The Uncertain Geographic Context Problem in the Analysis of the Relationships between Obesity and the Built Environment in Guangzhou

PubMed Central

Zhao, Pengxiang; Zhou, Suhong

2018-01-01

Traditionally, static units of analysis such as administrative units are used when studying obesity. However, using these fixed contextual units ignores environmental influences experienced by individuals in areas beyond their residential neighborhood and may render the results unreliable. This problem has been articulated as the uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP). This study investigates the UGCoP through exploring the relationships between the built environment and obesity based on individuals’ activity space. First, a survey was conducted to collect individuals’ daily activity and weight information in Guangzhou in January 2016. Then, the data were used to calculate and compare the values of several built environment variables based on seven activity space delineations, including home buffers, workplace buffers (WPB), fitness place buffers (FPB), the standard deviational ellipse at two standard deviations (SDE2), the weighted standard deviational ellipse at two standard deviations (WSDE2), the minimum convex polygon (MCP), and road network buffers (RNB). Lastly, we conducted comparative analysis and regression analysis based on different activity space measures. The results indicate that significant differences exist between variables obtained with different activity space delineations. Further, regression analyses show that the activity space delineations used in the analysis have a significant influence on the results concerning the relationships between the built environment and obesity. The study sheds light on the UGCoP in analyzing the relationships between obesity and the built environment. PMID:29439392

The technical analysis of the stock exchange and physics: Japanese candlesticks for solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dineva, C.; Atanasov, V.

2013-09-01

In this article, we use the Japanese candlesticks, a method popular in the technical analysis of the Stock/Forex markets and apply it to a variable in physics-the solar activity. This method is invented and used exclusively for economic analysis and its application to a physical problem produced unexpected results. We found that the Japanese candlesticks are convenient tool in the analysis of the variables in the physics of the Sun. Based on our observations, we differentiated a new cycle in the solar activity.

Neutron activation analysis for antimetabolites. [in food samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Determination of metal ion contaminants in food samples is studied. A weighed quantity of each sample was digested in a concentrated mixture of nitric, hydrochloric and perchloric acids to affect complete solution of the food products. The samples were diluted with water and the pH adjusted according to the specific analysis performed. The samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis, polarography, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The solid food samples were also analyzed by neutron activation analysis for increased sensitivity and lower levels of detectability. The results are presented in tabular form.

An analysis of burn-off impact on the structure microporous of activated carbons formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiatkowski, Mirosław; Kopac, Türkan

2017-12-01

The paper presents the results on the application of the LBET numerical method as a tool for analysis of the microporous structure of activated carbons obtained from a bituminous coal. The LBET method was employed particularly to evaluate the impact of the burn-off on the obtained microporous structure parameters of activated carbons.

Technology implications of a cognitive task analysis for locomotive engineers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

This report documents the results of a cognitive task analysis (CTA) that examined the cognitive demands and activities of locomotive engineers in todays environment and the changes in cognitive demands and activities that are likely to arise with...

Standardizing Activation Analysis: New Software for Photon Activation Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Z. J.; Wells, D.; Segebade, C.; Green, J.

2011-06-01

Photon Activation Analysis (PAA) of environmental, archaeological and industrial samples requires extensive data analysis that is susceptible to error. For the purpose of saving time, manpower and minimizing error, a computer program was designed, built and implemented using SQL, Access 2007 and asp.net technology to automate this process. Based on the peak information of the spectrum and assisted by its PAA library, the program automatically identifies elements in the samples and calculates their concentrations and respective uncertainties. The software also could be operated in browser/server mode, which gives the possibility to use it anywhere the internet is accessible. By switching the nuclide library and the related formula behind, the new software can be easily expanded to neutron activation analysis (NAA), charged particle activation analysis (CPAA) or proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Implementation of this would standardize the analysis of nuclear activation data. Results from this software were compared to standard PAA analysis with excellent agreement. With minimum input from the user, the software has proven to be fast, user-friendly and reliable.

Single-trial EEG-informed fMRI analysis of emotional decision problems in hot executive function.

PubMed

Guo, Qian; Zhou, Tiantong; Li, Wenjie; Dong, Li; Wang, Suhong; Zou, Ling

2017-07-01

Executive function refers to conscious control in psychological process which relates to thinking and action. Emotional decision is a part of hot executive function and contains emotion and logic elements. As a kind of important social adaptation ability, more and more attention has been paid in recent years. Gambling task can be well performed in the study of emotional decision. As fMRI researches focused on gambling task show not completely consistent brain activation regions, this study adopted EEG-fMRI fusion technology to reveal brain neural activity related with feedback stimuli. In this study, an EEG-informed fMRI analysis was applied to process simultaneous EEG-fMRI data. First, relative power-spectrum analysis and K-means clustering method were performed separately to extract EEG-fMRI features. Then, Generalized linear models were structured using fMRI data and using different EEG features as regressors. The results showed that in the win versus loss stimuli, the activated regions almost covered the caudate, the ventral striatum (VS), the orbital frontal cortex (OFC), and the cingulate. Wide activation areas associated with reward and punishment were revealed by the EEG-fMRI integration analysis than the conventional fMRI results, such as the posterior cingulate and the OFC. The VS and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were found when EEG power features were performed as regressors of GLM compared with results entering the amplitudes of feedback-related negativity (FRN) as regressors. Furthermore, the brain region activation intensity was the strongest when theta-band power was used as a regressor compared with the other two fusion results. The EEG-based fMRI analysis can more accurately depict the whole-brain activation map and analyze emotional decision problems.

What Do Differences Between Multi-voxel and Univariate Analysis Mean? How Subject-, Voxel-, and Trial-level Variance Impact fMRI Analysis

PubMed Central

Davis, Tyler; LaRocque, Karen F.; Mumford, Jeanette; Norman, Kenneth A.; Wagner, Anthony D.; Poldrack, Russell A.

2014-01-01

Multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) has led to major changes in how fMRI data are analyzed and interpreted. Many studies now report both MVPA results and results from standard univariate voxel-wise analysis, often with the goal of drawing different conclusions from each. Because MVPA results can be sensitive to latent multidimensional representations and processes whereas univariate voxel-wise analysis cannot, one conclusion that is often drawn when MVPA and univariate results differ is that the activation patterns underlying MVPA results contain a multidimensional code. In the current study, we conducted simulations to formally test this assumption. Our findings reveal that MVPA tests are sensitive to the magnitude of voxel-level variability in the effect of a condition within subjects, even when the same linear relationship is coded in all voxels. We also find that MVPA is insensitive to subject-level variability in mean activation across an ROI, which is the primary variance component of interest in many standard univariate tests. Together, these results illustrate that differences between MVPA and univariate tests do not afford conclusions about the nature or dimensionality of the neural code. Instead, targeted tests of the informational content and/or dimensionality of activation patterns are critical for drawing strong conclusions about the representational codes that are indicated by significant MVPA results. PMID:24768930

[Meta analysis of the changes of blood coagulation in patients with active ulcerative colitis].

PubMed

Zha, Ansheng; Wang, Yue; Zha, Ruiyao

2015-11-01

To evaluate the changes of blood coagulation in patients with active ulcerative colitis. We searched the PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine (CBM), Wanfang Database for the Chinese or English literatures published until January 2015. The data that met the inclusion criteria were screened and evaluated. After evaluation, the eligible ones were subjected to Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and meta analysis using the Stata12.0 software. A total of 28 case-control studies were recruited for the meta analysis. The analysis results showed that the levels of platelet (PLT), fibrinogen (FIB) and D-dimer significantly increased in active ulcerative colitis group compared with normal control group. The levels of mean platelet volume (MPV) and prothrombin time (PT) significantly decreased in active ulcerative colitis group compared with normal control group. Sensitivity analysis showed that the evaluation result was stable. Egger and Begg tests suggested no evidence of substantial publication bias except for the literatures about D-dimer. Abnormal blood coagulation indexes of active ulcerative colitis patients indicate there may be high coagulation state in ulcerative colitis.

Cross talk in the Lambert-Beer calculation for near-infrared wavelengths estimated by Monte Carlo simulations.

PubMed

Uludag, K; Kohl, M; Steinbrink, J; Obrig, H; Villringer, A

2002-01-01

Using the modified Lambert-Beer law to analyze attenuation changes measured noninvasively during functional activation of the brain might result in an insufficient separation of chromophore changes ("cross talk") due to the wavelength dependence of the partial path length of photons in the activated volume of the head. The partial path length was estimated by performing Monte Carlo simulations on layered head models. When assuming cortical activation (e.g., in the depth of 8-12 mm), we determine negligible cross talk when considering changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. But additionally taking changes in the redox state of cytochrome-c-oxidase into account, this analysis results in significant artifacts. An analysis developed for changes in mean time of flight--instead of changes in attenuation--reduces the cross talk for the layers of cortical activation. These results were validated for different oxygen saturations, wavelength combinations and scattering coefficients. For the analysis of changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin only, low cross talk was also found when the activated volume was assumed to be a 4-mm-diam sphere.

Instrumental activation analysis of coal and fly ash with thermal and epithermal neutrons and short-lived nuclides

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steinnes, E.; Rowe, J.J.

1976-01-01

Instrumental neutron activation analysis is applied to the determination of about 25 elements in coals and fly ash by means of nuclides with half-lives of less than 48 h ; thermal and epithermal irradiations are used. The results indicate that epithermal activation is preferable for twelve of the elements (Ga, As, Br, Sr, In, Cs, Ba, La, Sm, Ho, W and U). Data for SRM 1632 (coal) and SRM 1633 (fly ash) compare favorably with the results obtained by other investigators. ?? 1976.

Phosphorus Determination by Derivative Activation Analysis: A Multifaceted Radiochemical Application.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleppinger, E. W.; And Others

1984-01-01

Although determination of phosphorus is important in biology, physiology, and environmental science, traditional gravimetric and colorimetric methods are cumbersome and lack the requisite sensitivity. Therefore, a derivative activation analysis method is suggested. Background information, procedures, and results are provided. (JN)

The Effect of Two Maxillary Splint Occlusal Guidance Patterns on the Electromyographic Activity of the Jaw Closing Muscles.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

used for paired t-test analysis of mean total muscle performance for the two guidance patterns and for an analysis of variance among the four muscle...45 C. Collection of Data............................ 46 D. Analysis of Data.............................. 53 IV. RESULTS...to recent incorporation of computer analysis of the muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity (Hannam, 1977). But a lack of understanding continues to

Hanford Site Composite Analysis Technical Approach Description: Groundwater Pathway Dose Calculation.

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

Morgans, D. L.; Lindberg, S. L.

The purpose of this technical approach document (TAD) is to document the assumptions, equations, and methods used to perform the groundwater pathway radiological dose calculations for the revised Hanford Site Composite Analysis (CA). DOE M 435.1-1, states, “The composite analysis results shall be used for planning, radiation protection activities, and future use commitments to minimize the likelihood that current low-level waste disposal activities will result in the need for future corrective or remedial actions to adequately protect the public and the environment.”

Health-Related Messages about Physical Activity Promotion: An Analysis of Photographs on Social Networking Sites of Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martínez-Bello, Vladimir E.; Martínez-Rojas, Ángela; Molina-García, Javier

2017-01-01

The main aim of this study was to examine how different physical activity domains are represented on the official social media sites of Spanish universities, through a content analysis of the photographs. Our results show that the representation of different physical activity domains is not balanced. While the analysed images do promote a message…

Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Assessment of the active thermal control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinclair, S. K.

1988-01-01

The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA effort first completed an analysis of the Active Thermal Control System (ATCS) hardware, generating draft failure modes and potential critical items. To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. The IOA results were then compared to the available NASA FMEA/CIL data. Discrepancies from the comparison were documented, and where enough information was available, recommendations for resolution of the discrepancies were made. This report documents the results of that comparison for the Orbiter ATCS hardware. The IOA product for the ATCS independent analysis consisted of 310 failure mode worksheets that resulted in 101 potential critical items (PCI) being identified. A comparison was made to the available NASA data which consisted of 252 FMEAs and 109 CIL items.

Planning to Execution Earned Value Risk Management Tool

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Experiments ............................................................24 b. Result Analysis ...31 B. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS .....................................................................33 C. OPERATIONAL-BASED SCENARIO...42 c. Simulation and Analysis Activity ............................................43 2. Project Management Phase

Efficacy and safety of TNF-α inhibitors for active ankylosing spondylitis patients: Multiple treatment comparisons in a network meta-analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Wu, Yuan-Hao; Zhang, Lei; Liu, Xiao-Ya; Bin Xue; Bin Liu; Wang, Yi; Ji, Yang

2016-09-01

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease with impact on axial skeleton, peripheral joints and enthuses, and it may result in severe disabilities of those parts. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors are considered as an effective treatment for patients with active AS. In this study, we conducted a network meta-analysis to compare the clinical outcomes of active AS patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy and safety of TNF-α inhibitors were retrieved in literature search and selected for meta-analysis. Changes in ASAS20 response, ASAS40 response and BASDAI 50% response were regarded as efficacy outcomes; serious adverse events (SAE) and all cause withdrawals were regarded as safety outcomes. Both traditional pairwise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis were performed. The results showed that adalimumab and infliximab had better clinical outcomes. Infliximab consistently appeared to be the most effective TNF-α inhibitors with a high risk of adverse events for patients with active AS; meanwhile, adalimumab ranked highest with respect to adverse effects with efficacy secondary to infliximab. As a result, we were unable to conclude the optimal TNF-α inhibitor and this issue should be solved by future researchers.

Mobile health: a synopsis and comment on "Increasing physical activity with mobile devices: a meta-analysis".

PubMed

Johnston, Winter; Hoffman, Sara; Thornton, Louise

2014-03-01

We offer a synopsis and commentary on J. Fanning and colleagues' article "Increasing Physical Activity with Mobile Devices: A Meta-Analysis" published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Although regular physical activity has a range of benefits, very few adults in the USA meet recommended guidelines for daily physical activity. The meta-analysis of Fanning et al. (2012) aimed to synthesize the results of research using mobile devices to increase physical activity. Their review identified 11 studies that used mobile technologies, including short message service (SMS), apps, or personal digital assistant (PDA) to improve physical activity behaviors among participants. Fanning et al. conclude that while literature in this area is limited to date, there is initial support for the efficacy of mobile-based interventions for improving physical activity. Included studies varied greatly, and the majority used only SMS to influence physical behaviors, meaning generalization of results to other forms of mobile technologies may be premature. This review does, however, provide a foundation for understanding how mobile-based interventions may be used efficaciously for the development of future interventions to improve health behaviors.

The neuronal correlates of intranasal trigeminal function – An ALE meta-analysis of human functional brain imaging data

PubMed Central

Albrecht, Jessica; Kopietz, Rainer; Frasnelli, Johannes; Wiesmann, Martin; Hummel, Thomas; Lundström, Johan N.

2009-01-01

Almost every odor we encounter in daily life has the capacity to produce a trigeminal sensation. Surprisingly, few functional imaging studies exploring human neuronal correlates of intranasal trigeminal function exist, and results are to some degree inconsistent. We utilized activation likelihood estimation (ALE), a quantitative voxel-based meta-analysis tool, to analyze functional imaging data (fMRI/PET) following intranasal trigeminal stimulation with carbon dioxide (CO2), a stimulus known to exclusively activate the trigeminal system. Meta-analysis tools are able to identify activations common across studies, thereby enabling activation mapping with higher certainty. Activation foci of nine studies utilizing trigeminal stimulation were included in the meta-analysis. We found significant ALE scores, thus indicating consistent activation across studies, in the brainstem, ventrolateral posterior thalamic nucleus, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, precentral gyrus, as well as in primary and secondary somatosensory cortices – a network known for the processing of intranasal nociceptive stimuli. Significant ALE values were also observed in the piriform cortex, insula, and the orbitofrontal cortex, areas known to process chemosensory stimuli, and in association cortices. Additionally, the trigeminal ALE statistics were directly compared with ALE statistics originating from olfactory stimulation, demonstrating considerable overlap in activation. In conclusion, the results of this meta-analysis map the human neuronal correlates of intranasal trigeminal stimulation with high statistical certainty and demonstrate that the cortical areas recruited during the processing of intranasal CO2 stimuli include those outside traditional trigeminal areas. Moreover, through illustrations of the considerable overlap between brain areas that process trigeminal and olfactory information; these results demonstrate the interconnectivity of flavor processing. PMID:19913573

Engineering analysis activities in support of susquehanna unit 1 startup testing and cycle 1 operations

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

Miller, G.D.; Kukielka, C.A.; Olson, L.M.

The engineering analysis group is responsible for all nuclear plant systems analysis and reactor analysis activities, excluding fuel management analysis, at Pennsylvania Power and Light Company. These activities include making pretest and posttest predictions of startup tests; analyzing unplanned or unexpected transient events; providing technical training to plant personnel; assisting in the development of emergency drill scenarios; providing engineering evaluations to support design and technical specification changes, and evaluating, assessing, and resolving a number of license conditions. Many of these activities have required the direct use of RETRAN models. Two RETRAN analyses that were completed to support plant operations -more » a pretest analysis of the turbine trip startup test, and a posttest analysis of the loss of startup transformer event - are investigated. For each case, RETRAN results are compared with available plant data and comparisons are drawn on the acceptability of the performance of the plant systems.« less

Event-based analysis of free-living behaviour.

PubMed

Granat, Malcolm H

2012-11-01

The quantification of free-living physical activities is important in understanding how physical activity and sedentary behaviour impact on health and also on how interventions might modify free-living behaviour to enhance health. Quantification, and the terminology used, has in many ways been determined by the choice of measurement technique. The inter-related issues around measurement devices and terminology used are explored. This paper proposes a terminology and a systematic approach for the analysis of free-living activity information using event-based activity data. The event-based approach uses a flexible hierarchical classification of events and, dependent on the research question, analysis can then be undertaken on a selection of these events. The quantification of free-living behaviour is therefore the result of the analysis on the patterns of these chosen events. The application of this approach is illustrated with results from a range of published studies by our group showing how event-based analysis provides a flexible yet robust method of addressing the research question(s) and provides a deeper insight into free-living behaviour. It is proposed that it is through event-based analysis we can more clearly understand how behaviour is related to health and also how we can produce more relevant outcome measures.

Improving the analysis of near-spectroscopy data with multivariate classification of hemodynamic patterns: a theoretical formulation and validation.

PubMed

Gemignani, Jessica; Middell, Eike; Barbour, Randall L; Graber, Harry L; Blankertz, Benjamin

2018-04-04

The statistical analysis of functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data based on the general linear model (GLM) is often made difficult by serial correlations, high inter-subject variability of the hemodynamic response, and the presence of motion artifacts. In this work we propose to extract information on the pattern of hemodynamic activations without using any a priori model for the data, by classifying the channels as 'active' or 'not active' with a multivariate classifier based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA). This work is developed in two steps. First we compared the performance of the two analyses, using a synthetic approach in which simulated hemodynamic activations were combined with either simulated or real resting-state fNIRS data. This procedure allowed for exact quantification of the classification accuracies of GLM and LDA. In the case of real resting-state data, the correlations between classification accuracy and demographic characteristics were investigated by means of a Linear Mixed Model. In the second step, to further characterize the reliability of the newly proposed analysis method, we conducted an experiment in which participants had to perform a simple motor task and data were analyzed with the LDA-based classifier as well as with the standard GLM analysis. The results of the simulation study show that the LDA-based method achieves higher classification accuracies than the GLM analysis, and that the LDA results are more uniform across different subjects and, in contrast to the accuracies achieved by the GLM analysis, have no significant correlations with any of the demographic characteristics. Findings from the real-data experiment are consistent with the results of the real-plus-simulation study, in that the GLM-analysis results show greater inter-subject variability than do the corresponding LDA results. The results obtained suggest that the outcome of GLM analysis is highly vulnerable to violations of theoretical assumptions, and that therefore a data-driven approach such as that provided by the proposed LDA-based method is to be favored.

Comparison of Impurities in Charcoal Sorbents Found by Neutron Activation Analysis

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

Doll, Charles G.; Finn, Erin C.; Cantaloub, Michael G.

2013-01-01

Abstract: Neutron activation of gas samples in a reactor often requires a medium to retain sufficient amounts of the gas for analysis. Charcoal is commonly used to adsorb gas and hold it for activation; however, the amount of activated sodium in the charcoal after irradiation swamps most signals of interest. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) was performed on several commonly available charcoal samples in an effort to determine the activation background. The results for several elements, including the dominant sodium element, are reported. It was found that ECN charcoal had the lowest elemental background, containing sodium at 2.65 ± 0.05 ppm,more » as well as trace levels of copper and tungsten.« less

Nonlinear Analysis of Motor Activity Shows Differences between Schizophrenia and Depression: A Study Using Fourier Analysis and Sample Entropy

PubMed Central

Hauge, Erik R.; Berle, Jan Øystein; Oedegaard, Ketil J.; Holsten, Fred; Fasmer, Ole Bernt

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study has been to describe motor activity data obtained by using wrist-worn actigraphs in patients with schizophrenia and major depression by the use of linear and non-linear methods of analysis. Different time frames were investigated, i.e., activity counts measured every minute for up to five hours and activity counts made hourly for up to two weeks. The results show that motor activity was lower in the schizophrenic patients and in patients with major depression, compared to controls. Using one minute intervals the depressed patients had a higher standard deviation (SD) compared to both the schizophrenic patients and the controls. The ratio between the root mean square successive differences (RMSSD) and SD was higher in the schizophrenic patients compared to controls. The Fourier analysis of the activity counts measured every minute showed that the relation between variance in the low and the high frequency range was lower in the schizophrenic patients compared to the controls. The sample entropy was higher in the schizophrenic patients compared to controls in the time series from the activity counts made every minute. The main conclusions of the study are that schizophrenic and depressive patients have distinctly different profiles of motor activity and that the results differ according to period length analysed. PMID:21297977

A Decade of International Activities by U.S. Nurse Faculty: A Descriptive Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lusk, Brigid; Lash, Ayhan Aytekin

2002-01-01

A study to assess scholarly activities of U.S. nursing faculty abroad from 1985-1995 resulted in descriptions of 805 visits to 109 countries by 247 scholars. Results showed that U.S. nurse faculty were involved in diverse and widespread international nursing activities. (Contains 25 references.) (JOW)

A novel 96-well gel-based assay for determining antifungal activity against filamentous fungi.

PubMed

Troskie, Anscha Mari; Vlok, Nicolas Maré; Rautenbach, Marina

2012-12-01

In recent years the global rise in antibiotic resistance and environmental consciousness lead to a renewed fervour to find and develop novel antibiotics, including antifungals. However, the influence of the environment on antifungal activity is often disregarded and many in vitro assays may cause the activity of certain antifungals to be overestimated or underestimated. The general antifungal test assays that are economically accessible to the majority of scientists primarily rely on visual examination or on spectrophotometric analysis. The effect of certain morphogenic antifungals, which may lead to hyperbranching of filamentous fungi, unfortunately renders these methods unreliable. To minimise the difficulties experienced as a result of hyperbranching, we developed a straightforward, economical 96-well gel-based method, independent of spectrophotometric analysis, for highly repeatable determination of antifungal activity. For the calculation of inhibition parameters, this method relies on the visualisation of assay results by digitisation. The antifungal activity results from our novel micro-gel dilution assay are comparable to that of the micro-broth dilution assay used as standard reference test of The Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute. Furthermore, our economical assay is multifunctional as it permits microscopic analysis of the preserved assay results, as well as rendering highly reliable data. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of chromium VI and chromium III in stainless steel welding fumes with electrom spectroscopy for chemical analysis and neutron activation analysis.

PubMed

Lautner, G M; Carver, J C; Konzen, R B

1978-08-01

Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) was explored as a means of studying the oxidation state of chromium in SMAC (coated electrode) stainless steel welding fume collected on Nucleopore filters in the laboratory. Chromuim VI and III (as a percent of the total chromium) obtained from ESCA analysis was applied to results from Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) to yield an average of 69 microgram chromium VI per sample. Diphenylcarbazide/atomic absorption (DPC/AA) results are reported for samples submitted to an industrial laboratory. Possible chemical species and solubility of chromium VI in stainless steel fumes is discussed in light of analogy between the SMAC process and the manufacturing process for chromates.

Health worry, physical activity participation, and walking difficulty among older adults: a mediation analysis.

PubMed

Li, Kin-Kit; Cardinal, Bradley J; Vuchinich, Samuel

2009-03-01

This study examined the effect of health worry (i.e., cognitive aspect of anxiety resulting from concern for health) on walking difficulty in a nationally representative sample (N = 7,527) of older adults (M age = 76.83 years). The study further tested whether physical activity mediates the effect of health worry on walking difficulty in a 6-year follow-up design. Results of a mediation analysis using structural equation modeling showed that people with a high degree of health worry engaged in less physical activity (beta = -.24, p < .001), and people who participated in less physical activity were more likely to report walking difficulty at the 6-year follow-up (beta = -.22, p < .001). There was a significant indirect effect from health worry to walking difficulty through physical activity (beta = .05, p < .001), controlling for demographic, psychosocial, and health related factors. Results suggested that inducing threat and worry may not be effective for physical activity promotion in the older population. More promising coping and regulation strategies are discussed.

Feature-space-based FMRI analysis using the optimal linear transformation.

PubMed

Sun, Fengrong; Morris, Drew; Lee, Wayne; Taylor, Margot J; Mills, Travis; Babyn, Paul S

2010-09-01

The optimal linear transformation (OLT), an image analysis technique of feature space, was first presented in the field of MRI. This paper proposes a method of extending OLT from MRI to functional MRI (fMRI) to improve the activation-detection performance over conventional approaches of fMRI analysis. In this method, first, ideal hemodynamic response time series for different stimuli were generated by convolving the theoretical hemodynamic response model with the stimulus timing. Second, constructing hypothetical signature vectors for different activity patterns of interest by virtue of the ideal hemodynamic responses, OLT was used to extract features of fMRI data. The resultant feature space had particular geometric clustering properties. It was then classified into different groups, each pertaining to an activity pattern of interest; the applied signature vector for each group was obtained by averaging. Third, using the applied signature vectors, OLT was applied again to generate fMRI composite images with high SNRs for the desired activity patterns. Simulations and a blocked fMRI experiment were employed for the method to be verified and compared with the general linear model (GLM)-based analysis. The simulation studies and the experimental results indicated the superiority of the proposed method over the GLM-based analysis in detecting brain activities.

A case study by life cycle assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shuyun

2017-05-01

This article aims to assess the potential environmental impact of an electrical grinder during its life cycle. The Life Cycle Inventory Analysis was conducted based on the Simplified Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) Drivers that calculated from the Valuation of Social Cost and Simplified Life Cycle Assessment Model (VSSM). The detailed results for LCI can be found under Appendix II. The Life Cycle Impact Assessment was performed based on Eco-indicator 99 method. The analysis results indicated that the major contributor to the environmental impact as it accounts for over 60% overall SLCA output. In which, 60% of the emission resulted from the logistic required for the maintenance activities. This was measured by conducting the hotspot analysis. After performing sensitivity analysis, it is evidenced that changing fuel type results in significant decrease environmental footprint. The environmental benefit can also be seen from the negative output values of the recycling activities. By conducting Life Cycle Assessment analysis, the potential environmental impact of the electrical grinder was investigated.

Improvement of analytical capabilities of neutron activation analysis laboratory at the Colombian Geological Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrado, G.; Cañón, Y.; Peña, M.; Sierra, O.; Porras, A.; Alonso, D.; Herrera, D. C.; Orozco, J.

2016-07-01

The Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) laboratory at the Colombian Geological Survey has developed a technique for multi-elemental analysis of soil and plant matrices, based on Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) using the comparator method. In order to evaluate the analytical capabilities of the technique, the laboratory has been participating in inter-comparison tests organized by Wepal (Wageningen Evaluating Programs for Analytical Laboratories). In this work, the experimental procedure and results for the multi-elemental analysis of four soil and four plant samples during participation in the first round on 2015 of Wepal proficiency test are presented. Only elements with radioactive isotopes with medium and long half-lives have been evaluated, 15 elements for soils (As, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, La, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Th, U and Zn) and 7 elements for plants (Br, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Na and Zn). The performance assessment by Wepal based on Z-score distributions showed that most results obtained |Z-scores| ≤ 3.

Assessment of Complement Activation by Nanoparticles: Development of a SPR Based Method and Comparison with Current High Throughput Methods.

PubMed

Coty, Jean-Baptiste; Noiray, Magali; Vauthier, Christine

2018-04-26

A Surface Plasmon Resonance chip (SPR) was developed to study the activation of complement system triggered by nanomaterials in contact with human serum, which is an important concern today to warrant safety of nanomedicines. The developed chip was tested for its specificity in complex medium and its longevity of use. It was then employed to assess the release of complement fragments upon incubation of nanoparticles in serum. A comparison was made with other current methods assessing complement activation (μC-IE, ELISA). The SPR chip was found to give a consistent response for C3a release upon activation by nanoparticles. Results were similar to those obtained by μC-IE. However, ELISA detection of iC3b fragments showed an explained high non-specific background. The impact of sample preparation preceding the analysis was assessed with the newly develop SPR method. The removal of nanoparticles before analysis showed an important modification in the obtained response, possibly leading to false negative results. The SPR chip developed in this work allows for an automated assessment of complement activation triggered by nanoparticles with possibility of multiplexed analysis. The design of the chip proved to give consistent results of complement activation by nanoparticles.

HGF/c-Met related activation of β-catenin in hepatoblastoma

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Activation of beta-catenin is a hallmark of hepatoblastoma (HB) and appears to play a crucial role in its pathogenesis. While aberrant accumulation of the beta-catenin is a common event in HB, mutations or deletions in CTNNB1 (beta-catenin gene) do not always account for the high frequency of protein expression. In this study we have investigated alternative activation of beta-catenin by HGF/c-Met signaling in a large cohort of 98 HB patients enrolled in the SIOPEL-3 clinical trial. Methods We performed immunohistochemistry, using antibodies to total beta-catenin and tyrosine654-phosphorylated beta-catenin, which is a good surrogate marker of HGF/c-Met activation. CTNNB1 mutation analysis was also carried out on all samples. We also investigated beta-catenin pathway activation in two liver cancer cell lines, HuH-6 and HuH-7. Results Aberrant beta-catenin expression was seen in the cytoplasm and/or nucleus of 87% of tumour samples. Our results also revealed a large subset of HB, 83%, with cytoplasmic expression of tyrosine654-phosphorylated beta-catenin and 30% showing additional nuclear accumulation. Sequence analysis revealed mutations in 15% of our cohort. Statistical analysis showed an association between nuclear expression of c-Met-activated beta-catenin and wild type CTNNB1 (P-value = 0.015). Analysis of total beta-catenin and Y654-beta-catenin in response to HGF activation in the cell lines, mirrors that observed in our HB tumour cohort. Results We identified a significant subset of hepatoblastoma patients for whom targeting of the c-Met pathway may be a treatment option and also demonstrate distinct mechanisms of beta-catenin activation in HB. PMID:21992464

Reliability Prediction Analysis: Airborne System Results and Best Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Nuno; Lopes, Rui

2013-09-01

This article presents the results of several reliability prediction analysis for aerospace components, made by both methodologies, the 217F and the 217Plus. Supporting and complementary activities are described, as well as the differences concerning the results and the applications of both methodologies that are summarized in a set of lessons learned that are very useful for RAMS and Safety Prediction practitioners.The effort that is required for these activities is also an important point that is discussed, as is the end result and their interpretation/impact on the system design.The article concludes while positioning these activities and methodologies in an overall process for space and aeronautics equipment/components certification, and highlighting their advantages. Some good practices have also been summarized and some reuse rules have been laid down.

Active vibration damping of the Space Shuttle remote manipulator system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, Michael A.; Gilbert, Michael G.; Demeo, Martha E.

1991-01-01

The feasibility of providing active damping augmentation of the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (RMS) following normal payload handling operations is investigated. The approach used in the analysis is described, and the results for both linear and nonlinear performance analysis of candidate laws are presented, demonstrating that significant improvement in the RMS dynamic response can be achieved through active control using measured RMS tip acceleration data for feedback.

A simplified competition data analysis for radioligand specific activity determination.

PubMed

Venturino, A; Rivera, E S; Bergoc, R M; Caro, R A

1990-01-01

Non-linear regression and two-step linear fit methods were developed to determine the actual specific activity of 125I-ovine prolactin by radioreceptor self-displacement analysis. The experimental results obtained by the different methods are superposable. The non-linear regression method is considered to be the most adequate procedure to calculate the specific activity, but if its software is not available, the other described methods are also suitable.

Determination of minor and trace elements concentration in kidney stones using elemental analysis techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Anjali

The determination of accurate material composition of a kidney stone is crucial for understanding the formation of the kidney stone as well as for preventive therapeutic strategies. Radiations probing instrumental activation analysis techniques are excellent tools for identification of involved materials present in the kidney stone. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and neutron activation analysis (NAA) experiments were performed and different kidney stones were analyzed. The interactions of X-ray photons and neutrons with matter are complementary in nature, resulting in distinctly different materials detection. This is the first approach to utilize combined X-ray fluorescence and neutron activation analysis for a comprehensive analysis of the kideny stones. Presently, experimental studies in conjunction with analytical techniques were used to determine the exact composition of the kidney stone. The use of open source program Python Multi-Channel Analyzer was utilized to unfold the XRF spectrum. A new type of experimental set-up was developed and utilized for XRF and NAA analysis of the kidney stone. To verify the experimental results with analytical calculation, several sets of kidney stones were analyzed using XRF and NAA technique. The elements which were identified from XRF technique are Br, Cu, Ga, Ge, Mo, Nb, Ni, Rb, Se, Sr, Y, Zr. And, by using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) are Au, Br, Ca, Er, Hg, I, K, Na, Pm, Sb, Sc, Sm, Tb, Yb, Zn. This thesis presents a new approach for exact detection of accurate material composition of kidney stone materials using XRF and NAA instrumental activation analysis techniques.

Computational Ranking of Yerba Mate Small Molecules Based on Their Predicted Contribution to Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

DOE PAGES

Rempe, Caroline S.; Burris, Kellie P.; Woo, Hannah L.; ...

2015-05-08

We report that the aqueous extract of yerba mate, a South American tea beverage made from Ilex paraguariensis leaves, has demonstrated bactericidal and inhibitory activity against bacterial pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of two unique fractions of yerba mate aqueous extract revealed 8 identifiable small molecules in those fractions with antimicrobial activity. For a more comprehensive analysis, a data analysis pipeline was assembled to prioritize compounds for antimicrobial testing against both MRSA and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus using forty-two unique fractions of the tea extract that were generated in duplicate, assayed for activity, andmore » analyzed with GC-MS. As validation of our automated analysis, we checked our predicted active compounds for activity in literature references and used authentic standards to test for antimicrobial activity. 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde showed the most antibacterial activity against MRSA at low concentrations in our bioassays. In addition, quinic acid and quercetin were identified using random forests analysis and 5-hydroxy pipecolic acid was identified using linear discriminant analysis. We also generated a ranked list of unidentified compounds that may contribute to the antimicrobial activity of yerba mate against MRSA. Here we utilized GC-MS data to implement an automated analysis that resulted in a ranked list of compounds that likely contribute to the antimicrobial activity of aqueous yerba mate extract against MRSA.« less

Computational Ranking of Yerba Mate Small Molecules Based on Their Predicted Contribution to Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

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

Rempe, Caroline S.; Burris, Kellie P.; Woo, Hannah L.

We report that the aqueous extract of yerba mate, a South American tea beverage made from Ilex paraguariensis leaves, has demonstrated bactericidal and inhibitory activity against bacterial pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of two unique fractions of yerba mate aqueous extract revealed 8 identifiable small molecules in those fractions with antimicrobial activity. For a more comprehensive analysis, a data analysis pipeline was assembled to prioritize compounds for antimicrobial testing against both MRSA and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus using forty-two unique fractions of the tea extract that were generated in duplicate, assayed for activity, andmore » analyzed with GC-MS. As validation of our automated analysis, we checked our predicted active compounds for activity in literature references and used authentic standards to test for antimicrobial activity. 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde showed the most antibacterial activity against MRSA at low concentrations in our bioassays. In addition, quinic acid and quercetin were identified using random forests analysis and 5-hydroxy pipecolic acid was identified using linear discriminant analysis. We also generated a ranked list of unidentified compounds that may contribute to the antimicrobial activity of yerba mate against MRSA. Here we utilized GC-MS data to implement an automated analysis that resulted in a ranked list of compounds that likely contribute to the antimicrobial activity of aqueous yerba mate extract against MRSA.« less

Behavior related pauses in simple spike activity of mouse Purkinje cells are linked to spike rate modulation

PubMed Central

Cao, Ying; Maran, Selva K.; Dhamala, Mukesh; Jaeger, Dieter; Heck, Detlef H.

2012-01-01

Purkinje cells (PCs) in the mammalian cerebellum express high frequency spontaneous activity with average spike rates between 30 and 200 Hz. Cerebellar nuclear (CN) neurons receive converging input from many PCs resulting in a continuous barrage of inhibitory inputs. It has been hypothesized that pauses in PC activity trigger increases in CN spiking activity. A prediction derived from this hypothesis is that pauses in PC simple spike activity represent relevant behavioral or sensory events. Here we asked whether pauses in the simple spike activity of PCs related to either fluid licking or respiration, play a special role in representing information about behavior. Both behaviors are widely represented in cerebellar PC simple spike activity. We recorded PC activity in the vermis and lobus simplex of head fixed mice while monitoring licking and respiratory behavior. Using cross correlation and Granger causality analysis we examined whether short ISIs had a different temporal relation to behavior than long ISIs or pauses. Behavior related simple spike pauses occurred during low-rate simple spike activity in both licking and breathing related PCs. Granger causality analysis revealed causal relationships between simple spike pauses and behavior. However, the same results were obtained from an analysis of surrogate spike trains with gamma ISI distributions constructed to match rate modulations of behavior related Purkinje cells. Our results therefore suggest that the occurrence of pauses in simple spike activity does not represent additional information about behavioral or sensory events that goes beyond the simple spike rate modulations. PMID:22723707

Canada's Physical Activity Guide: examining print-based material for motivating physical activity in the workplace.

PubMed

Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Todosijczuk, Ivan; Johnson, Steven T; Karunamuni, Nandini

2012-01-01

The authors conducted a secondary analysis on 202 adults from the Physical Activity Workplace Study. The aim of this analysis was to examine demographic characteristics associated with reading Canada's Physical Activity Guide (CPAG), being motivated by the guide, and whether participants in the Physical Activity Workplace Study who read the CPAG increased their physical activity levels over 1 year. Results revealed that less than 50% of participants read the full version of CPAG, and less than 10% were motivated by it. The CPAG also appears to be more appealing to and effective for women than for men. Although the CPAG had some influence in increasing mild physical activity levels in a workplace sample, there was also a decrease in physical activity levels among some members of the group. Overall, the effectiveness of CPAG was not substantial, and the findings of this analysis could help guide future targeted intervention materials and programs.

Fibrinogenolytic and anticoagulant activities in the tissue covering the stingers of marine stingrays Dasyatis sephen and Aetobatis narinari.

PubMed

Kumar, Kalainesan Rajesh; Vennila, Rathinam; Kanchana, Shankar; Arumugam, Muthuvel; Balasubramaniam, Thangavel

2011-05-01

Stingray envenomation is one of the major problems in the marine and freshwater ecosystem. Accidents in human cause immediate, local and intense pain, erythema, edema, hemorrhage, tissue necrosis and secondary bacterial infection are also common. To determine the effect of two marine stingray species Dasyatis sephen and Aetobatis narinari venom extract on coagulation, fibrin(ogen)olytic, proteolytic activities. Plasma coagulation, Thrombin catalyzed fibrinocoagulation, Fibrin plate assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), substrate SDS-PAGE and thrombin like activity by using chromogenic substrate were used to determine the effect of venom on plasma coagulation, its fibrin(ogen)olytic and proteolytic activity. The results show the presence of fibrin(ogen)olytic, anticoagulant and gelatinolytic activity in both stingray venom extracts. D. sephen venom delays coagulation of citrated plasma more significantly than A. narinari upon using increasing concentration of the venom. The same results were obtained in the fibrinocoagulation assays. SDS-PAGE analysis of fibrinogen and fibrin after incubation with D. sephen and A. narinari venom show fibrin(ogen)olytic activity. Through SDS-PAGE analysis it is confirmed that the delaying in coagulation process by stingray venom is due to its fibrin(ogen)olytic activity and fibrinolytic activity also confirmed through fibrin plate assay. Zymogram analysis shows the presence of array of gelatinolytic and fibrinogenolytic enzymes above 43-276 kDa in the D. sephen and A. narinari venom respectively. Protease inhibitor studies show the serine and metallo proteases are responsible for these activities. From the results, fibrinogenolytic, proteolytic activity of the stingray venom is confirmed, but it has no thrombin like activity and these activities may aid in hemorrhages, tissue necrosis and secondary bacterial infections at the site of envenomation.

Comparison of analysis and flight test data for a drone aircraft with active flutter suppression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newsom, J. R.; Pototzky, A. S.

1981-01-01

This paper presents a comparison of analysis and flight test data for a drone aircraft equipped with an active flutter suppression system. Emphasis is placed on the comparison of modal dampings and frequencies as a function of Mach number. Results are presented for both symmetric and antisymmetric motion with flutter suppression off. Only symmetric results are presented for flutter suppression on. Frequency response functions of the vehicle are presented from both flight test data and analysis. The analysis correlation is improved by using an empirical aerodynamic correction factor which is proportional to the ratio of experimental to analytical steady-state lift curve slope. In addition to presenting the mathematical models and a brief description of existing analytical techniques, an alternative analytical technique for obtaining closed-loop results is presented.

Analysis of Phosphorylation of the Receptor-Like Protein Kinase HAESA during Arabidopsis Floral Abscission

PubMed Central

Taylor, Isaiah; Wang, Ying; Seitz, Kati; Baer, John; Bennewitz, Stefan; Mooney, Brian P.; Walker, John C.

2016-01-01

Receptor-like protein kinases (RLKs) are the largest family of plant transmembrane signaling proteins. Here we present functional analysis of HAESA, an RLK that regulates floral organ abscission in Arabidopsis. Through in vitro and in vivo analysis of HAE phosphorylation, we provide evidence that a conserved phosphorylation site on a region of the HAE protein kinase domain known as the activation segment positively regulates HAE activity. Additional analysis has identified another putative activation segment phosphorylation site common to multiple RLKs that potentially modulates HAE activity. Comparative analysis suggests that phosphorylation of this second activation segment residue is an RLK specific adaptation that may regulate protein kinase activity and substrate specificity. A growing number of RLKs have been shown to exhibit biologically relevant dual specificity toward serine/threonine and tyrosine residues, but the mechanisms underlying dual specificity of RLKs are not well understood. We show that a phospho-mimetic mutant of both HAE activation segment residues exhibits enhanced tyrosine auto-phosphorylation in vitro, indicating phosphorylation of this residue may contribute to dual specificity of HAE. These results add to an emerging framework for understanding the mechanisms and evolution of regulation of RLK activity and substrate specificity. PMID:26784444

Optimal Scaling of HIV-Related Sexual Risk Behaviors in Ethnically Diverse Homosexually Active Men.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Susan D.; And Others

1995-01-01

Used homogeneity analysis and latent class analysis to analyze sexual behavior patterns in two samples of homosexually active men. Results support the existence of a single, nonlinear, latent dimension underlying male homosexual behaviors consistent with HIV-related risk taking, providing an efficient means to scale sexual behavior patterns. (RJM)

Factor analysis in optimization of formulation of high content uniformity tablets containing low dose active substance.

PubMed

Lukášová, Ivana; Muselík, Jan; Franc, Aleš; Goněc, Roman; Mika, Filip; Vetchý, David

2017-11-15

Warfarin is intensively discussed drug with narrow therapeutic range. There have been cases of bleeding attributed to varying content or altered quality of the active substance. Factor analysis is useful for finding suitable technological parameters leading to high content uniformity of tablets containing low amount of active substance. The composition of tabletting blend and technological procedure were set with respect to factor analysis of previously published results. The correctness of set parameters was checked by manufacturing and evaluation of tablets containing 1-10mg of warfarin sodium. The robustness of suggested technology was checked by using "worst case scenario" and statistical evaluation of European Pharmacopoeia (EP) content uniformity limits with respect to Bergum division and process capability index (Cpk). To evaluate the quality of active substance and tablets, dissolution method was developed (water; EP apparatus II; 25rpm), allowing for statistical comparison of dissolution profiles. Obtained results prove the suitability of factor analysis to optimize the composition with respect to batches manufactured previously and thus the use of metaanalysis under industrial conditions is feasible. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Different patterns and development characteristics of processing written logographic characters and alphabetic words: an ALE meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zhu, Linlin; Nie, Yaoxin; Chang, Chunqi; Gao, Jia-Hong; Niu, Zhendong

2014-06-01

The neural systems for phonological processing of written language have been well identified now, while models based on these neural systems are different for different language systems or age groups. Although each of such models is mostly concordant across different experiments, the results are sensitive to the experiment design and intersubject variability. Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis can quantitatively synthesize the data from multiple studies and minimize the interstudy or intersubject differences. In this study, we performed two ALE meta-analysis experiments: one was to examine the neural activation patterns of the phonological processing of two different types of written languages and the other was to examine the development characteristics of such neural activation patterns based on both alphabetic language and logographic language data. The results of our first meta-analysis experiment were consistent with the meta-analysis which was based on the studies published before 2005. And there were new findings in our second meta-analysis experiment, where both adults and children groups showed great activation in the left frontal lobe, the left superior/middle temporal gyrus, and the bilateral middle/superior occipital gyrus. However, the activation of the left middle/inferior frontal gyrus was found increase with the development, and the activation was found decrease in the following areas: the right claustrum and inferior frontal gyrus, the left inferior/medial frontal gyrus, the left middle/superior temporal gyrus, the right cerebellum, and the bilateral fusiform gyrus. It seems that adults involve more phonological areas, whereas children involve more orthographic areas and semantic areas. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of analysis and flight test data for a drone aircraft with active flutter suppression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newsom, J. R.; Pototzky, A. S.

1981-01-01

A drone aircraft equipped with an active flutter suppression system is considered with emphasis on the comparison of modal dampings and frequencies as a function of Mach number. Results are presented for both symmetric and antisymmetric motion with flutter suppression off. Only symmetric results are given for flutter suppression on. Frequency response functions of the vehicle are presented from both flight test data and analysis. The analysis correlation is improved by using an empirical aerodynamic correction factor which is proportional to the ratio of experimental to analytical steady-state lift curve slope. The mathematical models are included and existing analytical techniques are described as well as an alternative analytical technique for obtaining closed-loop results.

Interoperability Outlook in the Big Data Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, K. S.; Ramachandran, R.

2015-12-01

The establishment of distributed active archive centers (DAACs) as data warehouses and the standardization of file format by NASA's Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS) had doubtlessly propelled interoperability of NASA Earth science data to unprecedented heights in the 1990s. However, we obviously still feel wanting two decades later. We believe the inadequate interoperability we experience is a result of the the current practice that data are first packaged into files before distribution and only the metadata of these files are cataloged into databases and become searchable. Data therefore cannot be efficiently filtered. Any extensive study thus requires downloading large volumes of data files to a local system for processing and analysis.The need to download data not only creates duplication and inefficiency but also further impedes interoperability, because the analysis has to be performed locally by individual researchers in individual institutions. Each institution or researcher often has its/his/her own preference in the choice of data management practice as well as programming languages. Analysis results (derived data) so produced are thus subject to the differences of these practices, which later form formidable barriers to interoperability. A number of Big Data technologies are currently being examined and tested to address Big Earth Data issues. These technologies share one common characteristics: exploiting compute and storage affinity to more efficiently analyze large volumes and great varieties of data. Distributed active "archive" centers are likely to evolve into distributed active "analysis" centers, which not only archive data but also provide analysis service right where the data reside. "Analysis" will become the more visible function of these centers. It is thus reasonable to expect interoperability to improve because analysis, in addition to data, becomes more centralized. Within a "distributed active analysis center" interoperability is almost guaranteed because data, analysis, and results all can be readily shared and reused. Effectively, with the establishment of "distributed active analysis centers", interoperation turns from a many-to-many problem into a less complicated few-to-few problem and becomes easier to solve.

Image Patch Analysis of Sunspots and Active Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, K.; Delouille, V.; Hero, A.

2017-12-01

The flare productivity of an active region has been observed to be related to its spatial complexity. Separating active regions that are quiet from potentially eruptive ones is a key issue in space weather applications. Traditional classification schemes such as Mount Wilson and McIntosh have been effective in relating an active region large scale magnetic configuration to its ability to produce eruptive events. However, their qualitative nature does not use all of the information present in the observations. In our work, we present an image patch analysis for characterizing sunspots and active regions. We first propose fine-scale quantitative descriptors for an active region's complexity such as intrinsic dimension, and we relate them to the Mount Wilson classification. Second, we introduce a new clustering of active regions that is based on the local geometry observed in Line of Sight magnetogram and continuum images. To obtain this local geometry, we use a reduced-dimension representation of an active region that is obtained by factoring the corresponding data matrix comprised of local image patches using the singular value decomposition. The resulting factorizations of active regions can be compared via the definition of appropriate metrics on the factors. The distances obtained from these metrics are then used to cluster the active regions. Results. We find that these metrics result in natural clusterings of active regions. The clusterings are related to large scale descriptors of an active region such as its size, its local magnetic field distribution, and its complexity as measured by the Mount Wilson classification scheme. We also find that including data focused on the neutral line of an active region can result in an increased correspondence between our clustering results and other active region descriptors such as the Mount Wilson classifications and the R-value.

Modeling activity patterns of wildlife using time-series analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Jindong; Hull, Vanessa; Ouyang, Zhiyun; He, Liang; Connor, Thomas; Yang, Hongbo; Huang, Jinyan; Zhou, Shiqiang; Zhang, Zejun; Zhou, Caiquan; Zhang, Hemin; Liu, Jianguo

2017-04-01

The study of wildlife activity patterns is an effective approach to understanding fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes. However, traditional statistical approaches used to conduct quantitative analysis have thus far had limited success in revealing underlying mechanisms driving activity patterns. Here, we combine wavelet analysis, a type of frequency-based time-series analysis, with high-resolution activity data from accelerometers embedded in GPS collars to explore the effects of internal states (e.g., pregnancy) and external factors (e.g., seasonal dynamics of resources and weather) on activity patterns of the endangered giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ). Giant pandas exhibited higher frequency cycles during the winter when resources (e.g., water and forage) were relatively poor, as well as during spring, which includes the giant panda's mating season. During the summer and autumn when resources were abundant, pandas exhibited a regular activity pattern with activity peaks every 24 hr. A pregnant individual showed distinct differences in her activity pattern from other giant pandas for several months following parturition. These results indicate that animals adjust activity cycles to adapt to seasonal variation of the resources and unique physiological periods. Wavelet coherency analysis also verified the synchronization of giant panda activity level with air temperature and solar radiation at the 24-hr band. Our study also shows that wavelet analysis is an effective tool for analyzing high-resolution activity pattern data and its relationship to internal and external states, an approach that has the potential to inform wildlife conservation and management across species.

Validation of an Active Gear, Flexible Aircraft Take-off and Landing analysis (AGFATL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgehee, J. R.

1984-01-01

The results of an analytical investigation using a computer program for active gear, flexible aircraft take off and landing analysis (AGFATL) are compared with experimental data from shaker tests, drop tests, and simulated landing tests to validate the AGFATL computer program. Comparison of experimental and analytical responses for both passive and active gears indicates good agreement for shaker tests and drop tests. For the simulated landing tests, the passive and active gears were influenced by large strut binding friction forces. The inclusion of these undefined forces in the analytical simulations was difficult, and consequently only fair to good agreement was obtained. An assessment of the results from the investigation indicates that the AGFATL computer program is a valid tool for the study and initial design of series hydraulic active control landing gear systems.

R-based Tool for a Pairwise Structure-activity Relationship Analysis.

PubMed

Klimenko, Kyrylo

2018-04-01

The Structure-Activity Relationship analysis is a complex process that can be enhanced by computational techniques. This article describes a simple tool for SAR analysis that has a graphic user interface and a flexible approach towards the input of molecular data. The application allows calculating molecular similarity represented by Tanimoto index & Euclid distance, as well as, determining activity cliffs by means of Structure-Activity Landscape Index. The calculation is performed in a pairwise manner either for the reference compound and other compounds or for all possible pairs in the data set. The results of SAR analysis are visualized using two types of plot. The application capability is demonstrated by the analysis of a set of COX2 inhibitors with respect to Isoxicam. This tool is available online: it includes manual and input file examples. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multi-level Discourse Analysis in a Physics Teaching Methods Course from the Psychological Perspective of Activity Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, Rodrigo Drumond; Kelly, Gregory J.

2014-11-01

In this paper, we present and apply a multi-level method for discourse analysis in science classrooms. This method is based on the structure of human activity (activity, actions, and operations) and it was applied to study a pre-service physics teacher methods course. We argue that such an approach, based on a cultural psychological perspective, affords opportunities for analysts to perform a theoretically based detailed analysis of discourse events. Along with the presentation of analysis, we show and discuss how the articulation of different levels offers interpretative criteria for analyzing instructional conversations. We synthesize the results into a model for a teacher's practice and discuss the implications and possibilities of this approach for the field of discourse analysis in science classrooms. Finally, we reflect on how the development of teachers' understanding of their activity structures can contribute to forms of progressive discourse of science education.

Variable spectra of active galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halpern, Jules P.

1988-01-01

The analysis of EXOSAT spectra of active galaxies are presented. The objects examined for X-ray spectral variability were MR 2251-178 and 3C 120. The results of these investigations are described, as well as additional results on X-ray spectral variability related to EXOSAT observations of active galaxies. Additionally, the dipping X-ray source 4U1624-49 was also investigated.

Probabilistic structural analysis methods of hot engine structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.; Hopkins, D. A.

1989-01-01

Development of probabilistic structural analysis methods for hot engine structures is a major activity at Lewis Research Center. Recent activities have focused on extending the methods to include the combined uncertainties in several factors on structural response. This paper briefly describes recent progress on composite load spectra models, probabilistic finite element structural analysis, and probabilistic strength degradation modeling. Progress is described in terms of fundamental concepts, computer code development, and representative numerical results.

Research regarding biodegradable properties of food polymeric products under microorganism activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Opran, Constantin; Lazar, Veronica; Fierascu, Radu Claudiu; Ditu, Lia Mara

2018-02-01

Aim of this research is the structural analysis by comparison of the biodegradable properties of two polymeric products made by non-biodegradable polymeric material (polypropylene TIPPLEN H949 A) and biodegradable polymeric material (ECOVIO IS 1335), under microorganism activity in order to give the best solution for the manufacture of food packaging biodegradable products. It presents the results of experimental determinations on comparative analysis of tensile strength for the two types of polymers. The sample weight variations after fungal biodegradation activity revealed that, after 3 months, there are no significant changes in polymeric substratum for non-biodegradable polymeric. The microscopically analysis showed that the fungal filaments did not strongly adhered on the non-biodegradable polymeric material, instead, both filamentous fungi strains adhered and covered the surface of the biodegradable sample with germinated filamentous conidia. The spectral analysis of polymer composition revealed that non-biodegradable polymer polypropylene spectra are identical for control and for samples that were exposed to fungal activity, suggesting that this type of sample was not degraded by the fungi strains. Instead, for biodegradable polymer sample, it was observed significant structural changes across multiple absorption bands, suggesting enzyme activity manifested mainly by Aspergillus niger strain. Structural analysis of interdisciplinary research results, lead, to achieving optimal injection molded technology emphasizing technological parameters, in order to obtain food packaging biodegradable products.

Incorporating twitter-based human activity information in spatial analysis of crashes in urban areas.

PubMed

Bao, Jie; Liu, Pan; Yu, Hao; Xu, Chengcheng

2017-09-01

The primary objective of this study was to investigate how to incorporate human activity information in spatial analysis of crashes in urban areas using Twitter check-in data. This study used the data collected from the City of Los Angeles in the United States to illustrate the procedure. The following five types of data were collected: crash data, human activity data, traditional traffic exposure variables, road network attributes and social-demographic data. A web crawler by Python was developed to collect the venue type information from the Twitter check-in data automatically. The human activities were classified into seven categories by the obtained venue types. The collected data were aggregated into 896 Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ). Geographically weighted regression (GWR) models were developed to establish a relationship between the crash counts reported in a TAZ and various contributing factors. Comparative analyses were conducted to compare the performance of GWR models which considered traditional traffic exposure variables only, Twitter-based human activity variables only, and both traditional traffic exposure and Twitter-based human activity variables. The model specification results suggested that human activity variables significantly affected the crash counts in a TAZ. The results of comparative analyses suggested that the models which considered both traditional traffic exposure and human activity variables had the best goodness-of-fit in terms of the highest R 2 and lowest AICc values. The finding seems to confirm the benefits of incorporating human activity information in spatial analysis of crashes using Twitter check-in data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Communal space design as student interaction in polnep campus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasriyanti, N.; Zulestari, A.; Judhi, J.; Ikayanti, P.

2018-03-01

Communal space is a means to do for social interaction, from private to the public. The purpose of this study was conducted to explore the phenomenon of communal space setting of Pontianak State Polytechnic students from 8 departments of study both indoor and outdoor spaces. The research method used is a rationalistic study. The planned activities to be undertaken include the determination of communal places (indoor and outdoor), sample determination, data collection with surveys and interviews, presenting data and analysis and drawing conclusions as a basis for designing communal space for Polnep students. The research were analyzed of building and space character, analysis of space organization and circulation, space requirement analysis, material and color analysis, site analysis, and analysis of inner space elements and outer space elements. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that Polnep campus environment requires the addition of public space for students in conducting formal activities outside lectures. Some activity which to do some student such as activity to waiting lecturer, do some coursework, discussion, relaxation, extracurricular activities, and other informal activities still require adequate space infrastructure and are equipped with street furnitures such as garden lights, benches, outer space markers and shade vegetation.

Results of sampling and analysis : preliminary sediment quality assessment Martha Lake Snohomish County Washington

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-10-18

This report presents the results of sediment sampling and analysis conducted in support of proposed dredging activities of Martha Lake Sediments. The characterization of the sediments will be used in support of permitting applications and exploring v...

Neutron activation analysis of certified samples by the absolute method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadem, F.; Belouadah, N.; Idiri, Z.

2015-07-01

The nuclear reactions analysis technique is mainly based on the relative method or the use of activation cross sections. In order to validate nuclear data for the calculated cross section evaluated from systematic studies, we used the neutron activation analysis technique (NAA) to determine the various constituent concentrations of certified samples for animal blood, milk and hay. In this analysis, the absolute method is used. The neutron activation technique involves irradiating the sample and subsequently performing a measurement of the activity of the sample. The fundamental equation of the activation connects several physical parameters including the cross section that is essential for the quantitative determination of the different elements composing the sample without resorting to the use of standard sample. Called the absolute method, it allows a measurement as accurate as the relative method. The results obtained by the absolute method showed that the values are as precise as the relative method requiring the use of standard sample for each element to be quantified.

LC-QTOF-MS Analysis and Activity Profiles of Popular Antioxidant Dietary Supplements in Terms of Quality Control

PubMed Central

Baj, Tomasz; Sawicki, Rafal; Wanat, Aleksandra; Wojtanowski, Krzysztof Kamil; Ginalska, Grazyna; Zgorka, Grazyna; Szymanska, Jolanta

2017-01-01

The dietary supplements with claimed antioxidant activity constitute a substantial part of the dietary supplement market. In this study, we performed the LC-QTOF-MS analysis and investigated the activity profiles of popular antioxidant dietary supplements from different chemical groups in terms of quality control. The commonly used antioxidant tests and statistical analysis revealed that substantial part of the results was comparable if 1 g sample was considered, but while comparing single and daily doses, significant differences in antioxidant values were noticed in all assays. The best antioxidant activity was obtained in ORAC assay (from 142 to 13814 μM of Trolox equivalents per 1 g of sample), and the strongest correlation occurred between TPC and ORAC. The LC-QTOF-MS analysis revealed that catechins were present in samples having the best antioxidant activity and that dietary supplements showing the weakest activity contained very small amount of any chemical constituents. PMID:28642814

Development of Activity-based Cost Functions for Cellulase, Invertase, and Other Enzymes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stowers, Chris C.; Ferguson, Elizabeth M.; Tanner, Robert D.

As enzyme chemistry plays an increasingly important role in the chemical industry, cost analysis of these enzymes becomes a necessity. In this paper, we examine the aspects that affect the cost of enzymes based upon enzyme activity. The basis for this study stems from a previously developed objective function that quantifies the tradeoffs in enzyme purification via the foam fractionation process (Cherry et al., Braz J Chem Eng 17:233-238, 2000). A generalized cost function is developed from our results that could be used to aid in both industrial and lab scale chemical processing. The generalized cost function shows several nonobvious results that could lead to significant savings. Additionally, the parameters involved in the operation and scaling up of enzyme processing could be optimized to minimize costs. We show that there are typically three regimes in the enzyme cost analysis function: the low activity prelinear region, the moderate activity linear region, and high activity power-law region. The overall form of the cost analysis function appears to robustly fit the power law form.

Cost and performance: complements for improvement.

PubMed

Rouse, Paul; Harrison, Julie; Turner, Nikki

2011-10-01

Activity-based costing (ABC) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) share similar views of resource consumption in the production of outputs. While DEA has a high level focus typically using aggregated data in the form of inputs and outputs, ABC is more detailed and oriented around very disaggregated data. We use a case study of immunisation activities in 24 New Zealand primary care practices to illustrate how DEA and ABC can be used in conjunction to improve performance analysis and benchmarking. Results show that practice size, socio-economic environment, parts of the service delivery process as well as regular administrative tasks are major cost and performance drivers for general practices in immunisation activities. It is worth noting that initial analyses of the ABC results, using contextual information and conventional methods of analysis such as regression and correlations, did not result in any patterns of significance. Reorganising this information using the DEA efficiency scores has revealed trends that make sense to practitioners and provide insights into where to place efforts for improvement.

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

Sun, Z. J.; Wells, D.; Green, J.

Photon Activation Analysis (PAA) of environmental, archaeological and industrial samples requires extensive data analysis that is susceptible to error. For the purpose of saving time, manpower and minimizing error, a computer program was designed, built and implemented using SQL, Access 2007 and asp.net technology to automate this process. Based on the peak information of the spectrum and assisted by its PAA library, the program automatically identifies elements in the samples and calculates their concentrations and respective uncertainties. The software also could be operated in browser/server mode, which gives the possibility to use it anywhere the internet is accessible. By switchingmore » the nuclide library and the related formula behind, the new software can be easily expanded to neutron activation analysis (NAA), charged particle activation analysis (CPAA) or proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Implementation of this would standardize the analysis of nuclear activation data. Results from this software were compared to standard PAA analysis with excellent agreement. With minimum input from the user, the software has proven to be fast, user-friendly and reliable.« less

Demonstration of brain noise on human EEG signals in perception of bistable images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grubov, Vadim V.; Runnova, Anastasiya E.; Kurovskaya, Maria K.; Pavlov, Alexey N.; Koronovskii, Alexey A.; Hramov, Alexander E.

2016-03-01

In this report we studied human brain activity in the case of bistable visual perception. We proposed a new approach for quantitative characterization of this activity based on analysis of EEG oscillatory patterns and evoked potentials. Accordingly to theoretical background, obtained experimental EEG data and results of its analysis we studied a characteristics of brain activity during decision-making. Also we have shown that decisionmaking process has the special patterns on the EEG data.

Determination of carrier yields for neutron activation analysis using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, R.G.; Wandless, G.A.

1984-01-01

A new method is described for determining carrier yield in the radiochemical neutron activation analysis of rare-earth elements in silicate rocks by group separation. The method involves the determination of the rare-earth elements present in the carrier by means of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis, eliminating the need to re-irradiate samples in a nuclear reactor after the gamma ray analysis is complete. Results from the analysis of USGS standards AGV-1 and BCR-1 compare favorably with those obtained using the conventional method. ?? 1984 Akade??miai Kiado??.

Physical and chemical analysis of a Ni/H2 cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaidyanathan, H.; Earl, M. W.; Kirkendall, T. D.

1991-01-01

A cycled aerospace nickel hydrogen (Ni/H2) cell was subjected to destructive physical analysis to determine the reason for a capacity loss after 5,967 cycles at 60 percent depth of discharge. The positive plates in the cell were analyzed in terms of chemical composition, active material utilization, charge efficiency, and thickness increase. The microstructure of a cross section of the positive plate was determined by backscattered electron image analysis. The results suggest that the capacity loss in the cell is caused by low charge acceptance and low active material utilization at the positive plate. The oxidized nickel species content of the positive plate increased due to corrosion of the nickel sintered skeleton. This appears to circumvent the orderly reaction of the active material. Microstructural analysis has indicated that a new phase of active material is formed with cycling.

Preparation and Characterization of Impregnated Commercial Rice Husks Activated Carbon with Piperazine for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masoum Raman, S. N.; Ismail, N. A.; Jamari, S. S.

2017-06-01

Development of effective materials for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology is a fundamental importance to reduce CO2 emissions. This work establishes the addition of amine functional group on the surface of activated carbon to further improve the adsorption capacity of CO2. Rice husks activated carbon were modified using wet impregnation method by introducing piperazine onto the activated carbon surfaces at different concentrations and mixture ratios. These modified activated carbons were characterized by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The results from XRD analysis show the presence of polyethylene butane at diffraction angles of 21.8° and 36.2° for modified activated carbon with increasing intensity corresponding to increase in piperazine concentration. BET results found the surface area and pore volume of non-impregnated activated carbon to be 126.69 m2/g and 0.081 cm3/g respectively, while the modified activated carbons with 4M of piperazine have lower surface area and pore volume which is 6.77 m2/g and 0.015 cm3/g respectively. At 10M concentration, the surface area and pore volume are the lowest which is 4.48 m2/g and 0.0065 cm3/g respectively. These results indicate the piperazine being filled inside the activated carbon pores thus, lowering the surface area and pore volume of the activated carbon. From the FTIR analysis, the presence of peaks at 3312 cm-1 and 1636 cm-1 proved the existence of reaction between carboxyl groups on the activated carbon surfaces with piperazine. The surface morphology of activated carbon can be clearly seen through FESEM analysis. The modified activated carbon contains fewer pores than non-modified activated carbon as the pores have been covered with piperazine.

Discriminant analysis of functional optical topography for schizophrenia diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Ching-Cheng; Nakagome, Kazuyuki; Pu, Shenghong; Lan, Tsuo-Hung; Lee, Chia-Yen; Sun, Chia-Wei

2014-01-01

Abnormal prefrontal function plays a central role in the cognition deficits of schizophrenic patients; however, the character of the relationship between discriminant analysis and prefrontal activation remains undetermined. Recently, evidence of low prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation in individuals with schizophrenia has also been found during verbal fluency tests (VFT) and other cognitive tests with several neuroimaging methods. The purpose of this study is to assess the hemodynamic changes of the PFC and discriminant analysis between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls during VFT task by utilizing functional optical topography. A total of 99 subjects including 53 schizophrenic patients and 46 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were studied. The results showed that the healthy group had larger activation in the right and left PFC than in the middle PFC. Besides, the schizophrenic group showed weaker task performance and lower activation in the whole PFC than the healthy group. The result of the discriminant analysis showed a significant difference with P value <0.001 in six channels (CH 23, 29, 31, 40, 42, 52) between the schizophrenic and healthy groups. Finally, 68.69% and 71.72% of subjects are correctly classified as being schizophrenic or healthy with all 52 channels and six significantly different channels, respectively. Our findings suggest that the left PFC can be a feature region for discriminant analysis of schizophrenic diagnosis.

Droplet activation, separation, and compositional analysis: laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiranuma, N.; Kohn, M.; Pekour, M. S.; Nelson, D. A.; Shilling, J. E.; Cziczo, D. J.

2011-10-01

Droplets produced in a cloud condensation nuclei chamber (CCNC) as a function of supersaturation have been separated from unactivated aerosol particles using counterflow virtual impaction. Residual material after droplets were evaporated was chemically analyzed with an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and the Particle Analysis by Laser Mass Spectrometry (PALMS) instrument. Experiments were initially conducted to verify activation conditions for monodisperse ammonium sulfate particles and to determine the resulting droplet size distribution as a function of supersaturation. Based on the observed droplet size, the counterflow virtual impactor cut-size was set to differentiate droplets from unactivated interstitial particles. Validation experiments were then performed to verify that only droplets with sufficient size passed through the counterflow virtual impactor for subsequent analysis. A two-component external mixture of monodisperse particles was also exposed to a supersaturation which would activate one of the types (hygroscopic salts) but not the other (polystyrene latex spheres or adipic acid). The mass spectrum observed after separation indicated only the former, validating separation of droplets from unactivated particles. Results from ambient measurements using this technique and AMS analysis were inconclusive, showing little chemical differentiation between ambient aerosol and activated droplet residuals, largely due to low signal levels. When employing as single particle mass spectrometer for compositional analysis, however, we observed enhancement of sulfate in droplet residuals.

The Use of Radioactivation Analysis in Biology; APPLICAZIONI DELL'ANALISI PER RADIOATTIVAZIONE ALLA BIOLOGIA

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

Merlini, M.

1962-01-01

The principles of activation analysis and the methods of detection and measurement of radioactivity from neutron irradiated samples are described. The application of this method in different fields is mentioned. An example of the use of activation analysis in biology is given; and the results of a study on the manganese content in different parts of a lamellibranch, Unio mancus elongatus (Pfeiffer) of Lago Maggiore, are presented and discussed. (auth)

Characterization of ginger essential oil/palygorskite composite (GEO-PGS) and its anti-bacteria activity.

PubMed

Lei, Hong; Wei, Qiaonian; Wang, Qing; Su, Anxiang; Xue, Mei; Liu, Qin; Hu, Qiuhui

2017-04-01

To explore a novel kind of anti-bacterial composite material having the excellent antibacterial ability, stability and specific-targeting capability, palygorskite (PGS) was used as the carrier of ginger essential oil (GEO) and a novel kind of composite GEO-PGS was prepared by ion exchange process. The characterization and the antibacterial activity of GEO-PGS was investigated in this study. Results of FTIR, XPS, XRD,TG analysis and SEM observation demonstrated the combination of GEO and PGS, GEO was absorbed on the surface of PGS, and the content of GEO in the composite was estimated to be 18.66%. Results of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis, growth curve and Gram staining analysis of Staphylococci aureus and Escherichia coli exposed to GEO-PGS showed that GEO-PGS had much higher antibacterial activity than GEO, and GEO-PGS had the specific-targeting antibacterial capability. Moreover, GEO-PGS showed the characteristics of thermo-stability, acidity and alkalinity-resistance in exerting its anti-bacteria activity. In conclusion, the novel composite GEO-PGS combined the bacteria-absorbent activity of PGS and the antibacterial activity of GEO, suggesting the great potential application of GEO-PGS as the novel composite substance with high antibacterial activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Artifact suppression and analysis of brain activities with electroencephalography signals.

PubMed

Rashed-Al-Mahfuz, Md; Islam, Md Rabiul; Hirose, Keikichi; Molla, Md Khademul Islam

2013-06-05

Brain-computer interface is a communication system that connects the brain with computer (or other devices) but is not dependent on the normal output of the brain (i.e., peripheral nerve and muscle). Electro-oculogram is a dominant artifact which has a significant negative influence on further analysis of real electroencephalography data. This paper presented a data adaptive technique for artifact suppression and brain wave extraction from electroencephalography signals to detect regional brain activities. Empirical mode decomposition based adaptive thresholding approach was employed here to suppress the electro-oculogram artifact. Fractional Gaussian noise was used to determine the threshold level derived from the analysis data without any training. The purified electroencephalography signal was composed of the brain waves also called rhythmic components which represent the brain activities. The rhythmic components were extracted from each electroencephalography channel using adaptive wiener filter with the original scale. The regional brain activities were mapped on the basis of the spatial distribution of rhythmic components, and the results showed that different regions of the brain are activated in response to different stimuli. This research analyzed the activities of a single rhythmic component, alpha with respect to different motor imaginations. The experimental results showed that the proposed method is very efficient in artifact suppression and identifying individual motor imagery based on the activities of alpha component.

Effect of Active Workstation on Energy Expenditure and Job Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cao, Chunmei; Liu, Yu; Zhu, Weimo; Ma, Jiangjun

2016-05-01

Recently developed active workstation could become a potential means for worksite physical activity and wellness promotion. The aim of this review was to quantitatively examine the effectiveness of active workstation in energy expenditure and job performance. The literature search was conducted in 6 databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscuss, Web of Science, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Scopuse) for articles published up to February 2014, from which a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. The cumulative analysis for EE showed there was significant increase in EE using active workstation [mean effect size (MES): 1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22 to 1.72, P < .0001]. Results from job performance indicated 2 findings: (1) active workstation did not affect selective attention, processing speed, speech quality, reading comprehension, interpretation and accuracy of transcription; and (2) it could decrease the efficiency of typing speed (MES: -0.55; CI: -0.88 to -0.21, P < .001) and mouse clicking (MES: -1.10; CI: -1.29 to -0.92, P < .001). Active workstation could significantly increase daily PA and be potentially useful in reducing workplace sedentariness. Although some parts of job performance were significantly lower, others were not. As a result there was little effect on real-life work productivity if we made a good arrangement of job tasks.

Phototherapy on Management of Creatine Kinase Activity in General Versus Localized Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Machado, Aryane Flauzino; Micheletti, Jéssica Kirsch; Lopes, Jaqueline Santos Silva; Vanderlei, Franciele Marques; Leal-Junior, Ernesto Cesar Pinto; Netto Junior, Jayme; Pastre, Carlos Marcelo

2018-06-21

The main focus of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy of phototherapy in the management of creatine kinase (CK) activity after exercise and furthermore to identify for which exercise model protocol phototherapy provides the best results. Meta-analysis comparing phototherapy with a control condition. The MEDLINE, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, and CENTRAL databases were searched from their earliest records to October 03, 2016. Data were pooled in a meta-analysis and described as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random effects model. Healthy subjects (no restrictions were applied, eg, age, sex, and exercise level). Phototherapy (low-level laser therapy and/or light-emitting diode therapy) before or after exercise and a placebo or control condition. Creatine kinase activity (no restriction to any analysis, eg, serum, plasma, or capillary blood). Fourteen studies were included for review. The results revealed that phototherapy has a more positive effect than control condition in management of CK activity [SMD = 0.77, 95% CI (0.32 to 1.22); P = 0.0007; I = 72%]. In exploratory analysis, the results showed that phototherapy was effective only in the exercise protocol with localized exercise with large effect size [localized exercise: SMD = 0.89, 95% CI (0.26 to 1.51); P = 0.0002; I = 76%; general exercise: SMD = 0.61, 95% CI (-0.05 to 1.26); P = 0.07; I = 67%]. The available evidence suggest that phototherapy has beneficial effects on the management of CK activity and demonstrate a possible relationship based on damage caused by exercise, providing a greater effect in studies that used localized exercise.

Platelet compatibility of magnesium alloys.

PubMed

Yahata, Chie; Mochizuki, Akira

2017-09-01

Lately, Mg alloys have been investigated as a new class of biomaterials owing to their excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility. It has previously been reported that the in vitro compatibility of a Mg alloy containing aluminum and zinc (AZ) alloy with the blood coagulation system is excellent due to Mg 2+ ions eluting from the alloy. In this study, the compatibility of the AZ alloy with platelets was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and flow cytometry. In the flow cytometry analysis, the platelets were stained using PAC-1 and P-selectin antibodies. SEM images and PAC-1 analyses showed no negative effects on the platelets, whereas P-selectin analysis showed marked platelet activation. To understand these contradictory results, the amount of β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) released from the platelets was investigated. From that investigation, it was concluded that platelets are markedly activated by the alloys. In addition to clarifying divergent results depending on the analysis method used, the effects of Mg 2+ ions and pH on platelet activation were studied. These results show that platelet activation is caused by an increase in pH at the alloy surface owing to the erosion of the alloy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An active learning approach for rapid characterization of endothelial cells in human tumors.

PubMed

Padmanabhan, Raghav K; Somasundar, Vinay H; Griffith, Sandra D; Zhu, Jianliang; Samoyedny, Drew; Tan, Kay See; Hu, Jiahao; Liao, Xuejun; Carin, Lawrence; Yoon, Sam S; Flaherty, Keith T; Dipaola, Robert S; Heitjan, Daniel F; Lal, Priti; Feldman, Michael D; Roysam, Badrinath; Lee, William M F

2014-01-01

Currently, no available pathological or molecular measures of tumor angiogenesis predict response to antiangiogenic therapies used in clinical practice. Recognizing that tumor endothelial cells (EC) and EC activation and survival signaling are the direct targets of these therapies, we sought to develop an automated platform for quantifying activity of critical signaling pathways and other biological events in EC of patient tumors by histopathology. Computer image analysis of EC in highly heterogeneous human tumors by a statistical classifier trained using examples selected by human experts performed poorly due to subjectivity and selection bias. We hypothesized that the analysis can be optimized by a more active process to aid experts in identifying informative training examples. To test this hypothesis, we incorporated a novel active learning (AL) algorithm into FARSIGHT image analysis software that aids the expert by seeking out informative examples for the operator to label. The resulting FARSIGHT-AL system identified EC with specificity and sensitivity consistently greater than 0.9 and outperformed traditional supervised classification algorithms. The system modeled individual operator preferences and generated reproducible results. Using the results of EC classification, we also quantified proliferation (Ki67) and activity in important signal transduction pathways (MAP kinase, STAT3) in immunostained human clear cell renal cell carcinoma and other tumors. FARSIGHT-AL enables characterization of EC in conventionally preserved human tumors in a more automated process suitable for testing and validating in clinical trials. The results of our study support a unique opportunity for quantifying angiogenesis in a manner that can now be tested for its ability to identify novel predictive and response biomarkers.

Cognitive and Collaborative Demands of Freight Conductor Activities: Results and Implications of a Cognitive Task Analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-19

This paper reports the results of a cognitive task analysis (CTA) that examined the cognitive and collaborative demands placed on conductors and the knowledge and skills that experienced conductors have developed that enable them to operate safely an...

Cognitive and collaborative demands of freight conductor activities: results and implications of a cognitive task analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-07-31

This report presents the results of a cognitive task analysis (CTA) that examined the cognitive and collaborative demands placed on conductors, as well as the knowledge and skills that experienced conductors have developed that enable them to operate...

A combined planning and self-efficacy intervention to promote physical activity: a multiple mediation analysis.

PubMed

Koring, Milena; Richert, Jana; Parschau, Linda; Ernsting, Anna; Lippke, Sonia; Schwarzer, Ralf

2012-01-01

Many individuals are motivated to improve their physical activity levels, but often fail to act upon their intention. Interventions fostering volitional strategies, such as action planning, coping planning, and self-efficacy beliefs, can help to translate intentions into behavior. This study examines the effectiveness and the mechanisms of a combined planning and self-efficacy intervention to promote physical activity among motivated individuals. Participants (N = 883) were randomly assigned to the intervention or to a waiting-list control condition. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that the intervention resulted in significantly more physical activity, higher levels of action planning, coping planning, and volitional self-efficacy beliefs (p < 0.01). In addition, multiple mediation analysis showed that action planning, coping planning, and volitional self-efficacy mediate between the intervention and physical activity. The study shows that the intervention successfully fostered physical activity and unfolds the underlying self-regulatory mechanisms of the intervention's effectiveness.

Non destructive multi elemental analysis using prompt gamma neutron activation analysis techniques: Preliminary results for concrete sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahing, Lahasen@Normanshah; Yahya, Redzuan; Yahya, Roslan; Hassan, Hearie

2014-09-01

In this study, principle of prompt gamma neutron activation analysis has been used as a technique to determine the elements in the sample. The system consists of collimated isotopic neutron source, Cf-252 with HPGe detector and Multichannel Analysis (MCA). Concrete with size of 10×10×10 cm3 and 15×15×15 cm3 were analysed as sample. When neutrons enter and interact with elements in the concrete, the neutron capture reaction will occur and produce characteristic prompt gamma ray of the elements. The preliminary result of this study demonstrate the major element in the concrete was determined such as Si, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe and H as well as others element, such as Cl by analysis the gamma ray lines respectively. The results obtained were compared with NAA and XRF techniques as a part of reference and validation. The potential and the capability of neutron induced prompt gamma as tool for multi elemental analysis qualitatively to identify the elements present in the concrete sample discussed.

Tensorial extensions of independent component analysis for multisubject FMRI analysis.

PubMed

Beckmann, C F; Smith, S M

2005-03-01

We discuss model-free analysis of multisubject or multisession FMRI data by extending the single-session probabilistic independent component analysis model (PICA; Beckmann and Smith, 2004. IEEE Trans. on Medical Imaging, 23 (2) 137-152) to higher dimensions. This results in a three-way decomposition that represents the different signals and artefacts present in the data in terms of their temporal, spatial, and subject-dependent variations. The technique is derived from and compared with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC; Harshman and Lundy, 1984. In Research methods for multimode data analysis, chapter 5, pages 122-215. Praeger, New York). Using simulated data as well as data from multisession and multisubject FMRI studies we demonstrate that the tensor PICA approach is able to efficiently and accurately extract signals of interest in the spatial, temporal, and subject/session domain. The final decompositions improve upon PARAFAC results in terms of greater accuracy, reduced interference between the different estimated sources (reduced cross-talk), robustness (against deviations of the data from modeling assumptions and against overfitting), and computational speed. On real FMRI 'activation' data, the tensor PICA approach is able to extract plausible activation maps, time courses, and session/subject modes as well as provide a rich description of additional processes of interest such as image artefacts or secondary activation patterns. The resulting data decomposition gives simple and useful representations of multisubject/multisession FMRI data that can aid the interpretation and optimization of group FMRI studies beyond what can be achieved using model-based analysis techniques.

Analysis of the project synthesis goal cluster orientation and inquiry emphasis of elementary science textbooks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staver, John R.; Bay, Mary

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine selected units of commonly used elementary science texts, using the Project Synthesis goal clusters as a framework for part of the examination. An inquiry classification scheme was used for the remaining segment. Four questions were answered: (1) To what extent do elementary science textbooks focus on each Project Synthesis goal cluster? (2) In which part of the text is such information found? (3) To what extent are the activities and experiments merely verifications of information already introduced in the text? (4) If inquiry is present in an activity, then what is the level of such inquiry?Eleven science textbook series, which comprise approximately 90 percent of the national market, were selected for analysis. Two units, one primary (K-3) and one intermediate (4-6), were selected for analysis by first identifying units common to most series, then randomly selecting one primary and one intermediate unit for analysis.Each randomly selected unit was carefully read, using the sentence as the unit of analysis. Each declarative and interrogative sentence in the body of the text was classified as: (1) academic; (2) personal; (3) career; or (4) societal in its focus. Each illustration, except those used in evaluation items, was similarly classified. Each activity/experiment and each miscellaneous sentence in end-of-chapter segments labelled review, summary, evaluation, etc., were similarly classified. Finally, each activity/experiment, as a whole, was categorized according to a four-category inquiry scheme (confirmation, structured inquiry, guided inquiry, open inquiry).In general, results of the analysis are: (1) most text prose focuses on academic science; (2) most remaining text prose focuses on the personal goal cluster; (3) the career and societal goal clusters receive only minor attention; (4) text illustrations exhibit a pattern similar to text prose; (5) text activities/experiments are academic in orientation, almost to the exclusion of other goal clusters; (6) end-of-chapter sentences are largely academic; (7) inquiry is absent or present only in limited forms in text activities/experiments; and (8) texts allocate only a minor portion of space to activities/experiments. Detailed findings are given as numeral, percentage, and decimal values. Discussion focuses on the implications of the results and a comparison of NSTA recommendations with the results of this analysis.

Prognostic significance of blood coagulation tests in carcinoma of the lung and colon.

PubMed

Wojtukiewicz, M Z; Zacharski, L R; Moritz, T E; Hur, K; Edwards, R L; Rickles, F R

1992-08-01

Blood coagulation test results were collected prospectively in patients with previously untreated, advanced lung or colon cancer who entered into a clinical trial. In patients with colon cancer, reduced survival was associated (in univariate analysis) with higher values obtained at entry to the study for fibrinogen, fibrin(ogen) split products, antiplasmin, and fibrinopeptide A and accelerated euglobulin lysis times. In patients with non-small cell lung cancer, reduced survival was associated (in univariate analysis) with higher fibrinogen and fibrin(ogen) split products, platelet counts and activated partial thromboplastin times. In patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung, only higher activated partial thromboplastin times were associated (in univariate analysis) with reduced survival in patients with disseminated disease. In multivariate analysis, higher activated partial thromboplastin times were a significant independent predictor of survival for patients with non-small cell lung cancer limited to one hemithorax and with disseminated small cell carcinoma of the lung. Fibrin(ogen) split product levels were an independent predictor of survival for patients with disseminated non-small cell lung cancer as were both the fibrinogen and fibrinopeptide A levels for patients with disseminated colon cancer. These results suggest that certain tests of blood coagulation may be indicative of prognosis in lung and colon cancer. The heterogeneity of these results suggests that the mechanism(s), intensity, and pathophysiological significance of coagulation activation in cancer may differ between tumour types.

Cost-effectiveness of a community-based physical activity programme for adults (Be Active) in the UK: an economic analysis within a natural experiment.

PubMed

Frew, Emma J; Bhatti, Mobeen; Win, Khine; Sitch, Alice; Lyon, Anna; Pallan, Miranda; Adab, Peymane

2014-02-01

To determine the cost-effectiveness of a physical activity programme (Be Active) aimed at city-dwelling adults living in Birmingham, UK. Very little is known about the cost-effectiveness of public health programmes to improve city-wide physical activity rates. This paper presents a cost-effectiveness analysis that compares a physical activity intervention (Be Active) with no intervention (usual care) using an economic model to quantify the reduction in disease risk over a lifetime. Metabolic equivalent minutes achieved per week, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained and healthcare costs were all included as the main outcome measures in the model. A cost-benefit analysis was also conducted using 'willingness-to-pay' as a measure of value. Under base-case assumptions-that is, assuming that the benefits of increased physical activity are sustained over 5 years, participation in the Be Active programme increased quality-adjusted life expectancy by 0.06 years, at an expected discounted cost of £3552, and thus the cost-effectiveness of Be Active is £400 per QALY. When the start-up costs of the programme are removed from the economic model, the cost-effectiveness is further improved to £16 per QALY. The societal value placed on the Be Active programme was greater than the operation cost therefore the Be Active physical activity intervention results in a net benefit to society. Participation in Be Active appeared to be cost-effective and cost-beneficial. These results support the use of Be Active as part of a public health programme to improve physical activity levels within the Birmingham-wide population.

Psychosocial versus physiological stress – meta-analyses on deactivations and activations of the neural correlates of stress reactions

PubMed Central

Kogler, Lydia; Mueller, Veronika I.; Chang, Amy; Eickhoff, Simon B.; Fox, Peter T.; Gur, Ruben C.; Derntl, Birgit

2015-01-01

Stress is present in everyday life in various forms and situations. Two stressors frequently investigated are physiological and psychosocial stress. Besides similar subjective and hormonal responses, it has been suggested that they also share common neural substrates. The current study used activation-likelihood-estimation meta-analysis to test this assumption by integrating results of previous neuroimaging studies on stress processing. Reported results are cluster-level FWE corrected. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the anterior insula (AI) were the only regions that demonstrated overlapping activation for both stressors. Analysis of physiological stress showed consistent activation of cognitive and affective components of pain processing such as the insula, striatum, or the middle cingulate cortex. Contrarily, analysis across psychosocial stress revealed consistent activation of the right superior temporal gyrus and deactivation of the striatum. Notably, parts of the striatum appeared to be functionally specified: the dorsal striatum was activated in physiological stress, whereas the ventral striatum was deactivated in psychosocial stress. Additional functional connectivity and decoding analyses further characterized this functional heterogeneity and revealed higher associations of the dorsal striatum with motor regions and of the ventral striatum with reward processing. Based on our meta-analytic approach, activation of the IFG and the AI seems to indicate a global neural stress reaction. While physiological stress activates a motoric fight-or-flight reaction, during psychosocial stress attention is shifted towards emotion regulation and goal-directed behavior, and reward processing is reduced. Our results show the significance of differentiating physiological and psychosocial stress in neural engagement. Furthermore, the assessment of deactivations in addition to activations in stress research is highly recommended. PMID:26123376

New Ir Bis-Carbonyl Precursor for Water Oxidation Catalysis

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

Huang, Daria L.; Beltrán-Suito, Rodrigo; Thomsen, Julianne M.

2016-02-05

This paper introduces IrI(CO)2(pyalc) (pyalc = (2-pyridyl)-2-propanoate) as an atom-efficient precursor for Ir-based homogeneous oxidation catalysis. This compound was chosen to simplify analysis of the water oxidation catalyst species formed by the previously reported Cp*IrIII(pyalc)OH water oxidation precatalyst. Here, we present a comparative study on the chemical and catalytic properties of these two precursors. Previous studies show that oxidative activation of Cp*Ir-based precursors with NaIO4 results in formation of a blue IrIV species. This activation is concomitant with the loss of the placeholder Cp* ligand which oxidatively degrades to form acetic acid, iodate, and other obligatory byproducts. The activation processmore » requires substantial amounts of primary oxidant, and the degradation products complicate analysis of the resulting IrIV species. The species formed from oxidation of the Ir(CO)2(pyalc) precursor, on the other hand, lacks these degradation products (the CO ligands are easily lost upon oxidation) which allows for more detailed examination of the resulting Ir(pyalc) active species both catalytically and spectroscopically, although complete structural analysis is still elusive. Once Ir(CO)2(pyalc) is activated, the system requires acetic acid or acetate to prevent the formation of nanoparticles. Investigation of the activated bis-carbonyl complex also suggests several Ir(pyalc) isomers may exist in solution. By 1H NMR, activated Ir(CO)2(pyalc) has fewer isomers than activated Cp*Ir complexes, allowing for advanced characterization. Future research in this direction is expected to contribute to a better structural understanding of the active species. A diol crystallization agent was needed for the structure determination of 3.« less

Assessment of biofeedback rehabilitation in post-stroke patients combining fMRI and gait analysis: a case study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The ability to walk independently is a primary goal for rehabilitation after stroke. Gait analysis provides a great amount of valuable information, while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers a powerful approach to define networks involved in motor control. The present study reports a new methodology based on both fMRI and gait analysis outcomes in order to investigate the ability of fMRI to reflect the phases of motor learning before/after electromyographic biofeedback treatment: the preliminary fMRI results of a post stroke subject’s brain activation, during passive and active ankle dorsal/plantarflexion, before and after biofeedback (BFB) rehabilitation are reported and their correlation with gait analysis data investigated. Methods A control subject and a post-stroke patient with chronic hemiparesis were studied. Functional magnetic resonance images were acquired during a block-design protocol on both subjects while performing passive and active ankle dorsal/plantarflexion. fMRI and gait analysis were assessed on the patient before and after electromyographic biofeedback rehabilitation treatment during gait activities. Lower limb three-dimensional kinematics, kinetics and surface electromyography were evaluated. Correlation between fMRI and gait analysis categorical variables was assessed: agreement/disagreement was assigned to each variable if the value was in/outside the normative range (gait analysis), or for presence of normal/diffuse/no activation of motor area (fMRI). Results Altered fMRI activity was found on the post-stroke patient before biofeedback rehabilitation with respect to the control one. Meanwhile the patient showed a diffuse, but more limited brain activation after treatment (less voxels). The post-stroke gait data showed a trend towards the normal range: speed, stride length, ankle power, and ankle positive work increased. Preliminary correlation analysis revealed that consistent changes were observed both for the fMRI data, and the gait analysis data after treatment (R > 0.89): this could be related to the possible effects BFB might have on the central as well as on the peripheral nervous system. Conclusions Our findings showed that this methodology allows evaluation of the relationship between alterations in gait and brain activation of a post-stroke patient. Such methodology, if applied on a larger sample subjects, could provide information about the specific motor area involved in a rehabilitation treatment. PMID:24716475

A novel simple QSAR model for the prediction of anti-HIV activity using multiple linear regression analysis.

PubMed

Afantitis, Antreas; Melagraki, Georgia; Sarimveis, Haralambos; Koutentis, Panayiotis A; Markopoulos, John; Igglessi-Markopoulou, Olga

2006-08-01

A quantitative-structure activity relationship was obtained by applying Multiple Linear Regression Analysis to a series of 80 1-[2-hydroxyethoxy-methyl]-6-(phenylthio) thymine (HEPT) derivatives with significant anti-HIV activity. For the selection of the best among 37 different descriptors, the Elimination Selection Stepwise Regression Method (ES-SWR) was utilized. The resulting QSAR model (R (2) (CV) = 0.8160; S (PRESS) = 0.5680) proved to be very accurate both in training and predictive stages.

Edward's sword? - A non-destructive study of a medieval king's sword

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segebade, Chr.

2013-04-01

Non-destructive and instrumental methods including photon activation analysis were applied in an examination of an ancient sword. It was tried to find indication of forgery or, if authentic, any later processing and alteration. Metal components of the hilt and the blade were analysed by instrumental photon activation. Non-destructive metallurgical studies (hardness measurements, microscopic microstructure analysis) are briefly described, too. The results of these investigations did not yield indication of non-authenticity. This stood in agreement with the results of stylistic and scientific studies by weapon experts.

Edward's sword? - A non-destructive study of a medieval king's sword

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

Segebade, Chr.

2013-04-19

Non-destructive and instrumental methods including photon activation analysis were applied in an examination of an ancient sword. It was tried to find indication of forgery or, if authentic, any later processing and alteration. Metal components of the hilt and the blade were analysed by instrumental photon activation. Non-destructive metallurgical studies (hardness measurements, microscopic microstructure analysis) are briefly described, too. The results of these investigations did not yield indication of non-authenticity. This stood in agreement with the results of stylistic and scientific studies by weapon experts.

Value of Undergraduate Internship Experiences at NOAA: Analysis of Survey Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, M.

2014-12-01

This presentation will examine survey data from over 500 undergraduates who participated in summer internships at NOAA facilities as Ernest F. Hollings Scholars and Educational Partnership Program (EPP) Undergraduate Scholars. NOAA selects over 100 students per year to receive academic support in their junior and senior years and a paid summer internship at any NOAA facility in the country. Scholars are hosted by NOAA mentors who actively oversee summer research activities. Analysis of survey results identified six thematic impacts from the internship experience (McIntosh and Baek, 2013).

The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) capabilities for serving science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Thomas R.

1990-01-01

Results of research on potential science applications of the NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) are presented. Discussed here are: (1) general research on communications related issues; (2) a survey of science-related activities and programs in the local area; (3) interviews of selected scientists and associated telecommunications support personnel whose projects have communications requirements; (4) analysis of linkages between ACTS functionality and science user communications activities and modes of operation; and (5) an analysis of survey results and the projection of conclusions to a national scale.

Neurophysiological effects of acute oxytocin administration: systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled imaging studies

PubMed Central

Wigton, Rebekah; Radua, Jocham; Allen, Paul; Averbeck, Bruno; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; McGuire, Philip; Shergill, Sukhi S.; Fusar-Poli, Paolo

2015-01-01

Background Oxytocin (OXT) plays a prominent role in social cognition and may have clinical applications for disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and social anxiety. The neural basis of its mechanism of action remains unclear. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review of placebo-controlled imaging studies using OXT as a pharmacological manipulator of brain activity. Results We identified a total of 21 studies for inclusion in our review, and after applying additional selection criteria, 11 of them were included in our fMRI voxel-based meta-analysis. The results demonstrate consistent alterations in activation of brain regions, including the temporal lobes and insula, during the processing of social stimuli, with some variation dependent on sex and task. The meta-analysis revealed significant left insular hyperactivation after OXT administration, suggesting a potential modulation of neural circuits underlying emotional processing. Limitations This quantitative review included only a limited number of studies, thus the conclusions of our analysis should be interpreted cautiously. This limited sample size precluded a more detailed exploration of potential confounding factors, such as sex or other demographic factors, that may have affected our meta-analysis. Conclusion Oxytocin has a wide range of effects over neural activity in response to social and emotional processing, which is further modulated by sex and task specificity. The magnitude of this neural activation is largest in the temporal lobes, and a meta-analysis across all tasks and both sexes showed that the left insula demonstrated the most robust activation to OXT administration. PMID:25520163

Recurrence analysis of ant activity patterns

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In this study, we used recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) and recurrence plots (RPs) to compare the movement activity of individual workers of three ant species, as well as a gregarious beetle species. RQA and RPs quantify the number and duration of recurrences of a dynamical system, including a detailed quantification of signals that could be stochastic, deterministic, or both. First, we found substantial differences between the activity dynamics of beetles and ants, with the results suggesting that the beetles have quasi-periodic dynamics and the ants do not. Second, workers from different ant species varied with respect to their dynamics, presenting degrees of predictability as well as stochastic signals. Finally, differences were found among minor and major caste of the same (dimorphic) ant species. Our results underscore the potential of RQA and RPs in the analysis of complex behavioral patterns, as well as in general inferences on animal behavior and other biological phenomena. PMID:29016648

Associations of general parenting and parent-child relationship with pediatric obesity: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pinquart, Martin

2014-05-01

The objective of the meta-analysis is to integrate available results on associations of general parenting (not specific to feeding and activity promotion) and parent-child relations with child weight status, eating, and physical activity. Searching in electronic databases and cross-referencing identified 156 empirical studies. Random-effects meta-analysis was computed. A positive parent-child relationship and higher levels of parental responsiveness were associated with lower weight, healthier eating, and more physical activity of the child. Parental demandingness, overprotection, psychological control, inconsistency, and parenting styles showed associations with some of the assessed outcome variables. Most effect sizes were small and varied by study characteristics. The small effects do not support making general parenting styles, parental demandingness, responsiveness, and the quality of the parent-child relationship a main target of preventing and treating obesity. Reducing parental inconsistency may be a better target if available results are replicated in future studies.

Model-free fMRI group analysis using FENICA.

PubMed

Schöpf, V; Windischberger, C; Robinson, S; Kasess, C H; Fischmeister, F PhS; Lanzenberger, R; Albrecht, J; Kleemann, A M; Kopietz, R; Wiesmann, M; Moser, E

2011-03-01

Exploratory analysis of functional MRI data allows activation to be detected even if the time course differs from that which is expected. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) has emerged as a powerful approach, but current extensions to the analysis of group studies suffer from a number of drawbacks: they can be computationally demanding, results are dominated by technical and motion artefacts, and some methods require that time courses be the same for all subjects or that templates be defined to identify common components. We have developed a group ICA (gICA) method which is based on single-subject ICA decompositions and the assumption that the spatial distribution of signal changes in components which reflect activation is similar between subjects. This approach, which we have called Fully Exploratory Network Independent Component Analysis (FENICA), identifies group activation in two stages. ICA is performed on the single-subject level, then consistent components are identified via spatial correlation. Group activation maps are generated in a second-level GLM analysis. FENICA is applied to data from three studies employing a wide range of stimulus and presentation designs. These are an event-related motor task, a block-design cognition task and an event-related chemosensory experiment. In all cases, the group maps identified by FENICA as being the most consistent over subjects correspond to task activation. There is good agreement between FENICA results and regions identified in prior GLM-based studies. In the chemosensory task, additional regions are identified by FENICA and temporal concatenation ICA that we show is related to the stimulus, but exhibit a delayed response. FENICA is a fully exploratory method that allows activation to be identified without assumptions about temporal evolution, and isolates activation from other sources of signal fluctuation in fMRI. It has the advantage over other gICA methods that it is computationally undemanding, spotlights components relating to activation rather than artefacts, allows the use of familiar statistical thresholding through deployment of a higher level GLM analysis and can be applied to studies where the paradigm is different for all subjects. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Active magnetic bearings applied to industrial compressors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirk, R. G.; Hustak, J. F.; Schoeneck, K. A.

1993-01-01

The design and shop test results are given for a high-speed eight-stage centrifugal compressor supported by active magnetic bearings. A brief summary of the basic operation of active magnetic bearings and the required rotor dynamics analysis are presented with specific attention given to design considerations for optimum rotor stability. The concerns for retrofits of magnetic bearings in existing machinery are discussed with supporting analysis of a four-stage centrifugal compressor. The current status of industrial machinery in North America using this new support system is presented and recommendations are given on design and analysis requirements for successful machinery operation of either retrofit or new design turbomachinery.

Active controls: A look at analytical methods and associated tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newsom, J. R.; Adams, W. M., Jr.; Mukhopadhyay, V.; Tiffany, S. H.; Abel, I.

1984-01-01

A review of analytical methods and associated tools for active controls analysis and design problems is presented. Approaches employed to develop mathematical models suitable for control system analysis and/or design are discussed. Significant efforts have been expended to develop tools to generate the models from the standpoint of control system designers' needs and develop the tools necessary to analyze and design active control systems. Representative examples of these tools are discussed. Examples where results from the methods and tools have been compared with experimental data are also presented. Finally, a perspective on future trends in analysis and design methods is presented.

Capture of activation during ventricular arrhythmia using distributed stimulation.

PubMed

Meunier, Jason M; Ramalingam, Sanjiv; Lin, Shien-Fong; Patwardhan, Abhijit R

2007-04-01

Results of previous studies suggest that pacing strength stimuli can capture activation during ventricular arrhythmia locally near pacing sites. The existence of spatio-temporal distribution of excitable gap during arrhythmia suggests that multiple and timed stimuli delivered over a region may permit capture over larger areas. Our objective in this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using spatially distributed pacing (DP) to capture activation during ventricular arrhythmia. Data were obtained from rabbit hearts which were placed against a lattice of parallel wires through which biphasic pacing stimuli were delivered. Electrical activity was recorded optically. Pacing stimuli were delivered in sequence through the parallel wires starting with the wire closest to the apex and ending with one closest to the base. Inter-stimulus delay was based on conduction velocity. Time-frequency analysis of optical signals was used to determine variability in activation. A decrease in standard deviation of dominant frequencies of activation from a grid of locations that spanned the captured area and a concurrence with paced frequency were used as an index of capture. Results from five animals showed that the average standard deviation decreased from 0.81 Hz during arrhythmia to 0.66 Hz during DP at pacing cycle length of 125 ms (p = 0.03) reflecting decreased spatio-temporal variability in activation during DP. Results of time-frequency analysis during these pacing trials showed agreement between activation and paced frequencies. These results show that spatially distributed and timed stimulation can be used to modify and capture activation during ventricular arrhythmia.

A long-term epigenetic memory switch controls bacterial virulence bimodality

PubMed Central

Ronin, Irine; Katsowich, Naama; Rosenshine, Ilan; Balaban, Nathalie Q

2017-01-01

When pathogens enter the host, sensing of environmental cues activates the expression of virulence genes. Opposite transition of pathogens from activating to non-activating conditions is poorly understood. Interestingly, variability in the expression of virulence genes upon infection enhances colonization. In order to systematically detect the role of phenotypic variability in enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), an important human pathogen, both in virulence activating and non-activating conditions, we employed the ScanLag methodology. The analysis revealed a bimodal growth rate. Mathematical modeling combined with experimental analysis showed that this bimodality is mediated by a hysteretic memory-switch that results in the stable co-existence of non-virulent and hyper-virulent subpopulations, even after many generations of growth in non-activating conditions. We identified the per operon as the key component of the hysteretic switch. This unique hysteretic memory switch may result in persistent infection and enhanced host-to-host spreading. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19599.001 PMID:28178445

The problem of the periodicity of the epidemic process. [solar activity effects on diphtheria outbreak

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yagodinskiy, V. N.; Konovalenko, Z. P.; Druzhinin, I. P.

1974-01-01

An analysis of data from epidemics makes it possible to determine their principal causes, governed by environmental factors (solar activity, etc.) The results of an analysis of the periodicity of the epidemic process in the case of diphtheria are presented which was conducted with the aid of autocorrelation and spectral methods of analysis. Numerical data (annual figures) are used on the dynamics of diphtheria in 50 regions (points) with a total duration of 2,777 years.

Off-road motorbike performance analysis using a rear semi-active suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lozoya-Santos, Jorge de J.; Cervantes-Muñoz, Damián.; Ramírez Mendoza, Ricardo

2015-04-01

The topic of this paper is the analysis of a control system for a semi active rear suspension in an off-road 2-wheel vehicle. Several control methods are studied, as well as the recently proposed Frequency Estimation Based (FEB) algorithm. The test motorcycle dynamics, as well as the passive, semi active, and the algorithm controlled shock absorber models are loaded into BikeSim, a professional two-wheeled vehicle simulation software, and tested in several road conditions. The results show a detailed comparison of the theoretical performance of the different control approaches in a novel environment for semi active dampers.

Cost Analysis of Selected Patient Categories within a Dermatology Department Using an ABC Approach

PubMed Central

Papadaki, Šárka; Popesko, Boris

2016-01-01

Background: Present trends in hospital management are facilitating the utilization of more accurate costing methods, which potentially results in superior cost-related information and improved managerial decision-making. However, the Activity-Based Costing method (ABC), which was designed for cost allocation purposes in the 1980s, is not widely used by healthcare organizations. This study analyzes costs related to selected categories of patients, those suffering from psoriasis, varicose ulcers, eczema and other conditions, within a dermatology department at a Czech regional hospital. Methods: The study was conducted in a hospital department where both inpatient and outpatient care are offered. Firstly, the diseases treated at the department were identified. Further costs were determined for each activity using ABC. The study utilized data from managerial and financial accounting, as well as data obtained through interviews with departmental staff. Using a defined cost-allocation procedure makes it possible to determine the cost of an individual patient with a given disease more accurately than via traditional costing procedures. Results: The cost analysis focused on the differences between the costs related to individual patients within the selected diagnoses, variations between inpatient and outpatient treatments and the costs of activities performed by the dermatology department. Furthermore, comparing the costs identified through this approach and the revenue stemming from the health insurance system is an option. Conclusions: Activity-Based Costing is more accurate and relevant than the traditional costing method. The outputs of ABC provide an abundance of additional information for managers. The benefits of this research lie in its practically-tested outputs, resulting from calculating the costs of hospitalization, which could prove invaluable to persons involved in hospital management and decision-making. The study also defines the managerial implications of the performed cost analysis for the hospital management. Based on the analysis results, it is possible to standardize activities and performance appraisal (Benchmarking), and provide all necessary information for hospital budgeting practices, especially Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB). PMID:26755477

Single-Pixel Optical Fluctuation Analysis of Calcium Channel Function in Active Zones of Motor Nerve Terminals

PubMed Central

Luo, Fujun; Dittrich, Markus; Stiles, Joel R.; Meriney, Stephen D.

2011-01-01

We used high-resolution fluorescence imaging and single-pixel optical fluctuation analysis to estimate the opening probability of individual voltage-gated calcium (Ca2+) channels during an action potential and the number of such Ca2+ channels within active zones of frog neuromuscular junctions. Analysis revealed ~36 Ca2+ channels within each active zone, similar to the number of docked synaptic vesicles but far less than the total number of transmembrane particles reported based on freeze-fracture analysis (~200–250). The probability that each channel opened during an action potential was only ~0.2. These results suggest why each active zone averages only one quantal release event during every other action potential, despite a substantial number of docked vesicles. With sparse Ca2+ channels and low opening probability, triggering of fusion for each vesicle is primarily controlled by Ca2+ influx through individual Ca2+ channels. In contrast, the entire synapse is highly reliable because it contains hundreds of active zones. PMID:21813687

United States Department of Energy severe accident research following the Fukushima Daiichi accidents

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

Farmer, M. T.; Corradini, M.; Rempe, J.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has played a major role in the U.S. response to the events at Fukushima Daiichi. During the first several weeks following the accident, U.S. assistance efforts were guided by results from a significant and diverse set of analyses. In the months that followed, a coordinated analysis activity aimed at gaining a more thorough understanding of the accident sequence was completed using laboratory-developed, system-level best-estimate accident analysis codes, while a parallel analysis was conducted by U.S. industry. A comparison of predictions for Unit 1 from these two studies indicated significant differences between MAAP and MELCORmore » results for key plant parameters, such as in-core hydrogen production. On that basis, a crosswalk was completed to determine the key modeling variations that led to these differences. In parallel with these activities, it became clear that there was a need to perform a technology gap evaluation on accident-tolerant components and severe accident analysis methodologies with the goal of identifying any data and/or knowledge gaps that may exist given the current state of light water reactor (LWR) severe accident research and augmented by insights from Fukushima. In addition, there is growing international recognition that data from Fukushima could significantly reduce uncertainties related to severe accident progression, particularly for boiling water reactors. On these bases, a group of U. S. experts in LWR safety and plant operations was convened by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) to complete technology gap analysis and Fukushima forensics data needs identification activities. The results from these activities were used as the basis for refining DOE-NE's severe accident research and development (R&D) plan. Finally, this paper provides a high-level review of DOE-sponsored R&D efforts in these areas, including planned activities on accident-tolerant components and accident analysis methods.« less

United States Department of Energy severe accident research following the Fukushima Daiichi accidents

DOE PAGES

Farmer, M. T.; Corradini, M.; Rempe, J.; ...

2016-11-02

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has played a major role in the U.S. response to the events at Fukushima Daiichi. During the first several weeks following the accident, U.S. assistance efforts were guided by results from a significant and diverse set of analyses. In the months that followed, a coordinated analysis activity aimed at gaining a more thorough understanding of the accident sequence was completed using laboratory-developed, system-level best-estimate accident analysis codes, while a parallel analysis was conducted by U.S. industry. A comparison of predictions for Unit 1 from these two studies indicated significant differences between MAAP and MELCORmore » results for key plant parameters, such as in-core hydrogen production. On that basis, a crosswalk was completed to determine the key modeling variations that led to these differences. In parallel with these activities, it became clear that there was a need to perform a technology gap evaluation on accident-tolerant components and severe accident analysis methodologies with the goal of identifying any data and/or knowledge gaps that may exist given the current state of light water reactor (LWR) severe accident research and augmented by insights from Fukushima. In addition, there is growing international recognition that data from Fukushima could significantly reduce uncertainties related to severe accident progression, particularly for boiling water reactors. On these bases, a group of U. S. experts in LWR safety and plant operations was convened by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) to complete technology gap analysis and Fukushima forensics data needs identification activities. The results from these activities were used as the basis for refining DOE-NE's severe accident research and development (R&D) plan. Finally, this paper provides a high-level review of DOE-sponsored R&D efforts in these areas, including planned activities on accident-tolerant components and accident analysis methods.« less

The role of social support on physical activity behaviour in adolescent girls: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Laird, Yvonne; Fawkner, Samantha; Kelly, Paul; McNamee, Lily; Niven, Ailsa

2016-07-07

Adolescent girls have been targeted as a priority group for promoting physical activity levels however it is unclear how this can be achieved. There is some evidence to suggest that social support could impact the physical activity levels of adolescent girls, although the relationship is complex and not well understood. We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse the relationship between social support and physical activity in adolescent girls, exploring how different types and providers of social support might influence the relationship. Articles were identified through a systematic search of the literature using 14 electronic databases, personal resources, grey literature, and reference lists of included studies and previous reviews. Search terms representing social support, physical activity and adolescent girls were identified and used in various combinations to form a search strategy which was adapted for different databases. Cross-sectional or longitudinal articles published in English that reported an association between social support and physical activity in adolescent girls between the ages of 10 to 19 years were included. Studies that focused only on clinical or overweight populations were excluded. Data extraction was carried out by one reviewer using an electronic extraction form. A random 25 % of included articles were selected for data extraction by a second reviewer to check fidelity. Risk of bias was assessed using a custom tool informed by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Cohort Study Checklist in conjunction with data extraction. Cross-sectional results were meta-analysed and longitudinal results were presented narratively. Small but significant associations between all available providers of total social support (except teachers) and physical activity were found (r = .14-.24). Small but significant associations were also identified for emotional, instrumental and modelling support for some providers of support (r = .10-.21). Longitudinal research supported the cross-sectional analyses. Many of the meta-analysis results suggested high heterogeneity and there was some evidence of publication bias, therefore, the meta-analysis results should be interpreted with caution. In conclusion, the meta-analysis results suggest that social support is not a strong predictor of physical activity in adolescent girls though parents and friends may have a role in enhancing PA. PROSPERO 2014: CRD42014006738.

How big is the physical activity intention-behaviour gap? A meta-analysis using the action control framework.

PubMed

Rhodes, Ryan E; de Bruijn, Gert-Jan

2013-05-01

The physical activity (PA) intention-behaviour gap is a topic of considerable contemporary research, given that most of our models used to understand physical activity suggest that intention is the proximal antecedent of behavioural enactment. The purpose of this study was to quantify the intention-PA gap at public health guidelines with a meta-analysis of the action control framework. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Literature searches were conducted in July 2012 among five key search engines. This search yielded a total of 2,865 potentially relevant records; of these, 10 studies fulfilled the full eligibility criteria (N = 3,899). Random-effects meta-analysis procedures with correction for sampling bias were employed in the analysis for estimates of non-intenders who subsequently did not engage in physical activity (21%), non-intenders who subsequently performed physical activity (2%), intenders who were not successful at following through with their PA (36%), and successful intenders (42%). The overall intention-PA gap was 46%. These results emphasize the weakness in early intention models for understanding PA and suggest this would be a problem during intervention. Contemporary research that is validating and exploring additional constructs (e.g., self-regulation, automaticity) that augment intention or improving the measurement of motivation seems warranted. What is already known on this subject? Intention is considered the proximal antecedent of behaviour in many popular models. Intention is also an established correlate of physical activity behaviour, yet discordance is considerable in experimental research. What does this study add? This meta-analysis of studies that have assessed concordance/discordance of physical activity intention and behaviour at public health guidelines shows the intention-behaviour gap at 48% and the discordance is from intenders who do not act. The results demonstrate that discordance is not just from extreme levels of intention or behaviour (e.g., intend to exercise six times but only exercise five), but from levels that are relevant to health promotion. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Utilization of Lesson Analysis as Teacher Self Reflection to Improve the Lesson Design on Chemical Equation Topic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edyani, E. A.; Supriatna, A.; Kurnia; Komalasari, L.

2017-02-01

The research is aimed to investigate how lesson analysis as teacher’s self-reflection changes the teacher’s lesson design on chemical equation topic. Lesson Analysis has been used as part of teacher training programs to improve teacher’s ability in analyzing their own lesson. The method used in this research is a qualitative method. The research starts from build lesson design, implementation lesson design to senior high school student, utilize lesson analysis to get information about the lesson, and revise lesson design. The revised lesson design from the first implementation applied to the second implementation, resulting in better design. This research use lesson analysis Hendayana&Hidayat framework. Video tapped and transcript are employed on each lesson. After first implementation, lesson analysis result shows that teacher-centered still dominating the learning because students are less active in discussion, so the part of lesson design must be revised. After second implementation, lesson analysis result shows that the learning already student-centered. Students are very active in discussion. But some part of learning design still must be revised. In general, lesson analysis was effective for teacher to reflect the lessons. Teacher can utilize lesson analysis any time to improve the next lesson design.

Improving the sensitivity and accuracy of gamma activation analysis for the rapid determination of gold in mineral ores.

PubMed

Tickner, James; Ganly, Brianna; Lovric, Bojan; O'Dwyer, Joel

2017-04-01

Mining companies rely on chemical analysis methods to determine concentrations of gold in mineral ore samples. As gold is often mined commercially at concentrations around 1 part-per-million, it is necessary for any analysis method to provide good sensitivity as well as high absolute accuracy. We describe work to improve both the sensitivity and accuracy of the gamma activation analysis (GAA) method for gold. We present analysis results for several suites of ore samples and discuss the design of a GAA facility designed to replace conventional chemical assay in industrial applications. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The association between chronic care management and the quality of thrombosis care

PubMed Central

Drewes, H.W.; Baan, C.A.; Westert, G.P.; Meijboom, B.R.; Lambooij, M.

2010-01-01

Introduction The oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT), used to prevent thrombosis, is associated with substantial avoidable hospitalization. Aim Identify the associations between chronic care management and the quality of OAT as suggested by the chronic care model (CCM) of Wagner. Methods Regression analysis with data of 61 thrombosis clinics and inductive analysis with 63 interviews with health care professionals of 23 thrombosis clinics. Results Results show substantial differences between regions in the quality of thrombosis care and the CCM activities. However, the variation in quality of care was not associated with the differences in CCM activities. The inductive analysis indicates that there are problems in the cooperation between caregivers. Several preferred CCM activities (e.g., multidisciplinary protocol) as well as the barriers to implement these activities (e.g., conflicting interests) were put forward by the health care professionals. Conclusion It can be concluded that there is variation in quality of thrombosis care between regions. This variation could not be explained by the observed differences in CCM activities. However, fragmentation is a major source of inefficiency according to health care professionals. The paper concludes with suggestions to improve chronic care management for thrombosis.

NDVI-Based analysis on the influence of human activities on vegetation variation on Hainan Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Hongxia; Dai, Shengpei; Xie, Zhenghui; Fang, Jihua

2018-02-01

Using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer-normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) dataset, we analyzed the predicted NDVI values variation and the influence of human activities on vegetation on Hainan Island during 2001-2015. We investigated the roles of human activities in vegetation variation, particularly from 2002 when implemented the Grain-for-Greenprogram on Hainan Island. The trend analysis, linear regression model and residual analysis were used to analyze the data. The results of the study showed that (1) The predicted vegetation on Hainan Island showed an general upward trend with a linear growth rate of 0.0025/10y (p<0.05) over the past 15 years. The areas where vegetation increasedaccounted for 52.28%, while the areas where vegetation decreased accounted for 47.72%. (2) The residual NDVI values across the region significantly increased, with a growth rate of 0.023/10y.The vegetation increased across 35.95% of Hainan Island, while it decreased in 20.2% of the area as a result of human activities. (3) In general, human activities had played a positive role in the vegetation increase on Hainan Island, and the residual NDVI trend of this region showed positive outcomes for vegetation variation after implementing ecological engineering projects. However, it indicated a growing risk of vegetation degradation in the coastal region of Hainan Island as a result of rapid urbanization, land reclamation.

How does spatial extent of fMRI datasets affect independent component analysis decomposition?

PubMed

Aragri, Adriana; Scarabino, Tommaso; Seifritz, Erich; Comani, Silvia; Cirillo, Sossio; Tedeschi, Gioacchino; Esposito, Fabrizio; Di Salle, Francesco

2006-09-01

Spatial independent component analysis (sICA) of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series can generate meaningful activation maps and associated descriptive signals, which are useful to evaluate datasets of the entire brain or selected portions of it. Besides computational implications, variations in the input dataset combined with the multivariate nature of ICA may lead to different spatial or temporal readouts of brain activation phenomena. By reducing and increasing a volume of interest (VOI), we applied sICA to different datasets from real activation experiments with multislice acquisition and single or multiple sensory-motor task-induced blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal sources with different spatial and temporal structure. Using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) methodology for accuracy evaluation and multiple regression analysis as benchmark, we compared sICA decompositions of reduced and increased VOI fMRI time-series containing auditory, motor and hemifield visual activation occurring separately or simultaneously in time. Both approaches yielded valid results; however, the results of the increased VOI approach were spatially more accurate compared to the results of the decreased VOI approach. This is consistent with the capability of sICA to take advantage of extended samples of statistical observations and suggests that sICA is more powerful with extended rather than reduced VOI datasets to delineate brain activity. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Development and psychometric properties of a belief-based Physical Activity Questionnaire for Diabetic Patients (PAQ-DP)

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background This study carried out to develop a scale for assessing diabetic patients' perceptions about physical activity and to test its psychometric properties (The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Diabetic Patients-PAQ-DP). Methods An item pool extracted from the Theory of Planned Behavior literature was generated. Then an expert panel evaluated the items by assessing content validity index and content validity ratio. Consequently exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to indicate the scale constructs. In addition reliability analyses including internal consistency and test-retest analysis were carried out. Results In all a sample of 127 women with diabetes participated in the study. Twenty-two items were initially extracted from the literature. A six-factor solution (containing 19 items) emerged as a result of an exploratory factor analysis namely: instrumental attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, affective attitude, self-identity, and intention explaining 60.30% of the variance observed. Additional analyses indicated satisfactory results for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.54 to 0.8) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ranging from 0.40 to 0.92). Conclusions The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Diabetic Patients (PAQ-DP) is the first instrument that applies the Theory of Planned Behavior in its constructs. The findings indicated that the PAQ-DP is a reliable and valid measure for assessing physical activity perceptions and now is available and can be used in future studies. PMID:21062466

Parents’ Perceptions of Skin Cancer Threat and Children’s Physical Activity

PubMed Central

Tran, Alexander D.; Aalborg, Jenny; Asdigian, Nancy L.; Morelli, Joseph G.; Mokrohisky, Stefan T.; Dellavalle, Robert P.; Berwick, Marianne; Box, Neil F.

2012-01-01

Introduction Sun exposure is a major risk factor for skin cancer, but without physical activity, children are at risk of childhood obesity. The objective of this study was to explore relationships between parental perceptions of skin cancer threat, sun protection behaviors, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) in children. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis nested within the Colorado Kids Sun Care Program sun safety intervention trial. In summer 2007, parent telephone interviews provided data on demographics, perceptions of skin cancer threat, sun protection behaviors, and physical activity. Physical examinations provided data on phenotype, freckling, and BMI. Data from 999 Colorado children born in 1998 were included in analysis. We used analysis of variance, Spearman’s rho (ρ) correlation, and multivariable linear regression analysis to evaluate relationships with total amount of outdoor physical activity. Results After controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, skin color, and sun protection, regression analysis showed that each unit increase in perceived severity of nonmelanoma skin cancer was associated with a 30% increase in hours of outdoor physical activity (P = .005). Hours of outdoor physical activity were not related to perceived severity of melanoma or perceived susceptibility to skin cancer. BMI-for-age was not significantly correlated with perceptions of skin cancer threat, use of sun protection, or level of physical activity. Conclusion The promotion of sun safety is not likely to inhibit physical activity. Skin cancer prevention programs should continue to promote midday sun avoidance and sun protection during outdoor activities. PMID:22935145

Quantifying Low Energy Proton Damage in Multijunction Solar Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messenger, Scott R.; Burke, Edward A.; Walters, Robert J.; Warner, Jeffrey H.; Summers, Geoffrey P.; Lorentzen, Justin R.; Morton, Thomas L.; Taylor, Steven J.

2007-01-01

An analysis of the effects of low energy proton irradiation on the electrical performance of triple junction (3J) InGaP2/GaAs/Ge solar cells is presented. The Monte Carlo ion transport code (SRIM) is used to simulate the damage profile induced in a 3J solar cell under the conditions of typical ground testing and that of the space environment. The results are used to present a quantitative analysis of the defect, and hence damage, distribution induced in the cell active region by the different radiation conditions. The modelling results show that, in the space environment, the solar cell will experience a uniform damage distribution through the active region of the cell. Through an application of the displacement damage dose analysis methodology, the implications of this result on mission performance predictions are investigated.

Does Active Management Benefit Endowment Returns? An Analysis of the NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE) Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belmont, David; Odisharia, Irakli

2014-01-01

We conduct a longitudinal analysis of the NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE) results from 2006-2013 to evaluate if active management is related to higher endowment returns in U.S. equities over time. We also analyze the data to evaluate the endowment characteristics that are related to higher levels of performance over time. We find that…

The Effect of Motion Analysis Activities in a Video-Based Laboratory in Students' Understanding of Position, Velocity and Frames of Reference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koleza, Eugenia; Pappas, John

2008-01-01

In this article, we present the results of a qualitative research project on the effect of motion analysis activities in a Video-Based Laboratory (VBL) on students' understanding of position, velocity and frames of reference. The participants in our research were 48 pre-service teachers enrolled in Education Departments with no previous strong…

The Fourier analysis applied to the relationship between (7)Be activity in the Serbian atmosphere and meteorological parameters.

PubMed

Rajačić, M M; Todorović, D J; Krneta Nikolić, J D; Janković, M M; Djurdjević, V S

2016-09-01

Air sample monitoring in Serbia, Belgrade started in the 1960s, while (7)Be activity in air and total (dry and wet) deposition has been monitored for the last 22 years by the Environment and Radiation Protection Department of the Institute for Nuclear Sciences, Vinca. Using this data collection, the changes of the (7)Be activity in the air and the total (wet and dry) deposition samples, as well as their correlation with meteorological parameters (temperature, pressure, cloudiness, sunshine duration, precipitation and humidity) that affect (7)Be concentration in the atmosphere, were mathematically described using the Fourier analysis. Fourier analysis confirmed the expected; the frequency with the largest intensity in the harmonic spectra of the (7)Be activity corresponds to a period of 1 year, the same as the largest intensity frequency in Fourier series of meteorological parameters. To analyze the quality of the results produced by the Fourier analysis, we compared the measured values of the parameters with the values calculated according to the Fourier series. Absolute deviations between measured and predicted mean monthly values are in range from 0.02 mBq/m(3) to 0.7 mBq/m(3) for (7)Be activity in air, and 0.01 Bq/m(2) and 0.6 Bq/m(2) for (7)Be activity in deposition samples. Relatively good agreement of measured and predicted results offers the possibility of prediction of the (7)Be activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of government actions on innovative activities in the development of environmental technologies to control sulfur dioxide emissions from stationary sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Margaret R.

2001-12-01

A better understanding of the influence of government actions on innovation is needed to inform future policy endeavors in areas ranging from industrial competitiveness to environmentally sustainable growth. Environmental control technology is a rich area for the study of this influence, since government has stronger incentives to promote innovation in these technologies than does the private sector. This dissertation investigated the case of sulfur dioxide (SO2) control technologies for electric power plants. In studying innovation in these technologies, it was very important to understand the details of these technologies as well as their long organizational history. These technologies have been affected by government actions ranging from government-sponsored research and technology transfer mechanisms to national regulatory events. The dissertation integrated insights from several complementary and repeatable innovation evaluation methods; this approach supported a fuller understanding of innovation while it structured the research results for potential future comparative analysis. Innovative activities were investigated through: patent activity analysis; technical content analysis and researcher co-authorship network analysis in a conference held for over twenty years; learning curve analysis for eighty-eight U.S. power plants; and a dozen expert interviews from a variety of innovative actors. Innovative outcomes were investigated through: analysis of observed improvements in newly installed technologies over time; evaluation of historic cost studies on standardized systems; and expert interviews. Several policy-relevant findings resulted from this dissertation. (1) The existence of national government regulation stimulated inventive activity more than government research support alone. (2) The existence and the anticipation of government regulation appeared to spur inventive activity, while regulatory stringency appeared to drive inventive activity and the communication process underlying knowledge transfer and diffusion. (3) The regulatory-forced adoption of SO2 control technologies led to a learning curve effect in which operating experience with the equipment resulted in significant cost improvements. This learning curve effect is comparable with findings in many other industries and is likely to be useful in predictions of the costs of future environmental technologies. (4) Performance improvements and cost reductions occurred in a quantifiable fashion as the technology became more widely adopted.

Activity Analyses for Solar-type Stars Observed with Kepler. II. Magnetic Feature versus Flare Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Han; Wang, Huaning; Zhang, Mei; Mehrabi, Ahmad; Yan, Yan; Yun, Duo

2018-05-01

The light curves of solar-type stars present both periodic fluctuation and flare spikes. The gradual periodic fluctuation is interpreted as the rotational modulation of magnetic features on the stellar surface and is used to deduce magnetic feature activity properties. The flare spikes in light curves are used to derive flare activity properties. In this paper, we analyze the light curve data of three solar-type stars (KIC 6034120, KIC 3118883, and KIC 10528093) observed with Kepler space telescope and investigate the relationship between their magnetic feature activities and flare activities. The analysis shows that: (1) both the magnetic feature activity and the flare activity exhibit long-term variations as the Sun does; (2) unlike the Sun, the long-term variations of magnetic feature activity and flare activity are not in phase with each other; (3) the analysis of star KIC 6034120 suggests that the long-term variations of magnetic feature activity and flare activity have a similar cycle length. Our analysis and results indicate that the magnetic features that dominate rotational modulation and the flares possibly have different source regions, although they may be influenced by the magnetic field generated through a same dynamo process.

Archaeology: site studies, activation analysis, preservation, and remote sensing. 1978-November 1979 (citations from the NTIS Data Base). Report for 1978-November 1979

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

Not Available

1981-01-01

This bibliography contains general studies as well as chemical analysis of archaeological specimens. The chemical analysis is mainly activation analysis of articles such as metals, pottery, coins, paintings, soils, glass and paper from Medieval, Grecian, Egyptian, Mayan, and prehistoric times. The general studies include results of excavation from the United States. Also covered is work on preservation of artifacts and remote sensing for the site location. (This updated bibliography contains 237 citations, none of which are new entries to the previous edition.)

Uses, misuses, new uses and fundamental limitations of magnetic resonance imaging in cognitive science

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

When blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was discovered in the early 1990s, it provoked an explosion of interest in exploring human cognition, using brain mapping techniques based on MRI. Standards for data acquisition and analysis were rapidly put in place, in order to assist comparison of results across laboratories. Recently, MRI data acquisition capabilities have improved dramatically, inviting a rethink of strategies for relating functional brain activity at the systems level with its neuronal substrates and functional connections. This paper reviews the established capabilities of BOLD contrast fMRI, the perceived weaknesses of major methods of analysis, and current results that may provide insights into improved brain modelling. These results have inspired the use of in vivo myeloarchitecture for localizing brain activity, individual subject analysis without spatial smoothing and mapping of changes in cerebral blood volume instead of BOLD activation changes. The apparent fundamental limitations of all methods based on nuclear magnetic resonance are also discussed. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Interpreting BOLD: a dialogue between cognitive and cellular neuroscience’. PMID:27574303

Uses, misuses, new uses and fundamental limitations of magnetic resonance imaging in cognitive science.

PubMed

Turner, Robert

2016-10-05

When blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was discovered in the early 1990s, it provoked an explosion of interest in exploring human cognition, using brain mapping techniques based on MRI. Standards for data acquisition and analysis were rapidly put in place, in order to assist comparison of results across laboratories. Recently, MRI data acquisition capabilities have improved dramatically, inviting a rethink of strategies for relating functional brain activity at the systems level with its neuronal substrates and functional connections. This paper reviews the established capabilities of BOLD contrast fMRI, the perceived weaknesses of major methods of analysis, and current results that may provide insights into improved brain modelling. These results have inspired the use of in vivo myeloarchitecture for localizing brain activity, individual subject analysis without spatial smoothing and mapping of changes in cerebral blood volume instead of BOLD activation changes. The apparent fundamental limitations of all methods based on nuclear magnetic resonance are also discussed.This article is part of the themed issue 'Interpreting BOLD: a dialogue between cognitive and cellular neuroscience'. © 2016 The Authors.

Systematic Functional Analysis of Active-Site Residues in l-Threonine Dehydrogenase from Thermoplasma volcanium

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

Desjardins, Morgan; Mak, Wai Shun; O’Brien, Terrence E.

Enzymes have been through millions of years of evolution during which their active-site microenvironments are fine-tuned. Active-site residues are commonly conserved within protein families, indicating their importance for substrate recognition and catalysis. In this work, we systematically mutated active-site residues of l-threonine dehydrogenase from Thermoplasma volcanium and characterized the mutants against a panel of substrate analogs. Our results demonstrate that only a subset of these residues plays an essential role in substrate recognition and catalysis and that the native enzyme activity can be further enhanced roughly 4.6-fold by a single point mutation. Kinetic characterization of mutants on substrate analogs showsmore » that l-threonine dehydrogenase possesses promiscuous activities toward other chemically similar compounds not previously observed. Quantum chemical calculations on the hydride-donating ability of these substrates also reveal that this enzyme did not evolve to harness the intrinsic substrate reactivity for enzyme catalysis. Our analysis provides insights into connections between the details of enzyme active-site structure and specific function. Finally, these results are directly applicable to rational enzyme design and engineering.« less

Systematic Functional Analysis of Active-Site Residues in l-Threonine Dehydrogenase from Thermoplasma volcanium

DOE PAGES

Desjardins, Morgan; Mak, Wai Shun; O’Brien, Terrence E.; ...

2017-07-07

Enzymes have been through millions of years of evolution during which their active-site microenvironments are fine-tuned. Active-site residues are commonly conserved within protein families, indicating their importance for substrate recognition and catalysis. In this work, we systematically mutated active-site residues of l-threonine dehydrogenase from Thermoplasma volcanium and characterized the mutants against a panel of substrate analogs. Our results demonstrate that only a subset of these residues plays an essential role in substrate recognition and catalysis and that the native enzyme activity can be further enhanced roughly 4.6-fold by a single point mutation. Kinetic characterization of mutants on substrate analogs showsmore » that l-threonine dehydrogenase possesses promiscuous activities toward other chemically similar compounds not previously observed. Quantum chemical calculations on the hydride-donating ability of these substrates also reveal that this enzyme did not evolve to harness the intrinsic substrate reactivity for enzyme catalysis. Our analysis provides insights into connections between the details of enzyme active-site structure and specific function. Finally, these results are directly applicable to rational enzyme design and engineering.« less

Short-term effect of aniline on soil microbial activity: a combined study by isothermal microcalorimetry, glucose analysis, and enzyme assay techniques.

PubMed

Chen, Huilun; Zhuang, Rensheng; Yao, Jun; Wang, Fei; Qian, Yiguang; Masakorala, Kanaji; Cai, Minmin; Liu, Haijun

2014-01-01

The accidents of aniline spill and explosion happened almost every year in China, whereas the toxic effect of aniline on soil microbial activity remained largely unexplored. In this study, isothermal microcalorimetric technique, glucose analysis, and soil enzyme assay techniques were employed to investigate the toxic effect of aniline on microbial activity in Chinese soil for the first time. Soil samples were treated with aniline from 0 to 2.5 mg/g soil to tie in with the fact of aniline spill. Results from microcalorimetric analysis showed that the introduction of aniline had a significant adverse effect on soil microbial activity at the exposure concentrations ≥0.4 mg/g soil (p < 0.05) and ≥0.8 mg/g soil (p < 0.01), and the activity was totally inhibited when the concentration increased to 2.5 mg/g soil. The glucose analysis indicated that aniline significantly decreased the soil microbial respiratory activity at the concentrations ≥0.8 mg/g soil (p < 0.05) and ≥1.5 mg/g soil (p < 0.01). Soil enzyme activities for β-glucosidase, urease, acid-phosphatase, and dehydrogenase revealed that aniline had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the nutrient cycling of C, N, and P as well as the oxidative capacity of soil microorganisms, respectively. All of these results showed an intensively toxic effect of aniline on soil microbial activity. The proposed methods can provide toxicological information of aniline to soil microbes from the metabolic and biochemical point of views which are consistent with and correlated to each other.

Mapping brain activity in gradient-echo functional MRI using principal component analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosla, Deepak; Singh, Manbir; Don, Manuel

1997-05-01

The detection of sites of brain activation in functional MRI has been a topic of immense research interest and many technique shave been proposed to this end. Recently, principal component analysis (PCA) has been applied to extract the activated regions and their time course of activation. This method is based on the assumption that the activation is orthogonal to other signal variations such as brain motion, physiological oscillations and other uncorrelated noises. A distinct advantage of this method is that it does not require any knowledge of the time course of the true stimulus paradigm. This technique is well suited to EPI image sequences where the sampling rate is high enough to capture the effects of physiological oscillations. In this work, we propose and apply tow methods that are based on PCA to conventional gradient-echo images and investigate their usefulness as tools to extract reliable information on brain activation. The first method is a conventional technique where a single image sequence with alternating on and off stages is subject to a principal component analysis. The second method is a PCA-based approach called the common spatial factor analysis technique (CSF). As the name suggests, this method relies on common spatial factors between the above fMRI image sequence and a background fMRI. We have applied these methods to identify active brain ares during visual stimulation and motor tasks. The results from these methods are compared to those obtained by using the standard cross-correlation technique. We found good agreement in the areas identified as active across all three techniques. The results suggest that PCA and CSF methods have good potential in detecting the true stimulus correlated changes in the presence of other interfering signals.

A latent class analysis of social activities and health among community-dwelling older adults in Korea.

PubMed

Park, Mi Jin; Park, Nan Sook; Chiriboga, David A

2018-05-01

This study presents an empirical typology of social activity and its association with the depressive symptoms and self-rated health of community-dwelling older adults (n = 464) in South Korea. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to classify the types of social activities. Data analyses were conducted using Mplus 7.2 program for LCA and SPSS 22.0 for multiple regression analyses. LCA identified people who fell into one of the four activity groups: Diverse, Community Center/Disengaged, Religion Plus, and Friendship/Leisure. Membership in these four groups predicted differences in depressive symptoms and self-rated health. Results indicate that typologies of social activity could enhance practitioners' understanding of activity patterns and their associations with health and well-being.

Analysis, review, and documentation of the activation data from LDEF material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laird, C. E.

1992-01-01

Samples removed from Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF-1) are being studied at various laboratories to determine the specific activity(pCi/kg) produced in orbit by exposure to protons and neutrons in near-Earth orbit. These activities are being corrected for efficiency, self-attenuation, and background. The activities and associated gamma-ray spectra are being collected, analyzed, documented and reviewed by faculty and graduate students at Eastern Kentucky University. The currently available activation results have been tabulated and reviewed in this report. Approximately 500 spectra have been accumulated for future archival and analysis. The effect of the changing satellite orbit on the activation is reported herein and was calculated using more recent estimates of the flux of Van Allen belt protons.

Independent Component Analysis-motivated Approach to Classificatory Decomposition of Cortical Evoked Potentials

PubMed Central

Smolinski, Tomasz G; Buchanan, Roger; Boratyn, Grzegorz M; Milanova, Mariofanna; Prinz, Astrid A

2006-01-01

Background Independent Component Analysis (ICA) proves to be useful in the analysis of neural activity, as it allows for identification of distinct sources of activity. Applied to measurements registered in a controlled setting and under exposure to an external stimulus, it can facilitate analysis of the impact of the stimulus on those sources. The link between the stimulus and a given source can be verified by a classifier that is able to "predict" the condition a given signal was registered under, solely based on the components. However, the ICA's assumption about statistical independence of sources is often unrealistic and turns out to be insufficient to build an accurate classifier. Therefore, we propose to utilize a novel method, based on hybridization of ICA, multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEA), and rough sets (RS), that attempts to improve the effectiveness of signal decomposition techniques by providing them with "classification-awareness." Results The preliminary results described here are very promising and further investigation of other MOEAs and/or RS-based classification accuracy measures should be pursued. Even a quick visual analysis of those results can provide an interesting insight into the problem of neural activity analysis. Conclusion We present a methodology of classificatory decomposition of signals. One of the main advantages of our approach is the fact that rather than solely relying on often unrealistic assumptions about statistical independence of sources, components are generated in the light of a underlying classification problem itself. PMID:17118151

Department of Defense Information Analysis Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothschild, M. Cecilia

1987-01-01

Describes the establishment of Department of Defense (DOD) information analysis centers and discusses their purpose and activities, how they differ from special libraries and other information centers, and some problems resulting from the communication of classified information. A list of existing information analysis centers is provided. (CLB)

Codebook-based electrooculography data analysis towards cognitive activity recognition.

PubMed

Lagodzinski, P; Shirahama, K; Grzegorzek, M

2018-04-01

With the advancement in mobile/wearable technology, people started to use a variety of sensing devices to track their daily activities as well as health and fitness conditions in order to improve the quality of life. This work addresses an idea of eye movement analysis, which due to the strong correlation with cognitive tasks can be successfully utilized in activity recognition. Eye movements are recorded using an electrooculographic (EOG) system built into the frames of glasses, which can be worn more unobtrusively and comfortably than other devices. Since the obtained information is low-level sensor data expressed as a sequence representing values in constant intervals (100 Hz), the cognitive activity recognition problem is formulated as sequence classification. However, it is unclear what kind of features are useful for accurate cognitive activity recognition. Thus, a machine learning algorithm like a codebook approach is applied, which instead of focusing on feature engineering is using a distribution of characteristic subsequences (codewords) to describe sequences of recorded EOG data, where the codewords are obtained by clustering a large number of subsequences. Further, statistical analysis of the codeword distribution results in discovering features which are characteristic to a certain activity class. Experimental results demonstrate good accuracy of the codebook-based cognitive activity recognition reflecting the effective usage of the codewords. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Spatial Multiple Regression to Identify Intrinsic Connectivity Networks Involved in Working Memory Performance

PubMed Central

Gordon, Evan M.; Stollstorff, Melanie; Vaidya, Chandan J.

2012-01-01

Many researchers have noted that the functional architecture of the human brain is relatively invariant during task performance and the resting state. Indeed, intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) revealed by resting-state functional connectivity analyses are spatially similar to regions activated during cognitive tasks. This suggests that patterns of task-related activation in individual subjects may result from the engagement of one or more of these ICNs; however, this has not been tested. We used a novel analysis, spatial multiple regression, to test whether the patterns of activation during an N-back working memory task could be well described by a linear combination of ICNs delineated using Independent Components Analysis at rest. We found that across subjects, the cingulo-opercular Set Maintenance ICN, as well as right and left Frontoparietal Control ICNs, were reliably activated during working memory, while Default Mode and Visual ICNs were reliably deactivated. Further, involvement of Set Maintenance, Frontoparietal Control, and Dorsal Attention ICNs was sensitive to varying working memory load. Finally, the degree of left Frontoparietal Control network activation predicted response speed, while activation in both left Frontoparietal Control and Dorsal Attention networks predicted task accuracy. These results suggest that a close relationship between resting-state networks and task-evoked activation is functionally relevant for behavior, and that spatial multiple regression analysis is a suitable method for revealing that relationship. PMID:21761505

"Meta-Analysis of Dropout in Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder": Correction to Imel et al. (2013).

PubMed

2016-09-01

Reports an error in "Meta-analysis of dropout in treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder" by Zac E. Imel, Kevin Laska, Matthew Jakupcak and Tracy L. Simpson ( Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 2013[Jun], Vol 81[3], 394-404). There are two errors in the Results section. Each is described alongside the corrected results. Corrections did not influence interpretation of the results. Neither the magnitude of effects nor statistical significance of any results is substantively altered. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2013-01522-001.) Objective: Many patients drop out of treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); some clinicians believe that trauma-focused treatments increase dropout. We conducted a meta-analysis of dropout among active treatments in clinical trials for PTSD (42 studies; 17 direct comparisons). The average dropout rate was 18%, but it varied significantly across studies. Group modality and greater number of sessions, but not trauma focus, predicted increased dropout. When the meta-analysis was restricted to direct comparisons of active treatments, there were no differences in dropout. Differences in trauma focus between treatments in the same study did not predict dropout. However, trauma-focused treatments resulted in higher dropout compared with present-centered therapy (PCT), a treatment originally designed as a control but now listed as a research-supported intervention for PTSD. Dropout varies between active interventions for PTSD across studies, but variability is primarily driven by differences between studies. There do not appear to be systematic differences across active interventions when they are directly compared in the same study. The degree of clinical attention placed on the traumatic event does not appear to be a primary cause of dropout from active treatments. However, comparisons of PCT may be an exception to this general pattern, perhaps because of a restriction of variability in trauma focus among comparisons of active treatments. More research is needed comparing trauma-focused interventions to trauma-avoidant treatments such as PCT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Analytical Chemistry Division. Annual progress report for period ending December 31, 1980

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

Lyon, W.S.

1981-05-01

This report is divided into: analytical methodology; mass and emission spectrometry; technical support; bio/organic analysis; nuclear and radiochemical analysis; quality assurance, safety, and tabulation of analyses; supplementary activities; and presentation of research results. Separate abstracts were prepared for the technical support, bio/organic analysis, and nuclear and radiochemical analysis. (DLC)

Effects of fulvic acid on growth performance and intestinal health of juvenile loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus (Sauvage).

PubMed

Gao, Yang; He, Jie; He, Zhuliu; Li, Zhiwei; Zhao, Bo; Mu, Yi; Lee, Jeong-Yeol; Chu, Zhangjie

2017-03-01

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of dietary fulvic acid supplements on intestinal digestive activity (enzymatic analysis), antioxidant activity, immune enzyme activity and microflora composition of juvenile loach (initial weight of 6.2 ± 0.1 g) reared in experimental aquaria. Five test diets containing 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2% fulvic acid were randomly assigned to three aquaria, respectively. Elevated growth performance including final weight, weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in loaches that were fed fulvic acid. Maximal weight gain rates and specific growth rates occurred at the 1.5% additive level. The optimal dietary fulvic requirement for maximal growth of juvenile loach is 16.4 g per kg of the diet based on the quadratic regression analysis of specific growth rate against dietary fulvic acid levels. Furthermore, intestinal protease activity, antioxidant activity, lysozyme activity (LZM), complement 3 (C3) content, immunoglobulin M (IgM) content, acid phosphatase activity (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase activity (AKP) were significantly elevated with concomitant increasing levels of dietary fulvic acid. Following a deep sequencing analysis, a total of 42,058 valid reads and 609 OTUs (operational taxonomic units) obtained from the control group and the group displaying the most optimal growth rate were analyzed. Fulvic acid supplementation resulted in an abundance of Firmicute and Actinobacteria sequences, with a concomitant reduction in the abundance of Proteobacteria. Results indicated that fulvic acid supplementation resulted in a reduction in the relative abundance of Serratia, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas and Edwardsiella, and a relative increase in the abundance of Lactobacillus in the intestine. In conclusion, these results suggest that fulvic acid improves growth performance and intestinal health condition of loach, indicates that fulvic acid could be used as an immunoenhancer in loach culture. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Psychometric Properties of the Commitment to Physical Activity Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBate, Rita DiGioacchino; Huberty, Jennifer; Pettee, Kelley

2009-01-01

Objective: To assess psychometric properties of the Commitment to Physical Activity Scale (CPAS). Methods: Girls in third to fifth grades (n = 932) completed the CPAS before and after a physical activity intervention. Psychometric measures included internal consistency, factor analysis, and concurrent validity. Results: Three CPAS factors emerged:…

Effects of Activity Schedules on Challenging Behavior for Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scalzo, Rachel; Davis, Tonya N.; Weston, Regan; Dukes, Elizabeth; Leeper, Dana; Min, Nandar; Mom, Allen; Stone, Jessica; Weber, Alex

2017-01-01

This study examined activity schedules as an intervention to decrease challenging behavior and increase academic engagement during work tasks scheduled after free play activities in three boys diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Functional analysis results indicated all participants' challenging behavior was maintained, at least in…

Advanced Transportation System Studies Technical Area 2 (TA-2) Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle Development Contract. Volume 2; Technical Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The purpose of the Advanced Transportation System Studies (ATSS) Technical Area 2 (TA-2) Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle Development contract was to provide advanced launch vehicle concept definition and analysis to assist NASA in the identification of future launch vehicle requirements. Contracted analysis activities included vehicle sizing and performance analysis, subsystem concept definition, propulsion subsystem definition (foreign and domestic), ground operations and facilities analysis, and life cycle cost estimation. This document is Volume 2 of the final report for the contract. It provides documentation of selected technical results from various TA-2 analysis activities, including a detailed narrative description of the SSTO concept assessment results, a user's guide for the associated SSTO sizing tools, an SSTO turnaround assessment report, an executive summary of the ground operations assessments performed during the first year of the contract, a configuration-independent vehicle health management system requirements report, a copy of all major TA-2 contract presentations, a copy of the FLO launch vehicle final report, and references to Pratt & Whitney's TA-2 sponsored final reports regarding the identification of Russian main propulsion technologies.

An accurate and precise representation of drug ingredients.

PubMed

Hanna, Josh; Bian, Jiang; Hogan, William R

2016-01-01

In previous work, we built the Drug Ontology (DrOn) to support comparative effectiveness research use cases. Here, we have updated our representation of ingredients to include both active ingredients (and their strengths) and excipients. Our update had three primary lines of work: 1) analysing and extracting excipients, 2) analysing and extracting strength information for active ingredients, and 3) representing the binding of active ingredients to cytochrome P450 isoenzymes as substrates and inhibitors of those enzymes. To properly differentiate between excipients and active ingredients, we conducted an ontological analysis of the roles that various ingredients, including excipients, have in drug products. We used the value specification model of the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations to represent strengths of active ingredients and then analyzed RxNorm to extract excipient and strength information and modeled them according to the results of our analysis. We also analyzed and defined dispositions of molecules used in aggregate as active ingredients to bind cytochrome P450 isoenzymes. Our analysis of excipients led to 17 new classes representing the various roles that excipients can bear. We then extracted excipients from RxNorm and added them to DrOn for branded drugs. We found excipients for 5,743 branded drugs, covering ~27% of the 21,191 branded drugs in DrOn. Our analysis of active ingredients resulted in another new class, active ingredient role. We also extracted strengths for all types of tablets, capsules, and caplets, resulting in strengths for 5,782 drug forms, covering ~41% of the 14,035 total drug forms and accounting for ~97 % of the 5,970 tablets, capsules, and caplets in DrOn. We represented binding-as-substrate and binding-as-inhibitor dispositions to two cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes (CYP2C19 and CYP2D6) and linked these dispositions to 65 compounds. It is now possible to query DrOn automatically for all drug products that contain active ingredients whose molecular grains inhibit or are metabolized by a particular CYP isoenzyme. DrOn is open source and is available at http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/dron.owl.

Development of HAN-based Liquid Propellant Thruster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hisatsune, K.; Izumi, J.; Tsutaya, H.; Furukawa, K.

2004-10-01

Many of propellants that are applied to the conventional spacecraft propulsion system are toxic propellants. Because of its toxicity, considering the environmental pollution or safety on handling, it will be necessary to apply the "green" propellant to the spacecraft propulsion system. The purpose of this study is to apply HAN based liquid propellant (LP1846) to mono propellant thruster. Compared to the hydrazine that is used in conventional mono propellant thruster, HAN based propellant is not only lower toxic but also can obtain higher specific impulse. Moreover, HAN based propellant can be decomposed by the catalyst. It means there are the possibility of applying to the mono propellant thruster that can leads to the high reliability of the propulsion system.[1],[2] However, there are two technical subjects, to apply HAN based propellant to the mono propellant thruster. One is the high combustion temperature. The catalyst will be damaged under high temperature condition. The other is the low catalytic activity. It is the serious problem on application of HAN based propellant to the mono propellant thruster that is used for attitude control of spacecraft. To improve the catalytic activity of HAN based propellant, it is necessary to screen the best catalyst for HAN based propellant. The adsorption analysis is conducted by Monte Carlo Simulation to screen the catalyst metal for HAN and TEAN. The result of analysis shows the Iridium is the best catalyst metal for HAN and TEAN. Iridium is the catalyst metal that is used at conventional mono propellant thruster catalyst Shell405. Then, to confirm the result of analysis, the reaction test about catalyst is conducted. The result of this test is the same as the result of adsorption analysis. That means the adsorption analysis is effective in screening the catalyst metal. At the evaluating test, the various types of carrier of catalyst are also compared to Shell 405 to improve catalytic activity. The test result shows the inorganic porous media is superior to Shell405 in catalytic activity. Next, the catalyst life with HAN based propellant (LP1846) is evaluated. The Shell405 and inorganic porous media catalyst are compared at the life test. The test result shows the inorganic porous media catalyst is superior to Shell405 in catalyst life. In this paper, the detail of the result of adsorption analysis and evaluating test are reported.

Activated carbon from peach stones using phosphoric acid activation at medium temperatures.

PubMed

Kim, Dong-Su

2004-01-01

In the present study, the activation features of phosphoric acid have been investigated using waste peach stones as the raw material in the production of granular activated carbon. Thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis was conducted to characterize the thermal behavior of peach stone and titration method was used to evaluate the adsorption capacity of the produced activated carbon. It was observed that the iodine value of the activated carbon increased with activation temperature. However, temperatures higher than 500 degrees C caused a thermal destruction, which resulted in the decrease of the adsorption capacity. Activation longer than 1.5 h at 500 degrees C resulted in thermal degradation of the porous structure of the activated carbon. The adsorption capacity was enhanced with increasing of amounts of phosphoric acid, however, excessive phosphoric acid caused a decrease in the iodine value. In addition, it was found that the carbon yields generally decreased with activation temperature and activation time. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was conducted to observe the changes in the poros structure of the activated carbon produced in different temperatures. Activation of carbon by phosphoric acid was found to be superior to that by CaCl2 and gas activation. The activated carbon produced from peach stone was applied as an adsorbent in the treatment of synthesized wastewater containing cadmium ion and its adsorption capacity was found to be as good as that of the commercial one.

Efficacy-mediated effects of spirituality and physical activity on quality of life: A path analysis

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Physical activity has been established as an important determinant of quality of life, particularly among older adults. Previous research has suggested that physical activity’s influence on quality of life perceptions is mediated by changes in self-efficacy and health status. In the same vein, spirituality may be a salient quality of life determinant for many individuals. Methods In the current study, we used path analysis to test a model in which physical activity, spirituality, and social support were hypothesized to influence global quality of life in paths mediated by self-efficacy and health status. Cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of 215 adults (male, n = 51; female, n = 164) over the age of 50 (M age = 66.55 years). Results The analysis resulted in a model that provided acceptable fit to the data (χ2 = 33.10, df = 16, p < .01; RMSEA = .07; SRMR = .05; CFI = .94). Conclusions These results support previous findings of an efficacy-mediated relationship between physical activity and quality of life, with the exception that self-efficacy in the current study was moderately associated with physical health status (.38) but not mental health status. Our results further suggest that spirituality may influence health and well-being via a similar, efficacy-mediated path, with strongest effects on mental health status. These results suggest that those who are more spiritual and physically active report greater quality of life, and the effects of these factors on quality of life may be partially mediated by perceptions of self-efficacy. PMID:22642832

Assessing Learning Styles of Graduate Entry Nursing Students as a Classroom Research Activity: A quantitative research study.

PubMed

Gonzales, Lucia K; Glaser, Dale; Howland, Lois; Clark, Mary Jo; Hutchins, Susie; Macauley, Karen; Close, Jacqueline F; Leveque, Noelle Lipkin; Failla, Kim Reina; Brooks, Raelene; Ward, Jillian

2017-01-01

A number of studies across different disciplines have investigated students' learning styles. Differences are known to exist between graduate and baccalaureate nursing students. However, few studies have investigated the learning styles of students in graduate entry nursing programs. . Study objective was to describe graduate entry nursing students' learning styles. A descriptive design was used for this study. The Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was administered to 202 graduate entry nursing student volunteers at a southwestern university. Descriptive statistics, tests of association, reliability, and validity were performed. Graduate nursing students and faculty participated in data collection, analysis, and dissemination of the results. Predominant learning styles were: sensing - 82.7%, visual - 78.7%, sequential - 65.8%, and active - 59.9%. Inter-item reliabilities for the postulated subscales were: sensing/intuitive (α=0.70), visual/verbal (α=0.694), sequential/global (α=0.599), and active/reflective (α=0.572). Confirmatory factor analysis for results of validity were: χ 2 (896)=1110.25, p<0.001, CFI=0.779, TLI=0.766, WRMR=1.14, and RMSEA =0.034. Predominant learning styles described students as being concrete thinkers oriented toward facts (sensing); preferring pictures, diagrams, flow charts, demonstrations (visual); being linear thinkers (sequencing); and enjoying working in groups and trying things out (active),. The predominant learning styles suggest educators teach concepts through simulation, discussion, and application of knowledge. Multiple studies, including this one, provided similar psychometric results. Similar reliability and validity results for the ILS have been noted in previous studies and therefore provide sufficient evidence to use the ILS with graduate entry nursing students. This study provided faculty with numerous opportunities for actively engaging students in data collection, analysis, and dissemination of results. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence for a Stable Intermediate in Leukemia Virus Activation in AKR Mouse Embryo Cells

PubMed Central

Ihle, James N.; Kenney, Francis T.; Tennant, Raymond W.

1974-01-01

Analysis of the requirement for serum in the activation of the endogenous leukemia virus expression in AKR mouse embryo cells by 5-iododeoxyuridine shows that activation can be dissociated into two discrete serum-dependent events. The first involves incorporation of 5-iododeoxyuridine into DNA and results in the formation of a stable “activation intermediate” resembling the provirus formed during infection of stationary mouse embryo cells with exogenous leukemia virus. The second event, resulting in expression of the activation intermediate as synthesis of virus proteins, requires DNA replication but not 5-iododeoxyuridine. PMID:4604455

HOW DO IMMIGRANTS SPEND THEIR TIME?

PubMed Central

Hamermesh, Daniel S.

2012-01-01

Sharp differences in time use by nativity emerge when activities are distinguished by incidence and intensity in recent U.S. data. A model with daily fixed costs for assimilating activities predicts immigrants are less likely than natives to undertake such activities on a given day; but those who do will spend relatively more time on them. Activities such as purchasing, education, and market work conform to the model. Other results suggest that fixed costs for assimilating activities are higher for immigrants with poor English proficiency or who originate in less developed countries. An analysis of comparable Australian data yields similar results. PMID:24443631

Anticarcinogenic compounds in the Uzbek medicinal plant, Helichrysum maracandicum.

PubMed

Yagura, Toru; Motomiya, Tomoko; Ito, Michiho; Honda, Gisho; Iida, Akira; Kiuchi, Fumiyuki; Tokuda, Harukuni; Nishino, Hoyoku

2008-04-01

An ethanol extract of Helichrysum maracandicum showed antiproliferative activity against cultured cells of SENCAR mouse in an in vitro assay, and activity-guided fractionation of the extract resulted in the isolation of isosalipurposide as an active substance. Naringenin chalcone, the aglycone of isosalipurposide, also showed strong antiproliferative activity. An in vivo assay of two-stage carcinogenesis on mouse skin revealed that epidermal application of isosalipurposide resulted in delayed formation of papillomas. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase was suppressed by the administration of naringenin chalcone or isosalipurposide, which might be related to the anticarcinogenic activity.

I-44 and I-55 Corridors Major Transportation Investment Analysis: Option Scoping and Evaluation Methodology Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-08-28

The 1-44/1-55 Major Transportation Investment Analysis (MTIA) has advanced to the analysis stage having completed the first round of scoping meetings with Advisory Committees and the public. This report summarizes the results of scoping activities to...

Research engagement of health sciences librarians: a survey of research-related activities and attitudes

PubMed Central

Lessick, Susan; Perryman, Carol; Billman, Brooke L.; Alpi, Kristine M.; De Groote, Sandra L.; Babin, Ted D.

2016-01-01

Introduction The extent to which health sciences librarians are engaged in research is a little-studied question. This study assesses the research activities and attitudes of Medical Library Association (MLA) members, including the influence of work affiliation. Methods An online survey was designed using a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions and distributed to MLA members. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, content analysis, and significance testing. The authors used statistical tools and categorized open-ended question topics by the constant comparative method, also applying the broad subject categories used in a prior study. Pearson's chi-square analysis was performed on responses to determine significant differences among respondents employed in three different institutional environments. Results Analysis showed that 79% of respondents read research articles at least once a month; 58% applied published research studies to practice; 44% had conducted research; 62% reported acting on research had enhanced their libraries; 38% had presented findings; and 34% had authored research articles. Hospital librarians were significantly less likely than academic librarians to have participated in research activities. Highly ranked research benefits, barriers, and competencies of health sciences librarians are described. Conclusions Findings indicate that health sciences librarians are actively engaged in research activities. Practice implications for practitioners, publishers, and stakeholders are discussed. Results suggest that practitioners can use published research results and results from their own research to affect practice decisions and improve services. Future studies are needed to confirm and extend these findings, including the need for intervention studies to increase research and writing productivity. PMID:27076808

Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Analysis of the active thermal control subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinclair, S. K.; Parkman, W. E.

1987-01-01

The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to determine failure modes, criticality, and potential critical (PCIs) items. To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. The independent analysis results corresponding to the Orbiter Active Thermal Control Subsystem (ATCS) are documented. The major purpose of the ATCS is to remove the heat, generated during normal Shuttle operations from the Orbiter systems and subsystems. The four major components of the ATCS contributing to the heat removal are: Freon Coolant Loops; Radiator and Flow Control Assembly; Flash Evaporator System; and Ammonia Boiler System. In order to perform the analysis, the IOA process utilized available ATCS hardware drawings and schematics for defining hardware assemblies, components, and hardware items. Each level of hardware was evaluated and analyzed for possible failure modes and effects. Criticality was assigned based upon the severity of the effect for each failure mode. Of the 310 failure modes analyzed, 101 were determined to be PCIs.

Translations on Eastern Europe, Scientific Affairs, No. 562

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-10-28

remodeling and mod- ernization of the institute’s facilities resulted in an increase in the reactor’s neutron flux and power output capacity and...research technique involving the use of the experimental reactor is neutron activation analysis. Using this method it is possible to produce...artificial radioactivity through the bombardment of non-active substances with neutrons . This is one of the most sensitive methods of chemical analysis

Survival of Burkholderia pseudomallei on Environmental Surfaces.

PubMed

Shams, Alicia M; Rose, Laura J; Hodges, Lisa; Arduino, Matthew J

2007-12-01

The survival of the biothreat agent Burkholderia pseudomallei on the surfaces of four materials was measured by culture and esterase activity analyses. The culture results demonstrated that this organism persisted for <24 h to <7 days depending on the material, bacterial isolate, and suspension medium. The persistence determined by analysis of esterase activity, as measured with a ScanRDI solid-phase cytometer, was always longer than the persistence determined by culture analysis.

Use of asymptotic analysis of the large activation-energy limit to compare graphical methods of treating thermogravimetry data

Treesearch

A. Broido; F.A. Williams

1973-01-01

An earIier numerical analysis showed that the second approximate method of Horotitz and Metzger can be rendered exceedingly accurate for reduction of thermo-gravimetry data. It is demonstrated here that this result can be justified on the basis of an asymptotic expansion with a nondimensional activation energy as the large parameter. The order of magnitude of the error...

Study on the activity of non-purine xanthine oxidase inhibitor by 3D-QSAR modeling and molecular docking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Peizhen; Tian, Yueli; Zhai, Honglin; Deng, Fangfang; Xie, Meihong; Zhang, Xiaoyun

2013-11-01

Non-purine derivatives have been shown to be promising novel drug candidates as xanthine oxidase inhibitors. Based on three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) methods including comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA), two 3D-QSAR models for a series of non-purine xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors were established, and their reliability was supported by statistical parameters. Combined 3D-QSAR modeling and the results of molecular docking between non-purine xanthine oxidase inhibitors and XO, the main factors that influenced activity of inhibitors were investigated, and the obtained results could explain known experimental facts. Furthermore, several new potential inhibitors with higher activity predicted were designed, which based on our analyses, and were supported by the simulation of molecular docking. This study provided some useful information for the development of non-purine xanthine oxidase inhibitors with novel structures.

An Analysis Framework for Understanding the Origin of Nuclear Activity in Low-power Radio Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yen-Ting; Huang, Hung-Jin; Chen, Yen-Chi

2018-05-01

Using large samples containing nearly 2300 active galaxies of low radio luminosity (1.4 GHz luminosity between 2 × 1023 and 3 × 1025 W Hz‑1, essentially low-excitation radio galaxies) at z ≲ 0.3, we present a self-contained analysis of the dependence of the nuclear radio activity on both intrinsic and extrinsic properties of galaxies, with the goal of identifying the best predictors of the nuclear radio activity. While confirming the established result that stellar mass must play a key role on the triggering of radio activities, we point out that for the central, most massive galaxies, the radio activity also shows a strong dependence on halo mass, which is not likely due to enhanced interaction rates in denser regions in massive, cluster-scale halos. We thus further investigate the effects of various properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) in massive clusters on the radio activities, employing two standard statistical tools, principle component analysis and logistic regression. It is found that ICM entropy, local cooling time, and pressure are the most effective in predicting the radio activity, pointing to the accretion of gas cooling out of a hot atmosphere to be the likely origin in triggering such activities in galaxies residing in massive dark matter halos. Our analysis framework enables us to logically discern the mechanisms responsible for the radio activity separately for central and satellite galaxies.

A Comparative Analysis of Bicycle Lanes Versus Wide Curb Lanes

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

Analysis Modeling and Simulation (AMS) Testbeds can make significant contributions in identifying the benefits of more effective, more active systems management, resulting from integrating transformative applications enabled by new data from wireless...

Approach for Estimating Exposures and Incremental Health ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Approach for Estimating Exposures and Incremental Health Effects from Lead During Renovation, Repair, and Painting Activities in Public and Commercial Buildings” (Technical Approach Document). Also available for public review and comment are two supplementary documents: the detailed appendices for the Technical Approach Document and a supplementary report entitled “Developing a Concentration-Response Function for Pb Exposure and Cardiovascular Disease-Related Mortality.” Together, these documents describes an analysis for estimating exposures and incremental health effects created by renovations of public and commercial buildings (P&CBs). This analysis could be used to identify and evaluate hazards from renovation, repair, and painting activities in P&CBs. A general overview of how this analysis can be used to inform EPA’s hazard finding is described in the Framework document that was previously made available for public comment (79 FR 31072; FRL9910-44). The analysis can be used in any proposed rulemaking to estimate the reduction in deleterious health effects that would result from any proposed regulatory requirements to mitigate exposure from P&CB renovation activities. The Technical Approach Document describes in detail how the analyses under this approach have been performed and presents the results – expected changes in blood lead levels and health effects due to lead exposure from renovation activities.

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Similarities Between the Activities of the Department and Other Federal Agencies

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-12-09

food safety and land management, that are carried out by more than one agency; examined previous GAO reports that highlight these similarities; and reviewed the goals of the Government Performance and Results Act and USDA’S efforts to comply with it. Our analysis highlights many of the activities that are apparently similar. However, USDA’S activities may not be directed at the same clientele as those carried out by other federal agencies, and other agencies’ activities may be only a part of their overall mission. Our analysis did not determine all of the

Activation product analysis in a mixed sample containing both fission and neutron activation products

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

Morrison, Samuel S.; Clark, Sue B.; Eggemeyer, Tere A.

Activation analysis of gold (Au) is used to estimate neutron fluence resulting from a criticality event; however, such analyses are complicated by simultaneous production of other gamma-emitting fission products. Confidence in neutron fluence estimates can be increased by quantifying additional activation products such as platinum (Pt), tantalum (Ta), and tungsten (W). This work describes a radiochemical separation procedure for the determination of these activation products. Anion exchange chromatography is used to separate anionic forms of these metals in a nitric acid matrix; thiourea is used to isolate the Au and Pt fraction, followed by removal of the Ta fraction usingmore » hydrogen peroxide. W, which is not retained on the first anion exchange column, is transposed to an HCl/HF matrix to enhance retention on a second anion exchange column and finally eluted using HNO3/HF. Chemical separations result in a reduction in the minimum detectable activity by a factor of 287, 207, 141, and 471 for 182Ta, 187W, 197Pt, and 198Au respectively, with greater than 90% recovery for all elements. These results represent the highest recoveries and lowest minimum detectable activities for 182Ta, 187W, 197Pt, and 198Au from mixed fission-activation product samples to date, enabling considerable refinement in the measurement uncertainties for neutron fluences in highly complex sample matrices.« less

Analysis of surface EMG baseline for detection of hidden muscle activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xu; Zhou, Ping

2014-02-01

Objective. This study explored the feasibility of detecting hidden muscle activity in surface electromyogram (EMG) baseline. Approach. Power spectral density (PSD) analysis and multi-scale entropy (MSE) analysis were used. Both analyses were applied to computer simulations of surface EMG baseline with the presence (representing activity data) or absence (representing reference data) of hidden muscle activity, as well as surface electrode array EMG baseline recordings of healthy control and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) subjects. Main results. Although the simulated reference data and the activity data yielded no distinguishable difference in the time domain, they demonstrated a significant difference in the frequency and signal complexity domains with the PSD and MSE analyses. For a comparison using pooled data, such a difference was also observed when the PSD and MSE analyses were applied to surface electrode array EMG baseline recordings of healthy control and ALS subjects, which demonstrated no distinguishable difference in the time domain. Compared with the PSD analysis, the MSE analysis appeared to be more sensitive for detecting the difference in surface EMG baselines between the two groups. Significance. The findings implied the presence of a hidden muscle activity in surface EMG baseline recordings from the ALS subjects. To promote the presented analysis as a useful diagnostic or investigatory tool, future studies are necessary to assess the pathophysiological nature or origins of the hidden muscle activity, as well as the baseline difference at the individual subject level.

Analysis of Surface EMG Baseline for Detection of Hidden Muscle Activity

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xu; Zhou, Ping

2014-01-01

Objective This study explored the feasibility of detecting hidden muscle activity in surface electromyogram (EMG) baseline. Approach Power spectral density (PSD) analysis and multi-scale entropy (MSE) analysis were used respectively. Both analyses were applied to computer simulations of surface EMG baseline with presence (representing activity data) or absence (representing reference data) of hidden muscle activity, as well as surface electrode array EMG baseline recordings of healthy control and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) subjects. Main results Although the simulated reference data and the activity data yielded no distinguishable difference in the time domain, they demonstrated a significant difference in the frequency and signal complexity domains with the PSD and MSE analyses. For a comparison using pooled data, such a difference was also observed when the PSD and MSE analyses were applied to surface electrode array EMG baseline recordings of healthy control and ALS subjects, which demonstrated no distinguishable difference in the time domain. Compared with the PSD analysis, the MSE analysis appeared to be more sensitive for detecting the difference in surface EMG baselines between the two groups. Significance The findings implied presence of hidden muscle activity in surface EMG baseline recordings from the ALS subjects. To promote the presented analysis as a useful diagnostic or investigatory tool, future studies are necessary to assess the pathophysiological nature or origins of the hidden muscle activity, as well as the baseline difference at the individual subject level. PMID:24445526

Topologic analysis and comparison of brain activation in children with epilepsy versus controls: an fMRI study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oweis, Khalid J.; Berl, Madison M.; Gaillard, William D.; Duke, Elizabeth S.; Blackstone, Kaitlin; Loew, Murray H.; Zara, Jason M.

2010-03-01

This paper describes the development of novel computer-aided analysis algorithms to identify the language activation patterns at a certain Region of Interest (ROI) in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Previous analysis techniques have been used to compare typical and pathologic activation patterns in fMRI images resulting from identical tasks but none of them analyzed activation topographically in a quantitative manner. This paper presents new analysis techniques and algorithms capable of identifying a pattern of language activation associated with localization related epilepsy. fMRI images of 64 healthy individuals and 31 patients with localization related epilepsy have been studied and analyzed on an ROI basis. All subjects are right handed with normal MRI scans and have been classified into three age groups (4-6, 7-9, 10-12 years). Our initial efforts have focused on investigating activation in the Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (LIFG). A number of volumetric features have been extracted from the data. The LIFG has been cut into slices and the activation has been investigated topographically on a slice by slice basis. Overall, a total of 809 features have been extracted, and correlation analysis was applied to eliminate highly correlated features. Principal Component analysis was then applied to account only for major components in the data and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) has been applied to test for significantly different features between normal and patient groups. Twenty Nine features have were found to be significantly different (p<0.05) between patient and control groups

Older Adults' Opinions on Fall Prevention in Relation to Physical Activity Level.

PubMed

Tuvemo Johnson, Susanna; Martin, Cathrin; Anens, Elisabeth; Johansson, Ann-Christin; Hellström, Karin

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe older adults' opinions regarding actions to prevent falls and to analyze differences in the opinions of highly versus less physically active older adults. An open-ended question was answered by 262 individuals aged 75 to 98 years living in the community. The answers were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, and differences in the categories were compared between highly and less physically active persons. Physical activity was measured according to a five-level scale. The content analysis resulted in eight categories: assistive devices, avoiding hazards, behavioral adaptive strategies, being physically active, healthy lifestyle, indoor modifications, outdoor modifications, and seeking assistance. Behavioral adaptive strategies were mentioned to a greater extent by highly active people, and indoor modifications were more often mentioned by less active older adults. Support for active self-directed behavioral strategies might be important for fall prevention among less physically active older adults.

How Acute Total Sleep Loss Affects the Attending Brain: A Meta-Analysis of Neuroimaging Studies

PubMed Central

Ma, Ning; Dinges, David F.; Basner, Mathias; Rao, Hengyi

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: Attention is a cognitive domain that can be severely affected by sleep deprivation. Previous neuroimaging studies have used different attention paradigms and reported both increased and reduced brain activation after sleep deprivation. However, due to large variability in sleep deprivation protocols, task paradigms, experimental designs, characteristics of subject populations, and imaging techniques, there is no consensus regarding the effects of sleep loss on the attending brain. The aim of this meta-analysis was to identify brain activations that are commonly altered by acute total sleep deprivation across different attention tasks. Design: Coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies of performance on attention tasks during experimental sleep deprivation. Methods: The current version of the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) approach was used for meta-analysis. The authors searched published articles and identified 11 sleep deprivation neuroimaging studies using different attention tasks with a total of 185 participants, equaling 81 foci for ALE analysis. Results: The meta-analysis revealed significantly reduced brain activation in multiple regions following sleep deprivation compared to rested wakefulness, including bilateral intraparietal sulcus, bilateral insula, right prefrontal cortex, medial frontal cortex, and right parahippocampal gyrus. Increased activation was found only in bilateral thalamus after sleep deprivation compared to rested wakefulness. Conclusion: Acute total sleep deprivation decreases brain activation in the fronto-parietal attention network (prefrontal cortex and intraparietal sulcus) and in the salience network (insula and medial frontal cortex). Increased thalamic activation after sleep deprivation may reflect a complex interaction between the de-arousing effects of sleep loss and the arousing effects of task performance on thalamic activity. Citation: Ma N, Dinges DF, Basner M, Rao H. How acute total sleep loss affects the attending brain: a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. SLEEP 2015;38(2):233–240. PMID:25409102

Comparative Analysis of Chemical Profile, Antioxidant, In-vitro and In-vivo Antidiabetic Activities of Juniperus foetidissima Willd. and Juniperus sabina L.

PubMed Central

Orhan, Nilüfer; Deliorman Orhan, Didem; Gökbulut, Alper; Aslan, Mustafa; Ergun, Fatma

2017-01-01

Fruit and leaves of junipers are commonly used internally as tea and pounded fruits are eaten to lower blood glucose levels in Anatolia. Thus, we aimed to evaluate antidiabetic and antioxidant potential and the chemical profile of Juniperus foetidissima Willd. and J. sabina L. in this study. In-vitro antidiabetic activities of leaf and fruit extracts were examined by their inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes. Then, in-vivo antidiabetic activities of leaf and fruit extracts of Juniperus species were investigated on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Additionally, antioxidant activities (phosphomolybdenum, ferric-reducing antioxidant power and ABTS radical scavenging activity assays), phytochemical screening tests and high performance liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC) were done. In-vitro enzyme inhibitory effects of the extracts were supported by the results of in-vivo antidiabetic activity studies. Phytochemical screening tests indicated presence of flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids and carbohydrates in the extracts. Amentoflavone was identified as the major compound in the extracts and content of amentoflavone was determined. As a result, Juniperus extracts and its active constituents might be beneficial for diabetes and its complications. PMID:29844777

Enhanced HTS hit selection via a local hit rate analysis.

PubMed

Posner, Bruce A; Xi, Hualin; Mills, James E J

2009-10-01

The postprocessing of high-throughput screening (HTS) results is complicated by the occurrence of false positives (inactive compounds misidentified as active by the primary screen) and false negatives (active compounds misidentified as inactive by the primary screen). An activity cutoff is frequently used to select "active" compounds from HTS data; however, this approach is insensitive to both false positives and false negatives. An alternative method that can minimize the occurrence of these artifacts will increase the efficiency of hit selection and therefore lead discovery. In this work, rather than merely using the activity of a given compound, we look at the presence and absence of activity among all compounds in its "chemical space neighborhood" to give a degree of confidence in its activity. We demonstrate that this local hit rate (LHR) analysis method outperforms hit selection based on ranking by primary screen activity values across ten diverse high throughput screens, spanning both cell-based and biochemical assay formats of varying biology and robustness. On average, the local hit rate analysis method was approximately 2.3-fold and approximately 1.3-fold more effective in identifying active compounds and active chemical series, respectively, than selection based on primary activity alone. Moreover, when applied to finding false negatives, this method was 2.3-fold better than ranking by primary activity alone. In most cases, novel hit series were identified that would have otherwise been missed. Additional uses of and observations regarding this HTS analysis approach are also discussed.

Evaluation of trace elements in lung samples from coal miners using neutron activation analysis.

PubMed

Saiki, M; Saldiva, P H; Alice, S H

1999-01-01

In this study, instrumental neutron activation analysis was applied to the determination of Sc, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu, Hf, Th, and U in lung samples from miners working in coal mines located in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. These results were compared to those from a control group constituted of healthy individuals. The results showed that the elements determined exhibit considerable intersubject variability within a single group of individuals and the mean values of concentrations in miners' lungs were higher than those of normal individuals. Lung samples presented U concentrations varying from 11 to 890 micrograms/kg. Therefore, for some samples, the contribution of the uranium fission products in the analysis of La, Ce, Nd, and Sm was considered by determining the interference correction factors. The accuracy of the results was evaluated by analyzing certified reference materials.

[Bus drivers' biomechanical risk assessment in two different contexts].

PubMed

Baracco, A; Coggiola, M; Perrelli, F; Banchio, M; Martignone, S; Gullino, A; Romano, C

2012-01-01

The application of standardize methods for the biomechanical risk assessment in non-industrial cycled activity is not always possible. A typical case is the public transport sector, where workers complain of suffering for shoulder more than elbow and wrist pains. The Authors present the results of two studies involving two public transport companies and the risk of biomechanical overload of upper limbs for bus and tram drivers. The analysis has been made using three different approaches: focus groups; static analysis by using anthropometric manikins; work sampling technique by monitoring worker's activity and posture at each minute, for two hours and for each binomial vehicle-route, considering P5F e P95M drivers and assessing the perceived efforts thorough the Borg's CR10 Scale. The conclusive results show that the ergonomic analysis managed by multiple non-standardized techniques may reach consistent and repeatable results according to the epidemiological evidences.

[The Results of Self-Assessment by Medical Organizations Their Correspondence to Proposals (Practical Recommendations) of the Roszdravnadzor Concerning Organization of Internal Control of Quality and Safety of Medical Activity].

PubMed

Ivanov, I V; Shvabsky, O R; Minulin, I B

2017-11-01

The article presents the analysis of the results of internal audits (self-rating) in medical organizations implemented on the basis of Proposals (practical guidelines) of the Roszdravnadzor concerning organization of inner control of quality and safety of medical activities in medical organization (hospital). The self-rating was implemented by the medical organizations themselves according the common criteria of the Proposals as provided the following plan: planning of self-rating, collection and processing of data, application of self-rating, analysis of obtained results, preparation of report. The article uses the results of self-rating of medical organizations corresponding to following criteria: profile of activity-multi-field hospital-number of beds more than 350-state property. The self-rating was implemented according to 11 basic parts of the Proposals. The criteria were developed for every part. The evaluation lists developed on the basis of the given Proposals permitted to medical organizations to independently establish problems in their activities. Within the framework of implemented self-rating medical organizations mentioned the directions of activity related to personnel management, identification of personality of patient, support of epidemiological and surgical safety as having significant discrepancies with the Proposals and requiring implementation of improvement measures.

Study of stability and control moment gyro wobble damping of flexible, spinning space stations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berman, H.; Markowitz, J.; Holmer, W.

1972-01-01

An executive summary and an analysis of the results are discussed. A user's guide for the digital computer program that simulates the flexible, spinning space station is presented. Control analysis activities and derivation of dynamic equations of motion and the modal analysis are also cited.

Multimodal effective connectivity analysis reveals seizure focus and propagation in musicogenic epilepsy.

PubMed

Klamer, Silke; Rona, Sabine; Elshahabi, Adham; Lerche, Holger; Braun, Christoph; Honegger, Jürgen; Erb, Michael; Focke, Niels K

2015-06-01

Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) is a method to non-invasively assess effective connectivity between brain regions. 'Musicogenic epilepsy' is a rare reflex epilepsy syndrome in which seizures can be elicited by musical stimuli and thus represents a unique possibility to investigate complex human brain networks and test connectivity analysis tools. We investigated effective connectivity in a case of musicogenic epilepsy using DCM for fMRI, high-density (hd-) EEG and MEG and validated results with intracranial EEG recordings. A patient with musicogenic seizures was examined using hd-EEG/fMRI and simultaneous '256-channel hd-EEG'/'whole head MEG' to characterize the epileptogenic focus and propagation effects using source analysis techniques and DCM. Results were validated with invasive EEG recordings. We recorded one seizure with hd-EEG/fMRI and four auras with hd-EEG/MEG. During the seizures, increases of activity could be observed in the right mesial temporal region as well as bilateral mesial frontal regions. Effective connectivity analysis of fMRI and hd-EEG/MEG indicated that right mesial temporal neuronal activity drives changes in the frontal areas consistently in all three modalities, which was confirmed by the results of invasive EEG recordings. Seizures thus seem to originate in the right mesial temporal lobe and propagate to mesial frontal regions. Using DCM for fMRI, hd-EEG and MEG we were able to correctly localize focus and propagation of epileptic activity and thereby characterize the underlying epileptic network in a patient with musicogenic epilepsy. The concordance between all three functional modalities validated by invasive monitoring is noteworthy, both for epileptic activity spread as well as for effective connectivity analysis in general. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Some indirect effects of positive practice overcorrection.

PubMed

Peters, Lindsay C; Thompson, Rachel H

2013-01-01

We evaluated the effects of positive practice overcorrection (PP OC) on levels of motor stereotypy and appropriate engagement in the activity practiced during treatment with 3 young men with autism. We also measured preference for the practiced activities during preference probes to determine if these activities might acquire aversive properties as a result of the frequent pairing with PP OC. Treatment reduced motor stereotypy for all 3 participants, and engagement increased for 2 of the 3 participants. Relative preference for the activities was not disrupted by the implementation of PP OC, although overall contact with the activities decreased for 1 participant. Results from 1 participant suggest that PP OC may be less effective when stereotypy results in access to a more highly preferred activity. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Education Technologies in Addressing the Problem of Forming the Socially Active Individual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Popova, Irina N.

2016-01-01

The article is devoted to the analysis of technological support of the educational process in solving the problem of forming the socially active individual. The authors studied the value of the category "social activity" and analyzed educational technologies that have an impact on its formation. The obtained results gave the possibility…

Expected Increase of Activity of Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulikova, N. V.; Chepurova, V. M.

2018-04-01

Analysis of the results of modeling disintegration of Comet 1P/Halley after its flare in 1991 has allowed us to predict an increase of the activity of the associated Eta Aquariids meteor shower in April-May 2018.

The regulation of the SARK promoter activity by hormones and environmental signals.

PubMed

Delatorre, Carla A; Cohen, Yuval; Liu, Li; Peleg, Zvi; Blumwald, Eduardo

2012-09-01

The Senescence Associated Receptor Protein Kinase (P(SARK)) promoter, fused to isopentenyltransferase (IPT) gene has been shown to promote drought tolerance in crops. We dissected P(SARK) in order to understand the various elements associated with its activation and suppression. The activity of P(SARK) was higher in mature and early senescing leaves, and abiotic stress induced its activity in mature leaves. Bioinformatics analysis suggests the interactions of multiple cis-acting elements in the control of P(SARK) activity. In vitro gel shift assays and yeast one hybrid system revealed interactions of P(SARK) with transcription factors related to abscisic acid and cytokinin response. Deletion analysis of P(SARK), fused to GUS-reporter gene was used to identify specific regions regulating transcription under senescence or during drought stress. Effects of exogenous hormonal treatments were characterized in entire plants and in leaf disk assays, and regions responsive to various hormones were defined. Our results indicate a complex interaction of plant hormones and additional factors modulating P(SARK) activity under stress resulting in a transient induction of expression. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancing the cellular anti-proliferation activity of pyridazinones as c-met inhibitors using docking analysis.

PubMed

Xing, Weiqiang; Ai, Jing; Jin, Shiyu; Shi, Zhangxing; Peng, Xia; Wang, Lang; Ji, Yinchun; Lu, Dong; Liu, Yang; Geng, Meiyu; Hu, Youhong

2015-05-05

A series of 2, 6-disubstituted pyridazinone derivatives were evaluated and optimized for their c-Met inhibitory activity in enzyme and cellular assay. An analysis of the SAR results arising from computer modeling analysis of members of the library led to the proposal that in order to obtain optimal inhibitory activity in cellular systems the lipophilic/hydrophilic properties of individual structural fragments in the inhibitors need to match those of corresponding binding pockets in the enzyme. Guided by this proposal, the quinoline-pyridazinone 8a, containing hydrophobic 6-indolyl pyridazinone and quinoline moieties along with a hydrophilic morpholine terminal group, was designed and synthesized. The results of studies with this substance showed that it is a selective c-Met inhibitor with both a high enzyme inhibition IC50 value of 4.2 nM and a high EBC-1 cell proliferation inhibition IC50 value of 17 nM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Comparative analysis of methods and sources of financing of the transport organizations activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorshkov, Roman

2017-10-01

The article considers the analysis of methods of financing of transport organizations in conditions of limited investment resources. A comparative analysis of these methods is carried out, the classification of investment, methods and sources of financial support for projects being implemented to date are presented. In order to select the optimal sources of financing for the projects, various methods of financial management and financial support for the activities of the transport organization were analyzed, which were considered from the perspective of analysis of advantages and limitations. The result of the study is recommendations on the selection of optimal sources and methods of financing of transport organizations.

Archaeology: site studies, activation analysis, preservation, and remote sensing. Volume 3. 1978-November 1979 (a bibliography with abstracts). Report for 1978-November 79

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

Cavagnaro, D.

1979-12-01

These citations of federally-funded research are divided into two parts; namely, a chemical analysis of archaeological specimens, and general studies. The chemical analysis section deals primarily with activation analysis. Articles examined include metals, pottery, coins, paintings, soils, glass, and paper from Medieval, Grecian, Egyptian, Mayan, and prehistoric times. The general studies section cites other archaeological research, including results of excavation from the United States. Also covered is work on preservation of artifacts and remote sensing for the site location. (This updated bibliography contains 237 abstracts, 149 of which are new entries to the previous edition.)

Archaeology: site studies, activation analysis, preservation, and remote sensing. December 1979-December 1980 (citations from the NTIS Data Base). Report for December 1970-December 1980

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

Not Available

1981-01-01

These citations of federally-funded research contains the chemical analysis of archaeological specimens, as well as general studies. The chemical analysis deals primarily with activation analysis. Articles examined include metals, pottery, coins, paintings, soils, glass, and paper from Medieval, Grecian, Egyptian, Mayan, and prehistoric times. The general studies cites other archaeological research, including results of excavation from the United States. Also covered is work on preservation of artifacts and remote sensing for the site location. (This updated bibliography contains 133 citations, all of which are new entries to the previous edition.)

Archaeology: site studies, activation analysis, preservation, and remote sensing. Volume 2. 1977 (a bibliography with abstracts). Report for 1977

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

Cavagnaro, D.

1979-12-01

The cited reports of Federally-funded research are divided into two parts: namely, a chemical analysis of archaeological specimens, and general studies. The chemical analysis section deals primarily with activation analysis. Artifacts examined include metals, pottery, coins, paintings, soils, glass, and paper from Medieval, Grecian, Egyptian, Mayan, and prehistoric times. The general studies section discusses other archaeological research, including results of excavation from the United States. Also covered is work on preservation of artifacts and remote sensing for the site location. (This updated bibliography contains 128 abstracts, none of which are new entries to the previous edition.)

Archaeology: site studies, activation analysis, preservation, and remote sensing. volume 2. 1977-november, 1978 (a bibliography with abstracts). Report for 1977-Nov 78

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

Cavagnaro, D.M.

1978-11-01

These citations of Federally-funded research are divided into two parts; namely, a chemical analysis of archaeological specimens, and general studies. The chemical analysis section deals primarily with activation analysis. Articles examined include metals, pottery, coins, paintings, soils, glass, and paper from Medieval, Grecian, Egyptian, Mayan and prehistoric times. The general studies section cites other archaeological research, including results of excavation from the United States. Also covered is work on preservation of artifacts and remote sensing for the site location. (This updated bibliography contains 209 abstracts, 141 of which are new entries to the previous edition.)

Methods for the Measurement of a Bacterial Enzyme Activity in Cell Lysates and Extracts

PubMed Central

Mendz, George; Hazell, Stuart

1998-01-01

The kinetic characteristics and regulation of aspartate carbamoyltransferase activity were studied in lysates and cell extracts of Helicobacter pylori by three diffirent methods. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, radioactive tracer analysis, and spectrophotometry were employed in conjunction to identify the properties of the enzyme activity and to validate the results obtained with each assay. NMR spectroscopy was the most direct method to provide proof of ACTase activity; radioactive tracer analysis was the most sensitive technique and a microtitre-based colorimetric assay was the most cost-and time-efficient for large scale analyses. Freeze-thawing was adopted as the preferred method for cell lysis in studying enzyme activity in situ. This study showed the benefits of employing several different complementary methods to investigate bacterial enzyme activity. PMID:12734591

A Content Analysis of General Chemistry Laboratory Manuals for Evidence of Higher-Order Cognitive Tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domin, Daniel S.

1999-01-01

The science laboratory instructional environment is ideal for fostering the development of problem-solving, manipulative, and higher-order thinking skills: the skills needed by today's learner to compete in an ever increasing technology-based society. This paper reports the results of a content analysis of ten general chemistry laboratory manuals. Three experiments from each manual were examined for evidence of higher-order cognitive activities. Analysis was based upon the six major cognitive categories of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The results of this study show that the overwhelming majority of general chemistry laboratory manuals provide tasks that require the use of only the lower-order cognitive skills: knowledge, comprehension, and application. Two of the laboratory manuals were disparate in having activities that utilized higher-order cognition. I describe the instructional strategies used within these manuals to foster higher-order cognitive development.

An analysis of the characteristics of Indonesian industrial sectors: 2005-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuhdi, Ubaidillah

2017-10-01

The purpose of the current study is to analyze the characteristics of Indonesian industrial sectors from 2005 through 2010. The study employs the analysis instruments from the Input-Output (IO) analysis, namely the indices of the power of dispersion, and the sensitivity of dispersion. For 2005 and 2010, the study focuses on nine and seventeen industries, respectively. The results show that industry 3, manufacturing, placed the quadrant I on the analysis period. The fact shows that, from 2005 through 2010, the industry had a strong influence on the Indonesian economic activities, and received high impacts from the external aspects. In other words, the industry has great potency for the Indonesian economy. From the results one can also see that sector 4, electricity and gas, included in the quadrant I in 2010. This fact explains that the sector has also great potency for the economic activities of Indonesia. Thus, the Indonesian government should prioritize the industries development.

Physics of the Solar Active Regions from Radio Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelfreikh, G. B.

1999-12-01

Localized increase of the magnetic field observed by routine methods on the photosphere result in the growth of a number of active processes in the solar atmosphere and the heliosphere. These localized regions of increased magnetic field are called active regions (AR). The main processes of transfer, accumulation and release of energy in an AR is, however, out of scope of photospheric observations being essentially a 3D-process and happening either under photosphere or up in the corona. So, to investigate these plasma structures and processes we are bound to use either extrapolation of optical observational methods or observations in EUV, X-rays and radio. In this review, we stress and illustrate the input to the problem gained from radio astronomical methods and discuss possible future development of their applicatications. Historically speaking each new step in developing radio technique of observations resulted in detecting some new physics of ARs. The most significant progress in the last few years in radio diagnostics of the plasma structures of magnetospheres of the solar ARs is connected with the developing of the 2D full disk analysis on regular basis made at Nobeyama and detailed multichannel spectral-polarization (but one-dimensional and one per day) solar observations at the RATAN-600. In this report the bulk of attention is paid to the new approach to the study of solar activity gained with the Nobeyama radioheliograph and analyzing the ways for future progress. The most important new features of the multicomponent radio sources of the ARs studied using Nobeyama radioheliograph are as follow: 1. The analysis of magnetic field structures in solar corona above sunspot with 2000 G. Their temporal evolution and fluctuations with the periods around 3 and 5 minutes, due to MHD-waves in sunspot magnetic tubes and surrounding plasma. These investigations are certainly based on an analysis of thermal cyclotron emission of lower corona and CCTR above sunspot umbra. 2. Magnetography of the solar active regions presenting the weak magnetic fields (with the sensitivity of several G) reflecting longitude component of the magnetic field in chromosphere and corona and solar faculae structure. The method is based on an analysis of the weak polarization (of the order of 1% or less). 3. An analysis of the structure, temperature, and density of arches seen above neutral magnetic field lines (seen in most ARs with spots and without ones). 4. Study of temporal and spatial behavior of inversion of the sign of the circular polarization with the result of magnetography of the solar corona. 5. An analysis of the solar activity at high heliographic latitudes, observed mostly as polar faculae (increased brightness structures having counterparts in optical white light observations). In modern study of the solar activity analysis of the activity of polar zones are of principal importance. Nobeyama probably presents the most reliable way to study this. The above points present not exactly completed results but rather the directions for future studies. These should use full time coverage of observations at different phases of the solar activity and combination of observations with other radio, optical, EUV and X-ray observations whenever possible.

A Fuzzy Logic Prompting Mechanism Based on Pattern Recognition and Accumulated Activity Effective Index Using a Smartphone Embedded Sensor.

PubMed

Liu, Chung-Tse; Chan, Chia-Tai

2016-08-19

Sufficient physical activity can reduce many adverse conditions and contribute to a healthy life. Nevertheless, inactivity is prevalent on an international scale. Improving physical activity is an essential concern for public health. Reminders that help people change their health behaviors are widely applied in health care services. However, timed-based reminders deliver periodic prompts suffer from flexibility and dependency issues which may decrease prompt effectiveness. We propose a fuzzy logic prompting mechanism, Accumulated Activity Effective Index Reminder (AAEIReminder), based on pattern recognition and activity effective analysis to manage physical activity. AAEIReminder recognizes activity levels using a smartphone-embedded sensor for pattern recognition and analyzing the amount of physical activity in activity effective analysis. AAEIReminder can infer activity situations such as the amount of physical activity and days spent exercising through fuzzy logic, and decides whether a prompt should be delivered to a user. This prompting system was implemented in smartphones and was used in a short-term real-world trial by seventeenth participants for validation. The results demonstrated that the AAEIReminder is feasible. The fuzzy logic prompting mechanism can deliver prompts automatically based on pattern recognition and activity effective analysis. AAEIReminder provides flexibility which may increase the prompts' efficiency.

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of Schiff bases based on chitosan and arylpyrazole moiety.

PubMed

Salama, Hend E; Saad, Gamal R; Sabaa, Magdy W

2015-08-01

The Schiff bases of chitosan were synthesized by the reaction of chitosan with 3-(4-substituted-phenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbaldehyde. The structure of the prepared chitosan derivatives was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction studies and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The results show that the specific properties of Schiff bases of chitosan can be altered by modifying the molecular structures with proper substituent groups.TG results reveal that the thermal stability of the prepared chitosan Schiff bases was lower than chitosan. The activation energy of decomposition was calculated using Coats-Redfern model. The antimicrobial activity of chitosan and Schiff bases of chitosan were investigated against Streptococcus pneumonia, Bacillis subtilis, Escherichia coli (as examples of bacteria) and Aspergillus fumigatus, Geotricum candidum and Syncephalastrum recemosum (as examples of fungi). The results indicated that the antimicrobial activity of the Schiff bases was stronger than that of chitosan and was dependent on the substituent group. The activity of un-substituted arylpyrazole chitosan derivative toward the investigated bacteria and fungi species was better than the other derivatives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How to estimate green house gas (GHG) emissions from an excavator by using CAT's performance chart

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajji, Apif M.; Lewis, Michael P.

2017-09-01

Construction equipment activities are a major part of many infrastructure projects. This type of equipment typically releases large quantities of green house gas (GHG) emissions. GHG emissions may come from fuel consumption. Furthermore, equipment productivity affects the fuel consumption. Thus, an estimating tool based on the construction equipment productivity rate is able to accurately assess the GHG emissions resulted from the equipment activities. This paper proposes a methodology to estimate the environmental impact for a common construction activity. This paper delivers sensitivity analysis and a case study for an excavator based on trench excavation activity. The methodology delivered in this study can be applied to a stand-alone model, or a module that is integrated with other emissions estimators. The GHG emissions are highly correlated to diesel fuel use, which is approximately 10.15 kilograms (kg) of CO2 per gallon of diesel fuel. The results showed that the productivity rate model as the result from multiple regression analysis can be used as the basis for estimating GHG emissions, and also as the framework for developing emissions footprint and understanding the environmental impact from construction equipment activities introduction.

Effect of Active Case Finding on Prevalence and Transmission of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Dhaka Central Jail, Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Banu, Sayera; Rahman, Md. Toufiq; Uddin, Mohammad Khaja Mafij; Khatun, Razia; Khan, Md. Siddiqur Rahman; Rahman, Md. Mojibur; Uddin, Syed Iftekhar; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Heffelfinger, James D.

2015-01-01

Background Understanding tuberculosis (TB) transmission dynamics is essential for establishing effective TB control strategies in settings where the burden and risk of transmission are high. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of active screening on controlling TB transmission and also to characterize Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains for investigating transmission dynamics in a correctional setting. Methods The study was carried out in Dhaka Central Jail (DCJ), from October 2005 to February 2010. An active case finding strategy for pulmonary TB was established both at the entry point to the prison and inside the prison. Three sputum specimens were collected from all pulmonary TB suspects and subjected to smear microscopy, culture, and drug susceptibility testing as well as genotyping which included deletion analysis, spoligotyping and analysis of mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU). Results A total of 60,585 inmates were screened during the study period. We found 466 inmates with pulmonary TB of whom 357 (77%) had positive smear microscopy results and 109 (23%) had negative smear microscopy results but had positive results on culture. The number of pulmonary TB cases declined significantly, from 49 cases during the first quarter to 8 cases in the final quarter of the study period (p=0.001). Deletion analysis identified all isolates as M. tuberculosis and further identified 229 (70%) strains as ‘modern’ and 100 (30%) strains as ‘ancestral’. Analysis of MIRU showed that 347 strains (85%) exhibited unique patterns, whereas 61 strains (15%) clustered into 22 groups. The largest cluster comprised eight strains of the Beijing M. tuberculosis type. The rate of recent transmission was estimated to be 9.6%. Conclusions Implementation of active screening for TB was associated with a decline in TB cases in DCJ. Implementation of active screening in prison settings might substantially reduce the national burden of TB in Bangladesh. PMID:25933377

[Movement analysis of upper extremity hemiparesis in patients with cerebrovascular disease: a pilot study].

PubMed

Molina Rueda, F; Rivas Montero, F M; Pérez de Heredia Torres, M; Alguacil Diego, I M; Molero Sánchez, A; Miangolarra Page, J C

2012-01-01

As a result of neurophysiological injury, stroke patients have mobility limitations, mainly on the side of the body contralateral to the lesioned hemisphere. The purpose of this study is to quantify motor compensation strategies in stroke patients during the activity of drinking water from a glass. Four male patient with cerebrovascular disease and four right-handed, healthy male control subjects. The motion analysis was conducted using the Vicon Motion System(®) and surface electromyography equipment ZeroWire Aurion(®). We analysed elbow, shoulder and trunk joint movements and performed a qualitative analysis of the sequence of muscle activation. Trunk, shoulder and elbow movements measured in the stroke patient along the sagittal plane decreased during the drinking from a glass activity, while the movements in the shoulder in the coronal plane and trunk increased. As for the sequence of muscle activation, anterior, middle and posterior deltoid all contracted in the patient group during the task, while the upper trapezius activation remained throughout the activity. Quantitative analysis of movement provides quantitative information on compensation strategies used by stroke patients, and is therefore, clinically relevant. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Studying hemispheric lateralization during a Stroop task through near-infrared spectroscopy-based connectivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Sun, Jinyan; Sun, Bailei; Luo, Qingming; Gong, Hui

2014-05-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a developing and promising functional brain imaging technology. Developing data analysis methods to effectively extract meaningful information from collected data is the major bottleneck in popularizing this technology. In this study, we measured hemodynamic activity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during a color-word matching Stroop task using NIRS. Hemispheric lateralization was examined by employing traditional activation and novel NIRS-based connectivity analyses simultaneously. Wavelet transform coherence was used to assess intrahemispheric functional connectivity. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between behavioral performance and activation/functional connectivity, respectively. In agreement with activation analysis, functional connectivity analysis revealed leftward lateralization for the Stroop effect and correlation with behavioral performance. However, functional connectivity was more sensitive than activation for identifying hemispheric lateralization. Granger causality was used to evaluate the effective connectivity between hemispheres. The results showed increased information flow from the left to the right hemispheres for the incongruent versus the neutral task, indicating a leading role of the left PFC. This study demonstrates that the NIRS-based connectivity can reveal the functional architecture of the brain more comprehensively than traditional activation, helping to better utilize the advantages of NIRS.

A survey of social media data analysis for physical activity surveillance.

PubMed

Liu, Sam; Young, Sean D

2018-07-01

Social media data can provide valuable information regarding people's behaviors and health outcomes. Previous studies have shown that social media data can be extracted to monitor and predict infectious disease outbreaks. These same approaches can be applied to other fields including physical activity research and forensic science. Social media data have the potential to provide real-time monitoring and prediction of physical activity level in a given region. This tool can be valuable to public health organizations as it can overcome the time lag in the reporting of physical activity epidemiology data faced by traditional research methods (e.g. surveys, observational studies). As a result, this tool could help public health organizations better mobilize and target physical activity interventions. The first part of this paper aims to describe current approaches (e.g. topic modeling, sentiment analysis and social network analysis) that could be used to analyze social media data to provide real-time monitoring of physical activity level. The second aim of this paper was to discuss ways to apply social media analysis to other fields such as forensic sciences and provide recommendations to further social media research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Determination of elements in hospital waste with neutron activation analysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwijananti, P.; Astuti, B.; Alwiyah; Fianti

2018-03-01

The producer of the biggest B3 waste is hospital. The waste is from medical and laboratory activities. The purpose of this study is to determine the elements contained in the liquid waste from hospital and calculate the levels of these elements. This research was done by analysis of the neutron activation conducted at BATAN Yogyakarta. The neutron activation analysis is divided into two stages: activation of the samples using neutron sources of reactor Kartini, then chopping by using a set of tools, gamma spectrometer with HPGe detector. Qualitative and quantitative analysis were done by matching the gamma spectrum peak to the Neutron Activation Table. The sample was taken from four points of the liquid waste treatment plant (WWTP) Bhakti Wira Tamtama Semarang hospital. The results showed that the samples containing elements of Cr, Zn, Fe, Co, and Na, with the levels of each element is Cr (0.033 - 0.075) mg/L, Zn (0.090 - 1.048) mg/L, Fe (2.937-37.743) mg/L, Co (0.005-0.023) mg/L, and Na (61.088-116.330) mg/L. Comparing to the standard value, the liquid is safe to the environment.

Quantitative analysis of geomorphic processes using satellite image data at different scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, R. S., Jr.

1985-01-01

When aerial and satellite photographs and images are used in the quantitative analysis of geomorphic processes, either through direct observation of active processes or by analysis of landforms resulting from inferred active or dormant processes, a number of limitations in the use of such data must be considered. Active geomorphic processes work at different scales and rates. Therefore, the capability of imaging an active or dormant process depends primarily on the scale of the process and the spatial-resolution characteristic of the imaging system. Scale is an important factor in recording continuous and discontinuous active geomorphic processes, because what is not recorded will not be considered or even suspected in the analysis of orbital images. If the geomorphic process of landform change caused by the process is less than 200 m in x to y dimension, then it will not be recorded. Although the scale factor is critical, in the recording of discontinuous active geomorphic processes, the repeat interval of orbital-image acquisition of a planetary surface also is a consideration in order to capture a recurring short-lived geomorphic process or to record changes caused by either a continuous or a discontinuous geomorphic process.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging during emotion recognition in social anxiety disorder: an activation likelihood meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Hattingh, Coenraad J.; Ipser, J.; Tromp, S. A.; Syal, S.; Lochner, C.; Brooks, S. J.; Stein, D. J.

2012-01-01

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by abnormal fear and anxiety in social situations. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a brain imaging technique that can be used to demonstrate neural activation to emotionally salient stimuli. However, no attempt has yet been made to statistically collate fMRI studies of brain activation, using the activation likelihood-estimate (ALE) technique, in response to emotion recognition tasks in individuals with SAD. Methods: A systematic search of fMRI studies of neural responses to socially emotive cues in SAD was undertaken. ALE meta-analysis, a voxel-based meta-analytic technique, was used to estimate the most significant activations during emotional recognition. Results: Seven studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis, constituting a total of 91 subjects with SAD, and 93 healthy controls. The most significant areas of activation during emotional vs. neutral stimuli in individuals with SAD compared to controls were: bilateral amygdala, left medial temporal lobe encompassing the entorhinal cortex, left medial aspect of the inferior temporal lobe encompassing perirhinal cortex and parahippocampus, right anterior cingulate, right globus pallidus, and distal tip of right postcentral gyrus. Conclusion: The results are consistent with neuroanatomic models of the role of the amygdala in fear conditioning, and the importance of the limbic circuitry in mediating anxiety symptoms. PMID:23335892

A strategy based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and virtual molecular docking for analysis and prediction of bioactive composition in natural product essential oil.

PubMed

Wang, Haiyang; Gu, Dongyu; Wang, Miao; Guo, Hong; Wu, Huijuan; Tian, Guangliang; Li, Qian; Yang, Yi; Tian, Jing

2017-06-09

The discovery of leads from medicinal plants is crucial to drug development. The present study presents a strategy based on GC-MS coupled with molecular docking for analysis, identification and prediction of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors in the essential oil from Himalayan Cedar (HC). The essential oil with IC 50 value of 120.71±0.26μg/mL exhibited potential activity against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) in vitro. After GC-MS analysis, 35 compounds were identified from this oil. The identified compounds were individually docked with PTP1B. Caryophyllene oxide with the lowest binding energy of -6.28kcal/mol was completely wrapped by the active site of PTP1B. The docking results indicated that caryophyllene oxide has potential PTP1B inhibitory activity and may be responsible for the PTP1B inhibitory activity of the essential oil. Caryophyllene oxide in the essential oil of Himalayan Cedar was isolated by HSCCC and the PTP1B inhibitory activity of this compound was then evaluated; the IC 50 value was 31.32±0.38μM. The result revealed that the present strategy can effectively discover the active composition from the complex mixture of medicinal plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of process variables by response surface methodology for malachite green dye removal using lime peel activated carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Mohd Azmier; Afandi, Nur Syahidah; Bello, Olugbenga Solomon

2017-05-01

This study investigates the adsorptive removal of malachite green (MG) dye from aqueous solutions using chemically modified lime-peel-based activated carbon (LPAC). The adsorbent prepared was characterized using FTIR, SEM, Proximate analysis and BET techniques, respectively. Central composite design (CCD) in response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the adsorption process. The effects of three variables: activation temperature, activation time and chemical impregnation ratio (IR) using KOH and their effects on percentage of dye removal and LPAC yield were investigated. Based on CCD design, quadratic models and two factor interactions (2FI) were developed correlating the adsorption variables to the two responses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to judge the adequacy of the model. The optimum conditions of MG dye removal using LPAC are: activation temperature (796 °C), activation time (1.0 h) and impregnation ratio (2.6), respectively. The percentage of MG dye removal obtained was 94.68 % resulting in 17.88 % LPAC yield. The percentage of error between predicted and experimental results for the removal of MG dye is 0.4 %. Model prediction was in good agreement with experimental results and LPAC was found to be effective in removing MG dye from aqueous solution.

The Neural Correlates of Desire

PubMed Central

Kawabata, Hideaki; Zeki, Semir

2008-01-01

In an event-related fMRI study, we scanned eighteen normal human subjects while they viewed three categories of pictures (events, objects and persons) which they classified according to desirability (desirable, indifferent or undesirable). Each category produced activity in a distinct part of the visual brain, thus reflecting its functional specialization. We used conjunction analysis to learn whether there is a brain area which is always active when a desirable picture is viewed, regardless of the category to which it belongs. The conjunction analysis of the contrast desirable > undesirable revealed activity in the superior orbito-frontal cortex. This activity bore a positive linear relationship to the declared level of desirability. The conjunction analysis of desirable > indifferent revealed activity in the mid-cingulate cortex and in the anterior cingulate cortex. In the former, activity was greater for desirable and undesirable stimuli than for stimuli classed as indifferent. Other conjunction analyses produced no significant effects. These results show that categorizing any stimulus according to its desirability activates three different brain areas: the superior orbito-frontal, the mid-cingulate, and the anterior cingulate cortices. PMID:18728753

UAS in the NAS - Analysis Results and Recommendations for Integration of CNPC and ATC Communications Simulation Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kubat, Gregory

2016-01-01

This report addresses a deliverable to the UAS-in-the-NAS project for recommendations for integration of CNPC and ATC communications based on analysis results from modeled radio system and NAS-wide UA communication architecture simulations. For each recommendation, a brief explanation of the rationale for its consideration is provided with any supporting results obtained or observed in our simulation activity.

Monitoring of activated sludge settling ability through image analysis: validation on full-scale wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Mesquita, D P; Dias, O; Amaral, A L; Ferreira, E C

2009-04-01

In recent years, a great deal of attention has been focused on the research of activated sludge processes, where the solid-liquid separation phase is frequently considered of critical importance, due to the different problems that severely affect the compaction and the settling of the sludge. Bearing that in mind, in this work, image analysis routines were developed in Matlab environment, allowing the identification and characterization of microbial aggregates and protruding filaments in eight different wastewater treatment plants, for a combined period of 2 years. The monitoring of the activated sludge contents allowed for the detection of bulking events proving that the developed image analysis methodology is adequate for a continuous examination of the morphological changes in microbial aggregates and subsequent estimation of the sludge volume index. In fact, the obtained results proved that the developed image analysis methodology is a feasible method for the continuous monitoring of activated sludge systems and identification of disturbances.

Space shuttle/food system study. Volume 2, Appendix A: Active heating system-screening analysis. Appendix B: Reconstituted food heating techniques analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

Technical data are presented which were used to evaluate active heating methods to be incorporated into the space shuttle food system design, and also to evaluate the relative merits and penalties associated with various approaches to the heating of rehydrated food during space flight. Equipment heating candidates were subject to a preliminary screening performed by a selection rationale process which considered the following parameters; (1) gravitational effect; (2) safety; (3) operability; (4) system compatibility; (5) serviceability; (6) crew acceptability; (7) crew time; (8) development risk; and (9) operating cost. A hot air oven, electrically heated food tray, and microwave oven were selected for further consideration and analysis. Passive, semi-active, and active food preparation approaches were also studied in an effort to determine the optimum method for heating rehydrated food. Potential complexity, cost, vehicle impact penalties, and palatability were considered in the analysis. A summary of the study results is provided along with cost estimates for each of the potential sytems

Empirical validation of statistical parametric mapping for group imaging of fast neural activity using electrical impedance tomography.

PubMed

Packham, B; Barnes, G; Dos Santos, G Sato; Aristovich, K; Gilad, O; Ghosh, A; Oh, T; Holder, D

2016-06-01

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) allows for the reconstruction of internal conductivity from surface measurements. A change in conductivity occurs as ion channels open during neural activity, making EIT a potential tool for functional brain imaging. EIT images can have  >10 000 voxels, which means statistical analysis of such images presents a substantial multiple testing problem. One way to optimally correct for these issues and still maintain the flexibility of complicated experimental designs is to use random field theory. This parametric method estimates the distribution of peaks one would expect by chance in a smooth random field of a given size. Random field theory has been used in several other neuroimaging techniques but never validated for EIT images of fast neural activity, such validation can be achieved using non-parametric techniques. Both parametric and non-parametric techniques were used to analyze a set of 22 images collected from 8 rats. Significant group activations were detected using both techniques (corrected p  <  0.05). Both parametric and non-parametric analyses yielded similar results, although the latter was less conservative. These results demonstrate the first statistical analysis of such an image set and indicate that such an analysis is an approach for EIT images of neural activity.

Empirical validation of statistical parametric mapping for group imaging of fast neural activity using electrical impedance tomography

PubMed Central

Packham, B; Barnes, G; dos Santos, G Sato; Aristovich, K; Gilad, O; Ghosh, A; Oh, T; Holder, D

2016-01-01

Abstract Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) allows for the reconstruction of internal conductivity from surface measurements. A change in conductivity occurs as ion channels open during neural activity, making EIT a potential tool for functional brain imaging. EIT images can have  >10 000 voxels, which means statistical analysis of such images presents a substantial multiple testing problem. One way to optimally correct for these issues and still maintain the flexibility of complicated experimental designs is to use random field theory. This parametric method estimates the distribution of peaks one would expect by chance in a smooth random field of a given size. Random field theory has been used in several other neuroimaging techniques but never validated for EIT images of fast neural activity, such validation can be achieved using non-parametric techniques. Both parametric and non-parametric techniques were used to analyze a set of 22 images collected from 8 rats. Significant group activations were detected using both techniques (corrected p  <  0.05). Both parametric and non-parametric analyses yielded similar results, although the latter was less conservative. These results demonstrate the first statistical analysis of such an image set and indicate that such an analysis is an approach for EIT images of neural activity. PMID:27203477

Antitumor Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Dendrobium formosum in T-Cell Lymphoma: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

PubMed Central

Prasad, Ritika; Koch, Biplob

2014-01-01

Dendrobium, a genus of orchid, was found to possess useful therapeutic activities like anticancer, hypoglycaemic, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activities. The study was aimed to evaluate the anticancer property of the ethanolic extract of Dendrobium formosum on Dalton's lymphoma. In vitro cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay, apoptosis was determined by fluorescence microscopy, and cell cycle progression was analysed using flow cytometry; in vivo antitumor activity was performed in Dalton's lymphoma bearing mice. The IC50 value of ethanolic extract was obtained at 350 μg/mL in Dalton's lymphoma cells. Fluorescence microscopy analysis showed significant increase in apoptotic cell death in dose- and time-dependent manner which was further confirmed through the resulting DNA fragmentation. Further, flow cytometry analysis showed that the ethanolic extract arrests the cells in G2/M phase of the cell cycle. The in vivo anticancer activity study illustrates significant increase in the survival time of Dalton's lymphoma bearing mice on treatment with ethanolic extract when compared to control. These results substantiate the antitumor properties of ethanolic extract of Dendrobium formosum and suggest an alternative in treatment of cancer. Further studies are required regarding the isolation and characterization of bioactive components along with the analysis of molecular mechanism involved. PMID:24959588

Early Parallel Activation of Semantics and Phonology in Picture Naming: Evidence from a Multiple Linear Regression MEG Study

PubMed Central

Miozzo, Michele; Pulvermüller, Friedemann; Hauk, Olaf

2015-01-01

The time course of brain activation during word production has become an area of increasingly intense investigation in cognitive neuroscience. The predominant view has been that semantic and phonological processes are activated sequentially, at about 150 and 200–400 ms after picture onset. Although evidence from prior studies has been interpreted as supporting this view, these studies were arguably not ideally suited to detect early brain activation of semantic and phonological processes. We here used a multiple linear regression approach to magnetoencephalography (MEG) analysis of picture naming in order to investigate early effects of variables specifically related to visual, semantic, and phonological processing. This was combined with distributed minimum-norm source estimation and region-of-interest analysis. Brain activation associated with visual image complexity appeared in occipital cortex at about 100 ms after picture presentation onset. At about 150 ms, semantic variables became physiologically manifest in left frontotemporal regions. In the same latency range, we found an effect of phonological variables in the left middle temporal gyrus. Our results demonstrate that multiple linear regression analysis is sensitive to early effects of multiple psycholinguistic variables in picture naming. Crucially, our results suggest that access to phonological information might begin in parallel with semantic processing around 150 ms after picture onset. PMID:25005037

School-based extracurricular activity involvement and adolescent self-esteem: a growth-curve analysis.

PubMed

Kort-Butler, Lisa A; Hagewen, Kellie J

2011-05-01

Research on adolescent self-esteem indicates that adolescence is a time in which individuals experience important changes in their physical, cognitive, and social identities. Prior research suggests that there is a positive relationship between an adolescent's participation in structured extracurricular activities and well-being in a variety of domains, and some research indicates that these relationships may be dependent on the type of activities in which adolescents participate. Building on previous research, a growth-curve analysis was utilized to examine self-esteem trajectories from adolescence (age 14) to young adulthood (age 26). Using 3 waves of data from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 5,399; 47.8% male), the analysis estimated a hierarchical growth-curve model emphasizing the effects of age and type of school-based extracurricular activity portfolio, including sports and school clubs, on self-esteem. The results indicated that age had a linear relationship with self-esteem over time. Changes in both the initial level of self-esteem and the growth of self-esteem over time were significantly influenced by the type of extracurricular activity portfolio. The findings were consistent across race and sex. The results support the utility of examining the longitudinal impact of portfolio type on well-being outcomes.

Seizures, refractory status epilepticus, and depolarization block as endogenous brain activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Houssaini, Kenza; Ivanov, Anton I.; Bernard, Christophe; Jirsa, Viktor K.

2015-01-01

Epilepsy, refractory status epilepticus, and depolarization block are pathological brain activities whose mechanisms are poorly understood. Using a generic mathematical model of seizure activity, we show that these activities coexist under certain conditions spanning the range of possible brain activities. We perform a detailed bifurcation analysis and predict strategies to escape from some of the pathological states. Experimental results using rodent data provide support of the model, highlighting the concept that these pathological activities belong to the endogenous repertoire of brain activities.

Predicting Prostate Cancer Progression at Time of Diagnosis

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number...the UCSF specimens given an unexpected finding of different mean scores between the two cohorts and the Canary (Aim 2) specimens. The repeat analysis...PCA3 in an Active Surveillance Cohort: Results from a Baseline Analysis in the Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study” (Lin DW et al, Clin Cancer

Acute Exposure of Medaka to Carcinogens: An Ultrastructural, Cytochemical and Morphometric Analysis of Liver and Kidney

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-20

statements regarding acid phosphatase activity are not possible because of the inconsistency of labeling. Morphometric analysis were conducted on ratios of...may result from the combining of TCE and other toxic substances. The two enzyme systems selected for examination, acid phosphatase and peroxidase are...administration of DENA have demonstrated altered activity of several enzymes, including acid phosphatase (Fischer et al., 1983). Long term treatment of rodents

The Correlation of Active and Passive Microwave Outputs for the Skylab S-193 Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishen, K.

1976-01-01

This paper presents the results of the correlation analysis of the Skylab S-193 13.9 GHz Radiometer/Scatterometer data. Computer analysis of the S-193 data shows more than 50 percent of the radiometer and scatterometer data are uncorrelated. The correlation coefficients computed for the data gathered over various ground scenes indicates the desirability of using both active and passive sensors for the determination of various Earth phenomena.

The Lockheed OSO-8 program. Analysis of data from the mapping X-ray heliometer experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, L. W.; Wolfson, C. J.; Datlowe, D. W.; Mosher, J. M.; Roethig, D. T.; Smith, K. L.

1980-01-01

The final report describes the extent of the analysis effort, and other activities associated with the preservation and documentation of the data set are described. The main scientific results, which are related to the behavior of individual solar activity regions in the energy band 1.5 - 15 keV, are summarized, and a complete bibliography of publications and presentations is given. Copies of key articles are also provided.

A comparative study of neutron activation analysis and proton-induced X-ray emission analysis for the determination of heavy metals in estuarine sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randle, K.; Al-Jundi, J.; Mamas, C. J. V.; Sokhi, R. S.; Earwaker, L. G.

1993-06-01

Our work on heavy metals in the estuarine environment has involved the use of two multielement techniques: neutron activation analysis (NAA) and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis. As PIXE is essentially a surface analytical technique problems may arise due to sample inhomogeneity and surface roughness. In order to assess the contribution of these effects we have compared the results from PIXE analysis with those from a technique which analyzes a larger bulk sample rather than just the surface. An obvious method was NAA. A series of sediment samples containing particles of variable diameter were compared. Pellets containing a few mg of sediment were prepared from each sample and analyzed by the PIXE technique using both an absolute and a comparitive method. For INAA the rest of the sample was then irradiated with thermal neutrons and element concentrations determined from analyses of the subsequent gamma-ray spectrum. Results from the two methods are discussed.

Anticancer effect and structure-activity analysis of marine products isolated from metabolites of mangrove fungi in the South China Sea.

PubMed

Tao, Li-yang; Zhang, Jian-ye; Liang, Yong-ju; Chen, Li-ming; Zhen, Li-sheng; Wang, Fang; Mi, Yan-jun; She, Zhi-gang; To, Kenneth Kin Wah; Lin, Yong-cheng; Fu, Li-wu

2010-04-01

Marine-derived fungi provide plenty of structurally unique and biologically active secondary metabolites. We screened 87 marine products from mangrove fungi in the South China Sea for anticancer activity by MTT assay. 14% of the compounds (11/86) exhibited a potent activity against cancer in vitro. Importantly, some compounds such as compounds 78 and 81 appeared to be promising for treating cancer patients with multidrug resistance, which should encourage more efforts to isolate promising candidates for further development as clinically useful chemotherapeutic drugs. Furthermore, DNA intercalation was not involved in their anticancer activities, as determined by DNA binding assay. On the other hand, the structure-activity analysis indicated that the hydroxyl group was important for their cytotoxic activity and that bulky functional groups such as phenyl rings could result in a loss of biological activity, which will direct the further development of marine product-based derivatives.

Maintaining physical activity over time: the importance of basic psychological need satisfaction in developing the physically active self.

PubMed

Springer, Judy B; Lamborn, Susie D; Pollard, Diane M

2013-01-01

Drawing from self-determination theory, this study investigated adults' perceptions of the process of long-term maintenance of physical activity and how it may relate to their self-identity. Qualitative study included 22 in-depth interviews and participants' recorded personal reflective journals. Health/fitness facility in a Midwestern city. Purposeful sample of 12 adult (age range 29-73 years) members who had engaged in regular physical activity for at least 3 years. Data were collected on participants' perceptions of processes associated with physical activity maintenance. Grounded theory data analysis techniques were used to develop an understanding of participants' long-term physical activity adherence. RESULTS. Analysis revealed three themes organized around basic psychological need satisfaction: (1) Relatedness included receiving and giving support. (2) Competence included challenge and competition, managing weight, and strategies for health management. (3) Autonomy included confidence in the established routine, valuing fitness status, and feeling self-directed. The final theme of physically active self included the personal fit of an active lifestyle, identity as an active person, and attachment to physical activity as life enhancing. Our results suggest that long-term physical activity adherence may be strengthened by promotion of the individual's basic psychological need satisfaction. Adherence is most likely to occur when the value of participation becomes internalized over time as a component of the physically active self.

Using different physical activity measurements in eight European countries. Results of the European Physical Activity Surveillance System (EUPASS) time series survey.

PubMed

Rütten, A; Ziemainz, H; Schena, F; Stahl, T; Stiggelbout, M; Auweele, Y Vanden; Vuillemin, A; Welshman, J

2003-06-01

The European Physical Activity Surveillance System (EUPASS) research project compared several physical activity (PA) measures (including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)) in a time series survey in eight countries of the European Union. The present paper describes first results provided by the different instruments regarding PA participation, frequency and duration, both at the European and national levels. The purpose of the present study is to explore and compare the specific quality and usefulness of different indicators rather than to provide valid and reliable prevalence data. Thus, the main focus is on discussion of the methodological implications of the results presented. A time series survey based on computer-aided telephone interviewing (CATI) was carried out in eight European countries over a six-month period. The study provided for about 100 realised interviews per month in each country (i.e. approximately 600 per country). Descriptive statistical analysis was used to: (1) report IPAQ results on vigorous, moderate and light PA and sitting, as well as on the overall measure of calories expenditure (MET min-1), in the different countries; (2) compare these results with national PA indicators tested in EUPASS; and (3) compare IPAQ results with other European studies. First, the scores for the different PA categories as well as for the overall measure of calories expenditure provided by the IPAQ appeared rather high compared with previous studies and public health recommendations. Second, the different PA measurements used in EUPASS provided completely different results. For example, national indicators used in Germany and The Netherlands to date neither corresponded in absolute values (e.g. means of PA or sitting) nor correlated with the IPAQ in any significant way. Third, comparing EU countries, the ranking for vigorous, moderate and light activities by use of the IPAQ differed from that of other European studies. For example, in the present analysis, German respondents generally showed higher scores for PA than the Finns and the Dutch, while, in contrast, findings from other studies ranked Finland before The Netherlands and Germany. The present analysis highlights some methodological implications of the IPAQ instrument. Among other things, differences in overall scores for PA as well as in the ranking of nations between the present results using IPAQ and other measures and studies may partly be due to the concepts of PA behind the measurements. Further analysis should investigate if the range of PA-related categories provided by the IPAQ is fully appropriate to measure all relevant daily activities; it may also consider the public health implications of mixing up different contexts of PA (e.g. work, leisure-time, transportation) in the IPAQ short version.

Using factor analysis to identify neuromuscular synergies during treadmill walking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merkle, L. A.; Layne, C. S.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Zhang, J. J.

1998-01-01

Neuroscientists are often interested in grouping variables to facilitate understanding of a particular phenomenon. Factor analysis is a powerful statistical technique that groups variables into conceptually meaningful clusters, but remains underutilized by neuroscience researchers presumably due to its complicated concepts and procedures. This paper illustrates an application of factor analysis to identify coordinated patterns of whole-body muscle activation during treadmill walking. Ten male subjects walked on a treadmill (6.4 km/h) for 20 s during which surface electromyographic (EMG) activity was obtained from the left side sternocleidomastoid, neck extensors, erector spinae, and right side biceps femoris, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, and medial gastrocnemius. Factor analysis revealed 65% of the variance of seven muscles sampled aligned with two orthogonal factors, labeled 'transition control' and 'loading'. These two factors describe coordinated patterns of muscular activity across body segments that would not be evident by evaluating individual muscle patterns. The results show that factor analysis can be effectively used to explore relationships among muscle patterns across all body segments to increase understanding of the complex coordination necessary for smooth and efficient locomotion. We encourage neuroscientists to consider using factor analysis to identify coordinated patterns of neuromuscular activation that would be obscured using more traditional EMG analyses.

The validity of self-reported leisure time physical activity, and its relationship to serum cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index. A population based study of 332,182 men and women aged 40-42 years.

PubMed

Aires, Nibia; Selmer, Randi; Thelle, Dag

2003-01-01

The importance of leisure time physical activity as a health indicator became more obvious after the results of large prospective studies were published. The validity of these results depends upon both the selection of the active individuals and to what extent self-reported physical activity reflects the individual's true activity. The purpose of this paper is to describe the changes in self-reported physical activity, and to assess the relation between this variable and other biological risk factors such as blood lipids, blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). This report also aims at corroborating the validity of self-reported physical activity by assessing the consistency of the associations between these biological risk factors and physical activity during a 25-years period. The basis for this analysis is a long lasting observational study with a questionnaire as the most important research instrument, in addition to physiological and biological factors such as BMI, blood pressure and blood lipids. The study population consists of 332,182 individuals, aged 40-42 from different counties in Norway who were invited to participate in health survey during 1974-1999. The objectives of this study are (1) to describe changes in self-reported physical activity from 1974 to 1999; (2) to assess the relation between physical activity and the biological variables; and (3) to corroborate the validity of the variable physical activity by assessing the consistency of the above analysis. The results of the analyses of association between decade of birth and self-reported physical activity show that physical activity among 40-aged individuals decreased during 1974-1999. This trend is stronger among the men. Multivariate analyses revealed differences in BMI and serum cholesterol between levels of self-reported physical activity, gender, smoking habits and decade of birth. The explained percentage of the total variance ranged from 6% for BMI to 7% for serum cholesterol. The similar shape of serum cholesterol and BMI according to physical activity indicates that the validity of self-reported physical activity has remained stable over these 25 years. Furthermore, the analysis of covariance showed that the slopes relating year of birth and serum cholesterol and BMI are parallel for self-reported physical activity thus the validity of the variable is confirmed.

Spectral analysis of the central nervous system effects of the relaxation response elicited by autogenic training.

PubMed

Jacobs, G D; Lubar, J F

1989-01-01

This study examined the effects of the relaxation response, elicited by autogenic training, on central nervous system (CNS) activity. We used computerized spectral analysis of EEG activity as a dependent measure. After baseline EEG data were obtained for all subjects, the experimental group practiced standard autogenic exercises for 15 experimental sessions with home practice. The control subjects received the same number of sessions under identical conditions, except that they listened to a pleasant radio show without home practice. Subjects were then posttested to assess the acute and chronic effects of autogenic training and the relaxation response on CNS activity. The results indicated significant acute effects differences between groups; the experimental group showed greater increases in theta and greater decreases in alpha percent total power. The results suggest that the relaxation response elicited by autogenic training produces significant acute changes in EEG activity and a characteristic spectral pattern; the results also suggest that focusing attention on a repetitive, internal stimulus is a key element in Benson's relaxation response model.

Influence of Marriage and Parenthood on Physical Activity: A 2-Year Prospective Analysis

PubMed Central

Hull, Ethan Edward; Rofey, Dana L.; Robertson, Robert J.; Nagle, Elizabeth F.; Otto, Amy D.; Aaron, Deborah J.

2011-01-01

Background Physical activity (PA) tends to decrease from adolescence to young adulthood, and factors that have been proposed to contribute to this decrease are life transitions. The focus of this study is to examine life transitions, such as marriage and parenthood, and the impact they may have on the physical activity levels of young adults. Methods This 2-year prospective analysis assessed physical activity (hrs/wk) and sociodemographics in young adults (n = 638, 48% male, 15% nonwhite, 24 ± 1.1 years old) via questionnaire. PA data were normalized through log transformations and examined using ANCOVAs, controlling for appropriate covariates. Results ANCOVA results showed that becoming married did not significantly change PA compared with individuals who stayed single [F(1,338) = 0.38, P = .54, d = 0.06]. Conversely, PA was significantly lower [F(1,517) = 6.7, P = .01, d = 0.41] after having a child, compared with individuals who stayed childless. Conclusions These results suggest that marriage does not impact PA in young adults, but having a child significantly decreases PA in parents, and may offer an optimal period of intervention. PMID:20864752

Phytochemical characterization, antimicrobial activity and reducing potential of seed oil, latex, machine oil and presscake of Jatropha curcas

PubMed Central

Sharma, Amit Kumar; Gangwar, Mayank; Kumar, Dharmendra; Nath, Gopal; Kumar Sinha, Akhoury Sudhir; Tripathi, Yamini Bhushan

2016-01-01

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity, phytochemical studies and thin layer chromatography analysis of machine oil, hexane extract of seed oil and methanol extract of presscake & latex of Jatropha curcas Linn (family Euphorbiaceae). Materials and Methods: J. curcas extracts were subjected to preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening to detect the major phytochemicals followed by its reducing power and content of phenol and flavonoids in different fractions. Thin layer chromatography was also performed using different solvent systems for the analysis of a number of constituents in the plant extracts. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the disc diffusion method, while the minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration were calculated by micro dilution method. Results: The methanolic fraction of latex and cake exhibited marked antifungal and antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, steroids, glycosides, phenols and flavonoids. Reducing power showed dose dependent increase in concentration compared to standard Quercetin. Furthermore, this study recommended the isolation and separation of bioactive compounds responsible for the antibacterial activity which would be done by using different chromatographic methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), GC-MS etc. Conclusion: The results of the above study suggest that all parts of the plants possess potent antibacterial activity. Hence, it is important to isolate the active principles for further testing of antimicrobial and other biological efficacy. PMID:27516977

Activation of PPARγ mediates icaritin-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioblastoma multiforme.

PubMed

Liu, Yongji; Shi, Ling; Liu, Yuan; Li, Peng; Jiang, Guoping; Gao, Xiaoning; Zhang, Yongbin; Jiang, Chuanwu; Zhu, Weiping; Han, Hongxing; Ju, Fang

2018-04-01

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent primary malignancy of the brain. This study was designed to investigate whether icaritin exerts anti-neoplastic activity against GBM in vitro. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was utilized to examine the viability of GBM cells. The apoptotic cell population was measured by flow cytometry analysis. Cell cycle distribution was detected by flow cytometry as well. Western blot analysis was performed to examine the level of biomarker proteins in GBM cells. Levels of PPARγ mRNA and protein were detected by qPCR and western blot analysis, respectively. To examine the role of PPARγ in the anti-neoplastic activity of icaritin, PPARγ antagonist GW9662 or PPARγ siRNA was used. The activity of PPARγ was determined by DNA binding and luciferase assays. Our findings revealed that icaritin markedly suppresses cell growth in a dose-dependent and time-dependent fashion. The cell population at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle was significantly increased following icaritin treatment. Meanwhile, icaritin promoted apoptotic cell death in T98G and U87MG cells. Further investigation showed upregulation of PPARγ played a key role in the anti-neoplastic activities of icaritin. Moreover, our result demonstrated activation of AMPK signaling by icaritin mediated the modulatory effect of icaritin on PPARγ. Our results suggest the PPARγ may mediate anti-neoplastic activities against GBM. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Adventures in Modern Time Series Analysis: From the Sun to the Crab Nebula and Beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scargle, Jeffrey

2014-01-01

With the generation of long, precise, and finely sampled time series the Age of Digital Astronomy is uncovering and elucidating energetic dynamical processes throughout the Universe. Fulfilling these opportunities requires data effective analysis techniques rapidly and automatically implementing advanced concepts. The Time Series Explorer, under development in collaboration with Tom Loredo, provides tools ranging from simple but optimal histograms to time and frequency domain analysis for arbitrary data modes with any time sampling. Much of this development owes its existence to Joe Bredekamp and the encouragement he provided over several decades. Sample results for solar chromospheric activity, gamma-ray activity in the Crab Nebula, active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts will be displayed.

Relative phase asynchrony and long-range correlation of long-term solar magnetic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Linhua

2017-07-01

Statistical signal processing is one of the most important tasks in a large amount of areas of scientific studies, such as astrophysics, geophysics, and space physics. Phase recurrence analysis and long-range persistence are the two dynamical structures of the underlying processes for the given natural phenomenon. Linear and nonlinear time series analysis approaches (cross-correlation analysis, cross-recurrence plot, wavelet coherent transform, and Hurst analysis) are combined to investigate the relative phase interconnection and long-range correlation between solar activity and geomagnetic activity for the time interval from 1932 January to 2017 January. The following prominent results are found: (1) geomagnetic activity lags behind sunspot numbers with a phase shift of 21 months, and they have a high level of asynchronous behavior; (2) their relative phase interconnections are in phase for the periodic scales during 8-16 years, but have a mixing behavior for the periodic belts below 8 years; (3) both sunspot numbers and geomagnetic activity can not be regarded as a stochastic phenomenon because their dynamical behaviors display a long-term correlation and a fractal nature. We believe that the presented conclusions could provide further information on understanding the dynamical coupling of solar dynamo process with geomagnetic activity variation, and the crucial role of solar and geomagnetic activity in the long-term climate change.

Effects of growing location on the production of main active components and antioxidant activity of Dasiphora fruticosa (L.) Rydb. by chemometric methods.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Wang, Dongmei; Hou, Xiaogai; Yang, Yueqin; Xue, Xian; Jia, Qishi; Zhang, Lixia; Zhao, Wei; Yin, Dongxue

2018-05-17

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a very important role in the health system of China. The content and activity of active component are main indexes that evaluate the quality of TCM, however they may vary with environmental factors in their growing locations. In this study, effects of environmental factors on the contents of active components and antioxidant activity of Dasiphora fruticosa from the five main production areas of China were investigated. The contents of tannin, total flavonoid and rutin were determined and varied within the range of 7.65-10.69%, 2.30-5.39% and 0.18-0.81%, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH assay, with the DPPH IC 50 values ranged from 8.791 to 32.534μg mL -1 . In order to further explore the cause of these significant geographical variations, the chemometric methods including correlation analysis, principal component analysis, gray correlation analysis, and path analysis were conducted. The results showed environmental factors had significant effect on the active component contents and antioxidant activity. Rapidly available phosphorus (RAP) and rapidly available nitrogen (RAN) were common dominant factors, and a significant positive correlation was observed between RAP and active components and antioxidant activity (P<0.05). Contributed by their high active components and strong antioxidant activity, Bange in Tibet and Geermu in Qinghai Province was selected as a favorable growing location, respectively. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Activation of an AMP-activated protein kinase is involved in post-diapause development of Artemia franciscana encysted embryos.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiao-Jing; Dai, Jie-Qiong; Tan, Xin; Zhao, Yang; Yang, Wei-Jun

2009-03-16

Cysts of Artemia can remain in a dormant state for long periods with a very low metabolic rate, and only resume their development with the approach of favorable conditions. The post-diapause development is a very complicated process involving a variety of metabolic and biochemical events. However, the intrinsic mechanisms that regulate this process are unclear. Herein we report the specific activation of an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the post-diapause developmental process of Artemia. Using a phospho-AMPKalpha antibody, AMPK was shown to be phosphorylated in the post-diapause developmental process. Results of kinase assay analysis showed that this phosphorylation is essential for AMPK activation. Using whole-mount immunohistochemistry, phosphorylated AMPK was shown to be predominantly located in the ectoderm of the early developed embryos in a ring shape; however, the location and shape of the activation region changed as development proceeded. Additionally, Western blotting analysis on different portions of the cyst extracts showed that phosphorylated AMPKalpha localized to the nuclei and this location was not affected by intracellular pH. Confocal microscopy analysis of immunofluorescent stained cyst nuclei further showed that AMPKalpha localized to the nuclei when activated. Moreover, cellular AMP, ADP, and ATP levels in developing cysts were determined by HPLC, and the results showed that the activation of Artemia AMPK may not be associated with cellular AMP:ATP ratios, suggesting other pathways for regulation of Artemia AMPK activity. Together, we report evidence demonstrating the activation of AMPK in Artemia developing cysts and present an argument for its role in the development-related gene expression and energy control in certain cells during post-diapause development of Artemia.

Molecular Dynamics Analysis Reveals Structural Insights into Mechanism of Nicotine N-Demethylation Catalyzed by Tobacco Cytochrome P450 Mono-Oxygenase

PubMed Central

Wang, Shan; Yang, Shuo; An, Baiyi; Wang, Shichen; Yin, Yuejia; Lu, Yang; Xu, Ying; Hao, Dongyun

2011-01-01

CYP82E4, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, has nicotine N-demethylase (NND) activity, which mediates the bioconversion of nicotine into nornicotine in senescing tobacco leaves. Nornicotine is a precursor of the carcinogen, tobacco-specific nitrosamine. CYP82E3 is an ortholog of CYP82E4 with 95% sequence identity, but it lacks NND activity. A recent site-directed mutagenesis study revealed that a single amino acid substitution, i.e., cysteine to tryptophan at the 330 position in the middle of protein, restores the NND activity of CYP82E3 entirely. However, the same amino acid change caused the loss of the NND activity of CYP82E4. To determine the mechanism of the functional turnover of the two molecules, four 3D structures, i.e., the two molecules and their corresponding cys–trp mutants were modeled. The resulting structures exhibited that the mutation site is far from the active site, which suggests that no direct interaction occurs between the two sites. Simulation studies in different biological scenarios revealed that the mutation introduces a conformation drift with the largest change at the F-G loop. The dynamics trajectories analysis using principal component analysis and covariance analysis suggests that the single amino acid change causes the opening and closing of the transfer channels of the substrates, products, and water by altering the motion of the F-G and B-C loops. The motion of helix I is also correlated with the motion of both the F-G loop and the B-C loop and; the single amino acid mutation resulted in the curvature of helix I. These results suggest that the single amino acid mutation outside the active site region may have indirectly mediated the flexibility of the F-G and B-C loops through helix I, causing a functional turnover of the P450 monooxygenase. PMID:21858078

Cost Analysis of Selected Patient Categories Within A Dermatology Department Using an ABC Approach.

PubMed

Papadaki, Šárka; Popesko, Boris

2015-11-17

Present trends in hospital management are facilitating the utilization of more accurate costing methods, which potentially results in superior cost-related information and improved managerial decision-making. However, the Activity-Based Costing method (ABC), which was designed for cost allocation purposes in the 1980s, is not widely used by healthcare organizations. This study analyzes costs related to selected categories of patients, those suffering from psoriasis, varicose ulcers, eczema and other conditions, within a dermatology department at a Czech regional hospital. The study was conducted in a hospital department where both inpatient and outpatient care are offered. Firstly, the diseases treated at the department were identified. Further costs were determined for each activity using ABC. The study utilized data from managerial and financial accounting, as well as data obtained through interviews with departmental staff. Using a defined cost-allocation procedure makes it possible to determine the cost of an individual patient with a given disease more accurately than via traditional costing procedures. The cost analysis focused on the differences between the costs related to individual patients within the selected diagnoses, variations between inpatient and outpatient treatments and the costs of activities performed by the dermatology department. Furthermore, comparing the costs identified through this approach and the revenue stemming from the health insurance system is an option. Activity-Based Costing is more accurate and relevant than the traditional costing method. The outputs of ABC provide an abundance of additional information for managers. The benefits of this research lie in its practically-tested outputs, resulting from calculating the costs of hospitalization, which could prove invaluable to persons involved in hospital management and decision-making. The study also defines the managerial implications of the performed cost analysis for the hospital management. Based on the analysis results, it is possible to standardize activities and performance appraisal (Benchmarking), and provide all necessary information for hospital budgeting practices, especially Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB).

Response-restriction analysis: II. Alteration of activity preferences.

PubMed

Hanley, Gregory P; Iwata, Brian A; Roscoe, Eileen M; Thompson, Rachel H; Lindberg, Jana S

2003-01-01

We used response-restriction (RR) assessments to identify the preferences of 7 individuals with mental retardation for a variety of vocational and leisure activities. We subsequently increased their engagement in nonpreferred activities using several procedures: response restriction per se versus a Premack-type contingency (Study 1), supplemental reinforcement for engagement in target activities (Study 2), and noncontingent pairing of reinforcers with nonpreferred activities (Study 3). Results indicated that preferences are not immutable and can be altered through a variety of relatively benign interventions and that the results of RR assessments may be helpful in determining which types of procedures may be most effective on an individual basis.

Identification of BRCA1 missense substitutions that confer partial functional activity: potential moderate risk variants?

PubMed

Lovelock, Paul K; Spurdle, Amanda B; Mok, Myth T S; Farrugia, Daniel J; Lakhani, Sunil R; Healey, Sue; Arnold, Stephen; Buchanan, Daniel; Couch, Fergus J; Henderson, Beric R; Goldgar, David E; Tavtigian, Sean V; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Brown, Melissa A

2007-01-01

Many of the DNA sequence variants identified in the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 remain unclassified in terms of their potential pathogenicity. Both multifactorial likelihood analysis and functional approaches have been proposed as a means to elucidate likely clinical significance of such variants, but analysis of the comparative value of these methods for classifying all sequence variants has been limited. We have compared the results from multifactorial likelihood analysis with those from several functional analyses for the four BRCA1 sequence variants A1708E, G1738R, R1699Q, and A1708V. Our results show that multifactorial likelihood analysis, which incorporates sequence conservation, co-inheritance, segregation, and tumour immunohistochemical analysis, may improve classification of variants. For A1708E, previously shown to be functionally compromised, analysis of oestrogen receptor, cytokeratin 5/6, and cytokeratin 14 tumour expression data significantly strengthened the prediction of pathogenicity, giving a posterior probability of pathogenicity of 99%. For G1738R, shown to be functionally defective in this study, immunohistochemistry analysis confirmed previous findings of inconsistent 'BRCA1-like' phenotypes for the two tumours studied, and the posterior probability for this variant was 96%. The posterior probabilities of R1699Q and A1708V were 54% and 69%, respectively, only moderately suggestive of increased risk. Interestingly, results from functional analyses suggest that both of these variants have only partial functional activity. R1699Q was defective in foci formation in response to DNA damage and displayed intermediate transcriptional transactivation activity but showed no evidence for centrosome amplification. In contrast, A1708V displayed an intermediate transcriptional transactivation activity and a normal foci formation response in response to DNA damage but induced centrosome amplification. These data highlight the need for a range of functional studies to be performed in order to identify variants with partially compromised function. The results also raise the possibility that A1708V and R1699Q may be associated with a low or moderate risk of cancer. While data pooling strategies may provide more information for multifactorial analysis to improve the interpretation of the clinical significance of these variants, it is likely that the development of current multifactorial likelihood approaches and the consideration of alternative statistical approaches will be needed to determine whether these individually rare variants do confer a low or moderate risk of breast cancer.

Immunomodulatory Activity of Ganoderma atrum Polysaccharide on Purified T Lymphocytes through Ca2+/CaN and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway Based on RNA Sequencing.

PubMed

Xiang, Quan-Dan; Yu, Qiang; Wang, Hui; Zhao, Ming-Ming; Liu, Shi-Yu; Nie, Shao-Ping; Xie, Ming-Yong

2017-07-05

Our previous study has demonstrated that Ganoderma atrum polysaccharide (PSG-1) has immunomodulatory activity on spleen lymphocytes. However, how PSG-1 exerts its effect on purified lymphocytes is still obscure. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory activity of PSG-1 on purified T lymphocytes and further elucidate the underlying mechanism based on RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Our results showed that PSG-1 promoted T lymphocytes proliferation and increased the production of IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-12. Meanwhile, RNA-seq analysis found 394 differentially expressed genes. KEGG pathway analysis identified 20 significant canonical pathways and seven biological functions. Furthermore, PSG-1 elevated intracellular Ca 2+ concentration and calcineurin (CaN) activity and raised the p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38 expression levels. T lymphocytes proliferation and the production of IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-12 were decreased by the inhibitors of calcium channel and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). These results indicated that PSG-1 possesses immunomodulatory activity on purified T lymphocytes, in which Ca 2+ /CaN and MAPK pathways play essential roles.

Human Factors Operability Timeline Analysis to Improve the Processing Flow of the Orion Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlierf, Roland; Stambolian, Damon B.; Miller, Darcy; Posanda, Juan; Haddock, Mike; Haddad, Mike; Tran, Donald; Henderson, Gena; Barth, Tim

2010-01-01

The Constellation Program (CxP) Orion vehicle goes through several areas and stages of processing before its launched at the Kennedy Space Center. In order to have efficient and effective processing, all of the activities need to be analyzed. This was accomplished by first developing a timeline of events that included each activity, and then each activity was analyzed by operability experts and human factors experts with spacecraft processing experience. This papers focus is to explain the results and the process for developing this human factors operability timeline analysis to improve the processing flow of Orion.

Activity recognition using Video Event Segmentation with Text (VEST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holloway, Hillary; Jones, Eric K.; Kaluzniacki, Andrew; Blasch, Erik; Tierno, Jorge

2014-06-01

Multi-Intelligence (multi-INT) data includes video, text, and signals that require analysis by operators. Analysis methods include information fusion approaches such as filtering, correlation, and association. In this paper, we discuss the Video Event Segmentation with Text (VEST) method, which provides event boundaries of an activity to compile related message and video clips for future interest. VEST infers meaningful activities by clustering multiple streams of time-sequenced multi-INT intelligence data and derived fusion products. We discuss exemplar results that segment raw full-motion video (FMV) data by using extracted commentary message timestamps, FMV metadata, and user-defined queries.

Synthesis, Structure And Properties of Electrochemically Active Nanocomposites

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-05-01

milling. Detailed systematic impedance analysis , electronic conductivity measurement and high-resolution electron microscopy studies have shown that...carbon particles determined by TEM analysis . Results of the studies so far have shown that Sn and Si-based nanocomposites appear to be quite promising... Analysis of the As-milled Powders 117 2. Electrochemical Characteristics of Si/SiC Nanocomposites 120 3. Microstructural/Morphological Analysis of

Cross-spectral analysis of physiological tremor and muscle activity. I. Theory and application to unsynchronized electromyogram.

PubMed

Timmer, J; Lauk, M; Pfleger, W; Deuschl, G

1998-05-01

We investigate the relationship between the extensor electromyogram (EMG) and tremor times series in physiological hand tremor by cross-spectral analysis. Special attention is directed to the phase spectrum and the effects of observational noise. We calculate the theoretical phase spectrum for a second-order linear stochastic process and compare the results to measured tremor data recorded from subjects who did not show a synchronized EMG activity in the corresponding extensor muscle. The results show that physiological tremor is well described by the proposed model and that the measured EMG represents a Newtonian force by which the muscle acts on the hand.

Studies on Chromatographic Fingerprint and Fingerprinting Profile-Efficacy Relationship of Polygoni Perfoliati Herba

PubMed Central

Tian, Li; Chen, Hua-Guo; Zhao, Chao; Gong, Xiao-Jian

2013-01-01

Polygoni Perfoliati Herba is widely used in China with antibacterium, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antitumor, and antivirus activities. To reveal the mechanisms of the activities of Polygoni Perfoliati Herba, the relationship between the fingerprinting profile and its bioactivities was investigated. In the present study, high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) fingerprinting method was developed. The established method was applied to analyze 51 batches of Polygoni Perfoliati Herba samples collected from different locations or in different harvesting times in China. Chemometrics, including similarity analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, and principal component analysis, were used to express their similarities. It was found that similarity values of the samples were in the range of 0.432–0.998. The results of analgesic tests indicated that Polygoni Perfoliati Herba could significantly inhibit pain induced by hot plate and acetic acid in mice. The results of anti-inflammatory tests showed that Polygoni Perfoliati Herba had good anti-inflammatory effects (P < 0.01) in two models including dimethyl benzene-induced ear edema and acetic acid-induced peritoneal permeability in mice. Combining the results from chromatographic fingerprints with those from bioactivities, we found that seven peaks from Polygoni Perfoliati Herba were mainly responsible for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. PMID:24023580

Relation of biospeckle activity with quality attributes of apples.

PubMed

Zdunek, Artur; Cybulska, Justyna

2011-01-01

Biospeckle is nondestructive optical technique based on the analysis of variations of laser light scattered from biological samples. Biospeckle activity reflects the state of the investigated object. In this study the relation of biospeckle activity (BA) with firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and starch content (SC) during the shelf life of seven apple cultivars was studied. The results showed that the quality attributes change significantly during storage. Significant and pronounced positive correlation between BA and SC was found. This result shows that degradation of starch granules, which could be stimulated to vibration by intracellular cyclosis, causes a lesser number of laser light scattering centers and results in smaller apparent biospeckle activity.

Relation of Biospeckle Activity with Quality Attributes of Apples

PubMed Central

Zdunek, Artur; Cybulska, Justyna

2011-01-01

Biospeckle is nondestructive optical technique based on the analysis of variations of laser light scattered from biological samples. Biospeckle activity reflects the state of the investigated object. In this study the relation of biospeckle activity (BA) with firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and starch content (SC) during the shelf life of seven apple cultivars was studied. The results showed that the quality attributes change significantly during storage. Significant and pronounced positive correlation between BA and SC was found. This result shows that degradation of starch granules, which could be stimulated to vibration by intracellular cyclosis, causes a lesser number of laser light scattering centers and results in smaller apparent biospeckle activity. PMID:22163957

Atlas-guided volumetric diffuse optical tomography enhanced by generalized linear model analysis to image risk decision-making responses in young adults.

PubMed

Lin, Zi-Jing; Li, Lin; Cazzell, Mary; Liu, Hanli

2014-08-01

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a variant of functional near infrared spectroscopy and has the capability of mapping or reconstructing three dimensional (3D) hemodynamic changes due to brain activity. Common methods used in DOT image analysis to define brain activation have limitations because the selection of activation period is relatively subjective. General linear model (GLM)-based analysis can overcome this limitation. In this study, we combine the atlas-guided 3D DOT image reconstruction with GLM-based analysis (i.e., voxel-wise GLM analysis) to investigate the brain activity that is associated with risk decision-making processes. Risk decision-making is an important cognitive process and thus is an essential topic in the field of neuroscience. The Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) is a valid experimental model and has been commonly used to assess human risk-taking actions and tendencies while facing risks. We have used the BART paradigm with a blocked design to investigate brain activations in the prefrontal and frontal cortical areas during decision-making from 37 human participants (22 males and 15 females). Voxel-wise GLM analysis was performed after a human brain atlas template and a depth compensation algorithm were combined to form atlas-guided DOT images. In this work, we wish to demonstrate the excellence of using voxel-wise GLM analysis with DOT to image and study cognitive functions in response to risk decision-making. Results have shown significant hemodynamic changes in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the active-choice mode and a different activation pattern between genders; these findings correlate well with published literature in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and fNIRS studies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pathway modeling of microarray data: A case study of pathway activity changes in the testis following in utero exposure to dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

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

Ovacik, Meric A.; Sen, Banalata; Euling, Susan Y.

Pathway activity level analysis, the approach pursued in this study, focuses on all genes that are known to be members of metabolic and signaling pathways as defined by the KEGG database. The pathway activity level analysis entails singular value decomposition (SVD) of the expression data of the genes constituting a given pathway. We explore an extension of the pathway activity methodology for application to time-course microarray data. We show that pathway analysis enhances our ability to detect biologically relevant changes in pathway activity using synthetic data. As a case study, we apply the pathway activity level formulation coupled with significancemore » analysis to microarray data from two different rat testes exposed in utero to Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP). In utero DBP exposure in the rat results in developmental toxicity of a number of male reproductive organs, including the testes. One well-characterized mode of action for DBP and the male reproductive developmental effects is the repression of expression of genes involved in cholesterol transport, steroid biosynthesis and testosterone synthesis that lead to a decreased fetal testicular testosterone. Previous analyses of DBP testes microarray data focused on either individual gene expression changes or changes in the expression of specific genes that are hypothesized, or known, to be important in testicular development and testosterone synthesis. However, a pathway analysis may inform whether there are additional affected pathways that could inform additional modes of action linked to DBP developmental toxicity. We show that Pathway activity analysis may be considered for a more comprehensive analysis of microarray data.« less

Efficacy validation of synthesized retinol derivatives In vitro: stability, toxicity, and activity.

PubMed

Han, Hye-Sook; Kwon, Youn-Ja; Park, Myoung-Soon; Park, Si-Ho; Cho, So-Mi Kim; Rho, Young-Soy; Kim, Jin-Wou; Sin, Hong-Sig; Um, Soo-Jong

2003-08-15

Retinol (vitamin A) is used as an antiwrinkle agent in the cosmetics industry. However, its photo-instability makes it unsuitable for use in general cosmetic formulations. To improve the photo-stability of retinol, three derivatives (3, 4, and 5) were synthesized and their biological activities were analyzed. 1H NMR and HPLC analysis indicated that derivatives 3 and 5 were much more stable than retinol under our sunlight exposure conditions. When human adult fibroblasts were treated, the IC(50) of derivative 3 was 96 microM, which is similar to that of retinol, as determined by the MTT assay. Derivatives 4 and 5 were 2.5 and 8 times more toxic than retinol, respectively. At 1 microM treatment, like retinol, derivatives 3 and 4 were specifically active for RARalpha out of six retinoid receptors (RAR/RXRalpha, beta, gamma). Dose-dependent analysis confirmed that derivative 4 was as active as retinol and the other two derivatives were less active for RARalpha. The effect of our derivatives on the expression of collagenase, an indicator of wrinkle formation, was measured using the transient co-expression of c-Jun and RT-PCR in HaCaT cells. Collagenase promoter activity, which is increased by c-Jun expression, was reduced 42% by retinol treatment. The other derivatives inhibited collagenase promoter activity similarly. These results were further confirmed by RT-PCR analysis of the collagenase gene. Taken together, our results suggest that retinol derivative 3 is a promising antiwrinkle agent based on its higher photo-stability, lower RARalpha activity (possibly indicating reduced side effects), and similar effect on collagenase expression.

Oxidative stress status accompanying diabetic bladder cystopathy results in the activation of protein degradation pathways

PubMed Central

Kanika, Nirmala; Chang, Jinsook; Tong, Yuehong; Tiplitsky, Scott; Lin, Juan; Yohannes, Elizabeth; Tar, Moses; Chance, Mark; Christ, George J.; Melman, Arnold; Davies, Kelvin

2010-01-01

Objectives To investigate the role that oxidative stress plays in the development of diabetic cystopathy. Materials and methods Comparative gene expression in the bladder of non-diabetic and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced 2-month-old diabetic rats was carried out using microarray analysis. Evidence of oxidative stress was investigated in the bladder by analyzing glutathione S-transferase activity, lipid peroxidation, and carbonylation and nitrosylation of proteins. The activity of protein degradation pathways was assessed using western blot analysis. Results Analysis of global gene expression showed that detrusor smooth muscle tissue of STZ-induced diabetes undergoes significant enrichment in targets involved in the production or regulation of reactive oxygen species (P = 1.27 × 10−10). The microarray analysis was confirmed by showing that markers of oxidative stress were all significantly increased in the diabetic bladder. It was hypothesized that the sequelae to oxidative stress would be increased protein damage and apoptosis. This was confirmed by showing that two key proteins involved in protein degradation (Nedd4 and LC3B) were greatly up-regulated in diabetic bladders compared to controls by 12.2 ± 0.76 and 4.4 ± 1.0-fold, respectively, and the apoptosis inducing protein, BAX, was up-regulated by 6.76 ± 0.76-fold. Conclusions Overall, the findings obtained in the present study add to the growing body of evidence showing that diabetic cystopathy is associated with oxidative damage of smooth muscle cells, and results in protein damage and activation of apoptotic pathways that may contribute to a deterioration in bladder function. PMID:21518418

Quantitative structure-activity relationship of organosulphur compounds as soybean 15-lipoxygenase inhibitors using CoMFA and CoMSIA.

PubMed

Caballero, Julio; Fernández, Michael; Coll, Deysma

2010-12-01

Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship studies were carried out on a series of 28 organosulphur compounds as 15-lipoxygenase inhibitors using comparative molecular field analysis and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis. Quantitative information on structure-activity relationships is provided for further rational development and direction of selective synthesis. All models were carried out over a training set including 22 compounds. The best comparative molecular field analysis model only included steric field and had a good Q² = 0.789. Comparative molecular similarity indices analysis overcame the comparative molecular field analysis results: the best comparative molecular similarity indices analysis model also only included steric field and had a Q² = 0.894. In addition, this model predicted adequately the compounds contained in the test set. Furthermore, plots of steric comparative molecular similarity indices analysis field allowed conclusions to be drawn for the choice of suitable inhibitors. In this sense, our model should prove useful in future 15-lipoxygenase inhibitor design studies. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Initial analysis of peripheral lymphocytic extracellular signal related kinase activation in autism

PubMed Central

Erickson, Craig A.; Ray, Balmiki; Wink, Logan K.; Bayon, Baindu L.; Pedapati, Ernest V.; Shaffer, Rebecca; Schaefer, Tori L.; Lahiri, Debomoy K.

2018-01-01

Background Dysregulation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activity has been potentially implicated in the pathophysiology of autistic disorder (autism). ERK is part of a central intracellular signaling cascade responsible for a myriad of cellular functions. ERK is expressed in peripheral blood lymphocytes, and measurement of activated (phosphorylated) lymphocytic ERK is commonly executed in many areas of medicine. We sought to conduct the first study of ERK activation in humans with autism by utilizing a lymphocytic ERK activation assay. We hypothesized that ERK activation would be enhanced in peripheral blood lymphocytes from persons with autism compared to those of neurotypical control subjects. Method We conducted an initial study of peripheral lymphocyte ERK activation in 45 subjects with autism and 26 age- and gender-matched control subjects (total n = 71). ERK activation was measured using a lymphocyte counting method (primary outcome expressed as lymphocytes staining positive for cytosolic phosphorylated ERK divided by total cells counted) and additional Western blot analysis of whole cell phosphorylated ERK adjusted for total ERK present in the lymphocyte lysate sample. Results Cytosolic/nuclear localization of pERK activated cells were increased by almost two-fold in the autism subject group compared to matched neurotypical control subjects (cell count ratio of 0.064 ± 0.044 versus 0.034 ± 0.031; p = 0.002). Elevated phosphorylated ERK levels in whole cell lysates also showed increased activated ERK in the autism group compared to controls (n = 54 total) in Western blot analysis. Conclusions The results of this first in human ERK activation study are consistent with enhanced peripheral lymphocytic ERK activation in autism, as well as suggesting that cellular compartmentalization of activated ERK may be altered in this disorder. Future work will be required to explore the impact of concomitant medication use and other subject characteristics such as level of cognitive functioning on ERK activation. Trial Registration Not applicable. PMID:27743527

Comparing Active Pediatric Obesity Treatments Using Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilles, Allyson; Cassano, Michael; Shepherd, Elizabeth J.; Higgins, Diana; Hecker, Jeffrey E.; Nangle, Douglas W.

2008-01-01

The current meta-analysis reviews research on the treatment of pediatric obesity focusing on studies that have been published since 1994. Eleven studies (22 comparisons, 115 effect sizes, N = 447) were included in the present meta-analysis. Results indicated that comprehensive behavioral interventions may be improved in at least two ways:…

Exploratory data analysis of acceleration signals to select light-weight and accurate features for real-time activity recognition on smartphones.

PubMed

Khan, Adil Mehmood; Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Lee, Seok-Won

2013-09-27

Smartphone-based activity recognition (SP-AR) recognizes users' activities using the embedded accelerometer sensor. Only a small number of previous works can be classified as online systems, i.e., the whole process (pre-processing, feature extraction, and classification) is performed on the device. Most of these online systems use either a high sampling rate (SR) or long data-window (DW) to achieve high accuracy, resulting in short battery life or delayed system response, respectively. This paper introduces a real-time/online SP-AR system that solves this problem. Exploratory data analysis was performed on acceleration signals of 6 activities, collected from 30 subjects, to show that these signals are generated by an autoregressive (AR) process, and an accurate AR-model in this case can be built using a low SR (20 Hz) and a small DW (3 s). The high within class variance resulting from placing the phone at different positions was reduced using kernel discriminant analysis to achieve position-independent recognition. Neural networks were used as classifiers. Unlike previous works, true subject-independent evaluation was performed, where 10 new subjects evaluated the system at their homes for 1 week. The results show that our features outperformed three commonly used features by 40% in terms of accuracy for the given SR and DW.

Identification of BRCA1 missense substitutions that confer partial functional activity: potential moderate risk variants?

PubMed Central

Lovelock, Paul K; Spurdle, Amanda B; Mok, Myth TS; Farrugia, Daniel J; Lakhani, Sunil R; Healey, Sue; Arnold, Stephen; Buchanan, Daniel; Investigators, kConFab; Couch, Fergus J; Henderson, Beric R; Goldgar, David E; Tavtigian, Sean V; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Brown, Melissa A

2007-01-01

Introduction Many of the DNA sequence variants identified in the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 remain unclassified in terms of their potential pathogenicity. Both multifactorial likelihood analysis and functional approaches have been proposed as a means to elucidate likely clinical significance of such variants, but analysis of the comparative value of these methods for classifying all sequence variants has been limited. Methods We have compared the results from multifactorial likelihood analysis with those from several functional analyses for the four BRCA1 sequence variants A1708E, G1738R, R1699Q, and A1708V. Results Our results show that multifactorial likelihood analysis, which incorporates sequence conservation, co-inheritance, segregation, and tumour immunohistochemical analysis, may improve classification of variants. For A1708E, previously shown to be functionally compromised, analysis of oestrogen receptor, cytokeratin 5/6, and cytokeratin 14 tumour expression data significantly strengthened the prediction of pathogenicity, giving a posterior probability of pathogenicity of 99%. For G1738R, shown to be functionally defective in this study, immunohistochemistry analysis confirmed previous findings of inconsistent 'BRCA1-like' phenotypes for the two tumours studied, and the posterior probability for this variant was 96%. The posterior probabilities of R1699Q and A1708V were 54% and 69%, respectively, only moderately suggestive of increased risk. Interestingly, results from functional analyses suggest that both of these variants have only partial functional activity. R1699Q was defective in foci formation in response to DNA damage and displayed intermediate transcriptional transactivation activity but showed no evidence for centrosome amplification. In contrast, A1708V displayed an intermediate transcriptional transactivation activity and a normal foci formation response in response to DNA damage but induced centrosome amplification. Conclusion These data highlight the need for a range of functional studies to be performed in order to identify variants with partially compromised function. The results also raise the possibility that A1708V and R1699Q may be associated with a low or moderate risk of cancer. While data pooling strategies may provide more information for multifactorial analysis to improve the interpretation of the clinical significance of these variants, it is likely that the development of current multifactorial likelihood approaches and the consideration of alternative statistical approaches will be needed to determine whether these individually rare variants do confer a low or moderate risk of breast cancer. PMID:18036263

Statistical Analysis of Zebrafish Locomotor Response.

PubMed

Liu, Yiwen; Carmer, Robert; Zhang, Gaonan; Venkatraman, Prahatha; Brown, Skye Ashton; Pang, Chi-Pui; Zhang, Mingzhi; Ma, Ping; Leung, Yuk Fai

2015-01-01

Zebrafish larvae display rich locomotor behaviour upon external stimulation. The movement can be simultaneously tracked from many larvae arranged in multi-well plates. The resulting time-series locomotor data have been used to reveal new insights into neurobiology and pharmacology. However, the data are of large scale, and the corresponding locomotor behavior is affected by multiple factors. These issues pose a statistical challenge for comparing larval activities. To address this gap, this study has analyzed a visually-driven locomotor behaviour named the visual motor response (VMR) by the Hotelling's T-squared test. This test is congruent with comparing locomotor profiles from a time period. Different wild-type (WT) strains were compared using the test, which shows that they responded differently to light change at different developmental stages. The performance of this test was evaluated by a power analysis, which shows that the test was sensitive for detecting differences between experimental groups with sample numbers that were commonly used in various studies. In addition, this study investigated the effects of various factors that might affect the VMR by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results indicate that the larval activity was generally affected by stage, light stimulus, their interaction, and location in the plate. Nonetheless, different factors affected larval activity differently over time, as indicated by a dynamical analysis of the activity at each second. Intriguingly, this analysis also shows that biological and technical repeats had negligible effect on larval activity. This finding is consistent with that from the Hotelling's T-squared test, and suggests that experimental repeats can be combined to enhance statistical power. Together, these investigations have established a statistical framework for analyzing VMR data, a framework that should be generally applicable to other locomotor data with similar structure.

Statistical Analysis of Zebrafish Locomotor Response

PubMed Central

Zhang, Gaonan; Venkatraman, Prahatha; Brown, Skye Ashton; Pang, Chi-Pui; Zhang, Mingzhi; Ma, Ping; Leung, Yuk Fai

2015-01-01

Zebrafish larvae display rich locomotor behaviour upon external stimulation. The movement can be simultaneously tracked from many larvae arranged in multi-well plates. The resulting time-series locomotor data have been used to reveal new insights into neurobiology and pharmacology. However, the data are of large scale, and the corresponding locomotor behavior is affected by multiple factors. These issues pose a statistical challenge for comparing larval activities. To address this gap, this study has analyzed a visually-driven locomotor behaviour named the visual motor response (VMR) by the Hotelling’s T-squared test. This test is congruent with comparing locomotor profiles from a time period. Different wild-type (WT) strains were compared using the test, which shows that they responded differently to light change at different developmental stages. The performance of this test was evaluated by a power analysis, which shows that the test was sensitive for detecting differences between experimental groups with sample numbers that were commonly used in various studies. In addition, this study investigated the effects of various factors that might affect the VMR by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results indicate that the larval activity was generally affected by stage, light stimulus, their interaction, and location in the plate. Nonetheless, different factors affected larval activity differently over time, as indicated by a dynamical analysis of the activity at each second. Intriguingly, this analysis also shows that biological and technical repeats had negligible effect on larval activity. This finding is consistent with that from the Hotelling’s T-squared test, and suggests that experimental repeats can be combined to enhance statistical power. Together, these investigations have established a statistical framework for analyzing VMR data, a framework that should be generally applicable to other locomotor data with similar structure. PMID:26437184

Influence of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum on risk avoidance in addiction: a mediation analysis*

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Dorothy J.; Woo, Choong-Wan; Wager, Tor D.; Regner, Michael F.; Tanabe, Jody

2015-01-01

Background Alterations in frontal and striatal function are hypothesized to underlie risky decision-making in drug users, but how these regions interact to affect behavior is incompletely understood. We used mediation analysis to investigate how prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum together influence risk avoidance in abstinent drug users. Method Thirty-seven abstinent substance-dependent individuals (SDI) and 43 controls underwent fMRI while performing a decision-making task involving risk and reward. Analyses of a priori regions-of-interest tested whether activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and ventral striatum (VST) explained group differences in risk avoidance. Whole-brain analysis was conducted to identify brain regions influencing the negative VST-risk avoidance relationship. Results Right DLPFC (RDLPFC) positively mediated the group-risk avoidance relationship (p < 0.05); RDLPFC activity was higher in SDI and predicted higher risk avoidance across groups, controlling for SDI vs. controls. Conversely, VST activity negatively influenced risk avoidance (p < 0.05); it was higher in SDI, and predicted lower risk avoidance. Whole-brain analysis revealed that, across group, RDLPFC and left temporal-parietal junction positively (p ≤ 0.001) while right thalamus and left middle frontal gyrus negatively (p < 0.005) mediated the VST activity-risk avoidance relationship. Conclusion RDLPFC activity mediated less risky decision-making while VST mediated more risky decision-making across drug users and controls. These results suggest a dual pathway underlying decision-making, which, if imbalanced, may adversely influence choices involving risk. Modeling contributions of multiple brain systems to behavior through mediation analysis could lead to a better understanding of mechanisms of behavior and suggest neuromodulatory treatments for addiction. PMID:25736619

Who are the healthy active seniors? A cluster analysis.

PubMed

Lai, Claudia K Y; Chan, Engle Angela; Chin, Kenny C W

2014-12-01

This paper reports a cluster analysis of a sample recruited from a randomized controlled trial that explored the effect of using a life story work approach to improve the psychological outcomes of older people in the community. 238 subjects from community centers were included in this analysis. After statistical testing, 169 seniors were assigned to the active ageing (AG) cluster and 69 to the inactive ageing (IG) cluster. Those in the AG were younger and healthier, with fewer chronic diseases and fewer depressive symptoms than those in the IG. They were more satisfied with their lives, and had higher self-esteem. They met with their family members more frequently, they engaged in more leisure activities and were more likely to have the ability to move freely. In summary, active ageing was observed in people with better health and functional performance. Our results echoed the limited findings reported in the literature.

Comparative analysis of respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation in Leishmania tarentolae, Crithidia fasciculata, Phytomonas serpens and procyclic stage of Trypanosoma brucei.

PubMed

Verner, Zdeněk; Cermáková, Petra; Skodová, Ingrid; Kováčová, Bianka; Lukeš, Julius; Horváth, Anton

2014-01-01

Trypanosomatids are unicellular parasites living in a wide range of host environments, which to large extent shaped their mitochondrial energy metabolism, resulting in quite large differences even among closely related flagellates. In a comparative manner, we analyzed the activities and composition of mitochondrial respiratory complexes in four species (Leishmania tarentolae, Crithidia fasciculata, Phytomonas serpens and Trypanosoma brucei), which represent the main model trypanosomatids. Moreover, we measured the activity of mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the overall oxygen consumption and the mitochondrial membrane potential in each species. The comparative analysis suggests an inverse relationship between the activities of respiratory complexes I and II, as well as the overall activity of the canonical complexes and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Our comparative analysis shows that mitochondrial functions are highly variable in these versatile parasites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in the Hurst exponent of heartbeat intervals during physical activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinis, M.; Knežević, A.; Krstačić, G.; Vargović, E.

2004-07-01

The fractal scaling properties of the heartbeat time series are studied in different controlled ergometric regimes using both the improved Hurst rescaled range (R/S) analysis and the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). The long-time “memory effect” quantified by the value of the Hurst exponent H>0.5 is found to increase during progressive physical activity in healthy subjects, in contrast to those having stable angina pectoris, where it decreases. The results are also supported by the detrended fluctuation analysis. We argue that this finding may be used as a useful new diagnostic parameter for short heartbeat time series.

The association between physical activity and renal cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Behrens, G; Leitzmann, M F

2013-01-01

Background: Physical activity may decrease renal cancer risk by reducing obesity, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and lipid peroxidation. Despite plausible biologic mechanisms linking increased physical activity to decreased risk for renal cancer, few epidemiologic studies have been able to report a clear inverse association between physical activity and renal cancer, and no meta-analysis is available on the topic. Methods: We searched the literature using PubMed and Web of Knowledge to identify published non-ecologic epidemiologic studies quantifying the relationship between physical activity and renal cancer risk in individuals without a cancer history. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, including information from 19 studies based on a total of 2 327 322 subjects and 10 756 cases. The methodologic quality of the studies was examined using a comprehensive scoring system. Results: Comparing high vs low levels of physical activity, we observed an inverse association between physical activity and renal cancer risk (summary relative risk (RR) from random-effects meta-analysis=0.88; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.79–0.97). Summarising risk estimates from high-quality studies strengthened the inverse association between physical activity and renal cancer risk (RR=0.78; 95% CI=0.66–0.92). Effect modification by adiposity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, smoking, gender, or geographic region was not observed. Conclusion: Our comprehensive meta-analysis provides strong support for an inverse relation of physical activity to renal cancer risk. Future high-quality studies are required to discern which specific types, intensities, frequencies, and durations of physical activity are needed for renal cancer risk reduction. PMID:23412105

In Vitro Antimicrobial Bioassays, DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity, and FTIR Spectroscopy Analysis of Heliotropium bacciferum.

PubMed

Ahmad, Sohail; AbdEl-Salam, Naser M; Ullah, Riaz

2016-01-01

The present study deals with the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and functional group analysis of Heliotropium bacciferum extracts. Disc diffusion susceptibility method was followed for antimicrobial assessment. Noteworthy antimicrobial activities were recorded by various plant extracts against antibiotic resistant microorganisms. Plant flower extracts antioxidant activity was investigated against 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl radical by ultraviolet spectrophotometer (517 nm). Plant extracts displayed noteworthy radical scavenging activities at all concentrations (25-225 μg/mL). Notable activities were recorded by crude, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts up to 88.27% at 225 μg/mL concentration. Compounds functional groups were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies. Alkanes, alkenes, alkyl halides, amines, carboxylic acids, amides, esters, alcohols, phenols, nitrocompounds, and aromatic compounds were identified by FTIR analysis. Thin layer chromatography bioautography was carried out for all plant extracts. Different bands were separated by various solvent systems. The results of the current study justify the use of Heliotropium bacciferum in traditional remedial herbal medicines.

^10B analysis using Charged Particle Activation Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, B. N.; Jin, J. Y.; Duggan, J. D.; McDaniel, F. D.

1997-10-01

Charged Particle Activation analysis (CPAA) is an analytic technique that is used to determine trace quantities of an element usually on the surface of a substrate. The beam from the accelerator is used to make the required nuclear reaction that leaves the residual activity with a measurable half life. Gamma rays from the residual activity are measured to determine the trace quantities of the elements being studied. We have used this technique to study re-entry cloth coatings for space and aircraft vehicles. The clothes made of 20μ m SiC fibers are coated with Boron Nitride. CPAA was used to determine the relative thicknesses of the boron coatings. In particular the ^10B(p,γ)^11C reaction was used. A fast coincidence set up was used to measure the 0.511 MeV annihilation radiation from the 20.38 minute ^11C activity. Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS) results will be presented as a comparison. Details of the process and the experiment will be discussed.

[Preparation of a novel activated carbon coating fiber for solid phase micro-extraction and its application for halocarbon compound analysis in water].

PubMed

Wang, Shutao; Wang, Yan; You, Hong; Liang, Zhihua

2004-09-01

A novel activated carbon coating fiber used for solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) was prepared using activated carbon powder and silica resin adhesive. The extraction properties of the novel activated carbon coating fiber were investigated. The results indicate that this coating fiber has high concentration ability, with enrichment factors for chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene in the range of 13.8 to 18.7. The fiber is stable at temperature as high as 290 degrees C and it can be used for over 140 times at 250 degrees C. The activated carbon coating fiber was then applied to the analysis of the four halocarbon compounds mentioned above. A linear correlation with correlation coefficients between 0.995 2 and 0.999 4 and the detection limits between 0.008 and 0.05 microg/L were observed. The method was also applied to a real water sample analysis and the recoveries of these halocarbon compounds were from 95.5% to 104.6%.

Congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency attributable to a novel PROP1 mutation (467insT).

PubMed

Nose, Osamu; Tatsumi, Keita; Nakano, Yukiko; Amino, Nobuyuki

2006-04-01

Combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) is an anterior pituitary disorder, commonly resulting in growth retardation. PROP1 gene mutations appear to be frequently responsible for CPHD, particularly in Middle and Eastern Europe and the Americas, but few cases have been reported in Japan. Two sisters (aged 8.4 and 4.3 years at presentation) exhibited proportional short stature from about 2 years of age. Genetic analysis determined the nature and location of mutations. Pituitary size by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated only slight hypoplasia, while hormone analysis revealed deficiencies in secretion of growth hormone (GH), thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin and gonadotropins; adrenocortinotropin secretion appeared adequate. Genetic analysis revealed a novel familial inherited PROP1 mutation. A unique insertion mutation was found in codon 156 (467insT) located in the transcription-activating region of the PROP1 gene. The resulting PROP1 protein (191 amino acids) would lack the transcription activation domain and consequently be non-functional. Gene analysis suggested that the siblings had inherited a unique autosomal recessive PROP1 gene mutation resulting in severe GH deficiency and subsequent growth retardation.

The Accounting Classroom--People, Activities, Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayne, F. Blair

1969-01-01

Discusses the classroom components of students, learning activities, and program content in relation to the increased demand for more extensive and detailed analysis of financial information, the increased use of automated data processing equipment, and resulting job shifts and the upgrading of skills. (CH)

Advanced composite vertical stabilizer for DC-10 transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, C. O.

1978-01-01

The structural design configuration for the Composite Vertical Stabilizer is described and the structural design, analysis, and weight activities are presented. The status of fabrication and test activities for the development test portion of the program is described. Test results are presented for the skin panels, spar web, spar cap to cover, and laminate properties specimens. Engineering drawings of vertification test panels and root fittings, rudder support specimens, titanium fittings, and rear spar specimen analysis models are included.

Computer program for determination of concentrations of trace elements in components of water systems by nondestructive activation analysis (in German)

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

Slavic, I.; Draskovic, R.; Tasovac, T.

1973-03-01

A computer program for the determination of trace elements in components of the water systems bed material, suspended material, dissolved substances, plankton, algae) by nondestructive activation analysis was developed. Results of the determination of Cr, Sb, Sc, Fe, Co, Na, and La concentrations in suspended materials from the Danube river, obtained by interpretation of data with a CDC- 3600 computer (64 k words), are presented. (auth)

Motivators for physical activity among ambulatory nursing home older residents.

PubMed

Chen, Yuh-Min; Li, Yueh-Ping

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore self-identified motivators for regular physical activity among ambulatory nursing home older residents. A qualitative exploratory design was adopted. Purposive sampling was performed to recruit 18 older residents from two nursing homes in Taiwan. The interview transcripts were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Five motivators of physical activity emerged from the result of analysis: eagerness for returning home, fear of becoming totally dependent, improving mood state, filling empty time, and previously cultivated habit. Research on physical activity from the perspectives of nursing home older residents has been limited. An empirically grounded understanding from this study could provide clues for promoting and supporting lifelong engagement in physical activity among older residents. The motivators reported in this study should be considered when designing physical activity programs. These motivators can be used to encourage, guide, and provide feedback to support older residents in maintaining physical activity.

A theoretical study on the characteristics of the intermolecular interactions in the active site of human androsterone sulphotransferase: DFT calculations of NQR and NMR parameters and QTAIM analysis.

PubMed

Astani, Elahe K; Heshmati, Emran; Chen, Chun-Jung; Hadipour, Nasser L

2016-07-01

A theoretical study at the level of density functional theory (DFT) was performed to characterize noncovalent intermolecular interactions, especially hydrogen bond interactions, in the active site of enzyme human androsterone sulphotransferase (SULT2A1/ADT). Geometry optimization, interaction energy, (2)H, (14)N, and (17)O electric field gradient (EFG) tensors, (1)H, (13)C, (17)O, and (15)N chemical shielding (CS) tensors, Natural Bonding Orbital (NBO) analysis, and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis of this active site were investigated. It was found that androsterone (ADT) is able to form hydrogen bonds with residues Ser80, Ile82, and His99 of the active site. The interaction energy calculations and NBO analysis revealed that the ADT molecule forms the strongest hydrogen bond with Ser80. Results revealed that ADT interacts with the other residues through electrostatic and Van der Waals interactions. Results showed that these hydrogen bonds influence on the calculated (2)H, (14)N, and (17)O quadrupole coupling constants (QCCs), as well as (1)H, (13)C, (17)O, and (15)N CS tensors. The magnitude of the QCC and CS changes at each nucleus depends directly on its amount of contribution to the hydrogen bond interaction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Unified Framework for Activity Recognition-Based Behavior Analysis and Action Prediction in Smart Homes

PubMed Central

Fatima, Iram; Fahim, Muhammad; Lee, Young-Koo; Lee, Sungyoung

2013-01-01

In recent years, activity recognition in smart homes is an active research area due to its applicability in many applications, such as assistive living and healthcare. Besides activity recognition, the information collected from smart homes has great potential for other application domains like lifestyle analysis, security and surveillance, and interaction monitoring. Therefore, discovery of users common behaviors and prediction of future actions from past behaviors become an important step towards allowing an environment to provide personalized service. In this paper, we develop a unified framework for activity recognition-based behavior analysis and action prediction. For this purpose, first we propose kernel fusion method for accurate activity recognition and then identify the significant sequential behaviors of inhabitants from recognized activities of their daily routines. Moreover, behaviors patterns are further utilized to predict the future actions from past activities. To evaluate the proposed framework, we performed experiments on two real datasets. The results show a remarkable improvement of 13.82% in the accuracy on average of recognized activities along with the extraction of significant behavioral patterns and precise activity predictions with 6.76% increase in F-measure. All this collectively help in understanding the users” actions to gain knowledge about their habits and preferences. PMID:23435057

A Markovian Entropy Measure for the Analysis of Calcium Activity Time Series.

PubMed

Marken, John P; Halleran, Andrew D; Rahman, Atiqur; Odorizzi, Laura; LeFew, Michael C; Golino, Caroline A; Kemper, Peter; Saha, Margaret S

2016-01-01

Methods to analyze the dynamics of calcium activity often rely on visually distinguishable features in time series data such as spikes, waves, or oscillations. However, systems such as the developing nervous system display a complex, irregular type of calcium activity which makes the use of such methods less appropriate. Instead, for such systems there exists a class of methods (including information theoretic, power spectral, and fractal analysis approaches) which use more fundamental properties of the time series to analyze the observed calcium dynamics. We present a new analysis method in this class, the Markovian Entropy measure, which is an easily implementable calcium time series analysis method which represents the observed calcium activity as a realization of a Markov Process and describes its dynamics in terms of the level of predictability underlying the transitions between the states of the process. We applied our and other commonly used calcium analysis methods on a dataset from Xenopus laevis neural progenitors which displays irregular calcium activity and a dataset from murine synaptic neurons which displays activity time series that are well-described by visually-distinguishable features. We find that the Markovian Entropy measure is able to distinguish between biologically distinct populations in both datasets, and that it can separate biologically distinct populations to a greater extent than other methods in the dataset exhibiting irregular calcium activity. These results support the benefit of using the Markovian Entropy measure to analyze calcium dynamics, particularly for studies using time series data which do not exhibit easily distinguishable features.

Regional differences in baseline disease activity and remission rates following golimumab treatment for RA: results from the GO-MORE trial.

PubMed

Durez, Patrick; Pavelka, Karel; Lazaro, Maria Alicia; Garcia-Kutzbach, Abraham; Moots, Robert J; Amital, Howard; Govoni, Marinella; Vastesaeger, Nathan

2018-05-01

GO-MORE (NCT00975130) was a large open-label, multinational, multicenter, prospective phase 3 trial evaluating add-on therapy with golimumab in biologic-naïve patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of this post hoc analysis was to examine regional differences in baseline disease activity and remission rates following golimumab treatment for RA. This was a planned, descriptive post hoc analysis of data from the GO-MORE trial. Baseline disease activity and remission were defined as moderate or severe based on EULAR criteria. This analysis included 3280 participants from the GO-MORE trial. All participants included in this analysis had high or moderate disease activity at baseline. At baseline, high disease activity was least common in Europe (71.0%), Canada (77.0%), and the Middle East (78.2%) and most common in Latin America (90.7%), South Africa (91.5%), and Asia (92.5%). Month 6 remission rates were highest in South Africa (29.1%), Europe (27.9%), and the Middle East (27.3%) and lowest in Canada (19.7%), Latin America (17.2%), and Asia (15.0%). Higher rates of remission in each geographical region generally corresponded with lower baseline disease activity. We suspect that access to care and implementation of the treat-to-target strategy were the most important determinants, but this apparent relationship needs to be confirmed in further studies that include a statistical analysis of prognostic indicators.

Comparative docking and CoMFA analysis of curcumine derivatives as HIV-1 integrase inhibitors.

PubMed

Gupta, Pawan; Garg, Prabha; Roy, Nilanjan

2011-08-01

The docking studies and comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) were performed on highly active molecules of curcumine derivatives against 3' processing activity of HIV-1 integrase (IN) enzyme. The optimum CoMFA model was selected with statistically significant cross-validated r(2) value of 0.815 and non-cross validated r (2) value of 0.99. The common pharmacophore of highly active molecules was used for screening of HIV-1 IN inhibitors. The high contribution of polar interactions in pharmacophore mapping is well supported by docking and CoMFA results. The results of docking, CoMFA, and pharmacophore mapping give structural insights as well as important binding features of curcumine derivatives as HIV-1 IN inhibitors which can provide guidance for the rational design of novel HIV-1 IN inhibitors.

High-resolution analysis of locomotor activity rhythms in disconnected, a visual-system mutant of Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Dowse, H B; Dushay, M S; Hall, J C; Ringo, J M

1989-07-01

Free-running locomotor activity and eclosion rhythms of Drosophila melanogaster, mutant at the disconnected (disco) locus, are substantially different from the wild-type phenotype. Initial periodogram analysis revealed little or no rhythmicity (Dushay et al., 1989). We have reanalyzed the locomotor activity data using high-resolution signal analysis (maximum-entropy spectral analysis, or MESA). These analyses, corroborated by autocorrelograms, uncovered significant residual circadian rhythmicity and strong ultradian rhythms in most of the animals tested. In this regard the disco mutants are much like flies expressing mutant alleles of the period gene, as well as wild-type flies reared throughout life in constant darkness. We hypothesize that light normally triggers the coupling of multiple ultradian oscillators into a functional circadian clock and that this process is disrupted in disco flies as a result of the neural lesion.

Solution XAS Analysis for Exploring the Active Species in Homogeneous Vanadium Complex Catalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nomura, Kotohiro; Mitsudome, Takato; Tsutsumi, Ken; Yamazoe, Seiji

2018-06-01

Selected examples in V K-edge X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) analysis of a series of vanadium complexes containing imido ligands (possessing metal-nitrogen double bond) in toluene solution have been introduced, and their pre-edge and the edge were affected by their structures and nature of ligands. Selected results in exploring the oxidation states of the active species in ethylene dimerization/polymerization using homogeneous vanadium catalysts [consisting of (imido)vanadium(V) complexes and Al cocatalysts] by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analyses have been introduced. It has been demonstrated that the method should provide more clear information concerning the active species in situ, especially by combination with the other methods (NMR and ESR spectra, X-ray crystallographic analysis, and reaction chemistry), and should be powerful tool for study of catalysis mechanism as well as for the structural analysis in solution.

Comment on ``Annual variation of geomagnetic activity'' by Alicia L. Clúa de Gonzales et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonnemann, G. R.

2002-10-01

Clúa de Gonzales et al. (J. Atmos. Terr. Phys. 63 (2001) 367) analyzed the monthly means of the geomagnetic /aa-index available since 1868 and found enhanced geomagnetic activity in July outside of the known seasonal course of semiannual variation. They pointed out that this behavior is mainly caused by the high values of the geomagnetic activity. Their analysis confirmed results obtained from an analysis of Ap-values nearly 30 years ago but widely unknown to the scientific community. At that time the entire year was analyzed using running means of the activity values averaged to the same date. Aside from the July period, the calculations revealed distinct deviations from the seasonal course-called geomagnetic singularities. The most marked singularity occurs from the middle of March to the end of March characterized by a strong increase from, on average, relatively calm values to the actually strongest ones during the entire year. Some typical time patterns around and after equinox are repeated half a year later. An analysis in 1998 on the basis of the available /aa-values confirmed the findings derived from Ap-values and the local activity index Ak from Niemegk, Germany available since 1890. The new results will be presented and discussed. Special attention is paid to the statistical problem of the persistence of geomagnetic perturbations. The main problem under consideration is that the variation of the mean activity is not caused by an accidental accumulation of strong perturbations occurring within certain intervals of days. We assume that the most marked variations of the mean value are not accidental and result from internal processes within the earth's atmosphere but different, particularly small-scale features, are most probably accidental.

When the Viking Missions Discovered Life on the Red Planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianciardi, G.; Miller, J. D.; Straat, P. A.; Levin, G. V.

2012-09-01

The first (and only) dedicated life detection experiments on another planet were performed by the Viking Landers of 1976. In the Viking Labeled Release (LR) experiment of Levin and Straat, injections of organic compounds into Martian soil samples caused radioactive gas to evolve approaching plateaus of 10,000 - 15,000 cpm over several sols (Martian days). These "actives" were run at lander sites 1 and 2 with similar results. In contrast, the LR response to the 160o C control sample soils was very low. In conjunction with the active experiment results this negative result from the controls satisfied the pre-mission criteria for life. However, a controversy immediately arose concerning a biologic interpretation of the data. In an attempt to resolve this issue in the current work, we have employed complexity analysis of the Viking LR data for the initial six sols, and of terrestrial LR pilot studies using bacteria-laden, active soil (Biol 5) and sterilized soil (Biol 6). . Measures of mathematical complexity permitted a deep analysis of signal structure. Martian LR active response data were strongly superimposable upon the terrestrial biological time series, forming a welldefined cluster; and the heat-treated control samples, terrestrial and Martian, also clustered together, but distant from the active group, suggesting that the LR had, indeed, detected biological activity on Mars. The results presente herein are a key subset of the details published earlier by the same authors (IJASS, 13 (1), 14-26, 2012).

Differential and Conditional Activation of PKC-Isoforms Dictates Cardiac Adaptation during Physiological to Pathological Hypertrophy

PubMed Central

Naskar, Shaon; Datta, Kaberi; Mitra, Arkadeep; Pathak, Kanchan; Datta, Ritwik; Bansal, Trisha; Sarkar, Sagartirtha

2014-01-01

A cardiac hypertrophy is defined as an increase in heart mass which may either be beneficial (physiological hypertrophy) or detrimental (pathological hypertrophy). This study was undertaken to establish the role of different protein kinase-C (PKC) isoforms in the regulation of cardiac adaptation during two types of cardiac hypertrophy. Phosphorylation of specific PKC-isoforms and expression of their downstream proteins were studied during physiological and pathological hypertrophy in 24 week male Balb/c mice (Mus musculus) models, by reverse transcriptase-PCR, western blot analysis and M-mode echocardiography for cardiac function analysis. PKC-δ was significantly induced during pathological hypertrophy while PKC-α was exclusively activated during physiological hypertrophy in our study. PKC-δ activation during pathological hypertrophy resulted in cardiomyocyte apoptosis leading to compromised cardiac function and on the other hand, activation of PKC-α during physiological hypertrophy promoted cardiomyocyte growth but down regulated cellular apoptotic load resulting in improved cardiac function. Reversal in PKC-isoform with induced activation of PKC-δ and simultaneous inhibition of phospho-PKC-α resulted in an efficient myocardium to deteriorate considerably resulting in compromised cardiac function during physiological hypertrophy via augmentation of apoptotic and fibrotic load. This is the first report where PKC-α and -δ have been shown to play crucial role in cardiac adaptation during physiological and pathological hypertrophy respectively thereby rendering compromised cardiac function to an otherwise efficient heart by conditional reversal of their activation. PMID:25116170

How the Process of the CSR Activities Works on Private Hospitals and Pharmaceutical Firms: Multiple Case Study from Strategic Perspective.

PubMed

Yıldırım, Mustafa; Dinçer, Mustafa Abdül Metin

2018-06-23

The phenomenon of corporate social responsibility "CSR" has stimulated lots of debates and disagreement among the business scholars. One of the most howling sounds comes from strategy and CSR thinkers. Strategic thinkers of this debate believe that CSR is not only an accountability action but also it is countability action. Due to this countability action heavily based on profit, the scholar of strategy field stated that strategic thinking lens should revise the phenomenon of CSR and the result of its activities. To this end in this study, we examine the CSR activities, especially philanthropy activities (sports, art sponsorships, etc.) from strategy perspectives. And the question of this study is "How the process of the CSR activities work on private hospitals and pharmaceutical firms?" In this framework, private hospitals, pharmaceutical firms in Turkey, and their CSR activity and global compact reports are used as the cases of the study. We make qualitative content analysis, and the documents in this study are analyzed with qualitative analysis software (MAXQDA). The results which were obtained from the analysis are considered important by the researchers since it is shown in this multiple case study that private hospitals and pharmaceutical firms have to focus on some specific points in their social responsibility activities to get competitive superiority for themselves and gain profit in the long term. While the CSR orientation of the private hospitals concentrates on sports dimension, the direction of pharmaceutical firms is on education dimension. In both fields, the cases construct their CSR activities on these two dimensions or relate their other CSR activities with these dimensions.

Phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial, antioxidant activities and total phenols of Ferulago carduchorum in two vegetative stages (flower and fruit).

PubMed

Golfakhrabadi, Fereshteh; Shams Ardekani, Mohammad Reza; Saeidnia, Soodabeh; Yousefbeyk, Fatemeh; Jamalifar, Hossein; Ramezani, Nasrin; Akbarzadeh, Tahmineh; Khanavi, Mahnaz

2016-03-01

Ferulago carduchorum (Apiaceae family) is an endemic plant of Iran. The crude extract and four fractions of aerial parts of F. carduchorum in two vegetative stages (flower and fruit) were studied for their total phenolic contents, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities using folin-ciocalteu assay, micro dilution method and DPPH assay, respectively. The results indicated that the best antioxidant activity was determined in flower crude extract (IC50=0.44 mg/mL). The flower ethyl acetate fraction (FLE) showed better antimicrobial and antifungal activities than other fractions. So, FLE was selected for phytochemical investigations, resulting in isolation of a flavonoid (hesperetin). Hesperetin showed antimicrobial activity. The results showed that the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects during the flowering are obviously more than the fruit season.

High variability in results of semen analysis in andrology laboratories in Tuscany (Italy): the experience of an external quality control (EQC) programme.

PubMed

Filimberti, E; Degl'Innocenti, S; Borsotti, M; Quercioli, M; Piomboni, P; Natali, I; Fino, M G; Caglieresi, C; Criscuoli, L; Gandini, L; Biggeri, A; Maggi, M; Baldi, E

2013-05-01

We report the results of the first three trials of an external quality control (EQC) programme performed in 71 laboratories executing semen analysis in Tuscany Region (Italy). At the end of the second trial, participants were invited to attend a teaching course illustrating and inviting to adhere to procedures recommended by WHO (V edition). Results of the first three trials of the EQC documented a huge variability in the procedures and the results. The highest variability was found for morphology (CV above 80% for all the trials), followed by count (CV of about 60% for all the trials) and motility (CV below 30% for all the trials). When results of sperm count and morphology were divided according to the used method, mean CV values did not show significant differences. CV for morphology dropped significantly at the third trial for most methods, indicating the usefulness of the teaching course for morphology assessment. Conversely, no differences were observed after the course for motility and for most methods to evaluate count, although CV values were lower at the second and third trial for the laboratories using the Burker cytometer. When results were divided according to tertiles of activity, the lowest mean bias values (difference between each laboratory result and the median value of the results) for count and morphology were observed for laboratories in the third tertile (performing over 200 semen analysis/year). Of interest, mean bias values for concentration dropped significantly at the third trial for low activity laboratories. In conclusion, lack of agreement of results of semen analysis in Tuscany is mainly because of the activity and the experience of the laboratory. Our study points out the importance of participating in EQC programmes and periodical teaching courses as well as the use of WHO recommended standardized procedures to increase precision and to allow the use of WHO reference values. © 2013 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

In vitro anti-plasmodial activity of Dicoma anomala subsp. gerrardii (Asteraceae): identification of its main active constituent, structure-activity relationship studies and gene expression profiling.

PubMed

Becker, John V W; van der Merwe, Marina M; van Brummelen, Anna C; Pillay, Pamisha; Crampton, Bridget G; Mmutlane, Edwin M; Parkinson, Chris; van Heerden, Fanie R; Crouch, Neil R; Smith, Peter J; Mancama, Dalu T; Maharaj, Vinesh J

2011-10-11

Anti-malarial drug resistance threatens to undermine efforts to eliminate this deadly disease. The resulting omnipresent requirement for drugs with novel modes of action prompted a national consortium initiative to discover new anti-plasmodial agents from South African medicinal plants. One of the plants selected for investigation was Dicoma anomala subsp. gerrardii, based on its ethnomedicinal profile. Standard phytochemical analysis techniques, including solvent-solvent extraction, thin-layer- and column chromatography, were used to isolate the main active constituent of Dicoma anomala subsp. gerrardii. The crystallized pure compound was identified using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography. The compound was tested in vitro on Plasmodium falciparum cultures using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) assay and was found to have anti-malarial activity. To determine the functional groups responsible for the activity, a small collection of synthetic analogues was generated - the aim being to vary features proposed as likely to be related to the anti-malarial activity and to quantify the effect of the modifications in vitro using the pLDH assay. The effects of the pure compound on the P. falciparum transcriptome were subsequently investigated by treating ring-stage parasites (alongside untreated controls), followed by oligonucleotide microarray- and data analysis. The main active constituent was identified as dehydrobrachylaenolide, a eudesmanolide-type sesquiterpene lactone. The compound demonstrated an in vitro IC50 of 1.865 μM against a chloroquine-sensitive strain (D10) of P. falciparum. Synthetic analogues of the compound confirmed an absolute requirement that the α-methylene lactone be present in the eudesmanolide before significant anti-malarial activity was observed. This feature is absent in the artemisinins and suggests a different mode of action. Microarray data analysis identified 572 unique genes that were differentially expressed as a result of the treatment and gene ontology analysis identified various biological processes and molecular functions that were significantly affected. Comparison of the dehydrobrachylaenolide treatment transcriptional dataset with a published artesunate (also a sesquiterpene lactone) dataset revealed little overlap. These results strengthen the notion that the isolated compound and the artemisinins have differentiated modes of action. The novel mode of action of dehydrobrachylaenolide, detected during these studies, will play an ongoing role in advancing anti-plasmodial drug discovery efforts.

CF 6 engine diagnostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stricklin, R.

1981-01-01

A summary of the activities which led to defining deterioration rates of the CF6 family of engines, a description of what was learned, and an identification of means of conserving fuel based upon the program findings are presented. The program to define the deterioration levels and modes for the CF6 family of engines involved four distinct phases: analysis of inbound engine test results, analysis of airline cruise data, analysis of airline test cell data resulting from testing of refurbished engines, and inspection of engine hardware.

Dynamical mean-field theory and weakly non-linear analysis for the phase separation of active Brownian particles

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

Speck, Thomas; Menzel, Andreas M.; Bialké, Julian

2015-06-14

Recently, we have derived an effective Cahn-Hilliard equation for the phase separation dynamics of active Brownian particles by performing a weakly non-linear analysis of the effective hydrodynamic equations for density and polarization [Speck et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 218304 (2014)]. Here, we develop and explore this strategy in more detail and show explicitly how to get to such a large-scale, mean-field description starting from the microscopic dynamics. The effective free energy emerging from this approach has the form of a conventional Ginzburg-Landau function. On the coarsest scale, our results thus agree with the mapping of active phase separation ontomore » that of passive fluids with attractive interactions through a global effective free energy (motility-induced phase transition). Particular attention is paid to the square-gradient term necessary for the phase separation kinetics. We finally discuss results from numerical simulations corroborating the analytical results.« less

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, thermal studies, catalytic epoxidation and biological activity of chromium and molybdenum hexacarbonyl bound to a novel N 2O 2 Schiff base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel Aziz, Ayman A.

2010-08-01

Complexes of M(CO) 6 (M = Cr and Mo) with novel Schiff base N,N'-bis(salicylidene)4,5-dichloro-1,2-phenylenediamine (H 2L) were prepared in benzene in two different conditions: (i) under reduced pressure resulting the dicarbonyl precursors [Cr(CO) 2(H 2L)] and [Mo(CO) 2(L)] and (ii) in air resulting the oxo complex [Cr(O)(L)] and the dioxo complex [Mo(O) 2(L)]. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR, mass spectrometry, and magnetic measurement. Thermal behaviors of the complexes were also studied by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The catalytic activity of the novel complexes in the epoxidation of cyclooctene, cyclohexene, 1-octene and 1-hexene with tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (TBHP) in methylene chloride was investigated. The antimicrobial activities of the ligand and their complexes have been screened against various strains of bacteria and fungi and the results have been compared with some known antibiotics.

Diagnosing Developmental Dyscalculia on the Basis of Reliable Single Case FMRI Methods: Promises and Limitations

PubMed Central

Dinkel, Philipp Johannes; Willmes, Klaus; Krinzinger, Helga; Konrad, Kerstin; Koten Jr, Jan Willem

2013-01-01

FMRI-studies are mostly based on a group study approach, either analyzing one group or comparing multiple groups, or on approaches that correlate brain activation with clinically relevant criteria or behavioral measures. In this study we investigate the potential of fMRI-techniques focusing on individual differences in brain activation within a test-retest reliability context. We employ a single-case analysis approach, which contrasts dyscalculic children with a control group of typically developing children. In a second step, a support-vector machine analysis and cluster analysis techniques served to investigate similarities in multivariate brain activation patterns. Children were confronted with a non-symbolic number comparison and a non-symbolic exact calculation task during fMRI acquisition. Conventional second level group comparison analysis only showed small differences around the angular gyrus bilaterally and the left parieto-occipital sulcus. Analyses based on single-case statistical procedures revealed that developmental dyscalculia is characterized by individual differences predominantly in visual processing areas. Dyscalculic children seemed to compensate for relative under-activation in the primary visual cortex through an upregulation in higher visual areas. However, overlap in deviant activation was low for the dyscalculic children, indicating that developmental dyscalculia is a disorder characterized by heterogeneous brain activation differences. Using support vector machine analysis and cluster analysis, we tried to group dyscalculic and typically developing children according to brain activation. Fronto-parietal systems seem to qualify for a distinction between the two groups. However, this was only effective when reliable brain activations of both tasks were employed simultaneously. Results suggest that deficits in number representation in the visual-parietal cortex get compensated for through finger related aspects of number representation in fronto-parietal cortex. We conclude that dyscalculic children show large individual differences in brain activation patterns. Nonetheless, the majority of dyscalculic children can be differentiated from controls employing brain activation patterns when appropriate methods are used. PMID:24349547

Diagnosing developmental dyscalculia on the basis of reliable single case FMRI methods: promises and limitations.

PubMed

Dinkel, Philipp Johannes; Willmes, Klaus; Krinzinger, Helga; Konrad, Kerstin; Koten, Jan Willem

2013-01-01

FMRI-studies are mostly based on a group study approach, either analyzing one group or comparing multiple groups, or on approaches that correlate brain activation with clinically relevant criteria or behavioral measures. In this study we investigate the potential of fMRI-techniques focusing on individual differences in brain activation within a test-retest reliability context. We employ a single-case analysis approach, which contrasts dyscalculic children with a control group of typically developing children. In a second step, a support-vector machine analysis and cluster analysis techniques served to investigate similarities in multivariate brain activation patterns. Children were confronted with a non-symbolic number comparison and a non-symbolic exact calculation task during fMRI acquisition. Conventional second level group comparison analysis only showed small differences around the angular gyrus bilaterally and the left parieto-occipital sulcus. Analyses based on single-case statistical procedures revealed that developmental dyscalculia is characterized by individual differences predominantly in visual processing areas. Dyscalculic children seemed to compensate for relative under-activation in the primary visual cortex through an upregulation in higher visual areas. However, overlap in deviant activation was low for the dyscalculic children, indicating that developmental dyscalculia is a disorder characterized by heterogeneous brain activation differences. Using support vector machine analysis and cluster analysis, we tried to group dyscalculic and typically developing children according to brain activation. Fronto-parietal systems seem to qualify for a distinction between the two groups. However, this was only effective when reliable brain activations of both tasks were employed simultaneously. Results suggest that deficits in number representation in the visual-parietal cortex get compensated for through finger related aspects of number representation in fronto-parietal cortex. We conclude that dyscalculic children show large individual differences in brain activation patterns. Nonetheless, the majority of dyscalculic children can be differentiated from controls employing brain activation patterns when appropriate methods are used.

Decoding magnetoencephalographic rhythmic activity using spectrospatial information.

PubMed

Kauppi, Jukka-Pekka; Parkkonen, Lauri; Hari, Riitta; Hyvärinen, Aapo

2013-12-01

We propose a new data-driven decoding method called Spectral Linear Discriminant Analysis (Spectral LDA) for the analysis of magnetoencephalography (MEG). The method allows investigation of changes in rhythmic neural activity as a result of different stimuli and tasks. The introduced classification model only assumes that each "brain state" can be characterized as a combination of neural sources, each of which shows rhythmic activity at one or several frequency bands. Furthermore, the model allows the oscillation frequencies to be different for each such state. We present decoding results from 9 subjects in a four-category classification problem defined by an experiment involving randomly alternating epochs of auditory, visual and tactile stimuli interspersed with rest periods. The performance of Spectral LDA was very competitive compared with four alternative classifiers based on different assumptions concerning the organization of rhythmic brain activity. In addition, the spectral and spatial patterns extracted automatically on the basis of trained classifiers showed that Spectral LDA offers a novel and interesting way of analyzing spectrospatial oscillatory neural activity across the brain. All the presented classification methods and visualization tools are freely available as a Matlab toolbox. © 2013.

I like to jump on my trampoline: an analysis of drawings from 8- to 12-year-old children beginning a weight-management program.

PubMed

Walker, Kathleen; Caine-Bish, Natalie; Wait, Samantha

2009-07-01

The main objective of this exploratory study was to assess children's perceptions of their activity choices as they began a weight-management program for overweight children and their families. During pretesting of a 10-week weight-management program, participating children were asked to draw pictures of themselves doing something. The drawings of 35 children, ages 8 to 12, were qualitatively analyzed. The analysis focused on (a) the type of activities (i.e., physical or sedentary) children chose to convey, (b) the specific focus of the activities described, (c) the children's future activity choices, and (d) the children's responses to the activities they drew. Seventy-one percent of the participating children drew themselves engaged in a physical activity. These results are notable and suggest positive perceptions of physical activities. Children's views related to their activity choices might play a role in designing weight-management programs that successfully increase children's adherence to long-term physical activity.

Energy demand and thermal comfort of HVAC systems with thermally activated building systems as a function of user profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pałaszyńska, Katarzyna; Bandurski, Karol; Porowski, Mieczysław

2017-11-01

Thermally Activated Building Systems (TABS) are a way to use building structure as a thermal energy storage. As a result, renewable energy sources may be used more efficiently. The paper presents numerical analysis of a HVAC system with TABS energy demand and indoor thermal comfort of a representative room in a non-residential building (governmental, commercial, educational). The purpose of analysis is to investigate the influence of a user profile on system performance. The time span of the analysis is one year - a typical meteorological year. The model was prepared using a generally accepted simulation tool - TRNSYS 17. The results help to better understand the interaction of a user profile with TABS. Therefore they are important for the development of optimal control algorithms for energy efficient buildings equipped with such systems.

Removal of detergents from protein extracts using activated charcoal prior to immunological analysis.

PubMed

Malhas, Ashraf N; Abuknesha, Ramadan A; Price, Robert G

2002-06-01

The use of dextran-coated activated charcoal (DCC) powder to absorb solubilising detergents from cell lysates is described. Normal embryonic epithelial cells were lysed in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The detergent was then absorbed with DCC to facilitate analysis of polycystin-1 with antibody-based methods. Polycystin-1 is a membrane protein that is involved in the pathogenesis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The adverse effect of SDS on antibody-polycystin-1 binding was studied and the improvement resulting from its removal demonstrated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The results indicate that DCC can be used in a simple manner to remove highly reactive membrane-solubilising reagents from protein mixtures prior to immunological analysis. This procedure may be relevant to a variety of other techniques that are normally affected by detergents.

Communication and coordination demands of railroad roadway worker activities and implications for new technology

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-11-01

This report documents the results of a cognitive task analysis (CTA) that examined the cognitive and collaborative demands and : activities of railroad roadway workers. The purpose of the CTA of roadway workers was to understand the factors that comp...

Comprehending APA Style through Manuscript Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Gabie E.; Eggleston, Tami J.

2001-01-01

Describes an activity designed to enhance undergraduate student comprehension of the American Psychological Association (APA) manual and style where students examined a poorly written paper for errors in relation to the APA guidelines. Reports the results of a study that tested the effectiveness of the activity. (CMK)

Evidence-Centered Design: Recommendations for Implementation and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrickson, Amy; Ewing, Maureen; Kaliski, Pamela; Huff, Kristen

2013-01-01

Evidence-centered design (ECD) is an orientation towards assessment development. It differs from conventional practice in several ways and consists of multiple activities. Each of these activities results in a set of useful documentation: domain analysis, domain modeling, construction of the assessment framework, and assessment…

Synchrotron Analysis Of Metal Immobilization In Sediments

EPA Science Inventory

Heavy metal contamination is a problem at many marine and fresh water environments as a result of industrial and military activities. Metals such as lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and chromium (Cr) are common contaminants in sediments due to many Navy activities. The mobile...

RTEMS CENTRE- RTEMS Improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Helder; Constantino, Alexandre; Freitas, Daniel; Coutinho, Manuel; Faustino, Sergio; Sousa, Jose; Dias, Luis; Zulianello, Marco

2010-08-01

During the last two years, EDISOFT's RTEMS CENTRE team [1], jointly with the European Space Agency and with the support of the worldwide RTEMS community [2], have been developing an activity to facilitate the qualification of the real-time operating system RTEMS (Real-Time Operating System for Multiprocessor Systems). This paper intends to give a high level visibility of the progress and the results obtained in the RTEMS Improvement [3] activity. The primary objective [4] of the project is to improve the RTEMS product, its documentation and to facilitate the qualification of RTEMS for future space missions, taking into consideration the specific operational requirements. The sections below provide a brief overview of the RTEMS operating system and the activities performed in the RTEMS Improvement project, which includes the selection of API managers to be qualified, the tailoring process, the requirements analysis, the reverse engineering and design of the RTEMS, the quality assurance process, the ISVV activities, the test campaign, the results obtained, the criticality analysis and the facilitation of qualification process.

Coexistence and local μ-stability of multiple equilibrium points for memristive neural networks with nonmonotonic piecewise linear activation functions and unbounded time-varying delays.

PubMed

Nie, Xiaobing; Zheng, Wei Xing; Cao, Jinde

2016-12-01

In this paper, the coexistence and dynamical behaviors of multiple equilibrium points are discussed for a class of memristive neural networks (MNNs) with unbounded time-varying delays and nonmonotonic piecewise linear activation functions. By means of the fixed point theorem, nonsmooth analysis theory and rigorous mathematical analysis, it is proven that under some conditions, such n-neuron MNNs can have 5 n equilibrium points located in ℜ n , and 3 n of them are locally μ-stable. As a direct application, some criteria are also obtained on the multiple exponential stability, multiple power stability, multiple log-stability and multiple log-log-stability. All these results reveal that the addressed neural networks with activation functions introduced in this paper can generate greater storage capacity than the ones with Mexican-hat-type activation function. Numerical simulations are presented to substantiate the theoretical results. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interaction between Calpain 5, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta genes: a polygenic approach to obesity

PubMed Central

Sáez, María E; Grilo, Antonio; Morón, Francisco J; Manzano, Luis; Martínez-Larrad, María T; González-Pérez, Antonio; Serrano-Hernando, Javier; Ruiz, Agustín; Ramírez-Lorca, Reposo; Serrano-Ríos, Manuel

2008-01-01

Context Obesity is a multifactorial disorder, that is, a disease determined by the combined effect of genes and environment. In this context, polygenic approaches are needed. Objective To investigate the possibility of the existence of a crosstalk between the CALPAIN 10 homologue CALPAIN 5 and nuclear receptors of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors family. Design Cross-sectional, genetic association study and gene-gene interaction analysis. Subjects The study sample comprise 1953 individuals, 725 obese (defined as body mass index ≥ 30) and 1228 non obese subjects. Results In the monogenic analysis, only the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARD) gene was associated with obesity (OR = 1.43 [1.04–1.97], p = 0.027). In addition, we have found a significant interaction between CAPN5 and PPARD genes (p = 0.038) that reduces the risk for obesity in a 55%. Conclusion Our results suggest that CAPN5 and PPARD gene products may also interact in vivo. PMID:18657264

Combined 3D-QSAR modeling and molecular docking study on azacycles CCR5 antagonists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Yongjun; Shu, Mao; Lin, Yong; Wang, Yuanqiang; Wang, Rui; Hu, Yong; Lin, Zhihua

2013-08-01

The beta chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is an attractive target for pharmaceutical industry in the HIV-1, inflammation and cancer therapeutic areas. In this study, we have developed quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) models for a series of 41 azacycles CCR5 antagonists using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA), comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA), and Topomer CoMFA methods. The cross-validated coefficient q2 values of 3D-QASR (CoMFA, CoMSIA, and Topomer CoMFA) methods were 0.630, 0.758, and 0.852, respectively, the non-cross-validated R2 values were 0.979, 0.978, and 0.990, respectively. Docking studies were also employed to determine the most probable binding mode. 3D contour maps and docking results suggested that bulky groups and electron-withdrawing groups on the core part would decrease antiviral activity. Furthermore, docking results indicated that H-bonds and π bonds were favorable for antiviral activities. Finally, a set of novel derivatives with predicted activities were designed.

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and biological activities of N4O2 Schiff base ligand and its metal complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Resayes, Saud I.; Shakir, Mohammad; Abbasi, Ambreen; Amin, Kr. Mohammad Yusuf; Lateef, Abdul

The Schiff base ligand, bis(indoline-2-one)triethylenetetramine (L) obtained from condensation of triethylenetetramine and isatin was used to synthesize the complexes of type, [ML]Cl2 [M = Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)]. L was characterized on the basis of the results of elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, mass spectroscopic studies. The stoichiometry, bonding and stereochemistries of complexes were ascertained on the basis of results of elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility values, molar conductance and various spectroscopic studies. EPR, UV-vis and magnetic moments revealed an octahedral geometry for complexes. L and its Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes were screened for their antibacterial activity. Analgesic activity of Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes was also tested in rats by tail flick method. Both complexes were found to possess good antibacterial and moderate analgesic activity.

Analysis of Acoustic Emission Parameters from Corrosion of AST Bottom Plate in Field Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jomdecha, C.; Jirarungsatian, C.; Suwansin, W.

Field testing of aboveground storage tank (AST) to monitor corrosion of the bottom plate is presented in this chapter. AE testing data of the ten AST with different sizes, materials, and products were employed to monitor the bottom plate condition. AE sensors of 30 and 150 kHz were used to monitor the corrosion activity of up to 24 channels including guard sensors. Acoustic emission (AE) parameters were analyzed to explore the AE parameter patterns of occurring corrosion compared to the laboratory results. Amplitude, count, duration, and energy were main parameters of analysis. Pattern recognition technique with statistical was implemented to eliminate the electrical and environmental noises. The results showed the specific AE patterns of corrosion activities related to the empirical results. In addition, plane algorithm was utilized to locate the significant AE events from corrosion. Both results of parameter patterns and AE event locations can be used to interpret and locate the corrosion activities. Finally, basic statistical grading technique was used to evaluate the bottom plate condition of the AST.

Exogenous vs. endogenous attention: Shifting the balance of fronto-parietal activity.

PubMed

Meyer, Kristin N; Du, Feng; Parks, Emily; Hopfinger, Joseph B

2018-03-01

Despite behavioral and electrophysiological evidence for dissociations between endogenous (voluntary) and exogenous (reflexive) attention, fMRI results have yet to consistently and clearly differentiate neural activation patterns between these two types of attention. This study specifically aimed to determine whether activity in the dorsal fronto-parietal network differed between endogenous and exogenous conditions. Participants performed a visual discrimination task in endogenous and exogenous attention conditions while undergoing fMRI scanning. Analyses revealed robust and bilateral activation throughout the dorsal fronto-parietal network for each condition, in line with many previous results. In order to investigate possible differences in the balance of neural activity within this network with greater sensitivity, a priori regions of interest (ROIs) were selected for analysis, centered on the frontal eye fields (FEF) and intraparietal sulcus (IPS) regions identified in previous studies. The results revealed a significant interaction between region, condition, and hemisphere. Specifically, in the left hemisphere, frontal areas were more active than parietal areas, but only during endogenous attention. Activity in the right hemisphere, in contrast, remained relatively consistent for these regions across conditions. Analysis of this activity over time indicates that this left-hemispheric regional imbalance is present within the FEF early, at 3-6.5 s post-stimulus presentation, whereas a regional imbalance in the exogenous condition is not evident until 6.5-8 s post-stimulus presentation. Overall, our results provide new evidence that although the dorsal fronto-parietal network is indeed associated with both types of attentional orienting, regions of the network are differentially engaged over time and across hemispheres depending on the type of attention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design optimization of high frequency transformer with controlled leakage inductance for current fed dual active bridge converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Tae-Uk; Kim, Myung-Hwan; Yoo, Jin-Hyung

2018-05-01

Current fed dual active bridge converters for photovoltaic generation may typically require a given leakage or extra inductance in order to provide proper control of the currents. Therefore, the many researches have been focused on the leakage inductance control of high frequency transformer to integrate an extra inductor. In this paper, an asymmetric winding arrangement to get the controlled leakage inductance for the high frequency transformer is proposed to improve the efficiency of the current fed dual active bridge converter. In order to accurate analysis, a coupled electromagnetic analysis model of transformer connected with high frequency switching circuit is used. A design optimization procedure for high efficiency is also presented using design analysis model, and it is verified by the experimental result.

Variance in total levels of phospholipase C zeta (PLC-ζ) in human sperm may limit the applicability of quantitative immunofluorescent analysis as a diagnostic indicator of oocyte activation capability.

PubMed

Kashir, Junaid; Jones, Celine; Mounce, Ginny; Ramadan, Walaa M; Lemmon, Bernadette; Heindryckx, Bjorn; de Sutter, Petra; Parrington, John; Turner, Karen; Child, Tim; McVeigh, Enda; Coward, Kevin

2013-01-01

To examine whether similar levels of phospholipase C zeta (PLC-ζ) protein are present in sperm from men whose ejaculates resulted in normal oocyte activation, and to examine whether a predominant pattern of PLC-ζ localization is linked to normal oocyte activation ability. Laboratory study. University laboratory. Control subjects (men with proven oocyte activation capacity; n = 16) and men whose sperm resulted in recurrent intracytoplasmic sperm injection failure (oocyte activation deficient [OAD]; n = 5). Quantitative immunofluorescent analysis of PLC-ζ protein in human sperm. Total levels of PLC-ζ fluorescence, proportions of sperm exhibiting PLC-ζ immunoreactivity, and proportions of PLC-ζ localization patterns in sperm from control and OAD men. Sperm from control subjects presented a significantly higher proportion of sperm exhibiting PLC-ζ immunofluorescence compared with infertile men diagnosed with OAD (82.6% and 27.4%, respectively). Total levels of PLC-ζ in sperm from individual control and OAD patients exhibited significant variance, with sperm from 10 out of 16 (62.5%) exhibiting levels similar to OAD samples. Predominant PLC-ζ localization patterns varied between control and OAD samples with no predictable or consistent pattern. The results indicate that sperm from control men exhibited significant variance in total levels of PLC-ζ protein, as well as significant variance in the predominant localization pattern. Such variance may hinder the diagnostic application of quantitative PLC-ζ immunofluorescent analysis. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inhibitory effects associated with use of modified Photinus pyralis and Renilla reniformis luciferase vectors in dual reporter assays and implications for analysis of ISGs.

PubMed

Ghazawi, Ibtisam; Cutler, Samuel J; Low, Pauline; Mellick, Albert S; Ralph, Stephen J

2005-02-01

Luciferase reporter constructs are widely used for analysis of gene regulation when characterizing promoter and enhancer elements. We report that the recently developed codon-modified Renilla luciferase construct included as an internal standard for cotransfection must be used with great caution with respect to the amount of DNA transfected. Also, the dual-luciferase reporter vectors encoding Photinus pyralis firefly or Renilla reniformis luciferase showed a linear increase in dose-response with increasing amounts of transfected DNA, but at higher levels of transfected DNA, a reduction in expressed levels of luciferase activity resulted. In addition, treatment with type I interferon (IFN) was found to significantly reduce levels of P. pyralis firefly and Renilla luciferase activity. In contrast, cells transfected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter construct showed no significant IFN-associated change. The reduction in luciferase activity resulting from IFN treatment was not due to IFN-mediated cytotoxicity, as no change in cellular propidium iodide (PI) staining was observed by flow cytometry. IFN treatment did not alter the levels of firefly luciferase activity in cell culture supernatants or the luciferase mRNA levels determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis. Based on these results, it is probable that the IFN-induced reduction in levels of luciferase activity detected in reporter assays occurs via a posttranscriptional mechanism. Thus, it is important to be aware of these complications when using luciferase reporter systems in general or for analyzing cytokine-mediated responsive regulation of target genes, particularly by the type I IFNs.

Factor analysis of regional brain activation in bipolar and healthy individuals reveals a consistent modular structure.

PubMed

Fleck, David E; Welge, Jeffrey A; Eliassen, James C; Adler, Caleb M; DelBello, Melissa P; Strakowski, Stephen M

2018-07-01

The neurophysiological substrates of cognition and emotion, as seen with fMRI, are generally explained using modular structures. The present study was designed to probe the modular structure of cognitive-emotional processing in bipolar and healthy individuals using factor analysis and compare the results with current conceptions of the neurophysiology of bipolar disorder. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess patterns of covariation among brain regions-of-interest activated during the Continuous Performance Task with Emotional and Neutral Distractors in healthy and bipolar individuals without a priori constraints on the number or composition of latent factors. Results indicated a common cognitive-emotional network consisting of prefrontal, medial temporal, limbic, parietal, anterior cingulate and posterior cingulate modules. However, reduced brain activation to emotional stimuli in the frontal, medial temporal and limbic modules was apparent in the bipolar relative to the healthy group, potentially accounting for emotional dysregulation in bipolar disorder. This study is limited by a relatively small sample size recruited at a single site. The results have yet to be validated on a larger independent sample. Although the modular structure of cognitive-emotional processing is similar in bipolar and healthy individuals, activation in response to emotional/neutral cues varies. These findings are not only consistent with recent conceptions of mood regulation in bipolar disorder, but also suggest that regional activation can be considered within tighter modular structures without compromising data interpretation. This demonstration may serve as a template for data reduction in future region-of-interest analyses to increase statistical power. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research engagement of health sciences librarians: a survey of research-related activities and attitudes.

PubMed

Lessick, Susan; Perryman, Carol; Billman, Brooke L; Alpi, Kristine M; De Groote, Sandra L; Babin, Ted D

2016-04-01

The extent to which health sciences librarians are engaged in research is a little-studied question. This study assesses the research activities and attitudes of Medical Library Association (MLA) members, including the influence of work affiliation. An online survey was designed using a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions and distributed to MLA members. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, content analysis, and significance testing. The authors used statistical tools and categorized open-ended question topics by the constant comparative method, also applying the broad subject categories used in a prior study. Pearson's chi-square analysis was performed on responses to determine significant differences among respondents employed in three different institutional environments. Analysis showed that 79% of respondents read research articles at least once a month; 58% applied published research studies to practice; 44% had conducted research; 62% reported acting on research had enhanced their libraries; 38% had presented findings; and 34% had authored research articles. Hospital librarians were significantly less likely than academic librarians to have participated in research activities. Highly ranked research benefits, barriers, and competencies of health sciences librarians are described. Findings indicate that health sciences librarians are actively engaged in research activities. Practice implications for practitioners, publishers, and stakeholders are discussed. Results suggest that practitioners can use published research results and results from their own research to affect practice decisions and improve services. Future studies are needed to confirm and extend these findings, including the need for intervention studies to increase research and writing productivity.

Dual-echo ASL based assessment of motor networks: a feasibility study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storti, Silvia Francesca; Boscolo Galazzo, Ilaria; Pizzini, Francesca B.; Menegaz, Gloria

2018-04-01

Objective. Dual-echo arterial spin labeling (DE-ASL) technique has been recently proposed for the simultaneous acquisition of ASL and blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD)-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. The assessment of this technique in detecting functional connectivity at rest or during motor and motor imagery tasks is still unexplored both per-se and in comparison with conventional methods. The purpose is to quantify the sensitivity of the DE-ASL sequence with respect to the conventional fMRI sequence (cvBOLD) in detecting brain activations, and to assess and compare the relevance of node features in decoding the network structure. Approach. Thirteen volunteers were scanned acquiring a pseudo-continuous DE-ASL sequence from which the concomitant BOLD (ccBOLD) simultaneously to the ASL can be extracted. The approach consists of two steps: (i) model-based analyses for assessing brain activations at individual and group levels, followed by statistical analysis for comparing the activation elicited by the three sequences under two conditions (motor and motor imagery), respectively; (ii) brain connectivity graph-theoretical analysis for assessing and comparing the network models properties. Main results. Our results suggest that cvBOLD and ccBOLD have comparable sensitivity in detecting the regions involved in the active task, whereas ASL offers a higher degree of co-localization with smaller activation volumes. The connectivity results and the comparative analysis of node features across sequences revealed that there are no strong changes between rest and tasks and that the differences between the sequences are limited to few connections. Significance. Considering the comparable sensitivity of the ccBOLD and cvBOLD sequences in detecting activated brain regions, the results demonstrate that DE-ASL can be successfully applied in functional studies allowing to obtain both ASL and BOLD information within a single sequence. Further, DE-ASL is a powerful technique for research and clinical applications allowing to perform quantitative comparisons as well as to characterize functional connectivity.

Rapid analysis of controlled substances using desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Cruz, Sandra E

2006-01-01

The recently developed technique of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) has been applied to the rapid analysis of controlled substances. Experiments have been performed using a commercial ThermoFinnigan LCQ Advantage MAX ion-trap mass spectrometer with limited modifications. Results from the ambient sampling of licit and illicit tablets demonstrate the ability of the DESI technique to detect the main active ingredient(s) or controlled substance(s), even in the presence of other higher-concentration components. Full-scan mass spectrometry data provide preliminary identification by molecular weight determination, while rapid analysis using the tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode provides fragmentation data which, when compared to the laboratory-generated ESI-MS/MS spectral library, provide structural information and final identification of the active ingredient(s). The consecutive analysis of tablets containing different active components indicates there is no cross-contamination or interference from tablet to tablet, demonstrating the reliability of the DESI technique for rapid sampling (one tablet/min or better). Active ingredients have been detected for tablets in which the active component represents less than 1% of the total tablet weight, demonstrating the sensitivity of the technique. The real-time sampling of cannabis plant material is also presented.

The effect of activation agent on surface morphology, density and porosity of palm shell and coconut shell activated carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leman, A. M.; Zakaria, S.; Salleh, M. N. M.; Sunar, N. M.; Feriyanto, D.; Nazri, A. A.

2017-09-01

Activated carbon (AC) has one of the promising alternative technology for filtration and adsorption process. It inexpensive material because the sources is abundant especially in Malaysia. Main purpose of this project is to develop AC by chemical activation process to improve adsorption capacity by improving porosity of AC. AC developed via carbonization using designed burner at temperature of 650°C to 850 °C and activated by Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) in 12 hour and then dried at temperature of 300°C. Characterization and analysis is conducted by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology analysis, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) for composition analysis, density and porosity analysis. Results shows that uneven surface has been observed both of AC and non-AC and also AC shows higher porosity as compared to non-AC materials. Density value of raw material has lower than AC up to 11.67% and 47.54% and porosity of raw material has higher than AC up to 31.45% and 45.69% for palm shell and coconut shell AC. It can be concluded that lower density represent higher porosity of material and higher porosity indicated higher adsorption capacity as well.

Dimensions of Human-Work Domain Interaction: A Preliminary Analysis for the Design of a Corporate Digital Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xie, Hong

2003-01-01

Applies the cognitive system engineering approach to investigate human-work interaction at a corporate setting. Reports preliminary analysis of data collected from diary analysis and interview of 20 subjects. Results identify three dimensions for each of four interactive activities involved in human-work interaction and their relationships.…

Meta-analysis of Dropout in Treatments for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

PubMed Central

Imel, Zac E.; Laska, Kevin; Jakcupcak, Matthew; Simpson, Tracy L.

2013-01-01

Objective Many patients dropout of treatments for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and some clinicians believe that ‘trauma focused’ treatments increase dropout. Method We conducted a meta-analysis of dropout among active treatments in clinical trials for PTSD (42 studies; 17 direct comparisons). Results The average dropout rate was 18%, but it varied significantly across studies. Group modality and greater number of sessions, but not trauma focus, predicted increased dropout. When the meta-analysis was restricted to direct comparisons of active treatments, there were no differences in dropout. Differences in trauma focus between treatments in the same study did not predict dropout. However, trauma focused treatments resulted in higher dropout as compared to Present Centered Therapy (PCT) – a treatment originally designed as a control, but now listed as a research supported intervention for PTSD. Conclusion Dropout varies between active interventions for PTSD across studies, but differences are primarily driven by differences between studies. There do not appear to be systematic differences across active interventions when they are directly compared in the same study. The degree of clinical attention placed on the traumatic event does not appear to be a primary cause of dropout from active treatments. However comparisons of PCT may be an exception to this general pattern, perhaps due to a restriction of variability in trauma focus among comparisons of active treatments. More research is needed comparing trauma focused interventions to trauma avoidant treatments such as PCT. PMID:23339535

Wiki-Mediated Activities in Higher Education: Evidence-Based Analysis of Learning Effectiveness across Three Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altanopoulou, Panagiota; Tselios, Nikolaos; Katsanos, Christos; Georgoutsou, Maria; Panagiotaki, Maria-Antonia

2015-01-01

A considerable interest in using Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis in education has been observed recently. Despite the advantages of the wiki technology, a number of questions concerning design of appropriate activities and their learning effectiveness remain open. In this paper, we present the results of three activities involving first-year…

Description and Analysis of the USAID Girls' Education Activity in Guatemala, Morocco, and Peru. Qualitative Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brush, Lorelei; Heyman, Cory; Provasnik, Stephan; Fanning, Marina; Lent, Drew; De Wilde, Johan

This qualitative report of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Girls' Education Activity (GEA) focuses on the results of project activities in Guatemala, Morocco, and Peru. Section 1 outlines the overall purpose and goals of the GEA; contrasts the major tactics of the program in each country; and describes the…

Preliminary phytochemical and antibacterial screening of Sesuvium portulacastrum in the United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Al-Azzawi, Amad; Alguboori, Alyaa; Hachim, Mahmoud Y; Najat, M; Al Shaimaa, A; Sad, Maryam

2012-10-01

The present study describes the phytochemical profile and antimicrobial activity of Sesuvium portulacastrum. Three extracts of S. portulacastrum obtained by extraction in aqueous, ethanolic and dichloromethane solvents, respectively, were compared for their antimicrobial activity and ethanolic extract further subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to find out the nature of the compounds responsible for the antimicrobial activity. The antibacterial activities were assessed by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zones, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values. Compared to the aqueous and dichloromethane extract, the ethanolic extract showed better antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli, indicating its potential application related to noscomial infections. GC-MS results revealed 22, 23-Dihydrostigmasterol, Benzoic acid, 3,4,5-trihydroxy-(Gallic acid), (2R,3R)-(-)-Epicatechin and Capsaicin in the ethanolic extract to be the molecules responsible for the antimicrobial activity of S. portulacastrum. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on analysis of antimicrobial components from S. portulacastrum in United Arab Emirates (UAE), and our results confer the utility of this plant extract in developing a novel broad spectrum antimicrobial agent.

Physical disturbance to ecological niches created by soil structure alters community composition of methanotrophs.

PubMed

Kumaresan, Deepak; Stralis-Pavese, Nancy; Abell, Guy C J; Bodrossy, Levente; Murrell, J Colin

2011-10-01

Aggregates of different sizes and stability in soil create a composite of ecological niches differing in terms of physico-chemical and structural characteristics. The aim of this study was to identify, using DNA-SIP and mRNA-based microarray analysis, whether shifts in activity and community composition of methanotrophs occur when ecological niches created by soil structure are physically perturbed. Landfill cover soil was subject to three treatments termed: 'control' (minimal structural disruption), 'sieved' (sieved soil using 2 mm mesh) and 'ground' (grinding using mortar and pestle). 'Sieved' and 'ground' soil treatments exhibited higher methane oxidation potentials compared with the 'control' soil treatment. Analysis of the active community composition revealed an effect of physical disruption on active methanotrophs. Type I methanotrophs were the most active methanotrophs in 'sieved' and 'ground' soil treatments, whereas both Type I and Type II methanotrophs were active in the 'control' soil treatment. The result emphasize that changes to a particular ecological niche may not result in an immediate change to the active bacterial composition and change in composition will depend on the ability of the bacterial communities to respond to the perturbation. © 2011 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Estimation of the Driving Style Based on the Users' Activity and Environment Influence.

PubMed

Sysoev, Mikhail; Kos, Andrej; Guna, Jože; Pogačnik, Matevž

2017-10-21

New models and methods have been designed to predict the influence of the user's environment and activity information to the driving style in standard automotive environments. For these purposes, an experiment was conducted providing two types of analysis: (i) the evaluation of a self-assessment of the driving style; (ii) the prediction of aggressive driving style based on drivers' activity and environment parameters. Sixty seven h of driving data from 10 drivers were collected for analysis in this study. The new parameters used in the experiment are the car door opening and closing manner, which were applied to improve the prediction accuracy. An Android application called Sensoric was developed to collect low-level smartphone data about the users' activity. The driving style was predicted from the user's environment and activity data collected before driving. The prediction was tested against the actual driving style, calculated from objective driving data. The prediction has shown encouraging results, with precision values ranging from 0.727 up to 0.909 for aggressive driving recognition rate. The obtained results lend support to the hypothesis that user's environment and activity data could be used for the prediction of the aggressive driving style in advance, before the driving starts.

Tuning the morphology, stability and photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids by tungsten doping

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

Xu, Haiping; Liao, Jianhua; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000

2014-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • W{sup 6+}-doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids were prepared by hydrothermal methods. • The properties of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids can be tuned by tungsten doping. • W{sup 6+}-doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids show higher stability and dispersity. • W{sup 6+}-doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids show higher photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: The effects of tungsten doping on the morphology, stability and photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids were investigated. The nanostructure, chemical state of Ti, W, O, and the properties of tungsten doped TiO{sub 2} samples were investigated carefully by TEM, XRD, XPS, UV–vis, PLmore » and photocatalytic degradation experiments. And the structure–activity relationship was discussed according to the analysis and measurement results. The analysis results reveal that the morphology, zeta potential and photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals can be easily tuned by changing the tungsten doping concentration. The tungsten doped TiO{sub 2} colloid combines the characters of high dispersity and high photocatalytic activity.« less

Computer-Mediated Social Support for Physical Activity: A Content Analysis.

PubMed

Stragier, Jeroen; Mechant, Peter; De Marez, Lieven; Cardon, Greet

2018-02-01

Online fitness communities are a recent phenomenon experiencing growing user bases. They can be considered as online social networks in which recording, monitoring, and sharing of physical activity (PA) are the most prevalent practices. They have added a new dimension to the social experience of PA in which online peers function as virtual PA partners or supporters. However, research into seeking and receiving computer-mediated social support for PA is scarce. Our aim was to study to what extent using online fitness communities and sharing physical activities with online social networks results in receiving various types of online social support. Two databases, one containing physical activities logged with Strava and one containing physical activities logged with RunKeeper and shared on Twitter, were investigated for occurrence and type of social support, by means of a deductive content analysis. Results indicate that social support delivered through Twitter is not particularly extensive. On Strava, social support is significantly more prevalent. Especially esteem support, expressed as compliments for the accomplishment of an activity, is provided on both Strava and Twitter. The results demonstrate that social media have potential as a platform used for providing social support for PA, but differences among various social network sites can be substantial. Especially esteem support can be expected, in contrast to online health communities, where information support is more common.

Metabolomic and elemental analysis of camel and bovine urine by GC-MS and ICP-MS.

PubMed

Ahamad, Syed Rizwan; Alhaider, Abdul Qader; Raish, Mohammad; Shakeel, Faiyaz

2017-01-01

Recent studies from the author's laboratory indicated that camel urine possesses antiplatelet activity and anti-cancer activity which is not present in bovine urine. The objective of this study is to compare the volatile and elemental components of bovine and camel urine using GC-MS and ICP-MS analysis. We are interested to know the component that performs these biological activities. The freeze dried urine was dissolved in dichloromethane and then derivatization process followed by using BSTFA for GC-MS analysis. Thirty different compounds were analyzed by the derivatization process in full scan mode. For ICP-MS analysis twenty eight important elements were analyzed in both bovine and camel urine. The results of GC-MS and ICP-MS analysis showed marked difference in the urinary metabolites. GC-MS evaluation of camel urine finds a lot of products of metabolism like benzene propanoic acid derivatives, fatty acid derivatives, amino acid derivatives, sugars, prostaglandins and canavanine. Several research reports reveal the metabolomics studies on camel urine but none of them completely reported the pharmacology related metabolomics. The present data of GC-MS suggest and support the previous studies and activities related to camel urine.

Drug target identification using network analysis: Taking active components in Sini decoction as an example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Si; Jiang, Hailong; Cao, Yan; Wang, Yun; Hu, Ziheng; Zhu, Zhenyu; Chai, Yifeng

2016-04-01

Identifying the molecular targets for the beneficial effects of active small-molecule compounds simultaneously is an important and currently unmet challenge. In this study, we firstly proposed network analysis by integrating data from network pharmacology and metabolomics to identify targets of active components in sini decoction (SND) simultaneously against heart failure. To begin with, 48 potential active components in SND against heart failure were predicted by serum pharmacochemistry, text mining and similarity match. Then, we employed network pharmacology including text mining and molecular docking to identify the potential targets of these components. The key enriched processes, pathways and related diseases of these target proteins were analyzed by STRING database. At last, network analysis was conducted to identify most possible targets of components in SND. Among the 25 targets predicted by network analysis, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) was firstly experimentally validated in molecular and cellular level. Results indicated that hypaconitine, mesaconitine, higenamine and quercetin in SND can directly bind to TNF-α, reduce the TNF-α-mediated cytotoxicity on L929 cells and exert anti-myocardial cell apoptosis effects. We envisage that network analysis will also be useful in target identification of a bioactive compound.

Drug target identification using network analysis: Taking active components in Sini decoction as an example

PubMed Central

Chen, Si; Jiang, Hailong; Cao, Yan; Wang, Yun; Hu, Ziheng; Zhu, Zhenyu; Chai, Yifeng

2016-01-01

Identifying the molecular targets for the beneficial effects of active small-molecule compounds simultaneously is an important and currently unmet challenge. In this study, we firstly proposed network analysis by integrating data from network pharmacology and metabolomics to identify targets of active components in sini decoction (SND) simultaneously against heart failure. To begin with, 48 potential active components in SND against heart failure were predicted by serum pharmacochemistry, text mining and similarity match. Then, we employed network pharmacology including text mining and molecular docking to identify the potential targets of these components. The key enriched processes, pathways and related diseases of these target proteins were analyzed by STRING database. At last, network analysis was conducted to identify most possible targets of components in SND. Among the 25 targets predicted by network analysis, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) was firstly experimentally validated in molecular and cellular level. Results indicated that hypaconitine, mesaconitine, higenamine and quercetin in SND can directly bind to TNF-α, reduce the TNF-α-mediated cytotoxicity on L929 cells and exert anti-myocardial cell apoptosis effects. We envisage that network analysis will also be useful in target identification of a bioactive compound. PMID:27095146

Loss anticipation and outcome during the Monetary Incentive Delay Task: a neuroimaging systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Dugré, Jules R.; Dumais, Alexandre; Bitar, Nathalie

2018-01-01

Background Reward seeking and avoidance of punishment are key motivational processes. Brain-imaging studies often use the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MIDT) to evaluate motivational processes involved in maladaptive behavior. Although the bulk of research has been done on the MIDT reward events, little is known about the neural basis of avoidance of punishment. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of brain activations during anticipation and receipt of monetary losses in healthy controls. Methods All functional neuro-imaging studies using the MIDT in healthy controls were retrieved using PubMed, Google Scholar & EMBASE databases. Functional neuro-imaging data was analyzed using the Seed-based d Mapping Software. Results Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 699 healthy adults. In both anticipation and loss outcome phases, participants showed large and robust activations in the bilateral striatum, (anterior) insula, and anterior cingulate gyrus relatively to Loss > Neutral contrast. Although relatively similar activation patterns were observed during the two event types, they differed in the pattern of prefrontal activations: ventro-lateral prefrontal activations were observed during loss anticipation, while medial prefrontal activations were observed during loss receipt. Discussion Considering that previous meta-analyses highlighted activations in the medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex, the anterior insula and the ventral striatum, the current meta-analysis highlighted the potential specificity of the ventro-lateral prefrontal regions, the median cingulate cortex and the amygdala in the loss events. Future studies can rely on these latter results to examine the neural correlates of loss processing in psychiatric populations characterized by harm avoidance or insensitivity to punishment. PMID:29761060

Thermal behaviour of procaine and benzocaine Part II: compatibility study with some pharmaceutical excipients used in solid dosage forms

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The compatibility study of active substances with excipients finds an important role in the domain of pharmaceutical research, being known the fact that final formulation is the one administered to the patient. In order to evaluate the compatibility between active substance and excipients, different analytical techniques can be used, based on their accuracy, reproducibility and fastness. Results Compatibility study of two well-known active substances, procaine and benzocaine, with four commonly used excipients, was carried out employing thermal analysis (TG/DTG/HF) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (UATR-FT-IR). The selected excipients were microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate and talc. Equal proportion of active substance and excipients (w/w) was utilized in the interaction study. The absolute value of the difference between the melting point peak of active substances and the one corresponding for the active substances in the analysed mixture, as well the absolute value of the difference between the enthalpy of the pure active ingredient melting peak and that of its melting peak in the different analysed mixtures were chosen as indexes of the drug-excipient interaction degree. All the results obtained through thermal analysis were also sustained by FT-IR spectroscopy. Conclusions The corroboration of data obtained by thermal analysis with the ones from FT-IR spectroscopy indicated that no interaction occurs between procaine and benzocaine, with microcrystalline cellulose and talc, as well for the benzocaine-lactose mixture. Interactions were confirmed between procaine and benzocaine respectively and magnesium stearate, and for procaine and lactose. PMID:23962059

MK-801-induced locomotor activity in long-sleep x short-sleep recombinant inbred mouse strains: correlational analysis with low-dose ethanol and provisional quantitative trait loci.

PubMed

Zahniser, N R; Negri, C A; Hanania, T; Gehle, V M

1999-11-01

Low doses of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine) or ethanol increase locomotor activity to a lesser extent in long-sleep (LS), than in short-sleep (SS), mice. LS mice also have fewer brain [3H]MK-801 binding sites than SS mice. In this study, LSXSS recombinant inbred (RI) mice were used to investigate whether different NMDAR densities contribute to differential MK-801 activation and whether common genes are involved in initial sensitivity to MK-801-and ethanol-induced activation. Locomotor activity was measured for 90 min after saline or MK-801 injection. Quantitative autoradiographic analysis of [3H]MK-801 binding was used to measure densities of NMDARs in seven brain regions. The ethanol (1-2 g/kg) activation scores from Erwin and colleagues (1997) were used for correlational analysis, as was their method for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. Both saline and MK-801 (0.3 mg/kg, given intraperitoneally) induced a continuum of locomotor responses across the LSXSS RI strains. There was a 4-fold range of MK-801 difference scores (MK-801 score-saline baseline), with the RI 9 and RI 4 strains representing low and high responders, respectively. Dose-response experiments with these two strains confirmed that 0.3 mg/kg MK-801 produced significant activation, similar to previous results with LS and SS mice. However, unlike previous LS/SS results, lower densities of NMDARs were not observed in the RI 9 than in the RI 4 mouse brains. No significant genetic correlations were observed between MK-801-induced and ethanol-induced responses in the LSXSS RI mice. Two provisional MK-801 activation QTLs were identified (p < 0.01) on chromosomes 11 and 19, neither in common with those mapped for ethanol activation. Different densities of brain NMDARs are unlikely to account for the differential activation of LSXSS RI mice by MK-801. Additionally, in the RI mice either separate sets of genes regulate low dose MK-801- and ethanol-induced locomotor responses or the overlapping subset of genes controlling these two behaviors is small (< or =10%).

Thermal Analysis Study of Antihypertensive Drugs Telmisartan and Cilazapril

PubMed Central

Saber, Refaat Ahmed; Attia, Ali Kamal; Salem, Waheed Mohamed

2014-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the present work is to study the thermal analysis of telmisartan and cilazapril. Methods: Thermogravimetry (TGA), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were used through the work to achieve the thermal analysis study of some antihypertensive drugs, telmisartan and cilazapril. Results: The results led to thermal stability data and also to the interpretation concerning the thermal decomposition. Thermogravimetry data allowed determination of the kinetic parameters such as, activation energy and frequency factor. Conclusion: The simplicity, speed and low operational costs of thermal analysis justify its application in the quality control of pharmaceutical compounds for medications. PMID:24754013

Design and synthesis of aloe-emodin derivatives as potent anti-tyrosinase, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents.

PubMed

Liu, Jinbing; Wu, Fengyan; Chen, Changhong

2015-11-15

Twenty aloe-emodin derivatives were designed, synthesized, and their biological activities were evaluated. Some compounds displayed potent tyrosinase inhibitory activities, especially, compounds with thiosemicarbazide moiety showed more potent inhibitory effects than the other compounds. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) were preliminarily discussed. The inhibition mechanism of selected compounds 1 and 13 were investigated. The results showed compound 1 was reversible inhibitor, however, compound 13 was irreversible. Kinetic analysis indicated that compound 1 was competitive tyrosinase inhibitor. Furthermore, the antibacterial activities and anti-inflammatory activities of some selected compounds were also screened. The results showed that compound 3 exhibited more potent antibacterial activity than the aloe-emodin, compounds 5 and 6 possessed more potent anti-inflammatory activities than the diacerein. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Actinobacteria from Termite Mounds Show Antiviral Activity against Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, a Surrogate Model for Hepatitis C Virus

PubMed Central

Padilla, Marina Aiello; Rodrigues, Rodney Alexandre Ferreira; Bastos, Juliana Cristina Santiago; Martini, Matheus Cavalheiro; Barnabé, Ana Caroline de Souza; Kohn, Luciana Konecny; Uetanabaro, Ana Paula Trovatti; Bomfim, Getúlio Freitas; Afonso, Rafael Sanches; Fantinatti-Garboggini, Fabiana; Arns, Clarice Weis

2015-01-01

Extracts from termite-associated bacteria were evaluated for in vitro antiviral activity against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). Two bacterial strains were identified as active, with percentages of inhibition (IP) equal to 98%. Both strains were subjected to functional analysis via the addition of virus and extract at different time points in cell culture; the results showed that they were effective as posttreatments. Moreover, we performed MTT colorimetric assays to identify the CC50, IC50, and SI values of these strains, and strain CDPA27 was considered the most promising. In parallel, the isolates were identified as Streptomyces through 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Specifically, CDPA27 was identified as S. chartreusis. The CDPA27 extract was fractionated on a C18-E SPE cartridge, and the fractions were reevaluated. A 100% methanol fraction was identified to contain the compound(s) responsible for antiviral activity, which had an SI of 262.41. GC-MS analysis showed that this activity was likely associated with the compound(s) that had a peak retention time of 5 min. Taken together, the results of the present study provide new information for antiviral research using natural sources, demonstrate the antiviral potential of Streptomyces chartreusis compounds isolated from termite mounds against BVDV, and lay the foundation for further studies on the treatment of HCV infection. PMID:26579205

Actinobacteria from Termite Mounds Show Antiviral Activity against Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, a Surrogate Model for Hepatitis C Virus.

PubMed

Padilla, Marina Aiello; Rodrigues, Rodney Alexandre Ferreira; Bastos, Juliana Cristina Santiago; Martini, Matheus Cavalheiro; Barnabé, Ana Caroline de Souza; Kohn, Luciana Konecny; Uetanabaro, Ana Paula Trovatti; Bomfim, Getúlio Freitas; Afonso, Rafael Sanches; Fantinatti-Garboggini, Fabiana; Arns, Clarice Weis

2015-01-01

Extracts from termite-associated bacteria were evaluated for in vitro antiviral activity against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). Two bacterial strains were identified as active, with percentages of inhibition (IP) equal to 98%. Both strains were subjected to functional analysis via the addition of virus and extract at different time points in cell culture; the results showed that they were effective as posttreatments. Moreover, we performed MTT colorimetric assays to identify the CC50, IC50, and SI values of these strains, and strain CDPA27 was considered the most promising. In parallel, the isolates were identified as Streptomyces through 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Specifically, CDPA27 was identified as S. chartreusis. The CDPA27 extract was fractionated on a C18-E SPE cartridge, and the fractions were reevaluated. A 100% methanol fraction was identified to contain the compound(s) responsible for antiviral activity, which had an SI of 262.41. GC-MS analysis showed that this activity was likely associated with the compound(s) that had a peak retention time of 5 min. Taken together, the results of the present study provide new information for antiviral research using natural sources, demonstrate the antiviral potential of Streptomyces chartreusis compounds isolated from termite mounds against BVDV, and lay the foundation for further studies on the treatment of HCV infection.

Lower-extremity biomechanics during forward and lateral stepping activities in older adults

PubMed Central

Wang, Man-Ying; Flanagan, Sean; Song, Joo-Eun; Greendale, Gail A.; Salem, George J.

2012-01-01

Objective To characterize the lower-extremity biomechanics associated with stepping activities in older adults. Design Repeated-measures comparison of kinematics and kinetics associated with forward step-up and lateral step-up activities. Background Biomechanical analysis may be used to assess the effectiveness of various ‘in-home activities’ in targeting appropriate muscle groups and preserving functional strength and power in elders. Methods Data were analyzed from 21 participants (mean 74.7 yr (standard deviation, 4.4 yr)) who performed the forward and lateral step-up activities while instrumented for biomechanical analysis. Motion analysis equipment, inverse dynamics equations, and repeated measures anovas were used to contrast the maximum joint angles, peak net joint moments, angular impulse, work, and power associated with the activities. Results The lateral step-up resulted in greater maximum knee flexion (P < 0.001) and ankle dorsiflexion angles (P < 0.01). Peak joint moments were similar between exercises. The forward step-up generated greater peak hip power (P < 0.05) and total work (P < 0.001); whereas, the lateral step-up generated greater impulse (P < 0.05), work (P < 0.01), and power (P < 0.05) at the knee and ankle. Conclusions In older adults, the forward step-up places greater demand on the hip extensors, while lateral step-up places greater demand on the knee extensors and ankle plantar flexors. PMID:12620784

Anti-Fungal activity of essential oil from Baeckea frutescens L against Pleuratus ostreatus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jemi, Renhart; Barus, Ade Irma; Nuwa, Sarinah, Luhan, Gimson

2017-11-01

Ujung Atap is an herb that have distinctive odor on its leaves. The plant's essential oil contains bioactive compounds but has not been investigated its anti-fungal activity against Pleurotus ostreatus. Essential oil from Ujung Atap leaves is one environmentally friendly natural preservative. This study consisted of distillation Ujung Atap leaves with boiled method, determining the number of acid, essential oil ester, and anti-fungal activity against Pleurotus ostreatus. Analysis of the data to calculate anti-fungal activity used probit analysis method to determine the IC50. Results for the distillation of leaves Ujung Atap produce essential oil yield of 0.071% and the average yield of the acid number and the ester of essential oils Ujung Atap leaves are 5.24 and 12.15. Anti-fungal activity Pleurotus ostreatus at a concentration of 1000 µg/mL, 100 µg/mL, 75 µg/mL, 50 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL BA defunct or fungi was declared dead, while at a concentration of 25 µg/mL, 10 µg/mL and 5 µg/mL still occur inhibitory processes. Results obtained probit analysis method IC50 of 35.48 mg/mL; means the essential oil of Ujung Atap leaf can inhibit fungal growth by 50 percent to 35.48 µg/mL concentration.

Kernel-Based Relevance Analysis with Enhanced Interpretability for Detection of Brain Activity Patterns

PubMed Central

Alvarez-Meza, Andres M.; Orozco-Gutierrez, Alvaro; Castellanos-Dominguez, German

2017-01-01

We introduce Enhanced Kernel-based Relevance Analysis (EKRA) that aims to support the automatic identification of brain activity patterns using electroencephalographic recordings. EKRA is a data-driven strategy that incorporates two kernel functions to take advantage of the available joint information, associating neural responses to a given stimulus condition. Regarding this, a Centered Kernel Alignment functional is adjusted to learning the linear projection that best discriminates the input feature set, optimizing the required free parameters automatically. Our approach is carried out in two scenarios: (i) feature selection by computing a relevance vector from extracted neural features to facilitating the physiological interpretation of a given brain activity task, and (ii) enhanced feature selection to perform an additional transformation of relevant features aiming to improve the overall identification accuracy. Accordingly, we provide an alternative feature relevance analysis strategy that allows improving the system performance while favoring the data interpretability. For the validation purpose, EKRA is tested in two well-known tasks of brain activity: motor imagery discrimination and epileptic seizure detection. The obtained results show that the EKRA approach estimates a relevant representation space extracted from the provided supervised information, emphasizing the salient input features. As a result, our proposal outperforms the state-of-the-art methods regarding brain activity discrimination accuracy with the benefit of enhanced physiological interpretation about the task at hand. PMID:29056897

Development and psychometric properties of a belief-based Physical Activity Questionnaire for Diabetic Patients (PAQ-DP).

PubMed

Ghazanfari, Zeinab; Niknami, Shamsaddin; Ghofranipour, Fazlollah; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim; Montazeri, Ali

2010-11-09

This study carried out to develop a scale for assessing diabetic patients' perceptions about physical activity and to test its psychometric properties (The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Diabetic Patients-PAQ-DP). An item pool extracted from the Theory of Planned Behavior literature was generated. Then an expert panel evaluated the items by assessing content validity index and content validity ratio. Consequently exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to indicate the scale constructs. In addition reliability analyses including internal consistency and test-retest analysis were carried out. In all a sample of 127 women with diabetes participated in the study. Twenty-two items were initially extracted from the literature. A six-factor solution (containing 19 items) emerged as a result of an exploratory factor analysis namely: instrumental attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, affective attitude, self-identity, and intention explaining 60.30% of the variance observed. Additional analyses indicated satisfactory results for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.54 to 0.8) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ranging from 0.40 to 0.92). The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Diabetic Patients (PAQ-DP) is the first instrument that applies the Theory of Planned Behavior in its constructs. The findings indicated that the PAQ-DP is a reliable and valid measure for assessing physical activity perceptions and now is available and can be used in future studies.

[Comparing the activity of multiple sclerosis (MS) at the minute and at 20 minutes of gadolinium application in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain?

PubMed

Saldívar-Uribe, Christina; de la Portilla-Villanueva, Mario Alberto; Esau-Mendoza-García, Alberto

2017-01-01

The aim was to compare active disease in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, brain by MRI after gadolinium application at one minute and 20 minutes. A longitudinal, prospective, observational, analytical and comparative study was conducted in 18 patients over 18 years of age diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). An analysis was made for each patient, watching for inflammatory activity in MS lesions, comparing the results to one minute and 20 minutes after the application of gadolinium. For the descriptive analysis, absolute frequencies and percentages were used, as well as means and standard deviations or medians with ranges for the inferential analysis comparing the presence or absence of enhancement in lesions at one minute and 20 minutes; the exact probability test used was Fisher. Finally, the results were analyzed, looking at the gender distribution: 14 (77.8%) were female. The average age was 36.2 ± 9.5 years, with a minimum age of 18 years and a maximum of 55 years; four patients (22.2%) presented further highlight active lesions at 20 minutes, and two patients (11.1%) presented enhancement at one minute. Concluding that MRI in the diagnosis of MS is very important for the detection of activity in lesions caused by the disease, it is evident that the optimum time for evaluation of postcontrast sequences is 20 minutes.

Determination of phosphate in natural waters by activation analysis of tungstophosphoric acid

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, Herbert E.; Hahn, Richard B.

1969-01-01

Activation analysis may be used to determine quantitatively traces of phosphate in natural waters. Methods based on the reaction 31P(n,γ)32P are subject to interference by sulfur and chlorine which give rise to 32P through n,p and n,α reactions. If the ratio of phosphorus to sulfur or chlorine is small, as it is in most natural waters, accurate analyses by these methods are difficult to achieve. In the activation analysis method, molybdate and tungstate ions are added to samples containing phosphate ion to form tungstomolybdophosphoric acid. The complex is extracted with 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone. After activation of an aliquot of the organic phase for 1 hour at a flux of 1013 neutrons per cm2, per second, the gamma spectrum is essentially that of tungsten-187. The induced activity is proportional to the concentration of phosphate in the sample. A test of the method showed it to give accurate results at concentrations of 4 to at least 200 p.p.b. of phosphorus when an aliquot of 100 μl. was activated. By suitable reagent purification, counting for longer times, and activation of larger aliquots, the detection limit could be lowered several hundredfold.

Trace element analysis of soil type collected from the Manjung and central Perak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azman, Muhammad Azfar; Hamzah, Suhaimi; Rahman, Shamsiah Abdul; Elias, Md Suhaimi; Abdullah, Nazaratul Ashifa; Hashim, Azian; Shukor, Shakirah Abd; Kamaruddin, Ahmad Hasnulhadi Che

2015-04-01

Trace elements in soils primarily originated from their parent materials. Parents' material is the underlying geological material that has been undergone different types of chemical weathering and leaching processes. Soil trace elements concentrations may be increases as a result of continuous input from various human activities, including power generation, agriculture, mining and manufacturing. This paper describes the Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) method used for the determination of trace elements concentrations in part per million (ppm) present in the terrestrial environment soil in Perak. The data may indicate any contamination of trace elements contributed from human activities in the area. The enrichment factors were used to check if there any contamination due to the human activities (power plants, agricultural, mining, etc.) otherwise the values would serve as a baseline data for future study. The samples were collected from 27 locations of different soil series in the area at two different depths: the top soil (0-15cm) and the sub soil (15-30cm). The collected soil samples were air dried at 60°C and passed through 2 µm sieve. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) has been used for the determination of trace elements. Samples were activated in the Nuclear Malaysia TRIGA Mark II reactor followed by gamma spectrometric analysis. By activating the stable elements in the samples, the elements can be determined from the intensities of gamma energies emitted by the respected radionuclides.

Improved aircraft dynamic response and fatigue life during ground operations using an active control landing gear system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgehee, J. R.; Carden, H. D.; Edson, R.

1978-01-01

A three-degree-of-freedom aircraft landing analysis incorporating a series-hydraulic active control main landing gear has been developed and verified using preliminary experimental data from drop tests of a modified main landing gear from a 2722 kg (6000 lbm) class of airplane. The verified analysis was also employed to predict the landing dynamics of a supersonic research airplane with an active control main landing gear system. The results of this investigation have shown that this type of active gear is feasible and indicate a potential for improving airplane dynamic response and reducing structural fatigue damage during ground operations by approximately 90% relative to that incurred with the passive gear.

Frequency Analysis of the Laser Biospeckle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enes, Adilson M.; Rabelo, Giovanni F.; Júnior, Roberto A. Braga; Dal Fabbro, Inácio M.; Vilela, Michelle

2008-04-01

This research work presents a study of beans seed tissue (Phaseolous vulgaris, L.) optical interactions with laser aiming to contribute to the development of biospeckle techniques applied to the recognition of bean seed tissue vitality when contaminated with fungi, by differentiating the generated frequency spectra. Biospeckle is an interference optic phenomenon occurring when a laser beam reaches a surface exhibiting some dynamic process, due to biological activities or purely physical changes. The technique involves image processing to distinguish each different active material contribution present in the seed, by means of the procedure known as "Moment of Inertia" and frequency analysis. Frequency analysis was carried by Fourier Transform preceded by module of convolution. A great challenge in this area is to identify the elements contribution to increase biospeckle activity, such as water, microorganisms, among others. This research work is recognized to provide an important step aiming to characterize the interaction of laser with biological material. Three groups of bean seeds were employed, one represented by healthy seeds and two groups composed of seeds contaminated with Aspergillus spp as well as with Fusarium spp fungi. The biospeckle analysis considered the activity and its frequency spectra. The seeds were each one exposed to laser in a random order. The results reveled differences in the average values of MI of the three seed groups. Also, some different harmonics in the biospeckle pattern in a same group as well as among seed groups had been noticed. These results allow confirming that it is possible to differentiate contaminated seeds from non-contaminated ones by means of biospeckle frequency analysis.

Thermal-stress analysis of IFMIF target back-wall made of reduced-activation ferritic steel and austenitic stainless steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ida, Mizuho; Chida, Teruo; Furuya, Kazuyuki; Wakai, Eiichi; Nakamura, Hiroo; Sugimoto, Masayoshi

2009-04-01

For long time operation of a liquid lithium target of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility, annual replacement of a back-wall, a part of the flow channel, is planned, since the target suffers neutron damage of more than 50 dpa/fpy. Considering irradiation/activation conditions, remote weld on stainless steel 316L between a back-wall and a target assembly was employed. Furthermore, dissimilar weld between the 316L and a reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steel F82H in the back-wall was employed. The objective of this study is to clarify structures and materials of the back-wall with acceptable thermal-stress under nuclear heating. Thermal-stress analysis was done using a code ABAQUS and data of the nuclear heating. As a result, thermal-stress in the back-wall is acceptable level, if thickness of the stress-mitigation part is more than 5 mm. With results of the analysis, necessity of material data for F82H and 316L under conditions of irradiation tests and mechanical tests are clarified.

Experimental and Theoretical Approaches for the Surface Interaction between Copper and Activated Sludge Microorganisms at Molecular Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Hong-Wei; Chen, Jie-Jie; Sheng, Guo-Ping; Su, Ji-Hu; Wei, Shi-Qiang; Yu, Han-Qing

2014-11-01

Interactions between metals and activated sludge microorganisms substantially affect the speciation, immobilization, transport, and bioavailability of trace heavy metals in biological wastewater treatment plants. In this study, the interaction of Cu(II), a typical heavy metal, onto activated sludge microorganisms was studied in-depth using a multi-technique approach. The complexing structure of Cu(II) on microbial surface was revealed by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis. EPR spectra indicated that Cu(II) was held in inner-sphere surface complexes of octahedral coordination with tetragonal distortion of axial elongation. XAFS analysis further suggested that the surface complexation between Cu(II) and microbial cells was the distorted inner-sphere coordinated octahedra containing four short equatorial bonds and two elongated axial bonds. To further validate the results obtained from the XAFS and EPR analysis, density functional theory calculations were carried out to explore the structural geometry of the Cu complexes. These results are useful to better understand the speciation, immobilization, transport, and bioavailability of metals in biological wastewater treatment plants.

Panic disorder and locomotor activity

PubMed Central

Sakamoto, Noriyuki; Yoshiuchi, Kazuhiro; Kikuchi, Hiroe; Takimoto, Yoshiyuki; Kaiya, Hisanobu; Kumano, Hiroaki; Yamamoto, Yoshiharu; Akabayashi, Akira

2008-01-01

Background Panic disorder is one of the anxiety disorders, and anxiety is associated with some locomotor activity changes such as "restlessness". However, there have been few studies on locomotor activity in panic disorder using actigraphy, although many studies on other psychiatric disorders have been reported using actigraphy. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between panic disorder and locomotor activity pattern using a wrist-worn activity monitor. In addition, an ecological momentary assessment technique was used to record panic attacks in natural settings. Methods Sixteen patients with panic disorder were asked to wear a watch-type computer as an electronic diary for recording panic attacks for two weeks. In addition, locomotor activity was measured and recorded continuously in an accelerometer equipped in the watch-type computer. Locomotor activity data were analyzed using double cosinor analysis to calculate mesor and the amplitude and acrophase of each of the circadian rhythm and 12-hour harmonic component. Correlations between panic disorder symptoms and locomotor activity were investigated. Results There were significant positive correlations between the frequency of panic attacks and mesor calculated from double cosinor analysis of locomotor activity (r = 0.55) and between HAM-A scores and mesor calculated from double cosinor analysis of locomotor activity (r = 0.62). Conclusion Panic disorder patients with more panic attacks and more anxiety have greater objectively assessed locomotor activity, which may reflect the "restlessness" of anxiety disorders. PMID:19017383

[The characteristics of chemical composition of content of unicameral bone cysts depending on their growth stage].

PubMed

Stogov, M V; Luneva, S N; Mitrofanov, A I; Tkachuk, E A

2012-11-01

The article deals with the results of study of chemical composition of solitary cysts and blood serum of 27 patients. The results demonstrated that qualitative composition of f content of unicameral bone cysts is identical to chemical composition of blood serum. The results of analysis of total proteolysis activity and acid phosphatase activity in content of cysts can be used as criteria to determine the stage of cyst growth and to evaluate the effectiveness of applied treatment.

Stimulus-related independent component and voxel-wise analysis of human brain activity during free viewing of a feature film.

PubMed

Lahnakoski, Juha M; Salmi, Juha; Jääskeläinen, Iiro P; Lampinen, Jouko; Glerean, Enrico; Tikka, Pia; Sams, Mikko

2012-01-01

Understanding how the brain processes stimuli in a rich natural environment is a fundamental goal of neuroscience. Here, we showed a feature film to 10 healthy volunteers during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of hemodynamic brain activity. We then annotated auditory and visual features of the motion picture to inform analysis of the hemodynamic data. The annotations were fitted to both voxel-wise data and brain network time courses extracted by independent component analysis (ICA). Auditory annotations correlated with two independent components (IC) disclosing two functional networks, one responding to variety of auditory stimulation and another responding preferentially to speech but parts of the network also responding to non-verbal communication. Visual feature annotations correlated with four ICs delineating visual areas according to their sensitivity to different visual stimulus features. In comparison, a separate voxel-wise general linear model based analysis disclosed brain areas preferentially responding to sound energy, speech, music, visual contrast edges, body motion and hand motion which largely overlapped the results revealed by ICA. Differences between the results of IC- and voxel-based analyses demonstrate that thorough analysis of voxel time courses is important for understanding the activity of specific sub-areas of the functional networks, while ICA is a valuable tool for revealing novel information about functional connectivity which need not be explained by the predefined model. Our results encourage the use of naturalistic stimuli and tasks in cognitive neuroimaging to study how the brain processes stimuli in rich natural environments.

Stimulus-Related Independent Component and Voxel-Wise Analysis of Human Brain Activity during Free Viewing of a Feature Film

PubMed Central

Lahnakoski, Juha M.; Salmi, Juha; Jääskeläinen, Iiro P.; Lampinen, Jouko; Glerean, Enrico; Tikka, Pia; Sams, Mikko

2012-01-01

Understanding how the brain processes stimuli in a rich natural environment is a fundamental goal of neuroscience. Here, we showed a feature film to 10 healthy volunteers during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of hemodynamic brain activity. We then annotated auditory and visual features of the motion picture to inform analysis of the hemodynamic data. The annotations were fitted to both voxel-wise data and brain network time courses extracted by independent component analysis (ICA). Auditory annotations correlated with two independent components (IC) disclosing two functional networks, one responding to variety of auditory stimulation and another responding preferentially to speech but parts of the network also responding to non-verbal communication. Visual feature annotations correlated with four ICs delineating visual areas according to their sensitivity to different visual stimulus features. In comparison, a separate voxel-wise general linear model based analysis disclosed brain areas preferentially responding to sound energy, speech, music, visual contrast edges, body motion and hand motion which largely overlapped the results revealed by ICA. Differences between the results of IC- and voxel-based analyses demonstrate that thorough analysis of voxel time courses is important for understanding the activity of specific sub-areas of the functional networks, while ICA is a valuable tool for revealing novel information about functional connectivity which need not be explained by the predefined model. Our results encourage the use of naturalistic stimuli and tasks in cognitive neuroimaging to study how the brain processes stimuli in rich natural environments. PMID:22496909

Synthesis and characterization of copper complexes of Schiff base derived from isatin and salicylic hydrazide

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

Lekshmy, R. K., E-mail: lekshmyulloor@gmail.com, E-mail: tharapradeepkumar@yahoo.com; Thara, G. S., E-mail: lekshmyulloor@gmail.com, E-mail: tharapradeepkumar@yahoo.com

A series of novel metal complexes of Schiff base have been prepared by the interaction of Cu(II) with isatin salicylic hydrazide. All the new compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, conductance measurement, magnetic moment determination, IR, UV, NMR, Mass and EPR spectral studies, thermal studies and microbial activities. The results indicate that the ligand acts as a tridentate chelating ligand coordinating through nitrogen and oxygen atoms. The ligand and complexes show inactive against Escherichia coli and active against Staphylococcus aureus and B.substilis. By analyzing the results of spectral, thermal and elemental analysis square planar geometry is proposed for all themore » complexes.« less

Speech perception in autism spectrum disorder: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis.

PubMed

Tryfon, Ana; Foster, Nicholas E V; Sharda, Megha; Hyde, Krista L

2018-02-15

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often characterized by atypical language profiles and auditory and speech processing. These can contribute to aberrant language and social communication skills in ASD. The study of the neural basis of speech perception in ASD can serve as a potential neurobiological marker of ASD early on, but mixed results across studies renders it difficult to find a reliable neural characterization of speech processing in ASD. To this aim, the present study examined the functional neural basis of speech perception in ASD versus typical development (TD) using an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of 18 qualifying studies. The present study included separate analyses for TD and ASD, which allowed us to examine patterns of within-group brain activation as well as both common and distinct patterns of brain activation across the ASD and TD groups. Overall, ASD and TD showed mostly common brain activation of speech processing in bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). However, the results revealed trends for some distinct activation in the TD group showing additional activation in higher-order brain areas including left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), left medial frontal gyrus (MFG), and right IFG. These results provide a more reliable neural characterization of speech processing in ASD relative to previous single neuroimaging studies and motivate future work to investigate how these brain signatures relate to behavioral measures of speech processing in ASD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Co-Analysis of Work in the Triadic Supervision of Preservice Teachers Based on Neo-Vygotskian Activity Theory: Case Study from a French University Institute of Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cartaut, Solange; Bertone, Stefano

2009-01-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of the joint training activities of a cooperating teacher and a university supervisor during an advisory visit on (a) the professional development of a preservice teacher's activity and (b) the reorganization of mentoring activity following this visit. The results are considered from a theoretical…

Systems thinking applied to safety during manual handling tasks in the transport and storage industry.

PubMed

Goode, Natassia; Salmon, Paul M; Lenné, Michael G; Hillard, Peter

2014-07-01

Injuries resulting from manual handling tasks represent an on-going problem for the transport and storage industry. This article describes an application of a systems theory-based approach, Rasmussen's (1997. Safety Science 27, 183), risk management framework, to the analysis of the factors influencing safety during manual handling activities in a freight handling organisation. Observations of manual handling activities, cognitive decision method interviews with workers (n=27) and interviews with managers (n=35) were used to gather information about three manual handling activities. Hierarchical task analysis and thematic analysis were used to identify potential risk factors and performance shaping factors across the levels of Rasmussen's framework. These different data sources were then integrated using Rasmussen's Accimap technique to provide an overall analysis of the factors influencing safety during manual handling activities in this context. The findings demonstrate how a systems theory-based approach can be applied to this domain, and suggest that policy-orientated, rather than worker-orientated, changes are required to prevent future manual handling injuries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceived climate in physical activity settings.

PubMed

Gill, Diane L; Morrow, Ronald G; Collins, Karen E; Lucey, Allison B; Schultz, Allison M

2010-01-01

This study focused on the perceived climate for LGBT youth and other minority groups in physical activity settings. A large sample of undergraduates and a selected sample including student teachers/interns and a campus Pride group completed a school climate survey and rated the climate in three physical activity settings (physical education, organized sport, exercise). Overall, school climate survey results paralleled the results with national samples revealing high levels of homophobic remarks and low levels of intervention. Physical activity climate ratings were mid-range, but multivariate analysis of variation test (MANOVA) revealed clear differences with all settings rated more inclusive for racial/ethnic minorities and most exclusive for gays/lesbians and people with disabilities. The results are in line with national surveys and research suggesting sexual orientation and physical characteristics are often the basis for harassment and exclusion in sport and physical activity. The current results also indicate that future physical activity professionals recognize exclusion, suggesting they could benefit from programs that move beyond awareness to skills and strategies for creating more inclusive programs.

Activity and selectivity of photocatalysts in photodegradation of phenols.

PubMed

Emeline, A V; Zhang, X; Murakami, T; Fujishima, A

2012-04-15

Photodegradation of phenol and 4-chlorophenol over six different TiO(2) samples was tested in order to establish whether an interconnection between the activity and selectivity of photocatalysts exists. The obtained experimental data were analyzed using correlation analysis. Some correlations between the activity in phenol(s) photodegradation and selectivity toward formation of primary intermediate products were established. The type of correlations depends on the type of studied photoreactions. The discussion of the observed correlations between the activity and selectivity of photocatalysts is given in terms of the difference of surface concentrations of electrons and holes and corresponding surface active sites which might be dependent on the types of dominating surface faces. On the basis of the obtained results of correlation analysis it was assumed that a higher activity of photocatalysts could be achieved provided that both reduction and oxidation reaction pathways occur with equally high efficiency. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fundamental movement skills and motivational factors influencing engagement in physical activity.

PubMed

Kalaja, Sami; Jaakkola, Timo; Liukkonen, Jarmo; Watt, Anthony

2010-08-01

To assess whether subgroups based on children's fundamental movement skills, perceived competence, and self-determined motivation toward physical education vary with current self-reported physical activity, a sample of 316 Finnish Grade 7 students completed fundamental movement skills measures and self-report questionnaires assessing perceived competence, self-determined motivation toward physical education, and current physical activity. Cluster analysis indicated a three-cluster structure: "Low motivation/low skills profile," "High skills/low motivation profile," and "High skills/high motivation profile." Analysis of variance indicated that students in the third cluster engaged in significantly more physical activity than students of clusters one and two. These results provide support for previous claims regarding the importance of the relationship of fundamental movement skills with continuing engagement in physical activity. High fundamental movement skills, however, may represent only one element in maintaining adolescents' engagement in physical activity.

Microwave-assisted synthesis and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of chalcone derivatives.

PubMed

Liu, Jinbing; Chen, Changhong; Wu, Fengyan; Zhao, Liangzhong

2013-07-01

A series of chalcones and their derivatives were synthesized, and their inhibitory effects on the diphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase were evaluated. The results showed that some of the synthesized compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activity, and four compounds exhibited more potent tyrosinase inhibitory activity than the reference standard inhibitor kojic acid (5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyran-4-one). Specifically, 1-(-1-(4-methoxyphen- yl)-3-phenylallylidene)thiosemicarbazide (18) exhibited the most potent tyrosinase inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ value of 0.274 μM. The inhibition mechanism analysis of 1-(-1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylallylidene) thiosemicarbazide (16) and 1-(-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-phenylallylidene) thiosemicarbazide (18) demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of the two compounds on the tyrosinase were irreversible. Preliminary structure activity relationships' analysis suggested that further development of such compounds might be of interest. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Analytical Chemistry Division annual progress report for period ending November 30, 1977

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

Lyon, W.S.

1978-03-01

Activities for the year are summarized in sections on analytical methodology, mass and mass emission spectrometry, analytical services, bio-organic analysis, nuclear and radiochemical analysis, and quality assurance and safety. Presentations of research results in publications and reports are tabulated. (JRD)

Structural Basis for Certain Naturally Occurring Bioflavonoids to Function as Reducing Co-Substrates of Cyclooxygenase I and II

PubMed Central

Zhu, Bao Ting

2010-01-01

Background Recent studies showed that some of the dietary bioflavonoids can strongly stimulate the catalytic activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) I and II in vitro and in vivo, presumably by facilitating enzyme re-activation. In this study, we sought to understand the structural basis of COX activation by these dietary compounds. Methodology/Principal Findings A combination of molecular modeling studies, biochemical analysis and site-directed mutagenesis assay was used as research tools. Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis (QSAR/CoMFA) predicted that the ability of bioflavonoids to activate COX I and II depends heavily on their B-ring structure, a moiety known to be associated with strong antioxidant ability. Using the homology modeling and docking approaches, we identified the peroxidase active site of COX I and II as the binding site for bioflavonoids. Upon binding to this site, bioflavonoid can directly interact with hematin of the COX enzyme and facilitate the electron transfer from bioflavonoid to hematin. The docking results were verified by biochemical analysis, which reveals that when the cyclooxygenase activity of COXs is inhibited by covalent modification, myricetin can still stimulate the conversion of PGG2 to PGE2, a reaction selectively catalyzed by the peroxidase activity. Using the site-directed mutagenesis analysis, we confirmed that Q189 at the peroxidase site of COX II is essential for bioflavonoids to bind and re-activate its catalytic activity. Conclusions/Significance These findings provide the structural basis for bioflavonoids to function as high-affinity reducing co-substrates of COXs through binding to the peroxidase active site, facilitating electron transfer and enzyme re-activation. PMID:20808785

Pioneer Venus data analysis for the retarding potential analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knudsen, William C.

1993-01-01

This report describes the data analysis and archiving activities, analysis results, and instrument performance of the orbiter retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) flown on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter spacecraft during the period, Aug. 1, 1988 to Sept. 30, 1993. During this period, the periapsis altitude of the Orbiter spacecraft descended slowly from 1900 km altitude, at which altitude the spacecraft was outside the Venus ionosphere, to approximately 130 km altitude in Oct. 1992 at which time communication with the spacecraft ceased as a result of entry of the spacecraft into the Venus atmosphere. The quantity of ORPA data returned during this reporting period was greatly reduced over that recovered in the previous years of the mission because of the reduced power capability of the spacecraft, loss of half of the onboard data storage, and partial failure of the ORPA. Despite the reduction in available data, especially ionospheric data, important scientific discoveries resulted from this extended period of the Pioneer Venus mission. The most significant discovery was that of a strong solar cycle change in the size of the dayside ionosphere and the resulting shutoff of flow of dayside ions into the nightside hemisphere. The large, topside O+ F2 ionospheric layer observed during the first three years of the Pioneer Venus mission, a period of solar cycle maximum activity, is absent during the solar cycle minimum activity period.

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

Parrado, G., E-mail: gparrado@sgc.gov.co; Cañón, Y.; Peña, M., E-mail: mlpena@sgc.gov.co

The Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) laboratory at the Colombian Geological Survey has developed a technique for multi-elemental analysis of soil and plant matrices, based on Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) using the comparator method. In order to evaluate the analytical capabilities of the technique, the laboratory has been participating in inter-comparison tests organized by Wepal (Wageningen Evaluating Programs for Analytical Laboratories). In this work, the experimental procedure and results for the multi-elemental analysis of four soil and four plant samples during participation in the first round on 2015 of Wepal proficiency test are presented. Only elements with radioactive isotopes withmore » medium and long half-lives have been evaluated, 15 elements for soils (As, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, La, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Th, U and Zn) and 7 elements for plants (Br, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Na and Zn). The performance assessment by Wepal based on Z-score distributions showed that most results obtained |Z-scores| ≤ 3.« less

Principal components analysis of an evaluation of the hemiplegic subject based on the Bobath approach.

PubMed

Corriveau, H; Arsenault, A B; Dutil, E; Lepage, Y

1992-01-01

An evaluation based on the Bobath approach to treatment has previously been developed and partially validated. The purpose of the present study was to verify the content validity of this evaluation with the use of a statistical approach known as principal components analysis. Thirty-eight hemiplegic subjects participated in the study. Analysis of the scores on each of six parameters (sensorium, active movements, muscle tone, reflex activity, postural reactions, and pain) was evaluated on three occasions across a 2-month period. Each time this produced three factors that contained 70% of the variation in the data set. The first component mainly reflected variations in mobility, the second mainly variations in muscle tone, and the third mainly variations in sensorium and pain. The results of such exploratory analysis highlight the fact that some of the parameters are not only important but also interrelated. These results seem to partially support the conceptual framework substantiating the Bobath approach to treatment.

Imaging the where and when of tic generation and resting state networks in adult Tourette patients

PubMed Central

Neuner, Irene; Werner, Cornelius J.; Arrubla, Jorge; Stöcker, Tony; Ehlen, Corinna; Wegener, Hans P.; Schneider, Frank; Shah, N. Jon

2014-01-01

Introduction: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder with the core phenomenon of tics, whose origin and temporal pattern are unclear. We investigated the When and Where of tic generation and resting state networks (RSNs) via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods: Tic-related activity and the underlying RSNs in adult TS were studied within one fMRI session. Participants were instructed to lie in the scanner and to let tics occur freely. Tic onset times, as determined by video-observance were used as regressors and added to preceding time-bins of 1 s duration each to detect prior activation. RSN were identified by independent component analysis (ICA) and correlated to disease severity by the means of dual regression. Results: Two seconds before a tic, the supplementary motor area (SMA), ventral primary motor cortex, primary sensorimotor cortex and parietal operculum exhibited activation; 1 s before a tic, the anterior cingulate, putamen, insula, amygdala, cerebellum and the extrastriatal-visual cortex exhibited activation; with tic-onset, the thalamus, central operculum, primary motor and somatosensory cortices exhibited activation. Analysis of resting state data resulted in 21 components including the so-called default-mode network. Network strength in those regions in SMA of two premotor ICA maps that were also active prior to tic occurrence, correlated significantly with disease severity according to the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTTS) scores. Discussion: We demonstrate that the temporal pattern of tic generation follows the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit, and that cortical structures precede subcortical activation. The analysis of spontaneous fluctuations highlights the role of cortical premotor structures. Our study corroborates the notion of TS as a network disorder in which abnormal RSN activity might contribute to the generation of tics in SMA. PMID:24904391

Analysis of Floral Volatile Components and Antioxidant Activity of Different Varieties of Chrysanthemum morifolium.

PubMed

Yang, Lu; Cheng, Ping; Wang, Jin-Hui; Li, Hong

2017-10-23

This study investigated the volatile flavor compounds and antioxidant properties of the essential oil of chrysanthemums that was extracted from the fresh flowers of 10 taxa of Chrysanthemum morifolium from three species; namely Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat.) Yellow, Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat.) Red, Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat.) Pink, Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat.) White, Pericallis hybrid Blue, Pericallis hybrid Pink, Pericallis hybrid Purple, Bellis perennis Pink, Bellis perennis Yellow, and Bellis perennis White. The antioxidant capacity of the essential oil was assayed by spectrophotometric analysis. The volatile flavor compounds from the fresh flowers were collected using dynamic headspace collection, analyzed using auto thermal desorber-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and identified with quantification using the external standard method. The antioxidant activities of Chrysanthemum morifolium were evaluated by DPPH and FRAP assays, and the results showed that the antioxidant activity of each sample was not the same. The different varieties of fresh Chrysanthemum morifolium flowers were distinguished and classified by fingerprint similarity evaluation, principle component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. The results showed that the floral volatile component profiles were significantly different among the different Chrysanthemum morifolium varieties. A total of 36 volatile flavor compounds were identified with eight functional groups: hydrocarbons, terpenoids, aromatic compounds, alcohols, ketones, ethers, aldehydes, and esters. Moreover, the variability among Chrysanthemum morifolium in basis to the data, and the first three principal components (PC1, PC2, and PC3) accounted for 96.509% of the total variance (55.802%, 30.599%, and 10.108%, respectively). PCA indicated that there were marked differences among Chrysanthemum morifolium varieties. The cluster analysis confirmed the results of the PCA analysis. In conclusion, the results of this study provide a basis for breeding Chrysanthemum cultivars with desirable floral scents, and they further support the view that some plants are promising sources of natural antioxidants.

Thermodynamic modeling of transcription: sensitivity analysis differentiates biological mechanism from mathematical model-induced effects.

PubMed

Dresch, Jacqueline M; Liu, Xiaozhou; Arnosti, David N; Ay, Ahmet

2010-10-24

Quantitative models of gene expression generate parameter values that can shed light on biological features such as transcription factor activity, cooperativity, and local effects of repressors. An important element in such investigations is sensitivity analysis, which determines how strongly a model's output reacts to variations in parameter values. Parameters of low sensitivity may not be accurately estimated, leading to unwarranted conclusions. Low sensitivity may reflect the nature of the biological data, or it may be a result of the model structure. Here, we focus on the analysis of thermodynamic models, which have been used extensively to analyze gene transcription. Extracted parameter values have been interpreted biologically, but until now little attention has been given to parameter sensitivity in this context. We apply local and global sensitivity analyses to two recent transcriptional models to determine the sensitivity of individual parameters. We show that in one case, values for repressor efficiencies are very sensitive, while values for protein cooperativities are not, and provide insights on why these differential sensitivities stem from both biological effects and the structure of the applied models. In a second case, we demonstrate that parameters that were thought to prove the system's dependence on activator-activator cooperativity are relatively insensitive. We show that there are numerous parameter sets that do not satisfy the relationships proferred as the optimal solutions, indicating that structural differences between the two types of transcriptional enhancers analyzed may not be as simple as altered activator cooperativity. Our results emphasize the need for sensitivity analysis to examine model construction and forms of biological data used for modeling transcriptional processes, in order to determine the significance of estimated parameter values for thermodynamic models. Knowledge of parameter sensitivities can provide the necessary context to determine how modeling results should be interpreted in biological systems.

Psychophysiological changes following auditory subliminal suggestions for activation and deactivation.

PubMed

Borgeat, F; Goulet, J

1983-06-01

This study was to measure eventual psychophysiological changes resulting from auditory subliminal activation or deactivation suggestions. 18 subjects were alternately exposed to a control situation and to 25-dB activating and deactivating suggestions masked by a 40-dB white noise. Physiological measures (EMG, heart rate, skin-conductance levels and responses, and skin temperature) were recorded while subjects listened passively to the suggestions, during a stressing task that followed and after that task. Multivariate analysis of variance showed a significant effect of the activation subliminal suggestions during and following the stressing task. This result is discussed as indicating effects of consciously unrecognized perceptions on psychophysiological responses.

A coordinate-based ALE functional MRI meta-analysis of brain activation during verbal fluency tasks in healthy control subjects

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The processing of verbal fluency tasks relies on the coordinated activity of a number of brain areas, particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes of the left hemisphere. Recent studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the neural networks subserving verbal fluency functions have yielded divergent results especially with respect to a parcellation of the inferior frontal gyrus for phonemic and semantic verbal fluency. We conducted a coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on brain activation during the processing of phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks involving 28 individual studies with 490 healthy volunteers. Results For phonemic as well as for semantic verbal fluency, the most prominent clusters of brain activation were found in the left inferior/middle frontal gyrus (LIFG/MIFG) and the anterior cingulate gyrus. BA 44 was only involved in the processing of phonemic verbal fluency tasks, BA 45 and 47 in the processing of phonemic and semantic fluency tasks. Conclusions Our comparison of brain activation during the execution of either phonemic or semantic verbal fluency tasks revealed evidence for spatially different activation in BA 44, but not other regions of the LIFG/LMFG (BA 9, 45, 47) during phonemic and semantic verbal fluency processing. PMID:24456150

Neurotensin modulates the composition of pancreatic exocrine secretions in chickens.

PubMed

DeGolier, T F; Place, A R; Duke, G E; Carraway, R E

The effects of neurotensin on pancreatic exocrine secretion were examined in fasted, conscious White Leghorn hens. A cannula was surgically implanted in the central duct serving the ventral lobe of the pancreas in order to collect pure pancreatic juice. Following recovery, neurotensin was infused intravenously at 3.6 or 10.8 pmol/kg*min. The volume and pH of the pancreatic secretions were recorded and total pancreatic protein concentration, amylase, lipase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin activity were measured every 30 min for 2 hr and compared to secretions following the infusion of 0.9% saline. Our results demonstrated that neurotensin did not affect the pH nor the pancreatic juice protein concentration, but did increase secretion rate following neurotensin infusion at 3.6 pmol/kg*min. Amylase activity was significantly depressed during neurotensin infusions, while lipase (both pancreatic and carboxylester lipase) activity was significantly elevated. The ratio of amylase to lipase activity was especially depressed by neurotensin infusion at 10.8 pmol/kg*min. Insufficient secretory activity prevented a balanced statistical analysis of chymotrypsin activity, but from a pooled analysis, neurotensin had no effect on protease activity in the pancreatic juice. These results support our current research indicating that neurotensin may be a hormonal regulator of postprandial lipid digestion in chickens.

Perceptions of exercise screening among older adults.

PubMed

Stathokostas, Liza; Petrella, Andrea F M; Blunt, Wendy; Petrella, Robert J

2018-06-01

Prephysical activity screening is important for older adults' participating in physical activity. Unfortunately, many older adults face barriers to exercise participation and thus, may not complete proper physical activity screening. The purpose of this project was to conduct a thematic analysis of perceptions and experiences of community-dwelling older adults regarding prephysical activity screening (i.e., Get Active Questionnaire (GAQ) and a standardized exercise stress test). A convenience sample of adults (male n = 58, female n = 54) aged 75 ± 7 years living in the City of London, Ontario, Canada, was used. Participants completed a treadmill stress test and the GAQ at a research laboratory for community-based referrals. One week later, participants completed the GAQ again and were asked questions by a research assistant about their perceptions of the screening process. Thematic analysis of the responses was conducted. The results indicated that older adults view physical activity screening as acceptable, but not always necessary. Also, the experiences expressed by this sample of older adults indicated that physical activity screening can contribute to continued confidence (through reassurance) and can contribute to increased motivation (through yearly fitness results) in exercise participation. In conclusion, older adults may perceive screening as supportive in exercise adoption, if screening is simple, convenient, and supports older adults' motivation and confidence to exercise.

Topographic analysis of individual activation patterns in medial frontal cortex in schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Stern, Emily R.; Welsh, Robert C.; Fitzgerald, Kate D.; Taylor, Stephan F.

2009-01-01

Individual variability in the location of neural activations poses a unique problem for neuroimaging studies employing group averaging techniques to investigate the neural bases of cognitive and emotional functions. This may be especially challenging for studies examining patient groups, which often have limited sample sizes and increased intersubject variability. In particular, medial frontal cortex (MFC) dysfunction is thought to underlie performance monitoring dysfunction among patients with previous studies using group averaging to have yielded conflicting results. schizophrenia, yet compare schizophrenic patients to controls To examine individual activations in MFC associated with two aspects of performance monitoring, interference and error processing, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired while 17 patients with schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls performed an event-related version of the multi-source interference task. Comparisons of averaged data revealed few differences between the groups. By contrast, topographic analysis of individual activations for errors showed that control subjects exhibited activations spanning across both posterior and anterior regions of MFC while patients primarily activated posterior MFC, possibly reflecting an impaired emotional response to errors in schizophrenia. This discrepancy between topographic and group-averaged results may be due to the significant dispersion among individual activations, particularly among healthy controls, highlighting the importance of considering intersubject variability when interpreting the medial frontal response to error commission. PMID:18819107

3D-QSAR and docking studies of flavonoids as potent Escherichia coli inhibitors

PubMed Central

Fang, Yajing; Lu, Yulin; Zang, Xixi; Wu, Ting; Qi, XiaoJuan; Pan, Siyi; Xu, Xiaoyun

2016-01-01

Flavonoids are potential antibacterial agents. However, key substituents and mechanism for their antibacterial activity have not been fully investigated. The quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and molecular docking of flavonoids relating to potent anti-Escherichia coli agents were investigated. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) were developed by using the pIC50 values of flavonoids. The cross-validated coefficient (q2) values for CoMFA (0.743) and for CoMSIA (0.708) were achieved, illustrating high predictive capabilities. Selected descriptors for the CoMFA model were ClogP (logarithm of the octanol/water partition coefficient), steric and electrostatic fields, while, ClogP, electrostatic and hydrogen bond donor fields were used for the CoMSIA model. Molecular docking results confirmed that half of the tested flavonoids inhibited DNA gyrase B (GyrB) by interacting with adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) pocket in a same orientation. Polymethoxyl flavones, flavonoid glycosides, isoflavonoids changed their orientation, resulting in a decrease of inhibitory activity. Moreover, docking results showed that 3-hydroxyl, 5-hydroxyl, 7-hydroxyl and 4-carbonyl groups were found to be crucial active substituents of flavonoids by interacting with key residues of GyrB, which were in agreement with the QSAR study results. These results provide valuable information for structure requirements of flavonoids as antibacterial agents. PMID:27049530

Quality Evaluation of Potentilla fruticosa L. by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Fingerprinting Associated with Chemometric Methods.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Wang, Dongmei; Liu, Jianjun; Li, Dengwu; Yin, Dongxue

2016-01-01

The present study was performed to assess the quality of Potentilla fruticosa L. sampled from distinct regions of China using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting coupled with a suite of chemometric methods. For this quantitative analysis, the main active phytochemical compositions and the antioxidant activity in P. fruticosa were also investigated. Considering the high percentages and antioxidant activities of phytochemicals, P. fruticosa samples from Kangding, Sichuan were selected as the most valuable raw materials. Similarity analysis (SA) of HPLC fingerprints, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principle component analysis (PCA), and discriminant analysis (DA) were further employed to provide accurate classification and quality estimates of P. fruticosa. Two principal components (PCs) were collected by PCA. PC1 separated samples from Kangding, Sichuan, capturing 57.64% of the variance, whereas PC2 contributed to further separation, capturing 18.97% of the variance. Two kinds of discriminant functions with a 100% discrimination ratio were constructed. The results strongly supported the conclusion that the eight samples from different regions were clustered into three major groups, corresponding with their morphological classification, for which HPLC analysis confirmed the considerable variation in phytochemical compositions and that P. fruticosa samples from Kangding, Sichuan were of high quality. The results of SA, HCA, PCA, and DA were in agreement and performed well for the quality assessment of P. fruticosa. Consequently, HPLC fingerprinting coupled with chemometric techniques provides a highly flexible and reliable method for the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines.

Quality Evaluation of Potentilla fruticosa L. by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Fingerprinting Associated with Chemometric Methods

PubMed Central

Liu, Wei; Wang, Dongmei; Liu, Jianjun; Li, Dengwu; Yin, Dongxue

2016-01-01

The present study was performed to assess the quality of Potentilla fruticosa L. sampled from distinct regions of China using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting coupled with a suite of chemometric methods. For this quantitative analysis, the main active phytochemical compositions and the antioxidant activity in P. fruticosa were also investigated. Considering the high percentages and antioxidant activities of phytochemicals, P. fruticosa samples from Kangding, Sichuan were selected as the most valuable raw materials. Similarity analysis (SA) of HPLC fingerprints, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principle component analysis (PCA), and discriminant analysis (DA) were further employed to provide accurate classification and quality estimates of P. fruticosa. Two principal components (PCs) were collected by PCA. PC1 separated samples from Kangding, Sichuan, capturing 57.64% of the variance, whereas PC2 contributed to further separation, capturing 18.97% of the variance. Two kinds of discriminant functions with a 100% discrimination ratio were constructed. The results strongly supported the conclusion that the eight samples from different regions were clustered into three major groups, corresponding with their morphological classification, for which HPLC analysis confirmed the considerable variation in phytochemical compositions and that P. fruticosa samples from Kangding, Sichuan were of high quality. The results of SA, HCA, PCA, and DA were in agreement and performed well for the quality assessment of P. fruticosa. Consequently, HPLC fingerprinting coupled with chemometric techniques provides a highly flexible and reliable method for the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines. PMID:26890416

Sunspot activity and influenza pandemics: a statistical assessment of the purported association.

PubMed

Towers, S

2017-10-01

Since 1978, a series of papers in the literature have claimed to find a significant association between sunspot activity and the timing of influenza pandemics. This paper examines these analyses, and attempts to recreate the three most recent statistical analyses by Ertel (1994), Tapping et al. (2001), and Yeung (2006), which all have purported to find a significant relationship between sunspot numbers and pandemic influenza. As will be discussed, each analysis had errors in the data. In addition, in each analysis arbitrary selections or assumptions were also made, and the authors did not assess the robustness of their analyses to changes in those arbitrary assumptions. Varying the arbitrary assumptions to other, equally valid, assumptions negates the claims of significance. Indeed, an arbitrary selection made in one of the analyses appears to have resulted in almost maximal apparent significance; changing it only slightly yields a null result. This analysis applies statistically rigorous methodology to examine the purported sunspot/pandemic link, using more statistically powerful un-binned analysis methods, rather than relying on arbitrarily binned data. The analyses are repeated using both the Wolf and Group sunspot numbers. In all cases, no statistically significant evidence of any association was found. However, while the focus in this particular analysis was on the purported relationship of influenza pandemics to sunspot activity, the faults found in the past analyses are common pitfalls; inattention to analysis reproducibility and robustness assessment are common problems in the sciences, that are unfortunately not noted often enough in review.

Synthesis, spectral characterization and computed optical analysis of potent triazole based compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumrra, Sajjad H.; Mushtaq, Fazila; Khalid, Muhammad; Raza, Muhammad Asam; Nazar, Muhammad Faizan; Ali, Bakhat; Braga, Ataualpa A. C.

2018-02-01

Biologically active triazole Schiff base ligand (L) and metal complexes [Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)] are reported herein. The ligand acted as tridentate and coordinated towards metallic ions via azomethine-N, triazolic-N moiety and deprotonated-O of phenyl substituents in an octahedral manner. These compounds were characterized by physical, spectral and analytical analysis. The synthesized ligand and metal complexes were screened for antibacterial pathogens against Chromohalobacter salexigens, Chromohalobacter israelensi, Halomonas halofila and Halomonas salina, antifungal bioassay against Aspergillus niger and Aspergellus flavin, antioxidant (DPPH, phosphomolybdate) and also for enzyme inhibition [butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE)] studies. The results of these activities indicated the ligand to possess potential activity which significantly increased upon chelation. Moreover, vibrational bands, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) and natural bond analysis (NBO) of ligand (1) were carried out through density functional theory (DFT) with B3lYP/6-311 ++G (d,p) approach. While, UV-Vis analysis was performed by time dependent TD-DFT with B3lYP/6-311 ++G (d,p) method. NBO analysis revealed that investigated compound (L) contains enormous molecular stability owing to hyper conjugative interactions. Theoretical spectroscopic findings showed good agreement to experimental spectroscopic data. Global reactivity descriptors were calculated using the energies of FMOs which indicated compound (L) might be bioactive. These parameters confirmed the charge transfer phenomenon and reasonable correspondence with experimental bioactivity results.

Characterizing Longitudinal Patterns of Physical Activity in Mid-Adulthood Using Latent Class Analysis: Results From a Prospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Silverwood, Richard J.; Nitsch, Dorothea; Pierce, Mary; Kuh, Diana; Mishra, Gita D.

2011-01-01

The authors aimed to describe how longitudinal patterns of physical activity during mid-adulthood (ages 31–53 years) can be characterized using latent class analysis in a population-based birth cohort study, the Medical Research Council’s 1946 National Survey of Health and Development. Three different types of physical activity—walking, cycling, and leisure-time physical activity—were analyzed separately using self-reported data collected from questionnaires between 1977 and 1999; 3,847 study members were included in the analysis for one or more types of activity. Patterns of activity differed by sex, so stratified analyses were conducted. Two walking latent classes were identified representing low (52.8% of males in the cohort, 33.5% of females) and high (47.2%, 66.5%) levels of activity. Similar low (91.4%, 82.1%) and high (8.6%, 17.9%) classes were found for cycling, while 3 classes were identified for leisure-time physical activity: “low activity” (46.2%, 48.2%), “sports and leisure activity” (31.0%, 35.3%), and “gardening and do-it-yourself activities” (22.8%, 16.5%). The classes were reasonably or very well separated, with the exception of walking in females. Latent class analysis was found to be a useful tool for characterizing longitudinal patterns of physical activity, even when the measurement instrument differs slightly across ages, which added value in comparison with observed activity at a single age. PMID:22074812

Experimental and density functional theory studies on benzalkonium ibuprofenate, a double active pharmaceutical ingredient.

PubMed

Safna Hussan, K P; Thayyil, M Shahin; Rajan, Vijisha K; Muraleedharan, K

2018-02-01

Molecular aspects of a double active pharmaceutical ingredient in ionic liquid form, benzalkonium ibuprofenate (BaIb), were studied using density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP/6-31+G (d, p)). A detailed discussion on optimized geometry, energy, heat and the enthalpy of BaIb was carried out. The computed vibrational results agree well with the experimental results. The stability and biological activity were compared to the parent drugs on the basis of global descriptive parameters. The electrophilic and nucleophilic sites were pointed out in the MESP structures well evidently. NBO analysis was also done to predict the relative aromaticity, delocalization effects and the contribution towards stabilization energy of the title compound. The information about non-covalent, non-ionic weak interaction between the cation and anion was obtained from the list of Mulliken charges and NBO analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification and analysis of structures in the corona from X-ray photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaiana, G. S.; Krieger, A. S.; Timothy, A. F.

1973-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of a program of rocket observations of the solar corona with grazing incidence X-ray telescopes. A series of five flights of a Kanigen-surfaced telescope with a few arc seconds resolution, together with the first flight of a newer telescope have resulted in the identification of six classes of coronal structures observable in the X-ray photographs. These are: active regions, active region interconnections, large loop structures associated with unipolar magnetic regions, coronal holes, coronal bright points, and the structures surrounding filament cavities. Two solar flares have been observed. The methods involved in deriving coronal temperature and density information from X-ray photographs are described and the analysis of a bright active region (McMath plage 11035) observed at the west limb on November 24, 1970 is presented as an example of these techniques.

Identification of heavy metals on vegetables at the banks of Kaligarang river using neutron analysis activation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yulianti, D.; Marwoto, P.; Fianti

2018-03-01

This research aims to determine the type, concentration, and distribution of heavy metals in vegetables on the banks river Kaligarang using Neutron Analysis Activation (NAA) Method. The result is then compared to its predefined threshold. Vegetable samples included papaya leaf, cassava leaf, spinach, and water spinach. This research was conducted by taking a snippet of sediment and vegetation from 4 locations of Kaligarang river. These snippets are then prepared for further irradiated in the reactor for radioactive samples emiting γ-ray. The level of γ-ray energy determines the contained elements of sample that would be matched to Neutron Activation Table. The results showed that vegetablesat Kaligarang are containing Cr-50, Co-59, Zn-64, Fe-58, and Mn-25, and well distributed at all research locations. Furthermore, the level of the detected metal elements is less than the predefined threshold.

Synthesis, structural characterization and antitumor activity of a Ca(II) coordination polymer based on 4-formyl-1,3-benzenedisulfonate-2-furoic acid hydrazide ligands

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

Tai, Xi-Shi, E-mail: taixs@wfu.edu.cn; Wang, Xin

2017-03-15

A new Ca(II) coordination polymer, ([CaL(H{sub 2}O){sub 4}] · (H{sub 2}O){sub 4}){sub n} (L = 4-formyl-1,3-benzenedisulfonate-2-furoic acid hydrazide) has been prepared by one-pot synthesis method. And it was characterized by elemental analysis, IR and thermal analysis. The result of X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis shows that the Ca(II) complex molecules form one-dimensional chain structure by the bridging oxygen atoms. The anti-tumor activity of L ligand and the Ca(II) coordination polymer has also been studied.

[Cost-effectiveness of drotrecogin alpha [activated] in the treatment of severe sepsis in Spain].

PubMed

Sacristán, José A; Prieto, Luis; Huete, Teresa; Artigas, Antonio; Badia, Xavier; Chinn, Christopher; Hudson, Peter

2004-01-01

The PROWESS clinical trial has shown that treatment with drotrecogin alpha (activated) in patients with severe sepsis is associated with a reduction in the absolute risk of death compared with standard treatment. The aim of the present study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of drotrecogin alpha (activated) versus that of standard care in the treatment of severe sepsis in Spain. A decision analysis model was drawn up to compare costs to hospital discharge and the long-term efficacy of drotrecogin alpha (activated) versus those of standard care in the treatment of severe sepsis in Spain from the perspective of the health care payer. Most of the information for creating the model was obtained from the PROWESS clinical trial. A two-fold baseline analysis was performed: a) for all patients included in the PROWESS clinical trial and b) for the patients with two or more organ failures. The major variables for clinical assessment were the reduction in mortality and years of life gained (YLG). Cost-effectiveness was expressed as cost per YLG. A sensitivity analysis was applied using 3% and 5% discount rates for YLG and by modifying the patterns of health care, intensive care unit costs, and life expectancy by initial co-morbidity and therapeutic efficacy of drotrecogin alpha (activated). Treatment with drotrecogin alfa (activated) was associated with a 6.0% drop in the absolute risk of death (p = 0.005) when all of the patients from the PROWESS trial were included and with a 7.3% reduction (p = 0.005) when the analysis was restricted to patients with two or more organ failures. The cost-effectiveness of drotrecogin alfa (activated) was 13,550 euros per YLG with respect to standard care after analysing all of the patients and 9,800 euros per YLG in the group of patients with two or more organ failures. In the sensitivity analysis, the results ranged from 7,322 to 16,493 euros per YLG. The factors with the greatest impact on the results were the change in the efficacy of drotrecogin alfa (activated), adjustment of survival by initial co-morbidity and the application of discount rates to YLG. Treatment with drotrecogin alfa (activated) presents a favorable cost-effectiveness ratio compared with other health care interventions commonly used in Spain.

Development of the performance confirmation program at YUCCA mountain, nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeCain, G.D.; Barr, D.; Weaver, D.; Snell, R.; Goodin, S.W.; Hansen, F.D.

2006-01-01

The Yucca Mountain Performance Confirmation program consists of tests, monitoring activities, experiments, and analyses to evaluate the adequacy of assumptions, data, and analyses that form the basis of the conceptual and numerical models of flow and transport associated with a proposed radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The Performance Confirmation program uses an eight-stage risk-informed, performance-based approach. Selection of the Performance Confirmation activities for inclusion in the Performance Confirmation program was done using a risk-informed performance-based decision analysis. The result of this analysis was a Performance Confirmation base portfolio that consists of 20 activities. The 20 Performance Confirmation activities include geologic, hydrologie, and construction/engineering testing. Some of the activities began during site characterization, and others will begin during construction, or post emplacement, and continue until repository closure.

Functional analysis of limb enhancers in the developing fin

PubMed Central

Booker, Betty M.; Murphy, Karl K.

2013-01-01

Despite diverging ~365 million years ago, tetrapod limbs and pectoral fins express similar genes that could be regulated by shared regulatory elements. In this study, we set out to analyze the ability of enhancers to maintain tissue specificity in these two divergent structures. We tested 22 human sequences that were previously reported as mouse limb enhancers for their enhancer activity in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Using a zebrafish enhancer assay, we found that 10/22 (45 %) were positive for pectoral fin activity. Analysis of the various criteria that correlated with positive fin activity found that both spatial limb activity and evolutionary conservation are not good predictors of fin enhancer activity. These results suggest that zebrafish enhancer assays may be limited in detecting human limb enhancers, and this limitation does not improve by the use of limb spatial expression or evolutionary conservation. PMID:24068387

Analysis of coals and biomass pyrolysis using the distributed activation energy model.

PubMed

Li, Zhengqi; Liu, Chunlong; Chen, Zhichao; Qian, Juan; Zhao, Wei; Zhu, Qunyi

2009-01-01

The thermal decomposition of coals and biomass was studied using thermogravimetric analysis with the distributed activation energy model. The integral method resulted in Datong bituminous coal conversions of 3-73% at activation energies of 100-486 kJ/mol. The corresponding frequency factors were e(19.5)-e(59.0)s(-1). Jindongnan lean coal conversions were 8-52% at activation energies of 100-462 kJ/mol. Their corresponding frequency factors were e(13.0)-e(55.8)s(-1). The conversion of corn-stalk skins were 1-84% at activation energies of 62-169 kJ/mol with frequency factors of e(10.8)-e(26.5)s(-1). Datong bituminous coal, Jindongnan lean coal and corn-stalk skins had approximate Gaussian distribution functions with linear ln k(0) to E relationships.

Masticatory loadings and cranial deformation in Macaca fascicularis: a finite element analysis sensitivity study.

PubMed

Fitton, L C; Shi, J F; Fagan, M J; O'Higgins, P

2012-07-01

Biomechanical analyses are commonly conducted to investigate how craniofacial form relates to function, particularly in relation to dietary adaptations. However, in the absence of corresponding muscle activation patterns, incomplete muscle data recorded experimentally for different individuals during different feeding tasks are frequently substituted. This study uses finite element analysis (FEA) to examine the sensitivity of the mechanical response of a Macaca fascicularis cranium to varying muscle activation patterns predicted via multibody dynamic analysis. Relative to the effects of varying bite location, the consequences of simulated variations in muscle activation patterns and of the inclusion/exclusion of whole muscle groups were investigated. The resulting cranial deformations were compared using two approaches; strain maps and geometric morphometric analyses. The results indicate that, with bite force magnitude controlled, the variations among the mechanical responses of the cranium to bite location far outweigh those observed as a consequence of varying muscle activations. However, zygomatic deformation was an exception, with the activation levels of superficial masseter being most influential in this regard. The anterior portion of temporalis deforms the cranial vault, but the remaining muscles have less profound effects. This study for the first time systematically quantifies the sensitivity of an FEA model of a primate skull to widely varying masticatory muscle activations and finds that, with the exception of the zygomatic arch, reasonable variants of muscle loading for a second molar bite have considerably less effect on cranial deformation and the resulting strain map than does varying molar bite point. The implication is that FEA models of biting crania will generally produce acceptable estimates of deformation under load as long as muscle activations and forces are reasonably approximated. In any one FEA study, the biological significance of the error in applied muscle forces is best judged against the magnitude of the effect that is being investigated. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy © 2012 Anatomical Society.

Masticatory loadings and cranial deformation in Macaca fascicularis: a finite element analysis sensitivity study

PubMed Central

Fitton, L C; Shi, J F; Fagan, M J; O’Higgins, P

2012-01-01

Biomechanical analyses are commonly conducted to investigate how craniofacial form relates to function, particularly in relation to dietary adaptations. However, in the absence of corresponding muscle activation patterns, incomplete muscle data recorded experimentally for different individuals during different feeding tasks are frequently substituted. This study uses finite element analysis (FEA) to examine the sensitivity of the mechanical response of a Macaca fascicularis cranium to varying muscle activation patterns predicted via multibody dynamic analysis. Relative to the effects of varying bite location, the consequences of simulated variations in muscle activation patterns and of the inclusion/exclusion of whole muscle groups were investigated. The resulting cranial deformations were compared using two approaches; strain maps and geometric morphometric analyses. The results indicate that, with bite force magnitude controlled, the variations among the mechanical responses of the cranium to bite location far outweigh those observed as a consequence of varying muscle activations. However, zygomatic deformation was an exception, with the activation levels of superficial masseter being most influential in this regard. The anterior portion of temporalis deforms the cranial vault, but the remaining muscles have less profound effects. This study for the first time systematically quantifies the sensitivity of an FEA model of a primate skull to widely varying masticatory muscle activations and finds that, with the exception of the zygomatic arch, reasonable variants of muscle loading for a second molar bite have considerably less effect on cranial deformation and the resulting strain map than does varying molar bite point. The implication is that FEA models of biting crania will generally produce acceptable estimates of deformation under load as long as muscle activations and forces are reasonably approximated. In any one FEA study, the biological significance of the error in applied muscle forces is best judged against the magnitude of the effect that is being investigated. PMID:22690885

Effect of active case finding on prevalence and transmission of pulmonary tuberculosis in Dhaka Central Jail, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Banu, Sayera; Rahman, Md Toufiq; Uddin, Mohammad Khaja Mafij; Khatun, Razia; Khan, Md Siddiqur Rahman; Rahman, Md Mojibur; Uddin, Syed Iftekhar; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Heffelfinger, James D

2015-01-01

Understanding tuberculosis (TB) transmission dynamics is essential for establishing effective TB control strategies in settings where the burden and risk of transmission are high. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of active screening on controlling TB transmission and also to characterize Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains for investigating transmission dynamics in a correctional setting. The study was carried out in Dhaka Central Jail (DCJ), from October 2005 to February 2010. An active case finding strategy for pulmonary TB was established both at the entry point to the prison and inside the prison. Three sputum specimens were collected from all pulmonary TB suspects and subjected to smear microscopy, culture, and drug susceptibility testing as well as genotyping which included deletion analysis, spoligotyping and analysis of mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU). A total of 60,585 inmates were screened during the study period. We found 466 inmates with pulmonary TB of whom 357 (77%) had positive smear microscopy results and 109 (23%) had negative smear microscopy results but had positive results on culture. The number of pulmonary TB cases declined significantly, from 49 cases during the first quarter to 8 cases in the final quarter of the study period (p=0.001). Deletion analysis identified all isolates as M. tuberculosis and further identified 229 (70%) strains as 'modern' and 100 (30%) strains as 'ancestral'. Analysis of MIRU showed that 347 strains (85%) exhibited unique patterns, whereas 61 strains (15%) clustered into 22 groups. The largest cluster comprised eight strains of the Beijing M. tuberculosis type. The rate of recent transmission was estimated to be 9.6%. Implementation of active screening for TB was associated with a decline in TB cases in DCJ. Implementation of active screening in prison settings might substantially reduce the national burden of TB in Bangladesh.

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) induces caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma ASTC-a-1 cells

PubMed Central

Lu, Ying-Ying; Chen, Tong-Sheng; Qu, Jun-Le; Pan, Wen-Liang; Sun, Lei; Wei, Xun-Bin

2009-01-01

Background Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin, isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Artemisia annua, is recommended as the first-line anti-malarial drug with low toxicity. DHA has been shown to possess promising anticancer activities and induce cancer cell death through apoptotic pathways, although the molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Methods In this study, cell counting kit (CCK-8) assay was employed to evaluate the survival of DHA-treated ASTC-a-1 cells. The induction of apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33258 and PI staining as well as flow cytometry analysis. Collapse of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) was measured by dynamic detection under a laser scanning confocal microscope and flow cytometry analysis using Rhodamine123. Caspase-3 activities measured with or without Z-VAD-fmk (a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor) pretreatment by FRET techniques, caspase-3 activity measurement, and western blotting analysis. Results Our results indicated that DHA induced apoptotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which was accompanied by mitochondrial morphology changes, the loss of ΔΨm and the activation of caspase-3. Conclusion These results show for the first time that DHA can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis via caspase-3-dependent mitochondrial death pathway in ASTC-a-1 cells. Our work may provide evidence for further studies of DHA as a possible anticancer drug in the clinical treatment of lung adenocarcinoma. PMID:19272183

A Markovian Entropy Measure for the Analysis of Calcium Activity Time Series

PubMed Central

Rahman, Atiqur; Odorizzi, Laura; LeFew, Michael C.; Golino, Caroline A.; Kemper, Peter; Saha, Margaret S.

2016-01-01

Methods to analyze the dynamics of calcium activity often rely on visually distinguishable features in time series data such as spikes, waves, or oscillations. However, systems such as the developing nervous system display a complex, irregular type of calcium activity which makes the use of such methods less appropriate. Instead, for such systems there exists a class of methods (including information theoretic, power spectral, and fractal analysis approaches) which use more fundamental properties of the time series to analyze the observed calcium dynamics. We present a new analysis method in this class, the Markovian Entropy measure, which is an easily implementable calcium time series analysis method which represents the observed calcium activity as a realization of a Markov Process and describes its dynamics in terms of the level of predictability underlying the transitions between the states of the process. We applied our and other commonly used calcium analysis methods on a dataset from Xenopus laevis neural progenitors which displays irregular calcium activity and a dataset from murine synaptic neurons which displays activity time series that are well-described by visually-distinguishable features. We find that the Markovian Entropy measure is able to distinguish between biologically distinct populations in both datasets, and that it can separate biologically distinct populations to a greater extent than other methods in the dataset exhibiting irregular calcium activity. These results support the benefit of using the Markovian Entropy measure to analyze calcium dynamics, particularly for studies using time series data which do not exhibit easily distinguishable features. PMID:27977764

How to build institutionalization on students: a pilot experiment on a didactical design of addition and subtraction involving negative integers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuadiah, N. F.; Suryadi, D.; Turmudi

2018-05-01

This study focuses on the design of a didactical situation in addition and subtraction involving negative integers at the pilot experiment phase. As we know, negative numbers become an obstacle for students in solving problems related to them. This study aims to create a didactical design that can assist students in understanding the addition and subtraction. Another expected result in this way is that students are introduced to the characteristics of addition and subtraction of integers. The design was implemented on 32 seventh grade students in one of the classes in a junior secondary school as the pilot experiment. Learning activities were observed thoroughly including the students’ responses that emerged during the learning activities. The written documentation of the students was also used to support the analysis in the learning activities. The results of the analysis showed that this method could help the students perform a large number of integer operations that could not be done with a number line. The teacher’s support as a didactical potential contract was still needed to encourage institutionalization processes. The results of the design analysis used as the basis of the revision are expected to be implemented by the teacher in the teaching experiment.

Primary Culture of Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma: Molecular Characterization and Response to Anticancer Agents

PubMed Central

Recine, Federica; Mercatali, Laura; Miserocchi, Giacomo; Spadazzi, Chiara; Liverani, Chiara; Bongiovanni, Alberto; Pieri, Federica; Casadei, Roberto; Riva, Nada; Fausti, Valentina; Amadori, Dino; Ibrahim, Toni

2017-01-01

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is an aggressive mesenchymal neoplasm with no specific line of differentiation. Eribulin, a novel synthetic microtubule inhibitor, has shown anticancer activity in several tumors, including soft tissue sarcomas (STS). We investigated the molecular biology of UPS, and the mechanisms of action of this innovative microtubule-depolymerizing drug. A primary culture from a patient with UPS was established and characterized in terms of gene expression. The activity of eribulin was also compared with that of other drugs currently used for STS treatment, including trabectedin. Finally, Western blot analysis was performed to better elucidate the activity of eribulin. Our results showed an upregulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition-related genes, and a downregulation of epithelial markers. Furthermore, genes involved in chemoresistance were upregulated. Pharmacological analysis confirmed limited sensitivity to chemotherapy. Interestingly, eribulin exhibited a similar activity to that of standard treatments. Molecular analysis revealed the expression of cell cycle arrest-related and pro-apoptotic-related proteins. These findings are suggestive of aggressive behavior in UPS. Furthermore, the identification of chemoresistance-related genes could facilitate the development of innovative drugs to improve patient outcome. Overall, the results from the present study furnish a rationale for elucidating the role of eribulin for the treatment of UPS. PMID:29292724

Anti-cancer effect of ursolic acid activates apoptosis through ROCK/PTEN mediated mitochondrial translocation of cofilin-1 in prostate cancer

PubMed Central

Gai, Wen-Tao; Yu, Da-Peng; Wang, Xin-Sheng; Wang, Pei-Tao

2016-01-01

Ursolic acid is a type of pentacyclic triterpene compound with multiple pharmacological activities including cancer resistance, protection from liver injury, antisepsis, anti-inflammation and antiviral activity. The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer effect of ursolic acid. Ursolic acid activates cell apoptosis and its pro-apoptotic mechanism remains to be fully elucidated. Cell Counting kit-8 assays, flow cytometric analysis and analysis of caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity were used to estimate the anticancer effect of ursolic acid on DU145 prostate cancer cells. The protein expression of cytochrome c, rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and cofilin-1 were examined using western blot analysis. In the present study, ursolic acid significantly suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis, as well as increasing caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities of DU145 cells. Furthermore, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial cytochrome c protein expression was significantly activated and suppressed, respectively, by ursolic acid. Ursolic acid significantly suppressed the ROCK/PTEN signaling pathway and inhibited cofilin-1 protein expression in DU145 cells. The results of the present study indicate that the anticancer effect of ursolic acid activates cell apoptosis through ROCK/PTEN mediated mitochondrial translocation of cofilin-1 in prostate cancer. PMID:27698874

Scale Development for Perceived School Climate for Girls' Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birnbaum, Amanda S.; Evenson, Kelly R.; Motl, Robert W.; Dishman, Rod K.; Voorhees, Carolyn C.; Sallis, James F.; Elder, John P.; Dowda, Marsha

2005-01-01

Objectives: To test an original scale assessing perceived school climate for girls' physical activity in middle school girls. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: CFA retained 5 of 14 original items. A model with 2 correlated factors, perceptions about teachers' and boys' behaviors,…

Measuring research progress in photovoltaics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, B.; Mcguire, P.

1986-01-01

The role and some results of the project analysis and integration function in the Flat-plate Solar Array (FSA) Project are presented. Activities included supporting the decision-making process, preparation of plans for project direction, setting goals for project activities, measuring progress within the project, and the development and maintenance of analytical models.

Early immune response and regulation of IL-2 receptor subunits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes-Fulford, Millie; Sugano, Eiko; Schopper, Thomas; Li, Chai-Fei; Boonyaratanakornkit, J. B.; Cogoli, Augusto

2005-01-01

Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays were used to monitor expression of 8796 genes and probe sets in activated T-cells; analysis revealed that 217 genes were significantly upregulated within 4 h. Induced genes included transcription factors, cytokines and their receptor genes. Analysis by semi-quantitative RT-PCR confirmed the significant induction of IL-2, IL-2R(gamma) and IL-2R(alpha). Forty-eight of the 217 induced genes are known to or predicted to be regulated by a CRE promoter/enhancer. We found that T-cell activation caused a significant increase in CREB phosphorylation furthermore, inhibition of the PKC pathway by GF109203 reduced CREB activation by 50% and inhibition of the PKA pathway caused a total block of CREB phosphorylation and significantly reduced IFN(gamma), IL-2 and IL-2R(alpha) gene expression by approximately 40% (p<0.001). PKC(theta) plays a major role in T-cell activation: inhibition of PKC significantly reduced the expression of IFN(gamma), IL-2 and IL-2R(alpha). Since PKC blocked activation of CREB, we studied potential cross-talk between the PKC and the PKA/MAPK pathways, PMA-stimulated Jurkat cells were studied with specific signal pathway inhibitors. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 (ERK2) pathway was found to be significantly activated greater than seven-fold within 30 min; however, there was little activation of ERK-1 and no activation of JNK or p38 MAPK. Inhibition of the PKA pathway, but not the PKC pathway, resulted in inhibition of ERK1/2 activation at all time points, inhibition of MEK1 and 2 significantly blocked expression of IL-2 and IL-2R(alpha). Gene expression of IL-2R(alpha) and IFN(gamma) was dependent on PKA in S49 wt cells but not in kin- mutants. Using gel shift analysis, we found that forskolin activation of T-cells resulted in activation of AP1 sites; this increase in nuclear extract AP1 was significantly blocked by MEK1 inhibitor U0126. Taken together, these results suggest that the PKA in addition to PKC and MAPK pathways plays a role in early T-cell activation and induction of IL-2, IL-2R(alpha) and IFN(gamma) gene expression.

Early immune response and regulation of IL-2 receptor subunits.

PubMed

Hughes-Fulford, Millie; Sugano, Eiko; Schopper, Thomas; Li, Chai-Fei; Boonyaratanakornkit, J B; Cogoli, Augusto

2005-09-01

Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays were used to monitor expression of 8796 genes and probe sets in activated T-cells; analysis revealed that 217 genes were significantly upregulated within 4 h. Induced genes included transcription factors, cytokines and their receptor genes. Analysis by semi-quantitative RT-PCR confirmed the significant induction of IL-2, IL-2R(gamma) and IL-2R(alpha). Forty-eight of the 217 induced genes are known to or predicted to be regulated by a CRE promoter/enhancer. We found that T-cell activation caused a significant increase in CREB phosphorylation furthermore, inhibition of the PKC pathway by GF109203 reduced CREB activation by 50% and inhibition of the PKA pathway caused a total block of CREB phosphorylation and significantly reduced IFN(gamma), IL-2 and IL-2R(alpha) gene expression by approximately 40% (p<0.001). PKC(theta) plays a major role in T-cell activation: inhibition of PKC significantly reduced the expression of IFN(gamma), IL-2 and IL-2R(alpha). Since PKC blocked activation of CREB, we studied potential cross-talk between the PKC and the PKA/MAPK pathways, PMA-stimulated Jurkat cells were studied with specific signal pathway inhibitors. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 (ERK2) pathway was found to be significantly activated greater than seven-fold within 30 min; however, there was little activation of ERK-1 and no activation of JNK or p38 MAPK. Inhibition of the PKA pathway, but not the PKC pathway, resulted in inhibition of ERK1/2 activation at all time points, inhibition of MEK1 and 2 significantly blocked expression of IL-2 and IL-2R(alpha). Gene expression of IL-2R(alpha) and IFN(gamma) was dependent on PKA in S49 wt cells but not in kin- mutants. Using gel shift analysis, we found that forskolin activation of T-cells resulted in activation of AP1 sites; this increase in nuclear extract AP1 was significantly blocked by MEK1 inhibitor U0126. Taken together, these results suggest that the PKA in addition to PKC and MAPK pathways plays a role in early T-cell activation and induction of IL-2, IL-2R(alpha) and IFN(gamma) gene expression.

Transcriptome analysis supports viral infection and fluoride toxicity as contributors to chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Sayanthooran, Saravanabavan; Gunerathne, Lishanthe; Abeysekera, Tilak D J; Magana-Arachchi, Dhammika N

2018-05-28

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu), having epidemic characteristics, is being diagnosed increasingly in certain tropical regions of the world, mainly Latin America and Sri Lanka. They have been observed primarily in farming communities and current hypotheses point toward many environmental and occupational triggers. CKDu does not have common etiologies of chronic kidney disease (CKD) such as hypertension, diabetes, or autoimmune disease. We aimed to understand the molecular processes underlying CKDu in Sri Lanka using transcriptome analysis. RNA extracted from whole blood was reverse transcribed and used for microarray analysis using the Human HT-12 v.4 array (Illumina). Pathway analysis was carried out using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA-Qiagen). Microarray results were validated using real-time PCR of five selected genes. Pathways related to innate immune response, including interferon signaling, inflammasome signaling and TREM1 signaling had the most significant positive activation z scores, where as EIF2 signaling and mTOR signaling had the most significant negative activation z scores. Pathways previously linked to fluoride toxicity; G-protein activation, Cdc42 signaling, Rac signaling and RhoA signaling were activated in CKDu patients. The most significantly activated biological functions were cell death, cell movement and antimicrobial response. Significant toxicological functions were mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and apoptosis. Based on the molecular pathway analysis in CKDu patients and review of literature, viral infections and fluoride toxicity appear to be contributing to the molecular mechanisms underlying CKDu.

Large space antenna communications systems: Integrated Langley Research Center/Jet Propulsion Laboratory development activities. 2: Langley Research Center activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cambell, T. G.; Bailey, M. C.; Cockrell, C. R.; Beck, F. B.

1983-01-01

The electromagnetic analysis activities at the Langley Research Center are resulting in efficient and accurate analytical methods for predicting both far- and near-field radiation characteristics of large offset multiple-beam multiple-aperture mesh reflector antennas. The utilization of aperture integration augmented with Geometrical Theory of Diffraction in analyzing the large reflector antenna system is emphasized.

A temporal importance-performance analysis of recreation attributes on national forests: a technical document supporting the Forest Service update of the 2010 RPA Assessment

Treesearch

Ashley E. Askew; J.M. Bowker; Donald B.K. English; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Gary T. Green

2017-01-01

The outdoor recreation component of the 2010 Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment provided projections and modeling of participation and intensity by activity. Results provided insight into the future of multiple outdoor recreation activities through projections of participation rates, numbers of participants, days per participant, and total activity days. These...

Functional Analysis and Treatment of Noncompliance by Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilder, David A.; Harris, Carelle; Reagan, Renee; Rasey, Amy

2007-01-01

A functional analysis showed that noncompliance occurred most often for 2 preschoolers when it resulted in termination of a preferred activity, suggesting that noncompliance was maintained by positive reinforcement. A differential reinforcement procedure, which involved contingent access to coupons that could be exchanged for uninterrupted access…

Incentive program to strengthen motivation for increasing physical activity via conjoint analysis.

PubMed

Matsushita, Munehiro; Harada, Kazuhiro; Arao, Takashi

2017-01-01

Objectives　Promoting physical activity is a key public health issue. Incentive programs have attracted attention as a technique for promoting physical activity. For the use of effective incentives, there is a need to clarify the most effective incentive program conditions for the promotion of physical activity. Therefore, the present study used the conjoint analysis to examine the effective incentive program conditions for strengthening the motivation to increase physical activity.Methods　Data on 1,998 subjects (aged 40-74) were analyzed. The main variables in this study were physical activity (IPAQ-Short Form) and the strengthening of motivation to increase physical activity. The incentive programs that were implemented, comprised four factors: 1) cash equivalents (1,000 yen, 2,000 yen, and 3,000 yen); 2) duration between increase in physical activity and receipt of the incentive (1, 2, or 3 months); 3) method to record the physical activity (recording sheet, recording website, and automatic pedometer recording); and 4) lottery (yes or no). Eleven incentive programs were created, which was the minimum number required for comparison of these factors and levels. The average importance of each of the four factors was calculated to compare their contributions to the strengthening of the motivation to increase physical activity. The utility of each level was also calculated to compare their contributions to the strengthening of motivation. All statistics were stratified by age (≤65 years and 65+ years) and physical activity (<150 min/week, 150+ min/week) for additional analysis.Results　Cash incentives and the lottery ranked equally on average importance, followed by duration and recording methods. Utility was higher for each factor, as follows: 1) more valuable cash incentives, 2) shorter duration, 3) automatic pedometer recording, and 4) no lottery. There was no notable difference in the average importance and utility of age and physical activity.Conclusions　The results of this study suggest that no lottery and more valuable incentives were important for improving the effectiveness of incentive programs in increasing physical activity. Moreover, these two factors would be important regardless of age and physical activity levels. Further intervention studies on incentive programs for increasing physical activity considering the present results are needed.

Exploring the use of optical flow for the study of functional NIRS signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez Rojas, Raul; Huang, Xu; Ou, Keng-Liang; Hernandez-Juarez, Jesus

2017-03-01

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an optical imaging technique that allows real-time measurements of Oxy and Deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations in human body tissue. In functional NIRS (fNIRS), this technique is used to study cortical activation in response to changes in neural activity. However, analysis of activation regions using NIRS is a challenging task in the field of medical image analysis and despite existing solutions, no homogeneous analysis method has yet been determined. For that reason, the aim of our present study is to report the use of an optical flow method for the analysis of cortical activation using near-infrared spectroscopy signals. We used real fNIRS data recorded from a noxious stimulation experiment as base of our implementation. To compute the optical flow algorithm, we first arrange NIRS signals (Oxy-hemoglobin) following our 24 channels (12 channels per hemisphere) head-probe configuration to create image-like samples. We then used two consecutive fNIRS samples per hemisphere as input frames for the optical flow algorithm, making one computation per hemisphere. The output from these two computations is the velocity field representing cortical activation from each hemisphere. The experimental results showed that the radial structure of flow vectors exhibited the origin of cortical activity, the development of stimulation as expansion or contraction of such flow vectors, and the flow of activation patterns may suggest prediction in cortical activity. The present study demonstrates that optical flow provides a power tool for the analysis of NIRS signals. Finally, we suggested a novel idea to identify pain status in nonverbal patients by using optical flow motion vectors; however, this idea will be study further in our future research.

Forest and rangeland ecosystem condition indicators: identifying national areas of opportunity using data development analysis

Treesearch

John G. Hof; Curtis H. Flather; Tony J. Baltic; Rudy M. King

2004-01-01

This article reports the methodology and results of a data envelopment analysis (DEA) that attempts to identify areas in the country where there is maximum potential for improving the forest and rangeland condition, based on 12 indicator variables. This analysis differs from previous DEA studies in that the primary variables are measures of human activity and...

Microfluidic systems and methods of transport and lysis of cells and analysis of cell lysate

DOEpatents

Culbertson, Christopher T.; Jacobson, Stephen C.; McClain, Maxine A.; Ramsey, J. Michael

2004-08-31

Microfluidic systems and methods are disclosed which are adapted to transport and lyse cellular components of a test sample for analysis. The disclosed microfluidic systems and methods, which employ an electric field to rupture the cell membrane, cause unusually rapid lysis, thereby minimizing continued cellular activity and resulting in greater accuracy of analysis of cell processes.

Microfluidic systems and methods for transport and lysis of cells and analysis of cell lysate

DOEpatents

Culbertson, Christopher T [Oak Ridge, TN; Jacobson, Stephen C [Knoxville, TN; McClain, Maxine A [Knoxville, TN; Ramsey, J Michael [Knoxville, TN

2008-09-02

Microfluidic systems and methods are disclosed which are adapted to transport and lyse cellular components of a test sample for analysis. The disclosed microfluidic systems and methods, which employ an electric field to rupture the cell membrane, cause unusually rapid lysis, thereby minimizing continued cellular activity and resulting in greater accuracy of analysis of cell processes.

Identification of AOSC-binding proteins in neurons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ming; Nie, Qin; Xin, Xianliang; Geng, Meiyu

2008-11-01

Acidic oligosaccharide sugar chain (AOSC), a D-mannuronic acid oligosaccharide, derived from brown algae polysaccharide, has been completed Phase I clinical trial in China as an anti-Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) drug candidate. The identification of AOSC-binding protein(s) in neurons is very important for understanding its action mechanism. To determine the binding protein(s) of AOSC in neurons mediating its anti-AD activities, confocal microscopy, affinity chromatography, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis were used. Confocal microscopy analysis shows that AOSC binds to SH-SY5Y cells in concentration-, time-, and temperature-dependent fashions. The AOSC binding proteins were purified by affinity chromatography and identified by LC-MS/MS analysis. The results showed that there are 349 proteins binding AOSC, including clathrin, adaptor protein-2 (AP-2) and amyloid precursor protein (APP). These results suggest that the binding/entrance of AOSC to neurons is probably responsible for anti-AD activities.

Skill versus luck: A motivational analysis of gambling involvement.

PubMed

Chantal, Y; Vallerand, R J

1996-12-01

The purpose of the present investigation was to test the skill/luck distinction among gambling games by comparing the motivations underlying participation in a skill (horse racing) and a luck (lottery) betting activity. Predictions were made using Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991). It was predicted that self-determined motivations (intrinsic motivation and identified regulation) would be more prominent for the skill game because it is conducive to optimal challenges, fun, and self-involvement. Conversely, the non self-determined forms of motivation (especially external regulation) should be more important for the game of luck because the luck dimension precludes true involvement of the self and orients the individual towards material gains. Results from a hierarchical discriminant function analysis, with 120 gamblers predominantly involved in one of the two betting activities, supported these hypotheses. These results highlight the relevance of a motivational analysis for a better understanding of the inherent properties of gambling games.

Factors Associated with Nursing Activities in Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief

PubMed Central

Noguchi, Norihito; Inoue, Satoshi; Shimanoe, Chisato; Shibayama, Kaoru; Shinchi, Koichi

2016-01-01

Background Although nurses play an important role in humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HA/DR), little is known about the nursing activities that are performed in HA/DR. We aimed to clarify the nursing activities performed by Japanese nurses in HA/DR and to examine the factors associated with the frequency of nursing activities. Methods A self-administered questionnaire survey was completed by 147 nurses with HA/DR experience. The survey extracted information on demographic characteristics, past experience (e.g., disaster medical training experience, HA/DR experience), circumstances surrounding their dispatched to HA/DR (e.g., team size, disaster type, post-disaster phase, mission term), and the frequency of nursing activities performed under HA/DR. The frequency of nursing activities was rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Evaluation of nursing activities was conducted based on the “nursing activity score”, which represents the frequency of each nursing activity. Factors related to the nursing activity score were evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Nurses were involved in 27 nursing activities in HA/DR, 10 of which were performed frequently. On analysis, factors significantly associated with nursing activity score were nursing license as a registered nurse (OR 7.79, 95% CI 2.95–20.57), two or more experiences with disaster medical training (OR 2.90 95%, CI 1.12–7.49) and a post-disaster phase of three weeks or longer (OR 8.77, 95% CI 2.59–29.67). Conclusions These results will contribute to the design of evidence-based disaster medical training that improves the quality of nursing activities. PMID:26959351

Physical activity volume in relation to risk of atrial fibrillation. A non-linear meta-regression analysis.

PubMed

Ricci, Cristian; Gervasi, Federico; Gaeta, Maddalena; Smuts, Cornelius M; Schutte, Aletta E; Leitzmann, Michael F

2018-05-01

Background Light physical activity is known to reduce atrial fibrillation risk, whereas moderate to vigorous physical activity may result in an increased risk. However, the question of what volume of physical activity can be considered beneficial remains poorly understood. The scope of the present work was to examine the relation between physical activity volume and atrial fibrillation risk. Design A comprehensive systematic review was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. Methods A non-linear meta-regression considering the amount of energy spent in physical activity was carried out. The first derivative of the non-linear relation between physical activity and atrial fibrillation risk was evaluated to determine the volume of physical activity that carried the minimum atrial fibrillation risk. Results The dose-response analysis of the relation between physical activity and atrial fibrillation risk showed that physical activity at volumes of 5-20 metabolic equivalents per week (MET-h/week) was associated with significant reduction in atrial fibrillation risk (relative risk for 19 MET-h/week = 0.92 (0.87, 0.98). By comparison, physical activity volumes exceeding 20 MET-h/week were unrelated to atrial fibrillation risk (relative risk for 21 MET-h/week = 0.95 (0.88, 1.02). Conclusion These data show a J-shaped relation between physical activity volume and atrial fibrillation risk. Physical activity at volumes of up to 20 MET-h/week is associated with reduced atrial fibrillation risk, whereas volumes exceeding 20 MET-h/week show no relation with risk.

Meta-analysis of real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies using individual participant data: How is brain regulation mediated?

PubMed

Emmert, Kirsten; Kopel, Rotem; Sulzer, James; Brühl, Annette B; Berman, Brian D; Linden, David E J; Horovitz, Silvina G; Breimhorst, Markus; Caria, Andrea; Frank, Sabine; Johnston, Stephen; Long, Zhiying; Paret, Christian; Robineau, Fabien; Veit, Ralf; Bartsch, Andreas; Beckmann, Christian F; Van De Ville, Dimitri; Haller, Sven

2016-01-01

An increasing number of studies using real-time fMRI neurofeedback have demonstrated that successful regulation of neural activity is possible in various brain regions. Since these studies focused on the regulated region(s), little is known about the target-independent mechanisms associated with neurofeedback-guided control of brain activation, i.e. the regulating network. While the specificity of the activation during self-regulation is an important factor, no study has effectively determined the network involved in self-regulation in general. In an effort to detect regions that are responsible for the act of brain regulation, we performed a post-hoc analysis of data involving different target regions based on studies from different research groups. We included twelve suitable studies that examined nine different target regions amounting to a total of 175 subjects and 899 neurofeedback runs. Data analysis included a standard first- (single subject, extracting main paradigm) and second-level (single subject, all runs) general linear model (GLM) analysis of all participants taking into account the individual timing. Subsequently, at the third level, a random effects model GLM included all subjects of all studies, resulting in an overall mixed effects model. Since four of the twelve studies had a reduced field of view (FoV), we repeated the same analysis in a subsample of eight studies that had a well-overlapping FoV to obtain a more global picture of self-regulation. The GLM analysis revealed that the anterior insula as well as the basal ganglia, notably the striatum, were consistently active during the regulation of brain activation across the studies. The anterior insula has been implicated in interoceptive awareness of the body and cognitive control. Basal ganglia are involved in procedural learning, visuomotor integration and other higher cognitive processes including motivation. The larger FoV analysis yielded additional activations in the anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, the temporo-parietal area and the visual association areas including the temporo-occipital junction. In conclusion, we demonstrate that several key regions, such as the anterior insula and the basal ganglia, are consistently activated during self-regulation in real-time fMRI neurofeedback independent of the targeted region-of-interest. Our results imply that if the real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies target regions of this regulation network, such as the anterior insula, care should be given whether activation changes are related to successful regulation, or related to the regulation process per se. Furthermore, future research is needed to determine how activation within this regulation network is related to neurofeedback success. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extraction of the geomagnetic activity effect from TEC data: A comparison between the spectral whitening method and 28 day running median

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhou; Wang, Jing-Song; Deng, Yue; Huang, Chun-Ming

2017-03-01

The spectral whitening method (SWM) has been previously proved to be very effective at identifying ionospheric disturbances on foF2 (the critical frequency of ionospheric F2 layer). To continuously investigate the strength of the new method, in this paper SWM has been used to extract the effect of geomagnetic activity on total electron content (TEC) and has been compared with the traditional 28 day running median centered (RMC) method. First, ionospheric variations during quiet and disturbed conditions are analyzed by both SWM and RMC. The results from RMC, compared with those from SWM, overestimate the disturbance occurrence by about 5-20% during the geomagnetic storms and up to 35% during the quiet time. The possible reason is that the results can be contaminated by the residuals of periodic components in the RMC identified disturbances. Meanwhile, the power spectral analysis of the disturbance field shows that the annual and diurnal variations are still significant in RMC results but very weak in SWM results, which indicates that SWM has some advantage to clean up the background variation. Finally, the analysis of the spatial correlation of the disturbance field with F10.7 and Ap illustrates that the effects of solar and geomagnetic activities from SWM are significantly reduced and enhanced, respectively. It suggests that the SWM is more effective in extracting the effect of geomagnetic activity from TEC than RMC. The relative deviation of TEC derived by SWM is more sensitive to geomagnetic activity than solar activity.

Activation mechanism of melB tyrosinase from Aspergillus oryzae by acidic treatment.

PubMed

Fujieda, Nobutaka; Murata, Michiaki; Yabuta, Shintaro; Ikeda, Takuya; Shimokawa, Chizu; Nakamura, Yukihiro; Hata, Yoji; Itoh, Shinobu

2013-01-01

The pro form of recombinant tyrosinase from Aspergillus oryzae (melB) shows no catalytic activity, but acid treatment (around pH 3.5) of protyrosinase activates it to induce tyrosinase activity. Circular dichroism spectra, gel filtration analysis, and colorimetric assay have indicated that acid treatment around pH 3.5 induced the disruption of the conformation of the C-terminal domain covering the enzyme active site. These structural changes induced by the acid treatment may open the entrance to the enzyme active site for substrate incorporation. To compare the mechanism of hydroxylation by the acid-treated tyrosinase with that by trypsin-treated tyrosinase, a detailed steady-state kinetic analysis of the phenolase activity was performed by monitoring the O(2)-consumption rate using a Clark-type oxygen electrode. The results clearly show that the phenolase activity (phenol hydroxylation) of the activated tyrosinase involves an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism as in the case of mushroom tyrosinase (Yamazaki and Itoh in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125:13034-13035, 2003) and activated hemocyanin with urea (Morioka et al. in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128:6788-6789, 2006).

Fluvial drainage networks: the fractal approach as an improvement of quantitative geomorphic analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melelli, Laura; Liucci, Luisa; Vergari, Francesca; Ciccacci, Sirio; Del Monte, Maurizio

2014-05-01

Drainage basins are primary landscape units for geomorphological investigations. Both hillslopes and river drainage system are fundamental components in drainage basins analysis. As other geomorphological systems, also the drainage basins aim to an equilibrium condition where the sequence of erosion, transport and sedimentation approach to a condition of minimum energy effort. This state is revealed by a typical geometry of landforms and of drainage net. Several morphometric indexes can measure how much a drainage basin is far from the theoretical equilibrium configuration, revealing possible external disarray. In active tectonic areas, the drainage basins have a primary importance in order to highlight style, amount and rate of tectonic impulses, and morphometric indexes allow to estimate the tectonic activity classes of different sectors in a study area. Moreover, drainage rivers are characterized by a self-similarity structure; this promotes the use of fractals theory to investigate the system. In this study, fractals techniques are employed together with quantitative geomorphological analysis to study the Upper Tiber Valley (UTV), a tectonic intermontane basin located in northern Apennines (Umbria, central Italy). The area is the result of different tectonic phases. From Late Pliocene until present time the UTV is strongly controlled by a regional uplift and by an extensional phase with different sets of normal faults playing a fundamental role in basin morphology. Thirty-four basins are taken into account for the quantitative analysis, twenty on the left side of the basin, the others on the right side. Using fractals dimension of drainage networks, Horton's laws results, concavity and steepness indexes, and hypsometric curves, this study aims to obtain an evolutionary model of the UTV, where the uplift is compared to local subsidence induced by normal fault activity. The results highlight a well defined difference between western and eastern tributary basins, suggesting a greater disequilibrium in the last ones. The quantitative analysis points out the segments of the basin boundaries where the fault activity is more efficient and the resulting geomorphological implications.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Three Polysaccharide Fractions from Pine Cones

PubMed Central

Xu, Ren-Bo; Yang, Xin; Wang, Jing; Zhao, Hai-Tian; Lu, Wei-Hong; Cui, Jie; Cheng, Cui-Lin; Zou, Pan; Huang, Wei-Wei; Wang, Pu; Li, Wen-Jing; Hu, Xing-Long

2012-01-01

The traditional method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for monosaccharide component analysis with pretreatment of acetylation is described with slight modifications and verified in detail in this paper. It was then successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of component monosaccharides in polysaccharides extracted from the pine cones. The results demonstrated that the three pine cone polysaccharides all consisted of ribose, rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose in different molar ratios. According to the recovery experiment, the described method was proved accurate and practical for the analysis of pine cone polysaccharides, meeting the need in the field of chemical analysis of Pinus plants. Furthermore; the chemical characteristics, such as neutral sugar, uronic acids, amino acids, molecular weights, and antioxidant activities of the polysaccharides were investigated by chemical and instrumental methods. The results showed that the chemical compositions of the polysaccharides differed from each other, especially in the content of neutral sugar and uronic acid. In the antioxidant assays, the polysaccharide fractions exhibited effective scavenging activities on ABTS radical and hydroxyl radical, with their antioxidant capabilities decreasing in the order of PKP > PAP > PSP. Therefore, although the polysaccharide fractions had little effect on superoxide radical scavenging, they still have potential to be developed as natural antioxidant agents in functional foods or medicine. PMID:23203063

Recent developments in nickel electrode analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whiteley, Richard V.; Daman, M. E.; Kaiser, E. Q.

1991-01-01

Three aspects of nickel electrode analysis for Nickel-Hydrogen and Nickel-Cadmium battery cell applications are addressed: (1) the determination of active material; (2) charged state nickel (as NiOOH + CoOOH); and (3) potassium ion content in the electrode. Four deloading procedures are compared for completeness of active material removal, and deloading conditions for efficient active material analyses are established. Two methods for charged state nickel analysis are compared: the current NASA procedure and a new procedure based on the oxidation of sodium oxalate by the charged material. Finally, a method for determining potassium content in an electrode sample by flame photometry is presented along with analytical results illustrating differences in potassium levels from vendor to vendor and the effects of stress testing on potassium content in the electrode. The relevance of these analytical procedures to electrode performance is reviewed.

Performance analysis of smart laminated composite plate integrated with distributed AFC material undergoing geometrically nonlinear transient vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shivakumar, J.; Ashok, M. H.; Khadakbhavi, Vishwanath; Pujari, Sanjay; Nandurkar, Santosh

2018-02-01

The present work focuses on geometrically nonlinear transient analysis of laminated smart composite plates integrated with the patches of Active fiber composites (AFC) using Active constrained layer damping (ACLD) as the distributed actuators. The analysis has been carried out using generalised energy based finite element model. The coupled electromechanical finite element model is derived using Von Karman type nonlinear strain displacement relations and a first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). Eight-node iso-parametric serendipity elements are used for discretization of the overall plate integrated with AFC patch material. The viscoelastic constrained layer is modelled using GHM method. The numerical results shows the improvement in the active damping characteristics of the laminated composite plates over the passive damping for suppressing the geometrically nonlinear transient vibrations of laminated composite plates with AFC as patch material.

Effect of local and global geomagnetic activity on human cardiovascular homeostasis.

PubMed

Dimitrova, Svetla; Stoilova, Irina; Yanev, Toni; Cholakov, Ilia

2004-02-01

The authors investigated the effects of local and planetary geomagnetic activity on human physiology. They collected data in Sofia, Bulgaria, from a group of 86 volunteers during the periods of the autumnal and vernal equinoxes. They used the factors local/planetary geomagnetic activity, day of measurement, gender, and medication use to apply a four-factor multiple analysis of variance. They also used a post hoc analysis to establish the statistical significance of the differences between the average values of the measured physiological parameters in the separate factor levels. In addition, the authors performed correlation analysis between the physiological parameters examined and geophysical factors. The results revealed that geomagnetic changes had a statistically significant influence on arterial blood pressure. Participants expressed this reaction with weak local geomagnetic changes and when major and severe global geomagnetic storms took place.

Implicit timing activates the left inferior parietal cortex.

PubMed

Wiener, Martin; Turkeltaub, Peter E; Coslett, H Branch

2010-11-01

Coull and Nobre (2008) suggested that tasks that employ temporal cues might be divided on the basis of whether these cues are explicitly or implicitly processed. Furthermore, they suggested that implicit timing preferentially engages the left cerebral hemisphere. We tested this hypothesis by conducting a quantitative meta-analysis of eleven neuroimaging studies of implicit timing using the activation-likelihood estimation (ALE) algorithm (Turkeltaub, Eden, Jones, & Zeffiro, 2002). Our analysis revealed a single but robust cluster of activation-likelihood in the left inferior parietal cortex (supramarginal gyrus). This result is in accord with the hypothesis that the left hemisphere subserves implicit timing mechanisms. Furthermore, in conjunction with a previously reported meta-analysis of explicit timing tasks, our data support the claim that implicit and explicit timing are supported by at least partially distinct neural structures. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlation, path analysis and heritability estimation for agronomic traits contribute to yield on soybean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulistyo, A.; Purwantoro; Sari, K. P.

2018-01-01

Selection is a routine activity in plant breeding programs that must be done by plant breeders in obtaining superior plant genotypes. The use of appropriate selection criteria will determine the effectiveness of selection activities. The purpose of this study was to analysis the inheritable agronomic traits that contribute to soybean yield. A total of 91 soybean lines were planted in Muneng Experimental Station, Probolinggo District, East Java Province, Indonesia in 2016. All soybean lines were arranged in randomized complete block design with two replicates. Correlation analysis, path analysis and heritability estimation were performed on days to flowering, days to maturing, plant height, number of branches, number of fertile nodes, number of filled pods, weight of 100 seeds, and yield to determine selection criteria on soybean breeding program. The results showed that the heritability value of almost all agronomic traits observed is high except for the number of fertile nodes with low heritability. The result of correlation analysis shows that days to flowering, plant height and number of fertile nodes have positive correlation with seed yield per plot (0.056, 0.444, and 0.100, respectively). In addition, path analysis showed that plant height and number of fertile nodes have highest positive direct effect on soybean yield. Based on this result, plant height can be selected as one of selection criteria in soybean breeding program to obtain high yielding soybean variety.

Analysis of occupational injuries in the sea fishing industry according to the type of fishery and the fishing activity.

PubMed

Chauvin, Christine; Le Bouar, Gilbert; Lardjane, Salim

2017-01-01

Sea fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations. Numerous studies have already sought to evaluate the risk level of this occupation through the analysis of the frequency and seriousness of occupational injuries. The purpose of the present study is to analyse these accidents in terms of two main characteristics of the vessels involved: the fishery type (high seas, offshore, coastal, or inshore fishery) and the fishing activity (use of passive or active gears). Injury rates were calculated for the Brittany region and for the year 2012. A second analysis was carried out on 8,286 reported injuries that occurred in France from 2002 to 2012, while vessels were in the process of fishing. This first analysis shows that the incidence rate is very high (103 per 1,000 full-time equivalent fishermen) and that it depends more on the fishery type than on the fishing activity; the highest rates concern the offshore and the coastal fleets. Results of the second analysis show that the nature of accidents depends more on the fishing activity than on the type of fishery. These findings lead to a discussion of the causes of the highest incidence rate values and the causes of the observed variations. The discussion also involves the methodological difficulties related to the incidence rate calculations.

The effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity among adolescent girls: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pearson, Natalie; Braithwaite, Rock; Biddle, Stuart J H

2015-01-01

Research has shown that a clear decline in physical activity among girls starting in early adolescence. Therefore, adolescent girls have been identified as a key target population for physical activity behavior change. The quantification of intervention effectiveness for this group has not been previously reported in a meta-analysis, and this therefore was the objective of the current meta-analysis. Included were interventions in which the main component, or 1 of the components, was aimed at promoting physical activity through behavior change in any setting. Interventions had to include a non-physical activity control group or comparison group, and include a quantitative outcome assessment of physical activity behavior in girls aged 12 to 18 years. Science Direct, PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Libraries, and EPPI Centre databases were searched up to and including May 2013. Forty-five studies (k = 34 independent samples) were eligible from an initial 13,747 references. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. The average treatment effect for adolescent girls involved in physical activity interventions was significant but small (g = 0.350, 95% confidence interval 0.12, 0.58, P < .001). Moderator analyses showed larger effects for interventions that were theory based, performed in schools, were girls only, with younger girls, used multicomponent strategies, and involved targeting both physical activity and sedentary behavior. Interventions to increase physical activity in adolescent girls show small but significant effects, suggesting that behavior change may be challenging. Results suggest some approaches that appear to be successful. Copyright © 2015 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhanced sulfidation xanthate flotation of malachite using ammonium ions as activator.

PubMed

Wu, Dandan; Ma, Wenhui; Mao, Yingbo; Deng, Jiushuai; Wen, Shuming

2017-05-18

In this study, ammonium ion was used to enhance the sulfidation flotation of malachite. The effect of ammonium ion on the sulfidation flotation of malachite was investigated using microflotation test, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis, zeta potential measurements, and scanning electron microscope analysis (SEM). The results of microflotation test show that the addition of sodium sulfide and ammonium sulfate resulted in better sulfidation than the addition of sodium sulfide alone. The results of ICP analysis indicate that the dissolution of enhanced sulfurized malachite surface is significantly decreased. Zeta potential measurements indicate that a smaller isoelectric point value and a large number of copper-sulfide films formed on the malachite surface by enhancing sulfidation resulted in a large amount of sodium butyl xanthate absorbed onto the enhanced sulfurized malachite surface. EDS semi-quantitative analysis and XPS analysis show that malachite was easily sulfurized by sodium sulfide with ammonium ion. These results show that the addition of ammonium ion plays a significant role in the sulfidation of malachite and results in improved flotation performance.

Statistical properties of solar Hα flare activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Linhua; Zhang, Xiaojuan; An, Jianmei; Cai, Yunfang

2017-12-01

Magnetic field structures on the solar atmosphere are not symmetric distribution in the northern and southern hemispheres, which is an important aspect of quasi-cyclical evolution of magnetic activity indicators that are related to solar dynamo theories. Three standard analysis techniques are applied to analyze the hemispheric coupling (north-south asymmetry and phase asynchrony) of monthly averaged values of solar Hα flare activity over the past 49 years (from 1966 January to 2014 December). The prominent results are as follows: (1) from a global point of view, solar Hα flare activity on both hemispheres are strongly correlated with each other, but the northern hemisphere precedes the southern one with a phase shift of 7 months; (2) the long-range persistence indeed exists in solar Hα flare activity, but the dynamical complexities in the two hemispheres are not identical; (3) the prominent periodicities of Hα flare activity are 17 years full-disk activity cycle and 11 years Schwabe solar cycle, but the short- and mid-term periodicities cannot determined by monthly time series; (4) by comparing the non-parametric rescaling behavior on a point-by-point basis, the hemispheric asynchrony of solar Hα flare activity are estimated to be ranging from several months to tens of months with an average value of 8.7 months. The analysis results could promote our knowledge on the long-range persistence, the quasi-periodic variation, and the hemispheric asynchrony of solar Hα flare activity on both hemispheres, and possibly provide valuable information for the hemispheric interrelation of solar magnetic activity.

Barriers, benefits, and strategies for physical activity in patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Rastad, Cecilia; Martin, Cathrin; Asenlöf, Pernilla

2014-10-01

Patients with schizophrenia have a substantially increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death compared with the general population. High prevalence of an unhealthy lifestyle contributes to the increased risk in these patients. Patients with schizophrenia are often physically inactive, and there is limited knowledge on the factors, such as barriers and incentives, that can influence physical activity in this patient group. The aim was to study the perception and experience of barriers to and incentives for physical activity in daily living in patients with schizophrenia, as reported by the patients themselves. An explorative study applying conventional qualitative content analysis was conducted. A purposeful sample of 20 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (13 men, 7 women; 22-63 years of age) registered at 3 psychiatric outpatient clinics in Sweden were interviewed using semistructured interviews. The analysis resulted in 3 main themes: (1) barriers-factors that complicate or obstruct physical activity, (2) reward-the motivation for physical activity, and (3) helpful strategies. The results may not reflect important factors related to physical activity in older patients (>65 years of age), newly diagnosed patients, or inpatients. In accordance with patients' perceptions, there may be biopsychosocial determinants of physical activity behavior that are unique for this group of patients. Future studies should investigate whether physical activity interventions for patients with schizophrenia benefit from individual analyses of barriers and reward for physical activity in combination with the use of tailored strategies such as personal support and activity planning. © 2014 American Physical Therapy Association.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Bioassays, DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity, and FTIR Spectroscopy Analysis of Heliotropium bacciferum

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The present study deals with the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and functional group analysis of Heliotropium bacciferum extracts. Disc diffusion susceptibility method was followed for antimicrobial assessment. Noteworthy antimicrobial activities were recorded by various plant extracts against antibiotic resistant microorganisms. Plant flower extracts antioxidant activity was investigated against 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl radical by ultraviolet spectrophotometer (517 nm). Plant extracts displayed noteworthy radical scavenging activities at all concentrations (25–225 μg/mL). Notable activities were recorded by crude, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts up to 88.27% at 225 μg/mL concentration. Compounds functional groups were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies. Alkanes, alkenes, alkyl halides, amines, carboxylic acids, amides, esters, alcohols, phenols, nitrocompounds, and aromatic compounds were identified by FTIR analysis. Thin layer chromatography bioautography was carried out for all plant extracts. Different bands were separated by various solvent systems. The results of the current study justify the use of Heliotropium bacciferum in traditional remedial herbal medicines. PMID:27597961

Recognizing stationary and locomotion activities using combinational of spectral analysis with statistical descriptors features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainudin, M. N. Shah; Sulaiman, Md Nasir; Mustapha, Norwati; Perumal, Thinagaran

2017-10-01

Prior knowledge in pervasive computing recently garnered a lot of attention due to its high demand in various application domains. Human activity recognition (HAR) considered as the applications that are widely explored by the expertise that provides valuable information to the human. Accelerometer sensor-based approach is utilized as devices to undergo the research in HAR since their small in size and this sensor already build-in in the various type of smartphones. However, the existence of high inter-class similarities among the class tends to degrade the recognition performance. Hence, this work presents the method for activity recognition using our proposed features from combinational of spectral analysis with statistical descriptors that able to tackle the issue of differentiating stationary and locomotion activities. The noise signal is filtered using Fourier Transform before it will be extracted using two different groups of features, spectral frequency analysis, and statistical descriptors. Extracted signal later will be classified using random forest ensemble classifier models. The recognition results show the good accuracy performance for stationary and locomotion activities based on USC HAD datasets.

Analysis and antibacterial activity of Nigella sativa essential oil formulated in microemulsion system.

PubMed

Shaaban, Hamdy A; Sadek, Zainab; Edris, Amr E; Saad-Hussein, Amal

2015-01-01

The Essential oil (EO) of Nigella sativa (black cumin) was extracted from the crude oil and the volatile constituents were characterized using gas chromatographic analysis. The EO was formulated in water-based microemulsion system and its antibacterial activity against six pathogenic bacteria was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method. This activity was compared with two other well known biologically active natural and synthetic antimicrobials namely eugenol and Ceftriaxone(®). Results showed that N. sativa EO microemulsion was highly effective against S. aureus, B. cereus and S. typhimurium even at the lowest tested concentration of that EO in the microemulsion (100.0 μg/well). Interestingly, the EO microemulsion showed higher antibacterial activity than Ceftriaxone solution against S. typhimurium at 400.0 μg/well and almost comparable activity against E. coli at 500.0 μg/well. No activity was detected for the EO microemulsion against L. monocytogenes and P. aeruginosa. Eugenol which was also formulated in microemulsion was less effective than N. sativa EO microemulsion except against P. aeruginosa. The synthetic antibiotic (Ceftriaxone) was effective against most of the six tested bacterial strains. This work is the first report revealing the formulation of N. sativa EO in microemulsion system and investigating its antibacterial activity. The results may offer potential application of that water-based microemulsion in controlling the prevalence of some pathogenic bacteria.

Motor modules in robot-aided walking

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background It is hypothesized that locomotion is achieved by means of rhythm generating networks (central pattern generators) and muscle activation generating networks. This modular organization can be partly identified from the analysis of the muscular activity by means of factorization algorithms. The activity of rhythm generating networks is described by activation signals whilst the muscle intervention generating network is represented by motor modules (muscle synergies). In this study, we extend the analysis of modular organization of walking to the case of robot-aided locomotion, at varying speed and body weight support level. Methods Non Negative Matrix Factorization was applied on surface electromyographic signals of 8 lower limb muscles of healthy subjects walking in gait robotic trainer at different walking velocities (1 to 3km/h) and levels of body weight support (0 to 30%). Results The muscular activity of volunteers could be described by low dimensionality (4 modules), as for overground walking. Moreover, the activation signals during robot-aided walking were bursts of activation timed at specific phases of the gait cycle, underlying an impulsive controller, as also observed in overground walking. This modular organization was consistent across the investigated speeds, body weight support level, and subjects. Conclusions These results indicate that walking in a Lokomat robotic trainer is achieved by similar motor modules and activation signals as overground walking and thus supports the use of robotic training for re-establishing natural walking patterns. PMID:23043818

Kinematic and electromyographic analysis in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome during single leg triple hop test.

PubMed

Kalytczak, Marcelo Martins; Lucareli, Paulo Roberto Garcia; Dos Reis, Amir Curcio; Bley, André Serra; Biasotto-Gonzalez, Daniela Aparecida; Correa, João Carlos Ferrari; Politti, Fabiano

2016-09-01

Possible delays in pre-activation or deficiencies in the activity of the dynamic muscle stabilizers of the knee and hip joints are the most common causes of the patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). The aim of the study was to compare kinematic variables and electromyographic activity of the vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles between patients with PFPS and health subjects during the single leg triple hop test (SLTHT). This study included 14 female with PFPS (PFPS group) and 14 female healthy with no history of knee pain (Healthy group). Kinematic and EMG data ware collected through participants performed a single session of the SLTHT. The PFPS group exhibited a significant increase (p<0.05) in the EMG activity of the biceps femoris and vastus lateralis muscles, when compared with the healthy group in pre-activity and during the stance phase. This same result was also found for the vastus lateralis muscle (p<0.05) when analyzing the EMG activity during the eccentric phase of the stance phase. In kinematic analysis, no significant differences were found between the groups. These results indicate that biceps femoris and vastus lateralis muscles mainly during the pre-activation phase and stance phases of the SLTHT are more active in PFPS group among healthy group. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative Demonstration of Active and Semi-Passive In Situ Bioremediation Approaches for Perchlorate-Impacted Groundwater at Longhorn Army Ammunitions Plant

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

lactate, citric acid , or ethanol have been used in field applications. Biomass grows rapidly during the active phase when high concentrations of...6.7.4 Results of Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) Monitoring.............39 6.7.5 Results of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA) Analysis...trinitrotoluene USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency VC vinyl chloride VFA volatile fatty acid VOC volatile organic compounds Technical

Development and validation of psychosocial determinants measures of physical activity among Iranian adolescent girls

PubMed Central

Pirasteh, Ashraf; Hidarnia, Alireza; Asghari, Ali; Faghihzadeh, Soghrate; Ghofranipour, Fazlollah

2008-01-01

Background The present study aimed at assessing the psychometric properties of psychosocial determinants of physical activity-related measures in Iranian adolescent girls. Methods Several measures of psychosocial determinants of physical activity were translated from English into Persian using the back-translation technique. These translated measures were administered to 512 ninth and tenth-grade Iranian high school students. Results The results of a series of factor analysis showed that the self-efficacy scale contained a single factor, the social support scale contained two factors: family support and friend support, the physical activity 'pros & cons' scale contained two factors: physical activity pros scale and physical activity cons scale, the change strategies scale contained a single factor, the environment scale also contained a single factor. Chronbach's alphas, mean inter-item correlations and test-retest coefficients showed that these solutions were reliable. Conclusions These preliminary results provide support for using the mentioned scales to measure psychosocial determinants of physical activity in Iranian adolescent girls. PMID:18462488

The Influence of Study-Level Inference Models and Study Set Size on Coordinate-Based fMRI Meta-Analyses

PubMed Central

Bossier, Han; Seurinck, Ruth; Kühn, Simone; Banaschewski, Tobias; Barker, Gareth J.; Bokde, Arun L. W.; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Lemaitre, Herve; Paus, Tomáš; Millenet, Sabina; Moerkerke, Beatrijs

2018-01-01

Given the increasing amount of neuroimaging studies, there is a growing need to summarize published results. Coordinate-based meta-analyses use the locations of statistically significant local maxima with possibly the associated effect sizes to aggregate studies. In this paper, we investigate the influence of key characteristics of a coordinate-based meta-analysis on (1) the balance between false and true positives and (2) the activation reliability of the outcome from a coordinate-based meta-analysis. More particularly, we consider the influence of the chosen group level model at the study level [fixed effects, ordinary least squares (OLS), or mixed effects models], the type of coordinate-based meta-analysis [Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) that only uses peak locations, fixed effects, and random effects meta-analysis that take into account both peak location and height] and the amount of studies included in the analysis (from 10 to 35). To do this, we apply a resampling scheme on a large dataset (N = 1,400) to create a test condition and compare this with an independent evaluation condition. The test condition corresponds to subsampling participants into studies and combine these using meta-analyses. The evaluation condition corresponds to a high-powered group analysis. We observe the best performance when using mixed effects models in individual studies combined with a random effects meta-analysis. Moreover the performance increases with the number of studies included in the meta-analysis. When peak height is not taken into consideration, we show that the popular ALE procedure is a good alternative in terms of the balance between type I and II errors. However, it requires more studies compared to other procedures in terms of activation reliability. Finally, we discuss the differences, interpretations, and limitations of our results. PMID:29403344

Summary of ionizing radiation analysis on the Long Duration Exposure Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parnell, T. A.

1991-01-01

The Ionizing Radiation Special Investigation Group (IRSIG) for the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was established to perform radiation measurements and analysis not planned in the original experiments, and to assure availability of LDEF analysis results in a form useful to future missions. The IRSIG has organized extensive induced radioactivity measurements throughout LDEF, and a comprehensive program to compare the LDEF radiation measurements to values calculated using environment models. The activities and present status of the Group is described. The ionizing radiation results presented is summarized.

Glass beads in African archaeology: Results of neutron activation analysis, supplemented by results of x-ray fluorescence analysis

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

Davison, Claire C.

1972-09-01

Glass beads from archaeological sites of sub-Saharan Africa were analyzed by neutron activation and by X-ray fluorescence, and the results interpreted archaeologically. The glass beads from Igbo Ukwu (Nigeria), dated approximately to the ninth century A.D., were mostly soda-lime glasses, but a few potassium glasses were found. The glass artifacts from Ife (Nigeria), dated to approximately the tenth to twelfth centuries A.D., were mostly potassium glasses , with some soda-lime glasses. Some close resemblances were found between the glasses of the two sites . Evidence for glassworking which exists at Ife is interpreted as evidence of reworking, rather than manufacturemore » from raw materials. A European provenience is suggested for the potassium glasses, but the provenience of the soda-lime glasses i s unclear.« less

Neotectonic control on drainage systems: GIS-based geomorphometric and morphotectonic assessment for Crete, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argyriou, Athanasios V.; Teeuw, Richard M.; Soupios, Pantelis; Sarris, Apostolos

2017-11-01

Geomorphic indices can be used to examine the geomorphological and tectonic processes responsible for the development of the drainage basins. Such indices can be dependent on tectonics, erosional processes and other factors that control the morphology of the landforms. The inter-relationships between geomorphic indices can determine the influence of regional tectonic activity in the shape development of drainage basins. A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) procedure has been used to perform an integrated cluster analysis that highlights information associated with the dominant regional tectonic activity. Factor Analysis (FA) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were considered within that procedure, producing a representation of the distributed regional tectonic activity of the drainage basins studied. The study area is western Crete, located in the outer fore-arc of the Hellenic subduction zone, one of the world's most tectonically active regions. The results indicate that in the landscape evolution of the study area (especially the western basins) tectonic controls dominate over lithological controls.

Synthesis, characterization and anti-microbial evaluation of Cu(II), Ni(II), Pt(II) and Pd(II) sulfonylhydrazone complexes; 2D-QSAR analysis of Ni(II) complexes of sulfonylhydrazone derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özbek, Neslihan; Alyar, Saliha; Alyar, Hamit; Şahin, Ertan; Karacan, Nurcan

2013-05-01

Copper(II), nickel(II), platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde-N-methylpropanesulfonylhydrazone (nafpsmh) derived from propanesulfonic acid-1-methylhydrazide (psmh) were synthesized, their structure were identified, and antimicrobial activity of the compounds was screened against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria. The results of antimicrobial studies indicate that Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes showed the most activity against all bacteria. The crystal structure of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde-N-methylpropanesulfonylhydrazone (nafpsmh) was also investigated by X-ray analysis. A series of Ni(II) sulfonyl hydrazone complexes (1-33) was synthesized and tested in vitro against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Their antimicrobial activities were used in the QSAR analysis. Four-parameter QSAR models revealed that nucleophilic reaction index for Ni and O atoms, and HOMO-LUMO energy gap play key roles in the antimicrobial activity.

Mutational analysis of amino acid residues involved in catalytic activity of a family 18 chitinase from tulip bulbs.

PubMed

Suzukawa, Keisuke; Yamagami, Takeshi; Ohnuma, Takayuki; Hirakawa, Hideki; Kuhara, Satoru; Aso, Yoichi; Ishiguro, Masatsune

2003-02-01

We expressed chitinase-1 (TBC-1) from tulip bulbs (Tulipa bakeri) in E. coli cells and used site-directed mutagenesis to identify amino acid residues essential for catalytic activity. Mutations at Glu-125 and Trp-251 completely abolished enzyme activity, and activity decreased with mutations at Asp-123 and Trp-172 when glycolchitin was the substrate. Activity changed with the mutations of Trp-251 to one of several amino acids with side-chains of little hydrophobicity, suggesting that hydrophobic interaction of Trp-251 is important for the activity. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis with hevamine as the model compound showed that the distance between Asp-123 and Glu-125 was extended by mutation of Trp-251. Kinetic studies of Trp-251-mutated chitinases confirmed these various phenomena. The results suggested that Glu-125 and Trp-251 are essential for enzyme activity and that Trp-251 had a direct role in ligand binding.

Advancing from offline to online activity recognition with wearable sensors.

PubMed

Ermes, Miikka; Parkka, Juha; Cluitmans, Luc

2008-01-01

Activity recognition with wearable sensors could motivate people to perform a variety of different sports and other physical exercises. We have earlier developed algorithms for offline analysis of activity data collected with wearable sensors. In this paper, we present our current progress in advancing the platform for the existing algorithms to an online version, onto a PDA. Acceleration data are obtained from wireless motion bands which send the 3D raw acceleration signals via a Bluetooth link to the PDA which then performs the data collection, feature extraction and activity classification. As a proof-of-concept, the online activity system was tested with three subjects. All of them performed at least 5 minutes of each of the following activities: lying, sitting, standing, walking, running and cycling with an exercise bike. The average second-by-second classification accuracies for the subjects were 99%, 97%, and 82 %. These results suggest that earlier developed offline analysis methods for the acceleration data obtained from wearable sensors can be successfully implemented in an online activity recognition application.

Multiple determinants controlling activation of yeast replication origins late in S phase.

PubMed

Friedman, K L; Diller, J D; Ferguson, B M; Nyland, S V; Brewer, B J; Fangman, W L

1996-07-01

Analysis of a 131-kb segment of the left arm of yeast chromosome XIV beginning 157 kb from the telomere reveals four highly active origins of replication that initiate replication late in S phase. Previous work has shown that telomeres act as determinants for late origin activation. However, at least two of the chromosome XIV origins maintain their late activation time when located on large circular plasmids, indicating that late replication is independent of telomeres. Analysis of the replication time of plasmid derivatives containing varying amounts of chromosome XIV DNA show that a minimum of three chromosomal elements, distinct from each tested origin, contribute to late activation time. These late determinants are functionally equivalent, because duplication of one set of contributing sequences can compensate for the removal of another set. Furthermore, insertion of an origin that is normally early activated into this domain results in a shift to late activation, suggesting that the chromosome XIV origins are not unique in their ability to respond to the late determinants.

Halo Coronal Mass Ejections during Solar Cycle 24: reconstruction of the global scenario and geoeffectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scolini, Camilla; Messerotti, Mauro; Poedts, Stefaan; Rodriguez, Luciano

2018-02-01

In this study we present a statistical analysis of 53 fast Earth-directed halo CMEs observed by the SOHO/LASCO instrument during the period Jan. 2009-Sep. 2015, and we use this CME sample to test the capabilities of a Sun-to-Earth prediction scheme for CME geoeffectiveness. First, we investigate the CME association with other solar activity features by means of multi-instrument observations of the solar magnetic and plasma properties. Second, using coronagraphic images to derive the CME kinematical properties at 0.1 AU, we propagate the events to 1 AU by means of the WSA-ENLIL+Cone model. Simulation results at Earth are compared with in-situ observations at L1. By applying the pressure balance condition at the magnetopause and a solar wind-Kp index coupling function, we estimate the expected magnetospheric compression and geomagnetic activity level, and compare them with global data records. The analysis indicates that 82% of the CMEs arrived at Earth in the next 4 days. Almost the totality of them compressed the magnetopause below geosynchronous orbits and triggered a geomagnetic storm. Complex sunspot-rich active regions associated with energetic flares result the most favourable configurations from which geoeffective CMEs originate. The analysis of related SEP events shows that 74% of the CMEs associated with major SEPs were geoeffective. Moreover, the SEP production is enhanced in the case of fast and interacting CMEs. In this work we present a first attempt at applying a Sun-to-Earth geoeffectiveness prediction scheme - based on 3D simulations and solar wind-geomagnetic activity coupling functions - to a statistical set of potentially geoeffective halo CMEs. The results of the prediction scheme are in good agreement with geomagnetic activity data records, although further studies performing a fine-tuning of such scheme are needed.

Thermochemical properties of nanometer CL-20 and PETN fabricated using a mechanical milling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Xiaolan; Wang, Yi; An, Chongwei

2018-06-01

2,4,6,8,10,12-Hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), with mean sizes of 73.8 nm and 267.7 nm, respectively, were fabricated on a high-energy ball-mill. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was used to image the micron-scale morphology of nano-explosives, and the particle size distribution was calculated using the statistics of individual particle sizes obtained from the SEM images. Analyses, such as X-ray diffractometer (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), were also used to confirm whether the crystal phase, molecular structure, and surface elements changed after a long-term milling process. The results were as expected. Thermal analysis was performed at different heating rates. Parameters, such as the activation energy (ES), activation enthalpy (ΔH≠), activation free energy (ΔG≠), activation entropy (ΔS≠), and critical temperature of thermal explosion (Tb), were calculated to determine the decomposition courses of the explosives. Moreover, the thermal decomposition mechanisms of nano CL-20 and nano PETN were investigated using thermal-infrared spectrometry online (DSC-IR) analysis, by which their gas products were also detected. The results indicated that nano CL-20 decomposed to CO2 and N2O and that nano PETN decayed to NO2, which implied a remarkable difference between the decomposition mechanisms of the two explosives. In addition, the mechanical sensitivities of CL-20 and PETN were tested, and the results revealed that nano-explosives were more insensitive than raw ones, and the possible mechanism for this was discussed. Thermal sensitivity was also investigated with a 5 s bursting point test, from which the 5 s bursting point (T5s) and the activation of the deflagration were obtained.

How perceptions of community environment influence health behaviours: using the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity Framework as a mechanism for exploration

PubMed Central

Nieuwendyk, L. M.; Belon, A. P.; Vallianatos, H.; Raine, K. D.; Schopflocher, D.; Spence, J. C.; Plotnikoff, R. C.; Nykiforuk, C. I.

2016-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Overweight and obesity are influenced by a complex interplay of individual and environmental factors that affect physical activity and healthy eating. Nevertheless, little has been reported on people’s perceptions of those factors. Addressing this critical gap and community partner needs, this study explored how people perceived the influence of micro- and macroenvironmental factors on physical activity and healthy eating. Methods: Community partners wanted the study results in a format that would be readily and easily used by local decision makers. We used photovoice to engage 35 community members across four municipalities in Alberta, Canada, and to share their narratives about their physical activity and healthy eating. A combination of inductive and deductive analysis categorized data by environmental level (micro vs. macro) and type (physical, political, economic, and sociocultural), guided by the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity Framework. Results: Participants conceptualized health-influencing factors more broadly than physical activity and healthy eating to include “community social health.” Participants spoke most often about the influence of the microenvironment (n = 792 ANGELO Framework coding tallies) on their physical activity, healthy eating and community social health in comparison to the macroenvironment (n = 93). Photovoice results provided a visual narrative to community partners and decision makers about how people’s ability to make healthy choices can be limited by macroenvironmental forces beyond their control. Conclusion: Focussing future research on macro- and microenvironmental influences and localized community social health can inform practice by providing strategies on how to implement healthy changes within communities, while ensuring that research and interventions echo diverse people’s perceptions. PMID:27670920

In vitro study of antioxidant activity and phenolic content of Chrysanthemum balsamita varieties.

PubMed

Benedec, Daniela; Filip, Lorena; Vlase, Laurian; Bele, Constantin; Sevastre, Bogdan; Raita, Oana; Olah, Neli-Kinga; Hanganu, Daniela

2016-07-01

The purpose of our study was to identify the phenolic substances of two varieties of Chrysanthemum balsamita (balsamita and tanacetoides) and to measure the overall antioxidant activity. The phenolic compounds were determined by HPLC. The evaluation of the polyphenolic content was performed by colorimetric analysis. The antioxidant activity was measured by three in vitro assay models: the DPPH, the silver nanoparticles antioxidant capacity (SNPAC) and EPR radical detection. Using HPLC-MS analysis, phenolic acids, flavonoids and flavonoid aglycone were detected. The highest antioxidant activity was showed by Chrysanthemum balsamita var. balsamita, while the lowest for the Chrysanthemum balsamita var. tanacetoides extract, in accord with the polyphenolic content. The results show that Chrysanthemum balsamita var. balsamita might be a source of antioxidant flavonoids, especially rutin and isoquercitrin.

Thermodynamic limitations on the temperature sensitivity of cell-membrane ion channels: Trouble with enthalpy uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheltikov, A. M.

2018-06-01

Energy exchange between a thermodynamic ensemble of heat- and cold-activated cell-membrane ion channels and the surrounding heat reservoir is shown to impose fundamental limitations on the performance of such channels as temperature-controlled gates for thermal cell activation. Analysis of unavoidable thermodynamic internal-energy fluctuations caused by energy exchange between the ion channels and the heat bath suggests that the resulting enthalpy uncertainty is too high for a robust ion-current gating by a single ion channel, implying that large ensembles of ion channels are needed for thermal cell activation. We argue, based on this thermodynamic analysis, that, had thermosensitive cell-membrane ion channels operated individually, rather than as large ensembles, robust thermal cell activation would have been impossible because of thermodynamic fluctuations.

Chemical analysis and antioxidant activity in vitro of polysaccharides extracted from Boletus edulis.

PubMed

Zhang, Anqiang; Xiao, Nannan; He, Pengfei; Sun, Peilong

2011-12-01

Boletus edulis is a well-known delicious mushroom. In this study, three crude polysaccharides (BEPF30, BEPF60 and BEPF80) were isolated from the fruiting bodies of B. edulis with boiling water. Chemical and physical characteristics of the three crude polysaccharides were investigated by the combination of chemical and instrumental analysis methods. Their antioxidant activities were investigated in vitro systems including hydroxyl assay, superoxide radical assay, reducing power and chelating activity. Among these three polysaccharides, BEPF60 showed more significant reducing power and chelating activity; and highest inhibitory effects on superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical. These results indicated that polysaccharides extracted from B. edulis might be employed as ingredients in healthy and functional food to alleviate the oxidative stress. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel collaborative representation and SCAD based classification method for fibrosis and inflammatory activity analysis of chronic hepatitis C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Jiaxin; Chen, Tingting; Li, Yan; Zhu, Nenghui; Qiu, Xuan

2018-03-01

In order to analysis the fibrosis stage and inflammatory activity grade of chronic hepatitis C, a novel classification method based on collaborative representation (CR) with smoothly clipped absolute deviation penalty (SCAD) penalty term, called CR-SCAD classifier, is proposed for pattern recognition. After that, an auto-grading system based on CR-SCAD classifier is introduced for the prediction of fibrosis stage and inflammatory activity grade of chronic hepatitis C. The proposed method has been tested on 123 clinical cases of chronic hepatitis C based on serological indexes. Experimental results show that the performance of the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines for the classification of fibrosis stage and inflammatory activity grade of chronic hepatitis C.

Cluster Analysis of International Information and Social Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Jesus

1990-01-01

Analyzes information activities in relation to socioeconomic characteristics in low, middle, and highly developed economies for the years 1960 and 1977 through the use of cluster analysis. Results of data from 31 countries suggest that information development is achieved mainly by countries that have also achieved social development. (26…

Innovative Concepts and Technology for Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Motorist Warning Systems : Volume 2. The Generation and Analysis of Alternative Concepts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-09-01

The report describes the results of a study directed toward the generation, analysis and evaluation of innovative conceptual and technical approaches to train-activated motorist warning systems for use at railroad-highway grade crossings. Particular ...

A Top Level Analysis of Training Management Functions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerson, Jack

1995-01-01

Discusses how to conduct a top-level analysis of training management functions to identify problems within a training system resulting from rapid growth, the acquisition of new departments, or mergers. The data gathering process and analyses are explained, training management functions and activities are described, and root causes and solutions…

AN APPROACH TO WATER RESOURCES EVALUATION OF NON-POINT SILVICULTURAL SOURCES (A PROCEDURAL HANDBOOK)

EPA Science Inventory

This handbook provides an analysis methodology that can be used to describe and evaluate changes to the water resource resulting from non-point silvicultural activities. This state-of-the-art approach for analysis and prediction of pollution from non point silvicultural activitie...

Surface topography, nano-mechanics and secondary structure of wheat gluten pretreated by alternate dual-frequency ultrasound and the correlation to enzymolysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanyan; Wang, Bei; Zhou, Cunshan; Atungulu, Griffiths G; Xu, Kangkang; Ma, Haile; Ye, Xiaofei; Abdualrahman, Mohammed A Y

2016-07-01

The effects of alternate dual-frequency ultrasound (ADFU) pretreatment on the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of wheat gluten (WG) and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity were investigated in this research. The surface topography, nano-mechanics and secondary structure of WG were also determined using atomic force microscope (AFM) and circular dichroism (CD). The correlations of ACE inhibitory activity and DH with surface topography, nano-mechanics and secondary structure of WG were determined using Pearson's correlation analysis. The results showed that with an increase in either pretreatment duration or power, the ACE inhibitory activity of the hydrolysate also increases, reaching maximum at 10 min and 150 W/L, respectively, and then decreases thereafter. Similarly, AFM analysis showed that as the pretreatment duration or power increases, the surface roughness also increase and again a decrease occurs thereafter. As the pretreatment duration or power increased, the Young's modulus and adhesion of WG also increased and then declined. Young's modulus and adhesions average values were compared with ACE inhibitory activity reversely. The result of the CD spectra analysis exhibited losses in the relative percentage of α-helix of WG. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the average values of Young's modulus and the relative percentage of α-helix correlated with ACE inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates linearly and significantly (P<0.05); the relative percentage of β-sheet correlated linearly with DH of WG significantly (P<0.05). In conclusion, ADFU pretreatment is an efficient method in proteolysis due to its physical and chemical effect on the Young's modulus, α-helix and β-sheet of WG. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strengthening of competence planning truss through instructional media development details

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handayani, Sri; Nurcahyono, M. Hadi

2017-03-01

Competency-Based Learning is a model of learning in which the planning, implementation, and assessment refers to the mastery of competencies. Learning in lectures conducted in the framework for comprehensively realizing student competency. Competence means the orientation of the learning activities in the classroom must be given to the students to be more active learning, active search for information themselves and explore alone or with friends in learning activities in pairs or in groups, learn to use a variety of learning resources and printed materials, electronic media, as well as environment. Analysis of learning wooden structure known weakness in the understanding of the truss detail. Hence the need for the development of media that can provide a clear picture of what the structure of the wooden horses and connection details. Development of instructional media consisted of three phases of activity, namely planning, production and assessment. Learning Media planning should be tailored to the needs and conditions necessary to provide reinforcement to the mastery of competencies, through the table material needs. The production process of learning media is done by using hardware (hardware) and software (software) to support the creation of a medium of learning. Assessment of the media poduk yan include feasibility studies, namely by subject matter experts, media experts, while testing was done according to the student's perception of the product. The results of the analysis of the materials for the instructional aspects of the results obtained 100% (very good) and media analysis for the design aspects of the media expressed very good with a percentage of 88.93%. While the analysis of student perceptions expressed very good with a percentage of 84.84%. Media Learning Truss Details feasible and can be used in the implementation of learning wooden structure to provide capacity-building in planning truss

Reduction of interferences in the analysis of Children's Dimetapp using ultraviolet spectroscopy data and target factor analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Msimanga, Huggins Z.; Lam, Truong Thach Ho; Latinwo, Nathaniel; Song, Mihyang Kristy; Tavakoli, Newsha

2018-03-01

A calibration matrix has been developed and successfully applied to quantify actives in Children's Dimetapp®, a cough mixture whose active components suffer from heavy spectral interference. High-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array instrument was used to identify the actives and any other UV-detectable excipients that might contribute to interferences. The instrument was also used to obtain reference data on the actives, instead of relying on the manufacturer's claims. Principal component analysis was used during the developmental stages of the calibration matrix to highlight any mismatch between the calibration and sample spectra, making certain that "apples" were not compared with "oranges". The prediction model was finally calculated using target factor analysis and partial least squares regression. In addition to the actives in Children's Dimetapp® (brompheniramine maleate, phenylephrine hydrogen chloride, and dextromethorphan hydrogen bromide), sodium benzoate was identified as the major and FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Red #40, and methyl anthranilate as minor spectral interferences. Model predictions were compared before and after the interferences were included into the calibration matrix. Before including interferences, the following results were obtained: brompheniramine maleate = 481.3 mg L- 1 ± 134% RE; phenylephrine hydrogen chloride = 1041 mg L- 1 ± 107% RE; dextromethorphan hydrogen bromide = 1571 mg L- 1 ± 107% RE, where % RE = percent relative error based on the reference HPLC data. After including interferences, the results were as follows: brompheniramine maleate = 196.3 mg L- 1 ± 4.4% RE; phenylephrine hydrogen chloride = 501.3 mg L- 1 ± 0.10% RE; dextromethorphan hydrogen bromide = 998.7 mg L- 1 ± 1.6% RE as detailed in Table 6.

Leisure-time physical activity and sciatica: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Shiri, R.; Falah-Hassani, K.; Viikari-Juntura, E.; Coggon, D.

2016-01-01

Background and objective The role of leisure-time physical activity in sciatica is uncertain. This study aimed to assess the association of leisure-time physical activity with lumbar radicular pain and sciatica. Databases and data treatment Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and ResearchGate databases from 1964 through August 2015. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed, and heterogeneity and small-study bias were assessed. Results Ten cohort (N=82,024 participants), 4 case-control (N=9350) and 4 cross-sectional (N=10,046)) studies qualified for meta-analysis. In comparison with no regular physical activity, high level of physical activity (≥4 times/week) was inversely associated with new onset of lumbar radicular pain or sciatica in a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies (risk ratio (RR)=0.88, 95% CI 0.78-0.99, I2=0%, 7 studies, N=78,065). The association for moderate level of physical activity (1-3 times/week) was weaker (RR=0.93, CI 0.82-1.05, I2=0%, 6 studies, N=69,049), and there was no association with physical activity for at least once/week (RR=0.99, CI 0.86-1.13, 9 studies, N=73,008). On the contrary, a meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies showed a higher prevalence of lumbar radicular pain or sciatica in participants who exercised at least once/week (prevalence ratio (PR)=1.29, CI 1.09-1.53, I2=0%, 4 studies, N=10,046), or 1-3 times/week (PR=1.34, CI 1.02-1.77, I2=0%, N=7631) than among inactive participants. There was no evidence of small-study bias. Conclusions This meta-analysis suggests that moderate to high level of leisure physical activity may have a moderate protective effect against development of lumbar radicular pain. However, a large reduction in risk (>30%) seems unlikely. PMID:27091423

Monitoring of human brain functions in risk decision-making task by diffuse optical tomography using voxel-wise general linear model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zi-Jing; Li, Lin; Cazzell, Marry; Liu, Hanli

2013-03-01

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive imaging technique which measures the hemodynamic changes that reflect the brain activity. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT), a variant of fNIRS with multi-channel NIRS measurements, has demonstrated capability of three dimensional (3D) reconstructions of hemodynamic changes due to the brain activity. Conventional method of DOT image analysis to define the brain activation is based upon the paired t-test between two different states, such as resting-state versus task-state. However, it has limitation because the selection of activation and post-activation period is relatively subjective. General linear model (GLM) based analysis can overcome this limitation. In this study, we combine the 3D DOT image reconstruction with GLM-based analysis (i.e., voxel-wise GLM analysis) to investigate the brain activity that is associated with the risk-decision making process. Risk decision-making is an important cognitive process and thus is an essential topic in the field of neuroscience. The balloon analogue risk task (BART) is a valid experimental model and has been commonly used in behavioral measures to assess human risk taking action and tendency while facing risks. We have utilized the BART paradigm with a blocked design to investigate brain activations in the prefrontal and frontal cortical areas during decision-making. Voxel-wise GLM analysis was performed on 18human participants (10 males and 8females).In this work, we wish to demonstrate the feasibility of using voxel-wise GLM analysis to image and study cognitive functions in response to risk decision making by DOT. Results have shown significant changes in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the active choice mode and a different hemodynamic pattern between genders, which are in good agreements with published literatures in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and fNIRS studies.

Infants’ brain responses to speech suggest Analysis by Synthesis

PubMed Central

Kuhl, Patricia K.; Ramírez, Rey R.; Bosseler, Alexis; Lin, Jo-Fu Lotus; Imada, Toshiaki

2014-01-01

Historic theories of speech perception (Motor Theory and Analysis by Synthesis) invoked listeners’ knowledge of speech production to explain speech perception. Neuroimaging data show that adult listeners activate motor brain areas during speech perception. In two experiments using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we investigated motor brain activation, as well as auditory brain activation, during discrimination of native and nonnative syllables in infants at two ages that straddle the developmental transition from language-universal to language-specific speech perception. Adults are also tested in Exp. 1. MEG data revealed that 7-mo-old infants activate auditory (superior temporal) as well as motor brain areas (Broca’s area, cerebellum) in response to speech, and equivalently for native and nonnative syllables. However, in 11- and 12-mo-old infants, native speech activates auditory brain areas to a greater degree than nonnative, whereas nonnative speech activates motor brain areas to a greater degree than native speech. This double dissociation in 11- to 12-mo-old infants matches the pattern of results obtained in adult listeners. Our infant data are consistent with Analysis by Synthesis: auditory analysis of speech is coupled with synthesis of the motor plans necessary to produce the speech signal. The findings have implications for: (i) perception-action theories of speech perception, (ii) the impact of “motherese” on early language learning, and (iii) the “social-gating” hypothesis and humans’ development of social understanding. PMID:25024207

Infants' brain responses to speech suggest analysis by synthesis.

PubMed

Kuhl, Patricia K; Ramírez, Rey R; Bosseler, Alexis; Lin, Jo-Fu Lotus; Imada, Toshiaki

2014-08-05

Historic theories of speech perception (Motor Theory and Analysis by Synthesis) invoked listeners' knowledge of speech production to explain speech perception. Neuroimaging data show that adult listeners activate motor brain areas during speech perception. In two experiments using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we investigated motor brain activation, as well as auditory brain activation, during discrimination of native and nonnative syllables in infants at two ages that straddle the developmental transition from language-universal to language-specific speech perception. Adults are also tested in Exp. 1. MEG data revealed that 7-mo-old infants activate auditory (superior temporal) as well as motor brain areas (Broca's area, cerebellum) in response to speech, and equivalently for native and nonnative syllables. However, in 11- and 12-mo-old infants, native speech activates auditory brain areas to a greater degree than nonnative, whereas nonnative speech activates motor brain areas to a greater degree than native speech. This double dissociation in 11- to 12-mo-old infants matches the pattern of results obtained in adult listeners. Our infant data are consistent with Analysis by Synthesis: auditory analysis of speech is coupled with synthesis of the motor plans necessary to produce the speech signal. The findings have implications for: (i) perception-action theories of speech perception, (ii) the impact of "motherese" on early language learning, and (iii) the "social-gating" hypothesis and humans' development of social understanding.

Optimizing human activity patterns using global sensitivity analysis.

PubMed

Fairchild, Geoffrey; Hickmann, Kyle S; Mniszewski, Susan M; Del Valle, Sara Y; Hyman, James M

2014-12-01

Implementing realistic activity patterns for a population is crucial for modeling, for example, disease spread, supply and demand, and disaster response. Using the dynamic activity simulation engine, DASim, we generate schedules for a population that capture regular (e.g., working, eating, and sleeping) and irregular activities (e.g., shopping or going to the doctor). We use the sample entropy (SampEn) statistic to quantify a schedule's regularity for a population. We show how to tune an activity's regularity by adjusting SampEn, thereby making it possible to realistically design activities when creating a schedule. The tuning process sets up a computationally intractable high-dimensional optimization problem. To reduce the computational demand, we use Bayesian Gaussian process regression to compute global sensitivity indices and identify the parameters that have the greatest effect on the variance of SampEn. We use the harmony search (HS) global optimization algorithm to locate global optima. Our results show that HS combined with global sensitivity analysis can efficiently tune the SampEn statistic with few search iterations. We demonstrate how global sensitivity analysis can guide statistical emulation and global optimization algorithms to efficiently tune activities and generate realistic activity patterns. Though our tuning methods are applied to dynamic activity schedule generation, they are general and represent a significant step in the direction of automated tuning and optimization of high-dimensional computer simulations.

Decision Support System Requirements Definition for Human Extravehicular Activity Based on Cognitive Work Analysis

PubMed Central

Miller, Matthew James; McGuire, Kerry M.; Feigh, Karen M.

2016-01-01

The design and adoption of decision support systems within complex work domains is a challenge for cognitive systems engineering (CSE) practitioners, particularly at the onset of project development. This article presents an example of applying CSE techniques to derive design requirements compatible with traditional systems engineering to guide decision support system development. Specifically, it demonstrates the requirements derivation process based on cognitive work analysis for a subset of human spaceflight operations known as extravehicular activity. The results are presented in two phases. First, a work domain analysis revealed a comprehensive set of work functions and constraints that exist in the extravehicular activity work domain. Second, a control task analysis was performed on a subset of the work functions identified by the work domain analysis to articulate the translation of subject matter states of knowledge to high-level decision support system requirements. This work emphasizes an incremental requirements specification process as a critical component of CSE analyses to better situate CSE perspectives within the early phases of traditional systems engineering design. PMID:28491008

Decision Support System Requirements Definition for Human Extravehicular Activity Based on Cognitive Work Analysis.

PubMed

Miller, Matthew James; McGuire, Kerry M; Feigh, Karen M

2017-06-01

The design and adoption of decision support systems within complex work domains is a challenge for cognitive systems engineering (CSE) practitioners, particularly at the onset of project development. This article presents an example of applying CSE techniques to derive design requirements compatible with traditional systems engineering to guide decision support system development. Specifically, it demonstrates the requirements derivation process based on cognitive work analysis for a subset of human spaceflight operations known as extravehicular activity . The results are presented in two phases. First, a work domain analysis revealed a comprehensive set of work functions and constraints that exist in the extravehicular activity work domain. Second, a control task analysis was performed on a subset of the work functions identified by the work domain analysis to articulate the translation of subject matter states of knowledge to high-level decision support system requirements. This work emphasizes an incremental requirements specification process as a critical component of CSE analyses to better situate CSE perspectives within the early phases of traditional systems engineering design.

Pathway-focused bioassays and transcriptome analysis contribute to a better activity monitoring of complex herbal remedies

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Transcriptome analysis in combination with pathway-focused bioassays is suggested to be a helpful approach for gaining deeper insights into the complex mechanisms of action of herbal multicomponent preparations in living cells. The polyherbalism based concept of Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine considers therapeutic efficacy through multi-target effects. A polyherbal Indo-Tibetan preparation, Padma 28, approved by the Swiss drug authorities (Swissmedic Nr. 58436), was applied to a more detailed dissection of mechanism of action in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Cell-free and cell-based assays were employed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity. Genome-wide expression profiling was done by applying Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Affymetrix arrays. Pathway- and network-oriented analysis elucidated the affected biological processes. The results were validated using reporter gene assays and quantitative real-time PCR. Results To reveal the direct radical scavenging effects of the ethanolic extract of the Indo-Tibetan polyherbal remedy Padma 28, an in vitro oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (ORAC) was employed, which resulted in a peroxyl-radical scavenging activity of 2006 ± 235 μmol TE/g. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of Padma 28 was analysed in living HepG2 cells, by measuring its scavenging potential against radical induced ROS. This formulation showed a considerable antioxidant capacity by significantly reducing ROS levels in a dose-dependent manner. Integrated transcriptome analysis revealed a major influence on phase I and phase II detoxification and the oxidative stress response. Selected target genes, such as heme oxygenase 1, were validated in qPCR experiments. Network analysis showed 18 interrelated networks involved in important biological functions such as drug and bio-molecule metabolism, molecular transport and cellular communication. Some molecules are part of signaling cascades that are active during development and morphogenesis or are involved in pathological conditions and inflammatory response. Conclusions The identified molecular targets and pathways suggest several mechanisms that underlie the biological activity of the preparation. Although extrapolation of these findings to the in vivo situation is not possible, the results obtained might be the basis for further investigations and new hypotheses to be tested. This study demonstrates the potential of the combination of focused and unbiased research strategies in the mode of action analysis of multicomponent herbal mixtures. PMID:23445205

Scaling behavior of online human activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhi-Dan; Cai, Shi-Min; Huang, Junming; Fu, Yan; Zhou, Tao

2012-11-01

The rapid development of the Internet technology enables humans to explore the web and record the traces of online activities. From the analysis of these large-scale data sets (i.e., traces), we can get insights about the dynamic behavior of human activity. In this letter, the scaling behavior and complexity of human activity in the e-commerce, such as music, books, and movies rating, are comprehensively investigated by using the detrended fluctuation analysis technique and the multiscale entropy method. Firstly, the interevent time series of rating behaviors of these three types of media show similar scaling properties with exponents ranging from 0.53 to 0.58, which implies that the collective behaviors of rating media follow a process embodying self-similarity and long-range correlation. Meanwhile, by dividing the users into three groups based on their activities (i.e., rating per unit time), we find that the scaling exponents of the interevent time series in the three groups are different. Hence, these results suggest that a stronger long-range correlations exist in these collective behaviors. Furthermore, their information complexities vary in the three groups. To explain the differences of the collective behaviors restricted to the three groups, we study the dynamic behavior of human activity at the individual level, and find that the dynamic behaviors of a few users have extremely small scaling exponents associated with long-range anticorrelations. By comparing the interevent time distributions of four representative users, we can find that the bimodal distributions may bring forth the extraordinary scaling behaviors. These results of the analysis of the online human activity in the e-commerce may not only provide insight into its dynamic behaviors but may also be applied to acquire potential economic interest.

Increasing seismic activity at 9deg50'N on the East Pacific Rise RIDGE 2000 Integrated Studies Site from October 2003 through April 2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weekly, R. T.; Tolstoy, M.; Waldhauser, F.; Bohnenstiehl, D. R.; Kim, W.

2005-12-01

Monitoring of micro-seismicity within the bull's-eye region of the R2K ISS at 9deg49'N - 9deg51'N on the East Pacific Rise has been ongoing since October 2003. Results from the first deployment (October 2003 - April 2004) will be presented with hypocenters determined using relative-relocation techniques. Analysis shows that there is a gradual and ongoing increase in the rate of activity over the 7 months of the deployment. Mean event rates increase from 31 events/day for the first quarter of the deployment period, to 55, 105, and 131 events per day for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters, respectively. This gradual increase in activity suggests long-term changes in the magma body or changes in the hydrothermal cracking front. Preliminary analysis and event counts for the 2004-2005 deployment will be presented to assess whether or not the build up in activity seen in 2003-2004 continued. Numerous brief swarms are observed throughout the deployment and their locations will be studied relative to temporal changes in the vent temperature monitoring as well as variations in the fluid chemistry (see Von Damm et al., same session). Early analysis suggests two dominant areas of recurrent activity, between M-vent and Bio-9 and between Bio-9 and Tube-worm pillar. The exceptionally well-characterized and monitored seafloor at this site allows for unprecedented correlation of observed seismic activity with local biology, geology, geochemical and hydrothermal monitoring. As results from different monitoring activities continue to come in, a detailed understanding of the linkages should emerge.

Cost-effectiveness of health promotion targeting physical activity and healthy eating in mental health care.

PubMed

Verhaeghe, Nick; De Smedt, Delphine; De Maeseneer, Jan; Maes, Lea; Van Heeringen, Cornelis; Annemans, Lieven

2014-08-18

There is a higher prevalence of obesity in individuals with mental disorders compared to the general population. The results of several studies suggested that weight reduction in this population is possible following psycho-educational and/or behavioural weight management interventions. Evidence of the effectiveness alone is however inadequate for policy making. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a health promotion intervention targeting physical activity and healthy eating in individuals with mental disorders. A Markov decision-analytic model using a public payer perspective was applied, projecting the one-year results of a 10-week intervention over a time horizon of 20 years, assuming a repeated yearly implementation of the programme. Scenario analysis was applied evaluating the effects on the results of alternative modelling assumptions. One-way sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effects on the results of varying key input parameters. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 27,096€/quality-adjusted life years (QALY) in men, and 40,139€/QALY in women was found in the base case. Scenario analysis assuming an increase in health-related quality of life as a result of the body mass index decrease resulted in much better cost-effectiveness in both men (3,357€/QALY) and women (3,766€/QALY). The uncertainty associated with the intervention effect had the greatest impact on the model. As far as is known to the authors, this is the first health economic evaluation of a health promotion intervention targeting physical activity and healthy eating in individuals with mental disorders. Such research is important as it provides payers and governments with better insights how to spend the available resources in the most efficient way. Further research examining the cost-effectiveness of health promotion targeting physical activity and healthy eating in individuals with mental disorders is required.

Vegetation dynamics and responses to climate change and human activities in Central Asia.

PubMed

Jiang, Liangliang; Guli Jiapaer; Bao, Anming; Guo, Hao; Ndayisaba, Felix

2017-12-01

Knowledge of the current changes and dynamics of different types of vegetation in relation to climatic changes and anthropogenic activities is critical for developing adaptation strategies to address the challenges posed by climate change and human activities for ecosystems. Based on a regression analysis and the Hurst exponent index method, this research investigated the spatial and temporal characteristics and relationships between vegetation greenness and climatic factors in Central Asia using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and gridded high-resolution station (land) data for the period 1984-2013. Further analysis distinguished between the effects of climatic change and those of human activities on vegetation dynamics by means of a residual analysis trend method. The results show that vegetation pixels significantly decreased for shrubs and sparse vegetation compared with those for the other vegetation types and that the degradation of sparse vegetation was more serious in the Karakum and Kyzylkum Deserts, the Ustyurt Plateau and the wetland delta of the Large Aral Sea than in other regions. The Hurst exponent results indicated that forests are more sustainable than grasslands, shrubs and sparse vegetation. Precipitation is the main factor affecting vegetation growth in the Kazakhskiy Melkosopochnik. Moreover, temperature is a controlling factor that influences the seasonal variation of vegetation greenness in the mountains and the Aral Sea basin. Drought is the main factor affecting vegetation degradation as a result of both increased temperature and decreased precipitation in the Kyzylkum Desert and the northern Ustyurt Plateau. The residual analysis highlighted that sparse vegetation and the degradation of some shrubs in the southern part of the Karakum Desert, the southern Ustyurt Plateau and the wetland delta of the Large Aral Sea were mainly triggered by human activities: the excessive exploitation of water resources in the upstream areas of the Amu Darya basin and oil and natural gas extraction in the southern part of the Karakum Desert and the southern Ustyurt Plateau. The results also indicated that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, abandoned pastures gave rise to increased vegetation in eastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and abandoned croplands reverted to grasslands in northern Kazakhstan, leading to a decrease in cropland greenness. Shrubs and sparse vegetation were extremely sensitive to short-term climatic variations, and our results demonstrated that these vegetation types were the most seriously degraded by human activities. Therefore, regional governments should strive to restore vegetation to sustain this fragile arid ecological environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Profiling physical activity motivation based on self-determination theory: a cluster analysis approach.

PubMed

Friederichs, Stijn Ah; Bolman, Catherine; Oenema, Anke; Lechner, Lilian

2015-01-01

In order to promote physical activity uptake and maintenance in individuals who do not comply with physical activity guidelines, it is important to increase our understanding of physical activity motivation among this group. The present study aimed to examine motivational profiles in a large sample of adults who do not comply with physical activity guidelines. The sample for this study consisted of 2473 individuals (31.4% male; age 44.6 ± 12.9). In order to generate motivational profiles based on motivational regulation, a cluster analysis was conducted. One-way analyses of variance were then used to compare the clusters in terms of demographics, physical activity level, motivation to be active and subjective experience while being active. Three motivational clusters were derived based on motivational regulation scores: a low motivation cluster, a controlled motivation cluster and an autonomous motivation cluster. These clusters differed significantly from each other with respect to physical activity behavior, motivation to be active and subjective experience while being active. Overall, the autonomous motivation cluster displayed more favorable characteristics compared to the other two clusters. The results of this study provide additional support for the importance of autonomous motivation in the context of physical activity behavior. The three derived clusters may be relevant in the context of physical activity interventions as individuals within the different clusters might benefit most from different intervention approaches. In addition, this study shows that cluster analysis is a useful method for differentiating between motivational profiles in large groups of individuals who do not comply with physical activity guidelines.

Molecular characterization of total and metabolically active bacterial communities of "white colonizations" in the Altamira Cave, Spain.

PubMed

Portillo, M Carmen; Saiz-Jimenez, Cesareo; Gonzalez, Juan M

2009-01-01

Caves with paleolithic paintings are influenced by bacterial development. Altamira Cave (Spain) contains some of the most famous paintings from the Paleolithic era. An assessment of the composition of bacterial communities that have colonized this cave represents a first step in understanding and potentially controlling their proliferation. In this study, areas showing colonization with uncolored microorganisms, referred to as "white colonizations", were analyzed. Microorganisms present in these colonizations were studied using DNA analysis, and those showing significant metabolic activity were detected in RNA-based RNA analysis. Bacterial community fingerprints were obtained both from DNA and RNA analyses, indicating differences between the microorganisms present and metabolically active in these white colonizations. Metabolically active microorganisms represented only a fraction of the total bacterial community present in the colonizations. 16S rRNA gene libraries were used to identify the major representative members of the studied communities. Proteobacteria constituted the most frequently found division both among metabolically active microorganisms (from RNA-based analysis) and those present in the community (from DNA analysis). Results suggest the existence of a huge variety of taxa in white colonizations of the Altamira Cave which represent a potential risk for the conservation of the cave and its paintings.

Characterization of functional brain activity and connectivity using EEG and fMRI in patients with sickle cell disease.

PubMed

Case, Michelle; Zhang, Huishi; Mundahl, John; Datta, Yvonne; Nelson, Stephen; Gupta, Kalpna; He, Bin

2017-01-01

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a red blood cell disorder that causes many complications including life-long pain. Treatment of pain remains challenging due to a poor understanding of the mechanisms and limitations to characterize and quantify pain. In the present study, we examined simultaneously recording functional MRI (fMRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) to better understand neural connectivity as a consequence of chronic pain in SCD patients. We performed independent component analysis and seed-based connectivity on fMRI data. Spontaneous power and microstate analysis was performed on EEG-fMRI data. ICA analysis showed that patients lacked activity in the default mode network (DMN) and executive control network compared to controls. EEG-fMRI data revealed that the insula cortex's role in salience increases with age in patients. EEG microstate analysis showed patients had increased activity in pain processing regions. The cerebellum in patients showed a stronger connection to the periaqueductal gray matter (involved in pain inhibition), and negative connections to pain processing areas. These results suggest that patients have reduced activity of DMN and increased activity in pain processing regions during rest. The present findings suggest resting state connectivity differences between patients and controls can be used as novel biomarkers of SCD pain.

The Impact of Polio Eradication on Routine Immunization and Primary Health Care: A Mixed-Methods Study

PubMed Central

Closser, Svea; Cox, Kelly; Parris, Thomas M.; Landis, R. Matthew; Justice, Judith; Gopinath, Ranjani; Maes, Kenneth; Banteyerga Amaha, Hailom; Mohammed, Ismaila Zango; Dukku, Aminu Mohammed; Omidian, Patricia A.; Varley, Emma; Tedoff, Pauley; Koon, Adam D.; Nyirazinyoye, Laetitia; Luck, Matthew A.; Pont, W. Frank; Neergheen, Vanessa; Rosenthal, Anat; Nsubuga, Peter; Thacker, Naveen; Jooma, Rashid; Nuttall, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Background. After 2 decades of focused efforts to eradicate polio, the impact of eradication activities on health systems continues to be controversial. This study evaluated the impact of polio eradication activities on routine immunization (RI) and primary healthcare (PHC). Methods. Quantitative analysis assessed the effects of polio eradication campaigns on RI and maternal healthcare coverage. A systematic qualitative analysis in 7 countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa assessed impacts of polio eradication activities on key health system functions, using data from interviews, participant observation, and document review. Results. Our quantitative analysis did not find compelling evidence of widespread and significant effects of polio eradication campaigns, either positive or negative, on measures of RI and maternal healthcare. Our qualitative analysis revealed context-specific positive impacts of polio eradication activities in many of our case studies, particularly disease surveillance and cold chain strengthening. These impacts were dependent on the initiative of policy makers. Negative impacts, including service interruption and public dissatisfaction, were observed primarily in districts with many campaigns per year. Conclusions. Polio eradication activities can provide support for RI and PHC, but many opportunities to do so remain missed. Increased commitment to scaling up best practices could lead to significant positive impacts. PMID:24690667

Noise Trauma Induced Neural Plasticity Throughout the Auditory System of Mongolian Gerbils: Differences between Tinnitus Developing and Non-Developing Animals

PubMed Central

Tziridis, Konstantin; Ahlf, Sönke; Jeschke, Marcus; Happel, Max F. K.; Ohl, Frank W.; Schulze, Holger

2015-01-01

In this study, we describe differences between neural plasticity in auditory cortex (AC) of animals that developed subjective tinnitus (group T) after noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) compared to those that did not [group non-tinnitus (NT)]. To this end, our analysis focuses on the input activity of cortical neurons based on the temporal and spectral analysis of local field potential (LFP) recordings and an in-depth analysis of auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in the same animals. In response to NIHL in NT animals we find a significant general reduction in overall cortical activity and spectral power as well as changes in all ABR wave amplitudes as a function of loudness. In contrast, T-animals show no significant change in overall cortical activity as assessed by root mean square analysis of LFP amplitudes, but a specific increase in LFP spectral power and in the amplitude of ABR wave V reflecting activity in the inferior colliculus (IC). Based on these results, we put forward a refined model of tinnitus prevention after NIHL that acts via a top-down global (i.e., frequency-unspecific) inhibition reducing overall neuronal activity in AC and IC, thereby counteracting NIHL-induced bottom-up frequency-specific neuroplasticity suggested in current models of tinnitus development. PMID:25713557

[ANALYSIS USING AN EXPERT PANEL OF ACTIVITIES AND COMPETENCIES WHICH NURSING CLINICAL PRACTICE TUTORS IN THE COMUNIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE MADRID SHOULD POSSESS].

PubMed

Argüello López, María Teresa; Palmar Santos, Ana María; Sellán Soto, Carmen

2015-01-01

Although practical training has always been important in Nursing, it has reached a new dimension in the European Higher Education Area. This has involved adapting the syllabus, where one of the new features is considering clinical practice as an independent subject and also including the concept of competence as a result of the students' learning. The figure of the tutor becomes one of the key factors and therefore their activities and competencies must be defined. To enumerate and prioritize, by agreement, the main activities and competences by the tutor of clinical practices in the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid should posses. METHODOLOGY. Quantitative focus, analysis by group of experts between 2010 and 2013. RESULTS. A total of 510 nurses have participated, 17 panels of experts have met and consensus has been reached on 22 competencies and 12 activities. The description of activities and competencies can be extremely useful for selecting, evaluating and developing nursing clinical practice tutors, becoming a baseline and reducing the subjectivity in the development of tutors according to the new demands of the European Higher Education Area.

Trace element analysis of soil type collected from the Manjung and central Perak

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

Azman, Muhammad Azfar, E-mail: m-azfar@nuclearmalaysia.gov.my; Hamzah, Suhaimi; Rahman, Shamsiah Abdul

2015-04-29

Trace elements in soils primarily originated from their parent materials. Parents’ material is the underlying geological material that has been undergone different types of chemical weathering and leaching processes. Soil trace elements concentrations may be increases as a result of continuous input from various human activities, including power generation, agriculture, mining and manufacturing. This paper describes the Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) method used for the determination of trace elements concentrations in part per million (ppm) present in the terrestrial environment soil in Perak. The data may indicate any contamination of trace elements contributed from human activities in the area. Themore » enrichment factors were used to check if there any contamination due to the human activities (power plants, agricultural, mining, etc.) otherwise the values would serve as a baseline data for future study. The samples were collected from 27 locations of different soil series in the area at two different depths: the top soil (0-15cm) and the sub soil (15-30cm). The collected soil samples were air dried at 60°C and passed through 2 µm sieve. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) has been used for the determination of trace elements. Samples were activated in the Nuclear Malaysia TRIGA Mark II reactor followed by gamma spectrometric analysis. By activating the stable elements in the samples, the elements can be determined from the intensities of gamma energies emitted by the respected radionuclides.« less

A critique of the Active Ageing Index.

PubMed

São José, José Manuel de; Timonen, Virpi; Amado, Carla Alexandra Filipe; Santos, Sérgio Pereira

2017-01-01

Active ageing and successful ageing are ubiquitous concepts in contemporary societies. In the European Union, active ageing is monitored and promoted chiefly by the Active Ageing Index, a policy tool in use since 2012. We acknowledge that the AAI may contribute to sensitizing people, including policymakers, to the multidimensionality and complexity of the process of "ageing well". However, we note that despite being widely used and promoted, the Active Ageing Index remains under-scrutinized. In this article, we undertake a comprehensive critical analysis of the Active Ageing Index. This critical analysis is supported by the Theory of Model Ageing, the Capability Approach and, to a lesser extent, by relevant literature on composite indices. We conclude that the Active Ageing Index was developed with the paradoxical aim of deriving "the solution" from "the problem". It is an under-theorized and narrowly conceptualized index that contributes to the process of Model Ageing, as its conceptual foundation, and its domains and indicators, convey a certain model of active ageing. This model is expert-based and ingrained with a priori assumptions about the potential of older people, the domains of life and activities they value and how strongly they value them. Finally, the Active Ageing Index measures current achievements, not capabilities (i.e. the opportunity set of achievable "doings" and "beings"), resulting in a valuable but incomplete tool for policymaking purposes. We hope that this critical analysis will initiate a debate on the Active Ageing Index that, in our view, is overdue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of physical activity interventions on youth with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Healy, Sean; Nacario, Adam; Braithwaite, Rock E; Hopper, Chris

2018-06-01

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the effect of physical activity interventions on youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Standard meta-analytical procedures determining inclusion criteria, literature searches in electronic databases, coding procedures, and statistical methods were used to identify and synthesize articles retained for analysis. Hedge's g (1988) was utilized to interpret effect sizes and quantify research findings. Moderator and outcome variables were assessed using coding procedures. A total of 29 studies with 30 independent samples (N = 1009) were utilized in this analysis. Results from meta-analyses indicated an overall moderate effect (g = 0.62). Several outcomes indicated moderate-to-large effects (g ≥ 0.5); specifically, moderate to large positive effects were revealed for participants exposed to interventions targeting the development of manipulative skills, locomotor skills, skill-related fitness, social functioning, and muscular strength and endurance. Moderator analyses were conducted to explain variance between groups; environment was the only subgrouping variable (intervention characteristics) to produce a significant difference (Q B  = 5.67, P < 0.05) between moderators. While no significant differences were found between other moderators, several trends were apparent within groups in which experimental groups outperformed control groups. Autism Res 2018, 11: 818-833. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Results of the meta-analysis-a method for synthesizing research-showed physical activity interventions to have a moderate or large effect on a variety of outcomes, including for the development of manipulative skills, locomotor skills, skill-related fitness, social functioning, and muscular strength and endurance. The authors conclude that physical activity's standing as an evidence-based strategy for youth with ASD is reinforced. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The CF6 engine performance improvement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fasching, W. A.

1982-01-01

As part of the NASA-sponsored Engine Component Improvement (ECI) Program, a feasibility analysis of performance improvement and retention concepts for the CF6-6 and CF6-50 engines was conducted and seven concepts were identified for development and ground testing: new fan, new front mount, high pressure turbine aerodynamic performance improvement, high pressure turbine roundness, high pressure turbine active clearance control, low pressure turbine active clearance control, and short core exhaust nozzle. The development work and ground testing are summarized, and the major test results and an enomic analysis for each concept are presented.

Contextual and Perceptual Brain Processes Underlying Moral Cognition: A Quantitative Meta-Analysis of Moral Reasoning and Moral Emotions

PubMed Central

Sevinc, Gunes; Spreng, R. Nathan

2014-01-01

Background and Objectives Human morality has been investigated using a variety of tasks ranging from judgments of hypothetical dilemmas to viewing morally salient stimuli. These experiments have provided insight into neural correlates of moral judgments and emotions, yet these approaches reveal important differences in moral cognition. Moral reasoning tasks require active deliberation while moral emotion tasks involve the perception of stimuli with moral implications. We examined convergent and divergent brain activity associated with these experimental paradigms taking a quantitative meta-analytic approach. Data Source A systematic search of the literature yielded 40 studies. Studies involving explicit decisions in a moral situation were categorized as active (n = 22); studies evoking moral emotions were categorized as passive (n = 18). We conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis using the Activation Likelihood Estimation to determine reliable patterns of brain activity. Results & Conclusions Results revealed a convergent pattern of reliable brain activity for both task categories in regions of the default network, consistent with the social and contextual information processes supported by this brain network. Active tasks revealed more reliable activity in the temporoparietal junction, angular gyrus and temporal pole. Active tasks demand deliberative reasoning and may disproportionately involve the retrieval of social knowledge from memory, mental state attribution, and construction of the context through associative processes. In contrast, passive tasks reliably engaged regions associated with visual and emotional information processing, including lingual gyrus and the amygdala. A laterality effect was observed in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, with active tasks engaging the left, and passive tasks engaging the right. While overlapping activity patterns suggest a shared neural network for both tasks, differential activity suggests that processing of moral input is affected by task demands. The results provide novel insight into distinct features of moral cognition, including the generation of moral context through associative processes and the perceptual detection of moral salience. PMID:24503959

Active Flash: Out-of-core Data Analytics on Flash Storage

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

Boboila, Simona; Kim, Youngjae; Vazhkudai, Sudharshan S

2012-01-01

Next generation science will increasingly come to rely on the ability to perform efficient, on-the-fly analytics of data generated by high-performance computing (HPC) simulations, modeling complex physical phenomena. Scientific computing workflows are stymied by the traditional chaining of simulation and data analysis, creating multiple rounds of redundant reads and writes to the storage system, which grows in cost with the ever-increasing gap between compute and storage speeds in HPC clusters. Recent HPC acquisitions have introduced compute node-local flash storage as a means to alleviate this I/O bottleneck. We propose a novel approach, Active Flash, to expedite data analysis pipelines bymore » migrating to the location of the data, the flash device itself. We argue that Active Flash has the potential to enable true out-of-core data analytics by freeing up both the compute core and the associated main memory. By performing analysis locally, dependence on limited bandwidth to a central storage system is reduced, while allowing this analysis to proceed in parallel with the main application. In addition, offloading work from the host to the more power-efficient controller reduces peak system power usage, which is already in the megawatt range and poses a major barrier to HPC system scalability. We propose an architecture for Active Flash, explore energy and performance trade-offs in moving computation from host to storage, demonstrate the ability of appropriate embedded controllers to perform data analysis and reduction tasks at speeds sufficient for this application, and present a simulation study of Active Flash scheduling policies. These results show the viability of the Active Flash model, and its capability to potentially have a transformative impact on scientific data analysis.« less

Chemical Composition, Antifungal and Antioxidant Activities of Hedyosmum brasiliense Mart. ex Miq. (Chloranthaceae) Essential Oils

PubMed Central

Murakami, Cynthia; Cordeiro, Inês; Young, Maria Cláudia M.

2017-01-01

Background: Hedyosmum brasiliense Mart. ex Miq. (Chloranthaceae) is a dioecious shrub popularly used in Brazil to treat foot fungi and rheumatism. This work investigated the chemical composition, antifungal, and antioxidant activities of flowers and leaves of H. brasiliense essential oils; Methods: H. brasiliense male and female flowers and leaves were collected at Ilha do Cardoso (São Paulo) and the essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/MS and their similarity compared by Principal Component Analysis. Antifungal activity was performed by bioautography and antioxidant potential by 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) free radical scavenging and β-carotene/linoleic acid system; Results: The major compounds for all oils were sabinene, curzerene, and carotol, but some differences in their chemical composition were discriminated by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) analysis. Bioautography showed two antifungal bands at Rf’s 0.67 and 0.12 in all samples, the first one was identified as curzerene. The oils presented stronger antioxidant potential in β-carotene/linoleic acid bioassay, with IC50’s from 80 to 180 μg/mL, than in DPPH assay, with IC50’s from 2516.18 to 3783.49 μg/mL; Conclusions: These results suggested that curzerene might be responsible for the antifungal activity of H. brasiliense essential oils. Besides, these essential oils exhibited potential to prevent lipoperoxidation, but they have a weak radical scavenger activity. PMID:28930269

High School Teaching and College Performance: Looking for Connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tai, Robert H.

2006-12-01

How much impact does high school have on college? Are decisions about classroom activities and student work in high school physics associated with student performance in college physics? In our paper, we look at several aspects of high school physics including laboratory experiences, homework activities, and classroom activities and their association with college physics grades. Our results revisit in greater depth and earlier analysis carried out a decade earlier.

An Acute Bout of Barefoot Running Alters Lower-limb Muscle Activation for Minimalist Shoe Users.

PubMed

Snow, N J; Basset, F A; Byrne, J

2016-05-01

Despite the abundance of barefoot running-related research, there have been no electromyography studies evaluating the effects of this mode of exercise on habitual users of minimalist footwear. The present study investigated differences in muscle activation during acute bouts of barefoot and shod running, in minimalist shoe users. 8 male participants ran on a motorized treadmill for 10 min under both conditions, at 70% maximal aerobic speed. Electromyographic data were sampled from the biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, gastrocnemius medialis, tibialis anterior, and vastus lateralis during both swing and stance. Root-mean-square analysis of electromyographic data was conducted to compare muscle activation between conditions. During stance, barefoot running resulted in greater muscle activity in gastrocnemius medialis and gluteus maximus, and lower muscle activity in tibialis anterior. During swing, barefoot running resulted in increased muscle activity in vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius medialus. These results indicate that, for minimalist shoe users, an acute bout of barefoot running results in significantly different lower-limb muscle activity. Increased activation in the above muscles presents a possible mechanism for injury, which should be considered during exercise prescription. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Intersubject synchronization of cortical activity during natural vision.

PubMed

Hasson, Uri; Nir, Yuval; Levy, Ifat; Fuhrmann, Galit; Malach, Rafael

2004-03-12

To what extent do all brains work alike during natural conditions? We explored this question by letting five subjects freely view half an hour of a popular movie while undergoing functional brain imaging. Applying an unbiased analysis in which spatiotemporal activity patterns in one brain were used to "model" activity in another brain, we found a striking level of voxel-by-voxel synchronization between individuals, not only in primary and secondary visual and auditory areas but also in association cortices. The results reveal a surprising tendency of individual brains to "tick collectively" during natural vision. The intersubject synchronization consisted of a widespread cortical activation pattern correlated with emotionally arousing scenes and regionally selective components. The characteristics of these activations were revealed with the use of an open-ended "reverse-correlation" approach, which inverts the conventional analysis by letting the brain signals themselves "pick up" the optimal stimuli for each specialized cortical area.

Twitter as a Potential Disaster Risk Reduction Tool. Part II: Descriptive Analysis of Identified Twitter Activity during the 2013 Hattiesburg F4 Tornado

PubMed Central

Cooper, Guy Paul; Yeager, Violet; Burkle, Frederick M.; Subbarao, Italo

2015-01-01

Background: This article describes a novel triangulation methodological approach for identifying twitter activity of regional active twitter users during the 2013 Hattiesburg EF-4 Tornado. Methodology: A data extraction and geographically centered filtration approach was utilized to generate Twitter data for 48 hrs pre- and post-Tornado. The data was further validated using six sigma approach utilizing GPS data. Results: The regional analysis revealed a total of 81,441 tweets, 10,646 Twitter users, 27,309 retweets and 2637 tweets with GPS coordinates. Conclusions: Twitter tweet activity increased 5 fold during the response to the Hattiesburg Tornado.  Retweeting activity increased 2.2 fold. Tweets with a hashtag increased 1.4 fold. Twitter was an effective disaster risk reduction tool for the Hattiesburg EF-4 Tornado 2013.  PMID:26203396

The neuroplastic effect of working memory training in healthy volunteers and patients with schizophrenia: Implications for cognitive rehabilitation.

PubMed

Li, Xu; Xiao, Ya-hui; Zhao, Qing; Leung, Ada W W; Cheung, Eric F C; Chan, Raymond C K

2015-08-01

We conducted an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to quantitatively review the existing working memory (WM) training studies that investigated neural activation changes both in healthy individuals and patients with schizophrenia. ALE analysis of studies in healthy individuals indicates a widespread distribution of activation changes with WM training in the frontal and parietal regions, especially the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the medial frontal cortex and the precuneus, as well as subcortical regions such as the insula and the striatum. WM training is also accompanied by activation changes in patients with schizophrenia, mainly in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the precuneus and the fusiform gyrus. Our results demonstrate that WM training is accompanied by changes in neural activation patterns in healthy individuals, which may provide the basis for understanding neuroplastic changes in patients with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between methylation and colonic inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease

PubMed Central

Lobatón, Triana; Azuara, Daniel; Rodríguez-Moranta, Francisco; Loayza, Carolina; Sanjuan, Xavier; de Oca, Javier; Fernández-Robles, Ana; Guardiola, Jordi; Capellá, Gabriel

2014-01-01

AIM: To investigate the relationship between the methylation status in the SLIT2 and TGFB2 promoters and colonic inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease patients. METHODS: We evaluated the methylation status of 2 genes (SLIT2 and TGFB2) in 226 biopsies taken from 62 colonoscopies of 38 patients (29 ulcerative colitis and 9 Crohn’s colitis) using methylation-specific melting curve analysis. The relationships between methylation status and clinical, biological, endoscopic and histological activities were evaluated. Twenty-three of the 38 patients had a second colonoscopy and were included in a longitudinal analysis. Numerical results were given as the means ± SD of the sample and range, except when specified. Student t analysis, U Mann Whitney and ANOVA factor were used to compare the means. Qualitative results were based on the χ2 test. RESULTS: SLIT2 methylation was more frequent in samples with endoscopic activity than with endoscopic remission (55% vs 18%, P < 0.001). SLIT2 methylation was also higher in samples with acute inflammation (56.5%) than in samples with chronic (24%) or absent inflammation (15%) (P < 0.001). For TGFB2 methylation, the correlation was only significant with endoscopic activity. Methylation was higher in the distal colon for both genes (P < 0.001 for SLIT2 and P = 0.022 for TGFB2). In the multivariate analysis, only inflammation status (and not disease duration or extension) was independently associated with SLIT2 methylation [OR = 6.6 (95%CI: 1.65-27.36), P = 0.009]. In the longitudinal analysis, the maintenance of endoscopic remission was protective for methylation. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic and histological inflammation are predictive for SLIT2 methylation. PMID:25132780

Prediction of p38 map kinase inhibitory activity of 3, 4-dihydropyrido [3, 2-d] pyrimidone derivatives using an expert system based on principal component analysis and least square support vector machine

PubMed Central

Shahlaei, M.; Saghaie, L.

2014-01-01

A quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) study is suggested for the prediction of biological activity (pIC50) of 3, 4-dihydropyrido [3,2-d] pyrimidone derivatives as p38 inhibitors. Modeling of the biological activities of compounds of interest as a function of molecular structures was established by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and least square support vector machine (LS-SVM) methods. The results showed that the pIC50 values calculated by LS-SVM are in good agreement with the experimental data, and the performance of the LS-SVM regression model is superior to the PCA-based model. The developed LS-SVM model was applied for the prediction of the biological activities of pyrimidone derivatives, which were not in the modeling procedure. The resulted model showed high prediction ability with root mean square error of prediction of 0.460 for LS-SVM. The study provided a novel and effective approach for predicting biological activities of 3, 4-dihydropyrido [3,2-d] pyrimidone derivatives as p38 inhibitors and disclosed that LS-SVM can be used as a powerful chemometrics tool for QSAR studies. PMID:26339262

Withaferin A activates stress signalling proteins in high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia

PubMed Central

Shi, Li-Huan; Wu, Xi-Jun; Liu, Jun-Shan; Gao, Yin-Bo

2015-01-01

Withaferin A, the principal bio-active component isolated from the Withaniasomnifera, has shown promising anti-leukemic activity in addition to anti-invasive and anti-metastatic activity. The present study demonstrates the effect of withaferin A on the cell cycle status and the phosphorylation/activation of proteins involved in signal transduction in t(4;11) and non-t(4;11) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines after treatment with withaferin A. The cells after treatment with the vehicle or 25 μM withaferin A for 1, 2, 4 and 8 h were examined using flow cytometric analysis. The results revealed that withaferin A treatment induced cell growth arrest at the S to G2/M phase transition of the cell cycle. Withaferin A treatment also induced the phosphorylation of stress signalling proteins, including the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, the c-Jun N-terminal kinase, c-Jun, the heat shock protein 27 and protein kinase B within 0 to 16 h. These results were observed using multiplex technology and Western blotting analysis. Thus withaferin A induces stress response leading to cell death. Therefore, withaferin A can be a potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of high risk ALL with chromosomal translocation t(4;11). PMID:26884834

Withaferin A activates stress signalling proteins in high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PubMed

Shi, Li-Huan; Wu, Xi-Jun; Liu, Jun-Shan; Gao, Yin-Bo

2015-01-01

Withaferin A, the principal bio-active component isolated from the Withaniasomnifera, has shown promising anti-leukemic activity in addition to anti-invasive and anti-metastatic activity. The present study demonstrates the effect of withaferin A on the cell cycle status and the phosphorylation/activation of proteins involved in signal transduction in t(4;11) and non-t(4;11) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines after treatment with withaferin A. The cells after treatment with the vehicle or 25 μM withaferin A for 1, 2, 4 and 8 h were examined using flow cytometric analysis. The results revealed that withaferin A treatment induced cell growth arrest at the S to G2/M phase transition of the cell cycle. Withaferin A treatment also induced the phosphorylation of stress signalling proteins, including the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, the c-Jun N-terminal kinase, c-Jun, the heat shock protein 27 and protein kinase B within 0 to 16 h. These results were observed using multiplex technology and Western blotting analysis. Thus withaferin A induces stress response leading to cell death. Therefore, withaferin A can be a potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of high risk ALL with chromosomal translocation t(4;11).

Getting to know the competition: a content analysis of publicly and corporate funded physical activity advertisements.

PubMed

Berry, Tanya R; McCarville, Ron E; Rhodes, Ryan E

2008-03-01

The purpose of this research was to conduct a content analysis of physical activity advertisements in an effort to determine which advertisements were more likely to include features that may attract and maintain attention levels. Fifty-seven advertisements were collected from top circulation Canadian magazines. The advertisements ranged from publicly funded health promotion pieces to corporate sponsored advertisements using physical activity to sell a product. Advertisements were examined for textual and pictorial factors thought to increase attention allocated to advertising of this nature. Only two public health advertisements were found, and the majority of advertisements (57.9%) were from commercial advertisers using physical activity images to sell products or to encourage brand recognition. The advertisements originating with the private sector tended to possess most of the characteristics thought to attract the attention of readers. Once this attention was gained, however, most of these advertisements failed to highlight the benefits of physical activity. As a result, the positive effect of these advertisements may have been compromised. Public health advertisements were so infrequent that we could not compare their characteristics with those originating with the private sector. The characteristics with those we did find were inconsistent with those thought to attract and maintain attention levels. Results are discussed in terms of potential implications for promoting physical activity.