesbeth; Vartiainen, Erkki; Venturini, Cristina; Verweij, Niek; Viikari, Jorma S.; Vitart, Veronique; Vohl, Marie-Claude; Vonk, Judith M.; Waeber, Gérard; Widén, Elisabeth; Willemsen, Gonneke; Wilsgaard, Tom; Winkler, Thomas W.; Wright, Alan F.; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura M.; Hua Zhao, Jing; Carola Zillikens, M.; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Bouchard, Claude; Chambers, John C.; Chasman, Daniel I.; Cusi, Daniele; Gansevoort, Ron T.; Gieger, Christian; Hansen, Torben; Hicks, Andrew A.; Hu, Frank; Hveem, Kristian; Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Kajantie, Eero; Kooner, Jaspal S.; Kuh, Diana; Kuusisto, Johanna; Laakso, Markku; Lakka, Timo A.; Lehtimäki, Terho; Metspalu, Andres; Njølstad, Inger; Ohlsson, Claes; Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Palmer, Lyle J.; Pedersen, Oluf; Perola, Markus; Peters, Annette; Psaty, Bruce M.; Puolijoki, Hannu; Rauramaa, Rainer; Rudan, Igor; Salomaa, Veikko; Schwarz, Peter E. H.; Shudiner, Alan R.; Smit, Jan H.; Sørensen, Thorkild I. A.; Spector, Timothy D.; Stefansson, Kari; Stumvoll, Michael; Tremblay, Angelo; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Uitterlinden, André G.; Uusitupa, Matti; Völker, Uwe; Vollenweider, Peter; Wareham, Nicholas J.; Watkins, Hugh; Wilson, James F.; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Abecasis, Goncalo R.; Boehnke, Michael; Borecki, Ingrid B.; Deloukas, Panos; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Fox, Caroline; Groop, Leif C.; Heid, Iris M.; Hunter, David J.; Kaplan, Robert C.; McCarthy, Mark I.; North, Kari E.; O'Connell, Jeffrey R.; Schlessinger, David; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Strachan, David P.; Frayling, Timothy; Hirschhorn, Joel N.; Müller-Nurasyid, Martina; Loos, Ruth J. F.

    2016-01-01

    Large consortia have revealed hundreds of genetic loci associated with anthropometric traits, one trait at a time. We examined whether genetic variants affect body shape as a composite phenotype that is represented by a combination of anthropometric traits. We developed an approach that calculates averaged PCs (AvPCs) representing body shape derived from six anthropometric traits (body mass index, height, weight, waist and hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio). The first four AvPCs explain >99% of the variability, are heritable, and associate with cardiometabolic outcomes. We performed genome-wide association analyses for each body shape composite phenotype across 65 studies and meta-analysed summary statistics. We identify six novel loci: LEMD2 and CD47 for AvPC1, RPS6KA5/C14orf159 and GANAB for AvPC3, and ARL15 and ANP32 for AvPC4. Our findings highlight the value of using multiple traits to define complex phenotypes for discovery, which are not captured by single-trait analyses, and may shed light onto new pathways. PMID:27876822

  20. Early invitation to food and/or multiple micronutrient supplementation in pregnancy does not affect body composition in offspring at 54 months: follow-up of the MINIMat randomised trial, Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Khan, Ashraful Islam; Kabir, Iqbal; Hawkesworth, Sophie; Ekström, Eva-Charlotte; Arifeen, Shams; Frongillo, Edward A; Persson, Lars Åke

    2015-07-01

    Growth patterns in early life are associated with later health. The effect of nutrition during in utero development on later body composition is unclear. We evaluated whether prenatal early invitation to food and/or multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) in pregnancy has an effect on offspring body composition at 54 months of age. In Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab trial (ISRCTN16581394) in Bangladesh, 4436 pregnant women were randomised into six equally sized groups: double-masked supplementation with capsules of either 30 mg Fe and 400 μg folic acid, or 60 mg Fe and 400 μg folic acid, or MMS (15 micronutrients), was combined with a randomised early invitation (around 9 weeks) or a usual invitation (around 20 weeks) to start food supplementation (608 kcal 6 days per week). At 54 months, the body composition of the offspring was assessed by leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis. Of the 3267 live singletons with birth anthropometry, 2290 children were measured at 54 months, representing 70% of the live births. There was no interaction between the food and micronutrient supplementation on body composition outcomes. There were no significant differences in a range of anthropometric and body composition measurements, including weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference, head circumference, skinfold thickness, and fat mass and fat-free mass between the different prenatal food and micronutrient groups using an intention-to-treat analysis. This analysis shows that early invitation to food supplementation and MMS provided to rural Bangladeshi women during pregnancy did not affect offspring body composition at 54 months of age. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. Factors affecting bone mineral density in multiple sclerosis patients

    PubMed Central

    Ayatollahi, Azin; Mohajeri-Tehrani, Mohammad Reza

    2013-01-01

    Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease which can cause many disabilities for the patient. Recent data suggests that MS patients have higher risk for osteoporosis. This study was performed to investigate if the osteoporosis prevalence is higher in MS patients and to determine the possible factors affecting bone mineral density (BMD). Methods 51 definite relapsing-remitting MS patients according to McDonald's criteria (45 females, 6 males aged between 20 and 50 years) participated in this study. The control group included 407 females aged from 20 to 49 years; they were healthy and had no history of the diseases affecting bone metabolism. Femoral and lumbar BMD were measured by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). The disability of MS patients was evaluated by Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The patient's quality of life was evaluated by the validated Persian version of multiple sclerosis impact scale (MSIS-29). Results Patients’ mean age was 36 ± 3.3 years and their mean disease duration was 8.7 ± 1.7 years. The mean EDSS score and the mean body mass index (BMI) of the patients were 3 ± 0.9 and 23.5 ± 2.3 kg/m2, respectively. 29% of the patients had never been treated by ß-interferon and 6% of them had not received glucocorticoids (GCs) pulses since their MS had been diagnosed. 26% of the patients had a history of fracture.18% of our patients were osteoporotic and 43% of them were osteopenic. Femoral BMD was significantly lower among MS patients than age matched controls (P < 0.001), but lumbar BMD showed no difference. There was no correlation between administration of GCs pulses, interferon and BMD; however, we found a significant correlation between EDSS score, quality of life (QoL), disease duration and BMD of both site. Conclusion As a result of this study, bone loss inevitably occurs in MS patients. The major factor of BMD loss is immobility. Osteoporosis should be managed as part of MS patients’ treatment protocols

  2. Rhythm is it: effects of dynamic body feedback on affect and attitudes

    PubMed Central

    Koch, Sabine C.

    2014-01-01

    Body feedback is the proprioceptive feedback that denominates the afferent information from position and movement of the body to the central nervous system. It is crucial in experiencing emotions, in forming attitudes and in regulating emotions and behavior. This paper investigates effects of dynamic body feedback on affect and attitudes, focusing on the impact of movement rhythms with smooth vs. sharp reversals as one basic category of movement qualities. It relates those qualities to already explored effects of approach vs. avoidance motor behavior as one basic category of movement shape. Studies 1 and 2 tested the effects of one of two basic movement qualities (smooth vs. sharp rhythms) on affect and cognition. The third study tested those movement qualities in combination with movement shape (approach vs. avoidance motor behavior) and the effects of those combinations on affect and attitudes toward initially valence-free stimuli. Results suggest that movement rhythms influence affect (studies 1 and 2), and attitudes (study 3), and moderate the impact of approach and avoidance motor behavior on attitudes (study 3). Extending static body feedback research with a dynamic account, findings indicate that movement qualities – next to movement shape – play an important role, when movement of the lived body is an independent variable. PMID:24959153

  3. Interaction Forces Between Multiple Bodies in a Magnetic Field

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Joffe, Benjamin

    1996-01-01

    Some of the results from experiments to determine the interaction forces between multiple bodies in a magnetic field are presented in this paper. It is shown how the force values and the force directions depend on the configuration of the bodies, their relative positions to each other, and the vector of the primary magnetic field. A number of efficient new automatic loading and assembly machines, as well as manipulators and robots, have been created based on the relationship between bodies and magnetic fields. A few of these patented magnetic devices are presented. The concepts involved open a new way to design universal grippers for robot and other kinds of mechanisms for the manipulation of objects. Some of these concepts can be used for space applications.

  4. Stability and Evolution of Multiple Planet and Satellite Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quillen, Alice

    Numerous multiple planet systems have recently been discovered with the Kepler Mission, suggesting that multiple planet systems are common. Multiple- body nearly coplanar satellite systems are also found in the Solar system. Multiple planet and satellite systems exhibit rich dynamics as they are affected by three-body and secular resonances affecting short timescale behavior and long timescale stability. Interactions with debris disks and planetesimal belts and tidal interactions can both reduce and induce instability. Using both numerical and analytical studies, we propose to develop a broadly applicable framework to estimate diffusion rates and stability regimes both in resonant and non- resonant configurations. Understanding of resonant dynamics is needed to understand each of these systems and a broader general theory would cover scenarios and mechanisms that are relevant for all of them. Architectures and dynamical mechanisms will be used to test scenarios for formation and evolution of multiple body systems and constrain poorly known quantities such as masses, eccentricities, inclinations, radii, and the existence of undetected bodies.

  5. Artificial light at night affects body mass but not oxidative status in free-living nestling songbirds: an experimental study.

    PubMed

    Raap, Thomas; Casasole, Giulia; Costantini, David; AbdElgawad, Hamada; Asard, Han; Pinxten, Rianne; Eens, Marcel

    2016-10-19

    Artificial light at night (ALAN), termed light pollution, is an increasingly important anthropogenic environmental pressure on wildlife. Exposure to unnatural lighting environments may have profound effects on animal physiology, particularly during early life. Here, we experimentally investigated for the first time the impact of ALAN on body mass and oxidative status during development, using nestlings of a free-living songbird, the great tit (Parus major), an important model species. Body mass and blood oxidative status were determined at baseline (=13 days after hatching) and again after a two night exposure to ALAN. Because it is very difficult to generalise the oxidative status from one or two measures we relied on a multi-biomarker approach. We determined multiple metrics of both antioxidant defences and oxidative damage: molecular antioxidants GSH, GSSG; antioxidant enzymes GPX, SOD, CAT; total non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity and damage markers protein carbonyls and TBARS. Light exposed nestlings showed no increase in body mass, in contrast to unexposed individuals. None of the metrics of oxidative status were affected. Nonetheless, our study provides experimental field evidence that ALAN may negatively affect free-living nestlings' development and hence may have adverse consequences lasting throughout adulthood.

  6. Artificial light at night affects body mass but not oxidative status in free-living nestling songbirds: an experimental study

    PubMed Central

    Raap, Thomas; Casasole, Giulia; Costantini, David; AbdElgawad, Hamada; Asard, Han; Pinxten, Rianne; Eens, Marcel

    2016-01-01

    Artificial light at night (ALAN), termed light pollution, is an increasingly important anthropogenic environmental pressure on wildlife. Exposure to unnatural lighting environments may have profound effects on animal physiology, particularly during early life. Here, we experimentally investigated for the first time the impact of ALAN on body mass and oxidative status during development, using nestlings of a free-living songbird, the great tit (Parus major), an important model species. Body mass and blood oxidative status were determined at baseline (=13 days after hatching) and again after a two night exposure to ALAN. Because it is very difficult to generalise the oxidative status from one or two measures we relied on a multi-biomarker approach. We determined multiple metrics of both antioxidant defences and oxidative damage: molecular antioxidants GSH, GSSG; antioxidant enzymes GPX, SOD, CAT; total non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity and damage markers protein carbonyls and TBARS. Light exposed nestlings showed no increase in body mass, in contrast to unexposed individuals. None of the metrics of oxidative status were affected. Nonetheless, our study provides experimental field evidence that ALAN may negatively affect free-living nestlings’ development and hence may have adverse consequences lasting throughout adulthood. PMID:27759087

  7. Exercise program affects body composition but not weight in postmenopausal women.

    PubMed

    Velthuis, Miranda J; Schuit, Albertine J; Peeters, Petra H M; Monninkhof, Evelyn M

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 12-month moderate-to-vigorous exercise program combining aerobic and muscle strength training on body composition among sedentary, postmenopausal women. A randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 189 sedentary postmenopausal women (age 50-69 y, body mass index 22-40 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to an exercise (n = 96) or a control group (n = 93). Study parameters measured at baseline, 4 months, and 12 months were as follows: body weight and body height (body mass index), waist and hip circumference (body fat distribution), and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (total body fat and lean mass). Differences in changes in study parameters between exercise and control group were examined with generalized estimating equations analysis. The exercise program did not result in significant effects on weight, body mass index, and hip circumference. The exercise group experienced a statistically significant greater loss in total body fat, both absolute (-0.33 kg) (borderline) as in a percentage (-0.43%) compared with the control group. In addition, lean mass increased significantly (+0.31 kg), whereas waist circumference (-0.57 cm) decreased significantly compared with the control group. We conclude that a 12-month exercise program combining aerobic and muscle strength training did not affect weight but positively influenced body composition of postmenopausal women. Affecting body fat distribution and waist circumference may have important health implications because it is an independent risk factor in obese but also in nonobese people. Therefore, this study gives further credence to efforts of public health and general practitioners aiming to increase physical activity levels of postmenopausal women.

  8. Parallel updating and weighting of multiple spatial maps for visual stability during whole body motion

    PubMed Central

    Medendorp, W. P.

    2015-01-01

    It is known that the brain uses multiple reference frames to code spatial information, including eye-centered and body-centered frames. When we move our body in space, these internal representations are no longer in register with external space, unless they are actively updated. Whether the brain updates multiple spatial representations in parallel, or whether it restricts its updating mechanisms to a single reference frame from which other representations are constructed, remains an open question. We developed an optimal integration model to simulate the updating of visual space across body motion in multiple or single reference frames. To test this model, we designed an experiment in which participants had to remember the location of a briefly presented target while being translated sideways. The behavioral responses were in agreement with a model that uses a combination of eye- and body-centered representations, weighted according to the reliability in which the target location is stored and updated in each reference frame. Our findings suggest that the brain simultaneously updates multiple spatial representations across body motion. Because both representations are kept in sync, they can be optimally combined to provide a more precise estimate of visual locations in space than based on single-frame updating mechanisms. PMID:26490289

  9. Subject-specific body segment parameter estimation using 3D photogrammetry with multiple cameras

    PubMed Central

    Morris, Mark; Sellers, William I.

    2015-01-01

    Inertial properties of body segments, such as mass, centre of mass or moments of inertia, are important parameters when studying movements of the human body. However, these quantities are not directly measurable. Current approaches include using regression models which have limited accuracy: geometric models with lengthy measuring procedures or acquiring and post-processing MRI scans of participants. We propose a geometric methodology based on 3D photogrammetry using multiple cameras to provide subject-specific body segment parameters while minimizing the interaction time with the participants. A low-cost body scanner was built using multiple cameras and 3D point cloud data generated using structure from motion photogrammetric reconstruction algorithms. The point cloud was manually separated into body segments, and convex hulling applied to each segment to produce the required geometric outlines. The accuracy of the method can be adjusted by choosing the number of subdivisions of the body segments. The body segment parameters of six participants (four male and two female) are presented using the proposed method. The multi-camera photogrammetric approach is expected to be particularly suited for studies including populations for which regression models are not available in literature and where other geometric techniques or MRI scanning are not applicable due to time or ethical constraints. PMID:25780778

  10. Subject-specific body segment parameter estimation using 3D photogrammetry with multiple cameras.

    PubMed

    Peyer, Kathrin E; Morris, Mark; Sellers, William I

    2015-01-01

    Inertial properties of body segments, such as mass, centre of mass or moments of inertia, are important parameters when studying movements of the human body. However, these quantities are not directly measurable. Current approaches include using regression models which have limited accuracy: geometric models with lengthy measuring procedures or acquiring and post-processing MRI scans of participants. We propose a geometric methodology based on 3D photogrammetry using multiple cameras to provide subject-specific body segment parameters while minimizing the interaction time with the participants. A low-cost body scanner was built using multiple cameras and 3D point cloud data generated using structure from motion photogrammetric reconstruction algorithms. The point cloud was manually separated into body segments, and convex hulling applied to each segment to produce the required geometric outlines. The accuracy of the method can be adjusted by choosing the number of subdivisions of the body segments. The body segment parameters of six participants (four male and two female) are presented using the proposed method. The multi-camera photogrammetric approach is expected to be particularly suited for studies including populations for which regression models are not available in literature and where other geometric techniques or MRI scanning are not applicable due to time or ethical constraints.

  11. [Does self-esteem affect body dissatisfaction levels in female adolescents?].

    PubMed

    Fortes, Leonardo de Sousa; Cipriani, Flávia Marcele; Coelho, Fernanda Dias; Paes, Santiago Tavares; Ferreira, Maria Elisa Caputo

    2014-09-01

    To evaluate the influence of self-esteem on levels of body dissatisfaction among adolescent females. A group of 397 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were enrolled in the study. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was applied to assess body dissatisfaction. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to assess self-esteem. Weight, height, and skinfold thickness were also measured. These anthropometric data were controlled in the statistical analyses. The multiple regression model indicated influence of "positive self-esteem" (R(2)=0.16; p=0.001) and "negative self-esteem" (R(2)=0.23; p=0.001) subscales on the BSQ scores. Univariate analysis of covariance demonstrated differences in BSQ scores (p=0.001) according to groups of self-esteem. It was concluded that self-esteem influenced body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls from Juiz de Fora, MG. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  12. Listening-touch, Affect and the Crafting of Medical Bodies through Percussion.

    PubMed

    Harris, Anna

    2016-03-01

    The growing abundance of medical technologies has led to laments over doctors' sensory de-skilling, technologies viewed as replacing diagnosis based on sensory acumen. The technique of percussion has become emblematic of the kinds of skills considered lost. While disappearing from wards, percussion is still taught in medical schools. By ethnographically following how percussion is taught to and learned by students, this article considers the kinds of bodies configured through this multisensory practice. I suggest that three kinds of bodies arise: skilled bodies; affected bodies; and resonating bodies. As these bodies are crafted, I argue that boundaries between bodies of novices and bodies they learn from blur. Attending to an overlooked dimension of bodily configurations in medicine, self-perception, I show that learning percussion functions not only to perpetuate diagnostic craft skills but also as a way of knowing of, and through, the resource always at hand; one's own living breathing body.

  13. Listening-touch, Affect and the Crafting of Medical Bodies through Percussion

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    The growing abundance of medical technologies has led to laments over doctors’ sensory de-skilling, technologies viewed as replacing diagnosis based on sensory acumen. The technique of percussion has become emblematic of the kinds of skills considered lost. While disappearing from wards, percussion is still taught in medical schools. By ethnographically following how percussion is taught to and learned by students, this article considers the kinds of bodies configured through this multisensory practice. I suggest that three kinds of bodies arise: skilled bodies; affected bodies; and resonating bodies. As these bodies are crafted, I argue that boundaries between bodies of novices and bodies they learn from blur. Attending to an overlooked dimension of bodily configurations in medicine, self-perception, I show that learning percussion functions not only to perpetuate diagnostic craft skills but also as a way of knowing of, and through, the resource always at hand; one’s own living breathing body. PMID:27390549

  14. The relationship between body image and depression in women diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Kindrat, Shauna

    2007-01-01

    Little is known about perceptions of body image in women diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). This descriptive correlational study was conducted to describe how women perceive their body image while living with RRMS, and to examine a potential relationship between body image and depression in women who have RRMS. A convenience sample of 30 women from a western Canadian multiple sclerosis (MS) clinic completed a demographic questionnaire, the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory Short Form (BDI-SF). Body image and depression scores were highly correlated (r = 0.814, p = 0.01) indicating that a more positive body image was associated with less depression. The findings of this study suggest that there are important psychological aspects to which clinicians might need to attend when working with women who have RRMS. However, further research needs to be done in this area.

  15. The effect of body image threat on smoking motivation among college women: mediation by negative affect.

    PubMed

    Lopez Khoury, Elena N; Litvin, Erika B; Brandon, Thomas H

    2009-06-01

    A recent experimental study found that activation of negative body image cognitions produced urges to smoke in young women (E. N. Lopez, D. J. Drobes, J. K. Thompson, & T. H. Brandon, 2008). This study intended to replicate and extend these experimental findings by examining the role of negative affect as a mediator of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and smoking urges. Female college smokers (N=133) were randomly assigned to a body image challenge (trying on a bathing suit) or a control condition (evaluating a purse). State levels of urge to smoke, mood, and body dissatisfaction were assessed both pre- and postmanipulation. Trying on a bathing suit increased body dissatisfaction and reported urges to smoke, particularly those urges related to reducing negative affect. Additionally, state negative affect mediated the relationship between the body image manipulation and smoking urge. This study provides additional support, through an experimental design, that situational challenges to body image influence smoking motivation and that this effect occurs, at least in part, through increases in negative affect. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed. Copyright (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  16. The Effect of Body Image Threat on Smoking Motivation Among College Women: Mediation by Negative Affect

    PubMed Central

    Lopez Khoury, Elena N.; Litvin, Erika B.; Brandon, Thomas H.

    2014-01-01

    Previous descriptive, correlational, and quasi-experimental research has established that weight concerns and negative body image are associated with tobacco smoking, cessation, and relapse among young women. A recent experimental study found that activation of negative body image cognitions produced urges to smoke (Lopez, Drobes, Thompson, & Brandon, 2008). The current study intended to replicate and extend these experimental findings by examining the role of negative affect as a mediator of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and smoking urges. Female college smokers (N = 133) were randomly assigned to a body image challenge (trying on a bathing suit) or a control condition (evaluating a purse). State levels of urge to smoke, mood, and body dissatisfaction were assessed both pre- and post-manipulation. Trying on a bathing suit increased body dissatisfaction and reported urges to smoke, particularly those urges related to reducing negative affect. Additionally, state negative affect mediated the relationship between the body image manipulation and smoking urge. This study provides additional support, through an experimental design, that situational challenges to body image influence smoking motivation, and that this effect occurs, at least in part, via increases in negative affect. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed. PMID:19586144

  17. Multitasking for flows about multiple body configurations using the chimera grid scheme

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dougherty, F. C.; Morgan, R. L.

    1987-01-01

    The multitasking of a finite-difference scheme using multiple overset meshes is described. In this chimera, or multiple overset mesh approach, a multiple body configuration is mapped using a major grid about the main component of the configuration, with minor overset meshes used to map each additional component. This type of code is well suited to multitasking. Both steady and unsteady two dimensional computations are run on parallel processors on a CRAY-X/MP 48, usually with one mesh per processor. Flow field results are compared with single processor results to demonstrate the feasibility of running multiple mesh codes on parallel processors and to show the increase in efficiency.

  18. Does self-esteem affect body dissatisfaction levels in female adolescents?☆

    PubMed Central

    Fortes, Leonardo de Sousa; Cipriani, Flávia Marcele; Coelho, Fernanda Dias; Paes, Santiago Tavares; Ferreira, Maria Elisa Caputo

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the influence of self-esteem on levels of body dissatisfaction among adolescent females. Methods: A group of 397 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were enrolled in the study. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was applied to assess body dissatisfaction. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to assess self-esteem. Weight, height, and skinfold thickness were also measured. These anthropometric data were controlled in the statistical analyses. Results: The multiple regression model indicated influence of "positive self-esteem" (R2=0.16; p=0.001) and "negative self-esteem" (R2=0.23; p=0.001) subscales on the BSQ scores. Univariate analysis of covariance demonstrated differences in BSQ scores (p=0.001) according to groups of self-esteem. Conclusion: It was concluded that self-esteem influenced body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls from Juiz de Fora, MG. PMID:25479855

  19. Factors affecting dignity of patients with multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Sharifi, Simin; Borhani, Fariba; Abbaszadeh, Abbas

    2016-12-01

    MS is one of the most common chronic diseases of the nervous system. Apart from disease progression, other complications such as unemployment, separation and divorce could potentially threat patients' dignity. Most of the previous studies have been done of maintaining patients' dignity in interaction with healthcare team, but studies on affecting factors of dignity in chronic patients in the society and in interaction with usual people are scarce. We aimed to investigate factors affecting dignity of Iranian patients with MS in daily living and in interaction of them with the society. In this qualitative study, 13 patients with multiple sclerosis were chosen by purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation. The study was done in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Factors affecting dignity were classified as 'personal factors' and 'social factors'. Personal factors consist of the following subcategories: patients' communication with self, patients' knowledge, patients' values and beliefs and patients' resources. Social factors include others' communication with patients, social knowledge, social values and beliefs and social resources. Multiple personal and social factors interfere in perceived patient dignity. In fact, interaction between personal and social factors can be influential in final perceived dignity. By focusing on whole aspects of the patients' lives, we can identify dignity-promoting or dignity-threatening factors and help patients maintain their dignity by taking appropriate measures for moderating threatening factors and improving dignity enhancing ones. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  20. Whole-body multislice computed tomography (MSCT) improves trauma care in patients requiring surgery after multiple trauma.

    PubMed

    Wurmb, T E; Quaisser, C; Balling, H; Kredel, M; Muellenbach, R; Kenn, W; Roewer, N; Brederlau, J

    2011-04-01

    Whole-body multislice helical CT becomes increasingly important as a diagnostic tool in patients with multiple injuries. Time gain in multiple-trauma patients who require emergency surgery might improve outcome. The authors hypothesised that whole-body multislice computed tomography (MSCT) (MSCT trauma protocol) as the initial diagnostic tool reduces the interval to start emergency surgery (tOR) if compared to conventional radiography, combined with abdominal ultrasound and organ-focused CT (conventional trauma protocol). The second goal of the study was to investigate whether the diagnostic approach chosen has an impact on outcome. The authors' level 1 trauma centre uses whole-body MSCT for initial radiological diagnostic work-up for patients with suspected multiple trauma. Before the introduction of MSCT in 2004, a conventional approach was used. Group I: data of trauma patients treated with conventional trauma protocol from 2001 to 2003. Group II: data from trauma patients treated with whole-body MSCT trauma protocol from 2004 to 2006. tOR in group I (n=155) was 120 (90-150) min (median and IQR) and 105 (85-133) min (median and IQR) in group II (n=163), respectively (p<0.05). Patients of group II had significantly more serious injuries. No difference in outcome data was found. 14 patients died in both groups within the first 30 days; five of these died within the first 24 h. A whole-body MSCT-based diagnostic approach to multiple trauma shortens the time interval to start emergency surgery in patients with multiple injuries. Mortality remained unchanged in both groups. Patients of group II were more seriously injured; an improvement of outcome might be assumed.

  1. Impact of a healthy body image program among adolescent boys on body image, negative affect, and body change strategies.

    PubMed

    McCabe, Marita P; Ricciardelli, Lina A; Karantzas, Gery

    2010-03-01

    This study evaluated the effectiveness of a healthy body image program. In total, 421 adolescent boys completed a five-session intervention program or a wait list control group. There were no differences between the intervention and the control group at post-intervention or any of the follow-up times. Boys in the intervention group who were one standard deviation above the mean on body dissatisfaction at baseline, demonstrated a reduction in negative affect in the intervention group at post-test and 6 months follow-up. Prevention programs need to target boys who are at risk of adopting health risk behaviors, rather than being universally applied. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Body Esteem Among Women with Multiple Sclerosis and its Relationship with Demographic, Clinical and Socio-Psychological Factors.

    PubMed

    Wilski, M; Tasiemski, T; Dąbrowski, A

    2016-06-01

    The principal aim of this study was to verify if specific socio-demographic, clinical, and socio-psychological factors are correlates of body esteem in women with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study included 185 women with MS who completed the Body Esteem Scale (BES), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), Actually Received Support Scale (a part of the Berlin Social Support Scale), and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The patients were recruited as a result of cooperation with the Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Centre in Borne Sulinowo and Polish Society of Multiple Sclerosis. The demographic characteristics of the participants and their illness-related problems were determined with a self-report survey. A hierarchical multiple regression revealed that four factors, psychological condition (R (2) = 0.23, p ≤ 0.001), received support (R (2) = 0.28, p ≤ 0.001), personal control (R (2) = 0.30, p ≤ 0.001), and physical condition (R (2) = 0.31, p ≤ 0.001), were significant correlates of the general body esteem in our study group of women with MS. The model explained 31 % of variance in body esteem. Positive body esteem, an important component of self-esteem in women with MS, is associated with better social support, overcoming negative illness-related appraisals and improvement of psychological well-being. Subjective perception of a negative impact of MS on one's physical condition may be helpful in the identification of women with MS being at increased risk of decreased body esteem.

  3. Sex, season, and time of day interact to affect body temperatures of the Giant Gartersnake

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wylie, G.D.; Casazza, Michael L.; Halstead, B.J.; Gregory, C.J.

    2009-01-01

    1.We examined multiple hypotheses regarding differences in body temperatures of the Giant Gartersnake using temperature-sensitive radio telemetry and an information-theoretic analytical approach.2.Giant Gartersnakes selected body temperatures near 30 ??C, and males and females had similar body temperatures most of the year, except during the midsummer gestation period.3.Seasonal differences in the body temperatures of males and females may relate to both the costs associated with thermoregulatory behavior, such as predation, and the benefits associated with maintaining optimal body temperatures, such as successful incubation.

  4. Body-terrain interaction affects large bump traversal of insects and legged robots.

    PubMed

    Gart, Sean W; Li, Chen

    2018-02-02

    Small animals and robots must often rapidly traverse large bump-like obstacles when moving through complex 3D terrains, during which, in addition to leg-ground contact, their body inevitably comes into physical contact with the obstacles. However, we know little about the performance limits of large bump traversal and how body-terrain interaction affects traversal. To address these, we challenged the discoid cockroach and an open-loop six-legged robot to dynamically run into a large bump of varying height to discover the maximal traversal performance, and studied how locomotor modes and traversal performance are affected by body-terrain interaction. Remarkably, during rapid running, both the animal and the robot were capable of dynamically traversing a bump much higher than its hip height (up to 4 times the hip height for the animal and 3 times for the robot, respectively) at traversal speeds typical of running, with decreasing traversal probability with increasing bump height. A stability analysis using a novel locomotion energy landscape model explained why traversal was more likely when the animal or robot approached the bump with a low initial body yaw and a high initial body pitch, and why deflection was more likely otherwise. Inspired by these principles, we demonstrated a novel control strategy of active body pitching that increased the robot's maximal traversable bump height by 75%. Our study is a major step in establishing the framework of locomotion energy landscapes to understand locomotion in complex 3D terrains.

  5. Fathers matter: male body mass affects life-history traits in a size-dimorphic seabird

    PubMed Central

    Jenouvrier, Stéphanie; Börger, Luca; Weimerskirch, Henri; Ozgul, Arpat

    2017-01-01

    One of the predicted consequences of climate change is a shift in body mass distributions within animal populations. Yet body mass, an important component of the physiological state of an organism, can affect key life-history traits and consequently population dynamics. Over the past decades, the wandering albatross—a pelagic seabird providing bi-parental care with marked sexual size dimorphism—has exhibited an increase in average body mass and breeding success in parallel with experiencing increasing wind speeds. To assess the impact of these changes, we examined how body mass affects five key life-history traits at the individual level: adult survival, breeding probability, breeding success, chick mass and juvenile survival. We found that male mass impacted all traits examined except breeding probability, whereas female mass affected none. Adult male survival increased with increasing mass. Increasing adult male mass increased breeding success and mass of sons but not of daughters. Juvenile male survival increased with their chick mass. These results suggest that a higher investment in sons by fathers can increase their inclusive fitness, which is not the case for daughters. Our study highlights sex-specific differences in the effect of body mass on the life history of a monogamous species with bi-parental care. PMID:28469021

  6. How proprioceptive impairments affect quiet standing in patients with multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Rougier, P; Faucher, M; Cantalloube, S; Lamotte, D; Vinti, M; Thoumie, P

    2007-01-01

    To assess if multiple sclerosis patients with proprioceptive impairment are specifically affected during quiet standing with eyes open and how they can develop motor compensatory processes, 56 patients, classified from sensory clinical tests as ataxo-spastic (MS-AS) or only having spasticity (MS-S), were compared to 23 healthy adults matched for age. The postural strategies were assessed from the centre-of-pressure trajectories (CP), measured from a force platform in the eyes open standing condition for a single trial lasting 51.2 s. The vertical projection of the centre of gravity (CGv) and its vertical difference from the CP (CP-CGv) were then estimated through a biomechanical relationship. These two movements permit the characterization of the postural performance and the horizontal acceleration communicated to the CG and from that, the global energy expenditure, respectively. Both MS-AS and MS-S groups demonstrate larger CGv and CP-CGv movements than healthy individuals of the same age. Whilst similar CGv values are noticed in both MS subgroups, suggesting similar postural performances, statistically significant differences are observed for the CP-CGv component. Biomechanically, this feature expresses the necessity for the MS-AS group to develop augmented neuro-muscular means to control their body movements, as compared to the MS-S group. By demonstrating for both groups of patients similar postural performance accompanied by a varying degree of energy expenditure to maintain undisturbed upright stance, this study reveals that MS-AS patients which are affected by proprioceptive loss can compensate for this deficit with more efficient control strategies, when standing still with their eyes open.

  7. Considering an affect regulation framework for examining the association between body dissatisfaction and positive body image in Black older adolescent females: does body mass index matter?

    PubMed

    Webb, Jennifer B; Butler-Ajibade, Phoebe; Robinson, Seronda A

    2014-09-01

    The present study provided an initial evaluation of an affect regulation model describing the association between body dissatisfaction and two contemporary measures of positive body image among 247 Black college-bound older adolescent females. We further tested whether possessing a higher body mass index (BMI) would strengthen these associations. Self-reported height and weight were used to calculate BMI. Respondents also completed a culturally-sensitive figure rating scale along with assessments of body appreciation and body image flexibility. Results indicated a robust positive association between the two measures of positive body image; BMI was the strongest predictor of both body appreciation and body image flexibility with body size discrepancy (current minus ideal) contributing incremental variance to both models tested. Implications for improving our understanding of the association between positive and negative body image and bolstering positive body image to promote health-protective behaviors among Black young women at this developmental juncture are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Considering an Affect Regulation Framework for Examining the Association Between Body Dissatisfaction and Positive Body Image in Black Older Adolescent Females: Does Body Mass Index Matter?

    PubMed Central

    Butler-Ajibade, Phoebe; Robinson, Seronda A.

    2014-01-01

    The present study provided an initial evaluation of an affect regulation model describing the association between body dissatisfaction and two contemporary measures of positive body image among 247 Black college-bound older adolescent females. We further tested whether possessing a higher body mass index (BMI) would strengthen these associations. Self-reported height and weight were used to calculate BMI. Respondents also completed a culturally-sensitive figure rating scale along with assessments of body appreciation and body image flexibility. Results indicated a robust positive association between the two measures of positive body image; BMI was the strongest predictor of both body appreciation and body image flexibility with body size discrepancy (current minus ideal) contributing incremental variance to both models tested. Implications for improving our understanding of the association between positive and negative body image and bolstering positive body image to promote health-protective behaviors among Black young women at this developmental juncture are discussed. PMID:25079011

  9. The effects of mind-body training on stress reduction, positive affect, and plasma catecholamines.

    PubMed

    Jung, Ye-Ha; Kang, Do-Hyung; Jang, Joon Hwan; Park, Hye Yoon; Byun, Min Soo; Kwon, Soo Jin; Jang, Go-Eun; Lee, Ul Soon; An, Seung Chan; Kwon, Jun Soo

    2010-07-26

    This study was designed to assess the association between stress, positive affect and catecholamine levels in meditation and control groups. The meditation group consisted of 67 subjects who regularly engaged in mind-body training of "Brain-Wave Vibration" and the control group consisted of 57 healthy subjects. Plasma catecholamine (norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and dopamine (DA)) levels were measured, and a modified form of the Stress Response Inventory (SRI-MF) and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) were administered. The meditation group showed higher scores on positive affect (p=.019) and lower scores on stress (p<.001) compared with the control group. Plasma DA levels were also higher in the meditation (p=.031) than in the control group. The control group demonstrated a negative correlation between stress and positive affects (r=-.408, p=.002), whereas this correlation was not observed in the meditation group. The control group showed positive correlations between somatization and NE/E (r=.267, p=.045) and DA/E (r=.271, p=.042) ratios, whereas these correlations did not emerge in the meditation group. In conclusion, these results suggest that meditation as mind-body training is associated with lower stress, higher positive affect and higher plasma DA levels when comparing the meditation group with the control group. Thus, mind-body training may influence stress, positive affect and the sympathetic nervous system including DA activity. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Early Hormonal Treatment Affects Body Composition and Body Shape in Young Transgender Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Klaver, Maartje; de Mutsert, Renée; Wiepjes, Chantal M; Twisk, Jos W R; den Heijer, Martin; Rotteveel, Joost; Klink, Daniël T

    2018-02-01

    shape and composition outcomes at 22 years of age will help care providers in counseling transgender youth on expectations of attaining the desired body phenotype. This study presents the largest group of transgender adults to date who started treatment in their teens. Despite missing data, selection bias was not found. During treatment, WHR and body composition changed toward the affirmed sex. At 22 years of age, transwomen compared better to age-matched ciswomen than to cismen, whereas transmen were between reference values for ciswomen and cismen. Klaver M, de Mutsert R, Wiepjes CM, et al. Early Hormonal Treatment Affects Body Composition and Body Shape in Young Transgender Adolescents. J Sex Med 2018;15:251-260. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Interactions of bluff-body obstacles with turbulent airflows affecting evaporative fluxes from porous surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haghighi, Erfan; Or, Dani

    2015-11-01

    Bluff-body obstacles interacting with turbulent airflows are common in many natural and engineering applications (from desert pavement and shrubs over natural surfaces to cylindrical elements in compact heat exchangers). Even with obstacles of simple geometry, their interactions within turbulent airflows result in a complex and unsteady flow field that affects surface drag partitioning and transport of scalars from adjacent evaporating surfaces. Observations of spatio-temporal thermal patterns on evaporating porous surfaces adjacent to bluff-body obstacles depict well-defined and persistent zonation of evaporation rates that were used to construct a simple mechanistic model for surface-turbulence interactions. Results from evaporative drying of sand surfaces with isolated cylindrical elements (bluff bodies) subjected to constant turbulent airflows were in good agreement with model predictions for localized exchange rates. Experimental and theoretical results show persistent enhancement of evaporative fluxes from bluff-rough surfaces relative to smooth flat surfaces under similar conditions. The enhancement is attributed to formation of vortices that induce a thinner boundary layer over part of the interacting surface footprint. For a practical range of air velocities (0.5-4.0 m/s), low-aspect ratio cylindrical bluff elements placed on evaporating sand surfaces enhanced evaporative mass losses (relative to a flat surface) by up to 300% for high density of elements and high wind velocity, similar to observations reported in the literature. Concepts from drag partitioning were used to generalize the model and upscale predictions to evaporation from surfaces with multiple obstacles for potential applications to natural bluff-rough surfaces.

  12. Characteristics of attention-related body sensations. Temporal stability and associations with measures of body focus, affect, sustained attention, and heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Tihanyi, Benedek T; Ferentzi, Eszter; Köteles, Ferenc

    2017-09-01

    This study investigated the temporal stability and correlates of attention-related body sensations that emerge without external stimulation during rest and due to focused attention on a body part. To assess attention-related body sensations, participants were asked to focus on a freely chosen body area with closed eyes, and had to report whether the sensation of that area had changed. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess various aspects of body focus (body awareness, body responsiveness, somatosensory amplification, subjective somatic symptoms), and positive and negative affectivity. Previous experiences in body-mind therapies were also measured. PEBL Continuous Performance Test was used to assess sustained attention. Heart rate variability scores were based on a 3-minute long resting heart rate measurement. Fifty-eight university students (22.3 ± 3.95 years; 34 females) participated in the study. The stability of attention-related body sensations was measured 8 weeks later on a randomly chosen sub-group (n = 28). Attention-related body sensations showed a mediocre temporal stability (r ρ  = 0.47, p = 0.012). People reporting attention-related body sensations showed significantly higher body awareness, somatosensory amplification, and resting heart rate; and marginally higher somatic symptoms. No relation was found with body-mind practice, body responsiveness, positive and negative affect, the vagal component of heart rate variability, and performance in the sustained attention task. Attention-related sensations are relatively stable over time. They are connected to some, but not to all of the aspects of body focus. Further studies are needed to elaborate the influencing stable and situational factors.

  13. The discrepancy between emotional vs. rational estimates of body size, actual size, and ideal body ratings: theoretical and clinical implications.

    PubMed

    Thompson, J K; Dolce, J J

    1989-05-01

    Thirty-two asymptomatic college females were assessed on multiple aspects of body image. Subjects' estimation of the size of three body sites (waist, hips, thighs) was affected by instructional protocol. Emotional ratings, based on how they "felt" about their body, elicited ratings that were larger than actual and ideal size measures. Size ratings based on rational instructions were no different from actual sizes, but were larger than ideal ratings. There were no differences between actual and ideal sizes. The results are discussed with regard to methodological issues involved in body image research. In addition, a working hypothesis that differentiates affective/emotional from cognitive/rational aspects of body size estimation is offered to complement current theories of body image. Implications of the findings for the understanding of body image and its relationship to eating disorders are discussed.

  14. Partial Sleep Deprivation Attenuates the Positive Affective System: Effects Across Multiple Measurement Modalities.

    PubMed

    Finan, Patrick H; Quartana, Phillip J; Remeniuk, Bethany; Garland, Eric L; Rhudy, Jamie L; Hand, Matthew; Irwin, Michael R; Smith, Michael T

    2017-01-01

    Ample behavioral and neurobiological evidence links sleep and affective functioning. Recent self-report evidence suggests that the affective problems associated with sleep loss may be stronger for positive versus negative affective state and that those effects may be mediated by changes in electroencepholographically measured slow wave sleep (SWS). In the present study, we extend those preliminary findings using multiple measures of affective functioning. In a within-subject randomized crossover experiment, we tested the effects of one night of sleep continuity disruption via forced awakenings (FA) compared to one night of uninterrupted sleep (US) on three measures of positive and negative affective functioning: self-reported affective state, affective pain modulation, and affect-biased attention. The study was set in an inpatient clinical research suite. Healthy, good sleeping adults (N = 45) were included. Results indicated that a single night of sleep continuity disruption attenuated positive affective state via FA-induced reductions in SWS. Additionally, sleep continuity disruption attenuated the inhibition of pain by positive affect as well as attention bias to positive affective stimuli. Negative affective state, negative affective pain facilitation, nor negative attention bias were altered by sleep continuity disruption. The present findings, observed across multiple measures of affective function, suggest that sleep continuity disruption has a stronger influence on the positive affective system relative to the negative affective affective system. © Sleep Research Society 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Does habitat disturbance affect stress, body condition and parasitism in two sympatric lemurs?

    PubMed Central

    Rakotoniaina, Josué H; Kappeler, Peter M; Ravoniarimbinina, Pascaline; Pechouskova, Eva; Hämäläinen, Anni M; Grass, Juliane; Kirschbaum, Clemens; Kraus, Cornelia

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Understanding how animals react to human-induced changes in their environment is a key question in conservation biology. Owing to their potential correlation with fitness, several physiological parameters are commonly used to assess the effect of habitat disturbance on animals’ general health status. Here, we studied how two lemur species, the fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius) and the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), respond to changing environmental conditions by comparing their stress levels (measured as hair cortisol concentration), parasitism and general body condition across four habitats ordered along a gradient of human disturbance at Kirindy Forest, Western Madagascar. These two species previously revealed contrasting responses to human disturbance; whereas M. murinus is known as a resilient species, C. medius is rarely encountered in highly disturbed habitats. However, neither hair cortisol concentrations nor parasitism patterns (prevalence, parasite species richness and rate of multiple infections) and body condition varied across the gradient of anthropogenic disturbance. Our results indicate that the effect of anthropogenic activities at Kirindy Forest is not reflected in the general health status of both species, which may have developed a range of behavioural adaptations to deal with suboptimal conditions. Nonetheless, a difference in relative density among sites suggests that the carrying capacity of disturbed habitat is lower, and both species respond differently to environmental changes, with C. medius being more negatively affected. Thus, even for behaviourally flexible species, extended habitat deterioration could hamper long-term viability of populations. PMID:27656285

  16. Cognitive and affective mechanisms of pain and fatigue in multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Arewasikporn, Anne; Turner, Aaron P; Alschuler, Kevin N; Hughes, Abbey J; Ehde, Dawn M

    2018-06-01

    To examine the extent to which pain catastrophizing, fatigue catastrophizing, positive affect, and negative affect simultaneously mediated the associations between common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS; i.e., pain, fatigue) and impact on daily life, depressive symptoms, and resilience. Participants were community-dwelling adults with MS (N = 163) reporting chronic pain, fatigue, and/or moderate depressive symptoms. Multiple mediation path analysis was used to model potential mediators of pain and fatigue separately, using baseline data from a randomized controlled trial comparing two symptom self-management interventions. In the pain model, pain catastrophizing was a mediator of pain intensity with pain interference and depression. Negative affect was a mediator of pain intensity with depression and resilience. In the fatigue model, fatigue catastrophizing was a mediator of fatigue intensity with fatigue impact and depression. Positive affect was a mediator of fatigue intensity with depression and resilience. These findings provide preliminary support for the presence of differential effects of cognitive-affective mediators and suggest potential targets for psychological interventions based on an individual's clinical presentation. The differential mediating effects also support the inclusion of both positive and negative aspects of psychological health in models of pain and fatigue, which would not be otherwise apparent if negative constructs were examined in isolation. To our knowledge, this is the first study to utilize a multivariate path analysis approach to examine cognitive-affective mediators of pain and fatigue in MS, while also examining positive and negative constructs concurrently. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. The Mind-Body Connection - Can Prolonged Stress Affect Whether Breast Cancer Returns?

    MedlinePlus

    ... Past Issues The Mind-Body Connection Can Prolonged Stress Affect Whether Breast Cancer Returns? Past Issues / Winter ... traumatic life events. The categories ranged from traumatic stress to some stress to no significant stress. According ...

  18. Comparing Multiple Discrepancies Theory to Affective Models of Subjective Wellbeing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blore, Jed D.; Stokes, Mark A.; Mellor, David; Firth, Lucy; Cummins, Robert A.

    2011-01-01

    The Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) literature is replete with competing theories detailing the mechanisms underlying the construction and maintenance of SWB. The current study aimed to compare and contrast two of these approaches: multiple discrepancies theory (MDT) and an affective-cognitive theory of SWB. MDT posits SWB to be the result of perceived…

  19. Grouping of body areas affected in traffic accidents. A cohort study.

    PubMed

    León, Alba Luz; Ascuntar-Tello, Johana; Valderrama-Molina, Carlos Oliver; Giraldo, Nelson Darío; Constaín, Alfredo; Puerta, Andrés; Restrepo, Camilo; Jaimes, Fabián

    2018-03-01

    Traffic accidents are considered a public health problem and, according to the World Health Organization, currently is the eighth cause of death in the world. Specifically, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists contribute half of the fatalities. Adequate clinical management in accordance with aggregation patterns of the body areas involved, as well as the characteristics of the accident, will help to reduce mortality and disability in this population. Secondary data analysis of a cohort of patients involved in traffic accidents and admitted to the emergency room (ER) of a high complexity hospital in Medellín, Colombia. They were over 15 years of age, had two or more injuries in different areas of the body and had a hospital stay of more than 24 h after admission. A cluster analysis was performed, using Ward's method and the linfinity similarity measure, to obtain clusters of body areas most commonly affected depending on the type of vehicle and the type of victim. Among 2445 patients with traffic accidents, 34% (n = 836) were admitted into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the overall hospital mortality rate was 8% (n = 201). More than 50% of the patients were motorcycle riders but mortality was higher in pedestrian-car accidents (16%, n = 34). The clusters show efficient performance to separate the population depending on the severity of their injuries. Pedestrians had the highest mortality after having accidents with cars and they also had the highest number of body parts clustered, mainly on head and abdomen areas. Exploring the cluster patterns of injuries and body areas affected in traffic accidents allow to establish anatomical groups defined by the type of accident and the type of vehicle. This classification system will accelerate and prioritize ER-care for these population groups, helping to provide better health care services and to rationalize available resources.

  20. Diet/Energy Balance Affect Sleep and Wakefulness Independent of Body Weight

    PubMed Central

    Perron, Isaac J.; Pack, Allan I.; Veasey, Sigrid

    2015-01-01

    Study Objectives: Excessive daytime sleepiness commonly affects obese people, even in those without sleep apnea, yet its causes remain uncertain. We sought to determine whether acute dietary changes could induce or rescue wake impairments independent of body weight. Design: We implemented a novel feeding paradigm that generates two groups of mice with equal body weight but opposing energetic balance. Two subsets of mice consuming either regular chow (RC) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 w were switched to the opposite diet for 1 w. Sleep recordings were conducted at Week 0 (baseline), Week 8 (pre-diet switch), and Week 9 (post-diet switch) for all groups. Sleep homeostasis was measured at Week 8 and Week 9. Participants: Young adult, male C57BL/6J mice. Measurements and Results: Differences in total wake, nonrapid eye movement (NREM), and rapid eye movement (REM) time were quantified, in addition to changes in bout fragmentation/consolidation. At Week 9, the two diet switch groups had similar body weight. However, animals switched to HFD (and thus gaining weight) had decreased wake time, increased NREM sleep time, and worsened sleep/wake fragmentation compared to mice switched to RC (which were in weight loss). These effects were driven by significant sleep/wake changes induced by acute dietary manipulations (Week 8 → Week 9). Sleep homeostasis, as measured by delta power increase following sleep deprivation, was unaffected by our feeding paradigm. Conclusions: Acute dietary manipulations are sufficient to alter sleep and wakefulness independent of body weight and without effects on sleep homeostasis. Citation: Perron IJ, Pack AI, Veasey S. Diet/energy balance affect sleep and wakefulness independent of body weight. SLEEP 2015;38(12):1893–1903. PMID:26158893

  1. Multiple representations and free-body diagrams: Do students benefit from using them?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosengrant, David R.

    2007-12-01

    Introductory physics students have difficulties understanding concepts and solving problems. When they solve problems, they use surface features of the problems to find an equation to calculate a numerical answer often not understanding the physics in the problem. How do we help students approach problem solving in an expert manner? A possible answer is to help them learn to represent knowledge in multiple ways and then use these different representations for conceptual understanding and problem solving. This solution follows from research in cognitive science and in physics education. However, there are no studies in physics that investigate whether students who learn to use multiple representations are in fact better problem solvers. This study focuses on one specific representation used in physics--a free body diagram. A free-body diagram is a graphical representation of forces exerted on an object of interest by other objects. I used the free-body diagram to investigate five main questions: (1) If students are in a course where they consistently use free body diagrams to construct and test concepts in mechanics, electricity and magnetism and to solve problems in class and in homework, will they draw free-body diagrams on their own when solving exam problems? (2) Are students who use free-body diagrams to solve problems more successful then those who do not? (3) Why do students draw free-body diagrams when solving problems? (4) Are students consistent in constructing diagrams for different concepts in physics and are they consistent in the quality of their diagrams? (5) What are possible relationships between features of a problem and how likely a student will draw a free body diagram to help them solve the problem? I utilized a mixed-methods approach to answer these questions. Questions 1, 2, 4 and 5 required a quantitative approach while question 3 required a qualitative approach, a case study. When I completed my study, I found that if students are in an

  2. Prey dispersal rate affects prey species composition and trait diversity in response to multiple predators in metacommunities.

    PubMed

    Howeth, Jennifer G; Leibold, Mathew A

    2010-09-01

    1. Recent studies indicate that large-scale spatial processes can alter local community structuring mechanisms to determine local and regional assemblages of predators and their prey. In metacommunities, this may occur when the functional diversity represented in the regional predator species pool interacts with the rate of prey dispersal among local communities to affect prey species diversity and trait composition at multiple scales. 2. Here, we test for effects of prey dispersal rate and spatially and temporally heterogeneous predation from functionally dissimilar predators on prey structure in pond mesocosm metacommunities. An experimental metacommunity consisted of three pond mesocosm communities supporting two differentially size-selective invertebrate predators and their zooplankton prey. In each metacommunity, two communities maintained constant predation and supported either Gyrinus sp. (Coleoptera) or Notonecta ungulata (Hemiptera) predators generating a spatial prey refuge while the third community supported alternating predation from Gyrinus sp. and N. ungulata generating a temporal prey refuge. Mesocosm metacommunities were connected at either low (0.7% day(-1)) or high (10% day(-1)) planktonic prey dispersal. The diversity, composition and body size of zooplankton prey were measured at local and regional (metacommunity) scales. 3. Metacommunities experiencing the low prey dispersal rate supported the greatest regional prey species diversity (H') and evenness (J'). Neither dispersal rate nor predation regime affected local prey diversity or evenness. The spatial prey refuge at low dispersal maintained the largest difference in species composition and body size diversity between communities under Gyrinus and Notonecta predation, suggesting that species sorting was operating at the low dispersal rate. There was no effect of dispersal rate on species diversity or body size distribution in the temporal prey refuge. 4. The frequency distribution, but not

  3. Short-term changes in affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of body image after bariatric surgery.

    PubMed

    Williams, Gail A; Hudson, Danae L; Whisenhunt, Brooke L; Stone, Megan; Heinberg, Leslie J; Crowther, Janis H

    2018-04-01

    Many bariatric surgery candidates report body image concerns before surgery. Research has reported post-surgical improvements in body satisfaction, which may be associated with weight loss. However, research has failed to comprehensively examine changes in affective, behavioral, and cognitive body image. This research examined (1) short-term changes in affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of body image from pre-surgery to 1- and 6-months after bariatric surgery, and (2) the association between percent weight loss and these changes. Participants were recruited from a private hospital in the midwestern United States. Eighty-eight females (original N = 123; lost to follow-up: n = 15 at 1-month and n = 20 at 6-months post-surgery) completed a questionnaire battery, including the Body Attitudes Questionnaire, Body Checking Questionnaire, Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire, and Body Shape Questionnaire, and weights were obtained from patients' medical records before and at 1- and 6-months post-surgery. Results indicated significant decreases in body dissatisfaction, feelings of fatness, and body image avoidance at 1- and 6-months after bariatric surgery, with the greatest magnitude of change occurring for body image avoidance. Change in feelings of fatness was significantly correlated with percent weight loss at 6-months, but not 1-month, post-surgery. These findings highlight the importance of examining short-term changes in body image from a multidimensional perspective in the effort to improve postsurgical outcomes. Unique contributions include the findings regarding the behavioral component of body image, as body image avoidance emerges as a particularly salient concern that changes over time among bariatric surgery candidates. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. A wireless body measurement system to study fatigue in multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Yu, Fei; Bilberg, Arne; Stenager, Egon; Rabotti, Chiara; Zhang, Bin; Mischi, Massimo

    2012-12-01

    Fatigue is reported as the most common symptom by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The physiological and functional parameters related to fatigue in MS patients are currently not well established. A new wearable wireless body measurement system, named Fatigue Monitoring System (FAMOS), was developed to study fatigue in MS. It can continuously measure electrocardiogram, body-skin temperature, electromyogram and motions of feet. The goal of this study is to test the ability of distinguishing fatigued MS patients from healthy subjects by the use of FAMOS. This paper presents the realization of the measurement system including the design of both hardware and dedicated signal processing algorithms. Twenty-six participants including 17 MS patients with fatigue and 9 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were included in the study for continuous 24 h monitoring. The preliminary results show significant differences between fatigued MS patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, the FAMOS enables continuous data acquisition and estimation of multiple physiological and functional parameters. It provides a new, flexible and objective approach to study fatigue in MS, which can distinguish between fatigued MS patients and healthy controls. The usability and reliability of the FAMOS should however be further improved and validated through larger clinical trials.

  5. Novel application of lower body positive-pressure in the rehabilitation of an individual with multiple lower extremity fractures.

    PubMed

    Takacs, Judit; Leiter, Jeff R S; Peeler, Jason D

    2011-06-01

    Lower extremity fractures, if not treated appropriately, can increase the risk of morbidity. Partial weight-bearing after surgical repair is recommended; however, current methods of partial weight-bearing may cause excessive loads through the lower extremity. A new rehabilitation tool that uses lower body positive-pressure is described, that may allow partial weight-bearing while preventing excessive loads, thereby improving functional outcomes. A patient with multiple lower extremity fractures underwent a 6-month rehabilitation programme using bodyweight support technology 3 times per week, post-surgery. The patient experienced a reduction in pain and an improvement in ankle range of motion (p=0.002), walking speed (p>0.05) and physical function (p=0.004), as assessed by the Foot and Ankle Module of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Lower Limb Outcomes Assessment Instrument. Training did not appear to affect fracture healing, as was evident on radiograph. The effect of lower body positive-pressure on effusion, which has not previously been reported in the literature, was also investigated. No significant difference in effusion of the foot and ankle when using lower body positive-pressure was found. Initial results suggest that this new technology may be a useful rehabilitation tool that allows partial weight-bearing during the treatment of lower extremity injuries.

  6. Excess Vitamin Intake before Starvation does not Affect Body Mass, Organ Mass, or Blood Variables but Affects Urinary Excretion of Riboflavin in Starving Rats.

    PubMed

    Moriya, Aya; Fukuwatari, Tsutomu; Shibata, Katsumi

    2013-01-01

    B-vitamins are important for producing energy from amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of excess vitamin intake before starvation on body mass, organ mass, blood, and biological variables as well as on urinary excretion of riboflavin in rats. Adult rats were fed two types of diets, one with a low vitamin content (minimum vitamin diet for optimum growth) and one with a sufficient amount of vitamins (excess vitamin diet). Body mass, organ mass, and blood variables were not affected by excess vitamin intake before starvation. Interestingly, urinary riboflavin excretion showed a different pattern. Urine riboflavin in the excess vitamin intake group declined gradually during starvation, whereas it increased in the low vitamin intake group. Excess vitamin intake before starvation does not affect body mass, organ mass, or blood variables but does affect the urinary excretion of riboflavin in starving rats.

  7. Development of a Whole-Body Haptic Sensor with Multiple Supporting Points and Its Application to a Manipulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanyu, Ryosuke; Tsuji, Toshiaki

    This paper proposes a whole-body haptic sensing system that has multiple supporting points between the body frame and the end-effector. The system consists of an end-effector and multiple force sensors. Using this mechanism, the position of a contact force on the surface can be calculated without any sensor array. A haptic sensing system with a single supporting point structure has previously been developed by the present authors. However, the system has drawbacks such as low stiffness and low strength. Therefore, in this study, a mechanism with multiple supporting points was proposed and its performance was verified. In this paper, the basic concept of the mechanism is first introduced. Next, an evaluation of the proposed method, performed by conducting some experiments, is presented.

  8. Robot-Assisted Body-Weight-Supported Treadmill Training in Gait Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Pilot Study.

    PubMed

    Łyp, Marek; Stanisławska, Iwona; Witek, Bożena; Olszewska-Żaczek, Ewelina; Czarny-Działak, Małgorzata; Kaczor, Ryszard

    2018-02-13

    This study deals with the use of a robot-assisted body-weight-supported treadmill training in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with gait dysfunction. Twenty MS patients (10 men and 10 women) of the mean of 46.3 ± 8.5 years were assigned to a six-week-long training period with the use of robot-assisted treadmill training of increasing intensity of the Lokomat type. The outcome measure consisted of the difference in motion-dependent torque of lower extremity joint muscles after training compared with baseline before training. We found that the training uniformly and significantly augmented the torque of both extensors and flexors of the hip and knee joints. The muscle power in the lower limbs of SM patients was improved, leading to corrective changes of disordered walking movements, which enabled the patients to walk with less effort and less assistance of care givers. The torque augmentation could have its role in affecting the function of the lower extremity muscle groups during walking. The results of this pilot study suggest that the robot-assisted body-weight-supported treadmill training may be a potential adjunct measure in the rehabilitation paradigm of 'gait reeducation' in peripheral neuropathies.

  9. Clear signals or mixed messages: inter-individual emotion congruency modulates brain activity underlying affective body perception

    PubMed Central

    de Gelder, B.

    2016-01-01

    The neural basis of emotion perception has mostly been investigated with single face or body stimuli. However, in daily life one may also encounter affective expressions by groups, e.g. an angry mob or an exhilarated concert crowd. In what way is brain activity modulated when several individuals express similar rather than different emotions? We investigated this question using an experimental design in which we presented two stimuli simultaneously, with same or different emotional expressions. We hypothesized that, in the case of two same-emotion stimuli, brain activity would be enhanced, while in the case of two different emotions, one emotion would interfere with the effect of the other. The results showed that the simultaneous perception of different affective body expressions leads to a deactivation of the amygdala and a reduction of cortical activity. It was revealed that the processing of fearful bodies, compared with different-emotion bodies, relied more strongly on saliency and action triggering regions in inferior parietal lobe and insula, while happy bodies drove the occipito-temporal cortex more strongly. We showed that this design could be used to uncover important differences between brain networks underlying fearful and happy emotions. The enhancement of brain activity for unambiguous affective signals expressed by several people simultaneously supports adaptive behaviour in critical situations. PMID:27025242

  10. Individual Factors Affecting Self-esteem, and Relationships Among Self-esteem, Body Mass Index, and Body Image in Patients With Schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Oh, EunJung; Song, EunJu; Shin, JungEun

    2017-12-01

    The purposes of this study were to identify correlations between body mass index, body image, and self-esteem in patients with schizophrenia and to analyse the specific factors affecting self-esteem. This study had a descriptive design, utilising a cross-sectional survey. Participants were patients with schizophrenia who were admitted to a mental health facility in South Korea. A total of 180 questionnaires were distributed, and an appropriate total sample size of 167 valid questionnaires was analysed. Self-esteem was significantly correlated with body image, the subscale of appearance orientation, and body areas satisfaction. However, body mass index exhibited no significant correlation with any variable. The variables found to have a significant explanatory power of 21.4% were appearance orientation and body areas satisfaction. The explanatory power of all factors was 33.6%. The self-esteem of patients with schizophrenia was influenced by body mass index and body image. The positive symptoms of schizophrenia can be controlled by medication, whereas negative symptoms can be improved through education and nursing care with medication. Thus, psychiatric nurses should develop education and care programs that contribute to the positive body image and self-esteem of patients with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Multiple brain networks for visual self-recognition with different sensitivity for motion and body part.

    PubMed

    Sugiura, Motoaki; Sassa, Yuko; Jeong, Hyeonjeong; Miura, Naoki; Akitsuki, Yuko; Horie, Kaoru; Sato, Shigeru; Kawashima, Ryuta

    2006-10-01

    Multiple brain networks may support visual self-recognition. It has been hypothesized that the left ventral occipito-temporal cortex processes one's own face as a symbol, and the right parieto-frontal network processes self-image in association with motion-action contingency. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we first tested these hypotheses based on the prediction that these networks preferentially respond to a static self-face and to moving one's whole body, respectively. Brain activation specifically related to self-image during familiarity judgment was compared across four stimulus conditions comprising a two factorial design: factor Motion contrasted picture (Picture) and movie (Movie), and factor Body part a face (Face) and whole body (Body). Second, we attempted to segregate self-specific networks using a principal component analysis (PCA), assuming an independent pattern of inter-subject variability in activation over the four stimulus conditions in each network. The bilateral ventral occipito-temporal and the right parietal and frontal cortices exhibited self-specific activation. The left ventral occipito-temporal cortex exhibited greater self-specific activation for Face than for Body, in Picture, consistent with the prediction for this region. The activation profiles of the right parietal and frontal cortices did not show preference for Movie Body predicted by the assumed roles of these regions. The PCA extracted two cortical networks, one with its peaks in the right posterior, and another in frontal cortices; their possible roles in visuo-spatial and conceptual self-representations, respectively, were suggested by previous findings. The results thus supported and provided evidence of multiple brain networks for visual self-recognition.

  12. Hereditary Angioedema Attacks: Local Swelling at Multiple Sites.

    PubMed

    Hofman, Zonne L M; Relan, Anurag; Hack, C Erik

    2016-02-01

    Hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients experience recurrent local swelling in various parts of the body including painful swelling of the intestine and life-threatening laryngeal oedema. Most HAE literature is about attacks located in one anatomical site, though it is mentioned that HAE attacks may also involve multiple anatomical sites simultaneously. A detailed description of such multi-location attacks is currently lacking. This study investigated the occurrence, severity and clinical course of HAE attacks with multiple anatomical locations. HAE patients included in a clinical database of recombinant human C1-inhibitor (rhC1INH) studies were evaluated. Visual analog scale scores filled out by the patients for various symptoms at various locations and investigator symptoms scores during the attack were analysed. Data of 219 eligible attacks in 119 patients was analysed. Thirty-three patients (28%) had symptoms at multiple locations in anatomically unrelated regions at the same time during their first attack. Up to five simultaneously affected locations were reported. The observation that severe HAE attacks often affect multiple sites in the body suggests that HAE symptoms result from a systemic rather than from a local process as is currently believed.

  13. Multiple melt bodies fed the AD 2011 eruption of Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, Chile.

    PubMed

    Alloway, B V; Pearce, N J G; Villarosa, G; Outes, V; Moreno, P I

    2015-12-02

    Within the volcanological community there is a growing awareness that many large- to small-scale, point-source eruptive events can be fed by multiple melt bodies rather than from a single magma reservoir. In this study, glass shard major- and trace-element compositions were determined from tephra systematically sampled from the outset of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle (PCC) eruption (~1 km(3)) in southern Chile which commenced on June 4(th), 2011. Three distinct but cogenetic magma bodies were simultaneously tapped during the paroxysmal phase of this eruption. These are readily identified by clear compositional gaps in CaO, and by Sr/Zr and Sr/Y ratios, resulting from dominantly plagioclase extraction at slightly different pressures, with incompatible elements controlled by zircon crystallisation. Our results clearly demonstrate the utility of glass shard major- and trace-element data in defining the contribution of multiple magma bodies to an explosive eruption. The complex spatial association of the PCC fissure zone with the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault zone was likely an influential factor that impeded the ascent of the parent magma and allowed the formation of discrete melt bodies within the sub-volcanic system that continued to independently fractionate.

  14. Supporting Affect Regulation in Children with Multiple Disabilities during Psychotherapy: A Multiple Case Design Study of Therapeutic Attachment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuengel, C.; Sterkenburg, P. S.; Jeczynski, P.; Janssen, C. G. C.; Jongbloed, G.

    2009-01-01

    In a controlled multiple case design study, the development of a therapeutic relationship and its role in affect regulation were studied in 6 children with visual disabilities, severe intellectual disabilities, severe challenging behavior, and prolonged social deprivation. In the 1st phase, children had sessions with an experimental therapist…

  15. Disturbance of Intentionality: A Phenomenological Study of Body-Affecting First-Rank Symptoms in Schizophrenia

    PubMed Central

    Thomann, Philipp Arthur; Fuchs, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    Objectives In 1950, Kurt Schneider proposed that a considerable number of schizophrenia patients develop first-rank symptoms (FRS). In such cases, patients report made experiences, replaced control of will, thought insertion, broadcast or withdrawal and delusional perception, respectively. Although a number of recent studies tend to explain FRS in terms of neurobiological and neuropsychological processes, the origin of these symptoms still remains unknown. In this paper, we explore the subjective experience of patients with the following two FRS: (1) "made" impulses and (2) “made" volitional acts. Method The method applied for the study of two FRS consists first in the overview of psychiatric and philosophical literature and second in the further investigation of subjective experience in patients with FRS. Psychopathological and phenomenological aspects of FRS are discussed by means of patient cases. Results We discovered a profound transformation of intentionality and agency in schizophrenia patients with body-affecting FRS. This concept offers an insight into the interrelatedness between particular FRS. Conclusion We propose that the subjective experience of schizophrenia patients with body-affecting FRS is rooted in the disturbance of intentionality and diminished sense of agency. This theoretical account of body-affecting FRS will open up new directions in both phenomenological and neurobiological psychiatric research. PMID:24019932

  16. Clear signals or mixed messages: inter-individual emotion congruency modulates brain activity underlying affective body perception.

    PubMed

    de Borst, A W; de Gelder, B

    2016-08-01

    The neural basis of emotion perception has mostly been investigated with single face or body stimuli. However, in daily life one may also encounter affective expressions by groups, e.g. an angry mob or an exhilarated concert crowd. In what way is brain activity modulated when several individuals express similar rather than different emotions? We investigated this question using an experimental design in which we presented two stimuli simultaneously, with same or different emotional expressions. We hypothesized that, in the case of two same-emotion stimuli, brain activity would be enhanced, while in the case of two different emotions, one emotion would interfere with the effect of the other. The results showed that the simultaneous perception of different affective body expressions leads to a deactivation of the amygdala and a reduction of cortical activity. It was revealed that the processing of fearful bodies, compared with different-emotion bodies, relied more strongly on saliency and action triggering regions in inferior parietal lobe and insula, while happy bodies drove the occipito-temporal cortex more strongly. We showed that this design could be used to uncover important differences between brain networks underlying fearful and happy emotions. The enhancement of brain activity for unambiguous affective signals expressed by several people simultaneously supports adaptive behaviour in critical situations. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Body integrity identity disorder: deranged body processing, right fronto-parietal dysfunction, and phenomenological experience of body incongruity.

    PubMed

    Giummarra, Melita J; Bradshaw, John L; Nicholls, Michael E R; Hilti, Leonie M; Brugger, Peter

    2011-12-01

    Body integrity identity disorder (BIID) is characterised by profound experience of incongruity between the biological and desired body structure. The condition manifests in "non-belonging" of body parts, and the subsequent desire to amputate, paralyse or disable a limb. Little is known about BIID; however, a neuropsychological model implicating right fronto-parietal and insular networks is emerging, with potential disruption to body representation. We argue that, as there is scant systematic research on BIID published to date and much of the research is methodologically weak, it is premature to assume that the only process underlying bodily experience that is compromised is body representation. The present review systematically investigates which aspects of neurological processing of the body, and sense of self, may be compromised in BIID. We argue that the disorder most likely reflects dysregulation in multiple levels of body processing. That is, the disunity between self and the body could arguably come about through congenital and/or developmental disruption of body representations, which, together with altered multisensory integration, may preclude the experience of self-attribution and embodiment of affected body parts. Ulimately, there is a need for official diagnostic criteria to facilitate epidemiological characterisation of BIID, and for further research to systematically investigate which aspects of body representation and processing are truly compromised in the disorder.

  18. Oesophageal foreign bodies in dogs: factors affecting success of endoscopic retrieval.

    PubMed

    Juvet, Florence; Pinilla, Manuel; Shiel, Robert E; Mooney, Carmel T

    2010-03-01

    Oesophageal foreign bodies are common in dogs. Endoscopic removal is a viable treatment option but few studies have assessed the clinical and radiographic features that would be useful in decision-making and prognosis.Dogs (n = 44) with oesophageal foreign bodies presented to the University Veterinary Hospital were assessed. Terriers and West Highland White Terriers were significantly overrepresented (p < 0.0001) and in those breeds the foreign body was significantly (p < 0.0001) more likely to be located caudal to the heart base. The majority (88.6%) of foreign bodies were bones or bone fragments.Group 1 (n = 30) included animals where endoscopic removal was successful and Group 2 (n = 14) animals where it was unsuccessful or not attempted because of evidence of oesophageal rupture. There was no statistically significant difference in age, sex, body weight, type, location and size of foreign body, recovery rate, short-term complications and long-term outcome between the two groups. Duration of signs prior to presentation and time to spontaneous oral feeding were significantly longer (p < 0.01 in each case) in Group 2 (five days and 120 hours, respectively) compared to Group 1 (2 days and 24 hours, respectively). Mortality was 11.1%. Long-term follow-up of 29 dogs suggested oesophageal stricture formation manageable by feeding alone in seven (24.1%) cases.Terriers appear predisposed to oesophageal foreign bodies. Success of endoscopic removal is adversely affected by duration of signs prior to presentation. Surgical removal negatively influences time to recovery. Stricture formation appears to be a relatively common complication and alternate measures for its prevention should be sought.

  19. Oesophageal foreign bodies in dogs: factors affecting success of endoscopic retrieval

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Oesophageal foreign bodies are common in dogs. Endoscopic removal is a viable treatment option but few studies have assessed the clinical and radiographic features that would be useful in decision-making and prognosis. Dogs (n = 44) with oesophageal foreign bodies presented to the University Veterinary Hospital were assessed. Terriers and West Highland White Terriers were significantly overrepresented (p < 0.0001) and in those breeds the foreign body was significantly (p < 0.0001) more likely to be located caudal to the heart base. The majority (88.6%) of foreign bodies were bones or bone fragments. Group 1 (n = 30) included animals where endoscopic removal was successful and Group 2 (n = 14) animals where it was unsuccessful or not attempted because of evidence of oesophageal rupture. There was no statistically significant difference in age, sex, body weight, type, location and size of foreign body, recovery rate, short-term complications and long-term outcome between the two groups. Duration of signs prior to presentation and time to spontaneous oral feeding were significantly longer (p < 0.01 in each case) in Group 2 (five days and 120 hours, respectively) compared to Group 1 (2 days and 24 hours, respectively). Mortality was 11.1%. Long-term follow-up of 29 dogs suggested oesophageal stricture formation manageable by feeding alone in seven (24.1%) cases. Terriers appear predisposed to oesophageal foreign bodies. Success of endoscopic removal is adversely affected by duration of signs prior to presentation. Surgical removal negatively influences time to recovery. Stricture formation appears to be a relatively common complication and alternate measures for its prevention should be sought. PMID:21851744

  20. Research on the Multiple Factors Influencing Human Identification Based on Pyroelectric Infrared Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Lou, Ping; Hu, Jianmin

    2018-01-01

    Analysis of the multiple factors affecting human identification ability based on pyroelectric infrared technology is a complex problem. First, we examine various sensed pyroelectric waveforms of the human body thermal infrared signal and reveal a mechanism for affecting human identification. Then, we find that the mechanism is decided by the distance, human target, pyroelectric infrared (PIR) sensor, the body type, human moving velocity, signal modulation mask, and Fresnel lens. The mapping relationship between the sensed waveform and multiple influencing factors is established, and a group of mathematical models are deduced which fuse the macro factors and micro factors. Finally, the experimental results show the macro-factors indirectly affect the recognition ability of human based on the pyroelectric technology. At the same time, the correctness and effectiveness of the mathematical models is also verified, which make it easier to obtain more pyroelectric infrared information about the human body for discriminating human targets. PMID:29462908

  1. Corticosterone regulates multiple colour traits in Lacerta [Zootoca] vivipara males.

    PubMed

    San-Jose, L M; Fitze, P S

    2013-12-01

    Ornamental colours usually evolve as honest signals of quality, which is supported by the fact that they frequently depend on individual condition. It has generally been suggested that some, but not all types of ornamental colours are condition dependent, indicating that different evolutionary mechanisms underlie the evolution of multiple types of ornamental colours even when these are exhibited by the same species. Stress hormones, which negatively affect condition, have been shown to affect colour traits based on different pigments and structures, suggesting that they mediate condition dependence of multiple ornament types both among and within individuals. However, studies investigating effects of stress hormones on different ornament types within individuals are lacking, and thus, evidence for this hypothesis is scant. Here, we investigated whether corticosterone mediates condition dependence of multiple ornaments by manipulating corticosterone levels and body condition (via food availability) using a two-factorial design and by assessing their effect on multiple colour traits in male common lizards. Corticosterone negatively affected ventral melanin- and carotenoid-based coloration, whereas food availability did not affect coloration, despite its significant effect on body condition. The corticosterone effect on melanin- and carotenoid-based coloration demonstrates the condition dependence of both ornaments. Moreover, corticosterone affected ventral coloration and had no effect on the nonsexually selected dorsal coloration, showing specific effects of corticosterone on ornamental ventral colours. This suggests that corticosterone simultaneously mediates condition dependence of multiple colour traits and that it therefore accounts for covariation among them, which may influence their evolution via correlational selection. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2013 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  2. Sneaker Males Affect Fighter Male Body Size and Sexual Size Dimorphism in Salmon.

    PubMed

    Weir, Laura K; Kindsvater, Holly K; Young, Kyle A; Reynolds, John D

    2016-08-01

    Large male body size is typically favored by directional sexual selection through competition for mates. However, alternative male life-history phenotypes, such as "sneakers," should decrease the strength of sexual selection acting on body size of large "fighter" males. We tested this prediction with salmon species; in southern populations, where sneakers are common, fighter males should be smaller than in northern populations, where sneakers are rare, leading to geographical clines in sexual size dimorphism (SSD). Consistent with our prediction, fighter male body size and SSD (fighter male∶female size) increase with latitude in species with sneaker males (Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou) but not in species without sneakers (chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta and pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). This is the first evidence that sneaker males affect SSD across populations and species, and it suggests that alternative male mating strategies may shape the evolution of body size.

  3. Randomized, controlled trial of dextromethorphan/quinidine for pseudobulbar affect in multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Panitch, Hillel S; Thisted, Ronald A; Smith, Richard A; Wynn, Daniel R; Wymer, James P; Achiron, Anat; Vollmer, Timothy L; Mandler, Raul N; Dietrich, Dennis W; Fletcher, Malcolm; Pope, Laura E; Berg, James E; Miller, Ariel

    2006-05-01

    To evaluate the efficacy and safety of DM/Q (capsules containing dextromethorphan [DM] and quinidine [Q]) compared with placebo, taken twice daily, for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect over a 12-week period in multiple sclerosis patients. A total of 150 patients were randomized in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess pseudobulbar affect with the validated Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale. Each patient also recorded the number of episodes experienced between visits, estimated quality of life and quality of relationships on visual analog scales, and completed a pain rating scale. Patients receiving DM/Q had greater reductions in Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale scores than those receiving placebo (p < 0.0001) at all clinic visits (days 15, 29, 57, and 85). All secondary end points also favored DM/Q, including the number of crying or laughing episodes (p multiple sclerosis patients were similar to those of a previous study in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, demonstrating that DM/Q may be beneficial in treating potentially disabling pseudobulbar affect in a variety of neurological disorders.

  4. Environmental Factors Affecting Large-Bodied Coral Reef Fish Assemblages in the Mariana Archipelago

    PubMed Central

    Richards, Benjamin L.; Williams, Ivor D.; Vetter, Oliver J.; Williams, Gareth J.

    2012-01-01

    Large-bodied reef fishes represent an economically and ecologically important segment of the coral reef fish assemblage. Many of these individuals supply the bulk of the reproductive output for their population and have a disproportionate effect on their environment (e.g. as apex predators or bioeroding herbivores). Large-bodied reef fishes also tend to be at greatest risk of overfishing, and their loss can result in a myriad of either cascading (direct) or indirect trophic and other effects. While many studies have investigated habitat characteristics affecting populations of small-bodied reef fishes, few have explored the relationship between large-bodied species and their environment. Here, we describe the distribution of the large-bodied reef fishes in the Mariana Archipelago with an emphasis on the environmental factors associated with their distribution. Of the factors considered in this study, a negative association with human population density showed the highest relative influence on the distribution of large-bodied reef fishes; however, depth, water temperature, and distance to deep water also were important. These findings provide new information on the ecology of large-bodied reef fishes can inform discussions concerning essential fish habitat and ecosystem-based management for these species and highlight important knowledge gaps worthy of additional research. PMID:22384014

  5. Environmental factors affecting large-bodied coral reef fish assemblages in the Mariana Archipelago.

    PubMed

    Richards, Benjamin L; Williams, Ivor D; Vetter, Oliver J; Williams, Gareth J

    2012-01-01

    Large-bodied reef fishes represent an economically and ecologically important segment of the coral reef fish assemblage. Many of these individuals supply the bulk of the reproductive output for their population and have a disproportionate effect on their environment (e.g. as apex predators or bioeroding herbivores). Large-bodied reef fishes also tend to be at greatest risk of overfishing, and their loss can result in a myriad of either cascading (direct) or indirect trophic and other effects. While many studies have investigated habitat characteristics affecting populations of small-bodied reef fishes, few have explored the relationship between large-bodied species and their environment. Here, we describe the distribution of the large-bodied reef fishes in the Mariana Archipelago with an emphasis on the environmental factors associated with their distribution. Of the factors considered in this study, a negative association with human population density showed the highest relative influence on the distribution of large-bodied reef fishes; however, depth, water temperature, and distance to deep water also were important. These findings provide new information on the ecology of large-bodied reef fishes can inform discussions concerning essential fish habitat and ecosystem-based management for these species and highlight important knowledge gaps worthy of additional research.

  6. PSEUDOBULBAR AFFECT IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS.

    PubMed

    Vidović, Viktor; Rovazdi, Merisanda Časar; Kraml, Oto; Kes, Vanja Bašić

    2015-06-01

    The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of pseudobulbar affect (PBA) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to analyze the link between PBA and patient age, sex, clinical course of MS, disease duration and degree of disability. The study was conducted on 79 MS patients that underwent inpatient rehabilitation at the Lipik Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation in the period from August 15, 2014 to February 15, 2015. PBA is a term used for an emotional disinhibition syndrome characterized by sudden and involuntary episodes of crying or laughing which are not in proportion to the stimulus applied or occur without stimulus. The condition can be present in patients with various neurological disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, patients having recovered from stroke, or following traumatic brain injury. The estimated prevalence in patients with MS ranges from 10% to 46.2%. As a measuring instrument in the study, we used the Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS), where a sum 17 denoted positive finding. The total number of respondents was 79, of which 33 (41.8%) met the CNS-LS criteria for the diagnosis of PBA. There was no statistically significant correlation between PBA, age and degree of disability, although PBA was more common in women and in patients with a secondary progressive form of the disease. We found that 42.4% of respondents with positive CNS-LS criteria for PBA did not inform their neurologist on the presence of sudden mood changes. The high frequency of PBA and the fact that a significant proportion of patients did not inform the neurologist on their affective disturbances call for an active approach to diagnosis and treatment.

  7. Additive effects of affective arousal and top-down attention on the event-related brain responses to human bodies.

    PubMed

    Hietanen, Jari K; Kirjavainen, Ilkka; Nummenmaa, Lauri

    2014-12-01

    The early visual event-related 'N170 response' is sensitive to human body configuration and it is enhanced to nude versus clothed bodies. We tested whether the N170 response as well as later EPN and P3/LPP responses to nude bodies reflect the effect of increased arousal elicited by these stimuli, or top-down allocation of object-based attention to the nude bodies. Participants saw pictures of clothed and nude bodies and faces. In each block, participants were asked to direct their attention towards stimuli from a specified target category while ignoring others. Object-based attention did not modulate the N170 amplitudes towards attended stimuli; instead N170 response was larger to nude bodies compared to stimuli from other categories. Top-down attention and affective arousal had additive effects on the EPN and P3/LPP responses reflecting later processing stages. We conclude that nude human bodies have a privileged status in the visual processing system due to the affective arousal they trigger. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Factors affecting body composition in preterm infants: Assessment techniques and nutritional interventions.

    PubMed

    Strydom, K; Van Niekerk, E; Dhansay, M A

    2017-10-28

    Limited research has been conducted that elucidates the growth and body composition of preterm infants. It is known that these infants do not necessarily achieve extra-utero growth rates and body composition similar to those of their term counterparts. Preterm infants, who have difficulty in achieving these growth rates, could suffer from growth failure. These infants display an increased intra-abdominal adiposity and abnormal body composition when they achieve catch-up growth. These factors affect the quality of weight gain, as these infants are not only shorter and lighter than term infants, they also have more fat mass (FM) and less fat-free mass (FFM), resulting in a higher total fat percentage. This could cause metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular problems to develop later in a preterm infant's life. The methods used to determine body composition in preterm infants should be simple, quick, non-invasive and inexpensive. Available literature was reviewed and the Dauncey anthropometric model, which includes skinfold thickness at two primary sites and nine body dimensions, is considered in this review the best method to accurately determine body composition in preterm infants, especially in resource-poor countries. It is imperative to accurately assess the quality of growth and body composition of this fragile population in order to determine whether currently prescribed nutritional interventions are beneficial to the overall nutritional status and quality of life-in the short- and long-term-of the preterm infant, and to enable timely implementation of appropriate interventions, if required. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Impact of Metacognitive Acceptance on Body Dissatisfaction and Negative Affect: Engagement and Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Atkinson, Melissa J.; Wade, Tracey D.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To investigate engagement in metacognitive acceptance and subsequent efficacy with respect to decreasing 2 risk factors for disordered eating, body dissatisfaction (BD), and negative affect (NA). Method: In a pilot experiment, 20 female undergraduates (M[subscript age] = 24.35, SD = 9.79) underwent a BD induction procedure, received…

  10. Effects of Progressive Body Weight Support Treadmill Forward and Backward Walking Training on Stroke Patients' Affected Side Lower Extremity's Walking Ability.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kyunghoon; Lee, Sukmin; Lee, Kyoungbo

    2014-12-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of progressive body weight supported treadmill forward and backward walking training (PBWSTFBWT), progressive body weight supported treadmill forward walking training (PBWSTFWT), progressive body weight supported treadmill backward walking training (PBWSTBWT), on stroke patients' affected side lower extremity's walking ability. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 36 chronic stroke patients were divided into three groups with 12 subjects in each group. Each of the groups performed one of the progressive body weight supported treadmill training methods for 30 minute, six times per week for three weeks, and then received general physical therapy without any other intervention until the follow-up tests. For the assessment of the affected side lower extremity's walking ability, step length of the affected side, stance phase of the affected side, swing phase of the affected side, single support of the affected side, and step time of the affected side were measured using optogait and the symmetry index. [Results] In the within group comparisons, all the three groups showed significant differences between before and after the intervention and in the comparison of the three groups, the PBWSTFBWT group showed more significant differences in all of the assessed items than the other two groups. [Conclusion] In the present study progressive body weight supported treadmill training was performed in an environment in which the subjects were actually walked, and PBWSTFBWT was more effective at efficiently training stroke patients' affected side lower extremity's walking ability.

  11. Sleep stage classification by body movement index and respiratory interval indices using multiple radar sensors.

    PubMed

    Kagawa, Masayuki; Sasaki, Noriyuki; Suzumura, Kazuki; Matsui, Takemi

    2015-01-01

    Disturbed sleep has become more common in recent years. To increase the quality of sleep, undergoing sleep observation has gained interest as an attempt to resolve possible problems. In this paper, we evaluate a non-restrictive and non-contact method for classifying real-time sleep stages and report on its potential applications. The proposed system measures body movements and respiratory signals of a sleeping person using a multiple 24-GHz microwave radar placed beneath the mattress. We determined a body-movement index to identify wake and sleep periods, and fluctuation indices of respiratory intervals to identify sleep stages. For identifying wake and sleep periods, the rate agreement between the body-movement index and the reference result using the R&K method was 83.5 ± 6.3%. One-minute standard deviations, one of the fluctuation indices of respiratory intervals, had a high degree of contribution and showed a significant difference across the three sleep stages (REM, LIGHT, and DEEP; p <; 0.001). Although the degree that the 5-min fractal dimension contributed-another fluctuation index-was not as high as expected, its difference between REM and DEEP sleep was significant (p <; 0.05). We applied a linear discriminant function to classify wake or sleep periods and to estimate the three sleep stages. The accuracy was 79.3% for classification and 71.9% for estimation. This is a novel system for measuring body movements and body-surface movements that are induced by respiration and for measuring high sensitivity pulse waves using multiple radar signals. This method simplifies measurement of sleep stages and may be employed at nursing care facilities or by the general public to increase sleep quality.

  12. Seeing, mirroring, desiring: the impact of the analyst's pregnant body on the patient's body image.

    PubMed

    Yakeley, Jessica

    2013-08-01

    The paper explores the impact of the analyst's pregnant body on the course of two analyses, a young man, and a young woman, specifically focusing on how each patient's visual perception and affective experience of being with the analyst's pregnant body affected their own body image and subjective experience of their body. The pre-verbal or 'subsymbolic' material evoked in the analyses contributed to a greater understanding of the patients' developmental experiences in infancy and adolescence, which had resulted in both carrying a profoundly distorted body image into adulthood. The analyst's pregnancy offered a therapeutic window in which a shift in the patient's body image could be initiated. Clinical material is presented in detail with reference to the psychoanalytic literature on the pregnant analyst, and that of the development of the body image, particularly focusing on the role of visual communication and the face. The author proposes a theory of psychic change, drawing on Bucci's multiple code theory, in which the patients' unconscious or 'subsymbolic' awareness of her pregnancy, which were manifest in their bodily responses, feeling states and dreams, as well as in the analyst s countertransference, could gradually be verbalized and understood within the transference. Thus visual perception, or 'external seeing', could gradually become 'internal seeing', or insight into unconscious phantasies, leading to a shift in the patients internal object world towards a less persecutory state and more realistic appraisal of their body image. Copyright © 2013 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

  13. Evaluation of morphological indices and total body electrical conductivity to assess body composition in big brown bats

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pearce, R.D.; O'Shea, T.J.; Wunder, B.A.

    2008-01-01

    Bat researchers have used both morphological indices and total body electric conductivity (TOBEC) as proxies for body condition in a variety of studies, but have typically not validated these indices against direct measurement of body composition. We quantified body composition (total carcass lipids) to determine if morphological indices were useful predictors of body condition in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus). We also evaluated body composition indirectly by TOBEC using EM-SCAN?? technology. The most important predictors of body composition in multiple regression analysis were body mass-to-forearm ratio (partial r2 = 0.82, P < 0.001) followed by TOBEC measurement (partial r2 = 0.08, P < 0.001) and to a minor extent head length (partial r2 = 0.02, P < 0.05). Morphological condition indices alone may be adequate for some studies because of lower cost and effort. Marking bats with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags affected TOBEC measurements. ?? Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS.

  14. Facial affective reactions to bitter-tasting foods and body mass index in adults.

    PubMed

    Garcia-Burgos, D; Zamora, M C

    2013-12-01

    Differences in food consumption among body-weight statuses (e.g., higher fruit intake linked with lower body mass index (BMI) and energy-dense products with higher BMI) has raised the question of why people who are overweight or are at risk of becoming overweight eat differently from thinner people. One explanation, in terms of sensitivity to affective properties of food, suggests that palatability-driven consumption is likely to be an important contributor to food intake, and therefore body weight. Extending this approach to unpalatable tastes, we examined the relationship between aversive reactions to foods and BMI. We hypothesized that people who have a high BMI will show more negative affective reactions to bitter-tasting stimuli, even after controlling for sensory perception differences. Given that hedonic reactions may influence consumption even without conscious feelings of pleasure/displeasure, the facial expressions were included in order to provide more direct access to affective systems than subjective reports. Forty adults (28 females, 12 males) participated voluntarily. Their ages ranged from 18 to 46 years (M=24.2, SD=5.8). On the basis of BMI, participants were classified as low BMI (BMI<20; n=20) and high BMI (BMI>23; n=20). The mean BMI was 19.1 for low BMI (SD=0.7) and 25.2 for high BMI participants (SD=1.8). Each subject tasted 5 mL of a grapefruit juice drink and a bitter chocolate drink. Subjects rated the drinks' hedonic and incentive value, familiarity and bitter intensity immediately after each stimulus presentation. The results indicated that high BMI participants reacted to bitter stimuli showing more profound changes from baseline in neutral and disgust facial expressions compared with low BMI. No differences between groups were detected for the subjective pleasantness and familiarity. The research here is the first to examine how affective facial reactions to bitter food, apart from taste responsiveness, can predict differences in BMI

  15. A multiple scales approach to sound generation by vibrating bodies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geer, James F.; Pope, Dennis S.

    1992-01-01

    The problem of determining the acoustic field in an inviscid, isentropic fluid generated by a solid body whose surface executes prescribed vibrations is formulated and solved as a multiple scales perturbation problem, using the Mach number M based on the maximum surface velocity as the perturbation parameter. Following the idea of multiple scales, new 'slow' spacial scales are introduced, which are defined as the usual physical spacial scale multiplied by powers of M. The governing nonlinear differential equations lead to a sequence of linear problems for the perturbation coefficient functions. However, it is shown that the higher order perturbation functions obtained in this manner will dominate the lower order solutions unless their dependence on the slow spacial scales is chosen in a certain manner. In particular, it is shown that the perturbation functions must satisfy an equation similar to Burgers' equation, with a slow spacial scale playing the role of the time-like variable. The method is illustrated by a simple one-dimenstional example, as well as by three different cases of a vibrating sphere. The results are compared with solutions obtained by purely numerical methods and some insights provided by the perturbation approach are discussed.

  16. Body Mass Index and Physical Activity at Different Ages and Risk of Multiple Myeloma in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

    PubMed Central

    Hofmann, Jonathan N.; Moore, Steven C.; Lim, Unhee; Park, Yikyung; Baris, Dalsu; Hollenbeck, Albert R.; Matthews, Charles E.; Gibson, Todd M.; Hartge, Patricia; Purdue, Mark P.

    2013-01-01

    Several studies have reported an increased risk of multiple myeloma associated with excess body weight. We investigated the risk of multiple myeloma in relation to separate measures of adiposity and energy balance at different ages in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, a large prospective cohort study in the United States. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire (1995–1996; n = 485,049), and a subset of participants completed a second questionnaire (1996–1997; n = 305,618) in which we solicited more detailed exposure information. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated for the risk of multiple myeloma (overall, n = 813; subset, n = 489) in relation to several measures of obesity and leisure time physical activity. Multiple myeloma risk was associated with increasing body mass index (BMI) at cohort entry (per 5-kg/m2 increase, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.22); similar associations were observed for BMI at age 50 years (HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.28), age 35 years (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.36), and age 18 years (HR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.32) without adjustment for baseline BMI. Risk of multiple myeloma was not associated with physical activity level at any age. These findings support the hypothesis that excess body weight, both in early adulthood and later in life, is a risk factor for multiple myeloma and suggest that maintaining a healthy body weight throughout life may reduce multiple myeloma risk. PMID:23543160

  17. Body density affects stroke patterns in Baikal seals.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Yuuki; Baranov, Eugene A; Sato, Katsufumi; Naito, Yasuhiko; Miyazaki, Nobuyuki

    2006-09-01

    Buoyancy is one of the primary external forces acting on air-breathing divers and it can affect their swimming energetics. Because the body composition of marine mammals (i.e. the relative amounts of lower-density lipid and higher-density lean tissue) varies individually and seasonally, their buoyancy also fluctuates widely, and individuals would be expected to adjust their stroke patterns during dives accordingly. To test this prediction, we attached acceleration data loggers to four free-ranging Baikal seals Phoca sibirica in Lake Baikal and monitored flipper stroking activity as well as swimming speed, depth and inclination of the body axis (pitch). In addition to the logger, one seal (Individual 4) was equipped with a lead weight that was jettisoned after a predetermined time period so that we had a set of observations on the same individual with different body densities. These four data sets revealed the general diving patterns of Baikal seals and also provided direct insights into the influence of buoyancy on these patterns. Seals repeatedly performed dives of a mean duration of 7.0 min (max. 15.4 min), interrupted by a mean surface duration of 1.2 min. Dive depths were 66 m on average, but varied substantially, with a maximum depth of 324 m. The seals showed different stroke patterns among individuals; some seals stroked at lower rates during descent than ascent, while the others had higher stroke rates during descent than ascent. When the lead weight was detached from Individual 4, the seal increased its stroke rate in descent by shifting swimming mode from prolonged glides to more stroke-and-glide swimming, and decreased its stroke rate in ascent by shifting from continuous stroking to stroke-and-glide swimming. We conclude that seals adopt different stroke patterns according to their individual buoyancies. We also demonstrate that the terminal speed reached by Individual 4 during prolonged glide in descent depended on its total buoyancy and pitch, with

  18. Child and Adolescent Affective and Behavioral Distress and Elevated Adult Body Mass Index

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McClure, Heather H.; Eddy, J. Mark; Kjellstrand, Jean M.; Snodgrass, J. Josh; Martinez, Charles R., Jr.

    2012-01-01

    Obesity rates throughout the world have risen rapidly in recent decades, and are now a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Several studies indicate that behavioral and affective distress in childhood may be linked to elevated adult body mass index (BMI). The present study utilizes data from a 20-year longitudinal study to examine the…

  19. Does winter region affect spring arrival time and body mass of king eiders in northern Alaska?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oppel, Steffen; Powell, Abby N.

    2009-01-01

    Events during the non-breeding season may affect the body condition of migratory birds and influence performance during the following breeding season. Migratory birds nesting in the Arctic often rely on endogenous nutrients for reproductive efforts, and are thus potentially subject to such carry-over effects. We tested whether king eider (Somateria spectabilis) arrival time and body mass upon arrival at breeding grounds in northern Alaska were affected by their choice of a winter region in the Bering Sea. We captured birds shortly after arrival on breeding grounds in early June 2002–2006 at two sites in northern Alaska and determined the region in which individuals wintered using satellite telemetry or stable isotope ratios of head feathers. We used generalized linear models to assess whether winter region explained variation in arrival body mass among individuals by accounting for sex, site, annual variation, and the date a bird was captured. We found no support for our hypothesis that either arrival time or arrival body mass of king eiders differed among winter regions. We conclude that wintering in different regions in the Bering Sea is unlikely to have reproductive consequences for king eiders in our study areas.

  20. Do Valenced Odors and Trait Body Odor Disgust Affect Evaluation of Emotion in Dynamic Faces?

    PubMed

    Syrjänen, Elmeri; Liuzza, Marco Tullio; Fischer, Håkan; Olofsson, Jonas K

    2017-12-01

    Disgust is a core emotion evolved to detect and avoid the ingestion of poisonous food as well as the contact with pathogens and other harmful agents. Previous research has shown that multisensory presentation of olfactory and visual information may strengthen the processing of disgust-relevant information. However, it is not known whether these findings extend to dynamic facial stimuli that changes from neutral to emotionally expressive, or if individual differences in trait body odor disgust may influence the processing of disgust-related information. In this preregistered study, we tested whether a classification of dynamic facial expressions as happy or disgusted, and an emotional evaluation of these facial expressions, would be affected by individual differences in body odor disgust sensitivity, and by exposure to a sweat-like, negatively valenced odor (valeric acid), as compared with a soap-like, positively valenced odor (lilac essence) or a no-odor control. Using Bayesian hypothesis testing, we found evidence that odors do not affect recognition of emotion in dynamic faces even when body odor disgust sensitivity was used as moderator. However, an exploratory analysis suggested that an unpleasant odor context may cause faster RTs for faces, independent of their emotional expression. Our results further our understanding of the scope and limits of odor effects on facial perception affect and suggest further studies should focus on reproducibility, specifying experimental circumstances where odor effects on facial expressions may be present versus absent.

  1. Effective connectivity during processing of facial affect: evidence for multiple parallel pathways.

    PubMed

    Dima, Danai; Stephan, Klaas E; Roiser, Jonathan P; Friston, Karl J; Frangou, Sophia

    2011-10-05

    The perception of facial affect engages a distributed cortical network. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and dynamic causal modeling to characterize effective connectivity during explicit (conscious) categorization of affective stimuli in the human brain. Specifically, we examined the modulation of connectivity from posterior regions of the face-processing network to the lateral ventral prefrontal cortex (VPFC) during affective categorization and we tested for a potential role of the amygdala (AMG) in mediating this modulation. We found that explicit processing of facial affect led to prominent modulation (increase) in the effective connectivity from the inferior occipital gyrus (IOG) to the VPFC, while there was less evidence for modulation of the afferent connections from fusiform gyrus and AMG to VPFC. More specifically, the forward connection from IOG to the VPFC exhibited a selective increase under anger (as opposed to fear or sadness). Furthermore, Bayesian model comparison suggested that the modulation of afferent connections to the VPFC was mediated directly by facial affect, as opposed to an indirect modulation mediated by the AMG. Our results thus suggest that affective information is conveyed to the VPFC along multiple parallel pathways and that AMG activity is not sufficient to account for the gating of information transfer to the VPFC during explicit emotional processing.

  2. Affective mediators of a physical activity intervention for depression in multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Kratz, Anna L; Ehde, Dawn M; Bombardier, Charles H

    2014-02-01

    Previous analyses showed that a telephone-based intervention to increase physical activity in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and depression resulted in significantly improved depressive symptoms compared to a wait-list control group. The aim of this study was to test positive affect and negative affect as mediators of the effect of the physical activity counseling on depressive symptoms. Ninety-two adults with MS, who met diagnostic criteria for either major depression or dysthymia and who reported low levels of physical activity, were randomized 1:1 to a 12-week telephone-based motivational interviewing (MI) intervention to improve physical activity (n = 44) or to a 12-week wait-list control group (n = 48). Self-reported positive and negative affect, physical activity, and depressive symptoms were gathered at baseline and postintervention. Path-analysis was used to test whether positive affect and negative affect mediated the positive effects of the intervention on depressive symptoms. Both positive and negative affect were significant mediators of the effects of the intervention on depressive symptoms; however, only positive affect mediated the association between changes in physical activity and improved depressive symptoms. Findings support physical activity and positive affect as key mediators of the MI treatment effect on improved mood. Decreases in negative affect were also evident in the treatment group, but were not related to improved physical activity. Findings may suggest the use of exercise-based interventions in conjunction with treatments that specifically target negative affective mechanisms for depression. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  3. Diet/Energy Balance Affect Sleep and Wakefulness Independent of Body Weight.

    PubMed

    Perron, Isaac J; Pack, Allan I; Veasey, Sigrid

    2015-12-01

    Excessive daytime sleepiness commonly affects obese people, even in those without sleep apnea, yet its causes remain uncertain. We sought to determine whether acute dietary changes could induce or rescue wake impairments independent of body weight. We implemented a novel feeding paradigm that generates two groups of mice with equal body weight but opposing energetic balance. Two subsets of mice consuming either regular chow (RC) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 w were switched to the opposite diet for 1 w. Sleep recordings were conducted at Week 0 (baseline), Week 8 (pre-diet switch), and Week 9 (post-diet switch) for all groups. Sleep homeostasis was measured at Week 8 and Week 9. Young adult, male C57BL/6J mice. Differences in total wake, nonrapid eye movement (NREM), and rapid eye movement (REM) time were quantified, in addition to changes in bout fragmentation/consolidation. At Week 9, the two diet switch groups had similar body weight. However, animals switched to HFD (and thus gaining weight) had decreased wake time, increased NREM sleep time, and worsened sleep/wake fragmentation compared to mice switched to RC (which were in weight loss). These effects were driven by significant sleep/wake changes induced by acute dietary manipulations (Week 8 → Week 9). Sleep homeostasis, as measured by delta power increase following sleep deprivation, was unaffected by our feeding paradigm. Acute dietary manipulations are sufficient to alter sleep and wakefulness independent of body weight and without effects on sleep homeostasis. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

  4. Freedom poverty: a new tool to identify the multiple disadvantages affecting those with CVD.

    PubMed

    Callander, Emily J; Schofield, Deborah J; Shrestha, Rupendra N

    2013-06-20

    It is recognised that CVD affects an individual's financial situation, placing them in income poverty. However, recent developments in poverty measurement practice recognises other forms of disadvantage other than low income, such as poor health and insufficient education also affect living standards. Using the Freedom Poverty Measure, the multiple forms of disadvantage experienced by those with no health condition, heart disease, other diseases of the circulatory system, and all other health conditions was assessed using data on the adult Australian population contained in the 2003 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. 24% of those with heart disease and 23% of those with other diseases of the circulatory system were in freedom poverty, suffering from multiple forms of disadvantage. Those with heart disease and those with other diseases of the circulatory system were around three times more likely to be in freedom poverty (OR 3.02, 95% CI: 2.29-3.99, p<.0001; OR 2.78, 95% CI: 1.94-3.98, p<.0001) than those with no health condition. Recognising the multiple forms of disadvantage suffered by those with CVD provides a clearer picture of their living standards than just looking at their income alone and the high proportion of individuals with CVD that are suffering from multiple forms of disadvantage should make them a target for policy makers wishing to improve living standards. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Early trauma and affect: the importance of the body for the development of the capacity to symbolize.

    PubMed

    Willemsen, Hessel

    2014-11-01

    In this paper I aim to outline the importance of working clinically with affect when treating severely traumatized patients who have a limited capacity to symbolize. These patients, who suffer the loss of maternal care early in life, require the analyst to be closely attuned to the patient's distress through use of the countertransference and with significantly less attention paid to the transference. It is questionable whether we can speak of transference when there is limited capacity to form internal representations. The analyst's relationship with the patient is not necessarily used to make interpretations but, instead, the analyst's reverie functions therapeutically to develop awareness and containment of affect, first in the analyst's mind and, later, in the patient's, so that, in time, a relationship between the patient's mind and the body, as the first object, is made. In contrast to general object-relations theories, in which the first object is considered to be the breast or the mother, Ferrari (2004) proposes that the body is the first object in the emerging mind. Once a relationship between mind and body is established, symbolization becomes possible following the formation of internal representations of affective states in the mind, where previously there were few. Using Ferrari's body-mind model, two clinical case vignettes underline the need to use the countertransference with patients who suffered chronic developmental trauma in early childhood. © 2014, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

  6. Prediction of Core Body Temperature from Multiple Variables.

    PubMed

    Richmond, Victoria L; Davey, Sarah; Griggs, Katy; Havenith, George

    2015-11-01

    This paper aims to improve the prediction of rectal temperature (T re) from insulated skin temperature (T is) and micro-climate temperature (T mc) previously reported (Richmond et al., Insulated skin temperature as a measure of core body temperature for individuals wearing CBRN protective clothing. Physiol Meas 2013; 34:1531-43.) using additional physiological and/or environmental variables, under several clothing and climatic conditions. Twelve male (25.8±5.1 years; 73.6±11.5kg; 178±6cm) and nine female (24.2±5.1 years; 62.4±11.5kg; 169±3cm) volunteers completed six trials, each consisting of two 40-min periods of treadmill walking separated by a 20-min rest, wearing permeable or impermeable clothing, under neutral (25°C, 50%), moderate (35°C, 35%), and hot (40°C, 25%) conditions, with and without solar radiation (600W m(-2)). Participants were measured for heart rate (HR) (Polar, Finland), skin temperature (T s) at 11 sites, T is (Grant, Cambridge, UK), and breathing rate (f) (Hidalgo, Cambridge, UK). T mc and relative humidity were measured within the clothing. T re was monitored as the 'gold standard' measure of T c for industrial or military applications using a 10cm flexible probe (Grant, Cambridge, UK). A stepwise multiple regression analysis was run to determine which of 30 variables (T is, T s at 11 sites, HR, f, T mc, temperature, and humidity inside the clothing front and back, body mass, age, body fat, sex, clothing, Thermal comfort, sensation and perception, and sweat rate) were the strongest on which to base the model. Using a bootstrap methodology to develop the equation, the best model in terms of practicality and validity included T is, T mc, HR, and 'work' (0 = rest; 1 = exercise), predicting T re with a standard error of the estimate of 0.27°C and adjusted r (2) of 0.86. The sensitivity and specificity for predicting individuals who reached 39°C was 97 and 85%, respectively. Insulated skin temperature was the most important individual

  7. Does body size affect a bird's sensitivity to patch size and landscape structure?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Winter, Maiken; Johnson, Douglas H.; Shaffer, Jill A.

    2006-01-01

    Larger birds are generally more strongly affected by habitat loss and fragmentation than are smaller ones because they require more resources and thus larger habitat patches. Consequently, conservation actions often favor the creation or protection of larger over smaller patches. However, in grassland systems the boundaries between a patch and the surrounding landscape, and thus the perceived size of a patch, can be indistinct. We investigated whether eight grassland bird species with different body sizes perceived variation in patch size and landscape structure in a consistent manner. Data were collected from surveys conducted in 44 patches of northern tallgrass prairie during 1998–2001. The response to patch size was very similar among species regardless of body size (density was little affected by patch size), except in the Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), which showed a threshold effect and was not found in patches smaller than 140 ha. In landscapes containing 0%–30% woody vegetation, smaller species responded more negatively to increases in the percentage of woody vegetation than larger species, but above an apparent threshold of 30%, larger species were not detected. Further analyses revealed that the observed variation in responses to patch size and landscape structure among species was not solely due to body size per se, but to other differences among species. These results indicate that a stringent application of concepts requiring larger habitat patches for larger species appears to limit the number of grassland habitats that can be protected and may not always be the most effective conservation strategy.

  8. Fluctuating water depths affect American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) body condition in the Everglades, Florida, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brandt, Laura A.; Beauchamp, Jeffrey S.; Jeffery, Brian M.; Cherkiss, Michael S.; Mazzotti, Frank J.

    2016-01-01

    Successful restoration of wetland ecosystems requires knowledge of wetland hydrologic patterns and an understanding of how those patterns affect wetland plant and animal populations.Within the Everglades, Florida, USA restoration, an applied science strategy including conceptual ecological models linking drivers to indicators is being used to organize current scientific understanding to support restoration efforts. A key driver of the ecosystem affecting the distribution and abundance of organisms is the timing, distribution, and volume of water flows that result in water depth patterns across the landscape. American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are one of the ecological indicators being used to assess Everglades restoration because they are a keystone species and integrate biological impacts of hydrological operations through all life stages. Alligator body condition (the relative fatness of an animal) is one of the metrics being used and targets have been set to allow us to track progress. We examined trends in alligator body condition using Fulton’s K over a 15 year period (2000–2014) at seven different wetland areas within the Everglades ecosystem, assessed patterns and trends relative to restoration targets, and related those trends to hydrologic variables. We developed a series of 17 a priori hypotheses that we tested with an information theoretic approach to identify which hydrologic factors affect alligator body condition. Alligator body condition was highest throughout the Everglades during the early 2000s and is approximately 5–10% lower now (2014). Values have varied by year, area, and hydrology. Body condition was positively correlated with range in water depth and fall water depth. Our top model was the “Current” model and included variables that describe current year hydrology (spring depth, fall depth, hydroperiod, range, interaction of range and fall depth, interaction of range and hydroperiod). Across all models, interaction

  9. Multiple sublethal chemicals negatively affect tadpoles of the green frog, Rana clamitans

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Boone, Michelle D.; Bridges, Christine M.; Fairchild, James F.; Little, Edward E.

    2005-01-01

    Many habitats may be exposed to multiple chemical contaminants, particularly in agricultural areas where fertilizer and pesticide use are common; however, the singular and interactive effects of contaminants are not well understood. The objective of our study was to examine how realistic, sublethal environmental levels of ammonium nitrate fertilizer (0, 10, 20 mg/L and ammonium chloride control) and the common insecticide carbaryl (0 or 2.5 mg/L) individually and interactively affect the development, size, and survival of green frog (Rana clamitans) tadpoles. We reared tadpoles for 95 d in outdoor 1,000-L polyethylene ponds. We found that the combination of carbaryl and nitrate had a negative effect on development and mass of tadpoles compared to the positive effect that either contaminant had alone. Presence of carbaryl was generally associated with short-term increases in algal resources, including ponds exposed to both carbaryl and nitrate. However, with exposure to nitrate and carbaryl, tadpole mass and development were not positively affected as with one chemical stressor alone. The combination of these sublethal contaminants may reduce the ability of amphibians to benefit from food-rich environments or have metabolic costs. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple stressors when evaluating population-level responses.

  10. Interaction of wave with a body submerged below an ice sheet with multiple arbitrarily spaced cracks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Z. F.; Wu, G. X.; Ji, C. Y.

    2018-05-01

    The problem of wave interaction with a body submerged below an ice sheet with multiple arbitrarily spaced cracks is considered, based on the linearized velocity potential theory together with the boundary element method. The ice sheet is modeled as a thin elastic plate with uniform properties, and zero bending moment and shear force conditions are enforced at the cracks. The Green function satisfying all the boundary conditions including those at cracks, apart from that on the body surface, is derived and is expressed in an explicit integral form. The boundary integral equation for the velocity potential is constructed with an unknown source distribution over the body surface only. The wave/crack interaction problem without the body is first solved directly without the need for source. The convergence and comparison studies are undertaken to show the accuracy and reliability of the solution procedure. Detailed numerical results through the hydrodynamic coefficients and wave exciting forces are provided for a body submerged below double cracks and an array of cracks. Some unique features are observed, and their mechanisms are analyzed.

  11. Derivative plumbing: redesigning washrooms, bodies, and trans affects in ds+r's Brasserie.

    PubMed

    Crawford, Lucas Cassidy

    2014-01-01

    diller scofidio + renfro's Brasserie restaurant sets the scene for this article's overarching question: what are the stakes of absorbing "the washroom" into our affective habits as trans people? This article uses architectural theory to show that some hygienic models of transgender-such as "original plumbing"-are less about explaining our genders to ourselves and more about (1) communicating our "fuckability" to (presumably non-trans) others and (2) codifying subtle and often problematic beliefs about the relationship between architecture and the body.

  12. Multiplicative and additive modulation of neuronal tuning with population activity affects encoded information

    PubMed Central

    Arandia-Romero, Iñigo; Tanabe, Seiji; Drugowitsch, Jan; Kohn, Adam; Moreno-Bote, Rubén

    2016-01-01

    Numerous studies have shown that neuronal responses are modulated by stimulus properties, and also by the state of the local network. However, little is known about how activity fluctuations of neuronal populations modulate the sensory tuning of cells and affect their encoded information. We found that fluctuations in ongoing and stimulus-evoked population activity in primate visual cortex modulate the tuning of neurons in a multiplicative and additive manner. While distributed on a continuum, neurons with stronger multiplicative effects tended to have less additive modulation, and vice versa. The information encoded by multiplicatively-modulated neurons increased with greater population activity, while that of additively-modulated neurons decreased. These effects offset each other, so that population activity had little effect on total information. Our results thus suggest that intrinsic activity fluctuations may act as a `traffic light' that determines which subset of neurons are most informative. PMID:26924437

  13. Body composition differences between adults with multiple sclerosis and BMI-matched controls without MS.

    PubMed

    Wingo, Brooks C; Young, Hui-Ju; Motl, Robert W

    2018-04-01

    Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) have many health conditions related to overweight and obesity, but little is known about how body composition among those with MS compares to those without MS at the same weight. To compare differences in whole body and regional body composition between persons with and without MS matched for sex and body mass index (BMI). Persons with MS (n = 51) and non-MS controls (n = 51) matched for sex and BMI. Total mass, lean mass, fat mass, and percent body fat (%BF) of total body and arm, leg, and trunk segments were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Men with MS had significantly less whole body lean mass (mean difference: 9933.5 ± 3123.1 g, p < 0.01) and higher fat mass (mean difference: 6079.0 ± 2137.4 g, p = .01) and %BF (mean difference: 9.43 ± 2.04%, p < 0.01) than BMI-matched non-MS counterparts. Further, men with MS had significantly lower lean mass in the arm (p = 0.02) and leg (p < 0.01) and higher fat mass in the arm (p = 0.01), leg (p = 0.03) and trunk (p = 0.03) than men without MS. Men with MS had significantly higher %BF in all three regions (p < 0.01) than men without MS. There were no differences between women with and without MS. We observed significant differences in whole body and regional body composition between BMI-matched men with and without MS. Additional research is needed to further explore differences in body composition, adipose distribution, and the impact of these differences on the health and function of men with MS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Risk of breast cancer in families of multiple affected women and men.

    PubMed

    Bevier, Melanie; Sundquist, Kristina; Hemminki, Kari

    2012-04-01

    Family history of first and second-degree relatives is known to increase the risk for breast cancer. Less data are available on the risks between defined multiple affected close and distant relatives for which the reliability of data may be an issue. Data on affected males are sparse. These questions and the probable genetic models were addressed in this study by means of a nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database. We estimated the effect of family history of breast cancer by Poisson regression for women of at least 30 years of age after adjusting for age, period, region, socioeconomic status, number of children, and age at first birth. The results of the study showed that relative risk (RR) for breast cancer was associated with a first degree as well as second-degree family history. Having at least two female affected first-degree relatives increased the RR at least to 2.8, favoring an additive interaction. The risk was increased around ten times in women with both parents affected. When either a father or a mother was affected, the RRs were nearly identical (RR = 1.73 and 1.74, respectively). The RR for a woman increased more when a brother was affected (RR = 2.48) compared to when a sister was affected (RR = 1.87). Having an affected grandmother showed lower familial excess risks than having an affected half sister (RR = 1.27, and 1.26; and RR = 1.39, and 1.50; respectively, for maternal and paternal relatives). We concluded that when both parents were diagnosed with breast cancer, the risk for the daughter was increased tenfold. Having an affected brother showed a somewhat higher risk than having an affected sister. The data suggest that male breast cancer has a higher genetic basis than female breast cancer, which invites further search of the underlying mechanisms.

  15. A chimera grid scheme. [multiple overset body-conforming mesh system for finite difference adaptation to complex aircraft configurations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steger, J. L.; Dougherty, F. C.; Benek, J. A.

    1983-01-01

    A mesh system composed of multiple overset body-conforming grids is described for adapting finite-difference procedures to complex aircraft configurations. In this so-called 'chimera mesh,' a major grid is generated about a main component of the configuration and overset minor grids are used to resolve all other features. Methods for connecting overset multiple grids and modifications of flow-simulation algorithms are discussed. Computational tests in two dimensions indicate that the use of multiple overset grids can simplify the task of grid generation without an adverse effect on flow-field algorithms and computer code complexity.

  16. Body temperature is elevated and linked to fatigue in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, even without heat exposure.

    PubMed

    Sumowski, James F; Leavitt, Victoria M

    2014-07-01

    To investigate whether (1) resting body temperature is elevated in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) relative to healthy individuals and patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), and (2) warmer body temperature is linked to worse fatigue in patients with RRMS. Cross-sectional study. Climate-controlled laboratory (∼22°C) within a nonprofit medical rehabilitation research center. Patients with RRMS (n=50), matched healthy controls (n=40), and patients with SPMS (n=22). Not applicable. Body temperature was measured with an aural infrared thermometer (normative body temperature for this thermometer, 36.75°C), and differences were compared across patients with RRMS and SPMS and healthy persons. Patients with RRMS completed measures of general fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale [FSS]), as well as physical and cognitive fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale [MFIS]). There was a large effect of group (P<.001, ηp(2)=.132) whereby body temperature was higher in patients with RRMS (37.04°±.27°C) relative to healthy controls (36.83°±.33°C; P=.009) and patients with SPMS (36.75°±.39°C; P=.001). Warmer body temperature in patients with RRMS was associated with worse general fatigue (FSS; rp=.315, P=.028) and physical fatigue (physical fatigue subscale of the MFIS; rp=.318, P=.026), but not cognitive fatigue (cognitive fatigue subscale of the MIFS; rp=-.017, P=.909). These are the first-ever demonstrations that body temperature is elevated endogenously in patients with RRMS and linked to worse fatigue. We discuss these findings in the context of failed treatments for fatigue in RRMS, including several failed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of stimulants (modafinil). In contrast, our findings may help explain how RCTs of cooling garments and antipyretics (aspirin) have effectively reduced MS fatigue, and encourage further research on cooling/antipyretic treatments of fatigue in RRMS. Copyright © 2014 American Congress

  17. Young Adult and Usual Adult Body Mass Index and Multiple Myeloma Risk: A Pooled Analysis in the International Multiple Myeloma Consortium (IMMC).

    PubMed

    Birmann, Brenda M; Andreotti, Gabriella; De Roos, Anneclaire J; Camp, Nicola J; Chiu, Brian C H; Spinelli, John J; Becker, Nikolaus; Benhaim-Luzon, Véronique; Bhatti, Parveen; Boffetta, Paolo; Brennan, Paul; Brown, Elizabeth E; Cocco, Pierluigi; Costas, Laura; Cozen, Wendy; de Sanjosé, Silvia; Foretová, Lenka; Giles, Graham G; Maynadié, Marc; Moysich, Kirsten; Nieters, Alexandra; Staines, Anthony; Tricot, Guido; Weisenburger, Dennis; Zhang, Yawei; Baris, Dalsu; Purdue, Mark P

    2017-06-01

    Background: Multiple myeloma risk increases with higher adult body mass index (BMI). Emerging evidence also supports an association of young adult BMI with multiple myeloma. We undertook a pooled analysis of eight case-control studies to further evaluate anthropometric multiple myeloma risk factors, including young adult BMI. Methods: We conducted multivariable logistic regression analysis of usual adult anthropometric measures of 2,318 multiple myeloma cases and 9,609 controls, and of young adult BMI (age 25 or 30 years) for 1,164 cases and 3,629 controls. Results: In the pooled sample, multiple myeloma risk was positively associated with usual adult BMI; risk increased 9% per 5-kg/m 2 increase in BMI [OR, 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.14; P = 0.007]. We observed significant heterogeneity by study design ( P = 0.04), noting the BMI-multiple myeloma association only for population-based studies ( P trend = 0.0003). Young adult BMI was also positively associated with multiple myeloma (per 5-kg/m 2 ; OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3; P = 0.0002). Furthermore, we observed strong evidence of interaction between younger and usual adult BMI ( P interaction <0.0001); we noted statistically significant associations with multiple myeloma for persons overweight (25-<30 kg/m 2 ) or obese (30+ kg/m 2 ) in both younger and usual adulthood (vs. individuals consistently <25 kg/m 2 ), but not for those overweight or obese at only one time period. Conclusions: BMI-associated increases in multiple myeloma risk were highest for individuals who were overweight or obese throughout adulthood. Impact: These findings provide the strongest evidence to date that earlier and later adult BMI may increase multiple myeloma risk and suggest that healthy BMI maintenance throughout life may confer an added benefit of multiple myeloma prevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(6); 876-85. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  18. Half-body irradiation in the treatment of multiple myeloma: a report of nine cases.

    PubMed

    Plesnicar, A; Jereb, B; Zaletel-Kragelj, L

    1996-01-01

    We report the results of treatment of 9 patients with advanced multiple myeloma (MM) using half-body irradiation. Six nonresponders to chemotherapy received it as consolidation therapy after the plateau phase of MM had been observed, and 4 patients received it as salvage therapy of refractory or relapsing MM. One of the patients received it twice, first as consolidation and later during the course of her disease also as salvage therapy. Objective response was obtained in 1 of 6 patients who received half-body irradiation as consolidation therapy and in 3 of 4 patients who received it as salvage therapy. Responders to half-body irradiation generally achieved a longer relapse-free interval. Treatment with half-body irradiation was especially effective in combination with human leukocyte interferon as salvage therapy in 2 of the patients with refractory MM, leading to a relapse-free interval of more than 27 months in one of them. Symptomatic relief was observed in 5 of 6 patients. All had transient post-irradiation pancytopenia, with pneumonitis, nausea and vomiting observed in those who had the upper half of the body irradiated first. It is thus our opinion that halfbody irradiation should not be used as consolidation therapy in nonresponders to chemotherapy, because it causes undue toxicity to heavily pretreated patients. Its role in the treatment of refractory or relapsing MM in combination with human leukocyte interferon should be fully evaluated.

  19. Single- versus Multiple-Pest Infestation Affects Differently the Biochemistry of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Ailsa Craig').

    PubMed

    Errard, Audrey; Ulrichs, Christian; Kühne, Stefan; Mewis, Inga; Drungowski, Mario; Schreiner, Monika; Baldermann, Susanne

    2015-11-25

    Tomato is susceptible to pest infestations by both spider mites and aphids. The effects of each individual pest on plants are known, whereas multiple-pest infestations have received little interest. We studied the effects of single- versus multiple-pest infestation by Tetranychus urticae and Myzus persicae on tomato biochemistry (Solanum lycopersicum) by combining a metabolomic approach and analyses of carotenoids using UHPLC-ToF-MS and volatiles using GC-MS. Plants responded differently to aphids and mites after 3 weeks of infestation, and a multiple infestation induced a specific metabolite composition in plants. In addition, we showed that volatiles emissions differed between the adaxial and abaxial leaf epidermes and identified compounds emitted particularly in response to a multiple infestation (cyclohexadecane, dodecane, aromadendrene, and β-elemene). Finally, the carotenoid concentrations in leaves and stems were more affected by multiple than single infestations. Our study highlights and discusses the interplay of biotic stressors within the terpenoid metabolism.

  20. Improvisation and the self-organization of multiple musical bodies.

    PubMed

    Walton, Ashley E; Richardson, Michael J; Langland-Hassan, Peter; Chemero, Anthony

    2015-01-01

    Understanding everyday behavior relies heavily upon understanding our ability to improvise, how we are able to continuously anticipate and adapt in order to coordinate with our environment and others. Here we consider the ability of musicians to improvise, where they must spontaneously coordinate their actions with co-performers in order to produce novel musical expressions. Investigations of this behavior have traditionally focused on describing the organization of cognitive structures. The focus, here, however, is on the ability of the time-evolving patterns of inter-musician movement coordination as revealed by the mathematical tools of complex dynamical systems to provide a new understanding of what potentiates the novelty of spontaneous musical action. We demonstrate this approach through the application of cross wavelet spectral analysis, which isolates the strength and patterning of the behavioral coordination that occurs between improvising musicians across a range of nested time-scales. Revealing the sophistication of the previously unexplored dynamics of movement coordination between improvising musicians is an important step toward understanding how creative musical expressions emerge from the spontaneous coordination of multiple musical bodies.

  1. Improvisation and the self-organization of multiple musical bodies

    PubMed Central

    Walton, Ashley E.; Richardson, Michael J.; Langland-Hassan, Peter; Chemero, Anthony

    2015-01-01

    Understanding everyday behavior relies heavily upon understanding our ability to improvise, how we are able to continuously anticipate and adapt in order to coordinate with our environment and others. Here we consider the ability of musicians to improvise, where they must spontaneously coordinate their actions with co-performers in order to produce novel musical expressions. Investigations of this behavior have traditionally focused on describing the organization of cognitive structures. The focus, here, however, is on the ability of the time-evolving patterns of inter-musician movement coordination as revealed by the mathematical tools of complex dynamical systems to provide a new understanding of what potentiates the novelty of spontaneous musical action. We demonstrate this approach through the application of cross wavelet spectral analysis, which isolates the strength and patterning of the behavioral coordination that occurs between improvising musicians across a range of nested time-scales. Revealing the sophistication of the previously unexplored dynamics of movement coordination between improvising musicians is an important step toward understanding how creative musical expressions emerge from the spontaneous coordination of multiple musical bodies. PMID:25941499

  2. Impaired color naming of food and body shape words: weight phobia or distinct affective state?

    PubMed

    Green, M W; Elliman, N A; Rogers, P J; Welch, D A

    1997-01-01

    The current study investigated whether a concern with body shape and weight represents a distinct affective state, or whether it is better conceptualized as a highly specific form of anxiety. The color-naming performance of women with a high Drive for Thinness score was examined under three experimental conditions: when a photograph of chocolate was present, when actual chocolate was present, and a control condition. High Drive for Thinness subjects demonstrated relatively impaired color naming of body shape words in the picture condition, but not in the food or control conditions. Although there was a significant impairment in the color naming of food words, this was unaffected by condition or degree of Drive for Thinness. The results are interpreted as supporting an analogy between weight/body shape concerns and subclinical phobic anxiety.

  3. Impact of high-intensity concurrent training on cardiovascular risk factors in persons with multiple sclerosis - pilot study.

    PubMed

    Keytsman, Charly; Hansen, Dominique; Wens, Inez; O Eijnde, Bert

    2017-10-27

    High-intensity concurrent training positively affects cardiovascular risk factors. Because this was never investigated in multiple sclerosis, the present pilot study explored the impact of this training on cardiovascular risk factors in this population. Before and after 12 weeks of high-intense concurrent training (interval and strength training, 5 sessions per 2 weeks, n = 16) body composition, resting blood pressure and heart rate, 2-h oral glucose tolerance (insulin sensitivity, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood glucose and insulin concentrations), blood lipids (high- and low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, triglyceride levels) and C-reactive protein were analyzed. Twelve weeks of high-intense concurrent training significantly improved resting heart rate (-6%), 2-h blood glucose concentrations (-13%) and insulin sensitivity (-24%). Blood pressure, body composition, blood lipids and C-reactive protein did not seem to be affected. Under the conditions of this pilot study, 12 weeks of concurrent high-intense interval and strength training improved resting heart rate, 2-h glucose and insulin sensitivity in multiple sclerosis but did not affect blood C-reactive protein levels, blood pressure, body composition and blood lipid profiles. Further, larger and controlled research investigating the effects of high-intense concurrent training on cardiovascular risk factors in multiple sclerosis is warranted. Implications for rehabilitation High-intensity concurrent training improves cardiovascular fitness. This pilot study explores the impact of this training on cardiovascular risk factors in multiple sclerosis. Despite the lack of a control group, high-intense concurrent training does not seem to improve cardiovascular risk factors in multiple sclerosis.

  4. Body size and hosts of Triatoma infestans populations affect the size of bloodmeal contents and female fecundity in rural northwestern Argentina

    PubMed Central

    Fernández, María del Pilar; Cecere, María Carla; Cohen, Joel E.

    2017-01-01

    Human sleeping quarters (domiciles) and chicken coops are key source habitats of Triatoma infestans—the principal vector of the infection that causes Chagas disease—in rural communities in northern Argentina. Here we investigated the links among individual bug bloodmeal contents (BMC, mg), female fecundity, body length (L, mm), host blood sources and habitats. We tested whether L, habitat and host blood conferred relative fitness advantages using generalized linear mixed-effects models and a multimodel inference approach with model averaging. The data analyzed include 769 late-stage triatomines collected in 120 sites from six habitats in 87 houses in Figueroa, Santiago del Estero, during austral spring. L correlated positively with other body-size surrogates and was modified by habitat type, bug stage and recent feeding. Bugs from chicken coops were significantly larger than pig-corral and kitchen bugs. The best-fitting model of log BMC included habitat, a recent feeding, bug stage, log Lc (mean-centered log L) and all two-way interactions including log Lc. Human- and chicken-fed bugs had significantly larger BMC than bugs fed on other hosts whereas goat-fed bugs ranked last, in consistency with average blood-feeding rates. Fecundity was maximal in chicken-fed bugs from chicken coops, submaximal in human- and pig-fed bugs, and minimal in goat-fed bugs. This study is the first to reveal the allometric effects of body-size surrogates on BMC and female fecundity in a large set of triatomine populations occupying multiple habitats, and discloses the links between body size, microsite temperatures and various fitness components that affect the risks of transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi. PMID:29211791

  5. Body size and hosts of Triatoma infestans populations affect the size of bloodmeal contents and female fecundity in rural northwestern Argentina.

    PubMed

    Gürtler, Ricardo E; Fernández, María Del Pilar; Cecere, María Carla; Cohen, Joel E

    2017-12-01

    Human sleeping quarters (domiciles) and chicken coops are key source habitats of Triatoma infestans-the principal vector of the infection that causes Chagas disease-in rural communities in northern Argentina. Here we investigated the links among individual bug bloodmeal contents (BMC, mg), female fecundity, body length (L, mm), host blood sources and habitats. We tested whether L, habitat and host blood conferred relative fitness advantages using generalized linear mixed-effects models and a multimodel inference approach with model averaging. The data analyzed include 769 late-stage triatomines collected in 120 sites from six habitats in 87 houses in Figueroa, Santiago del Estero, during austral spring. L correlated positively with other body-size surrogates and was modified by habitat type, bug stage and recent feeding. Bugs from chicken coops were significantly larger than pig-corral and kitchen bugs. The best-fitting model of log BMC included habitat, a recent feeding, bug stage, log Lc (mean-centered log L) and all two-way interactions including log Lc. Human- and chicken-fed bugs had significantly larger BMC than bugs fed on other hosts whereas goat-fed bugs ranked last, in consistency with average blood-feeding rates. Fecundity was maximal in chicken-fed bugs from chicken coops, submaximal in human- and pig-fed bugs, and minimal in goat-fed bugs. This study is the first to reveal the allometric effects of body-size surrogates on BMC and female fecundity in a large set of triatomine populations occupying multiple habitats, and discloses the links between body size, microsite temperatures and various fitness components that affect the risks of transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi.

  6. Numerical simulations of short-mixing-time double-wave-vector diffusion-weighting experiments with multiple concatenations on whole-body MR systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Finsterbusch, Jürgen

    2010-12-01

    Double- or two-wave-vector diffusion-weighting experiments with short mixing times in which two diffusion-weighting periods are applied in direct succession, are a promising tool to estimate cell sizes in the living tissue. However, the underlying effect, a signal difference between parallel and antiparallel wave vector orientations, is considerably reduced for the long gradient pulses required on whole-body MR systems. Recently, it has been shown that multiple concatenations of the two wave vectors in a single acquisition can double the modulation amplitude if short gradient pulses are used. In this study, numerical simulations of such experiments were performed with parameters achievable with whole-body MR systems. It is shown that the theoretical model yields a good approximation of the signal behavior if an additional term describing free diffusion is included. More importantly, it is demonstrated that the shorter gradient pulses sufficient to achieve the desired diffusion weighting for multiple concatenations, increase the signal modulation considerably, e.g. by a factor of about five for five concatenations. Even at identical echo times, achieved by a shortened diffusion time, a moderate number of concatenations significantly improves the signal modulation. Thus, experiments on whole-body MR systems may benefit from multiple concatenations.

  7. Detection of Multiple Stationary Humans Using UWB MIMO Radar.

    PubMed

    Liang, Fulai; Qi, Fugui; An, Qiang; Lv, Hao; Chen, Fuming; Li, Zhao; Wang, Jianqi

    2016-11-16

    Remarkable progress has been achieved in the detection of single stationary human. However, restricted by the mutual interference of multiple humans (e.g., strong sidelobes of the torsos and the shadow effect), detection and localization of the multiple stationary humans remains a huge challenge. In this paper, ultra-wideband (UWB) multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar is exploited to improve the detection performance of multiple stationary humans for its multiple sight angles and high-resolution two-dimensional imaging capacity. A signal model of the vital sign considering both bi-static angles and attitude angle of the human body is firstly developed, and then a novel detection method is proposed to detect and localize multiple stationary humans. In this method, preprocessing is firstly implemented to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the vital signs, and then a vital-sign-enhanced imaging algorithm is presented to suppress the environmental clutters and mutual affection of multiple humans. Finally, an automatic detection algorithm including constant false alarm rate (CFAR), morphological filtering and clustering is implemented to improve the detection performance of weak human targets affected by heavy clutters and shadow effect. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method can get a high-quality image of multiple humans and we can use it to discriminate and localize multiple adjacent human targets behind brick walls.

  8. Detection of Multiple Stationary Humans Using UWB MIMO Radar

    PubMed Central

    Liang, Fulai; Qi, Fugui; An, Qiang; Lv, Hao; Chen, Fuming; Li, Zhao; Wang, Jianqi

    2016-01-01

    Remarkable progress has been achieved in the detection of single stationary human. However, restricted by the mutual interference of multiple humans (e.g., strong sidelobes of the torsos and the shadow effect), detection and localization of the multiple stationary humans remains a huge challenge. In this paper, ultra-wideband (UWB) multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar is exploited to improve the detection performance of multiple stationary humans for its multiple sight angles and high-resolution two-dimensional imaging capacity. A signal model of the vital sign considering both bi-static angles and attitude angle of the human body is firstly developed, and then a novel detection method is proposed to detect and localize multiple stationary humans. In this method, preprocessing is firstly implemented to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the vital signs, and then a vital-sign-enhanced imaging algorithm is presented to suppress the environmental clutters and mutual affection of multiple humans. Finally, an automatic detection algorithm including constant false alarm rate (CFAR), morphological filtering and clustering is implemented to improve the detection performance of weak human targets affected by heavy clutters and shadow effect. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method can get a high-quality image of multiple humans and we can use it to discriminate and localize multiple adjacent human targets behind brick walls. PMID:27854356

  9. Elevated body temperature is linked to fatigue in an Italian sample of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients.

    PubMed

    Leavitt, V M; De Meo, E; Riccitelli, G; Rocca, M A; Comi, G; Filippi, M; Sumowski, J F

    2015-11-01

    Elevated body temperature was recently reported for the first time in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) relative to healthy controls. In addition, warmer body temperature was associated with worse fatigue. These findings are highly novel, may indicate a novel pathophysiology for MS fatigue, and therefore warrant replication in a geographically separate sample. Here, we investigated body temperature and its association to fatigue in an Italian sample of 44 RRMS patients and 44 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Consistent with our original report, we found elevated body temperature in the RRMS sample compared to healthy controls. Warmer body temperature was associated with worse fatigue, thereby supporting the notion of endogenous temperature elevations in patients with RRMS as a novel pathophysiological factor underlying fatigue. Our findings highlight a paradigm shift in our understanding of the effect of heat in RRMS, from exogenous (i.e., Uhthoff's phenomenon) to endogenous. Although randomized controlled trials of cooling treatments (i.e., aspirin, cooling garments) to reduce fatigue in RRMS have been successful, consideration of endogenously elevated body temperature as the underlying target will enhance our development of novel treatments.

  10. Central body fat changes in men affected by post-surgical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism undergoing testosterone replacement therapy are modulated by androgen receptor CAG polymorphism.

    PubMed

    Tirabassi, G; delli Muti, N; Buldreghini, E; Lenzi, A; Balercia, G

    2014-08-01

    Little is known about the effect of androgen receptor (AR) gene CAG repeat polymorphism in conditioning body composition changes after testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). In this study, we aimed to clarify this aspect by focussing our attention on male post-surgical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, a condition often associated with partial or total hypopituitarism. Fourteen men affected by post-surgical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and undergoing several replacement hormone therapies were evaluated before and after TRT. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)-derived body composition measurements, pituitary-dependent hormones and AR gene CAG repeat polymorphism were considered. While testosterone and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels increased after TRT, cortisol concentration decreased. No anthropometric or body composition parameters varied significantly, except for abdominal fat decrease. The number of CAG triplets was positively and significantly correlated with this abdominal fat decrease, while the opposite occurred between the latter and Δ-testosterone. No correlation of IGF-1 or cortisol variation (Δ-) with Δ-abdominal fat was found. At multiple linear regression, after correction for Δ-testosterone, the positive association between CAG triplet number and abdominal fat change was confirmed. In male post-surgical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, shorter length of AR CAG repeat tract is independently associated with a more marked decrease of abdominal fat after TRT. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Cross-sex hormone therapy in transgender persons affects total body weight, body fat and lean body mass: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Klaver, M; Dekker, M J H J; de Mutsert, R; Twisk, J W R; den Heijer, M

    2017-06-01

    Weight gain and body fat increase the risk of cardiometabolic disease. Cross-sex hormone therapy in transgender persons leads to changes in body weight and body composition, but it is unclear to what extent. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the changes in body weight, body fat and lean body mass during cross-sex hormone therapy in transgender persons. We searched the PubMed database for eligible studies until November 2015. Ten studies reporting changes in body weight, body fat or lean mass in hormone naive transgender persons were included, examining 171 male-to-female and 354 female-to-male transgender people. Pooled effect estimates in the male-to-female group were +1.8 kg (95% CI: 0.2;3.4) for body weight, +3.0 kg (2.0;3.9) for body fat and -2.4 kg (-2.8; -2.1) for lean body mass. In the female-to-male group, body weight changed with +1.7 kg (0.7;2.7), body fat with -2.6 kg (-3.9; -1.4) and lean body mass with +3.9 kg (3.2;4.5). Cross-sex hormone therapy increases body weight in both sexes. In the male-to-female group, a gain in body fat and a decline in lean body mass are observed, while the opposite effects are seen in the female-to-male group. Possibly, these changes increase the risk of cardiometabolic disease in the male-to-female group. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  12. Link Scheduling Algorithm with Interference Prediction for Multiple Mobile WBANs

    PubMed Central

    Le, Thien T. T.

    2017-01-01

    As wireless body area networks (WBANs) become a key element in electronic healthcare (e-healthcare) systems, the coexistence of multiple mobile WBANs is becoming an issue. The network performance is negatively affected by the unpredictable movement of the human body. In such an environment, inter-WBAN interference can be caused by the overlapping transmission range of nearby WBANs. We propose a link scheduling algorithm with interference prediction (LSIP) for multiple mobile WBANs, which allows multiple mobile WBANs to transmit at the same time without causing inter-WBAN interference. In the LSIP, a superframe includes the contention access phase using carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) and the scheduled phase using time division multiple access (TDMA) for non-interfering nodes and interfering nodes, respectively. For interference prediction, we define a parameter called interference duration as the duration during which disparate WBANs interfere with each other. The Bayesian model is used to estimate and classify the interference using a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and the number of neighboring WBANs. The simulation results show that the proposed LSIP algorithm improves the packet delivery ratio and throughput significantly with acceptable delay. PMID:28956827

  13. The Relationship Between Body Image and Domains of Sexual Functioning Among Heterosexual, Emerging Adult Women.

    PubMed

    Quinn-Nilas, Christopher; Benson, Lindsay; Milhausen, Robin R; Buchholz, Andrea C; Goncalves, Melissa

    2016-09-01

    Research suggests that body image affects sexual functioning, but the relationship between specific types of body image (evaluative, affective, and behavioral) and domains of sexual functioning (desire, arousal, and orgasm) has not been investigated. To determine whether, and to what degree, body image concerns (evaluative, affective, and behavioral) influence aspects of women's sexual functioning (desire, arousal, and orgasm). Eighty-eight sexually active women in heterosexual romantic relationships completed surveys assessing evaluative, affective, and behavioral body image and sexual functioning. Body composition data also were collected using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Sexual functioning was assessed using the desire, arousal, and orgasm subscales of the Female Sexual Functioning Index. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that poor evaluative, affective, and behavioral body image were detrimental to women's sexual functioning. Specifically, dissatisfaction with one's body predicted decrements in desire (β = -0.31, P < .05) and arousal (β = -0.35, P < .01). Similarly, feeling that others evaluate one's body negatively predicted decrements in desire (β = 0.22, P < .05) and arousal (β = 0.35, P < .01). Feeling negatively about one's appearance predicted decrements in arousal (β = 0.26, P < .05). Negative thoughts and feelings about one's body during a sexual encounter (body image self-consciousness) predicted decrements in arousal (β = -0.37, P < .01) and orgasm (β = -0.25, P < .05). Findings from this study suggest important linkages between body image and sexual functioning constructs and indicates that interventions to improve body image could have concomitant benefits related to sexual experience. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Whole-body voxel-based personalized dosimetry: Multiple voxel S-value approach for heterogeneous media with non-uniform activity distributions.

    PubMed

    Lee, Min Sun; Kim, Joong Hyun; Paeng, Jin Chul; Kang, Keon Wook; Jeong, Jae Min; Lee, Dong Soo; Lee, Jae Sung

    2017-12-14

    Personalized dosimetry with high accuracy is becoming more important because of the growing interests in personalized medicine and targeted radionuclide therapy. Voxel-based dosimetry using dose point kernel or voxel S-value (VSV) convolution is available. However, these approaches do not consider medium heterogeneity. Here, we propose a new method for whole-body voxel-based personalized dosimetry for heterogeneous media with non-uniform activity distributions, which is referred to as the multiple VSV approach. Methods: The multiple numbers (N) of VSVs for media with different densities covering the whole-body density ranges were used instead of using only a single VSV for water. The VSVs were pre-calculated using GATE Monte Carlo simulation; those were convoluted with the time-integrated activity to generate density-specific dose maps. Computed tomography-based segmentation was conducted to generate binary maps for each density region. The final dose map was acquired by the summation of N segmented density-specific dose maps. We tested several sets of VSVs with different densities: N = 1 (single water VSV), 4, 6, 8, 10, and 20. To validate the proposed method, phantom and patient studies were conducted and compared with direct Monte Carlo, which was considered the ground truth. Finally, patient dosimetry (10 subjects) was conducted using the multiple VSV approach and compared with the single VSV and organ-based dosimetry approaches. Errors at the voxel- and organ-levels were reported for eight organs. Results: In the phantom and patient studies, the multiple VSV approach showed significant improvements regarding voxel-level errors, especially for the lung and bone regions. As N increased, voxel-level errors decreased, although some overestimations were observed at lung boundaries. In the case of multiple VSVs ( N = 8), we achieved voxel-level errors of 2.06%. In the dosimetry study, our proposed method showed much improved results compared to the single VSV and

  15. Multiple capture locations for 3D ultrasound-guided robotic retrieval of moving bodies from a beating heart

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thienphrapa, Paul; Ramachandran, Bharat; Elhawary, Haytham; Taylor, Russell H.; Popovic, Aleksandra

    2012-02-01

    Free moving bodies in the heart pose a serious health risk as they may be released in the arteries causing blood flow disruption. These bodies may be the result of various medical conditions and trauma. The conventional approach to removing these objects involves open surgery with sternotomy, the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, and a wide resection of the heart muscle. We advocate a minimally invasive surgical approach using a flexible robotic end effector guided by 3D transesophageal echocardiography. In a phantom study, we track a moving body in a beating heart using a modified normalized cross-correlation method, with mean RMS errors of 2.3 mm. We previously found the foreign body motion to be fast and abrupt, rendering infeasible a retrieval method based on direct tracking. We proposed a strategy based on guiding a robot to the most spatially probable location of the fragment and securing it upon its reentry to said location. To improve efficacy in the context of a robotic retrieval system, we extend this approach by exploring multiple candidate capture locations. Salient locations are identified based on spatial probability, dwell time, and visit frequency; secondary locations are also examined. Aggregate results indicate that the location of highest spatial probability (50% occupancy) is distinct from the longest-dwelled location (0.84 seconds). Such metrics are vital in informing the design of a retrieval system and capture strategies, and they can be computed intraoperatively to select the best capture location based on constraints such as workspace, time, and device manipulability. Given the complex nature of fragment motion, the ability to analyze multiple capture locations is a desirable capability in an interventional system.

  16. Contest experience and body size affect different types of contest decisions.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yu-Ju; Hsu, Yuying

    2016-11-01

    This study examined the relative importance of contest experience and size differences to behavioral decisions over the course of contests. Using a mangrove rivulus fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, we showed that although contest experience and size differences jointly determined contest outcomes, they affected contestants' interactions at different stages of contests. Contest experience affected behavioral decisions at earlier stages of contests, including the tendency and latency to launch attacks, the tendency to escalate contests into mutual attacks and the outcome of non-escalated contests. Once contests were escalated into mutual attacks, the degree of size difference affected the fish's persistence in escalation and chance of winning, but contest experience did not. These results support the hypothesis that contest experience modifies individuals' estimation of their fighting ability rather than their actual strength. Furthermore, (1) in contests between two naïve contestants, more than 60 % of fish that were 2-3 mm smaller than their opponent escalated the contest to physical fights, even though their larger opponents eventually won 92 % of escalated fights and (2) fish with a losing experience were very likely to retreat in the face of an opponent 2-3 mm smaller than them without escalating. The result that a 2-3 mm size advantage could not offset the influence of a losing experience on the tendency to escalate suggests that, as well as depending on body size, the fish's physical strength is influenced by other factors which require further investigation.

  17. Linking and Psychological Functioning in a Chinese Sample: The Multiple Mediation of Response to Positive Affect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Hongfei; Li, Juan

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined the associations between linking, response to positive affect, and psychological functioning in Chinese college students. The results of conducting multiple mediation analyses indicated that emotion- and self-focused positive rumination mediated the relationship between linking and psychological functioning, whereas…

  18. Early efficacy of the ketogenic diet is not affected by initial body mass index percentile.

    PubMed

    Shull, Shastin; Diaz-Medina, Gloria; Wong-Kisiel, Lily; Nickels, Katherine; Eckert, Susan; Wirrell, Elaine

    2014-05-01

    Predictors of the ketogenic diet's success in treating pediatric intractable epilepsy are not well understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether initial body mass index and weight percentile impact early efficacy of the traditional ketogenic diet in children initiating therapy for intractable epilepsy. This retrospective study included all children initiating the ketogenic diet at Mayo Clinic, Rochester from January 2001 to December 2010 who had body mass index (children ≥2 years of age) or weight percentile (those <2 years of age) documented at diet initiation and seizure frequency recorded at diet initiation and one month. Responders were defined as achieving a >50% seizure reduction from baseline. Our cohort consisted of 48 patients (20 male) with a median age of 3.1 years. There was no significant correlation between initial body mass index or weight percentile and seizure frequency reduction at one month (P = 0.72, r = 0.26 and P = 0.91, r = 0.03). There was no significant association between body mass index or weight percentile quartile and responder rates (P = 0.21 and P = 0.57). Children considered overweight or obese at diet initiation (body mass index or weight percentile ≥85) did not have lower responder rates than those with body mass index or weight percentiles <85 (6/14 vs 19/34, respectively, P = 0.41). Greater initial body mass index and weight-for-age percentiles do not adversely affect the efficacy of the ketogenic diet. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Widespread exposure to lead affects the body condition of free-living whooper swans Cygnus cygnus wintering in Britain.

    PubMed

    Newth, J L; Rees, E C; Cromie, R L; McDonald, R A; Bearhop, S; Pain, D J; Norton, G J; Deacon, C; Hilton, G M

    2016-02-01

    Lead poisoning, through the ingestion of spent lead gunshot, is an established cause of morbidity and mortality in waterbirds globally, but the thresholds at which blood levels begin to affect the physiology of birds in the wild are less well known. Here we determine the prevalence of lead exposure in whooper swans and, for the first time, identify the level of blood lead associated with initial reductions in body condition. Blood lead elevated above background levels (i.e. >20 μg dL(-1)) was found in 41.7% (125/300) of swans tested. Blood lead was significantly negatively associated with winter body condition when levels were ≥44 μg dL(-1) (27/260 = 10%). Our findings indicating that sub-lethal impacts of lead on body condition occur at the lower end of previously established clinical thresholds and that a relatively high proportion of individuals in this population may be affected, reaffirm the importance of reducing contamination of the environment with lead shot. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Body Context and Posture Affect Mental Imagery of Hands

    PubMed Central

    Ionta, Silvio; Perruchoud, David; Draganski, Bogdan; Blanke, Olaf

    2012-01-01

    Different visual stimuli have been shown to recruit different mental imagery strategies. However the role of specific visual stimuli properties related to body context and posture in mental imagery is still under debate. Aiming to dissociate the behavioural correlates of mental processing of visual stimuli characterized by different body context, in the present study we investigated whether the mental rotation of stimuli showing either hands as attached to a body (hands-on-body) or not (hands-only), would be based on different mechanisms. We further examined the effects of postural changes on the mental rotation of both stimuli. Thirty healthy volunteers verbally judged the laterality of rotated hands-only and hands-on-body stimuli presented from the dorsum- or the palm-view, while positioning their hands on their knees (front postural condition) or behind their back (back postural condition). Mental rotation of hands-only, but not of hands-on-body, was modulated by the stimulus view and orientation. Additionally, only the hands-only stimuli were mentally rotated at different speeds according to the postural conditions. This indicates that different stimulus-related mechanisms are recruited in mental rotation by changing the bodily context in which a particular body part is presented. The present data suggest that, with respect to hands-only, mental rotation of hands-on-body is less dependent on biomechanical constraints and proprioceptive input. We interpret our results as evidence for preferential processing of visual- rather than kinesthetic-based mechanisms during mental transformation of hands-on-body and hands-only, respectively. PMID:22479618

  1. Management of Fatigue in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

    PubMed Central

    Khan, Fary; Amatya, Bhasker; Galea, Mary

    2014-01-01

    Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Despite advances in pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment, fatigue continues to be the disabling symptom in persons with MS (pwMS), affecting almost 80% of pwMS. In current practice, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions are used in combination, encompassing a multi-disciplinary approach. The body of research investigating the effect of these interventions is growing. This review systematically evaluated the existing evidence on the effectiveness and safety of different interventions currently applied for the management of fatigue in person with multiple sclerosis in improving patient outcomes, to guide treating clinicians. PMID:25309504

  2. Management of foreign body ingestions in children: button batteries and magnets.

    PubMed

    Kodituwakku, Ronan; Palmer, Sarah; Paul, Siba Prosad

    2017-04-27

    Foreign body ingestion and foreign body aspiration commonly affect young children between 6 months and 6 years. A large number of these events remain unwitnessed and asymptomatic while the swallowed foreign body traverses the gastrointestinal tract and is passed in the stool. Recent literature has shown an increase in morbidity associated with button battery and (neomydium) magnet ingestions in children, particularly over the last decade. Early identification and management in a time critical manner is required in cases where button batteries get lodged in the oesophagus or multiple magnets are swallowed. Deaths, although rare, have been reported with these dangerous foreign body ingestions in children where diagnoses were delayed. Nurses through their direct contact with children in different clinical settings play a vital role in managing foreign body ingestions.

  3. Evidence for multiple, distinct representations of the human body.

    PubMed

    Schwoebel, John; Coslett, H Branch

    2005-04-01

    Previous data from single-case and small group studies have suggested distinctions among structural, conceptual, and online sensorimotor representations of the human body. We developed a battery of tasks to further examine the prevalence and anatomic substrates of these body representations. The battery was administered to 70 stroke patients. Fifty-one percent of the patients were impaired relative to controls on at least one body representation measure. Further, principal components analysis of the patient data as well as direct comparisons of patient and control performance suggested a triple dissociation between measures of the 3 putative body representations. Consistent with previous distinctions between the "what" and "how" pathways, lesions of the left temporal lobe were most consistently associated with impaired performance on tasks assessing knowledge of the shape or lexical-semantic information about the body, whereas lesions of the dorsolateral frontal and parietal regions resulted in impaired performance on tasks requiring on-line coding of body posture.

  4. The Tegument Protein UL71 of Human Cytomegalovirus Is Involved in Late Envelopment and Affects Multivesicular Bodies

    PubMed Central

    Schauflinger, Martin; Fischer, Daniela; Schreiber, Andreas; Chevillotte, Meike; Walther, Paul; Mertens, Thomas; von Einem, Jens

    2011-01-01

    Morphogenesis of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is still only partially understood. We have characterized the role of HCMV tegument protein pUL71 in viral replication and morphogenesis. By using a rabbit antibody raised against the C terminus of pUL71, we could detect the protein in infected cells, as well as in virions showing a molecular mass of approximately 48 kDa. The expression of pUL71, detected as early as 48 h postinfection, was not blocked by the antiviral drug foscarnet, indicating an early expression. The role of pUL71 during virus replication was investigated by construction and analysis of a UL71 stop mutant (TBstop71). The mutant could be reconstituted on noncomplementing cells proving that pUL71 is nonessential for virus replication in human fibroblasts. However, the inhibition of pUL71 expression resulted in a severe growth defect, as reflected by an up to 16-fold reduced extracellular virus yield after a high-multiplicity infection and a small-plaque phenotype. Ultrastructural analysis of cells infected with TBstop71 virus revealed an increased number of nonenveloped nucleocapsids in the cytoplasm, many of them at different stages of envelopment, indicating that final envelopment of nucleocapsids in the cytoplasm was affected. In addition, enlarged multivesicular bodies (MVBs) were found in close proximity to the viral assembly compartment, suggesting that pUL71 affects MVBs during virus infection. The observation of numerous TBstop71 virus particles attached to MVB membranes and budding processes into MVBs indicated that these membranes can be used for final envelopment of HCMV. PMID:21289123

  5. Impaired Integration of Emotional Faces and Affective Body Context in a Rare Case of Developmental Visual Agnosia

    PubMed Central

    Aviezer, Hillel; Hassin, Ran. R.; Bentin, Shlomo

    2011-01-01

    In the current study we examined the recognition of facial expressions embedded in emotionally expressive bodies in case LG, an individual with a rare form of developmental visual agnosia who suffers from severe prosopagnosia. Neuropsychological testing demonstrated that LG‘s agnosia is characterized by profoundly impaired visual integration. Unlike individuals with typical developmental prosopagnosia who display specific difficulties with face identity (but typically not expression) recognition, LG was also impaired at recognizing isolated facial expressions. By contrast, he successfully recognized the expressions portrayed by faceless emotional bodies handling affective paraphernalia. When presented with contextualized faces in emotional bodies his ability to detect the emotion expressed by a face did not improve even if it was embedded in an emotionally-congruent body context. Furthermore, in contrast to controls, LG displayed an abnormal pattern of contextual influence from emotionally-incongruent bodies. The results are interpreted in the context of a general integration deficit in developmental visual agnosia, suggesting that impaired integration may extend from the level of the face to the level of the full person. PMID:21482423

  6. Effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty in patients with multiple myeloma having vertebral pain

    PubMed Central

    Nas, Ömer Fatih; İnecikli, Mehmet Fatih; Hacıkurt, Kadir; Büyükkaya, Ramazan; Özkaya, Güven; Özkalemkaş, Fahir; Ali, Rıdvan; Erdoğan, Cüneyt; Hakyemez, Bahattin

    2016-01-01

    PURPOSE We aimed to assess the effectiveness, benefits, and reliability of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) in patients with vertebral involvement of multiple myeloma. METHODS PV procedures performed on 166 vertebrae of 41 patients with multiple myeloma were retrospectively evaluated. Most of our patients were using level 3 (moderate to severe pain) analgesics. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed before the procedure to assess vertebral involvement of multiple myeloma. The following variables were evaluated: affected vertebral levels, loss of vertebral body height, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement amount applied to the vertebral body during PV, PMMA cement leakages, and pain before and after PV as assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS Median VAS scores of patients decreased from 9 one day before PV, to 6 one day after the procedure, to 3 one week after the procedure, and eventually to 1 three months after the procedure (P < 0.001). During the PV procedure, cement leakage was observed at 68 vertebral levels (41%). The median value of PMMA applied to the vertebral body was 6 mL. CONCLUSION Being a minimally invasive and easily performed procedure with low complication rates, PV should be preferred for serious back pain of multiple myeloma patients. PMID:26912107

  7. Personalized, bilateral whole-body somatosensory cortex stimulation to relieve fatigue in multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Cancelli, Andrea; Cottone, Carlo; Giordani, Alessandro; Migliore, Simone; Lupoi, Domenico; Porcaro, Camillo; Mirabella, Massimiliano; Rossini, Paolo Maria; Filippi, Maria Maddalena; Tecchio, Franca

    2017-07-01

    The patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) often consider fatigue the most debilitating symptom they experience, but conventional medicine currently offers poorly efficacious therapies. We executed a replication study of an innovative approach for relieving MS fatigue. According to the sample size estimate, we recruited 10 fatigued MS patients who received 5-day transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in a randomized, double-blind, Sham-controlled, crossover study, with modified Fatigue Impact Scale (mFIS) score reduction at the end of the treatment as primary outcome. A personalized anodal electrode, shaped on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived individual cortical folding, targeted the bilateral whole-body primary somatosensory cortex (S1) with an occipital cathode. The amelioration of fatigue symptoms after Real stimulation (40% of baseline) was significantly larger than after Sham stimulation (14%, p = 0.012). Anodal whole body S1 induced a significant fatigue reduction in mildly disabled MS patients when the fatigue-related symptoms severely hampered their quality of life. This second result in an independent group of patients supports the idea that neuromodulation interventions that properly select a personalized target might be a suitable non-pharmacological treatment for MS fatigue.

  8. Afferent thermosensory function in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis following exercise-induced increases in body temperature.

    PubMed

    Filingeri, Davide; Chaseling, Georgia; Hoang, Phu; Barnett, Michael; Davis, Scott L; Jay, Ollie

    2017-08-01

    What is the central question of this study? Between 60 and 80% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience transient worsening of symptoms with increased body temperature (heat sensitivity). As sensory abnormalities are common in MS, we asked whether afferent thermosensory function is altered in MS following exercise-induced increases in body temperature. What is the main finding and its importance? Increases in body temperature of as little as ∼0.4°C were sufficient to decrease cold, but not warm, skin thermosensitivity (∼10%) in MS, across a wider temperature range than in age-matched healthy individuals. These findings provide new evidence on the impact of heat sensitivity on afferent function in MS, which could be useful for clinical evaluation of this neurological disease. In multiple sclerosis (MS), increases in body temperature result in transient worsening of clinical symptoms (heat sensitivity or Uhthoff's phenomenon). Although the impact of heat sensitivity on efferent physiological function has been investigated, the effects of heat stress on afferent sensory function in MS are unknown. Hence, we quantified afferent thermosensory function in MS following exercise-induced increases in body temperature with a new quantitative sensory test. Eight relapsing-remitting MS patients (three men and five women; 51.4 ± 9.1 years of age; Expanded Disability Status Scale score 2.8 ± 1.1) and eight age-matched control (CTR) subjects (five men and three women; 47.4 ± 9.1 years of age) rated the perceived magnitude of two cold (26 and 22°C) and two warm stimuli (34 and 38°C) applied to the dorsum of the hand before and after 30 min cycling in the heat (30°C air; 30% relative humidity). Exercise produced similar increases in mean body temperature in MS [+0.39°C (95% CI: +0.21, +0.53) P = 0.001] and CTR subjects [+0.41°C (95% CI: +0.25, +0.58) P = 0.001]. These changes were sufficient to decrease thermosensitivity significantly to all cold [26

  9. Physical and Cognitive-Affective Factors Associated with Fatigue in Individuals with Fibromyalgia: A Multiple Regression Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muller, Veronica; Brooks, Jessica; Tu, Wei-Mo; Moser, Erin; Lo, Chu-Ling; Chan, Fong

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The main objective of this study was to determine the extent to which physical and cognitive-affective factors are associated with fibromyalgia (FM) fatigue. Method: A quantitative descriptive design using correlation techniques and multiple regression analysis. The participants consisted of 302 members of the National Fibromyalgia &…

  10. Polydactylous Transverse Erythronychia: Report of a Patient with Multiple Horizontal Red Bands Affecting the Fingernails.

    PubMed

    Chang, Carina; Beutler, Bryce D; Cohen, Philip R

    2017-06-01

    Redness of the nail plate-erythronychia-is a common condition involving one or multiple digits. It may affect the entire nail or present as longitudinal red bands that extend from the proximal nail fold to the distal tip of the nail plate. Rarely, red bands may traverse the nail bed horizontally. Although erythronychia is often idiopathic, it has also been associated with amyloidosis, Darier's disease, lichen planus, and various other cutaneous conditions. We describe the clinical features of a 64-year-old Caucasian man who presented with transverse and longitudinal erythronychia affecting his fingernails. In addition, we review the classification of erythronychia and summarize the acute and chronic conditions that have been associated with this clinical finding. The features of a man with polydactylous transverse and longitudinal erythronychia are presented. In addition, PubMed was used to search the following terms: erythronychia, longitudinal erythronychia, red lunulae, and subungual. All papers were reviewed, and relevant articles, along with their references, were evaluated. Informed consent was obtained from the patient for being included in the study. A 64-year-old Caucasian man with a past medical history significant for testicular cancer and pulmonary embolism presented with multiple horizontal pink-red bands affecting his fingernails. The discoloration was most prominent in the region distal to the lunula. In addition, the nails of the fifth digit of his left hand and third digit of his right hand featured longitudinal red bands extending from the distal curvature of the lunula to the free edge of the nail plate. A diagnosis of polydactylous longitudinal and transverse erythronychia, based on the clinical presentation, was established. Our patient's red bands were asymptomatic and he was not concerned about the cosmetic appearance of his nails; therefore, no additional investigation or treatment was required. Polydactylous transverse erythronychia is a

  11. Nutrient enrichment differentially affects body sizes of primary consumers and predators in a detritus-based stream

    Treesearch

    John M. Davis; Amy D. Rosemond; Sue L. Eggert; Wyatt F. Cross; J. Bruce Wallace

    2010-01-01

    We assessed how a 5-yr nutrient enrichment affected the responses of different size classes of primary consumers and predators in a detritus-based headwater stream. We hypothesized that alterations in detritus availability because of enrichment would decrease the abundance and biomass of large-bodied consumers. In contrast, we found that 2 yr of enrichment increased...

  12. A meta-analysis of the relationships between body checking, body image avoidance, body image dissatisfaction, mood, and disordered eating.

    PubMed

    Walker, D Catherine; White, Emily K; Srinivasan, Vamshek J

    2018-04-16

    Body checking (BC) and body image avoidance (BIA) have been proposed as etiological and maintaining mechanisms for eating disorder (ED) pathology. To date, no comprehensive review summarizes the relationships of BC and BIA with ED pathology, body image dissatisfaction, or mood/affect. Meta-analyses examined the relationships of BC and BIA with ED pathology, body image dissatisfaction, and mood/affect. Gender, publication status, and presence or absence of ED diagnoses were examined as potential moderators. Results showed strong relationships between BC and ED pathology (ρ = 0.588) and BC and body image dissatisfaction (ρ = 0.631) and a moderate relationship between BC and mood/affect (ρ = 0.385). Similarly, results showed strong relationships between BIA and ED pathology (ρ = 0.553) and BIA and body image dissatisfaction (ρ = 0.543) and a moderate relationship between BIA and mood/affect (ρ = 0.392). Overall, limited evidence supported publication bias; however, publication bias may exist in the relationship between BIA and body image dissatisfaction in the literature. Subgroup moderator analyses suggested that gender moderates the strength of the relationships between BC and ED pathology, body image dissatisfaction, and mood/affect and between BIA and body image dissatisfaction. Results are consistent with cognitive-behavioral models of ED pathology that suggest BC and BIA are behavioral expressions of overvaluation of weight and shape. Notably, more published research has investigated BC than BIA. Future studies, incorporating methods such as meta-analytic structural equation modeling, should examine these variables to further test cognitive-behavioral models of ED development and maintenance. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Exercise Training in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Comparison of Recumbent Stepping and Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training.

    PubMed

    Pilutti, Lara A; Paulseth, John E; Dove, Carin; Jiang, Shucui; Rathbone, Michel P; Hicks, Audrey L

    2016-01-01

    Background: There is evidence of the benefits of exercise training in multiple sclerosis (MS); however, few studies have been conducted in individuals with progressive MS and severe mobility impairment. A potential exercise rehabilitation approach is total-body recumbent stepper training (TBRST). We evaluated the safety and participant-reported experience of TBRST in people with progressive MS and compared the efficacy of TBRST with that of body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) on outcomes of function, fatigue, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods: Twelve participants with progressive MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale scores, 6.0-8.0) were randomized to receive TBRST or BWSTT. Participants completed three weekly sessions (30 minutes) of exercise training for 12 weeks. Primary outcomes included safety assessed as adverse events and patient-reported exercise experience assessed as postexercise response and evaluation of exercise equipment. Secondary outcomes included the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, and the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 questionnaire scores. Assessments were conducted at baseline and after 12 weeks. Results: Safety was confirmed in both exercise groups. Participants reported enjoying both exercise modalities; however, TBRST was reviewed more favorably. Both interventions reduced fatigue and improved HRQOL (P ≤ .05); there were no changes in function. Conclusions: Both TBRST and BWSTT seem to be safe, well tolerated, and enjoyable for participants with progressive MS with severe disability. Both interventions may also be efficacious for reducing fatigue and improving HRQOL. TBRST should be further explored as an exercise rehabilitation tool for patients with progressive MS.

  14. Method for deploying multiple spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sharer, Peter J. (Inventor)

    2007-01-01

    A method for deploying multiple spacecraft is disclosed. The method can be used in a situation where a first celestial body is being orbited by a second celestial body. The spacecraft are loaded onto a single spaceship that contains the multiple spacecraft and the spacecraft is launched from the second celestial body towards a third celestial body. The spacecraft are separated from each other while in route to the third celestial body. Each of the spacecraft is then subjected to the gravitational field of the third celestial body and each of the spacecraft assumes a different, independent orbit about the first celestial body. In those situations where the spacecraft are launched from Earth, the Sun can act as the first celestial body, the Earth can act as the second celestial body and the Moon can act as the third celestial body.

  15. Crying and suicidal, but not depressed. Pseudobulbar affect in multiple sclerosis successfully treated with valproic acid: Case report and literature review.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Bridgette; Nichols, Scott

    2015-12-01

    Pseudobulbar affect/emotional incontinence is a potentially disabling condition characterized by expressions of affect or emotions out of context from the normal emotional basis for those expressions. This condition can result in diagnostic confusion and unrelieved suffering when clinicians interpret the emotional expressions at face value. In addition, the nomenclature, etiology, and treatment for this condition remain unclear in the medical literature. We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who was referred to an inpatient psychiatry unit with complaints of worsening depression along with hopelessness, characterized by unrelenting crying. Our investigation showed that her symptoms were caused by pseudobulbar affect/emotional incontinence stemming from multiple sclerosis. The patient's history of multiple sclerosis and the fact that she identified herself as depressed only because of her incessant crying suggested that her symptoms might be due to the multiple sclerosis rather than to a depressive disorder. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a new plaque consistent with multiple sclerosis lateral to her corpus callosum. Her symptoms resolved completely within three days on valproic acid but returned after she was cross-tapered to dextromethorphan plus quinidine, which is the FDA-approved treatment for this condition. This case provides important additional information to the current literature on pseudobulbar affect/emotional incontinence. The existing literature suggests a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and dextromethorphan/quinidine (Nuedexta) as first-line treatments; however, our patient was taking an SSRI at the time of presentation without appreciable benefit, and her symptoms responded to valproic acid but not to the dextromethorphan/quinidine. In addition, the case and the literature review suggest that the current nomenclature for this constellation of symptoms can be misleading.

  16. Maturation of the Infant Microbiome Community Structure and Function Across Multiple Body Sites and in Relation to Mode of Delivery

    PubMed Central

    Chu, Derrick M.; Ma, Jun; Prince, Amanda L.; Antony, Kathleen M.; Seferovic, Maxim D.; Aagaard, Kjersti M.

    2017-01-01

    Human microbial communities are characterized by their taxonomic, metagenomic, and metabolic diversity, which varies by distinct body sites and influences human physiology. However, when and how microbial communities within each body niche acquire unique taxonomical and functional signatures in early life remains underexplored. We thus sought to assess the taxonomic composition and potential metabolic function of the neonatal and early infant microbiota across multiple body sites, and assess the impact of mode of delivery and its potential confounders or modifiers. A cohort of pregnant women in their early 3rd trimester (n=81) were prospectively enrolled for longitudinal sampling through 6 weeks post-delivery, and a second matched cross-sectional cohort (n=81) was additionally recruited for sampling once at delivery. Samples were collected for each maternal-infant dyad across multiple body sites, including stool, oral gingiva, nares, skin and vagina. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis and whole genome shotgun sequencing was performed to interrogate the composition and function of the neonatal and maternal microbiota. We found that the neonatal microbiota and its associated functional pathways were relatively homogenous across all body sites at delivery, with the notable exception of neonatal meconium. However, by 6 weeks, the infant microbiota structure and function had significantly expanded and diversified, with body site serving as the primary determinant of the bacterial community composition and its functional capacity. Although minor variations in the neonatal (immediately at birth) microbiota community structure were associated with Cesarean delivery in some body sites (oral, nares, and skin; R2 = 0.038), this was not true in neonatal stool (meconium, Mann-Whitney p>0.05) and there was no observable difference in community function regardless of delivery mode. By 6 weeks of age, the infant microbiota structure and function had expanded and diversified with

  17. Intermittent fasting during winter and spring affects body composition and reproduction of a migratory duck

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barboza, P.S.; Jorde, Dennis G.

    2002-01-01

    We compared food intake, body mass and body composition of male and female black ducks (Anas rubripes) during winter (January-March). Birds were fed the same complete diet ad libitum on consecutive days each week without fasting (control; nine male; nine female) or with either short fasts (2 day.week-1; nine male; nine female), or long fasts (4 day.week-1; eleven male; twelve female). We continued treatments through spring (March-May) to measure the effect of intermittent fasts on body mass and egg production. Daily food intake of fasted birds was up to four times that of unfasted birds. Weekly food intake of males was similar among treatments (364 g.kg-1.week-1) but fasted females consumed more than unfasted females in January (363 g.kg-1.week-1 vs. 225 g.kg-1.week-1). Although both sexes lost 10-14% body mass, fasted females lost less mass and lipid than unfasted females during winter. Total body nitrogen was conserved over winter in both sexes even though the heart and spleen lost mass while the reproductive tract and liver gained mass. Intermittent fasting increased liver, intestinal tissue and digesta mass of females but not of males. Fasting delayed egg production in spring but did not affect size, fertility or hatching of the clutch. Females on long fasts were still heavier than controls after laying eggs. Thus black ducks combine flexibility of food intake with plasticity of digestive tract, liver and adipose tissue when food supply is interrupted during winter. Females modulate body mass for survival and defer reproduction when food supply is interrupted in spring.

  18. Self-harm history predicts resistance to inpatient treatment of body shape aversion in women with eating disorders: The role of negative affect.

    PubMed

    Olatunji, Bunmi O; Cox, Rebecca; Ebesutani, Chad; Wall, David

    2015-06-01

    Although self-harm has been observed among patients with eating disorders, the effects of such tendencies on treatment outcomes are unclear. The current study employed structural equation modeling to (a) evaluate the relationship between self-harm and changes in body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness in a large sample of patients (n = 2061) who underwent inpatient treatment, and (b) to examine whether the relationship between self-harm and changes in body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness during inpatient treatment remains significant when controlling for change in negative affect during treatment. Results revealed that patients with a history of self-harm reported significantly less reduction in body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness following treatment. Patients experiencing less change in negative affect also reported significantly less reduction in body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness after discharge from treatment. However, the association between history of self-harm and reduction in body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness after treatment became non-significant when controlling for change in negative affect. This pattern of findings was also replicated among patients with a primary diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (n = 845), bulimia nervosa (n = 565), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (n = 651). The implications of these findings for delineating the specific role of self-harm in the nature and treatment of eating disorders are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Energy composition of diet affects muscle fiber recruitment, body composition, and growth trajectory in rainbow trout (Oncorhnychus mykiss)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Energy composition of diet affects muscle fiber recruitment, body composition, and growth trajectory in rainbow trout (Oncorhnychus mykiss) The cost and scarcity of key ingredients for aquaculture feed formulation call for a wise use of resources, especially dietary proteins and energy. For years t...

  20. Diagnostic Accuracy of Full-Body Linear X-Ray Scanning in Multiple Trauma Patients in Comparison to Computed Tomography.

    PubMed

    Jöres, A P W; Heverhagen, J T; Bonél, H; Exadaktylos, A; Klink, T

    2016-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of full-body linear X-ray scanning (LS) in multiple trauma patients in comparison to 128-multislice computed tomography (MSCT). 106 multiple trauma patients (female: 33; male: 73) were retrospectively included in this study. All patients underwent LS of the whole body, including extremities, and MSCT covering the neck, thorax, abdomen, and pelvis. The diagnostic accuracy of LS for the detection of fractures of the truncal skeleton and pneumothoraces was evaluated in comparison to MSCT by two observers in consensus. Extremity fractures detected by LS were documented. The overall sensitivity of LS was 49.2 %, the specificity was 93.3 %, the positive predictive value was 91 %, and the negative predictive value was 57.5 %. The overall sensitivity for vertebral fractures was 16.7 %, and the specificity was 100 %. The sensitivity was 48.7 % and the specificity 98.2 % for all other fractures. Pneumothoraces were detected in 12 patients by CT, but not by LS. 40 extremity fractures were detected by LS, of which 4 fractures were dislocated, and 2 were fully covered by MSCT. The diagnostic accuracy of LS is limited in the evaluation of acute trauma of the truncal skeleton. LS allows fast whole-body X-ray imaging, and may be valuable for detecting extremity fractures in trauma patients in addition to MSCT.  The overall sensitivity of LS for truncal skeleton injuries in multiple-trauma patients was < 50 %. The diagnostic reference standard MSCT is the preferred and reliable imaging modality. LS may be valuable for quick detection of extremity fractures. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  1. A General Simulation Method for Multiple Bodies in Proximate Flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meakin, Robert L.

    2003-01-01

    Methods of unsteady aerodynamic simulation for an arbitrary number of independent bodies flying in close proximity are considered. A novel method to efficiently detect collision contact points is described. A method to compute body trajectories in response to aerodynamic loads, applied loads, and inter-body collisions is also given. The physical correctness of the methods are verified by comparison to a set of analytic solutions. The methods, combined with a Navier-Stokes solver, are used to demonstrate the possibility of predicting the unsteady aerodynamics and flight trajectories of moving bodies that involve rigid-body collisions.

  2. Body image and eating disordered behavior in a community sample of Black and Hispanic women.

    PubMed

    Hrabosky, Joshua I; Grilo, Carlos M

    2007-01-01

    The current study examined body image concerns and eating disordered behaviors in a community sample of Black and Hispanic women. In addition, this study explored whether there are ethnic differences in the correlates or in the prediction of body image concerns. Participants were 120 (67 Black and 53 Hispanic) women who responded to advertisements to participate in a study of women and health. Participants completed a battery of established self-report measures to assess body image, eating disordered behaviors, and associated psychological domains. Black and Hispanic women did not differ significantly in their self-reports of body image, eating disordered behaviors, or associated psychological measures. Comparisons performed separately within both ethnic groups revealed significant differences by weight status, with a general graded patterning of greater concerns in obese than overweight than average weight groups. In terms of predicting body image, multiple regression analyses testing a number of variables, including BMI, performed separately for Black and Hispanic women revealed that eating concern and depressive affect were significant predictors of body image concern for both groups. Overall, Black and Hispanic women differed little in their self-reports of body image, eating-disordered features, and depressive affect. Higher weight was associated with a general pattern of increased body image concerns and features of eating disorders in both groups and with binge eating in Black women. Eating concerns and depressive affect emerged as significant independent predictors of body image for both ethnic groups.

  3. Body temperature is elevated and linked to fatigue in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, even without heat exposure

    PubMed Central

    Sumowski, James F.; Leavitt, Victoria M.

    2014-01-01

    Objective To investigate whether resting body temperature is elevated and linked to fatigue in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Design Cross-sectional study investigating (a) differences in resting body temperature across RRMS, SPMS, and healthy groups, and (b) the relationship between body temperature and fatigue in RRMS patients. Setting Climate-controlled laboratory (~22°C) within a non-profit medical rehabilitation research center. Participants Fifty patients with RRMS, 40 matched healthy controls, and 22 patients with secondary-progressive MS (SPMS). Intervention None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Body temperature was measured with an aural infrared thermometer (normal body temperature for this thermometer is 36.75°C), and differences were compared across RRMS, SPMS, and healthy persons. RRMS patients completed measures of general fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale; FSS), as well as physical and cognitive fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale; MFIS). Results There was a large effect of group (p<.001, ηp2=.132) whereby body temperature was higher in RRMS patients (37.04°C±0.27) relative to healthy controls (36.83 ± 0.33; p = .009) and SPMS patients (36.75°C±0.39; p=.001). Warmer body temperature in RRMS patients was associated with worse general fatigue (FSS; rp=.315, p=.028) and physical fatigue (pMFIS; rp=.318, p=.026), but not cognitive fatigue (cMIFS; rp=−.017, p=.909). Conclusions These are the first-ever demonstrations that body temperature is elevated endogenously in RRMS patients, and linked to worse fatigue. We discuss these findings in the context of failed treatments for fatigue in RRMS, including several failed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of stimulants (modafinil). In contrast, our findings may help explain how RCTs of cooling garments and antipyretics (aspirin) have effectively reduced MS fatigue, and encourage further research on cooling/antipyretic treatments of fatigue in RRMS. PMID:24561056

  4. Multiple environmental chemical exposures to lead, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls among childbearing-aged women (NHANES 1999-2004): Body burden and risk factors.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Marcella Remer; Boekelheide, Kim

    2013-02-01

    Lead, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are neurotoxicants with intergenerational health consequences from maternal body burden and gestational exposures. Little is known about multiple chemical exposures among childbearing-aged women. To determine the percentage of women aged 16-49 of diverse races and ethnicities whose body burdens for all three xenobiotics were at or above the median; to identify mixed exposures; and to describe those women disproportionately burdened by two or more of these chemicals based on susceptibility- and exposure-related attributes, socioeconomic factors and race-ethnicity. Secondary data analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004). The best-fit logistic regression model without interactions contained 12 variables. Four risk factors associated with body burden were notable (P≤0.05). An exponential relationship was demonstrated with increasing age. Any fish consumption in past 30 days more than doubled the odds. Heavy alcohol consumption increased the relative risk. History of breastfeeding reduced this risk. These women were more likely to have two xenobiotics at or above the median than one. More than one-fifth of these childbearing-aged women had three xenobiotic levels at or above the median. These findings are among the first description of US childbearing-aged women's body burden and risk factors for multiple chemical exposures. This study supports increasing age, any fish consumption and heavy alcohol consumption as significant risk factors for body burden. History of breastfeeding lowered the body burden. Limited evidence was found of increased risk among minority women independent of other risk factors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Objectification in Virtual Romantic Contexts: Perceived Discrepancies between Self and Partner Ideals Differentially affect Body Consciousness in Women and Men

    PubMed Central

    Overstreet, Nicole M.; Quinn, Diane M.; Marsh, Kerry L.

    2015-01-01

    The current study examined whether exposure to sexually objectifying images in a potential romantic partner's virtual apartment affects discrepancies between people's perception of their own appearance (i.e., self-perceptions) and their perception of the body ideal that is considered desirable to a romantic partner (i.e., partner-ideals). Participants were 114 heterosexual undergraduate students (57 women and 57 men) from a northeastern U.S. university. The study used a 2 (Participant Gender) x 2 (Virtual Environment: Sexualized vs. Non-Sexualized) between-subjects design. We predicted that women exposed to sexually objectifying images in a virtual environment would report greater discrepancies between their self-perceptions and partner-ideals than men, which in turn would contribute to women's body consciousness. Findings support this hypothesis and show that perceived discrepancies account for the relationship between exposure to sexually objectifying images and body consciousness for women but not men. We also found gender asymmetries in objectification responses when each component of perceived discrepancies, i.e., self-perceptions versus perceptions of a romantic partner's body ideal, were examined separately. For men, exposure to muscular sexualized images was significantly associated with their self-perceptions but not their perceptions of the body size that is considered desirable to a romantic partner. For women, exposure to thin sexualized images was significantly associated with their perceptions that a romantic partner preferred a woman with a smaller body size. However, exposure to these images did not affect women's self-perceptions. Implications for gender asymmetries in objectification responses and perceived discrepancies that include a romantic partner's perceptions are discussed. PMID:26594085

  6. ɑ-Synuclein strains and seeding in Parkinson's disease, incidental Lewy body disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy: similarities and differences.

    PubMed

    Peelaerts, W; Bousset, L; Baekelandt, V; Melki, R

    2018-04-27

    Several age-related neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the deposition of aberrantly folded endogenous proteins. These proteins have prion-like propagation and amplification properties but so far appear nontransmissible between individuals. Because of the features they share with the prion protein, PrP, the characteristics of pathogenic protein aggregates in several progressive brain disorders, including different types of Lewy body diseases (LBDs), such as Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), have been actively investigated. Even though the pleomorphic nature of these syndromes might suggest different underlying causes, ɑ-synuclein (ɑSyn) appears to play an important role in this heterogeneous group of diseases (the synucleinopathies). An attractive hypothesis is that different types of ɑSyn protein assemblies have a unique and causative role in distinct synucleinopathies. We will discuss the recent research progress on ɑSyn assemblies involved in PD, MSA and DLB; their behavior as strains; current spreading hypotheses; their ability to seed centrally and peripherally; and their implication for disease pathogenesis.

  7. Loss of lean body mass affects low bone mineral density in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - results from the TOMORROW study.

    PubMed

    Okano, Tadashi; Inui, Kentaro; Tada, Masahiro; Sugioka, Yuko; Mamoto, Kenji; Wakitani, Shigeyuki; Koike, Tatsuya; Nakamura, Hiroaki

    2017-11-01

    Osteoporosis is one of the complications for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rheumatoid cachexia, the loss of lean body mass, is another. However, the relationship between decreased lean body mass and reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with RA has not been well studied. This study included 413 participants, comprising 208 patients with RA and 205 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Clinical data, BMD, bone metabolic markers (BMM) and body composition, such as lean body mass and percent fat, were collected. Risk factors for osteoporosis in patients with RA including the relationship BMD and body composition were analyzed. Patients with RA showed low BMD and high BMM compared with controls. Moreover, lean body mass was lower and percent fat was higher in patients with RA. Lean body mass correlated positively and percent fat negatively with BMD. Lean body mass was a positive and disease duration was a negative independent factor for BMD in multivariate statistical analysis. BMD and lean body mass were significantly lower in patients with RA compared to healthy controls. Lean body mass correlated positively with BMD and decreased lean body mass and disease duration affected low BMD in patients with RA. [UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ , UMIN000003876].

  8. Human and animal sounds influence recognition of body language.

    PubMed

    Van den Stock, Jan; Grèzes, Julie; de Gelder, Beatrice

    2008-11-25

    In naturalistic settings emotional events have multiple correlates and are simultaneously perceived by several sensory systems. Recent studies have shown that recognition of facial expressions is biased towards the emotion expressed by a simultaneously presented emotional expression in the voice even if attention is directed to the face only. So far, no study examined whether this phenomenon also applies to whole body expressions, although there is no obvious reason why this crossmodal influence would be specific for faces. Here we investigated whether perception of emotions expressed in whole body movements is influenced by affective information provided by human and by animal vocalizations. Participants were instructed to attend to the action displayed by the body and to categorize the expressed emotion. The results indicate that recognition of body language is biased towards the emotion expressed by the simultaneously presented auditory information, whether it consist of human or of animal sounds. Our results show that a crossmodal influence from auditory to visual emotional information obtains for whole body video images with the facial expression blanked and includes human as well as animal sounds.

  9. Maturation of the infant microbiome community structure and function across multiple body sites and in relation to mode of delivery.

    PubMed

    Chu, Derrick M; Ma, Jun; Prince, Amanda L; Antony, Kathleen M; Seferovic, Maxim D; Aagaard, Kjersti M

    2017-03-01

    Human microbial communities are characterized by their taxonomic, metagenomic and metabolic diversity, which varies by distinct body sites and influences human physiology. However, when and how microbial communities within each body niche acquire unique taxonomical and functional signatures in early life remains underexplored. We thus sought to determine the taxonomic composition and potential metabolic function of the neonatal and early infant microbiota across multiple body sites and assess the effect of the mode of delivery and its potential confounders or modifiers. A cohort of pregnant women in their early third trimester (n = 81) were prospectively enrolled for longitudinal sampling through 6 weeks after delivery, and a second matched cross-sectional cohort (n = 81) was additionally recruited for sampling once at the time of delivery. Samples across multiple body sites, including stool, oral gingiva, nares, skin and vagina were collected for each maternal-infant dyad. Whole-genome shotgun sequencing and sequencing analysis of the gene encoding the 16S rRNA were performed to interrogate the composition and function of the neonatal and maternal microbiota. We found that the neonatal microbiota and its associated functional pathways were relatively homogeneous across all body sites at delivery, with the notable exception of the neonatal meconium. However, by 6 weeks after delivery, the infant microbiota structure and function had substantially expanded and diversified, with the body site serving as the primary determinant of the composition of the bacterial community and its functional capacity. Although minor variations in the neonatal (immediately at birth) microbiota community structure were associated with the cesarean mode of delivery in some body sites (oral gingiva, nares and skin; R 2 = 0.038), this was not true for neonatal stool (meconium; Mann-Whitney P > 0.05), and there was no observable difference in community function regardless of delivery mode

  10. Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Disturbances in Early Adolescence: A Structural Modeling Investigation Examining Negative Affect and Peer Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchinson, Delyse M.; Rapee, Ronald M.; Taylor, Alan

    2010-01-01

    This study tested five proposed models of the relationship of negative affect and peer factors in early adolescent body dissatisfaction, dieting, and bulimic behaviors. A large community sample of girls in early adolescence was assessed via questionnaire (X[overbar] age = 12.3 years). Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that negative…

  11. CT scan range estimation using multiple body parts detection: let PACS learn the CT image content.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chunliang; Lundström, Claes

    2016-02-01

    The aim of this study was to develop an efficient CT scan range estimation method that is based on the analysis of image data itself instead of metadata analysis. This makes it possible to quantitatively compare the scan range of two studies. In our study, 3D stacks are first projected to 2D coronal images via a ray casting-like process. Trained 2D body part classifiers are then used to recognize different body parts in the projected image. The detected candidate regions go into a structure grouping process to eliminate false-positive detections. Finally, the scale and position of the patient relative to the projected figure are estimated based on the detected body parts via a structural voting. The start and end lines of the CT scan are projected to a standard human figure. The position readout is normalized so that the bottom of the feet represents 0.0, and the top of the head is 1.0. Classifiers for 18 body parts were trained using 184 CT scans. The final application was tested on 136 randomly selected heterogeneous CT scans. Ground truth was generated by asking two human observers to mark the start and end positions of each scan on the standard human figure. When compared with the human observers, the mean absolute error of the proposed method is 1.2% (max: 3.5%) and 1.6% (max: 5.4%) for the start and end positions, respectively. We proposed a scan range estimation method using multiple body parts detection and relative structure position analysis. In our preliminary tests, the proposed method delivered promising results.

  12. A comparison of the effects of visual deprivation and regular body weight support treadmill training on improving over-ground walking of stroke patients: a multiple baseline single subject design.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jeong-Soo; Kang, Sun-Young; Jeon, Hye-Seon

    2015-01-01

    The body-weight-support treadmill (BWST) is commonly used for gait rehabilitation, but other forms of BWST are in development, such as visual-deprivation BWST (VDBWST). In this study, we compare the effect of VDBWST training and conventional BWST training on spatiotemporal gait parameters for three individuals who had hemiparetic strokes. We used a single-subject experimental design, alternating multiple baselines across the individuals. We recruited three individuals with hemiparesis from stroke; two on the left side and one on the right. For the main outcome measures we assessed spatiotemporal gait parameters using GAITRite, including: gait velocity; cadence; step time of the affected side (STA); step time of the non-affected side (STN); step length of the affected side (SLA); step length of the non-affected side (SLN); step-time asymmetry (ST-asymmetry); and step-length asymmetry (SL-asymmetry). Gait velocity, cadence, SLA, and SLN increased from baseline after both interventions, but STA, ST-asymmetry, and SL-asymmetry decreased from the baseline after the interventions. The VDBWST was significantly more effective than the BWST for increasing gait velocity and cadence and for decreasing ST-asymmetry. VDBWST is more effective than BWST for improving gait performance during the rehabilitation for ground walking.

  13. Lewy Body Disease

    MedlinePlus

    Lewy body disease is one of the most common causes of dementia in the elderly. Dementia is the loss of mental ... to affect normal activities and relationships. Lewy body disease happens when abnormal structures, called Lewy bodies, build ...

  14. Stress peptide PACAP engages multiple signaling pathways within the carotid body to initiate excitatory responses in respiratory and sympathetic chemosensory afferents.

    PubMed

    Roy, Arijit; Derakhshan, Fatemeh; Wilson, Richard J A

    2013-06-15

    Consistent with a critical role in respiratory and autonomic stress responses, the carotid bodies are strongly excited by pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a neuropeptide implicated in stress responses throughout the sympathetic nervous system. PACAP excites isolated carotid body glomus cells via activation of PAC1 receptors, with one study suggesting PAC1-induced excitation is due entirely to protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated inhibition of TASK channels. However, in other systems, PAC1 is known to be coupled to multiple intracellular signaling pathways, including PKA, phospholipase C (PLC), phospholipase D (PLD), and protein kinase C (PKC), that trigger multiple downstream effectors including increased Ca²⁺ mobilization, inhibition of various K⁺ channels, and activation of nonselective cation channels. This study tests if non-PKA/TASK channel signaling helps mediate the stimulatory effects of PACAP on the carotid body. Using an ex vivo arterially perfused rat carotid body preparation, we show that PACAP-38 stimulates carotid sinus nerve activity in a biphasic manner (peak response, falling to plateau). PKA blocker H-89 only reduced the plateau response (~41%), whereas the TASK-1-like K⁺ channel blocker/transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 channel agonist anandamide only inhibited the peak response (~48%), suggesting involvement of additional pathways. The PLD blocker CAY10594 significantly inhibited both peak and plateau responses. The PLC blocker U73122 decimated both peak and plateau responses. Brefeldin A, a blocker of Epac (cAMP-activated guanine exchange factor, reported to link Gs-coupled receptors with PLC/PLD), also reduced both phases of the response, as did blocking signaling downstream of PLC/PLD with the PKC inhibitors chelerythrine chloride and GF109203X. Suggesting the involvement of non-TASK ion channels in the effects of PACAP, the A-type K⁺ channel blocker 4-aminopyridine, and the putative transient receptor

  15. Context matters: the structure of task goals affects accuracy in multiple-target visual search.

    PubMed

    Clark, Kait; Cain, Matthew S; Adcock, R Alison; Mitroff, Stephen R

    2014-05-01

    Career visual searchers such as radiologists and airport security screeners strive to conduct accurate visual searches, but despite extensive training, errors still occur. A key difference between searches in radiology and airport security is the structure of the search task: Radiologists typically scan a certain number of medical images (fixed objective), and airport security screeners typically search X-rays for a specified time period (fixed duration). Might these structural differences affect accuracy? We compared performance on a search task administered either under constraints that approximated radiology or airport security. Some displays contained more than one target because the presence of multiple targets is an established source of errors for career searchers, and accuracy for additional targets tends to be especially sensitive to contextual conditions. Results indicate that participants searching within the fixed objective framework produced more multiple-target search errors; thus, adopting a fixed duration framework could improve accuracy for career searchers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  16. Neuroanatomy of pseudobulbar affect : a quantitative MRI study in multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Ghaffar, Omar; Chamelian, Laury; Feinstein, Anthony

    2008-03-01

    Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is defined as episodes of involuntary crying, laughing, or both in the absence of a matching subjective mood state. This neuropsychiatric syndrome can be found in a number of neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to identify neuroanatomical correlates of PBA in multiple sclerosis (MS) using a case-control 1.5T MRI study. MS patients with (n = 14) and without (n = 14) PBA were matched on demographic, disease course, and disability variables. Comorbid psychiatric disorders including depressive and anxiety disorders were absent. Hypo- and hyperintense lesion volumes plus measurements of atrophy were obtained and localized anatomically according to parcellated brain regions. Between-group statistical comparisons were undertaken with alpha set at 0.01 for the primary analysis. Discrete differences in lesion volume were noted in six regions: Brainstem hypointense lesions, bilateral inferior parietal and medial inferior frontal hyperintense lesions, and right medial superior frontal hyperintense lesions were all significantly higher in the PBA group. A logistic regression model identified four of these variables (brainstem hypointense, left inferior parietal hyperintense, and left and right medial inferior frontal hyperintense lesion volumes) that accounted for 70% of the variance when it came to explaining the presence of PBA. In conclusion, MS patients with PBA have a distinct distribution of brain lesions when compared to a matched MS sample without PBA. The lesion data support a widely-dispersed neural network involving frontal, parietal, and brainstem regions in the pathophysiology of PBA.

  17. Colloid Surface Chemistry Critically Affects Multiple Particle Tracking Measurements of Biomaterials

    PubMed Central

    Valentine, M. T.; Perlman, Z. E.; Gardel, M. L.; Shin, J. H.; Matsudaira, P.; Mitchison, T. J.; Weitz, D. A.

    2004-01-01

    Characterization of the properties of complex biomaterials using microrheological techniques has the promise of providing fundamental insights into their biomechanical functions; however, precise interpretations of such measurements are hindered by inadequate characterization of the interactions between tracers and the networks they probe. We here show that colloid surface chemistry can profoundly affect multiple particle tracking measurements of networks of fibrin, entangled F-actin solutions, and networks of cross-linked F-actin. We present a simple protocol to render the surface of colloidal probe particles protein-resistant by grafting short amine-terminated methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) to the surface of carboxylated microspheres. We demonstrate that these poly(ethylene glycol)-coated tracers adsorb significantly less protein than particles coated with bovine serum albumin or unmodified probe particles. We establish that varying particle surface chemistry selectively tunes the sensitivity of the particles to different physical properties of their microenvironments. Specifically, particles that are weakly bound to a heterogeneous network are sensitive to changes in network stiffness, whereas protein-resistant tracers measure changes in the viscosity of the fluid and in the network microstructure. We demonstrate experimentally that two-particle microrheology analysis significantly reduces differences arising from tracer surface chemistry, indicating that modifications of network properties near the particle do not introduce large-scale heterogeneities. Our results establish that controlling colloid-protein interactions is crucial to the successful application of multiple particle tracking techniques to reconstituted protein networks, cytoplasm, and cells. PMID:15189896

  18. Non-native salmonids affect amphibian occupancy at multiple spatial scales

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pilliod, David S.; Hossack, Blake R.; Bahls, Peter F.; Bull, Evelyn L.; Corn, Paul Stephen; Hokit, Grant; Maxell, Bryce A.; Munger, James C.; Wyrick, Aimee

    2010-01-01

    Aim The introduction of non-native species into aquatic environments has been linked with local extinctions and altered distributions of native species. We investigated the effect of non-native salmonids on the occupancy of two native amphibians, the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) and Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris), across three spatial scales: water bodies, small catchments and large catchments. Location Mountain lakes at ≥ 1500 m elevation were surveyed across the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Methods We surveyed 2267 water bodies for amphibian occupancy (based on evidence of reproduction) and fish presence between 1986 and 2002 and modelled the probability of amphibian occupancy at each spatial scale in relation to habitat availability and quality and fish presence. Results After accounting for habitat features, we estimated that A. macrodactylum was 2.3 times more likely to breed in fishless water bodies than in water bodies with fish. Ambystoma macrodactylum also was more likely to occupy small catchments where none of the water bodies contained fish than in catchments where at least one water body contained fish. However, the probability of salamander occupancy in small catchments was also influenced by habitat availability (i.e. the number of water bodies within a catchment) and suitability of remaining fishless water bodies. We found no relationship between fish presence and salamander occupancy at the large-catchment scale, probably because of increased habitat availability. In contrast to A. macrodactylum, we found no relationship between fish presence and R. luteiventris occupancy at any scale. Main conclusions Our results suggest that the negative effects of non-native salmonids can extend beyond the boundaries of individual water bodies and increase A. macrodactylum extinction risk at landscape scales. We suspect that niche overlap between non-native fish and A. macrodactylum at higher elevations in the northern Rocky

  19. Interactions Between Body and Social Awareness in Yoga.

    PubMed

    Fiori, Francesca; Aglioti, Salvatore M; David, Nicole

    2017-03-01

    Bodily processes have been intimately linked to social-cognitive and affective functions, such as compassion and empathy. Yet, little is known about how awareness of bodily processes influences social awareness and vice versa, especially in nonobservational but experiential investigations. This study investigated the relationship between psychometrically reported body and social awareness (including altruism, empathy, perspective-taking, and compassion) in 90 yoga and yoga-/mediation-naive control participants. In modern postural yoga, advanced practitioners claim both increased compassion and inner focus. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict (1) the level of yoga practice from body awareness and social awareness skills in the yoga group and (2) body awareness from social skills in both groups. Body awareness and compassion were significant positive and independent predictors of yoga expertise. This finding supports practitioners' anecdotal claims but also implies that both functions tap into different aspects of yoga expertise. When body awareness was predicted, altruism emerged as a significant negative predictor in the yoga group (but not control group) as a function of yoga practice. These results might compellingly suggest that, despite high compassion, heightened bodily self-awareness might increase a self-centred perspective and limit altruistic acts in advanced yoga practitioners.

  20. Voluntary movement affects simultaneous perception of auditory and tactile stimuli presented to a non-moving body part.

    PubMed

    Hao, Qiao; Ora, Hiroki; Ogawa, Ken-Ichiro; Ogata, Taiki; Miyake, Yoshihiro

    2016-09-13

    The simultaneous perception of multimodal sensory information has a crucial role for effective reactions to the external environment. Voluntary movements are known to occasionally affect simultaneous perception of auditory and tactile stimuli presented to the moving body part. However, little is known about spatial limits on the effect of voluntary movements on simultaneous perception, especially when tactile stimuli are presented to a non-moving body part. We examined the effect of voluntary movement on the simultaneous perception of auditory and tactile stimuli presented to the non-moving body part. We considered the possible mechanism using a temporal order judgement task under three experimental conditions: voluntary movement, where participants voluntarily moved their right index finger and judged the temporal order of auditory and tactile stimuli presented to their non-moving left index finger; passive movement; and no movement. During voluntary movement, the auditory stimulus needed to be presented before the tactile stimulus so that they were perceived as occurring simultaneously. This subjective simultaneity differed significantly from the passive movement and no movement conditions. This finding indicates that the effect of voluntary movement on simultaneous perception of auditory and tactile stimuli extends to the non-moving body part.

  1. The importance of the function of exercise in the relationship between obligatory exercise and eating and body image concerns.

    PubMed

    De Young, Kyle P; Anderson, Drew A

    2010-01-01

    This study tested whether exercising in response to negative affect moderates the association between obligatory exercise and eating and body image psychopathology. Participants (n=226) completed the Eating Disorders Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire (OEQ), and a question assessing whether they ever exercise in response to negative affect. In total, 132 (58.4%) participants endorsed exercising in response to negative affect. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant main effects of negative affect motivated exercise, OEQ total scores, and gender on all four EDE-Q subscales and significant interactions of negative affect motivated exercise and OEQ scores on the Eating Concern, Shape Concern, and Weight Concern scales but not the Restraint scale of the EDE-Q. Obligatory exercisers may not demonstrate elevated eating and body image concerns in the absence of negative affect motivated exercise, providing further support of the importance of the function of exercise.

  2. Affective symptoms in multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease: response to levodopa therapy

    PubMed Central

    Fetoni, V; Soliveri, P; Monza, D; Testa, D; Girotti, F

    1999-01-01

    The objective was to determine the extent to which psychiatric disturbances (especially mood disorders) generally considered poor prognostic factors, are present in patients with striatonigral (SND) type multiple system atrophy (MSA) compared with patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD).
The Hamilton depression scale (HAM-D), brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS), and Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) were administered to clinically probable non-demented patients with SND-type MSA and patients with IPD matched for age and motor disability, at baseline and after receiving levodopa.
At baseline total HAM-D score was greater in patients with IPD. Overall, BPRS score did not differ between the two groups; however, patients with IPD scored higher on anxiety items of the BPRS, and patients with MSA had higher scores on the item indicating blunted affect. After levodopa, both groups improved significantly in UPDRS and HAM-D total scores (just significant for patients with MSA). Patients with IPD improved significantly in total BPRS score but patients with MSA did not.
At baseline patients with IPD were more depressed and anxious than patients with MSA who, by contrast, showed blunted affect. After levodopa, depression and anxiety of patients with IPD improved significantly whereas the affective detachment of patients with MSA did not change. Major neuronal loss in the caudate and ventral striatum, which are part of the lateral orbitofrontal and limbic circuits, may be responsible for the blunted affect not responsive to levodopa therapy found in patients with MSA.

 PMID:10201434

  3. Internet-delivered lifestyle physical activity intervention improves body composition in multiple sclerosis: preliminary evidence from a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Pilutti, Lara A; Dlugonski, Deirdre; Sandroff, Brian M; Klaren, Rachel E; Motl, Robert W

    2014-07-01

    To examine the efficacy of a physical activity behavioral intervention for improving outcomes of body composition in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial. University research laboratory. Ambulatory persons with MS (N=82). A 6-month, internet-delivered physical activity behavioral intervention designed to increase lifestyle physical activity, primarily walking. The behavioral intervention was based on principles of social cognitive theory. Whole-body bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), and soft tissue composition, using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. There were no significant differences between conditions posttrial on body composition outcomes using the adjusted critical value (P<.008). There was a significant effect of the intervention on whole-body BMC (P=.04, ω(2)<.001) and BMD (P=.01, ω(2)=.003) using the unadjusted critical value (P<.05). The effect of the intervention on percent body fat (P=.09, ω(2)=.001) and whole-body fat mass (P=.05, ω(2)=.003) approached significance using unadjusted criteria. There was not a significant effect on whole-body lean soft tissue (P=.28, ω(2)<.001) or body mass index (P=.86, ω(2)<.001). Our results provide preliminary evidence that an internet-delivered lifestyle physical activity intervention might improve bone health and body composition in MS. Such findings are important considering that physical activity is a modifiable behavior with the potential to confer long-term benefits for the prevention and management of fracture risk and comorbidities among those with MS. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Genetic selection, sex and feeding treatment affect the whole-body chemical composition of sheep.

    PubMed

    Lewis, R M; Emmans, G C

    2007-11-01

    Hypotheses on total body chemical composition were tested using data from 350 Suffolk sheep grown to a wide range of live weights, and fed in a non-limiting way, or with reduced amounts of feed, or ad libitum on feeds of reduced protein content. The sheep were from an experiment where selection used an index designed to increase the lean deposition rate while restricting the fat deposition rate. Ultrasound muscle and fat depths were the only composition measurements in the index. The animals were males and females from a selection (S) line and its unselected control (C). The protein content of the lipid-free dry matter was unaffected by live weight, sex or feeding treatment with only a very small effect of genetic line (0.762 kg/kg in S and 0.753 kg/kg in C; P < 0.05). The form of the relationship between water and protein was not affected by any of the factors; in the different kinds of sheep it was consistent with no effect other than through differences in mature protein weight. The water : protein ratio at maturity was estimated as 3.45. Over the whole dataset, lipid weight (L) increased with protein weight (P) according to L = 0.3135 × P1.850. Allowing for this scaling, fatness increased on low-protein feeds, was greater in females than in males and in C than in S (P < 0.001). Lipid content (g/kg fleece-free empty body weight) was reduced by restricted feeding only in males at the highest slaughter weight (114 kg). The lines differed in lipid content (P < 0.001) with means of 265.1 g/kg for C and 237.3 g/kg for S. Importantly, there was no interaction between line and feeding treatments. A higher proportion of total body protein was in the carcass in S than in C (0.627 v. 0.610; P < 0.001). For lipid, the difference was reversed (0.736 v. 0.744; P < 0.05). The total energy content increased quadratically with slaughter weight. At a particular weight, the energy content of gain was higher in females than in males and in C than in S. Genetic selection affected

  5. Microtubule-Targeting Agents Eribulin and Paclitaxel Differentially Affect Neuronal Cell Bodies in Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.

    PubMed

    Benbow, Sarah J; Wozniak, Krystyna M; Kulesh, Bridget; Savage, April; Slusher, Barbara S; Littlefield, Bruce A; Jordan, Mary Ann; Wilson, Leslie; Feinstein, Stuart C

    2017-07-01

    Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of anticancer treatment with microtubule-targeted agents (MTAs). The frequency of severe CIPN, which can be dose limiting and even life threatening, varies widely among different MTAs. For example, paclitaxel induces a higher frequency of severe CIPN than does eribulin. Different MTAs also possess distinct mechanisms of microtubule-targeted action. Recently, we demonstrated that paclitaxel and eribulin differentially affect sciatic nerve axons, with paclitaxel inducing more pronounced neurodegenerative effects and eribulin inducing greater microtubule stabilizing biochemical effects. Here, we complement and extend these axonal studies by assessing the effects of paclitaxel and eribulin in the cell bodies of sciatic nerve axons, housed in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Importantly, the microtubule network in cell bodies is known to be significantly more dynamic than in axons. Paclitaxel induced activating transcription factor 3 expression, a marker of neuronal stress/injury. Paclitaxel also increased expression levels of acetylated tubulin and end binding protein 1, markers of microtubule stability and growth, respectively. These effects are hypothesized to be detrimental to the dynamic microtubule network within the cell bodies. In contrast, eribulin had no significant effect on any of these parameters in the cell bodies. Taken together, DRG cell bodies and their axons, two distinct neuronal cell compartments, contain functionally distinct microtubule networks that exhibit unique biochemical responses to different MTA treatments. We hypothesize that these distinct mechanistic actions may underlie the variability seen in the initiation, progression, persistence, and recovery from CIPN.

  6. Expanding the spectrum of neuronal pathology in multiple system atrophy

    PubMed Central

    Cykowski, Matthew D.; Coon, Elizabeth A.; Powell, Suzanne Z.; Jenkins, Sarah M.; Benarroch, Eduardo E.; Low, Phillip A.; Schmeichel, Ann M.

    2015-01-01

    Multiple system atrophy is a sporadic alpha-synucleinopathy that typically affects patients in their sixth decade of life and beyond. The defining clinical features of the disease include progressive autonomic failure, parkinsonism, and cerebellar ataxia leading to significant disability. Pathologically, multiple system atrophy is characterized by glial cytoplasmic inclusions containing filamentous alpha-synuclein. Neuronal inclusions also have been reported but remain less well defined. This study aimed to further define the spectrum of neuronal pathology in 35 patients with multiple system atrophy (20 male, 15 female; mean age at death 64.7 years; median disease duration 6.5 years, range 2.2 to 15.6 years). The morphologic type, topography, and frequencies of neuronal inclusions, including globular cytoplasmic (Lewy body-like) neuronal inclusions, were determined across a wide spectrum of brain regions. A correlation matrix of pathologic severity also was calculated between distinct anatomic regions of involvement (striatum, substantia nigra, olivary and pontine nuclei, hippocampus, forebrain and thalamus, anterior cingulate and neocortex, and white matter of cerebrum, cerebellum, and corpus callosum). The major finding was the identification of widespread neuronal inclusions in the majority of patients, not only in typical disease-associated regions (striatum, substantia nigra), but also within anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, entorhinal cortex, basal forebrain and hypothalamus. Neuronal inclusion pathology appeared to follow a hierarchy of region-specific susceptibility, independent of the clinical phenotype, and the severity of pathology was duration-dependent. Neuronal inclusions also were identified in regions not previously implicated in the disease, such as within cerebellar roof nuclei. Lewy body-like inclusions in multiple system atrophy followed the stepwise anatomic progression of Lewy body-spectrum disease inclusion pathology in 25.7% of patients

  7. Expanding the spectrum of neuronal pathology in multiple system atrophy.

    PubMed

    Cykowski, Matthew D; Coon, Elizabeth A; Powell, Suzanne Z; Jenkins, Sarah M; Benarroch, Eduardo E; Low, Phillip A; Schmeichel, Ann M; Parisi, Joseph E

    2015-08-01

    Multiple system atrophy is a sporadic alpha-synucleinopathy that typically affects patients in their sixth decade of life and beyond. The defining clinical features of the disease include progressive autonomic failure, parkinsonism, and cerebellar ataxia leading to significant disability. Pathologically, multiple system atrophy is characterized by glial cytoplasmic inclusions containing filamentous alpha-synuclein. Neuronal inclusions also have been reported but remain less well defined. This study aimed to further define the spectrum of neuronal pathology in 35 patients with multiple system atrophy (20 male, 15 female; mean age at death 64.7 years; median disease duration 6.5 years, range 2.2 to 15.6 years). The morphologic type, topography, and frequencies of neuronal inclusions, including globular cytoplasmic (Lewy body-like) neuronal inclusions, were determined across a wide spectrum of brain regions. A correlation matrix of pathologic severity also was calculated between distinct anatomic regions of involvement (striatum, substantia nigra, olivary and pontine nuclei, hippocampus, forebrain and thalamus, anterior cingulate and neocortex, and white matter of cerebrum, cerebellum, and corpus callosum). The major finding was the identification of widespread neuronal inclusions in the majority of patients, not only in typical disease-associated regions (striatum, substantia nigra), but also within anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, entorhinal cortex, basal forebrain and hypothalamus. Neuronal inclusion pathology appeared to follow a hierarchy of region-specific susceptibility, independent of the clinical phenotype, and the severity of pathology was duration-dependent. Neuronal inclusions also were identified in regions not previously implicated in the disease, such as within cerebellar roof nuclei. Lewy body-like inclusions in multiple system atrophy followed the stepwise anatomic progression of Lewy body-spectrum disease inclusion pathology in 25.7% of patients

  8. PML nuclear bodies.

    PubMed

    Lallemand-Breitenbach, Valérie; de Thé, Hugues

    2010-05-01

    PML nuclear bodies are matrix-associated domains that recruit an astonishing variety of seemingly unrelated proteins. Since their discovery in the early 1960s, PML bodies have fascinated cell biologists because of their beauty and their tight association with cellular disorders. The identification of PML, a gene involved in an oncogenic chromosomal translocation, as the key organizer of these domains drew instant interest onto them. The multiple levels of PML body regulation by a specific posttranslational modification, sumoylation, have raised several unsolved issues. Functionally, PML bodies may sequester, modify or degrade partner proteins, but in many ways, PML bodies still constitute an enigma.

  9. In utero exposure to perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) did not increase body weight or intestinal tumorigenesis in multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min/+) mice.

    PubMed

    Ngo, Ha Thi; Hetland, Ragna Bogen; Sabaredzovic, Azemira; Haug, Line Småstuen; Steffensen, Inger-Lise

    2014-07-01

    We examined whether perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) had obesogenic effects and if they increased spontaneous intestinal tumorigenesis in the mouse model C57BL/6J-Min/+ (multiple intestinal neoplasia) after in utero exposure. The dams were exposed to PFOA or PFOS (0.01, 0.1 or 3.0mg/kg bw/day) by po gavage on GD1-17. The Min/+ and wild-type offspring were terminated at week 11 for examination of intestinal tumorigenesis or at week 20 for obesogenic effect, respectively. Body weights of the dams and pups were recorded throughout life. Food intake was determined at week 6 and 10. Blood glucose (non-fasted) was measured at week 6 and 11. No obesogenic effect of PFOA or PFOS was observed up to 20 weeks of age. PFOA or PFOS did not increase the incidence or number of tumors in the small intestine or colon of the Min/+ mice or affect their location along the intestines. Feed intake was not affected. There were some indications of toxicity of PFOA, but not of PFOS. There was lower survival of pups after 3.0mg/kg PFOA, lower body weight in pups after 3.0 and possibly 0.1mg/kg PFOA, and increased relative liver weight after 0.01 and possibly 0.1mg/kg PFOA. Plasma glucose was lower after 0.01 and 0.1mg/kg PFOA. In conclusion, exposure to PFOA and PFOS in utero with the doses used did not have obesogenic effect on either Min/+ or wild-type mice, at least not up to 11 or 20 weeks of age, nor increased intestinal tumorigenesis in Min/+ mice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Does Pre-Cooling With Whole-Body Immersion Affect Thermal Sensation or Perceived Exertion?: A Critically-Appraised Topic.

    PubMed

    Wohlfert, Timothy M; Miller, Kevin C

    2018-02-21

    Clinical Scenario: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a potentially deadly heat illness and poses a significant health risk to athletes; EHS survival rates are near 100% if properly recognized and treated. 1 Whole body cold water immersion (CWI) is the most effective method of lowering body core temperature. 2 Precooling (PC) with CWI before exercise may prevent severe hyperthermia and/or EHS by increasing the body's overall heat-storage capacity. 3 However, PC may also alter athletes' perception of how hot they feel or how hard they are exercising. Consequently, they may be unable to accurately perceive their body core temperature or how hard they are working which may predispose them to severe hyperthermia or EHS. Does PC with whole-body CWI affect thermal sensation (TS) or rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise in the heat? In four studies, 4-7 RPE during exercise ranged from 12 ± 2 to 20 ± 3 with no clinically meaningful differences between PC and control trials. Thermal sensation scores ranged from 2 ± 1 to 8 ± 0.5 in control trials and from 2 ± 1 to 7.5 ± 0.5 during PC trials. Clinical Bottom Line: Precooling did not cause clinically-meaningful differences in RPE or TS during exercise. It is unlikely PC would predispose athletes to EHS by altering perceptions of exercise intensity or body core temperature. Strength of Recommendation: None of the reviewed studies 4-7 (all level 2 studies with PEDro scores ≥5) suggest PC with CWI influences RPE or TS in exercising males.

  11. Multiple sclerosis

    MedlinePlus

    ... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000737.htm Multiple sclerosis To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the ...

  12. Characterizing multiple timescales of stream and storage zone interaction that affect solute fate and transport in streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Choi, Jungyill; Harvey, Judson W.; Conklin, Martha H.

    2000-01-01

    The fate of contaminants in streams and rivers is affected by exchange and biogeochemical transformation in slowly moving or stagnant flow zones that interact with rapid flow in the main channel. In a typical stream, there are multiple types of slowly moving flow zones in which exchange and transformation occur, such as stagnant or recirculating surface water as well as subsurface hyporheic zones. However, most investigators use transport models with just a single storage zone in their modeling studies, which assumes that the effects of multiple storage zones can be lumped together. Our study addressed the following question: Can a single‐storage zone model reliably characterize the effects of physical retention and biogeochemical reactions in multiple storage zones? We extended an existing stream transport model with a single storage zone to include a second storage zone. With the extended model we generated 500 data sets representing transport of nonreactive and reactive solutes in stream systems that have two different types of storage zones with variable hydrologic conditions. The one storage zone model was tested by optimizing the lumped storage parameters to achieve a best fit for each of the generated data sets. Multiple storage processes were categorized as possessing I, additive; II, competitive; or III, dominant storage zone characteristics. The classification was based on the goodness of fit of generated data sets, the degree of similarity in mean retention time of the two storage zones, and the relative distributions of exchange flux and storage capacity between the two storage zones. For most cases (>90%) the one storage zone model described either the effect of the sum of multiple storage processes (category I) or the dominant storage process (category III). Failure of the one storage zone model occurred mainly for category II, that is, when one of the storage zones had a much longer mean retention time (ts ratio > 5.0) and when the dominance of

  13. [Cognitive and affective theory of mind in Lewy body dementia: A preliminary study].

    PubMed

    Heitz, C; Vogt, N; Cretin, B; Philippi, N; Jung, B; Phillipps, C; Blanc, F

    2015-04-01

    'Theory of Mind' refers to the ability to attribute mental states, thoughts (cognitive component) or feelings (affective component), to others. This function has been studied in many neurodegenerative diseases; however, to our knowledge no studies investigating theory of mind in dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) have been published. The aim of our study was to search theory of mind deficits in patients with DLB. Seven patients with DLB (DLB group), at the stage of mild dementia or mild cognitive impairments, and seven healthy elderly adults (control group) were included in the study. After a global cognitive assessment, we used the Faux Pas Recognition test to assess the cognitive component of theory of mind, and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test for the assessment of affective component. We found a significant difference between the two groups for the Faux Pas test with an average score of 35.6 for the DLB group and 48.3 for the control group (P=0.04). Scores were particularly low in the DLB group for the last question of the test concerning empathy (42.9% versus 85%, P=0.01). There was not a significant difference between the two groups for the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (P=0.077). This preliminary study showed early impairments of theory of mind in the DLB. The cognitive component seems more affected than the affective component in this pathology. This pattern is consistent with the pattern found in Parkinson's disease, but differs from other neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal lobe dementia. These patterns may help to differentiate DLB from these diseases. Further study is needed to confirm these results and to compare with other dementias. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. Use of factor scores for predicting body weight from linear body measurements in three South African indigenous chicken breeds.

    PubMed

    Malomane, Dorcus Kholofelo; Norris, David; Banga, Cuthbert B; Ngambi, Jones W

    2014-02-01

    Body weight and weight of body parts are of economic importance. It is difficult to directly predict body weight from highly correlated morphological traits through multiple regression. Factor analysis was carried out to examine the relationship between body weight and five linear body measurements (body length, body girth, wing length, shank thickness, and shank length) in South African Venda (VN), Naked neck (NN), and Potchefstroom koekoek (PK) indigenous chicken breeds, with a view to identify those factors that define body conformation. Multiple regression was subsequently performed to predict body weight, using orthogonal traits derived from the factor analysis. Measurements were obtained from 210 chickens, 22 weeks of age, 70 chickens per breed. High correlations were obtained between body weight and all body measurements except for wing length in PK. Two factors extracted after varimax rotation explained 91, 95, and 83% of total variation in VN, NN, and PK, respectively. Factor 1 explained 73, 90, and 64% in VN, NN, and PK, respectively, and was loaded on all body measurements except for wing length in VN and PK. In a multiple regression, these two factors accounted for 72% variation in body weight in VN, while only factor 1 accounted for 83 and 74% variation in body weight in NN and PK, respectively. The two factors could be used to define body size and conformation of these breeds. Factor 1 could predict body weight in all three breeds. Body measurements can be better selected jointly to improve body weight in these breeds.

  15. Muscimol microinjected in the arcuate nucleus affects metabolism, body temperature & ventilation.

    PubMed

    Schlenker, Evelyn H

    2016-06-15

    Effects of microinjection of 2 doses of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor agonist, muscimol (M), into the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus on oxygen consumption and control of ventilation over time and body temperature (BT) at the end of the experiment were compared in adult male and female rats. Relative to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, 0 nmol), BT was decreased only in male rats with both doses of M, while in female rats, the 5 nmol dose depressed oxygen consumption. Ventilation was depressed by 5 nmol M in male and 10 nmol M in female rats by decreasing tidal volume. M did not affect the ventilatory response of male or female rats to hypoxia, whereas in females 5 and 10 nmol M and in males 10 nmol M depressed the ventilatory response to hypercapnia. Thus, in rats GABAA receptors in the arcuate nucleus modulate BT, oxygen consumption, and ventilation in air and in response to hypercapnia in a sexually dimorphic manner. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Multiple Sclerosis-related Uveitis: Does MS Treatment Affect Uveitis Course?

    PubMed

    Jouve, Léa; Benrabah, Rabah; Héron, Emmanuel; Bodaghi, Bahram; Le Hoang, Phuc; Touitou, Valérie

    2017-06-01

    Few data are available regarding the optimal treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS)-related uveitis. The aim of this study was to describe clinical features of MS-associated uveitis and determine how MS treatment affects the course of uveitis. Retrospective, multicenter study. Patients were divided into two groups according to the use (group 2) or not (group 1) of immunomodulatory drugs. Characteristics of uveitis and treatment were reviewed. A total of 68 eyes from 36 patients (17 in group 1 and 19 in group 2) were included. All patients were treated with topical and/or systemic steroids for uveitis. Uveitis occurred 1-17 years prior to neurologic symptoms in 78% of patients. Uveitis was more severe in group 2 (p<0.05), with a tendency toward a higher rate of chronic uveitis (p = 0.06). MS-related uveitis has often a favorable evolution. Patients on interferon-beta have more severe and chronic uveitis. As far as we are concerned, interferon-beta given on the sole indication of uveitis is not recommended. If steroid-sparing agent is required for intraocular inflammation, immunosuppressive drugs should be considered.

  17. Role of whole-body 64-slice multidetector computed tomography in treatment planning for multiple myeloma.

    PubMed

    Razek, Ahmed Abdel Khalek Abdel; Ezzat, Amany; Azmy, Emad; Tharwat, Nehal

    2013-08-01

    The authors evaluated the role of whole-body 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (WB-MDCT) in treatment planning for multiple myeloma. This was a prospective study of 28 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma (19 men, nine women; age range, 51-73 years; mean age, 60 years) who underwent WB-MDCT and conventional radiography (CR) of the skeleton. The images were interpreted for the presence of bony lesions, medullary lesions, fractures and extraosseous lesions. We evaluated any changes in treatment planning as a result of WB-MDCT findings. WB-MDCT was superior to CR for detecting bony lesions (p=0.001), especially of the spine (p=0.001) and thoracic cage (p=0.006). WB-MDCT upstaged 14 patients, with a significant difference in staging (p=0.002) between WB-MDCT and CR. Medullary involvement either focal (n=6) or diffuse (n=3) had a positive correlation with the overall score (r=0.790) and stage (r=0.618) of disease. Spine fractures were better detected at WB-MDCT (n=4) than at CR (n=2). Extraosseous soft tissue lesions (n=7) were detected only at WB-MDCT. Findings detected at the WB-MDCT led to changes in the patient's treatment plan in 39% of cases. Upstaging of seven patients (25%) altered the medical treatment plan, and four of 28 (14%) patients required additional radiotherapy (7%) and vertebroplasty (7%). We conclude that WB-MDCT has an impact on treatment planning and prognosis in patients with multiple myeloma, as it has high rate of detecting cortical and medullary bone lesions, spinal fracture and extraosseous lesions. This information may alter treatment planning in multiple myeloma due to disease upstaging and detection of spine fracture and extraosseous spinal lesions.

  18. PML Nuclear Bodies

    PubMed Central

    Lallemand-Breitenbach, Valérie; de Thé, Hugues

    2010-01-01

    PML nuclear bodies are matrix-associated domains that recruit an astonishing variety of seemingly unrelated proteins. Since their discovery in the early 1960s, PML bodies have fascinated cell biologists because of their beauty and their tight association with cellular disorders. The identification of PML, a gene involved in an oncogenic chromosomal translocation, as the key organizer of these domains drew instant interest onto them. The multiple levels of PML body regulation by a specific posttranslational modification, sumoylation, have raised several unsolved issues. Functionally, PML bodies may sequester, modify or degrade partner proteins, but in many ways, PML bodies still constitute an enigma. PMID:20452955

  19. Visual capture and the experience of having two bodies – Evidence from two different virtual reality techniques

    PubMed Central

    Heydrich, Lukas; Dodds, Trevor J.; Aspell, Jane E.; Herbelin, Bruno; Bülthoff, Heinrich H.; Mohler, Betty J.; Blanke, Olaf

    2013-01-01

    In neurology and psychiatry the detailed study of illusory own body perceptions has suggested close links between bodily processing and self-consciousness. One such illusory own body perception is heautoscopy where patients have the sensation of being reduplicated and to exist at two or even more locations. In previous experiments, using a video head-mounted display, self-location and self-identification were manipulated by applying conflicting visuo-tactile information. Yet the experienced singularity of the self was not affected, i.e., participants did not experience having multiple bodies or selves. In two experiments presented in this paper, we investigated self-location and self-identification while participants saw two virtual bodies (video-generated in study 1 and 3D computer generated in study 2) that were stroked either synchronously or asynchronously with their own body. In both experiments, we report that self-identification with two virtual bodies was stronger during synchronous stroking. Furthermore, in the video generated setup with synchronous stroking participants reported a greater feeling of having multiple bodies than in the control conditions. In study 1, but not in study 2, we report that self-location – measured by anterior posterior drift – was significantly shifted towards the two bodies in the synchronous condition only. Self-identification with two bodies, the sensation of having multiple bodies, and the changes in self-location show that the experienced singularity of the self can be studied experimentally. We discuss our data with respect to ownership for supernumerary hands and heautoscopy. We finally compare the effects of the video and 3D computer generated head-mounted display technology and discuss the possible benefits of using either technology to induce changes in illusory self-identification with a virtual body. PMID:24385970

  20. Do cigarette taxes affect children's body mass index? The effect of household environment on health.

    PubMed

    Mellor, Jennifer M

    2011-04-01

    Several recent studies demonstrate a positive effect of cigarette prices and taxes on obesity among adults, especially those who smoke. If higher cigarette costs affect smokers' weights by increasing calories consumed or increasing food expenditures, then cigarette taxes and prices may also affect obesity in children of smokers. This study examines the link between child body mass index (BMI) and obesity status and cigarette costs using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-79 (NLSY79). Controlling for various child, mother, and household characteristics as well as child-fixed effects, I find that cigarette taxes and prices increase BMI in the children of smoking mothers. Interestingly, and unlike previous research findings for adults, higher cigarette taxes do not increase the likelihood of obesity in children. These findings are consistent with a causal mechanism in which higher cigarette costs reduce smoking and increase food expenditures and consumption in the household. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Does the Supine Position Affect the Nasal Profile in Rhinoplasty Patients? A Comparison of Nasal Anthropometric Measurements in Different Body Positions.

    PubMed

    Kim, Su Jin; Ryu, In Yong; Kim, Sung Wan; Lee, Kun Hee

    2017-10-16

    Rhinoplasty surgeons are aware that the nasal profile differs according to body position, namely, the erect position in the consultation room vs the supine position on the operating table. It is not clear whether this difference is caused by an optical illusion or skin laxity due to positional change. To evaluate anthropometric measurements of the nose with different body positions and determine whether the supine position affects the nasal profile. In this retrospective study, 103 patients who underwent primary rhinoplasty were enrolled. Preoperatively, all patients underwent lateral cephalography in the erect position, and facial computed tomography (CT), in the supine position. We measured four nasal anthropometric parameters (the nasofrontal, nasolabial, and nasomental angles, and Simon's ratio) on lateral cephalograms and facial CT images, and compared these parameters between the two body positions. The nasofrontal angle was greater on facial CT than on cephalograms (P < 0.01). This difference was not related to age, sex, or body mass index (P > 0.05 each). We found no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the two positions in the nasolabial angle, nasomental angle, or Simon's ratio. The supine position does affect the nasal profile, especially in the radix area. Surgeons need to consider this difference in patients undergoing rhinoplasty. 2. © 2017 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com

  2. Managing Multiple Health Problems: Living with Multiple Health Problems

    MedlinePlus

    ... treatments affect people with multiple health problems. Guiding Principles on Caring for Older Adults with Multiple Health ... interactions and other side effects. Each of the principles above is intended to help improve the health ...

  3. 1439 MHz pulsed TDMA fields affect performance of rats in a T-maze task only when body temperature is elevated.

    PubMed

    Yamaguchi, Hironori; Tsurita, Giichirou; Ueno, Shoogo; Watanabe, Soichi; Wake, Kanako; Taki, Masao; Nagawa, Hirokazu

    2003-05-01

    This study sought to clarify the effects of exposure to electromagnetic waves (EMW) used in cellular phones on learning and memory processes. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed for either 1 h daily for 4 days or for 4 weeks to a pulsed 1439 MHz time division multiple access (TDMA) field in a carousel type exposure system. At the brain, average specific absorption rate (SAR) was 7.5 W/kg, and the whole body average SAR was 1.7 W/kg. Other subjects were exposed at the brain average SAR of 25 W/kg and the whole body average SAR of 5.7 W/kg for 45 min daily for 4 days. Learning and memory were evaluated by reversal learning in a food rewarded T-maze, in which rats learned the location of food (right or left) by using environmental cues. The animals exposed to EMW with the brain average SAR of 25 W/kg for 4 days showed statistically significant decreases in the transition in number of correct choices in the reversal task, compared to sham exposed or cage control animals. However, rats exposed to the brain average SAR of 7.5 W/kg for either 4 days or for 4 weeks showed no T-maze performance impairments. Intraperitoneal temperatures, as measured by a fiber optic thermometer, increased in the rats exposed to the brain average SAR of 25 W/kg but remained the same for the brain average SAR of 7.5 W/kg. The SAR of a standard cellular phone is restricted to a maximum of 2 W/kg averaged over 10 g tissue. These results suggest that the exposure to a TDMA field at levels about four times stronger than emitted by cellular phones does not affect the learning and memory processes when there are no thermal effects. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  4. Cognitive Processing about Classroom-Relevant Contexts: Teachers' Attention to and Utilization of Girls' Body Size, Ethnicity, Attractiveness, and Facial Affect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Shirley S.; Treat, Teresa A.; Brownell, Kelly D.

    2008-01-01

    This study examines 2 aspects of cognitive processing in person perception--attention and decision making--in classroom-relevant contexts. Teachers completed 2 implicit, performance-based tasks that characterized attention to and utilization of 4 student characteristics of interest: ethnicity, facial affect, body size, and attractiveness. Stimuli…

  5. Brain responses to verbal stimuli among multiple sclerosis patients with pseudobulbar affect.

    PubMed

    Haiman, Guy; Pratt, Hillel; Miller, Ariel

    2008-08-15

    To characterize the brain activity and associated cortical structures involved in pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a condition characterized by uncontrollable episodes of emotional lability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Behavioral responses and event related potentials (ERP) in response to subjectively significant and neutral verbal stimuli were recorded from 33 subjects in 3 groups: 1) MS patients with PBA (MS+PBA); 2) MS patients without PBA (MS); 3) Healthy control subjects (HC). Statistical non-parametric mapping comparisons of ERP source current density distributions between groups were conducted separately for subjectively significant and for neutral stimuli. Behavioral responses showed more impulsive performance in patients with PBA. As expected, almost all ERP waveform comparisons between the MS groups and controls were significant. Source analysis indicated significantly distinct activation in MS+PBA in the vicinity of the somatosensory and motor areas in response to neutral stimuli, and at pre-motor and supplementary motor areas in response to subjectively significant stimuli. Both subjectively significant and neutral stimuli evoked higher current density in MS+PBA compared to both other groups. PBA of MS patients involves cortical structures related to sensory-motor and emotional processing, in addition to overactive involvement of motor cortical areas in response to neutral stimuli. These results may suggest that a 'disinhibition' of a "gate control"-type mechanism for emotional expression may lead to the lower emotional expression threshold of pseudobulbar affect.

  6. Deforestation and stream warming affect body size of Amazonian fishes.

    PubMed

    Ilha, Paulo; Schiesari, Luis; Yanagawa, Fernando I; Jankowski, KathiJo; Navas, Carlos A

    2018-01-01

    Declining body size has been suggested to be a universal response of organisms to rising temperatures, manifesting at all levels of organization and in a broad range of taxa. However, no study to date evaluated whether deforestation-driven warming could trigger a similar response. We studied changes in fish body size, from individuals to assemblages, in streams in Southeastern Amazonia. We first conducted sampling surveys to validate the assumption that deforestation promoted stream warming, and to test the hypothesis that warmer deforested streams had reduced fish body sizes relative to cooler forest streams. As predicted, deforested streams were up to 6 °C warmer and had fish 36% smaller than forest streams on average. This body size reduction could be largely explained by the responses of the four most common species, which were 43-55% smaller in deforested streams. We then conducted a laboratory experiment to test the hypothesis that stream warming as measured in the field was sufficient to cause a growth reduction in the dominant fish species in the region. Fish reared at forest stream temperatures gained mass, whereas those reared at deforested stream temperatures lost mass. Our results suggest that deforestation-driven stream warming is likely to be a relevant factor promoting observed body size reductions, although other changes in stream conditions, like reductions in organic matter inputs, can also be important. A broad scale reduction in fish body size due to warming may be occurring in streams throughout the Amazonian Arc of Deforestation, with potential implications for the conservation of Amazonian fish biodiversity and food supply for people around the Basin.

  7. Deforestation and stream warming affect body size of Amazonian fishes

    PubMed Central

    Yanagawa, Fernando I.; Jankowski, KathiJo; Navas, Carlos A.

    2018-01-01

    Declining body size has been suggested to be a universal response of organisms to rising temperatures, manifesting at all levels of organization and in a broad range of taxa. However, no study to date evaluated whether deforestation-driven warming could trigger a similar response. We studied changes in fish body size, from individuals to assemblages, in streams in Southeastern Amazonia. We first conducted sampling surveys to validate the assumption that deforestation promoted stream warming, and to test the hypothesis that warmer deforested streams had reduced fish body sizes relative to cooler forest streams. As predicted, deforested streams were up to 6 °C warmer and had fish 36% smaller than forest streams on average. This body size reduction could be largely explained by the responses of the four most common species, which were 43–55% smaller in deforested streams. We then conducted a laboratory experiment to test the hypothesis that stream warming as measured in the field was sufficient to cause a growth reduction in the dominant fish species in the region. Fish reared at forest stream temperatures gained mass, whereas those reared at deforested stream temperatures lost mass. Our results suggest that deforestation-driven stream warming is likely to be a relevant factor promoting observed body size reductions, although other changes in stream conditions, like reductions in organic matter inputs, can also be important. A broad scale reduction in fish body size due to warming may be occurring in streams throughout the Amazonian Arc of Deforestation, with potential implications for the conservation of Amazonian fish biodiversity and food supply for people around the Basin. PMID:29718960

  8. Neonatal immune challenge does not affect body weight regulation in rats.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Sarah J; Mouihate, Abdeslam; Galic, Michael A; Ellis, Shaun L; Pittman, Quentin J

    2007-08-01

    The perinatal environment plays a crucial role in programming many aspects of adult physiology. Myriad stressors during pregnancy, from maternal immune challenge to nutritional deficiency, can alter long-term body weight set points of the offspring. In light of the increasing concern over body weight issues, such as obesity and anorexia, in modern societies and accumulating evidence that developmental stressors have long-lasting effects on other aspects of physiology (e.g., fever, pain), we explored the role of immune system activation during neonatal development and its impact on body weight regulation in adulthood. Here we present a thorough evaluation of the effects of immune system activation (LPS, 100 microg/kg ip) at postnatal days 3, 7, or 14 on long-term body weight, adiposity, and body weight regulation after a further LPS injection (50 microg/kg ip) or fasting and basal and LPS-induced circulating levels of the appetite-regulating proinflammatory cytokine leptin. We show that neonatal exposure to LPS at various times during the neonatal period has no long-term effects on growth, body weight, or adiposity. We also observed no effects on body weight regulation in response to a short fasting period or a further exposure to LPS. Despite reductions in circulating leptin levels in response to LPS during the neonatal period, no long-term effects on leptin were seen. These results convincingly demonstrate that adult body weight and weight regulation are, unlike many other aspects of adult physiology, resistant to programming by a febrile-dose neonatal immune challenge.

  9. Growth curve and diet density affect eating motivation, behavior, and body composition of broiler breeders during rearing

    PubMed Central

    de los Mozos, J.; García-Ruiz, A. I.; den Hartog, L. A.; Villamide, M. J.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The aim of this work has been to assess the effect of diet density [control (CON) or 15% diluted (DIL)] and growth curve [recommended by the genetic line (RBW) or 15% heavier (HBW)] and their interaction on BW uniformity, feeding motivation, behavior, and body composition of broiler breeder pullets. A total of 3,000 one-day-old female breeders Ross 308, distributed in 20 pens, was randomly assigned to each treatment. Feed allowance was weekly adjusted to reach the desired BW. Feed was provided as pelleted (zero to 3 wk) and crumble (4 to 19 wk). Time eating was measured at 7, 11, and 19 weeks. A feeding rate test was performed after 11 weeks. Behavior was observed at 9 and 15 wk, by visual scan. At 6, 13, and 19 wk of age, one bird/pen was slaughtered for weighing different organs and analyzing the composition of empty whole bodies. Treatments did not affect BW uniformity; relative weights of the ovary, oviduct, or gizzard; or protein content of empty BW. Time eating varied with the growth curve at 19 wk (P < 0.05), HBW pullets spent 19 more min eating than RBW pullets. DIL led to 4 and 8 more min eating at 19 wk for pullets of RBW and HBW (P < 0.05), respectively. Pullets fed DIL consumed 30% (P < 0.05) less during the feeding rate test when kept on a restricted regimen, and they had lower compensatory energy intake after ad libitum feeding than those fed CON, indicating lower feeding motivation. Behavior was affected by the age and by the time of the d measured, but it did not change with the treatments. Birds spent most time pecking objects (50%), feeding (28%), and drinking (17%). Pullets fed DIL had 8% lower breast yield at different ages and higher empty digestive tracts at 6 weeks. Body composition varied with age; fat content increased from 12.7 to 15.9 to 19.8% for 6, 13, and 19 wk, respectively. The lowest body fat was observed for RBW pullets fed DIL (P = 0.003) at 19 weeks. Feeding DIL diets to HBW pullets could be done to

  10. Do air-gaps behind soft body armour affect protection?

    PubMed

    Tilsley, Lee; Carr, D J; Lankester, C; Malbon, C

    2018-02-01

    Body armour typically comprises a fabric garment covering the torso combined with hard armour (ceramic/composite). Some users wear only soft armour which provides protection from sharp weapons and pistol ammunition. It is usually recommended that body armour is worn against the body with no air-gaps being present between the wearer and the armour. However, air-gaps can occur in certain situations such as females around the breasts, in badly fitting armour and where manufacturers have incorporated an air-gap claiming improvements in thermophysiological burden. The effect of an air-gap on the ballistic protection and the back face signature (BFS) as a result of a non-perforating ballistic impact was determined. Armour panels representative of typical police armour (400x400 mm) were mounted on calibrated Roma Plastilina No 1 and impacted with 9 mm Luger FMJ (9×19 mm; full metal jacket; Dynamit Nobel DM11A1B2) ammunition at 365±10 m/s with a range of air-gaps (0-15 mm). Whether or not the ammunition perforated the armour was noted, the BFS was measured and the incidence of pencilling (a severe, deep and narrow BFS) was identified. For 0° impacts, a critical air-gap size of 10 mm is detrimental to armour performance for the armour/ammunition combination assessed in this work. Specifically, the incidences of pencilling were more common with a 10 mm air-gap and resulted in BFS depth:volume ratios ≥1.0. For impacts at 30° the armour was susceptible to perforation irrespective of air-gap. This work suggested that an air-gap behind police body armour might result in an increased likelihood of injury. It is recommended that body armour is worn with no air-gap underneath. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  11. VIEW OF A BODY COUNTING ROOM IN BUILDING 122. BODY ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    VIEW OF A BODY COUNTING ROOM IN BUILDING 122. BODY COUNTING MEASURES RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN THE BODY. DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE EXTERNAL SOURCES OF RADIATION, BODY COUNTING ROOMS ARE CONSTRUCTED OF PRE-WORLD WAR II (WWII) STEEL. PRE-WWII STEEL, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN AFFECTED BY NUCLEAR FALLOUT, IS LOWER IS RADIOACTIVITY THAN STEEL CREATED AFTER WWII. (10/25/85) - Rocky Flats Plant, Emergency Medical Services Facility, Southwest corner of Central & Third Avenues, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

  12. The roles of the amygdala in the affective regulation of body, brain, and behaviour

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirolli, Marco; Mannella, Francesco; Baldassarre, Gianluca

    2010-09-01

    Despite the great amount of knowledge produced by the neuroscientific literature on affective phenomena, current models tackling non-cognitive aspects of behaviour are often bio-inspired but rarely bio-constrained. This paper presents a theoretical account of affective systems centred on the amygdala (Amg). This account aims to furnish a general framework and specific pathways to implement models that are more closely related to biological evidence. The Amg, which receives input from brain areas encoding internal states, innately relevant stimuli, and innately neutral stimuli, plays a fundamental role in the motivational and emotional processes of organisms. This role is based on the fact that Amg implements the two associative processes at the core of Pavlovian learning (conditioned stimulus (CS)-unconditioned stimulus (US) and CS-unconditioned response (UR) associations), and that it has the capacity of modulating these associations on the basis of internal states. These functionalities allow the Amg to play an important role in the regulation of the three fundamental classes of affective responses (namely, the regulation of body states, the regulation of brain states via neuromodulators, and the triggering of a number of basic behaviours fundamental for adaptation) and in the regulation of three high-level cognitive processes (namely, the affective labelling of memories, the production of goal-directed behaviours, and the performance of planning and complex decision-making). Our analysis is conducted within a methodological approach that stresses the importance of understanding the brain within an evolutionary/adaptive framework and with the aim of isolating general principles that can potentially account for the wider possible empirical evidence in a coherent fashion.

  13. Time-limited environments affect the evolution of egg-body size allometry.

    PubMed

    Eckerström-Liedholm, Simon; Sowersby, Will; Gonzalez-Voyer, Alejandro; Rogell, Björn

    2017-07-01

    Initial offspring size is a fundamental component of absolute growth rate, where large offspring will reach a given adult body size faster than smaller offspring. Yet, our knowledge regarding the coevolution between offspring and adult size is limited. In time-constrained environments, organisms need to reproduce at a high rate and reach a reproductive size quickly. To rapidly attain a large adult body size, we hypothesize that, in seasonal habitats, large species are bound to having a large initial size, and consequently, the evolution of egg size will be tightly matched to that of body size, compared to less time-limited systems. We tested this hypothesis in killifishes, and found a significantly steeper allometric relationship between egg and body sizes in annual, compared to nonannual species. We also found higher rates of evolution of egg and body size in annual compared to nonannual species. Our results suggest that time-constrained environments impose strong selection on rapidly reaching a species-specific body size, and reproduce at a high rate, which in turn imposes constraints on the evolution of egg sizes. In combination, these distinct selection pressures result in different relationships between egg and body size among species in time-constrained versus permanent habitats. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  14. Disruption of the microbiota across multiple body sites in critically ill children.

    PubMed

    Rogers, Matthew B; Firek, Brian; Shi, Min; Yeh, Andrew; Brower-Sinning, Rachel; Aveson, Victoria; Kohl, Brittany L; Fabio, Anthony; Carcillo, Joseph A; Morowitz, Michael J

    2016-12-29

    Despite intense interest in the links between the microbiome and human health, little has been written about dysbiosis among ICU patients. We characterized microbial diversity in samples from 37 children in a pediatric ICU (PICU). Standard measures of alpha and beta diversity were calculated, and results were compared with data from adult and pediatric reference datasets. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed from 71 total tongue swabs, 50 skin swabs, and 77 stool samples or rectal swabs. The mean age of the PICU patients was 2.9 years (range 1-9 years), and many were chronically ill children that had previously been hospitalized in the PICU. Relative to healthy adults and children, alpha diversity was decreased in PICU GI and tongue but not skin samples. Measures of beta diversity indicated differences in community membership at each body site between PICU, adult, and pediatric groups. Taxonomic alterations in the PICU included enrichment of gut pathogens such as Enterococcus and Staphylococcus at multiple body sites and depletion of commensals such as Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus from GI samples. Alpha and beta diversity were unstable over time in patients followed longitudinally. We observed the frequent presence of "dominant" pathogens in PICU samples at relative abundance >50%. PICU samples were characterized by loss of site specificity, with individual taxa commonly present simultaneously at three sample sites on a single individual. Some pathogens identified by culture of tracheal aspirates were commonly observed in skin samples from the same patient. We conclude that the microbiota in critically ill children differs sharply from the microbiota of healthy children and adults. Acknowledgement of dysbiosis associated with critical illness could provide opportunities to modulate the microbiota with precision and thereby improve patient outcomes.

  15. Body mass modulates huddling dynamics and body temperature profiles in rabbit pups.

    PubMed

    Bautista, Amando; Zepeda, José Alfredo; Reyes-Meza, Verónica; Féron, Christophe; Rödel, Heiko G; Hudson, Robyn

    2017-10-01

    Altricial mammals typically lack the physiological capacity to thermoregulate independently during the early postnatal period, and in litter-bearing species the young benefit strongly from huddling together with their litter siblings. Such litter huddles are highly dynamic systems, often characterized by competition for energetically favorable, central positions. In the present study, carried out in domestic rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, we asked whether individual differences in body mass affect changes in body temperature during changes in the position within the huddle. We predicted that pups with relatively lower body mass should be more affected by such changes arising from huddle dynamics in comparison to heavier ones. Changes in pups' maximum body surface temperature (determined by infrared thermography) were significantly affected by changes in the number of their neighbors in the litter huddle, and indeed these temperature changes largely depended on the pups' body mass relative to their litter siblings. Lighter pups showed significant increases in their maximum body surface temperature when their number of huddling partners increased by one or two siblings whereas pups with intermediate or heavier body mass did not show such significant increases in maximum body temperature when experiencing such changes. A similar pattern was found with respect to average body surface temperature. This strong link between changes in the number of huddling partners and body surface temperature in lighter pups might, on the one hand, arise from a higher vulnerability of such pups due to their less favorable body surface area-to-volume ratio. On the other hand, as lighter pups generally had fewer neighbors than heavier ones and thus typically a comparatively smaller body surface in contact with siblings, they potentially had more to gain from increasing their number of neighbors. The present findings might help to understand how individual differences in body mass within a

  16. How face blurring affects body language processing of static gestures in women and men.

    PubMed

    Proverbio, A M; Ornaghi, L; Gabaro, V

    2018-05-14

    The role of facial coding in body language comprehension was investigated by ERP recordings in 31 participants viewing 800 photographs of gestures (iconic, deictic and emblematic), which could be congruent or incongruent with their caption. Facial information was obscured by blurring in half of the stimuli. The task consisted of evaluating picture/caption congruence. Quicker response times were observed in women than in men to congruent stimuli, and a cost for incongruent vs. congruent stimuli was found only in men. Face obscuration did not affect accuracy in women as reflected by omission percentages, nor reduced their cognitive potentials, thus suggesting a better comprehension of face deprived pantomimes. N170 response (modulated by congruity and face presence) peaked later in men than in women. Late Positivity was much larger for congruent stimuli in the female brain, regardless of face blurring. Face presence specifically activated the right superior temporal and fusiform gyri, cingulate cortex and insula, according to source reconstruction. These regions have been reported to be insufficiently activated in face-avoiding individuals with social deficits. Overall, the results corroborate the hypothesis that females might be more resistant to the lack of facial information or better at understanding body language in face-deprived social information.

  17. Plasticity in body temperature and metabolic capacity sustains winter activity in a small endotherm (Rattus fuscipes).

    PubMed

    Glanville, Elsa J; Seebacher, Frank

    2010-03-01

    Small mammals that remain active throughout the year at a constant body temperature have a much greater energy and food requirement in winter. Lower body temperatures in winter may offset the increased energetic cost of remaining active in the cold, if cellular metabolism is not constrained by a negative thermodynamic effect. We aimed to determine whether variable body temperatures can be advantageous for small endotherms by testing the hypothesis that body temperature fluctuates seasonally in a wild rat (Rattus fuscipes); conferring an energy saving and reducing food requirements during resource restricted winter. Additionally we tested whether changes in body temperature affected tissue specific metabolic capacity. Winter acclimatized rats had significantly lower body temperatures and thicker fur than summer acclimatized rats. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption and the activity of enzymes that control oxidative (citrate synthase, cytochrome c-oxidase) and anaerobic (lactate dehydrogenase) metabolism were elevated in winter and were not negatively affected by the lower body temperature. Energy transfer modeling showed that lower body temperatures in winter combined with increased fur thickness to confer a 25 kJ day(-1) energy saving, with up to 50% owing to reduced body temperature alone. We show that phenotypic plasticity at multiple levels of organization is an important component of the response of a small endotherm to winter. Mitochondrial function compensates for lower winter body temperatures, buffering metabolic heat production capacity. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. My Body Looks Like That Girl's: Body Mass Index Modulates Brain Activity during Body Image Self-Reflection among Young Women.

    PubMed

    Gao, Xiao; Deng, Xiao; Wen, Xin; She, Ying; Vinke, Petra Corianne; Chen, Hong

    2016-01-01

    Body image distress or body dissatisfaction is one of the most common consequences of obesity and overweight. We investigated the neural bases of body image processing in overweight and average weight young women to understand whether brain regions that were previously found to be involved in processing self-reflective, perspective and affective components of body image would show different activation between two groups. Thirteen overweight (O-W group, age = 20.31±1.70 years) and thirteen average weight (A-W group, age = 20.15±1.62 years) young women underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a body image self-reflection task. Among both groups, whole-brain analysis revealed activations of a brain network related to perceptive and affective components of body image processing. ROI analysis showed a main effect of group in ACC as well as a group by condition interaction within bilateral EBA, bilateral FBA, right IPL, bilateral DLPFC, left amygdala and left MPFC. For the A-W group, simple effect analysis revealed stronger activations in Thin-Control compared to Fat-Control condition within regions related to perceptive (including bilateral EBA, bilateral FBA, right IPL) and affective components of body image processing (including bilateral DLPFC, left amygdala), as well as self-reference (left MPFC). The O-W group only showed stronger activations in Fat-Control than in Thin-Control condition within regions related to the perceptive component of body image processing (including left EBA and left FBA). Path analysis showed that in the Fat-Thin contrast, body dissatisfaction completely mediated the group difference in brain response in left amygdala across the whole sample. Our data are the first to demonstrate differences in brain response to body pictures between average weight and overweight young females involved in a body image self-reflection task. These results provide insights for understanding the vulnerability to body image distress

  19. Nonlinear vibration of an axially loaded beam carrying rigid bodies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barry, O.

    2016-12-01

    This paper investigates the nonlinear vibration due to mid-plane stretching of an axially loaded simply supported beam carrying multiple rigid masses. Explicit expressions and closed form solutions of both linear and nonlinear analysis of the present vibration problem are presented for the first time. The validity of the analytical model is demonstrated using finite element analysis and via comparison with the result in the literature. Parametric studies are conducted to examine how the nonlinear frequency and frequency response curve are affected by tension, rotational inertia, and number of intermediate rigid bodies.

  20. Aging, body image, and body shape.

    PubMed

    Ferraro, F Richard; Muehlenkamp, Jennifer J; Paintner, Ashley; Wasson, Kayla; Hager, Tracy; Hoverson, Fallon

    2008-10-01

    Participants were 25 older men (M age = 72 years, SD = 10 years) and 27 older women (M age = 71 years, SD = 8 years) who examined multiple line-drawing figures of babies, children, young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults. Participants picked a number on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (very thin) to 9 (very obese) in response to questions including "Which is the most attractive?" and "Which figure would you most like to look like?" They also completed questionnaires about their body image and body shape. In response to the age-specific line drawings (e.g., those depicting older men and older women), older women endorsed thinner figures (e.g., picked smaller numbers) than did men. Likewise, older women reported thinking more about their body shape and appearance than did men and perceived their body image as "a little too big" in comparison with the older men who perceived their body image as "just the right size." However, a breakdown of normal and overweight women in this sample revealed that for some overweight elderly women, obesity could become a satisfactory way of life. Much as with college-aged women, the endorsement of a thinner body image by many of the older adult female participants appeared to persist into late adulthood and suggests that research into body image issues with older adults is relevant and necessary.

  1. Multiple Factors Affect Socioeconomics and Wellbeing of Artisanal Sea Cucumber Fishers.

    PubMed

    Purcell, Steven W; Ngaluafe, Poasi; Foale, Simon J; Cocks, Nicole; Cullis, Brian R; Lalavanua, Watisoni

    2016-01-01

    Small-scale fisheries are important to livelihoods and subsistence seafood consumption of millions of fishers. Sea cucumbers are fished worldwide for export to Asia, yet few studies have assessed factors affecting socioeconomics and wellbeing among fishers. We interviewed 476 men and women sea cucumber fishers at multiple villages within multiple locations in Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga and New Caledonia using structured questionnaires. Low rates of subsistence consumption confirmed a primary role of sea cucumbers in income security. Prices of sea cucumbers sold by fishers varied greatly among countries, depending on the species. Gender variation in landing prices could be due to women catching smaller sea cucumbers or because some traders take advantage of them. Dissatisfaction with fishery income was common (44% of fishers), especially for i-Kiribati fishers, male fishers, and fishers experiencing difficulty selling their catch, but was uncorrelated with sale prices. Income dissatisfaction worsened with age. The number of livelihood activities averaged 2.2-2.5 across countries, and varied significantly among locations. Sea cucumbers were often a primary source of income to fishers, especially in Tonga. Other common livelihood activities were fishing other marine resources, copra production in Kiribati, agriculture in Fiji, and salaried jobs in New Caledonia. Fishing other coastal and coral reef resources was the most common fall-back livelihood option if fishers were forced to exit the fishery. Our data highlight large disparities in subsistence consumption, gender-related price equity, and livelihood diversity among parallel artisanal fisheries. Improvement of supply chains in dispersed small-scale fisheries appears as a critical need for enhancing income and wellbeing of fishers. Strong evidence for co-dependence among small-scale fisheries, through fall-back livelihood preferences of fishers, suggests that resource managers must mitigate concomitant effects on other

  2. Women gaze behaviour in assessing female bodies: the effects of clothing, body size, own body composition and body satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Cundall, Amelia; Guo, Kun

    2017-01-01

    Often with minimally clothed figures depicting extreme body sizes, previous studies have shown women tend to gaze at evolutionary determinants of attractiveness when viewing female bodies, possibly for self-evaluation purposes, and their gaze distribution is modulated by own body dissatisfaction level. To explore to what extent women's body-viewing gaze behaviour is affected by clothing type, dress size, subjective measurements of regional body satisfaction and objective measurements of own body composition (e.g., chest size, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio), in this self-paced body attractiveness and body size judgement experiment, we compared healthy, young women's gaze distributions when viewing female bodies in tight and loose clothing of different dress sizes. In contrast to tight clothing, loose clothing biased gaze away from the waist-hip to the leg region, and subsequently led to enhanced body attractiveness ratings and body size underestimation for larger female bodies, indicating the important role of clothing in mediating women's body perception. When viewing preferred female bodies, women's higher satisfaction of a specific body region was associated with an increased gaze towards neighbouring body areas, implying satisfaction might reduce the need for comparison of confident body parts; furthermore undesirable body composition measurements were correlated with a gaze avoidance process if the construct was less changeable (i.e. chest size) but a gaze comparison process if the region was more changeable (i.e. body mass index, dress size). Clearly, own body satisfaction and body composition measurements had an evident impact on women's body-viewing gaze allocation, possibly through different cognitive processes.

  3. Eating in groups: Do multiple social influences affect intake in a fast-food restaurant?

    PubMed

    Brindal, Emily; Wilson, Carlene; Mohr, Philip; Wittert, Gary

    2015-05-01

    This study investigated multiple social influences to determine whether they affect amount eaten at a fast-food environment. Using observational methods, data on meal duration, foods eaten and personal characteristics were collected for 157 McDonald's patrons. Analysis of covariance revealed that female diners ate less kilojoules when eating in mixed- versus same-sex groups (adjusted difference = 967 kJ, p < .05), while male diners eating in mixed-sex company ate more in groups compared to pairs (adjusted difference = 1067 kJ, p = .019). Influences to increase and restrict the amount eaten can operate simultaneously in an eating environment with gender a critical factor for consideration. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. Dynamic Stability and Gravitational Balancing of Multiple Extended Bodies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quadrelli, Marco

    2008-01-01

    Feasibility of a non-invasive compensation scheme was analyzed for precise positioning of a massive extended body in free fall using gravitational forces influenced by surrounding source masses in close proximity. The N-body problem of classical mechanics is a paradigm used to gain insight into the physics of the equivalent N-body problem subject to control forces. The analysis addressed how a number of control masses move around the proof mass so that the proof mass position can be accurately and remotely compensated when exogenous disturbances are acting on it, while its sensitivity to gravitational waves remains unaffected. Past methods to correct the dynamics of the proof mass have considered active electrostatic or capacitive methods, but the possibility of stray capacitances on the surfaces of the proof mass have prompted the investigation of other alternatives, such as the method presented in this paper. While more rigorous analyses of the problem should be carried out, the data show that, by means of a combined feedback and feed-forward control approach, the control masses succeeded in driving the proof mass along the specified trajectory, which implies that the proof mass can, in principle, be balanced via gravitational forces only while external perturbations are acting on it. This concept involves the dynamic stability of a group of massive objects interacting gravitationally under active control, and can apply to drag-free control of spacecraft during missions, to successor gravitational wave space borne sensors, or to any application requiring flying objects to be precisely controlled in position and attitude relative to another body via gravitational interactions only.

  5. Body mass index affects time to definitive closure after damage control surgery.

    PubMed

    Haricharan, Ramanath N; Dooley, Adam C; Weinberg, Jordan A; McGwin, Gerald; MacLennan, Paul A; Griffin, Russell L; Rue, Loring W; Reiff, Donald A

    2009-06-01

    A growing body of literature demonstrates that irrespective of the mechanism of injury, obesity is associated with significantly worse morbidity and mortality after trauma. Among patients requiring damage control laparotomy (DCL), clinical experience suggests that obesity affects time to definitive closure though this association has never been demonstrated quantitatively. All patients at an academic Level I trauma center requiring a DCL between January 2002 and December 2006 (N = 148) were included. Information pertaining to demographic, injury, and clinical characteristics was abstracted from patient medical records. The risk of specific complications including pneumonia, renal failure, and sepsis was compared between normal and overweight/obese patients, as measured by body mass index (BMI). The lengths of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and mechanical ventilation as well as time to abdominal closure were also compared. The risk of pneumonia, sepsis, and renal failure was 2.05-times, 1.77-times, and 2.84-times higher among overweight patients compared with patients with a normal BMI. The risk of pneumonia, sepsis, and renal failure was 2.01-times, 4.24-times, and 1.85-times higher among obese patients compared with those with a normal BMI. Obese patients also had a significantly longer ICU length of stay (28.7 days vs. 15.1 days; p < 0.0001), longer hospitalization (39.3 days vs. 27.0 days; p = 0.008), and time to definitive closure (8.4 days vs. 3.9 days; p = 0.03) compared with patients with a normal BMI. Among patients requiring DCL, those who are overweight or obese have a prolonged time to definitive closure. These patients also experience a significantly longer ICU course and a higher risk of pneumonia.

  6. Growth performance and certain body measurements of ostrich chicks as affected by dietary protein levels during 2-9 weeks of age.

    PubMed

    Mahrose, Kh M; Attia, A I; Ismail, I E; Abou-Kassem, D E; El-Hack, M E Abd

    2015-01-01

    The present work was conducted to examine the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) levels (18, 21 and 24%) on growth performance (Initial and final body weight, daily body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio) during 2-9 weeks of age and certain body measurements (body height, tibiotarsus length and tibiotarsus girth) at 9 weeks of age. A total of 30 African Black unsexed ostrich chicks were used in the present study in simple randomized design. The results of the present work indicated that initial and final live body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion of ostrich chicks were insignificantly affected by dietary protein level used. Protein efficiency ratio was high in the group of chicks fed diet contained 18% CP. Results obtained indicated that tibiotarsus girth was decreased (P≤0.01) with the increasing dietary protein level, where the highest value of tibiotarsus girth (18.38 cm) was observed in chicks fed 18% dietary protein level. Body height and tibiotarsus length were not significantly different. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that ostrich chicks (during 2-9 weeks of age) could grow on diets contain lower levels of CP (18%).

  7. Unmet Needs of Patients Feeling Severely Affected by Multiple Sclerosis in Germany: A Qualitative Study

    PubMed Central

    Golla, Heidrun; Strupp, Julia; Karbach, Ute; Kaiser, Claudia; Ernstmann, Nicole; Pfaff, Holger; Ostgathe, Christoph; Voltz, Raymond

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Background: The needs of patients feeling severely affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) have rarely been investigated. However this is essential information to know before care can be improved, including adding palliative care (PC) services where helpful. Since it remains unclear at what point specialized palliative care should begin for this patient group, this study focuses on needs in general. Objective: The objective was to explore the subjectively unmet needs of patients feeling severely affected by MS. Methods: The study used a qualitative cross-sectional approach for needs assessment. Fifteen patients self-reporting feeling severely affected by MS were recruited and interviewed using a combination of purposive and convenience sampling (five were accompanied by a caregiver relative). Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, followed by qualitative content analysis. Results: Unmet needs were identified in the main categories “support of family and friends,” “health care services,” “managing everyday life,” and “maintaining biographical continuity.” Patients expressed the desire for more support from their families and to be viewed as distinct individuals. They see a substantial deficit in the physician-patient relationship and in the coordination of services. A decrease in expressed unmet needs was found for patients more severely affected and less socially integrated. Conclusions: To address the unmet needs of severely affected MS patients, health care services need to be improved and linked with existing PC services. Special attention is required to form supporting professional-patient relationships. Multiprofessional services should be accessible for patients, while integrating relatives. All services should have an individual approach to provide needs-tailored support. PMID:24527993

  8. Effect of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on affective temperament, depression and body mass index in obesity.

    PubMed

    Borkowska, A; Bieliński, M; Szczęsny, W; Szwed, K; Tomaszewska, M; Kałwa, A; Lesiewska, N; Junik, R; Gołębiewski, M; Sikora, M; Tretyn, A; Akiskal, K; Akiskal, H

    2015-09-15

    Many studies show high prevalence of affective disorders in obese patients. Affective temperament is a subclinical manifestation of such conditions. The 5-HTT gene encoding the serotonin transporter may be involved in both mood and eating dysregulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene on affective temperament types, depressive symptoms and Body Mass Index (BMI) in obese patients. This study involved 390 patients (237 females, and 153 males) with obesity. The TEMPS-A questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were used to evaluate affective temperaments and prevalence of depression. DNA was obtained for serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) genotyping. In obese patients S/S genotype was associated with depressive and L/L with cyclothymic temperament. Subjects with L/L genotype presented significantly higher BMI and greater intensity of depressive symptoms in BDI and HDRS. Females scored higher in anxious and depressive, while males in hyperthymic, cyclothymic and irritable temperaments. Females scored higher in BDI (subjective depression) while males in HDRS (objective depression). TEMPS-A, BDI and HDRS are frequently used in studies on affective disorders. However, these methods do not examine all dimensions of mood and personality. In obese patients S allele of 5-HTTLPR was associated with development of depressive temperament while L allele corresponded with greater obesity and prevalence of depression. Different mechanisms may be involved in manifestation of depression in males and females with obesity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. My Body Looks Like That Girl’s: Body Mass Index Modulates Brain Activity during Body Image Self-Reflection among Young Women

    PubMed Central

    Wen, Xin; She, Ying; Vinke, Petra Corianne; Chen, Hong

    2016-01-01

    Body image distress or body dissatisfaction is one of the most common consequences of obesity and overweight. We investigated the neural bases of body image processing in overweight and average weight young women to understand whether brain regions that were previously found to be involved in processing self-reflective, perspective and affective components of body image would show different activation between two groups. Thirteen overweight (O-W group, age = 20.31±1.70 years) and thirteen average weight (A-W group, age = 20.15±1.62 years) young women underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a body image self-reflection task. Among both groups, whole-brain analysis revealed activations of a brain network related to perceptive and affective components of body image processing. ROI analysis showed a main effect of group in ACC as well as a group by condition interaction within bilateral EBA, bilateral FBA, right IPL, bilateral DLPFC, left amygdala and left MPFC. For the A-W group, simple effect analysis revealed stronger activations in Thin-Control compared to Fat-Control condition within regions related to perceptive (including bilateral EBA, bilateral FBA, right IPL) and affective components of body image processing (including bilateral DLPFC, left amygdala), as well as self-reference (left MPFC). The O-W group only showed stronger activations in Fat-Control than in Thin-Control condition within regions related to the perceptive component of body image processing (including left EBA and left FBA). Path analysis showed that in the Fat-Thin contrast, body dissatisfaction completely mediated the group difference in brain response in left amygdala across the whole sample. Our data are the first to demonstrate differences in brain response to body pictures between average weight and overweight young females involved in a body image self-reflection task. These results provide insights for understanding the vulnerability to body image distress

  10. Body Fat Percentage Prediction Using Intelligent Hybrid Approaches

    PubMed Central

    Shao, Yuehjen E.

    2014-01-01

    Excess of body fat often leads to obesity. Obesity is typically associated with serious medical diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Accordingly, knowing the body fat is an extremely important issue since it affects everyone's health. Although there are several ways to measure the body fat percentage (BFP), the accurate methods are often associated with hassle and/or high costs. Traditional single-stage approaches may use certain body measurements or explanatory variables to predict the BFP. Diverging from existing approaches, this study proposes new intelligent hybrid approaches to obtain fewer explanatory variables, and the proposed forecasting models are able to effectively predict the BFP. The proposed hybrid models consist of multiple regression (MR), artificial neural network (ANN), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), and support vector regression (SVR) techniques. The first stage of the modeling includes the use of MR and MARS to obtain fewer but more important sets of explanatory variables. In the second stage, the remaining important variables are served as inputs for the other forecasting methods. A real dataset was used to demonstrate the development of the proposed hybrid models. The prediction results revealed that the proposed hybrid schemes outperformed the typical, single-stage forecasting models. PMID:24723804

  11. A Multi-Band Body-Worn Distributed Radio-Frequency Exposure Meter: Design, On-Body Calibration and Study of Body Morphology

    PubMed Central

    Thielens, Arno; Agneessens, Sam; Van Torre, Patrick; Van den Bossche, Matthias; Eeftens, Marloes; Huss, Anke; Vermeulen, Roel; de Seze, René; Mazet, Paul; Cardis, Elisabeth; Röösli, Martin; Martens, Luc; Joseph, Wout

    2018-01-01

    A multi-band Body-Worn Distributed exposure Meter (BWDM) calibrated for simultaneous measurement of the incident power density in 11 telecommunication frequency bands, is proposed. The BDWM consists of 22 textile antennas integrated in a garment and is calibrated on six human subjects in an anechoic chamber to assess its measurement uncertainty in terms of 68% confidence interval of the on-body antenna aperture. It is shown that by using multiple antennas in each frequency band, the uncertainty of the BWDM is 22 dB improved with respect to single nodes on the front and back of the torso and variations are decreased to maximum 8.8 dB. Moreover, deploying single antennas for different body morphologies results in a variation up to 9.3 dB, which is reduced to 3.6 dB using multiple antennas for six subjects with various body mass index values. The designed BWDM, has an improved uncertainty of up to 9.6 dB in comparison to commercially available personal exposure meters calibrated on body. As an application, an average incident power density in the range of 26.7–90.8 μW·m−2 is measured in Ghent, Belgium. The measurements show that commercial personal exposure meters underestimate the actual exposure by a factor of up to 20.6. PMID:29346280

  12. Growth curve and diet density affect eating motivation, behavior, and body composition of broiler breeders during rearing.

    PubMed

    de Los Mozos, J; García-Ruiz, A I; den Hartog, L A; Villamide, M J

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this work has been to assess the effect of diet density [control (CON) or 15% diluted (DIL)] and growth curve [recommended by the genetic line (RBW) or 15% heavier (HBW)] and their interaction on BW uniformity, feeding motivation, behavior, and body composition of broiler breeder pullets. A total of 3,000 one-day-old female breeders Ross 308, distributed in 20 pens, was randomly assigned to each treatment. Feed allowance was weekly adjusted to reach the desired BW. Feed was provided as pelleted (zero to 3 wk) and crumble (4 to 19 wk). Time eating was measured at 7, 11, and 19 weeks. A feeding rate test was performed after 11 weeks. Behavior was observed at 9 and 15 wk, by visual scan. At 6, 13, and 19 wk of age, one bird/pen was slaughtered for weighing different organs and analyzing the composition of empty whole bodies. Treatments did not affect BW uniformity; relative weights of the ovary, oviduct, or gizzard; or protein content of empty BW. Time eating varied with the growth curve at 19 wk (P < 0.05), HBW pullets spent 19 more min eating than RBW pullets. DIL led to 4 and 8 more min eating at 19 wk for pullets of RBW and HBW (P < 0.05), respectively. Pullets fed DIL consumed 30% (P < 0.05) less during the feeding rate test when kept on a restricted regimen, and they had lower compensatory energy intake after ad libitum feeding than those fed CON, indicating lower feeding motivation. Behavior was affected by the age and by the time of the d measured, but it did not change with the treatments. Birds spent most time pecking objects (50%), feeding (28%), and drinking (17%). Pullets fed DIL had 8% lower breast yield at different ages and higher empty digestive tracts at 6 weeks. Body composition varied with age; fat content increased from 12.7 to 15.9 to 19.8% for 6, 13, and 19 wk, respectively. The lowest body fat was observed for RBW pullets fed DIL (P = 0.003) at 19 weeks. Feeding DIL diets to HBW pullets could be done to increase the

  13. Right parietal cortex and calculation processing: intraoperative functional mapping of multiplication and addition in patients affected by a brain tumor.

    PubMed

    Della Puppa, Alessandro; De Pellegrin, Serena; d'Avella, Elena; Gioffrè, Giorgio; Munari, Marina; Saladini, Marina; Salillas, Elena; Scienza, Renato; Semenza, Carlo

    2013-11-01

    The role of parietal areas in number processing is well known. The significance of intraoperative functional mapping of these areas has been only partially explored, however, and only a few discordant data are available in the surgical literature with regard to the right parietal lobe. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical impact of simple calculation in cortical electrostimulation of right-handed patients affected by a right parietal brain tumor. Calculation mapping in awake surgery was performed in 3 right-handed patients affected by high-grade gliomas located in the right parietal lobe. Preoperatively, none of the patients presented with calculation deficits. In all 3 cases, after sensorimotor and language mapping, cortical and intraparietal sulcus areas involved in single-digit multiplication and addition calculations were mapped using bipolar electrostimulation. In all patients, different sites of the right parietal cortex, mainly in the inferior lobule, were detected as being specifically related to calculation (multiplication or addition). In 2 patients the intraparietal sulcus was functionally specific for multiplication. No functional sites for language were detected. All sites functional for calculation were spared during tumor resection, which was complete in all cases without postoperative neurological deficits. These findings provide intraoperative data in support of an anatomofunctional organization for multiplication and addition within the right parietal area. Furthermore, the study shows the potential clinical relevance of intraoperative mapping of calculation in patients undergoing surgery in the right parietal area. Further and larger studies are needed to confirm these data and assess whether mapped areas are effectively essential for function.

  14. Criterion-Referenced Test Items for Auto Body.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tannehill, Dana, Ed.

    This test item bank on auto body repair contains criterion-referenced test questions based upon competencies found in the Missouri Auto Body Competency Profile. Some test items are keyed for multiple competencies. The tests cover the following 26 competency areas in the auto body curriculum: auto body careers; measuring and mixing; tools and…

  15. Weight fluctuation during adulthood and weight gain since breast cancer diagnosis predict multiple dimensions of body image among rural breast cancer survivors.

    PubMed

    Fazzino, Tera L; Hunter, Rebecca Clausius; Sporn, Nora; Christifano, Danielle N; Befort, Christie A

    2017-03-01

    Obesity and weight gain after breast cancer treatment are common among survivors, yet the relationship between weight and body image has received little attention. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between current body mass index, weight gain since diagnosis, and largest weight fluctuation in adulthood with six dimensions of body image among overweight/obese breast cancer survivors. The current study used data obtained from a weight control trial with 210 rural overweight/obese breast cancer survivors. Using data collected at baseline, multiple regression models were constructed to examine the relative association of the three weight variables with breast cancer-specific dimensions of body image while controlling for demographic characteristics and cancer treatment-related variables. Largest weight fluctuation in adulthood significantly predicted overall body image (p = 0.01) and was associated with the three socially oriented dimensions of body image: social activity restriction, embarrassment about appearance, and sexuality (all ps = 0.01). Weight gain since diagnosis approached statistical significance in predicting overall body image (p = 0.05) and was associated with embarrassment about appearance (p = 0.03). Current body mass index was not significantly associated with overall body image when controlling for the other weight variables (p = 0.07) and was negatively associated with social activity restriction (p = 0.01) and sexuality (p = 0.01). Obese breast cancer survivors with a history of a large weight fluctuation in adulthood may be prone to poorer breast cancer-specific body image several years after treatment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. [Intracardial fungal multiplication of order Mucor in an almost totally carbonised part of a male body found after ten days missing].

    PubMed

    Iannaccone, Silvia Farkašová; Klán, Jaroslav; Lamps, Laura W; Farkaš, Daniel; Švajdler Ml, Marián; Szabo, Miroslav

    Determination of time of death belongs to the most difficult and also the most important issues for the medical examiners, especially those who deal with violent death. Besides the most frequently evaluated postmortal changes it is sometimes possible to perform the evaluation on the basis of less frequently observed findings. One of such findings is for example the fungal multiplication on the body or in the very close vicinity. Knowledge of moulds as well as information about their speed of growth should contribute to confirmation or negation of some information gained during police investigation. In this case report authors describe the macroscopically visible fungal intracardiac multiplication in heart chambers and aorta in an almost totally carbonised body which was missing for only ten days. Based on the molecular examination it was detected that the body belonged to the 64-year-old man who was repeatedly hospitalised in psychiatry for depression with suicidal tendencies. The last hospitalisation was six weeks before death and there was no organic disability. The cause of fire was a naked flame. The cause of death was burn injury or asphyxia. The almost total carbonisation did not allow to perform toxicological investigation. By histological investigation we found the presence of wide long non-septate moulds growing in the heart muscle, which belonged to the order Mucor. Since there was no obvious inflammatory response, we suppose their growth started on the congealed blood after death.

  17. Multiple sclerosis - discharge

    MedlinePlus

    ... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000129.htm Multiple sclerosis - discharge To use the sharing features on this ... Your doctor has told you that you have multiple sclerosis (MS). This disease affects the brain and spinal ...

  18. Heart rate, body temperature and physical activity are variously affected during insulin treatment in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rat.

    PubMed

    Howarth, F C; Jacobson, M; Shafiullah, M; Ljubisavljevic, M; Adeghate, E

    2011-01-01

    Diabetes mellitus is associated with a variety of cardiovascular complications including impaired cardiac muscle function. The effects of insulin treatment on heart rate, body temperature and physical activity in the alloxan (ALX)-induced diabetic rat were investigated using in vivo biotelemetry techniques. The electrocardiogram, physical activity and body temperature were recorded in vivo with a biotelemetry system for 10 days before ALX treatment, for 20 days following administration of ALX (120 mg/kg) and thereafter, for 15 days whilst rats received daily insulin. Heart rate declined rapidly after administration of ALX. Pre-ALX heart rate was 321+/-9 beats per minute, falling to 285+/-12 beats per minute 15-20 days after ALX and recovering to 331+/-10 beats per minute 5-10 days after commencement of insulin. Heart rate variability declined and PQ, QRS and QT intervals were prolonged after administration of ALX. Physical activity and body temperature declined after administration of ALX. Pre-ALX body temperature was 37.6+/-0.1 °C, falling to 37.3+/-0.1 °C 15-20 days after ALX and recovering to 37.8+/-0.1 °C 5-10 days after commencement insulin. ALX-induced diabetes is associated with disturbances in heart rhythm, physical activity and body temperature that are variously affected during insulin treatment.

  19. How multiple mating by females affects sexual selection

    PubMed Central

    Shuster, Stephen M.; Briggs, William R.; Dennis, Patricia A.

    2013-01-01

    Multiple mating by females is widely thought to encourage post-mating sexual selection and enhance female fitness. We show that whether polyandrous mating has these effects depends on two conditions. Condition 1 is the pattern of sperm utilization by females; specifically, whether, among females, male mating number, m (i.e. the number of times a male mates with one or more females) covaries with male offspring number, o. Polyandrous mating enhances sexual selection only when males who are successful at multiple mating also sire most or all of each of their mates' offspring, i.e. only when Cov♂(m,o), is positive. Condition 2 is the pattern of female reproductive life-history; specifically, whether female mating number, m, covaries with female offspring number, o. Only semelparity does not erode sexual selection, whereas iteroparity (i.e. when Cov♀(m,o), is positive) always increases the variance in offspring numbers among females, which always decreases the intensity of sexual selection on males. To document the covariance between mating number and offspring number for each sex, it is necessary to assign progeny to all parents, as well as identify mating and non-mating individuals. To document significant fitness gains by females through iteroparity, it is necessary to determine the relative magnitudes of male as well as female contributions to the total variance in relative fitness. We show how such data can be collected, how often they are collected, and we explain the circumstances in which selection favouring multiple mating by females can be strong or weak. PMID:23339237

  20. Accounting for fluctuations in body dissatisfaction.

    PubMed

    Colautti, Lauren A; Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew; Skouteris, Helen; McCabe, Marita; Blackburn, Stephen; Wyett, Elise

    2011-09-01

    The present study evaluated whether the strength of relationship between contextual cues (presence of company and mood) and state body dissatisfaction varied as a function of individual differences in key trait measures (body shame, body surveillance tendencies, internalization of appearance standards, and trait affect) which have been linked to trait body dissatisfaction. Fifty-five undergraduate women completed a questionnaire containing the trait-based measures and then carried a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) for a 7-day period. The PDA prompted participants six times daily to self-report their current mood and state body dissatisfaction. Multi-level modeling revealed that individual differences in body shame predicted inter-individual variability in the strength of the relationships between presence of company and state body dissatisfaction, and positive mood and state body dissatisfaction. Trait positive affect also explained variance in the positive mood state-body dissatisfaction relationship. The implications of the findings for prevention of body image disturbances are discussed. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Relationship between gait initiation and disability in individuals affected by multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Galli, Manuela; Coghe, Giancarlo; Sanna, Paola; Cocco, Eleonora; Marrosu, Maria Giovanna; Pau, Massimiliano

    2015-11-01

    This study analyzes how multiple sclerosis (MS) does affect one of the most common voluntary activities in life: the gait initiation (GI). The main aim of the work is to characterize the execution of this task by measuring and comparing relevant parameters based on center of pressure (COP) patterns and to study the relationship between these and the level of expanded disability status scale (EDSS). To this aim, 95 MS subjects with an average EDSS score of 2.4 and 35 healthy subjects were tested using a force platform during the transition from standing posture to gait. COP time-series were acquired and processed to extract a number of parameters related to the trajectory followed by the COP. The statistical analysis revealed that only a few measurements were statistically different between the two groups and only these were subsequently correlated with EDSS score. The correlation analysis underlined that a progressive alteration of the task execution can be directly related with the increase of EDSS score. These finding suggest that most of the impairment found in people with MS comes from the first part of the COP pattern, the anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). The central nervous system performs APAs before every voluntary movement to minimize balance perturbation due to the movement itself. Gait Initiation's APAs consist in some ankle muscles contractions that induce a backward COP shift to the swing limb. The analysis here performed highlighted that MS affected patients have a reduced posterior COP shift that reveals that the anticipatory mechanism is impaired. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Multiple stressor effects on biological quality elements in the Ebro River: Present diagnosis and predicted responses.

    PubMed

    Herrero, Albert; Gutiérrez-Cánovas, Cayetano; Vigiak, Olga; Lutz, Stefanie; Kumar, Rohini; Gampe, David; Huber-García, Verena; Ludwig, Ralf; Batalla, Ramon; Sabater, Sergi

    2018-07-15

    Multiple abiotic stressors affect the ecological status of water bodies. The status of waterbodies in the Ebro catchment (NE Spain) is evaluated using the biological quality elements (BQEs) of diatoms, invertebrates and macrophytes. The multi-stressor influence on the three BQEs was evaluated using the monitoring dataset available from the catchment water authority. Nutrient concentrations, especially total phosphorus (TP), affected most of the analyzed BQEs, while changes in mean discharge, water temperature, or river morphology did not show significant influences. Linear statistical models were used to evaluate the change of water bodies' ecological status under different combinations of future socioeconomic and climate scenarios. Changes in land use, rainfall, water temperature, mean discharge, TP and nitrate concentrations were modeled according to the future scenarios. These revealed an evolution of the abiotic stressors that could lead to a general decrease in the ecosystem quality of water bodies within the Ebro catchment. This deterioration was especially evidenced on the diatoms and invertebrate biological indices, mainly because of the foreseen increase in TP concentrations. Water bodies located in the headwaters were seen as the most sensitive to future changes. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and body composition in an elderly cohort from Germany: a cross-sectional study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Emerging evidence indicates that there is an association between vitamin D and obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] in the elderly is influenced by parameters of anthropometry and body composition independent of potential confounding lifestyle factors and the level of serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH). Methods Cross-sectional data of 131 independently living participants (90 women, 41 men; aged 66–96 years) of the longitudinal study on nutrition and health status in senior citizens of Giessen, Germany were analysed. Concentrations of 25(OH)D3 and iPTH were ascertained by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Body composition was measured by a bioelectrical impedance analysis. We performed univariate and multiple regression analyses to examine the influence of body composition on 25(OH)D3 with adjustments for age, iPTH and lifestyle factors. Results In univariate regression analyses, 25(OH)D3 was associated with body mass index (BMI), hip circumference and total body fat (TBF) in women, but not in men. Using multiple regression analyses, TBF was shown to be a negative predictor of 25(OH)D3 levels in women even after controlling for age, lifestyle and iPTH (ß = −0.247; P = 0.016), whereas the associations between BMI, hip circumference and 25(OH)D3 lost statistical significance after adjusting for iPTH. In men, 25(OH)D3 was not affected by anthropometric or body composition variables. Conclusions The results indicate that 25(OH)D3 levels are affected by TBF, especially in elderly women, independent of lifestyle factors and iPTH. PMID:22607088

  4. The perception of emotion in body expressions.

    PubMed

    de Gelder, B; de Borst, A W; Watson, R

    2015-01-01

    During communication, we perceive and express emotional information through many different channels, including facial expressions, prosody, body motion, and posture. Although historically the human body has been perceived primarily as a tool for actions, there is now increased understanding that the body is also an important medium for emotional expression. Indeed, research on emotional body language is rapidly emerging as a new field in cognitive and affective neuroscience. This article reviews how whole-body signals are processed and understood, at the behavioral and neural levels, with specific reference to their role in emotional communication. The first part of this review outlines brain regions and spectrotemporal dynamics underlying perception of isolated neutral and affective bodies, the second part details the contextual effects on body emotion recognition, and final part discusses body processing on a subconscious level. More specifically, research has shown that body expressions as compared with neutral bodies draw upon a larger network of regions responsible for action observation and preparation, emotion processing, body processing, and integrative processes. Results from neurotypical populations and masking paradigms suggest that subconscious processing of affective bodies relies on a specific subset of these regions. Moreover, recent evidence has shown that emotional information from the face, voice, and body all interact, with body motion and posture often highlighting and intensifying the emotion expressed in the face and voice. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. BDNF val66met Polymorphism Affects Aging of Multiple Types of Memory

    PubMed Central

    Kennedy, Kristen M.; Reese, Elizabeth D.; Horn, Marci M.; Sizemore, April N.; Unni, Asha K.; Meerbrey, Michael E.; Kalich, Allan G.; Rodrigue, Karen M.

    2014-01-01

    The BDNF val66met polymorphism (rs6265) influences activity-dependent secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the synapse, which is crucial for learning and memory. Individuals homozygous or heterozygous for the met allele have lower BDNF secretion than val homozygotes and may be at risk for reduced declarative memory performance, but it remains unclear which types of declarative memory may be affected and how aging of memory across the lifespan is impacted by the BDNF val66met polymorphism. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of BDNF polymorphism on multiple indices of memory (item, associative, prospective, subjective complaints) in a lifespan sample of 116 healthy adults aged 20-93 years. Advancing age showed a negative effect on item, associative and prospective memory, but not on subjective memory complaints. For item and prospective memory, there were significant age x BDNF group interactions, indicating the adverse effect of age on memory performance across the lifespan was much stronger in the BDNF met carriers than for the val homozygotes. BDNF met carriers also endorsed significantly greater subjective memory complaints, regardless of age, and showed a trend (p < .07) toward poorer associative memory performance compared to val homozygotes. These results suggest that genetic predisposition to the availability of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, by way of the BDNF val66met polymorphism, exerts an influence on multiple indices of episodic memory – in some cases in all individuals regardless of age (subjective memory and perhaps associative memory), in others as an exacerbation of age-related differences in memory across the lifespan (item and prospective memory). PMID:25264352

  6. Affect systems, changes in body mass index, disordered eating and stress: an 18-month longitudinal study in women

    PubMed Central

    Kupeli, N.; Norton, S.; Chilcot, J.; Campbell, I. C.; Schmidt, U. H.; Troop, N. A.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Evidence suggests that stress plays a role in changes in body weight and disordered eating. The present study examined the effect of mood, affect systems (attachment and social rank) and affect regulatory processes (self-criticism, self-reassurance) on the stress process and how this impacts on changes in weight and disordered eating. Methods: A large sample of women participated in a community-based prospective, longitudinal online study in which measures of body mass index (BMI), disordered eating, perceived stress, attachment, social rank, mood and self-criticism/reassurance were measured at 6-monthly intervals over an 18-month period. Results: Latent Growth Curve Modelling showed that BMI increased over 18 months while stress and disordered eating decreased and that these changes were predicted by high baseline levels of these constructs. Independently of this, however, increases in stress predicted a reduction in BMI which was, itself, predicted by baseline levels of self-hatred and unfavourable social comparison. Conclusions: This study adds support to the evidence that stress is important in weight change. In addition, this is the first study to show in a longitudinal design, that social rank and self-criticism (as opposed to self-reassurance) at times of difficulty predict increases in stress and, thus, suggests a role for these constructs in weight regulation. PMID:28553564

  7. Investigating the Relation between Women's Body Image and Unconsummated Marriage.

    PubMed

    Hosseini, Sara; Noroozi, Mahnaz; Montazery, Gita

    2017-01-01

    Unconsummated marriage is considered to be one of the complicated sexual issues that lead to multiple complications and problems for couples as well as the society. It is thought that this disorder is more common in traditional cultures and some religions such as Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between women's body image and unconsummated marriage. This was a case-control study which was conducted among 50 women who had an unconsummated marriage (case group) and 100 women who had a consummated marriage (control group) in Isfahan, Iran during 2015-2016. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests. The total score of body image and all its components had no significant difference between both the groups of the case and the control ( P > 0.05). Considering that no relation was found between body image and unconsummated marriage and the religious culture of the Iranian society with conservative sexual norms, investigating unconsummated marriage with emphasis on cultural factors is recommended. Hence, such sexual disorders would be avoided and the number of affected people and challenges can be decreased.

  8. Growth performance and certain body measurements of ostrich chicks as affected by dietary protein levels during 2–9 weeks of age

    PubMed Central

    Mahrose, Kh.M.; Attia, A.I.; Ismail, I.E.; Abou-Kassem, D.E.; El-Hack, M.E. Abd

    2015-01-01

    The present work was conducted to examine the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) levels (18, 21 and 24%) on growth performance (Initial and final body weight, daily body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio) during 2-9 weeks of age and certain body measurements (body height, tibiotarsus length and tibiotarsus girth) at 9 weeks of age. A total of 30 African Black unsexed ostrich chicks were used in the present study in simple randomized design. The results of the present work indicated that initial and final live body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion of ostrich chicks were insignificantly affected by dietary protein level used. Protein efficiency ratio was high in the group of chicks fed diet contained 18% CP. Results obtained indicated that tibiotarsus girth was decreased (P≤0.01) with the increasing dietary protein level, where the highest value of tibiotarsus girth (18.38 cm) was observed in chicks fed 18% dietary protein level. Body height and tibiotarsus length were not significantly different. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that ostrich chicks (during 2-9 weeks of age) could grow on diets contain lower levels of CP (18%). PMID:26623373

  9. Segmentation of human upper body movement using multiple IMU sensors.

    PubMed

    Aoki, Takashi; Lin, Jonathan Feng-Shun; Kulic, Dana; Venture, Gentiane

    2016-08-01

    This paper proposes an approach for the segmentation of human body movements measured by inertial measurement unit sensors. Using the angular velocity and linear acceleration measurements directly, without converting to joint angles, we perform segmentation by formulating the problem as a classification problem, and training a classifier to differentiate between motion end-point and within-motion points. The proposed approach is validated with experiments measuring the upper body movement during reaching tasks, demonstrating classification accuracy of over 85.8%.

  10. SigmaS controls multiple pathways associated with intracellular multiplication of Legionella pneumophila.

    PubMed

    Hovel-Miner, Galadriel; Pampou, Sergey; Faucher, Sebastien P; Clarke, Margaret; Morozova, Irina; Morozov, Pavel; Russo, James J; Shuman, Howard A; Kalachikov, Sergey

    2009-04-01

    Legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of the severe and potentially fatal pneumonia Legionnaires' disease. L. pneumophila is able to replicate within macrophages and protozoa by establishing a replicative compartment in a process that requires the Icm/Dot type IVB secretion system. The signals and regulatory pathways required for Legionella infection and intracellular replication are poorly understood. Mutation of the rpoS gene, which encodes sigma(S), does not affect growth in rich medium but severely decreases L. pneumophila intracellular multiplication within protozoan hosts. To gain insight into the intracellular multiplication defect of an rpoS mutant, we examined its pattern of gene expression during exponential and postexponential growth. We found that sigma(S) affects distinct groups of genes that contribute to Legionella intracellular multiplication. We demonstrate that rpoS mutants have a functional Icm/Dot system yet are defective for the expression of many genes encoding Icm/Dot-translocated substrates. We also show that sigma(S) affects the transcription of the cpxR and pmrA genes, which encode two-component response regulators that directly affect the transcription of Icm/Dot substrates. Our characterization of the L. pneumophila small RNA csrB homologs, rsmY and rsmZ, introduces a link between sigma(S) and the posttranscriptional regulator CsrA. We analyzed the network of sigma(S)-controlled genes by mutational analysis of transcriptional regulators affected by sigma(S). One of these, encoding the L. pneumophila arginine repressor homolog gene, argR, is required for maximal intracellular growth in amoebae. These data show that sigma(S) is a key regulator of multiple pathways required for L. pneumophila intracellular multiplication.

  11. Urinary tract infection as a single presenting sign of multiple vaginal foreign bodies: case report and review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Neulander, Endre Z; Tiktinsky, Alex; Romanowsky, Igor; Kaneti, Jacob

    2010-02-01

    Vaginal foreign bodies in children usually present with foul-smelling discharge and/or vaginal bleeding. Rarely, these basic clinical diagnostic signs are not present. We report on a 5(1/2)-year-old girl with recurrent lower urinary tract infection as the sole presentation of multiple vaginal foreign bodies. Ultrasound of the lower urinary tract was inconclusive, and cystography indicated for recurrent urinary tract infections was declined by the patient in an outpatient setting. Cystography under general anesthesia raised the suspicion of foreign vaginal objects, and the definitive diagnosis was made by vaginoscopy. The relevant literature covering this subject is reviewed. High level of suspicion and strict basic diagnostic protocol are the most important steps for a timely diagnosis of this condition. Copyright 2010 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Sexting as the mirror on the wall: Body-esteem attribution, media models, and objectified-body consciousness.

    PubMed

    Bianchi, Dora; Morelli, Mara; Baiocco, Roberto; Chirumbolo, Antonio

    2017-12-01

    Sexting motivations during adolescence are related to developmental dimensions-such as sexual identity and body-image development-or harmful intentions-such as aggression among peers and partners. Sociocultural and media models can affect explorations of sexuality and redefinitions of body image, which in turn are related to sexting behaviors and motivations. In this study, we investigated the roles of body-esteem attribution, the internalization of media models, and body objectification as predictors of three sexting motivations: sexual purposes, body-image reinforcement, and instrumental/aggravated reasons. The participants were 190 Italian adolescents aged from 13 to 20 years old (M age  = 17.4, SD age  = 1.8; 44.7% females). Sexual purposes were predicted by body-esteem attribution and body objectification; body-image reinforcement was predicted by the internalization of media models, and instrumental/aggravated reasons were not predicted by any variable. Thus, only sexual purposes and body-image reinforcement appeared to be affected by body-image concerns due to media models. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Evaluation of a palliative and hospice care telephone hotline for patients severely affected by multiple sclerosis and their caregivers.

    PubMed

    Strupp, J; Groebe, B; Knies, A; Mai, M; Voltz, R; Golla, H

    2017-12-01

    Palliative and hospice care (PHC) still mainly focuses on patients with cancer. In order to connect patients severely affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) and caregivers to PHC, a nationwide hotline was implemented to facilitate access to PHC. The hotline was designed in cooperation with the German Multiple Sclerosis Society. Self-disclosed information given by callers was documented using case-report forms supplemented by personal notes. Data were analysed descriptively. A total of 222 calls were documented in 27 months. The patients' mean age was 51.12 years (range 27-84 years) and mean illness duration was 18 years (range 1 month to 50 years). Inquiries included information on PHC (28.8%) and access to PHC (due to previous refusal of PHC, 5.4%), general care for MS (36.1%), adequate housing (9.0%) and emotional support in crisis (4.5%). A total of 31.1% of callers reported 'typical' palliative symptoms (e.g. pain, 88.4%), 50.5% reported symptoms evolving from MS and 35.6% reported psychosocial problems. For 67 callers (30.2%), PHC services were recommended as indicated. The hotline provided insight into the needs and problems of patients severely affected by MS and their caregivers, some of which may be met by PHC. Future follow-up calls will demonstrate if the hotline helped to improve access to PHC beyond providing information. Overall, the hotline seemed to be easily accessible for patients severely affected by MS whose mobility is limited. © 2017 EAN.

  14. Body Image: It's Not Just About How You See Your Body

    Cancer.gov

    Let's be honest. As women, we can be pretty hard on ourselves, and we can be especially hard on how our bodies look. Having a negative body image can affect not only how you feel about yourself, but it can also keep you from living the life you want to have.

  15. Control structural interaction testbed: A model for multiple flexible body verification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chory, M. A.; Cohen, A. L.; Manning, R. A.; Narigon, M. L.; Spector, V. A.

    1993-01-01

    Conventional end-to-end ground tests for verification of control system performance become increasingly complicated with the development of large, multiple flexible body spacecraft structures. The expense of accurately reproducing the on-orbit dynamic environment and the attendant difficulties in reducing and accounting for ground test effects limits the value of these tests. TRW has developed a building block approach whereby a combination of analysis, simulation, and test has replaced end-to-end performance verification by ground test. Tests are performed at the component, subsystem, and system level on engineering testbeds. These tests are aimed at authenticating models to be used in end-to-end performance verification simulations: component and subassembly engineering tests and analyses establish models and critical parameters, unit level engineering and acceptance tests refine models, and subsystem level tests confirm the models' overall behavior. The Precision Control of Agile Spacecraft (PCAS) project has developed a control structural interaction testbed with a multibody flexible structure to investigate new methods of precision control. This testbed is a model for TRW's approach to verifying control system performance. This approach has several advantages: (1) no allocation for test measurement errors is required, increasing flight hardware design allocations; (2) the approach permits greater latitude in investigating off-nominal conditions and parametric sensitivities; and (3) the simulation approach is cost effective, because the investment is in understanding the root behavior of the flight hardware and not in the ground test equipment and environment.

  16. A Comparison between Multiple Regression Models and CUN-BAE Equation to Predict Body Fat in Adults

    PubMed Central

    Fuster-Parra, Pilar; Bennasar-Veny, Miquel; Tauler, Pedro; Yañez, Aina; López-González, Angel A.; Aguiló, Antoni

    2015-01-01

    Background Because the accurate measure of body fat (BF) is difficult, several prediction equations have been proposed. The aim of this study was to compare different multiple regression models to predict BF, including the recently reported CUN-BAE equation. Methods Multi regression models using body mass index (BMI) and body adiposity index (BAI) as predictors of BF will be compared. These models will be also compared with the CUN-BAE equation. For all the analysis a sample including all the participants and another one including only the overweight and obese subjects will be considered. The BF reference measure was made using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. Results The simplest models including only BMI or BAI as independent variables showed that BAI is a better predictor of BF. However, adding the variable sex to both models made BMI a better predictor than the BAI. For both the whole group of participants and the group of overweight and obese participants, using simple models (BMI, age and sex as variables) allowed obtaining similar correlations with BF as when the more complex CUN-BAE was used (ρ = 0:87 vs. ρ = 0:86 for the whole sample and ρ = 0:88 vs. ρ = 0:89 for overweight and obese subjects, being the second value the one for CUN-BAE). Conclusions There are simpler models than CUN-BAE equation that fits BF as well as CUN-BAE does. Therefore, it could be considered that CUN-BAE overfits. Using a simple linear regression model, the BAI, as the only variable, predicts BF better than BMI. However, when the sex variable is introduced, BMI becomes the indicator of choice to predict BF. PMID:25821960

  17. A comparison between multiple regression models and CUN-BAE equation to predict body fat in adults.

    PubMed

    Fuster-Parra, Pilar; Bennasar-Veny, Miquel; Tauler, Pedro; Yañez, Aina; López-González, Angel A; Aguiló, Antoni

    2015-01-01

    Because the accurate measure of body fat (BF) is difficult, several prediction equations have been proposed. The aim of this study was to compare different multiple regression models to predict BF, including the recently reported CUN-BAE equation. Multi regression models using body mass index (BMI) and body adiposity index (BAI) as predictors of BF will be compared. These models will be also compared with the CUN-BAE equation. For all the analysis a sample including all the participants and another one including only the overweight and obese subjects will be considered. The BF reference measure was made using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. The simplest models including only BMI or BAI as independent variables showed that BAI is a better predictor of BF. However, adding the variable sex to both models made BMI a better predictor than the BAI. For both the whole group of participants and the group of overweight and obese participants, using simple models (BMI, age and sex as variables) allowed obtaining similar correlations with BF as when the more complex CUN-BAE was used (ρ = 0:87 vs. ρ = 0:86 for the whole sample and ρ = 0:88 vs. ρ = 0:89 for overweight and obese subjects, being the second value the one for CUN-BAE). There are simpler models than CUN-BAE equation that fits BF as well as CUN-BAE does. Therefore, it could be considered that CUN-BAE overfits. Using a simple linear regression model, the BAI, as the only variable, predicts BF better than BMI. However, when the sex variable is introduced, BMI becomes the indicator of choice to predict BF.

  18. Pseudobulbar affect in multiple sclerosis: toward the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.

    PubMed

    Miller, Ariel

    2006-06-15

    Pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a condition involving involuntary and uncontrollable episodes of crying and/or laughing, occurs frequently in patients with a variety of neurological disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia including Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Although PBA results in considerable distress for patients and caretakers, it is underrecognized and undertreated. Agents used to treat psychiatric disorders--particularly tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors--are useful in alleviating PBA, but act on diffuse neural networks rather than targeting those involved in emotional motor expression. As a result of their nonspecific activity, these agents are associated with a range of unwanted effects that preclude many patients from using them. Dextromethorphan, a common cough suppressant, specifically targets sigma(1) receptors concentrated in the brainstem and cerebellum, thus providing the possibility of targeting regions implicated in emotional expression. When administered in a fixed combination with quinidine, dextromethorphan is effective in treating PBA in patients with ALS, and preliminary results suggest that this therapy also is effective in treating MS-related PBA.

  19. Protein restriction does not affect body temperature pattern in female mice.

    PubMed

    Kato, Goro A; Shichijo, Hiroki; Takahashi, Toshihiro; Shinohara, Akio; Morita, Tetsuo; Koshimoto, Chihiro

    2017-10-30

    Daily torpor is a physiological adaptation in mammals and birds characterized by a controlled reduction of metabolic rate and body temperature during the resting phase of circadian rhythms. In laboratory mice, daily torpor is induced by dietary caloric restriction. However, it is not known which nutrients are related to daily torpor expression. To determine whether dietary protein is a key factor in inducing daily torpor in mice, we fed mice a protein-restricted (PR) diet that included only one-quarter of the amount of protein but the same caloric level as a control (C) diet. We assigned six non-pregnant female ICR mice to each group and recorded their body weights and core body temperatures for 4 weeks. Body weights in the C group increased, but those in the PR group remained steady or decreased. Mice in both groups did not show daily torpor, but most mice in a food-restricted group (n=6) supplied with 80% of the calories given to the C group exhibited decreased body weights and frequently displayed daily torpor. This suggests that protein restriction is not a trigger of daily torpor; torpid animals can conserve their internal energy, but torpor may not play a significant role in conserving internal protein. Thus, opportunistic daily torpor in mice may function in energy conservation rather than protein saving.

  20. Multiple Factors Affect Socioeconomics and Wellbeing of Artisanal Sea Cucumber Fishers

    PubMed Central

    Ngaluafe, Poasi; Foale, Simon J.; Cocks, Nicole; Cullis, Brian R.; Lalavanua, Watisoni

    2016-01-01

    Small-scale fisheries are important to livelihoods and subsistence seafood consumption of millions of fishers. Sea cucumbers are fished worldwide for export to Asia, yet few studies have assessed factors affecting socioeconomics and wellbeing among fishers. We interviewed 476 men and women sea cucumber fishers at multiple villages within multiple locations in Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga and New Caledonia using structured questionnaires. Low rates of subsistence consumption confirmed a primary role of sea cucumbers in income security. Prices of sea cucumbers sold by fishers varied greatly among countries, depending on the species. Gender variation in landing prices could be due to women catching smaller sea cucumbers or because some traders take advantage of them. Dissatisfaction with fishery income was common (44% of fishers), especially for i-Kiribati fishers, male fishers, and fishers experiencing difficulty selling their catch, but was uncorrelated with sale prices. Income dissatisfaction worsened with age. The number of livelihood activities averaged 2.2–2.5 across countries, and varied significantly among locations. Sea cucumbers were often a primary source of income to fishers, especially in Tonga. Other common livelihood activities were fishing other marine resources, copra production in Kiribati, agriculture in Fiji, and salaried jobs in New Caledonia. Fishing other coastal and coral reef resources was the most common fall-back livelihood option if fishers were forced to exit the fishery. Our data highlight large disparities in subsistence consumption, gender-related price equity, and livelihood diversity among parallel artisanal fisheries. Improvement of supply chains in dispersed small-scale fisheries appears as a critical need for enhancing income and wellbeing of fishers. Strong evidence for co-dependence among small-scale fisheries, through fall-back livelihood preferences of fishers, suggests that resource managers must mitigate concomitant effects on

  1. Dietary carbohydrate deprivation increases 24-hour nitrogen excretion without affecting postabsorptive hepatic or whole body protein metabolism in healthy men.

    PubMed

    Bisschop, P H; De Sain-Van Der Velden, M G M; Stellaard, F; Kuipers, F; Meijer, A J; Sauerwein, H P; Romijn, J A

    2003-08-01

    Because insulin is an important regulator of protein metabolism, we hypothesized that physiological modulation of insulin secretion, by means of extreme variations in dietary carbohydrate content, affects postabsorptive protein metabolism. Therefore, we studied the effects of three isocaloric diets with identical protein content and low-carbohydrate/high-fat (2% and 83% of total energy, respectively), intermediate-carbohydrate/intermediate-fat (44% and 41% of total energy, respectively), and high-carbohydrate/low-fat (85% and 0% of total energy, respectively) content in six healthy men. Whole body protein metabolism was assessed by 24-h urinary nitrogen excretion, postabsorptive leucine kinetics, and fibrinogen and albumin synthesis by infusion of [1-(13)C]leucine and [1-(13)C]valine. The low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet resulted in lower absorptive and postabsorptive plasma insulin concentrations, and higher rates of nitrogen excretion compared with the other two diets: 15.3 +/- 0.9 vs. 12.1 +/- 1.1 (P = 0.03) and 10.8 +/- 0.5 g/24 h (P = 0.005), respectively. Postabsorptive rates of appearance of leucine and of leucine oxidation were not different among the three diets. In addition, dietary carbohydrate content did not affect the synthesis rates of fibrinogen and albumin. In conclusion, eucaloric carbohydrate deprivation increases 24-h nitrogen loss but does not affect postabsorptive protein metabolism at the hepatic and whole body level. By deduction, dietary carbohydrate is required for an optimal regulation of absorptive, rather than postabsorptive, protein metabolism.

  2. The mediational significance of negative/depressive affect in the relationship of childhood maltreatment and eating disorder features in adolescent psychiatric inpatients.

    PubMed

    Hopwood, C J; Ansell, E B; Fehon, D C; Grilo, C M

    2011-03-01

    Childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for eating disorder and negative/depressive affect appears to mediate this relation. However, the specific elements of eating- and body-related psychopathology that are influenced by various forms of childhood maltreatment remain unclear, and investigations among adolescents and men/boys have been limited. This study investigated the mediating role of negative affect/depression across multiple types of childhood maltreatment and eating disorder features in hospitalized adolescent boys and girls. Participants were 148 adolescent psychiatric inpatients who completed an assessment battery including measures of specific forms of childhood maltreatment (sexual, emotional, and physical abuse), negative/depressive affect, and eating disorder features (dietary restriction, binge eating, and body dissatisfaction). Findings suggest that for girls, negative/depressive affect significantly mediates the relationships between childhood maltreatment and eating disorder psychopathology, although effects varied somewhat across types of maltreatment and eating disorder features. Generalization of mediation effects to boys was limited.

  3. DYSREGULATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS INCREASES CENTRAL BODY FAT ACCUMULATION IN MALES AFFECTED BY DIABETES MELLITUS AND LATE-ONSET HYPOGONADISM.

    PubMed

    Tirabassi, Giacomo; Muscogiuri, Giovanna; Colao, Annamaria; Balercia, Giancarlo

    2016-04-01

    Functional hypercortisolism (FH) is a condition which occurs in some clinical states, such as major depression, eating disorders, numerous psychiatric conditions, and diabetes mellitus (DM) and which exerts several negative systemic effects. No data exist on the potentially harmful role of FH on body composition. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the influence of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation on body composition in men affected by DM-associated late-onset hypogonadism (LOH). Fourteen subjects affected by FH (FH-LOH) and 18 subjects not affected (N-LOH) were studied. Clinical, hormonal, and body composition measures were considered. The 2 groups had comparable age and weight. FH-LOH patients had lower levels of total (2 ± 0.27 ng/mL versus 2.31 ± 0.26 ng/mL; P = .003) and free (39.5 ± 6.44 pg/mL versus 46.8 ± 7.23 pg/mL; P = .005) (median, 38.7 [interquartile range, 36.1 to 41.3] pg/mL versus median, 46.1 [interquartile range, 40.4 to 52.7] pg/mL) testosterone compared to N-LOH patients. Abdominal fat amount was greater in FH-LOH than in N-LOH patients, even after adjustment for total testosterone. None of the bivariate correlations between body composition measures and hormonal variables were significant in N-LOH. Conversely, in FH-LOH, cortisol area under the curve (AUC) was found to be positively and significantly correlated with trunk (r = 0.933; P<.001) and abdominal fat (r = 0.852; P<.001) and negatively with lean leg (r = -0.607; P = .021). All of these associations were further confirmed upon linear regression analysis in FH-LOH (respectively, unstandardized β = 10.988 [P<.001]; β = 1.156 [P<.001]; β = -7.675 [P = .021]). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed AUC cortisol as a predictor of trunk and abdominal fat in FH-LOH. Dysregulation of the HPA axis in LOH-associated DM seems to be involved in abdominal fat accumulation.

  4. Effects of developmental change in body size on ectotherm body temperature and behavioral thermoregulation: caterpillars in a heat-stressed environment.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, Matthew E; Papaj, Daniel R

    2015-01-01

    Ectotherms increase in size dramatically during development, and this growth should have substantial effects on their body temperature and ability to thermoregulate. To better understand how this change in size affects temperature, we examined the direct effects of body size on body temperature in Battus philenor caterpillars, and also how body size affects both the expression and effectiveness of thermal refuge-seeking, a thermoregulatory behavior. Field studies of both live caterpillars and physical operative temperature models indicated that caterpillar body temperature increases with body size. The operative temperature models also showed that thermal refuges have a greater cooling effect for larger caterpillars, while a laboratory study found that larger caterpillars seek refuges at a lower temperature. Although the details may vary, similar connections between developmental growth, temperature, and thermoregulation should be common among ectotherms and greatly affect both their development and thermal ecology.

  5. Predictors of body appearance cognitive distraction during sexual activity in a sample of men with ED.

    PubMed

    Pascoal, P M; Raposo, C F; Oliveira, L B

    2015-01-01

    Our aim is to scrutinize the extent to which aspects of body dissatisfaction and relationship variables predict body appearance cognitive distraction during sexual activity (BACDSA) in a sample of men diagnosed with ED. A total of 65 heterosexual Portuguese participants with ED completed a survey that included questions on socio-demographic data as well as body-related and relationship measures. We used the Global Body Dissatisfaction (GBD) Subscale of the Body Attitudes Test; a version of the Contour Drawing Rating Scale; a single item on partner's opinion perceived about one's body appearance; the Global Measure of Relationship Satisfaction; and the Inclusion of Other in Self Scale. Open questions assessed focus on specific body parts during sexual activity and relationship length. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that only GBD was a significant predictor of BACDSA, contrary to the relationship measures that showed no significant predictive effect (R(2) =0.47). Our results support the important role of individual factors on explanatory models of sexual dysfunctions, suggesting that interventions addressing individual factors that affect BACDSA may be of preference.

  6. Relationship between Body Image and Body Mass Index in College Men

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watkins, Julia A.; Christie, Catherine; Chally, Pamela

    2008-01-01

    Objective and Participants: The authors examined cognitive and affective dimensions of body image of a randomized sample of 188 college men on the basis of body mass index (BMI). Methods: They conducted chi-square tests and ANOVAs to determine differences between 4 BMI groups (underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese) on demographics and…

  7. Alcohol - Multiple Languages

    MedlinePlus

    ... and Driving Laws - العربية (Arabic) PDF Karen Chemical Dependency Taskforce of Minnesota How Beer and Alcohol Affect ... Affect the Body - العربية (Arabic) PDF Karen Chemical Dependency Taskforce of Minnesota Burmese (myanma bhasa) Expand Section ...

  8. Imagery Rescripting for Body Dysmorphic Disorder: A Multiple-Baseline Single-Case Experimental Design.

    PubMed

    Willson, Rob; Veale, David; Freeston, Mark

    2016-03-01

    Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) often experience negative distorted images of their appearance, and research suggests these may be linked to memories of adverse events such as bullying or teasing. This study evaluates imagery rescripting (ImR) as an intervention for BDD. In this article, we present a multiple-baseline single-case experimental design testing imagery rescripting as a brief, stand-alone intervention, with six individuals with BDD that related to aversive memories. The impact of the intervention was assessed by self-reported daily measures of symptom severity (preoccupation with appearance, appearance-related checking behaviors, appearance-related distress, and strength of belief that their main problem is their appearance) and standardized clinician ratings of BDD severity (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale modified for BDD). Four out of six of the participants responded positively to the intervention, with clinically meaningful improvement in symptomatology. Overall response was rapid; improvements began within the first week post-ImR intervention. From a small sample it is cautiously concluded that imagery rescripting may show promise as a module in cognitive-behavioral therapy for BDD, and is worthy of further investigation. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Mind/Body Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Health

    MedlinePlus

    ... your doctor How can I better cope with stress? Are my health problems causing my stress or is my stress causing my health problems? I don’t think I’m under stress, but is my body telling me that I ...

  10. Loving transgressions: Queer of color bodies, affective ties, transformative community.

    PubMed

    Carrillo Rowe, Aimee; Royster, Francesca T

    2017-07-03

    This introductory article considers the importance of queer woman of color theorizations of affect in thinking more fully the recent interdisciplinary turn to affect. The affective turn has vitally invited culture and feminist critics to interrogate emotion beyond the individual to examine the political and cultural production of emotion. Even as women of color are often associated with excessive affect, the theoretical contributions women of color make to the field of affect studies are often overlooked. Our introduction and this special issue more broadly examine how this solipsism shapes projects invested in critical knowledge production, as well as the stakes of centering a queer woman of color genealogy. For instance, we argue for the importance of retaining U.S. third-world feminist concepts-like interpellation, oppositional consciousness, and the generative force of negative affects-even as they fall out of favor within affect studies. Centering theory that emerges from the vexed spaces of queer women of color lived experiences generates a vital interdisciplinary conversation that contributes to the ongoing political task of mobilizing affect for social action as a critical praxis. In the articles that follow we see this critical praxis at work in the form of community organizing, music, poetry, and performance art.

  11. Multiple Transcript Properties Related to Translation Affect mRNA Degradation Rates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    PubMed Central

    Neymotin, Benjamin; Ettorre, Victoria; Gresham, David

    2016-01-01

    Degradation of mRNA contributes to variation in transcript abundance. Studies of individual mRNAs have shown that both cis and trans factors affect mRNA degradation rates. However, the factors underlying transcriptome-wide variation in mRNA degradation rates are poorly understood. We investigated the contribution of different transcript properties to transcriptome-wide degradation rate variation in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using multiple regression analysis. We find that multiple transcript properties are significantly associated with variation in mRNA degradation rates, and that a model incorporating these properties explains ∼50% of the genome-wide variance. Predictors of mRNA degradation rates include transcript length, ribosome density, biased codon usage, and GC content of the third position in codons. To experimentally validate these factors, we studied individual transcripts expressed from identical promoters. We find that decreasing ribosome density by mutating the first translational start site of a transcript increases its degradation rate. Using coding sequence variants of green fluorescent protein (GFP) that differ only at synonymous sites, we show that increased GC content of the third position of codons results in decreased rates of mRNA degradation. Thus, in steady-state conditions, a large fraction of genome-wide variation in mRNA degradation rates is determined by inherent properties of transcripts, many of which are related to translation, rather than specific regulatory mechanisms. PMID:27633789

  12. BDNF val66met polymorphism affects aging of multiple types of memory.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, Kristen M; Reese, Elizabeth D; Horn, Marci M; Sizemore, April N; Unni, Asha K; Meerbrey, Michael E; Kalich, Allan G; Rodrigue, Karen M

    2015-07-01

    The BDNF val66met polymorphism (rs6265) influences activity-dependent secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the synapse, which is crucial for learning and memory. Individuals homozygous or heterozygous for the met allele have lower BDNF secretion than val homozygotes and may be at risk for reduced declarative memory performance, but it remains unclear which types of declarative memory may be affected and how aging of memory across the lifespan is impacted by the BDNF val66met polymorphism. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of BDNF polymorphism on multiple indices of memory (item, associative, prospective, subjective complaints) in a lifespan sample of 116 healthy adults aged 20-93 years. Advancing age showed a negative effect on item, associative and prospective memory, but not on subjective memory complaints. For item and prospective memory, there were significant age×BDNF group interactions, indicating the adverse effect of age on memory performance across the lifespan was much stronger in the BDNF met carriers than for the val homozygotes. BDNF met carriers also endorsed significantly greater subjective memory complaints, regardless of age, and showed a trend (p<.07) toward poorer associative memory performance compared to val homozygotes. These results suggest that genetic predisposition to the availability of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, by way of the BDNF val66met polymorphism, exerts an influence on multiple indices of episodic memory - in some cases in all individuals regardless of age (subjective memory and perhaps associative memory), in others as an exacerbation of age-related differences in memory across the lifespan (item and prospective memory). This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Memory & Aging. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Medical weight loss versus bariatric surgery: does method affect body composition and weight maintenance after 15% reduction in body weight?

    PubMed

    Kulovitz, Michelle G; Kolkmeyer, Deborah; Conn, Carole A; Cohen, Deborah A; Ferraro, Robert T

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate body composition changes in fat mass (FM) to lean body mass (LBM) ratios following 15% body weight loss (WL) in both integrated medical treatment and bariatric surgery groups. Obese patients (body mass index [BMI] 46.6 ± 6.5 kg/m(2)) who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery (BS), were matched with 24 patients undergoing integrated medical and behavioral treatment (MT). The BS and MT groups were evaluated for body weight, BMI, body composition, and waist circumference (WC) at baseline and after 15% WL. Following 15% body WL, there were significant decreases in %FM and increased %LBM (P < 0.0001). Additionally, both groups saw 76% of WL from FM, and 24% from LBM indicating a 3:1 ratio of FM to LBM loss during the first 15% reduction in body weight. Finally, no significant differences (P = 0.103) between groups for maintenance of WL at 1 y were found. For both groups, baseline FM was found to be negatively correlated with percentage of weight regained (%WR) at 1 y post-WL (r = -0.457; P = 0.007). Baseline WC and rate of WL to 15% were significant predictors of %WR only in the BS group (r = 0.713; P = 0.020). If followed closely by professionals during the first 15% body WL, patients losing 15% weight by either medical or surgical treatments can attain similar FM:LBM loss ratios and can maintain WL for 1 y. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Scaling of Adult Regional Body Mass and Body Composition as a Whole to Height: Relevance to Body Shape and Body Mass Index

    PubMed Central

    Schuna, John M.; Peterson, Courtney M.; Thomas, Diana M.; Heo, Moonseong; Hong, Sangmo; Choi, Woong; Heymsfield, Steven B.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Adult body mass (MB) empirically scales as height (Ht) squared (MB ∝ Ht2), but does regional body mass and body composition as a whole also scale as Ht2? This question is relevant to a wide range of biological topics, including interpretation of body mass index. Methods Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to quantify regional body mass (head [MH], trunk, arms, legs) and whole-body composition (fat, lean soft tissue [LST], and bone mineral content [BMC]) in non-Hispanic (NH) white, NH black, Mexican American, and Korean adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; n=17,126) and Korean NHANES (n=8,942). Regression models were developed to establish Ht scaling powers for each measured component with adjustments for age and adiposity. Results Exploratory analyses revealed a consistent scaling pattern across men and women of the four race/ethnic groups: regional mass powers, head (~0.8-1) < arms and trunk (~1.8-2.3) < legs (~2.3-2.6); and body composition, LST (~2.0-2.3) < BMC (~2.1-2.4). Small sex and race/ethnic differences in scaling powers were also observed. As body mass scaled uniformly across the eight sex and race/ethnic groups as Ht~2, tall and short subjects differed in body shape (e.g., Mh/Mb ∝ Ht−~1) and composition. Conclusions Adult human body shape and relative composition are a function of body size as defined by stature, a finding that has important implications in multiple areas of biological research. PMID:25381999

  15. Does smoking affect body weight and obesity in China?

    PubMed

    Fang, Hai; Ali, Mir M; Rizzo, John A

    2009-12-01

    An inverse relationship between smoking and body weight has been documented in the medical literature, but the effect of cigarette smoking on obesity remains inconclusive. In addition, the evidence is mixed on whether rising obesity rates are an unintended consequence of successful anti-smoking policies. This study re-examines these relationships using data from China, the largest consumer and manufacturer of tobacco in the world that is also experiencing a steady rise in obesity rates. We focus on the impact of the total number of cigarettes smoked per day on individuals' body mass index (BMI) and on the likelihood of being overweight and obese. Instrumental variables estimation is used to correct for the endogeneity of cigarette smoking. We find a moderate negative and significant relationship between cigarette smoking and BMI. Smoking is also negatively related to being overweight and obese, but the marginal effects are small and statistically insignificant for being obese. Quantile regression analyses reveal that the association between smoking and BMI is quite weak among subjects whose BMIs are at the high end of the distribution but are considerably stronger among subjects in the healthy weight range. Ordered probit regression analyses also confirm these findings. Our results thus reconcile an inverse average effect of smoking on body weight with the absence of any significant effect on obesity. From a policy perspective these findings suggest that, while smoking cessation may lead to moderate weight gain among subjects of healthy weight, the effects on obese subjects are modest and should not be expected to lead to a large increase in obesity prevalence rates.

  16. Relationships among depressive symptoms, benefit-finding, optimism, and positive affect in multiple sclerosis patients after psychotherapy for depression.

    PubMed

    Hart, Stacey L; Vella, Lea; Mohr, David C

    2008-03-01

    While many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience psychological problems, such as depression, benefit-finding is commonly reported. Using the Broaden-and-Build Model of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 2001) and the Expectancy-Value Model of optimism (Carver & Scheier, 1998) as two related, yet, distinct conceptual frameworks, this study examined positive affect and optimism as mediators of the relationship between improved depression and enhanced benefit-finding. MS patients (N=127), who participated in a larger, randomized clinical trial comparing two types of telephone psychotherapy for depression, were assessed at baseline, midtherapy (8 weeks), end of therapy (16 weeks), and 6- and 12-month posttherapy. Depression was measured with a telephone administered version of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; Positive Affect was measured with the Positive Affect Subscale from the Positive and Negative Affect Scale; Optimism was measured with the Life Orientation Test-Revised; Benefit-Finding was measured with the revised version of the Stress-Related Growth Scale. Data were analyzed with multilevel random-effects models, controlling for time since MS diagnosis and type of treatment. Improved depression was associated with increased benefit-finding over time. The relationship between improved depression and benefit-finding was significantly mediated by both increased optimism and increased positive affect. Findings provide support to both theoretical models. Positivity appears to promote benefit-finding in MS. Copyright (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

  17. [The life as a caregiver of a person affected by Chorea Huntington: multiple case study].

    PubMed

    Winkler, Evi; Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Mantovan, Franco

    2012-10-01

    Chorea Huntington is an autosomal dominantly inherited, neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to involuntary hyperkinesia, psychotic symptoms and dementia. The illness not only changes the life of the person itself but also the world of the caregivers. The challenges in the care of a person which is affected by Chorea Huntington have an effect on the daily living as an assemblage of natural and social conditions. a multiple case study was conducted. It included semi-structured interviews with three caregivers of people with Chorea Huntington in South Tyrol. The qualitative data was analyzed using the qualitative structured analysis of Mayring (2007). The objective of this study was to describe the phenomenon of change of life from family members that care people affected by Chorea Huntington in a specific cultural setting (South Tyrol, Italy). The caregivers reported that the diagnosis of Chorea Huntington leads to negative changes in "relationship and family". Particularly, frustration, aggression, impatience and apathy were perceived as stressful. At the same time they highlight the positive changes through home care. They report that the relationship became more intimate and integral and it was characterized by more cohesion. Family caregivers get valuable support from the home care service, however, they complain that there is no facility in South Tyrol, which is specialized to care people with Chorea Huntington. Therefore, the caregivers have to "give up a lot" and don't have any personal desires, dreams and expectations for the future. The caregivers have learned independently to deal with their changed life step by step, and to see also the positive effects of the caring role. The life of family caregivers of a person which is affected by Chorea Huntington is characterized by abandonment. A continuous and professional care would be important for the affected and his caregiver. A continuous and professional care is important for both, addressing the

  18. PP043. Oxidative stress in the maternal body also affects the fetus in preeclamptic women with fetal growth restriction.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Kazushi; Iwasaki, Ai; Mori, Toshitaka; Kimura, Chiharu; Matsushita, Hiroshi; Shinohara, Koichi; Wakatsuki, Akihiko

    2013-04-01

    The purpose of the present study was to determine whether oxidative stress occurring in the maternal body also affects the fetus in preeclamptic women with FGR. We ∥@consecutively recruited 17 preeclamptic women with FGR, 16 preeclamptic women without FGR, and 16 healthy pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancy. We measured concentrations of derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) as a marker of oxygen free radicals in a maternal vein, umbilical artery, and umbilical vein. ∥@Maternal d-ROM levels were higher in preeclamptic groups compared to the control group. Umbilical artery and vein d-ROM levels were elevated in preeclamptic women with FGR compared to the control group. Umbilical artery d-ROM levels were significantly higher than in the vein in preeclamptic women with FGR, but not in those without FGR. Umbilical arterial blood pH was significantly lower in preeclamptic women with FGR. The partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in umbilical arterial blood tended to be lower in preeclamptic women with FGR (p=0.08). The partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) in umbilical arterial blood was significantly higher in preeclamptic women with FGR. These results indicate that oxidative stress occurring in the maternal body also affects the fetus in preeclamptic women with FGR. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Copy Number Variations in Candidate Genes and Intergenic Regions Affect Body Mass Index and Abdominal Obesity in Mexican Children

    PubMed Central

    Burguete-García, Ana Isabel; Bonnefond, Amélie; Peralta-Romero, Jesús; Froguel, Philippe

    2017-01-01

    Introduction. Increase in body weight is a gradual process that usually begins in childhood and in adolescence as a result of multiple interactions among environmental and genetic factors. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between copy number variants (CNVs) in five genes and four intergenic regions with obesity in Mexican children. Methods. We studied 1423 children aged 6–12 years. Anthropometric measurements and blood levels of biochemical parameters were obtained. Identification of CNVs was performed by real-time PCR. The effect of CNVs on obesity or body composition was assessed using regression models adjusted for age, gender, and family history of obesity. Results. Gains in copy numbers of LEPR and NEGR1 were associated with decreased body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and risk of abdominal obesity, whereas gain in ARHGEF4 and CPXCR1 and the intergenic regions 12q15c, 15q21.1a, and 22q11.21d and losses in INS were associated with increased BMI and WC. Conclusion. Our results indicate a possible contribution of CNVs in LEPR, NEGR1, ARHGEF4, and CPXCR1 and the intergenic regions 12q15c, 15q21.1a, and 22q11.21d to the development of obesity, particularly abdominal obesity in Mexican children. PMID:28428959

  20. Genome-Wide Association Study for Identifying Loci that Affect Fillet Yield, Carcass, and Body Weight Traits in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

    PubMed

    Gonzalez-Pena, Dianelys; Gao, Guangtu; Baranski, Matthew; Moen, Thomas; Cleveland, Beth M; Kenney, P Brett; Vallejo, Roger L; Palti, Yniv; Leeds, Timothy D

    2016-01-01

    Fillet yield (FY, %) is an economically-important trait in rainbow trout aquaculture that affects production efficiency. Despite that, FY has received little attention in breeding programs because it is difficult to measure on a large number of fish and cannot be directly measured on breeding candidates. The recent development of a high-density SNP array for rainbow trout has provided the needed tool for studying the underlying genetic architecture of this trait. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for FY, body weight at 10 (BW10) and 13 (BW13) months post-hatching, head-off carcass weight (CAR), and fillet weight (FW) in a pedigreed rainbow trout population selectively bred for improved growth performance. The GWAS analysis was performed using the weighted single-step GBLUP method (wssGWAS). Phenotypic records of 1447 fish (1.5 kg at harvest) from 299 full-sib families in three successive generations, of which 875 fish from 196 full-sib families were genotyped, were used in the GWAS analysis. A total of 38,107 polymorphic SNPs were analyzed in a univariate model with hatch year and harvest group as fixed effects, harvest weight as a continuous covariate, and animal and common environment as random effects. A new linkage map was developed to create windows of 20 adjacent SNPs for use in the GWAS. The two windows with largest effect for FY and FW were located on chromosome Omy9 and explained only 1.0-1.5% of genetic variance, thus suggesting a polygenic architecture affected by multiple loci with small effects in this population. One window on Omy5 explained 1.4 and 1.0% of the genetic variance for BW10 and BW13, respectively. Three windows located on Omy27, Omy17, and Omy9 (same window detected for FY) explained 1.7, 1.7, and 1.0%, respectively, of genetic variance for CAR. Among the detected 100 SNPs, 55% were located directly in genes (intron and exons). Nucleotide sequences of intragenic SNPs were blasted to the Mus musculus genome to create a

  1. You are what you eat: diet shapes body composition, personality and behavioural stability.

    PubMed

    Han, Chang S; Dingemanse, Niels J

    2017-01-10

    Behavioural phenotypes vary within and among individuals. While early-life experiences have repeatedly been proposed to underpin interactions between these two hierarchical levels, the environmental factors causing such effects remain under-studied. We tested whether an individual's diet affected both its body composition, average behaviour (thereby causing among-individual variation or 'personality') and within-individual variability in behaviour and body weight (thereby causing among-individual differences in residual within-individual variance or 'stability'), using the Southern field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus as a model. We further asked whether effects of diet on the expression of these variance components were sex-specific. Manipulating both juvenile and adult diet in a full factorial design, individuals were put, in each life-stage, on a diet that was either relatively high in carbohydrates or relatively high in protein. We subsequently measured the expression of multiple behavioural (exploration, aggression and mating activity) and morphological traits (body weight and lipid mass) during adulthood. Dietary history affected both average phenotype and level of within-individual variability: males raised as juveniles on high-protein diets were heavier, more aggressive, more active during mating, and behaviourally less stable, than conspecifics raised on high-carbohydrate diets. Females preferred more protein in their diet compared to males, and dietary history affected average phenotype and within-individual variability in a sex-specific manner: individuals raised on high-protein diets were behaviourally less stable in their aggressiveness but this effect was only present in males. Diet also influenced individual differences in male body weight, but within-individual variance in female body weight. This study thereby provides experimental evidence that dietary history explains both heterogeneous residual within-individual variance (i.e., individual variation

  2. Mind–body interventions

    PubMed Central

    Wahbeh, Helané; Elsas, Siegward-M.; Oken, Barry S.

    2010-01-01

    Objective Half of the adults in the United States use complementary and alternative medicine with mind–body therapy being the most commonly used form. Neurology patients often turn to their physicians for insight into the effectiveness of the therapies and resources to integrate them into their care. The objective of this article is to give a clinical overview of mind–body interventions and their applications in neurology. Methods Medline and PsychInfo were searched on mind–body therapies and neurologic disease search terms for clinical trials and reviews and published evidence was graded. Results Meditation, relaxation, and breathing techniques, yoga, tai chi, and qigong, hypnosis, and biofeedback are described. Mind–body therapy application to general pain, back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, muscular dysfunction, stroke, aging, Parkinson disease, stroke, and attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder are reviewed. Conclusions There are several conditions where the evidence for mind–body therapies is quite strong such as migraine headache. Mind–body therapies for other neurology applications have limited evidence due mostly to small clinical trials and inadequate control groups. PMID:18541886

  3. Body packing and intra-vaginal body pushing of cocaine: A case report.

    PubMed

    Wankhade, Vishwajit Kishor; Chikhalkar, B G

    2018-03-01

    Drug trafficking is an international problem. The prevalence of drug trafficking and newer concealing methods has been ever increasing. Body packing is described as using the abdominal or pelvic cavity for concealing illegal drugs. Body pushers smuggle illicit drugs by inserting them into rectum or vagina. These cases are either presented to the emergency departments as Body Packer Syndrome or as asymptomatic cases for observation, detained for alleged possession of contraband substances. We report a unique case of an asymptomatic white female who was detained at Mumbai International Airport under suspicion and brought to hospital for observation. X ray and CT scan examination revealed 7 wrapped packets in gastrointestinal track and 1 large packet in vagina. A case of female body packer using multiple modalities of concealment especially in vagina is rare in India so it is becomes imperative to present this case in the light of body packing and body pushing of contraband substances. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Health insurance affects the use of disease-modifying therapy in multiple sclerosis

    PubMed Central

    Marrie, Ruth Ann; Salter, Amber R.; Fox, Robert; Cofield, Stacey S.; Tyry, Tuula; Cutter, Gary R.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the association between health insurance coverage and disease-modifying therapy (DMT) use for multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: In 2014, we surveyed participants in the North American Research Committee on MS registry regarding health insurance coverage. We investigated associations between negative insurance change and (1) the type of insurance, (2) DMT use, (3) use of free/discounted drug programs, and (4) insurance challenges using multivariable logistic regressions. Results: Of 6,662 respondents included in the analysis, 6,562 (98.5%) had health insurance, but 1,472 (22.1%) reported negative insurance change compared with 12 months earlier. Respondents with private insurance were more likely to report negative insurance change than any other insurance. Among respondents not taking DMTs, 6.1% cited insurance/financial concerns as the sole reason. Of respondents taking DMTs, 24.7% partially or completely relied on support from free/discounted drug programs. Of respondents obtaining DMTs through insurance, 3.3% experienced initial insurance denial of DMT use, 2.3% encountered insurance denial of DMT switches, and 1.6% skipped or split doses because of increased copay. For respondents with relapsing-remitting MS, negative insurance change increased their odds of not taking DMTs (odds ratio [OR] 1.50; 1.16–1.93), using free/discounted drug programs for DMTs (OR 1.89; 1.40–2.57), and encountering insurance challenges (OR 2.48; 1.64–3.76). Conclusions: Insurance coverage affects DMT use for persons with MS, and use of free/discounted drug programs is substantial and makes economic analysis that ignores these supplements potentially inaccurate. The rising costs of drugs and changing insurance coverage adversely affect access to treatment for persons with MS. PMID:27358338

  5. Investigating the Relation between Women's Body Image and Unconsummated Marriage

    PubMed Central

    Hosseini, Sara; Noroozi, Mahnaz; Montazery, Gita

    2017-01-01

    Background: Unconsummated marriage is considered to be one of the complicated sexual issues that lead to multiple complications and problems for couples as well as the society. It is thought that this disorder is more common in traditional cultures and some religions such as Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between women's body image and unconsummated marriage. Materials and Methods: This was a case-control study which was conducted among 50 women who had an unconsummated marriage (case group) and 100 women who had a consummated marriage (control group) in Isfahan, Iran during 2015–2016. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Results: The total score of body image and all its components had no significant difference between both the groups of the case and the control (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Considering that no relation was found between body image and unconsummated marriage and the religious culture of the Iranian society with conservative sexual norms, investigating unconsummated marriage with emphasis on cultural factors is recommended. Hence, such sexual disorders would be avoided and the number of affected people and challenges can be decreased. PMID:29033990

  6. The Arabidopsis USL1 controls multiple aspects of development by affecting late endosome morphology.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Rongrong; Lan, Jingqiu; Fang, Yuxing; Yu, Hao; Zhang, Jinzhe; Huang, Jiaying; Qin, Genji

    2018-06-13

    The polar transport of auxin controls many aspects of plant development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying auxin tranport regulation remain to be further elucidated. We identified a mutant named as usl1 (unflattened and small leaves) in a genetic screen in Arabidopsis thaliana. The usl1 displayed multiple aspects of developmental defects in leaves, embryogenesis, cotyledons, silique phyllotaxy and lateral roots in addition to abnormal leaves. USL1 encodes a protein orthologous to the yeast vacuolar protein sorting (Vps) 38p and human UV RADIATION RESISTANCE-ASSOCIATED GENE (UVRAG). Cell biology, Co-IP/MS and yeast two-hybrid were used to identify the function of USL1. USL1 colocalizes at the subcellular level with VPS29, a key factor of the retromer complex that controls auxin transport. The morphology of the VPS29-associated late endosomes (LE) is altered from small dots in the wild-type to aberrant enlarged circles in the usl1 mutants. The usl1 mutant synergistically interacts with vps29. We also found that USL1 forms a complex with AtVPS30 and AtVPS34. We propose that USL1 controls multiple aspects of plant development by affecting late endosome morphology and by regulating the PIN1 polarity. Our findings provide a new layer of the understanding on the mechanisms of plant development regulation. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

  7. Use of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to identify interactive meteorological conditions affecting relative throughfall

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Stan, John T.; Gay, Trent E.; Lewis, Elliott S.

    2016-02-01

    Forest canopies alter rainfall reaching the surface by redistributing it as throughfall. Throughfall supplies water and nutrients to a variety of ecohydrological components (soil microbial communities, stream water discharge/chemistry, and stormflow pathways) and is controlled by canopy structural interactions with meteorological conditions across temporal scales. This work introduces and applies multiple correspondence analyses (MCAs) to a range of meteorological thresholds (median intensity, median absolute deviation (MAD) of intensity, median wind-driven droplet inclination angle, and MAD of wind speed) for an example throughfall problem: identification of interacting storm conditions corresponding to temporal concentration in relative throughfall beyond the median observation (⩾73% of rain). MCA results from the example show that equalling or exceeding rain intensity thresholds (median and MAD) corresponded with temporal concentration of relative throughfall across all storms. Under these intensity conditions, two wind mechanisms produced significant correspondences: (1) high, steady wind-driven droplet inclination angles increased surface wetting; and (2) sporadic winds shook entrained droplets from surfaces. A discussion is provided showing that these example MCA findings agree well with previous work relying on more historically common methods (e.g., multiple regression and analytical models). Meteorological threshold correspondences to temporal concentration of relative throughfall at our site may be a function of heavy Tillandsia usneoides coverage. Applications of MCA within other forests may provide useful insights to how temporal throughfall dynamics are affected for drainage pathways dependent on different structures (leaves, twigs, branches, etc.).

  8. Whole-body ultra-low dose CT using spectral shaping for detection of osteolytic lesion in multiple myeloma.

    PubMed

    Suntharalingam, Saravanabavaan; Mikat, Christian; Wetter, Axel; Guberina, Nika; Salem, Ahmed; Heil, Philipp; Forsting, Michael; Nassenstein, Kai

    2018-06-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the radiation dose and image quality of a whole-body low-dose CT (WBLDCT) using spectral shaping at 100 kV (Sn 100 kV) for the assessment of osteolytic lesions in patients with multiple myeloma. Thirty consecutive patients were retrospectively selected, who underwent a WBLDCT on a third-generation dual-source CT (DSCT) (Sn 100 kV, ref. mAs: 130). They were matched with patients, who were examined on a second-generation DSCT with a standard low-dose protocol (100 kV, ref. mAs: 111). Objective and subjective image quality, radiation exposure as well as the frequency of osteolytic lesions were evaluated. All scans were of diagnostic image quality. Subjective overall image quality was significantly higher in the study group (p = 0.0003). Objective image analysis revealed that signal intensities, signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of the bony structures were equal or significantly higher in the control group. There was no significant difference in the frequency of osteolytic lesions (p = 0.259). The median effective dose of the study protocol was significantly lower (1.45 mSv vs. 5.65 mSv; p < 0.0001). WBLDCT with Sn 100 kV can obtain sufficient image quality for the depiction of osteolytic lesions while reducing the radiation dose by approximately 74%. • Spectral shaping using tin filtration is beneficial for whole-body low-dose CT • Sn 100 kV yields sufficient image quality for depiction of osteolytic lesions • Whole-body low-dose CT can be performed with a median dose of 1.5 mSv.

  9. Hashish Body Packing: A Case Report

    PubMed Central

    Soriano-Perez, Manuel Jesus; Serrano-Carrillo, Jose Luis; Marin-Montin, Inmaculada; Cruz-Caballero, Alfonso

    2009-01-01

    A 42-year-old African male was brought by the police to the emergency department under suspicion of drug smuggling by body-packing. Plain abdominal radiograph showed multiple foreign bodies within the gastrointestinal tract. Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT confirmed the findings, and the patient admitted to have swallowed “balls” of hashish. Body-packing is a recognized method of smuggling drugs across international borders. Body packers may present to the emergency department because of drug toxicity, intestinal obstruction, or more commonly, requested by law-enforcement officers for medical confirmation or exclusion of suspected body packing. PMID:19724651

  10. Increasing prosthetic foot energy return affects whole-body mechanics during walking on level ground and slopes.

    PubMed

    Childers, W Lee; Takahashi, Kota Z

    2018-03-29

    Prosthetic feet are designed to store energy during early stance and then release a portion of that energy during late stance. The usefulness of providing more energy return depends on whether or not that energy transfers up the lower limb to aid in whole body propulsion. This research examined how increasing prosthetic foot energy return affected walking mechanics across various slopes. Five people with a uni-lateral transtibial amputation walked on an instrumented treadmill at 1.1 m/s for three conditions (level ground, +7.5°, -7.5°) while wearing a prosthetic foot with a novel linkage system and a traditional energy storage and return foot. The novel foot demonstrated greater range of motion (p = 0.0012), and returned more energy (p = 0.023) compared to the traditional foot. The increased energy correlated with an increase in center of mass (CoM) energy change during propulsion from the prosthetic limb (p = 0.012), and the increased prosthetic limb propulsion correlated to a decrease in CoM energy change (i.e., collision) on the sound limb (p < 0.001). These data indicate that this novel foot was able to return more energy than a traditional prosthetic foot and that this additional energy was used to increase whole body propulsion.

  11. Visuospatial memory computations during whole-body rotations in roll.

    PubMed

    Van Pelt, S; Van Gisbergen, J A M; Medendorp, W P

    2005-08-01

    We used a memory-saccade task to test whether the location of a target, briefly presented before a whole-body rotation in roll, is stored in egocentric or in allocentric coordinates. To make this distinction, we exploited the fact that subjects, when tilted sideways in darkness, make systematic errors when indicating the direction of gravity (an allocentric task) even though they have a veridical percept of their self-orientation in space. We hypothesized that if spatial memory is coded allocentrically, these distortions affect the coding of remembered targets and their readout after a body rotation. Alternatively, if coding is egocentric, updating for body rotation becomes essential and errors in performance should be related to the amount of intervening rotation. Subjects (n = 6) were tested making saccades to remembered world-fixed targets after passive body tilts. Initial and final tilt angle ranged between -120 degrees CCW and 120 degrees CW. The results showed that subjects made large systematic directional errors in their saccades (up to 90 degrees ). These errors did not occur in the absence of intervening body rotation, ruling out a memory degradation effect. Regression analysis showed that the errors were closely related to the amount of subjective allocentric distortion at both the initial and final tilt angle, rather than to the amount of intervening rotation. We conclude that the brain uses an allocentric reference frame, possibly gravity-based, to code visuospatial memories during whole-body tilts. This supports the notion that the brain can define information in multiple frames of reference, depending on sensory inputs and task demands.

  12. Body mass index in ambulatory cerebral palsy patients.

    PubMed

    Feeley, Brian T; Gollapudi, Kiran; Otsuka, Norman Y

    2007-05-01

    Malnutrition is a common problem in children with cerebral palsy. Although malnutrition is often recognized in patients with severe cerebral palsy, it can be unrecognized in less severely affected patients. The consequences of malnutrition are serious, and include decreased muscle strength, poor immune status, and depressed cerebral functioning. Low body mass index has been used as a marker for malnutrition. The purpose of this study was to determine which patients in an ambulatory cerebral palsy patient population were at risk for low body mass index. A retrospective chart review was performed on 75 patients. Age, sex, height, weight, type of cerebral palsy, and functional status [gross motor functional classification system (GMFCS) level] was recorded from the chart. Descriptive statistics with bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. Thirty-eight boys and 37 girls with an average age of 8.11 years were included in the study. Unique to our patient population, all cerebral palsy patients were independent ambulators. Patients with quadriplegic cerebral palsy had a significantly lower body mass index than those with diplegic and hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Patients with a GMFCS III had significantly lower body mass index than those with GMFCS I and II. When multivariate regression analysis to control for age and sex was performed, low body mass index remained associated with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and GMFCS III. Malnutrition is a common health problem in patients with cerebral palsy, leading to significant morbidity in multiple organ systems. We found that in an ambulatory cerebral palsy population, patients with lower functional status or quadriplegia had significantly lower body mass index, suggesting that even highly functioning ambulatory cerebral palsy patients are at risk for malnutrition.

  13. Multiple dietary supplements do not affect metabolic and cardiovascular health

    PubMed Central

    Holloszy, John O.; Fontana, Luigi

    2014-01-01

    Dietary supplements are widely used for health purposes. However, little is known about the metabolic and cardiovascular effects of combinations of popular over-the-counter supplements, each of which has been shown to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and pro-longevity properties in cell culture or animal studies. This study was a 6-month randomized, single-blind controlled trial, in which 56 non-obese (BMI 21.0-29.9 kg/m2) men and women, aged 38 to 55 yr, were assigned to a dietary supplement (SUP) group or control (CON) group, with a 6-month follow-up. The SUP group took 10 dietary supplements each day (100 mg of resveratrol, a complex of 800 mg each of green, black, and white tea extract, 250 mg of pomegranate extract, 650 mg of quercetin, 500 mg of acetyl-l-carnitine, 600 mg of lipoic acid, 900 mg of curcumin, 1 g of sesamin, 1.7 g of cinnamon bark extract, and 1.0 g fish oil). Both the SUP and CON groups took a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement. The main outcome measures were arterial stiffness, endothelial function, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and cardiometabolic risk factors. Twenty-four weeks of daily supplementation with 10 dietary supplements did not affect arterial stiffness or endothelial function in nonobese individuals. These compounds also did not alter body fat measured by DEXA, blood pressure, plasma lipids, glucose, insulin, IGF-1, and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. In summary, supplementation with a combination of popular dietary supplements has no cardiovascular or metabolic effects in non-obese relatively healthy individuals. PMID:24659610

  14. Cognitive and affective theory of mind in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease.

    PubMed

    Heitz, Camille; Noblet, Vincent; Phillipps, Clélie; Cretin, Benjamin; Vogt, Natacha; Philippi, Nathalie; Kemp, Jennifer; de Petigny, Xavier; Bilger, Mathias; Demuynck, Catherine; Martin-Hunyadi, Catherine; Armspach, Jean-Paul; Blanc, Frédéric

    2016-03-16

    Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states, thoughts (cognitive component) or feelings (affective component) to others. This function has been studied in many neurodegenerative diseases; however, to our knowledge, no studies investigating ToM in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) have been published. The aim of our study was to assess ToM in patients with DLB and to search for neural correlates of potential deficits. Thirty-three patients with DLB (DLB group) and 15 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD group), all in the early stage of the disease, as well as 16 healthy elderly control subjects (HC group), were included in the study. After a global cognitive assessment, we used the Faux Pas Recognition (FPR) test, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RME) test and Ekman's Facial Emotion Recognition test to assess cognitive and affective components of ToM. Patients underwent cerebral 3-T magnetic resonance imaging, and atrophy of grey matter was analysed using voxel-based morphometry. We performed a one-sample t test to investigate the correlation between each ToM score and grey matter volume and a two-sample t test to compare patients with DLB impaired with those non-impaired for each test. The DLB group performed significantly worse than the HC group on the FPR test (P = 0.033) and the RME test (P = 0.015). There was no significant difference between the AD group and the HC group or between the DLB group and the AD group. Some brain regions were associated with ToM impairments. The prefrontal cortex, with the inferior frontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex, was the main region, but we also found correlations with the temporoparietal junction, the precuneus, the fusiform gyrus and the insula. This study is the first one to show early impairments of ToM in DLB. The two cognitive and affective components both appear to be affected in this disease. Among patients with ToM difficulties, we found atrophy in brain regions classically

  15. Supersonic Wave Interference Affecting Stability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Love, Eugene S.

    1958-01-01

    Some of the significant interference fields that may affect stability of aircraft at supersonic speeds are briefly summarized. Illustrations and calculations are presented to indicate the importance of interference fields created by wings, bodies, wing-body combinations, jets, and nacelles.

  16. Web-based physiotherapy for people moderately affected with Multiple Sclerosis; quantitative and qualitative data from a randomized, controlled pilot study.

    PubMed

    Paul, Lorna; Coulter, Elaine H; Miller, Linda; McFadyen, Angus; Dorfman, Joe; Mattison, Paul George G

    2014-09-01

    To explore the effectiveness and participant experience of web-based physiotherapy for people moderately affected with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and to provide data to establish the sample size required for a fully powered, definitive randomized controlled study. A randomized controlled pilot study. Rehabilitation centre and participants' homes. Thirty community dwelling adults moderately affected by MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale 5-6.5). Twelve weeks of individualised web-based physiotherapy completed twice per week or usual care (control). Online exercise diaries were monitored; participants were telephoned weekly by the physiotherapist and exercise programmes altered remotely by the physiotherapist as required. The following outcomes were completed at baseline and after 12 weeks; 25 Foot Walk, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale, Leeds MS Quality of Life Scale, MS-Related Symptom Checklist and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The intervention group also completed a website evaluation questionnaire and interviews. Participants reported that website was easy to use, convenient, and motivating and would be happy to use in the future. There was no statistically significant difference in the primary outcome measure, the timed 25ft walk in the intervention group (P=0.170), or other secondary outcome measures, except the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (P=0.048). Effect sizes were generally small to moderate. People with MS were very positive about web-based physiotherapy. The results suggested that 80 participants, 40 in each group, would be sufficient for a fully powered, definitive randomized controlled trial. © The Author(s) 2014.

  17. Effects of controlled whole-body vibration training in improving fall risk factors among individuals with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study.

    PubMed

    Yang, Feng; Finlayson, Marcia; Bethoux, Francois; Su, Xiaogang; Dillon, Loretta; Maldonado, Hector M

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to systematically examine the effect of an 8-week controlled whole-body vibration training on improving fall risk factors and the bone mineral density among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). This study adopted a single group pre-test-post-test design. Twenty-five PwMS (50.3 years SD 14.1) received vibration training on a side-alternating vibration platform. Each training session was repeated three times every week for 8 weeks. Prior to and following the 8-week training course, a battery of fall risk factors were evaluated: the body balance, functional mobility, muscle strength, range of motion, and fear of falling. Bone density at both calcanei was also assessed. Twenty-two participants completed the study. Compared with pre-test, almost all fall risk factors and the bone density measurement were significantly improved at post-test, with moderate to large effect sizes varying between 0.571 and 1.007. The 8-week vibration training was well accepted by PwMS and improved their fall risk factors. The important findings of this study were that vibration training may increase the range of motion of ankle joints on the sagittal plane, lower the fear of falling, and improve bone density. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION An 8-week vibration training course could be well-accepted by people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Vibration training improves the risk factors of falls in people living with MS. Vibration training could be a promising rehabilitation intervention in individuals with MS.

  18. Petrogenesis of the Elephant Moraine A79001 meteorite Multiple magma pulses on the shergottite parent body

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcsween, H. Y., Jr.; Jarosewich, E.

    1983-01-01

    The EETA 79001 achondrite consists of two distinct igneous lithologies joined along a planar, non-brecciated contact. Both are basaltic rocks composed primarily of pigeonite, augite, and maskelynite, but one contains zoned megacrysts of olivine, orthopyroxene, and chromite that represent disaggregated xenoliths of harzburzite. Both lithologies probably formed from successive volcanic flows or multiple injections of magma into a small, shallow chamber. Many similarities between the two virtually synchronous magmas suggest that they are related. Possible mechanisms to explain their differences involve varying degrees of assimilation, fractionation from similar parental magmas, or partial melting of a similar source peridotite; of these, assimilation of the observed megacryst assemblage seems most plausible. However, some isotopic contamination may be required in any of these petrogenetic models. The meteorite has suffered extensive shock metamorphism and localized melting during a large impact event that probably excavated and liberated it from its parent body.

  19. "Doing Gender" at "Body Worlds": Embodying Field Trips as Affective Educational Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, Joyce; Huff, Leah; Bridgen, Jen; Carolan, Andrea; Chang, Ashley; Ennis, Katherine; Loynes, Kathryn; Miller, Jen

    2009-01-01

    This paper discusses the background, experience and outcomes of an explicitly feminist field trip to Gunther von Hagen's "Body Worlds 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies". The cultural landscape of this exhibition materialized gendered geographies very powerfully, facilitating observation and analysis of embodied and emotional,…

  20. Routine activities and emotion in the life of dairy cows: Integrating body language into an affective state framework

    PubMed Central

    de Oliveira, Daiana

    2018-01-01

    We assessed dairy cows’ body postures while they were performing different stationary activities in a loose housing system and then used the variation within and between individuals to identify potential connections between specific postures and the valence and arousal dimensions of emotion. We observed 72 individuals within a single milking herd focusing on their ear, neck and tail positions while they were: feeding from individual roughage bins, being brushed by a mechanical rotating brush and queuing to enter a single automatic milking system. Cows showed different ear, neck and tail postures depending on the situation. When combined, their body posture during feeding was ears back up and neck down, with tail wags directed towards the body, during queuing their ears were mainly axial and forward, their neck below the horizontal and the tail hanging stationary, and during brushing their ears were backwards and asymmetric, the neck horizontal and the tail wagging vigorously. We then placed these findings about cow body posture during routine activities into an arousal/valence framework used in animal emotion research (dimensional model of core affect). In this way we generate a priori predictions of how the positions of the ears, neck and tail of cows may change in other situations, previously demonstrated to vary in valence and arousal. We propose that this new methodology, with its different steps of integration, could contribute to the identification and validation of behavioural (postural) indicators of how positively or negatively cows experience other activities, or situations, and how calm or aroused they are. Although developed here on dairy cattle, by focusing on relevant postures, this approach could be easily adapted to other species. PMID:29718937

  1. Demographic, behavioral, and physical correlates of body esteem among low-income female adolescents.

    PubMed

    Kornblau, Ilyse S; Pearson, Heidi C; Breitkopf, Carmen Radecki

    2007-12-01

    To examine demographic, behavioral, and physical correlates of body esteem among female adolescents of lower socioeconomic background. Data were collected in a women's health clinic in southeast Texas as part of a larger investigation. A total of 271 female individuals aged 16-21 years completed the Body Esteem Scale (BES), which yields scores for total body esteem, sexual attractiveness, weight concern, and physical condition. Participants answered questions regarding smoking and the presence of acne. Height and weight were measured by a nurse using standard instrumentation and technique. Of the participants, 35% were African-American, 31% white, and 34% Hispanic; and 48% reported an annual household income less than $20,000. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.1 (SD = 6.5). Race/ethnicity was associated with total body esteem, sexual attractiveness, weight esteem, and physical condition (all p < .01). African-American participants demonstrated greater body esteem on all scales relative to white participants. Adolescents reporting annual household incomes less than $20,000 (vs. greater) demonstrated higher overall body esteem, sexual attractiveness, and physical condition (all p < .01). Current smokers (vs. non-smokers) reported lower physical condition (p < .01), lower weight concern (p < .05), and lower overall body esteem (p < .02). BMI was associated with weight concern (p < .001) and total body esteem (p = .05). Adolescents reporting acne (vs. not) reported lower scores for total body esteem, sexual attractiveness, and weight concern (all p < .05). Body esteem among adolescent females is affected by demographic, physical, and behavioral variables. Results highlight the importance of measuring multiple dimensions of body esteem.

  2. Multiple contexts and adolescent body mass index: Schools, neighborhoods, and social networks.

    PubMed

    Evans, Clare R; Onnela, Jukka-Pekka; Williams, David R; Subramanian, S V

    2016-08-01

    Adolescent health and behaviors are influenced by multiple contexts, including schools, neighborhoods, and social networks, yet these contexts are rarely considered simultaneously. In this study we combine social network community detection analysis and cross-classified multilevel modeling in order to compare the contributions of each of these three contexts to the total variation in adolescent body mass index (BMI). Wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health is used, and for robustness we conduct the analysis in both the core sample (122 schools; N = 14,144) and a sub-set of the sample (16 schools; N = 3335), known as the saturated sample due to its completeness of neighborhood data. After adjusting for relevant covariates, we find that the school-level and neighborhood-level contributions to the variance are modest compared with the network community-level (σ(2)school = 0.069, σ(2)neighborhood = 0.144, σ(2)network = 0.463). These results are robust to two alternative algorithms for specifying network communities, and to analysis in the saturated sample. While this study does not determine whether network effects are attributable to social influence or selection, it does highlight the salience of adolescent social networks and indicates that they may be a promising context to address in the design of health promotion programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Longitudinal multiple imputation approaches for body mass index or other variables with very low individual-level variability: the mibmi command in Stata.

    PubMed

    Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Parisi, Rosa; Springate, David A; Reeves, David

    2017-01-13

    In modern health care systems, the computerization of all aspects of clinical care has led to the development of large data repositories. For example, in the UK, large primary care databases hold millions of electronic medical records, with detailed information on diagnoses, treatments, outcomes and consultations. Careful analyses of these observational datasets of routinely collected data can complement evidence from clinical trials or even answer research questions that cannot been addressed in an experimental setting. However, 'missingness' is a common problem for routinely collected data, especially for biological parameters over time. Absence of complete data for the whole of a individual's study period is a potential bias risk and standard complete-case approaches may lead to biased estimates. However, the structure of the data values makes standard cross-sectional multiple-imputation approaches unsuitable. In this paper we propose and evaluate mibmi, a new command for cleaning and imputing longitudinal body mass index data. The regression-based data cleaning aspects of the algorithm can be useful when researchers analyze messy longitudinal data. Although the multiple imputation algorithm is computationally expensive, it performed similarly or even better to existing alternatives, when interpolating observations. The mibmi algorithm can be a useful tool for analyzing longitudinal body mass index data, or other longitudinal data with very low individual-level variability.

  4. Technology-Aided Leisure and Communication Opportunities for Two Post-Coma Persons Emerged from a Minimally Conscious State and Affected by Multiple Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lancioni, Giulio E.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Buonocunto, Francesca; Sacco, Valentina; Navarro, Jorge; Lanzilotti, Crocifissa; De Tommaso, Marina; Megna, Marisa; Oliva, Doretta

    2013-01-01

    This study assessed technology-aided programs for helping two post-coma persons, who had emerged from a minimally conscious state and were affected by multiple disabilities, to (a) engage with leisure stimuli and request caregiver's procedures, (b) send out and listen to text messages for communication with distant partners, and (c) combine…

  5. Body ownership promotes visual awareness.

    PubMed

    van der Hoort, Björn; Reingardt, Maria; Ehrsson, H Henrik

    2017-08-17

    The sense of ownership of one's body is important for survival, e.g., in defending the body against a threat. However, in addition to affecting behavior, it also affects perception of the world. In the case of visuospatial perception, it has been shown that the sense of ownership causes external space to be perceptually scaled according to the size of the body. Here, we investigated the effect of ownership on another fundamental aspect of visual perception: visual awareness. In two binocular rivalry experiments, we manipulated the sense of ownership of a stranger's hand through visuotactile stimulation while that hand was one of the rival stimuli. The results show that ownership, but not mere visuotactile stimulation, increases the dominance of the hand percept. This effect is due to a combination of longer perceptual dominance durations and shorter suppression durations. Together, these results suggest that the sense of body ownership promotes visual awareness.

  6. Examining substance use and affective processes as multivariate risk factors associated with overweight body mass among treatment-seeking smokers.

    PubMed

    Farris, Samantha G; Zvolensky, Michael J; Robles, Zuzuky; Schmidt, Norman B

    2015-01-01

    Cigarette smoking and obesity are two major public health problems. However, factors related to the underlying risk for being overweight are not well established. Certain demographic, smoking, and psychological factors have been linked to overweight/obese body mass. The current study examined a multivariate risk model, stratified by gender, in order to better explicate the nature of overweight body mass among daily smokers. In a sample of treatment-seeking smokers (n = 395), among males and females, (1) older age, (2) stronger expectancies about the weight/appetite control effects of smoking, (3) greater smoking-based inflexibility/avoidance due to smoking-related sensations, and (4) less problematic alcohol use, were associated with being overweight. Additionally, among males, having a tobacco-related medical problem and higher tolerance for physical discomfort aided in the discriminant function model for classifying smokers as overweight. Together, numerous cognitive-affective vulnerabilities and smoking processes may be targetable and potentially inform weight-related prevention programs among smokers.

  7. Emotions, affects and the production of social life.

    PubMed

    Fox, Nick J

    2015-06-01

    While many aspects of social life possess an emotional component, sociology needs to explore explicitly the part emotions play in producing the social world and human history. This paper turns away from individualistic and anthropocentric emphases upon the experience of feelings and emotions, attending instead to an exploration of flows of 'affect' (meaning simply a capacity to affect or be affected) between bodies, things, social institutions and abstractions. It establishes a materialist sociology of affects that acknowledges emotions as a part, but only a part, of a more generalized affective flow that produces bodies and the social world. From this perspective, emotions are not a peculiarly remarkable outcome of the confluence of biology and culture, but part of a continuum of affectivity that links human bodies to their physical and social environment. This enhances sociological understanding of the part emotions play in shaping actions and capacities in many settings of sociological concern. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2015.

  8. Physical performance and its association with anthropometric and body composition variables in the elderly.

    PubMed

    Silva, Nathalie de Almeida; Pedraza, Dixis Figueroa; de Menezes, Tarciana Nobre

    2015-12-01

    The aging process leads to biological changes that affect the physical performance and nutritional status of older adults. The objective this study is to determine the association between physical performance and anthropometric and body composition variables in the elderly. This is a cross-sectional study. Were assessed: sex, age, handgrip strength (HGS), flexibility/mobility, balance, body mass index, waist and calf circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, arm fat area and arm muscle circumference. Multiple logistic regression was used (p<0.05). Overall, 420 elderly were evaluated. Malnourished individuals were more likely to show poor HGS. Elderly aged 70-79 years, 80 years or older and those malnourished were more likely to show poor balance. Older women were less likely to show poor flexibility/mobility. We conclude that lowercalf circumferencewas associatedwithworse performance inHGSand balance.The ageincreased the chanceof the elderlypresentinstability.The flexibility/mobilitydoesn't seem tobe influenced bychanges in body composition. Therefore, these resultsmay beimportantguidingspecific actionsto ensurehealthy aging.

  9. The ASYMMETRIC LEAVES Complex Employs Multiple Modes of Regulation to Affect Adaxial-Abaxial Patterning and Leaf Complexity.

    PubMed

    Husbands, Aman Y; Benkovics, Anna H; Nogueira, Fabio T S; Lodha, Mukesh; Timmermans, Marja C P

    2015-12-01

    Flattened leaf architecture is not a default state but depends on positional information to precisely coordinate patterns of cell division in the growing primordium. This information is provided, in part, by the boundary between the adaxial (top) and abaxial (bottom) domains of the leaf, which are specified via an intricate gene regulatory network whose precise circuitry remains poorly defined. Here, we examined the contribution of the ASYMMETRIC LEAVES (AS) pathway to adaxial-abaxial patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana and demonstrate that AS1-AS2 affects this process via multiple, distinct regulatory mechanisms. AS1-AS2 uses Polycomb-dependent and -independent mechanisms to directly repress the abaxial determinants MIR166A, YABBY5, and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR3 (ARF3), as well as a nonrepressive mechanism in the regulation of the adaxial determinant TAS3A. These regulatory interactions, together with data from prior studies, lead to a model in which the sequential polarization of determinants, including AS1-AS2, explains the establishment and maintenance of adaxial-abaxial leaf polarity. Moreover, our analyses show that the shared repression of ARF3 by the AS and trans-acting small interfering RNA (ta-siRNA) pathways intersects with additional AS1-AS2 targets to affect multiple nodes in leaf development, impacting polarity as well as leaf complexity. These data illustrate the surprisingly multifaceted contribution of AS1-AS2 to leaf development showing that, in conjunction with the ta-siRNA pathway, AS1-AS2 keeps the Arabidopsis leaf both flat and simple. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  10. Facilitated early cortical processing of nude human bodies.

    PubMed

    Alho, Jussi; Salminen, Nelli; Sams, Mikko; Hietanen, Jari K; Nummenmaa, Lauri

    2015-07-01

    Functional brain imaging has identified specialized neural systems supporting human body perception. Responses to nude vs. clothed bodies within this system are amplified. However, it remains unresolved whether nude and clothed bodies are processed by same cerebral networks or whether processing of nude bodies recruits additional affective and arousal processing areas. We recorded simultaneous MEG and EEG while participants viewed photographs of clothed and nude bodies. Global field power revealed a peak ∼145ms after stimulus onset to both clothed and nude bodies, and ∼205ms exclusively to nude bodies. Nude-body-sensitive responses were centered first (100-200ms) in the extrastriate and fusiform body areas, and subsequently (200-300ms) in affective-motivational areas including insula and anterior cingulate cortex. We conclude that visibility of sexual features facilitates early cortical processing of human bodies, the purpose of which is presumably to trigger sexual behavior and ultimately ensure reproduction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The Naked Truth: The Face and Body Sensitive N170 Response Is Enhanced for Nude Bodies

    PubMed Central

    Hietanen, Jari K.; Nummenmaa, Lauri

    2011-01-01

    Recent event-related potential studies have shown that the occipitotemporal N170 component - best known for its sensitivity to faces - is also sensitive to perception of human bodies. Considering that in the timescale of evolution clothing is a relatively new invention that hides the bodily features relevant for sexual selection and arousal, we investigated whether the early N170 brain response would be enhanced to nude over clothed bodies. In two experiments, we measured N170 responses to nude bodies, bodies wearing swimsuits, clothed bodies, faces, and control stimuli (cars). We found that the N170 amplitude was larger to opposite and same-sex nude vs. clothed bodies. Moreover, the N170 amplitude increased linearly as the amount of clothing decreased from full clothing via swimsuits to nude bodies. Strikingly, the N170 response to nude bodies was even greater than that to faces, and the N170 amplitude to bodies was independent of whether the face of the bodies was visible or not. All human stimuli evoked greater N170 responses than did the control stimulus. Autonomic measurements and self-evaluations showed that nude bodies were affectively more arousing compared to the other stimulus categories. We conclude that the early visual processing of human bodies is sensitive to the visibility of the sex-related features of human bodies and that the visual processing of other people's nude bodies is enhanced in the brain. This enhancement is likely to reflect affective arousal elicited by nude bodies. Such facilitated visual processing of other people's nude bodies is possibly beneficial in identifying potential mating partners and competitors, and for triggering sexual behavior. PMID:22110574

  12. Multiple sclerosis lesions affect intrinsic functional connectivity of the spinal cord.

    PubMed

    Conrad, Benjamin N; Barry, Robert L; Rogers, Baxter P; Maki, Satoshi; Mishra, Arabinda; Thukral, Saakshi; Sriram, Subramaniam; Bhatia, Aashim; Pawate, Siddharama; Gore, John C; Smith, Seth A

    2018-06-01

    Patients with multiple sclerosis present with focal lesions throughout the spinal cord. There is a clinical need for non-invasive measurements of spinal cord activity and functional organization in multiple sclerosis, given the cord's critical role in the disease. Recent reports of spontaneous blood oxygenation level-dependent fluctuations in the spinal cord using functional MRI suggest that, like the brain, cord activity at rest is organized into distinct, synchronized functional networks among grey matter regions, likely related to motor and sensory systems. Previous studies looking at stimulus-evoked activity in the spinal cord of patients with multiple sclerosis have demonstrated increased levels of activation as well as a more bilateral distribution of activity compared to controls. Functional connectivity studies of brain networks in multiple sclerosis have revealed widespread alterations, which may take on a dynamic trajectory over the course of the disease, with compensatory increases in connectivity followed by decreases associated with structural damage. We build upon this literature by examining functional connectivity in the spinal cord of patients with multiple sclerosis. Using ultra-high field 7 T imaging along with processing strategies for robust spinal cord functional MRI and lesion identification, the present study assessed functional connectivity within cervical cord grey matter of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (n = 22) compared to a large sample of healthy controls (n = 56). Patient anatomical images were rated for lesions by three independent raters, with consensus ratings revealing 19 of 22 patients presented with lesions somewhere in the imaged volume. Linear mixed models were used to assess effects of lesion location on functional connectivity. Analysis in control subjects demonstrated a robust pattern of connectivity among ventral grey matter regions as well as a distinct network among dorsal regions. A gender effect

  13. Microsatellite mapping of QTL affecting growth, feed consumption, egg production, tonic immobility and body temperature of Japanese quail.

    PubMed

    Minvielle, Francis; Kayang, Boniface B; Inoue-Murayama, Miho; Miwa, Mitsuru; Vignal, Alain; Gourichon, David; Neau, André; Monvoisin, Jean-Louis; Ito, Shin'ichi

    2005-06-08

    The Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) is both an animal model in biology and a commercial bird for egg and meat production. Modern research developments with this bird, however, have been slowed down by the limited information that is available on the genetics of the Japanese quail. Recently, quail genetic maps with microsatellites and AFLP have been produced which open the way to comparative works with the chicken (Gallus gallus), and to QTL detection for a variety of traits. The purpose of this work was to detect for the first time QTL for commercial traits and for more basic characters in an F2 experiment with 434 female quail, and to compare the nature and the position of the detected QTL with those from the first chicken genome scans carried out during the last few years. Genome-wide significant or suggestive QTL were found for clutch length, body weight and feed intake on CJA01, age at first egg and egg number on CJA06, and eggshell weight and residual feed intake on CJA20, with possible pleiotropy for the QTL affecting body weight and feed intake, and egg number and age at first egg. A suggestive QTL was found for tonic immobility on CJA01, and chromosome-wide significant QTL for body temperature were detected on CJA01 and CJA03. Other chromosome-wide significant QTL were found on CJA02, CJA05, CJA09 and CJA14. Parent-of-origin effects were found for QTL for body weight and feed intake on CJA01. Despite its limited length, the first quail microsatellite map was useful to detect new QTL for rarely reported traits, like residual feed intake, and to help establish some correspondence between the QTL for feed intake, body weight and tonic immobility detected in the present work and those reported on GGA01 in the chicken. Further comparative work is now possible in order to better estimate and understand the genetic similarities and differences of these two Phasianidae species.

  14. Automated Planar Tracking the Waving Bodies of Multiple Zebrafish Swimming in Shallow Water.

    PubMed

    Wang, Shuo Hong; Cheng, Xi En; Qian, Zhi-Ming; Liu, Ye; Chen, Yan Qiu

    2016-01-01

    Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is one of the most widely used model organisms in collective behavior research. Multi-object tracking with high speed camera is currently the most feasible way to accurately measure their motion states for quantitative study of their collective behavior. However, due to difficulties such as their similar appearance, complex body deformation and frequent occlusions, it is a big challenge for an automated system to be able to reliably track the body geometry of each individual fish. To accomplish this task, we propose a novel fish body model that uses a chain of rectangles to represent fish body. Then in detection stage, the point of maximum curvature along fish boundary is detected and set as fish nose point. Afterwards, in tracking stage, we firstly apply Kalman filter to track fish head, then use rectangle chain fitting to fit fish body, which at the same time further judge the head tracking results and remove the incorrect ones. At last, a tracklets relinking stage further solves trajectory fragmentation due to occlusion. Experiment results show that the proposed tracking system can track a group of zebrafish with their body geometry accurately even when occlusion occurs from time to time.

  15. Heat Shock Factor 1 Deficiency Affects Systemic Body Temperature Regulation.

    PubMed

    Ingenwerth, Marc; Noichl, Erik; Stahr, Anna; Korf, Horst-Werner; Reinke, Hans; von Gall, Charlotte

    2016-01-01

    Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is a ubiquitous heat-sensitive transcription factor that mediates heat shock protein transcription in response to cellular stress, such as increased temperature, in order to protect the organism against misfolded proteins. In this study, we analysed the effect of HSF1 deficiency on core body temperature regulation. Body temperature, locomotor activity, and food consumption of wild-type mice and HSF1-deficient mice were recorded. Prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels were measured by ELISA. Gene expression in brown adipose tissue was analysed by quantitative real-time PCR. Hypothalamic HSF1 and its co-localisation with tyrosine hydroxylase was analysed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. HSF1-deficient mice showed an increase in core body temperature (hyperthermia), decreased overall locomotor activity, and decreased levels of prolactin in pituitary and blood plasma reminiscent of cold adaptation. HSF1 could be detected in various hypothalamic regions involved in temperature regulation, suggesting a potential role of HSF1 in hypothalamic thermoregulation. Moreover, HSF1 co-localises with tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis, suggesting a potential role of HSF1 in the hypothalamic control of prolactin release. In brown adipose tissue, levels of prolactin receptor and uncoupled protein 1 were increased in HSF1-deficient mice, consistent with an up-regulation of heat production. Our data suggest a role of HSF1 in systemic thermoregulation. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Can community consciousness be a bad thing? A moderated mediation analysis of heterosexism, mental health, and body appreciation in sexual minority men

    PubMed Central

    Simpson, Courtney C.; Sutter, Megan; Perrin, Paul B.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the connections among heterosexism, mental health, body appreciation, and community consciousness in sexual minority men. Participants (N = 89) completed a national online survey. Simultaneous multiple regression found that heterosexism explained 9.4% of the variance in body appreciation and 25.8% of the variance in mental health; mental health accounted for 28.0% of the variance in body appreciation. Within these models, harassment/rejection heterosexism was a unique positive predictor of mental health and a unique negative predictor of body appreciation; depression was a unique negative predictor of body appreciation. A moderated mediational model found that depression mediated the relationship between harassment/rejection heterosexism and body appreciation, but only in men who endorsed high community consciousness. Intervention research might benefit from helping sexual minority men explore the ways in which body image is affected by heterosexism and mental health, as well as the ways that contemporary Western gay communities might contribute to these connections. PMID:27210047

  17. Can community consciousness be a bad thing? A moderated mediation analysis of heterosexism, mental health and body appreciation in sexual minority men.

    PubMed

    Simpson, Courtney C; Sutter, Megan; Perrin, Paul B

    2016-11-01

    This study examined the connections between heterosexism, mental health, body appreciation and community consciousness in sexual minority men (SMM). Participants (n = 89) completed a national online survey. Simultaneous multiple regressions found that heterosexism explained 9.4% of the variance in body appreciation and 25.8% of the variance in mental health; mental health accounted for 28.0% of the variance in body appreciation. Within these models, harassment/rejection heterosexism was a unique positive predictor of mental health problems and a unique negative predictor of body appreciation; depression was a unique negative predictor of body appreciation. A moderated mediational model found that depression mediated the relationship between harassment/rejection heterosexism and body appreciation, but only in men who endorsed high community consciousness. Intervention research might benefit from helping SMM explore the ways in which body image is affected by heterosexism and mental health, as well as the ways that contemporary Western gay communities might contribute to these connections.

  18. Representations of body and space: theoretical concepts and controversies.

    PubMed

    Trojan, Jörg

    2015-09-01

    Recent years have seen a revived interest in how body and space are represented perceptually and how they affect human cognition and behaviour. Various conceptualisations of body and space have been proposed, alternately stressing neurophysiological, cognitive, or social aspects, but unified approaches are scarce. This short paper will give an overview of different views on body and space. At least three relevant dimensions can be identified in which concepts of body and space may differ: (1) perspective: while we conceptually differentiate between body and space perception, they imply each other and the underlying mechanisms overlap. (2) Level: representations of body and space may emerge at different processing levels, from spinal mechanisms guiding reflex movements to those we construct in our imagination. (3) Affect: representations of body and space are closely linked to affect, but this relationship has not received enough attention yet. Despite many empirical findings, our current views on body and space representations remain ambiguous. One problem may lie in the implicit diversity of "bodies" and "spaces" examined in different studies. Specifications of these concepts may help understand existing results better and are important for guiding future research.

  19. Increasing bone sclerosis during bortezomib therapy in multiple myeloma patients: results of a reduced-dose whole-body MDCT study.

    PubMed

    Schulze, Maximilian; Weisel, Katja; Grandjean, Caroline; Oehrlein, Katharina; Zago, Manola; Spira, Daniel; Horger, Marius

    2014-01-01

    The objective of our study was to assess the frequency, location, extent, and patterns of bone sclerosis occurring in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) during bortezomib-based therapy. From June 2003 through December 2011, 593 whole-body reduced-dose MDCT studies were performed of 79 consecutive patients receiving bortezomib. The median surveillance time was 21 months (range, 3-67 months). Baseline studies were compared with follow-up studies during therapy (follow-up 1), at the end of therapy (follow-up 2), and 12 months after cessation of bortezomib therapy (follow-up 3). We recorded any sclerotic change occurring inside or along the margins of the osteolytic lesions, in the cancellous bone, or inside preexistent medullary or extramedullary lesions. The time point of occurrence of bone sclerosis was correlated with the best hematologic response category. Fourteen (17.7%) patients developed focal (n = 11) or diffuse (n = 3) bone sclerosis. The time window from bortezomib initiation to radiographic detection of bone sclerosis was 8 months (SD, 7 months). Sclerosis occurred at multiple sites (n = 7) or at an isolated site (n = 7). On subsequent whole-body reduced-dose MDCT studies, sclerosis further increased in seven (50%) patients. Hematologic best response during bortezomib treatment was complete response (n = 1), very good partial response (n = 2), partial response (n = 8), and stable disease (n = 3). Radiologic response at the time of sclerosis detection was partial response (n = 8), stable disease (n = 2), and progressive disease (n = 4). Bone remineralization may occur during bortezomib-based therapy for MM in a substantial proportion of patients. The extent, location, and patterns of sclerosis differ among patients and are unpredictable. Sclerosis was documented even in patients showing suboptimal hematologic response.

  20. The association between sexual satisfaction and body image in women.

    PubMed

    Pujols, Yasisca; Seal, Brooke N; Meston, Cindy M

    2010-02-01

    Although sexual functioning has been linked to sexual satisfaction, it only partially explains the degree to which women report being sexually satisfied. Other factors include quality of life, relational variables, and individual factors such as body image. Of the few studies that have investigated the link between body image and sexual satisfaction, most have considered body image to be a single construct and have shown mixed results. The present study assessed multiple body image variables in order to better understand which aspects of body image influence multiple domains of sexual satisfaction, including sexual communication, compatibility, contentment, personal concern, and relational concern in a community sample of women. Women between the ages of 18 and 49 years in sexual relationships (N = 154) participated in an Internet survey that assessed sexual functioning, five domains of sexual satisfaction, and several body image variables. Body image variables included the sexual attractiveness, weight concern, and physical condition subscales of the Body Esteem Scale, the appearance-based subscale of the Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity Scale, and body mass index. Total score of the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women was the main outcome measure. Sexual functioning was measured by a modified Female Sexual Function Index. Consistent with expectations, correlations indicated significant positive relationships between sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and all body image variables. A multiple regression analysis revealed that sexual satisfaction was predicted by high body esteem and low frequency of appearance-based distracting thoughts during sexual activity, even after controlling for sexual functioning status. Several aspects of body image, including weight concern, physical condition, sexual attractiveness, and thoughts about the body during sexual activity predict sexual satisfaction in women. The findings suggest that women who experience

  1. The Association Between Sexual Satisfaction and Body Image in Women

    PubMed Central

    Pujols, Yasisca; Meston, Cindy M.; Seal, Brooke N.

    2010-01-01

    Introduction Although sexual functioning has been linked to sexual satisfaction, it only partially explains the degree to which women report being sexually satisfied. Other factors include quality of life, relational variables, and individual factors such as body image. Of the few studies that have investigated the link between body image and sexual satisfaction, most have considered body image to be a single construct and have shown mixed results. Aim The present study assessed multiple body image variables in order to better understand which aspects of body image influence multiple domains of sexual satisfaction, including sexual communication, compatibility, contentment, personal concern, and relational concern in a community sample of women. Methods Women between the ages of 18 and 49 years in sexual relationships (N = 154) participated in an Internet survey that assessed sexual functioning, five domains of sexual satisfaction, and several body image variables. Main Outcome Measures Body image variables included the sexual attractiveness, weight concern, and physical condition subscales of the Body Esteem Scale, the appearance-based subscale of the Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity Scale, and body mass index. Total score of the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women was the main outcome measure. Sexual functioning was measured by a modified Female Sexual Function Index. Results Consistent with expectations, correlations indicated significant positive relationships between sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and all body image variables. A multiple regression analysis revealed that sexual satisfaction was predicted by high body esteem and low frequency of appearance-based distracting thoughts during sexual activity, even after controlling for sexual functioning status. Conclusion Several aspects of body image, including weight concern, physical condition, sexual attractiveness, and thoughts about the body during sexual activity predict sexual

  2. The body fades away: investigating the effects of transparency of an embodied virtual body on pain threshold and body ownership.

    PubMed

    Martini, Matteo; Kilteni, Konstantina; Maselli, Antonella; Sanchez-Vives, Maria V

    2015-09-29

    The feeling of "ownership" over an external dummy/virtual body (or body part) has been proven to have both physiological and behavioural consequences. For instance, the vision of an "embodied" dummy or virtual body can modulate pain perception. However, the impact of partial or total invisibility of the body on physiology and behaviour has been hardly explored since it presents obvious difficulties in the real world. In this study we explored how body transparency affects both body ownership and pain threshold. By means of virtual reality, we presented healthy participants with a virtual co-located body with four different levels of transparency, while participants were tested for pain threshold by increasing ramps of heat stimulation. We found that the strength of the body ownership illusion decreases when the body gets more transparent. Nevertheless, in the conditions where the body was semi-transparent, higher levels of ownership over a see-through body resulted in an increased pain sensitivity. Virtual body ownership can be used for the development of pain management interventions. However, we demonstrate that providing invisibility of the body does not increase pain threshold. Therefore, body transparency is not a good strategy to decrease pain in clinical contexts, yet this remains to be tested.

  3. The body fades away: investigating the effects of transparency of an embodied virtual body on pain threshold and body ownership

    PubMed Central

    Martini, Matteo; Kilteni, Konstantina; Maselli, Antonella; Sanchez-Vives, Maria V.

    2015-01-01

    The feeling of “ownership” over an external dummy/virtual body (or body part) has been proven to have both physiological and behavioural consequences. For instance, the vision of an “embodied” dummy or virtual body can modulate pain perception. However, the impact of partial or total invisibility of the body on physiology and behaviour has been hardly explored since it presents obvious difficulties in the real world. In this study we explored how body transparency affects both body ownership and pain threshold. By means of virtual reality, we presented healthy participants with a virtual co-located body with four different levels of transparency, while participants were tested for pain threshold by increasing ramps of heat stimulation. We found that the strength of the body ownership illusion decreases when the body gets more transparent. Nevertheless, in the conditions where the body was semi-transparent, higher levels of ownership over a see-through body resulted in an increased pain sensitivity. Virtual body ownership can be used for the development of pain management interventions. However, we demonstrate that providing invisibility of the body does not increase pain threshold. Therefore, body transparency is not a good strategy to decrease pain in clinical contexts, yet this remains to be tested. PMID:26415748

  4. Glancing and Then Looking: On the Role of Body, Affect, and Meaning in Cognitive Control

    PubMed Central

    Su, Li; Bowman, Howard; Barnard, Philip

    2011-01-01

    In humans, there is a trade-off between the need to respond optimally to the salient environmental stimuli and the need to meet our long-term goals. This implies that a system of salience sensitive control exists, which trades task-directed processing off against monitoring and responding to potentially high salience stimuli that are irrelevant to the current task. Much cognitive control research has attempted to understand these mechanisms using non-affective stimuli. However, recent research has emphasized the importance of emotions, which are a major factor in the prioritization of competing stimuli and in directing attention. While relatively mature theories of cognitive control exist for non-affective settings, exactly how emotions modulate cognitive processes is less well understood. The attentional blink (AB) task is a useful experimental paradigm to reveal the dynamics of both cognitive and affective control in humans. Hence, we have developed the glance–look model, which has replicated a broad profile of data on the semantic AB task and characterized how attentional deployment is modulated by emotion. Taking inspiration from Barnard’s Interacting Cognitive Subsystems, the model relies on a distinction between two levels of meaning: implicational and propositional, which are supported by two corresponding mental subsystems: the glance and the look respectively. In our model, these two subsystems reflect the central engine of cognitive control and executive function. In particular, the interaction within the central engine dynamically establishes a task filter for salient stimuli using a neurobiologically inspired learning mechanism. In addition, the somatic contribution of emotional effects is modeled by a body-state subsystem. We argue that stimulus-driven interaction among these three subsystems governs the movement of control between them. The model also predicts attenuation effects and fringe awareness during the AB. PMID:22194729

  5. Glancing and then looking: on the role of body, affect, and meaning in cognitive control.

    PubMed

    Su, Li; Bowman, Howard; Barnard, Philip

    2011-01-01

    In humans, there is a trade-off between the need to respond optimally to the salient environmental stimuli and the need to meet our long-term goals. This implies that a system of salience sensitive control exists, which trades task-directed processing off against monitoring and responding to potentially high salience stimuli that are irrelevant to the current task. Much cognitive control research has attempted to understand these mechanisms using non-affective stimuli. However, recent research has emphasized the importance of emotions, which are a major factor in the prioritization of competing stimuli and in directing attention. While relatively mature theories of cognitive control exist for non-affective settings, exactly how emotions modulate cognitive processes is less well understood. The attentional blink (AB) task is a useful experimental paradigm to reveal the dynamics of both cognitive and affective control in humans. Hence, we have developed the glance-look model, which has replicated a broad profile of data on the semantic AB task and characterized how attentional deployment is modulated by emotion. Taking inspiration from Barnard's Interacting Cognitive Subsystems, the model relies on a distinction between two levels of meaning: implicational and propositional, which are supported by two corresponding mental subsystems: the glance and the look respectively. In our model, these two subsystems reflect the central engine of cognitive control and executive function. In particular, the interaction within the central engine dynamically establishes a task filter for salient stimuli using a neurobiologically inspired learning mechanism. In addition, the somatic contribution of emotional effects is modeled by a body-state subsystem. We argue that stimulus-driven interaction among these three subsystems governs the movement of control between them. The model also predicts attenuation effects and fringe awareness during the AB.

  6. The effects of body exposure on self-body image and esthetic appreciation in anorexia nervosa.

    PubMed

    Cazzato, Valentina; Mian, Emanuel; Mele, Sonia; Tognana, Giulia; Todisco, Patrizia; Urgesi, Cosimo

    2016-03-01

    Repeated exposures to thin-idealized body shapes may alter women's perceptions of what normal (e.g., accepted) and ideal (e.g., desired) bodies in a cultural environment look like. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to thin and round body shapes may change the subsequent esthetic appreciation of others' bodies and the perceptual and cognitive-affective dimensions of self-body image in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa (AN). Thirteen AN patients and 13 matched healthy controls were exposed to pictures of either thin or round unfamiliar body models and, before and after exposure, they were required to either express liking judgments about round and slim figures of unfamiliar bodies (esthetic task) or to adjust distorted pictures of their own body to their perceptual (How do you see yourself?), affective (How do you feel yourself?), metacognitive (How do others see you?) and ideal (How would you like to look like?) body image (self-body adjustment task). Brief exposures to round models increased liking judgments of round figures in both groups. However, only in AN patients, exposure to round models induced an increase in thin figures liking, which positively correlated with their preoccupation with dieting. Furthermore, exposure to round bodies in AN patients, but not in controls, increased the distortion for the perceptual body image and decreased the size of the ideal one. No differences between the two groups were obtained after adaptation to thin models. Our results suggest that AN patients' perception of their own and others' body is more easily malleable by exposure to round figures as compared to controls. Crucially, this mechanism may strongly contribute to the development and maintenance of self-body image disturbances.

  7. Pediatric foreign bodies and their management.

    PubMed

    Kay, Marsha; Wyllie, Robert

    2005-06-01

    Ingestion of foreign bodies is a common pediatric problem, with more than 100,000 cases occurring each year. The vast majority of pediatric ingestions are accidental; increasing incidence of intentional ingestions starts in the adolescent age group. In the United States, the most common pediatric foreign bodies ingested are coins, followed by a variety of other objects, including toys, toy parts, sharp objects, batteries, bones, and food. In adolescents and adults, meat or food impactions are the most common accidental foreign body ingestion. Esophageal pathology underlies most cases of food impaction. Management of foreign body ingestions varies based on the object ingested, its location, and the patient's age and size. Esophageal foreign bodies as a group require early intervention because of their potential to cause respiratory symptoms and complications, esophageal erosions, or even an aortoesophageal fistula. Ingested batteries that lodge in the esophagus require urgent endoscopic removal even in the asymptomatic patient due to the high risk of complications. Sharp foreign bodies increase the foreign body complication rate from less than 1% to 15% to 35%, except for straight pins, which usually follow a relatively benign course unless multiple pins are ingested. Magnets are increasingly ingested, due to their ubiquitous nature and the perception that they do not pose a risk. Ingestion of multiple magnets creates a significant risk of obstruction, perforation, and fistula development. Methods to deal with foreign bodies include the suture technique, the double snare technique, and the combined forceps/snare technique for long, large, and sharp foreign bodies, along with newer equipment, such as retrieval nets and a variety of specialized forceps.

  8. Arginine depletion by arginine deiminase does not affect whole protein metabolism or muscle fractional protein synthesis rate in mice.

    PubMed

    Marini, Juan C; Didelija, Inka Cajo

    2015-01-01

    Due to the absolute need for arginine that certain cancer cells have, arginine depletion is a therapy in clinical trials to treat several types of cancers. Arginine is an amino acids utilized not only as a precursor for other important molecules, but also for protein synthesis. Because arginine depletion can potentially exacerbate the progressive loss of body weight, and especially lean body mass, in cancer patients we determined the effect of arginine depletion by pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20) on whole body protein synthesis and fractional protein synthesis rate in multiple tissues of mice. ADI-PEG 20 successfully depleted circulating arginine (<1 μmol/L), and increased citrulline concentration more than tenfold. Body weight and body composition, however, were not affected by ADI-PEG 20. Despite the depletion of arginine, whole body protein synthesis and breakdown were maintained in the ADI-PEG 20 treated mice. The fractional protein synthesis rate of muscle was also not affected by arginine depletion. Most tissues (liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lungs, stomach, small and large intestine, pancreas) were able to maintain their fractional protein synthesis rate; however, the fractional protein synthesis rate of brain, thymus and testicles was reduced due to the ADI-PEG 20 treatment. Furthermore, these results were confirmed by the incorporation of ureido [14C]citrulline, which indicate the local conversion into arginine, into protein. In conclusion, the intracellular recycling pathway of citrulline is able to provide enough arginine to maintain protein synthesis rate and prevent the loss of lean body mass and body weight.

  9. Use of a Cutaneous Body Image (CBI) scale to evaluate self perception of body image in acne vulgaris.

    PubMed

    Amr, Mostafa; Kaliyadan, Feroze; Shams, Tarek

    2014-01-01

    Skin disorders such as acne, which have significant cosmetic implications, can affect the self-perception of cutaneous body image. There are many scales which measure self-perception of cutaneous body image. We evaluated the use of a simple Cutaneous Body Image (CBI) scale to assess self-perception of body image in a sample of young Arab patients affected with acne. A total of 70 patients with acne answered the CBI questionnaire. The CBI score was correlated with the severity of acne and acne scarring, gender, and history of retinoids use. There was no statistically significant correlation between CBI and the other parameters - gender, acne/acne scarring severity, and use of retinoids. Our study suggests that cutaneous body image perception in Arab patients with acne was not dependent on variables like gender and severity of acne or acne scarring. A simple CBI scale alone is not a sufficiently reliable tool to assess self-perception of body image in patients with acne vulgaris.

  10. Body ownership promotes visual awareness

    PubMed Central

    Reingardt, Maria; Ehrsson, H Henrik

    2017-01-01

    The sense of ownership of one’s body is important for survival, e.g., in defending the body against a threat. However, in addition to affecting behavior, it also affects perception of the world. In the case of visuospatial perception, it has been shown that the sense of ownership causes external space to be perceptually scaled according to the size of the body. Here, we investigated the effect of ownership on another fundamental aspect of visual perception: visual awareness. In two binocular rivalry experiments, we manipulated the sense of ownership of a stranger’s hand through visuotactile stimulation while that hand was one of the rival stimuli. The results show that ownership, but not mere visuotactile stimulation, increases the dominance of the hand percept. This effect is due to a combination of longer perceptual dominance durations and shorter suppression durations. Together, these results suggest that the sense of body ownership promotes visual awareness. PMID:28826500

  11. Three-body effects in Casimir-Polder repulsion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milton, Kimball A.; Abalo, E. K.; Parashar, Prachi; Pourtolami, Nima; Brevik, Iver; Ellingsen, Simen Å.; Buhmann, Stefan Yoshi; Scheel, Stefan

    2015-04-01

    In this paper we study an archetypical scenario in which repulsive Casimir-Polder forces between an atom or molecule and two macroscopic bodies can be achieved. This is an extension of previous studies of the interaction between a polarizable atom and a wedge, in which repulsion occurs if the atom is sufficiently anisotropic and close enough to the symmetry plane of the wedge. A similar repulsion occurs if such an atom passes a thin cylinder or a wire. An obvious extension is to compute the interaction between such an atom and two facing wedges, which includes as a special case the interaction of an atom with a conducting screen possessing a slit, or between two parallel wires. To this end we further extend the electromagnetic multiple-scattering formalism for three-body interactions. To test this machinery we reinvestigate the interaction of a polarizable atom between two parallel conducting plates. In that case, three-body effects are shown to be small and are dominated by three- and four-scattering terms. The atom-wedge calculation is illustrated by an analogous scalar situation, described in the Appendix. The wedge-wedge-atom geometry is difficult to analyze because this is a scale-free problem. However, it is not so hard to investigate the three-body corrections to the interaction between an anisotropic atom or nanoparticle and a pair of parallel conducting cylinders and show that the three-body effects are very small and do not affect the Casimir-Polder repulsion at large distances between the cylinders. Finally, we consider whether such highly anisotropic atoms needed for repulsion are practically realizable. Since this appears rather difficult to accomplish, it may be more feasible to observe such effects with highly anisotropic nanoparticles.

  12. Automated Planar Tracking the Waving Bodies of Multiple Zebrafish Swimming in Shallow Water

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Shuo Hong; Cheng, Xi En; Qian, Zhi-Ming; Liu, Ye; Chen, Yan Qiu

    2016-01-01

    Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is one of the most widely used model organisms in collective behavior research. Multi-object tracking with high speed camera is currently the most feasible way to accurately measure their motion states for quantitative study of their collective behavior. However, due to difficulties such as their similar appearance, complex body deformation and frequent occlusions, it is a big challenge for an automated system to be able to reliably track the body geometry of each individual fish. To accomplish this task, we propose a novel fish body model that uses a chain of rectangles to represent fish body. Then in detection stage, the point of maximum curvature along fish boundary is detected and set as fish nose point. Afterwards, in tracking stage, we firstly apply Kalman filter to track fish head, then use rectangle chain fitting to fit fish body, which at the same time further judge the head tracking results and remove the incorrect ones. At last, a tracklets relinking stage further solves trajectory fragmentation due to occlusion. Experiment results show that the proposed tracking system can track a group of zebrafish with their body geometry accurately even when occlusion occurs from time to time. PMID:27128096

  13. The ASYMMETRIC LEAVES Complex Employs Multiple Modes of Regulation to Affect Adaxial-Abaxial Patterning and Leaf Complexity[OPEN

    PubMed Central

    Husbands, Aman Y.; Benkovics, Anna H.; Nogueira, Fabio T.S.; Lodha, Mukesh; Timmermans, Marja C.P.

    2015-01-01

    Flattened leaf architecture is not a default state but depends on positional information to precisely coordinate patterns of cell division in the growing primordium. This information is provided, in part, by the boundary between the adaxial (top) and abaxial (bottom) domains of the leaf, which are specified via an intricate gene regulatory network whose precise circuitry remains poorly defined. Here, we examined the contribution of the ASYMMETRIC LEAVES (AS) pathway to adaxial-abaxial patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana and demonstrate that AS1-AS2 affects this process via multiple, distinct regulatory mechanisms. AS1-AS2 uses Polycomb-dependent and -independent mechanisms to directly repress the abaxial determinants MIR166A, YABBY5, and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR3 (ARF3), as well as a nonrepressive mechanism in the regulation of the adaxial determinant TAS3A. These regulatory interactions, together with data from prior studies, lead to a model in which the sequential polarization of determinants, including AS1-AS2, explains the establishment and maintenance of adaxial-abaxial leaf polarity. Moreover, our analyses show that the shared repression of ARF3 by the AS and trans-acting small interfering RNA (ta-siRNA) pathways intersects with additional AS1-AS2 targets to affect multiple nodes in leaf development, impacting polarity as well as leaf complexity. These data illustrate the surprisingly multifaceted contribution of AS1-AS2 to leaf development showing that, in conjunction with the ta-siRNA pathway, AS1-AS2 keeps the Arabidopsis leaf both flat and simple. PMID:26589551

  14. Radiation recall dermatitis, panniculitis, and myositis following cyclophosphamide therapy: histopathologic findings of a patient affected by multiple myeloma.

    PubMed

    Borroni, Giovanni; Vassallo, Camilla; Brazzelli, Valeria; Martinoli, Sara; Ardigò, Marco; Alessandrino, Paolo Emilio; Borroni, Riccardo Giovanni; Franchini, Pietro

    2004-06-01

    Radiation recall dermatitis is one of the skin sequelae that may affect oncology patients. It occurs in a previously irradiated field, when subsequent chemotherapy is given. The eruption may be elicited by chemotherapy, even several months after radiotherapy. Its mechanism is poorly understood, and the histopathologic findings have received, to date, only sketchy descriptions. A 55-year-old male affected by multiple myeloma received radiation therapy both on his left coxofemoral area, and lumbar region (D11-L1). After cyclophosphamide administration, he developed 2 well defined square-shaped, infiltrated erythematoviolaceous plaques in the prior irradiated fields. Histopathologic findings revealed a diffusely fibrosclerosing process, involving deep dermis, hypodermis, as well as the underlying muscle, while sparing the epidermis and superficial-mid dermis. Histopathology was indistinguishable from deep radio-dermatitis, panniculitis, and myositis. This is the first case providing clear evidence of the causative role of cyclophosphamide in inducing a cutaneous and subcutaneous radiation recall reaction.

  15. The Effect of Body Mass Index, Negative Affect, and Disordered Eating on Health-Related Quality of Life in Preadolescent Youth.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Tarrah B; Steele, Ric G

    2016-08-01

    To examine the indirect effect of body mass index z-score (BMIz) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) through disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in a community sample of preadolescent children, and the degree to which negative affect moderated the association between BMIz and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Participants included 165 children between 8 and 12 years of age (M = 9.41). HRQOL, disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, and negative affect were assessed using self-report measures. Height and weight were collected by research staff. Consistent with previous research in treatment-seeking and adolescent samples, the indirect effect of BMIz on HRQOL through disordered eating attitudes and behaviors was significant. Negative affect did not moderate the relationship between BMIz and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Intervening on disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in preadolescents with higher weight status is critical to prevent the risk for poor HRQOL. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Body Temperature Patterns and Rhythmicity in Free-Ranging Subterranean Damaraland Mole-Rats, Fukomys damarensis

    PubMed Central

    Streicher, Sonja; Boyles, Justin G.; Oosthuizen, Maria K.; Bennett, Nigel C.

    2011-01-01

    Body temperature (Tb) is an important physiological component that affects endotherms from the cellular to whole organism level, but measurements of Tb in the field have been noticeably skewed towards heterothermic species and seasonal comparisons are largely lacking. Thus, we investigated patterns of Tb patterns in a homeothermic, free-ranging small mammal, the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) during both the summer and winter. Variation in Tb was significantly greater during winter than summer, and greater among males than females. Interestingly, body mass had only a small effect on variation in Tb and there was no consistent pattern relating ambient temperature to variation in Tb. Generally speaking, it appears that variation in Tb patterns varies between seasons in much the same way as in heterothermic species, just to a lesser degree. Both cosinor analysis and Fast Fourier Transform analysis revealed substantial individual variation in Tb rhythms, even within a single colony. Some individuals had no Tb rhythms, while others appeared to exhibit multiple rhythms. These data corroborate previous laboratory work showing multiplicity of rhythms in mole-rats and suggest the variation seen in the laboratory is a true indicator of the variation seen in the wild. PMID:22028861

  17. Subcutaneous body lipids affect cyclicity and estrus behavior in primiparous Charolais cows.

    PubMed

    Recoules, E; De La Torre, A; Agabriel, J; Egal, D; Blanc, F

    2013-08-01

    Conception rate and the calving interval of beef cows are known to be influenced by body reserves at calving and subsequent postpartum changes. However, few studies have focused on the effect of body reserve dynamics on both postpartum cyclicity and estrus expression. Two successive similar experiments (Year 1: n=14; Year 2: n=16) were carried out on primiparous Charolais cows reared indoors during winter to quantify the effects of adipose cell diameter at calving (ACDca) and their postpartum changes (ACDch) on cyclicity and estrus behavior. Cows were managed to calve with a body condition score (BCS, scale 0-5) of 2.5 (Year 1) and 1.5 (Year 2). After calving cows were assigned to a Low vs. a High energy level diet until turn out to pasture in May. Within years ACDca was similar between Low and High groups whereas calving to turnout changes of body weight (BW), BCS and adipose cell diameter differed (P<0.0001). The interval between calving and resumption of luteal activity was negatively correlated with ACDca (P=0.001). Estrus duration (interval between first and last standing to be mounted (STBM)) was longer in Low than in High groups (P=0.02). Number of STMB was higher in Low than in High cows. Adipose cell diameter at calving and postpartum changes had distinct effects on the components of reproductive performance; emphasizing the need to consider both amounts and changes of body lipids to predict relationships between nutrition and reproduction in cows. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. GRAY: a program to calculate gray-body radiation heat-transfer view factors from black-body view factors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wong, R. L.

    1976-06-14

    Program GRAY is written to perform the matrix manipulations necessary to convert black-body radiation heat-transfer view factors to gray-body view factors as required by thermal analyzer codes. The black-body view factors contain only geometric relationships. Program GRAY allows the effects of multiple gray-body reflections to be included. The resulting effective gray-body factors can then be used with the corresponding fourth-power temperature differences to obtain the net radiative heat flux. The program is written to accept a matrix input or the card image output generated by the black-body view factor program CNVUFAC. The resulting card image output generated by GRAY ismore » in a form usable by the TRUMP thermal analyzer.« less

  19. Role of 18F-fluoride PET/CT in the assessment of multiple myeloma: initial experience.

    PubMed

    Nishiyama, Yuji; Tateishi, Ukihide; Shizukuishi, Kazuya; Shishikura, Ayako; Yamazaki, Etsuko; Shibata, Hiroto; Yoneyama, Tomohiro; Ishigatsubo, Yoshiaki; Inoue, Tomio

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to report our early experience with (18)F-fluoride PET/CT for detecting lesions and evaluate the usefulness of this modality in the assessment of multiple myeloma (MM). (18)F-fluoride PET/CT and (99m)Tc-MDP bone scintigraphy (BS) studies from 7 myeloma patients (4 male and 3 female, mean age 55 years) diagnosed according to standard criteria were reviewed retrospectively. Two reviewers visually and quantitatively analyzed the images and recorded their findings after reaching a consensus. Diagnostic certainty regarding the presence or absence of myeloma lesions was evaluated according to the reference standard consisting of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging and whole-body X-ray. A total of 93 affected areas were definite according to the reference standard. Of these, 83 affected areas (89 %) were identified on (18)F-fluoride PET/CT, whereas 54 affected areas (58 %) were found on BS. Mean SUVmax in the affected areas was 9.8 ± 3.2 (standard deviation) ranging from 5.0 to 21.2. A total of s17 lesions with bone fracture were also detected by (18)F-fluoride PET/CT and 2 lesions (12 %) were negative on BS. Our result showed that (18)F-fluoride PET was a possible modality to detect areas of lesions in patients with MM.

  20. A multigenerational family with multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Dyment, D A; Cader, M Z; Willer, C J; Risch, N; Sadovnick, A D; Ebers, G C

    2002-07-01

    We report a family with 15 individuals affected with multiple sclerosis present in three and possibly four generations. The segregation of multiple sclerosis within this pedigree is consistent with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with reduced penetrance. The clinical characteristics of the affected individuals are indistinguishable from those seen in sporadic multiple sclerosis with respect to sex ratio, age at onset, onset symptom, MRI and clinical course. Eleven of 14 cases (78.6%) were positive for the known multiple sclerosis-associated major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class II HLA DRB1*15 allele. Parametric linkage analysis gave a non-significant LOD score of 0.31 (theta; = 0.33) for the DRB1 gene. However, among 11 affected children with at least one DRB1*15 bearing parent, all 11 out of 11 received at least one copy of this known susceptibility allele. A transmission disequilibrium test analysis was significant for the DRB1*15 allele within this single family; P = 0.0054. The inheritance pattern in this family suggests the presence of a single major locus responsible for multiple sclerosis susceptibility, with DRB1 acting as an important modifier. This family could be an important resource for the identification of a multiple sclerosis susceptibility gene.

  1. A Complex Facial Trauma Case with Multiple Mandibular Fractures and Dentoalveolar Injuries

    PubMed Central

    Zorlu, Sevgi; Cankaya, Abdulkadir Burak; Aktoren, Oya; Gencay, Koray

    2015-01-01

    The principles of management of mandibular fractures differ in children when compared to adults and depend on the specific age-related status of the growing mandible and the developing dentition. This paper presents a case report with a complex facial trauma affecting the mandibular body and condyle region and dentoalveolar complex. Clinical examination revealed soft tissue injuries, limited mouth opening, lateral deviation of the mandible, an avulsed incisor, a subluxated incisor, and a fractured crown. CBCT examination revealed a nondisplaced fracture and an oblique greenstick fracture of the mandibular body and unilateral fracture of the condyle. Closed reduction technique was chosen to manage fractures of the mandible. Favorable healing outcomes on multiple fractures of the mandible throughout the 6-year follow-up period proved the success of the conservative treatment. This case report is important since it presents a variety of pathological sequelae to trauma within one case. PMID:26339511

  2. Genome-Wide Association Study for Identifying Loci that Affect Fillet Yield, Carcass, and Body Weight Traits in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    PubMed Central

    Gonzalez-Pena, Dianelys; Gao, Guangtu; Baranski, Matthew; Moen, Thomas; Cleveland, Beth M.; Kenney, P. Brett; Vallejo, Roger L.; Palti, Yniv; Leeds, Timothy D.

    2016-01-01

    Fillet yield (FY, %) is an economically-important trait in rainbow trout aquaculture that affects production efficiency. Despite that, FY has received little attention in breeding programs because it is difficult to measure on a large number of fish and cannot be directly measured on breeding candidates. The recent development of a high-density SNP array for rainbow trout has provided the needed tool for studying the underlying genetic architecture of this trait. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for FY, body weight at 10 (BW10) and 13 (BW13) months post-hatching, head-off carcass weight (CAR), and fillet weight (FW) in a pedigreed rainbow trout population selectively bred for improved growth performance. The GWAS analysis was performed using the weighted single-step GBLUP method (wssGWAS). Phenotypic records of 1447 fish (1.5 kg at harvest) from 299 full-sib families in three successive generations, of which 875 fish from 196 full-sib families were genotyped, were used in the GWAS analysis. A total of 38,107 polymorphic SNPs were analyzed in a univariate model with hatch year and harvest group as fixed effects, harvest weight as a continuous covariate, and animal and common environment as random effects. A new linkage map was developed to create windows of 20 adjacent SNPs for use in the GWAS. The two windows with largest effect for FY and FW were located on chromosome Omy9 and explained only 1.0–1.5% of genetic variance, thus suggesting a polygenic architecture affected by multiple loci with small effects in this population. One window on Omy5 explained 1.4 and 1.0% of the genetic variance for BW10 and BW13, respectively. Three windows located on Omy27, Omy17, and Omy9 (same window detected for FY) explained 1.7, 1.7, and 1.0%, respectively, of genetic variance for CAR. Among the detected 100 SNPs, 55% were located directly in genes (intron and exons). Nucleotide sequences of intragenic SNPs were blasted to the Mus musculus genome to create a

  3. Heat and light stresses affect metabolite production in the fruit body of the medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris.

    PubMed

    Jiaojiao, Zhang; Fen, Wang; Kuanbo, Liu; Qing, Liu; Ying, Yang; Caihong, Dong

    2018-05-01

    Cordyceps militaris is a highly valued edible and medicinal fungus due to its production of various metabolites, including adenosine, cordycepin, N 6 -(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine, and carotenoids. The contents of these metabolites are indicative of the quality of commercially available fruit body of this fungus. In this work, the effects of environmental abiotic factors, including heat and light stresses, on the fruit body growth and metabolite production in C. militaris were evaluated during the late growth stage. The optimal growth temperature of C. militaris was 20 °C. It was found that a heat stress of 25 °C for 5-20 days during the late growth stage significantly promoted cordycepin and carotenoid production without affecting the biological efficiency. Light stress at 6000 lx for 5-20 days during the late growth stage significantly promoted cordycepin production but decreased the carotenoid content. Both heat and light stresses promoted N 6 -(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine production. In addition, gene expression analysis showed that there were simultaneous increases in the expression of genes encoding a metal-dependent phosphohydrolase (CCM_04437) and ATP phosphoribosyltransferase (CCM_04438) that are involved in the cordycepin biosynthesis pathway, which was consistent with the accumulation of cordycepin during heat stress for 5-20 days. A positive weak correlation between the cordycepin and adenosine contents was observed with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.338 (P < 0.05). The results presented herein provide a new strategy for the production of a superior quality fruit body of C. militaris and contribute to further elucidation of the effects of abiotic stress on metabolite accumulation in fungi.

  4. Male Body Satisfaction: Factorial and Construct Validity of the Body Parts Satisfaction Scale for Men

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McFarland, Michael B.; Petrie, Trent A.

    2012-01-01

    Given the centrality of body dissatisfaction in the manifestation of eating, exercise, and affective disturbances in men, measurement of this construct becomes essential. Across 2 studies with male undergraduates (Ns = 189 and 188), the psychometric properties, including incremental validity and factor structure, of the 25-item Body Parts…

  5. Body self. Development, psychopathologies, and psychoanalytic significance.

    PubMed

    Krueger, D W

    2001-01-01

    Ego development or, more broadly, the sense of self has at its core a cohesive, distinct, and accurate body self. Compromise of body self development as a result of early overstimulation, empathic unavailability or nonresponse of the caretaker, and inconsistency or selectivity of response can lead to specific developmental arrests, including body-image distortions, nonintegration of body self and psychological self, and difficulties in the regulation of tension states and affect. The individual may then attempt to repair those disrupted developmental needs by such symptomatic expressions as eating disorders, compulsive exercise, substance abuse, and the creation of physical danger, as a step toward integration of mind and body as well as a defensive antidote to painful affect. In the psychoanalytic treatment of these patients, the need for the analyst's attunement to the patient's development of body self as well as psychological self development is illustrated by clinical vignettes of the enactments and attempted restitution of specific developmental trauma.

  6. The effect of exercise absence on affect and body dissatisfaction as moderated by obligatory exercise beliefs and eating disordered beliefs and behaviors

    PubMed Central

    LePage, Marie L.; Price, Matthew; O’Neil, Patrick; Crowther, Janis H.

    2012-01-01

    Aim Research suggests that exercise absence is frequently associated with greater guilt and negative affect, particularly when obligatory exercise beliefs and eating disordered psychopathology are considered. Two separate studies used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine differences in mood on exercise and non-exercise days and the moderating impact of obligatory exercise beliefs and eating disordered beliefs and behaviors. Method Both studies recruited female university students who endorsed frequent exercise behavior and study two also recruited based on level of eating disordered psychopathology. Participants completed the Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire at baseline and EMA measures of affect and exercise behavior for approximately one week. Study two participants also completed measures of body dissatisfaction and cognitions. Results Results of study one suggest that obligation to exercise appears to have a greater impact on general level of affect than does exercise absence or the interaction of these two. In addition, in study two, eating disorder symptomatology was significantly associated with affect and cognition while exercise absence and obligatory exercise beliefs were not. Conclusions The present studies suggest that the absence of exercise is not associated with significant changes in affect or cognitions. However, obligation to exercise and eating disorder symptomatology do impact affect and cognitions. PMID:22930654

  7. Body-Specific Representations of Spatial Location

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brunye, Tad T.; Gardony, Aaron; Mahoney, Caroline R.; Taylor, Holly A.

    2012-01-01

    The body specificity hypothesis (Casasanto, 2009) posits that the way in which people interact with the world affects their mental representation of information. For instance, right- versus left-handedness affects the mental representation of affective valence, with right-handers categorically associating good with rightward areas and bad with…

  8. Symptom variability, affect and physical activity in ambulatory persons with multiple sclerosis: Understanding patterns and time-bound relationships.

    PubMed

    Kasser, Susan L; Goldstein, Amanda; Wood, Phillip K; Sibold, Jeremy

    2017-04-01

    Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a clinical course that is highly variable with daily fluctuations in symptoms significantly affecting functional ability and quality of life. Yet, understanding how MS symptoms co-vary and associate with physical and psychological health is unclear. The purpose of the study was to explore variability patterns and time-bound relationships across symptoms, affect, and physical activity in individuals with MS. The study employed a multivariate, replicated, single-subject repeated-measures (MRSRM) design and involved four individuals with MS. Mood, fatigue, pain, balance confidence, and losses of balance were measured daily over 28 days by self-report. Physical activity was also measured daily over this same time period via accelerometry. Dynamic factor analysis (DFA) was used to determine the dimensionality and lagged relationships across the variables. Person-specific models revealed considerable time-dependent co-variation patterns as well as pattern variation across subjects. Results also offered insight into distinct variability structures at varying levels of disability. Modeling person-level variability may be beneficial for addressing the heterogeneity of experiences in individuals with MS and for understanding temporal and dynamic interrelationships among perceived symptoms, affect, and health outcomes in this group. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Insulin resistance, body composition, and fat distribution in obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

    PubMed

    Yang, Hye Ran; Chang, Eun Jae

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of body composition, especially distribution of body fat, and insulin resistance on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children. One hundred obese children (66 boys, 34 girls) with (n=60) and without NAFLD (n=40) were assessed. Anthropometry, laboratory tests, abdominal ultrasonography, and dual energy x-ray absorption metry (DXA) were evaluated in all subjects. Subject age and measurements of liver enzymes, γ- glutamyl transpeptidase (γGT), uric acid, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and insulin resistance were significantly different between the non-NAFLD group and NAFLD group. Body fat and trunk fat percentage were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001 and p=0.003), whereas extremity fat percentage was not (p=0.683). Insulin resistance correlated significantly with body fat and trunk fat percentages, age, liver enzymes, γGT, and uric acid in obese children. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that insulin resistance and trunk fat percentage significantly affected the development of NAFLD in obese children. Body fat, especially abdominal fat, influences the development of insulin resistance and subsequent NAFLD in obese children. Therefore, body composition measurement using DXA, in conjunction with biochemical tests, may be beneficial in evaluating obese children with NAFLD.

  10. Seeing the Body Distorts Tactile Size Perception

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Longo, Matthew R.; Sadibolova, Renata

    2013-01-01

    Vision of the body modulates somatosensation, even when entirely non-informative about stimulation. For example, seeing the body increases tactile spatial acuity, but reduces acute pain. While previous results demonstrate that vision of the body modulates somatosensory sensitivity, it is unknown whether vision also affects metric properties of…

  11. Science 101: Does the Weather Affect Your Body?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robertson, Bill

    2017-01-01

    Everyone has an aunt or grandfather or other relative who can tell when the weather is changing because his or her joints start to ache or an old injury begins to hurt. This column provides background science information for elementary teachers. This month's issue focuses on three major weather factors and how they affect the human…

  12. Numerical solution of potential flow about arbitrary 2-dimensional multiple bodies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, J. F.; Thames, F. C.

    1982-01-01

    A procedure for the finite-difference numerical solution of the lifting potential flow about any number of arbitrarily shaped bodies is given. The solution is based on a technique of automatic numerical generation of a curvilinear coordinate system having coordinate lines coincident with the contours of all bodies in the field, regardless of their shapes and number. The effects of all numerical parameters involved are analyzed and appropriate values are recommended. Comparisons with analytic solutions for single Karman-Trefftz airfoils and a circular cylinder pair show excellent agreement. The technique of application of the boundary-fitted coordinate systems to the numerical solution of partial differential equations is illustrated.

  13. How Trace Element Levels of Public Drinking Water Affect Body Composition in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Cetin, Ihsan; Nalbantcilar, Mahmut Tahir; Tosun, Kezban; Nazik, Aydan

    2017-02-01

    Since waterborne minerals appear in ionic form and are readily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, drinking water could be a crucial source of mineral intake. However, no comprehensive research has yet determined how trace elements in drinking water relate to body composition. We aimed to assess the relationship between clinically important trace elements in public drinking water and body composition in average, overweight and obese individuals in Turkey. The study's population consisted of 423 participants: 143 overweight, 138 obese and 142 healthy control individuals, grouped according to clinical cutoff points of body mass index (BMI). We measured levels of lithium (Li), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), silicon (Si), tin (Sn), strontium (Sr), boron (B), aluminium (Al), barium (Ba) and rubidium (Rb) in samples from wells of municipal water by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We gauged all the participants' body composition measurements with a BC-418 body composition analyser. In all the participants, body weight values showed significant positive correlations with Ni levels in drinking water, as did BMI values with Al levels and percentage of obesity with Ni, Si and B levels. In particular, Ni levels showed significant positive correlations with the basal metabolic rate, activity calories, and total activity of participants. Giving findings showing correlations between obesity-related parameters and Al, Si, B and Ni content in drinking water, we hope that these associations will be clarified with further studies including cellular, experimental and clinical studies. Hence, medical practitioners must be aware of trace element levels in drinking water for overweight and obese patients.

  14. Deficiency of RITA results in multiple mitotic defects by affecting microtubule dynamics.

    PubMed

    Steinhäuser, K; Klöble, P; Kreis, N-N; Ritter, A; Friemel, A; Roth, S; Reichel, J M; Michaelis, J; Rieger, M A; Louwen, F; Oswald, F; Yuan, J

    2017-04-01

    Deregulation of mitotic microtubule (MT) dynamics results in defective spindle assembly and chromosome missegregation, leading further to chromosome instability, a hallmark of tumor cells. RBP-J interacting and tubulin-associated protein (RITA) has been identified as a negative regulator of the Notch signaling pathway. Intriguingly, deregulated RITA is involved in primary hepatocellular carcinoma and other malignant entities. We were interested in the potential molecular mechanisms behind its involvement. We show here that RITA binds to tubulin and localizes to various mitotic MT structures. RITA coats MTs and affects their structures in vitro as well as in vivo. Tumor cell lines deficient of RITA display increased acetylated α-tubulin, enhanced MT stability and reduced MT dynamics, accompanied by multiple mitotic defects, including chromosome misalignment and segregation errors. Re-expression of wild-type RITA, but not RITA Δtub ineffectively binding to tubulin, restores the phenotypes, suggesting that the role of RITA in MT modulation is mediated via its interaction with tubulin. Mechanistically, RITA interacts with tubulin/histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) and its suppression decreases the binding of the deacetylase HDAC6 to tubulin/MTs. Furthermore, the mitotic defects and increased MT stability are also observed in RITA -/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts. RITA has thus a novel role in modulating MT dynamics and its deregulation results in erroneous chromosome segregation, one of the major reasons for chromosome instability in tumor cells.

  15. Reduced sleep duration affects body composition, dietary intake and quality of life in obese subjects.

    PubMed

    Poggiogalle, Eleonora; Lubrano, Carla; Gnessi, Lucio; Marocco, Chiara; Di Lazzaro, Luca; Polidoro, Giampaolo; Luisi, Federica; Merola, Gianluca; Mariani, Stefania; Migliaccio, Silvia; Lenzi, Andrea; Donini, Lorenzo M

    2016-09-01

    Sleep duration has emerged as a crucial factor affecting body weight and feeding behaviour. The aim of our study was to explore the relationship among sleep duration, body composition, dietary intake, and quality of life (QoL) in obese subjects. Body composition was assessed by DXA. "Sensewear Armband" was used to evaluate sleep duration. SF-36 questionnaire was used to evaluate quality of life (QoL). A 3-day dietary record was administered. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: sleep duration > and ≤300 min/day. 137 subjects (105 women and 32 men), age: 49.8 ± 12.4 years, BMI: 38.6 ± 6.7 kg/m(2), were enrolled. Sleep duration was ≤300 min in 30.6 % of subjects. Absolute and relative fat mass (FM) (40.5 ± 9 vs. 36.5 ± 9.1 kg; 40.2 ± 4.7 vs. 36.9 ± 5.6 %), and truncal fat mass (19.2 ± 6.1 vs. 16.6 ± 5 kg; 38.6 ± 5.3 vs. 35.2 ± 5.5 %) were higher in subjects sleeping ≤300 min when compared to their counterparts (all p < 0.05), whereas just a tendency towards a higher BMI was observed (p = 0.077). Even though energy intake was not different between groups, subjects sleeping ≤300 min reported a higher carbohydrate consumption per day (51.8 ± 5.1 vs. 48.4 ± 9.2 %, p = 0.038). SF-36 total score was lower in subjects sleeping ≤300 min (34.2 ± 17.8 vs. 41.4 ± 12.9, p = 0.025). Sleep duration was negatively associated with FM (r = -0.25, p = 0.01) and SF-36 total score (r = -0.31, p < 0.001). The inverse association between sleep duration and SF-36 total score was confirmed by the regression analysis after adjustment for BMI and fat mass (R = 0.43, R (2) = 0.19, p = 0.012). Reduced sleep duration negatively influences body composition, macronutrient intake, and QoL in obese subjects.

  16. Illusory Changes in Body Size Modulate Body Satisfaction in a Way That Is Related to Non-Clinical Eating Disorder Psychopathology

    PubMed Central

    Preston, Catherine; Ehrsson, H. Henrik

    2014-01-01

    Historically, body size overestimation has been linked to abnormal levels of body dissatisfaction found in eating disorders. However, recently this relationship has been called into question. Indeed, despite a link between how we perceive and how we feel about our body seeming intuitive, until now lack of an experimental method to manipulate body size has meant that a causal link, even in healthy participants, has remained elusive. Recent developments in body perception research demonstrate that the perceptual experience of the body can be readily manipulated using multisensory illusions. The current study exploits such illusions to modulate perceived body size in an attempt to influence body satisfaction. Participants were presented with stereoscopic video images of slimmer and wider mannequin bodies viewed through head-mounted displays from first person perspective. Illusory ownership was induced by synchronously stroking the seen mannequin body with the unseen real body. Pre and post-illusion affective and perceptual measures captured changes in perceived body size and body satisfaction. Illusory ownership of a slimmer body resulted in participants perceiving their actual body as slimmer and giving higher ratings of body satisfaction demonstrating a direct link between perceptual and affective body representations. Change in body satisfaction following illusory ownership of a wider body, however, was related to degree of (non-clinical) eating disorder psychopathology, which can be linked to fluctuating body representations found in clinical samples. The results suggest that body perception is linked to body satisfaction and may be of importance for eating disorder symptomology. PMID:24465698

  17. Genome-wide association studies identified multiple genetic loci for body size at four growth stages in Chinese Holstein cattle.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xu; Chu, Qin; Guo, Gang; Dong, Ganghui; Li, Xizhi; Zhang, Qin; Zhang, Shengli; Zhang, Zhiwu; Wang, Yachun

    2017-01-01

    The growth and maturity of cattle body size affect not only feed efficiency, but also productivity and longevity. Dissecting the genetic architecture of body size is critical for cattle breeding to improve both efficiency and productivity. The volume and weight of body size are indicated by several measurements. Among them, Heart Girth (HG) and Hip Height (HH) are the most important traits. They are widely used as predictors of body weight (BW). Few association studies have been conducted for HG and HH in cattle focusing on single growth stage. In this study, we extended the Genome-wide association studies to a full spectrum of four growth stages (6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-months after birth) in Chinese Holstein heifers. The whole genomic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained from the Illumina BovineSNP50 v2 BeadChip genotyped on 3,325 individuals. Estimated breeding values (EBVs) were derived for both HG and HH at the four different ages and analyzed separately for GWAS by using the Fixed and random model Circuitous Probability Unification (FarmCPU) method. In total, 27 SNPs were identified to be significantly associated with HG and HH at different growth stages. We found 66 candidate genes located nearby the associated SNPs, including nine genes that were known as highly related to development and skeletal and muscular growth. In addition, biological function analysis was performed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and an interaction network related to development was obtained, which contained 16 genes out of the 66 candidates. The set of putative genes provided valuable resources and can help elucidate the genomic architecture and mechanisms underlying growth traits in dairy cattle.

  18. Seasonal Affective Disorder

    MedlinePlus

    ... cravings and weight gain Thoughts of death or suicide SAD is more common in women, young people, ... of serotonin, a brain chemical that affects your mood. Their bodies also make too ... with light therapy. NIH: National Institute of Mental Health

  19. Outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment of multiple synchronous and recurrent lung nodules.

    PubMed

    Owen, Dawn; Olivier, Kenneth R; Mayo, Charles S; Miller, Robert C; Nelson, Kathryn; Bauer, Heather; Brown, Paul D; Park, Sean S; Ma, Daniel J; Garces, Yolanda I

    2015-02-18

    Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is evolving into a standard of care for unresectable lung nodules. Local control has been shown to be in excess of 90% at 3 years. However, some patients present with synchronous lung nodules in the ipsilateral or contralateral lobe or metasynchronous disease. In these cases, patients may receive multiple courses of lung SBRT or a single course for synchronous nodules. The toxicity of such treatment is currently unknown. Between 2006 and 2012, 63 subjects with 128 metasynchronous and synchronous lung nodules were treated at the Mayo Clinic with SBRT. Demographic patient data and dosimetric data regarding SBRT treatments were collected. Acute toxicity (defined as toxicity < 90 days) and late toxicity (defined as toxicity > = 90 days) were reported and graded as per standardized CTCAE 4.0 criteria. Local control, progression free survival and overall survival were also described. The median age of patients treated was 73 years. Sixty five percent were primary or recurrent lung cancers with the remainder metastatic lung nodules of varying histologies. Of 63 patients, 18 had prior high dose external beam radiation to the mediastinum or chest. Dose and fractionation varied but the most common prescriptions were 48 Gy/4 fractions, 54 Gy/3 fractions, and 50 Gy/5 fractions. Only 6 patients demonstrated local recurrence. With a median follow up of 12.6 months, median SBRT specific overall survival and progression free survival were 35.7 months and 10.7 months respectively. Fifty one percent (32/63 patients) experienced acute toxicity, predominantly grade 1 and 2 fatigue. One patient developed acute grade 3 radiation pneumonitis at 75 days. Forty six percent (29/63 patients) developed late effects. Most were grade 1 dyspnea. There was one patient with grade 5 pneumonitis. Multiple courses of SBRT and SBRT delivery after external beam radiotherapy appear to be feasible and safe. Most toxicity was grade 1 and 2 but the risk was

  20. Content fat and calorie of human milk is affected by interactions between maternal age and body mass index.

    PubMed

    Hahn, Won-Ho; Jeong, Tchaewon; Park, Suyeon; Song, Seunghyun; Kang, Nam Mi

    2018-05-01

    We evaluated the association between macronutrients of human milk (HM), and interactions between maternal age and body mass index(BMI) in matched conditions. Totally, 80 HM samples were collected from healthy breast-feeding mothers at fourth week of lactation. HM macronutrients and maternal data were analyzed. Mothers were subgrouped into four groups by maternal age (20 s/30 s) and BMI (overweight/normal). Two-way ANOVA revealed significant interactions between age and BMI to affect macronutrients; fat, carbohydrate, and calories. Moreover, different responses of fat and calorie to BMI were found in different age groups. The evaluation of over- or under-weighted infants warrants considering both of maternal age and BMI.

  1. Vertebral hemangiomas: their demographical characteristics, location along the spine and position within the vertebral body.

    PubMed

    Slon, Viviane; Stein, Dan; Cohen, Haim; Sella-Tunis, Tatiana; May, Hila; Hershkovitz, Israel

    2015-10-01

    Vertebral hemangiomas (VHs) are the most common form of benign tumors in the spine. The aim of this research was to study the prevalence of VHs in the human population, their distribution along the spine and their location in the vertebral body. The presence of VHs was assessed in full spine CT scans of 196 adults. Demographic data were gathered from medical records. VHs were present in 26.0% of the individuals studied, a rate significantly higher (χ2=43.338, p<0.001) than the prevalence reported in the literature (10.7%). Multiple VHs (≥2) appeared in 7.2% of the population studied. VHs prevalence is sex-independent, appearing in 28.6% of females and 23.5% of males (χ2=0.663, p=0.416); and age-dependent: the mean age of affected individuals (65.8 years) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than unaffected individuals (56.2 years). VH size was also age-dependent (p=0.023). No vertebra was significantly more prone to be affected by a hemangioma. T11 and T12 show the highest prevalence of VHs (3.57% of vertebrae affected). VHs were found in similar percentages in the anterior and posterior parts of the vertebral body (52.8 vs. 47.2%, respectively); and at its center and periphery (50.1 and 49.9%, respectively). VHs usually appeared at mid-height of the vertebral body or slightly higher. The reported prevalence of VHs is dependent on the demographic structure of the population studied, the size of the VHs and the method used to identify them. Overall, the phenomenon is more frequent than usually reported. VHs may appear at all vertebral levels and in all areas of the vertebral body.

  2. How Are Bodies Special? Effects Of Body Features On Spatial Reasoning

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Alfred B.; Zacks, Jeffrey M.

    2015-01-01

    Embodied views of cognition argue that cognitive processes are influenced by bodily experience. This implies that when people make spatial judgments about human bodies, they bring to bear embodied knowledge that affects spatial reasoning performance. Here, we examined the specific contribution to spatial reasoning of visual features associated with the human body. We used two different tasks to elicit distinct visuospatial transformations: object-based transformations, as elicited in typical mental rotation tasks, and perspective transformations, used in tasks in which people deliberately adopt the egocentric perspective of another person. Body features facilitated performance in both tasks. This result suggests that observers are particularly sensitive to the presence of a human head and body, and that these features allow observers to quickly recognize and encode the spatial configuration of a figure. Contrary to prior reports, this facilitation was not related to the transformation component of task performance. These results suggest that body features facilitate task components other than spatial transformation, including the encoding of stimulus orientation. PMID:26252072

  3. [Body image dissatisfaction as a mediator of the association between BMI, self-esteem and mental health in early adolescents: a multiple-group path analysis across gender].

    PubMed

    Jang, Mi Heui; Lee, Gyungjoo

    2013-04-01

    This study was done to examine not only the relationships between body mass index (BMI), self-esteem, body image dissatisfaction (BID) and mental health, according to gender, but the mediating role of BID on mental health in relation to BMI and self-esteem among early adolescents. Data from 576 (296 boys and 280 girls) elementary school students in grades 5 to 6 were collected. A multiple-group path analysis was utilized to examine the relationships between BMI, self-esteem, BID and mental health by gender. In the path analysis for all students, poor mental health was related directly to BID, while it was indirectly related to BMI and self-esteem. In the multiple-group path analysis of both genders, BID was found to have a significant direct and indirect effect on mental health for girls alone. The findings suggested that BID should be examined early to prevent poor mental health in early adolescent girls. This study helps to elucidate the role of early adolescent BID on mental health and provides insight for further prevention and intervention programs in school and community mental health settings.

  4. Transcutaneous photodynamic therapy delays the onset of paralysis in a murine multiple sclerosis model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hunt, David W. C.; Leong, Simon; Levy, Julia G.; Chan, Agnes H.

    1995-03-01

    Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD, Verteporfin) and whole body irradiation, can affect the course of adoptively transferred experimental allergic (autoimmune) encephalomyelitis (EAE) in PL mice. Murine EAE is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease which serves as a model for human multiple sclerosis. Using a novel disease induction protocol, we found that mice characteristically developed EAE within 3 weeks of receipt of myelin basic protein (MBP)-sensitized, in vitro-cultured spleen or lymph node cells. However, if animals were treated with PDT (1 mg BPD/kg bodyweight and exposed to whole body 15 Joules cm2 of LED light) 24 hours after receiving these cells, disease onset time was significantly delayed. PDT-treated mice developed disease symptoms 45 +/- 3 days following cell administration whereas untreated controls were affected within 23 +/- 2 days. In contrast, application of PDT 48 or 120 hours following injection of the pathogenic cells had no significant effect upon the development of EAE. Experiments are in progress to account for the protective effect of PDT in this animal model. These studies should provide evidence on the feasibility of PDT as a treatment for human autoimmune disease.

  5. Therapeutic Yoga: Symptom Management for Multiple Sclerosis

    PubMed Central

    MacDonald, Megan

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, affecting over 2.3 million people worldwide. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the age of disease onset is typically between 20 and 40 years, with a higher incidence in women. Individuals with MS experience a wide range of symptoms, including declining physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms (e.g., fatigue, imbalance, spasticity, chronic pain, cognitive impairment, bladder and bowel dysfunction, visual and speech impairments, depression, sensory disturbance, and mobility impairment). To date, both the cause of and cure for MS remain unknown. In recent years, more individuals with MS have been pursuing alternative methods of treatment to manage symptoms of the disease, including mind-body therapies such as yoga, meditation, breathing, and relaxation techniques. It has been suggested that the practice of yoga may be a safe and effective way of managing symptoms of MS. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to summarize the most relevant literature on exercise and mind-body modalities to treat MS symptoms and, more specifically, the benefits and potential role of yoga as an alternative treatment of symptom management for individuals with MS. The article also discusses future directions for research. PMID:26270955

  6. Heart rate, multiple body temperature, long-range and long-life telemetry system for free-ranging animals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lund, G. F.; Westbrook, R. M.; Fryer, T. B.

    1980-01-01

    The design details and rationale for a versatile, long-range, long-life telemetry data acquisition system for heart rates and body temperatures at multiple locations from free-ranging animals are presented. The design comprises an implantable transmitter for short to medium range transmission, a receiver retransmitter collar to be worn for long-range transmission, and a signal conditioner interface circuit to assist in signal discrimination and demodulation of receiver or tape-recorded audio outputs. Implanted electrodes are used to obtain an ECG, from which R-wave characteristics are selected to trigger a short RF pulse. Pulses carrying heart rate information are interrupted periodically by a series of pulse interval modulated RF pulses conveying temperature information sensed at desired locations by thermistors. Pulse duration and pulse sequencing are used to discriminate between heart rate and temperature pulses as well as radio frequency interference. The implanted transmitter may be used alone for medium and short-range tracking, or with a receiver-transmitter collar that employs commercial tracking equipment for transmissions of up to 12 km. A system prototype has been tested on a dog.

  7. Relationship between perceived body image and recorded body mass index among Kuwaiti female university students.

    PubMed

    Kabir, Yearul; Zafar, Tasleem A; Waslien, Carol

    2013-01-01

    The associations between body image and attitudes toward obesity and thinness and their associations with measured body mass index (BMI) among female students of Kuwait University (n = 137) was examined in 2008. The body image perceptions were assessed using nine female silhouettes figures. The difference between current perceived body image (PBI) and ideal body image (IBI) was used as a measure of body image dissatisfaction (BID). Students tended to have a bigger PBI and smaller IBI than would be expected from their BMI category, leading to high levels of BID in each BMI category. PBI, IBI, BID, RBI were highly correlated with each other, and BMI was significantly correlated with each of them. The coefficients of these associations were not significantly altered in multiple regression analysis by the addition of potential confounding variables, such as age, marital status, physical activity, dieting behavior, parental education, and family size. These results suggest that PBI and a desire to be thinner were strongly related to BID and that thinness is becoming more desired in Kuwaiti society than the plump body image of the past.

  8. Volumetry based biomarker speed of growth: Quantifying the change of total tumor volume in whole-body magnetic resonance imaging over time improves risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients.

    PubMed

    Wennmann, Markus; Kintzelé, Laurent; Piraud, Marie; Menze, Bjoern H; Hielscher, Thomas; Hofmanninger, Johannes; Wagner, Barbara; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Merz, Maximilian; Hillengass, Jens; Langs, Georg; Weber, Marc-André

    2018-05-18

    The purpose of this study was to improve risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients, introducing new 3D-volumetry based imaging biomarkers derived from whole-body MRI. Two-hundred twenty whole-body MRIs from 63 patients with smoldering multiple myeloma were retrospectively analyzed and all focal lesions >5mm were manually segmented for volume quantification. The imaging biomarkers total tumor volume, speed of growth (development of the total tumor volume over time), number of focal lesions, development of the number of focal lesions over time and the recent imaging biomarker '>1 focal lesion' of the International Myeloma Working Group were compared, taking 2-year progression rate, sensitivity and false positive rate into account. Speed of growth, using a cutoff of 114mm 3 /month, was able to isolate a high-risk group with a 2-year progression rate of 82.5%. Additionally, it showed by far the highest sensitivity in this study and in comparison to other biomarkers in the literature, detecting 63.2% of patients who progress within 2 years. Furthermore, its false positive rate (8.7%) was much lower compared to the recent imaging biomarker '>1 focal lesion' of the International Myeloma Working Group. Therefore, speed of growth is the preferable imaging biomarker for risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients.

  9. Resonance transition periodic orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lei, Hanlun; Xu, Bo

    2018-04-01

    This work studies a special type of cislunar periodic orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem called resonance transition periodic orbits, which switch between different resonances and revolve about the secondary with multiple loops during one period. In the practical computation, families of multiple periodic orbits are identified first, and then the invariant manifolds emanating from the unstable multiple periodic orbits are taken to generate resonant homoclinic connections, which are used to determine the initial guesses for computing the desired periodic orbits by means of multiple-shooting scheme. The obtained periodic orbits have potential applications for the missions requiring long-term continuous observation of the secondary and tour missions in a multi-body environment.

  10. Body checking behaviors in men.

    PubMed

    Walker, D Catherine; Anderson, Drew A; Hildebrandt, Thomas

    2009-06-01

    Males have been facing increasing pressure from the media to attain a lean, muscular physique, and are at risk for body dissatisfaction, disturbed eating and exercise behaviors, and abuse of appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs (APEDs). The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between body checking and mood, symptoms of muscle dysmorphia, importance of shape and weight, and APED use in undergraduate males. Body checking in males was correlated with weight and shape concern, symptoms of muscle dysmorphia, depression, negative affect, and APED use. Body checking predicted APED use and uniquely accounted for the largest amount of variance in Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI) scores (16%). Findings support the view that body checking is an important construct in male body image, muscle dysmorphia, and body change strategies and suggest a need for further research.

  11. Implementation of Kane's Method for a Spacecraft Composed of Multiple Rigid Bodies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stoneking, Eric T.

    2013-01-01

    Equations of motion are derived for a general spacecraft composed of rigid bodies connected via rotary (spherical or gimballed) joints in a tree topology. Several supporting concepts are developed in depth. Basis dyads aid in the transition from basis-free vector equations to component-wise equations. Joint partials allow abstraction of 1-DOF, 2-DOF, 3-DOF gimballed and spherical rotational joints to a common notation. The basic building block consisting of an "inner" body and an "outer" body connected by a joint enables efficient organization of arbitrary tree structures. Kane's equation is recast in a form which facilitates systematic assembly of large systems of equations, and exposes a relationship of Kane's equation to Newton and Euler's equations which is obscured by the usual presentation. The resulting system of dynamic equations is of minimum dimension, and is suitable for numerical solution by computer. Implementation is ·discussed, and illustrative simulation results are presented.

  12. [Assessing various aspects of the motivation to eat that can affect food intake and body weight control].

    PubMed

    Bellisle, F

    2009-04-01

    control are "emotional eating" and "externality", which represent an individual's vulnerability to eat in response to emotional states or external cues, respectively. These questionnaires have been translated into French and validated for the French population. Average data are available for normal weight and obese French men and women. A gender difference is often reported: women, and even young girls, tend to have higher scores than males for most dimensions. These questionnaires have been extensively used in populations without psychiatric disorders, with the only exception of diagnosed eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The questionnaires have not been used until now in populations with other types of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disease. Their relevance for such populations is now an important question, since last generation pharmaceutical treatments of such psychiatric disorders seem to adversely affect body weight control. It then becomes critical to know whether the psychological dimensions assessed by such questionnaires reflect the action of pharmacological agents that induce weight gain. A research project is now in progress at Sainte-Anne Hospital to investigate many dimensions of the motivation to eat, as assessed by the questionnaires, in psychiatric patients receiving various types of antipsychotic agents. The results of this original study might provide hints about the mechanisms that lead to body weight gain in patients receiving certain types of antipsychotic pharmacological agents and potentially help in preventing or reversing the weight gain associated with such treatments.

  13. The Impact of Changes in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index by Body Region on Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis.

    PubMed

    Sojević Timotijević, Zorica; Majcan, Predrag; Trajković, Goran; Relić, Milijana; Novaković, Tatjana; Mirković, Momčilo; Djurić, Sladjana; Nikolić, Simon; Lazić, Bratislav; Janković, Slavenka

    2017-10-01

    Psoriasis severity varies by body region, with each affected region having a different impact on patient quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of changes in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores by body region on QoL in patients with psoriasis after treatment. A total of 100 patients with psoriasis were recruited to the study. All patients completed the generic EuroQol-5D instrument and two specific QoL measures, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) at the beginning of the study, and 50 patients successfully completed the same questionnaires four weeks after the end of the treatment. Clinical severity was assessed using PASI total score and PASI body region (head, trunk, arms, and legs) scores. QoL improved after treatment, and PASI improvements on visible body regions (head, legs, and arms) showed significant correlation with the most sub-areas of the Visual Analog Scale (EQ VAS), DLQI, and PDI. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that PASI improvement (particularly on the head), sex, age, and disease duration were predictors of QoL score changes for most domains of the three instruments. Improvement of psoriasis in visible body regions has an appreciable influence on QoL improvement, and may positively affect treatment success in patients with psoriasis.

  14. Whole-Body Movements in Long-Term Weightlessness: Hierarchies of the Controlled Variables Are Gravity-Dependent.

    PubMed

    Casellato, Claudia; Pedrocchi, Alessandra; Ferrigno, Giancarlo

    2017-01-01

    Switching between contexts affects the mechanisms underlying motion planning, in particular it may entail reranking the variables to be controlled in defining the motor solutions. Three astronauts performed multiple sessions of whole-body pointing, in normogravity before launch, in prolonged weightlessness onboard the International Space Station, and after return. The effect of gravity context on kinematic and dynamic components was evaluated. Hand trajectory was gravity independent; center-of-mass excursion was highly variable within and between subjects. The body-environment effort exchange, expressed as inertial ankle momentum, was systematically lower in weightlessness than in normogravity. After return on Earth, the system underwent a rapid 1-week readaptation. The study indicates that minimizing the control effort is given greater weight when optimizing the motor plan in weightlessness compared to normogravity: the hierarchies of the controlled variables are gravity dependent.

  15. Small Bodies, Big Discoveries: NASA's Small Bodies Education Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayo, L.; Erickson, K. J.

    2014-12-01

    2014 is turning out to be a watershed year for celestial events involving the solar system's unsung heroes, small bodies. This includes the close flyby of comet C/2013 A1 / Siding Spring with Mars in October and the historic Rosetta mission with its Philae lander to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Beyond 2014, the much anticipated 2015 Pluto flyby by New Horizons and the February Dawn Mission arrival at Ceres will take center stage. To deliver the excitement and wonder of our solar system's small bodies to worldwide audiences, NASA's JPL and GSFC education teams in partnership with NASA EDGE will reach out to the public through multiple venues including broadcast media, social media, science and math focused educational activities, observing challenges, interactive visualization tools like "Eyes on the Solar System" and more. This talk will highlight NASA's focused education effort to engage the public in small bodies mission science and the role these objects play in our understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system.

  16. Whole-Body Single-Cell Sequencing Reveals Transcriptional Domains in the Annelid Larval Body

    PubMed Central

    Achim, Kaia; Eling, Nils; Vergara, Hernando Martinez; Bertucci, Paola Yanina; Musser, Jacob; Vopalensky, Pavel; Brunet, Thibaut; Collier, Paul; Benes, Vladimir; Marioni, John C; Arendt, Detlev

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Animal bodies comprise diverse arrays of cells. To characterize cellular identities across an entire body, we have compared the transcriptomes of single cells randomly picked from dissociated whole larvae of the marine annelid Platynereis dumerilii. We identify five transcriptionally distinct groups of differentiated cells, each expressing a unique set of transcription factors and effector genes that implement cellular phenotypes. Spatial mapping of cells into a cellular expression atlas, and wholemount in situ hybridization of group-specific genes reveals spatially coherent transcriptional domains in the larval body, comprising, for example, apical sensory-neurosecretory cells versus neural/epidermal surface cells. These domains represent new, basic subdivisions of the annelid body based entirely on differential gene expression, and are composed of multiple, transcriptionally similar cell types. They do not represent clonal domains, as revealed by developmental lineage analysis. We propose that the transcriptional domains that subdivide the annelid larval body represent families of related cell types that have arisen by evolutionary diversification. Their possible evolutionary conservation makes them a promising tool for evo–devo research. PMID:29373712

  17. Maternal exposure to Western diet affects adult body composition and voluntary wheel running in a genotype-specific manner in mice.

    PubMed

    Hiramatsu, Layla; Kay, Jarren C; Thompson, Zoe; Singleton, Jennifer M; Claghorn, Gerald C; Albuquerque, Ralph L; Ho, Brittany; Ho, Brett; Sanchez, Gabriela; Garland, Theodore

    2017-10-01

    Some human diseases, including obesity, Type II diabetes, and numerous cancers, are thought to be influenced by environments experienced in early life, including in utero. Maternal diet during the perinatal period may be especially important for adult offspring energy balance, potentially affecting both body composition and physical activity. This effect may be mediated by the genetic background of individuals, including, for example, potential "protective" mechanisms for individuals with inherently high levels of physical activity or high basal metabolic rates. To examine some of the genetic and environmental factors that influence adult activity levels, we used an ongoing selection experiment with 4 replicate lines of mice bred for high voluntary wheel running (HR) and 4 replicate, non-selected control lines (C). Dams (half HR and half C) were fed a "Western" diet (WD, high in fat and sucrose) or a standard diet (SD) from 2weeks prior to mating until their pups could feed on solid food (14days of age). We analyzed dam and litter characteristics from birth to weaning, and offspring mass and physical activity into adulthood. One male offspring from each litter received additional metabolic and behavioral tests. Maternal WD caused pups to eat solid food significantly earlier for C litters, but not for HR litters (interaction of maternal environment and genotype). With dam mass as a covariate, mean pup mass was increased by maternal WD but litter size was unaffected. HR dams had larger litters and tended to have smaller pups than C dams. Home-cage activity of juvenile focal males was increased by maternal WD. Juvenile lean mass, fat mass, and fat percent were also increased by maternal WD, but food consumption (with body mass as a covariate) was unaffected (measured only for focal males). Behavior in an elevated plus maze, often used to indicate anxiety, was unaffected by maternal WD. Maximal aerobic capacity (VO 2 max) was also unaffected by maternal WD, but HR had

  18. Convergence of multimodal sensory pathways to the mushroom body calyx in Drosophila melanogaster

    PubMed Central

    Yagi, Ryosuke; Mabuchi, Yuta; Mizunami, Makoto; Tanaka, Nobuaki K.

    2016-01-01

    Detailed structural analyses of the mushroom body which plays critical roles in olfactory learning and memory revealed that it is directly connected with multiple primary sensory centers in Drosophila. Connectivity patterns between the mushroom body and primary sensory centers suggest that each mushroom body lobe processes information on different combinations of multiple sensory modalities. This finding provides a novel focus of research by Drosophila genetics for perception of the external world by integrating multisensory signals. PMID:27404960

  19. [Specific body care techniques in children].

    PubMed

    Petit, Didier

    2011-06-01

    Body care in the child is not limited to an essential act of somatic survival. It involves introducing attentive observation and in particular behavioural and affective interaction, in order to support the child's psychological balance. There are several care techniques which can be used to implement body mediation.

  20. Multiple independent identification decisions: a method of calibrating eyewitness identifications.

    PubMed

    Pryke, Sean; Lindsay, R C L; Dysart, Jennifer E; Dupuis, Paul

    2004-02-01

    Two experiments (N = 147 and N = 90) explored the use of multiple independent lineups to identify a target seen live. In Experiment 1, simultaneous face, body, and sequential voice lineups were used. In Experiment 2, sequential face, body, voice, and clothing lineups were used. Both studies demonstrated that multiple identifications (by the same witness) from independent lineups of different features are highly diagnostic of suspect guilt (G. L. Wells & R. C. L. Lindsay, 1980). The number of suspect and foil selections from multiple independent lineups provides a powerful method of calibrating the accuracy of eyewitness identification. Implications for use of current methods are discussed. ((c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

  1. Body Image, Self-esteem, and Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis.

    PubMed

    Nazik, Hulya; Nazik, Selcuk; Gul, Feride C

    2017-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that may affect the visible areas of body. Hence, the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image can be affected in psoriasis patients. We aimed in the present study to assess the effects of psoriasis on the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image. The study included 92 patients with psoriasis, along with 98 control participants. The sociodemographic characteristics of the patients were assessed, their Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores were calculated to determine the clinical severity of the psoriasis, and the values were recorded. In addition, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Body Image Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale results were evaluated. When the control and psoriasis groups were evaluated regarding the DLQI, self-esteem, and body image, quality of life was found to be more negatively affected in the psoriasis group than the controls, which was statistically significant ( P < 0.001), and self-esteem ( P < 0.001) and body image ( P < 0.001) were found to be significantly lower. Educational status significantly affected self-esteem ( P < 0.001) and body image ( P = 0.021), however, quality of life was not significantly affected by this parameter ( P = 0.345). PASI was positively correlated with the quality of life ( r = 0.703) and self-esteem ( r = 0.448), however, it was negatively correlated with the body image ( r = -0.423). Psoriasis may negatively affect quality of life, self-esteem, and body image, and may also cause psychosocial problems. An assessment of new approaches on this issue may contribute to developments in the treatment of and rehabilitation from this disease.

  2. Effects of independently altering body weight and body mass on the metabolic cost of running.

    PubMed

    Teunissen, Lennart P J; Grabowski, Alena; Kram, Rodger

    2007-12-01

    The metabolic cost of running is substantial, despite the savings from elastic energy storage and return. Previous studies suggest that generating vertical force to support body weight and horizontal forces to brake and propel body mass are the major determinants of the metabolic cost of running. In the present study, we investigated how independently altering body weight and body mass affects the metabolic cost of running. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that reducing body weight would decrease metabolic rate proportionally, and adding mass and weight would increase metabolic rate proportionally. Further, because previous studies show that adding mass alone does not affect the forces generated on the ground, we hypothesized that adding mass alone would have no substantial effect on metabolic rate. We manipulated the body weight and body mass of 10 recreational human runners and measured their metabolic rates while they ran at 3 m s(-1). We reduced weight using a harness system, increased mass and weight using lead worn about the waist, and increased mass alone using a combination of weight support and added load. We found that net metabolic rate decreased in less than direct proportion to reduced body weight, increased in slightly more than direct proportion to added load (added mass and weight), and was not substantially different from normal running with added mass alone. Adding mass alone was not an effective method for determining the metabolic cost attributable to braking/propelling body mass. Runners loaded with mass alone did not generate greater vertical or horizontal impulses and their metabolic costs did not substantially differ from those of normal running. Our results show that generating force to support body weight is the primary determinant of the metabolic cost of running. Extrapolating our reduced weight data to zero weight suggests that supporting body weight comprises at most 74% of the net cost of running. However, 74% is probably an

  3. Body Condition Peaks at Intermediate Parasite Loads in the Common Bully Gobiomorphus cotidianus

    PubMed Central

    Maceda-Veiga, Alberto; Green, Andy J.; Poulin, Robert; Lagrue, Clément

    2016-01-01

    Most ecologists and conservationists perceive parasitic infections as deleterious for the hosts. Their effects, however, depend on many factors including host body condition, parasite load and the life cycle of the parasite. More research into how multiple parasite taxa affect host body condition is required and will help us to better understand host-parasite coevolution. We used body condition indices, based on mass-length relationships, to test the effects that abundances and biomasses of six parasite taxa (five trematodes, Apatemon sp., Tylodelphys sp., Stegodexamene anguillae, Telogaster opisthorchis, Coitocaecum parvum, and the nematode Eustrongylides sp.) with different modes of transmission have on the body condition of their intermediate or final fish host, the common bully Gobiomorphus cotidianus in New Zealand. We used two alternative body condition methods, the Scaled Mass Index (SMI) and Fulton’s condition factor. General linear and hierarchical partitioning models consistently showed that fish body condition varied strongly across three lakes and seasons, and that most parasites did not have an effect on the two body condition indices. However, fish body condition showed a highly significant humpbacked relationship with the total abundance of all six parasite taxa, mostly driven by Apatemon sp. and S. anguillae, indicating that the effects of these parasites can range from positive to negative as abundance increases. Such a response was also evident in models including total parasite biomass. Our methodological comparison supports the SMI as the most robust mass-length method to examine the effects of parasitic infections on fish body condition, and suggests that linear, negative relationships between host condition and parasite load should not be assumed. PMID:28030606

  4. Impact of Body Weight and Body Composition on Ovarian Cancer Prognosis.

    PubMed

    Purcell, Sarah A; Elliott, Sarah A; Kroenke, Candyce H; Sawyer, Michael B; Prado, Carla M

    2016-02-01

    Measures of body weight and anthropometrics such as body mass index (BMI) are commonly used to assess nutritional status in clinical conditions including cancer. Extensive research has evaluated associations between body weight and prognosis in ovarian cancer patients, yet little is known about the potential impact of body composition (fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM)) in these patients. Thus, the purpose of this publication was to review the literature (using PubMed and EMBASE) evaluating the impact of body weight and particularly body composition on surgical complications, morbidity, chemotherapy dosing and toxicity (as predictors of prognosis), and survival in ovarian cancer patients. Body weight is rarely associated with intra-operative complications, but obesity predicts higher rates of venous thromboembolism and wound complications post-operatively in ovarian cancer patients. Low levels of FM and FFM are superior predictors of length of hospital stay compared to measures of body weight alone, but the role of body composition on other surgical morbidities is unknown. Obesity complicates chemotherapy dosing due to altered pharmacokinetics, imprecise dosing strategies, and wide variability in FM and FFM. Measurement of body composition has the potential to reduce toxicity if the results are incorporated into chemotherapy dosing calculations. Some findings suggest that excess body weight adversely affects survival, while others find no such association. Limited studies indicate that FM is a better predictor of survival than body weight in ovarian cancer patients, but the direction of this relationship has not been determined. In conclusion, body composition as an indicator of nutritional status is a better prognostic tool than body weight or BMI alone in ovarian cancer patients.

  5. Honey Bee Antiviral Immune Barriers as Affected by Multiple Stress Factors: A Novel Paradigm to Interpret Colony Health Decline and Collapse.

    PubMed

    Nazzi, Francesco; Pennacchio, Francesco

    2018-03-30

    Any attempt to outline a logical framework in which to interpret the honey bee health decline and its contribution to elevated colony losses should recognize the importance of the multifactorial nature of the responsible syndrome and provide a functional model as a basis for defining and testing working hypotheses. We propose that covert infections by deformed wing virus (DWV) represent a sword of Damocles permanently threatening the survival of honey bee colonies and suggest that any factor affecting the honey bee’s antiviral defenses can turn this pathogen into a killer. Here we discuss the available experimental evidence in the framework of a model based on honey bee immune competence as affected by multiple stress factors that is proposed as a conceptual tool for analyzing bee mortality and its underlying mechanisms.

  6. Weight information labels on media models reduce body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls.

    PubMed

    Veldhuis, Jolanda; Konijn, Elly A; Seidell, Jacob C

    2012-06-01

    To examine how weight information labels on variously sized media models affect (pre)adolescent girls' body perceptions and how they compare themselves with media models. We used a three (body shape: extremely thin vs. thin vs. normal weight) × three (information label: 6-kg underweight vs. 3-kg underweight vs. normal weight) experimental design in three age-groups (9-10 years, 12-13 years, and 15-16 years; n = 184). The girls completed questionnaires after exposure to media models. Weight information labels affected girls' body dissatisfaction, social comparison with media figures, and objectified body consciousness. Respondents exposed to an extremely thin body shape labeled to be of "normal weight" were most dissatisfied with their own bodies and showed highest levels of objectified body consciousness and comparison with media figures. An extremely thin body shape combined with a corresponding label (i.e., 6-kg underweight), however, induced less body dissatisfaction and less comparison with the media model. Age differences were also found to affect body perceptions: adolescent girls showed more negative body perceptions than preadolescents. Weight information labels may counteract the generally media-induced thin-body ideal. That is, when the weight labels appropriately informed the respondents about the actual thinness of the media model's body shape, girls were less affected. Weight information labels also instigated a normalization effect when a "normal-weight" label was attached to underweight-sized media models. Presenting underweight as a normal body shape, clearly increased body dissatisfaction in girls. Results also suggest age between preadolescence and adolescence as a critical criterion in responding to media models' body shape. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Enhancing multiple disciplinary teamwork.

    PubMed

    Weaver, Terri E

    2008-01-01

    Multiple disciplinary research provides an opportunity to bring together investigators across disciplines to provide new views and develop innovative approaches to important questions. Through this shared experience, novel paradigms are formed, original frameworks are developed, and new language is generated. Integral to the successful construction of effective cross-disciplinary teams is the recognition of antecedent factors that affect the development of the team such as intrapersonal, social, physical environmental, organizational, and institutional influences. Team functioning is enhanced with well-developed behavioral, affective, interpersonal, and intellectual processes. Outcomes of effective multiple disciplinary research teams include novel ideas, integrative models, new training programs, institutional change, and innovative policies that can also influence the degree to which antecedents and processes contribute to team performance. Ongoing evaluation of team functioning and achievement of designated outcomes ensures the continued development of the multiple disciplinary team and confirmation of this approach as important to the advancement of science.

  8. [Human body composition during extended stay in microgravity].

    PubMed

    Noskov, V B; Nichiporuk, I A; Vasilieva, G Yu; Smirnov, Yu I

    2015-01-01

    According to the Sprut-2 protocol, bio-impedancemetry of ISS cosmonauts was performed once a month and also before and after mission. Multiple non-invasive body measurements were carried out in 15 cosmonauts in real time. Relocation of extracellular liquid along the body axis led to its reduction in legs and, on the contrary, an increase in the abdomen. Volumes of total body liquid as well as intra- and extracellular liquids decreased in comparison with pre-flight levels. Lean body mass also became less in microgravity, whereas fat mass showed an increase.

  9. Local SAR in High Pass Birdcage and TEM Body Coils for Multiple Human Body Models in Clinical Landmark Positions at 3T

    PubMed Central

    Yeo, Desmond TB; Wang, Zhangwei; Loew, Wolfgang; Vogel, Mika W; Hancu, Ileana

    2011-01-01

    Purpose To use EM simulations to study the effects of body type, landmark position, and RF body coil type on peak local SAR in 3T MRI. Materials and Methods Numerically computed peak local SAR for four human body models (HBMs) in three landmark positions (head, heart, pelvic) were compared for a high-pass birdcage and a transverse electromagnetic 3T body coil. Local SAR values were normalized to the IEC whole-body average SAR limit of 2.0 W/kg for normal scan mode. Results Local SAR distributions were highly variable. Consistent with previous reports, the peak local SAR values generally occurred in the neck-shoulder area, near rungs, or between tissues of greatly differing electrical properties. The HBM type significantly influenced the peak local SAR, with stockier HBMs, extending extremities towards rungs, displaying the highest SAR. There was also a trend for higher peak SAR in the head-centric and heart-centric positions. The impact of the coil-types studied was not statistically significant. Conclusion The large variability in peak local SAR indicates the need to include more than one HBM or landmark position when evaluating safety of body coils. It is recommended that a HBM with arms near the rungs be included, to create physically realizable high-SAR scenarios. PMID:21509880

  10. Ethanol concentration in food and body condition affect foraging behavior in Egyptian fruit bats ( Rousettus aegyptiacus)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez, Francisco; Korine, Carmi; Kotler, Burt P.; Pinshow, Berry

    2008-06-01

    Ethanol occurs in fleshy fruit as a result of sugar fermentation by both microorganisms and the plant itself; its concentration [EtOH] increases as fruit ripens. At low concentrations, ethanol is a nutrient, whereas at high concentrations, it is toxic. We hypothesized that the effects of ethanol on the foraging behavior of frugivorous vertebrates depend on its concentration in food and the body condition of the forager. We predicted that ethanol stimulates food consumption when its concentration is similar to that found in ripe fruit, whereas [EtOH] below or above that of ripe fruit has either no effect, or else deters foragers, respectively. Moreover, we expected that the amount of food ingested on a particular day of feeding influences the toxic effects of ethanol on a forager, and consequently shapes its feeding decisions on the following day. We therefore predicted that for a food-restricted forager, ethanol-rich food is of lower value than ethanol-free food. We used Egyptian fruit bats ( Rousettus aegyptiacus) as a model to test our hypotheses, and found that ethanol did not increase the value of food for the bats. High [EtOH] reduced the value of food for well-fed bats. However, for food-restricted bats, there was no difference between the value of ethanol-rich and ethanol-free food. Thus, microorganisms, via their production of ethanol, may affect the patterns of feeding of seed-dispersing frugivores. However, these patterns could be modified by the body condition of the animals because they might trade-off the costs of intoxication against the value of nutrients acquired.

  11. Genetics Home Reference: multiple system atrophy

    MedlinePlus

    ... inability to hold the body upright and balanced (postural instability). The other type of multiple system atrophy , ... cells in parts of the nervous system that control movement, balance and coordination, and autonomic functioning. The ...

  12. Investigation of Factors Affecting Body Temperature Changes During Routine Clinical Head Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Myeong Seong

    2016-01-01

    Background Pulsed radiofrequency (RF) magnetic fields, required to produce magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals from tissue during the MRI procedure have been shown to heat tissues. Objectives To investigate the relationship between body temperature rise and the RF power deposited during routine clinical MRI procedures, and to determine the correlation between this effect and the body’s physiological response. Patients and Methods We investigated 69 patients from the Korean national cancer center to identify the main factors that contribute to an increase in body temperature (external factors and the body’s response) during a clinical brain MRI. A routine protocol sequence of MRI scans (1.5 T and 3.0 T) was performed. The patient’s tympanic temperature was recorded before and immediately after the MRI procedure and compared with changes in variables related to the body’s physiological response to heat. Results Our investigation of the physiological response to RF heating indicated a link between increasing age and body temperature. A higher increase in body temperature was observed in older patients after a 3.0-T MRI (r = 0.07, P = 0.29 for 1.5-T MRI; r = 0.45, P = 0.002 for 3.0-T MRI). The relationship between age and body heat was related to the heart rate (HR) and changes in HR during the MRI procedure; a higher RF power combined with a reduction in HR resulted in an increase in body temperature. Conclusion A higher magnetic field strength and a decrease in the HR resulted in an increase in body temperature during the MRI procedure. PMID:27895872

  13. Body temperature patterns and rhythmicity in free-ranging subterranean Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis.

    PubMed

    Streicher, Sonja; Boyles, Justin G; Oosthuizen, Maria K; Bennett, Nigel C

    2011-01-01

    Body temperature (T(b)) is an important physiological component that affects endotherms from the cellular to whole organism level, but measurements of T(b) in the field have been noticeably skewed towards heterothermic species and seasonal comparisons are largely lacking. Thus, we investigated patterns of T(b) patterns in a homeothermic, free-ranging small mammal, the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) during both the summer and winter. Variation in T(b) was significantly greater during winter than summer, and greater among males than females. Interestingly, body mass had only a small effect on variation in T(b) and there was no consistent pattern relating ambient temperature to variation in T(b). Generally speaking, it appears that variation in T(b) patterns varies between seasons in much the same way as in heterothermic species, just to a lesser degree. Both cosinor analysis and Fast Fourier Transform analysis revealed substantial individual variation in T(b) rhythms, even within a single colony. Some individuals had no T(b) rhythms, while others appeared to exhibit multiple rhythms. These data corroborate previous laboratory work showing multiplicity of rhythms in mole-rats and suggest the variation seen in the laboratory is a true indicator of the variation seen in the wild.

  14. Evaluation of multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance and Cole-Cole analysis for the assessment of body water volumes in healthy humans.

    PubMed

    Cornish, B H; Ward, L C; Thomas, B J; Jebb, S A; Elia, M

    1996-03-01

    To assess the application of a Cole-Cole analysis of multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MFBIA) measurements to predict total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW) in humans. This technique has previously been shown to produce accurate and reliable estimates in both normal and abnormal animals. The whole body impedance of 60 healthy humans was measured at 496 frequencies (ranging from 4 kHz to 1 MHz) and the impedance at zero frequency, Ro, and at the characteristic frequency, Zc, were determined from the impedance spectrum, (Cole-Cole plot). TBW and ECW were independently determined using deuterium and bromide tracer dilution techniques. At the Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre and The Department of Biochemistry, University of Queensland. 60 healthy adult volunteers (27 men and 33 women, aged 18-45 years). The results presented suggest that the swept frequency bioimpedance technique estimates total body water, (SEE = 5.2%), and extracellular water, (SEE = 10%), only slightly better in normal, healthy subjects than a method based on single frequency bioimpedance or anthropometric estimates based on weight, height and gender. This study has undertaken the most extensive analysis to date of relationships between TBW (and ECW) and individual impedances obtained at different frequencies ( > 400 frequencies), and has shown marginal advantages of using one frequency over another, even if values predicted from theoretical bioimpedance models are used in the estimations. However in situations where there are disturbances of fluid distribution, values predicted from the Cole-Cole analysis of swept frequency bioimpedance measurements could prove to be more useful.

  15. The evolution of computed tomography from organ-selective to whole-body scanning in managing unconscious patients with multiple trauma

    PubMed Central

    Hong, Zhi-Jie; Chen, Cheng-Jueng; Yu, Jyh-Cherng; Chan, De-Chuan; Chou, Yu-Ching; Liang, Chia-Ming; Hsu, Sheng-Der

    2016-01-01

    Abstract We aimed to evaluate the benefit of whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) scanning for unconscious adult patients suffering from high-energy multiple trauma compared with the conventional stepwise approach of organ-selective CT. Totally, 144 unconscious patients with high-energy multiple trauma from single level I trauma center in North Taiwan were enrolled from January 2009 to December 2013. All patients were managed by a well-trained trauma team and were suitable for CT examination. The enrolled patients are all transferred directly from the scene of an accident, not from other medical institutions with a definitive diagnosis. The scanning regions of WBCT include head, neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. We analyzed differences between non-WBCT and WBCT groups, including gender, age, hospital stay, Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale, Revised Trauma Score, time in emergency department (ED), medical cost, and survival outcome. Fifty-five patients received the conventional approach for treating trauma, and 89 patients received immediate WBCT scanning after an initial examination. Patients’ time in ED was significantly shorter in the WBCT group in comparison with the non-WBCT group (158.62 ± 80.13 vs 216.56 ± 168.32 min, P = 0.02). After adjusting for all possible confounding factors, we also found that survival outcome of the WBCT group was better than that of the non-WBCT group (odds ratio: 0.21, 95% confidence interval: 0.06–0.75, P = 0.016). Early performing WBCT during initial trauma management is a better approach for treating unconscious patients with high-energy multiple trauma. PMID:27631215

  16. How the multiple antioxidant properties of ascorbic acid affect lipid oxidation in oil-in-water emulsions.

    PubMed

    Uluata, Sibel; McClements, D Julian; Decker, Eric A

    2015-02-18

    Lipid oxidation is a serious problem for oil-containing food products because it negatively affects shelf life and nutritional composition. An antioxidant strategy commonly employed to prevent or delay oxidation in foods is to remove oxygen from the closed food-packaging system. An alternative technique is use of an edible oxygen scavenger to remove oxygen within the food. Ascorbic acid (AA) is a particularly promising antioxidant because of its natural label and multiple antioxidative functions. In this study, AA was tested as an oxygen scavenger in buffer and an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion. The effects of transition metals on the ability of AA to scavenge oxygen were determined. Headspace oxygen decrease less than 1% in the medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT) O/W emulsion system (pH 3 and 7). AA was able to almost completely remove dissolved oxygen (DO) in a buffered solution. Transition metals (Fe(2+) and Cu(+)) significantly accelerated the degradation of AA; however, iron and copper only increased DO depletion rates, by 10.6-16.4% from day 1 to 7, compared to the control. AA (2.5-20 mM) decreased DO in a 1% O/W emulsion system 32.0-64.0% and delayed the formation of headspace hexanal in the emulsion from 7 to over 20 days. This research shows that, when AA is used in an O/W emulsion system, oxidation of the emulsion system can be delay by multiple mechanisms.

  17. The Oncogenic Fusion Proteins SET-Nup214 and Sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1)-Nup214 Form Dynamic Nuclear Bodies and Differentially Affect Nuclear Protein and Poly(A)+ RNA Export.

    PubMed

    Port, Sarah A; Mendes, Adélia; Valkova, Christina; Spillner, Christiane; Fahrenkrog, Birthe; Kaether, Christoph; Kehlenbach, Ralph H

    2016-10-28

    Genetic rearrangements are a hallmark of several forms of leukemia and can lead to oncogenic fusion proteins. One example of an affected chromosomal region is the gene coding for Nup214, a nucleoporin that localizes to the cytoplasmic side of the nuclear pore complex (NPC). We investigated two such fusion proteins, SET-Nup214 and SQSTM1 (sequestosome)-Nup214, both containing C-terminal portions of Nup214. SET-Nup214 nuclear bodies containing the nuclear export receptor CRM1 were observed in the leukemia cell lines LOUCY and MEGAL. Overexpression of SET-Nup214 in HeLa cells leads to the formation of similar nuclear bodies that recruit CRM1, export cargo proteins, and certain nucleoporins and concomitantly affect nuclear protein and poly(A) + RNA export. SQSTM1-Nup214, although mostly cytoplasmic, also forms nuclear bodies and inhibits nuclear protein but not poly(A) + RNA export. The interaction of the fusion proteins with CRM1 is RanGTP-dependent, as shown in co-immunoprecipitation experiments and binding assays. Further analysis revealed that the Nup214 parts mediate the inhibition of nuclear export, whereas the SET or SQSTM1 part determines the localization of the fusion protein and therefore the extent of the effect. SET-Nup214 nuclear bodies are highly mobile structures, which are in equilibrium with the nucleoplasm in interphase and disassemble during mitosis or upon treatment of cells with the CRM1-inhibitor leptomycin B. Strikingly, we found that nucleoporins can be released from nuclear bodies and reintegrated into existing NPC. Our results point to nuclear bodies as a means of preventing the formation of potentially insoluble and harmful protein aggregates that also may serve as storage compartments for nuclear transport factors. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  18. The Oncogenic Fusion Proteins SET-Nup214 and Sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1)-Nup214 Form Dynamic Nuclear Bodies and Differentially Affect Nuclear Protein and Poly(A)+ RNA Export*

    PubMed Central

    Port, Sarah A.; Mendes, Adélia; Valkova, Christina; Spillner, Christiane; Fahrenkrog, Birthe; Kaether, Christoph; Kehlenbach, Ralph H.

    2016-01-01

    Genetic rearrangements are a hallmark of several forms of leukemia and can lead to oncogenic fusion proteins. One example of an affected chromosomal region is the gene coding for Nup214, a nucleoporin that localizes to the cytoplasmic side of the nuclear pore complex (NPC). We investigated two such fusion proteins, SET-Nup214 and SQSTM1 (sequestosome)-Nup214, both containing C-terminal portions of Nup214. SET-Nup214 nuclear bodies containing the nuclear export receptor CRM1 were observed in the leukemia cell lines LOUCY and MEGAL. Overexpression of SET-Nup214 in HeLa cells leads to the formation of similar nuclear bodies that recruit CRM1, export cargo proteins, and certain nucleoporins and concomitantly affect nuclear protein and poly(A)+ RNA export. SQSTM1-Nup214, although mostly cytoplasmic, also forms nuclear bodies and inhibits nuclear protein but not poly(A)+ RNA export. The interaction of the fusion proteins with CRM1 is RanGTP-dependent, as shown in co-immunoprecipitation experiments and binding assays. Further analysis revealed that the Nup214 parts mediate the inhibition of nuclear export, whereas the SET or SQSTM1 part determines the localization of the fusion protein and therefore the extent of the effect. SET-Nup214 nuclear bodies are highly mobile structures, which are in equilibrium with the nucleoplasm in interphase and disassemble during mitosis or upon treatment of cells with the CRM1-inhibitor leptomycin B. Strikingly, we found that nucleoporins can be released from nuclear bodies and reintegrated into existing NPC. Our results point to nuclear bodies as a means of preventing the formation of potentially insoluble and harmful protein aggregates that also may serve as storage compartments for nuclear transport factors. PMID:27613868

  19. Genotyping of human lice suggests multiple emergencies of body lice from local head louse populations.

    PubMed

    Li, Wenjun; Ortiz, Gabriel; Fournier, Pierre-Edouard; Gimenez, Gregory; Reed, David L; Pittendrigh, Barry; Raoult, Didier

    2010-03-23

    Genetic analyses of human lice have shown that the current taxonomic classification of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) and body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus) does not reflect their phylogenetic organization. Three phylotypes of head lice A, B and C exist but body lice have been observed only in phylotype A. Head and body lice have different behaviours and only the latter have been involved in outbreaks of infectious diseases including epidemic typhus, trench fever and louse borne recurrent fever. Recent studies suggest that body lice arose several times from head louse populations. By introducing a new genotyping technique, sequencing variable intergenic spacers which were selected from louse genomic sequence, we were able to evaluate the genotypic distribution of 207 human lice. Sequence variation of two intergenic spacers, S2 and S5, discriminated the 207 lice into 148 genotypes and sequence variation of another two intergenic spacers, PM1 and PM2, discriminated 174 lice into 77 genotypes. Concatenation of the four intergenic spacers discriminated a panel of 97 lice into 96 genotypes. These intergenic spacer sequence types were relatively specific geographically, and enabled us to identify two clusters in France, one cluster in Central Africa (where a large body louse outbreak has been observed) and one cluster in Russia. Interestingly, head and body lice were not genetically differentiated. We propose a hypothesis for the emergence of body lice, and suggest that humans with both low hygiene and head louse infestations provide an opportunity for head louse variants, able to ingest a larger blood meal (a required characteristic of body lice), to colonize clothing. If this hypothesis is ultimately supported, it would help to explain why poor human hygiene often coincides with outbreaks of body lice. Additionally, if head lice act as a reservoir for body lice, and that any social degradation in human populations may allow the formation of new populations of

  20. Genotyping of Human Lice Suggests Multiple Emergences of Body Lice from Local Head Louse Populations

    PubMed Central

    Li, Wenjun; Ortiz, Gabriel; Fournier, Pierre-Edouard; Gimenez, Gregory; Reed, David L.; Pittendrigh, Barry; Raoult, Didier

    2010-01-01

    Background Genetic analyses of human lice have shown that the current taxonomic classification of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) and body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus) does not reflect their phylogenetic organization. Three phylotypes of head lice A, B and C exist but body lice have been observed only in phylotype A. Head and body lice have different behaviours and only the latter have been involved in outbreaks of infectious diseases including epidemic typhus, trench fever and louse borne recurrent fever. Recent studies suggest that body lice arose several times from head louse populations. Methods and Findings By introducing a new genotyping technique, sequencing variable intergenic spacers which were selected from louse genomic sequence, we were able to evaluate the genotypic distribution of 207 human lice. Sequence variation of two intergenic spacers, S2 and S5, discriminated the 207 lice into 148 genotypes and sequence variation of another two intergenic spacers, PM1 and PM2, discriminated 174 lice into 77 genotypes. Concatenation of the four intergenic spacers discriminated a panel of 97 lice into 96 genotypes. These intergenic spacer sequence types were relatively specific geographically, and enabled us to identify two clusters in France, one cluster in Central Africa (where a large body louse outbreak has been observed) and one cluster in Russia. Interestingly, head and body lice were not genetically differentiated. Conclusions We propose a hypothesis for the emergence of body lice, and suggest that humans with both low hygiene and head louse infestations provide an opportunity for head louse variants, able to ingest a larger blood meal (a required characteristic of body lice), to colonize clothing. If this hypothesis is ultimately supported, it would help to explain why poor human hygiene often coincides with outbreaks of body lice. Additionally, if head lice act as a reservoir for body lice, and that any social degradation in human populations

  1. A Synchronous Multi-Body Sensor Platform in a Wireless Body Sensor Network: Design and Implementation

    PubMed Central

    Gil, Yeongjoon; Wu, Wanqing; Lee, Jungtae

    2012-01-01

    Background Human life can be further improved if diseases and disorders can be predicted before they become dangerous, by correctly recognizing signals from the human body, so in order to make disease detection more precise, various body-signals need to be measured simultaneously in a synchronized manner. Object This research aims at developing an integrated system for measuring four signals (EEG, ECG, respiration, and PPG) and simultaneously producing synchronous signals on a Wireless Body Sensor Network. Design We designed and implemented a platform for multiple bio-signals using Bluetooth communication. Results First, we developed a prototype board and verified the signals from the sensor platform using frequency responses and quantities. Next, we designed and implemented a lightweight, ultra-compact, low cost, low power-consumption Printed Circuit Board. Conclusion A synchronous multi-body sensor platform is expected to be very useful in telemedicine and emergency rescue scenarios. Furthermore, this system is expected to be able to analyze the mutual effects among body signals. PMID:23112605

  2. Whole-body CT-based imaging algorithm for multiple trauma patients: radiation dose and time to diagnosis

    PubMed Central

    Gordic, S; Hodel, S; Simmen, H-P; Brueesch, M; Frauenfelder, T; Wanner, G; Sprengel, K

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To determine the number of imaging examinations, radiation dose and the time to complete trauma-related imaging in multiple trauma patients before and after introduction of whole-body CT (WBCT) into early trauma care. Methods: 120 consecutive patients before and 120 patients after introduction of WBCT into the trauma algorithm of the University Hospital Zurich were compared regarding the number and type of CT, radiography, focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), additional CT examinations (defined as CT of the same body regions after radiography and/or FAST) and the time to complete trauma-related imaging. Results: In the WBCT cohort, significantly more patients underwent CT of the head, neck, chest and abdomen (p < 0.001) than in the non-WBCT cohort, whereas the number of radiographic examinations of the cervical spine, chest and pelvis and of FAST examinations were significantly lower (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between cohorts regarding the number of radiographic examinations of the upper (p = 0.56) and lower extremities (p = 0.30). We found significantly higher effective doses in the WBCT (29.5 mSv) than in the non-WBCT cohort (15.9 mSv; p < 0.001), but fewer additional CT examinations for completing the work-up were needed in the WBCT cohort (p < 0.001). The time to complete trauma-related imaging was significantly shorter in the WBCT (12 min) than in the non-WBCT cohort (75 min; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Including WBCT in the initial work-up of trauma patients results in higher radiation doses, but fewer additional CT examinations are needed, and the time for completing trauma-related imaging is shorter. Advances in knowledge: WBCT in trauma patients is associated with a high radiation dose of 29.5 mSv. PMID:25594105

  3. Hypercoagulable states in patients with multiple myeloma can affect the thalidomide-associated venous thromboembolism.

    PubMed

    Talamo, Giampaolo P; Ibrahim, Sulfi; Claxton, David; Tricot, Guido J; Fink, Louis M; Zangari, Maurizio

    2009-07-01

    The therapeutic use of thalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma is often complicated by the development of venous thromboembolism. The objective of the present study was to identify hypercoagulable states associated with development of venous thromboembolism in thalidomide-treated multiple myeloma patients. We screened 49 consecutive multiple myeloma patients treated with thalidomide at baseline for hypercoagulability. With a median follow-up of 11 months, 10 of 49 multiple myeloma patients developed a thrombotic episode. Laboratory assays revealed an underlying abnormality in nine of the 10 patients; hypercoagulable screenings were normal in 36 of the 39 patients who did not develop venous thromboembolism (P < 0.0001). Our retrospective study results suggest that the multiple myeloma patients with thromboembolic complications during treatment with thalidomide have a frequent concomitant underlying thrombophilic state.

  4. Titmouse calling and foraging are affected by head and body orientation of cat predator models and possible experience with real cats.

    PubMed

    Book, D L; Freeberg, Todd M

    2015-09-01

    Although anti-predator behavior systems have been studied in diverse taxa, less is known about how prey species detect and assess the immediate threat posed by a predator based on its behavior. In this study, we evaluated a potential cue that some species may utilize when assessing predation threat-the predator's body and head orientation. We tested the effect of this orientation cue on signaling and predation-risk-sensitive foraging of a prey species, tufted titmice (Baeolophus bicolor). Earlier work revealed sensitivity of titmice and related species to the presence of predator stimuli. Here, we manipulated cat models to face either toward or away from a food source preferred by titmice and then measured titmouse calling and seed-taking behavior. Titmice showed greater feeder avoidance when the cat predator models faced the feeder, compared to when the models faced away from the feeder or when titmice were exposed to control stimuli. Titmouse calling was also sensitive to predator head/body orientation, depending upon whether titmice were from sites where real cats had been observed or not. This study experimentally demonstrated that both calling and foraging of prey species can be affected by the head and body orientation of an important terrestrial predator. Prey species may therefore signal in strategic ways to conspecifics not just about predator presence, but also urgency of threat related to the more subtle cue of the head and body orientation of the predator. These findings hold potential implications for understanding animal cognition and learning processes.

  5. Optimal Tempo for Groove: Its Relation to Directions of Body Movement and Japanese nori

    PubMed Central

    Etani, Takahide; Marui, Atsushi; Kawase, Satoshi; Keller, Peter E.

    2018-01-01

    The tendency for groove-based music to induce body movements has been linked to multiple acoustical factors. However, it is unclear how or whether tempo affects groove, although tempo significantly affects other aspects of music perception. To address this issue, the present study investigated effects of tempo, specific rhythmic organizations of patterns, and syncopation on groove and the induction of the sensation of wanting to move. We focused on the directions of body movement in particular by taking into account nori, which is an indigenous Japanese musical term used not only synonymously with groove, but also as a spatial metaphor indicating vertical or horizontal movement directions. Thus, the present study explored how groove was felt and defined, as well as how musical factors induced the sensation of wanting to move in cross-cultural context. A listening experiment was conducted using drum breaks as stimuli. Stimuli consisted of various rhythm patterns at six tempi from 60 to 200 BPM. The main findings are that: (1) an optimal tempo for groove existed for drum breaks at around 100–120 BPM, (2) an optimal tempo existed for the sensation of wanting to move the body in specific directions (i.e., back-and-forth and side-to-side), (3) groove and nori shared a similar concept of wanting to move but differed on several points (i.e., association with sense of pulse and fast tempo). Overall, the present study suggests that there is an optimal tempo for body movement related to groove. This finding has implications for the use of music or rhythmic stimuli to induce smooth motion in rehabilitation, therapy, or dance. PMID:29692747

  6. 21 CFR 866.5660 - Multiple autoantibodies immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    .... 866.5660 Section 866.5660 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... the autoantibodies (antibodies produced against the body's own tissues) in serum and other body fluids. Measurement of multiple autoantibodies aids in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders (disease produced when...

  7. 21 CFR 866.5660 - Multiple autoantibodies immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    .... 866.5660 Section 866.5660 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... the autoantibodies (antibodies produced against the body's own tissues) in serum and other body fluids. Measurement of multiple autoantibodies aids in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders (disease produced when...

  8. 21 CFR 866.5660 - Multiple autoantibodies immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    .... 866.5660 Section 866.5660 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... the autoantibodies (antibodies produced against the body's own tissues) in serum and other body fluids. Measurement of multiple autoantibodies aids in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders (disease produced when...

  9. 21 CFR 866.5660 - Multiple autoantibodies immunological test system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    .... 866.5660 Section 866.5660 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... the autoantibodies (antibodies produced against the body's own tissues) in serum and other body fluids. Measurement of multiple autoantibodies aids in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders (disease produced when...

  10. A naturalistic study of fat talk and its behavioral and affective consequences.

    PubMed

    Jones, Michelle D; Crowther, Janis H; Ciesla, Jeffrey A

    2014-09-01

    Fat talk is a style of verbal expression among young women involving negative self-statements, complaints about physical appearance, and weight management. This research used ecological momentary assessment to examine the impact of naturalistic fat talk experiences on body dissatisfaction, body checking, negative affect, and disordered eating behaviors. We examined trait self-objectification as a moderator. Sixty-five female college students completed a baseline questionnaire and responded to questions when randomly prompted by palm pilot devices for five days. Results indicated fat talk is common and associated with greater body dissatisfaction, body checking, negative affect, and disordered eating behaviors. Fat talk participation was associated with greater body checking than overhearing fat talk. Greater trait self-objectification was associated with greater body dissatisfaction and body checking following fat talk. These results suggest that fat talk negatively impacts the cognitions, affect, and behavior of young women and has increased negative effects for women higher in self-objectification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Secular dynamics of hierarchical multiple systems composed of nested binaries, with an arbitrary number of bodies and arbitrary hierarchical structure - II. External perturbations: flybys and supernovae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamers, Adrian S.

    2018-05-01

    We extend the formalism of a previous paper to include the effects of flybys and instantaneous perturbations such as supernovae on the long-term secular evolution of hierarchical multiple systems with an arbitrary number of bodies and hierarchy, provided that the system is composed of nested binary orbits. To model secular encounters, we expand the Hamiltonian in terms of the ratio of the separation of the perturber with respect to the barycentre of the multiple system, to the separation of the widest orbit. Subsequently, we integrate over the perturber orbit numerically or analytically. We verify our method for secular encounters and illustrate it with an example. Furthermore, we describe a method to compute instantaneous orbital changes to multiple systems, such as asymmetric supernovae and impulsive encounters. The secular code, with implementation of the extensions described in this paper, is publicly available within AMUSE, and we provide a number of simple example scripts to illustrate its usage for secular and impulsive encounters and asymmetric supernovae. The extensions presented in this paper are a next step towards efficiently modelling the evolution of complex multiple systems embedded in star clusters.

  12. Fat and neurosurgery: does obesity affect outcome after intracranial surgery?

    PubMed

    Schultheiss, Kim E; Jang, Yeon Gyoe; Yanowitch, Rachel N; Tolentino, Jocelyn; Curry, Daniel J; Lüders, Jürgen; Asgarzadie-Gadim, Farbod; Macdonald, R Loch

    2009-02-01

    Obesity has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality after some surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to determine whether obesity affects outcome after general neurosurgery and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Three data sets were analyzed, including a retrospective review of 404 patients undergoing cranial and spinal neurosurgical procedures, a prospective collection of 100 patients with aneurysmal SAH, and data from 3567 patients with aneurysmal SAH who were entered into randomized clinical trials of tirilazad. For each data set, outcome was assessed by mortality, postoperative morbidity, and Glasgow Outcome Scale score. Prognostic factors, including body weight and body mass index, were tested for their effect on these outcomes using multivariable logistic regression. For patients undergoing general cranial and spinal neurosurgery, independent predictors of morbidity and mortality were age, American Society of Anesthesia class, disseminated malignancy, emergency surgery, and increased duration of surgery. For patients with SAH, score on the Glasgow Outcome Scale was associated with age and admission Glasgow Coma Scale score. In the tirilazad data set, multiple factors were associated with score on the Glasgow Outcome Scale, but, as with the other 2 data sets, body weight had no relationship to outcome. Obesity may have less effect on the outcome of patients with mainly cranial neurosurgical disease and aneurysmal SAH than it does on patients undergoing other types of surgery.

  13. Railway vehicle body structures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1985-01-01

    The strength and durability of railway vehicle structures is a major topic of engineering research and design. To reflect this importance the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers organised a conference to discuss all matters relating to railway vehicle design. This book presents the papers discussed in that conference. The contents include: Vehicle body design and the UIC's international contribution; LUL prototype 1986 stock - body structure; vehicle structure for the intermediate capacity transmit system vehicles; car body technology of advanced light rapid transit vehicles; concepts, techniques and experience in the idealization of car body structures for finitemore » element analysis; Calcutta metropolitan railway; design for a lightweight diesel multiple unit body; the design of lightweight inter-city coal structures; the BREL international coach body shell structure; new concepts and design techniques versus material standards; structures of BR diesel electric freight locomotives; structural design philosophy for electric locomotives; suspension design for a locomotive with low structural frequencies; freight wagon structures; a finite element study of coal bodyside panels including the effects of joint flexibility; a fresh approach to the problem of car body design strength; energy absorption in automatic couplings and draw gear; passenger vehicle design loads and structural crashworthiness; design of the front part of railway vehicles (in case of frontal impact); the development of a theoretical technique for rail vehicle structural crashworthiness.« less

  14. Combined Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Copepod Abundance, Body Size and Fatty Acid Content.

    PubMed

    Garzke, Jessica; Hansen, Thomas; Ismar, Stefanie M H; Sommer, Ulrich

    2016-01-01

    Concerns about increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming have initiated studies on the consequences of multiple-stressor interactions on marine organisms and ecosystems. We present a fully-crossed factorial mesocosm study and assess how warming and acidification affect the abundance, body size, and fatty acid composition of copepods as a measure of nutritional quality. The experimental set-up allowed us to determine whether the effects of warming and acidification act additively, synergistically, or antagonistically on the abundance, body size, and fatty acid content of copepods, a major group of lower level consumers in marine food webs. Copepodite (developmental stages 1-5) and nauplii abundance were antagonistically affected by warming and acidification. Higher temperature decreased copepodite and nauplii abundance, while acidification partially compensated for the temperature effect. The abundance of adult copepods was negatively affected by warming. The prosome length of copepods was significantly reduced by warming, and the interaction of warming and CO2 antagonistically affected prosome length. Fatty acid composition was also significantly affected by warming. The content of saturated fatty acids increased, and the ratios of the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids docosahexaenoic- (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) to total fatty acid content increased with higher temperatures. Additionally, here was a significant additive interaction effect of both parameters on arachidonic acid. Our results indicate that in a future ocean scenario, acidification might partially counteract some observed effects of increased temperature on zooplankton, while adding to others. These may be results of a fertilizing effect on phytoplankton as a copepod food source. In summary, copepod populations will be more strongly affected by warming rather than by acidifying oceans, but ocean acidification effects can modify some temperature impacts.

  15. Children’s dietary reporting accuracy over multiple 24-hour recalls varies by body mass index category

    PubMed Central

    Baxter, Suzanne Domel; Smith, Albert F.; Nichols, Michele D.; Guinn, Caroline H.; Hardin, James W.

    2007-01-01

    This secondary analysis investigated the influence of body mass index (BMI) category and sex on reporting accuracy during multiple 24-hour dietary recalls. On three occasions, each of 79 children (40 girls) was observed eating school meals and interviewed the next morning about the previous day’s intake, with ≥ 25 days between any two consecutive occasions for a child. Using age/sex BMI percentiles, we categorized 48 children as healthy weight (≥ 5th percentile <85th), 14 as at risk of overweight (≥ 85th percentile <95th), and 17 as overweight (≥95th percentile). A repeated-measures analysis was conducted for each of five outcomes (number of items observed eaten, number of items reported eaten, omission rate, intrusion rate, total inaccuracy). For items observed, BMI category x trial was marginally significant (P=0.079); over trials, this outcome was stable for healthy-weight children, decreased and stabilized for at-risk-of-overweight children, and was stable and decreased for overweight children. This outcome was greatest for overweight children and least for healthy-weight children (P=0.015). For items reported, no significant effects were found. For omission rate (P=0.028) and intrusion rate (P=0.083), BMI category x trial was significant and marginally significant; over trials, both decreased for healthy-weight children, decreased and stabilized for at-risk-of-overweight children, and increased and stabilized for overweight children. Total inaccuracy decreased slightly over trials (P=0.076); this outcome was greater for boys than for girls (P=0.049). Results suggest that children’s dietary reporting accuracy over multiple recalls varies by BMI category. Validation studies with adequate samples for each BMI category, sex, and race are needed. PMID:17541449

  16. Television Images and Adolescent Girls' Body Image Disturbance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Botta, Renee A.

    1999-01-01

    Contributes to scholarship on the effects of media images on adolescents, using social-comparison theory and critical-viewing theory. Finds that media do have an impact on body-image disturbance. Suggests that body-image processing is the key to understanding how television images affect adolescent girls' body-image attitudes and behaviors. (SR)

  17. Core outcome measures for exercise studies in people with multiple sclerosis: recommendations from a multidisciplinary consensus meeting.

    PubMed

    Paul, Lorna; Coote, Susan; Crosbie, Jean; Dixon, Diane; Hale, Leigh; Holloway, Ed; McCrone, Paul; Miller, Linda; Saxton, John; Sincock, Caroline; White, Lesley

    2014-10-01

    Evidence shows that exercise is beneficial for people with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, statistical pooling of data is difficult because of the diversity of outcome measures used. The objective of this review is to report the recommendations of an International Consensus Meeting for a core set of outcome measures for use in exercise studies in MS. From the 100 categories of the International Classification of Function Core Sets for MS, 57 categories were considered as likely/potentially likely to be affected by exercise and were clustered into seven core groups. Outcome measures to address each group were evaluated regarding, for example, psychometric properties. The following are recommended: Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) or Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) for energy and drive, 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) for exercise tolerance, Timed Up and Go (TUG) for muscle function and moving around, Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29) or Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 Instrument (MSQoL54) for quality of life and body mass index (BMI) or waist-hip ratio (WHR) for the health risks associated with excess body fat. A cost effectiveness analysis and qualitative evaluation should be included where possible. Using these core measures ensures that future meta-analyses of exercise studies in MS are more robust and thus more effectively inform practice. © The Author(s) 2014.

  18. Effect of sway on image fidelity in whole-body digitizing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corner, Brian D.; Hu, Anmin

    1998-03-01

    For 3D digitizers to be useful data collection tools in scientific and human factors engineering applications, the models created from scan data must match the original object very closely. Factors such as ambient light, characteristics of the object's surface, and object movement, among others can affect the quality of the image produced by any 3D digitizing system. Recently, Cyberware has developed a whole body digitizer for collecting data on human size and shape. With a digitizing time of about 15 seconds, the effect subject movement, or sway, on model fidelity is an important issue to be addressed. The effect of sway is best measured by comparing the dimensions of an object of known geometry to the model of the same object captured by the digitizer. Since it is difficult to know the geometry of a human body accurately, it was decided to compare an object of simple geometry to its digitized counterpart. Preliminary analysis showed that a single cardboard tube would provide the best artifact for detecting sway. A tube was attached to the subjects using supports that allowed the cylinder to stand away from the body. The stand-off was necessary to minimize occluded areas. Multiple scans were taken of 1 subject and the cylinder extracted from the images. Comparison of the actual cylinder dimensions to those extracted from the whole body images found the effect of sway to be minimal. This follows earlier findings that anthropometric dimensions extracted from whole body scans are very close to the same dimensions measured using standard manual methods. Recommendations for subject preparation and stabilization are discussed.

  19. Body weight, body composition, and energy intake changes in breastfeeding mothers.

    PubMed

    AbuSabha, R; Greene, G

    1998-06-01

    Body weight, body composition, and energy intake changes are described for 13 breastfeeding mothers followed for 18-24 months after delivery. Body weight was assessed at 1-6, 9, 12, 18, 24 months postpartum and 1 month after infant weaning, and energy intake was assessed at 2-6, 9, 12, 18, 24 months postpartum and 1 month after infant weaning. Compared to prepregnancy weight, participants were an average of 4.0 +/- 6.6 kg heavier 18 months postpartum (p < 0.05). The mean rate of weight loss from 1 month postpartum until termination of lactation was 0.32 +/- 0.27 kg/month. Eight of the 12 women gained weight after weaning their infant. Percent body fat assessed by underwater weighing declined from 34.6 +/- 2.8% at 1 month postpartum to 31.4 +/- 4.8% at 1 month after infant weaning (p < 0.05). Further research is needed to study the factors which affect weight loss postpartum, and how weight gain after weaning can be prevented.

  20. Volumetry based biomarker speed of growth: Quantifying the change of total tumor volume in whole-body magnetic resonance imaging over time improves risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients

    PubMed Central

    Piraud, Marie; Menze, Bjoern H.; Hielscher, Thomas; Hofmanninger, Johannes; Wagner, Barbara; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Merz, Maximilian; Hillengass, Jens; Langs, Georg; Weber, Marc-André

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to improve risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients, introducing new 3D-volumetry based imaging biomarkers derived from whole-body MRI. Two-hundred twenty whole-body MRIs from 63 patients with smoldering multiple myeloma were retrospectively analyzed and all focal lesions >5mm were manually segmented for volume quantification. The imaging biomarkers total tumor volume, speed of growth (development of the total tumor volume over time), number of focal lesions, development of the number of focal lesions over time and the recent imaging biomarker ‘>1 focal lesion’ of the International Myeloma Working Group were compared, taking 2-year progression rate, sensitivity and false positive rate into account. Speed of growth, using a cutoff of 114mm3/month, was able to isolate a high-risk group with a 2-year progression rate of 82.5%. Additionally, it showed by far the highest sensitivity in this study and in comparison to other biomarkers in the literature, detecting 63.2% of patients who progress within 2 years. Furthermore, its false positive rate (8.7%) was much lower compared to the recent imaging biomarker ‘>1 focal lesion’ of the International Myeloma Working Group. Therefore, speed of growth is the preferable imaging biomarker for risk stratification of smoldering multiple myeloma patients. PMID:29861868

  1. Psychometric properties of the Dresden Body Image Questionnaire: A multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis across sex and age in a Dutch non-clinical sample

    PubMed Central

    Scheffers, Mia; van Duijn, Marijtje A. J.; Bosscher, Ruud J.; Wiersma, Durk; Schoevers, Robert A.; van Busschbach, Jooske T.

    2017-01-01

    Background Body image has implications for psychosocial functioning and quality of life and its disturbance is reported in a broad range of psychiatric disorders. In view of the lack of instruments in Dutch measuring body image as a broad concept, we set out to make an instrument available that reflects the multidimensional character of this construct by including more dimensions than physical appearance. The Dresden Körperbildfragebogen (DBIQ, Dresden Body Image Questionnaire) particularly served this purpose. The DBIQ consists of 35 items and five subscales: body acceptance, sexual fulfillment, physical contact, vitality, and self-aggrandizement. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Dutch translation of the Dresden Body Image Questionnaire (DBIQ-NL) in a non-clinical sample. Methods The psychometric properties of the DBIQ-NL were examined in a non-clinical sample of 988 respondents aged between 18 and 65. We investigated the subscales' internal consistency and test-retest reliability. In order to establish construct validity we evaluated the association with a related construct, body cathexis, and with indices of self-esteem and psychological wellbeing. The factor structure of the DBIQ-NL was examined via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The equivalence of the measurement model across sex and age was evaluated by multiplegroup confirmatory factor analyses. Results Confirmatory factor analyses showed a structure in accordance with the original scale, where model fit was improved significantly by moving one item to another subscale. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis across sex and age demonstrated partial strong invariance. Internal consistency was good with little overlap between the subscales. Temporal reliability and construct validity were satisfactory. Conclusion Results indicate that the DBIQ-NL is a reliable and valid instrument for non-clinical subjects. This provides a sound basis for

  2. Timing of eclosion affects diapause development, fat body consumption and longevity in Osmia lignaria, a univoltine, adult-wintering solitary bee.

    PubMed

    Bosch, Jordi; Sgolastra, Fabio; Kemp, William P

    2010-12-01

    Most insects from temperate areas enter diapause ahead of winter. Species diapausing in a feeding stage and accumulating metabolic reserves during permissive pre-wintering conditions are expected to enter diapause shortly before the onset of winter. In contrast, species diapausing in a non-feeding stage are expected to lower their metabolism as soon as possible to avoid excessive consumption of metabolic reserves. The solitary bee Osmia lignaria winters as a non-feeding adult within its cocoon, but previous studies show important weight losses and increased winter mortality in populations pre-wintered for extended periods. We measured respiration rates to assess diapause initiation and maintenance during pre-wintering, and tested whether timing of adult eclosion affected fitness by measuring fat body depletion, winter mortality and post-winter longevity. We worked with different cohorts of a population reared under natural conditions, and manipulated pre-wintering duration in a population reared under artificial conditions. In agreement with our expectation, O. lignaria lower their metabolic rates within a few days of adult eclosion, but nonetheless suffer strong weight loss during pre-wintering. Early developing individuals suffer greater weight loss and fat body depletion, and have short post-winter longevity. Although, we found no differences in winter mortality among treatments, our results indicate that increased mortality may occur in years with late winter arrivals. We discuss fundamental ecophysiological differences between adult and prepupal diapause within the Megachilidae, and hypothesize that species wintering as adults will be more negatively affected by a situation of extended summers under a scenario of global warming. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The Community as Classroom: Multiple Perspectives on Student Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerrigan, Seanna; Gelmon, Sherrill; Spring, Amy

    2003-01-01

    Reports on the multiple perspectives of students, community members, and faculty to document the affect of student participation in service-learning courses. The study examined in this article used a large sample size and multiple qualitative and quantitative methods over several years. The results indicate that service learning affects students…

  4. Eating attitudes and body image in ethnic Japanese and Caucasian adolescent girls in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Sampei, Míriam A; Sigulem, Dirce M; Novo, Neil F; Juliano, Yara; Colugnati, Fernando A B

    2009-01-01

    Despite investigations into the rapid increase in eating disorders across diverse ethnic groups, conclusions concerning ethnicity and eating disorders are contradictory. The objective of the present study was to investigate eating attitudes in ethnic Japanese and Caucasian adolescents in Brazil. The influence of body mass index (BMI), menarche and social-affective relationships on the development of eating disorders was also assessed. Questionnaires evaluating the incidence of eating disorders and the influence of social-affective relationships were applied to 544 Japanese-Brazilian and Caucasian adolescent girls: 10 to 11-year-old Japanese-Brazilian (n = 122) and Caucasian (n = 176) pre-menarcheal adolescents, and 16 to 17-year-old Japanese-Brazilian (n = 71) and Caucasian (n = 175) post-menarcheal adolescents. Caucasian girls obtained higher scores on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), showed greater body image dissatisfaction, dieted more often and had more diet models introduced by their mothers and peers than the Japanese-Brazilian girls. CONCLUSION The Caucasian adolescents overall appeared to be more sensitive to aesthetic and social pressures regarding body image than the Japanese adolescents. The high incidence of EAT-26 scores above 20 in the Caucasian pre-menarcheal group indicates that individual body image concerns are developing at an earlier age. Multiple logistic regression revealed several associations between mother-teen interactions and the development of abnormal eating attitudes.

  5. Multiplicity: An Explorative Interview Study on Personal Experiences of People with Multiple Selves.

    PubMed

    Ribáry, Gergő; Lajtai, László; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Maraz, Aniko

    2017-01-01

    Background and aims: Personality psychology research relies on the notion that humans have a single self that is the result of the individual's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can be reliably described (i.e., through traits). People who identify themselves as "multiple" have a system of multiple or alternative, selves, that share the same physical body. This is the first study to explore the phenomenon of multiplicity by assessing the experiences of people who identify themselves as "multiple." Methods: First, an Internet forum search was performed using the terms "multiplicity" and "multiple system." Based on that search, people who identified themselves as multiple were contacted. Interviews were conducted by a consultant psychiatrist, which produced six case vignettes. Results: Multiplicity is discussed on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and several other personal websites, blogs, and forums maintained by multiples. According to the study's estimates, there are 200-300 individuals who participate in these forums and believe they are multiple. Based on the six interviews, it appears that multiples have several selves who are relatively independent of each other and constitute the personality's system. Each "resident person" or self, has their own unique behavioral pattern, which is triggered by different situations. However, multiples are a heterogeneous group in terms of their system organization, memory functions, and control over switching between selves. Conclusions: Multiplicity can be placed along a continuum between identity disturbance and dissociative identity disorder (DID), although most systems function relatively well in everyday life. Further research is needed to explore this phenomenon, especially in terms of the extent to which multiplicity can be regarded as a healthy way of coping.

  6. [EFFECTS OF WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION TRAINING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND PHYSICAL FITNESS IN RECREATIONALLY ACTIVE YOUNG ADULTS].

    PubMed

    Martínez-Pardo, Esmeraldo; Martínez-Ruiz, Enrique; Alcaraz, Pedro E; Rubio-Arias, Jacobo A

    2015-11-01

    In the last decade, it has been suggested that whole- body vibration training (WBV) may increase neuromuscular performance and consequently affect the muscular improvement as either acute response to vibration or chronic adaptation training. Vibrating platforms generate frequencies from 5-45 Hz and vertical oscillations of 1-11 mm peak to peak, affecting more or less intensity acceleration changing by combining frequency and amplitude. Vibration training, in a session as various offers different results in regard to changes in body composition and in increasing the vertical jump, sprint, and the different manifestations of force development. These promising results await further research to establish parameters (duration, frequency and amplitude) with vibration stimulation in young active subjects. This literature review provides an update on the scientific evidence on the body vibrations in order to answer the question whether WBV, meaning the exercise by increasing the gravitational load collection, is a treatment option if the aim is to improve neuromuscular function, flexibility, balance, agility, coordination and body composition. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  7. Treatment of aggressive multiple myeloma by high-dose chemotherapy and total body irradiation followed by blood stem cells autologous graft

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fermand, J.P.; Levy, Y.; Gerota, J.

    1989-01-01

    Eight patients with stage III aggressive multiple myeloma, refractory to current chemotherapy in six cases, were treated by high-dose chemotherapy (nitrosourea, etoposide, and melphalan) (HDC) and total body irradiation (TBI), followed by autografting with blood stem cells. These cells were previously collected by leukapheresis performed during hematologic recovery following cytotoxic drug-induced bone marrow aplasia. Seven patients were alive 9 to 17 months after HDC-TBI and graft. One died at day 40 from cerebral bleeding. All living patients achieved a 90% or greater reduction in tumor mass. In two cases, a complete remission (CR) has persisted at a follow-up of 15more » and 16 months. Three patients have been well and off therapy with stable minimal residual disease (RD) since 10, 11, and 17 months, respectively. A patient in apparent CR and another with RD have relapsed 9 to 12 months posttreatment. Autologous blood-derived hematopoietic stem cells induced successful and sustained engraftment in all living patients. These results, although still preliminary, indicate that HDC and TBI, followed by blood stem cells autograft, which has both practical and theoretical interest over allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation, deserve consideration in selected patients with multiple myeloma.« less

  8. Human Metapneumovirus Induces Formation of Inclusion Bodies for Efficient Genome Replication and Transcription

    PubMed Central

    Cifuentes-Muñoz, Nicolás; Branttie, Jean; Slaughter, Kerri Beth

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) causes significant upper and lower respiratory disease in all age groups worldwide. The virus possesses a negative-sense single-stranded RNA genome of approximately 13.3 kb encapsidated by multiple copies of the nucleoprotein (N), giving rise to helical nucleocapsids. In addition, copies of the phosphoprotein (P) and the large RNA polymerase (L) decorate the viral nucleocapsids. After viral attachment, endocytosis, and fusion mediated by the viral glycoproteins, HMPV nucleocapsids are released into the cell cytoplasm. To visualize the subsequent steps of genome transcription and replication, a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) protocol was established to detect different viral RNA subpopulations in infected cells. The FISH probes were specific for detection of HMPV positive-sense RNA (+RNA) and viral genomic RNA (vRNA). Time course analysis of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells infected with HMPV revealed the formation of inclusion bodies (IBs) from early times postinfection. HMPV IBs were shown to be cytoplasmic sites of active transcription and replication, with the translation of viral proteins being closely associated. Inclusion body formation was consistent with an actin-dependent coalescence of multiple early replicative sites. Time course quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis suggested that the coalescence of inclusion bodies is a strategy to efficiently replicate and transcribe the viral genome. These results provide a better understanding of the steps following HMPV entry and have important clinical implications. IMPORTANCE Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a recently discovered pathogen that affects human populations of all ages worldwide. Reinfections are common throughout life, but no vaccines or antiviral treatments are currently available. In this work, a spatiotemporal analysis of HMPV replication and transcription in bronchial epithelial cell-derived immortal cells was performed. HMPV was

  9. Human Metapneumovirus Induces Formation of Inclusion Bodies for Efficient Genome Replication and Transcription.

    PubMed

    Cifuentes-Muñoz, Nicolás; Branttie, Jean; Slaughter, Kerri Beth; Dutch, Rebecca Ellis

    2017-12-15

    Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) causes significant upper and lower respiratory disease in all age groups worldwide. The virus possesses a negative-sense single-stranded RNA genome of approximately 13.3 kb encapsidated by multiple copies of the nucleoprotein (N), giving rise to helical nucleocapsids. In addition, copies of the phosphoprotein (P) and the large RNA polymerase (L) decorate the viral nucleocapsids. After viral attachment, endocytosis, and fusion mediated by the viral glycoproteins, HMPV nucleocapsids are released into the cell cytoplasm. To visualize the subsequent steps of genome transcription and replication, a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) protocol was established to detect different viral RNA subpopulations in infected cells. The FISH probes were specific for detection of HMPV positive-sense RNA (+RNA) and viral genomic RNA (vRNA). Time course analysis of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells infected with HMPV revealed the formation of inclusion bodies (IBs) from early times postinfection. HMPV IBs were shown to be cytoplasmic sites of active transcription and replication, with the translation of viral proteins being closely associated. Inclusion body formation was consistent with an actin-dependent coalescence of multiple early replicative sites. Time course quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis suggested that the coalescence of inclusion bodies is a strategy to efficiently replicate and transcribe the viral genome. These results provide a better understanding of the steps following HMPV entry and have important clinical implications. IMPORTANCE Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a recently discovered pathogen that affects human populations of all ages worldwide. Reinfections are common throughout life, but no vaccines or antiviral treatments are currently available. In this work, a spatiotemporal analysis of HMPV replication and transcription in bronchial epithelial cell-derived immortal cells was performed. HMPV was shown to

  10. Body mass index distribution affects discrepancies in weight classifications in children

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) distribution, ethnicity, and age at menarche on the consistency in the prevalence of underweight and overweight as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the International Obesity Task Fo...

  11. Nascent body ego: metapsychological and neurophysiological aspects.

    PubMed

    Lehtonen, Johannes; Partanen, Juhani; Purhonen, Maija; Valkonen-Korhonen, Minna; Kononen, Mervi; Saarikoski, Seppo; Launiala, Kari

    2006-10-01

    For Freud, body ego was the organizing basis of the structural theory. He defined it as a psychic projection of the body surface. Isakower's and Lewin's classical findings suggest that the body surface experiences of nursing provide the infant with sensory-affective stimulation that initiates a projection of sensory processes towards the psychic realm. During nursing, somato-sensory, gustatory and olfactory modalities merge with a primitive somatic affect of satiation, whereas auditory modality is involved more indirectly and visual contact more gradually. Repeated regularly, such nascent experiences are likely to play a part in the organization of the primitive protosymbolic mental experience. In support of this hypothesis, the authors review findings from a neurophysiological study of infants before, during and after nursing. Nursing is associated with a significant amplitude change in the newborn electroencephalogram (EEG), which wanes before the age of 3 months, and is transformed at the age of 6 months into rhythmic 3-5 Hz hedonic theta-activity. Sucking requires active physiological work, which is shown in a regular rise in heart rate. The hypothesis of a sensory-affective organization of the nascent body ego, enhanced by nursing and active sucking, seems concordant with neurophysiological phenomena related to nursing.

  12. Embodied affectivity: on moving and being moved

    PubMed Central

    Fuchs, Thomas; Koch, Sabine C.

    2014-01-01

    There is a growing body of research indicating that bodily sensation and behavior strongly influences one's emotional reaction toward certain situations or objects. On this background, a framework model of embodied affectivity1 is suggested: we regard emotions as resulting from the circular interaction between affective qualities or affordances in the environment and the subject's bodily resonance, be it in the form of sensations, postures, expressive movements or movement tendencies. Motion and emotion are thus intrinsically connected: one is moved by movement (perception; impression; affection2) and moved to move (action; expression; e-motion). Through its resonance, the body functions as a medium of emotional perception: it colors or charges self-experience and the environment with affective valences while it remains itself in the background of one's own awareness. This model is then applied to emotional social understanding or interaffectivity which is regarded as an intertwinement of two cycles of embodied affectivity, thus continuously modifying each partner's affective affordances and bodily resonance. We conclude with considerations of how embodied affectivity is altered in psychopathology and can be addressed in psychotherapy of the embodied self. PMID:24936191

  13. A Virtual Reality Full Body Illusion Improves Body Image Disturbance in Anorexia Nervosa.

    PubMed

    Keizer, Anouk; van Elburg, Annemarie; Helms, Rossa; Dijkerman, H Chris

    2016-01-01

    Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) have a persistent distorted experience of the size of their body. Previously we found that the Rubber Hand Illusion improves hand size estimation in this group. Here we investigated whether a Full Body Illusion (FBI) affects body size estimation of body parts more emotionally salient than the hand. In the FBI, analogue to the RHI, participants experience ownership over an entire virtual body in VR after synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation of the actual and virtual body. We asked participants to estimate their body size (shoulders, abdomen, hips) before the FBI was induced, directly after induction and at ~2 hour 45 minutes follow-up. The results showed that AN patients (N = 30) decrease the overestimation of their shoulders, abdomen and hips directly after the FBI was induced. This effect was strongest for estimates of circumference, and also observed in the asynchronous control condition of the illusion. Moreover, at follow-up, the improvements in body size estimation could still be observed in the AN group. Notably, the HC group (N = 29) also showed changes in body size estimation after the FBI, but the effect showed a different pattern than that of the AN group. The results lead us to conclude that the disturbed experience of body size in AN is flexible and can be changed, even for highly emotional body parts. As such this study offers novel starting points from which new interventions for body image disturbance in AN can be developed.

  14. No Effect of Featural Attention on Body Size Aftereffects

    PubMed Central

    Stephen, Ian D.; Bickersteth, Chloe; Mond, Jonathan; Stevenson, Richard J.; Brooks, Kevin R.

    2016-01-01

    Prolonged exposure to images of narrow bodies has been shown to induce a perceptual aftereffect, such that observers’ point of subjective normality (PSN) for bodies shifts toward narrower bodies. The converse effect is shown for adaptation to wide bodies. In low-level stimuli, object attention (attention directed to the object) and spatial attention (attention directed to the location of the object) have been shown to increase the magnitude of visual aftereffects, while object-based attention enhances the adaptation effect in faces. It is not known whether featural attention (attention directed to a specific aspect of the object) affects the magnitude of adaptation effects in body stimuli. Here, we manipulate the attention of Caucasian observers to different featural information in body images, by asking them to rate the fatness or sex typicality of male and female bodies manipulated to appear fatter or thinner than average. PSNs for body fatness were taken at baseline and after adaptation, and a change in PSN (ΔPSN) was calculated. A body size adaptation effect was found, with observers who viewed fat bodies showing an increased PSN, and those exposed to thin bodies showing a reduced PSN. However, manipulations of featural attention to body fatness or sex typicality produced equivalent results, suggesting that featural attention may not affect the strength of the body size aftereffect. PMID:27597835

  15. No Effect of Featural Attention on Body Size Aftereffects.

    PubMed

    Stephen, Ian D; Bickersteth, Chloe; Mond, Jonathan; Stevenson, Richard J; Brooks, Kevin R

    2016-01-01

    Prolonged exposure to images of narrow bodies has been shown to induce a perceptual aftereffect, such that observers' point of subjective normality (PSN) for bodies shifts toward narrower bodies. The converse effect is shown for adaptation to wide bodies. In low-level stimuli, object attention (attention directed to the object) and spatial attention (attention directed to the location of the object) have been shown to increase the magnitude of visual aftereffects, while object-based attention enhances the adaptation effect in faces. It is not known whether featural attention (attention directed to a specific aspect of the object) affects the magnitude of adaptation effects in body stimuli. Here, we manipulate the attention of Caucasian observers to different featural information in body images, by asking them to rate the fatness or sex typicality of male and female bodies manipulated to appear fatter or thinner than average. PSNs for body fatness were taken at baseline and after adaptation, and a change in PSN (ΔPSN) was calculated. A body size adaptation effect was found, with observers who viewed fat bodies showing an increased PSN, and those exposed to thin bodies showing a reduced PSN. However, manipulations of featural attention to body fatness or sex typicality produced equivalent results, suggesting that featural attention may not affect the strength of the body size aftereffect.

  16. Does body image influence the relationship between body weight and breastfeeding maintenance in new mothers?

    PubMed

    Swanson, Vivien; Keely, Alice; Denison, Fiona C

    2017-09-01

    Obese women have lower breastfeeding initiation and maintenance rates than healthy weight women. Research generally focuses on biomedical explanations for this. Psychosocial factors including body image and well-being after childbirth are less well understood as predictors of breastfeeding. In obese and healthy weight women, we investigated changes in body image between 72 hrs post-delivery and 6-8 weeks post-natal, studying how women's body image related to breastfeeding initiation and maintenance. We also investigated how psychological distress was related to body image. Longitudinal semi-structured questionnaire survey. Body image and psychological distress were assessed within 72 hrs of birth and by postal questionnaire at 6-8 weeks, for 70 obese and 70 healthy weight women initiating exclusive (breastmilk only) breastfeeding or mixed feeding (with formula milk) in hospital. Breastfeeding was re-assessed at 6-8 weeks. Obese women were less likely to exclusively breastfeed in hospital and maintain breastfeeding to 6-8 weeks. Better body image was related to maintaining breastfeeding and to lower post-natal psychological distress for all women, but education level was the most significant predictor of maintenance in multivariate regression including body image and weight status. Body image mediated, but did not moderate the relationship between weight and breastfeeding maintenance. Body image was lower overall in obese women, but all women had low body image satisfaction around childbirth, reducing further at 6-8 weeks. Health professionals should consider women's body image when discussing breastfeeding. A focus on breast function over form may support breastfeeding for all women. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Obesity can negatively affect breastfeeding initiation and maintenance, but there is little information about how psychosocial factors affect this relationship. Body image may be an important factor, but has not

  17. Bacterial body plans

    PubMed Central

    Rieger, Tomáš; Neubauer, Zdeněk; Blahůšková, Anna; Cvrčková, Fatima

    2008-01-01

    The bacterium Serratia marcescens produces a plethora of multicellular shapes of different colorations on solid substrates, allowing immediate visual detection of varieties. Such a plasticity allows studies on multicellular community scale spanning two extremes, from well-elaborated individual colonies to undifferentiated cell mass. For a single strain and medium, we obtained a range of different multicellular bodies, depending on the layout of initial plating. Four principal factors affecting the morphogenetic pathways of such bodies can be distinguished: (1) amount, density and distribution pattern of founder cells; (2) the configuration of surrounding free medium; (3) the presence and character of other bacterial bodies sharing the same niche; and (4) self-perception, resulting in delimitation towards other bodies. The last feature results in an ability of well-formed multicellular individuals to maintain their identity upon a close mutual contact, as well as in spontaneous separation of cell masses in experimental chimeras. We propose an “embryo-like” colony model where multicellular bacterial bodies develop along genuine ontogenetic pathways inherent to the given species (clone), while external shaping forces (like nutrient gradients, pH, etc.,) exert not formative, but only regulative roles in the process. PMID:19513204

  18. New Experiences of Treatment in Multiple Tumors with HIFU Ablation and Whole Body Hyperthermia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takeuchi, Akira; Gondo, Hideki; Iijima, Norio; Xia, Yuantian; Takeuchi, Takashi

    2007-05-01

    We have performed some 5000 whole body hyperthermia (WBH) treatments using far-infrared equipment (RHD 7500: Enthermics medical systems, USA) in 1000 cancer patients since 1991 at Luke Hospital & Clinic (Nakano, Japan). Hyperthermia is a natural treatment whereby patients are heated within the fever temperature range of 41-42 C. However, this therapy alone is poorly suited to advanced cancer patients, where regional tumor control is needed. The potential of HIFU therapy for theses cases deserves further investigation. We have treated 20 times in 12 advanced cancer patients, since importing a new HIFU device (Sonic CZ901: Mianyang some electronic Ltd: China) last December and are able to report some interesting results of combination treatment with HIFU and WBH. Our first experience was a 20-year old female pharyngeal cancer patient with lung and multiple liver metastases. Her lung tumor reduced following WBH (given weekly, 4 times in total) and her liver tumor clearly reduced following HIFU treatment. Our second experience of combinative treatment was in a 65-year old male suffering from a neck tumor with bone metastasis. He received WBH after HIFU treatment into 7th lib bone metastasis. After 10 days, his neck tumor grew with evidence of internal necrosis, and finally ruptured. CT images showed necrotic changes in the focus of the neck tumor and also lib bone metastasis. We believe that this new thermal combinative therapy shows great promise.

  19. The relationship of body image with symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with anorexia nervosa during outpatient psychotherapy: Results of the ANTOP study.

    PubMed

    Junne, Florian; Zipfel, Stephan; Wild, Beate; Martus, Peter; Giel, Katrin; Resmark, Gaby; Friederich, Hans-Christoph; Teufel, Martin; de Zwaan, Martina; Dinkel, Andreas; Herpertz, Stephan; Burgmer, Markus; Tagay, Sefik; Rothermund, Eva; Zeeck, Almut; Ziser, Katrin; Herzog, Wolfgang; Löwe, Bernd

    2016-06-01

    Body image disturbance represents a central characteristic of anorexia nervosa (AN). Depression and anxiety are the most common mental comorbidities in patients with AN. This study aims to investigate the relationship of body image with symptoms of depression and anxiety during outpatient psychotherapy in AN. Analyses were conducted using the data set of the Anorexia Nervosa Treatment Outpatient Study (ANTOP) randomized controlled trial. The ANTOP study included N = 242 females with AN between 18 and 56 years of age. The trial was designed to compare enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-E) and focal psychodynamic therapy (FPT) with optimized treatment as usual (TAU-O) for patients with AN. The analyses on body image dimensions were conducted using measures of correlations and multiple linear regression analyses to assess the relationship and longitudinal prediction of symptoms of depression and anxiety by body image dimensions. Results showed that body image perceptions were significantly associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with AN at all treatment stages. In addition, body image dimensions at early treatment stages predict depression and anxiety in follow-up measurements. The correlation of symptoms of depression and anxiety by body image perceptions increased along treatment course. The persistence of body image disturbance, while body mass index increases under treatment (persistency effect), may constitute a relevant factor contributing to the course of the most common affective comorbidities of depression and anxiety in patients with AN. Body image disturbances in patients with AN should therefore be explicitly targeted within the specialized psychotherapy of affected patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Body height affects the strength of immune response in young men, but not young women.

    PubMed

    Krams, Indrikis A; Skrinda, Ilona; Kecko, Sanita; Moore, Fhionna R; Krama, Tatjana; Kaasik, Ants; Meija, Laila; Lietuvietis, Vilnis; Rantala, Markus J

    2014-08-28

    Body height and other body attributes of humans may be associated with a diverse range of social outcomes such as attractiveness to potential mates. Despite evidence that each parameter plays a role in mate choice, we have little understanding of the relative role of each, and relationships between indices of physical appearance and general health. In this study we tested relationships between immune function and body height of young men and women. In men, we report a non-linear relationship between antibody response to a hepatitis-B vaccine and body height, with a positive relationship up to a height of 185 cm, but an inverse relationship in taller men. We did not find any significant relationship between body height and immune function in women. Our results demonstrate the potential of vaccination research to reveal costly traits that govern evolution of mate choice in humans and the importance of trade-offs among these traits.

  1. Body height affects the strength of immune response in young men, but not young women

    PubMed Central

    Krams, Indrikis A.; Skrinda, Ilona; Kecko, Sanita; Moore, Fhionna R.; Krama, Tatjana; Kaasik, Ants; Meija, Laila; Lietuvietis, Vilnis; Rantala, Markus J.

    2014-01-01

    Body height and other body attributes of humans may be associated with a diverse range of social outcomes such as attractiveness to potential mates. Despite evidence that each parameter plays a role in mate choice, we have little understanding of the relative role of each, and relationships between indices of physical appearance and general health. In this study we tested relationships between immune function and body height of young men and women. In men, we report a non-linear relationship between antibody response to a hepatitis-B vaccine and body height, with a positive relationship up to a height of 185 cm, but an inverse relationship in taller men. We did not find any significant relationship between body height and immune function in women. Our results demonstrate the potential of vaccination research to reveal costly traits that govern evolution of mate choice in humans and the importance of trade-offs among these traits. PMID:25164474

  2. Aspects of body self-calibration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lackner, J. R.; DiZio, P. A.

    2000-01-01

    The representation of body orientation and configuration is dependent on multiple sources of afferent and efferent information about ongoing and intended patterns of movement and posture. Under normal terrestrial conditions, we feel virtually weightless and we do not perceive the actual forces associated with movement and support of our body. It is during exposure to unusual forces and patterns of sensory feedback during locomotion that computations and mechanisms underlying the ongoing calibration of our body dimensions and movements are revealed. This review discusses the normal mechanisms of our position sense and calibration of our kinaesthetic, visual and auditory sensory systems, and then explores the adaptations that take place to transient Coriolis forces generated during passive body rotation. The latter are very rapid adaptations that allow body movements to become accurate again, even in the absence of visual feedback. Muscle spindle activity interpreted in relation to motor commands and internally modeled reafference is an important component in permitting this adaptation. During voluntary rotary movements of the body, the central nervous system automatically compensates for the Coriolis forces generated by limb movements. This allows accurate control to be maintained without our perceiving the forces generated.

  3. Gaze Stabilization During Locomotion Requires Full Body Coordination

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mulavara, A. P.; Miller, C. A.; Houser, J.; Richards, J. T.; Bloomberg, J. J.

    2001-01-01

    Maintaining gaze stabilization during locomotion places substantial demands on multiple sensorimotor subsystems for precise coordination. Gaze stabilization during locomotion requires eye-head-trunk coordination (Bloomberg, et al., 1997) as well as the regulation of energy flow or shock-wave transmission through the body at high impact phases with the support surface (McDonald, et al., 1997). Allowing these excessive transmissions of energy to reach the head may compromise gaze stability. Impairments in these mechanisms may lead to the oscillopsia and decreased dynamic visual acuity seen in crewmembers returning from short and long duration spaceflight, as well as in patients with vestibular disorders (Hillman, et al., 1999). Thus, we hypothesize that stabilized gaze during locomotion results from full-body coordination of the eye-head-trunk system combined with the lower limb apparatus. The goal of this study was to determine how multiple, interdependent full- body sensorimotor subsystems aiding gaze stabilization during locomotion are functionally coordinated, and how they adaptively respond to spaceffight.

  4. Body Metaphors: Some Implications for Movement Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Carol-Lynne

    1987-01-01

    Images of one's body, shared consciously or unconsciously by teacher and student, significantly influence all aspects of movement education including instructional philosophy, curriculum, and method. Discussed are the metaphors of body as beast, as machine, as objet d'art, and as child and how these metaphors affect instruction. (MT)

  5. Brain nuclear receptors and body weight regulation

    PubMed Central

    O’Malley, Bert W.; Elmquist, Joel K.

    2017-01-01

    Neural pathways, especially those in the hypothalamus, integrate multiple nutritional, hormonal, and neural signals, resulting in the coordinated control of body weight balance and glucose homeostasis. Nuclear receptors (NRs) sense changing levels of nutrients and hormones, and therefore play essential roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Understanding the role and the underlying mechanisms of NRs in the context of energy balance control may facilitate the identification of novel targets to treat obesity. Notably, NRs are abundantly expressed in the brain, and emerging evidence indicates that a number of these brain NRs regulate multiple aspects of energy balance, including feeding, energy expenditure and physical activity. In this Review we summarize some of the recent literature regarding effects of brain NRs on body weight regulation and discuss mechanisms underlying these effects. PMID:28218618

  6. Genome-wide analysis of epistasis in body mass index using multiple human populations.

    PubMed

    Wei, Wen-Hua; Hemani, Gib; Gyenesei, Attila; Vitart, Veronique; Navarro, Pau; Hayward, Caroline; Cabrera, Claudia P; Huffman, Jennifer E; Knott, Sara A; Hicks, Andrew A; Rudan, Igor; Pramstaller, Peter P; Wild, Sarah H; Wilson, James F; Campbell, Harry; Hastie, Nicholas D; Wright, Alan F; Haley, Chris S

    2012-08-01

    We surveyed gene-gene interactions (epistasis) in human body mass index (BMI) in four European populations (n<1200) via exhaustive pair-wise genome scans where interactions were computed as F ratios by testing a linear regression model fitting two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with interactions against the one without. Before the association tests, BMI was corrected for sex and age, normalised and adjusted for relatedness. Neither single SNPs nor SNP interactions were genome-wide significant in either cohort based on the consensus threshold (P=5.0E-08) and a Bonferroni corrected threshold (P=1.1E-12), respectively. Next we compared sub genome-wide significant SNP interactions (P<5.0E-08) across cohorts to identify common epistatic signals, where SNPs were annotated to genes to test for gene ontology (GO) enrichment. Among the epistatic genes contributing to the commonly enriched GO terms, 19 were shared across study cohorts of which 15 are previously published genome-wide association loci, including CDH13 (cadherin 13) associated with height and SORCS2 (sortilin-related VPS10 domain containing receptor 2) associated with circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 and binding protein 3. Interactions between the 19 shared epistatic genes and those involving BMI candidate loci (P<5.0E-08) were tested across cohorts and found eight replicated at the SNP level (P<0.05) in at least one cohort, which were further tested and showed limited replication in a separate European population (n>5000). We conclude that genome-wide analysis of epistasis in multiple populations is an effective approach to provide new insights into the genetic regulation of BMI but requires additional efforts to confirm the findings.

  7. Body of Knowledge of Family and Consumer Sciences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baugher, Shirley L.; Anderson, Carol L.; Green, Kinsey B.; Nickols, Sharon Y.; Shane, Jan; Jolly, Laura; Miles, Joyce

    2000-01-01

    Describes how the body of knowledge for family and consumer sciences has evolved over the years; outlines external influences and trends affecting the field. Presents a dialogue of elected leaders discussing the body of knowledge for the future. (JOW)

  8. Examining the Interplay of Processes Across Multiple Time-Scales: Illustration With the Intraindividual Study of Affect, Health, and Interpersonal Behavior (iSAHIB).

    PubMed

    Ram, Nilam; Conroy, David E; Pincus, Aaron L; Lorek, Amy; Rebar, Amanda; Roche, Michael J; Coccia, Michael; Morack, Jennifer; Feldman, Josh; Gerstorf, Denis

    Human development is characterized by the complex interplay of processes that manifest at multiple levels of analysis and time-scales. We introduce the Intraindividual Study of Affect, Health and Interpersonal Behavior (iSAHIB) as a model for how multiple time-scale study designs facilitate more precise articulation of developmental theory. Combining age heterogeneity, longitudinal panel, daily diary, and experience sampling protocols, the study made use of smartphone and web-based technologies to obtain intensive longitudinal data from 150 persons age 18-89 years as they completed three 21-day measurement bursts ( t = 426 bursts, t = 8,557 days) wherein they provided reports on their social interactions ( t = 64,112) as they went about their daily lives. We illustrate how multiple time-scales of data can be used to articulate bioecological models of development and the interplay among more 'distal' processes that manifest at 'slower' time-scales (e.g., age-related differences and burst-to-burst changes in mental health) and more 'proximal' processes that manifest at 'faster' time-scales (e.g., changes in context that progress in accordance with the weekly calendar and family influence processes).

  9. A passive exoskeleton can push your life up: application on multiple sclerosis patients.

    PubMed

    Di Russo, Francesco; Berchicci, Marika; Perri, Rinaldo Livio; Ripani, Francesca Romana; Ripani, Maurizio

    2013-01-01

    In the present study, we report the benefits of a passive and fully articulated exoskeleton on multiple sclerosis patients by means of behavioral and electrophysiological measures, paying particular attention to the prefrontal cortex activity. Multiple sclerosis is a neurological condition characterized by lesions of the myelin sheaths that encapsulate the neurons of the brain, spine and optic nerve, and it causes transient or progressive symptoms and impairments in gait and posture. Up to 50% of multiple sclerosis patients require walking aids and 10% are wheelchair-bound 15 years following the initial diagnosis. We tested the ability of a new orthosis, the "Human Body Posturizer", designed to improve the structural and functional symmetry of the body through proprioception, in multiple sclerosis patients. We observed that a single Human Body Posturizer application improved mobility, ambulation and response accuracy, in all of the tested patients. Most importantly, we associated these clinical observations and behavioral effects to changes in brain activity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex.

  10. Multiplicity: An Explorative Interview Study on Personal Experiences of People with Multiple Selves

    PubMed Central

    Ribáry, Gergő; Lajtai, László; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Maraz, Aniko

    2017-01-01

    Background and aims: Personality psychology research relies on the notion that humans have a single self that is the result of the individual's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can be reliably described (i.e., through traits). People who identify themselves as “multiple” have a system of multiple or alternative, selves, that share the same physical body. This is the first study to explore the phenomenon of multiplicity by assessing the experiences of people who identify themselves as “multiple.” Methods: First, an Internet forum search was performed using the terms “multiplicity” and “multiple system.” Based on that search, people who identified themselves as multiple were contacted. Interviews were conducted by a consultant psychiatrist, which produced six case vignettes. Results: Multiplicity is discussed on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and several other personal websites, blogs, and forums maintained by multiples. According to the study's estimates, there are 200–300 individuals who participate in these forums and believe they are multiple. Based on the six interviews, it appears that multiples have several selves who are relatively independent of each other and constitute the personality's system. Each “resident person” or self, has their own unique behavioral pattern, which is triggered by different situations. However, multiples are a heterogeneous group in terms of their system organization, memory functions, and control over switching between selves. Conclusions: Multiplicity can be placed along a continuum between identity disturbance and dissociative identity disorder (DID), although most systems function relatively well in everyday life. Further research is needed to explore this phenomenon, especially in terms of the extent to which multiplicity can be regarded as a healthy way of coping. PMID:28659840

  11. A many-body states picture of electronic friction: The case of multiple orbitals and multiple electronic states

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dou, Wenjie; Subotnik, Joseph E.

    We present a very general form of electronic friction as present when a molecule with multiple orbitals hybridizes with a metal electrode. To develop this picture of friction, we embed the quantum-classical Liouville equation (QCLE) within a classical master equation (CME). Thus, this article extends our previous work analyzing the case of one electronic level, as we may now treat the case of multiple levels and many electronic molecular states. We show that, in the adiabatic limit, where electron transitions are much faster than nuclear motion, the QCLE-CME reduces to a Fokker-Planck equation, such that nuclei feel an average forcemore » as well as friction and a random force—as caused by their interaction with the metallic electrons. Finally, we show numerically and analytically that our frictional results agree with other published results calculated using non-equilibrium Green’s functions. Numerical recipes for solving this QCLE-CME will be provided in a subsequent paper.« less

  12. A many-body states picture of electronic friction: The case of multiple orbitals and multiple electronic states

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dou, Wenjie; Subotnik, Joseph E.

    2016-08-01

    We present a very general form of electronic friction as present when a molecule with multiple orbitals hybridizes with a metal electrode. To develop this picture of friction, we embed the quantum-classical Liouville equation (QCLE) within a classical master equation (CME). Thus, this article extends our previous work analyzing the case of one electronic level, as we may now treat the case of multiple levels and many electronic molecular states. We show that, in the adiabatic limit, where electron transitions are much faster than nuclear motion, the QCLE-CME reduces to a Fokker-Planck equation, such that nuclei feel an average force as well as friction and a random force—as caused by their interaction with the metallic electrons. Finally, we show numerically and analytically that our frictional results agree with other published results calculated using non-equilibrium Green's functions. Numerical recipes for solving this QCLE-CME will be provided in a subsequent paper.

  13. DsSWEET17, a Tonoplast-Localized Sugar Transporter from Dianthus spiculifolius, Affects Sugar Metabolism and Confers Multiple Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Aimin; Ma, Hongping; Feng, Shuang; Gong, Shufang; Wang, Jingang

    2018-05-24

    Plant SWEETs (Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters) affect the growth of plants by regulating the transport of sugar from source to sink and its intracellular transport between different organelles. In this study, DsSWEET17 from Dianthus spiculifolius was identified and characterized. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression of DsSWEET17 was affected by exogenous application of fructose and glucose as well as under salt, osmotic, and oxidation stress. Colocalization experiments showed that the DsSWEET17-GFP (green fluorescent protein) fusion protein was localized to the FM4-64-labeled tonoplasts in Arabidopsis . Compared to the wild type, the transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings overexpressing DsSWEET17 had longer roots, greater fresh weight, and a faster root growth upon exogenous application of fructose. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings had significantly higher fructose accumulation than was observed for the wild-type seedlings. The analysis of root length revealed that transgenic Arabidopsis had higher tolerance to salt, osmotic, and oxidative stresses. Taken together, our results suggest that DsSWEET17 may be a tonoplast sugar transporter, and its overexpression affects sugar metabolism and confers multiple stress tolerance in Arabidopsis .

  14. Menstrual Changes in Body Composition of Female Athletes.

    PubMed

    Stachoń, Aleksandra Jadwiga

    2016-06-01

    The aim of the study was to determine whether the tendencies and scope of changes in body mass, body composition and body girths across the menstrual cycle were similar or different in women of different body build. Anthropometric examinations were carried out in a group of 40 naturally regularly menstruated females practicing team sports (aged 19-21, B-v 169.3+/-6.4 cm, body mass 59.6+/-7.0 kg), in the follicular, periovulatory and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The phases were determined on the basis of data from two consecutive menstrual cycles taking into account the cycle’s length. To establish the type of body build, Body Mass Index, hydration status and skinfold thickness were measured. For a statistical analysis, a multiple comparisons with multiple confidence intervals were applied. The increase in body mass between the follicular and the luteal phases was observed in all groups of women, the biggest gain was recorded in slim women, who in the luteal phase weighted 0.8 kg more. The amount of fat mass increased significantly across the menstrual cycle only in more hydrated (by about 0.66 kg) and slim women (by about 0.54 kg). Significant changes between consecutive phases of the menstrual cycle in waist and hip girths, and suprailiac skinfold thickness in some groups of women also indicate influence of fatness and hydration status and slenderness. In view of the presented results, the body build seems important for an analysis of the pattern of each component’s changes across the menstrual cycle, especially for female athletes. Certain changes can be seen only in some groups of women, therefore somatic features can be considered as a predictor of the intensity of changes.

  15. The effect of lower body burns on physical function.

    PubMed

    Benjamin, Nicole C; Andersen, Clark R; Herndon, David N; Suman, Oscar E

    2015-12-01

    To attenuate burn-induced catabolism, patients are often enrolled in a resistance exercise program as part of their physical rehabilitation. This study assessed how lower body burn locations affected strength and cardiopulmonary function. Children enrolled in an exercise study between 2003 and 2013, were 7-18 years of age, and burned ≥30% of their total body surface area were included. Analysis of variance was used to model the relationship of lower body strength (PTW) and cardiopulmonary function (VO2peak) due to burns which traverse the subject's lower body joints. There was a significant relationship between PTW and burns at the hip and toe joints, showing a 26 N m/kg (p=0.010) and 33 N m/kg (p=0.013) decrease in peak torque, respectively. Burns at the hip joint corresponded to a significant decrease in VO2peak by 4.9 ml kg(-1) min(-1) (p=0.010) in peak cardiopulmonary function. Physical function and performance are detrimentally affected by burns that traverse specific lower body joints. The most significant relationship on exercise performance was that of hip joint burns as it affected both strength and cardiopulmonary measurements. Ultimately, burns at hip and toe joints need to be considered when interpreting exercise test results involving the lower body. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  16. The Effect of Lower Body Burns on Physical Function

    PubMed Central

    Benjamin, Nicole C.; Andersen, Clark R.; Herndon, David N.; Suman, Oscar E.

    2015-01-01

    Objective To attenuate burn-induced catabolism, patients are often enrolled in a resistance exercise program as part of their physical rehabilitation. This study assessed how lower body burn locations affected strength and cardiopulmonary function. Methods Children enrolled in an exercise study between 2003 and 2013, were 7–18 years of age, and burned ≥ 30% of their total body surface area were included. Analysis of variance was used to model the relationship of lower body strength (PTW) and cardiopulmonary function (VO2peak) due to burns which traverse the subject’s lower body joints. Results There was a significant relationship between PTW and burns at the hip and toe joints, showing a 26 Newton·meters/kilogram (p=0.010) and 33 Newton·meters/kilogram (p=0.013) decrease in peak torque, respectively. Burns at the hip joint corresponded to a significant decrease in VO2peak by 4.9 mL·kg−1·min−1 (p=0.010) in peak cardiopulmonary function. Conclusion Physical function and performance are detrimentally affected by burns that traverse specific lower body joints. The most significant relationship on exercise performance was that of hip joint burns as it affected both strength and cardiopulmonary measurements. Ultimately, burns at hip and toe joints need to be considered when interpreting exercise test results involving the lower body. PMID:26421695

  17. How culture shapes the body: cultural consonance and body mass in urban Brazil.

    PubMed

    Dressler, William W; Oths, Kathryn S; Balieiro, Mauro C; Ribeiro, Rosane P; Dos Santos, José Ernesto

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this article is to develop a model of how culture shapes the body, based on two studies conducted in urban Brazil. Research was conducted in 1991 and 2001 in four socioeconomically distinct neighborhoods. First, cultural domain analyses were conducted with samples of key informants. The cultural domains investigated included lifestyle, social support, family life, national identity, and food. Cultural consensus analysis was used to confirm shared knowledge in each domain and to derive measures of cultural consonance. Cultural consonance assesses how closely an individual matches the cultural consensus model for each domain. Second, body composition, cultural consonance, and related variables were assessed in community surveys. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the association of cultural consonance and body composition, controlling for standard covariates and competing explanatory variables. In 1991, in a survey of 260 individuals, cultural consonance had a curvilinear association with the body mass index that differed for men and women, controlling for sociodemographic and dietary variables. In 2001, in a survey of 267 individuals, cultural consonance had a linear association with abdominal circumference that differed for men and women, controlling for sociodemographic and dietary variables. In general, as cultural consonance increases, body mass index and abdominal circumference decline, more strongly for women than men. As individuals, in their own beliefs and behaviors, more closely approximate shared cultural models in socially salient domains, body composition also more closely approximates the cultural prototype of the body. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. A Virtual Reality Full Body Illusion Improves Body Image Disturbance in Anorexia Nervosa

    PubMed Central

    Keizer, Anouk; van Elburg, Annemarie; Helms, Rossa; Dijkerman, H. Chris

    2016-01-01

    Background Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) have a persistent distorted experience of the size of their body. Previously we found that the Rubber Hand Illusion improves hand size estimation in this group. Here we investigated whether a Full Body Illusion (FBI) affects body size estimation of body parts more emotionally salient than the hand. In the FBI, analogue to the RHI, participants experience ownership over an entire virtual body in VR after synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation of the actual and virtual body. Methods and Results We asked participants to estimate their body size (shoulders, abdomen, hips) before the FBI was induced, directly after induction and at ~2 hour 45 minutes follow-up. The results showed that AN patients (N = 30) decrease the overestimation of their shoulders, abdomen and hips directly after the FBI was induced. This effect was strongest for estimates of circumference, and also observed in the asynchronous control condition of the illusion. Moreover, at follow-up, the improvements in body size estimation could still be observed in the AN group. Notably, the HC group (N = 29) also showed changes in body size estimation after the FBI, but the effect showed a different pattern than that of the AN group. Conclusion The results lead us to conclude that the disturbed experience of body size in AN is flexible and can be changed, even for highly emotional body parts. As such this study offers novel starting points from which new interventions for body image disturbance in AN can be developed. PMID:27711234

  19. Mind-body interventions: applications in neurology.

    PubMed

    Wahbeh, Helané; Elsas, Siegward-M; Oken, Barry S

    2008-06-10

    Half of the adults in the United States use complementary and alternative medicine with mind-body therapy being the most commonly used form. Neurology patients often turn to their physicians for insight into the effectiveness of the therapies and resources to integrate them into their care. The objective of this article is to give a clinical overview of mind-body interventions and their applications in neurology. Medline and PsychInfo were searched on mind-body therapies and neurologic disease search terms for clinical trials and reviews and published evidence was graded. Meditation, relaxation, and breathing techniques, yoga, tai chi, and qigong, hypnosis, and biofeedback are described. Mind-body therapy application to general pain, back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, muscular dysfunction, stroke, aging, Parkinson disease, stroke, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder are reviewed. There are several conditions where the evidence for mind-body therapies is quite strong such as migraine headache. Mind-body therapies for other neurology applications have limited evidence due mostly to small clinical trials and inadequate control groups.

  20. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for multiple pulmonary oligometastases: Analysis of number and timing of repeat SBRT as impact factors on treatment safety and efficacy.

    PubMed

    Klement, R J; Hoerner-Rieber, J; Adebahr, S; Andratschke, N; Blanck, O; Boda-Heggemann, J; Duma, M; Eble, M J; Eich, H C; Flentje, M; Gerum, S; Hass, P; Henkenberens, C; Hildebrandt, G; Imhoff, D; Kahl, K H; Klass, N D; Krempien, R; Lohaus, F; Petersen, C; Schrade, E; Wendt, T G; Wittig, A; Guckenberger, M

    2018-03-03

    Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for oligometastatic disease is characterized by an excellent safety profile; however, experiences are mostly based on treatment of one single metastasis. It was the aim of this study to evaluate safety and efficacy of SBRT for multiple pulmonary metastases. This study is based on a retrospective database of the DEGRO stereotactic working group, consisting of 637 patients with 858 treatments. Cox regression and logistic regression were used to analyze the association between the number of SBRT treatments or the number and the timing of repeat SBRT courses with overall survival (OS) and the risk of early death. Out of 637 patients, 145 patients were treated for multiple pulmonary metastases; 88 patients received all SBRT treatments within one month whereas 57 patients were treated with repeat SBRT separated by at least one month. Median OS for the total patient population was 23.5 months and OS was not significantly influenced by the overall number of SBRT treatments or the number and timing of repeat SBRT courses. The risk of early death within 3 and 6 months was not increased in patients treated with multiple SBRT treatments, and no grade 4 or grade 5 toxicity was observed in these patients. In appropriately selected patients, synchronous SBRT for multiple pulmonary oligometastases and repeat SBRT may have a comparable safety and efficacy profile compared to SBRT for one single oligometastasis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Coherent emotional perception from body expressions and the voice.

    PubMed

    Yeh, Pei-Wen; Geangu, Elena; Reid, Vincent

    2016-10-01

    Perceiving emotion from multiple modalities enhances the perceptual sensitivity of an individual. This allows more accurate judgments of others' emotional states, which is crucial to appropriate social interactions. It is known that body expressions effectively convey emotional messages, although fewer studies have examined how this information is combined with the auditory cues. The present study used event-related potentials (ERP) to investigate the interaction between emotional body expressions and vocalizations. We also examined emotional congruency between auditory and visual information to determine how preceding visual context influences later auditory processing. Consistent with prior findings, a reduced N1 amplitude was observed in the audiovisual condition compared to an auditory-only condition. While this component was not sensitive to the modality congruency, the P2 was sensitive to the emotionally incompatible audiovisual pairs. Further, the direction of these congruency effects was different in terms of facilitation or suppression based on the preceding contexts. Overall, the results indicate a functionally dissociated mechanism underlying two stages of emotional processing whereby N1 is involved in cross-modal processing, whereas P2 is related to assessing a unifying perceptual content. These data also indicate that emotion integration can be affected by the specific emotion that is presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Conjunctivitis and ulcerative keratitis secondary to conjunctival plant foreign bodies in a herd of alpacas (Lama Pacos).

    PubMed

    Fischer, Kristin; Hendrix, Diane

    2012-03-01

    To describe six cases of conjunctivitis and ulcerative keratitis secondary to plant foreign bodies from weed-contaminated grass hay which were lodged within the temporal conjunctival fornix in a herd of alpacas. A total of 21 alpacas from the same farm developed blepharospasm and mucopurulent ocular discharge. Six of the 21 were evaluated at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine within a 2-week period. The six animals evaluated received an ophthalmic examination including slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fluorescein staining, and topical corneal anesthesia for foreign body removal when necessary. Six animals had conjunctivitis characterized by hyperemia and mucopurulent discharge. Five animals had superficial ulcerative keratitis with intense corneal neovascularization and edema. In all cases, the keratitis was located at the temporal limbus. Seven plant foreign bodies were observed and were removed following topical corneal anesthesia in five animals. The plant seeds were identified as three common weed species found in orchard grass hay. Complete resolution of all clinical signs was achieved with foreign body removal and medical therapy. Fan-shaped temporal corneal ulcers may signify the presence of conjunctival foreign bodies in alpacas. Plant foreign bodies should be considered in addition to ocular infection when multiple animals of a herd are affected as outbreaks may occur with weed-contaminated hay. © 2011 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

  3. Trauma exposure and cigarette smoking: the impact of negative affect and affect-regulatory smoking motives.

    PubMed

    Farris, Samantha G; Zvolensky, Michael J; Beckham, Jean C; Vujanovic, Anka A; Schmidt, Norman B

    2014-01-01

    Cognitive-affective mechanisms related to the maintenance of smoking among trauma-exposed individuals are largely unknown. Cross-sectional data from trauma-exposed treatment-seeking smokers (n = 283) were utilized to test a series of multiple mediator models of trauma exposure and smoking, as mediated by the sequential effects of negative affect and affect-modulation smoking motives. The sequential effects of both mediators indirectly predicted the effect of greater trauma exposure types on nicotine dependence, a biochemical index of smoking, perceived barriers to smoking cessation, and greater withdrawal-related problems during past quit attempts. Negative affect and affect-modulation motives for smoking may contribute to the trauma-smoking association.

  4. Trauma Exposure and Cigarette Smoking: The Impact of Negative Affect and Affect-Regulatory Smoking Motives

    PubMed Central

    Farris, Samantha G.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; Beckham, Jean C.; Vujanovic, Anka A.; Schmidt, Norman B.

    2014-01-01

    Cognitive-affective mechanisms related to the maintenance of smoking among trauma-exposed individuals are largely unknown. Cross-sectional data from trauma-exposed treatment-seeking smokers (n = 283) were utilized to test a series of multiple mediator models of trauma exposure and smoking, as mediated by the sequential effects of negative affect and affect-modulation smoking motives. The sequential effects of both mediators indirectly predicted the effect of greater trauma exposure types on nicotine dependence, a biochemical index of smoking, perceived barriers to smoking cessation, and greater withdrawal-related problems during past quit attempts. Negative affect and affect-modulation motives for smoking may contribute to the trauma-smoking association. PMID:25299617

  5. A Longitudinal Study of Body Change Strategies among Adolescent Males.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCabe, Marita P.; Ricciardelli, Lina A.

    2003-01-01

    Examined factors predicting body change strategies to increase weight and muscle mass among adolescent males over an 8-month period. Results for 435 adolescent boys show that extreme body change strategies are predicted by the adoption of more normative body change strategies at an earlier time, and that body change strategies are affected by…

  6. Sporadic inclusion body myositis: the genetic contributions to the pathogenesis

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is the commonest idiopathic inflammatory muscle disease in people over 50 years old. It is characterized by slowly progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, with typical pathological changes of inflammation, degeneration and mitochondrial abnormality in affected muscle fibres. The cause(s) of sIBM are still unknown, but are considered complex, with the contribution of multiple factors such as environmental triggers, ageing and genetic susceptibility. This review summarizes the current understanding of the genetic contributions to sIBM and provides some insights for future research in this mysterious disease with the advantage of the rapid development of advanced genetic technology. An international sIBM genetic study is ongoing and whole-exome sequencing will be applied in a large cohort of sIBM patients with the aim of unravelling important genetic risk factors for sIBM. PMID:24948216

  7. Combined Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Copepod Abundance, Body Size and Fatty Acid Content

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, Thomas; Ismar, Stefanie M. H.; Sommer, Ulrich

    2016-01-01

    Concerns about increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming have initiated studies on the consequences of multiple-stressor interactions on marine organisms and ecosystems. We present a fully-crossed factorial mesocosm study and assess how warming and acidification affect the abundance, body size, and fatty acid composition of copepods as a measure of nutritional quality. The experimental set-up allowed us to determine whether the effects of warming and acidification act additively, synergistically, or antagonistically on the abundance, body size, and fatty acid content of copepods, a major group of lower level consumers in marine food webs. Copepodite (developmental stages 1–5) and nauplii abundance were antagonistically affected by warming and acidification. Higher temperature decreased copepodite and nauplii abundance, while acidification partially compensated for the temperature effect. The abundance of adult copepods was negatively affected by warming. The prosome length of copepods was significantly reduced by warming, and the interaction of warming and CO2 antagonistically affected prosome length. Fatty acid composition was also significantly affected by warming. The content of saturated fatty acids increased, and the ratios of the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids docosahexaenoic- (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) to total fatty acid content increased with higher temperatures. Additionally, here was a significant additive interaction effect of both parameters on arachidonic acid. Our results indicate that in a future ocean scenario, acidification might partially counteract some observed effects of increased temperature on zooplankton, while adding to others. These may be results of a fertilizing effect on phytoplankton as a copepod food source. In summary, copepod populations will be more strongly affected by warming rather than by acidifying oceans, but ocean acidification effects can modify some temperature impacts. PMID:27224476

  8. Body Mass Index and Sex Affect Diverse Microbial Niches within the Gut

    PubMed Central

    Borgo, Francesca; Garbossa, Stefania; Riva, Alessandra; Severgnini, Marco; Luigiano, Carmelo; Benetti, Albero; Pontiroli, Antonio E.; Morace, Giulia; Borghi, Elisa

    2018-01-01

    Gut microbiota is considered a separate organ with endocrine capabilities, actively contributing to tissue homeostasis. It consists of at least two separate microbial populations, the lumen-associated (LAM) and the mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM). In the present study, we compared LAM and MAM, by collecting stools and sigmoid brush samples of forty adults without large-bowel symptoms, and through a 16S rRNA gene next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach. MAM sample analysis revealed enrichment in aerotolerant Proteobacteria, probably selected by a gradient of oxygen that decreases from tissue to lumen, and in Streptococcus and Clostridium spp., highly fermenting bacteria. On the other hand, LAM microbiota showed an increased abundance in Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Oscillospira, genera able to digest and to degrade biopolymers in the large intestine. Predicted metagenomic analysis showed LAM to be enriched in genes encoding enzymes mostly involved in energy extraction from carbohydrates and lipids, whereas MAM in amino acid and vitamin metabolism. Moreover, LAM and MAM communities seemed to be influenced by different host factors, such as diet and sex. LAM is affected by body mass index (BMI) status. Indeed, BMI negatively correlates with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Flavonifractor plautii abundance, putative biomarkers of healthy status. In contrast, MAM microbial population showed a significant grouping according to sex. Female MAM was enriched in Actinobacteria (with an increased trend of the genus Bifidobacterium), and a significant depletion in Veillonellaceae. Interestingly, we found the species Gemmiger formicilis to be associated with male and Bifidobacterium adolescentis, with female MAM samples. In conclusion, our results suggest that gut harbors microbial niches that differ in both composition and host factor susceptibility, and their richness and diversity may be overlooked evaluating only fecal samples. PMID:29491857

  9. The Body Project 4 All: A pilot randomized controlled trial of a mixed-gender dissonance-based body image program

    PubMed Central

    Kilpela, Lisa Smith; Blomquist, Kerstin; Verzijl, Christina; Wilfred, Salomé; Beyl, Robbie; Becker, Carolyn Black

    2017-01-01

    Objective The Body Project is a cognitive dissonance-based body image improvement program with ample research support among female samples. More recently, researchers have highlighted the extent of male body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors; however, boys/men have not been included in the majority of body image improvement programs. This study aims to explore the efficacy of a mixed-gender Body Project compared to the historically female-only body image intervention program. Method Participants included male and female college students (N=185) across two sites. We randomly assigned women to a mixed-gender modification of the two-session, peer-led Body Project (MG), the two-session, peer-led, female-only (FO) Body Project, or a waitlist control (WL), and men to either MG or WL. Participants completed self-report measures assessing negative affect, appearance-ideal internalization, body satisfaction, and eating disorder pathology at baseline, post-test, and at two- and six-month follow-up. Results We used linear mixed effects modeling to estimate the change from baseline over time for each dependent variable across conditions. For women, results were mixed regarding post-intervention improvement compared to WL, and were largely non-significant compared to WL at 6-month follow-up. Alternatively, results indicated that men in MG consistently improved compared to WL through 6-month follow-up on all measures except negative affect and appearance-ideal internalization. Discussion Results differed markedly between female and male samples, and were more promising for men than for women. Various explanations are provided, and further research is warranted prior to drawing firm conclusions regarding mixed-gender programming of the Body Project. PMID:27188688

  10. Automated Whole-Body Bone Lesion Detection for Multiple Myeloma on 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT Imaging Using Deep Learning Methods.

    PubMed

    Xu, Lina; Tetteh, Giles; Lipkova, Jana; Zhao, Yu; Li, Hongwei; Christ, Patrick; Piraud, Marie; Buck, Andreas; Shi, Kuangyu; Menze, Bjoern H

    2018-01-01

    The identification of bone lesions is crucial in the diagnostic assessment of multiple myeloma (MM). 68 Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT can capture the abnormal molecular expression of CXCR-4 in addition to anatomical changes. However, whole-body detection of dozens of lesions on hybrid imaging is tedious and error prone. It is even more difficult to identify lesions with a large heterogeneity. This study employed deep learning methods to automatically combine characteristics of PET and CT for whole-body MM bone lesion detection in a 3D manner. Two convolutional neural networks (CNNs), V-Net and W-Net, were adopted to segment and detect the lesions. The feasibility of deep learning for lesion detection on 68 Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT was first verified on digital phantoms generated using realistic PET simulation methods. Then the proposed methods were evaluated on real 68 Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT scans of MM patients. The preliminary results showed that deep learning method can leverage multimodal information for spatial feature representation, and W-Net obtained the best result for segmentation and lesion detection. It also outperformed traditional machine learning methods such as random forest classifier (RF), k -Nearest Neighbors ( k -NN), and support vector machine (SVM). The proof-of-concept study encourages further development of deep learning approach for MM lesion detection in population study.

  11. Automated Whole-Body Bone Lesion Detection for Multiple Myeloma on 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT Imaging Using Deep Learning Methods

    PubMed Central

    Tetteh, Giles; Lipkova, Jana; Zhao, Yu; Li, Hongwei; Christ, Patrick; Buck, Andreas; Menze, Bjoern H.

    2018-01-01

    The identification of bone lesions is crucial in the diagnostic assessment of multiple myeloma (MM). 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT can capture the abnormal molecular expression of CXCR-4 in addition to anatomical changes. However, whole-body detection of dozens of lesions on hybrid imaging is tedious and error prone. It is even more difficult to identify lesions with a large heterogeneity. This study employed deep learning methods to automatically combine characteristics of PET and CT for whole-body MM bone lesion detection in a 3D manner. Two convolutional neural networks (CNNs), V-Net and W-Net, were adopted to segment and detect the lesions. The feasibility of deep learning for lesion detection on 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT was first verified on digital phantoms generated using realistic PET simulation methods. Then the proposed methods were evaluated on real 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT scans of MM patients. The preliminary results showed that deep learning method can leverage multimodal information for spatial feature representation, and W-Net obtained the best result for segmentation and lesion detection. It also outperformed traditional machine learning methods such as random forest classifier (RF), k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN), and support vector machine (SVM). The proof-of-concept study encourages further development of deep learning approach for MM lesion detection in population study. PMID:29531504

  12. Diagnosis and Treatment of Bone Disease in Multiple Myeloma: Spotlight on Spinal Involvement

    PubMed Central

    Tosi, Patrizia

    2013-01-01

    Bone disease is observed in almost 80% of newly diagnosed symptomatic multiple myeloma patients, and spine is the bone site that is more frequently affected by myeloma-induced osteoporosis, osteolyses, or compression fractures. In almost 20% of the cases, spinal cord compression may occur; diagnosis and treatment must be carried out rapidly in order to avoid a permanent sensitive or motor defect. Although whole body skeletal X-ray is considered mandatory for multiple myeloma staging, magnetic resonance imaging is presently considered the most appropriate diagnostic technique for the evaluation of vertebral alterations, as it allows to detect not only the exact morphology of the lesions, but also the pattern of bone marrow infiltration by the disease. Multiple treatment modalities can be used to manage multiple myeloma-related vertebral lesions. Surgery or radiotherapy is mainly employed in case of spinal cord compression, impending fractures, or intractable pain. Percutaneous vertebroplasty or balloon kyphoplasty can reduce local pain in a significant fraction of treated patients, without interfering with subsequent therapeutic programs. Systemic antimyeloma therapy with conventional chemotherapy or, more appropriately, with combinations of conventional chemotherapy and compounds acting on both neoplastic plasma cells and bone marrow microenvironment must be soon initiated in order to reduce bone resorption and, possibly, promote bone formation. Bisphosphonates should also be used in combination with antimyeloma therapy as they reduce bone resorption and prolong patients survival. A multidisciplinary approach is thus needed in order to properly manage spinal involvement in multiple myeloma. PMID:24381787

  13. Light on body image treatment: acceptance through mindfulness.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Tiffany M

    2004-11-01

    The treatment of body image has to be multifaceted and should be directed toward the treatment of the whole individual-body, mind, and spirit-with an ultimate culmination of acceptance and compassion for the self. This article presents information on a mindful approach to the treatment of body image as it pertains to concerns with body size and shape. This approach fosters the idea that the treatment process should be one of observation, nonjudgment, neutrality, and acceptance. To this end, this article will depict the conceptualization of body image treatment from a mindful perspective, in which mindfulness serves as the foundation on which the multiple facets of treatment are built. The core components of body image treatment (i.e., cognitive, perceptual, behavioral, and emotional), in the context of mindfulness, are discussed as they relate to the treatment of body image disturbance. This article may be viewed as a theoretical overview of a new treatment concept for body image disturbance.

  14. A covariant multiple scattering series for elastic projectile-target scattering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gross, Franz; Maung-Maung, Khin

    1989-01-01

    A covariant formulation of the multiple scattering series for the optical potential is presented. The case of a scalar nucleon interacting with a spin zero isospin zero A-body target through meson exchange, is considered. It is shown that a covariant equation for the projectile-target t-matrix can be obtained which sums the ladder and crossed ladder diagrams efficiently. From this equation, a multiple scattering series for the optical potential is derived, and it is shown that in the impulse approximation, the two-body t-matrix associated with the first order optical potential is the one in which one particle is kept on mass-shell. The meaning of various terms in the multiple scattering series is given. The construction of the first-order optical potential for elastic scattering calculations is described.

  15. Body position does not affect the hemodynamic response to venous air embolism in dogs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mehlhorn, U.; Burke, E. J.; Butler, B. D.; Davis, K. L.; Katz, J.; Melamed, E.; Morris, W. P.; Allen, S. J.

    1994-01-01

    Current therapy for massive venous air embolism (VAE) includes the use of the left lateral recumbent (LLR) position. This recommendation is based on animal studies, conducted 50 yr ago, which looked primarily at survival. Little is known, however, about the concomitant hemodynamic response after VAE in various body positions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic and cardiovascular changes in various body positions after VAE. Twenty-two mechanically ventilated supine mongrel dogs received a venous air infusion of 2.5 mL/kg at a rate of 5 mL/s. One minute after the infusion, 100% oxygen ventilation was commenced and the body position of the dogs was changed to either the LLR (n = 6), the LLR with the head 10 degrees down (LLR-10 degrees; n = 6) or the right lateral recumbent (RLR; n = 5) position. Five dogs were maintained in the supine position (SUP; n = 5). One dog died in every group except in the SUP group, where all the dogs recovered. There were no significant differences among the various body positions in terms of heart rate, mean arterial pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, central venous pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, or cardiac output. The acute hemodynamic changes occurring during the first 5-15 min after VAE recovered to 80% of control within 60 min. Our data suggest that body repositioning does not influence the cardiovascular response to VAE. Specifically, our data do not support the recommendation of repositioning into the LLR position for the treatment of VAE.

  16. Body position does not affect the hemodynamic response to venous air embolism in dogs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mehlhorn, Uwe; Burke, Edward J.; Butler, Bruce D.; Davis, Karen L.; Katz, Jeffrey; Melamed, Evan; Morris, William P.; Allen, Steven J.

    1993-01-01

    Current therapy for massive venous air embolism (VAE) includes the use of the left lateral recumbent (LLR) position. This recommendation is based on animal studies, conducted 50 years ago, which looked primarily at survival. Little is known, however, about the concomitant hemodynamic response after VAE in various body positions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic and cardiovascular changes in various body positions after VAE. Twenty-two mechanically ventilated supine mongrel dogs received a venous air infusion of 2.5 mL/kg at a rate of 5 mL/s. One minute after the infusion, 100% oxygen ventilation was commenced and the body position of the dogs was changed to either the LLR (n = 6), the LLR with the head 10 deg down (LLR-10 deg; n = 6) or the right lateral recumbent (RLR; n = 5) position. Five dogs were maintained in the supine position (SUP; n = 5). One dog died in every group except in the SUP group, where all the dogs recovered. There were no significant differences among the various body positions in terms of heart rate, mean arterial pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, central venous pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, or cardiac output. The acute hemodynamic changes occurring during the first 5-15 min after VAE recovered to 80% of control within 60 min. Our data suggest that body repositioning does not influence the cardiovascular response to VAE. Specifically, our data do not support the recommendation of repositioning into the LLR position for the treatment of VAE.

  17. Effects of dextromethorphan/quinidine on auditory event-related potentials in multiple sclerosis patients with pseudobulbar affect.

    PubMed

    Haiman, Guy; Pratt, Hillel; Miller, Ariel

    2009-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to characterize the brain activity and associated cortical structures involved in pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a condition characterized by uncontrollable episodes of laughing and/or crying in patients with multiple sclerosis before and after treatment with dextromethorphan/quinidine (DM/Q). Behavioral responses and event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to subjectively significant and neutral verbal stimuli were recorded from 2 groups: 6 multiple sclerosis patients with PBA before (PBA-preTx) and after (PBA-DM/Q) treatment with DM/Q and 6 healthy control (HC) subjects. Statistical nonparametric mapping comparisons of ERP source current density distributions between groups were conducted for subjectively significant and neutral stimuli separately before and after treatment with DM/Q. Treatment with DM/Q had a normalizing effect on the behavioral responses of PBA patients. Event-related potential waveform comparisons of PBA-preTx and PBA-DM/Q with HC, for both neutral and subjectively significant stimuli, revealed effects on early ERP components. Comparisons between PBA-preTx and HC, in response to subjectively significant stimuli, revealed both early and late effects. Source analysis comparisons between PBA-preTx and PBA-DM/Q indicated distinct activations in areas involved in emotional processing and high-level and associative visual processing in response to neutral stimuli and in areas involved in emotional, somatosensory, primary, and premotor processing in response to subjectively significant stimuli. In most cases, stimuli evoked higher current density in PBA-DM/Q compared with the other groups. In conclusion, differences in brain activity were observed before and after medication. Also, DM/Q administration resulted in normalization of behavioral and electrophysiological measures.

  18. Multiple forms of rhythmic movements in an adolescent boy with rhythmic movement disorder.

    PubMed

    Su, Changjun; Miao, Jianting; Liu, Yu; Liu, Rui; Lei, Gesheng; Zhang, Wei; Yang, Ting; Li, Zhuyi

    2009-12-01

    Rhythmic movement disorder (RMD) refers to a group of stereotyped, repetitive movements involving large muscles, usually occurring prior to the onset of sleep and persisting into sleep. RMD more commonly exhibits only one or two forms of rhythmic movements (RM) in most reported cases. However, multiple RM forms of RMD occurring in a patient in the same night have rarely been reported. In this report, we present the unique case of a 15-year-old boy with RMD affected by multiple forms of RM in the same night, including four known forms (i.e., body rocking, head banging, leg rolling, and rhythmic feet movements) and two new kinds of RM (bilateral rhythmic arm rocking and rhythmic hands movements). Two video-polysomnographic recordings were performed in this patient before starting pharmacologic treatment and after long-term oral clonazepam treatment (1.0mg nightly for 3 months). The characteristics of RMD with multiple RM forms and the effectiveness of clonazepam on the RM episodes and polysomnographic findings observed in our patient are discussed. This report raises the fact that a patient with RMD may present with multiple complex rhythmic movements disrupting sleep, which emphasizes that better understanding of the clinical features of complex rhythmic movements during sleep in primary care settings is essential for early clinical diagnosis and optimal management.

  19. Molecular hydrogen affects body composition, metabolic profiles, and mitochondrial function in middle-aged overweight women.

    PubMed

    Korovljev, D; Trivic, T; Drid, P; Ostojic, S M

    2018-02-01

    Molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) effectively treats obesity-related disorders in animal models, yet no studies have investigated the effectiveness and safety of H 2 for improving biomarkers of obesity in humans. In this double blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot trial, we evaluated the effects of H 2 intervention on body composition, hormonal status, and mitochondrial function in ten (n = 10) middle-aged overweight women. Volunteers received either hydrogen-generating minerals (supplying ~6 ppm of H 2 per day) or placebo by oral administration of caplets for 4 weeks. The primary end-point of treatment efficacy was the change in the body fat percentage from baseline to 4 weeks. In addition, assessment of other body composition indices, screening laboratory studies, and evaluation of side effects were performed before and at follow-up. Clinical trial registration www.clinicaltrials.gov , ID number NCT02832219. No significant differences were observed between treatment groups for changes in weight, body mass index, and body circumferences at 4-week follow-up (P > 0.05). H 2 treatment significantly reduced body fat percentage (3.2 vs. 0.9%, P = 0.05) and arm fat index (9.7 vs. 6.0%, P = 0.01) compared to placebo administration, respectively. This was accompanied by a significant drop in serum triglycerides after H 2 intervention comparing to placebo (21.3 vs. 6.5%; P = 0.04), while other blood lipids remained stable during the study (P > 0.05). Fasting serum insulin levels dropped by 5.4% after H 2 administration, while placebo intervention augmented insulin response by 29.3% (P = 0.01). It appears that orally administered H 2 as a blend of hydrogen-generating minerals might be a beneficial agent in the management of body composition and insulin resistance in obesity.

  20. Maternal active smoking and newborn body composition.

    PubMed

    Samper, M P; Jiménez-Muro, A; Nerín, I; Marqueta, A; Ventura, P; Rodríguez, G

    2012-03-01

    Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with a reduction in birth size but very few studies have collated changes in neonatal anthropometry. Our aims were both to assess body composition differences by anthropometry between new-borns from smoking mothers and those from non-smoking mothers, and to show whether these differences affect proportional body mass distribution. Caucasian mothers and their full term singleton new-borns (N=1216) were selected during 2009. A structured questionnaire was completed regarding obstetric and demographic data, as well as tobacco consumption. Women were categorized, according to their smoking habits, into a non-smoking group (never smoked or stopped smoking prior to pregnancy) and a smoking group (smoked throughout pregnancy). 22.1% of mothers smoked during pregnancy (median: 6 cigarettes/day, range: l-40). Smoking mothers were significantly younger than non-smoking mothers but there were no differences regarding other aspects which could affect infant weight. Infants from non-smoking mothers were heavier, longer, and body circumferences were all larger than those from smoking mothers (p<0.001), but the Ponderal Index showed no statistical differences. Skinfold thicknesses were significantly lower in new-borns from smoking mothers but these differences were less evident than those from body size. Subcutaneous fat distribution did not show statistical differences between the two groups. After gestational age, to smoke during gestation is the second main determinant of birth weight. Smoking during pregnancy involves a generalized reduction of most axiological parameters as a result of proportionate fetal growth impairment. In those infants born from mothers who smoked during gestation, neonatal lean body mass appears to be more affected than body fat, and distribution of subcutaneous fat is not different. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Rubber Hand Illusion Affects Joint Angle Perception

    PubMed Central

    Butz, Martin V.; Kutter, Esther F.; Lorenz, Corinna

    2014-01-01

    The Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) is a well-established experimental paradigm. It has been shown that the RHI can affect hand location estimates, arm and hand motion towards goals, the subjective visual appearance of the own hand, and the feeling of body ownership. Several studies also indicate that the peri-hand space is partially remapped around the rubber hand. Nonetheless, the question remains if and to what extent the RHI can affect the perception of other body parts. In this study we ask if the RHI can alter the perception of the elbow joint. Participants had to adjust an angular representation on a screen according to their proprioceptive perception of their own elbow joint angle. The results show that the RHI does indeed alter the elbow joint estimation, increasing the agreement with the position and orientation of the artificial hand. Thus, the results show that the brain does not only adjust the perception of the hand in body-relative space, but it also modifies the perception of other body parts. In conclusion, we propose that the brain continuously strives to maintain a consistent internal body image and that this image can be influenced by the available sensory information sources, which are mediated and mapped onto each other by means of a postural, kinematic body model. PMID:24671172

  2. Bisphenol A affects androgen receptor function via multiple mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Teng, Christina; Goodwin, Bonnie; Shockley, Keith; Xia, Menghang; Huang, Ruili; Norris, John; Merrick, B Alex; Jetten, Anton M; Austin, Christopher P; Tice, Raymond R

    2013-05-25

    Bisphenol A (BPA), is a well-known endocrine disruptor compound (EDC) that affects the normal development and function of the female and male reproductive system, however the mechanisms of action remain unclear. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of how BPA may affect ten different nuclear receptors, stable cell lines containing individual nuclear receptor ligand binding domain (LBD)-linked to the β-Gal reporter were examined by a quantitative high throughput screening (qHTS) format in the Tox21 Screening Program of the NIH. The results showed that two receptors, estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and androgen receptor (AR), are affected by BPA in opposite direction. To confirm the observed effects of BPA on ERα and AR, we performed transient transfection experiments with full-length receptors and their corresponding response elements linked to luciferase reporters. We also included in this study two BPA analogs, bisphenol AF (BPAF) and bisphenol S (BPS). As seen in African green monkey kidney CV1 cells, the present study confirmed that BPA and BPAF act as ERα agonists (half maximal effective concentration EC50 of 10-100 nM) and as AR antagonists (half maximal inhibitory concentration IC50 of 1-2 μM). Both BPA and BPAF antagonized AR function via competitive inhibition of the action of synthetic androgen R1881. BPS with lower estrogenic activity (EC50 of 2.2 μM), did not compete with R1881 for AR binding, when tested at 30 μM. Finally, the effects of BPA were also evaluated in a nuclear translocation assays using EGPF-tagged receptors. Similar to 17β-estradiol (E2) which was used as control, BPA was able to enhance ERα nuclear foci formation but at a 100-fold higher concentration. Although BPA was able to bind AR, the nuclear translocation was reduced. Furthermore, BPA was unable to induce functional foci in the nuclei and is consistent with the transient transfection study that BPA is unable to activate AR. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  3. Stress and burden among caregivers of patients with Lewy body dementia.

    PubMed

    Leggett, Amanda N; Zarit, Steven; Taylor, Angela; Galvin, James E

    2011-02-01

    Patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD) may present a unique set of symptoms and challenges to family caregivers compared with other types of dementia. Prominent difficulties include motor impairment, activities of daily living (ADLs) disability, recurrent behavioral and emotional problems (BEPs), and diagnostic difficulties. These problems are likely to affect caregivers' subjective burden. The present study used data from an Internet survey conducted by the Lewy Body Dementia Association. Respondents were 611 people who indicated that they were currently involved in the care of their relative with LBD. Subjective burden was assessed with a 12-item short version of the Zarit Burden Interview. A factor analysis revealed 3 dimensions of burden: role strain, personal strain, and worry about performance. Multiple regressions were used to examine predictors of these dimensions. BEPs, ADL disability, isolation, caregiver age, and patient gender were significant predictors of specific factors. Falls, formal service use, difficulty finding a physician, and evaluation of the physician had no significant associations with burden. These findings highlight burden experiences by caregivers of patients with LBD and the impact of BEPs, ADL assistance, and awareness about LBD on subjective burden.

  4. Estimating body weight and body composition of chickens by using noninvasive measurements.

    PubMed

    Latshaw, J D; Bishop, B L

    2001-07-01

    The major objective of this research was to develop equations to estimate BW and body composition using measurements taken with inexpensive instruments. We used five groups of chickens that were created with different genetic stocks and feeding programs. Four of the five groups were from broiler genetic stock, and one was from sex-linked heavy layers. The goal was to sample six males from each group when the group weight was 1.20, 1.75, and 2.30 kg. Each male was weighed and measured for back length, pelvis width, circumference, breast width, keel length, and abdominal skinfold thickness. A cloth tape measure, calipers, and skinfold calipers were used for measurement. Chickens were scanned for total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) before being euthanized and frozen. Six females were selected at weights similar to those for males and were measured in the same way. Each whole chicken was ground, and a portion of ground material of each was used to measure water, fat, ash, and energy content. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate BW from body measurements. The best single measurement was pelvis width, with an R2 = 0.67. Inclusion of three body measurements in an equation resulted in R2 = 0.78 and the following equation: BW (g) = -930.0 + 68.5 (breast, cm) + 48.5 (circumference, cm) + 62.8 (pelvis, cm). The best single measurement to estimate body fat was abdominal skinfold thickness, expressed as a natural logarithm. Inclusion of weight and skinfold thickness resulted in R2 = 0.63 for body fat according to the following equation: fat (%) = 24.83 + 6.75 (skinfold, ln cm) - 3.87 (wt, kg). Inclusion of the result of TOBEC and the effect of sex improved the R2 to 0.78 for body fat. Regression analysis was used to develop additional equations, based on fat, to estimate water and energy contents of the body. The body water content (%) = 72.1 - 0.60 (body fat, %), and body energy (kcal/g) = 1.097 + 0.080 (body fat, %). The results of the present study

  5. Relationships amongst body dissatisfaction, internalisation of the media body ideal and perceived pressure from media in adolescent girls and boys.

    PubMed

    Knauss, Christine; Paxton, Susan J; Alsaker, Françoise D

    2007-12-01

    Sociocultural factors that underpin gender differences in body dissatisfaction have not frequently been explored. We examined the relative contribution of internalization of media body ideals and perceived pressure to achieve this ideal in explaining body dissatisfaction in adolescent boys and girls. A sample of 819 boys and 791 girls completed measures of internalization of body ideals, perceived pressure, body mass index (BMI) and body dissatisfaction. As expected, girls showed higher body dissatisfaction, internalization and pressure than boys. Internalization, pressure and BMI contributed to the prediction of body dissatisfaction in boys and in girls although these variables explained less variance in body dissatisfaction in boys. In addition, for girls the strongest predictor of body dissatisfaction was internalization, whilst for boys the strongest predictor was pressure. Differences in extent of internalization and pressure may contribute to higher body dissatisfaction in girls than boys. These sociocultural factors may affect girls and boys differently.

  6. Development of multi-dimensional body image scale for malaysian female adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Taib, Mohd Nasir Mohd; Shariff, Zalilah Mohd; Khor, Geok Lin

    2008-01-01

    The present study was conducted to develop a Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale for Malaysian female adolescents. Data were collected among 328 female adolescents from a secondary school in Kuantan district, state of Pahang, Malaysia by using a self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. The self-administered questionnaire comprised multiple measures of body image, Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26; Garner & Garfinkel, 1979) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventory (Rosenberg, 1965). The 152 items from selected multiple measures of body image were examined through factor analysis and for internal consistency. Correlations between Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale and body mass index (BMI), risk of eating disorders and self-esteem were assessed for construct validity. A seven factor model of a 62-item Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale for Malaysian female adolescents with construct validity and good internal consistency was developed. The scale encompasses 1) preoccupation with thinness and dieting behavior, 2) appearance and body satisfaction, 3) body importance, 4) muscle increasing behavior, 5) extreme dieting behavior, 6) appearance importance, and 7) perception of size and shape dimensions. Besides, a multidimensional body image composite score was proposed to screen negative body image risk in female adolescents. The result found body image was correlated with BMI, risk of eating disorders and self-esteem in female adolescents. In short, the present study supports a multi-dimensional concept for body image and provides a new insight into its multi-dimensionality in Malaysian female adolescents with preliminary validity and reliability of the scale. The Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale can be used to identify female adolescents who are potentially at risk of developing body image disturbance through future intervention programs. PMID:20126371

  7. Development of multi-dimensional body image scale for malaysian female adolescents.

    PubMed

    Chin, Yit Siew; Taib, Mohd Nasir Mohd; Shariff, Zalilah Mohd; Khor, Geok Lin

    2008-01-01

    The present study was conducted to develop a Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale for Malaysian female adolescents. Data were collected among 328 female adolescents from a secondary school in Kuantan district, state of Pahang, Malaysia by using a self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. The self-administered questionnaire comprised multiple measures of body image, Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26; Garner & Garfinkel, 1979) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventory (Rosenberg, 1965). The 152 items from selected multiple measures of body image were examined through factor analysis and for internal consistency. Correlations between Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale and body mass index (BMI), risk of eating disorders and self-esteem were assessed for construct validity. A seven factor model of a 62-item Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale for Malaysian female adolescents with construct validity and good internal consistency was developed. The scale encompasses 1) preoccupation with thinness and dieting behavior, 2) appearance and body satisfaction, 3) body importance, 4) muscle increasing behavior, 5) extreme dieting behavior, 6) appearance importance, and 7) perception of size and shape dimensions. Besides, a multidimensional body image composite score was proposed to screen negative body image risk in female adolescents. The result found body image was correlated with BMI, risk of eating disorders and self-esteem in female adolescents. In short, the present study supports a multi-dimensional concept for body image and provides a new insight into its multi-dimensionality in Malaysian female adolescents with preliminary validity and reliability of the scale. The Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale can be used to identify female adolescents who are potentially at risk of developing body image disturbance through future intervention programs.

  8. Skin rubdown with a dry towel, 'kanpu-masatsu' is an aerobic exercise affecting body temperature, energy production, and the immune and autonomic nervous systems.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Mayumi; Takano, Osamu; Tomiyama, Chikako; Matsumoto, Hiroaki; Kobayashi, Takahiro; Urahigashi, Nobuatsu; Urahigashi, Nobuatsu; Abo, Toru

    2012-01-01

    Skin rubdown using a dry towel (SRDT) to scrub the whole body is a traditional therapy for health promotion. To investigate its mechanism, 24 healthy male volunteers were studied. Body temperature, pulse rate, red blood cells (RBCs), serum levels of catecholamines and cortisol, blood gases (PO(2), sO(2), PCO(2) and pH), lactate and glucose, and the ratio and number of white blood cells (WBCs) were assessed before and after SRDT. After SRDT, pulse rate and body temperature were increased. PO(2), sO(2) and pH were also increased and there was no Rouleaux formation by RBCs. Lactate level tended to increase, whereas that of glucose did not. Adrenaline and noradrenaline levels increased, indicating sympathetic nerve (SN) dominance with increase in granulocytes. WBC number and ratio were divided into two groups according to granulocyte ratio (≤ or < 60%) before SRDT: a normal group and a SN group. Only in the SN group did the granulocyte ratio decrease and the lymphocyte ratio and number increase after SRDT. It is suggested that SRDT is a mild aerobic, systemic exercise that might affect the immune system via the autonomic nervous system.

  9. Brain nuclear receptors and body weight regulation

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Neural pathways, especially those in the hypothalamus, integrate multiple nutritional, hormonal, and neural signals, resulting in the coordinated control of body weight balance and glucose homeostasis. Nuclear receptors (NRs) sense changing levels of nutrients and hormones, and therefore play essent...

  10. Performance of Ultra Wideband On-Body Communication Based on Statistical Channel Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qiong; Wang, Jianqing

    Ultra wideband (UWB) on-body communication is attracting much attention in biomedical applications. In this paper, the performance of UWB on-body communication is investigated based on a statistically extracted on-body channel model, which provides detailed characteristics of the multi-path-affected channel with an emphasis on various body postures or body movement. The possible data rate, the possible communication distance, as well as the bit error rate (BER) performance are clarified via computer simulation. It is found that the conventional correlation receiver is incompetent in the multi-path-affected on-body channel, while the RAKE receiver outperforms the conventional correlation receiver at a cost of structure complexity. Different RAKE receiver structures are compared to show the improvement of the BER performance.

  11. The virtual-hand illusion: effects of impact and threat on perceived ownership and affective resonance

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Ke; Hommel, Bernhard

    2013-01-01

    The rubber hand illusion refers to the observation that participants perceive “body ownership” for a rubber hand if it moves, or is stroked in synchrony with the participant's real (covered) hand. Research indicates that events targeting artificial body parts can trigger affective responses (affective resonance) only with perceived body ownership, while neuroscientific findings suggest affective resonance irrespective of ownership (e.g., when observing other individuals under threat). We hypothesized that this may depend on the severity of the event. We first replicated previous findings that the rubber hand illusion can be extended to virtual hands—the virtual-hand illusion. We then tested whether hand ownership and affective resonance (assessed by galvanic skin conductance) are modulated by the experience of an event that either “impacted” (a ball hitting the hand) or “threatened” (a knife cutting the hand) the virtual hand. Ownership was stronger if the virtual hand moved synchronously with the participant's own hand, but this effect was independent from whether the hand was impacted or threatened. Affective resonance was mediated by ownership however: In the face of mere impact, participants showed more resonance in the synchronous condition (i.e., with perceived ownership) than in the asynchronous condition. In the face of threat, in turn, affective resonance was independent of synchronicity—participants were emotionally involved even if a threat was targeting a hand that they did not perceive as their own. Our findings suggest that perceived body ownership and affective responses to body-related impact or threat can be dissociated and are thus unlikely to represent the same underlying process. We argue that affective reactions to impact are produced in a top-down fashion if the impacted effector is assumed to be part of one's own body, whereas threatening events trigger affective responses more directly in a bottom-up fashion—irrespective of

  12. Dextromethorphan/quinidine: in pseudobulbar affect.

    PubMed

    Garnock-Jones, Karly P

    2011-05-01

    Pseudobulbar affect is characterized by uncontrollable, inappropriate laughing and/or crying that is either unrelated or out of proportion to the emotions felt by the patient and occurs in patients with neurological disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis or traumatic brain injury. Dextromethorphan/quinidine is indicated in the US for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect. Dextromethorphan, when its metabolism is inhibited by the coadministration of quinidine, has been shown to have a positive effect on the symptoms of pseudobulbar affect. Dextromethorphan/quinidine 20 mg/10 mg twice daily was associated with a significantly greater decrease in the rate of pseudobulbar affect episodes per day (primary endpoint) than placebo in the 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre STAR trial (Safety, Tolerability, And efficacy Results trial of AVP-923 in PBA [pseudobulbar affect]) involving patients with pseudobulbar affect and ALS or multiple sclerosis. Moreover, the mean change from baseline in Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale score at 12 weeks was significantly greater among recipients of dextromethorphan/quinidine 20 mg/10 mg twice daily than those receiving placebo. Dextromethorphan/quinidine 20 mg/10 mg twice daily was generally well tolerated. The drug has been shown to cause dosage-dependent corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation; however, in the STAR trial, dextromethorphan/quinidine 20 mg/10 mg twice daily appeared to be well tolerated with regard to QTc prolongation.

  13. Novel energy-saving strategies to multiple stressors in birds: the ultradian regulation of body temperature.

    PubMed

    Tattersall, Glenn J; Roussel, Damien; Voituron, Yann; Teulier, Loïc

    2016-09-28

    This study aimed to examine thermoregulatory responses in birds facing two commonly experienced stressors, cold and fasting. Logging devices allowing long-term and precise access to internal body temperature were placed within the gizzards of ducklings acclimated to cold (CA) (5°C) or thermoneutrality (TN) (25°C). The animals were then examined under three equal 4-day periods: ad libitum feeding, fasting and re-feeding. Through the analysis of daily as well as short-term, or ultradian, variations of body temperature, we showed that while ducklings at TN show only a modest decline in daily thermoregulatory parameters when fasted, they exhibit reduced surface temperatures from key sites of vascular heat exchange during fasting. The CA birds, on the other hand, significantly reduced their short-term variations of body temperature while increasing long-term variability when fasting. This phenomenon would allow the CA birds to reduce the energetic cost of body temperature maintenance under fasting. By analysing ultradian regulation of body temperature, we describe a means by which an endotherm appears to lower thermoregulatory costs in response to the combined stressors of cold and fasting. © 2016 The Author(s).

  14. Novel energy-saving strategies to multiple stressors in birds: the ultradian regulation of body temperature

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to examine thermoregulatory responses in birds facing two commonly experienced stressors, cold and fasting. Logging devices allowing long-term and precise access to internal body temperature were placed within the gizzards of ducklings acclimated to cold (CA) (5°C) or thermoneutrality (TN) (25°C). The animals were then examined under three equal 4-day periods: ad libitum feeding, fasting and re-feeding. Through the analysis of daily as well as short-term, or ultradian, variations of body temperature, we showed that while ducklings at TN show only a modest decline in daily thermoregulatory parameters when fasted, they exhibit reduced surface temperatures from key sites of vascular heat exchange during fasting. The CA birds, on the other hand, significantly reduced their short-term variations of body temperature while increasing long-term variability when fasting. This phenomenon would allow the CA birds to reduce the energetic cost of body temperature maintenance under fasting. By analysing ultradian regulation of body temperature, we describe a means by which an endotherm appears to lower thermoregulatory costs in response to the combined stressors of cold and fasting. PMID:27655770

  15. Developmental changes in attention to faces and bodies in static and dynamic scenes.

    PubMed

    Stoesz, Brenda M; Jakobson, Lorna S

    2014-01-01

    Typically developing individuals show a strong visual preference for faces and face-like stimuli; however, this may come at the expense of attending to bodies or to other aspects of a scene. The primary goal of the present study was to provide additional insight into the development of attentional mechanisms that underlie perception of real people in naturalistic scenes. We examined the looking behaviors of typical children, adolescents, and young adults as they viewed static and dynamic scenes depicting one or more people. Overall, participants showed a bias to attend to faces more than on other parts of the scenes. Adding motion cues led to a reduction in the number, but an increase in the average duration of face fixations in single-character scenes. When multiple characters appeared in a scene, motion-related effects were attenuated and participants shifted their gaze from faces to bodies, or made off-screen glances. Children showed the largest effects related to the introduction of motion cues or additional characters, suggesting that they find dynamic faces difficult to process, and are especially prone to look away from faces when viewing complex social scenes-a strategy that could reduce the cognitive and the affective load imposed by having to divide one's attention between multiple faces. Our findings provide new insights into the typical development of social attention during natural scene viewing, and lay the foundation for future work examining gaze behaviors in typical and atypical development.

  16. A biopsychosocial model of body image concerns and disordered eating in early adolescent girls.

    PubMed

    Rodgers, Rachel F; Paxton, Susan J; McLean, Siân A

    2014-05-01

    Body image and eating concerns are prevalent among early adolescent girls, and associated with biological, psychological and sociocultural risk factors. To date, explorations of biopsychosocial models of body image concerns and disordered eating in early adolescent girls are lacking. A sample of 488 early adolescent girls, mean age = 12.35 years (SD = 0.53), completed a questionnaire assessing depressive symptoms, self-esteem, body mass index (BMI), sociocultural appearance pressures, thin-ideal internalization, appearance comparison, body image concerns and disordered eating. Structural equation modelling was conducted to test a hypothetical model in which internalization and comparison were mediators of the effect of both negative affect and sociocultural influences on body image concerns and disordered eating. In addition, the model proposed that BMI would impact body image concerns. Although the initial model was a poor fit to the data, the fit was improved after the addition of a direct pathway between negative affect and bulimic symptoms. The final model explained a large to moderate proportion of the variance in body image and eating concerns. This study supports the role of negative affect in biopsychosocial models of the development of body image concerns and disordered eating in early adolescent girls. Interventions including strategies to address negative affect as well as sociocultural appearance pressures may help decrease the risk for body image concerns and disordered eating among this age group.

  17. Dietary vitamin D intake is not associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 or parathyroid hormone in elderly subjects, whereas the calcium-to-phosphate ratio affects parathyroid hormone.

    PubMed

    Jungert, Alexandra; Neuhäuser-Berthold, Monika

    2013-08-01

    This cross-sectional study investigates whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) are affected by vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate intake in 140 independently living elderly subjects from Germany (99 women and 41 men; age, 66-96 years). We hypothesized that habitual dietary intakes of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate are not associated with 25(OH)D3 or iPTH and that body mass index confounds these associations. Serum 25(OH)D3 and iPTH were measured by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Dietary intake was determined using a 3-day estimated dietary record. The median dietary intake levels of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate were 3 μg/d, 999 mg/d, and 1250 mg/d, respectively. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that dietary vitamin D and calcium did not affect 25(OH)D3 or iPTH; however, supplemental intakes of vitamin D and calcium were associated with 25(OH)D3 after adjustment for age, sex, body composition, sun exposure, physical activity, and smoking. In addition, phosphate intake and the calcium-to-phosphate ratio were associated with iPTH after multiple adjustments. In a subgroup analysis, calcium and vitamin D supplements, as well as phosphate intake, were associated with 25(OH)D3 and/or iPTH in normal-weight subjects only. Our results indicate that habitual dietary vitamin D and calcium intakes have no independent effects on 25(OH)D3 or iPTH in elderly subjects without vitamin D deficiency, whereas phosphate intake and the calcium-to-phosphate ratio affect iPTH. However, vitamin D and calcium supplements may increase 25(OH)D3 and decrease iPTH, even during the summer, but the impact of supplements may depend on body mass index. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. "I Have to Listen to This Old Body": Femininity and the Aging Body.

    PubMed

    Rutagumirwa, Sylivia Karen; Bailey, Ajay

    2017-10-13

    This study explores how older women with low socioeconomic status living in rural Tanzania give meaning to their (aging) body in relation to the ideals of femininity. Ten qualitative in-depth interviews and 10 focus group discussions (N = 60) were conducted among women aged 60 and older. The findings reveal that older women perceive their aging body as "a burden." This characterization of the body is linked to the inability of the aging body to live up to the women's gendered lives. The conflict between their physical limitations and the desire to perform gendered tasks (internalized feminine habitus) affect the women's process of self-identification. This led to emotional distress and subsequently threatened their survival and well-being. The results suggest that older women need to be supported through interventions that are tailored to their cultural and socioeconomic context. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.

  19. Can whole body vibration exercises affect growth hormone concentration? A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Paineiras-Domingos, Laisa Liane; Sá-Caputo, Danúbia da Cunha de; Moreira-Marconi, Eloá; Morel, Danielle Soares; da Fontoura Dionello, Carla; Sousa-Gonçalves, Cintia Renata; Frederico, Éric Heleno Freire Ferreira; Marín, Pedro Jesus; Tamini, Sofia; Sartorio, Alessandro; Bernardo-Filho, Mario

    2017-10-01

    Whole body vibration (WBV) has been recognized as an effective alternative exercise modality to resistance exercise for its ability in enhancing force and power, generating capacity in skeletal muscle, increasing bone mass and improving cardiovascular function. Since the effect of WBV exercises on growth hormone (GH) levels has been never compared and discussed, the aim of this study was to review systematically the literature to verify the WBV effects on GH concentration. By using PubMed, Scopus and PEDRo databases with the keywords 'growth hormone' or GH and 'whole body vibration' or WBV, we found and analysed 12 papers (182 subjects recruited), verifying their level of evidence (National Health and Medical Research Council hierarchy of evidence) and the methodological quality (PEDRo scale). Although WBV induced GH responses in nine out of 12 publications, caution should be however taken when considering the results due to the markedly different methodologies among these publications.

  20. Activity affects intraspecific body-size scaling of metabolic rate in ectothermic animals.

    PubMed

    Glazier, Douglas Stewart

    2009-10-01

    Metabolic rate is commonly thought to scale with body mass (M) to the 3/4 power. However, the metabolic scaling exponent (b) may vary with activity state, as has been shown chiefly for interspecific relationships. Here I use a meta-analysis of literature data to test whether b changes with activity level within species of ectothermic animals. Data for 19 species show that b is usually higher during active exercise (mean +/- 95% confidence limits = 0.918 +/- 0.038) than during rest (0.768 +/- 0.069). This significant upward shift in b to near 1 is consistent with the metabolic level boundaries hypothesis, which predicts that maximal metabolic rate during exercise should be chiefly influenced by volume-related muscular power production (scaling as M (1)). This dependence of b on activity level does not appear to be a simple temperature effect because body temperature in ectotherms changes very little during exercise.